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

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: 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: Old Gray / Tiny Moving Parts Split 7" EP

     From looking at each band's discography separately, it would be naive to think the Old Gray/Tiny Moving Parts split would be anything but devastating.  In the past year, both bands have made great strides in popularity.  Although that brings along tons of anticipation for new material, it also has critics examining such material under a microscope, determining if new releases are a step in the right or wrong direction.  Even with that pressure, this split further secures Old Gray's and Tiny Moving Parts' spots in the genre.  The bands combined their talent and promise into one release that is one of the best splits we've heard all year.  With an underlying theme of anxiety and death running through these four tracks, the bands address similar situations from different perspectives, both sonically and emotionally.  Even so, the subtleties in each track compliment each other impressively well. Let's look at the split track-by-track.

Keep Calm Presents: An Interview with The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

Roughly two months ago (late March 2014), Keep Calm sat down with The World is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die.  What started as the usual interview turned into a half hour long conversation, addressing everything from preparing for their European tour (which just ended), new material in the works, to how they feel about being the term "emo revival." Huge thanks to Greg Horbel and Chris Zizzamia for taking some time to talk to Keep Calm and making this one of the most entertaining interviews I've been a part of.

~Madison

Emo Hall of Fame Inductees

Longtime listeners of the radio show that accompanies this blog may know that in the second ever Keep Calm and Carry On broadcast, Donald Wagenblast inducted twenty songs into the Emo Hall of Fame. This concept was created as a way to showcase some of the songs that have shaped the emo genre.

Here is his first class of twenty inductees from the fall of 2011:

Local Spotlight: On Your Marks

 Long story short, Keep Calm and Carry On will now feature kickass local bands.  To find Madison's full statement on why this is super important to us, click here.  If you're not into that, just be sure to read Keep Calm and Carry On's first Local Spotlight, featuring the incredibly hardworking and cool guys from On Your Marks.

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: 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: 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.”  

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.

Album Review: Modern Baseball - You're Gonna Miss It All

     Very recently, Keep Calm and Carry On did a Most Anticipated Albums of 2014 Roundtable discussion.  It was in that article that I stated You're Gonna Miss It All would either solidify Modern Baseball's spot as the quirky opener for big names or catapult them to a need-to-know band in the emo scene.  Even with high hopes and expectations for this album, it quickly exceeded everything I anticipated.

     The album opens with "Fine, Great," a lyrical punch in the stomach by Brenden Lukens, addressing the anxiety of looking forward when consumed by the past.  Immediately in the first track, the band shows their growth in their lyrical content as well as how they go about getting feelings across.  The words are concise and powerful.  Yet, in true Modern Baseball fashion, Lukens also addresses Instagram in this song, covering all the bases for what makes this band so fun.  Without losing their identity or wacky remarks, the lyrics are powerful, thought-provoking, and relatable.  For anyone who listened to Sports and discounted the band by viewing their quirkiness as immaturity, You're Gonna Miss it All tore that statement in half and stomped on it a couple times.  Modern Baseball created the perfect balance of angst and light-hardheartedness, addressing very real problems in life and love and all the unwarranted emotions and weird obstacles that come along with it.  They don't apologize for any of it, but instead embrace it, making it a new go-to album for anyone hitting life's roadblocks in growing up.

    In addition to well-written quirky lyrics, the instrumentals are both impressive and cohesive.  Several songs begin with a stripped-down plucking on the guitar and maybe some quiet drums before booming into a full-band jam, such as "The Old Gospel Choir" and "Apartment".  "Two Good Things" is a pretty cool track as well, building as it goes. But instead of solely utilizing instruments, the silence is filled in with background vocals, snapping, and clapping along with slow additions of more guitars and bass.  It was a very different and fun way to continue this newfound habit of starting quiet to blow the listener away by the time the chorus hits.  It is not that the overall sound and influences are any different than their first LP Sports.  If anything, it's super similar, except done much better.  Overall, the sound is much fuller and the production is on another level than previous releases.  The raw openings are severely contrasted by the powerful instrumentals that are so fluid that several songs that continue into the next.  As far as genre is concerned, Modern Baseball still combines folky influences, most notably in the sometimes twangy guitars and vocals,  with the punk/emo foundations for a pretty unique sound that attracts fans of many genres.  There's a lot more power in these vocals than we've seen before, inciting different emotions while also highlighting the clear improvement in range.

   Perhaps the most growth and best song of the album is the lead single "Your Graduation," as the combination of sounds, rhythms, and vocals create such a killer song.  Lukens opens up the song with uptempo vocals over a single guitar with drums kicking in a little later.  Yet, it's Sean Huber who steals the show in the second verse, coming in strong yet coarse, taking the song from bitter and a little lost to full out angry and spiteful.  This song just kills it like no other and makes you want to throw stuff at your wall.  Lukens does a great job to build the clenched-teeth emotion all for Huber to take it to a new level with a raspy yell.

    With any first full-length, there's a lot of boundary testing and a hesitation for risk-taking.  However, gaining a fan base with the first LP and a ton of touring, Modern Baseball ran away with that confidence and unleashed their full potential.  You're Gonna Miss It All grabs the listeners from the opening line, keeps them completely enthralled for all twelve songs, and leaves them satisfied yet a little bummed that it had to end. The stream-of-conscious lyrics and relatable lingo hits so close to home, it's almost scary.   After listening to this album several times over, KCACO has reached a consensus than everyone's life is actual a Modern Baseball song.  These guys just get it just as much as your best friend from childhood does.  In the end, for an album that I thought would solidify Modern Baseball's career, it's now an early contender for my Top 20 albums of 2014.  Congratulations, Modern Baseball.  Welcome to the big leagues (I really didn't mean for that to be an awful pun, I'm so sorry).

Song of the Week, 2/03: From Indian Lakes- "Breaking My Bones"

What is it?: Hailing from Yosemite Valley, California, From Indian Lakes offers an eclectic sound that is hard to define within the realm of alternative rock.  They have the indie rock instrumentals down pat, with a center around dynamic guitars and very detailed percussion.  When delving into their 2012 release Able Bodies, production was on point, delivering an extremely full sound without losing any of the complexities of each instrument.  However, it's the vocals of Joey Vannucchi that makes it essentially impossible to put this band into a single sub-genre. It is this diversity within an extremely cohesive and fluid album that makes From Indian Lakes so impressive.  Just looking at "Breaking My Bones," Vannucchi takes a high-pitched, soft verse and immediately transitions into a cutting spoken-word chorus, which sets the tone of the rest of the punchy verses which is somewhat of a hybrid of the two.  Even with that much variety and growth in less than a 4 minute song, nothing seems rushed or chaotic, which is an accomplishment within itself.  Add in the fact the entire song appeals to any one who like indie rock in general despite the alternation of harsh and delicate vocals, this song, and album in general, is not to be ignored.

Why is it Song of the Week?: In late January, these guys announced a full headlining US tour, which everyone should be totally stoked about.  If seeing a headlining From Indian Lakes set isn't enough (it really should be, c'mon now), The American Scene is opening, which is sick.  As far as the venues go for the shows in the tri-state area, they're on the smaller side so you get to watch an intimate show with two bands that absolutely kill it live.  Need I say more?

You can find tickets for the tour here!



Click the link below to hear "Breaking My Bones" by From Indian Lakes off of their 2012 release Able Bodies.

Song of the Week, 1/27: Circa Survive- " Stare Like You'll Stay"

What is it?: In November 2010, Circa Survive released the Appendage EP, featuring b-sides from Blue Sky Noise and the demo version of "Sleep Underground."  As with anything associated with Blue Sky Noise, this EP holds some of Circa Survive's best work.  That statement might be misleading because their "best work" is actually a laundry list of several tracks off each release that somehow outdo the rest.  Nevertheless,  vocalist Anthony Green goes above and beyond in these hidden gems, both accentuating his impressive range and thoughtful, metaphoric lyrics.


Why is it Song of the Week?:  On January 10th, Circa Survive guitarist Brendan Ekstrom revealed via Twitter that the band is writing a new record.  Wanna know what's better that news of a new Circa album? Nothing, that's what.  Therefore, in honor of the unofficial album announcement, Keep Calm and Carry On's Song of the Week is my favorite Circa Survive song "Stare Like You'll Stay."

Album Review: Of Mice & Men - Restoring Force

Of Mice & Men are a rare breed of band whose reputation exceeds their music. Even if you've never heard a song from them, you've probably heard something about them. Like the controversy surrounding frontman Austin Carlile's temporary exit from the band to have open-heart surgery that lead to the band replacing him completely with current Glass Cloud frontman Jerry Rousch. Or Carlile's awkward reunion with the band that ushered Rousch out of the picture and eventually spelled the end for clean vocalist Shayley Bourget. This was caused by the entrance of guitar player Alan Ashby, whose insertion into the band's lineup was one of the conditions of Carlile's return. Each of these moves saw its fair share of twitter bickering, rumors, and hearsay, but out of it came the band's second full-length The Flood. Bourget left shortly after the album was released, and the band enlisted former Jamie's Elsewhere vocalist Aaron Pauley to play bass and provide clean vocals. The Flood was wildly successful, scoring the band consecutive runs on Warped Tour (where they drew some of the biggest crowds), the second of which being on the main stage. Commercial successes aside, The Flood was wrought with your typical Rise-core cliches, featuring a barrage of breakdowns introduced by Carlile's mosh calls, but like the band's self-titled debut before it, there were flashes that the band could become more than that.

The band's third full-length, Restoring Force, is another attempt to cash in on some of the hype and potential the band have accrued through their tumultuous journey to the top of the scene. Opening track "Public Service Announcement" finds only Carlile providing vocals, swithing between his signature high-pitched screams and the growling yells he experimented with on the deluxe-edition EP of The Flood. Carlile's anger towards those who hate on his band are the theme here, as he reminds the listneners that what he does offstage is "none of their business," among other abrasive assertions throughout the song. Second track "Feels Like Forever" is Pauley's official introduction to the band, and he immediately proves his meddle, powerfully delivering the chorus and bridge. The chorus is pretty gigantic, along with the riffs provided by Ashby and Phil Manansala, and shows a bit more polish than listeners will be expecting from the band.

Though Pauley's contributions on the album are mostly positive, the issue of balancing his voice with Carlile's presents itself at times. Any band who chooses to utilize screams and clean vocals will encounter this issue, and the rate of success has always been relatively low. Of Mice & Men certainly make a solid attempt to keep things even, but in doing so, the album loses some of its momentum. There are quite a few of examples where the band's attempts at balance results in predictability, specifically on "Another You," "Identity Disorder," and album-closer "Space Enough to Grow." This predictability is softened by the band's improved musicianship, and can be chalked up as growing pains as the band are clearly working towards a more mainstream rock radio sound.

That sound is achieved wonderfully on "Would You Still Be There," as Pauley dominates the track with Carlile providing screams that bolster the impact of the track. Ashby and Manansala power this track as well, thanks to a well-placed solo after a well-executed bridge. The band have another radio-ready single towards the end of the album in "You're Not Alone," which features Carlile channeling Slipknot's Corey Taylor on the verses, Pauley's uplifting delivery of the song's arena-ready chorus (loaded with gang chants!), and powerful drumming provided by the band's backbone of a drummer, Valentino Arteaga.

The crown jewel of Restoring Force, however, is the third track, "Bones Exposed."It's Carlile's musing on what his newfound fame has brought him (other than a friendship with skateboarder/MTV reality star Ryan Sheckler), and gives us a glimpse of the aggressive side Of Mice & Men made their name on in their first two albums with the nu-metal-minded approach the band experimented with on the deluxe edition of The Flood. The result is a crushing track that will have fans moshing just as passionately as they sing the chorus back to Aaron Pauley at their concerts.

Like the two albums that came before it, Restoring Force will be a very polarizing album, and the trenches of both opinions of the band will be dug deeper. Fans of the band will have more reasons to worship Carlile, while the band's detractors will see a band that's trying to cash in on its frontman's star power to break through to the mainstream. The truth lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, as the album showcases a band that has begun to refine its craft, explore their talents more, and develop and mature in a way that they didn't seem to between the self-titled effort and The Flood. Of Mice & Men are only going to get bigger thanks to Restoring Force, but with the improvements they've made in both musicianship and maturity, they're also beginning to realize some of their potential.

Recommended if you rock: Bring Me the Horizon's Sempiternal, A Day to Remember's What Separates Me from You, Of Mice & Men's older albums

Song of the Week, 1/06: Balance and Composure- "Tiny Raindrop B-Side"

What is it?: After the influential 2011 release of their first LP Separation, Balance and Composure quickly became a fan favorite for their crunchy instrumentals with dragged out feedback, gritty vocals, and cutting lyrics.  With the bar set so high, The Things We Think We're Missing, released in Fall 2013, would either propel the band to the forefront of the emo genre or leave them as the go-to opener for their peers' tours.  It is with great pleasure to music fans everywhere that the album was nothing short of incredible.  In their sophomore album, B&C found the cohesiveness within and between tracks that the first album struggled with.  They exemplify the success of great bands continuing to improve and push boundaries in order outdo their other impressive and beloved releases.

Why is it Song of the Week?: A couple days ago, the band released an alternate version of "Tiny Raindrop," one of the singles from one of the best albums of last year Things We Think We're Missing.  With the instrumentals reminiscent of the soul-crushing "Stonehands," featured on Separation, this version is even more devastating than the original.  This stripped down B-side builds up the emotional effect, emphasizing the fragility of Jon Simmon's lyrics without compensating the overall power of the song.  Prepare for the feels.

Keep Calm Presents: An Interview with Anthony Raneri of Bayside

     At least week's holiday show, Anthony Raneri, vocalist of Bayside, was kind enough to take some time to sit down with KCACO's Madison Ouellette to talk all about Spring tours and the upcoming release of Bayside's sixth album Cult.  

Madison Ouellette: We’re here at your holiday show tonight. This is one of three shows, correct?           

Anthony Raneri: Mhm

MO: And this is the middle one? You’re in Boston tomorrow and you were in Long Island last night, right?

AR: Yes, yes.

MO: So how are performing at these venues specifically for holiday shows different then when you go on tour for the big stuff?

AR: We get to plan things. I mean- these are some of our bigger markets, you know? And Long Island is very much a hometown show but Jersey sort of bleeds into that hometown feel and Jack is from Boston.  Boston is a place we’ve been going to since the beginning of the band so they’re all sort of like hometown feels.  Planning a show specifically for your hometown is definitely a pretty unique thing compared to a tour where you’re trying to please like tons and tons of people from all over the country, you know?

MO: Right. So you just announced two big tours; you have your headlining tour just announced for the Spring and it’s The Great American Cult Tour, is that correct?

AR: Yes.

MO: With Four Years Strong and Daylight, right?

AR: Yup and Mixtapes

MO: So when you’re going on that, how are you choosing your set list? Is anything going to be different, besides obviously playing stuff from Cult, which you’ll be promoting.

AR: Yeah, we always try to mix it up as much as we can.  At this point, we’ve been a band for so long, we have so many records now with singles on them, with videos that we’ve made for songs, and then there’s the fan favorites so every record, there’s new songs that we have to play every night, you know what I mean?  So we’re running out of spots that we can rotate on tours.

MO: That’s one of the best problems you can have though.

AR: It’s true, yeah, it’s true.  It’s funny, like Warped Tour is always the best example of that because you only get like a half hour so that’s like seven songs and that’s like, we just play our singles, you know what I mean?  And that’s all you really have time for.

MO: I mean, I saw you guys on Warped Tour, I think it was two years ago and being from NJ, it was at PNC and you guys just packed the amphitheater and it was really cool to see.  But so, going off a little bit, you’re also going to Europe soon. . .

AR: Yup, yup in the Spring.

MO: With Alkaline Trio.

AR: Yeah

MO: So how is playing in Europe? Is that different than playing the states?  Do you find the fan bases any different?

AR: Yes, it’s very very different.  Our fan base is very different.  For us, Europe, in a lot of ways, is a work in progress still, where we do shows here and it’s very much you’re performing, you’re putting on a show, you’re entertaining people who are fans, you know what I mean?  So it’s a little easier to get into their minds, you know what I mean?  Because I always say I’m the biggest Bayside fan, you know what I mean? So when it comes to entertaining and making our fans happy, I just do what I would be excited about, you know? 

MO: Right

AR: Europe, especially supporting in Europe, it’s a lot more- we’re going to countries for the first time on that tour

MO: Oh, wow. Okay.

AR: So it’s a whole other mindset going into a show with ‘how do you entertain people who don’t know who you are?’  You know what I mean? How do you just be generally entertaining? 

MO: Right.

AR: So it is, it’s a totally different mindset.  And the fans- the fans there are very different.

MO: Really?

AR: Yeah, they’re very very different.  In some places, they’re much more rabid than they are here.

MO: Haha really?!

AR: Yeah, well they’re just so excited you came, you know what I mean?

MO: That’s really cool, though.

AR: Yeah, we’re a little spoiled here. There, they’re just so excited you came. And in some places, they could just- they could care less, you know what I mean? Not that they actually couldn’t care less but they- they’re a lot more subdued, they don’t get as excited, you know? Like Scandinavians, you know, they’re weird.

MO: hahah they’re weird?  Switching gears a little bit, you guys just announced that you guys are coming out with a sixth album Cult.  So  something that was interesting with that way you announced this album was much different than what we really see- it was a whole bunch of hints and clues here and there.  What inspired that?

AR: You know what’s funny is that was just an idea that Nick came up with like last minute.  We put all the symbols and stuff like that that are a part of the record cover was because we felt like the record, Cult- our new record, is really a really good example of our sound from where it started to where it is now, you know?  So we wanted to sort of pay a tribute to all of our past records on that album cover. And then Nick had the idea of, you know, kind of throwing up something on the Facebook and to us, it was just like ‘oh, let’s just do it. . . Oh yeah, cool, yeah throw something on the Facebook’ and then it- then, people got really kind of excited like ‘what the hell’s going on?’ you know? So yeah, it was cool.  I’m glad that it worked.

MO: I was gonna say that it picked up a lot of steam and created a lot of buzz.

AR: Yeah, it really did.

MO: You released the first single off of it called “Pigsty” and from what I found, it was little bit darker and little more cynical than what we found in Killing Time, which is especially interesting because a lot of you guys are now married and you and your wife just had your first kid-

AR: Yeah

MO: So why did it take a darker turn when all of you are reaching a really happy point in your lives?

AR: You know I think the whole record- I wouldn’t say the whole record takes that turn but there’s definitely like- like I said just listening back on this record, it’s like sort of the anger and the cynicism that has always been there but it’s also- there’s songs that have the hope and all the places that we’ve been kind of progressing towards.

MO: Right, well we are all really excited to hear it!  And you guys just. . . released is some way to put it- the second single?

AR: Sort of, yeah. 

MO: But, so it’s, for any listeners that haven’t heard about it yet, you released the lyrics and the guitar tabs, correct?

AR: Yes.

MO: So again, what inspired that?  So it’s kind of for the fans to take their own take on the song but why release a song like that? Or I guess release should be in quotes

AR: We really wanted to see- I mean- we were really interested to see what people would sort of imagine given the chords and the lyrics and I think there’s also the, like the melody of the vocals are in there too that you could read.  We just wanted to see what people would do with it.  It’s really for our own enjoyment.  We wanted hear people just sort of like kind of come up with whatever they could, you know?  And the only way to truly do that is by having them do it without ever hearing the song they’re covering, you know? Because it could go anywhere.

MO: I’ve heard very different renditions of it so we are really excited to see where people take it and everything.

AR: Yeah, me too!

MO: So that pretty much wraps it up on my end.  Is there anything else you want to say?

AR: That’s about it.  The record comes out February 18^th.  It’s called Cult and The Great American Cult Tour starts March 5^th and January 9^th- the tickets go on sale.

Big thanks to Anthony for taking the time to meet with KCACO and thanks to you for listening!

Preorders for Bayside's sixth album Cult can be found via Hopeless Records.

Be sure to also follow the band through Facebook and Twitter!

Maddy's Top 10 Albums of All-Time

             

     When I was ten or eleven years old, I started listening to the albums my older brother liked.  Nine years later, I haven't been able to step away from music he unknowingly got me into.  I was lucky enough to be totally immersed in this genre when some of the greatest albums burst into the scene.  Several of my favorite albums have been a staple in my music library growing up and have yet to lose their luster.  Others, however, had such an impact after their releases only a few years ago that they couldn’t be ignored when making this list.  After lots of thinking, re-ranking, and rewriting, here is my list of my favorite albums of all time.

First off, some honorable mentions: Title Fight- Floral Green (2012); Bayside- Bayside (2005); Chiodos- All's Well That Ends Well (2005)


10.  Modest Mouse- We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (2007): It’s not easy to make a fun album to chill out to rather than dance along with.  Big thanks to Modest Mouse for not only accomplishing this feat, but for the album being really freakin’ good on top of it all.  Quirky yet relatable, Modest Mouse couldn’t be kept out of my top ten. 

 9.  Atmosphere- God Loves Ugly (2002): It didn’t take long for my list to get weird, huh?  But in all honesty, Atmosphere is simply incredible and you have to appreciate the music whether it’s your scene or not.  The beats are unique and even when other rappers try to recreate the sound, they just can’t pull it off as well.  Plus, this shows the impact my friends from back home in North Jersey have had on my taste in music.  These kids appreciate straight-up good music without remaining within the boundaries of any genre.  Gotta respect that.

 8.  Senses Fail- Let it Enfold You (2004): This album just doesn’t get old.  It actually freaks me out that it's almost 10 years old because it forces me to realize just how quickly time passes.  It has some of my favorite Senses Fail songs and I still listen to the album in full several times a month.  It’s just one of those staple albums that I can’t seem to shake through all these years.  I’ll also always have a place for NJ bands in my heart and Senses Fail holds thar top spot.

 7.  Fall Out Boy- Take This To Your Grave (2003):  It’s the album that started it all.  At one point, Fall Out Boy was the emo band that made all the girls love guys wearing skinny jeans and straightened hair.  Although the band has since grown up, broken up, come back together, and dropped their punk sound for a pop influence, you have to pay homage to the album that jumpstarted FOB’s career.  Out of their entire discography, this album has the strongest collective set of songs and hasn’t lost its charm with age.

 6.  Balance and Composure- Separation (2011):  Balance and Composure just gets it.  This album is their first LP and from lyrics to instrumentals to overall vibe, they got it so right.  Give it some time and this album will probably move up a couple spots on this list.  It might even be replaced by their sophomore LP The Things We Think We’re Missing, which was released earlier this year.  I can’t wait to see where these guys go and what they have in store.  As far as I’m concerned, they are THE band to watch as they are only beginning to tap into their artistic abilities, with both full lengths being the one of the best releases of the year.

 5.  Taking Back Sunday- Louder Now (2006):  Talk about a classic.  The loud drums and heavy guitars make this the ultimate album for the angsty middle schooler (aka me circa 2006).  Just like so many albums on the list, it has withheld the test of time and the songs continue to make you bang your head and sing along.  It’s widespread popularity makes it an old favorite for many, which I learned after I put it on at a party and had a whole bunch of girls screaming the lyrics along with me.  This album may not hit a deep emotional chord like other albums on this list but man, does it make you want to dance.

 4.  The Dangerous Summer- Reach for the Sun (2009):  The Dangerous Summer has never disappointed me.  From the release of this album to their most current release Golden Record, the band proved their consistency over the years, continuing to reinvent themselves without losing the sound that I feel in love with as a freshman in high school.  Needless to say, Reach for the Sun started it all.  

3.  Listener- Wooden Heart (2010):  I really wish more people knew about this album.  Although I am already a big proponent of spoken word, Dan Smith’s “talk music,” as he calls it, bring it do a new level.  Forget some of the more well-known, overproduced stuff in the genre that gets more media attention.  Smith makes no effort to hide his rough southern accent, immediately setting Listener apart from the typical band in this genre.  Brutally honest and raw, Dan Smith’s lyrics come straight from the heart and makes the title-track of this album my absolute favorite song of all-time. Woah.

 2.  Brand New- The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me (2006):  Dude, it’s Brand New.  That should be all I have to say.  This album and my top album are nearly equally my favorites because they are both the perfect band making the perfect album.  There is not one negative thing you can say about this album and if you do have something negative to say, you’re probably wrong.  I went there.

 1. Circa Survive- Blue Sky Noise (2010): In my eyes, Anthony Green is the greatest artist of our generation.  Blue Sky Noise is the embodiment of Circa Survive, my favorite band, making the perfect album.  It’s not just that nothing is wrong with the album; it’s the fact that everything is so good.  From the emotional hushed moments that make you think to the booming sounds that give you goose bumps, Circa Survive hit the emotional core of what makes an album be more than music.  Besides it being Green’s best writing, the entire vibe and sound of the album is a cohesive effort between each band member to create an album that is just so right.  Listen to it yourself and you’ll understand.

Song of the Week, 12/18: Brand New -"(Fork and Knife)"

What is it?: Released as a single nearly a year after The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, "(Fork and Knife)" held fans together before Brand New's 2009 release Daisy.  Backed with drums and piano, Jesse Lacey's lyrics become the well-deserved center of focus.  This song leaked along with a bunch of other demos that ultimately shaped The Devil and God.  However, the band recorded the released version of "(Fork and Knife)" while recording the actual album, releasing The Devil and God in 2006 and the single in 2007.


Why is it Song of the Week?: If you were one of the lucky few who got Brand New tickets, you're about to have an awesome weekend.  If you are part of the large majority that sat at their computer at 11:59am, clicked "buy tickets" right at 12, and still got shut out of tickets, two of the three of us at KCACO understand your pain and share the burning hatred against ticketmaster.  However, this holiday show frenzy did give us one thing: the promise of more shows in 2014.  Although the European show announcements don't heal any wounds created by the quick sell-out of tickets of the December shows, it does suggest the prospects of some more touring in the upcoming year by the kings of emo.  Brand New is not known for keeping their fans in the loop and seem to drive their marketing base on the element of surprise.  Yet, for the sake of all of us fans, let's hope 2014 brings everyone a fighting chance for actually getting tickets for whenever these shows are announced.  A new album wouldn't hurt either.

Listen to the single "(Fork and Knife)" by Brand New below.

Keep Calm Presents: Top 20 Albums of 2013

 

     On Friday's show, KCACO revealed the top albums of the year.  With the help of some in depth statistical analysis (aka Don with an excel spreadsheet), we combined our individual lists to create Keep Calm and Carry On's Top 20 Albums of 2013!  It's been a really fun year and we can't wait to see what music and opportunities 2014 has in store.  A big thanks to everyone who listened to the show, read the blog, or checked out any of interviews both this year and in years past.  There's no way we could be as successful as we are without you guys.  With that being said, we plan to make 2014 our biggest year yet so stay tuned! We will be back on-air towards the end of January but until then, check the blog for updates and always remember to Keep Calm, Carry On, and Open Your Mind!

 Find the overall ranking below and check back next week for our individual lists.


20. Senses Fail- Renancer

19. Dance Gavin Dance- Acceptance Speech

18. Hands like House- Unimagine

17. Defeater- Letters Home

16. twenty|one|pilots- Vessel

15. A Day to Remember- Common Courtesy

14. The Story So Far- What You Don't See

13. Touche Amore- . . . Is Survived By

12. Silverstein- This is How the Wind Shifts

11. Cartel- Collider

10. The Devil Wears Prada- 8:18

  9. Moving Mountains- Moving Mountains

  8. The Dangerous Summer- Golden Record

  7. Jimmy Eat World- Damage

  6. letlive.- The Blackest Beautiful

  5. Balance and Composure- Things We Think We're Missing

  4. The Front Bottoms- Talon of the Hawk

  3. The Wonder Years- The Greatest Generation

  2. Fall Out Boy- Save Rock and Roll

  1. The 1975- The 1975