Review: Less Than Jake – GNV FLA

AbsolutePunk Jun 29, 2008

”Less Than Jake have lost their touch. They’ll never top Hello Rockview. Being on a major label changed them as a band.”

We’ve all heard the constant stream of allegations, accusations, and diatribes against the Gainesville, Florida-based band now in its sixteenth year. Finished with their stint on Sire/Warner Bros. Records, they started their own label (Sleep It Off Records) to release their seventh studio album, GNV FLA, the title an ode to their hometown.

Titillating trombone slides, warbling guitar riffs, and even the addition of a trumpet (Scott Klopfenstein from Reel Big Fish) allow GNV FLA to explode into the top half of Less Than Jake’s discography with little effort. The songs are in your face, catchy, and full of skankable goodness. Some may say the band has “returned” to an earlier sound, but it’s just the product of ditching glossy overproduction and continuing to write a mix of social commentary, nostalgic witticisms, and horn-happy sing-alongs.

AbsolutePunk Jun 23, 2008

I like change. I like when one day is beautiful and sunny, the next is dark and gloomy, and I’m left waiting for the storm. For me, change keeps things interesting when there isn’t much going on in general. Musically, I like change too, but more often than not, when a band decides to change their sound, it’s usually a hit or miss. Names like Cartel and The Academy Is… come to mind when I think of times a band has tried to progress musically but subsequently failed to deliver. On the other hand, New Found Glory’s Coming Homewas able to possess a sound that was different from their usual work yet still accessible to their fan base (for the most part, anyway). Back in 2006, Cute Is What We Aim For released The Same Old Blood Rush With a New Touch, their label debut done by pop-aficionado Matt Squire, and although it was the soundtrack of my Summer, it came with mixed reviews; much of which I agreed with despite liking the record so much. Filled with cliched one-liners, grating vocals, and predictable instrumentation, it was a magnet for hate. However, none of this bothered me; I loved that album for sole purpose of making me feel good with its catchy melodies and the fact that I could listen over and over again without getting sick of it. With that said, Cute Is What We Aim For avoids the dreaded “sophomore slump” with their new album Rotation by making a record that is a vast improvement musically and vocally from their previous effort.

AbsolutePunk May 12, 2008

Death Cab For Cutie has a new album. It’s called Narrow Stairs, and if you haven’t read the articles, then you may not know that it’s “bloody and loose” and more “hard rock” than any of their previous work. Or maybe you have no clue that guitarist Chris Walla is back as producer, and from there, the album was recorded on analog tape to minimize overdubs. These are the token details we’ve been given.

2005’s Plans, the band’s first major label release, is high-profile studio work – sparkling and calculated. Being the epitome of commercially viable indie rock and a band that’s proved themselves capable of making literate music in the face of popularity, the release of Narrow Stairs isn’t about doubt; it’s about questions. Like, how will the band live up to darling Transatlanticism? Or will Narrow Stairs come close to the ability of Plan’s platinum success? Will Ben Gibbard top his past lyric and vocal work? If the analog Narrow Stairsprocess really was “bloody and loose”, will we even notice, or was it more for their own well-being? Death Cab’s art pop as hard rock? Wait, really?

AbsolutePunk Apr 20, 2008

The double disc album can be a pitfall for many bands. The girth of a release sometimes outweighs the overall vision and flow of the effort. Such is not the case with this 4-disc opus (ok, it’s technically a two release 24 song opus that could fit on two discs, but who’s counting?). I never thought I’d say it, but with the release of the second half of The Alchemy Index, Thrice has succeeded in creating a relevant multi-disc album that not only stands as a testament to the success of the format but also maintains a fairly even level of quality throughout. Though it is not without its slip-ups, the release stands as an excellent departure and display of tremendous growth from a band once pigeon holed as “screamo”.

AbsolutePunk Apr 9, 2008

It’s easy to answer the question of “who’s your favorite band?” when it’s asked. After eleven years, six full lengths, and two EPs, New Found Glory have yet to let me down on anything they’ve ever recorded. Tip of the Iceberg, their third EP, and first in 8 years, is no exception. For those who wrote New Found Glory off after their 2006 release Coming Home, get ready to eat your words, because this EP showcases everything people love about NFG and more, as it is some of their best material to date.

Produced and engineered by Paul Miner (Death By Stereo), New Found Glory have taken on a familiar but somewhat different sound on Tip of the Iceberg by creating three hardcore punk songsthat can be compared to Catalyst’s “Intro.” One of the most exciting things about this band is waiting to hear the vocals of Jordan Pundik on a new song that I haven’t heard yet, because with every new album, his voice keeps getting better, and with this release, it’s his best vocal performance yet. I was a bit skeptic at first as to how his voice would sound with the music but it turned out to work incredibly well. Each of the new original songs are very brief, but they’ll definitely leave a mark. “Tip of the Iceberg” is a great opener which will stamp the lyrics “This is just the tip of the iceberg / No bone in my body tells me I deserve her” into your brain, while “Dig My Own Grave” is the hardest of the three and features a sing-along chorus and vocals from Chad Gilbert during the bridge. My favorite track “If You Don’t Love Me” sounds like a title off Coming Home, but it’s probably one of the catchiest and fastest songs the band has done.

AbsolutePunk Apr 3, 2008

Sometimes on those cold late nights when the air coming from my body feels as if my soul is struggling to unleash itself from its shackles, I think of the words sung by Jimmy Eat World front man Jim Adkins on “Night Drive”: “You pierce my heart like a willing arm, your ticking makes my blood move.” Lines such as this, that sting immediately due to their poignancy and stark honesty fill the entire landscape that Jimmy Eat World’s landmark 2004 album Futures builds for itself and the listener.

AbsolutePunk Mar 28, 2008

Going platinum eleven times in less than fifteen years is an admirable feat for any recording artist, but Counting Crows have made it look cool. Dreadlocked lead singer Adam Duritz became sort of a poet of a generation, appealing to both young and old with his heartfelt lyrics and soothing vocals. The band’s newest creation, is the split-level Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings. The so-called “Saturday Nights” section is a seedy romp through debauchery and confusion, posing more questions than answers as frontman Adam Duritz puts himself all the way out on a limb for listeners. The “Sunday Mornings” portion experiences a bit of twisted nostalgia, as the singer replays and then comes to terms with his faults.

AbsolutePunk Mar 27, 2008

Sometimes I wish I were like you, so why won’t you let me show who I am?

Eight years has passed since Sweden’s punk rock golden boys Millencolin have released their iconic full-length Pennybridge Pioneers, and looking back, we can see there is a certain tinge of irony lurking within Nikola Sarcevic’s self-deprecating lyrics (like the excerpt above from “Stop to Think”) that intersperse cold hard truths with dry, quirky humor.

Hailing from the Swedish town of Örebro (which translates quite literally to “pennybridge” in English), Millencolin rose to fame in the early 90’s as part of the skate punk revolution, quickly being snatched up and signed by Epitaph Records. With a new millennium came a new horizon for the band that had gained a fair amount of popularity and praise in Europe and Australia but had yet to capitalize on the success labelmates Rancid, NOFX, and The Offspring had found in America. Epitaph head (and Bad Religion guitarist/co-songwriter) Brett Gurewitz took the band under his wing and produced Pennybridge Pioneers, their highest selling album to date, taking them from outside their comfort zone in the rolling hills of Sweden to record in the rolling hills of Hollywood.

AbsolutePunk Mar 19, 2008

Writing about music is about bridging the disconnect. No tone, beat or verse needs an explanation because music is, in itself, an explanation of sound and passion. It’s one of the more common conundrums a music critic faces: How do you illustrate something that is already done and painted? How do you rationalize with words and criticism when the sequences, notes and lines are already aware of what they do, how they work and the desire and despair they employ.

This is where I sit with Lydia’s sophomore full-length, Illuminate. In fact, I’ve been sitting with this album for weeks, flinging around words like cheap hooker shots. This is my third take (or fourth, if you count that time I attempted to write from an “altered” state) at giving Illuminate a shakedown. Through all these exchanges, there are a several points that I’ve been able to finalize.

AbsolutePunk Feb 19, 2008

The Loyal starts off with 14 seconds of “Woland’s First”. It’s only a quick moment but leeways into The Loyal gently. Still, the mood kicks off like a slingshot. From here on, Tiger Lou is changing along with the album, existing in the album and breathing like the album. There is no escaping. The Loyal is its own being. Rasmus Kellerman is the man pulling the strings and pumping the heart. Almost all the album instrumentation was recorded by his lonesome with Peter Katis (Interpol, Denali, The National) lending his production. The payoff is stunning.

AbsolutePunk Feb 12, 2008

Nearly three and a half years removed from their sophomore album, the platinum-certified Still Not Getting Any…, Simple Plan has returned from their sabbatical with a brand new self-titled CD. It’s evident upon first listen that while they’ve opted for the glossy production of a major-label band, they still have the songwriting skills of cavemen. Unfortunately for our now-damaged ears, the overdone production doesn’t distort the abominably dull lyrics enough to offer any comfort.

The social commentary (no, really) from Simple Plan begins with the opener and lead single, “When I’m Gone,” while introducing us to a main talking point about the new album. Frontman Pierre Bouvier’s vocals, previously one step above nails on a chalkboard have lost most of its grating whine, and instead dropped him in the middle of every other average pop-rock singer with little to no range. Nonetheless, the band yearns for acceptance with a vast array of mid-tempo ballads and slow songs that will totally undershoot their target audience. Frankly, it doesn’t even sound like they’re trying half of the time. “The End” amounts to nothing more than a crappy b-side from The Higher’s newest album; heavy on distortion, little on substance. As Bouvier begs and pleads for the subject of the song to stay and croons, “You know it’s not the end,” the listener begins to wish it was.

AbsolutePunk Dec 16, 2007

So this album came out two months ago. Apologies. No seriously, I’m really sorry. What this and other reviews should tell you is that I pace myself in analyzing albums. Perhaps too much so. There’s something so therapeutic about it, though. Waking up every morning, seeing a CD in your “To Review…” stack that has been there for much more than a month, popping it in, then telling yourself you’ll get to reviewing it tomorrow. Oh Trampoline — I will miss thee. Your simple cover that greeted me each time with memories of wasted hours at all those state fairs in and around October, attempting to impress some girl by making fun of carnies from afar and buying her lukewarm corn-dogs. Your rejuvenated peppiness (comparatively — Twilight Tales…) that virtually transforms my room in to a suburban backyard someplace, where the first day of spring is being celebrated by cannonballs in a pool and burgers straight off the grill. Oh, cheese on mine please!

AbsolutePunk Dec 9, 2007

First off, I just have to say congratulations to the next guitarist of Taking Back Sunday. When you leave the band, or the band breaks up, whatever project your involved in will turn to gold. This may not be completely true, but after the successes of John Nolan (or what I would call success despite them being dropped), and based on the future success of Fred Mascherino, he will skyrocket as well. Which brings me to the debut record of Frederick Paul Mascherino, and his backup band, known completely as The Color Fred.

AbsolutePunk Dec 8, 2007

In early December of 2007, I went into the studio with Andrew McMahon in Santa Monica when he was finishing up the new Jack’s Mannequin record. We originally shot a video of the interview, which you can watch here,1 but I’ve also transcribed the full text of the interview since many of the questions were left out or edited in the original video.

We no longer have this footage.↩

Review: Angels and Airwaves – I-Empire

AbsolutePunk Nov 29, 2007

Following the unfortunate demise of seminal pop-punk stars, Blink-182, bassist Mark Hoppus, drummer Travis Barker and singer Tom DeLonge went vastly different ways. Hoppus and Barker returned with +44, an electronica-themed band that seemed at times an extension of Blink (for better and for worse), and DeLonge traipsed across Larry King Live, proclaimed himself the second-coming of everything except John Lennon, and released Angels & Airwaves’ debut, We Don’t Need To Whisper. With WDNTW, DeLonge preached in favor of his newfound style, thrusting his maturity at anyone who would listen; to his chagrin, few did. The album sold relatively well in the mainstream, but many longtime fans had trouble embracing both the frontman’s attitude and his gloomy tunes.

Review: Less Than Jake – GNV FLA

Review: Cute is What We Aim For – Rotation

Review: Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs

Review: Thrice – The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV

Review: New Found Glory – Tip of the Iceberg EP

Review: Jimmy Eat World – Futures

Review: Counting Crows – Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings

Review: Millencolin – Pennybridge Pioneers

Review: Lydia – Illuminate

Review: Tiger Lou – The Loyal

Review: Simple Plan – Simple Plan

Review: Steel Train – Trampoline

Review: The Color Fred – Bend To Break

Interview: Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin

Review: Angels and Airwaves – I-Empire