Tag Archives: i see stars

11.28.11
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Double Music Review: PUNK GOES POP 4 [Various Artists]

For the new Punk Goes Pop compilation, we had one reviewer who dug the album and another who hate it. Soooooo, here’s a Love/Hate double review for Punk Goes Pop 4!

Loved it….

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Punk Goes Pop 4
[Fearless Records]
Verdict: 8.5/10
The majority of Punk Goes compilations are pretty good (with the exception of some bad tracks and that awful Punk Goes Crunk mess). If one were to really look at the labels, though, then they’d question who the hell considers this band punk and this band pop, but try to ignore all that. For the new Punk Goes Pop compilation, Fearless Records and the roster here did a very solid job in covering some of the year’s best songs. The obvious hits are here (like “We R Who We R”, “Fuck You”, “Til the World Ends”, and “Last Friday Night”), along with several I’d forgotten about (or didn’t know to begin with). Before I dive into the good, let’s wrestle some of the bad points. What drove me crazy the most is why somehow covered Mumford & Sons here. I love “Little Lion Man”, but that song isn’t even close to being a pop song. It’s a blend of folk/country! Come on, people. Other than this annoyance, most of these tracks were memorable. Even the annoying Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! band did a pretty good cover. The Downtown Fiction especially did an awesome job with “Super Bass”, making the song sound like it was one of their own. Go Radio also did a superb performance with “Rolling in the Deep”, and I’m not even a fan of their music. Still, there’s always going to be that audience that digs these compilations for the bands that take their covers “heavier” than others. This would include A Skylit Drive, For All Those Sleeping, I See Stars, C!NCC!, and Woe Is Me. Each of these artists did a very good job with their versions, though I think A Skylit Drive and Woe, Is Me did the best (the “Last Friday Night” cover by WIM will be stuck in your head for days). Another surprise was Silverstein’s cover of “Runaway” (which did not strike me as a song they would put their spin on) and Sleeping With Sirens’ cover of “Fuck You” (which has become a favorite with many listeners judging by online posts). Overall, Punk Goes Pop 4 is quite entertaining. Fans of these Fearless compilations should enjoy this one thoroughly. – by Nathaniel Lay
> Recommended Tracks: “Super Bass”, “Rolling in the Deep”, “Til the World Ends”, “Just the Way You Are”, “Love the Way You Lie”, “Fuck You”, “Last Friday Night”
> Bottom Line: These aren’t punk bands, but Fearless doesn’t pay attention to that on any of these compilations it seems. If you can get passed that, then you’ll find some very enjoyable covers on this release. Any fan of previous Punk Goes albums should definitely pick this one up.

Hated It…

Verdict: 2/10
Fearless Records has been putting out a series of compilation albums called Punk Goes… for a while, and the most popular were the Punk Goes Pop collection. It’s on its fourth one, and if the title doesn’t give it away, punk bands cover pop songs that you’d find on the radio. Well, not to be technical, but none of the bands are actually punk. They’re all post-hardcore or pop-punk bands. Punk Goes Pop 4 is no exception. Every band sounds exactly the same, and that’s not a good thing. It gets very boring very fast. It takes a lot to impress me, and this doesn’t quite cut it. I want to be surprised on records like this, but I already know what I’m getting into, sadly. It also doesn’t help that most of the bands already contributed tracks to the last one, such as WOE IS ME, A SKYLIT DRIVE, and THE READY SET. I’d love to hear more bands than the exact same ones. That’s my main complaint. As for the music itself, it’s tolerable at times, but it’s just terrible for the most part. Isn’t the point of covering a song to make it better? Most of these covers are worse than the originals, sadly. The album starts out with a cover of BRUNO MARS’ “Just the Way You Are” by PIERCE THE VEIL and it’s not half bad. It’s tolerable at best. I don’t dig the band, but the song isn’t too bad. The next track is a cover of MUMFORD & SONS “Little Lion Man” by Australian pop-punk band TONIGHT ALIVE. I love MUMFORD & SONS but TONIGHT ALIVE just butcher it. WOE IS ME make a return with KATY PERRY’S “T.G.I.F. (Last Friday Night).” It’s enjoyable, but it’s not memorable at all. Then THE READY SET covers the WIZ KHALIFA track “Roll Up,” which features one of my favorite rappers MOD SUN. If he wasn’t on the track, it wouldn’t be worth listening to. After some dreadful covers by SLEEPING WITH SIRENS and GO RADIO, FOR ALL THOSE SLEEPING completely slaughters TAYLOR SWIFT’S “You Belong With Me.” To be honest, the rest of the album is terrible, except for A SKYLIT DRIVE’S cover of “Love the Way You Lie.” It’s not half bad, actually. After a few more awful tracks, SILVERSTEIN also have a rather entertaining cover of KANYE WEST’S “Runaway.” The album ends with THE DOWNTOWN FICTION’S cover of NICKI MINAJ’S “Super Bass,” and it’s very enjoyable. That might even be my favorite track. Thankfully, the album does end nicely. — by Bradley Christensen
> Recommend Listening: “Super Bass” by The Downtown Fiction, “Love the Way You Lie” by A Skylit Drive, and “Roll Up” by The Ready Set.
> Release date: November 22nd, 2011
> In Conclusion… This should be named Pop Goes Pop simply because this is 13 tracks of pop bands covering pop songs. A lot of kids will love this, but if you’re like me and are hard to impress, you surely won’t like this. It seemed very rushed and poorly put together. I also hope that this is the last Punk Goes Pop album. I really do.

05.06.11
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[REVIEW] In Retrospect – “For I Am King” Single

IN RETROSPECT
For I Am King – Single
[Self Released]
Verdict: 8/10

Hailing from New Jersey, In Retrospect is an up and coming ambient-core band who will actually be featured on the new Persistent Heart Media compilation in June. Having already shared the stage with the likes of I See Stars, Ice Nine Kills, and Abandon All Ships to name a few, In Retrospect have a lot of potential going for them. Their current single, “For I Am King”, is good introduction of the band to new listeners as it shares both their brutal and melodic sides. The song features screaming and singing, but the main observation comes from an instrumental stand point. Featuring some excellent keys, the track also moves with ease between breakdowns and atmospheric play work. If “For I Am King” is any kind of sign of what’s to come, then expect big things from In Retrospect. Just take a look at the company they are keeping (playing shows with Every Minute Can Kill, Like Moths To Flames, Your Memorial, etc.) for an indication of touring possibilities down the road. – by Nathaniel Lay

05.02.11
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[REVIEW] Take Action – Volume 10

TAKE ACTION
Volume 10 (2011 Tour)
[Hopeless Records / Sub City]
Verdict: 9/10

The last Take Action compilation reminded me of the recent Warped Tour discs in the sense that they were composed mostly of already released tracks. This made them mostly uninteresting and unworthy of purchase. However, this year’s Take Action volume is quite great and deserving your attention. Why? Well, a good 75% of these songs are previously unreleased or remixed, making them new to the listener. Amongst the brand new tracks, you’ll find Silverstein, Bayside, Four Year Strong, Chiodos, I Set My Friends On Fire, Former Thieves, Amely, Sparks the Rescue, Andrew Jackson Johad, Aficionado, and Fake Problems. Even better is that each of these new songs are great! Then, for those electronic lovers, you have a bevy of remixed tracks. If this is your sort of thing, then turn your attention to the remixes of Circa Survive, I See Stars, and Woe Is Me above the others. Amongst the acoustic version of older songs, you’ll find The Dangerous Summer, The Ready Set, We Are The In Crowd, and a couple others. The only real odd moment on this compilation comes from the cover songs. All Time Low chose to record an acoustic cover of “Alejandro” (originally by Lady Gaga), which seems like a strange choice. However, it came out great. You will also hear The Wonder Years cover The Weakerthens on the second disc of this volume. Overall, this is an excellent compilation that has a lot of cool stuff to offer fans of multiple genres. And, of course, the money spent purchasing this will go to a good cause, so bonus! – by Nathaniel Lay

02.14.11
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[REVIEW] I See Stars – The End Of The World Party

I SEE STARS
The End Of The World Party

[Sumerian Records]

This is not even close to what I was expecting from I SEE STARS. The End Of The World Party
is primarily sugary electro/pop, whereas their debut was mostly heavy and groundbreaking. It seems that with this album, the band decided to go more mainstream with their sound and grab the appeal of teenage females. Why do I say that? There are a handful of lyrics on this disc that make you honestly question if a guy wrote them. Not only that, the singing is much higher than before. This overall more “girly” sound brings to mind A SKYLIT DRIVE’s shift from Wires to Adelphia. There aren’t too many breakdowns on this album, or much screaming for that matter. Their single, “The End Of The Year Party”, is one of the few songs that actually shows some resemblance to their last record (no wonder they chose it to promote this new collection). Now, don’t get me wrong. Yes, I am bitching a lot about this album, but that’s only because I expected so much more from it. As it stands, yes, it is catchy and entertaining. There are a lot of things to dislike about it (I’m sure a chunk of their fan base is going to drop after hearing this), but there’s also a lot of explorations that will become quickly popular (to a new chunk of fan base the band will surely gain). “Over It” and “The Common Hours II” certainly have their great moments, but a lot of these songs will make you think “I like this, but don’t want to admit it”. Basically, fans should cautiously approach this one. If you can stream a batch of songs before purchase, do so. This is largely pop, so if you were someone who liked their more metal undertones of the last record, you’re pretty much out of luck. There isn’t much of that this time around. Still, The End Of The World Party will probably become a guilty pleasure at the very least. As much as I hate the changes, I’ve still played this album many times already. That says something right there. ~Nathaniel Lay

10.27.10
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MEMPHIS MAY FIRE – Between the Lies [Review]

MEMPHIS MAY FIRE
Between The Lies
[Bullet Tooth]
Score: 8.5
Stream: “Be Careful What You Wish For”
RIYL: Jamies Elsewhere, I See Stars, Broadway

Despite having just released last year, Sleepwalking feels like forever ago to fans. Luckily, Between the Lies does not disappoint. This EP is just as energetic, explosive, and catchy as their previous work, so buckle up and turn the car stereo high. While some have called this their heaviest work yet, it seems like a balanced mix of everything we’ve already heard. However, do not take that negatively. Memphis May Fire have a great formula that does not need re-tooling, so it’s good that they didn’t mess with it. While there is some electronic stuff now apparent, it actually aids in the atmosphere of things rather than destroy it. The first song, “Be Careful What You Wish For”, is probably the most well rounded and memorable track of the EP. The next one, “Action/Adventure”, sounds like a single right off the bat. It’s very heavy, laden with good breakdowns, and stand out. When listening to it, you can just picture the band running around on stage performing it to a screaming crowd. “Deuces Las Cruces” is their fastest track this time around, as it just pummels through with brutal screams and a soaring chorus to even things out ever so slightly. The final song, “Gingervitus”, has a really memorable chorus that fans will definitely remember: “I will do whatever it takes to finish in first place”. Well the band really took that to heart. When it comes to southern screamo, Memphis May Fire take the cake. Between the Lies is certainly worth your time. (NL)

09.28.10
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ABANDON ALL SHIPS – Geeving [Review]

ABANDON ALL SHIPS
Geeving
[Rise/Velocity]
Score: 9.5
Stream: “Geeving”

Think of a mix between Attack Attack!, I See Stars, and For The Fallen Dreams if you want an idea of how Abandon All Ships sound. Geeving, their debut album, is instantly likeable. After just one time hearing this album through, you’re going to want to replay it again and again. Twenty play through-s later and you’ll know every great moment it has to offer. It’s one thing to say an album grows on you, but when it starts off great already, then you know you really have something worth getting into. This is the case with Abandon All Ships. Geeving brings you track after track of addictive, brutal, and swinging anthems that are enough to get any fucker moving. Even the songs that don’t hit you as hard the first time through will become favorites soon enough. Out of the many amazing moments here, “Geeving” has to be one of the top tracks available. However, the band gives you a lot of well executed styles to drool over throughout this disc, so it’s hard to talk about just one song. The heavier stuff is more hardcore than anything, while the singing is almost all auto-tune. This is something I usually hate, but Abandon All Ships are definitely able to pull it off. Most of the breakdowns heavily rely on the electronics, but that’s OK considering just how good those are. This is probably the best band using synth right now. If not the best, they are in the top three for sure. Everything flows impressively, and you can’t help but get these songs stuck in your head. This one has been in heavy rotation for me weeks now, and it’s not going anywhere soon. Check out Abandon All Ships as soon as possible. Don’t just hear one song; sample several at least. Geeving is a masterpiece for this genre. (NL)