July saw festival season get into full swing. We were at great events on both side of the Atlantic from 2000 Trees to Warped Tour. Here are some great music picks from our staff for the month of July. As ever, remember to regularly check out POV too for a curated insight into the best music from emerging artists.
Bouncing Souls – ‘Rebel Song’
Simplicity, the Bouncing Souls’ tenth album, shows that they still got it. The addition of George Rebelo on drums seems to have helped reinvigorate the band as well. “Rebel Song” is one of the faster tracks on the record and is a total gem, especially the bass line in the intro and the instrumentals at the chorus. The song speaks of anxiety in the world today and how “the world is ours and it’s been taken” and how “we’ve been trapped.” Yet in true Souls fashion, they won’t just take this, they’re gonna fight. The song ends with them telling listeners to “take it back.” This may just be the new punk anthem for the people fed up with today’s society, it’s just that simple. (sorry, not sorry). [Daniella Heminghaus]
Deny The Cross – ‘Heart Like Siberia’
The opening track from Deny The Cross’s debut album, ‘Alpha Ghoul’. Hands down my favourite hardcore album of the year – but then I knew it would be there or thereabouts the moment I heard that members of Spazz and Municipal Waste had formed a new band. ‘Heart Like Siberia’ is dark, brooding, intense and just about the finest way to spend a minute of your life you’ll come across.[Mike Scott]
Touché Amoré – ‘Palm Dreams’
Touché Amoré have, quite rightly, established themselves as genuine innovators of the hardcore scene as they continue to carve out their own unique path. The eagerly awaited album ‘Stage Four’ may not be due out until September, but ‘Palm Dreams’ will make the wait that little bit more bearable. The lyrics are almost uncomfortably relatable but this only makes the song an even more cathartic listen. Couple that free-flowing emotion with the trademark raw guitars and unpolished melodic hooks and you have a song that will slot right in alongside some of their best.[Chris Hilson]
Casey – ‘Ceremony’
They’ve only gone and done it again. Welsh quintet Casey’s latest track ‘Ceremony’ has been taken from their upcoming album ‘Love Is Not Enough’. Gritty, raw, and powerful, it crushes an emotional atmosphere with fast riffs and, combined with vocals from Being As An Ocean’s Michael McGough, it shows an exciting look into what their debut will offer.[Jess Tagliani]
Slow Motion – ‘Hersound’
Made up of the remnants of pop-punk outfit Love, Robot, the newest project from Alexa San Roman and Dane Petersen brings a fresh flavour into the alt-rock scene. Poppy hooks and huge, melodic vocals come together in ‘Slow Motion’ and it’s incredibly beautiful; the vocal interplay works really, really well and both of them showcase just how brilliant they are as guitarists. [Jess Tagliani]
Yeesh – ‘Limbo District’
Hailing from Chicago, Yeesh play an angular, math-like post punk music that’s some of the strongest produced in the genre in long while. Their sophomore full-length LP, ‘Confirmation Bias,’ surpasses their debut, and perhaps the best song from this strong album is ‘Limbo District.’ It’s a track full of contradictions, with sections that are airy and breezy, and sections that are tough and angry. The vocals seem to blend characteristics of Drive Like Jehu’s Rick Froberg with Shellac’s Steve Albini, while the music has some similarities in places to Froberg’s earlier band, Pitchfork. The lyrics seem to be about being caught up in the rut of the rat race: ‘How many times do you say in a day / The life that you want is the life that you lead? / How many tries does it take to convince / The face in the mirror that you’re not giving in?’ The intensity of the music matches the sense of frustration in the lyrics, and at points seems on the verge of boiling over, just as the protagonist of the song must feel. [Paul Silver]
Oathbreaker – ‘Needles In Your Skin’
After releasing one of the most acclaimed albums of 2013 with ‘Eros | Anteros’, Belgian metal band Oathbreaker are back with the long awaited follow up, ‘Rheia’. The first track to be unveiled is the absolutely ferocious ‘Needles In Your Skin’, which builds through a slow, haunting introduction, led by a more harmonious vocal from Caro Tanghe. Then out of nowhere, a flurry of blast beats and tremelo-picked riffs find Oathbreaker at their most unforgiving yet. It packs one hell of a punch, dropping in and out of the fury for over seven-minutes, before triumphant guitar lines lead into a hail of searing noise. If ‘Needles In Your Skin’ is anything to go by, then ‘Rheia’ will be one of the most aggressively beautiful albums of the year. [Glen Bushell]
Newmoon – ‘Head Of Stone’
Newmoon have kept us waiting for new music for sometime, but their new single, ‘Head Of Stone’, has been absolutely worth the wait. The Belgian shoegaze band have built on the dreamy haze and lush textures that permeated their debut EP, ‘Invitation To Hold’, allowing their new material to soar to greater heights. The layers of guitars that provide the backbone of ‘Head Of Stone’ give it a warm tone, drenched in reverb, and make it easy to get lost in Newmoon’s glorious and ethereal sound. This is just the first taste of their debut album, ‘Space’, which arrives later this year, and will solidify their place among the best of the current wave of alt-rock/shoegaze revivalists. [Glen Bushell]
My Iron Lung – ‘Damage’
My Iron Lung are currently one of the most under appreciated bands in the scene. Their most recent record ‘Relief’ is a certified banger from start to end, with post hardcore themes, soaring guitars and perfectly emotional vocals. Damage is one of the songs that the band have released in anticipation of their new upcoming record, ‘Learn to Leave’, and has confirmed to me that this is the band to watch over the coming year. The song is punchy, atmospheric, and emotional, the perfect trajectory of growth for this band. [Alex Hall]
Martha – ‘11.45, Legless in Brandon’
The start of my month was kicked off by the glorious poppy tunes of Martha’s new record. The Durham quartet struck gold the second time with latest LP ‘Blisters in the Pit of Heart’. A personal highlight would be ‘11.45, Legless in Brandon’. It perfectly captures everything we love about this band. From it’s sincere honest lyrics to the brisk pop-infused punk spirit, this track is stupidly addictive in the brightest way [Aaron Lohan]
Happy Accidents – ‘Sorry I’m Late’
The closing track to Happy Accidents’ brilliant full-length debut ‘You Might Be Right’, ‘Sorry I’m Late’ perfectly depicts their juxtaposition of sunkissed melodies and darker lyrical themes. A plea for closure, the understated chorus is both instantly memorable and notably relatable. Open, honest and unfiltered, the track steadily builds its layers, led by vocalist Rich Mandell’s distinctive style. [Ben Tipple]
Cassels – ‘Cool Box’
Few tracks boast a lyrical honesty quite as brutally pained as Cassels’ latest, ‘Cool Box’. “The you in this song is a real person,” the spoken-word-esque tones begin, before launching into a visceral tirade against the brothers’ abusive step-dad. The track’s jaunting minimalist constructions only serves to increase its impact, showcasing Cassels’ unique songwriting style and assured lyrical confidence. [Ben Tipple]
Blink 182- ‘Cynical’
The opening track to one of the most anticipated punk albums this year, and arguably, this decade – Cynical kicks off the brand new Blink 182 lineup with a bang. Skiba immediately announces his arrival bellowing out “what’s the point of saying sorry now?” – reminiscent of Good Mourning era Trio, but this sounds bigger and more effective. Hoppus and Barker have certainly brought out the big guns on this record, the addition of Skiba and John Feldmann producing has certainly raised things to the next level, and quite certainly cemented Blink 182’s reputation as one of the greatest of all time. [Mark Gadong]
Safe To Say- ‘From The Top’
Canadians Safe to Say just released their debut full-length, ‘Down In The Dark’ through SideOneDummy. Delivering and developing on the promise shown on their ‘Hiding Games’ EP, the record’s combination of melody and angst is epitomised by ‘From The Top’. Blending Brand New’s grunge-influenced emo with a filthy bass tone, Safe To Say may well be the band to fill the Lacey-shaped hole in our lives. . [Rob Barbour]
In Dynamics- ‘A String of Losses’
After what seemed like an eternal wait, In Dynamics finally unveiled their debut album in July and it certainly lives up to expectations. ‘A String of Losses’ combines everything that made the old material so infectious, with fresh new elements that make their evolved sound so exciting. By flanking huge choruses with cleverly arranged instrumentals, In Dynamics prove that focusing on cleaner, poppier songs doesn’t have to mean compromising on intelligent, interesting songwriting. [Mark Johnson]
JANK – ‘Chunks (Kool Enuf)’
JANK come in strong on their latest record, it soundtracks the summer perfectly. This track starts with the greatest finger clicking you will ever hear and is absolutely chock full of mathy guitar riffs and stonking drum beats that will have you dancing along in no time. Let’s face it we’ve all wanted to scream “I’m not cool enough for you” at the top of our lungs at some point. [Maryam Hassan]
Violent Soho – ‘Blanket’
Australia’s Violent Soho released ‘Blanket’ in July and it’s a blistering, punky, grungey offering with vocals and ambience not too dissimilar to our very own Milk Teeth but through a Silverchair-like alt rock lens. It is punchingly rocky and Boerdam’s gravelly moan gives the song the desired level of spiralling energy that is evident both in this single, but also throughout their new album ‘WACO’. [Dave Bull]
Restorations – ‘See’
Restorations dropped a new EP out of the blue and it’s enough to break your heart. ‘See’ starts off with some amazing, emotional, powerful vocals and builds into this epic 5 minute masterpiece. Restorations never fail to pack any song they write full of honesty and passion and this is no exception. Quality two track EP, you can’t go wrong. [Maryam Hassan]