http://www.96x.fm en gnweber@mac.com Copyright 2009 2009-07-23T12:56:14+00:00 http://www.96x.fm/music/reviews_entry/all_time_low/ http://www.96x.fm/music/reviews_entry/all_time_low/#When:12:56:14Z Only two days after their latest CD Nothing Personal hit stores, All Time Low hit the road, kicking off a mini tour at The National in Richmond. Along for the ride was Cartel, We The Kings, and Virginia Beach natives Days Difference. A very solid line up and in many ways a sneak peak to the Vans Warped Tour that both All Time Low and We The Kings will join in mid July...Only two days after their latest CD Nothing Personal hit stores, All Time Low hit the road, kicking off a mini tour at The National in Richmond. Along for the ride was Cartel, We The Kings, and Virginia Beach natives Days Difference. A very solid line up and in many ways a sneak peak to the Vans Warped Tour that both All Time Low and We The Kings will join in mid July. The packed house at the National was not let down. The show kicked off with newly signed Universal Motown artists Days Difference. The Virginia Beach natives took advantage of the almost hometown crowd, which was obvious with many fans vocally showing their excitement as Days took to the stage. However, outside those clusters of fans, Days Difference were virtual unknowns to the majority of the remaining crowd. This made their short set even more impressive as they seemed to maintain everyones attention throughout its entirety. Proof could be seen by the lines of fans around the bands merch table after their set. Days Difference new CD is set to drop sometime late summer/early fall and if the crowd reaction is any indicator then great things are in their future. Cartel and We The Kings put on impressive sets as well. Both bands have been somewhat M.I.A. over the last year, but this didn't seem to matter to the packed crowd at the National. Luckily, neither band used their time on stage to test out tons of new unfamiliar songs. Both sets relied heavily on the songs that earned them the fans to begin with. Neither set was out of the ordinary, but both delivered and did exactly what an opening band is supposed to do: keep the crowd pumped, excited, and ready for the headliner. Despite having three opening acts, the show moved along at a quick pace and there was plenty of energy left as All Time Low took to the stage. On the surface All Time Low would appear to be relative newbies on the music scene. The band was started in 2003 by lead singer Alex Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat. Soon bassist Zack Merrick and drummer Rian Dawson were added and in 2004 they released their first EP. Their first studio album came out in 2005. The next year (2006) the guys graduated from high school and put out their first release with Hopeless Records entitled Put Up Or Shut Up. 2007 marked their second release on Hopeless entitled So Wrong, It's Right. It debuted at number 62 on the Billboard 200 chart. Throw in endless touring and fast forward two years and you'd be at the National just two days after their latest CD Nothing Personal dropped. For longtime fans of ATL, all the normal penis jokes and high school humor were still in tact, however a noticeably tighter sound and stage presence made their set stand out vastly from past shows. They have seemingly found the perfect balance between being new professionals in the field without loosing the youthful fun vibe that got them there in the first place. The band has never seemed to loose the ability to poke fun of themselves. References to themselves as "All Time Blow" in their video for the first single Weightless is proof of just that. So far so good for ATL. Nothing Personal, who was co produced by Blink bassist Mark Hoppus among others, debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 charts, making it their highest ranking release thus far. Love them or hate them, All Time Low seem to be here to stay for a while. They will spend the rest of the summer on the Vans Warped Tour and then hop on a few dates with Blink 182 in the fall. Concert Review 2009-07-23T12:56:14+00:00 http://www.96x.fm/music/reviews_entry/311_uplifter/ http://www.96x.fm/music/reviews_entry/311_uplifter/#When:18:37:08Z So I was told to write a album review for the new 96X website and James Steele asked me if I had listened to any new CD’s that had come out lately so I could write one. And I thought instantly “of course daddy! The new 311!” Thus I will write a quick review for the 9th major label studio album they have put out titled “Uplifter.” Now many of you probably know by now that I am one of the biggest 311 fans you will ever now. I have seen them countless times live, have all of their CD’s and DVD’s and have a whole wall of autographed and framed things from the band from the times I have met them. So with that being said you might think this review will be slanted and totally biased...So I was told to write a album review for the new 96X website and James Steele asked me if I had listened to any new CD’s that had come out lately so I could write one. And I thought instantly “of course daddy! The new 311!” Thus I will write a quick review for the 9th major label studio album they have put out titled “Uplifter.” Now many of you probably know by now that I am one of the biggest 311 fans you will ever now. I have seen them countless times live, have all of their CD’s and DVD’s and have a whole wall of autographed and framed things from the band from the times I have met them. So with that being said you might think this review will be slanted and totally biased. Well you might be right daddy because I love this new album! But I will say when I first heard they were hitting the studio awhile back to record this album with Bob Rock who has worked with Metallica, Motley Cru and Skid Row, I got a little nervous. I thought he was going to totally change up the 311 sound and pretty much make it suck. So when I went to the store to buy it the Tuesday it came out I really didn’t know what to expect other than the single (Hey You) was a pretty good song. So I popped it in my CD player when I got it and was not that into it the first few tracks to be honest. I though ok this is just kinda ok but nothing that is blowing me away. But then when I got to the fourth track titled “Golden Sunlight” I really started getting into it! It was just a really great classic 311 sounding song. Then when I got to the fifth track called “Indian Ink” I was pretty much sold on the new record. I just stopped at that track and listened to it probably five times in a row! It was just that freaking good. And then from then on the rest of the CD just kept getting better and better. All my fears of Bob Rock destroying this album were out of my head and I just enjoyed a great 311 album. I could sit here and review every song but I don’t have the time or space to do it in one review so just check out “Daisy Cutter”, “Never Ending Summer”, “Jack Pot”, and “Two Drops in the Ocean” along with the others I mentioned. So if you are looking for a really solid summer sounding record go out and pick up Uplifter because it could really be a soundtrack for any great summer movie! Album Review 2009-06-25T18:37:08+00:00 http://www.96x.fm/music/reviews_entry/passion_pit_manners/ http://www.96x.fm/music/reviews_entry/passion_pit_manners/#When:12:54:24Z When an EP entitled Chunk of Change came through my record mail last year I was quick to dismiss its creator, a band called Passion Pit, as just another synth-pop, electronic band riding on the coat tails of MGMT, Justice, or even Bloc Party. Afterall, thats how the music is labeled when it reaches me - with tags like "synth-pop", "electro-rock", and so on and so on. After a while those labels begin to look awfully generic. By the point I had this band's debut EP in my lap I had already decided to push it aside for the moment. Since then I have listened to Chunk of Change only a handfull of times. The amount of praise that I've heard regarding this band, however, has outweighed every note on that EP ten-fold. Passion Pit has become a band that you can no longer ignore...When an EP entitled Chunk of Change came through my record mail last year I was quick to dismiss its creator, a band called Passion Pit, as just another synth-pop, electronic band riding on the coat tails of MGMT, Justice, or even Bloc Party. Afterall, thats how the music is labeled when it reaches me - with tags like "synth-pop", "electro-rock", and so on and so on. After a while those labels begin to look awfully generic. By the point I had this band's debut EP in my lap I had already decided to push it aside for the moment. Since then I have listened to Chunk of Change only a handfull of times. The amount of praise that I've heard regarding this band, however, has outweighed every note on that EP ten-fold. Passion Pit has become a band that you can no longer ignore. By the time the full length follow-up to Chunk of Change was due for release, the buzz surrounding Passion Pit had become undeniable. As I listened to Manners for the first time I met the music with an instant but oh so quiet reprieve. As the opening track "Make Light" burst through my speakers like a billion digital rays of light I knew I had to keep listening. Manners works like a high school party in reverse - like one that starts from the morning after and works backward into the night. On the surface it's fast, rhythmic, and fun but beneath there is a chaotic opus driven by undulating waves of beautiful emotion. And it's all there - from happiness to misery, desire, denial, and departure - done in a way that reaches back and slaps the synth-stereotypes completely away. From the undeniable dance jams of "Little Secrets" and "The Reeling" to the gorgeous melodies of "Folds in Your Hands", Manners will carry you from beginning to end without even the slightest hint of record filler - a claim that few can honestly make. And as for the labels, calling Passion Pit an electro-rock band is like saying Led Zeppelin were influenced by the blues - this goes way beyond just a vague comparison. Albums such as Manners remind us that bands like Passion Pit aren't merely revisiting a genre but rather paving a course for the sounds that lay ahead. Album Review 2009-06-24T12:54:24+00:00 http://www.96x.fm/music/reviews_entry/the_fray_with_jacks_mannequin/ http://www.96x.fm/music/reviews_entry/the_fray_with_jacks_mannequin/#When:11:55:41Z Even though I am a fan of The Fray, I had never seen them perform live before. I’ve seen their opener Jacks Mannequin a few times now, and they are never a let down. I got to my seat just in time to them take the stage...Even though I am a fan of The Fray, I had never seen them perform live before. I’ve seen their opener Jacks Mannequin a few times now, and they are never a let down. I got to my seat just in time to them take the stage. Jack’s lead singer Andrew McMahon is a guy who had a hard battle with cancer, and to see him doing what he does on stage, and sing about his battles truly sends chills down your spine, and makes you appreciate life just a little bit more. The sun was still shining, and people were still arriving to their seats, so I don’t think everyone was truly as into him as they would have been if it was an hour later. He didn’t mind though, he jumped up in the air about as high as Kobe right on top of his piano and really showed everyone how an opening band is suppose to get you ready for the headliner. I said earlier that I am a fan of The Fray, but more so now then before the show. These guys are stars. From the first key on the piano being hit, until the lead singer Ian called everyone who opened for them to come out and take a bow, this was a energetic, fun performance. One of those shows where you don’t feel insecure about singing as loud as possible, because everyone around you is doing the same. Even though one time I clearly sounded like I hit puberty at the age of 25, people noticed…they laughed. If you aren’t a fan, and you ever have a chance to go to a show it’ll be worth it, especially if you are trying to score some points with someone special. Concert Review 2009-06-20T11:55:41+00:00