Punks have always been the misfits and outcasts of society screaming for change, so it’s no surprise that in 2016 some of the best punk bands are writing about gender, race, and sexual identity. Brooklyn’s Aye Nako tackle these issues on their latest EP The Blackest Eye through the pop punk lens, which has been long dominated by white males. Released on Don Giovanni Records, the four-piece’s new EP features subtly catchy punk songs while addressing deeply personal and important themes about society’s views on the LGBTQ community, sexaul abuse, and the white dominated society. Instrumentally, the band pulls from 90’s grunge and lo-fi acts such as Sebadoh, making use of off kilter melodies on the track “Kill Switch” and “Human Shield” to create a jumbled disorienting effect while still employing melodic hooks. Aye Nako will be playing Market Hotel on September 15th, and will be appearing at the New Alternative Music Festival in Asbury, NJ on September 16th! – John Honan
San Francisco
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Steel Cranes Releases New Music Video – Ebb
The Oakland based rock duo, Steel Cranes has released a new music video entitled, Ebb from their new album, Tango which was released last month.
Tango is a more dynamic take on the “grit” and “raw, relentless power”. The debut Steel Cranes album. With a vision for the sound of Tango that was more expansive, Shapiro and Schukle were initially stalled when considering the logistics of accomplishing these time-consuming sonic refinements in a studio environment. It soon became clear that the best option was to record and mix the record themselves.
This education ultimately yielded the more passionate and layered version of the Steel Cranes sound that is heard on Tango. Once freed from the confines of creative deadlines and traditional studio environments, Shapiro and Schukle took full advantage of their new work paradigm.