Album Review: Sparks the Rescue- Sparks the Rescue (EP)

What made Sparks the Rescue's Fearless Records debut full-length Eyes to the Sun so successful was its simplicity. It wasn't so much that the songs had simple structures, lyrics, or rhyme patterns, but there was an overall sense that the album came very easy to the band. It was the exact style of music they wanted to play, and they did it very, very well (as evidenced by "We Love Like Vampires" and "My Heart Radio"). There was an energy to the songs that translated well to the band's now dangerous live performances (seriously), and the band emerged alongside labelmates Mayday Parade and Every Avenue as the next set of pop-rock bands to play to a few more thousand people than they were used to. When it came time to create a follow-up album, however, the band's offering (in the form of Worst Thing I've been Cursed With) failed to build on the momentum, the band found themselves without a label. Pressing onward, the band launched a KickStarter in hopes to self-fund what became the EP that is the subject of this very review. After a successful campaign, was the band able to set aside their previous issues and continue to move forward?

After the EP's intro builds into lead single "Disaster," two things become very apparent: one, that Sparks the Rescue recaptured the energy of Eyes to the Sun  in a big way, and two, they still have the chance to be the next great pop-rock band. The band's soaring guitar tandem of Toby McAllister and Mike Naran have always been a staple on their best songs, but Sparks the Rescue shows the duo finding a way to tighten their strings even more, and sound even bigger than they ever have. "Disaster" is frontman Alex Roy's exorcism of an old fling, and his anger shows as the band reaches back to the screams that were once present on the band's earlier (and pre-Fearless) EPs. Up next is "Water Your Heart (Safe, Sound, and Buried)", in which Roy plays a teacher attempting to show a girl how to guard her heart, as McAllister tells her to keep it "Safe, sound and buried." The track is driven along by the band's new bassist David Pait, who provides the perfect pace for the track. Speaking of additions, the band's new drummer Dylan Taylor proves to be the perfect selection behind the kit, as he adds his own talent and creativity to Naran's and McAllister's guitars seamlessly.

Roy explores a relationship facing trust issues in "Last Chance for Romance," a much more light-hearted track than the two songs that come before it, though Roy stays just as melancholy. Roy's delivery of the chorus, most importantly on the line "We're both afraid to love," is one of the best he's delivered for the band, while Naran and McAllister power the verses. "Burn All My Clothes" explodes from the beginning, and competes with "Disaster" for the fastest song on the EP, and Roy returns to the jilted lover role he's come to play so well. "Dream. Catch. Her." is the biggest sonic endeavor for the band, with an almost-ambient opening sequence, making way for Roy's croon before the chorus takes off beautifully. EP-closer "Phoenix" begins acoustically before it builds into a sweeping ending, reminiscent of Eyes to the Sun's "Hello Mexico," and though the song doesn't feel like the proper ending to the EP, it's yet another assertion that Sparks the Rescue are as talented and creative as they've ever been.

The Bottom Line: Though Worst Thing I've Been Cursed With had its missteps, Sparks the Rescue's self-titled EP is a sterling reminder that there are very few (if any) pop-rock bands who are as talented as they are, and if they keep making songs like these, there's no telling how far they can go.

Recommended if you Rock: Sparks the Rescue's Eyes to the Sun, Hit the Lights's Invicta, Mayday Parade

Get behind it! 'Like' Sparks the Rescue on Facebook and/or Follow them on Twitter!

Song of the Week, 8/14: Sparks the Rescue- "Disaster"

What is it?: The first single and music video released from the band's upcoming self-titled, Kickstarter-funded EP, "Disaster" is a statement song for the Sparks the Rescue, if there ever was one, good or bad. With no label backing, and no higher-ups to answer to, did Sparks the Rescue flourish under their new-found freedom, or have they begun the process of showing themselves out of the scene?

Why is it Song of the Week?: I know it's far-fetched to call one song an official comeback, but if "Disaster" is any indication of what Sparks the Rescue have in store, the band have never been better. Never  short on energy, the band have perfectly blended Alex Roy's catchy hooks and choruses with the talented, often-overlooked musicianship of the band. New drummer Dylan Taylor makes every drum hit sound like a bang, and Mike Naran's solo in the middle of the song shows that though the band have taken a giant step forward, they haven't forgotten what they do best: make awesome pop-rock jams. Welcome back, Sparks the Rescue. Check out the video for "Disaster" below:

Band of the Week, 6/25- Sparks the Rescue (Exclusive Interview)

Who are they?: Take your dad's Bon Jovi albums, through in your kid sister's Mayday Parade albums, and add a little bit of summer time, and you have Sparks the Rescue. The quintet hailing from Maine have been touring extensively since the release of their 2008 full-length Eyes to the Sun, and are set to self-release a KickStarter-funded EP this July.

Why are they Band of the Week?: Thanks to Eyes to the Sun and 2011's Worst Thing I've been Cursed With (both available on Fearless Records), Sparks the Rescue has become one of the best summertime pop-rock acts around. Whether it's frontman Alex Roy's soaring hooks and choruses or the dueling guitars from Toby McCalister and Mike Naran, there's just something about songs like "Saturday Skin" and "My Heart Radio" that beg you to roll the windows down and sing into your steering wheel on the way to the beach. And since last Wednesday was the first day of Summer, there's no better band to kick off a road trup with than Sparks the Rescue. 

What you need to hear: Usually, we post a song you should check out, but this week, that's not the case. Instead, you can check out an exclusive interview Keep Calm and Carry On did with the band at The Stanhope House stop of the Surrender Your Booty Tour the band is currently headlining! Enjoy!

AND, just because we're all about giving you more music to listen to, here's a video of the band performing "Autumn" (one of the best tracks on Eyes to the Sun) at The Stanhope House!

Album Review: Various Artists- Punk Goes Pop (Vol. 3)

I've been meaning to start posting reviews on here for a while, but didn't know how to start it off. Do I post a review about an album I really liked, or one that the general public likes a lot? Thankfully, one of the most common feelings that unites people is hatred, and thanks to Fearless Records, that universal hatred can be placed on the Punk Goes... series, which has outstayed its welcome for far too long now. This batch of half-assed efforts included newcomers to the game, in addition to some budding superstars. Sadly, the fan bases for these bands has not translated to a good cover. Almost every song on this album is a cover of a rap song release in the last five years, which hasn't worked since The Devil Wears Prada inexplicably covered Big Tymers' "Still Fly" on Punk Goes Crunk. This is all the more puzzling when you consider the fact that all of these bands grew up in the 90s, which was actually a pretty good decade for pop music. Why not pay homage to the Nirvanas, Third Eye Blinds, or even the Backstreet Boys of the 90s instead of this blend of autotuned crap mainstream radio has become? Granted, there are a few instances of true creativity and talent, but those are so far and few between it makes the entire album rather forgettable. So how bad could Punk Goes Pop Vol. 3 really be, you ask? You're about to find out. Here's the wreckage, track-by-track:


(KEY: Cover Artist- "Song Name" (Original Artist)
1. Breathe Carolina – “Down” (Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne)
BC have been featured in the series before, covering Miley Cyrus's "See You Again" on Punk Goes Pop Vol. 2. I'm sure you can guess how that went. Regardless, Fearless Records (who signed the band) saw fit to give BC another crack at the Punk Goes... game. The duo actually do a pretty good job at creating a more techno beat than Jay Sean's original, but its the vocals that ultimately cause the track to go down, down, down, down down. Puns aside, all the blame should be placed on whoever produced this track, or whoever gave the band the idea to scream Lil Wayne's verse. Weezy is one of the most unmistakable figures in music right now, and the awful interpretation of one of his better verses is a disservice to the rapper who was forced to sit in jail while BC burned their cover of the song to the ground. And I'm not sure what would be worse: jail, or another BC cover attempt. 


2. Woe, Is Me – “Hot ‘N Cold” (Katy Perry)
Woe, Is Me are the latest Rise records band to get a ton of buzz, and after their full-length was just released, the band's attempt to reach out to generate more buzz materialized in the form of their cover of "Hot 'N Cold," which isn't the worst cover on this compilation by any means, but that doesn't mean its worth keeping on your iTunes. It's breakdown-oriented, which will help get the moshers going, and the song is actually still pretty catchy, but that really give Katy Perry more credit for creating such an accessible song.

3. Artist Vs Poet – “Bad Romance” (Lady GaGa)
This is the first I'd ever heard of Av.P, and its actually pretty decent, but the fact that so many others have posted covers of the song on YouTube cheapens the efforts of the band. It's good for a few listens, sure, but chances are you'll still listen to the Lady Gaga version instead.

4. Mayday Parade – “In My Head” (Jason Derülo)
Ever since Mayday Parade covered "We Are the Champions" by Queen on Punk Goes Classic Rock, I've basically lost any interest or respect for the band, which only adds to the band's disappointing sophomore full-length Anywhere by Here. So, as you could have probably predicted, I don't like this cover either. I don't, so there you have it.

5. Asking Alexandria – “Right Now (Na Na Na)” (Akon)
Surprise, surprise: a screamo band covering a rap song. It's about as memorable as your last visit to the bathroom, and chances are, the results are exactly the same. Move along, kids; there's nothing to see here.

6. This Century – “Paper Planes” (M.I.A.)
I've never heard of This Century before, but given the seemingly blind ignorance they possessed to actually think they could pull off M.I.A.'s classic, I have to give them some credit for taking chances. Some chances don't pay off, however. "Paper Planes" is a song driven M.I.A.'s flow and delivery, and to hear someone other than the female MC deliver the chorus simply didn't feel right. A for effort, D for delivery. 

7. The Word Alive – “Heartless” (Kanye West)
Everything I said about Breathe Carolina or Asking Alexandria applies to The Word Alive as well.

8. Family Force 5 – “Bulletproof” (La Roux)
If for some reason the first seven tracks haven't completely diminished every shred of hope a listener had for this album, Family Force 5 reward that hope with a dark cover of "Bulletproof." The band does a great job of sticking to La Roux's original in that the track certainly makes you want to get up and dance. Behold! A sign of life is found, albeit halfway through the album.

9. Of Mice & Men – “Blame It” (Jamie Foxx ft. T-Pain)
While OM&M have only been around for a year or so, they've already gone through a change of frontmen, with ex-Sky Eats Airplane vocalist Jerry Rousch replacing the controversial Austin Carlile. For some reason, the band decided to have Rousch's first recorded track be a cover, and the results are just as I expected. While Rousch's burly delivery is a stark contrast from Carlile's high-pitched screams, but it proves to fit the band's sound pretty well, given this hack-job of a cover is our only glimpse of what the band have become.

10. Miss May I – “Run This Town” (Jay-Z ft. Kanye West & Rihanna)
Miss May I struck gold with their cover of Savage's "Swing," and Fearless obviously wanted to make a quick buck on the band's knack for finding brutality in rap songs. This time, Jay-Z and Kanye West are the victims, and though bassist/vocalist Ryan Neff handles the song's chorus surprisingly well, it's not enough for the band to break the mold the rest of these bad rap covers have created.

11. The Ready Set – “Airplanes” (B.o.B ft. Hayley Williams)
As if you haven't heard this song enough or seen it as someone's status on Facebook, The Ready Set decided it was time for a cover. While it doesn't really strike enough of a chord to be remembered, the song does a good job of making you wish you heard the original again.

12. Cute Is What We Aim For – “Dead And Gone” (T.I. ft. Justin Timberlake)
While the chorus of this is actually pretty good, its the verses in which Shaant Hickyan tries to rap and/or sing that really does the song in. There was potential here, but any of it that was created in the beginning was squandered within the first few seconds of the first verse.

13. Sparks The Rescue – “Need You Now” (Lady Antebellum)
If you managed to get this far through the album before removing it from your iTunes altogether, you'll be rewarded with the best cover to come out of the Punk Goes... series in a long time. Sparks the Rescue take on LadyAnt's surprise hit turns out to be just as heartfelt and emotional, and shows off just how good the often-overlooked band is, making the song feel like one of their own (some fans may find it to be similar to the band's "Skeleton"). This was the perfect move for Sparks to hold fans over before their new album is released next year. Its almost a shame "Need You Now" is on here, because it shows just how bad the rest of these songs are.

14. We Came As Romans – “My Love” (Justin Timberlake ft. T.I.)
Just as Sparks the Rescue is done restoring a shred of respect for the album, WeCAR open up a Justin Timberlake cover with a screamed version of the chorus, and that's when the album goes from kind of respectable to a complete wash. 


I know I sound like a real cynic after all of that, but I really did try to like some of these. I opened my mind, allowed myself to be open to all of the songs, even if I didn't like the band to begin with. But the truth is, some of these songs are so bad you can't make it all the way through. Respected rappers Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil' Wayne will be embarrassed if they ever take the time to hear screamed versions of their verses, and the bands on the disc went 0-for-2 in attempting to sing like Justin Timberlake. Honestly, the Punk Goes... series has become tough to stomach, and they may need to pull a Spider-Man and just reboot the whole thing, giving the established bands out there a chance to do something fun instead of having these mostly up-and-coming acts mail one in to try and get a few more fans. 


Too long? Here's the jist of it: It sucks; Sparks the Rescue's "Need You Now" and Family Force 5's "Bulletproof" are the only ones worth keeping on your iPod; Only Justin Timberlake can sing like Justin Timberlake, so everyone else should stop trying.

Recommendation for the Week, 8/29-9/4

It's been far too long since anything was posted on here, and there was good reason for that. In an attempt to keep to a more strict writing schedule, I have decided to begin posting a weekly theme of every week, be it a mood, artist, album, or anything else I can think of. The most exciting part of all of this, at least to me, is that I will be running these updates in conjunction with the dayside radio show I will be hosting on 91.3FM (WTSR) this college semester. The show will run from 3-5PM on Wednesdays, and you can listen by going to the station's website and clicking on the "Listen Live!" button on the top right of the page.

Now that we have all that self-promotion out of the way, let's get this shindig started. In celebration of the end of summer (not really something to celebrate, I know), this week's recommendation is all about the end of summer: the sun setting on a carefree season, the painful goodbyes as you return to school, and of course, the flings that give the summer its heat. To help set the mood, whether you're setting up your dorm room for the first time, finishing that summer work you put off until the last possible minute (again), or just saying goodbye to the summer months, here are a few albums (and artists) to take you right back to your fondest summer memories:

The Dangerous Summer- Reach for the Sun

Easily one of the better parts of the summer is the breathtaking sunsets that seem to get better and better as the season progresses. There's something about that swirl of reds, oranges, and yellows that invoke a sense of self-examination. And if that idea proves true, The Dangerous Summer's AJ Perdomo took it and ran with it on the band's debut full-length, Reach for the Sun. With catchy, upbeat hits like "Where I Want to Be" and "Settle Down" to the emotional outpours Perdomo displays on tracks like "Weathered" and "Never Feel Alone," RFTS has the perfect song for any mood for your much-needed "me time."
Key Track: "Never Feel Alone"


All Time Low-So Wrong, It's Right
Let's be honest: summer time is almost directly synonymous with party time. And there is no better band to write the perfect "it's summer, let's have a good time" song than All Time Low. So Wrong is so right in the summer time, thanks to its undeniably catchy verses and an overall carefree, enjoyable attitude throughout the album. Songs like "Six Feet Under the Stars" and "The Beach" are straight-up party tunes, while it's nearly impossible not to sing the chorus to "Dear Maria, Count Me In." Throw in ATL's undying, underaged legion of fans, and kids will be putting songs from So Wrong, It's Right for many years to come.
Key Track: "The Beach"


Sparks the Rescue- Eyes to the Sun
When you think of the summer, you almost simultaneously think of beaches. A few states that come to mind when beaches are mentioned include Florida, Hawaii, California, and, thanks to MTV, New Jersey. In addition, I doubt anyone's list of the top beaches in America would include Maine. However, Sparks the Rescue prove that just because you hail from the country's northern-most contigous state doesn't mean you don't have anything to do in the summer, and Eyes to the Sun is their testament to that (just look at that gorgeous album cover). Eyes is very similar to The Dangerous Summer in that it speaks to a myriad of different emotions one goes through, but STR rely more on catchy hooks (see "We Love Like Vampires" and "Hello Mexico" for proof), while TDS rely on raw emotion. That's not to say that Sparks can't bring the emotion into it though, as the band shows in "Skeleton" and "Autumn." And while it's probably started snowing in Maine already, Eyes to the Sun is the perfect testament that so long as you're having a good time, it doesn't matter where you are.
Key Track: "Hello Mexico"


New Found Glory- Entire Discography
Since the first three bands mentioned were all relatively new bands (All Time Low has been a band the longest, at around five years), it's time to unlock the vault and bring out some legends of pop-punk to show the newcomers how its done. Quite simply, there is no better band to do that than southern Florida natives New Found Glory, who know a thing or two about the summer heat. Throughout the band's illustrious, two-decade spanning career, they've created anthem after anthem for your summer mix in your car. Whether it's the jams to celebrate the best of friendships ("My Friends Over You"), the worst of break-ups ("All Downhill From Here"), the summer flings ("I Don't Wanna Know"), and of course, seeing that special someone after time away ("Coming Home"). New Found Glory have been a mainstay in pop-punk for more than a decade now, and thankfully, they seem to show no signs of slowing, with a new album due out just in time for next summer.
Key Track: "My Friends Over You"

That'll about do it for this week's installment, and now it's your turn? What did I leave out? Who did I miss? Who were you listening to more than anything this summer? Leave it in the comments, I'd love to hear from you.