Alternative Press teamed up with Fiddlehead for exclusive clear and violet pinwheel vinyl of Death Is Nothing To Us, limited to 500 copies. Head to the AP Shop to snag yours.
Fiddlehead are preparing to unleash their third studio album, Death Is Nothing To Us, tomorrow (Aug. 18). As their singles have suggested, the album packs a wallop, placing enormous hooks alongside gritty bursts that are guaranteed to go hard live. The record is clearly a labor of love, as the songs are the band’s most dynamic yet, traversing through both melodic and aggressive moments. You’ll be singing along one minute and wanting to plunge into the crowd the next.
Read more: 15 best modern hardcore bands for day one fans
To ring in the album’s release, Fiddlehead’s Shawn Costa and Nick Hinsch selected their favorite non-hardcore songs created by hardcore musicians. See their picks below.
Rival Schools – “Get Center”
I’d be remiss not to include a Walter Schreifels project on this list. His ties to hardcore run ineffably deep, through the likes of the almighty Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today. The difficult part, then, was merely selecting which Walter project to include. Sammy Siegler’s (Judge, Side By Side, YOT, Civ, etc) incredible drumming became the deciding X-factor. While “Get Center” has only ever seen release through extended editions of their debut album, United by Fate, the closing minute stands as one of Schreifels’ finest recorded moments. The build-up in that final refrain is truly perfect in its intensity and virtually sounds like a lost Pinkerton-era Rivers Cuomo demo. —Shawn Costa
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “I Could Die for You”
“I don’t think anyone can be a good musician today unless they listen to punk rock,” says Flea while wearing a Bad Brains Quickness shirt in an interview with River Phoenix. Chili Peppers are a great inspiration when it comes to serving the music. The band really take on their own sound of hyper-melodic grooves when [John] Frusciante returns. Guitars become spare, and Frusciante connects it all through his harmonies. Flea somehow plays the most funky bassline while carrying melodies. Think about the bassline to “Zephyr Song” for a good example. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention their interstitial live jams. This has been a major influence on the Fiddlehead live show. To jam is to live. This is one of my favorite “beautiful” Chi Peps tunes. —Nick Hinsch
Foo Fighters – “Ain’t It The Life”
Undoubtedly the biggest and most impactful rock band possessing ties to the hardcore-punk scene. With Pat Smear, Dave Grohl, and Nate Mendel bolstering resumes that include time spent in Germs, Scream, and Brotherhood, there is simply no denying the tapestry of hardcore roots woven deeply into the band members’ very musical DNA. This particular song isn’t the band’s best, nor is it a truly quintessential track. However, there’s a deeply melancholic character to it that gives it depth and substance. It’s certainly one of my favorite Foo Fighters songs. —Shawn Costa
Slint – “Nosferatu Man”
As a fellow hardcore baby, I related strongly to Slint’s story in the Breadcrumb Trail documentary. They were going to hardcore shows at like 12 years old, if not younger. In fact, they were so young they needed their parents’ help to carry their amps into the venue, something I too needed done for me. I went to my first contemporary hardcore show at Saint Stephens Church in 8th grade, and I haven’t looked back since. Check out the documentary when someone farts and they tell Ian Mackaye to quickly touch a doorknob or else get punched. “Fuckin punch me and see what happens…’cause I don’t play that shit.” Goddamn do I respect that young gusto. —Nick Hinsch
The Breeders – “Happiness is a Warm Gun”
While the Breeders’ connection to hardcore may not be readily apparent at first glance, one needs only look over the liner notes of their debut LP, Pod, to uncover names that should be very familiar to acolytes of the genre. With Steve Albini (Big Black) engineering the effort and Britt Walford (Slint, Squirrel Bait) lending his unmistakable and singular drumming talents to the LP, the record has unmistakable ties to the hardcore/post-hardcore genre. “Happiness is a Warm Gun” represents, to my ears, the Beatles at their most musically creative and lyrically caustic zenith. The Breeders’ cover of it is a bit of a beautiful mess. However, the spirit of the source material shines through, no worse for the wear. —Shawn Costa
Vic Chesnutt – “Debriefing”
Now, Vic Chesnutt himself is not really hardcore related, but this record features Guy Picciotto as producer and joining in on guitar. “Debriefing” is so cinematic. The guitars sound like they’re screaming out in pain, an attribute of Guy’s in Fugazi that I’ve come to appreciate highly (see “Repeater” and “Rend It” for some more screaming). There’s so many beautiful and eerie noises going on in the back of the mix, too. Guy really is a master of using the studio as its own instrument. But please give Vic Chesnutt some love. He’s like the Flannery O’Connor of music. He’s one of those musicians that creates a whole world for you in his lyrics, and that’s something you gotta put respect on. —Nick Hinsch
Belly – “Feed The Tree”
I simply had to include this song, largely to pay proper respect to the oft-underrated RIX hardcore legends Verbal Assault. The band was fronted by the inimitable Tanya Donelly, of Throwing Muses, who along with the Gorman brothers, worked to create some of the catchiest alt-rock material of the ’90s. “Feed The Tree” stands out as their ultimate crown jewel, and perfectly encapsulates their penchant for crafting high-end rock melodies. —Shawn Costa
Jawbox – “Green Glass”
J. Robbins played bass for D.C. hardcore gods Government Issue. They were one of the first hardcore bands I learned about after the obvious introduction to Minor Threat, Fugazi, and Bad Brains (Bad Brains will never be a New York hardcore band. Don’t even try to convince me). But the reason I write about Jawbox is Zach Barocas. Good God does he groove! I got to see Jawbox in NYC last year, and my eyes were just glued to him. So in the pocket the whole time. Jawbox were the first Dischord band to go on to a major label, followed by another favorite of mine, Shudder to Think. This song is a great side-B cut from their major-label debut.
RIP John Stabb. —Nick Hinsch
Sebadoh – “Not Too Amused”
There isn’t a whole lot that needs to be said here. Lou Barlow spent his early creative years playing guitar in the bruising Western Massachusetts hardcore outfit, Deep Wound. In his post-Dinosaur Jr. years, Barlow spent the duration of his time writing some of the most seminally important indie material of the ’90s. “Not Too Amused” features a chord progression/structure that is easily recognizable to anyone who listens to the current assortment of bands belonging to the not-so-easily definable genre, known lovingly as “non-core.” —Shawn Costa
CCFX – “The One to Wait”
I think this is the first song of my generation to come out of hardcore and become a cult classic. I can picture this song in a movie. In fact, somebody needs to do that. Are you there, Nicolas Winding Refn? Mary Jane Dunphe sang in this project, as well as in bands like Vexx and Pinocchio (check out the Pinocchio song “Light Speed Vol. 1”). Mary Jane and I are always seeing each other around the neighborhood, and she will be playing our upcoming show at Webster Hall. She has a new solo record coming out on fellow hardcore royalty’s label, Pop Wig. —Nick Hinsch
