The aggressively miserable tone of Family Dog’s EP Macroplastics, released in April, is a diabolical punk mess. Different moments from these hardcore hounds recall early Wire, Flipper’s confrontational noise, the guttural catharsis of American Nightmare, and Drive Like Jehu’s sense of groove. The rabid riffs can bite with a thrasher like “City of Lost Things,” but follow it up with stompy reverberations like you hear on “Stripped.”
The dissonant melodies and tense rhythms make this my favorite punk record from Nashville this year. The cassette tape is currently sold out, and the vinyl version isn’t ready for the world yet, but the music is up on Bandcamp and the usual streaming sites — click on through to get a copy. Keep up with Family Dog on Instagram for updates, and catch them in person July 23 when they open for Negative Approach at The Cobra.
