OFF! - 1st EP

There is no excuse not to listen to the unforgiving power that is OFF!'s first EP. At just over four minutes, it gives listeners a quick, concise sonic ass kicking. This punk supergroup features ex. Circle Jerks (and at one time, Black Flag) frontman Kieth Morris delivering vocals in the exact same style the band delivers its music. Simply titled, "1st EP", their debut release already stands as the best of the year in its format.

Due to the short run time, it is easy to miss the subtle brilliance of the in-your-face songwriting on this record. Each song places Morris' classic vocals over an instrumentation that tells you to fuck yourself and spits in your face, at the same time managing to be captivating and unquestionably "badass". In fact, "badass" seems to be the crass, juvenile adjective that sums up this record. It's loud, chaotic, angry, and fun to listen to.

10/10

PS I Love You - Meet Me At The Muster Station

Don't be put off by the name. Though they had come up with it long before the creation of the awful chick-flick of the same name, it comes across as rather fitting on the band's debut LP "Meet Me at the Muster Station. Paul Saulnier, the duo's vocalist, writes lyrics that are often drowned out by his hyper-distorted wall of guitar. When they are discernible, they are hopelessly romantic, almost corny, though in the context of Saulnier's yelping vocal style, they feel right at home. The album begins with this theme on the opening title track, before taking on a more pensive mood on the next two tracks, "Breadends" and "2012". The latter is actually a standout on the record, flowing nicely between a catchy, angular guitar riff and a deep verse soaked in distortion.

The record loses some momentum in the middle section. With the exception of the lumbering "Butterflies and Boners", the four tracks making up the core of the album are pretty forgettable. This is all rectified on "Facelove", the band's first single. The corny lyrical themes take centre-stage again, as Saulnier crafts a catchy vocal melody for the song's first half before digressing into fuzz-laden guitar heroics to rival the legendary J Mascis for the rest of the track. This ends up being the album's high point, though the closing tracks ease the listener out of one of the year's strongest Canadian releases.

8/10

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

I've been lucky enough to procure tickets to see Canadian post-rock legends Godspeed You! Black Emperor. They have created some of the most original, creative, and beautiful work I have ever heard so the 20-dollar ticket price was almost as shocking as the fact that the band reunited after a 7-year hiatus. Unfortunately, the show sold out quickly and since it would take more than money to get me to hand mine over you'll have to hit up Craigslist or eBay for a chance to catch one of their three back-to-back shows at Lee's Place next April.

Charles the Osprey - Consider

Math-rock is not dead. Certainly not to Michigan-based duo "Charles the Osprey" at least. They manage to ride the fine line between creativity and accessibility throughout most of their 12 song debut LP. This is possibly the most defining skill for an instrumental band to master, as it allows for appeal to musicians and music fans alike. Are there moments of discordant musical wankage? Of course. This is an instrumental band, after all, but these moments are few and brief (not to mention that the musical wankage holds great appeal with the musician crowd anyway). CtO make sure to balance these moments with enough melodic hooks to draw the attention of your average invested music fan. In fact, the duo's most impressive songwriting tactic is their integration of hooks with technical chaos, allowing the lister to begin to appreciate the technical aspects even if they are put-off at first.

The album's true weakness, in this reviewer's humble opinion, is its lack of diversity. At just over 43 minutes, this album is by no means short. While it has its highs and lows like any album, its 12 tracks seem to meld into one long song as the album progresses. This effect is common with instrumental bands. A truly cohesive instrumental album is one that manages to create a uniqueness to every track and define key moments on the first listen. This, unfortunately, is where Charles the Osprey fall short. This is an easily forgiven drawback to a debut release that otherwise stands as one of the most compelling instrumental releases of the year.

7/10

Revival?

After a long, sloth-induced hiatus, I have decided to revive Music From the Hammer (though you can't really "revive" something that was never really alive to begin with now can you?). Expect ludicrously irregular and whimsical posts in the future. They will most likely contain pretentious drivel about bands you don't give a shit about and self-degrading comments that really aren't funny, ironic, or cool.