A New Local Punk Band, Their Debut EP, And New Videos!!

How about two posts on this, our sixteenth anniversary? Gotta do something that isn't self-indulgent but helps move our backlog along a bit! Most of today's post is about a new local punk band with a lot of notes to touch on, plus a new performance video, so here's what you should know!

We have a new local punk band to finally add to our active band links, and they are skate punk trio Hails! Yes, they were on Instagram already but we've never treated band pages there as equal to ones used elsewhere due to its more limited, photo-centric structure that largely feels supplemental when used by bands. Hails (usually spelled in capitals as HA!LS) is basically a side project for 2/3rds of fellow local punk band Vanity First, with guitarist Mikhal Muto (also of Agnosticism) and drummer Keeghan McAllister joined by Slumshine frontman Brenton Ellis (credited as B.G. Ellis) on vocals & bass rather than Andrew Beggs. Just as a reminder, Vanity First are alive and well, they have continued playing live since Ha!ls' debut, which was at an art exhibition of Brent's at The Art Hub at Spring in March. Their only other public show was at last month's Go Skateboarding Day concert.

In terms of media, the raison d'etre for the launch of their new Bandcamp page is because Hails have already released their debut EP! News to me that they were even recording one, which the lack of a non-Instagram online presence kept hidden pretty well! Entitled "Rock and Rolls", the EP (at least, the Bandcamp copy of it) has four original songs, and was released earlier today for $7 there. Brent himself painted the album artwork, which matches with his art style. I have no idea if physical copies (presumably on cassette tape) are being/have already been made, but note that Brent's two EPs with Slumshine and his sole album with the defunct These Magnificent Tentacles all got runs on tape, and at least in the case of his newest Slumshine album "Slumlord", it has five bonus tracks on side B that are not officially streamable online. Could Ha!ls do the same?

In any event, it'll be a while before we review "Rock and Rolls" on the SMS due to our lengthy backlog of new album releases. It is currently pencilled in for November (as Handsome Sandwich, Jonesy Land, Spades GT, and Convergence all beat it to market), with Mike Haggith's new album (to be released next week) now bumped to December. At least the year's reviews are locked in, but wow, this is a bountiful year for new local metal, hard rock, and punk albums! I'll hold comment on the songs on "Rock and Rolls" pending our eventual review, but I can safely comment on the first public video of Ha!ls in action! Uploaded to Brent's YouTube channel last month, this is of the band playing the non-EP original "Such Desperate Joy" (unless it's a tape exclusive?) at their jam space. There is definitely more of an up-tempo, faster vibe that skate punk fans will enjoy, and it is distinct from Vanity First beyond the different frontman!

Of course, fans of Brent's prior ski mask-devoid work as a singer (e.g. Detroit, The Labour Of..., and Maximum RNR) will want to take notice too, but whether you like them more than Vanity First or not is a matter of preference. I say enjoy the wealth as long as Mikhal and Keeghan are pulling double duty! The video is well framed to capture everyone, but it's quite dark where Keeghan is set up. Give Hails' first video a watch below, and see more on them at the above links, including their EP!

We'll close today with a new video from the local folk punk/extreme metal solo artist who opened for Hails at their live concert debut, namely Chase Wigmore! Uploaded to his Facebook page on Saturday, this 2+ minute clip has Chase playing an electric guitar instrumental with a backing drum track, and he gets lots of space to let loose with some fun soloing! The visuals aren't so hot, looking like a laptop webcam, but the audio is crisp and clear, and it's angled to best capture his guitar work, so check it out for yourselves below, and stay tuned for more from Chase!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!