Review: Coheed & Cambria – Year of the Black Rainbow

AbsolutePunk Apr 20, 2010

Despite how much I listen to music, talk about music, and read about music, every once in I while something happens that makes me realize that I don’t actually know anything. The most recent example of this is Coheed & Cambria’s newest release, Year of the Black Rainbow. The band’s fifth studio album and fourth for Columbia Records is the latest installment of The Amory Wars, a sci-fi storyline penned by lead singer Claudio Sanchez. The story actually begins with Year of the Black Rainbow, so this record serves as a prequel to Coheed & Cambria’s other four albums. I’m certainly no expert on the story of The Amory Wars, and truthfully I’ve only been a casual listener of Coheed & Cambria in the past, not listening to much other than Good Apollo Volume 1. But after spinning Year of the Black Rainbow a few times and immensely enjoying it, I headed over to my most heralded, reliable website for retrieving virtually irretrievable knowledge: Wikipedia. An hour later, I had read numerous articles attempting to describe The Amory Wars, researched releases of multiple comic book series and graphic novels associated with the storyline, and bookmarked links to purchase physical copies of every Coheed & Cambria record I was missing on Amazon. For the past eight years, this profoundly unique group have been telling a story that they created through their music, an absolutely genius and layered story at that, and I had been missing out completely.

AbsolutePunk Apr 13, 2010

Let’s face it, the only reason anybody knows anything about Scranton, Pennsylvania is because of The Office. In fact, without the adored workplace comedy, I would be pressed to say that I would even know that Scranton existed. By all accounts, Tigers Jaw are out to change that. With their own brand of punk-tinged indie rock, the group are out to prove that Scranton is more than just the vessel for a critically acclaimed sitcom.

On their Prison Jazz Records debut full-length, Tigers Jaw introduce listeners to a sound that seemingly has two personas. There is the stripped down, upbeat, guitar-centered indie rock that kicks off songs like album opener “The Sun” and fan favorite “I Saw Water”, and there is the slower, more thoughtful face that Tigers Jaw don sporadically throughout the self-titled record. The combination, reminiscent of early emo-punk outfits Saves the Day and The Get Up Kids, might not be anything new, but it’s still very much appreciated.

AbsolutePunk Apr 12, 2010

The 2010 comedy Date Night is about a couple’s wild journey into the city one evening where they continually run into obstacle after obstacle, essentially postponing their night of innocent fun and reigniting their love in the process. The 1977 comedy The Out-of-Towners contains a similar plot, however this time around, the couple are trying to survive the manic big city while sightseeing, eventually running into a slew of wacky characters all while reigniting their love in the process. Not quite the same, but enough for a viewer of both to notice the similarities.

The same idea can often apply to music. Despite the makeup of different individuals from different backgrounds, influence always tends to seep its way into just about any band’s music. It can be a positive and a negative. Positive, because it’s easy to relate to through familiarity; negative, because it can be skewed as plagiarism. The Menzingers are certainly not being accused of blatantly ripping anyone off, but on their sophomore release, Chamberlain Waits, the influences come up frequently, and it takes a bit of the sheen off the previous buzz that has been circulating over the band for the past year or two.

Drew Beringer Mar 9, 2010

When I initially contacted Universal Motown about an advance of Four Year Strong’s hotly anticipated major label debut, Enemy Of The World, they told me I was SOL. When I asked why, they told me that someone had stolen the master copy.

That damn monkeywizard…

After reading his pathetic attempt at reviewing, I PM’d monkeywizard asking how I could obtain the new FYS album to give it the proper review it deserved. After a lengthy back and forth exchange in which he made fun of my 5950 hat collection and reminded me that Aaron Rodgers has never won a playoff game, he made it known that there was nothing I could do to get that master copy. Little did he know that I had some brand new Set Your Goals’ demos (monkeywizard’s a big fan). So in exchange for the demos (which were really just songs from New Again tagged as SYG tracks – monkeywizard is going to be pissed), I finally acquired the master copy of Enemy Of The World. After my first listen, I was floored. It was immediately evident that this album was built with machine guns, spiked bats, jagged rocks, and skulls. Oh yeah, I can’t forget about the wolves either. Enemy Of The World hits harder, runs faster, and operates more smoothly than its predecessor. Yes, the duel-vocals, infectious choruses, and delicious breakdowns are still present, only this time they sound a lot bigger. The production difference between this and Rise or Die Trying is dramatic. And you can thank Machine for that. He found the perfect balance between grit and gloss, as Four Year Strong have never sounded crisper.

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Review: Thursday – Full Collapse

AbsolutePunk Mar 5, 2010

Beautiful, echoing, ethereal guitar begins to filter through your speakers, slowing fading into your consciousness. A man with a slightly nasal voice, most likely in his early 20s, starts to sing something about a robot, and whether it dreams. After about thirty seconds of this repeating, with one final “Wonder what it dreams?,” everything disappears save feedback from the guitar. And then, almost out of nowhere…”Bap, bap!” The band springs into action with two hits of the snare. Guitarists Tom Keeley and Steve Pedulla’s parts twist, churn and intertwine as drummer Tucker Rule keeps a sort of off-tempo beat that leads into a drum role. Bassist Tim Payne remains a driving force, mostly following the guitar, but adding a necessary emphasis to the bottom part of the song. Then Geoff Rickly–for that is the name of the nasally man in his early 20s–begins to sing again: “Splintered piece of glass / Falls on the seat and gets caught / Broken windows, open locks / Reminders of the youth we lost / In trying so hard to look away from you / I followed white lines ’till the sunset / I crash my car every day the same way.” The song is “Understanding in a Car Crash.” The band is Thursday. The album is Full Collapse. The year is 2001. And something great is happening here.

Drew Beringer Jan 27, 2010

After expanding their musical boundaries with their last two albums, Alkaline Trio is returning back to what made their music so addictive. Their seventh studio album (and Epitaph/Heart and Skull debut), This Addiction, takes cues from their dearly loved earlier records, such as Goddammit and From Here To Infirmary. The Chicago natives’ main goal was to make a stripped-down punk rock record while maintaining a big sound. This Addiction accomplishes this, but does it recapture the same magic first heard 12 years ago? Throughout the album, the highs are incredibly enjoyable, while the lows are brutal, just like with any addiction.

Alex DiVincenzo Jan 25, 2010

Dan “Soupy” Campbell is not sad anymore. After years of struggling to keep his head above water, The Wonder Years’ frontman is looking for the upsides to life. The newly adopted mantra is also the namesake of the band’s sophomore effort, The Upsides.

The album ups the ante in every way possible. The songwriting is more dynamic, sans the out of place breakdowns and unnecessary keyboards. (Keyboardist Mikey Kelly left the band prior to the recording of the album.) In their place are more opportunities for the other instruments to shine. Mike Kennedy displays some impressive skin work with his upbeat drumming throughout the 40 minute duration. Matt Brasch and Casey Cavaliere’s guitar work is more refined and melodic, while bassist Josh Martin keeps the low-end thumping. Campbell’s vocals have also improved immensely. He offers more soaring choruses and crooning melodies.

Drew Beringer Jan 17, 2010

With all the personal issues that vocalist and guitarist Justin Pierre has faced over the course of his life, it’s sometimes hard to believe that Motion City Soundtrack remains a band. With the addictions and relapses plaguing Pierre, the band should have been extinct years ago. But having a great support system around him and a musical outlet has helped Pierre and his band mates release stellar album after album. You would think that eventually things would spin out of control, especially after the lukewarm reception their last offering (2007’s Even If It Kills Me) received from fans. It definitely was more poppy than previous releases, and instead of tailspinning, the Minneapolis quintet landed right back on its feet to record their Columbia Records debut.

Drew Beringer Jan 6, 2010

“If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” That’s the philosophy Story of the Year has subscribed to since breaking out with their gold debut album, 2003’s Page Avenue. 7 years later, the St. Louis quintet have switched labels (from major Maverick to indie-powerhouse Epitaph) and released albums that added in new quirks, but overall the band has maintained the same direction: loud and fast rock anthems that get your heart pumping.

That isn’t to say the band hasn’t fine-tuned their craft. Their fourth studio album (second for Epitaph), The Constant continues the precedent set by previous albums, featuring the big riffs and melodies we’ve come to expect, yet it rarely gets stale. The title is fitting, since the band has been pretty consistent with their music since Page. And just like the three previous albums, the energy seeps out of The Constant’s pores throughout, as guitarists Ryan Phillips and Philip Sneed try to keep up with vocalist Dan Marsala’s pace.

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Review: The Republic of Wolves – His Old Branches

AbsolutePunk Dec 23, 2009

As any aspiring musician can tell you, it is damn near impossible to get noticed anymore. Standing out from the hordes of tweens throwing up Garage Band tracks on all-too-similar looking myspace pages is the now almost as tough as getting your demo tape heard by someone at a record label used to be. Every now and then though, a new band is able to break through, and rise above the white noise of everything and everyone else. But it’s still pretty amazing that when viral marketing has jumped the shark, and people aren’t haphazardly clicking on cryptic links like they once were, a previously unknown band from Long Island would end up riding a brilliant wave of unintentional guerilla marketing into the scene spotlight.

AbsolutePunk Dec 11, 2009

Once upon a time, somewhere in the swamps of Jersey, there existed a punk band that changed it all. I am speaking, of course, of Lifetime. Active first from 1990 to 1997, and then again beginning in 2005, Lifetime’s influence on what we call the “scene” today is impossible to understate. This album, as well as Hello Bastards, the one that preceded it, were influential to a variety of artists whose names you might recognize. Adam Lazzara of Taking Back Sunday has some of the band’s lyrics tattooed on his arm. Brand New lists Lifetime as “recommended listening” on their album Deja Entendu. The Gaslight Anthem references this album in their song “We Came to Dance.” Bands such as Rise Against, Silverstein and Fall Out Boy have recorded covers of their songs. The members of Thursday played some of their first shows with Lifetime, in Geoff Rickly’s basement. And then finally there is Saves the Day, whose debut album Can’t Slow Down comes as close as is humanly possible to imitating Lifetime’s sound without actual plagiarism.

Ryan Gardner Dec 8, 2009

Box Car Racer was formed in 2002 by Blink-182 members Tom Delonge and Travis Barker along with David Kennedy. This band shows a completely different side of a Blink at this time: a darker, serious side and features songs that Tom felt were not “Blink-friendly.” This change is evident in not only the lyrical content but also the music.

“I Feel So” begins with a slow piano tune followed by an acoustic guitar. Instantly, it becomes evident that this is a completely different band from Blink. This song is filled with brutal honesty, as Delonge opens the album with: “sometimes, I wish I was brave; I wish I was stronger.” Later, he asks for a new start (“let’s start over”). On “All Systems Go,” Delonge criticizes the government (“the government is lying; the youth, they won’t believe them”) and questions “when will this be over.”

Blake Solomon Nov 25, 2009

It’s still weird when a formerly bad band does something unequivocally great. Kenny Vasoli’s Person L has managed it, and I’m literally flabbergasted. The Starting Line made magic here and there (that one song on Direction, the one where he missed a girl, etc.), but they were never really anything other than what they appeared. From the first complex moments of mostly instrumental opener “Hole In The Fence,” it becomes obvious that Person L’s previous problems, namely the frustrating inclination to sit stagnant instead of explode, are long gone. With Person L, he has truly unchained himself from every shackle being a pop-punk icon brings with it. And he didn’t have to go metal like the ugliest guy from Fall Out Boy or go stupid like Gabe Saporta. He just went creative, and sure, maybe he listened to too many Radiohead albums, but most people would tell you that’s a good thing. But even more importantly than The Positves’ successes is the fact that Vasoli has reached his full potential. Somewhere, he’s smiling.

AbsolutePunk Nov 12, 2009

Upon first listen to the latest material from The Lawrence Arms (their first new release in almost four years), the casual fan will dismiss the perennial front-runners of the modern punk scene to be hashing out the same old formula: fast, roughneck, gritty punk rock we’ve been hearing from the Chicago threesome since 1999. However, that casual fan would be a numbskull and the failure to examine what the Lawrence Arms actually strive to do is an important aspect at determining why they continue to resonate with such a large group of punk enthusiasts. Like their peers, Rise Against and Alkaline Trio, they are growing and exploring what tools they have available to them. While the other two acts continue to flirt with the mainstream, the three Arms boys continue to do this for themselves, trying out new inspired techniques.

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Review: Dashboard Confessional – Alter the Ending

AbsolutePunk Nov 11, 2009

It’s no secret Chris Carrabba is a deeply emotional guy. Ever since he began releasing albums under the pseudonym Dashboard Confessional in 2000, his breathy-vocal ballads with plenty of heartache to spare have won over several crowds (check out his MTV Unplugged special if you don’t believe me). After releasing two big-budget, full-band records, Carrabba turned to his old faithful acoustic six-string once more to release the more-refined Shade of Poison Trees, which was not only a return-to-form, but a reminder that when given the ability to showcase his more nuanced side, Carrabba is one talented individual. The man must be a hit at campouts.

With Alter the Ending, Carrabba decided to go back into full-fledged rock band mode, acquiring two pop-rock connoisseurs in producers Butch Walker & Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne’s main songwriter/guitarist) to assist them in creating an eclectic blend of harrowing emotional pop with arena-sized hooks. Whether or not Carrabba wants to be Bono or a coffeehouse Casanova has yet to be determined, because Alter the Ending’s biggest drawback is the big production value over pre-determined substance, which hinders the potential of the weight these songs carry. The thematic material at hand is far more mature and gives Carrabba the opportunity to use this canvas as a means to explore a new side to his songwriting tasks. Less romanticized emotional outbursts and more perspective on touchier subjects makes this record blossom — but everything else it is comprised of tends to clutter its internal message and, above all, the integrity of these tracks.

Review: Coheed & Cambria – Year of the Black Rainbow

Review: Tigers Jaw – Tigers Jaw

Review: The Menzingers – Chamberlain Waits

Review: Four Year Strong – Enemy Of The World

Review: Thursday – Full Collapse

Review: Alkaline Trio – This Addiction

Review: The Wonder Years – The Upsides

Review: Motion City Soundtrack – My Dinosaur Life

Review: Story of the Year – The Constant

Review: The Republic of Wolves – His Old Branches

Review: Lifetime – Jersey’s Best Dancers

Review: Box Car Racer – Box Car Racer

Review: Person L – The Positives

Review: The Lawrence Arms – Buttsweat and Tears

Review: Dashboard Confessional – Alter the Ending