Written by: Alex Green

The annual post-punk festival Out From The Shadows is always a special event.

But this year the festival, which is marking its fourth year, is made even more special because in conjunction with the event itself is the release of the post-punk compilation Songs From Under The Floorboard, Volume 1.

Released by Accident Prone Records, the name of the album is the very same as SEM’s Senior Editor (and post-punk professor) Dave Cantrell’s radio show on XRAY FM and the compilation was curated by Dave as well.

A riveting ten-song collection that features the likes of Shadow Age, Golden Apes and Forever Grey, the album is available on limited edition black vinyl (only 500 copies pressed) as well as in high quality digital format (MP3, FLAC) and includes a handsome 12-page booklet.

A portion of the sales of each album will be donated to Planned Parenthood.

There’s a lot of angular brilliance, deliciously jagged rhythms and dark beauty on this compilation. From Shadow Age’s glorious “Youth” to Forever Grey’s stirring “Trespasser” Songs From Under The Floorboard Vol. 1 is filled with fiery stomp, soaring, synth-infused rockers and the kind of churning, melodic muscle that will make you glad as hell there’s going to be a Vol. 2.

As for this year’s OFTS festival, the Portland event’s Facebook page says it all: “The fourth annual Out From the Shadows festival [features] 24 post-punk and darkwave bands from around the US and Europe. Besides being a benefit for both XRAY radio AND the LBGTQ organization SMYRC (Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center), this year each night’s festivities will be preceded by a mini-record show with vendors offering the finest in dark musics from a multitude of genres. In other words, OFTS 2018 is an utter dark music extravaganza. Accept no substitutes…”

More information and how to get tickets for the festival here:

Songs From Under The Floorboard, Vol. 1 Track Listing:

1 Shadow Age – Youth

2 ANNEX (appearing at OFtSIV) – Modern Age

3 PERRALOBO – Suelo de Cristal

4 Ötzi – Zebra Cruiser

5 Vice Device – Litanies & Lies

6 Golden Apes – Voykova (The Healing)

7 Ghost Noise – We Are Not Lovers

8 Sculpture Club – Not Impressed

9 Bernays Propaganda feat. mike watt – Ništo Nema da ne Razdeli

10 Forever Grey – Trespasser