#7 Album of 2013: Knots, by Crash of Rhinos

If there were ever an example of an album that fell across my lap at both the right time and place it would be Knots by Crash of Rhinos.

Artwork by David Hand

Over the past 4 years, a number of small bands have surfaced - that remind me a lot of the Midwest Emo / Mid to Late 90's music scene that was incredibly influential in my life.

I recall Peter Rojas (yes, that Peter Rojas) tipping me off to Algernon Cadawallader who had reminded him of Cap'n Jazz.  Shortly after discovering that band I began to uncover a number of other bands that were similar in vein: Everything Everyone, Tiger's Jaw, Look Mexico, You Blew It!, Dikembe, Snowing, This Town Needs Guns
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In 2013 Braid announced European tour dates and I read a blurb about who was going to open up their shows while visiting the UK.  The name of the band: Crash of Rhinos

I had immediately taken a liking to their name...  and sought them out at my local record store.  It took a little while before I could get their album stateside thru Top Shelf Records, but it was certainly worth the wait.

I think the thing I find most endearing about Crash of Rhinos... is that they have a 2nd vocalist who sings with a very heavy English accent. When the two exchange vocal duties on a track like the song Interiors it reminds me of what Braid did with Hugs from Boys many/many/many years before it.

Stand Out Tracks:

2013 and Nothing Still Feels Good

Had two rather big surprises this morning...  

  1. Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan of the Grantland Hollywood Podcast - put out a special TALKING ABOUT EMO podcast this week.
  2. Andy Greenwald is the author of a book I read a number of years ago called NOTHING FEELS GOOD - a book that touched on Punk Rock, Teenagers and "Emo"

I never put the two "Andy Greenwald" together until this morning tho'.  If you're a fan of said genre (ugh... its not a fucking genre) - I highly recommend you check it out.  

My copy of NOTHING FEELS GOOD.  It's one of the few books that I ever recall covering the scene of the late 90's and early 00's. 

Below is a small playlist put together by Andy...  BRAID's Urbana's Too Dark is featured in the middle of the playlist...   Other great tracks to check out by: Sunny Day Real Estate, Mineral, Texas is the Reason, Rites of Spring, The Promise Ring, Ida and Jets to Brazil

POZ March Sadness: Announcement + Vote-In Round

propertyofzack:

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We’ve talked about doing a fun POZ response to March Madness for well over a year now, and today is the day that we are launching March Sadness - an emo-lover’s substitute for NCAA bracket season (it’s cool if you dig the basketball too, this is just sadder).  

March Sadness consists of a vote-in round (that’s today!) followed by 16-bracket spots broken down into 90’s, Early 2000’s, MId 2000’s, and Modern Day Emo. We are limiting ourselves to 20 bands that will be voted down to 16 by Monday’s Sad 16 launch.

We realize “emo” is both a subjective word and genre, but March Sadness is all about us having fun and interacting as a community. So please click “Read More” below and join us in voting for four out of five of your favorite bands in each emo category through Sunday evening, and the Sad 16 will launch on Monday! 

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