Freshly Unique » Powerpop

Hey Monday

JAMEZ — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:46:28 +0000

Hey Monday – Hold On Tight
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A City Safe From Sea

JAMEZ — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:55:07 +0000

1word: hooks. This album has them. In abundance, in fact. A City Safe From Sea consists of various artistic people who are into art and what have you. I think. I might have just made that up, but it doesn’t matter either way since this is great. It’s really fun and catchy and, well, yeah. Nice and creative too with a satisfying amount of noisyness to it. I’m really surprised these guys aren’t more popular than they are (only 130 or so listeners on last.fm!? What’s up with that?). Ultimately this is just a really quite enjoyable post-hardcore release that is most certainly worth your time.

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The Constant

JAMEZ — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:38:55 +0000

The Constant is a powerpop group from New York, lead by singer/songwriter/guitarist Steven Baggs, who’s a voice right out of the late ’90’s with his pain vocals and rocking tight sound. More precisely, he sounds like Eagle Eye Cherry and has the growl of Dave Grohl, but don’t hold it against him. The Constant is a little more scruffy than Third Eye Blind and lay somewhere between innocent powerpop and the Goo Goo Dolls rootsier edge.

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A Rocket To The Moon

JAMEZ — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:37:05 +0000

A Rocket to the Moon is still a very new act to hit the scene. The project started in 2006, though at that point it was just current singer Nick Santino creating catchy electro/acoustic ditties and posting them to Myspace . The rest, as they say, is history. He quickly hit it big and got recognized by Pete Wentz’s Decaydance label. From there, Santino formed a band and began opening for acts like The Morning Light and Cute is What We Aim For.

On Your Side, A Rocket To the Moon’s latest release, is a radical departure from Santino’s previous work. Most of this change can be attributed to the transition from solo act to full-fledged band, but thankfully most of the charm of ARTTM’s older work survived the metamorphosis. It would be a stretch to call the change a genre-shifting betrayal (though some would disagree), but there is a clear lack of synth in the project’s current form. While Santino relied on it heavily in his solo work, it’s now used instead to compliment some of their more layered songs like “Dakota” and “Sometimes”.

ARTTM aren’t setting out to define the genre, but they experiment within the established conventions and come up with some worthwhile results. Not all tracks are worth your time, though. Some of the more stripped down tracks like “On a Lonely Night” and “Baby Blue Eyes” slow the pace to a creeping halt, and the album isn’t quite strong enough to recover. While it is nice to see Santino hearken back to the project’s roots, it fails to flow with the tone of the album.

Santino and ARTTM had quite a bit of hype to live up to. For some out there, expectations were probably met. For the rest, they’ll have to accept the fact this album is far from flawless and suffers from some damaging low points. On the brightest moments of the album, ARTTM impresses more than most acts of their ilk, but unfortunately those moments fade all too soon.

Review By DecoyMusic

Artist: A Rocket To The Moon
Album: On Your Side
Genre: Powerpop / Electronica / Experimental
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/arockettothemoon

- Tracklist -

01) Annabelle
02) Mr. Right
03) She’s Killing Me
04) On a Lonely Night
05) Dakota
06) Life of the Party
07) Like We Used To
08) Where Did You Go?
09) Sometimes
10) Baby Blue Eyes
11) Give a Damn
12) On Your Side

Try Album [Mediafire] | A Rocket To The Moon – On Your Side

Forever The Sickest Kids

JAMEZ — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:25:00 +0000

Studying for exams, trying to finally beat Zelda, and sobbing over the girl who will never like me are on the list of things that keep me up past my usual bedtime. When I first heard Underdog Alma Mater, I realized that listening to this album was going to be put on the list as well. After numerous listens, I just did not want to put it down, and I don’t think I could have even if I tried. In fact, if I did, I’d probably be listening to it in my dreams. After releasing what was one of my favorite EPs from last year, Forever the Sickest Kids unleash their debut album via Universal Records and I couldn’t be more satisfied. From the unreal amount of hooks to the energetic vocals, it’s safe to say that this album will be in my Summer rotation all season long.

Re-recording songs are usually a hit or miss. With Underdog Alma Mater, Forever the Sickest Kids take on re-working five of the songs that have been released prior to this album, and overall, they pretty much nail most of them. The only ones I’m indifferent to would be “Believe Me, I’m Lying,” which sounds watered down compared to its previous version, and “Coffee Break” which just sounds out of place and probably would have been better off as a b-side. Although, just when I thought they couldn’t make “Hey Brittany” and “She’s a Lady” anymore better, they manage to pack it with a harder punch that makes them irresistible.

The catchy melodies and infectious chorus’ aren’t even the album’s high-point. The production on Underdog Alma Mater is phenomenal. With Matt Squire, a pop-producing mastermind behind the boards, it becomes obvious that not only does Forever the Sickest Kids have the ability to break through the mainstream, but completely burst through it. If any proof is needed, it’s right there in “Whoa Oh! (Me Vs. Everyone),” track one and the first single off the album. The lyrics are simple and the chorus will probably be one of the most fun to sing along to all year. “That for Me” is a song with its shoes put on the wrong feet, considering its verses are its most memorable attribute, and its chorus is the part that’s lacking. “The Way She Moves” is one of the stand out tracks on the album and definitely the most “boy-bandish” sounding of the rest. If released back in ’99, I could totally see it taking on LFO for the number one spot on TRL. The hits keep coming though as “Uh Huh” and “Phone Call” both have qualities to make it to the top of the charts. Forever the Sickest Kids save one of the best for last as “Catastrophe” finishes off an album that’s a sure-fired, sugary induced musical stomachache.

All in all, Underdog Alma Mater will most likely be people’s guiltiest pleasure of the year. It’s nothing but a straight-forward pop record with explosives melodies and unforgettable hooks that will be sure to make the warm weather that much more enjoyable for anyone.

Review By Joe DeAndrea of AbsolutePunk.net

Artist: Forever The Sickest Kids

Album: Underdog Alma Mater [2009 - Deluxe Edition]

Genre: Power Pop / Emo / Alternative

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/foreverthesickestkids

-Track List-

1 Intro
2 Whoa Oh! (Me Vs. Everyone)
3 Hey Brittany
4 My Worst Nightmare
5 Believe Me I’m Lying
6 The Way She Moves
7 She’s A Lady
8 Uh Huh
9 Phone Call
10 Breakdown
11 That For Me
12 Coffee Break
13 Castastrophe
14 MIDDLETRO
15 Believe Me I’m Lying (Original Demo)
16 Indiana (Hotel Demo)
17 Who Invited The Monster
18 Bundled Up
19 Uh Huh (Demo)
20 Catastrophe (Acoustic Demo)
21 Believe Me I’m Lying (Ft. Chae Hawk)
22 My Worst Nightmare (Demo)
23 Give And Take (Acoustic Demo)
24 Give and Take (Remix)
25 Heat Wave JAM OUT
26 The Party
27 Love Story (Taylor Swift Cover Song)
28 Cop Car (DEMO)
29 OUTRO

Try Album [Mediafire] | Forever The Sickest Kids – Underdog Alma Mater (Deluxe Edition)

fun.

JAMEZ — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:27:00 +0000

Yes, here’s another band whose members chose to spell its name in a way that drives newspaper copy editors crazy.

Fortunately the pop music created by the trio fun., made up of former members of the Format, Steel Train and Anathallo, is interesting enough to allow us to forgive. Think of some of the arrangements as theatrical, much like those on Panic at the Disco’s 2005 debut, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” and you’ll get the idea.

“Aim and Ignite,” the group’s debut album, makes the case for rule breaking with opening track “Be Calm.” It begins with a swell of sweet violins and a touch of accordion that drift to the background as vocals, which at times ramble, at other times pause, telling the story of paranoia.

The band really shines, however, when the members play it a bit straighter. One of my favorite tunes on the album is “Barlights,” an upbeat pop song that celebrates feeling alive.

Rule breaking is akin to eating candy. It’s great at times, but gorge and you’ll feel sick and crave something nutritious. Fortunately, fun. feeds both parts of our musical appetites.

Review By Nancy Dunham of Washington Post Music Review

Artist: fun.

Album: Aim & Ignite [2009]

Genre: Indie / Power Pop

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/fun

-Track List-

1. Be Calm
2. Benson Hedges
3. All The Pretty Girls
4. I Wanna Be The One
5. At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)
6. Light A Roman Candle With Me
7. Walking The Dog
8. Barlights
9. The Gambler
10. Take Your Time (Coming Home)

Try Album [Mediafire] | fun. – Aim & Ignite

Sparks The Rescue

JAMEZ — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Every once in awhile, a band happens to take a 180 degree turn. Sometimes the reasons are evident, other times not so much. Sparks the Rescue falls under the latter. Somewhere between releasing a well received EP, being signed to Double Blind Music and the departure of a member, the band took this turn.

When Sparks the Rescue released their The Secrets We Can’t Keep EP they had a sound that could be somewhat compared to Chiodos. But in late June 2008 the keyboardist Marty parted ways with the band. This had a huge impact on the band’s sound, which can be heard on their debut record.

Usually when bands change their sound, a lot of their original fan base tends to worry. This should not be the case for this album as there is a good mix to go around. For the most part, screams and heavy riffs have been traded in for catchy choruses and pop rock chords.

Eyes To The Sun starts off with the incredibly catchy “My Heart Radio”, which sets the pace for the majority of the album. Followed by “I Swear She’s The One”, which drills itself into your head with an echoed chorus you can’t help but love. “Autumn”, the album’s first single, would be all over the radio if it was promoted better. “Hello Mexico” has become a fan favorite since they started playing it live and it doesn’t disappoint on record. “Skeleton” and “The Gravity” are sort of the crossing of styles. While they still are heavily influenced by the pop hooks, they have a heavier feel to them that is featured on the album’s remaining songs. “Chemistry Set” is where older fans will be pleased, from here on out the record is chunkier and more reminiscent of the old Sparks the Rescue. Next is a re-done “Saco Boy’s Have No Class”, which sounds better then ever. Finally the record closes with “Pangaea,” probably the most mellow track, but it closes the album nicely.

Sparks the Rescue have proved that they can write some of the catchiest songs out there today, but sadly their label doesn’t promote them as much as they should. If they did, you would hear Sparks being mentioned with some of the top bands of the genre. But if they continue to release albums like this, it won’t be long before they have their eyes set on something other then the sun.

Review By AbsolutePunk.net

Artist: Sparks The Rescue

Album: Eyes To The Sun [2009]

Genre: Rock / Pop Punk / Powerpop

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sparkstherescue

-Track List-

01. My Heart Radio
02. Pine Tree State
03. Autumn
04. Hello Mexico
05. Skeleton
06. We Love Like Vampires
07. Shipwreck
08. I Swear That She’’s The One
09. American Blues
10. The Gravity
11. Chemistry Set
12. Saco Boys Have No Class

Try Album [Mediafire] | Sparks The Rescue – Eyes To The Sun