If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Destroy Boys Album : Open Mouth, Open Heart Quick Thoughts : We're big fans of Destroy Boys here even if we are far too old to really be this into them. This album is more of the punk goodness they're so great at, and is accessible enough where I could see a lot of this taking off. There's a lot of solid stuff in here, and if you're into the punk stuff you owe it to yourself to check this one out. Songs of Note : "Drink," "Cherry Garcia" Artist : Nightwatchers Album : Common Crusades Quick Thoughts : It takes a lot for me to get down with the heavier stuff, and Nightwatchers is certainly heavy, but there's a sensibility to this that makes this one stand out. The musicality, the offbeat song titles, the overall presentation of this record, it's all pretty great. This won't be for everyone, but boy am I glad I heard it. Songs of Note : "For the Sake of the People and the Nation," "A Not-so-Secular State Cul...

French punks Nightwatchers are back with another highly politically charged single. "Their Turn Trying to Rule the World" is the most melodic we've heard Nightwatchers sound to date, but the melody doesn't take away from the edge in the song. It's a driving punk track that edges its way into post punk while still being straight up punk. It's like Against Me! jamming with Gang of Four, which is pretty much as great as you think it would be. It's the kind of song you can dance, pogo, and pump your fist to, all at once. In a press release, Julien Virgos (vocals and guitars) says of the new song: "'Their Turn Trying to Rule the World' tackles the Senate report that  inspired the brand new French law against 'Islamist separatism.' The existence of a separatist political project is presented as a fact,  without any scientific proof.” You can listen to "Their Turn Trying to Rule the World" below. Common Crusades is due out October 8...

The latest single from French punks Nightwatchers is what happens when post punk goes pop punk. "White Fathers" is too discordant to be pop punk, but it's way too catchy to be truly post punk. Interestingly, pleasant vocals tend to be what defines pop punk, but here the vocals are catchy but definitely too strained to be truly poppy. It's the same thing with the music. There's a distinct edge that keeps "White Fathers" from being true pop, but it still has just enough pop here. Plus, there is some great background vocal "oooooooh!" work here. Since this is Nightwatchers, there is a strong political message to the song. Julien Virgos explains the meaning of the song: "Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, founding member of the White Fathers, played a central role in justifying French colonization in Africa in the name of the fight against "Muslim barbarism". This song is adapted from a speech he gave to the French army troops in the cathed...

Despite being a bit of a history nerd, I'm also American so my knowledge of European history is a bit lacking. Enter French punks Nightwatchers. According to a press release, their upcoming album, Common Crusades , deals "... with events surrounding France's violent colonization and exploitation of its occurred territories." The first single from the album is "1905 & The Muslim Exception." The obvious comparison here is going to be Bad Religion, not only for the political message but also the fact that it's both hardcore and melodic. Nightwatchers also bring in some post punk tuned guitars, giving them a unique sound. You can listen to "1905 & The Muslim Exception" below. Common Crusades is due out this Autumn on   Lövely Records . For more on Nightwatchers, check out the band's Facebook and Bandcamp .