Weathered to the Bone

I've been listening to Leatherface a ton lately. They're the type of band that if i let myself listen to them just a bit i'll be hooked for a few weeks, they have a really contagious sound. If your not familiar with them, they have a really raw and emotional melodic punk sound. The songs are full of great melodies but there is an undeniable authenticity within the production of the guitars and especially the vocals. At times it's hard to decipher what words are being sung just because the vocals are so raspy.

I've been listening mostly to their second last release "Horsebox" it was released around 2000 i think. Outside of maybe Mush this is my favorite record by them. I think this record is probably their most daring, i mean they attempt a Cindy Lauper cover, the song True Colors, they nail it like no other band could. Ship Song is different song as well, its a bit slower and driven by a piano which actually fits well with the band. Sour Grapes and Watching You Sleep are two more stand out songs, both of those songs are extremely catchy. When i say they're catchy it's only because i can't think of a better word, i never really find any of the songs stuck in my head, maybe that's why i enjoy them so much, they don't wear out. There's no use in saying anymore, if you haven't heard this band go buy their records. I would recommend starting with either this one or Mush, or if you want to go back to the start, start with Cherry Knowle. Either way, if you like punk rock in any way whatsoever you won't be disappointed. I know this band is somewhat obscure, hiding out in the North Eastern part of the UK, but they're essential for anyone into any type of music in my opinion.

Speaking of Leatherface, after being out biking nearly everyday this winter my face has been subject to some rather harsh conditions. I'm so glad it's over, or at least we think it's over. This has been the worst winter i can remember. It hasn't been this consistently cold in years, nor have we had this much snow in a long time. I think the city of Toronto is near breaking the all-time record for snowfall set in the 1930's. I don't think we will though, mother nature isn't likely to give me that badge of honor. We have a bit of a volatile relationship, which is a pointless, she always wins and all i ever do is whine about it.

My bike has taken the brute of the punishment, i can hear the chain grinding the sand through the gears wearing them out as i peddle, as soon as the roads are cleaned up I'm going to need to take everything apart, clean it, grease it, and maybe get some replacement parts. That won't be enjoyable, although i will enjoy riding a good bike again. Here are pictures of my bike freshly spray painted last spring and then after all the torment it's endured. I don't know why I'm posting them.

Before

After

Looking For Gold

This winter weather is really starting to bother me, i think having to bike nearly everyday in it is the primary reason why but mostly anybody would be sick of the winter we've had this year. It's supposed to be spring and it feels like January and has for most of the past month. The area of the city i live in looks like Chernobyl in the winter. I braved the cold and went to Hits & Misses today intending to pick up a repress of the Adolescents self titled LP, i didn't have much money to spend so i wasn't planning on looking around much. But before i headed for the A's i decided to check out the used section to see if anything new had come in, after flipping through a few records i found Outlast's "As Sure As I Live" LP. I've come to really enjoy this band and was not expecting to find this LP anywhere so needless to say, i picked it up.


As far as i know this was this Outlast's final release, i think it was a compilation of a previous 10" and a previous 7" which would explain why the recording is different on some songs than others. I know I've talked about this record numerous times on here but the more i listen to it the more i appreciate how sincere and emotional it is, I'm really looking forward to putting this record on the turntable and sitting down with the lyric insert and finally getting a chance to get more in touch with the message behind the music. As much as I've listened to this band my searches to find their lyrics online have mostly resulted in futility and considering the vocals are hard to understand outside of some of the sing-a-longs, chances are my obsession with this band will reach a fervent level.

There's also an insert which seems to be some sort of letter, I'm guessing written by the singer, about the band and what it meant to him, how he felt it was a way of using creativity to make a difference. I haven't read it all yet but it seems to venture off in to some sort of discussion about life and it's purposes and how to go about fulfilling them. It's a cool thing to see a band do and it's nice to know the songs I've been listening to all this time were born out of something more substantial.

I've had a hard time finding much out about this band, if anyone knows much about them or where i can pick up anymore of their music let me know.

Anyway, after i left the record store i got a call from a friend from elementary school i hadn't seen in at least 10 years. We had been planning on hanging out so we went and ate some Thai food, talked about how things change and just life in general. We actually have quite a bit in common which is a bit ironic considering i used to be into playing hockey and acting obnoxious and she used to be into books. It's weird how time changes.

Paint It Green and Blue

*Disclaimer* Mike, if do not wish to be seething with jealousy by the end of this post please discontinue reading NOW and quickly hit the back button on your browser, or close it all together, whatever works.

I got my Paint it Black pre order in the mail last week. I was glad to know the vinyl version of this release was being done by Rivalry, I've been a fervent supporter of that label for a few years now. I was definitely anticipating hearing this record, I thought Paint It Black's two previous releases were really great. Both records were chalked full of well written angsty hardcore punk anthems.

New Lexicon is angrier sounding than anything Dan Yemin has been able to churn out to this point. This record is probably the most aggressive and straight forward Paint It Black release yet, there are a few anthemic moments reminiscent of those on CVA and even Paradise. Songs like The Ledge and Shell Game Redux are examples of this, while songs like Four Deadly Venoms and Dead Precedents start full of pure aggression and grind to a bitter pulsing halt.

My favorite song on this record is probably Past Tense, Future Perfect, i think it combines the more melodic qualities of Paint It Black with the aggression that makes them such a vaunted presence in hardcore punk. It's hard to really compare this record with their previous efforts, they've never released a bad song. Like any great band each record has a feel of its own, you know its still the same band but there's a separate dynamic that makes each record special in its own right.


New Lexicon continues Dan Yemin's impressive ability to turn every musical en devour he touches into gold, even if he's not the one playing the guitar it still comes out sounding as tight as anything possible could. You can really hear the chemistry between all the musicians on this record and on every Paint It Black release for that matter. I remember hearing Kid Dynamite for the first time and not being able comprehend how together everything sounded, I'm sure if I'd been living under a rock all these years and came out to listen to Paint It Black I'd get that same feeling.

The lyrics on this record are pretty good as well. There definitely a lot of imagery and social/political undertones. They aren't as blunt as some other bands that tackle the same issues but when it's all said and done the message gets a hammered home effectively enough. Here are the lyrics to Shell Game Redux, probably my favorite on this record.

Shell Game Redux

Sweep out the cobwebs & recalibrate the
currency. They're robbing us blind.
They're trimming the fat, and counting every
calorie. Can't you see that they're robbing
us blind? Inveterate invertebrates ingest and
regurgitate. They are robbing us blind. There's
no convincing explanation for the crumbs on
your dinner plate.

Sharpen the knives and sugarcoat the medicine.
Consult your astrologist and be sure to tip the
weathermen.
I know we promised you a dividend...

They steal the bread from our mouths. They
steal the air from our lungs.
And they steal the ground from under our
feet. They will try to steal the words from our
tongues.

DON'T LET THEM

"... We Keep Warm With The Words That We Scream

It's been a while since my last post, I've been busy writing essays and waiting for my Paint it Black pre-order to come, it came today but my camera is broken so i can't show off the slick looking vinyl. I probably need to listen to it a little more before i post about it, so i'll use this post to talk about one of the most dynamic emotional hardcore records of the past few years.....

How We Are - To Teach a Hundred. I actually didn't start listening to this record until sometime last year but it's really well written modern emotional hardcore. I guess a good comparison would be their upstate New York counterparts, Another Breath. This album definitely has an upstate NY vibe to it, there's even a sentimental song about Rochester. Most of the songs are of a much different nature, they're influenced heavily by Daniel Quinn's thought provoking Novel Ishmael which, if you've read the book is given away by the title of the record. I use the word dynamic to describe this record because it really is, the guitar work is incredible and Rory VanGrol's harsh and urgent vocals seem to drive, or be driven by the quick pulsing guitar work. Couple that with exceptionally well written lyrics that carry a message most people couldn't bare the weight of and this record is something you need to hear. I also really like how the tracks on the record were organized, there are two mellowed out instrumental tracks entitled "Takers" and "Leavers". Which again if you've read Ishmael make for an almost euphoric listen. There aren't a ton of bands that have a whole lot to say and of the bands and the records that do, this record ranks up near the top. I was sad to see this band call it quits last year, but they've left a dent big enough to keep me remembering.

I couldn't write about this record without at least mentioning a little about the book it seems so inspired by. I read Ishmael this past spring and it really helped me to see the world from a different perspective. From a perspective that is removed from the hustle and bustle of modern life, kind of like an eye in the sky that doesn't see all the superficial benefits our system of living creates, but instead sees the rape and destruction of an environment and an animal kingdom that has never so much as raised a finger against humanity. For hundreds, thousands of years we've been taking and taking, never giving back, never leaving anything to quench the throats of what we've left thirsting. Reading this book and then listening to this record is like a cold slap in the face, the kind where you just stand there for a few minutes, speechless, blinking your eyes in confusion, wondering what just happened. All it takes is one idea, one spark, to teach a hundred.

Anyway here are the lyrics to the title song, i really hope the LP gets released sometime soon like its been planned.

To Teach A Hundred

With split lips, shin-splints and sore throats.
With words constantly begging revision.
With all our desires, dressed in our basements best.
So anyone that ever wanted change could hear a voice that sounded the same as theirs.
The question has never been whether or not hope would remain,
but if we can gather enough in our hands to match the fire in our lungs.

We keep time with songs on repeat.
We keep warm with the words that we scream.
Hope is a crutch.
Push your desires.
Our words are fire.
To teach a hundred.