What We Hate

Rediscovered: Pele

I used to tell myself I couldn't get into instrumental bands because of how self-indulgent it seemed and how self-important they often portrayed themselves as, but that was pretty stupid. A lot of bands, vocals or not, are like that, and furthermore, who the hell am I to judge? Really, I just enjoy music that has the ability to hold my attention, and after two years of doing this and hearing hundreds of records in the process I've found there are some instrumental records that are capable of doing just that, and a shitload of records with vocals that aren't.

Milwaukee's Pele are one of my favorite instrumental bands because their music works on so many levels. If you're just looking for a studying soundtrack, something you can put in the background and forget about, they're that band. Conversely, if you want to sit back, get comfortable and really pay attention to what's happening in their songs, they're that band too. Their brand of jazzy, sometimes atmospheric post-rock contains many textures and nuances noticeable only by an attentive listener, but at the same time it's light and fun enough to not be a completely draining listen. These guys weren't afraid to improvise and experiment, either.

"Crisis Win", from 2002's Enemies is my selection, and it's eight minutes of pure fun. Lots of handclaps, more rolling drums than you can shake a stick at, and just a dash of electronics added for taste. It's streaming after the jump.

Rediscovered: Deftones

I really feel like the Deftones get a bad rap -- no pun intended -- when they're lumped in with the unfortunate rap-metal boom of the late 90s. Chino Moreno never really rapped (not well, anyway) and the rest of the band is way too talented to be pigeonholed into a genre that severely lacks substance. Seriously, Abe Cunningham is one of the best rock drummers of all time, and I'll argue that until I'm out of breath.

Then there's the whole staying power thing -- what other bands from those days are still going strong, touring regularly and selling a decent amount of records? Korn, maybe? They never rapped either, although they sure were shitty. Their inexplicable staying power notwithstanding, who else is there?

This may or may not be true, but I think the Deftones sound that the band has crafted and perfected over the years was more influenced by bands such as Jawbox, My Bloody Valentine and The Cure than say, Anthrax and Public Enemy. Their instrumentation has always been more intricate, atmospheric, darker and better suited for successful experimentation than that of their contemporaries. Moreno's lyrics have always been more abstract and interesting than any other nu metal band singing about getting laid or beating up jocks.

There's a multitude of tracks I could choose for this feature, but I figured it'd be a good idea to throw something a little more rare at you. "The Boy's Republic" was placed on a couple limited edition releases of the band's 2000 masterpiece, White Pony that are likely no longer available. The song's base is melodic, helped along by Moreno's distinct vocal style, but there's also an underlying aggression that exists only on the peripheral sides of the song. You really have to listen to it to notice it, and to do that you can click after the jump and stream the song.

Rediscovered: Smoking Popes

When sorely missed, seminal bands from days gone by decide to give it another go, hardcore fans will wonder if it's for the right reasons. And no, 'to pay the bills' isn't on that list. If a band wants to get back together for fun, for the fans, because it feels right, whatever, then that's usually cool. There have been a shit ton of reunions in the last couple of years, both large and small. Some bands have reunited to solely tour on the classics while others have gone full steam ahead, writing and releasing new material.

Smoking Popes first disbanded back in 1999, mostly due to frontman Josh Caterer's conversion to Christianity and the subsequent difficulty of incorporating that into the sound of the band. In 2001, Double Zero records posthumously released The Party's Over, a covers album rejected three years earlier by the band's label, Capitol.

The Popes reunion didn't appear permanent at first glance -- the band got together for a Chicago show in 2005, and released a live album and accompanying DVD of said show to what seemed to be unexpected success. One thing led to another and that show turned into a full tour with Bayside in 2006, and earlier this year the band issued Stay Down, their first studio album of original material in 11 years.

Admittedly, I was late to the Smoking Popes party. But as 'they' always say, better late than never. A bootlegged live recording of "Let's Hear It For Love" was my introduction to the band, ripped from Napster back in the Wild West days of internet file-sharing. Paying closer attention to the lyrics I was singing along to, I found Caterer's sardonic idea of 'love' in the song biting, unfortunate and yes, a little humorous. The song first appeared on 1993's Get Fired, which I believe is long out-of-print, and was re-recorded for 1997's Destination Failure, and that's the version streaming after the jump.

Rediscovered: Descendents

I feel like Mike should be writing this, but I'll do the best I can.

1987's ALL isn't generally regarded as the Descendents' best work, but it was the first record of theirs I'd heard so it continues to hold a special place in my heart. Many years ago, I happened upon a vinyl copy of ALL at a used record store where my best friend worked. It wasn't in great condition, but knowing I'd regret not buying it, I made the transaction. It was one of the first records I'd ever bought myself, and probably the first punk record I owned on vinyl. I listened to it so much that the record began to skip, and I still regularly listen to it today, skips and all. The musicianship of this band is absurd -- how four guys can sound like they're all playing different songs at different tempos, yet still create something cohesive and memorable is beyond all logic. And yeah, Milo Goes To College and I Don't Want To Grow Up probably are better records overall, but I'll defend the importance of  ALL to my grave.

ALL was the last record Descendents released before a nine year hiatus. The band returned in 1996 with the relatively awesome Everything Sucks, and then after another hiatus, 2004's excellent Cool To Be You. Though they haven't officially broken up, it's unclear when or if they'll record again.

"Coolidge" is the track streaming after the jump, and it's a bonafide Descendents classic.

Rediscovered: AFI

I know you meddling kids are probably too young to remember this, but back in the day AFI was a punk band. I can tell by your collective gasps that you're surprised, perhaps befuddled. It's true, though! East Bay Hardcore? EBHC? That ring a bell? Sigh. The band had songs in their repetoire like "I Wanna Get a Mohawk (But Mom Won't Let Me Get One)" among others, and admittedly a lot of these songs are really dumb, but they're like "Bohemian Rhapsody" compared to songs like "Love Like Winter".

1997's Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes was the last real 'punk' record AFI made before taking a turn toward the dark side and injecting horror and gothic themes into their music. Can't really fault the dudes for making the change, as it's afforded them great success. And they've been together for 17 years now, and have had the same lineup for 10 of those years. This is just speculation, but it seems like they 'paid their dues'.

The track streaming after the jump is "Let It Be Broke", and it's one of the hardest, most visceral songs the band recorded in their early days. The chorus is surprisingly heavy and the gang vocals are pretty huge. A prize goes to the first person who can decipher what Davey Havok is screaming in the verses -- no cheating!

Rediscovered: Latterman

While their spinoff bands (Bridge and Tunnel, the no longer together Shorebirds) seem to have excited fans, Latterman is indeed sorely missed from the ranks of positive punk rock with dual shouting (is there even another band you could describe as such?). While the records were great, the band really shined in a live setting, with their enthusiasm and positive energy contagious and their passion on display for all to see.

Latterman really began to garner a lot of attention with 2005's No Matter Where We Go...!, where despite their humorous titles, songs like "Doom! Doom! Doom!" and "Video Games and Fantasy Novels are Fucking Awesome!" helped endear the band's overall message of positivity to fans and should be considered classic jams of the aughts when all is said and done.

With Deep Elm being completely stoked on the band (and after years of releasing mediocre emo records we can't totally blame 'em) the label reissued the band's 2002 debut, Turn Up The Punk, We'll Be Singing that was another awesome collection of positive punk rock. That record's closing track, "For Someone So Easy Going, You Sure Wear Pants A Lot" is a five minute opus that features some surprisingly solid guitar solos that double as the song's hook, emphatic, infectious shouting and a simple-yet-effective high-tempo base.

I highly recommend you check out the stream after the jump.

Rediscovered: The Undertones

This month marks the 30th anniversary of "Teenage Kicks", seminal single from Irish punk band The Undertones. Punknews.org has a much better article about it than I could ever write, so check that out. The band is commemorating the anniversary with a digital single, a limited edition 7" and an anthology collection, the aptly titled The Undertones - An Anthology, featuring a metric buttload of unreleased material.

There isn't much I can post about "Teenage Kicks" that hasn't already been written. To me, it's one of the most 'perfect' songs I've ever heard -- by 'perfect' I mean it has a memorable, recognizable hook, there's no distracting frills, the running time is reasonable, etc. The lyrics might be a little cheesy, but are par for the course for a band directly influenced by pop groups of the 60s and 70s.

I'm sure we've got some readers who've never heard the song, so if you're new to "Teenage Kicks" I'd recommend checking out the stream after the jump.

Rediscovered: The Ergs!

The Ergs! announced their breakup this week, and while it's a bummer and a half to see them go, we'll always have the memories. That jazzy, awkward, rough pop-punk sound that owed a lot to The Descendents and The Replacements. The unapologetic, endearing nerdiness of its members that reminded us all that we're probably not nearly as cool as we think we are. The energetic, fun live shows that bewildered newcomers in the back of the room ("Where the hell is the singing coming from?"), and so on.

More words, streaming music and video after the jump.

Rediscovered: The New Trust

When consuming music on such a gargantuan basis, it can be easy for bands to slip through the cracks amidst all the activity. The 'meaning' or 'experience' is arguably cheapened at times when buying/comping dozens of records every month, and some very enjoyable music can often receive nothing more than a first listen. Then when you're least expecting it, a record unexpectedly returns to your psyche, hitting you with a sledgehammer of memories and regrets over ignoring it for all these years. It could come from anywhere -- seeing an old friend, watching a show or movie, or even just thumbing through your CD collection on a lazy Saturday afternoon. "Holy shit, I completely forgot I even had this!", you might say to yourself. All that's left is to stick the disc in your player and reminisce.

With that said, the existence of The New Trust had completely slipped my mind up until a few days ago.

More words, streaming music and video after the jump.

Rediscovered: Samiam

This week we're taking an extended trip in the wayback machine -- all the way to 1994, which was a big year for rock. Dookie and Smash both hit store shelves and changed punk rock forever for a special group of kids (yours truly included), Weezer released arguably the greatest debut rock record of the last 25 years, and Kurt Cobain was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. That same year also saw seminal releases from some of punk's more unheralded bands (at least at the time). Jawbreaker unleashed what many believe to be their masterpiece in 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, Rancid and NOFX made names for themselves in the scene with Let's Go! and Punk in Drublic respectively, and Samiam tasted their first (and only) bite of mainstream success with Clumsy, their lone release for Atlantic Records.

More words, streaming music and video after the jump.