Review: AFI – Crash Love

AbsolutePunk Sep 30, 2009

When it comes to AFI’s legacy, there are two sides to the story: there is the independent, hardcore punk outfit that shook stages of local circuits for several years in the 1990’s, and there is the considerably more popular band that signed to a major-label in 2002. The debate continues to rage on as to which version of the band is “better,” but the fact of the matter is AFI has never been the same one-trick pony some punk bands can often remain. By the time the new millennium rolled around, The Art of Drowning was goth-punk perfection and shot AFI’s name into the stratosphere. They were no longer the wildly spastic hardcore band that answered things and stayed fashionable — they were now full-blown rock stars (oh snap, someone call the DIY police, because they be breaking all kinds of punk rock “laws”).

Blake Solomon Sep 23, 2009

This is it how it should always happen. Relient K, a band once known for quirky little pop culture references peppered with mild God-isms, is now a pop-rock powerhouse. With more former members than current ones, the band has somehow outlasted every complication, including 2007’s absolutely terrible output Five Score and Seven Years Ago. That abomination’s only silver lining is its sneak peeks at the joy within Forget and Not Slow Down. Singer Matt Thiessen has bounced back with the best choruses and most emotionally charged songs of his career. But what becomes most apparent during Forget and Not Slow Down is its cohesiveness, that indefinable feeling when everything is exactly where it should be. A first for the band, intros like “Oasis” and outros like “Flare” create brief moments of reflection before their counterparts continue the noble task of blowing us away. Lucky you, welcome to 2009’s Swan Song.

AbsolutePunk Sep 22, 2009

Every new year, resolutions are far easier to purposely ignore than to follow through with. For instance, being fiscally conservative when you just gotta have their cool new rollerblades (here I come, Venice Boardwalk!), or cutting down on fast food (but they’re two tacos for 99 cents, you bastard!). The new year brings out new opportunities, a fresh start and more importantly, an end to everything that came before it (The Happeningnever happened).

Hailing from Flint, Michigan, The Swellers are four average dudes who come from an environment in which upbringing is reflected in your attitude and getting out of dodge isn’t as easy as it seems when high school finally ends. The working-class town was one of the focal points in the documentary film ~~Bowling For ColumbineFlashdance~~ Roger and Me and for the Swellers’ sophomore full-length (and Fueled by Ramen debut), Ups and Downsizing, is a coming-of-age record about everything going on in their own lives — and seeing it all from the sidelines as well.

AbsolutePunk Sep 2, 2009

It is not a well-kept secret that I was a bit enamored with Saosin’s debut LP. The timing of that record and the execution of it seemed damn near perfect at the time. The stars just kind of aligned for that release, and Saosin has been riding the wave ever since. And going back to listen to that self-titled gem now, I still stand by everything I said – the combination of soaring vocals, upper echelon musicianship, and flawless production made for a work deserving of its transcendence beyond the post-hardcore roots that spawned it. So here we are, three years later – has the band used its accomplishments and notoriety as a launchpad to create another killer record? Or is their sophomore effort a perfunctory exercise in simply going through the motions?

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Review: Every Time I Die – New Junk Aesthetic

Drew Beringer Sep 2, 2009

Every Time I Die wants to destroy the world. While their previous albums have inflicted some damage on Mother Earth, the Buffalo quintet is not satisfied. The fact of the matter is ETID wants to leave their mark, so they’ve promised that their fifth studio album (and Epitaph debut), New Junk Aesthetic, would blow a huge gaping asshole into the earth. So if you’ve felt the earth shake recently, that’s just me recklessly playing this album way too loud, as New Junk Aesthetic is the heaviest Every Time I Die record to date.

Working with producer Steve Evetts once again, Every Time I Die set out to give manbirth to the most vicious record off their career; a record that kicks you in the teeth, shreds your balls, and shows no mercy. [Opening track “Roman Holiday” sets the bar high, as fuzzy feedback and a dirty riff scribble their way across the song before bowing out to a devastating breakdown that could TKO Brock Lesnar. “The Marvelous Slut” is full of urgency as vocalist Keith Buckley yells, “Why do I always give myself away?,” as Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan’s vocalist) adds some nice backing screams.

AbsolutePunk Sep 2, 2009

The Absolute 100 is an annual collection of our favorite lesser-known bands. Our point with this feature (as it was in 2007 and 2008) is that there’s still hope. The future of music can be bright, you just gotta find the right blurbs to screw in. Some of the bands on this list are signed and some are already on their way to selling out tours. Some are barely even on their parents’ radars. Throw cred out the window; we don’t care if you’ve heard any of these acts before. We want EVERYONE in on these secrets.

We are an unique crew of diligent AP.net workers – not all our playlists are carbon copies. Our goal, as it always has been, is to deliver a constant stream of information about music that motivates and inspires. Consider this a promise: there is at least one band on this list that you will enjoy. And if you don’t, then let’s hope it’s because you already love one of them enough. – Julia Conny

Review: AFI – Crash Love

Review: Relient K – Forget and Not Slow Down

Review: The Swellers – Ups and Downsizing

Review: Saosin – In Search of Solid Ground

Review: Every Time I Die – New Junk Aesthetic

The Absolute 100 (2009)