Eli Whitney & the Sound Machine - Mickey

Quick. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear about a third wave ska-punk band with horns? Reel Big Fish? Less Than Jake? How much you hate people that say they love the "ska version" of Come On Eileen? If you do, that's understandable, but you'd be far off if you think that Eli Whitney & the Sound Machine falls into the same tropes as ska-punk bands from the late 1990s. Rather, they take the sounds of yesterday and put them through a modern punk rock filter to create something new. With a couple of demos and EPs underneath their belt the Long Island-based band released their debut full length, Mickey, last November.

Equipped with a maturity that most ska bands don't achieve until at least album three or four, Eli Whitney takes as much influence from the likes of Streetlight Manifesto as they do from dual vocal-based punk rock bands, including but not limited to, Hot Water Music, the Lawrence Arms, and the Menzingers. Armed with a wide range of sounds, Eli Whitney & the Sound Machine are a breath of fresh air in a dying genre, proving to listeners everywhere that they don't need to make ska puns or include a song titled "Beer" just to fit in.

Musically each member plays their part well, with their brass section being particularly strong. From the Streetlight Manifesto-esque playing on Ridgewood to the cool jazziness of 22 Hours, Eli Whitney & the Sound Machine truly appreciates what it means to be a ska band; giving their full line up the opportunity to shine rather than only use them for whenever is convenient like so many third wave bands have done in the past. 

"Hey! You got orgcore in my ska!"

In terms of lyrics, the young band shows a wisdom beyond their years. Shouted lyrics such as "playing it safe, you've got me falling asleep/it doesn't matter how loud, it matters what you mean" from the opening track My Response to a Stephen Jerzak Concert are not what most listeners would expect when they think of ska bands, but it also shows the band means business and should not be taken lightly. Throughout Mickey's ten tracks, co-vocalists Mike Vizzi and Craig Shay deliver powerful line after line, working together in the same spirit as Chris McCaughan and Brendan Kelly, Tom May and Greg Barnett, or even Matt Canino and Phil Douglas. They each get their time in the spotlight, but they each complement the other so well that they're at their best when singing along side-by-side.

Mickey shows a lot of promise from an up-and-coming band. Rather than conforming to the expectations of ska bands, Eli Whitney mixes their upstrokes and brass section with rough gang vocals, and self-reflective lyrics that are both hopeful and jaded at the same time. In many ways, Mickey plays as if Sink or Swim had a child with Everything Went Numb.

This ain't your older brother's ska. This is the new wave.

Check 'em out on bandcamp:

Cheap Girls / The Sidekicks / Brothers of Brazil - Live at the Knitting Factory

 This review has been published on DyingScene.com: http://dyingscene.com/news/cheap-girls-the-sidekicks-brothers-of-brazil-live-at-the-knitting-factory/

*not the actual flyer for this show*

90’s nostalgia was at an all-time high on March 6th at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. The new champions of alt. punk and indie rock, the Sidekicks and Cheap Girls, were on the bill and nearly everyone in attendance had securely fashioned their loose-fitting flannels and Rivers Cuomo glasses. The Knitting Factory is neatly divided into two segments: in the front is the bar with seating, video game consoles and a no-charge ATM; while the back room is where the stage is located along with its own bar. It’s a cozy environment and exactly the type of place to see bands that might be too explosive for a basement, but not quite large enough to sell out a stadium.

The first act of the night was the local Brooklyn band, Velta. Combining memorable hooks, dirty garage-revival tones, and a lead vocalist who is closer to Joan Jett than Hayley Williams, the trio started the night off right, setting a high energy bar that the rest of the bands would need to match or exceed. Velta made note of their lack of proper merchandise, but also informed the crowd of their recordings on bandcamp and upcoming events.

Brothers of Brazil took the stage not long after Velta moved their equipment. Consisting of only two members the band was certainly the most diverse and theatrical band of the night; as their sound, in the same spirit as Chumbawamba and Gogol Bordello before them, seamlessly blended traditional influences with punk rock ideals. One moment the duo would be playing a samba beat before exploding into a 1950’s rock and roll solo, followed by a bossa nova guitar riff with a punk rock shout over it. Drummer and vocalist Supla, dressed in a manner that was very inspired by the look of Johnny Rotten, split his time being behind the drum kit and running around stage to amp up the energy in the room. Meanwhile his brother, guitarist and vocalist João, was dressed more like Elvis or Ritchie Valens, and moved in a very similar manner. Initially greeted with blank stares, each passing song gained one more audience member who stepped closer to the stage to get a good look at this truly unique band, culminating in a loud applause at the end.

The room filled with a sea of scraggly beards, thick rims, and complete with the distinct smell of PBR as the Sidekicks began to set up for their set. In spite of releasing a new album two weeks ago the band opted to open their set with Hop on a Sea Cow and Manatee Up from 2008’s Sam EP, which was a treat for the band’s older fans, but it was also a signal that the band’s set would focus on their career as a whole and not just promoting their newest work. Not that it would have made a huge difference, as the entire room sang along with each and every word, old and new songs alike. The band kept their banter to a minimum overall, notable exceptions include bassist Ryan Starinsky’s dream-induced comment regarding New York, dreams, and pigeons (something he decided not to repeat) and guitarist Matt Scheuermann’s attempt to talk to the crowd before tying his tongue into a knot.

While they might have had some trouble with their words, the Sidekicks were anything but too tired to play, putting forth tremendous amounts of energy into each song, particularly the incredible beating that drummer Matt Climer put his kit through, breathing a new life into their songs that can’t be found on the studio recordings. The band tore through songs like Almost the Same, Small, and Chips Bring a Party Down, but the highlights of the night were the stunning performances of The Whale and Jonah, and Daisy, both five and a half minute indie rock epics. Without missing a single note, the quartet took the audience on a journey to a time that most had only seen through video performances on MTV or YouTube. Perhaps it was the deep red lighting that was reflecting off his equally red shirt, or maybe it was his long hair sticking to his face, but lead vocalist/guitarist Steve Ciolek was channeling Kurt Cobain during these songs, dropping to the floor, and playing so hard that his guitar strap came undone and he had to finish the set on his knees. It was moving as it was powerful and the band left the stage with the audience cheering for more.

Much like the Sidekicks, Cheap Girls decided to avoid playing a set heavily emphasized on their new album, and instead chose to open with Something That I Need, from their 2009 full length, My Roaring 20’s. Fans only familiar with the apathetic, college rock feel of the band’s first two albums were in for a surprise to hear old favorites updated with the newfound vigor that the band has adopted, as the power trio played song-after-song from their all of their studio recordings, as well as their track from last year’s split with Lemuria.

Hearing the old songs filtered through this brand new energy was like getting to hear them for the first time again; classics such as Kind of on Purpose, No One to Blame, and Modern Faces were injected with a force that was not present four years ago, giving them a whole new feel. The guitar was blaring and distorted, the drums and bass were steady and consisted, and Ian Graham belted out the lyrics with ease, while drummer Ben Graham provided back-up vocals that accentuated his brother’s voice. The band made little time for between-song chat, only pausing to finish a beer or to quickly fine tune their instruments, but the audience didn’t care because that only meant more songs to be heard.

Generally when a headlining band finishes their set they will walk off stage and, if they are the type of band to perform encores, will wait for the crowd to cheer them back on. Cheap Girls barely had time to put their instruments down before they were bombarded with requests from the audience and decided to stay on the stage. After turning down the idea of playing Stop Now, including an unfinished anecdote from Ian regarding a conversation he had with Mikey Erg (who was in attendance) before the show about his dislike for that song, Cheap Girls played a two song encore of fan-favorites Ft. Lauderdale and 27 Days.

Whether people want to accept it or not, the 90’s are over and done. And while Facebook pages and various memes online will protest this fact, not many are willing to take what made the 90’s so great and move forward with that. The Sidekicks and Cheap Girls are not a part of that unwilling group. These two bands have an extraordinary ability to create something new out of the past, both in the studio and in a live setting, carving out their own place in history to be looked back upon fondly.

Cülo / Tenement - Split 7"

This is kind of a weird combination of bands, but they kind of work together.

Tenement's side has two songs that easily fall within pop punk... I can't really make the best comparisons for pop punk, but I would say Your Life or Mine has a simple, catchy '90s kind of vibe to it, while Violent Outlet has sounds a little more modern with more guitar distortion and a couple brief solos that have a frantic Greg Ginn kind of thing going on... sort of like Cülo, actually.

I'm more familiar with Cülo, and their side of this record is not surprising if you are, too. Four real fast songs, angry shouting dude, messy guitar distortion/noise, but kept real tight with driving drum beats. They also know when to slow it down here and there. Big into the '80s hardcore thing... Negative Approach and Void come to mind. The first two songs are I Don't Wanna Listen and I Don't Wanna Go to Psych Ward B, which makes me think they've been listening to a lot of Ramones, the masters of songs about not wanting to do stuff. Important note: these songs are not on Cülo's Life is Vile... and so Are We compilation on Deranged Records.

Cowabunga Records made this and they seem to be out of them... one time press of 545. May be some still floating around different distros?

Aspiga / Hanalei Split 7"

After a few months delay Jump Start Records released a split between New Jersey's Aspiga and California's Hanalei on February 28, 2012. As far as splits go, these two bands have their own specialized approach to punk rock: the energetic Aspiga churns out fast-paced tunes that channel the sounds of the 90's punk scene, while Hanalei, the current project of Brian Moss of the Wunder Years (not to be confused with the modern day pop punk act, the Wonder Years), finds their groove rooted in the indie folk sounds comparable to many acts on the Jade Tree roster. While the physical copy of the split only has two tracks, the digital version doubles the contribution from each band and gives listener twice as many songs.

The split starts off with Aspiga's Laughing This Off, which kicks things off on a fast paced note. While the band has notably been compared to influential acts such as Jawbreaker, Osker, and the Weakerthans, they take what their forerunners did and filter it through the modern day Tri-State area punk sound. From their precise musical abilities, to their dense (and sometimes angry) lyrics, Aspiga has comfortably carved themselves into their own niche; one that allows them to write songs that wear their influences on their sleeves without completely sounding like the bands that inspired them.

Aspiga's second song, Thanks, But I Can Throw Myself Out, starts off sounding almost like The Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound before launching into another energetic pop punk tune. Musically, the band offers a solid performance, and continues their ability to create familiar yet new sounds, but the song really shines in the vocals and lyrics, provided by guitarist/vocalist Kevin Day. Arguably Thanks, But I Can Throw Myself Out is stronger of the two Aspiga tracks on this split.

Hanalei's first contribution, the mid-tempo Get Gone, is carried by the melodic vocal performance of Brian Moss. Combining his raspy vocals and clean guitar tones with the steady bass and drums (performed by The New Trust's Josh Staples and Dead to Me's Ian Anderson, respectively), Get Gone sounds almost as if it could very well be an unreleased Jets to Brazil song. No really, it doesn't sound like a really good Jets to Brazil cover, but an actual Jets to Brazil song.

The ride comes to an end with a cover of the Jesus and Mary Chain's Cut Dead, which sees Moss step away from sounding like Scwarzenbach and strips away the electric elements. Remaining rather faithful to the original, Cut Dead is a relaxing number that shows off Moss' melodic influences as well as the band's "down-to-earth" folky side. Early reports stated that Hanalei would be contributing a cover of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love to this split. The band had even released a homemade video for this track, although it is oddly missing from the final product. Although that cover would have been welcome, Hanalei's contributions offer a look into both their electric and acoustic sides, benefiting new and old fans alike.

A great split will contain at least two bands or artists that have a similar sound, but that can also remain distinct from one another. Being rooted in the same types of sounds and genres helps to keep listeners interested in both sides, but the diversity of sounds is so that the listener doesn't get bored halfway through. A great split should also get new listeners to want to hear more material by the bands involved, while simultaneously giving older fans excellent new material.  Listeners are in luck, as Aspiga, Hanalei, and Jump Start Records accomplished all of those things with this split album. If there is anything that is underwhelming about this split, it's that it's over all too soon, but that's such an easy problem to remedy that it's hardly underwhelming.

One Hundred

100th Post. This calls for a celebration!

Big coming to C'mon and Cheer Me Up! Most importantly, we're opening up to new writers. My buddy, Jimbo, will be contributing reviews and other things. Jimbo specializes in hardcore, and knows a ton more about it than I do, so finally all of you hardcore fans will see more of your favorite bands being covered (perhaps).

Next: We now have a Facebook page. If you like the blog, you can check us out over there: http://www.facebook.com/CmonCheerMeUp

Lastly, to celebrate this moment, I've created a Spotify playlist. It's a playlist called Ten Things that I've been working on for a little over a year at this point. The songs are meant to represent ten things that you would like to tell someone, a significant other, a parent, a best friend, a late family member, or even a stranger that affected your life- anyone really- but you never got the chance to tell them. Obviously, some of these songs are personal to me, but if any of this strikes a chord with you I urge you to make your own Ten Things playlist. The lyrics of the whole song don't need to reflect what you want to tell that person- it can even just be a line or two. It might be more helpful than you realize.

Ten Things (you will need Spotify to open this playlist)

I'm aware that there are 11 songs on that playlist. The first track is Paul Baribeau's song, Ten Things, which was the inspiration behind making it in the first place.

And with that, let the good times continue to roll (and cheer us up)!

Top 5 Break Up Songs.

About a week ago I was talking to my friend Adrie about music (as we frequently do) and we started to discuss break up songs. I want to say it was inspired by Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know and the various covers of it, but it could have been anything really.

Anywho, during our conversation I compiled a quick list of 5 songs about break ups that I really enjoy. To say that these are my "top 5" might be pushing it, but these were the 5 that came to mind when I was thinking about it. Some of them aren't exactly break up songs in the traditional sense, but they still all still share the same sentiments of romantic loss and despair.

(A quick note: Adrie runs Because... Vagina, a feminist blog alongside some lovely ladies I have yet to meet. They cover funny things as well as serious issues. Highly recommended.)


5. Jawbreaker - "Sluttering (May 4th)"
What kind of list would this be if I didn't include Jawbreaker? I specifically chose Sluttering (May 4th) for the chanted part at the end. The line "this is a story you won't tell the kids we'll never have." is one of the most powerful and angry lines to me out of any Jawbreaker song. I've been there before, and I really get it.

4. The Ergs! - "Pray for Rain"
Okay, so this song is really more about how much easier it is to write break up songs than it is to write sunny, happy songs. I think it speaks a lot about the human condition and how we gravitate toward sadness and negativity more easily than happier feelings. It's also just a really good song.

3. Green Day - "Whatsername"
Unlike the other songs on this list, I like Whatsername for having a semi-positive tone to it. When relationships go sour, it's not uncommon to wish you had never met the person (see: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and carry an overall negative attitude about that person for a good, long while. Yet, the closing track off of American Idiot tells it a little more differently. Yes, it's still about the protagonist (in this case, Jesus of Suburbia) going on his own path and leaving Whatshername behind, but he'll still think about her from time-to-time. And it's not in a negative way, as he admits to still remembering the time they spent together- he's just forgotten her personality and traits, presumably the ones that drove him away from her. It's an ideal way to look at an ex and not necessarily the way that we can all take.

2. Catch 22 - "Kristina, She Don't Know I Exist"


This is another one that isn't really a break up song, but a song about an unrequited love. In my experience, I've learned that most, if not all, people deal with having a crush on someone (usually in high school) and being too nervous to approach them about it. Not everyone, however, has the luxury of realizing that said crush was merely just idealizing and isn't as perfect as the mind once thought. We all should be able to experience that. Either way, this song is really easy to relate to in terms of subject matter and I think it gives everyone hope that one day they too can see that their high school crush really isn't all that big of a deal.

1. Alkaline Trio - "Radio"
The chorus is just really fun to sing. Really, that's why this is number one. I know that's kind of lame, but that's how it is. 

What are some of your favorite break up songs?

The Elite of Just Alright - 21st Century Breakdown

I might have mentioned this before, but I'm a Green Day fanboy. I'm not quite a fanatic, but I do own all of their albums and in high school I was that kid who filled up all of his notebooks with Green Day lyrics instead of actual notes. I had received International Superhits! as an unexpected gift one Christmas, and even though it gathered up their singles in one neat package, I still went out and bought copies of Dookie, Insomniac, nimrod., and Warning. It should go without saying that I also bought 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, Kerplunk and Shenanigans. And I sure as hell rushed straight to the store and got American Idiot the second I got out of school on the day it was released. I was even pumped to go out and buy Bullet in a Bible despite having already seen the concert footage on TV and being disappointed that the show was interrupted by the band's off-stage antics.

So naturally I was stoked upon hearing that the band was finally releasing a new album in 2009. I don't even know how many times I listened to the demo of the title track when it first leaked online, but I was just so excited to have new material by my favorite band that I could even look past the cringe-worthy John Lennon reference in the pre-chorus. I get that John Lennon has had a huge influence on almost every aspect on pop music today, but the band not only covered Working Class Hero, they also released their version as a single just two years before the release of 21st Century Breakdown. An allusion or something would've been fine, but I think borrowing the actual phrase "working class hero" was a little too much there.

Given how much I love Green Day, it kind of pains me to say that I don't feel as passionately about 21st Century Breakdown as I do the rest of their albums. I can forgive that it wasn't anything like older* Green Day because both nimrod. and Warning were excellent forays into new territory for them, but it just comes off as an overly ambitious rock opera with a muddy story and characters who never really get developed. I'm going to clarify right now that from here on, I'll be discussing this album in terms of it's concepts and themes. Overall the individual songs are really good and show off a whole array of sonic diversity, but as a whole package the album was just a letdown for me because it wasn't as nearly as cohesive as American Idiot was. Not to compare them as the same thing, but American Idiot was proof that the band was capable of making an excellent flowing narrative, while 21st Century Breakdown was just kind of a mess in terms of story telling, which is kind of important for a rock opera.

*let's face it, when people say "old Green Day" they really just mean "Dookie and its singles"

But what if 21st Century Breakdown isn't meant to be a rock opera, merely just a concept album instead? What if the characters, Gloria and Christian, aren't actual people like Jesus of Suburbia or Whatsername, but instead symbolic representations of the concepts that run throughout the songs? Well... it certainly makes for a better album, from a thematic standpoint. The narrative is still a little unclear, but thinking about the album as if the names are used in a metaphorical sense helps it move along. When I listen to it without thinking about Christian and Gloria as characters that go through one event from another, the songs transition a little better because I am no longer focused on trying to figure out the exact plot of each track- which was the cause for my disillusionment with the album in the first place. Once I look past the artwork (which clearly depicts two characters) and all the press releases calling it another "rock opera" I can enjoy it for what it really is: a concept album collecting songs that are about the general feelings of hope and despair (and hope again) about the future. 

The real problem with 21st Century Breakdown isn't that it's a bad album; it's that it was misrepresented as something that it wasn't before it was even released, affecting their listening experience with an pre-existing impression that it was going to essentially be a sequel to American Idiot. After I finally realized that was hardly the case, I found the album to be a lot more enjoyable. Minus that really forward John Lennon reference. 

(To be fair, I also really liked that they covered Another State of Mind and Like a Rolling Stone as bonus tracks and I listened to the album even more after finding out about them even though they definitely had no connection to any possible story that one might be able to salvage from the lyrics on 21st Century Breakdown).