This blog is on hold while I’m working on other projects. Future projects will be announced via Twitter or Instagram. Follow TWITTER – INSTAGRAM – BANDCAMP
Yeah bye
Top 5 Albums/EP’s That DON’T Suck [October 2021]
Guest Room Status – Self Titled
(emo) (pop-punk)
Ottawa, ON 🇨🇦
Cerce – Cowboy Music
(hardcore) (powerviolence)
Boston, MA 🇺🇸
Gut Feeling – Desparia
(shoegaze) (emo)
Toledo, OH 🇺🇸
Soot Sprite – Poltergeists
(indie-rock) (shoegaze)
Exeter, UK 🇬🇧
Bananas – Garun Ta Eztarri
(hardcore) (post-hardcore)
San Sebastian, Spain 🇪🇸
Tis the season to be jolly fa la la la laa la la laa laaaa! That’s right people Halloween was yesterday so get a different credit card out and keep consuming! The spirit of Christmas is everywhere! Oh the bows of holly! Oh the mistletoe a’plenty! The smell of pine needles and cinnamon! Joy to the world! Buy buy buy!!!!
Remember that song “Oi To The World”? Who did it better, The Vandals or No Doubt? If your answer is No Doubt, I would like to invite you to get out of my blog.
Ok good, now it’s just the two of us.
Seriously though if you are going to buy something, why not one of these fine albums here. They’re all reasonably priced and the profits will go to some struggling musicians who need new equipment, instead of Jeff Bezos who’s probably just going to use it for a face transplant reversal or something. What, you’re telling me that’s his original face and not a botched surgery? Wow, you’re so naïve. Wait till you find out where Aaron Neville’s mole came from.
Hey, make sure you check out the SCRAP HEAP for a whole lot of other great releases from October. It was a good month. Jingle all the way my friends.
ARTIFACTS UPDATE: Unearthing Rare Releases From the Past
Current – Coliseum
(1993) (emocore)
Detroit, MI 🇺🇸
Un.Real – Años Tape II
(late 90’s) (shoegaze)
Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
Asylum Kids – Solid Principles
(1982) (new-wave)
South Africa 🇿🇦
Len Bias – Show Your Work
(2004) (math-rock)
Washington, DC 🇺🇸
Cold Cold Hearts – S/T
(1997) (riot grrrl)
Washington, DC 🇺🇸
DrIvEn – How To Be A Punk Rocker Freak
(1997) (pop-punk)
Halifax, NS 🇨🇦
Kobie – Leavin Town
(2001) (pop-punk)
Akron, OH 🇺🇸
Blindside – Hope Rises
(1993) (shoegaze)
Melbourne, VIC 🇦🇺
The Walking Abortions – Child Labour ’94-’97
(mid 90’s) (teen-punk)
London, UK 🇬🇧
Top 5 Albums/EP’s That DON’T Suck [September 2021]
The Violent Hearts – Everything And..
(power-pop) (new-wave)
Bristol, UK 🇬🇧
Dolmens – The Gospel Toughs
(noise-pop) (post-punk)
Bangor, Maine 🇺🇸
Getaman – Geri Don Ve Nefes
(melodic-hardcore) (Emo)
Istanbul, Turkey 🇹🇷
Kayak Weather – Blue
(dream-pop) (shoegaze)
Cookeville, Tennessee 🇺🇸
Grave Saddles – You Thought You Were..
(indie-rock) (bummer-punk)
Hemet, California 🇺🇸
Oh hi. It’s me. I’m back. Did you have a nice summer? I hope so. Mine was ok.
There were a lot of great releases this summer I’m sure. I wouldn’t know. I was too busy being cool and not obsessing over new music. I’ve proven to myself that I can step away from it and the world doesn’t fall apart. There is still this nagging itch somewhere within me though, that says “what if you missed out on a really great album?”. To that voice I would like to say, please leave me alone.
So yeah, it’s time to get back to work. I think I’m going to go back to doing top fives instead of tens. That way you’re really just getting the cream of the cream of the crop, and it’s less work for me which means I can spend more time on other projects. You can always rummage through the SCRAP HEAP if you’re hungry for more of the less creamy of the cream crop. Let me tell you this: If you’re growing a crop of something right? and what you’re ending up with is cream? You ain’t no fucking farmer bro. Cream is such a disgusting word. Why would you name a band that?
TRAJECTORIES: Reflecting On The Moments When Music Changed Our Lives
How I Got Into One Of The Most Hated Punk Rock Bands Ever
I was 13 years old, sitting in my room, listening once again to either Dookie or Kerplunk by Green Day, when my brother came in. He rolled his eyes, he hated Green Day and hated that I was a fan of them. “Here, listen to this instead”, he commanded, handing me a CD with a yellow background and a weird black pattern on it. It said ‘Screeching Weasel Kill The Musicians’ on it. Color me intrigued. I put it on, and he had me skip to track 9, “you’re gonna love this, you can’t like Green Day and not like Screeching Weasel”.
The intro began, and I’m like “okay, this is fine so far I guess”, and then the fast part started which perked me up a bit. Then the singing started. At the age of 13 this was by far the funniest and one of the more shocking songs I had heard in my life (GWAR and Green Jell-O set the bar kinda high). I was immediately hooked. I started the CD from the beginning after that, and probably listened to the whole thing a few times on repeat that day. Eventually my brother asked for his CD, so I gave it back to him.
A while later my brother and one of his buddies were listening to something loudly in his room. I asked my mom if she knew what it was. “I think it’s that Screeching Weasel or whatever”. OH SHIT! I ran up there and popped my head in asking if it was indeed them again, and it was, this time a cassette of Wiggle. THERE WAS MORE?! After my brother and his buddy left, I swooped into his room and looked for whatever I could find, which was just Kill The Musicians again, which was just fine. I grabbed it up and listened to it as much as I could before he’d ask for it back again.
After another while he let me borrow BoogadaBoogadaBoogada from him, which again was just absolutely mind-blowing. I needed more Screeching Weasel, but I also needed more of…just music like this! I eventually bought my own copies of Kill The Musicians, Boogada, Wiggle, and an album I hadn’t heard yet called Anthem For A New Tomorrow. I listened to these religiously, along with my Green Day albums, wondering where I could go from here. Well, from there I’d go to Descendents, Bad Religion, 88 Fingers Louie, Pennywise, Dead Kennedys, and all the rest of what some dickweeds call “entry level punk”.
When I finally made a friend who was also into punk rock he told me that Screeching Weasel sucked and that their singer was one of the biggest assholes ever. I was like “well, no, they’re great, but why is he such an asshole?” He then showed me “The Punk Rock Dress Code”, an article Ben Weasel had written for Maximum Rock ‘n Roll. While reading it I asked my friend “Is he…is this for real? Does he mean it? What the fuck is this?!” (Also if you haven’t read that, please do, it’s so fucking stupid) Then I was shown more of his articles, and I was like “okay yeah he’s a douche BUT THE BAND FUCKING RULES!”
Well it turned out that most of the other into-punk-rock friends I’d meet along the way hated Ben Weasel and his band too, or would say “I only like Boogada” or “I only like My Brain Hurts”. Hell my favorite album by them is Wiggle, which basically no one agrees with. Then 2011 happened, and, uh…well Ben went from “lovable curmudgeon” to “irredeemable piece of shit”, but that’s a whole other can of worms.
Big thanks to Dan for writing this super relatable story. It’s so much like my own introduction to punk. Same album and everything. For those of you wo lack culture, you’re probably unaware that Dan is in a super fun punk outfit called Pantzig. Go listen to it here.
-SD
Top 10 Albums/EP’s That DON’T Suck [MAY 2021]
Press Color – Self Titled
(indie-punk) (new-wave)
Kansas City, MO 🇺🇸
Dim – To Realize It’s Own, The Earth
(post-hardcore) (emo)
Athens, GA 🇺🇸
The Mega Yeah – I Want To Believe
(pop-punk) (indie)
Nazareth , PA 🇺🇸
Real People – Give Guns To Hong Kong
(hardcore) (punk)
Hollywood, Florida 🇺🇸
Princess Of North Sudan – Состоящим..
(emo) (midwest-emo)
Moscow, Russia 🇷🇺
Grassbody – Ghosts..
(lo-fi) (indie-rock)
Sweden 🇸🇪
Courage Mother/Two Thumbs Down
(indie-punk) (emo)
Washington, DC 🇺🇸
Mini Skirt – Casino
(punk) (post-punk)
Byron Bay, Australia 🇦🇺
Roy Strong – Crestline
(indie-folk) (emo)
California 🇺🇸
Lubov – Eto Vlast
(post-punk) (new-wave)
St Petersburg, Russia 🇷🇺
Looks like we’ve got a couple repeat-offenders this month, to help us kick off summer (or winter if you live in the bottom-world). You may remember Dim from the best of 2018. Also The Mega Yeah are back. I have a feeling this won’t be the last we see of them, since they dropped a ridiculous THREE brand new releases in May! I suggest you go listen to all of them because none of it sucks. Former Doesn’t Suck all-stars Pencildive also put out a brand new album that didn’t quite make the Top Ten this time, but is definitely unsucky af.
I hope this summer is a good one. Many parts of the world are slowly starting to resemble normal again. And by normal, I mean a completely disgraceful mess of disgusting human behavior but with indoor dining!
Here in Vancouver things are progressing slowly. I’ve only had my first vaccination but I’m still looking forward to enjoying the summer and getting out and into the wilderness far more than last summer. I really feel like I missed an important recharge because of the lockdown last year. I can’t spend these precious months indoors with headphones on, which leads me to..
AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The Doesn’t Suck Top Ten is going on vacation. That’s right I’m taking the summer off. I know all three of you are disappointed but you’ll get over it. The next Top Ten will be for September. Until then, I’ll be kicking around on twitter and the DS Facebook Group, and I may do some kind of random sporadic posting here on the blog should I feel so inspired.
Hope you all have a good summer/winter.
Tah tah muthafuckaaaaas!
Top 10 Albums/EP’s That DON’T Suck [APRIL 2021]
Skullcrusher – Storm In Summer
(emo) (indie-folk)
Los Angeles, CA
Her New Knife – Destroza
(shoegaze) (noise-rock)
Tallahassee, FL
Foreign Bronze – The Far Arena
(post-hardcore) (screamo)
Los Angeles, CA
Evan Greer – Spotify Is Surveillance
(indie-punk) (queer-punk)
Boston, MA
Buckets – Self Titled
(indie-punk) (garage)
Los Angeles, CA
The Shivvies – Self Titled
(ramones-core) (pop-punk)
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Learners – Thousands Of Hours
(post-punk) (sci-fi)
Brooklyn, NY
Core Bee – Sit And Drink
(folk-punk) (pop-punk)
Barrie, Ontario
Crimen – C.R.I.M.E.N.
(punk) (hardcore)
Duitama, Columbia
Rata Negra – Una Vida Vulgar
(punk) (garage-punk)
Madrid, Spain
The top ten is kinda late this month. I’ve been a bit busy ok. It doesn’t seem to matter how much is going on though, or how tired I am.. I always seem to make time to search for new music. I can’t stop. It’s an addiction. I don’t get high off it though. Nope, not even chasing the dragon anymore. I’m at the point now where I do this just to keep from shaking.
Happy Anniversary The Doesn’t Suck! You’re officially four years old! You have a lot of music in you. I put it there. Yeah I put it in you. You’re so full of music dood. When I first met you you were all “Hey I’m a big empty website! Gosh I wish I had some music in me, wah wah wah”. Then I came along and I’m like “Hey I found a whole bunch of music, uhh can I keep it here?” and you’re like “Sure!” then I’m like “Here you go!” and you’re like “Ohhh, it’s this type of music” and I just shrugged my shoulders. Ohhh how we laughed! Hahahahaha
Anyway here we are, still crazy after all these years. I’m not the kind of man who tends to socialize. I seem to lean on old familiar ways, and I ain’t no fool for love songs that whisper in my ears. Still crazy after all these years.
Ohhhhh!
Still crazy after all yeez thears!
Check out the SCRAP HEAP for a ton more rad albums from April.
Bye.
Top 10 Albums/EP’s That DON’T Suck [MARCH 2021]
Closer – Within One Stem
(hardcore) (post-hardcore)
New York City 🇺🇸
Courtesy Drop – Argonaut
(indie-rock) (indie-punk)
Nashville, TN 🇺🇸
Kill Scott Herron – The Revolution..
(hardcore) (rap)
Newark, NJ 🇺🇸
Twin Crystals – Palace Obscured
(hardwave) (punk)
Vancouver, BC 🇨🇦
The Drin – Engines Sing..
(coldwave) (post-punk)
Cincinnati, OH 🇺🇸
Home Is Where – I Became Birds
(emo) (indie-rock)
Palm Coast, FL 🇺🇸
Nanny – Can’t Remember Can’t Forget
(indie-punk) (powerpop)
Northampton, MA 🇺🇸
Clever Girls – Constellations
(indie-rock) (grunge)
Burlington, VT 🇺🇸
Angry Silence – Les Prives D’amour..
(post-punk) (indie)
Le Vieux Marché, France 🇫🇷
Elsewhere – Первый
(emo) (midwest emo)
Moscow, Russia 🇷🇺
If you listen to the music, if you let it just break you up into bits and pieces. If you don’t for a moment look away from the ever bleeding heart. If you sneak away to the dark end of the street. If You wait till it freezes. If you wait till it thaws! If you think about it. I mean if you really think about it. If you get in your car and drive to the nearest island. If you get in the water and sink. If you try to write down how it feels. If you ask your friends and they tell you you’re ok. If you believe it. If you think about it. I mean! If you really think about it! Are you awake? Are you even awake anymore? Do you hear it winding down? I know you’re awake yeah, but if you really think! If you really think about it. If the sky was a lie. If you breathe. If you let yourself breathe. If, whatever this is, enters your lungs. If you get used to it, so it doesn’t make you choke anymore. If you’re not alone. If you slip! If you’re really not alone. Who is there with you when the tide goes out? I mean all the way out. I mean if you’re standing on the seaweed fool! I mean if life is really that movie. That movie! You know the one with the guy.. The guy with the nose! The music! You think you’re the only one who hears it like that? That ever bleeding heart? You are right. You are looking back. You’re letting it play. The sun was shining. Of course it was. Wasn’t it always? You should know, if you really think about it! There were days when it rained. Days when the sky lied. Those were the days you had that idea. You were awake! If you really think about it! I mean if you really think about it! I mean, if you really listen to the music! You were there. Letting it play.
Top 10 Albums/EP’s That DON’T Suck [FEBRUARY 2021]
KEEKs – Heal
(post-punk) (emo) (indiemath?)
Claremont, CA 🇺🇸
The Lowtones – Lights Out
(new-wave) (post-punk)
Norwich, UK 🇬🇧
Pillow Dog – Happy Heart Attack v1
(lo-fi) (bedroom)
Bielefeld, Germany 🇩🇪
Dad Weight/Prahnas – Split
(lo-fi-emo) (garage-punk)
Arizona/Arkansas 🇺🇸
Rotura – Estamos Fracasando
(anarcho) (punk rock)
Barcelona, Spain 🇪🇸
Golden Seams – Sublimons les Blessures
(emo) (pop-punk)
France 🇫🇷
Supercorp – Lissajous I
(indie-punk) (emo)
Chicago, IL 🇺🇸
The Gubs – Diasy Cutter Genocide
(pop-punk) (ramonescore)
Maine 🇺🇸
Unwell – Self Titled
(indie-rock) (shoegaze)
Balikpapan, Indonesia 🇮🇩
Lhoste – Self Titled
(pop-punk) (emo)
Cologne, Germany 🇩🇪
I’ve been listening to a lot of Slint lately. I read the 33.3 about Spiderland and it kind of blew me away. I was way late getting into them. I think the first time I listened to that album was less than ten years ago. It got me thinking, how cool must you feel if you were one of the people who got to see them live back in the day? If I had seen Slint play back then I would rub it in everyone’s face at every available opportunity. I would feel way holier than thou! I would be cutting in front of people at the grocery store like “Did you see Slint in ’89?!? Huh??? Didn’t think so! *spits at their feet”
It happens to me all the time; I meet people who were there at the beginning of (insert massively legendary band here). I don’t have that. I don’t even think I’ve ever bought an album by an important band when they were just starting out. Maybe that’s why I do what I do now. I want to get in on the ground floor of something big! Who knows, maybe one of the bands in this top ten will end up being super important someday. Then I can gloat “I was there first! I said they were great in the beginning! What? Fuck me? No fuck you! What? You saw Slint? FUCK!”
Yeah. Anyways, check out the SCRAP HEAP and send me an email about how you were into a really important band before everyone else was.
Bye.
COMPOST (February 2021)
Hey, what’s up you goddamn music vampie? Thirsty for a huge bleeding sack of new bands? Here, suck on this for a while you crazed psychopath. When you’re done here, get some sleep. Seriously, you look terrible.
The Doesn't Suck 