Frodus – And We Washed Our Weapons In The Sea

This album is in heavy rotation on my real world music listening device presently. I just love it. I love Frodus in general. The majority of their catalog is all over the place. I mean, this is the band that the genre “spazzcore” came to represent. Or more so, the band that pioneered the genre. So right, doesn't that sound like something i would gravitate towards? haha. You know me all too well reader who i don't even know. I can admit that the majority of Frodus’ catalog does not sound like this album. And that's okay. They were a typical good band that changed with each release. This album falls into the screamy post hardcore genre. At least for me. As it has become typical for me, i like this album for its moments of beauty and the gut busting rock. The first time I ever heard of Frodus was in the Lovitt Transmissions DVD. I bought it for Engine Down and Sleepytime Trio. But there are a whole lot of other great bands shown on the DVD. and Frodus is one of them. I don't exactly know how i figured out what song it was, but the first song the band is shown playing on that DVD is like, the heaviest fucking thing ever. And i will admit made me download everything they ever put out. haha. I listened to all of their albums and figured out that the part I was so blown away by was from a early version of the song “The Awesome Machine”, which is off this album. Being that hearing/seeing that was sort of the spark that got me into the band in the first place, I can say that i centered more on this album than other releases. (btw, here is the link to that part from the DVD. the first part that is played is the song I'm talking about. SO HEAVY) This album is beautiful. Its heavy. Intense. It has what i look for in music. Start to finish there is not a moment that is off. Atmosphere is such a critical part to its power. Sadly, I think this album’s biggest claim to fame is that Thrice covered the song “The Earth Isn't Humming” for their one album. I don't know the name of the album. I honestly don't care. No care about that band. And I’m sure there are Thrice fans that feel the same about Frodus. But yeah, fuck those people. haha. All that aside, that song is fucking awesome. Probably why I’m like, hey, don't cover that shit! haha. “6/99” is probably my favorite song off this album at the moment. Like most my recent posts, that has to do with the loss I have recently been dealt with my fiancé throwing me out of her and my future son’s life. Its been very hard. The closest I can put how i feel is when my best friends sister died. She was like my sister. And I still cry when I think of her loss. I heard that Shelby Cinca, singer and guitarist of Frodus, wrote this song after two close friends of his died. That's how i feel, and that's probably why i identify with this song so much. But I don't really want to make this entry about me. (Though I will say, all music is important based off of the listeners interpretation and experience through it.) This album is such a great release for the band. It really is a swan song. It really is their best album. I know fans of their early work will fight me. But its just overall a more accomplished release then their past works. Washington, DC post hardcore at its best!
Download The Album Here
Buy It If You Like it!

True If Destroyed

So this is my first music blog entry since being back from tour. I had actually meant to post this before I left. But due to time restraints I was unable to do so. I thought this would be a good entry to leave on, but I think its probably just as good to come back with. Come back with a severe bang! That was what I felt the first time I saw this band. I was blown away. It was unexpected. The show they played was, for the most part, unmemorable. But when they played, mind blowing. This Philadelphia band played post hardcore in the vain of the greatest dischord bands. And they had that same intense energy of alot of those bands. It was alot like if Fugazi had a female vocalist who also played piano and guitar on occasion. I had the good enough fortune to be able to play a show with these guys. It was actually a amazing show that, for whatever reason, very few people attended. Sever The Hands, True If Destroyed, The Amateur Party and One Hundred Metronomes. Solid stuff. Anyway, years pass and memories stay strong. This band is still one of the best and most memorable out of town bands that played Syracuse in my opinion. Fans of the classic DC post hardcore sound take note.

Download Their Demo & Full Length Here

Try to find these if you can!

The Red Robot

I don't exactly know how to start this off. Maybe just a history lesson of sorts. I used to be in the Syracuse NY band Amorous Radio. I wont get into much about that band. I will say that I was not a original member. The band existed for at least a year before I joined. Amorous Radio's drummer Anthony (who I went on to start Ladies & Everyone, Kaihoro, & One Hundred Metronomes with and who also played in Know Nothing & Cancer and now plays in Tailings. You've probably heard me mention him before.) told me stories about their US tour. (Besides being blacklisted by the Syracuse music scene, that band really did do things ahead of their time. Especially for the genre of music they played. A whole US tour before This Afternoon OR Long Since Forgotten, their supposed local musical peers, ever dreamed of doing such a thing.) On that tour Anthony met Mat Calderon who if i remember correctly was playing in the band Hand Over Fist at the time. Through the years, Mat and Anthony kept in touch, and it was later that i heard of The Red Robot through Anthony. In typical Anthony fashion, he talked the band up so much that, to be completely honest, i got sick of hearing about them. He eventually showed me some songs by them. They were early tracks but they were good. But i think Anthony always resented me because my immediate reaction wasn't one of shitting my pants. (I will say, as Ive said many times in the past, if a band is hyped to me on a constant basis, chances are, I'm going to judge them pretty hard.) But one thing was sure to me after listening to the tracks, I liked the band and was going to follow them. And I did. Their sound is the kind of thing i like, and it would be a surprise to anyone who knows me. Ian MacKaye-esc sounding vocals. Music that is definitely influenced by Fugazi, but could also be compared to At The Drive-In, Drive Like Jehu, and at times even Faraquet. Recently The Red Robot broke up. Which has left me heartbroken. I never got a chance to see them. Too my knowledge, they never did tour outside of their immediate area. Which is sad. I think about them playing DC and other places and killing. Early videos of them showed that they had a large following. And just personally, their videos reminded me of Bad Cops shows from when the Syracuse scene was in its prime. Crowd singing along, everyone smiling and having a great time. And its just so awesome when you see that happening at shows and to bands that aren't meathead hardcore or dumb MTV2/Fuse mallcore. I'll continue to follow the members new bands, but The Red Robot will always mean alot to me and hold a special place in my heart. I highly suggest everyone giving them a listen.

Self Titled (I included the songs "Modern Living" & "Wrangler Butts" in this download.  They may be from the Grun-Tu-Molani EP that I've never been able to get a copy of. These two songs are the songs Anthony showed me all those years ago. You can get a actual copy of the album here. If you're in Syracuse, you might also be able to get one from Anthony. I know he had some copies not that long ago.)

Memory (Their last album. Only released online.)

Q and not U - No Kill No Beep Beep

I can safely say this is the only record this band released that I care about. There were a couple tracks off of Different Damage that were okay, but this is a great record. I know people who HATE this band, and they have never heard this record. Not trying to be a dick, but i can totally understand. With later releases, Q and not U got into all this keyboard based techno bullshit. I guess if you like that stuff, that's okay. But understand that there are people who hear that and cringe. I think that anyone who hears this record and falls in love with it, would have the same response to the band's later works. This is my favorite set up for a post hardcore band. guitar guitar bass and drums. You cant beat it. Especially when the two guitar players are able to play off each other so well. This is their only album as a four piece, which might also be why I like this album and not the rest. Essentially, to me, this album is like if Fugazi listened to more dance bands. It has a sound that fits right in with that Dischord post hardcore sound, but is different enough to keep you interested. I wish I had been able to see the band in this era. I saw them years later, and it was a very big disappointment. This is who they will always be in my eyes, even though i realize that is wrong.

Download The Album Here

Buy it if you like it

Fugazi - Steady Diet Of Nothing

Here comes the surprise. This is my favorite Fugazi album. Yep, fuck all of you, I don’t care. Haha. Though "13 Songs" was the first album I owned by them, as I assume it was/is the first album most people have heard by them, this album has continually been my fave. I’m not going to get into what the band sounds like or “for fans of whatever.” It’s Fugazi. If you haven’t listened to them, there is something fucking wrong with you. Especially if you consider yourself to have any knowledge of underground or indie music. They have influenced a lot of the bands you probably listen to. And even some mainstream bands claim to have been influenced by them. I pretty much view them as one of the best examples, and pretty much the definition, of post hardcore music.

-matthew st.

Download The Album Here

Buy it from a independent record store if you like it

Or get it at the Dischord Records online store