I’ll be honest I think this recent trend of pop punk/hardcore crossover music that has taken over in the past year or so is pretty terrible. I mean I loved New Found Glory as much as the next guy, but for every rare, good band within the genre like Fireworks or Set Your Goals, there are a thousand crappy bands whose creativity is highlighted by the fact their names are simply Saves The Day song titles. So, it is refreshing to get a band like The Wonder Years every now and then that breaks the mold a bit in a genre that is so water-downed by the lowest common denominators.
We’ve already covered a few soloartists on here that used to front punk bands, and this post is no different as it is about ex-Million Dead singer Frank Turner. Like Kensure and Ragan, Turner is releasing folk albums these days, but he separates himself from the pack as he still retains the rock in his music that his peers left behind when they switched genres. Since he began releasing solo material in 2006, Turner has been likened to folk/punk legend and fellow Englander Billy Bragg for his ability to craft deeply passionate love songs as well as working man anthems.
Not too long ago I had never even heard of Scranton, PA, and now it is the home of two of my favorite things, The Office and The Menzingers. Tucked away in the northeastern part of the Keystone State, Scranton seems to be producing more than just coal these days, as yet another great thing has emerged from the hub of Lackawanna County, Tigers Jaw.
I guess I’m a little behind the Tigers Jaw bandwagon, as the internet hype-machine has been building the young five-piece up since since their ’08 self-titled full length and last year’s Spirit Desire 7,” Tigers Jaw has been drawing high praise amongst the DIY punk scene for their ’90s alt-rock meets early emo sound. Labeled as “a poppier Archers Of Loaf or a more punk version of Pavement… except with keyboards and a blatant disregard for apostrophes” (yeah, it’s Tigers, not Tiger’s), I can’t help but also hear some definite Pinkerton-era Weezer influences as well as some glimpses of Saves the Day.
It has come to my attention that I have yet to actually write about a Chicago band on here, which has made be kind of feel out of touch with the local scene a bit. So, I guess it is just my luck that I’ve recently been turned onto Castevet, who were actually recommended to me by a fan of the site. After a few listens of their debut full length Summer Fences, I was hooked on their unique, interesting style. If Castevet’s sound was a cocktail, it’d be a pretty easy recipe to follow:
Shake well. Served best in a crowded basement or art space.
Despite the simple ingredients, the four piece’s sound is complex as Summer Fences is quite instrumental based and all but one song exceeds the 5-minute mark. Their sonic dynamic was enough for Deckfight.com to called them “the balliest band in punk rock”.
Since this blog is written by college students, you may have noticed a recent lack of activity on our part. For this, we must all apologize… but to be honest with you, finals KILLED us all this year.
Now that is over, and we want to remind you of the amazing year we had with FYW, with music, and with our favorite artists.
2009 has been a huge year for the Michigan-based group The Swellers. After signing to Fueled By Ramen, the band has released their debut for the label, Ups and Downsizing, put out a 7″ on Paper+Plastick, and embarked on a nationwide record release tour with Paramore. During their recent show at The Metro, I had the chance to sit down with drummer Jonathan Diener and ask him a few questions about the band’s new found success and the future of the Swellers.
So, you just came off a tour with Paramore, which had to be a little different for you. (Much larger crowds/venues, different kind of crowds) What were your expectations going into that tour and how did it end up?
The Paramore tour preparation was definitely stressful because we didn’t know how we would go over with their crowd. It was our biggest merch order ever, we were playing the biggest shows we’ve ever done, and everything was just on a much larger scale. We knew with FBR and Hayley [Williams] backing us that we’d have the advantage going into the tour, which was nice, and it ended up working out perfectly. Paper Route and Paramore are full of great people, and the crew and everybody involved were all total professionals. All in all, we had a blast. We made some amazing friends, and a lot of new fans.
If you have any interest in punk music, you should have heard of Dear Landlord by now. The band has been one of the most talked about acts within the scene this year, and it will be no surprised when their debut full length Dream Homes tops many of this year’s “best of” lists.
Comprised of members of the Copyrights and Rivethead, Dear Landlord perfectly blends the sounds of those two bands. It’s equal parts classic Minneapolis rough, raspy punk and quick, hyper-melodic pop punk from the Land of Lincoln. With two solid 7” releases under their belt, Dear Landlord released their first full length Dream Homes earlier this year, and, to put it plainly, it is one of the best pop punk albums I’ve heard in awhile. Read more…
Ever since their much hyped about debut Orchestra of Wolves, I have always enjoyed Gallows’ music, but I’d never been able to make it out to any of their shows. So, I was anxious to see how they sounded live compared to their records, and to find out whether or not they were as good live as I have been told they were. The fact that my first experience seeing the Watford, England-based act was at The Riveria was kind of a let down, though. I assumed going into the show that the venue might not be the best fit for Gallows’ breakneck hardcore sound, and I was right. This is not a band that is meant for 100 ft ceilings and huge auditorium acoustics.
Regardless, they made the most of the night. Led by the intense stage presence of singer Frank Carter, the group tore through their forty minute set with the kind of energy necessary to win over a crowd that probably wasn’t too familiar with their music. Playing mostly off their debut, I was pleased to hear a few tunes, such as “London Chicago Is The Reason” and “I Dread the Night”, off their latest album Grey Britain as well as a solid cover of Black Flag’s “Nervous Breakdown.”
So, my trip to Fest started on somewhat of a sour note as I started get really sick with the flu only a few days before I left for Florida. However, I am a trooper and refused to let a little sickness get in my way of a weekend of good ol’ fashion rock n roll. Instead of boring you with every minute detail of the weekend, I am only going to talk about my favorite two sets of the weekend.
On the first night, one of the bands I was most looking forward to was a band that I had actually seen one week before at the Metro, but that’s how much I enjoy them and their live show. The band I am talking about is Philadelphia, PA’s own The Menzingers. Like many acts at the Fest, The Menzingers enjoy bigger than normal crowds in every year in Gainesville and this weekend was no different. Performing at the Atlantic to an (over)capacity crowd, the Philly foursome rocked through a set comprised mainly of their latest EP Hold On, Dodge coupled with a few older tunes and covers of The Clash (“Straight to Hell”) and Billy Bragg (“To Have and Have Not”). The reaction of the crowd was amazing, and it was thrilling to see so many people just as excited for this band as I am.
I’ve been waiting for this upcoming weekend all year long, and that is because I am going to Gainesville, FL to attend this year’s The Fest. I mean how could I not being excited about attending a weekend filled with over 200 of the best punk bands going? Unlike festivals like SXSW and CMJ, people and bands don’t flock to The Fest in anticipation of signing a record contract or to hear the next “it” band, but they gather in Florida to join in celebration of their love for music that probably won’t reach the masses. It’s really more like a Star Trek convention- replace the acne ridden nerds in their homemade costumes trading limited edition cards with drunk, bearded nerds in cutoff shorts and Crimpshrine shirts buying rare presses of Reinventing Axl Rose.
The Fest was started by No Idea Records and is held during the last weekend of October. The concerts are held at this time because during this weekend almost the whole town, which is home to the University of Florida, leaves for Jacksonville to attend “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” Last year was the first time I attend Fest and I had the time of my life- even if I did sleep in a car with 3 other people all weekend because we foolishly didn’t reserve a hotel. The weekend is trademarked by drunken revelry, secret house shows, and reunion of some of the scenes favorite bands, and I can’t wait to get back down there. Expect a full report on all the weekend’s events next week.
