BEAR FIGHT: California Punk Rock: Download

Bear Fight is a four piece punk band hailing from Pico Rivera, Fullerton, & Newport Beach and based in the LA/OC area of California. These guys play punk mixed with hardcore that is fast, melodic, & dynamic.

We have five songs on this album and they are tightly played and full of energy, just what the Dr ordered for relief of shitty pop music. The band sings about Facebook (“Facebook Freakout”), and Justin Beiber (“Belieber”), so you should be prepared to have a sense of humor, but don’t think that they are just another bunch of goofs singing silly songs, they know how to write a song and make you think of just how stupid shit can be. The songs have a nice snotty attitude to them, mostly because of the vocals, but the songs are gritty and have a few awesome solos mixed in that really stand out, like on “So Frustrating,” a fantastic song.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and felt that they have a keen grasp of what’s going on today and can pair that with a more classic punk rock sound. I have to look out for more releases from this band, they really are a treat.

https://www.facebook.com/dreampollution

http://bearfightmusic.bandcamp.com/album/bear-fight

https://www.facebook.com/basementrecords

https://basementrec.bandcamp.com/album/california-punk-rock

http://www.basementrecords.com/

HOT BLOOD: Overcome Part 1: Digital Release

Hot Blood was formed in Red Bank, New Jersey in 2013. Their first release NO KINGS was put out on Asbury Park based record label Little Dickman Records in April 2014. This new single has four blazing hardcore tracks that come at you with the force of lightning and knock you on your ass.

“Rust” opens the album with the pounding drums of Billy Straniero before the guitars kick in and we are in the middle of a raging storm of power and energy. The song is a great start to the single. “Blood On My Hands” takes that power and amps it up a few notches more, so much that you are scared that the band is going to explode and cave in your head with the devastation on display. Now this is hardcore that doesn’t veer off into metal wanking or forget its roots in punk. “Cop in a Tank” talks about the police and the troubles that people have with the bad cops that are not there to help you. The song has so much venom and bitterness towards those police officers and hits close to home for a lot of people. “Class Warfare” has vocalist Mat Kiley starting things off with the banshee yell of “This Is A War” and he never lets up on the raw emotions that he has in this song. The band pounds away behind him, barely holding it together until they finally come to a thundering end.

This is one tight band, with emotional and pertinent lyrics that although have been brought up in the past, still need to be addressed. The band is exactly what the hardcore scene needs now, a group to be grounded in the past, but still playing in the here and now, giving the listener everything that they have and more.

https://www.facebook.com/HotBloodNJ

https://hotbloodnj.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/basementrecords

https://basementrec.bandcamp.com/album/overcome-part-1

http://www.basementrecords.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Dickman-Records/286423488125706

http://www.littledickman.com/

MODERN DIVISION: Self-titled: CD

This punk rock band from Fullerton, CA comes at you in full force on this album. This trio holds nothing back with their songs about social issues, breakups and overall displeasure with life, all handled with hooks and heartfelt playing.

This isn’t a heavy album, but it sure isn’t wimpy at all, the tracks are tight, quick, peppy, and played with power. These guys Blast through ten songs, and although they are a young band, the music on this album sounds more like the work of seasoned veterans. With the powerful, gruff vocals and precision punk rock that they play that’s not overly produced, you get the feeling that they are giving you their all on every track. Every song is a potential favorite, just pick one and let the punk goodness hit you between the eyes.

This was a very cool album with potential to be your favorite band all over it. I’m sure that they thought that this was going to be a good mix of songs to get more fans, wrong, it’s a great set of songs that will get them fans.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Modern-Division/278602665648273

https://www.facebook.com/basementrecords

http://www.basementrecords.com/#!

https://basementrec.bandcamp.com/album/modern-division

BULLET TREATMENT: Ex-Breathers: CD

This album is eight songs and clocks in at about nine and a half minutes. This is furious, fast, loud punk rock at its best. Orange County, California’s BULLET TREATMENT is one of one punk rock’s most unique bands, featuring a revolving door membership, with the only constant member being mastermind Chuck Dietrich.

The overall tone of the album is pretty much angry and aggressive, which made for a very exciting listen. With six songs clocking in at just under six minutes of angry, fast hardcore punk and lyrically tackling topics such as broken loyalties, life in a police state and even abuses by the catholic church, this was a whirlwind of an album, luckily they threw in two bonus tracks that gave me more of their intense and devastating power.

This is what punk rock is supposed to be: raw, angry and fast. “Ex-Breathers” is well worth your money and devotion.

https://www.facebook.com/bullettreatment  http://bullettreatment.bandcamp.com/album/ex-breathers

https://www.facebook.com/basementrecords  http://www.basementrecords.com/

THE LONESOME ONES: Far From Here: CD

Far From Here is the debut release from THE LONESOME ONES and features the veteran musicianship of such hard rocking bands as LOS INFERNOS, SECOND CHANCE, LONGWAY and The LEGENDARY SWAGGER. The album is a blend of 60′s garage rock with a little bit of punk rock attitude and features guest appearances by Pete Dee from The ADICTS, Jake Cavalier from The LORDS OF ALTAMONT, Brophy Dale from LEE ROCKER, Geoff Yeaton The LEGENDARY SWAGGER and Vanessa Soto.

On “Set Me Free” things start off with some feedback and then the jump into a garage rock song that has some rockabilly twang to it mixed with a touch of punk, vocals that are a bit rough sounding, guitar playing that grabs you and a chorus that gets into your head really easily. “You Lied” has a strong rockabilly vibe that makes you want to get up and dance to from the get-go, “Far From Here” was made into a video and has some of the best guitar playing on the album, you can see why this song was made into a video, catchy, great playing and it has the feel of HAVANA 3AM which is cool. “Is She There Or Gone?” has great saxophone and was a nice change of pace with the 1950s sound that it gave the song. Other songs that made the replay button were “Leave Me Alone”, “Strings”, “Freedom” and their cover of “House Of The Rising Sun” which was dirty sounding and just made it one of the better covers of that song that I have ever heard.

With the great playing and songs on this album, these guys should be getting tons of exposure like they did on an episode of MTV’s Ridiculousness. You need to grab this album and make them a household name, you will be playing this album a lot, I know that this will be on repeat in my stereo.

https://www.facebook.com/thelonesomeones  http://www.thelonesomeones.com/  https://www.facebook.com/basementrecords  http://www.basementrecords.com/