Patrick Stump Debut EP "Truant Wave"

The last time we heard from Fall Out Boy, they were playing their last ever show at Madison Square Garden in support of Blink-182, and Pete Wentz was getting his ridiculous emo hairdo whacked off by Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus. Since then, Joe Trohman (guitar) and Andy Hurley (drums) have teamed up with members of Anthrax and Every Time I Die to form the metal supergroup The Damned Things (who recently appeared on Hoppus on Music on FUSE-TV). Pete Wentz formed a band of his own called Black Cards, an electropop/experimental band that features a female vocalist.

And then there's lead singer Patrick Stump. The man has been involved in numerous hardcore and punk bands, but is known for his vocal range and style that distinguishes him from many in the genre. On his solo effort, he ditched the long hair and goofy trucker hat and slimmed down to complete his metamorphosis. Those who liked Fall Out Boy might not even recognize the new, suave Stump with a new hairstyle and new style. To further give fans an idea of what he was going for in his post-Fall Out Boy career, Stump posted videos of himself singing Grammy song medlys and Michael Jackson songs dressed in a tuxedo and done up for the cameras in a way you wouldn't have pictured.

The result is good. This project Stump has taken on is centered around his voice, so fans of Fall Out Boy like myself may not immediately find the music to be within our style. Despite that, Patrick Stump's voice is really good. The music mixes elements of techno/electronica and indie pop which fits well with Stump's vocal range as the highs and lows intermingle elegantly from song to song.

From the moment the first song begins the music will sound unfamiliar to the punk roots of Stump's past. "Porcelain" could easily be heard in a dance club with strobe lights and people dancing left and right and even features a rap verse from Alph-A-Bit.

The EP features a couple really strong numbers, most notably "Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia). Stump released two versions of this song, and this was definitely my favorite as it struck closer to his roots and vocally Stump nails ever aspect of this song. The tune contains an indie element to it and the chorus of "you could be your own spotlight, (a-yo a-yo!)" is sure to get stuck in your head after just one listen. When Stump sings with just the piano backing him, the song excels.

Look no further than "Cute Girls" to see how drastically Stump's voice has improved. His voice mirrors a young Michael Jackson, which took me off guard the first time I heard the song). To imagine Stump writing a Jackson-esque song is almost unbelievable, but at times the voice reverberations tend to trip up what is an otherwise solid track.

Coming in with six tracks, Truant Wave is sure to separate Stump from his Fall Out Boy days as he prepares for his first big musical project, Soul Punk. If nothing else, this EP will raise more interest in him, as people will have a better idea of what to expect. If you don't like Fall Out Boy, don't worry, although if you don't like electro-pop then this won't be your style either.Even though this CD isn't the type of thing I would normally listen to, I can get behind Stump's wonderful vocals. If you are willing to give this EP a try, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Bayside "Killing Time" Review

Two summers ago, I went to my first Warped Tour and saw many great bands, including Bayside. I also met two of my favorites on that tour, Anti-Flag and TAT. But the thing I always remember from that day is that Anti-Flag's bassist and TAT's drummer, before even saying hi to me, complimented me on my "Bayside" shirt, saying they loved that band. TAT's drummer especially loved them, as we talked about Bayside for a couple minutes for the girl in front of me on line.

That's the kind of respect Bayside has been afforded. Over their 10 year career, their hard work and knack for producing consistently good music has won over everyone who has listened to them, starting with small crowds from their early beginning and through word of mouth, internet promotion and catchy punk music have gone on to headline big tours with other household bands in the scene. The result is a cult following, four solid records, and a signing to their first major label, Wind-Up Records.

It was a huge step for the local boys from Queens that gave them the chance to work with famed producer Gil Norton, responsible for hit albums from Jimmy Eat World (Futures), Dashboard Confessional (A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar), and what I consider to be the greatest alternative rock album ever made, The Colour and the Shape by the Foo Fighters. Bayside lead singer Anthony Raneri said in an interview the first time he heard that Foo Fighters album, he told his band mates one day Gil would produce a Bayside album, and this whole ride has been a dream come true.

Expectations were already very high for the Queens quartet. The band has labeled "Killing Time" the best work they've done because they had one thing they've never had before: TIME. This band took over a year to record the album, making sure ever song was perfect. Anthony mentioned that lead single "Sick, Sick, Sick" was re-recorded and changed seven times in the recording process.

The result may be Bayside's best effort yet. What's striking about this album is that it sounds like Bayside. The label emphasized their distinct music and make sure not to tamper with what won Bayside the huge fanbase that recently sold out The Crazy Donkey for their 10 year anniversary and the Looney Tunes signing day. Killing Time was able to build on Bayside's past success without reinventing the wheel.

Their music has a recognizable originality. That begins with Anthony Raneri's raw, passionate vocals which are as powerful as ever on this album. His lyrics are as scathing and vitriolic as they've been on Bayside's earliest work, as he tackles issues like his ex-wife in "Sick, Sick, Sick" (Your sex capades deliver checks/but can't afford you self-respect), growing troubles in "It's Not a Bad Little War" (I had a place to live in/I had a job worth quitting, I had some things I had to chase) and trying to make something of life on Long Island in "Sinking and Swimming on Long Island" (I've become a rock these days/And I swim like one, alone again/Barely surviving the tidal wave). This album cemented Anthony as my favorite lyricist for his ability to capture the dire situations of life, no matter how small, and making it both easily to relate to but with with a sense of hope for survival in the end. The song that sticks out through multiple listens is "It's Not a Bad Little War", which includes the line "We Are Our Chance in the world/So stand for something, cause something's overdue"

The music is some of Bayside's heaviest, starting right off the bat with the blistering drum roll on "Already Gone". Guitarist Jack O'Shea wins this album from the get-go, turning in his absolute best work. The guitarists are monstrous, and every song from "Seeing Sound" to "It's Not a Bad Little War" will imprint themselves on your memory. The solo on the Bad Religion-esque "The Wrong Way" is above anything that's been recorded on a Bayside song. Jack O'Shea is the consummate professional, providing Bayside with guitar tracks that separate them from other bands of their genre. Above all, Gil Norton turns in the same great production work he's done on past work. The sound is flawless. Everything from the drums to Nick's bass to the guitars and vocals are crisp and clean.

When Bayside released the first three tracks of this album, I was a little nervous that Bayside tipped their hand early. That worry was quickly eviscerated when you get into the heart of this album. Whether's it's the New Found Glory styled riff on "Sinking and Swimming on Long Island", or the beautiful acoustic song "On Love, on Life", Bayside makes it clear that they have a lot to offer. "On Love, On Life" is reminiscient of "Don't Call Me Peanut", as Anthony passionately belts "I've never felt as old and lonely/As when I was young and in love" behind a sparkling piano riff backing his acoustic guitar. Bayside ends Killing Time with a powerful message on "Killing Time", saying that you can't just wait for the right moment to come in life, or in the end you may find you've run out of time.

Before the album came out, many had compared it to a combination of their self-titled album and Shudder, while Anthony himself compared it to a more polished version of "The Walking Wounded". In the end, Killing Time is a cocktail of something from every one of their albums. It sports the raw tenacity of their debut, "Sirens and Condolences", the anthemic, classic feel reminiscent of Self-Titled, the complex structures and expanded quality of The Walking Wounded, and the simple punk aesthetic of Shudder. This album is Bayside in a blender, and the result is a concoction of brilliance, sure to cement Bayside's place as one of the best bands around today.

RIYL: New Found Glory, Alkaline Trio, The Smoking Popes, Bad Religion, real music, good music, honesty, not-Justin Bieber, not-Ke$ha, not-Brokencyde

Hellogoodbye Concert Review 2-09-11

Former MTV Darlings Hellogoodbye do indie-pop the right way

You probably recognize Hellogoodbye, the power-pop quintet hailing from California, from their hit song "Here (In Your Arms). Scratch that, you definitely recognize them from that song. If you're like me, you know them from their appearance on MTV's The Real World: Season 16 (Austin), where the roommates documented the band's experience at the SxSW Music Festival. The band presented itself as a goofy, have a good time band that wrote catchy music... and, well, goofed around a lot. MTV was definitely pushing this band on the roommates, realizing the marketability of the band to their audience.

Sevens years after the release of their debut EP, the band hit up Highline Ballroom in New York, bringing with it a more matured sound centered around the same good time feel with a more refined pop sound that ditches the gimmicks and focuses on the song writing more. Hellogoodbye's first album, "Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!", which came out in 2006, is as ridiculous as the name suggests, offering little serious substance. Their big hit, while catchy, has always been a sore spot for me, as I could never see past the cringe-worthy auto-tune and the lyrics. With their second album, the band ditched the auto-tune, at times overbearing synthesizer and the downright silly lyrics that made it impossible to take the band seriously.

Hellogoodbye also endured a huge lawsuit with Drive Thru Records that ended in the two parting ways and the new album, which the band worked tirelessly on, enduring long delays. The result of the band's toil was "Would it Kill You?", an album that was above all honest and true, conjuring up thoughts of well respected indie pop bands like Steel Train and fun. The album topped a lot of end-of-the-year lists, which surprised even the people who loved the album. That was a testament to the respect the band earned with their hard work on the album.

The band brought along three other pop acts to share the stage on the tour. First up, a band from Minnesota called "Now Now" (formerly known as "Now Now Every Children"). Led by two female singers, Cacie Dalager and Jess Abbott, the band definitely brought a "Tegan and Sara" vibe with them, which included the heartfelt pop music combined with the funny on-stage banter and emotional stage presence, which was slightly hindered by the band all having the flu. Next up was "You, Me, & Everyone We Know". For an opening act, the band definitely has a growing reputation and brought with it a few die hard fans.The 6 piece rock band hailing from Washington D.C. is led by Ben Liebsch, who along with his abundant stage energy was constantly trying to get the fans involved in the band's set. The final opener was Gold Motel, a fairly new band led by lead singer of The Hush Sound, Greta Morgan. Backed by a wooden block that had their name written in Gold Light Bulbs, the band continued the trend of danceable pop rock backed by Greta's confident vocals and piano playing.

After the openers warmed up the crowd, Hellogoodbye took the stage to a roaring ovation. There is something about this band that is automatically likable, and it takes no time at all to realize that. The band seems loose and care-free on stage, jumping right into the first track on their new album, "Finding Something to Do". That was the trend all night, as the band's 13 song set consisted of 9 songs from the new album, 2 from "Z!A!V!D!" and 2 from their EP. The band's on-stage banter was light-hearted, dorky and above all funny, led by lead singer Forrest Kline's amusing takes on things like the lights not working properly to the guitarist's looks distracting him on stage. The band had some good back-and-forth jokes going with "YM&EWK" as well as the show went on.

Without the auto-tune, Forrest's voice shined all night, save for a few moments where his voice was noticeably pitchy. suffered through pitch problems. But in the end, the music won out. The fans definitely responded well to the older songs, especially crowd favorite "Dear Jamie... Sincerely, Me", which had a large portion of the audience singing along. After some banter about the last song, the band left the stage, only to return to a more stripped down version of their beautiful song "The Thought That Gives Me the Creeps". Unsurprisingly, the band ended the set with "Here (In Your Arms)" which got the entire audience off their feet and jumping and singing. Ben from YM&EWK joined the band on stage to join in on the fun, and a fun night it was indeed. There was a definite calmness in the air as the fans walked out of Highline. With their new musical style, the young Hellogoodbye has set itself up for much future success.