Maths - Descent

To Be Frozen by Maths

Another contender for screamo release of the year, and judging the other bands and releases that’s gotta count for something. Especially if you consider what a name the other ones have long made for themselves. Maths (facebook) has always been a tribute to the most antique of screamo bands, taking hints from both the typical American as well as European bands, from the tremolo post-rocking to the violent, up-tempo and weeping guitars. Forging into a combo that makes them compare to other current hardcore bands like a Megazord compares to that whimpy blue Power Ranger. Epic. I could never decide which song is best, on this release.
Last fm tags as screamo, hardcore, british, real screamo, post-hardcore

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Goodtime Boys – Are We Now, Or Have We Ever Been

listen to Goodtime Boys ' Daylight as a preview to the record.

Goodtime Boys (myspace) is a modern hardcore band with the emotional intensity of screamo music (but the comparison to that specific genre ends there). it seems to suit them that Tangled Talk is releasing this record, as they somewhat remind me of Kerouac, because of the angsty voice and accent. they spew a dark furiousness with nuances that make the overall product sound very delicate and desparate. their mix of those influences with this heavy and dark modern hardcore is refreshing to say the least. very appealing on first glance and very infectious in the long run.

Last fm tags as hardcore, screamo, british, ukhc

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The Ghost Of A Thousand – This Is Where The Fight Begins

 listen to Left For Dead by The Ghost Of A Thousand, as a preview to this record

The Ghost Of A Thousand (myspace) was a post-hardcore band that probably paid close attention to bands like Refused ,The Bronx or the garage punk/rock  (think early The Hives) genre, with highly energetic rock’n roll groove seeping from every song. The shouted vocals sound on the verge of breaking down and add to the raw energy pumping up any listener. You can just imagine ballroom dancing to the catchy rythms,  as well as jumping on a pile-on to scream along with the lyrics. A very innovative take that blends in with a lot of (otherwise stale) hardcore/punk variants. too hard to be just punk-rock, but too versatile to be just hardcore.

Last fm tags as hardcore, hardcore punk, post-hardcore, punk, british

buy merch from their old label, right here

Out Of The box on sunday VII

it's easy to take post-rock music for granted and fail to see what beauty it is based upon. it takes artists like Blueneck to shake me up. fact is they did it with the element I love most in this genre: breathtaking and angelic vocals and occasional classical instrumentation. Blueneck could be compared to something in between recent radiohead and the EF songs that have those cutesy/angelic vocals in them (which are my favorite of both bands).

Last fm tags as  post-rock, ambient, atmospheric, british, post rock

order one of their records from their label, right here

Kerouac/The Long Haul split

 listen to Porcelain, my new favorite song by Kerouac

Everything on this makes sense. I did not know Brittish band The Long Haul  (Facebook) before, but their sound in combination with Kerouac (older Kerouac post) works. as does the brevity of the record. 3 songs per band compliments their styles. don't get me wrong, I loved Kerouac's full album... but this split is short and sweet, which makes for a sweet variation between both records (aside from another band's input). The Long Haul's song impressed me on first listen with a very refreshing approach and Keroauc seems to have pulled out all the stops, as if they're tapping from a well that isn't long from drained.

Last fm tags as: chaotic hardcore, hardcore, screamo, british, ukswell, hardcore, uk, southampton, ukswell, seen live

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Kerouac - Cold and Distant, Not Loving

 listen to A Sheep. A Well by Kerouac, as a preview to this album

Kerouac is a post-hardcore band from the UK (Myspace), with a bunch of chaotic hardcore influences.

when randomly shuffeling, I once mistook a song by them for a song by The Chariot. my bad. because the only thing I found they had in common, after checking the album in its entirety, was a bunch of guitar-feedback wherever they could fit it in and the recurring start/stop music structures. the transitions from one part to the other is always very fluent (not the copy/paste structures like most chaotic hardcore-ish bands) and seem to have a lot of thought put in them, because it's all killer no filler on Cold and Distant, Not Loving!

Last fm tags this as chaotic hardcore, hardcore, screamo, british, venice ahoy

click the image above to support the band, by buying this album