If you were a tumblr user and fan of bands like The Front Bottoms and TWIABP in 2015, it’s near impossible to not have heard of Insignificant Other. Lead vocalist and songwriter, Sim Morales has been releasing covers with some originals via bandcamp for last half of the decade, but the recent release of i’m so glad i feel this way about you paints a picture of a triumphant pop-punk band with a Brooklyn-sensibility despite their Alabama by way of Gainesville location. Continue reading
Pop-punk isn’t really the type of scene that bands really grow into large acts in; emo is much more unlikely. Still, against all odds, The Front Bottoms have reared their heads out of a niche corner in an underground scene and become full-fledged rockstars. Seeing them headline Terminal 5, the largest venue the band has ever headlined, it was hard not to get teary-eyed with pride. Continue reading
The Front Bottoms were at one time leading figures in the emo-revival. A weird pop-punk band from New Jersey that let indie rock and folk influences bleed through. They had lyrics that masked emotion through humor and wits. Also, they were huge. They could book their own festival at New York’s Webster Hall with their friends and favorite bands and sell it out. They toured with emo-vets Brand New on numerous occasions and wrote one of the decades’ best songs about life on the road. Back On Top was a major creative leap for the band, adding much more electric instrumentation than before, and it paid off. The best songs off Back On Top could square off with any number of songs from their self-titled album or Talon of Hawk. Unfortunately, Going Grey shows them doing just that: greying into a mediocre band. Continue reading
Coffee Date is a new column that features discussions of beverages stemming from leaves and beans. Whether you brew your own or need a hip barista pouring it in front of you, we’ve got you covered for brands to try at home, coffee shops with some personality, and what you should try or avoid from your regular coffee chains. Today, we also cross over into a review of Tigers Jaw’s latest album, and the coffee that came with the presale.
Tigers Jaw’s decision to pair with Reanimator Coffee for the release of their fifth full-length isn’t anything new. Modern Baseball and The Menzingers have also previously paired with Reanimator, but Tigers Jaw seems like the best pairing. They’re the musical equivalent to a nice cup of coffee on a rainy day. Spin sees the band at their most fully-realized, and Reanimator made a nice brew to compliment it. Continue reading
There are plenty of duos that may as well stand for the whole band: Lennon & McCartney, Page & Plant, Axl & Slash, the lineage goes on. Even though these pairs tend to overshadow their rhythm sections, with few exceptions, people rarely consider these pairs to be the complete band. Of the Beatles, Zeppelin, and Guns N’ Roses, Guns is probably the only act you struggled to name all the members because there are 5, not 4. Of course, the power duos never stopped existing. Marilyn Manson, Fall Out Boy, and Modern Baseball are all bands that have two distinctive figureheads for their bands.
Even though each of those bands are special and have aspects that make them stand out, there’s a certain credibility to bands that cut the size of those lineups in half. Two pieces aren’t exactly new to rock music, but since the early 2000’s, a band can pull the simple trick of consisting of only two members, and critics are bound to have some sense of respect for it. Now, we can sit here and argue the merits of abandoning a bassist, but the fact of the matter is: most two pieces are pretty good. Here’s a list of the essential two pieces throughout rock history. Continue reading
So many artists do an excellent job of hiding their influences down in their work. Some of the obvious ones shine through, but there are some influences that require some digging. Of course, John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats was influenced by Bob Dylan, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that this was the type of guy that regularly listened to the likes of Mayhem and Church of Misery (save for the references of “The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton”). Despite this, there’s certainly something admirable in artists early works, where their influences are sewn firmly to their sleeve.
Thomas Jefferson Aeroplane are still in this early stage, and it’s certainly endearing. In case the name hasn’t given it away, these guys are clearly fans of AJJ (formerly Andrew Jackson Jihad, catch my drift?) and Neutral Milk Hotel, and upon first listen, this trio clearly loves The Front Bottoms. From the simple acoustic, folk punk format to the wordy, heart on their sleeves lyrics, it’d be easy to just call these guys a bunch of ripoff-artists, but their songs are really great. Even the Atom Bomb Shelter Salesman, which was written and recorded in a day has solid songwriting (see: “Nuclear Winter”) that shows them evolving quickly. The Nailbiter EP is 11 minutes of catchy lo-fi promise from an incredibly emotive trio.
Once listened to attentively, you start to realize that Nailbiter has something of an arc with the first and last songs ending with the lines:
But it’s all for you
I’ll do what you do.
Cause you told me to.
The seeds I grew
Flowers could have been blue”
The first closes with the line “It’s a noose or excuse, and I can’t choose,” but the last is more resignedly “and they never do.” Where “Bitchin’ Nightmares” sounds hopeful with its jangling guitars and middle-paced tempo, the last verse sounds determined. “Bitchin’ 2: The Bitchining” is much more frantic throughout until the refrain sounds much more defeated. While there’s something of a story, the album’s shift I pretty quick making the back half much more bleak where it opened up with a pretty fun sounding release.
The EP is pretty standard folk-punk. Mostly acoustic and clean guitars are accompanied by simple drums and bass, with a smattering of distortion. The vocals are shaky and whiney, not unlike Sean Bonnette of AJJ. When TJA’s lead vocalist really shouts is when he shines through the best.
As is the case with a number of folky punk bands, the lyrics are where this trio shines though. The EP’s title track is incredibly wordy in just over 2 minutes. “Nailbiter” has the best image on the EP, where it’s sung “I wanna swim in your black coffee/stir me up and then dissolve me.” Imagery is really where the lyricism shines best. The album opens with “Drunk in my room watching Kitchen Nightmares,” and it only gets better from there. The seemingly timeless familiarity of things like multiple lives in video games mixed with the little time capsules such as Kitchen Nightmares makes it easy to insert one’s self into these narratives. While these guys haven’t defined their voice just yet, one is definitely there, and for now, we can all sing along and pretend.
James Crowley is trying to start bitchin’ friendships on Twitter.
Summing it all up.
Even though we’ve all been talking about how 2016 is the worst year ever, this year did see a lot of good coming out of it. Don’t get me wrong, 2016 sucked, but it does seem like the arts flourished. We got Stranger Things this year! I’ve heard the new Star Wars is pretty good, and I don’t even like Star Wars. I saw Brand New, The Front Bottoms, and Modern Baseball twice each! Those aren’t bad things. Since music is where my passion lies (and I’m not that original), I wanted to post BurgerADay’s official standings on Pitchfork’s normal and bizarre year end lists.
1.Best Lyric of 2016: The Front Bottoms-“Joanie”
“I finally am what I am, a fucking bag of bags”
2.Best Rap Album of 2016: Kanye West-The Life of Pablo Continue reading
Walking up to Webster Hall on a cold November night, the thought of seeing Mitski at a sold out show in the 1,500 capacity Grand Ballroom is surreal. This is a room where I’ve seen The Wonder Years and The Front Bottoms, pop-punk superstars. I’ve been invited to see Mitski at house shows throughout the Hudson Valley. I’ve tried to see her at the Music Hall of Williamsburg or Brooklyn’s Shea Stadium to no success. Seeing her name posted below the venue’s name along with the words “Sold Out” filled me with the kind of excitement you only get from seeing a quality artist reach a level of success they deserve. Mitski has placed herself as an artist that can deliver the sort of huge show that Webster Hall calls for.
Opening up the show were Canada’s Weaves, who really delivered more than the audience bargained for. Jasmyn Burke can control the stage with a very laidback demeanor. Weaves sound a little bit like Vampire Weekend in the way they make feel-good music that can jump from sounding punky to ska-influenced in a matter of seconds. It’s been such a long time since an opening act had caught my attention the way Weaves had. The end of the set was sexy with Burke and her bassist singing into the same microphone, and the music made the audience move at the very least.
The UK’s Fear of Men had the middle set, but their brand of mellow, synthy post-punk didn’t translate very well in a live setting. The band isn’t bad, but the energy that Weaves brought into the room lost momentum once Fear of Men started playing. The band was fine though. I’d be willing to give them another shot at a different show.
Mitski’s popularity has soared to the point that her stepping on stage to setup her gear elicited cheers. Her past two albums have shown that she can make classic songs that are equal parts catchy and emotional. From the opening of “Dan the Dancer” to “Class of 2013,” Mitski showed just what has made her an indie-superstar. The louder numbers drew larger reactions from the audience as you could hear everyone singing along to the choruses of “Townie” and “Your Best American Girl,” but Webster Hall was dead silent during the softer songs. Mitski is equally powerful for both, whether she’s singing “Fuck you and your money” or “Please don’t say you love me.” The classical training she’s received has always shined through in her intricate instrumentals and wide range of vocals, but it was shocking to hear how soft-spoken Mitski is between songs. When she made note that this was a safe-space for everyone, it was much more reserved sounding than any other declaration I’ve heard at a show. Her reserved demeanor only makes the powerhouse vocals on a song like “My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars” all the better.
Mitski followed Monday’s show with a much smaller scale at Brooklyn’s Villian. While it seems Mitski may never leave the DIY realm entirely, her headlining gig at Webster Hall only seems to be the start of a much bigger stage of her career.
James Crowley is on Twitter.
The stripped down song fits well in Brand New’s set. Brand New are still on their tour with The Front Bottoms and Modern Baseball. Baker just set out on tour with Kevin Devine, Petal and Pinegrove.
Burger-A-Day 