I Breathe the Underground

Supergroup Causes First Degree Burns

A punk rock supergroup comprised of ex-Rise Against, Ignite and Death by Stereo members is blazing a new trail for the genre. Hot on the heels of RA's recent success, ex-guitarist Chris Chasse has teamed up with some second-gen punk rock veterans to create Nations Afire, a melodic, radio-friendly collaboration that's sure to have true punkers scoffing and those in the punkosphere who've embraced the new face of punk rock cheering wildly.

Nations Afire borrow heavily from their former bands (Death by Stereo = questionable) to create an amalgam of poppy, melodic anthems fueled by the sort of punk rock intensity defined by bands like Ignite. Flawless, clear vocal harmonies are layered on top of heavy punk rock riffs and well-produced, thick drums. There is no want of hooks here; these guys will get radio play if that's the road they decide to take.

Not sure why, but I've been finding a lot of bands lately that I disagree with in principal but fully support in other, more aural ways. These guys are sort of McDonald's delicious; you've got a buzz while you ingest them, but afterwards you feel pretty full and throw up in your mouth a little.

Oh yeah, as far as I know these guys are unsigned. Let the label frenzy begin!

I don't have any MP3s readily available for download as these guys are brand new, so I've left you with a little Ignite to tickle your music bone.

Download 02 bleeding

"Oops?"
- Patrick Chewing

A Hardcore Band to Remember, Bra

Whoever thought of mating anger with happiness blew my f@#%ing mind. I'm of course talking about the affectionately-labeled "happy hardcore" (or "melodic hardcore" to those keeping official track), a trend that is catching on in a big way. You've probably already noticed this burgeoning movement erupting through bands like Set Your Goals, Daggermouth, Four Year Strong -- and of course the band that began the movement in the first place, Fall Out Boy. Don't act so offended, hardcore kids.

Expect to hear a lot about the next up-and-coming act in metalcore, a five piece from Florida called A Day to Remember. These kids can rock, and they've got the melodic hardcore world by its tail with their new release, Homesick.

Yep, here comes another bastard-child analogy to try to put the band's sound on the level. Think Bullet for My Valentine (fresh off a recent fling with My Chemical Romance) meets Fall Out Boy, falls in puppy love, elopes to Vegas and is wed by Set Your Goals, who have the authority to marry following a mix-up at the state department. The resulting offspring would sound a lot like ADTR.

Homesick makes me feel simultaneously comfortable and violently ill. ADTR masters the art of hardcore with an ecstatic flair, utilizing some of the most radio friendly riffs I've heard from a hardcore act. The screaming borders on death metal; the drums are oddly dumbed down. But the edge is there in a big way...and so are the hooks. They could have called this album The Next Big Thing in Underground Music and it would have turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Final summation? A Day to Remember will top my chart as the next music act that I love to hate, drawing in an audience most hardcore bands won't be able to relate to but keeping me interested with their catchy, edgy tracks. They stand as a reminder that even hardcore can be relatable to a wider audience while solidifying the death of gang vocals. RIP.

Here's a track from the new album, Homesick, for your listening pleasure.

Download 01 The Downfall Of Us All 1

"You know I've got you, / like a puppet in the palm of my hand, / don't you let me down."
- A Day to Remember, "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?"

Most Annoying Punk Band Ever to Release New Album

NoFx is gearing up to release Coaster on April 28, prompting cries of "Break up, already" from...well...me.

Let's take a closer look at the track list, and I'll predict what each song is about. *These are simply predictions -- I have no prior knowledge of what will be on this record. The names of the songs, however, are legit.*

1. We Called It America - A 3 minute long rant against conservative America with Fat Mike name-dropping the founding fathers.

2. The Quitter - Apathetic guy drinks, smokes, and listens to too much punk rock.

3. First Call - Half-time four-chord love song about the time Fat Mike met his wife.

4. My Orphan Year - A fictional character named Eddy is turned to the street after his parents die in a car accident.

5. Blasphemy (The Victimless Crime) - Tirade against Christianity with at least one use of every anti-Christian cliche NoFx could find on the internet.

6. Creeping Out Sara - A story of inappropriate and disgusting actions taken in the face of a stalwart Sara.

7. Eddie, Bruce and Paul - In the tradition of Liza and Louise...

8. Best God in Show - Another Fat Mike diatribe against organized religion...pointing out the aural and philosophical similarities between "dog" and "god" on multiple occasions.

9. Suits and Ladders - Fat Mike goes on yet another tirade...this time against corporate America and greed.

10. The Agony of Victory - NoFx examines the war in Iraq, talks shit about George Bush and the rest of his administration, uses impressive Iraqi jargon.

11. I Am an Alcoholic - Fat Mike denounces the evils of alcohol...just kidding. Fat Mike gets drunk and throws up on a small child.

12. One Million Coasters - Dedicated to the one million people who still believe George Bush was a good president.

The music should be equally as predictable. There, I just saved you the time and money you would have spent buying the album. Let's send a message to NoFx this time around and boycott the Gospel according to Fat Mike, please. Thx.

Download 03 - NOFX - Murder The Government

"Murder the government and then...do it again, yeah!"
- NoFx, "Murder the Government"

Thanking the Academy the Punk Rock Way

If I had any actual clout in the music industry, I would give Propagandhi the award for Best Supporting Caste.

Okay, no need to be tongue and cheeky when the punk rock/experimental thrash vets have already done so for me. But for the love of all that is unholy, I can't understand how Propagandhi keeps doing it. For their fifth full-length studio release, Propagandhi has opened up the flood gates of socio-political lyricism and musical complexity that rivals even Strung Out's more recent work.

This is not punk rock anymore, my friends. Propagandhi has introduced us to something seriously profound...elevated...something that transcends the breadth of former label Fat Wreck Chords' entire collection. Therefore, I'm happy to announce that this release is backed by Canadian label Smallman Records, a much more consistent and forward-thinking home for the evolutionary punkers.

To be frank, Supporting Caste doesn't really do anything that much more spectacular than Potemkin City Limits (2005) or even Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes (2001). Nothing beyond solidifying Propagandhi's stranglehold on the punk rock industry, that is. But Supporting Caste does stand out in and of itself, offering original, poetic, and unique punk rock fury supported by metalesque complexity that can't quite be defined as metal, either. Is Propagandhi the musical equivalent of social progression? Depends on how bleeding heart liberal you are. From a purely technical standpoint, Propagandhi represents a musical future that doesn't exist, a future that has yet proven ungraspable by the rock and roll landscape of today's standards.

Supporting Caste is beautiful, with more reliance on catchy intricacy than gushing, blazing hardcore compared to the band's past albums. Tracks like "Supporting Caste," "Tertium Non Datur," and "Dear Coach's Corner" stand out, even though they spin back to back to back.

The album borders on pretentious; then again, hasn't that always been Propagandhi's calling card? I mean, I have to admit...they know far more about social doctrine and humanist philosophy than I might ever hope to learn. Pretentious or not, I really could care less. Supporting Caste will be spinning on my playlist for awhile.

Supporting Caste drops on March 10. Check out a couple of older Propagandhi tunes below.

Download 14-Propagandhi-Purina_Hall_Of_Fame

Download 12 Iteration

"I guess it comes down to what kind of world you want to live in / and if diversity is disagreement, disagreement is treason."
- Propagandhi, "Dear Coach's Corner"