I’m Sorry I Have to Be the One to Post This

Jason Tate Nov 24, 2007

In order to stop this from getting out of control before it starts I have a very sad announcement to make. However, I must preface it by saying that any shit talking will result in a permanent ban from this website effective immediately. Out of respect to the band and their many fans and friends who visit this website – I simply cannot in good conscience allow hate to be present today. It is with deep sorrow that I must announce that I have been informed by two very reliable sources that Casey from Hawthorne Heights passed away last night. At this moment there are no official announcements and no other information available – we will keep you updated. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.

I’ve been struggling with how to post this and even if I should post anything for the past hour … at this time I’ve decided to make the post in order to be here and make sure I can moderate the comments instead of things getting out of hand. I wish I knew the right things to say right now, but I don’t. I hope more than anything that the story isn’t true – but based upon the information we have at this time – sadly I believe it is.

UPDATE

Hawthorne Heights have posted a message on their website.

Today is probably the worst day ever. Its with our deepest regrets that we have to write this. Casey Calvert passed away in his sleep last night. We found out this afternoon before sound-check. We’ve spent the entire day trying to come to grips with this and figure out as much as possible. At this time we’re not sure what exactly happened. Just last night he was joking around with everyone before he went to bed. We can say with absolute certainty that he was not doing anything illegal. Please, out of respect to Casey and his family, don’t contribute or succumb to any gossip you may hear. We don’t want his memory to be tainted in the least. Casey was our best friend. He was quirky and awesome and there will truly be no others like him! His loss is unexplainable. As soon as we know more we will let you know.
Sincerely,
Hawthorne Heights (Eron, JT, Micah and Matt)

Drew Beringer Nov 2, 2007

Not going to lie, it was kind of strange listening to a new Armor For Sleep record and not hearing vocalist/guitarist Ben Jorgensen sing about sleeping, dreaming, or dying. Instead of writing another concept album, Jorgensen penned lyrics about a culture that’s dependant and obsessed with celebrity news and reality television, among other social commentaries, for the band’s major label debut, Smile For Them.

When the band first began the writing and recording process for Smile, they moved out to Los Angeles with a pre-arranged producer, courtesy of Sire. Unhappy with the results, the band packed up and restarted the process in their hometown and brought back Machine, who brilliantly produced their 2005 record, What To Do When You Are Dead. The end product is twelve tracks that seamlessly flow between post-hardcore and pop, resulting in what may be Armor For Sleep’s most rockin’ record to date.

Drew Beringer Oct 29, 2007

Are albums this good supposed to be this depressing?

Saves The Day’s sixth album, Under The Boards (which is the second album of the band’s planned trilogy), dives into brain trust’s Chris Conley’s mind, which we find is a very dark place. While the first installment of the trilogy, 2006’s Sound The Alarm, was all fire and brimstone, Boards focuses on picking up the pieces.

With the help of Marc Hudson and Eric Stenman, the band produced this thirteen-track trek through despair, and the title track, which opens the album, immediately lets you know what kind of journey you are in for. Paced by a simple guitar riff that crawls underneath your skin, Conley’s vocals are on point, as he painfully begins to pour out his innermost feelings. The track then segues right away into “Radio,” an upbeat song with an undeniable catchy chorus. “Can’t Stay The Same” slightly reminds me of “Anywhere With You,” with how the verses lead into the chorus, while “Get Fucked Up,” a mid-paced track about attempting to get over someone, is beautifully depressing.

AbsolutePunk Oct 27, 2007

It seems that Gabe Saporta has experienced an epiphany of sorts. To the chagrin of some (and the delight of others), he has emphatically declared that Cobra Starship wasn’t a one-album breather from Midtown by following up with a new album approximately fifty-four weeks after the debut. Viva La Cobra! proves that Saporta has refined his dance-rock chops with a little Latin flair, straying quite far at times from the handclap-styled rock of the band’s debut, While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets.

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Review: Say Anything – In Defense Of The Genre

Drew Beringer Oct 23, 2007

And the record begins with a song spoken by Satan.

Okay, so that’s not as catchy as the line that began 2004’s superb …Is A Real Boy, but Max Bemis ups the ante with the 27 song, double disc major label debut In Defense of the Genre, an album that blends chaos, attitude, insecurity, and about two hundred guest vocalists into an epic portrayal of and journey through Bemis’ thoughts. In what may be the most anticipated album of 2007, Bemis did not copy what made …Is A Real Boy so good. Instead, he channeled even more quirkiness and brutal honesty into his writing that exudes a sense of confidence not heard on previous Say Anything records.

Blake Solomon Oct 16, 2007

As a race, we like consistency. There’s a long-winded, wordy premise called “Balance Theory” that describes this. Basically, the theory says most humans would rather have everything stay the same than constantly change. Per usual, there are exceptions to the rule; we call them thrill seekers or daredevils. But these people are few and far between, and despite what you tell yourself as you put your gauges in every morning, you are not one of these people. Music fans, especially, like consistency. Crime In Stereo, in perhaps the most “punk” move of the year, have essentially created an album full of “F**k You’s” aimed at those looking for the same ol’ same ol’. Some people are going to be mad, some are going to rejoice, and others will (incorrectly) hail Is Dead as a revolution. In all likelihood, though, Is Dead will be a testament to those with open minds.

AbsolutePunk Oct 15, 2007

Fire and water are two elements necessary for life; one provides sustenance to support all living creatures while the other provides the energy responsible for the very reactions that make life possible. Yet, despite their shared importance, both substances remain polar opposites and mortal enemies. When combined, water quenches fire and fire causes water to evaporate if given the right circumstances. The fact that these two substances remain completely different yet both extremely important in their own right make them a perfect descriptive inspiration for the first half Thrice’s highly ambitious, four EP undertaking The Alchemy Index.

AbsolutePunk Oct 12, 2007

It’s a tough world out there for pop bands. In order to make the best of their lot, and appeal to the masses, they usually have to be billed as “guilty pleasures” or are forced to parade around under some genre hybridization for the sole sake of avoiding the dirty p-word. Yet somehow, through it all, Jimmy Eat World has managed to navigate through all of this fog and mudslinging to the point where they have transcended traditional criticisms. Perhaps it is because they are one of the few multi-platinum groups to still do club tours, or maybe just because they have so consistently upheld their own high standard for the past decade and a half. Either way, the band has attained a position of prominence in modern music and it is from this perch that they release their sixth studio album, Chase This Light.

AbsolutePunk Oct 4, 2007

Calling all Dashboard diehards – we know who we are. Together we throw our voices to the sweaty mist that rises above our mass of bodies. Like one huge open wound orgy, this Dashboard lovefest knows every lyric down to the last syllable. There is a short and tattooed man on stage with an acoustic guitar, and he stands a smidgen past five foot. His holy choir feeds off the heart he wears on his sleeve. The room sings as one, and our chords are hoarse by the third song.

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Review: A Wilhelm Scream – Career Suicide

Blake Solomon Oct 4, 2007

Career Suicide my ass. A Wilhelm Scream will still be sitting atop a throne of insanely fast riffs, in-your-face lyrics and basslines that actually matter. If you recently found yourself listening to Ruiner and thinking, “There’s no way they can do better than this,” well, shows how much you know. Slap yourself for lack of faith. I’ll wait… But seriously (I do serious?), Career Suicide finds A Wilhelm Scream trying their capable hands at some longer, but still pretty punk tracks. Calm down, everything works just fine. In fact, the album flows so well that I challenge you to only play it in bits and pieces. I challenge you to listen to opener, “I Wipe My Ass With Showbiz,” and not get excited all over again about one of the most solid bands making music today.

Blake Solomon Oct 1, 2007

You don’t want to read about my history with Emery just like I don’t want to read about how they changed your life way back when (soon after, you bought a sick t-shirt, I’m sure). Let’s just stick to the present, then. The merit and quality of I’m Only A Man has been hotly debated around these parts. With each new song posted more people dug a line in the sand and seemed to say, “I’m biased enough to not care,” or “Can’t wait for that new Spoken disc to drop!” We’re all familiar with Emery’s formula by now – I use that word because of how predictable the songwriting can be – the melodies dominate beginnings of songs while some unintelligible shrieking finishes out the tracks with moderately discordant riffs. Expect no different here. All we are left with is the illusion of intensity, repetitions of semi-heaviness. Why people (myself included) can look over such glaring flaws is hard to explain (I mean, catchiness can only take a person so far). On second thought, maybe we should be reminiscing.

Drew Beringer Sep 25, 2007

If I were to use a simile to describe the Foo Fighters, I would definitely exclaim that they’re like a fine wine. With the release of their sixth studio album Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace, the Foo is a band that just gets better with age. Produced by Gil Norton, the same man who produced the defining record of the Foo’s career (1996 The Colour And The Shape), Echoes is a hauntingly beautiful display of how good this band is.

Don’t let the opening track (also the first single), “The Pretender,” fool you, Echoes is not as rip-roaring as that track is. This is very recognizable on “Let It Die,” a song that repeatedly tip toes the line behind quiet and loud. The verses are paced by the gentle strumming of the guitar, while the bridge and ending feature Dave Grohl yelling his lungs out. And this particular song is what Echoes is in a nutshell. We still have the hard-hitting and fast-paced music that we all know and love about the Foo Fighters, but, overall, they show a mellow demeanor throughout the album.

Blake Solomon Sep 19, 2007

Take a look around. What do you see?

Half-eaten bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? Check.
Nunchucks hanging on wall (you know, just in case)? Check.
Telescope facing hot co-eds. Triple check (they’re blondes!).
A general air of debauchery and laziness? Check**

Well then, you’re an idiot. Whoa, whoa, whoa, don’t take that as a put-down. You have not been forgotten this time. You can finally dive into the cesspool of discarded expectations and “you had to be there” stories with a sufficiently boisterous soundtrack. For The Wonder Years have created Get Stoked On It! And Ted saw all that he had influenced, and that it was very good. He tried to tell Bill, but Bill had fallen asleep in the phone booth and was transported back to feudal Japan. Moving on.

AbsolutePunk Sep 18, 2007

Usually only once or twice a year, an album comes along, trailing behind it a robust passion for music, an appreciation for the legends of the genre, and above all, the ability to capture the hearts and minds of all those who listen. In 2007, that album is without a doubt Josh Ritter’s The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. Ritter walks the same traveling minstrel line as Springsteen and the Man in Black himself, producing songs that go far beyond a simple entertainment factor. Many critics believed Josh Ritter might never top his heavily-praised release from seventeen months before, The Animal Years. Switching musical styles quite noticeably, Ritter instead chose to blow the doors off of his earlier work.

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Review: Four Year Strong – Rise or Die Trying

AbsolutePunk Sep 16, 2007

Start the takeover.
The Takeover

Almost knowing what was to come, the first words said on Four Year Strong’s full-length debut, Rise or Die Trying, are evocative of the buzz that the band is being adorned with on this release. The band has received a notable following from their insane live shows, positive word of mouth, and critical acclaim from websites (guilty as charged) before their highly-anticipated full-length even hit stores. So, does Four Year Strong’s latest rise over the hype or die as an overhyped effort in mediocrity?

Simply put, this album rocks. Describing their music as “happy hardcore,” the band is essentially a pop-punk band with hardcore elements, thus being accessible to all sorts of fans. If you like singing along to music, you’re covered. If you like screaming along to music, you’re covered. If you like banging your head to music, you’re covered. Dueling vocals, great lyrical content, synth lines…I can go on. Rise Or Die Trying has elements that will capture the attention of any fan of rock music. The band is burning up and hitting up this scene that has become theirs for the taking.

Let me see you put your hands upon the stereo/It’s spitting out a ridiculous frequency/But turn it up turn it up/Break a sweat/’Cause were just burning up and hitting up the scene that was ours to hit up.
Bada Bing! Wit A Pipe!

Rise Or Die Trying is an absolute treat for the ears. The album starts with a warning siren on “The Takeover,” indicating that this album is about to take over–thrash your aural senses while leaving a smile on your face. (Talk about happy hardcore.) The album kicks off with “Prepare to Be Digitally Manipulated” and, while seeming to be a speedy punk tune immediately shifts to the hardcore with former Bury Your Dead singer Mat Bruso putting forth his vocals that let you know that Four Year Strong is not your typical pop-punk band in the vein of Cartel or Motion City Soundtrack, but pop-punk that truly exemplifies the roots of punk with the charm of pop.

Drummer Jake Massucco shines on every track with quick feet on the double bass pedals and crafting some really great fills in between the dual singing of guitarists Dan O’Connor and Alan Day. Their first single, “Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die” is a standout track and the perfect representation of what this band is, especially the dual vocals into the breakdown toward the end of the song.

Try not to make it so obvious/You always make it so obvious/I’m fighting it off.
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Hell

However, it is this representation of the band that underlies the album’s main flaw–the lack of originality. Like I have said earlier, they combine a variety of elements into one package that works but it seems like all of these elements are just taken from other bands. Song titles reminiscent of those popularized by Fall Out Boy, dual vocals, and the use of a synthesizer to enhance the music are just some facets that make this release seem a bit too familiar at times from a band that has not had much time or exposure to distinguish themselves amidst their peers. The lyrics, while they employ metaphor very well on tracks like “Abandon Ship or Abandon All Hope” and take a vengeful view on sex in “Catastrophe” and “Beatdown in the Key of Happy,” are surprisingly solid though many deal with the topic of the opposite sex. The most glaring problem is that the band has essentially done the same thing for eleven tracks so there is a genuine sense of repetition by the end of the album. Although the lack of originality is the main fault of this album, the band’s ability to combine each of these parts and make it their own is no easy task, but it is one that they have excelled at.

Many will decry the slick production and mixing that have been done for this album, but I find that it is one of the album’s appeals, as it is intended to not be a full-fledged raw hardcore release but a pop-hardcore release. The clear sound makes it an easier listen than one that is muddled by murky sound quality and allows the guitar work and Josh Lyford’s synth lines to be heard easily.

Ladies and gentlemen, open up your eyes and ears and listen up.
Prepare to Be Digitally Manipulated

All in all, this is an album that should not be missed. It is a true pop-punk release, a refreshing look into an increasingly stale genre. This is an album that fits with any mood one is feeling, allowing you to sing along or bang your head. Most of all, it is fun and will have a ton of staying power as a result.

Though many will inevitably shy away from this release because of the immense buildup it has received, they are doing their ears a disservice as Four Year Strong has risen above the hype and made an album worth every word of praise it has received.

This article was originally published on AbsolutePunk.net

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I’m Sorry I Have to Be the One to Post This

Review: Armor for Sleep – Smile For Them

Review: Saves the Day – Under The Boards

Review: Cobra Starship – Viva La Cobra!

Review: Say Anything – In Defense Of The Genre

Review: Crime in Stereo – Is Dead

Review: Thrice – The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II

Review: Jimmy Eat World – Chase This Light

Review: Dashboard Confessional – The Shade of Poison Trees

Review: A Wilhelm Scream – Career Suicide

Review: Emery – I’m Only A Man

Review: Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace

Review: The Wonder Years – Get Stoked On It!

Review: Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

Review: Four Year Strong – Rise or Die Trying