Label: Sony Legacy Released: July 8, 2008 Billy Joel is a top-notch songwriter, but there’s always been something that I just didn’t like. Maybe it’s the showtune quality of many of his songs, maybe it’s that many are geared toward adults, maybe it’s because he often tells the stories of characters I just can’t bring myself to care about. Anyway… Read more »
From Facedown Records: The soundtrack of a hopeful youth shimmers inside the unassuming three piece that is My Epic; and today marks the release of their Dreamt Music/Facedown Records debut full-length I Am Undone. My Epic have become the unforeseen antidote to apathy with song after song evoking raw emotion wrapped in a palpable tenderness. Soaring refrains and dynamic vocals… Read more »
There are only a few bands with a trombone player on the Warped Tour this year (unlike the ska heyday a few years back), but only one is from Japan! I got a chance to catch up with Leader of Oreskaband to find out how the tour is going, what’s up with their movie, Lock and Roll Forever, and what… Read more »
I missed Bedouin Soundclash to see these guys! Here’s Broadway Calls at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008. See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.
Label: Longhair Illuminati Released: June 17, 2008 Ride the Boogie’s self-titled debut is a dark, trippy album. It dabbles in stoner elements, but often avoids that genre’s heaviness, giving the music a core, but also the freedom to move around that core and not get stuck in the usual ruts. From the Baroque pop psych of the opening track, it’s… Read more »
Label: Custard Records Released: August 12, 2008 Make a list of all the grandiose artists and albums in rock n roll history and you probably have a map of the influences on Cheat the Gallows. Bigelf manages to seamlessly move from one of rock’s big ideas to the next, making an impressive sound for themselves in the process. It’s scary… Read more »
From First to Last is following up the Spring release of their self-titled album on Suretone Records with a summer-long stint on the Warped Tour. On the verge of breaking through to the next level, vocalist/guitarist Travis Richter took a few minutes to tell me what’s going on with the band and what’s in store for the future. RnRnMN: How… Read more »
I was able to catch some of the Color Fred’s set at the Warped Tour, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD on 7/16/2008. See all of my coverage from the Warped Tour in Columbia, MD on July 16, 2008 here.
The Warped Tour, having expanded beyond its punk rock base, brought along hard rock band Cinder Road. The tour stop in Columbia, MD was a bit of a homecoming for the Baltimore band. I got the chance to see how things are going on the tour and what they have coming up. RnRnMN: How has the Warped Tour been treating… Read more »
Label: self-released Released: Summer 2008 My wife is a great cook. When she makes something, it tastes great, but it also looks great. She tells me that the appearance is important, that the appearance shows that she cares about what she’s prepared for us to eat. I may never have thought of that had she not brought it to my… Read more »