Bleached - "Ride Your Heart"

Okay, so you've gotten out of bed, taken that shower, and now you want to head to the beach.  But you need some driving music for that road trip!  And what to listen to on the boom box when you are playing volleyball or flipping burgers?  Don't worry, humanoids.  Monster Poison loves you, as do Jennifer and Jessica Clavin.  The two sisters who make up the backbone of Bleached have mastered the art of brewing up tasty garage punk concoctions.  Their debut album was released last year, and if you haven't been exposed to "Ride Your Heart," then you have been missing out this whole time.  The combination of riffs and Jen Clavin's melodic caterwauling is so charmingly endearing that you can't help but smile when this band plays.  Slather on the sunscreen, because "Waiting By The Telephone" is a scorching slice of yearning for that special guy.  Jump in the water and splash along with the bouncy girl-group harmonies of "Searching Through The Past."  "Dead Boy" builds up fuzzy low-end sandcastles before stomping them flat with childlike glee.  Hey, I think those burgers are done!  But don't worry,  these Burger Girls will still be kicking out the jams for your beach blanket bonanza even after you start to feel sick from pounding one too many in the hot sun.

BLEACHED - "RIDE YOUR HEART"

Dead Oceans Records 2013

Try it

Cult Ritual - "LP1"

Taken from Wikipedia: "The mineral pyrite or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS₂. This mineral's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue give it a superficial resemblance to gold, hence the well-known nickname of "fool's gold.""  That being said, feel free to enjoy the debut and final LP from Cult Ritual.  Ugly, abrasive, and frightening at times, it's a perfect listen for a bad day.  I missed them on tour in 2009 because I'm a poser who only got into them that summer, but I'll never forget the first time I listened to these songs.  I was on a bicycle around midnight, and I felt like someone was going to dart out of an alleyway with a knife at some point.  A truly unsettling experience if you have the guts to listen to it on headphones at full volume.  I've also decided to be kind & include a link to the lyrics sheet so you can sing along at home.  You remember "Disney's Sing Along Songs," right?  This is just like that.  Come on, kids, follow the bouncing ball!

"JUST CRUSH MY FACE UNDER THE WEIGHT OF YOUR SUCCESS"

CULT RITUAL - "LP1"

Youth Attack Records 2009

Try it

Hank Wood & The Hammerheads - "Stay Home"

Hoo boy, is this ever a corker.  Hank Wood & The Hammerheads have really outdone themselves on their sophomore outing.  Debut "Go Home" was a rawkin' slab of garage punk that captured hearts and repulsed ears all over the country.  I wondered how they'd ever be able to top the vitriolic disgust of "Murder" and "I Don't Play Games."  However, "Stay Home" doesn't go down that road.  Still an ugly, bumpy, distorted ride, Mr. Hill & Co. have instead decided to focus on adding keyboard flourishes and jamming as many killer riffs into these songs as possible.  The result is something as compellingly nauseating as Chicken McNuggets: you know there's pink slime underneath the synth breading of "The Ghost" (the circle),  "In Bookings" (the boot) and "In Space" (the diamond), but you just want to keep cramming them into your mouth.  More fries please, and keep the sauce coming.

HANK WOOD & THE HAMMERHEADS - "STAY HOME!"

Toxic State Records 2014

Try it

Pop. 1280 - "The Horror"

A callback to the untamed wilds of NYC during the 80's No-Wave heyday, Pop. 1280 manage to be their own unique beast while simultaneously drawing from various aspects of the New York noise scene.  Listen to the stabbing synths and tribal ferocity of album centerpiece "Bodies In The Dunes" for a perfect example of how the group combines punk and industrial music into a revolting yet compelling concoction.  Much critical attention has been paid to the opening snarl of "Two dogs fucking/digging for gold" from lead-off track "Burn The Worm."  However, a closer inspection of the lyrics to this album find them to be not only bleak and disturbing, but also containing a deliciously self-aware sense of dark humor.  "The thing about dogs is that they don't know what they're doin'/I want you to beg like a human" may be the couplet that best sums up Pop. 1280's manifesto: they know they're creeps, and they thrive on that expression you make when you come back for more abuse.  They're the ones holding the leash and they like when you beg.  Make sure you say "please" when you ask them for another.

POP. 1280 - "THE HORROR"

Sacred Bones Records 2012

Try it

Makthaverskan - "Makthaverskan II"

Personal relationships are funny things.  When two people are involved romantically, they idealize and value each other so much.  Almost nothing can bring them closer together.  However, the dissolution of such a partnership can cause the emotional equivalent of a grenade going off in the palm of your hand, and that person who you once thought so highly of is now persona non grata in your mind.  Art is wonderful because it allows for the filtration of these combustible & deeply personal feelings into something universal.  Who hasn't experienced the sting of heartbreak, the ache of rejection or the burning bile towards someone who is using you?  Gothenberg, Sweden's Makthaverskan certainly have, and they understand if you are still feeling bitter.  Channeling rage, wistfulness and unrequited love into a tuneful howl of longing, Maja Milner forces her crystalline voice through a backdrop of crashing drums, garage-ready riffs and synth-accented post-punk rhythm to convey the maelstrom of turbulence that comes along with modern romance.  Their second full-length album, "II" has been picked up for Stateside re-release by Run For Cover records with good reason.  From start to finish, this 9-song collection is exactly what you'll need to get you through that next bad break-up.  Listen to the soaring, spiteful non-chorus of "Antabus," the Cocteau Twins-esque cooing on songs like "Outshine" or the gorgeous refrain contained with "Asleep" the next time that special someone leaves you feeling not-so-special.  I'm thankful that Makthaversakan exist to soundtrack my next bad decision.  With my track record, I'll probably be getting a lot of mileage out of "II."

MAKTHAVERSKAN - "MAKTHAVERSKAN II"

Luxury/Run For Cover Records 2013

Try it

Late Bloomer - "Late Bloomer"

Late Bloomer have just released their second album, "Things Change," and seem poised to break through to a wider audience at any moment.  They've been getting a lot of press for this record, and for good reason.  Late Bloomer make distorted guitar-rock that would make J. Mascis take note.  In fact, Dinosaur jr is the perfect reference for the North Carolina 3-piece's 2013 self-titled debut album.  Fuzzy, punky and with just a touch of "fuck you" attitude, these songs would have fit in next to "Feel The Pain" or "The Wagon" on an early-90's skate video.  The fizzy pop of carbonated alcohol at the beginning of "Sunglasses" lets you know that these guys don't take themselves too seriously and have a passion for thrashin'.  If you like what you hear, grab a copy of their new album, "Things Change."  It's a little slower, a little heavier and a little more serious than this debut LP, but it's still the same Late Bloomer.

LATE BLOOMER - "LATE BLOOMER"

Self-Aware Records 2013

Try it

Title Fight - Demos

In the last few years, Title Fight's stock has risen astronomically as a band.  To some, the Pennsylvania quartet's meteoric shot to the top seems like an overnight success story, as the band virtually went from unsigned unknowns to possibly the biggest current band in the melodic hardcore community.  However, to those who closely follow the comings and goings of the hardcore scene, Title Fight are no laymen.  Cutting their teeth in the Wilkes-Barre scene since 2003, the members of the band are active in so many aspects of hardcore.  They were co-owners of the Redwood Art Space, an all-ages local venue which existed to give exposure to local & touring bands.  They've also been active in other projects such as Disengage & Bad Seed.  For a group of young men barely old enough to drink, the guys in Title Fight have accomplished so much in a relatively short period of time.  Also, they're a very kind and polite group of human beings.  Title Fight deserve every bit of the success that they are currently receiving.  Included here are the group's 3 demos from 2003, 2004 & 2005 along with the phenomenal 2006 EP "Light Up The Eyes."  The early demos are more of a curiosity than anything else (although "All In All" wins points for a vintage Simpsons sample), and they really didn't come into their own sonically until the EP.  However, for fans of Title Fight, these demos are a charming sketch of the band we know and love making large strides towards maturation.  Make sure you request "Light Up The Eyes" the next time you see them live.  That song is too good to be lost to the annals of time.

TITLE FIGHT - DEMOS

Unreleased 2014

Try it

NASA Space Universe - "Across The Wounded Galaxies"

Nothing about NASA Space Universe is normal.  They're a hardcore band, but they manage to eschew most of the sonic shackles that manacle most bands of their ilk.  Their live show is an unpredictable chautauqua of audience participation and chaos that is befitting of the soundtrack behind it.  The band prefer to play in unconventional venues and art spaces, turning their live show into something more akin to a performance art piece than a punk show.  The band has been slightly less active in recent months, but you can bet we haven't heard the last of NASA Space Universe.  They're too damn weird to go quietly into the night.  Just listen to the opening salvo of "Tiny Tim Allen Wrench" and try tell me that this is the kind of band that would go out with a whimper instead of a phlegmy howl.

NASA SPACE UNIVERSE - "ACROSS THE WOUNDED GALAXIES"

Shotgun Records 2011

Try it

Weed Hounds - Discography

Oh, Weed Hounds.  How you torture me so.  First, you release a great demo, a groovy split with Dude Japan & a kickass pair of songs on a self-titled 7."  You talk about the full-length album you are recording, making me salivate at the thought of an entire Weed Hounds record.  Alas, it's all a tease as you call it quits in the middle of the recording session and break up.  Then, after a year of mourning your passing, I hear rumors that you aren't really dead!  What's more, the album is supposed to be released on the wonderful Katorga Works label!  But, it's been months, maybe a full year, and still no album.  Weed Hounds, why are you doing this to me?  I can only take so much of your emotional indecisiveness.  In the meantime, tide yourself over with the aforementioned releases in this homemade Weed Hounds discography.  Included are their tracks from the split, their demo and their 7" single.

WEED HOUNDS - "DISCOGRAPHY"

Unreleased 2014

Try it

Death Of Lovers - "Buried Under A World Of Roses"

A new project comprised of members of Whirr & Nothing, Death Of Lovers have released a very solid debut outing in their EP "Buried Under A World Of Roses."  The echoing vocals & chiming guitars of "Shaken" are reminiscent of Asylum Party or "Faith"-era Cure, while the title track bears more than a passing resemblance to the recent spate of Cold Cave singles.  The driving opener "Cold Heaven" is the most aggressive track here, letting you know that the band members haven't forgotten the word "punk" is the key part of "post-punk."  4 songs in under 19 minutes leave me wanting to hear more from this band, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the full-length debut from Death Of Lovers.

DEATH OF LOVERS - "BURIED UNDER A WORLD OF ROSES"

Deathwish Records 2013

Try it

Culo - "My Life Sucks And I Could Care Less"

Forget all the stories, rumors, lies and allegations you've ever heard about Culo:  the fireworks in the pit at shows, the sketchy financial dealings, the so-called "homophobic language," the fights, the drugs, the extraneous melodramatic bullshit.  It is all indeed bullshit, and none of that matters.  Strip it away, and what you are left with is (was?) a band that makes (made?) incredible hardcore punk.  Their magnum opus, "My Life Sucks And I Could Care Less" is an incredible high note to go out on if the band has indeed called it quits. 20 tracks of nonstop melodic rage, this is the sound of a party gone wonderfully out of control in the best way possible.  Think you outgrew hardcore?  Think again.  Chop a line and snort along with "On The Nod."  Get kicked in the face by the careening synth-punk of personal favorite "Sick, Sick, Sick" and tell me you're too cool for this.  The closing title track is an anthem, and if Culo really are dead and gone, it's a hell of a song to go out on.  Also included here are 4 bonus tracks that were supposed to be included on various compilations.  Delete those goddamn Of Montreal MP3's & make room for this bad boy.

CULO - "MY LIFE SUCKS AND I COULD CARE LESS"

Deranged Records 2013

Try it

Fins - "Fins"

I stumbled across the second EP by Connecticut's Fins at the end of last year, and I've had it in fairly constant rotation ever since.  From the "Bleach"-era Nirvana rumblings of opener "Passing" to the emotive bursts of songs like "Sockets" and "Wander," Fins manage to create something unique from their patchwork of influences.  Other reviews have compared them to The Replacements, but to be totally truthful, I find that comparison inadequate.  There's a certain sadness to some of these songs, a sense of being overwhelmed by one's emotions that reminds me much more of mid/late 80's DC hardcore than The 'Mats.  These six songs are lovely ragged compositions that convey so much intensity in just under 20 minutes.  Let's hope that Fins decide to release a full-length & tour soon.

FINS - "FINS"

Self-released 2013

Try it

Pity Sex - "Feast Of Love"

The shoegaze revival is in full swing at the moment.  One of the leaders of the pack is Ann Arbor's Pity Sex, whose 2013 album "Feast Of Love" is a fantastic modern example of the genre.  Tracks such as "Wind-Up" and "Honey Pot" hit hard with pummeling drums and distorted guitars, while the male/female vocal counterpoints weave subtle layers of melody beneath the fuzz.  Singers Britty Drake and Brennan Greaves create an atmosphere where their voices work perfectly off of one another, each taking turns with lead and back-up vocals.  Fans of 2012's "Dark World" EP will most likely be thrilled at the progression shown on this record, as the songs have become more streamlined and aerodynamic.  With this sort of growth exhibited between the two releases, one can't help but be excited for the next record.

PITY SEX - "FEAST OF LOVE"

Run For Cover Records 2013

Try It

The Hunt - "The Hunt Begins"

One of the saddest things for any lover of music is discovering a band or album you really love, only to find out that the band is no more.  That happened this past fall when Sacred Bones unearthed the lost debut album from The Hunt, a post-punk band from NYC.  From the first time I heard their earth-shaking single "Fifteen Minutes," I fell in love with this group, only to have my heart broken when I read that they disbanded sometime in 2010.  They did, however, leave behind one fantastic epitaph in the form of "The Hunt Begins."  Dark, aggressive and with more than a touch of self-awareness, The Hunt managed to encompass everything good about the deathrock genre in just 9 memorably catchy songs.  Download this album, dust off those steel-toed boots and prepare for the summer of hate.

THE HUNT - "THE HUNT BEGINS"

Sacred Bones Records 2013

Try it

Cousins - "Bathhouse"

Welcome to Monster Poison.  This is a place for sonic treasures both new and old.  We will be showcasing all types of music, but mostly focusing on punk, electronic, shoegaze and dream pop.  All music contained within this blog is strictly for sampling purposes.  Feel free to download as much as you like and share the music with whoever you want.  If you like it, please support the artists and purchase their art from them.  Go to as many live shows as you can and support touring bands.  The entire purpose of this blog is to support the artists who make our days better through song.

My first entry will be the debut album from Cousins, a Milwaukee band who sadly are no longer with us.  Their drummer was accepted to Kent State University, and the band has called it quits.  However, they did manage to leave us with a very solid debut LP.  The opening track is one of my favorite songs of last year.  Dark, propulsive and catchy, "Abdicator" chugs along on a solid backbeat while distorted guitars slash through the droning vocals.  The entire album is a true gem, and one can't help but wonder what sort of animal Cousins would have evolved into had they been given a longer lifespan.

COUSINS - "BATHHOUSE"

Bridgetown Records 2013

Try it