MUSIC IS MY OXYGEN WEEKLY » Punk Music

Green Day: And Then There Were “¡Tré!”

Tim Ferrar — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:58:15 +0000

Closing out Green Day’s highly publicized trilogy (starting with ¡Uno! and ¡Dos!), the third album ¡Tré! was not scheduled for release until January, but for some reason (perhaps related to Billie Joe Armstrong’s recovery process) the band decided to just put it out there.

Perhaps it’s just as well. While this third record aptly reflects the band’s journey historically, it’s also a bit anti-climatic.

Where ¡Uno! took us back to the band’s early three-chord punk roots, and ¡Dos! gave us a healthy dose of the band’s high-energy garage-rock phase, the closing installment reflects what we might ironically call Green Day’s “mature” phase. Of course, in terms of punk music (which has always been a genre for the young), this isn’t necessarily a compliment. “Mature” is often synonymous with “boring.” In the case of Green Day, “mature” basically means there’s so much pop influence now injected into the music that it loses its edge.

Like I said, it’s historically accurate. The music on ¡Tré!, while consisting of original tunes, still parallels Green Day’s later work which has often come under heavy criticism by punk purists as being too much of a pop sellout.

Personally, I’m not offended with the whole pop-punk thing, but in this case, I sort of see their point. Honestly, I’m listening to the track list, and I’m struggling to find anything that stands out. I mean, I personally like the riffs in “Walk Away,” and the ballads “Drama Queen” and “The Forgotten” are pretty and all (the latter incorporating some tasteful piano and strings), but otherwise this album is fairly bland compared to the other two records in this series. Nothing that could be considered a mis-step, but nothing that just plain rocks, either.

As a trilogy, this three-record set is certainly not the worst of Green Day, and could hardly be called a flop. There are definitely some solid moments in the series, and it very well be a trilogy that had to be made. But taking all things into account, ¡Tré! is the weakest of the three, having more value for its historical reflection of the band than for the music itself.

RATING: 3 / 5 stars

Green Day Builds On “¡Uno!” With “¡Dos!”

Tim Ferrar — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 09:12:00 +0000

With the release of ¡Dos!, the second album of Green Day’s three-part trilogy, there’s an inherent temptation/compulsion for writers and critics to tie it in with the band’s recent difficulties (namely, Billie Jo Armstrong’s onstage meltdown and current stint in rehab, followed up with the band postponing their tour). But now that I’ve made the obligatory mention of said difficulties, I’d like to talk about ¡Dos! apart from those issues, and just look at the record on its own merits (at least for awhile).

Looking at it in that light—I’m amazed at how much more I personally enjoyed this second installment than the first one. While ¡Uno! really took Green Day back to its simple punk roots, the band really builds on that foundation on this second album by expanding into a broader sound palate—not unlike what they did in real life over time. While the punk elements are still there, this album definitely has more of a garage-rock feel, quite like the band’s alter-ego Foxboro Hot Tubs. (In fact, the cut “F**k Time” is actually a FHT tune they’ve been playing live for awhile.) As a result, sonically speaking, if ¡Uno! was black-and-white, ¡Dos! is Technicolor. There’s much more diversity between songs, and therefore much more interest generated.

Actually, the band takes things even further than garage-rock, venturing sometimes into questionable territory. Perhaps the most vivid example of this is “Nightlife,” which ill-advisedly couples a beach-rock style with a female rapper (gasp!). Another example is “Stray Heart,” which has an early-80s dancy pop/rock vibe in which the drum/bass combo sounds like it was lifted right off of Billy Joel’s “Tell Her About It.” The song itself is cool, but the nice-guy love song vibe doesn’t really fit in the context of the more sordid themes of the songs surrounding it.

Speaking of the album’s themes—let’s just say it’s a combination of raging hormones and regret. There are lots of songs about girls, written in the light of unbridled adolescent lust (“F**k Time,” “Lady Cobra” and “Makeout Party”, for example), punctuated with songs framed in the aftermath of excess (“Ashley,” “Lazy Bones”). The latter conveys the most honest expression of regret: “ ‘Cause I’m so tired I can’t take it anymore / With all the liars like a prisoner of war / I don’t want your sympathy / I don’t want your honesty / I just want to get some peace of mind.”

To me, one of the standout tracks on the album is the closer, “Amy,” a moving tribute to the late Amy Winehouse performed by Armstrong and a single guitar. And considering Amy’s fate—the result of substance abuse—here’s where I have to give in to the temptation to tie it in with Armstrong’s recent troubles. The presence of this tune on the record is simply haunting given the circumstances. If anything, it brings hope that Armstrong’s current attempt at rehab is genuine, and that he’s going to get better.

Finally, the release of ¡Dos! actually gives us a sense of context for where this trilogy is going. ¡Uno! echoed the early days of the band, while ¡Dos! reflects more of where the band has gone from there. Apparently, this is a Green Day history lesson, only with original tunes rather than “greatest hits.” If ¡Tre! ends up sounding like a musical, I’ll know I was on the right track.

Green Day”s “¡Uno!”—A Refocusing of Direction?

Tim Ferrar — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 07:47:44 +0000

As ¡Uno!, the first installment of Cali-punk band Green Day’s announced three-album trilogy, is now available to the public, the band itself is surrounded with unrelated publicity that seems almost poetic for a punk band. Over the weekend, during a performance at the iHeartMusic Festival, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong threw an onstage tantrum, smashing his guitar to bits in response to a one-minute teleprompter warning. The next day, the band issued an apology and announced that Armstrong was entering rehab.

Ever since Green Day struck mainstream popularity and their songs started getting played on the Top 40, they’ve lived in the dichotomy between the benefits of superstardom and the accusations of selling out. Whether these recent unfortunate circumstances, or the songs on ¡Uno! itself, will do anything to redeem the band in the eyes of the “true punk” culture remains to be seen. What can be said, however, is that ¡Uno! marks a return to the basic, three-chord type of sound that made Green Day popular in the first place, howbeit with a bit more spit and polish production-wise.

This in itself seems like an apparent paradox. After all, this is probably the only punk band in history that had a Broadway musical created after one of their albums, and the announcement of a trilogy automatically places in people’s heads the idea of epic-ness and rock opera sensibilities. What ¡Dos! and ¡Tré! will offer us is yet unknown, but ¡Uno! is remarkably and surprisingly simple in its approach. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill, self-indulgent part-one-of-a-three-part magnum opus. This is drums, bass, guitar and vocals, with very few frills—the kinds of songs that could easily be recorded live in one take, whether they actually were or not.

That being said, while this is really a digression from the “big” sound on more recent Green Day records, it’s not a full retreat to the days of Dookie. After all, these guys aren’t teenagers anymore. In an MTV interview back in June, Billie Joe Armstrong suggested as much when he discussed the making of the trilogy. “I love the punk stuff I grew up on,” he said. “But there are so many bands who make the mistake, ‘We’re going back, old-school.’ Well…you already did it.’” ¡Uno! does, however, seem to be signify a season of refocusing for the band, a time of trimming back, throwing out the excesses and big production, and just being a band again. If that’s the season Green Day is in, perhaps Armstrong’s entry into rehab is an important sign of the times.

As to why it is taking a three-album trilogy to complete that back-to-basics transition—well, I suppose that remains to be seen. But for fans of the stripped-back version of Green Day, at least, ¡Uno! should definitely feel like a step in the right direction.

RATING: 4 / 5 stars

Yellowcard Breathes the “Southern Air”—Album Review

Tim Ferrar — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 08:46:03 +0000

Let’s be real—it’s rare when a band gets a true “second wind.” That’s why Southern Air, the latest release by pop/punk band Yellowcard, is so worth exploring and listening to.

Many bands go on an “indefinite hiatus” and never come back. Many other bands come back from their hiatus, produce a presentable “comeback” record, and then just coast the rest of the way. But the word “hiatus” usually signifies a band has passed their peak; rarely does a band come back from that season as strong or stronger than before.

Yellowcard has definitely defied the odds on that one. Not only was last year’s comeback album When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes a solid return effort, but with Southern Air the band has built on that momentum, presenting what may prove to be their finest work to date.

The key ingredient on this album is not a change in direction, but rather a return to the original fire and passion that first defined the band. The opening track “Awakening”, an anthem declaring a new beginning at the end of relationship, sets the musical pace for the rest of the album, while the next track “Surface of the Sun” seems to be a direct statement of the band’s intentions: “Across a decade we flew high and we fell low / And getting up when we’re dragged down is all we’ve known / We were born to be the ones / To show the faithless what we’ve done…And there’s a fire inside / It burns like the surface of the sun.” Indeed, this positive theme of prevailing over adversity continues to make appearances throughout the album’s ten tracks, including “Here I Am Alive”: “They say you don’t grow up, you just grow old / It’s safe to say I haven’t done both / I’ve made mistakes, I know, I know / But here I am alive.” Even on one of the album’s darker tunes, “A Vicious Kind,” frontman Ryan Key expresses a fierce determination: “You can turn me down / And try to cut me off / But you will not stop me singing.”

Clocking in at just around 40 minutes, Southern Air is short by the clock, but long on energy—and the common thread for the tracklist is uncluttered, perfectly executed pop/punk, accentuated by poignant lyricism and the band’s signature violin courtesy of Sean Mackin. Like I said, there’s no earth-shattering shift in direction here, but there is a true second wind—the same fire of Yellowcard’s early work, but with more maturity behind it. While this is a genre typically designated for the young, it’s apparent that Yellowcard is getting better with age. Southern Air one of the must-listen pop/punk records of the year.

RATING: 4.5 / 5 stars

The Offspring’s ‘Days Go By’ Finds the Band At Its Best – and Worst

Adrian Garro — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:39:44 +0000

Days Go By, The Offspring’s ninth studio album, is disappointingly uneven, a trend that’s come to represent their output over the past decade or so. It is, however, stronger than their past two records.

The record is bookended by four of the best songs they’ve written in years – “The Future is Now” and “Secrets from the Underground” are a full-on return to the band’s early So*Cal punk days, while “Dividing By Zero” and “Slim Pickens Does the Right Thing and Rides the Bomb to Hell” have an energy and urgency that many might not have expected from the guys at this point in their career.

The album’s middle portion, though, drags the whole thing down, the band’s stubborn reliance on silly throwaway songs souring the mood.

Considering that Days Go By comes four years after the band’s successful (if dull) Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, the brief return to aggressive punk moods on a few of these songs is surprising. Sadly, other songs range from the vapid and insufferable “Cruising California (Bumpin’ In My Trunk)”, to the annoying “OC Guns” (a Latin-themed reggae/ska exercise allowing front man Dexter Holland to shout swear words in Spanish) even venturing into power pop with the Fountains of Wayne-ish “I Wanna Secret Family (With You)”.

Lowlights aside, the high points of Days Go By are pretty solid. For some reason, they decided to re-record the old song “Dirty Magic”, and the new version sounds full and crisply produced. “Turning into You” boasts one of the album’s best hooks, while “Hurting as One” features the type of background vocals used so well on albums like 1994’s Smash.

If you break it down, 7 of the 12 songs here are good enough to be called “highlights”, with the aforementioned unnecessary ones cluttering it up a bit. I’ll be honest, you can’t really expect much else from the Offspring now – they’ve been a band for so long, it’s hard to continue to improve with age in this genre.

Sure, “Slim Pickens…” sounds like Bad Religion’s “Infected”. Okay, maybe the title track veers too close to “Times Like These” by the Foo Fighters. Big deal. This band hasn’t ever really been that innovative, especially after hitting MTV gold with 1998’s Americana.

At this point, you have to just take the good with the bad, and Days Go By is a mixed bag – the good is a refreshing return to form, while the bad is as cheesy as it’s always been.

ALBUM RATING: 2.5 Stars (out of five)

Album Review: Make Do and Mend Shine with “Everything You Ever Loved”

Adrian Garro — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:38:44 +0000

For their new full-length album, Make Do and Mend strayed away a bit from the post-hardcore feel of their 2010 debut, End Measured Mile, adding a bit of a relaxed, melody-reliant alternative rock to the mix. Judging by the results, this couldn’t have been a better decision, as Everything You Ever Loved is easily one of the strongest albums of the year.

At times, its songs sound like what can best be described as a blend of an eclectic array of acts, including Jimmy Eat World, the Foo Fighters, Brand New, and the band’s own brand of post-hardcore, which does shine through on a few tracks.

Opener “Blur” sets the mood, with singer/guitarist James Carroll alternating between throaty shouting and cleaner vocals effectively. “What if everything that you ever loved more than anything/was killing you this slow?” he asks, the song’s rhythm driving the point home.

“Disassemble” is led by a swirling guitar riff and a steady drum rhythm, and coupled with tambourines and Carroll’s voice, it’s one of the catchier songs on the record.

Lyrically, Everything You Ever Loved is a cut above – on “St. Anne” (a song that channels the earnestness of Third Eye Blind, from its emotive guitar lead to Carroll’s delivery) he repeats the phrase “We’re all livin’ just to find our latest loss/So cut your anchor loose and swim your way across”, while a string section gives it an added sense of melancholy.

Make Do and Mend’s post-hardcore background has given them the ability to create a starkly original brand of alternative rock, part of the reason this album is so affecting. “Stay in the Sun”, another highlight led by sparkly guitar chords and a pop-punk progression, combines both styles perfectly, giving the refrain of “You can click your heels until you wear holes in the floor/and realize that no place feels like home anymore” even more resonance.

Other songs, like “Royal”, call to mind bands like Balance & Composure (with its downbeat tempo & chords), while the one-two punch of “Drown In It” (strings and a slow burn that picks up momentum as it builds to its explosive final minute) and “Lucky” (the best example of the band’s new approach) combine to form the album’s peak.

“Hide Away”, “Storrow” and “Desert Lily” close out the record, with the final two in particular showcasing the band’s uncanny ability to turn the energy up and down, respectively. “Desert Lily” is one of those songs that you’ll remember for years in the future, Carroll’s first-person narrative marrying with cascading guitar chords exceedingly well.

If you haven’t yet spent time with a Make Do and Mend album, give this one a shot. It’s a stunning piece of artistry, carried out by a band that re-vamped its sound with wonderful results. Take Everything You Ever Loved with you on a late-night drive around your neighborhood to bring its music to life, letting its swirling melodies, grit and emotional power take control.

It’s that good.

ALBUM RATING: 5 Stars (out of five)

Going to Warped Tour This Summer? Don’t Miss These Bands.

Adrian Garro — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:45:50 +0000

The 2012 edition of the Vans Warped Tour kicked off this week, and we wanted to put together a list of acts you should check out if you’re planning to go. There are a ton of bands on the tour, playing from 10 in the morning until around 8 at night, and the set times change daily. Use this quick list as your guide to some of the most can’t-miss acts.

Every Time I Die

Long-running hardcore/metal outfit Every Time I Die are veterans of the Warped circuit, having played the tour many times in the course of their career. The band just released a dynamic new album, Ex-Lives, back in March, and are the perfect act on Warped to satisfy your thirst for aggressive metal with devilishly clever lyrics (as vocalist Keith Buckley was once a high school English teacher). Don’t miss ‘em.

Dead Sara

Los Angeles-based band Dead Sara have lit a fire in the hard rock world over the past few months, thanks to their raucous debut single “Weatherman”. The song has landed them on Jimmy Kimmel Live, SXSW, national tours with Chevelle and The Used, and now Warped Tour, where they’ll inevitably attract many new fans over the course of the summer. Their self-titled debut album came out in April, and peaked at #16 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart.

Emily’s Army

Hailing from the East Bay in Northern California, Emily’s Army are mostly known for their drummer, Joseph Armstrong, the 17-year old son of Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong. The band’s fiery punk-rock music was fleshed out into a full-length album last June, which received pretty solid reviews from sites like Absolutepunk. Look for them to become an even bigger deal after Warped ends.

Four Year Strong

The rapid climb of East Coast hardcore/pop-punk band Four Year Strong over the past handful of years has been wild – 2007’s Rise or Die Trying captivated the scene with its endlessly in-your-face blend of traditional hardcore and metal-tinged pop-punk, and 2010’s Enemy of the World further solidified their importance (while allowing them to achieve some major-label success). Last November’s In Some Way, Shape or Form was mildly received due to its dramatic change to more accessible, watered-down alternative/rock, but their live shows are still as magical as they were three or four years ago.

New Found Glory

It wouldn’t truly be a summer without NFG on the Warped lineup. Supporting their recently-released seventh album Radiosurgery, NFG have really paid their dues over their now 15-year career, gaining them nearly universal admiration in the scene. Fans checking out their set can expect a high-energy mix of new and old, and maybe even a cover of Green Day’s classic “Basket Case”.

Title Fight

It’s been a remarkably busy few years for this Pennsylvania-based hardcore band, composed of a group of kids under twenty years old. Just listen to their SideOneDummy debut Shed, and you’ll understand why Title Fight’s impassioned, emotive style of hardcore/punk has attracted so much attention. Frankly, they have a special kind of talent well beyond their years, and it’s paved the way for tours with bands like Four Year Strong, New Found Glory and other heavyweights. A full slot on the national Warped Tour is the perfect reward for their hard work.

Of course, this is just a tiny handful of some of the hottest acts on the Warped Tour – to find out about all the other acts on the bill (which varies from day to day), visit the fest’s official site.

Motion City Soundtrack “Go”—Album Review

Adrian Garro — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:13:23 +0000

Go, Motion City Soundtrack’s fifth studio album (and first since becoming an independent band for the second time), is arguably one of the finest they’ve released in their fifteen-year career.

The band, known for their keyboard-driven pop/punk style and Justin Pierre’s emotionally-tinged vocals, must have been in a great place creatively when composing this record. Notably, the synth has returned, in a big way. Gone is the keyboard-free approach that characterized much of 2010’s My Dinosaur Life; the result is one of the best punk albums released so far this year.

Opener “Circuits and Wires” sets the album’s tone perfectly, a driving drum beat and relentless rhythm creating the song’s core, from which Pierre shouts “I know there’s something wrong within my faulty brain”.

Lead single “True Romance” follows, presenting the second half of a formidable opening one-two punch. Pierre’s vocal hook and the song’s plucky synth beeps easily make it one of the album’s highlights.

After a slight slow-down with “Son of a Gun”, Go really picks up: “Timelines” is one of the most endearing songs on the record. Its perfect pairing of emotion, nostalgia (“It’s not a matter of time/It’s just a matter of timing”) and power-pop bliss, the depth of “Everyone Will Die”, “The Coma Kid” (with more affecting synth-laden melody and fist-pumping rhythms) and “Boxelder” (finger-tapping, pop/punk energy and one of the strongest choruses on the album) round out Go’s completely untouchable middle section.

Not that the end of the record is a letdown – far from it, although the themes are pretty dark. “The Worst is Yet to Come” exemplifies the album’s melancholia with the marriage of some sinister synth tones and ominous lyrics (“if you just let me make my own mistakes/I promise I’ll behave only in the worst way”), while “Bad Idea” continues the trend of self-reflection, preparing the listener for the heavy presence of “Happy Anniversary”. A heart-wrenching tale of a dissolving life and, subsequently, a relationship, this is one powerful song. In it, Pierre sounds at times like Jim Adkins from Jimmy Eat World, his voice telling the tragic story in a way that sends chills down the spine: “Take me in your arms and hold me tight/’Cause I won’t be here for long, my dear/Settle our accounts/Happy Anniversary” he sings, while somber guitar chords cascade by. It’s a depressing tune, and one that should easily appeal to anyone familiar with loss and the tumult of life’s unpredictability.

In many ways, Go feels like a concept record – it’s heavy on introspection and themes of loss, self-esteem, and overcoming obstacles. On the closing track, “Floating Down the River”, Pierre sings “I am attempting to change/After years of destruction/Don’t be alarmed I’m still stupid, awkward, anxious and a terrible bore”, but despite the self-deprecation, the song comes off as hopeful – a poetic way to cap off an album as flawless as this one.

ALBUM RATING: 5 stars (out of five)

Pennywise “All or Nothing” Album Review

Adrian Garro — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:09:32 +0000

When Jim Lindberg left Pennywise in 2009, it made sense to write the band off. How could they continue on without his engaging presence, a key factor in making them the legends they are today?

In a testament to their punk rock chops, they did. All or Nothing, their first overall record since 2008 and first with new singer Zoltán “Zoli” Téglás (from the OC punk band Ignite), is a fine addition to their long-running legacy and a firm declaration that yes, there is life after Lindberg.

The album-opening title track affirms the band’s resurgence: slick, precise, circle-pit-ready riffs and a defiant refrain of We’ll never know/until we try/the time is now/ it’s all or nothing set the tone for the rest of the record powerfully.

The signature Pennywise vocal hook on Revolution makes it a surefire hit at future gigs – and its chorus is pretty solid, too.

Vocally, Téglás fills in well for the departed Lindberg, with touches of The Offspring’s Dexter Holland poking through his shouts every now and then. Musically, Pennywise hasn’t sounded this fresh in years – Fletcher Dragge’s guitar riffs are steady, catchy, and befitting of an icon such as himself, while Byron McMackin could teach a class on How To Be A Punk Rock Drummer, considering how hard and effective his drum work is on this record.

A side note – it’s amazing that now, ten studio albums deep, Pennywise haven’t already used song titles like All or Nothing, Revolution, Seeing Red, Tomorrow, United, and Stand Strong, but apparently they haven’t. Kudos to them for employing a bit of song title diversity over the years.

Shouted group vocals validate Stand Strong’s claims of independence and free will, while Let Us Hear Your Voice chugs along with one of the album’s catchiest choruses (and one of Téglás’ most affecting Holland impressions). Songs of Sorrow is also a highlight, its urgent tones and end-of-the-world themes calling to mind Bad Religion (which is never a bad thing). The same can be said for X Generation, a condemnation of societal malaise and manipulation that could have been co-written by Greg Graffin himself.

If you were afraid to give Lindberg-less Pennywise a chance, fear no more. All or Nothing is just as solid as anything they’ve ever released. It’s just…different, obviously. Musically, it’s the same Pennywise you’ve come to love and expect, just with a slightly tweaked vocal approach.

But everything else – the defiance, the anger, the middle-finger-to-the-enemy (see: Seeing Red) is still there, just as amped-up as before.

Now start up that circle pit.

ALBUM RATING: 4.5 Stars (out of five)