Review: Yellowcard – When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes (Acoustic)

AbsolutePunk Nov 2, 2011

Yellowcard saw a triumphant return into the music industry earlier this year with its fifth studio record, When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes. The album blended characteristics of the group’s breakout Ocean Avenue and its more ambitious Paper Walls, all the while making the bold point that they weren’t just back, but back with a new focus and hunger.

As is becoming something of a trend for Hopeless Records’ roster, we now get the opportunity to hear the entirety of When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes in an acoustic form. However, as is fully apparent from opener “The Sound of You and Me,” much more effort and time was put into this project than one might originally expect from the idea. Ryan Key’s normally high-flying vocals are kept slightly in check to match the stripped down instrumentation, but he still remains the backbone of Yellowcard’s instantly identifiable sound.

AbsolutePunk Sep 27, 2011

It’s almost like this review doesn’t have to be written. A shiny, freshly made batch of 11 pop-punk songs recommended for people who love pop-punk songs.

Or, in other words, a new New Found Glory record. Recommended if you like: New Found Glory.

Perhaps the most consistent band in the history of a genre they helped make extremely popular, New Found Glory’s seventh studio full-length, Radiosurgery, is exactly what you think it is. It’s 11 (actually, 10) wonderful gems meant for playing: 1. With the windows down; 2. With the volume turned up; 3. During the summer. Predictable words about a predictable record.

If I sound like I’m criticizing Radiosurgery, I’m only doing it half-heartedly. Aside from the question mark of Coming Home, New Found Glory has very rarely tweaked its style since its 1999 debut, Nothing Gold Can Stay. And why would they ever change? Creeping up on the 12th anniversary of that first release, New Found Glory has already almost doubled the timeline of relevancy compared to many of their peers. They’re one of the most-loved band in the genre and 12 years is a lot longer than the number suggests. Fans have loved every NFG album and have come out in droves to seem them perform live. Radiosurgeryisn’t going to change that.

AbsolutePunk Sep 22, 2011

”Go back to Fall Out Boy!”

”Your solo stuff sucks!”

These responses, while ignorant and misguided, unfortunately exist in regards to the solo undertaking of former Fall Out Boy front man Patrick Stump. After the influential pop-punk quartet went on hiatus in 2009, each member went their separate ways. Drummer Andy Hurley and guitarist Joe Trohman formed hard-rock The Damned Things, while bassist Pete Wentz delved into club-centered dance pop in Black Cards. Stump, on the other hand, had a different and the arguably most ambitious vision as to where to take his next step musically.

AbsolutePunk Sep 19, 2011

Today is September 20, 2011, and there is a new Blink-182 record in existence.

1,096 days. That’s exactly three years and one day.

That’s how long it’s been since Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and close friend Adam Goldstein managed to escape a flaming Learjet 60 crash site in South Carolina with severe injures. They were the only survivors of the crash.

That incident is credited as the event that brought Blink-182 back together. For the first time since 2005, Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Barker were communicating with each other. Much larger and prominent than the sequence of events that tore them apart, the tragedy held enough weight for them to realize they wanted to spend time together, rather than stay apart with bad blood between them.

AbsolutePunk Jul 18, 2011

sym·pho·ny sol·dier /ˈsimfənē ˈsōljər/
–noun
1. a person engaged in the service of fighting for music they believe in

It hasn’t been an easy journey for pop trio The Cab, a band that originally began as a quintet before signing to Fueled By Ramen in mid-2007. Their debut album, Whisper War, saw moderate success when it was touted to be the next big thing in the industry. However, as years passed, member departures further crippled the public’s view on the group. With the lack of new material to show due to various label disputes, some wondered if a second album would even see the light of day.

Perhaps all of these adversities were just a blessing in disguise. Although members were lost, the driving force behind The Cab still remained. Being relinquished from the clutches of their record label allowed them to finally create the album they wanted to create – and music at this point couldn’t be more grateful.

AbsolutePunk May 22, 2011

Time is the essence of life, and with time comes changes and phases. With time we grow, develop and mature as beings; some things we have come to love and admire fall by the wayside and we discover new entities to fill the voids. This is what a lot of All Time Low fans have witnessed – a band that that has grown over time into the monstrous band they are today. After two albums and a classic EP, the band decided to take a different route with their last album, Nothing Personal, which was frowned upon by the overwhelming majority for its glossed over pop sound. Now, it’s no secret that the guys have been aiming for a wider audience after taking the scene by storm. Nothing Personal was the first step in that direction but failed to reach the ultimate goal. Two years later and the band’s back to try again with Dirty Work.

AbsolutePunk May 3, 2011

”I remember seeing the Blood Brothers play at the Masquerade and it scaring me to my core. I’d never heard of them. I just went with a friend, and then shortly after that I realized that I want that power. I wanted that power just to shock people with sound.” – Andy Hull

The first time I ever met Andy Hull, we connected a bit on a love for The Blood Brothers. Not a band you would expect the frontman and lyricist of Manchester Orchestra to have a heart for, but in reality, Hull has quite a musical archive of influence, even telling me how he likes turning fans onto new bands or ones they may never have heard of. Aside from his admiration as a music fan, the above pulled quote also speaks volumes in a quest to be not only challenged, but have the audacity to simply “put up or shut up.” With 2009’s Mean Everything to Nothing, the band saw a sophomore incline of sorts: two radio singles and a well-received album that personally landed in my lap at one of the biggest changes in my life thus far. On the most personal of levels, the band’s second release was the perfect soundtrack to leaving college and moving away as Deja Entendu was the score when entering it.

AbsolutePunk Apr 18, 2011

Music fans are usually faced with quite the dilemma when they are looking forward to a new record, especially if it’s coming from a band they’re particularly fond of. Do you want them to evolve – perhaps taking a leap to something you might not enjoy as much – or do you want them to stay…consistent? For the most part, the consensus seems to be that bands need to evolve to stay relevant. Grow with their audience, as some might say. Some bands do just fine by staying static, though. Look at New Found Glory: a consistent sound has lead them to become perhaps the greatest pop punk band ever. When they strayed a bit, on Coming Home, fans were generally displeased.

Silverstein is another band that has utilized a tried-and-true formula throughout its career, and Rescue, the band’s fifth studio album and debut for Hopeless Records, sees the Canadians doing more of the same. While the band won many over with its 2005 breakout, Discovering the Waterfront, fans of the band seemed to either grow more loyal or completely become disinterested when Arrivals and Departures and A Shipwreck In The Sand showcased similar sounds. The latter was Silverstein’s last record, a concept album which I considered to be fairly underrated.

AbsolutePunk Mar 14, 2011

All Time Low are at possibly the biggest point in their young careers with the release of their new album, Dirty Work. It’s the band’s first major label release and could possibly be the next step into full blown stardom. I asked Jack Barakat a few questions about the band’s upcoming album, tours and future plans. Check it out below.

AbsolutePunk Feb 22, 2011

Thursday will go down as one of the iconic bands of our generation amongst the hardcore and punk scene. Whether you think they’re not underground enough, or don’t play enough hardcore for your liking anymore, they’ve certainly proven themselves time and time again on record, and more importantly, within the community itself. On the heals of their next album, No Devolución, this will be a sharp left for many, but long time fans will see the band shine at possibly their brightest moment yet. Stripping themselves of most of their hardcore elements, the album still packs an elegance and driving force that made us all fall for the band’s music over a decade ago. On the second night of their tour with Underoath, Geoff Rickly sat down with me over chips and guacamole to talk about the last ten years, the scene and how proud he is of the band’s next album.

AbsolutePunk Feb 16, 2011

There’s something that a lot of bands in today’s music scene don’t have. It’s a combination of things, really. It’s the consistency to be great, even good, over a considerable length of time, coupled with the guts and killer instinct to try out new things, to stretch boundaries and challenge themselves as musicians.

Bayside is a band that has that combination. With the release of its fifth studio full-length since 2004, Bayside has once again proven the notion that bands can keep the same sound they’ve had for years while still growing and putting out refreshingly worthwhile records. Killing Time takes the sound that the band focused on with 2008’s Shudder and mixes in glimpses of great Bayside records of years past. There are certain audible glimpses throughout the course of the 10-track record where fans familiar with Bayside’s earlier work will pick out parts where Bayside sounds like its old self, and parts where fans will notice that the band is trying something they’ve never done before.

AbsolutePunk Sep 29, 2010

There has to be a plaque somewhere in Jimmy Eat World’s recording studio reading “With great power comes great responsibility.” A fitting mantra for more than Peter Parker’s web-slinging morality wars, when you’re one of the most dependable and profoundly influential rock bands on the planet, keeping your ears to the ground and never abandoning your legend is a heck of a responsibility. Harnessing their impeccable creative powers once again, Invented is a melting pot of Jimmy Eat World’s notoriously engaging rock music that showcases ample use of dedication, skill and intelligence over 50 minutes that will burn into your brain (with delight). Fight them off, they come back stronger. You can try to restrain the strength of Jim Adkins’ flawless vocals or even attempt to push the most talented rhythm section in alternative rock out of your way, but it’s no use. Jimmy Eat World has this down to a science and you would be hard-pressed to find this all much ado about nothing.

AbsolutePunk Sep 27, 2010

Chiodos are certainly one of the most polarizing bands in the scene today. Having seen a large amount of success with their first two full-length albums All’s Well That Ends Welland Bone Palace Ballet, the ousting of frontman and lead singer Craigery Owens came as a shock to the outside world. From the inside though, it was clearly what the group thought was best for them. With Illuminaudio, their third release on Equal Vision Records, it’s clear that they’ve moved on and are setting their sights on bigger things than ever.

When Owens and the group parted ways, fans wondered how Chiodos would fare heading forth with new vocalist Brandon Bolmer (formerly of Yesterday’s Rising). There were a lot of opinions circulating that the group should change their name, as Owens’ vocal style and presence was what made the band so unique and distinguishable. However, the success that Chiodos saw with their first two releases was not universal, and a lot of members on this website had negative feelings towards Chiodos and Owens while they were at the height of their popularity. Now, with Bolmer, new drummer Tanner Wayne (formerly of Underminded and Scary Kids Scaring Kids), and original members Bradley Bell, Matt Goddard, Jason Hale, and Pat McManaman, Chiodos offer up one of the most intriguing records of 2010 with Illuminaudio.

AbsolutePunk Aug 10, 2010

There’s something about The Colour Revolt’s music that has always been uneasy to listen to. It’s truthful and blatantly tears sutures across the walls of a secluded mind left alone with its innermost thoughts. Some beautiful. Some frightening. All real and passionate. The music also carries just as much of the weight as Jesse Coppenbarger lyrics. There’s Southern tinge and biblical proportioning of vocal phrasing and earnest attitude.

AbsolutePunk Jul 19, 2010

In 5 years All Time Low has skyrocketed to the forefront of the scene, going from Baltimore high schoolers to world tour headliners in no time. Last year the band released their third full length, Nothing Personal, which had an expansive yet defined sound. The band took a step back from up tempo pop punk anthems and instead chose to take a step towards stadium-filling pop rock hits. While this transition may have alienated fans, the band still seems to draw attention and excitement from the believers. When “Weightless” was released last March, AP.net was flooded with mostly praise and love for the band. It showed the band could produce a larger sound and still be real with who they are. That was what this band has always been about, and they have never lost that. But with all the good there is always going to be the bad as well. No one is perfect and ultimately four guys can’t please everyone.

Review: Yellowcard – When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes (Acoustic)

Review: New Found Glory – Radiosurgery

Review: Patrick Stump – Soul Punk

Review: Blink-182 – Neighborhoods

Review: The Cab – Symphony Soldier

Review: All Time Low – Dirty Work

Review: Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math

Review: Silverstein – Rescue

Interview: Jack Barakat of All Time Low

Interview: Geoff Rickly of Thursday

Review: Bayside – Killing Time

Review: Jimmy Eat World – Invented

Review: Chiodos – Illuminaudio

Review: The Colour Revolt – The Cradle

Review: All Time Low – Straight To DVD