Kind Of Like Spitting - In The Red

American indie-rock band Kind Of Like Spitting, fronted by prolific singer-songwriter Ben Barnett, had a career that puts the argument of “quality over quantity” to test. Releasing nearly a dozen albums in the span of seven years, Kind Of Like Spitting’s discography proves that a band can produce album after album, with little changing of seasons in between each release and still deliver material that is neither lacking nor lost in direction.
2005’s In The Red is a solid work of musicianship high-lighting the strengths of Barnett and company; the simple, haunting melodies of an acoustic guitar paired with vulnerable vocals and gut-wrenchingly honest lyrics makes for a stunning effort from the Portland band’s catalogue (With lyrics like “I’m no victim; broke is different from poor. I’m still learning what my is for,” you can expect nothing less).
However, this decidedly catchy and quaint record is especially noteworthy as In The Red is a compilation of sorts consisting of songs written and recorded over a three year span and is not what most would call a cohesive album; slipped in between the staple acoustic anthems are buzzy full-band numbers, filled with guitar hooks reminiscent of The Promise Ring (ala “Per Se Wha?!” and the album’s title track) and we are kept on our toes are they are spread sparingly throughout In The Red.
None of the quirks that make up the album overshadow what it is about Kind Of Like Spitting that fans have come to love and admire: front-man Barnett has the ability to write songs that make your heart ache, smile, and sing alone with you. In the words of Barnett himself, they make a man, or woman, feel real safe.

Release Date: November 1st, 2005
Record Label: Hush
Stand Out Tracks: Worker Bee #7438-F87904, Bubble Congress, Line and Sinker

Have Heart - Songs To Scream At The Sun

Boston, Massachusetts’ favored sons, Have Heart have found themselves in an usual position for such a young band; in a life-span that is comparable to that of a child, they have been able to build a following that is nothing short of fanatical. It seems that in a post-Champion world, individuals in the hardcore scene have found something that they can pump their fists to once again without shame or worry.
With enough passion and fury as an anti-war protest, Have Heart are a band that encompasses everything about the scene that individuals fell in love with when they became too angry for weepy shoegazing and too smart for ironic metalcore gimmicks. Because Have Heart is irrevocably pissed off and they make no qualms or excuses for it. However, unlike other bands plaguing both the backwaters and mainstreams of music, they aren’t about to let it get the best of them. From their Think Fast! Records debut EP to their debut full-length They Things We Carry on Bridge Nine, Have Heart have maintained a sound and image that is increasingly imitated by never quite emulated.
Songs To Scream At The Sun is a stunning sophomore effort exceeding their previous releases, both in musicianship and impact. Taking a slightly different approach to their signature sound, Have Heart come into their own with this album. Like a lion, the record opens with minute-long “The Same Son,” and barrels straight into what can, arguably, be said to be their crowning achievement. Based upon lead singer Pat Flynn’s realization that his grandfather (who was previously commended highly in the band’s song “The Unbreakable”) was not the man he believed him to be, “Bostons” is an epic song of praise and promise. Flynn is able to express his love for both his hometown and his father while simultaneously revoking the admiration he once felt for his grandfather in a single song containing such lyrics as, “And in this city you once knew as hell is a garden where I enjoy myself. And in this father I hardly know was a son who took back what the bottle stole.”
However, Songs To Scream At Sun does not give way to any easy outs– rather it builds upon the momentum its second track provides the record with and steamrolls on, covering subjects such as touring (“Pave Paradise”), desperation (“The Taste Of the Floor”), and, surprisingly, love (“On The Bird In The Cage”). While none of these topics are strangers to the hardcore community, Have Heart delivers them in a manner that allows them to appear, and appeal, fresh, and furiously, to the ears. It could be for these reasons that have Heart has become something of a phenomenon to behold; they are the same as the rest of us: angry and beaten down but not about to let the world get the best of them. No, there just aren’t enough bands like them around today.

Release Date: July 8th, 2008
Record Label: Bridge Nine
Stand Out Tracks: Bostons, On The Bird In The Cage, Hard Bark On The Family Tree