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 Academy Is… – Santi

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Santi

Artist: The Academy Is…
Album: Santi
Label: Fueled By Ramen
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: April 3, 2007

Overall: 7.0
Music: 7.5
Lyrics: 6.0
Production: 7.5

The Academy Is… happens to be one of the latest pop punk band to fall under the all powerful Pete Wentz’s wing. The story goes that Pete was so impressed by the band’s debut The Academy EP, that he convinced Fueled By Ramen to fly out and sign the band immediately. Their first full length album was a direct continuation of the EP’s sound and gave them their first bit of mainstream appeal. In between Almost Here and Santi two members were replaced, ushering in fresh blood and a fresh sound.

The band’s patented sound is forsaken as Santi features a whole new slew of influences and sounds, but sadly, a lot less hooks. While Almost Here was filled with memorable riffs and wordplay, Santi tries to troupe through a number of different sounds — from the deliciously off key background vocals on “We’ve Got a Big Mess on Our Hands” to the downright painful ballad that is “Everything We Had.”

Santi sometimes chances upon great successes: songs oozing with style and begging to have William Beckett declared the new boy wonder of pop punk. This is best seen on tracks such as “Bulls in Brooklyn.” The song begins with Beckett’s constantly improving voice laid over a steady bass and drum, and moves into one of the more passionate choruses in The Academy Is…’s catalog.

As mentioned above there are as many songs that stumble as those that succeed. “Neighbors” is one example of this. The song sounds better suited in a clothing store commercial, rather than on the album of a band that’s produced such gems as “Judas Kiss” and “Black Mamba.” While listening to the song’s mindless verses and stabs at yet another style of music, the only redeeming quality to this song is found in Beckett’s ability to maneuver his pitch at will. His vocal contribution over and over proves to be Santi‘s saving grace.

If there were two words to describe Santi, it would be “unfulfilled talent.” It could be the relentless touring allowed for the lyrics to lose their bite, and that the loss of LaTrace and DelPrincipe has caused the band to abandon the style of music that had been perfected in previous efforts. While there certainly are successes on Santi, the spotty lyrics and penchant for genre-hoping leave listeners with a foul taste in their mouth. The introduction in “LAX to O’Hare” wraps up Santi nicely, telling us, “What happened next was a series of unfortunate events,” if only Beckett had realized how true this lyric would become.

Track Listing
1. Same Blood
2. Lax To O’Hare
3. We’ve Got A Big Mess On Our Hands
4. Sleeping With Giants (Lifetime)
5. Everything We Had
6. Bulls In Brooklyn
7. Neighbors
8. Seed
9. Chop Chop
10. You Might Have Noticed
11. Unexpected Places

List of Guests on …In Defense of the Genre Announced

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Recently Say Anything announced the list of guest artists slated to appear on their upcoming album …In Defense of the Genre, and here they are:

“Pete Yorn, Trevor from Face to Face, Caithlin from Rainer Maria, Chris from Saves The Day, Kenny from The Starting Line, Anna from That Dog, Adam and Fred from Taking Back Sunday, Andy from Hot Rod Circuit, Hayley from Paramore, Chris from Dashboard Confessional, Jordan and Chad from New Found Glory, Bryan from Weatherbox, Matt from Alkaline Trio, Gerard from My Chemical Romance, Anthony from Circa Survive, Anthony from Bayside, and Bryce from The Rocket Summer.”

Minus the Bear – Planet of Ice

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Artist: Minus the Bear
Album: Planet of Ice
Label: Suicide Squeeze
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: August 21, 2007

Overall: 7.0
Music: 8.5
Lyrics: 6.5
Production: 9.0

Minus the Bear has been consistently labeled as the “band that should’ve” ever since they burst onto blogs in 2001 with the EP, This is What I Know About Being Gigantic and quickly built a strong following. Through subsequent records the band has continually been criticized for their sound remaining stagnant. The band attempts to fight this label as they release Planet of Ice on August 21, featuring a new member and a new sound.

The new album is almost a complete departure for the band, as the long titles so prominently displayed on Highly Refined Pirates as well as their EPs has finally vanished for better or for worse. Gone as well are references to adventures east of the Atlantic, which were featured on both LPs, in songs such as “Pachuca Sunrise” (from Menos el Oso) and “Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse” (from Highly Refined Pirates). Instead, inside Planet of Ice one will find moody, atmospheric pieces evoking comparisons to Pink Floyd.

Planet of Ice begins with Jake Snider’s familiar low pitched delivery. His deep shrills are set over a backdrop of complex guitar riffs. What is immediately noticeable in the opener “Burying Luck” is the increased presence of the synthesizer (played by newcomer Alex Rose). Another thing that is easily found within “Burying Luck,” as well as Planet of Ice in general is another Minus the Bear signature- an overabundance of choruses.

This brings up Minus the Bear’s most continual flaw; a lack of innovation within an album. While Dave Knudson tries adamantly to keep things interesting, pulling out epic prog rock-like solos and working expertly with Snider to create an amazing dual guitar sound, ultimately the songs on Planet of Ice begin to run together. This is not to say that the album is not enjoyable, but rather the entire album carries such a similar sound that one can at times hardly distinguish song from song, and you end up with instrumentation that sounds more at home as a symphony with ten movements, rather than an album with ten songs.

Even with the noticeably similar sounding songs throughout, some gems do emerge. One of the two tracks which are currently available for download, Dr. L’ling is by far one of the most engaging Minus the Bear songs yet, combining the tone and atmosphere set by the rest of the album with some of the more intriguing lyrics and the stand out performance by Erin Tate behind the drums. Snider croons “Don’t give me no hand-me-down love/It don’t wear the same/I want love that looks good on/With a fit that screams my name” eventually yielding to awe-inspiring guitar.

At times throughout the album displays great strides in musicianship, but in the end this album becomes a new face to the same problems which have plagued Minus the Bear from being a stand out act. While this album may contain some of Minus the Bear’s most musically accomplished songs, it also contains some of their most forgettable.

Track Listing
1. Burying Luck
2. Ice Monster
3. Knights
4. White Mystery
5. Dr. L’ling
6. Part 2
7. Throwin’ Shapes
8. When We Escape
9. Double Vision Quest
10. Lotus

Balkan Beat Box – Nu Med

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Nu Med

Artist: Balkan Beat Box
Album: Nu Med
Label: JDub Records
Purchase: Amazon
Release Date: May 15, 2007

Overall: 8.5
Music: 9.5
Lyrics: 5.0
Production: 9.0

Balkan Beat Box released their debut self-titled in 2006, proving that immigration truly isn’t all that bad: it produced one of the most original albums of the year. Formed from members of Gogol Bordello, the band was experienced with the New York scene, and capable of developing hybrids between polar opposite genres. While Gogol Bordello laced Gypsy-influences with Punk and Rock sounds, Balkan Beat Box mixes a Hip- Hop sensibility with instruments likely to be found in the Boban Markovic Orchestra than any other New York based act.

The unlikely crossover of a traditional Eastern sound and a progressive Western genre worked, and the self titled debut found critical acclaim, even helping Balkan Beat Box find their way on a tour supporting the Chassidic rapper, Matisyahu. Amiss touring and fanfare, Balkan Beat Box penned and recorded the successor to their self titled album “Nu Med”, released in in mid-May on JDub Records.

The sound of Nu Med is nearly indescribable. Take every stereotypical Eastern European instrument, every horn and drum you associate with the Balkans, throw it onto a hip hop beat, and then you’re halfway there. On top of this seemingly ridiculous backing beat will be a group of individuals rapping seamlessly from tongue to tongue, pausing to give the instruments time to shine.

Regrettably, Nu Med begins with an all-too-cliché “intro” song titled “Keep’em Straight”, with the voice of an announcer shouting, “Ladies and Gentlemen” several times, finishing with a drawn out “Balkan Beat Box” then quickly the erupting into a chorus of horns, backed by a familiar drum beat, and cheers of the crowd.

The album continues into one of its highlights, “Hermetico”. It begins with a rapped verse, followed by horns on the verge of being irritating, but expertly navigates the razor edge between annoyance and amazment. All songs are multilayered. There may be one person singing, two different electronic sound effects, three percussion parts, four horns and barely audible minor effects simultaneously. Returning from the debut is the all too familiar sound of a rooster crowing.

Nu Med twists and turns, exploring ways to deliver influences from both sides of the Atlantic until it comes to another highlight, “Gypsy Queens”. Beginning with a drum beat and quickly moving into a quick chorus of horns, the song packs fierce intensity. Easily the most danceable tune to be found, “Gypsy Queens” shows the true talent of those behind Balkan Beat Box.

Now this multi-cultural extravaganza isn’t by any means for everyone. This is at best a perfection of the sound found on Balkan Beat Box, and by no means are there any radical new ideas found within this album. If you are searching for heartfelt, emotional lyrics wrenched from the mouth of a love- scorned man, then this is not your record. But if you are looking to expand your boundaries, looking to find horns that will steal your breath, pine for compositions to whisk your soul away to the Balkans, and leave your body behind, moving to the rhythm, then this is the perfect album for you.

Track Listing
1. Keep ‘Em Straight (Intro)
2. Hermetico
3. Habibi Min Zaman
4. BBBeat
5. Digital Monkey
6. Balcasio
7. Pachima
8. Quand Est-ce Qu’on Arrive?
9. Mexico City
10. Delancey
11. Joro Boro
12. Gypsy Queens
13. $20 For Boban
14. Baharim (Outro)