"We are the orphans of the American dream"

Rise Against's 2008 album Appeal to Reason met with disappointment from fans and critics alike. The band was accused of straying from their hardcore punk roots to venture into the mainstream. With the obvious pop sensibilities, slower songs, and catchy hooks, they seemed to be losing touch. Now the band is back with the release of Endgame, which I was more than a little bit skeptical about. Instead of reverting back to the musical style heard on their pre-Appeal to Reason albums, the band polished that new sound, making it harder and more in-your-face. The result is an impressive, energetic album full of politically charged anthems that are surprisingly easy to relate to.

Rise Against's musical growth from album to album is blatantly apparent, and their most recent effort is no exception. Though the band has let go of the raw sound of old, their music is still essentially hardcore punk. Songs like "Midnight Hands," "Survivor Guilt," and "A Gentleman's Coup" feature guitar riffs and drums that stand out from the rest of the album and show what the band is truly capable of. The vocals on the album are exactly as expected -- gravelly singing with a few screams thrown in -- and the songs are rife with poignant lyrics. One thing I've always admired about Tim McIlrath's storytelling is his ability to place himself in the situation. Many of the lyrics are written from a first-person perspective, which is particularly powerful on "Make It Stop (September's Children)," a song that was written in response to the suicides of teens bullied for being gay. In it, McIlrath sings, "I'm done asking, I demand / From a nation under God / I feel its love like a cattle prod / I'm born free but still they hate me / I'm born me, no, I can't change." No matter what topic is covered in a given song, the message is always relevant.

Overall, Endgame is a solid album that serves as a reminder of what makes Rise Against special in a sea of fading hardcore punk acts. If you were disappointed by Appeal to Reason, this will certainly renew your love for the band.

Verdict: 4/5
Sounds like: One big call to arms
Favorite tracks: "Midnight Hands," "Make It Stop (September's Children)," "Satellite"

Jersey Spotlight: Folly

(via: An Objective Perspective)

I stumbled upon Folly around the time my interest in hardcore music was dwindling and Purevolume was still a popular and reliable source for finding new music. What I heard blew me away. Never has a band been able to combine hardcore with ska as seamlessly as these New Jersey natives, though many have tried. John Tummillo changes his vocal style at the drop of a hat, going from hardcore screams to the almost-singing typical of ska vocalists. Their stage presence is insane and fans take hardcore dancing to a whole new level at their shows, doing everything from backflips to cartwheels in the pit.

With two full-length albums, two EPs, and a series of tours that took them across the US with bands like The Human Abstract and The Dillinger Escape Plan, the band seemed to be gaining popularity. Unfortunately, a break-up was announced in February of 2008 and they played three farewell shows, all of which sold out.

Naturally, it came as a huge surprise when Folly announced three upcoming reunion shows:

March 26 @ Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ
April 2 @ School of Rock East in South Hackensack, NJ
April 9 @ Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ

What does this mean for one of the best hardcore bands to ever come out of Jersey? We'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully more of this:



...and this:

Death From Above 1979 Reunion!

Recently, we at Rock 'n' Roll Etiquette mentioned Death From Above 1979 in relation to a remix by MSTRKRFT. Well, boys and girls, if you're as much of a fan as I am, you'll be happy to know that DFA1979 announced they will be reuniting to perform at Coachella this year (this blog has magic powers!). Hopefully, this won't be a one shot performance and they'll see that they were silly for going their separate ways almost 5 years ago. Here's hoping for a new album and subsequent tour.

If you're not sure if you should be amped, watch this:

Yes, you should be amped.

This is the Remix

Up until now, we've featured a lot of punk and hardcore music on this blog, so I thought, "Why not break up the monotony a little?" I'm a sucker for a good remix. They're a great way for an artist to express their take on a song without going so far as to cover it, but instead by rearranging or adding to the music. And just like covers, they can be hit or miss. Whether the remix adds bass-heavy trance or electronica beats to a mellow song or tones down a fast song, it has to flow well to be pleasing to the ear. Here are a few favorites that I've come across over the years.

1. "Electric Feel" by MGMT (remixed by Justice)

This song by MGMT is great on its own, but add the bold sounds of French duo Justice and it becomes even better. This is one of those rare cases where I like the remix more than the original song. Everything about it is just perfect, from the intro to the bass line. Justice even won a Grammy for this particular remix in 2009.

2. "mcchrisownz" by mc chris (Paper Planes remix)

Brilliant. The two songs go together so well that it just feels natural. The best part? mc chris has been known to perform this song live, which is a real treat.

3. "Love In This Club" by Usher (remixed by MSTRKRFT)

I know what you're probably thinking, but bear with me. MSTRKRFT, a group that was started by one-half of the now defunct Death From Above 1979, has produced some of the best remixes I've ever heard, plenty of them of songs by mainstream artists. I also highly recommend checking out their remix of "Got Love to Kill" by Juliette and the Licks.

4. "Every You Every Me" by Placebo (remixed by Sneaker Pimps)

Nothing can ever beat the original track. However, this remix adds a bit of a dark twist to a song that's already loaded with emotion.

5. "Alligator" by Tegan and Sara (remixed by Passion Pit)

If you've ever listened to Passion Pit then you know that their music is a unique blend of electronica, indie, and synthpop. Take their signature sound and add it to "Alligator," which is a simple but amazing song on its own, and this is what you get.

Best Albums of 2010

We originally set out to compile a list of the top ten albums of 2010. Perfect, right? Well, what we have here is the top eight, plus three honorable mentions. All in all, this year saw the release of some real gems in the music industry.

1. The Dissent of Man by Bad Religion

"If you listen to Bad Religion, you know what you're getting: quality punk music. The band seems to take a different approach musically with this album and it works. Dissent of Man is just as good as anything the band has released previously." - Joe

"Once again, Bad Religion altered their sound slightly, but this time they delivered an amazing punk record full of political undertones. It's no Against the Grain, but damn do these guys know how to make good music." - Jenn

2. Omni by Minus the Bear

"Minus the Bear crafted an amazingly well thought out album that just oozes sexiness. There's just no other way to describe it." - Joe

3. Surfing the Void by Klaxons

"People always talk about how great MGMT is, but they can't hold a candle to Klaxons and this album furthers that opinion. With catchy hooks, incredible music, and awesome vocals like this, I look forward to hearing whatever this band comes up with next." - Joe

"This album took me by surprise because I was just expecting more of the same from this band, but it was a pleasant departure from the sound of their previous album. While you can't expect to hear anything like "Atlantis to Interzone" on Surfing the Void, the music still has a sort of other-worldly, futuristic feel. The vocals on this album are especially amazing." - Jenn

4. Songs for Singles by Torche

"Following 2008's Meanderthal, Songs For Singles takes what Torche previously did and keeps it going. Simply put, Torche is amazing. 'Nuff said." - Joe

"I must say, I wasn't too fond of this band prior to listening to Songs for Singles. I couldn't get past the vocals even though the music was always amazing. This EP changed that. Listen to “Hideaway” and I promise you will not be disappointed." - Jenn

5. American Slang by The Gaslight Anthem

"I love this album more and more with every listen. Not only is the music itself fantastic, but every single song has so much raw emotion behind it. This is the album of the year for me, hands down." - Jenn

6. Ironiclast by The Damned Things

"When hearing who played in The Damned Things my initial reaction was, "WTF!?!" After listening to their debut album, my reaction was much of the same, not because Ironiclast is bad but because it's so good considering how eclectic its members backgrounds are." - Joe

"Imagine my reaction upon reading that members of Fall Out Boy, Every Time I Die, and Anthrax had formed a band together. Now imagine my reaction when I listened to this album and it was actually good. Great, even." - Jenn

7. Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys by My Chemical Romance

"After reading that the new album was going to be a return to their roots, I was really hyped for this album. Then NaNaNa came out and I was incredibly disappointed. I really wanted to not like this album because I hate when bands say that they're going back to their roots and don't deliver, but this album is just too solid of an album to not like." - Joe

"This is such a fun album. I can't get enough of the catchy lyrics, the music, and the entire concept behind it. I never thought I'd have MCR in heavy rotation again, but it happened." - Jenn

Honorable mentions:
American Ghetto by Portugal. The Man
Sea of Cowards by The Dead Weather
Brothers by The Black Keys

"Look alive, sunshine"

It's been four years since (the abomination known as) The Black Parade and My Chemical Romance have hit fans with a new concept album that is worlds away from their 2006 release. As if the hype behind this album wasn't successful enough in persuading me to give it a listen, the story featured throughout sealed the deal. Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys follows a group of individuals in a post-apocalyptic society of sorts, set nineteen years in the future, as they attempt to rescue a girl who has been captured by an evil corporation known as BL/ind, or Better Living Industries. Overall, the album is refreshing and fun, and effectively reminded me of the reasons I began listening to this band in the first place.

First of all, it takes a great deal of creativity to come up with a story like the one presented on this album and I'm thoroughly impressed with the delivery. The lyrics on the album, though sometimes nonsensical in nature ("Shut up and let me see your jazz hands/Remember when you were a madman?/Thought you was Batman/And hit the party with a gas can/Kiss me, you animal"), are interesting and, at times, strangely easy to relate to despite the subject matter. The music itself is more polished than on previous efforts, but not in a way that makes the band lose their spark. The synthesizer on songs like "Planetary (GO!)" and "The Only Hope for Me Is You" feels out of place at first, but after a few listens it seems to fit just fine. The low point on the album comes in the form of "Summertime," a love song with awkward placement, especially considering the song that follows is significantly harder and almost has a Jane's Addiction sort of feel to it. One of my favorite aspects of the album is the narration by Steve Montaño (also known as Steve, Righ?, guitarist of Mindless Self Indulgence) as the radio DJ Dr. Death Defying. The interludes act as updates on the Killjoys and really make the story come alive.

I must admit, this album surprised me and in a very good way. It's hard to believe this is the same band I became a fan of all those years ago with the release of I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. Definitely worth checking out.

Verdict: 4/5
Favorite tracks: DESTROYA, Vampire Money, Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back
Bonus: The three-song EP, titled The Mad Gear and Missile Kid, that comes with the special edition of the album features songs that are reminiscent of the band's older sound

All Things Heavy: "Faust"

The Human Abstract are back and they've come to blow your mind out the back of your skull with proggy goodness. The first taste of their forthcoming third album Digital Veil, which features the return of original member AJ Minette and new vocalist Travis Richter (formerly of From First to Last), was released this past Tuesday. The new song, titled "Faust," seemingly shows a return to form for the band after their previous release of Midheaven. That, however, could just be my opinion. Check out the song and decide for yourself.