Melody punk is often a too-tame deal, but the recent slice from the kinder side of Florida punk rock (Aug. 2, Will’s Pub) showed that it doesn’t always need to be. Jacksonville headliner R-Dent goes at it full-tilt with an N-Thusiastic (nailed it) and energetic stage show. Their sound can be a little scattered with emo, angular rock and ‘90s influences (a la their straightforward Harvey Danger cover) all swimming around, but the band is fervent, raw and knows how what it means to lay it on the line live with frontman Charles Woody’s physicality more emblematic of extreme genres.
Tampa’s Pinehurst is a solid and spirited emo act. With a bad name that’s mostly earned, emo is a genre that’s been self-castrated like few others, which is what happens when your premise is just too irresistible to milquetoasts. The guys in Pinehurst, however, do the honorable roots justice with some decent heart rage. You can actually hear the hardcore heritage in them.
I’ve already said it before but after the way they owned this show, it bears repeating: the Areolas are one of the area’s best pop-punk bands. What this performance further reaffirmed was that – with that tall two-guitar attack – this Orlando group is also one of the most sonically fierce ones out there, something that’s not always a priority in pop-punk. It’s a perfect combination that delivers sweet melodic immediacy with zero compromise on mass or velocity.
As for the other locals on the bill, Adult Life doesn’t challenge any melodic punk convention like the aforementioned do, but they’re a decent band that specializes in good-kid punk rock that’s high on melody and feels.
Although they brought the noise, Orlando’s Haunter was an odd scramble of smeared ‘90s alt-rock that didn’t quite have the shape or core yet to make it all stick.
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This Little Underground is Orlando Weekly’s music column providing perspective, live reviews and news on the city’s music scene.
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Email Bao: baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com
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This Little Underground
This article appears in Jul 29 – Aug 4, 2015.
