Bayside (Canada)

If you're a fan of punk rock, you know that great records come out monthly, sometimes weekly, and nowadays almost daily. So how does a band stand out heads above 98% of every other band in this saturated music scene? Ask Bayside. They probably won't know how to answer that question verbally, but they answer it by example. Their debut record, See You In October..., has been released on Ottawa's Pop Culture Records, and the Pop Culture guys have landed on a gold mine. Bayside hails from somewhere over that'a'way, or Hamilton, Ontario, if you want to get technical on me. Their ten-track debut flatlines everything else in my memory that I can possibly attribute "best debut recording" to. They got the catchy hooks, the choruses that stick in your head like gum in your hair, and moshpit-moving energy that's bound to strike your nerve. "Despite Her" is the band's first single, and a great choice, but I don't think there's a faulty song to be found on here. Bayside: "See You In October...". You owe it to yourself to get this one.