It's been a crazy week in new music, let's see what has made its way into our eardrums! For this article, we chose six of our favorites:
Plaid Brixx
Plaid Brixx EP
Producer: The Agency
Label: Plaid Robot Records
The first release on our list actually came out last week! This is the self-titled EP from alternative rock trio Plaid Brixx. It's a rather short release (it is an EP, after all) with five well-constructed alternative rock songs. The release is definitely a departure from previous efforts, and a good introduction into what the current direction it appears that they're going in. There are more electronic elements here than on previous efforts, but it works.
Guttermouth
Got It Made
Label: Rude Records/Bird Attack Records
This was a fun one to listen to. Clocking in under fifteen minutes, punk veterans Guttermouth have returned with a short, sweet, and straight to the point punk EP. The songs are fun, there's no crazy production to be found here, and the music is in full swing. It's the band's first new material in ten years, and it was definitely worth the wait. It's punchy in all of the right moments, vibrant in all the right moments, but it accomplishes all of this without taking itself too seriously. Hopefully this means we'll get an album soon.
Salt Ashes
Salt Ashes
Producer: Daniel Freidholm, Rob Irving
Label: Radikal Records
This was probably the standout record of the bunch that we listened to this week in terms of genre. I love electronic music, so this was a nice surprise. It's always good to have multiple genres in the mix, when you can! Vocalst Salt Ashes (aka Veiga Sanchez) recently released her debut studio album. It's a mix of brooding synths, dance-floor beats, and her beautifully crafted voice spread out against the backdrop of all of these elements. It's a great dance music record, and one that definitely came out of nowhere. It was great to see this one on my radar, and I'm curious to see how some of these songs will be pulled off in a live setting.
The New Low
Continuance
Release Date: July 22, 2016
Label: Razor & Tie
Another pleasant surprise. This is a band that, I have to say, I'm VERY excited to see on Warped Tour, particularly after listening to this record. The New Low is a newer five-piece presenting themselves in the alternative rock community, and their first big offering is their Razor & Tie debut, Continuance. I don't know what it is about these guys, other than their great musicianship and ability to experiment and change things up song per song, but something just clicks when you listen to them. Their songwriting is superb. One of the last songs on the record is entitled, "Start Over". It's the calmest track on the album, yet it's hauntingly beautiful.
Capsize
A Reintroduction: The Essence of All That Surrounds Me
Release Date: July 22, 2016
Producer: Matt McClellan
Label: Equal Vision Records
YES. Another fantastic record from Equal Vision Records. Capsize is a band that has had a lot of buzz surrounding them in the post-hardcore community for quite some time now. A Reintroduction: The Essence of All That Surrounds Me, is their masterpiece. Hands down. It's aggressive, it's emotional, and it hits you in the all the right places. I can't speak more highly about this one as a post-hardcore fan than I currently am. It's a ten-track album, and a gorgeous one at that. To top it off, the addition of more prominent clean vocal tracks adds a brand new layer to the album previously unseen in their first record, The Angst In My Veins.
Crown The Empire
Retrograde
Release Date: July 22, 2016
Label: Rise Records
Let's finish this off with one that everyone knows: Crown The Empire! I was actually really stoked to see this in my inbox this week. I had completely forgotten that they were about to release a new record. Retrograde is the third installment in their discography, and it takes an interesting turn. The original elements of metalcore that defined the band are still within the blueprints of each song, but.....I don't know Upon listening to it, I can sense their is something a bit different than usual. There's a different take on these songs, and long gone are the band's earlier Rise Record days (the theatrics still remain throughout a few of the tracks, however). Overall, it was an enjoyable record, providing a new light on the band. It wasn't a drastic 180, but I noticed variations.
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This has been another Shameless Promotions.