On to the second part of our three-part best of Springfield music 2016 series, and that is the album/releases that were released by local bands this year! There were a lot of them this year too – we counted a grand total of 34 local releases come out that we could list off… which is a whopping whole 10 releases more than the 24 we had on our list last year. Springfield bands were more active than ever in 2016, which also made it even harder to narrow things down for us to ten releases to highlight! Here are ten of your favorites as voted for in our poll, complete with an embedded player for each release and a writeup done by a different Springfield musician or someone involved in the DIY music scene.

10. Stereo Static – The Neat EP

Every year, Springfield continues to up its game. This poll is always one of those end year benchmarks for me. I get an at-a-glance of what our small town is capable of, what Springfield can bring to the table culturally. 2016 brought so many great releases, one being Stereo Static’s “The Neat EP.” You can hear the band walk through their hallways of influence, but they didn’t take any of the pictures off those walls. They didn’t make it very easy to drop the EP into one of my normal containers sentences like, “The EP is pretty good, it sounds kinda like Everclear mixed with Sponge.” Even though I think it’s true and I love it when bands sound like Everclear, I just don’t think it feels entirely correct wrapping the EP up that way. They’re not a mid-era grunge pop throwback. The group is uniquely aggressive, edged with attitude that isn’t afraid of melody. A bright moment of that is the intro of “Hung By The Calendar.” I had to play it few times in a row while cleaning the baby toy refuse in my living room this afternoon. Personally, Stereo Static is an enticing up and coming band. I look forward to their sophomore effort. If they’re use this as a foundation, it’ll play right up my alley once again.  – Cory VanMeter (Attic Salt, Say Something)

9. The Suction Cups – Do They Walk Among Us?

Coming straight from the depths of a story written by H.P. Lovecraft, The Suction Cups arrived on the scene late last year bringing a slew of classic surf riffs and spooky sounds. Shub-Cthiguth, Voice and Vizier of Those Who Dwell Above and Beneath, C-15425, Lillian Harleaux, and Michael the Werewolf all come together to create some of the most stand-out sounds of 2016. ‘Do They Walk Among Us?’ serves as a great introduction to one of Springfield’s most creative group. Fav track: Nosferskatu *** – Austin Connelly (GRINN, Wir Können)

8. Animals With Human Names – The First Tape

Sorry if this sounds selfish by Animals With Human Names (The First Tape) was released at the perfect time for me, I am in constant need of local tunes for Lincolns Legends projects. It’s never easy to find a local musician/band that I can incorporate seemly into any production situation accept The First Tape. I am inspired by the unapologetic nods to old school hip hop and house music. My only worry is over use because every track is on point. Props to the Jim Whitehead and his production team. I’m already looking forward to the next installment. *Please don’t be mad if you hear your tracks under all my vlogs.* – Jeremie Bailey (Lincoln’s Legends)

7. Pretend I’m Not There – Transient

Pretend I’m Not There is one of B.J. Pearce’s projects. B.J., if you don’t know, is a hard-working Springfield musician active in the punk and experimental scenes. Transient, PINT’s first official release, is one piece of music almost 25 minutes long, divided into two sections (via fade-in and fade-out) for A and B sides of a cassette tape. Presumably, this is mostly or entirely B.J. on instrumentation.

The contrasts between the peaks and valleys here are truly formidable. Low-fi voice recordings appear and reappear out of a mix of pop culture talking and yelling—excerpts from the movie No Country for Old Men, for example—repeating ad infinitum until they themselves seem to become an instrument. The guitar erupts and dives into distortion—tremolo bar pushed down to its limit—and then suddenly it echoes off like a crazed animal. There are beautiful interludes, as well. Hushed, dark passages of entrancing proper chords like major 7ths, albeit placed in strange configurations. You can even hear the faint electrical buzz of the guitar rig during parts of quiet overdrive, if that attests to the stillness of some of these moments, and while those times are not without a layer of grit themselves, they nevertheless contrast heavily and deeply with the periodic bursts of noisy guitar and speech. Finally, a whole other level feels achieved on side B with the emotional spoken word poetry of guest artist HONEY/SUCK.

There seem to be elements of chaos and violence in the forefront here, especially in the passion of HONEY/SUCK’s words, though in a more subtle way this album is like the entire, complex, and varied life of a vigorous but damaged human being compressed and twisted into a short time. To fully appreciate Transient you have to be relatively accepting of that sense. Overall, its genre tags on Bandcamp (“ambient” and “ambient drone”) are rather misleading, however, and perhaps intentionally so, since if you go into this expecting to hear mellifluous, ostensibly “ambient” sounds similar to Marconi Union, Brian Eno, Stars of the Lid, or what have you, it’s a total rug-pulling feeling, which is interesting in and of itself. Could that be a practical joke perhaps, intentional or otherwise? After all, listening to this release, categorically it’s much more “experimental noise” than it is anything close to traditional ambient. It actually more reminds one of the wildest moments of Sonic Youth or its offshoots. In many ways, even so, Transient is quite difficult to categorize, and that’s very much telling of its timeless value.

Springfield is better off for B.J., Pretend I’m Not There, and Transient. Going forward we need lots more art this daring and adventurous. Hearing the energy of this tape it’s easy to feel like that might just happen. – Timothy Donavan Russell

6. Moondead – Moondead

With song titles like “Moon”, “Ghost”, and “Void”, I think it’s pretty clear what the heck this band is about: Spooky goth-rock. What those single syllable titles don’t get at, though, is how gosh danged GOOD this band is. It grooves, it jams, it freaking THRASHES. That rhythm section is so tight, with sweet bass licks(there’s SLAP BASS on the last track) that perfectly intertwine with some of the tightest, most technical drums you’ll ever hear in any goth rock band. The vocals are driving, powerful and in places frantic in the best way. Their self-titled release has been and continues to be my favorite release this year, and definitely deserves a spot on the top 10 releases of this year. In short, 11/10 thrashiest darn goth music I ever done heard. Go listen to their track “Void” and have a damn good time. – Austin Tate (The Suction Cups)

5. Starlorde – Starlorde

This vaguely threatening 4 song EP is the sonic equivalent of a jumping spider giving you crazy eyes as you step into the shower. It may be comparatively small when stacked up against everything else in the room, but it’s the only thing you’re paying attention to because you’re just not sure where it’s gonna go next, and it might decide to jump on your face and bite. Quite simply, this EP is crammed full of all the stuff that makes me love local punk rock: complete lack of genre concern, flippant irreverence, drawings of spaceships, hyperactive riffs with stabby minor progressions on guitars that sound like an electrified fence doing its best to contain a fuming, growling rhythm section, indecipherable vocals set low in the mix of unpredictable songwriting, all wrapped up and shoved into strange little blasts that scoff at the idea of breaking the 2 minute mark. Did I make it through the EP without my face being bitten? Yes, but to play it safe, I’d suggest keeping an eye on Starlorde. – Stimey Grinds (The Death Scene)

4. Our Lady – Lure

This is one of the most dynamic records I’ve heard come out of Springfield in quite some time. Our Lady’s final gift to their fans was beautifully captured by Brandon Carnes at South Town Studios (soon to re-open as South Town Sound) back in August under the unforgiving Midwest heat. If you haven’t had the opportunity to take in this album in it’s entirety through headphones, do yourself a favor and set aside 42 minutes and 29 seconds to do exactly that. There are so many layers. One thing I’ve always appreciated about Our Lady is that so much attention is devoted to every aspect of every composition. We all know that music is art, but Our Lady had a gift that few others possess; and that is the ability to “paint” such vivid pictures with their words and music. ‘Lure’ is the perfect finale to Our Lady’s exciting six-year ride. Eleven songs of pure emotion and despair. Each song bleeds perfectly into the next and takes the listener on a journey that leaves you feeling like you’ve been punched right in the fucking gut. Unlike previous releases, I can’t really pick out a song that stands out beyond the others, although it did make me smile to hear Jess Knight come back and contribute guest vocals on “Olive Leaves”, as she was one of the original members of this band. This is one of those rare albums that was put together so perfectly that it really should be enjoyed from start to finish in one sitting.

You know when you put on a certain record and you are completely immersed in it from the first note all the way up to the very last and simply cannot be pulled away from it for any reason? Yeah…this is one of those records. Thanks for everything over the past six years, Our Lady. It’s been one hell of a ride. You’ll be missed. – Anthony Bollero (Some Things Can’t Be Ignored)

3. Fuck///\\\Mountain – The I Love You Project

I see the music on Fuck Mountain’s “I Love You Project” as more than just post-rock / ambient / alternative / whatever other genres you could fit it in.

What I appreciate about this album is how it brings the listener into a moving soundscape, with highly personal voicemail recordings of unique and varying ‘I love yous’ stringing throughout a gentle yet intricate, and beautiful yet powerful crystalline ambience.  The album features a refreshing continuum of simply titled instrumentals, conveying a singular and yet complex message.

And it reminds me – during one of my very first meaningful conversation with Brandon Carnes, he said to me “I want to live forever; I love being alive,” and despite the fact that I myself was in a difficult state mentally at the time, those words rang so truly to me as if they were my own.

I remembered and continue to remember just what life and the ones I love in my life mean to me, and it opens my heart to a gratitude and joy when I listen to “I Love You Project”, even when presented with experiences of pain or loss.  I believe many of those who listen to this album can also resonate with these feelings.

So…
“In case I can’t tell you tomorrow,
I Love You
Please don’t forget.”
– Kiki Walker (Moondead, Shark Week)

2. Pryss – I Fear No Man

So, I’m biased. I’m close friends with all 4 members of PRYSS. I also live with 3 of them and myself and Drew (the guitar one) co-named the band (70% me, 30% them TBH) so please take everything I say with a grain of salt.

Just kidding, take this all at face value. If PRYSS sucked (and they don’t) I wouldn’t be writing this. I would just quietly pull you aside and say “Hey, this band is not good.” But Pryss is one of the hardest hitting and most uncompromising punk bands out today and “I Fear No Man” is, for my money, the best punk demo to come out of Springfield this year. Maybe the best ever.

The way “I Fear No Man” is constructed is beautiful in it’s simplicity. It’s not long, running around 7 minutes, but song is a slammer, every track a hit. Gus’ lyrics are clever without rubbing your nose it. Cutting and crude in equal measure. With lines like: “Face the fact, drop your act, you shit more from your mouth than you do from your ass” barked with the precision of a prize fighter’s punches.

Tater Cronin returns to drums for the first time since Mouthsex (only posers dont remember Mouthsex) and this is Blue Parks’ first band since Wilt Candy became inactive a while back. Both of them have grown leaps and bounds as performers between then and now and this demo wouldn’t be the same without their presence. As for Drew? Well they’ve been in approximately 420 bands over the past few years but this is their first as a guitarist. They learned guitar shortly before this recording which is remarkable because you wouldn’t know from listening.

This demo is brutal, savage, and primative. But never stupid. It’s the soundtrack to brass knuckles and acrylic nails striking the oppressor in his cheek. This is radical dominance over toxic masculinity. This is PRYSS. – Mike Tirehaus (Livin’ Thing)

1. Livin’ Thing – It’s A Livin’ Thing

Tapes tapes tapes. Nowadays kids are into tapes, they are talkin bout tapes, startin tape clubs, all kinds a stuff. When I heard about this I thought to myself “hey, I still listen to all my tapes I’ve had since the nineties, this could be a chance for me to make a friend”. So I went down to Dumb’s Record Store to scope out this new tape teen scene. It was in a bad neighborhood. I was frightened. I walked up to the counter and said “Hey what are some good tapes please.” The girl behind the counter ignored me and continued to smack her gum and read her hardy boys novel. I think her name tag said Claira. I then proceeded to grab the first tape I saw and put it in my pocket and snuck out the door. Stealing from the record store is very punk rock. When I got home I took the tape out of my pocket and it was the demo for THE IT’S A LIVING THING BAND GROUP. It had a drawing of a child boy on the cover in pretty earth tones. I put the tape in the deck and hit play, not knowing what the heck to expect….

The first thing I heard was a birthday song by the SHOWBIZ PIZZA BAND recorded at the wrong speed. I thought “whoever this band is needs to learn to dub a tape LOL”. Then after the unintentional glitch at the beginning of the tape the music kicked in. “DANG!!!” I thought. It grabbed my attention that’s for sure. Then the words started: “YOU, WILL, DIE OF COMFORT!” I thought “wow this is gonna be a good tape”, and it was. It was a real nice tape. The energy and chaos in their sound reminded me of how I feel when I drink a monster. It pumped me up! I listened to it front to back over and over again. I thought this is so punk, it’s gotta be a warp tour band from the 90s”. So I logged into online to do some research, and to my surprise it was a band of young supple boys. “Dang, these boys can rock the casbah!” I listened to the tape while looking at photos of them rocking and rolling. I could almost picture their lead singer Milk gracefully swaying in his un buttoned Hawaiian shirt, and imagine the band that backs him up dancing along as they play in their very professional sparkly jump suits. It was cool to hear a tape that was new, but sounded good. So cool. After hearing THE IT’S A LIVING THING BAND GROUP’S demo tape there is no doubt in my mind they will make it as a big time punk band just like Stone Temple Pilots. I give it 5 out 5 mohawks. – Evan Mitchell (The Nine Elevens)

We are kicking off our three-part series of our best of Springfield 2016 this year with the shows! This year shows took place in more places than ever around Springfield! They happened at Black Sheep of course, but also in Dumb Records, plenty in bars, plenty at The Radon Lounge and in other houses, they happened in barns, at the Library, and even at Hardee’s. We counted a total of 135 shows to happen this year at Black Sheep alone. Let’s take a look at your top ten favorites for shows that happened in the Springfield area this year. Each entry includes a write-up done by a different Springfield musician or someone involved with the music scene.

10. Mysterious Skin, Starlorde, and Garter at Black Sheep (2-23-16)

Mysterious Skin was a band I was beyond excited to see. Their music online hit you rough and fast, and their set totally delivered with a series of nasty jams that had me bobbin my head so much I had to get my neck replaced. They really ripped. This was also the first Starlorde show, a band which has quickly become one of my favorite active local bands. Lord Xenu and his minions never disappoint in bringing that otherworldly hardcore sound, and this night was no different. I remember the big reveal as they trudged out in their uniforms, and I instantly knew it was going to be a great set. Garter was the more experienced local act, and they of course also tore it up with Cassie’s sassy as hell presentation and Nighthawk shredding away on guitar. This show was the culmination of a lot of great things going on at the time, and was a true blast. – Drew Kodrich (Black Sheep, Ooey Gooey Record Co.)

9. Teen Freak (reunion), Doby Watson, La Louve, and Shark Week at Black Sheep (2-20)

Every year I (Jess) try to have a show at Black Sheep for my birthday and this year was my favorite lineup ever!! I got to share the stage with so many of my friends from all over the place! Atom Lax from Ohio started it off with his solo fingerstyle acoustic project. Then Doby and Ada came in from Kansas City to play an arrangement of songs together, followed by riot punk band La Louve from Champaign IL and two locals!! Shark Week played their first show ever and my own band Teen Freak ended the night with our last show ever by tossing around tons and tons of cloth ribbon for everyone to spin and throw around the whole venue. I had the best birthday with the best people from home and far away. This is why Black Sheep is so special!”TEEN FrEAK #1 BAND. – Jess Knight (Teen Freak, Looming)

8. Hobgob 2016 at Bar None w/ NIL8, boon, Livin’ Thing (10-29-16)

This year’s Hobgob was much like it has always been in years before, lots of great bands and old friends get together and celebrate their favorite holiday, but this year had an extra special feel. Nil8 decided to reunite the original lineup and played some songs many of us hadn’t heard for over a decade, or had never had the pleasure of hearing them live. To round it out Nil8 booked some of the most diverse in original bands Springfield has to offer with Boon and a Livin’ Thing. – Bernie Flesch (Bar None)

7. Looming, Euriah, Vonne at Black Sheep (8-21-16)

We pulled into the Black Sheep gravel lot just after the opener Vonne had finished. Coupla folks from Champaign had come along with me and like the fucken A Team we rolled out of the whip and grabbed my rig and started loading straight to the stage as I think Tyler from Au Revoir parked for me. I got soundchecked and made sure my shit worked just in time for Euriah to start. As I watched their set I was in awe—they were in the right place at the right time. I didn’t jump up from the front row until just before my part on the final song, and it was loud and adrenaline-fueled, and the emotions of Eric’s song and voice and the power of that band who’d tightened up just took us soaring. It was fascinating being both a performer onstage and an audience member at the same time.

All there is to say about Looming’s set is that it was perfect. It was the first time I’d gotten to see them with their newest member Cassie, who shredded; and though Jordi was rocking on a stool, they tore it UP. It’s worth noting that Brandon Tyler Carnes made a speech or two that made me tear up, though I don’t remember enough words to quote him. Something humble and hoarse about the moment being beautiful. The melodies and crashing rhythms felt like the air was swirling, and I was living in a moving polaroid picture. Standing along the side of the room, I feel like I spent equal parts admiring the talent and energy of each individual bandmember doing their thing as I did just looking into the crowd and seeing how all these kids were happy and joyous and TOGETHER—united in the feels of this damn near perfect band. It was a damn near perfect show. The ecstasy and instant nostalgia hung in the air after the amps were off like a kind of graduation, or a championship. – Isaac Arms (Heirship Records, Library House)

6. Black Sheep Cover Show at Bar None Part 5.5 (5-20-16)

On a personal note, the Cover Show at Bar None was a confluence of things I really dig. Outside of Black Sheep, Bar None’s Bernie Flesch is booking some of the best shows in Springfield, even though the turn out for them can be less than ideal. (Can we all resolve to attend more local shows in 2017, please?) So it was nice to see an example of two valued venues collaborating. I got to watch my husband and good friends perform some of our absolute favorite music, such as the tunes of New Order, St. Vincent & Television. It was definitely apparent how much work the musicians put into practicing, and the dance floor was aflame! Looking forward to the 2017 version!! -Rachel Otwell (WUIS, The Scene)

5. $1 Show w/ Nagasaki, Animals With Human Names, Famous Losers, Kenyon Deshasier, Terribly Happy, Kenyon D. at Black Sheep (12-2-16)

What can $1 buy in the beautiful Southtown complex in Springfield? A pretty sticker of a local band? A kick-ass used Vinyl record or cassette tape? Perhaps admission to one of the occasional, amazing one-dollar shows at Black Sheep Cafe. The December 2^nd $1-dollar show this year started with electric guitar performance by Kenyon Deshasier. I remember Kenyon as the guitarist of Very Bad Surfers in Battle of the Bands a couple years back, a band with some serious, indie original originality. He only played two songs, both short and soothing in different ways. One sounded like an hour-long conversation between different waves of winds (or, was I just imagining?); another sounded like an important message personally unencrypted by an emotionally intense/passionate messenger. The next act was a funnily titled band called Famous Losers, from Jacksonville, Illinois. Since I reside in a small town myself, I was excited to see that there’s a young hip band, or any band, coming from a small town like Jacksonville. The lead singer was dressed in Superman attire, and the set covered classic teenage themes like breakups, school frustration, stalkers(?), fights, stuff. The name “Famous Losers” might be disguising a winning high school pop band in development. Animals with Human Names was next. The band name may inspire us to brainstorm all kinds of animals with all kinds of human names and contemplate the purpose of it all. It turned out to be a hip-hop act. The DJing and rapping, at some point, had the crowd danced and moved like hypnotized cobras motioned to the tunes of their flute charmers. The lyrics of the songs seemed to be about the animal conditions within all of us that pre-regulated by our human names. The next band Nagasaki was really a set to look forward to, even though it might not be clear what the exact reason was. Maybe for one, two of the four members of the next band Nagasaki played in Vonne (formerly called The Locals) and Starlorde, two truly awesome local bands. Seeing them collaborating with two new musicians, while playing new roles in the bands, were like seeing completely a different side of the beautiful mountain that is always in front of us. Two, the bass player in those two bands have been in the Black Sheep scene for the two years I have been in and I do not recall him ever spoken a word to the audience in the past. Him being given a mic and opening his mouth would be a rare scene. So, what was their set like? Absolute slam. They shed the Scottish Kilt image they wore in the debut performance at Dumb Records on October 30, 2016. The band revealed some kind of charismatic-dictator-like talents (including the previously silent bass player) to have people get out of the venue for them, get back in to the venue for them, mosh for them, love for them, et cetera. It was rowdy teenagers representing public school district 186 at their best, experiencing some quality punk time of their life (allegedly for the first time for some of them)—probably just before enacting their mundane, uneventful routines of late-night Steak and Shake. If you want to witness pop-turn-punk transitions among the teenage specie, there were fewer occasions better than the show. The last act was Terribly Happy, a solid out-of-town band from Peoria that has released 5 albums/EPs already.   The performance was rock solid, and their experience showed. If you look into their history, this “pop punk” band sounded quite different between albums. Their latest album seemed to be about reconciling with contradictions in the modern life and still ended up terribly happy (merely my impression). The drummer looked like he was on a quest to challenge the absolute human limit of drumming, infixing all ordinary beats with unreal force, life, precision. He broke and replaced one drumstick after another during the show. Someone told me later that he witnessed the drum sticks virtually got shredded little by little as the drummer played, with pieces visibly coming off. Insane. – Gordon Chang (Macomb Events)

(You may visit most of these performances at http://www.youtube.com/macombevents)

4. Bent Life, Lowered A.D., Pryss, Capitol Offense, Stye at Black Sheep (11-25-16)

WOW so Thanksgiving sucks and Black Friday is SILLY but the Black Sheep managed to come thru with the best thing that could have happened in Springfield following such a dumpy duo of festivities. STYE from BloNo opened up this lil rocker which did not disappoint with their heavy head bobbin’ tunes. Pryss played next, so having the privilege to play one of my favorite shows of the year was pretty dope, and I know we all had a BLAST. Capitol Offense from Decatur kicked out the jams afterwards and they had this sick “fuck Donald Trump” mosh call, so who can argue with that? Backed hard. 10/10 you must throw down. BENT LIFE brought the party and the mosh all the khaki/camo jort boys were waiting for ensued. Man, I gotta say my bangover the next day was a harsh one cause there ain’t a dang Bent Life riff that isn’t a rocker. Lowered AD from soIL popped by to wrap up the night which will forever and always crush my soul in all the right ways. By far the best and heaviest band to come out of that region right now. This show was 12/10, a truly great hardcore show held in our beloved lil space. – Gus McCowen (Pryss)

3. KISS *Official* Aftershow in Glue Surfer’s Secret Tube w/ Lumpy & The Dumpers, Mala Leche, Livin’ Thing, Undone (8-17-16)

It felt like 2013 all over again: a mob of punks Strutting the half-mile crawl from the parking lot to the nearby Glue Tube, pushing along with them a generator and a full band’s worth of gear. A hidden pocket of terrible graffiti and abrasive echoes, the Tube takes Forever to get to, as it lies beneath a busy boulevard on the outskirts of town. For the fourth time in Springfield punk history, we found ourselves in that damn tunnel, and on a Wednesday of all days, but the occasion was well deserved; aging rock gods KISS had descended upon Springfield Rock City at the Illinois State Fair.

Unfortunately, those aging tongue shakers Gene and Paul politely declined a Glue Tube appearance for personal reasons, but the sets that night were no less than stellar. Undone Shouted it Out Loud and delivered the thrashing of a lifetime for the last time before their string section departed for Hong Kong. Mala Leche played like Heaven’s on Fire and got the crowd moving. Livin’ Thing played third, and right as they were about to Rock and Roll All Nite, the whirr of the generator powering down seemed to end the night early. It was as if the God of Thunder wanted to shut us down. Alas, we called Dr. Love (Nighthawk) up for duty, and he and a rocksuit-donned Brian Galecki made a quick escape on Nighthawk’s moped to get more gas and save the evening. Tears Were Falling when they returned, tears of pure relief. It made the final set of the night, Lumpy and the Dumpers, that much more magical. – Mario Cannamela (Livin’ Thing, Christmas Cannamela)

2. Our Lady release / final show w/ Lume, The Foxery, Estates at Black Sheep (10-24-16)

Well in October i played one of the shows that still comes to mind to me about every other day. I still give thanks to a lot of people that were apart of that show. Our Lady’s last show will still stay with me and it will always be a reminder to myself of the love of our music community and the art that each of us create to represent our little piece of nowhere. The show was indescribable, not just to say it, because it was probably the most connected to an audience I’ve ever felt. To go from a high school kid looking up to your favorite local band to becoming apart of their story and sharing yourself fully mentally, emotionally, and musically with them seems like a dream and it feels like each moment of the show captured it’s own sense of atmosphere as each band that played created a pallet of sounds and textures that was conducive to each other. All of this occurred with a room full of folks and friends from all over the country.

Estates opened the show with some solid jams I’ve played in my car about a million times before and getting to play with such good friends was a true treat. The Foxery(Pleasures of the Flesh) played one of their last shows as the Foxery and it was so cool to see them transform their set from their old to new sound with each song filling the dark room with no light with dark songs that touched the soul, a true musical experience that can’t be really described as it should be. Then, Lume played a LOUD wonderful set. Lume is a really great band from Chicago that can be described as beautiful bone-crushing jams almost as a reflection of the world seeming to crumble around us during their set. When then played PAINT ACTUALLY FELL FROM THE CEILING OF BLACK SHEEP.

Finally, Our Lady played our final set. Their is a video on the tube of it if you ever wanna watch it. It was real, I didn’t want the set to end, and I can still play each song note for note despite all of the music that has came and went through my head since that show. It wasn’t a show that described it’s self as “It’s over”, but “Goodbye”. Still such a jammer. I will always remember my time with Our Lady and want to say thank you to all that came to the show. – Big Mac Jack (Our Lady, Livin’ Thing)

1. Dumb Fest 4-Ever (specifically “The Barn” aftershow w/ The Bug, Crutch, Wolf Luv) (6-11-16)

Here we are at the third and final part of our Best Of Springfield Music 2015 series- and that is the part where go over your favorite shows of 2015. These of course are not limited to just Black Sheep shows, they could be any show that happened in Springfield this year. Once again we have different members of the music community doing write-ups for each favorite.

10. Black Sheep Band Lotto Round 2 (11-21-15)
No matter how good other shows may be, there is always something irreplaceable about seeing a new, homegrown band making its first, historical act. That there were six groups of randomly organized community members doing their first acts in one show was what you got in this year’s band lotto. For opening we had Band #2, consisted of musicians of Panzys and Bad Banshee (Kyle Gietl, Tyler Nelson, and BJ Pearce) who ditched their panziness and badness in pursuit of this passionate thrashcore-like act fronted by Tesla Hudgeons, whose black robe preacher image, solitary notebook, and powerful verbal delivery quickly turned a number of engrossed audience into Band #2 believers. The next act by Band #1 featured Kinze Rae on vocal and spoken words, Clare Franchey on drums, and John Phillips on [[bass/guitar]]. Phillips’ crazy guitar skills and pedal works went out of control when he started to play the [[bass/guitar]] like a fiddle. Everyone has gotten stares; but if you have not already I am sure you would have, without blinking of an eye, paid to experience Franchey’s special, 10-minute stares that helped to channel the melodic drum beats and poetry into your own retinas. Something more theatrical followed. To enact Band #4’s performance, Kyler [Rich // Bandifoot?]] successfully conveyed his energy coming from a state of extreme mental uncertainty. At the edge of the stage he made a series of instinctual sounds, ranging from pleasing woooooos to finally sustained painful screams—the primal language that we understand. In the same interval of time, Bobby William of TANG, apparently amused, in good measure used both his bass guitar and secret instrument to push his co-performer to his final limit. Band #5 was headed by Brandon Carnes, who grouped together acting phenomenon BJ Pearce, good friend Danny Kerwin, and BXS 5-star chef Apryl Kay Mayes to perform a short play. Those who know Carnes from his million projects may be dazzled by his talents and “multiple selves.” But could this play—about a small studio owner futilely trying to form a rock band—possibly be a repressed memory of an inner struggle with his past band and the true reason to the development of the song “My Name Kyle”? We do not know. An epic act was carried out by Band #6. Devon Fluelen articulated encrypted messages in increasing volume, as avid skateboarder Nighthawk switched from clear-minded guitar playing to mad-and-confused drumming and then to a state of trancing. Apparently crippled for unknown reasons, Nighthawk crawled toward the Black Sheep entrance that, symbolically speaking, no one has managed to escape unscathed by the life-changing underground scene experience upon initial entrance. Mike Tirehaus of King Worm’s bass notes and intense outcry might have subtly directed these actions. In the closing act by Band #8, Haleigh Parks (drums), Tony Calantino (guitar), Brian Galecki (bass), Kristin Walker (vocal) walked the disoriented audience from the dark to a lighter spot of the tunnel through easier beats that suggested happiness, flirtation, and potential beginning. In all, the night’s sanity was restored and good mood ensued.
-Gordon Chang

10. Hank & The Cupcakes, The Luzhin Defense @ Bar None 7/1/2015
Hank and Cupcakes are one of the best live bands out there right now!!!
Originally hailing from Tel Aviv, Israel the duo relocated to the art filled streets of Brooklyn, New York where they developed a huge sound that defies categorization. They are rock… without guitars. They are dance… without synthesizers. They are pop… with substance. Listening to their records will bring you joy and make you feel; but, they are clearly at home in the live environment. These two exude chemistry, love, passion and sexuality. Experiencing them live is contagious and cannot be overstated.

This show took place on a Wednesday but, ANY day with Hank and Cupcakes feels like a weekend. The band had just played a packed PrideFest in St Louis and they brought the Pride energy along with them to Springfield. They danced, they grooved and they got everyone in the room joining in. At one point Sagit stood on her bass drum to lead the crowd in an acapella sing-a-long of a brand new track. This may not have worked for any other band but… Hank and Cupcakes are definitely not any other band.
-John Phillips (The Complaint Line)

9. Los Kung Fu Monkeys, The Complaint Line, Yogi Beara@ Bar None
It was only by unfortunate happenstance that this show happened at all. Los Kung-Fu Monkeys (great, high-energy ska punk from Mexico and Canada) had some major van trouble and needed some last minute shows around our neck of the woods to get fixed up and back on the road. Luky for them- and us – someone was able to get them a last minute gig at Bar None with local pop/rock group the Complaint Line and bluesy garage rock duo Yogi Beara. They also had to play without their horn ensemble, as several of their members had to leave back to Mexico. But they managed to improvise, filling in the missing brass with an extra guitar and some accordion action (that’s right, accordion), and put on a killer set. The crowd wasn’t big, as can be expected for a Sunday evening in Springfield at a show announced only a few days prior, but the vibes were positive, the bands sounded great and the folks that managed to come out didn’t leave disappointed. From what I understand, the Monkeys were able to get back on the road and get home safely. Hopefully, they’ll be returning back through these parts again soon.
-Adam Rembert

8. ACxDC, Sunlight’s Bane, Lowered A.D., Table Drama, GUSH @ Black Sheep 12-9-15
One of the shows at Black Sheep that really stuck out to me in 2015 as being one of the most rockin’ gigs would definately be the ACxDX/Sunlights Bane/Table Drama/Lowered A.D./Gush show. It isn’t as common for a good “metal” show to grace the stage of Black Sheep, but for any person who grew up appreciating the heavier side of music this show was undeniably STACKED. And getting to play two out of the five sets that night had me beyond stoked that night! Gush opened up with our less than 10 minute fastcore bro-worship set. Lowered A.D., the crushing Entombedcore powerhouse from southern Illinois, could have practically beat the life outta ya. Following, Springfield’s very own infamous wrestling-themed grind bunch Table Drama returned to the stage to ruin everybody’s night. (But c’mon, ya’ll know ya can’t stand up to the Pukester. Plebs.) Sunlights Bane, a band I admittedly had never heard til the show, KILLED IT with their nihilistic hardcore/grind fusion tunes. AND FINALLY ACxDC (also known as Antichrist Demoncore) brought the house down! Hailing from Los Angeles, California, this powerviolence materpiece that started in ’03 was long overdue to come play at the Sheep. I was blown away at how much this band brought it. They told us they were gonna play more songs than their were minutes in their set, and by golly they did that. 10/10. \m/
-Kylie McCowen (GUSH, Table Drama)

7. Black Sheep 10-Year Anniversary Show @ Black Sheep 9-16-15
The ten year anniversary show was a fitting capstone and celebration of the first decade of bxs. I think it is safe to say no one thought ten years ago that we would reach this milestone. Jeff’s drone project opened the show. It is fitting Jeff was the first act on the bill, Jeff was one of the few still around that was at the very first show we had. Jeff was probably 16. Soap Scum played next. I’m probably a little biased but I thought this set was really fun! People went nuts. This kind of energy and chaos is still one of things I still love about hardcore and punk music. The venue was founded on this kind of stuff. If people aren’t flying around on their friends and having fun it isn’t worth it. Our Lady followed suit with a heart felt and atmospheric set. As far as I remember Our Lady formed in 2010. I think it’s cool Tim, Molly, and the dudes have played bxs through half of its existence. It was BJ’s first bxs show with them as well. These guys always slay. Then came the SKA! This unholy conglomerate merged what I refer to as “The Big Three”: Don’t Mess With Winkie, Donner Party of 5, and Bastognes Best. These three bands defined the early bxs years. Those shows also were the first to draw more than 100 kids. The experience of seeing those songs revisited along with a few Bad Banshee’s and even one by Jim’s old band was great to see. Adam killed it too! It was good to see everybody’s favorite dude go nuts on the mic! Looming ended the night. It was cool seeing all four of those people in that band (who all uniformly grew up with the venue) play such a killer set. I’ve seen them all develop into talented people and write some great songs along the way. Earlier that week people were sharing memories of their time and experience with bxs. I was thinking throughout the course of the night how many people have come through that door. All the stories, all those years. This show was a fitting tribute to all of those pictures in the mind’s eye and the future ones to come.
-Kevin Bradford (Black Sheep, Soap Scum, WARRS)

6. Downhome Music Festival @ Downtown August 7th+8th, 2015
The fifth annual Downhome Music, Beer and Art Festival this past August was a truly eclectic affair, with artists ranging from rhythmically ambitious prog by Dog of Panic to the traditional
bluegrass of the River Ramblers. Nowhere on the Downhome schedule was this variety in styles more apparent than on Saturday night when a typically (but not quite literally) balls-out set by The Timmys was scheduled as a lead-in for the harmonious, gentle singer-songwriter sounds of The Deep Hollow. But wait! Apparently this musical moodswing wasn’t considered wide enough because after The Timmys finished and before Deep Hollow went on, a previously low-key side stage was stormed by none other than Diaper Rash. It’s reasonable to assume that most people reading this already have some idea what the Diaper Rash experience entails. Part precision thrash, part performance art and part stand-up comedy, Diaper Rash is perhaps both the most aggro and the most hilarious band in town. That is, if you are in on the joke. However – any audience members who might be (1) unaccustomed to thrash sounds in the first place; (2) unprepared to process the sight of mysterious frontperson Big Baby in all of his diapered glory; or (3) irony-impaired enough to take the words of a dude wearing nothing but a diaper at face value – may not have such an easy time when confronted with Diaper Rash. And judging from the looks on the faces of onlookers during their Downhome set, all three of the above-listed categories were amply represented. For the rest of us, seeing Big Baby stalking the stage like a caged animal, spitting absurd insults at other local musicians (by name), roaring maniacally through the DR catalog and preaching to a crowd of the clearly non- converted was a truly singular experience. Elsewhere, organizers Josh Catalano and Shane Turnidge kept things lively with a fair number of Black Sheep-affiliated bands, including a blistering afternoon set from Our Lady, not to mention the Dumb Records kiosk doing brisk(ish) business all day and night right there on the thoroughfare. My own band, Epsom, stepped in to the opening slot on Saturday to fill a sudden gap in the schedule and played what was probably our best-sounding set of the year at 2 p.m. to an audience made up mainly of people walking in and out of the Hilton hotel. Now that’s rock and roll.
-Scott Faingold (Epsom, The Scene on WUIS)

5. Looming (album release), Park, The Choir Vandals, and Hidden Hospitals @ Black Sheep 8-14-15
Looming’s Album release show for their full length recording, Nailbiter, was my favorite of the year. BXS was packed, awesome bands opened for Looming, and the collective vibe was magical. Some of you may know me by name, others may know me as the old guy that is at shows every once in a while. I’ll simply say that BXS is an all ages venue wink emoticon. I loved the fact that Park played just before Looming took the stage. Years earlier, probably late 1990s or early 2000s I had an intern that worked for me and he asked if I wanted to attend a show with him to hear a great local band. I agreed. I think the show was at the space that was located about where the CVS just off of Wabash is today. The band was Park and they were amazing. Over the years I’ve seen them a time or two since. Always great. So cool that Looming drummer Brandon Carnes debuted as Park’s bass player that night too. We old shits are often looking for connections, for links between the present and past ….. Park delivered!

In my mind the coolest aspect of show was that Looming had been doing shows since 2013 or so. So, in the months leading up to Nailbiter’s release, many of us had heard many of the songs either at BXS shows, or downtown at the 2015 Pridefest celebration, or at bar gigs Looming played. As a result, the crowd was singing along on every tune and that was, well, electric.. Looming played the album from opening instrumental, in order, to the last song on the album/CD ( Nailbiter). The crowd and the band had a blast. To top it all off, Brian Galecki of Dumb Records, asked all there to be part of the shop’s famed ‘Record of the Day’ snapshot. That picture says it all, you can see and feel the love, the joy, the excitement of the evening in that picture.
-Joe Coffey …. sometime old fucker at BXS Shows 😉

4. G.L.O.S.S., Asthma, Garter, GUSH @ Black Sheep 9-7-15
G.L.O.S.S/Asthma/Garter/Gush – September 7 2015 The show began with Gush. I like to think of this band as Garter’s angry, in-your-face sister. Garter played, and I was so excited to be at this all queer band show. It was amazing playing in a band with three of the most talented musicians I know (Brian, Nighthawk and Nick Murphy) and having one of my role models, Sadie, watch our entire set and actually compliment us! Wow. Total dream come true. Asthma played. I think this was one of their last sets. It was hard and heavy, as usual. Jess, Drew and Nick were what made this band so freaking good. They persevered through the bullshit and Springfield should be proud to have people like them making bands and doing amazing shit. Blacksheep was humbled to have G.L.O.S.S. come to Springfield. Vocalist, Sadie, began their set with the refreshing the request of “girls to the front.” Sadie captured the audience between songs, taking time to explain what each was about. The crowd was all smiles. It was a great day to be queer.
– Cassie Crawford (Garter)

3. Dumb Fest 3-D @ Black Sheep + Skank Skates June 13th+14th
My summer of seven local music festivals began at the second day of Dumb Fest 3D on June 13th. Hanging out in the DIY music community in St. Louis, I had heard of the alternative reality of the Springfield scene, but this was my first attempt to take the 2-hour drive to Springfield to see a show. The music looked totally worth the drive. The day promised Springfield bands that I had liked when they came through St. Louis (like King Worm and SAP), touring bands that always put on a good show (like Pregnancy Test and Tenement), and a couple of STL favorites (Cal & the Calories and Animal Teeth). Still, I arrived with some slight trepidation about meeting a whole new group of people. There was no reason for anxiety, the Black Seep community was extremely friendly and welcoming. With performances alternating between the skate park and Black Sheep Café itself, there was plenty of chance to talk with folks and meet new people as we walked back and forth between the performances. A mud-covered Diaper Rash opened the day by terrorizing the skate park. The enthusiastic response from the early arrivers set the bar high and the rest of the day did not disappoint. For my first performance inside Black Sheep itself, I was treated to Nectar from Champaign and given hope that the day would not be all guys screaming. (Not that there is anything wrong with screaming guys, but it is nice to see some of the other genders represented as well.) The alternating between the heat of the skate park and the air conditioning of the café made the long day easier to bear physically. However, when the crowd embraced the mosh, the heat in the café climbed as well. The audience was engaged with all the musicians, but big props to Big Zit and King Worm who each induced the crowd to the most raucous moshing of the day. Suzy Vogenthol’s beautiful, rambling introductions to The Wrong’s songs also deserves a special mention as well. It was a great day of music with more than 25 bands each delivering strong performances, and as I drove home tired and sweaty, I was really glad I made the journey to Springfield. One programming note, did Bugg, Slugbug, The Bug really have to be scheduled one after another? This old brain had a hard time keeping their pictures and videos properly labeled.
-Stephen Houldsworth (St. Louis)

2. Screaming Females, Shellshag, Kowabunga! Kid, Looming @ Black Sheep 3-25-15
When I walked into Black Sheep on the night of the show, Screaming Females singer/guitarist Marissa Paternoster was sprawled out on the lap of Shellshag’s lady member. Looking all miserable and brooding. But also like she was having fun being that way. Paternoster is a BA for lots of reasons, but here are a few: At the age of 29 she has been living the touring musician life with the same band for a DECADE. She covered her band van in pictures of Korn. She toured while sick with mononucleosis. I mean even that disease sounds cool … but it is definitely not. She played shows while dealing with severe chronic pain. She wears the best vintage dresses when performing. Her band now is the same trio who met during her college days. They came up in the DIY scene of New Brunswick, New Jersey. They played all-ages basement shows instead of getting into the bar scene.

From what I have heard, Black Sheep – which consistently knows exactly what is up, had been trying to book indie/rock/punk group Screaming Females for a while. They had pitched the band to play Dumb Fest, which hadn’t panned out. When word got back to the band how awesome Springfield’s scene was though – they agreed to do their own show. And thank goddess. The band released Rose Mountain in 2015 – their sixth full-length album which lyrically dealt much with Paternoster’s sickness (literal) and made plenty of room for her sick (not-literal) guitar solos. Paternoster is a musician who elicits statements like, “Whoa bro. I didn’t know a chick could shred like that.” Well she can. And everyone at the show that night got to behold it IRL – along with her powerful, ultra-vibratoed voice. How lucky we were.

King Mike on bass, and Jarrett Dougherty on drums, held it down as well. Screaming Females shared the stage with their supporting/touring act – the aforementioned Shellshag, a punk duo reminiscent of Moldy Peaches and also on Don Giovanni records. Local darlings Looming were openers, along with “pop black metal” group Kowabunga! Kid from Champaign. Screaming Females seemed to enjoy their time in town. They posed for a picture on the Dumb Records couch holding a Nas album, after all. They are living embodiment of the DIY attitude and aesthetic, and Paternoster is keeping the riot grrrl vibes of her foremothers alive and fresh, with her own individual stamp. Fingers crossed we’ll be seeing them again in Springfield. We deserve each other.

You can check out an interview I did with Paternoster to preview the show, here: http://wuis.org/post/screaming-females-will-rock-springfield#stream/0
-Rachel Otwell (The Scene on WUIS)

1. The Coneheads, King Worm, Cal & The Cruisers, Wolf Luv @ Rock N Roll Hardees 10-3-15
To be honest I thought it be crazy to have a show at rock and roll hardies but it actually turn out to be an amazing show. There was a lot of awesome people there and friends to be around with all the time and especially the crazy moshing. The Coneheads was really good and had a pretty awesome set. Hopefully they have another rock and roll hardies show next year but more crazy 😊
– Devon Fluelen (Pineapple Boys)

Brian is standing right behind me as I type this. I can feel his mustache grazing the back of my ear. “Write about the Rock n Roll Hardee’s shoooow..”, he’s whispering, hot breath on my neck. “O-o-okay, Brian”, I manage to sweat out.

I guess my story starts a while back when me, “Long Tall” Brian Galaxy (nee Galecki), and Clare Freakay were driving to the college campus to give uninterested scholars some flyers for an upcoming Black Sheep Show. It was either a bee-yew-tiful spring day or a slightly chilled (brr brr), maybe-a-windbreaker-and-turtleneck autumn day (I can’t remember) and we all hopped into Brain’s big, smooth Oldie. THAT THING! THAT THING looked like a tank but floated on air. Man, I miss that wagon.

Anyway… we’re all coasting happily along, singin’ songs, gettin’ happy when Big Bad B turns around and yells (you know the yell) “WHERE DO YOU GUYS WANNA EAT?!”. Now, I don’t know why but for years and years my immediate, gut reaction to that question has been to barf out the words ROCKUNRULLHARDEE and this time was no exception. I think I caught my car-mates’ attention with that one and without a second thought Beautiful Boy spun the big wheel on his mystery ship and we were headed in the direction of the promised land.

So, by now you all know the location, you were there, you bought the fries.ROCK AND ROLL HARDEES. Slow down, it wasn’t always the most punk place in town. Oh ho no no no.

We (“we” being myself, Clearly Friendly, and Bashful Bri) pulled up on this seemingly normal Hardee’s completely unaware that this particular burger house was THE site of an annual Mid-western tradition. JESUS FEST 3 MF’ERS

Holy cow, hoooooo-leeeee cow. We had made it. We saw the top of the mountain. Now, let me paint you a picture: (is that how you do that?) A buncha people sittin’ on a buncha tushies, facing a little band shell or whatever-you-call-it clapping politely at a band finishing up an apparently delightful set of ?Christmas? songs? (whatever they sing at the church), weird enough but not mind-blowing. This is getting boring to type, I can’t even imagine reading it. But hang on, cuz you’re in store for a treat.

Some “props” are brought out by an average-looking man while me and my amigos scratch our heads and have a little giggle at the absurdity of the whole experience. A phonebook here, a wooden baseball bat there, some cinder blocks for good measure. Intrigued yet? Hmm? I was.

The sun was high in the sky when a mountain of a boy stepped in to cover us in shadow and , unbeknownst to us, shed some LordLight at the same time. Enter Tyler, stage (band shell, parking lot) right. This was going to be good.

All my memories of it are a blur of shredded phonebooks, broken bats, and busted cinder blocks. This boy (angel) was channeling the strength of the Lord and who was I (or anyone) to stop him? Gosh dang, what a good day. Little did I know, that day would light an unquenchable fire in the breast of “Our Pal” Brian Galecki.

Jump ahead, like, a few months and Spaghetti Man Galecki informs me that he’s in talks with the PRESIDENT OF ROCK AND ROLL HARDEES to put on a live punk rock show at our town’s most venerable institution. I just shook my head and laughed, what could I do? When Banana Boat gets an idea in his mop-top head, we all just kind of have to go along with it. Fearless Leader and all that. Over the course of the next few weeks or whatever, this scheme became more and more a reality.

It was cool to watch it all kind of coalesce, because everyone was stoked to be playing/attending/experiencing this show at a Milkshake Mansion. It was hard not to be swept up in the magic. The line-up, if you fools don’t remember, was…legendary.

WOLF LUV ripped a fast, short and furry whirlwind of a set that got everybody riled up and rearin’ for more.

CAL AND THE CRUISERS brought the wackness and had everybody drooling on their French fries.

I remember telling my very quiet friend, Mark Lee, that this next band was going to be the wildest, weirdest set of the night and the one most likely to have the mothers and fathers of Springfield wagging their fingers at the collective of freaks, mutants, skaters, long-hairs (Nick DeMarco), and ne’er-do-wells gathered in the parking lot,

KING WORM was loud, unhinged and rowdy. I like to think some of that LordLight was shining on “Springfield” Mike and his boys that night (thanks, Ty). Love ‘em.

Next, was THE BAND. THE BAND whose name was on EVERYBODY’S TONGUES and LIPS. THE BAND THAT TOOK THE WORLD BY STORM. And the reason for all the excitement.
CONEHEADS, BABY!

We were all snortin’ and kickin’ and hee-hawin’ for this band of mysterious alien-men to start playing and when they did? Hoo boy, everybody pogoed and danced and did other punk movements. By the end of the set, they were off the stage (band shell) and everybody was freakin and jiving and everything was sloppy. BUT, we were all communed in the parking lot of a HARDEE’S and everybody was laughing and drinking milkshakes and eating French fries and looking at each other like “What the HELL was that?” and “We GOTTA do that AGAIN”.

Peace, Al. (SAP, War Magic)

It’s time for the second of the three-part series that makes up our Best of Springfield Local Music 2015! Yesterday we brought you your top picked albums/releases by Springfield bands in 2015, and today we are going to move onto the songs. Much like yesterday’s post, we are going to go over your top ten voted picks, each one featuring a different writeup by a member of our music community. This time around we are going to start with our #1 pick and then work our way down.

1. “Party Girl” by GUSH
Party!!!! I like to party. Very good song, I like the original style. Very brutal. I think it’s about some type of leprechauns. Angry leprechauns, I hear the metal. I can see them dancing in the field in the distance and before I get near they’re gone! The sky blackens, it’s full of clouds, just no rain but tons of lightning. And everyone’s dancing and then I wake up and I come to Black Sheep and saw the set and it was pretty sweet. The singer sings and the guitarist guitars, and the baser, they play the bass. And the drummer, that’s Drew. Long story short, I like the band. I think it’s a pretty unique combination of riffs and partying. It’s just the right amount of professionalism and partyism I think.
-Nighthawk (Garter)

2. “Cotton Tongue” by Looming
After Looming was unsurprisingly invited to sign with No Sleep Records last year, we were all blessed with the release of their first full-length album, “Nailbiter”. As the first full song on the album, “Cotton Tongue” captures any listener immediately before you’d even know it. The thick and heavy chords, distant vocal effects, and Jess’s unbelievably unique, entrancing voice – I don’t know anyone who doesn’t feel completely in love with this song. Lyrically haunting, the story this song tells cleverly captures a specific situation, but also allows listeners to relate in their own personal ways. We can’t get over it! The fully layered guitar parts, the complex yet understandable drum rhythms, the wholeness of the bass – it’s no wonder this song has captured everyone’s attention.
-Dani Sakach (Wilt Candy, Moondead)

3. “The Frost Giant’s Lament” by Sgt Karate
Sgt Karate’s “The Frost Giant’s Lament” comes in an old NES style box featuring some Castlevania inspired art, except Simon Belmont is wearing corpse paint and wielding a guitar. The game itself is a modern love letter to the classic side scrolling adventures of your childhood. You traverse beautifully rendered 16-bit era levels fighting demons and ghouls along the way. Light puzzle mechanics vary up the tried and true gameplay loop of ‘kill things, tremolo pick, repeat.’ There are plenty of secret items and power ups hidden away that need unlocking so the game will keep you busy for quite a while. After it was all said and done i was left very satisfied. A must buy.
-Nick Demarco (Our Lady, Livin Thing)

4. “Dinosaur Baby” by SAP
Although Springfield didn’t have nearly as many releases this year as last, the recordings that did get to see the light of day in 2015 were extremely strong. SAP’s ‘Maiden, Mother, Crone’ was certainly no exception. SAP got started back in late 2013 and finally released their first cassette in early 2015 on local label Ooey Gooey Tapes. The entire album is exceptionally good, but one song that certainly stands out and was voted by you as one of the best for 2015 was the second tune, titled “Dinosaur Baby”. I’ve gotta say, this tune caught my attention right away. It took me back to the early 1990’s, sitting in my room as a youth, going through obscure cassettes and CDs, discovering what would eventually become some of my most favorite bands. SAP’s sound reminds me a lot of a Sub Pop or a Dischord band from this era. Interesting arrangements, witty vocals, and dissonant chords that capture your attention and take you on a wonderfully strange ride down a road littered by a variety of topics. If you haven’t had the chance to catch one of SAP’s shows or listen to any of their recordings, do yourself a favor and check ’em out now! Clare, Kyle, and Alistair are writing some wonderful tunes that will certainly stand the test of time in my book and should not go unnoticed. “Dinosaur Baby” is one helluva “earworm”. It’s tough to get this one out of your head even after one listen. I can pretty well promise that you’ll be going about your day singing that chorus to yourself over and over again. I’m excited to see what 2016 brings from these kids!
– Anthony Bollero (Somethings Can’t Be Ignored, The Seething Coast)

5. “My Name Kyle” by South Town Studio
Among the foggy uncertainty of the Springfield radio pop scene, Brandon Carnes channeled his inner boy band soul to save the day once again. Bringing many of us out of a dark and delinquent deep sea dwelling, “My Name Kyle”, straight from Ditty internet stardom, changed the way we think about the very notion of music itself. A staple of party playlists and elevators alike, “My Name Kyle” refuses to leave your head from the second you hit play. Brandon’s luscious vocals tug at your funny bones while juicy leads pry your fingers apart into air guitar mode. It’s a mystery how this infectious track hasn’t topped the Billboard charts yet. At it’s core though, the song leaves a positive message for anyone, listener or not: “it’s a good day to have a good day.”
-Mario Cannamela (Wir Können, Livin Thing)

6. “Hey Hey” by Hospital Job
Take 2 minutes out of my busy day to write a review for “Hey Hey”, the second song on the THIRD Hospital Job album? Sure. To me it doesn’t matter what style of music you play, as long as it is good. And HJ are good at what they do: solid song writing, melody, hooks, vocal harmonies and a bunch of hey’s (natch), fuck’s, oh’s, no’s, yeah’s and shit’s and it even -breaks the 3 minute mark. Top Of The Pops!
– Ollie Clampet (Punk Rock Dissertation, TANG)

7. “Happy Birthday” by The Complaint Line
I’ve seen The Complaint Line’s name on flyers and events for a while, but never got to listen to them until now. “Happy Birthday” starts out with pounding beats, followed by fuzz-filled, buzzsaw guitars that would bring a tear to J Mascis’s eye. Vocally, it’s very reminiscent of Kim Deal and Black Francis, which are all positives for me. The song is very upfront, to-the-point, and packs a punch. I’d jam this to the Scott Pilgrim game. Overall, I’d give the song an “A”, since I’m a sucker for 80’s/90’s Alt-Revival.
-Alex Reed (Lavender)

8. “I Blame Society” by Epsom
This song is the perfect blend of psychedelic riffs that snake through your brain and sludgy 90’s garage rock bass lines that push forward, taking us through the swamp of centuries worth of societal norms built up to a crispy peak. The defiant vocals portray the pointing of fingers towards the conglomerate mind of the masses, with hints of disgust and irritation at the human condition spat into every syllable. The consistent melody is reminiscent of the enticing trance in which we all fall under as the systems under which we live calm us into a functional complacency and homeostasis. This song, an epic portrayal of the effects of groupthink on the small intricacies within the ideals of the masses, is a testament. Behind the slithering of the top 1% and their puppet strings is a mess of people who have varying and often screwed up ideas on how life and thinking should be, thanks to the social institutions that tower over us. The old fashioned notions of life that no longer ring true to us are snuffed out by the driving yet droney force of this song. Listen to this song and be reminded that you need to blame society instead of the kids on top because a good portion of the bottom 99% the ones that are enabling or allowing it all at the end of the day. Cheers.
-Clare Frachey (SAP, Shark Week)

9. “Working Girl” by Garter
Garter’s “Working Girl” is a hard hitting funky dance to the music jam, with sick beats by Nick Murphy who’s hart hittin to the bone, and bass licks by none other than Brian Galecki himself, who’s bass line also carves the song in its beauty. Famous city slicker Nighthawk (Todd) who’s guitar riffs can’t compete in this groovy tune. Save the best for last for this awesome lead singer Cassie who’s lyrics define the song in its entirety and hard hitting meaning to make you grab a bud and dance the night away.
-Kyle Gietl (Panzys, Rows of Teeth)

10. “Machines Don’t Cry” by Spooky Action
There was a lot of spooky action that went down this year at the old Black Sheep music hall. There was a lot of action that went down in general and some of this action was not spooky but, generally speaking, when it came to the action happening around here at the Black Sheep Show Space the action was definitely something that I think you could call ‘spooky’. Spooky Action competed in the “Battle O’ The bands” at Black Sheep Rock Space this year. This action was spooky, I can almost guarantee you. I was not there because I was working my adult job making baked potatoes and shrimp plates for the rich and corrupt. My good friend Alistair was there though and assured me that Spooky Action did “pretty good”, a seal of approval from Alistair, an old curmudgeon of note. I can only imagine that “Machines Don’t Cry” was performed that night because, if the logic follows, that song must be “pretty good” too! Regularly I will leap from my bed and argue that Machines can indeed cry. I say, beaming with a sickly pride “Papa! Papa! I looked in the eyes of the automata who rests next to me and I saw the eyes of god peering back, in that I have seen the eyes of man.” That evening I was struck by a realization that if the machine held something comparable to the soul of man then the machine could be taught the constructs of emotion. Pulling from that thread it then became apparent that the automata could be designed with the mechanics of crying as a response to appropriate emotions. Theoretically, from my own experience I suggest that while “Machines Don’t Cry” may indeed be a “pretty good” song, on a theoretical level it is unfounded and personally offensive. “Action” has been confirmed as “Spooky” and the song “Machines Don’t Cry” has been confirmed as “pretty good” but I’ll be damned if I suggest that machines are not capable of shedding a tear.
-Mike Tirehaus (King Worm, Livin Thing)

The end of the year is finally here, and it’s time to go over your picks for favorite albums/releases, songs, and shows of Springfield in 2015! We are going to start today off with your favorite albums/releases of 2015. Each of the top ten favorites for each category come with a writeup from different musicians or people somehow involved in the Springfield music community. Let’s get into it!

10. Sgt Karate – The Frost Giant’s Lament 
Sgt KARATE is the first Springfield based black metal project I’m familiar with, and it is killer. It’s a one man black metal project that has come nasty riffs and abrasive blasts that are broken up by somber slowed down sections that break out of the rigid traditional black metal sound. The project features a few layers of instrumentation that culminate into something fearsome. A must listen for anyone interested in metal and the Springfield music scene.
-Drew Kodrich (Ooey Gooey Tapes, GUSH)

9. SAP/Person – Split 
SAP is still killin it with their new bangers on this split, my favorite being the first track “U.V.” Still holding down those bass driven groovy songs, with grungy riffs and Clare’s spooky and melodic vocals. SAP knows how to construct a song for a build up that will give you goosebumps. They just know when to get loud.
-Tater Cronin (Mouthsex, Pryss)

8. The Complaint Line – Stick Ninja
The Complaint Line is no stranger to chunky rock songs. Last years write up made that clear. July ’15 brought us their next effort. This time around, they’ve turned up their amps. The four piece waste no time laying out what they’re all about in the guise of buzzed out, punchy indie songs. One right after another, “Stick Ninja” sonically nods even deeper into the no frill “Sixteen Candles”-flannel-clad-sunglasses-at-night rock world that put loud guitars back onto pop charts. They don’t waste time on gristle or beefy egos. The Complaint Line doesn’t have time for any of that. All they want to do is serve the almighty “hook.” This quick record is honest, raw, catchy and fuzzy. What more could you want?
-Cory VanMeter (Say Something, Attic Salt)

7. Epsom – Ah, Youth! 
There were three LPs that were released by local bands this year on vinyl- of course Looming’s Nailbiter, the more recent Never Get Cold by Hospital Job, and one that might have gone more overlooked by the regular Black Sheep community- Ah, Youth by Epsom. The Epsom album was the band doing it all themselves, pressing something like a limited 100 copies. The album features a good number of guest musicians from other bands in the Springfield area such as Eric Rogers of Luzhin Defense, Josie Lowder, and Bruce Williams and Damon Sooper of NIL8 (there are probably a good handful of others that I don’t even know about). Most of the Black Sheep crowd might dismiss this as “not punk” or whatever. If punk is what you’re looking for, I encourage you to look into where this band is coming from. This video of vocalist Scott and drummer Tim’s previous band “Backwards Day” performing their song “Satan on Acid” at Douglas Park in 1992 is quite possibly the punkest thing I have ever seen. Once you understand all of that and listen to Backwards Day, Epsom’s music makes a whole lot more sense (to me at least). The band describes themselves as “acid reflux rock” which I would say is also pretty accurate. This band and album is weird, and in a great way.
-Brian Galecki (Dumb Records, Black Sheep)

6. Hospital Job – Never Get Cold
Any PBR/Mike’s Lemonade toting punker can tell you that winter sucks, Santa isn’t real and there a lot of people who try to put coal in your stocking; there is one band who can tell you about this with catchy lyrics, conducive guitar riffs, and driving jams all at about 150 bpm.

Hospital Job’s newest LP, Never Get Cold, will be that warm soothing wave of warmth you need to battle the +50 degrees this winter has been so far. The record starts off with some hard hitting and driving Anthems that you can yell out of your car windows on the west side of Springfield at Middle Class Normies with nothing better to do. These are all songs that we know Hospital Job for and it’s the ‘thing they do’ but the ladder half of the record turns the page. The last half of the record has tons of riff-age, tasteful starts and stops, and quiet breaks that take us on the voyage from the loud all the time jams we know.

So in conclusion, if you listen to this record its going to take more then doing some beers do get these lyrics out of your head. It’s power pop at what it needs to be heard at; simple structure with catchy lyrics with giant waves of volume, noise, and riffs sprinkled with the message of how life can suck. Good job hospital.
-B.J. Pearce (Our Lady, GUSH)

5. Diaper Rash – Demo 4: Eat, Shit, and Cry
EAT, SHIT, AND CRY: first of all I’m gonna say that Diaper Rash is one of my favorite local bands and I love listening to their music and seeing them perform and when I found out that they released another demo I was really stoked because they release new stuff like it’s nothing and it never disappoints. DEMO 4 is Rowdy, loud, in your face, catchy, and anybody can get into it. I really liked the riffs, the bass groves, the drumming and especially the fit throwing vocals. I really hope to see more from Diaper rash.
– Dontrell (WARRS)

4. Garter – Demo
Please listen to this band, Brendan Durbin you play the guitar like Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth and i’m so proud of you for dedicating yourself to a project and i feel like it’s really paying off grin emoticon Cassie Crawford you make bikini kill sound like the wiggles (your vocals A+) Brian Galecki your bass lines remind me of Agent Orange’s Living In Darkness album Nick Murphy you kill it as always! The overall energy of this band brings a lot of excitement to their shows. The Garter experience has never let me down. Also, NightHawk Rulez.
– Quincy Curran (Mystery Gift)

3. GUSH – Naughty NuFF 
“Naughty NuFF,” the debut tape from GUSH, is a solid release. It’s packed with plenty of feedback, driving drums, gritty bass, and a unique near-blood-curdling vocal delivery. It feels like a natural step from the 2014 slimey thing that was buzzing around Springfield, but with moshier (dare I say bro-ey?) flare. Split-second breaks from circle pits to floor punches make the songs on Naughty NuFF an interesting listen that’s sure to get you moving. For fans of: eating your own skin, being a party girl, hating everything.
-Brandon Carnes (Looming, South Town Studio)

2. SAP – Maiden, Mother, Crone
Maiden Mother Crone was SAPs first release this year (followed by a split with Person!) and they killed it right off the bat. Clare’s chilling vocals paired with sporadic guitar and melodic bass lines gives the album a vibe you can’t help but love. The lyrics are dreamy and thoughtful but provoking and emotive. It quickly became one of my favorite releases to ever come out of the Springfield music scene.
– Jessica Knight (Looming)

1. Looming – Nailbiter
I think the Nailbiter LP had our community floored and immediately in love, as well as so proud and in awe of our friends Brandon, Jess, Mitch, and Jordan for putting together such a hit release.

Looming’s first full-length is an album brims with total raw emotion as well as musical intention; the theme of change and the anxieties related ring clearly and elegantly throughout the entirety of the LP, with the order of the songs themselves fitting together meaningfully.

Nailbiter opens with a refreshing and reflective intro, a piece that delicately coaxes the audience seemingly into the beginning of a sort of adventure, and is immediately followed by “Cotton Tongue”, an angsty in-your-face song that reels us in with lyrical metaphor “I can feel it… the monster breathing.” That being said, one of the most interesting aspects of the album is Jess’s lyrical content, which consistently depict a sophisticated pattern of acute body awareness in the midst of processing challenging emotions and interpersonal situations, with lines such as Cotton Tongue’s “Do you hold your breath, when your eyes meet mine?”, New Eye’s “Sometimes I think about you, and the way that you hold in place, as the air puts a mode on your body, your lips across your face”, or Impermanence’s “I long to kiss you on the mouth.”

With such relateable yet personal worldplay, the songs themselves are able to carry meaning that is realistic and true to the difficulties that everyone in life faces, and invites listeners to fairly and expressively process their own issues in regards to personal transformation.

With intentional and creative percussive strength, drummer Brandon hauls the musical weight as guitarists Jordan and Mitch weave whimsical yet poignant melodies, while bassist and vocalist Jess brings it all together with strong yet romantic basslines.

The album ends aptly with warm and inviting song “Nailbiter”, with cathartic lyrics “The worst that can happen, is it all will stay the same”, allowing a sort of compassion that looks forward with clear vision at the fragility of emotional progression, and the strength of human willpower to press forward despite all challenges and changes. As the final song draws to a close, there is a note of hope that suggests that the adventure of life continues.

The entirety of the pop album Nailbiter is truly magical as well as thoughtful, and has set the highly emotive tone that resonates with pure enchanting honesty, angst, and compassion in the hearts and minds of all its listeners in 2015.
-Kristin Walker (Bad Banshee, Moondead)

2015 was a huge year, especially for local superstars Jess Knight, Mitch Baker, Jordan Fein, and Brandon Carnes. First, being signed to No Sleep Records (Former home to Into It. Over It., Balance and Composure, La Dispute, The Wonder Years, etc.), then announcing their first full-length LP. Looming’s “Nailbiter” was one of the most anticipated releases of 2015, and for sure lived up to the hype. This album, track after track, hits you in all the right places, with emotional depth and dope riffage. This is the sickest of the sick, and the tightest of the tight. I’m so proud of everyone person in this band. They’re on tour right now with Run Forever, and hopefully 2016 will bring even bigger opportunities for these guys. They deserve it.
– Austin Connelly (Wir Können, GRINN)

Our Best of Springfield Music Poll 2015 is still going on, and today is your last chance to vote! The poll will be open to everyone until 8:00 pm tonight. Find the link to vote in the poll below:

GO VOTE!

This is our fourth year doing our annual poll highlighting your favorites in Springfield local music. Like the previous three years we have the voting split into categories of best albums/releases, best songs, and best shows that happened in the year 2015. This is limited to all Springfield music- not just shows or bands that frequently play Black Sheep. Once the results are in and collected, we will have different members of Springfield bands and different people involved in the Springfield music/arts scene do write-ups on each winner. Check out the results from last year’s poll below:

Best of 2014 Springfield Albums/Releases
Best of 2014 Springfield Songs
Best of 2014 Springfield Shows