You don't know cool until you know Turnstile
the gateway into hardcore
How I got to this video, is thanks to my go-to podcast Escuela de Nada. Two of the three hosts, Leo and
are gracefully at the verge of their 40s: the perfect age to have been shaped by the 2000s alt and punk scene. Blink, My Chemical Romance, Deftones, Korn... You name it.I’ve never been into that sound. Never even had given it a shot, just because I can’t relate to it in any dimension. No Jackass phase. No skating. Teenage angst never had much of a grip on me, thankfully.
So, whenever they make references of this kind, I pay no mind, nor I make the slightest effort to look up whatever grandioseness they said these bands achieved. Same as when they mentioned Turnstile had just played ‘the concert of their lives’: a free show in their hometown, Baltimore, filmed in VHS style for everyone to be a spectator. My reaction didn’t differ from my previous ones.
The algorithm went ahead of my indifference, and a week later the concert shows up in my feed.
Might as well. And —I was sold. Totally in.
Turns out, the singing from Brendan Yates’ infinitely expansive lungs had already met my ears with the track Alien Love Call, remixed by BADBADNOTGOOD and Blood Orange. What a soooong. So much so, that it got a Grammy nomination for Best Remixed Recording in 2024 — not that I care about Grammy’s criteria but…
Instead of narrating the historical makings of the band (which are very much available online and you should very much dig into) or describing their sound (you can use your ears to define it for yourself), here are four oddly specific grounds that build on the argument that Turnstile might be one of the coolest contemporary bands.
Reason 1. Their boldness to flirt with genres outside of hardcore
Don’t want to speak out of ignorance, but — proceeds to speak out of ignorance— judging off of their discography, the Turnstile of today doesn't fit the typical hardcore punk mold. The remarks you hear from the old-school fans about drifting from the essence of the genre are, indeed, valid.
What’s not valid, is is assuming stylistic evolution is outright bad. Unless an artist is cynically chasing trends for money, change should be embraced. It's a leap of faith to go out of your safety lane!
And their pivot doesn’t come off as a selling-out strategy as much as a natural convolution of their influences. Taking the openers for their previous and next tour, you know they do not want to spoon-feed the narrow minded listeners.
Jane Remover’s hyperpop, JPEGMAFIA experimental hip-hop, Blood Orange defying R&B. They deliberately align themselves with boundary-pushers as a declaration of their own artistic ambitions.
Reason 2. They resemble real-life Gorillaz’ characters
The promotional wave of their new album, NEVER ENOUGH gave me nonstop content to feed myself off of, and I kid you not: There is not a single interview or performance where their drip is less than holy.
They’re bold, playful, and intentional without feeling forced, both in how they dress and carry themselves. Each member looks like a character, almost cartoonish in the best way. A YouTube commenter made this hilarious remark about Brendan Yates perfectly embodying 'the white boy of the month' — zero fragile masculinity, no visible insecurity. He's almost Clairo-esque.
Attention to detail and style is specially present in their visuals, working tightly alongside hate5six, a huge collaborator and advocate for the cause of documenting and archiving punk history.
The last two records were accompanied by visual albums that reportedly contextualized and elevated the whole experience for those who have gotten the chance to watch them, even reaching a spot in the Tribeca Film Festival. The value they place on everything peripheral to the music itself is crystal clear, and speaks to their integral artistry.
Reason 3. Kids go into their mosh pits
Come on.
Reason 4. They got me to give hardcore a listen (tough mission)
Before Turnstile, my will to turn to anything alike were the more experimental King Gizzard attemps, maybe a couple Linkin Park tracks. Radiohead in The Bends? If that’s even remotely comparable?
The introduction of ethereal and dreamy undertones in GLOW ON, their 2021 LP, was the true gateway to then expose myself to the truest, roughest and most distinctive aspect of the hardcore scene I wouldn’t have bared otherwise.
One who is foreign to the genre can be blow away by its rhythmic intensity. Watching Daniel Fang hit the drums is a spectacle in itself. Hardcore demands technical preciseness within its chaos. Also impressive is how Brendan's voice survives a full national tour…
From there on, I have been able to end up putting an ear to classics within the likes of Fugazi (extremely recommended), as well as nowadays peers like Speed. Ready to hit that mosh.
Bottom line: Let the genre purists cry.
PS: Start your listening journey to these: I CARE, BLACKOUT, DON’T PLAY, UNDERWATER BOI