There’s something uncanny about listening to Hearse Pileup on YouTube or Spotify or any streaming service that punctuates its offerings with advertisements. There’s the passion and energy of the music, and then, without warning, there’s the insipid, lifeless, and completely uninspired sound of the ads. It’s like riding a cruise missile only to have it replaced by a hobby horse (no offense to hobby horses). Which, in a weird way, is kind of the point.

The urgency of the music on “Realise,” Hearse Pileup’s new EP, is palpable. Reminiscent of the Dead Kennedys at their iconoclastic best, the UK-based power trio plies their trade under the self-proclaimed banner of “Shit’s fucked up – call it out.” And call it out they do, repeatedly and at appropriately high volume.

Take, for example, “Grindstone,” a tune that forcefully interrogates the “grind” culture that tells us day in and day out that the only way to get ahead in this life is to keep bashing our heads against the wall in service to the machinations of consumer-driven corporate culture.

“I got my nose to the grindstone every day / And I’m grinding so hard I’ve ground my face away / I leave blood on the floor wherever I go / And if I grind much more I’ll be grinding bone,” front man Matt Gaffen spits in the first verse, propelled by a frenetic guitar/bass/drums combo. Needless to say, it’s a visceral image that cuts to the quick, almost literally. We’re feeding ourselves to the machine the EP insists at every turn, and the only way to respond is to destroy the system that envelops us all.

This isn’t an easy ask, and the fellas in Hearse Pileup know it—just like they know that we’re all (you, me, the band itself) implicated in the crimes they’re uncovering. When Gaffen sings (more than once), “I get blood on my hands when I use my phone,” it’s hard to avoid thinking about all of the human misery that goes into manufacturing any electronic device.

That these devices are the means by which the message comes across, however, isn’t hypocrisy. It’s an admission of guilt and challenge for all of us to recognize the truth of the reality we live in. Moreover, it’s a shot of poison designed to gum up the otherwise smooth-running works of the consumerist machine that would rather cater to the whims of unthinking zombies than have to deal with the kinds of questions that Hearse Pileup is asking.

That’s why, weirdly, the best way to listen to “Realise” is on a platform where the music will be interrupted at regular intervals by advertisements. The juxtaposition alone will underscore the validity of Hearse Pileup’s message:

“Oh, right,” you might think as some dumb corporation implores you buy more shit you don’t need.

This is why they’re so pissed off. And come to think of it, so am I!

Follow Hearse Pileup Online:

Link Tree | Video Game / Interactive Music Videos | Instagram | Bandcamp

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About the Writer:

At any moment on any given day, you can find Marc Schuster engaging in any number of activities: assembling his weekly radio show, interviewing musicians for his blog, laying down drum tracks for various artists, rehearsing for the next show with Philadelphia-based power-pop band Scoopski (in which he plays bass), recording music for his own wide-ranging projects (solo and otherwise), experimenting with film and animation, or designing album covers and concert posters for fellow musicians. On top of all that, he’s full-time college professor with a healthy catalog of publications to his name, including a book on the Beach Boys’ Holland album and an illustrated children’s book titled “Frankie Lumlit’s Janky Drumkit.” Our beloved host of the Tweetcore Radio Hour here on AMS Radio is one to keep busy. Learn more about him and connect online:

Abominations Blog | Marc Schuster Official Website

thoughts from the editor:

Awesome indie find here! Like Marc, I was captivated by the ethos and sonic output of this band. Another thing I was really drawn to was their artistry – as you might have caught in the “video game” link above, the band has put together an interactive way of watching their music videos for the EP. The listener can choose to “play” or “just watch” a music video and that kind of creative engagement with an audience is something I always stand in awe of when I come across it these days. It reminds me of the approach taken by my good friends Weed N’ Stiff and the band BEES! from Philadelphia. Bandcamper alert for this band! Don’t forget to take a moment and support this artist directly on Bandcamp if you have the chance. Catch Hearse Pileup and many other incredible independent artists on the AMS playlists “The Bullpen 200 part duex,” “Indie Archives 3,” and the AMS Radio Blog playlist!

Here’s the video game link one more time ICYMI: https://realise.hearsepileup.rip/

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