Leadershit - S/T

Leadershit is a band from Spain formed from ashes of Ekkaia, Disface, Cop on Fire, Cementerio Show, Karton de Vino, and Caos Ok. This band is again one of my personal favorites and are fast and heavy as anything. The sound is traditional crust, with melodic guitar and d-beat elements tossed every which way. Vocals are belted out and there is some sick guitar work in here. Standout songs on the album are "A Perro Mojado" and "Hacia Dias Sin Cadenas", not to mention some awesome looking artwork. Expect me to post their split up here with Derrota sometime in the future.

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Lost Tribe - The Dawn

Lost Tribe is a band from Richmond, Virginia and plays a style I've never quite heard. Lost Tribe plays dark, gothic punk. I had never heard of them beforehand, but they were playing a show with my band and I was blown away. Every instrument plays something different, but everything flows and goes together perfectly. They're very heavy on the reverb, but it works in this case, and extremely well. Vocals are more shouted and chanted than screamed, which is an awesome effect, especially in their live performances. This is an awesome demo, but they're live sound can't be replicated, and is definitely a band I would recommend seeing if you even like them a bit. The song "Vexed" stood out to me most, but this is one solid demo, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on their newer releases.

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Punch - S/T

Punch is a female-fronted hardcore band from San Fransisco, California. They used blistering fast guitar progressions and scratchy high speedy vocals. The whole band is just really fucking fast and heavy, good stuff to be sure. Many, if not all, of the songs have breakdowns in them, and while I think overusing breakdowns just sounds stupid, they manage to make it work. They still tour around, and have another album called "Push Pull". The standout songs on this album are "Get Back" and "We're Not In This Together".

 

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Virago Baking Company

Virago bakery is located in Lansdale (north of Philadelphia) on 322.5 West Main Street. It boasts all natural, gluten free, vegan (and nonvegan), and European style cakes. The best food there is the food not even on the menu. For around $9.50, Virago makes the best vegan cheesesteak wraps I have ever had. It is most likely the best food I have ever eaten. The substitute beef has a great taste and is roughly the same consistency as the beef you would find in a Philly cheesesteak. The vegan cheese is fantastic and it is made to perfection. They offer chicken and buffalo cheesesteaks as well, of which I have only had the buffalo variety, also of which is exquisite. They also make excellent vegan cupcakes and pastries, which are huge compared to regular cupcakes, coffee, tea, sandwiches, cakes, and general cafe items. The people who work there are some of the nicest people you'll meet and they have an artist of the month and music every Friday with open mics on first Friday.

 http://viragobakingcompany.com/

Blackbird Raum - Swidden

Blackbird Raum is a gypsy folk punk band comprised of squatters from Santa Cruz, California. Their lineup consists of an accordion, banjo, washboard, mandolin, and washtub bass. Group vocals are shouted, sung and harmonized. It's hard to describe their sound, as I have yet to hear anything quite like it. Most of their songs have a high amount of energy and are generally pretty speedy. All of their albums are solid and I never get tired of listening to them. While all the tracks are amazing, the ones that stand out to me are "Witches" and "Honey in the Hair". Definitely one of my favorite bands.

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Broken Bones - Bonecrusher

Broken Bones is a hardcore punk band from England. They started in 1983 and are still playing presently. The bassist and guitarist are ex-Discharge members, and that can definitely show. This album in particular is, in my opinion, one of the best albums of all time. It was an American only release back in 1985. Every song is solid. The entire band are amazing at their instruments, with searing guitar solos, excellent bass riffs, and precise drumming. The vocals are shouted and are extremely unique. Honestly, just an amazing band. Standout tracks are "It's Like" and "Choose Death". Also notable is "Decapitated", being their most well known song. But every song on this album is fucking amazing.

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Andrew Jackson Jihad - Can't Maintain

Andrew Jackson Jihad is a folk band from Phoenix, Arizona comprised of Sean Bonnette on guitar, Ben Gallaty on standup bass, and an ever changing lineup of drums, horns, saws, and more. They started around 2004 and are known for their self loathing and satirical lyrics. This album is certainly no exception. This album is simply amazing. Acoustic guitar mixed in with standup bass and some very unique, yet very fitting, vocals. Some of the songs are electric, some of the songs are acoustic and some have horns saxophones, etc; a very diverse album. Lyrics are typically loathing and almost depressing at some point, but I can relate to almost all of them, creating a very personal feeling. And even within the grim lyrics, there is humor to be found and it has a very unique feel. I can't really pick any standout songs on this album, as every single one of them stands out in their own way; an extremely solid album start to finish.

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