Music

Top 5 Punk Releases: August

by Sam Sutherland

Each month, tons of new music from many taste-spanning genres is released into a fast-consuming, unforgiving market; it can be tough to get a handle on what’s new before it’s on to the next. In an attempt to highlight the standout releases, at the end of each month, AUX staff re-cap the month in Punk, Metal, Indie/Pop/Rock, Hip Hop, Electronic, and Pop with the top five releases in each. Consider it your cheat sheet for year-end lists.

Top 5 Punk Releases:
August

 

Redd Kross – Researching the Blues
	Supposedly, this album was actually recorded in 2007, 10 years after Redd Kross’ last proper studio album, Show Time. Whatever the timeline that brought us to this happy day, the band haven’t missed a beat, dropping themselves right back into the energetic power-pop formula that made them such an unexpected crossover success in the ’90s. So jangly! So catchy! So still Redd Kross! (Merge)

Shores – Leavening

Perennial growers, not showers, Grand Rapids’ proudest slowcore outfit Shores have unleashed (or, you know, carelessly and lovelessly left at the side of the road) their latest understated full-length, another strong collection of fiercely understated, slow, slow songs. The mid-summer release of Leavening is kind of funny, I think, because these are reverse-summer songs. Not winter. Just the inverse of fun, joy and reckless abandon. (No Idea)

Masked Intruder – Masked Intruder

If you’re unfamiliar with the gimmick – some guys from some other bands wear different-coloured balaclavas and play Screeching Weasel-style pop-punk about stalking. Firstly, it’s actually a vaguely amusing concept, since the lyrics all sound like standard genre fare until the weird twist about being in prison pop up in the second verse. Secondly, these songs are pure ragers, totally perfect in that post-Ramones midwest vein that gave us bands like Teenage Bottlerocket and the Copyrights. It’s just like Pussy Riot, but if you replaced all the legitimate activism with knife play. (Red Scare)

Dikembe – Broad Shoulders
	It’s safe to say Dikembe were raised on ’90s emo before it became a swoop-haired punchline. Broad Shoulders possesses all the hallmarks of great early Deep Elm bands but manages to avoid throwback territory, reminiscent of the best of the Moneen catalogue. It’s propulsive and wide open, mathy without getting dragged down by its own complexity. So, it’s great. (Tiny Engines)

Worn in Red – Banshees

While they continue to branch out, there is no denying that No Idea Records has a sound. And sometimes it’s nice to be reminded why you fell in love with that sound. Worn in Red embody its clearest, most aggressive moments, a duel-voiced beast of a band that hits hard as hell but maintains a balance between their fury and their songwriting, which is on full display here. Imagine Drive Like Jehu, but raised on the opposite coast and then, I don’t know, stung by hundreds of bees. That’s how this sounds. (No Idea)

Out in September: New records from Bob Mould, Propagandhi, Gallows, and more.