Bishop @ The Talent Farm, Pembroke Pines, FL 6/26/07

Tonight i headed out to the talent farm to see what turned out to be a really fun show! The line up included Knock Em Dead & Forty Winters, who used the show as their tour kickoff, Thick As Blood and Bishop, who headlined.

First up, we had Forty Winters. Let me give you a little back story on this band. I have to start by saying that FW have to be some of the nicest dudes I've ever met. When I first saw Forty Winters a couple of years ago, they were playing tech metal. A lot of shred, a lot of blasting. They played shows with a handful of bands who all fell by the wayside. Forty Winters did the exact opposite. They came back from a break with some new members, and a whole new sound. Forty Winters have now earned the nickname "Reigning Mosh Metal Kings", and for good reason. Their new EP, the Honor Campaign, is packed with mosh metal reminiscent of bands like The Acacia Strain and First Blood. I honestly have to say, although I absolutely loved old FW, the new style fits them a lot better, and they came back from a break and built up a new, bigger fanbase. These guys are an absolute blast to watch live. Their frontman, Xavier, is charismatic and holds it down vocally. Tonight they impressed me, as always. Definitely check out Forty Winters if you haven't already done so.

Next up were Forty Winters' current tour-mates, Knock Em Dead. I have to be honest, I'm really not to keen on the whole Tough-Guy Hardcore thing. I find alot of it cheesy and generic. But there's something about KED that gets me every time I see them. They honestly bring some of the best energy I've ever seen from any band, local or otherwise. Like Forty Winters, these guys are, although intimidating, really friendly, good dudes. They just signed to Eulogy Records and have a new record coming out soon, so keep on the lookout for that.

After KED were fellow Miami outfit Thick As Blood. You have probably already heard, or at least heard of, Thick As Blood. TAB have alot of buzz around them, both negative and positive. This is one of those bands where everyone I talk to has really strong opinions. Either they absolutely love TAB, or they shit talk them to no end. I've got to say, TAB knows how to have a good time. They always deliver live, and thats really something that I look for in a scene full of, "hey were bored and in high school and we've heard Emmure a couple of times so I think we'll start a metallic hardcore band and we don't have to play tight live as long as we have br00tal fucking mosh parts recorded" bands. Quite a mouthful yes, but there's gotta be someone else out there who feels the same way about it. So wether you dig TAB or not, at least respect and appreciate the live show that they put on.

Finally, Hardcore heavyweights Bishop. If you're even remotely involved with hardcore, or Florida music in general, you know Bishop. These guys are another group of really awesome dudes, and are really one of the bands responsible for getting me into hardcore. They played tonight with the Josh from The Red Baron/New City Lions filling in on bass, and they were tight regardless. Their new album, Drugs, is fucking awesome. It takes a step away from the moshy new-school hardcore that they played on Suicide Party and moves more towards straight up grimey, thrashy, old-school influenced hardcore. Definitely catch these guys live if you get a chance, and be sure to check out Drugs, which is out on Dead Truth.

Overall, the show was awesome. I ended up going REALLY last minute and boy am I glad i did!

"Easycore"

There has been a lot of buzz lately around a handful of bands being referred to as "Easycore". For those of you who don't know what Easycore is, it's basically a mashup of pop-punk with heavy mosh parts. Pop-punk and hardcore have been being crossed over for a while now, with some notable bands including Lifetime, Saves The Day, The Movielife, and more recently Set Your Goals. The term "Easycore" was first used by New Found Glory and is now referring to bands who, although drenched in hardcore influence, have a tendency to incorporate breakdowns which are more Metalcore-esque than traditional hardcore mosh parts. With the recent success of bands like Four Year Strong, similarly oriented bands are popping up. So i'm gonna throw up a list of my favorite easycore bands that everyone should check out and/or keep an eye on.

All Or Nothing - Birmingham, UK

First up, England's All Or Nothing. These guys definitely showcase the more melodic side of the Easycore scene. AON made a name for themselves by putting out an EP called "Is Hot Right Now" and a split EP with Pop-Punk heavy hitters The Wonder Years. A more emotional spin on Easycore, these guys show hints of 90's Emo, but still bring plenty of circle pit-worthy fast rythms, breakdowns, and gang vocals.

Check Out: Is Pretty Hot Right Now EP























The Crosstown Rivalry - Voorhees, NJ/Philadelphia, PA

To be honest with you, The Crosstown Rivalry has got to be one of my favorite bands right now. Definitely one of the poppier bands on this list, TCR has some of the most finely crafted songwriting in the pop-punk game today, but still definitely wear their hardcore influence with pride. With two EPs under their belt, these guys bring what is, in my opinion, the perfect blend of sugar coated choruses, sweet vocal harmonies and harder-than hell mosh parts. The best part? These guys aren't signed yet. Keep an eye out for these guys, its only a matter of time before they break out.

Check Out: Pull Down The Sky EP



Fight Fair - San Diego, CA

Fight Fair are all about one thing: Fun. From their music to their look to their lyrics to their live show, these guys are about having a good time and aren't afraid to say it. But don't let their typical Cali surfer-boy looks fool you, these guys are down with the 'core (their merch selection includes a Black Flag themed shirt and a youth crew-esque shirt with a pile-up picture on the back.) One of the best parts about listening to Fight Fair is that, while their songs generally may not be as fast as some other easycore bands, the production of their Settle The Score EP is fairly reminiscent of some pretty moshy bands. Clicky bass drum tone? Check. Saturated guitar tone? Check. Totally mosh-worthy breakdowns? Double Check. Tons of pile-ups, Mosh parts, and a legit live show put these dudes at the top of the easycore heap.

Check Out: Settle The Score EP



Latin For Truth - Scottsboro, AL

Straight out of the dirty south, Latin For Truth stick a little bit closer to the hardcore sound that influenced them than most of the rest of the bands on this list. LFT don't play verse-chorus songs, they only use clean singing about 50% of the time (the rest of the album is filled with hardcore-style yells and growls), and they sing more about more typical hardcore song topics than relationship problems ("Lying For a Living"), and these guys are definitely the fastest band on the list. So what makes them easycore? The guitar melodies are so undeniably happy and upbeat that they fit in better with these bands than their hardcore brethren.

Check Out: Eleven Eleven



Me Vs. Hero - Blackpool, UK

Along with All Or Nothing, Me Vs. Hero are holding down the easycore scene overseas in the UK. Although these guys have the most ridiculous song titles I've ever seen, ("Hey Elzar, Take it up Another Notch With The Spice Weasel. Bam," what the fuck?) their music is pretty serious. Lyrically, these guys are a step ahead of alot of the other easycore bands out there. One thing you're sure to hear when listening to MVH is lots and lots and lots and lots of gang vocals, double bass, and tasty riffs.


Check Out - Self Titled EP



With the Punches - New York

Last, but certainly not least, is New York's With The Punches. These guys stand apart for a couple of reasons. 1: Recognizably deeper and less whiney singing than many of their easycore brethren. 2: Epic choruses which, although may not be as bubble-gummy and radio ready as the choruses of the other bands on the list, definitely evoke alot of feeling (the best of which is on the track "Burned at Both Ends" off of their Keep it Going EP).

Check Out: Keep It Going EP



A Few Honorable Mentions:
Take Notice - Members of WATU, just signed with I Surrender records.
Blank Tape - I honestly felt a little pompous and uncomfortable doing a spotlight on my own band, but if you're a fan of the bands on this list you should definitely check out our new album, "When The Sun Goes Down".
This Time Next Year - California Fun, Feel Good pop-punk with hardcore influence.
Heart To Heart - I didn't give these guys a full spotlight because they're broken up now, but they were an awesome unsigned easycore band.

Album Review: Title Fight - "The Last Thing You Forget"

So the first review I'm gonna throw up here is for the new Title Fight album, "The Last Thing You Forget". Unfortunately, this album isn't very much new material, it's a few new songs put together with some jams from their "Kingston EP" and their Split EP with the Erection Kids. If there is one thing Title Fight is good at, it's wearing their influences proudly on their sleeve, and I mean that in the best way possible. From start to finish, this (arguably) Pop-Punk album is absolutely packed with melodies nodding to 90's emo bands like Texas is the Reason, as well as big time Hardcore influence (a few of Title Fight's members play in the PA-based hardcore outfit Bad Seed).

Lyrically, this album is alot more emotional than the slew of hardcore-influenced pop-punk milling around in today's scene. The fast-paced "Symmetry" opens with the line, "There's symmetry/In the way you cut me right in two/each side reflects/the image of a crowded and empty room". Another lyrical highlight is on "Memorial Field": "Why not tie a noose around my neck?/I'm sure it'd be much more subtle than everything that you said" is a good representation of the way Title Fight eschews subtlety and goes right for the throat, a risky tactic that pays off on The majority of the album. These songs absolutely bleed poetry, and, for the most part, avoids cliches, although there are a few exceptions ("you broke me like a mirror").

My favorite track on the album is "Memorial Field", which serves, in my opinion, as a pretty good summary of what Title Fight and this album are all about. The song opens up with a stomp evoking imagery of a room full of kids moshing as if they were listening to straight up hardcore. After what may damn well be one of the catchiest riffs I've ever heard, the song kicks into overdrive and speeds up, the lyrics painting a scene of a relationship falling apart. Not quite unblazened territory for the genre, but Title Fight approaches it with wit and charm and makes you forget that you've probably heard the same story in about a million other songs.

All in all, this album seriously rules, and i would recommend it for anyone who listens to Hardcore, Pop-Punk, or good old fashioned Emo from the 90's

First Try

So my name is Lennon. I love music, and i love writing about music, so i'll be writing about music on here. I'll be discussing albums, shows, scene politics, whatever! Hopefully someone stumbles across here and reads and enjoys it.