Peace out, October. Thanks for bringing us cooler weather, the changing of the leaves, spooky season, and more great music than my ears can handle.
DISCOVERED //1024// is loaded with 15 more punk, hardcore, and emo new releases you may have missed. This month also had some bangers from some more well known artists like Drug Church, Balance & Composure, Touché Amoré, and an excellent split from Hot Water Music and Quicksand.
Without taking up any more of your time, here are 15 releases you should check out… in no particular order.
King Thief – King Thief
Thousand Islands Records
After seeing King Thief open for Tiny Moving Parts I’ve been waiting patiently for them to drop a record, and their self-titled debut does not disappoint.
It gives me early Hot Water Music vibes, with some fun melodic guitar lines layered throughout. It would fit nicely on late 90s/early 00s No Idea Records.
ITOW: ‘”King Thief is a guitar-driven punk-rock band from Edmonton, Canada, who combine early-2000s technical punk with elements of 70s arena rock. Lyrically promoting critical thought and community, their self titled debut album blisters with energy and intention.”
Threat – Life Pushes Back
Set The Fire Records AU
On the latest episode of Growing Up Punk, I told you to keep an eye/ear on Set The Fire Records AU, and then they released Life Pushes Back from Threat to help me prove my point.
Hardcore with groove, and a little hip hop interlude to keep things fresh, this 5 song EP is done before you know it.
Put this shit on loop and keep your day bouncy.
ITOW: ‘Threat is a 5 piece hardcore band out of singing bird studios from the sunny city of Frankston. Life pushes back our 2nd EP with this band came out October 4th. We think they’re our best songs to date. Every song is raw, honest and from the heart of our vocalist Dave struggling with his mental demons. Except speedball which is a made up story about a junkie from Frankston. We were lucky enough to have Jay from 28 days come down and sing some guest vocals on our track called reprisal. We were stoked having him on the record giving it his twist on it Frankston style. There’s 5 hardcore bands outta singing bird studios now so don’t sleep on Frankston bands. Shout out to Fever shack, Eight count, Demise and Death tax.’
Goalkeeper – Pins and Needles
Big Dawg Records
Goalkeeper is a band I’ve been stoked on for some time, after the algorithm knocked one out of the park and recommended them to me on Instagram. It’s been fun to follow along from their early releases, to where they are now.
Pins and Needles is their EP followup to the debut full length, I Wish I Met You Sooner (2022), and serves well to show this band’s progression over the years. It’s 4 tracks of easy to listen to mid-tempo pop punk, designed to sing along to, while dogpiling at your local DIY space.
FFO: The Wonder Years, Chief State, Hot Mulligan
Step By Step – Promo 2024
IRON MIND
Get hip to Step By Step, as these guys are making some of my favourite straight up youth crew hardcore, today.
Promo 2024 is exactly what it sounds like, a promo/demo for what they’ve got going on now. I wanted to include the release so I could also tell you to check out their super stellar self-titled EP they dropped earlier this year.
FFO: Turning Point, Ten Yard Fight, Youth of Today, that youth crew sound
Delta Sleep – Blue Garden
Sofa Boy Recordings
Calling Delta Sleep any kind of punk band would be a stretch; they’re a math rock band. However, their brand of math rock with elements of post hardcore make them my favourite math rock band.
Also, according to the Punk category on Apple Music, these guys are punk. So there, nerds!
Their new record Blue Garden is as much of a jam as their previous records before them. If you’re not a fan of the jerkiness of math rock, I still suggest giving these guys a listen as they manage to get weird with time signatures while also hooking you with some beautiful catchy melody.
FFO: American Football, Tiny Moving Parts, TTNG, actively counting while singing along
Arms & Hearts – The Future Is Not Bright
Thousand Islands Records
I won’t lie, the only reason I decided to first put this album on was because of the artwork. Talk about bold, simple, and to the point. I love it.
The Future is Not Bright by Arms & Hearts is an album made for the fall. Crisp, cool days spent lost in thought and song.
Melodic storytelling, from Manchester, in the vein of The Gaslight Anthem and Chuck Ragan.
FFO: The Gaslight Anthem, Northcote, Hot Water Music
Stateside – Songs To Remember You By
After being on one of the best tours of the year, opening for the likes of Koyo, Anxious, and One Step Closer; Stateside are here with their Pure Noise Records teaser EP, Songs To Remember You By.
This band is poised to do some pretty great things in the scene, and their blend of pop punk and hardcore should be on your radar. If you like any of the bands they shared the stage with earlier this year, you are in for a treat.
FFO: Koyo, Stand Still, No Pressure
High Vis – Guided Tour
Dais Records
I probably don’t need to tell you about High Vis as their name seems to be floating around out there, and for good reason.
Their third full length, Guided Tour, dropped this month and it’s more Brit-rock mixed with British hardcore goodness.
Put this on repeat. You’re welcome.
FFO: Militarie Gun, Turnstile, MSPAINT, accents (in music)
Mat Kerekes – To Dream of Something Wicked
Wax Bodega
Everyone needs a record to relax to, and this might just be it. Between fronting the band Citizen, and his solo work Mat Kerekes is a busy individual – since 2022 he has released 3 solo records, and two Citizen albums.
This is more of what you expect from Kerekes, except a little more laid back than the current emo-indie rock stylings of Citizen. All to say, if you’re a fan of his vocals, and his songwriting style, you’re in for a nice listen.
FFO: Citizen, Turnover, Balance & Composure but more laid back
Implants – Annihilation
Cyber Tracks
‘Damn. This is good.’
Those were my first thoughts as I listened through Annihilation, the new album from Implants. Maybe I was expecting punk, with a little more metal infused into it, based on the album artwork. But what we get instead, is a fresh take on your favourite 90s skate punk bands.
It would slot in nicely alongside the likes of Lagwagon and Pulley, but without feeling like it’s stuck too far in the past.
The band’s pedigree is pretty solid too, featuring members of Strung Out, Pulley, Ten Foot Pole, Authority Zero, and Brown Lobster Tank/The Tank. Throw in the production of Chris Collier (KoRn, Pulley, Prong) and the mastering of Kyle Black (Pierce The Veil, Comeback Kid, New Found Glory) and it’s no wonder why this record is so easy to listen to.
FFO Pulley, Lagwagon, NUFAN, but like, fresh
Raincheck – Highbro Lowbro
Self-released
Highbro Lowbro, from Raincheck is an album that I first gave a chance because of the artwork. It plays off like a piece of art you might have framed, and hung on the wall in your office to bring some colour and life.
Musically, this record pulls exactly zero punches. From the ‘radio tuning’ start of opener Hard FM, all the way through the end of closer Ain’t Shot the Sheriff, this album blasts you in the face with straightforward, fast melodic punk rock. Lyrically this record is versatile, to say the least; songs about French fries (Rocket Fries) to songs about police brutality (Ain’t Shot the Sheriff) and everything in between.
The more I listen to this record, the more I hear influences from bands like Lifetime, and that is more than OK by me.
FFO: Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, punk rock sing-alongs in small rooms
Squint – Big Hand
Sunday Drive Records
When Squint released their two debut EPs (Feel It, and Wash Away) back in 2022, I was hooked pretty quickly.
Their brand of hardcore isn;t particularly heavy, and it isn’t particularly fast but it bangs from start to finish, regardless. They’ll have you bouncing, and screaming along in no time.
With the release of their debut/second LP Big Hand (they released the two EPs under the name Feel It All Wash Away back in 2023) they have really perfected their sound, and deliver it with more conviction and confidence than ever. They kind of have a Drug Church vibe going on, but the vocals feel a little more harsh and the guitars a little bouncier.
FFO: Drug Church, Spite House, upbeat hardcore with a little 90s influence
Bent Blue – So Much Seething
Indecision Records
I like hearing a band for the first time, liking what I hear, and then discovering they have a few more albums for me to dig into. This is what has happened with Bent Blue after hearing their new record So Much Seething, which also happens to be their third record.
I don’t really know how to describe their sound, except maybe a bit of Revolution Summer DC vibes, mixed with Turnstile and Drug Church (they’re coming up a lot here). One song will be more straight up hardcore (The Pearls You Clutch), while another will be a little more experimental (The Other Half) but without ever losing focus.
FFO: Drug Church, Turnstile, Rites of Spring
Ben Quad – Ephemera
Pure Noise Records
If you’re looking for a catchy, quick throwback to 2010s post hardcore/emo, look no further than Ephemera by Ben Quad.It’s 5 tracks of alternating screams and clean vocals, backed by twinkly tappy guitars – making it feel like they owe as much to Underoath as they do to American Football.
This release seems to be taking the band in a more aggressive direction from their 2022 debut, I’m Scared That’s All There Is which fit alongside a band like Tiny Moving Parts quite well. They still have that tappy/mathy Tiny Moving Parts feel, but with more blast beats and screams.
FFO: Saosin, Tiny Moving Parts, Dreamwell
HIGHERLOWS – Transition State
Self-released
The city of Winnipeg has produced some pretty legendary acts; from The Guess Who to Neil Young, from Comeback Kid to Propagandhi…and now Higherlows. OK, that’s a bit of a stretch when it comes to talking about a pop punk band who just released their first full length, but this record still fills me with excitement.
Transition State is all systems go once the intro/title track gently leads you into the record.Track two, Wake, welcomes you in and we are off to the races. Emotional, introspective, well crafted melodic punk songs with some tasty guitar lines here and there.
FFO: I Am the Avalanche, Rest Easy, Living With Lions
