If It's Too Loud...

Philadelphia post-hardcore supergroup Bitter Branches (which features members of Deadguy, Lifetime, Paint It Black, Kiss It Goodbye, and more) has a new single out. "Pity Party" is a dissonant and angry burst of a song. The guitars are buzzing and jerky, the lyrics are growling and screamy, and the drums at times almost sparse and others pounding. It sounds like it could explode into pure chaos at any moment, and while it never quite does, it comes quite close. "Pity Party" sounds like a mixture of The Jesus Lizard and Fugazi, and the song is absolutely epic despite coming in at less than three minutes.  Vocalist Tim Singer says of the band's latest single: “‘Pity Party’ is about how we’ve mechanized and normalized cruelty.  It definitely comes from a vegan point of view, but ultimately it’s a human point of view that questions everything from meat-eating to capitalism and consumerism. Somehow I’m made out to be weird or extreme for giving a shit about things li...

Photo by Michelle Mennona Philadelphia hardcore supergroup (consisting of members of Deadguy, Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, and more) Bitter Branches have a new single out that simply needs to be heard. "Cave Dwellers" is a fast and angry song clocking in at just over three minutes. It's as much post-hardcore as it is hardcore, as discordant as it is heavy. It's definitely going to give you some Jesus Lizard vibes with its monster sound, although it does have a surprising amount of melody for how heavy it is. Sometimes you just need a loud and angry rock song, and it helps when its as creative as the latest from Bitter Branches. Drummer Jeff Tirabassi says of his band's upcoming album: “On our first record I feel like we were all trying to get our feet underneath it, but on this one we really wanted to lean into the groove." You can watch the video for "Cave Dwellers" below. Let's Give the Land Back to the Animals is due out March 6 on Equal Vision Re...

Photo by Michelle Mennona Bitter Branches are a Philadelphia based post-hardcore supergroup consisting of Tim Singer (Deadguy, Kiss It Goodbye, No Escape), Jeff Tirabassi (Walleye), Matt Ryan (Calvary), Kevin Sommerville (Lighten Up!), and Dan Yemen (Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, Paint It Black). The band's latest single, "Basic Karate," is an absolute powerhouse with roots in the 90's hardcore scene. It's loud, and heavy, and noisy, and everything you'd want a band to be with Bitter Branches' DNA. It's reminding me of a cross between The Jesus Lizard and Helmet, but more punk. "Basic Karate" is an intense song about how easy it would be to stop caring and join the dark side. Also, just to make the song even cooler, it was produced by J. Robbins of Jawbox. You can watch the video for "Basic Karate" below. The single is out now on Equal Vision Records. For more on Bitter Branches, check out the band on Instagram .