How this band has evaded my radar for so long really surprises me.  Their brand of crust-meets-hardcore not only embodies all the best elements of the masters of the genre, but Perth Express also incorporates a more metallic sound as well.  A comparison to Coliseum seems inevitable, although these fellows could also be compared to another Relapse band, Mastodon, without being far off.  This might sound like the worst combination ever, yet somehow it makes complete and proper sense.  Purists of the post-His Hero Is Gone style might call foul on a lot of Perth Express’ songwriting, but those with a more open mind will more than likely love this.
Teenage Disco Bloodbath Records

To say that a hardcore band is influenced by American Nightmare is to say that the hardcore band in question was formed after the year 2000. But when I say that Face The Panic is influenced by them, I mean that when the opening track to Reclamation got started I started singing American Nightmare lyrics in my head.  Overall, the CD was definitely one I could listen to more then once, if only because it’s such a good recreation of what American Nightmare was doing when they released Background Music. This differs in that the lyrics are a little less “angry poet” and a lot more “angry hardcore dude”. Face The Panic is much more interested in matters of the scene than in matters of the heart, which may put them above American Nightmare for some people. The only real qualm I have with the whole record is that it contained guitar solos.  This album doesn’t feature subtle guitar leads or a little fancy finger work under the driving force of the song, but instead more then a few break-in-the-song-to-solo guitar solos. Now this doesn’t necessarily make or break a band for me, but I can only accept that in hardcore bands that are little more tongue-in-cheek than Face The Panic. But I also suspect that they were put there intentionally to agitate purists, so, good work boys! If you’re looking for a band that just gives it to you like it is, check out Face The Panic. They will definitely satisfy those people who like it fast, a little different, and I forgot to mention REALLY well recorded.
Reaper Records

Crunchy-sounding singer-songwritery stuff somewhere between Bright Eyes and the Black Heart Procession, but poppier and more polished. Simpler and easier to swallow for the pleasure of the jam band set, but not uncreative. This album improves with more listening, which is always a good sign, and finds a way to be catchy without sounding too repetitive. The most impressive thing about The Drunken Dance of Modern Man in Love is certainly the variety: each tune is radically different from the one before, which showcases Robley’s ability as a songwriter. His voice is smooth and comfortably familiar, and his intermittent cursing goes down sweetly with just enough deliberate irony (a la Ben Folds). One of my only objections is the random infusion of brass here and there, which seems out of place in the prettily eerie music landscape. Gothy, painted crow album art is a plus for those of us who are suckers for good packaging.
Cutthroat Pop Records

I’ve pretty consistently made it a policy not to review music I’ve not been sent specifically for the purpose, yet this one just needed to be done.  Apparently, this compilation serves as a supplement to a comic entitled Cracker published in Korea and all the rage with the indie rock crowd.  It would make sense then that most every song on this collection could be described as an indie pop gem.  I’d love to say specific bands I favored, but almost all the names are even in Korean!  Despite a huge gap in language, anyone with a taste for twinkly and emotive tunes, especially those with female vocals, will surely find at least a handful of tracks making this CD worth checking out.
Pastel Music

Let’s be honest, it was only a matter of time before metalcore bands started incorporating electronica elements into their music. In fact, in the wake of Refused’s The Shape Of Punk To Come it’s quite surprising it took this long. UK’s Enter Shikari have become the trailblazers for this budding amalgam style, bringing together all the breakdowns and dance beats you could ever want (or not) in one album. Although Take To The Skies does demonstrate a willingness to innovate, somehow the songs seem to lack cohesion and an overall sense of melody. Done well, this sound could be the next big thing… until then, we can only hope Enter Shikari get a little better next time around.
Tiny Evil

Don’t you hate when reviewers make reference to one band producing an offspring with another or even bands working together in some non-existent project? How about a description something like saying a band sounds like At The Drive-In if they called Gainesville home?  Darn, ’cause that one kind of fits here… Young Livers are definitely wearing their hometown (the aforementioned Florida city known for churning out masters of anthemic punk/hardcore) on their sleeves, yet still draw heavily from post-hardcore acts ranging from mega-star types (also already mentioned) to those that called Virginia home during the late ’90s.  Their song “Fair Well” proves the most successful for this odd mashed together style, but honestly it pretty much works throughout.  The New Drop Era is that kind of album you listen to once and dismiss, then you listen to it a second and third time and realize you might have just discovered what CD will be in the player for the next week.
No Idea Records