Hello, We Are The Militia Group, Various Artists
Sampler CDs can be fucking ace and the latest Militia Group sampler is no exception to the rule. At less than $5 (£3) for 16 songs (17 including the hidden bonus), this gains full marks in the value for money stakes. Consider the likes of the fantastic Copeland, awesome Noise Ratchet and acoustic Rufio and there's really something for everyone. Infact this release really showcases just how strong the label is - I don't think there's a single bad track on offer.
Whether it's pop-punk, emo or post-hardcore, there's something for everyone. Well, there's no ska, but you can't always please everyone! With a third of the songs either unreleased or rare, it's even better value for money. I won't go through each track at length, suffice to say each warrants a listen, but for me there are several standouts. Big Collapse make waves with the cool 'Pull Out The Guts', while Copeland are fantastic and 'Walking Downtown' showcases their ability. The Rocket Summer are as cute as hell and 'What We Hate We Make' is a summer feelgood hit. Anadivine and The Lyndsay Diaries are two very different bands but both have inspired me to check them out futher - the former even feature Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez. Acceptance are highly impressive too and their new record could easily set them out to be far bigger than they are currently.
The only downside for me is the poor Brandtson song, bearing ion mind just how good their older material is. Let's hope it's merely a blip and the rest of their forthcoming album is as impressive as their back catalogue. Throw in a fantastic cover of the Foo Fighters track 'My Hero' and you have a compilation which is arguably the best of the year. If you're after a few new bands, you quite simply have to buy this record - simple as that.
www.themilitiagroup.com
Paul
