I Ate Your Microphone

A quick look at the influences band members cite for their full (but not complex) style leaves little doubt as to what the listener will hear. It’s no surprise that Metallica shows up on the Silverstein influence list, along with NOFX and others. But it is interesting and refreshing to see such groups as At The Drive-In and Sunny Day Real Estate in there too. Toss in the influence of Lifetime, Get Up Kids and Saves The Day and you have enough reasons for the years of Silverstein success.

The band seems to fit what a significant segment of young listeners are searching for – hardcore and screamo. Key parts of the Silverstein sound include the crisp and energetic drumming of Paul Koehler and the cutting guitar chords that have just enough distortion. Of course, Silverstein gives the required undercurrent of anger in its background vocals, quite a contrast to the clarity of each song’s front line melody.

Neil Boshart and Josh Bradford (guitar), Bill Hamilton (drums) and Shane Told (vocals) round out the group that occasionally offers an inkling of ballad style guitar and rhythm, as with the song "Heroine" from Discover The Waterfront. But this tease soon rolls into the pounding sounds similar to "Sound of the Sun" and other songs from the July 2007 Arrivals and Departures.

The Canadian band’s current tour includes several dates in Arizona, California and Colorado before swinging back to Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas and numerous eastern venues.

Tags: indie music, independent music, indie, silverstein, music

This is indie music. This is emo.

But most of all, The Academy Is…rock, a tuneful, hardworking group on the Fueled by Ramen label. The Fall 2007 tour twin bill includes Sleeping With Giants and The Academy Is… The schedule alone should get the members a few accolades, if not the sympathy of their fellow touring musicians.

At last count the bands have 60 dates on its calendar between September 5 and November 24. Tour stops are scheduled in about 29 states, so fans should have ample opportunity to hear the clear vocals of Williams Beckett backed by the guitars of Michael Guy Chislett and Mike Carden. The harmony vocals on "Neighbors" add to a refreshing (and successful) try at rhythm changes and stops. "Seed" highlights the changing dynamics of a well-rehearsed group, along with the watertight foundation of Adam Siska (bass) and Andy "the butcher" Mrotek (drums).

With the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates as a home base, the group traces its roots to conversations about music between Beckett and Carden in 2002. Various members contributed to earlier recordings, before the group arrived at its current lineup. A somewhat winding road to recognition includes kudos from the venerable (in some eyes) Rolling Stone, which named The Academy Is… a band to watch in 2007.

Tags: the academy is, indie, music, independent music, indie music

Somewhere in the interesting style of this new group a few strands of English pop are combined with the self-deprecating humor of young people who seem to be able to handle general insanity.  For Say Anything, the message is delivered with a somewhat disarming freshness.

It shouldn’t surprise Say Anything fans that the group will be touring with hellogoodbye.  After all, that band’s music is much influenced by English pop and some of the rainbow, feel-good stuff from the 60s.  But a serious listener will find significant differences.  After all, hellogoodbye puts the word "love" in the titles of its love songs and cites "trees and stuff" as major influences.

Say Anything, on the other hand, gets much of its direction from singer Max Bemis, who writes that he gave a lot of thought to the "sick ambition to affect some sort of change in society" through his art.  That type of thinking, and musical direction, goes well beyond love songs or "trees and stuff."

Bemis and drummer Coby Linder might be the two to blame for the existence of Say Anything, since the two started out doing self-recorded music and hung on through severalband-member changes to get to the current lineup. Alex Kent handles the bass, while Jake Turner and Jeff Turner contribute both guitar work and vocals. Parker Case (keyboards, guitar, vocals) rounds out the group’s lineup.

Music purists will be pleased to know that the band members originally chose to be "totally underground" rather than sign with a big-name label.  That has changed in recent times.  What effect that will have on the group is still a mystery.

Tags: indie music, say anything, indie, independent music, music