Foundation
Hang Your Head
Six Feet Under (2009)
I grew up on '90s hardcore, so when I hear new band's drawing influence from that era I get excited. Atlanta's Foundation does just that and this new EP is a welcome addition to my collection of present day bands paying homage to the '90s. "Fireproof" sets the tone with heavy metallic hardcore on the '90s tip - think Unbroken … Read more
Frank Turner
Poetry of the Deed
Epitaph (2009)
There are a slew of musicians who take the role of singer-songwriter after the break up of their former bands. At times this can showcase the talent that drove the bands to their success, or alternately show the need for collaboration to flesh out their ideas into worthwhile songs. Frank Turner fronted the mildly successful post-hardcore act Million Dead before … Read more
Freshman 15
Throw Up Your Hands for One Night Stands
Standby (2009)
This is a tough one. At some point, there was a crossover between cheesy melodic pop-punk and the worn-out "scene" image of white belts and devil locks. It became cool to sound like Simple Plan as long as you listened to August Burns Red, and constantly posted pictures of how tough your band looks. I've done my best to avoid … Read more
Future of the Left
Travels With Myself and Another
4AD (2009)
It doesn't look like a man. It doesn't talk like a man. But does it fuck like a man? Does it? Does it fuck like a man? It doesn't smell like a man. It doesn't taste like a man. But does it fuck like a man? Does it? Does it fuck like a man? Wise words there from album highlight … Read more
Gallows
Grey Britain
Warner Bros. (2009)
After landing a million-pound record deal with Warner Bros., a lot of the punks were expecting Gallows' follow-up to Orchestra of Wolves to go in a "poppier" direction so it would sell well. Guess what? They were wrong, very wrong. Gallows' latest offering, Grey Britain shows the band more hateful, aggressive, and powerful than ever. The benefit of a higher-budget … Read more
Gateway District
Some Days You Get The Thunder
It's Alive (2009)
What would a new band that features members of Banner Pilot, The Soviettes, Off With Their Heads, and Dear Landlord sound like if locked in a broom closet and forced to come up with songs? I'm guessing something like this release. They may be ex-members of some of these bands (I'm too lazy to check) but the influence is still … Read more
Gatorface
Sick and Stupid
Paper + Plastick (2009)
The name had me thinking hardcore, and the inclusion of ex-New Mexican Disaster Squad only solidified that thought, but Gatorface plays pretty much straight-up pop punk with a strong 80s influence. The Gainesville band sounds more like 1980's California bands from the formative years of pop punk than it owes to its peninsula contemporaries. This is the debut EP from … Read more
Gaza
He is Never Coming Back
Black Market Activities (2009)
Following an impressive debut album is never an easy undertaking, and Gaza did deliver an impressive debut with I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die. So with that in mind we find their sophomore effort from the four-piece hailing from Utah in the United States. He is Never Coming Back is a definite product of the environment from … Read more
Ghostface Killah
Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City
Def Jam (2009)
I'm a big Ghostface fan. Iron Man? Supreme Clientele? Fishscale? Love em'. The guy is by far the most consistent rapper of the Wu-Tang Clan. He's got great flow, can pull off the stream of consciousness rapping quite well, and his lyrics cover a nice variety of topics including the usual life on the street struggle, explicit sexual acts, as … Read more
Gifts From Enola
From Fathoms
The Mylene Sheath (2009)
Post-rock has predictably reached its stage of full saturation, becoming the self-loathing cliché that wasn't hard to see coming. Bands are unfairly and mockingly compared to Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, and This Will Destroy You, whose stranglehold over the genre have made them a benchmark for those that follow suit and a constant reminder of the jadedness of the … Read more
Gnaw
This Face
Conspiracy (2009)
Damn, when reading the former projects of the members of this group, one really starts to understand how insular a music scene can be in how the bands all break off and form new bands with different cross sections of each other. Gnaw contains members from an impressive list including Khanate, Burning Witch, Thorr's Hammer, Atavist, OLD, Yard, and a … Read more
Goes Cube
Another Day Has Passed
The End (2009)
Is it necessary to combine musical styles rather than perfect a specific sound? It seems to me that so many groups want to be that next big crossover band, combining metal or hardcore with other genres to bridge gaps and appeal to a broader demographic. But this is rather difficult to pull off effectively, and I've always felt that the … Read more
Golden City
Golden City
Magic Bullet (2009)
This eight-song EP is completely and utterly awesome. I really wasn't expecting much from former Christie Front Drive guitar player Eric Richter since last I heard he was in the coma-inducing Antarctic. However, Golden City is just great. I'm having a hard time expressing just great these eight songs really are, but I'm going to try, really, I am. Imagine … Read more
Gonzales
Checkmate
Chorus of One (2009)
It shouldn't take a Johnny Cash song to make a record take off. With Checkmate, from Gonzales, that's exactly the problem. The first hook to really pull you in comes on "Ring of Fire," which sets a positive tone for everything that follows after it. Unfortunately, that's only the final three songs. At their heart, Gonzales seek to be a … Read more
Gospel Gossip
Dreamland
Guilt Ridden Pop (2009)
Having never heard of this band before, I had no idea what to expect. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised by the music on this EP length release. Taking the best guitar effects from 80's pop and welding it to a fierce backbeat, this one emerges from the morass and rises above. Lyrics you can make out and actual songwriting chops-absolutely … Read more
Government Issue
The Punk Remains the Same
DC Jam (2009)
New live E.P. from these DC music legends. Featuring an earlier line-up than on their last live record (Strange Wine), this fits neatly on your shelf sandwiched between that record and Finale. Besides John Stabb on vocals and Tom Lyle on guitar, this release sports Marc Aberstadt (sans headband) on drums and Mitch Parker on bass. Two different live shows … Read more
Gray Ghost
Deep in the Shallow End
Chainsaw Safety (2009)
Atlanta-based outfit Gray Ghost return with their debut full-length. Following up their self-titled EP from last year, the band continues to evolve their sound. Still loosely based in the realm of hardcore, the band's sound is a progressive mixture of drone, hardcore, and metal. "Siberian" sets the pace with its driving rhythms and excellent guitar riffage - think Isis and … Read more
Great Falls
Demo
Independent (2009)
The demise of Playing Enemy was a tough pill for me to swallow as they were a band that I had followed for a number of years and always thought that they got better and better as their releases stacked up over time. Following the untimely end of that project Demian Johnston and Shane Mehling went on to do a … Read more
