Show Recap: theAlmost/Emery 6/8/08

Last night Tahoe and I headed down to Cervantes Ballroom in Denver to catch a show. I didn't realize that 93.3 was promoting the show, as well as giving theAlmost some radio play, but nonetheless the place wasn't packed. the crowd could easily be described as high school / young college Christians. i would say that at least 75% of the crowd was christian. on top of that there were at least 5 moms there with their kids, as young as 12 by my estimate. Tahoe and I felt very old to say the least.

There were four bands on the the ticket; Army of Me, Envy on the Coast, Emery, and theAlmost. We knew the show wouldn't be intense, more of a rock show than anything, so with that in mind i wasn't holding my breath for the first 2 bands to be any good.

First up Army of Me was, to be kind, terrible! the sound was totally 'alternative' like a mix between Everclear and Wallflowers. the singer was trying to act like Eddie Vedder and looked like Kurt Cobain. the music was boring and unoriginal and i think i fell asleep standing up. I realize that the comparisons here are pretty good comparisons, well maybe in 1994, but this is 2008, that sound is old and boring now.

Next up was Envy on the Coast. i had never heard of these guys and once again i was not excited. the lead singer was rocking a rasta hat and dreads which i wasn't totally in to. but i would be proven wrong. these guys had the most energy of the night and the heaviest sound. The lead guitar player was switching between keys and guitar at a frantic pace and it worked. they sound like a heavy version of theAudition, some nice poppy vocals mixed with some heavy screams/yells, very loose sound with tons of energy. the music focused on energy before polish, even though their sound was great. The drummer was particularly good, as was the bass player, every song (5 in total) had very diverse and unique parts, but nothing seemed over-done. they played 5 songs, but the second song "Sugar Skulls" was easily the best one, the driving beat was impossible to resist. I'll be following these guys from now on.

Third up was Emery. at the beginning of the night i would say Emery was the band i was most excited to see. Tahoe and I moved from our bar perch to the crowd for Emery, expecting some chaos but that didn't happen. Emery were solid, playing mostly from their latest release More Than A Man and almost ignoring The Question (which was our favorite album unfortunately). I'm never sure what to expect from this band, sometimes they sound very heavy and intense and other times they are very poppy and easy-listening. We got the easy-listening version last night so it was good, but nothing spectacular. some songs i remember them playing: Party Song, Rock-N-Rule, Can't Stop the Killer, Don't Bore Us, and ending with Studying Politics.

Last up was theAlmost. Aaron from underOath started a side project with his homies from Dead Poetic and others and well, it exploded into a very successful rock band. with only one album out we kinda knew what to expect. The played almost the entire album and unfortunately with all the energy they brought, these songs are just simple rock songs and sometimes they lack energy. we were not disappointed though, Aaron is a great front man, his vocals were remarkable. i was expecting his voice to be raspy and worn out from touring but it wasn't, it was perfect and he was confident hitting every note all while hiding behind his ridiculously long red hair (reminded me of seeing Megadeath back in the day). I was wondering how they would handle the topic of Jesus in the set, and i was soon answered when Aaron spoke between songs giving credit to Jesus and offering to talk to anyone who was interested. The high point of the set was after covering Coldplays' Yellow they moved into Amazing Because It Is. during the chorus of Amazing Grace, the band completely dropped out and it was just the crowd singing, totally powerful!

All in all it was a fun night, nothing too crazy though. Probably the funniest moment of the night would have been when Envy on the Coast front man dropped the F-Bomb. it was dead quiet after that. all of the Christians were in shock, and the mother's as well. i thought it was hilarious. good times.

New Album Reviews

Okay, so i've been listening to a lot of new music as of late, and i thought i'd share my thoughts with you guys on these albums. There should be a little bit of everything here, from Kanye's new album, to David Crowder, to The Gallows.

First on the list is David Crowder's Remedy. 6/10 STARS

I love Crowder, he always brings a fresh approach to music, but this album just seems rushed. Theres no real flavor to the album, just 10 straight tracks, and after listening through the album a few times, no song really stands out as remarkable. His lyrics seem a little generic in comparison to his last two albums, Illuminate and A Collision. This isn't a bad album by any means, its just not special as you’ll see with tracks like Can You Feel It which sounds like Crowder himself is bored while singing it. Songs i do like are the Glory of it All, Surely We Can Change, and Remedy. The track featuring Ted Nugent is weak, it doesn't really flow well at all. This is a solid album, I think I just expected more flare from the Crowder crew.

Next up is Shane & Shane's Pages. 9/10 STARS

I'm a relatively 'young' Shane & Shane fan since i only started listening to them about 2 years ago. I guess this is important to note that since everyone else i talk to about these guys says that Psalm, their first album, is their best. I listened to that album and i thought it was alright. I think Clean was great, and this album is even better. I feel like they experimented with some new styles of writing here, referring to Satan/the Devil in songs like Embracing Accusation, a little more and bringing some controversy to the album. Songs like Holiday, Burn Us Up and We Love You Jesus are a step out of the mold of slow love songs that you usually find on a Shane & Shane album. But there are still great worship-style songs like Psalm 62 and Beg.

Crime in Stereo - Is Dead. 5/10 STARS

I really want to like these guys more, but they're kinda bland. Here are 11 new tracks, that, well just run together. everyone considers these guys in the hardcore scene but i think they're a lot more punk rock than hardcore. this album experiments with some new ideas and sounds, with a few slows ballad-type tracks, that are boring. I can't even pick out a favorite track since they all sorta sound the same.

Emery - I'm Only A Man. 7/10 STARS

I've been waiting for this album for a long time, and i was slightly disappointed now that I’ve heard it. I knew that The Question would be almost impossible to follow-up, most sophomore albums fall flat, and i think this one does a little. But on the bright side, it's still a great listen. I think Emery has a totally unique sound and only in contrast to their last album, does this one fall a little short. Otherwise i would totally recommend checking this one out. Songs i like are Party On and Can't Stop the Killer. The great thing about Emery is their lyrics. Always dramatic and if you take time to read what their singing, you can easily feel the pain and emotion of the writer, great storytelling. This album is a good amount more focused on singing and less of the heavy feel of The Question.

Kanye West - Graduation. 9/10 STARS

Oh man! now here is an album i've been recommending to everyone. This album is so good. Usually with Rap albums there are a few singles, and a bunch of crap to fill in the spaces. not the case here at all. every time i listen to this album i think the song i'm currently listening to is my favorite song, that is until the next track starts. only two weak tracks, Barry Bonds and Drunk and Hot Girls. otherwise, Flashing Lights is hypnotic, The Glory is great. The opening track is even good, Good Morning, really simple but so catchy. The single, Stronger, is fun as well. I have Cant' Tell Me Nothing as my ring tone. The best track of all might be the closer, Big Brother, a song about Kanye's relationship with Jay-Z, at first you'll think its a diss-track but its just honest, even Jay-Z himself thinks its the best track on the album. You seriously gotta check this one out.

Mae - Singularity. 7/10 STARS

This is Mae's third album and its their best one yet. I think Mae is great background music to life. Some people would consider this sound as boring, and it can be at times, but its great positive music. if you like a college-rock sound with no screaming or heaviness, but not so soft that you fall asleep, check these guys out. This album seems to be much more uptempo than the last one, which I enjoy. My favorite track is the starter, Brink of Disaster, and also Crazy 8's. These guys are currently on tour with Anberlin and if you get a chance to see them, you’ll never forget it, it’s going to be epic.

the Gallows - Orchestra of Wolves. 7/10 STARS

These guys are brand new to me, thanks to Scott Lenger. This raw sounding punk band hails from London, which is usually a major turnoff to me. But for the crappy punk rock guitar sound, the music is actually really solid, with a good amount of breakdowns and intense vocals, these guys seem to separate themselves from bands in this genre. According to Scott these guys put on a super-intense show, and you'll be quickly able to imagine it listening to this album. The title track is amazing! These guys are currently on tour opening up for Bad Religion.

Positive/Christian Hardcore specs

So I've been working on this project for a week or so and today i decided i wanted to look further into what these bands actually believe. Click on the band name for lyrics to their songs and discussions on the meanings. Click here to see the compilation song list and listen to the tracks.

UnderOATH - These guys hail from Florida, and they've set the Post Hardcore scene on fire. Very outspoken believers and almost always take a few moments in their live performances to thank God for their blessings.

Chasing Victory - a new band on the scene, Chasing Victory is on a label known to promote Christian bands, and there lyrics appear to be very well written and much more in-depth than they appear (see song Oceans Away).

Comeback Kid - CBK is a hardcore band with a defining positive message. Although not a "Christian Band", CBK has members from Figure Four who is an outspoken christian band. CBK's message is geared more towards unity, and fighting through hardship along with being aware of the battles around us.

Emery - Outspoken Christians in a band that fights the label of Christian Band.

Stretch Arm Strong - These punk rockers from the east coast have put out numerous records on christian label Tooth & Nail. Their songs preach their beliefs in the open and they continue to tour with some of the most proven hardcore bands out there.

Dead Poetic - Another Post-Hardcore band that doesn't hide their beliefs in the lyrics. DP are outspoken believers.

Thrice - Aapparently the lead singer,is a true believer, and he shows it in his lyrics but since the entire band isn't all christian, they refuse to let themselves be labelled a Christian Band.

Destroy the Runner - New metal/hardcore band that is on a label known to promote Christian bands.

Haste the Day - These guys have a unique sound, and are very outspoken about their beliefs in interviews and in concerts.

Means - Great new hardcore band with a blatant message off their debut album. These guys probably have the most powerful sound combined with lyrics that show the love of Christ.

No Innocent Victim -Their band acronym is NIV, and these veterans have been around forever. These guys got popular around the time P.O.D. came out, but their sound was too heavy for the mainstream.

The Showdown - New metal band with a christian twist, give it a shot, its fun.