The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 299

Delicious! It's a local craft brewery 5 mins away from me. Go there a lot. This is their most popular one.

 

Damn I must look for it ! I'm enjoying a Broklyn Brown Ale at the moment.

 

Such a tune.

 

Hurt?

Nevermind! I found it! Is it August yet?! So excited for this release.

 

You can count on me is a low key amazing indie movie. Worth tracking down for Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo's performance. Seeing that title made me think of it.

 

I dig it

Edit: Not gonna lie tho i was thinking of trophy scars never heard of this band before

 

Can I get Colin next guys?

 

Slam Dunk North

After a long journey I arrived at Slam Dunk Leeds, full of cider and energy. I headed to Millennium Square and to the Monster Stage, the main outdoor stage today, to catch The Dangerous Summer (8). Opening with ‘Where I Want To Be’, the Maryland pop punkers pushed through a collection of their best hits in the sun to a growing crowd. Opening a mainstage is never easy but they did it well and seemed to gain some fans.

I then ran to the Jägermeister Stage, which today was the mini-indoor-arena and we caught Four Year Strong (7). I’m not overly familiar with the band, and I only know three songs, but the crowd were massively into it and they played the songs well.

Following them on this stage were Creeper (10). One of my own favourite young bands, their mix of gothic punk and operatic emo was something different today and suited the dark arena, and they exploded out of the gates to a frantic crowd with ‘Black Rain’. The set leaned heavily on their last album, which was a shame as they missed the chance to play tracks ‘VCR’ and ‘Black Rain’ to a massive crowd. Despite this, the performance was fantastic and the crowd went insane. ‘Astral Projection’ and ‘Misery ended their set, and had many people including myself crowd surfing and throwing themselves into the mosh pits in one of the best sets all weekend.

The last band I saw on this stage were State Champs (9), who put on a fantastic performance that spanned their career so far. Newer songs such as ‘Dead and gone’ that I personally really do not like sounded much better live, and older tracks like ‘Elevated’ and ‘Secrets’ were some of the most well received of the whole day. I actually then took a break and headed back to the square to get some food. I happened to walk past the Moose Blood crowd which was very big, but didn’t watch their set.

Trash Boat (8) were over on the Signature Stage, and endured a power cut halfway through their set which cut it short, however they powered through making jokes, and lead singer Tobi and their guitarist played Oasis’ megahit ‘Wonderwall’ to the crowd to pass the time, with Tobi singing into a megaphone and people crowd surfed in one of the funnier moments of the day. The band resumed eventually and got one of the most insane crowd responses I have seen on the mid-sized stages this year.

Heading back to Millennium Square, I caught Taking Back Sunday (7). Unfortunately, their performance was hampered by poor sound, and the vocals were also at points barely audible, and it ruined their set for many. The set picked up at the end but it was a little disappointing. Luckily, I would catch them again this weekend.

Lastly I saw Jimmy Eat World (9). At this point I was lost from all my friends and had to make friends with two girls down the front who didn’t know them but both danced with me. They performed ‘Blister’ for the first time that I have actually seen, and even deeper cuts like ‘Pass the Baby’ went down brilliantly, as they put on their usually spectacular performance. Despite this, it wasn’t their best set of the weekend….



Slam Dunk South

The first time at a new venue for South, This time an entirely outdoor festival, with a mix of open air and tented stages. The actual organisation was definitely lacking big big queues for toilets and to get out at the end of the day. Despite this, the new venue was nice and whilst Leeds is most reminiscent of Warped Tour, this felt most like a pop-punk Reading festival.

I caught The Dangerous Summer (8) again opening up the Jager Main Stage, and they seemed to gain more of a crowd and more interaction than before and as usual, ‘No Ones Gonna Need You More’ and ‘The Permanent Rain’ had singalongs.

Next up were Can’t Swim (8) over on the Signature Stage who absolutely hit it out of the park. Playing a mix of their album, two from the EP and most of the recent standalone singles, they made a huge impression and got the crowd moving for the first time that day. ‘Strangers’ had one fan standing on the barrier screaming back at the lead singer as the pit bounced behind him, and ‘You Clothes’ had an insane singalong as this band continued to show why they are one of the most under rated new pop punk bands.

Dream State (7) then played the Rocksound Breakout tent and gathered a sizeable crowd. Front woman CJ is small in height and shouldn’t have any right to the stage presence she posseses but she leads the band and crowd through a good set that should see them win many fans.

Creeper (9) then took to the Monster Main Stage and whilst their sound and aesthetic didn’t quite suit the sunny outdoor weather as much as Leeds, they drew an enormous crowd. Having seen then two years ago at that festival in a 150-cap room, seeing them play to roughly 6000 people. Once again they sounded fantastic and I was left in no doubt that this band could go on to do absolutely anything they wanted.

I then went to see Broadside (5) over at the Signature stage. I missed the opening two songs, but what I did see didn’t impress me. Lead singer Ollie Baxter seemed annoyed at their relatively passive crowd but the fact remains, the band only have one truly great song and the majority of the people there wanted to see that song, and that song alone. Otherwise, they simply sound like a boring State Champs knock off.

Speaking of State Champs (9), I saw them for a second time and once again they killed it. Not much to be said that wasn’t said before but Derek seemed floored by their reaction and their sound shimmered in the sun as people got sweaty and State Champs staked their claim as the biggest modern band in pop-punk after The Story So Far.

Chapel (7) were on at the Breakout tent and their synth led pop rock was a nice change of pace, as their brought some variety whilst I waited to see Grayscale (9). One of my favourite new bands, this group have the hooks and bounce of State Champs, mixed with lyricism far above most bands as young as them. They played to a growing crowd and songs like ‘Palette’ got mass crowd surfers.

I briefly caught the last few songs of Trash Boat (8) to make up for the issue yesterday and once more, they were fantastic, with bodies flying and voices soaring, as people thrashed about the pit madly under a slowly greying sky.

Over on the Monster Main Stage Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes (8) were playing their first time on the main stage. Asking for the festivals biggest ever circle pit, Frank was a man possessed, dressed in nothing but orange swimming shorts, as he crowd surfed to the sound booth and back, a full tattooed ball of orange fury. The band sounded great and with songs like ‘Juggernaut’ or ‘Snake Eyes’, they have tracks to back up their size.

At this point I went and bought merch from the Can’t Swim and Grayscale guys, and the lead singer of Grayscale told my friend about the meaning behind the lyric from Palette where he sings “I still listen to our Menzingers record, except song five off of it”. Hint: It’s Ava House. Because of this I had time to kill until the headliner so I caught the last half of Taking Back Sunday (7) who were much improved. I then briefly saw a little bit of As It Is (7), who didn’t impress me but Patty’s voice grated on me less than usual which was surprising, and PVRIS (5) who bored me to tears.

Finally, I saw Good Charlotte (8), who played on the Monster Main Stage. It was pretty dark by this point, and the crowd was bouncing and singing along to all their biggest hits, as they played almost everything you could possibly want to hear from them. A drum solo and some great bass lines showed surprising levels of musicianship, whilst the band as a whole were incredibly tight. A lightning storm in the distance behind the stage added to an already impressive spectacle with pyro and more, and songs like ‘Boys and Girls’ were some of the most fun of the weekend. The only low note was that the band definitely talked a little too much.



Slam Dunk Midlands

Taking place at the NEC, day three was as usual the most well organised and least congested. Woes (7) opened the Signature stage and performed well to a surprisingly active early crowd, with some funny stage banter between the singer and bassist.

Following this I saw Knuckle Puck (8) on the Monster Main Stage, and they jump started the festival properly, with mass crowd surfers and mosh pits, on the strength of tracks like ‘Gone’ or ‘Disdain’. I then had a gap and caught their bassist in his other band, Homesafe (6) on the Signature Stage, who unfortunately played to quite a small crowd, but seemed to win some fans over and performed well despite this.

Next was my most disappointing set of the weekend. Say Anything (6) were over on the Jagermeister Main Stage and began well with ‘Belt’ and ‘Woe’. The band themselves were perhaps rusty but I have seen worse, however the next few songs were all odd choices, without any of their big songs, and all were ruined by a passive aggressive looking Max Bemis. They closed what seemed like an oddly short set with ‘Alive With The Glory Of Love’ which got a great reaction, but that song couldn’t save the rest of the set.

On the Impericon stage was Counterparts (7), who were a different proposition. They performed brilliantly and had a nice setlist that spanned their career, and certainly put on a good show to a crowd that seemed to be mostly those unfamiliar with the band. Grayscale (8) were over on the breakout stage after and similarly put on a fantastic show to a new crowd, bringing out the singer from As It Is for their song ‘Fever Dream’.

Next, I went to get food and accompanied my friends who went to see Moose Blood. I’ll keep it brief and not rate them, but their crowd was massive. Like, headliner size almost. Performance wise they were pretty good and I do enjoy the music but it was weird and I felt a bit awkward as I really dislike how they handled everything. Moving on I also saw a bit of Trash Boat (8) again accidentally by joining a queue when drunk, who had such a big crowd that people couldn't get into the area as it was capped and I was actually the last person allowed in. Ooops.

Next up were Lower Than Atlantis (7), who were good performance wise, but their setlist was a bit weak, with nothing from their best album, World Record. Despite this, they were fun and as usual I thought Mike Duce was really funny between songs.

I didn’t really have any other sub headliners to see so I reluctantly saw Taking Back Sunday (10) for a third time with my friends. I’m glad I did. They made up for Leeds by absolutely smashing it out of the park, with one of the better performances I have seen from them. The sound was superb and every member was firing on all cylinders, and the setlist choice was a perfect blend of old and new.

Finally, I wound down the festival with Jimmy Eat World (10) again. G O O D G O D. They were amazing. Their setlist was quite literally flawless, and they blitzed their older material whilst mixing in the best songs from Integrity Blues. Jim Adkins gave an amazing vocal performance, and the crowd went absolutely mental for their final three songs with people jumping and crowd surfers flying through the air. What a way to end the festival.

 

Sounds like a blast!! And yeah, regarding the first tbs show, bad sound equipment can ruin a show. I remember once I saw Silverstein, and their sound equipment was garbage; you couldn’t hear Shane over the guitars and the guitars would cut out. Hated the show, luckily I saw them again a year later in the proper way.

 

Yeah, it got kinda windy and it felt like the sound was literally getting blown to the right of the stage at points, it was odd. Both outdoor shows had slightly patchy sound, although the second day I think it's cause I was really far back. The third day, inside the arena though, was simply amazing. I'm actually glad my friends dragged me there haha.

 

Bad Suns
Language & Perspective
2014



Last session I had the pleasure of being partnered with @Mr. Serotonin and he assigned me Language & Perspective by Bad Suns. I had heard of them before, but for whatever reason I had never checked them out. Prior to listening to the album, I did a bit of research (i.e. Wikipedia) and found that Bad Suns is a four piece band based out of the Los Angeles area. Language & Perspective was their debut full-length album and they followed it up with 2016's Disappear Here (which I still have not heard). I am bad at assigning genres to bands, so I'll go with what Wikipedia has for them. Wikipedia classifies them as alternative rock, indie rock, dream pop, and post-punk. After listening to the album, I think that alternative rock and indie rock are probably the best classifiers there. I was also intrigued when I read that the band's sound is inspired by bands including Elvis Costello, The Cure, and The Clash.

The album begins with the song Matthew James where it is immediately apparent that the vocals are going to be a key strength on this album. This is a really solid opening track and it also has the phrase "language and perspective" in it, which ends the mystery of where the album title came from. The second track We Move Like The Ocean is another really solid alternative rock song with strong vocals. This is a recurring theme on the album. By this point, I was already hooked. Cardiac Arrest follows and it's probably my favorite song on the album. I also see that this song was their most successful from a radio standpoint. Their radio play didn't have an impact on me, obviously, since I hadn't heard any of these songs prior to this session. I do think that it was a strong choice for a lead single though! Cardiac Arrest is such a catchy song and I've found it stuck in my head at various times over the past week. The lyrics in the chorus aren't groundbreaking, but the way they're delivered is really catchy:

I'll try my best, how much do I invest?
Like cardiac arrest, high voltage in her lips
I'll try my best, how much do I invest?
Like cardiac arrest, high voltage when we kiss

I got some Anberlin vibes (from a vocal standpoint) with the songs Take My Love And Run (another one of my favorites on the album) and the penultimate track Sleep Paralysis. The influences that I mentioned above (Elvis Costello, The Cure, The Clash) are apparent throughout the album, but they manage to put a fresh spin on things and the music doesn't feel rehashed by any means.

Probably my second favorite song on the album is Learn To Trust. It's very clear that these guys know how to write catchy hooks and the vocals and musicianship are really top notch. Its chorus is right on par with Cardiac Arrest's for my favorite on the album:

So, come on and let me know
A heart glows in the night, in the day heart turn to dust
Say it and mean it
So, this heart learns to trust

All in all, this was a terrific album full of strong vocals and catchy hooks. It's hard to believe that it's their debut! I will definitely need to check out their 2016 follow up.

There really aren't any songs on this album that I didn't enjoy, but I would recommend these tracks to someone who is interested: Cardiac Arrest, Take My Love And Run, Learn To Trust, and Rearview. Really though, it's a short album (under 40 minutes) and I can't imagine fans of alternative rock or indie rock not finding something they love here.

RIYL: Anberlin, alternative rock/indie rock with strong vocals and catchy hooks (the 1975, Bastille, etc.)

Thanks for recommending this one @Mr. Serotonin!

 

Glad you liked it man! I prolly would pick the same songs you did as favourites. I'd say their sophomore follow up relies a little less on vocal hooks but the songwriting and musicianship is still great. Check it out!

 

Before I started my Rec for this week, I watched this video and I am digging the song! The video was really well done and great visually too. Excited to check these guys out more in the future.

 

Awesome reviews mate, glad you had a good time, I’ve only ever done Birmingham but I agree with you that the set up there is good. Looks like you enjoyed a lot of the same bands I did over the weekend. I’ve been listening to so much TBS since Monday, their set was so good.

 

that bad suns review got me to re listen to their album disappear here, which is also quite good. i also listened to where you want to be, louder now, and new again in the car with the windows down yesterday and it felt so good.

 

South is worth a go if you find next year lineups worth two days. The old venue was easily the best Slam Dunk venue ever (I went every year since 2012), but the new one is cool. It's great fun and I suspect they will iron out the creases for next year.

Leeds is fun too and very Warped Tour like, and has some nice quirks like a Wetherspoons located in the middle of the festival that becomes a full on pop-punk nightclub that is rammed all day.

 

After yesterday’s talk all I’ve done is listen to Funeral For a Friend today.

 

I need to give them all a relisten soon. My rec this week was Blindside so I have been going back to their other albums inbetween listens.

 

Blindside is great! @Larry David

 

The second album that I was recommended by @Micool1 a couple of weeks ago is the 2011 album Thank You Happy Birthday by Cage the Elephant. CtE is a band I've been meaning to dive into for years, but I had never listened to a full album until now.



The album opens with "Always Something," which is kind of a woozy, disjointed track. The vocals are raspy and rough around the edges, and the singer's delivery often slips into a rap style. The song is mostly drum and bass, with a few moments where the guitars kick in and really lift the energy. I find this song pretty engaging, but overall it doesn't grab me the way that I would expect from an album opener.

The next track, "Aberdeen" is more of the CtE style that I'm familiar with from the band's radio singles. This is a driving rock track with plenty of quirkiness and a really nice hook in the chorus. "Indy Kidz" goes back to the weird/trippy territory of the opening track, with fuzzy screams and a stuttery vocal delivery. The music is more driving this time around, but the song kind of jumps from one section to another without staying in any one place long enough to make me want to listen again. I'm not sure if there are tracks like this on other CtE albums, but they kind of come across as being weird and difficult just for the sake of being weird and difficult. They can obviously write great rock songs, as evidenced by their commercial success, but I don't have enough background on the band to know what they're going for here. It kind of smells like an attempt at an "artsy sophomore album" cut that doesn't really land.

The next track "Shake Me Down" is a song I recognized from the radio and another track where they take their quirky musicality in a more accessible direction with great success (insert Borat reference here). Then with "2024" we're back to the weirdness with a very hectic track. I'm sensing a pattern of alternating accessible and challenging tracks. This one does have some more melody and a recognizable hook unlike "Always Something" and "Indy Kidz." "Sell Yourself" pairs well with "2024" as they are both fast-paced bangers. "Rubber Ball" is the first slower track on the album, featuring vocals and a single guitar occasionally accompanied by other flourishes of instrumentation.

"Right Before My Eyes" and "Around My Head" are straightforward and simple alt rock tracks which are some of my favorites on the album. This definitely feels like a case of "less is more," which IMHO is often the case in music. "Sabertooth Tiger" and "Japanese Buffalo" are more spastic tracks with repetition and screaming. These tracks didn't do too much for me, though there is an interesting transition halfway through "Japanese Buffalo" where the tempo suddenly drops for a nice groovy bridge. The albums ends with the softer and folk-tinged "Flow" and an acoustic hidden track which were both pleasant listening.

All in all, I was surprised with how inaccessible a lot of this album comes across after a few listens. Having only heard CtE's successful mainstream singles, I was expecting to hear an album full of catchy alt rock. Instead, there was very little on this album that really begged me to hit repeat outside of the singles. The songs that do have the pop structure and mainstream appeal appear closer to the end of the album, surprisingly. I do respect what CtE created here and I'm interested to check out more of their discography to find out if this is an outlier or if all of their albums have this mix of pop songs and eccentric experimental tunes. As I mentioned, seeing as this is their sophomore effort I can't help but wonder if this is an attempt at an artsy album that purposefully strays from their mainstream sound.

 

Story of the Year: Wolves

Here's another example of an album that has a lot of hype surrounding it! I had never heard an album by Story of the Year before, so I didn't really know what to expect. However, since @Bad Frequencies enjoys it so much, I figured I would also find it enjoyable!

The instrumentation was fantastic - the guitars and drums were amazing, and this album gave me strong Anberlin vibes. (Anberlin is one of my favorite bands, so that put this album in my wheelhouse.)

As is the norm, I haven't yet truly picked up the lyrics, but from what I can tell so far, they are very powerful and full of energy. (I am also picking up a sense of restlessness, which is something pretty much anyone can relate to.) I really enjoyed the vocals, and the melodies were fantastic! (There was a bit of screaming here and there, but nothing too distracting for me.)

No critiques here!

The title track (an interlude) opens the album with some effects, including (as one would guess) the sounds of wolves howling and attacking/chasing someone. Next, "How Can We Go On" really hits the ground running with a fast-paced, high-adrenaline track. The guitars were especially powerful on this track, and gave me a lot of Anberlin vibes. This song also reminded me of AFI in places. "Bang Bang" follows, with another high-octane track. The drums were especially impressive here! There was a nice bridge with some synths, too. "Youth" is another interlude, and it consists of a really cool guitar solo. Abruptly and seamlessly, it turns into a midtempo track, "I Swear I'm Okay." There are some really cool effects on this track, and the percussion is brilliant. It seems to be a very reflective and introspective track, lyrically. "Miracle" has a real "The Feel Good Drag" (Anberlin) feel to it, which is awesome. The guitars are fantastic! "Can Anybody Hear Me" is an uptempo track, with a really cool bridge! "A Part of Me" starts out as a much more aggressive track, with huge guitars and bold drums. It eventually becomes a more subdued track, with fantastic drum work. The aggression returns later on, and the bridge reminds me of Linkin Park, in a way! "Give up My Heart" is a really cool song. The guitars (especially in the intro) remind me of Conditons' "Every Day Is a New Life." Unlike the Conditions track, it's rather tame for the most part. The bridge has some really awesome drums! The track ends with some distortion, and brings us to "The Eternal Battle for Mike Cronin's Soul (To Be Alive Again)." It starts with some effects reminiscent of the title track, and then turns into one of the most aggressive tracks on the album. It reminds me of Linkin Park in a few places. It's done really well and is a big favorite. "My Home" slows down the pace quite a bit, and is much quieter track than its predecessor. It seems to be very introspective, from what I can hear in the lyrics. "Goodnight, My Love" has some really awesome guitars (and drums!), along with some synth work. It's very catchy! The bridge is one of my favorite parts of the album. "Like Ghosts" is much tamer, and is one of the most "electronic" tracks of the album. It's no coincidence that it's my top favorite track on the album, too! (I played this track about 5 times in a row on my first listen, so I'd call it an immediate favorite, as well!) It almost has an 80s feel in a few places, which is awesome. "Praying for Rain" closes out the album with the longest song in the group by over two minutes. It starts with some "storm sounds" (which I always enjoy), which give way to some vulnerable-sounding vocals, mixed with some more aggressive guitars in places, too. This whole song is very impressive and is an excellent ending to a fantastic album!

Verdict: 10/10

Favorite tracks: Bang Bang, I Swear I'm Okay, Miracle, A Part of Me, Give up My Heart, The Eternal Battle for Mike Cronin's Soul (To Be Alive Again), My Home, "Goodnight, My Love," Like Ghosts, Praying for Rain (yes, more than half of the album)

Reminds me of: Anberlin, Conditions, AFI, Linkin Park


(Thanks for sharing an unexpectedly fantastic album, @Bad Frequencies!)

 

I love every part of this write up.

 

This is one of my favorite releases in the last few years, and is one that means a lot to me. I am stoked you loved it so much! Write up was excellent, and of course our standouts are practically the same. Good job!

 

Nice review! The XM radio station Alt Nation plays them all the time. If I remember correctly they came into the music scene around the same time as Kings of Leon and while they stuck to more traditional rock, Cage the Elephant tried to emulate bands like Modest Mouse and Brand New with an alt rock twist. I could totally be wrong of course.

 

Thank you, both of you!