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.

The Matches Set Release Date

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The Matches have set September 12th as the release date for their new album Decomposer. The album was produced by Tim Armstrong, Mark Hoppus, Brett Gurewitz & John Feldmann.

Decomposer full track listing:

1. Salty Eyes 2:39 (producer: Matt Radosevich)
2. Drive 3:27 (producer: Mike Green)
3. Papercut Skin 3:27 (producer: John Feldmann)
4. Clumsy Heart 3:31(producer: Miles Hurwitz)
5. Little Maggots 2:49 (producer: John Feldmann)
6. What Katie Said 3:00 (producer: Mark Hoppus)
7. Sunburn versus the Rhinovirus 3:54 (producer: Mark Hoppus)
8. Lazier than Furniture 2:34 (Divine Genius Productions: Johnny Genius, Ryan Divine)
9. Didi (My Doe, Part 2) 3:11 (producer: Nick Hexum)
10. You (Don’t) Know Me 3:58 (producer: Tim Armstrong)
11. My Soft and Deep 3:40 (producer: Brett Gurewitz)
12. Shoot Me in the Smile 3:33 (producer: Matt Radosevich)
13. The Barber’s Unhappiness 5:17 (producer: Mark Hoppus)

In advance of Decomposer, The Matches hit the road with Action Action on a summer tour through the East Coast and Midwest.
Here are The Matches tour dates:

7/7 Metairie, LA @ The High Ground
7/8 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
7/9 Jacksonville, FL @ Thee Imperial
7/11 Orlando, FL @ Back Booth
7/12 St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre
7/13 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
7/14 Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds
7/15 Augusta, GA @ Sector 7G
7/16 Charlotte, NC @ The Casbah
7/18 Durham, NC @ 305 South
7/19 Virginia Beach, VA @ The Peppermint Beach Club
7/20 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
7/21 Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
7/22 South Hackensack, NJ @ School of Rock
7/23 New York, NY @ The Knitting Factory
7/24 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
7/26 Albany, NY @ Red Square
7/28 Darien, CT @ The Trackside
7/29 Buffalo, NY @ The Icon

Roses Are Red On Tour, New Video Stream

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Roses Are Red have announced some new tourdates for July/August. You can also stream their new video for “Failing” over at Alternative Press.

w/ Bedlight For Blue Eyes, Far-Less, The Panic Division

July 21 – Hackensack, NJ @ School Of Rock
July 22 – Danbury, CT @ Empress Ballroom
July 23 – Lancaster, PA @ American Legion
July 24 – Danville, VA @ TBA
July 25 – Virginia Beach, VA @ TBA
July 26 – Greensboro, NC @ The Flying Anvil
July 27 – Wytheville, VA @ The Clinic
July 28 – Raleigh, NC @ The Brewery
July 30 – Akron, OH @ The Orange Street
August 1 – Crown Point, IN @ On The Square Sports Academy
August 2 – Detroit, MI @ TBA
August 3 – Pittsburgh, PA @ TBA
August 4 – Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall
August 5 – Honesdale, PA @ Joey C’s

w/ A Change Of Pace, Showbread

August 19 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Ray’s Downtown Blues
August 21 – Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbit’s
August 22 – Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
August 29 – Bound Brook, NJ @ Hamilton Street Cafe
August 30 – Amityville, NY @ Village Pub South
August 31 – New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
September 2 – Allston, MA @ ICC Church
September 5 – Nashua, NH @ Nashua VFW
September 8 – Buffalo, NY @ The Buffalo Icon
September 9 – Oswego, NY @ Ozone
September 12 – Detroit, MI @ Shelter at St. Andrews
September 13 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Skelletones
September 15 – Madison, WI @ The Journey

More dates will be announced shortly.

News From Cornerstone

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I just arrived back home from being at Cornerstone in IL all week. It was a great experience and I hope to go again in the future. I’ll have a review of the week up shortly but for now I have a bunch of news from the festival, some may be new some may be old but they are all great things!

Lovedrug will be releasing an EP this fall to go along with their fall tour. Their new full length is scheduled for a February 07 release.

Copeland will release their new album this Halloween.

Showbread will release their new album “Age of Reptiles” on August 1st. You can check out their new video for their first single “Oh! Emetophobia!” here.

Jonezetta can put on an amazing show. To get ready for their new album download 4 songs here.

mewithoutYou will release their new album on September 26th.

Relient K played a new song that sounded amazing. The band will be heading back to Los Angeles to continue recording their new album next week.

Underoath played possibly their longest set ever on this years main stage. Their set included a mix of old and new songs including a first live performance of several tracks off their new album.

Lakes (prev: Watashi Wa, Eager Seas) will release their new album this fall through The Militia Group.

Here are some great bands to check out:

Sleeping At Last
Deas Vail

You can catch some live videos, pictures and more from the festival here.

Can-Con

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Here’s some Canadian Content news for those up north, or those that want some good stuff to check out:

Alexisonfire – Playing Warped Tour. New album due August 22nd. First single ‘This Could be Anywhere in the World’ set to hit radio and Much Music rotation soon. New song ‘Boiled Frogs’ available at their MySpace page. Playing SCENE festival in St. Catharines tomorrow.

Cancer Bats – Now on tour across the country (check out Distort Records for more info)… album “Birthing the Giant” was released on 06/06/06. Check it out.

Johnny Truant – New album “In the Library of Horrific Events” out on July 4th, 2006. Here are some tour dates (check out Dine Alone Records for more info):

07.09.06 â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ St.Catharines, ON
07.10.06 â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Ottawa, ON
07.11.06 â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Hamilton, ON

City & Colour – Recently won an MMVA for ‘People’s Choice Canadian Artist’. Album has gone gold in Canada, with no plans for an international release (but trust me, it’s worth the import costs!). Tour dates (check out Dine Alone Records for more info):

07.09.06 â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ St. Catharines, ON
08.18.06 â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Victoria, BC
08.19.06 â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Vancouver, BC

Billy Talent – Recently released their second album ‘II’. For more info about tour dates, etc. check out their official site at BillyTalent.com.

This week’s Hot Ticket Event is the S.C.E.N.E. festival in St. Catharines, Ontario. With indie acts such as A Northern Chorus, Ken Reaume, Casey Baker, Sailboats Are White, Johnny Truant, Alexisonfire, City & Colour, Magneta Lane, Black Lungs, The Miniatures & Boys Night Out, the event is set up for success. St. Catharines is the place to be this weekend. Tickets are online at all Ticketmaster sites, and www.maplemusic.com.

That’s it for Can-Con right now… I’ll have more next week.

Bands on TV from AltPress.com

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7/3 – She Wants Revenge on Jay Leno [NBC; R]
7/3 – HIM on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC; R]
7/4 – Wolfmother on David Letterman [CBS; R]
7/5 – Hard-Fi on Jay Leno [NBC; R]
7/5 – The Streets on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC; R]
7/5 – Jack’s Mannequin on Craig Ferguson [CBS]
7/5 – The Cloud Room on Carson Daly [NBC; R]
7/6 – Ben Lee on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC; R]
7/6 – Death Cab For Cutie on Conan O’Brien [NBC; R]
7/7 – 30 Seconds To Mars on Carson Daly [NBC; R]
Check your local listings for times.

This was taken directly from Alt Press.

Silverstein – 18 Candles: The Early Years

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Silverstein

Artist: Silverstein
Album: 18 Candles: The Early Years
Label: Victory
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: May 30, 2006

Overall: 7.0
Music:
Lyrics:
Production:

I’m not going to give anything else a rating on this, simply because everything is too varied to give individual ratings.

More bands should do this, though. This is a really nice collection of rare, old, and b-side tracks. However, I can’t help but feel this is a way for Victory to milk even more money from this band.

Listening to the first few tracks on this album reminds me of random bands that send me friend requests on myspace. The recording quality isn’t too great, but you still get a feel for the potential of a band. I tend to like rough sounding recordings, and I think it adds to the charm of these songs. Throw in some demos of songs from “When Broken Is Easily Fixed” and “Discovering the Waterfront” and the progression of the songs’ sounds shows. The real gems are the acoustic versions of “My Heroine” and “Call It Karma”(easily one of the best songs this band has ever constructed.) A few live tracks and a ridiculous dance remix of “Smile In Your Sleep” help round this collection out and make it a must have for any Silverstein fan.

Tracklisting:
1. Waiting Four Years
2. Wish I Could Forget You
3. Friends In Fallriver
4. Summer’s Stellar Gaze
5. My Consolation
6. Forever and a Day
7. Red Light Pledge
8. Dawn of the Fall
9. Wish I Could Forget You
10. Bleeds No More
11. Last Days of Summer
12. Waiting Four Years
13. My Heroine(Acoustic)
14. Call It Karma(Acoustic)
15. Discovering the Waterfront(Live)
16. Defend You(Live)
17. Bleeds No More(W/wiL from Aiden Live)
18. Smile In Your Sleep(Dance Remix)

A.F.I. – Decemberunderground

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A.F.I.

Artist: A.F.I.
Album: Decemberunderground
Label: Interscope
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: June 6, 2006

Overall: 8.6
Music: 8.9
Lyrics: 8.4
Production: 8.5

A.F.I. captured mainstream success with “Sing the Sorrow.” The album received mixed feelings from longtime fans. It was a drastic change for the band, sound wise, and because it was released on a major label. The follow up album, “Decemberunderground” is sure to alienate even more older fans just for the fact that’s it’s not the same thing over again.

The opening track “Predlude 12/21” musically sounds like a new theme for Harry Potter, but remains hauntingly chilling to listen to. “Kill Caustic” shows sparks of the AFI of old: fast, loud, and in your face. You can still tell that the band’s pop sensibilities are shining through again, though. The album proceeds to throw itself in different directions throught the course of nearly an hour. Listening to “Love Like Winter” will make you ask yourself if you just jumped back into the 80s. More synths and effects have been added to this album than any other. The band have really tried to keep moving their sound forward on this disc and have done a great job.

If the right singles are picked(I don’t think “Miss Murder” was a great choice), A.F.I. should have no problem surpassing the sales of “Sing the Sorrow” and gaining a multitude of new fans.

Track Listing
1. Prelude 12/21
2. Kill Caustic
3. Miss Murder
4. Summer Shudder
5. The Interview
6. Love Like Winter
7. Affliction
8. The Missing Frame
9. Kiss and Control
10. The Killing Lights
11. 37mm
12. Endlessly, She Said

Lostprophets – Liberation Transmission

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Lostprophets

Artist: Lostprophets
Album: Liberation Transmission
Label: Columbia
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: June 27, 2006

Overall: 7.9
Music: 8.5
Lyrics: 7.3
Production: 8.0

These Welsh lads have been gradually positioning themselves to take over the U.S. rock charts for the past five years. “The Fakesound of Progress” was a gem that will forever remain one of my top albums of all time; mixing elements of punk, hardcore, emo, and straight up alt. rock in a schizophrenic frenzy that if you were lucky enough to get, it would change your expectations of rock music. “Start Something” was the album to launch the band into the mainstream with singles like “Last Train Home” and “Make a Move(Wake Up)” capturing the hearts of new listeners with their pop polish shining through. While not as complex as “Fakesound,” “Start Something” was still a solid album full of strong songs.

Now, two years later, we have “Liberation Transmission.” This is the record that will make or break the band for the mainstream. The album is full of radio ready songs and some tracks that are better suited to being listened to off the radio.

Ian Watkins has always amazed me vocally, both live and on disc. Once again, he doesn’t disappoint. The lyrics are nothing complex, but are the product of someone knowing how to craft solid pop/rock songs. However, with themes of hope and a line dropped from “The Goonies” in a chorus(Andie, you goonie!) you can’t help but forgive the fact you’re not looking at pretentiousness from a seasoned act like Lostprophets.

Lee Gaze and Mike Lewis bring on the shred with their guitars, managing to once again build parts that stick out in your head, helping put this band heads and shoulders above others musically.

I will warn you, this is one of those albums that grows on you with multiple listens. I had high expectations, and when I first gave these tracks a listen, I was a little bored, but I sat down with the album again and realized these are all great songs. Then the more I listened, the more I grew to love this album. In some ways, it’s weaker than “Start Something”, and in others it’s stronger. The fact of the matter is, if you like this band, you will like this album. If you’ve been thinking of giving them a chance, this is a good place to start. If you’ve never liked them, this probably won’t win you over.

Tracklisting:
1. Everyday Combat
2. A Town Called Hypocrisy
3. A New Transmission
4. Rooftops(A Liberation Transmission)
5. Can’t Stop, Gotta Date With Hate
6. Can’t Catch Tomorrow(Good Shoes Won’t Save You This Time)
7. Everybody’s Screaming!!!
8. Broken Hearts, Torn Up Letters and the Story of a Lonely Girl
9. 4 AM Forever
10. For All These Times Son, For All These Times
11. Heaven For the Weather, Hell For the Company
12. Always All Ways(Apologies, Glances and Messed Up Chances)

Stand Out Tracks
Rooftops/Can’t Stop, Gotta Date With Hate/ Broken Hearts, Torn Up Letters…/For All These Times Son/ Always All Ways

Warped Tour Videos

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I have just posted some live performance videos on my myspace page from the Nashville and Atlanta warped tour dates. There are some videos of Gym Class Heroes, Rookie of the Year, Nural, and Family Force 5. Check it out here.

Note: you will have to have a myspace account to view the videos. The link above will send you to a page to login on myspace. Type in your account and it will automatically direct you to my video page.