The dictionary definition of Void is without contents; Empty, useless; ineffectual; vain. Balance and Composure open their album Separation with a track titled Void. The tracks opening line says “Found out everyone is shallow, No depth, The ugly seem to follow, Blinded void, gaping hole.” This opening line clearly states a condition of culture and the results of that condition. As a whole, our generation and culture, are without content and substance. Our obsession with a false sense of physical and visual aesthetic fixes our attention on obtaining a physical image in others and ourselves. In other words, a persons value is determined by their relevance to cultures definition of physical beauty. This directly contradicts our values as Americans. It doesn’t matter what party you subscribe to, as Americans we believe in inalienable rights that flow from our value as humans. Most of us believe that these rights and freedoms are worth fighting for. We believe that fighting for the sanctity of human life is honorable. By perpetuating behavior that values the “beautiful” over the “ugly” we contradict our own values. Partiality deters equality. This vanity and uselessness deters our happiness and in reality leaves a “Blinded void” and a “gaping hole.” Why do we live in a way that devalues humans and makes us unhappy? Why did we start living this way?

We live in a world where existentialistic thought has become the norm. Existentialism assumes that personal choice and experience gives existence meaning. I would argue that when we pursue our own experience or pleasure as the main meaning of life, we forget about others. When we forget others we value them less. We are so individualistic that it narrows our perspective and this lends to actions that only benefit our singular pursuits rather than communal wellness. The problem lies in our pursuits. They often are not fulfilling even when we attain or achieve them, thus producing a “Blinded void” and “Gaping hole.” I believe we are slowly but surely realizing that interacting with people and helping others brings greater happiness. In order to do this we must abandon our current ideals of existentialism. We must find meaning in something other than ourselves. We must open our minds to living for something larger that means more. An idea that I believe has been lost recently is the idea of duty. This word immediately brings images of strict regimentation. This is not what I mean. When I say duty I mean “an act or expression of respect.” I want our generation to express our respect for each others values as humans first, before we consider ourselves. We must subscribe to our duty toward each other as social contract so that we may live happier more meaningful lives. This life style may cause us to do works that we may not immediately want to do. This life style may also result in an enduring happiness that isn’t grounded in moment to moment fickle choices. The truth about humanity is that we don’t know what we really want and following desires that change every year will leave you unsatisfied. 

- Jesse Lai

Just in time for Valentines Day I am bringing you Amy Gore and Her Valentines.  Their sound is Detroit all the way, garage, punk-ish and good old fashioned rock & Roll all mesh when Amy hits the stage.  I mean look at them, those ladies are old school rockers.  Their look is vintage meets 50′s pin up gal.  The guys rock their own vintage look Dan Zanes style.

Amy Gore a talented singer/songwriter/guitarist who has had her share of success performing with music icons such as Blondie and The Cramps. In 2011 Amy put together a line up that consisted of Jackson Smith on guitar, Leann Banks on bass, and Joe Leone on drums for what was supposed to be a one show deal to showcase her new material. (let me insert here that all the musicians she put together are accomplished in their own right be it studio musicians or other successful local bands)   However, the bands chemistry was such that they decided to make a go of it.  Amy Gore and Her Valentines was born, originally dubbed Amy Gore and the Squires.

The debut album has recently been released and it is a solid release in the school of rock, catchy lyrics, and solid riffs. A must listen for any guitar driven rock aficionado.

You can find Amy Gore and her Valentines on many popular social media sites, Facebook and twitter and of course YouTube.  She has her own channel there where you can watch some live performances and some artistically produced videos.  One in particular reminded me of a certain Pretenders video and I loved it.  I think Chrissy Hynde  would approve of Amy Gore and her Valentines since there are many similarities between them and the Pretenders. Of course don’t let them be boxed into this garage rock sound.  On the YouTube video channel there are covers of the Plimsouls and Smokey Robinson and some classic country artists too,  Her website is nice and quite professional, it contains everything you need, pictures, bios, upcoming events, links to social media sites and most importantly her music.

So like I said, just in time for Valentines Day, check out Amy and her band.  It’s something sweet for your ears.

She can be found at http://thisisamygore.com/

In time for Valentines Day I have a treat for you a rocker chick (meant strictly as a compliment) from Detroit.  They don’t just make cars and reality tv up there they also make good music.

The first time I intended to see I Am Villain, I didn’t end up seeing them at all. A trip to Sydney happened to coincide with The Mission in Motion and Stealing O’Neal’s second ‘Good Times & Killer Rhymes’ tour, so of course we had to go to a show. The Villains were the only support band for the co-headliners and I figured that if they were hand-picked by two of my favourite bands for the spot, then they were probably worth checking out. Unfortunately for them, we ended up joining some of the other guys for dinner and missed their set altogether. Oops. After that I was determined to see what they were like, so it was only a month or so later that I saw them in Brisbane for the first time.

After that, I was at almost every show. Some were headlining gigs while others were support slots for bands like Man Overboard. Their EP was – and still is, for that matter – on high rotation in my car. I know that for the most part all pop-punk sounds the same –I even wrote a blog post about it! – but I still loved their sound and their energy and I was never disappointed by a performance. That is why I am so sad to write that last night I attended their last ever show.

I know that John Farnham has been playing his “last ever shows” for years now and the hilarity of that was not lost on the Villain boys who chose Farnham’s hit You’re the Voice as their intro song for the show. Unlike Mr Farnham, I am quite certain that in this case, the last ever really did mean EVER. Bands have been known to surprise us, but they’re usually the ones who were really famous and made a tonne of money that they’ve since blown through and are going ‘shit…we need to tour again!’ (It’s possible that they just love the music and want to come back to it, but the money thing is funnier.)

But anyway.

The set list was fairly predictable, but at a final show you would be disappointed if it wasn’t. Most of their EP was there, their single Everything’s Coming Up Milhouse (which was my song of the week this week!) was there and they also threw in a few songs off the album they never released (still very disappointed about that) as well as an incredibly unpolished but nevertheless entertaining cover of Four Year Strong’s hit Wasting Time that had a decent chunk of the crowd joining them onstage for an epic sing-a-long.

They closed with favourites Take it Now and of course their biggest hit, Frankly My Dear, I Don’t Give a Damn which was probably the worst performance of that song I’ve seen, yet somehow it was also the best. The crowd was on the stage, the band was in the crowd and everyone was belting out the lyrics as though their lives depended on it, and I suppose in that moment, they kind of did. It was a fantastic end – since there did have to be an end – to I Am Villain’s career. They may not have been huge, but they sure as hell were loved. I’m glad I could be a part of it.

I got a free shirt and I caught a guitar pick! Very exciting! 

(Apologies for the bad picture quality, I only had my iPhone)

This week I proudly introduce my favourite Brisbane pop-punkers – I Am Villain!

This song, Everything’s Coming Up Milhouse, pretty much sums up this band and the video is great.

It is with great disappointment that I announce they will be playing their last ever show this Friday night. I’ll recap their career with a brief review of the show on the weekend. In the mean time, check out this song as well as anything else you can find from their EP ‘One Night, One Victim’ because that is some seriously good pop-punk music – if you’re into that kind of thing!

I put a few new records up on to the store today which include:

Captain We’re Sinking – Montreal (White /200 Clear /300) Precursor to their highly anticipated debut on Run For Cover Records

Less Than Jake – Greetings & Salutations (Black) Return to form for the Ska Punk Legends

Tigers Jaw – S/T Reissue (Black)

Touche Amore - Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me (Black)

Also back in stock by popular demand is the classic self titled album by American Football

http://monkeyboyrecords.bigcartel.com/

As new releases are going to be coming thick and fast from now on I have put some of the older releases on sale to make space. There are some great records available in there for cheap, stand outs for me being full lengths from Hostage Calm, Luther & Heart to Heart. You can see the full list of sale items by clicking here.

BAND: Indian Taker
RECORD: Tule Fog EP
HOMETOWN: Modesto, CA
http://indiantaker.bandcamp.com/

I first heard indian taker at their first show. I traveled five hours north of my home in Los Angeles to visit old friends. Of course the first thing swelling in my mind when I arrived in Modesto, CA was “I wonder what is happening in the local scene these days.” My buddy took me to a house show and a very young talented band took the stage for their first time. Indian Taker was very impressive. The guitar sang melody lines balancing each song allowing the vocalist to take on the roles of rhythm and poet. The young band covered Taking Back Sunday’s “Cute without the E” at the climax of the local house show reminding me that small towns produce great times. The isolated nature of Modesto allows for a unique creative freedom that is minimally influenced by inconsistent mass trends. Indian Takers EP Tule Fog deserves a listen. The middle tracks “Sleep spindles” and “If the family tree falls and no ones around, Does it make a sound?” are undeniably the weak point of the EP. These tracks ruin the continuity of the album and distract from the unique memorable tracks before.

I really enjoy this band and am excited to see what they do next. Download the album free on bandcamp and enjoy.

Key Tracks: “Owl Eyes” and “Bound with Time”

- Jesse

Band: Face to Face
From: Victorville, California
http://www.facetofacemusic.com

Im in a foreign country, not expecting to meet or talk to anyone about similar music tastes. There is only one coffee shop in the small downtown of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. The beach and surrounding areas are filled with europeans, Canadians, and Latins. There are no seats left in the coffee shop. A young couple from Queens, New York offer us the two open spots at their table. He is a writer and she is a teacher. He is cynical yet idealogical like many people who listen to punk or hardcore. She is cause driven. Finally we talk about music and of course we find that our unlikely kin like punk.

They inform us that Face to Face, a early 90′s pop punk band released a new album. After breaking up in 2004 they reunited in 2008. Bands like these remind me that punk is something that is in you and, unlike many other genres or lifestyles,  not fickle. They released “Laugh now, Laugh Later” in 2011 as well as a “7” split with Rise Against. Get out. Meet people. Communicate your ideals.

- Jesse

(Nostalgia overdose)

2) They are still the funniest band on the planet.  Not only do they boast the highest dick joke per gig ratio but they also aren’t afraid to rip the piss out of each other, an extremely refreshing attitude post Tom Delonge ‘Angels and airwaves are bigger than Jesus’. Here’s the best example of Tom Delonge getting a taste of his own humble pie flavoured medicine..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY7ykY2LPHw

(There’s also some dick jokes in there too, obviously)

3) Mark Hoppus is a twitter fiend.  Yes not only is he a Delonge ego crushing machine but he also tweets like a witty basement nerd in the body of a pop punk superstar, here are a few of my personal favourites.

Also, not to be biased, but he’s also managed to do the unimaginable task of moving to England, embracing the culture and not coming across as a complete twonk, take note Madonna.

4)  They haven’t given their sound a desperately unnatural facelift. Although their Christmas EP didn’t receive the worldwide attention of previous glory days it still a solid slice of quality melodic rock that we’d expect from such experienced professionals. This, however, cannot be said about similar bands in their genre as The offspring recently gave birth/shat out a hideous karaoke nightmare Katie Perry-esque  z side track that single handily destroys their back catalogue. Whilst confused light metallers  Korn teamed up with popular emo man-doll Skrillex to produce music that seems reminiscent with a dad desperately trying to impress his teen kids by telling them he loves ‘The Nicklebacks’. I’d mention Sum 41 but I don’t believe anyone actually knows where they have gone and if they do please get in contact with your local authorities because they haven’t been seen since 2002.

5) They still cater to old-school fans. After a band reaches a certain age and play a billion shows they can pick two separate directions, stick completely to newer material and begrudgingly play some older hits or embrace their collection and cater to all their fans, blink still follow the latter.  They still open in frenetic fashion with ‘feeling this’ and end with the best punk song of all time ‘Dammit’ and sprinkle, rather than dump, their set with newer material. This means older fans can revel in the nostalgia whilst standing next to younger youmeatsix or all time low fans and still be the cooler ones. On their extensive last UK tour they played acoustic numbers from ‘Dude Ranch’, here’s a personal highlight..

The core members of this band have been on the Arizona punk scene for almost a decade  A scene that has given us such bands as The Gin Blossom”s and Jimmy Eat World.

Many of the guys in The Afterlight  have been part of some popular bands during this time such as Already Lost, Curbside High, and Spindle who changed their name to Third Approach.  Third Approach was a mainstay on the scene for 7 years releasing 3 albums during their reign.

The last band to have members of The Afterlight in it was The Heartless.  A band that enjoyed immense popularity on the scene and had a promising future. Their album “One Night Stanza” landed them a spot in a contest on The Howard Stern Show.  They went on to win the contest.  Unfortunately, shortly after their success on the Howard Stern show the singer left and the band went their separate ways.

This brief history brings us current and The Afterlight as they are here: Ross Chambers- vocals , Adam Blaylock- bass Chris Nunes- guitar, Jeff Tretta- guitar and Ben McCarthy -drums. These guys come together and bring a lot of experience both as musicians and as well seasoned performers and you can hear that experience on this recording.  Their album Chasing Stars was released this past fall and it is available for free download here: http://www.noisetrade.com/theafterlight  :

The album contains a really cute intro reminiscent of the late 80′s and early 90′s.  It then dives right in with G.F.Y. and I had to take a step back to make sure that I didn’t accidentally change the music.  There was such a professional quality and sound to the song.  Easily compared to Fall Out Boy and Jimmy Eat World.  The album continues to hold your interest with such songs as The Beginning of the End and These Aren’t the Voids You’re Looking For, Move along.  A very radio friendly tune.  The Afterlight is capable of showcasing their softer side as heard in such songs as “Said and Done’ and “End of October”, another radio friendly song.

Unfortunately shortly after releasing “Chasing Stars” Ross had to leave the band for personal reasons.  The Afterlight though continues on as the remaining four musicians are happy to go forward filling in on vocals while they perhaps look for a front-man.  This is similar to a situation that Genesis found themselves in before finally handing the mic and drumsticks to Phil Collins.

The Afterlight does not yet have a website but you can find them in may places on the web.  They are on Facebook as TheAfterlightAZ.  I find Facebook to be a good alternative if you have not yet made a website because it is easy to maintain.

They can also be found on twitter, instagram and YouTube under TheAfterlightAZ.  On YouTube they have their own channel with some interesting videos some from shows, others just video updates. They are also on www. Reverbnation.com/theafterlight

Check them out if you are a fan of alternative and pop punk.  Their sound while a local band is universal.

“Where’s my Dog?” By Vertical Takeoff, due out on March 3rd. #dog #wheresmycar #whiteout #whitewash #verticaltakeoff #vertocal #takeoff #blink182 #punk #rock #music #poppunk #acoustic #flourish (at Anthony’s)

“Where’s my Dog?” By Vertical Takeoff, due out on March 3rd. #dog #wheresmycar #whiteout #whitewash #verticaltakeoff #vertocal #takeoff #blink182 #punk #rock #music #poppunk #acoustic #flourish (at Anthony’s)

The Black Sheep Concert Venue in Colorado Springs is hosting Cute is What We Aim For, Why They Fight, and Saving Verona on January 25th. Since I live fairly close, I decided to check out the openers. Mistake #1.

• Dear Bands, (all bands), I will instantly think your music sucks if your band facebook picture isn’t one taken by a camera that comes with a detachable lens.

Alright, back to the bands at hand. I’ll start with the first opening band, Saving Verona. This three piece pop-punk band boasts a long repertoire, including featured music on MTV’s Road Rules/Real World, Warped Tour, and sharing a stage with many big names. Yet, I must question when this all happened. Their best song, Quick Quick, Slow, resembles early Simple Plan, pre-producer, with intentions of Blink 182. I couldn’t get over how nasally the lead singer’s voice was, I’m sorry. I really couldn’t. That being said, I tried to listen to their lyrics, but I couldn’t understand them, so I’ll skip that critique. The most catchy part of the song was the guitar playing the same 4 chords. Rough, at best, but still the catchiest part. Don’t believe me? Take a listen. http://www.facebook.com/savingverona

Moving on to something a bit more pleasant… Why They Fight is a power-pop band that wants to put out happy music. Seriously, they said so themselves, well, sort of. ”…making music for a sad lonely world…” Close enough. This newly formed band is much more pleasing to my ear than the last. They feature two singles on their facebook, Karma and F.I.A.D.O. Although their lyrics don’t have the most depth, their instrumentalists all know how to play and they have moments of sincere quality. For example, the bridge of F.I.A.D.O is understated just enough, led by guitar, and allows the listener to hear more depth. Although, I didn’t enjoy Karma as much, simply because the repetitiousness of the last chorus emulated a Ke$ha song, their lyrics were much better. Plus, the presentation of their FB was much cleaner. Besides, they have their ears gaged. That means their legit.

Okay, okay, overall? Up and Coming. They have potential. If you like Every Avenue or The Maine, you’ll enjoy Why They Fight. http://www.facebook.com/WhyTheyFightCO

After analyzing these two bands, I realized, I’m not sure if I even like Cute is What We Aim For. Instantly, I tried to ignore their default FB picture. They have earned enough credibility that labels will probably ignore how shitty that picture looks. So I went to the ‘Listen’ page and FAIL. They don’t have any music. Why? Because they are writing. So are they on tour promoting new songs or the old ones? Cause everyone that goes to their show will probably expect to hear “Curse of Curves.” Me, well, I hope to be the drunk girl at their concert requesting it at the top of my lungs, determined to tell everyone what I was doing when I first heard it on Myspace.

All in all? I wish I didn’t have to pay $12 to go see this show, but who am I kidding, I probably will.

#overpriced #youareoutdated #arehashtagsevenapplicable #icantwaitforthe12yroldscenekids