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 

Latvia has a ska band called Band Mango

Up until now the only thing I knew about Latvia was, ehm...well, besides the capital being Riga and the fact that most people there have a classic Baltic pallor, I knew feck all about Latvia! 

But it turns out the Northern European country has a ska punk scene, or at least one ska punk band, called Band Mango. Or sometimes they’re called Band MANGO. I love this shit! The fact that there’s ska in Ireland, a wet, cold rock in the Atlantic is amazing, but ska in a tiny country where the weather is LITERALLY BALTIC?! Amazeballs!

The antics in this video are so similar to how my first bands in rural Ireland acted is scary.  

• Tiny band room to jam in?  Check!
• Lots of walking around outside and hanging around old buildings? Check!
• Skateboarding in an area that is not conducive to skateboarding? Check!

All joking aside, this is really good. I mean, where in the hell did a Latvian Patrick Stump come from?

While this song is probably the best ‘something everyone can enjoy’ single from their EP ‘Lifelong Contract’, there’s also some great Streetlight Manifesto- inspired stuff that zips between intricate brass-led ska, punk and riff-heavy rock.

Readers of this blog know I have a soft spot for European bands with amusing names and questionable English. Band member Jānis (one of two Jānis’ in the group) filled me in with some crucial info and it was hard to tell if he was being funny on purpose, unintentionally hilarious, or if he was fucking with me! 

“We’re one of the most common phenomenons in Latvia,” he says, “taking (a) solid third place just after bad weather and potatoes with cottage cheese.” Well, there you have it.

The band is completed by Konstantins, Ieva, Krists and Reinis. R they a band r a group of vampires, lol. Just kidding guys. But srsly, your names sound like badass vampires.

Band Mango are on Soundcloud and Facebook, check them out.

Another fun fact about Latvia, their currency is Latvian Lats. I love it.

Can't Bear This Party interview: "We won't ever turn troo pop punk"

Almost exactly a year ago I wrote a post pondering what Can’t Bear This Party would do next. Would they continue writing ‘progressive easycore’ (aka fast melodic skate punk with extras), or would they go down the dreaded hipster route.

It seemed like disaster had struck when the band broke up earlier this year but the good news is that not only are CBTP! back, but they are still as zany as ever! After I posted about their new song Lil Bowotomi, guitarist Quentin aka Sushi, was cool enough to answer some of my many questions over the weekend. I’ve cleaned up some of the ‘Frenglish’ (his word not mine) here and there. My questions are in bold. – Alanso.

GDAC - So to start, a lot has happened with CBTP! in the last few months. For a time it looked like we would never hear from you again. Can you tell us anything about the last few months, and how are things in the CBTP! camp now?

Quentin - Yes we were done, our guitarist Lino left France for Boston so we were a bit demotivated. After 6 months, we all really missed the band so decide to revive it! Lino won't play live with us but is still implicate in composition at this time. We already have friends to can replace him on tour.
We are about to record our upcoming album and will tour in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Russia this winter. We hope to reach UK and USA in 2014.

The new song, Lil Bowotomi, has really grown on me since I first posted about it. The lyrics seem batshit crazy, what the hell is it actually about?

It’s a long story dude…it talks about a booking agency from France who gets pretty famous American bands play here! We played for them with title fight and transit. These guys are really bitchy with local bands. We were not paid but we’re okay with that. But we expected to be treated with respect, we’ve never felt uncomfortable like this in any other show before! It’s a shame that foreign bands think French shows are all shitty like this, every single DIY promoter does a way better job. The song talks about the owner (of the agency).

What I love about your band is that you aren't afraid to mix up the genres and add different instruments. I often call you 'progressive easycore'. Did this happen naturally over the years or was it something the band always wanted to do?

I don’t know! It came naturally, it offers a lot of new ways to compose. I don’t think we use too much stuff, basically, it's still pop punk (but) in a different way.

And what is the songwriting process within the band? I've found it hard to get a band of 3 people to agree on things, how does it work with six French dudes who add xylophones and phone tones?!

I usually compose the songs then the others arrange their parts the way they like. But on our last song, it's our singer jean who composed the song. At first it was only 8 bit but I added pop punk part and beats! The singers write the melodies. We don't take CBTP too seriously, the goal is to have fun and play catchy and energetic music!

You guys do still seem to be having fun with the genre, I hope there aren't any plans to start writing boring indie-influenced songs to show how you are 'real' musicians who want to be taken seriously?

I know what you mean! We won't ever turn troo pop punk, even though I love some of those bands I think it’s just being close minded. You can show you are a real musician and play fun music.

I'm from Ireland, so I can understand how you guys could have grown up listening to lots of different genres without knowing that some people think you have to be one or the other. It's pretty mind blowing to me that there seems to be a great scene in France right now. I thought everyone there just played accordions and drank wine. How did you get into 'heavy' music and what is the French scene like now? What are some other good French bands?

Haha don't believe your cliché! I imagine you drunk, with red hair and wearing a kilt dude! (Chillingly close to the bone – Alanso)  I think every country has a stereotype of others!
There are more and more cool little bands in France. There has been ‘heavy’ music in France for a long time. Some (bands) are getting really famous like chunk! or BTM (Betraying The Martyrs) and I think it's really awesome!

So, I posted on skatepunkers.net that I'd be asking you some questions and there are some questions from the forum users there, so I'll pitch some at you. 

“Where did the name come from and what does it mean?”

I don't know dude! I don’t even have a good fake explanation for this!

“How old are they?”

We’re all 24 or 25 but Remi, he is 17!

"Are they ever going to visit their Spanish neighbors?”

I don't know yet but we would love to! It’s really not far from us…same for Ireland.

"Do they sing with that accent on purpose or did they just have bad English teachers?"

Our singer jean has a terrible accent even when he speaks in French! One day we’ll get accent auto-tune and your question will be obsolete!

Can't Bear This Party have a slightly bewildering new song

So, CBTP released four really good songs that were set to be on a new album. Then they broke up. Then they got back together. Then they released this song, called Lil Bowotami. 

We up to speed?  Ok. Now. WTF am I listening to?

It starts off like a NES version of the Ting Tings, frolics through some kind of bizarre 8bit pop carnival, then explodes into an actual punk-related song at 00.50 seconds. Then there’s some (presumably fake) trumpets and a hook from an older song. 

Is this what happens when bands stop giving a fuck? Is this the future of progressive easycore? I think I like it!? Who is Damien Botami anyway? I have so many questions…

Meet Buddies Say: Ho - French Easycore Strikes Again!

If it wasn't for all the French ppl I'd consider moving to France for some sweet easycore action. As well as Can't Bear This Party!, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! and (the female fronted melodic hardcore) Bigblast, there is also newbies (I think?) Buddies Say: Ho!

Is it me or do the rest of the band seem sheepish because of ZANY GUY at the back? I'm guessing he's the keyboard player?

The Good Days And Cliches Guide To Becoming A French Easycore Band goes as follows:

1. Choose a wacky band name. It doesn't matter if it makes sense, you're French and that's charming! Exclamation marks = fun!!!
2. (Closely linked to pt 1) Grammar? You don't need it! Your potential fans won't care that you've made yourselves difficult to find online because you've thrown punctuation in like a blind man trying to season a meal cooked in a blender on a bouncy castle.
3. Sing in English, with a slight American twang while maintaining your French accent at times. This will ensure no one has a fucking clue what you're singing about and you'll seem more poetic.
4. Breakdowns are essential, if your vocalist can sing any of his styles over them, all the better.
5. Occasionally throw in a curveball to distinguish your sound from American easycore. This can be achieved with an intelligent drummer, forays into metal(core), a xylophone (though CBTP! have done that..still it sounds good so copy it) and maybe a singer who isn't whiney but can actually sing and for bonus point can do heavier stuff too.

BSH stick to this rulebook like the smell of garlic, onions and cigarettes stick to your beret. This makes for a winning combination for me at least! I'm pretty impressed with the range of vocals and while I may joke about them being slightly generic, there is a huge difference between the mid-tempo easycore and breakdowns of Breathe, My Hero, the crabcore-esque Fury and the epic Saved By A Living Dead, which could possibly be the first easycore song that could work in a festival/stadium rock gig or even as support to BMTH. 'Now everybody scream "OHHHH!"'

I can't find much of them on Ootube but you can stream their debut EP on bookface.

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!

Meet Bigblast; ANOTHER French band with undecipherable lyrics who bring the jams

Srsly, what's going on in France? 2 of my favourite bands are already from there and now I've stumbled across Bigblast who combine lots of good elements like

• Melodic hardcore
• Female vox <3
• A name that is just terrible
• Undecipherable lyrics
• Silly accents
• A 'fun on tour' video 

They've just released a video for 'Tonight we own this place', which I'm guessing is about living for that moment you step on stage and all the travel is worth it. Maaan.

• Nice to see the chick singer helps with the gear, that's equality in hardcore. Srs.
• Nooo idea what the lyrics are, really.
• I really love the back and forth vocals, especially when the girl sings a line by herself with no music.
• 00.38 ZANY TOUR ANTICS
• The singer has the right mix of keeping it real and keeping it cute.
• 01.04 ZANY TOUR GUY STRIKES AGAIN. Also, 1.73 per litre? Oof.
• Hmm..these guys have defo been on tour
• If you want to know what gigs are like most of the time on tour with a DIY band pay attention to 2.34 - band rocking out, giving it their all. 5 ppl standing around at the front, half watching :(
• Alriiight they drink shots, maybe we should hang!

I've actually found a video with their lyrics..think it was better not knowing..

• 'keep direction, don't turn off'
• Loving all the lingo 'bros', 'sick' etc
• 'Nothing in stomach' lolololol
• 'we ain't no fan' lolwat?

I probably shouldn't be so harsh seeing as I was pretty bad at French but hey, what's the internet for if not making fun of things you like?

They're on the internet here -> Bigblast

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?

Band names that make you lol: Anthem Part Two

Lots of bands take their name from the song of a favourite band. Inspiration can be hard to find and there aren't many original names left in fairness. Sometimes this technique works when the homage is subtle, other times it goes down like a brick. If you mix in a band for whom English is not a first language to this technique the lols are pretty much guaranteed, amirite? It's the continental Europeans that are usually guilty of this and that brings me on to the lolfactory that is Anthem Part Two.

I get that they live in Europe but listen to so many American pop punk bands they feel like they grew up in a suburb and crash the mall on a typical day out, I'm of similar stock, but this is redonkulous. Was this the only blink-182 song name that hasn't already been maced or do they genuinely think it sounds artsy or something?

I can see their appeal to an extent, but is it me or does the singer sound Welsh?