Revisiting some old favorites - Weekly Music Rec

Revisiting some old favorites this week that I think everyone should hear...


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1. Jeromes Dream - Completed (Discography) (1997-2001)
genre: post-hardcore, screamo
FFO: Cap'n Jazz, Squirrel Bait, City of Caterpillar
Rating: 9/10

  quintessential listening for anyone who considers themselves a fan of emo music, no matter what iteration. layers of intense and emotional vocals, chaotic drums, varying tempos, and guitars that are so expertly intertwined that you barely notice they are heavy... sonically dense it is difficult to parse through each release on it's own, this is a band I would rather consume as complete. this is about as close to metal I will get other than the "cores".
  as far as jeromes dream's standing in the history of emo/post-hardcore they are pioneers and tenets of the genre during the second wave. to make it sweeter, they are still making music and came out with an incredibly solid album as recently as 2023. for the rating this would be perfect but points docked for sameness. like I said I think jeromes dream should be consumed as a whole because of this. over the years they have maintained a distinct sound that is displayed nimbly and toes the line between listenable and harsh. feels like ambling around your hometown on a cold yet surprisingly dry winter's day.
  songs I would recommend: what other adjective..., denim paradise, untitled number two. basically, listen to their whole discography to experience them as a whole I just <3 jeromes dream.

2. Deeper - Auto-Pain (2021)
genre: post-punk revival, indie rock
FFO: amyl & the sniffers, gee tee, the cars, gary numan
rating: 8/10

synthy post-punk, classic driving bass, jangly guitars, some drum machine. very reminiscent of the cars self-titled. a little funky and jazzy at times, you can tell there are influences of noise and definitely jazz-inspired drums. feels like you're a 60's waif driving in your old corvette, head scarf blowing in the wind and drinking a bottle of coca cola. feels like an alternative club in the 80's offering goth and new wave music to a time-travelling homosexual couple... perfectly odd and weird but also somehow at the same time wrapped tightly. songs I would recommend: V.M.C., esoteric, spray paint, this heat

3. Blood Brothers - March on Electric Children (2002)
genre: sasscore, sassy screamo
FFO: i hate sex, brainiac, black eyes, melt-banana
rating: 9/10 point deducted for sameness

lesser known album from the kings of sasscore. chaotic, energetic, frantic, and at times- crude as a lot of sasscore can be. feels like spazzing out in a house basement, the heat collecting from the density of bodies packed into a small area...  I would say this release is less offensive than a lot of the myspace-era sasscore you might encounter. songs I would recommend: death leather, title track, siamese gun

4. The Rationals - Think Rational! (compilation, recorded 1965-1968)
genre: garage rock, proto-punk
FFO: the kinks, early rolling stones, the troggs
rating: 10/10

bluesy guitar and vocal-driven soulful garage punk. the vocalist is expending a lot of energy crooning on about some "little ladies". for me, I just love a band of haircuts and outfits, and the rationals really do it for my modern pop-influenced sensibilities. knock on wood is one of the strongest tracks and an excellent rendition of the classic by eddie floyd. feels like smoking outside the car hop joint checking out girls as they saunter by in their skirts. songs I would recommend: knock on wood, I gotta go now, I need you

artist recommendation: Digital Leather
genre: synth punk, lo-fi
FFO: the gories, jay reatard, teengenerate

multi-instrumentalist shawn foree is an associate of and was once managed by jay reatard and his label, shattered records. what would you expect from the memphis-based label other than the highest quality synth punk and weirdest lo-fi? songs I recommend: pleasurebot, she had a cameltoe, hurts so bad. I like the early stuff from this artist! as with most artists. I will probably feature more from jay's label as I am a huge JLL Jr. fan and that label has a lot of cool underground stuff to offer. :)

Thank you for reading,
Lizzy