The Gamits

I am so in love with the new Gamits CD Antidote [review] that it's almost embarassing. Here's one of my favorite tracks off the record, "Open Window." One listen to this and I'm convinced you'll understand the video treatment I came up with in my review of the disc:
The Gamits - Open Window
For more info on The Gamits, go to TheGamits.com or SuburbanHomeRecords.com.

TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC BUT A CHANCE FOR YOU TO GET FREE CRAP: I just moved to the Cleveland area a few days ago and have discovered that I held onto way too much stuff that I don't want, but some of you probably do. CDs, stickers, DVDs, t-shirts, buttons, posters, videos, 7"s, and more of random bands and labels - I have a huge crate of stuff that's just aching to be given away. If you want some free stuff, click READ MORE and I'll tell you how to get some.

The Aquabats / Charge

Scott: A long time ago, Glue Factory Records released Take Warning: The Songs Of Operation Ivy. As this review will tell you, the disc more or less sucked as a whole. But to be fair, there are a few gems by the Hippos and Blue Meanies. Oh yeah, and this one, a campfire singalong of Op Ivy's most singalongable song, created by the Aquabats. It's great:
The Aquabats - Knowledge Adam: I've got Pastepunk to thank for bringing this to my attention. Hellbent Records just released the new EP from Charge titled Universal Tribe. Its mix of hardcore punk and reggae is earning the band lots of comparisons to the almighty Bad Brains, and vocally there are certainly elements that will call to mind the Nerve Agents or Rage Against The Machine. The band is preparing an LP titled Weapons Of Mass Instruction for later this year or early `05. Check this out:
Charge - Living In Kaos

Please Mr. Gravedigger / Coffin Lids / The Icarus Line

Scott: I'm not sure exactly how to describe Please Mr. Gravedigger except by just saying this fucking rocks. Like, seriously. Here's a track off their debut album Here's To The Life Of The Party, coming out this Tuesday on Pluto Records:
Please Mr. Gravedigger - Nothing Holy Adam: I've been spinning the new LP from Boston's Coffin Lids quite a bit this past week. The band recently released the appropriately titled Rock and Roll on Burbank's Bomp Records. It's 14 tracks of fuzzed-out low-fi sleazy rock that's earning them comparisons to The Sonics and The Mummies. Check this out:
Coffin Lids - Michelle Aubin: The Icarus Line's major label debut Penance Soiree has been released with next to no promotion, and seemed to have slipped under most radars, but undeservedly as it's a hell of a rock and roll record. Any worries that V2 Records would dull the bands raucous. sound have been soundly trounced by the feedback driven noise-rock that permeates the disc.
The Icarus Line - On the Lash

Saves The Day

In honor of Sean McGrath's tragic passing on Friday, I wanted to showcase his work with Saves The Day [which, coincidentally, is the best work the band's ever done]. Here's the first three tracks off the band's 1998 debut on Equal Vision, Can't Slow Down:
Saves The Day - Deciding Saves The Day - Handsome Boy Saves The Day - The Choke
Rest in peace, Sean.

Abilene / Eric Idle

Scott:I think of Abilene as the evil twin brother to American Football. The music is sinister and brooding, and the vocals - instead of Mike Kinsella's sweet ramblings about love - are gruff and harsh. Plus, the use of trumpet in these tracks is astoundingly perfect. For those who are keeping score, this band contains current/ex-members of June of '44, Hoover, Lustre King, Chisel Drill Hammer, HiM, Radio Flyer, Regulator Watts, and Small Ax. Check out these two songs off their 2002 album Two Guns, Twin Arrows:
Abilene - Fitch Abilene - Blanc Fixe
For more info on Abilene, head to their label's webpage at FiftyFourFortyOrFight.com.

Aubin: Well, it isn't punk in any literal, metaphorical or virtual sense, but it's British so that's something. It's a track recorded by Eric Idle, formerly of Monty Python, and it expresses a sentiment which any proponent of free speech can get behind. One last note: for the love of your god, don't play it at work unless you have headphones.
Eric Idle - The FCC Song.

The New Breed / Murder By Death

Adam: A big congratulations goes out from us at Punknews.org to Johnny from The New Breed, who tied the knot yesterday afternoon. While the frontman of the Halifax-based punks enjoys his first full day of marriage, you can enjoy some of his band's rock as our Mp3 Of The Week. "Born Against" is from their latest record Port City Rebels [review]. They have a sampling of their new material on their website as well, which I'll throw up a link too once it's back online.
The New Breed - Born Against
For more info on the band head over to Thorp Records or check out our latest article on them.

Scott: So I'm currently out on the road following the Braid reunion tour around [Detroit tonight, London tomorrow - come out and say hi!], and I have to say that while Braid has blown me away 3 nights in a row, the show-stealer thus far has been Murder By Death. Last night in Chicago, there were even yells of "encore! encore!" as they finished their opening set. A rarity, to be sure. If you're unfamiliar with this band's gorgeous style of doom rock, check out an MP3:
Murder By Death - Killbot 2000
For more info on Murder By Death, go to MurderByDeath.com, and for more info on the Braid reunion tour, go to BraidTour2004.com.

The Smugglers

I fondly remember The Smugglers rocking the now defunct Mind Bomb in St. Catharines, Ontario back in 2000. They were supporting their then-new release Rosie and put on an incredibly fun and energetic show. Over the years the Vancouver-based band had fallen off my radar but that's changed with the arrival of their eighth studio album Mutiny In Stereo. The record was released in March of this year, check out the single "Pirate Ships":
The Smugglers - Pirate Ships (Not a direct link, sorry)
For more info head over to Lookout Records.

EXCLUSIVE: Audio Karate

If you've been kicking around this site in the past few months, you know that whenever the new Audio Karate album Lady Melody is mentioned, all I do is rave about how good track 7, "Gypsyqueen," is. Well it's time for me to put up or shut up, and I do so with the support of Kung Fu Records, who loves the song just as much as I do. So much, in fact, that they've sponsored the exclusive MP3 download of the tune. See what I've been gushing over by clicking here:
Audio Karate - Gypsyqueen
For more info on Audio Karate, go to AudioKarate.com. Lady Melody will be in-stores on June 1st.

The Girls / The Faint

Adam: Dirtnap Records will release the new self titled record from Seattle based five piece The Girls this coming week. The band features former Cuckoos members Shannon Brown and Mario Martusciello as well as former Spits member Nick Markel on bass. The music mixes influences from Buzzcocks to The Cars to Devo. Check it out here:
The Girls - She's Hysterical
For more info head over to Dirtnap Records.

Scott: With the news of a new album due this September, as well as the release of side project Broken Spindles' Fulfilled/Complete, I'm getting really excited for a new album from the Faint. Here's their previously unreleased track from the Saddle Creek 50 compilation, their only new material from the past 3 years:
The Faint - Take Me To The Hospital
For more info on the Faint, go to TheFaint.com or Saddle-Creek.com.

Dirty Tricks / Respira

Scott: Dirty Tricks will destroy you. For fans of brass balls garage rock that bands like the Bronx have been reviving and bands like the New Bomb Turks and Rocket From The Crypt have been churning out for ages:
Dirty Tricks - Bloody Breakfast Dirty Tricks - Dead End
For more info on this quartet from Quebec, go to DirtyTricksMusic.com.

Aubin: A friend of mine, knowing I was a fan of The Casket Lottery suggested I check out this band, Respira. They certainly share some parallels - raw emotional moments surrounded by athmospheric repetition. Some might call it indie rock or math-rock, or use words like "angular" and "jagged" but I just think you should check it out.
Respira - Delicate Killer