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.

Review: Yellowcard – “For You, and Your Denial”

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Yellowcard is set to release their new album, When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes, on March 22. The bands first single “For You, And Your Denial” is available now on [itunes link=”http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/for-you-and-your-denial/id412806419?uo=4″ title=”For You and Your Denial” text=”iTunes”].

Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue was a turning point for the band and by far a fan favorite. A mixture of long touring and a change in direction led to a few lack luster follow ups and eventually a hiatus in 2008.

With the bands return, they are also making sure to keep the energy high on their new album and “For You, And Your Denial” showcases this energy like its still 2003 and Ocean Avenue is playing on everyones retro iPod or even better, an actual CD. “For You, And Your Denial” features the classic violin we have come to know from Yellowcard while still brining the energetic guitars and what even feels like a bit of darkness to it.

Can we expect a great album from Yellowcard? Will it be like they never left? Will the fans still line up to hear their new songs or will they just be hoping to hear the classics? Let us know your thoughts on the song and the upcoming album.

Jet Lag Gemini – Fire the Cannons

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Fire the Cannons

Artist: Jet Lag Gemini
Album: Fire the Cannons
Label: Doghouse Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: January 22nd, 2008

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

The release of this record saw delays and hold ups. Originally set to be released in the fall of ’06 the album was pushed back to early this year. Nevertheless it was worth the wait! Fire the Cannons is an explosive release, that proves the group’s rock credibility and clearly shows that they have staying power. The opener, Run This City, is a familiar sounding catchy rock tune that illustrates Jet Lag’s pop sensibility. This track sets the scene, providing a polished landscape for the album. Seamlessly flowing into, Doctor, Please! A fantastic hook-filled song, which is my pick for standout track on the album. Bittersweet, offers the soon to be sing along line of the early half of this year. “And you can find it in a heartbeat, and leave it tangled in the bed sheets.” Cannons slows down perfectly in the middle with, Stepping Stone, including a breakdown that is reminiscent of Guns N’ Roses. The group dives into their punk rock roots with the snarled, Every Minute which is somewhat in the vein of The Matches.

Concluding with, Picture Frames, this quite closer illustrates more spectacular guitar work and wraps the record up in perfect fashion. These young Jersey rockers have all the chops and rock riffs to make a notable name for themselves. Be sure to catch them on tour now and on Warped this summer, you won’t regret it!

Standout Track
Doctor, Please!

Track Listing
1. Run This City
2. Doctor, Please!
3. The Bad Apples
4. Bittersweet
5. Stepping Stone
6. Fit to Be Tied
7. Just Say How
8. If It Was up to Me
9. Every Minute
10. Keep This With You
11. Picture Frames

Ivoryline – There Came A Lion

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Ivoryline

Artist: Ivoryline
Album: There Came A Lion
Label: Tooth & Nail
Purchase: Interpunk
Release Date: February 5, 2008

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

Clean vocals with a hard rock edge ring out on Ivoryline’s debut Tooth & Nail album, There Came A Lion. I’ve always been a sucker for a rock band to have this exact criteria of good clean vocals with a harder edge and Ivoryline pull it off quite well. Stellar songs like “Parade” and “Bravery” are filled with catchy hooks and strong vocals that remind me of everything from Anberlin to Saosin. Its not all that often you find an album you can put in and enjoy without having to think about it too much, its easy to enjoy.

If you are a fan of Anberlin, Saosin, or the clean vocal / hard edge style I described above then this album should bring your ears some pleasure.

Standout tracks: “Parade”, “Bravery”, “Left Us Falling”

Track Listing
1. Days End
2. We Both Know
3. Parade
4. All You Ever Hear
5. Be Still and Breathe
6. Remind Me I’m Alive
7. Left Us Falling
8. And The Truth Will End This
9. Bravery
10. Hearts and Minds
11. The Last Words

Children 18:3 – Children 18:3

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Children 18:3

Artist: Children 18:3
Album: Children 18:3
Label: Tooth & Nail
Purchase: Children 18:3
Release Date: February 26, 2008

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

Tooth & Nail newcomers, Children 18:3, hail from the smallest of all places… rural Minnesota, however, that doesn’t have any kind of effect on the bands classic punk rock sound. This trio of siblings know how to work together to pull off song after song filled with punk rock hooks and balanced dual vocals. Upon first listen, your ears hear the likes of The Clash and other old school punk bands mixed with a dash of todays upbeat pop punk. This sound will draw you in for a repeat listen and even more as you get the beats bouncing around in your head.

Children 18:3’s debut album is not to be missed if you are in the mood for some new school punk rock that doesn’t ditch yesterdays influence.

Standout tracks: “All My Balloons”, “LCM”, “You Know We’re All So Fond Of Dying”

Track Listing
1. All My Balloons
2. LCM
3. You Know We’re All So Fond Of Dying
4. Search Warrant
5. Even Sleeping
6. Ditches
7. The City
8. Homemade Valentine
9. Samantha
10. Mock The Music
11. A Chance To Say Goodbye
12. Time and Wasted Bullets
13. Balloons Reprise
14. Final

New Found Glory – Hits

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Artist: New Found Glory
Album: Hits
Label: Universal
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: May 18, 2008

Overall: 7.0
Music: 6.0
Lyrics: 7.0
Production: 8.0

New Found Glory, I remember when they were going by A New Found Glory and they were putting out some good music, also around the time Drive-Thru Records had good bands on the label. Now a few years have passed by, New Found Glory left Drive-Thru and went major. Then New Found Glory went back to Drive-Thru with their release From Your Screen To Your Stereo: Part II. I don’t know how that release went for them, but I have a feeling it didn’t to that great as Part I. Now they have a Hits.

I feel like I have the right to say that New Found Glory spiraled down when they went major, because I’ve been listening to them for quite some time now and I remember thinking “Damn, there goes another good band” when I found out they were leaving Drive-Thru. Drive-Thru may not be good now, but back in the day (4 or so years ago) they had Rx Bandits, The Movielife, Allister, Fenix Tx, Senses Fail and the Starting Line on there, but I digress. With Hits you get to hear what New Found Glory is all about, pop-punk from track 2-6 and another band gone major from 7-11. If it was up to me, I would have not put a “hits” album but rather a collection of New Found Glory songs from their first albums they’ve put out. If you want to listen to some good New Found Glory I say go get Nothing Gold Can Stay and New Found Glory.

Track Listing:
1. Situations
2. Hit Or Miss
3. Dressed To Kill
4. My Friends Over You
5. Head On Collision
6. Understatement
7. All Downhill From Here
8. I Don’t Wanna Know
9. Failure’s Not Flattering
10. It’s Not Your Fault
11. Hold My Hand
12. Constant Static

Promise of Redemption – When the Flowers Bloom…

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Promise of Redemption

Artist: Promise of Redemption
Album: When the Flowers Bloom…
Label: I Surrender Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: January 22nd, 2008

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

trag·e·dy – Definition: 1) very sad event: an event in life that evokes feelings of sorrow or grief.

How exactly does one recover from a tragedy? I suppose that it is different for everyone, for Valencia frontman Shane Henderson, solace was found in a guitar and piles of photographs; following the untimely passing of his girlfriend Dana Burrell. When the Flowers Bloom… is a honest and sincere look at heartache and loss, 13 tracks of sorrow, hope, and a great attempt at recovery. Henderson’s raw emotion pours out of each song, as the stripped down acoustic sound of the record possesses more intensity than any sonically charged rock album. In my opinion, if Shane’s experience could be summed up in one song, it would be “Trace Those Steps” – which is why I’ve named it the Standout track. I had sometime to meet with Shane this past summer, and he is a very genuine individual, why something so horrible could happen to such a nice person is unknown. Nevertheless, I’m sure through every chord, and each show Dana is smiling down on Shane, and is now more apart of his life than ever. When the Flowers Bloom…, is a heartfelt tribute, and a meaningful record that can comfort and offer hope.

Standout Track
Trace Those Steps

Track Listing
1. Getting Through
2. How Fast
3. From the Second I Wake Up…
4. Oh the Way
5. Remembering the First Day
6. When the Flowers Bloom
7. Live in Love
8. Sunsets and Pictures
9. A Long Way Home
10. Rough Road Leads to the Stars
11. Dana Leigh
12. It Just Takes Time
13. Trace Those Steps

The Boy And His Machine – All That We Make It

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The Boy And His Machine

Artist: The Boy And His Machine
Album: All That We Make It
Label: Unsigned
Listen: MySpace
Release Date: December 7, 2007

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

Some people may have written off pop-punk over the past few years but for others its still rocking their stereos. The Boy And His Machine’s new EP All That We Make It should be on of those CD’s in your current playlist. Ron Griffo (Vocals, Guitar), Joey Arena (Guitar), Christan Adams (Bass), and Ryan Martin (Drums) bring their edgy rock to the table in tracks like “Thinking Of An Escape” and “Worth The Wait” while cranking up the melody on “The Plan” and the title track “All That We Make It.” Ron’s vocals are compelling and compliment each song’s harmony. My favorite track is “Worth The Wait” as it showcases the bands full style and what they have to offer to their fans.

With a full-length album in the works, there are only good things to look forward to when it comes to The Boy And His Machine.

Track Listing
1. All That We Make It
2. The Plan
3. Thinking of An Escape
4. Worth The Wait

The Maine – The Way We Talk

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The Maine

Artist: The Maine
Album: The Way We Talk
Label: Fearless Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: December 11th, 2007

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

The phrase “immediately catchy” is often thrown around these days when referring to new music. However The Maine brings upon new meaning to those words with their debut effort, The Way We Talk. The Arizona based quintet is sure to make waves in the upcoming year. Their swaying pop/rock melodies are well beyond their years, as showcased with the opener, “If I Only Had the Heart” and each of the accompanying tracks. All I can say is that Fearless Records has locked in another winner, and will undoubtedly produce more great music in 2008. I greatly anticipate a full length release from The Maine, this band creates fantastic music and has the chops to make that music something exciting and special.

Recommended if you like: Cute Is What We Aim For, Plain White T’s

Standout Track
The Way We Talk

Track Listing
1. If I Only Had the Heart
2. The Way We Talk
3. Give Me Anything
4. We Change, We Wait
5. The Town’s Been Talkin’

The Wonder Years – Get Stoked on It

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Get Stoked on It

Artist: The Wonder Years
Album: Get Stoked on It
Label: No Sleep Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: October 30th, 2007

Overall: 9.0
Music: 9.0
Lyrics: 9.0
Production: 8.0

The Wonder Years have successfully created a fun post hardcore synth fused rock album with Get Stoked on It! The lyrics are fresh and amusing; each song is a vibrant breath of fresh air. From its opening homage to their hometown to the space influenced “Buzz Aldrin: The Poster Boy for Second Place” the album flows impeccably from one song to another. Finally you can slow down and catch your breath with the acoustic track “Racing Trains” however the break is short lived as “Zombies Are the New Black” kicks everything back into full gear. The pace stays frantic and fun through it’s closer the aptly titled “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong.” Plain and simple this record is a great listen!

Recommended if you like: Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals, Motion City Soundtrack

Standout Track
When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong

Track Listing
1. Keystone State Dude-Core
2. Bout to Get Fruit Punched, Homie
3. Buzz Aldrin: The Poster Boy for Second Place
4. Let’s Moshercise!!!
5. What If We [Swam] Into Nothing?
6. Racing Trains
7. Zombies are the New Black
8. We Were Giants
9. My Geraldine Lies Over the Delaware
10. Dude, What Is a Land Pirate?
11. I Fell In Love with a Ninja Master
12. When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong

Envy on the Coast – Lucy Gray

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Lucy Gray

Artist: Envy on the Coast
Album: Lucy Gray
Label: Photo Finish
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: August 7th, 2007

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

Better late than never… even though Lucy Gray was released in August and the fact that I’m just getting to it, holds no barring on the record itself or Envy on the Coast. This album is filled with stirring post-hardcore, laced with incredibly catchy overtones. Each song takes on a different direction and its own unique shape. Lucy Gray is a fun listen, and it’s great to hear a band break the mold and create something as original as this record.

Recommended if you like: Tacking Back Sunday and Glassjaw

Track Listing
1. Sugar Skulls
2. Artist and Repertoire
3. The Gift of Paralysis
4. Tell Them That She’s Not Scared
5. (x) Amount of Truth
6. Vultures
7. Mirrors
8. If God Smokes Cheap Cigars
9. Starving Your Friends
10. Lapse
11. “…Because All Suffering Is Sweet to Me.”
12. “I’m Breathing…Are You Breathing Too?”