#10 STILL RUINS S/T
As this world spins on its axis of pain and suffering, music is my looking glass into a positive mental space! As the snow falls outside, my inner peace seeks solace. It’s music that gives my inner self a safe place! This s/t STILL RUINS LP, which is out on Smoking Room and Cercle Social Records, is so good that it’s almost beyond words. Listening to their music puts a smile on my face and makes me believe in myself at the same time! On BIG TUNES like “Until Then,” they hit these frequencies that are vast and highly romantic. STILL RUINS are sonic wizards at manifesting majestic bliss-filled anthems that will shower your reality with mournful sunshine! I know when I’m in the presence of greatness and STILL RUINS are just that great. “Of Devotion” reminds me of walking down Melrose in the 80s and seeing all of the different tribes unify under the banner of not fitting into the mainstream. I know for a fact if this album came out in the 80s, KROQ would have it on repeat. Read Full Review
#9 JUSTICE DIVINE la justice divine
So what do we have here? We have the stellar new album from JUSTICE DIVINE entitled la justice divine. Every song on this record is a Post Punk anthem that needs to be in life! The passion that this band puts into their creations is highly infectious. Trust me when I say this: JUSTICE DIVINE is truly divine in the way they write anthems! Here are some facts: the album is released in France on Destructure Records and in the US on à La Carte Records.
#8 HEAVE BLOOD & DIE Burnout Codes
I’ve been listening to music for so long now that I know whether I want to buy a record from the first few seconds of the first song. And that’s exactly what happened as soon as the first beat kicked in on the new record from Norway’s HEAVE BLOOD & DIE! Their beautiful, wild amalgamation of psychedelic synths and driving post-punk percussion has me completely captivated. Also, let me just say my respect for Norway went way up when I found out this band has been nominated for a Spellemann, the Norwegian Grammys, because it means that Norwegians are real music lovers. The record is called Burnout Codes and it’s out via Fysisk Format Records. Like I said, there’s a heavy psych hand in this music, but I’m also hearing noise and post rock layered in alongside shoegaze. I’ve listened to the full record, and my opinion hasn’t changed from that first few seconds — this is a record I can grow old with, and it will continue to move me even after hundreds of listens.
#7 NO FILTER Sans Filtre
What is Oi Wave, you may ask? It’s a synth-heavy dance party with aggressive gang vocals, a romantic atmosphere crashed by fists and leather. And since I started listening to NO FILTER it’s one of my new favorite genres. Me and my bald head fit right in at Oi shows but I also love to dance the night away in the Batcave and I feel like this band has found the perfect combination of the two. It’s urgent and cold and aurally violent all at the same time!
#6 HOLY WIRE The Ending Of An Age
Hell yeah, I love life and I enjoy waking up every day being me! I refuse to let the judgment of others color the way I see myself. I can’t help but rejoice at the sounds of HOLY WIRE‘s The Ending Of An Age because it’s the MF’ing BOMB! Once I heard their lush rich voice on the BIG TUNE “I Still Feel Alone All The Time” I became a fan instantly! This record is full of anthems that will uplift you and me. Honestly, as I listen to songs like “Lost,” I start to feel as if I have superpowers and I can overpower all of my haters! Music is supposed to be felt, and I for sure feel the passion that radiates from all of HOLY WIRE songs.
#5 DISINTEGRATION Shiver in a Weak Light
There’s a new Cleveland band I can’t get enough of, and it’s Disintegration (feat. members of Pleasure Leftists/Profligate/Cloud Nothings). Their single “Hideaway” is a raw, lo fi post punk trip down a 1980s MTV memory lane and it’s a song that has me moving and singing along as soon as I hit play. And while Disintegration do pay homage to the classic synth sounds of early darkwave/new wave, they’ve transformed it through a futuristic lens to refract into beautiful sonic beams of next generation post punk with a heavy twist. It’s off their full-length Shiver in a Weak Light on Feel It Records. Trust me when I say every track on this record is more compelling than the next, and it’s a record that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows—and you’ll be dancing the whole time.
#4 LOUSE Passions Like Tar
It’s time to immerse yourself in the cold and beautiful post-punk sounds of LOUSE! Their jangly, melancholic tones catch me like a web, while haunting synths float around me like a mesmerizing fog, vocals cutting through snap me out of my audial reverie. This is post punk to sway to, to lay in a bed of knives to.
#3 LESSER CARE Heel Turn
Yo I can’t front, LESSER CARE has created a stellar album in HEEL TURN. Real talk, I can’t stop smiling as I listen to this record because I’m happy for the band, but also the music they manifested brings me joy!!! Songs like “Bubblegum Machine” soar and are full of sweet addictive riffs and melodies. LESSER CARE hits those uplifting chords that will make you forget about your 9 to 5 and for the time you bump their new record you will be in a place where PMA reigns supreme! I love the way that they can unify so many different genres into their sound without ever sounding contrived! The production on HEEL TURN is spot on and huge in an epic sort of way. I know for a fact that LESSER CARE is going blowing up this year, and I’m stoked for them.
#2 SOFT KILL Escape Forever
Goddammit, SOFT KILL has done it again. Escape Forever is a glorious trip into the past. Somehow I’ve heard all these songs before but they also sound brand new. Somehow all of the tracks on this record sound completely different, like they’re paying homage to every form post punk has ever taken, but they also all sound so completely and utterly Soft Kill. Escape Forever is a brilliant record that makes me feel like I’m listening to an old favorite while I’m brimming with the excitement of something brand new. It’s giving me the same feelings of awe I had when I first listened to Heresy, but it’s a testament to how far this band’s sound has come.
#1 HIGH VIS Guided Tour
HIGH VIS is one of those bands that can take something sad and make you feel happy to contemplate it. It’s like they create a space to think about what’s hurt you and remind yourself that you’re still here. I’ve had the honor of seeing them live twice in the past couple of years, and they have a special (reflective) sonic light that beams out to the audience and makes everyone in the room feel seen (and really fucking hyped). Their new record Guided Tour feels like next level High Vis. Right off the bat I’m moved emotionally, and physically I want to jump around! They bring together the anti-system spirit of hardcore punk and the driving melodies of post punk and create something uplifting and urgent with every song. “Mind’s a Lie” is a sneak peek into some of the other genres that have influenced High Vis, including house and UK garage, and it’s an anthem! But to be honest, every track on Guided Tour is an anthem, and I’m gonna have to put my time in to memorize all of these songs so I can join the boys in a sing-along the next time they’re in Vancouver! Read Full Review.
