"Arbor Labor Union play post-punk guitar rock in such a tried-and-true mold that you almost want to resurrect the term “college rock” — now defunct and totally meaningless — just for them. Born “from a peach tree in Georgia in the American south,” according to their bio, the quartet combines the droning jams of Luna with the tender tension of Ought (and the squealing yawps of Meat Puppets frontman Curt Kirkwood) on debut album I Hear You, one of the most satisfying full-band records of 2016’s first half. The tracks are long, the six-strings are loud, and the grooves are absolutely transfixing. Though the feeling they produce is old, the songs themselves feel new, just the latest in a proud lineage. The band offers in comment to SPIN: “We hold these truths to be self evident: This is now music of the modern era. No genre revival. If a voice within whispers “Listen” you must respond I Hear You. As did we and will continue to do. I love you." -ALU

"Nag’s entrance to the Atlanta punk scene was largely unheralded despite a savage debut EP released last May. Yet if the cassette flew under the radar, there was no way to ignore the trio’s frequent live shows (it almost felt like the band played a show every weekend of 2016). Though the group began as the mind-sick brainchild of Brannon Greene (Predator, GHB), the trio’s collaborative energy is embodied by Ryan Fetter’s intricate, yet melodic drumming. If the genius of Nag lies in the complexity of their most abrupt tracks, it’s compounded by a marauding energy which seeps through their angular excursions. The band has a busy year ahead of them, beginning with the release of a 7″ on Total Punk in February and another 7″ this spring on Pelican Wow Wow Records. As if that wasn’t enough, the band will drop another 7″ later in the year on Chunklet. Additionally, Nag will tour the Midwest with Rubbermate this summer, and despite the overload, they plan to finish writing an LP by the end of the year." -Immersive Atlanta