Indian Summer - Science

You know those few days in autumn when the weather gets really nice and mild after you thought summer was gone for good?  It's pretty awesome isn't it?  For those lucky enough to live in a more accomodating environment; The Farmer's Almanac tells us that the period of sunny and warm weather after the leaves have changed and there was already frost is called Indian Summer.  One of the few gems of living in the midwest when it comes to weather.

Speaking of gems and enjoyable atmosphere I present you the band Indian Summer, a must listen for the emotive hardcore fan.  Bringing a mixture of chaos and calm Indian Summer's Science is a relatively underappreciated example of early punk influenced emo.  Their obscurity should come as no surprise due to their relatively short lifespan (1993-1994) and their limited touring.  Before a re-release of their complete discography much of their work was extremely hard to come by even on the internet.  Much of it was on rare tapes and 7" splits shared with even more obscure bands in the scene.  Their songs were actually never even named so all track names that you find were actually given lovingly by fans of their work.  Thankfully this issue was solved with a 2006 release of Science, a collection of their various tracks.

What we find in Science after over a decade of wait is a lo fi tribute to loud/soft dynamics.  Most songs begin with soft instrumentals and whispers that build slowly, giving the listener a sense of something big on the horizon much like the calm before a violent storm.  Once the climax is reached the band begins to absolutely attack their instruments creating a gale force of screaming guitars and frenzied screams.  This style of combining gentle picking followed by cathartic chaos is emulated by bands such as Envy, Pianos Become the Teeth, and City of Caterpillar.  That my friends, is a pretty darn good lineage.

So check it out and learn your roots kids.

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-Jim

Another Cool Show at the Eagle's Nest

I saw some Sunday Night goodness last night at the Eagle's Nest.

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The night started off with Maidens, a post-metal band which draws influence from Russian Circles.  It definitely has that Suffocate for Fuck Sake feel with heavy riffs and special attention to atmosphere.  Really heavy and really good.  Keep a look out for these Milwaukee area guys as they have just begun, but are already producing some pretty impressive work.

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Next up was Parrhesia, a grind band from chicago.  Going into the show I had a very rudimentary idea of what grind is, having only heard studio recorded work in the genre.  Before the show I was very unimpressed, but I quickly found this is definitely a style of music you need to see live.  After some technical difficulties (which merely added to my anticipation) this band began to attack their instruments, themselves, and the crowd.  I experienced pure discomfort as I wasn't really sure if they were going to harm the crowd, themselves or my ear drums.  It was surprisingly enjoyable and liberating.  Check these guys out live if you can.

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If you have been reading the blog you would know I tried to see Grown Ups earlier this month at Strangelight.  Unfortunately a speeding ticket and questionable navigation caused me to miss Grown Ups.  I wasn't too bummed however, because I knew I had another chance to see them.  This was my chance and they were everything I hoped for.  That pop-punk/emo sound I fell in love with on their studio album Songs translated quite nicely live.  Their energy and sound last night would have definitely made the Kinsella brothers proud.  I also purchased their last copy of their EP ever (hipster victory!).  It was the last night of their tour with Antilles who played next.

 

Myspace 

Antilles from Ohio had been touring with Grown Ups since the night after the Strangelight show, but they didn't let it show.  They didn't even want to stop playing.  These guys brought some serious energy and some humor.  Punk to the core, their intricate guitar work left my ears ringing.  Very awesome.

 

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The night wrapped up with a band that is slowly becoming one of my favorites in Milwaukee, Absolutely.  As usual their luscious locks and mathy riffs blew me away.  If you live in Wisconsin you have to check these guys out.