TOX14: Scum Again - self-titled 7" [October 2011]
Scum Again are a new-ish band out of Baltimore, MD featuring 4 guys who have been around the local punk scene for many years. You may have checked out some of their previous bands like Warpriest, The Squints, Diablero, Mind As Prison, and Plaguewielder...well this band only has the DIY ethic in common with their previous bands. These boys are letting their love for catchy but gritty poppy punk shine through with Scum Again. You'll hear influences from bands like Crimpshrine, Fifteen, and the Broadways. Punk rock with hooks that's a bit rough around the edges and full of piss and vinegar.
Comes with a digital download code.

[click here for reviews]
[Art 4 Punks layout review]

TOX13: Sick Sick Birds - Gates of Hoome 12" [March 2012]
Baltimore's Sick Sick Birds present us with their second long-player which finds them exploring their history as a band with eleven songs that span their existence and their influences (The Clash, The Pixies, The Smiths, Jawbox...). These songs have more of a sense of urgency compared to some of their more whimsical offerings. The melancholy is still there but it's been imbued with a sense of "you lie in the bed you make". With Bobby Borte on a musical hiatus, Mike Hall has taken up primary song-writing duties and his songs speak of snippets of stories whose characters, for better or worse, have followed their own path and deal with whatever may come as best they can.
Comes with a digital download code.

TOX12: Sundials - Never Settle 12" LP [March 2011]
Richmond, VA's Sundials offer up their first full-length and we couldn't be more excited to bring this to you via Toxic Pop Records. "Never Settle" is 12 toe-tappin' tunes of witty and intelligent indie/pop/punk, with plenty of nods and winks for the bookworms out there. Comparisons can be made to 90s alt/rock greats like Buffalo Tom and Afghan Whigs or more modern groups like the Weakerthans, Cheap Girls, and Spraynard.
Comes with a digital download code.
CD version on Traffic Street Records.

[click here for reviews]
[performing "Crosby Sux" on a Pink Couch session]
[an interview with the band from Critical Mass]

TOX11: Dead Mechanical - Addict Rhythms 12" LP [July 2010]
Baltimore, MD's Dead Mechanical return to Toxic Pop Records with their 2nd long player. "Addict Rhythms" is a collection of 12 catchy, melodic punk tunes centered around the city they call home. Lucas's songs continue to critique the world outside his apartment (and sometimes rather unnervingly inside) with his Blake Schwarzenbach styled raspy croon, while Matt's songs take on a more ethereal tone full of playful hooks a la Superchunk, but the trio comes together in their songwriting to add their own touch to keep the songs distinctly their own. Baltimore can sometimes be a hard city to love, but it's diamonds in the rough like Dead Mechanical that make it a lot nicer of a place to call home.
Comes with a digital download code.
CD version on Traffic Street Records.

[click here for reviews]
[Stream the album and read an interview with the band at AmpMagazine.com]
[Art 4 Punks layout review]

TOX10: Tenement - Taking Everything 7" EP [October 2011]
Appleton, WI's Tenement play some of the best poppy/melodic grunge/punk we've ever heard. We were first introduced to them through their EP on 608 Kisses Records, which was surely a solid effort, but it was their songs on the split 7"s with Used Kids and Friendly Fire that really got us hooked, along with their contribution to the Dead Broke Rekerds vol. 3 cassette compilation. We found ourselves instantly neglecting everything else on these releases to keep going back and playing the Tenement tracks over and over and over. After catching a live show in DC on their tour with Used Kids we fell in love and now we couldn't be more excited to be releasing this 7" single of two brand new songs which will be recorded at the same time as their upcoming LP on Mandible Records. You can hear elements of influence from bands like the Replacements, Mudhoney, Husker Du, and Tad, but the sound is all their own. Both the guitars and the vocals have that perfect balance of crunch and melody and the leads have just enough feedback to give them some grit. We can't get enough. Easily the best band we caught wind of in 2009.
Comes with a digital download code.
as we are for what's to come.

[click here for reviews]
[Art 4 Punks layout review]

TOX09: Sick Sick Birds - Heavy Manners 12" LP [June 2009]
Baltimore's Sick Sick Birds present their debut LP, and we couldn't be happier to be involved with this band on their third release. This album is leaps and bounds ahead of what they were doing on their "Chemical Trains" EP, which is one hell of a feat as that record did not disappoint in the least. The songs here are tighter, cleaner, and more vivid. The band takes a bit more of a relaxed approach here, but that doesn't mean it doesn't pack the same punch as it used to, it's blows are just more precise. The hooks are there for sure, they're just a bit more subtle, which ends up making them all the more effective. If you've become used to the band's previous material then this stuff will certainly knock you back a bit, but it's got claws that'll grab you immediately. Elements of 1990s indie greats like the Pixies, Superchunk, Chisel, and Juliana Hatfield are prevalent, but there are also nods to Athens' Elephant Six scene as well. We were quite blown away when we first heard this recording and have no doubt you will be as well.
Comes with a digital download code.
as we are for what's to come.

[click here for reviews]
[Baltimore's City Paper article]
[National Underground's 'Bands You Need To Know About' article]

TOX07: Sleepwall - Is That Factual? 7" [September 2009]
Long Island's post-hardcore heroes are back with a two-song single to melt your mind. "Tennessee Sun" on the A-side is a bouncy feedback filled pop jam full of thick melodic riffs and energetic drums. The B-side's "Change Your Ways" is dense and sweet like molasses and hits that sweet spot that bands like Dinosaur Jr, Hum, and Sugar introduced us to in the 90s. Let's hope this single serves as a teaser for an inevitable full-length just around the corner, because this will definitely leave you wanting more.
Comes with a digital download code.
as we are for what's to come.

[click here for reviews]

TOX06: Sleepwall - Come In From the Cold 7" [June 2008]
Long Island's Sleepwall sound like they should be in their 30s in the early 90s trying something new and a bit more melodic after playing in rough and raw hardcore/punk bands since their teens...but they're not. Most of the five guys that make up the band do indeed come from the hardcore scene (and have done their time in bands like Robot Whales, Sick of Talk, and the Agent) but they are in their early 20s and filled with a voracious appetite for all things music-related. It's no surprise then that they gravitated to a sound similar to post-hardcore bands like Sugar, Hum, and even My Bloody Valentine.
Sleepwall's debut 7" EP reproduces that thick and ethereal guitar playing topped with desperately sincere vocals and melodies so sweet you'll wonder how they're even able to fight their way through the riffs. Call it rehash if you like, we're just psyched that today's young ones are digging through their older siblings/friends collections and checking out what the punk pioneers did after their early 80s bands called it a day.
Comes with a digital download code.
as we are for what's to come.

[click here for reviews]

TOX05: Double Dagger - Bored Meeting 7" [June 2008]
Double Dagger is the musical face to Baltimore's graphic design team known as PostTypography, so I suppose it would be fair to call this "art-punk", but don't let that fool you into thinking that this is some pretentious hipster-fest as Double Dagger are quite vocal about their contention of such things. This three-piece (bass, drums, vocals) is doing what all great bands must do, they are taking something tried and true and twisting it and turning it into something new and unique and fun. Bruce's over-driven bass and Denny's tight yet lively drumming combine to create a frenetic and frantic soundtrack for Nolen's sharp wit to weave clever diatribes of our failures as humans. Comparisons could be made to bands like Gang of Four or Fugazi or Wire, but only as far as influences go, not as direct "sounds like" references. Double Dagger are a one of a kind experience who can play alongside art school favorites like Dan Deacon as fluidly as punkrock stalwarts like the Buzzcocks.
If you're new to these guys this is a great place to start before you dig deeper into their previous two full-lengths, and if you're an old fan the Chalmers engineered remix of "I Was So Bored I Wanted To Hang Myself on the Dancefloor" is sure to put a smile on your face.
Comes with a digital download code.
as we are for what's to come.

[click here for reviews]
[Baltimore's City Paper interview]

TOX04: Clint Maul - Ninguna Amplificacion 7" [September 2007]
A man and his guitar. It doesn't get much simpler than that. Alright, a harmonica can't hurt either. Clint Maul writes songs for summer night bonfire field parties. Songs to sing on lazy days while tubing down the river with a six-pack of your favorite beverage in tow behind. Songs that are best witnessed live in small corner bars, backyard barbecues, or front porch chill-out sessions.
You may recognize Clint from past hardcore/punk bands such as Bladecrasher and Bombs Away, so you know the guy can write a song, but these days Clint is going unplugged for the most part and bringing us some of the best southern-influenced pop/rock we've heard in a long time. Part Replacements, part Lemonheads, part Jawbreaker, and part Merle Haggard...this stuff is damn good. If you're like us and you love bands like Superchunk and the Doughboys as much as you like Drag the River and Lucero, then you'll have no problem digging this EP right away.
This EP marks the first in a series of 7"s we'll be doing with Clint, all limited to 500. Some acoustic and some amped up. If you've seen him play recently than you should be as excited as we are for what's to come.

[click here for reviews]
[Express: A Publication of the Washington Post article]

TPR03: The Ergs - Blue 7" [April 2007]
This two song single features an older Ergs classic ("Blue") teamed up with a sweet cover of a similarly titled song by the poster boys of 90s rock. If you're not yet familiar with the Ergs, and you're a fan of classic 90s style pop-punk from the likes of the Queers, Screeching Weasel, and older punk like the Descendents, do yourself a favor and check them out right away. Along with bands like the Methadones and the Copyrights, the Ergs are the torchbearers for modern day pop-punk. Don't miss the boat.
Split release with Wallride Records.

[click here for reviews]

TPR02: Dead Mechanical - Medium Noise 12" LP [September 2008]
After more than a year's wait since the CD came out, the vinyl version of Dead Mechanical's debut full-length is finally here! We dare you not to fall in love with this record. Upbeat and catchy tunes with sweet hooks back up dual vocals, one gruff and nicotine-throated and one eager and honey-coated. The band perfectly blends the sounds of bands like Jawbreaker, Superchunk, and Jawbox to create a sound that you'll be humming endlessly. Lucas' lyrics tell tales and pay equal attention to unrequited love and social/political missteps, taking cues from both Mr. Schwarzenbach and Mr. MacKaye, while Matt's weave fantastical odes to life's inconsistencies, not unlike Mr. Congelliere and his quirky witticisms. This band could easily fit on stage at Gilman or in Chapel Hill in the mid-90s, but thankfully they're here with us now making new music that the kids of 15 years from now will be wistfully imagining themselves seeing at a Charm City basement show in 2008.
CD version out on Sex Cells Records.

[click here for reviews]

TPR01: Sick Sick Birds - Chemical Trains 7" [April 2007]
Formed from the ashes of the Thumbs, Sick Sick Birds bring something a bit more mellow this time around while keeping all of the melancholic and sardonic observations of their world in tact. Combining influences such as Superchunk, the Replacements, Husker Du, the Pixies, and the Clash, Sick Sick Birds have managed to supply us with a bunch of songs that'll pull you in with a solid hook and keep you interested with a good story. What more could you possibly want?

[click here for reviews]