Driven Far Off

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Hidden in Plain View – Resolution

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Hidden in Plain View

Artist: Hidden in Plain View
Album: Resolution
Label: Drive-Thru Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: July 24th, 2007

Overall: 7.5
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 7.0
Production: 7.5

Earlier this year when the news of Hidden in Plain View’s breakup hit the wire, fans were left shocked and completely devastated. However many found solace in the fact that the group’s final effort, Resolution would get to see the light of day. As Drive-Thru Records still planned to release the posthumous record later in the year. Quickly message boards lit up with both sorrow and anticipation. Everyone shared fond memories of the beloved New Jersey group and pondered what the future would hold for the various projects that would stem from Hidden in Plain View’s demise. Despite the mourning all were anxious to hear what would come of the final recording session. What would the band leave us to remember them by?

We begin with “Bendy” a true opener that packs a real punch, with raw emotion and soaring melodies. I don’t think the album could be led off any better and the track itself will certainly go down as one of my favorites. “I Don’t Wanna Hear It” can only be described as a bouncy number that will without a doubt resonate in fans hearts for a longtime to come. We venture into slightly darker and heavier terrain with the songs “Heavy Breathing” and “Walk Harbor City” where the guitar work proves exceptional. I feel the standout track on Resolution is “Circles,” which is a perfect example of Hidden in Plain View’s finesse for bridging both heavy and melodic sounds to create a killer song. The hard-driving sounds of “Our Time” leave me wondering what could have been… if the group hadn’t called it a day. The ladder of the record is tied together nicely with a short instrumental “Interlude.”

Where “The Lake House” shows no signs of the professional or creative differences that were cited for the separation. The album concludes with “Hear Me Out” and as the ambient almost haunting echoes chant and ringout, the final chapter of Hidden in Plain View is written. While their existence was relatively short, the band has left quite a rich legacy behind. Hidden in Plain View and the music they made will always be remembered, thus giving their subsequent projects some very solid ground to stand on. So, what would the band leave us to remember them by? The answer is Resolution, and it is truly a great note for them to go out on.

Track List
1. Bendy
2. I Don’t Wanna Hear It
3. Like an Ocean
4. Heavy Breathing
5. Walk Harbor City
6. Circles
7. Our Time
8. Off My Shoulders
9. Interlude
10. Something Needs to Change
11. The Lake House
12. Hear Me Out

Paramore – Riot

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Paramore - Riot

Artist: Paramore
Album: Riot
Label: Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: June 12, 2007

Overall: 7.5
Music: 7.5
Lyrics: 7.0
Production: 8.5

During the space between their debut and new album, I’ve seen a bass player leave and an old one return as well as the departure of two guitarists. Paramore has been through more members in their short time than any band I can think of. I can’t help but wonder if their new switch to a four-piece lineup in the studio helped make “Riot” what it is.

The album is more of the same straightforward nu-emo rock backed by a powerful female vocal presence. Unfortunately, I was expecting so much more. That’s not to say the album is bad. As a matter of fact, the opener “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic” brings on the rock so much that I was pretty stoked to listen to this disc.

A new recording of “Hallelujah,” a song that’s been in the band’s repetoire for some time really knows how to tug at your emotions as well. The heartfelt “That’s What You Get” also makes my ears happy. Then there’s lead single “Misery Business.” I liked this song a lot at first. I even got over the fact that the video made me cringe, but I skip this song every time now. What I don’t get is how leading lady Hayley Williams gets so much crap for this song? I’m sorry that ten year olds(yeah, no joke) are listening to this band now, but they didn’t dumb the content down for them. I don’t get why she needs to apologize for the lyrical content of this song every time it’s brought up.

There are a few more songs (“When It Rains,” “Crushcrushcrush,” and “Born For This”) that I enjoy hearing when they come up on shuffle, the rest didn’t do anything for me. The album was really good at first listen, but the replay factor just wasn’t there for me this time. This was one of my most anticipated for the summer and it ended up mediocre. Maybe if there had been some input from a new guitarist, there could have been some variety to make the tracks stick out more. A solid effort, but it doesn’t stack up to their debut.

Track Listing
1. For A Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic
2. That’s What You Get
3. Hallelujah
4. Misery Business
5. When It Rains
6. Let The Flames Begin
7. Miracle
8. crushcrushcrush
9. We Are Broken
10. Fences
11. Born For This

Minus the Bear – Planet of Ice

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Artist: Minus the Bear
Album: Planet of Ice
Label: Suicide Squeeze
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: August 21, 2007

Overall: 7.0
Music: 8.5
Lyrics: 6.5
Production: 9.0

Minus the Bear has been consistently labeled as the “band that should’ve” ever since they burst onto blogs in 2001 with the EP, This is What I Know About Being Gigantic and quickly built a strong following. Through subsequent records the band has continually been criticized for their sound remaining stagnant. The band attempts to fight this label as they release Planet of Ice on August 21, featuring a new member and a new sound.

The new album is almost a complete departure for the band, as the long titles so prominently displayed on Highly Refined Pirates as well as their EPs has finally vanished for better or for worse. Gone as well are references to adventures east of the Atlantic, which were featured on both LPs, in songs such as “Pachuca Sunrise” (from Menos el Oso) and “Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse” (from Highly Refined Pirates). Instead, inside Planet of Ice one will find moody, atmospheric pieces evoking comparisons to Pink Floyd.

Planet of Ice begins with Jake Snider’s familiar low pitched delivery. His deep shrills are set over a backdrop of complex guitar riffs. What is immediately noticeable in the opener “Burying Luck” is the increased presence of the synthesizer (played by newcomer Alex Rose). Another thing that is easily found within “Burying Luck,” as well as Planet of Ice in general is another Minus the Bear signature- an overabundance of choruses.

This brings up Minus the Bear’s most continual flaw; a lack of innovation within an album. While Dave Knudson tries adamantly to keep things interesting, pulling out epic prog rock-like solos and working expertly with Snider to create an amazing dual guitar sound, ultimately the songs on Planet of Ice begin to run together. This is not to say that the album is not enjoyable, but rather the entire album carries such a similar sound that one can at times hardly distinguish song from song, and you end up with instrumentation that sounds more at home as a symphony with ten movements, rather than an album with ten songs.

Even with the noticeably similar sounding songs throughout, some gems do emerge. One of the two tracks which are currently available for download, Dr. L’ling is by far one of the most engaging Minus the Bear songs yet, combining the tone and atmosphere set by the rest of the album with some of the more intriguing lyrics and the stand out performance by Erin Tate behind the drums. Snider croons “Don’t give me no hand-me-down love/It don’t wear the same/I want love that looks good on/With a fit that screams my name” eventually yielding to awe-inspiring guitar.

At times throughout the album displays great strides in musicianship, but in the end this album becomes a new face to the same problems which have plagued Minus the Bear from being a stand out act. While this album may contain some of Minus the Bear’s most musically accomplished songs, it also contains some of their most forgettable.

Track Listing
1. Burying Luck
2. Ice Monster
3. Knights
4. White Mystery
5. Dr. L’ling
6. Part 2
7. Throwin’ Shapes
8. When We Escape
9. Double Vision Quest
10. Lotus

Bottom Of the Hudson

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Trevor Butler, the bass player for Bottom of the Hudson, died on July 29th, when their tour van went off the highway following a tire blowout. The accident also injured others including their new drummer who was in critical condition at a nearby hospital but is now in stable condition after fracturing his skull .  BOTH had just wrapped up a string of dates in support of their latest release, Fantastic Hawk, which came out on Absolutely Kosher in July.  Absolutely Kosher are also accepting donations on behalf of Trevor’s family and for Greg’s medical bills resulting from the accident.  Our hearts and sympathies go out to them at this terrible time.

Staff Recommendations August 5, 2007

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Bryce Jacobson
Be sure to check out these bands that are currently gaining a lot of attention that we previously featured on our “On The Rise” section, The Dangerous Summer and Metro Station. The Dangerous Summer‘s new EP will be out August 21st on Hopeless Records, and Metro Station will be on some big tours this fall including Just Surrender, Motion City Soundtrack, Mae and Anberlin.

For current releases be sure to pick up Tokyo Rose, The International Drive, Down to Earth Approach, and The Send‘s new albums.

Adam Weidman
The new album, Direction from The Starting Line is quite solid! Also The Receiving End of Sirens have their upcoming record streaming in its entirety on Myspace.

Sam Anacker
Interpol’s new album Our Love to Admire is another solid album, as is the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s new EP Is Is which features songs written during touring for their first record. As for upcoming releases look forward to Minus the Bear’s Planet of Ice, slated to hit August 21, and the nation-wide tour to follow!

Motion City Soundtrack Headlining Tour

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Motion City Soundtrack will be heading out on a headlining tour this fall with Mae, Anberlin, and Metro Station. Check out the dates below. Tickets for the headlining tour go on sale nationwide on Friday, August 10. There will be a limited number of tickets available during a special presale that starts this Monday, August 6 at 10 am EST. For presale tickets, go here: Username: MOTION / Password: SOUNDTRACK

Presale tickets will also be available at www.ticketrush.com starting Monday.

October 17 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Orbit Room
October 19 – Duluth, MN – The Relf Center
October 20 – Omaha, NE – The Sokol Auditorium
October 21 – Kansas City, MO – Beaumont Club
October 23 – Houston, TX – Verizon Wireless Center
October 24 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Bar-B-Q
October 26 – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues
October 29 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Landing
October 30 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
October 31 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House Of Blues
November 2 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
November 3 – Charlotte, NC – Amos Sounthend
November 4 – N. Myrtle Beach, SC – House Of Blues
November 6 – Norfolk, VA – Norva
November 7 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club
November 9 – New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom
November 10 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
November 11 – Worcester, MA – Palladium
November 13 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
November 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
November 18 – Toronto, ON – Kool Haus
November 20 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
November 21 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore (formally The State Theater)
November 23 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Ballroom
November 24 – Maplewood, MN – Myth
November 28 – Seattle, WA – Showbox
November 29 – Portland, OR – The Roseland Theater
November 30 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield Theatre
December 1 – San Diego, CA – Soma
December 3 – Anaheim, CA – House Of Blues
December 4 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern LG
December 5 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
December 7 – Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues
December 8 – Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
December 9 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
December 11 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
December 13 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
December 14 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater
December 16 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues