#26 Short Sharp Shocks
You will suffer an onslaught.
New year - same shit. Announced a couple gigs last week - ULTHAR at Baby G and CHRIS FARREN at The Garrison. Two things that couldn’t be more different! Announced another one this week - FATAL REALM & CROSS OF DISBELIEF at Seescape. NDY - something for everyone?
Working on all sorts of crazy and wacky stuff this year. Can’t wait to share it all with ya.
Tip If you wanna be at The Triple B Showcase at the Velvet next month, I’d act quick!
Change of pace with this week’s newsletter - see below. No playlist update. You’ll have that soon. Just trying to get back on track in 2025 still!
There’s a certain magic to the EP. A brief collection of songs that generally refrain from trying to make an overarching statement, their magic confined to their individual components.
The platforms have all but killed them it seems & with streaming being the dominant form of listening for most, they’re harder to track down on p2p services like Slsk.
And even though I’m a committed Bandcamp listener, these circumstances mean a lot of this shorter format is in one ear out the other throughout the year. The odd one really sticks with me. It’s unfortunate, especially at the end of the year when I realize how much good shit I’ve missed.
As hardcore & punk struggle through their every few years identity crisis now that the boom is dying down, there one thing that holds true… and it’s that the next wave is always found in the EPs.
Lucky you, I’ve spent this past week or so running a bunch back. Some are very new, some are almost a year old, all are from the past year basically. 40 some odd things, one of which is bound to be your new favourite. And I’ve still got so many to catch up on.
Show listings at the bottom! Start a band!
DRYACID
Fukuoka City rockers on Black Hole.
RIFLE
Another solid punk ripper from this UK gang.
PATROL
Breakout was one of the best songs of last year. Tell me I’m wrong.
ZYCLONE
A unity band, it’s members spanning Mexico, Philly & Austin. Ripping D-Beat.
WHO’S TO BLAME
00’s Straight Edge revisited.
SQUARE ONE
Will the democore scene evolve? Time will tell.
SHOOTING PAIN
Another unity band - NY & Richmond unite in the punks crossover style.
PORTAL TOMB
The best attempt so far at Montreal reclaiming the crust crown.
SPICY MEATBALL
Non Commercial Hardcore.
WORLD DISORDER
Genuinely impressed when people polish crust this much and can still keep it feeling raw.
THE NEXT LEVEL
I can never tire of NYHC.
CATHEXIS
Ripping metal punk from New York.
YANKEE BASTARD
Richmond fucking punk.
CICADA
Perhaps the best current actual hardcore punk band.
WITNESS
New York City’s new blood continues to be exceptional.
LOVE & COMPASSION
As I said… New York City’s new blood continues to be exceptional.
FRIED REALITY
Richmond again!
KASSO
And again - fuck some cities really are on fire atm.
WATCHLIST
As I said… New York City’s new blood continues to be exceptional.
DEMONSTRATE
Philly Straight Edge.
CATASTROPHE
The UK New Wave.
TRAIDORA
The UK New Wave part deux.
AUTOLYSE
Some new french oi stylings.
NO KNOCK
As I said…. New York City’s new blood continues to be exceptional.
INDIKATOR B
Zagreb Punk City. Very cool to see this band finally get something released on vinyl.
PAROXYS
Australian metal crust!
THE TROOPS
Brute force hardcore punk.
GUERRA FINAL
Under appreciated Texas hardcore punk!
BUIO OMEGA
Current Minneapolis torchbearers.
GRAZIA
’Speed Freak’ another 2024 top track.
LAB RAT
Hard to pin this one down, perhaps the most unique of the bunch.
BODY WORLD
Philly, still America’s greatest.
ASSISTERT SJØLMORD
Proper Hardcore Punk!
GEN GAP
USHC rules ok?
SCARAB
A band destined to be all the rage in 3 minutes.
STEAMROLL
Throw a 15 yr old on the mic of a straight edge band. What could go wrong?
PLUTO’S KISS
Shoutout the locals.
SLITHER
More ripping music from Minneapolis!
BACKLASH
Thee DC new blood, getting funky with it.
SPLEEN
Montreal’s next big thing.
Gig Report
So much to be announced in the coming weeks. Until then, grab some tickets and hit a gig!
January 21 - Pom Poko, Big Bill, Silks at The Monarch Tavern
February 3 - Geordie Greep, Nnamdï at The Phoenix Concert Theatre
February 6 - Gouge Away, Gumm & The Neverminds at The Velvet Underground
February 11 - Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol & Lip Critic at The Monarch Tavern
February 13 - Undergang, Mephitic Corpse, Coprolith at The Garrison
March 12 - Coroner, Deceased at The Velvet Underground
March 13 - Glixen, Suzy Clue, She’s Green at The Monarch Tavern
March 15 - Riki, Donzii at The Garrison
March 23 - Fatal Realm, Cross of Disbelief at Seescape
March 26 - Yasuaki Shimizu at The Great Hall
March 26 - Freak Slug, Huron John at Longboat Hall
May 17 - Chris Farren, Oceanator, Maura Weaver at The Garrison