Photo Showcase- H2O//Breakdown//Cruel Hand//Criminal Instinct//High Card//Friend or Foe//Manipulate

H2O, Breakdown, Cruel Hand, Criminal Instinct, Friend or Foe, High Card, and Manipulate at Revolution Bar 6/26/15

             Last Friday H2O played their 20^th anniversary show at the Revolution bar in Amityville, New York. H2O had six bands open up for them and also had a huge drawing crowd for them. Revolution bar is known to have the bigger shows in Long Island without a barricade. It holds more than 300 I believe which is double the size of AMH (Amityville Music Hall) and it’s a better stage. I think this is my favorite venue in Long Island and I’m only here for big shows.

            The first band of the night was Manipulate. Manipulate are some what of a new band but the band features members from Backtrack and Suburban Scum. They are mixed between Hardcore/Crossover. No one was moving for them but this band had some killer riffs. This band isn’t doing anything new but the riffs were very gnarly. If people were into them this band will go places and the mosh pit will be intense.

            Long Island own High Card was up next and this was my third time seeing them. This was also my first seeing them not play a festival at this venue. Each time I’ve seen this band it’s been at this venue. The first two times seeing them was at Vengeance Fest last November and Spring Mixtape last March. High Card is a cool band because they love 80’s punk rock and hardcore like Bad Brains and Black Flag. High Card had a little pit and people sang along to their material. Check out their material if you get a chance.

            Friend or Foe was up next. Friend or Foe is a hardcore band from Richmond, Virginia. This was my second time seeing this band and I saw them back at Black n Blue 2014 Day 1. Friend or Foe is somewhat of a generic hardcore band. There was nothing special that I felt. The only thing I found cool about their set was that the guitarist of No One Rules (RIP) was filling. One band I wish came back for one more Long Island show.

            Soon to be kings of Atlanta, Georgia hardcore Criminal Instinct was up next. The reason why I say that is that because once Foundation is gone they will take that flag and the lead the charge from Atlanta. This was my second time seeing them and boy they sure were a lot better than the first time. I saw them at Vengeance Fest and I really like them. This time they were 100% better and people were going crazy for them. This band better blow up and they really are something else. The best thing about this set they did an instrumental version of Long Island band King Nine “Scared to Death” and the place erupted. You are messing up if you haven’t seen this band.

            Up next Cruel Hand, Cruel Hand is from Portland, Maine. This is my second time seeing them and I didn’t really care for them at first. To me Cruel Hand is an overrated band just like Expire. The first three songs I was like boring but all of the sudden it got better. I started to like them a lot. The best was at the end was when they had Eddie Leeway come out to perform. Now during their set the pit was intense but once Eddie Leeway got on a lot of old school people jumped right in. I think for the first 30 seconds the most intense moment I saw at the venue. No music was being played and people were going off. Seeing Eddie Leeway perform a song was great. Hopefully Leeway comes back soon.

            The legendary Breakdown was up next. Breakdown is back with their 1987 demo lineup and this was their first time playing Long Island in over 12 or 13 years. Breakdown is from Yonkers, New York and they are the old school NYHC band. I give these guys a lot of credit because there a lot of people my age were going off for them. Also they sang along and everything. Breakdown was really good probably one of the best old school band I’ve ever seen on Long Island. I really enjoyed this band a lot I would love to see this band again. Go see this band if you haven’t already amd pay respects to the old school bands.

            H2O took the stage. Toby Morse had his son on stage watching the performance and singing some the material. Also stage diving which make me wish hopefully one day if I have kids they get into hardcore like me. H2O are from New York and this was my first time seeing this band. I finally got the chance to see this band because I missed so many chances to see this band.  H2O are more a punk rock than hardcore. H2O are a fun band full of sing alongs and stage diving. The best part of the night was them doing a snippet of “Waiting Room” by Fugazi. This was the closet thing I’ll get to see a Fugazi. H2O was great and I can’t wait to see them again in September opening for Rancid.

H2O- 9/10

Breakdown- 9/10

Cruel Hand- 8.5/10

Criminal Instinct- 9.5/10

Friend or Foe- 7/10

High Card- 8.25/10

Manipulate- 7/10

Revolution- 9/10

Overall Concert- 8.75/10

 

Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish and Ballyhoo at Best Buy Theater 6/22/15

          Last week I saw Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish again at the Best Buy Theater. This was the second show on the tour they played in NYC. This was not the day after the other show where it was a sold out show. This show wasn’t a sold out show due to the fact that the back area of the theater was cut off. Basically for both bands it was the same set but they added a song or two. This performance was different because Reel Big Fish opened up Less Than rather what happen the week before where it was vice verse. I actually saw the full set of Ballyhoo which they were really cool. They really reminded me of Sublime a lot. They had more of the laid back version of Sublime. None of their songs were aggressive or anything. I really liked this band a lot. Check out all three of these bands and see them live.

Less Than Jake- 9/10  

Reel Big Fish- 9/10

Ballyhoo- 8.75/10

Best Buy Theater- 9/10

Overall Concert- 8.75/10

           

INTERVIEW: Old Gray (with Cameron & Charlie)

Photos Taken by Allison Newbold and Property of Zack

Old Gray is an emotive "post-rock" trio from New England, known for their knack for yanking heartstrings, via brutally honest and painful lyrics, and occasionally dream-like, or "shoe-gazey" verses, building up to an instantaneous violent explosion of energy that translates perfectly into their records and their anything-but-calm shows and their audience. (FFO: Pianos Become The Teeth, La Dispute)

I hung out with Cameron Boucher (lead vocalist, guitarist), and Charlie Singer (drums, vocals) after their show in Philadelphia for a few minutes to chat.

I know you guys just put out the new Sorority Noise record. I haven't gotten a chance to hear it yet, but I know almost all of my friends dig it. What do you think you might say are some of the differences between the old & the new records? 

Cam: Definitely more of a sense of maturity, we all focused more on song-writing, rather than just like writing a song and putting it out. We wanted to challenge ourselves as we played it, so it was like, not the same thing as usual. We wanted to try and focus less on this concept of like, objectifying women, to more like...answer the questions you have about yourself. It's like "why doesn't this girl love me", and instead it's more of like a "why don't I love myself" question. You can’t really pinpoint that frustration on anyone else. It’s got a lot of like, getting over...like I had bad depression and trying to come to terms with that accepting in your life, and I feel like that's really what the difference is between the records. It’s more like self-centered, but not like in a negative way. Kinda more about like me trying to figure out my shit, instead of putting it on others.

So, kind of like a “I want to learn to love my self, before I can try to love someone else”?

Cam: That’s like legitimately what the record's aiming for! [laughter]

OK, yeah, because I know that one of the lyrics that I hear Old Gray fans reference a lot is, uh…..“maybe one day you will love me”.

Cam: Yeah, that was the one where it’s kinda like I’m living this life that’s the anti-thesis of “maybe I need to love myself, before someone else above me”, and that was me at like 18. And I’ve kinda come to terms with, you know like, maybe it’s not that, maybe that’s not what it is, maybe it’s something else.

Well, if I might ask, how old were you guys when you wrote that record?

Cam: The demo?

Yeah.

Cam: I was like 18.

Charlie: I was like 17-18? 

Cam: Now we’re like 22-23.

Okay, yeah so like, that’s a pretty big progression. There’s a lot that can happen in those years. I definitely feel that.

Charlie: Hell yeah.

Another question someone wanted me to ask was if you guys ever get like really bad jokes like “Earl Grey” instead of Old Gray”?

Cam: Yeaaaah. [laughter] we used to get "Old Greg" a lot, there was "El Greg", and then there’d be some really shitty sub-human people would be like “Old Gay” and that would suck. [laughter]

Yeah, oh my god no, that’s the worst.

Charlie: Exactly. But yeah, definitely got "Old Greg" a lot, we almost made a shirt that was like an “Old Bay seasoning”. It’s like there were a lot of things, there was like "Old Ray", which is what I used to name the old demos on iTunes so I didn’t scrobble them when I was on Last.fm. [laughter] So, yeah, there were like a lot of different references and ways that people refer to it.

So, a bunch of people and bands are arguing about this, and I figured maybe it might be an interesting thing to shed some light on. Are you Team Ketchup, or Team Mustard?

Cam: I think I’ve already had to answer that question once. Like, I put Ketchup on, before I put Mustard on. If I’m eating a thing with Ketchup, I put mustard on top. But, I would rather Ketchup. If I was on a desert island and had to choose a condiment, first stop it’d probably be garlic powder [laughter]

Charlie: Nah, I’d definitely be a ranch.
Cam: Yeah, but it’d be warm as hell on that island!

I mean, ranch has milk in it, so it might get spoiled!

Charlie: Yeah, true!

Cam: There’s always a lot of questions about what island I’m on, but I think team ketchup 

Charlie: Yeah, I'm definitely Team Ketchup

So like, if you could only have one or the other, cause ketchup and mustard are the most basic condiments…?

Cam: Yeah, like I guess maybe Italian sauce, but still Team Ketchup!

So, would you like to talk about your gear at all? When I was standing up front, there was this one pedal that kinda blew me away, but I didn’t know what it was.

Cam: Sure, yeah. I know that I use a Hall of Fame as my Reverb pedal, my overdrive pedal is a Full Drive 2, and I got it modded, so it has a JJS Mini Boost in it, so it has a clean boost and an overdrive on top, and I use a DD20 [Boss], which is like the looper and the delay pedal I use, and I started using that a lot. And then the tuner, I use a very simple one [Boss Chromatic Tuner]. Like, it can get LOUD, and it can get weird. Adam uses like 20 pedals...I couldn’t even explain it. [laughter] I use a Fender Musicman RD30 for a head, and a Marshall 412 for a cabinet, so that’s just what I got.

And then Charlie, your drums, what do you use?

Charlie: My drums right now are…it’s like a PDP [Pacific Drums & Percussion] and DWs [Drum Workshops], uh like kind of a sister company, it’s like a little cheaper, because I’m…not the richest man ever. Uh, Maple PWP-PDP kit, so it’s actually really nice. I actually use a custom cymbals. I actually just got endorsed by Promark, which is really exciting. So, I get free sticks, which is cool, cause they break a lot.

Definitely. I noticed that there was already a broken stick on the ground, super early into your set.

Cam: Oh yeah, there’s a…there’s a decent amount of those. And then just, the PDP kits really good, I sometimes use a Portby snare, but it’s very broken right now, so we’re uh…on the bend on that one [laughter]

So, Cam. I know when you were tuning, there was a lot of…post-rocky sorta thing going on, it kinda just lets the crowd focus on that, while you’re taking for ever to tune, which is pretty cool.

Cam: Yeah, wow. We were always so bad at that, and then we finally like…we were always like, we should make it noisey or have something going on, when we’re tuning so it’s like not weird.

Charlie: Yeah, it kinda makes it more emotional and therapeutic to to that in between the songs, and then to go to complete silence. It just kinda like, "halts" the vibe for us. And we’ve all been a big fan of like, you know…just…ambient music, in general, so just being able to exert that in between songs alone is pretty sick, as well.

So then, if that’s the case, what are some of your inspirations?

Cam: For the sound?

Just like anything. Old Gray, Sorority Noise, whatever influences your style.
Cam: I don’t love music that sounds like what we do...like my favorite songwriter is Regina Spektor. I kinda go through phases, like every 2 weeks, I’m like really into something. [laughter] So like, lately it’s been "OK Computer", by Radiohead. But, with Old Gray, there was definitely like....I’ve always had this huge Brand New influence. Jesse’s one of my favorite songwriters as well. I really loved Pianos [Become The Teeth] when we were writing our stuff, and we’re from where Defeater’s from, so we’d get to see them play shows. And on top of that, just like, Mogwai, This Will Destroy You, Explosions In The Sky, Mono, God Is An Astronaut, pretty much all of that like huuuuge post-rock world.

Yeah! That’s what I was noticing. There’s definitely a lot of post-rock influences.

Cam: Yeah. And it’s kinda like post-rock with vocals, which is what I use to describe people, so yeah, it’s like a pretty wide array.

 

You mentioned Radiohead, one of my favorite bands, they use a lot of different sounds in a lot of their albums, like you do in your songs and shows.

Cam: Yeah, Jonny Greenwood’s a freak show. [laughter]

And then, Charlie, what’s some of your influences?

Charlie: Mine definitely mirrors Cam’s, a lot. I would say just like, rhythm-wise, I always loved drummers that just like…you know, being a 3-piece with Old Gray, phonetically, just trying to open up the sound a lot, I definitely pull from like all over the place, but I definitely love how big and huge a lot of electronic producer’s sound was. Like, I love Clouds Casino, Shlomo, Baths…there’s like a big kinda chill-wave thing. And, even just certain drummers like David, from Pianos is like, one of the more onspiring kinda edgy, but you know, he executes it very well. So just like, even down to fuckin…

Cam: August Burns Red?

Charlie: Yeah, and even down to like Aaron Gillespie from Underoath. The way he plays his cymbals and the way that he like, opens up, no matter what he may be as a person. He has a great understanding of just like, sonically, making it gigantic, without making the drums like too busy, or too overwhelming.

You’re right, that’s really really cool. In fact, that’s pretty crucial to being a musician. It’s like you’re getting a nice little mix of both worlds. So, Charlie, is it just you that writes a lot of the spoken word segments, featured in some of the songs?

Cam: Does it all by himself, yeah. 

Charlie: Yeah. Adam does some lyrics, Cam does some lyrics, I do all the spoken word stuff. I’ve been really influenced by like, Gil Scott-Heron...even like....Dan Smith, from Listener. You know what I mean? A lot of very good, and like...talented people. I…like grew up doing slam poetry in high school, and when I got this opportunity to play with Cam, you know...I felt like I just wanted to reach out to people, and I felt like there was a certain limitation with the drums and reaching out to people. So I just felt like, this was a very cool opportunity to be therapeutic for myself, and also to like, you know, try and relate with someone that might be listening, you know what I mean? Just sort of talking about very human emotions. Some people can take my relationship with what I might be talking about, with like a certain drug, or a certain human being, and apply it to something in their life, you know what I mean? So, it’s cool to have that kinda openness and emotional relation.

Exactly, you’re so right, it hurts. So, like we both know, a lot of your poetry is super emotional. I know for a fact that whenever “I Still Think About Who I Was Last Summer”, that’s when I feel like I’m about to cry, and then “My Life With You, My Life Without You” comes on, and I just completely lose it and go to straight to my waterworks.

Cam: Yeah, I like “My Life” a lot, because a lot of these songs have very specific places in my heart, but maybe don’t have the same thing anymore? There’s no like…none of us just don’t any emotional connections to the songs, because those..aren’t relevant to our life. You know? I’ve learned to deal with it. But, that’s that one song that’s just instrumental that always has…I can always play it my own way and put feeling into it. It’s really nice.

Charlie: I think, sonically, I think music can speak without words. I've definitely been a big believer, and like, I’m sure you understand that like, being avid lovers of post-rock and stuff like this, that there’s so much that’s being said without like lyrics or vocalists. So, you get an opportunity to play a song that, literally, could have a different meaning every night, because there’s nothing, technically, set to it. It’s just like, a really cooperative thing…and even just like sometimes how tonight, we were making noise and like going off as a band, and that’s just all improvisation is based off, it’s just all feeling, you know what I mean? It’s all expressed through music, as opposed to lyrics, per se.

Very last one: Do you think you guys might have any sort of advice, or words of encouragement for the people who are listening to your music, and are going through a really hard time, so to speak?

Cam: Yeah, try to use creativity in a non-negative aspect, to help yourself kind of learn how to come to terms with that negative thing in your life. So like, I think a lot about how a lot of bands talk about like, sadness and like “sadboiz” and stuff like that and like astrodize it, you should not let that be a part of your life. If you feel depressed or of that nature, you need to talk about it, rather than trying to like…spin it into some like “cool” thing. It’s not that cool. It sucks. It shouldn’t be glorified at all. You shouldn’t feel shame and depression and sadness. You should feel open to talk about it. 

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Upcoming Shows 6/26/15-7/02/15

Here's another week of upcoming shows we would like to check you out. Also we have a new member of the blog from Philly so now we will be covering shows from the Eastside of Pennslyvania and Tri-State Area.
June 26
1. Revoultion Bar- H20, Breakdown, Cruel Hand, Criminal Instinct, Friend or Foe, High Card, Manipulate.
2. Rough Trade NYC- Desparaecidos, The Banddroidz.
3. Rough Trade NYC- Ty Segall, The Myerstery Lights, Cory Hanson.
4. Saint Vitus Bar- Wolvsement, Fell Voices, Anicon.
5. Gramercy Theater- The Adolescents, The Weirdos, All Torn UP!, Electric Frankenstein.
6. The Wick- Fucked Up, Doomsqaud, OCDPP.
7. The Bell House- Mission of Burma, Megafauna.
8. Palisades- Destruction Unity, Vanity, Shredded Nerve.
9. The Silent Barn- Old Gray, Milo, Clique.
10. Trans-Pecos- James Chance, Will Epstein, Parlor Walls, Eve Essex.
11. The Bowery Electric- Pansy Division, Youth Quake, Bottoms.
12. ABC No Rio- Ostraca, Peoples Temple Project, Perfect Future.
13. The Place Bar and Lounge- Who Killed Spikey Jacket?, The Erections, St. Ripper, The Avoiders, Gangway!, The Car Bomb Parade.
14. Black Bear Bar- Hivesmasher, Tigers Flowers, Meek is Murder, White Widows Pact, Hammer Fight, NO.
15. East Islip Lanes- Statues and Stories, Ambary Lake, Concrete Houses, Fight of The Century, Staleworth, 87 Monte, Melting Pots.
16. Amityville Music Hall- Survay Says!, Lila Ignite, Lucidity, Listen Close, Wait For It, O.B.S.
17. Dingbatz- The Living Leads, Crash Gordon & Debra Dynamite, Tweed, The Sugardaddies.
18. Johnny Brenda's- Creepoid, Ecstatic Vision, Sick Feeling.
19. The Summerstage Stone Pony- Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Mariachi El Bronx.
20. Planet Frog Entertainment Complex- The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die.
21. Pulaski Club- Drown, Absolute Suffering, Living Laser, Point Blank, Slave Stant.
22. The Grand Victory- Jack Oblivion, The Sheiks, Gozer.
June 27
1. Le Poission Rouge- Tigers Jaw, Lowercage Roses.
2. Saint Vitus Bar- Tombs, Black Anvil, Svart Crown, Vorde.
3. Aviv- Pope Body, Show Me The Body, Banned Books, Dadras.
4. The Acheron- Hammer and The Nails, MFP, Moron, NYC HeadHunters.
5. Shea Stadium- Schvervon!, King Missle, No One & The Sombodies, Gold.
6. Trans-Pecos- Uniform, Rectal Hygiencies, Unholy, Liguture, Astral Knife.
7. The Shop- The Cynics, Twin Guns, The Electric Mess, The Above.
8. Riis Park Beach Bazaar- Old Gray, Milo, Mumblr, Clique.
9. Asbury Lanes- The Adolescents, The Weirdos.
10. ABC No Rio- Vomit Fist, Night Crawler, Left Astray, Silence Equals Death.
11. Amityville Music Hall- The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, Spraynard, Soda Bomb, To Sail Beyond The Sun, Survivors Guilt.
12. Shakers Pub- Full Blown Chaos, Endwell, Concrete, Strength Through Suffering, Internal Warfare, Before I Had Wings, Get Ignorant, Red 100.
13. Brickhouse Brewery- Iron Chic, Oso Oso, Born Without Bones, Sojourner.
14. Reverb- Wisdom in Chains, Strength For a Reason, Yesterday Youth, Dementor, Paid in Fall, Ante Up, Point Blank, Drown..
15. The Chance- Soul Asylum, Meat Puppets, Space Dragon, Cold Heaven.
16. The Meatlocker- The Subculures, Jacobus, Milkment, Persprective a lovely hand to hold, The Engine of a film.
17. Dingbatz- Whiplash, Blood Feast, Psychoprism, Apathy, Dying Eyes of Sloth, Beyond Fallen,Threatpoint, Xero Gravity, Paralysis, Dead City Crown, Scars of Envy, and Wrectch.
18. Union Transfer- Ceremony, Pity Sex, Tony Molina.
19. Stanhope House- Subcommitte, King Django.
20. The Grand Vicotry- Give Up!, The Horny Bitches, Vic and The Babes, What Doesn't Kill Me.
21. The Grand Victory- The Nuclears, The Tip, Okonyon, Hardy Winburn.
June 28
1. Music Hall of Williamsburg- They Might Be Giants.
2. Saints Vitus Bar- Wolveser Pent, Fell Voices, Svart Crown, Mutilution Rites.
3. Palisades- Destruction Unit, Vanity, Shredded Nerve.
4. The Bowery Electric- All Out War, Subzero, Darkside NYC, NYC Headhunters, Sonic Poison.
5. Riis Park Beach Bazaar- Red City Radio, Banquets, Royal Psalms, Watermedown.
6. Soul Sounds INC.- Drown, Jukai, Point Blank, Sparated, Desperate Cry.
7. Amityville Music Hall- Sudden Suspension, Bad Luck, The Cavalry is Us, Above Sky Light, Tidal Waves, Sam Pollet.
8. Voltage Lounge- Crowbar, Battlecross, Lory Dying, Ten Ton Hammer.
9. The International House- Fucked Up, Doomsaquad.
10. The Boots & The Saddle- Worries, Cayetana, Caves, Eight.
11. My Pizza Place- Old Wounds, Vein, Go Deep, Doomscenario.
June 29
1. Rough Trade NYC- Sloan.
2. Saint Vitus Bar- Crowbar, Battlecross, Lord Dying, Carcosa.
3. Santos Party House- Melvins, Le Butcherettes.
June 30
1. Santos Party House- Melvins, Le Butcherettes.
2. Shea Stadium, Caged Animals, Journalighme, Tired Light.
3. Fuze Box- Drown, Point Black, From Within, Trife Life.
July 1
1. Bowery Ballrrom- Ceremony, Pity Sex, Tony Molina, Uniform.
2. Palisades- Chumped, Hiccup, Emilyn Brodsky, Early Riser.
3. The Acheron- La Cruour, Dethfox, Huram, Death Vacation.
4. Shea Stadium- Alpenglow, How to Be Top, Sun looks Down, Andrea Schiurelli.
5. The Boots & The Saddle0 Wildhoney, Mercury Girls, Ghost Gam.
6. The Barbary- Sudden Suspension, Bad Luck, Weatherhead.
July 2
1. Asbury Lanes- Old Wounds, The Banner, Vein, Manalive.
2. Amityville Music Hall- Old Again, Broadside, Korean Large, At Bay, Figure Eight, Amboy.
3. Johnny Brenda's Swirlles, Suburban Living, Spirit of The Beehive.

Bowling For Soup, The Dollyrots, and Ivory Tribes at Irving Plaza 6/18/15

              Last Thursday, Bowling For Soup played in the Big Apple for their “Finally legal tour.” This is to celebrate the 21^st anniversary of the band existence. This was held at Irving Plaza a venue I’ve been to the most on Manhattan. Not too crazy about the venue but I’ve been to some fun shows here and this was fun show. Also this wasn’t a sold out show but a really big turnout which is cool. I thought it was funny seeing of these parents there with their kids.

            The first opening band was Ivory Tribes. Ivory Tribes are an alternative rock band from Dallas, Texas. This band was flat out boring. I really didn’t like how long people had to wait to have the opener to play. The music was slow but what I’m trying to say is that a band that is slow shouldn’t be playing after waiting for an hour. It didn’t help that more than half of the crowd was outside before the doors opened. Bowling should have gotten a better opener.

            The second band was a three piece punkish, garage pop band from Los Angeles, California. The Dollyrots really reminded of Paramore with a garage element. They were okay 100% better than the other band. Still I wasn’t really in the mood for this band. I get why Bowling For Soup has these random acts because it give these bands a chance to gain more fans. 

            Bowling For Soup took the stage and it seemed like a calm crowd when they got on. A small pit opened up for them and they started off the set with “Almost.” Bowling For Soup are from Texas and this was my second time seeing them. Bowling is a pop-punk band that adds some comedic flavors to their mix. Obviously they are not a traditional punk band but they are very entraining especially when they covered “Stacy’s Mom”, which was great to see live. Even during the song “Ohio (Come back to Texas) they had the lead singer of Patent Pending doing the vocals. The one thing I didn’t like about this set was that they kept talking after each song for five minutes. They got onstage at 9:50 didn’t get off till 11:35. They only played 20 songs and their songs aren’t long. That the on thing that tick me off otherwise I had a good time. If you like comedy in your punk rock than this is the band for you.

Bowling For Soup- 9/10

The Dollyrots- 6.5/10

Ivory Tribes- 5/10

Irving Plaza- 8/10

Overall Concert- 8.5/10        

ALBUM REVIEW: 2014 Demo by SNARL

Snarl is a side project of The Story So Far's vocalist Parker Cannon, which put out it's demo in September of 2014. Most people assumed that Parker would have stuck with the angsty pop punk music that TSSF was most well known for, however when this dropped, people were almost immediately on board with it. This is in part due to The Story So Far's hardcore kid demographic.
 Instrumentally this release is just as good as any other hardcore band. With some very strong leads a great basstone from Parker, as well as some really solid drum fills. It's crunchy and in your face and certainly for fans of acts like Harms Way or Turnstile. Vocally, Parker brings some great, aggressive vocals to the table with this and I can't wait to hear a possible full length release from this act because of it.
 Everything about this release is very good, and if I had my say in the matter, I would disband TSSF and have Parker do this fulltime. Not saying I dislike the TSSF, but this is almost inherently better than the last two The Story So Far records, and to me seems significantly more natural for Parker to be doing on his end. Perhaps if that band were ever to split up, Snarl would be what grows from the ashes of mediocre angsty pop punk.

7/10

Photo Showcase- A Love For Enemies and First Blood