Take THAT, the government!

It took me forever to find a picture of The Riot Before that was not 1) live or 2) taken while they all stood on a porch. What do you expect? They're from RVA. It's almost expected in the land where PBR stands for the People's Beer of Richmond.

Late last year they put out Fists Buried in Pockets, which was one of the best records to come out last year. (And considering how good last year was, that's saying something.) They are definitely a punk rock band, but it's hard to put your finger on why, exactly. They play melodic, undistorted, uptempo rock music with only mildly gruff vocals. So I dunno. Maybe it's because their bassist is a fat guy with an epic beard. Maybe it's the lyrics - "We Are Wild Stallions"* is about how love of music and community trumps paydays and comfort with a rarely matched passion, which the nu metal and screamo-pop bands certainly don't do. Maybe it's because you can so very easily imagine singing "WE'LL GET AWAY, WE'LL GET AWAY WITH THIS!" at the top of your lungs in some basement. Like Cheap Girls or Tranzmitors, other rad bands, they're a group who on the surface may not seem like the punkest band in the world, but underneath everything they are punk rock to the fucking bone. Plus, you know, references to the Royal Tennenbaums for the fucking win.

Threat Level Midnight - http://www.mediafire.com/?euwxzwjmzzm

We Are Wild Stallions [sic] - http://www.mediafire.com/?jnitemzj0jm

They Rode on in the Friscalating Dusklight - http://www.mediafire.com/?0m04zd5jwzy

*Bogus Journey is the superior of the two movies, I'm just saying. They play Twister with Death. What more do you need to know?