JUMP ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TO CANDYLAND

Harshest album art ever?

Let's all go on a magical junket with Underground Railroad to Candyland! This driving, catchy, poppy, San Pedro-based Recess Records outfit, brought to you by Todd Congelliere and other sundry talented folks, comes back for another rousing Total Fest.

Listen up and party! (KW)

(Vanek jumping in) I can't tell you how many times I've seen this band, exactly. It's probably 7 or 8 now. Todd's been bringing groups to Missoula since FYP first played the Union Hall in around 2000, or the late 90s. Toys that Kill have played probably 3 or 4 Total Fests and URTC maybe the same number. I'm over 40 now, let's face it. It's not a steel trap up there.

And the total appeal of the tight-as-hell, melodic punk rock band with that awesome nasal voice behind it,  from D. Boon's hometown just never somehow fails to wane for me. These guys will crush even the most in-need-of-heavy-riff XL bearded bro out there, I've seen it happen. Todd, among other things has a past profession as a pro skater, runs one of our favorite labels of all-time (Recess) and has been quietly advancing DIY/weirdo/punk rock for two solid decades, and is now embarking on a third.

When you look at how long SST had output worth considering, it really was maybe only about one third that many years. And here's Recess just slogging it out, continuing to put out great records and selling them cheaply as ever. It may sound like hyperbole, but it's always an honor to get these long-time, elder statesemen (ahem) dudes like Todd C. and the Underground Railroad to Candyland, and they bring the ooomph, man. They bring it.

(KW)

INTRODUCING HOVERBIKES

The future is here: We have Hoverbikes! That is, the band from Oakland, which makes its inaugural stop in Montana this August. It takes about as much time to listen to its EP, So Far So So, as it does to boil pasta, which is just fine by me: Short, sweet, snappy pop.

Hoverbikes' affiliate band, Death Ray, will play Missoula June 3 at the VFW, so be sure to welcome them to Montucky.

Check out Hoverbikes on Bandcamp.
-Kate

LIGHT IT UP WITH BURN BURN BURN

If one were to lift the lid on a certain toilet in a certain scuzzy bathroom in a house on Fifth Street, one would see a Burn Burn Burn sticker. These Tacoma punks have already made their mark, so to speak, on Missoula, and the fellas are coming back for their very first visit to Total Fest.
If you'd like a dose of fast chords, raw vocals and whoa-oh-oh choruses, Burn Burn Burn will be your jam. I would say smarter things, maybe, but all I remember from Burn's visit to the VFW last fall was having a ridiculous evening. Beer was spilled. Dudes took their shirts off. Burn "did it with the lights on" in one of the oddest extended jokes ever.
Burn has also recorded a 7-inch split with Buddy Jackson, and perhaps that will wind its way here by August!
Check out Burn's tunes on Bandcamp.
-Kate