popwreckoning

On November 18, 2011, Columbia, Mo’s favorite pop-rock outfit will be releasing their second EP Callin’ it Quits, supported by a cd release show at the Sideshow in Columbia.

Since 2009, The Victory Lap have been invading college campuses around the Midwest, beginning with Maryville, Mo. The boys met at the University of Northwest Missouri with mutual soft spots for pop-punk and the midwestern nightlife.  After the release of their debut EP in 2010, Don’t Let the Pop Stop achieved sales of over 2,000 copies and landed the group over ten supporting gigs with major label acts such as Forever the Sickest Kids, Secondhand Serenade, Badfish, and Tech N9ne.

In 2011, TVL made the crucial decision to relocate to Columbia, Missouri where they now reside and continue to churn out catchy and vigorous pop hits in the vein of New Found Glory and Pierce the Veil.

On July 31, 2011, TVL released their first single, “Count It,” off their forthcoming EP.

View “Count It” here. 

In October 2011, TVL unleashed their cover of LFO’s “Every Other Time” as well as a teaser track featuring 30-second clips of each song off Callin’ it Quits, produced by Kevin Gates at Engaged Audio (The Ready Set, Never Shout Never, etc.). Incorporating elements of jazz, classic rock, and their coined Top 40 charisma, Callin’ it Quitsis an honest representation of the band’s growth over the year and a half they have been writing together, not t0 mention a legitimate proposal to their loyal fans.

Up to this day, TVL has been entirely self-sustained with the support of their listeners all around the country. Mark Anderson, vocalist, stated in a recent conversation, “We superseded the music industry and went completely DIY,” which means the boys have not only organized and funded their own tours and albums throughout their career thus far, but they intend to keep it that way. o mention a legitimate proposal to their loyal fans.

Since their founding, TVL have appeared in Alternative Press, Smartpunk.com, PETA2.org, Absolutepunk.net, and have been featured at the PETA2 tent on the 2011 Vans Warped Tour.

Check out The Victory Lap’s Official Page for more info on new music, tour dates, videos, photos and more!

The Victory Lap is:
Mark Anderson- vocals
Matt Leimkuehler- bass
Austin Williams- guitar
Jimmy Rector- drums

Written by Stephanie Castor

Chicago, IL pop-punk thrash combo So Many Ways have just revealed the cover art, track listing and release date for their Mightier Than Sword Records label debut. The self-titled album will be out on September 13, 2011 and is now available for pre-order in a variety of bundles at: http://store.mtsrecords.com/products/11935.

Track Listing:

1. Take It To The Limit
2. I’ve Made A Huge Mistake
3. Sleep Mask
4. Murf’s Life Hints
5. 37 Chambers
6. Oak Island
7. Dirtfoot

Since their formation in January 2009, So Many Ways has had their fair share of lineup changes. After recording the Real Talk EP with Jay Maas (Defeater, Bane) at Getaway Group studios later that summer, the band played a few shows together before parting ways with their then-bassist, drummer, and keyboard player. Not soon after the departure of those members, guitarists Jason Milbank, Murphy Welch and vocalist Colin Corley found themselves with a brand new rhythm section. After traveling to Florida to play a short string of shows, the band recorded their Floridian EP with Chris Hiser (Away With You). Floridian hinted at SMW’s heavier influences, but only showed a glimpse into what the band would become. After saying goodbye to yet another rhythm section later that year, So Many Ways welcomed drummer Keith Dow into the mix. The band recently added bass player Chris Catterson (ex Nightlights and Away With You) to the lineup and is ready to hit the road this month in advance of the EP’s release.

Tour Dates (with Major League and Carousel Kings):

Aug 8 Parkersburg, WV @ Radar’s Music Venue
Aug 9 Winston, NC @ Eliot’s Revue
Aug 11 Marietta, GA @ Swayze’s
Aug 12 Melbourne, FL @ Little Reggie’s
Aug 13 Orlando, FL @ Hoop’s Taven
Aug 14 Arad, Alabama @The Arabian Theater
Aug 18 Cookeville, TN @ Amps And Ramps
Aug 20 Chicago, IL @ Pancho’s  (also w/ Stay Golden and Late In The Playoffs)

http://twitter.com/smwftw
http://mtsrecords.com

Anthemic. Epic. So incredibly reminiscent of the pop-punk days of the 90′s. I almost called this a guilty pleasure album, but there’s no reason to feel guilty. Balance and Composure’s Separation is just really good and should have come out twelve years ago. It has Kurt Cobain’s dark feelings to it, but pops and rocks like early Jimmy Eat World. Its twelve tracks clock in at around 48 minutes which means it’s initially a big undertaking. But once you give this album the time of day it deserves it becomes very cohesive and works well as a whole.

This might not be your typical summer album, light and happy tunes for your backyard bonfire, but it’s definitely the type to be blasted through car stereos with windows down on a sticky summer night. It packs a punch and provides the angst to scream along with at the top of your lungs.

From the first notes of “Void,” listeners hear the intensity Separation brings. Things start simply with clear  vocals from lead singer Jonathon Simmons, which can range from effortlessly sung to passionately screamed. The intensity of “Void” showcases the dark mood of this entire release and it seems to be a nod towards Balance and Composure’s earlier material which showcased heavier and somewhat darker hooks. Soon afterwards though we see the title track and “Quake” lighten things up with a more pop-punk feel. Simmons picks and chooses when to showcase his vocals, and on these two songs he definitely chose to feature guitar and drums.  ”Stonehands” comes as a welcome moment to catch a breath, while “More To Me” starts as something similar but only for a while. The song takes off with heavy riffs and screaming vocals. No matter how Simmons chooses to sing his songs, the tone of his voice is always exactly what the song calls for: a sign of true musicianship.

Balance and Composure is arguably best when heavy and loud, but maybe that’s my inner angsty teen talking.  ”I Tore You Apart In My Head,” “Fade” and “Patience” are some of my favorites and they’re the rockers of the album. Regardless, Separation has something for everyone and Balance and Composure fans both new and old can appreciate the variety of this album. I look forward to what the band puts out next.

Track listing:

1 Void
2 Separation
3 Quake
4 Stonehands
5 I Tore You Apart In My Head
6 Galena
7 Fade
8 Progress, Progress
9 More To Me
10 Echo
11 Patience
12 Defeat The Low

Pop Punk legends Smoking Popes are hitting the road this Spring in support of their new album, This Is Only a Test.

An appearance at SXSW jump starts the tour before it officially begins March 19 in Tempe Arizona. They’ll travel across the country before ending up in their hometown of Chicago April 3.

Smoking Popes have been a part of the music since 1991. In that time they’ve received praise for their albums and live show. Even Morrissey said they were extraordinary. Smoking Popes have always pushed what pop punk bands were capable and this new record is no different.

The record comes out March 15. This is Smoking Pope’s first concept album. It explores the life of a fictional high schooler. By following this character’s life, the songs explore themes of identity, musical aspirations, love and suicide.

For more information about Smoking Popes, visit www.smokingpopes.net.

Tour Dates:
Sat- Mar 19 The Sail Inn Tempe AZ
Sun- Mar 20 Casbah San Diego CA
Tue- Mar 22 Slidebar Fullerton CA
Wed- Mar 23 Key Club West Hollywood CA
Thu- Mar 24 Downtown Brew San Luis Obispo CA
Fri- Mar 25 Great American Music Hall San Francisco CA
Sat- Mar 26 The Crepe Place Santa Cruz CA
Mon- Mar 28 Alberta Rose Theatre Portland OR
Tue- Mar 29 El Corazon Seattle WA
Thu- Mar 31 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City UT
Fri- Apr 1 Hi Dive Denver CO
Sat- Apr 2 The Riot Room Kansas City MO
Sun- Apr 3 Double Door Chicago IL

Warning: Mayday Parade and The Dangerous Summer are two of my favorite bands. This story is about Mayday Parade’s headlining tour with opener *drum roll* The Dangerous Summer. I will try my best to remain unbiased. Keyword: “try.” That might explain why I drove eight hours round trip to see this show. To be completely honest though, the lineup was full of fun, upbeat bands that kept the crowd jumping and singing the whole night: City Lights, The Dangerous Summer, There for Tomorrow and Mayday Parade.

Openers City Lights had a short but solid set with songs reminiscent of fellow pop-punkers Every Avenue.

Next up was The Dangerous Summer, who’s 45 minute set was the standout performance of my night. In my opinion, The Dangerous Summer is one of the most underrated bands in the music industry today. They have some big shoes to fill, being compared to the likes of Jimmy Eat World and The Starting Line, and they fill them extremely well. The roughness of lead singer AJ Perdomo’s voice gives this epic band just enough edge to stand out from the crowd. With a strong debut EP entitled If You Could Only Keep Me Alive, the boys of The Dangerous Summer give listeners a fresh new sound that cause them to fall in love with music again. Their lyrics are so easily relatable that it’s easy to identify with each song individually. I still listen to at least one song from that EP everyday.

Needless to say, I was extremely excited to see them live for the first time and they did not disappoint. They are one of those bands that sound exactly the same live as they do on their albums. Unfortunately, the band stayed away from older territory and mainly stuck to songs from their newest release Where I Want to Be. It would have been nice to hear a few songs from the band’s beginning, but with a set list full of strong, catchy songs such as “Weathered,” title track “Where I Want To Be,” and my personal favorite “Northern Lights,” The Dangerous Summer got the crowd ready for the final two heavy hitters of the night, There for Tomorrow and Mayday Parade.

This might be a little hasty of me to say, but the crowd seemed to have been the most amped to hear There for Tomorrow over any of the other bands on the lineup. The energy in the room immediately exploded when they hit the stage. Playing favorites “Pages” and “Remember When,” the crowd energy was measurably heightened. The highlight of their set was a cover of “Ice Box,” originally performed by Omarion. It was such a great cover with all of their personal elements incorporated perfectly. Easily compared to My Chemical Romance’s style, There for Tomorrow took the audience through a whirlwind of rock with a hint of punk mixed in to prep the crowd for Mayday Parade to take the stage.

When Mayday started their set, the energy of lead singer Derek Sanders immediately matched the explosive energy of the crowd. It was hard not to dance and sing along with the band. Their set list included songs from each part of their musical history including “Jamie All Over,” “Kids In Love,” and always the crowd preferred ode to heartbreak, “Miserable at Best.” What really surprised me was that they played “You Be The Anchor…” To me that song has always been Mayday’s version of Something Corporate’s “Konstantine” because it has always been revered as an epic song, but never got the outward exposure. Hearing that was definitely the highlight of the night for me.

It was great to hear that Mayday had kept the same style and vibe that they had always had in the past. They delivered a great set of pop-punk, catchy tunes that has proven to remain constant over the years. I remember reading an interview Mayday did awhile back about the production of their newest full length album, Anywhere but Here. The one thing that stuck out to me the most was their statement that this album would not really be too different than their highly popular full length debut, A Lesson in Romantics. I was extremely excited about this, as I am a huge fan of that album. I was a little worried that with the departure of Jason Lancaster the band’s style would change as well. For anyone that has listened to Anywhere But Here, it is apparent that the band still has the same fun/catchy/pop-punk sound. For once, a band held true to the music they love to play and didn’t get caught up in all the politics of fame. I have never really understood why a band feels that they need to change their image/sound on every album. Why try and fix something that isn’t broken, right? Mayday displayed their talent on A Lesson in Romantics and continue to do so on Anywhere But Here.

With such a diverse and solid group of bands on this tour, the crowd enjoyed a night of catchy, dance-worthy music. It was definitely one of my favorite shows of 2009 and I can’t wait to see what these awesome bands have in store for 2010.