The singer/songwriter thing is what a lot of members of punk bands are doing to spiral off and try something different with their work, and we’ve seen it a lot in recent years; Chuck Ragan and Dave Hause are two that spring immediately to mind. Tim Barry is from Richmond, Virginia, and as most folks are very aware by now, is the former singer of punk band Avail. Barry keeps his place as one of the best of this crop of punk-singer-turned-acoustic-master with his new record, ‘Lost & Rootless.’

‘Lost & Rootless’ is the singer/songwriter’s 5th studio album, released Nov 28 on Chunksaah Records, and features songs about home, love and life on the road, themes that run through his previous releases as well. His strong songwriting makes it easy for the listener to feel what Barry was living when he penned these tunes.

The first song, ‘No News From North,’ sets the tone for this record. It’s soft and simple, a sad tale of a lonely soul just waiting for someone, “I can’t breathe without you…” It fades out with a wish, “I’d cover the cost of a flight for you to stay one night.” For anyone who is pining for someone far away, this is intensely relateable – especially to the Fest crowd (definitely part of Barry’s fanbase), many of whom may have a significant other they wish were closer.

The whole record is very simple; most songs just his voice, his guitar and a violin provides a haunting backdrop in many. Even though this record is quiet, Barry is able to convey a good deal through just his voice and guitar. Other songs like ‘Older and Poorer’ will have the crowd joining in with clapping hands and ‘Breathe Slow, Let ’em Pass’ picks up with a little more speed as well.

Title track, ‘Lost & Rootless,’ is one of the most powerful. The imagery conjured up by “I’m kinda at the point where I can tell you what time it is by the way the sun comes up through the shades above your bed,” is vivid enough that you can see the dust dancing in the sunbeams coming through the window.

Barry is going on tour with English singer/songwriter Sam Russo this April in the American Southeast, so catch one of their gigs if you can!

SARAH SCANLON

The name of this band might make you cringe, but Chicago’s Meat Wave plays a kind of music that’s gross in a different way. It’s rough lo-fi punk, almost edging into that raw garage territory, that’s frantic and fun and a sound perfect for Chicago. Though Meat Wave’s new EP, ‘Brother’ is only seven songs long, it jams some wild sounds into its 17 minutes.

‘Brother’ may be over before you know it, but each track flows so smoothly into the next that you could listen to it a few times in a row just to make sure you’re catching all the intricacies. It’s lo-fi, but reminds the listener of the post-punk sound of bands like Hot Snakes and Marked Men, with a little of that garage heat so necessary in a cold Chicago winter.

The album opener and title track, ‘Brother,’ is under two minutes long, an old song from their self-titled record released in 2012, but it’s the perfect banger to kick off the record. One other track, ‘It’s Not Alright,’ will sound familiar to listeners who’ve checked out Meat Wave’s earlier work. The EP also includes four new tracks and a cover of Wipers’ ‘Mystery.’

Third track ‘Sunlight’ is a good example of why Meat Wave are so well received. When the vocals kick in over the slightly abrasive guitar, they are both perfectly snarly and bratty in the right places over a thumping drumbeat, and it’s a good combination. Fans of lo-fi bands like Bad Sports as well as punk fans looking for an introduction to a rawer sound would do well to check out ‘Brother.’ Though they’re streaming one track from the EP for free (‘Sham King’) on their bandcamp now (http://meatwavechicago.bandcamp.com/album/brother), the EP is slated for a physical release on vinyl by Brace Yourself Records on January 19, and the band is set to play Ian’s Party in Chicago on New Year’s.

SARAH SCANLON

Many styles of music today can definitely make you feel nostalgic for a different time—maybe when you were back in high school and going to shows in church basements, or listening to a new CD in a friend’s car on a road trip. New Jersey’s Aspiga really bring the listener back to the late 90s/early 00s with their new record, ‘What Happened to You?’ released October 21st on Paper + Plastick Records.

The album opens with ‘Medusa’s Dance’, which sets the tone for the rest of the record. It’s smooth, guitar-driven pop-punk with an alternative rock feel. “I wish I knew your secrets to happiness, I’d write ‘em down… Memorize the details, practice them almost every day”, sings vocalist Kevin Day. His lyrics are relatable, and his not-quite whiny, gritty voice is somewhat similar to Rivers Cuomo—the connection to Weezer here with the vocals really push that 90s-alternative tone through.

One of the standout tracks is the first single released from the record, ‘Wide Eyes.’ Though Aspiga is a three-piece, their songs never lack tone; each track is still layered with tight musicianship.

The entire record sounds like a mixtape you’d listen to in high school, its sound throwing back to The Get Up Kids, Hot Rod Circuit and others. Aspiga would fit right in there—it’s the vocals especially that really remind me of the late 90s/early 00s emo era. As they say on their bandcamp page, “we intend to make you feel” and fans of this particular sound will find ‘What Happened to You?’ very appealing.

SARAH SCANLON

The title track and record opener is full of fanfare, the bassline and horns perhaps misleading some into thinking they’re going to be listening to a ska record. But this introduction is more like the announcement of an incoming parade, the band swaggering in with gusto: “We’re here, you’re listening to us, and you’re going to like it!” Kay’s basslines are also fairly noticeable in each song; thankfully, the rest of the band matches this — the album is incredibly easy to listen to.

The main reason ‘A League of Extraordinary Octopuses’ is so much fun, though, is this “you’re going to like this” attitude, as well as the lyrics — they’re delivered in a way that they get into your brain and stay there, but they also display some fun tongue-in-cheek humour. They’re not downright in-your-face funny, but most of them are pretty silly, and you’d be hard-pressed not to crack a grin when you listen to some of the tunes. Folks who picked up the 7” single released back in February of 2013 will already be familiar with ‘Goddamn, I’m a Handsome Man!’, but its inclusion on the band’s debut record was a good idea as well — it’s a great tune. While the chorus is the catchy part (who wouldn’t want to sing along with “Goddamn, goddamn, goddamn I’m a handsome man!”?), lines like the opening ones are more memorable just because of how silly they are. “Please accept my apology for barfing in your car, I probably didn’t need those last shots. Did I really grab your brother’s ass and kick your fuzzy cat? I was out of line – even if he’s hot.”

Tracks like ‘Tiny Fists’ (from another previously released single) and newer songs like ‘Red/Blue’ and ‘What the Fuck Do I Do Now?’ are just as fun, but it’s ‘I Read Tons of Ayn Rand, Dude’ near the end of the record that’s been stuck in my head since last week. This blend of pop punk and power pop comes to a head here; the entire record is catchy, but this is one of the fastest and most entertaining songs on the record. Unfortunately, it’s also just over a minute long, which they actually cover in the lyrics (“Just keep it short and to the point, don’t tell me what to do!”) but that means you can repeat it a bunch of times while listening to the record.

SARAH SCANLON

Dead Bars, from Seattle, are one of these bands. Just formed in 2013 by former members of Seattle rock and roll band Big Eyes, they released an EP on No Idea back in late May. This four-song EP is short, but packed full of just the kind of light, catchy punk that you’d expect from a band playing Fest.

The inspiration for the band’s name hints at what we can expect out of these tunes. On their Facebook page, the band talks about what it’s like to drink in a dead bar as opposed to a crowded nightclub. In a dead bar, “Time moves slow as you drink and think about the good and bad times, and everything you could have done better.”

The first song on the EP, ‘Funhouse Monday’, starts things off on a good note– no surprises here. It’s pop-punk with a lot of “la-la-la”s to sing along with. ‘Party At My House’, the next track, doesn’t offer much in terms of lyrics, but it’s fun all the time. Dead Bars keep it simple with this one: “Had a party at my house, I told you about it… hey baby, why’d you have to go?” One of the catchier songs on the record, probably because of the lack of lyrics- this one will be super easy for a large group of drunk (and sober) punk kids to sing along to.

The longest song on the record slows things down a little, but it unfortunately isn’t as memorable as the other songs. ‘Love Sick’ exemplifies the feeling of drinking in a dead bar, depressed and alone, but the tune isn’t one to keep going back to.

Thankfully, Dead Bars pick it up again on the final track. Their strengths lie in the more upbeat tunes; though the lyrics might not be super uplifting, the faster songs suit them much better, and it’ll be interesting to see how these translate live. See you in Gainesville!

SARAH SCANLON

The Andrew Cream/Don Blake split is a short 5-track EP featuring two songs from acoustic folk punk solo artist Andrew Cream and three selections from pop-punk band Don Blake, out of Bolton. The songs from Cream (backed by a full band on the EP) and Don Blake mesh quite well on the EP, with Cream’s blend of folk and punk in the first two tracks flowing easily into Don Blake’s portion.

‘Another Replay’, Cream’s second song, is a favourite of his two on the EP. The violin acts as a very uplifting and unique aspect over a simple chord progression, pulling the track together nicely. Both of Cream’s tracks have a light, summertime feel. They’re the sort of tunes that make me want to kick back on my patio with a beer, listening to records through my open screen door.

Though Cream’s tracks are probably my favourites on the split, Don Blake don’t make a shabby showing at all. They play catchy pop-punk for fans of bands like The Copyrights and Screeching Weasel, their three tracks over with before you know it. They have the final three tracks on the split, but these three songs clock in at just under three minutes total (their first song is only 30 seconds long!). ‘Legacies’ is their strongest here — the chorus is great for a pop punk singalong: “keep moving forward, our legacies will write themselves.” They end the split on a good note with ‘Where Else Would I Want to Be?’ – under a minute, but still fun.

SARAH SCANLON

It’s not quite a political record, but Whipped explain on their BandCamp page that they created ‘Future No Brainers’ as a “loose concept album centered around issues that will gather significant importance over the next half-century.” Songs about artificial intelligence, patent trolling, and the place of punk rock in today’s world are squeezed into just under 20 minutes on the six-song EP. Shouted vocals over the driving melodies bring the point home on each track. The band also supplies the lyrics to each song on their BandCamp, along with a short description of the ideas behind them; the style of music is easily recognisable, but it’s refreshing to see bands that put so much thought behind their lyrics and want their listeners to see it, too.

EP opener ‘The Singularity’ is a signifier of what’s to come; short and sweet, with gang vocals and whoa-ohs to sing along with, and a pounding beat to dance to. Third track ‘These Robots Are Kids’ stands out as one of the best on ‘Future No Brainers’, a song about what happens when artificial intelligence develops like-human intelligence — these robots are growing up along with us, so let them learn, because they’ll need “a little sympathy.”

The final track, ‘2050 Common Sense’, is the longest song on the EP, four and half minutes of advice for listeners over a steady drumbeat. “Check your facts when you go to speak, the devil’s in the details omitted from a hyperlink. Devour information so you can judge less, forget privacy.” Whipped bust out the horn section halfway through, and the ending fades out with a chorus of “whoa-ohs.”

Whipped self-released the EP in early May, but announced on May 20 that the EP would be available for free download on Death to False Hope Records, a North Carolina-based website run by Scotty Sandwich that offers free downloads from a host of great bands. The DTFH page for the record recommends it for fans of bands like Planes Mistaken for Stars and Small Brown Bike; and the influence is definitely there.

The first time I listened to this record I accidentally listened to it three times. In this case, that’s good– it wasn’t that I couldn’t tell it was done, I just wanted to keep listening to it. Off the bat, with the first song “You’re Boring,” the only thing I can think is WHOA. This sure isn’t. Pears come out swinging at lightning speed.

Go to Prison is the first release from this relatively new band from New Orleans. It’s a hardcore punk record that’s everything you’d expect: loud, fast, and brash. Go to Prison, at ten songs long, clocks in at only 21 minutes, but Pears deliver. This record is catchy as hell.

You definitely hear influences from older hardcore bands like Black Flag (and moreso Keith Morris’ current band, OFF!) and Minor Threat; Descendents for sure; and the snottiness and speed of a lot of the tunes bring Zeke to mind. Pears even throw in a cover of the Ramones’ “Judy Is a Punk” near the end of the record. I’m pretty sure any of the songs from Go to Prison wouldn’t have been out of place on one of the early Punk-o-Rama compilations. Some tunes on the record, especially in the vocal tone, echo bands like Darkbuster, even stretching to older skate-punk like Murphy’s Law.

All of the songs on Go to Prison rocket along at breakneck speed, but not so fast that the band ever loses control– the musicianship is tight, not sloppy, even though it’s fast. The second track, Victim to Be, tricks the listener into thinking it’s going to be a little slower, but of course it isn’t, though the vocals in the chorus slow down enough for everyone to catch their breath for a bit before they slam into the next part. The songs are all sing-along-able, too, despite their speed. Pears keeps things controlled enough for listeners to follow along and still being able to understand the lyrics, something that isn’t always the case in this particular genre.

“Sycophant” is probably my favorite track on Go to Prison, maybe because it reminds me a lot of the punk I listened to growing up and going to shows in my hometown. You definitely get the Zeke vibe here; it’s under two minutes long and is over with before you know it, but there’s a ton of energy crammed into this brief rager. Ending track “Grimespree” is memorable in a different way, finishing the record out with a sound closer to crust (and maybe the song title gives that away!)

Go To Prison was released June 24th, and while they don’t have vinyl yet, you can purchase a physical copy on CD at pearstheband.storenvy.com, and preview the record on their bandcamp page (https://pearstheband.bandcamp.com/album/go-to-prison) or on Spotify. According to their Facebook page, they’re heading out from NOLA later this summer to tour parts of the South, heading as far west as Colorado to play at Denver’s Summergrind fest. I’m hoping they’ll add a Midwest date or two!

‘Brief Interviews…’ is full of songs about drinking, regret, drinking, touring, and heartbreak — in other words, what you’d expect from a punk rock record with this kind of sound. This a band that will fit right in with the Fest crowd (and, of course, they will be playing Fest in October), so naturally ‘Kat Dennings, You Are My Everest,’ the album opener, starts with “So lately I’ve been thinking that maybe I’ve been drinking too much… and that’s okay.” This is delivered with rough enough vocals that thinking about it hurts my throat a little bit. Once the guitars and drums kick in, it’s clear where this record is going.

Leagues Apart list on their Facebook page some of their influences as “Cheap Beer, Cheaper Whiskey… Coffee… Insomnia… Cigarettes”; those influences are quite prevalent in the lyrics of ‘Brief Interviews…’. The record will definitely appeal to fans of bands like Hot Water Music, Dillinger Four, and Off With Their Heads – the raspy vocals, driving guitars, and fist-pumping beat bring to mind a crowd covered in beer, friends with arms around each others’ shoulders, reaching out to grab the mic and sing along.

The rest of the tracks on ‘Brief Interviews…’ follow in a similar vein, with a few standouts like the aforementioned ‘Rampant Horse Is Rampant’, ‘Winston Kingdom’ (the vocals here really bringing Red City Radio to mind), and ‘Penelope Booze Cruise’. The second song on ‘Brief Interviews…’, ‘In Spite of It All’, highlights what Leagues Apart do really well on this record: catchy punk with great singalong choruses. “I drink away all my regrets, blacken my lungs with cigarettes, I’ll pool all my collective ills and slowly choke to death” might not be the most positive lyrics, but they’re definitely relatable. The last track, ‘To Know the Night Is to Live in It Forever’ closes out the record quite well, the words at this point sounding like they’re being punched through raw vocal chords — and it’s fitting.

Leagues Apart are nearly done with their brief European tour now, but you can catch them in October at Fest in Gainesville — it’s not just the US side of the pond that does beard punk well. They’ll be playing alongside countrymen Great Cynics and Apologies I Have None, among others, as well as the scores of other bands that celebrate the beer-soaked sounds exemplified on ‘Brief Interviews With Hideous Men’.

SARAH SCANLON

Though the release of Ex-Friends’ debut LP, Rules for Making Up Words, may not seem like too long ago, it’s always a pleasure for fans to get more music as soon as possible. Just months after the fall 2013 release of Rules, listeners are treated to the four-piece’s most recent endeavor, the 7” EP Animal Needs.

Bassist Audrey Crash’s vocals on the first song, “Don’t Do it Like That (Do it Like This)”, are a nice change from the typical male vocals you’d expect, but fit well with the style of the song. Former Plow United frontman Joel Tannenbaum takes over for the rest of the record, but there are some nice surprises in the next songs, too- a violin in second track “Real Life” and saxophone in the closer “Fadeage (City Inspector),” which gives the tune a bit of a ska-punk sound. A lot of parts in the EP are almost reminiscent of Common Rider, especially the quick rhythm of Tannenbaum’s vocals. The catchiest tune, though, is the silly “Word Police,” which also happens to be the most straightforward punk song on the record.

You can hear a lot of influence from Leatherface here, and fans of Plow United wouldn’t be disappointed either. It may not be a career-defining release, but Animal Needs is a lot of fun. This short four-song EP was released May 13 on Coolidge Records, and the band are nearing the end of a brief tour, with upcoming shows on the East Coast and the Midwest, ending with a show in Pittsburgh in their home state of Pennsylvania.