Issue 4

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September, 2014

The

Prelude

Press founder, editor-in-chief Dom Vigil

Co-Founder, Managing Editor Shannon Shumaker

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Svetlana Joukova Shannon Shumaker Jordan Altergott Jesus Martinez Nick Reece Alejandra Elisabet Amaya Del Rio Annie Lindell

CONTRIBUTING Writers

Dillon Crader Gabrielle DB Jordan Altergott Shannon Shumaker Dom Vigil Blake Britton

Max Stern Scott Kelly Sam Lang Amaya Del Rio Dan Ha Alejandra Elisabet

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“This issue was INSANE to be a part of! Looking back on it, it seems like the past two months almost passed too quickly - no matter how prepared we were for this one, it felt like we were scrambling to finish it. That being said, we did finish it (obviously) and I think it’s safe to say that this has been our favorite issue to work on to date! We welcomed a few new writers and photographers on with this one, which was super exciting, as was gathering up all of the content for this release! I know we say this every time, but we’re incredibly thankful to have such an awesome staff. We wouldn’t be here without you. On top of that, we’d like to thank The Coast Is Ours for letting us write about them as well as The Foxery, Candy Hearts, Foxy Shazam, Stephanie Marlow, Mike Cubillos, Jesea Lee and all of the other amazing people that made this issue possible!”

- Shannon Shumaker

Cover Photo by: Svetlana Joukova

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38. THE COAST IS OURS

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06. Candy Hearts

08. In case you missed it...

12. Tour Photos

22. Foxy Shazam

26. Warped Tour

46. The Art of Managing Noise

48. An Over-analysis of Hype in the Music Community

50. Album Reviews

56. Staff Picks

10

SONGS THAT ARE PERFECT FOR

-5 BACK TOTHEPRELUDEPRESS.COM SCHOOL

CANDY

HEARTS

Hearing Candy Hearts’ music is like looking through a scrapbook of both the good and bad moments in life. Each time I have seen them live, a feeling of comradery has filled the air. The sense of community that fans of Candy Hearts and first time listeners share during their set seems to be derived from the upbeat pop-punk sound, catchy lyrics, and pumped stage presence.

However, this communal atmosphere really begins at the band’s formation in 2010.

In 2010, vocalist Mariel Loveland left her niche of country music and started Candy Hearts to satisfy a yearning for community and musical codependence. As a country artist, she didn’t need a team supporting her but instead could tour as solo artist. Loveland explained, “I really wanted to be something that felt like a band.” But as I sit in their van in front of a venue nearly 2,000 miles away from their home, a sense of family manifests the air.

Four years after forming, the band just released their sophomore full length, All The Ways 6 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM

You Let Me Down. The new album has rightfully been received very well. The members of Candy Hearts put their heart and soul into this album, which really shines through. Yet, they are not the only people who worked endlessly to get the final product. Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory produced the album and has worked with the band since signing them to his label, Violently Happy.

Prior to recording, Loveland came to Gilbert with 20 songs which they narrowed down to 11 tracks.

Gilbert’s opinions often contrasted with Loveland’s. She explained how Gilbert got his favorite tracks onto the record through methods of revision and negotiation, “The parts that I didn’t think were strong in the songs I showed him, were actually the parts he liked.” After Gilbert’s feedback and coaching, weaker parts of the album became some of the strongest hooks.

All The Ways You Let Me Down also stands out because of how evident Loveland’s gift with words is in each song. With her background in poetry, lyrics effortlessly play a huge role in Candy Hearts’ image. Even when asked what Love-

land wants Candy Hearts to be known for she answered with, “I definitely want to be remembered for the type of lyrics I write.” So she uses her gift with words to bring people together, either relating over a breakup or losing a friend. While doing this, Loveland never tries to hold back details about the situations that inspired the songs because she believes, “Humans are the same. Things happen in the same way they happen to everybody.” It is with that belief that she can unite people while using the songs to find closure.

A great example of the relatability of Loveland’s lyrics as well as her ability to write songs that are still personal to her would be in one of Candy Hearts’ newer tracks “I Miss You.” While the line, “Our love is like a tarnished ring, even when it’s gone it turned my finger green,” seems to just be a simile about a relationship that many listeners could relate to, the line is actually about a ring that Loveland still wears today. “It’s actually this ring,” she explained, playing with the ampersand shaped band around her finger, “My ex got it for me and I like cheap jewelry a lot. Whenever I was on tour and would take it off, I would have the imprint of the ampersand on my finger.”

I asked Loveland what song meant the most to her and after moments of thinking about all the songs on the album and how they all meant a ton to her she finally replied with, “One in particular that stands out that is super meaningful to me is ‘Top Of Our Lungs.’ It’s about a friend I had that passed away. Even though I didn’t know him for very long it was a big thing for me too because

it was one of Chad’s close friends and one of my new friends. And I think that song perfectly captured like the last day we had together which I feel was like one of the last days of his life. Everyone thinks it’s like a happy song about partying, but it was. It was like the best day.”

Candy Hearts have come a long way. From being fans of New Found Glory to working alongside Chad Gilbert and from barely acknowledging the midwest to playing countless shows there, they have evolved. For the reason that Candy Hearts is made up of some of the most dedicated musicians out there, they have a ton of room to grow. With fall tour dates supporting New Found Glory and other yet to be announced tours, Candy Hearts are ready for what the next year brings them. Then, it will be back to writing a new album and putting out more content because for Loveland, she has to be working on the next thing to continue evolving and taking Candy Hearts further, as a band and as a family.

PHOTOS AND STORY: Jordan Altergott

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In case you missed it...

After My Iron Lung was one of the two only pop punk-bands on the Common Vision Tour; Forever Came Calling. They are one of my favorite bands, so I had to be up front for their set and my friends and I were screaming the lyrics and having Friday, August 8th @ The Marquis Theatre a great time. I didn’t look behind myself too often, Denver, CO but their set was the definition of pop-punk; shoul When I arrived to The Common Vision Tour der jumping, stage diving, and circle pits. They on a super sunny August day, My Iron Lung was played a new song mid-way through the set that already mid way through their set. I missed the first they released a while back, but besides that they half of the set so I wasn’t too sure what happened played songs off of their first LP Contender. Even to their bassist, but John Swaba from Forever though the audience wasn’t really going too wild Came Calling was filling in on bass. Bassist or not, yet, I felt as if they started the energy for the night though, My Iron Lung sounded superb. When they and in a really positive way. They ended with the played “Day Dream,” I thought it sounded spot track “Front Porch Sunrise,” which was an amazon compared to the record. The crowd was pretty ing song to close out with. still during their set which was a bummer because they sounded killer and deserved a lot more of a Up next was Being As An Ocean. I had feed back from what they got. been dying to see these guys play for about two years and finally got the chance with this show.

HUNDREDTH, COUNTERPARTS, HANDGUNS, BEING AS AN OCEAN, FOREVER CAME CALLING & MY IRON LUNG

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They opened with “The Hardest Part Is Forgetting Those You Swore You Would Never Forget,” and the crowd went from very little energy to monkeys flying around the venue. Kids started crawling on top of one aother to grab the microphone from vocalist Joel Quartuccio. After the first song, they played songs mostly off of their recently released album, How We Both Wondrously Perish.

Joel spoke a lot on stage in between songs and gave off a very positive and polite vibe. One thing I really enjoyed about their set was the guitar fuzz and noise they would repeat between each song.

It was different and unique and it gave off a really soothing vibe. Joel also had an amazing stage presence, whether he was jamming out on stage or leaping into the crowd or running around the audience. Being As An Ocean not only sounded solid, but they put on such an amazing performance live that even if you aren’t into their music, they might sway you with their stellar show.

After Being As An Ocean, Handguns was the second pop-punk band to play. Before Handguns even took the stage, they let local band, Head Injuries play a song, cutting their own set short in order to do so, which I thought was very cool of them. Once Head Injuries were done, Handguns stormed the stage. Now, I won’t sugar coat anything - I am not the biggest fan of Handguns and I wasn’t expecting a ton from their set. As soon as they started playing, however, the crowd went wild. Fans were crowd surfing and trying to get their chance to share the mic with vocalist Taylor Eby, and everyone on the floor was jumping up and down. Handguns also sounded amazing live compared to their record, in my opinion, and it made their set that much more enjoyable to watch.

The crowd was continuously wild for their set and everyone seemed to be having a good time, even including the “hardcore” kids, which was refreshing to see. Though I went into watching Handguns’ set a little biased, I still had a really fun time watching them perform, especially when a fan decided to throw a sex toy on stage and the entire band almost completely lost it.

The second to last band of the night was Counterparts. And first things first, these guys sounded perfect, and I mean really perfect, live.

The first half of the floor was just a huge mob of

people screaming and shoving at one another, while the back half of the floor was a massive sea of moving bodies. There wasn’t a point at all during Counterparts set that the crowd wasn’t going wild and they managed to keep the energy up during their entire set. They were so into their music and it was awesome to watch, especially their drummer. Counterparts played quite a bit of material, but I was most excited to hear them perform their song “Compass,” and when they finally did play it, it sounded just like it did on their record. I know I probably say that a lot with bands, but the guitar work is a such an important part to that song in my eyes and they definitely nailed it. It is always such an amazing feeling to have a band perform a song you love spot on, and not only did Counterparts sound amazing, but the entire crowd was definitely into it. It’s definitely awesome to see kids be moved by music in such a positive way.

Last but not least were the co-headliners, Hundredth. This was the first time I would ever be listening to Hundredth and I had high hopes. And thankfully, I was actually blown away. I’m not the biggest fan of most hardcore music but certain bands like Being As An Ocean and others really get me pumped, and Hundredth was no exception.

The crowd seemed to have trickled out a little bit after Counterparts, which was a bummer because Hundredth put on an amazing performance. The people who left early really missed out. Hundredth had such an amazing energy on stage, you could tell they were giving their all and didn’t care how many people they were playing for. I was really happy that I stayed and watched them perform for that reason.

Overall, the Common Vision Tour was one of the best lineups I have seen all year and I was so happy I could go to the show, even though I was late from work and missed Capsize. Every band sounded awesome and put on one hell of a show. I can’t say anything bad about any of the bands that performed because I had such an amazing time.

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he is legend, maylene and the sons of disaster & wilson

of the crowd isn’t there to see them. Wilson, however, made it very apparent that they didn’t care if anybody in the room had ever listened to them before - they were just on stage to have a good time.

Before I even walked into the doors of The Marquis Theatre on Wednesday night to catch He Is Legend, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Wilson, I knew I was in for a treat. I’ve been listening to both He Is Legend and Maylene for years now, and every time I’ve seen both bands, they’ve put on incredible shows. And with He Is Legend’s new album, Heavy Fruit dropping in just a short week from the show, an amazing performance was basically guaranteed.

The thing that stood out the most to me about Wilson was their energy both on and off stage, considering the fact that their vocalist spent just as much time in the crowd as he did on stage.

Wilson practically demanded crowd participation throughout their set, whether it was by making everyone clap along with one of their songs or throwing the mic out to the crowd during their cover of ACDC’s “Back In Black,” which made them incredibly fun to watch. They weren’t humble and they weren’t there to just open up the show and then fade into the background - Wilson was there to make an impression, and judging by the amount of smiling faces in the crowd by the end of their set, they succeeded.

Wednesday, August 13th @ The Marquis Theatre Denver, CO

The first group to perform was Detroit-based party band, Wilson. I had listened to them a couple of times prior to the show, so I figured that I knew what to expect and boy, was Wilson’s performance everything that I wanted it to be and more. Over the years, it’s become apparent to me that most In the aftermath of Wilson’s explosive peropening bands don’t really put too much effort into formance, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster got their live show, because realistically, the majority 10 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM

ready to storm the stage, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t stoked about seeing them again. Maylene is definitely one of my favorite bands to watch live because of vocalist Dallas Taylor’s commanding (and sometimes intimidating) stage presence, and thankfully, this show was no exception. From the moment that the first notes of their first song rang out, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster had the full attention of everyone in the crowd, though it wasn’t until their fourth song, “Tough As John Jacobs” that the energy in the room really shifted. The second that those first unmistakable guitar chords rang out, the crowd went absolutely insane.

One of the best parts about Maylene’s performance (besides their insane stage presence) was their setlist. They played a healthy amount of songs from each of their records, keeping all fans in the crowd, old and new, happy. And while their set may have been a little long for any nonfans in the audience, for myself and everyone else screaming along with them in the crowd, it was perfect.

After Maylene, the crowd was practically buzzing with anticipation for the headliners: He Is Legend. The Marquis was packed with a near sold out crowd of fans, all excited for one of their favorite bands to take the stage. And once again,

the energy in the room shifted as soon as He Is Legend began to play. Having stood up front for the majority of Maylene’s set, I decided to relax near the back of the venue where I could really take all of He Is Legend’s set in without worrying about being shoved or crowd-surfed on, and I was definitely glad that I did. Above everything, He Is Legend sounded completely on-point, especially Schuylar Croom’s vocals. His voice practically commanded the crowd, demanding everyone’s attention as their old songs flowed seamlessly into newer tracks off of Heavy Fruit.

While He Is Legend’s energy wasn’t as high as Maylene and the Sons of Disaster’s (Schuylar spent a lot of time standing behind the mic stand) it didn’t matter for the die-hard fans in the crowd who were singing along with every word. It was near impossible to tear your gaze away from the band for fear of missing something amazing, making He Is Legend’s performance near flawless, especially when my view wasn’t obstructed by kids holding their cell phones in the air to record their favorite song. Everyone was there to have a great time and really live in the moment, and that’s what a real metal show, especially one with so many amazing bands, is about.

PHOTOS: Shannon Shumaker STORY: Dom Vigil

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12 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM PORTUGAL. THE MAN Photo: Svetlana Joukova

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14 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM ARCTIC MONKEYS Photo: Jordan Altergott

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16 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM PARADISE FEARS Photo: Amaya Del Rio

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18 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM ANDREW W.K. Photo: Annie Lindell

THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM - 19 SENSES FAIL Photo: Nick Reece

20 ICE- THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM NINE KILLS Photo: Svetlana Joukova

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Q&A WITH ALEX NAUTH OF

FOXY SHAZAM

The Prelude Press: Before we really get into it, I want to talk about the concept behind Gonzo. You guys sort of released it out of nowhere - and for free! Where did the decision come from to release the album that way, with no advertising or press or anything?

than anything else you’ve released before.

It’s just so raw - both the music and the vocals and lyrics. Was that sound something you set out to do, or was it something organic that just happened on its own?

We set out intending to make a record that was completely recorded live and with zero digital trickAlex Nauth: We always try something new and try ery, meaning all percussive elements, effects, and to change honestly. So this was a path that we had layering must be something that the six of us can never taken but in the current state of the industry do organically in the moment. Composing on that we didn’t seem it to be odd to release it that way at level gave us a challenge and I believe opened all. Along with the record itself we felt it all lended the tap to our creativity where it was impossible to not pour our true selves into every inch of sound itself to be shocking in a way. We love shocking. on the record.

Was there anything that you really wanted to accomplish or convey with Gonzo as a I also thought that lyrically, this album sounded a lot more personal than your othwhole? er releases. Was that intentional?

We wanted to push ourselves by recording live and to make a truthfully raw record that hid noth- Eric’s lyrics on this record are personal and introspective, but, in my opinion, not in a way that eving and gave everything. eryone can’t relate to. It was a time where each The album sounds completely different one of us was going through a similar introspec22 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM

tive search in our lives, Eric just captured it perfectly lyrically, for all of us. And I think anyone who has been through a similar time can relate.

You said that you also recorded Gonzo in a live setting, which is obviously very different from how most albums are recorded.

Were there any challenges you faced going into recording in that setting that you normally wouldn’t come across otherwise?

You just need to be prepared. We had been playing the record as a completed whole for months before we ever met with Steve. There is no other way to do it when you want to record live, but it’s a process I would recommend to any young musician. You find out who you really are.

We just caught your show in Denver and the entire vibe of Gonzo really translates well live. I was definitely really happy to watch the album played in its entirety.

Now that you’ve been playing it for a few months, do you have a favorite song to play off the new record?

Thank you! And yes; Dark Horse by Katy Perry

ical explanation presented in a way that has none.

It is what we always will strive for.

How do you stay inspired to make every show special when you’re out on the road?

Good food, cheap vintage stores, a good bookstore or record shop. We really just try to make our own fun where we are and appreciate the fact that we’re there.

When you guys are touring or writing new music, what are you listening to? Is there anything that really inspires you?

Like everyone, we’re constantly on the search for new music that excites us. Between the six of us we listen to about everything and just try to share that with each other. Right now I’m listening to July Talk, Braid, Masked Intruder, Die Antwoord, The Menzingers, and Twin Shadow.

What do you have planned after you finish up this tour?

I’m gonna take my wife out on a date! But for the band we’ll be doing some festivals in the early fall and then we’ll be hitting the rest of the country we haven’t hit yet in late fall.

When you guys first started making music and touring, was your live show and the Is there anything else you’d like to add? way that you presented yourselves on stage something you really thought about? Was I’m no good at math so I think I’ll pass. Thanks! there ever a moment where you sat down and were like, “Yeah, I’m gonna do this shit on stage and hope they dig it”?

Always. We take huge pride in our stage show so it’s something that we always think about and try to perfect. Controlled chaos if you will but we prefer the term Magic. Magic is something with a log-

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THE FOXERY

The Prelude Press: Hey guys! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Could you tell us a little bit about The Foxery for our readers who haven’t had the chance to check you out yet?

Cadillac Young: We sure can! We’re a six piece from Kentucky. We have three guitars, bass, electric piano (Rhodes, not a keytar), drums and auxiliary percussion. We like our loud parts to be as loud as possible and our quiet parts to be as pretty as possible and for all of it to be equally heavy.

We like layers and harmonies but we find just as much importance in stripping everything down to one quiet instrument and a shaky voice.

us to do what we were already doing but with an organized sense of direction now and on a bigger, better scale.

What was the writing process like with this album? I read that you self-produced it, so what was that experience like?

Writing this record and self-producing it was the best experience ever. There are six of us with six different backgrounds and six different preferences and six different approaches to writing in general.

Calvin and I sat down in the studio and hashed out some skeletal framework for a few of the heavier songs before the current line-up came to be and the ideas we had were great but it wasn’t until we Now you’re just releasing your debut full- found ourselves with the group we’re playing with length, Unless on Spartan Records - how now that it all fell into place. has the journey with the new label been for We’re all very open and eager to fit all of our ideas you guys? into every song and sometimes that can get frusIt’s absolutely super. John has a lot of experience trating trying to make everyone happy and still crein places we’ve never been. He knows how to help ate a cohesive song. us reach wider audiences and really rock this record to its full potential. A goal we all share is be- Every song was mapped out, structured, broken ing able to make music that affects people in a down, built back up again and repeated multiple positive way and the more ears we can reach, the times until we ended up with what you’re hearing more hearts we can touch! Spartan is allowing and I’m absolutely positive that they all represent 24 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM

us as individual musicians as much as a band which is what we wanted.

song to the other, too. Was that something you guys set out to when you were writing?

Do you think you had more freedom in We definitely did that on purpose. We always try to self-producing the record? find ways to connect our songs for live sets and so when it came time to write the record, we wanted it I personally didn’t want a producer telling us what to reflect our live attitude towards that and also we The Foxery should sound like. I didn’t want some- just wanted to drive it home that everything is conone saying, “Hey, there should be a chorus here.” nected. These aren’t just songs thrown together No there shouldn’t. We didn’t write a chorus there, in any particular order. And if we found ourselves so there shouldn’t be. with two songs that didn’t quite connect, we took that as a sign that the story wasn’t done being told We also got to spend a ton more time on it than and that we should flesh it out more and fill in the we would have if we were paying some studio by gaps. the hour. We got to do a lot of experimenting with tones and mic placements and layers and things Do you have a favorite song off of Unless? we may not have been able to do if it had been in someone else’s hands.

I actually don’t. I like every single song for different reasons. Depending on what mood I’m in, I You’ve talked about how Unless has a lot to might skip straight to this one or that one but no do with darkness and redemption. It defi- one song on this record is complete without annitely does seem to build like a story with other or multiple other songs so it’s hard to really every song, too, so would it be safe to say favor just one. it’s loosely a concept album? Can you talk about the message behind Unless a little What is something that you’d like listeners bit? to be able to take away from your music or live shows?

It is absolutely a concept album. We set out to write an EP to kind of find a new sound with the We want people to walk away thinking. We want (then) new line-up and found ourselves piecing to- people to find happiness and sadness out of our gether this puzzle. We wrote “The Sorrow,” “The songs. But of course we want the happiness to Filth” I & II, and “The Gnashing” I & II first and then stick. And as far as live shows go, whether you realized they told parts of a story. So we wrote the like us or not, we like when people appreciate how rest of the story around them. much work we put into transitions and trying to connect different songs in different keys and such.

Each song references another song on the record either musically or lyrically. Some songs answer With the album out now, do you guys have other song’s questions. I don’t think we ever in- any big plans that you can talk about? tended Unless to have one clear message and What’s in the future for The Foxery? each member could probably answer completely different and still be totally right. The message I’ll We’re working on a music video and booking a fall go with for today is that the album is a process of tour. The future hopefully holds non-stop touring realizing that everything is meaningless; but after and eventually being asked to play The Late Show coming to that understanding, that what you do, with Stephen Colbert or co-headlining a tour with what you make, who you affect means everything. The Smashing Pumpkins (original line-up please).

It’s all that matters. You make your own meaning as we all drift through this crazy, dark world that can seems so hopeless sometimes.

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28 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM ATTILA Photo: Nick Reece

CHUNK! NO, CAPTAIN CHUNK!

Photo: Nick Reece

THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM - 29 STATE CHAMPS Photo: Shannon Shumaker

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Photo: Shannon Shumaker

PARKWAY DRIVE 30 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM Photo: Nick Reece

FOR ALL THOSE SLEEPING

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THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM - 31 THE WORD ALIVE Photo: Shannon Shumaker

FOUR YEAR STRONG Photo: Shannon Shumaker

32 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM ENTER SHIKARI Photo: Shannon Shumaker

SECRETS

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ISSUES

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NECK DEEP

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THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM - 33 THIS WILD LIFE

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34 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM MOTIONLESS IN WHITE Photo: Nick Reece

THE COLOR MORALE

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THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM - 35 ANBERLIN Photo: Shannon Shumaker

EVERY TIME I DIE

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36 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM BAYSIDE Photo: Shannon Shumaker

THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM - 37 THE STORY SO FAR

Photo: Shannon Shumaker

There’s just something inspiring about genuinely positive people, especially in a music scene that isn’t always easy to be a part of.

It’s impossible not to smile around those people, especially when they’re talking about something that they’re passionate about. The positive frame of mind is almost contagious, and it’s definitely easy to catch that bug from the hard-working and driven individuals in Denver pop-punk band, The Coast Is Ours.

After speaking to The Coast Is Ours for only a couple of minutes, though, their positive energy and excitement to get on stage was a given.

All five men, on top of being incredibly personable and passionate about what they do, are experienced – they know what they’re doing and what they want to do, and that’s probably one of the coolest things about The Coast Is Ours.

Even before the band’s formation in 2012, each member had their fair share of experience

When I sat down with the quintet before in other bands both in Denver and across the their headlining show at The Marquis Theatre, country. While guitarists Joe Tucci and Dan Rivethere was a distinct feeling positivity, happiness ra have consistently lived in Colorado for the maand brotherhood in the air. While it was a week- jority of their lives, vocalist Ben Sawatsky moved night, they were still visibly excited to get on stage to Denver from Texas, drummer Austin Day came and perform for both their friends and fans, and for from Minnesota and bassist Casey Serrano used a relatively young band, it was refreshing to see to live in California. Because of this, The Coast Is such excitement and professionalism among all Ours take their band and their music very seriously, which is great to see in a local band. five men.

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asked if they could just send us something, so we wouldn’t have to sit through all of these auditions,” Day said, explaining why they ultimately chose Sawatsky as a vocalist, “We sent Ben an instrumental track at about 8-o-clock at night and by six in the morning the next day he sent us back a full song – full vocals, full lyrics, full harmonies, chants, everything done. And we were like, ‘lets

It’s an honorable mentality to have, too, es- go with this guy.’” After Sawatsky and Serrano joined the band, the pieces pecially with a group of guys who are all relatively expe- “I want to make sure that started to fall into place natrienced in the music scene. these guys aren’t wasting urally, and from there it was smooth sailing for The Coast They take themselves setheir time.” riously, but in the best way - Dan Rivera Is Ours. possible. In a scene that sometimes seems to be saturated with egotistical With their current solid lineup, making mubands that don’t have the musical ability to back it sic and having fun while doing it seems to come up, The Coast Is Ours is the complete opposite of easy to The Coast Is Ours. For them, it’s a healthy, collaborative effort. “We have a few different ways that. that we write,” Day explained, “We’ll either just jam

“To save time, anyone we talked to we a song out or someone will have an idea or skele “With Austin being from Minneapolis, Casey coming from California and Ben coming from Texas, the band has this mentality of ‘I’m not moving back to Colorado just to sit on my ass,’” Rivera explained when talking about the band’s formation, “And I want to make sure that these guys aren’t wasting their time.”

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ton of a song and we’ll bring it to practice and just work on it and sculpt a song that way.”

like a motivational album for us. Yes, we’ve accomplished this and that’s great, but at the same time, we’ve got to keep kicking ourselves in the

He continued, “Before Casey joined, our set ass to get going,” Seranno added. consisted of a few songs that I wrote, a few songs that Dan wrote, a few songs Joe wrote. We just Rivera bounced off of his words, “The gendid that so we could have material to start playing eral sense of the band, too, is about being humshows. After Casey came in, we started writing as ble. We’re near something – we don’t portray the a whole –as a band – instead of just as individu- mentality of ‘hey we’re this awesome band we’re als.” a bunch of cool dudes, we’re better than everybody.’ Sometimes, people get a certain amount of

“That’s part of being a band,” Tucci added, success with that attitude, but for us it’s better for “Everyone should have some say in every song us to be humble about stuff and to continue to be we put on an album. We’re not just playing one genuine about things first and be a good band as person’s songs; we’re playing our band’s songs.” a product of that.” The rest of the men in the room It goes without saying that collaborating and work- nodded their heads in agreement with their band ing together has been a great writing method for mate’s words. To them, it’s better to stay positive, The Coast Is Ours, turning the five men into more humble and grateful, rather than letting success, of a family as well as a band. no matter how big or small, get to their heads. It’s what Near is all about and it’s the way that The

In fact, the five men in The Coast Is Ours Coast Is Ours functions. have a chemistry that is unOn top of being able like any other group of mu- “It’s that connection, that sicians in the Denver music personal level and the to work on a concept alscene. Even as they sit to- intimacy with the crowd bum that they’re passionate about, The Coast Is Ours gether at The Marquis, chatthat listens to you...” also got the chance to write ting happily about their band, - Joe Tucci music that they’re proud to there’s an incredible energy about them that explains why they’ve come such put their names on. “One thing that we did that I a long way in only two short years. But despite hadn’t even done before was we didn’t really put a the fact that they seem to have been relatively deadline on our recordings,” Tucci said, “We took successful in the local Denver music scene, The our time with all of our songs and I think it’s going Coast Is Ours believe that they still have quite a to show. Now I would consider us The Coast Is long way to go, and the theme of their upcoming Ours, whereas before we were just kind of a little of everything.” full-length reflects that attitude.

“The new album is called Near and the basic concept of it is working toward something or working for something that you really want and knowing that you’re making progress,” Sawatsky explained, “Every day is a step ahead but you’re not quite there yet and you need to keep pushing and keep growing.”

The overall theme of Near perfectly encompasses The Coast Is Ours’ mentality toward themselves and their band. It’s awesome to hear them speak about the concept with such excitement and positivity because of what it means not only for their band but for their listeners as well. “It’s almost 40 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM

He continued, “The songs in the album all flow really well together. Lyrically, Ben has an underlying message behind the whole thing, and it works really well.”

With their new full-length nearing completion, it’s no surprise that The Coast Is Ours are as excited as they are to get on stage and showcase their new songs to their fans and friends. I say friends, because the Denver music scene is like a family to the band as well, making writing and playing songs that they love for people that they love just that much more rewarding.

“The time I was up in Minneapolis I had a band up there. I was up there way longer than I’ve been here and this band has progressed leaps and bounds further than my band did there, so in general, the Denver scene is awesome – there are venues everywhere and really supportive bands,” Day said when speaking about the Denver music scene and its effect on The Coast Is Ours.

That was huge for us, to not even be around for that long and to see all of that support – it was awesome.”

In fact, the support that The Coast Is Ours has received in only a few short years has been one of the most rewarding and motivational things for the band, as it is for many musicians. It’s no surprise, but it’s definitely smile-inducing to hear

“I think Austin hit it when he said there’s them talk about their friends and fans in such a supportive bands,” Serrano added, “I don’t think positive light. It seems that, to The Coast Is Ours, we could be nearly where we are without bands their listeners are just as big of a part of the band that are like ‘dude lets put a show together, we as they are. want you on this show.’”

As far as future goals go, The Coast Is Ours

Tucci chimed in, ready to speak about the just want to be able to effect their fans in a posiamazing support they’ve received as a band. “Not tive manner. “Personally, the only thing I’ve ever just the Denver scene is great, but just in general really wanted was to play music or to write a song the people that support us,” he said, “We’ve got that, even if it’s just one person in the middle of nopeople all over that give us input on our songs, where Nebraska, there’s someone who’s like ‘hey, reaching out to us and telling us how we effect your music changed my life,’” Serrano expressed. them. We weren’t even a band for a year and we “It’s that connection, that personal level and were able to play the Denver Warped Tour date.

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the intimacy with the crowd that listens to you,” Tucci agreed “You have that special connection and that completely makes everything that we do worth it.”

“And it’s pop-punk,” Day added, “We’re here to make friends. We’re doing something we enjoy and we’re having fun doing it. If you’re not having fun doing something, there’s no point in doing it, and we’re having the time of our lives right now. I don’t care if I go home and my bank account is negative money. If I just came back from a kickass weekend of shows, it’s worth it.”

Keeping with the concept of their upcoming album, Near, though, The Coast Is Ours would still love to change a few things about the music scene if given the chance. And as active members of the Denver music scene, they might very well be able to accomplish some of those goals.

“One thing I wish I could change would be ticket pricing,” Day expressed almost immediately, “I wish it could just go back to the days of five dollar tickets, especially for local shows. I don’t see why people should have to pay twelve or fifteen dollars and up for just local shows.”

He continued, “I set up a show here last January that was five dollar presales and it was twenty-five people short of selling out The Marquis on a Thursday night and it was awesome.”

Rivera agreed, “High ticket prices stop kids from wanting to go to shows. And then if kids can’t experience live music, then they don’t realize what they’re missing and they just stay home and do nothing. I wish ticket prices were lower and I wish more people would get a taste for going to see live music, no matter what it is – if it’s jazz or if it’s a hardcore show at The Marquis – just go see live music.”

SUPPORT THE COAST IS OURS:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCoastIsOurs Instagram: http://instagram.com/thecoastisours The Coast Is Ours are playing at The Marquis Theatre on Thursday, October 30th with Real Friends, Neck Deep and Cruel Hand. The band also has an indiegogo campaign set up for their upcoming record at: http://igg.me/at/TCIONear friends wouldn’t be able to do what they do. And they don’t do it because it makes them a ton of money or because they want to be successful and famous. No, at the end of the day, The Coast Is Ours do it because they’re passionate about music, and with their combined experience, they may just have what it takes to really make a change in the Denver music scene.

After all, The Coast Is Ours is like a melting pot of each members’ past experiences, and just that alone is enough to launch them even further in

The great thing about The Coast Is Ours their careers. “Because we’re all been in previous is the fact that they not only care about their own bands and have all kind of gone through the momusic and success, but they’re also passionate tions, we kind of have been able to step over the about keeping the local music scene alive and mistakes we’ve made before and have been able healthy. It’s a good mentality and a good goal to to learn from those,” Serrano said when talking have – after all, if it weren’t for the local scene, about the way that the band works together. bands like The Coast Is Ours and many of their THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM - 43

With their upcoming full-length, Near being mastered by Joey Sturgis (The Devil Wears Prada, Attack Attack!, The Color Morale) and set for release in October, as well as many other plans and shows coming up, the future seems bright for The Coast Is Ours. Their success doesn’t come without hard work, however, but thankfully they’re more than aware of that and ready to do whatever it takes to push themselves even further. Near’s 44 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM

concept is practically ingrained in the mentality of each member of The Coast Is Ours, allowing them to really push themselves to reach their goals, becoming living examples of the message behind the album.

“Ben really hits on that when he says it’s just a constant work. I think that’s kind of where we all are, just in general, in life and as a band,”

Serrano expressed, “We’re pushing toward some- itive mentality, they’ll always be pushing. Vocalist thing and we really know we’re on the right track Ben Sawatsky said it best – “We still have work to to do this – to have our music out there and to do.” have people hear us that aren’t just from Denver.

We’re very close to our end goal, but we still have to keep pushing.”

After all, as long as the inspiration is there and as long as The Coast Is Ours keep their pos-

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THE ART OF

MANAGING NOISE

In today’s world of technology, recording and producing has become much more accessible and affordable than it ever has been. Because of this growth in accessibility, I was able to get my hands dirty with music production just three short years ago.

first couple years of mixing, subtractive EQ, on paper, was a concept I could (slightly) grasp.

That is where my understanding for this technique started and stopped. For whatever reason when mixing music, I could never bring myself to put this technique into practice.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dan and I have been playing music ever since I was a young kid, but it wasn’t until my mid-college years that I started to get messy with recording.

Once I started to learn about this craft, I couldn’t stop and I haven’t. I am nowhere close to an expert on anything regarding music production, but I feel my experiences (through many trial and error) are worth sharing. I have joined The Prelude Press team to deliver DIY recording tips and while I could obsessively write about all the little nuances I have learned, it’s probably more advantageous to focus on one subject at a time. Without any further adieu, today’s subject is... Subtractive EQ!

What is subtractive EQ? Let’s start with the basics. When viewing the equalization spectrum of sound, most – if not all – sound will exist between the 0Hz to 20kHz frequency spectrum.

Each instrument takes up a specific frequency range in the EQ spectrum. The challenge when mixing a song is that the EQ range of many instruments will overlap each other within the aggregate spectrum. This dilemma can cause specific frequencies to sound over saturated or “muddy” because too many instruments are trying to compete for the same space along the spectrum at the same time. The idea of subtractive EQ is to lessen the emphasis of an instrument at certain frequencies where said frequencies are less important to that instrument and more important to another.

Yes, subtractive EQ. I’m jumping right into the thick of it all with this subject. For my 46 - THEPRELUDEPRESS.COM

Make sense? Don’t fret if it doesn’t, an example will paint the picture better. Let’s take two instruments that share relatively similar frequency ranges in the EQ spectrum; the piano and a male vocalist. In the context of a song, the areas of emphasis for a piano and male vocalist tend to be the higher-mid-range area, between 1kHz to 3kHz. In most pop-styles of music today, the vocals are the absolutely most important part of a song. With that being said, it is the job of the mixing producer to make sure the vocals have highest priority in the EQ spectrum - this is where our subtractive EQ comes into context.

Drawing from recent experiences, I can recall that I found the area of emphasis of a male vocalist that I recorded sat around 2750Hz. Because 2750Hz was the sweet spot for the vocalist, I had to make sure that no other instrument would impede on that EQ territory of this singer. With instruments like the piano, it was priority to make sure the timbre of the piano did not interfere with the emphasis of the vocals. In order to do so, I significantly subtracted the piano’s audio at 2750Hz. My current rule of thumb is to subtract twice as much as boosting. Example within an example, if I boosted the singer at 2750Hz by three decibels, I then would subtract six decibels from the piano at 2750Hz.

Subtracting such a drastic amount seems a bit extreme, I know. The question you have to ask yourself is, “do I want to make this one instrument sound good by itself, or do I want have it sit well within the mix?” This is the largest rule of subtractive EQ that everyone needs to be able to wrap their head around. While subtracting significant parts of the EQ range for an instrument might not sound best for that one instrument, in the context of a song where there are multiple instruments layering over each other, significant subtracting will prove to be the best practice. It will bring better clarity to your mix because not as many instruments will be competing for the same EQ frequencies. Your mix will not feel as over saturated as it did prior to EQ-ing.

There are many ways to practice subtractive EQ. This is just a little insight into the most effective manner of subtractive EQ I have found for my own music. Want to take a listen to what I have been rambling about? Then hop on over to danielhamusic.com and check out my songs.

Get messy.

PHOTO: Shannon Shumaker STORY: Dan Ha

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Think about the last time you were bursting with anticipation for a new record to be released.

For me, it was a little over a year ago when Daft Punk was on the cusp of releasing their, now Grammy Award winning, Random Access Memories. With the relentless video teasers and countless amounts of “Get Lucky” remixes, I suddenly found myself immersed in the world of the somewhat fictional French phenomena.

I couldn’t help it. I’d loved disco from a very early age and always felt that the musicians who had long ago perfected the genre were always somewhat overlooked and underrated.

After all, the history of rap would be forever changed if it weren’t for the Sugarhill Gang sampling Chic in “Rapper’s Delight.” So, the more I read the premature reviews for the record, and the more Saturday Night Live endlessly plugged the record between skits, the more and more excited I became, because if anyone was going to bring disco back, it had to be Daft Punk. Who could do it better? After the record was released, and the following months went by, I finally realized that the answer to that question was “anybody.” Anybody could have brought disco back. As a matter of fact, disco never went away.

Some of my favorite modern musicians were killing at what Daft Punk was attempting to do. LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Chromeo, and Starfucker were all game changers in the world of disco/house music but no one seemed to give them the credit that Daft Punk got. The world wasn’t excited because Daft Punk and disco were back.

The world was excited because the internet and

AN OVER-ANALYSIS OF HYPE

IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY

In a world so punch-drunk by a media that shoves ideas and opinions down our throats, one has to wonder if any opinion we’ve ever had is truly ours at all. If we think about it, it’s undeniable that this is a generation and an era that belongs to the Pitchforks and GQ’s of the world. Why? Because of the cult followers that honestly believe that these websites and magazines hold some kind of key to an intellectual and independent zeitgeist. And the worst part is that there’s no escape from it anymore. Everyone is so susceptible to the media that, at one point or another, we’ve all been guilty of buying into the hype these media outlets sell (be it positive or negative). And it holds true outside the world of entertainment as well. There’s not one person on this earth that hasn’t looked up to someone or something. As we get older, we find that worship is inevitable and it has everything to do with the music that we listen to, whether we like it or not.

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media told us to be excited about it.

distract from the amazing sounds of the newest Blood Orange record? And who in their right mind

Don’t get me wrong, I was, and still am, a would take Kanye West’s Yeezus over Chance the huge fan of Random Access Memories. It is unde- Rapper’s Acid Rap? At the time those albums were niably accessible, catchy, and phenomenally pro- released, I was doing exactly that. I was so disduced (every reason why the critics loved it). But tracted by the overrated and hyped Kanye record there’s no denying that the hype and premature that I didn’t hear the much-preferred Acid Rap until evaluations of the record distracted from some of the next year. And if every website on the planet is its artistic themes and motifs. I don’t just hear mu- truly considering Arctic Monkeys’ AM as the rock sicians who got together and tried to revive the record of 2013, then we seriously need to reevalsounds of the 70’s when I listen to that album. I uate the standards of rock and roll. Deafheaven’s hear lyrical and musical themes of abandonment Sunbather blew AM straight out of the water if you and serious nostalgia in that LP. And yes, there ask me. were critics who would discuss those themes and We are constantly running this danger of ideas within their reviews but they were far and few. Hardly anyone talked about the serious heart- letting critics and writers give us our opinion on an break happening in songs like “Instant Crush” or album or artist before our ears even get to come the “Game of Love.” How about the gut-wrenching in contact with the speakers. Music has always existentialism happening on “Within?” Because of been quintessential in defining one’s personality, the way that critics talked about the record before nostalgia, happiness, and heartbreak. We lose its initial release, most “listeners” were just auto- that when we use our favorite writers and critics matically assuming the album’s brilliance, or were as someone that validates our opinions rather too distracted by all of the hype surrounding the than as someone who sparks our minds and gets record that they automatically dismissed it. As you us talking about why we love or hate something. can guess, this does no favors to any the artist Being a critic myself, it is my honest hope that my or their potential listeners. And of course this isn’t opinion on a record or band won’t seem like I’m always the case. Some records do live up to the forcing my opinions on others but rather spark public’s ridiculously high expectations (My Bloody insightful and opinionated discussion of the art at Valentine anyone?), but there will always undoubt- hand. That is the true beauty of music, after all: edly be someone who comes along and dismisses there is no right answer. a brilliant record because of the attention it’s getting. It’s the vicious cycle of the internet’s relationship with music.

Not only does manic anticipation for a record distract us from an album’s more artistic elements, but it also makes us somewhat numb to any other music in the same genre or realm as that particular release. Last year was an unforgettable time for albums that are certain to be deemed future classics. But the question that remains is whether or not we will remember those records because they were actually great or merely because we were told they were great. And if the latter is true, then which records were absolutely phenomenal but received little attention from critics because bigger names were distracting us from other amazing things that were happening?

In the world of R&B, did the hype behind James Blake’s lackluster follow-up to his stellar debut

STORY: Blake Britton

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ALBUM REVIEWS Artist:

AMERICAN HI-FI

Album:

Blood & Lemonade

Rating: 5/5 Listen to: “Carry The Sorrow”

REVIEW: Shannon Shumaker

After nearly a five year gap between record releases, American Hi-Fi’s newest album, Blood & Lemonade hits hard, absolutely proving that they are back and ready to take over. Throughout the entirety of the album, American Hi-Fi’s sound is well rounded, consistent and incredibly strong, making Blood & Lemonade a great listen.

“Armageddon Days,” the first track on Blood & Lemonade, is an amazing opening track with high energy, an amazing guitar hook and commanding vocals that really pull you in and keep you around for all ten tracks. The best part about Blood & Lemonade is that American Hi-Fi manages to keep the high energy that they set with “Armageddon Days” throughout the entire record. The guitar work throughout the album is fast paced, hard hitting and very strong, complimenting Stacy Jones’ vocals amazingly.

Two of the strongest songs on Blood & Lemonade are arguably the catchy second track “Golden State” and eighth track “Carry The Sorrow.” By the time I hit the halfway point on “Golden State” I am all smiles, bobbing my head along to the upbeat tune, and the only thing that makes the

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song even better are the relatable lyrics - “I don’t wanna like you anymore, I don’t wanna feel the way I did before…”

“Carry The Sorrow” is definitely the high point in the second half of Blood & Lemonade, once again with incredible guitar work, strong vocals and lyrics that really hit home, such as the line, “I’ll carry the sorrow and make it a part of myself.”

The lyrics on Blood & Lemonade are definitely one of the strongest aspects on the album, a product of many years of the band working together and perfecting both their sound and message.

Blood & Lemonade is really just the pinnacle of American Hi-Fi’s releases. With the anthematic final track, “No Ordinary Life” closing out the album, there’s no question that they’re back and here to stay, having created a truly incredible record. Maybe it was the hiatus that helped American Hi-Fi figure out exactly what it was that they wanted to create with Blood & Lemonade or maybe it was just good old fashioned hard work, but whatever it was, it’s easy to say that this record is one of their best.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS Council Of The Dead

Rating: 4.5/5 Listen to “One In The Chamber”

No strangers to the tour circuit, and with astounding popularity on social media, Famous Last Words have been heard of. With their latest release, Council Of The Dead, they will be heard, period. Council Of The Dead is the epitome of a concept album. Famous Last Words thoroughly cultivates the requiems of a multi-charactered cast through awing songs that are haunting, genuine, and beautiful.

Famous Last Words took their sound from the previous two releases from InVogue Records up a notch and a half. This concept album has direction, purpose, and a tidy plot with a full turn around, and should be listened to in its entirety. Each of the tracks flow with the theme, yet are not REVIEW: Gabrielle DB monotonous. “Letter To The Council” and “Council Of The Dead” introduce the album concept, not quite with a punch as expected, but fret not, the album picks up after this and keeps on strong. “The Killing Zone” is the heaviest, pit-worthy track (if you will) on the entire album, but it fits, because this is a concept album after all. “The Uprise” has an anthemic banter that is not oversold, thankfully. A musical interlude, “Entity” is the breath that you take before running to the resolution. “One In The Chamber” and “The End Of The Beginning” are gaspingly incredible tracks to wrap up the story, and the album.

The vocal layerings from vocalist JT Tollas are superb. With an incredible range, the clean vocals sound effortless and pure, matched by the growls and screams throughout the album. “The Fog” best exemplifies the contrast of Tollas’ vocal ability. Orchestral elements supplement the already spot-on composition displayed throughout the album. I must note that drummer Craig Simons delivers on every single track. Council Of The Dead is Famous Last Words’ best album to date. It is apparent that this band has grown and nurtured their sound. Definitely check this album out!

AVIATOR

Head In The Clouds, Hands In The Dirt

Rating: 4/5 Listen to “Forms (les feuilles mortes)”

The main reason I chose to listen to and to review Head In The Clouds, Hands In The Dirt was because one of Aviator’s “similar artists” was La Dispute, one of my favorite bands. However, to be honest, they sounded a lot more like Being As An Ocean. Although it wasn’t what I was expecting, it was still a really cool album to listen to and I haven’t listened to anything very similar to Head In The Clouds, Hands In The Dirt before.

Aviator definitely brings something new to the mix. They incorporate spoken word into post-hardcore, much like Being As An Ocean, but they also throw their own touch of it in their songs. My only complaint would be how strained their vocalist’s voice sounds in some parts. It’s almost painful to lisREVIEW: Amaya Del Rio ten to because I can feel my vocal chords being torn apart. There is emotional strain like you would hear in some of La Dispute’s vocals where it sounds like he’s on the verge of tears, however, this doesn’t sound the same and is almost too forced.

All in all, I think this album is still very strong and I enjoyed the lyrics a lot. They’re very thoughtful and deep, such as, “Put me on an airplane, start over wherever it lands,” in the track “Weathervane.” This album is really cool and you should definitely give them a listen if you’re a fan of artists such as Being As An Ocean.

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TINNAROSE

Rating: 4/5 Listen to “When You’re Gone”

Tinnarose

As far as first impressions go, Tinnarose have absolutely killed it.

From the moment that the vocals came in on the first track on the band’s self-titled album until the last few notes of the instrumental final song on it faded out, they had me hooked. Tinnarose is unlike anything else I’ve been listening to lately, which made this album new and exciting to me, but ultimately, it was their incredible musicianship that forced me to stay.

While the entire album is incredible, I’ll start this off by saying that the first track, “When You’re Gone,” is hands down my favorite song on Tinnarose for many reasons. It’s the perfect opening song to introduce new listeners to Tinnarose, really showcasing the band’s abilities both inREVIEW: Dom Vigil strumentally and vocally - especially vocally. In fact, the vocals on “When You’re Gone” are easily the selling point on this song for me. The male and female vocal parts on this track mesh perfectly and the beautiful harmonies between Seth Sherman and Devon McDermott on the chorus are amazing. “When You’re Gone” is totally an indie anthem, and by the time it fades out, I’m excited to see what else Tinnarose have to bring to the table. Thankfully, I’m not disappointed.

One of the best qualities of this album is its versatility. While the first track on Tinnarose is definitely more indie, the second song, “Hard Loving You” has a mellow country vibe. After “Hard Loving You,” the album progresses into, “Small Talk,” a more fast-paced rock track with phenomenal guitar work, and it all happens seamlessly. Tinnarose are able to transcend genre without even making the listener bat an eyelash. The only gripe I have with this album is that, in some songs, there are long breaks between vocal parts or sweeping guitar solos that seem to drag on, but thankfully, the band manages to balance things out before I’m anywhere near bored with the the album.

In fact, another great aspect about Tinnarose is that there isn’t one particular member or instrument that outshines the other. They all carry their own weight, making an amazingly well-rounded record. Just when it seems like the vocals are carrying one song in particular, the guitar comes in with an amazing lead part that really evens things out. There are some bands who might as well just be the singer’s solo project, because while their vocals are good, the music just seems to fade into the background, but that definitely isn’t the case with Tinnarose. This album is the product of a well-oiled machine that isn’t going to stop anytime soon, and I can’t wait to see what Tinnarose do next!

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TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS Hypnotic Eye

Rating: 3.5/5 Listen to “Forgotten Man”

Tom Petty can do whatever he wants. The legend has created more than enough wonderful music over the years to last us a lifetime.

We should be grateful that the guy still has enough energy to give us records in 2014; a year in which the full-length album is almost a lost art form. But that’s what The Heartbreakers have done consistently since day one. They don’t give a shit. They’re going to make the music they want to make (see 2010’s Mojo) and they’re going to make it on their own terms and standards (see 1979’s Damn the Torpedoes). With all of this being said, Hypnotic Eye almost keeps the ball rolling.

This album is not as consistent as some of the other Heartbreakers records, at least not sonically, but thematically, it’s Tom Petty’s most consistent songwriting in many, many years. There’s a lot of talk about the modern states of music, America, and celebrity on this record. Petty has not been shy about talking about these subjects in previous interviews, especially the ones leading up to this record, which is why I’m so surprised it took him this long to come up with the idea for this record. Hypnotic Eye is what 2002’s Last DJ wishes it could be.

REVIEW: Blake Britton

My only big gripe about this record is that it’s not as return-to-form as it could be. The lead singles, “Forgotten Man,” “American Dream Plan B,” and “U Get Me High” had me hoping this would be a nonstop power record all the way through. The rest of the rock songs on this record don’t hit as hard as I’d like them to sometimes, but that’s usually made up for by the intriguing and stoic Mike Campbell on guitar. But it’s some of the slower songs on this record that bother me the most; particularly the dreadful “Full Grown Boy” which I’m sure will be a smash hit with the retirement home community. For something that was built up to be a straight rock and roll album, the album does have some snooze inducing tracks. But that doesn’t mean they’re not good, they’re just not what I expected.

I will say there are tons of great blues inspired songs that could possibly be outtakes from Mojo, the Heartbreakers bluesy 2010 effort. I’m thinking specifically of tracks like “Burnt Out Town” and “All You Can Carry.” The closer to this record, “Shadow People” has a similar theme, but it is incredibly underwhelming for a closing track. I keep wanting something to happen in the build-up of this song while I’m listening to it, but the only thing we get is a stellar, but very short, guitar solo from Mike Campbell.

That guy has become the savior of Heartbreakers records over the years.

I wouldn’t want those comments to take away from what this record really is, however. This is still probably going to end up being one of my favorite records of the year. For every snoozer on this record, there are three or four songs surrounding it that make up for them completely. He’s Tom Petty and he’s playing with the Heartbreakers. These guys know what they’re doing. Tom Petty does his best songwriting when he’s angry and inspired and I think Hypnotic Eye is the most thematically inspired work the band has done in a decade.

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THE AMERICAN SCENE Haze

Rating: 4.5/5 Listen to “Nails Of Love”

The American Scene’s Haze is everything that an indie-rock album should be and more. Following up their well-received 2012 release Safe For Now, The American Scene breaks away from the more emo/ punk sound that they originally set with a more mellow and hypnotizing haziness (hence the album’s title) while still sticking to their roots. In fact, the great thing about Haze is that it can easily appeal to a wide audience, from fans of The American Scene’s older material to newer listeners. Haze is a winner for both fans of indie-rock acts such as Minus The Bear or Two Door Cinema Club to fans of punk acts like Balance And Composure.

Haze is versatile and different all while still sounding very much like The REVIEW: Shannon Shumaker American Scene. They’re not trying to be something that they’re not, and what more could you want from this great release?

The first track,“Haze,” sets the mood for the entire album, which makes sense considering that it is the record’s title track. “Haze” is both melodic and hypnotizing, and by the time the song fades out, I’m more than excited to see what The American Scene bring to the table with this release.

The vocals throughout the entirety of Haze are incredibly strong and mesh perfectly with the overall hypnotizing and mellow tone of the record, but it would be a crime to mention the vocal work without complimenting the gorgeous and sometimes intricate bass lines as well as the incredible guitar work on this album. Overall, Haze is an incredibly well-rounded record. Not one instrument or member outshines the other, and the same can be said about the tracks on the album as well. While each song is strong in its own aspect, there aren’t any weak points - Haze is absolutely consistent. The only downside with that is that there aren’t any definitive high points and it took me a couple of listens to really choose a favorite song on the album, but that being said, Haze is just an easy listen. The mellow tone of the record is relaxing and inviting and it’s hard to find any flaws in it.

Another great thing about Haze is the way that The American Scene effortlessly transition from one song to the next, making the album flow amazingly. Upbeat and even poppy tracks like “Nails Of Love” and “4th and Broadway” flow easily into slower, more haunting songs like “Dark Creak” without even missing a beat, and if that isn’t a testament to The American Scene’s phenomenal songwriting abilities, then I don’t know what is.

It may be easy to get lost in the beautiful melodies and sweeping guitar work in Haze, but overall The American Scene’s second full-length album is an amazing listen. They manage to pull this release off flawlessly and effortlessly, making the album sound easy while still keeping your attention. Haze is just that - hazy, smooth and hypnotizing.

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INVENT, ANIMATE Everchanger

Rating: 4.5/5 Listen to “Naturehold”

The debut full-length release from Invent, Animate, Everchanger, off of Tragic Hero Records is a powerful metalcore album. A theme of a holistic community is felt while listening to this album: our own interdependence as biology on our bruised ecology.

“Sol” opens the album, a great choice to do so. It grips attention in under five seconds, and it won’t let go. “Naturehold” showcases the amazing screams and growls echoed throughout the album. You can really hear the incredible emotion in Ben English’s voice. What’s more? Jesse Cash of ERRA is featured on this track, as if it were not already amazing. The third song, “Nocturne: Lost Faith” keeps the melodic trek onward, where, REVIEW: Gabrielle DB by now you are familiar with the instrumental structure of the album. Guitarists Logan Forrest and Keaton Goldwire complement each other amazingly through this self-reflective song.

The diverse ability of drummer Trey Celaya is presented in “Forest Haven” with bassist Caleb Sherraden pulling the rest of the rhythm together. “Luna” wraps the album up with beautiful melodies, riffs, and lyrics. Overall, the entire album keeps an intense, unrelenting tone in the music, vocals, and message.Every instrument is well represented on Everchanger, without having to compete for attention. Ben English’s vocal range and ability throughout is ridiculous. Definitely check Everchanger out - Invent, Animate is a band that you want to know.

HE IS LEGEND Heavy Fruit

Rating: 3.5/5 Listen to “Something Something Something Witchy”

The fourth full-length album from He Is Legend, Heavy Fruit, is quintessential Southern hard rock with wit. This album is an experience that flows from one track to another. Every song is mixed very well, each instrument given attention without having to compete.

REVIEW: Gabrielle DB

Reminiscent of fellow Southern hard rockers Shinedown’s The Sound Of Madness, He Is Legend has a gritty, gripping sound that is captivating throughout Heavy Fruit. The opening track, “No Visitors” instantly draws attention with pounding instruments and perfectly placed vocals.

The album keeps consistent with the well articulated sound throughout with pleasant surprises inserted to refrain from a muddled blend. “Time To Stain” has the most surprising elements, showcasing singer Schulyar Croom’s deeper, softer, more melodic tones, as well as his ripping highs.

He Is Legend does a great job of slipping hard rock clichés into a few of the tracks without over selling the points. A tale of an intolerable lover in “Be Easy” grazes a subject that we know, all too well, in this genre. “Spout Mouth” and “The Carpet” have the angst of what hard rock fans enjoy listening to.

“ABRACADABRA” is a whimsical take on odd-fellow camaraderie.

“Smoker Scoff” is the most impressive track on the entire album using cigarette smoke as a metaphor for a volatile relationship. Also notable, “Something, Something, Something Witchy” is a welcomed lustful jam. He Is Legend’s songs are incredibly groovy. Check Heavy Fruit out, learn the songs, and patiently wait until you see them live to enjoy the hard rock experience.

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staff picks

10

SONGS THAT ARE PERFECT FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

“COOL KIDS”

by Echosmith

If you don’t understand why Echosmith’s “Cool Kids” is the perfect track to make you feel better on a particularly rough day at school, then you haven’t listened to it yet.

Not only is it catchy and upbeat, but the lyrics are amazing and relatable. Echosmith seriously kills it with this track.

“TEENAGERS”

by My Chemical Romance

Either as a teenager or not, this track is amazing for back to school, whether you’re just entering high school or starting college, it’s the perfect track for the occasion.

Lets be honest, teenagers are fucking terrifying, regardless of if you are one are not, and My Chemical Romance get it.

“MY LAST SEMESTER”

by The Wonder Years

This is the song that got be through my first semester in college. Yes, I get that it’s called “My Last Semester” but if you’re feeling down or alone at school, Soupy’s honest lyrics and the raw emotion in his vocals are definitely enough to help you through the day. In fact,every track on The Upsides is perfect in case you’re feeling down and you’re away from home.

“CAMPUS”

by Vampire Weekend

Who doesn’t appreciate a few pretentious quips about going back to school? Vampire Weekend, being the Columbia educated fiends they are provided us with the perfect college-pop record with their debut back in 2008. And though the days of Oxford Commas and Mansard Roofs are far behind them, their first album still shines even on the gloomiest of school days.

“BURNING LOVE”

by Elvis Presley

A friend of mine actually suggested this to me earlier last year, and he was right.

Nothing encapsulates the feeling of walking across the schoolyard after school in the early autumn quite like this song does. Don’t ask me how, but somehow, it’s perfect.

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“(YOU GOTTA) FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT (TO PARTY)”

by The Beastie Boys

We had to have a couple of funny, upbeat songs on here, alright? And what better than this party anthem by The Beastie Boys? While, as your parents and professors will tell you, you should be working on keeping your grades up, it’s always good to let loose every once in a while. Being young is about having fun. Also, you can’t let “the man” try to keep you down.

“EYE OF THE TIGER”

by Survivor

Make this song your alarm clock in the morning. I promise that it will make you feel a lot better about having to get up early and going to school if you’re doing it to “Eye Of The Tiger.” I know that it’s cliche and even a little goofy, but you never know when you’ll need the motivation.

“END OF THE SUMMER”

by Joyce Manor

“End Of The Summer” by Joyce Manor is the perfect song for when summer winds down into fall, as the title of the track suggests. It’s nice and mellow and it’s perfect for looking back on your summer and all of the great times you had. It’s bittersweet, but summer does have to end.

“HERE I AM ALIVE”

by Yellowcard

I think regardless of your age, “Here I Am Alive” by Yellowcard is an incredible pick-me-up song for even the hardest days when everything seems to get you down, which always seem to happen during the school year. Don’t listen to the naysayers and don’t let the bastards get you down. Just listen to this track and I promise that you’ll feel a million times better.

“THICKER THAN DUST”

by K.Flay

Some people may argue with me, but I think the best part about school is the great friends you make along the way. K.Flay’s “Thicker Than Dust” is basically an anthem for those life long friends that you’ll make in the hallways and dorm rooms at school.

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