V/A Notes From the Northeast EP
With every compilation I have ever listened to, I always look for a few distinct things. First, did these bands give their best, or did they submit throwaway tracks? Second, do I get the feeling that I’d want to stop into their hometown for lunch and record shopping? Third, and most importantly, do I want to seek out music from bands I’ve never heard before? Here we have four bands stretching from Staten Island, NY to Philadelphia, PA, each showing off their brand of hardcore. All are tight and premier for what they do. It is clear from the first go-round and round (see what I did there) that there is no filler. Oh my golly, there are no weak links on this little spinner. The only reason that I gotta call the CABLE CAR THEORY song my favorite track is because they start with a movie quote from The Golden Child. So, do I wanna grab lunch in their town(s)? Yes. Regions of the country that have bands that sound like this most definitely have good eats around. Lastly, do I want to seek out other tunes by these bands? Yes. Coming into this, I knew GREY C.E.L.L. and would have picked this up in the wild just knowing their name alone, only to find that they keep good company. If you are in the market for a tight, solidly interesting plastic slab of ’90s–’20s melodic hardcore, screamo, and post-hardcore, then look no further. And guess what, it has five or so vinyl colors to choose from, and an eight-page booklet printed at Kinko’s with stolen copy cards that were later purchased for pennies at Michigan Fest.