Raindance w/Apart, Fur of Heaven, In Fidelity & Comanches: at The Owl Farm (Nashville, TN) Sat. January 12, 2013

Raindance w/Apart, Fur of Heaven, In Fidelity & Comanches

Pop/Rock

Nashville Scene Critic's Pick …

Since emerging in the late ’70s, hardcore music has maintained a relationship with pop: Its lyrical criticism, whether social, political or both, was meant to be understood. As various metal subgenres splintered off over the years, some grew far more violent and unintelligible. New England hardcore of the 2000s can be a tough sell for the casual listener, but Massachusetts-based band Raindance, featuring veterans of that scene, reveals an increasingly poplike sensibility as their career progresses. Their latest EP, New Blood, showcases intelligent lyrics, their anger visceral despite being delivered with a non-Cookie-Monster voice. A single from the same session features a cover of Sleigh Bells’ “Riot Rhythm,” which percolates with electronic production techniques more often found in contemporary pop.

—STEPHEN TRAGESER