Monster Squad – “Depression”
We’ve got a monster RECORD OF THE WEEK Blog coming at you!!
After a 10 year break between records, Bay Area hardcore staples MONSTER SQUAD are back with their brand new LP “Depression!” A deeply personal record, the album chronicles frontman Phil Geck’s process and struggle to sobriety plus the stories of struggles from the band, its fans, friends, and loved ones. In addition to some amazing artwork by Winston Smith (DK logo, Green Day), the band collaborated with Bryan Lothian (A Global Threat) and Mike “Rufio” Kadomiya (Life Is Posers) to throw some pretty incredible finishing touches on this extremely well thought-out release! With incredible artwork comes eye-catching variants including ‘Hot Pink’ & ‘UltraClear’ ‘Half-N-Half’ with ‘Highlighter Yellow,’ ‘Electric Blue,’ & ‘Hot Pink’ Splatter, ‘Ultra Clear’ & ‘Highlighter Yellow’ ‘Half-N-Half’ with ‘Hot Pink’ & ‘Electric Blue’ Splatter, or ‘Kelly Green’ & ‘Easter Yellow’ ‘AsideBside’ with ‘Swamp Green,’ White, & Black Splatter. Grab a copy from PIRATES PRESS RECORDS, VOLTAGE RECORDS in Europe, or from the band at a show!
BAND NAME: Monster Squad (Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp)
LABEL NAME: Pirates Press Records / Voltage Records
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CLEANZED SOUL a mix of metal/rock/ballads writing songs to inspire, motivate, find self worth, rock out to, enjoy life type of music. It’s all about good times. “Slave To The Flesh” is only available only on vinyl. 2 song EP that shows the diverse range of musical style and depth. Find out more at DINGBAT RECORDS!
BAND NAME: Cleanzed Soul
LABEL NAME: DingBat Records
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DAY BY DAY is a hardcore band from South Florida formed around mid 2014. Heavily influenced by the classic Miami hardcore sound and NYHC, DAY BY DAY has forged a style of their own and in their short time as a band, they’ve released a demo cassette, a 12” EP “Never Ending Lies,” a 7” EP “From Now On,” and now the “Nowhere To Run” LP. You can get one of the three version from EIGHTY-SIXED RECORDS, a label based out of Miami, Florida that was born out of a necessity to help put South Florida hardcore back on the map. Three years and roughly a dozen releases out, 86’D is just getting started…
BAND NAME: Day By Day
LABEL NAME: Eighty-Sixed Records (Website / Twitter / Instagram)
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To celebrate the release of his 2016 album Pixie Queen, ANTHONY GREEN performed a number of songs from his catalog at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Enginnered and produced by MEMORY MUSIC’S own Will Yip, these intimate acoustic tracks capture some of the finest moment’s of GREEN’S catalog in a brand new light. ANTHONY GREEN first began his solo career in 2008 with the release of his debut LP, “Avalon”. Since then, he has gone on to release a handful of acclaimed albums, including 2012’s “Beautiful Things”, which peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard 200 chart, and 2013’s “Young Legs”, which charted at No. 67!
BAND NAME: Anthony Green
LABEL NAME: Memory Music
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FIDDLEHEAD is a Boston supergroup featuring members of Have Heart and Basement, formed in 2014. They released their first EP ‘Out of The Bloom’ which took heavy influence from DC melodic hardcore of the 80s/90s like Fugazi and Rites of Spring. Their first full length album “Springtime and Blind“ was just released on RUN FOR COVER RECORDS. While still keeping the energy from their EP, this latest album sees the band taking their songwriting to the next level, putting vocalist Pat Flynn to the forefront. This is evident right from the opening track “Spousal Loss” where a very clear thesis of the record is stated: loss. Whether it’s the loss of time on “Lay Low”, or the loss of a loved one on “USMA”, it’s a clear premise that tangles itself throughout the record, and strives to find resolution.
BAND NAME: Fiddlehead (Bandcamp / Facebook / Twitter)
LABEL NAME: Run For Cover Records
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The UK has always been a breeding ground for rock bands with unique sounds and massive hooks. Enter Wolverhampton’s DEARIST. From this sleepy midland town comes a modern British take on the likes of American pioneers like Taking Back Sunday, Rival Schools, and Thursday. While a phrase as broad as emo doesn’t quite encapsulate the scope of the band’s sound – to describe it as “emotional” would be selling it short. On “Sonder”, we witness the band exploring the simple, yet profound realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as our own. Available now over at SPARTAN RECORDS!
BAND NAME: Dearist (Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram)
LABEL NAME: Spartan Records
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Stay chill out there!