Yo I watched the movie Kids the other day and it was fucked up. I first saw it when I was the age of the characters I was like "what's the big deal?" it seemed 100% normal to me. Whoa, seeing it now I saw that it's fucked and almost child porn. Anyways I think I like it a lot more now. The girl I used to sit next to in the 7th grade was OBSESSED with the movie. She's now a stripper, oh well. That got me thinking to the 90's and how things are similar yet so different. Notably what kids consider to be "emo". I remember hating the concept of emo as an up and coming hardcore kid but always liking a lot of the bands. The Ataris was like the worst shit to me but wow did it get so much worse. Emo went from a nerdy asshole to being bit by a radioactive spider and mutating into a horrific goth/emo monster with shit that I loathe like My Chemical Romance. So I guess this post is dedicated to when stuff wasn't that bad (in every single way).
First up is THE PROMISE RING. Wow, did I hate their name. They were really poppy and amazing. Their 1997 album Nothing Feels Good is a total home run and I think it's their best work. WHY DID WE EVER MEET? Is the song. They were one of the 90s "emo" bands to get some mainstream success so there's an actual video for this track. Jeeze look at the fashion. This song makes me think of going on makeoutclub.com. The original Friendster/Mypace/Facebook but for indie/HC/emo kidz.
Going into heavier stuff is MINERAL. Texas band who gets hated on sometimes for ripping off the legendary Sunny Day Real Estate. Meh, I like Mineral more than SDRE cause i'm a philistine I guess. Anyways not to sound too emo but this is what I listen to when I am rock bottom sad. haha.
JAWBREAKER. Easily one of my favorite bands EVER. If you don't like Bivouac or Unfun you have no heart and should kill yourself. The song I will feature is BOXCAR. I love the track mainly cause of the lyrics "You're not punk and I'm telling everyone/ Save your breath I never was one" Best song about "the scene" ever. Too bad scene and scenester are dead words replaced by hip and hipster. Hipsters don't care about scenes and that kind of bums me out as I am probably 63% hipster :(
SUPPORT YOUR SCENE!
Let's wrap it up B. Cap'n Jazz who are kinda like a mix between mineral and jawbreaker. The Promise Ring was a sideproject to Cap'n Jazz. I got a double pack here. n.1. a live video of QUE SUERTE and a non video but good audio quality of PUDDLE SPLASHERS. GET ON IT, because Big Baby Campbell said so.
*drops mic* cue stone cold steve austin music.
Showing posts with label emo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emo. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
BRIGHTS - HEARTBREAKERS EP REVIEW
This is something new for Youth Anthems. I am going to try my hand at true rock journalism and review a record and why not start with something that is real close to home Ottawa's own BRIGHTS and their debut release HEARTBREAKERS.
Before I get into the album proper let's talk about my first experience with BRIGHTS. Summer of 2007. The Transit (who are probably my second favorite Ottawa band ever) are playing a true last show. I need closure for this band that was so important to me yet I did not buy a ticket in time before it sold out. Brights were playing their first show as the opener and one
of their members Ross was kind enough to sell me a ticket. SWEET, I get to see The Transit. Standing in the basement of endhits I think of my years in the Ottawa scene thinking of all the great and often underrated bands that truly influenced my life. I turn to a friend of mine (jayhu? hooligan?) and I say "wow, with Transit completely done Ottawa officially has no more good bands." It killed me to say this but the days of Course of Action, Miles Between Us and Roads to Shiloh seemed so far away. Brights are setting up and I'm like alright whatever gimme the transit. Their first song wasn't even done and I turn to that same friend and I say "I officially retract my previous statement, these guys rule". Now they have their first release out on burgeoning record label SQUARE UP and even in that basement I couldn't forsee this. Truly great songs recorded and packaged at a level that makes me think theses guys are making an honest attempt at making this band a success outside of the confines of the 613/819. One thing I like about this is that's it an EP 5 songs, no bullshit. No bullshit being the overall vibe I get from this band. "Emotional" punk has changed a lot in the past couple of years and it has grown into what I would consider to be a bloated and disgusting monster. Brights truly evoke a feeling of having lived this scene for years and still contributing because they have to not because it's cool. The days when emo was still an inside joke and the haircuts were stupid but not THAT stupid. Pretty much the good old days (if there is such a thing) for people in their early to mid twenties. There's a fine line between sounding honest and sounding cheesy as hell. Brights are firmly entrenched on the honest side of things which is what makes it rise above most bands in the genre. Key tracks to listen to are HOME and HEARTBREAKERS, luckily they are on their myspace .
Youth Anthems gives HEARTBREAKERS an 8 out of 10. If these kids really work at it I would expect big things.
you can and should buy the record at interpunk, endhits and surely a bunch of other places.
Before I get into the album proper let's talk about my first experience with BRIGHTS. Summer of 2007. The Transit (who are probably my second favorite Ottawa band ever) are playing a true last show. I need closure for this band that was so important to me yet I did not buy a ticket in time before it sold out. Brights were playing their first show as the opener and one
of their members Ross was kind enough to sell me a ticket. SWEET, I get to see The Transit. Standing in the basement of endhits I think of my years in the Ottawa scene thinking of all the great and often underrated bands that truly influenced my life. I turn to a friend of mine (jayhu? hooligan?) and I say "wow, with Transit completely done Ottawa officially has no more good bands." It killed me to say this but the days of Course of Action, Miles Between Us and Roads to Shiloh seemed so far away. Brights are setting up and I'm like alright whatever gimme the transit. Their first song wasn't even done and I turn to that same friend and I say "I officially retract my previous statement, these guys rule". Now they have their first release out on burgeoning record label SQUARE UP and even in that basement I couldn't forsee this. Truly great songs recorded and packaged at a level that makes me think theses guys are making an honest attempt at making this band a success outside of the confines of the 613/819. One thing I like about this is that's it an EP 5 songs, no bullshit. No bullshit being the overall vibe I get from this band. "Emotional" punk has changed a lot in the past couple of years and it has grown into what I would consider to be a bloated and disgusting monster. Brights truly evoke a feeling of having lived this scene for years and still contributing because they have to not because it's cool. The days when emo was still an inside joke and the haircuts were stupid but not THAT stupid. Pretty much the good old days (if there is such a thing) for people in their early to mid twenties. There's a fine line between sounding honest and sounding cheesy as hell. Brights are firmly entrenched on the honest side of things which is what makes it rise above most bands in the genre. Key tracks to listen to are HOME and HEARTBREAKERS, luckily they are on their myspace .Youth Anthems gives HEARTBREAKERS an 8 out of 10. If these kids really work at it I would expect big things.
you can and should buy the record at interpunk, endhits and surely a bunch of other places.
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