The video for “Pound Town” references Cheaters, a legendary 2000s-era syndicated reality detective show that is somehow still on the air. It was recently hosted by Clark Gabel’s son but now I guess those duties have been passed on to Peter Gunz of Lord Tariq and… fame. Wild. Personally, I remember watching it religiously during the dying years of the monoculture. True gonzo TV. In 2003, the host got “stabbed” in the middle of an episode. Anyways… “Pound Town” is a good song with a good hook and good rapping and typically good production from Tay Keith.
NYC vets The Men are a god’s honest rock and roll band. Their new album is simply called “New York City” and this is the song that kicks it off. These lifers know the language!
Skrillex, Corbin & Chief Keef “Bad For Me”
Even as a Millennial proto-poptamist and Skrillex apologist, I just can’t fuck with that one Missy Elliot/Mr. Ozio collab: it sounds like it should be playing behind a “quirky” ad spot for a business-class hotel chain. You know what I’m talking about: loosened ties; slow motion dancing in the conference room; maybe someone doing the robot. “Bad For Me” is a bit better.
If you would’ve asked me over the past 20 years whether I thought Neon Kittens was a good band name, I would've said no. There’s already Neon Hunk, a band that even put kittens on the cover of their one-and-only LP, which came out in 2003. But it is 2023 and all bets are off. Neon Kittens… Funky no wave band from England. Do not sleep on that Neon Hunk record. It’s a secret classic and ripe for someone to rediscover and rip off.
In contemporary hardcore, bands get to be creative, but only to a point. I guess certain limits keep things from becoming a hipster free-for-all. End It is one of the better bands currently on the circuit. Their “thing” is starting every show with an acapella or karaoke-style cover of a classic hit. Before the band’s set at this festival, which took place at a brightly-lit JCC in Tampa, their singer treated the crowd to a little “Big Shot” by Billy Joel.
MIX OF THE WEEK: Doormouse “Digitalhut: Noisecore Volume 1”
The weather is bad outside so let's do a bit of hardcore techno. There is a lot to say about Milwaukee legend Doormouse, but now is not the time for that. This week, let’s just bask in the high-BPM glory of this psycho mix from ‘98. Doormouse now lives in Miami, has a family, and owns multiple CrossFit gyms.