ALBUM REVIEW: Hunt ’em Up by Family First, Second Nature

By: Derek Spencer

The cleverly named, mysteriously manned, and LA-based Family First, Second Nature spits out dynamic post-hardcore tunes on their 2015 debut 4-track EP, Hunt ’em Up.

At its best, the album channels a traditional Gothic-Americana rock energy, expressed through pounding rhythms, hammered-on riffs, and Lovecraftian imagery.  Family First leads with their heaviest hitter, “Talley Marked”– a slightly disjointed but nonetheless propulsive anthem of violence and condemnation (“And tendrils spread until it left for dead the earth that held its breath and the planter’s hopes were all but choked”). “Dead Bird”, an acoustic-driven track about fraternal betrayal, sees the unnamed vocalist decry traditional values with whiny flair (“What’s the point in bravery?// Everything’s lost. I’ll watch you burn in hell with me”). “Bedouin Hearts” closes the EP, taking its place as the familiar polyrhythmic slow-burn about destructive love (“Early on we grew to hubris and left our guards wide open// Now the sound of our groans have grown grating”).

The line “a change of heart doesn’t change what you are” appears in both the first and final tracks, less like a bookend thesis and more like a reminder of circularity, frivolity, and the inevitability of identity. Family First forsakes intention and embraces visceral consequence, a compelling gesture toward a zero-sum game. At once plodding and rapid, the arc of the EP is that dream you can’t remember, but can still feel.

Yes, the repetitious Bible reference and horizontal song progression can give reason for pause, but Hunt ’em Up rewards the listener with a penchant for suspending slight incredulity. The melodies aren’t earworms, but the melancholy is contagious. In fact, a close reading of the lyrics does the listener a disservice; better to let the hyperbolic allegories fall by the wayside (as the line phrasings might indicate is the writer’s intention) and serve as blended ingredients in this coldly mixed and slowly served offering of destitute courage.

ALBUM REVIEW: MBD EP 1- Man Bites Dog

By: Marshall Smith

On ‘MBD EP 1,’ (WHAT COULD IT STAND FOR?) Man Bites Dog of Illinois dish up a heady three course serving of rattling, jittery, math-y post-hardcore vibes. Song sections collide into one another with nary a regard for any of that ‘smooth transition’ nonsense—abrupt stops and starts abound, keeping listeners on their toes and band geeks happy. The guys are clearly talented musicians, so thankfully things stay nice and tight even during the most hectic passages.

Within each of the EP’s three tracks, MDB alternate distinctly between the emo/indie approach to ‘post-hardcore’ (think Kinsella brothers [I’m looking at you, vocal delivery at 1:36 on ‘Disconnect’]) and its more strident sibling (we’re talking ‘Relationship of Command’ era At The Drive-In). Although repeated, rapid changes in tone can wear down most listeners (I, myself being no exception), the short run time of the release keeps things sounding fresh and the execution more novel than tired.

The stand-out track for my money is ‘Take,’ which features a particularly gratifying vocal breakdown around the 45 second mark which dives head-first into a good old-fashioned math-rock guitar clash, with the bass and drums doing an admirable job of keeping things anchored. Sweet licks keep coming as the song unfurls and the band flashes some slick jazz influences; from there, the track gradually deconstructs itself until only a swirling mess of guitar pedal delay is left.

Man Bites Dog’s EP 1 definitely warrants a listen for fans of unconventional rock—I would also bet a shiny nickel or two these guys can put on a rowdy wild show, and that counts for a lot in my book.

ALBUM REVIEW: Incrdibly Kind Toward Animals by Miroki

Nostalgia for early 2000’s pop-punk pairs off with contemporary indie-pop in Miroki’s 2015 debut EP, Incredibly Kind Toward Animals.  Fueled by Adam Hutnik & John McGuire (of Westbrook Drive fame), Miroki is an effective refocusing of previous musical efforts, drawing on a deeper well of lyrical motifs and a disinclination toward hook-driven songwriting.

McGuire & Hutnik are at their best vocally when singing in harmony or octave,  demonstrated on the EP’s final track, Benny.   At times, Miroki can veer into lethargic, nasal-heavy delivery, in no small way reminiscent of Mark Hoppus and Billie Joe Armstrong.  Still, the cleanly toned guitars and minimal use of power chords save this similarity from being outright reference.

Centered around themes of anxiety and self-criticism, the lyrical content manages to exude accessibility and originality.  While by no means Pulitzer-worthy, Miroki manages to avoid the cringe-worth cliches that frequently degrade the genre.

With this premire release hot off the press, plan on seeing Miroki hitting the Chicagoland scene this year.

ALBUM REVIEW: We’ll Get There by Spider Mansion

By: Phil Skurski

[As a matter of tonal consistency, editor’s notes will be included in red]

Spider Mansion is not just a clever pun, but also the result of a science experiment where a child was raised listening only to Dashboard Confessional and that Vanessa Carlton song that’s in every single movie trailer from the 2000s. [word.] In fact, while listening to “We’ll Get There” I could see a young Josh Hartnet looking brooding and soulful while walking down the street—possibly kicking a can, or, like, a plastic bag could fly across his path or something—and then he starts to break into a run going through the entire town, his footfalls keeping time with the beat, crossing from his side of the tracks to hers. [you lost me] All of this being intercut with the girl—perhaps a nubile J. Love?—going through the motions of maybe a wedding or something with the Chump Next Door that her parents approve of because he doesn’t sell amphetamines hidden in ballpoint pens to Danny Masterson. [wait how do his (her?) parents know that he(?) does/does not sell amphetamines out of a ballpoint pen?  How does one sell amphetamines out of a ballpoint pen? This is all v confusing but idk my the readers will get it bc they’re smarter than me] Finally Josh—which is both the actor’s name and the character’s, total coincidence, they wanted Ryan Phillippe [who are these people and what do they have to do with dashboard confessional?] originally—makes it to the gazebo where he and J. Love went on their first date, had their first kiss (did it for the first time? Dunno, it’s PG-13), he stops—standing still and looking shocked. Is it a scene of wedded bliss he sees? No! It’s J. Love, sitting on the gazebo steps, head in her hands. And you know that scene ends with them kissing in that gazebo again. [I’ll assume this makes sense bc I don’t really get film idk]

Punk enough to scream when you can’t hit those high notes, Suburban enough not to tell your Mom you’d prefer guitar lessons over piano lessons. Spider Mansion is built on the ashes of many a discarded Ben Folds album. And as much as I’m poking fun, I kind of dig it [but do you? I don’t. Sry Spider House]. It sounds lush [u playin]. I like that the drums don’t fall back on tired beats with regularity, the basslines are often melodic. There isn’t much guitar to speak of because, you know, Piano [lol], but that’s not a bad thing—no forced harmonies that stick out awkwardly [tl;dr album isn’t awkward 9/10], or leads shoehorned in because your friend Artie wants to make sure he has a girlfriend for senior year (Author’s Note: I do not know whether or not the members of Spider Mansion are still in High School, nor am I aware whether or not they have a buddy named Artie that’s super lonely[editor’s note: I’m not sure why a ‘shoehorned lead’ would get Artie laid {Johnny Truant’s note: I had sex with a girl last night who was dating a guy named Artie.  All I hope for is a moment of rational thought and one shot at action before I’m lost to a great saddening madness, pithed at the hands of my own stumbling biology}]). The guitars take the fore on the last track, “Which Sucks Cause I Really Liked That Record”, they sound kind of like the intro song to an Anime might. There’s a progression to this release getting bitterer towards the end—where he sings out confidently—though not exactly a happy confidence—that our paths will cross again. Not too bad a fate, if you ask me, I’ve definitely got some friends that will probably really like Spider Mansion.

The band’s self description as “sad twinkle Wisconsin” is not only spot on, but also my favorite combination of words in a long time. [My favorite combination of words is ‘asspunks’ as made famous by previously reviewed band and avant-garde asspunkers Vacuum Horse]