Review: Anberlin – New Surrender

Blake Solomon Aug 27, 2008

Forgive me if I seem a bit zany during this review. There has been great upheaval in La Vida de Blake lately. Things started out great: I finally found a girl that liked me enough to let me do that cute thing where you hold hands by interlocking fingers. I heard music everywhere, and that wasn’t only because Pierce Brosnan hit his high note in “SOS.” Aside from this happy fact – we’re soulmates, I can feel it – I was forced to deal with some devastating news: Anberlin has signed to a major label. Put on your black graphic tee and mourn. It’s time to un-bookmark their Myspace and Twitter pages. Well, at least until now there was the slim chance New Surrender would be terrible. Hell, I’d dump Jasmine in a heartbeat if it would make this album contain terrible ballads and safe, music-executive approved radio rock. They’d be back on an indie and they’d be all mine. Of course it’s just my luck that New Surrender rocks with the force of Blueprints and smarts of Never Take Friendship Personal. And worse still, Jasmine found out my father doesn’t own and never has owned a private island near Bermuda. If you need me, just listen for the sobs at Anberlin’s next packed arena concert.

AbsolutePunk Aug 19, 2008

For years, we Fallon’s have had to deal with the only famous carrier of our surname being an unfunny, untalented hack who laughs at his own jokes and headlines bad movies with Queen Latifah. It hasn’t been easy as everyone believes we are linked by name association; it’s an ugly life that has resulted in many courtroom visits for potential name changes (suggestion: Max Power) and long nights of agonizing emotional breakdowns.

Thank our lucky stars New Brunswick, New Jersey produced The Gaslight Anthem – and subsequently, another Fallon to the mix. This time, our leather-clad, rough-patched vocalist proudly totes the Fallon name (no relation) and is the punk rock equivalent of New Jersey’s other Golden God, Bruce Springsteen. In fact, Brian Fallon matches the Boss so much, he could be unofficially deemed Lil’ Boss – okay, well that name needs some work, but just work with me here.

AbsolutePunk Aug 10, 2008

News posts and song streams. RSS feeds and webisodes. We swim in a digital ocean of recommendations – the music and us. Here at AbsolutePunk.net, we like to start the waves and then float in them. This is why we are back with our second installment of The Absolute 100, an annual collection of our favorite lesser known bands. Below you will find a centennial of really great acts. Some of them may be fresh to the ears, and some of them may be old news to your keen web browsing. Either way, we hope that from all the bands that clutter these interwebbed harbors, you’ll find a precious handful from these Absolute 100. – Julia Conny

Drew Beringer Aug 5, 2008

Norma Jean vocalist Cory Brandan explains The Anti Mother as “The Anti Mother is a character we created which represents anything that is deceptive, and yet possesses an outwardly beautiful nature.” Which makes sense, as the fourth album from the metalcore staple is the most melodic album they’ve created. Going back to work with Redeemerproducer Ross Robinson, the band has learned how to channel that aggressiveness into something more melodic, while still being just as destructive as before. How this turns out on disc is yet to be heard.

“Vipers, Snakes, and Actors” begin the showdown in fine Norma Jean fashion: Brandan’s growl is overpowering, the drums hit like Josh Hamilton, and the guitar chords could be arrested for causing a domestic disturbance. “Self-Employed Chemist” features Brandan’s singing skills and musically it sounds like something off a From First To Last album. It’s not my favorite song, but it is rather catchy. “Birth Of The Anti Mother” is rambunctious, with a dizzying guitar and bass combo. It’s an auditory beatdown, as Brandan screams “We came for blood!,” while “Death Of The Anti Mother” is a slower, sludgy song, putting the dismay on display.

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Review: Person L – Initial

AbsolutePunk Aug 5, 2008

So what can you expect from someone who’s mastered the craft? Surely more mastering of the craft, or a stamp of approval and a toss into the history books. Like Kenny Vasoli, the singer behind the start-up pop-punk wonder boys, The Starting Line. At this point in his career, it’s not that he has done it all, it’s just that, when it comes to pop-punk, there isn’t much more he has to learn.

Which is why when word came out that Mr. Vasoli had a little ‘ol side project, it made sense. Here’s someone who’s been dribbling sweet hooks for the greater part of his young adult years, spinning, caressing and nourishing them like a pro. A more experimental and indie side project was inevitable. A boy’s gotta explore his boundaries, right? Vasoli grabbed some friends (Brian Medlin, Charles Schnieder, Nathaniel Vaeth, and Ryan Zimmaro, to be exact) and demos started to peek out of his Myspace page. People got pumped.

AbsolutePunk Aug 2, 2008

Let’s start off by stating your name and what you play in A Day to Remember.

Jeremy McKinnon. I sing for A Day to Remember.

How is Warped Tour going so far?

Incredible. We seriously couldn’t be happier with how the tour is run, and how it’s going.

Any funny or embarrassing moments?

When we played one of the Texas Warped dates, some of the kids threw a blow up doll on stage that had writing all over it. There was a heart around its … back door that said “For Tom.”

AbsolutePunk Aug 1, 2008

Being the pillar of an important rock band must be exhausting work – so much so that it renders the siren song of going soft downright deafening. Nick Torres and Tyler Odom went from Northstar to the alt-country of Cassino, Dustin Kensrue offered up his own solo slice of down-home Americana, Roddy Woomble veered off the Idlewild course to dabble in Scottish folk, and on and on. Maybe it is just the “in” thing to do – like how some actors will take up stints on Broadway to bolster their middling resumes, or maybe it is just the underlying need for variety after recording and touring on the same genre of music day after day. Regardless of what drives this magnetism, it has corralled yet another subscriber in Anthony Green, the scene’s favorite man of many hats. After having his hands in countless bands and records, Green has decided to finally to wander off on his own (sort of, at least – the guys in Good Old War are certainly a noteworthy backing band). With Avalon, Anthony pulls a near 180 to most work he has done in the past – so is it any good or should he be running back to his Circa brethren apologizing for ever straying?

Review: Anberlin – New Surrender

Review: The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound

The Absolute 100 (2008)

Review: Norma Jean – The Anti Mother

Review: Person L – Initial

Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember

Review: Anthony Green – Avalon