Review: Man Overboard – Heart Attack

Man Overboard - Heart Attack

It makes sense that the band with the battle cry of “Defend Pop Punk” would eventually take aim at the heart. With its self-titled Rise debut feeling a bit safe at times, we needed Man Overboard to reclaim that Real Talk urgency. I’m not saying the band’s last album was bad, but it was missing some of the punch its debut possessed. Thankfully, that’s not the case with Heart Attack, as Man Overboard has brought back its defibrillator to jumpstart things once again.

One of my colleagues stated that it finally sounds like the band is composing complete songs instead of just hooks, and I tend to agree – at least that’s how the self-titled came across to me; it had killer choruses but not much else. Heart Attack remedies that, however, as album opener “Secret Pain” delivers the right amount of kick, as the mid-tempo verses and energetic chorus gives off the sense of a refined Real Talk track. “Boy Without Batteries” features one of the album’s best choruses (good luck getting that bridge out of your head), while the title track and “Suppy” are pure pop-punk bliss.

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Review: Eisley – Currents

Eisley - Currents

Last time we checked in with Eisley, the band was exploring the deep space with its very good extended play of the same name. During the time between that and its latest Equal Vision release, Currents, a lot has happened internally and externally. Some things stayed the same (the band recorded once again in its home studio; they still have an ear for incredibly melodies and hooks), some changed, at least in each member’s personal life (there were a lot of babies in the studio; the band is facing controversy from its failed Kickstarter campaign). But forget all that for now, as the only thing that matters is if the DuPree gang would continue its trend of releasing atmospheric indie-pop gems.

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Review: Alkaline Trio – My Shame Is True

Alkaline Trio - My Shame Is True

For some reason, Alkaline Trio falls into this weird “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” area with their legion of fans. Whenever the band experiments with its sound (CrimsonAgony & Irony), fans complain that it doesn’t sound like the band’s previous material. So when the Trio writes an album that’s a throwback of sorts (its last full-lengthThis Addiction), fans whine about it not being as good as From Here To The Infirmary or Goddammit. The band can’t win. Fortunately, this hasn’t ever deterred the band from writing what they deem to be the best Alkaline Trio songs. On its second proper Epitaph full-length, the band headed to the Blasting Room to work with legendary producer Bill Stevenson for (surprisingly) the first time in its career. The result is My Shame Is True, the Trio’s tightest collection of songs since 2003’s Good Mourning.

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Review: Silverstein – This Is How The Wind Shifts

Silverstein - This Is How The Wind Shifts

The idea that one situation can changed dramatically by something as innocent as where the wind blows is a compelling one – something Silverstein explores thoroughly on its latest album, This Is How The Wind Shifts. I feel like Silverstein has been one of the more underappreciated bands out of the early-00’s post-hardcore boom. While many similar acts have either folded or released poor imitations of past work, the Ontario quintet continues to challenge their selves. This Is How The Wind Shifts is proof of that, as it’s the band’s finest effort in its decade-plus career.

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Review: Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob

Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob

Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?

Rob Gordon, High Fidelity

For some reason this quote from the 2000 flick High Fidelity continues to pop into my head anytime I finish listening to Tegan and Sara’s latest album Heartthrob. Now, I’m not saying that this album makes me miserable (quite the opposite really). Rather, the reason I can’t shake that quote is because Heartthrob excels at disguising its darker lyrical content with bright, up-tempo electronica flourishes. And there are a lot of electronic touches throughout Heartthrob, as Tegan and Sara trade in their guitars for keys and synthesizers. This is a full-fledged pop album and that may be shocking to some. But make no mistake: Heartthrob is undoubtedly Tegan and Sara’s best album.

But if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll realize that the duo has been inching closer and closer to this type of sound over the course of the last few Tegan and Sara records (as well as their cameos on dance tracks from EDM artists Tiesto and Morgan Page). The band has been churning out three minute pop delicacies since So Jealous and on Heartthrob, they’ve perfected it. Honestly, I’ve been waiting for this change of pace in the duo’s music and I couldn’t be happier with how Heartthrob turned out. The twin sisters have pushed themselves creatively and musically, creating something truly special. The ten-track LP was co-produced by Greg Kurstin and Mike Elizondo (two producers who’ve worked with the likes of Ke$ha, Lily Allen, Sia, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, and Maroon 5), leading to a pristine and massive sounding record. Songs like “Drove Me Wild” and single “Closer” are perfect examples – both have huge, infectious choruses that are paced by a dizzying array of vibrant keys and buzzing synth. It was a no-brainer for the sisters to work with this production team, launching Tegan and Sara’s songwriting to new heights.

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Review: Deftones – Koi No Yokan

Deftones - Koi No Yokan

I was 14 when I bought White Pony, the third album from Sacramento metal legends Deftones. Little did I know that this purchase on a June day would eventually change my life. I didn’t realize music could be so intricate, emotional, and devastating all in one swoop. White Pony consumed me and turned my interest in music from casual encounters to a passionate love affair. Honestly, that album is the reason I have this very job.

So why is my story relevant? It’s because I feel the same emotions I did 12 years ago when listening to Koi No Yokan, the seventh full-length from Deftones.

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Review: Circa Survive – Violent Waves

Circa Survive - Violent Waves

We’ve seen this movie before. Band reaches moderate success on indie label, signs to major, releases major label debut, album gets little to no push, band and major separate mutually. It’s the most predictable cycle of events since every Katherine Heigl movie ever. But the cycle’s most recent addition, Circa Survive, isn’t your typical band. Their major label debut Blue Sky Noise was a killer album – a staggering cornucopia of everything you loved from their first two albums. But let’s be real, Circa Survive is too zealous of a group to be constrained by the limitations of a major (or any) label (but it was admirable that they kicked the tires with the ol’ major try. You know, YOLO and all that garbage). So it made absolute sense when the band announced that they were going to go the DIY route with their fourth album Violent Waves.

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Review: Anchor & Braille – The Quiet Life

Anchor & Braille - The Quiet Life

It’s kind of funny that Anchor & Braille’s second album is titled The Quiet Life, since it’s anything but. While this collection of songs isn’t as in your face as Stephen Christian’s other band Anberlin, his latest effort with his side project is incredibly vibrant and varied. After proving that this project wasn’t just a retread of slower Anberlin-esque songs with his 2009 debut Felt, Christian’s eclectic musical interests is all over The Quiet Life. Reuniting with his other band’s former label Tooth & Nail, The Quiet Life takes what worked on Felt, refined it, and added in some new twists and turns to create one of the best releases Christian has ever been a part of.

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Review: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange

Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE

While most tuned-in reviewers, bloggers, and music fans discovered Frank Ocean with his critically-acclaimed mixtape nostalgia ULTRA, the majority of the mainstream were introduced to Ocean’s distinct croon when he provided the vocals to the incredible hook of Kanye West and Jay-Z’s hit “No Church In The Wild.”  It’s obvious that his voice was built for stardom and top 40 radio.  The only problem with that idea, however, is that Ocean wants nothing to do with that, as he skips the trends and marches to the beat of his own 808.  Fans old and new will need to expect the unexpected on Ocean’s major label channel ORANGE, as its seventeen tracks showcase an artist who is much more conflicted and layered than perhaps originally thought.

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Review: Senses Fail – Follow Your Bliss EP

Senses Fail - Follow Your Bliss EP

Much like their peers in Hawthorne Heights, Senses Fail may have surprised some people with how they’ve outlasted their post-hardcore/scene peers. And just like the Ohio quartet, the guys in Senses Fail are still unleashing some of their best work. And after facing some early career label drama and hype, the New Jersey quintet has released solid album after solid album, and they finally get to celebrate that fact with their best-of collective, the aptly titled Follow Your Bliss. But it wouldn’t be a party without some new SF songs, and luckily we get a four song EP that’s stuffed with everything you love about the band and more.

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Review: Make Do and Mend – Everything You Ever Loved

Make Do And Mend – Everything You Ever Loved

Everyone has a record (or records) like this. Records that unite and create memories between friends. Records that serve as the soundtrack to the memories you’ve made and memories you’ll soon make. This is why we’ve fell in love with music in the first place. These are albums that stay with you for the rest of your life. And Make Do And Mend’s latest offering (and Rise Records debut) Everything You Ever Loved reminds me of why I love this stuff so much in the first place. 

What you’re about to drop the needle on is one of the most intimate, intense, and moving albums of 2012. Make Do And Mend just took it to the next level – meshing their brand of melodic punk with the likes of Jimmy Eat World and Foo Fighters. Everything You Ever Loved is an eleven track rock album that will be the shock you’ll need to your system to avoid those lethargic summer days. Opening track “Blur” begins somberly, as vocalist James Carroll belts out the first few lines of the album, referencing the album’s title. It’s reminiscent of the latest material from Balance and Composure, until it lives up to its name and sprints forward into runaway guitar riffs and Carroll’s gravelly voice. It’s the perfect table setter for Everything You Ever Loved, as it eases you into the new direction Make Do And Mend showcases throughout the album while maintaining the edge first heard on their 2010 debut End Measured Mile

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Review: Hawthorne Heights – Hope

Hawthorne Heights - Hope

If you would have told me in 2005 that Hawthorne Heights would be thriving in the DIY scene, I would have laughed hysterically right in your face. They had just debuted in the top 3 of the Billboard Charts with If Only You Were Lonely, selling hundreds of thousands of records, and selling out shows everywhere. But now they are becoming poster boys for the DIY scene, as they are set to release their second Cardboard Empire record, Hope – the sequel to 2011’s angry and despair-ridden Hate. It’s always a risky move to go the DIY route. Instead it has reinvigorated the band’s creativity and their career, as Hate relieved any doubt fans might have had about Camp HH going down the DIY road. The band’s previous popularity and their drive to create something meaningful for their selves and their fans have resulted in the band embracing the DIY scene as its most unlikely champions. After unleashing some pent-up aggression on Hate, the Ohio quartet turn to optimism on Hope, combining the intensity from Hate with the melodies that gained so many fans years ago.

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Review: You Blew It! – Grow Up, Dude

You Blew It! - Grow Up, Dude

“Ah, so you’re into that whole twinkle daddies thing.”

Huh?

“You know, this style of music that’s overtaking local basements and garages over the nation.”

Uh, come again?

This is a conversation I had with someone on Facebook after gushing about You Blew It!’s Topshelf debut Grow Up, Dude. Last.fm informs that it’s “Those emo-ish bands with the twinkly guitars and the hoarse vocals. Twinkle daddies.” Okay, I guess that makes sense. While I insist that the name for this genre of music is incredibly stupid, the music coming forth is definitely not. The genre has churned out some great under appreciated acts such as Grown Ups, Snowing, and The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die, but it’s the Orlando, Florida quartet who seem poised to break out in 2012.

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Review: The Used – Vulnerable

The Used – Vulnerable

Despite playing a genre of music that seemingly died out years ago (as evidence of many of their peers from the early 2000’s emo-pop boom having gone the way of the dodo bird), The Used have found a way to remain relevant within the scene, as they possess some of the most die-hard fans I’ve ever encountered. It probably helps that their first two albums are revered by fans and non-fans, and, despite releasing a pair of duds since then, The Used are still able to stir up a lot of anticipation and debate whenever they’re about to release a new album. 

But after releasing the poor Artwork in 2009, the band parted ways with Warner Bros. Vocalist Bert McCracken has gone on to say that Artwork is his least favorite album and directed some of the blame towards the band’s former label for meddling with it. Now three years since, their fifth studio album, Vulnerable, is the result of the band having 100% creative control for the first time in a long time, releasing the album collaboratively between their own label, Anger Music Group, and indie power Hopeless Records. McCracken stated that Vulnerable is a direct response to everything surrounding the band’s last release and is his favorite Used record ever. Those are pretty bold words and while I don’t agree with them (I’ll rep the self-titled release till I die), Vulnerable is definitely the band’s best and most versatile release since 2004’s In Love and Death

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Review: Say Anything – Anarchy, My Dear

Say Anything - Anarchy, My Dear

You can always go back home, but nothing is exactly the same. Say Anything’s sixth studio album Anarchy, My Dear is the band’s first release on an indie since leader Max Bemis released the scene classic …Is A Real Boy in 2004. After achieving mild success with the two albums in between on RCA/Sony, Bemis and company find themselves back in the familiar company of a major indie label, this time being Equal Vision. They also enlisted the production services of Tim O’Heir, whom oversaw the IARB sessions, thus including a comfort level that may not have been present during 2009 self-titled release.

But just like when you return home after all those years at college, things are different. People change, environments shift, and you grow and mature as a person. This can be directly applied to Bemis, whom, since Is A Real Boy, has matured not only as a songwriter but as a person. He’s happily married to Sherri DuPree, drugs are out of his system, and his outlook on life has changed. Basically, everything doesn’t suck as much as it did when he was writing that life-changing album. After a while all the self-loathing can be quite the drag, and Bemis is more aware of this than ever.

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