Jeremin - Self-Titled 7inch

Hailing from Arizona, this little gem of screaming noise delivers 4 songs of 90's fury. Along the lines of Screamo, they mixed in some heavier influences that show the time this was written/recorded ('96-'97). It draws a lot on 90's emo with softer parts that pull you close and then simply smash your head against the wall with the full on attack of their sound. At other times, the songs are just relentless screaming all out attacks.

This record has only 4 songs, but it seems like more than its 11 1/2 minutes as it plays out. The insanely in-depth packaging booklet is to be seen to be believed. I've included scans, but they only do it a slight amount of justice. Enjoy- this isnt what you would expect from a band that has members of Overcome (no, Jeremin is NOT a christian band). *More info. can be found at: Jeremin - Last FM (which i did a week or so ago in anticipation of this post).

As always, enjoy and feel free to comment.

Jeremin - S/T 7inch (DOWNLOAD)

*the four songs are recorded as 2 tracks because separating them was almost pointless*

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Now playing: Jeremin - Untitled / 30-60
via FoxyTunes

Evergreen - Trudy Pushpin 7inch

Evergreen were a Emo/Hardcore band from Los Angeles during the early 90's. Similar to what was going on in different parts of the US at the time- but with a much more dominant soft side than some of their contemporaries (the band is often called emo/post-hardcore). Think more in line with bands like Indian Summer (emo with the makings of what would influence the Screamo bands) but in a more melodic and straight forward style. Besides this 7inch they have a very highly sought after 12inch, a split 7" with Still Life, and comp songs. A bootleg discography isn't impossible to find for download on-line and their final 7inch is still available from Gravity Records. The bassist went on to be in Antioch Arrow & the drummer is in Rilo Kiley.

Download features Hi-Res scans of the front & back covers as well as the insert and Record. Enjoy!


Evergreen - Trudy Push Pin 7inch (download)

Roswell Project /// Stickfigurecarousel - 7inches

Double post! In this one you get two different downloads for two different bands.

Both of these bands I stumbled upon accidentally. Roswell Project by being intrigued by the artwork as it looked at me in a used bin, again at the great Dr. Strange Records. When I looked at the thanks list, I decided the record was worth a two dollar risk and at worst i got some cool artwork. I wasn't disappointed. Screaming, pissed, anguished hardcore from so cal. circa the late 90's. Yeah, I'd call it screamo. Good stuff and definitely track it down if you can. The last song bums me out almost every time. Great song though.

Roswell Project - 7inch (download)

*at the time I upped this, I hadn't added the artwork to the zip file. All scans for the Roswell Project 7inch can be found HERE

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Next is Stickfigurecarousel. Now, this band I had at least heard of before finding this 7inch in the used bin at another local shop, Red Planet (ne. CD World). I knew that Chad Stroup was in the band and that they were part of the second wave of "the San Diego bands" meaning, post Unbroken.

This two song 7inch comes packaged really nicely. It all folds out with little windows cut in the front and back sections to show other pictures through them. Nice, hard card stock for the whole thing and two songs that deliver chaotic, equal amounts of mid-90's screamo/emo. Infused with just enough of what made bands like Heroin, Indian Summer, & Saetia great- the band mixes things nicely.

They have at least two other releases, I believe three if you include the split 7inch, which I have never seen or heard. If anyone owns these, mp3's of them, or wants to swap - DEFINITELY get ahold of me. (I own the As The Sun Sets comp they were on). Thanks.

Stickfigurecarousel - Bastille 7inch (Download)

*I havent scanned this record yet. This is being posted because it accompanies the Roswell Project record nicely and a I promised a friend I would up it since he keeps hearing about them and hasn't heard them yet*

Hot Cross - Live on WLUW

Hot Cross was formed from the ashes of many well noted screamo bands, which set high standards of what the band would produce as a singular musical unit. Unfortunately, for most the expectations they held of a cookie cutter repeat of their previous bands (Sateia, Neil Perry, you and i, & Joshua Fit For Battle) would lead to a dislike of what Hot Cross would do.

Their first ep "A New Set of Lungs" set the pace both lyrically & musically and outlined a new band with a new sound that was going to operate independently of any expectations that others had of them. Forgone was much of the noisy, chaotic sounds of previous bands; in place was very well textured guitar parts with running leads dueling each other over less refined riffs. The guitar execution of the band helped set the band above, and maybe unfortunately, apart.

Also gone were singer Billy's impassioned & awkward screams- in place was a new voice- not unfamiliar, but rather just new. A cleaner voice that screams, sings, and talks along with vocal help from different members again gives the band a textured sound. Bass and drum round out a full sound with such utter perfection that its hard to not consider the possibility of them being robots.

The ferocity felt on the first ep was channeled into a much more lyrical anger backed by the aforementioned musical layering. Still enough piss and energy to go around, but when the "Cryonics" lp came out, many of those who liked Hot Cross began to tune out. Some of us though, listened closer.
"Fair Trades & Fairwells" ep came next. Mostly fast, dueling guitars, but still boasting a full and intricate sound- the previous output seemed to collide into one small record. All along a few split 7inches came out that tow the line between Cryonics and Prepare/Repair. Then came the departure of one singer and recording an album twice, the second time with said departed guitarist.

"Risk Revival" came out and took another step. Gloomy and with a more standard sound, a last step that pushed even more away. Even though its my least favorite Hot Cross record, its still a great record with some real gems and a lot of other good tracks on it. Sadly, at this point Hot Cross would go on an indefinite hiatus that they are still currently on.

Much, if not all of their stuff is still in print. Level Plane records carries a lot of it. Aside from that material there is this live set from WLUW radio. It offers an alright mix of songs (all great songs, just not much from Cyronics). This set predates Risk Revival. The quality is great.

Enjoy & excuse the long story.

Hot Cross - Live on WLUW (download)

Level Plane Records
Hot Cross Myspace Page



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Now playing: Hot Cross - Vacant (demo)
via FoxyTunes

Parades End - Discography

In April of 1996 I was just starting to go fully from punk and dive headfirst into hardcore. Making that transition from Dead Kennedys, Adolescents, and Minor Threat to the realm of Minor Threat, Mouthpiece, Gorilla Biscuits, etc. Helping that transition was the local college station 88.7 KSPC (claremont, california) and the radio show "Fall in Love with Nick."

Not only did the show play the afformentioned GB, Mouthpiece, and Minor Threat but it was my first exposure to Swiz, Snapcase, Earth Crisis, Killing Time, and the band this post is about- Parades End. At just barely 17 years old I had not a single clue of what screamo was and I was barely discovering emo-core via Dag Nasty, so Parades End blew my mind.

What I heard that night on May 30th, 1996 was a live in-studio performance of the band. They did five songs- their self titled 7inch and a song that would turn up on a split 7inch. For years I would play the tape I had copied off the radio to anyone who would listen. My punk friends hated it, and the few hardcore kids I knew at the time thought it sounded too weird or weak for their tastes. So, I remained oblivious for years.

Long story short, years later after I had discovered all the great stuff that went on/was going on I stumbled upon the two 7inches this band released a few years apart from each other. The "S/T" 7inch came out on Wordsmith Covenant Records in '96 and I am guessing that the split (w/Sky Falls Down) came out in '97 on Moo Cow Records. I excluded the comp. song from "Guilty by Association" because its still in print on Indecision Records and the song had a different singer and while i love the song, its almost nothing like these songs at all. Yes, an ex-member of Outspoken is in this band, and members went on to do a band later with most of these members.

s/t 7inch:
Sphere
Drought
Love
Dreamer

split 7inch:
Age Old Story
Death of the Fittest

Live Set:
st 7inch + Death of the Fittest


Parades End - (near) Discography (download)


*I didn't have the covers/inserts scanned when I originally made the download file, so you can find them HERE
and just save them to your computer*