Anwar Sadat

The noisy boys in Anwar Sadat have been busy. When they haven’t busy tearing up the southeast on their tour with acts like Lightning Bolt, they’ve been writing new songs to follow up 2011's “No Vacation” EP. They have a forthcoming album, “Gold”, that’s release hasn’t been nailed down yet, but in the meantime Anwar Sadat just put out a 2-song cassette on Sophomore Lounge records, that’s also available digitally on the band’s band camp site. I’m going to employ the same logic as those awful fast food commercials here, and tell you that there’s not a much better way for your to spend $2. Now, go pick up this cassette and look for Anwar Sadat on tour this Fall. - Backseat Sandbar

How do you get attention from music blogs? Give your band a name that sticks. This particular Anwar Sadat wasn’t high on hash when he signed the Camp David accords; in all likelihood, the guys in this Louisville postpunk band weren’t born yet. But they sound totally Boston circa 1982: aggressively shouted vocals, aggressive rhythms, jaggedly distorted guitars and just enough melody above the noise to make them catchy as hell. Their No Vacation ep is up at their Bandcamp site as a free download: if you have a thing for obscure early indie bands, you’ll understand how it’s more Volcano Suns than Mission of Burma (although the last track could be MoB, with just a hint of surf rock that ends up going nowhere).

Three more tracks here. The title cut is the smash hit, simple melodic bass anchoring a growling minor key guitar hook that sticks its fangs in you and just won’t let go. The second track has eerie close harmonies and echoes of dreampop, like X hanging out with the girls from Lush when they were still in school. There’s also 53 seconds of pummeling hardcore: “You hear your heart within your chest counting backwards to your death,” the singer screams. It’s enough to make you want to hear more. They’re playing Death by Audio at around 9ish on July 19. - New York Music Daily

Louisville band, post-punk sound, and they’re named after the third president of Egypt. There ya go.

All references to Middle Eastern politics aside, this latest single from Anwar, “Mutilation,” is pretty awesome. The pounding drums and driving bassline are the perfect foundation for the wailing guitars that fill the air above them. The lyrics talk of a mundane life, living day in, day out with the same ol’ same ol’. Get’s pretty frustration–at least according to this song, anyway. - The Needle Drop