Well-researched music fanatic should recognize David Vassalotti’s proclivity and penchant for diverse sounds as a defining characteristic. Having been part of both abrasive acts like Church Whip and Cult Ritual as well as bands with a softer sonic palette, like 4AD band Merchandise, it should be no surprise that Vassalotti excels at balladry, atmospherics, and venom.
Right on the heels of the band’s debut EP back in spring of 2015, Powers of Ten, Telepathic are self-releasing the 8-song Time Release on a run of 250 cassettes. It’s a capitalization on the thesis from Powers of Ten to keep the songs fixed and trimmed. No notes are wasted on these Hüsker Dü inspired rave-ups.
This box set is the definitive documentary of craw, a band that emerged from the post-hardcore underground of the early 90s. This era is often reduced to the success stories of a handful of bands and record labels in areas like DC, Seattle, or Chicago. In the hegemony of cultural success, relevant contemporaries are often lost to the received narrative, despite the fact that they broke boundaries and set challenging precedents within the artistic zeitgeist.
“There’s Nothing Wrong With Love” was released on September 13, 1994. Keep in mind, “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain”, “Blue Album”, “Bee Thousand”, and “Yank Crime” had all already entered the headphones of young indie rock aficionados earlier that year. Though I imagine Built To Spill delivered something different, and at exactly the right time. Their sophomore album must have poured into the ears of many a student fresh into their fall semester, injecting them with the warmth & shelter needed throughout the storm of uncertainty of what was supposed to happen next.
Big Putts is a long standing project of Alex Molini, Jesse Weiss, and Gio Coviello, members of Dirty Dishes, Palehound, and Kiss Concert respectively, that combines elements of all three musicians other projects into a (delicious) DIY-soup of sorts. “Prism b/w Donut” is their first release since 2012’s LP Bogey Nights, and showcases a more complex and refined side of Big Putts.
An impressive debut to say the least, Townie Garbage is the sound of a band at their beginning, mining their influences as they develop their own sound. The trio, formed in the late summer months have created an inviting debut, it’s complex and determined, full of songs that ebb and flow from crashing tides to the most gentle of hazy breezes.
Cool Dad are a two piece fuzz-pop outfit from Connecticut, sharing members with fellow fuzz-rockers Furnsss. On their self-titled debut album, however, Tom Nagy and Brendan Dyer have made it clear that Cool Dad is entirely its own thing. The 8 tracks on this album are short and catchy but certainly pack a punch; each riff is drenched in a thick layer of noise and distortion that slams you right in the chest.
Romantic States are a Baltimore duo consisting of Ilenia Madelaire on drums/vocals and Jim Triplett on guitar/vocals. They specialize in a minimal and wistful kind of dream pop that recalls a stripped-down and more straightforward Slowdive. The duo is releasing a 7-inch record on January 11, 2016 on Nebraskan Coast entitled Take My Hand and Run.
Malatese are a four-piece group by way of Harrisonburg, Virginia who realized years ago that their attempt at being a “volume based band” no longer propelled their artistry forward in a meaningful way. I’m Just Gonna Get in This Fucking Helicopter showcases their continued evolution and growth as a cerebral and experimental unit.
While the main "Year in Review" feature was picked entirely by Post-Trash editors, we wanted to give all of our contributors a chance to pick their favorite releases, regardless if the records would be something covered here on our site or not. Every contributor was able to pick their personal top 20 records of the year and points were assigned based on rank. Our contributors' tastes range a bit wider than that of our editors, but the connection to this particular site becomes abundantly clear as the numbers unfold. We're happy to present the Post-Trash "Top 30 Albums of 2015: Staff Picks", as voted by the entire team
Welcome to the first annual Post-Trash "Year In Review" a look back at the year that was and all of our favorite music that was released during it. We've only been a website for about four months, but it's been a great start and luckily, we've been listening to music all year long. Let this be your guide (it's bookmark-able) to not only reconnect with your personal favorites but more importantly to discover something new.
What really sets Infinity Girl apart with Harm is the way they synthesize the stylistic variety within the genre. Harm feels like it exists at the nexus of shoegaze, punk, dream pop, and noise rock (there are even some twinkly synth hooks here and there)—the vocals are often soft and buried, and the guitars range from gauzy to jangly to acerbic.
