Random Records with Steve O

Kid Dynamite

You like Kid Dynamite, right? Of course you do, that was a dumb question. As one of the best and most influential hardcore bands in recent times (a great tribute record can be found here, Kid Dynamite crafted a sound of their own. And when you’ve worn out their too short discography and want to listen to something else (wait… that happens?), check out some of these similar bands.

Brutal Youth

Gotta start with the best, right? Honestly, Brutal Youth probably deserve their own Random Record instead of sharing with these other bands, but they fit the theme wonderfully. Short, fast, to the point, and energetic as fuck, these Canadians are right at the top of the best hardcore bands today. They’re fantastic live, with singer Patty running all over the place, and they’re super nice people too. 2013’s Stay Honest earned its place in our Best of the Year Bracket. Give it a listen here.

Highlight(s): “xPiss&Winex” and “Albatross”. Songs about friends and one of the best articulations about being straight edge (and not having m/any straight edge friends – something Patty and me share) that I have ever heard. If these songs don’t get your toe tapping or bring a smile to your face, check your pulse, you might not be alive.

Death Is Not Glamorous

Give Death Is Not Glamorous a listen and realize how much the vocals sound just like Jason Shevchuk. Then let me point out they come from a man named Christian Medaas. Who is Norwegian. Yes, this music is truly international. These guys might be the closest dead ringer to Kid Dynamite around. They’ve got a short discography, but a split with Shook Ones was released just last year, so hopefully there is more on the way. Give them some listens over here.

Highlight: Norway is not known for this kind of music. It is black metal, black metal, and more black metal that comes to mind when I think of Norway’s musical contributions. And we all know about Norwegian Black Metal’s extracurricular activities. Well, in “Invincible Summer,” Death Is Not Glamorous find a brilliant way to reference that. “Flip every cross that crosses you / Burn every church that shadows you.” Here’s to you Varg.

No Friends

Put on No Friends and there’s something that you will (or at least should) recognize immediately. The vocals. Need a hint? Municipal Waste is gonna fuck you up. That’s right, the Waste’s vocalist, Tony Foresta, also has a hardcore band. Yeah, I know, that’s fucking awesome. You should get the idea what it sounds like. Take Tony’s distinctive shout and place it alongside less-thrashy, more melodic hardcore riffs, and you’ve got a good time. Unfortunately, given his busy schedule with the Waste, and now Iron Reagan, No Friends seems to be on the backburner, if not completely out of the picture.

Highlight: The Traditional Failures EP isn’t even 9 minutes long. You can get it for free here. Have you ever heard something associated with the guys from Municipal Waste that wasn’t amazing? Yeah, me neither. Therefore, you have no excuse not to listen to this for the next 9 minutes. And probably the next 9 minutes after that.

Landmines

So while Landmines sound a lot like Kid Dynamite, they’ve got another similarity too: they cease to exist. But in their short time together they made some great melodic, sing-along hardcore. Gang vocals and whoas abound in songs like “Excess and Indifference,” “Blood Money,” “Making Good On A Promise,” and “Evileye” and the pace never slows below full throttle. Paper and Plastick’s Youtube channel is streaming most of the songs from their self-titled record, the Commerce and Marx full-length, and their EP Hell Is What You Make It:

Highlight(s): I would assume that if you are still reading this you either dig Kid Dynamite and want to hear something that sounds similar or you don’t know what’s going on and you’re reading the words because they’re here. In either case, you should give Landmines a listen. Songs like “Blood Money,” “Piggyback,” and “Shadows and Ashes” are full of an energy that you’re sure to enjoy. Maybe you’ll find yourself singing along (or attempting to). You should know what to expect by this point.

None More Black

Wait a second, can I do this? Is this cheating? Why None More Black and not Paint It Black, the other post Kid Dynamite incarnation? Especially when Paint It Black sounds more like Kid Dynamite? If I had a good reason you would find it here: _____________________. So there, no reason; they’re both great bands. That said some None More Black does have a Kid Dynamite vibe. File Under Black, my personal favorite, has fast-paced songs like “Dinner’s For Suckers,” “Risk Management,” “Zero Tolerance Drum Policy,” and “M.A.T.T.H.” And of course, Jason Shevchuk’s distinctive voice. So yes, I can do this. Now go listen to None More Black:

Highlight(s): The name None More Black is a Spinal Tap reference. Maybe this is the reason I picked None More Black over Paint It Black. Or maybe it is because of all the references in the song titles. Yeah, referencing D2 with “Ice Cream With The Enemy” is great, but how about all the Seinfeld references? “Everyday Balloons,” “Dinners For Suckers,” “Never Heard Of Corduroy,” “Risk Management,” “Bizarro Me,” “Nods To Nothing,” and “Wishing There Were Walkways.” If you’re a logical person and you love Seinfeld (as you should), then this is a huge plus. Oh, and hey, all those songs are great.