Oh bands

Tonight I watched a band from Fullerton, CA - yeah I totally gave you a link - get brutal at Red7. Oh these bands - Belay My Last are nothing more than brutal breakdown after brutal breakdown, chug after chug, fuck you after fuck you, pig squeal upon pig squeal. I mean - they're really not that far rem0ved from Slipkont. These kids just sport tight t-shirts, Nike Dunks, and plugged out ears over Halloween masks. I honestly don't see the different. It appeals to the same meat-head, suburban attitude. Meaningless. Completely meaningless.

Fullerton - basically Los Angeles. What these "big city" bands don't understand is, you're ability to draw 500 kids in LA, your ridiculous myspace "friend" collection and the fact Joe Douchebag in Hotlanta said he really wants to see Belay My Last - none of these translates to an actual draw.

I will say this. Belay My Last had some wicked merch:


I mean, come on. Black hoodie with a green and gery skull / cross combo. That's wicked.

There seemed to be some beef going on between Belay My Last and headliner The Demonstration. I can't tell exactly and so I hate to speculate - but something tells me this was a tour put together by an overzealous booking agent and/our record label. At the end of the day, The Demonstration is no different than Austin's owen At All Cost. It seems, much like the Cost gets plenty of grief and shit on the road, The Demonstration are not the most beloved band outside of the North Carolina coast. Dragonforce meets Disturbed meets Drop Dead, Gorgeous, The Demonstration is cliche to the max, a total joke and nothing more than an amalgamation of everything hip in the underground metal scene. Just like a riptide, we'll suck you in - add this to the list of absurdly cliche and overall lame lyricism.

Come on guys - everyone saw straight through everything you do. Give it up. You, my friends, are a prime example of everything that is wrong with myspace and subsequently the internet in general. You shouldn't be on tour? Why?

What the Hell is This?

Working on my second cup of coffee and waiting for some actual work to come in, I've come across this video some douche put together.

Exodus: "Riot Act" Beowulf Remix

Exodus? Fucking metal. Beowulf? Eh... we'll see. I can't watch the previews for this flick and not think of The Polar Express, which begs the questions - is this a kids movie? I think I read this book sophomore year of high school so I'm inclined to think that the movie, like the book, is PG-13 at best.

But fuck - it's got Crispin Glover in it (sort of). That's an automatic A+ in my book. Speaking of Crispin Glover... enjoy...

LIVE! LIVE! LIVE!

The past week - hell that last MONTH - hell the rest of the YEAR - is an insane time for live music in Austin. Typically, established touring bands hit the road in the fall, leaving the summer months to the kiddos getting their feet wet and touring for the first time and/or your package tours (Warped, Ozzfest) and festivals (Coachella, Bonnaroo). Last week was a particularly good one, and I spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night at Red 7 soaking up some sounds (jesus that sounded lame...)

Wednesday was the 'Hey It's Not 1995 But Let's Pretend It Is Tour' bringing back female-fronted punk icons The Avengers (ok so they're history is more 70s and 80s era) and queer punks Pansy Division. In all honesty, the only Pansy Division song I am familiar with is the one on the Angus O.S.T. (now THAT was a banger). But my attendance was based solely on the desire to finally see Red 7 dudebro Jared Cannon's ludicrous Oi band Career Criminal (RBC 4 Lyfe!) Needless to say it was the "worst show we've ever played" in bassist (and good friend) Colby Holliday's words and... I believe him.

Thursday things got much better. Two local bands who I do a lot of business with through Giant Steps Productions - Death Got Killed and The Cabaret - opened for one of my new favorite bands Four Year Strong.



This band is absolutely incredible. Super tight kick drums turn otherwise bubble-gum pop songs into hardcore-powerpop anthems. Their stage presence was incredible and the band (and crowd's) energy was relentless. Loads of kids singing along and, due to the presence of all the San Antonio scene kids, who for whatever reason seem to be more true to hardcore tradition than Austin's yuppie-offspring, suburban punks, there was loads of 2-stepping. No bullying into each other and pushing people around in meathead my-machismo-is-bigger-than-your's fashion. Just kids going nuts and leaving it all on the dance floor.



I particularly love Four Year Strong's lyrics. Anthemic gang vocals abound on their debut, Rise or Die Trying. "Heroes Get Remembered" is simply amazing and the breakdown had everyone in the place joining in the sing-a-long: 'sad enough to say that alone I can barely light a match but together we can burn this place down.' It really doesn't get any better than that! I expect a lot of big things from Four Year Strong as the word gets out on them. (Thank me later dudes!)

Victory Records' A Day to Remember headlined this bill. With hoodies that claim A Day to Remember to be "The Heaviest Pop Punk Band on Earth," I had mixed feelings about what to expect. And like my feelings, Remember's set was kinda all over the place. I checked out the track "Monument" prior to the show on their myspace (http://www.myspace.com/adaytoremember) and kinda dug that track - although it was VERY similar to what Four Year Strong do and I'm clearly enamored with that band. Unfortunately the rest of the set wasn't as "poppy" as "Monument," and those boastful hoodies, would leave one to believe. But this band seems to be carrying around backpacks full of scene credibility - Nike Dunks, huge plugs in their ears, and a logo written in the Collegiate font (look it up) - and the kids seemed to love them for this.

Just for kicks, check out the band's cover of Kelly Clarkson's hit "Since You've Been Gone." I don't hide my love for this song - it's one hell of a pop song folks, get over it - and their cover, though less awesome, is still pretty cool.

Friday was a bunch of friends playing at Red 7 again - Closed Eyes Take Lives and The Artillery. Expect a review of The Artillery's debut EP shortly, as I've promised the band I'll help them build some press clips - hey, I do what I can.

Unfortunately band practice is looming, so my thoughts on the Portugal, The Man and Rocky Votalato show at Stubb's (inside) will have to wait. No worries, as tonight finds the girlfriend and I going to see ANOTHER of her favorite bands, Lucero, at Emo's.

Thrice's Latest Does Not Dissapoint

The wait is over, the reviews are in, and I think it is now safe to say that Thrice have exceeded all expectations with The Alchemy Index. Containing hands down their best work to date, The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II: Water & Fire is a refreshing ray of hope in a day and age when few bands have the wherewithal to write and record as adventurous and self-indulgent a record as this. I see now why Atlantic Records wasn’t interested in this monumental effort - there are no singles here, there are no hooks to sing-a-long to (no “It looks deep enough from here / I’m diving…”), nothing for a profit-driven major label to get a dollar-derived hard-on over.



The Fire EP seems to be influenced by a lot of post-hardcore, a lot of Deftones and Quicksand, and artsier stuff from the Hydra Head camp, (Cave In, et al.) Thrice seem to have abandoned the up-tempo, dare I say “punk,” song structure long ago and Fire essentially continues the songwriting trend first hinted at on the controversial Vheissu. Alternative Press called this “post-post-hardcore” and I couldn’t agree more.

“Firebreather” is politically charged and angsty, with the aggression carrying over into “The Messenger.” This could very well be the most aggressive song in Thrice’s catalog. Drum machine driven breakdowns do little to relieve the tension that revolves around Kensrue’s signature growl.

The angular and lyrical guitar work on “The Arsonist” brings to mind Around the Fur. “Burn the Fleet” is mid-tempo post-rock (a la Pelican) but doesn’t seem to showcase the band really stretching out, which is what all the hype surrounding this record has been about. And “The Flame Deluge” is simply epic as fuck.

Overall Fire is interesting, but in the end it is Thrice - we know they can write songs like this so nothing should come as a surprise.

Continuing - if not for the fact that we, well, know this is Thrice, it’d be easy to mistake the Water EP for another band altogether - another Dustin Kensrue solo effort perhaps? One can only assume, however, that since this collection of songs does in fact carry the “Thrice” heading, the other members of Thrice must have contributed to writing these aqueous transmissions in some way. Regardless of how much the remaining members of Thrice participated in the penning of these songs, Water (and no doubt all of The Alchemy Index) is unequivocal proof that Kensrue is coming into his own as a songwriter.

“Digital Sea” is an amalgamation of all things indietronica and hip, sprinkled with Radiohead pretensions and The Postal Service pomp. “Open Water” is as epic and grandiose as the name would imply – imagine floating in a life raft, starring up at a cloudless sky, gently drifting towards the “Lost Continent.” Here a melancholy Kensrue sits solemnly in front of a piano and asks, “Do we really want to know what’s going down?” So profound - clearly Kensrue saves his best lyricism for those solo records.

“Night Diving” clocks in at just over 6 minutes and is completely instrumental. Listening to Illusion of Safety in 2002, I don’t think anyone would have guessed that the same band would write a song like “Diving” some 5 years later, but they have. With its glitchy drums and mumbled vocals, “The Whaler” almost directly references Kid A (doesn’t bite, mimic, or outright emulate… merely “references.”)

In today’s downloadable marketplace, it may have been the smartest decision, economically speaking, for Vagrant Records to release this as two separate LPs. But I can’t help but remember picking up The Smashing Pumpkins' Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness way back when and being blown away by the sheer breadth, range, and diversity of the music contained on this seminal recording. Do Thrice and/or Vagrant not trust kids enough to take The Alchemy Index all in at once?

Either way, the first installment of Thrice’s highly anticipated The Alchemy Index is a monumental achievement.

"Chase This Light" by Jimmy Eat World

This is really upsetting.

The new Jimmy Eat World record is overall disappointing. Thoroughly disappointing. I had the opportunity to see JEW live at Emo's not too long ago, and they played the first single, first track of Chase This Light, "Big Casino." I was impressed then and I was impressed when I heard the song a month or so later on 101x. And I'm still impressed with it.

Too bad the rest of the album is a steaming pile of adult-contemporary shit. Adult - now I realize that yes Jimmy Eat World are growing up. They're not the vulnerable, ever-introspective songwriters who wrote "Table for Glasses" and asked "Can you still feel the butterflies?" I've grown up, too. Doesn't mean I bought a Chevy Tahoe or opened a 401(k) account. This is the epitome of adult alternative - the songs you hear sitting in the waiting room at your dentists office perhaps.

Or as the ever knowledgeable All Music Guide called them "the emo equivalent of Bon Jovi."

So true.... so sad, but still so true. Jesus - I mean plenty of bands that I grew up on have grown up themselves. Look at Chuck Ragan - definitely not writing Hot Water Music anthems anymore, but definitely not going to grace your dentist's radio anytime soon either. Jesus - even if ole Chuck did write a radio anthem or two I wouldn't care, if the songs were good.

"Gotta Be Somebody's Blues" just doesn't even SOUND like Jimmy Eat World. There really isn't anything I can pinpoint as to what separates this record from past JEW releases. For all intents and purposes they follow the same formula that was so successful on Bleed American and Futures - it just feels different. "Always Be" may have been written by Bryan Adams or Richard Marx. Did the songwriters behind Ashlee Simpson's stunning debut pen "Carry You," cause I can't quite tell. Wait... "Here it Goes" ... this was definitely pulled from Richard Marx' back catalog. Christ.

And no. This album will not grow on me. Guarantee it. 26 but I ain't dead. "Suck that lucky feeling right out of me," Jim? No sir - suck the life out of me. That's what your record has done to me. These are the records I always hate covering as a music writer - what can you say about it? There's nothing striking, edgy, even interesting about this.

"It hurts because it should," Jim? Well at least you acknowledge that.

And can we all please acknowledge the fact that the cover of this album clearly looks like a vagina?!



At least THEY know they're pussies.

Downloading the new Coheed and Cambria, Thrice, and Chamillionaire records as I type. Will these be any better. I'll let you know.



I also just read about a new DJ Spooky record called Creation Rebel that is apparently pretty amazing, although it appears to me more of Spooky simply digging through the Trojan Records catalog. Looking for it now.

New Found Glory @ La Zona Rosa

There are plenty of small, punk-rock-to-the-max venues here in Austin (Emos, Red 7, Plush, etc.) to see a wide array of bands ranging from the incredible to the insignificant. I book at most of these clubs, which means I get in for free and more often than not drink for free, so believe me - I've seen both the incredible and the insignificant.

But sometimes you gotta shell out that extra cash and hit up one of the larger venues in town - La Zona Rosa, Stubb's, or the soon-to-be-reopening Austin Music Hall (site of The Cure in '08!!!) The bright light, the (comparatively) clean bathrooms, and incomparable sound systems are worth the price of admission alone. The Fall season in when most established bands hit the road, and the pocket book is feeling a little fat right now, so expect reviews, rants and ramblings about quite a few rock concerts in the coming months.

I was reminded of my introduction to New Found Glory after posting a bulletin from my myspace profile about my plans to attend the NFG show at La Zona Rosa last evening. Amongst the "wish I was goings" and "are you fucking kidding me James'" was a message from an old friend and one-time crush who introduced me to the then-Drive Thru Records band our freshman year of college. She introduced me to a whole new world in fact. I remember sitting outside of a lecture hall waiting for this week's meeting of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty to begin and hearing her use the word "emo." It was the first time I'd heard the term... and sometimes I wish I'd never heard it, but I digress. Needless to say, this friend and I don't talk much anymore but my bulletin reminded her (and me) of bands we once shared - Gameface, Saves the Day and New Found Glory. Heck - throw in some Atari's for good measure.

Despite my desire to see Eulogy band Set Your Goals, Sheila and I arrived moments before Boston's Receiving End of Sirens took the stage (I wonder how that name will go down in the annals or rock music history). A beefy lead singer/bass player, three guitar players and a couple of hair cuts, REOS is your typical Alternative Press buzz band. Nothing special, just the flavor of the month for mall punks and meatheads to agree on. Set Your Goals would have been awesome (shit - their merch alone is about an 8 on the awesomeness scale) but a 6:00 door time is just too early for my 9-5, mass transit riding ass.

Thankfull, New Found Glory were next and not prototypical screamo act Senses Fail. Don't get me wrong - I do in fact own a Senses Fail CD yes and there was once a time when I would have shit for this band, and in reality it was their inclusion on this bill that helped motivate me to buy my girl and I tickets to this show (that and a Saturday morning spent cleaning house and rocking out to NFG's new covers record), but still. I was definitely pleased to know that I didn't have to sit through Senses Fail if I didn't want to.

A word of note right quick on the venue. The NFG/Senses Fail ticket was originally scheduled to appear at Stubb's BBQ. Clearly ticket sales were waining in the weeks leading up to the show (I wouldn't think either band is a particularly good draw these days) and thus the show was moved to the slightly smaller La Zona Rosa. The slow sales were apparent immediately. There clearly wasn't that many people in attendance and this number dropped significantly post-New Found.

Ok, ok. Back to New Found Glory. Great set, great energy. The band is tight as ever. I can't remember exactly but I want to say this is the 3rd time I have seen them (once at long-gone Ariel Theatre in Houston and another show in Austin... I think hahaha... they all run together in time). New Found Glory are touring in support of their independently funded From The Screen To The Stereo Part Two. I believe the record was eventually licensed to Drive Thru Records, the bands home prior to being upgraded to (and later dropped by) parent company MCA. As you could expect, cover songs littered the set. Littered is a bad word choice. "King of Wishful Thinking" is definitely a jam and a half; "The Promise" is cool but Consider the Source do it better (we do!); "Kiss Me," "Iris," "It Ain't Me Babe" ... meh. In addition to the covers there were several choice cuts from 2004's Catalyst and 05's Coming Home. Those records don't suck (at least Catalyst doesn't.. haven't heard Coming Home) but seeing a band bred for sing-a-longs and NOT knowing the words to every song definitely sucks. Don't recall hearing anything from Nothing Gold Can Stay but oh well, not many of these kiddos would have recognized those songs to begin with.

So one thing that struck me and I guess I should have known this but it slipped my mind at the time .. ... ...... hardcore kids LOVE New Found Glory. Integrity t-shirts, Nike basketball shorts and overly stretched ear-lobes reminded me though. Question though: How the FUCK do you mosh to New Found Glory? Beats me, but meatheads'll find a way to mosh to anything and sure enough they did.

I'm too old for this shit - so I moved to the back.

The best thing about waiting for Senses Fail to play (which took FOREVER thanks to their ridiculously budget stage set-up): Hot Water Music's classic Caution blasting over the PA and girlfriend and I having our own personal sing-a-long.. ... .....



I hate this place / But I love these chords / An empty fate just means an even score / The pain this mornin / It filled my head / It's Jameson / It means that I'm not dead...

yet.

shows this weekend

When did the mash-up become the preferred stylistic choice of wanna-be DJs everywhere. Doesn't anyone scratch anymore? Is this really becoming a lost art form - I really thought after the release of Scratch a few years back, there would be some sort of renewed interest in scratching itself. What about crate digging? How is taking two pop songs from different genres and "mashing" them really that awesome? I mean, on the awesomeness scale, it would say it's somewhere between R Kelly and these guys:



Just kidding. My boy Tito is the publicist for these kids. Must be hardwork. Who says boy-bands are dead? ... ... ... well, just about everyone. But don't damn them for trying!

Oh yeah... the point to my ramblings about mash-up DJs. Radioland Murders played a party of Friday for our good friend Mason and his company, The Screamer Company. They publish a art/poetry/randomness magazine bi-monthly. Friday celebrated the release of issue 2, aptly titled, Two. Really good stuff. Looking for me in issue three, hopefully. Working on some new poetry to submit and hopefully Ivan will be contributing art to this one as well (to accompany my poetic musings.) Radioland played a good, toned down set, that "got the party started" in the words of maseman.

In better news:

The Swellers
http://www.myspace.com/theswellers

The Swellers are about as proud of their home state (Michigan) as Texans are of ours. "Michigan - America's High Five" they say. So true. So so true. This band played fast and sugary pop-punk. Somewhere along the lines of Near Miss, Gameface, old New Found Glory. Their guitar player was having so many technical difficulties it was border-line cute. One couldn't help feeling sorry for the kid. First his Marshall head went out (what a bummer - can't imagine how much that'll cost to fix), then his guitar strap came lose mid-song. I was waiting for a string to break or for the guy to just spontaneously combust. Neither occurred.

Joining The Swellers in Austin (Red 7) was Only Crime. "Featuring former members of All, Descendants, Bane and Converge" ... ... what a way to bill oneself. The band did feature Bill Stephenson, former drummer for All and Descendants and the original guitar player from Converge who started Bane, was kicked out of Converge, and continued on with Bane for a few years longer.

Let's just say that in the case of Only Crimes the sum was not as great as the parts. Not nearly.

Also, City of God is the most amazing movie ever. Add it to your Netflix queue immediately.