Prenatt’s Picks: 100 Artists To Check Out In 2020 (Part 9)

Yeah yeah, it’s been some time. A thousand apologies. Got distracted with life, the fear of COVID-19, and Animal Crossing. But we got one more left after this!

Here at Punk Goes Prenatt, for the next 10 weeks, I’ll give you 100 artists that you need to tune your attention to throughout 2020. This list will feature numerous acts from numerous genres.

This is part nine of ten. If you didn’t read the previous list, click here.

Bilmuri

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Out Now: Muri And Friends (Self-Released)

For Fans Of: Belmont, I The Mighty, Royal Coda

In the late 2000s, Johnny Franck and his band Attack Attack! made waves across the scene with their beloved debut album Someday Came Suddenly and their self-titled record in 2010. He then left the group that same year to focus on his relationship with God. And all that time with God caused him to create Bilmuri (yes, based on the actor’s name,) a funky post-hardcore band that will make you head bang while twerking. Soft yet funky, Bilmuri allows Franck to soar higher than ever before. He’s worked with acts and artists like No Dice, Tilian of Dance Gavin Dance (he would later appear on DGD’s new album Afterburner,) Surf Team, Dayseeker, and former Attack Attack! and current Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo (the feature is killer.) So if you like funky rhythms and shitposting, Bilmuri’s for you.

Song to Listen to: “BRUH.MP4”

DREGG

Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Out Now: Tu Track – Single (Epitaph)

For Fans Of: Hatebreed, Limp Bizkit, System Of A Down

“Imagine Eminem, fronting Mr. Bungle, while sipping absinthe, after an Oscar Wilde binge. Or Hatebreed, covering the Wu-Tang Clan, inside an art installation, curated by Andy Warhol’s ghost.” Just reading that gives you a clear look on what hardcore act DREGG are. The Australian fivesome have the swagger of a rapper, colorful clothes, and disturbing tones. As the band put it, “Privacy is becoming very rare in this modern world, and that drives people to hide who they really are. Each band member’s on-stage persona is an extension of their inner selves—the person the outside world doesn’t allow them to be.” Well that explains the masks and warpaint. They’ve done shows with Alpha Wolf, Hellions, Counterparts, Deez Nuts, and Knocked Loose. DREGG recently signed with American punk label Epitaph Records (The All-American Rejects, Fake Names, Smrtdeath) and dropped a two-track single titled Tu Track back in late April.

Song to Listen to: “HECTIC”

Lilac Queen

Hometown: Wakefield, MA

Out Now: If Only – EP (No Sleep)

For Fans Of: My Bloody Valentine, Swirlies, Title Fight

Named after a song by mewithoutYou, Massachusetts post-shoegaze quintet Lilac Queen might become the next big thing in the genre. Formed in late 2019, Lilac Queen —vocalist/guitarist Lily St. Germain, guitarist/vocalist Doug DeMars, lead guitarist Colin McGovern, bassist Billy Davis and drummer Jesse Porter — are slowly moving up in the music world, having signed to No Sleep Records (Best Ex, Gatherers, Worst Party Ever) in April. As Thisfunktional put it, Lilac Queen’s “wall-of-sound rhythm section juxtaposed with writhing guitar leadwork creates an atmospheric onslaught that does not beg but demands the listener’s attention.” They’ll be performing at The Fest in Gainesville, Fla., later this year alongside Hot Water Music, Broadway Calls, and current Prenatt’s Picks list band Mush.

Song to Listen to: “Ouch”

Wristmeetrazor

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

Out Now: Take Your Shot, Funboy – Single (Prosthetic)

For Fans Of: Ostraca, Portrayal Of Guilt, SeeYouSpaceCowboy

With a name like that they have to be heavy as fuck. D.C.’s Wristmeetrazor (named after the Usurp Synapse song) first began as a solo project for guitarist Jonah Thorne until he found bassist Justin Fornof and drummer Zach Wilbourn (who was replaced by SeeYouSpaceCowboy’s drummer Bryan Prosser in 2018) and added them in. The lineup soon became a quartet with the inclusion of second guitarist Tyler Norris a year later. As the group put it in their own words, “Bore of our own necessity. Wristmeetrazor exists as a monument to the space between sanity and self-destruction. Happiness. Sadness. Life. Death.” They’ve done shows with Terror, Dying Wish, Lowered A.D., Sharptooth, and Exit Strategy. Because of COVID-19, their tour with Trench and Stepping Stone will not be taking place. Support them and buy some merch.

Song to Listen to: “Loathsome”

I Met A Yeti

Hometown: Orlando, FL

Out Now: Camp Yeti – EP (Self-Released)

For Fans Of: Hail The Sun, A Lot Like Birds, Sianvar

Cool name. Orlando based swancore/post-hardcore quintet I Met A Yeti are as fun as their name sounds. And just like a yeti, they’re mysterious and way beyond powerful. They’re one of the most underrated groups in the swancore genre, and that’s a damn shame. Since we’re all under quarantine, check them out. The band have done shows with Strawberry Girls, Tiny Moving Parts, Eidola, I Set My Friends On Fire, and Being As An Ocean. They just wrapped up a tour in March, minus cancelling the final date due to corona.

Song to Listen to: “Blue-Eyes White Yeti”

Manuel The Band

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Out Now: Room For Complication – EP (Monte Bre)

For Fans Of: Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Train

Hailing from Frank Ocean and Snoop Dogg’s hometown, rock-jazz-Americana group Manuel The Band are making waves in their corner of the country. The band started releasing music in 2018, and it’s been nothing but good vibes for the sextet. So far, they’ve played at the Music Tastes Good festival with New Order, Santigold, and Princess Nokia, dropped one EP and a new song written during quarantine, and were nominated for Best Album at the Independent Music Awards. Seems like it’s finally time for these West Coast boys to take flight and travel the country.

Song to Listen to: “Casual Love”

SadGirl

Hometown: Los Angeles CA

Out Now: Water (Suicide Squeeze)

For Fans Of: The Buttertones, Froth, Surf Curse

Inspired by rock ‘n’ roll from the ’50s and ’60s swing, LA’s surf punks SadGirl have a sound like no other. Their music sounds like the love child of David Bowie and Buddy Holly, which is odd since they first started off doing Nirvana and Sublime covers. Frontman Misha Lindes later shifted that grungy sound to the early rock music he grew up listening to. “For some reason, I always have had some fantasy about what my dad’s childhood was like growing up in early 60s America: big cars, guitar music, and The Beatles on the radio,” Misha told Vice back in 2016, stating that the Crybaby soundtrack “really changed my musical perspective in some way, too.” SadGirl have done shows with The Garden, Chicano Batman, and SWMRS.

Song to Listen to: “Chlorine”

Casa Loma

Hometown: Williamstown, NJ

Out Now: This Is Coping – EP (Pure Noise)

For Fans Of: …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Foxwarren, Nada Surf

Nik Bruzzese is no stranger to the music scene. He’s the frontman for one of the most beloved and influential pop punk bands of the past decade: Man Overboard. But with his solo project Casa Loma, Bruzzese steps into a new, softer, heavily emotional sound, reminiscing of Andy Shauf and Leif Vollebekk (well, Man Overboard had emotional songs, but Casa Loma goes harder than that.) When Transit/Cold Collective member Tim Landers passed away in early 2019, Bruzzese took the news hard. Going into recluse, he created the songs that would make up his debut EP This Is Coping, coming out June 5 on Pure Noise Records (The Amity Affliction, LURK, Same Side.) As a press release points out, “Despite the gravity of the subject matter, Nik is quick to point out that Casa Loma isn’t all doom and gloom. A hopeful optimism permeates the contemplative compositions, with a reassurance to keep going.”

Song to Listen to: “Famaglia”

Bamily

Hometown: London, UK

Out Now: Family With A B – EP (Self-Released)

For Fans Of: Friendly Fires, Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club

Welcome to the Bamily. English indie darlings Bamily are all about that Bamily life, pun totally intended. Combining indie pop with the powers of EDM, disco, hip-hop, and soul, these lads are in a league of their own. They even DJ during their sets. As SubmitHub puts it, “Opening a world of sample heavy beats over luscious pad sounds and percussion, the band reimagine traditional pop song structures passing melodies between their two lead singers and a hefty backing vocal.” Currently they have over 90.8k monthly listeners on Spotify. Oh, and their cover of Tyler, The Creator’s “EARFQUAKE” slaps hard.

Song to Listen to: “Outro”

Dead Lakes

Hometown: Seattle, WA

Out Now: New Language – EP (SharpTone)

For Fans Of: Awaken I Am, Bring Me The Horizon, PVRIS

Formed in 2017, Seattle’s Dead Lakes blend the worlds of pop and screamo perfectly together. Their label SharpTone Records (Broadside, Kingdom Of Giants, The Wise Man’s Fear) says, “Dead Lakes make music for anyone who feels the sting of broken connections, failed relationships, and challenging circumstances, yet nevertheless will muster the strength and hope to carry onward.” They just might become the new Sleeping With Sirens. Definitely keep these guys on your radar.

Song to Listen to: “SMS Happiness”

Come back next week for the final artists of 2020!

The Warriors Take Us On A Bizarre Adventure Through “Monomyth”

If The Warriors are afraid that people forgot about them, then Monomyth, their first album in nearly a decade, will answer that question. And simply put, the answer is no, they’re not forgotten.

Frontman Marshall Lichtenwaldt said in a press release, “I don’t know if people still remember us. It’s been a long time.” Which is true. The Tehachapi, Calif., hardcore legends haven’t released a record since 2011 when they were with Victory Records. Now with Pure Noise Records, home of heavy hitters like UnityTX, Stick To Your Guns, and Knocked Loose, who were influenced by The Warriors, they are back to show that they aren’t dead and are ready to reclaim what’s theirs.

Monomyth was inspired by the hero’s journey concept that was popularized by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero With A Thousand Faces. This album features 12 songs that follow the stages the hero takes, much like the 12 stages in the hero’s journey, starting with the Ordinary World (“All Life Is One”) and ending with the Return With The Elixir (“Last S.O.S.”) The Warriors take the listener on this journey, and it’s up to you to figure out if we learn something from this. Fueled by Eastern philosophies and meditative teachings, Monomyth is the most bizarre record from these guys to date. Hell, it might be the weirdest hardcore album to date.

The album begins with “All Life Is One,” a track fueled by militaristic drums and electronic elements that hype you up for the upcoming journey. It sets you up for what you’ll hear throughout Monomyth: hard hitting mid-2000s hardcore mixed with electronic elements. Sometimes it works (“The Painful Truth”) and other times it bombs horribly (“Fountain Of Euth.”) And unlike the concept of ying and yang, it never really seems to find the perfect balance to make both work.

Monomyth has some pretty heavy hitters on the record like “The Painful Truth” which features Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall, “Death Ritual” featuring Xibalba’s Nate Rebolledo, and “Iron Mind.” But it falls flat the most with “Fountain Of Euth,” having The Movielife’s Vinnie Caruana’s vocals pitched over this trap beat for some godawful reason. It doesn’t flow well with the rest of the album and feels like you hit a brick wall. Not everyone can make trap beats work well with hardcore, unless you’re UnityTX, which The Warriors clearly aren’t.

Throughout the 12 tracks on Monomyth, we go through this weird journey which makes you wonder if you ever want to go on it another time. You do get a feel for the emotion and energy the band pump into each song. The messages the band try to push on this record do hit hard, but some of the songs don’t hit as hard as their past material. While I’m glad The Warriors are back, Monomyth feels like a weird misstep. Maybe the next journey won’t be so bumpy.

Chaos Reigns Again At RiverWorks For ETID’s Annual ‘Tid The Season

It’s Christmastime once again here in Buffalo. And that can only mean one thing: it’s Shitmas time.

‘Tid The Season, the annual music festival created by local heroes Every Time I Die, happened over the weekend at Buffalo RiverWorks. Filled with fun, music, and a lot of booze, the two-day festival was nothing but a treat to locals and to the hundreds who traveled out of the state, or even the country (word up foreign ETIDiots.)

And you didn’t read that last sentence wrong, there were two days this year. That means an additional day for skating, moshing, and dodging some douche in a Naruto akatsuki robe. You know who you are.

Terror bring their brutal hardcore style to RiverWorks on Friday night.

Day one had performances by Mercy Union, All Get Out, Harm’s Way, Terror, The Damned Things, and Against Me! opening up for Every Time I Die. Jersey rockers Mercy Union started day one with a good amount of rock ‘n’ roll to get the crowd moving, playing songs like “Prussia,” “Reverse,” and “The Quarry.” Once Harm’s Way took to the stage, everything started to go crazy. Hardcore was what the audience craved, and these Chicago heavy hitters, alongside L.A.’s Terror, got the crowd into a moshing frenzy.

Rock supergroup The Damned Things, made up of members of Fall Out Boy, Anthrax, Alkaline Trio, and Every Time I Die, played their first Buffalo show since 2011 on Friday.

The night got even wilder when the supergroup The Damned Things hit the Buffalo stage for the first time in eight years. With ETID frontman Keith Buckley on vocals and backed by members of Anthrax and Fall Out Boy, the group were able to throw it down as if they were the true headliners. They ripped into a nine song set featuring classic tracks (“Friday Night (Going Down In Flames),” “Ironiclast,” “We’ve Got A Situation Here”) and hits from their latest record High Crimes (“Cells,” “Omen,” “Something Good.”)

The crowd went nuts when Floridian punk rockers Against Me! took to the stage.

Against Me! went on before ETID and tore the stage to shreds. Frontwoman Laura Jane Grace put the crowd under her spell with the power of her mighty Rickenbacker, playing all the old jams (“I Was A Teenage Anarchist,” “Sink, Florida, Sink,” “Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong”) and modern hits (“FuckMyLife666,” “Black Me Out,” “Haunting, Haunted, Haunts.”) Their set was the set to not miss on Friday, and I pity you if you sadly did.

Day two began with 90 minutes of pure wrestling madness brought to you by ETID’s Andy Williams (aka The Butcher.) After that, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Candy, Möngöl Hörde, Cave In, The Get Up Kids, Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan, and Glassjaw preformed.

Connie Sgarbossa (center) of SeeYouSpaceCowboy kicked day two into high gear.

Rising sasscore act SeeYouSpaceCowboy took to the stage first and immediately got the crowd going. Frontwoman Connie Sgarbossa has a voice that forces the crowd to move whether they want to or not. Performing bone crunching songs like “Armed With Their Teeth,” “911 Call: ‘Help I’ve Overdosed On Philosophy!’,” and “Late December,” a song about Connie’s friend’s passing, SYSC cemented themselves as one of the hardest acts of the day, and it was only four in the afternoon.

Frank Turner’s band Möngöl Hörde played their first (and only) show in the Queen City on Saturday.

Möngöl Hörde, the silly hardcore punk trio fronted by folk artist Frank Turner, were a sight to see. The UK act performed songs off their only album Möngöl Hörde (“Tapeworm Uprising, “How the Communists Ruined Christmas, “The Yurt Locker”). Watching them was bizarre but nevertheless entertaining. It’s a shame that they’re apparently disbanding according to what Turner said before ending their set.

While they weren’t the heaviest band on day two’s lineup, emo legends The Get Up Kids were able to keep the high energy in the room going.

The night kept on rolling strong with performances by beloved metalcore act Cave In, Kansas City emo gods The Get Up Kids, and motherfucking Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan. Seriously, Ghostface’s set was intense. You should’ve seen the pit that opened up.

Every Time I Die put on two amazing shows with killer sets. (Photo taken and used with permission by David Arnould)

Now let’s get to the band you’ve been waiting for: ETID. Their sets on Friday and Saturday night had something for everyone. On Friday, ETID opened with “Floater,” sending the whole floor into giant shoving and mosh pits. Hope you were able to get out in time. The band played classic hits (“Ebolarama,” “Cities And Years,” “Holy Book Of Dilemma,” which had the boys start off by accidentally playing the intro to “She’s My Rushmore,”) modern favorites (“Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space,” “Idiot,” “The Coin Has A Say”) and some new songs called “White Void” and “Back Distance.” And if you thought night one was great, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Guitarist Jordan Buckley stands on top of the crowd as he plays the ending riff from “Map Change” while Keith sings along with the sold out venue.

Night two’s set started off with enthusiastic Buffalo Bills fan Mark Miller got on stage to introduce the band while saying the Bills would beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday (which they did.) Williams then walked onto the stage, blaring the infamous notes from the opening of their 2009 album New Junk Aesthetic “Roman Holiday.” ETID then went full throttle, launching into several beloved songs like “The Marvelous Slut,” “Gloom And How It Gets That Way,” “Petal,” “Emergency Broadcast Syndrome,” and “Moor.” Another new song “Never Forget” was debuted.

Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah and his fellow rappers gave RiverWorks a taste of old school hip-hop.

The energy ETID gave off could power a small city in the midwest. They didn’t have to go all out, but they did that to show how great Buffalo is. Every band and artist put on one hell of a performance (but Glassjaw felt off.) No one faltered and it was honestly one of the best shows I went to in 2019. It was a wonderful weekend packed with so much to do and see, and all I can think about is when the hell do next year’s tickets go on sale?

If you ever have the chance to go to ‘Tid The Season, seize the opportunity. Whether it’s one long day or two days, these Christmas shows will put you in a jolly mood while you’re throwing down with your fellow ETIDiots. Merry Christmas, you filthy animals. Can’t wait to see you all next year.

 

 

Underoath, Knocked Loose, Terror, More To Play San Bernardino Self Help Fest

If you thought A Day To Remember’s Self Help Fest show in San Bernardino, Calif., show was amazing so far, wait to you see who just got added.

Six acts have been added to the west coast date of the festival. Performing alongside perviously announced bands like Periphery, Set Your Goals, and Can’t Swim, are Underoath, Knocked Loose, and Terror. Check out the final lineup below.

Self Help Fest in San Bernardino takes place Saturday, October 12 at the NOS Events Center. Tickets and VIP bundles are available at the festival’s website.

Previous acts who performed include Papa Roach, Thy Art Is Murder, Breathe Carolina, and Hands Like Houses.