Driven Far Off

The latest on the indie, alternative, and rock music scene including news, music, contest, interviews, and more. Best described as your favorite place to find new bands.

Thrice Talk About Album Leak; Set New Digital Release Date

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Thrice posted a statement about the leaking of their new album, Beggars, originally set for release on October 13th. Check out the statement below. The album now has a digital release date of August 11th and the physical release date is still set for October 13th.

Obviously, we’re incredibly disappointed with what happened. We understand that records leak constantly and that it’s almost entirely unavoidable nowadays, but we never thought we’d have to deal with a record leaking three months before it’s release date, and certainly never thought we’d have to deal with a leak before anyone in the band had even gotten a master reference of the record, or before the artwork for the booklet had even been completed.

We’re also disappointed that you’re hearing the record for the first time, watermarked, with a Vagrant Records voiceover over every song. And we’re disappointed that the leak has thrown a massive and immovable wrench into the efforts that many people have made to prepare for the three months leading up to release. That said, what’s done is done, and we’re moving forward.

“Beggars” will be available for download, legally and voiceover free”“the way it was intended to be heard”“as soon as we can possibly make it happen. Leaks happen overnight. Changing an entire retail marketing plan doesn’t.

Gene Dante and The Future Starlets – The Romantic Lead

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Artist: Gene Dante and The Future Starlets
Album: The Romatic Lead
Label: Omnirox Entertainment
Purchase: iTunes, Amazon, Amie Street
Release Date: February 3rd , 2009

Overall: 8.5
Music: 9.0
Lyrics: 7.5
Production: 8.5

Who said glam rock was dead? If Gene Dante and The Future Starlets are evidence of the state of glam rock then it is obvious that it is alive and doing very well for itself. Their latest release entitled The Romantic Lead shows off just how they are as much of a throw-back to an older genre as they are innovators in music.

The album starts off the David Bowie-esque “A Madness To His Method”, which steadily makes it’s way through a heartbeat-like drum loop into an air-y calling of “I am gorgeous / I am without disease”. The opening track melds the grandeur of glam while still staying within the structure of rock and roll music. 

The album’s grand elements don’t stop there though, songs like “Brian, My Darling” has such strong broadway delivery you’d think you were visiting the great white way. While “The Dreamers” dances around just as well as any power ballad a pop-star of yesteryear could devise.

While some songs have a punk-y flair to them (see: “Purity Of Intent”), others flaunt a charming radio-ready pop charm that make them prime for the billboard (see: “C Star”). Most of all, just as the title implies, each song carries with it a very sexual and romantic sound. Whether it be found in the delivery of the tunes, or the light and fun riffs found throughout, it’s obvious that Gene Dante and The Future Starlets have no problem taking the first step in a relationship.

The Romantic Lead works just as well as an homage to a genre past as it does in creating a new fan base for a genre revitalized. Perhaps it is about time glam comes back to the fore-front, and with charming, catchy tunes that deserve to be blared from every car along the interstate in the dead of summer, Gene Dante and The Future Starlets might find themselves right at the front of the rush.

Birthday Boys – Bad Blood

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Artist: Birthday Boys
Album: Bad Blood
Label: Unsigned
Purchase: Official Site
Release Date: July 7th, 2009

Overall: 8.5
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 7.5
Production: 9.0

It is odd to imagine any band beginning their album with a haunting chain gang chorus introduction, it is perhaps a concept lost on many bands in the scene nowadays. But for the Birthday Boys and their latest album Bad Blood, it is an idea that works and fits their sound to a T. 

The aforementioned song is the introduction track “Making Room For Grace” on Bad Blood. Grandoise vocals, punchy delivery, and gritty guitar work exemplify their appeal to all different kinds of listeners, making this track a great start for anybody looking to find their next favorite band.

Painted all over Bad Blood are many different shades of a band. Whether it be showing off their screamo chops in “The Drug”, or their pop-punk-ish charm of standout track “Let It Die” which echoes the statement “I can’t wait to get in your head”, until it becomes a reality for the listener. Although someone could jump to conclusions and say that the Birthday Boys don’t know who they are just yet while bouncing through genres, it just as easily shows their versatility and ability to stay the same band while seamlessly searching through sounds and hitting hard each time.

The time when the Birthday Boys really shine is when they slow it down a bit as well though, songs like “Baby Come Home” – while the title implies a bad Buckcherry b-side – is a song that remains on the somber side of the scale, while still rocking just as much as heavier tracks like “Vigorous Fiction”. Also the final track “Barfight”, which is easily one of the best tracks to end on, seeing as how it ends on the same haunting note the album began with. Chilling lyrics and a haunting melody that drifts through until the final echoes of the track bring the album to a close. 

Bad Blood is an album that is rough, gritty, while being a great time. Birthday Boys bring with them a very candid honesty that makes them a joy to listen to. Knowing when to rock and when to slow it down is very important in music, and it seems as though this band has the ability to know how to pace themselves.