I should forward this by saying that I’m picky when it comes to indie rock. That being said, Now That We’re Alive by Ohio’s Annabel isn’t that bad. At least not as bad as I thought it was after a first listen. My inital beef with the vocals subsided over time. The musicianship on Alive is pretty top-notch though. It’s not a Pelican or Agoraphobic Nosebleed record for sure, but it has a nice, easy-going rock feel to it. I can definitely see this being a good summer party record, where bitter old punks like me hang, with some beer and fireworks in tow.

Like some people and Jesus, I have a close personal relationship with Death Cab For Cutie. With an almost eerie sense of timing, they’ve managed to release the perfect album for any number of critical points in my, and many of my peers, adolescence. The Photo Album (Barsuk) was one of the first non-radio albums I “discovered.” Transatlanticism (Barsuk) got worn out on my first car’s shitty CD player.  Plans (Atlantic) was the only thing that relieved the homesickness of my freshman year of college. Basically, I will love this band until Ben Gibbard starts singing about the ironic fallibility of Depends and how his grandkids never come visit him anymore. However, despite the utterly inappropriate journalistic bias, Narrow Stairs (Atlantic) doesn’t quite live up to the standard of work the band has previously put out.

More after the jump.

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I was sitting around with my girlfriend when I showed her this record and she told me she’d heard of them, which I took as a good sign because she’s a bit of a hardcore connoisseur. With hope and expectations in my heart, I put No Consequences by Philadelphia’s Braindead on the stereo.

The band sure as hell wear their influences on their sleeves. My only real complaint about this record is that it seems a bit all over the place. It sounds like they took their favorite bands, ranging from Gorilla Biscuits, Kid Dynamite to Bane and took every note to heart. There is definitely a passion, drive and love for hardcore present in their sound though. With a little more focus, Braindead will be a fantastic band, and I look forward to hearing more from them.

I’ve always heard of Scream Hello, but never really sat down to listen to them. Man, I was missing out. A great mix of melodic pop punk with smart lyrics, I’ve been spinning this little teaser for their upcoming full-length, Everything Is Always Still Happening constantly. If you don’t find yourself tapping your feet or even dancing to “Vinegar & Baking Soda,” you’re a goddamn Communist sympathizer who deserves life in jail.

First off, Astpai are European. How fucking hardcore is that? Ok, maybe not terribly so. I mean, I lived there for a while and I’m not that hardcore. Still, the Austria-based band represent the genre perfectly. A great mix of politically-minded thrash, hardcore, with a touch of pop-punk melodies can be found on their Corruption Concealed (Under Deceptive Slogans), out now on Rise Or Rust Records. The record takes some time to pick up and find itself, but by the end of the second song you will be totally into it. Somewhat surprisingly, you do find songs like “Hard To Manage Broken Windows” delving into a more melodic acoustic sound, something that you’d think someone like New Found Glory would be using. Soon enough though, the Look Back And Laugh-esque parts kick in with the blistering guitars and vocals growling, enough to sound like they’re bleeding. All of this without the misplaced machismo you’d usually associate with vocals like that. I’ve been on a hardcore fix for a while now and Astpai definitely are helping to sooth that craving, so check out Corruption Concealed… if you come across it.