We would like to wish everyone a safe and happy new year. We look forward to being with you in 2008!

Artist: Say Anything
Album: In Defense of the Genre
Label: J Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: October 23rd, 2007

Overall: 9.0
Music: 8.5
Lyrics: 7.0
Production: 8.0

Techno-infused, lyrically blunt and bold, raw and un-tethered vocally styled, raging guitar-incorporated, keyboard-based, clearly dance-and-mosh-able—these phrases, despite their possible contrasts and obvious wide ranges, can easily describe a single band’s new album.

Compete for Scary Kids Scaring Kids & Haste The Day’s free acoustic set on Eventful.com. Both Scary Kids Scaring Kids and Haste The Day will perform 5 acoustic shows for the 5 cities that are most demanded on Eventful. To vote for your city go here and demand it.

When you listen to music, you want to hear everything from the first drum beat to every guitar lick and lyric in between. In recent years music has been getting louder (in terms of production) and its making music sound less and less pleasing. This recent article on RollingStone.com (”The Death of High Fidelity”) confirms that  “the loudness war” is real and in full effect. Making music louder on the mastering level can degrade the quality of dynamics on a song and in turn make it sound like just noise, maybe thats the reason our parents always think we listen to “noise” because they were use to the full dynamic sounds of yesterdays music. On top of albums being produced with louder instruments and vocals, the increased use of headphones and small computer speakers on top of compressed music (mp3’s) makes todays music painful to listen to sometimes.

Story Of The Year recently posted an update on their signing with Epitaph Records and their decision to do so. The band also talks about the recording of their new album. You can read the update below.

Photos from this years MTVU Tour featuring Motion City Soundtrack, Mae, and Anberlin can now be seen in the photos section. These photos were taken at the Warfield, San Francisco on November 30, 2007. Be sure to take a look.

Spitalfield recently played their last show at The Metro in Chicago. Some videos of the show can be seen here.

Panic! At The Disco have updated their website with a puzzle showing the date 01.01.08.

The 2008 Alternative Press tour has announced The Matches, Sonny, and Forever The Sickest Kids as support. The co-headliners will be announced on January 4th.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Driven Far Off!