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Unearth Tour Dates
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Unearth is on a portion of the MTV2 Headbanger's Ball Tour.
Here is a list of the dates they are taking part in.
Come on out and bang you ball's on your head.
w/Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, and Shadows Fall
Oct. 28 The Spectrum Montreal, Canada
Oct. 29 Opera House Toronto, Canada
Oct. 30 Saratoga Winners Latham, NY
Oct. 31 The Palladium Worcester, Massachussetts
Nov. 1 Electric Factory Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nov. 2 Club Laga Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Nov. 3 Al Rosa Villa Columbus, Ohio
Nov. 4 Pop's St. Louis, Missouri
Nov. 5 The Quest Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nov. 6 Vic Theather Chicago, Illinois
Nov. 7 Harpo's Detroit, Michigan
Nov. 8 Agora Theater Cleveland, Ohio
Nov. 9 The Rave Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nov. 11 Ogden Theater Denver, Colorado
Nov. 12 Bricks Salt Lake City, Utah
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Evergreen Terrace's Cover Caper
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Evergreen Terrace is at work in the studio recording an album's worth of cover songs. The CD will hit stores in early 2004. Here is a complete tracklist for the record:
Sponge-"Plow"
Tears For Fears-"Mad World"
Michael Sembello-"Maniac"
The Offspring-"The Kids Aren't Alright
Hum-"Stars"
U2-"Sunday Bloody Sunday"
Operation Ivy-"Knowledge"
Smashing Pumpkins-"Zero"
NOFX-"Dying Degree"
(An untitled original track will also be included)
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One-21 Tour Dates
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The following tour dates for One-21 and the Kick! have been presented to Decapolis.
Oct. 5- Muskegon, MI @ Palmer Hall-1504 Palmer Ave.
Oct. 6-Saginaw, MI @ Olde Jamestowne Theater-7035 Swan Creek Rd.
Oct. 7-Elgin, IL @ 36 W 905 Bowes Rd.
Oct. 8-Indianapolis, IN @ the Cube-111 S Meridian Street
Oct. 9-Cedar Rapids, IA @ Kse's Living Room-801 3rd St. SW Cedar Rapids IA
Oct. 10-Kansas City, MO @ the New Earth-3727 Forest
Oct. 11-Kearney, NE @ Ryan's House-403 15th Street
Oct. 12-Denver, CO @ New Life Church-11989 St. Paul Street
Oct. 13-Salt Lake, City UT @ Albee Square-677 S 200 W
Oct. 14-Twin Falls, ID @ TBA
Oct. 15-Chico, CA @ TBA
Oct. 16-Roseville, CA @ the Underground-2401 Olympus Dr.
Oct. 17-Escondido, CA @ The Selah Building-530 W 2nd Ave.-also appearing The Deal!
Oct. 18-Corona, CA @ the Showcase Theater w/ the Vibrators
Oct. 19-Prescott, AZ @ 209 N Montezuma
Oct. 20-TBA
Oct. 21-TBA
Oct. 22-El Paso, TX @ the Wayside Café-10964 Montwood
Oct. 23-Waco, TX @ Blenderheads 1700 S. 5th Street
Oct. 24-Claremore, OK @ Mustard Tree-322 Jim Davis Blvd.
Oct. 25-Ft. Smith, AR @ the Gate-414 Towson Ave.-www.thegate.hxc.com
Oct. 26-Memphis, TN @ the Caravan-1337 Madison Ave.
Oct. 27-Nashville, TN @ the End-2291 Elliston Place |
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Michael Yonkers Band- Microminiature Love
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 Tyler Baber [Decapolis Music Staff]; Age: 19; Top 5 bands: Starflyer 59, Pedro the Lion, Havalina, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Joan of Arc Musical preferences: I like music that makes me feel, anything that evokes a strong emotion is good to me. Likewise anything that sounds fresh or original will get an enthusiastic listen. Lyrics are as important as talented musicianship.
 History tends to get romanticized. The people of the past are looked on as having been friendlier, nicer, all around better. The food was more flavorful, the films were more original, the wars were more necessary and the music was more classic. It’s not difficult to see why oldies and classic rock remain so popular and such appropriate remedies to the blandness of the modern world. The world of thirty to forty years ago is a retro utopia in the minds of the oft-nostalgic 21st century man.
This nostalgia is not ill-founded. The world of the ‘60s and ‘70s was a time of experimentation that would definitely live on to affect the future in numerous ways. It can be argued that rock music changed more in those short decades of its youth than it ever has since. One of the most experimental, and thus influential, genres of rock from this time was the psych-rock/post surf sound. The Michael Yonkers Band’s Microminiature Love, recorded in 1968 but only this year released to the world in an easy to find format from Sub Pop records, is the genres’ golden fleece of sorts.
The story of Michael Yonkers is a necessary step to fully understanding the history of Microminiature Love. A young techie with dozens of musical gadgets, including home made guitars and fuzzboxes, Yonkers produced rock music that would have gone to be viewed as the grandfather to modern noise rock, had it actually been available at the time of recording. Unfortunately, Yonkers’ debut album never received any sort of distribution. Later in his career an accident would leave Yonkers paralyzed and unable to rock as aptly as he had on this album. Finally the album has been released in its entirety, and with six bonus tracks to boot!
Yonkers’ sound is distinctly surf influenced with the dark tones of the Rolling Stones. The riffs and drums are mildly tame to today’s standards, but at the time of recording were wildly imaginative using feedback and all sorts of noise layers to make the songs fuller. The chaos and anger of a young man with a guitar in the Vietnam-era US rarely sounded more rock than it does on Microminiature Love, a fine “up yours” to all the folk hippies who might have argued that minimalism was the best way to portray pseudo-poetic thoughts.
There are spots on the album where the experimentation seems to get in the way of the rest of the song, but those spots are few and far between. Songs like “Puppeting,” “My House,” and “Microminiature Love” are the best examples of mild use of technical wizardry from the analog era, before pro tools and digital guitar pedals were doing all of the work.
The standout track on the album is the societal commentary on the war, religious conservatism and blind patriotism found in “Kill the Enemy.” These words continue to ring as true today as they did in the midst of the draft. “I knelt down on the floor/ and I cried ‘God I have to go to war.’/ And he came to my side wrapped in an American flag/ And this is what he said: “Kill those enemies, kill them dead.” This simple assessment of a chaotic situation is a prime example of Yonkers’ abilities as a musician and a songwriter. By the end of the album, the listener is left to wonder how the world overlooked such a talented and influential figure for so long.
Grade: A-
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.**
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Denison Witmer- Recovered
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Tyler Baber [Decapolis Music Staff]; Age: 20; Top 5 bands: Starflyer 59, Pedro the Lion, Songs: Ohia, Havalina, Godspeed You! Black Emporer Musical preferences: I like music that makes me feel, anything that evokes a strong emotion is good to me. Likewise anything that sounds fresh or original will get an enthusiastic listen. Lyrics are as important as talented musicianship.
 Picturing a young man with an acoustic guitar playing covers by some of the most well known singer-songwriters from the folk era at first reeks with cliché-ridden coffeehouse stereotypicality. Even when that young man is Denison Witmer, one of the indie community’s best kept acoustic solo secrets, it is totally right to doubt that he can successfully pull off ten tracks of cover songs from the likes of Graham Nash, Fleetwood Mac, Jackson Browne and Neil Young to name a few. Surprisingly, though, Witmer’s most recent release and debut for Fugitive Records, Recovered, is a success.
Witmer has already proved himself as a talented singer/songwriter in his own right, so a cover album isn’t a cop out as much as it is an experiment. Playing songs he and so many others grew up on is a tribute more than it is an attempt for a quick, familiar mix tape ready track or two. Witmer’s shy quietness help his cause by leading the listener to believe this isn’t a cry for attention in any way, it’s just his way of suggesting the listener should be more familiar with the back catalogue of Gram Parsons, Big Star, and the Band. Recovered is also a chance to try out new singing and musical styles for witmer, as the album shows some of his most experimental vocalizations to date.
Take, for instance, his version of Carole King’s classic “So Far Away.” It would be impossible to improve upon this song, so rather than try something new with the song’s form Witmer relies on his wavering voice to provide emotion as he crackles heartbrokenly over a simple beat and resonating note or two. This song is an exception for the album, in that it utilizes virtually no guitar whereas the rest of the album is driven as much by Witmer’s guitar as it is by his voice.
Other standout tracks on the album include a country-roots take on Graham Nash’s “Simple Man” and an admirable take on a little heard Neil Young track, “Love in Mind.” Witmer’s covers of Jackson Browne’s “Farther on” and “These Days” are each brought to life again, although they like so many covers still lack the freshness of the original.
Remarkably, Witmer breaks cover-album stereotypes by not ruining a single song. Recovered is simple enough to keep any purist from crying out blasphemy and strong enough to persuade newcomers to hear more of the original musicians’ works. In that respect, Witmer succeeds. Still, the album is neither Witmer’s best or the best these songs have sounded.
Grade: B-
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.**
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The Evan Anthem- Prologue
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Tyler Baber [Decapolis Music Staff]; Age: 20; Top 5 bands: Starflyer 59, Pedro the Lion, Songs: Ohia, Havalina, Godspeed You! Black Emporer Musical preferences: I like music that makes me feel, anything that evokes a strong emotion is good to me. Likewise anything that sounds fresh or original will get an enthusiastic listen. Lyrics are as important as talented musicianship.
 Solidity is more or less all one can expect from modern rock music as a whole. A strong album, song, or sound doesn’t necessarily need to push any boundaries or leave a lasting impact on the listener, but it must be solid. Solidity in music means more than all of the instruments are in tune and playing the to the same time signature, it means the song/band/sound stands out as something inherently unique in its own right. Pennsylvania modern rock quartet The Evan Anthem want to be viewed as solid on their debut album, Prologue, from newcomer label Mono vs Stereo.
TEA, beyond having a classy acronymic band name, are a guitar driven band in the vein of Elliot or Sparta or My Hotel Year, etc. Finding influences and similarities to other contemporary modern rock groups is as easy as finding the differences on the back of Highlights magazine. While The Evan Anthem doesn’t sound like a clone of any other group or album, it is easy to lump them in a category with other anthemic guitar driven emotive rockers.
Derek Kern’s vocals are possibly what draw the most similarity to other modern rock groups. Slightly gruff, radio ready singing with an occasional borderline yell to keep from being to pop friendly, Kern’s singing style may distract more experimental minded listeners from noticing Prologue’s many musical quirks. His singing style differs noticeably only when the song style changes. That is, the rock songs all have very similar vocal structure, as do the softer tracks.
The musical quirks spoken of help make TEA more inventive than some of their peers. Many tracks, like “The Faces of Everyone,” “Oh, to Feel Real,” and “A Collection of Inventive Beginnings” start with short sonic introductions that break into power anthem guitar work. Some tracks are sprinkled with bells, unusual effects, drum machine beats and keyboards to keep the album from stagnating.
For the most part, though, Prologue consists of primarily rock anthems followed by soft ballads. The Evan Anthem’s lyrics rely on catchy, short sing along able choruses like “Fade In-Dependent” and “We Were Searching.” Other places the lyrics are more complex but the emphasis is put more on catchy, driving guitar work (“Goodnight, Good fight”). These structural approaches are consistent to the point of bordering repetitious.
By the end of Prologue’s 11 tracks, the listener has taken in a solid album. While it may not reach new heights of artistic expression or establish itself as outside of the modern rock norm, The Evan Anthem’s debut is enough to promise a future of continued solidity.
Grade: C+
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.**
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Moneen Interview
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On the night of August 28th, I was fortunate enough to catch up with Kenny Bridges and Hippy of Moneen. We talked for a while as they both restrung their guitars for that nights show. They have been touring a lot lately, and will tour with Saves the Day and Taking Back Sunday this fall. We got the chance to talk about playing a morning show rather than a late night one, Kenny’s cats, and the changes occurring within the “scene”.
Andy Hewitt – So, how did you guys hook up with Counterfit?
Kenny Bridges – Oh my gosh! It was just kinda like we were on our own tour out in the states, just trying to get any show we could, and in San Diego we got to play at the Shea Café with Counterfit and we just hit it off immediately with them, and just became really really really good friends. It was one of those relationships, where as soon as I met Justin we both just started making fun of each other, and it just worked, it’s where you feel comfortable enough with someone where you can call their mom something bad and then just slap them in the face, and you know you’re buddies afterwards. So, we were always talking about how it would be great to tour with them or something. Then when we were planning our Canadian tour we were like “Let’s bring ‘em back from the states” cause not enough American bands get to go play Canada, sometimes it’s hard, or sometimes they don’t feel that it’s worth it, so we told them “Come, we want you to come on the whole tour with us.” So they actually just came with us on the west coast, and it was honestly the greatest time ever. They’re such a frickin’ good band, and the funny thing is that the first time we met them we played that one show, then we had a day off in Arizona, and it just turned out that they were playing there, so we went and saw them and hung out and got them to stay where we were staying. It’s just one of those bonds, like us and Park, you know us and that band have a bond for life just cause we hit it off so well with them. That’s the kind of community feeling that I love. I love to know that I can have the worst jokes ever and have nothing to talk about but you still have those friends. It’s important. Yeah, it’s especially nice to have those friends who are real friends, and not just like you think they’re your friend, but they really hate you and they don’t even try to pretend that you’re friends but you still go on pretending.
Mike (Reggie’s Merch Guy) – Kinda like me.
KB – Hey brother Mike, how you doin’ buddy?
Mike – I'm doin’ good
KB – See, and right now he’s thinking “Why do I have to talk to that guy?” Half the time he just slaps me around and thinks I’ll get the message, but I still love you brotha’.
Mike – I love you too.
AH – So, I was reading about something between Moneen and Choke, something called Choneen?
KB – Oohhhhh, Choneen. Do you know that band Choke?
AH – Yeah, I’ve heard some of their stuff.
KB – Incredible frickin’ band, like they’ve been one of my favorite bands for so long, like they’re a big reason why we’re on Smallman Records in Canada.
(At this point, a drummer decides to begin testing out his drums, and doing about a minute solo)
KB – So, what were we talking about, oh yeah Choneen. Choneen was the greatest thing ever, on our very first tour we had like a week off in Edmonton and basically one by one we all just started jamming with the Choke guys, and it started with Erik and Clay, you know Erik’s our bass player and Clay is their bass player, so they started jamming on guitar and then one by one we all just started coming in jamming, and we wrote like 3 or 4 songs. It’s like 2 drummers, 2 bass player, 3 guitarists and we’re all singing. It brought us closer together than anything. We had other shows to play while we were there, and we actually wanted to cancel them so we could keep practicing with Choneen. We did a little recording but it didn’t really come out all that well, but it’s just cool to have it even though we don’t really have a copy of it. They do and they won’t give it to us.
Hippy – We even got to play a show once in Edmonton, where they’re from, and that’s where it all started.
KB – Smallman Records does a Smallman tour every year, and one year in Edmonton we got to do a Choneen show, and it’s so funny cause it was pretty much just for ourselves, people appreciated it, but we didn’t care about anyone, we were playing for Choneen. Like I said before, friends come together to do what we love. It was the best thing ever, one day we want to do a good recording and go on a real Choneen tour, and I'm sure it’s gonna happen soon but we’re quite busy these days. We’re trying to get Moneen somewhere, and the last thing we need to do is to concentrate on a cock-rock project.
AH – I heard that you guys had played a late night show somewhere?
KB – No, actually it was the exact opposite. It was a show called “Big Breakfast” where you go into the show at 7 in the morning and it’s a morning show, so we played on that a couple times, which was a nightmare for more than a billion reasons. One, just being up that early and having to play. Two, being up that early anyway and we got banned from that TV station for 18 hours because I took off my shirt and started swinging it around while we were playing and they didn’t appreciate that at all. So we got banned, and then we got unbanned because other people in the station actually liked us and then we were asked back again. But it’s really fun though, it’s not even exposing us to anyone really. Whenever we play it’s like people’s mom’s and grandma’s complaining like “What is this crap!?” We get complaint calls when we play it, and we’ve played it a few times now and they say every time people always complain. But they love it though, in Edmonton the host totally loves having us, but the producer of the show supposedly never leaves his little office, and he came down right after to say how much he enjoyed it and thought that it was so fun that we played his show, and everyone on the staff was like “He never comes down, I don’t know what he’s doing down here.” Supposedly his daughter is a really big fan and it’s pretty cool cause it’s like we always do them just for the stories. It’s always about the stories. This tour we had to cancel them because the drives were so ridiculous on this last Canadian tour that we were getting no sleep and we were just so sick, and we had to be gone at 7 in the morning to do their show, and if anyone did see it, they would have been like “Why is this band the worst band ever.” So, that’s the thing with that stuff, being captured on film or recorded, it’s like there’s a big chance that you’re gonna screw up, then everyone’s gonna think that your band sucks because of that one thing. So I can’t say that I would be to excited to go and do one of those Conan O’Brien, Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel or Carson Daly or any kind of those things, not that they would want us, but if they ever asked I would have an easier time saying no than saying yes. Like how many times have you heard people who are in to punk rock and talking about bands being like “Did you see how bad they were?” it’s just so easy to criticize things that way. If you can stay away from it, being criticized, then you’ll probably live longer pretty much.
AH – When did you guys decide that you wanted to grow up and be musicians, and not go to college for business or something?
KB – Hippy, give him your story first, tell him when you decided that you wanted to play music, and not be afraid of your dad.
Hippy – Basically, what happened was that I started playing guitar around grade 10 and I was still in grade 10 taking all these business and science courses and I was like “O, I'm alright at math, maybe I’ll do math.” But then when playing guitar took over doing homework, and I stopped doing homework and stopped going to school. That’s what I knew it was time. Time… Time to bust a rhyme with a guitar line, but I ain’t lyin’. Then I went to Art College and did some art stuff and decided that wasn’t the best thing for me either cause we got to go on tour, bye.
KB – Ok, so, grade 11 I was in drama and a school of the arts type thing, so I majored in drama. I liked making people laugh and doing stupid things, but I didn’t really like the monologues and all the serious stuff and the Shakespeare and stuff like that. So I really just interest and started doing tech stuff, like lighting and sound, then I started playing guitar and kinda the same thing with Hippy, I just didn’t care about anything anymore, and it took over my life. I remember in grade 9 I had this band called Wrath of the Donkey. Which is a song name we have now. I was the singer, and my first song was “Death comes to stupid ones, stupid ones.” That was like the only thing I sang, and there was no verse, no chorus, that was basically it. You know, after Wrath of the Donkey did the world tour, I realized, “You know what, this stuff’s alright, maybe I’ll be in a band.” Then I was in a band called Perfectly Normal, which was a really bad, confused pop-punk band that we really had no idea what we were doing, and then out of that came Moneen, and here we are now.
Hippy – I need a shower.
KB – Oh yeah, showerin’ it up.
AH – What do you guys think about bands like Taking Back Sunday and other bands that have been getting recognized in the mainstream?
KB – It’s so good, it makes me so happy that a scene that we’ve been involved with for so long has good things happening, and it seems like a lot of bands are doing it their own way and its not like they are going straight to the major labels and getting them to do everything, and they’re not doing anything they don’t feel in their hearts. It really feels like Thursday, Thrice, you know all those bands are on a bigger level now, and they’re gonna have other people to answer to know, but from everything that I can tell, nothings changing those bands, and that’s really really good. You know, that’s the one scary thing of it. When the popularity and success comes, how do you maintain being yourself when everything around you is changing. That’s one reason why we were a little reluctant with the whole Vagrant thing because we just felt that we were in a totally different world, and it was like all these huge bands and then there’s us. You know, who are we to be on that label; don’t you have to be good to be on that label? So then when we actually met with them and realized, just like a lot of other bands and their labels, the labels don’t wanna change the band, that’s not the first thing that they wanna do, they wanna have a good relationship, and they wanna put out records with a band that they love. At least that’s the way that you hope it goes down. There’s a lot of craziness going on in the punk rock world right now and I think a lot of good is gonna come out of it. I think there are gonna be a lot of really really good bands that a lot of people are gonna hear. You know four years ago, we would never get to hear the bands that we’re getting to hear now. Like for Taking Back Sunday to sell 100,000 records or whatever it is, it’s crazy. If we’d sell 50 records we’d be the happiest people in the world. Just to see bands doing so well, it’s so amazing, and it helps all the other bands around them. I don’t know. Good times. Good times.
AH – It’s got to be promising for you guys, because I know you are trying to hop on all these tours and get kids to be exposed to your music.
KB – Yeah I know, all these tours have been so good. Just for that exact reason, letting people know who we are. So, it’s crazy we’ve never got to do anything like that by going on some of these tours we’re on. Because through touring Canada and through the States it’s been hammering away until something happens, especially in Canada. I mean in Canada we never been on any bigger tours until most recently, so it’s just crazy how different this routes been taken, but it’s already proving to be working because a lot of people are starting to know our band and it’s kinda weird to be to a city we’ve never been before and have some people singing along and stuff. It still boggles my mind. But I still just hope that the scene stays strong and bands stick together. I don’t see anything bad happening like with people turning their backs on anyone, because everyone just wants to see everyone else do well and have fun together. That’s the best thing about all these tours, for us it’s just getting to meet all of these people, to us it’s just amazing. So many bands that we like so much and just get to meet them, hang out with them, become friends with them. It’s pretty incredible actually. It’s awesome because all of these people are just regular people.
AH - What are you expecting to be different on the tour with Saves The Day and Taking Back Sunday compared to this one?
KB – I don’t know. I was thinking about this in the car today, going on all these crazy tours and stuff and it’s just like you can play in front of 20 people or 20,000 people and it all still comes down to just playing. You know, playing the songs that you play, and making the most of it. You know, we’ll still be playing like 5 songs or whatever we get to play and it’s like you have to make those 5 songs mean the most. I mean it’s just so crazy to be on big tours because it’s balancing out why we’re doing it versus the fun of doing it versus still trying to not change like I was saying before, because we’re getting thrown in to a different world we’ve never been in before but when it all comes down to it, it’s all just as simple as bands and people and music. There are gonna be some bands that have bad attitudes and things like that, but luckily we haven’t really met any, at least in this scene, so it’s good. Just trying to keep the rock goin’ man. Keep the rock goin’.
AH – Do you guys feel any pressure to put on a great performance every night even though you might be tired or sick?
KB – I put a lot of pressure on myself just because I hate it when things aren’t together, like if my voice isn’t working or something like that, or stuff breaking. I mean, we take things pretty serious for how much losers we are. Like, we don’t take anything seriously but at the same time, we take the band really seriously. But on this tour I decided that I just wanted to relax and just have a lot more fun and have it be like the old tours we used to do on our own, like there would be no worries and just hanging out with people all of the time. So as I started to do this and relax more our van died, and then we had to do 4 days of the tour in a car, and then I had to drive like I don’t know how many hours back to get our van and after that we had to drive to the show yesterday and all the bands helped us out so much, and in those days, to make it better for us and we appreciate it so much from them. Now we’re like we can start having fun, and now we’re sick, so it’s just like ahhh. From putting ourselves through so much, but you gotta make the best of it. You gotta do what you gotta do.
AH – How are your cats doing?
KB – Really good. Except for Uda, his knee’s been blown out. Yeah, he tried to attack a poodle and a poodle tried to attack him or something, and he ran away and he tried to jump into this car, and he bashed his knee and now his knee is blown out, so poor little Uda is hurt right now. But I just heard about someone yesterday that made a kitty cast, so maybe Uda will get a kitty cast. You never know, he may be ok after all. Uda’s so big it’s ridiculous. His head is to small for his body, cause they don’t gain much weight in their heads, but their bodies, they gain a lot of weight. I heard about this one cat that was so fat that its stomach was always on the ground and it was hard for it to walk so the owner strapped a little wheel onto its stomach so it could roll its belly around. Yeah, it’s a true story too. I didn’t see it, but I heard about it though. You see, I love cats, but I just keep it to the cats. A lot of other people have their own love but I don’t think anyone will understand the love I have for my cats, so I keep it to myself. You know we bond, we hang. The girl cat, she lives with my mom now, she doesn’t hang as much now, and she’s mean now. But Uda the boy cat, God bless his blown out knee. He’s a frickin’ good dude yo, he’s a good dude. |
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New P.O.D. Record Information
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Atlantic Records has reported to Decapolis that P.O.D.'s follow-up record to 2001's RIAA triple-platinum, Billboard Top 10 charting "SATELLITE," is set to arrive in stores nationwide on November 4th. Produced by P.O.D. and longtime studio collaborator Howard Benson, "Payable On Death" sees the band pushing their explosive sound to extraordinary new heights. The result is their rawest, most provocative recording to date, blending evocative, emotional lyrics with urgent, charismatic rock 'n' roll.
"Will You," the first single from "Payable On Death," is far and away the #1 most-added track this week at rock and alternative radio nationwide, with over 140 stations jumping on the track out-of-the-box. A companion video clip - directed by Marc Webb (Good Charlotte, AFI, Unwritten Law) - is currently in production. P.O.D. will herald the release of "Payable On Death" on October 31st with a
live performance at the Voodoo Music Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana. Renowned for their fiery live shows, the band recently returned to the concert stage as part of the Coors Light Mountain Jam at Red Rocks, marking their first show with new guitarist Jason Truby. P.O.D. is currently on a worldwide promotional tour, with a full-scale global tour slated to begin in early 2004. Having made their early reputation via an extremely loyal grassroots following - known as "the Warriors" - P.O.D. has long maintained a strong online presence. Their hugely successful website - www.payableondeath.com -has just been relaunched, featuring new graphics and up-to-the-minute information on the band's activities. From their humble beginnings in a Chula Vista garage, to the international success of 2001's hugely successful "Satellite," P.O.D. has established themselves as one of the most important career artists of the modern era. Combining positive messages with furious, genre-blurring rock 'n' roll, P.O.D. has reaped critical praise and an ever-increasing audience since the release of 1999's RIAA platinum-certified Atlantic debut, "The Fundamental Elements Of Southtown." The band has also unleashed a remarkable streak of radio and video hits, including "Southtown," "Rock The Party (Off The Hook)," "School Of Hard Knocks," "Boom," and the Grammy Award-nominated smashes, "Alive" and "Youth Of The Nation." Earlier this summer, P.O.D. scored yet again with "Sleeping Awake," the lead single from the soundtrack to The Matrix: Reloaded. |
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Limbeck/Rocky Votolato US/Euro tour dates
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LIMBECK
FULL US TOUR W/ ROCKY VOTOLATO
BEGINS OCT. 4TH IN SPOKANE, WA;
EUROPEAN DATES WITH THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS,
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK COMMENCE NOV. 9TH
October 4 - Spokane, WA @ the Detour
October 6 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
October 7 - Colorado Springs, CO @ Jack Quinns
October 8 - Boulder, CO 80302 @ Club 156 / Univ. of Co
October 9 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
October 10 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Fallout
October 11 - Madison, WI @ Catacombs Coffee House
October 12 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
October 14 - Chicago,IL @ Fireside Bowl
October 15 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
October 16 - New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
October 17 - Baltimore, MD @ Charm City Art Space
October 19 - Greensboro, NC @ Ace's Basement
October 21 - Nashville, TN @ the Muse
October 23 - Tampa, FL @ Orpheum
October 26 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
October 27 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Conservatory
October 30 - Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves
November 1 - Phoenix, AZ @ Modified
LIMBECK EUROPEAN TOUR WITH THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS & MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK!
November 9 - Glasgow, Scotland @ the Garage
November 10 - Liverpool, England @ Liverpool Carling Academy
November 12 - Sheffield, England @ Leadmill
November 13 - Norwich, England @ the Waterfront
November 15 - Manchester, England @ Manchester University
November 16 - Leeds, England @ Cockpit/metro
November 17 - Birmingham, England @ Irish Centre
November 19 - Bristol, England @ Bristol Academy
November 20 - Portsmouth, England @ Wedgewood/pyramid
November 21 - London, England @ Mean Fiddler
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Huntingtons - Behind the Scenes, 'Self - Titled Album'
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The Huntingtons will release 'Self - Titled Album' on September 23, 2003. (Pushed back due to manufacturing complications.) To accompany the new record, they have launched a brand new website, packed with 'Behind the Scenes' material including insights from the band, a short film (filmed at Clay Creek Studio, Newark, DE), and all the original lyric sheets/notes from Mike Holt. HUNTINGTONSUSA.COM
The band will also be playing their first show in more than a few months this coming Sunday, 9/28, at the Thunderdome in Baltimore, MD. Also playing will be Cliffy's (Ex-Huntington) new band The Stivs, all the way from the west coast. Here are the details:
3612 S Hanover St, Baltimore MD 21225
$10.00
5:30 PM
the_rockvilles@hotmail.com
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The Franchise - Original Inevitable
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 Nate [Music Senior Staff]; Age: 23; Top 5 bands: Ramones, The Choir, Mineral, No Innocent Victim, One:21. I love music. There are very few limitations on my taste and I'm always listening to something new in hopes of broadening my horizons.
 The Franchise features former Plankeye and Fanmail member Scott Silletta and is based out of LA, California.
Scott Silletta's writing style is very identifiable within the songs of The Franchise. Melodic rock with a strong punk influence (think early Face to Face), "Original Inevitable" is a solid album. It's downfall however is that while the songs bare professionalism, they just don’t have a whole lot of catchy dynamics that pull you in for the repeat listens. This is a disappointment given what I know Silletta is capable of writing. The Franchise's debut fails to rise above average.
Grade: C+
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.**
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Greyfield - Soundtrack to the Summer
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Nate [Music Senior Staff]; Age: 23; Top 5 bands: Ramones, The Choir, Mineral, No Innocent Victim, One:21. I love music. There are very few limitations on my taste and I'm always listening to something new in hopes of broadening my horizons.
 Greyfield is from Jacksonville, FL and has released "Soundtrack to the Summer" on Search and Rescue Records.
This is a shallow album with generic and sometimes weak writing. The main guitar part in "Party after the Show," around which the whole song is written, sounds suspiciously like an Andrew W.K. song. There are also parts of "Stay Tonight" that could be easily mistaken for something off of "Enema of the State." While there's nothing wrong with the quick, poppy songs with melodies galore, Greyfield just doesn't do it as well as others can. There's no reason whatsoever why you should pick up "Soundtrack to the Summer" over anything else in the genre.
Grade: C-
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.** |
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Vue - Babies are for Petting EP
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Nate [Music Senior Staff]; Age: 23; Top 5 bands: Ramones, The Choir, Mineral, No Innocent Victim, One:21. I love music. There are very few limitations on my taste and I'm always listening to something new in hopes of broadening my horizons.
 Vue is currently signed with RCA with whom they've released an EP "Babies are for Petting." They are from San Francisco.
Embracing a variety of styles such as psychobilly, punk, and the blues, Vue's garage style assault of stripped down songs contain a little bit of everything. There are strong leads, undistorted guitar, harmonica, and keyboard. While the first two songs are easy, fun listens, the subsequent three become mired down and boring. It's not that the loss of tempo puts you to sleep, but the songs just lose their dynamics and become repetitious. The recording style is the rough and tumble sound that we've become accustomed to with bands such as The Hives and The White Stripes. Should Vue be able to trim the fat, they might have a good thing going here.
Grade: C-
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.**
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Matchbook Romance News
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The new Matchbook Romance record will be out this tuesday, September 23rd and we can't wait for you to hear what has taken month and months of waiting for us. ALso, the band has a brand new website (www.matchbookromance.com) up with mp3's of their new album and a pretty cool little e-card. The new website was designed by Brad Filip, a very good web designer.The band will also have some cd release shows coming up this week and they are getting ready to embark on a very busy fall.
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Commercials Interview
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 The Commercials are known for their high-energy performances as well as their dedication to touring. Having traveled the nation (and the world if you include Canada) like madmen, The Commercials are gaining new fans left and right. They have a brand new album out on Blackout records.
Nate: In the history of the band, what has been your biggest regret?
Tony: I don't really have regrets with the band, like what the band's been doing or with what we've accomplished. But I have personal regrets sometimes, things I could be doing, or could have done, had I not decided to pursue music. I think all of us feel that way sometimes. On that same note though I love music, and I love playing music and that's a part of what makes that sacrifice worth it.
Nate: Has having had to make sacrifices for the sake of the band added to what you're doing? Does it aid in creativity, passion etc?
Tony: I think it does add passion for sure. We've all sacrificed a lot. Most everyone who tries to play music for a living or takes their music seriously can probably say the same thing. When you do sacrifice a "normal life" and other things along the way it really makes you appreciate what you're doing, and puts that fire in you, where you know you have a lot riding on your music and the band.
 (Picture taken by interviewer) Nate: You've recently gone through some line-up changes, how has that effected the band?
Tony: I think in the long run it's going to be a positive thing. There were some differences and things that weren't working out with our last drummer. It was nobody's fault but we were moving in different directions. As of right now we don't have a full time drummer yet, but the guy who's been filling in has been amazing, and things have been going really smooth since he's been playing with us. If everything keeps going well, I see only positive things happening in the future, although the drummer tryouts…are the worst thing ever.
Nate: Why are they so bad? What was the absolute worst tryout like?
Tony: Many of the people who come to try out aren't prepared. It's also really hard to be mean to someone and just say "look you're horrible", so even if someone is really bad we end up playing with them for an hour or two and it's pretty brutal. You just start wishing you were anywhere but there. The worst drummer tryout ever was a few years ago. I had talked to this guy before he came and he swore up and down that he could play everything and that he had everything down etc. So he showed up for practice and he brought these electronic drums and we were just thinking this guy can't be serious. He was so bad, we couldn't even get through a whole song. I just don't know what some people are thinking. I mean I play guitar and I know when I can't play something. If something is too hard I can honestly say to myself this is too hard I can't play it.
Nate: The Commercials still have three long-time members in the band…after all this time together is everyone still committed and excited to do what they do?
Tony: I think so. There are rough spots occasionally and sometimes you get burnt out or start to question what you're doing, but then you can have one show where there's a couple hundred kids and everyone's singing a long, or you see your interview in a magazine and it gets you psyched and ready to rock. The three of us all have a commitment to each other as well and I don't think any of us want to ever let the others down. That's a big part of our band.
 Nate: Recently, there have been a lot of bands who have parted ways with half or more of their standing membership, got 75% new people and carry on under the same name. Is this ethical? Does it have everything to do with the marketability of their name?
Tony: Ethical… that's tough. I guess each situation is different. I mean if everyone left on good terms and told the remaining people "you have our blessing to continue on the band" that's one thing. If the main songwriter and guy who does everything, is still calling his band by the same name after kicking people out that might be justified as well since he's the one doing everything. I can think of bands and situations where I would say it was not the right thing to do, but at the end of the day you're right, it is all marketability.
Nate: Your debut on Blackout records just came out, tell me a little about it.
Tony: Well the new album "It's Not What You Say…It's How You Say It" is set up in two parts. The first part are re-recordings of some of our past songs from different albums and the second part was originally supposed to be released as an EP before we signed to Blackout. It tells the story of a relationship from it's beginning, where everything is going great, to it's eventual end, where the guy in the relationship commits suicide, and then the repercussions of his suicide on his family.
Nate: How has it been selling?
Tony: Pretty well, we've been really happy with it so far, it's done a lot more then any past record we've done.
Nate: As you see it, what is the worst current trend in the underground/indy music scene right now?
Tony: Garage rock...I hate garage rock so much. Honestly all of those bands are horrible except for the Strokes. I think they're great, but they're not really "garage rock" like a lot of those other bands.
Nate: In addition to the band, you've also done hundreds of shows in the central Pennsylvania area over the last few years. How does it feel knowing your solely responsible for having Saves the Day play in a barn in Hershey, PA?
 Tony: (laughs) Good I guess. They'll always remember it right? I just think it's funny that so many bands who've gone on to get huge have played around here, or I've done a show for them and virtually no one came to see them at the time, and now they're just insane big. Thursday, At the Drive In, Starting Line. The Superficials, The Ataris... tons.
Nate: What's the smallest crowd The Commercials have played? What is the largest?
Tony: Smallest...1 Person. Largest was like 600.
Nate: Sometimes when you're frustrated and angry and ready to throw in the towel, what makes you keep pushing on?
Tony: I guess the fact that I believe in what we're doing. That and kids who are into our music. It's frustrating sometimes, but when some kid comes up to you after a show and tells you how much your music means to him and how it helped them out when times were rough or whatever, that's the greatest feeling in the world and I'm super grateful and touched that people feel that way.
Nate: Are there any tour plans in the works?
Tony: We're touring with Digger coming up and there's some other stuff in the works that isn't really confirmed yet. We'll see what happens. Either way we'll be in a town near you soon.
Nate: What ever happened to that really smart, funny, visually stunning merch guy/roadie you guys used to have?
Tony: That's an excellent question. I heard he got sucked into some kind of cult.... and joined a death metal band called Tonga Room Death Incident
Nate: Tonga Room Death Incident? I hear those guys are the best thing to happen to metal since Slayer. After a long time of doing all the booking for the band yourself, you've since gone with a booking agent. How has the transition been?
Tony: Some parts are good. It's a lot less work for me to do, and if something goes wrong no one can blame me. I do miss having control of stuff though.
Nate: If you could say one thing to millions of people about the band, what would it be (keeping in mind that's how many people will be reading this)?
Tony: Check out our website (thecommercials.org), download some MP3's, and of course… "Be Excellent To Each Other."
Nate: And the last questions...perhaps the most important… rumor has it you'll be putting out a Jesus Jones cover album. Is this true?
Tony: I can neither confirm nor deny that at this time...(looks left, then looks right and slowly backs out of the room).
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MxPx - Before Everything and After
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 Matt Modrich [Decapolis Reviews Staff]; Age: 21; Top 5 bands: Starflyer 59, Pedro the Lion, MxPx, Delirious and Joy Electric. Musical preferences: Melodic pop music with a good beat, such as punk, emo, modern rock and indie rock.
 It's been over two years since "The Ever Passing Moment" came out. Since then diehard MxPx fans have been anticipating "Before Everything and After." The album is similar to their last one, but it can't really compete with "Life In General" and "Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo." Having said that, it's pretty comparable in level of quality to "The Ever Passing Moment."
The album layout and artwork are great. Tattoos are what MxPx is known for, that and the Pokinatcha punk. With all six guests on the album, one can't help wondering why the credits don't list Keanu Reeves in his appearance on the back of the album.
The CD starts and ends with "Before" and "After," both of which are basically a mix of various clips of songs on the CD that really could be done without.
"Play It Loud" is a punk anthem, which is okay for a starting track. Not spectacular, but mildly entertaining. America finally gets to hear the end of "Well Adjusted" (the song from their Diet Pepsi commercial) and it's not bad. "It's Alright" goes back to MxPx's roots of melodic pop punk, while "Brokenhearted" sounds just like something off "The Ever Passing Moment."
"First Day Of The Rest Of Our Lives" starts with a Slick Shoes like intro and has a pop sound much like Good Charlotte. Their influence seems to pop up throughout the album. "Everything Sucks (When You're Gone)" is a nice track that features a little showy guitar lead, which is generally uncommon for MxPx. "Quit Your Life" has a little bit of a Counting Crows feel with the piano driving the song. "More Everything" is another pop song, which is a take-it-or-leave-it type track.
"Kings of Hollywood" features a bass groove with a cheesy guitar intro, but the songs picks up nicely with the chorus. "The Capitol" continues to show MxPx experimenting with an 80s like guitar intro. The song has its NOFX like moments, but the chorus is fairly repetitive beyond the point of enjoyment. "On The Outs" starts with a melody that just makes the song, despite some more Good Charlottle moments. Benji Madden even does some BGVs.
"Don't Walk Away" starts like something Bruce Springsteen would write. It maintains a sort of 80s rock ballad feel, which is less than desirable. "You Make Me, Me" is full of octave riffs that complement the vocals. On top of that the lyrics are even spiritual too: "Height won't separate us from this love. Death can't separate us from this love. Depth can't separate us from this love. These days so few seem to have faith in the son of man and his grace." "You're Not Alone" starts off like "My Life Story" played twice as fast. It's another so-so song.
"Before Everything And After" will probably find older fans less interested, but younger fans will definitely dig it. There's a lot to like about the album and it will undoubtedly become someone's favorite. Who knows maybe even Clear Channel's favorite.
Grade: B+
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.** |
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Strike Anywhere "Exit English" CD Contest
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Jade Tree Records and Decapolis are happy to present our readers with the following contest:
1 lucky winner will receive the following:
-1 copy of the upcoming Strike Anywhere "Exit English" CD (Out Sept 30, check out www.exitenglish.com to stream the whole album now).
-1 copy of their debut cd "Change is a Sound".
-An assortment of stickers and buttons.
-1 autographed "Exit English" poster by the band.
To enter the contest just simply email contests@jadetree.com with the following title in the subject line "Strike Contest on www.decapolis.com". Jade Tree will pick a winner by November 1st. It's as easy as that. So be sure to send an email by then.
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Andew W.K. Show Review - Philadelphia
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Andrew W.K.
@ the T.L.A in Philadelphia, PA
9/11/03
By: Josh Blackway
If possible, I’m gonna try not to say the word “party” in this review. You probably know who this guy is by now. You probably know what he’s all about & you’ve probably seen his videos or heard his music on television shows/movies or between innings at the ballpark. If you went to the Warped Tour this year, you couldn’t miss him…but I’ll introduce him anyway. His name is Andrew W.K. Right now he is finishing up a headlining tour in the US with Vaux and High on Fire.
Chants of “We want fun!” and “AWK!” echoed the building after an unimpressive High on Fire left the stage. Simply put: Andrew W.K. brings the fun. He loves the crowd. He loves circle pits. He loves it when people get on stage with him. Most of all, he loves (ok, I tried) to PARTY… and that’s what happened in Philadelphia on September 11th of this year. We had a party in the jam-packed Theater of Living Arts. We had FUN. That’s what it was all about. On the 2-year anniversary of our country’s biggest threat to freedom, we celebrated our freedom in the city that gave it birth, by having fun.
“There’s a feeling inside our hearts right now and inside our stomachs. No, not like we’re gonna puke…it’s the feeling of being HAPPY”, shouted AWK from the stage when seeing how the crowd was responding to every note & every line of the music. Even the new songs from his album, “the Wolf”, which came out only 2 days prior went over really well.
The first song off the new album was the song that opened up the set. Titled “Victory Strikes Again”, it’s an anthem you’d expect to hear at the end of a Rocky movie. His classical piano training showed as he pounded away at the keyboard at Beethoven speed. As the instrumental song rang out, he grabbed the mic and shouted, “Its time to party!” which started the hit jock-rock fist-pumper.
He went through all of the classics of his first album (I Get Wet) including a request of “I Love New York City” in which a kid wearing an ‘I love NY’ shirt jumped on stage putting a huge smile on Andrew’s face. He put the kid up on his shoulders as he ran around singing the song.
The new songs had the same feel as the old songs. Not a whole lot of growth, but none really needed. They fit in with everything off the first album perfectly. “Tear it Up” got everyone on stage singing along. The TLA is known to have some tough security in front of the stage, but they were no match for this crowd. In his own words, “We do what we like, & we like what we do.” That’s an Andrew W.K. crowd in Philadelphia.
When the show was finally over, and everyone had finally cleared the stage, all of the lights came on and it appeared time to leave. But not quite yet. With a stage crew cleaning things up, out comes AWK like a rabid wolf. For about 5 minutes, he basically flipped out by himself. Arms swinging, legs kicking, running back and forth, slamming into either side of the stage. I don’t know… the guy is nuts. He’s a flat out psycho. By far, the craziest guy I’ve ever seen…but he sure knows how to throw a party.
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Movies With Heroes - Years
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 Clara [Decapolis Reviews Staff]; Age: 23; Top 5 bands: Brandtson, U2, Copeland, Unwed Sailor, The Beatles. Musical preferences: My rule of thumb is that if the music is catchy enough stylistically and/or lyrically then it’s good music. I really try to stay open-minded when hearing music outside of my preferences and many times, I’m pleasantly surprised.
WHO is this review about?
Movies with Heroes (aka the late Mack, the Coffee Man), who hail from Pennsylvania and are:
Keith Wilson - Vocals, Guitar
Chiemena Ukazim - Guitar
Jeff Royer - Bass, Vocals
Jeremy Bentley - Drums
WHO actually played on the record?
Good question. According to the booklet that came with the cd, this cd is a mixture of a lot of people: Jeremy Bentley, Jeff Royer, Keith Wilson, John Donohue (guitar and french horn), Daniel French (guitar), Daryl Hirsch (keys), Beverly Jo Shirk-Wilson (vocals), Jay Sorrentino (keys and percussion), Mike Ibarra, Jamie Krause, John Lucca, Jason Sherman, Dave Timblin, Sarah Timblin, Brian Wenger, Dave Wilson (vocals). Whew.
WHERE can I find more info?
Label: Urban Achievers Records
Released: July 1, 2003
More info: http://www.movieswithheroes.com
WHY should I bother buying it?
Here's the deal. This cd is a culmination of everything that IS Movies with Heroes. As they say in the liner notes, this "is a look back at our growth and musical evolution as a band..." and what better cd to pick up then something that gives you a taste of where the band has been and where it's heading?
There's a good rock feel to Years. And with that many musicians and singers contributing, there is a thickness in instrumentation and sound not found in all records. Royer and Wilson lend strong leading vocals that carry each song to its finish. This is not to ignore the excellent melodies, which range from a fast rock feel to a slower, almost Beatle-esque feel. Backing vocals, rich with harmonies, complement the overall intensity of each song.
This is a definite pick-up. For former fans of Mack, the Coffee Man, current fans of everything MWH has done in the past and present, and for future fans, who haven't had the chance to experience an MWH show or record, this is for you. The friendship between the musicians in this band is evident...you can feel what they've been through and envision what they'll bring next.
WHO did that amazing artwork?
The beautiful artwork that makes up the visual aspect of this record was painted by Janell Olah and the layout was done by coldwarkids.com. There is much to say about this simple design. The art is reminiscent of watercolor paintings done by children yet intricately complex enough to remind oneself of ink blots, with various people seeing different images in each one. Colors used are autumn colors: browns, yellows, reds, etc. which draw the eyes immediately to the album. It's a beautiful layout for an album of nostalgia.
Grade: B
(B – B grade is for those albums that are above average. The artist needs to show that they are a cut above the other bands in the genre in order to get a B.)
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer, please head on over to the Music Dojo (click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.**
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East West/ Justified/ Lucerin Blue Tour Dates
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Decapolis has recieved the following information about the upcoming US tour of East West, Justified and Lucerin Blue. Here are the dates.
10/3/03 – Winona, MN Rock Solid
10/4/03 – Willmar, MN The Warehouse
10/5/03 – Cedar Rapids, IA TBA
10/6/03 – Dyer, IN Seekers Coffeehouse
10/7/03 – Rochester, MN Brick and Amp
10/8/03 – Brainerd, MN TBA
10/9/03 – Minneapolis, MN The New Union
10/10/03 – Green Bay, WI Cup of Joy
10/11/03 – Taylorville, IL Common Grounds
10/12/03 – Grand Rapids, MI TBA
10/13/03 – Ames, IA TBA
10/14/03 – Springfield, MO Nu Brew
10/15/03 – Tulsa, OK The Mustard Tree
10/16/03 – Stroud, OK Club Impact
10/1/03 – Garland, TX Club Red Letter
10/18/03 – Van, TX Revelation Room
10/19/03 – McAllen, TX Enthos
10/20/03 – San Antonio, TX TBA
10/21/03 – San Angelo, TX The Lighthouse
10/22/03 – Midland, TX TBA
10/23/03 – Amarillo, TX TBA
10/24/03 – Albuquerque, NM TBA
10/25/03 – Sherman, TX The Underground
10/26/03 – Flagstaff, AZ
10/31/03 – Napa, CA First Christian Church
11/1/03 – Merced, CA InDaGo
11/2/03 – Eugene, OR Wow Hall
11/3/03 – Vancouver, WA Crossroads Community Church
11/4/03 – Tacoma, WA Club Impact
11/5/03 – Spokane, WA TBA
11/6/03 – Boise, ID TBA
11/7/03 – Salt Lake City, UT Calvary Chapel Salt Lake City
11/8/03 – Boulder, CO Flat Iron Theater
11/10/03 – Wichita, KS Ground Zero
11/11/03 – Little Rock, AR Expressions Music Hall
11/12/03 – Crossville, AL Underground Music Hall
11/13/03 – Nashville, TN Rocketown
11/14/03 – Chattanooga, TN Fathom
11/15/03 – Blacksburg, VA TBA
11/16/03 – Bluefield, WV TBA
11/17/03 – Westminster, MD The Inner Circle
11/18/03 – Pennsylvania TBA
11/19/03 – Greensboro, NC Café Jam
11/20/03 – Greenville, SC TBA
11/21/03 – Atlanta, GA TBA
11/22/03 – Jacksonville, FL Murray Hill
11/23/03 – St Petersburg FL TBA
11/24/03 – Orlando, FL Last Wave Club |
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Side Walk Slam Interview
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Side Walk Slam Interview
by Josh Blackway
I did this interview with Matt Jackson, the drummer of Side Walk Slam, through email. I toured with these guys at least two different times, maybe three.. I don't know, its all a blur. I think out of all the bands that the Huntingtons toured with, the Slam was by far the craziest, and most fun. We have a lot of good classic memories. Matt's one of the best drummers I've ever seen and this band has some really good song writing talent. Check them out: www.sidewalkslam.net
Josh: Side Walk freakin Slam! How are you guys doing? What have you been up to? It's been a while since we've hung out, toured together, or even talked at all. I saw Kevin (ex-Slam guitarist) in Austin Texas a little while ago. He was doing some tests at a labratory to make lots of money so he could buy whatever equipment he needed for his latest musical adventure. So, tell me about the guy you have playing guitar now, Neil. Is he as crazy as Kevin? Does he have a big tattoo of blackness covering half his leg?
Matt: Neil does not have a big black tattoo covering the bottom half of his leg and no he's not quite as "nutso" as Kevin was. We love
having Neil in the band. He just turned 18 and he is ready to
rule the freakin world. Thanks for talkin about Kev, no one ever gives him props, he kept this band alive for a whole year.
Josh: How's the Nail treatin' you these days?
Matt: They're treating us good. We actually just got done filming
two videos for two new songs on the record and they just put out a
pre-realease with 2 new songs, it's a split with Hangnail.
Josh: Ok, lets get down to business. You have a new album coming out Sept. 16th on Tooth and Nail Records titled "And We Drive". What should we expect?
Matt: This album is a bit more melodic than our other two. Josiah
did most of the writing for this album and his writing style is a
bit different from Marcus's. Josiah definately has a style that
sticks out. On our last couple of albums you can pick out which
songs he wrote within the first 3 seconds of the song. So for anyone
who knows our music it's pretty much an album full of "Hopes and
Dreams", "Racheal Song's", and "All I Have's". But anyway, if you like our older stuff you'll still like this, it's not that different, just a little different of a feel to it. We always strive to write what comes natural. We never try to write a song that sounds like this or that, we just write it however it comes out and i think
we've done a good job of that on this album, this is what we like
to play.
Josh: Do you guys still get really mad when people compare you to MxPx?
Matt: No we don't get mad. But I don't think we'll get any of that
anymore with the new album.
Josh: This is the big question now: Who was the band that you had the most fun touring with? (And you don't have to say Huntingtons, but if you don't, I'll be really mad and never interview you again!)
Matt: HUNTINGTONS WERE THE FUNNEST BAND TO TOUR WITH...and so
was Veronica, Calibretto and our homies from Michigan Part Time.
Josh: Give me one of the craziest moments on tour.
Matt: We've had a crap load of crazy moments on tour but this one is
pretty high up there. One night Kevin (our fill in guitarist) ate someone else's puke for $40. 2 bites for $40 and no i'm not lying I have it on video if you'd like to see.
Josh: So Matt, all the ladies want to know: Do you still jump through fires naked?
Matt: Only for money.
Josh: When this new album comes out, are you planning on touring
extensively in support of it. What do you have planned as far as
who you're touring with, how long, where you're going, all that?
Matt: With anybody, anywhere, anytime, coast to coast. We're gonna be living on the road for a while.
Josh: Who would win in a fight: Josiah or Matt?
Matt: Me, but Josiah does have a lot of upper body strength, he just doesn't realize it.
Josh: How about Kevin or Neil?
Matt: Neil would kill Kevin cause Kevin is a lover not a fighter.
Josh: Mikey Huntington or Cliffy?
Matt: Mike and Jen Huntington for sure!
Josh: Cool, ok well that's pretty much gonna wrap this up. If there's anything I didn't talk about that you wanted to talk about, please, by all means, talk about it now!
Matt: We're all going to see ANDREW W.K. tonite in St. Louis. I can't wait it's gonna be so much fun. Then it's on to Kansas City for a show with Dogwood.
Josh: Feel free to give shout outs to whoever.
Matt: Ok, I'm gonna give a shout out to Rancid for putting out another great album, later.
Josh: Thanks guys, take care & have fun on the road. Make sure you come back to Philly soon. God bless. |
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Count the Stars in Highway Accident
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Victory Records has provided Decapolis the following information, One of the hardest touring bands on Victory, Count the Stars ground to a halt Saturday morning after a bad accident left their van and trailer totaled and singer/guitarist Chris Kasarjian in the hospital with broken ribs, a collapsed lung and stitches. After their driver lost control of the van, the trailer ripped off its hitch and flew twenty feet into the air, hitting a tree and coming apart, scattering the band's merch and equipment. The van flipped several times, causing Kasarjian's injuries but only bruises and minor cuts on the rest of the band and crew. The band will be cancelling their appearances on The Juliana Theory tour through at least September 20th, the dates following are contingent on Chris's recovery, so
check at http://www.victoryrecords.com/tours.html
Since the release of their debut, "Never Be Taken Alive," Count the Stars have enjoyed a deluge of critical praise from the likes of RollingStone.com, Boston Phoenix, LA Weekly, Ride BMX, Outburn and Amp Magazine to name a few. Their first radio single, "Taking It All Back" is receiving spins at commercial alternative stations across the U.S., while the video has been spinning at MTV2 and Fuse TV. Visit www.victoryrecords.com or www.counthestars.com to learn more about Count the Stars. |
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Stretch Arm Strong/Evergreen Terrace Tourdates
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The Rocktober 2003 tour is here.
STRETCH ARMSTRONG, EVERGREEN TERRACE, BEAR VS. SHARK, and BURNS OUT BRIGHT.
Let's get right to the dates.
Oct 16 Baltimore,MD @ The Otto Bar
Oct 17 Lancaster,PA @ The Chamelion Club
Oct 18 Irvington,NJ @ The Cricket Club
Oct 19 Springfield,MA @The Fat Cat
Oct 20 Syracuse,NY @Armory High
Oct 21 Montreal, PQ @L'X
Oct 22 Toledo,OH TBA
Oct 23 Milwaukee,WI @Mad Planet
Oct 24 Indianapolis, Indiana @Rehearsal Studios
Oct 26 Iowa City, Iowa @Gabes Oasis
Oct 28 Memphis,TN @Caravan
Oct 29 Birmingham,AL @Zydeco
Also just announced, EVERGREEN TERRACE, GLASSEATER, and CALICO SYSTEM.
Big U.S. tour. Here are the dates.
november
fri 14 - orlando, fl
sat 15 - jacksonville, fl @ jack rabbits
sun 16 - atlanta, ga
mon 17 - nashville, tn @ blue sky court
tues 18 - kansas city, mo
wed 19 - omaha, ne
thur 20 - boulder, co @ tulagis
fri 21 - las vegas, nv @ skate city
sat 22 - salt lake city, nv
sun 23 - spokane, wa @ detour
mon 24 - seattle, wa
tues 25 - portland, or @ meow meow
wed 26 - san francisco @ the pound
thur 27 - prunedale, ca @ jim dandys
fri 28 - corona, ca @ showcase theatre
sat 29 - san diego, ca @ the scene
sun 30 - pheonix, az
december
mon 1 - albuquerquee, nm
tues 2 - houston, tx @ fat cats
wed 3- dallas, tx
thur 4 - new orleans, la @ mamas blues
fri 5 - panama city, fl
sat 6 - valdosta, ga @ voodoo lounge
Evergreen Terrace will be spending September arranging and recording their upcoming Covers disc. We will release more info, including a full track list soon. |
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Punk Goes Acoustic Soon To Release
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Open Hand - Time To Talk
Thrice - Trust
Yellowcard - Firewater
Sugarcult - Memory
Finch - Letters To You
Thursday - A Hole In The World
The Starting Line - Playing Favorites
Strung Out - Velvet Alley
The Ataris - Eight Of Nine
Taking Back Sunday - Cute Without The E
From Autumn To Ashes - Chloroform Perfume
Rise Against - Swing Life Away
Piebald - The King
Rufio - Over It
Strike Anywhere - Chalk Line
Noise Ratchet - Away To The Heart
Coalesce - Blue Collar Lullaby
Grade - Gathering Darkness
Glasseater - Alone In The World
Midtown - Knew It All Along
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Statistics - Statistics EP
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Tyler Baber [Decapolis Music Staff]; Age: 19; Top 5 bands: Starflyer 59, Pedro the Lion, Havalina, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Joan of Arc Musical preferences: I like music that makes me feel, anything that evokes a strong emotion is good to me. Likewise anything that sounds fresh or original will get an enthusiastic listen. Lyrics are as important as talented musicianship.
 Whoever thought to market nostalgia is a genius. The minds behind putting pop culture icons from twenty years ago on t-shirts and re-releasing “classic” toys, television commercial mascots, board games, et al. need some serious recognition as marketing tour de forces. It’s not that Mighty Mouse or Punky Brewster plastered on a shirt is hip or fashionable in any way, but people buy that stuff like it’s going out of style. Or perhaps like it’s gone out of style before they were born.
Denver Dalley, better known as shoegaze-synth spin-off king Statistics, is obviously a nostalgic guy. The love for all things old is evident in his lyrics on Statistics’ self titled debut. The 5 song EP on Jade Tree records proudly broadcasts the fact that this is THE Denver Dalley of Desaparecidos, that Oberst related band from Saddle Creek in a sign of indie label coupling that surely isn’t for any reason as selfish as profit maximization. However, The similarities to Desaparecidos are left on the little sticker marketing gimmick and traded for elaborate guitar pedal and keyboard sounds in a sort of new new wavish, post-shoegaze musical hybrid. Lyrically there are no similarities, either. Where Desaparecidos is more interested in suburban angst, Statistics seems to long for the days of suburban sprawl.
Yes, Statistics is Leave it to Beaver. Clean, harmless, and still a bit of fun in a sort of old fashioned way. This is nothing you can gyrate your hips to with some dame at the sock hop. And Dalley seems to be fine with that. The EP consists of two instrumental/almost noise tracks of loops and twinkles and three songs that pine for days of yore. Mike Sweeny aids on drums, but most of the sparkly space-age sterility comes from the math oriented mind of Dalley. This is musical science where his counterparts are musical art. Dalley is obviously well rehearsed in the empirical method of creating pop songs within a closed system, with hooks and loops and clicks and whistles.
Music can be a science without failing in any way, but lyrics are where creative minds outshine the A/V club kids. So Dalley fails to impress with simple ideas presented in ways that tread dangerously close to being cliché. Even on the standout track “Hours Seemed Like Days,” when Dalley is most obviously feeling nostalgic for claymation and eight tracks, the listener is a bit skeptical of the sincerity of Dalley’s emotions.
Statistics is a post-Cold War rock and roll science fair exhibit of blue ribbon quality, musically. Lyrically, however, Dalley is about as hip and cool as the hundreds of fourteen year olds wearing extra large Thundercats shirts
Grade: C+
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.** |
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Reggie & the Full Effect Interview
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On August 28th, I had the opportunity to take a seat with the mastermind behind Reggie and the Full Effect, James DeWees. I got to check in to see how things have been going on Reggie’s first headlining tour with Midtown, My Chemical Romance, and Moneen. We talked about such things as his major in college, made up words to describe the band, and dealing with MTV.
Andy Hewitt - Tell me a little about the concept for your video “Congratulations Smack and Katy”
James DeWees – I don’t know, I just thought about it in the car one day on my way to Lawrence, Kansas. I thought like, how funny would it be if peanut butter and jelly tried to get together, and jelly’s parents don’t like peanut butter hanging out around the house. Like the struggle. Just kinda a retarded thing I came up with.
AH – How did that all come together, who did you end up hooking up with to shoot everything?
JD – The people at Vagrant like Maurine Egan, she’s the video person at Vagrant. I just called her and she thought the idea was really, really funny. I wrote it, and then she designed the costumes and did everything from there.
AH – Is there anything that you look at to inspire you to write songs?
JD – I don’t know, cause with Reggie songs, they’re so sporadic and weird that its just kinda whatever I come up with out of my butt that morning and there you go.
AH – How do you manage to put together entire songs from writing like that?
JD – It’s kinda like, do something and just go with it for about and hour and then turn the recorder off and be like “There you go, it’s done”, and then listen to it and be like yep let’s do it again, or “Oh, keep it”. It’s not something that I spend hours and hours and hours on. There’s not really any structure to it at all, it’s just kinda like whatever I can come up with is fine with me. I'm not a perfectionist or anything. So, it’s kinda like if it sounds decent, be like “Oh, its fine”.
AH – Do you come up with your lyrics first, or do you come up with some rad music, and then be like “Ok, now I just have to come up with something to go with it”?
JD – Yeah, it’s kinda like that. I’ll write the music and then think like “Crap, now I need vocals”.
AH – Is there like a main point that you want to focus on with Reggie’s music?
JD – Just like having a good time, cause I’ve been in the other bands like the Get Up Kids and Coalesce and stuff. So, doing Reggie is just like my vacation band, so when I'm not doing the serious bands, then I get to go do my fun bands, and everybody that comes out is always usually in the right kinda attitude about it, like “Let’s just get crazy” and be as stupid as we wanna be.
AH – Is there any main influence that you’ve had musically, or on your life that people would be surprised about?
JD – Well, I went to college for music composition, so I can write and orchestrate. I can play concert piano and concert timpani with the orchestra at school, and I’m really really into opera and classical music and stuff like that, but I don’t know if you can tell that. People that know me from Coalesce are like “What, You like that stuff?”
AH – How has the classical and opera music influenced you in how you write musically and lyrically?
JD – Well, not really lyrically. It’s just like whatever rhymes, like “OK, on this song I’m gonna spell that word Food and then I’m gonna say Food a bunch of times”. Done. Musically, it’s just learning how to structure music, and the mathematics behind it. I mean, that’s pretty much how that goes.
AH – If you had to create your own word to describe to someone what Reggie and the Full Effect sounds like, what would it be?
JD – We’ve been calling it “Dramacore”, like “Theatercore”, cause it’s like a Broadway show with a pit, cause we do costumes and stage make-up and put on a whole production, so it’s more than just your average hardcore show.
AH – Is there any pressure knowing that you have to go from costume to costume, or is it like I’ll just get done whenever?
JD – There’s no pressure at all, it’s fun. It’s like “Now I get to go change” and then run back out and then I get to go change again and run back out. So, it’s fun to do that stuff.
AH – How’s it been watching Reggie grow and evolve compared to the Get Up Kids or Coalesce?
JD – It’s weird cause I’ve been doing Reggie for the past five years in my free time. It’s weird to see it get to the point where a lot of kids like it and they know the words and stuff, and they understand the jokes. Because at first people were like “What the heck is wrong with you?”, “What do you mean in “Brandi’s Birthday Song by Come and get some?” I’m not being discriminatory towards girls; it’s about guys being stupid about stuff. I actually wrote it on my friend Brandi’s birthday, so she’s like “Can that be my birthday song?”, and so I called it “Brandi’s Birthday Song”. Cause I'm nice to my friends like that.
AH – Yeah, that would be sweet to have a song named after you.
JD – Yeah, I'm gonna be pissed cause if my brother, my brother is Smack and his wife is Katy, and the reason that it’s called “Congratulations Smack and Katy” is cause the day that I wrote the song is the day that their baby was born, and if they don’t come to the show in Chicago I'm gonna be pissed. It’s like “What, I named you a freakin’ song, I mean there’s a video, your names are on MTV” and you’re not gonna come to the freakin’ concert.
AH – What do you feel about getting out in the main stream and on MTV?
JD – I think MTV’s so lame because they control what they want, and it’s totally like a money thing, I mean you pay to get your video played. Like MTV2 doesn’t really work that way, but it’s kinda like that. You know, people do favors for people, and it’s just like the industry side of it where there’s money exchanging hands, but it’s not legal, so it’s kinda like you give somebody a gift of a thousand dollars in the video, like under the table and that kinda stuff. Then they pick and choose what they wanna do. I’ve heard Reggie songs on “Real World”, but they never asked me if they could use the song, so they just do it because they’re “MTV” they get to do it and they can do it with anybody.
AH – So are there any rights signed over for that?
JD – Nothing, they just do it, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I mean I don’t really care, cause it’s good exposure. But it’s still like whoa, how come you guys have so much power but then they’re like “the” music channel. They can make or break bands and it’s like they know it.
AH – With that exposure, do you feel any pressure performing well every night?
JD – No, it’s like the most fun thing to do, because it’s me in my natural environment, like its fun being a performer. Being able to do it, and being in a band and ride around America all the time and meeting people is just great. That and my job is to get up on stage and dance around and act stupid, its fine with me.
AH – Where do you see Reggie fitting into the sudden scene explosion?
JD – Um, I don’t know, because of being in the Get Up Kids people always associate Reggie with the emo scene, and that’s fine, I’ve never really picked a scene to do with Reggie, that’s why there’s so many different styles of music. But it’s cool like the kids that are in the “Indie” Scene are like whoa that’s like a techno song on a Reggie record.
AH – Was techno a big influence on you?
JD – No, not really, I mean I love dance music and I DJ a lot, so I incorporate all the different stuff that I like into a record, so it’s not just like every songs about “Oh, where’d the girl go” and “I’m so sad”. They’re songs that are like “Whatever”, or like “Have some beef jerky”.
AH – Are there any bands that are on the rise that you feel people should check out?
JD – This band called Everytime I Die, they’re sick, they’re from Buffalo, and then I’m really into My Chemical Romance, cause it’s just metal, but there’s so many elements of good speed metal in that band and it’s cool to see a band do stuff like that.
AH – Have you found any other bands or talent like Common Denominator that you might plan on recording with?
JD – Um, I’m always open, I get a lot of tapes all the time from kids and some of them are really good and some of them not so good but everybody gets an A for effort because doing a band and writing your own music and putting in on a tape or 7 inch or whatever. I mean without kids doing that, there would be no bands and there would be no scene. Just like getting a band together and writing songs and getting into a studio is hard enough, so I appreciate all the effort when kids go in and do that stuff, like working 80 hours a week at Subway to go record your band’s demo. I’ve been there.
AH – What do you see in the future either tour wise or musically wise for Reggie?
JD – We’re touring again with Alkaline Trio after this with From Autumn to Ashes, and that’s from like October to December 20th or something. It goes from like Halloween to Christmas or something.
AH – Are you coming back through here?
JD – Yeah, I’m sure we will, we’ll probably play here or some place bigger cause Alkaline’s blowing up.
AH – I don’t really know of any other places bigger than this except for the little indie venues.
JD – Yeah, I mean you need those cause those are what builds bands up. Kansas City doesn’t have anything like that, they open one like every two years and close it six months later because of like fire codes or somebody gets beat up really bad or something like that or have like a totally crazy show where a kid got his neck broke or something and all the sudden the place is gone and turn it into like an auto show place.
AH – Yeah, Cincinnati’s alright but there are better places.
JD – I like it, My mom’s from Dayton so I’ve been coming here since I was a little kid.
AH – Was she actually from Dayton or somewhere around there?
JD – It was Kettering.
AH – Yeah, I have some friends in Troy.
JD – Yeah, my mom dated some guy from Troy. A little known fact, my mom’s from Ohio, my grandma lives there.
AH – Do you have any last shout outs that you have?
JD – I don’t know. Uh, hey everybody thanks for coming.
AH – Well, thanks for doing the interview.
JD – Thanks a lot man. |
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DIY Compliation CD
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Jason Ziemniak has told Decapolis that he is putting out a DIY compilation CD where he gave a musician a song title and then they wrote and performed the song.
Participants included:
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Mark Arm (Mudhoney), Mike Watt (Minutemen, Firehose), Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), Neil Fallon (Clutch), Aaron Turner (Isis, Hydra Head Records), Bluebird, Nels Cline, Mike Gent (the Figgs, the Gentlemen), Bliss Blood (Pain Teens), Beehive & the Barracudas, Twink, Weasel Walter (the Flying
Luttenbachers), IDX1274, Betty's Trash, Godstomper, Hella, Jed Parish (Gravel Pit), Greg (Lana Dagales, Brainoil, Lemur Mutation), and Chris Taylor (Pg.99, Mannequin).
The complete tracklist is below.
22 songs, 74 minutes, $10ppd in the US through www.chromepeeler.com.
Tracklist for “You’ve Got Your Orders Vol. 1”
1 - HOUSE OF LOW CULTURE- “Showtime At The Apollo 9”
2 - NEIL FALLON- “Instant Winner”
3 - NELS CLINE- “X-Ray My Dreams”
4 - ERIK LARSON- “Smile For The Soul-Stealing Camera”
5 - BLUEBIRD- “Late Night Moan”
6 - HARRY SEITZ- “Sign Language Tourettes”
7 - CHRONICLES OF LEMUR MUTATION- “Hot Licks For Shredders”
8 - MARK ARM- “Coke Limo”
9 - BETTY’S TRASH- “Broken Mirror Music”
10 - TWINK- “Not Enough Crayons For Everyone”
11 - JEDEDIAH PARISH- “The Sons Of Lee Marvin”
12 - GODSTOMPER- “Gameshow Contestant Flip-Out”
13 - WEASEL WALTER- “Shaking Hands And Kissing Babies Covered In Bacteria”
14 - CHRIS CRUDE- “You Can Get Away With Any Crime If You Just Run Fast Enough”
15 - BLISS BLOOD- “Vaudeville Distorted”
16 - HELLA- “Dance Of The Drunken Siberian”
17 - MIKE GENT- “Point A Finger”
18 - BADGADGET- “K.A.P.L”
19 - MIKE WATT, THURSTON MOORE AND THALIA FERRIERA- “Like A Ghost On Fire”
20 - BEEHIVE & THE BARRACUDAS- “Smut Merchant Of Venice”
21 - JOHNETTE NAPOLITANO- “Memory Of A Liar”
22 - IDX1274- “Tickle Party #2”
http://chromepeeler.com |
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Upcoming R5 Productions Shows
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R5 Productions is a "DIY" show promotions agency owned and operated by Sean Agnew. The shows he puts together are in the Philadelphia area and are all age, cheap, and friendly. The shows are very professional and there aren't any anal security guards or barricades. Sean offers a wide variety of artist to play to satisfy many different musical tastes. I admire is love for the underground scene and his professionalism in his work. To sign up for the mailing list go to http://www.r5productions.com. You can read up on r5 news and listen to songs from the upcoming bands that he has scheduled to play.
Here is a list for r5 productions upcoming shows. All shows will be at the At The First Unitarian Church 2125 Chestnut Street (22nd and Chestnut) Philadelphia, PA, unless otherwise noted.
Sunday September 7th 7:30pm
$8 All Ages
Q AND NOT U
BLACK EYES
EL GUAPO
ELECTRIC TURN TO ME
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Tuesday September 9th 7:30pm
$8 All Ages
FLOOR
HISSING CHOIR
GET FUCKED
HULKSMASH
THE DEADLY
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*NEXT* Friday September 12th 7:30pm
$10 All Ages
BANE
THE PROMISE
STRIKING DISTANCE
COMEBACK KID
ONE UP
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Thursday September 18th 7:30pm
$8 All Ages
THIS DAY FORWARD
ARMOR FOR SLEEP
ME WITHOUT YOU
UNSOUND
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Saturday September 20th 7:30pm
At The Trocadero (10th and Arch)
$13 All Ages 21+ To Drink
CURSIVE
THE BLOOD BROTHERS
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Monday September 29th 7:30pm
$8 All Ages
SMALL BROWN BIKE
COPELAND
PARK
DAYS AWAY
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Sunday October 19th 3:30pm *matinee*
$10 All Ages
ANTI-FLAG
PAINT IT BLACK
PIPEDOWN
THOUGHT RIOT
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Thursday October 23rd 7:30pm
$8 All Ages
APPLESEED CAST
MERCURY PROGRAM
MASERATI
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Wednesday November 12th 8:00pm
$8 All Ages
ELLIOTT (Last Show EVER!!!!)
DRUMKAN
YOUR BLACK STAR
check out other shows or get tickets at http://www.r5productions.com
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The Appleseed Cast - Two Conversations
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Michael Hess [Freelance Writer]; Age: 19; Top 5 bands: Radiohead, Elliott (RIP), Bright Eyes, Pedro the Lion, American Football. Musical preferences: I like music with urgency and emotion. Lyrics can make or break an album for me.
 When Appleseed Cast released “End of the Ring Wars” on Deep Elm Records, they were heralded as 'Yet Another SDRE Clone'. Listening to that CD, it's hard to argue otherwise. Much of EotRW did sound like “Diary” covers. However, by the time the “Low Level Owl” discs, there was no denying this band's creativity. Even if you were put off by the drawn out instrumentation, there were plenty of brilliant rock songs to enjoy. Appleseed has parted ways with the Deep Elm and “Two Conversations” is their debut with Tiger Style Records.
So, tear off the plastic wrap, open the jewel case, briefly check out the liner booklet (no lyrics included), pop the disc in and for about two minutes of organ and guitar dueting, you're prepared for another epic Appleseed Cast masterpiece. But something happens at 2:07: loud crunching guitars. And then it hits you square in the face:
Two Conversations is a pop record.
After you recover, you realize this isn't such a bad thing. For the first time since their first CD, you can actually hear Chris Crisci's vocals above all the instruments. Interestingly, this isn't a major departure from the “Low Level Owl” discs. The pounding drumming is there. Ditto to the keyboards. And the guitars are just as noodley as ever. The difference is in the songwriting and the mixing. Ed Rose mixed “Two Conversations” to be a punchy catchy album. And there isn't a single instrumental track.
I have to say, I was a bit disappointed by the lyrics on this record. Chanting of “We could both be naked now and innocent” on Ice Heavy Branches is just a little too graphic an image for me. In the past, Crisci's lyrics were more obscure and since they were so low in the mix, you could barely hear them anyway.
Still, Two Conversations has some great tracks on it. Fight Song is a perfect blend of old and new styles. Also, “Hanging Marionettes” is one of the best songs in the Appleseed catalog.
It's hard to rate a straight ahead pop record. It doesn't bowl you over with it's creativity. Nor is it an album you'll be telling your children about. But I've been listening to “Two Conversations” and Radioheads – “Hail to the Thief” exclusively since they came out. It's interesting that such talented bands chose summer 2003 to release pop records. Maybe it's a hint of where popular music should be.
Grade: A-
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.**
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Some Records September Tour Dates
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Some Records has provided Decapolis with the following tour dates for the bands on their label.
Form Of Rocket:
Sep 12 Portland, OR @ Meow Meow
Sep 13 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
Sep 14 Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
Sep 15 Sacramento, CA @ Capitol Garage
Sep 16 San Francisco, CA @ Café du Nord
Sep 17 San Luis Obispo, CA @ Hard to Find
Sep 18 LA, CA @ The Garage
Sep 19 Anaheim @ Chain Reaction
Sep 20 Phoenix, AZ @ Off The Hook
Sep 21 Las Vegas, NV @ Live!
The Exit:
Sep 13 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza (w/ Bouncing Souls, The Explosion)
Sep 24 Detroit, MI @ Alvin's (w/ RX Bandits, The Format)
Sep 25 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop (w/ RX Bandits, The Format)
Sep 26 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts (w/ RX Bandits, The Format)
Sep 27 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium (w/Simple Plan, Coheed and Cambria, The
Movielife, RX Bandits, The Format)
Sep 28 South Amboy, NJ @ Club Krome (w/ RX Bandits, The Format)
Sep 29 Towson, MD @ Recher Theatre (w/ RX Bandits, The Format)
Sep 30 New York, NY @ Knitting Factory (w/ RX Bandits, The Format)
The Ghost:
Sep 13 Chicago, IL @ Swazye Compound
(2244 W 23rd Place. 23rd & Western in the grand neighborhood of Pilsen)
7pm sharp, $6 w/ a can o food, $8 w/out, all ages, BYOB
BENEFIT FOR THE GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY
The Ghost, Just A Fire, Mt. St. Helens, Rollo Tomasi, Blackprint
Some Records CMJ Music Marathon Showcase
October 23rd at Sin-e (New York City) |
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Upcoming IVM release
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This in from Indie Vision Music:
Orange County band- Forgotten Arrival is gearing up to release their debut full length "Through Your Eyes" on Indie Vision Music Sept. 30th. You can hear the new track "Unveil" at www.mp3.com/forgotten_arrival For more info on the bands and future releases through Indie Vision Music, visit www.indievisionmusic.com
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Grade 8 - S/T
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 Chaz Murphy [Decapolis Music Staff]; Age: 22; Top 5 bands: Hot Water Music, Gorilla Biscuits, Hot Cross, Lifetime, and Paint It Black. Musical preferences: I am known to be very picky with music but I do give everything a chance. I like original music and music that has a purpose and a message.
 Wow. I finally think I have found the worst band in the world and there name is Grade 8. This is really pathetic. Another nu-metal band is exactly what we needed. There is some guy trying to "scream" and sound tough and then do the white boy rap rock thing. There are the oh so familar guitar riffs and lets not forget the great amount of talent it takes to use a distortion pedal.
This album is incredibly generic but also extremely boring and just plan horrible. Why can't there be any orginality in mainstream rock.
Please someone, do something new and stop following everyone else. Follow your heart and not the dollar bills. Please all you money grabbing labels, promote orginality and art and not just the next fad to fill your pockets. Oh yeah by the way, this is a Lava Records release. They also are the home for Simple Plan, Kid Rock, and Uncle Kracker. I don't know if that is good or bad. In 43 minutes, this album raps up everything that is wrong with rock today.
Grade: F
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.** |
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Garrison - The Silhouette
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Chaz Murphy [Decapolis Music Staff]; Age: 22; Top 5 bands: Hot Water Music, Gorilla Biscuits, Hot Cross, Lifetime, and Paint It Black. Musical preferences: I am known to be very picky with music but I do give everything a chance. I like original music and music that has a purpose and a message.
 A whole new band. A different sound. A new record. I got a tape of Garrison at the 1999 Warped Tour and all I can remember is how band I thought they were. All I can remember is a very poppy and generic pop/punk/rock band. When I got their new album to review I sighed in frustration but I was pleasently suprised.
They have totally changed their sound and have built a new sound filled with grit, dirt, and rock. There is a lot more talent was displayed on this album then what I had heard before. It's only 6 songs but "The Silhouette" (revelation) is a pretty good EP. It isn't perfect but it's a HUGE step in the right direction. I hope that they continue to progress and make a full length that will continue in the right direction.
"The Silhouette" might be something you want to check out. At times it's gritty like Small Brown Bike but at other times it's spacey like Appleseed Cast or Starflyer 59. Who know's, you just might like it.
Grade: C+
**To comment on this review or provide feedback to the writer please head on over to the Music Dojo ( click here) and post your feedback under the topic for this release.** |
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This Day Forward - In Response
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Chaz Murphy [Decapolis Music Staff]; Age: 22; Top 5 bands: Hot Water Music, Gorilla Biscuits, Hot Cross, Lifetime, and Paint It Black. Musical preferences: I am known to be very picky with music but I do give everything a chance. I like original music and music that has a purpose and a message.
 I would have to say that the city of Philadelphia is my favorite city and a second home to me. I've been all over the USA and I've never seen anything close to the energy I get from that city. I've lived there and I visit there regularly. The one thing I love about the city is the "no nonsense blue collar" work ethic many of the people have, if you've never seen it watch an Eagles or Flyers game. This mentality spills over into every aspect of the city including the music. I've been to countless shows all over the city and I've seen hundreds of bands but I never was able to see Philadelphia's own This Day Forward. I always heard that they were a metal core band and I'm not to into metal core so I never took an effort to see them. I like some of it but the band has to be really good for me to like them. I finally got to see This Day Forward at the First Unitarian Church in Philly when they played a special show with Thursday. I was actually really impressed with This Day Forward's show. The crowd was going nuts and This Day Forward was tight. I got a taste of some of their old stuff and some of their new stuff. The next day I got their new album "In Response" (equal vision) to review.
I've heard and read that This Day Forward's older recordings from were more on the metal side but they have progressed as a band. "In Response" is anything but metal core and is a true progression that many bands can't make with out totally breaking down their style and fan base. They pull their influences and mold them into their own sound. They took a little from their old metal core sound. They took a little from the melodic rock of bands like Thursday. They take a little from hardcore. They take all these sounds and make their own music without sounding like they ripping off anyone.
There are a variety of vocal styles used on this record, from screaming to talking to yelling to singing. Social issues and personally centered lyrics keep the purpose of the band on the right line of what the hardcore/punk scene should be about. The guitar works is pretty good. There is a lot of moving around with the guitar work and it's not as tight as it could but it is pretty good. The recording isn't the best but I think that it is a good fit for their musical style and sound. This album is for a lot of different people with different musical tastes. It is good for those kids who like Converge or American Nightmare (opps Giving Up The Ghost) and for kids who dig bands like Thursday and for some of the hardcore kids who are into bands like Turning Point. It's a good album with some good guys behind it all.
grade: B
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