Live – Yellowcard

After almost 20 years creating music together, Yellowcard announced last year that they’re calling it quits. Since then, the band have released a final, self-titled album and toured the world – a last hurrah of sorts. I got the chance to see their second “final” show in San Diego, which was added after a few dates on their fall tour had to be rescheduled.

Even before the band took the stage, fans were singing along to classic songs on the house mix such as “All the Small Things”, “Cute Without the ‘E’”, and “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down”. The audience was united in memories of the early to mid 2000s, and clearly was ready to experience what would be for most, if not all, in attendance, the last Yellowcard show they would ever see.

The band’s mammoth 24 song, two hour long set, started with a recorded introduction welcoming guests and requesting that they refrain from filming the show. The recording pointed out that if people wanted to watch the show on a screen, they might as well just pull up on of the thousands of videos that are already online. Thankfully, most people obliged and decided to enjoy the moment in real time, though it didn’t stop one person near me from filming nearly the entire show.

Playing through hits such as “Lights and Sounds”, “Way Away”, and “Southern Air”, the band showcased a variety of albums, playing cuts off of seven different albums out of the eight featuring vocalist Ryan Key. The energy of the fans was highlighted on songs from Ocean Avenue, but was still incredibly powerful during songs from the bands’ lesser-known albums.

Moving on to the technical aspects, the lighting director ran the best club-level lighting show I’ve seen since 2013. The LD created expertly arranged cues that not only added to the music, but also complimented it and blended with the band’s energy.

Speaking of the energy the band exuded, each member spent most of the show jumping around the stage, but I don’t think anything needs to be mentioned more than violinist Sean Mackin’s backflip off of the drum riser at the start of “Cut Me, Mick”. It was also great to see Jimmy from Like Torches returning as Yellowcard’s fill in drummer for this final leg of shows, as he always seems to be having a blast on stage.

Additional highlights included the incredible fan sing-along to the Ocean Avenue ballad, “Empty Apartment”, and of course the closing song for the set, “Ocean Avenue”.

Ironically, and probably intended as such, “The Final Countdown” was played as the crowd exited the building after Yellowcard’s final song.

If you have a chance to see the band during their last handful of shows, I can highly recommend it. Otherwise, you’ll have to make do with videos and their final record, Yellowcard.

Press photo by Joe Brady.

Super Saturdays, March 18th, 2017

Welcome to Super Saturdays! Today we have Doesn't Rhyme With King,  X-Vivo, and Audio Jane!

Doesn't Rhyme With King are two siblings from Germany that have released their first single called "Can't Tell the Difference".  This song starts off really heavy and then is combined with a beautiful crooning voice that strengthens as you get further into the song. I really enjoy how dark this song sounds as well as how artistic the video is! You can check out more about them here!

X-Vivo are an industrial band from Berlin, Germany. "The Unseen" begins with Alina's beautiful soft voice like Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil and Tarja Turunen from Nighwish. The song builds slowly throughout the song while Alina sings until it finally releases a heavier sound and then goes back into being calm again. 

Audio Jane are an indie rock band from Hartford, Connecticut. Their song "Atmosphere" has a definite 90's feel to it, if you like Mazzy Star then you'll definitely enjoy Audio Jane! For more information you can look here!

Until next time, see you on another Super Saturdays!

Live: Night Riots

This past Monday I had the pleasure of seeing Night Riots opening for Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness at House of Blues San Diego. Though I've known of the band since their run on Warped Tour 2015, this was the first time I actually got to see them play.

Night Riots made a dramatic entrance to the stage, appearing one by one from the wings. Things got off to a rough start when lead singer Travis Hawley began singing a bar early, but he quickly realized his mistake and like a true professional went on to perform a solid set with the rest of the band. Key highlights were when the entire band played drums during "Oh My Heart" and "Contagious", including the use of glowing multicolored drumsticks. The band did their best to get the crowd ready for the entertainment ahead, and they although the lead vocals distorted on occasion, the rest of the mix was solid and I think the band likely gained more than a few fans on Monday night. Altogether, the band did their job well and even threw in a fun Kendrick Lamar cover halfway through the set.

Night Riots setlist:

1. All for You
2. Nothing Personal
3. Oh My Heart
4. Alright (Kendrick Lamar cover)
5. Work It
6. Breaking Free
7. Contagious

Night Riots will continue their tour with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and Atlas Genius through May 19th, including a return to House of Blues San Diego on May 5th.

The band's album Love Gloom is available now on Sumerian Records. You can visit Night Riots website for more information, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Rebel Machine – Nothing Happens Overnight

The last ten years have seen a good share of bands from all over the world doing their damnedest to bring back the type of hard rawk that evokes the golden age of the Sunset Strip. The U.S. has a pretty good foothold with Steel Panther, even if their comedy shtick tends to get in the way of them being taken too seriously. Sweden has been the closest to capture that street-worthy L.A. Guns vibe, with Crashdiet and Hardcore Superstar cranking out both the tunes and attitude to match. But that could all change, because coming around the bend is Rebel Machine, a band of bearded Brazilians who have dropped an impressive DIY debut in Nothing Happens Overnight.

Firing on all cylinders right out of the gate, “Don’t Tell Me I’m Wrong” kicks things off with a righteous “kick the door down and let’s rock” feel, even throwing in a tambourine during the chorus for extra flair. Elsewhere, “Down the Road” keeps the tempo going with driving riffs and lyrics about packing a suitcase and chasing adventure; while the lush harmonies in “Waiting for You” would make the late Jani Lane proud. Later on, the band hits drop D tuning for “Run Away”, a mean shuffle that would make Pepper Keenan and Joe Perry nod their heads in approval. Marcelo Pereira’s voice is the perfect fit for these proceedings, a streetwise grit that can still belt high notes whenever it’s needed, and Murilo Bittencourt’s solos, particularly in “Down the Road”, are shredtastic and tasty. Seriously, Slash would be proud.

The guys might want to kill me for not comparing them to the bands they’ve cited as influences in the past, but honestly I don’t hear the Hellacopters or The Hives anywhere on this album. Whereas those bands are more of a garage-rock thing, Rebel Machine has that extra tightness and polish that could see them open for The Darkness or even Tesla, and hold their own with no problems.

Nothing Happens Overnight is tightly played, hella rockin’ stuff from a band who clearly took notes on what the big boys were doing, and came out of the gate swinging for the fences. If Rebel Machine manages to get signed and tour outside of their borders (I’m looking at you, Century Media), they’ll turn every club into a party. Raise your glasses and shake your asses, folks; the Brazilians are coming!

 

Sum 41 @ Ancienne Belgique, Brussels

Nathan Dobbelaere photographed Sum 41 at their show in Ancienne Belgique, Brussels

Triple Tuesdays, March 7th, 2017

Hey folks it's Triple Tuesdays! Today we have The Vigilantes, Patrick Joseph, and GRMLN!

The Vigilantes are an energetic indie rock band from Boston, UK. Their song "What A Shame" is very vibrant and makes you feel like you just want to shake away all your problems and live in the moment. Full of melodies, a cool guitar intro, and positive vibes, you won't be disapointed. What I love most about this song is the way the vocals remind me of Frank Carter. For more information about this band, check out their site!

Up next is Patrick Joseph! He's from Pittsburgh but currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. Here we have "Arsonist Blues", an indie rock song that makes you want to swoon to the sound of Patrick's voice. The song is very catchy and the emotions within the lyrics are deep. Enjoy! 

Last but not least GRMLN! Based in the Bay Area, their song "27 Kids" is upbeat and the rhythm section holds the song together really well. Fun to listen to, you'll want to listen to it again!

Thanks for checking out another Triple Tuesdays, see you next time!

Metal Mondays, March 6th, 2017

Bringing back Metal Mondays for the first time in a while! We've had a drought of good heavy music coming our way, so it's been too long. This week we have X-Vivo, Xombie, and Chelsea Rockwells.

Based in Berlin, alt-metal/industrial band X-Vivo combine elements sounding like Nine Inch Nails and Rammstein, resulting in a solid NDH sound. After hearing "Aphelion", I'll definitely be keeping this band on my radar – their album Petrichor will be released on April 29th of this year.

Xombie is a rap metal group from New York City. "Might As Well" is a single from the band's upcoming album, Super Cell.

Australian hard rock trio Chelsea Rockwells recently released the song "Halos", which stems from their upcoming debut EP. The heavy hitting song has a nice groove to it, with strong vocals and a solid rhythm section. The band's sound reminds me a lot of fellow Australians, Sick Puppies.

Until the next time we have enough great submissions for Metal Mondays!

Triple Tuesdays, Feb. 28th, 2017

It's that time again folks, time for Triple Tuesdays! This week we have HAWK, The Jacks, and Grown Up Avenger Stuff.

HAWK is an indie rock band from the UK. Made up of a group of friends, the band express what they witness in everyday life filled with social issues dealing with inequality. Their new video for "Take It Away" is filled with strong emotions and a dark, artistic touch. Vocalist Julie Hawk's delicate yet powerful voice sings of a friend being stalked after a night out. To find more information about the band, check out their site. 

The Jacks are a Southern California band inspired by the vintage sound of the 60's and 70's. Their new single, "Wings", is very upbeat and has a smooth feeling to it. Take a look at their website to find out more.

Grown Up Avenger Stuff are an indie rock band from Charlotte, NC. "A.I.M (All In Motion)" is very hard rock-like with punk riffs. The vocals start off calm but then change, revealing a more in your face attitude. Check out their site for more information.

See you next week on Triple Tuesdays!

Premiere: The Barnum Meserve – Flight

With a full length album titled When All is Lost slated for release on April 21st, The Barnum Meserve have partnered with RMP to premiere their song "Flight". With a large sound and careful arrangement, this powerful band forges ahead without any guitars in the mix. The trio consists of Leon Wiley on vocals and piano, Dylan Griffiths on bass, and Paul Moss on drums to round out the rhythm section. The band certainly does a good job of blending their influences and staying original at the same time. We hope you'll enjoy their powerful blend of genres and instruments!

The Barnum Meserve – Band Info

You can find The Barnum Meserve on Facebook, Twitter, and Bandcamp. When All is Lost will be available worldwide on April 21st, 2017 on 34D Records.

The Barnum Meserve Promo Photo

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Anti-Flag Proves Commitment to the People

At their final show on  tour with Reel Big Fish, Ballyhoo, and Pkew Pkew Pkew, we had the chance to sit down with Anti-Flag drummer Pat Thetic. In a brief conversation focusing mainly on the band’s activism and political songwriting, we find out a bit more just how Thetic (and presumably the band) feels about the new POTUS and the current political situation in the world.

When asked if the Die for the Government anniversary tour was planned based on the election, Thetic explained that the decision was made long before the results of the election were seen. He goes on to explain, “it’s interesting that all these issues of extreme power being concentrated into one shitty person’s (Trump) hand, that’s a battle that we’ve been fighting for years and that’s a battle that people have been fighting long before us. The songs on Die for the Government talk about those issues, but they’re just as relevant today as they were in ’94 or ’93 when we wrote them. Thetic also revealed that the songs on Die for the Government were written between 1991 and 1996, the year the album was released.

In regards to new music, and how it would be affected by the current state of the world, Thetic discussed the band’s proclivity towards writing about issues that aren’t in the limelight. He continued saying, “it’ll be interesting because the Trump stuff is so out there right now. It’s almost like beating dead horses ‘cuz we already know that he’s a liar and that he’s a scumbag. So to find the spaces where we wanna say something that’s interesting, that’s gonna be a bit of a challenge right now because he’s such a piece of shit.” Thetic also added that the band is working on new material, but that they are in the very early stages and are far from releasing anything.

Following up on his response, we asked about Anti-Flag fighting the smaller battles that aren’t talked about much. Thetic’s response was quite detailed, and he used a great example of what the band talks about; “well yeah, that’s interesting and nobody wants to hear the same things that everybody else is already talking about. For instance, on American Spring we have a song about drone strikes (Sky is Falling). In the US, we don’t consider drone strikes to be a weapon of terror, but they really are because the people who live underneath these drones that are flying around don’t know where they’re gonna hit, don’t know when they’re gonna hit. It’s essentially a billion dollar program that is a terror weapon that just makes the population afraid all the time. That is an idea that is not readily available in the mainstream, and the more you look at the drone program the more you realize it’s just the same as a guy walking into a marketplace with a suicide vest on. It’s just a much more expensive way of doing that, and it creates a culture of fear.”

Last but not least, in regards to The Bright Lights of America, the second and final Anti-Flag album on RCA records, Thetic said the departure from their traditional sound was “a departure in sound, but not in intent”, due to the budget they had from the label. Thetic continued on to say that the band wanted to experiment with cello and glockenspiel, for example, saying it was “a little bit of musical masturbation”, and that working with producer Tony Visconti was an immense pleasure.

We can certainly say the same about speaking with Pat Thetic of Anti-Flag, and are immensely thankful for the time he took out of his day to chat with us. American Spring is available now on the band’s website and at music outlets worldwide.