Fashion Week – Prêt-à-Porter


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Who do they think they are with that bio? Nirvana? They’ll never own enough plaid! The Ramones with that promo shot in front of the former CBGB’s with is now ironically a high-end fashion shop? Like they’d never look that cool in leather. I would have to agree with Rolling Stone’s senior editor David Fricke though, when he stated “The Ramones were the normal guys everybody loved to love,” in which I could see some parallels and ok, maybe the guitar and bass have some similarities.

This cheeky trio, Fashion Week, featuring guitarist/vocalist Josh Lozano (Jarboe, Cobalt, Family), drummer Carl Eklof (Victory at Sea, Lidia Stone, Inswarm) and bassist Oscar Albis Rodriguez (A Great Big World, No Way, Nakatomi Plaza) set forth their noisy full-length debut Prêt-à-Porter (Solar Flare Records), following up their self-released Applicator and Coextinction Release 11 with Coextiction Recordings. Though the line-up has gone through some slight changes, it’s safe to say the mood and original style has remained intact, with the recording and mixing of Andrew Schneider (Unsane, Keelhaul) and mastering of Carl Saff (Pigs, Sofy Major) ellipsing every into an even greater epic cacophony.
The album starts off with ‘Fendi Bender’ who’s lead in brings me back to 90s noise rock bands like Unsane but with a lighter tone, reflective of an externally cleaner, safer New York, who’s underbelly remains just as thorny and problematic. Sly bursts of Lozano’s raging hardcore vocals, supercharge post-hardcore melody as the guitar trails resonates with every note. Their video for it is now streaming on Metal Injection, featuring Jesse Madre of Tiger Flowers if you want to check it out.
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The third track on the album, ‘Meek is Meeznable’ pummels out catchy sludge riffs, the likes of Red Fang, scattered with raunchy distortion and melodic melodies. It’s as if Jawbox and Quicksand combined to form an amazingly chaotic yet progressive supergroup. After listening to the makings of this album about a year ago, my favourites continue to change, only proving Prêt-à-Porter continues to deliver with every listen.

‘Summer Line’ has a spacey, Failure inspired intro that makes it one of my favourites on the album, along with ‘Haute Topic’ who’s mysterious bass line I just can’t get enough of. For anyone who was a fan of 90s hardcore and noise rock, Fashion Week’s Prêt-à-Porter is a staple that should be added to your collection.

8.5/10

CHRISTINE HAGER


Music Video: Watertank – Surrender


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French post hardcore outfit Watertank is streaming their Special Sauce Productions (Hellfest, etc.) directed music video for “Surrender,” off of their sophomore album Destination Unknown, out June 29, 2015 via Solar Flare Records below.

Delivering thirty-three minutes of slick, driving, melodic/post-hardcore on par with the likes of Torche, Quicksand, Jawbox, Fireside and Failure, the revamped Watertank lineup recorded Destination Unknown with Patrice Guillerme (Papier Tigre, Patriotic Sunday) and commissioned Carl Saff (Coliseum, Pilot To Gunner) for mastering duties, cohesively revealing a more confident band through this new batch of strongly crafted songs.

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Watertank Releasing Destination Unknown on June 29th, Upcoming Shows


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Nantes post hardcore outfit Watertank will be releasing their sophomore album Destination Unknown on June 29, 2015 via Solar Flare Records. The album was recorded by Patrice Guillerme (Papier Tigre, Patriotic Sunday) and mastered by Carl Saff (Coliseum, Pilot To Gunner).

Destination Unknown Track Listing:
01: Automatic Reset
02: Fever
03: Contrails
04: DCVR
05: Last/Lost Hope
06: Surrender
07: Doomed Drifters
08: Scheme
09: Destination Unknown

The band has an upcoming string of live dates across France.

May 13: Emporium Galorium – Rouen (FR)
May 15: Black Out – Montpellier (FR) (w/ Lahius)
May 16: Heretic – Bordeaux (FR) (w/ Aguirre)
May 20: Glazart – Paris (FR) (w/ Torche, Your Highness)
May 21: TBA
May 22: Molodoi – Strasbourg (FR) (w/ Kurt)
May 23: Le Café Français – Vesoul (FR) (w/ Membrane)
Jun 01: Le Ferrailleur – Nantes (FR) (w/ Torche)

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Video: City Of Ships – Alarm


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City Of Ships is streaming their music video for “Alarm,” off of Ultraluminal, out now via Translation Loss below.

Stream “The Light You Stole,” off of Ultraluminal below.

Since forming in 2006, City Of Ships has consistently impressed audiences with their distinctive brand of heavy, down-tuned melodic rock. Their third full-length, Ultraluminal, finds the band building sonic skyscrapers on the foundations laid by their previous two LPs. With its ten expertly-crafted new songs co-produced by veteran recordist Andrew Schneider (Big Business, Cave-In, Pelican) and mastered by Carl Saff (Guided By Voices, Young Widows), the album is an unequivocal game-changing declaration from one of America’s most compelling underground bands.

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City Of Ships Streaming “The Light You Stole”


city of ships

Post hardcore outfit City Of Ships is streaming “The Light You Stole,” off Ultraluminal, out March 20, 2015 via Translation Loss, here.

Since forming in 2006, City Of Ships has consistently impressed audiences with their distinctive brand of heavy, down-tuned melodic rock. Their third full-length, Ultraluminal, finds the band building sonic skyscrapers on the foundations laid by their previous two LPs. With its ten expertly-crafted new songs co-produced by veteran recordist Andrew Schneider (Big Business, Cave-In, Pelican) and mastered by Carl Saff (Guided By Voices, Young Widows), the album is an unequivocal game-changing declaration from one of America’s most compelling underground bands.

Ultraluminal marks its territory with expansive guitar work, growling bass lines, and thunderous drumming. Vocalist Eric Jernigan harnesses his trademark shifts from soaring, gravel-throated anthems into tranquilizing melodic bliss, just as the songs themselves effortlessly cascade in coruscating crashes. Tracks like “Alarm” and “Medata Blues” demonstrate immaculate poise and imaginative lyrical prowess as City Of Ships keeps a white-knuckled grip on their surging dynamics.

Ultraluminal Track Listing:
01. The Light You Stole
02. Alarm
03. Metadata Blues
04. Preeminence
05. Private Party
06. Illawarra Escarpment
07. Lost It
08. Hardwired
09. The Old Man
10. Mile High

City Of Ships on Twitter
City Of Ships on Bandcamp