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.

An Update From Bayside

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Bayside has left us with an update.

We’re currently writing our new record right now in a warehouse in Babylon, NY. We’re entering the studio on October 10th with producers Shep Goodman and Kenny Gioia (Mandy Moore, Leeanne Womack, LFO). We’re going to record half the record in Rheinbeck, NY at the Clubhouse and half at General Studios in Queens, NY. The record, entitled “the Walking Wounded” will be out in February through Victory Records.

On August 23rd, Bayside will be playing our 1000th show as a band. The show will be at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale, NY. Along with that show we’ll be playing 4 other shows in the Northeast region. Support on all the shows will be Spitalfield, This is Hell and Valencia. Here are the dates……

–Bayside w/Spitalfield, This is Hell, Valenciaâ┚¬Ã¢â‚¬
August 23rd – Farmingdale, NYԚ  @Ԛ  Crazy Donkey *1000th Bayside Show*
August 24th – Pittsburgh, PAԚ  @Ԛ  Mr Smalls Theatre
August 25th – WorcesterԚ  @Ԛ  Palladium
August 26th – Hartford, CTԚ  @Ԛ  Webster
August 27th – Hackensack, NJԚ  @Ԛ  School of Rock

On September 2nd we leave for a few weeks of shows in Europe with label-mates Aiden, The Audition and The Sleeping. Here are the dates…

–Aiden, Bayside, the Audition, The Sleeping–
September 3rd – Oxford, England @Ԛ  Zodiac
September 5th – Dublin, IrelandԚ  @Ԛ  TMBC
September 6th – Belfast, IrelandԚ  @Ԛ  Mandela Hall
September 7th – Glasgow, ScotlandԚ  @Ԛ  Garage
September 8th – Aberdeen, ScotlandԚ  @Ԛ  Moshulu
September 9th – Sunderland, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  Manor Quay
September 10th – Norwich, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  Waterfront
September 13th – Manchester, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  MDH
September 14th – Liverpool, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  Academy 2
September 15th – Leicester, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  UNI
September 16th – Nottingham, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  Rock City
September 17th – Stoke, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  Sugarmill
September 20th – Cardiff, WalesԚ  @Ԛ  Coal Exchange
September 21st – Bristol, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  University
September 22nd – Exeter, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  Lemon Grove
September 23rd – London, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  Astoria
September 24th – Portsmouth, EnglandԚ  @Ԛ  Wedgewood Rooms

Singer, Anthony Raneri was recently engaged to girlfriend Kylee Kross of Burning Angel fame. The two will tie the knot at a January wedding in New York. The wedding will include a performance from Rancid and others.

Victory Signs…

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Victory Records announces the signing of A Day To Remember from Florida and Cincinnatiâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Beneath The Sky. Also check out this mini-presentation of all the new releases coming this fall from Victory Records. Full press release below.

Victory Records announces the signing of A Day To Remember and Beneath The Sky, two bands that promise to challenge the conventions of rock and expand the barriers of the cutting edge.

With an average age of 18.2, Floridaâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s A Day To Remember enter Bostonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Zing Studios (Underoath, Killswitch Engage) in October to record their Victory debut. A Day To Remember formed in early 2003 and developed their distinct brand of melodic punk/metal, which came to fruition on an album released last year by Indianola Records. The album sold over 8,000 copies through word-of-mouth and the bandâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s rigorous road work of almost 200 shows in the last year. The quintet of singer Jeremy McKinnon, guitarists Neil Westfall and Tom Denney, bassist Joshua Woodard and drummer Bobby Scruggs are one in the same with the people that come to their shows. When asked about their shows Josh says â┚¬Ã…”We have a really good live show and put off a good energetic vibe. You have the hardcore kids who want to dance and have a good time, and the girls and pop kids who want to sing all the catchier stuff.â┚¬? The bandâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s dynamic, hybrid sound is often described as a mix between Fall Out Boy, Silverstein, New Found Glory and Underoath.

â┚¬Ã…”A Day to Remember destroys the barriers between pit core and Saves the Day pop with intermittent and equal doses of furious and fast hardcore with vocals ranging from melodic to youth crew chants.â┚¬? â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Interpunk.com

â┚¬Ã…”Beneath the Sky to us is more about just the way we live lifeâ┚¬Ã‚¦ We feel that we all have a very short existence â┚¬Ã‹Å“beneath the skyâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ and that life is worth living and fighting for and making it worthwhileâ┚¬Ã‚¦there are too many negative things going on in the world today to let it affect us and the younger generation. We just need to make the most of things and have fun while were all here,â┚¬? says singer Joey Nelson.

Cincinnatiâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Beneath The Sky formed over two years ago and will enter the studio in September to record their debut album with Jason Suecof (Trivium, The Autumn Offering). The bandâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s brutal blend of metal intensity, catchy melodies, crushing breakdowns and impassioned vocals have an addictive quality that many hard music artists do not successfully capture. They have established themselves through constant touring across the Midwest and Eastern U.S. along with a fantastic following on the Internet that has led to virally infectious word of mouth.

Beneath The Sky are: Joey Nelson â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Vocals, Jeff Nelson â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Guitar, Chris Profitt- Guitar , Matt Jones- Keytar, Nick Scarberry – Bass and Brandon Sowder â┚¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Drums.

Donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t miss Beneath The Sky before they enter the studio:

Aug 17: The Muse Nashville, TN
Aug 18: The Fire Escape Kingsport, TN
Aug 19: Hardrock Tavern Myrtle Beach, SC
Aug 20: The Spot Charlotte , NC
Aug 21: Volume Record Shop Virginia Beach, VA
Aug 22: Flight Test Records Hickory, NC
Aug 23: Marrz Theatre Wilmington, NC
Aug 24: Lookout Heights Civic Club Ft Wright, KY
Aug 25: Nostalgia Milwaukee, WI
Aug 26: Blingerz Quincy, MI
Aug 27: The Empty Cup Syracuse, NY
Aug 29: Sights And Sounds Farmingville, NY
Aug 30: Sons Of Italy Cotuit, MA
Aug 31: Saratoga Winners Latham, NY
Sep 1: Nyabighi Youngstown, OH
Sep 2: Forever Sports Springfield, OH

Nights Like These – The Faithless

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Nights Like These

Artist: Nights Like These
Album: The Faithless
Label: Victory Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: June 13, 2006

Overall: 4.0
Music: 4.5
Lyrics: 4.0
Production: 4.0

Just another â┚¬Ã…”hardâ┚¬? band thrown into the Victory Records melting pot. Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m not a big fan of this CD at all. The longest itself being around 5:05 while the other songs range from a little over a minute to three minutes they donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t give you enough time between to let the wax melt out of your ears. One song meshes directly into the other leaving you there either hearing the same thing or being thrown completely for a loop. The breakdowns are about the only thing that leave you satisfied and the fact that there is no high pitch screaming or screeching.â┚¬Ã…”We Were Meant To Ruinâ┚¬? and the back of melody music was a nice touch. If youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re a fan of heavy and deep growling throughout an entire CD. As much as I dislike the CD, I have a feeling these guys will be maturing within the next few years and will hopefully add a bit of diversity to the next CD.

Track Listing
1. Storming Valhalla
2. Head Of Medusa
3. Destroy The Stairs
4. Scavenger’s Daughter
5. Memento Mori
6. Ghost Town Rituals
7. Symphony For the Plague
8. Bury The Messenger
9. We Were Meant For Ruin
10. Eternal Tempest
11. Let The Waters Overtake Us

Between The Buried And Me – The Anatomy Of

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Between The Buried And Me

Artist: Between The Buried And Me
Album: The Anatomy Of
Label: Victory Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: June 13, 2006

Overall: 7.0
Lyrics: 7.4
Music: 7.0
Production: 6.8

The first thing that surprised me about this album after putting it in and giving it a listen was the fact that all of these songs were covers. Most would ask why do a cover album when you can put out another great original album. For me, “The Anatomy Of” showed off just how versatile Giles’ voice can get. His voice mimicks originals so well on some of these covers that you could swear it was the original singer. However, some people are put off the fact that why listen to something so just like the other when you’ve heard it before anyway. By putting this album out Between The Buried And Me are introducing their fans to older bands, older songs, and just wear some of these styles of music were introduced. For fans who have listened to the original songs and bands, well you’re in for a treat. This album is packed with vocal twists, acoustics, soulful singing, hardcore choruses, and an all around unoriginal original sound.

Tracklisting
1. Blackened (Metallica)
2. Kickstart My Heart (Motley Crue)
3. Day I Tried To Live (Soundgarden)
4. Bicycle Race (Queen)
5. Three Of A Perfect Pair (King Crimson)
6. Us And Them (Pink Floyd)
7. Geek U.S.A. (Smashing Pumpkins)
8. Forced March (Earth Crisis)
9. Territory (Sepultura)
10. Change (Blind Melon)
11. Malpractice (Faith No More)
12. Little 15 (Depeche Mode)
13. Cemetery Gates (Pantera)
14. Colorblind (Counting Crows) – Bonus Track

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)

Atreyu – A Deathgrip on Yesterday

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Atreyu

Artist: Atreyu
Album: A Deathgrip on Yesterday
Label: Victory Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: March 28, 2006

Overall: 7.4
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 6.0
Production: 8.3

Atreyu are back, and to the dismay of many fans, “A Deathgrip On Yesterday” is not “Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses Pt. II” that they have been waiting for. It is, however, reminiscent of it. It has all the pissed off lines of “Suicide Notes..” while keeping the musical style of “The Curse.” Clocking in at a little over 30 minutes and having nine tracks is bound to upset some people. Don’t ask me what they were thinking, because I don’t know.

“Creature” opens the album with the signature Atreyu sound; Metal tinged guitars that evolve into jock rock chord progressions, and the dueling vocals of Alex Varkatzas and drummer Brandon Saller. Lyrically, this song is closer to “Suicide Notes..” as there are no Vampire references flooding your ears.

“Shameful” starts off showcasing Saller’s melodic presence as Alex serves as backup this time. Brandon’s voice has only gotten better over the past three records. If there was no screaming, this would be a straight up rock song as opposed to the “metalcore/hardcore/post-hardcore/whatever” label people have tagged this band with.

“Our Sick Story” is more of the classic Atreyu formula. Screamed verses with explosive melodic/scream-tinged choruses. Plus, there’s a guitar solo to boot!(Doesn’t compare to “Lipgloss and Black’s”, though.)

“The Theft” is a real oddity. You’ve never heard a song like this from Atreyu before. It’s a fucking ballad! I’m sorry, but that was my initial reaction to the song. You’re honestly going to be like, “What the Hell?” when you hear this. Don’t get me wrong, though. The song isn’t bad. Alex actually sings here. I don’t know why this dude hates his melodic voice. It’s pretty good on here. It definitely sounds like he’s worked with it, though.

“We Stand Up” will help you remember that you’re listening to Atreyu. It’s fast, heavy, and one of my favorite tracks on the album.

“Ex’s and Oh’s” is the “Drink Your Problems Away” anthem. I could easily get drunk to this song and have a ton of fun with it, even though it’s not a happy song by any means. Hell, it sounds like the band may have been drunk when they wrote it.

“Your Private War” is weak, basic Atreyu filler. Skip it.

“My Fork In the Road” is lyrically weak, but the music more than makes up for it. Despite the basic lyrics, the song is enjoyable.

“Untitled (Finale)” is another strong track musically, but the lyrics leave a lot to be desired. This is also not the best way to end this album.

With an even balance of high and low points, Atreyu still haven’t found the right spot. They seem to still be toying around with their sound, but this album seemed rushed, writing wise. Lyrically, I’m not impressed. Another, more focused, concept album could be what this band needs.

Track Listing
1. Creature
2. Shameful
3. Our Sick Story (Thus Far)
4. The Theft
5. We Stand Up
6. Ex’s and Oh’s
7. Your Private War
8. My Fork In the Road
9. Untitled (Finale)

Action Action – An Army of Shapes Between Wars

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Action Action

Artist: Action Action
Album: An Army of Shapes Between Wars
Label: Victory
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: January 24, 2006

Overall: 7.9
Lyrics: 7.7
Music: 9.0
Production: 8.8

I loved The Reunion Show. “The Motion” remains one of my favorite EPs to date. I loved Count the Stars. “Never Be Taken Alive” is the soundtrack to a summer for me. I was devasted when both bands broke up. Then again, I was ecstatic when I heard remains of these bands would be forming a new band. “Don’t Cut Your Fabric to This Year’s Fashion” had some good songs on it, but let me down. There was a lot of boring stuff on that album. I can’t say the same for “An Army…”

Holy synth-lines abound, Batman! This album’s packing heat in the form of keys and beats. The opening track, “Smoke and Mirrors” is heavy with synth and Mark’s voice fits the mood perfectly.

Let’s hop forward a couple of songs to “Sleep Paralysis.” This is an ubeat number telling “everyone to wake up.” Head his words. This song will have you dancing about. Not to mention the outtro to the song will have you scratching your head while it’s still bobbing up and down. If you took a recorder(like the ones you had to practice with in Jr. High for band) and screwed around with it in fruity loops, you’d have this sound.

The album’s first single, “The Game,” is reminiscent of retro-rock such as Rooney. For real. I’m not kidding. Aside from Mark’s voice, I could see this being on a Rooney disc. The big difference is; I like Rooney. I don’t like this song. There’s no synth here, and honestly, when it’s present, that’s this band at their finest.

“Paper Cliche” picks things back up. It sounds like Shiny Toy Guns minus female vocals. I dig this song pretty well and would add it to rotation at a club. It rocks out allowing you to thrash and groove at the same time.

“120 Ways to Kill You: An Illustrated Children’s Book” has a very “80s feel” to it. This song is one of my favorites on the album.

Unless you want to go to sleep, skip “What Temperature Does Air Freeze At?” This song tries to be artsy and fails. It’s pretty boring.

Aside from the last two tracks on the disc, the rest are synth-driven pop that will make you want to go listen to Joy Division. That’s where this band are at their finest. Stop making slow music, because frankly, we’re listening to you for the novelty that you’re a synth-pop band. We want dancy, upbeat stuff. Take out the few sleepy songs next time around, and I’ll be 100% happy.

If you liked the first album, definitely pick this one up, because it’s way better. If you didn’t like the first album, give this one a spin and see what you think.

Track Listing
1. Smoke and Mirrors
2. Chemical Frustration
3. A Tornado; An Owl
4. Sleep Paralysis
5. The Game
6. Paper Cliche
7. 120 Ways to Kill You: An Illustrated Children’s Book
8. What Temperature Does Air Freeze?
9. The Other 90% of the Iceberg
10. Analogue Logic
11. Don’t Shoot the Messenger(Not My Idea)
12. Attached to the Fifth Story
13. The Blanket Truth