Review: Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything to Nothing

Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing
Jason Tate

Quick note to the rest of the albums coming out this year: The bar has just been set.

Over the years there have been a select group of artists that have become so well respected within our community that they have reached almost hallowed ground. Their recordings are considered by some as the pinnacle achievement of what our little music scene can create. These bands top many “all time favorite” lists – and even years later their influence and replayablity dominate the eardrums. I’d like to present to you the next candidate for admission: Manchester Orchestra.

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Review: Silverstein – A Shipwreck In the Sand

Silverstein - A Shipwreck In the Sand
Drew Beringer

Betrayal. Arson. Infidelity. True Love.

Two stories that parallel each other. A captain and his ship overthrown by men he put his trust into. A lover scorned by the betrayal of his woman and his best friend. A passion for fire. A concept burning with torment, confusion, and hatred. This is A Shipwreck In The Sand, and this is Silverstein’s finest offering. 

This five-piece from Ontario, Canada, have never been the frontrunners for respect in the scene. While critics continued to dismiss the band as generic post-hardcore, the band has continued to improve. Just listen to the evidence in Shane Told’s vocals. Once a shrieking mess on their debut album, When Broken Is Easily Fixed, Told’s voice now bellows with a swagger. The band has also improved musically, adding new dynamics and tempos in each album. With A Shipwreck In The Sand, the improvements we’ve heard on the previous two albums reach a maturation and refinement. 

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Review: Kelly Clarkson – All I Ever Wanted

Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted
Blake Solomon

Putting All I Ever Wanted on shuffle could, depending on your thought process, ruin or save the whole experience. A far cry from Ms. Clarkson’s very public fight to write all her own songs on My December, All I Ever Wanted finds the singer co-penning just six of 14 songs (mostly with One Republic crooner Ryan Tedder). In this case, it’s a good thing Clarkson gave up some creative control, as her songs are generally the album’s weakest tracks (with the winners being string-infused rocker “Long Shot” and “Impossible”, which may be one of the best vocal performances of her storied career). Instead, All I Ever Wanted finds redeeming value in songs meant for Katy Perry or songs written by some of the biggest names in the game – lead single “My Life Would Suck Without You”, for example, has a veritable who’s-who of nameless songwriters behind it. 

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Review: A Day to Remember – Homesick

A Day to Remember - Homesick
Blake Solomon

Homesick makes it abundantly clear why so many people refuse to jump sides for A Day to Remember. There are 12 songs of the exact same heavy/lol-pop that can be heard onFor Those Who Have Heart or And Their Name Was Treason. Stick with your instincts; there are no true changes to the band’s sound. However, I finally realized the (probably intentional) trickery that comes packaged with ADTR records. Each one begins with a blistering fist pumper that’s more pop than “mosh.” The listener is instantly “amped” up (or whatever), and then it’s almost like the remaining 35 minutes don’t even matter. Your sated pleasure sensors easily discharge the forthcoming filler. But let’s say you skip that first song – or in this case, the first and second song – do you still have a great record? Quite confidently, I will say without this carefully planned dose of adrenaline you have a terrible f**king record. After we hear a shattering breakdown proclaiming “This is a battleground!” in second song “My Life For Hire,” the album becomes pretty skippable – save for a few (admittedly contagious) moments. If any band should just release EP’s, it’s A Day to Remember.

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Review: Thursday – Common Existence

Thursday - Common Existence
Drew Beringer

The critical and fan reception to Thursday’s 2006 release, A City By The Light Divided, were, at best, lukewarm. It caused a divide among fans; either you loved it or you hated it. There was no middle ground. City took on a more experimental route with Thursday’s signature sound still woven in. Some complain about the tone of the album, most complained about the production of Dave Fridmann (I personally love it). So when the Jersey sextet announced that Fridmann would be producing the band’s Epitaph debut, Common Existence, fans were naturally wary. 

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Review: Bon Iver – Blood Bank

Bon Iver - Blood Bank
AbsolutePunk

Bon Iver seem to be a bit confused. Stepping out of the wintry woods and into the hot spotlight can have that effect. 

Following what has become the most infamous period of isolation since Thoreau and his picturesque pond, neo-soul man Justin Vernon has seen his debut full-length, For Emma, Forever Ago, transition from word-of-mouth exchange in 2007 to official label release on Jagjaguwar Records in 2008. The album’s brilliantly simple honesty and chilling atmospheres have captured the hearts and ears of listeners across the country, both fans and critics alike. To call For Emma, Forever Ago a success would severely understate its impact. Bon Iver have been swept up in a maelstrom of radio interviews, in-studio recordings (including Daytrotter and Myspace Transmission sessions), and tour dates with Swedish acoustic artist The Tallest Man on Earth. If AP.net fervor is your measure of achievement, then it’s also important to note that Bon Iver’s gem finished at number seven on the staff’s compiled list of The Best of 2008 and featured prominently in many staff members’ and users’ lists as well. Suffice it to say, 2008 was a pretty bang-up year for Bon Iver.

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Review: P.O.S. – Never Better

P.O.S. - Never Better
Drew Beringer

Growing up in Minneapolis, Stefon Alexander latched onto bands like At The Drive-In, Refused, Kid Dynamite, and the hardcore scene. Combine this with his affinity for basement shows and after-class rhymes, and it’s no surprise to see how Pissed Off Stef, or P.O.S. for short, came to be. One of the founding members of Doomtree, P.O.S. has released two very loud and vocal albums on Rhymesayers, and his third album, Never Better, is no exception. Chunky bass lines, intense drumming, and bombastic beats pace the fifteen-track voyage into the mind of P.O.S. His rage, wit, and social criticisms flow freely throughout, and P.O.S. has, dare I say, never sounded better. 

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Review: Fall Out Boy – Folie à Deux

Fall Out Boy - Folie à Deux
AbsolutePunk

Hey, did you hear? Fall Out Boy released an album with a funky French album title. What’s up with that? Their third major label release, Folie à Deux, harnesses the band’s darker, more experimental side musically without sacrificing one shred of the sing-along choruses that shot them to stardom. As fans scramble to Google to figure out what the title means, here’s the short version. Did Pete Wentz, Pat Stump, and the gang spend too much time imitating hipsters and thumbing through French dictionaries at Starbucks? Nah. Simply put, folie à deux is a “madness shared by two,” when two people develop the same delusional disorder due to a close relationship with the other. The more you know…

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Review: A Day to Remember – Old Record

A Day to Remember - Old Record
Blake Solomon

Jeremy McKinnon is a scrawny dude. He has a thick beard and, other than some gauged ears, looks like your normal pizza delivery dude or community college dropout. But, duh, looks can be deceiving. This guy is the definition of two-in-one. He handles both the nasally melodic vocals and I’ve-got-a-werewolf-in-my-throat growls for A Day to Remember. It’s like if Jekyll and Hyde was chased by tweens in neon instead of policemen in bell-shaped hats. However, it’s fairly safe to say these stupid people are onto something. Dummies can get lucky every now and then. Yes, sure, I’m fully aware all the “smart” music fans on this site hate (like totally despise!) ADTR. Hey! All you crabbypants need to cheer up and hitch a ride on xXshaantluverXx’s bandwagon. She beat you to it, and you better believe she’s going to rub it in your face.

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Review: Forgive Durden – Razia’s Shadow: A Musical

Forgive Durden - Razia's Shadow: A Musical
Drew Beringer

It was only a matter of time before a band from the “scene” would have the ambition to write and record a musical. Quite frankly, I would have expected it to be done by a band like Say Anything or Angels & Airwaves (although that would have been horrible). Instead, it is the brainchild of Thomas Dutton, the sole remaining member of Forgive Durden, a band often overlooked on the Fueled By Ramen roster.

Dutton co-wrote Razia’s Shadow with his brother, Paul. He also organized and played most of the instrumentation on the album, with former Gatsby’s American Dream drummer Rudy Gajadhar hitting the skins. To bring Razia to life though, Dutton summoned the help of many top vocalists in the scene, including Max Bemis (Say Anything), Greta Salpeter (The Hush Sound), Aaron Weiss (mewithoutYou), and Chris Conley (Saves The Day). Each guest contributed a voice to a character in the musical. 

Produced by Casey Bates, Razia’s Shadow is a thirteen track journey that tells “the story of a world divided in two by the selfish actions of a powerful and egotistical, yet insecure angel. After generations of darkness, the world is eventually brought back together by the love and sacrifice of a couple brave enough to fulfill their destinies.” Bates’ production is pristine, and along with Weiss’ narration, helps the story move crisply and cleanly. The story is winding and intimate, ripe with themes of hope, corruption, deceit, and love. I won’t be getting into the depth of Razia’s storyline because that is up to you, the listener, to interpret. Rather, I’ll discuss whether or not Dutton successfully brought his image to life.

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Interview: Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy
AbsolutePunk

Let’s start with the new record – what’s the vibe like in the Fall Out Boy camp based on the reactions to the new song, the buzz around the viral campaign and so forth? Does it feel as big as everyone’s hoping for?

I guess there’s a question these days of “Why put out records anymore?” you know, like, “Why even bother?” I wasn’t really interested–I don’t think any of us were really interested in getting rich and famous–and, by virtue of putting out a new record, we will probably get more rich and famous, you know? [laughs] Which is not something I want really. So like, why really [put out an album], right? It’s because you want to say something. You want to express yourself. You have art that you need to get out. So that was really my only purpose in making a record and I’m totally stoked on it the way it is now, for sure.

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