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.

The Secret Handshake – Night & Day

By 1 Comment

Artist: The Secret Handshake
Album: Night & Day
Label: Triple Crown Records
Release Date: August 17th, 2010
Purchase: [itunes link=”http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fresh-start/id382919365?uo=4″ title=”iTunes” text=”iTunes”]

Overall: 8.5
Music: 9
Lyrics: 7.5
Production: 8.5

When I first heard of The Secret Handshake planning to release an album entitled Night & Day, I won’t lie when I say I expected much of the same sing-song lyrics, with electronic beats and plenty of auto-tune. But after listening to the new album from Luis Dubuc (the main component behind all the music), that this album is completely different from everything beforehand, and a step above that material as well.

The album implements old school instruments and production techniques to really give it a classic, soulful feeling to it. In comparison to his other work full of electronics and computers, this makes the album feel incredibly liberating from the first vibrations and rising effect of “Every Single Time”, to the body rocking finale of “Here’s To You”. Night & Day creates this raw vibe that rings true to how Luis appears to feel about his music, where it feels compassionate and honest, as if he has finally become an adult in the musical world, discovering himself and the music he wants to make.

Although the album at times borders the realm of cheesiness, in how honest it is trying to be embodying the vibe of an old school soul record, there are plenty of songs that can and will work today in our modern music radio world. The fun retro vibe of “You Got Me” or the catchiness in the lyrics of “Woman” would fare well amongst the average teenage crowd. Along with The Secret Handshake’s female contemporary Lights, the two put together a duet entitled “Used To Be So Sweet”, that will make fans of either side light up with joy.

There is no doubt that fans will be split about this album, seeing as how it is a complete rebranding of the artist’s sound, but it is most definitely worth a listen. A newer, more mature, and different/distinct image for Luis will only garner newer fans and even catchier tunes. Night & Day might be an album people will be skeptical to listen to, but after hearing the new motown inspired tunes, there will be many new fans or at least much more respect for this sensational artist.

Unsilent Night 3 Music Festival

By Leave a Comment

The third annual Unsilent Night Musical Festival takes place in Frinsco, TX on December 27. The concert, presented by Third String Productions will feature this year’s top Pop/rock artists and best talent lineup to date including A Day to Remember, Senses Fail, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Breathe Carolina, The Secret Handshake, Oh Sleeper, Analog Rebellion, In Fear and Faith, Of Mice & Men, I Set My Friends On Fire and MORE. Tickets are available now at Tickets.com. General admission tickets are $27.50 advance and $33 day of show. Limited PIT tickets are available! Check out the set times below.

A DAY TO REMEMBER // 10:30 – 11:30
SENSES FAIL // 9:35 – 10:15
THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS // 8:40 – 9:20
BREATHE CAROLINA // 7:45 – 8:15
OH SLEEPER // 7:10 – 7:40
THE SECRET HANDSHAKE // 6:35 – 7:05
I SET MY FRIENDS ON FIRE // 6:00 – 6:30
IN FEAR AND FAITH // 5:25 – 5:55
OF MICE AND MEN // 4:50 – 5:20
ANALOG REBELLION // 4:15 – 4:45
STEPHEN JERZAK // 3:40 – 4:10
THE READY SET // 3:05 – 3:35
THE SUMMER SET // 2:30 – 3:00
DISCO CURTIS // 2:00 – :2:25
SCHOOL BOY HUMOR // 1:30 – 1:55
AMELY // 1:00 – 1:25
EVERYONE DIES IN UTAH // 12:30 – 12:55
HEAD OVER HILLS // 12:00 – 12:25

Alternative Press Tour Kicks Off This Fall

By Leave a Comment

The Alternative Press Tour is kicking off in September and includes The Academy Is…, Mayday Parade, Set Your Goals, the Secret Handshake and You Me At Six. Check out the tour dates below and get more info and tickets here.

SEPTEMBER

24 Pittsburgh, PA Altar Bar
25 Detroit, MI Clutch Cargos
26 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
27 Grand Rapids, MI Intersection
28 Chicago, IL House of Blues
29 St. Louis, MO Pops
30 Milwaukee, WI The Rave

OCTOBER

2 Minneapolis, MN Station 4
3 Omaha, NE Sokol
4 Denver, CO Gothic
6 Salt Lake City, UT In the Venue
7 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
8 Seattle, WA El Corazon
9 Portland, OR Wonder
10 Chico, CA Senator Theatre
11 San Francisco, CA Grand Ballroom
13 Bakersfield, CA The Dome
14 Los Angeles, CA Avalon
15 Pomona, CA Glasshouse
16 San Diego, CA House of Blues
17 Tucson, AZ Rialto
18 Phoenix, AZ The Marquee
20 San Antonio, TX White Rabbit
21 Dallas, TX The Door
22 Houston, TX Warehouse
24 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
25 Jacksonville, FL Freebird
27 Orlando, FL House of Blues
28 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
29 Nashville, TN Rocketown
30 Charlotte, NC Amos
31 Norfolk, VA The Norva

NOVEMBER

1 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
3 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
4 Albany, NY Northern Lights
5 Boston, MA House of Blues
6 New Haven, CT Toad’s Place
7 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
8 Long Island, NY Crazy Donkey
10 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
11 New York, NY Irving Plaza
12 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
13 Toronto, ON Guvernment
14 Cleveland, OH House of Blues

The Secret Handshake – My Name Up In Lights

By Leave a Comment

my-name-up-in-lights-extralarge_1236374277170

Artist: The Secret Handshake
Album: My Name Up In Lights
Label: Triple Crown Records
Purchase: Triple Crown Merch Store
Release Date: April 21tst, 2009

Overall: 9.0
Music: 9.o
Lyrics: 8.0
Production: 8.5

Luis Dubuc’s The Secret Handshake have been hard at work since the release of his debut, One Full Year. Amidst a whole lot of touring and gaining new fans each and every day, The Secret Handshake have made themselves known as a band with a lot of credit for being high energy on the road, but with only one full album under your belt you can only do so much. Now with a fresh sophomore album, My Name Up In Lights is an album set to take The Secret Handshake to higher levels then ever before.

The opening track “All For You” sets up the album at a fun, fast paced adventure into figuring out what you can accomplish with the rest of your life. the guitar splashes in the opening track really help to show what Luis has learned since he started out, adding more musical diversity and rock-appeal to songs.

While guitars can be fun, it’s hard to fight the catchiness of a well placed piano hook in songs like “Nothing To Change That” and “Saturday”. Which are both fun songs with piano parts that will have you youtube-ing all night finding out how to play them.

While Luis still remains within the whole hipster/scene vibe of his tunes, he is also able to switch up styles and still remain relevant to the rest of his album. Tracks like “Hey Girl” and “Make Up Your Mind” which rock with a certain swagger compliments of unique drum and bass parts that give the tracks a certain poise about them that make them unique from their contemporaries.

It’s all to apparent that The Secret Handshake has achieved a certain maturity through My Name Up In Lights. While some songs remember what has happened before (see: “TGIF”) and what could be (see: “Last Song”), there has obviously been some growing up in between One Full Year and this new release. There’s nothing better then seeing an artist you’ve enjoyed since the beginning mature as a musician and find their own place in the scene, it’s hard to deny that My Name Up In Lights has separated The Secret Handshake from a lot of other bands who have electronic beats and instruments, because experience breeds talent, and it’s something this album proves to be true.

SmartPunk Stage on Vans Warped Tour

By Leave a Comment

Bands have been announced for the SmartPunk stage at this Vans Warped Tour. Check out the lineup below.

6/20 – 8/17

Alesana
Set Your Goals

6/20 – 7/20

A Day To Remember
The Maine
The Higher

7/22 – 8/17

The Human Abstract
Confide
Bring Me The Horizon

6/20 – 7/6

Stick to your Guns
August Burns Red
Forever the Sickest Kid

7/9 -7/26

Just Surrender
Madina Lake
Every Aveunue

7/27 – 8/18

Sky Eats Airplane
Four Year Strong
Classic Crime

Also Appearing..

Secret Handshake (July 1-July9)
Automatic Love Letter (July 17-27)
The Morning Light (July 29-August 6)
Danger Radio (Aug 8-17)

Punk Goes Crunk Release Date; Album Art

By 3 Comments

Punk Goes Crunk, the new installment of the Punk Goes series from Fearless Records, is set for release on April 4th. Groups currently announced for the comp include Say Anything, Person L (Kenny from The Starting Line), Forever The Sickest Kids, New Found Glory, The Maine, Hot Rod Circuit, My American Heart, and Scary Kids Scaring Kids, All Time Low, The Devil Wears Prada, The Secret Handshake, and Set Your Goals. Check out the album art for the comp below.

Punk Goes Crunk

The Secret Handshake – One Full Year

By Leave a Comment

One Full Year

Artist: The Secret Handshake
Album: One Full Year
Label: Triple Crown Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: September 25, 2007

Overall: 7.0
Music: 7.0
Lyrics: 7.5
Production: 8.0

Luis Dubuc, the mastermind behind The Secret Handshake has spent years toiling behind his Apple computer screen to create and perfect his sound. With the release of One Full Year he has proven that there truly can be substance behind the beats. The album is chalk full of enough drum machines, voice processors and synthesizers to create a bona fide dance party. However, I found that it’s Dubuc’s lyrical content that shines the brightest of all.

Recommended if you like: Fun electronic indie-pop, in the vein of PlayRadioPlay! and Hellogoodbye.

Track Listing
1. Too Young
2. Summer of ’98
3. Coastal Cities
4. Wanted You
5. Everyone Knows Everyone
6. Denton, TX
7. Midnight Movie
8. Game Girl
9. Pictures
10. Don’t Count on Me
11. I Lied About Everything
12. Make You Mine
13. Lately
14. Crosses Fingers

Albums In Stores Tomorrow 9-25-07

By Leave a Comment

Here are some albums hitting stores tomorrow. Let us know which ones you’re picking up.

All Time Low – So Wrong, It’s Right
Farewell – Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun?
The Secret Handshake – One Full Year
Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience, And Grace
Spoken – Spoken
The Bled – Silent Treatment
River City Rebels – Keepsake Of Luck
Zolof The Rock ‘N Roll Destroyer – Schematics
Sick City – NightlifeWeakerthans – Reunion Tour
Via Audio – Say Something Say Something Say Something
V/A – Alternative Press Compilation: Press Play Vol. 1: Back To School Sessions
V/A – Emo Diaries 11: Taking Back What’s Ours