Weekend Warm-Up No. 11: Liquidity
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
There’s perhaps nothing more uplifting than a well-executed liquid drum ‘n’ bass tune. Need proof? Look no further than the kick-off track of this ten-pack, Fred V & Grafix’s “Major Happy”; those subtle pulsations atop that eternally familiar 808 drum pattern are aimed straight at your feels. That’s not to say it won’t get heavy – Blokhe4d and Dirtyphonics can attest to that. But even as it builds and crashes like some great sonic wave it still maintains that sly smoothness; nary a trace of the oft-abrasive tendencies of drum ‘n’ bass to be found.
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Weekend Warm-Up No. 10: Post-Hardcore
–Words and list by Michael Hogan
A while ago I tried to explain post-hardcore to someone who had literally never heard of the genre or any of its bands before. Even though I am a self-proclaimed expert on the subject – someone who played in a post-hardcore band with a couple minor, unsuccessful tours, a pretty good album, and an overly-pretentious view of musicianship under its belt – I actually failed quite miserably. I still have no idea what to say.
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Weekend Warm-Up No. 9: Mixed Bag #1
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
Sometimes chaos outstrips order. This is one of those times.
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Weekend Warm-Up No. 8: Warped Tour Nostalgia
–Words and list by Michael Hogan
Excuse me while I have a moment here; this is a pure nostalgia trip. Some of these bands I haven’t even thought of, let alone listened to in years. When’s the last time you talked to someone about Story of the Year? But if you’re anything like me, these songs never really left you. You still know all the words, you can still remember the energy from these songs – as if it was only yesterday you were an angsty little ball of hormones draped in the latest Hot Topic fabrics, counting down the days until Warped Tour.
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Weekend Warm-Up No. 7: Hip-Hopping
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
There’s nothing quite like rapping along word-for-word with your favorite MCs, even if it’s in the driver’s seat of your beat-up Acura and not on their most recent headlining tour. From party rapper Wallpaper’s questionably serious “#STUPiDFACEDD” to the sunshine ‘n’ summertime vibes of “Coastin’” and “Ghostwriter,” these tracks are ready-made for pregames, preparties, or any other pre- you can imagine. We’ve even included a few electronically tinged numbers – Culprate lays down a rumbling rhythm for Maksim, and RJD2 crafts poignant hip-hop without any words at all.
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