Drug Church
The 30 Best Albums of 2022 (So Far)
The following acts released quality albums in May 2022 alone: Radiohead off-shoot The Smile, Kendrick Lamar, Wilco, Arcade Fire, Sharon Van Etten, The Black Keys, Florence + the Machine, Harry Styles — we’ll stop there for space reasons. It’s been such a wild music year so far, only some of them made the following list. Maybe 2022 was just front-loaded and the final six months will be less eventful. (Judging by the release calendar, that’s probably a bad prediction.) Either way, we had trouble even narrowing this down to 30. Let’s meet back here at year’s end and see how things shake out. 30. Caracara – New Preoccupations Fans of classic 2000s emo — Say Anything, Dashboard Confessional, or Circa Survive, for example — are sure to find something to love in Caracara’s New Preoccupations (and...
Drug Church Goes Melodic (But Not That Melodic) On Hygiene
On the surface, Drug Church is just another hardcore punk band. They play fast and loud. Vocalist Patrick Kindlon often sounds angry. It’s the kind of music your grandma would probably hate. But underneath their aggressive facade, the Albany quintet’s catchy melodies and dark humorous takes on current societal and cultural issues make their tunes — like the ones on their brand new album, Hygiene (out now on Pure Noise Records) — as profound as any more “mature” artist. Drug Church is able to sing about topics and connect with fans who would likely be turned off by some self-righteous band with a “message” so to speak. Hell, even Kindlon himself doesn’t want to hear about his lyrics being anything of particular importance. “I think any profundity in music is best when it’s accidental,” Kind...
In Orange County, Programme Skate & Sound Provides an Authentic Punk Rock DIY Venue
Every so often — a few nights a week when things are going smoothly — Chris Gronowski and his staff clear out the entire center of Programme Skate & Sound’s main room. T-shirt stands are moved to the back. Skateboarding accessories are pushed to the side. Cases of vinyl LPs, CDs and cassette tapes are tucked away into corners. In a matter of minutes, the space fills with crowds swirling like the eye of a hurricane, nearly 100 twisted bodies of both fans and artists flying through the air. Hardcore dancing and mosh pits ensue, all with the understanding that no damage is to be done to the venue or its merchandise — a mutually beneficial policy strictly enforced by the very teenagers and young adults who pack into Programme on a regular basis. After the Fullerton skate shop and record st...
