Crucial Releases: October 17

A chocked full issue of new music and it's not even late! 😄

This issue has two featured records: the new Militarie Gun and the latest from they are gutting a body of water (aka TAGABOW)... plus an additional five records: a really great release from Skullcrusher (almost made the feature), a new record from 84 Tigers, a new Living Hour record, one from Destiny Bond, and the debut EP from MIRRORLESS. (I never include EPs, but it's a super group of folks from bands I love, so I made an exception.)

Anyway, I will cut to the chase. BRING ON THE NEW MUSIC!

First up is LOTTO by they are gutting a body of water (Listen) – I am absolutely blown away by this record. Heavy shoegaze crossed with maybe Mogwai, Pinback, Unwound, Alex G, and Spirit of the Beehive... and my goodness they cover a Fugazi song on this record. What more could you ask for?

TAGABOW are from Philly and was initially the solo project of songwriter Douglas Dulgarian, then expanded to a full band after a year or so... they've released four full length albums, with LOTTO being a followup to 2022's Lucky Styles. The band is also known for adding ambient, drum and bass, breakcore, jungle, and reggaeton interludes produced by Dulgarian.

LOTTO, as an album, is a messy fun musical adventure with lots of twists and turns to keep you interested (and surprised)... I highly recommend checking them out.

Favorite tracks:

God Save the Gun by Militarie Gun (Listen)
Militarie Gun and High Vis are my two favorite hardcore adjacent bands going today. Both bands have a vaguely similar sound, with Militarie Gun taking the more power pop influenced route and High Vis taking the more 90s UK alternative influenced route. Their latest, God Save the Gun, is also the first of four hardcore (ish) releases in this issue!

Militarie Gun have released 2 full length albums and 4 EPs in the five years since they formed on the west coast (Seattle and LA)... with God Save the Gun being the followup to 2023's Life Under the Gun (#18 for me that year.)

Militarie Gun pretty much epitomizes the DIY worth ethic associated with punk and hardcore music, relentlessly touring and releasing music... while also doing collaborations with a sonic variety of bands like Manchester Orchestra, Dazy, Bully, and Mannequin Pussy.

And they write some pretty awesome tunes. Some of my favorites off their latest:

Honorable Mentions

And Your Song is Like a Circle by Skullcrusher (Listen)
Absolutely beautiful and almost made my featured section for the week. If the Cranberries did a Nick Drake cover band but made it folktronica, it would be Skullcrusher. Maybe a stretch, but if any of that sounds interesting, definitely check her out.

Nothing Ends by 84 Tigers (Listen)
Two thirds of Small Brown Bike (post-hardcore legends... check out Dead Reckoning (Listen) if you aren't familiar) making music is the next best thing to more Small Brown Bike music. It's everything I love about that band, plus some Jawbox/Quicksand influences. A very solid album.

Internal Drone Infinity by Living Hour (Listen)
Fuzzy guitars playing dream pop is like candy to me... lots of great hooks and song writing here. Their fourth full length record... I apparently saved their last record (2022) to my library, but don't remember listening to them before... that changes this week.

The Love by Destiny Bond (Listen)
Ten songs, 23 minutes... exactly what you'd expect from a hardcore record. This one rips... their record label bills them as Dag Nasty crossed with Crown of Thornz. Pretty accurate... and good. Check them!

s/t by Mirrorless (ep) (Listen)
A sort of Louisville hardcore super group, with Chris Higdon from Falling Forward/Elliott, Ryan Patterson (The Enkindels, Fotocrime, Coliseum, Black Cross), Brian Roundtree (By the Grace of God), and Ben Sears (Xerxes)... doing what you'd expect from that group, except a touch more DC hardcore influence than usual. Super good.

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