Chris Yang - May All Yr Children Be Dragons

Really cool folk music from Canada. I saw him play a kitchen in New Hampshire a few years ago and it was one of the most intense shows I've ever seen.

Split-release in 2007 by Burnt Oak and Youth Club.

Download / Myspace / Blog

Verse En Coma - Rialto

Heartfelt and lush emo (or something like that) from ex-members of Malady and City of Caterpillar. Described elsewhere as "grunge-filtered post-rock." That sounds pretty horrible to me, but maybe it's accurate. I don't think this band has ever played a show, but this record is pretty excellent.

Download / Myspace

The Dismemberment Plan - Is Terrified

Their 1997 full length

DOWNLOAD / WIKIPEDIA

Beauty Pageant - In Adult Film / Dear Gravity

Lo-fi weird pop from Bobby Burg of Joan of Arc. This release includes 2 albums ("Dear Gravity" & "In Adult Film") as seperate single track compilations. I have no idea why. Released in 1998.

DOWNLOAD | BOBBY BURG @ Joanfrc.com

Make Believe (featuring Bobby Burg on bass)

Boilerman - Bright Young Things

I posted their demo at the beginning of last month. Now here is their 4 song EP "Bright Young Things". Chicago pop punk trio.

DOWNLOAD / BLOGSPOT

Deer Leap - Demo

My band recently did a 10 day tour with New Hapshire's Deer Leap. They play post-tinged twinklemo similar to American Football / Do Make Say Think. Mostly Instrumental with some spacey reverb damaged vocals. I post Keith from DL's previous band 6:37 last month.

DOWNLOAD | MYSPACE

Once Again - Low Life Crisis

In October 1999 I was 14 years old and attended my first ever DIY punk show at The Barn in Moundsville, WV. My very limited scope of punk included bands found on $5 punk compilation cd's picked up at Sam Goody. Once Again was the first band to play and the first band I had ever seen live. They played shreddy pop punk vaguely similar to Propaghandi. The drummer almost exclusively played somewhat slower blast beats. To this day I've never heard another band that sounds very similar. Not that OA were all that ground breaking. This band stuck around too long and devolved into some sort bad Shadows Fall esque metal / punk hybrid as the Wheeling, WV DIY scene disolved. The only track missing from this download of their 2nd full length "Low Life Crisis" is a cover of "Friend" by their Wheeling, WV hardcore contemporaries Ahimsa. Don't expect this album to blow you away. I fucking love the quality of this recording and that only thing besides nostalgia that keeps this release listenable for me.

DOWNLOAD / WEBSITE

Above is the flier for the first show I ever went to. Once Again is included as one of the "guests" that night.

Lauren Hospital - Dark Times are Coming Vol. I - VI

Very little information on this defunct Ohio based band is available on the internet. Early 2000's experimental "emo" with some darker shreddy riffs reminiscent of Party of Helicopter's aesthetic. I couldn't even find a live photo. Members of this band and Apart From the Projector formed the Columbus, OH beast Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea.

Download / Review of Lauren Hospital & Last Day Parade's split

My Disco - Paradise

Amazingly minimal Steve Albini-produced noise-punk from Melbourne, Australia. Lots of one-note bass lines, weird rhythms, and dissonant guitar shit. Good enough to split records with Young Widows and Off Minor.

Download / Myspace

Deathrats - 7"

Female-fronted hardcore that is fast and righteous. This band is pretty ferocious live and seems to be getting a bunch of coverage in various punk media outlets. They're from Washington D.C.

Download / Blog

Bright Effs - Be Honest

Athens, OH droney / spastic pop "punk" duo. Formelly known as Submarine Spaceship. "Be Honest" was released this year on Gnarly As I Wanna Be

Download | Myspace | Purchase