Driven Far Off

The latest on the indie, alternative, and rock music scene including news, music, contest, interviews, and more. Best described as your favorite place to find new bands.

Cities Apart – Anniversary

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City Apart

Artist: Cities Apart
Album: Anniversary
Label: Unsigned
Purchase: Cities Apart Store
Release Date: November 15, 2006

Overall: 7.4
Music: 7.4
Lyrics: 7.3
Production: 7.0

South Carolina’s unsigned Cities Apart are looking to state their claim on today’s ever-growing rock scene. Channeling Taking Back Sunday and other popular artists, they have produced a debut EP worthy of playing through your speakers.

There’s nothing overly groundbreaking on “Anniversary,” but proficient songwriting and musicianship is present. There’s some especially sick bass lines sprinkled throughout the disc.

“Lost and Found” opens the album on a high note. “Softly Spoken” opens strong with and has a great bridge, but the first part of the chorus falters a bit. “Agree to Disagree” has one of those bouncing bass lines I mentioned earlier that I thoroughly enjoy. “1,000 Miles Off Course(We Want to Survive) starts off rocky, but picks up about halfway through. Had the whole song been consistent, this would have been the best track on the album. The powerful “Muddy Water” would be the perfect backing track to a commercial for this band. Finally, “Honesty Kills” forgetfully closes the disc as the weakest song present.

I’d like to hear what the band could do with a larger production budget. There’s plenty of potential here, and with time, I’m sure they will take the next step and come into their own. If their new demos are any indication, the next album will be leaps and bounds above how good this EP already is.

Track Listing:
1. Lost and Found
2. Softly Spoken
3. Agree to Disagree
4. 1,000 Miles Off Course(We Want to Survive)
5. Muddy Water
6. Honesty Kills

Fall Out Boy – Infinity On High

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falloutboy.jpg

Artist: Fall Out Boy
Album: Infinity On High
Label: Island Def Jam
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: February 6, 2007

Overall: 9.2
Music: 9.2
Lyrics: 8.7
Production: 9.4

Fall Out Boy are either the world’s most loved band, or the most hated. For those of us that “get it,” they have delivered a fantastic new album with “Infinity On High.”

The album expands on the style of “From Under the Cork Tree.” With that album, the band introduced a safe, mainstream sound to new and old fans alike. Now they’re able to take creative liberties and spin off into new directions that keeps the music evolving.

Despite what some may think, with Jay-Z introducing this disc, you know it’s is going to be huge. “Thriller” shows hints of Fall Out Boy’s hardcore roots with Andrew Hurley on double bass pedals and Joe Trohman’s chugging guitars. If Jay-Z on the same track as double bass isn’t enough to excite you, the album has barely even started.

“The Take Over, the Break’s Over” has grooving verses that transit into a pumping bridge that melts into a delicious chorus.

Polarizing first single “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race” grew on me after I could actually sit down with it. It was a gamble for the band to experiment with an R&B sound, but the charts say it was a smart move.

“I’m Like A Lawyer With the Way I’m Always Trying to Get You Off (Me and You)” draws upon Maroon 5 and will probably give the media more reason to bastardize the word emo.

“Hum Hallelujah” is sure to be a new fan favorite. Then it’s followed up with what’s sure to be known as “the worst FOB song ever.” “Golden” shows that the band are trying new things, but this song was poorly executed.

The album hammers through eight more tracks ranging from good to great. The b-sides that have been released, depending on where you buy your disc are also welcome additions to the band’s catalog.

While I doubt we’ll ever get another “Take This To Your Grave,” “Infinity” is a worthy follow-up that’s sure to keep Fall Out Boy on top for at least another year.

Track Listing:
1. Thriller
2. The Take Over, The Break’s Over
3. This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race
4. I’m Like a Lawyer With the Way I’m Always Trying to Get You Off (Me&You)
5. Hum Hallelujah
6. Golden
7. Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
8. Don’t You Know Who I Think I Am?
9. The (After) Life of the Party
10. The Carpal Tunnel of Love
11. Bang the Doldrums
12. Fame < Infamy 13. You're Crashing, But You're No Wave 14. I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears and None On My Fingers

This Beautiful Republic – Even Heroes Need A Parachute

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Beautiful Republic

Artist: This Beautiful Republic
Album: Even Heroes Need A Parachute
Label: Forefront Records
Release Date: April 3, 2007
Purchase: Soon

Overall: 8.9
Music: 9.0
Lyrics: 8.5
Production: 9.4

Looking for catchy, melodic, emo driven rock? Look no further… because this five man group out of Toledo Ohio have will satisfy your hunger. Well, here I am, my first review but certainly not my last. I managed to get my dirty little hands on an advance copy of the debut full length cd from This Beautiful Republic, and might I add, a very stellar debut onto the scene. These guys have put a lot of time and effort into this cd and it shows. Produced by Allan Salmon, who also did the unreal Mutemath release last year, I don’t have to say much more; but, to be completely fair, musically, these guys are extremely dynamic.

Although this cd is only thirty eight and a half minutes it packs a tightly wound punch. The tracks flow fairly seamlessly and provide quite an enjoyable listen. The disc starts with a bang for the first two tracks giving you a solid idea of their sound and goes right into, which is quite possibly one of the best tracks on the disc, Jesus to the World. I find it hard to say that though, as the entire cd has something for everyone, whether your after something fast and hard or slow and soft. If your thinking about picking this up, the tracks on both their purevolume and myspace pages are definitely worth a couple listens. I would suggest checking out the final track, if you have the opportunity to stream it anywhere, as it is well worth the listen and a great way to close out the cd.

All too often bands are compared to similar sounding bands, not something I’ll ever do. I just want to give you the facts and let you make up your own mind. This Beautiful Republic are classified as Christian rock; they might be, I don’t know, however, one thing’s for sure, they rock. **Sorry no photo/purchase link available at this time.

Track Listing:
1. Casting Off
2. Going Under
3. Jesus to the World
4. Right Now
5. Black Box
6. The Surface
7. Let’s be Honest
8. New Year
9. Something to Deny
10. Fears & Failures
11. Cloud Cover

Youth Group – Casino Twilight Dogs

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Youth Group

Artist: Youth Group
Album: Casino Twilight Dogs
Label: Epitaph
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: January 30, 2007

Overall: 9.0
Music: 9.0
Lyrics: 8.5
Production: 9.0

Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll admit, I only got interested in this Aussie indie band after they exploded into the US market via an awe-inspiringly well-polished cover of 80s pop hit â┚¬Ã…”Forever Youngâ┚¬?. Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢d heard a song or two before that, but only in passing. Recently I was listening to a local public radio station that plays the latest from the underground and independent music scenes when â┚¬Ã…”Start Today Tomorrowâ┚¬? came on. I immediately knew that I was familiar with the band, but I couldnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t quite place it. The US release, put out on Epitaph, kicks off with â┚¬Ã…”On a Stringâ┚¬? which is at times reminiscent of a mellow Shins song. Though Youth Group occasionally falters at providing something spankinâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ new to the indie scene (but really not many within any â┚¬Ã…”sceneâ┚¬? succeed at this venture), they make up for it with the diversity of their music. They lack the power of Death Cab for Cutie, among others, to make listeners know on the first listen of any song that it is a creation of the band. Perhaps, however, this is their strength; not only is the new album novel for old fans, but all fans, old and new alike, will be impressed by the variety of music on this disc.

Tracklisting:
1. On A String
2. Sorry
3. Catching And Killing
4. Dead Zoo
5. Under The Underpass
6. Sicily
7. Daisy Chains
8. Forever Young
9. Start Today Tomorrow
10. The Destruction Of Laurel Canyon
11. TJ

Lost Ocean – Lost Ocean

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Lost Ocean Lost Ocean

Artist: Lost Ocean
Album: Self Titled
Label: Credential Recordings
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: February 20th, 2007

Overall: 6.0
Music: 7.0
Lyrics: 8.0
Production: 8.0

I heard an EP from this piano based band â┚¬Ã…”Lost Oceanâ┚¬? a few months ago, and it was not bad, a little bit bland but it had potential. I got sent the bandâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s debut full length and it turned out to be a longer version of an already lacking EP.

The vocals are one of the best things about this record, although they arenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t very unique in the sense that for several songs I swore I was listening to a Ben Folds record. The record and the band give off this vibe that they want to be a pop rock band yet the songs never quite get there. The single and by far the best song off the record, â┚¬Ã…”Just Glideâ┚¬?, was also coincidently the best song off the previous EP â┚¬Ã…”Night to lifeâ┚¬?.

A couple other notable songs on the record are â┚¬Ã…”You areâ┚¬? and â┚¬Ã…”Muteâ┚¬? which are able to hold their own, but just barely. I wanted to like this band and this record but it just has not happened yet. Thing is I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t dislike the album; it just has nothing pulling you back to listen to it over and over again.

This is one of those bands which has a lot of potential, yet something needs to be tweaked in order to bring it out of them. The album is up for streaming on the bands site, and I recommend doing that before purchasing it.

Tracklisting
1. Believe
2. Still Life
3. Just Glide
4. You Are
5. Mute
6. Dreams
7. Everything Is
8. Trust
9. Lights
10. Vast

Relient K – Five Score and Seven Years Ago

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Relient K Five Score and Seven Years Ago

Artist: Relient K
Album: Five Score and Seven Years Ago
Label: Capitol Records
Purchase: Amazon
Release Date: March 6th, 2007

Overall: 7.9
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 8.0
Production: 9.0

â┚¬Ã…”Five score and seven years agoâ┚¬? is Relient Kâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s new album which is the follow up to the major label debut â┚¬Ã…”mmhmmâ┚¬?. I applaud them for giving this album an actual name instead of just a sound that made you feel ridiculous when said out loud. I was very excited to hear this record because Relient K has always put out quality music, and the same still applies with the new record. The staple of this band has and continues to be the ability to blend the comical and serious sides of life into a beautifully crafted song.

The first song â┚¬Ã…”Plead the fifthâ┚¬? is more of an intro to the record, but it definitely shows off the guyâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s ability to write a catchy melody. â┚¬Ã…”Come right out and say Itâ┚¬? is the next song which is familiar Relient K territory and touches on the subject of wanting to hear the truth instead of a pretty lie to spare someoneâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s feelings. â┚¬Ã…”Must have done something rightâ┚¬?, which is the first single, has been out for awhile and is a good song, but seems to sound better in the context of the other songs on â┚¬Ã…”Five Scoreâ┚¬Ã‚¦Ãƒ¢Ã¢”š¬?. Speaking of the single, my guess is that â┚¬Ã…”Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m taking you with meâ┚¬? will end up being one at some point with its instantly catchy chorus.

â┚¬Ã…”Deathbedâ┚¬?, which is the album closer, comes in at a whopping 11:05 minutes long. The song is told from a first person perspective of someone dying from cancer. The song starts off soft and slow but doesnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t stay that way long, adding a range of different instruments along the journey. The song also includes a guest vocalist which sounds like Switchfoot lead singer â┚¬Ã…”Jonathan Foremanâ┚¬?.

Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll take the advice from the song â┚¬Ã…”Come right out and say itâ┚¬? and just tell it like it is for this record. This is an album which you will need to put in some time to fully enjoy. I found this album very forgettable the first couple times I listened to it, but it has grown on me. There are a couple of weaker songs scattered on the album but overall a good listen.
I just wasted your time with this review. Buy the record and youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll know what I mean.

Track listing
1. Plead the Fifth
2. Come Right Out and Say It
3. I Need You
4. The Best Thing
5. Forgiven
6. Must Have Done Something Right
7. Give
8. Devastation and Reform
9. I’m Taking You With Me
10. Faking My Own Suicide
11. Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care
12. Bite My Tongue
13. Up and Up
14. Deathbed

Dustin Kensrue – Please Come Home

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Dustin Kensrue Please Come Home

Artist: Dustin Kensrue
Album: Please Come Home
Label: Equal Vision
Purchase: MerchNow
Release Date: January 23, 2007

Overall: 9.1
Music: 8.8
Lyrics: 9.5
Production: 9.0

Dustin Kensrue, mastermind and frontman of alternative rockers Thrice, has been embarking on many new endeavors recently. Between the birth of his first child, his position on the board of To Write Love On Her Arms, writing and recording a new record with Thrice, and playing countless solo shows, Dustin’s solo album may be subconsciously titled as a request of himself. Regardless, this eight song debut contains the passion and the power he exudes in Thrice, but in a stripped down, soft-serve setting.

Reminiscent of Johnny Cash meets Bruce Springstein mixed in with the expected honesty of Dustin’s writing, don’t think you’re getting an acoustic version of Thrice. This album is far removed from their sound. The country and blues tone is not normally something I take to, but for some reason, Dustin does it differently.

The songs are not groundbreaking, life changing, or perfect, but they’re easy to identify with, sing a long to, and love as though they were written for you. I strongly recommend this album, it just may be your gateway into a genre ignored by a lot of modern rock fans, and embraced by this modern rock icon.

Track Listing
1. I Knew You Before
2. Pistol
3. I Believe
4. Please Come Home
5. Blood & Wine
6. Consider The Ravens
7. Weary Saints
8. Blanket Of Ghosts

The Higher – On Fire

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The Higher On Fire

Artist: The Higher
Album: On Fire
Label: Epitaph
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: March 6th, 2007

Overall: 7.5
Music: 7.5
Lyrics: 7.0
Production: 10.0

On the verge of breaking up to then go on to put out what will probably be one of the most well produced, polished, radio friendly records of 2007. The Higher fit into an interesting place in the music spectrum. If I had to categorize â┚¬Ã…”On Fireâ┚¬?, it would get thrown into a pop punk section, and maybe thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s correct, yet the album raises the typical pop punk bar a couple of notches.

First thing is first, there are 2 songs they rerecorded, but the songs are so much better and flow so naturally that you might not even realize that they are older songs. There is actually a 3rd song â┚¬Ã…”Pace Yourselfâ┚¬? that is from their last record. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s been remixed by Patrick Stump (think FOB) and I still canâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t figure out why they included it on the disc because itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s flat out terrible. The song gets repetitive real fast and offers nothing to the record.

The thing â┚¬Ã…”On Fireâ┚¬? does well is try to give each song a unique feel. â┚¬Ã…”Insuranceâ┚¬? has a sort of salsa mixed with rock feel which is weird at first but strangely compelling. â┚¬Ã…”Can anyone really love youngâ┚¬? is a John Mayer reminiscent love song. And what album would be complete without a string/synth ballad like â┚¬Ã…”Our movie rulesâ┚¬? to close out the full album. This album rarely, if ever, repeats itself in terms of style and feel which is good because too often records are coming with the same song repeated 12 times.
The record reminds me of the catchiness of â┚¬Ã…”Cute is what we aim forâ┚¬? but without the embarrassment of saying you listen to â┚¬Ã…”Cute is what we aim forâ┚¬?. After everything is said and done â┚¬Ã…”On Fireâ┚¬? is definitely worth checking out and most people will probably agree itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s worth the ten bucks.

Tracklisting
01. Insurance?
02. Guts
03. Rock My Body
04. Weapons Wired
05. Histrionics
06. Movement
07. Can Anyone Really Love Young
08. Darkpop
09. DARE
10. 31 Floors
11. Our Movie Rules
12. Pace Yourself (Patrick Stump Remix)

Switchfoot – Oh! Gravity

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switchfoot.jpg

Artist: Switchfoot
Album: Oh! Gravity
Label: Columbia Records
Purchase: Amazon
Release Date: December 26, 2006

Overall: 8.8
Music: 7.9
Lyrics: 9.0
Production: 9.5

On the day after Christmas comes an album from a band practiced in giving: after their sixth studio album, Switchfoot has given listeners an earful of inspiration, or at the very least, a different perspective on life. Why Oh! Gravity was released after Christmas rather than the Tuesday before it or whether the album will sell enough copies to reach gold-plus status like their previous Nothing Is Sound did is unknown to me, but apparently front man Jon Foreman is not too worried about that (myCCM).

Oftentimes on Gravity Foreman-and-team â┚¬Ã…”deliberately went back to the first take and the rough draftâ┚¬? (CCM Magazine) for honestyâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s sake. Having done so may have brought the quality of musicianship down a level, but honesty seems to be what Switchfoot was really striving for on this album. So if while enjoying some naturally appealing songs, you can also put up with more than one underdeveloped tune and a few awkward moments, youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll hear a bunch of wholesome messages about life and a bandâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s â┚¬Ã…”honestâ┚¬? approach to songwriting.

Oh! Gravity starts off strong with their latest single, the title track. This thought-provoking song about hatred and conflict is consistent with the sound Switchfoot established on their last two albums, and itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s an improvement from Nothing Is Soundâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s â┚¬Ã…”Stars,â┚¬? but is not as exceptional as The Beautiful Letdownâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s â┚¬Ã…”Meant to Live.â┚¬? However, there is another song on the album that could compete. Track four on Gravity has enough verve to stir anyone into a delightful dance. When Switchfoot plays â┚¬Ã…”Awakeningâ┚¬? live, you can bet everyone in the house will be moving or jumping. It would really be a disservice to the media and to listeners if itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s not picked as their next single.

To be quite frank, though, there are too many filler songs on the album to be enjoyed from beginning to end. â┚¬Ã…”Dirty Second Handsâ┚¬? drones on somewhat like the ticking of a clock, which youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve got to assume the band intended. Sure, its depressing mood matches that of the title, but the song would have more effectively changed the pace of the album if it were more to the liking of â┚¬Ã…”Dare You to Moveâ┚¬? from The Beautiful Letdown. Sorry to say but no songs on Gravity quite equal the emotional outpouring of that classic song. On the other hand, to Switchfootâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s credit they have been there, done that and now they are experimenting with a different stylistic approach.

The song â┚¬Ã…”Amateur Loversâ┚¬? has an interesting vibe. It features the sitar and sounds like The Clash meets The Beatles meets The Stones. As soon as Foremanâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s vocals kick in, the song quickly turns sour because they do not compliment the music well at all. In this song, as well as the next, â┚¬Ã…”Faust, Midas, and Myself,â┚¬? Foremanâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s voice is boring and repetitive and just about everything you donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t want to hear. In fact the lyrics in the latter are practically spoken rather than sung. This is truly a shame because his non-materialistic view in the song needs so badly to be heard.

Other less-than-stellar songs include â┚¬Ã…”Yesterdaysâ┚¬? and â┚¬Ã…”4:12.â┚¬? Other standout tracks on the record are â┚¬Ã…”American Dream,â┚¬? â┚¬Ã…”Circles,â┚¬? â┚¬Ã…”Head Over Healsâ┚¬? and â┚¬Ã…”Burn Out Bright.â┚¬? There are also a few mediocre tracks on Oh! Gravity that have both good and bad qualities. This record should probably have been reduced to an EP in order to eliminate deadwood songs, or at least Switchfoot ought to have refined them until they were complete. â┚¬Ã…”Honestyâ┚¬? is hardly ever associated with music â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ lyrics yes, but not music. If Switchfootâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s goal was to affect people with their honesty, perhaps they should have expressed their message through twelve perfected tracks.

Track List:
1. Oh! Gravity
2. American Dream
3. Dirty Second Hands
4. Awakening
5. Circles
6. Amateur Lovers
7. Faust, Midas, and Myself
8. Head Over Heels (In This Life)
9. Yesterdays
10. Burn Out Bright
11. 4:12
12. Let Your Love Be Strong

+44 – When Your Heart Stops Beating

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Plus 44

Artist: +44
Album: When Your Heart Stops Beating
Label: Interscope
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: November 13, 2006

Overall: 8.0
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 8.0
Production: 8.5

Ex Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker set out to make something new with +44 but is that what they ended up with? The band we originally set to be an electronic act but they took a different road when Carol Heller left the band and added guitarists Shane Gallagher and Craig Fairbaugh to finish the lineup.

Beginning the album is the upbeat track “Lycanthrope” which resembles a Blink 182 sound and “Baby Come On” also rings of Blink 182 bass lines and lyrics. One could almost believe that this album is the next Blink 182 album with the first three tracks. The first single “When Your Heart Stops Beating” is filled with bouncing bass and synths. Its after this point that the album takes a bit of a turn and the songs start releasing a lot of emotion with lyrics that you know are towards ex Blink 182 guitarist Tom Delong. “155” is another track that has some electronic backings giving the song a nice beat while “Lillian” is lead by an acoustic track and sing along lyrics. The dark lyrics and emotional music come on out “Weatherman” and “No it Isn’t.” The songs are overall good and have their upbeat parts yet are depressing at times, but I’m sure thats what Mark was feeling about the whole Blink 182 fallout. “Make You Smile” includes some lyrics from Heller for what is one of the most electronic sounding songs on the album, think The Postal Service with some added Female vocals. The album finishes out with “Chapter 13” which has a simple but pleasurable feel to it.

I liked hearing Mark’s voice again as well as his bass style and Travis’s drumming. +44’s debut is the closest thing to Blink 182 but I would have been sad if this was the next Blink 182 album. Mark, Tom, and Travis had something special and we will probably never hear that combination again. If you enjoyed Blink 182 and if you felt like Angels & Airwaves didn’t quite please you be sure to give +44 a spin for something different.

Track Listing
1. Lycanthrope
2. Baby Come On
3. When Your Heart Stops Beating
4. Little Death
5. 155
6. Lillian
7. Cliffdiving
8. Interlude
9. Weatherman
10. No, It Isn’t
11. Make You Smile
12. Chapter 13