Justin: The Menzingers hail from Scranton, Pennsylvania and play a mix of pop-punk, gang-vocals, a bit of ska by way of both the Specials and the Hippos. It reminds me of the kind of punk that I always hoped would start blossoming at the beginning of the 2000's when that much-maligned "other genre" took over much of the underground scene. These guys mix raw lyrics, vocals with upbeat, fun rhythms and fast guitars while still keeping an intelligent edge. The mix of some upstroke guitars and a real sense of rhythm doesn't hurt either.
Aubin: I've been on a weird At The Drive-In kick all week, perhaps in anticipation of releases from both the resulting bands (Sparta, Mars Volta) coming out this fall. Still, despite the pointless debates over which is better, the band remains one of the best examples of what the inner conflict of a band can produce when put on tape. It's now been five and a half years since the break up, and as good a time as any to give them a listen.
You can check out three tracks on their myspace page.
Chris: Ok, so this isn't what I usually get into, but I dunno, something about girls singing hardcore, I love it. Especially when the female vocals are as smooth as those from Santa Cruz, CA's Stalins War. Lately it seems that mixing punk, metal and hardcore is so unoriginal and bland; but with clean riffs, well-placed gang vocals and the mixture of harmonic vocals and heavy backing screams, these guys (and gal) sound like they are actually doing it right. Check out their MySpace Page or:
OMG!!! Bands still have webpages that aren't MySpace!!! Adam: Here's a discussion topic for ya. Are there any labels you trust to the point that you can pick up any of their releases, regardless if you're familiar with the band or not, and still to be reasonably satisfied with what you hear? Dirtnap's on my shortlist, and while I'm fairly new to Atlanta's Beat Beat Beat but I know I'm already looking forward to their full length Living in the Future this Halloween. Check this short but sweet number: