Review: Spectator - "Go On" EP

Release Info

Spectator - Go On EP
Release Date: August 28^th, 2012
Download: Bandcamp

Spectator’s Go On EP opens with Young Love; an aptly named Punk ballad that’s just a tad bit on the nose. Musically it’s distinct enough from the other tracks, but the lead guitar mimicking the vocal melodies to the chorus is just a little too much. There’s less clever lyricism here, which ultimately hurts the track from reaching its full potential.

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Review: Fairgrounds - "Fairgrounds" EP

Release Info

Fairgrounds - Fairgrounds EP
Release Date: September 6^th, 2012
Pre-order: N/A

The Syracuse Pop-Punkers have reinvented themselves with a new name, and with that step forward comes a step forward in musicianship.

Previously known as Stand My Ground, the band Fairgrounds hails from Syracuse, New York. On September 6^th they will release their new, self-titled EP.

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Review: Suckerpunch - "Are We Having Fun Yet?" EP

Release Info

Suckerpunch - Are We Having Fun Yet? EP
Release Date: July 27^th, 2012
Buy: Digital/CDs at shows

The ever-busy San Antonio Pop-Punkers are back with their latest EP, Are We Having Fun Yet?

There’s a lot to love on Suckerpunch’s latest release, a followup to their 2010 self-titled debut EP. It’s no surprise that the San Antonio Pop-Punk band is only two years old, but they’ve already got three releases under their belt, including a split EP with Indianapolis’ With Honors.

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Review: Averman/Stonewall - Split EP

Release Info

Averman/Stonewall - Split EP
Release Date: August, 2012
Record Label: Pushed Too Far Records
Buy: Digital/vinyl

Two Virginia Punk outfits, Averman and Stonewall, collide on a new 7" split EP.

Foundation is a grooving introduction, building slowly as each instrument joins in until chanting gang vocals begin to fade in from a distance. Foundation fades right into Head Walk This Way, the first formal track on the split.

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Review: Forever Came Calling - "Contender"

Release Info

Forever Came Calling - Contender
Release Date: July 24, 2012
Record Label: Pure Noise Records
Pre-order: CD/vinyl/merch

The debut full-length from Forever Came Calling gets a lot of things right, which is just what the California four-piece needed. The band manages to make a statement strong enough with Contender to avoid being swept up in the commotion of last year’s Pop-Punk Renaissance, which positions their debut to be one of the strongest punk records of 2012.

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Review: Arms Length Away - "Because You're The One I'll Carry With Me" EP

Release Info

Arms Length Away - Because You're The One I'll Cary With Me EP
Release Date: July 26, 2012
Pre-Order: Big Cartel

Apex, North Carolina Pop-Punkers Arms Length Away deliver their sophomore EP with a healthy dose of progression and maturity. Their previous release, 2010’s Just My Luck EP, showcased the work of eager greenhorns raised on New Found Glory, Yellowcard, and Jimmy Eat World. With their second release, the band stepped up to the plate to release something stronger and capable of holding its own. Even the EP’s cover art shows every sign of a band that is growing up; long gone is the cartoony hand-drawn art of past releases, ditched in favor of a more thoughtful photograph.

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Review: With The Punches - "Seams & Stitches"

Release Info

With The Punches - Seams & Stitches
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Record Label: Doghouse Records
Buy: CD/vinyl/merch/iTunes/Amazon

With two well-received EPs under their belts, the boys in With The Punches have high hopes for their debut album, Seams & Stitches, out July 3rd on Doghouse Records.

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Review: Archimedes, Watch Out! - "In Context"

Release Info

Archimedes, Watch Out! - In Context
Record Label: Search And Rescue Records
Release Date: May 26, 2012
Buy: CD/merch

Archimedes, Watch Out! recently released their debut full length In Context, and the Lubbock, Texas band definitely shows signs of promise.

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