Category Archives: Rock

Akron, Cleveland, Emo, Music, New Release, Pop, Punk, Review, Rock

Album Review: Worship This! – Tomorrow, I’ll Miss You

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I always told myself that I would never review bands who were also my friends, but I’d be a fool not to review the debut release by Northeast Ohio’s very own Worship This!.  Having just signed to A-F Records, Worship This! is about to drop Tomorrow, I’ll Miss You next week, and let me tell you, this is one impressive debut.

Consisting of Josh Taylor (vocals, bass), Jeremy Provchy (vocals, guitar), Aaron Novak (vocals, guitar) , and Jeff Hart (drums), Worship This! has definitely put in their time since then band’s formation in 2010.  Hailing from the Akron / Cleveland area, Worship This! are not new to the scene as all of the members have been involved with various local bands for the past 15 years.  Forming through friendships and mutual acquaintances, the boys of Worship This! were almost meant to be.

“I, Human” started off with Taylor screaming “I don’t wanna be human” at the top of his lungs making for any music fan to turn their head and pay attention.  Full of energy and ideals that slightly reminded me something Propaghandi might make mention of, I really liked how I could hear an immediate chemistry throughout the band members.  The moment I heard that opening song, I knew it was in for something good.  “Jen, with 2 Ns” continued to fuel that feeling

I adored “Indifferent” for so many reasons.  Not only was the track catchy as hell, but it carried  the feelings of being too old for the scene, contemplating giving it all up, and then coming to a realization to move on without care.  This song was solid start to finish and one of my favorites on the entire album.  Full of catchy riffs, infectious drumming, and just an overall sense of pride of current state of being.  It is no wonder the band chose this song to make a music video.  Seriously, the following lyrics from this track have been stuck in my head for weeks:

“I’ve given my all, maybe its about time that I hang it up.  There’s so many things I never did, and I life I never lived. Maybe I’ll stop getting dirty looks from all these kids.”

I swear, I have had those same thoughts in my head numerous times over the last couple of years.  Look for the video to be dropped around the time of the album.

“Summit Tower” really was put together flawlessly.  Provchy took over vocal duties primarily while the rest of the band just jammed out alongside.  I may have caught myself signing along to this one the first time I listed to it.  The upbeat “Springs and Levers”,  moved along well thanks to Novak and Provchy exchanging lines throughout.

The lyrically deep “Purpose and Meaning” flowed directly into “The Fear Of Missing Out”.  The songs were like a masterpiece, but different.   Seriously though, these two combined songs were addicting from start to finish.  You can just hear years of hard work put into both tracks and they last less than 3 minutes total.  Secretly, I wish those tracks were of a “November Rain” length.

Novak painted a pretty vivid picture as he sang at the beginning “Bike Ride”.  The song, which told the story about a neighboring house that suffered a grim demise, really carried well throughout.  “This house is my reminder of what we have and and who we live for” bellows towards the end of the track with “our lives carry on” ending it.

“Whatever Happened To You Melissa” reminded me of Dinosaur Jr. at the beginning, but only because of how the lyrics started off.  The song, clearly reaching back to a torn relationship, had a strong effect while listening to.  Listening to Novak and Taylor sing “I’ve lost all hope, in everything I know…and everything I loved” just brought back some of those memories you can’t ever get rid of.  This was another track on the album that blew me away.

“Momophonbe” has radio playable qualities.  The chorus alone reminded me of, dare I say, Gaslight Anthem, sans the whole I’m-from-New-Jersey-and-love-Bruce-Springsteen-feel.  Taylor and Provchy made this song even better thanks to their singing styles bouncing back and forth.  “Anathema”, the closing track, started off melodic with singing that did not impress me, but moments later that all changed.  I loved the group signing on this track that eventually laid the album to rest.

Take everything you know and love about punk rock from the 90s onward and you can hear it in what Worship This! has brought to the table throughout the album.  This is far from a pop-punk band and anyone who labels them that needs to really reevaluate their opinion.  This is a band that successfully manages to merge all of their unique influences from over the years and package them into one great style.  We’re talking seasoned here folks, not young blood.

Fans of all of the current bands filling up the punk scene in basements, various self-funded punk fests, and even online should take note at this talent.  I could sit here and label off tons of bands, but why bother?  A-F Records has something good on their hands and I am sure they know it.  Add the fact that all four members are just genuine dudes who play music for the sake of playing music.

Friends or not, Worship This! has got my vote for album of the year with Tomorrow, I’ll Miss You.  Just like the Menzingers, Cheap Girls, Masked Intruder, and Luther wowed me back in 2012, Worship This! has done the exact same for me this year.  I can not stop listening to this album.  I can only image how crazy the kids are going to go for this release.  This is one album you should not sleep on.  Trust me when I say that.  Don’t believe me?  Head on over to PunkNews.Org and hear it for yourself.  You can thank me later.

The CD drops this Tuesday and a vinyl pre-order should be announced through A-F Records soon.

Music, Music News, Music Video, New Release, Rock, Soul

Music Video: Mission South – “Peaches”

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Check out the intense video for “Peaches” by roots / rock trio Mission South:

There is a definite Black Keys / Dr. Dog feel going on here and I really dig it.  Not to mention, the video is kind of awesome and dark as hell at the same time.

Did you dig the tune as much as I did?  Well you are in luck, the band is offering all of their tunes for free.  Yup, free.  Check it out: http://music.missionsouth.com

So who are Mission South?  They are a soul blues rock band straight out of DC who just dropped their sophomore release titled Migration, Vol. 2.  The three members have been friends for years and spite all those growing pains many bands go throughout life, they stuck together and have dropped a pretty amazing EP.

Apparently today, they recorded a Daytrotter session.  I look forward to hearing that when it releases.

Short notice, but apparently the band is playing Cleveland tomorrow night, if you dig what you hear, you should head on out to their show…if you can figure out where they are playing at.  I looked all over the interwebs and could not find what venue.

Emo, Music, Music News, Music Video, Post-Hardcore, Rock

Get Involved with Get Involved!

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Recently members from Thursday, From Autumn To Ashes, Glassjaw, and Judge announced a new project in the works called Get Involved!
Inspired by their shared influences of punk, hardcore, new wave and metal, Get Involved! came together to create an entirely new group, unlike any of their previous endeavors.  Brian Deneeve (From Autumn to Ashes), Todd Weinstock (Glassjaw), Tucker Rule (Thursday), Lars Weiss (Judge) and Derrick Karg each bring a unique style to the band, resulting in a sound that’s dark and heavy yet accessible and memorable. With a release in the works to be dropped later this year, Get Involved! is asking for your help through their Kickstarter Campaign.  You all know how Kickstarter works.  Head on over and help out if you care to.  I know I already pledged $20.  I am stoked to see what this band creates!

Support music, support art, and Get Involved! Back Get Involved!’s Kickstarter Campaign now.  With just 2 weeks left, the band is just over 40% to their goal.  Help out if you can!!!
Music, New Release, Pop, Punk, Reggae, Review, Rock

Album Review: Authority Zero – The Tipping Point

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Hailing from Mesa, AZ, Authority Zero combines various levels of music and mashes them into their own style.  Punk rock, thrash, reggae, and even a hint of skate rock can be heard throughout their years of material.  The band really take pride in incorporating those styles to their catalog as well as carries a strong love for bands like Bad Religion and Pennywise.  Having been kicking ass and taking names for almost 20 years now, spite many challenges in their career, Authority Zero has not calmed down one bit.

This Tuesday, Authority Zero will be releasing an all new album titled The Tipping Point.  These West Coast punkers have dropped an impressive release full of energy and fast-paced fun.  With plans of touring Europe in a month to support their new release, Authority Zero really seem to be moving in the right direction.  Ask anyone in their infamous Zero Crew and I am sure they will agree.  Still, I am just as pleased as I am shocked this is only their fifth studio release.

The very fast-paced “No Other Place” started off the album with plenty of speed and aggression sure to entice a circle pit.  It was almost too easy to hear the gracious nod to Pennywise and Bad Religion in this track from Jason DeVore’s singing style.  Add some necessary group vocals aside with quick and heavy guitar riffs, you can hear the influential bands that helped build Authority Zero.

“Undivided” continued with more of a 90s punk feel with DeVore having a great flow from start to finish.  The chorus was catchy as hell, the drums were just non-stop, and the guitars carried well.  My only distraction was the Dicky Barrett sounding scream that ultimately stopped the song for a moment, but then jumped right back in.

“For the Kids” had a Good Riddance feel to it that I really enjoyed.  I really caught on to these lyrics because they really hit home to me as DeVore sang “this one’s for you” about more or less – me.  Well, at least young me.  Great song about yesteryear to any music fan who was surrounded by friends in any scene.  Age may be catching up with a lot of us, but those memories will last forever.  This track is worth a listen.

I really was beginning to wonder if Authority Zero dropped the reggae from their sound and then “Struggle” started.  It’s not terrible by any means, but the current me never really got into this version of Authority Zero.  “On The Brink” followed returning to their punk sound.

“Today We Heard The News” was another reggae track on the album, but this one I actually enjoyed.  The horns throughout kept the track interesting while I tried to figure out what DeVore was singing about.  From what I gathered, it was about a protest about something and not giving up fighting the cause. (EDIT: apparently it is about the passing of Tony Sly.  I am kind of kicking myself for not grasping that.  Thanks to a reader for that one.)

“Shakedown in Jaurez” also kind of hit home to me, but in a different matter seeing how I currently live 30 minutes away from that city and am more than aware of everything that goes on there.  The song itself, mixed punk and reggae for a sound I just could once again not get into.

Ending the album was “21st Century Breakout”, a sped up punk track that got stuck in my head.  I could not help but think about Bad Religion once again as DeVore sang just like Mr. Greg Graffin at times.  Setting that aside, this track was killer and pretty much was my choice cut on the entire album.

After all the changes Authority Zero has gone through in the last few years, it is almost admirable to see them continue on.  With a revolving door of members leaving and joining along with countless other setbacks during the band’s existence, the band seems to have finally found some well-deserved stability.  With all those drawbacks though, I am shocked they did not call it quits and start something new already.

Case and point, just 2 weeks ago, the band’s long-time bassist Jeremy Wood announced on his Facebook page he was leaving the band to spend more time with family and other personal reasons.  Luckily lead signer, and the last of the original lineup, Jason DeVore quickly announced the band had a touring bass player to join them on the road in support of their upcoming release The Tipping Point.  Somehow, I have the feeling this album was properly named by the band for more reasons than one.

There is no doubt in my mind if you are a fan of the punk rock genre that you have heard of this band or seen them live at a Warped Tour or heard them on a video game soundtrack.  They have been in the game for nearly 20 years and it can definitely be heard in The Tipping Point.  No matter how many changes this band goes through, it would appear that Jason DeVore has no intention giving up something he truly loves.

Acoustic, Alt Rock, Country, Music, New Release, Progressive Rock, Review, Rock

Album Review: Davenport Cabinet – Our Machine

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Travis Stever is a pretty busy man.  You may have heard his name before as he is one of the founding members of some small, little band called Coheed and Cambria.  When he is not touring the world playing to his die hard fans, Stever has his own solo project called Davenport Cabinet.  Earlier this year, Stever dropped his second solo release titled Our Machine.  Full of a folk alt-rock sound at times, the album is quite catchy and just further showcases how great of a musician Stever really is.

Now when say I folk rock, don’t go thinking I am talking about the folk rock that is stealing the music scene these days.  This is a much more intriguing sidestep into a great genre of music.  When listening to this album, I thought of everyone from Pink Floyd to Rush, as well as Queensrÿche and even Van Halen.  Sure, combining all of those bands might sound a little off, but I tell you, this sophomore release by Stever is far from that.

Starting the album was the instrumental “Night Climb” that kind of set the level for what I was about to hear.  Acoustic guitars played over electronic sounds for less than a minute while someone beat on on a drum.  I really was not sure what to expect from this.

“Deterioration Road” was the song that for whatever reason reminded me of Van Halen and honestly, it was because of the singing style.  The music however was very much more progressive and just well put together.  In fact, the beginning of the song is where I could hear Pink Floyd.

“Simple Words” was an acoustic folksy jam with Stever’s cousin Tyler Klose (thanks for the correction via tweet Travis!) sounding a lot like Geoff Tate.  Don’t let that discourage you in any way though, this was a great jam especially when Stever’s other cousin Laura Tsaggaris met Klose making for a great duet.  The harmony those two created was just perfect.  You can tell that a lot of thought was put when recording this track, it is flawless.  If there is one track on this album you need to check out, make it this one.  Hands down, this was my favorite song on the album.

“Sister Servent” followed with a certain Coheed and Cambria sound I have grown so accustomed to but instead of Claudio Sanchez taking on vocal duties, Klose however did his own thing and pulled it off quite well.  The drumming and the guitars on this track were so captivating switching from a distorted riff to a modest jam on guitars while impressive beats backed them all up.

Stever dabbled with some electronics in “These Bodies”, and interesting track that really was a lot darker than previous tracks.  Seeming to talk about redemption and dying, the track sounded good but just caught me off guard.  Then came “Our Machine”, a poignant and fun acoustic song that really screamed folk rock but also did not let go of the progressive feel.  This track was a foot-stomping jam that I enjoyed quite a bit.  Once again, you can literally hear the all the hard work put into this track.  I especially loved hearing the banjo being plucked throughout.

“Black Dirt Burden” once continued with the banjo and one of my favorite effects that Stever played with Coheed and Cambria, the talk box.  Immediately following was his trademark tearing-apart-the-guitar-solo, but only for a moment.  Once again I am could not help but think of 80s rock throughout this track, but not without gracious amounts of guitar solos and even a little more talk box.  This track really proves how talented Stever really is and not just because he busted out the talk box.

I liked the change up in “Drown It All”, a more country folk sounding track.  Use of the slide during the song was perfectly ok to this listener.  Leaving behind the progressive sound, this track sounded quite cheerful yet I have reason to believe it was speaking of addiction.  I could be wrong of course. “Dancing On Remains” sounded like Peter Gabriel took over singing duties for a moment.  This track seemed to lose some of the momentum captured in many of the previous tracks.  I just could not get into this song at all.

Thankfully “At Sea” caught my attention again, but not entirely.  Of all the tracks on this album, this was the one I felt just had too much going on.  “Our Father” ended the album with a slow start that soon morphed to a overly-distored guitar riff that soon was met with some smooth guitar solos.  The instrumental soon faded out leaving me wanting to hear more of the chaotic experimental guitar playing.

I’ve seen Coheed more times than I have fingers on my hands and I have always enjoyed watching Stever just kill it on guitar solos and play the talk box during select tracks.  It is no surprise to hear from him the exceptional musicianship on Our Machine.  Sounding prog-rock at times, many of the songs really remind me of a distant Queensrÿche relative, but the folk sounding tracks are what captivated me the most.

If you could accept The Prize Fighter Inferno from Sanchez, then you have no reason not to do the same for Stever.  This album is full of great tunes and really should be dismissed as a solo project as Stever, with help from friends, has really put together a solid album for all to hear.