everyonelistens

So here we stand. It's August 21st, and at midnight this morning, Cartel's eponymous "dropped."

This record has been one of the most talked-about releases in recent years. It all started way back in the spring when Cartel announced that they had been approached by MTV, who asked them to record their sophomore record in a bubble with over 40 cameras documenting their every move. The instant that they accepted this offer, the internet floodgates opened wide. Sure, there had always been people who didn't like Cartel, but it wasn't them who were ridiculing them for their decision. (Well, they were, but they weren't alone.) It was their fans. It was the people who had loved Cartel. It was the people who had seen them live four times and who had bought Chroma when it came out way back in 2005. It was the people who had defended the band to the haters for all that time. They were the ones who instantly turned on the band.

The internet message boards were aglow with Cartel-hating. Cries of "sellouts" and "puppets" were heard incessantly. How dare a band they love so much go and sell their soul to the scene-devil, MTV? How could they live with themselves after being inside that bubble that was adorned with the corporate logos of KFC, Dr. Pepper, and the evil-incarnate itself, Wal-Mart? They had betrayed their fans and become another MTV band. They were Good Charlotte. They were Fall Out Boy. They weren't the loveable quintet from Georgia anymore. They had done something unforgivable. They were dead to them.

And this was all without having even heard the entire record.

Now the record is out in all of it's Bubble-infused goodness. Is it Chroma? No. And it shouldn't be. Chroma is two years old. Most of the songs are older than that. Songwriters progress. Bands change their sound. They grow and mature and become better at their craft. They take more creative risks. And yes, sometimes that alienates fans. But is it worth it to alienate a few fans who can't deal with change rather than become stagnant and keep putting out the same record? In my opinion, yes. It's the bands that evolve that survive.

When Weezer put out Pinkerton, it was shunned by the Weezer faithful. Everyone was looking for a new blue record. They wanted to hear the new "Buddy Holly" and the new "The World Has Turned And Left Me Here." They wanted the slick, Rick Ocasek production. They wanted the poppy nerd-rock. And Weezer failed to deliver. Instead, they got Pinkerton. Instead of the radio-friendly sound they were used to, listeners got a raw and organic band-produced concept record. The got songs like "Tired Of Sex," "El Scorcho," and "Across The Sea." Critics hated it. Fans hated it. It was a bomb. Weezer went into hiatus shortly afterward, and the entire world, including myself, thought they would never hear from Weezer again. Fast forward eleven years, and most consider Pinkerton to be Rivers Cuomo's masterpiece. It took years for the icy reception to melt away, but when it did, fans discovered what a gem that record really was.

Now, I am by no means comparing Pinkerton to the new Cartel record. Pinkerton is what it is, an absolute masterpiece. What I am saying is that fan reception is lukewarm at best right now. The way that it was made has become more of a topic than the actual songs themselves. And isn't that what a record is? It's songs. It's music. It's lyrics. Whether it was made in a bubble or in someone's basement, it's the new Cartel record. And it's definitely solid. It's a bit more "southern." It's a little dirtier and grittier than Chroma was. It's just the natural progression of Will Pugh's songwriting. Do I think it's perfect? No. Is it solid? Absolutely.

So put everything else out of your mind. Don't think about The Bubble. Don't think about Dr. Pepper or a 10-piece Colonel's Fun Pack . Don't think about TRL or MTV or anything else. Buy the record and listen to it for what it is - the second record that a bunch of talented dudes from Atlanta just put out.

Tonight I Just Don't Care, I'm Having a Candy Dinner.

So I realize that I haven't written anything in ages. And that really bums me out. For a while there, I was penning daily thoughts, spilling my opinions to all who would listen. I had a rabid reader base of 3 or 4 at one point - I was prolific! Then, The Coming Weak decided we were going to play something like 15 shows in 25 days (while still putting in 40 hours a week and finding time to hit my local Newport watering holes), and I ended up focusing on other things. So here it is, the end of July, and here is your update.

• As I mentioned, the band has been playing an awful lot. We found ourselves traveling all over New England this past month - from New York City to Albany to New Hampshire and everywhere in between. As just about everyone knows, this wasn't my first time in a tour van. But it was the first time I've even been out with my own band, and boy was it a blast. We made a lot of friends along the way, and played a lot of really cool places. There were root beer chugging contests, Mike Tyson's Punch Out! re-enactments, lots of football throwing, and this guy (that's a bicycle tire secured to that gentleman's neck wit ha bike lock, btw.):

• My birthday was this past week. To everyone who wished me well on mah birthday, I thank you! The celebrations started on Sunday the 22nd. We played a show at Club Hell with Hopesfall, The Junior Varsity, and Vanna. Tim and I decided to jointly observe our birthdays on this evening. We had some fans bring us gifts, which fucking RULED. We got a sweet cake (see below), which Tim and I devoured sans utensils, and I also got a rad t-shirt.

• The last highlight I'll, well, highlight is my actual birthday. It was last Tuesday. Motion City Soundtrack was playing in Boston that night. Tim and I had planned on this "birthday date" weeks ago. So we trekked up in the Mini, and found our way to Axis. The Forecast was already on when we arrived, so we missed half their set, but what we did see was really, really good. Although, if the singer and our guitar player Jamie had a skinny-off, it'd be a real close call. After their set, we went up to my friend Ben Are I, who was doing lights for the night, and he brought us up into the lighting booth, which ran along the side of the room and offered us a great view of the stage. Next was The Higher, whose name I won't link because they suck. They were arrogant to the audience aaaand the drummer had fucking pot leaves on his drum set. Like, not stickers, but green sparkle pot leaves inlaid in to the silver sparkle wrap. FTL. Sherwood played next, and they were killer as I expected. Around this time, Jessica Are I showed up, and we all moved to a platform that overlooked the stage to witness the awesomeness that was to be the Motion City Soundtrack set. So they started. And I flipped out. I was screaming every word. I was playing the air drums. Hard. I looked like an idiot. But I didn't care - I was drunk and it was mah birthday. So they officially edged the RX Bandits out of their slot for "The Best Live Band I've Ever Seen." Afterwards, there were some sweet hangs on busses and at bars, and then we drove home, listening to The Agents.

So that's that for now. The next month holds good things for me and the band. We're currently doing pre-production on our EP, which is yet to be titled. In early September, we're going in to Strangeways Recording to record the album. It's going to be engineered and produced by Mike Poorman, who played in Hot Rod Circuit, and has produced TREOS, Paulson, Converge, Piebald, etc. Steve Are I will also be co-producing, although his role will be slightly limited due to his work on the next Monty Are I record and their upcoming tour with Sum 41.

Oh, and yeah, I read Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. Incredible. Simply incredible. And go ahead, make fun. I'll put an Imperius Curse on you and make you kick your own ass.

Cross posted to MySpace.

I'm going to begin this review by divulging a secret: I was not a huge fan of Paramore's first CD. Yes I am a fan of sugary pop-punk, yes I am a sucker for a charismatic female lead singer, but when I first heard All We Know Is Falling, I was not extremely impressed. The talent potential was definitely there: the singing, musicianship, and songs were all good, but nothing really popped. The two singles the album spawned were definitely the strongest tracks on the album, and beyond that, there wasn't really much deviation from the decent-pop-punk-record formula. Was it a good record? Yes. Was it a great record? Not at all.

About a year ago, however, I saw them live for the first time. Their stage presence was great, the way Hayley interacted with the crowd was nothing short of pro, and the playing was superb. The crowd ate it up. I found myself a little less skeptical, and ever so slowly, my opinion on the band began to change. I revisited their record shortly thereafter, but this time I approached it from a different angle. I took into account that All We Know... was the product of a bunch of green kids making their first foray into a business that chews up and spits out bands almost daily. In the year following the record's was release, they had seasoned and their new-found confidence was undeniable.

Fast forward to, June 12th 2007, the day that their sophomore effort, Riot!, was released. As soon as my lunch break began, I bee-lined it to the nearest record store to procure myself a copy. Upon my return to work, I began to listen, and was hooked. The difference between the two albums was noticeable immediately. (Think of the the time you visited a friend from high school you hadn't seen in years, and his little sister walked into the room, smoking hot. She was most certainly not the scrawny little 13 year old you remembered...) The thing that struck me immediately was the caliber of Hayley Williams' vocal performance. Her voice is so much stronger and resolute than on the previous effort. Granted, she's not taking any Christina-esque risks vocally, but it's definitely a squarely solid effort. This was echoed by Hayley herself in an absolutepunk.net interview at Bamboozle, where she stated that this record showed "a lot more confidence, [both] as a band and personally." And it shows. The evolution of the band's sound from All We Know... to Riot!  can be likened to the growth Fall Out Boy sustained between Take This To Your Grave and From Under The Cork Tree. I think this record, while solid, is a stepping stone for Paramore. The band contends that this is "the record they want to be remembered for." I honestly believe that their coup de grace is yet to come.

The record starts off with a stunner: "For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic." The feel of this song is actually very similar to "Thriller" from Infinity On High (less the Jay-Z intro, obviously) and the momentum carries through "That's What You Get," and straight in to the third track, "Hallelujah." (Wow, I'm just now noting all the FOB parallels. Strange for a band on Fueled By Ramen...) This is one of my favorite tracks on the record. It really puts a spotlight on Hayley's vocal abilities by showcasing her range a bit here. The next track, "Misery Business," is the single, and with good cause. It's clearly the strongest track, (probably seconded by "We Live For This," the album's closer).

For the most part, the pacing of the record is good, but it does hiccup a bit after "Misery Business." The two weakest songs on the record, "When It Rains" and "Let The Flames Begin," are placed back-to-back, and it definitely trips the flow of listenability. The songs are good, but their placement is questionable. After that come "Miracle" and "Crushcrushcrush," both of which have highly-addictive hooks. "Miracle" is a pretty straight-up pop song, while "Crush..." reflects an retro 80's New Wave vibe. 

The last three songs on the record are sequenced wonderfully. The ninth track, "We Are Broken" is a pretty, piano-laden pop ballad, and it is contrasted immediately upon completion by the two-step stylings of "Fences." The album's final track, "We Live For This," will probably be the second single. It's a driving little number accented by gang vocals and a very recognizable pre-chorus culled directly from Refused's "Liberation Frequency." It's sure to be a crowd favorite during live performances.

Paramore isn't breaking any musical ground with Riot!, but in this year of the pop-rock record (such as Fall Out Boy's Infinity On High, and the forthcoming releases from Cartel and Motion City Soundtrack) it's going to be one of the standouts. The lyrical content is simple and catchy, the hooks are great, and the musicanship is solid - basically, it's everything a good pop-punk album should be. It will be the record that secures Paramore's place as one of the principal players in the punk rock scene. The best is yet to come from these young Tennesseans, and I think, as Hayley sings in "Hallelujah": somehow, everything is going to fall in to place.


And thank you again, Erica, for your help with this.

Here are the following reasons why my birthday week (July 20-July 27) is going to rule:

1. On Sunday, July 22nd, my singer Tim and I are having a co-birthday party. Cute, I know. But it's not just any old co-birthday party. It's going to be at Jerky's in Providence. We've got the night booked, we've got the sound system, we've got over 150 people on the invite list, and we've got an epic line-up of guest DJ's (including Steve Are I spinning a sweet set of 80's rock and roll; TCW bassist Jeff Langmaid, who will be throwing down some of the finest mid-90's-early-00's punk; yours truly, who will be playing whatever I feel like because it's MAH BIRTHDAY; and the lovely and talented Erica Are I, who's set is sure to fill the dance floor) and we're working on getting a drink sponsor for some free cocktails, but we'll see how that goes (but if anyone knows anyone in RI, plz advise). So yeah, should be sick times. Everyone is invited. More details to come. Stoked.com.
2. On Tuesday, July 24th, Motion City Soundtrack is playing at Axis in Boston. My tickets came last Thursday. Sup awesome. Also appearing are The Higher and one of my current "it" bands, Sherwood.
   
3. Also on Tuesday, Cartel will release their much anticipated and completely bubble-laced new self-titled record.
   
4. ALSO on Tuesday, July 24th, I will turn 27 years old. That's mah birthday proper. Plz send presents and well-wishes.
   

Plus, it's my birthday week, so the rest of the dates shall be filled with revelry and alcohol consumption. I also might take a trip to the Foxwoods for a night, so I'll be lookin' for a posse to round up for that...

Yeah. My birthday has sucked every year since I was like 22. (Last year was pretty good, though. Sup, Six Flags?) This year should prove to be scrumtrulescent. Word.

In light of the upcoming Glassjaw reunion, I thought it would be a cool idea to write about the some bands I would like to see reunite, if only for a single show. (OK, so Glassjaw never really broke up persay, but you know what I mean.) Now, this originally started out as a top 5 list, but I included a no-brainer sixth, as there were bands I just could not leave off. Also, as a rule, the band had to form post-1990, otherwise my list would be peppered with bands like The Clash, Minor Threat, Circle Jerks, Operation Ivy, etc. So we're keeping it simple here. So, without further hesitation...

1. Blink 182. This is obviously a no-brainer. From the first time I heard the opening riff to "Dammit" over ten years ago, I knew that this band and I would have a torrid love affair for years to come. Dude Ranch remains in my top 10 albums of all time (which you may recall from this journal entry from a few weeks ago), and I celebrated each subsequent record immensely. I was extremely disappointed when the announced their "indefinite hiatus" in 2005, and as more and more details surfaced regarding the hiatus in the following months, the more and more it looked like this break was in fact a break-up. Oh well, it's as Mark sang in "Apple Shampoo": the start was something good, but some good things must end.
2. Refused. Let's get one thing straight. This band was revolutionary. This band broke up because they made a record so good that they could never top it. This band that preached about the evils of capitalism and fascism poetically ended mid-set when police stormed the basement show they were playing. The Shape Of Punk To Come was a fucking masterpiece, the likes of which will never be seen again in terms of impact on a genre and revolutionary record making. And their dissoultion solidified their legend
3. Jawbreaker. Jawbreaker broke up just as I was beginning to get into punk rock. I never really had heard much about them, except for Screeching Weasel name-dropping them in "Suzanne Is Getting Married." But, a few years ago, I came across a used copy of Dear You, so I purchased it. It was some of the best $8.99 I've ever spent, and after listing to it, as well as the previous three records, I came to realize just how important this band was to the music I loved. The scathing, biting lyrics paved the way for the sharped-tongue words issued forth by Chris Conley, (in fact, the album title Through Being Cool is lifted straight from a Jawbreaker song ) and their Kerouac-refrencing made it cool for punk rockers to be smart and well read, not just snotty skateboarders.
4. Face To Face. This band is perhaps the most underappreciated group in punk rock history. Through twelve years and six incredible albums (seven, if you include the tribute record, Standards and Practices), this band just never got it's due. I saw them twice, and each time they just blew me away. Unfortunately, I was one of the few. It's funny because just about every band out there will attest to the things that Face To Face gave to the scene, but the fans never quite got it. In fact, they wrote a song about how futile and unforgiving the music industry can be on their final record. Still, they are one of my biggest influences, and they gavew so much more to music than they ever got in return.
5. Mighty Mighty Bosstones. What can you say about these guys? Going to Bosstones shows were some of the best times of my life. These guys would play upwards of 15 songs a night, and when they were done, they would ask the crowd what they wanted to hear. I'll always remember the time that Dicky bellowed "What do you want to hear?!?" as he had so many times before, and 19-year old me, front and center, screaming "Holy Smoke!" with a few of my friends, only to have Dicky reply "You want 'Holy Smoke'?" followed by the crowd going apeshit and the Bosstones launching into it. Those were the sweatiest, smokiest, drunkest shows I've ever been to, and what I wouldn't give to see them play just one more time...

And for the reasons displayed in the video below, the 6th slot goes to At The Drive-In. No further explanation is necessary.

So this is inconsequential to 99.9% of people who even bother to read this, BUT Rhode Island's DEM has decided to, as of next season, allow reservations at its state campgrounds. Now, I am huge into camping at RI parks, mostly because the fee is a scant $14 a night (compared to private camping facilities which charge upwards of $22-$30 per night), so for the camper on a budget, it's very easy on the walletz. Also, while camping is a getaway, I'm still close enough to home to not have to take days off work (KEY when you haven't accrued any vacation time at your present job).

Currently, reservations are not accepted and any Rhode Island park except Fisherman's Memorial Park in Narragansett (and with good cause - it's fucking beautiful and it's a short walk from Scarborough State Beach), but in order to reserva a site there, one must engage in a tedious and archaic first-come-first serve snail mail application process. Boo @ that. Every other park is simply first come, first serve. Normally, that's fine, but I have run into situations where I've taken time off work, called to see if there are available sites, and had the person at the other end be all "well, we have a few but we anticipate we'll be booked solid for the entire weekend, so I would get here as early as possible." Except less articulate and with a thicker Rhode Island accent. (Sidenote: you have to be borderline retarded to work at a DEM campground for the summer. Or so it seems.)

So needless to say, I usually end up with some crappy site in the sticks far, far away from the boat ramp. (Note: I am gay for canoeing. Like, it owns me. I know all the proper strokes and techniques and it bothers me when people can't canoe in a straight line...just one of those things).
But no more! Now I can reserve that site in the Fisherman's Camp at Burlingame and not have to worry about how I'm going to portage my canoe a mile and a half. So I'm psyched.

Again, most of you don't care. But if anyone feels like sneaking some booze into a state park and playing card games via citronella candle light this summer, please inquire within.

So the long weekend is over. I'm slowly recovering - my synapses are finally firing just as steadily as they should be, and I'm pretty sure most of the alcohol is out of my bloodstream. Bummer, I know, but with a bachelor party on Thursday and a wedding to attend on Saturday, that situation should rectify itself rather quickly. Regardless, some cool stuff has been going on, so here are your links:

• Anyone who read my All Time Desert Island Top 5 journal last week knows that I am absolutely enamored with The Clash. Well, there is a documentary out there that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this year about the life of the band's prolific front man, the one and only Joe Strummer. It's entitled The Future Is Unwritten. The film documents Stummer's entire life, from his nomadic beginnings living as the son of a diplomat to the glory years with The Clash to his time with The Mescaleros and finally, his untimely death and unrivaled legacy. He is truly one of the most influential figures in modern music. The film was released in the UK on May 18th, so look for it coming to our parts shortly. Here is the official website.
  
• Our favorite bubble band, Cartel, has videos performing four new tracks up on YouTube. Yuo can check them out here, here, here, and here.
• The third song from theMySpace Smashing Pumpkins tribute is now up for the listening pleasure of the public. Head on over to +44's MySpace page to check out their version of "I Am One," which is hands down my favorite song off Gish.
  
• As we all know, the music industry is in turmoil. Record sales are down, bands are no longer being signed to multi-kabillion dollar contracts, and the advent of something the kids like to call the "interwebs" has led to a stratospheric increase in file sharing. Artists can no longer rely on  physical record sales to sustain themselves, and labels hell-bent on plodding along like they always have will find themselves in financial shambles if they don't change their ways. The CD format is dying. (Note: I will be writing an upcoming journal entry on my feeling regarding the death of the CD shortly. Watch for it!) Artists such as Wilco, RX Bandits, and Saves The Day have resorted to shedding themselves free of their labels and distributing their music themselves. In fact, all three of these bands even record their own records. Unfortunately for bands that haven't had the accolades that these three artists have, it's tough to get records made, even if you are signed to a label. Smaller bands signed to independent labels still kick and scratch their way across the country in breakdown-prone vans, sleeping on floors the whole while. They pay for their own merch, they load their own equipment in and out every night, and they manage their own tours. Sometimes it's because their label just doesn't have the money for extravagant tour support. Other times it's because the label has other, larger bands it needs to focus on, and therefore, incubating these newer bands is an afterthought. All that being said, here are three different insights into the woes of the industry:

1. Scene darlings Circa Survive released the much anticipated sophomore record yesterday. The band decided to release On Letting Go at a low introductory price: "ten duckets [sic]...at most places," in an attempt to "completely stick it to the man." You further read about their take on buying records vs. downloading them here, in a message written to Absolutepunk.net by guitarist Brendan Ekstrom.
2. Charismatic and sometimes volatile, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is no stranger to strongly expressing his feelings. Here, he pontificates about the death of the CD format. He does make a few arguments that he just simply doesn't back up, and at times he talks in absolutes (Remember, only Siths talk in absolutes), but for the most part, he makes some valid points, such as this: "We are in a market where, whether we like it or not, the music industry has tethered us to our PCs." You can read more about his views here.
3. This article deals with bands that self-finance, and spotlights Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Wilco. As with most online journalism these days, it's not terribly informative, but there are a few pertinent quotes, such as this one from Wilco helmsman Jeff Tweedy"Technology has evened the playing field. If the artist can gain more power over the situation — over the economics of the situation — why wouldn't they take it?"

• Finally, here are the three bands I've been super gay for over the past weekend. Seriously, Sherwood's A Different Light, Inkwell's These Stars Are Monsters, and The Dear Hunter's The Meaning Of, & All Things Regarding Ms. Leading are all that I've been playing. I strongly suggest that you check them out. If you're into the whole downloading thing, I recommend you obtain the following awesome tunes: Sherwood: "Song In My Head," "The Best In Me," and "Alley Cat;" Inkwell: "The Tragedy of David Gribble," "Jazzercise In A Tie," and "This One's For Kermit Washington;" (Note: Amazon.com is packaging this CD with Monty Are I's "Wall Of People, and when you buy both together, you save exactly $0.00. Such a deal!) The Dear Hunter: "The Oracles On The Delphi Express," "Red Hands," and "Dear Ms. Leading."

So that should be good to occupy you for a short time. I've got a couple of cool longer essays in the works, too that should be posted up within the next few weeks, including my aforementioned "state of the music industry" journal, a book review for "Everybody Hurts," and a super secret collaboration I and a colleague are working on that will make you want to break out your Pietasters records and start picking up the change. So until then, all the best!

So here it is, the Friday afternoon before a lazy Memorial Day weekend. It's pushing 90 degrees outside, and tomorrow is forecasted to be even hotter. I'm not complaining, though. I have a long weekend ahead of me and a day filled with bar-hopping around Newport to look forward to on Monday. After much teasing, summer is finally here, and I couldn't be happier. I've broken out the shorts and the sandals and sunglasses, and I'm ready to my favorite season by the horns. Oh and my birthday is in two months from yesterday. JUST SAYING. (A wish list is posted on my MySpace page if anyone is interested...k, sorry.)

• Pictures from Cartel's first day in The Bubble have appeared on their Buzznet page. It looks like their really plugging away at that new record! That new song is due in two days, dudes! Anyways, I hope that everyone had a happy Bubble Day yesterday. For those of you that went to the party at A & K, I'm not jealous. It was just as good watching on TV.
  
• The new Circa Survive record is currently streaming from their MySpace page. I've given it a couple listens over the past few hours, and I'm digging it. Granted, it sounds exactly like one would expect it to sound, but I'm really not complaining. I'm a big fan of their sound. From what I can discern from the streaming tracks, the production on this record is far superior to that of Juturna. My one gripe with the first record was the terrible sound on it - I think it really detracted from the record overall. It seems that problem has been remedied, however. The sound is still spacy and ethereal, but it's cleaner and less muddled. I'm in to it.
  
• Absolutepunk has posted the second Bamboozle interview video featuring The Spill Canvas, Plain White T's, Powerspace, The Early November, and Armor For Sleep, among others. You can check that right here.
  
• Paramore was recently interviewed on FUSE's The Sauce. You can view that video here. They answer run-of-the-mill interview questions: Are you excited for the new record? Are you psyched to play Warped Tour? Etc. Nothing groundbreaking, but entertaining nonetheless.
  
• Earlier this week, there was rumor flying around that Fall Out Boy was going to be on the soundtrack for the Simpsons' Movie. Accrding to Pete Wentz, this is false.
  

OK, that's all I've got for now. Have a wonderful weekend. I'm going to go play "Drink The Beer." It's one of my favorite games. I always win!

DJ Rossstar, via Erica, has asked his blog readers to come up with their Top 5 albums of all time. You know, the record you've been listening to straight through since the day you bought it without skipping a single song. The record that, no matter what musical phase you happen to be in, you will always come back to. The record that's been a constant companion, through thick and thin, good times and bad. Here are mine, in order:

Diving on in,<

• We'll begin with a PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. Parents be warned - there's a phenomenon sweeping the country, and it's known as EMO. It's a subculture where "happiness is a sin," and those who practice it "celebrate sadness and pain." Seriously, this article made me laugh out loud (or "LOL" as the kids say). It astounds me that this kind of shit passes for hard-hitting and insightful journalism these days. I would be embarrased if my name were on that by-line. (It should be noted that the guy who wrote that story is an Emmy-winner. Just throwing that out there...)
• NEWAYZ... The new Dear Hunter record, The Meaning of, & All Things Regarding Ms. Leading came out yesterday. And it's stellar. Nay, it's interstellar. I'd heard some of the Ms. Leading demos last summer, and I was blown away. Since then, it seems that Casey has carefully honed his craft, and the newer recordings of the songs are simply amazing. AMAZING, I say. The album goes from soft piano ballads to zydeco-tinged hoedowns to soaring, epic refrains and back round again. The songs aren't nearly as poppy and sing-alongable, but I think that because of the experimentation and sheer scope of this project, it could quite possibly be the "scene Graceland" I strongly suggest picking this up. Standout tracks: "The Lake And The River","Red Hands", and "Black Sandy Beaches."
• By now we've all seen the intro to FOB's set on the Honda Civic Tour. It's absurd, yet slighly awesome, especially when the d00dz pop out of the stage using pneumatic launch ramps. Well, here's some footage of Victoria from Cobra Starship having some fun with them.
• Here is a list of the best-selling books of all time. There are 6 Harry Potter books in the Top 20. I don't know what that means, but it's pretty impressive.
• Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, and N.W.A. will be featured on the soundtrack for the new Simpsons movie. PSYCHED.COM.
• This isn't a link, but I'm gonna say that Memorial Day is this weekend, and that I am so excited for the following things, all of which happen in Newport post Mmrl Dy: tourists walking down mah street, overnight parking bans for those without stickers, jacked-up booze prices (seriously, it costs more to buy a Miller Lite at One Pelham East in the summer than it does in NYC), tourists clogging my means of egress, douchebag frat asses brawling outside my window, bars filled with shitty cover bands and no-talent "reggae bands" (seriously, if you're going to play reggae, you can't just listen to a bunch of old Sublime and hope for the best), annnnnnd tourists again FTW.
  

Ok, well, it's only three four things today, but still, I feel the need to post them up:

1. Anyone who's anyone knows I am a huge New Amsterdams fan. I love everything Matt Pryor has ever done, actually. Anyway, MySpace is putting out a tribute to the Smashing Pumpkins that will come in the next issue of Spin, and The New Ams have contributed a stupendous version of "Thirty-Three" to the project. You can check it out on their MySpace page.
2. While you're there, check out "Strangled By The Thought." It's the second song on the player. It's the final track on the second disc of Killed and Cured, which was self released last month. This song is fucking emo-tastic. Seriously, I'm listening to it for the seventh (eighth?) time in a row as I write this. In fact, it's so emo-tastic that as soon as I'm done with this update, I'm going to go write in my ElJay and put on some guyliner while I cry. OK, well I won't do that. But I could. NEWAYZ, just listen to the song, I implore you.
3. The Starting Line posted a brand new song up a few days ago. It's from their upcoming release, Direction. It's called "Island" and I'm digging it.
   
4. Cobra Starship's new video for "Fangs Up, Dancing Shoes On," is fan-fuckingtastic. No wait, it's fang-tastic. Ok I lose. But seriously, the song really makes me want to get up and dance even if my hangover is all "no, no remain seated, it's really okay." There's a sweet Patrick Stump cameo, as well as this:

Last week I posted "Thursday Links," and I was going to make that my Thursday thing: posting links. But then I was like "why should I just post links on Thursdays? Shouldn't I put them up whenever I have a bunch of links that I want to post?" And then I answered myself: "Yes. Yes you should." So I'm gonna.

• Best. Headline. Evar. And the answer is a resounding "yes." (PS - worst rock picture ever taken.)
• Everyone's favorite siren-fronted band, Paramore is a contestant in the latest round of "AOL Breakers." They're up against pop-soaked The Higher and and band called "The Jonas Brothers," which the page describes as "...Hanson...with a bigger dose of punk." Um, OK. Click here to go to the AOL Breakers page, then click on the "ID, Please" category. And vote for Paramore, plz.
• I stumbled across this absolute gem on YouTube. It's The Clash playing a siiiick version of "White Riot" at Victoria Park in 1978. I have seriously watched it seven or eight times since finding it this morning. (I kind of like The Clash juuuuust a little bit.)
• While I am still on my Powerspace kick, I've started to become increasingly obsessed with Rory. (check out "Typical," Ruby Vroomier," and "Nice Planet, We'll Take It!" I saw these guys a few months ago when they came through Providence, and they actually ended up crashing at my house. They are really cool dudes, and they kinda have a Matches-esque thing going for them. I think they are tremendously underrated, and I hate to admit it, but "Deja Vroomier" is slowly creeping up on "Right On, Right Now," as my new jam, especially since the new version of "Right On..." was posted up on MySpace yesterday...
• ...and I don't like it nearly as much. It's a few BPM slower, and the instumentation seems a bit more sparse than the EP version. I really don't think the vocals are as strong, either. Don't get me wrong I'm still hella-excited to hear more than the five P-Space songs I currently own. But I think the new mix is a mistake. Judge for yourself.
• New Sports Guy mailbag. It's been a while since we've seen one of these, since all he's been writing about is fucking basketball for the past few weeks. But this is good. He gives some advice regarding gratuity, choosing a celebrity sugar-mama, and even tackles the issue of Jack Nicholson's testicles. Yep. You read that correctly.
• Absolutepunk has posted a video featuring artists and interviews from Day 1 of Bamboozle, including The Starting Line, Paramore, and Great American Freedom Machine. Watch itHERE!

Kthxbye.

Friday.
The Receiving End Of Sirens were playing at Lupo's, so Nathan, Tim, and I decided to truck it down to downtown Providence to catch their set. We arrived in time to catch two of the support bands. First was The Sleeping, who were pretty much your run-of-the-mill cookie cutter Victory band - singing/screaming, off time breakdowns, catchy hooks, and mosh parts. They were kind of like Bury Your Dead-meets-Matchbook Romance. To use a term I overuse anyway, they were good at what they did, but my life was not altered in any way. Next plz. After that was Set Your Goals who I had seen late last year when they opened for Paramore at The Living Room last year. Now, anyone who knows me realizes I am gay for pop-punk, but for some reason I just couldn't dig these guys - not then and not now. On the pop-punk scale, they rate somewhere in between All Time Low and Hit The Lights, or any number of the mediocre three named pop punk bands out there. Solid B, but again, meh. Next was TREOS, who I had sadly never seen before. And they did not disappoint. Their songs are so solid through and through, and their live performance simply bolsters my opinion of their skill. They played two new songs off the new record. I was worried about what the new stuff would sound like, as Casey is no longer in the songwriting picture, but me fears were eased once I heard the new stuff. I am officially psyched for the new record, which is due to be released on August 7th.

Saturday.
I have been looking forward to Saturday for several weeks now. For a good few years in the late 90's/early 00's, The Agents were staples of the RI punk/ska scene. They were, for a time, the biggest band from RI, and they were beloved. To this day, 401 remains one of my favorite records. They weren't your average run-of-the-mill ska band - they blended in elements of reggae and punk as well, but tastefully, which is something that 95% of ska-punk bands failed miserably to acheive. Sadly, the band disbanded in 2002 (one of my bands, a to-remain-unnamed garage punk outfit, actually played their last show) with a string of three home shows. The members went their separate ways, moving to Brooklyn and San Francisco, getting married, starting families, etc. Well, on Saturday, they had their official, sold out reunion show. And it was ass if they hadn't missed a beat. They opened with "Long Time," and never looked back. They hit all the classics: "Gratiado," "Superhero," "98," "Sally Brown," "Incident At Franco's," and on and on. They played full on for an hour and a half, and the audience ate up every second of it. It was a special night, and I'm glad I was there.

Sunday.
On Sunday, I decided to drive it on down to New York City to catch Monty Are I at The Knitting Factory. Again, I caught this tour on Tuesday, but I felt like seeing them again. Plus, MAI hangs in NYC never disappoint. Monty played well - there were a few hiccups, as Ryan left his trumpet in the van, which was parked 25 minutes away over the Brooklyn Bridge, so at times he looked slightly lost on stage, which would have been virtually imperceptible to the untrained eye. A face melting set nonetheless, though. I was a little bummed that Powerspace decided it would be a good idea to play three dates with Red Jumpsuit, though, so they weren't able to play. I said boo @ that couple times, but moved on once the epic hangs commenced. After a little pre-gaming in the front bar of The Knitting Factory, Montourage shifted venues to a sweet little bar on Delancey where we proceeded to get silly and dance party it up. It was so so so good to see all of my friends again, and make some new ones. It really was a tremendous weekend, but now it is time to detox and return to real life for a few days. Le siggggh... 

So apparently the band Rednex (the dudes that sang the grating West Warwick wedding/high school roller skating party anthem "Cotton Eye Joe') is for sale. Apparently, you get it all: the music, the trademark, the back catalog, the publishing rights, the record deals, the website....

Oh, and you get this:

• A video featuring a brand new Motion City Soundtrack song, "This Is For Real," has hit the intarwebz. It can be seen here. I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty excited about the new record, but I am slightly bummed out that the release date has been pushed back two months. Originally, Even If It Kills Me was due to hit stores on July 17th, but it was announced yesterday that the new release date will be September 18th.
  
• Let's get our emo on! Fearless Records released Punk Goes Acoustic 2 this week. The record delivers some of the finest heart-on-your-sleeve crooning the scene has to offer, and it's sure to make your guyliner streak your pillowcase. I listened to it in its' entirety yesterday, and there are definitely some standout tracks - +44's "Baby Come On," Sherwood's "The Only Song," Jack's Mannequin's version of "Bruised," and "Jasey Rae" by All Time Low. Some of the tracks are completely uninspired, though, like The Spill Canvas' "Staplegunned," which sounds exactly like the album track, only without the drums, while others just plain suck (Anti-Flag, I'm looking in your direction). Pound for pound, though, it's definitely worth a listen.
• The new Paramore music video is up and just begging to be viewed. I can't help but love this band, and from all that I've heard, they're way more mature musically on the new record. Which is saying a lot, as All We Know Is Falling was tremendous. The new record is scheduled to be released on June 12th.
• Anyone who considers themselves even remotely scene should pick up Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide To Emo Culture. It's a witty look at all things scene, including fashion, history, hairstyling, movies, and obviously, music. It's an easy, informative read, and it's tone edges on sarcasm at times, which I think is splendid. There will be a longer review of it sometime later in the week, so look for that soon, but in the meantime, go pick it up!
  
• I just can't write a post without mentioning Powerspace, can I? Apparently not. So here goes! Powerspace posted a video up on Purevolume yesterday documenting the tomfoolery they are partaking in while on tour with my friends in Monty Are I. The karaoke scene is definitely clutch, and dudebroguy singing System Of A Down made me LOL like whoa. (PS - It was Tom from Powerspace's 21st birthday on Tuesday. We got him drunk and then cut a rug at the club. Send him birthday wishes.)
  
• Apparently, Jared the Subway guy ran a two-bit pornography rental business out of his dorm room during college. That kinda creeps me out. I'm just saying....
• This weekend, Roger Clemens announced his return to my beloved New York Yankees. Hopefully, he will add some stability to the decimated starting pitching rotation, and maybe give the bullpen a little break. NEWAYZ - notorious Yankee-hater Jim Caple, one of my favorite sportswriters, wrote a great little satirical speech about the whole debacle. It can be read here.

So I'm pretty exhausted. I'm a little sunburned in the face. I've got a few blisters from my new Vans slip-ons. And my Rory hoodie kind of smells like beer. But overall, I would call this weekend a success.

Although the 'boozle was a two-day festival, we weren't able to make it for day one. There were a few bands I really wanted to see (Cartel, NFG, Paramore, TREOS, Saves The Day, and Motion City Soundtrack [who blew me away last year]) but somehow, I think I'll manage. We actually ended up rolling into NYC at around 9pm on Saturday night. There was an afterparty at the new Wentz/McCoy venture, Angels and Kings, so we headed on over there for some free Dos Equis, hangs, and a bunch of waiting in line for the bathroom. It's a pretty cool little place - small, intimate, a dive-ish vibe without actually being a dive. Also, I forgot just how expensive booze in the city is. Apparently, price didn't stop me though (or so I've been told) and I proceeded to get very, very nice before we made our way home at 3:30 in the morning, as evidenced by the fact that there are about 10 pictures on my camera that I have no recollection of taking.

I woke up around 8AM completely disoriented and still pretty drunk. We showered, made our way to the car, and drove to Giants Stadium. After meeting up with the Monty Are I boys, we made our way inside the gates. I had made a schedule up on Thursday, and I was pretty intent on sticking to it. So I did. And here's the recap:

• Brand New. This set is the talk of the AP.net community right now. I thought it was all right. I have never seen BN before, and were I scene n00b, I would have been put off immediately by Jesse Lacey's on-stage anti-charisma, but luckily, I've seen sets way more pretentious than this, so I was ok with it. They opened with "Degausser," then played "Sowing Season" and "Luca." Then Lacey decided he wanted to play "Degausser" again. So they did so, changing the lyrics a bit, then "You Won't Know," "Welcome To Bangkok," and then a really terrible version of "Seventy Times Seven." Grade: B-
  
• Anberlin. I have seen these guys three times before, but I had yet to see them play any of the songs off so I was pretty excited for their set. I can't recall what their exact set was, but the did play "Time and Confusion," "A Day Late," "Adelaide," "Dismantle Repair," and "Never Take Friendship Personal" (not necessarily in that order) before closing with "Godspeed." They had the crowd entirely under their spell, and as I looked around, I could see everyone from little scene girlies to dudes wearing Birkenstocks and Hollister hoodies screaming along to "Dismantle Repar." As always, a tremendous stage show. These guys continue to impress me, and I'm glad the general public is beginning to take notice.Grade: A
• The Early November. This was TEN's last show ever. I have never really been a huge fan of theirs, and the last record they released really put me off. But I figured that I should at least be there for that moment of scene history (?) so I stood and watched a couple of their songs. They played some older stuff, mostly off . They were pretty good, but I didn't watch enough of the set to be able to fully grade them. Some girls were crying, though, so I assume the did pretty well. Grade: INC
• Powerspace. I have been so hyped to see these guys all week. They were/are my new "gay-for" band. And they didn't disappoint. Unfortunately, they were constrained to the tiny confines of the shitty, shitty "Pass The Mic" stage, but they made the best of it. They played five songs in total, each one was pretty tight and right along with all the samples they were using considering the seeimingly poor monitor mix every band on that stage was getting. The closed with "Right On, Right Now." I was happy. I've been listening to that t00n fir like the past week and a half straight. On repeat. Because, yes, I am awesome. And I got to see it live. Oh, and backflips, too. Grade: A
  
• Monty Are I. Is this even worth reviewing? I have seen these guys, no word of a lie, over 50 times in the past two years. This is one of the few shows I actually got to see from the front of the stage, though, and it's a very different experience, especially being in the middle of the crowd, singing along the whole time. (Run on sentences FTW, BTDubbs) The set was great obviously, and they played all the crowd faves - "Castlebound," Dublin Waltz," and "In This Legacy." Some one correct me if I'm mistaken, but during "Anchor and Hope," Tom from Powerspace relieved Ryan of his guitar playing duties and proceeded to shred. Obvously, they closed with "Between The Sheets." Ryan climbed up on top of the speaker stack a few times, too. Knowing his penchant for disaster and clumsiness, I was pretty sure both attempts would end badly, but he made it through unscathed. Overall, I was extremely impressed, per usual. They played well, and made it through the set incident-free. I also noticed that they are seemingly more confident on stage as of late than they have ever been - their poise on stage seems to much more professional, and at times it borders on a confident swagger. But not in a bad way (see: Jesse Lacey). Grade: A
  
• RX Bandits. The first time I ever saw RX live in November, I made the call that they were the best live band I had ever seen. (They knocked Elvis Costello out of the top slot, a position he had ocupied since July of '03) I was hoping and praying that they would not disappoint me. And they didn't. Not one bit. They were just as tremendous as usual, and their version of "...And The Battle Begun," was . They ended their set a little early, then were told they had time for one more (which the crowd was fervently demanding). I crossed my fingers for "Decrescendo." And they delivered. And fucking killed it. I can't even say anything else about their set except - Grade: A+
  
• Thrice. These guys are always just tremendous. I have been following their updates for their new record, and I am pretty amped for it. They played two newer songs, and I liked both very much. They were a bit more classic-rocky than their previous material, but they seemed like a logical evolution from . They also played the crowd faves: "Artist In The Ambulance," "Stare At The Sun," "The Earth Will Shake," etc. Overall, they played a solid set. Grade: B+
  
• Jack's Mannequin. This was the last set I ended up catching. I was tired and sunburned, and I was ready to go home. But I needed to see Jack's first. So I did. I hadn't seen them perform for almost a year, so I was really looking forward to the set. They opened up with "Holiday From Real," which included an new, a capella introduction to the song. They proceeded to play most of the stock favorites off - "Dark Blue," "The Mixed Tape," "La La Lie," and "Kill The Messenger." "Bruised" was particularly good that night - the best I had seen them ever play it, and as the sun set to the west, Jack's played a great extended version of "Made For Each Other." Grade: A

That was it for me. We packed up, said our goodbyes, and drove to our hotel where we promptly rockstarred it by watching some TV and passing out at 11:00.

Bamboozle '08? Yes plz. 

The Bamboozle weekend (Cute Is What We Aim For Is What I Aim For '07 [CIWWAFIWIAF7]) countdown is officially on. We're t-minus 28 hours until we depart for the isle of Manhattan. Unfortunately i'm not going both days. I was incredibly productive the other day, though, when I spent about an hour checking set times for Sunday and making a little schedule to make sure I could see every band I wanted. I'm going to miss a couple, but here's my tentative intinerary (definites in bold, maybes in italics, Powerspace in bold and with an asterisk*)

12:05-12:45 Brand New
1:20-1:50     Anberlin
1:50-2:20     The Matches
2:40-3:00     Powerspace*
3:15-3:45     Mae
4:10-4:35     Monty Are I (obvsly)
   **rides**
5:20-5:50     RX Bandits
6:15-6:50     Thrice
6:50-7:25     Jack's Mannequin
7:25-8:05     Taking Back Sunday
8:05-8:50     Weird Al FTW

I can't wait to scene like whoa this weekend.

I'll be giving out free high-fives all weekend, too.

Yeah, so, I'm switching over to Buzznet. Officially. I've been celebrating LiveJournal for a few months now, but I've weighed the all the pros and cons, and I've decided I just like the Buzznet better. Sorry, El-Jay, you're just not cutting it for me anymore. Buzznet is younger and hotter, and that's what I'm in the market for. It's been a good run. Farewell...

NEWAYZ...

Here are some things that are currently exciting me:

1. Bamboozle. I'm pretty sure this weekend will rank up there the best weekends ever. I've spent the week hyping myself up for this extravaganza. The only work I've actually done this week has all had something to do with Bamboozle. I've made my schedule for Sunday up. In a stroke of sheer luck, most of the sets I want to catch do not overlap (save for Anberlin/The Dear Hunter). But now I need determine where the free rides fit in to that timetable. So yeah: bands, drinks, parties, rides, sunburn, hangs, celebrity stalking.... SAY WHAT?

2. Monty Are I/The Coming Weak. Bamboozle is on May 6th. Hangover recover/drive back to RI day is May 7th. May 8th is the Monty Are I homeshow. And my band is opening. I'm pretty stoked.com about it. This will be the first MAI show in like two years that I haven't worked at. It'll be fun to actually be able to play with them. For 50+ shows, I've been on the sidelines, and now I get to be a part of it musically instead of just technically. We're playing with Amber Pacific, Melee, and Powerspace...

3. Speaking of Powerspace. Go to their MySpace page right now and make "Right On, Right Now" happen. You just might find yourself dancing up a storm once you begin to listen. Their record comes out on July 31st. I hope to have procured myself a copy by then, but I will purchase it nonetheless. They have an EP out right now, but I'm thirsty for more. My first glimpse of them will be at Bamboozle. I'm pretty sure it will be a highlight.

4. Inkwell. I think that Inkwell is one of the most underrated bands going right now. It's just two dudes, I guess, and from what I hear, they don't like to tour much. Bummer. Anyway, my friend Stacy introduced them to me a little under a year ago. I didn't really actually listen to them all that much until a few months ago, when I popped in the CD she had burned me on a whim. And I went gay for them in like .02 seconds - I have not been able to stop listening to Inkwell in like three months. They have two records out, Chaos Reveals Rhyme, which is the debut, and These Stars Are Monsters, released in July of last year. The sound between the two albums are pretty consistent, and heavily recommended by yours truly. Listen to "Jazzercise In A Tie" and "The Tragedy Of David Gribble." Seriously. Do it.

OK, that's it. Three days to Bamboozle. Sick.