Tag: Post-hardcore

From Prairie DIY to Montréal Grit: The Uncompromising Rise of Truck Violence

Truck Violence’s new album The weathervane is my body is out now. Photo: Matthew Van Dystadt-Aguiar, used with permission.

Truck Violence Returns with Unforgiving DIY Triumph: The weathervane is my body

Canada’s Truck Violence howls through the harsh edges of hardcore and folk, delivering a final sound that is both deeply comforting and fiercely confrontational. Their second full-length record, The weathervane is my body, is an attempt to answer—an attempt at conciliation through refusal. (another side, 2026)

It is available now, featuring the standout single and album closer, “Kindly, wash yourself.”

From Prairie Towns to City Streets

After relocating from the Alberta prairies to Montréal at just seventeen years old, guitarist and banjoist Paul Lecours and singer-poet Karsyn Henderson navigated the massive shift from rural isolation to urban intensity.

  • Small-town roots: The pair grew up in a town of just 600 people, graduating in a class of nine.
  • Early DIY spirit: By age fifteen, they were running a local studio and radio station with no industry support, no infrastructure, and no template—only the work itself and the conviction that it was worth doing.
  • Expanding the sound: Drawing influence from punk, shoegaze, and sludge, their distinctive identity emerged from years of experimentation. Upon arriving in Montréal, Chris Clegg (bass) and Thomas Hart (percussion) joined to build Truck Violence from the ground up.

Uncompromising, In-House Execution

The weathervane is my body is the culmination of that entire journey. The group composition, recording, mixing, and visual media were all produced completely in-house without outside intervention. Here, DIY is not an aesthetic choice or a marketing angle—it is the only honest option available.

The album serves as an expansion of the angry statement of purpose launched in their debut album, Violence, which Pitchfork hailed as “never predictable or formulaic.” Rooted in noise rock and post-hardcore traditions, the new record stands immediate, self-determined, and uncompromising.

The Vision Behind the Cover Art

Shot on film by the band on Avenue du Parc in Montréal, the album cover captures the record’s entire thesis in a single frame:

A figure perches atop a small Québécois-style house, hand-built from reclaimed materials—spine curved, legs pulled in, bare-backed against a skyline that dwarfs everything beneath it. A rural thing dropped into the grit of the city: small, out of place, and refusing to disappear. Naked and defenseless, open to every stimulus the world delivers.

The weathervane is my body, track list:

  1. My dog would fuck the air
  2. Jaundiced and reaching for a mother
  3. Compelled by Christy
  4. House caught fire
  5. New Jesus
  6. Your name, It’s walking
  7. Stomach as a tower and the globules descending
  8. Gerard, be quiet
  9. Kindly, wash yourself

Catch Truck Violence Live

Truck Violence will be touring across North America this fall and winter.

Courtesy photo

Commoner’s ‘Change of Heart’: A Raw and Reflective Breakthrough

Commoner’s new EP is available now. Photo: Yeshua Flores, used with permission.

Commoner Announces New EP Change of Heart via New Morality Zine

Tucson-based alternative rock band Commoner has announced the release of their new EP, Change of Heart, out now via New Morality Zine. The title track “Change of Heart” delivers a hard-hitting, emotionally raw experience, digging deep into themes of fractured relationships and shifting personal dynamics. The accompanying music video reflects this narrative visually, using fragmented edits of the band’s performance to emphasize the feeling of instability and change. (Big Picture Media, 2025)

A Dynamic, Emotional Sound

Change of Heart blends elements of emo, alternative, and post-hardcore, showcasing Commoner’s ability to strike a balance between cathartic intensity and stripped-back vulnerability. The band’s sound is raw, dynamic, and highly personal—each track moving seamlessly between heavy, driving moments and quiet emotional reflections.

“The process of recording this EP was truly healing for me,” says lead singer Romin Mattison. “We had been sitting on these songs for a while and getting a little stir crazy with listening to them over and over again. It was really awesome to hear the final product and be able to listen back to the memories in real time.”

Produced in collaboration with Zach Tuch (Touche Amore, Knocked Loose, Zulu), the EP leans into what makes Commoner’s sound so compelling: emotive vocals, tight instrumentation, and a gritty, aggressive edge that commands attention. The release features five tracks, each delivering a distinct emotional and sonic punch.

Meet the Band

Commoner is made up of:

  • Romin Mattison – Vocals
  • Matthew Bryant – Bass
  • Jeremy Buck – Guitar
  • Beto Marroquin – Guitar
  • Tyler Casillo – Drums

Together, they create music that invites listeners to lose themselves in the noise, drawing inspiration from early 2000s and 2010s influences like Citizen, Movements, Incubus, and Fuel. Their high-energy performances bring their emotional songwriting to life on stage, leaving a lasting impact on their growing fanbase.

About Commoner

Formed in Tucson, Arizona, Commoner blends emo, alternative, and post-hardcore into a style that feels raw and cathartic. What started as a solo project by Romin Mattison with the track Japanese Apartments eventually evolved into a full band when Matthew Bryant joined on bass. The lineup was completed with the addition of Jeremy Buck, Beto Marroquin, and Tyler Casillo, solidifying the band’s identity and collaborative sound.

In 2023 and 2024, the band released two singles as part of their Winter Promo series—“Misery Mistaken” and “Whatever’s Left is Yours”—exploring themes of abandonment, neglect, and healing. These tracks laid the groundwork for Change of Heart, both in tone and depth.

With plans to tour and keep evolving their sound, Commoner is just getting started—and Change of Heart marks a powerful new chapter in their journey.

Change of Heart tracklist:

1.Test Your Luck

2.Change of Heart

3.Parting Gift B-Sides (Vinyl Only)

4.Misery Mistaken

5.Whatever’s Left Is Yours