Band of the Week - Capsule

Miami's punk/hardcore scene is incestuous.  I mean, I assume most cities' are, but Miami especially.  This guy was in this band with his brother who was also in this band with these 2 other guys who started out in some band that was really popular in South Florida and was friends with that band on Victory back when they were releasing relevant records and they used to tour together and they probably should have toured more.  Well, actually, that band recently broke up and the two brothers are in different bands, but I think at least one of those bands shares a member of the brothers' band, or maybe all the members are in both bands except the brothers.  Wait, maybe the one brother isn't in it or maybe it's his cousin and he's in like three other bands all with each ex-member of that grind and/or sludge band... anyway, they just formed 2 weeks ago and I'm pretty sure Robotic Empire is putting out their 7" they haven't written yet and I think they're playing a ten song set tomorrow.

6 years of living in Miami and this is how I felt at just about every local show I went to.  Some of the members of Capsule were mentioned above, but I have no clue which.  I do know I have had some interaction with each member; guitarist/vocalist Colin Smith played guitar/drums/bass in countless bands including some my old band played shows with; no matter what band Ryan Haft has been in I have always admired his guitar playing and thought of him as one of the most innovative guitar players in the Miami scene.  Kind of why I thought it was criminal that he was playing bass in Capsule, but he's since been moved to guitar; drummer, well, now bassist/vocalist Eric Hernandez even played at my (dead) band's CD release party and has also filled in on drums for both Torche and Kyelsa; and newest addition, live drummer Alex De Renzis played drums for Adore Miridia (whose shows I frequented) and a slew of other bands.  Alex also ran a weekly themed night at a bar that my friends and I would go to almost every week.  What they all have in common other than being in Capsule (and the first paragraph) is that they all probably don't know who the heck I am.

Sorry for the digression.  On to what they sound like.  Although Capsule is the band of the week this is really more of a focus on their latest release No Ghost, but since I don't really do album reviews here we are.  Not that Capsule's past releases aren't similar, quite the contrary, but this just happens to be the newest one.  If it's a screamo (please read "origins...") record it's by far the heaviest screamo record I've ever heard.  If it's a post-hardcore record, again, heaviest post-hardcore record I've ever heard.  If it's metal?  Well, they still hold their weight.  This band almost never slows down.  Constant angular technical riffs against relentless pounding drums ala Lifetime of Gray Skies-era Anodyne, and thick pulverizing bass, the latter being the final blow that makes you feel like the gravity has been quadrupled.  I say "almost never slows down" because there are tracks like "Isn't Us" or the completely instrumental final song "_" that do alter the pacing.  "Isn't Us" is definitely one of the heaviest songs on the album and provides some head-nod inducing grooves.  The vocals are a gruff singing/yelling, kind of like a mixture of Hot Water Music and KEN Mode.  Actually, Capsule does kind of sound like if KEN Mode recruited The Fall of Troy guitarist and asked him to take the bubble gum out of his riffs.

www.facebook.com/CapsuleRock
capsuleband.blogspot.com/

Where they started: 2008's Blue (I think)

Where you should start: Well, since most of this entry was inspired by No Ghost that would be my suggestion.  Blue is a good second release to get by them and the split with Furnace is another fine couple of songs.  I'd hold off on diving into the self titled release until you know you're a fan.

Essential Song: Actually, you can sample a good chunk of the record through this player.


Essential Live Video: Why not a full set?

Band of the Week - Ocoai

At what volume does tinnitus occur?  I don't have an exact decibel measurement, but every time I see Ocoai live this question is emphatically answered.  This band goes to 12.  Actually, scratch that, Ocoai is beyond that and probably deserves better than a bad Spinal Tap reference, but it's all I've got.  However, if sheer volume was all that was impressive, then I have two friends who could make a killing touring the country with their incessant The Simpsons quotes.  Yes, Ocoai makes use of a style popularized by Neurosis and Isis.  In fact, if you're sick of the term Neur-Isis and all of its clones I don't blame you, but I really feel sorry for you if you gave up on the atmospheric post-whatever genre before hearing Ocoai.  These dudes take everything the genre is known for and do it right.

Originally a four piece, they rounded out their line up by adding a 5th member who handles keys, electronics, and *ahem* cello duties.  And with that, when Ocoai hit their D Minor key (last Spinal Tap reference, I promise) the sadness of their music definitely brings the Neurosis vibe.  When they roll through their up-tempo blues riffs, even burly Black Sabbath worshipping dudes, who dig bands like Baroness and Black Cobra, with beards bigger and longer than their attention spans needed to appreciate music like this, will nod their heads in agreement. When Ocoai quiets down there is a shadowy beauty adding another layer to the already rampant emotion flowing through each of their songs.  And when Ocoai slows everything down and push more weight through their amps than Escobar pushed in the 80's, it has the chunky feel of Pelican (except with competent drumming), but it's so heavy that if an actual pelican tried to lift the air that carries an Ocoai drop in it's silly looking beak, it would probably turn the entire species into a flightless bird.

The stamp that Ocoai puts on the genre that perhaps hasn't been as prevalent in post-metal bands past is guitar solos.  Both guitarists take turns cutting through the others' chugging elephant stomps with more blues influenced picking and even sliding ("Marchand De Sommeil") or sometimes taking on more classic metal styled solos (later in the very same song).  Completely committed to the instrumental only concept, they don't set up a mic to say anything to the crowd between songs, or even try to shout to let you know how many songs they have left, just hand signals (one).  Their perfectly structured songs and ear-splitting volume are enough to satiate any audience salivating for alluring destructive heaviness.

www.facebook.com/ocoai
www.ocoai.com
www.breatherman.com
www.peacecreature.com
www.theelectrichand.com

Where they started: 2008's Breatherman 

Where you should start: While Breatherman is a fine release, you certainly can't go wrong with it. For me, though, it's the 2 songs on the Peacecreature compilation.  Which is actually more like a four way split, and Ocoai's songs bleed into each other so it's more like like one song cut into 2 tracks.  Whatever, it's 2 good songs on a CD with 3 other good bands.  Sounds like a great starting point, is where I'm trying to go with this.  You can also pick up the brand-spanking new album The Electric Hand which they just played CD release shows for this past weekend.  It's phenomenal.  Whatever you check out just remember that if your stereo isn't wall to wall deafening sound then you definitely need to check this band out live.

Essential Song:


Essential Live Video:

Band of the Week - Sharks Keep Moving

"I'd really like Minus the Bear if their songs were slower, more drawn out, and had less vocals."  If any of those sentiments sound good to you, then Sharks Keep Moving is your band.  Before Jake Snider sped up his somber vocals and brought even more finger tapping gymnastics, ala Dave Knudson (thus assisting, I believe, to a seminal hardcore band's demise) forming Minus the Bear, he was already experimenting with a more subdued version of technical indie music.  Right around the time bands like Thursday and Taking Back Sunday, anyone with a day in their band name, really, were about to rape the word "screamo," bands that sought to be a little less cookie-cutter took on a jazzier kind of math rock style.  Like I stated before, Sharks Keep Moving is a slower, yet complicated form of indie rock.  It's the kind of music you'd listen to right at dusk or dawn over some picturesque back drop.  Snider's vocals are sparse, but you will find a lot of the same subject matter as Minus the Bear: drinking, girls, cigarettes, etc.  Unlike MTB, Sharks... aren't too keen on choruses so most of your repetition will be found in 3+ minute instrumentals.

If band's were Snider's children then State Route 522 is the older son who grew up on punk, but watched a lot of 120 Minutes; Sharks Keep Moving is the middle child who looked up to his older brother, but was a little bit more nerdy and listened to a lot of Don Caballero; and Minus the Bear is the younger, good looking, socially adept child. MTB does feel like an extension of Sharks Keep Moving, much like Daughters just feels like an extension of As the Sun Sets (yep, I just referenced As the Sun Sets in a Sharks Keep Moving piece).  So if you are a fan of early Minus the Bear then definitely check out SKM.  If you heard early Minus the Bear and kind of gave up on them, thinking "I'd really like Minus the Bear if their songs sucked," then check out their latest album OMNI.

Where they started: 1998 Split 7" with The Kentucky Pistol


Where you should start: Their first EP Desert Strings and Drifters boasts my favorite songs and the other EP, as well as final release, Pause and Clause is a good follow up.  The self titled full length isn't bad, but it's slightly overproduced which is why I'd recommend checking it out last.  To be honest, you won't find much variance in the releases, which would suck if there were more than 15 songs (not counting compilations) among them, but there isn't so enjoy it.

Essential Song:


Essential Live Video: Can't find one, so here's another song.


Other bands members from Sharks Keep Moving have been involved in: The Blood Brothers, Minus the Bear (obviously), State Route 522, Kill Sadie, and Pretty Girls Make Graves

Unband of the Week - Dredg

I'm not here to debate the first 3 albums because that's a subject I've never heard 2 people agree on.  What we can agree on is that The Pariah... album was kinda weird, even by dredg standards, and had very few memorable songs.  What we should have been able to tell from the title is that dredg was aiming to be just that, a pariah.  The new album, Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy, is garbage, to put it simply.  It's like in the 80's when new wave bands were taking over and respectable rockers were trying to add electronics to their sound and it was just complete failure for so many artists.  Thanks to allowing history to repeat itself with bands like MGMT we are stuck in another electronic music age and dredg wants to take their shot at it.  It's really terrible.  Go ahead, listen for yourself music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/#/12 (just keep scrolling to the right through the albums until you see the cover, the only thing somewhat interesting about this record), but I warned you.  I listened to it, stopped, did something else, and even came back to it and forced every horrendous song through my poor little ears (they're actually kind of over sized now that i think about it) just hoping for one good song. No.  Just... no.

Band of the Week - Baring Teeth

 Back before I listened to dissonant metallic hardcore I was introduced, probably at way too young an age, to death metal.  I wallowed in it for a little while before I fell into skateboarding and the punk rock scene that came along with that clique (this was before Chad Muska, so suburban white kids getting kicked out of Food Lion parking lots didn't know hip hop was cool, yet).  Although I had my favorites, punk and death metal never sank their teeth (see where I'm going here?) into me completely, but an amalgamation of the two was imminent, thus the metallic hardcore.   However, since these genres aren't exactly mutually exclusive, music from either that showcases some traits of my listening wheelhouse easily immerses itself into my library.

At the forefront of Baring Teeth's style, which is quite obvious within the first seconds of listening, is technical dissonant guitars.  These are laid over pounding double bass, quick snare hits, blast beats, etc. All of the death metal drumming staples are here.  Rounding out the 3 piece is Scott Addison on a 6 string bass who often shows that noodling up and down the fret board isn't only for Baring Teeth's guitars.  Basically, these guys sound like Gorguts at a rodeo, which is fitting since they are from Dallas, TX.  Being a fan of The Dillinger Escape Plan and other obnoxious noises, I'm immediately lassoed.  Guitarist/vocalist Andrew Hawkins's low growls seem sparsely thrown in so as not to come off as a death metal Dysrhythmia, which they do kind of sound like. I'm not saying the vocals seem forced.  In fact, even though that's not my unintelligible screaming inclination, they do fit the music perfectly.

Baring Teeth is pretty new to the death metal game.  Their debut LP Atrophy hasn't even been released yet, but the band did start a few years ago under the name Soviet.  Also, Addison, Hawkins, and drummer Jason Roe have spent time in punk/metal/hardcore community bands. Roe was the touring drummer for Between the Buried and Me, Addison was in Broadcast Sea (who you should check out if you like Young Widows) and Addison and Hawkins were in the grindy screamo band Man is Mostly Water.  Baring Teeth finds them all treading new musical ground compared to their previous work and they're accomplishing it quite well.

www.baringteeth.com
www.facebook.com/baringteeth

Where they started: 2009 Soviet Demo

Where you should start: Their debut album Atrophy. OK, so it isn't out yet, but I don't think I'm prematurely jocking this band.  The songs released as album teasers are incredible and the videos of Baring Teeth in the studio just reveal that more of the same is to come.  Just keep scrolling and listen to it.


Essential Song:

The Dead Hand
Go here for another song www.willowtip.com/releases

Essential Live Video:


Some Other Stuff:

Band of the Week - Pilot This Plane Down

Ever wondered how/why Examination of the... went from their chaotic screamo stylings to the more Neurosis laden The Whitest of Elephants?  Me neither, but Pilot This Plane Down could serve as the perfect non-linear missing link.  Before I confuse you, I'm not saying either band share any members or anything like that.  The common denominators here are experimental ambient screamo and slow crushing meanderings.  PTPD just manages to blend them all on to one record(s). Whether it's building a 20 some-odd minute song (Airs EP), or separating the ambient tracks from the structured songs (Glory of the World LP) Pilot This Plane Down quickly and noisily attack before paralyzing you with the lulling ambiance only so they can drag you down and stuff you under a rock. Every song weaves into each other so well and after getting bombarded by a song like "Conquest," the bleed into the softer sung, prettier "Decline" is seamless.  Don't get caught napping or scratching your noodle asking "how did we get here?" because you will be knocked on your butt wondering where your socks went.

www.facebook.com/pilotthisplanedown

Where they started: 2004's Airs

Where you should start: Glory of the World is just the more complete record as well as having the better quality recordings.  Airs forces you to listen to the whole EP (seeing as it is just one song) whereas GOTW's songs can stand on their own, but you kind of want to listen to the record as a whole anyway.

Essential Song (aka only one I could find, but still a good one):

Although these guys haven't released anything in almost 3 years, there have been rumblings of new material being written and shows being played.  Also, member(s?) of Pilot This Plane Down were in a band called Day of Less whose contributors have gone on to form Gaza and Bird Eater among other Salt Lake City bands.

Band of the Week - Playing Enemy

"I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN..." scrapes through the throat of Demian Johnston as Playing Enemy's second full length album, I Was Your City, begins with a noisy guitar and bass, yet drum-less, intro track.  Sure, we've all thought these words, we've probably even heard them in many songs before.  However, this isn't your typical angsty hardcore band with trite hate-filled lyrics.  You see, even though Playing Enemy broke up nearly 5 years ago, they were already veterans having come from bands like Undertow, Rorschach, Nineironspitfire, and, most notably, Kiss It Goodbye.  At this point, if these guys are still angry about something there's a pretty good chance it's legitimate.  Also, Johnston's scream isn't some cackle that is so overproduced and contrived that it doesn't sound human.  No, his scream is about as raw and honest as you'll ever hear.  He's not screaming like it's some effect that goes along with the music, he's screaming like if he wasn't holding a guitar he'd be holding a fistful of your shirt and he's going to make you listen.

As album opener "Cancer" fades, "Jade" rushes in with guns blazing.  Noisy speedy punk riffs ride over some of the most creative and complicated drumming you will ever hear.  Dude sounds like he's playing 3 songs at once.  I Was Your City is Shane Mehling's first Playing Enemy full length on bass and rather than play a supporting role to Johnston's strumming, Shane battles each riff as the low end combatant.  These guys are too smart to be angsty.  This is raw passion by guys with dues paid and lessons learned. On "The End of Something" (which boasts a melodic riff that still gives me chills) when he belts out, "With all that I gave up/With all I would give up/Sure, I'll go with you/Sure, I'll leave with you/I bet we look good together" it's the raspy vocals that actually give validity and meaning to his words.

Where they started: 2001's Cesarean

Where you should start: Cesarean certainly is the more Kiss It Goodbye sounding record Playing Enemy released, maybe because every member on that album was in KIG at some point.  I favor I Was Your City (if that wasn't already obvious) and I really like their posthumous EP My Life As the Villain.  Playing Enemy also released a number of splits, self-released tour CD's (aptly named Gas Money and Fly Us Home), and EP's, one of which contains a great cover of The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and another track that's over an hour long (yes, they still called it an EP).  If either Cesarean or I Was Your City strikes you, it's definitely worth sifting through all of their material to find the many gems that aren't on proper records.

Essential Song:


Essential Live Video:


Some Other Stuff: It's all pretty rad, but it gets ridiculous at 1:50


Some Other Stuff They Do Now: I Know Demian Johnston does some solo stuff, as well as working with Shane Mehling on some noise stuff, or at least used to.  Demian is also one of my favorite artists and posts a lot of his work here www.demianjohnston.com. Shane writes reviews for Decibel Magazine and they're easily the funniest music reviews you will ever read.  Also, during Botch's final show members of PE joined Botch on stage to contribute to the madness during "Man the Ramparts."