Perhaps I’m the wrong person to write this.  I am, at heart, a huge Against Me! fan and probably always will be.  Whenever I try to remove myself from this, everything I write about the group comes out like a history of one of the band’s accomplishments.  This, however, isn’t the message I want to send, and I don’t really care either way that the band hosted an MTV Cribs on their bus or had New Wave named Best Album of 2007 by Spin because, to me, I don’t think Tom Gabel gives a sh*t either way anyway. In short, I’m ready for the raging comments sections and the cries of anarchist-leftovers and the sneering underground claiming that Tom Gabel sold out for a barrel of tea and Amerikan riches.

. . .

I’ll just say it.  White Crosses is a god-damned good rock n roll record.  The catchy hooks are there, the anthemic choruses and the spit and grease of a blue-collared everyman. Perhaps the only problem is that the songs ultimately drown in their own overdone production and lack the punch to compliment poignant lyrics.  Gabel, trading his Southern Roots for the polished New Jersey trend, came out with a record the revels in anti-authority, introspection, and honest choruses that walk a fine line between sincerity and ambiguity.  Middle finger pointed stiffly in the air, Against Me! clearly isn’t the band that we’ve grown to love over the past decade, but aren’t exactly claiming to be, either.

Punk music seems to be having a serious identity crisis as bands are immediately tagged as punk, blogged about, and given the green light to go platinum.  The new “system” of internet prodding leaves little room for creativity and quality though, while bands like The Gaslight Anthem struggles and stumbles through Jersey-Mediocrity on American Slang. On White Crosses, Against Me! refines this rock ‘n’ roll formula, adding a touch of the usual piss and vinegar to rub into authoritative wounds. White Crosses’ title track begins to unravel an album of Gabel’s patented anarchist, philosophical poetry, literally crushing religion and modern culture along the way.  The playful, plodding rhythm is deceiving enough to beg a mainstream, catholic schoolgirl into believing it’s the next summer hit, only to find a deeper message lurking behind Tom’s polished folk-punk voice.

Without Warren Oakes behind the drumkit, Against Me! has lost a defining part of their sound, replacing him with percussive machine gun George Rebelo following his departure from Hot Water Music last June.   White Crosses, unfortunately enough, is a very accessible album that moves the band further from their anarcho-punk roots and will alienate many a listener.  “I Was A Teenage Anarchist” is a brutal farewell to the scene that Tom and Against Me! grew out of in FL and will no doubt breed some hatred.  Gabel recently explained the lyrics behind the song on antimusic.com, explaining his roots in radical politics and his departure from the scene as “trends and fashion emerged”, claiming, in his final lines, “I have no need to supplement my identity through belonging to a scene or exclusively endorsing any brand of political thought. And if anyone is offended by that I feel like it only reaffirms my conviction. For if it’s heresy for an Anarchist to say “F*CK Anarchy” then Anarchism is truly just another flag, and I say burn it along with the rest of them.”

To be completely honest, I didn’t even want to listen to a second of the album, expecting to be as disheartened as I was with first listens of New Wave.  While White Crosses definitely has it’s shockingly mediocre/departure moments, including Gabel’s ode to Bob Dylan, the album still has some firecracker glimpses that reclaim a bit of punk sneer and make me want to revisit their catalog, INCLUDING New Wave.  Lurking behind a generic radio rock veneer, White Crosses is a record that still explores some lyrical ground and political issues. I only wish that the band has strived for a low-fi return to their roots and I can only wholeheartedly agree with a commenter on another blog . . . “We will NEVER see another Reinventing Axl Rose or Eternal Cowboy” . . .

Am I telling you to rush out and buy this album?  No. Definitely not. Bottom line, if you don’t want to drop a penny on a band that used to claim anarchy, then don’t.  I only ask that if you are a fan of Against Me! To listen to the 35-minute sonnet that Tom has put together and give it an earnest once-through.  If you still hate it, do the old albums some justice and give it the finger and a firm “F*ck you”.  At least then Against Me! will still be evoking SOME sort of punk rock renaissance in the modern day.  While Joe Strummer he’s not, it’s unquestionable that Tom Gabel continues churning out music that challenges authority while conveniently wrapping it into a pretty, polished package that gets neatly lodged in your frontal lobe.  White Crosses is an enigma, to say the least.

April 20 marked the release of Blue Sky Noise, the third full-length album from Philly-born Circa Survive. The pre-release of the track “Get Out” and the You-Tube bootleg of “Frozen Creek” gave fans a good preview of what was to come as the band took a more aggressive and, arguably, more conservative approach in their writing for this album.  This is not to say that Circa Survive has become anything remotely close to “mainstream”, but, in comparison to earlier recordings, they have adapted some new sounds. Read more

Born from the reverb of labelmates Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks will possibly never escape their immediate comparisons.  Released in 2009, These Four Walls was originally received by the online music community as a bit of a novelty, following suit after Frightened Rabbit’s stellar Midnight Organ Fight set a new stamp on angsty rock n roll that was literal, guttural, and realistically heartbreaking.  The comparisons, while glaring, aren’t necessarily deserved, however, as the blogosphere was more eager to churn out a review the day the album dropped as opposed to absorbing it over time.  With a post-punk backing, I believe it is ultimately the masculine, bar-fighting power of We Were Promised Jetpacks that makes this album both a genuine rock ‘n’ roll article and a more attractive emotional pill to swallow.

These Four Walls is a rock ‘n’ roll record, first and foremost . . . let’s not make any quarrels over that.  The 4/4 timing and rampant kickdrums are there, as are the three-chord melodies.  Also, from here on out, I’ll neglect making any more Frightened Rabbit references other than the fact that the frantic, ramshackle rhythms of We Were Promised Jetpacks boasts more of a physical punch than any of their Fat Cat counterparts.  While it is the effective lyrical prowess that Frightened Rabbit rely on, WWPJ rely solely on brute strength in both beats, repetitive prose, and guitar twang.  More akin to a drunken sing-along, turned chaotic backalley brawl, perhaps the only complaint one could make would be the reversed sense of storytelling/orchestration on These Four Walls.

The composition follows the tracklisting perfectly, beginning with a rousing, chaotic rock song in “It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning”, that begs you to leave “before you punch my lights out”, and then winding into an instrumental-based series of calms.  After the initial boom, the power and brogue continue through the midway section of the album on tracks that mix a bit of Bloc Party-esque dance with WWJP’s own, personal, brand of modern rock and heavily-accented crooning.  By “This Is My House, This Is My Home”, though, the album has reached its crescendo and begins to decline in tenacity and energy until capping out on the sober dawn of “An Almighty Thud”.  The album kicks ass and then falls headfirst into artsy, indie rock, beginning with thunder and lightning, and ending with a thud.  If only these songs were flipped, the album might have a more dramatic appeal.

These Four Walls is an album that has really grown on me over the past couple of months and is an album that was written off as a trending sound or look-alike to Fat Cat’s stable of Scottish acts too soon.  The internet buzz machine seems apt to write a review immediately upon the release date (even if they’ve only owned the preview tracks or promotional album for a few weeks) instead of letting it sink in.  We Were Promised Jetpacks bear more resemblance to a modern day, tech punk rock act than they do an emoting bunch of foreigners, destined to be the next U2.  With accomplished skills and the confidence to go blazing into complete rock n roll chaos, These Four Walls is an album that will receive plenty more listens and become a repeat listener as the years go on.  These Four Walls, for me, is the album that I’ve been searching for after Bloc Party fizzled in their sophomore attempt and re-affirms my belief that UK bands continue to create the catchiest music as of late.  Influence and comparison aside, We Were Promised Jetpacks will survive on their own accord, and, simply put, if Frightened Rabbit is the crushing winter, then We Were Promised Jetpacks are the youthful spring.

MP3:  “Quiet Little Voices” – We Were Promised Jetpacks
MP3:  “It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning” – We Were Promised Jetpacks

• We Were Promised Jetpacks Official Site
• Fat Cat Records
• Support We Were Promised Jetpacks on

It is very rare these days that I can pick up a new album and listen to it straight through without cringing or skipping a track.  Until We Surrender happens to be one of those albums.  Let’s start with a little background:  Heartsounds is comprised of Laura Nichol(Guitar, Vocals) and Ben Murray(Guitar, Drums, Vocals, Bass).  Nichols and Murray are both alumni of Light This City, a former death metal outfit from the bay area that disband last year.  Heartsounds is more akin to Lagwagon having sex with a Persian cat in the pop albums aisle at Best Buy. In other words, it rocks. Beautifully.

Until We Surrender is a beautiful album of punk rock harmonies and love songs that must be heard. Neither Nichols nor Murray is an amazing singer, but the way they layer their vocal harmonies is a thing to be experienced. The album starts with the fast paced “The Song Inside Me” and doesn’t let up until the very end of “Our Last Hope”. The death metal influence can definitely be heard in the double bass drum pattern that Murray lines the tracks with, and it works perfectly. The fast paced drums set the perfect background for the speedy guitars and harmonious lyrics.

If you’re a fan of old school harmonious punk like Unwritten Law or  Dogwood then you owe it to yourself to check out this wonderful record. And with that I’ll leave you with these insightful words of wisdom:

“I’ve found my true calling, and it sounds so fuckin good.”

Required listening:
MP3: “Slave to a Heart that Strays” – Heartsounds
MP3: “The Song Inside” – Heartsounds

• Creator Destructor Records
• Heartsounds Myspace Page
• Support Heartsounds on

MP3:  “Red River” – Rocky Votolato

Alright, alright, alright . . . so I didn’t make it through all of Votolato’s records on my recent Discography segment . . . so sue me. I made it through two of the most important records in Votolato’s catalog as well as two of the most important records in my personal collection. In the coming weeks, I’ll make sure to wind back through Makers, A Brief History, Rocky Votolato, and my favorite, The Brag & Cuss. For now, you’ll just have to settle for a review of today’s release of True Devotion, a record with a ton of hype on the internet.

Rocky Votolato’s sixth full-length, True Devotion, is going to hold a place in my heart, I can tell, despite not being his best work.  On past records, there has always been a mission to accomplish, a theme to uphold, or a certain longing present, but on True Devotion, there isn’t exactly a complete thought conveyed in the lyrics or even the strumming . . . there’s more or less a sentiment of “settling down” for a singer/songwriter that’s traveled his share of county roads. Read more