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Cavalcades- Nothing Worse Than Empty EP

Wow, three posts in three days. I'm on a roll. Anyway here's another band from the Far Away Friends split (surprise surprise). This time it's Cavalcades; a screamo/ hardcore band from Aberdeen, Scotland. I hadn't heard this band until about a week ago when I bought the Far Away Friends split from Manbearpig. After one listen of this EP and the FAF tracks I was instantly hooked. The EP is a seamless blend of hardcore and screamo, while the split takes a more emotional approach to screamo. They do both perfectly, so you really can't lose with either of these releases. These are some of the best songs I've heard in a while and they've been on repeat for me for the past few days. Do yourself a favor and download both releases, and donate a few bucks when you do, if you can.

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Manbearpig- Ruined Emo EP

Alright. I've been meaning to post this album since I started this blog, and with the release of the tracks from their recent 4 way split with Cavalcades, Nai Harvest, and FTWIHATHHTTS, I figure what better time than now. For those unaware, Manbearpig are an emo band from Norwich, UK. You may be wondering about the name, and

you wouldn't be the only one. This band catches a lot of crap from reviewers for it, but honestly, it's probably the only reason I heard this band in the first place. When you're scrolling through band after band on the internet, the more "interesting" band names seem to stand out most. This was the case for me with MBP. And boy am I ever glad I checked them out. The chorus' of these songs are drenched with emotion and catchy as hell; something I find doesn't happen often enough in music these days. I won't say this is the most unique band out there, but hot damn they're good. Check them out, and download this EP and the songs of the split from their Bandcamp (donate a few bucks or get them for free).

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Nai Harvest- Ceiling Summer EP

Nai Harvest are a mathy emo band from Sheffield, UK. I just recently found out about this band by way of a four way split they did with Manbearpig, Cavalcades, and FTWIHATHHTTS, and was instantly impressed by the intricate instrumentals of  these songs. The guitars have a similar feel to This Town Needs Guns at times, and the math rock blend is very evident throughout these three songs. The vocals on the other hand, may take some getting used to. On the first few listens I wasn't a huge fan of the way the vocals sounded, but upon further listening I began to enjoy them (with the exception of the beginning of "I Find It Uplifting..", which still sounds pretty bad to me). But for the most part, this is a really solid album and one I would definitely recommend checking out. The download link will take you to their Bandcamp page, where I suggest checking out the songs for their split with Papayer, which are even better than the songs on this EP (but aren't up for download).

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Paris On A Good Day- To Doubt Is To Be Human

I'm dusting off an Edmonton classic for this post. Paris On A Good Day were an amazing jazzy math metal band. When I think Edmonton music, this is one of the first bands that comes to mind. Although they've been broken  up for a few years now and I've listened to these same songs the whole time, the tracks still get constant play on my iPod. Passing this one up would be a huge mistake. Just download this, then weep because you will likely never see this band live or hear anything else from them (barring one other song on their myspace). This band is one of the biggest reasons I got into local music, and I still love them today. That is all.

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Jamie Bell- Girl of My Dreams EP

I always feel kind of weird reviewing music that people I know wrote, but it seems that the people I know make the best music, so it's unavoidable. On that note, when Jamie Bell isn't making beautiful music with his bandmates in Cera , he's making catchy acoustic tunes. While there are only three songs on this EP, rest assured that it is well worth the download. And hey, if you really like it, the album is available as a by donation download, so drop a few bucks on it (or download it for free if you want). The money made from this will go towards funding a new album, so there's that. Enjoy.

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Ground Unicorn Horn- Damn I Wish I Was Fat 7"

Justin Pearson might just be my favorite musician of all time. From his early work in Swing Kids to being in The Locust, and every side project in between, Pearson and his bandmates have been tearing down the barriers of "normal" music. This album is no exception. Ground Unicorn Horn is, in my opinion, the best thing I've heard from Three One G since The Locust. Unfortunately, this 2 song 7" is the only release from this band, and a follow up seems unlikely. So download this, and if you like other 31G bands, I guarantee you'll be jamming this one for a long time.

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