The last three months have brought us some awesome new music from the likes of Against Me!, The Hotelier, Nai Harvest and Seahaven (to name a few). As we delve into the second quarter of 2014 (where is this year going?), the next three months are full of just as much promise. To celebrate the months ahead, hereâs our guide to the records weâll be listening to in April, May and June.
Hereâs a selection of what has our musical mouths watering this quarter:
Banner Pilot â âSouvenirâ
[April 14]
Minneapolis melodic punks Banner Pilot return with the tune heavy âSouvenirâ. Thereâs a slight air of Alkaline Trio and gruffer contemporaries like Off With Their Heads in the vocal style, and a definite increased focus on pop laden hooks. If introspective lyrics over punk melody are your thing, then âSouvenirâ is likely to please.
Menzingers â âRented Worldâ
[April 21]
Set to release the follow up to our Album of the Year 2012, The Menzingers âRented Worldâ is already sounding massive. Having just released the opening track from the record, the mixture of dark lyrics and off-kilter melody already has us excited. The album promises more maturity, more understanding and more grunge.
Brody Dalle â âDiploid Loveâ
[April 28]
The iconic Brody Dalle has been creating punk and punk inspired music for the best part of 20 years, starting with Sourpuss, moving through The Distillers and Spinnerette to arrive at her debut solo outing. Both tracks already released from the album sound huge, with âDonât Mess With Meâ harking more than a little back to her days with The Distillers.
Leagues Apart – ‘Brief Interviews with Hideous Men’
[April 28]
Hailing from Manchester, Leagues Apart have already enjoyed playing shows with the likes of The Menzingers and The Flatliners. It gives you some idea about their style â sharing an introspective and pessimistic view through their lyrics, while somehow keeping a reasonably upbeat melody. Lead track âIn Spite Of It Allâ is one hell of a raw and downtrodden commentary.
Pre-order: Coming Soon
Frameworks â âLoomâ
[April 28]
Hailing from the hometown of Fest, Gainesvilleâs Frameworks are nothing like the music you might associate with the festival. Instead bringing in Deafheaven producer Jack Shirley, the lead single implies a unique mixture of post-rock, doom and twiddling guitar work. Defining themselves as âtropical punkâ, âLoomâ is shaping up to be one of the most interesting records of the quarter. Expect attention from a wide range of critics for this one.
Andrew Jackson Jihad – ‘Christmas Island’
[May 06]
After signing to SideOneDummy Records, Arizona based weird-brigade Andrew Jackson Jihad will be releasing âChristmas Islandâ at the start of May. Assuming âChildren Of Godâ is a good indicator of things to come, the record promises more unusual lyrical topic choices than before. âWith eyes as red as a dogâs asshole when you see it shitting,â anyone?
Bane â âDonât Wait Upâ
[May 09]
Confirmed as their final album, âDonât Wait Upâ is looking to be a sombre swansong by the Massachusetts hardcore punks. Itâs been a long time in the making, and the band have put more of themselves into the record than ever before. Seven years since their last album and 15 years since their debut, this is both a welcome return and a sad goodbye.
Mad Caddies â âDirty Riceâ
[May 12]
âDirty Riceâ is set to be the bandâs first album in seven years. âBrand New Scarâ, the first track to appear from the record, shows that the band have been working on pulling their sound together once again. Mixing ska, punk and cabaret style atmosphere, âDirty Riceâ is shaping up to be a well-considered party soundtrack. See you in the sunshine!
Listen to ‘Brand New Scar’ via Alternative Press
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes â âAre We Not Men? We Are Diva!â
[May 12]
An album of covers of songs made famous by a range of high-profile divas? If anyone was going to deliver this potential treat, it would be covers aficionados Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. With songs originally by the likes of Gloria Gaynor, Celine Dion and Lady Gaga on the table, this is bound to be a lot of fun.
Listen to ‘Straight Up’ via Esquire
Goodtime Boys â âRainâ
[May 19]
Both Goodtime Boysâ two EPs have delivered heavy atmospheric hardcore with visceral screams and drawn out soundscapes. Their forthcoming debut is looking to build on the Welsh five-pieceâs sound, as lead track âMoral Decayâ slides from screams to a beautifully resigned climax.
Listen to ‘Moral Decay’ via This Is Fake DIY
Masked Intruder – ‘M.I.’
[May 27]
Masked Intruder’s debut, self titled, full length and shtick instantly made them one of the most entertaining punk bands out there, and this Fat Wreck follow up, ‘M.I’ will hopefully have just as many fantastic melodies and Weezer-meets-Beach-Boys-meets-2003-pop-punk esque moments. With a European tour on the cards for later in the year and with only six weeks to wait from announcement until we hear it, colour us stoked.
Pre-order: Coming soon
Lonely The Brave â âThe Dayâs War
[June 02]
The debut Lonely The Brave record has been a long time coming. Enjoying praise from all sides, their distinctive massive hooks, haunting vocals and crashing guitars have seen them support the likes of Deftones and Taking Back Sunday, and a genre-crossing set at last yearâs Warped Tour UK. Last yearâs album preview show was immense, and we canât wait to hear it on record.
Tigers Jaw â âCharmerâ
[June 02]
Having reduced down to a two piece this time last year, Tigers Jaw are preparing to unleash their new album in June. The line-up change doesnât appear to have a dramatic effect on their sound, and the slightly off-kilter vocals and grunge inspired guitars are likely to remain in all their glory.
Pre-order: Coming Soon
Say Anything â âHebrewsâ
[June 04]
Only recently announced, thereâs little indication of the direction âHebrewsâ will take Say Anything in. With their most recent release, âAnarchy, My Dearâ, retaining serious pop sensibilities, âHebrewsâ has the opportunity to carry on down this line or inject some rawness into their sound. Either way, any news from the Say Anything camp is exciting in our book.
Pre-order: Coming Soon
Brontide â âArteryâ
[June 30]
Epic and beautiful soundscapes are the name of the game for the Holy Roar signed instrumentalist Brontide. Following up 2011âs âSans Souciâ, their newest effort is looking to keep the sprawling compositions infected by the unexpected. So far, all we have is an album trailer to go on, mind.
Pre-order: Coming Soon
2014 Q2 RELEASE LIST
Weâve also included a longer list of albums to look out for over the next three months. There are bound to be some records we havenât listed, especially those that get announced as the second quarter goes on, but you might want to get your ears around some of these too.
APRIL
07 OFF! â âWasted Yearsâ
07 Pup – ‘Pup’
14 Banner Pilot â âSouvenirâ
14 More Than Life â âWhatâs Left Of Meâ
14 playlounge – ‘pilot’
14 Emmure – ‘Eternal Enemies’
14 Saves The Day – ‘Saves The Day’
21 The Menzingers â âRented Worldâ
21 Neon Trees â âPop Psychologyâ
21 Strung Out – ‘Volume One’
28 Brody Dalle â âDiploid Loveâ
28 Frameworks – ‘Loom’
28 Leagues Apart – ‘Brief Interviews with Hideous Men’
28 Pixies â âIndy Cindyâ
28 Up River â âUndertowâ
28 Miss May I â âRise of the Lionâ
TBA Body Hound â âRhombus Nowâ
MAY
05 DZ Deathrays â âBlack Ratâ
05 The Generators â ââLife Gives-Life Takes’
06 Andrew Jackson Jihad – ‘Christmas Island’
09 Bane â âDonât Wait Upâ
12 Mad Caddies â âDirty Riceâ
12 Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – ‘Are We Not Men? We Are Diva!’
12 Cheap Girls – ‘Famous Graves’
12 Weatherbox – ‘Flies In All Directions’
12 Koo Koo Kanga Roo â âWhoopty Whoopâ
19 Brandan Kelly & Sam Russo â âSplit The Tipâ
19 Goodtime Boys â âRainâ
24 Spraynard â âThe Mark, Tom and Patrick Showâ
26 Bury Tomorrow â âRunesâ
26 Verses â âFeel It Fasterâ
26 Roll The Tanks â âGoodnight Jimmy Leeâ
26 Suburban Legends â âDreams Arenât Real But These Songs Areâ
27 Masked Intruder – ‘M.I.’
JUNE
02 Fucked Up â âGlass Boysâ
02 Lonely The Brave â âThe Dayâs Warâ
02 Tigers Jaw – ‘Charmer’
09 Say Anything – ‘Hebrews’
14 Hard Girls â âA Thousand Surfacesâ
14 Linkin Park â âThe Hunting Partyâ
16 Feed The Rhino – ‘The Sorrow and the Sound’
30 Brontide â âArteryâ
TBA Hard Girls â âA Thousand Surfacesâ
TBA Strung Out – ‘Transmission Alpha Delta’
BEN TIPPLE