Rapid Thoughts

Brand New

How crazy is it that we might finally be getting brand new Brand New?  It's only been 5 and a half years since the absolutely sub-par Daisy.  I'm glad the band has since acknowledged in interviews that Daisy was not one of their best and was instead a cathartic record, intended on allowing them to get out all of the anger that accumulated while creating and touring on The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me.

To hold you over, go listen to Jesse Lacey and his wife covering the rustic and charming "In Spite of Ourselves"

The Ataris

How crazy is that we are still no closer to getting new Ataris?  It was a running joke that The Ataris and Brand New were competing for the Chinese Democracy title of the scene but even Brand New got to the point (nearly six years in) where they knew they had to put out new music.  Graveyard of the Atlantic is now the continuous punchline.  The last new music we got from The Ataris was in October of 2012.

The owner of the label simply throws his hands up in a fruitless gesture of what-in-the-heck-do-you-want-me-to-do-about-it?  Or "I don't write the songs," as he puts it.  We've gotten endless tours of rehashing existing material and getting the original band back together.  Not that such a thing isn't a common tactic but Kris Roe has really milked it for all that it's worth.

In the words of the illustrious Randal Graves: "You should shit or get off the pot."

Frank Turner

Frank Turner is just too damn prolific.  Fresh on the heels of the stellar Tape Deck Heart and its six Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks, he kept churning out more songs for the EP's that followed.  He then played a show at St. Vitus in September of 2014 where he showcased 8 more brand new songs.

That doesn't even mention his side band, Möngöl Hörde, a hardcore outfit that features frequent collaborator Matt Nasir.  Möngöl Hörde also released a full length in 2014.

The War On Drugs

No, not the actual war on drugs.  This band fronted by Adam Granduciel, who is currently dating actress Kristen Ritter (formerly the B of Don't Trust The B*** In Apt. 23).  I had heard a lot about this band lately on places like AbsolutePunk.  People ranted and raved that 2014's Lost In The Dream was unarguably the Album of the Year.  So I finally listened.

My god, what a bunch of bullshit.  I have not been so bored listening to an album in a long time.  It's a mundane and meandering snoozefest that nearly weaned me off of Xanax by rivaling its soporific nature.  The liner notes list Charlie Hall as providing the Drums but if I were him, I would have Alan Smithee'd that bitch.  Every single song sounds like it uses the same rehashed drum beat from a very cheap drum machine.  Using a droning and repetitive beat as your backbone is not a great way to start.

What follows is nearly inexplicable.  Each song runs for 5+ minutes - and not in that good Dear Hunter, multi-textured opus kind of way.  It's like Bob Dylan and Flock of Seagulls had a baby and then had the damn thing smoke weed all the time.  If you like your music at the pace of a heavily tranquilized sloth clawing his way out of a vat of molasses, then by all means, inflict this so-boring-it-must-have-caused-brain-damage "music" on yourself.  Otherwise, check out the other three kajillion bands who aren't just the pretentious flavor of the week.