Because drinking at an outside bar is way better than drinking at an outside bar. (Taken with instagram)
Jesse killin’ it, per usual.
For a mainstream act, This Providence have always been a bit of a musical chameleon. What began on their debut, Our World’s Divorce, as angular, progressive emo-punk had, by the time of their eponymous second album, coalesced into a somewhat more pop-oriented emo sound informed by both the twin influences of their Seattle peers (Forgive Durden and Gatsby’s American Dream) and those of their new Fueled By Ramen labelmates (Panic! At The Disco, The Academy Is…). 2009’s Who Are You Now? pushed even further in that direction, with the band dropping more of their technical trappings in favor of straightforward, muscular power-pop. Now newly freed from a decayed relationship with FBR that kept the band in limbo for the better part of two years, Brier EP finds This Providence pivoting yet again.
On Brier, This Providence seem to be chasing down a pure, elemental variety of pop and rock. It’s a journey that leads them from 90’s-era 60’s revivalists like Oasis (“Deep End”) and Kula Shaker (“Trouble”), through power-pop’s formative years (the Big Star-style riffing of “In Or Out”’s verses), and occasionally back as far as the Summer Of Love (the sunshine-y Farfisa on “Trouble” practically screams Strawberry Alarm Clock). It’s a good look for the band, who seem to vibe well with a stripped down production style. Guitarist Gavin Phillips, in particular, has never sounded better, ripping off one guttural, growly solo after another, reaching back to the primal electric blues of rock and roll’s foundation.
Still, while the trappings may change, there has always been a consistent pop songwriting sensibility at This Providence’s core that has tied one album to the next, and it breaks down on occasion here. In particular, “Deep End” feels like one great chorus riff with a solid middle eight surrounded with a layer of padding. Or in other words, the sonic equivalent of those inflated plastic bags stuffed in an Amazon delivery box. It would have made a solid album cut, but as one of only four tracks released by the band in nearly three years, it’s not asking too much to expect every minute to kill. There are plenty of great moments here — “Trouble” ranks with anything the band has done, and “In Or Out”’s chorus, a nugget of sing-songy bliss, would slot in seamlessly on Who Are You Now? — but they don’t always quite add up.
Our friends at AbsolutePunk posted a great Thursday discussion yesterday on albums that met or exceeded the lofty expectations we as fans had for them. We wanted to get in on some of the action today, so I wrote up some albums that met or exceeded my expectations and I’m hoping you’ll let us know what albums fit that criteria for you. Check out the list below and feel free to reblog this post or comment in the AP.net thread!
blink-182 - Neighborhoods
But, it sounds like Angels & Airwaves.
blink-182 is my favorite band. There’s no question about it. I’ve never looked more forward to an album in my life than Neighborhoods. From the day the band broke up to the day they walked on stage at the Grammy’s, I always dreamed of another album. What did I expect from the follow-up to Untitled (my favorite blink record)? I expected a mix of songs on the band’s last album like “I’m Lost Without You,” “Always,” and “Not Now” and both hints of Angels & Airwaves and +44. I got exactly what I expected. I don’t view it as the band’s best release, but in a catalog of near perfect albums, it fits right in.
The Wonder Years - Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing
Whether or not you’re a fan of the band, the album, or style of music, most of our community was taken aback by the release of The Upsides in 2010. It made countless pop-punk fans excited about the genre again and catapulted a once small band to new found fame amongst a small scene. Many expected Suburbia to be their album of the year once again just 18 months following the release of The Upsides, and it did not fail to impress. The album showcases a leap in musicianship, production, and still maintains the powerful and witty lyrics that fans love about the band. The question is, what will the band do next?
Brand New - The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me
Nearly every Brand New fan is able to recall the time that Deja Entendu changed their lives in some shape or form. Your Favorite Weapon is incredible on its own, but the band managed to follow the record up with a crowning achievement in Deja. So once again, how could the band follow-up such a masterpiece? Heavily debated or not, I believe that there is no doubt in The Devil And God being the band’s best and most meaningful work. To this day I am still surprised at how large of a leap was taken and how incredible the record is.
We started teasing the tour a few weeks ago, but PropertyOfZack is now stoked to be releasing the dates for our summer sponsored tour with With The Punches, Forever Came Calling, and State Champs. With The Punches and Forever Came Calling will both be supporting two great new full-lengths…
Yup, read this.
Nate Dorough is a promoter from Michigan that runs Fusion Shows, puts on Bled Fest, and does work with Phantom Creative Group as well. It’s been a long time since we’ve had Nate on the site, but we’re stoked to have him back. In his new blog, Nate dives into phony “booking agencies” and how they, nine times out of ten, only hurt and take advantage of younger bands who might not know any better. It’s quite an interesting read for both general fans and musicians in young bands, so check it all out below!
Here we go, kiddies.
It’s been a really long time since I blogged for Zack. Fusion Shows has been insanely busy, and Bled Fest is next week, so I’ve been out of my mind. But I have to speak up about something that’s been bothering me lately.
There’s too many “booking agencies” in the world.
Let me explain.
I don’t dislike booking agents. In fact, I freaking appreciate them, and respect their work. It’s hard work booking tours. There’s a lot of bands out there that need them, and as such, there’s a ton of booking agencies out there.
But there’s too damn many people out there pretending to be agents.
Kids (and a lot of bands) don’t understand the difference between booking agencies and concert promoters. They’re all “booking companies” to them. And while yes, we’re all booking shows, there’s a difference. Booking agencies work for the artists. They book tours. They reach out to promoters (whether they’re independent promoters, venue in-house buyers, or Live Nation/AEG) to secure gigs for their clients. They’re involved in the entire process, but their focus is maximizing what happens for their client. The promoters then put together, produce, market, and sell tickets for the show, and pay the bands. I’m a promoter. My company, Fusion Shows, buys shows from agents. We love 95% of the agents we work with.
Just like I used to spend a lot of time on MySpace promoting our shows, I now spend far too much time on Facebook, doing the same. And I see far too many bands working with booking agencies I’ve never heard of. It’s not that I’ve heard of every legitimate booking company. That’s not true at all, but here’s the thing:
IF YOU DON’T ALREADY DRAW GOOD CROWDS TO SHOWS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, A SMALL BOOKING AGENCY CAN’T REALLY HELP YOU.
What do I mean by that?
Well, here’s the first part. As a small independent promoter, we book a lot of shows with a lot of people. I work with agencies who represent artists as huge as Weezer, Foo Fighters, etc. We also accept shows from smaller agencies that have good buzzy, nationally known artists who play smaller rooms.
We also work with independent local and touring acts with no representation whatsoever.
Who we don’t usually work with is “Yippie Kay Aye Booking”.
Birthday Present! Pro-Ject Debut III (Taken with instagram)
Brand New’s set list from their surprise show at The Stony Pony following yesterday’s Bamboozle can be seen below by clicking “Read More.”
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Brand New played a special after party show at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ last night following Bamboozle. Check out their performance of “Sowing Season” for the night below by clicking “Read More.”
Related Stories:
Brand New Did Not Use Studio Time In April; Next Release Unclear
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Brand New Hitting Studio In April; Hoping For Late-2012 Release
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The next Band New?
Daytrader recently played the song “Firebreather” from their new album, Twelve Years. Check out footage of the song from a show in Pennsylvania below by clicking “Read More.”
PropertyOfZack is incredibly excited to be sponsoring a US summer tour with our friends in With The Punches, Forever Came Calling, and State Champs. The tour will be kicking off in mid-July with dates being released soon, but we’re stoked to take the wraps off it for now! With The Punches and…
