Each month, tons of new music from many taste-spanning genres is released into a fast-consuming, unforgiving market; it can be tough to get a handle on what’s new before it’s on to the next. In an attempt to highlight the standout releases, at the end of each month, AUX staff re-cap the month in Punk, Metal, Indie/Pop/Rock, Hip Hop, Electronic, and Pop with the top five releases in each. Consider it your cheat sheet for year-end lists.

Top 5 Punk Releases:
April

 

Cancer Bats – Dead Set on Living
	Is it a punk record? No, not really, so I’m knowingly stretching the limitations of the genre here. But the band has always been rooted in the energy and ethos of punk, even as their guitars lean into the heavy shit. Even if it’s not a by-the-numbers punk album, it’s still more punk than most of the records released this month claiming the tag. It’s direct, and it rips.

Joyce Manor – Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired
	So here’s a punk record. Nine songs, 13 minutes, one Buggles cover. This band has always been a little unconventional, but with Of All Things, they really ditch most of the trappings of their early Punknews-baiting sound and go right for pop, albeit in the lo-fi and loose manner of a band raised on punk in the wilds of Torrence, California.

The Forecast – Everybody Left

Another less-than-exclusively-punk record. But the Forecast’s bread and butter is folks who love that first big Third Eye Blind record just as much as anything in the Revelation catalogue, with a propensity to jam “One Headlight” in the car as often as “Trusty Chords.” Ostensibly, the Forecast are a pop-rock band, but with enough distortion and energy to wink at their Victory Records roots without pandering to a younger crowd. Underrated and under-appreciated every time they put something out, this record is another fulfilling entry in the Forecast’s nuanced catalogue of sad, awesome albums.

Mean Jeans – On Mars
	Means Jeans play the kind of excellently straight forward punk rock that is hard to find much else to write about except “is good” and “sounds a little like the Ramones, kind of.” No frills, no filler. .

Aeges – The Bridge

Is my endless avoidance of Real Punk albums this month itself a supremely punk act? Aeges is another band that straddles genre lines, like sonic peers Torche, who also released a very, very great record this month. Featuring members of Pelican, Tusk, and the Rise, Aeges write really catchy, very heavy tunes that aren’t explicitly metal, punk, stoner, rock, ad infinitum. The Bridge has all the massive tendencies of its members’ former bands, but with a less abrupt style and a greater reliance on straight vocal hooks.

Surprises, disappointments and albums to watch for next month

Surprise of the month: Nothing was more shocking this month than getting halfway through Joyce Manor’s cover of “Video Killed the Radio Star” and realizing it was “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Sounding nothing like the original melodically and only cribbing its bleak and striking lyrics (seriously, listen to that darkness), it’s the best cover you’re hear all year. And you will be surprised.

Disappointments: Tigers Jaw and Black Clouds put out an awesome split on Run for Cover, and were immediately threatened legally by some other punk band named Black Clouds, forcing them to change their name to Tiny Empires and blunting the full thunderous power of their first release (which is awesome). To be clear, the disappointment here is punks trying to sue punks. Aren’t we all oppressed together?

Out in March: New records from Hot Water Music and OFF!, plus a second posthumous album from Joey Ramone.