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BHP Best Of 2018

21 December, 2018 Brian Mc Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year again folks where I share with you the bands and albums that caught my attention throughout the year.

Sure, my reviewing is infrequent these days, may not make total sense or even be read by many for that matter, but I can tell you that I am listening to as much music as possible daily.

If my memory serves me correct, this will be my 10th Best Of post. Sitting back and just thinking that this blog has been around for 10 years now completely floors me. Thanks to anyone who’s ever stopped by to see what’s good. Here’s to however many more years I decide to keep this going.

With that said, happy holidays and here is my list in no particular order:

Timeshares – Out There EP
-Easily one of my most played EPs of the year. I was obsessed with it for weeks and was caught off guard in a good way by it. I can not wait for their next full-length now. Loving their rejuvenated sound.

Strung Out – Blackout the Sky EP
-Not going to lie. I was not stoked at all to hear Strung Out was going to do an acoustic album. I do not know why I even doubted that they would not have done something amazing. This EP was amazing and showed a completely different side to one of the best bands out there.

Spells – Loose Change Vol. 1
-Ok so this is a collection of early out of print tunes by the Colorado punk party rockers, but this was my first taste of the band after somehow missing out of them for all these years. I caught them touring with Off With Their Heads earlier this year and turned into an instant fan.

Curtail – All Your Luck
-This is probably one of the best releases that came out this year that you may have not heard about. I could sit here and talk about it for hours, but I will leave it to you and check it out. Just think 90s alt rock mixed with 00s emo/post-hardcore goodness.

Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers – Brought to Rot
-This was the most punk rock album to come out all year. Laura Jane Grace is sincere as she talks about her current dwelling and overall situation without holding back. I was overly impressed with this one.

Turnstile – Time & Space
-An amazing hardcore release that really is so much more once you get sucked into it. It really is a genius album to listen to especially with some 80s punk and R&B moments tossed in for the hell of it (just listen to “I Don’t Wanna Be Blind”). Certainly happy I stumbled on these guys.

Light Years – Afterlife
-Hands down, this is one of the best pop punk albums to come out this year. I knew it was going to be good, but I did not realize it was going to be that good.

Face To Face – Hold Fast (Acoustic Sessions)
-This album has turned me into an even bigger Face To Face fan. I feared hearing it because I really did not want to hear a punk band play acoustic renditions of their songs, but man, I was so wrong to doubt them. They reinvented their songs in the best way possible.

The Interrupters – Fight The Good Fight
-Two-toned, punk fueled, and amazing throughout. There’s a reason why Tim Armstrong produced this album.

The Ruen Brothers – All My Shades of Blue
-This album was like listening to The Gaslight Anthem team up with Roy Orbison to score a Wes Anderson flick. I adore these guys and hope to hell I can see them live one day. This was the album that complete caught me by surprise this year and fell in love with.

Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz
-This album is like the energy of The Menzingers + the emotion of MakeWar. The band clearly has matured into something incredible and this release proves it. Do not sit on this one.

Red City Radio – SkyTigers EP
-This is the best thing this band has ever done. There was just this certain amount of gallant confidence throughout. The song “SkyTigers” proved that to me over and over.

Johnny La Rock – Gold Codes
-I was drunk in Vegas earlier this year and admitted Gold Codes was an album of the year for me. La Rock is a hidden gem in Cleveland that the world really should get to know some.

Bar Stool Preachers – Grazie Governo
-Working class and bad ass all in one album. These guys rule. It’s like Dropkick Murphys if they were a ska band.

Mad Caddies – Punk Rocksteady
-Taking punk rock songs and putting their own reggae style to it was just a brilliant idea. This covers album was done right and received well by this listener.

Restorations – LP5000
-Yeah, this was one of my favorite releases this year. This band can do no wrong and I appreciated their maturing lyrics more than ever. Seeming them live finally this year was also an added bonus.

Four Fists – 6666
-This collaboration between P.O.S. and Astronautics completely slays. This rap duo really dropped an impressive album complete with plenty of punk references and beats guaranteed to get stuck in your head for days.

Vessel of Light – Woodshed
-This album takes everything great about Danzig, White Zombie, and even old Alice in Chains and puts them all together for a solid listen. Super impressed with this one.

Frank Turner – Be More Kind
-Everyone needs to listen to this album, especially “Be More Kind”. I am fairly sure it will make your day if not a better person. Frank Turner is one talented mo-fo.

Lucero – Among The Ghosts
-I love this album mostly for the band embracing where life has taken them over the years. They have not lost their style one bit and for that I thank them. This has turned into one of my favorite Lucero releases.

Thanks for reading and happy holidays!

90's, Hip Hop, Metal, Music, Music Video, New Release, Rap, Review, Rock

Album Review: PowerFlo – PowerFlo

18 August, 2017 Brian Mc Leave a comment

My best friend in high school was one year younger than I was. I want to say I met him in my German class where I was more about messing with the teacher, Herr Van Halen or whatever his name was, rather than learning a second language.

I have tons of memories of us hanging out and just encompassing a true friendship as teens.

One of the things that we both had in common was our love of music. We could talk about bands for hours and if there was one thing I was always jealous of, it was his musical talents that I seemingly lacked.

He and I once went on a ride with a homeless man who wore a Sea World hat the projects of Cleveland so he could “pick something up for a friend.” In exchange he bought us a bunch of 40 oz. beers with our money and wound up keeping the change.

It’s a memory I’ll never forget, especially the part were my friend and I were laying down in the back of the pick-up truck’s bed through the crazy adventure because there was no room for us up front. Ahh youth…

A couple of years after that memorable evening, my friend told me at a random afternoon driveway party that he was going to move to California to live with his father and look into the music world. As shocked as I was, I understood he needed to do this and wished him all the luck in the world.

You know how things go. You grow up. You become distant, not on purpose of course, but because life gets in the way. We did our best to keep in touch, but truth be told, I have not seen him in over 20 years now. Thanks to the Internet and smart phones, we touched base here and there and i knew he was doing well and following his passion.

Where am I going with this? There’s a point, I promise…

Just a few weeks ago, my pal reached out to me to tell me about something he has been working on for a while now and wanted me to check it out and let me know my thoughts on it. He told me he has been heavily involved with PowerFlo, a band full of musicians from the 90s that we obsessed over as teenagers.

One could say I freaked out when I heard this. Still, I needed to hear it for myself. To say I was proud of his accomplishment is an understatement. Of course I told him I would check it out and offer up a review of sorts.

So I guess here we go…

PowerFlo is a supergroup metal/rap outfit from LA. Consisting of Cypress Hill’s Sen Dog, Biohazard’s Billy Graziadei, former Fear Factory bassist/guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers, Downset’s Rogelio Lozano, and Fernando Schaefer, one could say this band is full of talent.

This group of seasoned musicians perfectly took their areas of expertise and infused metal and rock with hip-hop for an album that any fan of the “Judgement Night” soundtrack would approve of.

The album was produced by my pal Josh Lynch and also Graziadei. It was mixed by Jay Baumgardner, and was mastered by Maor Applebaum at Maor Applebaum Mastering and released on New Damage Records.

Opening the album with a cocked gun (literally), “My M.O.” did not disappoint More of a hardcore track over rap/metal, I loved the brutal drumming and heavy guitar riffs. Sen Dog fits in perfectly with the rest of the gang and just goes berserk in the middle of the track with his unforgettable rap flow style.

“Resistance” followed with a slow start reminiscent of a funeral thanks to a slow bell being rung, but just exploded out of no where. Sen Dog shined on this track and pretty much proved he’s beyond a rap artist.

“Where I Stay” had this Fear Factory Remanufacture likeness with the electronics incorporated into the track. Sen Dog has no problem taking his style and mixing it into the song. This hard homage to LA threw me off with the “na na na” back vocals, but after a few listens it just worked. I loved the thrash breakdown half way through.

The punk rock me absolutely adored “Crushing That.” Yeah, it is mostly rap/rock, but think of what would happen if Public Enemy and Rise Against did a collaboration.

I found myself getting into “The Grind”, a full-on rager of a track. Reminding me of Biohazard in a good way with plenty of group screaming, Sen Dog just flowed perfectly throughout.

“Victim of Circumstance” was just insane. The band really killed it together on this one.

“Made It This Way” had Sen Dog singing / screaming more than rapping showing how diverse his talent is. This track was just bad ass.

“Finish The Game” was a positive, forcefully charged song about getting things done without giving up. I almost wondered if there was a hidden nod to Hatebreed on this track. Not complaining here at all.

Ending the album was the powerful “Start A War”. This track was all about swinging fists and not asking questions at all. I could not help of think of Chuck D and Anthrax on this one.

There really is no sleeper of a track on this album. It started strong and ended full-force. My only vice is that it clocked in at just over 30 minutes and I really wanted more.

I’ll say it – PowerFlo is what I expected Prophets of Rage to sound like. Where the former Rage guys still have yet to impress me completely, PowerFlo has straight up delivered a solid album to my ears that has been worthy of multiple listens.

Perhaps not nearly as brutal as the new Body Count was, this album is still heavy, poignant, and should not be sat on. I am really hoping these guys hit the road soon as I would love to see what they sound like live.

When you hear metal musicians from the 90s came together with a 90s hip-hop artist, it is easy to dismiss the whole idea but PowerFlo delivered an excellent release. I look forward to seeing this band succeed.

Acoustic, Akron, Cleveland, Country, Electronic, Emo, Folk, Hardcore, Hip Hop, Indie, Listing It Up, Music, Outlaw Country, Personal Entry, Pop, Post-Hardcore, Punk, Rap, Rock, Ska

BHP Best of 2016

5 December, 2016 Brian Mc Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year again folks. Time to sit here and type out a list of bands that have impressed me one way or another. I am not keeping to a set number as it would take me forever to narrow it down.

A sincere thanks to everyone who’s ever visited this site – seriously. I know I tend to say that around the time I do my best of lists, but I really mean it. I almost called it quits earlier this year and reconsidered at the last minute.

This blog is very personal to me and even if more people find it while Googling how to fix their headphones, it is still fun to do. If I can turn someone on to a new band just by one post, then my job is done.

With that said, I plan on sticking around for a while.

I am sure I will add a few more as they come to me in the next couple of weeks (as I always do [up to 3 edits now]), but for now, here’s the list of the albums that really caught my attention in 2016:

[EDIT: The year is not over yet and I needed to throw in just a couple more…]

Chandeli’ers – Breaker
-This was the album that hit me in the right way. It was fun across the board and sounded like the Clash meets Elvis Costello. What more could you ask for?

Run The Jewels – RTJ3
-This album was not supposed to drop until 3 weeks into the new year, but El-P and Killer Mike decided to drop it on Christmas day for all to enjoy. I can not stop listening to it. I know I am not the only one either.

MakeWar – Developing a Theory of Integrity
-Hands down one of my favorite surprise releases of the year. This punk rock band has thrown together an album I will be listening to over and over for years to come.

Joe McMahon – Another Life
-This is another one of my favorite albums this year. McMahon shared with the world an outstanding collection of tunes that everyone needs to check out. His solo material is a lot different from his Smoke or Fire days and that is not a bad thing at all.

Bob Mould – Patch the Sky
-Mould recorded a masterpiece with Patch the Sky. If you have not had the chance to listen to this album, you are missing out. This album is perfect to listen to any day.

Jonathan Richman – Ishkode! Ishkode!
-I am kicking myself for not putting this on my list initially. Richman is one of the most prolific songwriters out there and put out quite the release. I loved how song his songs were fun at times while others were just complex and reached across borders. He really showcased his musical abilities on this release. This guy has been writing music for longer than I have been alive and still is able to put out quality albums.

Dinosaur Jr. – Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
-I have been a fan of this band for over 25 years now, so it only makes sense that this release made my list. Oh, it also kicks so much ass. Lou Barlow singing on it made it that much better.

All Dinosaurs – Total Dissatisfaction
-Where do I even start with this one? It’s like listening to the Bronx, but better, and from Cleveland. I love this album so much that I literally just bought the LP from their bandcamp page. No lie.

Useless ID – State is Burning
-This band will always be one of my favorites and this release continued to keep me a fan. With a much more harder approach, they really killed it on this one. I also adored the nod to the late Brandon Carlisle of Teenage Bottlerocket.

Pulley – No Change in the Weather
This band was a huge favorite of mine in the late 90s and I thought they were done in the mid-2000s, but low and behold, they came back with an album that seemingly continued where they left off without missing a beat. “Sometimes” is such a great track.

Beach Slang – A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings
-James Alex (and former crew) have created a timeless album for music fans of all ages. Catchy yet poignant, the album has been on a weekly rotation to my ears since the album dropped. It may clock in at around 30 minutes, but it is a hell of a ride from start to finish.

Worship This! – Mint
-So what if these guys are my pals, their sophomore release blew me away. I can not say enough good things about this album. It is poppy, punky, and addictive. More people need to check this album out as these Akron/Cleveland boys really know how to make sweet jams. They are the next big thing in my mind and I love them all dearly.

Descendents – Hypercaffium Spazzinate
-Having one of my all time favorite bands release something new in 2016 was pretty rad. Having one of my all time favorite bands stick to their sound from start to finish and have no indication of slowing down made it that much better.

Nothing – Tired of Tomorrow
-I never thought I would like shoegazing. To be honest, I really never knew what shoegaze was until I heard this album and I am still not quite sure. Indie rock and neo-psychadelica mixed with plenty of distortion and emotion made for an album that I could not get out of my head for weeks. That’s a good thing.

Mean Jeans – Tight New Dimension
-Mean Jeans are probably one of the most underrated bands out there right now. This album further proved that. A modern-day Ramones-like banger. I loved it.

Bouncing Souls – Simplicity
-The Souls are like a fine cheese or wine to me. With age, this band seems to just get better. Their latest release was just full of punk rock fun. When I started singing along to the first song during my first listen, I knew I was going to love this album and play it over and over.

Blink 182 – California
-I can’t help it, I got sucked in to the new Blink and I know why… Matt Skiba. He was the perfect addition to reinvent this band.

The Avalanches – Wildflower
-16 years after their debut, The Avalanches came back with an all new release that very well probably took all 16 years to create. I know some of my pals were not digging this release fully, but I adored it. It probably helps that the likes of Danny Brown and Biz Marke helped make this album what it is.

Arms Aloft – What a Time to be Barely Alive
–This is the one album I really need to do a proper review on, but I keep getting sidetracked. I listen to it all of the time and it is freaking amazing. Punk rock from the 80s perfectly blended with punk rock from the mid 2000s is one way I can describe these fellows. The music is infections, the lyrics are fun, and from what I hear the band is pretty cool too. This kind of sounds like a review, but it is not. This is just me telling y’all that this album was impressive.

Signals Midwest – At This Age
-This is their third release and probably their most tied together, mature material I have heard them create. They have pushed their limits from a one time local band and are more or less prepping themselves for what’s next to come. I am proud of these dudes.

Arliss Nancy – Greater Divides
-This band really should be at Lucero levels by now. They are exceptional at what they do and it can be heard throughout their latest release.

Har Mar Superstar – Best Summer Ever
-Har Mar continues to put out incredible material with each release. This man is so talented that he drops albums that cover various genres and avoids any and all gimmicky sounds.

NOFX – First Ditch Effort
-After all this band has been though, it only makes sense that they dropped a more personal album. It took me a couple of listens to truly appreciate. Don’t worry, it’s still crass at times as well as hilarious, but man, that Tony Sly tribute song will put tears in your eyes.

Harvey Pekar – The Astral We
-This Cleveland hardcore band is just that… This album was insane yet intelligent, and I loved every moment of it.

The Falcon – Gather Up the Chaps
-I love that Dave Hause was on this album. I love that he had to play ska riffs knowing how much he hates ska because Brendan Kelly decided it was a good idea. This album was far from serious and a good time all around.

NOTE: I promise you, Red Scare did not pay me for putting so many albums on this list. They just had a hell of a year with releases… Toby, I take plastic btw.

I wanted to throw a couple of EPs on here as well:

Jonathan Richman & Tommy Larkins – That’s All We Need at Our Party
–Blue Arrow Records and the creative vinyl masters Wax Merge teamed up to put out an insane variant of this 7″. I was lucky enough to score #100 out of 100. It’s a thing of beauty plus the tunes on it kick ass. I love me some Jonathan Richman. I am sure there are a few left, so snag one if you can.

Throw Shade – Self-Titled
-I have talented friends who make beautiful music. This EP is absolute proof.

Nine Inch Nails – Not the Actual Events
-I really did not know what to expect from Reznor and crew with this EP seeing how I just lost interest in their material for the last 10 years. Man, was I pleasantly surprised. This EP brought me back to 90s NIN and I can not wait for their full-length to drop in 2017.

Bracket – The Last Page
-At just over 70 minutes, this is one long-ass song and it’s amazing. The track keeps it together for the listener and takes them on a punk rock voyage. My first listed was distracted thanks to my paying gig, but my second listen with headphones on was incredible.

Finally, I know this is a best of list, but it would not be right if I did not make mention of this:

RIP Dag House…
It goes without saying, sometimes you find yourself in the right situations by chance. Thanks to an amazing batch of pals who kept Dag House going for years. Not everyone gets to experience basement shows, and some of that could be by choice, but goddamn, if you are a music fan, basement shows are the best shows. Dag House threw together a hell of a rager for their last show, and I was happy to be a part of it. Thanks for the memories Dag.

2016 was a crazy year. If you’ve made it this far in my post, thanks for sticking around and being so rad. It is people like you and the bands above that keep me doing what I do. Be well.

Hip Hop, Music, New Release, Review

Album Review: Doomtree – All Hands

4 February, 2015 Brian Mc Leave a comment

It takes a lot for me to admit I like a modern day hip hop act.

I’m not trying to sound like a jaded hipster supreme or anything, but I just can’t get into a lot of these hip hop acts out there let alone understand what the hell they are talking about.

Maybe it is because I am getting old. Or maybe it is because I prefer 90s hip hop over anything else (Bone Thugs and Wu Tang will always remain my favs).

I can always make exceptions of course.

Doomtree is easily one of those exceptions.
(Note: Run The Jewels is another – but we are not going to talk about them in this post.)

Hailing from Minneapolis, Doomtree is a hip hop collective full of artists who bring different talents together to create a complex and intricate style of hip hop.

I can’t lie, P.O.S. is how I learned of Doomtree. I was introduced to him years ago and even got to shoot some up clone and personal photos him him during a memorable set at a Warped Tour as he performed literally in the middle of the crowd standing upon an equipment case. Anyone who sings Fugazi in the middle of a rap track is ok with me. Not to mention, he was in Wharf Rats too.

Should I even mention that another member in Doomtree, Cecil Otter, was 1/2 behind Wugazi? Do you see why I dig these guys so much? Perhaps I need to calm down. Nah…

I was introduced to Doomtree’s second release No Kings shortly after and was completely blown away. To be honest, I still listen to that album. It is a timeless collection of awesome with plenty of memorable tracks that have not gotten stale by any means not to mention the “Bangarang” video still rules thanks to Har Mar Superstar.

Doomtree recently dropped an all new album in January called All Hands. This will be their third official album and was actually recorded far away from civilization and cellphone signals. The result is not surprising, an eyebrow lifting album that easily will gather tons of attention.

“Final Boss” started off things so strong with a incredibly likable track that was full of 8-bit beats. Each of the 5 MCs took a turns rifling off lyrics praising their hometown, recognizing talent, talking video games, and just life. The repeating “get up like I never f*cking got up before and I get it like I never f*cking got it before” seemingly pumped this listener up each time it repeated. I thought it was great that the track just ended with Jake Hanson playing a simple riff on his guitar.

You know, I thought I was impressed with the first track, and suddenly I was treated to “My Own Nation”. Wow. I am not even certain I can describe how much I dug this track. I think you will just need to hear it for yourself (see below). The climax of this track is where things got insane.

“.38 Airweight” brought light of Bernie Goetz, a NYC so-called vigilante douchebag who shot and killed 4 young men almost 30 years ago because he thought he was going to get mugged. This track to me was a callout to all of the senseless violence from yesteryear and today.

“Mini Brute” was a mess of sounds that almost seemed to encompass my entire attention, pulling me away from the lyrics, but I just kept fighting to just absorb the poetry. This track was insane. I wish those jackasses in Akron, OH never broke into my Cavalier and stole my mediocre stereo system in 2004. I really would have loved to have the opportunity to blast this track.

Of course “Cabin Killer” had me hoping for Evil Dead references, but instead I was treated to plenty of head-nodding smooth flows. I wish Cecil and P.O.S. both could have kept going for a tad longer, but I am grateful for the Stay Puft reference.

“Generator” may have been speaking about speeding up, but this song just fell short. I appreciated the Atari Teenage Riot electronic-sounding heavy beats, but overall I was kind of bored.

Thankfully “Off in the Deep” jumped out of that rut and returned to awesomeness. P.O.S. Sims, and Dessa all took turns doing what they do best on this track. I am still trying to figure out if they sampled a song behind the scenes on this track as it sounded so familiar. If not, kudos to Doomtree for creating such a likable sound.

“Marathon” closed things with a punk edge thanks to the repeating hook “when it all boils down there’s nothing but bones left”. Maybe this track was not as heavy as the others, but it was certainly the most well-written, especially the final “hashtag No Kings, crash y’alls server.” What a way to end an album.

I can not tell you the number of times that I have gotten myself so worked up over an album only to hear it with pure disappointment. This is so not the case as All Hands does not disappoint at all.

I think the thing I love most about Doomtree is that nothing seems generic or forced. From the lyricism to the beats in each track, you can hear how genuine the pride is. It is not commercial hop hop by any means and really needs to trump some of that quick-beat, lazy written crap that seems to always grab all the attention.

This act has continued to impress me. I would not be shocked if All Hands took them a step or two closer to the spotlight that they so much deserve.

Hip Hop, Music, Music News, Music Video, New Release, Rap, The Awesome

Beastie Boys – “Make Some Noise”

21 April, 2011 Brian Mc Leave a comment

The Beastie Boys still have it. Have what you ask?

Talent.

“Make Some Noise” stars a whole slew of Hollywood making for a entertaining as hell video. I am sure you have already seen it, but it is too hilarious not to share.

Wondering what is going to happen next? Me too. There is a 30-minute full version of this video that is probably going to be released right around the time that Hot Sauce Committee Part II drops on May 3rd.

I can’t wait.