Attention, fans of rock/reggae bands along the lines of 311, Incubus, Slightly Stoopid, The Expendables, Pepper, Iration, Sublime, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers – you  might want to pick up Wait For Green‘s new self-titled album, which they are releasing this week.

If they sound familiar, it might be because we here at BtH have already posted about the dudes in WFG, highlighting a show they put on at the Roxy back in February of this year.

Well, they’ve recently finished working on their new album, which is filled with some excellent new songs like Elevate and Nobody Listening and some re-worked older jams such as How Far I’ve Come, Next Wave, and Day One.

The end result is an album that should hopefully help Wait For Green rise to the top of the class of the current reggae-rock scene.

What helps them stand apart from their peers is their willingness to branch out creatively. Bassist AJ Larson channels the funk energy of 311′s Aaron “P-Nut” Wills, often serving as much more than just a source of the songs’ rhythm. Vocalist/guitarist Drew Dockerill, who alternates between normal singing and talk-singing throughout the record, is a solid front man, as well. His vocals and guitar work match up well with Larson’s bass play and Will Hopkins‘ steady drums, and the new record demonstrates how they have improved upon the sounds explored on their previous EPs.

With their new album, Wait for Green should strengthen their case to be considered among the more talented bands of this genre, and you can catch them tomorrow night at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach. They’re hitting the stage around ten o’clock, so why not spend your Thanksgiving Eve with their funky, reggae-tinged rock music at one of the coolest bars/venues in the extended LA area?

If you’re interested, you can currently listen to the entire new record over at The Roxy’s blog, so give it a shot if you want to inject some WFG into your Tuesday afternoon listening.

Click here to snag some tickets for tomorrow night. See you there!

311 will be playing its first multi-day music festival this August in Northern Florida.

Called the Pow Wow Festival, the band will play four sets over the 3-day span, including a set in which they will play their 1997 album Transistor in its entirety.

I’m trying really hard not to geek out and fanboy all over this news, as I’m extremely excited. One of my favorite bands holding its own special festival, on a gorgeous campsite in the summer?

Read a ton of more information about this festival, including ticket package info and all that good stuff over at the official Pow Wow Festival website.

In a genre cluttered with similar-sounding bands, it can be hard to stand out on your own. It really takes a special band to have that certain ‘something’ and stand out from your peers.

The genre in question is reggae/funk, and Wait for Green is that band with ‘something’.

Originally from Florida and now centralized in Venice, Wait for Green hit up the Roxy on Sunset on Saturday night. I made sure to go and witness my first WFG show.

The most impressive aspect of the band (comprised of Drew Dockerill on guitars/vocals, Rafael Britto on lead guitar, AJ Larson on bass and Danny Morledge on drums) is the thickness of their live sound. They played to a sparse crowd, but didn’t let that slow them down one bit. Even after some technical difficulties, which forced Dockerill to give up his guitar to Britto and perform the rest of the set without his instrument, they jammed through their roughly 30-minute set with determination.

Watching them play, I realized what it is about them that makes them stand out in my mind from the contemporary reggae/dub bands such as Rebelution, Iration, Passafire, The Dirty Heads and The Expendables, to name a few: Wait for Green aren’t afraid to jam out their songs into space-y dub, as evidenced on songs like How Far I’ve Come. When they do, it’s pretty mesmerizing.

Another thing that appealed to me was AJ Larson’s onstage bass work. Not only was he using a Warwick bass, the chosen model of 311 bassist extraordinaire Aaron “P-Nut” Wills, but he even moved around onstage with a similar energy to that of the Nut himself. It led me to believe that Larson and the band are fans of 311, which scores them immediate points in my book.

Besides the personal bias, Wait for Green’s songs are just really well done. Day One stands out among the rest, probably why it is going to be in an episode of the NBC show “Chase” tonight (I think that’s what Dockerill said at the show). They have an easygoing vibe that is somewhat more substantive than some other bands of this genre, lyrically and musically. The guitar work by Britton and Dockerill play off each other very well, creating a thick, layered guitar melody in nearly every song.

They played a lot of brand new songs at the show, songs off of an upcoming album, which they are currently recording.

I could easily see this band catch on with Law Records and get on tours with some of the aforementioned bands. Wait for Green definitely deserve as much attention, if not more, than others that are currently packing mid-sized concert halls from coast to coast. They do the “reggae vibes” thing that so many other bands do, but with greater precision and a maturity seemingly beyond their years.

They’re playing the Viper Room on March 13, so if any of this sounds like your thing, make sure you check out the gig and see how good Wait for Green are.

Here’s a video of How Far I’ve come from one of their previous Roxy gigs:

Tomorrow, the calender switches to December.

Christmas falls in the month of December.

Therefore, logically, Christmas is rapidly approaching. I’m not much of a logician but that makes sense to me.

I love the Christmas -er, Holiday season, but every time I hear the mall Muzak version of I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas or that ear-splitting Chipmunks Christmas Time is Here song, I want to jab my ear drums with a rusty pencil.

It’s no secret that we’re flooded with more and more “new” versions of Holiday classics (or Holiday-themed original tunes) each year, and most of them are garbage. Occasionally, though, you’ll hear something worthwhile. These “alternative” versions of Christmas classics come along and give a decidedly different spin on what would otherwise be the same old songs. These can vary from bands or artists “interpreting” a tune in a unique manner, or it can mean a group creating their own original Xmas song that stands well on its own.

I’d like to preface this by saying that being inundated with the same Holiday tunes at supermarkets and malls and whatever is better than not hearing any Christmas music at all, but I offer these alternatives to someone seeking something different every now and then.

And here we go:

This first gem comes from South Park‘s amazing holiday special, Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics. I remember rushing home from church on Christmas Eve and watching the videotaped broadcast of that all-musical holiday special. It still amuses me to this day, and whenever I hear Carol of the Bells by ANYONE I only think of Mr. Mackey. Mmkay?

No Doubt used to be awesome, and Oi to the World is a good snapshot of those days. Quirky!

Weezer put out a “Christmas with Weezer” EP a few years back, and this was on it. A typically oddball Rivers Cuomo creation, it’s not too shabby of a song itself, IMO.

I first heard this song on a KROQ Christmas compilation album, and thought it rocked. Of course, this was in about 2002, and Sum 41 was awesome to 17-year old me. The addition of Jack Black shouting out ridiculous items on his Christmas list only makes it more rocking. And the riffs, my heavens, the riffs!

If you’ve read any of my articles on this site, you know I love pop punk. And I’ve been a devoted New Found Glory fan for about ten years now. This song, a B-side that made its rounds on KROQ itself, always comes to mind when I think of Christmas, so here it is.

I don’t know what it is about Carol of the Bells, but I’ve heard a lot of hard rock/metal covers of it. This August Burns Red cover was suggested to me on a message board, and I think it’s fun.

More festive pop-punk. Fenix Tx adds a little bitterness to this Mexican-themed holiday tune.

More holiday ska, this time from Save Ferris.

This might not be a “Christmas” song, but it IS about December, and The Matches (r.i.p.) released it on a holiday album. I’ve always loved it for its quirkiness, something I always admired about the Oakland-based band.

Despite what this video claims, this is NOT 311, it’s just Nick Hexum, the group’s lead singer. He brings his normal smooth voice to the island-y Hawaiian jam, and it fits his style nicely.

Thrice‘s take on John Lennon‘s classic politically-themed Christmas tune is a stand out mainly because of the nice treatment Dustin Kensrue gives the vocals, as well as the rich melodies.

And now for something completely different. This song, from a Metal Christmas tribute album, scared me when I first heard it. And yet, Chuck Billy, Scott Ian, Jon Donais, Chris Wyse and John Tempesta give a pretty brutal rendition of Silent Night. Feel free to blast this around your grandma when you’re opening gifts this year.

To close things out, here’s a tender re-working of the Stevie Wonder holiday jam, That’s What Christmas Means to Me. Because, you know, everyone’s Holiday Season could use a bit more Michael McDonald.

Mmkay?

Feel free to suggest ones I’ve missed, because I’m sure I’ve missed more than a few gems.

Oh, and happy holidays!

Perhaps the best thing a band can do when covering a song is to interpret the track in their own unique way and truly leave their stamp on it; after all, very few covers that play it safe are particularly interesting. Most of the covers on this week’s list radically rework their original counterparts, or at least give a new general perspective, which I think should be the whole point of re-doing a song in the first place. Also, I’d like to give a mention to the Deftones’ spectacular cover of the Cars classic Drive, which I would’ve included, but didn’t want to use a band two weeks in a row.

….though I guess this is really the same thing more or less, isn’t it?

Anyhow! Enough rambling, let’s get on with the list.

Mindless Self Indulgence – Bring the Pain

I hope I get it, how many people does he need how many boys how many girls...

Making a Method Man track sound tame is not the easiest thing to do, but Mindless Self Indulgence pull it off with abundant style here. This cover is all over the place, with the only thing bearing resemblance to the original being the lyrics – even the flow is different, which James Euringer spits furiously, and while he may not be as smooth as Clifford Smith, he makes up for it with sheer energy. Euringer’s trademark random falsettos along with that frantic beat really make this feel like an MSI song.

Bjork – It’s Oh So Quiet

Coc-a coc-a cock

Easily the most faithful rendition here, the reason this song is here is simply because Bjork is so startlingly good at capturing the jazzy, vocal style of Betty Hutton’s Blow a Fuse, particularly in how it descends into chaos and back again, and making it sound like her own. It’s Oh So Quiet really should stick out like a sore thumb on Post, but Bjork injects so much of her personality into this that it manages to blend in with the throbbing trip-hop of her sophomore album quite well.

Tricky – Black Steel

I got no idea what's goin' on

While the Public Enemy original is an outstanding song in its own right, Tricky gets massive points for throwing so many unlikely elements together and still making it all work. The original beat is completely gone in favor of a heavy, distorted guitar, clanging percussion, and Martina Topley-Bird’s sweet vocals singing harsh lines like “picture me giving a damn, I said never” with a vocal pattern not terribly far removed from Chuck D’s. All the anger of the original is still in tact, but with a bit more of a mystique to it; a hallmark of Tricky’s great debut (and this song’s parent album), Maxinquaye.

FM Belfast – Lotus

80s sunglasses 4 lyf

Lotus is one of those covers that strips just about everything from a song and rebuilds it from the ground up. On the first listen, it might take a while to recognize Zach De La Rocha’s lyrics for Killing in the Name, particularly given the rather indifferent vocals and trippy, sexy beat, but that’s exactly what this head-bobbing track is tackling. It’s a very clever take on the raging (augh, pun) original.

Chris Cornell – Billie Jean

Do you mind? I'm trying to lounge

Speaking of rebuilding a song from the ground up, this is precisely what Chris Cornell does with Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. Doing away with the dance beat entirely and giving it a bare, singer-songwriter approach, Cornell’s vocals and acoustic guitar are on the verge of sounding totally off throughout the verse before the band kicks in for the chorus. The frustration in the lyrics that were masked by the original’s fun sound are brought directly to the forefront on this version, with Cornell milking it for all its worth, and to an unexpectedly great effect.

The Helio Sequence – Satellite

"HIIIIIII" "Oh my god you're a douche"

There are two highly unlikely accomplishments this cover pulls off – firstly, while it appears on a compilation of nearly all unknown bands covering a single artist, it’s actually really good (these kinds of compilations rarely yield anything all that great). Secondly, and more importantly, it manages to make an Elliott Smith song sound even MORE depressing. Brandon Summers’ voice matches Smith’s surprisingly well, and while really all that is added are a few synthesizers, the resulting atmosphere and depth is phenomenal. None of the emotion from the original is lost; in fact, it actually feels sharpened here. One of those rare instances where the cover just might be better than the original.

Dynamite Hack – Boyz-n-the-Hood

Suburbia is pretty gangsta.

Mid 90s one hit wonder Dynamite Hack struck gold with this almost folksy reworking of Eazy-E’s hip hop classic. The mellow music backing softly delivered lines like “I went in the house to get the clip, with my Mac 10 on the side of my hip” sounds charming well after the initial humor passes, and the nuances in the music suggest that this is more a goofy tribute than an all-out parody. Even better is the video, which shows the gritty details of the suburbs: dinner parties, strolling through parks, playing golf, and waving hello to police officers.

Anal Cunt – 311 Sucks

What're you fags lookin' at

I’ve been a 311 fan since they burst onto the scene back in 1995, so make no mistake – you don’t need to be a detractor of the band to enjoy this mocking reworking of Down (though I imagine it couldn’t hurt). While admittedly derisive, it’s just so funny to hear Seth Putnam replace S.A. Martinez’s raps with complete gibberish, only to explode at the end with that “YOU FUCKIN’ SUCK!!” As with the rest of Anal Cunt’s catalogue, this is only to be listened to with tongue firmly in cheek. Now that I think of it, I could’ve made an entirely separate list of amusing covers and parodies… oh well, too late now.

Johnny Cash – In My Life

Hi, I'm dead

On the same album featuring his infamous (and deservedly loved) cover of Hurt is this intensely personal take on a classic song of retrospection. Hearing something written by a 25 year old John Lennon being reinterpreted by a 70 year old Johnny Cash is already guaranteed to be astounding, but given the song’s subject matter (and the fact that Cash died a scant few years after recording this), this one can’t help but be an overwhelming listen. The fact that this was slammed by music critics upon the album’s release utterly baffles me.

Fever Ray – Mercy Street

Ooga booga

Peter Gabriel has long been renowned for his originality and creativity, so when someone comes along and makes what is probably his darkest, creepiest song sound even more dark and creepy, a lot of credit is due. Karin Dreijer Andersson’s typically moody synths, vocal treatments, and oddball percussion replace the eerie sparsity of the original with a full, downright sinister sound, but without sacrificing any of the nuance or drowning out the beautiful melodies. I wouldn’t be surprised if this popped up on numerous ‘Best Songs’ lists at the end of the year.

The Expendables’ killer new album, Prove It, was released a few weeks ago. I sat down with lead singer/guitarist Geoff Weers (on their posh tour bus!) before the band’s gig at the Ventura Theater last night with Tomorrows Bad Seeds, Big B, and Dirty Penny to chat about the album, the tour, and the genre, which seems to be increasing in popularity by the minute. I’ll have you know, this interview was my first experience on a tour bus, and man, it made me feel like quite a golden god.

When I climbed on board, Geoff was watching the final moments of Karate Kid 2, and shortly thereafter, DUNE began (and was muted for our interview, but still visible on screen for our viewing pleasure, due to its epicness and David Lynch weirdness, of course).

Geoff, myself, and DUNE

Cheese: How has the tour been so far?

Geoff: It’s been really good. On our tours we like to take out bands that not only we like their music, we also like them as people, so having Tomorrows Bad Seeds out, we like all the guys, we like their music, having Big B, DJ Klaw, we like them, they’re awesome musicians. And then, our friends Dirty Penny from Santa Cruz, we like to have a bill where it’s, you know, this tour starts with Dirty Penny, they’re like throwback hair metal, rock & roll, and then Big B, which is like rap/hip hop. And then we’ve got Tomorrows Bad Seeds, which is kind of like what we do, and then us, so we have a very diverse bill, so people hopefully don’t get bored.

Cheese: Going along with that, the Dirty Heads seem to be blowing up everywhere with Lay Me Down, Prove It is doing well on the charts, Tomorrows Bad Seeds’ album is doing well on the charts, and Pepper & Rebelution keep getting bigger and bigger. I’d say it’s a good time for this kind of music, right? Where do you see this kind of stuff going?

Geoff: I’d see it keep going, you know, getting more and more popular, because we’ve been around for quite some time, almost 13 years now. It’s good to see the bands that started a little bit after us keep it going, and some of them are really starting to make a name for themselves.

Cheese: I went to the West Beach Festival last year in Santa Barbara, and it was a great show, they were in trouble with the zoning or whatever, and I heard that they saved it and it’s going to happen again this summer. Everybody was there, pretty much, except for –

Geoff: Except for us, we were recording our album.

Cheese: Well that’s a good reason not to be there.

Geoff: Yeah.

Cheese: In my review of Prove It, I mention that I usually don’t like to use the phrase “it’s the most mature album” any band has made, but that’s kind of what I felt with this one. You guys have done the reggae stuff,  you’ve done the hard rock stuff on other albums, but not as cohesively as it’s done on this one –

Geoff: Right.

Cheese: And I’ve seen some fans on your Facebook page saying things like “There aren’t enough reggae songs, it’s too polished”, and all that, and I’ve defended it a few times, saying “what are you guys talking about, are you listening to the same stuff I’m listening to?” –

Geoff: Haha, yeah.

Cheese: How do you feel about Prove It and how it’s doing?

Geoff: I agree with you that we’re maturing; we went into the studio pretty much the most prepared out of any time going into the studio. This is our fifth full-length album, we’ve kind of learned a lot by trial & error, but for this album we really came in with a lot of songs. Each song that we had was pretty much ready to go, as far as it was written, the arrangement was there, all of our parts we kind of honed in on and picked what we were going to play, so that, and plus we had some really good producers and a good studio.

Cheese: Yeah, I wanted to ask how was working with El Jefe from NOFX, he was there on a couple songs, right?

Geoff: He tracked a lot of songs, he didn’t mix them, but he tracked like half? A little less than half of the record. It was good to have him in there, he went to music school, he knows how to sing really well.

Cheese: The song Wells, in particular, my friends saw the tour a couple months ago, and it was just you playing it by yourself. Then the song became more fleshed out, and G. Love joined in. How did that come about?

Geoff: It worked out because we used to call that song ‘G. Love Song’ because when we went on tour with him, we didn’t think our music really blended well with his music, because we’re more reggae and metal, and that song was our only song that we had that we could play that was sort of along the lines of his genre, so we could get some fans from his fan base during the tour, so we wouldn’t alienate ourselves with our music. It never had a name, we played it that whole tour, and during that time I always thought it was kind of like his vibe, and thought he would sound really good on it.

Cheese: The song 2 Inch Dub, off of Prove It, caught me off guard at first. It’s like seventeen minutes long; your older dub songs are shorter songs, but this one is so expansive, and the horns midway through are really cool. It’s sort of like Pink Floyd-ish, I thought –

Geoff: Yeah, there’s a lot of Pink Floyd in there, for sure.

Cheese: Did that come out of a big jam session, or what?

Geoff: Yeah, I mean, it’s called 2 Inch Dub because basically, we took two inch tape, and we had this chord progression and we just jammed it out for however long the tape lasted, and pretty much all the effects on the guitar are done with our own pedals, and all live in the studio. When we’re at home and we jam, we sometimes just dub, jam out a weird trippy reggae song and go for twenty minutes and just not think about ending it or where it’s going to go; you know, we just play.

Cheese: I don’t assume that’s one you guys play on this tour, right?

Geoff: No, people would get bored, but that’s pretty much how we jam when we’re at home.

Cheese: The first time I heard Sacrifice, I thought it was cool enough and then it broke into the second half and I was like “oh shit, this is awesome”…how do those harder-edged metal songs come about as opposed to the easier reggae ones like Drift Away and Tight Squeeze, songs like that?

Geoff: It’s not really a conscious decision, I mean when I try to write a song, I try not to have a definite plan, and a lot of times the way we write music is someone comes up with a chunk of a song, a chorus of a song, a verse and a chorus, or a whole song, and we jam it out in the jam room, and see what happens from there. Sometimes, when we’re jamming it out, someone will push their distortion pedal, and play the same progression in a distortion or a metal fashion, and we’re like “wow, that sounds pretty good”. It’s really not planned out.

Cheese: I’ve seen 311 twenty-some odd ridiculous number of times, and I saw you guys open two different tours, including in Central Park in NYC last year. How was it playing with them every night?

Geoff: It was great, I mean personally, I kind of got along with P-Nut the most, because we played basketball a lot out there. I didn’t really get a lot of personal time with those guys, but whenever I hung out with them they were super cool guys. They run a really tight production ship, they really take care of their crew, really make sure their people are happy on the road. Whenever I think about it, it was kind of like ‘rock n roll summer camp’. I forget how many buses there were… and then there were two or three crew buses, and the Ziggy Marley buses, and then we had our bus. So every day at the venue we’d come in and everybody would get out of their cabin and go into the cafeteria because they brought catering every day, so that’s a common meeting place. From the Ziggy Marley band to 311, there’ s a lot of older, more wise rock & roll people, so we learned a lot. There was a lot of listening going on; it was a good learning experience to see how a top notch rock & roll band really does the goods. They’ve been doing it for years, with radio play or not, they’re extremely successful, so being able to learn from them was huge for us.

Cheese: Coming from a fan’s perspective, the whole band has always been really cool and they always go out of their way to interact with us, but I’d say P Nut’s always been the most approachable, the most outgoing, at least to us –

Geoff: Yeah, me and him, and Ryan, our bass player, and one of the Ziggy Marley guys, we were on a basketball team, whenever we played together we were undefeated. It wasn’t my fault, I’m really the worst basketball player of all time, but that was really fun, getting all the crew and bands out there, playing a little basketball.

Cheese: When you’re back home in Santa Cruz, what do you do besides recording and band stuff?

Geoff: I try to not travel that much, hang out with my family, my girlfriend, my friends that I haven’t seen in a while, I like to golf with my good friend Cam. I’m employed at a golf course right now, but my buddy that got me the job, he quit, so I don’t know how much longer I’m going to keep doing that when I get home.

Cheese: What’s next for the band? I mean, you have a new album, you’re touring, and all that –

Geoff: Right, right.

Cheese: You guys are very proficient when it comes to recording albums, you take your time to make them, but then they keep coming out.

Geoff: I feel like waiting the two and a half years since our last album was a little bit too long. It’d be nicer to give the fans more stuff to listen to more often, but rushing an album is the worst thing you can do, probably. When the music comes, it comes. We always try to push ourselves, the metal songs are always the way we push ourselves, as far as musically. It would be nice to start exploring different styles but still keeping it The Expendables, you know?

Cheese: I remember seeing you guys about six or seven years ago in the Bay Area, you were playing some really random show that you didn’t really fit with…I forget what it was –

Geoff: Yeah, we’ve done some weird bills, but…I mean, our music’s weird too.

Cheese: You think of Dirty Heads and Rebelution, they’re basically reggae. But then you guys throw in…

Geoff: Yeah, we can play with a lot of bands, even though it’s a little weird, it still works for the most part. We can go out and tour with NOFX, or a harder rock band, and still go out and tour with Slightly Stoopid and Steel Pulse, coming up in a couple weeks. It’s going to be great.

———————-

That concluded our interview…I got off the bus, and returned to normal civilian life. But it was a pretty kickass 20 minutes.

A few hours after our interview, it was time for the actual show to start. Leading things off was Dirty Penny, another band made up of Santa Cruzians (Cruzites?).

Dirty Penny

Their twenty-five minute set was full of glam-soaked fist-pumping 80’s arena throwback metal, set to songs with titles such as If I Were You I’d Hate Me Too, Runnin’ Wild and Push Comes to Shove. They were fun, the sort of band I’d expect to have seen all over Sunset Blvd. in the early 1990s.

Next up was Big B, a Las Vegas rapper who I’ve seen at various shows over the past couple years. He and DJ Klaw busted through a set filled with tunes about partying, odes to white trash, and being a hooligan.

Big B

Big B also performed the song Sinner (the studio version features Scott Russo of Unwritten Law, and was a moderate hit on rock radio last year).

Hermosa Beach’s Tomorrows Bad Seeds were direct support for the Expendables, and they played a few tunes off of their new record Sacred for Sale, including Reflect, Uplift, Slow Down, and Creation, as well as ones from their first album Early Prayers (such as Vices, Early Prayers, Love Street, and the set-closing, metal-infused Warrior Poet).

Tomorrows Bad Seeds

I’ve seen them a few times, and they have a really powerful live sound that transitions well from the studio recordings.

I’ll review Sacred for Sale in the next few days, so stay tuned for that.

The Expendables hit the stage to the tune of the Lonely Island’s I’m on a Boat, which was great, before ripping into Down, Down, Down and Drift Away. Over the next hour and a half, the band (Weers, guitarist Raul Bianchi, Ryan DeMars on bass, and Adam Patterson on drums and vocals) touched on a lot of their back catalog, even going as far back as No Time to Worry (with the song Strive).

The Expendables

Highlights, for me, were their fun cover of Eek-A-Mouse‘s Ganja Smuggling, Burning Up, and the new tunes from Prove It: DCB, Positive Mind, Get What I Need, and Wells (which began the encore).

Eric Rachmany of Rebelution came up to play acoustic guitar on Bowl for Two, which was a neat surprise.

Then, at the end, everyone from all the bands came onstage for a goofy sing-along of Paradise City, with the Dirty Penny guys doing guitar/drums/vocal duties. It was a great way to end the show.

everyone on stage!

In all, the show was a lot of fun. Even McLovin was there!

I know I say this in most of my articles, but if you haven’t seen the Expendables before, make sure you do. They’re always on tour, so you don’t really have any excuse to miss out.

Thanks to Geoff for devoting 20 minutes of his day for this interview, and the folks at Silverback for making it happen.

Until next time…

The 311 Nation convened in Las Vegas last week for the band’s concert/fan convention extravaganza known as 311 Day. On Thursday (March 11^th, duh) the band played a sprawling five-hour, 60-song show at the Mandalay Bay Events Center that left everyone sweaty, tired and pretty damn satisfied.

This was my third 311 Day, having traveled to New Orleans in 2004 and Memphis in 2006 (The band holds these huge events every other year).

I’m a self-admitted diehard fan of the band, having attended an innumerable number of shows over the years, in many different states, including California, Nevada, Tennessee, Louisiana and New York.

Hexum and Sexton during the first set

311, comprised of Nick Hexum (vocals/ rhythm guitar), SA Martinez (vocals/ DJ scratches), P-Nut (bass), Tim Mahoney (lead guitar), and Chad Sexton (drums) treats these concerts as big fan appreciation blowouts, playing hits, rarities, and obscure b-sides spanning their extensive back catalog as a way to say thanks to the fans for being so loyal and continuing to support the band over their more than twenty years of existence.

It’s amazing to me that 311 still manages to thrive in the live arena, as it’s no secret that their mainstream popularity has long since gone by the wayside. Despite that, they consistently tour large venues in the summer and spring to mostly packed houses filled with rabid fans (and the occasional concertgoer who only knows Amber).

The 311 spirit was thriving in Vegas this week, as people from all over the globe met up in the city to celebrate the band and its positive energies. Walking around the Strip it was evident that we were taking over the entire damn city.

Arriving at the Mandalay Bay Events Center around four in the afternoon on Thursday only heightened the excitement. Fans clad in t-shirts, hats, and other garb routinely sparked up “3 11! 3, 3, 11!” chants that got the energy flowing and put everyone in a full-on frenzy.

Beautiful Disaster

By the time the show actually started, we were all so pumped up that our noise was deafening. 311 utilized a ridiculously awesome stage set up for the show, with a big spiral beehive-looking thing that rose when the house lights dimmed, revealing the band, who launched into the song Jackpot (off of 2009’s Uplifter), a fitting song to start out the show. Sexton’s drum kit was on a rotating platform, so he spun around in circles the whole night, allowing fans behind the stage to get a good view every now and then.

Over the course of the next five hours, the band played songs from all corners of their repertoire, including hits (All Mixed Up, Come Original, Beautiful Disaster, Amber, etc.) and obscure or infrequently-played gems (Brodels, Loco, Uncalm, Running, Livin’ & Rockin’, Six, and Slinky), as well as premiering a few songs that had not been played live previously (Sun Comes Through, Get Down, Two Drops in the Ocean). It was really an impressive set list, spread out across five sets, interspersed with some Vegas entertainment like a contortionist playing with big plastic hoops and a Jamaican dance troupe tearing it up on the floor.

P-Nut (Aaron Wills) enjoyed an indulgent bass solo before the band went into Nutsymtom. During the solo we all expressed our love for the Nut and his bass wizardry. He’s often the most expressive and active member of the band, onstage and off (He’s the one with a personal Facebook page where he interacts with fans). The solo, carried out on his Warwick with the light-up fret board, showed just how skilled he is, while not getting boring (as bass solos sometimes get). Simply put, P-Nut crushes.

P-Nut, the bass master

During Applied Science, Sexton had an extended drum solo where he smashed and pounded his Pearl kit for about ten minutes or so.

Sexton during his drum solo

At that point I was such an exhausted zombie that the solo sounded endless, but it was still impressive. The other members of the band eventually rose out of the stage on risers and began the full-band drum solo that always takes place midway through the song. It was a new solo and a pretty slick stage set up for that segment of the show.

Playing sixty songs in an evening must be quite an ordeal for a band, especially one whose members are mostly in their mid-thirties. The fact that the band does this really shows how much they care about the fan base, as this is really one big amazing party, with the band feeding off of the crowd’s electric energy and reciprocating onstage.

Mahoney and Martinez during the drum jam

The sound was a bit muffled in the Mandalay Bay Events Center at the beginning of the show, as the vocals and guitar echoed around the cavernous arena, but it was eventually remedied a bit, and while it was never perfectly crisp, it was as good as could be expected in such a venue. 311 usually has a pitch-perfect live sound so it was probably the venue that caused any issues this time around.

311, for some reason, seems to be a band that does not really get the credit they deserve. Too many times, as a fan, I’ve witnessed people criticize the band or hate on them for no reason. As someone in the band’s inner circle of dedicated fans I find this hard to understand, since the band’s positive message (“stay positive, love your life” is what Hexum says at the end of every show) and uplifting music set them apart from their peers and have allowed them to continue on well past the heyday of the rap/rock/reggae stuff that they effectively pioneered in the early 1990s. Yes, the lyrics may tend to be somewhat cheesy (as some people say) and perhaps the band’s creative peak has passed them by, but the fact that they’re still doing their thing and remaining true to themselves while retaining a hardcore fan base that travels all over the country to see them in concert says something. No other bands that I can think of put on an event anything like 311 Day, a show that is truly a way for the band to acknowledge and thank the fans for all their years of support.

Hexum and Wills

Hexum, Martinez, Mahoney, Sexton and Wills (P-Nut) kicked everyone’s asses at this show, even busting out a song (Slinky) that they had not played in SEVENTEEN YEARS. It has always been a favorite of the hardcore fans, so to see them play it after basically ignoring it forever was another sign of appreciation. They love the fans, and it was more than evident at the show.

By the time the last notes of Unity echoed around the arena and we had to leave the venue, there was a palpable sense of satisfaction all around. Sixty songs and five hours after the show began, we in “311 Nation” screamed and cheered despite throbbing feet and hoarse voices, showing appreciation for the band and their amazing performance. P-Nut followed suit, hopping off the stage and greeting the fans in the pit for about five minutes after the house lights came back on. He rules.

I’m already counting down the days until 311 Day 2012.

Champions bow.

Here’s the entire set list from the show, so you can get an idea of just how many songs they played:

SET I:

Intro >
1. Jackpot
2. Sick Tight
3. Plain
4. Beautiful Disaster
5. Hydroponic
6. Flowing
7. Still Dreaming
8. Loco
9. Uncalm
10. Mix It Up
11. Purpose
12. From Chaos
13. Running
14. Solar Flare
15. Taiyed
16. Sun Come Through (Setlist debut)
17. What Was I Thinking?
18. Livin’ & Rockin’
SET II:
19. All Mixed Up
20. India Ink
21. My Stoney Baby
22. Come Orginal
23. Silver
24. Don’t Tread On Me
25. Beyond the Gray Sky
26. You Wouldn’t Believe
Extended P-Nut Bass Solo
27. Nutsymtom
28. Brodels
29. Creatures (For a While)

SET III:
Welcome Intro >

30. 1, 2, 3
31. Rub a Dub
32. Color
33. Light Years
34. Who’s Got the Herb

SET IV:
35. Let the Cards Fall
36. Crack the Code
37. Two Drops in the Ocean (Setlist debut)
38. Random
39. Nix Hex
40. Feels So Good
41. Golden Sunlight
42. Six (Last played 8/15/07)
43. Do You Right / Don’t Stay Home / Hive – Mash-Up
44. Omaha Stylee
SET V:

45. Down

46. Off Beat Bare Ass
47. Amber
48. Daisy Cutter
49. Use of Time
50. Get Down (Setlist debut)
51. Applied Science
52. 8:16 AM
53. Visit
54. Sever
55. Freeze Time
56. It’s Getting OK Now
57. There’s Always an Excuse

58. Slinky (Last played 10/10/93)
59. Fuck the Bullshit

Encore:

60. Unity

the shark makes it extra awesome

It must really be great to be Four Year Strong right now.

The band releases its third full-length album of original songs this week, entitled Enemy of the World. FYS, a band whose Wikipedia page labels them ‘melodic hardcore’, would be better described as ‘melodic punk/pop/beardcore’, consistent with the band members’ outdoorsy-look. Enemy of the World is the band’s first album on a major label, having been snatched up by Universal Motown after spending some time on  Pete Wentz’s Decaydance label.

My overall verdict on this record? FYS are now the champs of this new brand of hardcore/pop-punk, looking down at the runners-up: Set Your Goals, A Day to Remember, and other bands of that ilk. FYS, though, really has the whole package, and it is on display on nearly every track on Enemy of the World. The lead song, It Must Really Suck to be Four Year Strong Right Now, is a barrage of chugga-chugga power riffs and energy that leads to a chorus of “Don’t fix it if it hasn’t broken yet”, an appropriate mantra for the band itself, which has truly hit its peak.

On a Saturday, the next song, is full of the type of crowd-participation moments that the band loves so much, where the vocals are echoed and you can picture a throbbing pit of rabid fans screaming along and pumping their fists in unison. It works particularly well on this song, with its passionate screams of “TONIGHT WE FEEL ALIVE!” carried out with a more hardcore-ish vocal style than usual.

As a whole, Enemy of the World is a kickass major-label debut for FYS. While Rise or Die Trying was impressive, I had issues with its production, as the drums sometimes sounded muffled and not as crunchy as they should have…this time around, everything sounds crisp and explosive. I’m sure some fans will whine that it sounds “too polished”, but to me, it’s perfect for a major label pop-punk/hardcore record.

The song titles are great, too. Nineteen with Neck Tatz starts out with more gang vocals, this time screaming “Can you prove to me…that you’re not dead and gone…we’ve crawled on hands and knees…but now I live my life standing strong!” before the song goes into more breakdown-core riff-tastic badassery. The song also has a particularly catchy chorus, as well. I can practically visualize the limbs and body parts flying through the air during this song at a show.

team up, team up!

Find My Way Back is a song that sounds structured for radio play, something that probably will piss off some fans. It’s a little bit slower and the riffs are a little more generic than usual FYS, but it’s still a great song. By ‘radio play’ I mean the song has one of those infectious choruses that you’ll have a hard time getting out of your head.

What the Hell is a Gigawatt? brings the pace back up, with the dual-vocals of Dan O’Connor and Alan Day offsetting each other, set to a meaty riff. The breakdown/two-step part that comes in toward the end of the song is just broo-tal, as are the screams. It rocks.

This Body Pays the Bill$ sounds like it could have come from Rise or Die Trying, starting out with some more yelling and breaking down into usual FYS territory. Flannel is the Color of My Energy amused me title-wise (since I’m a self-admitted 311 fan boy), and its synthesizer beeps fit the song well, giving it a sort of Motion City Soundtrack-gone-hardcore/pop punk sound.

The last track, Enemy of the World, is pretty much the most badass thing FYS has ever done. It starts out with a chorus of voices, before going into an avenue for FYS to exhibit all the things they do right as a band – catchy gang vocals (“If you bring the heart then I’ll bring the beat!”), chugging riffs that never let the energy die, a breakdown with more delicious riff work and an overall aggression and passion that is the aural equivalent to being smashed in the face over and over but getting back up and taking some more fists to the dome because it’s so fun. The song fades out as the chorus of voices returns, and by the time it’s over you’re out of breath.

With Enemy of the World, Four Year Strong has really made quite a statement. Set Your Goals had raised the bar for this hardcore/pop punk hybrid stuff with This Will Be the Death of Us, but now they might as well hand over the crown to Four Year Strong. The album is just fantastic, and as a self-professed pop punk nerd (shout-out to New Found Glory and @xchadballx) I’m psyched that this type of stuff still exists.

So yeah, go pick this record up if you riffs, breakdowns and awesomeness. It’s a hell of a lot better than all that Vampire Weekend BS that’s all the rage with the V-necked hipster kids.

Plus, it’s got killer breakdowns, bro.

Part two of our three part series brings us to the top ten songs the boys and I thought got us moving. Won’t you join us? Feel free to leave your favorite songs in the comments below!

Dagan’s De Jour:

10. Camera Obscura – French Navy (from the album My Maudlin Career)
So kitschy you can’t help but love it.

9. A Place to Bury Strangers – Keep Slipping Away (from the album Exploding Head)
Hey, it’s the Cure as a shoegaze band!

8. Thom Yorke – Hearing Damage (from The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack)
“Hehe my fans are such scenesters.. let’s see what they make of THIS.”

7. Incubus – Black Heart Inertia (from the album Monuments and Melodies)
Just a reminder of what we’re missing out on while they continue their hiatus…

6. Depeche Mode – Wrong (from the album Sounds of the Universe)
Easily their best single since 97′s It’s No Good.

5. Dinosaur Jr. – Over It (from the album Farm)
Also one of the most entertaining videos I’ve seen all year.

4. Röyksopp – The Girl and the Robot (from the album Junior)
Great blend of downtempo and dance, with great vocals.

3. Moderat – Rusty Nails (from the album Moderat)
Again, a great blend – this time upbeat dance with dark melancholy.

2. Basement Jaxx – Raindrops (from the album Scars)
Hands down the most addicting, near-perfect dance song of the year.

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero (from the album It’s Blitz!)
Such an unbelievably fun song. lyk zomg.

Cheese Sandwich’s Collection:

Thrice – In Exile

An incredible song from one of my top 5 albums of the year. Easily my personal favorite from Beggars, with a subdued passion, steady rhythm and incredible melody. Dustin Kensrue’s lyrics are amazing, as well, as I frequently find this song creep into my head every few days, whether I’ve listened to it or not.

311 – Sun Comes Through

Although this track wasn’t included on the retail version of 311’s latest album Uplifter, it was available as an Amazon download. It would have been the best track on Uplifter had it been on the record; Tim Mahoney’s guitar work is crunchy and the vocal melodies by Nick Hexum and SA Martinez are very strong; as a 311 fan boy, it is already one of my favorite songs they’ve ever done, and fittingly it made my list for songs of the year. It wasn’t the cookie-cutter type of pop song (with throwaway lyrics) that 311 has been churning out now and then for the past few years. It’s much more creative and stylized, and it is refreshing to hear that the band can still do that at this stage in their career.

As Tall as Lions – Circles

ATAL clearly made quite an impression on me this year, with both one of my top albums and top songs. Circles is one of the most memorable songs from You Can’t Take it With You. Dan Nigro’s voice is warbled with some cool echo effects, matching up well with the song’s erratic and rhythmic percussion. As the opener to the album it is a great precursor of the brilliance that shines throughout the disc.

Rammstein – Pussy

Okay. Yes, this song is just plain ridiculous. Everyone’s favorite big scary German guys singing in German and English about, well, screwing. Till Lindemann channels the poets of old when he asks, simply, “You have a pussehh…I have a dick-ahhh….so what’s the problem? Let’s do it quickkkkk” with your standard thunderous Rammstein industrial-metal slamfest going on in the background. I included it on this list simply because it’s obvious Rammstein doesn’t give two shits about what you consider ‘appropriate’, and I fully support that way of thinking. Plus, the video for this song is only hosted on porn sites due to its graphic nature. Damn the man.

Every Time I Die – Wanderlust

I tend to shy away from music with crazy yelling vocalists, but I can tolerate Keith Buckley because his lyrics are ridiculous and the music going with it is so aggressive and catchy. Wanderlust is the single from ETID’s album New Junk Aesthetic, and it has a delicious melody interwoven over the four-plus minute track. Buckley does his thing over some Southern-sounding riffs and the song has a luscious rhythm that gives it a relentless fury. Easily one of my favorite hard rock tunes of the past year.

Them Crooked Vultures – Warsaw or the First Breath you Take After You Give Up

This 8-minute jam on TCV’s debut record finds Homme, JPJ and Dave Grohl at their best: it’s a sprawling grimy bastard of a song, and morphs into a groovy foot-stomp halfway through that is simply mesmerizing. To be a fly on the wall when they jammed this song out would have been my life’s highlight. This and Mind Eraser, No Chaser were my favorite tunes from TCV’s record, a refreshing course in Rock 101 that proved that there might still be hope for rock music in the future.

Weezer – (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To

While the rest of Raditude is silly dance/pop, this one is easily the best song Weezer’s done in years. Sure Pork and Beans was a catchy romp as well, but this one is light years ahead. It’s a shame that Rivers got so preoccupied with making empty dance pop numbers with Lil’ Wayne (yuck) and recording songs written by the All American Rejects (double yuck), because this song rocks. I’ve heard it about three trillion times since it came out, and I’m still not bored with it. My roommate even proposed to his now-fiance onstage during a Weezer cover band show, so it’s also taken on a personal meaning for me as well. This song proves that Rivers still has the talent to craft a near-perfect tune every now and again.

White Rabbits – Percussion Gun

White Rabbits are a very underrated band, and this song is infectious. It’s also very appropriately titled, with a barrage of percussion matching up with the two singers’ vocals nicely. Piano plucking accompanies the dual vocals and percussion noises along with a staccato guitar riff, and the end result is a great little indie rock song that I don’t think enough people have discovered.

Rx Bandits – Mientras La Veo Sonar/ White Lies (I only found the live link for White Lies)

I couldn’t pick either one of these over the other, so they’re both here. Mientras is a spazzed-out jam in English and Spanish, with Matt Embree singing about the future and dreams and other such topics of interest, while the rest of the band rocks out like a less-frantic (and in my opinion more melodic) Mars Volta. White Lies is a more hushed, percussion-centered piece with gorgeous vocal harmonies about frustration and looking for answers. Simply put, the song is breathtaking. The two songs act together to demonstrate the varied tempos of RXB, from a crazy awesome jam session to a slower, more introspective and experimental number.

Alice in Chains – Your Decision

Black Gives Way to Blue was a great comeback album by Alice in Chains, as new vocalist William DuVall filled in for Layne Staley perfectly. This song is a mostly acoustic number with DuVall and Jerry Cantrell sharing vocal duties; the song changes things up a bit after Check My Brain and Last of My Kind start off the record with such loudness and aggression. To me, this is the most Alice in Chains-sounding song on the album; it wouldn’t have felt out of place in the mid 1990’s or on the Unplugged record. The guitar solo in the middle is simple yet artistic, and interweaves the main melody around Cantrell’s dark lyrics and gentle delivery. Simply put, it’s awesome.

Flak’s Fanfare:

10. The Fall of Troy- Battleship Graveyard

I don’t know how, but since the inception of their hit single F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X., The Fall of Troy has had me hooked with at least one song on every album they have put out. This one has some of the most impressive note for note exchanges with the guitar and drums, with a droning bassist (who looks like my brother with dreads) looming in the background. I’m a Mathcore band. Sue me.

9. Brand New- At the Bottom

Brand New is one of those bands that evoke an immense amount of emotion when it comes to the fruition of tracks like this. This song has a elements of the bands new directions, mixed with the tried-but-true sing along power that brings us all screaming the chorus together.

8. Cunninlynguists- The Distance

These guys are true hip hop first of all. The beat steady with the gloomy organ playing along, set the mood for the somber but undeniably impressive flow of Tonedeff. I can’t help but nod to strange journey that this album is named after. Storytelling hip hop has always been the easiest for me to enjoy and relate to. A well produced and well rounded track. I just wish I knew who sang the chorus.

7. Mos Def- Casa Bey

Mos Def, one of the tightest tongue twisters around, brings an organic piece that made to the list for not only the organic nature of the beat, but also for the closer glimpse of this half of Blackstar.

6. RX Bandits- Mientras lo Veo Sonar

I was worried that the RX Bandits would never be the same, but after hearing the insane work of one of my favorite drummers, RX Bandits remain on my top ten must hear live acts. If the boys can get me dancing this much on the cd, I might just have to learn salsa for the live show.

5. Sa-Ra- White Cloud (Which apparently can’t be found…comment below if you do!)

Neo Soul wizards, slept on superstars, American heroes. Sa Ra is one of those groups that say what we were all thinking. I try to find songs to live by, and this is one of em, with lyrics meant to uplift among those stormy masses. You’re just a dark cloud, baby I’m a star.

4. Portugal. The Man-Lovers in Love

Even after spending some time with these guys at several music events this year, I still find the boys from PTM an entrancing enigma. Old school sci fi meets funk and soul. The line “If another lover takes their love away from you//Be careful with your mind, and what you’re bound to do” looms in my head even when the song isn’t playing. Something to think about.

3. A Fine Frenzy- Stood Up

There is so much to say about the stunning Ali Sudol aka A Fine Frenzy. Being a bass guitar fiend, the first thing I loved was the off timing of the bass,which the rest of the band follows suit to. The uplifting lyrics sung by the lovely and lithe Alison (again, my only celebrity crush), made this a no brainer for my songs of the year. Plus, the album was released on my birthday…cmon now.

2. Incubus- Look Alive (This is the live version from the DVD which is a must have for lovers of music and travel)

Meeting sixty percent of the band, coupled with this sleeping release on their greatest hits album got the endorphins rising whilst watching the live video of this song on their dvd Look Alive. Meeting your inspiration, and constantly going about the world with lyrics to live by is one of the most humbling experiences I’ve ever had. This will definately be the next song I master on bass (one of the most badass bass lines in history), and when people tell me “I like the old Incubus”, I think they will come find that this is a happy medium for fans new and old. A perfect song.

1. Robert Glasper- All Matter

Like I’ve said before, and as my close friends know about me, the music goes towards a mood. But with this song, it encompassed more than that. The smooth yet unpredictable elements of jazz, with a neo soul twist, that made this my favorite song of the year. The ups and downs of life, and realization that we are so small, and so alike, that we should make it count as tiny little creatures. That’s the message of the song, and I felt like it’s a message that I wanted to tell, but didn’t quite know how to tell it. Before this year, I knew nothing about Robert Glasper, but by chance was sent his album for review, and can honestly say it changed the way I think about music. Some people might say its just a song, but a song can create a legacy, and I’m sure you’re no stranger to that. Everyone has a song that give them that feel, and this was it for me.

With that, I close on the singles in 2009 that we loved, with the final chapter, albums of the year to come shortly. I hope you’ve enjoyed your read, and again, feel free to leave your favorites down below!

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

P.S.-Honorable Mention

The Lonely Island- I’m On a Boat (I’m sad the unedited version is gone but cmon, you got a good laugh at least once watching the video!)

As I call it, the ‘white boy reggae’ scene has been thriving for the past couple years. Bands like the Expendables, Pepper, Slightly Stoopid and Rebelution have toured relentlessly in recent years to packed houses; I saw both Rebelution and the Expendables sell out the House of Blues on Sunset last year. Adding to this slew of talented young reggae bands is Passafire, whose album Everyone on Everynight dropped on September 15^th. The band, from Savannah, Georgia, is signed to Pepper’s own LAW Records, and has toured with them in the past. Their 2007 album Submersible was considered to be one of iTunes’ top reggae albums of that year, and Everyone on Everynight is the follow-up to that record.

And it follows up very nicely. While the lead singer, Ted Bowne, has a bit of a strange voice that takes some getting used to, it really fits with the music, a great blend of reggae and rock styles that makes them sound a little more substantive than the silliness of bands like Pepper and the punk-infused Slightly Stoopid. Also, the guitar work on Everyone on Everynight is rather impressive, as they employed the use of some ripping electric guitars which make the songs that much livelier; while Submersible was solid, the songs tended to have a similar overall feel and tempo to them. This time around, the songs are much more varied and have their own styles that are each memorable in their own way.

Casting of the Cares kicks off the disc, and it’s a melodic romp with some great guitar riffs and percussion. Keeping in Touch follows it up and has a nice gentle melody weaved throughout the tune, making it another highlight. Illuminate has a more aggressive rhythm, led by some kickass bass work by Will Kubly and a bouncy beat that I imagine is quite a hit in the live setting. I’ve only seen Passafire open for Pepper one time, before any of these songs were around, so I want to see them now that this album has been released to see some of these songs performed. On Here in Front of Me, the guitar again takes over, as the song is led by a riff that leads into one of the more catchy choruses on the album, with Bowne asking “Is it actually happening…right here in front of me?”. The chorus then goes into a sick melodic breakdown heavy on the percussion. The song reminds me a bit of 311, which to me is a good thing since 311 is my favorite band.

Carouser is another of the high-energy songs on the album, with more funky bass and electric guitar riffage that start the song off with quite a bang before it slows down into the verse. Leave the Lights On is another song that sounds like 311, with a crunchy riff propelling the song into mosh pit-territory (or at least the type of mosh pit that would be at this kind of concert). Keep in mind, now, when I say “sounds like 311” that’s not meant to take anything away from Passafire; the energy of these songs just echo the same type of catchy energy and masterful reggae/rock fusion that I find with 311 tunes (or at least older 311 songs). Prelectricity slows things down a bit after the power of Leave the Lights On, and as the ‘end’ of the album (before the two acoustic numbers) caps off a pretty impressive collection of songs.

This album really finds Passafire at the top of their game, and is a marked improvement over Submersible, which I found a bit too one-dimensional in sound. The band has since really fleshed out its feel and the structure of their songs, and the result is one of the better albums of this genre that I’ve heard in recent memory. Rebelution’s latest album Bright Side of Life, while also solid, is very similar in sound to their debut Courage to Grow, as the band apparently didn’t really expand their sound too greatly; conversely, this time around Passafire has expanded on their repertoire in the best possible way. I hope they soon attain the same kind of attention and fame as the other bands of this genre. They definitely deserve it.

They’re playing with the Expendables and Hawaii’s own Iration February 27^th at the House of Blues on Sunset. Get your tickets now. Beanie and board shorts required, of course.