Congenital Death-demo CS (2011)

Philadelphia's Congenital Death blasts out seven originals and a DRI cover ("Couch Slouch") on this demo tape. I'm quite out of tune with this end of the punk scene, so I can't give much context for 'em.

They sound, however, like the bands I used to listen to when I had a skateboard: DRI (duh), Siege, Thulsa Doom. Fast, tight instrumental sections with a screeching vocalist who may or may not have hit puberty yet (Heresy, eatcher heart out). I basically divide bands in this genre into two groups: those who can actually pull off the stop-on-a-dime instrumental time changes, and those who can't. Congenital Death is in the former category, and it's a pretty good demo. I don't have a lyric sheet in front of me (left it at the office, go figure), but I think they're singing about, uh, politics and lifestyle choices.

Anyway, pretty good stuff, and worth a spin, which you can do here. Pick up the tape over at Ranch Records. Congenital Death is playing Smash it Dead Fest in March, so check it out if you're in the Boston area-from what I understand it's a benefit for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC).

Stable Boys-This is "2 Songs" CS (2011)

Stable Boys delivers two extended tracks of delightfully ramshackle garage punk on this cassette.

Both song titles ("Dioenning It" and "schwartz illustrated! 666") are rather mysterious, and whatever these dudes are howling about is artfully hidden behind a scree of distortion and thunderous drumming. "Dioenning It" is fairly straightforward garage punk: semi-melodic guitar leads, time-keeping rhythm section, semi-harmonized howls acting as a fourth instrument.
"Schwartz illustrated! 666" gets a bit weirder. It sorta has a screamo structure, but garage content, if that makes any sense: off-putting instrumental sections, yowling yowls, a plodding bridge, and an extended instrumental conclusion that sorta drifts off into feedback ether.

I don't know too much about this band, but this cassette has me intrigued enough to check out the physical copy, which you should do too-you can buy it from Ranch Records, here. Or check it out online at their bandcamp page. Stay tuned for a review of their 7" EP.