brand new

deja entendu

‘You know you’ve made it big when you’re a character in a computer game. Brand New, you must be proud of your Emogame 2.0 status. Like most musicians satirically represented in the Emogame, it’s hard to tell if the presentation is a backhanded compliment or a forehanded slap in the face.rnSo, let’s start with the backhand before moving to the forehand.rn”Deja Entendu’s” second song is titled “Sic Transit Gloria … Glory Fades.” Although it’s just a simple Latin phrase and it’s English translation, one cannot help but assume it is a reference to “Rushmore.” That was an amazing movie.

Okay, now for the backhand.

It seems like there’s a rapper in the band. Maybe it’s supposed to be some sort of a punk’s rendition of freestyle but it just sounds like white guys rapping over screaming to me. That’s only one step removed from Linkin Park or Limp Bizkit, y’all.rnIn whatever twisted, bland way emo now means “emo,” this band fits into that genre. Maybe it now means the following:rnEmo: a subgenre of the independent musical culture from which a musical group runs as fast as possible to the borders of mainstream music.

It’s like nu-emo bands are the illegal immigrants of the musical community – and we all know how a few locals feel about “illegals.”

Here’s a word of advice: never trust an “indie” band that has done so many major magazine articles, covers and photo shoots – especially not in such a short period of existence. In this case, the word indie means either “too young to be taken seriously” or it’s just a label some public-relations person slapped on because its current marketability.