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

The Top 20 Greatest Underground Debuts Pt. 3

Part 3 of the Top 20 Greatest Underground Debuts. View Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

10. Hey Mercedes - Everynight Fire Works - Chicago indie lost a critical component when Bob Nanna's Braid disbanded. Luckily, it was to be replaced by the non-typical pop-punkishness of Hey Mercedes. While Hey Mercedes is primarily driven by Nanna's unique vocals and poetic lyrics, the music was tight, friendly and catchy. Hey Mercedes would only complete two full-lengths before breaking up, but Everynight Fire Works is, was, and always will be a classic.

Download A-List_Actress

9. Less Than Jake - Pezcore - What can one say about Less Than Jake? The band certainly has staying power, surviving two unsuccessful runs on major labels (the second much more unsuccessful than the first). Even though they continue to put out quality recordings, Less Than Jake had to start somewhere. Pezcore brought an attitude to ska reminiscent of Operation Ivy, but LTJ brought it even faster and with more fun. This is still a stand-out album in my book. Track from Losing Streak.

Download 08 - Less Than Jake - Krazy Glue

8. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay - We all know the stigmas that come from being an NFG fan. I don't care; I'll say it loud and proud right now: I listen to New Found Glory. What's more, I believe Nothing Gold Can Stay is one of the most influential pop-punk albums of all time. The album set the pace for a generation of admittedly questionable pop-punk, but remains quintessential in the face of such criticism. Track from New Found Glory.

Download 09 Black And Blue

7. Rise Against - The Unraveling - By now, everyone knows who Rise Against is. I wouldn't be surprised if a large portion of the band's base hadn't yet delved into the awesomeness of The Unraveling. RA started off on Fat Wreck and completed an album that fit the label purposely, simultaneously making some of the label's more veteran bands sound comedic. Case in point: NoFX, who apparently want people to think they're a joke anyway. Well, at least Fat Mike has an ear for good music, whether he can create it or not.

Download 01. Alive and Well

6. Catch 22 - Keasbey Nights - What can you say about New Jersey's Catch 22 except that the band has seen better days. Before Catch 22's remaining members decided to release a couple of shitty Reel Big Fish rip-off albums, ska visionary Tomas Kalnoky led them to create one of the (arguably) best ska albums of all time. Although Kalnoky's later project, Streetlight Manifesto, went on to re-record the entire album, there's nothing like the first time. Sorry about this one -- I have both albums, but neither are loaded onto my computer. Check out this Streetlight Manifesto track, as its the closest band to Catch 22 I have readily available.

Download 01-streetlight_manifesto-we_will_fall_together

Punk in the City #6: 88 Fingers Louie

Punk in the City is a biweekly feature introducing influential Chicago punk, hardcore, post-hardcore, pop-punk, indie, and rock bands that have had a big impact on my personal musical evolution (and the Chicago scene in general).

When I first listened to them back in junior high, 88 Fingers Louie were the fastest, most in-your-face band I had ever heard. They were just this raw, melodic, speeding punk-rock bullet that I couldn't stop (listening to). The brutal harmonies really got me fired up; as a teenager, 88 Fingers was the perfect band to release a little angst to.

After I'd been part of the punk scene for a little longer, it became clear to me 88FL's earlier recordings sounded strangely like what might occur if Minor Threat borrowed Pennywise's drummer for a few albums. Alas, 88FL were struck down in their prime; shortly following what might still be my favorite punk recording of all time (1998's Back on the Streets), the band called it quits.

Aside from the group's aggressive, cohesive style, 88FL is also known for a powerful, complex bass presence, courtesy of Joe Principe -- yes, yet another future member of Rise Against. Notably, Glenn Porter, future Alkaline Trio drummer, played an early role in 88FL's evolution. 88FL has certainly left a few large footprints in more recent punk rock history -- appearing on infamous comps like Fat Wreck Chords' Fat Music for Fat People and a handful of Hopeless Records' Hopelessly Devoted to You albums.

I don't feel like the group really grew into its own until Back on the Streets, which spotlighted tight drumbeats (and even tighter fills), complicated-but-fun bass riffs, refined vocals, and an all-around upgrade in quality that left the band's rawness intact. The album also spawned the most blisteringly fast song I'd ever heard ("Worst Man Won"), introduced by Joe Pesci's infamous skull-cracking quote from Casino. After that, they dropped a split EP with Kid Dynamite that was short but delicious before breaking up for good.

88FL were an outstanding, influential, and sorely-missed piece of the Chicago hardcore scene, but they left behind a pretty awesome legacy that spawned two of Chicago's most famous punk bands (RA and Alk3). Give 'em a listen below.

Download 14 100 Proof

Download 01 Out There

Download 10 Worst Man Won

"If they only knew / what I have seen and what I have been through. / The truth / is bottled up inside 100 proof."
- 88 Fingers Louie, "100 Proof"

Punk in the City #5: The Killing Tree

Punk in the City is a biweekly feature introducing influential Chicago punk, hardcore, post-hardcore, pop-punk, indie, and rock bands that have had a big impact on my personal musical evolution (and the Chicago scene in general).

Tim McIlrath has been in a slew of Chicago bands, a few more of which you'll probably meet over the course of the Punk in the City series. But none of those bands (other than Rise Against) holds quite the same place in my heart as the *hibernating* post-hardcore glory of the Killing Tree.

According to the band's (and McIlrath's) Wikipedia page, the Killing Tree is still technically alive (albeit not well) -- even though the quartet hasn't released a new recording since 2003's We Sing Sin EP. It's hard to believe the Killing Tree could still have plans for the future with the enormous success of Rise Against, but a boy can dream, can't he?

The Killing Tree is melodic hardcore with a little punk thrown into the mix, driven by the now entirely recognizable vocal stylings of McIlrath. The vocals are far more intense and gravelly than Rise Against's, and TKT's music trades speed for heavy-hitting riffs and drums. Melodic breakdowns and clean guitar complement sudden mood swings of fiery hardcore explosions. All-in-all, TKT is a dark roller coaster ride down a tunnel of post-hardcore angst.

TKT's total "active" years span 2000-04, but will they ever play together again? Unlikely. But I'll continue to keep my fingers crossed. In total, TKT has released two EPs and one full-length (Bury Me at Make-Out Creek EP, The Romance of Helen Trent, and We Sing Sin EP). A few samples have been posted below.

Download 01 The Killing Tree - Prelude To Pain

Download 02 The Killing Tree - Everything you had is gone

"If you can stand on your own two feet / then you can get up off your fucking knees."

- The Killing Tree, "Violets are Blue"

Punk in the City #4: The Ghost

Punk in the City is a biweekly feature introducing influential Chicago punk, hardcore, post-hardcore, pop-punk, indie, and rock bands that have had a big impact on my personal musical evolution (and the Chicago scene in general).

The Ghost was this wild experimental post-hardcore band that really started gaining speed around the same time At the Drive-In was collapsing.

I remember seeing the Ghost at Thick Records' Oil: Chicago Punk Refined compilation release show at the Metro way back on Valentine's Day of 2003. The lineup was already strong, with appearances by Southside punkers the Arrivals, Eli and Josh Caterer's Duvall (in between the death and resurrection of the Smoking Popes), and a surprise guest appearance by none other than Rise Against. Oh yeah -- Local H played, but nobody cared. Not that Local H is necessarily a bad band, but they certainly didn't seem to fit the bill for a local punk show.

The concert was spectacular (although spattered with decidedly unspectacular sets), but the Ghost was especially fun to watch. The band played flawless post-hardcore live, sounding as good (if not better) than its actual recordings. (See the video above for more on that).

The Ghost only released two full-lengths (2002's This is a Hospital and 2004's This Pen Is A Weapon), but hot damn were they fun to listen to. Artistic, bitter, raw, and energetic, the former west coast dwellers had a sound that was simultaneously catchy and violent. You might think they were confused, playing complex post-hardcore with predominantly straight-forward punk rock acts, but it was never that simple with the Chicago scene. The kids loved the music for what it was, if you could play it well enough. Therefore, the artistic and intense (albeit out-of-place) musicians carved a niche in the thriving scene.

As with many of the bands represented on Punk in the City, the Ghost is no more. If you enjoy their stuff, check out lead singer Brian Moss' more recent project, Hanalei. Warning: ghastly songs below.

Download 01-the_ghost-broken_ears_poison_hearts-myb

Download 04-the_ghost-banished_and_loving_it-myb

"What’s the lynch mob's verdict, am I truth or am I trend?"

- The Ghost, "Banished and Loving It"