It seems like all I've been talking about is splits lately so here comes another one from Hip Replacement Collective Records, this one putting together two bands connected by more than just the colors in their names (although they couldn't have planned it better) Black Market from North Carolina and Red Money out of Richmond, VA. Both sides are taking post rock in completely different directions but spin out from that hardcore origin point.
Black Market opens their side with "Tune In/Tune Out". A solid slick sounding distortion builds in with Jesse Reaves on vocals who has a real snot snarl delivery from the beginning of this ending the verse in 'Honey-eah!' They hit a hyper chorus with everyone singing along everyone on the mic. They keep switching rhythms from that hardcore quick stomp to a more measured alternating tom beat. The melody breaks through towards the end of this in a kind of clean accomplished punk like 7 Seconds or SOA updated for the 2000's. "Bad Scene" is a fast one immediately that kind of Obits quickness and an intermediate vocal through a telephone line while the rest of the guys this tine are harmonizing in the background, slowing down for a sunday choir sound right before blowing up again. It's like a dreamy misdirection while they prepare to collapse the whole thing on itself. It eventually breaks into a Helmet sounding piece with bursts of random signature bits taking this to the end.
"Thirteen" has a groovier more pop sound with an ensemble vocal again this time with 'whoa oh oh's' , this one is a little more playful but eventually breaks into a hardcore pop, the beat of this thing twisted into a high level BPM ending. But that's how they manage three songs on a single after all.
Red Money's opening track "Baby Comes Alive" loops an atmospheric slowed down chime to introduce the tension filled solo kick and snare beat that gets torn right open with huge sustained windmill chords. They go right to that Dischord place for me sounding a lot like Lungfish or later Fugazi with that melodic post punk sound. The era that hasn't become too obsessed with the math of post yet, just attempting to keep things interesting without getting technical. The weird extension that punk would go from musicians that are talented and always looking to push themselves. Not that Red Money doesn't explore all kinds of changes and rigid tempos. Taking it even further back parts reminds me of Tool's heavy darkness and post metal. This back and forth vocal from Matt Neagle And Billy Davis are a perfect complement for each other, that low howl and higher controlled tremolo trade verses stepping on each other. "And You See Dollar Signs" starts right out with a high distortion melody, like something from At The Drive In, that at first isn't immediately intuitive in progression but that's the chance they took on this and eventually you won't have it any other way. Completely distinctive and even the vocal starts to follow along with it's scale. It's a massive sound that reminds me of those guys as well, it's like a chorus of hardcore with polished edges, shining and bigger than anything human scale. It's just run out of track but keep barreling towards you. They master that thundering crunch opposite the vocal working the final moments of this into a complete frenzy.
Get this from the Negative Fun Distro. Look at the giant numbers on the center label to see what speed to play this at. 45 would be dangerous.
No comments:
Post a Comment