Graham Hunt, Pardoner, DJ Yuppie

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Marisa Kriangwiwat Holmes

The band Pardoner looking through a car windshield.

Pardoner

Graham Hunt is a master of catchy rock music, and if the pair of singles out now ahead of the December release of Try Not To Laugh don’t get your head bobbing along you might need to visit Doctor Rock. Pardoner is on tour from California, and also plays hooky, crunchy guitar rock; their June album, Peace Loving People, is reminiscent of '90s slacker bands while still sounding fresh. With DJ Yuppie.

Free/donations.

media release: This past summer, Pardoner released their highly anticipated new album Peace Loving People via Bar/None Records, and toured North America.

Formed by Max Freeland (vocals/guitar), Trey Flanigan (vocals/guitar), and River Van Den Berghe (drums) while they were college students in San Francisco, the band quickly made a name for themselves with their visceral live show and relentless release schedule, becoming one of the Bay’s most beloved bands. Their new album Peace Loving People runs the gamut from big 90’s hooks likened to Teenage Fan Club or Smudge, to wiry Devo-tinged riffs, and even edging into off-the-rails US hardcore territory à la Void, the new album moves away from prior efforts to mix disparate genres together and instead juxtaposes them against each other. 

Praise for Pardoner:

“Pardoner’s sludgy rock is poised and calculated in its messiness”  - Pitchfork

“coiled but casual, going from cute, springy slacker-pop to amiably punishing distortion and back again”  - Rolling Stone

“a muscle spasm of Polvo's weirdo heft and Dinosaur Jr.'s slacker fuzz, set to a disaffected punk squall. It's a blessing that bludgeons, much like this title track that simultaneously squeals with nasty delight and catchy corkscrew hooks”  - NPR

“tunes that have established their fuzzed-out and laconic ’90s bona fides and their sneaky knack for melody” - Stereogum

“heavy harmonies, slacker indie, and hardcore punk” - Paste Magazine

“Full of urgency, hooks, and gross (in a good way) guitar tones”  - Bandcamp

“bringing together slacker attitude with the pummeling feel of hardcore”  - Under the Radar

“falls somewhere between Teenage Fanclub the Pastels...at least till it goes full-on punk" - Brooklyn Vegan