Channeling the unholy trinity of deceived youths, i.e incomprehension, anger and boredom through the raw force of strong 90s indie rock female leads – think Deal twins – Brooklyn-based pop punk quartet Swearin‘ came forward barely a year ago with the oh-so-self-explanatory first EP ‘What A Dump‘. As a follow-up that saw them off on an extensive US tour, they released last June their first self-titled full-length, twelve-track burst of laid-back energy fuelled with loud guitars, leaning at one extreme towards pathetic stripped-down ballads, diving on the other right into hardcore tendencies for rabid drumbeats and shreds-a-go-go, with in mind one goal: getting the local crowds shaking to some effective, effervescent r’n’r in the broader cathartic sense. An act on the rise which you can catch at Cameo Gallery on September 21st. – Tracy Mamoun

(Photo by Todd Zimmer)

Life can be an asshole sometimes. It is without balance and as unstable as a drunken college girl with daddy issues. We’ve all been there. Everyone knows that girl. The date is going fine. She’s enjoying her dinner and talking about her cats when suddenly and without warning she’s crying about needing a hug. Her makeup streaks and the cheerleader you brought to Applebee’s suddenly looks like Alice Cooper. Out of nowhere life and everything that exists within it takes a 90-degree turn and the relaxing evening you had planned melts into a shitmess. By the end of the night there is no room or need to question why cheerqueen’s dad never returned.

But what does this have to do with music you ask? Aren’t you reviewing The Architects?

Okay, okay. I’m getting there.

Much like the above scenario, music can be a fickle, fickle bitch.Take watching a show for example. On any given night, fans are making a 20-dollar commitment on a 50/50 bet. Generally speaking, catching a good show is nothing more than a coin flip. Any band, even ones commonly known for owning the stage could have an off night without warning. Because guitars sometimes untune, members sometimes get drunk, venues hire underqualified sound guys, and people have bad days, there is no getting around the fact that sometimes good bands are going to let you down. There is no exception to this rule.

Except that somehow The Architects DO seem to be the exception to that rule.

Plagued by sickness and nausea, Kansas City’s punk poets pushed through their return to the recordBar, pressing out one of the most full tilt takes on music that 2012 has presented to me. Drenched in sweat by the third cut, the brothers Phillips and guitarist Keenan Nichols put in more cardio on stage than most people do in a lifetime. Twitching, jerking and slamming around the room, every note becomes a point of exclamation. Not only are the guys not fucking around, they’re going to make damn sure you know that they know what they’re doing. Night in and night out, their blue-collar, punch-the-clock approach to their craft can be felt as fluently as the stand in front of you. They not only intend to bring the rock, they intend to slap you in the face with it.

Unlike all other measures of life however, that aggression is a commendable quality in music. Take, for example, the way the band approaches headcount. Lesser bands might raise a stink about playing a three-quarters full recordBar after adding tours with My Chemical Romance and Flogging Molly. However on this night, a casual observer would assume the band was playing Shea Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd. As every night is their Super Bowl, your cover charge is taken care of before the end of the first song. There is no room for disappointment, musically or visually.

Combining the pure elements of punk with their obvious 1990s influences, the diversity of the band is rather amazing. This isn’t your average three-chord punk band. With sounds dating back to their time as The Gadjits, elements of calendar days long gone bleed out of their set lists. Twitching from influences by The Clash to particles of a rockabilly sound to a “Banditos”-like The Refreshments sound, anyone who has liked music in the last 15 years can find something familiar about the band. Furthermore, even if you were born after the fall of flannel, watching the band flex its musical muscle is unquestionably for everyone. As Brandon leans from the mic and howls his message with sweat dripping down across his nose, it is impossible not to be touched a little by the passion of the group. But if that isn’t enough for you to be convinced, I’ve formed a small list to leave you. You can read it below:

The totally unbiased list of reasons why you should love The Architects:

1. No one in Kansas City drums harder than Adam Phillips.
2. The band not only still writes guitar solos, Keenan Nichols owns them.
3. Zach’s bass lines, combined with Adam’s drums, will make you shake your ass.
4. They’re the hardest working band in Kansas City.
5. Chances are they were making music when you were learning to color. They know more about music than you do.
6. It is better than dating a girl with daddy issues.

And with that, I’ve gone full circle.

For more photos from this show taken by the amazing Todd Zimmer, follow the link here.

 –Joshua Hammond

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There’s a surprise ’round every corner and corners in plenty to be found on Brooklyn-via-New Orleans duo Callers‘ third album ‘Reviver‘. When you think you’re about to comfortably dive into some light-hearted pop the skippy beat breaks down; once you’re settled in the groove, Sara Lucas’ soulful R’n’B vocals pierce through and you’re heading towards memories of Motown classics but then, as you begin to be seduced by her sultry tones, a barely-there punk cadence or jerky rhythm kicks in and you’re in for ‘something completely different‘.

Fact is though, all twists and turns flow seamlessly, and the experimental dexterity with which Sara & Ryan drift back and forth between one another’s influences would make any middle-ground, if they were to seek one… well to put it bluntly, a waste of creative potential. The album only comes out October 9th via Partisan Records, but here’s a teaser for you, streaming below; meanwhile, you can catch Callers as they head back to NYC in the course of their current tour, on September 20th at The Music Hall Of Williamsburg. – Tracy Mamoun

Brooklyn based trio Life Size Maps have amped up the oddities on their new EP,”Weird Luck”.  Venturing off from their more traditional indie pop debut, “Magnifier,” Life Size Maps’ sound has come into its own, establishing the band in the noise pop genre.  The new, three-song record shows us a band that can employ random sounds and seamlessly incorporate them into their music, which is also fed with impressive hooks and moderate and occasional doses of math rock. They’ll be on stage at Brooklyn’s Public Assembly on Wednesday (8.22), Big Show Buffalo Lodge on Thursday (8,23), Cheap Storage next Saturday (8.25) and finally, Shea Stadium the following Friday (8.31). And that’s it (for August!). Read Jen Mergott’s interview with Life Size Maps here. 

Spirit Family Reunion released their ‘proper‘ debut album “No Separation” on June 15th , a follow-up to their widely celebrated self-titled EP. “No Separation” highlights the band’s infectious sound with a blend of bluegrass and gospel revival, poised with soulful honesty. Marked in traditional roots, few New York-based bands can achieve an authentic, banjo-laden country sound while maintaining such an effortless appeal. As of August 31st, they’ll be playing a series of shows across Northern Ireland & Ireland, kicking off at Omagh’s Bluegrass Festival; however, before they leave, you can catch a last NYC show at Brooklyn’s Sycamore on Tuesday (8.21). Read Devon Antonetti’s interview with the band here. 

Like a gospel music for urban atheists, Weeknight has created a spiritual haven for arpeggiated synths, retro drum machines and roof-raising vocals to co-exist together. It’s somewhat unclear what GOD it’s lead monks, Holly and Andy are worshipping, but it’s pretty clear it’s not far from where The Raveonettes go to church.

Their first EP ‘Dark Dark Lights‘ (the band’s less than a year old) contains three hard-hitting meditations geared toward this sort of dark transcendence. Equally appropriate in the dark or with the lights on, this is a mysterious and heavy band whose path will be interesting to chart. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

It’s the height of summer, and you know what that means. Time for some high life, and Sinkane‘s got exactly what you need. To this end, new single ‘Jeeper Creeper‘ does a fantastic job of negotiating a place for Nigeria within the psychedelic trappings of Brooklyn. The song takes its time, building a wall of endless groove before settling into a warped guitar path that slithers its way across layers of buzz and characteristically Malian delay. All this from an artist originating from Omdurman, Sudan and finding a place all his own in our humble neck of the world. You can see him every Monday for the month of August at Zebulon where he landed a residency, and when he plays with Tanlines on Tuesday (8.21) at Mercury Lounge for…drumroll please… the official 2012 CMJ ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT PARTY!! – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

It’s great to know why musicians do what they do. Why they write songs about heartache or joy. What kind of emotion they’re trying to express. Who they most look up to. That’s the magic of what they do. But then there’s the science of it. How do they make the most raw or sensual sounds come out of their instruments?

For this week’s edition of Grinding Gears, we catch up with keyboardist Nick Combs of The Latenight Callers. He’s a madman on the keys, and a recovering drummer. 

Read our interview at the link here!

–Michelle Bacon

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(Photo by Michael Forester)

Tiny Horse, the dynamic duo of husband/wife team Abigail Henderson and Chris Meck is back at it again with a new single called "Ride," featuring Zach Phillips of The Architects, Matt Richey of The Grisly Hand, and Cody Wyoming. The single was recorded this week and mastered by Chad Meise.

The duo made its triumphant return to the stage back in April, and continues to go strong with intimate but powerful live shows, showing no signs of slowing down. This new single showcases Meck’s seemingly innate talent on the guitar coupled with Henderson’s unique, captivating voice. 

You can see Tiny Horse tomorrow (Friday, August 17) at The Brick as they perform with (of) Tree. 

–Michelle Bacon

Now that I’ve got the story straight, Parquet Courts is a NYC-based ‘three-quarter Texan‘ four-piece, one member of which (Andrew) is also part of Fergus&Geronimo, another (Austin) of The Keepsies. The thing about their first album ‘Light Up Gold’ is that sure, they haven’t exactly tried to reinvent the wheel, but see, I’ve played it over the last week or so more times than I’ll admit; ergo it’s about time to spread the word.

On one side, there are the many influences of punk & co they’ve squeezed into these ten tracks each more nonchalantly catchy than the next, which range from Buzzcocks-style fuzzy pop-punk to groovy post-punk and stoner-folk-…well, punk, excuse the repetition. On the other, there’s the lyrical appeal of these contemporary flâneurs wandering ‘Stoned and Starving‘ the streets of NYC, who translate their observations, experiences and social critiques as mundane as they may be into prose poetry, in the simple subjective flow of some 60s Beat and New Journalism writers. That’s two thumbs up in my books. Released on Saturday (8.18) via Dull Tools, ‘Light Up Gold’ will be welcomed with a show that same evening at Death By Audio. – Tracy Mamoun