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We Moved!

2009-02-27T12:03:00.003-05:00

Or rather I moved. The site is now looking much cleaner and ready for new updates here:

Sleeping With Headphones

Nothing like a brand new canvas to stimulate some creativity. From now on the site will be run in a much more informal (and practical) fashion. As much as I'd love to have things be more serious, tackling as many reviews and interviews as one person whose in school can possibly do, it just makes much more sense to keep things relatively small.

If you'd like, redirect yourself to the above link - I'll be posting much smaller updates about upcoming releases and bands I think merit some attention, as well as the occasional show and CD review. If you stop in by all means leave some comments and some of your personal insights.

Again:

Sleeping With Headphones

Ellington - More Like a Movie, Less Like Real Life EP

2008-09-17T11:04:00.005-05:00

In the music industry, relying on the intangibility of an up and coming band's potential can prove an extremely risky endeavor. While there are surely a great deal of bands that arguably reach "their" initial promise, the vast majority of them get lost in a sea of insurmountable expectation. And yet, in preoccupying themselves with what a band could accomplish in the future, those in the industry tend to overlook the quality of a product that already exists. To this end, I could waste ample time telling listeners about the incredible promise Australia's acoustic/indie pop duo Ellington possess for future releases. Be that as it may (and it is most certainly the case) I'd like to focus on what has already been accomplished thus far - More Like a Movie, Less Like Real Life - one of this year's best EPs.

The six song collection corralling the efforts of well respected producer Matt Malpass (Copeland, Lydia) the vocal styling of Matthew Thiessen (Relient K),Jeff Turner (Say Anything) and Leighton Antelman (Lydia) is a heartwarming effort blending catchy acoustic indie - pop and shimmering ambience. While it's amazing to witness what a little help from some friends can provide, it in no way diminishes the fantastic work of the record's primary proprietors - Jake Bosci and Michael Beatson. Not only does the release show significant strides from 2007's The Joy We Keep In, it is a far more intricate and layered sampling than what many fans would expect with the over-simplistic indie-pop characterization.

Though quite similar in overall structure, each track on the release is executed exceptionally well, providing listeners with variations of Jake Bosci's breathy, yet effective vocals accompanied by slight traces of piano, electronic drum samples, and atmospheric guitar play. Sound wise, think Rookie of the Year meets Lydia meets JamisonParker.

"Between Faith and the City Lights," the EPs opener, serves up not only a great synopsis of what to expect from the rest of the release both sonically and thematically, but easily the EPs catchiest sampling. The song carries the pop sensibility of a Rookie of the Year song, while adding much more depth with distant alluring guitars and keys throughout. Here, while never straining far from a whisper, Bosci's delicate delivery shines with an undeniable sense of optimism; something characteristic of much of the EP. Like many of the tracks on More Like a Movie, "Love" starts off relatively slow with midtempo drums and simple acoustic strums, but then builds into a much more fulfilling pallet of sound with prominent electric guitar and driving drums. More so than anywhere else on the disc, the JamisonParker vibe seems evident.

"Radiate" serves as the album's highlight, taking relatively stripped down verses and building into a huge chorus and bridge:

"I know you know you're a gorgeous girl and you don't need me to tell you that but I'll do what I can
until you finally crack a smile/We finally spent the summer waiting for the sunset, watching it together/This is as good as love gets when im by your side!"

While "In a Lonely Place" suffers lyrically, the addition of Matt Thiessen's vocals are a fantastic touch. It's actually quite a shame that the interplay between Thiessen and Bosci didn't continue past his initial entrance. "The World Through Weary Eyes" is an effective closer, featuring a wonderful piano melody, dream-like chorus, and down-right fantastic ambient build in the bridge. Consistent with much of the release, the song soars post bridge, but descends back down to a somber conclusion with the help of Lydia's Leighton Antelman's vocals and soft strums of the acoustic.

If any issue is to be taken with More Like a Movie, its that the constant boy-girl theme throughout may tire on listeners looking for a more diverse offering. To this degree, what truly remains to be seen is if the band can offer up enough diversity both in lyrical content and in sound to sustain listeners with a full length release. Regardless, Ellington is the surprise band I've patiently waited for in 2008 and More Like a Movie, Less Like Real Life is a perfect autumn album brimming with optimism and introspection.

MySpace

- SWH.Steve

Deas Vail - White Lights EP

2008-09-13T10:44:00.004-05:00

One would be hard pressed to say Brave New World didn't make out like bandits in signing RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas's Indie Rock quintet Deas Veil. After releasing what was easily one of last year's best records, the band has returned after months of intensive touring with the release of White Lights - an EP encompassing a subtle, yet fantastic progression from 2007s All The Houses Look The Same. A far more accessible and focused collection of songs, it would seem as though Wes Blaylock and company have truly started to come into their own - expanding on or improving upon nearly every aspect that made the debut shine. Don't misconstrue, everything that made the debut so incredible is here, its just louder, tighter...better. From Wes Blaylock's soothing melodies and unthinkable range to the driving and rhythmic percussion of Kelsey Harelson, if White Lights is the precursor of what is to come with the upcoming LP fans sure have a lot to be excited about come the new year.

In comparison to the All The Houses, White Lights features a much more full sound; both in production and instrumentation. In a sense, it is a more diverse release, as the band clearly makes it appoint to offer a distinct offering with each track. Not only do many of the songs have a little more teeth this time a round, with said improvements, the songs really get a chance to soar as they were always destined to. This notion really proves evident in the EP's more brooding opener "Under Cover." The addition of semi-frantic strings and Andy Moore's solo really give the song character, while the chorus packs more of a punch than anything the band has ever recorded. The EP's title track offers fun gang vocals and a distant alt-country tinged guitar that fits incredibly well with Blaylock's falsetto delivery.

As the listener moves into the heart of the release, It becomes exceedingly difficult to describe songs like "Last Place" and "Balance" because simply put, they are easily two of the best songs the band has ever created. The vocals truly shine in the more stripped down "Last Place" until the song swells into a great orchestral gem with slight electronica nuances. The ever somber "From Priests to Theives" is truly a heart wrenching number when the listener lets it sink in. While the song carries the listener smoothly through the verses with a blend of relaxed mid-tempo drums, keys, and distant guitar, Wes's delivery in the chorus evokes true feelings of defeat and despondence.

To round off the release, in a word, "Balance," the EP's closer is simply astounding. Equally as inspiring as it is downright beautiful, the accompanying strings and lyrics make it my favorite Deas Vail track with lines like: "You are the Balance/and you are the Fold/You are the sails that bring me home." After the emotional toll "From Priests" will surely take on listeners, "Balance" is an exceptionally optimistic and hopeful endeavor. All in all, White Lights is a step up from the debut, encompassing the intricacy and grace of the last LP while truly realizing the band's true sonic potential. Great things are to come early 2009.

MySpace

-SWH.Steve

I'm in love again in the worst kind of way

2008-09-12T11:47:00.006-05:00

Never since the release of Acceptance's "Phantoms" have I been so taken aback by a select collection of songs. "Wake," the long awaited debut LP from Portland, Oregon's Brightwood, is an album that overwhelms - both sonically and emotionally. At times downright heartbreaking, at others astoundingly optimistic, it is an effort that displays music's ability to shake the soul and leave the listener entirely vulnerable. A true testament to the spirit DIY, this is the way music should sound. Slightly more layered and experimental than many similar pop-rock collections, the album carries a far greater shelf life than many releases of their contemporaries. To think that a band having only released on prior EP could put together one of this year's best releases is an awe-inspiring feat - even more so when one considers the self reliance that the band epitomizes.

A fan such as me can only hope that a record of this stature will find a way to reach so many unaware listeners.

"Wake" is everything I've waited for and more.

Pull me in. Don't let me drown. This will not be easy, you'll have to hold me down. Tie me up, don't let me run. Because another day without you is another lifeless one.

I'm in love.
And I'm inspired.

Who knows what will become of this.

Wake Acoustic

MySpace

-SWH.Steve

Review: Number One Gun - The North Pole Project

2008-03-11T16:26:00.003-05:00

Artist: Number One Gun
Release: The North Pole Project

I’d be lying if I said I knew the particulars involving Jeff Schneeweis’s decision to launch his post – number one gun solo mission, The North Pole Project, under the alias of his once, but seemingly no longer defunct former band. After months upon months of speculation and confusion involving the band’s actual status, I’m just glad that he did. In the midst of all of 2007 (and already 2008)’s heart wrenching breakups, it was rather nice to catch a break and be able to throw a familiar name onto the “can’t wait till this shit drops” list. While I held strong to any and all reservations that Number One Gun would record their long awaited follow up to 2005’s Promises for the Imperfect (a record I still spin with a fair amount of frequency) as a one man enterprise, it took very little time for the appropriately titled “The North Pole Project” to put my apprehension to bed. Fans of old will be pleased to know that the relatively short 10-song collection shows the band back (or man) in true form, providing not only an exceptional follow-up to a past favorite, but easily one of the most rewarding listening experiences of 2008.

Although the record itself is far from overtly innovative, The North Pole’s blend of synth –tinged, acoustic ballads (The Best Of You and Me, I’ll Find You, The Different Ones, The Holiday) and hard hitting, riff driven rockers (The Massacre, Wake Me Up, Find Your Escape) provides for a balanced and relatively diverse dichotomy, especially in comparison to similar releases within the genre. And yet, while the record pleases listeners sonically, the effort’s ability to evoke sincere feelings of optimism and hope in an otherwise stripped down manner prove its finest accomplishment. Here, it would be an understatement to suggest that it is, and has always been Schneeweis’s impressive vocal delivery, and uplifting prose that made Number One Gun a formable asset to Tooth n Nail. While the short disc hurts itself by not allowing much room for filler – and well being too short - thankfully there isn’t much here to complain about.

Still, Schneeweis’s first solo effort hits its finest strides when taken as a compilation of special nuances offered both in the music, and in his vocal delivery. Though far from exhausted, the unrelenting catchiness of the vocal overlay towards the latter half of the breakdown in “Million,” Schneeweis’s slight stutter among the synth ridden verses and choruses in “The Best Of…,” or the offbeat drum offering of “Wake Me Up” all serve as perfect examples. In the end, “The North Pole Project” demonstrates that the name game amounts to very little when the man behind the music has a handle on what he wishes to convey.

Check out an in-studio acoustic version of "Bad Habits":

MySpace

-SWH.Steve

Review: Mayday Parade - A Lesson in Romantics

2008-03-10T14:38:00.004-05:00

Artist: Mayday Parade
Release: “A Lesson in Romantics” CD

You’ll miss Jason Lancaster. You’ll miss him especially if you are a fan of Mayday Parade’s on-the-sly hit EP, 2005’s “Tales Told by Dead Friends.” Lancaster’s affected singing and unique voice complements Parade frontman Derek Sander’s voice uncannily well, and that makes it a shame that he left the band, supposedly during the making of “A Lesson in Romantics.” His absence on some of the tracks is obvious; the tracks without him are not bad by any stretch, but those with him are simply superior. The back-and-forth dynamic, simple harmonies, and leads-and-follows that these two pull off vocally are top-notch. That’s not to say that “A Lesson in Romantics” is inconsistent; it is overall an excellent album. It isn’t quite as fast or saccharine-sweet as “So Wrong, It’s Right” by their tour mates All-Time Low, but that is not a weakness. “A Lesson in Romantics” is an entertaining mix of two genre staples: slow emoting: “Walk on Water or Drown,” “Miserable at Best,” and straight-ahead pop-punk sing alongs: “Jersey,” “Black Cat.” The record opens with a pleasant bang on “Jaime All Over.” The first lines “I had a dream last night we’d/drove out to see Las Vegas” are suitably large-sounding and do a good job of setting the tone for what follows. The slow songs don’t feel like filler: “Miserable at Best” is one of the best songs on the album, and the others more than stand on their own merits. That may be the album’s biggest strength, other than Lancaster/Sander’s vocal play. The more up-tempo tracks are entertaining, while the slower songs are thoughtful and easily appreciated. Nothing on this record screams “requisite.” Mayday Parade has here put forth a solid effort with tons of genre staying power, and this is why it is such a shame Lancaster left.

Check out the video for "When I get home, You're so dead"

Myspace

-JayMurda

Back on the radio...

2008-03-02T16:34:00.005-05:00

It ain't much, but it's sure something - Sleeping With Headphones is back in some capacity. You can stream the radio show every Monday night from 1-2 AM directly from the link provided on the right hand sidebar. We're still supporting the bands we love and believe in and will continue to do so the best we can.

And who knows, maybe some reviews and interviews might start making their way back onto the site.

As always, we appreciate it.

Stay tuned

SWH.Steve

Review: Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

2007-06-15T12:01:00.000-05:00

Wilco
Sky Blue Sky
May 15, 2007

Tracklisting
#1 "Either Way" – 3:05
#2 "You Are My Face" – 4:38
#3 "Impossible Germany" – 5:57
#4 "Sky Blue Sky" – 3:23
#5 "Side with the Seeds" – 4:15
#6 "Shake It Off" – 5:40
#7 "Please Be Patient with Me" – 3:17
#8 "Hate It Here" – 4:31
#9 "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" – 4:09
#10 "Walken" – 4:26
#11 "What Light" – 3:35
#12 "On and On and On"

When all is said in done in this decade, there will be worse retro rock acts plaguing the airwaves than this (Jet, Wolfmother, Hinder etc.). The shock is that being vexed in thirty year old clichés is considered a selling point by many publications already calling Sky Blue Sky Wilco’s great American masterpiece. They claim the band can join the ranks of the Byrds, the Allman Brothers, and Fleetwood Mac in some mid tempo, easy pop paradise. It’s a hyperbole that entirely misses the real progress of Sky; Jeff Tweedy proving he can carry his own show without famously antagonistic former guitarist and writing partner, Jay Bennet.

For starters, Tweedy does well for himself by ditching the whole “I’m a depressed drug addict” thing, but the ancient-minded, dinosaur riffs of “Shake it Off” are disjointed and boring. Its sporadic guitar and drum dribblings ooze off the worst impersonations of mid-seventies Clapton and the Band. After that, he manages to again curate the fuck-around flow of the White Album this time with shameless purity. “Walken” struts like the best of late-sixties McCartney songs like “Martha My Dear” or “I’ve Got a Feeling” as the band still makes time to conjure some depressed, John Lennon-style blues on “Hate It Here”.

Three years ago, no one truly realized how disappointing A Ghost Is Born was. True, it had no bad songs, per say—but the regurgitated, noise environments were pure musical felonies. In essence, they tried releasing their initial classic Yankee Hotel Foxtrot twice while being stuck without any fresh ideas. Sky Blue Sky does away with the allegorical commentary and digital aesthetic altogether favoring simple declaration over confused metaphors. It will certainly survive in Wilco’s discography as the easy going, alternative follow up to YHF that they should have put out instead of Ghost.

“Maybe the sun will shine today” Tweedy murmurs on “Either Way”, and suddenly there are no inner conflicts with distance and love, no nostalgic trips to Kiss cover bands, nor lamentations of casual drug deals—just some laissez-faire weather prediction that reveals his inner Kermit the Frog like buoyancy. His woman seems to be deciding on whether or not she’s leaving him, like in most Wilco songs. Instead of being frustrated, Tweedy is happily ambivalent: “Maybe you just need some time alone/I will try to understand/ Everything has it’s plan”. Notice there’s no alcoholic parallels to aquariums, no pots nor kettles to call black, just plenty of simple, sunken treasure hidden all over this record.

Score: 86%

-SWH.Matthew

Administrator Announcement: Headphones Turned Off

2007-04-18T16:34:00.000-05:00

As I'm sure many of you can tell, SWH has taken a slight hiatus for the last couple of weeks and will continue to do so for the remainder of the next month or so. I've got a lot of things I want to take care and get settled before I take the site to the next level and such plans require far more time and dedication on my part that I can offer at this moment. The site is coming, along with new interviews and reviews, but I need to handle all of my academic responsibilities first. Hope you stick with me until I can get back on track.

Thanks so much.

We'll be back soon.

SWH.Steve

Interview : Kaddisfly

2007-04-07T11:43:00.000-05:00

"Set Sail the Prairie is a more mature record overall. We put more thought and physical time into this album than any of our previous releases. We had a concise vision going into the recording process and I believe that we we’re able to accomplish what we set out to do."

- Chris Ruff

SWH: Can you state your name and role you perform in the band?

Yeah sure. Christopher Ruff, and I sing for a band named Kaddisfly.

SWH: Where did the name of the band "Kaddisfly" originate?

A Kaddisfly is actually an insect from the northwest and its one of those little dudes that can walk on water. There mostly used for dry fishing. It’s mostly just from where the region we are from.

SWH: What were your thoughts about the newer release of "Set Sail The Prairie?" Any b-sides available?

We are really happy with the way it came out. It has actually been done for a year now. It was postponed because we just wanted some more time to take with the band and the performance. March was a good time to release it. Yes there are two b-sides available. One that is on the Four Seasons EP we release. Also, one called "Flowers" which will be released soon.

SWH: What have been your biggest influences?

Dude, just life in itself really. I'm thinking that one band we are all inspired by is probably Tears For Fears. But other than that, we love so many bands so it’s all over the board. Pop, Rock, Indie, and everything.

SWH: How did it feel to be on Take Action Tour

Ahh it’s awesome! It's been so awesome to see how many people come out and see the shows. Means so much to us.

SWH: Also, I read an article on Revolution on Canvas 2. What did you contribute towards it?

Well, we were approached by them I had some extra writings and lyrics so I decided to donate some of it. It’s going to be sick.

SWH: What’s happening now after the Take Action Tour?

We might be playing a couple shows here and there. But we are playing the second part of Warped Tour this year. Can't Wait!

Interview with Chris and Kelsey of Kaddisfly

SWH: Do you guys support downloading music? What are your feelings on the matter in general?

(Chris)
I can’t say that I have a strong opinion on the issue. For smaller bands downloading is a great way to spread the music and start a word of mouth buzz. For the overall industry I’m not sure. Personally there’s nothing I can do about it and I don’t really care all that much. If fans really like a band they will buy the record.

SWH: Did Kaddisfly bring a different approach to “Set Sail The Prairie” than with previous releases?

(Chris)
Set Sail the Prairie is a more mature record overall. We put more thought and physical time into this album than any of our previous releases. We had a concise vision going into the recording process and I believe that we we’re able to accomplish what we set out to do.

SWH: Personally, what’s your favorite song off of album?

(Chris)
I might have to say “Via Rail.” In my opinion it is one of the best songs we’ve written.

SWH: Is Kaddisfly still writing while on the road?

Constantly.

SWH: What inspires Kaddisfly for this particular quote: "Write. Influence. Change. Live. "?

(Kelsey)
It’s kind of out mission statement; what we want to achieve through playing music and living our lives. I just hope we can make a positive impact on people.

SWH: What inspires Chris and his writing style (lyrically, musically)?

(Kelsey)
I heard that some guy calls him once a month and he just starts writing. That’s the word on the street….

SWH: What was it like working with Kris Crummett?

(Kelsey)
It was like having your cake and eating it to. He has a great ear and great ideas and is a maestro on the drums. It was great to work with someone you could totally relate to musically and personally. And he really likes hot sauce…

SWH: How has Sub City/Hopeless treated you?

(Kelsey)
I feel like overall, we have been a challenge to them, but it has worked out wonderfully. It’s pretty obvious that we are a different kind of band then those they generally work with. They have been nothing but supportive in all the decisions that we make, musically and otherwise. We’re also on the same wavelength as far helping people through charity and such.

SWH: Now 5% of the profits of “Set Sail The Prairie” go towards the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. What does the donation entail?

(Kelsey)
It goes to helping the music programs in local Portland schools. Music was a huge part of my life through school, and to see it dwindling away is really disheartening. We just want to give back whatever we can and hopefully, kids will find the beauty in music.

-SWH.Kyle

On Tour

Apr 17 Rocketown w/ RJA, Saosin [Nashville, Tennessee]
Apr 18 -Remmington's w/ RJA, Saosin [Springfield, Missouri]
Apr 20 -House of Blues-New Orleans w/ RJA, Saosin [New Orleans, Louisiana]
Apr 23 -Knitting Factory w/ A Static Lullaby [Los Angeles, California]

Official Site
MySpace
Purevolume

Interview: Sammy Sharon - Umbrellas

2007-04-04T14:10:00.000-05:00

I think it's important to let our fans grow with us musically, rather than doing a 180 and leaving half of them wondering what just happened, but we're going to do whatever comes natural. If you plan it too much, it's very easy to lose the creative vibe.

-Sammy Sharon

SWH: Will you briefly explain how all of you came to meet each other and form Umbrellas? Did you all know of The Lyndsay Diaries before coming into contact with Scott?

Scott was living in California when Umbrellas was originally formed. I (Sammy) was in a band called Yellow Second from Denver, and we played a show or two together randomly, and kept in slight contact. Yellow Second eventually folded and I was referred to Scott by Chad Pearson at Militia Group. The rest of us were just mutual friends in the Norman, OK music scene. I was aware of Lyndsay Diaries before I joined, but I had not really listened much.

SWH: Where did the name, Umbrellas, come from? Were there any other names for your band that you all considered?

The name pretty much came out of nowhere. We really liked the fact that the name was pretty ambiguous and wouldn't give anyone a preconceived notion about our sound. (ie: a band with 'death' or 'burn' in it is probably going to be heavy). Plus, Scott said he's just always liked the name...There weren't really any other names considered, to be honest!

SWH: What kind of recognition did you receive after the release of your self-titled debut?

There was a fair amount of recognition from the following that Scott had built during his Lyndsay Diaries days, but once "The City Lights" was featured on Grey's Anatomy, Umbrellas started to develop more as a separate entity.

SWH: Speaking of recognition, with the song, Ships being broadcasted on the shows, Grey's Anatomy and Jericho, have you noticed a significant difference in the rate of the number of people that are becoming aware of your band? Are there any other plans to get more of your songs appearances on popular TV shows?

The use of "Ships" on those shows definitely helped out in a lot of areas, but the biggest would have to have been online, namely Myspace. But I think our soccer-mom demographic jumped a lot too, haha! You'd be surprised how many soccer-moms are on Myspace nowadays! We haven't really been on the road since the most recent Grey's feature, so I guess we'll see how much that helped here shortly! As far as usage on TV shows, we'd absolutely love it. The people over at BMG (our publishing co.) have been great, so hopefully there'll be plenty more of that in the months to come.

SWH: What are your favorite songs off of each album?

My personal favorite off of the Self-Titled was probably either 'sleep well' or 'ghost'. On Illuminare, I'd have to say 'boston white' or 'we fall.'

SWH: I've noticed that you have been recently playing a lot of shows in Oklahoma and the surrounding states. How many of you are from Oklahoma and do you feel a good connection playing in familiar venues and people surrounding your hometowns?

Well everyone in the band right now is living in OK, but Scott's originally from St. Louis, MO, and I'm from Springfield, MO. I'm pretty sure all of the other guys are from OK originally. It's great to play to our hometown friends and fans. There's definitely a level of comfort that comes from knowing that some of your best friends are sprinkled throughout the audience cheering you on. We try to do the same for all of our friends' bands as well. That's one of my favorite parts about the scene here. It's very uplifting!

SWH: Are there any big touring plans in the future? What do you think is the likelihood of a headlining tour anytime soon?

Well we just played a showcase at SXSW. Our touring plans will probably revolve around what comes of that. But as far as headlining, we are trying to do more support tours right now until we can build up more of a consistent attendance in every city we go to. Not just our usual niches. (Although we love those niches to death!)

SWH: What bands, in your opinion, would complement your band well on a headlining tour?

If we're talking about bands close to our size, I'd have to say As Tall As Lions or Maria Taylor would be our #1 choices. But if we're talking about in the future (if we got ridiculously huge...), I would have to say Death Cab for Cutie, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, or The Spill Canvas.

SWH: Do you have any funny/embarrassing stories of being on the road? Any favorite cities or venues? What are the hardest issues to deal with on the road?

We have a few stories, and most of them might be incriminating. But here's one that's tell-able:

-One night on our last tour where we were playing the Roxy in LA, our bass player had one too many of the free drinks they gave us, and he ended up befriending a girl. She wanted to go next door, to the Rainbow Room. He had already given all his money to the cute bartender at our show and wanted $10 to get into the Rainbow Room. We were staying about 45 minutes away with friends we hadn't seen in a while and were anxious to get there. We told him we would leave him if he went next door, but he didn't care. So, we loaned him the ten bucks for the cover charge and took off. It turns out that he couldn't find the girl and ended up talking to some other people. We still don't know the full story, but he ended up starting a big bar fight, dodged the cops, and ended up at LAX airport 20 minutes away. He slept there for a while and ended up at some girl's apt. the next morning. And then somehow he ended up back at our friend's house the next afternoon before we took off. We still aren't very sure of the logistics of this story...

Our favorite cities and venues would probably have to include the Underground in Roseville, CA, Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA, the Venue in Boise, ID, the Marquis Theatre in Denver, CO, most everywhere in TX/OK. We're working on becoming more in-touch with the east coast venues this year, so we'll give you an update after a couple of tours have passed.

As far as the hardest issues on the road, the general consensus would probably be keeping in contact with family and friends. Other than that, the road is the best part of our job!

SWH: Your self-titled debuted on April of 2005, followed up by Illuminare in July of 2006. You know what that means, right? Have you started the writing process for a new album? If so, have you set a timetable on when you'd like to start the recording process? How was the recording process different between your two albums and do you plan on changing anything the next time around?

Scott has started picking on his musical whiskers lately, since we've had some time off, but we still feel like there's a lot of life left in Illuminare, so we're planning to tour on it for the majority of 2007, and then starting the recording process for the next record over our winter break. (We prefer to stay away from driving in snow, since that seems to be when most bands wreck vans and lose members). The first album was recorded at Black Lodge with Ed Rose, and that place has an awesome overall vibe. But the second record was done by ourselves with some friends here in OK. We rented out an old abandoned comedy club for a couple of weeks, so that definitely gave the record it's own character apart from the first. As far as the new record, we're not quite sure where it's going to go yet, since we've only been toying around with ideas so far. But I have a feeling this one might be a little bit of a smoother process compared to the first two. (They were both written and recorded in 2-3 wks, rather than demo-ing and messing around with them first, and THEN going into the studio for the real recording.)

SWH: The transition from your self-titled to Illuminare seemed to be more upbeat, while keeping a familiar sound. What kind of transition do you think you will make to your next album? Do you feel like it is important to please your current fans while experimenting with new sounds to create a broader fan base?

I think it's important to let our fans grow with us musically, rather than doing a 180 and leaving half of them wondering what just happened, but we're going to do whatever comes natural. If you plan it too much, it's very easy to lose the creative vibe. So we're just going to run with whatever comes out. There will always be a common vein that our songs come from, since Scott does the majority of the writing, but it's always open for interpretation.
However, we HAVE been listening to a broad spectrum of stuff this year. Everything from Muse and Placebo, down to Maria Taylor and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. So I guess you can use those references to try and make your own assumption about how the next record might come out? Let your imagination run wild!

SWH: How important do you feel sites such as Myspace and Purevolume are to the music industry?

With the industry transitioning to such a digital era, I'd say they are extremely important. I mean, how many people want to sign up for an old fashioned email list anymore, when you can just be a band's friend on myspace and get a bulletin from time to time? And at a time when people want to 'try before they buy,' it's so necessary and convenient to have sites like those to showcase a few tunes and let people enjoy them for free at their leisure.

SWH: There have been mixed views from different bands regarding albums "leaking" on the internet leading to multiple downloads before the CD is released. What are your personal feelings on this? Do you feel as if it can potentially help a band?

I think it's a catch 22 actually. You want people to talk about your album before it comes out, but you don't want them to download it and forget to buy it. I think that overall, an album leak is definitely a negative thing. I think a good old fashioned 'buzz' (generated by good reviews and good word of mouth) is much more effective in helping a band, compared to people getting something for nothing. If you don't buy something, how much are you REALLY going to value it, ya know?! At least that's the mentality my dad always gave me. That's why it's great that a ton of labels (including Militia Group) are streaming their bands' entire record a week before it's released, giving you a chance to see if it's worth your hard earned cash.

SWH: Where would you like to see yourselves 5 years into the future?

In 5 years, I'd like to see us playing to consistent crowds every night in every city we visit, and hopefully being able to make enough of an income to justify keeping this up full time. People have no idea how little money there is to be made as an up and coming band. But if people continue to support music, we'll continue to make it!

SWH: Regarding people who read this who haven't really taken the time to listen to you guys, how would you convince them to go out and buy your self-titled and Illuminare?

Well, we might just be your new favorite band! I mean, who doesn't like a good ol' fashioned pop hook, right?!

SWH: How were the Eskimo Joe's cheese fries?

They were breathtaking!

SWH: Regarding current fans, is there anything you'd like to say to them?

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for all of the support you've shown so far. It's helped so much more than you can imagine.

SWH: Any last words or comments?

Thanks a ton for taking the time and interest in us to do this interview. I recently discovered your site via the Sherwood interview, and I've been reading it ever since. Keep it up!

-SWH.Pierce

Check out a brand new video for "Again and Again" off of the album Illuminaire

Official Site
Myspace
Purevolume

Review: Dream State - A Place To Rest My Head

2007-03-26T20:11:00.000-05:00

Dream State- A Place To Rest My Head
Release- March 14, 2007
Label- Fabtone Records

Tracklisting

1. Place To Rest My Head
2. Starting Over
3. My Best Friend
4. Running Into You
5. Why Not Me
6. Finish Line
7. 11:31
8. Seven
9. The Gamble
10. Sound Of Your Name
11. Surrender
12. In Your Eyes
13. Apology
14. Gone So Fast

The Allies versus The Axis in 1945. The People versus Larry Flynt in 1996. Britney versus The Paparazzi in 2007. Sure, those are epic battles, but there is no scarier (or bloody) battle than Guy Vs. Girl. For this reason, most bands go all or nothing when it comes to gender (we’re still checking on David Bowie). An issue as petty as sex thankfully did not scare Arizona piano-pop newcomers Dream State. However, with male and female vocalists and 14 tracks, the band’s second release showcases a common pitfall of any healthy relationship: lack of compromise.

Dream State are strongest when Nick and Nikki (coincidence?) harmonize and sing together. Sadly, this only happens on one track. “Starting Over” is an insanely catchy song, complete with rock guitars and a beautiful vocal solo by the two singers. There is a good mix of upbeat songs and slower tracks on this release. I, personally, prefer the faster songs. “Why Not Me” really shows off Garza’s pipes. The drum and piano solos really allow Garza to burst back into the track with tons of emotion. “In Your Eyes” is simply enchanting. Nikki has an amazing voice, and this acoustic song is perfect for that Mother’s Day mix CD you will inevitably put off until the last second.

The most punk song (it’s all relative) on A Place To Rest My Head, “Eleven31”, might seem out of place, but it is a solid track. Garza handles the song brilliantly and the band shines with fast guitars and impressive drumming. However, the song makes me realize that the lyrics are lacking. Most of these songs are boy loves girl, boy forgets girls’ dry cleaning, boy writes sad song. Don’t fret, all you cliché haters, the music is strong enough to carry the release. “Surrender” is the best youth group worship song not written about the lord (I assume). The song is a stripped-down acoustic track with minimal, deep piano and should have been the album closer.

Dream State show tons of promise. A mix between Brightwood and The Forecast (no country, though), the musicians have found a satisfying sound on their second release. More harmonizing between the sexes would be preferred; we want to hear that chemistry! Also, some of Nikki’s songs can start to run together, as they are mostly slower and piano-driven. However, with a voice as strong as hers (watch out, Vanessa Carlton), Dream State will be just fine. Maybe the group can teach us all about getting along. Ladies, learn how the microwave works. Guys, you could learn the difference between Lilac and Oleander. Small steps such as these and we could all be making sweet, sweet music like Dream State in no time (yes, that kind of music).

Score 82%

Tracks Starting Over, Eleven31

-SWH.Blake

Be sure to check out an SWH Interview with Nick Garza of Dream State directly below.

Interview: Nick Garza - Dream State

2007-03-26T19:27:00.000-05:00

It was definitely a little nerve racking playing before a bunch of heavy bands, but surprisingly we had a great response, met a lot of nice people and sold a bunch of CDs. It was a great experience. There was of course a share of people who thought we sounded a little to "nice" for there taste. Haha.

-Nick Garza

SWH: Before we start this interview, could you state your name and what it is you do in the band?

My name is Nick and I lead sing and play piano or guitar depending on the song. On the album I played all the instruments and wrote all the music and melodies.

SWH: Let's go through the history of Dream State for a little bit. How did you guys, Dream State, come to be in your current form? How soon in your own life did it become apparent that being a musician was something you knew you wanted to do?

I started a band called "Free Admission" like 7 years ago. We were a horrible but fun band. I didn't sing, just played guitar. Then we did some member changes, changed the band name to "Shrinkport". We were much more heavy/melodic pop. Still not so good, but better. Then we had member changes again, changed the name to "Casey Jones" and started to throw in the piano but only on a few tunes....A few more member changes and we then changed the name to Dream State. Dream State today with the current "live" lineup has been together for about a year and a half.

I knew I wanted to be a musician ever since I started writing my own instrumentals on the piano. I'd like to write music for movies. Hopefully the band helps me to get there.

SWH: Any importance for the name "Dream State" aside from a literal interpretation?

I like to think of it as being in a dream world of music as a listener where there's a little of something for everyone. I try to have a wide variety of styles ranging from heavy songs with only guitar to pretty songs with only piano. With most bands it seems every song has the same sound. I tend to stray from that. And now that we have the female vox added, I can now take that even further now.

SWH: In my opinion you guys have a great advantage over other acts with the diversity of a male and female vocal [mixed together, separately, or otherwise]– do you all look to that as a selling point for the band and the sound your capable of producing?

Absolutely. The goal was to double our potential audience by having something for everyone. Some people hate female vox. Others love and prefer them. We have both.

SWH: Did you guys feel that you had to follow any sort of trend coming out of the Arizona scene? Coming up in that scene, were there certain aspects of your sound that have there roots there? Any local inspirations as far as writing and over all sound are concerned?

No, no trend to follow really. I love Jimmy Eat World, they are one of my favorite bands. Hopefully we’ll get to play with them someday. They're badass.

SWH: Congrats on playing Taste Of Chaos. How was it to play and was it a challenge to participate with harder genre bands? What was the response like at the shows?

It was definitely a little nerve racking playing before a bunch of heavy bands, but surprisingly we had a great response, met a lot of nice people and sold a bunch of CDs. It was a great experience. There was of course a share of people who thought we sounded a little to "nice" for there taste. haha.

SWH: Could you guys talk a little bit about Ernie Ball; how that came to be, what it's done up to this point, its impact on your band etc.? As a lesser known seemingly DIY band, what are your thoughts on the internet and utilizing it to make yourselves a household name?

Ernie Ball is great for unsigned bands. If you play your cards right it can definitely help you get your name out. We're hoping to get on the Ernie Ball stage for Warped tour now. Cross your fingers. The internet is aside from playing locally, our sole promotion work horse. Myspace, Purevolume, Absolutepunk.net, etc...I think we've only begun to utilize the internet to it's full potential to promote our band, so I'm excited to keep working on it. Now a days, you don't need a label because of it.

SWH: What have been your biggest influences through the journey both lyrically and sonically?

I don’t really write lyrics, just the vocal melodies. I've helped every now and then, but our old singer mainly writes all the words. Our female vocalist(Nikki) writes the lyrics for the songs she performs. Musically I'm influenced by a wide variety of people. Lots of dudes who write movie scores....James Horner, Danny Elfman, Alan Silverstri, John Williams to name a few. My favorite bands are Jimmy Eat World, Smashing pumpkins, Dave Matthews Band, and Third Eye Blind. I also love a great deal more, but the bands listed above are the groups where I actually listen to the majority of there albums and not just 1 or 2 songs ya know.

SWH: Why sign to a Japanese label? Did/has it offered anything different for you guys? I would assume it has its limitations. How did that all work out, and how has it been up to this point?

Why not sign to a Japanese label!? They offered, so we took it. We've sold over 30,000 CDs over there so far so it's going great. I love going over there. The people are extremely nice and respectful. I’m looking forward to going over there again soon.

SWH: Any American labels showing interest in Dream State? What are you personally looking for as far as a home and what that home can offer Dream State?

Umm....we get inquiries here and there but not too many offers so we'll see I guess. We're looking for any label that really digs our tunes and are nice people.

SWH: You guys must have done some serious touring before reaching this point in your musical career - What are some of your favorite bands you have had the opportunity to perform with? For you, what has been your most memorable tour? Any cool stories?

Umm, we've been to Japan twice and the first Japan tour was probably the most fun. There are a lot of fans over there so it kind of makes it easy to love that place. The food is great too. We've played with Alkaline trio, Waking Ashland, Punchline, Cute is What we Aim For, Dave Melillo, Elle Garden, Asian Kung Fu Generation, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Used, Saosin, and a few more.

SWH: What have been some of the best ways of advertising for the album? I know I've seen offers of CD giveaways and dirt cheap pricetags on your current touring stint – talk a little bit about the battle between getting your music heard and essentially earning a living?

It's rough trying the get the music out there and earn a living at the same time. We all still have jobs to pay bills so we're not exactly making a living with music yet. Hopefully that changes though in the future. We try to give a lot of stuff away and make things cheap because first and foremost you always want to get the music out there.

SWH: When I was recently reading something on Dream State, it stated that former vocalist Nick Howard still writes for Dream State, but doesn't perform? Why is that? Are there any plans to have him tour with the band in the future if things continue to progress as far as notoriety outside of the AZ scene?

Nick Howard is a good friend of mine that I've known since Jr. high. We work well together when I write songs, so he continues to write thelyrics for us. He's happily married and expecting his first child next month so we're excited for him. Not sure if he'll ever play live with us again, but depending on how far the band gets he may make an appearance again.

SWH: How was it to record the new album? Who produced it? Did it differ in anyway to the recording of the first EP?

It was fun and stressful and tiring. It was co-produced by myself and Cory Spotts of Blue Light Audio Media in Phoenix,AZ. Cory Spotts is the nicest guy ever and great to work with. All the recordings I've done have been with him. I highly recommend him for anyone interested in doing some good recordings. He's very talented.

SWH: Why did you decide you wanted the albums opener, "A Place To Rest My Head?," to serve as the albums title? Are there any songs that didn't make the album?

No, I recorded 14 tunes and 14 tunes are on the CD. That's my favorite song on the album so I named the record after it. That song is badass. At least I think so…

SWH: After the Japanese dates, any major touring in the U.S?

Nothing set in stone in the U.S. yet, but we're working on it. Hopefully though. That would be swell! We're going to Japan to do a short tour there next month. Excited for that. Check out our myspace for the dates.

SWH: When fans and newcomers alike hear your music, what are the most important things that you hope they associate with you as musicians, but as human beings as well?

That we're nice people trying to make beautiful music.

SWH: Do you ever sleep with headphones? If so, what's usually playing in them?

Every now and then. Usually some original score from a movie.

SWH: To conclude this interview, is there anything you would like to say?

Thanks for having me and for helping with the music scene. I hope people check us out. Please listen to more then 1 tune ‘cause there's a good chance if you don't like 1 song, you'll probably like a different one.

-SWH.Kyle + Steve

Dream State is

Nick G.- piano/guitar/vox
Nikki L.- guitar/vox
Devin P.- guitar
Mike P.- bass
Eric R.- drums

Buy A Place To Rest My Head at Smartpunk!

MySpace

Review: Holiday Parade - This Is My Year EP

2007-03-21T19:46:00.000-05:00

Tracklisting
1. Crimson Red
2. Never Enough
3. My Philosophy
4. Walking By
5. Driving Away

One would assume a band would have to be rather sure of themselves to entitle an upcoming EP release ‘This Is My Year’. I mean surely it would be an outfit with major label backing, strong promotional capabilities, heck, even a few full length releases under their belt. And sadly while ATL’s acoustic-pop/rock group, The Holiday Parade, fail to ascribe to any of the aforementioned advantages, they most definitely have the goods to deliver on such lofty promises. In fact, never since coming across Cartel’s “The Ransom” EP have I been so adamantly sure of a band’s infinite potential to take on the pop-rock world as I am with the up and comer’s newest 5 song collection.

This Is My Year opens with “Crimson Red,” a track featuring some vocal assistance from Cartel crooner Will Pugh. A song that should scream instant hit single to any label exec, the insatiable blend of acoustic strums, subtle synth hits, and touches of piano, make for one hell of a catchy ride. Not only does front-man Andy Albert and Pugh’s vocals compliment each other astonishingly well, Albert’s smooth and powerful styling are a fine selling point for the band’s future. Andy’s vocal is reminiscent of Pugh’s earlier work. Along with the rest of the effort’s tracks, things seem to lean more on the pop side than that of the punk side of the spectrum. This obviously bodes quite well for a band craving mass appeal. When the drums roll in to pick up the second verse, the song really gets going . As “Crimson” flows into vocalist Andy Albert’s enchanting falsetto declaration “I think I’ve found something amazing,” I couldn’t have agreed with him more.

“Never Enough,” the band’s first single, features much of the same pop sensibility – a delightful blend of Albert’s acoustic guitar and key work that should really sell on fans of Jack’s Mannequin and other genre heavy-hitters. Albert’s voice is more pronounced on the track, flowing quite nicely to song’s bouncy rhythm. Yes, we’ve heard the lyrical sentiments before – many times before in fact – but the earnest vocal delivery in the song’s chorus conveys a certain sense of honesty, an attribute that can never go overlooked in the world of pop music.

I have to be honest, upon hearing the opening verse of “My Philosophy” the guys had me worried. Luckily, the nervous “I can’t be caught listening to this boy band sounding stuff” feeling subsided as soon as the Jason Mraz-esque chorus kicks in. And yet, while I had my initial reservations, this midway point serves the release well; while the disc’s first two tracks were instant winners, “Philosphy” is a fantastic summer jam, and the album’s grower at the very least.

The record really hits high point in my eyes with the acoustic driven ballad - “Walking By.” From a lyrical standpoint it is by far my favorite tune, but the subtle use of falsetto and the stripped down, yet elegant build of the song is surely something special. The debut EP comes to a solid close – utilizing all of the album’s finer offerings – with “Driving Away.” It is of my opinion that a release can never truly fail if it ends with a get up and drive sing-a-long tune. Mission accomplished.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve been this impressed with a seemingly unknown up and comer. While the band’s presentation of sound will definitely improve with better production, my only other complaint is that I worry how a longer ensemble of tracks will fair with listeners. With some gelling on the road, a solid studio and someone who can work the knobs, Holiday Parade will become a sure fire hit.

Score: 90%

Tracks: Walking By, Never Enough

-SWH.Steve

Review: Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

2007-03-21T16:46:00.000-05:00

Tracklisting
1. "March Into the Sea" – 3:30
2. "Dashboard" – 4:08
3. "Fire It Up" – 4:36
4. "Florida" – 2:59
5. "Parting of the Sensory" – 5:36
6. "Missed the Boat" – 4:26
7. "We've Got Everything" – 3:42
8. "Fly Trapped In a Jar" – 4:31
9. "Education" – 3:58
10. "Little Motel" – 4:46
11. "Steam Engenius" – 4:28
12. "Spitting Venom" – 8:29
13. "People As Places As People" – 3:44
14. "Invisible" – 4:01

It’s hard to hear Modest Mouse as this arty, radio dance band and forget entirely how they once championed themselves as aching, melancholic, and morbid. They made their early name on 1997’s The Lonesome Crowded West, a masterful album that dispelled the economic paradise of the late Clinton administration by capturing hopeless migrants on the brink of destruction. After 9/11, just when there was actually a reason for rock music to be depressed, the Mouse threw us all a curve ball with the uplifting and trippy Good News For People Who Love Bad News. Though they didn’t entirely abandon their contemplative agenda, Good News felt at times like a shell shocked Magical Mystery Tour with sunshine to spare. It was what an entire generation needed to get back up and say “come terrorist attacks, endless wars, personal loneliness, religious questions, or relationship issues… we’ll all float on ok.”

Sure, is life really that easy? No, but Good News captured the struggle over whether or not to sweat the good stuff. The first song on We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (“March Into The Sea”) suggests a return to the “everything sucks” philosophy of their major label debut The Moon and Antarctica and their previous earth shattering, indie label catalogue. It’s important to remember that even with the major label support, and new found fame, there’s no way Modest Mouse could ever go back to being “normal” after such pop diversity. Without remorse head Mouse Isaac Brock has evolved the band into a sextet including the fluid and beautifully jaunty guitar riffs of guitarist Johnny Marr, formerly of the Smiths.

It looks like an awkward decision when read on paper, but heading into the too-ready-for-radio single “Dashboard” it doesn’t sound as if they’re trying too hard to cast off their recent bout of commercial success. If you go back to the heart-wrenching, noisy, near jam rock of Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks EP or This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About, it’s damn near unfathomable to imagine Brock in any costume writing a serious litany of perfect pop tunes. In two albums he’s truly nailed his poetry to this new science of soaring choruses and dancing verses. These are truly enrapturing results from a craftsman who has matured with remarkable pace—from the marching, fireside sing-along of “Fire it Up” to the impeccable new wave textures of “Invisible” and “Florida”.

Lyrically, We Were Dead reels off the same ideas as Good News: criticizing former lovers and friends on “Spitting Venom”, trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel but being pretty sure it’s not even really there on “Missed the Boat”. Instead of wallowing in the agonizing guitars or trying to defeat their problems with punch drunk jollity, We Were Dead shows a band finally willing to get in the ring with it’s fears and foes and take them down swinging. Though they may have lost their initial melancholy, their new rallying belligerence is enough to outweigh this album’s downsides, which exist in all their records—lack of editing and lagging length.

Score: 89%

Tracks: Dashboard, Invisible, Florida

-SWH.MattDeMello

Feature Interview: Brian Joyce of My Morning Radio

2007-03-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

Local Love: The DIY Spirit In the Bay State and Beyond

That's what the heart of My Morning Radio is about, those times when I had no song to sing, but someone else’s, because honestly, that's who I want my audience to be. People who live and breathe music. People who sing a band's song as if it was an extension of themselves. It's all very romantic and naive I know, but it's my dream.

-Brian Joyce

SWH: Brian, thank you for your time and for doing this interview with us. To start off, would you introduce your band and the members?

My Morning Radio is pretty much just me, Brian Joyce. MMR started as a solo effort, was later a full band, and is currently a solo project again.

SWH: So is it safe to say there have been a few lineup changes? How long has the My Morning Radio concept been around?

My Morning Radio started as a solo effort in 2003, when my old band B-Side Diaries had broken up. When I started, I had no real ambitions but to just write what I was feeling; however, after requests for shows, My Morning Radio progressed into a full band. Within the first 4 months as a band we played 50 shows. In late 2003, I moved to Providence from Philadelphia. For the first semester of school (Sept-Dec.), I continued to go to school in Providence (Rhode Island College) during the week and play out of state (NJ, NY, PA, MD) with my band members from Philly every weekend. After one semester I couldn't do it anymore, I dropped all my band members and started all over, so I was solo again. That basically led to a number of line up changes to where I am now again solo. I think someone is trying to tell me something. However, I think they were a natural progression for the band in general. It forced me to write differently with each new band member to a point where My Morning Radio sounded like a completely different band from month to month. I wouldn't trade it though, because it brought me to where I am today, as a songwriter and a musician.

SWH: Could you explain the significance of the name My Morning Radio?

Ever since I started writing songs, I always chose band names that reflected who I am as an artist. I know there a lot of bands who have names that don't mean anything, and well, that's cool, but I wanted my names to say something about me.

My Morning Radio comes from my writing process. When I started the project, it was virtually me in my bedroom. The way I write songs is to come up with basic chords to start with (usually the chorus) and work a melody around it. I freestyle lyrics as I write. It's more of a stream of consciousness type of writing. Reflecting back on lyrics is always fun, because it is ultimately a feeling I'm expressing or something I'm going through, or have gone through. It manifests itself in different ways though. This type of process allows me to view my lyrics and to process them after I write, not during the process, which I think is kind of unique. Because of the way in which I write my lyrics, I tend to forget a lot of my songs. I've always said some songs take 30 minutes to write and 3 hours to remember. I don't write my lyrics down, and I often forget melodies to songs, so the morning hours is where I find out if I have a song or if I have forgotten it. Usually the day after I write a song, the song will be in my head as I wake up. If I wake up and the song isn't there, that usually means the song is gone. I have forgotten more songs than I have remembered.

SWH: What drives you to create? Is there a theme around which you make your music, or is there something more general?

Other bands drive me to create. When I originally started My Morning Radio, the hope was to give material to bands that had influenced me. I still continue to do this. My hope for my music is that it will somehow inspire other artists to write. The general theme for my music is based around personal experiences, and things I've gone through; or seen friends go through. Often times, this makes my songs pretty personal. For instance, the song If We Should Part was originally intended to be written as a love song for the love of my life. I spent weeks trying to think of something, but it all sounded cheesy. In the end I wrote about what it would feel like to lose her. It was the only thing that sounded real and honest and vulnerable. It's my sad attempt at a love song. I have written her a love song though. It's entitled Hard To Say and will be on a future album.

All my songs aren't about love or loss though. I have one song that is very close to my heart that is called Jawbreaker. I wrote the song as a tribute to the band. The song is about a time in my life where I was living out of my car, and Jawbreaker's album 24 Hour Revenge Therapy got me through those times. I even gave Blake Schwartzenbach (Singer/songwriter for Jawbreaker) the song at a Jets To Brazil (his new band) show before they broke up. That's what the heart of My Morning Radio is about, those times when I had no song to sing, but someone else’s, because honestly, that's who I want my audience to be. People who live and breathe music. People who sing a band's song as if it was an extension of themselves. It's all very romantic and naive I know, but it's my dream.

SWH: How would you characterize your sound? No one likes to be labeled, but a good description of the music you make would include what? Who do you include among your influences/music idols?

Hmmm...that's tough. I guess I would have to characterize myself as an indie songwriter with a punk heart. I know that really doesn't answer the question, but honestly, that's how I view myself. As a songwriter, who writes punk and indie tunes on an acoustic guitar or a piano. As a goal, I want to write punk music on the piano, just because I feel like it truly hasn't been done. I would be happy to accomplish that. A lot of bands play piano, but there always pretty, I want to play the gritty piano songs with beauty underneath I guess.

Some bands who made me long to write and continue to write my own material are: Jawbreaker, Superchunk, Sebadoh, The Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World, The New Amsterdams, Watashi Wa, Saves The Day, Embrace (Dischord Records--not the U.K. band), Hot Water Music, Quit (old band from Miami--members went on to play in Dashboard Confessional), Jeremy Enigk, Dashboard Confessional, Braid, Jawbox, Burning Airlines, Jets To Brazil, this list could really be endless.

SWH: How do you feel about the current state of music in your genre? Secondly, how do you feel about the local music scene?

I'm happy with the current state of music in the genre. I really feel like bands are really experimenting and not sticking to one thing. Moreover, I feel that bands are continually progressing past their previous releases. For a while, I felt that bands had lost the D.I.Y. methods of the past pioneers, ala Dischord Records, SST Records, etc., but I feel their is a new revival of that spirit in bands like Therefore I Am (I'm a huge fan of them, and their D.I.Y. spirit), Call It Arson (good friends of mine who are one of the most hard working bands you'll ever meet), and Forever In Motion (proving you don't need a band to be heard).

I feel like the local scene here is good! There are a lot of great local acts including, Penrose, The Gradual, Leah Stargazing, My Every Minute, Fordoes Me Quite, Therefore I Am, Fly Upright Kite, The January Design, 30 Helens Agree, etc. The bands are very supportive of each other as well, which is really good, because that's how we all survive and make this work.

I feel that promoters could do more, but I'm sure a lot of places are like that. Being that Rhode Island is a small state with a lot of great bands, I feel that the promoters don't necessarily reflect the talent pool that is the Providence punk scene. I feel that if good local bands were given the opportunity to open for larger national acts coming through Providence, they could accrue a larger local fan base faster, which would help regional acts that come through to play. It would also help to create larger audiences for straight up local shows, instead of playing to 15 people. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the scene, I just think with Providence being a small city, we have a unique opportunity to showcase a lot of bands, and I just feel that doesn't happen as much as it could. Hopefully my words are noted with sincerity and not disdain, for that is not how I wish to come off.

SWH: You’ve played with a lot of fantastic acts, everything from local heroes to bigger-label acts such as Vanna and The Format. Is there a band you’ve enjoyed gigging with the most?

Out of all the bands I have played with, Forever In Motion would have to be my favorite band to play with. Forever In Motion is Brendon Mathew Thomas. He is a solo performer from Vermont, who is signed to One Eleven Records. His D.I.Y work ethic is infectious.

I play a lot of shows up in his home state of VT. He has single-handedly started a following for My Morning Radio up there. Moreover, I toured with him this past summer to the mid-west with some other friends of mine: Trevor Leonard, A.K.A. Triangle Shirt Factory, and James Downes of Call It Arson. I learned a lot from Brendon, Trevor, and James on that tour, and I continue to learn a lot from Brendon with each show we play. Brendon actually convinced me that being solo is not something to shy away from if you have the right mood to your music. I have taken that advice and have started anew because of it.

SWH: Could you describe your current discography and label situation?

Currently, I have one 7 song EP out. It's called We Put The End In Friends. It was recorded when I had a full line-up and produced by Bob Jones (Bob also co-produced the Starting Line's Make Yourself At Home EP on Drive-Thru/Geffen Records). It can be purchased at downloadpunk.com/mymorningradio and at shows.

I am working on a new split ep right now that is due out in the summer. The split will feature My Morning Radio and Triangle Shirt Factory. We will each have 3 songs on the split and one song that is collaborative. Therefore there will be seven songs on the split ep. I'm also working on a full-length that will be due out in December of 2007.

Rather than waiting and hoping on a deal from a label, I am taking the D.I.Y. route and starting my own independent label named Save Your Generation Records. I will be releasing the split ep, as well as my full-length through the label. My focus is going to be to utilize online distributors to market both albums (i.e. Smartpunk, Interpunk, Downloadpunk, cdbaby, itunes, etc.).

SWH: What’s on the agenda for My Morning Radio? Are there any tours planned?

I will be touring in support of the split ep and the full-length. I just talked to Zac from Feast IV Eyes (from Georgia) about setting up a mini tour in June, and I look to tour with friends (Forever In Motion, Triangle Shirt Factory, Joe Wilson) throughout the summer as well. With any luck I may be able to do some touring with my good friends in Penrose, anything is possible.

SWH: Any recording being done/ep or cd coming out anytime soon? You mentioned a split?

I am getting ready to record very soon for a split ep with Triangle Shirt Factory. I am also going to be demo-ing for my debut full-length album, coming out in December of 2007.

The new records will bring a much different sound to My Morning Radio. I have hopes for a less band type of sound and a more orchestral type of sound. It has always been a goal to play and write indie orchestral songs. For the split ep and the full-length album, I'm calling on all my friends for help. I plan to have a string trio accompaniment (cello, viola, and violin) and choir vocals for ambience and dramatic effect as well as the typical band instruments. The songs will be centered on the piano and be built around the piano. I'm very excited about the new material I am writing. I look forward to getting the albums out to the masses to see the response.

SWH: What else could the future hold for the band? Aspirations?

My goal for the band as a whole is to write, record, and tour. I also look to adjust to the new role as a solo act, and label owner. In addition, I have plans to find back up members for touring support.

SWH: Finally, the signature Sleeping With Headphones question: Do you sleep with headphones? Since the answer has to be yes, what’s the soundtrack to your dreamtime?

In high school I used to fall asleep with my headphones on. I would listen to mix tapes with bands like Fugazi, The Descendents, Dag Nasty, Screeching Weasel, Jawbreaker, Superchunk, Embrace (Dischord Records--not the U.K. band), Gorilla Biscuits, Shelter, Down By Law, and others. Now the soundtrack to my dream time is the new songs I've created, in hopes that I'll hear them in the morning and you'll hear them at the next show.

Thanks,

SWH - Jay Murda

Design A Shirt Contest!

Hey guys, when you do yourself a favor and check out some of Brian's tunes, do him a huge favor and consider this T-shirt making contest. For all you artsy folk out there, this is a great way for you to showcase your skill while helping out one of the local scene's finest. The official details are below.

My Morning Radio wants you to design their next t-shirt! Test your graphic design skills and make a logo to enter. The contest starts on March 1st. All submissions will be viewed and a winner will be selected on April 15th. The shirt design will be made through Enemy Inc. Good luck! Send all submissions to mymorningradio@hotmail.com

MySpace

Be sure to head to MMR's myspace for detailed touring information, and Brian's first tour journal update.

On another note, I'd love to take this opportunity to introduce Brian into the SWH family. Not only as a musician, but as a fan, Brian shares a common goal and passion for the DIY spirit - something that we are all working to emphasize at SWH. East coast love. Check out Brian's first interview with Jim Creighton of Boston based Therefore I Am below. Stay tuned for more great stuff in the future.

Interview: Jim Creighton - Therefore I Am

2007-03-19T17:52:00.000-05:00

If you want it bad enough no one needs to give you advice because you're going to find anyway possible to make it happen on your own. Be positive, and be a good person. That’s what we try to do. I think that is why 90% of our fans like us, because we put our heart and soul into this.

-Jim Creighton

SWH: Hey guys, thanks for agreeing to sit down with Sleeping with Headphones. Do you mind just going around and introducing the members of the band and what you play?

I (Jim Creighton) play bass, Alex Correia (vocals+sequencing), Chris Fernandes (drums) Travis Alexander (guitar), and last and least Brian (guitar and vocals). Hahaha.

SWH: So how long has Therefore I Am been around? Who were some of your earlier influences/idols? Are there any earlier bands that you have been a part of? I noticed that you have had a few member changes, how did you wind up with this line-up?

Therefore I Am has been a band…I think this is our third year coming up soon. Wow, it’s crazy how time flies. Influences throughout this whole band run on different sides of the spectrum but one band we all equally love is At the Drive In. We have been through some members in the past, but we don’t really dwell on it. What’s done is done and now as a band we feel it’s complete. We equally love each other and this band has become more than just a band, it has become a family.

SWH: When I first heard you guys I had this instant connection with your material. I don’t know if it was the voice screaming, “You said this night would be the last…” or the guitar lines in I Get Nervous In Cars, but I was hooked from the very beginning. What drives all of you to write and create? What goes behind your writing process? Any stories about a particular song that is special to all of you?

A lot of people mix that line up its actually "you said this time would be the last." We try really hard to make the connection you are talking about, weather it be on CD or live. We try to make everyone feel as much of this band as we do, because if we didn’t we wouldn’t be where we are today. We actually just took promo pictures of us with the crowd at our show last night, we really love the kids that come to our shows.

SWH: I noticed you guys won a contest to record with Matt Squire, what was that experience like for you? Any plans to work with him in the near future?

We had to eat rabbit poop off the floor every time we messed up. It’s an acquired taste, but you get use to it after a while. Let me put it this way, we had a blast. Matt is a good producer, and he made us feel comfortable. I think that’s why he is so successful. We definitely are planning on working with him more in the future.

SWH: I noticed that you are taking time off to write songs. Are you looking to put out a full length album? What can we expect from the new songs?

Yes, with whatever happens in the future we either are going to put it out ourselves or with a label. We really just want to get it out by summer. We’ll probably be recording in the spring. We are pumped and are ready for anything that comes our way. We are very self motivated.

SWH: You guys have done a lot in a short amount of time, such as playing on the Ernie Ball Stage at Warped Tour, among other things. Can you explain how it felt to play Warped Tour?

Honestly, I grew up loving warped tour bands and the environment itself. From the time we played, to the time we stopped, was amazing. Let me tell you, we hated every second of that heat that day though. It was like 102 degrees in this field. I drank like, no lie 10 bottles of water in 3 hours! I wasn’t sweating, I was raining. Hahaha. But the kids were amazing; one of the best shows I felt we ever played

SWH: Are there any tours scheduled for this coming summer? If so, where do you intend to go? Who do you plan to tour with?

We are planning on touring, but nothing set in stone yet. We definitely will be on the road again. We miss it so much!

SWH: You guys have had a very strong online presence for some time now, any talks with labels? Or are you looking to keep this a D.I.Y thing?

We've had labels peek in here and there, but nothing too crazy to really mention. We like the DIY because we do this for us and our fans not so much the money. We are just taking everything as it comes, but striving to be the best we can be, progressing, and getting better and better.

SWH: One of the very things that I really like about Therefore I Am is there is the tremendous D.I.Y. spirit that comes along with your music, as evidence by your crowd participation at shows. Were there any bands in the scene that really helped you to find that path with your music?

I loved A New Beginning. They had such fun shows, and bands like Strutter, Fastlane; they all had awesome energy.

SWH: It seems like you guys have created a niche for yourselves without any label support, which is not easy. If you could give any advice to newer bands from the local scene who look up to you guys about creating a niche for themselves, what would it be?

If you want it bad enough no one needs to give you advice because you're going to find anyway possible to make it happen on your own. Be positive, and be a good person. That’s what we try to do. I think that is why 90% of our fans like us, because we put our heart and soul into this.

SWH: If you could sum up Therefore I Am in one word, what would it be?

Snaglecrockdumpburger

SWH: Lastly, do you fall to sleep with headphones on? Since the answer has to be yes, what is the soundtrack to your dreams?

Personally "This Is Not An Exit" by Saves The Day

-SWH.BrianJoyce [My Morning Radio]

**Special thanks to Brian for helping and supporting SWH in its cause, conducting this interview, and graciously offering to join our team in the midst of touring and recording for MMR. Expect additional write ups and interviews from him soon.

Therefore I Am in Alt Press Magazine now! - check out the unsigned band of the month section

Therefore I Am is...

Alex Correia - Vocals/Electronics
Brian Marquis - Guitar/Vocals
Jim Creighton - Bass/Vocals
Chris Fernandes - Drums/Percussion
Travis Alexander - Guitar/Vocals

News

Thanks to the support of their fans and street team , TIA recently won an opening spot on the Taste of Chaos Tour! The show is this coming Thursday [MARCH 22ND] at TSONGAS ARENA in Lowell, MA. The guys will hit the stage first at 5 P.M so get there early. The very next night, they will join friends TREOS up at UNH for their final show before beginning writing and demoing for their new album. Be sure to stay tuned for any updates the guys make along the way.

Official Site
Myspace

Review: Deas Vail - All The Houses Look The Same

2007-03-17T20:15:00.000-05:00

Tracklisting

1. Standing...
2. Light As Air
3. Surface
4. Rewind
5. Shoreline
6. A Lover's Charm
7. Follow Sound
8. Anything You Say
9. Shadows And City Lights
10. For Miles To Come
11. Life In These Little Boats
12. This Place Is Painted Red
13. ...Still

As I sat down to write this review, I was trying to figure out how to express the profound effect that music has upon my life, how it is my muse... my vivacity, even. Yet, in this instance, I've found words to be beyond inadequate, so perhaps it's best that I leave it to music (and your ears, mind, soul, and body) to express this. This vivacity that courses through my veins can, clearly, be felt when listening to Deas Vail's All the Houses Look the Same.

As my heart is pumping blood to all 22 (or 23, if you include skin) organs in my body, All the Houses Look the Same is allowing me to feel the effects of such a miracle. This album breathes life into you with each and every listen.

The guitars are perfectly understated for the overall tone and atmosphere of the album, allowing the piano and vocals to radiate throughout, making this album elegantly proportioned musically. Deas Vail has created one of the most captivating album that I've listened to in a long time. It allows you to feel, to contemplate, to realize.Wes Blaylock's voice is astounding. It's almost ethereal at times but never so much that its delicacy is overtaken by the instruments. His classical vocal training allows his falsetto voice to fit perfectly among the collective sound of the instruments.

“A Lover's Charm” is one of the many stand-out tracks to help you understand Wes' true vocal ability. Breaking from the heaviness in the intro to a soothing lullaby voice, not one certain aspect of the instrumentals are overbearing; allowing the collection of instruments to create an aesthetically pleasing chorus that resonates within the ears of the listener. “Shoreline” is the ultimate, relaxing piano ballad that makes me realize that I am not listening to Mae. Everyone plays in perfect unison and they sound first-rate.

While it is almost inevitable for comparisons to be drawn between Deas Vail and various other bands, I prefer to focus on (and thoroughly enjoy) their unique approach to music that they so skillfully demonstrate with their first full length album. In the midst of the stale doldrums of a contemporary music industry where so many bands treat the heavy handed approach as the only one, with which, to create an album, All the Houses Look the Same is a welcome and, might I say, refreshing change. Perhaps, it is best described by the title of the second track, "Light as Air". Yet, as delightfully airy as so much of All the Houses... is, the songs never float to the realm of becoming unable to relate to or do they feel anything less than perfectly grounded in the heart of anyone who listens... really quite the feat when you [stop to] consider the physics of it.

Score: 85%

Tracks: Light as Air, Shoreline, A Lover's Charm, Anything You Say

-SWH.Mike

Stream the entire record here!

Be sure to head just below this review and get to know the band with our exclusive SWH interview with the wonderful members of Deas Vail. Otherwise, head here.

Interview: Deas Vail [The Whole Crew]

2007-03-17T20:14:00.001-05:00

As human beings and as musicians we’re growing, changing and always looking for way to better ourselves. Life is rough and unfair sometimes, but I think that we’re all happier when we’re giving ourselves to others in some way. To inspire, love, and to encourage others with their ups and downs is why we do what we do with our lives and our music.

-Laura [Keys]

SWH: So, you are in Deas Vail. Why don’t you tell us who you are and what you do for the band.

My name is Wes and I sing.
I’m Andy and I play guitar.
I am Jonathan Luke Childs and I play the Bass.
I’m Laura and I play keys.
I’m Kelsey Harelson and I play the drums.

SWH: Talk a little about how you guys all came together to form the band you are now?

(Wes speaking)
Deas Vail began as college friends playing music together for fun. We didn’t begin as a group of musicians trying to start a career. A friend and I started playing songs that I had previously written, and it grew before we knew it. People within our local music scene were attracted to what we were doing and new players fell into place. One day we opened our eyes and realized we had a band. So, we started writing songs of our own and progressively began taking our music more seriously.

SWH: On the biography it speaks to the fact that “this was an unlikely result from five musicians with completely different backgrounds.” Can you talk a little about whose into what and ultimately how you worked it into the sound fans hear now?

(Wes speaking)
This is interesting to us as well. I think that while we were writing “All The Houses Look The Same” we all came together with each of our distinctive musical backgrounds and everything fell into place. Kelsey, Laura, and I all have had classical training while Andy and Jonathan are self-taught. I have had lots of exposure to folk music that, in some way, has to influence what I write. I think Deas Vail has very diverse musical tastes, and we are not afraid to incorporate them into our songs.

SWH: Once you guys and gal get huge (and you will) this next question will get very old. What is the significance behind your name? And also, how do you pronounce it?

(Wes speaking)
(Day-ahs-vale). I hope that helps. I am not sure how to phonetically spell it. We found the name by sifting through random books in search of words we liked. We were pretty much looking for inspiration for a name. We came across Deus, which is Latin for God. We noticed that it is sometimes pronounced with an “a” instead of a “u” so we changed the spelling to deas. We liked that better for some reason. Then we added vail to the end. Vail is an old French word meaning “to serve”. We feel like we are here to play music for anyone who will listen. We feel like our music has the power to encourage/inspire people. This ambition to help people with music is our service, our passion. We also have spiritual influences that may or may not come across clearly within our music. We do hope that if there are any religious connotations that come with deas vail, they are all positive ones. For me, the title reminds me of who we were when we started.

SWH: What was coming up in the Arkansas area like? Supportive of your particular sound?

(Wes speaking)
Well, it was good and bad. We were not exposed to a great deal of music but we also were not influenced by the direction music is heading. I think we were able to create something that is more “us” simply because we were not over exposed to music. I think that if we had originated out of a bigger music scene, our sound would be a lot different. I am not saying that music from larger cities all sounds the same, I am saying that there are good and bad things about not being pressured by your peers. On the negative side of developing in Arkansas, I think that not being around a deep music scene made it more difficult for us to mature as a band. We were not inspired as often as we would like to have been simply because lots of tours never come to Arkansas. We were not forced to become a better band because there was not a great deal of competition.

(Jonathan speaking)
You really have to keep yourself motivated as far as music is concerned. Like Wes said, there isn’t a lot of exposure to new music for us so we really have to search for what we want to hear. It is really nice because you can develop a sense of nostalgia for a band that possibly no one in your circle of friends has heard of. That makes the experience a super personal one!!

(Laura speaking)
I grew up in Harrison, and there wasn’t a scene there for anything other than listening to the radio and watching marching bands at football games. (as far as I knew). The underground/indie music scene was totally new for me when I got to college, but it became the norm very quickly. I took a liking to many different kinds of music after being exposed my freshman year. Even bluegrass, folk, and jazz being new favorites of mine have helped me begin exploring and experimenting with music. I think our sound is defined by this drive to experiment and learn new things.

(Kelsey speaking)
Like everyone else has said, in Arkansas there just isn’t a huge music scene. As my love for music grew, and as it grew to play in a band setting, we all were able to search abroad and find inspiration from some bands that not everybody had heard. This allowed us to grow together as a band and rely on our own drive and personal interests to make the music we do today.

SWH: Your bio mentions that you all grew up on Super Mario Brothers. If each of you were to pick a character from that series – who would each of you be and why? Do you all still play video games? 360 /PS3/Wii?

(Andy speaking)
The only one who even remotely has a mustache in the band would be Kelsey, so I guess that makes him Mario. Since I’m the tall (giant?) one in the band, I’ll assume the role of Luigi. Wes would be Yoshi, Laura … obviously she’s the girl and I think the only girl in the game was the princess. And Jonathan is Toadstool (1up!) or the dog/king that Mario saves in Super Mario 3. Wes and Jonathan are into Oblivion, and Kelsey is pretty dominant at Madden 2007. Laura and I are pretty bad at video games, I think.

(Laura speaking)
Speak for yourself Andy. I was a pro in my day. =) My brothers and I would play Super Mario on N64 all the time in high school. I also used to be a big fan of the Page Master and Donkey Kong. But now days I guess I’m better at watching. After my attempts at Halo, I kind of gave up.

(Jonathan speaking)
I don’t really play any video games but Oblivion, Zelda, And GOLDENEYE yep old school.

(Wes speaking)
How is that not playing video games?
I am a sucker for anything adventure, so there are plenty of video games I would love to play. Unfortunately we don’t have the hook up in the van…someday.

SWH: Speaking of your Bio, was that a group effort? If not, who is the person with all the jokes? I’m jealous

(Wes speaking)
Jeremy Burns played bass with us for a while and has a talent with words. He is responsible for that bio. His wit is covetous, I know.

SWH: For those that don’t know you, give us a little description of your sound. The catch? You have to do it in 7 words or less.

(Andy speaking)
melodic indie rock with wicked sweet beats

That’s seven, right? I’m such a nerd, I counted and rewrote it a few times to get the right number.

(Kelsey speaking)
heavy angelic rock music with killer beats

SWH: You are signed to Brave New World Records, how is your relationship with them? What was the signing process like? Exciting? Nervous? All of the above?

(Wes speaking)
Brave New World is a great group of people that make up a great label. Mark Townsend (Relient K) is working with BNW as an in-house producer and A&R representative. He came out to one of our shows in Little Rock after the guys from The Wedding told him about us. He liked our set and invited us to demo some songs with him in Nashville. Things have been developing from there. We were nervous when the record was pushed back, but we stuck it out and now we have just released and we are excited about touring it really hard. The actual signing of the record contract was really exciting more than anything.

SWH: “Shoreline” is an absolutely beautiful track. The song features strings, who is in charge of the arrangement of these extra instruments within in the songs? Do any of you play the violin?

(Wes speaking)
Thanks, we are very proud of Shoreline. Laura and I worked on the string arrangements while in the studio with Mark. Unfortunately, none of us play strings. We wrote out the parts on a keyboard and then put the music on our computer. Next, we printed up a score for the players we hired to play the parts. It was the first time we had ever done anything like that. I think it went well. We will definitely do it again.

SWH: Wes has an unreal vocal range. Does he have any rituals for warming up to help his voice get so high?

(Wes speaking)
Thanks so much. I don’t have any secrets really. Anyone can purchase vocal training books or cd’s and they would have most of the same warm up’s or exercises I use. I think that voice lessons helped me a lot. I studied voice at Arkansas Tech University for three and a half years and I know that my voice developed a lot during that time. I will say that a great habit any singer should develop is to drink a lot of water, especially if he/she plans to be able to sing well for a very long.

SWH: Also, does the band have any pre-show rituals? I know a few ancient Navajo rituals in case you need them

(Andy speaking)
Really? We used to do the Navajo spirit rejuvenation dance. Do you know that one? Now that we’re playing more clubs, our “backstage” is looking more like our van and less like the typical Frank Sinatra style green room. Now we just take the time before hand to refocus on what’s central to our music. We pray for the show and each other and thank God for the opportunity to play music.

SWH: What is the significance of the title All The Houses Look The Same?
(Wes speaking)
All The Houses Look The Same was inspired by a person’s fear of being honest with them self and other people. We have noticed, as I am sure everyone does, that people try so hard to be different at the cost of expressing their own personality or opinions. They do this and then end up being just like so many other people trying to do the same thing. We all end up confused about who we really are, then we compare ourselves to what we think we should be. It can become very complex, quickly. We feel that this is something we all fall into at one point or another. It is one of those things that sneaks up on you. I know I have dealt with it and if we are honest, I bet most of us do. Driving through so many suburb areas where all the houses mimic one another painted a picture of this for us.

SWH: Tell me about one of the best “episodes” you all had as a band. Any particularly crazy or sincere moments? Have you guys had that “woah this is something special moment” yet? Because if you haven’t yet, you should have that moment soon.

(Wes speaking)
We don’t really have episodes. When something is really important to any of us we are great about being able to talk about it. Without good communication, we would go crazy. When you are with the same people every day all day, you have to talk about everything and anything. We don’t have any “angry members” and we are good at being open with one another. Really, I am confident in saying that we are all stable and consistent people. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that while recording the record I had that moment when I knew this was special. Hearing your music in the studio is so different from hearing it while performing. The first time I listened to some of the songs like This Place Is Painted Red, Shoreline, and Rewind I knew that we had created something great.

(Laura speaking)
I can recall several scenarios when something a little out of the ordinary would happen in our favor and the only explanation was that God was watching out for us or pushing us in the right direction. (For example: meeting the people that we’ve met at Brave New World and the relationships that got us there. Or, All the families and people that have supported us financially or taken care of us for a night and cooked us hot meals just because they enjoyed what they heard. Or even more random, because they know someone who knows someone that was inspired by our music and they feel privileged to help us. Those are all special moments in their own little ways. When you realize that what you’re doing is so much bigger than your own agenda.

SWH: Sudoku, crossword puzzles or sleeping while traveling? Who has control of the stereo?

(Wes speaking)
I have gone through some Sudoku phases. We are all pretty heavy readers. Usually the driver, which is almost always Kelsey, has control of the music. We like to plug I-tunes up and set it on random. I think Laura and Andy are the best at sleeping in the van. They may disagree.

(Laura speaking)
I’ve definitely mastered sleeping in the van. I’m starting to make myself read and sketch because my mind needs to be more active instead of just staring out the window on the longer trips.

(Jonathan speaking)
Pretty sure I am the loud one on the road so I think most of the time everyone just tries to keep me quiet. Wes got me into a great book series… so they have me taken care of for a bit.

(Kelsey speaking)
It’s true. I like driving. It keeps me awake for one (at least most of the time) and I get to see everything while driving. I’m all about experiencing as much as I can while on the road. Being in the drivers’ seat, I at least get to see a lot of the road and scenery; instead of burying my head in a book or sleeping.

SWH: What are some bands the readers of Sleeping With Headphones need to know? There is this great new band called Hinder, you all should check them out.

(Wes speaking)
We have become big fans of a band called Dignan. We also would like to mention Dear Future, The Tide, and Plu.

SWH: The music industry can be a total beast, devouring millions of talented acts yearly. What is some advice you can give to bands that are looking to “break in”? If you can’t think of any advice because it is just that scary, answer this: Who wins in a fight, a beaver with the mind of a man, or a man with the brain of a beaver?

(Wes speaking)
It is a beast but there are many ways to defeat the beast. Everybody has there own strategy for “making it” in the music business and lots of them are great. We are still learning so much about this business that it is hard for me to advise. I think that an attitude of tenacity is huge. Bands have to tour really hard and build a fan base before anything. Bands today also have the opportunity to make great recordings for way cheaper. One big strategy that BNW taught us is that we can hinder ourselves by making super expensive recordings that we will never be able to re-coop. So, if bands can get in with a label or a producer that is well connected and can make cheaper records, it makes all the difference in the long run. Ummm, of course the beaver with the mind of a man….mind over muscle for sure.

SWH: One more industry question.. You have the chance to sign with one of the four majors, or one of the bigger “Indie” labels. Which do you choose and why?

(Wes speaking)
I have no idea which major we would want. Signing with a major is not something we foresee happening very soon. But, who knows…we could get picked up and things could go great. It is a huge leap and we are not in a hurry to take it just yet. As far as signing with another indie label, I don’t think we would want to. We are really proud of our label. We all share the same vision and we have the desire to push this thing to the limit. I think Brave New World is exactly where we need to be.

SWH: When people hear your music, essentially, what do you want them to know about you guys as musicians, as human beings?

(Wes speaking)
We want people to know that we take music seriously; that this is our calling, which gives us a great sense of purpose. We are not doing this because we need to make money or prove anything. It is an amazing thing to be able to do what you truly love and make it your job. We want listeners to be encouraged and inspired to go after life and defy the norm. We would like people to be moved spiritual and emotionally by this record. We would also like to encourage people to be honest with themselves and with others. This record speaks about honesty in several ways. Hopefully the record can help others as much as it has helped us while we were writing it.

(Laura speaking)
As human beings and as musicians we’re growing, changing and always looking for way to better ourselves. Life is rough and unfair sometimes, but I think that we’re all happier when we’re giving of ourselves to others in some way. To inspire love and to encourage others with their ups and downs is why we do what we do with our lives and our music.

SWH: Do you sleep with headphones ever, and if so, what kind of tunes are your rocking?

(Wes speaking)
Some music that I listen to in the van and could doze off to would be: Imogene Heap, Death Cab For Cutie, Edison Glass, Aaron Roche, Anathallo, As Tall As Lions, Brand New, This Day And Age, and Magnet.

(Jonathan speaking)
Sigur Ros, third eye blind, broken social scene.

(Laura speaking)
Nora Jones, Alison Krauss, Frank Sinatra, Imogene Heap, Coldplay, Death Cab, John Williams arrangements…

(Kelsey speaking)
Sigur Ros, # 3 on the “( )” album for sure. I never could make it through that song, and really that’s all I can think of right now. I guess it depends on how tired I am… if I was tired enough I could fall asleep to some thrash metal… ha.

SWH: Finally, any final words? Any shoutouts? This is your chance to get anything off your chest. Who in the band needs to shower more? Who has the worst morning breath?

(Andy speaking)
Well, if there are any listeners who need to get rid of a good sized trailer or, say, tour bus, we know some people that could help you find a place for them. And thanks to everyone that has supported us by coming to shows and buying our CD. We hope you are encouraged by our music.

(Laura speaking)
Kelsey snores!!

(Jonathan speaking)
“we need a bigger boat.”

(Kelsey speaking)
Thanks to everyone for all the help thus far. Without your support this would not be possible. We love you all.

To Laura: At least I don’t yell in my sleep! Or do I?

SWH: Thanks so much for taking time out of your schedules to patronize a young fanboy. I am new at interviews, so I hope this wasn’t too boring or out there. Keep making great music and keep your dreams alive. Because after all, that’s what we are all here for, isn’t it?

-SWH.Blake

Deas Vail is on tour now!

Mar 17 2007 8:00P Sokol Underground Omaha, NE
Mar 18 2007 8:00P Emarald City Cedar Rapids, IA
Mar 19 2007 8:00P Henderson Hall/Lincoln Christian College Lincoln, IL
Mar 22 2007 8:00P Rhinelander High School Rhinelander, WI
Mar 23 2007 8:00P World Harvest Canal Winchester, OH
Mar 24 2007 8:00P Saginaw Valley Church of the Nazarene Saginaw, MI
Mar 25 2007 8:00P Woodland Heights Crawfordsville, IN
Mar 28 2007 8:00P Grace School Bennington, VT
Mar 29 2007 8:00P Emmanuel Church Johnstown, PA
Mar 30 2007 7:00P Wesley Chapel/Houghton College Houghton, NY
Mar 31 2007 7:00P Bethany Assembly of God Agawam, MA
Apr 1 2007 8:00P The Buffalo Icon Buffalo, NY

Official Website
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Feature Interview: Ladd Mitchell

2007-03-14T21:59:00.000-05:00

Ladd Mitchell: Building a Better Parent

After ten years of writing, recording, and touring with various incarnations of the Springfield, Illinois based emo-rock outfit Park, frontman Ladd Mitchell walked away from the life of a rolling stone and embraced the entrance into normalcy with an overwhelming sense of relief. Parenthood, a normal family life, and the the stability, set schedule, and steady financial income of a normal 9-5 had become objects of envy in the tired eyes of a man who had spent many grueling years on the road. The final decision, ultimately resulting in the break up of the band, came in early February on the back end of months of speculation and rumor. Though in hindsight Ladd asserts insecurities in his songwriting abilities, the influential role Park played, and will continue to play in shaping the sounds of countless local and national acts of the same genre is simply irrefutable. In the wake of his decision, fellow Park brethren Miles Logan and Alex Haycraft have formed Wise & Burn, a project on the look out for a voice, as Ladd prepares to better himself in the realm of the blue collar, running two jobs. While Ladd emphasized to SWH that a musician is something he will always be, at this point his energies are focused on Building A Better Parent.

Park's final show, in celebration of their ten-year career will take place at the Route 66 Hotel in their hometown of Springfield, IL on Saturday, May 5th. Fans who are fortunate enough to attend the band's final show, will also spend the weekend partying and celebrating at the same location. Weathering A Summer, Park's official DVD will premier at the show. It will see an official release sometime after.

While there is so much more one could say in favor of the man and the project he chose to leave behind, sometimes less can prove far more. Either way, I’ll leave the rest of the details to the man himself. Ladd took a great deal of time to answer any and all of SWH’s questions pertaining to the band that was, the decision to put it to rest, and what lies ahead for himself and the other members of Park. It was a pleasure to say the least. Enjoy.

I want to be the best Dad I can possibly be to my child. I want to give my son the family environment I never had. That’s the most important thing to me right now.

-Ladd Mitchell

SWH: For starters, could you just introduce yourself, along with what role you played in the band Park?

My name is Ladd Mitchell. I started out just playing guitar in Park but eventually became the lead singer/guitar.

SWH: Looking back at the band’s run, could you shed some insight on how your visions/intentions/aspirations of the project changed and evolved over time? In your own mind, did you accomplish all that you had wanted to? If not, where do you think you guys fell short?

When we first started, it was nothing short of a dream come true. Four kids playing music in a basement with no responsibility whatsoever. I don’t think it gets much better than that. All we wanted was to tour and release albums. We knew nothing other than the fact that when were together making music it felt right. There was an innocence about it that I can’t explain. There is no other way I would have spent my time. As far as visions and intentions went, there really weren’t any. There was no market for that type of music at the time. The internet was in its infancy and booking was done mostly by phone. If you were touring and selling albums you considered yourself lucky. MTV was more concerned about R & B and the bands we wanted to be like were accessible only through live appearances, mail order, and mom and pop record stores. We just wanted to have fun and make some fans along the way. The goals we set seemed so out of reach in the beginning but as time went by and things started to happen it didn’t seem so unrealistic.

SWH: On a similar note, would you mind going into your own personal thoughts of the overall progression of the band – both sonically and lyrically – with each new release? You were always a band that stayed true to a core sound, did you ever feel like you wanted to try some different things out, or expand at all?

With No Signal we were all very young and didn’t understand how to write/record an album. Every aspect of making a professional album was new to us. We would write a lot of unnecessary parts that our producer (Cameron Webb) ultimately changed for the better. We didn’t really know how to mold the technical parts we are known for, into a song that made sense. What sounded good to us was really just a mish mash of "cool" parts. We had no idea what "arrangement" was. Cameron helped out tremendously in that department and it was something that stuck with us. Lyrically, I think No Signal had a sophomoric undertone; very simple and plain. Seeing how an album is made from start to finish was a really interesting process to see first hand. It’s a process I am glad I had the chance to see.

When we returned with It Wont Snow, it was a different story. We knew what to expect and what our strengths were. The songs were not as polished as we wanted them to be, but I don’t think anyone is truly ready when they step into the studio.

Building, was in my opinion, the best sounding album production wise. Cameron is a great producer and knows what kind of sound works best for what you’re trying to do. We used my Hiwatt with a Marshall JMP and mixed the two together and got some really great tones. We branched out a lot on that recording by using a lot of different guitar sounds. In the past we just got one sound and went with it. We were constantly tweaking the guitars to get what worked best for the song.

One thing I always thought we had a lack of in the studio, was time. I have friends whose bands go in for months at a time, and 12 days was the longest we ever spent tracking. With a month I think the possibilities would have been limitless. I always wanted to try out different instruments, concertinas, strings, organs, harmonicas, dulcimers, and such; the wackier the better.

SWH: While I’m sure you all improved as musicians and the production qualities of each release got better, putting those facts into context, which record do you think shows Park at its best – your personal favorite release, and more importantly, why?

My favorite release would have to be It Wont Snow. To me it has got the most energy and integrity of the entire discography. Plus it was a BITCH to write. Anytime you tackle something really hard, and overcome it it’s always a good feeling. I was going through a very rough time and I think if it had not been for the outlet of writing, I might have done something very rash. The band knew how hard of a time I was having and we all fed off of that. It was at times a very family oriented atmosphere which was kind of a rare thing in Park. Also, it was recorded in a very short amount of time. 12 days of tracking, which in my opinion gave it a rushed sound that made it more energetic. We had a great time recording it. Its one of those memories where I look back, and I am immediately flooded with all sorts of emotions. The album had all of the correct components you need to make a great record; anger, fear, hate, love, etc. We really lucked out because we weren’t that prepared when we went into the studio. Or at least I wasn't. I've always been very bad about waiting until the last minute to write lyrics. I’m not fond of writing lyrics to be honest. I’m way over critical. There are parts of other albums I like a lot but as a whole I think we were at our best when writing/recording this album. It was an absolute amazing experience I will never forget.

Funny story - On the night before I started the vocals Gabe, Justin, and I went drinking and had a bit more than we should have. I was attempting to "walk" to the car when Gabe tackles me and tells me I've had to much alcohol and that I need to throw up. He pushes me down, picks me up by my feet and starts spinning me around, thinking it will induce vomiting. My head is scrapping the pavement as he is swinging me and then he releases me and I go soaring into a fucking thorn bush. This obviously enrages me and I attack him. Long story short, he gets me in a scissor lock and bruises my ribs. It was very hard singing the next three days. Every time i inhaled it hurt like a bitch. FUCK YOU GABE!!!

SWH: What were your favorite themes/influences to draw from as far as writing went? Do you feel as if they evolved a great deal over time, or was it always the same basic ideas you wrote about?

There was always the theme of "loss" that turned me on a lot. I tried to get away from it on Building but it didn’t work to well. I've always felt comfortable with that theme. On No Signal the over all theme to me was "frustration". I never sat down and tried to make an album have a feel or a theme. It was just whatever came out was what you got. I wish I could have evolved the texture of the lyrical content a bit more on No Signal because it always seemed a little adolescent to me but I think that’s what a lot of people connected with. In my opinion, it was very plainly written. I've really always tried to write what I was familiar with at the time. On Snow it was very obvious as to what I was going to write about, I just had to phrase it correctly. Writing lyrics is such a hard thing to do and I think a lot of bands don’t spend enough time on it. To me the lyrics are the fabric connecting the musician to the listener. They are the most observed part of a band.

SWH: Infinite amounts of touring – crews and fans along the way. Countless interactions with producers, mixers, labels. Line-up changes, arrivals and departures. You met a whole lot of people along your journey, and saw a whole lot of different places. I know its tough for an abridged version, but would you mind recalling some of your fondest memories/times with the band as far as touring and the family you developed? What will you miss the most?

There are so many memories to choose from I wouldn’t even know where to start. The first tours we did with God’s Reflex are some of the most memorable. Driving around Texas in the middle of summer with no A/C and being completely miserable. It’s little things like that that stick in my head. Not playing huge shows or getting on “good” tours but the trivial times are what make it so special. I will miss every aspect about it intensely. I’m just glad I have been blessed by the people I got to share the stage with. If I had to do it over again I wouldn’t change a thing. Except maybe I would have had sex with that bearded lady in Quebec. Might not have been a pleasurable experience but damn it would have made a good story.

SWH: What were your favorite/least favorite cities to tour in and why? Who are some of the closest friends you developed as far as other bands are concerned?

I don’t have a favorite city to play in per se. I do however have certain cities that I feel very comfortable in and that always makes being away from home a lot easier. Santa Barbara would be my first choice. We have been there so much that it feels like an extension of home more than just another town. Steve, who owns Lobster, has always been very accommodating to us. I don’t know how he put up with us honestly. He is a very selfless person.

My second choice would be Seattle. We have a friend up there that is from our home town, so he takes extra special care of us. I’m not really a fan of big cities but for some odd reason Seattle doesn’t seem so “big” to me. I think its more spread out which makes it feel friendlier to me. Some of the best people I’ve met live there.

As for friends we have made with other bands, man that’s a tough one. Hmmmmm. Fucking MONEEN! The most amazing people ever. I have countless memories of those crazy Canadian fuck-turds. This one time Hippy was all shit slathered and comes stumbling into my room and asks to borrow my razor. I said no cause he had this huge beard and I didn’t want him dulling up my shit. Mach 3’s are expensive! I walk outside to go pee a few minutes later and he is sitting in the front room with shaving cream all over his face and a bag of chips in his lap. I watched him reach into the bag, take out a chip, and scrap the shaving cream off his face and eat the chip. I asked him what he was doing and he then explained to me he couldn’t find any shaving cream so he used ranch dressing instead and when I refused the service of my razor he decided to not waste the ranch. Fucking Canadians.

SWH: How does it personally make you feel when up and coming bands reference you guys as a prominent influence or driving force in their own artistic endeavors? How much influence do you think you had on the genre as a whole, especially in your local area?

Its always flattering when someone lists you as an influence. Due to my insecurities the first thing I think is “why?” I have never really thought anything we have done has been special in any way. It’s so hard to step outside of what you have created and look at it from another angle and appreciate it. There have been moments in the studio or at practice where something clicks and you catch yourself thinking, “Man this feels right.” But it’s a pretty rare occurrence. I don’t understand over confident musicians, I just never saw the advantage of self puffery.

I think we have had more influence locally than nationally. Not so much with music style but in terms of making kids realize that you can be a touring band and live in the Midwest. You don’t need to be from a huge city. Granted it has its advantages, but so does being from a little town. Getting comments from local kids is something special that means a lot to me. I don’t show a lot of gratification for it, but like I said, I’m pretty insecure about “being an influence”. I usually just say thanks and turn red.

SWH: Why is it you don’t think you guys ever really took off [like you deserved to]? Looking back, would you want to do any things differently? Do you ever feel any ill will or resentment towards younger bands that find a way to skyrocket to the top without putting in the time and energy you guys did?

I think timing and location were both major issues. After It Wont Snow was released, I thought we would get some offers but nothing really turned up. Lobster was having trouble with their distro and I think that hurt us as well, but worked with what we had. We toured and did everything in our power to make it happen for us. In the end, I think what we did was nothing short of a success. In hindsight I wish we would have communicated with each other a bit more because I feel that has always been an issue within the band.

I don’t harbor any ill feelings towards the younger bands that are doing really well now. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little jealous of them, but what are you going to do? On one hand I think it must suck getting big that fast, because you never go through the little things that make you appreciate being in a big band. Like touring in a van and then graduating to a bus. Van touring sucks, but it is a humbling experience that I feel bands should have to go through. In my opinion, the faster you gain fame the quicker you lose it. I’ve seen it happen to countless bands. I just hope they enjoy it while they’re on top cause it is not a permanent ride and when they fall it tends to be pretty hard.

SWH: Coming up in a growing scene, one that is absolutely huge now, how have things changed in your eyes? What are your personal opinion/feelings on the state of the industry and this particular niche of music?

It’s not even the same type of music as when we first started. “Emo” is not “emo” anymore. To me, Emo was a lot less radio friendly and didn’t have rules like, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, and outro. The stuff today is just bubble gum pop molested by punk rock. Once labels realized they could make money they turned it into this marketable product geared towards young adults. It’s the same thing that happened to punk rock in the early 80’s. A totally fresh perspective that got so twisted around by the industry that it’s the exact opposite of what it was originally supposed to be. The bands that are “popular” are the worst ones to represent the Emo movement right now. I know it’s a cheesy analogy but sit back and think of the first fast food chain that comes into you mind. Mine was McDonalds. The reason it popped into my head is because it’s so prolific. But just because it is everywhere you look does not make it the best food. In fact, it’s horrible for you. The music industry is the exact same. They pump millions of dollars into bands that are marketable. They don’t care if the bands are good musicians or not just as long as they are attractive and young. And it works. Reason being, their target audience are young adults. They pick the most impressionable group of people they can find.

SWH: Out of the entire discography, choose a single song that you feel conveys everything that you feel stood for the band, or represented the band – lyrically and sonically?

“Gasoline Kisses for Everyone” would be my vote. I think it has all of the elements that make a good song. And that’s a lot coming from me. I think I suck.

SWH: While I don’t want to step on any toes, could you please go into as much detail that you can about the tough decision you ultimately came to? What factors played into, when did thoughts initially enter your mind – how did you about discerning them?

Ever since Justin Valenti left the band I had not felt the same. When he quit I didn’t think things would change much. He didn’t have a lot to do with writing Building, although what he did contribute are my favorite tracks on the album, and I could see he wanted to do other things with his life. Though I didn’t know it, his leaving was that start of my quitting Park. Things were not the same after he left. We got Aaron, who is one of the most amazing people I have ever met and he has done a great job for us, to replace Justin. Justin and I didn’t really have a strong relationship the last couple of years while he was in the band. But after he quit we began talking more than we did when he was in the band! Rekindling our friendship was really great. After a while I began asking him how "not being in a band" was. He told me it was great. He said he felt as if he owned his life again. It didn’t make much sense to me then but it started to soon after. Over the next few months I started to dread going on tour. It was slowly becoming less and less fun for some odd reason. I started thinking about quitting and it freaked me out quite a bit so I told myself I was going through a phase and that it would pass. Unfortunately it didn’t. I started feeling "controlled" in a sense. I knew I wasn’t but I couldn’t shake the feeling. I felt as if I wasn’t in charge of my life. What was worse was that I couldn’t tell the band. They had so much fun on the road and i didn’t want to ruin it over reasons I thought they would not understand. I also started becoming envious of my friends who led "normal" lives. Working 9-5 type jobs. I know it sounds crazy but I have never had that existence and it sounded fucking great to me. Stability, an actual schedule, and steady financial income! The more I thought about it the more appealing it sounded. All of that added with my disgust for the condition of the music scene really made me not want to be in a band anymore. I struggled with this for months going back and forth before I came to a decision to quit. It was not something I took lightly. I didn’t think it would come as a surprise to the band because I was always trying to drop subtle hints about me not enjoying the band anymore. I think they knew I was clearly unhappy. I was trying to figure out a time and a way of telling them that I was quitting when I learned that my girlfriend was pregnant. I informed Park of the news and asked that our future plans be put on hold. Soon after we got home I broke the news to the band.

SWH: What’s in store for the future – both musically and otherwise? Got any things in the works? What about the remaining members?

I will never stop writing music. Whether I release it or not is another question. I would love to commit to a project but I think I'm going to have my hands full for awhile before I have time to do something solid. Having the weight of Park off my shoulders has definitely helped my creativity. There are a whole slew of songs I want to get released but we'll see what happens. I think they have a broader/mellower sound to them. Other than that I'm planning on going to school and getting a degree and being a Dad. I think Miles and Alex are getting another band together but I don’t know any details.

SWH: Do you think the possibility of a Best Of, or b-sides/acoustic/rarities release might ever see the light of day?

We have some old songs that will never ever get released just because they are so horrible. Bad recordings and bad song writing. Its fun to hear them and hear how much we have grown but I would be embarrassed if they saw the light of day. We have some seven inches that are pretty hard to come by and even when I hear those I cringe. I was at work the other day talking about getting a new record player and this young kid had no clue what one was. He had never seen a record. I thought that was pretty fucked up.

SWH: How tough will that last show be? Do you think you’ll ever tour late on down the line for a reunion of sorts, or will it be a clean break?

I'm looking forward to the last show. I’m curious to see what kind of a turnout there will be. It would really be funny if like 10 kids showed up. That would make me laugh. I'm certain there will be tough parts about the last show. The last few songs will be a sad affair no doubt. The death of something is always sad but I would rather the show be a celebration of the last 10 years. My only concern is to please the fans that supported us. That’s what the show is all about. As of right now I don't see a reunion tour happening but I would like to think I'm wrong. I wouldn't be opposed to it whatsoever.

SWH: Building a better _______? At this very point in your life, what word fits best there?

Parent. I love music. It is everything to me. It has been a constant positive force in my life for so long and I can’t help but feel as if I'm turning my back on it. I will never stop writing and recording songs but sometimes you have to put things on hold for awhile until you find your footing. I want to be the best Dad I can possibly be to my child. I want to give my son the family environment I never had. That’s the most important thing to me right now.

SWH: Again, I’d like to thank you so much for everything – the music, the shows, and your cooperation to answer some questions. Best wishes –

-SWH.Steve

Weathering A Summer DVD Trailer :

Park was...

Ladd Mitchell
Miles Logan
Alex Haycraft
Aaron Bickel
Justin Valenti
Jansen Lee
Gabe Looker
Timmy Costello
John Heupel
Eric Lipe
Keith Voguele

MySpace

Review: Sherwood - A Different Light

2007-03-12T09:36:00.000-05:00

Release Date: 3.13.07

Tracklisting
1. Song In My Head
2. The Best In Me
3. Middle of The Night
4. For The Longest Time
5. Home
6. Alley Cat
7. Give Up!
8. Never Ready to Leave
9. The Only Song
10. Alive
11. The Simple Life
12. A Different Light
13. I’m Asking Her to Stay

The part of me that loved pop music died when the Get Up Kids broke up in July 2005. Today’s indie/pop acts are sorely lacking any sort of “emotional” honesty: there is little to no integrity, believability, or intimacy to what comes out anymore. Further, what used to be catchy or fun in pop usually ends up feeling fake or gimmicky in the current scene. Thankfully, Sherwood bucks this trend with their new disc A Different Light. Superlative in today’s pop genre, A Different Light makes me want to believe in pop music again.

The album shows us a few related sides, and demonstrates them well with strong musicianship. The opening track, "Song In My Head," sets the tone for the album. It leads with a minute of slow emoting over keys, building up to a catchy latter ¾, including the slick chorus: “Don’t blink don’t close your eyes/and most of all don’t apologize/it’s me whose got the demons to wrestle now”. The layered vocals and pop guitar evoke the Beach Boys (whom Sherwood lists as a major influence,) throughout, but especially on songs like "Alive" and "The Best In Me." Conversely, the soft crooning of songs like "The Simple Life" brings to mind slower tunes by The Get Up Kids, whom Sherwood has also been compared to. The different vocal and song styles help keep the tracks on A Different Light from running together, which is a common problem with albums in the genre.

"Alley Cat" is an excellent track with all electronic instruments (similar to what you might find on a Postal Service album), while "Give Up!" is a fun tune with a genuine dance rock vibe that bands like Panic! At The Disco would kill for. A Different Light also has the straight-ahead, fun and catchy tracks expected of a good pop album, such as "Middle Of The Night" (one of the album’s best,) and "The Only Song." What all these different elements combine to form here is a pop record that expertly covers all of the traditional “pop” bases, without sounding like a rip-off of the other pop bands that do those things well.

A Different Light is fun, poignant, and feels honest. It elicits nostalgic thoughts of long drives and friendly campfires, and actually tugs at those heartstrings. This is the album’s biggest strength, and the reason why you should buy it immediately: it is one of those albums you throw on when you’re driving, when you’re with friends at the beach, when you’re hanging out in the dorm but not near the computer. The record has an undeniable fun factor that makes it good in multiple listening situations at many volumes. Though Sherwood can be compared to other pop acts, the music on A Different Light never feels like a rip-off of its influences. Imagine the emotional honesty and potency of the Get Up Kids coupled with the fun and carefree atmosphere of the Beach Boys. The potential is huge, and luckily Sherwood largely delivers upon that potential.

A Different Light is a fantastic record. Granted, the production is a bit too heavy-handed at times, (the vocals have been played with a bit too much,) but production is always heavy on pop albums, and it doesn’t prevent you from enjoying the band’s efforts. The album’s influences are clear, but thankfully Sherwood presents us with enough originality that the familiar-sounding songs are familiar in the good, honest way. The mechanics of the music are excellent, the lyrics are emotional and insightful without being trite, and every song on the album is good and fun on its own. Sherwood’s A Different Light has changed my mind about pop music. The album is among the elite of today’s pop genre, and will undoubtedly be one of the best albums of the year. Fans of Sherwood, pop music, or anything fun should definitely be all over this record.

With all this said, don’t be suckers: go out and buy Sherwood’s A Different Light immediately.

Score: 94%

Favorite Tracks: Middle of The Night, Alley Cat, Home, The Only Song

-SWH.JayMurda

Make sure you check out SWH's interview with Sherwood guitarist Dan Koch. You can find that right here.

Feature Interview: Ryan Dunson and Mike Kamerman of Rookie Of The Year

2007-03-10T16:02:00.000-05:00

Teachers educate, lawyers litigate, musicians tour. It’s just…what they do, or need to do rather, to get by in life. For a band, touring - not selling records [although that’s important too] - is their livelihood. And though the majority of us “9-5ers” lack any sort sympathy for the tough life of traveling musicians, the process is a grueling one, and can do a number on all the parties involved. Promote, travel, set-up, play, night in and night out for months on end. Throw in your occasional feud with any number of variant forms of inclement weather, flat tires, stolen van and equipment, and you’ve got one hell of a road trip. All things considered, it’s really quite amazing to think of how much bullshit these guys put up with all for the sake of their tunes.

Rookie of the Year front-man Ryan Dunson and lead guitarist Mike Kamerman agree, telling SWH that for a while, things just weren’t as fun for them and the remaining members of North Carolina based quintet. After releasing an exceptional collection of ambient and acoustic based indie rock tunes under the fitting designation The Goodnight Moon –one of my personal favorites of the year - early in 06, the guys hit the road in support of that said album, and well – never really stopped. Truth be told, in the midst of several support stints, a significant spot on the 111 showcase, and finally their own headlining reign over the Glitz and Glamour tour the road began to have its way with the band and its members, even to the point where the future of the band was put under some serious consideration. Many fans simply had no way of knowing how bad things had really gotten until about a little over a month ago when this bomb was dropped:

“Hey, this is Ryan from Rookie of the Year; I would like to give everyone an update about what is going on with the band. As of last night, we had an internal meeting and we almost disbanded due to personal reasons…”

And well apparently, the well deserved meeting was just what the band needed to get their shit in gear. In a matter of a month’s time, fortunately what didn’t end up killing them has only made them stronger. Shortly after the announcement the guys put the remainder of the Glitz tour to rest, rocked a slew of additional east coast dates, launched a brand new interactive website, shot their first video, announced that they would be playing the esteemed SXSW, and most recently, hit up the studio to record some demos for the up coming release and were selected to hit up the Bamboozle Festival with some of their 111 brethren. Pheew, that’s some turn around.

Recently, Ryan and Mike kindly took some time out to discuss the rollercoaster ride of a month with SWH. Hope it provides some great insight for you fans.

We were pretty close to the breaking point personally but we still believed in what we were doing so no one really wanted to throw in the towel. Previously, when we would have problems we wouldn't say everything we wanted to say but this time around we were able to and I think because of that we will be able to pull through.
-Mike, ROTY

SWH: For starters, introduce yourselves and what role you play in the band.

Ryan - I sing and play acoustic guitar.

Mike - I play guitar and sing once in while. I met Ryan while I was touring with my old band from NJ and joined Rookie after we broke up.

SWH: Now I don’t want to come off as disrespectful or intrude into the personal matters of the band by any means – but I figured I’d start the interview off with the most pertinent question, mainly having to do with the message Ryan sent out to the fans via MySpace. If at all possible, could you please provide a little more detail or insight into what went down in your personal meeting as a band? What had been going on leading up to the meeting that pushed the issue to its breaking point? Ultimately, what was the final outcome of the situation – and what was done/ or is being done to resolve the problem? How close did you get to throwing in the towel?

Ryan - Pretty much what it came down to is we needed to decide if we were in this for the long haul and if so we needed to be kinder to each other and deal with being with each other on the road 24/7. I'm a loner I guess. I need my alone space. If you ask anyone who tours, when you're on the road you're together 24/7. We had to sit down and talk about what bugged us and how we can make things fun again. Since that talk we have been having a better time and stuff seems new again.

Mike - We were pretty close to the breaking point personally but we still believed in what we were doing so no one really wanted to throw in the towel. Previously, when we would have problems we wouldn't say everything we wanted to say but this time around we were able to and I think because of that we will be able to pull through.

SWH: Now that the smoke has cleared, how important was the entire ordeal to you as a band, as friends, as individuals? Do you feel as if you’ve formed stronger bonds as a band as a result?

Ryan - I think we're getting along fine and there is definitely a stronger bond within the band.

Mike - We are all definitely starting to enjoy spending time with one another again and having more fun in the process.

SWH: Since the drop of The Goodnight Moon you guys have been touring like crazy – could you talk a little bit about your experience on the 111 tour, as well as your current Glitz and Glamour tour? Any cool stories you’d like to talk about, or friends [bands] you’ve made along the way?

Ryan - Well I shot a firework off in a house party! It hit a girl in the butt. She was ok, but it was amazing. The Glitz tour was a lot of fun. We're good friends with Four Letter Lie so it made it amazing! They're so good live!! It’s insane. We also made new friends with Scenes From a Movie and built an even stronger bond with our friends Roses are Red.

Mike - My favorite time on the tour was when we me and Tony from Scenes boxed. I'm not really sure why or how it happened but it did and it was fun. I think he gave me a mild concussion. haha

SWH: What’s it like having the opportunity to headline this current tour? Have you guys thrown in any newer material, covers, etc. or has it been a mixture of the two LPs?

Ryan - I'll do some acoustic stuff for encores like “Consider this Summer” and “The Weekend.” It's pretty fun to be able to do those songs again.

Mike - We haven't thrown in any new material yet, but were planning on playing some new songs soon!

SWH: After all the touring comes to an end – what do you feel you’ll take most away from this large stretch? Any new influences or sounds picked up along the way that we can look for on the new disc?

Ryan - Well Mike and I do most of the writing; I like darker stuff and Mike likes poppy stuff. That why I like how the songs come out, they have a bit of both. The new record will be a surprise.

Mike - We all listen to tons of different types of music so we try to incorporate a lot of that in our writing.

SWH: What are your plans after this tour concludes – more touring or do you plan to start writing/recording a new disc? Have songs already been written? If so, thematically are they a departure from what was found on The Goodnight Moon?

Ryan - We have some material done. We’re actually demoed last week.

Mike - We are planning on spending the next few months writing some new songs and doing some demos. We'll end up back on the road during the summer for sure. The new songs shouldn’t be too big of a departure of the sound we had on The Goodnight Moon.We were happy with that record and feel like we have a sound we can build on. The new record will definitely be more mature and probably not as all over the place as the last.

SWH: As far as writing is concerned, is it a group effort or mostly Ryan? Where do you draw your greatest influences – lyrically what inspires you?

Ryan - The first record I wrote half of the songs by myself and the other half was the band and I. We all structured the songs and arranged them. This new record will be group effort. I may do a slow song on my own for the next record. We'll see.

SWH: I know that Rookie started as acoustic solo project of Ryan’s, but what was the significance behind the name chosen? Are there still some recordings/solo songs

that haven’t been recorded full band? If so, is there any intent of using some older material any time in the future?

Ryan - When the band first started I thought it was a clever name for a solo act, but then it became full band I personally didn't know what to think. It's all about the music anyways.

Mike - It's not from the movie! But the actor who played the rookie of the year actually wrote us on myspace. We were stoked haha

SWH: What was it about 111 that sold on you guys as a band? You’ve since then released two releases for the label – how’s the relationship with the label today? Any aspirations to jump to a major if the opportunity presented itself?

Ryan - Well we're just one release in with them. They re-released a record that I did on my own. It was actually on a different label at first. We're still tight.

Mike - We definitely like being on 111 and wouldn't mind jumping on a major if the opportunity presented itself. That isn't a main aspiration though.

SWH: I’d like to go and look back at the last record a little more if you don’t mind – ask some questions I’ve had for a while that will hopefully provide some “hind site” insight now that its been some time since the album dropped.

While Ryan provided some info into the meanings of the songs on his MySpace blog, what does the over all title “The Goodnight Moon” have to do with that grouping of tunes?

Ryan - Well it’s kind of a story book. It’s about this girl I dated in Florida. She meant a lot to me, but things change. She deserved a record I guess.. hehe. It’s just saying goodnight to that part of my life more or less.

SWH: Jeremy from Rory helped you guys out on the track “Silouhettes” – do you guys work with similar label mates/contemporaries often? It must be great to be able to hash out some ideas with friends from other bands. Have you ever helped any other bands in a similar fashion?

Ryan - Thin Dark Line came in also and did some group vocals also. On the old record "having to let go" I had Aaron Marsh from Copeland come in and sing. Brandon from Dead Poetic was going to do some stuff too, but it didn’t work out. This next record may have some guest people, we'll see.

“also we after the first chrous we do this falsetto thingy... and then i say STOP! kinda jabbing at people that say we sound like Copeland... hehe” You really get that a lot huh? Does that comparison really get to you?

Ryan - Kinda, I mean it’s nice to hear that, but we heard that a lot before this record came out, haven’t heard it in awhile though. They are a great band though and we are big fans.

SWH: When talking about “Blue Roses,” you said that the new disc will have more slower songs on it – do you intend to follow up on this promise, or do you think the writing and recording will take you wherever it happens to go? Do you guys aim for the sound you present or is it just a natural progression?

Ryan - There will definitely be some ambient slow songs on the new record for sure, but also full band hard stuff to look forward to.

Mike - There will definitely be some slow songs on this record but not enough to bore you. Hopefully the new slower songs will be moving! hehe

SWH: I know you’ve dealt with some drinking issues in your life, how’s sobriety been treating you? How long has it been? How hard is it to stay strong out on the road?

Ryan - Well I’m not sober anymore. I'll have a beer here and there. Not before shows and most of the time not at all after, but I’m holding it down well. My ex-girlfriend helped me get through it; she was definitely there for me.

SWH: On a more personal level, when you think back on some of your personal struggles - whether the battles with alcoholism and illness, various relationship situations or this recent fall out with your band mates - what situation do you think has or will have the most resounding effect on the broader scope of your life?

Ryan – All of them really. It makes you realize so much with your life and how fast it comes and goes. You can't take anything for granted.

SWH: In relation to the last album, what do you think we can expect from the next one as far as sound is concerned?

Ryan - More mature, but still with those hooks... its all about those hooks!

Mike - Hopefully bigger hooks, but less predictable! We're excited to see where writing takes us this time around.

SWH: As far as last year was concerned - what new artist was the rookie of the year for you guys?

Ryan - Hmmm probably Matthew Ryan check him out!! So amazing

Mike - Self Against City, Yearling, Four Letter Lie, Campbell, The Varsity

SWH: Albums you’re excited for dropping in 2007?

Ryan - Explosions In The Sky’s new EP. Ummm I’m not sure what’s coming out!!

SWH: Last one: Do you guys sleep with headphones, and if so, what’s usually playing in them?

Ryan - I do all the time! Anberlin and Lovedrug’s new one, Mew, The Varsity, Bryan Adams...

Mike - Beethoven and Mozart all the way!

SWH: Anything else you’d like to add?

Ryan - Thanks for doing the interview!! It means a lot that you want to know more about us. See ya on the road in April with Making April.

Mike - Thank you for the interview and sorry it took so long to get back to you! We appreciate you talking with us.

SWH: Thanks so much guys! Can’t wait to hear some new tunes. Good luck on the tour and best of wishes for 2007 –

Check out ROTY's first studio update!

ROTY is...

Ryan : vocals
Mike : guitar
Brandon : guitar
David : drums
Pat : bass

Brand new site
MySpace

The Goodnight Moon is in stores now!

Interview: Ben Liebsch - You, Me, And Everyone We Know

2007-03-07T17:34:00.000-05:00

Hailing from the D.C. area, You, Me, And Everyone We Know has been noted for their obvious culmination of various influences--ranging from Fall Out Boy, Set Your Goals, and--most noticeable of all due to singer Ben Liebsch's aggressive voice--Say Anything. Their most recent release was a six song EP entitled Party For The Grown And Sexy which seemed to be well received by those who were fortunate enough to have heard it. You can listen to the entire EP free-of-charge by going to their Absolutepunk.net artist profile.

The band was nice enough to answer some questions (after apparently pursuing in battle over which member, of the five, would get to answer them) of mine. Hopefully you all enjoy the short, entertaining read!

SWH: Hey, this is going to be the most informal review ever. Okay?

I am pretty prepared. I also want to apologize for taking so long to get back to you. Everyone in the band was fighting over who got to do this interview, but evidently they dropped the ball, so you're stuck with me. (I would smile cleverly here in person)

SWH: Who are you and what do you do in You, Me, And Everyone We Know?

My name is Ben Liebsch. I write and sing the words.

SWH: Assuming, because of the name of your band, that you've seen it: Me and You and Everyone We Know. That movie is pretty sweet. I actually cried when the goldfish fell off the car—true story. It reminded me of a goldfish I had when I was just a little fetus. Did you cry when the goldfish fell off the car too?

[Note: I actually completely lied here, I did not cry at this part of the film nor did I ever own a goldfish of my own. I apologize for any sympathy that was felt for me --Mitch]

I actually haven't seen the movie in a really long time and I only sort of remember it. Everyone talks about the poop back and forth part, but i always get stuck on the part when the little kid and the lady meet. It's so incredibly funny.

SWH: Besides an obvious Say Anything influence (which is not a bad thing at all), what are some others?

Well, the weird thing about our band is we all like different stuff. Wait, i just realized that EVERY band gives that answer. Let me give you a better one. Our style of writing is very accidental. We kind of stumble whimsically (i like that word i use it a lot when talking about the band) between genres. I see a lot of The Format in us increasingly, but a little faster and darker. We like to keep it fun and exciting. I want to be the party band in Animal House.

SWH: If you were headlining a tour, what are two bands you would want as support?

Geez, i dont know. Headlining tours seem so far away to me right now. I mean, obviously I'd like to enjoy the bands we played with. I'd like to take out bands we play with at home like Adelphi (jesus they are amazing) and The Spotlight. I'd also like to help out smaller up and coming bands. That'd be great. Tour is Great.

SWH: I saw you guys in concert at Walter Johnson High School a while back, and I vividly remember one of the band members singing along to a Set Your Goals song that played through the speakers between sets. I've loved you guys ever since that moment (and, of course, after hearing you actually play).

We like songs that excite people. Set Your Goals definitely has a bunch.

SWH: What album or albums got you interested in making music?

As much as I would get hated on about it if people cared who I was, Fall Out Boy's "Take This to Your Grave" helped me rediscover my singing voice. Say Anything helped me to indulge my weirder side.

SWH: What is your most anticipated album of this year?

This year? Oh yeah, Say Anything and I Am The Avalanche have CDs coming out this year, I'm wicked excited about those....

Do you guys have any plans for recording a full-length album any time soon?

We are pretty much holding off on recording somewhere real again until we can find someone else to pay for it wink wink

SWH: Thank you for this interview!

-SWH.Mitch

You, Me, And Everyone We Know is:

Ben - Vocals

Ryan - Guitar/Vocals
Noel - Guitar
Dan - Bass

Paul - Drums

Official Site

Myspace

Review: Paulson - All At Once

2007-03-06T20:08:00.000-05:00

Tracklisting
1. Voids
2. Under Crowns
3. Calling On You
4. Window Frames
5. Slow Down
6. Programs
7. Miami Current
8. Not By A Long Shot
9. Break Me In
10. Ultra-high
11. Just Shy
12. I Knew You When
13. What Are You?

I absolutely loathe re-leases, re-issues, re-masterings, re-workings. Whatever the hell you want to call them, they all essentially reinforce my nerve-ridden impatience for new material. I swear, between the ever-growing number of them and constant album delays over the years, it’s given me a slight tick. Having said that, you’d think I would have completely trashed on New Jersey based band Paulson having received word that after two years (two friggen years!) since releasing a seemingly satisfying ensemble of tracks under the title All At Once, the quintet had opted to ink a deal with New York indie label Doghouse Records and REISSUE that same exact album. What!? Even the band finds the whole ordeal preposterous, citing in their bio:

“So counting our original demo of Variations, we've released two albums five times on three labels. Is that ridiculous or what? Write some new songs already!"

I mean honestly, come on, even the album’s title screams immediacy! – It’s just not fair.

And yet - All At Once - I fully realized I was wrong about it all.

Not entirely with my discontent with re-released material, but to the idea that Paulson had screwed the pooch when deciding to re-work some of All At Once’s tracks while throwing in 4 new additions. In fact, after giving the new release the standard number of spins I truly believe it was the best decision Doghouse and the band could have made.

As one would expect, the re-worked versions of the old favorites (i.e. “Voids” “Window Frames” “Miami Current” “What Are You?”) pack more of a sonic punch than their original versions, and as a result the “new” and improved All At Once has more teeth. The songs are louder, more layered, and front man Logan LaFlotte’s unique set of pipes have improved significantly. I’ve never quite been able to pinpoint a description that would do them justice, but the seemingly under pronounced yelp is effective in both the upbeat and ballad-esque arenas. The harmonies are much darker than one would expect going in, but the content within goes exceptionally well with the style and sound of the jams.

If there's one thing that must be said about this new release, it's that nearly all of the old songs see plenty of improvement. A much more full sounding bass from Alex Burton, the all-too-effective synth additions from John Guarante and a number of new vocal intricacies add to the appeal of a collection of songs that were seemingly well arranged their first time out. Could have fooled me; guess there’s always room for improvement. It has always been of my opinion that the toe-tap-driven percussion within the majority of the songs defines the band. On the re-issue not only is that force still present, but with the new volume levels of the instrumentation, Jeff Widner’s exceptional work on the skins really gets a chance to shine. If I'm being entirely honest, the review itself was pretty hard to get down on paper because I had to continually remind myself "Please, no dancing until the review is finished, thanks." Aside from that, I’m quite pleased that the band chose to stick with the original track order. "Voids" and the epic build of "What are You?" (now with strings accompaniment), kick things off, and wind them down quite nicely.

As for them 4 newbies...simply put, they’re great. While the majority of the album showcases how much the band can do what it did in the past better, all four of the new tracks provide a glimpse of what’s to come in future Paulson releases. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s a new band, but there’s definitely a lot more going on in the songs, something that previous fans can surely appreciate, while luring in the drum and bass band’s naysayers to a much more full sound.

The synth ridden “Calling On You” is seemingly the band’s greatest departure, but one of the album’s finest selling points. The 80s-like hand clapping chants in the song’s chorus give the description ‘catchy’ a new meaning. It’s truly haunting how the spacey effects and synthetic rhythms embed themselves into your genetic make up. Eerily-layered vocals, driving drum rolls, and one hell of a mesmerizing guitar line dominate the track “Slow Down,” another new tune that makes an old fan like me giddy for things to come (who knows maybe they’ll get up-streamed and re-release the damn thing again.) My favorite of the new jams –“Break Me In” - is more reminiscent of some of the older, stripped down tracks as it is simple in its presentation, but features lyrical content that really strike a chord. Once LaFlotte assuringly croons, “I’m gonna love again/You gotta break me in/I’m holding out too long/ you hear it in my songs,” I was immediately sold on the track.

In the end, I guess we all suffer from our false presumptions every now and again. Regardless, Paulson’s re-issue of All At Once is another solid effort from the New Jersey crew. It improves on the old, and brings promise for the new. Don’t let it happen again though!

Score: 85%

Tracks: Break Me In, Calling On You, What Are You?

-SWH.Steve

Be sure to check below for a fantastic new interview with Paulson's lead guitar player Jesse - just in time for the record's release. Enjoy!

Interview: Jesse [Guitar] - Paulson

2007-03-06T19:03:00.000-05:00

We did shop around and had a couple other offers, but when it came down to it, it was clear that not only did we fit in best with the Doghouse roster, but also that there was genuine love for our band throughout the company. And since it was Dirk's wife who made him sign us, we feel pretty confident we won't be dropped as long as their marriage remains intact.

-Jesse

SWH: Before we start, you guys know the drill – Who be you, and what is it that you do in this fine musical ensemble?

I'm Jesse. I play guitar mostly.

SWH: Could you please provide a slight bio of how the band came to be? Were any of you guys in any other projects previously?

We formed in 2001; damn that's a long time ago! We were the product of several high-school bands of dubious merit that broke up to form a sort of "supergroup" of dubious merit. We didn't take it too seriously until we signed with a small label in 2004. Then we got VERY serious. We knew quitting our jobs to play music full-time was a one-time opportunity to completely ruin our lives. So we ran with it.

What is the significance behind the name Pauslon?

I'm not sure exactly, but "Paulson" has a nice ring to it!

SWH: Talk a little bit about coming up in the local/regional New Jersey scene [east coast love]? What that was like, what you ultimately took from so many years of DIY shows, any great friends and band buddies we should know about at this point?

There has been much talk about the New Jersey/New Brunswick college scene, and we did have a lot of fun and drunken times back then. The best part about that time was there wasn't any pressure to make money, or even to be any good at music. A lot of the great bands that we played basements with back in the day like Outsmarting Simon (Triple Crown Records) have since broken up and a lot of others, like My Chemical Romance, shame us with their success. We have been touring for close to 2 years now, and though they didn't come out of this NJ scene, some of our favorite bands we've met along the way are House Of Fools, from Greensboro, NC and Far-less, from Virginia. Check them out!

SWH: How did the current situation with Doghouse pan out? Were you guys shopping your stuff around or did the label approach you? Were they any other labels that showed a lot of interest, and if so, [well actually, regardless], what was it with Doghouse that sold on you?

Our previous label, One Day Savior, is distributed through Lumberjack, which is owned by Dirk from Doghouse. Some folks at Lumberjack got into the record (the original All At Once) and it sort of circulated its way through the company up to Dirk's wife Emily. We did shop around and had a couple other offers, but when it came down to it, it was clear that not only did we fit in best with the Doghouse roster, but also that there was genuine love for our band throughout the company. And since it was Dirk's wife who made him sign us, we feel pretty confident we won't be dropped as long as their marriage remains intact.

SWH: I know it’s only been a short time, but how has that decision worked out up to this point? What do they offer you that you haven’t had the luxury of having in the past?

It is going pretty good so far. Their checks don't bounce. They actually have a "staff" of people who come in every day to "work our record." they have even let us sleep at their house and play with their dogs. I don't know what more you can expect from an evil blood-sucking record label.

SWH: Was the idea to reissues/re=master/re – whatever they call it now All At Once a group decision, or was it the labels idea? Were there any talks of a brand new release, or did they/you just want to get your feet wet with some material you felt hadn’t of caught on as you thought it would the first time around?

It was Dirk's idea, and we went for it, but the idea was originally floated in February of 06. We fretted over where to sign for like 8 months. If we had just made up our minds earlier it would've made a lot more sense. The general consensus was that the record was good, that writing new music was super hard, and that One Day Savior really hadn't had the resources to bring the record to a lot of people. It wasn't so much that it "didn't catch on" as "no one knew we existed."

SWH: You’ve done some extensive touring over the last year or so – want to run down some of the personal hi-lights for you guys – people you’ve met, places you’ve seen, fellow bands that you’ve become close with? How have the fans responded to some of the newer material?

I could fill a book, seriously, with all the stupid and amazing shit we've seen. Again I will shout out House of Fools and Far-Less as dear, dear friends and amazing musicians who we just want to tour with again and again.

The general response to the new songs has been good, because they are completely awesome. We did get a couple of dudes who are getting frustrated by our progressively
“wussier” sound, but I don't think we could look ourselves in the mirror in the morning if we kept playing distorted power chords.

SWH: As far as the release is concerned, why keep the title All At Once while dumping the track itself?

The practical answer is that we didn't think the song "all at once" was good enough to be on the record. Seriously it has like 5 choruses and a poorly executed lap steel solo. That being said, we felt it was a little disingenuous to act like this was something new. We didn't want people who bought the old release to not know what they were getting themselves into.

SWH: Could you talk a little bit about the recording process with the new album? Were all the older songs completely re-recorded? If so, were the changes fans hear in the new songs intended, or just improvements you made/added along the way? What are some of the different things fans should look for as far as changes in those songs – and do you think those changes prove more affective than their original versions?

The older songs were just remixed and re-mastered. The goal of this process was not to tweak the writing or arrangements or to reinterpret the songs, but rather to get them sonically closer to the original vision. We ran out of money when we originally mixed it and though Mike Poorman did a stand-up job, we had to rush through it. So there were parts that got buried and in general we didn't feel like everything sat right in the mix. I think if you listen to the old and new side-by-side you'll notice much more clarity and presence. I'm excited we got a chance to patch it up!

SWH: Who did you work with on the release, and what did he/she bring to the table for you guys as a band?

We worked with Mike Poorman on both the original recording and for recording the new songs. He is a straight up dude and we feel really comfortable working with him. He's pretty much game for anything we want to try and he has a good set of ears. Plus his wife is a babe. That is our only criteria for choosing a producer.

SWH: There are 4 new tracks on the release, how many other new songs were recorded/worked on that did not make it onto the release?

Zero! We have song fragments from the original recording process but as mentioned before, writing music is way too hard. We only do it when we absolutely have to.

SWH: Talk a little bit about your sound/lyrical progression since the first release of All At Once. For me personally, the new songs on the myspace showcase a slightly different band – do you feel that that is the case, and that you are heading into some new arenas as far as sound is concerned?

We are absolutely a different band. I think we have progressively changed with every release we have done and don't see how we could do it any differently. For me personally, I am struggling a lot to find a role for guitar that I don't find totally generic and tired. I expect to waste a lot of money trying to rethink that portion of our music. I think sonically we'll see continued convergence between the "real" and electronic elements of our music, and as always, our focus will be on improving our songwriting.

SWH: Who did the artwork for the release, and is there any significance behind it?

I did actually. It's based on the work of the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. What attracted me to it was that it avoided the usual album art cliches that are so suffocatingly omnipresent; like the splattered ink/guns/hearts stuff of the emo/hardcore genres or the nature watercolors/landscape photos of the indie rock genre. I can't look at our album art and immediately know our genre of music, to my thinking.

SWH: When fans and newcomers alike hear your tunes, what is the most important thing you want them to associate with you as musicians and as human beings as well?

The most important thing for people to associate us with is alcohol, and to recall that human beings get thirsty, and that therefore they must buy us a drink.

SWH: What’s next?

Naptime!

SWH: Do you sleep with headphones ever, and if so, what’s usually playing in them?

I don't speak for the band, but I am listening to a lot of Regina Spektor, Peter
Gabriel, LCD sound system, Daft Punk and am eagerly anticipating the new Nine in Nails record.

SWH: Thanks so much man - congrats on the new release!

Thanks Steve!

-SWH.Steve

Paulson is...

Logan - vocals
Jeff - drums
Alex - bass
John - keyboards, vocals
Jesse - guitar

Official Site
Doghouse Records
Myspace

"All At Once" in stores March 6th via Doghouse Records!

Enter: PAULSON15 FOR 15% OFF

Review: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

2007-03-05T22:56:00.000-05:00

1. "Black Mirror" – 4:13
2. "Keep the Car Running" – 3:29
3. "Neon Bible" – 2:16
4. "Intervention" – 4:19
5. "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" – 3:57
6. "Ocean of Noise" – 4:53
7. "The Well and the Lighthouse" – 3:56
8. "(Antichrist Television Blues)" – 5:10
9. "Windowsill" – 4:16
10. "No Cars Go" – 5:43
11. "My Body Is a Cage" – 4:47

Let’s just put the cards on the table: Neon Bible is at least sonically worthy of being the follow up to Funeral—the same way Pavement’s studio polished and well written Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain was the perfect anecdote for their paramount garage debut, Slanted & Enchanted. They’ve rid themselves of the high end guitar and honky pianos so metallic that made their initial material feel nearly industrial—Neon Bible in comparison is about as clear as a “Black Mirror”. What really holds them (this life changing septet that has made ELO sound like they got a kick in the ass from Danny Elfman) from repeating a triumph in narrative strength is that their new working class agenda is about as lame and viable as the cover art.

Funeral was a perfect teenage-revolt epic, probably the best rock has seen of it’s kind since “The End” by the Doors… or even Oedipus Rex itself. The problem is it sucks that they can’t sell how now their characters are suddenly “working for the church while my family dies”. These chants from singer Win Butler on “Intervention” strikes closer to that John Mellencamp song in that Chevy commercial rather than a more worthy target like the folk brilliance of Springsteen’s Nebraska or Devils & Dust. Weirdly enough, these new troubles of “working for the building downtown” are just too hard to believe from a band that first romantically enchanted us proposing to build tunnels “from my window to yours” on their first album.

The queasiness doesn’t last forever—the songs in which Butler ditches the 18th century labor mills to talk about his own experience is where Arcade Fire truly echoes their past achievements. “My Body is a Cage” reveals the front man, at least in some character, to be deathly afraid of the limelight and longing for companionship. It’s this kind of brilliant epitaph that outsmarts their last curtain closer “In the Backseat”.

Needless to say that, even if departed from their tattered, hotel room recording strategies, Arcade Fire’s textures never cease to be darkly attractive and seductively harrowing. The Gothic Cathedral organs of “Intervention” and “My Body Is A Cage” ravish and frighten the deepest chasms of the punk’s soul. At the same time, you can’t help but laugh at how much you feel like you’re listening to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. Arguably the most effective display of growth is the ironically titled “Ocean of Noise”—a beautiful Spanish brass ballad where suddenly we’ve gone from Phantom to Evita. Once again, the blue collar banter is absent on this song, allowing the honest and elegant theatrics of this band to be forthright and unhindered.

It should be no surprise that a band as inventive as Arcade Fire has developed a new way to dissatisfy—by trying to grow up too fast. This is a crime far less severe than the lack of growth other better bands have exhibited in their advances (cough cough Room on Fire by The Strokes anyone?) Not too long ago Arcade Fire’s home country of Canada had American teenagers by the ears with pop punk bands and American Pie soundtracks. It was an awkward phase that died out fast because Sum 41 and Avril Lavigne refused to grow up. In 2004, Arcade Fire steadily replaced them as the band that made the peter pan syndrome something to relish in. Those of us who thrived on such fairy tail impulses will be equally if not more stimulated by this band’s ventures in the studio. It just doesn’t look like their new factory working characters are really going to last.

Score: 81%

Tracks:Intervention, Ocean of Noise, My Body Is A Cage

-SWH.Matthew DeMello

MySpace
Official Site

Stay tuned for tons of new reviews guys - tomorrow is a huge release day and we've got you covered.

Feature Interview: Andrew Brittell - Brightwood

2007-03-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

When I was younger, a wise man [my grandfather] once told me - If you really want to get something done kid, then you gotta do it yourself. The sentiment would have served as a fine transmission of old aged wisdom had I not been completely perplexed at the time; I knew nothing of what he preached. I’m sorry, mommy spoiled me. And yet while I always appreciated my grandfather’s grandiose pushes for self reliance and individual determination, only one thing ever really came to mind; easier said than done buddy!

So which is it?

I mean, normally I don’t even do enough to adhere to the life-long learned lessons of my elder Callahan’s, but since starting up this little music endeavor I’ve learned very quickly that we all could use a hand now and again – in my case anywhere between 10-14 hands 3-5 days a week does the trick. I’m not ashamed in the least, it’s completely understandable – as individuals we are just limited as far as resources, funds, and time are concerned. In light of those setbacks sometimes our grand visions inexplicably turn into narrow glances in to cracked kaleidoscopes in the blink of a tired eye. But is that any reason to sit and wait on the world to come to you in order to be heard? Luckily, I’ve grown to believe otherwise. In life, there is a fine line between the things we want and those that we need, and often time’s grandpa was right – you may not have much to work with, but you’ll always have yourself to get shit done.

Would have Portland based Indie pop-rock outfit Brightwood preferred to record their debut LP, follow up to 2006’s well crafted and buzz-worthy The Love Antidote EP, with what they referred to as a “real” producer, in a “real” studio? Of course. Had they hoped to be signed by this time and have a place to call home come release time for that said release? Absolutely. But, as I said, why wait for the pieces to fall into place when they have it in themselves to build the puzzle on their own accord, in a way that they see fit. They already proved they can do it.

That my friends is the fundamental beauty of DIY; a complete grassroots campaign to be heard. And that’s why I - as should you - love Brightwood. I mean, not to come off all “Disney” on everyone, but passion, heart, and belief in oneself are resources that money and successful marketing strategies simply can’t offer us. It’s something that this newly established quartet understands and utilizes in crafting the type of heartfelt pop songs they’ve already supplied fans. They are a band that’s not afraid to make great pop-rock tunes amidst an indie powerhouse dominated Portland scene – all on there own. It’s one thing to like a band’s tunes; it’s another to respect them for how they decide to conduct themselves in an often times shady business.

Even though midway through 2006 the band began to catch the eye of several labels on the back-end of extensive touring and the support of several music zines, the response I still usually get is: Who!? Sadly, the fact remains that the guys have probably garnered more attention within the music industry than they have with east coast audiences, but that sure as hell hasn’t stopped them from trying. I won’t waste my time chastising you lazy listeners for not picking up on these guys just yet, simply because they haven’t even been around that long. Regardless, in case you didn’t catch wind of their debut EP The Love Antidote, here’s a quick recap: It’s really good, now get off your ass and pick it up! [Actually, you can probably only pick this baby up online – you still get the picture] While Brightwood front-man Andrew Brittell admits that there were slight feelings of inadequacy floating around when recording/producing/engineering their first set of live tracks, the guys quickly developed a keen sense of confidence that they could handle what they were doing. Now in the pre-production stages of recording the upcoming release, Andrew assures that while 2006 was a good year, 2007 shall be incredible. God bless all of the grandfather’s of the world.

Alas, the rant had a purpose. Andrew took some time out recently to talk to SWH about those decisions to go it alone, the recording of the new album, and a whole lot of other great stuff. In the wonderful words of Andrew himself - Dig on, ladies and gents.

So yeah…the overwhelming positive response to our music last year, both from fans and industry people was unexpected and truly encouraging. What started as a meager DIY attempt to record a demo EP became what we consider to be a genuine phenomenon. 2006 was great, but we’re confident 2007 will be spectacular.

-Andrew Brittell

SWH: For starters, why don’t you introduce yourselves, along with what role you play in the band?

I'm Andrew Brittell speaking on behalf of my band, Brightwood. I sing, play guitar, and I might be performing on the piano/keys for our next tour(s). Our rhythm section is made up of my brother Stephen on drums and Matt Fosket on bass/keys. Collin Schneider tops it off with lead guitars.

SWH: While I realize this is rather “standard,” could you provide an abridged bio of how Brightwood came to be? Were any of you in other former projects?

The four of us have played in a number of bands pre-Brightwood, and I think we’d all agree that none of them are really worth mentioning. Stephen and I have been making music together since we can remember. We asked Matt, who was living in Juneau to play bass for us in 2005, and Collin joined after his band disassembled last summer to complete what we now call Brightwood.

SWH: While I may suffer from some sort of East Coast naivety, I’ve never heard much of the Oregon scene…Mind talking a little about your roots back home and what coming up in that locale was like? Are there any other bands from the area we should know about?

If Oregon has a “scene” per se, it basically revolves around what Portland is doing. Right now, the Portland music scene is very particular and, dare I say, elitist. Boasting indie bands like The Shins, and The Decemberists who are both making huge waves on a national scale, lo-fi indie rock is without a doubt Portland’s genre of choice. Aside from that, you’ll still find the typical fledgling hard-core scene.

So, as you can imagine, there’s not really too much love for pop-rock. This hasn’t exactly made “coming up” in Portland a walk in the park. Honestly, if it weren’t for the kids who have yet to be tainted by the “in” crowd, and our nation-wide support via myspace, we might have given up long ago. We have a decent draw at local shows, but I doubt that we’d ever be able to pack out a Portland amphitheater on an independent scale.

As for bands you should know about…there are plenty of talented acts in this area, but one in particular that I have high hopes for is my roommate Chris’s band, Elani. Stephen’s going to help them produce their debut record in our studio this summer, so definitely look for that. In the meantime, you should check them out on myspace.

SWH: 2006 was absolutely huge for you guys. Can you try and put it all into perspective for me – what’s it been like? Were there any recordings/demos available before the EP hit shelves?

When we were getting ready to release our EP, The Love Antidote, there were a lot of feelings of inadequacy floating around. It was our first time ever recording something on our own, and we were very uncertain about our own producing/engineering abilities. On top of that, we had been playing those songs live for over a year, and were forced to listen to them hundreds if not thousands of times in the recording process. That’s enough to cause anyone have second thoughts.

So yeah, the overwhelming positive response to our music last year, both from fans and industry people was unexpected and truly encouraging. What started as a meager DIY attempt to record a demo EP became what we consider to be a genuine phenomenon. 2006 was great, but we’re confident 2007 will be spectacular.

SWH: The Love Antidote is an interesting title for the EP – want to talk a little about that and any significance it may carry?

The six songs we chose to include on The Love Antidote all deal with both the joys and the grievances of human relationships, but even more specifically, those that manifest themselves after love enters the picture. I truly believe that love is the ultimate path to happiness and is therefore THE end-all solution. On the other hand, I can attest to the fact that love can also potentially be the cause of enormous pain. In this way, love is a dichotomy. The idea is that the title of our EP can be interpreted in two ways. First, as “the LOVE antidote,” with love being the operative word. Second, as “the love ANTIDOTE,” with antidote being the operative word. In the first interpretation, love is the antidote, whereas the second implies that love is something that requires an antidote to heal. Really, the only way that this title applies to the entire body of songs on our EP is when it is interpreted both ways.

SWH: What was your experience on the Warped Tour like? How important do you think it was in getting you to where you are now, especially as far as label courting was concerned? Any interesting stories/friends made along the way you’d like to comment on?

The 2006 Warped tour was eye opening for us in some ways. I would say that, as a whole, the experience brought on some mixed feelings. The first set we played was at the Gorge for Seattle’s leg of Warped. After driving all night to beat the morning rush, we ended up spending the better part of the morning basically trying to convince the incredibly disorganized staff that we were supposed to be taking the stage later that day. By the time we were finally allowed in the gate, we were informed that we had half an hour to haul our gear what felt like a mile to the Hot Topic stage…by foot. Let’s just say it was a long, sweaty day. In Portland the next morning we were prepared for a similar experience, but thankfully things went a bit more smoothly. It was definitely humbling to share stage with a few of our favorite acts, such as Mute Math, who played the Ernie Ball stage directly following our set. Overall, Warped was a great experience, but I can’t say that we’d do it again unless we were invited on as an official part of the tour.

To answer the second question, Warped had very little, if anything, to do with the industry recognition we’ve received. Most of the initial correspondence with labels, etc. had transpired prior to Warped.

SWH: This year you guys got a lot of push from music websites and zines [Ernie’s, APnet, as well as other review zines]. How important do you think the internet has been for you guys? How important do you think it is for the entire industry?

Considering that we are an independent band with no distribution, and that we don’t have a label backing us for promotion, we definitely rely heavily on the internet. Based on the fact that up to this point, our record hasn’t been distributed anywhere BUT myspace, Smartpunk, and Itunes, I would say that the Internet has been nothing short of crucial to our survival. Webzines and sites such as Absolutepunk.net have also played a huge role in getting our music heard. Nothing, however, has been more instrumental in promoting the band than; you guessed it…the amazing myspace. I can’t stress enough how remarkable it is to have the ability to interact with our fans individually on a daily basis. Even though we’re not always able to respond to every comment or message, we do try our hardest to let our friends and fans know how much they really mean to us…even the deranged obsessive ones. ; )

On a broad scale, it’s painfully obvious that the internet plays a huge and continually expanding role in the music industry today…to ignore it would be suicide.

SWH: “Some of you might be wondering what's been going on behind the scenes for us these last few months, and a lot of you are asking the question "Why are you not signed yet?" The answer is simple. We just haven't found the right fit. These kinds of things can't be rushed, and in our case, we're in no hurry...up to this point we've achieved quite a bit on our own two feet, and we have no intentions of slowing down.” While I realize you’ve addressed this issue on your MySpace, would you mind going into a little more detail as far as what you were looking for in a label, what labels spurred the most interest [indie or major], and ultimately why you as a band decided to go the route your going? Have you signed, or are you planning on going in alone?

At this point, we’re just trying to make music we enjoy. I think part of the reason we’ve been so passive when it comes to label attention is because we’re still trying to figure out what we want…both in music, and in life. As a band we’re still doing a lot of growing musically. I think we all feel that, although we’re proud of The Love Antidote, it doesn’t exactly represent what we want to do with music. Our biggest fear I guess is that we would be pigeon-holed into making a specific kind of music, and we feel that we have some growing to do before we’re comfortable unveiling ourselves to the world so-to-speak, but I think we’re getting close. So, to sum it up, our ideal label would have to be one that would be willing to trust us enough to allow us make the music we want to make without trying to fit us into some formulaic mold…and one that we could trust in return. We understand what a tall order this is for a record label, but we plan on being around for a while, so to risk monotony…we’re in no hurry.

SWH: How has writing for the new album been going? How many songs so far? Are you working off similar themes that were ingrained in the EP, or are you utilizing other inspirations for the LP? Generally, what are your biggest influences both in sound and script?

Honestly, we can hardly contain ourselves. The songs we’ve been working on for our next release are in our opinion, leaps and bounds better than anything we’ve done in the past, both in sound and in substance. We have twenty-some songs to choose from for the record, among countless fragments and ideas. I’m sure some of the elements from our EP will ingrain themselves into our new music, but if you’re expecting to hear a rehash of the same thing, you’re probably going to want your money back.

Something we’re intentionally doing differently this time around is that everyone is writing. We’re making much more of a collaborative effort, and the result is that our new music has a lot of diversity. Our collective artistic influences are too numerous to list, but something that hasn’t changed about the music we choose to write is that it’s directly inspired by our own personal lives. We have a hard time playing music unless it’s heartfelt and means something to us.

SWH: You mentioned on your myspace you plan to head into a “real” studio with a “real” producer…Do we have those names/locales yet? If so, why did you opt to work with them? What do you think they can offer the band? If not, what are you looking for in a producer(s) for the upcoming release?

Actually, recently we’ve made the decision to self-produce our next release. We have had a lot of promising opportunities present themselves in the last few months concerning producers, but one thing we’ve learned about the industry is that you can’t stop moving just to hold the door for “potential” opportunities…so we’re trying to keep things proactive.

In some ways an outside producer would serve as a welcomed advantage to our next project. It’s without a doubt a LOT of work filling the roles of both the artist and the producer/mixer/engineer. On the other hand, it’s somewhat comforting to know that by self-producing, we’re in absolute control of how our record turns out.

SWH: So what are the recording plans as of yet? When should we expect the release? Can you provide some, if any, details on the new album [possible track listing or titles/sample lyrics/album title]?

As we speak, we’re in the preproduction phase. This entails tracking rough demos of potential songs and tweaking them until we’re confident they’re ready to be recorded legitimately. Our goal is to be in the studio doing final tracking in April. I can’t give an exact date for the release of the record, but my best guess would be sometime late summer. As for track listing, we have yet to decide what of our new material will be included on the record.

SWH: What kind of sound can we expect in comparison to the EP? Trying out anything new?

We’ve definitely evolved. I don’t feel like we’ve ever really fit into a particular genre, so I can’t really say that we’re moving one direction or another. It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what’s different, but I do feel that our new music just has a more mature, less generic sound to it. I think that has to do with the fact that we’re very intentional with every aspect of the music, and we don’t allow ourselves any slack. A policy we’ve adopted is “if a part doesn’t make the song better, it doesn’t need to be there.”

SWH: Do you plan to keep adding demos/song clips as you go along? How important do you think it is to stay with your fans along the way? Do you guys think you’ll get some YouTube [like some other bands have] action going on before it’s all through?

There have been talks about making a new myspace profile for the demos we did in December at the beach…these are incredibly rough versions of songs that were recorded in a little program called Garageband (those of you with macs might be familiar with it). At any rate, we’ll keep our myspace page updated if we decide to upload them.
I definitely think it’s important to keep our fans informed, but I don’t think we’ve really developed an effective method to do that. We aren’t into sending out mass emails/comments (spam is the work of the devil), so if our fans want to know about what’s going on with us, they have to do a little work and check out our blog.
We have a bunch of video footage from tour, writing, recording, etc., but we haven’t really made it much of a priority to edit it and get it up on YouTube. We’ll have to think about doing that.

SWH: “Thank you.
To everyone who made it out tonight.
For battling through hours of frigid cold...
For choosing to stay up late with us on a Sunday night when you should be asleep your warm cozy beds.
For singing with us at the top of your lungs, even if you couldn't hear your own voice.
For being the most incredible fans/friends a band could ask for.
We should be applauding you.
Thank you.

We love you,
Andrew.Brightwood

P.S. I can't wait for next time.”

I felt out of the loop lol…Can you go into what this message was all about, what it pertained to?

Well…don’t feel too bad, only about 75 people were “in” the loop. This blog was my response to the overwhelming support of our die-hard local fans. We played a show at a venue called the Satyricon in Portland on one of the coldest nights this winter. To sum it up: the venue had no heat, it was a Sunday night, and we played very late (I think we started playing at around 12:30a.m.). I felt inclined to show my sense of gratitude to our amazing friends and fans who stuck around to support us despite the inhospitable conditions.

SWH: Any touring in the works, or being planned for post-release? If so, any details on that yet?

Nothing confirmed yet…we’ll keep you posted.

SWH: Do you ever sleep with headphones? If so, what’s usually playing?

I did once; I woke up on my side and it felt like Mike Tyson just had his way with my right ear. Ah, the perils of sleeping with headphones on. I have a play-list on my I-pod for when I’m sleeping that includes dreamy music of ambient nature such as Sigur Ros, Hammock, Mogwai, etc…

SWH: Thanks so much Andrew - Looking forward to hearing some new Brightwood tunes soon.

-SWH.Steve

Check out Brightwood's fantastic EP debut - The Love Antidote in its entirety here!

Brightwood is...

Andrew Brittell – Guitars/Vocals
Collin Schneider - Lead Guitar
Stephen Brittell – Drums/Backing Vocals & Rhythm Sequencing
Matt Fosket – Bass/Backing Vocals

[Give the player some time to load, as the last.fm plug-in takes a little bit to transfer - while you wait, check out some of our other write ups and interviews!]

MySpace

2007-03-02T16:40:00.000-05:00

Tracklisting:

"(Début)" - 1:27
"Godspeed" - 3:02
"Adelaide" - 3:14
"A Whisper & A Clamor" - 3:25
"The Unwinding Cable Car" - 4:17
"There Is No Mathematics To Love And Loss" - 3:11
"Hello Alone" - 4:00
"Alexithymia" - 3:23
"Reclusion" - 3:31
"Inevitable" - 3:47 (guest vocals from Aaron Marsh of Copeland.)
"Dismantle.Repair." - 4:18
"(*Fin)" - 8:56

Special edition bonus tracks:

"Uncanny" - 3:28
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" (Smiths Cover) 4:17
"The Promise" (When In Rome Cover) 3:17

B-Sides:

"Haunting" - 5:54
"Downtown Song" - 3:04

I want to love Anberlin’s Cities. I mean, everyone else I’ve ever met does. Florida’s slickest god-loving quintet is certainly proud of their achievement: “[Cities is a] modern classic that uplifts as much as it initiates thought and elicits emotion.” (Anberlin myspace page) I understand the confidence; Cities is very good. That said, you’d be a sucker to think that it’s some sort of miracle album. The reaction in major media has been frighteningly positive so far, yet I feel that reaction is a bit disingenuous. Cities is a step forward for the band in almost every way, and corrects some of the problems that kept me from loving 2005’s Never Take Friendship Personal. At the same time, it doesn’t correct them all, and suffers from a couple of the same staid conventions while being nicely progressive in other areas. I don’t want you to think I hate this album, or that it’s not worth your time, because it does deserve to blow up your stereo for a while. However, this isn’t a fan boy review, and I want it understood that Cities isn’t as perfect as some others may have you believe.

I should love Anberlin’s Cities. The performance elements have all been improved. Repeat: this is a progression and an achievement for Anberlin. Stephen Christian’s already good vocals are even better. Nathan Young’s instrumentation is markedly improved; his drumming capably makes the leap from serviceable to noticeable. The guitars are bigger, and maybe a tad tighter on Cities, though cohesion hasn’t really been a problem for them in the past. The bigger-sounding guitars and edgier riffs (in spots,) help give the album an overall moodier tone. A synth shows up on a few tracks, adding something fresh and exciting to songs like “Reclusion”, (a fast, industrial-tinted rocker,) “There Is No Mathematics To Love And Loss”, (just a fun feeling song about, well, loss) and “Adelaide” (like totally one of the catchiest songs ever.) All of these elements combine well to give Cities a moodier tone to match Christian’s often brooding lyrics. Other highlights from Cities include “Alexithymia,” a slow-burning, emoting sort of song, “Godspeed,” the fast rock, whoa-oh-ah-oh, stand up and wave your arms first single, and “Hello Alone,” a band standard sing along jam. Just so you know, alexithymia means having a distinct difficulty in expressing one’s emotions. Saved you a trip to the dictionary. You’re welcome.

Why don’t I love Anberlin’s Cities? I want to, badly, because it rocks. But there are a few issues that flatly deny me from feeling that feeling. Christian’s delivery is occasionally too solemn for my tastes, sometimes making me feel like he’s trying just a bit too hard to have an “uplifting” vocal aesthetic. I also have a bit of a plausibility issue with Anberlin. I just don’t always believe in what Christian is singing to me. The lyrics aren’t the culprit: though they rehash the same basic material, they are fairly interesting and appealing on their own. The issue I have is with delivery. It’s often too slick, too “uplifting,” too streamlined for me to really feel and become emotionally attached to the songs. I don’t know if this is a band issue or a production issue, though I suspect it’s probably a combination of both. I recognize the hooks, but they don’t always, get those hooks into me because of the disconnection I sense between the emotional subject matter and the less emotional/overproduced delivery, especially the slower tunes.

Another problem is the consistency of quality tracks. As with prior releases, there are a handful of tracks I love and a handful I’ve already forgotten about while writing this review. Cities comes closer to bridging the gap between fantastic and forgettable than either Blueprints For The Black Market or Never Take Friendship Personal did, but a slight gap still remains.

It’s not that I don’t like Anberlin’s Cities. I like it a whole lot. The songs are infectiously catchy and sometimes give a dance rock vibe you can’t help but smile at while you’re singing along in your car. The music has gone from good to great, the synth is a well-placed addition, and the good songs are very, very good. However, the things that hold it back come up again and again. The gap between songs that will stick in memory and songs that are forgotten before album’s end is distinct and unpleasant, and the delivery is sometimes too slick and doesn’t feel entirely honest. I also worry about the staying power of the album, because of its issues and the familiarity everyone has with the material. Is this a new, genre-changing masterpiece? No. Is it an excellent effort within its genre? Absolutely. Does that mean you’ll be listening to it next year? Here, I’m not so sure. That said, there are many more great songs than forgettable ones, and the album as a whole is well worth checking out, especially for fans of the band’s existing material. No, I don’t love Anberlin’s Cities, but I do like it a whole friggin’ lot.

With this said, make sure you’re not a sucker. Check out Anberlin’s Cities.

Score: 80%

Tracks: Adelaide, Reclusion, Godspeed, Mathematics

-SWH.JayMurda

Anberlin is...

Stephen Christian - Vocals, Guitar
Deon Rexroat - Bass
Joseph Milligan - Guitar
Nathan Young - Drums

MySpace
AnberlinCities.com
Official Site

Unwinding Cable Car

Review: Pompeii - Assembly

2007-02-27T14:54:00.000-05:00

I once encountered a man who truly believed that record sales depicted how good a band is or is not. “If band X sold more of their album than band Y, then band X is clearly and most obviously the better band of the two,” was the unfounded basis for his argument. Instead of rebutting his outlandish claims, I simply ignored him and “walked away” (by browsing to a different website). Had I wished to defend the absolute fact that record sales do not reflect a bands talent, I would have simply asked the following question: “Then why is Pompeii’s Assembly not selling as much as or even more than a similar band, Death Cab for Cutie?”

Released on Eyeball Records in early October 2006, Assembly stirred up quite a positive storm within various message boards and webzines. Sadly, it went unnoticed by far too many people who, assumingly, would have placed it in at least their top ten of the year. Pompeii is a band that writes substance-filled songs with a rare honesty while keeping them, for the most part, extremely accessible.

"Ten Hundred Lights,' the first track on Assembly, is a soft and gentle indie-pop/rock song that sets the course for what’s to come. “Got my feet wet, came back again. I'm climbing at those walls more than I did back then. Got my feet wet, came back again and I promise this time I will not--I will not pretend”. The title track, which follows "Ten Hundred Lights," starts with a piano reminiscent to an Augustana recording and builds up to a beautifully explosive second half that contains hints of post-rock. The next song, "Numbers," would be my choice for a radio single if given the chance, as it’s both very catchy and spine-stingingly personal. Obviously about an eating disorder, it sports cleverly-crafted lyrics such as “my problems hide in numbers that leave when I gag and heave, I weighed out every option, that scale's not fit for advice”. The album has its heavy moments—noticeably in "Pythons Awake". One of the fastest songs on the CD, it starts strong and doesn’t soften up until it’s over—Even the cello, played by member Caitlin Bailey, sounds amazingly intense. The only true complaints I have about Assembly are personal matters; I sometimes wish the cello would have been more apparent on the album, I am not particularly fond of a couple of the songs featured on the second-half, and a couple of other small complaints not worth noting.

It seems to me that every year there is a band I have not previously heard of that releases an album which truly surprises me and makes me very excited for their future. In 2004, that band was Say Anything with their album …Is A Real Boy. In 2005, that band was Paulson with their album All At Once. And now in retrospect, 2006’s “surprise the hell out of me” band was Pompeii with their stunning release Assembly. Highly recommended.

Score: 87%

Favorite Songs: "Ten Hundred Lights", "Numbers"

--SWH. Mitch

Scroll down or click here to read an exclusive interview with Dean Stafford, vocalist and guitarist of Pompeii!

Interview: Dean Stafford - Pompeii

2007-02-27T14:46:00.000-05:00

I would say that “Assembly” was influenced by a slew of motifs, including: light vs. dark, ambient vs. dense and gentle vs. aggressive. Does this even make sense?

--Dean Stafford

First I’d like to thank you for agreeing to answer some questions of mine. Can you please introduce yourself?

Sure. My name is Dean Stafford and I sing and play guitar for a band called Pompeii.

There are noticeable influences in your album—what band(s) would you consider your largest influences?

That’s such a hard question. It seems like that is fluctuating on a daily basis. As far as “Assembly” is concerned, we all brought in our own individual slices of musical background. Erik tends to be influenced more by atmospheric and instrumental bands like Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai and Helios. Caitlin comes from a more classical background, obviously, but she’s been lucky enough to have a dad who exposed her to really amazing bands at a young age. She was listening to the Cure when she was like 8 years old. Shane brings a darker element to the picture because he used to play in a lot of punk bands, so his tone tends to be more weighted and aggressive. If Pompeii has ANY “balls” at all, then he is the guy responsible. Rob sort of goes with the flow, since he’s the drummer. However, I will say he is a huge advocate for Phil Collins, haha. In fact, the first part of “Miracle Mile” actually rips off that beat from “In the Air Tonight,” only we use a cowbell instead of a drum machine. As for me…I tend to be influenced by very melodic songs. Often times, I’m drawn to singer-songwriter style songs like Elliot Smith or Jeff Tweedy or Ben Gibbard. Lyrically, I am a fan of artists who can shed light on everyday truths in creative ways that most people don’t normally think about. On the other hand, I’m a huge fan of very rhythmic music like old Michael Jackson, New Order, Phoenix or even Daft Punk, so if there’s a strong groove with a catchy melody, I’m hooked. I think that’s why the Arcade Fire does so well. They manage to mix introspective folk style songs on top of beats that make you want to dance. Sorry, I’m getting kind of long-winded here, so to sum it up, I would say that “Assembly” was influenced by a slew of motifs, including: light vs. dark, ambient vs. dense and gentle vs. aggressive. Does this even make sense?

I’ve seen comparisons to bands such as Coldplay, Nada Surf, and Death Cab for Cutie—hell, even Radiohead. What is your reaction when seeing comparisons to such big and important bands?

Well, I would definitely be lying if I said that they didn’t influence me in any way. They are all amazing bands that have inspired me at one point or another. However, we have many other influences, so I don’t ALWAYS see it, which is good because I think it would be a little arrogant to believe that you are on par with a band as big as Coldplay or Radiohead. I agree that our sound has an ambience to it that those other bands share. I also tend to write from an introspective place like a lot of them do, but either way, it’s flattering, so I welcome it.

Any plans on, if provided the opportunity, moving to a major label?

If we get to a point where we need to move to a major because things are too hard to handle ourselves, then I could see it happening, but at this point there isn’t a strong need for it. We are still in a lot of ways a “baby” band. It might take another album or two before we get that kind of a fan base. We also need to get in a position where we can tour a lot more. A good booking agent needs to come first before anything else.

So, my mp3 player is on shuffle right now, and a song by The One AM Radio just came on. Have you ever listened to any songs by him? If not, I’d recommend visiting his Myspace—he has a new album coming out in February.

I have not, but I will definitely have to check it out.

* I just checked it out and it’s definitely quality stuff. *

What bands would you recommend?

Wilco, Owen, Jeff Buckley, Phoenix, Pete Yorn, Buddy Holly, Elliott Smith, Sparklehorse, Mew, Air, Elvis Costello, Ed Harcourt, Pinback, Spoon, Youth Group, Matt Pond PA, Rogue Wave, The Notwist, The Beach Boys, Of Montreal, Tahiti 80, Sufjan Stevens, Jenny Lewis, Fleetwood Mac, Daft Punk, Band of Horses, Voxtrot, Belle and Sebastian, The Flaming Lips, The Smiths …there are far too many.

The rest are friends of mine, so you should definitely check them out, too:

Young Love (Island Def Jam), HEADLIGHTS (Polyvinyl), The Velvet Teen (Slowdance), Push to Talk (Doghouse), The New Trust (Slowdance), The New Frontiers (Militia Group), Dignan, Gazelles

No offense, but when I hear “Texas,” all I can think of is country music and beer. What is the Texas scene actually like? How was growing up in it?

The thing about Texas is –well, for me anyway is that there is only one place to live. That place is Austin. Even within Austin, there are only certain parts worth residing in. Go outside of that and you may not like what you find. Rob and I grew up in a somewhat small town called Corpus Christi, which is on the water. It was boring as hell and we knew that if we were going to stay in Texas, the only place to advance musically would be Austin. With Austin, you get all the best parts about Texas (amazing Mexican food, SXSW, Lonestar beer) but you also gain world perspective. It’s not as narrow minded as the rest of the state. There are lots of independent shops and local stores that keep chains from taking over. The arts community accounts for the majority of the population and there are plenty of great parties. That’s not to say there isn’t good music anywhere else in the state. I’m primarily talking about the living conditions.

As far as the music is concerned…camaraderie is forming between bands from all over the state. In fact, as I write this I have eight dudes and one girl—all from different bands from different cities sleeping on my floor in my tiny studio apartment because they had a show tonight. Texas is great because we are all inspiring each other collectively. We support each other. You don’t really get that so much in places like Los Angeles or New York, where everyone is competing, rather than encouraging. We place value in friendships and great music, not in industry politics.

* Just for the record, I love New York. L.A. can be okay SOMETIMES. I just wouldn’t ever live there*

Many of the lyrics on Assembly seem very personal. Are they just made-up stories or are they things experienced first-hand?

All of the lyrics on Assembly are first hand experiences. It is a very personal record and I love the range it covers (adoption, bulimia, family, etc.)

I actually take pride in the fact that there is only ONE song on the entire album that involves a romantic relationship I’ve had. I think artistically we have been spreading ourselves thin with the subject and at that particular point in time, when I was writing for “Assembly” I felt the world had much more worth writing about.

What is your favorite song on the album? Why?

It’s hard to actually “pick” a favorite song, because you invest so much time into each one of them. I would say, if anything, that I have favorite parts of songs. I have also found it depends on my mood.

How are things going with Eyeball Records?

Eyeball has definitely helped us out. They took a chance and signed us when we only had THREE songs. One time our engine died in the middle of the desert and they were nice enough to pay for a new one, so we could finish our tour.

As far as the bad is concerned…we were supposed to be on iTunes more than 3 months ago. Who knows when that will actually happen. There have also been some marketing issues, but every label has its problems and in the end, we consider them friends. We are certainly grateful for the things they HAVE done. It could always be worse.

What are your plans for the future in terms of touring, recording, etc.?

Right now, we are primarily focusing on SXSW in March. We will be playing all over Texas and the surrounding states throughout April and then in May and/or June we will be doing a national tour. In the meantime, we’ve been writing new material and hope to showcase at least one or two new songs by summer.

I am also working on some solo stuff and I’m pretty stoked about it. It doesn’t have a name yet, but I will be recording sometime in April and posting songs online shortly after.

What is your current opinion on the state of the industry and the scene? Lots of bands seem to be against downloading music, and some argue that people downloading music illegally can actually be helpful. I know quite a few people who downloaded your album and then bought it after listening.

I think that in the end if you’re really getting through to people with your music, then people will find a way to support you however they can. I AM trying to make a living off of this band, but becoming obscenely rich is not my ultimate goal (although it would be nice J). My goal is to inspire and help people just like other bands have done to me. We are a very “independent” band; so any way of getting our music out there is beneficial, but if you can honestly afford it, then you should buy it. All I ask of people who download the album is to support us by spreading the word. Tell as many friends as you possibly can. Word of mouth is an incredibly powerful tool and it doesn’t cost a thing.

Anything else you’d like to say?

Yes. Thank you guys for your continued interest and support. Thank you for telling your friends and thank you for buying the record! You all are awesome and we love you!

Thank you so much for answering these questions! We appreciate it more than you’d think, trust me.

You’re very welcome! Bye!

Pompeii is...

Shane Stevens (Bass)
Dean Stafford (Vocals/Guitar)
Erik Johnson (Guitar)
Rob Davidson (Drums)
Caitlin Bailey (Cello)

Myspace
Official Site

--SWH.Mitch

News Update: 2.25.07

2007-02-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

We have a lot of great stuff coming in and piling up lately so I'm going to do my best to keep this as short and sweet as possible. Less talk, more news. Stay tuned for some great interviews with Brightwood, My Morning Radio, You Me and Everyone We Know, and Pompeii as well as some reviews for the Anberlin's Cities and the upcoming Dream State release A Place to Rest My Head.

The Used's new album, Lies For The Liars will be released on May 8, 2007. "The Worm" has been selected as the upcoming release's first single. Fan's can expect to hear a number of new songs on their current stint on Taste of Chaos including "Handsome Awkward" which is streaming on the band's Myspace page, and "Liar Liar" which can be seen below:

Apparently, the guys recorded over 40 songs for the upcoming release. As a result, along with the release of their new LP, the band fully intends to release an EP containing 11 of the "heavier" tracks that did not make the record, sometime this year. Here's a segment of the local Utah paper containing the aforementioned tidbit.

“It’s great. I wish it was coming out sooner.” Howard said. “We probably wrote 40 songs for this record. We ended up recording 20 of them”

The new record will have 11 songs. But the band also plans to release another EP this year with 11 more songs that were recorded.

“The EP is going to be heavier. Four of my favorite songs made the EP” he said “(The new album) is more grown up. It’s the most grown up we’ve done…music lyrics, vocals, everything about it. It’s very, very mature for what we’ve done. It flows. This one has such a flow to it.”

The Used plans on playing some of the European festivals and staying on the road until the end of the year. But first, the band that was formed in Orem and has three members who still live in Utah (Howard, McCracken and Allman) will be making a hometown stop. They’re headlining the “Taste of Chaos” tour with the 30 Seconds to mars, Sense Fail and three other bands.

Rookie of the Year recently launched a brand new website. You can access the pretty flash site here. In other news, according the site's first update, after a small run through NC/SC/VA/GA this week, the guys will start demoing some tracks for an upcoming record, as well as work on a video for "Liars and Battlefields" off of their album The Goodnight Moon.

Come this March the guys will also spend some time in Austin, Texas at the South by Southwest Music Festival. The guys will be joined by other One Eleven favorites Forever in Motion and The Spill Canvas. Dates you ask?

Rookie of the Year
Mar 16 2007, 10:00PM @ Uncle Flirty's on 325 E 6th Street

Forever in Motion
Mar 14 2007, 5:00PM @ Purevolume Lounge on 229 East 2nd Street

The Spill Canvas
Info coming soon!

Do the guys a favor and check out this video [an extensive preview for The Goodnight Moon] over at BamboozleTV.Com. If it gets enough hits who knows, maybe the band will be able to perform with other 111 acts at Bamboozle. Be sure to check out the site and follow the "One Eleven Records" link on the left side to see exclusive videos from The Spill Canvas, Inkwell, Rory and more as well.

In other 111 news, TSC has added yet another demo to their Myspace page. Check that here and stay tuned for the updates to come as the guys record their upcoming follow up to 2005's One Fell Swoop.

If you enjoyed your trip to Rookie's new flash site then by all means head over to The Receiving End of Sirens's newly launched website: The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi.Com.

The site goes hand in hand with the band's upcoming album which the guys are recording with Matt Squire in Maryland as we speak.The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi is expected to hit shelves sometime this summer.

In light of that, along with few other special Triple Crown Record's releases, head over to Purevolume's sampler to hear two brand new TREOS demos, "Stay Small" and "Hemi." A brand new Dear Hunter track and remix of As Tall As Lions's "Love Love Love [Love Love]" among others are also available.

Check back on February 26 for the full downloadable Triple Crown Record's 2007 sampler.

One of my personal favorites Spitalfield has recently posted an update concerning their upcoming touring plans. Check the bulletin:

Hey everyone! It's been a while since we've sent out an update, hopefully everyone is doing well. We've got some tour dates coming up in March with our friends in The Hush Sound & Straylight Run- taking us to and from the SxSW Festival in Austin, where we will be performing at the Victory Showcase along with Bayside, June, Moros Eros & The Forecast. This will be our first year playing the fest, so we are quite excited about it. All of the March tour dates are listed at the end of this update, and stay tuned because there will be a few more coming in.

We'd like to announce our two hometown shows scheduled for Friday, March 30th at Subterranean in Chicago. There is an "all ages show" and a late 21+ show. The all ages show is featuring 1997 & The Alpha Couple as support & the 21+ show has Holy Roman Empire & City On Film on board. They should both be a ton of fun! Tickets are on sale now for both shows now at: www.subt.net – don't wait too long; there are under 400 available for each show!

We have recently switched up all of the songs on our MYSPACE and PUREVOLUME sites, so if you haven't been by those in a while, or don't have our new album- "Better Than Knowing Where You Are" – head on over and check out a couple more tracks!

Be sure to check out the PV and Myspace pages for the new tracks. ["Hold On" and "Five Days and Counting" especially!]

In other news, the guys have also released a couple of great vids from their free acoustic in-store performances that happened this past fall:

I Love The Way She Said LA

Van Buren

The Only Thing That Matters

According to this article , Straylight Run has found a new home in Universal Republic. The article also explains what the band plans to do once the deal is officially inked, and how the new record is a departure from previous works. If your not down for reading the whole piece - here's a good chunk:

"It was our choice to make the record on our own. We knew that if we made the record we wanted to, we could take it to the labels," Nolan said. "This way, we could avoid the expectations of the label while we recorded it. It's been a relaxed environment, and we're just happy with it."

Nolan also revealed that he believed Straylight Run had found its suitor. The band is in the process of talking to Universal Republic (Jack Johnson, The Who and 3 Doors Down are also on the label).

"It's basically a done deal. We just haven't put ink to paper yet," Nolan said. "But they're excited, and they're content to let us do what we want, so it seemed good."

Nolan expects the deal to be finalized within the next couple weeks, and after that, the band can start planning an official album release date. The album itself may be a slight departure from the band's earlier work, Nolan added.

"It's definitely different than the EP and the first album," Nolan said. "There are elements from both, but this album is a little more organic - more acoustics, less electric guitar. Everything is kind of built around the acoustic guitar in this one. In our first album, we kind of wrote around the piano."

Stay tuned for more album details as they come in. Let's hope for a release asap.

There were a few good live performances this past week on the Late Night shift. Check out Hellogoodbye on Leno and Boys Like Girls on Jimmy Kimmel.

If you pre-order Sherwood's great new record A Different Light right now [yes, right this moment] then you'll be able to download it in advance for FREE come this Tuesday. If you can't make up your mind yet, head to their Myspace profile to hear a new track - the title track - "A Different Light." Oh yeah, you can download it too.

In other news, Nate from Sherwood wrote and directed the band's first video. According to their latest Myspace blog update, brand new music videos for A "The Best In Me" and "Song In My Head" are going to be on their way very shortly.

Check out my interview with Dan in SWH's interview section! Expect a review soon.

The Working Title has parted ways with Universal:

an update from joel...

hello everyone
i think the time has come to fill you in on whats going on in the world of the working title.....

last night we played the first show we've played in a few months in atlanta and it felt realy good.....lately there have been so many things working against us in just about every way that its been really hard to make any headway with anything really....from losing members, to getting gear and our trailer stolen...again....etc....and it just felt really good to get back on a stage and feel like everything was right for once in a long time....

we are officially off universal records....finally....and we can finally talk about it....the departure was amicable from both sides and we are in a good place now and are finally ready to proceed as a band and do what we do best and love to do....create and play music as much as possible....we are working on getting on the road and touring as much and as many places as possible but unfortunately money/gear/lack of a trailer is a bit of a problem right now but as soon as we can make it work we will be in your city so be ready to spread the word and bring all your friends....

i heard that you can buy our album in iraq....thats pretty cool

chris gingrich played his first show with us last night in atl and we had a blast and look forward to him playing bass with us more.....he's a goofy little freak and he likes to freestyle rap 24/7 while in conversation or just sitting alone on the toilet....we love him

i hope all is well with you reading this and we hope to see you soon

joel and twt

The great Ben Gibbard [Death Cab for Cutie] will embark on a short solo tour come May. The first set of dates were recently released:

Thu 05/03 | Minneapolis MN @ First Avenue
Fri 05/04 | Chicago IL @ Metro
Sat 05/05 | Detroit MI @ Majestic Theatre
Mon 05/07 | Sommerville MA @ Somerville Theatre
Tue 05/08 | New York NY @ Town Hall
Wed 05/09 | Philadelphia PA @ Theatre Of Living Arts
Thu 05/10 | Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
Fri 05/11 | Carrboro NC @ Cat's Cradle
Sat 05/12 | Atlanta GA @ Center Stage
Sun 05/13 | Nashville TN @ City Hall
Mon 05/14 | Dallas TX @ Granada Theater
Tue 05/15 | Austin TX @ Emo's (Outside Stage)
Thu 05/17 | Los Angeles CA @ Royce Hall
Fri. 05/18 | San Francisco CA @ The Fillmore
Sat. 05/19 | Portland OR @ Roseland Theater
Sun 05/20 | Seattle WA @ Showbox

According to their recording blog, Motion City Soundtrack is about half way done with their upcoming record. Very recently they had some special friends come in to lend their vocal assistance on a few of the new tracks. Here's the latest update:

So we are just wrapping up the last day with adam and eli at stratosphere studios in nyc. These songs turned out better then i had hoped and working with these guys has been fucking great. i really think they have helped us bring these songs to life.

we had a few guest stop by this last week or so and sing parts on a couple of songs. Max from say anything, rachel from zolof and shawn from the matches helped make a few of our song more fun and more epic. There voices really work well together it is kinda crazy.

we also started a couple songs we are self producing today. we basically finished one and got the guitar done to the other. i am glad we are getting the chance to get all our best ideas out for this record. i believe when we are done we will have at least 15 tracks to pick from to make up this record, and maybe they will all fit together and we will put them all out. who knows.

Stay tuned for more info as it finds it way here.

AOL Music recently went under the covers with the boys of Saosin. If you'd like to join in head here to hear several acoustic tracks, including a cover of the exceedingly over-covered "Time After Time."

Pheeeew. As I said before, we've got so much stuff coming in the next coming days. Mitch and I should be posting a new interview each day, along with the usual news and a couple of new reviews as well.

Spread the word.

Dig on,
SWH.Steve

Interview: Travis Bryant - Goodbye Tomorrow

2007-02-24T13:13:00.000-05:00

My sanity is very contingent on writing music, thus keeping it a very consistent part of my life. I have sincere intentions to release a solo album once Goodbye Tomorrow is more established. A vinyl release is my dream.

-Travis Bryant

SWH: To start, could you please state your name and what you do in the band?

Yo soy Travis. Yo canto. (I am Travis Bryant and I sing.)

SWH: When Terminal broke up and you were added to replace Matthew Gilbert of Goodbye Tomorrow, How did the Goodbye Tomorrow find you? What were your feelings going into the band? Did you think that you were ever going to be in a band again?

I received an email from a band member insisting that we talk when Terminal played phoenix. All four of the guys came out and we discussed. I wasn’t really interested in the possibility of singing with them until they showed me their new instrumental material. It was breathtaking. I knew I would be playing with a solid band eventually but hadn’t any idea it would be one of this caliber. After meeting the guys and hearing the music, I was fairly desperate to be a part of the band.

SWH: When the self-titled Goodbye Tomorrow EP came out, what did you think of it? How did you feel about the fan's reaction? What was your favorite track of the EP and why? Any songs left off it?

I was more proud of those three songs than I had been of anything I’d done previously. People have made very nice comments in regards to the songs and the impact they are making, as well as the band’s progression. My personal favorite is probably "Vespertine" due to the personal nature of the lyrics and vibe.

SWH: Goodbye Tomorrow is currently recording. Can you tell us who is producing the album? How many tracks are on it? Any title? When can we expect it to hit shelves?

Tracking for the record is now completed. Mark Trombino produced the twelve tracks. As of now, we are expecting eleven on the album. Song and album titles, as well as a release date, are very tentative at the moment so I must unfortunately leave you in the dark.

SWH: Will there be a re-release of “Tied By Miles”?

Negative. That was a different band. We play our songs.

SWH: What were your emotions to getting signed to Equal Vision Records? Do you like EV more than Tooth & Nail? Is Equal Vision the right place?

Elated. Working with Equal vision has been an unbelievably pleasant experience. I am infinitely happier with the label’s support and enthusiasm regarding Goodbye Tomorrow. Best indie label around.

SWH: Why did Terminal depart? Were there any conflicts inside of the band?

We started off as five close friends and all grew irreparably apart on the road. It was a extremely dysfunctional and an impossible environment for each member’s happiness.

SWH: Do you still keep in contact with the guys in Terminal? Do you support all the bands they are in?

I talk to James. He was a great friend to me and I will always love him; Matt too, on occasion. I will always support them in their pursuit of happiness; whether it be quitting Terminal, starting a metal band, or building a spaceship.

SWH: What is your most personal song you made? What does it mean to you?

I have written a few songs in Phoenix that lack proper recordings, “Weep” and “Missouri”. They are both contenders. One is for the world. One is for my mother.

SWH: What made you want to change from being in a “harder” genre in Letter Twelve to a mellower genre in the same band except being called Terminal?

We were all maturing as musicians and I, especially, as a songwriter. I will speak for myself in saying that I wanted to write good rock music that I enjoyed listening to, having grown out of the genre that possessed Letter Twelve. Plus, the name was stupid to look at.

SWH: While in Terminal, you guys were strongly compared to Recover. How did it feel to be called a “Recover “ cover band? What were your biggest influences? Are there any B-sides around off of “How The Lonely Keep”?

Recover was the best band playing in that scene, and a huge influence to all of Terminal’s members. I would much rather be considered a “recover cover band” than a Taking Back Sunday or Thursday cover band like all of that other garbage. I have and will always be heavily influenced by Counting Crows too. Glassjaw was another serious factor. The other guys would likely say the same. I wrote a few extra songs with the bunch for HTLK. They are on my computer at home and that is where I intend them to stay.

SWH: Now going to your solo project. What made you want to start this? Why didn’t you keep the solo act going? Can we expect new songs soon or an album?

I was writing a significant amount of music that didn’t fit with Terminal’s sound. I have a ton of beautiful and sad songs that are yet to surface. My sanity is very contingent on writing music, thus keeping it a very consistent part of my life. I have sincere intentions to release a solo album once Goodbye Tomorrow is more established. A vinyl release is my dream.

SWH: What was your most memorable moment with any band?

Having sadly underdeveloped relationships with all of the wonderful people I meet.

SWH: What album are you anticipating the most in 2007?

If Counting Crows hammer it out, they are my obvious choice. The gods aside, Radiohead or Terminal.

SWH: What’s next for Goodbye Tomorrow after this tour with Pierce The Veil? Can we expect a full U.S tour? And with who?

We are beyond excited to do some dates with our brothers in Brighten and This Providence. It’s sure to be a love fest.

SWH: Well, that is all I have to ask. Would you like to say any last words before letting you go?

I would like to make known that I am grateful for every ear my voice and words have resonated within. Your inquiries have exhausted my head and now I must repair, Kyle.

SWH: Thanks a lot Travis

-SWH.Kyle

Goodbye Tomorrow is...

Travis Bryant (vocals/acoustic)
David Roat (bass)
Josh Johnson (guitar)
Matt Grabe (guitar/piano)
Austin Wilson (drums)

Myspace
Official Site

Travis Bryant at PV!

Goodbye Tomorrow - "Tragedienne" music video

Touring:

Feb 25 2007 6:00P - Soma Sidestage - San Diego, California

Feb 26 2007 7:00P - The Knitting Factory LA - Hollywood, California

Feb 27 2007 6:30P - Trilogy Theatre - Victorville, California

Feb 28 2007 7:00P - The Cellar - Anaheim, California

Mar 1 2007 6:30P - Jerry's Pizza - Bakersfield, California

Mar 2 2007 7:30P - The Underground - Roseville, California

Mar 3 2007 6:00P - Satyricon - Portland, Oregon

Mar 4 2007 7:00P - El Corazon - Seattle, Washington

Mar 5 2007 6:30P - Country Club Theatre - South Ogden, Utah

Mar 13 2007 6:00P - Launchpad - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Mar 14 2007 8:00P - Chic's Bar & Billiards - El Paso, Texas

Mar 15 2007 12:00P - Spiro's SXSW (free to anyone/no badge needed) - Austin, Texas

Mar 16 2007 7:30P - Ellum: ONSTAGE - Dallas, Texas

Mar 17 2007 12:00P - Ridglea Theatre | Ridglea Music Festival Day 3 - Forth Worth, Texas

Mar 18 2007 5:00P - Rock Bottom Bar - San Antonio, Texas

Mar 19 2007 7:00P - ::Tour with This Providence & Brighten begins:: West Coast Cities!

New news! - Goodbye Tomorrow is featured in the "100 bands you need to know" article in the April issue of Alternative Press magazine.

News Update: 2.24.07 [Part 1]

2007-02-24T09:49:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, Steve here. Hope that you've all enjoyed the recent interviews we've been posting as of late, as we've got a whole lot more lined up [or rather backed up] as we speak. I'd just like to take some time out and thank all the bands for their help and cooperation - especially for a project that has really yet to get off the ground. For myself, and the rest of us here at Sleeping With Headphones [yes we are growing], nothing supersedes giving these bands, along with so many others, the backing or support that they most definitely deserve, but seem to lack within the industry. Having said that, I'd also to thank some of the friends [screw calling it staff] who have jumped on along the way - Mitch, Jesse, Alyssa, Rex, Kyle - as well as a variety of other great friends who have helped with getting the name out there along with their continued support.

On an entirely different note, we have a ton of new news. Trust me, I know I say it all the time [god damn hype men], but you're going to have to use that scroll bar a lot to check out these great updates, vids, and clips. In fact, I'm going to divide the news posts in two parts for today - so stayed tuned for further updates. Here goes nothing.

As if I haven't pushed Anberlin's newest release Cities enough already...well you basically know what I'm going to say next. Regardless, tons of great new news.

If you head to AOL Listening Sessions you can stream the album in its entirety - but be quick cause that little deal ends each week. You'll get a chance to hear what we've been raving about.

AnberlinCities.com has officially been launched for the obvious reasons - you can expect the usual post-release multimedia goodies.

According to news gathered from APnet, the new album is expected to sell - or rather - sold around 35k units in its first week, which is needless to say, absolutely fantastic [no pun intended]. If you haven't checked the disc out yet, you better get on that. Jay Murda's got a review in the works and you can expect it here at SWH shortly.

It has also been recently reported that the guys will be rocking the SXSW Tooth and Nail Showcase with a couple of great special guests. Here are some details:

Hey Everyone -

We are coming to back to Austin, TX for another huge SXSW showcase! Join us on the night of Wednesday March 14th at Spiro's Amphitheater and rock out with MxPx, Showbread, The Fold, Sullivan, Far-Less, and of course Anberlin. Make your plans to be there!

Spiro's Ampitheater
611 Red River St
Austin, TX 78701
(in between 6th St. & 7th St.)
Click here for a map.

The show is all ages. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets will be available for purchase the day of the show and SXSW badge holders will also have access to the showcase.

- Anberlin

On a final note, Nate Strayer[former guitarist] who opted to leave the band with the release of Cities [who has since then been replaced by Christian (ex-Acceptance)] has found it necessary to let fans know that he did not leave the band to pursue his on going side project The Mosiac, but that he in fact looking for a new project.

Just to make sure everyone knows, I did not leave Anberlin to rejoin The Mosaic. The Mosaic has, and will continue to be, a side project. I am currently looking to fill in or join a new band.

Thank you,

Nate Strayer

Cities Review coming very soon...

And so the take over continues...If you want, though I don't personally recommend it, head over to AOL Music to hear Kanye West's remix of Fall Out Boy's hit single "This Ain't A Scene, It's Another Long Song Title" - expect this baby to make its way to their myspace page sometime soon.

As of right now the guys are rocking the Honda Civic Tour to sold out crowds over the country. Special guests include: +44 , The Academy Is, Paul Wall and Cobra Starship. Oh boy!

The guy's performed "Thriller" on Carson last week in celebration of his 5 years as host of Late Night's worst show - while I can't guarantee how long this will stay up [damn copyrights] here it is nonetheless:

If that doesn't satisfy you, here's the soulman himself - Patrick Stump - performing the band's single acoustically.

Lovedrug, who is on the verge of releasing their fantastic new album Everything Starts Where It Ends [psssst March 6], have added two acoustic videos - "Ghost By Your Side" + "Casino Clouds" - onto their myspace page. The vids come directly from their Acoustic Storytellers stint. Here ya go -

Both tracks can be found on the band's new album. Be sure to check it out - it comes highly recommended.

Relient K have released a video for their single "Must Have Done Something Right" which comes directly off the band's up coming release Five Score and Seven Years Ago. If you like what you hear, I recommend heading to their myspace for some other new tracks.

In case you couldn't tell, Waking Ashalnd's new album The Well is hitting stores on 4.17. If you click the graphic above, it will lead you straight to a great pre-order bargain [you should get on that]. In other great news, the guys will be posting a new song THIS MONDAY on absolutepunk.net. The song is the first single off the new disc and is entitled "Your Intentions."

Stay tuned for more news as it comes on these guys.

Check Out Daphne Loves Derby Performing On MSG NY - a short interview with the guys is also included

Daphne Loves Derby's Good Night Witness Light will be in stores on March 27. The guys are also currently on tour - check out these upcoming dates:

Feb 23 2007 6:30P
Buffalo Icon Buffalo, New York
Feb 24 2007 7:00P
Agora Ballroom Cleveland, Ohio
Feb 25 2007 7:00P
Mad Hatter Covington, Kentucky
Feb 27 2007 6:30P
Shelter Detroit, Michigan
Feb 28 2007 6:00P
Skelletones Grand Rapids, Michigan
Mar 2 2007 5:00P
The Subterranean (Early Show) Chicago, Illinois
Mar 3 2007 8:00P
El Paso VFW El Paso, Illinois
Mar 4 2007 7:00P
The Loft Madison, Wisconsin
Mar 6 2007 7:00P
U of Duluth Duluth, Minnesota
Mar 7 2007 5:30P
Station 4 St. Paul, Minnesota
Mar 9 2007 7:00P
Marquis Theater Denver, Colorado
Mar 10 2007 8:00P
The Black Sheep Colorado Springs, Colorado

Check out The Transit War On NewBandTV.com

Check out 4 live videos over at NewBandTV.com under "Exlcusives" and then "In Studio". The guys are currently on tour with Sound The Alarm and Until June (with Classic Case joining on March 1st.)

The Transit War - Radar

02/25/07 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
02/26/07 - Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
02/27/07 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
02/28/07 - Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Cafe Metropolis
03/01/07 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
03/02/07 - Amityville, NY @ Village Pub South
03/03/07 - Lemoyne, PA @ Champion Ship
03/04/07 - South Hackensack, NJ @ School of Rock
03/05/07 - West Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
03/06/07 - Philidelphia, PA @ Trocadero Balcony
03/12/07 - Newton, KS @ The White Star
03/20/07 - Las Vegas, NV @ University Theatre
03/21/07 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction

The Higher's On Fire which is due out March 6 via Epitaph is streaming in its entirety at the band's myspace page. Click the album cover to head right over.

So that concludes Part 1 of today's news. Stay tuned for - at the very least - one brand new interview as well as Part 2 containing news from The Used, Sherwood, Straylight Run and many others.

SWH.Steve

Inteview: Ben Hirschhorn - Vocalist of Morning for the Masses

2007-02-21T21:33:00.000-05:00

Morning For the Masses is Baltimore, Maryland's own up-and-coming Progressive Rock outfit. Their new EP Seconds is sure to attack your ears and hearts with a locking bite. The brand new Emerald Moon Records release is in fact, simply amazing. These young, talented musicians have been around in the Baltimore scene for some time, but are now beginning to get the respect that they have always deserved. Vocalist Ben Hirschhorn took time to answer some questions I came up with regarding the band, his experiences with the band, and what to expect with the band's promising new release.

We are the guys who will wake everybody in the whole world up to their own emotional truths and beyond..everything...the next day...always another day.

-Ben Hirschhorn

SWH: So let's start off with some questions that introduce yourself. What's your name? What do you do in the band? How did the band form? Were there any other bands before this band formed?

I'm Ben, I do the singing and the shouting and the dancing, and the word manipulating; I mean, lyric writing. A college student at Towson University introduced himself to me and just asked me to jam. It was funny because I'd always get frustrated in high school not having the right band for me, and my answer would always be "in college you'll find your band" and sure enough a kid just walks up to me and asks me to come jam. I came out and met Andrew Russell for the first time, and Jason and Jeff Lobe our first drummer and bassist, respectively. I brought my guitar and didn't even end up playing. They asked if I knew any singers and I said, "yeah! me." and we jammed and it felt great. Everything unfolded from that day.

SWH: So, how did you create the name Morning For The Masses? Is there any particular story behind the name?

I was in theater class at Towson University, where this band was conceived, and I was scribbling random ideas down in my notebook and I wanted to create a name for us that meant something everlasting and big, really. The idea I was trying to express was essentially, "we are the guys who will wake everybody in the whole world up to their own emotional truths and beyond..everything...the next day...always another day. Morning For The Masses. You know?

SWH: Where do you draw your lyrical influences/inspirations from? Is there a constant theme found on the new disc?

I like themes, for sure, but the only thread that runs through the entirety of this record is the fact that I got pretty internal, aside from a couple tracks. These songs are very much about me and the way I've dealt with the past few years of my life.The song "Beginnings" is about the struggle of being in a band and trying to make a career, being discouraged, getting through the hardships and being proud of our accomplishments.The song "Intentions" is about how a lot of people are shallow and live their lives on the surface. They don't dig into things, they don't ask why things are happening, they just accept it or ignore it and never gain a real sense of what it means to really be alive and present. I don't either, its hard. The song "Victims" is about my own insecurities and social anxiety, being afraid to be yourself and being afraid to speak up. When you feel that its very overwhelming and the only way I know to get it out of my skin is to express it in writing. Then, the song "Explanations" is about a personal relationship I had, that I was almost able to step outside of and watch dissipate. It's about fighting with someone you love very much and having to let them gain independence and gain your own independence as well. It's also about the fact that I like to over-explain things; I'm always trying to, like, send a photocopy of the images in my brain. I don't want an interpretation, I want an exact idea to be expressed as precisely as I can. Okay, so then, the song "Motives," hahah, was written mid panic attack. I was having an almost inexplainable emotional breakdown of sorts, my mind was racing and I just felt out of control of myself. I hid under a blanket until it went away, but it wasn't going away fast enough. I had to do something and that ended up being writing the lyrics to "Motives." I, literally, ran to my desk and wrote those words down as they're sung - word for word. It was exciting. "Coccoons" is about a friend who broke out of his shell and started growing in front of me. It was a good thing to be a part of. And then "Seconds" is almost about all of the songs in one, really. Its about that relationship I mentioned earlier and being in a band and how patience and waiting are difficult and very necessary parts of living.

SWH: How is the new EP Seconds?

I'm super happy with it. It was fun to write and it was fun to record and its fun to listen to now and play out at shows. I'm proud.

SWH: How is Emerald Moon as a label? Do they support you in everything that you guys do and make?

Matt Boylan, the owner, is the sweetest man on earth. He has our best interest at heart and does everything he can for us. The better we do for him the better he can do for us. So everyone is working hard together. Emerald Moon is family style, dude.

SWH:Who did you work on the new release with and what did he/she bring to the table? How was the overall experience with them?

We worked with Paul Leavitt - he's an awesome dude and a great engineer. He's really good at gauging potential and knowing when you can do better. But, the process was really smooth and fluid; we just laid down our shit and had fun.

SWH: It says on your Myspace site that you guys need a new bassist? What's the word on that?

Thanks for bringing that up, actually. We're trying to tour for a long time coming up really soon so we're auditioning bassists as fill-ins for tour and as potential permanent members. We're aiming small and hoping for a fill-in for the tour. Someone who really clicks and really wants to do it would be great though.

SWH: Have you done anything differently as far as recording was concerned this time around?

For this record we used a click track for the very first time, which is a metronome that we pre-programmed and played along with so everything was in perfect, mathematically correct, timing. Most releases are recorded that way these days. Our sound is always developing and becoming more our own, and as a result this release is more us than anything before and I'm sure the next one will be even more us again.

SWH: What is your personal favorite track off of the EP? Can you please give an explanation as to why this particular song is your personal favorite? What's the meaning of this song?

Well, since i just gave you a summary of every damn song, I wont bother you with more over-explaining as far as the meaning goes. But, my favorite track is probably...ah, this is hard. I think it's the title track though, Seconds. It was really fun to write - I actually wrote it in the studio for the first time so it's very much a 'studio song.' I wrote all my melodies one after the other and tracked them as I wrote them. And the super rockin' part is my favorite rock out part of all; its almost got a hip-hop vibe to it. I love all our groove parts, the most. It's entrancing to me. I just think that song is sweet. Plus, the 6 part harmony at the end is a lot of fun, I've always loved vocal harmony and I'm really glad we're finally utilizing it, and over doing it for fun also.

SWH: How have the new tours been working out? Who have you toured with? What are some of your favorite bands that you have toured with? Any good tour stories?

Tours have been fun, but we haven't been out long enough yet that I feel its been a full tour experience, really. By the time it's over, usually 10 days in, I'm always ready and wanting another 20 damn days of tour. My America Is Watching Tigers Die was amazing to tour with - really lovely guys and a lot of fun to play shows with. Our first tour with Stars Turn Cold (R.I.P) was amazing as well. It was just really inspiring. Here's a tour story. We drove from Long Island to bumfuck PA...like 8 hours...the scenery was beautiful, like insane. It was fall so it just looked crazy-gorgeous outside. We get to this place for the show, shows canceled - drove 8 hours for nothing (aside from the scenery). Sooo, we went to a Wal-Mart and walked around the strange town - our van was parked behind this building and a guy was parked in a car across the parking lot from us. The dude was in his car with binoculars, looking out into the town below and Brian, from Stars Turn Cold kept standing in his line of binocular sight and holding up peace signs with both hands. Finally the guy gets out of his car and yells "WOULD YOU PLEASE GET OUT OF HERE! IM TRYING TO CATCH AN ESCAPED CONVICT!" wearing a fucking black leather members only jacket. We were all like "what the fuck is happening?" Brian yells out into the mountains "RUUUUNNN!!!!!!" I'm sure the convict got away, poor members only under cover cop. And on another occasion, a waitress poored hot tea on Brian's lap and he screamed in the restaurant "MY BALLLS!!!!" and pulled his pants off. Some redneck shouted from the bar "Looky over there! In his pantaloons!" I swear. Brian got burnt pretty bad, too. haha.

SWH:With the posting of the new review at ap.net- the big hype machine- do you foresee things will blow up for the band? How important do you think zines like that play into recent bands' success? Are you guys prepared for the rush?

I really don't know man, I've been hearing that it should do good things. I hope so. I'm just really glad that Scott Irvine from Absolutepunk.net liked our record enough to say all those nice things. That's enough for me. I hope shit gets crazy though, we need it pretty badly.

SWH:Do you ever sleep with headphones? And if so, whats usually playing?

I have! They fall out eventually though. Usually Sigur Ros (). That's my sleep jam. I've passed out to Mew on headphones fairly recently too.

SWH: So do you have a video planned for the new release? Do you have any ideas for what the video would be like? Do you have any ideas about who you're going to work with on the video?

Actually, we already shot the video! And it's going to be amazing. Some old friends from Andrew and Cj's high school who have won local film awards shot it and are currently editing it down. It's for the song "Explanations." I'm almost tempted to give you a link to see the first minute of it, but I cant. Just know that we're all really excited about it and Ben Winter and Noah Byrd are doing an unbelievable job editing it. It's going to look awesome. I promise.

SWH: As you guys make new fans across the country, what's the most important thing you want them to know about MFTM as people and as musicians?

As humans, that we're doing this with all our hearts and really appreciate everything that we get. We love hearing from new people, we love making friends and we love playing our songs for people. This is love. And as musicians; we're doing everything we can to be the best we can be.

SWH:So, let's talk about the Baltimore scene. How do the kids treat you guys as a band in that area? Do you have any close friends from the same area that are in bands? What do the Baltimore kids think of your style music?

We've got a ton of great friends around the Baltimore area. Some of them are in bands, actually, all of them are, its totally true. They are all very supportive and its like a great big musical family. Gatsby Gets The Green Light (www.myspace.com/gatsbyrock) are a super tight band and just amazing people and we just stroke each others egos all day! The Green Eyed Machine (www.myspace.com/thegreeneyedmachine) are a wonderful band and some of my best friends as well; they'll have a stunning debut record soon. I go to their band practices just to watch them because they don't play out just yet. They're great. Adelphi are great to hang out with also (www.myspace.com/adelphi) and they're so good. Like, so brilliant. Those guys just walk around harmonizing as a part of daily routine - we've had some great jams with them. As far as Baltimore kids and show-goers go, the only thing I can assume is that the kids that say they like it, dig it and the kids that buy the record, dig it. I'm not really speculating on the rest, we're just trying to make the best music we can and share it with as many people as possible. I think kids are starting to catch on though, the numbers are growing, I think.

SWH: Well thanks so much for your time.

Morning for the Masses is...

Matt Hall - Drums/Electronics/Keyboard
Ben Hirschhorn - Vocalist
CJ Robson - Guitar
Andrew Russell - Guitar/Vocals

Myspace
Live Performance

-SWH.Rex

Review: Alkaline Trio - Remains

2007-02-21T15:11:00.000-05:00

Band Statement: "Alkaline Trio has never been the kind of band that rests on its laurels. So quite often - in the midst of the torrent of recording albums and touring to support them - we will book into a studio and record some more. This has given us the opportunity to be a part of a lot of great compilations and split albums over the years, all of which are collected here."

"These sessions ended up being released throughout the years by a multitude of record labels - again, a chance for us to spread our wings a bit. When we didn't have new compositions to record, we'd grab something out of our record collections - offerings for the altars of our idols. It's been about five years since the last collection of oddities was released (the self-titled album on Asian Man records), and we've stockpiled enough random material to fill a few discs. These truly are the remains of the last half-decade."

Alkaline Trio - Remains
Release Date: 1.30.07

Tracklisting
1. Hell Yes
2. My Standard Break From Life
3. Dead End Road
4. Metro
5. Jaked On Green Beers
6. Queen of Pain
7. While You're Waiting
8. Rooftops
9. Old School Reasons
10. Warbrain
11. Fine Without You
12. Hating Every Minute
13. Dead and Broken
14. Sadie
15. If You Had a Bad Time
16. Wait for the Blackout
17. We Can Never Break Up
18. Don't Say You Won't
19. Buried
20. Dethbed (Live)
21. My Standard Break From Life (Live Acoustic)
22. I'm Dying Tomorrow (Live)

I honestly expected to hate this album. On principle alone I should not allow myself to like it. I find it hard to pay a band full price for twelve songs from their grade ‘A’ material: how could I be in favor of the same price for a bunch of b-sides, covers, and live cuts? Principles aside, other reservations include the fact that Alkaline Trio left Vagrant, (is this a contract-fulfillment album?) and that Alkaline Trio has previously released a b-side album (2000’s great Alkaline Trio) I quickly discovered that I was incapable of hating Remains of 2005-2006 for two reasons: partly because it’s a pretty, pretty package and partly because it melted some of my face clean off.

I don’t mean to wax aesthetic, but Remains looks good. The artwork and packaging is of a high quality. In addition to good looks, Remains includes everything a listener wants but doesn’t usually get in an album. Buyers will receive the requisite CD, a feature-rich DVD, and a booklet including full lyrics and liner notes from the band. The DVD includes all of the band’s music videos to date, as well as a documentary with live footage. Having the lyrics is great, because too often we don’t get these. Beyond that, the commentary in the liner notes is even better. The band discusses each song - what inspired it, how it was made, and how they play (or don’t play) the track live. It’s insightful interesting stuff, and it provides excellent perspective. Having the lyrics, band commentary and DVD all together is fantastic, making this package a legitimate value.

Nice colors and a lovely set-up aside, there’s also some music here to check out. You’ll find the usual “b-sides disc” assortment of tracks: a few live cuts, a few older songs from EPs and splits, some non-album and from-special-edition songs, a couple unreleased tracks, and a couple of cover songs. A bunch of fan favorites are here. “Jaked On Green Beers,” “My Standard Break From Life,” and “Dead and Broken.” The covers are exceptional. Especially the cover of Berlin’s, “The Metro” and Hot Water Music’s “Rooftops.” The audio quality on the live songs is curiously sub par, but the rest of the album sounds great. Some of my favorite tracks include the aforementioned “Jaked On Green Beers” and “The Metro”, as well as “If You Had A Bad Time”, and “Old School Reasons”.

Remains clocks in at a lengthy (though more typical with this type of record,) twenty-two tracks; they’re all good, and many are great. The Trio’s back catalogue is apparently deep enough to justify this album, and based on the merit of the songs alone I can’t disagree. The fantastic covers, good live cuts, and worthy-of-their-own-album b-sides make it an excellent effort. Tied together with lyrics, liner notes, and a better than average DVD extra, fans couldn’t ask for more. In fact, what Alkaline Trio left behind in 2005-2006 is better fare than many legit full-lengths released by their contemporaries.

Remains is a must have for even casual fans, and should be at least checked out by the Alk3 unfamiliar, as it provides a good cross-section of their material. My supercilious presumptions about “b-side” discs were happily proven wrong with this album. It’s worth the price of admission as an album alone, and the extras make it a hell of a bargain.

Not that this is becoming a tag line or anything:

With all that said, don’t be a sucker. Love this album. (Score: 85%)

-SWH.JayMurda

Remains is in stores now!

MySpace

Purchase it here!

Stay tuned for more great stuff from Jay in the near future.
Be back soon for some interview action.

SWH.Steve

News Update: 2.20.07

2007-02-20T19:07:00.000-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, Cities, the much anticipated new album from Anberlin is officially in stores now! For a limited time, the record will be available for a special low price at a variety of retailers including Best Buy, Target , WalMart, FYE, Hot Topic , among many other retailers. As part of a HUGE prize give away, with the release of the album, the guys have announced the Anberlin City Pass. Each copy of record comes with a special insert called the "Anberlin City Pass." The pass will give fans the opportunity to win big. Selected winners could end up with a brand new 2007 Volkswagon Rabbit, XBOX 360, 30GB Video iPod, Sony PSP, custom Anberlin Epiphone Guitar, and so much more! In order to find out if you've won, just take your City Pass, head to the brand new anberlincities.com , check a full list of pizes, and then enter your code.

In order to go along with the occasion, we have a boat load of important news and information for all you fans out there. To start things off, here is the newest video blog from the guys concerning the new release, as well as comment provided by Stephen [frontman] via MySpace.

friends,

i just wanted to take this opportunity to personally say thank you so much for the support & being such a big part of anberlin's success. without you we would not have had the opportunities to travel, tour, and pursue music & our dreams. this is the most exciting time in our band's history because our cd 'CITIES' comes out tomorrow, tuesday, february 20th. this album is simply the best record that we have ever put out, and are so excited to finally be able to share it with you.

we are playing an acoustic show tonight, february 19th, in our home town, orlando, florida. the show is going to be at park avenue cd's and @ 10:30pm were going to start, and then at midnight were going to be selling the record. we would love everyone to come, but even if you miss this show we are headlining across the country with bayside, meg & dia, and jonezetta, all the dates are up on anberlin.com and are beginning to sell out, so get your tickets now so you can come sing along.

also, we are playing a free myspace secret show with our friends in bayside tomorrow night at the social in orlando, florida. if you live anywhere in the area, please come out and help us celebrate the release of ‘CITIES.’ it’s going to be an amazing time. doors open at 6:00pm but get there early so you don’t miss your chance to get into the show.

your friend,
stephen christian

I personally apologize for the lack of haste on my part to get this message up yesterday when the information within was most pertinent, however I figured better late than never.

As far as the "Secret" Myspace show is concerned, earlier tonight the guys performed in Orlando with friends and fellow tour-mates Bayside to celebrate the release.

The band has also launched a brand new website to go along with the theme of the record. Head over to Anberlin.Com to have a look see of the new layout.

In addtion, fans now have the ability to add their favorite Cities tunes to their cell phones.

Go grab yourself a brand new Anberlin ringtone off "Cities!" Choose from:

Godspeed - ANBN3
Adelaide - ANBN4
A Whisper & A Clamor - ANBN5
The Unwinding Cable Car - ANBN6
Hello Alone - ANBN7
Reclusion - ANBN8
Paperthin Hymn - ANBN1
A Day Late - ANBN2

Simply send a text message to 66555 with the code for the song you want (for example "ANBN3" for Godspeed) and the ringtone will be sent right back to you. Offer good for Cingular, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon subscribers.
Phones must be compatible. Users will be charged $2.99 for real music ringtones. Standard text messaging costs apply. Visit www.ringtonejukebox.com for customer service and full terms and conditions.

Don't forget that the Anberlin, Bayside, Meg and Dia, and Jonezetta tour is already underway and tickets are selling out quickly!

Aside from all that great stuff, stay tuned for an extensive review from SWH's very own Jay Murda in the very near future.

The Anberlin/Bayside tour is a great segue way into our next news update, as the boys of Bayside had quite the evening last night at their show in Jacksonville. I'll leave all explanation up to the band and some fine video footage the guys got from the unique evening.

We had a very special night last night in Jacksonville Fla. Anthony was unable to sing due to some gnarly throat problems. We didnt want to cancel the show because we knew alot of people traveled and paid money to see us, so the only conclusion we came to was to play and have everyone there sing. I took some video of it, here is a little clip, a few of Crash Romeo, I am the Avalanche and the rest of us on stage singing They looked like strong hands.

In light of the recent workings of the Virgin/Capitol merger, Kevin Devine has sadly been dropped by his previous label Capitol Records. Here is a lengthy update concerning the occurrence as well as some insightful words surrounding his current, and future tours with some of his closest friends:

Hey there,

I write from my 'office' in my apartment, overlooking a moderate February Brooklyn afternoon, enjoying a moment of relative calm in what's been a pretty tumultuous couple weeks.

I need to thank everyone that's made the KD/Jennifer O'Connor/Koufax/Pablo tour such fun, promoters and fans alike. It's been eye-opening...even when crowds were relatively spare, the vibe was right on, and people were passionate and committed. It's kind of a trip to me that with my limited tour experience here in the States prior to this record we can roll into Grand Rapids, MI on a sub-zero January weeknight and play to a group of 50 or so folks who are familiar with and fervent about these songs.

It's also a headfuck to sell out the Knitting Factory here in New York - the first club I ever went to in the city, in 1995 or 1996 to see Jeremy Enigk play...very powerful for a 15 year old kid and Saturday night was one of those totally surreal, cold water pinch yourself moments. At the risk of sounding totally ridiculous, it was kind of a milestone, so thank you.

And I couldn't have been happier than to share the stage for the past two weeks with Koufax, some of the smartest, coolest, most fun guys you could ever ask to be on tour with. Good friends, freedom fighters, intellectual boundary pushers, and trouble makers for sure...http://www.koufaxmusic.com. They will be missed.

On that note, here are the last four dates of the run - advance tickets are available for all the shows. All shows with JENNIFER O'CONNOR and PABLO. We'd love to see you, so come on down:

Feb 21 2007 7:30P @ First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
Feb 22 2007 9:00P @ Great Scott, Allston, MA*
Feb 23 2007 7:00P @ Pearl Street (Clubroom), Northampton, MA^
Feb 24 2007 7:00P @ The Space, Hamden, CT^

* - with CHOO CHOO LAROUGE
^ - with AEROPLANE, 1929

I was recently dropped by Capitol Records as part of the collateral damage swirling around the Virgin/Capitol merger. I was not surprised, as you need to be acutely aware of sharks when you decide to swim that far out in the ocean, and had been expecting this strange and fun experiment to end almost from the day I signed the dotted line. People like me aren't really supposed to flourish in environments like that, but it was worth a shot, and I definitely gained and learned much more than I lost over the course of my time with the label, and would like to thank the people I worked with there for treating me well and making my transition a surprisingly smooth and rewarding one, both at the outset and ultimately at the end.

I hold no ill will and harbor no grudge against Capitol Records; I'm thankful I had the opportunity to make a record I love with a producer I've long respected and admired in studios I'd read about but never expected to track in. I'm thankful for the initial faith and realize the 'they' that brought me in and worked closely with me for the past year and a half were largely turned over, and so not the same 'they' that ushered me out.

I also see nothing but naivety and futility in being personally offended by business decisions that I see as symptomatic of not only an industrial but a global systemic illness: profit over people. It's a board meeting, about stock options and the bottom line, not a humanitarian awards dinner or a gallery opening. That's not exactly, or rather only, the fault of Capitol Records, or Virgin, or EMI; it's the rules we exist by in a system that encourages accumulation and high profit margins over, er, human dignity. I'm lucky to be in a line of 'work' from which I can relatively easily rebound and keep moving; I worry for some of the people I worked with at the label and, more broadly, for normal working people not in a glamorous field like rock n' roll marketing who have to figure out how to maintain a living wage in a minefield of layoffs and cutbacks and outsourcing and all other manner of shorthand for sitting handcuffed while your options get dwindled against your will so some dickhead blueblood can walk away with your benefits and pension plan folded into his healthy severance package. No wonder we're all so anxious all the fucking time.

As for me: I've sold 3,000 records in 4 months, roughly, with very little help, and nothing at all in terms of a proper 'label push.' I've gotten to tour consistently since June 2006 with a wide assortment of cool and interesting musicians across a broad range of genres and approaches. I've gotten some slight financial security (for the time being) and I got to pay my friends to come out and play and record, for the first time ever. The press has been kind, college radio has been kind, promoters have been kind, and the amazing and dedicated fans I'm lucky to have pre-date my flirting with the bright lights anyway, and I know they'll be around whether I put my records out myself or choose short-term selective amnesia and sign with J Records tomorrow (omg jk).

That's hugely successful to me; the most successful I've been to date, and I plan on continuing to work my ass off and tour and play these songs for as many people as are willing to hear them. So that's that. More to come as it develops, but for now, I'd rely on getting out to a show or iTunes and amazon.com if you want to order a record, because I don't think you're going to find them in a store.

And on that front, I am stupid amped to remind y'all that following a short break, I will be hitting the road again with The Goddamn Band in support of BRAND NEW, alongside MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA.

Mike Leibovich [keys, percussion] of our friends Sherwood has spent some time to talk about the new album A Different Light:

Mikey talks about the album

In additional news, the album is now on pre-sale! [and it's one kick ass set up if I might add]. Purchase the disc pre-sale through Flipside Industries for $9.99 and get the opportunity to download the album for free two weeks in advance. Click the image below to head right over to Flipside.

Joshua Radin will be releasing a new version of "only you" featuring Imogen Heap on i-tunes within the next few weeks. In other news, Josh's current tour stint is slowly but surely winding down. Here are some more details:

just wanted to let you all know that in a couple weeks i am releasing a new version of "only you" on i-tunes. i did this version with imogen heap and it sounds really cool so stay tuned and be on the lookout for that. immi is one of my favorite musicians and i think she's brilliant so i couldn't be happier about this collaboration.

also, tonight is one of my last shows of this tour - tuscon, arizona - the hotel congress. 8pm. it would be really cool if you guys came out to support us. we want to go out with a bang.

and thanks again for all your comments on here. love reading them.

until next time,
be well,

j.

We Were Here, one of my favorite releases of 2006, is in stores now. An exclusive i-Tunes EP is also available via, well, i-Tunes.

So about that up coming Jimmy Eat World album...be patient, they're still working on it. Here's what the latest word:

We are still working on our next album. During the Christmas break we wrote some new tunes and got ideas for a bunch more. We are working on those and giving them the chance to develop. We are still very excited about what we have competed thus far and we hope to wrap it up as soon as possible. But this is the way rock is. Sorry. Shit takes forever.

We don't consider ourselves on island time by any stretch. We want to make sure every song feels like it is as complete as it needs to be. To put songs out there and call it an album is an important thing for us. We have yet to compromise a recording session for the sake of a final product. We aren't about to start 12 years into the band. Thank you for your patience and we hope to get more up, more often.

Stay tuned for more incoming information.

A bunch of bands recently added some tunes to their Myspace profiles - don't fret, we've got you covered.

Paulson

Hello!

We've put TWO MORE new songs up on our myspace for your listening pleasure. One is the new version of Miami Current and the other is a brand new track called Slow Down. Both songs will appear on our record, All At Once, which is in stores March 6th on Doghouse Records!

You can now pre-order All At Once at Insound.com. The band is on tour now with Daphne Loves Derby, Dave Melillo, and Waking Ashland.

Lovedrug has added "Doomsday and the Echo" and a live acoustic version of "Thieving." Don't you dare forget that Everything Starts Where It Ends drops on March 6th.

I and the Universe [Parker Chase]has added a mastered version of "See It to Believe It." Stay tuned for some more tracks to be added in the future.

After taking a little break from the road, The Classic Crime are back with some dates, along with some snazzy new merch gear. Take a look at what Justin had to say about the band getting back on the road.

Ok heres the run-down on early 2007. We have created a whole new line of merch that should be ready by March 1st. The merch should also be viewable online at www.theclassiccrime.com soon there after. Make sure to check that out and plan ahead on your merch orders. We apologize again and again for anybody that had troubles with our merch ordering system at our site. We just want to assure you (the fans) that everything has been fixed over at our merch store,... please feel free to go and order our clothes again.

We have just added dates for our latest Nationwide tour with A Change of Pace, Quiet Drive, Sullivan, and Bleeding Alarm. (Sullivan & Bleeding Alarm on selected cities) At this point there are some gaps in our tour schedule so don't be alarmed if your city is not on the schedule. We will be adding all the rest of the tour dates next week.

Last but not least we have been selected to play at the Tooth & Nail Tour 2007. Details will come a little later but the word over at Tooth & Nail is that this tour is going to be bigger than ever. We are honored to be apart of this great tour again.

We are very anxious to get back on the road. Hope to see you all very soon

Justin
The Classic Crime

So to save some space I've decided to clump all of the new Myspace track additions and new live videos into respective sections. Though I'd much rather take one act at a time, for efficiency's sake this seems like the best route to take. Having said that, check out these new live vids from Punchline, The Dear Hunter, and TREOS.

Punchline

The Dear Hunter [Casey Live Acoustic in Alston, MA]

"The Church and the Dime"

"Red Hands"

TREOS

"Hemi"

"Until They Become Conscious"

As always, more news will be on the way.

Dig on,

SWH.Steve

News Update: 02.17.07

2007-02-17T20:53:00.000-05:00

For all you Sherwood fans out there, if you order the new album here, you'll receive an autographed poster as well as a link to download the album two weeks before the release date (which is March 13th)! Read an interview we here at SWH conducted with Sherwood band member Dan Koch by clicking here.

Track Listing
01) Song In My Head
02) The Best In Me
03) Middle of The Night
04) For The Longest Time
05) Home
06) Alley Cat
07) Give Up!
08) Never Ready to Leave
09) The Only Song
10) Alive
11) The Simple Life
12) A Different Light
13) I’m Asking Her to Stay

Senses Fail posted the following bulletin via Myspace regarding their latest contest--writing the story for their upcoming music video for the song "The Priest and The Matador":

Hey everyone, next week we will be posting a brand new contest that will once again call upon your creative skills. Instead of asking you to design a Senses Fail inspired t-shirt, we’re going to ask you to write for us. The contest will involve you, the fans, writing a story for our next music video, “The Priest and The Matador.” Like the previous contest, there will only be one winner who will receive the grand prize of having their idea be made into our next video.

Everything you need to know such as contest details, rules, how to enter, and more will be posted next week. In the mean time, try to spark an idea that you think will win and pay close attention to our website for when we put this contest up. Good luck!

The Forecast is also running a contest, and this one is to design their new t-shirt. Read about it:

Hey Everyone!
So we're in the midst of tour preparation and figured why not involve you all! We want YOU to design our next T-SHIRT! We will be creating a new line of merch for the Hot Rod Circuit / Limbeck tour and we want YOUR help.

What do I have to do, you ask!?!?

CREATE A DESIGN FOR THE FORECAST TO PUT ON A T-SHIRT

Rules, etc.

Please keep the design within 3 colors. No specific theme necessary however we ask that you incorporate our name in the design. No limitations to the number of times you can submit "different" designs. That's it! Simple, right! We thought so.

The band will pick 5 favorite designs and place them on their website and myspace page for everyone to vote. The winner will receive... (here comes the good stuff):

1 T-Shirt Autographed by the Band

10 T-Shirts of their design - for you and your friends

A Photo of everyone in the band wearing YOUR T-Shirt

Looking forward to what you crafty people come up with. Mail your submission to: forecasttshirts@hotmail.com

Deadline: March 3, 2007
Voting Starts: March 12 - 18

In light of their new release, Knate has provided video blog part dos for Anberlin:

Coming out this Tuesday [2.20], Anberlin's much-anticipated follow-up to Never Take Friendship Personal, Cities, is now up for stream in it's entirety at their Myspace page.

Pre-order the new Kaddisfly album, Set Sail The Prairie, from Interpunk, and receive a free t-shirt while supplies last. This album comes highly recommended, and it is up for streaming at absolutepunk.net

Here is a "note" from Max Bemis of Say Anything [rising] fame:

Hey, we just got word that they are playing our song "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too" a bit on KROQ in L.A....It's not only one of the biggest, most influential modern rock stations on the country, but it's also the station i used to listen to as a kid in my hometown of West Hollywood(boys town).

I used to try and request the bands i liked, and I was always so amazed when Saves the Day or Jimmy Eat World finally made it on to the radio.I hope you guys have a similar experience and that we blow up the spot on that shit with your help. Same with all of you in the rest of the country where this song is beginning to be played. I know it's a love/hate experience to see your fav. band become popular or get on the
radio waves but, honestly, 'tis better to infect the masses with good music rather then keep it to yourself. Maybe we can actually make a dent in the bullshit.

Call and request it, wherever you are, please.

-max

Holiday Parade has released the artwork for their EP This Is My Year
, which is set for release on March 27th. Expect a review of the EP coming very shortly here at SWH.

Head to their Myspace to check out some tracks. A recent bulletin promised the posting of a new song entitled "Never Enough" in the next week or so.

Park's last show will be on May 5th at the Route 66 hotel in Springfield, Illinois. Expect an extensive interview with the band's frontman Ladd very soon.

Daphne Loves Derby has announced the addition of David Sparks, the band's new bassist. Watch a video of him below:

1. Are Two Chords Enough, Dear? - (1:35)
2. Stranger, You and I - (3:12)
3. Iron In The Backseat - (3:54)
4. No One Is Convinced - (3:47)
5. Marching Band Intro - (0:50)
6. That's Our Hero Shot - (2:59)
7. To Struggle With Light Colors - (3:35)
8. Cue The Sun - (3:33)
9. Miniature Christmas Tree - (2:50)
10. Love & Mercy - (2:55)
11. Hello Color Red - (2:52)
12. The Best Part About It Honey - (3:13)
13. How's It Going To End - (4:19)

If Emanuel reaches 100,000 friends on their Myspace, they'll release an in-studio video featuring a new song. So yeah, go add them! The new album is currently titled Black Earth Tiger

Lovedrug's new album Everything Starts Where It Ends is due out March 6. Head here to hear 30 second clips from all the album's songs. Do yourselves a favor and check these guys out - this album is easily one of my most anticipated in 07.

The Well by Waking Ashland is due in stores come 4.17. Head over to Purevolume to see an exclusive video update taken from the band's work in the studio.

Head here to see the guys of Punchline demo some new tracks.

As of Valentines Day, Covington [Jamison, formerly 1/2 of JamisonParker] has added three new tracks to his MySpace page. Stay tuned for more recording news as it comes in.

If you head over to Triple Crown's Purevolume sampler page, you can get a chance to hear two new TREOS demos [both of which will be on the upcoming album] as well as a new Dear Hunter track and an acoustic version of "Love Love Love [Love Love]" from As Tall As Lions.

The guys of Goodbye Tomorrow have reached quite the milestone. Travis spoke on behalf of his bandmates with the following MySpace bulletin detailing the cause for acknowledgment:

thirty thousand

thats one hundred times the title of the new movie based on Frank Miller's graphic novel that has allowed us to post every picture taken of us throughout the course of our lives on this neat website. sounds epic, right? i suppose that the thirty thousand plus nine myspace friends that we now have are not far from the twenty-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-six that we started the day with, but i must admit to feeling a certain level of accomplishment. the support you guys have shown us on a daily basis has often been overwhelming and humbling. it is incredible that some of you have enjoyed / been affected by our music enough to encourage your friends to give us a listen. please take the time to applaud yourselves for being a crucial part of what we are doing. as all of our lives transcend here and now, we hope to continue giving/receiving support, strength, and enjoyment to/from you. we have been conditioning ourselves for the nomadic lifestyle of full-time touring, and look forward to sharing space and time with you very soon. we will have beautiful new merchandise available for sale or barter. again, thank you all. before i release you from my grasp, i would like to share a quote by Frederick Douglass- "If there is no struggle there is no progress." Be encouraged.

-travis (speaking on behalf of my comrades)

News will be updated throughout the rest of the night.

Interview: Matt O' Dowd - Vox/Guitar/Keyboards of Liam and Me

2007-02-16T16:33:00.000-05:00

If I may, I’d like to paint a picture. Scene: you’re feeling blue one angst ridden afternoon. The bad luck pendulum seems to be knocking you in the head and the bruisers are getting bigger and deeper. In true angst fashion, you put on some music to help with a case of the doldrums. In your shuffle mix, Liam and Me- “Call the Cops” infections synthesizers wreaks havoc on your "emo" state of mind. The urge is uncontrollable and you must … tap your feet. Then it’s lone dancer anarchy from there. First the feet, then the slight rhythmic head tilt, and then it’s the finger snap. Before you know it you’re jumping around your room like you’re the only person dancing in the whole world at that time. When the more or less 4 minutes is over your slump is a distant memory.

Liam and Me has an uncanny knack to make danceable beats with catchy lyrics without sacrificing the quality of the music. If you don’t know them now, you will know a little bit more after this interview, and you sure enough will hear about them by this summer’s end. Thank you to Matt O’Dowd (Lead Vocals/Keyboards/Guitar) for being gracious enough to give awesome answers.

Somewhere along the way I had a pop songwriting epiphany, the material lightened up, the keyboards starting playing a bigger role, and people were into it. Then Briks joined the band with a new arsenal of beats and talent, just as a fresh batch of songs was ready to be arranged. Suddenly we were a “get up and dance band.”

-Matt O'Dowd

Note: Thanks to Jamie for assisting in some questions.

SWH: Just to get some background information, can you introduce each member of the band explain how the band formed?

Liam and Me began as a high school punk band called Mad Mardigan founded by Dan Larkin in 1999. He booted his bass player and enlisted Kevin McKenzie, who shortly after brought in Matt O’Dowd. We played backyard parties, recorded some crappy demos (oh, we have samples), and generally sucked despite a few promisingly catchy songs. After an unforgettable summer of rock, the band members split up and went their separate ways to geographically disparate universities, re-uniting occasionally on winter breaks and summer vacations to play, write, record, and kick out our original drummer.

Over the years, we got better. More artful and mature rock replaced our punk origins, and we wrote a few songs that people really seemed to like. When one of our newer compositions won us a spot on the 2002 Warped Tour, the rock and roll dreams we worked so hard to suppress started to overtake our more conventional career plans.

By the summer of 2004, drummer Jon Briks joined the band and our lineup was complete. We added the keyboard, developed our sound, and began writing the catalogue of songs we’re currently playing. We started playing tons of shows, self produced our ten-song album There’s a Difference, and things have been on the up and up ever since.

SWH: Also, for the record, who is Liam?

The phrase “Liam and Me” is a fragment of dialogue from the film The Big Lebowski, a contemporary classic. It’s from a scene where The Jesus, played by John Turturro, talks some shit to The Dude and Walter out on the lanes: “Dios Mio, man. Liam and me, we’re gonna f*ck you up.”

Earlier in the band’s genesis we had great difficulty deciding on a name. We played numerous shows under a variety of absurd (and sometimes offensive) temporary joke names. Biting the bullet one freezing cold winter evening, we decided that we would stand outside wearing only t-shirts and shorts until an official band name was selected. After nearly 30 minutes of frozen discourse, Liam and Me was selected.

Admittedly, Liam and Me is an awkward band name that causes much confusion. There is no “Liam” or “Me” in the band (“so, uhh, which one’s Liam and which one is me?”) and our music is not at all referential to The Big Lebowski. But if bands with such god-awful names as Hoobastank, The Butthole Surfers, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Toad the Wet Sprocket can survive in music, then why can’t we?

SWH: In an article from The Villanovan, your music's direction took a turn from "melancholy" to "get up and dance!" after a change of band members. Was this a conscious decision, or a natural flow of the music making process?

A little of both, I think. The profound change in musical direction was no accident, but we discovered where we wanted to go gradually. In college we listened to a lot of depressing art rock, which had a serious impact on our music. Somewhere along the way I had a pop songwriting epiphany, the material lightened up, the keyboards starting playing a bigger role, and people were into it. Then Briks joined the band with a new arsenal of beats and talent, just as a fresh batch of songs was ready to be arranged. Suddenly we were a “get up and dance band.”

SWH: It states in your bio that all of you have their own taste in music. Does this eclectic mix ever lead to any tension as to how a song will come out. Care to go into any of those varying tastes?

Much like the X-Men, each member has a special ability that comes from our influences. Fortunately this doesn’t cause too many conflicts in the writing process, as at this point we’re all on the same page stylistically. The rest of the band isn’t sitting here now, but here’s what everyone is into more or less, with examples:

Jon – Indie Hip Hop, Old Soul Records, Laptop Music, straight ahead rock drumming – MF Doom, Just Blaze, Al Green, Dave Grohl, Jay Z

McKenzie – Motown, 90s Indie Rock – Temptations, Jackson Five, Pavement, Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, Beatles

Dan – Punk Rock, Acoustic Singer Songwriters – Elliot Smith, Ryan Adams, Hot Water Music, Talking Heads

Matt – Songwriting and Structure, Hot Hits with Substance – Max Martin, Sting, Paul McCartney, Radiohead, Duran Duran

SWH: There is a growing buzz surrounding your band following the release of your album and the tour. Is your goal as a band to make it mainstream or are you content being below the radar? What do you think you can bring differently to the table in the industry?

We have very high expectations for this record, and would like to reach as many people as possible all over the world. If we could follow the career arc of someone like Duran Duran or the Red Hot Chili Peppers (a run of great albums and huge international live presence) I would be very, very happy. Though our style is not wildly different and outlandishly fresh, our commitment to songwriting, performance, and quality control is. Our contribution to the industry will be to give the “album as art form” one last run in the sun before singles take over. All killer, no filler is how we roll.

SWH: How did the touring experience go for you? Did the touring with the other bands give you any new inspirations for upcoming material? Have you tried out any new songs on any crowds yet?

Touring and playing live is my favorite part of the rock and roll experience, and the shows we’ve played so far have only made me more excited to hit the road full time. Its always encouraging and rewarding to play for a group of strangers and convert them into fans, then come back a few months later and turn the place into a huge dance party. It can be a grind, but you forget all the bad stuff when you get up on stage.

It can also be a summer camp-like bonding experience with the other musicians. We share ideas and performance tricks, play catch, and drink a lot of free beer. When we toured with New Atlantic, we once had an 11 man sleepover in a tiny motel room. Sharing one bathroom brought us all closer together.

We do experiment with new material on the road. Watching how the crowd reacts and developing the song accordingly is an indispensable part of the process. Unfamiliar tracks will never be as well received as a familiar hit, but you can get a sense of what works and what doesn’t.

SWH: When it came to choosing a record label, what were the aspects of Thrive Records that attracted you to them as they aren't known for most rock acts? What other labels began to show interest that didn't sell on you?

Our deal making process was long and complicated. We looked at a lot of deals, all of which had their risks and flaws. Thrive is great because they’re a small, well-funded company in a major system. They have a great new rock staff and a huge chip on their shoulder to break a rock band. With Thrive, we knew that we’d be a priority act on a label that really, really wanted to work with us. The budgets aren’t as cushy as what major labels will provide, but we won’t get dropped during a merger and our A&R man won’t be suddenly and unceremoniously fired.

SWH: The band has experienced a lot of growing success pretty early into the career, what has been your proudest moment thus far?

The last year has been pretty crazy, in a good way. We’ve played a lot of great shows and had some really wild experiences. My proudest moment was when the very first deal offer came in. Getting a record deal was a dream of mine since I saw my first rock concert. The call came in as we were setting up for a show, and the reaction was unbridled euphoria. I thought “We fucking did it, and now my life is about to change.”

Favorite track on the previous release and why?

”Call the Cops”. I think it’s the perfect marriage of quirky, funny, and somewhat creepy lyrics with a melody that I’m really proud of. People really connect with that song, and its very personal. It’s a fan favorite at shows, and we already have a great concept for the music video that I can’t wait to shoot.

SWH: Sometimes life on the road can be a little boring. What did you guys do to occupy your time? Did this include any guilty pleasures?

The radio and communal music listening is educational and entertaining. Everyone in the band is a reader and film buff. Briks and I work for many hours sequencing and programming demos of new material on our laptops and midi controllers. We also plan to watch the following shows in their entirety on DVD: The Wire, Deadwood, Arrested Development, Venture Bros., Aqua Teen Hungerforce, 24, Rome. I’m also surprised by the casual familiarity that 3 of 4 band members have with the names of obscure porn stars.

SWH: As far as the new record is concerned, will it be a re-release of sorts, or a new album with a few songs remixed/remastered and what not?

We’re going to re-record new and improved versions of every song on the first record with experienced producers/mixers, add a number of new songs, and then pare it down to 11-12 tracks with B-Sides to spare. We’re all fired up to start recording.

SWH: Who are you working with as far as production goes on the new release? How has that gone up until this point? What do you think they bring to the table for you guys?

At the current moment we’re finalizing our production deal and will announce the specifics soon. Initially differences in vision made that process very slow and frustrating, but now we’re in a great spot. The producers will manage the project, help us tailor our arrangements with expertise in a range of instruments and techniques, and ensure that we make a great sounding rock record with a live sound. The mixer will put it all together and make it shimmer.

SWH: As far as new material, how much have you guys finished writing/demoing/working on etc? Any details as far as song titles, common themes? When can we expect the release?

All the new stuff we plan to record is demo-ed, and we’re still hammering out a few details. Just tonight we had a guitar arranging session and came up with some hot new ideas. The record is somewhat of a loose concept album about love, ambition, maturity, and the havoc they wreak on each other in the context of a relationship. Its also kind of about us becoming rock stars. Some of the existing tracks lean towards “I’m getting older and I’m afraid I’ll fail and be miserable.” The newer ones are a step further along – “now that I’ve sort of made it, I’m afraid I’ll turn into and asshole and someone else will marry my girlfriend.” Vicious cycle! Album should come out in the summertime.

SWH: One of the greatest perks of touring is being able to make and meet new fans. On the other hand, some fans can get a little out of hand; do you have any crazy fan stories?

I’m always impressed by certain individuals who drive great distances to see almost every show, or spend hours making elaborate signs, t-shirts, bags, etc. We’re a pretty accessible and friendly band, and have a tendency to roam the crowd and make friends out of our fans. Whenever possible, we like to afterparty our brains out and see the sun rise. By the end of the evening, everyone is so out of control that we get to see the fans at their worst (or best, depending on the situation). I love the fact that so many people hook up after our shows. Most unusual experience - watching our rhythm section autograph a temporarily detached prosthetic leg.

SWH: Many of the songs on your album seem to have a common denominator, girls, is there any particular reason for this or is it just an easy subject matter? Will you be incorporating new influences lyrically speaking on the new effort?

I’m convinced there’s no better context in which to set up a state of mind. Most of our tracks aren’t about the girls themselves (baby, I love you, I miss you, your hair smells like strawberries) but more about an experience, a mood, a little story somehow revolving around a relationship. “Call the Cops” is largely about growing up and losing your innocent exuberance, with your hot young neighbor sparking the revelation. “There’s a Difference” is about that moment of realization that your lover has someone else on her mind. People are always talking and thinking about relationships, and I like to adapt those anecdotes into songs. The new songs contain some of the same devices, but get more experimental with perspective. In the future, I’d love to write some lyrics in the style of Pulp’s “Common People”.

SWH: Do you guys sleep with headphones ever? If so, what's usually playing in them?

I’ve always fallen asleep to music since I was very little. My enduring favorite is the radio – oldies/easy listening/adult contemporary mix. Sweet, beautiful old songs like that made me fall in love with music in the first place.

*Note: Sleeping with headphones on all night can be really bad for your hearing.

SWH: What's next for Liam and you?

We’re going to LA, living in an unfurnished mansion, and making the best record we can for a little over a month. After that, we’ll work our asses off on the road as much as we can. We’ve caught our break, but we have tons of work to put in before we can really make it. This is the best job any of us will ever have, and we’d like to keep it as long as music listeners everywhere will let us.

SWH: Thanks again!

-SWH.Alyssa

Liam and Me is...

Matt O' Dowd - Vox/Guitar/Keyboards
Dan Larkin - Guitar/ Vox
McKenzie - Bass
Jon Briks - Drums

MySpace
Official Site

I'd like to thank Alyssa, Matt, and the rest of Liam and Me for this fantastic interview. Be sure to stay tuned for further details about the band's upcoming Thrive release.

Interview: Stuart Clay - Daphne Loves Derby

2007-02-14T18:25:00.000-05:00

Could This One Be Their Hero Shot?

With a little more than a month and half away from the release of their new record Good Night, Witness Light, follow up to the Outlook Records debut On The Strength Of All Convinced, it's hard to look back at the last year or so and not recognize that the guys of Daphne Loves Derby have gone through some changes. In fact, after giving the new disc a few spins, it would seem that along with derbies, Daphne loves horns and strings as well. As far as change is concerned, quite simply, they've grown - in sound and in life. For the first time they actually have more than one member whose of the legal drinking age. I mean even Daphne drummer Stu Clay regretfully admits he feels bad for kids who caught the guys on their first few touring stints - but he assures things have improved. And they have. Taking the majority of the last couple of years to tour with various other acts, the progression of sound and instrumentation present on the upcoming disc is quite evidenced by that fact. Working with Matt Squire this time around, it would seem as if the band has really found their sound - one that's rather diverse sonically - something the guys are rather pleased with. Very recently, Stu took some time out to talk with SWH about the band, their recent tours, and the new album due out in stores March 27. Could this one be Daphne's hero shot?

You can definitely expect a lot of new things. We really tried to make this record diverse. I’m very excited for people to hear it.
- Stu Clay

SWH: For starters, introduce yourself, and the role you play in the band.

My name is Stuart Clay and I play the drums in Daphne.

SWH: While I realize that you guys probably get this question asked entirely too much, could you discuss the name of the band?

I wish there was a cool story, but there’s not. I’m sorry.

SWH: All of you guys are fairly young and have been doing this for quite a while now, at first how hard was it for you to hit the road and leave your lives at home behind? How much do you think you’ve grown as a result of the experience?

We were actually all ready to hit the road. It was all of our dreams to go on tour, so when we finally got the opportunity we were excited to get out. When we started touring I feel bad for the kids who came to hear us because we were terrible, but now that we’ve been on the road for a year and a half, we’ve definitely stepped it up a bit. I think we have grown as people quite a bit as well. Being on the road is an interesting life.

SWH: Before posting the newest song, you guys were stuck in Oklahoma City for some free time, what did you do with your time and what do you guys usually do when you’re not on the road or recording?

That time off was awesome. We got to hang out with our good friends House Of Fools for three days so things got pretty interesting. We usually just like to chill when we have time off, our days are generally quite busy so when we don’t have to be playing we take advantage of it.

SWH: As of late you have been campaigning for people to vote for the band to be the next featured band over at AOL Sessions Undercover, how did this promotion originally come about and do you have any similar things in the works for the upcoming album?

We have a really good publicist on board for this next album so he’s really great with hooking all those types of things up. We’ve got a lot of things in the works to hopefully boost this record up.

SWH: In November, Jason Call announced his departure from the band in order to fulfill religious responsibilities, could you go into detail about what he’s been up to, and what those responsibilities were? Did he record with you guys for the upcoming album before leaving?

Yes, Jason did record the newest record with us. He’s leaving to go on his mission for two years so we wish him luck with that. We found a really great guy to take his place so we’re all really happy with the change.

SWH: Could you please talk a little bit about your experience during your most recent acoustic tour with Meg and Dia and others? Do you guys prefer performing acoustically, or electric? Would you ever consider recording a full acoustic EP or LP?

Well personally I play drums so playing acoustically is not nearly as fun as full band. It is a good change of pace which is why we like to do it every so often. The tour went really well and all the bands were awesome. We might do an acoustic record just like as a bonus or just for fun, but I don’t think we will ever officially release one.

SWH: Have you played any new songs from the new album on your most recent tour? If so, what was the general reaction from the fans?

Yes, we played 3 new songs on the tour and fans seemed to take to it really well so I’m glad we got the new songs out there.

SWH: Could you talk about your next set of touring plans?

We will finish up this tour we’re on right now with our friends Paulson, Waking Ashland and Dave Melillo which will be fun. Then we will do a few dates on the west coast with the Plain White T’s and after that we secured a support slot for a tour that I have to keep on the dl right now, but we’re very excited about it.

SWH: You guys recently recorded a live video at the Chain Reaction, how did that go? What’s the status of the video- when can we expect to see it?

I actually just saw a rough cut of the video and we’re still in the tweaking process, but as of now it looks really good. I think you can expect to see it within the next month.

SWH: The first song you guys decided to release was entitled "That’s our Hero Shot," which is actually a departure from your typical sound, can we expect a lot of new things introduced in the new album? What can we expect?

You can defiantly expect a lot of new things. We really tried to make this record diverse. I’m very excited for people to hear it.

SWH: Why was this song chosen first? What is the actual meaning of the title?

We chose this song first because we just wanted to put something new out there that would show that we have grown and to show we’re trying some new things. For the name, Kenny really handles that department so I am not 100% sure…

SWH: How has the recording of this most recent album differed from your debut and other recordings? Who have you guys been working with as far as a producer, talk a little bit about your experience with him.

We worked with Matt Squire on this record which was an amazing experience. We moved out to Maryland for two months which was nice to get away from home and have a place that we could just focus on the record. It was a completely different experience then the last record.

SWH: This is your second release with Outlook Records, can you talk about your relationship and how it has it been?

Outlook has been really good to us, everyone who works there are great people. Of course with every label there are some things that you differ on, but overall we’re really happy with them.

SWH: There was an earlier Myspace update in which you guys mentioned specific people coming in to record strings- again something out of the ordinary for you- whose decision was it to bring in those types of elements? When performing these songs live, will you incorporate the added instrumentation?

Essentially it was our decision to bring them in. The parts aren’t too crucial to the music so as of now we just go without them live.

SWH: Can you provide any additional information about the record [tracklisting, single choice, etc.]?

That’s Our Hero Shot will be the first single and the album will be in stores on March 27th.

SWH: Based on your temporary website, you seem to show interest in Robert Frost. What is the significance of this poem? What does it have to do with the album?

It’s one of Kenny’s favorite poems, so he incorporates it into his lyrics.

SWH: What influences did you guys draw from for the making of this new album?

Actually a little bit of everything. We tried to expand our horizons as much as we could on this new record.

SWH: When can we expect an actual site to be launched?

Within a few weeks.

SWH: As of right now, what is the situation with David Sparks? Is he an official member of the band?

Pretty much, we love him.

SWH: What’s the deal with all the cross-outs on the Myspace?

Hah, nothing sorry. That is just the new MySpace template we are using…

SWH: Do you sleep with the headphones on? If so, what is usually playing?

I actually don’t, but lately I’ve listened to a lot of Say Anything, Bloc Party, Circa Survive. A lot of stuff like that.

SWH: Anything else you guys want to add? By all means have at it...

Me and our merch guy Scott bought a hamster today and named it Bella…And if you can, check out the new album when it is released on March 27th. Even if you weren’t into what we were doing in the past, I think you will find something to like about this album.

SWH: Thanks again for your time, good luck with the new album.

Daphne Loves Derby is...

Stu Clay - drums
Kenny Choi - main vocals/guitar
Spencer Abbott - lead guitar
David Sparks - bass/vocals

MySpace
Official Site

Be sure to check out Good Night, Witness Light come March 27!

News Update: Valentines Edition

2007-02-14T15:57:00.000-05:00

Things Are Gonna Change, This Time for the Better...
Cities, the anticipated new record from Anberlin will be arriving next Tuesday, Feb. 20. Lucky for you, we have tons of new news and little goodies to hold you off for a few more days:

Go listen to the brand new song "Alexithymia" now by heading here!

If you head to VH1.Com, you can hear clips of each and every track that will be on the brand new release.

Head to the iTunes Music Storeto hear the new Tooth & Nail Podcast featuring the song "Adelaide" on it. You can download it for free while you're there. If this song doesn't put them on the map, God knows there's something wrong with the mainstream audience [as if we didn't know this already.]

Anberlin's upcoming tour with Bayside, Meg & Dia, and Jonezetta starts next week and shows are very close to selling out.

Here are all the dates.

2/19 – Orlando, FL @ Park Ave CDs – special in-store cd release acoustic show (Anberlin only)
2/21 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
2/22 - Norfolk, VA @ Norva
2/23 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club (early show)
2/24 - Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
2/25 - Boston, MA @ Axis
2/27 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
2/28 - Buffalo, NY @ The Ikon
3/01 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews
3/02 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
3/03 - Minneapolis, MN @ the Station
3/04 - St. Louis, MO @ Creepy Crawl
3/05 - Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
3/07 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
3/08 - Phoenix, AZ @ the Clubhouse
3/09 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
3/10 - Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse
3/11 - Las Vegas, NV @ University Theatre
3/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
3/15 - San Francisco, CA @ Slims
3/16 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
3/17 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
3/19 - Boise, ID @ The Venue
3/20 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Avalon
3/21 - Denver, CO @ Gothic
3/23 - Dallas, TX @ The Door
3/24 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
3/25 - Houston, TX @ Meridien
3/26 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
3/28 - St.Pete, FL @ State Theatre
3/29 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
3/30 - Orlando, FL @ Firestone
3/31 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
4/01 - Nashville, TN @ Rocketown
4/03 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
4/04 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Irving Theater
4/05 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
4/06 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
4/07 - Columbia, SC @ Headliners

Also stay tuned for the announcement of some over-seas dates! There are plans in the works for a tour coming to Canada in April, and then in May/June there are plans to tour Japan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

Head here to access the brand new e-card for Relient K's upcoming release - Five Score and Seven Years Ago. Among many other things, you'll be able to hear two new tracks - "Give" and "Come Right Out and Say It."

New disc hits stores March 6.
Be ready for a SWH review.

To get you geared up for TREOS's upcoming summer release The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi, the band's label has released a video for the song "The Evidence," off of the band's last effort - Between The Heart and the Synapse. Stay tuned for any new updates the guys make while the wait continues!

The guy's of Funeral For a Friend have been up to a whole lot these days in preparation for the May release of their new album Tales Don't Tell Themselves. Here's a message from the band containing several of the new promotional odds and ends they've got in the works:

As you'll know if you've been tuning in to the MySpace blogs, our new album 'Tales Don't Tell Themselves' will be released in May.

As a little taster for the album, here is your chance to hear an exclusive track from the record FIRST. And it's free! It's called 'Out Of Reach'. This isn't a single - we just wanted you to hear what we've been up to these last few months! Let us know what you think at www.myspace.com/funeralforafriend. Alternatively you can leave your thoughts on the brand new FFAF fan phone line. Simply ring 07948 217660 and record your message (calls charged at your standard operator rate - none of that premium rate malarkey)

But that's not the only thing - we'd like you to get creative on us and put together your own video for the track. You can be as experienced or inexperienced in film making as you like, it doesn't matter. Just get cooking on a good idea and get filming. It's completely open and up to you what you come back with. Once you've made your video, upload it to You Tube and send the video link to ffaf@atlanticrecords.co.uk with the subject heading 'Out Of Reach video comp'.

For further detailed instructions read the rest of the statement here. After filling out a few simple forms, you'll be able to download the exclusive track "Out of Reach" for FREE!

Stay tuned...

Here's a music video for MUTE MATH's song "Chaos" compiled of footage from their new live DvD - Flesh and Bones Electric Fun available March 20th, 2007.

MUTE MATH - CHAOS

While people are still catching onto Augustana's 2005 All the Stars and Boulevards, the guys are itching to track some new material. If you head here you can read a fairly lengthy article on how the guys are more than ready to record some of the new stuff they've been working on. Fan's who haven't had the chance to catch them on their latest tours will be surprised to hear the new alt-country influences in some of the new tracks. Here's a hint of some of the details the article touches on:

"You just want to finalize the idea sometimes because it's just been out there for so long. It's been a couple of years since we've had some of these newer songs written."

"It's hard because you always think that you are doing something completely different than what you did before. Maybe that's true or maybe it's not. From my perspective, I think that we are taking things in a little more country rock direction — a little bit more of an alt.country kind of thing. A little bit more Wilco, Tom Petty, Ryan Adams kind of a vibe."

For all you late night television nuts like myself - be sure to mark these shows down on your calendar to catch some great live performances.

Joshua Radin will be be on Conan this Friday night, Feb. 16. Josh really wants you to check it out...

I wanted to let you know that I will be performing on Late Night With Conan O'Brien this Friday February 16th, so please be sure to watch, its on at 12:35am, but make sure you check your local listings to be sure you don't miss it, thanks.

Do as the man says!

For all you Bayside will be performing live on NBC’s Late Night With Conan O’Brien on Tuesday, Feb. 27. The show airs at 12:30 am Eastern Time.

To go along with the lot of Cartel news that's been trailing in as of late, here are two live vids of new songs:

Head over to the Academy Is website to see a video of the guys talking about their new album Santi. Just as a reminder, head over to their MySpace to hear the new single.

More updates coming a little later on, along with the Daphne Loves Derby, Liam and Me, and Morning For the Masses interviews.

Damn straight.

Happy Valentines Day from SWH!

Interview: Casey Immoor - Immoor/Immoor Productions

2007-02-13T11:29:00.000-05:00

Why Don't You Run, Run Into It...?

Within in the first minute and a half or so of "Chemical Feelings," the opening track of Casey Immoor's Indie-electronica project's debut LP The Thievery of Your Own Things, the captain of this one man ship so casually implores: Why don't we run, run, run into it/these chemical feelings we can't predict/take control, take control." It was at this very juncture that with this seemingly no-name artist's subtle synth hits, infectious beats, and nonchalant vocal sentiments, I fully realized I didn't really have any say in the matter; the music itself simply took over. At the drop of the first chorus, I knew I was a fan. From there on out, throughout my first few go arounds with Thievery I felt like I had been dooped, drugged, or tricked. Where the hell did this guy come from? Why are my arms involuntarily moving in a mock-robot motion? And then I found my answer. The simple, yet ever-so-effective, sounds and prose began to slowly march it's way into my subconscious, embedding itself into the "wow, I love this shit" portion of my psyche. I must admit the the effect has had rather long term stay, as it has since then remained, providing my "inner" half with one hell of a dream-like dance off. Since those few months have passed - granted my arms still twitch every now and again - Casey Immoor's tunes, rather than Ben Gibbard's efforts in well established Postal Service outfit, have become the standard for my future hunts for acts within the field. After such a pleasant surprise had graced my headphones earlier in the year, I had no choice to dive right in.

Below is the lengthy interview Casey took the time to do with Sleeping With Headphones. As one of the first interviews I ever conducted, it took a great amount of effort and time to get all my fan-boy inspired inquiries to be sorted through. I'd like to thank Casey in advance for it, as well as for the best album you probably haven't heard yet. Like him, I implore you - why don't you run, run into it...

The album is almost a direct mirror of my experience in the last two years. Working numerous dead end corporate jobs, struggling to locate my musical direction, dealing with some major life changes, its all in there. There is nothing more gratifying than being able to say exactly how you feel with the medium of music. Music is my therapy and I think that directly translates into the feel of my album.

-Casey Immoor

SWH: As I’m sure you already are aware, your MySpace offers these words as a bio of sorts:

The long awaited full length album from IMMOOR. This is the first complete work from IMMOOR, capping a long two year recording project. The finished product is a culmination of every emotion experienced over two years, a combination that walks a fine line between joy and sadness with each track. The resulting sound is reminiscent of a number of genres, but is most identifiable with the likes of the postal service, junior boys, soulwax, boards of canada, and etc....

If you don’t mind, I figured it would be the best to start there

As Thievery is said to be the “first complete work from IMMOOR,” have you ever been a part of any other musical projects or endeavors? If so, how did the work in those projects help with establishing the sound of your current one?

Casey: I have been apart of a few bands here and there, but I've always found myself gravitating back towards my solo stuff. I learned a lot about the industry playing in bands and collaborating with other musicians in the past, but I was always writing my own stuff on the side. I just decided to take the solo project and run with it.

SWH: While a full life biography is by no means needed, could you please go into your earlier life in relation to music, mainly “how it all got started” for you as a huge fan of music, the ultimately a performer of music?

Casey: It all started when I was about 12. A friend of mine loaned me a guitar so I could learn some chords. I found that I not only became obsessed with playing it, but also recording it. I saved up enough cash to buy my own guitar, a cheap keyboard, and a thrift store tape recorder and the music began to take shape. I eventually went to college and stuck it out for my BA in music, where I learned all the technical stuff, played in a few bands, and really learned how to produce a record.

SWH: In saying that the album is your first complete work, are there many other b-sides, demos, or tracks of the like that were completed/ worked on that didn’t make the final cut?

Casey: My early obsession with recording has allowed me to archive almost all of the tracks I have ever written. There are hundreds of tracks floating around that have never been released. However, when I specifically decided to write a solo project album, I wanted a fresh start. I knew that I wanted the L.P. to be at least 10 or 11 tracks. With that in mind, I ended up writing about 23 complete tracks for the project and used my friends as a sounding board to cut that down to 11 great tracks. I might be doing a b-side in the future, but some of that stuff needs more work before it gets released.

SWH: In considering the line: The finished product is a culmination of every emotion experienced over two years, a combination that walks a fine line between joy and sadness with each track, I find it a perfect way to describe the balance, or dual personality the album seems to encompass. Was that very high/very low split indicative of your own life while working on the effort? If such was the case, how gratifying is it to look back now at all the ups and downs it took to put a cap on the whole experience?

Casey: The album is almost a direct mirror of my experience in the last two years. Working numerous dead end corporate jobs, struggling to locate my musical direction, dealing with some major life changes, its all in there. There is nothing more gratifying than being able to say exactly how you feel with the medium of music. Music is my therapy and I think that directly translates into the feel of my album.

SWH: Going along with that question, in reviews written at both UpBeetMusic.com and Absolutepunk.net, Thievery is a record constantly compared to Ben Gibbard’s and Jimmy Tamborello’s The Postal Service. Do you agree with this comparison? Does it bother you?

Casey: Well, I'd say that before The Postal Service came along and had their side project, this style of music was relatively untapped. I wrote 50% of this music before The Postal Service album was even out. I think that all of the acts being compared to them are really just part of a developing genre. As far as how I feel about being compared to their stuff, I don't mind.

SWH: What is it about electronica, or the music found within this particular genre that appeals to you most? Could you ever see yourself performing without it?

Casey: The electronic genre gives me the freedom as a solo act to hash out my ideas. I am mainly a guitar player and singer first, a drummer second, and a keyboardist last. I really ended up getting into this style because it is so much easier to throw together your ideas inside of a box. I'd love to expand and include more live instruments down the road, perhaps as a live act rehash of what is on the album.

SWH: Could you please provide some insight in how the recording process worked in making the new album? Do you start with writing a particular song and then play with selected sounds, or vice versa? It’s no secret that you’re the man running the show, so how exactly do you go about doing what it is you do?

Casey: I usually start with all of the working parts of the song. A verse, a bridge, and a chorus. Then I put it all together a few different ways and let 2 or 3 versions sink in for a few days. After I decide on one version to go with, I write the lyrics. The lyrics are consistently the hardest part of the process. I think that anyone reading this article can agree that bad lyrics can totally ruin an otherwise amazing song.

SWH: What programs/equipment do you use, or did you use to record the album?

Casey: I mainly use pro tools LE and reason 3.0, using the digi 002 rack unit as an interface. For mic preamps I use a presonus digimax and the mic is a se5500 tube mic made by se electronics. I use the waves diamond pack for most of my plug-ins. For guitar, I use a basic epiphone les paul and an ernie ball musicman bass guitar on most of the tracks.

SWH: A few of the songs on the album are heavy with metaphor and feature the use of unique lyrics. As a writer, what inspires you most? What are your greatest influences?

Casey: First and foremost, my life. The lyrics that come to mind usually have to do with some ordeal or experience I've had. For example, one of the corporate jobs that worked at placed me in a cubicle for most of the day. That cubicle was named “unit 371”. Little details like that always seem to work their way into my lyrics. A random thought will come into my head, and Ill just run with it and see what happens. About 30% of it comes out great and the other 70% gets thrown on the back burner.

SWH: As far as the music goes, who are some artists [past/present] who influence/inspire you?

Casey: It always changes, but right now.... Figurine, The police, Orbital, Old Weezer, The Postal Service/death cab, Soulwax, Broken social scene, Radiohead, Coldplay(notsoldout yet I say!), anything by ken andrews, anything by Jon Brion,The first smashing pumpkins cd.... siamese dream(so good), Sigur Ros, Styrofoam, Lali Puna, Modest Mouse(especially the old stuff), My morning jacket, M83, AIR, Kings of Leon, The killers, The kills, Kasabian, Interpol, The futureheads, the list goes on...

SWH: As a relatively unknown act, what are your thoughts on selling out the available copies of the album in 24 hours? How does it feel to see reviews for your album on popular music zines, especially in such a positive light? Did you ever foresee it making this much noise [although, it surely deserves it]?

Casey: It was pretty gratifying to see the results. Although the numbers were nothing a label would consider a huge success, it was a great indicator to me that there was some interest in my music. The reviews were cool too. I was happy to hear that people were understanding the underlying meaning of the album, which before its release was a very personal thing for me.

SWH: Any plans in the works for touring? If so, when can we expect dates, and with whom?

Casey: No dates as of yet, although I would like to put together a live show in the future.

SWH: Very similar to the curiosity behind the actual recording of the record, how do you go about performing live?

Casey: I haven't really gone through all of the logistics of playing live yet, although I have decided that I will need to put together a band of sorts to make it happen.

SWH: With the album receiving a good amount of positive attention lately, have you been approached by any labels? If not, do you intend to try and shop around to find a home for the next album, or are you content staying put on “IMMOOR productions?”

Casey: There have been a few labels that have approached me, but only on a tacit level. It seems that those who have noticed me are in the “wait and see mode”. I've figured out that I cant go out and do all of this alone. However, If the rest of the promotion will be through Immoor Productions or a bigger parent label remains to be seen.

SWH: What are your greatest aspirations for this project in the future? Has it exceeded you expectations, or have you always intended on pushing it as far as it could go?

Casey: I will continue writing music no matter what happens. I would like to promote this album as much as I can and see what happens next. At this stage, I'm open to ideas.

MySpace
Official Site

Head here to purchase to great release from CDBaby!

Be on the look for an Immoor track to be added to the player sometime real soon. Let me know what you kids think.

SWH.Steve

News Update: 2.13.07

2007-02-13T09:53:00.000-05:00

Before I get into some new updates, I'd like to inform you all that the Liam and Me interview conducted by Alyssa has come in and will hopefully be posted before the day is out. Expect the promised Immoor interview as well, along with a couple of great new reviews. Rock on.

The tracklisting for The Graduate's new album Anhedonia is as follows :

01) Sit and Sink
02) I Survived
03) Bet it All
04) Anhedonia
05) The City That Reads
06) Better Company
07) Surround Yourself
08) Interlude
09) Doppelganger
10) Stay the Same
11) Justified
12) Sing

Once advances come in [I checked today :(] you can surely expect a review shortly thereafter. To say I'm excited is an understatement.

You can still pick up the EP Horror Show for free over at APnet.

If you don't trust me, then maybe my review can help sway you to check these guys out.

Tired of paying tons of loot on wilted flowers and drugstore candy chocolates for your valentine? Maybe you're just really cheap? Maybe you're really ugly and don't have a valentine? Either way, the guys of Melee have a gift for you, your girlfriend, or the cute girl you stalk on facebook. Head here for the band's new e-card for their new album Devils and Angels which is due in stores April 3.

Andy Albert, acoustic guitar player and lead vocal of Holiday Parade, recently conducted an interview with B93.7. If you head here to catch what Andy had to say, as well as a new track entitled "Never Enough." The tune can be found on the band's upcoming EP This is My Year due out in stores come March 27.

Expect a review of this EP coming very shortly to SWH.

According APnet, in an interview on last night's Gunz Show Coby from Say Anything announced that they have finished tracking drums for In Defense of the Genre, which will hopefully be a double disc release that fans should see in the winter 07, or early in 08. Let's all hope for the latter.

In another SA news, tickets to the Say Anything/Saves the Day 2007 tour are now on sale. The dates are as follows:

* 4/10 - SOMA - San Diego, CA *
* 4/11 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ *
* 4/12 - House of Blues - W. Hollywood, CA *
* 4/13 - House of Blues - W. Hollywood, CA *
* 4/16 - Roseland - Portland, OR *
* 4/17 - Neumos - Seattle, WA *
* 4/19 - In The Venue - Salt Lake City, UT *
* 4/20 - Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO *
* 4/21 - Beaumont - Kansas City, MO *
* 4/22 - Sokol Auditorium - Omaha, NE *
* 4/23 - First Ave - Minneapolis, MN *
* 4/25 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL *
* 4/26 - Metro - Chicago, IL *
* 4/27 - Clutch Cargo's - Pontiac, MI *
* 4/28 - Madison Theatre - Covington, KY
* 4/29 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH *
* 5/01 - Webster Theatre - Hartford, CT *
* 5/02 - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA *
* 5/03 - Avalon - Boston, MA *
* 5/04 - NorVa - Norfolk, VA *
* 5/05 - Bamboozle (Meadowlands Complex) - E. Rutherford, NJ *
* 5/06 - Rams Head Live - Baltimore, MD *
* 5/08 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC *
* 5/09 - House of Blues - N. Myrtle Beach, SC *
* 5/10 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA *
* 5/11 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL *
* 5/13 - Jannus Landing - St. Petersburg, FL *
* 5/15 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX *
* 5/17 - Stubbs - Austin, TX *

The band has also finished up filming a video for the new single "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too." Fans should expect that in a few weeks.

Click here to order tickets now!

Head over to MTV Live to see Fall Out Boy perform new songs ["This ain't a scene," "Thriller"] as well as some tracks from FUCT live.

If that doesn't fulfill you're wildest Pete Wentz dreams, then by all means head to AOL Music Live to see a whole damn concert! Just in case you were wondering - here's the tracklisting:

'Our Lawyers Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued'
'Of All the Gin Joints in All the World'
'Sugar, We're Going Down'
'The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes'
'Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner'
'A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More 'Touch Me''
'Thriller'
'Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy'
'XO'
'Golden'
'This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race'
'I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me'
'The Take Over, the Break's Over'
'Dance, Dance'
'Saturday'

In other FOB news, they are pretty much taking over the world. Stay tuned for an SWH review coming shortly.

Head over to Sincerely Me NFG.com to see a great video for NFG's "When I Die." While you're there, download the video, along with an addition live vid of "On My Mind," one of my personal favorites of their underrated release Coming Home.

Augustana has released some headlining dates for the upcoming month or so through their MySpace bulletin. Here are the dates, try to make it out if you can.

Feb 23 - Knickerbocker's - Lincoln, Nebraska

w/ Vega4

Mar 25 - Theater of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 26 - Diesel - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mar 28 - Exit/In - Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 29 - Blue Cat's - Knoxville, Tennessee
Mar 30 - Roxy Theater - Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 31 - Freebird Live - Jacksonville, Florida
Apr 1 - Culture Room - Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Apr 2 - The Social - Orlando, Florida
Apr 4 - The Beta Bar - Tallahassee, Florida
Apr 5 - The Parish Room @ House of Blues - New Orleans, Louisiana
Apr 6 - Antone's Nightclub - Austin, Texas
Apr 7 - Meridian Red Room - Houston, Texas
Apr 9 - Granada Theater - Dallas, Texas
Apr 11 - The Rock - Tucson, Arizona
Apr 12 - TBA - Los Angeles, CA
Apr 16 - TBA - San Diego, CA

The Dear Hunter's second release Act II: The Meaning of, And All Things Regarding Ms. Leading will be out May 8th.

As I said, stay tuned for the interviews and reviews. I'll get the majority of them posted as soon as I possibly can. Also, check back for further new updates that either Mitch of I will add throughout the day.

Take care for now.

SWH.Steve

News Update: 2.11.07

2007-02-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, Steve here. We've got tons of new updates and videos to share with you today, but be sure to stay tuned or check back later in the day as I fully intend to post up my very informative interview with Casey Immoor. We've also got an interview with Morning for the Masses coming shortly thereafter. Alrite, let's do this.

Kenny Vasoli and the rest of the boys of The Starting Line recently entered a Southern California recording studio to start work on their third LP. The new disc - tentatively entitled Directions - is being produced by great soundman Howard Benson and should see a summer release. Head here to read a small article/interview that Spin.com conducted with the band concerning the new release. It would seem as though Kenny has been doing his very best to hone his lyrical prowess these days.

I'm really excited to announce that an interview with SWH's "Band of the Month" Bayside will be coming our way shortly. In the meantime, however, why don't you guys check out the newly released video for "Duality," the The Walking Wounded's first single.

Stay on top of the band through their MySpace blog as they venture out a new a tour with Anberlin, Meg and Dia, and Jonezetta over the next few weeks. Be sure to stay tuned for SWH's upcoming interview!

So about that Fall Out Boy band...according to hitsdailydouble.com, Infinity On High sold somewhere between 250-300k copies in its first week of sales. Guess they're getting kind of popular these days. Here's a video of the band performing the disc's first single, "This ain't a Scene..." on the Jimmy Kimmel show [I apologize for the less than desirable quality]:

In addition to the vid, if you head to Rolling Stone.com, you can hear an audio interview that the band's bassist Pete Wentz recently conducted.

Infinity On High is in stores now.
Expect a SWH review coming very soon!

Paramore is in the process of recording their new record. Drum tracking for a few songs has already been completed. Below is the first of other planned studio updates. Stay tuned in the event that more come our way.

Head over to Fuse to see 6 video updates coming directly from Senses Fail while they are on their nationwide "Still Searching" stint with Saosin and others. If you're a fan of the band definitely check it out as there's a ton of good stuff in the select vids.

In other news, if you head to the band's website, you'll notice they added a new song entitled "Bonecrusher" to their player.

Mute Math recently announced the tour dates to their upcoming spring tour that will span from March till the beginning of May. Head to their main site for a nifty little intro, along with selected dates and cities.

In other news, the guys are also releasing an anticipated Live DVD come March 20.

Wanna know what's going on with Cartel? Well then head here to hear from the guys in their first podcast. The guys recently shot a video for Chroma's second single, "Say Anything [Else]," and are in the process of writing some new material. Expect more podcasts to come in the future.

Augustana has posted the last of 5 tour vids on their MySpace page. Instead of having to go over there, I'll just post all five for you all.

Update 1

Update 2

Update 3

Update 4

Update 5

Be sure to check the guys out on TRL come this Monday afternoon [Feb. 12]

That's all we have for now, but as I said, stay tuned for my interview with Immoor, as well as some other goodies.

SWH.Steve