"Taking cues from early Midwestern acts, Kids Explode and Dialogues return us to the hope and determination of hardcore circa 1994. Sometimes shrill, often playful, Germany’s Kids Explode offer "A Romance in Alcohol" that builds on the explosive tension of Rites of Spring and the melodic quirks of Cap’n Jazz and Braid. Dialogues hail from Harrisburg, Virginia. Similar to Kids Explode's heavy Midwestern influence, Dialogues distinguish their sound through a breathless bellow nostalgic of Policy of Three or Prozac Memory, while capturing the sense of a rare, fearless, and lucid optimism that follows a practiced meditation on anxiety. 70 gram lemon yellow vinyl."
"I try not to be biased towards 7" releases, since I get so few of them to review anymore. But it's hard not to feel like this one in particular is a pretty ideal version of what made the split 7" such an important step for lesser known bands. Both Dialogues and Kids Explode are similar bands, with styles that harken to the days in the late 90's when this format was in its prime. Dialogues are from Harrisonburg, Virginia, and have a sound that reminds me of gritty, but melodic post-hardcore that reigned during the mid-90's. Garden Variety come to mind initially, with super melodic guitar and bass lines that mix perfectly with gritty (but still catchy) vocals. "Six Packs None The Richer" is my favorite of their tracks, as well as the best on the split. It alternates between loud, choppy riffs with shouted vocals and lighter moments that remind me of the first Mineral record. It's exciting and refreshing to say the least.
Kids Explode are a band from Freiburg, Germany, though their sound falls even nearer to the American Midwest than Dialogues;. Their sound is a bit more measured and mid-tempo than Dialogues', though the feel and tone is similar. They combine the anguished shouting of early Dischord with the partially obscured catchy melodies of Cap'n Jazz. The dual guitar lines about halfway through their lengthy track also remind me of "Clumsy"-era Samiam. Like their counterparts in Dialogues, they offer a refreshing, anxious and excrutiatingly refreshing blast of everything I miss so much lately about indie rock (or "emo" when that meant something). And they offer it in the format it was always best delivered in.
Hunt this down." (New Scheme, Issue Sixteen)
"This split 7”, released by new Seattle label Rome Plow Records, is one of the nicest I have ever seen in terms of production and design. The 7” itself is heavy 70 gram vinyl. The artwork by Myles Karr is simply gorgeous; I fully intend to hang it on my wall. One side features Virginia’s Dialogues, offering two tracks of despondent, shouty, slightly mathy Midwest-influenced hardcore. The other is just one song by Germany’s Kids Explode, slightly more solid than their neighbors but clearly in the same vein. The bands are well-paired: if you like one, you’ll like the other. (Sarah Shay, Razorcake)
hey guys. just listened to your songs on the Kids Explode Split and thought: fuckin great songs and wondered if you'll come across the ocean anytime. We still hope you do!
It features a Small Brown Bike retrospective, Akimbo, Brent Eyestone (Magic Bullet/Forensics), Will Killingsworth (Ampere/Orchid), Ryan Ferguson (No Knife) and much more.
You can download a copy by clicking on the cover below:
You can also order a paper copy of the new issue, or download past issues by visiting: www.thenewscheme.com
