If you listen to ska at all, you know who Jesse Michaels is, and if not you probably at least have heard of his most famous project Operation Ivy, the quintessential ska-punk band.  Perhaps you’re a fan and have listened to his other band Common Rider (have I dropped enough names for you yet?)  After Common Rider’s demise Michaels went on sort of a musical hiatus, but recently came back to music with his latest punk band Classics of Love, and their Self Titled album is definitely a high energy punk album that any fan should check out.

Musically, the songs mostly remind me of later Common Rider, where they dropped the ska/reggae groove for more straightforward punk tunes.  Containing 13 songs, the entire album is a high energy onslaught pausing only briefly for a more mid-tempo ska jam.

It’s good to see Jesse Michaels back into the swing of things, and while rumors of Classics of Love breaking up have been rampant, according to their facebook page they wrote: “We didn’t break up, someone fix wikipedia because we don’t know how to do it” so if they come around your area, make sure you go see them.  If you dig your punk rock with a few upstrokes here and there, definitely give them a listen.

MP3:
Classics Of Love – Castle In The Sky

More:
Common Rider – Thief In A Sleeping Town
Bomb The Music Industry – Vacation
Scenester 101: How to Be a 3rd Wave Ska Dork

Buy:
Asian Man Records

When you think of fast thrashy skate punk, I’m going to guess Sweden isn’t probably the first place that comes to mind, but after listening to DS-13 (short for Demon System 13) that might change.  These Umeå, Sweden punks certainly do their home country justice with their release of Thrash and Burn.

Thrash and Burn is a quick listen with 10 songs finishing in a mere 7 minutes, but with their scathing, adrenaline junkie fueled punk rock, anything more would probably result in an overdose.

With their English tongue in cheek lyrics, DS-13 provides a ripping commentary on everything from racists (“Shoot the racists!”) to all the tough guy hardcore bands signed to Victory Records (“Pathetic wankers/Think they’re hard/Macho insecurity/Got no place here”).

If you dig fast aggressive hardcore that’s all go no slow, you can’t go wrong with Thrash and Burn.  Fans of Bones Brigade and Cut The Shit will find refuge here.

MP3:
DS-13 – Straights And Drunks

More punk rock for your thrashin’ heart:
Cut The Shit – Marked For Life
Bones Brigade – Endless Bummer
LxExAxRxN – First Lesson

Buy:
Out Of Print.

Friends, I know it’s been a little bit of a while (I’ve been gone for work… boo) but today we celebrate Mother’s Day… that day where we honor the one who has put up with way too much of our bullshit growing up, and still didn’t kill us.  Here’s a little punk rock mix for all you punk rock moms.

MP3:
Youth Brigade – Punk Rock Mom
The Vapids – Make Mommy Proud
The Misfits – Mommy, Can I Go Out And Kill Tonight?
Bouncing Souls – I Like Your Mom
Dangers – Stay At Home Mom
Screeching Weasel – Mother
Ceremony – Mothers and Fathers
More Mixes:

Scenester 101: How To Be A Modern Day Street Punk
Scenester 101: How To Be A 3rd Wave Ska Dork
Scenester 101: How To Be A Skinhead
Scenester 101: How To Be Hardcore

Buy:

Interpunk

Greetings and Salutations combines two previously released tour only EPs released in the past two years (Greetings From and Season Greetings), adds a few new songs, and makes for a surprisingly cohesive album.

Opening up with “The New Auld Lang Syne”, a song about personal perseverance, the chorus also serves as an analogy for these ska-punk lifers in a time when ska could be considered on life support: “Do your worst I’ll survive another year”.  From there we kick straight into good ole’ fashioned high energy punk with horns we love on “Younger Lungs”.  The third and arguably the catchiest song on the entire album “Goodbye Mr. Personality” is a mid-tempo ska jam that is all the proof needed that Less Than Jake can still write incredibly killer ska.

The album continues to barrage through the 12 tracks of solid ska punk, with some of the standouts being the very ‘whoa’ heavy “Harvey Wallbanger” or the circle pit inducing “Flag Holders Union.”

Now I’ve had friends ask me if Greetings and Salutations holds a candle to their classics such as Pezcore or Hello Rockview and that’s not really a fair comparison.  All of those albums have an incredibly nostalgic value attached to them, helping me get through some of the roughest patches of my teenage years (and admittedly, I’ll STILL listen to Great American Sharpshooter after a breakup).  Yes those albums are classics and will always be my favorite, and if you’re new to LTJ then I recommend checking those out first (even though they won’t have the same nostalgic value if you’re new).  However, if you’re looking for some solid ska-punk in the veins of their older work, definitely get Greetings And Salutations, I like it a lot more than I expected.

MP3:
Less Than Jake – Goodbye Mr. Personality

More:
Less Than Jake – Pesto EP
Less Than Jake – Pezcore
Scenester 101: How to Be a 3rd Wave Ska Dork

Buy:
Fat Wreck

Everything about the show reeked of Philly: almost all the bands (minus Blanks 77) and the crowd came out from Philly to party.  I unfortunately missed most of the openers due to traffic, but I got there at the end of Dopestroke’s set, which definitely had people dancing throughout.

Combat Crisis

The first band I was able to catch in it’s entirety was Combat Crisis, the Philly street punk band who’ve made quite a name for themselves.  Combat Crisis had people singing along and sporadic pits throughout their energetic and fun set.  Female fronted punk rock, definitely check them out if you get a chance.

Blanks 77

NJ’s finest party pogo punks, it’s rare for them to play a show these days, so I try to make sure to catch Blanks 77 whenever they come around.  It seemed like the majority of people there were for Blanks 77, and fairly so… these guys (and gal) have been inspiring pogo pits and sing-alongs since 1990.  Us in the crowd were in a frenzy from the opening note, and didn’t really let up for the majority of the show.

Apparently the band is working on some new material as well, which would be pretty damn sweet since their last full length came out in 1998.

Highlights:
I Don’t Wanna Be
Up The System
I Wanna Be A Punk
We Are The Punks
Radio Hits
Void (I think they played this one)
Losing My Brain
Party Train

I missed The Heels because I had to go grab some food (and from the sound of it, I regret missing them), but made it back in perfect time for the other reason I came to the show… Violent Society.

Violent Society:

Violent Society is another band that plays incredibly infrequently these days, and they always put on a damn good show as well.  Some of the crowd thinned after Blanks 77 and The Heels, but there was still a sizeable amount fixed in the basement to see the Philly street punk legends.

Singalongs abound, Violent Society played a bunch from all of their releases… including closing with one of my personal favorites “You’re Gonna Fall”.  Definitely a good time, it made me realize I don’t go to nearly enough street punk shows anymore.

Setlist:
Philly Shreds
I Wanna Know
It’s Only Your Life
Can’t Stop You
Sick Sick Sick
Fashion Song
Behind The Bullshit
Rise Of Punk
Call Me
Coming Back For You
Totally Fucked
We Don’t Believe
Consumed
Violated
The Problem
Alone
Time Of Distraught
Piss On You
Culture Magnet
In Crowd
Why Do You Deny
Mr Suit
Sarges Last Stand
You’re Gonna Fall

MP3:
Violent Society – I Wanna Know
Blanks 77 – Radio Hits

More Punk Rock:
The Unseen – Lower Class Crucifixion
The Virus – Nowhere to Hide
Minor Disturbance – Bullet For You

Buy:
Blanks 77
Violent Society

When I first heard Delaware/NJ’s Caseracer’s Self Titled EP some time last year, I was blown away by their cohesive melodic hardcore tunes, and anxiously waited for a new full length.  I’m still waiting for a full length, but in the meantime they dropped three new songs on a split with Tampa punks Ink and Sweat.

On the split, Caseracer opens up with “Uncomfortable Silence / The Death Of My Financial Security” which starts with a very Paint It Black-esque riff (which is NEVER a bad thing by the way), and immediately sets the tone for the split: energetic, melodic, and gruff.  Between “Van Envy” and “Untrue”, it’s sure to elicit plenty of two-stepping and sing-alongs (or at least it does in my bedroom.)

I’ve heard the name Ink and Sweat before but never actually heard them until this split, and their two songs definitely have me wanting to check out more.  Dual gal/guy vocals (although even the female vocals are pretty gruff) over melodic midtempo punk rock make for a solid listen.  They are relatively new and this split and their demo are all they’ve released according to their bandcamp.  If they keep it up, I can see them becoming a household name in our neck-beard, beer soaked music world.

Caseracer has it up on their bandcamp as a “pay what you want” download, and it’s definitely worth your time if you dig melodic punk rock.

MP3:
Caseracer – Uncomfortable Silence / The Death Of My Financial Security
Ink and Sweat – Brickwalls and Pitfalls

More:
Caseracer – Self Titled
Kid Dynamite, And The Art Of Moshing Everywhere
Go Rydell – Golden Age
Grey Area / Go Rydell Split

Buy:
The EP

While my favorite and the one I have the most connection with is their highly acclaimed Jane Doe, When Forever Comes Crashing shows us the progression of the band and what led to the eventual mastery of Jane Doe.  Incredibly relentless, Converge delivers 11 technical jams (12 if you get the reissued version) ranging from the breakneck speeds of “Conduit” to the slow, mellow, yet unsettling sounds of “Ten Cents.”

Life most of Converge’s music, WFCC is one of those albums that you really have to be in the mood to listen to in order to enjoy it.  However if you’re looking for aggressive yet skilled music, you can’t go wrong with When Forever Comes Crashing.

MP3:
Converge – Conduit

More:
Converge – Jane Doe
United Nations – Self Titled

Buy:
Converge

Well we’ve finally gotten our first round of warm summer-esque weather here in Philadelphia, and I didn’t waste a minute heading out to my ancestral homeland of NJ’s beaches.  On my ride over though, I needed an album that just reminded me of summer, and Mustard Plug’s Evildoers Beware just hit the right spot.

Released back in 1997, Evildoers Beware was actually my first introduction to the ska band Mustard Plug, and it was actually introduced to me by a die hard metalhead.  Many moons ago, in the middle of my high school physics class (which I was bombing by the way) I got tired of my teacher’s music while we were working on a project, so I switched his CD with my Lagwagon’s “Let’s Talk About Feelings”.  It took a song or two before my teacher realized (and proceeded to yell at me) but afterwards my very metalhead buddy goes “oh, so you dig punkish stuff like that?  My sister listens to the same thing, there is actually only one album I like that she owns.  I’ll steal it for you, you should check it out.”  Needless to say it was Evildoers Beware, and I’ve fucking loved Mustard Plug since.

One of the pinnacles of the third wave ska era, if you dig ska (or even if you don’t… it was approved by a metal head) you should probably check out Mustard Plug’s Evildoers Beware!  It’ll always hold a special place in my skanking heart.

MP3:
Mustard Plug – Beer
More:
How to be a 3rd wave ska dork
Mustard Plug – In Black and White
We interview Mustard Plug

Buy:
Mustard Plug

With 6 songs in 10 minutes, Paint It Black brings us a new level of melodic hardcore with Invisible.  Lyrically Dan delivers his witty yet pissed lyrics that we’ve come to expect from Paint It Black, but the Dr. charts new lyrical waters with songs such as “Little Fists.” A rebellion anthem written for his daughter with lines like “And when things look bleak/I’ll kiss the tears from your cheek/And watch you clench your little fists in your sleep.” it’s nothing short of touching and stunning at the same time.

While Dan usually gets the spotlight when people talk about Paint It Black, we can’t forget about the other members, who have contributed to creating some of the best PIB songs yet on Invisible (I’m looking at you “Props For Ventriloquism”).  The songs remain incredibly melodic without losing any of their aggression, and many are very reminiscent of their killer album Paradise.

I know it’s premature but I feel pretty confident when I say it: Paint It Black’s Invisible will definitely be on my top 10 of 2013.  Here’s just hoping they don’t take another 4 years before the next release…
FUN FACT: Yours truly is on the album, sort of.  During their secret house show, Dan recorded us in the crowd yell “GO” on his cell phone and put us on “Props For Ventriloquism.”  Philadelphia is incredibly terrible at yelling go at the same time, by the way.

MP3:
Paint It Black – Props For Ventriloquism

We’re Afraid Of Conflict But Always At War:
Paint It Black – Amnesia
Paint it Black – CVA
Kid Dynamite, And The Art Of Moshing Everywhere
Lifetime – Hello Bastards
Bad Side – Demo Review

Buy:
Paint It Black

Bad Side:

It didn’t take long for me to completely lose my shit, as Bad Side were the first ones up.  I’ve been listening to their demo ever since they released it back in October, and like Dan Yemin said during PIB’s set: “If you showed up late, you fucked up.”

It was my first time seeing them, and they completely tore shit up with their fast as fuck hardcore.  A few of us easily got a pit going, and stage dives were plentiful.  You need to check them out, period.

Congenital Death:

Another Philly local band, these gal and guys often play with Bad Side, so the same set of us who went off during Bad Side continued the antics up through their set.  Congenital Death play brutal powerviolence hardcore, and are often compared to Punch or Death Rats.  They’ve really seemed to find their sound since the last time I caught them at The Barbary, and I definitely need to check their recorded stuff out.

I wound up missing the majority of Loma Prieta’s set, but I was able to catch most of Joyce Manor.

Joyce Manor:

I know that Joyce Manor is all the rage these days, but admittedly I never got a chance to check them out. They definitely had a lot of energy, and fans were constantly stage diving through out the set.  They played that style of pop-punk that is really big (at least here in Philly) similar to Spraynard or Iron Chic, but personally I’m not really a fan of that noodling guitar punk.  They did put on an energetic set though that even I was able to appreciate.

Paint It Black:

Paint It Black playing two Philly shows in the span of a few months?  Be still my heart.  Throughout the interwebs (or the information super highway as I like to call it), Paint It Black have essentially streamed their entire new Invisible EP through various blogs, and I’ve been seriously listening to it nonstop any time I’m near a computer.  So needless to say, I was fucking stoked to hear these new songs live.

Paint It Black took the stage, and immediately busted out into “Greeting Fellow Insomniacs”, the opening track off of Invisible. The band continued their onslaught of aggressive yet melodic hardcore playing songs from their entire discography, keeping the pauses brief.  We in the crowd were constantly barraging Dan with a bunch of pile-ons,  constant dives, and had a pit going through out their entire set (would you expect anything less from their hometown)?

The band thanked us for coming out to the show even though it’s Easter Sunday, and gave us some background on the new EP.

Incredibly tight setlist, they played everything off of Invisible and a lot of my (and crowd) favorites.

Setlist:
Greetings Fellow Insomniacs
Past Tense, Future Perfect
CVA
Exit Wounds
Props For Ventriloquists
Atticus Fitch
Four Deadly Venoms
D.F.W
Salem
Invisible
Election Day
Head First
Pink Slip
Cannibal
Womb Envy
Memorial Day
Little Fists
The Ledge
Surrender
We Will Not

Mp3:
Bad Side – Demo
Paint It Black – Four Simple Steps to Total Life Satisfaction

You Don’t Know This Song, But I Caught You Trying To Sing Along:
Bad Side – Demo Review
Paint it Black – CVA
The Steal – Bright Grey
Lighten Up – Absolutely Not

Buy:
Paint It Black
Bad Side