Review: Anchor & Braille – The Quiet Life

Drew Beringer Aug 7, 2012

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.

Drew Beringer Jul 10, 2012

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.

AbsolutePunk Jul 3, 2012

With the implosion of Elektra Records, Lucky Boys Confusion found themselves without a label and bursting with creative energy. The Illinois quintet formed their own imprint, Townstyle Records, in the meantime, and decided to record a 5-track EP titled How To Get Out Alive. Lucky Boys Confusion thrives off grandiose, sugary hooks and edgy instrumental parts, make no mistake about it. The band plays pop punk, but it has a little something extra to set this EP apart from those generic contemporaries of theirs. The lyrics are insightful, powerful, and well written; something you rarely see on a pop punk disc of any length.

AbsolutePunk Jun 26, 2012

Even though Maroon 5 always seemed to have a place in mainstream relevance, it was obvious that their powerhouse level fluctuated throughout the years. Maroon 5’s breakout debut record, Songs About Jane, saw late success in 2004 (it was first released in 2002) reaching impressive heights with 3 top 20 singles and over 9 million copies sold worldwide. While their follow-ups hit benchmarks that some artists dream about (platinum and double platinum, respectively), they still never quite measured up to what Janeachieved, and what the band is capable of executing in general.

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Review: Senses Fail – Follow Your Bliss EP

Drew Beringer Jun 19, 2012

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.

Drew Beringer Jun 18, 2012

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.

Drew Beringer Jun 5, 2012

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.

Drew Beringer Apr 24, 2012

“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.

Drew Beringer Mar 30, 2012

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: Joyce Manor – Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired

Blake Solomon Mar 26, 2012

Joyce Manor are a very interesting band. That may seem like lazy reviewing, and it probably is, but after putting to e-paper my thoughts over 350 times (sad and lonely brag), saying something like, “Band X actually do something creative and memorable,” starts to take on quite a bit of weight. And that’s what I can’t help but think when singer Barry Johnson cuts through with his somehow apathetic yet forceful voice. It’s also what I think when an early 2000s-ish punk influenced pop-punk band records a searing and catchy cover of “Video Killed The Radio Star.” Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired is just completely enthralling.

Drew Beringer Mar 15, 2012

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.

Drew Beringer Mar 6, 2012

This is not the year of the party crasher.

If you were expecting Every Time I Die to supply you with this year’s latest batch of party jams, think again. Sure, Every Time I Die has never been one to write a bunch of “happy” songs, but don’t expect the likes of “We’rewolf” or “The New Black” to appear on their sixth studio album Ex Lives. Front man Keith Buckley was out of his comfort zone while penning the lyrics to Ex Lives. Stuck overseas touring with his side project The Damned Things, Buckley, disappointed and angry, wrote from the perspective of past lives (thus the inspiration behind the album’s title), wondering if he was an awful human being in a past life and it was karma that was kicking him in the ass.

Drew Beringer Feb 21, 2012

Around the time The Format was about to release their final record Dog Problems, lead man Nate Ruess wrote a very lengthy and impassioned blog about not succumbing to the pressures from the big labels to tweak his band’s music to sell more singles. It resulted in a fantastic middle finger salute towards the industry (“The Compromise”) and Ruess gained heaps of praise and respect for his integrity.

So maybe that’s why fans will be initially shocked by Fun.’s second album (and Fueled by Ramen debut) Some Nights. But the more you listen to and dig into the album, the more you’ll realize that the manifesto that Ruess wrote nearly 6 years ago still rings true throughout. Ruess is still writing what he wants without any outside pressure, albeit this time it was something fans weren’t completely expecting.

Thomas Nassiff Feb 21, 2012

I’ve been having a horrible time
Pulling myself together.
I’ve been closing my eyes to find
The old familiar failures.
I’ve been closing my eyes to find
Why all good things should fall apart.

So begins The Menzingersʼ latest record, the sweeping, driven, masterful On the Impossible Past. Those lyrics come from the opening (and essentially introductory) “Good Things,” a short song that starts calm before the guitars and vocals tumble into an avalanche of power. As we have come to expect from the band, which is following the phenomenal Chamberlain Waits, anthemic sing-alongs provide a vessel for thought-provoking lyrics.

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Review: Eisley – Deep Space

Drew Beringer Feb 14, 2012

After exorcising past demons and embracing new directions on their stellar 2011 release The Valley, Eisley decided to go back to their roots somewhat (while taking some of that new found edge on The Valley) on their brand new EP Deep Space. Recorded and produced by the band (along with engineer/mixer Andy Freeman) in their hometown of Tyler, Texas, the DuPree clan (Stacy, Sherri, Chauntelle, Garron, and Weston) were inspired by the works of sci-fi novelist Ray Bradbury and turned a five-song EP into a remarkable love story set in space that fully enraptures you.

Review: Anchor & Braille – The Quiet Life

Review: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange

Review: Lucky Boys Confusion – How To Get Out Alive EP

Review: Maroon 5 – Overexposed

Review: Senses Fail – Follow Your Bliss EP

Review: Make Do and Mend – Everything You Ever Loved

Review: Hawthorne Heights – Hope

Review: You Blew It! – Grow Up, Dude

Review: The Used – Vulnerable

Review: Joyce Manor – Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired

Review: Say Anything – Anarchy, My Dear

Review: Every Time I Die – Ex Lives

Review: Fun. – Some Nights

Review: The Menzingers – On the Impossible Past

Review: Eisley – Deep Space