Anti-Flag - The Bright Lights of America

UPDATE: Songs removed upon request. Sorry.

Georgetown Radio requires all DJ’s to write several album reviews per semester. Although it can be difficult to get your hands on the album you want to review, I was fortunate enough to get first pick in reviewing an album by a band that has held an important place in my heart since I was a wee-little freshman in high school. Here goes…

Is Anti-Flag going soft on us? Depending on how you approach this question, the answer could be yes. The Pittsburgh punk outfit’s political messages are as strong as ever, but this time around the band has openly embraced taking a more experimental approach to their music for their sophomore major-label release, The Bright Lights of America. This does not mean the band is trying to go all Mars Volta on us; instead, the band hopes to keep their music alive and vibrant in an ever-changing music industry by complementing their melodic-punk sound with interesting musical additions, such as orchestral percussion. Simply put, Anti-Flag is trying to do what other punk bands have not done before.

For the most part, this new experimental approach to the band’s music works. On the track “Spit in the Face,” the group is able to flawlessly transition from a dark piano-led introduction to a balls-to-the-wall punk-rock song. The aptly titled “Go West” also brings some new flavor into the band’s repertoire by including a harmonica-riff that would be more common of folk or country music. However, there are other songs where this new approach just does not turn out well. “If You Wanna Steal (You Better Learn How to Life),” is probably Bright Lights’ greatest low-point; the atypical drumbeat just does not feel like Anti-Flag I have come to love and know and does not go well with the band’s general attitude.

Although this album can be singled out for its experimental overtones, The Bright Lights of America is still chock-full of angry lyrics and fast-paced punk rock songs. Tracks such as “The Modern Rome is Burning” remind me that the Anti-Flag the world has come to know is still alive and well. Unfortunately, songs like these are the highlights of Bright Lights. Although I am glad that the band tried to keep its music fresh for this album, I think that Anti-Flag should stick to their guns next time they are in the studio. Nevertheless, they can take a lesson or two from Bright Lights and build off of the successful experimental elements of the album for their next full-length effort.

MP3: Anti-Flag - The Modern Rome Is Burning
MP3: Anti-Flag - Go West

-Adrian

The Matches - A Band In Hope

I realized after writing last year’s review of the Matches’ sophomore effort, Decomposer, that I had done so a bit prematurely. In that review, I essentially wrote that the band sacrificed catchiness in order to take a more experimental, artsy approach to their music. After listening to Decomposer several more times, I realized that the album was a hell of a lot more catchy than I had said it was. So this time around, I wanted to make sure I carefully listened to the band’s latest album, A Band In Hope, and not make any mistakes when it came to writing a review for it.

After listening to A Band In Hope, it’s obvious that the band has continued to take an experimental approach to their music. Each track is followed by one with a completely different style than its predecessor, making for quite a unique listen. This is both good and bad - the majority of the tracks are fantastic on their own, but if you’re looking for an album to listen to when you’re in a certain mood, then you’re out of luck. For example, the third track, “Wake the Sun,” is probably the catchiest song I’ve listened to all year - there’s something refreshing and uplifting about the light-hearted guitar and lyrics that really makes it feel like the sun is rising right in front of you when you listen to this song. But then this is followed by “Darkness Rising,” a track that begins with a soft piano intro but then bursts into what could be music from a scene in a musical or opera. Although the song is fine in itself, it crushes whatever mood you were in after listening to the previous track. So some people may find this to be a problem, while others will put is aside and appreciate the band for its continued creativity.

Another thing to notice is that there really isn’t any hint of pop-punk on this album - A Band In Hope is more of a straight-up rock album. And although it goes in different musical directions, it’s amazing to see how the band’s sound has developed merely two albums after releasing their pop-punk debut, E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals. Despite the band’s change in sound, I’m sure A Band In Hope will please all fans and perhaps get some more people hooked onto their truly unique style. Unfortunately, I don’t think this album will be enough to launch them into the mainstream. Nevertheless, I’d say this is their strongest effort yet and it’s definitely a sign of good things to come.

MP3: The Matches - “Wake the Sun”

Check some other new songs, including “We Are One” at their myspace, and check them out as they go on a search for the best BBQ in Austin during SXSW in a segment for the Food Network here.

- Adrian

Four Year Strong

Surprise! It’s been a while since I’ve posted here on ATG, but I want to assure you all that I’m back for good and I won’t be taking anymore long vacations. I would have preferred to return with a bang, preferrably à la belated-Best of 2007 list, but I’m still putting the finishing touches on it. Instead, I’ll begin with a post on a band that made quite an exciting announcement today regarding their signing to a new record label that’s known to be home to the “next big thing.”

You may recall on my Best of 2006 list I mentioned a band called Set Your Goals and their album Mutiny!. I found the music of this Bay Area five-piece to be both refreshing and exciting; they took everything I loved about old school punk (i.e., the attitude, the fast-paced instrumentals, and oh yes - the gang vocals) and mashed it together with the melody and catchiness of pop-punk. Well, 2007 saw the rise of a band that basically takes a similar musical approach but surpasses SYG in all senses (much love to Set Your Goals!).

Hailing from Boston, Four Year Strong are appealing in the same way as Set Your Goals - they balance melody with aggression. However, what I like better about FYS is that not only do they incorporate punk elements into their music, but they also draw a little bit from metal bands as can be heard through their frequent use of rapid guitar-muting and double bass pedal. And they have a keyboardist too, so I that brings a little more variety to the band. I also find FYS to be a little heavier on the pop-punk side, which, depending on your musical taste, could be a good or bad thing. But compared to SYG, most of the tracks off of Four Year Strong’s latest full-length, Rise Or Die Trying, to be a lot more easier to go crazy/sing along with.

As I began to mention earlier, Four Year Strong recently signed to Decaydance Records, a label that has been home to so many of the bands you love like…Panic at the Disco! So this pretty much means that there will only be good things in this band’s future - all the more reason to check out their music.

…They’re also giving away their album for free for a week so there’s no reason not to listen. But if you’re not willing to do that then I’ve included two of their best songs in this post.

Download Four Year Strong’s Rise Or Die Trying here.

MP3: Four Year Strong - “Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die”
MP3: Four Year Strong - “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Hell”

-Adrian

The Fall of Troy - Manipulator

A couple months ago, I went to the D.C. stop for the Fall of Troy’s headlining tour at the Rock and Roll Hotel. I wasn’t sure what to expect; the internet had been abuzz with rumors that the band was going to break up, and that the guys couldn’t get along with each other. Although I’ve learned to take these rumors with a grain of salt, I couldn’t held but wonder if this supposed conflict would manifest itself in the band’s new material. Luckily, the new songs the Fall of Troy performed live went smoothly and Thomas Erak, as always, knocked me off my feet with plenty of face-melting guitar solos.

I walked out of the venue satisfied, confident that the band’s upcoming release, Manipulator, would be anything but disappointing. Having bought and listened to the entire album, I’m somewhat disappointed, but only because I held the band to such high standards. Let me begin the rest of this review by making it clear that I think Manipulator is a good album. However, there are certain things about the album that really annoyed me, so this review may sound a tad bit negative.

It’s inevitable that as a band continues to write music, there will emerge a desire to experiment and tweak their sound. Sometimes bands completely revamp their style, whereas others do it slowly in bits and pieces. The Fall of Troy followed the latter approach. Sometimes their change in sound works out for the best; songs such as “Semi-Fiction” successfully employ more melody than was used in their earlier material. However, sometimes the band dabbles in certain musical styles that come across as more awkward than pleasing. The verse in “Oh! The Casino!?” sounds like it was taken directly from an episode of Happy Days, and “Quarter Past” begins with a bluesy intro that, although it sounds good by itself, interrupts the flow of not only the individual track, but of the entire album. Although I appreciate the band’s efforts to rechart its musical boundaries, Erak and company should have taken a step back from the recording process to see if these changes contributed to the quality of the album.

Another aspect of Manipulator that bothered me was the production. The vocals and instrumentals themselves are fine. However, there are many instances throughout the album’s duration where the vocals sound very distant from the music. This problem is apparent from the beginning of the album on the track “Cut Down All the Trees and Name the Streets After Them,” throughout which the vocals sound too powerful, are packed with too much reverb, and overtake the guitarwork. Furthermore, because Erak’s vocals sound a bit diva-esque at times, it feels as if the band is purposefully trying to take away from the fantastic instrumentals.

That’s my beef with Manipulator, but despite its flaws, this album is a great example of how talented the Fall of Troy is. As long as the band continues to make brilliant experimental and aggressive music, then I will support anything they do. I hope that when they begin recording their next album, these guys will look back on Manipulator and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

MP3: The Fall of Troy - Cut Down All the Trees and Name the Streets After Them
MP3: The Fall of Troy - A Man. A Plan. A Canal. Panama.

-Adrian

New Minus the Bear Track

It’s okay everybody, we can still have fun while our hosting service is down. Suicide Squeeze, the Seattle-based label housing Minus the Bear, has released a track from the band’s upcoming full-length, Planet of Ice. The band’s already been featured on All Things Go, so there’s not much use in describing them, but let me tell you, this new song is pretty different from what they’ve done before. It’s a lot heavier on the electronics and synth, and doesn’t employ the guitarwork that has been typical of their past material. Nevertheless, it’s pretty damn cool and I’m excited to hear the rest of the album. Enjoy!

MP3: Minus the Bear - Dr. L’Ling

Official Website // Buy Menos El Oso // Buy Interpretaciones Del Oso

-Adrian

New Circa Survive Tracks

 

Words cannot begin to describe how excited I am for Circa Survive’s next full-length, On Letting Go. After listening to the two songs that have been released on the band’s MySpace, it seems that the Philly five-piece have found a perfect balance between driving post-hardcore melodies and atmospheric guitarwork. Although I loved their last release, Juturna, I often found several of the tracks drifting off into ambient breakdowns that were neither dull enough to make me skip to the next track, nor dramatic enough to give them any serious lasting power. Judging by their latest material, On Letting Go will make sure to keep its listeners engaged with both aggressive and ambient instrumental elements. And as always, Sir Anthony Green’s wailing voice proves to be the driving element of the music, and sounds especially good on “In the Morning and Amazing.” On Letting Go will finally silence those who are still bitter about Green’s departure from Saosin, and prove that Circa Survive is ten times the band that Saosin will ever be.

MP3: Circa Survive - In the Morning and Amazing

MP3: Circa Survive - The Difference Between Medicine and Poison is the Dose

Official Site // Pre-Order On Letting Go // Buy Juturna

-Adrian

Stop and Listen

Sorry for being away for so long. Hopefully this long post makes up for my absence, and I assure you there is more to come…

The Photo Atlas
No, the next greatest dance-punk band doesn’t come from England. Unlike recent ATG writees Foreign Islands, Colorado’s The Photo Atlas delves less into electronics and instead prides itself on the punk aspect of their music. When listening to these guys, I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic - on their 2007 reissue of No, Not Now, Never, The Photo Atlas often draws from the raw, indie-punk sound of Dischord bands such as Fugazi and old-school Q and Not U. However, the band sounds a lot more modern than those bands of yore, using piercing guitar riffs that sometimes sound more experimental than they traditionally do with bands of this genre. If you haven’t heard of these guys yet, you undoubtedly will soon.

MP3: The Photo Atlas - Electric Shock
MP3: The Photo Atlas - Handshake Heart Attack

The Chariot
Although four of the band’s five members left after the release of the Unsung EP, Georgia’s The Chariot manages to successfully retain their brand of sock-rocking metalcore on their latest full-length for Solid State Records, The Fiancee. If you weren’t a fan of the band’s disconnected, chaotic style after listening to their previous releases, then you will most likely not enjoy listening to this album. For those of you still interested, you will definitely find this to be their greatest work. What I love about The Fiancee is that despite its chaos, it still manages to keep both instrumentals and vocals definitive and distinct - nothing gets lost on this ten-track onslaught, and you can even understand what former Norma Jean frontman Josh Scogin says most of the time! Furthermore, the Chariot adds more variety to their music, incorporating spooky organs, electronic effects, powerful choir vocals, and bits of melody here and there. And get this - Hayley Williams, she-vocalist for pop-punk all-stars Paramore, contributes to the album on the track “Then Came to Kill.” The Fiancee is a powerful, innovative album that will definitely make its way on all metalcore fans’ best of 2007 lists.

MP3: The Chariot - Then Came to Kill
MP3: The Chariot - And Shot Each Other

Anberlin
I’m very aware that it’s been over a month since Orlando Christian rock outfit Anberlin’s latest full-length, Cities, hit stores, but I had to make sure that you all were aware of the flawless transition between the album’s introductory track and the fist-pumping single, “Godspeed.” Cities opens up with “Debut,” a minute-and-a-half long introduction that perfectly balances static electronics with ambient guitars. If you’ve already taken a look at the album cover and accompanying artwork, you’ll know what I mean by saying that this track encapsulates the album’s urban theme. “Debut” then explodes into “Godspeed,” a transition that will surely give you chills every time you listen to it. Although “Godspeed” consists of simple guitar riffs and power-chord-driven choruses, the song’s dynamic attitude makes it one of 2007’s top rock anthems. Oh, and the rest of the album is pretty good.

MP3: Anberlin - Debut
MP3: Anberlin - Godspeed

The Academy Is…
I don’t think I have ever written a negative review on All Things Go, so this will be a first. I really don’t like Santi, The Academy Is…’s major-label debut. I loved their debut full-length, Almost Here, because of its unique take on pop-punk. Although they were usually coupled with fellow Chicago pop-punk giants Fall Out Boy, each band’s music had little do with the other. Almost Here’s combination of catchy guitar hooks and gutsy yet gentle lyrics made it one of my favorite albums of 2005. With Santi, the band throws away the poppy goodness that brought them to scene-stardom and replaces that with a heavy dose of glam rock - yuck. It appears The Academy Is… has been listening to Butch Walker a bit too much (they even replaced their guitarist with one from Mr. Walker’s band). In doing this, TAI has taken all the personality out of their music and instead have churned out an eleven-track collection of radio-friendly, generic rock songs. And not only has their style of playing gone bad, but William Beckett’s vocals are no longer driven by the cleverness and wit they once were. Even after listening to Santi over and over again, I can’t seem to find much to be happy about (but I have to give the band some credit - the single “We’ve Got A Big Mess On Our Hands” is pretty catchy). Thanks for breaking my heart guys - I’ll treasure the two happy years we spent with each other.

MP3: The Academy Is… - We’ve Got A Big Mess On Our Hands

- Adrian

Blackpool Lights

Refreshed - that was the first thing I felt after listening to Blackpool Lights for the first time. The Kansas City trio formed shortly after the break-up of the Get Up Kids and, unlike other offshoots of the now-defunct band such as Reggie and the Full Effect and the New Amsterdams, manages to maintain the feel-good sound that made so many people fall in love with the legendary emo pioneers. However, don’t expect Blackpool Lights to be a simple continuation of its past. The band, led by former Get Up Kids guitarist Jim Suptic, has a more indie, down-to-earth feel similar to Hot Rod Circuit and Lux Courageous. Their 2006 full-length, This Town’s Disaster, satisfies the range of songs that is characteristic of any good indie-emo band, including poppy-upbeat tracks such as “Blue Skies,” as well as somber yet epic songs like “Crash Sounds.” Make sure to pick up this album (and download their free tour EP while you’re at it), and keep an eye out for these guys throughout the year.

MP3: Blackpool Lights - Blue Skies
MP3: Blackpool Lights - Crash Sounds

-Adrian

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Official Site | MySpace Site | Buy This Town’s Disaster

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Foreign Islands

It’s a shame these guy aren’t from England, because then Derek Davies (of GWFAS fame) would be allowed to like them. It’s strange that Foreign Islands haven’t blown up yet, especially since they hail from the indie-hipster capital of the United States, but the Brooklyn outfit is definitely going to get big this year with it’s raw, spastic style of electro-dance-punk. If you dig Les Savy Fav, Thunderbirds Are Now!, or any other band that flawlessly brings a punk-rock attitude to the dance floor, then you will absolutely love Foreign Islands.

Foreign Islands - Fine Dining with the Future

Foreign Islands - No Holiday

-Adrian

Hot Cross - Risk Revival

Ah, midterms are over and I can finally start writing about all the new music I’ve been listening to lately. I’ll begin with Hot Cross, recent signees to Equal Vision Records (so you know it’s good). On their latest release, Risk Revival, the Philly five-piece draws from several different genres to produce what could not have been a better label debut. This album contains a little bit of everything - sick prog-rock guitar licks, groovy garage-punk riffs, and powerful vocals likening to traditional punk bands. If anything, I’d liken this band to a more punk-rock At the Drive-In. Nevertheless, whether you’re a mascara-wearing scenester or an ordinary indie hipster, Hot Cross’ Risk Revival is an album you don’t want to pass up.

Hot Cross - Fire the Foundations

Hot Cross - Turncoat Revolution

-Adrian