Punk
Exhalants Pack A Punk-laden Punch with Release of "Bang"
Austin’s hardcore music scene is quickly evolving and picking up momentum. The best evidence of that is the punchy and powerful partial debut of Exhalants new album, Atonement. The album is stocked with hard-hitting tracks such as “Bang,” which sends tremors of rage and exultation down listener's spines. Exhalants comprise of a trio of compact heavy guitar riffs, crashing drums and intense vocals that rip through each song, creating a multi-front assault on the senses.
Diving into “Bang,” we instantly feel the distorted bassy guitar riffs which resonate power and raw energy, and seemingly imitate the heavy metal version of a Beach Boys phrase. All of a sudden, screamingly loud vocals come into play, and punchy drums follow, which rip through the little bits of background silence left behind from the awesomely intense guitar ostinato. Virtuosos of mastering intensity, Exhalants’ Steve, Tommy, and Bill absolutely shred through the song and leave no doubts left behind about their skill.
As the song wraps to a close, the crash and deep instrumentals that Steve, Tommy, and Bill create continue to persevere and they even add entirely new vocals and slides into the picture. With twenty seconds left, the drums begin to fall out of the picture, leaving behind a guitar and vocal duo that could make you shout and yell with excitement. Together the duo work together to leave no note left untouched and to fill each and every moment with the punchyness that the Exhalants are renowned for.
On September 11th of 2020, Exhalants’ LP Atonement will be released, and if “Crucifix,” “Blackened” and the rest of Atonement is equally loud, this premier is sure to meet Exhalants mission of being “loud as fuck.” Likewise, with Steve on throat and guitar, Tom on drums and Bill on bass, we are absolutely sure to see one of the craziest, punchiest and most extreme albums that they have ever dropped. Mark your calendars for the 11th Austin, you don’t want to miss this one.
-Eric Haney
The Blowies Release Pandemic-Inspired Single "CDC"
The CDC called...and boy, do they have an update for you.
Like many Austin-area musicians, The Blowies were sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic. Simultaneously cut out of a just-canceled South by Southwest festival and reeling from an indefinite delay for the release of an album that’s already finished, the political punk duo parted ways and headed for isolation - but not before hitting up Rock n Roll Rentals to secure enough gear to convert their respective shelters into studio spaces. From there, Sam Thompson and Tucker Jameson set out to see what would become of collaborating from afar.
When another local act began gathering the necessary ingredients for a compilation record that would spotlight Austin artists affected by the SXSW cancelation, to be titled LOST X LOST WEST, ThompsonandJamesonrespondedtothecall.TheBlowiesself-producedsomenew music in isolation with the help of their rented equipment and a ProTools free trial, and “CDC” was born - an irreverent and sassy track with just the right dash of practicality for a mask-or-be-masked world.
The Blowies have a sound one part Ramones, one part Sex Pistols, one part Joan Jett (they recently released a pitch-perfect cover of The Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb”). The energy in their music is partly manic but never unsettling - the two aim to be political when they write and to attack topics with a tepid sense of neutrality, and maybe a tinge of anarchy. The Center for Disease Control was a perfect catalyst for their energy: wildly politicized by leaders and the media alike.
To hear Jameson put it, “We...set out at the beginning of this project to have a voice that spoke to current events...We have an angle on it. And usually, it’s not your typical angle; it’s not taking...any particular side in the argument but it’s pointing out the absurdity of it all in a palatable way, in a fun way.” “CDC” takes these tropes and props them up with added humor that sears the song into memory by playing on our collective pandemic hysteria (“The CDC’s got an update for me / Cozy on up to Mr. Clean”).
Satirical analysis of current events is critical to this writing duo, so much so that they are fighting to release their delayed album “sometime before the election” so as to capitalize on cresting momentum. For a band christened by an American flag-clad blow-up doll, the high stakes could matter less, though. It’s more about the absurdity of it all.
-Mike Floeck
LURK "Pressure Points"
Punk band LURK has released and new double single, "Pressure Points b/w Trample (Acoustic)", and are planning to drop more new music at the end of the month. This is the first new music from the group since their 2019 EP "Electro-Shock". The song "Trample" is taken from the band's 2018 EP "Hi-Fi" and the band is working on a couple more stripped takes on their catalog.
This is the work of vocalist Kevin Kiley, Bassist Dan Durley, Drummer Pedro Unzueta and Guitarists Alex Rackow and Kevin Maida.
Delaney is not afraid to mix it up in new record "A Small Remaining Quantity of Something"
Manchester, New Hampshire, group Delaney has a new record that explodes with all the emocore goodness you desire for a celebratory weekend. A Small Remaining Quantity of Something contains tracks like “The Ghost of Better Times,” which pops with mighty harmonizing choruses, drum fills for days and even atmospheric breaks for a breather before the mosh madness. The group goes beyond the garage aesthetic with layered tracks like “Thief,” which add piano embellishments to back the melodic vocals, soaked in melancholy, and, yes, the song erupts too. “Broken” is no-holds-barred rock and roll, showcasing the versatility that has always made emocore a beloved and seemingly unforgettable music genre. For a weekend to remember stream A Small Remaining Quantity of Something below. - Rene Cobar
Rich Girls' center their defiance on new track "The Fighter"
There’s a bubbling defiance at the center of “The Fighter,” the new single by NYC-based art punk outfit Rich Girls. Against a forward-facing, march-inducing beat and heavy reverb electric guitar, bandleader Luisa Black’s vox maintains a steely defiance, embedding the track with an energy that’s both haunting and invigorating for the listener. Regarding the song, Black stated her inspiration came from the continued intolerance that preoccupied her thoughts throughout 2020: “Fuck bigots, it’s all I thought about this year. If it’s about anything, it’s about that.” As such, consider adding “The Fighter” to your direct action playlist, and purchasing a digital copy on Bandcamp — all proceeds of the track’s sales will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center — and give it a listen below.