Review: Hey Monday – Hold on Tight

AbsolutePunk Sep 26, 2008

As far as “front females” go, I’d have to say that Hayley Williams of Paramore would be up there with my favorites. She has a great voice regardless of what people may think about her in general. What I don’t like about Williams however, is nothing that has to do with her personally, but the endless amount of comparisons to her whenever someone listens to a female fronted band. “OMG Paramore 2.0” and “Paramore rip-off1!!1” are amongst the comments I’ve witnessed regarding a pop band with a female vocalist. Part of me even thinks there could be a death metal band but as long as there was a girl singer, Paramore comparisons would be made.

AbsolutePunk Sep 23, 2008

These are troubled times we face in the world today. The turbulent stage we as not only a nation, but a world are currently helplessly cascading through is not easy. Lies fill the airwaves, trust for your government cannot be formed, truth is slowly dwindling away. What can we do, as citizens, to diminish our fears? What can we do to press on and keep hope alive?

We can press play.

That’s right – we can find a proper soundtrack that fits into our woeful and dire needs of something strong, something fearless, something honest … and House of Heroes just might be that answer we all need. The basic pop-music structure/formula is fading faster than the Yankees’ payroll – and giving off about the same results: expecting something big, yet getting nothing in return. House of Heroes aims to change this notion with their (technically) fourth proper full-length release, The End is Not the End. Heck, it’s right there in the album title: the end is not the end. Speaks volumes, doesn’t it? The resurrection of one’s true and eternal belief in all that is, will be and ever was … in popular music. And life in general too, I guess.

AbsolutePunk Sep 21, 2008

Big Bad Band. Big Bad Album. Greek: The Soundtrack. There are numerous names we could all choose to plaster on Plain White T’s fourth full-length release, Big Bad World — however, the most apparent one would be “awful”. In the seemingly endless ocean of pop bands looking for high water, this Chicago quintet desperately wants to be the next Fall Out Boy (just ask clothing outlet Aeropostale), yet they come across as the group of wannabe kids who chase the bus long after it’s taken off down the road.

Praying they can bank off last year’s chart-topping success of “Hey There Delilah,” the band continues their steep decline by writing some of the cheesiest, most gimmicky songs even Kidz Bop wouldn’t consider covering — it’s simply not worth paying for the publishing rights. Is the band aware of their awkward transition from average – but tolerable – pop-rock to bubblegum pop? One can’t be too sure, but with song titles like “Natural Disaster” (an awkward song about a groupie) and “Serious Mistake,” it seems like the joke is on the listener … right?

Adrian Villagomez Sep 18, 2008

Like Un Mas Dos, I’ll try to keep this review short and sweet. Last year Straylight Run released The Needles the Space, a great album that rewarded repeat listeners and struck a fine balance between lead vocalists John Nolan and Michelle DaRosa. In the time since, Straylight Run were dropped from Universal Records and DaRosa left the band to pursuer her solo career. Rather than allowing these losses to accumulate in a complete breakdown of the band, John Nolan, bassist Shaun Cooper, and drummer Will Noon decided to return to their roots. The e-release Un Mas Dos is a brief three song set that recalls the band’s first online release and shines a light through the haze and into their future.

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Review: Bayside – Shudder

AbsolutePunk Sep 18, 2008

The fine balance between utter disdain and hopelessness with relentless apathy is essentially what makes Long Island’s Bayside such an unclassifiable rock band. Their combination of depressing emo-centric lyricism and moody exteriors have made them one of the most easy-to-relate-to bands on the Victory roster (after all, how many of us can truly relate to the “bludgeoning” riffs and double-bass drum kicks of metalcore’s elite, hmm?). Take the dark melodic contours of Alkaline Trio, throw in the hazy optimism of Smoking Popes and add a dash of sincere melancholy (with some wicked wit for good measure), and you’ve got your basic Bayside sound.

Drew Beringer Sep 7, 2008

When I read or hear about cancer survivors, they’ll sometimes describe how experiencing and overcoming cancer gave them a new sense of appreciation for life and how they carry on from day to day. After listening to The Glass Passenger, you can sense Jack’s Mannequin brain trust Andrew McMahon has developed an even deeper appreciation, as each track is lively and spirited.

McMahon’s battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia has been well documented, so I won’t get into the details, but we’ve seen the photos and heard the stories: McMahon wasn’t going to let this thing beat him, and you can hear vibrant energy and beautiful compositions throughout The Glass Passenger, an album bursting with diversity.

Drew Beringer Sep 7, 2008

When Gym Class Heroes released 2006’s As Cruel As School Children, it wasn’t perceived immediately as being a big hit. The band had their core fan base, but the focus was more on labelmates Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco, and The Academy Is…. Then the band released a remix cut of “Cupid’s Chokehold,” which was originally featured on 2005’s Papercut Chronicles. That song turned everything around for the band, as Travis McCoy and company crashed the mainstream.

GCH look to continue that same line of success while progressing as a band with the release of The Quilt, but what we hear throughout the album is that that line is hard to toe, as the band falls off every now and then.

Drew Beringer Sep 1, 2008

Why do we fall, sir? So that we might learn to pick ourselves up.
Alfred Pennyworth, Batman Begins

When I look back on what has occurred around Underoath over the past two years, this is one quote I think of. There were plenty of highlights in Camp UO, such as 2006’s Define The Great Line being certified gold and debuting at number two on the Billboard. But all of that seemed to get overshadowed with the band’s sudden drop off that summer’s Warped Tour, the near break-up of the band, and vocalist Spencer Chamberlain’s battle with substance abuse and past and present demons. It was a dark time for the Florida sextet. But they fought through it and came out of it stronger than ever – armed with their sixth studio album, Lost In The Sound Of Separation, just waiting to unleash it on the world.

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.

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Review: The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound

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.

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.”

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Review: Anthony Green – Avalon

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: Hey Monday – Hold on Tight

Review: House of Heroes – The End is Not the End

Review: Plain White T’s – Big Bad World

Review: Straylight Run – Un Mas Dos

Review: Bayside – Shudder

Review: Jack’s Mannequin – The Glass Passenger

Review: Gym Class Heroes – The Quilt

Review: Underoath – Lost in the Sound of Separation

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