Shock Mountain

I really do apologize for not posting much lately at all. Like James said, I’ve been busy with school. Hopefully, this will make it up to you.

I just got the physical 7″ of this in the mail today, and I personally haven’t even had a chance to listen to it yet. It’s really high on my priorities list, I just didn’t want to put off doing things with this blog any longer. Anyway, this split features one new track from both bands.

The Saddest Landscape plays a brand of pure modern emo, in the vein of Suis La Lune or Her Breath on Glass. I don’t have nearly as much experience with The Saddest Landscape as I should and I fully intend on rectifying that as soon as possible.

I have much more experience with New Jersey-based post-hardcore group Trophy Scars, however. I first got into them with their release of Alphabet. Alphabets., but soon found their earlier catalog, especially Hospital Music for the Aesthetics of Language, to be more favorable. Anyway, I highly recommend checking more of their stuff out. Their song on this split moves in a more orchestral direction in the vein of their latest album, Bad Luck.

In summary, even though I haven’t listened to this as of this posting, I would be posting it in the first place if I didn’t have full faith in it being an awesome recording.

The Saddest Landscape MySpace

Trophy Scars MySpace

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-McKenna

Like most blogs, we get a fair amount of artist submissions, some good, some bad. Since I’m not the head honcho here, I don’t get too many artist submissions, but when I do, it’s very exciting. Even better when the band is actually good, as we see in this case. The Constellation Branch play emo and post-hardcore in the vein of mewithoutYou and Sunny Day Real Estate, while taking cues from acts such as Radiohead, The Dear Hunter and Mew. Atmospheric while also emotive, this Phoenix band is worth keeping an eye on.

MySpace

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-Max

Dear Shock Mountain reader,

Knowing that you know your way around the music blogosphere, I’m not going to baby you and pretend that you haven’t seen this album posted somewhere before. Chances are, you have. If you’ve seen it but didn’t download it, this is your wake-up call. Take it from me, this album is incredible. I don’t care how many times you’ve seen it posted and passed it up for whatever reason, just get it now. Whiny, danceable punk rock is definitely the main classifier for this album, and this band sustains themselves on small, tightly-packed shows. Don’t let that put you off, however. This album is much more than some three-cord punk band. It’s raw emotion, musical skill, and energy. If I don’t get to see this band before they break up, I will seriously consider my life choices.

MySpace/Purchase Links

-McKenna

I’ve been wanting to post this album since I first heard it 2 weeks ago, but I was hesitant because I had no idea what to say about it. Unwound was an Olympia, WA-based band who recorded with Kill Rock Stars frequently throughout their career, releasing abrasive, energetic, slashing post-hardcore that bordered on noise rock. Active from 1991 until 2002, Unwound was influenced as well as compared to acts such as Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Pixies, Polvo, Gang of Four and Nation of Ulysses, but by the time of Leaves Turn Inside You, they had, as the title suggests, altered their sound, drifting farther away from their hardcore/noise roots and crafting something more in the vein of early math-rock and post-rock, shoegaze, 70’s art rock and prog rock. It definitely makes for an interesting sound, hearing a Fugazi-esque band start sounding like Tortoise, Slint, Stereolab or Disco Inferno. That being said, this double album is possibly the best album of their career and an album that, assuming it holds it’s replay value, will probably occupy a spot on my list of perfect albums right next to My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. If you are a fan of the former acts, try this album for a more chilled-out take on post-hardcore and if you are a fan of the latter acts, try this album for possibly the best continuation of that sound. Really, the only reason you shouldn’t be downloading this is if you already have it. I’m upset it took me so long to discover this, but at least I have plenty more to discover.

MySpace

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-Max

This is a band that really needs no introduction. Thursday, for better or worse, effectively changed the face of underground music. Having been born out of the screamo scene, they formed out of New Jersey over ten years ago. Lead Singer, Geoff Rickley, often held basement shows with the likes of You & I, Saetia, and Pg. 99. Their initial sound was gritty and raw, something that is ever present on their most recent release. Yesterday, Thursday had a day off from touring and to coincide with their release, they gave out their phone number. Fans called in and left mesages through an online service and many of them were called back by the band themselves. I mean, what bands do you know of that are willing to do something like that for their fans? I believe that more artists should do this on release dates, because I’m sure it’s a boost to sales of not only albums, but also tickets to shows. The band are completely fine with you pirating their art, which is even more reason to support these awesome guys who have given the past 12 years of their life to people like us.

Official Website