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.

Tonight On DJ Rossstar 5-23-07

By Leave a Comment

Acute (Help Records) will be studio guests tonight, Wednesday, May 23rd 2007 on DJ Rossstar’s Punk Rock Show. The show airs live from 7-8pm PST/ 10-11pm EST. Faberdrive (Universal Records) will be calling in for a live phone interview. You can listen to the show on www.idobiradio.com. If you have questions for the guests, send them to the screen name: staridobi

MxPx Special Edition Secret Weapon Album Art; Track Listing

By 1 Comment

The album art and track listing for MxPx‘s Special Edition version of their upcoming album, Secret Weapon, can be seen below. Secret Weapon will be in stores July 17th on Tooth & Nail Records.
MxPx

Track Listing

1. Secret Weapon
2. Shut It Down
3. Here’s To The Life
4. Top Of The Charts
5. Punk Rock Celebrity
6. Contention
7. Angles
8. Drowning
9. Chop Shop
10. You’re On Fire
11. Bass So Low
12. Sad Sad Song
13. Never Better Than Now
14. Biting The Bullet
15. Not Nothing
16. Tightly Wound
17. The Hoo-Ha Jangle*
18. Madcap Scheme*
19. Throw Your Body In The Air*

*Bonus Tracks

The Toasters – One More Bullet

By Leave a Comment

The Toasters

Artist: The Toasters
Album: One More Bullet
Label: Stomp Records / Megalith Records
Purchase: Stomp
Release Date: April 27, 2007

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

Ska is back and there is no better proponent than icons of the scene, The Toasters! They’ve carved out their own niche in history for the past 25 years showcasing their 2-Tone inspired sound to the world and show no signs of quitting anytime soon with their most recent full length CD One More Bullet (Stomp Records).

Lead by British expatriate Rob “Bucket” Hingley who formed the Toasters in 1982, One More Bullet was recorded in Valencia, Spain at RPM Studios by renowned producer Cubo and engineered by the great Roger Garcia. Featuring eleven huge tracks of trademark Toasters ska, the album also features guest appearances from Greg Robinson (Mephiskapheles), Bufford O’Sullivan (Slackers, Easy Star Allstars), and Claude Robillard (Daze Of Dawn).

One More Bullet starts off strong showcasing the signature sound the Toasters have become famous for with “What a Gwan” an upbeat song about big-brother inspired closed circuit TV security cameras that are becoming more abundant in urban society, even going so far to claim that “we are all living in 1984”. The album features a nice mix of reggae-tinged ska on tracks such as “Where’s the Freedom”, “Life In A Bubble”, “Run Rudy Run Redux”, and “Bits and Pieces” that feature Jamaican-style vocals sung by bassist Jason Nwagbaroacha. The album continues to wind through a mix of traditional ska and reggae stylings and ends just as strong as it started with “El Chopo” and the unique “Blues Bros. Outro…” an ode and dedication of ska-reformed blues inspired from “The Blues Brothers”.

Overall the album is catchy and upbeat with a handful of tunes that will make even those who don’t necessarily like ska want to dance. One More Bullet is proof positive that North America’s longest running ska band can kick out the jams like no other. It’s no wonder why the band has been branded as the “Miles Davis of Ska” and the “Ramones of Ska” alike. Here’s to another 25 years!

Track Listing
1. What A Gwan
2. Night Train To Moscow
3. Where’s The Freedom?
4. Life In A Bubble
5. Run Rudy Run Redux
6. You’re Gonna Pay
7. Bits And Pieces
8. When Will I Be Loved
9. One More Bullet
10. Step Up
11. El Chopo
12. Blues Bros Outro…

Amber Pacific – Truth In Sincerity

By 1 Comment

Amber Pacific

Artist: Amber Pacific
Album: Truth In Sincerity
Label: Hopeless Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: May 22nd, 2007

Overall: 8.5
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 9.0
Production: 9.5

For those of you anticipating Amber Pacific’s new album “Truth in Sincerity” to be a complete evolution from their first full-length album, “The Possibility in the Promise”, you will be disappointed. However, for those of you that are fans of Amber Pacific’s original style, you will be thrilled with their latest album. Amber Pacific, consisting of Matt Young, Greg Strong, “Dango”, and Will Nutter, can be described as one of those bands that is distinguished in great part by the sound of their vocalist’s voice. Matt Young has a deep, sorrowful voice that can easily convey the emotions that their music typically expresses: love, heartbreak, and anguish. The quality and sound of his vocals hasn’t changed within the new album. The band’s generally romance-related song messages are also disclosed through their creative, sentimental lyrics; the topics their music touches on have also not changed very much throughout this album.

Nor has the general sound of their music changed too much. It is heavily guitar-incorporated and has a hopeful sound that appeals to many. The main change that Amber Pacific has made in their music within the new album is the speed of their songs. Many songs in the new album have a quicker pace. I personally enjoyed the sound of the new album, but was somewhat disappointed to not see many changes in their music, although I am a fan of “The Possibility and the Promise”. Being a fan of their previous full-length album, I was excited to see that the CD’s bonus tracks were, in fact, acoustic versions of two songs from “The Possibility and the Promise”-“Always You (Good Times)” and “For What It’s Worth”. Throughout these numbers, Matt Young’s voice sounds very raw and natural-suggesting that he is a naturally talented vocalist.

So, all in all, I recommend Amber Pacific’s latest album to fans that wouldn’t mind and might in fact enjoy hearing something very similar to their last album. For those of you that haven’t had the pleasure of listening to Amber Pacific prior to now, I also recommend the albums to those of you interested in a rock band with a somewhat mellow sound.

Track List
1. Rule #76
2. Summer (In B)
3. Temporary
4. Youre Only Young Once
5. Living Proof
6. Follow Your Dreams
7. Take Me From This
8. Fall Back Into My Life
9. We Think Were Hardcore, Cause, Well, We Are
10. Runaway (Featuring Mike Herrera Of Mxpx)
11. Watching Over Me
12. Dear ____, This Has Always Been About Standing Up For Yourself

MxPx Live In Store Acoustic Shows

By Leave a Comment

MxPx will be doing some live in store acoustic shows at several Sam Ash locations throughout New York and the Midwest. The band will be playing a free live in-store acoustic show and after the set the band will be on hand for autographs. Read below for the full details.

5/25/07 – Carle Place, NY – 3:30PM
385 Old Country Rd
Carle Place, NY 11514
click here for a map to the store.

5/27/07 – Lyndhurst, OH – 1:00PM
5700 Mayfield Road
Lyndhurst, OH 44124
click here for a map to the store.

5/28/07 – Columbus, OH – 3:30PM
1690 Morse Road
Columbus, OH 43229
click here for a map to the store.

5/30/07 – Nashville, TN – 3:30PM
1647 Gallatin Pike North
Madison, TN 37115
click here for a map to the store.

6/2/07 – Cincinnati, OH – 1:00PM
11805 Commons Drive
Springdale, OH 45246
click here for a map to the store.

6/5/07 – Burbank, IL – 3:30PM
7780 South Cicero Ave
Burbank, IL 60459
click here for a map to the store.