New Music Crush: Six Stories Unknown + interview

Ever since I got into Easycore I've been hoping a band would combine it with my other favourite genre Epifat punk (aka Skate punk with pop punk vocals). I made a semi-successful attempt at this myself with Nevernoodz, but Swedish band Six Stories Unknown have pretty much nailed it, check them out!


It's like a checklist of my favourite things!

• A rhyming song name
• Slightly accented vocals
• RIFFAGE
• Posi lyrics, with slightly awkward nautical/war metaphors about being in a band!
• A singer who can sing! Juxtaposed with a screamer
• Good production! There's even a pinch harmonic, you guys!

We Won't Fall Asleep is probably actually a better song, but I'm not sure about the video.. I mean, I know it's meant to be a zany tour video, but it's not very zany. Sweet song, though.

Vocalist Ludvig took some time to talk about his influences, the Swedish scene and how the band got together.

The band was formed back in 2010 by me, our former guitarist Robert and bass guitarist Martin. We all met in school as we we're in the same class. I had never heard of the genre back then and thought it would be fun to try something new. One after another we dropped a lot of members for different reasons until now when we've finally reached the best setup possible. Ludwig (lead vocals), Magnus (Bass, vocals), Pontus (Lead guitar), Danny (drums) and our newest addition Estefan (guitar). 

You started out easycore, but have added melodic hardcore and skatepunk, how did this come about; did you decide to change direction or did it just happen?

I think we really just have matured as musicians and learned a lot from every drop out. We're all from different genres from the beginning and when we've been mixing it together we've reached the genre that is Six Stories Unknown today.

The alternative music scene in Sweden seems to be going from strength to strength, is that actually the case? 

We've actually been having problems getting booked for shows and such in Sweden as the scene is being hidden behind other genres like electro and house. The music industry in Sweden isn't really working in our direction at the moment which is kinda sad.

Can you notice different sub groups of people coming to your shows; pop punk kids, hardcore dudes etc?

We've always had an wide audience as we've chosen a sound which satisfies the ears of different groups of people. For instance if you listen to songs like For Better, For Worse, My Sight Says: Forward or Your Crown, My Anguish there are parts with catchy choruses and heavy breakdowns as well as advanced guitar riffs and solos.  Music brings people together and we've always tried to be liked by as many different groups as possible.

What is the writing process in the band?

We usually write in two different ways. The first one is that I'm staying up late drinking loads of coffee and getting creative writing lyrics to some simple chords, I bring the ideas to the guys and let them work out the instruments to a more advanced level. In some cases we're done with the instruments long before putting vocals for it. I guess it's hard to say how we usually do it.

Who was the first easycore band you heard?

Well, when we first started our biggest inspiration was Four year strong with their Rise or Die Trying record along with Set Your Goals and Me vs Hero.

What bands are you listening to at the minute?

As I've been saying we're all very different when it comes to taste in music, I can only speak for myself but I'm in to bands like Chunk! no, Captain chunk!, ADTR, Memphis May fire, Sleeping with Sirens and Hands Like Houses.

And finally what's next for you guys?

At the moment we're booking some shows for this spring in Europe, along with some writing for a new record!

Facebook: Six Stories Unknown 

Top 5 punk-ish bands of 2013

I don't usually do 'end of year' lists, but here is the Good Days And Cliches Top 5 punk or punk-related bands of 2013, based on my last.fm play count. Surprisingly, all but one have had an album out in 2013, so it's actually vaguely relevant. You won't find any tumblr bands here..as much as I want to keep up with modern pop punk, I think I'm slightly stuck in the Epifat, skate punk years!

1. Alkaline Trio



Every time I'm drinking with my punk rock friends, drunk, feeling nostalgic, feeling bitter, feeling trapped, or a mixture of all the above, I listen to Alkaline Trio. Even if they hadn't released the decent offering of My Shame Is True they would still be in my top 5 list, based on play count.

 2. A Day To Remember



ADTR are one of the newer/younger bands on my list, but they've been stapling breakdowns to pop punk songs for ten years now! I got to see them this year, so I was listening to them a lot even before they dropped their latest album, Common Courtesy, which is getting better with each play.

3. Bad Religion



Bad Religion released a new album this year and I was also lucky enough to see them for the first in 2013. Though I haven't listened in a while, True North was on regular rotation for me when it came out first. I took a short break from listening to them after seeing them live, but they are never far from my speakers.

4. Nofx



The only band in my top 5 not too release an album this year or play a show nearby. Nofx make the list through the sheer volume of their back catalogue, which is stuffed full of classics.

5. Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!



Scraping in at number 5 are the French easycore specialists. Pardon My French was one of the best albums of 2013, even if it did veer away slightly from pop punk.

Honourable mentions go to Less Than Jake and Streetlight Manifesto, who both released good albums this year!

Can't Bear This Party have new songs!

Your favourite zany European pop-punkers Can't Bear This Party have just released 4 new songs on their bandcamp and I'm happy to report the songs are as good as always, their accents are just as bad, English still isn't their first language, and they are still as much fun as ever! All of the exclamation marks!!!

Now with 27% more zap and zork!

Songs include:

JohnXmas: Almost an exaggerated pop song (with BREAKDOWNS) about drinking vodka (at least I think that's what he says) with a guy called John Christmas. Oh OH OH oh OH oh....

Raymond Gave Me The Best: The best what?? Fans won't be let down with this, has echoes of So Quarrelsome from the album. With some screamz and nice synth. And THE XYLOPHONE IS BACK <3


I'm Not Your Lolifriend: lolwat? What does that even mean?? Nice fast song to get you going. The most skatepunk song of the four, with some great sing/shout along parts.

Glen: Off the first listen this is my favourite song. All the classic elements of CBTP!: Breakdowns strewn everywhere, breakneck drumming, melodies, complimentary dual vocals, nice guitar-work. I'm happy with this!

What will Can't Bear This Party do next?

There comes a point for most bands when either consciously or subconsciously they become more srs, with a 'mature' sound that they hope will show their evolution as musicians. This usually results in a craic-vacuum effect where all the fun is sucked out of their next album. This phenomenon is never more pronounced than in pop punk/easycore bands who ditch breakdowns and silly songs about girls for what they feel is better songwriting and penmanship. Boourns. Examples of this have been Four Year Strong, Title Fight, The Wonder Years and to a lesser degree, Man Overboard.

Now, consider Can't Bear This Party, a continental euro easycore band (French to be precise, but don't hold that against them) who have all the features we've come to know and love from euro easy core including, but not limited to:

• A redonk band name
• Silly accents/undecipherable lyrics
• Zany song titles
• Breakdowns/synth/multiple vocal styles/gang chorus 

I'm going to go as far as to define them as progressive easycore because not only do they tick all the easycore boxes they also have from the start included other elements not traditionally associated with easycore including:

• Fast skate punk rhythms 
• Breakdowns that are incorporated into the song as a whole, not just wedged in after the second chorus
• A drummer who does more than 3 beats and the odd fill
• Occasional decipherable lyrics!

Here's an example from their EP Modern Factory

It's a pretty bitchin' song but they then released Ain't No Princess in 2010 and added more elements to their arsenal of fun including:

• Novelty sound effects such as a microwave chime and telephone
• Even more ridiculous drumming, and more genres thrown in
• A xylophone and a breakdown featuring said xylophone
• Tasty melodic gang choruses

The album even has a generic breakdown intro song complete with zany video!

All of the breakdowns, all of the drumming, dat album artwork <3

So word is they have a new album coming out this year. But the question is; will they take the progressive easycore fun up a level or go srs?