Common Rider - Thief in a Sleeping Town (2001)

Common Rider is one of my favorite bands and it pains me to see their two full length albums get such little attention, from anyone. The fact that their 2001 four-track EP Thief in a Sleeping Town was hardly noticed at all (allmusic.com doesn't even list it) is almost criminal as it represents a high point for the band and (ex-Op Ivy) frontman Jessie Michaels. Michaels brings his characteristic energy and passion to the songwriting, vocals and guitar work in traditional punk fashion in stark contrast to Common Rider's usual "post-ska" approach.

With only one track barely past the two minute mark, this blistering EP is over before you know it and leaves you wanting more. The lyrics deal with personal demons, the value of social activism and the pitfalls of modern society and are delivered with the energy, passion and conviction that define Michaels. More reminiscent of early Op Ivy songs than anything else Common Rider ever did, you could easily mistake Thief in a Sleeping Town for something written in 1987 by an overly-ideal punk band... and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The only stylistic outlier is the end track "What the Heart Looks Like When it's Hot" which is an intentionally laid-back ska tribute that sounds oddly like the extended version of "Healthy Body".

Any fan of Common Rider, Operation Ivy or punk in general needs to give this gem a listen, now. Even those that shy away from punk should give Thief in a Sleeping Town a chance because of the exceptional intensity and care put into every track.

>> Download

Mesa Verde - The Old Road (2008)

Mesa Verde, originally hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, is another up-and-coming act from the hardcore/screamo scene. They released two solid EPs over the course of 2005 and 2006, and have finally returned this year with their first full-length LP.

Their post-rock driven style of screamo (influenced by bands like City of Caterpillar, no doubt) is just chalk-full of raw emotion, with harsh, biting vocals delivered upon layers of clean and distorted guitars and monstrous drum fills.

Anybody who is familiar with some of the more underground screamo bands probably knows what to expect here. Moments of absolute chaos are broken up by slow, calm instrumental segments that inevitably transition into more distorted guitars and passionate screaming.

And while Mesa Verde doesn't really push any of the genre's boundaries forward, they do what they do well. Very well in fact, and that's good enough for me.

>> Download

Between the Buried and Me - Colors_LIVE (2008)

The audio portion of Between The Buried And Me's upcoming live CD/DVD combo was leaked onto the internet just a few short hours ago. The show was filmed at the Rocketown in Nashville, Tennessee on August 2, 2008 and consisted of two different sets; the first set is Colors in its entirety, while the second includes a number of different songs from the band's previous releases. Unfortunately, the audio CD only covers the first set, so you'll need to actually buy the DVD (or acquire it elsewhere) in order to check out the insanely awesome second setlist. In regards to just the audio CD though, the band performs what is a pretty much a flawless rendition of their epic progressive metal album. I can't really recommend listening to it over the actual studio album however, unless you already love Colors and simply want to hear it performed live. Of course, this package really is all about watching the performance on DVD, so check that out to get the full experience.

>> Download

These Arms Are Snakes - Tail Swallower And Dove (2008)

These Arms Are Snakes is a Seatle-based experimental post-hardcore band that formed after the breakup of the highly influential mathcore band Botch. Botch bassist Brian Cook joined up with members of Nineironspitfire and Kill Sadie to form These Arms Are Snakes sometime in 2003 (other members of Botch went on to form bands such as Minus The Bear, Roy, and Narrows). The band has currently released two full-length albums and is set to release their third, Tail Swallower And Dove, early this month. It's easily the most listener-accessible album they've released to date, with less focus on experimentation and more on solid songwriting and memorable, hard-hitting guitar riffs. I could see some people preferring this over the more experimental Oxeneers or the Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home, but my money still goes on the latter as being the better album.

>> Download

American Football - American Football (1999)

There haven't been any new releases in the past several weeks that have caught my eye, so instead of just sitting idly by with no updates, I thought I'd share an album I've been digging a lot lately. American Football was started in 1997 by multi-instrumentalist Mike Kinsella (formerly of Cap'n Jazz and Joan Of Arc and currently of Owen) in Urbana, Illinois.

Although the band was only together for a few short years, their one and only album has become somewhat of an underground classic in recent years. One of the most defining aspects of the album is that it is so easy to listen to, but difficult to fully explore and grasp, even upon multiple listens. The music can come off as rather simplistic at times, but underneath the jazzy drums and guitar lines are subtle melodic touches that really bring out the beauty and atmosphere of the album. Probably one of the last great emo albums.

>> Download