Pennywise 'From The Ashes' Bio

Let's get this straight. Your average punk band doesn't sell out venues like the 14,000-capacity Long Beach Arena. Your average punk band doesn't organize benefit shows for charities like the Surfrider Foundation. And your average punk band doesn't last fifteen months these days let alone fifteen years. For fuck's sake - PENNYWISE is not and never will be your average punk band!

From The Ashes, the seventh studio disc from this Hermosa Beach foursome, doesn't just pick up where the "Fuck Authority"-touting Land of the Free? left off. It builds on it. Just when you thought PENNYWISE - the fan focused band that let loyalists choose the set list for its recent Warped commitment - could do no better than that 2001 long-player, the group ups the ante.

Formed in 1988 by vocalist Jim Lindberg, guitarist Fletcher Dragge, bassist Jason Thirsk and drummer Byron McMackin, PENNYWISE inked with Epitaph Records for their eponymous 1991 debut. A middle finger directed at the grunge movement of the time, the group helped to define the emerging West Coast punk scene. Remarkably, 1993's Unknown Road sold a few hundred thousand copies and at the height of the punk resurgence of 1994 the major labels came calling. Saying "thanks, but no thanks" PENNYWISE elected to stay put and released another hit with '95's About Time. But the tragic death of Thirsk the following year put the band's future in doubt. Electing to soldier on with new bassist Randy Bradbury, Full Circle hit the racks in 1997 and the outfit's following continued to swell with its fifth studio disc, '99's Straight Ahead.

Following the 2000 concert album Live at the Key Club and PENNYWISE's critically lauded, aforementioned Land of the Free?, the group took some time to evolve, look inward, and, in the case of guitarist Dragge, mourn the unexpected loss of his beloved father Otis. Earlier in 2003, the members of PENNYWISE regrouped with longtime studio collaborator Darian Rundall at Stall #2 in Redondo Beach and co-produced From The Ashes. It wound up being their finest album ever.

Lighting the fuse on this filler-free, fourteen song affair is "Now I Know," a percolating anthem that singer/lyricist Lindberg says is about "the personal struggle to find fulfillment and hope in a world that has become increasingly confusing and forbidding." Despite such ruminations, From The Ashes is by no means somber. The material here is long on power, as evidenced by tracks like the nostalgic, radio affable "Yesterdays" and the intoxicating "Punch Drunk."

The cynical roar of "God Save The USA" - a public service announcement with guitars - is a reminder to free thinking punks everywhere that PENNYWISE is still the band of choice. As Lindberg croaks lines like "Apathy's the national disease and there is no end in sight/God save the USA, blame the president, and say your prayers tonight," Dragge, McMackin and Bradbury drive this accusatory State of the Union home.

Change-ups like the blistering, imaginatively arranged "Falling Down" (a song about coping with looming middle age) and the acoustic false start of "This Is Only A Test" prove that PENNYWISE will always refuse to rest on formula.

Armed with the same belief it held when they started, that punk music can change the world, PENNYWISE have created a punk classic known as From The Ashes. And, once again, just to clarify matters, PENNYWISE is not your average, ordinary punk band. Try fucking extraordinary.

Story of the Year Bio 2008

With its explosive, infectious roar, "Wake Up" alerts Story of the Year's fanatical, global following that the epic, uplifting The Black Swan is upon us. An artistic triumph in every sense, the beloved, million-selling band's third studio album is unequivocally its finest, building on the strength of past accomplishments while celebrating a newfound allegiance with Epitaph.

"Making this record felt like starting over," says Dan Marsala, frontman for the St. Louis-reared quintet. "We're like a brand new band. You can hear it in these songs, we're excited again. I think we've really stepped it up on this record."

If Story of the Year's career achievements - from 2003's smash debut Page Avenue to headlining massive festivals such as the Van's Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos, to world tours with the likes of My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park and The Used - have been abundant, they've also been the result of the esteemed modern rock outfit's tireless work ethic and willingness to push boundaries musically. Approaching the follow-up to 2005's In the Wake of Determination with a burst of creative freedom, Story of the Year - which also counts guitarists Ryan Phillips and Philip Sneed, bassist Adam Russell and drummer Josh Wills - elevates The Black Swan with these same key convictions.

Leaps and bounds beyond the standards of what an alt-rock anthem can be in 2008, the remarkably powerful, hopeful and deeply personal "Tell Me" is undeniable. "It opens with a fucking gnarly, classic riff that hits you right between the eyes," Ryan enthuses.

"It's about our band," Dan acknowledges. "Before we signed to Epitaph, things were up in the air for us. We knew we didn't want to be on a major label anymore. We were like, 'What does this mean? Is our band done?' We really had to work through it and it was a weird time for us. But it's also been a really positive experience. Like, 'we're going to get through this together and nothing can stop us!'"

Thematically based around the concept of impactful, unpredictable events, The Black Swan hits home with Story of the Year in that it relates to a massively successful rock band breaking free of confines and restrictions to thrive on its own terms. "Epitaph seemed like the perfect place for us at this time in our career," Ryan explains. "It's a much more creative environment." To which Dan adds, "We could tell that Brett [Gurewitz, Epitaph's founder] loved the songs."

Despite a back catalog that counts a half dozen radio staples (like 2003's "Until The Day I Die" to 2006's "Take Me Back") and a wall full of gold and platinum awards for record sales in North America, Japan and Australia, Story of the Year's loyal fans are its principal concern. And the legions that discovered the group via Page Avenue will be pleased to learn the group re-teamed with producer John Feldmann for a handful of tracks on The Black Swan.

Among them is the aforementioned, explosive "Wake Up," a collaboration between Phillips, Marsala and Russell, which took lyrical inspiration from Carl Sagan's book Pale Blue Dot. Written from a global perspective, Dan says of the track, "When you think about just how small the earth really is and just how small the human race really is, our existence is almost insignificant in the greater scheme of things. You think of how the wars and all of the fighting and killing are just so unnecessary. It's pointless, and we should all be living our lives to the fullest."

Elsewhere, the band's first bona fide ballad, "Terrified," upholds the same line of thinking, with an emotional and uplifting delivery. "It's an amazing story about a man who goes off to war leaving a pregnant wife," says Ryan. "It narrates from both sides; their fears, emotions, and the fact that she doesn't even know if he's still alive. It's a hard hitting song that needed to be personal and epic instead of heavy."

"A lot of this record explores social and ethical issues that we feel strongly about," explains Marsala. As is the case with the melodic charge of "We're Not Going To Make It" which explores the struggle for an interracial couple to find acceptance and support from their parents and beyond in an overwhelmingly prejudiced America.

Equally poignant is the thought-provoking "Message To The World," which sends a global memorandum via the refrain, "When you kill me do it slowly." "People have this weird blind nationalism," says Dan. "Like, 'we're from America! And America is good. And we've gotta support America. And nobody else matters, because we're better than everybody.' And it's pretty obvious that having that kind of outlook will only result in things ending badly."

Additionally, Story of the Year teams with it-producer Elvis Baskette (Chevelle, Escape The Fate) on The Black Swan. "Elvis is a little more organic," Dan laughs. "He wants the guitars loud!" Be it "Welcome To Our New War," a stand out track that takes the group's shredding mastery to new heights, or the powerful riffs that propel "Apathy Is A Deathwish" - a track Phillips says, "Makes me want to smash stuff and drink a car-bomb shot" - the results are simply stellar.

Ferocious and thought-provoking, The Black Swan finds Story of the Year in the rare position of being one of the biggest bands in the world, while being left to its own devices to evolve and flourish creatively.

"I hope people really read into the lyrics and respect the fact that we don't sing about lollipops and gummi-bears," Ryan explains. "Musically, we've grown so much. We have some very unique, timeless, face melting guitar riffs and solos that have come to define our sound, without compromising the idea of a classic song."

Hot Water Music 'The New What's Next' 2004

If it's trite to say HOT WATER MUSIC's third album for Epitaph is easily its finest album yet, it's also the goddamn truth. When it comes to forceful, fluid and intricate punk-inspired sounds, few -- if any -- roar with the kind of expression and precision found on The New What Next.

Launched by the expressive, anthemic spark of "Poison," The New What Next is a bold musical proclamation that's uniquely paced and often irresistible. From the melodic yet cathartic drive of "End of the Line" to the captivating, infectious riffs that propel the mid-tempo "All Heads Down" and beyond, bassist Jason Black says the sonic change-ups in place for the follow up to 2002's Caution were intentional.

"We sought out new dynamics, and we went for different tempos and different feels," Black explains. "The only thing we purposely tried to do for this record was make sure each song stood on its own, so they didn't really sound like each other too much. We even experimented with different tunings, which is something we never would have thought we could do. But we just keep evolving and trying new things without confining ourselves too much."

Built on a foundation of open-mindedness, teamwork and democracy, HWM has been road and studio dynamos since coming together in Gainesville, Florida in the mid-1990s. By 2001, the quartet had aligned with Epitaph in time to drop the highly lauded A Flight And A Crash and its follow up, the much revered Caution.

Again relying on producer Brian McTernan (Cave In, Promise Ring) whom Black calls "a great shit meter for us," the bassist says that The New What Next was "the easiest record we've ever made by a long-shot." With another head in the game that the group by now trusts implicitly, Jason says that things were so comfortable with McTernan that when things wrapped up, the members of HWM "were kind of bummed that we couldn't just hang out with him longer."

That sort of focus and allegiance emerges from the explosive blast of the aforementioned "Poison" -- single-handedly explains how the group has been able to grow its fanbase every year, remain true to itself and retain the kind of credibility eons of other "mainstream punk" bands would kill for. As Black thumps on his bass, drummer George Rebelo keeps an expert beat , Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard carve out blistering,

memorable riffs, along with thought-provoking vocal delivery perfecting Hot Water Music's lure. Furiously intoned prose like, "I could waste away with politics/drown myself with wine/find myself through solitude/and inject poison into my mind," is all the evidence needed to affirm HWM's genius.

Taking its title from the journal where Wollard kept his lyrics in, which he put together taping in pages and the cover from an old children's book, Black says, "it just kind of fit in with what's been going on with us." Be it the rhythmic, airwave-worthy "Ebb And Flow," the frenzied, exuberant "Monkey Wrench" or the pensive, emotive "Ink and Lead," the band's latest is a stellar representation of all its abilities.

With The New What Next, Hot Water Music builds on its legacy and defies easy categorization by unveiling a twelve-song arsenal that's sure to please long-time disciples and recent converts alike. And that was the band's motivation all along. "Basically, the thing we wanted to do was bridge the gap between our older and newer fans," Black explains.

"If there was one Hot Water Music record to own, it would be this one," he continues. Succinctly put, Black. Succinctly put.

The Presidents of The United States of America 2008 Artist Bio

THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

THESE ARE THE GOOD TIMES PEOPLE

(FUGITIVE RECORDINGS/EMI)




Chris Ballew (Vocals, Basitar)

Jason Finn (Drums, Vocals)

Andrew McKeag (Guitbass, Vocals)



With THESE ARE THE GOOD TIMES PEOPLE, THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA have delivered an inventive, uplifting and often brilliant rock & roll album. From the opening, celebratory blast of “Mixed Up SOB”--which embraces the spirit of the band’s 4 million-selling eponymous debut--to the warm, Shins-like lilt of “Loose Balloon,” the group commandeers your attention with fourteen contagious winners.

Simply put, THESE ARE THE GOOD TIMES PEOPLE delivers the goods with PUSA sounding as vital as ever. With the collective strengths of founding vocalist, basitar player and principal songwriter CHRIS BALLEW, original drummer JASON FINN and guitbass player ANDREW MCKEAG--who officially joins the band with this album--PUSA lend their joy and enthusiasm to any and all within an earshot.

Recorded by Northwest legends The Fastbacks’ own Kurt Bloch (Robyn Hitchcock, Mudhoney, Les Thugs) and mixed by Martin Feveyear (Epoxies, Amber Pacific, Screaming Trees), the disc marks an alignment between the band and EMI via the new imprint Fugitive Recordings. Sharing the landscape with recent, acclaimed efforts by Ween and They Might Be Giants, PUSA--as masters (and progenitors) of “Joy Pop”--dig deep and pull off their most diverse and accomplished record yet.

Case in point is the twangy, swing-informed exuberance of “Flame Is Love,” which effortlessly shares the company of more recent numbers like the riff-tastic “Poor Turtle” or the light, countrified “Truckstop Butterfly.” As for the aforementioned “Mixed Up SOB,” it was originally penned in 1989 and first existed as “a slow, 12-string kind of thing,” says Chris. “It wasn’t until I decided to Cars-ify it that it came to life.”

“Chris is very prolific and there’s never a lack of new material,” Finn explains. “He’s also got stuff from the last ten years on his computers. And he’s always sort of rifling through fragments of material from hard drives, cassettes, Dictaphones, wherever. And every time we do a new record, he goes through that stuff. And every time I think I’ve heard every song that he’s ever written, he pulls out like eight great songs I’ve never heard, and I’m like, ‘Why the %$#@ didn’t we do this one or that one?’

And then there’s the glistening, piano-touched pop winner “More Bad Times,” which is brand new, sort of.

Replete with an a cappella break and a captivating acoustic shuffle, the song--which can’t help but be one of the main focal points of THESE ARE THE GOOD TIMES PEOPLE--is essentially a hybrid of Presidents music and the lyrics to a song by an old, obscure group known as Ed’s Redeeming Qualities. “I used to go see them when I moved to Boston in 1988. They had a ukulele, a violin and an old man shaking a can of rice,” Chris chuckles. “And they had a song, “More Bad Times,” that was very different musically. But I always loved it.”

“So, we’re goofing around with acoustic guitars,” Ballew continues, “and Andrew started playing a new riff, and all of the sudden that other song came into my head, and I starting singing those lyrics over it and changed the rhyme scheme and it just fit. I wound up writing a final verse and discovered how much fun it is to take an existing song and turn it into something else. When we finished it I was like, man, this is the feel good hit of the summer.”

“I was just playing this part on this Silvertone guitar that Chris had in his house and it was tuned an octave higher. And he was like, ‘Keep playing that! Keep playing that!’” Andrew laughs. “He started jumping up and down and got all excited.”

“It’s certainly one of the high points and it’s in a spot where we rarely go,” Finn acknowledges. “We’ve gone a little bit further out toward the edges on this one, but in a totally focused way. Of course, people have always expected a ‘mixed grill’ from us stylistically. Our earliest crowds in Seattle didn’t know whether they were going to get loud, soft or all ska on a given night. That was part of the fun…as long as it wasn’t ska very often.”

Since the Seattle-based trio first burst into the public eye with its aforementioned debut – on the strength of radio smashes like “Lump” and “Peaches” – it has been plugging away in fits and spurts with remarkable success. Look no further than their twice Grammy- nominated debut The Presidents of the United States of America, which continues to thrive as an enduring modern rock disc since peaking at #6 on the Billboard Top 200. Enjoying the kind of longevity shared by eponymous classics of the genre like Violent Femmes and Weezer, it’s found a new life on digital services like iTunes since its rights reverted back to the band in 2003.

1996’s II rocked just as hard, giving birth to the full throttle, Top 10 single, “Mach Five,” which fostered PUSA’s most imaginative and infamous music video. Meanwhile, accelerated fan favorites like “Lunatic to Love” and “Tiki God” left their imprint on then-up and-comers The Hives.

In advance of a much-deserved hiatus, two well-chosen covers helped leave a substantial cultural mark. First, a boisterous take on The Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star” musically defined the smash Adam Sandler flick “The Wedding Singer.” Next, “The Drew Carey Show” adopted the Presidents’ rendering of Ian Hunter’s “Cleveland Rocks” as its theme, bringing the trio into millions and millions of living rooms across the fruited plain. “Ohio!” indeed.

In 2000, Chris, Dave and Jason reconvened for the vibrant studio-only effort Freaked Out and Small, which boasted the airwave favorite “Tiny Explosions.” Giving PUSA a chance to record songs that Chris had crafted outside of the band’s unconventional 2-string, 3-string format, the project included the riotous track “Jupiter” and live in-studio performances on the accompanying DVD. “We weren’t officially working again at that point, Jason explains. This Musicblitz company appeared out of the ether and offered us a chance to make a record with no touring obligation. Sounds like a hoot, says us, and we had a blast recording it for 10 days, then didn’t give it another thought. Neither did Mudicblitz, who went out of business a couple of weeks after putting it out.”

A full reformation followed a series of reunion gigs for 2004’s Love Everybody, and while critics were handing out four star reviews and “Some Postman” was a radio favorite, the band ultimately realized that operating as a touring band and maintaining its own PUSA record label was a huge undertaking. As Finn puts it, “Being our own label was interesting, but ultimately the day-to-day realities of managing a retail operation were taking too much of our rocking time. Plus, during our frequent DIVA tantrums, it was less fun calling and screaming at ourselves!”

With Love Everybody, Dave stepped away from the band for touring purposes and ultimately passed the guitbass to McKeag, a Seattle music vet and longtime friend of the band who was initially introduced to the group by Dederer years ago and who first served as a roadie for The Fastbacks when they opened for PUSA on their June 1996 U.S. tour.

“After 200 shows in the band, I’ve finally earned my stripes. Woo-hoo!” Andrew laughs. To which, Finn adds, “Andrew is a huge, huge guitar player. He takes the rock & roll of the band and capitalizes the ‘R’s’.” It’s a notion upheld by the punchy, rollicking “French Girl,” the quirky and undeniably sharp “Fangs”--which boasts Jason’s finest harmony vocals to date--and the blistering, forceful anchor track “Ghosts Are Everywhere.”

Then there’s “Deleter,” a bona fide funk song with horns that the band built from a beat that Finn had been playing at soundchecks for years. “One day at practice we put it together but I couldn’t make any lyrics fit,” Chris explains. “Then I remembered an email I had from Robyn Hitchcock--who I’ve been friends with and whose records I’ve been playing on for a while--and he asked, ‘Do you still have that horn part you did?’ So I wrote back, ‘No man. If I know you’re not going to use it, I delete it. I’m a deleter.’ And he replied, ‘She’s a deleter.’ So we started riffing back and forth. That banter became the chorus. I wrote the verses and we finished it.” Soul singer Fysah Thomas rounds out the song with the first ever guest vocal appearance on a Presidents album.

With a cover image of a hand with a pin coming in to pop a balloon, Ballew says the track “Loose Balloon” fostered the album art. It was also the first song he wrote for THESE ARE THE GOOD TIMES PEOPLE. Written on Christmas Day 2005, the first he spent alone after his marriage dissolved and his kids were off with their mom, Ballew says, “The split was a positive one but that day I was really bummed. My whole life was changing. And that song came out as therapy.”

When it’s suggested that although it came from a dark place, it still translates as a song of strength, Chris is quick to explain. “When you write a song and you play it live you have to live it,” he says. “If you tell a sad story, you have to live it over and over again each night. So my version of musical therapy isn’t to wallow in the sadness but find that little bright spot and turn up the volume on it.”

That sentiment lends itself to the title of the record: “Whenever we were on tour over the last couple years and things were sucking and we’re sitting backstage somewhere, cold and eating whipped turkey in some strange third world country, everyone would be quiet and I would say, ‘These are the good times, people.’ Like, this is it! This is what we signed up for! And it sort of mutated into the record title, when I thought that without the sarcasm, it could be used as a positive statement. “

Perhaps that outlook also explains why PUSA have persevered and remain able to make inspiring music on their own terms long after so many of their ‘90s alt-rock peers have gone by the wayside. With an average age of show-goers at around 20, the band’s high energy shows continue to pack venues all over the world, selling out shows in London, Amsterdam, New York, Sydney and Seattle on its last world trek.

With THESE ARE THE GOOD TIMES PEOPLE, new and old fans alike should find little problem joining the party with PUSA circa 2008. “I know this stands up strong against our entire catalog. And I hope our fans agree. We’ve finally gotten to the point where we can let the vibe come to us and then we jump out at it and reel it in. I think we’ve really brought our ‘A’ game to this album. I feel like we’ve given as much as we ever have on this record.”

Forgoing the director role he has assumed in the past, Ballew says a democratic dynamic steered the project and greatly improved the energy of the band. Playing to their strengths on THESE ARE THE GOOD TIMES PEOPLE, Chris concedes, “I’ve just kind of learned over time that it’s a lot of stress for me and I don’t necessarily end up with something better. I just decided to lay back and not care while caring deeply, letting the cream rise to the top.”

The Color Fred Bio 2007

Bend To Break

(Equal Vision Records)



With Bend To Break, Fred Mascherino--known for his work as lead guitarist and co-vocalist/songwriter for Taking Back Sunday--has turned out one of the most exhilarating and gutsy solo projects in years. Operating under the guise of THE COLOR FRED, the first recording under his nom de rock was artfully executed with the help of legendary producer Lou Giordano (Sugar, Paul Westerberg, Sunny Day Real Estate).

A triumph in every sense, the disc finds Mascherino where he belongs--out in front and wearing his heart proudly on his sleeve. From the urgent, three-minute firecracker “Get Out” that launches Bend To Break, to the six-minute, lighter-ready opus “Don’t Pretend,” the Coatesville, PA-bred, Northern Jersey-based musician has created an accomplished and conscience-invading album. And while TBS fans will be delighted to know THE COLOR FRED is in the same musical realm, its debut doesn’t mirror the world famous band Fred Mascherino has played with since 2003.

After road-testing the new material with the likes of Dashboard Confessional this past September, in advance of extensive touring commitments slated for well into 2008, audience reaction to THE COLOR FRED was enthusiastic to say the least. Many had already been exposed to the disc’s advance single, through the project’s MySpace page. Truth be known, the contagious, full throttle allure of “If I Surrender” is hard not to sing along with.

While THE COLOR FRED had been in Mascherino’s plans since before he joined Taking Back Sunday, his solo project was put on the backburner with that band’s meteoric rise. In the wake of two gold records while in the band--2004’s Where You Want To Be (Victory) and 2006’s Louder Now (Warner Bros.)--and their subsequent touring commitments, it wasn’t until the Spring of 2007 that Bend To Break truly took shape.

“It was pretty rough finding the time, because I went from one tour into getting the record ready and recording it,” Fred admits. “And that backed right up into Taking Back Sunday playing on [Linkin Park’s tour] Projekt Revolution. So I basically passed on a two-month break but it was totally worth it.” Recorded over a four- week span at Millbrook Studio in Upstate New York in close proximity to Alfred Hitchcock’s estate, Mascherino says, “We were in the middle of nowhere, which was fun, but also ideal because Lou and I were uninterrupted. We were brothers in arms and we totally trusted each other.”

“I played all the bass and guitars on the record. I also had a little help with some backup vocals by P.J. Bond, who will be playing bass on the road,” Mascherino says. The album’s recording sessions was rounded out by drummer Steve Curtiss, who will also be in tow when THE COLOR FRED embarks on extensive roadwork to support Bend to Break.

Fueled by Mascherino’s musical pedigree, which includes a Jazz Performance degree from Temple University, THE COLOR FRED is the next logical step in the songwriter/guitarist’s sonic evolution. Fronting punk act Brody from 1992 – 1999, Fred took his early musical cues from revered bands like Dag Nasty, The Descendents and Jawbreaker on a series of indie releases for labels like Creep and Harvcore. When his attention shifted to Breaking Pangaea in 2000, the beloved emo trio’s output was chronicled in a pair of releases for Undecided Records and cemented with the 2003 Phoenix EP on Equal Vision.

Once again teaming with respected label Equal Vision (Coheed and Cambria, Saves The Day, Chiodos), a worldly and wise Mascherino is celebrating his achievements as he looks forward. If the explosive and contagious admission “Complaintor” is sure to draw the interest of fans, its one of eleven inventive, exciting and honest tracks awaiting your attention.

Turning that energy into the musical triumph that is Bend To Break has had enormously positive results. “I couldn’t be happier with how it came out,” Fred enthuses. “I’m proud of what Lou and I did and I wouldn’t really change anything about it. I’m excited for people to hear it and enjoy it and feel like they’re listening to something that is honest. I’m hoping that the fans who have been with me for the last several years will continue down the road with me. Of course, I’d like to reach some new people, too.”

Mascherino is also quick to point out that the CD packaging is 100% recycled material, with an inlay tray made of cornstarch. The green lifestyle is evident in the 1982 VW Rabbit he owns, and which runs on veggie oil, not to mention the carbon offsets he bought for recording. He also plans to offset as much of his imminent touring commitments with THE COLOR FRED as possible.

“I like to keep everything I do as close to carbon footprint zero as possible,” he says. “The guys at Equal Vision had to search far and wide to make my packaging goal a reality. But it’s well worth it. It’s really important to me and if everyone else did it, it would make a big difference.”

So what about the curious moniker for his solo endeavor, which elicits the same sort of chuckle that rock fans had a dozen years ago when Dave Grohl unveiled his then-solo project The Foo Fighters?

“The people who know me, knew it was a good fit, because it kind of makes you smile,” Mascherino says of The Color Fred. “I do write about some dark issues, but I try to always take it from a positive angle in the end. I try to be a positive guy, so it’s okay if people hear the name and grin. It’s supposed to get that reaction.”

The Almost 2007

The Almost
Southern Weather
(Tooth & Nail/Virgin Records)

Aaron Gillespie is a man obsessed. Whether he's out in front of The Almost, his new, eagerly anticipated rock-based project, or behind the drum kit for Underoath, the Clearwater, Florida-bred songwriter/musician can't help but throw himself into everything he does.

With Southern Weather, The Almost lets Gillespie put a different, more melodic side of himself on display. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his idol Dave Grohl, who stepped out from behind his drum kit to capture the rock world's hearts as one of the genre's most visible frontmen, Gillespie has begun a metamorphosis.

If The Almost brainchild is quick to downplay any similarities to the Foo Fighters in their infancy, his project's debut affirms he's clearly worthy. Consider that The Almost is already confirmed for the upcoming 2007 Warped Tour and that Southern Weather marks the first time Tooth & Nail has partnered up with a major label (Virgin Records) for a joint release and there's little denying that Gillespie is about to take the ride of his life.

Southern Weather features the blistering "Call Me Back When I'm Honest" and the quick, evocative "Drive There Now!" Performing nearly every instrument on the disc, workhorse Gillespie aligned with acclaimed, Seattle-based producer Aaron Sprinkle on Southern Weather. And while the two had never met, The Almost brainchild was a big fan of Sprinkle's work with Pedro the Lion and they hit it off instantly.

"Aaron is an incredibly talented producer," says Gillespie. "And it turns out we have a lot in common. He wears a lot of hats and plays every instrument. He's able to open up your eyes and make you think about things you can do on an album that maybe you didn't think about."

Case in point is "Amazing Because It Is," which started as a very basic song but built into a horn-touched, choir-augmented album pinnacle. "It's way different from anything else on the record, but I think I might like it the best," Gillespie says of the spiritual opus. "It started with one take on the vocals and I kind of kept it stripped down. And then I went to a church-to like a youth group-and they invited all of their affiliated youth groups and I played a few songs for them. And I am so pleased with how it ended up."

Nearly as magical is the disc's tender, countrified moment, "Dirty And Left Out"- which took shape after the Aarons spent an evening absorbing Ocean Beach by Red House Painters. If the latter--which counts a guest vocal collaboration with former Sunny Day Real Estate singer Jeremy Enigk--is a noticeable shift from the bone-crunching attack fans have come to expect from Aaron through his work with Underoath, Gillespie says it's completely natural. "As much as I love what I do in that band, there are songs in me and music that I enjoy just as much that comes from melody," The Almost principal explains.

While some artists might find themselves overwhelmed by the prospect of working alone, Aaron says he thrived by working on his own with Sprinkle. "I'm used to working in this band environment," he admits. "So that was a shift. But when I hit my stride, I could just go for things. I didn't have to explain what I was looking for to someone else or over-think anything."

From the inventive Thursday-meets-Oasis vibe of "Everyone Here Smells Like A Rat" to the breathtaking, undying roar of "I Mostly Copy Other People"--which benefits from the bass and guest vocal work of The Starting Line's Kenny Vasoli --Gillespie plays from the heart on Southern Weather. Throughout the album Aaron incorporates pieces of his youth.

Most visible is the disc's commanding opening track and first single, "Say This Sooner," which introduces the album with an attention grabbing, percussion-driven anthem. "I grew up in the Deep South," he says of the urgent, hook-fostered opener. "Like anyone, I've had struggles along the way. But I am very much informed by Southern values and I think the songs speak to that."

Just as informed are the Gillespie devotees that scored The Almost the top three songs and #1 artist ranking on PureVolume some four-plus months in advance of Southern Weather's April 3, 2007 release. The first week the songs were up, they received over 100,000 combined plays on PureVolume and MySpace. If Aaron's initial apprehensions about the project being accepted have subsided, it's that honest piece of his personality that is rare for a performer of his magnitude.

In advance of an early 2007 tour to test The Almost record on the road with his band--built from a line-up of Jay Vilardi (guitar), Alex Aponte (bass) and Kenny Bozich (drums) and himself--Gillespie was worried about how he'd be received, despite the fact most of the gigs were sell-outs and they all went off with out a hitch, setting the stage for their upcoming Warped Tour commitment.

Between his own duties out in front of The Almost and Underoath's touring and recording schedules, Aaron Gillespie is fully committed until 2008. For now, he's a firm believer in his ability to balance both. "Underoath is extremely special to me," he says of the group he co-founded in 1998 which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Album Chart with June 2006's Define The Great Line.

"Whereas with Southern Weather, it's got a much broader scope," he continues. "From a 12 year old listening to her iPod on the school bus to a 38-year old guy commuting on a train, I'm excited by the fact that this album can find an audience with a lot of different people."

MXPX 'Secret Weapon' Bio

MxPx Secret Weapon
Mike Herrera: Bass/Vocals
Tom Wisniewski: Guitars
Yuri Ruley: Drums

Sometimes you can go home. Just ask the iconic, idyllic punk/pop stalwarts MxPx, who have returned to the almighty Tooth & Nail Records for their exhilarating, dexterous eighth studio album, Secret Weapon. Long on the highly-charged, infectious anthems that made them scene favorites and boasting a smattering of adventurous, classic pop-inspired winners, the trio – consisting of frontman/bassist Mike Herrera, guitarist Tom Wisniewski and drummer Yuri Ruley – has delivered what can only be called its most accomplished and cohesive disc yet.

As Secret Weapon uncorks with the 1-2 punch of the title track and “Shut It Down,” it’s hard not to think masterpiece as the Aaron Sprinkle (The Almost, Anberlin) produced set unfolds. If Wisniewski is a little too humble to agree with that notion, he does call the disc’s double-whammy opening, “a face-melter.” Counting a guitar solo from Bad Religion’s Brian Baker, “Secret Weapon,” the incendiary, attention-grabber also finds MxPx wielding its infamous, optimistic tack.

“We’ve always been a band that’s tried to focus on the sunny side of life,” acknowledges Herrera. “But we try to do it in a way that’s real to people and not cheesy. We kind of embrace the dismal and the uplifting at the same time. And “Secret Weapon,” the song and the album, sums up where MxPx is right now.”

The aforementioned “Shut It Down” is an equally blistering homage to the Clash replete with soaring choruses, thundering drums and a vocal cameo from Sugarcult’s Tim Pagnotta. Launched with the proclamation, “This is a public service announcement with guitar!” – a line excerpted from that seminal quartet’s 1982 effort Combat Rock – its an endearing acknowledgment to Strummer/Jones.

“Aaron and I were listening to a playback of our song, waiting for Mike at the studio,” Tom explains. “And it just popped into my head. I was thinking of “Know Your Rights,” so I started shouting it over the song. And Aaron’s like, ‘Dude, that’s sick.’ So when Mike arrived, I was like, ‘Okay, get in front of the microphone.’ And that’s how we paid tribute to my favorite band ever.”

Suggesting kids give up their incessant texting rituals and forgo time in the chatroom for time with their families in the living room, the song’s message is a thought-provoking commentary on technology’s impact on society. “Everyone’s seen that cell phone commercial where the whole family is sitting at the dinner table,” says Tom. “The kid’s asking for the salt or whatever and the dad’s just blowing him up on the text message. And he’s like, ‘Dad. I’m right here.’ Sure it’s funny, but it’s also kind of sad.”

Not so for the alluring contagion “Top of the Charts.” An acerbic look back at MxPx’s frustrations with the music business and its tenure at a major label specifically, it just may be the band’s most accessible number ever. “It’s absolutely based in reality and our experiences with the whole major label world,” says Tom. “It was actually written a while back, after we parted ways with A&M. You know, they’d tell us, ‘Oh, the record’s perfect. It’s great. Then two weeks later they’d be back in touch and say, ‘Yeah. We don’t hear a single. Can you get back to us with a couple more songs.’ Like, ‘I know you just spent the past year writing songs but now can you pull an amazing single out of a hat? Can you just do that for us real quick? Thanks.’”

“It’s one of those things that we almost left off the record because we didn’t want people to think that we were jaded or that we blamed other people for us not having a big hit single,” Mike explains. “We don’t blame anyone. Things just sort of fall where they do and roll with it.”

That’s not to say MxPx hasn’t had its share of triumphs in its decade and a half in operation. Founded in July 1992 by Herrera and Ruley, the Bremerton, Washington-bred band’s line up has remained constant since Wisniewski joined in 1995. Counting a series of alternative radio and video favorites like “Punk Rawk Show,” “Chick Magnet,” “Move To Bremerton,” “I’m Okay, You’re Okay” and “Responsibility” over seven extremely popular studio albums, an array of EPs, plus one live disc and a DVD.

With their weighty back catalog of should-be smashes, returning to Tooth & Nail – a label now running circles around the conglomerates when it comes to getting rock albums on the charts by the likes of Underoath, Anberlin and The Almost – made perfect sense for its glimmering but tenacious eighth album. After agreeing to record three new songs last year for an expanded reissue of its B-sides compilation, Let It Happen, the band and label founder Brandon Ebel patched things up for good.

“It’s no secret that years ago we had a pretty well publicized falling out with them but it’s been a long time and things have healed,” Tom says. “We sort of picked up where we left off.” Fresh off the completion of an amicable deal with respected indie SideOne Dummy, MxPx began seriously considering Ebel’s offer to rejoin his label.

“I would say that helped our decision,” Herrera says of Tooth & Nail’s powerful industry position, “but it wasn’t solely based on business. A lot of it was based on redemption and wanting to right some of the wrongs and be righted for some of the wrongs that were done to us. We felt like this was our way to rebuild everything. I think, if anything, regardless of the success of this record, having that relationship with Tooth & Nail again is going to do wonders for our career, our personal lives and the well being of the whole camp.”

Similarly karmic was the decision to re-team with Sprinkle, who handled production duties on MxPx’s 1994 debut Pokinatcha, after he worked with Tom, Mike and Yuri in the summer of 2006 to append new material to the aforementioned bonus edition of Let It Happen. Because Wisniewski didn’t join until ‘95’s Teenage Politics, replacing founding guitarist Andy Husted, he says, “Aaron and realized that although we were friends, I had actually never recorded with him.”

“But he comes from the same mindset as us musically, and he had a lot of great ideas,” Tom adds of the sessions in Sprinkle’s Seattle facility. “And not only is Aaron a man on the rise, based on his credits, he’s able to help deconstruct a song and put it back together in a way that makes a lot of sense.”

Case in point is the adventurous instrumentation the band fused to “Punk Rock Celebrity,” a hard charging rocker that takes a unique left turn at the bridge, integrating piano and a wall of brass. “Mike came in with the song one day and said basically it’s two songs stuck together,” Tom explains. “Once we put it down, we thought triumphant Beatles-y horns and piano would make the song. So once the horn part was perfected, we brought in the horn players. And it worked really well.”

Less designed to poke fun at the punk rockers you see in the gossip rags than to poke fun at the similarities of the bands littering the music scene. “If you look through Alternative Press, every new band looks like every band you’ve seen before,” the guitarist laughs. “It’s kind of the return of ‘80s hair metal in a way. Except now it’s the sideways haircut and the Cyclops look; just slight variations on the same get-up. And we’ve never been like that, one of our favorite bands ever was the Descendents. And they never bought into that image over rock thing. It was all about the music. There was no pre-planned image.”

From the riotous, circle-pit anthem of “Contention,” clocking in at under 90 seconds and which Mike says he wrote “in whole in all of fifteen minutes,” to the stellar harmonies that elevate the lush, splendid “Sad Sad Song” and pay honor to The Beach Boys, MxPx finds the perfect balance of dichotomy and consistency on Secret Weapon.

“Take everything away, the bassline and the lyrics and the melody was all it was,” Herrera says of the germination of the song, which features former Superdrag frontman John Davis on backing vocals and keyboards. “All of the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ kind of came afterward. It just seemed like with that type of song it had to be something completely different. It couldn’t be a punk song. It had to be kind of oldies sounding. And I think punk and the oldies era fit well together, and of course, The Beach Boys’ – that fits like a glove.”

From the explosive closer “Tightly Wound,” which boasts a guest contribution by Benji Madden of Good Charlotte, to the upbeat punch of “Here’s To The Life”, the men in MxPx – who were handed the Keys To The City of Bremerton last year – have delivered the strongest record of its career.

“We don’t take each other too seriously,” Herrera explains, talking about how the band has endured through the years. “We like to travel and play music and do all the things you get to do being in a band, save for long plane rides. This band is sort of a microcosm of how a lot of people live their lives. And “Here’s To The Life,” kind of speaks to that. “Here’s to the life that we always never wanted.’ Like, This may not always be how we planned it, but it is what it is. We might as well enjoy it.’”

With that credo in place and Secret Weapon under its sleeve, 2007 seems certain to be the year that Mike, Tom and Yuri conquer the world. Onward and upward, MxPx!

Emery 'I'm Only A Man' Bio 2007

Emery

I’m Only A Man

(Tooth & Nail)

Toby Morell (Vocals, Bass)
Devin Shelton (Vocals, Bass)
Matt Carter (Guitar, Vocals)
Josh Head (Keyboards, Vocals)
Dave Powell (Drums)

Emery’s colossal third album I’m Only A Man (Tooth & Nail) captures the aggressive quintet building on the blueprint of its remarkably successful back catalogue to deliver the album of their lives. With an abundance of stylistic risks, the surprise-laden song cycle was crafted with the confidence that can only come from a deeply devoted fanbase and combined sales in excess of 250,000 for The Weak’s End (2004) and The Question (2005).

With the help of producer Ryan Boesch--who previously engineered discs by everyone from The Cure, Foo Fighters, Eels, Ozomatli and From First To Last--the Toby Morrell and Devin Shelton-fronted outfit steps out of its comfort zone at the very start of I’m Only A Man. Launched by “Rock N’ Rule,” the song’s bold energy is a powerful proclamation of the inventive song structures to follow.

“That song went through a lot of changes,” says Shelton, who penned the epic tune. “At first I was struggling with it. Finally I decided to go with a really heavy, aggressive approach, and it worked. I spent a lot of time making sure that everything fused together the right way, and the band’s input really made the song.”

Strengthened by an irresistible hook (“I guess you don’t have faith”) and a captivating, near-lilting middle section – not to mention a mind-blowing trumpet sample delivered upfront by keyboardist Josh Head – Morrell explains, “We’re really big on dynamics and changing it up. We love heavy music and screaming – although not for the sake of just screaming. We’ll place it in our songs where it needs to be, just as we’ll put a harmony where it needs to be.”

For Emery – which also counts imaginative guitarist Matt Carter and thunderous drummer Dave Powell – the sonic ebbs and flows on I’m Only A Man come from an array of collective influences, be it classic rockers Queen – who they paid homage to in the past on 2005’s “Listening to Freddy Mercury” – soul icon Sam Cooke, indie rockers Pedro The Lion or musical peers Brand New.

As a result, Toby says, “Some of the songs on this album might encourage our fans to dance along and embrace the hooks, but if you check out our lyrics, some of them are just heart crushing. We knew we were doing something different, but we didn’t go too far. We didn’t leave ourselves.”

From the soulful harmonies that launch the explosive “Don’t Bore Us, Get To The Chorus” (subsequently heightened by both a completely unexpected electronic breakdown and blood-curdling screams) to the roaring, airwave-worthiness of “The Movie Song,” Emery arguably casts itself as the most original band in rock’s modern world.

In advance of Emery’s third album, lead single “The Party Song” – which touts a stern message about the perils of self-destructive behavior coupled with an optimistic rock tack – was released to an enthusiastic response by fans. “I wrote that with Queen or Weezer in mind,” Toby says. “I wanted a simpler, almost happy kind of feeling, although the lyrics are pretty serious. It’s based on a couple of friends I’ve had and especially my wife, who lost her father when she was 17. As a result she started exploring and making negative choices. I’ve had friends who have had some serious stuff go down in their lives and they’ve turned to drugs or alcohol or sex, whatever it might be. And all that stuff wound up being empty because they weren’t fixing themselves. They were avoiding the pain instead of addressing it.”

In contrast from that contagious, succinct blast, the ten-minute opus, “From Crib To Coffin” closes the record out in an artful, expansive way rarely heard since the era of old school 1970s album rock. “Sometimes we get really bored with two guitars blaring and loud distortion, so that one just kept developing,” says Toby. “We did some improvisation and just kept pushing ourselves.”

Be it the chart-worthy, mid-tempo track “World Away,” which is infused with a cathartic detour, or the slide guitar-illuminated “After The Devil Beats His Wife”--which Toby named after the Southern expression for sunshowers--Emery exhibits a welcome depth. “Being in a band you always want to grow musically,” Devin insists. “You never want to get stagnant. We’ve got to keep moving forward and make things happen.”

“We love our first two albums but if we re-write those again then we’re not being fair to ourselves or any fans,” Toby acknowledges. “We’re not doing this just for a paycheck. We want to evolve, which is why we’re stretching the boundaries and going beyond what people might expect from us.”

From its recent acoustic tour to its dual frontman approach, Emery has always taken risks. Of the latter, Toby says proudly, “We were all good friends before we started the band, so there are no egos. And to be honest, having two singers is a huge help when you’re playing a full set of music. Having to sing on your own for an hour and a half, the way we play, would be a struggle. With us alternating it keeps things fresh and new.”

With Morrell and Shelton coming up with the basic structure of the songs, things take shape with the guitar prowess of Matt Carter, who typically elaborates with the guitar. As they perfect the material, Head and Powell also contribute. Weaned on the meat and potatoes commercial rock radio that their home state of South Carolina had to offer, Morrell says, “We didn’t know independent bands really existed until we got to college. And then we knew this was the kind of music we were longing for our whole lives. When we came from the other bands we had been in at college and formed Emery we knew we had to write music that we liked.”

Fast forward through the past six years, the band first settled in Seattle, but its members are now spread out across the country. So with Matt and Josh still living in the shadow of the Space Needle, Devin is in Illinois, Dave in Indiana and Toby in South Carolina, the group makes time for songcraft. In the case of the tunes that shape I’m Only A Man, the men in Emery rented a Charleston-area beach house in late autumn of 2006.

After hitting the studio with Boesch in the spring of 2007, the group has emerged with a disc that clearly sets them apart from the status quo. “As for standing apart – we don’t ever consider ourselves better than anyone else,” Toby says humbly. “The awesome thing about music for us is being able to create and be unique in the context of what we do.”

To which Devin concludes, “We’re really proud of what we’ve done and we really want it to be something that stands out to people and maybe earns us some new fans. My hope is that people will be caught off guard, but in a really good way.”

Emilie Simon 'The Flower Book' Bio 2006

EMILIE SIMON’s plush, artful soundscapes which have yielded her significant praise and awards in her French homeland and acclaim across the rest of Europe and Japan are set to delight and inspire U.S. music devotees with the arrival of her breathtaking album THE FLOWER BOOK (Milan). Consisting of material collected from her 2003 self-titled debut, 2006’s Végétal (which reaped a four-star review in Mojo) and SIMON’s critically acclaimed motion picture soundtrack for the original worldwide (except for the U.S. and U.K.) release of La Marche De L’Empereur (The March of The Penguins), the 15-track disc highlights EMILIE’s uniquely sensual work.

Despite garnering best album honors in the electronic category at France’s “Victoires De La Musique” Awards for her debut, and being touted as one of the most promising female artists, the Montpellier-bred chanteuse is quick to champion her independence as an artist over such acclaim. “[Awards] are nice, but it’s like a cherry on top, really,” the 28-year-old singer/songwriter insists. “It’s great when you have the feeling you are doing something important or that you’re understood. But it doesn’t alter the way I work in any way. I’m always thinking back on what I have done, because I don’t want to be redundant. I want to make music without rules, without anybody telling me what I have to do.”

Originality thrives on The Flower Book, as exhibited by the La Marche-excerpted opener “Song of the Storm.” Literally ice-tinged, SIMON rubbed pieces of ice together to produce beats and sounds to blend with her electronic machinery and the song is bolstered by inviting lyrics (“Can’t you hear my storm coming/Stones falling on to you/Can’t you feel the earth shaking/Big dark clouds forming now”). EMILIE says her invitation to work on the project caught her by surprise.

“The producers of the film’s original version took a big risk, actually, because they wanted me to do the music but I wasn’t really established.” SIMON admits. “They knew my first album and they thought my music was so different from the common kind of documentary music. They wanted to do something different and artful and unique. They knew that I was interested in the texture of music, and that although I like electronic music, I’m interested in arrangements and melodies. I was interested in making music in keeping with the elements – water and ice or wood and flowers. I had just finished a song called ‘The Ice Girl’ about coldness and ice. The film was sent to me and when they contacted me I said, ‘that’s really funny, I’ve just finished this song. So my involvement just grew from there.’”

Despite the frustration of having her songs shut out of the American release of the film, the sparkling material that shapes The Flower Book firmly defies that Hollywood blunder. “The explanation I was given was that my music was not adaptable to American audiences,” EMILIE chuckles, sounding hell bent on proving them wrong. “It’s really strange to hear something like this when Japanese people, Chinese people and Eastern European people have all adapted to it. It’s hard because for any musician, your music is like your baby. But now I’m happy because everything is not solely about the movie. This album is a reflection of what I have done.”

For the Végétal-culled material like “Dame De Lotus,” “Rose Hybride du The” and “Fleur De Saison,” EMILIE focused in on names of flowers (garden or wild), carnivorous plants, climbing plants, floating blooms and ghost-like trees to inform her art. “The poetic link on Végétal was plants and vegetation. They remind us of our own origins. I was inspired by parallels like how the sap of a tree is to us and our blood for example. Also, the sonic link was the use of materials like water, wind, fire, wood and stones that I recorded by myself in natural surroundings and then I’d go in a studio with a percussionist coming from the contemporary music. Those sounds are the basis of all my programming. Creating Végétal was a great experience for me."

As for the language choice in her songs, SIMON refuses to over-think it. “I don’t make a big separation between music and lyrics. It’s all part of the same thing,” she says. “I think it’s the song that chooses the language. If I’m on my piano or I’m writing and the melody comes in my head, the words might come in English or French. It doesn’t really matter to me because it’s all part of the same creative process.”

The daughter of a sound engineer, SIMON works in her home studio that allows for spontaneity and the quick germination of ideas. Although she had access to her father’s studio at a young age, she says she didn’t start recording herself until she was 16. “Still, the nice thing for me was that I was not scared of the machines or the cables and plugging things in when I started,” EMILIE says. “It’s a completely comfortable environment for me.”

In her early twenties, EMILIE recorded demos after moving to Paris from the South of France that wound up landing her a deal with Universal France. “I had a friend who worked at a label and she felt it was time to play my songs for people. So she basically took the responsibility and they sparked an interest.”

Songs from that era like “Desert” and the brilliantly conceived “Flowers” earned her a loyal fan base at home with her 2003 debut. A subsequent video for the latter, replete with Tim Burton-inspired animation, is a captivating example of SIMON’s complete involvement in her work. “It was my idea,” she says of the clip. “I was looking for a way to introduce the song. You can take it literally but if you look a little deeper there’s a lot more there.”

“If you were to put me in a video smiling in the middle of flowers, it would be the complete opposite of my idea for the song,” SIMON continues. "I had to find a way to communicate the second degree and thought it would be fun to distort this happy little song. I had this idea of a little girl in a cemetery who is coming with dead flowers to a grave. In the video, everything takes place by night in Montmartre where I was living at the moment. I worked with a Parisian team called NoBrain who are big fans of Burton’s work like me, so this was my cute little homage.”

A tribute of a different sort is EMILIE’s sensual rendering of The Stooges’ classic “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” recorded upon her arrival in Paris, where she actually worked in a squat for more than a year. SIMON says she discovered the song as a teenager. “Every time I was at a basement party, it seemed like everybody was into that song. So it was a great memory for me,” she reveals. “One night, with, like, pigeons coming in through the windows, I was all alone working on my first album and I thought of the song. I was just having fun, and it was spontaneous, but the recording ended up feeling very personal.”

As for her own compositions, which account for the rest of the disc, EMILIE says, “It’s important to know when a song is done, because if you work on something too long, you can kill it. And I don’t want to kill something that’s precious. Some songs I’ll work on for a year, a little bit at a time. I might go off and write a full song and then come back to it. It’s a little bit like painting. Some things come quick and it’s very clear that it has to be a certain way and others will require you to go back every day and add a little bit of color here or there.”

Although The Flower Book seems destined to put her stateside career in bloom, EMILIE SIMON is already a huge success in her own mind. “To me, it’s being given the opportunity to have my music heard around the world,” she concludes. “You can’t control if people like it or not. My success is in having the possibility to come and express myself and reach people who believe in my songs.”

Breaking Benjamin 'Phobia' Official Bio 2006

Some would argue BEN BURNLEY is a perfectionist. But for BREAKING BENJAMIN’s singer, guitarist, and visionary, there is no other modus operandi for his craft. With that dedication, BURNLEY and his bandmates–guitarist AARON FINK, bassist MARK JAMES, and drummer CHAD SZELIGA–have built 2006’s meticulous, infectious hard rock milestone PHOBIA (Hollywood Records). Building on their trademark hard-charging rhythms, sharp hooks, and soaring vocals, PHOBIA marks BREAKING BENJAMIN’s third album.

For BURNLEY, who typically writes at least 10 songs to yield one, the arduous approach has helped BREAKING BENJAMIN elevate the bar in following up 2004’s explosive platinum-selling We Are Not Alone, which produced a pair of compelling #1 rock hits, “So Cold” and “Sooner Or Later.” “It’s a very time-consuming thing,” BEN admits of his efforts to top the band’s airwave favorites. “I’ll basically write a number of similar songs and cherry-pick the best pieces from all of them and make one.”

With PHOBIA, which confronts anxiety and fear through catharsis and breathtaking melodies, the fruits of BURNLEY’s conviction can first be heard on “The Diary of Jane” –the first single and video–just one in a number of ferocious and hook-injected offerings on the band’s third album. As muscular as it is accessible, “Jane” has the power to invade one’s headspace, and occupy it for days.

Yet BREAKING BENJAMIN’s namesake didn’t always think so highly of PHOBIA’s first single. “Ben is his biggest critic,” bassist MARK JAMES acknowledges. “He’ll write stuff that is undeniable. And everyone else knows it’s undeniable. But he’ll think it’s not good enough and he’ll go back to the drawing board. With ‘The Diary of Jane,’ he had three or four different options lyrically and melodically before we even entered the studio. He had all of these variations that he presented to [producer] David [Bendeth]. And as is the case nine out of ten times, it’s almost always his initial gut feeling that wins out.”

BURNLEY’s instincts have guided BREAKING BENJAMIN from the bars and clubs of Wilkes-Barre, PA to a platinum album certification, all in the course of five years. On the strength of the quartet’s first hit, “Polyamorous,” from its 2002 major label debut Saturate, the group’s alt-metal leanings–inspired by the likes of Tool, KoRN, and Nirvana–earned the band prompt recognition.

With the aforementioned radio darling We Are Not Alone (which also contained the memorable ballad “Rain”) the group aligned with producer David Bendeth to forge a partnership that only grew stronger by the time work on PHOBIA commenced in early 2006. “We knew what to expect,” BURNLEY says. “We knew what he’d want out of us and knew what we’d want out of him.”

“Mark, Chad, Aaron, and Ben gave this record everything they had, worked their asses off and never settled for second best,” David Bendeth says proudly of BREAKING BENJAMIN’s new material. “The melodies are strong and memorable and we all feel it is a lot stronger than anything they’ve ever done. I worked BEN hard and he pushed himself. He has such a great instinct for lyrics and melody. He really knows what he wants and he never ceases to amaze me. He has a natural talent, a gift.”

That gift is evident in “Evil Angel.” which has a vibe akin to Alice in Chains, replete with AARON’s expressive, thunderous riffs giving way to a newfound rootsy, organic approach. Elsewhere, “You” finds the band operating in a rarely-used standard tuning, and relying on the highly capable rhythmic wares of MARK and drummer CHAD–who only recently joined the group but is an obvious ideal fit. “It was back to basics for us,” MARK says of the latter. “It’s so direct, more simple than usual. It’s definitely more of a feel than anything else propelling that song.”

The sonic epic “Dance With The Devil” also stands out as AARON’s fluid, forceful guitar lines and monumental drumming ideally interface with the power and range of BURNLEY’s voice. And despite his heartfelt delivery of lines like “I believe in you/I can show you that,” Ben pauses when it comes to talk about his deeply personal verse.

“I want the listener to analyze my songs,” he says. “I don’t want to do it myself. If someone thinks the song is about something and I come along and say, ‘No. The song is about this.’ I could ruin it for them.”

One thing that won’t be damaged at this point is the infrastructure of this band, helped by a newfound openness. “One thing in the past that affected us in a negative way was that we didn’t always speak our minds,” MARK says. “We’d keep stuff bottled up. And then maybe we’d feel regret or resentment. This time around, we made a point to say what we’re feeling.”

Finding a balance between enjoyment and ambition, BURNLEY thrives by challenging himself on PHOBIA. “I’m doing things vocally that I haven’t done before and we’re using different time signatures and tunings that are new for us,” he says. “I look at evolution this way: Every time you write a song, it’s one less thing that you can do. Of course there is always pressure to at least match what you’ve done before, but there is nothing I can do about it other than write the best possible songs I can.”

“I’m really proud of these songs,” MARK says. “BEN has done a fantastic job providing great hooks and phrases. I feel very strongly about every track on this record, which isn’t something I was always able to say. I think we really tried to approach every song by never trying to overstate an idea. If there was a catchy riff that AARON was doing, I never wanted to step on it. I’d try to seek a different way around it.”

Thinking outside the box, the men of BREAKING BENJAMIN have faced down their fears, put their hearts and their heads together to woodshed PHOBIA. Regardless of whether you’re afraid of heights, snakes, bees, air travel or whatever, this stellar song-cycle pays big dividends. Summing up BREAKING BENJAMIN’s new album, the band’s bassist concludes, “The goal was to make a solid, mature and cohesive record.”

Mission accomplished. PHOBIA is a damn-near faultless rock album.

Good Charlotte Good Morning Revival 2007

From the opening sounds of GOOD CHARLOTTE’s fourth album Good Morning Revival -- which launches with an artful, innovative sound collage that slides into the irresistible “Misery”-- it’s evident that the world-famous band who’ve sold over nine million albums has revolutionized its sound for 2007. And by the time the optimistic parting shot “March On” rolls around, it’s evident that this is the vibrant, adventurous and unexpected rock album that has redefined the group.

Returning to work with producer Don Gilmore (Pearl Jam, Linkin Park, Avril Lavigne) -- who helmed Good Charlotte’s eponymous 2000 breakthrough debut -- was the decisive change that reinvigorated the band. After a pair of successful albums like 2002’s tremendously popular triple platinum The Young and the Hopeless and 2004’s subsequent million-selling follow-up The Chronicles of Life and Death (which were realized with producer Eric Valentine), GC singer Joel Madden says its modus operandi on Good Morning Revival (Epic/Daylight) was simply to “make a record that we loved and that felt good.”

In an effort to achieve that goal, Gilmore challenged Joel and his identical twin, Good Charlotte’s guitarist Benji Madden, to bring their A game. And he was highly critical. “We threw out 50 or 60 songs and pretty much started over,” Benji says. “Don was like, ‘I want to reinvent you guys. I want people to ask themselves, ‘Is that Good Charlotte?’”

“We wanted to love every track,” bassist Paul Thomas explains. “Our goal this time out was to make it an awesome listen straight through. No fucking filler, man.”

For the Maddens, who -- unlike their bandmates Paul, guitarist/keyboardist Billy Martin and new Good Charlotte drummer Dean Butterworth -- had become fixtures of the paparazzi-addled L.A. nightclub scene as well as prominent DJs, the opportunity to ship up to Vancouver to create new music was absolutely necessary and remarkably fruitful.

The first day in British Columbia the Maddens had the bulk of “Victim of Love,” the contagious harmony-laden rock & roll song, down. “We knew we were onto something,” Joel explains. And literally every day it was like we were writing a new song. After two months in Canada, isolating ourselves and getting away from everything that we were comfortable with was amazing. We came away with most of what you hear on this record.”

By the time the group officially hit the studio with Gilmore, the downtime between its last tour and its official reconvening was as therapeutic as it was motivational. “The fact that we were able to stop, take a deep breath and kind of find some appreciation for all that we’ve accomplished has a lot to do with why this record sounds as vital and electrifying as it does,” says Martin. “We used to just take every offer that came our way and we’d never get much in the way of downtime. Now that we’ve had that time off it feels like a new band in a lot of ways.”

One of the album’s highlights is its first single: the blistering, unforgettable rocker “The River,” an impassioned song about sin and redemption that traverses the dark side of Los Angeles. For the song, the band brought longtime friends and fellow musicians M. Shadows and Synyster Gates (of Avenged Sevenfold) into the mix, marking the first time Good Charlotte has officially collaborated with another artist on an album. It turned out to be a natural fit for both bands.

“We’ve been friends with Avenged for a longtime. This wasn’t planned, but it ended up working out,” Joel explains. “We were sitting around listening to some new music and they liked that song so we asked them to jump on. It felt right and sounded really cool. Aside from being friends of ours, we’re also fans of their music and since this is our first collaboration, we couldn’t be happier that they’re a part of our record.”

Good Morning Revival sustains its momentum with tracks like the fuzzy, club-driven “Dancefloor Anthem” and the genre-defying, Gorillaz-like You Tube favorite “Keep Your Hands Off My Girl” (which was introduced to audiences on the band’s U.S. fall 2006 tour and will be the lead single in Europe, Asia and South America). Good Charlotte has proven that it can thrive in a number of musical realms.

“Honestly, the first time I heard it, I was like, ‘Are you fucking kidding me? People will never know that’s a Good Charlotte song,” concedes Billy. “And then Joel’s like, ‘Well, that’s the point!’ But soon enough it had me in its clutches.”

“It’s kind of weird,” Joel says. “That song takes a lot of balls. I know some people will listen to it and probably think, ‘No thank you.’ It’s definitely not as if we sat down and penned a piece of art. It’s kind of like a sarcastic take on the whole club scene.”

Elsewhere, on the hard-charging dance beat-steered rocker, “Misery” -- in which the singer observes the “tacky, plastic, shallow, empty” people that distinguish the City of Angels -- the keyboards are really pronounced. While the gorgeous “A Beautiful Place,” which evokes strains of Travis, The Beach Boys and the Flaming Lips, asserts that Good Charlotte is as much of a bona fide pop band and serious chart contender as it is a techno group or a punk quintet.

“I wrote that song in Mexico,” Benji says of “A Beautiful Place.” “I was down there during hurricane season and I was in this beautiful beach environment. I had a night off and I was just thinking about how lucky I’ve been. “That’s a real Dean [Butterworth] moment. It was different when we wrote it, but then Dean started playing that real pronounced drum part. The drums are part of the hook. And it changed the whole sound.”

Speaking of new vibes, the ups and downs of relationships propel rock anthems like “Break Her Heart” and the opposites attract tack of “Something Else.” These songs, along with the tender, melodic ballad “Where Would We Be,” find Joel -- who recently ended a lengthy, highly-publicized relationship with a certain movie star -- putting his feelings out there for public scrutiny. “I’m sure people are going to say these songs are about this or that,” he admits. “Love is a big part of me and I’ve accepted that and it’s in my music. And I’m not afraid to just show it.”

Such honesty coupled with success and personal growth couldn’t help but inform Good Morning Revival. “This record shows a lot more of us than anything we’ve done in the past,” Benji says. “Because it’s hard to be an angry kid, all mad at the world when you’ve got it so good. I mean, that angst will always be there for Joel and I because of the way we grew up. Our father wasn’t the best role model as people know. But I definitely have a moment every day where I go, ‘Wow. What a rad life.’ I look at myself as being really blessed.”

To which Joel adds, “It’s been a roller coaster ride for us in our own little way. We were up, then we kind of went down a bit. But now we’re up again. I think our new record has really been as much about looking back as it is about moving forward. We’ve realized a lot, and I’m really grateful that we’re still doing what we love.”

Revitalized and inspired, Good Morning Revival finds Good Charlotte at its creative pinnacle.

Architects 'Revenge' Bio 2006

ARCHITECTS

BRANDON PHILLIPS (Guitar/Vocals)
ZACH PHILLIPS (Bass)

ADAM PHILLIPS (Drums)
MIKE ALEXANDER (Lead Guitar)

With REVENGE, the ARCHITECTS have designed a scorching, vitriolic rock & roll album steeped in the art of getting even. Cops, politicians, ex-lovers and even dewey-eyed, nostalgic Gadjits fans all get thirty lashes on the white hot follow up to 2004’s acclaimed Keys To The Building.

Frank Lloyd Wright they are not. I.M. Pei they are not. Mike Brady they definitely are not. But this Kansas City foursome plays it like it means it. The ‘it’ in question is raw, inspired, melodic and, at times, deafening rock music. In REVENGE, the ARCHITECTS have drafted a boozy, bluesy and – above all else – heartfelt album, where punk fury and whiskey-drunk prowess meet and exchange dirty looks.

“The goal was to make a record that would capture the live sound of our band,” says frontman BRANDON PHILLIPS. “For ten years, in this band and The Gadjits, the band we were in before, the struggle was always to make a record as good as the live show. But we never quite gave ourselves over to the dark side as much as we did this time. We wanted to get something gritty.”

From the earnest, blistering Midwestern punk of “Widows Walk” – which recalls the magic of both Soul Asylum’s Hang Time and the Replacements’ Tim – to the hard snarling, cop baiting croak of “Badge” and the spirited, muscular “Grace,” REVENGE is a restoration of faith. For BRANDON and his younger brothers ZACH (bass) and ADAM (drums), who all did time as the aforementioned Gadjits before conspiring with lead guitarist MIKE ALEXANDER, the overwhelming notion on ARCHITECTS album number two is that ‘loud and fast’ rules.

“I have nothing against a ballad. I just don’t have a lot of use for it,” says BRANDON, who draws inspiration from everyone from Tod A. of Cop Shoot Cop and Firewater fame to singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams. “I kind of got bummed out writing ballads or slow songs that we weren’t going to play live. Because when you do that, you know you’re going to try and play it live and you really hope that it’s going to go over and it never does. And it just doesn’t. Unless you’re Keane and you got famous off your ballad, it’s not going to happen.”

“I’m old school Vaudeville like that,” he continues. “If it’s not going to make the show better, then you’re wasting your time on it.” “Don’t Call It A Ghetto,” for instance, is alive and direct, finding PHILLIPS (who says he lives in a “questionable” neighborhood) venting about corrupt local politicos and the omnipresent hover of police helicopters alike as his bandmates pay homage in amalgam to The Who, AC/DC and The Afghan Whigs.

“I went to jail because of that song,” BRANDON admits. “We had a show that involved our band and six strippers – it was a birthday party that one of our friends was throwing for his wife – and it was real rock & roll. Everyone was drunk. And there were a couple hundred people crammed into a space that was big enough for fifty people and then the cops showed up. When I saw them out of the corner of my eye, I said, ‘Let’s try to get one more in.’ And the cop was really pissed off that we dared to play another song after they showed up and he took the microphone away from me. He was a real substitute teacher about it. He was unplugging our stuff and pulling our cords out. So we maybe got a little mouthy about it. Then me and the owner of the establishment both went to county that night.”

Despite their issues with authority, the group – with the assistance of producer John Seymour – pushed itself to make a record more consistent with the grit and guts of their club shows. Recorded in just four days, the songs are urgent and compelling. Less thought out than anything he’s written in the past decade as both a Gadjit and an Architect, BRANDON has stopped sweating his lyrics – much to group’s benefit.

“In the past, I was flipping out about every turn of phrase, and I don’t think it made the songs any better,” he says. “I look at songwriting over the last ten years as practice. From here on out, I’ll write songs but my favorite thing to do now is write all the music and wait until I have to go in and record it. Then I write all of the lyrics two minutes before I have to do sing them. I just work with a gun to my head.”

That ‘Russian Roulette’ approach to song-craft may seem fucked, but in some inexplicable way it has yielded one of the most exhilarating indie rock records you are likely to hear in all of 2006. Perhaps it’s because the passion behind this thirteen-song cycle is close to PHILLIPS. And REVENGE, he confesses, “just may be one of my favorite perspectives to write from. People who are jilted because they were passive or took any other route than the confrontational route – that angry, ‘walking along the railroad tracks kicking rocks’ headspace.”

“And that’s the theme of the record – that and “Reciprocity,” BRANDON adds. “I pat myself on the back for the contagious chorus that is “Reciprocity.” I want you to say, ‘I give good reciprocity.’ To me that’s equally marvelous and disastrous. I’m pretty sure I stole that from the Burt Reynolds movie “Hooper.” In the opening five minutes of the movie, Jerry Reed makes some joke about Burt being humble. He says, ‘You give good humble.’ I just thought it was a funny-ass thing to say. I stole the context and made it tragic.”

One thing that isn’t calamitous, however, is the group’s desire to shift monikers and move forward. With the arrival of their sophomore disc as the ARCHITECTS, BRANDON wants to put the past behind them. “Changing our name was kind of an unsuccessful attempt to sever ourselves from the stuff we just didn’t want to do anymore,” he explains. “When we were The Gadjits, people expected us to play all these ten year old Gadjit songs that we wrote when we were 17. And maybe you’re not so keen on that anymore. I’m in my late twenties. And people have the nerve to act disappointed about it. I’m like, ‘Are you joking? Have you heard anything I’ve done since I was 17? It’s infinitely better, trust me.’ But rather than get all Billy Corgan about it, we just decided to slip one past the goalie and change our name.

But getting back to the ARCHITECTS’ themes of reprisal, BRANDON concludes, “I think revenge is an easy thing to get behind. I know if I heard a song about it with a big chorus, that would be a song I’d be drawn to.”

There’s no way around it. Revenge is sweet. Exact expiation baby.

Anberlin 'Cities' Bio 2007

Anberlin
Cities

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

Throughout rock history, from OK Computer to War to London Calling, third albums have defined careers. With the bombastic, breathtaking CITIES, ANBERLIN's cohesive and adventurous new album, the group puts itself in some esteemed company, with a modern classic that uplifts as much as it initiates thought and elicits emotion.

The Winter Haven, Florida-reared quintet--who have watched its career rise while touring with everyone from Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance to Yellowcard and Hawthorne Heights--doesn't just build on the energy and determination of recent singles like "Paperthin Hymn," "Feelgood Drag," and "A Day Late." Instead, ANBERLIN expands its grasp of what a rock record can be with the Aaron Sprinkle-produced CITIES.

Be it the huge-sounding, memorable roar of "Reclusion" or the bright, infectious "Adelaide," the writing team of singer STEPHEN CHRISTIAN and guitarist JOSEPH MILLIGAN drives ANBERLIN-which also counts bassist DEON REXROAT, guitarist NATHAN STRAYER and drummer NATHAN YOUNG-as it retains the airwave ready allure that earned the band a pair of radio hits last year. But, with the sprawling, epic "Fin*" and the gorgeous, lighter-ready "Unwinding Cable Car" the group vastly widens its musical boundaries on CITIES.

"Anberlin has always had really good songs," says STEPHEN of the group's past output, which counts 2003's Blueprints For The Black Market and their 2005 breakthrough Never Take Friendship Personal. "Still, I think this is the first time we've got a really great album. We spent most of our energy on the entire project over the individual songs."

"Friendship was a really big album for us," admits MILLIGAN of the worldwide success that sold in excess of 140,000 copies. "But CITIES is such a shift from that. Because we were out on the road for so long behind our second record it actually gave me the time I needed to pace myself and bring in the strongest material I could."

Crafted at Sprinkle's Seattle-based Compound facility, with drums captured at the infamous London Bridge studio (where classic albums by Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Temple of the Dog and Blind Melon were realized), MILLIGAN says he's grateful for the opportunity to work where so many legendary discs were born. "It's out in this wooded area, like 40 miles north of Seattle," he says. "And there's this incredibly huge live room there. So we all got together in pre-production to play out the songs and the place had the best feel to it. You actually felt like you were a part of this historic place and it was the perfect vibe to get the record started."

And if you've yet to crack the cellophane on the third ANBERLIN record, we can tell you it feels downright gigantic. Proof lies in the hard charging "Godspeed," the gorgeous Beatle-esque "Inevitable" and the soaring, melodic "Hello Alone" where the shimmering riffs of MILLIGAN and STRAYER, the rhythmic achievements of REXROAT and YOUNG and the skilled vocals of CHRISTIAN prosper in tandem.

But what sets ANBERLIN circa CITIES apart from its peers is its willingness to take risks. For the somewhat unorthodox, ten-minute long "Fin," for instance, the band took its tip from The Rolling Stones circa Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed.

"We just all got in a room with a bunch of percussion instruments," CHRISTIAN says. "And everyone just started playing while JOEY played guitar and I just sang whatever came to mind. And that's how the song took shape. I was watching a DVD of the Stones and they had taken the same approach. So I really wanted to try it and I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out."

As for the tender "Cable Car," the song came together when a riff MILLIGAN had slated for an interlude was given life. "When the rest of us heard what Joey had written, we were like, 'There is no way that we are going to leave that as a simple interlude. It's an amazing guitar line. It has to be a song," STEPHEN says. "And while we didn't set out to write a ballad, we kind of wanted to integrate different approaches into our repertoire. To make them part of our song book"

Taking MILLIGAN's music and adding prose can be a complicated process--something CHRISTIAN equates to putting together a jigsaw puzzle. "As far as the lyrics go, I'm not one who can throw together a song very quickly," the singer says. "It usually has to come from an emotional experience, whether it's in my own life or the lives of those around me. I keep a journal on tour and the goal is try to formulate ideas that I can use to build a song. Sometimes they come, sometimes they don't."

Drawing lyrical inspiration from artists like Travis and The Smiths, STEPHEN says he is determined to make ANBERLIN devotees think. But the fact that they don't always connect to the deeper meaning in his songs can be frustrating. That notion gave birth to the lyric, "I'm so tired of writing songs, where people listen but never really hear what's going on," on the winning anthem "A Whisper and A Clamor."

"That line isn't an insult," he says. "It's more of a challenge to fans to study the words. I think a lot of times, it's kind of draining on me that people only have one kind of interpretation. I put a lot of thought into what I do. With our last album, I'd get emails from fans about the song "Symphony of Blasé" and people would say, 'I just broke up with my girlfriend and that song helped me through it.' And I'd be like, 'It wasn't a break up song at all. It was about alcoholism.' I mean, these songs aren't about the basic pop, 'Ooh girl. I love you.' They're much deeper than that."

Thankfully, the majority of ANBERLIN's faithful fans seem to get the message. When the group played to some 20,000 of them at a New Zealand gig recently, it was kind of startling. "That was so unexpected," says MILLIGAN. "From the backstage area we couldn't see the crowd. And we're getting ready, doing the set list. And then we walk out there and it took a few seconds to catch my breath."

"We walk onstage and hear the crowd roar," STEPHEN adds. "I got goosebumps. I don't drink or do drugs, but I can't imagine any high that would be better than that." Equally inspiring is the new disc's potential to exceed its predecessor from a success standpoint.

"We never said when we set out that we want to be the biggest band," CHRISTIAN says humbly. "I don't really care. I enjoy the experiences I've had and the travel. I do feel like we're ready to get to the next level. We're very confident about the work that we've done."

As for the band's mission as Christians, STEPHEN says matter-of-factly, "It's not like we have a huge platform. We're not Coldplay or U2, but I want to touch people's lives. I've got two routes to go. I can either go the sex, drugs, and rock & roll route--which is so temporal--or I can invest in people's lives. When I look back on my life, I want it to have meaning."

"I'd like to think we have more in us, and even broader spaces to cover in the future, but this is our proudest moment" MILLIGAN concludes. "I don't really have any goals for the record. I'd just like to have it find its way into the hands of as many people as possible. Not for glory but because we're so proud of it."

Getting back to the different dynamics that give CITIES its standout tack, CHRISTIAN says, "We wanted to allow the songs to breathe. That's the strength of this band, because we don't all listen to the same music. And we don't all think about things from the same perspective. It starts with JOEY's ability to move the guitar around a song. But with almost every one of our songs on this album you can feel the pieces of each person. And it all comes out as ANBERLIN."

Expect CITIES to light up the globe in 2007.

Beat Union 'Disconnected' 2007

BEAT UNION

DISCONNECTED

(Science)




Dave Warsop (Vocals/guitar)

Luke Johnson (Drums)

Dean Ashton (Guitar)

Ade Preston (Bass)

What do you get when you fuse brilliant, inventive songwriting--bolstered by an amalgam of influences--from the Clash to vintage Elvis Costello--with the platinum production hand of Goldfinger’s John Feldmann (The Used, Good Charlotte, Story of the Year, The Matches)? If you’re the Birmingham, England-bred foursome BEAT UNION, the answer is DISCONNECTED (Science), a seamless yet diverse eleven-track debut that celebrates the past as it looks to the future with serious intent.

“We wanna be the biggest band in the world,” the men of BEAT UNION--who are already confirmed on the Hurley.com Stage for the entire 2008 Vans Warped Tour--have told the likes of U.K. publications Metal Hammer and Kerrang! And if the foursome-- consisting of childhood friends DAVE WARSOP (vocals/guitar), LUKE JOHNSON (drums), DEAN ASHTON (guitar) and ADE PRESTON (bass)--seem far more humble in person, they couldn’t make that proclamation without the necessary sonic wares.

“I believe the faster you rise, the faster you fall,” WARSOP says with a hint of modesty. “We’re just trying to build our audience.” But when it’s suggested that DISCONNECTED is quite an achievement for a new band, he simply replies, “We wanted to make a solid album--great songs with hooks and attitude.”

Launched with the explosive punch of the title track, where an infectious melody offsets lyrics of alienation, “Disconnected” is the first of many uplifting winners set into motion by BEAT UNION. And in an era where the face-to-face has been supplanted by Myspace, WARSOP’s lyrics capture his fear of being left behind with all that technology brings.

Elsewhere, the beat-driven angular guitar opus “Pressure Zone” nods its head to Gang of Four and Franz Ferdinand before embracing a Two/Tone-inspired horn break that takes the track into exhilarating heights, WARSOP explains, “We didn’t want a standard pop arrangement. We wanted to do something different.”

BEAT UNION has taken a unique path to the successful completion of its debut album, aligning with John Feldmann after a demo for the vibrant, punky, single-worthy “Can’t Stop The Radio” (which also appears on the disc in its riotous original approach and in a Sandinista!-esque dub form as a hidden track) caught the esteemed producer’s attention. “At the time we thought it was one of our best songs, so we sent it around to whoever we could think of. Then, one day we’re at rehearsal and it’s John. And he tells us that he loves the song and loves our sound and wants to hear more. It was fucking crazy.”

Crazier still, Feldmann flew BEAT UNION to L.A. at his own expense, financed the demos that led to a deal with Orange County’s burgeoning indie label Science--home to Blessthefall and Greeley Estates--and gave the band the support slot on some of Goldfinger’s West Coast dates. For these four English lads, who first cut their teeth playing in local Birmingham bands like Shooter McGavin, Shortcut To Newark and Farse, their collective efforts as BEAT UNION culminated in successful U.K. tours with Taking Back Sunday and Gym Class Heroes.

The band also pulled down a surprise feat in the summer of 2007, when the irresistibly charged “She is the Gun” fired up to #5 on the BBC Radio 1 rock chart, giving DAVE, DEAN, LUKE and ADE their first real taste of airplay. “I think it’s cool that kids are picking up on our music and digging it and maybe thinking, ‘Who the hell are the Clash? Who are the Police and the Jam and Joe Jackson and Squeeze and Elvis Costello?’” WARSOP says. “That idea, to me, is incredible.”

As for WARSOP’s devotion to Mr. Costello, the songwriter/frontman explains, “His music changed my life and made such a huge impact on my songs and songwriting. From him I learned that the songs have got to stand out and there has to be attitude and character. You’ve got to hear the singer and know who it is right away.”

With DAVE’s distinct voice and quirky delivery leading the charge for BEAT UNION’s hybrid of the aforementioned, DISCONNECTED links the splendid, keyboard-inflected mirror moves of “Heart Starts Beating” to the Police-influenced almost-ballad “All On My Own.” “At first we thought about leaving that off the album,” WARSOP says of the latter. “And we thought maybe we should keep it uptempo like the classic punk records or like Nevermind or Dookie. But then we just thought, ‘Fuck it. We cannot deny a good song.’”

And above all else, that philosophy holds the key to the surprise-laden, unflinchingly strong material that upholds DISCONNECTED. Sustaining a listener’s interest for an album’s full duration is a rare feat, but its one that Beat Union pulls off by following Feldmann’s lead and wearing its influences proudly on its sleeve. Hence “Johnny Loves Jojo,” which lyrically recalls Squeeze’s beloved “Up The Junction” but musically comes much closer to the likes of Strummer/Jones.

As the group looks forward to the worldwide release of DISCONNECTED, the quartet from the outskirts of Birmingham contemplates a summer spent touring the United States, bringing its exhilarating songs to the Hurley.com Stage on every date of the aforementioned Warped Tour. “It’s exciting but it’s a little hard to comprehend,” the BEAT UNION frontman says. “Being from the U.K., every day we’re in the States, we’re like ‘Holy shit.’ How did we get here?”

“I guess the bottom line is our songs,” WARSOP concludes after pondering the question for a moment. Then he comes back, confident and driven. “I want our songs to stand the test of time.”

DISCONNECTED. Great songs with hooks and attitude, indeed!