"I'm So Good at Hurting Myself" - A Look at Julien Baker

There are very few artists who are able to draw the deep, unfathomable (at times) emotions meandering within the depths of my convoluted soul. But every now and then an artist will come by with the ability to do just that. Bringing me to tears with her genuine lyricism and beautiful instrumentals, I'm privileged to write about and share with you all the young and fantastic Julien Baker.

I find it interesting that Baker currently resides under 6131 records, a label that has traditionally been defined by its harboring of artists in the genres of hardcore (and other heavier sub-genres).

Hell, she's even opened up for bands such as Touche Amore! How rad is that? Anyways...to this effect, Baker serves as an interesting and solitary backdrop for the label to offer something both unique and lighter to the table. Baker's personable approach to music is beyond stellar. Listening through her LP Sprained Ankle a 4th time honestly began to feel like a violation of privacy...

This voyeuristic appeal plays a minor role in distinguishing Sprained Ankle, though. More important is how Baker operates in existential ultimatums-life or death, hope or despair, oblivion or epiphany. It cuts through the bullshit rather than piling onto it, and its clarity and honesty has instantly helped Baker reach across aisles. I truly adore the themes of resilience Baker explores while also touching upon a willingness to wallow in despair.  

Sprained Ankle is a solo-effort at its core but by no means would be considered "folky." Instead, Baker opts for a minimalist approach, encumbered in bassy clusters of melodic thirds, flicking silvery harmonics, and palm-muting chords. But it's this approach that I can honestly appreciate and adore.

Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee I simply wish nothing but the best for Julien Baker's career. I implore everyone reading this to please support her and buy her album. It is a rare gem amongst a multitude of fake and un-passionate LPs. Below I included two tracks for you all to get a feel for her. Thank you so much and have a wonderful day. 

-Nights Off

"I Spend Most Nights Awake" - A Look at Modern Baseball

Pop punk is a genre I don't normally mess with. However, Run For Cover Record's Modern Baseball has made me equal parts reconsider that notion and look fondly upon the future of this branch of music.

Simply put, Modern Baseball is a band that comes across as truly genuine. Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the 4-piece are a group of young and up-and-coming lads whose first LP Sports was recorded while the band was still in college. Although young, the band has proven they are quite capable of composing some fine groove-centric punk whose lyrical content is both likable and relatable. Drum and bass tracking is particularly stellar on their LPs and many songs delve into heartfelt content such as feeling unnoticed amongst peers, or dealing with watching everyone around you aspire to success. Another interesting quality worth pointing out is the band's tendency to diverge from the idea of a dedicated lead singer. In fact, some would say the band really has no dedicated lead singer as each member can be heard singing at some point on their tracks. Each member at some point has even been privileged to sing entire tracks from start to finish. To this effect, Modern Baseball presents an enjoyable and interesting layer of diversity and variation to their albums. You never know who's gonna get the vocal spotlight next on each track! While other bands out there have probably employed this idea, it's something I have personally never encountered. As such, I could whole-heartedly say that this band is fantastic and is creating some of the most truly genuine and heartfelt tracks I've heard recently. Their third LP Holy Ghost is due out May 13th and I couldn't be more stoked after hearing two singles off the album which I'll include below. Give these guys a listen and support them! I promise you they are worth the time. 

From Upcoming 3rd LP:

Get a better feel for the band's sound:

                 


                 


                 

Thanks for reading! - Nights Off

"I Learned There's a Reason that Some Things Go Untaught" - A Look at Self Defense Family

Self Defense Family might appear a little strange to the uninitiated: a post-punk band that's known by ten other names, currently comprised of sixteen members, (at least I'm fairly certain...) and manages to comfortably release new material on a nearly bi-monthly basis. But conventionality hardly seems like a priority for the band. 

The band started as an Albany-based project known as End of a Year, going back to 2004. Since then, they had released 14 EPs, 6 singles, 5 LPs, and even done splits with bands such as Tigers Jaw, Code Orange, Touche Amore, and even Creative Adult. As such, the band's catalog and repertoire is best described as vast, diverse, and full of surprises. And I mean shit, it only makes sense when the band's line-up is constantly expanding and evolving: the people who wrote the song may not be the same people who recorded the song who may not be the same people playing the song live in front of you. It's a rather strange concept that most certainly lends to the most intriguing framework I've encountered in my time engaging this musical scene. 

A few days ago, the band released its newest EP: Superior. The record was promised to be Self Defense Family's darkest material to date and as per usual, they certainly did not disappoint. Superior's dreary four tracks manage to drone without ever being monotonous or dull. Instead, the record dances through an unpleasant blackness that you'll still manage to nod your head to. Frontman (and comic book writer) Patrick Kindlon's cynical prose guides the listener through a brief but begrudging experience that serves as a perfect companion for a frozen night spent on self-reflection. Check out the opening track, "In Those Dark Satanic Mills" below: 

Don't let all the brooding fool or scare you away; this is a good record by a great band whose honesty and energy is seldom found elsewhere. Self Defense Family is a band that you might have to sit with for a moment to soak entirely in but you'll be glad you took the time afterwards. It's a little naive to say that there's "something for everybody" as the band clearly isn't interested in catering to everyone. But Self Defense Family, like life, is full of ups and downs, tempo changes and mood swings, glorious sunrises and miserable nights. It's not for anyone, but for those comfortable enough to pause and momentarily challenge their ears; Self Defense Family will compel you.

You can purchase Superior from Run For Cover here, and ask the band for relationship advice here. Check here to find out if Self Defense Family is coming to a city near you! 

I'll Meet You on the Water There Sometime - A Look at Basement

Hailing from Ipswitch, England Basement is a band that has been bringing some kindhearted and enjoyable takes on the genres of alt. rock, punk, and even emo. While this 5 piece may not be the most ambitious band out there in terms of structure and style, gravitating heavy into the melodic realm with their latest LP release: "Promise Everything," Basement is a strong member of Run for Cover Records in my honest opinion.

While earlier releases' strengths lied in glossy bass tracking, and coursing rhythm-based guitar riffs, baritone vocalist Andrew Fisher is really beginning to come into his own. His vocals are not only enjoyable but strong enough to carry a good majority of the strengths of the band's latest release. However, this isn't to say the band is lacking on the instrumental front by any means, I just really feel that Fisher deserves to be recognized for stepping up. Give this a band listen if you dig alt rock with an emo and punk flair.

Below I've included a link to a few track recommendations:

If you wish to support the band. You can purchase their latest album here. Check out Youtube for a full stream of the album!

Deftones "Prayers/Traignle" - Track Review

Deftones' long awaited 8th LP has been announced for an April 8, 2016 release and has been revealed to be titled "Gore." With all the hype building up, Deftones released the first single from this album today entitled "Prayers/Triangles." Is it an indicator of the brilliance to come, or is the band finally taking a plummet into the realm of the generic and uninteresting? Check out my review of this track!

Deftones is my second favorite band of all time. I grew up with them and have a giant soft spot for them inside my heart. As such, I feel their two release post Chi Cheng's death have been on the weaker side for their branch of music. I honestly could not buy into "Diamon Eyes" and while "Koi no Yokan" was definitely a step in the right direction for the band, I felt that a good 50% of Yokan could've been better. Have I grown jaded with their music? Or perhaps I wish to relive the glory days of "White Pony," "Around the Fur," and even "Saturday Night Wrist?" No, I feel I've just grown to expect a lot from a band I hold to such high regard, no matter how heavily I gravitate towards the realm of being unrealistic. With all that being said, I definitely feel "Prayers/Triangles" is a shining and refreshing track that has gotten me more excited for a Deftones release in quite a long time. 

"It's one of those songs that's very Deftones-esque," said frontman Chino Moreno this morning when this track was revealed on Zane Lowe's "Beats 1" radio show. And I couldn't agree more!

This track displays a healthy dichotomy between elegant and brutal sound with soaring guitars that guides a pseudo psychedelic verse that is equal parts soothing and passionate. Some post-hardcore influenced elements can be heard towards the final bit of the track and it's simply awesome. While I definitely feel this one of the band's more straightforward tracks with a simplistic format, the track is awesome and comes across as very appealing listen. The production is clean and Chino's voice sounds better than ever!

This upcoming album is being described in interviews as being "all over the place" in terms of song structures and sound. As such, a Deftones album with a lot of variation sounds like the most appealing thing I could've hoped for coming from a Deftones LP! I give this track a solid 8/10 and eagerly await to hear more from the prolific California 5-piece. 

-Nights Off

Check out the track for yourself here:

"These Floods of You are Unforgiving" - A Look at Converge

Today  I wanted to get the ball rolling with a new series of posts solely dedicated to putting certain bands and artists I've come to adore over the years in the spotlight. It's within my humblest of hopes that I can bring some attention and light to these musicians, as their work is truly brilliant in their own way. So let's kick off things with a look at a band whose music can only be described as brutal and abrasive. Converge!

This Massachusetts four-piece has its origins rooted in 1990 with front man Jacob Bannon and guitarist Kurt Ballou coming together in the winter to create a bloody fantastic hardcore band. While Converge's music is rooted primarily in the genres of hardcore and hardcore punk, there are occasions in which implementations of metalcore and even mathcore can be heard. With that in mind, Converge may very well be the single most influential hardcore band of modern time. They have performed numerous live acts throughout the world and have had a profound influence on numerous bands. Some would either don their hardcore punk mantle or even become part of Deathwish Inc., a record label (that is within my personal top 5 favorite record labels) that was founded by frontman Bannon himself. 

While their earlier releases had their own strengths, it wasn't until the 2001 release of their legendary 4th LP "Jane Doe," that the band really came into their own as the powerful and influential hardcore act we know today. "Jane Doe" is heralded by numerous critics as a masterpiece of its genre. It's one of the very few albums I've ever listened to that I can truly describe as a unique experience. It's intense, heavy, cacophonous, and insane. Yet, it is bolstered by a lack of rudimentary structures and some of the most impressive and cogent experimentation I've ever heard in hardcore instrumentals. To this day the album holds up as something truly unique. "Jane Doe" is an album that always seems to leave listeners with something different and it's truly interesting to discuss such with fellow hardcore fans with an appreciation for the album. 

Since "Jane Doe," Converge seemed to be simply incapable of releasing any album that was short of masterful and brilliant. Every release post "Jane Doe" brought something new and interesting to the hardcore genre. While later releases saw the rise of more melodic portions including: melodic vocals, strong tonal-based guitar riffs, and even some post-rock influenced tracks or segments of tracks, Converge still remained the masters of their hardcore roots. I highly recommend this band to anyone who appreciates the hardcore genre and is looking for music that is equal parts heavy and smart. Converge is still going strong today and I eagerly await what they intend to release next in coming years. 

Fun Facts:

-Front man Jacob Bannon is not only the founder of Deathwish Inc. but is also a graphic artist. He has done all the album covers of Converge's LP's and has even provided album art for bands such as: As I Lay Dying, Cursed, Bane, Every Time I Die, End of a Year, Fall Out Boy, Norma Jean, Modern Life is War, Poison the Well, and Underoath to name a few. 

-Guitarist Kurt Ballou is a notable and prolific record producer who owns his own studio named Godcity. To date he has produced and assisted the recording of 174 albums. 

Track Recommendations

Thank you and have a wonderful day.

-Nights Off

My Top 10 Personal Favorite Albums of 2015 (feat. some honorable recommendation tracks!)

Hello everyone! My name is Nights Off and I've been a devoted and passionate music fan for 22 years now. It's a big part of my life and not a day goes by that I don't find myself listening to tracks for hours on end. With that being said, I've always wanted to create a blog solely dedicated to discussing and writing about bands, artists, tracks and music I've come to adore over the years. I'd really love to write on a bunch of forgotten and overlooked musicians and bands (particularly from the hardcore and punk scene) that I would love to call attention towards. While my true love lies in rock, it is not to say I do not stray and gravitate towards other genres. But more on this to come in future posts! For now I thought it would be fun to kick off this blog with my top 10 personal favorite albums from the recently departed 2015.
While 2015 wasn't he greatest year for music overall, there were still some fantastic releases that more than deserve your attention. As such, my personal favorites are as follows:

10.) Envy - Atheists' Cornea

Envy (a band I intend to write about in future posts) is my personal favorite band of all time. Hailing from Japan, Sonzai's Record's latest release sees the return of the emotive hardcore rockers after a 5 year break from their last album. However, it is within my honest opinion that Atheist's Cornea is their weakest release to date. It's not to say that I despised the record, I just felt that it was lacking in many ways. Envy is a band that has never traversed into the realm of mainstream popularity. No, instead they've solidified their place in the underground of the post hardcore and post rock scenes as a band that had profound influences on these genres (particularity in America). Yet, while albums such as "All the Footprints You've Left Behind..." bolstered their status into the realm of emotive hardcore, the band seems to be trying to return to their golden days in this release by presenting unimaginative tracks with similar formats to their earliest releases. Tracks feel expedient and tumultuous, hearkening towards an experience that simply does not cater to what Tetsuya Fukagawa and the gang are capable of. However, they are still my favorite band and their are a few tracks on this record that I will remember as a fan. "Ignorant Rain and the End of the World" and "Footsteps in the Distance" stand out as tracks that show off Fukagawa's melodic vocals while presenting energetic hardcore that simply rehashes old compositions and formats. I can go on about how strange the audio mixing is also on this album but I won't. I love Envy dearly, but I hope their next release won't take another 5 years and really proves that the band's creative juices have not completely died.

-You can listen to my favorite track from the album here.

9.) Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon

While admittedly I've only recently become a fan of Lana's, I have fallen deeply in love with her work. Shown to me by my homie Nathalia Montenegro, Lana has become ingrained in my soul as an artist with a beautiful voice and a lot of interesting tracks showcasing stellar production. Her latest album Honeymoon is a dark record encumbered in themes of melancholy and twisted views of romance. Yet this darkness is equal parts soothing and brilliant. While traditionally classified in the genre of pop, Honeymoon truly feels like it is capable of playing a larger role in the realm of Gothic albums. The orchestral arrangements and instrumentation seen on tracks such as "God Knows I Tried" and Art Deco" spout emotive punches whose melodies are not easily forgotten. Del Rey's latest release proves that she is an artist whose able to switch up her style in smart and interesting directions. I praise this album and highly encourage everyone to give it a chance! 

-You can hear my favorite track from the album here.

8.) Alone. - Somewhere in the Sierras

I'm a big fan of the band A Lot Like Birds. So when I heard their guitarist Michael Franzino (who is also the band's main musical composer) was releasing a solo effort under the name: Alone. I was pretty damn stoked. However, I was not prepared for the emotional ride that came with this album. This album is a bloody master piece that will be remembered for years to come. To preface this, it's worth mentioning that this project came from Franzino's decision to isolate himself in a cabin in the middle of somewhere in the Sierra Mountain Range (hence the album title) for TWO MONTHS. During this time he chose to cut himself off from the world with no way of communicating with anyone in order to produce what he felt would be the pinnacle moments of his musical composing career. Having just gone through a rough break up, Franzino decided that now would be the best time to write his magnum opus. And damn did this album come out pretty fantastic! The vehement and frankly depressing nature of this record oozes through each track. It's an album riddled in cacophonous tones and emotive lyrics that play homage to countless musical influences and Franzino's personal experiences in life. With a new A Lot Like Birds record planned for 2016, I truly hope Franzino's creative energies from this record carry over to make it Bird's next greatest hit. Bravo Michael, I love it man! 

-You can listen to my favorite track from the album here.

7.) Chon - Grow

Instrumental rock seemed to function as my core desiderata this year. I had a huge math rock craze, which lead to my discovery of a little band known as Chon. Flummoxed by their talent, Chon puts a soothing spin on the typical format of the math rock genre. Spouting tracks that are fun to listen to and are easy to marvel over in terms of technicality, their latest release Grow proves justice to both these claims. What I mostly appreciate about this album is how clean the audio comes across. It's production feels as if each track is being performed right in front of you. I simply adore these audio details and praise Chon for not defaulting towards electronic mediums that are so commonly defaulted towards during the mixing process. Grow proves that the young band is maturing into their own and I hope I can catch them soon on tour! 

-You can hear my favorite track from the album here.

6.) Town Portal - The Occident 

Every once in a while, you come across an artist who really makes you feel like you've been asleep. What they do is so unique that you get the impression that you have been missing out on something everyone knows about, and you wonder what you were doing the whole time. So went my introduction to Town Portal, an instrumental three-piece from Copenhagen who, at their third full-length, aren't really newcomers. Still, with this album, they've earned a shot at being catapulted into the proverbial spotlight as much as anyone. Town Portal plays a brand of math rock that, while technically proficient, shies away from any kind of showboating. Every now and then a little variation or fill will escape the vise grip of musical discipline and restraint, but it is always in service of moving the song forward. 

I think my favorite aspect of Town Portal's music is simply their ability to play with one's expectations. Just when you think you've begun to understand their format, they change it up track by track to keep you guessing where their music is going next. The Occident is an amazing listen from to start to finish and I highly recommend giving these guys a shot. 

-You can listen to my favorite track from the album here.

5.) Rosetta - Quintessential Ephemera

The great Aaron Turner of the band Isis once said that in order to achieve balance within the self, one must embrace both sides of the coin. By this he meant both our masculine and feminine side. This certainly reveals to be true. That is why post metal is such a brilliant genre of music. It maintains a hard hitting atmosphere while at the same time slowing things down a bit for beauty to run its course. When it comes to Rosetta's 5th outing, they accomplish this goal swimmingly. What's even more exceptional happens to be how both of these elements blend together at the same time more often than not. While the soaring harsh vocals may be the main attraction of some of the songs, downright moving guitar tones are gracefully played in the background with cleans surprisingly being showcased too. It's for these reasons that Quintessential Ephemera proves to be quite the engaging ride. Whether it's the harshness on tracks like "Untitled I" and "Untitled VI" or the melodically evocative demonstrated in tracks like "Untitled II," this record is stellar for fans of the genre. I also thought it was hilarious not giving the tracks proper titles and opting for oddly simplistic and unconventional "untitled" names. Props boys! This is one of your greatest releases yet! (I'm a big Rosetta fanboy). 

-You can hear my favorite track from the album here.

4.) Tilian - Perfect Enemy 

I'm a big fan of a little band known as Dance Gavin Dance... And I'm also a big fan of their current singer Tilian Pearson (ex singer of Tides of Man). So when I heard my baby was releasing a solo album, I was deeply enthralled in getting my hands on this record. And I have to say it did not disappoint. Tilian's record features some of the best written tracks I've heard in quite a while. More than three tracks on this album could honestly become major radio hits if they were somehow able to branch into the mainstream limelight. Anyways, Perfect Enemy like many of the other albums featured on this list is yet another deeply emotional album. Some of the tracks touch upon subjects of missing old loves, fighting depression, and other very relatable topics. The production values on this album are extremely clean and create a fantastic listening experience. Like Lana Del Rey's record, I truly feel this album on this list is one of the most approachable to any kind of music listener. It's a record that will yank at your heart strings and serande you with one of the most beautiful male vocals I've been privileged to hear in modern music. If "Satellite" doesn't get you thinking, I don't know what else will. 

-You can listen to my favorite track on the album here.

3.) Alaska - Shrine 

Of all the records that appear on this list, this might be the worse of them all from an objective point of view. Alaska is a very young band consisting of boys who simply want to be heard and may not be the most technically proficient of instrumentalists nor the greatest of singers (both clean and screams). Yet for some reason, Alaska's music has managed to really touch me and make me really take into consideration different perspectives in how I look at and judge music. It has been my dreams for years to start my own band with friends and go on tours and manage to deliver raw energy to the masses.While ascertaining this outcome for my future is close to impossible, these guys are not only living my dream but doing it well! Alaska's music takes the from of an amalgamation of genres including post hardcore, math rock, and even jazz. Their music is amazing for how young they are and their unorthodox song structures created one of the most unique listening experiences this year for me out of every album I was privileged to hear. Alaska still has plenty of room to grow, and I feel they will only become better and better. Shrine is a truly awesome record from start to finish and presents some fun and new ideas to the table of how these genres can be approached. I truly wish nothing but the best for these guys and hope they receive more praise and recognition. It would truly be a distinct privilege to hear them live!

-You can hear my favorite track from the record here.

2.) Dance Gavin Dance - Instant Gratification 

Dance Gavin Dance is a band I've loved for years now ever since they dropped their first album. Having shuffled through numerous members over the years, it seems the "Acceptance Speech" crew is here to stay and boy is it this album a fantastic followup. Tilian seems to have naturally infused himself into the writing process to the point that his presence in the band feels and sounds completely natural. While wacky and new ideas are presented on this album in the from of tracks such as "Eagles vs Crows," other tracks like "The Cuddler" hearken to the band's punk roots. Chris Crummet's production is once again solid and well received and Jon Mess' new found screaming power if cacophonous and bombastic as ever! While some criticisms towards this album lie in predictability (in terms of track formats) or that the band seems to be catering way too much to newer generation post hardcore fans, I fail to see these notions at work in Instant Gratification. I may be a fanboy whose overdosed a bit on pumpkin pie...but I think the band's current roster and sound is truly at its best. This album is by far the one I've listened to the most this year and I eagerly await what's next in store for these mavens of their genre. I'd postulate some new releases for 2016 but I could be wrong.

-You can hear my favorite track from the album here.

1.) Strawberry Girls - American Graffiti 

Of all the albums on my list, this album is one of the few examples of an album where I simply loved every single track. This three piece from California places a branch of instrumental rock that simply cannot be missed!!! The amount of genius and finesse in their songwriting is truly stunning and even more riveting to listen to. Fronted by ex-guitarist of Dance Gavin Dance, Zachary Garren,, Strawberry Girls is a band that is going to gain some mainstream fame in coming years!

One notable thing about Strawberry Girls, albeit a thing that makes them so great, is that it'd be hard to call any one member of the band a virtuoso of their instrument. Sure, Zach Garren's penchant for creating some downright infectious riffs and licks are on full display in songs like "Spanish Bay" and "Violent Night." Drummer Ben Rosett shows remarkable range from the slower paced "Egypt" to the furious "Antiquation." Hell, bassist Ian Jennings pretty much runs "Egypt," an album highlight, and steals the show with the outro of  "Harby 1975." It is this form of songwriting in which each of them gets to shine that allows for their unique sense of groove to permeate throughout the entirety of American Graffiti. I've had this album on repeat since it's dropped and I don't find myself getting bored any time soon.

The last thing worth mentioning about this masterpiece is its brilliant usage of guest vocalists on a few tracks. "Gospel" featuring the young and talented Joey Lancaster (of Bella Noire) might be my favorite song composed in 2015. The vocalists Girls choose are brilliant and mesh well with their groove-centered rock. I recommend this record to the millionth degree and heavily encourage any fan of rock music to give it a chance. I promise you will not be disappointed.

-You can listen to my favorite track from the album here.

With that I hope you enjoyed this list and I deeply look forward to writing about new aritsts/bands every week from this point out. Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day!

-Nights Off