Author: mdefeo

dismissed

‘In an effort to create a fine blend of emotional punk, indie pop mastery, and subtle math rock tones, Charlie Brown Gets a Valentine’s second full-length release “Dismissed” has continued to align itself sonically with J Church and early Face to Face.

Either way, it’s pop punk and it’s super-catchy. (Saying it’s catchy as fuck would be too vulgar.)

It’s tempting to file this album under party punk, especially with all the drinking references and the cover drawings of a half-full/half-empty rocks glass and an almost empty pack of smokes. This is not as poppy as mainstream counterparts Blink 182 and their likes, but it’s just as addictive. Contrary to the title’s suggestion, this album cannot be easily dismissed. Somewhere beneath the layers of distorted guitar and earth-shaking bass lines lies a good deal of talent. If you look hard enough, you’ll find it.

“We could’ve been so much better than this,” sings Lucas Carscadden on “Forget Tonight,” one of the album’s early tracks, but what’s the point? The band accomplishes their goal of grabbing your attention and making you dance without showing off. Now that, above all else, is impressive.

There’s no reason for the members of CBGaV to show off. The members of this band have proven their eclectic abilities around the D.C. area and in other Mid-Atlantic indie scenes with their other projects that have ranged from The Axis Set, to Jenhitt, to A Study in Her.

The only thing “Dismissed” is missing, when compared to “Commencement,” is a linchpin track. The first CBGaV album contained “Disco vs. Punk,” an incredibly memorable song destined for mix tapes and late-night drunken singalongs. While the songs on “Dismissed” are memorable, none of them singularly leap out of the whole mix. On the contrary, this album takes a little bit longer for the songs to penetrate that part of your brain that won’t allow you to stop singing a song you haven’t heard for days. With time and patience, though, songs like “Caffeine at Night,” “Best Early Morning Buys,” and “Instructions From Her Hero…” will become selections in that jukebox rotation in your mind.

this is who you are

‘Assuming the album title is intended to reflect back on “who” the band is, and not a mass grouping of who their fans are, this is the best work to date with which The Beautiful Mistake can use to describe themselves.

With their previous release, “Light a Match, For I Deserve to Burn,” the band was dumped into the generic screamo pit. Granted, the album title didn’t help matters much, but the band was just in its formative stages. They were learning, growing, expanding. They were making their mistakes, regardless of the mistakes’ aesthetic qualities, and figuring out their boundaries.

Well, they must have figured out a good deal prior to heading into the recording studio to work on their new album, “This Is Who You Are,” for the Militia Group. The inexperience of being a freshman is gone; the sophomore slump has been eluded. On this release, the band takes the helm confidently and in earnest. Quickly, they are becoming veterans.

In the past, the band was compared to some insulting equivalent of a Thursday- or Thrice-wannabe band. Now, it’s safe to say the new album puts them on par – at the very least – with what has come to be known as that two-band genre.

The Beautiful Mistake is forging ahead and further defining themselves. If the trend continues, who they are now is not who they will be by the next release. This will be a thing of the past, a stepping-stone to a higher ground.

50

‘Most compilations are hit or miss. They promise you the best new bands with exclusive new tracks that, at best, are impossible to find. It’s pretty damn commercial, unless you have a reason to celebrate.

To commemorate their 50th release, Saddle Creek has put together a two-disc set of all of their artists. This compilation features two songs from the SC lineup, one song previously released and one recorded specifically for this compilation.

Sticking along with the general theme of various artist records, “50” is neither groundbreaking nor mindblowing. That is not the point. Rather, it is just a good sampling of what the label has to offer.

On the other hand, the bands that have flocked to SC have been both groundbreaking and mindblowing. This label has single-handedly created a scene in Omaha worth paying attention to.

Standing on top of the rubble of this musical explosion in Nebraska are such noted musicians as Conor Oberst and Tim Kasher, two of SC’s most prominent artists.

“50” offers a good sampling of what Omaha’s best have to offer. For those unfamiliar with the bands on this label, “50” might be a good place to start. The previous released selections are slightly above average tracks from each of the bands but definitely not their best offerings. For those who know and love Saddle Creek, this record is a good addition to such a collection. The exclusive tracks are of decent quality and worth being heard.

good mourning

‘If consistency truly is the hobgoblin of little minds, then would it be an insult to say that the members of the Alkaline Trio are completely mindless?

After four albums and an endless onslaught of touring, the Alkaline Trio’s fifth full-length attempt, “Good Mourning,” follows logically in the footsteps of its predecessors: aggressive attacks from the guitars, smooth-surfaced harmonies, and tons of references to death and heroin.

There’s a reason for formulas. Applied to the proper equation, they lead you to the correct answer. In this respect, the Alkaline Trio may be working over and over again on the same pop-punk equation, coming up with near-perfect scores every time. Many bands would be criticized and labeled as uncreative for doing such a thing, but the Trio has found some loophole that still allows them to unleash their abilities.

For these efforts, the band has been lauded as the godfathers to a new generation of up-and-coming punk kids. They have been immortalized in Emogame v1.5 (http://www.emogame.com). They signed to Vagrant and took over the helm as one of their flagship bands, and cast a goth-pop shadow over the clean-cut Vagrant. Now, they have put in their time after being a band for six years and fans and new bands alike are kneeling down in front of singer/guitarist Matt Skiba to kiss his ring finger.

“Good Mourning” separates itself from previous records because it has a new part of the formula to celebrate. Drummer Mike Felumlee, originally of the legendary Chicago band The Smoking Popes – who helped the Alkaline Trio get their start, left the Trio after “From Here to Infirmary,” and was replaced by an old band friend, Derek Grant.

Felumlee’s style peaked with 2001’s “From Here to Infirmary,” in which his newfound tom-laden approach to drumming gave a different edge to the Trio’s sound. It appeared that Felumlee no longer wanted to play the role of the background rhythm man. He became much more aggressive and the band’s sound became fuller. Then, he and the band parted ways.

Grant’s freshman attempt with the group is reminiscent of Felumlee’s older attempts, like that on the Trio’s first full-length, “Goddamnit.” The drumming is noticeable but doesn’t leap out of the mix.

So, on the whole, it seems like the band is heading back to their roots and starting over – but they’re doing it with the experience and financial backing derived from their veteran status.

More than skin deep

‘Prior to my interview with Denali’s lead singer Maura Davis, I encountered a common reaction to my mention of the band’s name. Nearly every person with whom I spoke – who was familiar with the band – said:

“Dude, she is sooooooooo hot!

“And they’re a really good band, too.”

Is it sexist to make a statement like that? Probably not. It’s just a matter of fact. There are fewer female musicians fronting indie bands. So, the ones that are out there do tend to stick out a bit more.

Maybe it’d be more appropriate to judge the band’s music before judging its members’ looks, but that’s how we have been socialized to do things. After all, aside from the bassist of A Newfound Glory, when is the last time you saw a fat or ugly person on music television stations?

Yes, her looks do not hurt the band, but it’d be inaccurate to say something so superficial is helping them, either.

It’s hard not to have a secret, won’t-ever-come-true kind of crush on Maura Davis. She’s indie rock’s sweetheart, for more reasons than one. In all honesty, it’s her voice that gives her that extra something. Citing Ella Fitzgerald as one of her musical idols, she sings in the way that just makes men clad in tattoos and piercings melt like grade-school boys.

“If people want to make remarks that I’m hot or whatever, I’m fine with it,” said Davis. “I’m not a feminist or anything so, I take it as a compliment.”

She admits that she did have one bad experience as a female in a band, but it was not within the indie scene. When the band went on tour with the Deftones, she received numerous comments onstage to the effect of “take your shirt off.” As she stated, “It’s like they never saw a girl in a band before.”

Even such a vulgar gesture as this has not been too big of a deal. Having her brother Keeley, singer and songwriter from Engine Down, in the band has been a huge comfort to her. His presence made her feel safe and secure.

Sadly, this is no longer the case for Maura, the younger of the two siblings by nearly five years. Keeley and drummer Jonathan Fuller, also of Engine Down, have parted ways with Denali.

They were two of the original members of the band, which formed when Maura came to Keeley and asked him for assistance with the songs she had been working on. With the addition of bassist Cam Dinunzio, the roster was filled out.

Now, the burden of being in two high-profile bands has become too much for Keeley and Jonathan. Touring, writing and recording turned from blessing to burden. They never had any time off. So, they had to limit their responsibilities and put their focus back on Engine Down.

Both of these bands are on the road right now and, according to Maura, this is the first time the brother and sister have been apart for more than a week.

“Aww, I miss him,” she said of her brother. “It’s sad being so far away from him.”

Maura hopes that someday, the two bands will at least have overlapping schedules so that they may be able to play some shows together.

Change is the one thing that has been a constant in Denali since they hit the studio to record 2003’s “The Instinct.” As the last record on which all of the original members appeared, the band made a conscious effort to diversify their sound.

“On our first album, people thought I was just this really depressed girl,” said Davis. “We wanted to make the songs on ‘The Instinct’ shorter and more powerful. We wanted songs that would grab you the instant you hear the first note.”

Less downtrodden but more powerful was the compromise’s result. The new formula achieved the intended results and, additionally, fulfilled the band’s hope of capturing the dynamics of their live show.

Of course, those dynamics are going to be different now that the band has two new members. As of the beginning of this tour, Stephen Howard of Pinebender is playing the role of bassist and Ryan Rapsys is now playing drums.

“It feels like a different band, now, but in a good way,” she said. “It’s sad to be without my brother but things are going really well – as long as people aren’t telling me to take my shirt off.”

the new romance

‘What the hell does that mean, “Pretty girls make graves”? Has the traditional means of digging holes in the ground ceased?

This name has been troublesome for a while now, and after giving it an on-and-off year of thought, the only semi-logical answer is a sexual one.

Follow the logic for a second here. Pretty girls are viewed, on many occasions, as sexual objects. Whether a person has intercourse with a pretty girl or does the deed solo-style pretty girls are, well, the motivation behind sending countless microscopic sailors to their early graves. Therefore, pretty girls make graves.

This thought has obviously occupied way too much time. Somebody help. WHAT DOES THEIR NAME MEAN?

It’s rumored to come from a line in either Jack Kerouac’s “The Dharma Bums” or a song by the Smiths, but I’m not buying it. That solution is too simple.

A band’s name should not be that troubling. Fortunately, the music causes much less of a problem. PGMG’s sophomore effort, “The New Romance,” has all the intensity of a fling and the passion of a long-lasting relationship without its severity. It’s a summertime tryst: airy, promising and brief.

Coming in at about an action-packed three-quarters of an hour, this record is not only poignantly laconic but also feisty. The band obviously had no intention of giving in to the curse of sophomore slump without a fight. Good news, they won! The advantages were always on their side, though. The deck was stacked with ex-members of Murder City Devils and Kill Sadie, supported by the re-burgeoning Seattle scene.

There is no sign of slacking at all on this record. The band doesn’t appear to have let the critical acclaim of their freshman offering, “Good Health,” go to their heads. They have built upon their previous work and grown from there. They are damned hard workers, putting a great deal of effort into every transition, chorus, pause and fill. No stone was left unturned and no hole was left unfilled. From start to finish, “The New Romance” is an enthralling joyride that does not stop for red lights. It floors the gas pedal and goes.

Pretty Girls, despite all the superfluous torment your name may cause to those who attempt to decipher its meaning, you deserve all the praise you get.

A hard(core) work ethic

‘There’s something incredibly earnest about the old-school New York punk scene.

The generation of post-hardcore bands, like the Underdogs, the Judges, and the Gorilla Biscuits, prided themselves on their ethics and their message as well as the music they played. Glassjaw, who is playing at the upcoming Warped Tour, considers themselves to be at the tail end of that generation. It’s a fair and accurate description.

They are passionate Long Island boys whose work ethic extends far beyond the band’s output.

“Everybody’s gotta get T-shirts,” began guitarist Justin Beck on a break from his job. “There ain’t no money in rock ‘n’ roll, so you do this from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.”

Beck is said to be the funniest and most outgoing member of the band. Our interview time proved these statements to be true, but incomplete. In addition, he is extremely down-to-earth and levelheaded. He is a sage musician whose worldly experience, gained both from touring and real-life experiences, are points on which he prides himself.

“You either get a job or you be a lazy bum. I’m a big fat geek and I don’t party much. So, what else would you do?”

Work 14 hours a day, apparently.

Glassjaw is riding high off of their well-received last release, “Worship and Tribute,” and the support from their new label, Warner Brothers. With so much going for them, they probably don’t have to have jobs to support themselves right now. It doesn’t appear that Beck works to build up a worldly fortune, though. He works because it keeps him productive and down-to-earth.

In addition to his job, he also maintains the band’s website and does graphic design as well as working on numerous other odds and ends throughout the year. He proves to be a good example for all of the band members who are in control of both their lives and the future of the band.

Beck does not tell the typical tale of being screwed over by a major label. It was actually an independent label that gave them a rough ride but also taught them how to navigate the direction of the band.

“At the end of the day, you’re the one driving the car, steering the wheel. It all depends on where you want to go with your band. You can limit or exploit yourself as much as you want.”

It was a rough road for a while, though, and Glassjaw may have felt like they lost the ability to control that car for a while.

“We were warned not to go to Roadrunner (their former label) and the question is, ‘What didn’t make us leave the label quicker?’ It was the worst experience being treated like a piece of shit. It almost brought us to the point of breaking up. In the music industry, the product you sell is human beings and they don’t give a shit about their product at all.”

Producer Ross Robinson, whom Beck refers to as “the band’s godfather,” bought the band out of their contract with Roadrunner. He may have also served as an inroad to the band’s Warner Bros. Records contract.

“Now we get treated like human beings and not just like a piece of plastic.”

It’s almost a fluke that all of this happened because the band did not even want to work with Robinson to begin with.

“(Robinson) was working with all of this nxefxbfxbd-metal shit. He worked with bands like Korn, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit and we thought, ‘What the hell is he going to do with us?’”

Little did Glassjaw know just how much he could do for them.

The band’s NY underground sound has now been blended with big-studio production for a result that is accessible all across the board. Even with this newfound accessibility, the band still stands by their old-school credos.

“We came from underground punk, hardcore and metal. It’s a pedigree of ethics, philosophies, and brain wave patterns that’s different than the new school of kids coming from the alternative generation.”

It’s not fame or fortune that matters to Glassjaw; it’s not even the style of music that you play. It’s why you are doing what you do.

“It’s fine if a band is playing Mickey Mouse music, if that’s what you want to be doing. It’s the bands that strive to get signed that I can’t associate with. I don’t understand that mindset. If you get signed, it’s no big deal but why start a band just to do that? That’s just not right.”

It is this seamless combination of old-school post-hardcore beliefs, musical abilities, and a hard-working mindset that makes Glassjaw the perfect choice for the commercially-sponsored and musically diverse Warped Tour this year.

team boo

‘There are no tricks up the sleeves of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel. Their love for their music and each other is forthright and unabashed. What you see is what you get. They are a happy band turned happy spouses. Add in the assistance of John Vanderslice, Jim Eno, John Croslin and a handful of other musicians and you’ve got the bastard Partridge Family of the 21st Century.

You can’t imagine music sounding any happier than this. They’ve got an organ, drums, and the most unrestrained harmonies of which any band could possibly conceive. For the most part, the progressions lean towards poppy major chords.

Any of Kori’s intros could segue into a new theme song for “Cheers.” Jason’s off-tempo drumming gives the music its indie tinge. Together, with the assistance of their all-star caliber musical ensemble, all of the Mates of State songs are sing-alongs – once you get used to the cryptic lyrics and inside jokes.

“Team Boo,” the band’s third record, is another high-quality MoS release, packed with the band’s trademark drastic tempo and rhythm changes and ?berpoppy vocal harmonies. Kori’s left hand always knows what her right hand is doing. She fills in well for the missing bass parts in the band but also plays catchy leads with the higher organ parts.

The only valid criticism a fan of the band could come up with is that this record still lives in the shadow of “My Solo Project,” their first full-length release. “My Solo Project” defined the MoS sound and, while bordering on early Rainer Maria, minus the guitar, it was something wholly new and novel. “Team Boo” continues to do little to distinguish itself from that.

The new MoS songs are interesting and clever and entirely on par with their first effort. All they need to do now is to find that one trick to take them a level higher.

take a break

‘You’d figure by now the joke would’ve gotten old. It’s the same old punk covers of pop songs, the same old “Yeahs” being screamed at the end of songs, the same old heavily distorted power-chord progressions. After all, how long can this gimmick last?

A long time, apparently – over seven years to date. As long as there are songs in the extremities – tunes that made musicians’ careers either successful or a joke – these parasitic punks will always have something off of which to feed.

Made up of NOFX, Foo Fighters and Lagwagon members, the Gimme Gimmes are possibly the most effective post-modern musical satirists of all time. Whether donning bowling uniforms, bowties or gaudy plaid pants, they still bring the rock to oldies, country, and soulful pop.

On “Take A Break” they have set their sites on popular R&B songs of the past few decades. They take on R. Kelly, Boyz 2 Men, Prince (as done by Sinead O’Connor), Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder and more. After showing these artists how their songs should have sounded to start off with, they leave you with the searing question. And that is: “What’s up now, bitch?”

The answer to that question is something you’ll have to figure out for yourself.

The highlights of this album include “Save the Best for Last,” “End of the Road,” “Natural Woman” and pretty much every other track on this album.

If taking a break from the serious nature of the music scene – which was the intent of creating this band – is what you are looking for then Me First is the way to go. At the very least, you are bound to laugh at the sheer absurdity of their songs.

Come for the gimmick, stay for the irony and satire.

when i pretend to fall

‘”When I Pretend to Fall” is a smarmy rock album that borders on falling into the singer/songwriter trap, a phrase that is quickly becoming both overdone and taboo.

Lead singer John Roderick has that loud and slightly left-of-center vocal style that, when layered on top of 10,000 Maniacs-type orchestration, makes The Long Winters’ music sound like something directly out of a recent rock opera. Think “Rent” without the super-annoying songs. Well, except for “Cinnamon,” the album’s fourth track. The leitmotif “Her skin is cinnamon” sticks in your head like the vision of a car crash; you’d do anything to get rid of it.

This album is an impressive work, akin to Melville’s “Billy Budd” or Joyce’s “Finnegan’s Wake.” It need not be experienced more than once. During that experience, though, there will be a tendency to play the name-dropping game. There are inevitable comparisons from clear across the musical spectrum.

At points, The Long Winters have a heavy Ben Folds Five feel to them. During some songs, there is a Greg Macpherson Band kind of folk-background-over-raspy-vocals aura about it. Throughout some points, Roderick’s voice can be filed under the influence of a young Michael Stipe, and John Popper at other points. At the album’s kickoff, “When I Pretend to Fall” sounds like part Jets to Brazil, par Karate but it quickly digresses from there. It becomes unctuous, silicon.

This is a record for college kids who pride themselves in the one-acts they’ve written and those who enjoy soundtracks to modern musicals. It might even be a guilty pleasure. The third track off the album, “Shapes,” certainly fits into that category.

The record’s highlight comes at the end. Now, that is not meant as the insult it’s usually taken as. Honestly, it’s not. The last four and a half minutes of this album are pure bliss. “Nora,” the album’s closer, has a musky odor about it. It’s raw and less superficial than other tracks. This song, where The Long Winters hit closest to their REM influence, is undoubtedly the album’s best track. It’s a nice surprise, a warm and comforting light at the end of a long stretch of tunnel.