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Contest Winners

July 1, 2006 By Bryce Jacobson Leave a Comment

Thanks to everyone who entered our Rise Against and Sound of Superman contests! Here are the winners.

Rise Against
Eric Edmiston
Alissa Bigger
Jonathan Simbol
Daniel Moran
Ash Labelle

Sound of Superman
Rebecca Briseno
Brett Fuss
Seth Pearson

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Rise Against, Sound-of-Superman

Show Review: Warped Tour Nashville, TN June 21, 2006

June 23, 2006 By Trevor Bivens Leave a Comment

Warped Tour

Of all summer festivals, Warped Tour has always been the best bang for your buck. Twenty three dollars for 30+ bands is ridiculously awesome. Too bad Ticketmaster likes to stab at our wallets. “Convenience” charges and service fees aside, Warped is still your best ticket of the summer, and maybe even the year.

The sun was already high in the air and there wasn’t a rain cloud in sight over the Starwood Ampitheater in Nashville, TN. The parking lot was filling up as street punks, older Warped vets, and the Myspace generation made their way to the gates.

While walking around, the smell of hairspray hung in the air, as most kids didn’t anticipate sweating it all out for the day. I made a quick sweep of the layout, because every date’s differs according to the setup of the venue.

After learning it was almost time for Gym Class Heroes, I made my way to their stage. That band never ceases to amaze me, and with the addition of a synth player, their live sound is even better.

After Gym Class, I walked around a bit before checking out Dayton, TN’s Radio Fix. I’d been wanting to see the band live for a while and they delivered.

I left The Radio Fix to catch the first of Saves the Day’s set. Legends in this scene, it was amazing to see true masters at work.

I hopped over to the Myspace tent to check out a little acoutic Gym Class Heroes. MC Travis McCoy dropped some spoken word that was quite incredible to experience.

I then got into the second row, eagerly anticipating theAcademyIs…, however, the heat was starting to take its toll. Coupled with the headache I was developing due to the fourteen year olds freaking out because TAI is so “hawt,” I was near the point of blacking out. I took off before they started for some shade while still being able to listen to them.

After a nice turkey sandwich for lunch, I watched Greeley Estates with a friend and was pleasantly surprised at how tight they were.

I went from Greeley to Rookie of the Year, which is quite a dynamic change in sound. I didn’t stick around long, because I wanted a good spot for Motion City Soundtrack.

The sun was slowly, and I stress slowly, trying to go down, but still loomed over the crowd as MCS took the stage. Never a band to disappoint, they had the entire crowd singing along. Unfortunately, they also had the teenagers moshing. Let’s not forget the crowd surfers. Mostly between the ages of 13 and 16, it would be the first time a lot of these girls were held in the arms of a man: a security guard.

Just staying at the same stage and waiting it out, I got up front and center for Paramore. They have never put on a bad show in Nashville, and they continued their streak. Frontwoman Hayley Williams may be small, but she knows how to command a crowd better than a lot of bands headlining this tour for multiple years. The Farro brothers both played their respectful instruments with the efficiency of seasoned professionals. Bass player Jeremy grooved along to the tunes and threw in an acrobatic cartwheel over Josh’s back. Guitarist Hunter Lamb rounded out the lineup to help deliver one of the best sets of the day.

As soon as Paramore ended, I walked all the way across the grounds to catch the most underrated band today: Spitalfield. Mixing songs from their first two Victory LPs and throwing in a song from their forthcoming album, Spitalfield played a set of pop songs solid enough to make Fall Out Boy jealous.

And so ended my day at the Warped Tour. I left with a bag full of free swag, a headache, and the sunburn from Hell. It was a blast.

Filed Under: Reviews, Show Tagged With: Greeley-Estates, Gym Class Heroes, Motion City Soundtrack, Paramore, Saves-The-Day, The Academy Is..., The Radio Fix

Cute Is What We Aim For – The Same Old Blood Rush With a New Touch

June 20, 2006 By Trevor Bivens 1 Comment

Cute Is What We Aim For

Artist: Cute Is What We Aim For
Album: The Same Old Blood Rush With a New Touch
Label: Fueled By Ramen
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: June 20, 2006

Overall: 5.5
Music: 5.6
Lyrics: 5.7
Production: 5.4

Having followed this band since last summer, I had high hopes for this album. They were shattered to an extent. There’s an odd thing going on with this disc. Usually, the first half of an album is good and the last half is forgettable. It’s reversed here.

Cute have delivered twelve tracks that leave me mixed on where this album stands in my collection.

“Newport Living” suffers from an awkward opening and bad lyrics like, “If you lie, you don’t deserve to have friends.” Whereas “Risque” is just skippable altogether. Fan favorite “There’s a Class For This” suffers from new production and an out of place and bored William Beckett. “Sweat the Battle Before the Battle Sweats You” is a decent song that sounds more full in comparison to the ones before it. “The Fourth Drink Instinct” was the first compelling song on the album.

“Sweet Talk 101” has an opening that could very well be ripped from Coheed and Cambria’s “Three Evils.” Seriously, listen to their openings back to back. Sketchy.

There’s also the songs that helped this band gain its popularity. “Finger Twist and Split” sounds overproduced now, opposed to the more natural feel of the demo. It still tends to stick out more than other songs on here. “Lyrical Lies” suffers from Shaant trying to be fancy with his vocal style and it takes away from the charm of this slow burner. “Teasing To Please” could possibly be the best song on this disc, actually improving on the demo.

New tracks “I Put the Metro in Metronome,” “Curse of Curves,” and “Moan” try their best to make this album worth a purchase as they’re all gems. “Curse of Curves” sounds sped up when compared to the original internet preview. Maybe it’s just me, but if anyone else can tell, please let me know.

The album is definitely pulled down by the repeated use of certain lyrics. I’m not just talking in certain songs, either. The word “gent(s)” is used numerous times throughout the disc. It also takes choruses to a new annoyance, having them repeat more times than they should.

I used to think Matt Squire could do no wrong, but alas, good things don’t last. This is my least favorite Squire-produced album, and honestly, there were not any others that I disliked.

The band is still young, and I don’t think they were ready to step up to Fueled By Ramen. This is one of the label’s weakest signings of the past two years. They have potential, but they need to stop trying so hard to be witty and liked. This album is a victim of “the angles.” If you’re just glancing at it, it seems like a pretty safe bet, but in the age of the “myspace generation” the real thing just isn’t what you were hoping for.

Tracklisting
1. Newport Living
2. There’s a Class For This
3. Finger Twist and Split
4. Risque
5. Sweat the Battle Before the Battle Sweats You
6. The Fourth Drink Instinct
7. Sweet Talk 101
8. The Curse of Curves
9. I Put the Metro In Metronome
10. Lyrical Lies
11. Moan
12. Teasing To Please(Left Side, Strong Side)

Standout Tracks: The Fourth Drink Instinct/The Curse of Curves/Moan/Teasing To Please

Filed Under: Album, Reviews Tagged With: Cute-Is-What-We-Aim-For, Fueled By Ramen

Ryan’s Hope – Apocalypse In Increments

June 18, 2006 By Trevor Bivens 1 Comment

Ryan's Hope

Artist: Ryan’s Hope
Album: Apocalypse In Increments
Label: Punk News Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: April 11, 2006

Overall: 8.0
Music: 8.6
Lyrics: 7.6
Production: 8.0

Not hitting up the Warped Tour this summer? Looking for some new tunes to capture the feel of the glory days? Look no further than Ryan’s Hope. Hailing from Chicago, the band delivers a disc packed with the “fuck you” attitude of Bad Religion and the speed and catchiness of the Descendants and Lifetime.

Tracks like “My Motivation, Your Demise” and “Majority” provide a harder alternative of driving music if you don’t prefer your songs sugar-coated.

“Apocalypse in Increments” is 13 tracks of fast, loud, and in your face pop-punk that’s begging to be spun all summer.

Tracklisting
1. End is Here
2. My Motivation, Your Demise
3. The Carpathian
4. Reiteration
5. Haven’t Got the Time
6. Exorcism
7. My Decision
8. When Life Steals Life
9. Killing Through Song
10. Majority
11. By the Sword
12. This Time
13. The Ranks

Standout Tracks:
My Motivation, Your Demise/Majority/By the Sword

Filed Under: Album, Reviews Tagged With: Ryans-Hope

Jet Lag Gemini – Business

June 13, 2006 By Bryce Jacobson Leave a Comment

Jet Lag Gemini

Artist: Jet Lag Gemini
Album: Business
Label: Doghouse
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: June 6, 2006

Overall: 7.9
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 7.5
Production: 8.2

Jet Lag Gemini are a young bunch of kids form New Jersey who have been playing music for years. Where does this come into play you say? Well, being that the band consists of Vlad and Matei who are brothers from Romania and the whole band comes in at the age of 20 or under makes this a great accomplishment. Being signed to Doghouse Records (home to bands like Say Anything, Limbeck, and mroe) and have an EP out makes this accomplishment all the better.

Mixing the sound of pop-rock and 80’s style guitar rhythms makes the bands sound something of interest in todays over-saturated market of pop and hardcore rock bands. From the first song “Don’t Leave Me Hanging” you’ll be tapping your foot and singing a long to every track. It has been said that their live shows are very energetic and everyone sings along to the songs. After just one listen you can tell these songs were made to be played live, rocked out, and blasted just for your ears. The bands first single “Geared For Action” combines crunchy guitars with an upbeat melody for a song you just can’t seem to get out of your head.

Jet Lag Gemini are off to a great start with this EP and Doghouse couldn’t be a better of a place for them to start off on. For fans of anything catchy!

Track Listing
1. Don’t Leave Me Hanging
2. Geared For Action
3. From Lip To Lip
4. Ready Set No
5. Happy Earth Day
6. They’re Made Out of Meat

Standout Tracks
“Don’t Leave Me Hanging”, “Geared For Action”, “Happy Earth Day”

Filed Under: Album, Reviews Tagged With: Doghouse, Jet-Lag-Gemini

Patent Pending – Save Each Other, The Whales Are Doing Fine

June 13, 2006 By Bryce Jacobson 2 Comments

Patent Pending

Artist: Patent Pending
Album: Save Each Other, The Whales Are Doing Fine
Label: We Put Out Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: June 6, 2006

Overall: 7.0
Music: 7.0
Lyrics: 6.8
Production: 7.4

Pop-Punk with an extra side of fun is one way to put Patent Pending’s new album Save Each Other, The Whales Are Doing Fine. The band mixes fast crunchy guitars with fun dance along rhythms in songs like “Los Angeles” and “This Can’t Happen Again.” I swore I was listening to Punchline when “This Can’t Happen Again” came on as the vocals sound almost the same. “Decemberween” has more of a reggae style with it’s guitars and added horns. The band seems to fill in a bunch of other tracks that have either a ballad style or are filled with sappy love lyrics for the wrest of the album.

I give the band props for their do-it-yourself style and their drive to just play fun music. Pick this one up if you feel the need to dance out.

Track Listing
1. Los Angeles
2. This Can’t Happen Again
3. Decemberween
4. Lights Out In Mississippi
5. Demo For Dayna
6. Cheer Up Emo Kid
7. Old And Out Of Tune
8. Samantha The Great
9. Sleep Well My Angel
10. The Safety Of Sleeping In
11. The L-Town Shakedown
12. The June Spirit

Standout Tracks
“This Can’t Happen Again”, “Los Angeles”, “Decemberween”

Filed Under: Album, Reviews Tagged With: Patent-Pending, We-Put-Out-Records

Sleepaway – Sleepaway

June 13, 2006 By Bryce Jacobson Leave a Comment

Sleepaway

Artist: Sleepaway
Album: Sleepaway
Label: No Milk Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: June 6, 2006

Overall: 7.8
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 7.6
Production: 8.2

This self-titled debut is something you would expect from a band on their second or even third release. Sleepaway hit it on the spot with this release that has the sounds of Waking Ashland, JamisonParker, This Day and Age written all over it.

The bands songs come off with a very emotion feeling to them, with laid back melodies, soft guitar parts, and soft vocals to go along with them. “Time, Traffic, and Weather” is my favorite track on the album as it mixes a nice guitar beat with those catchy guitars I usually fall for.

This is a great album to add to your easy listening pile that may also include This Day & Age, JamisonParker and even Jimmy Eat World. A great debut that shows a lot of potential for the band in the future.

Track Listing
1. Nice Shoes Hollywood
2. Time,Traffic and Weather
3. Best Unspoken
4. From My Bed To Yours
5. Who Needs the Radio When You’ve Got Me
6. What Are You Going To Say When I Call You
7. Understand, We Couldnt Have
8. If I Try
9. Something of a Saturday
10. Sorry I Never Bought You A Car or Took You To Vegas

Standout Tracks
“Time, Traffic, and Weather”, “Nice Shoes, Hollywood!”, “What Are You Gonna Say When I Call You?”

Filed Under: Album, Reviews Tagged With: No-Milk-Records, Sleepaway

House of Heroes – Say No More

June 13, 2006 By Bryce Jacobson 1 Comment

House of Heroes

Artist: House of Heroes
Album: Say No More
Label: Mono Vs. Stereo
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: May 30, 2006

Overall: 7.6
Music: 7.8
Lyrics: 7.5
Production: 8.0

After releasing their self-titled album last year, House of Heroes didn’t quite get the coverage they deserved. Re-releasing that album with a couple of new songs, new artwork, and the name Say No More, the band is back and they want your full attention this time.

With a wide range of influences like The Beach Boys, Weezer, and The Beetles, the band has a sound that’s upbeat, mixes lots of rhythm, and has Weezer style lyrics. The new tracks add an extra boost to this album that was already filled with lots of style. The album is a great relaxing album with it’s melodic laid back tracks like “Suicide Baby.”

For fans of Lovedrug & Copeland

Track Listing
1. Buckets For Bullet Wounds
2. Fast Enough
3. Friday Night
4. The Invisible Hook
5. Mercedes Baby
6. Serial Sleepers
7. Make A Face Like You Mean It (Vampires)
8. Metaphor in Parenthesis
9. You Are The Judas Of The Cheerleading Squad
10. Pulling Back The Skin
11. Suicide Baby
12. Angels in Top Hats

Filed Under: Album, Reviews Tagged With: House-of-Heroes, Mono-Vs.-Stereo

Danko Jones – Sleep Is The Enemy

June 13, 2006 By Bryce Jacobson Leave a Comment

Danko Jones

Artist: Danko Jones
Album: Sleep is the Enemy
Label: Razor & Tie
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: May 23, 2006

Overall: 6.8
Music: 6.6
Lyrics: 7.2
Production: 8.0

Danko Jones are on their third release with their new album Sleep is the Enemy. This Canadian trio mixes a bit of yesterdays rock style with a bit of today pop rock style. Their heavy riffs are set in an almost laid back rock style on this album. You’ll find Yourself rocking to tracks like “She’s Drugs” and banging your foot to tracks like “Sleep Is The Enemy.”

Track Listing
1. Sticky Situation
2. Baby Hates Me
3. Don’t Fall In Love
4. She’s Drugs
5. The Finger
6. First Date
7. Invisible
8. Natural Tan
9. When Will I See You
10. Time Heals Nothing
11. Sleep Is the Enemy
12. Choose Me

Filed Under: Album, Reviews Tagged With: Danko-Jones, Razor-&-Tie

V/A – Hopelessly Devoted To You Vol. 6

June 13, 2006 By Bryce Jacobson Leave a Comment

Hopeless

Artist: Various
Album: Hotel
Label: Hopeless | Sub City
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: June 6, 2006

Overall: 7.0
Music:
Lyrics:
Production:

Hopeless Records continues the release of their Hoplessly Devoted To You series with Vol. 6. This 2 disc + DVD package contains a few new tracks as well as a large mix from both Hopeless and Sub City records. The bonus DVD includes music videos from Amber Pacific, Thrice, Avenged Sevenfold, Nural, and more.

Out of all the summer complications out there right now (Smartpunk, Warped Tour, UnSound) this is the only one to include a DVD and it’s got a cheap price of $6 as well. If you pick all of these comps up you will have enough music to last you almost all summer, they won’t hurt the wallet either.

Track Listing
1. Amber Pacific (Gone So Young)
2. All Time Low (Breakout! Breakout!)
3. Nural (Tension)
4. Royden (Broken Star Satellite)
5. Kaddisfly ( For The Ejection of Rest, They’ll Dance)
6. Ever We Fall (Schoolyard Crush)
7. Thrice (Lullaby) *Previously Unreleased
8. the Human Abstract (Crossing the Rubicon) *Previously Unreleased
9. Against All Authority (Radio Waves)
10. Mustard Plug (Over The Edge) *Previously Unreleased
11. Royden (Hollywood Reckless at the Knights of Columbus) *Previously Unreleased
12. Ever We Fall (Bring Em’ In Billy) (techno remix) *Previously Unreleased
13. Nural (Just Don’t) (acoustic) *Previously Unreleased
14. Amber Pacific (Poetically Pathetic) (acoustic) *Previously Unreleased
15. Guttermouth (Hopeless)
16. 88 Fingers Louie (Blink)
17. Mustard Plug (You)
18. Against All Authority (All Fall Down)
19. Dillinger Four (Doublewhiskeycokenoice)
20. 88 Fingers Louie (100 Proof)
21. The Queers (Tamara is a Punk)
22. Fifteen (Stolen Life)
23. The Weakerthans (Diagnosis)
24. Against All Authority (Pestilent Existence)
25. Dillinger Four (Maximum Piss & Vinegar)
26. The Weakerthans (Aside)
27. Samiam (Mud Hill)
28. Thrice (T & C)
29. Atom and His Package (Undercover, Funny)
30. Scared of Chaka (Why Are You Weird?)
31. Thrice (Deadbolt)
32. Avenged Sevenfold (Darkness Surrounding)
33. Common Rider (Small Pebble)
34. Avenged Sevenfold ( Unholy Confessions)
35. Melee ( The War) new verison
36. Amber Pacific (Always You)
37. Mike Park (Blue Marble)
38. Amber Pacific (Potically Pathetic)
39. Amber Pacific (30 Second Spot)
40. Amber Pacific (Gone So Young)
41. Nural (Tension)
42. Nural (30 Second Spot)
43. Nural (The Cure)
44. Kaddisfly (New Moon Over Swift Water)
45. Who Said All Punk Sounds The Same? (30 Second Spot)
46. Melee (The War)
47. Mustard Plug (You)
48. Mustard Plug (Over The Edge) * Previously Unreleased
49. Mike Park (Asian Prodigy) *Previously Unreleased
50. Thrice (Deadbolt)
51. Thrice (30 Second Spot)
52. Thrice (Betrayal is A Symptom)
53. Avenged Sevenfold (Unholy Confessions)
54. Avenged Sevenfold (30 Second Spot)
55. Avenged Sevenfold (We Come Out At Night) (live)* Previously Unreleased
56. Atom and His Package (Undercover, Funny)
57. Against All Authority (Dinkas When I Close My Eyes)
58. Hopelessly Devoted To You Vol.3 (30 Second Spot)
59. The Weakerthans (Watermark)
60. The Weakerthans (Diagnosis)
61. Scared of Chaka (All My Friends and Ghosts)
62. Digger (Space Cadet)
63. The Queers (Tamara Is A Punk)
64. Nobodys (A Girl Like You)
65. 88 Fingers Louie (I’ve Won)
66. “DVD”

Filed Under: Album, Reviews Tagged With: Sub-City-Records

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