Punk Rock! Socialism! Anarchy! Hating the Church! Hating cops! Sending a big ol' FUCK YOU to Mr. Donald Trump and our corrupt institution!
Do I have your attention yet?? If these words sent a thrilling cheer up your spine and made you shout "HELL YEAH!" then you will love The Homeless Gospel Choir and his new album This Land is Your Landfill.
The Homeless Gospel Choir is an amazing little punk band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that specializes in making the most radical protest songs you'll ever have the pleasure of filling your earholes with. Since a couple of years ago, Derek Zanetti, founder of the band and one of the sweetest human beings I've ever had the honor of meeting, has moved on from being a solo acoustic act to joining forces with musicians Maura Weaver, Megan Schroer, Craig Luckman, and Matt Miller to create a full punk band! The band's last album, Normal (also highly recommended, listen to songs Normal, Crazy, and Depression), was the first time we got to experience The Homeless Gospel Choir as a full band, and I thought that was just amazing to hear the band's full potential played out like that.
But Normal was just a taste. They were still working out the kinks compared to This Land is Your Landfill (released this last Friday, April 24th). The chemistry and production in This Land is Your Landfill blew me out of the water, and is probably, in my opinion, the best Homeless Gospel Choir album to date.
First of all, Derek's voice! You can really hear him pushing the limits in this album, really experimenting and playing with his vocal abilities (see about 2 minutes into Social Real Estate). The backing vocals, too, from (I think) Megan Shroer are amazing! I believe she did some vocals back on the album Normal as well (in "Don't Know"?), but they didn't stand out to me as much as they do here in TLIYLF (look at tracks You Never Know and Lest We Forget). And don't get my started on the GUITAR!!! If you know anything about me, you'll know that I am a sucker for some good, hard-hitting, overwhelming guitar and, man, does This Land is Your Landfill provide! (thanks Matt!!)! The new sound feels very Jeff Rosenstock-inspired, so if you enjoy his music I'm sure you will enjoy this new album as well :)
This is such a great album start to finish. The only track that fell flat for me was "Punk as Fuck". It was a little slower than expected from a title so great, but lines like "I won't regret or shed a tear about how I don't wanna go out," and what sounds like a saxaphone solo and ska-styled horns, still make the song worth a listen.
This album is for the socially-anxious punk rock kids who need a light at the end of the tunnel right during the end of the world. The Homeless Gospel Choir has managed to make my heart swell and bring tears to my eyes with every album he's made, and this one is no different. The Homeless Gospel Choir will always be the closest I'll get to feeling the Holy Spirit.
My Top 3 Songs:
Highlights:
X. Fuck social media anthem!
X. IM FED UP FED UP FED UP
X."You pretend to be invisible just like the holy spirit"
X. "The internet only shows you things that it wants you to want"
X.Guitar solo ;-;
X."Don't you Derek compare yourself!"
Highlights:
X. For all the emoz in quarantine ;-;
X. "Art punk fuck up lost in thought. Every petal loves me not."
X. "I don't wanna go out!!"
Highlights:
X. FUCK THE CHURCH!
X. CATHOLIC GUILT!
X. "Potato sack rat race last place pace to the wall!"
X. gUitARRR ;;-------;;
X. That last verse fUckkkk!!
BONUS:
Final Rating:
I’ve been a fan of Dance Gavin Dance since about 2014, drawn in by their complex guitar riffs and song structures. I love a band that can change genres and sound, but I also love a band that knows not to fix something when it ain’t broke. Dance Gavin Dance still sound like Dance Gavin Dance with their new album, Afterburner, that came out this Friday, April 24th.
The album starts out strong with Prisoner, pulling you in with lines like “Do you crave a greater reason to exist?” and then a chorus that hits you like a brick wall. It’s a very classic DGD sound and structure, especially with Jon Mess’s part at the end.
Although DGD keep their classic sound, they aren't afraid to expirement in Afterburner. As the album continues, we hear Tilian experimenting with the range of his vocals from keys to even screaming along with Mess. Track 3, Calentamiento Global, is a pleasant surprise, heavily Latinx inspired and something I never really expected from DGD. We then get some sounds in Track 4, Three Wishes, that remind me of Post Malone or something from Coldplay’s 2011 album Mylo Xyloto.
I will be honest, this album falls a little flat for me. It’s not as exciting or catchy to me as other DGD albums, there isn’t that same spark for me. That said, it's not close to being a bad album. There are some treasures in there like Prisoner and A Strawberry’s Wake, and in Nothing Shameful we get Andrew Wells from Eidola (a band you must check out as well, I recommend Tetelestai and Loti) harmonzing beautifully against Tillian’s vocals. Dance Gavin Dance is a band that knows how to have fun and make great "Crow Music", where everything is shiny and you want to collect it all, even if you don’t have a real use for it later.
In conclusion, Afterburner is a pretty good album with some fun experimentations from the band. I’m excited to see what they do next :)
My Top 3 Songs:
Highlights:
X. "Do you crave a greater reason to exist?"
X. THE CHORUS
X. Jon Mess going ham at the end
Highlights:
X. another strawberry song!
X. chorus feels like a lil party :3
X. "I want you to matter to you! Forget those backstabbers!"
X. BASS SOLO
X. AND THE PARTY THAT COMES AFTER THAT
X. Jon Mess being a flight attendant in the music video
Highlights:
X. iNTRO
X. the chorus and the verses are just so fun
X. Andrew Wells' vocals
X. ANDREW WELLSS VOCALS.!!
X. "What happened to my f***ing purpose?"
X. "Can you feel me calling your name from the balcony seats you left empty?"
X. seriously this bridge is killing me
Final Rating:
☆☆
So I only very recently started getting into The Used. I think this will be my first time listening to a Used album in full besides maybe their self titled album. And wow this is a very long album....
Track 1. This is a very strong start to the album.
Track 2. Fun and emo. YEAHHHH BREAKDOWN AT THE END. Yeah that was a good dirty rock song.
Track 3. Kinda flat. "Cant help but flex my influence." "Glad to see you on your knees."
These are feeling like safe radio hits.
Track 4. Oh the chorus in this one bops! Yeah the melody in this song is very pleasing. Violins. Yeah I think this is a favorite so far. There's something about this that feels very 2000s in both the rock and pop sense, and also very classic Used.
Track 5. "Everything on the radio makes me wanna bash my skull." LMAO this song is just a Mood. I cannot take this song seriously this is just hilarious oh my god yeah this is good, thanks bert. Did they literally just make this to become a meme...?
Track 6. interesting interlude...
Track 7. ... bad guy. Lots of interesting noises lmao. i'm really liking this song actually, i love the back and forth of whispers between headphones. This is very much a Crow song for me lol just so many shiny sounds.
Track 8. damn bert belt it out. ohhh pick up pick up. ...what the hell is going on in this song. "the real black parade" shut UP why wont you get oVER YOUR EX. This better not be another shade song for gerard right before yall are going on tour together lmao. Oh a little piano ballad! a little out of place but i accept it. oh and then it just ends
Track 9. why are all of these sounding like they belong in coraline. I'm really liking this song. Feels very passionate and theatrical.
Track 10. dance party??? damn we clubbin, okay. Someone's been listening to too much daft punk...
Track 11. ALLLLRIGHHTT. EmO pOetRy. "phisologic." Ohh this is another interlude. Well you know im always a slut for emo poetry.
Track 12. featuring Pop punk king :) Oh god this is too pop for me what is going on.
Track 13. This one's pretty good, not bad.
Track 14. wOAh going heavy again. oh my god this album is too long im sorry.
Track 15. Yeahhh this one is funnnnn
Track 16. we made it to the end boys. i dont know if i even want to hear the rest of this last song lol. that breakdown lasted 5 damn seconds wtf lol.
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