#sharptone

Bob Vylan

BY JORDAN MAINZER

This year’s Riot Fest offers a lot in the way of postponements from previous years, whether Nine Inch Nails’ headlining set 1 year in the making or My Chemical Romance’s triumphant return to the stage 2 years late. But there are plenty of great bands to check out before the sun sets. I’ve highlighted 4 bands worth showing up early for and 1 that will make you want to stick around. Oh, and even if you’re not going, you can buy some or all of each band’s music on Bandcamp.

FRIDAY

Boston Manor, 1:30 PM, Radicals Stage

Next month via SharpTone Records, British rock band Boston Manor will follow up their breakout record Glue and last year’s Desperate Times, Desperate Pleasures EP with Datura, their biggest but bleakest album yet. Recorded with Hundred Reasons guitarist, vocalist, and producer Larry Hibbitt, Datura reflects the time-warped days of the pandemic, nights filled with drinking too much and mornings filled with the repercussions of the nights. Lead singer Henry Cox immediately rattles off a series of stark observations on the alien opener “Datura (Dusk)”: “There’s a fire in the cark park / I see it smoldering / Heard my neighbor kill his own dog for going in the bins.” The music of Datura mirrors a similar pervasive sense of dread, harsh noise enveloping the otherwise dreamy guitars of closer “Inertia” and synth bounce of “Crocus”. The rest of the band--lead guitarist Mike Cunniff, rhythm guitarist Ash Wilson, bassist Dan Cunniff, and drummer Jordan Pugh--provide storming instrumentation alongside the pulsating electronics of “Floodlights on the Square” and synth glitches of instrumental “Shelter From The Rain”. 

Live, Boston Manor should play at least a couple of the singles from Datura, such as the reflective “Foxglove” and the dramatic “Passenger”, while also taking the Glue victory lap they weren’t able to experience at the height of the pandemic.

Bob Vylan, 4:15 PM, Rebel Stage

The liner notes on the deluxe version of Bob Vylan’s debut album We Live Here start with the words, “Recorded in 2019, mastered in 2020 and relevant today!” You could follow the same formula for all songs from the UK punk rap duo. Even the song that begins with an order to kill the now late queen may be updated on their current tour to use King Charles’ name instead. Bob Vylan’s music lives in constant urgency. Their second album, the phenomenal Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life (Ghost Theatre), begins with a sample of a speech from Guyanese historian and activist Walter Rodney: “People in their day-to-day lives will know what it means to be living in a state of economic crisis.” Considering the ever-present ills of colonialism, an unprecedented cost of living and housing crisis, and even some food banks closing on Monday for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, Bob Vylan speak from their own experiences and on behalf of others. With a combination of driving guitars, propulsive beats, shouted choruses, and limber flow, the duo target everything from the surveillance state (“Phone Tap”) and big pharma (“Drug War”) to the blissfully ignorant (“Turn Off The Radio”) and fake progressives (“Bait the Bear”). “They say I’m violent,” laughs Bobby Vylan, before declaring, “The whole country’s fucking violent.” Fighting fire with fire out of survival, they’ll bring the riot to Riot Fest in true spirit rather than just aesthetic.

SATURDAY

Alexisonfire, 4:30 PM, Radicals Stage

They reunited 7 years ago, but it wasn’t until this June that Canadian post-hardcore greats Alexisonfire actually released a new record, their first in 13 years. Otherness (Dine Alone) strikes a delicate balance between remaining faithful to what makes the band tick while exploring new genres and styles, like the 8-minute folk, psychedelia, prog metal closer “World Stops Turning”. While they might not whip that one out during their hour-long Riot Fest set, Alexisonfire should churn through Otherness highlights like “Sweet Dreams of Otherness” and the surprisingly soft “Sans Soleil”. Of course, they’ll play classics from albums like Crisis and Old Crows / Young Cardinals, but the Otherness songs should fit in nicely in a live set.

Read our review of Otherness.

SUNDAY

Zola Jesus, 2:50 PM, Riot Stage

On Zola Jesus’ 6th album ARKHON (Sacred Bones), Nika Roza Danilova bares all. The record was born out of a state of vulnerability--heartbreak, change, writer’s block--with Danilova reaching out to collaborators earlier than ever in the creative process, including producer Randall Dunn and percussionist Matt Chamberlain. The result is the most outwardly expressive Zola Jesus album to date. On “The Fall” and “Desire”, Danilova straight up belts, dynamically over a shuffling groove on the former and raw-like over acoustic piano on the latter. “Lick my wounds like you can taste them,” she asks of a partner on “Desire”, making them tangibly consider the end of a relationship. Importantly, though the record is immensely personal, a product of intense alienation, Danilova finds common ground with the listener, finding subtle, clever ways to express the universality of her themes. She sings around syncopated samples of a Slovenian folk choir on “Lost”, the voices individually disjointed but unified in spirit. Her vocals intertwine with Louise Woodward’s chamber accompaniment on the cinematic and thrilling “Dead and Gone”, and with sinewy synths and cascading drums on “Into the Wild”. Ultimately, she speaks for all of us, wondering “How can love be misguided when your heart learns to beat?” ARKHON is forever truthful and empathetic.

Though Zola Jesus is somewhat embedded within the dark wave or industrial realms, her set should be a comparatively experimental outlier within Riot Fest, a can’t-miss at the festival for those looking for something different.

Photo by David Black

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 7:10 PM, Roots Stage

holding absence // beyond belief.

Maryland’s fast-rising heavy alt-rockers SAVAGE HANDS are currently gearing up to head off on the band’s eagerly-anticipated North American tour with WHILE SHE SLEEPS. In the meantime, the band have released the first album trailer for their upcoming debut album 'The Truth In Your Eyes', released January 31st via SharpTone Records. Watch the album trailer here: https://youtu.be/IiDqF9t7Vko

On the new trailer, vocalists Mike Garrow comments: “take an inside look at how this album came about and what it means to us. The band has put everything we have into this new moment for SAVAGE HANDS. 'The Truth In Your Eyes.'“

In case you missed it, last Friday SAVAGE HANDS unveiled their brand new music video for single 'Blue'. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/CKxvhKTUaE8.

Pre-order 'The Truth In Your Eyes' here: https://shrptn.co/savagehands

More on 'The Truth In Your Eyes': Watch the official music video for first single 'Memory' here: https://youtu.be/czgKk3juXvs And watch the official music video for second single 'Demon' here: https://youtu.be/9rts4cCh5Kg

'The Truth In Your Eyes' tracklisting: 1. Memory 2. Brain Dead 3. Blue 4. Demon 5. Rotten Soul 6. Washed Away 7. Lonely 8. Bloodshot 9. Break The Ice 10. Crazy 11. Never Change

SAVAGE HANDS will be touring the US in February/March 2020 with WHILE SHE SLEEPS. See the full dates below.

SAVAGE HANDS USA Tour Dates: Supporting WHILE SHE SLEEPS FEB 13 - ORLANDO, FL - THE ABBEY FEB 14 - ATLANTA,GA - MASQUERADE HELL FEB 15 - DURHAM,NC - MOTORCO MUSIC HALL FEB 17 - BALTIMORE,MD - OTTOBAR FEB 18 - PHILADELPHIA,PA - UNION TRANSFER FEB 19 - NEW YORK,NY - GRAMERCY THEATRE FEB 21 - POUGHKEEPSIE,NY - THE LOFT FEB 22 - SOMERVILLE,MA - ONCE BALLROOM FEB 24 - BUFFALO,NY - REC ROOM FEB 26 - OTTOWA,ON - BRASS MONKEY FEB 27 - MONTREAL,QC - FAIRMOUNT THEATRE FEB 29 - TORONTO,ON - HARD LUCK MAR 01 - DETROIT,MI - THE SHELTER MAR 02 - CHICAGO,IL - BOTTOM LOUNGE MAR 03 - ST PAUL,MN - AMSTERDAM BAR & HALL MAR 05 - HOUSTON,TX - WAREHOUSE LIVE STUDIO MAR 06 - AUSTIN,TX - COME AND TAKE IT LIVE MAR 07 - FORT WORTH,TX - TOMCATS WEST MAR 09 - KANSAS CITY,MO - AFTERSHOCK MAR 10 - DENVER,CO - MARQUIS THEATER MAR 11 - SALT LAKE CITY,UT - IN THE VENUE MAR 13 - SACRAMENTO,CA - HOLY DIVER MAR 14 - LOS ANGELES,CA - THE ROXY THEATRE MAR 15 - LAS VEGAS,NV - BACKSTAGE BAR & BILLIARDS MAR 17 - PHOENIX,AZ - THE REBEL LOUNGE

Just above a scorching sonic fusion of alternative experimentation, metallic energy, and rock appeal, SAVAGE HANDS detail the trials and tribulations of addiction, deceit, depression, and heartbreak. The Maryland quintet, consisting of Michael Garrow [vocals], Justin Hein [guitar], Nathan O’Brien [guitar], Jayvon Green [bass], and Alex Gacek [drums]—paint poignant pictures without pulling any punches on their 2020 full-length debut, 'The Truth In Your Eyes'. “We worked really hard on trying to create memorable moments in each song,” says Michael. “The lyrics and melodies were the main focus. It was about doing something a little different. All of the stories on the record point towards truth and lies. If you look at someone, their eyes will often reveal the truth, even if they don’t say it. We tried to take some risks and really just strive to be us.” The metalcore-infused-alternative-rock outfit introduced a singular identity on the 2018 EP, 'Barely Alive'. The project quietly put up nearly 2 million total streams in less than a year as they attracted early praise from the likes of Alternative Press who claimed, “it’s the lyricism that channels the most emotion.” In between touring with the likes of WAGE WAR, PALISADES AND KUBLAI KHAN, they signed to SharpTone Records and began work on what would become 'The Truth In Your Eyes'. SAVAGE HANDS built a full studio at Michael’s place and recorded these eleven tracks alongside producer Andrew Baylis [MY ENEMIES & I, SYLAR]. Ultimately, SAVAGE HANDS present a whole new story for heavy music with heart-wrenching honesty.

SAVAGE HANDS are: Michael Garrow - vocals Justin Hein - guitar Nathan O’Brien - guitar Jayvon Green - bass Alex Gacek - drums

here is a small gift for @sharp-tone, to say thank you for taking time for me, when i need it.