I’m going to start by saying this is not a new concept at all. Bill Maher was doing this way before I was and will probably continue to do it. I started doing New Rules on twitter for awhile and people requested more of them, so we decided over at the YPA office on a particularly boring day that I would write these. New Rule: If your band changes sound drastically than you have to change the name of the band as well. Thus from here on out Bury Your Dead will be called Bury Your Nu-Metal and... more
Mary Mattern Is On Top Of It!
Young Poor And Angry: So Mary you went from Stillborn Records label manager to now starting your own label called iBot tell me a little bit about the label? Mary Mattern: Well, the label is owned by Wakefield singer, Ryan Escolopio. We had been talking about opening a label for a while now. So, he finally did it and I jumped on board. Stillborn gave me the experience I needed to run a label and know the in’s and out’s of the music industry. YPA: Someone your age that’s a pretty... more
Neck - Come Out Fighting
If you’re looking for something to play to the pub, at the pub and on the way home (hopefully in a Taxi) from the pub than look no further than the band with the weirdest name ever, Neck. Neck at first listen might sound a bit like Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphy’s, but when they kick out hard pub anthems about drinking and fighting it doesn’t much matter. The rough and tumble boys do a bit of everything on their new album, and in most aspects they do it spot on. Come Out Fighting... more
My Turn To Win - No Challenge
If you people didn’t know this already I’m a huge baseball fan. I live, eat and sleep Red Sox baseball. Listening to My Turn To Win’s song Pull Yourself Together off No Challenge has the intensity of waiting for the first pitch of the 9th inning with a tie game on the line. It winds up and then lets lose and before you know it you’re jaw drops. That’s why My Turn To Win has managed to do for hardcore right now and let’s just saying I’m damn excited. My only... more
Side Bangs and Skinny Jeans: Kat’s Guide To Dating
One of the most popular questions asked amongst young boys and girls; “What do you look for in a ‘significant other’?” Is it the coon tails dyed to symmetrical perfection in a young lady’s extensions? Is it the positioning of the sock in your beau’s size 0 skinny jeans from Forever 21? The way 15 facial piercings glint in the summer sun? Maybe it’s the sweet smell and sight of an oversized Aquanet can ravaging teased hair? There are hundreds of reasons for wanting to date... more
To Die For Clothing Co.
Right now there seem to be a blue million clothing companies. Most of them aren’t very legit. Carbon copies of whatever is trendy and popular at the time. Brands like Glamour Kills who mass market to the scene via bright neon colors and kitchy designs that won’t stand the test of time. As someone whose an avid collector of both band t-shirts and unique clothing finds I look for two things: is the design going to be something that’s only popular now and is it something I’m... more
The Mighty Mighty BossTones - Pin Points and Gin Joints
From the spray paint rattle of the first track Graffiti Worth Reading to A Pretty Sad Excuse, Pin Points and Gin Joints kicks off and never lets up. Even though this album is the first original material in seven years don’t call it a comeback because it’s obvious now they never really left. Just were busy writing this. It can be safely said not since Question The Answers has there been a better Bosstones record. Your Life is a trip back to sixties era skinhead ska though with a bit more... more
Chaser - The Big Picture
Putting on Chaser’s album The Big Picture reminds me of middle school, pure and simple. A time when early 90’s punk rock was all the rage and the naysayers were calling for the demise of the genre. Now, some 20 years later bands like Bad Religion and NoFx are still alive and kicking. Lyrically Chaser reminds me of something between late 7 Seconds and Stretch Armstrong. Poetic without being completely out to lunch. Riding around in my car during the holidays I found myself nodding my head... more
Staff Selects - Kat Mae Attack
Name: Kat Position: Managing Editor Album of the Week: Ghost Stories - The Lawrence Arms Weekly Song Obsession: Badtown Boys - We’re Through Movie You HAVE to see or saw this week: Avatar! Most random text message: “You’re a white princess” Most embarrassing moment this week: I’m always doing something embarrassing. Geek Indulgence: How many times I gotta say! My LIFE is a geek indulgence! Funniest follower tweet: Any I’ve quoted from Brad, obvi! Favorite Staff... more
Staff Selects - Giselle
Name: Giselle Position: Music Editor Album of the Week: Away We Go Soundtrack Weekly Song Obsession: All My Days - Alexi Murdoch Movie You HAVE to see or saw this week: I can’t wait to see “Up In the Air,” but it isn’t playing anywhere near me! Alas, I shall have to travel for it. Most random text message: Ok, I have one random, and one AMAZING one. The AMAZING one is from my friend Ben, of “We’re on the top 14 of 2010 compilation disk for AP Magazine... more
Staff Selects- Helen Castillo
Name: Helen Castillo Position: Outerwear Designer, Manhattan and fashion columnist for YPA Press Album of the Week: Brand New Eyes - Paramore [holler @schzimmydeanie my brother from another mother] Weekly Song Obsession: Tank Girl soundtrack? Movie You HAVE to see or saw this week: Avatar, was seriously so badass. Regardless of how long it was. Most random text message: ‘Ready? to do my wig?’ for some reason a text from my mom in reference to touching up her roots.. Most embarrassing... more
Staff Selects - Bradley “The Critic” Thomas
Name: Bradley Thomas Position: Columnist/reviewer Album of the Week: The Red Chord - Fed Through the Teeth Machine Weekly Song Obsession: Oblivion and Crack the Skye by Mastodon. Those songs are always stuck in my head, and that album is arguably the best of the year Movie You HAVE to see or saw this week: Avatar Most random text message: Don’t remember, deleted all my texts this morning Most embarrassing moment this week: Getting a shot in the ass at the doctor’s office today. Fucking... more
A Wilhelm Scream - Self Titled
Those that think punk is dead would do well to listen to A Wilhelm Scream. These Massachusetts-based dudes are onto some next-level shit with their punch-in-the-nuts blend of SoCal skate punk, melodic hardcore and thrash metal-influenced riffage. Their previous full-length, “Career Suicide,” was hands-down one of the best and most memorable punk/hardcore albums of the 2000’s, and probably will go down in the annals of punk history as one of the best albums of the genre. So how does their... more
Despised Icon - Day of Mourning
Deathcore is quite the controversial bit of subject matter amongst metalheads and hardcore kids nowadays. Too metal to be considered hardcore, yet too hardcore-influenced and breakdown-oriented to be considered “true death metal” by the more elitist in the metal crowd. To me, it’s kind of like the red-headed stepchild of the heavy music community. It’s got it’s flaws, and a lot of the time you may not wanna admit you like it or associate with it, but in the end it’s... more
Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
“Alice In Chains is coming out with a new album?! They can’t do that without Layne Stanley! It’s not right and won’t be the same!” Those were more or less the first things that came to mind when I learned that Alice In Chains had reunited with a new vocalist and were in the process of writing a new full length. I’m sure that a lot of people thought the same thing. The more I thought about it though the more I realized that AIC is more or less Jerry Cantrell’s... more
Emmure - Felony
And on the 8th day, god was finished resting and said “Let there be breakdowns!” I’m pretty sure if anyone in Emmure has gone to church, that was more or less what they got out of the sermon. And here I thought Bury Your Dead and On Broken Wings were as mosh as it gets nowadays. Boy was I wrong! Connecticut’s favorite wiggerish purveyors of mosh for da masses are back with their third album in as many years, and it’s basically just more of the same. Or is it? Everyone... more
Bulldog Courage - From Heartache to Hatred
I’ve been listening to Blood for Blood for about ten plus years. They’re one of my favorite bands, so much so I got the logo tattooed on my right arm. That band got me through a lot of rough shit in my life and for that I thank them. Years later things have calmed down significantly in my life but at times I get angry like everyone else and look for a soundtrack for that aggression. This time I was turned on to a band called Bulldog Courage by my good buddies over at Thorp Records. When... more
Four Year Strong - Enemy of The World
When I heard that there was a new Four Year Strong album coming out I had mixed emotions. I like this band don’t get me wrong, if I had to be crass and give them a number on the one to ten scale it would probably be a seven. Though their last album was a bit too soft for me only because the heavier parts were so good that I just kept wanting them to show up. Kind of like the character in comics who is bad ass, but you only see once every ten issues and only for three panels. The new album Enemy... more
Refuse Resist - Socialized
Well ladies and gentlemen I’d venture it’s safe to say that Thorp Records has officially brought street punk back from the dead with the signing of Refuse-Resist. This album is so skinhead that it makes me want to don my boots and braces once more (No not because it’s trendy right now American Apparel zombies) and pogo around and punch people. This Boston Mass. band is exactly what the punk and oi scene needed right now, a revamping. Refuse-Resist’s album Socialized is... more
Mary Mattern Is On Top Of It!
Young Poor And Angry: So Mary you went from Stillborn Records label manager to now starting your own label called iBot tell me a little bit about the label? Mary Mattern: Well, the label is owned by Wakefield singer, Ryan Escolopio. We had been talking about opening a label for a while now. So, he finally did it and I jumped on board. Stillborn gave me the experience I needed to run a label and know the in’s and out’s of the music industry. YPA: Someone your age that’s a pretty... more




