Local Spotlight: Falling Through the Center of the Earth

Band Name: Falling Through the Center of the Earth
Band Members: Dan Boyle, Ari Gazetas, Dank Bill, Pat Fitzmaurice, Matt Kohanowski
Hometown: West Milford,NJ
Formed: 2014
Genre: Metal

Album Review: The Story So Far - Songs Of EP

Hate all you want, but at some point, you're going to need to give credit where credit is due: The Story So Far have figured out where they fit into the grand scheme of the scene, and they know how to keep finding ways to increase their already exponentially-expanding fanbase. Last year's sophomore effort What You Don't See was a mental maturation and audible tightening of the screws from the brash, bold, often immature Under Soil and Dirt. 2013 also saw the band stray from their pop-punk starter kit sound, opting for a stripped-down, subdues effort on a split with The Story So Far. Maybe it was the fact that Tumblr went crazy for the acoustic track "Clairvoyant" that turned out to be one of the band's best songs, the fact that they're on Warped Tour this summer, or the fact that their meteoric rise through the ranks may be too rapid for indie label Pure Noise Records to handle, but something's possessed the band to keep their creative juices flowing. And the result of that motivation, whatever its cause may be, has produced a brand new EP, Songs Of. 

Keep Calm Presents: An Interview with Dylan Mattheisen of Tiny Moving Parts

  

 

     On June 5th, Tiny Moving Parts played to yet another sold-out crowd while a part of Modern Baseball's headlining tour.  Amidst all of the excitement of playing five sold-out shows in a row, including one at Webster Hall with 600+ people, Tiny Moving Part's Dylan Mattheisen took some time to chat with Keep Calm and Carry On about tour, an upcoming LP, and signing to Triple Crown Records!

Album Review: Tigers Jaw - Charmer

Throughout the early stages of this so-called "emo revivial," there were a few bands that held things down for the newcomers like Have Mercy, The Hotelier, or Old Gray came and really started the movement. One of them, very quietly, was Tigers Jaw. With their moody, smooth jams and their ability to capture the emotions of any given moment while always evolving their sound and setting the pace for the sound of the scene as we know it. They've been one of the most respected bands to come up from this scene in the last few years, and on Charmer, their fourth full-length, Tigers Jaw continue to prove why so many have fallen in love with them.

Album Review: Muscle & Bone- "Peace & Light"

 

     2014 seems to be the year that 90's emo is making a huge comeback.  This is partially due to awesome young bands making new music reminiscent of the sound that started the genre some 20 years ago.  Muscle & Bone's debut LP Peace & Light is yet another stellar emo album released this year that combines both new and old influences, giving a fresh take on an older sound. 

Album Review: The Menzingers- Rented World

The Menzingers are in the midst of a streak which has become exceedingly rare. To use some allegories from the world outside of the music scene, they are in the midst of a Joe DiMaggio-esque 56-game hitting streak or a Franklin Delano Roosevelt presidential election streak. Releasing three straight critically acclaimed punk albums in a 4 year span is something that almost no modern punk band has been able to accomplish. Even The Menzingers’ contemporaries in The Gaslight Anthem fell victim to critical fatigue with American Slang (an album that received mixed reviews upon its release). Yet, hot off the heels of their breakthrough record Chamberlain Waits in 2010, The Menzingers released one of the best-written albums punk of the 21^st century in On The Impossible Past in 2012. Would they crack under the pressure of having to follow-up what would be many other bands’ magnum opus, or could they respond with another classic album? 

Keep Calm Presents: An Interview with Christian Holden of The Hotelier

     It's very rare that an album comes out in the end of February and is quickly named an Album of the Year contender.  Yet, for The Hotelier's Home, Like No Place is There, there is no question that this album is the one to beat for 2014.  A name change and one new album later, The Hotelier is taking the music scene by storm, whether they recognize it or not.  Luckily for Keep Calm and Carry On, vocalist Christian Holden sat down with us a few weeks back in Brooklyn to discuss the name change, crowd reactions, and, of course, the album that we cannot stop talking about.  Big thanks to Christian for taking some time out of this hectic night for an interview!

Keep Calm Presents: An Interview with Joey Vannucchi of From Indian Lakes

 A couple weeks back, I had the opportunity to sit down the From Indian Lake's frontman Joey Vannucchi to talk about their recent headlining tour, signing to Triple Crown Records, and the making of their next full length.  Big thanks to Joey and the rest of guys From Indian Lakes for hanging out with Keep Calm and Carry On! 

Album Review: The Used- Imaginary Enemy

Halfway through the second track of Imaginary Enemy, I exclaimed, “They’ve finally done it- they’ve put it all together on an album.” This was right around the bridge of “Cry,” when vocalist Bert McCracken cuts through a series of electronic effects to offer a guttural screech of “Nicer than that.” What follows is a punishing 25 seconds of metal riffs provided by guitarist Quinn Allman and bassist Jeph Howard. 

The opening track, ”Revolution,” and the track I spoke about above, “Cry,” are just about everything I could possibly expect in an album from The Used. They’re upbeat, incendiary emo anthems. If only the rest of the album could be like that.

Album Review: Chiodos- Devil

    

     With Craig Owens returning to Chiodos, balance was restored in the world and things seemed right again.  Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but in all seriousness, I've been waiting for Craig Owens to come back to this band since he left.  While this may not be the line-up that gave fans All is Well that Ends Well and Bone Palace Ballet (original lead guitarist Jason Hale left in 2012, replaced by former- Fall of Troy guitarist Thomas Erak), Chiodos’s newest LP Devil hits us with passion reminiscent of the pre-Illuminaudio days without losing the growth they found in instrumental technicality.

Album Review: Manchester Orchestra - Cope

God, where have you been? Manchester Orchestra have been quiet for far too long. It's been four years since the release of the band's polarizing third full-length Simple Math, which was a sharp left turn from the guitar-driven Mean Everything to Nothing. The band's dabbling in atmospheric layering and experimentation-based rock did produce some great moments, but it wasn't quite up to par with Everything to Nothing or the band's debut I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child. Never the type of band to pander to what the outside voices are saying about them, the band took their time and have now returned with Cope, and the hopes of returning to their place as one of the most talked-about bands in alternative rock.

Album Review: Seahaven- Reverie Lagoon: Music for Escapism Only

    

    When Seahaven announced the title for their most recent LP, I rolled my eyes, thinking it was both cheesy and unnecessarily long.  However, upon listening, Reverie Lagoon: Music for Escapism Only is a pretty accurate description of California band's latest release.  Taking a step back for the punchy lyrics and heavy lines heard in Winter Forever and the quick tempos of Ghost, this album takes a different turn, focusing on ambient instrumentals with Kyle Soto's droning and longing vocals.

Album Review: Tokyo Police Club - Forcefield

The wait has been far too long for Tokyo Police Club's 3rd full-length album. The band released Champ in 2010, and became indie darlings thanks to their infectious melodies, quirky lyrics, and talented indie-rock musicianship. After that came the band's ambitious covers compilation (featuring Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" and a moving rendition of Miley Cyrus's "Party in the USA"), and a long time away from the spotlight. Their touring was minimal, and news of a future release was nonexistent. Now, four years after Champ was unleashed to the world, Tokyo Police Club are back, and it's like they've never even left.

Album Review: Fireworks- Oh, Common Life

When Fireworks returned to the forefront of the pop-punk of the scene with their sophomore full-length album Gospel in 2011, the release was met with some uncertainty from its fanbase. The release seemed a significant departure from the straightforward pop-punk songwriting of the band’s debut album All I Have to Offer Is My Own Confusion. However, the summer anthems and wild sing-alongs of Gospel have fittingly become something of a pop-rock Holy Text over the past two years. It should come as no surprise then that I greeted Firework’s most recent full-length album Oh, Common Life- and the sonic shift that accompanies it- with an element of trepidation at first. Would they be able to recreate the magic that made Gospel one of my favorite albums of 2011?

Album Review: I am the Avalanche - Wolverines

I am the Avalanche have one of the coolest stories behind them in the punk world, bar none. Formed after frontman Vinnie Caruana's first band The Movielife parted ways, the band have been around since 2005, but that existence featured a six-year break between their debut self-titled effort and 2011's Avalanche United. This felt like a hiatus, with the band playing only a scarce amount of shows and popping up briefly here and there. Propelled by Caruana's charisma and sterling reputation, however, there was always a clamoring for more, which likely helped Avalanche United see the light of day. With their feet firmly planted in the ground now, the band have halved their between-album window to release Wolverines, their third full-length that finds the band finally coming into their own.

Album Review: La Dispute- Rooms of the House

 

     It’s has never been easy to categorize La Dispute or nail them down to one specific genre.  Thanks to the newest addition to their discography, Rooms of the House makes it utterly impossible.  Each track plays in its part illustrating the demise of passionless relationship whose love fades into oblivion through the album's progression.  While vocalist Jordan Dreyer is known for having an eloquent way of explaining the deepest emotions surrounding the most horrifying events, he takes a step back from the pure devastation of Wildlife’s “King Park” as he meticulously analyzes the everyday motions of muddling through life alone in a marriage.  It’s the brutal simplicity of events that make them just as haunting as “All Our Bruised Bodies” and “Andria.”  

Album Review: Taking Back Sunday- Happiness Is

Before delivering an assessment of Taking Back Sunday’s most recent album, I feel it may be important to delve into the band’s history. After releasing two critically acclaimed albums on Victory Records, they shifted to a major for their mainstream breakthrough Louder Now and the disappointing follow-up New Again. While the release of 2011’s self-titled reunion with the original Tell All Your Friends lineup was generally hailed as a success, it was fraught with mismanagement from the label that released the album, Warner Bros. The band commented in interviews about how Warner did not promote the album adequately, and on the bonus disc that came with the self-titled even hinted that the label made the band take songs off of the tracklisting (the biggest loss being the stellar B-side “Mourning Sickness”). Because of this disappointment with Warner Bros., the band recently moved to Hopeless Records, allowing them to retain some autonomy over their musical direction and tracking decisions. 

Keep Calm Presents: An Interview with Jon Simmons of Balance and Composure

 

     If you follow Keep Calm and Carry On or even if you know any of  us personally, you know how much we love Balance and Composure and how much respect we have for the vocalist Jon Simmons.  For the second time in Keep Calm history, we had to chance to talk to Jon and catch up on B&C news as well as get some insight on his recent solo performances.  Huge thanks to him for taking some time to sit down with us and CUBRat for putting this show together.

Tour Review: Major League at GameChanger World 3/08

  

    New Jersey is known for having one of the best local scenes around, usually ranking just under the Philly market for having really passionate fans and some wild shows.  The School of Rock in South Hackensack, an essential piece of the NJ punk rock scene, closed its doors in 2011 and left an entire region full of kids without an all-ages venue that supported big tours as well as the local scene.  Since it closed, I had yet to find a venue that offers a place for the younger crowd while still booking awesome shows.  Thankfully this past Saturday, the new venue GameChangerWorld in Howell is giving NJ what its lacking.  Opening up this past January, the venue has two stages, a main stage for touring bands and a small stage in the back for local bands to play in between sets (it's actually genius).  All night, I watched hoards of kids move from stage to stage, appreciating the music and having an awesome night- exactly the way I had a couple years back at School of Rock.  Also, the venue was super clean and the staff was incredibly nice which, being an old woman trapped in a 19 year old's body, I appreciated.  GameChanger is booking more shows and is in the process of really getting going so if you have a chance to see a show there or are bored one night, stop by and support this venue and your local scene.

Album Review: Bayside - Cult

Longevity is not a guarantee. It is not to be expected, demanded, or even begged for; rather, it is earned. Those bands who are able to stick around for a long time do so not because they jump trends, "sell out," market themselves well, have a strong business plan, or the best merch designs, but because the quality of the product they make is consistent, meaningful, and ever-evolving. There are very few bands who can say that they have accomplished the feat of longevity, but thankfully, Bayside has become one of them. On their sixth full-length album Cult, the band begin to look back on their storied career, and the result is some of its most empowered material yet.