Lazy Sunday Reviews...

So, I'd been thinking recently of doing a few reviews of contemporary hardcore bands, mostly straight edge ones.  What better a time than a lazy-ass Sunday in (Sunny?) Seattle? (FYI, this was written on two consecutive Sundays because I'm a fucking slacker...)

On: Vital Times Ep

On sounds like Better than a Thousand. Seriously, the talky parts

 and raging riffage bring Value Driven to mind.  The guitar sound is akin to Go It Alone, big and powerful, while the drums hit all the right highs and lows to offset Jim's very un-Champion lyrics.  The thing that probably stands out most is how much less gruff the vocals are than any of the Champion releases and how deep the lyrics seem to get.  This band is going for a dynamic modern-youth crew sound and they bring it together wit

hout sounding like any of the members' previous projects (Champion, Lights Out, Go It Alone, Legit, Ordeal, The First Step, Blue Monday).

The B side sticks out to me with chorus driven joints like 'Take a Stand' and the more jam-vibed 'Vital Times.'   I suggest you pick On's demo 7" up immediately as this self-release is mostly pre-ordered out. Good luck on getting a first show press however, they went quick and were limited to 75.

They'll be on tour with Verse and Have Heart later this summer up and down the west coast--peep that shit.  

*If I ever get my shit together, ON will get the interview I've begun to prepare and it will show up here...

Keep It Clear:  Demo 2007

Andy Patillo sounds pissed.  He also wears a letterman's jacket and has played in some of the most entertaining NW bands of the past few years.  These are all good things.  

This demo sounds like later Carry On (Lucas from GIA/Carry On did drum on this demo and 'A Life Less Plagued' after all...) mixed with floorpunch.  "Alone" into the intro gets me moshing wherever I may stand, you know, at the taco truck, at work, in my truck, in bed--wherever.  Fast parts into big breaks define this band, but keep it different and more edge influenced than these guys' past bands.  Live, they're super tight as all of Mark Palm's projects are; word to his new solo project as well.  

They have a record coming up on Not Just Words records in Europe, and from what I gather, it'll be really, really fucking good.  The aforementioned demo is up for download here.

Recent highlights from last night's Rainfest show were the Carrier from Boston, Conrad from PDX, "tour managers," Get the Most's set, Kevin Dier's new Zine, Maintain, $3 veggie burritos, Circles' 'My war' cover and 'rainfest' limited edition cover art, seeing helicopter Seth (yeah, that Of Faith and Fire record was good) and mass Cali heads, the Airport Tavern crew and hanging with all the NW heads of present and past.  Where was Chee-lo and his members' only jacket?  Who knows...