The Acoustic EP

Another Against Me! review is due. This time it's the Acoustic EP, released in 2001. It's 6 tracks (4 on the vinyl) of only Tom's acoustic and Dustin Fridkin on the bass. Some of the songs were later re-recorded for Reinventing Axl Rose but are solely acoustic on here.

If there's one thing Against Me! can do, it's acoustic tracks. For every acoustic song, Tom still manages to pour the same amount of heart, soul, and energy into them as he does for electric tracks. These stripped down versions are powerful and heartfelt, with each song being just as good as the previous. All six songs are a great insight of what Against Me! started as, with topics from love to politics to just life in general. Being both personal and political, Tom's songs are able to really find a spot in the heart of everyone. Even fans of country are in for a treat with "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong".

Overall, the EP itself encompasses everything Against Me! do; make music, play music, and love music. It's a great album and rocks just as hard as any other release by Against Me!, or any other band in general. Seriously, this EP is amazing.

10/10

http://sabotproductions.net/catalog/item/ACT002/

Five whole dollars. That's it. All you pay for perfection.

White Crosses

Against Me! have become one of the popular punk acts of the millennium, and rightfully so. Starting with the very rough sounding recordings of Against Me! and Tom's First Demo Tape, to major label releases such as New Wave and White Crosses, there's no doubt the band has progressed with both their instrumentation and their overall sound. This evolution has resulted in garnering more fans but alienating others. However, regardless of the production value put into each album, there's no doubt that Tom Gabel and company love what they do and put heart into every song, every record, every show. White Crosses is no different.

The follow-up to the popular New Wave, their second major label release, White Crosses expands upon the more straight-forward punk rock of the aforementioned as opposed to the more acoustic/folk punk of early albums. Opening with the title-track, the album starts with a strong song. A strong chorus, catchy guitar riff; it's pretty easy to tell it's Against Me!. Though a strong song, it seems as if Tom stumbles a bit on his songwriting. It's a good lead song, but it seems to be missing something. That's where track two comes in. "I Was A Teenage Anarchist" acknowledges the evolution that the band has made. One of the strongest songs on the entire album, it's structure is similar to "White Crosses", but Tom's songwriting is definitely spot on for this song. Not only that, it's an even catchier sing-along than before, with a great chorus and fantastic verses. "Because of the Shame" really shows the progress the band has made as musicians by featuring a piano throughout the whole track. The downside is that, like the other two before, it's the exact same structure. Catchy intro, build up, strong chorus, repeat; in fact, the formula doesn't change until "We're Breaking Up". A much slower-paced song, it's essentially a ballad. It's placed nicely though. Helping change the pace of the album, it becomes a memorable song. "High Pressure Low" returns back to the catchy rock featured previously. The energy is right up front with this track (which makes sense why it would be released as a single). The next track however, is what makes the album an Against Me! album: the acoustic song. "Ache With Me" is a throwback to the older days of Against Me! and is a powerful song. Lyrically, it's one of the best written by Tom, and the backing acoustics during the chorus are haunting, but fit right in. The song shows that Against Me! still know their roots and can still write intelligent, acoustic tracks like the old days. "Spanish Moss" serves as the follow-up to "Ache With Me", and it's gang "Whoa's" seem like a follow-up that just make sense. It's similar to the other tracks, however, the odd-guitar tone throughout verses helps set it apart. The next track, "Rapid Decompression" is the shortest, fastest song on the album. The intro guitar is very bluesy, and Tom's voice is just as powerful as ever. However, it's not Tom's voice but the guitar that really drives this track home. The album closes with "Bamboo Bones", and it's a good closer. It's a song with a positive message and really shows that while Tom does stumble with some lyrics, he still knows how to write a song with a message.

White Crosses is an odd release. On one hand, the fancy production, the stumbling songwriting, and the annoying "chick-a-chick-ah" aren't really Against Me! at all. But, on the other hand, the album packs so much energy and so much heart into every song, it can't be anyone else but Against Me!. The album itself is solid; as mentioned before, lots of energy. It's unfortunate there's only one acoustic song, the band writes great ones, but, the one that is present is a solid one for sure. And though Tom does stumble, everything needed in an album is here. It may not be perfect or the band's best, but Against Me! sure as hell can play music.

7.5/10

http://totaltreble.bigcartel.com/product/against-me-white-crosses-cd-pre-order

Ten dollars. It's Against Me!, do it. Sure, they've changed their sound a bit, but they still rock. And for cheap.

Hold On, Dodge

Talk about a band that's made waves. A relatively young band, Scranton's Menzingers formed in 2006. Last year, they released the critically acclaimed Chamberlain Waits on Red Scare. The album was considered one of the best of the year, and got them national acclaim. Before that album however, there was this EP.

Released in '09, the five song EP ("Kentucky Gentleman" is a bonus track) is a great one. The Menzingers really have everything going for song-writing ability. Between lyrical content, dual vocals, and great instrument playing, The Menzingers can pay. Not only that, but songs like "Lilith Avi" expand upon the typical punk sound, with a guitar that sounds more like the Dire Straits' "Walk of Life". The last song, "Kentucky Gentleman", is a wonderfully done acoustic ballad and makes a great sing-a-long.

Hold On, Dodge is a great EP. It's short and sweet and gives a great taste of what this band can do. There's not a single bad song on the EP. The only downside is that it's an EP; much too short for the Menzingers.

8/10

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hold-on-dodge/id312441237

Boom. $3.99. Purchase. Now.

I Lied My Face Off

Released in '99 on Asian Man, I Lied My Face Off was Alkaline Trio's fourth release, later re-released on the compilation Alkaline Trio. The band themselves formed in '96 in Chicago, and have been releasing music since then. They've always had a way with words, writing some of the greatest songs lyrically of anyone. Most of their songs pertain to heart-ache and sorrow, and this EP is no different.

Opening with "Goodbye Forever", it's pretty clear that the band knows how to write music. Aside from the great fills provided by drummer Glenn Porter, Dan's bass playing is some of the best he's ever done. Matt's voice in the chorus is so urgent and emotional; it's hard to not sing along. The band plows right on into track number two, "This Is Getting Over You". Driven by another one of Dan's bass lines, the lyrics are, again, fantastic. The spoken line of "this is getting over you" over and over during the bridge really helps this song stick in your mind. "Bleeder" is the poppiest song on the EP, with dual vocals and a more upbeat guitar tone. The singing is much more upbeat too; rather than shout the lyrics with urgency, the song has real singing. "I Lied My Face" is the most heart-wrenching song on the whole EP. The chorus alone could make sad kids cry. Mixed in with the very intense drumming, Matt's guitar work sounds just right.

There really is no downside to this EP. Every song is solid, whether it's the fast paced "Goodbye Forever" or the poppy "Bleeder", the band can play. Not only that, but the lyrics are some of the greatest lyrics written by a band. It's a great EP, but, the band has better songs. That being said, the EP is four solid, tear-jerking songs about lost love, sadness, and ways to cope.

8.5/10

http://www.asianmanrecords.com/basket/alkalinetrio.html

The actual EP is out of print, however, for 10 bucks you can get the collection of early Alkaline Trio. Get it.

Tinnitus

It's tough to find a band as influential as Lifetime. Despite never being on a major label, and never really being that well known, the band has been a countless influence on so many bands. In fact, many bands that have been influenced by Lifetime have gone on to be more influential, i.e. Saves The Day, and the Canadian band Silverstein even covered them. Still, without all of the fame they deserve, Lifetime have made an obvious mark on the hardcore scene with their impeccable albums, Hello Bastards and Jersey's Best Dancers. Before Jade Tree though, Lifetime were a different band. Possessing a darker sound, Ari's vocals weren't as there as on later releases, and the ever-changing line-up didn't help solidify a sound. By the time Tinnitus was released Lifetime had the line-up of Ari, Dan, Dave, David, and Pete, which changed again by the next year. This '94 EP serves as the middle ground between their dark days, and the melodic hardcore the band became known for.

The EP is four solid tracks, each with a distinct feature. The opener, "Isae Aldy Beausoleil" kicks in with a furious amount of energy. Ari has always had distinct vocals, and they're very present in the track. It's a solid opener, a great sing-a-long, but, it doesn't have the same power as the others. "Ferret" comes in as the next track and is one wonderful song. The dual-guitar really helps move the track along, and the lyrics are some of the best. "Don't hold your head up so high/you won't see what's coming next". The song's energy really builds up throughout the track too. The fast-pace returns with "Starsixtynine", one of their most well-known songs, and rightfully so. Dan's shouting, Ari's vocals, and the instruments mix up perfectly. The song itself is an energy-filled burst of melodies, anger, and angst. It shows the direction the band was headed. But, the closer, "Ampersand", the band heads back to their early style; very dark lyrics, a build-up style of playing and Ari sounds like he's close to tears when singing the verses.

Tinnitus is definitely an awkward release for Lifetime. As the bridge between old and new, the EP is put in an odd spot. When stacked up against their old stuff, it seems like something completely different, when up against the Jade Tree-era, it can't hold a candle. But, when looked at as just an EP, it becomes a good release. Four solid songs, all there lyrically, musically; the EP is a good release. However, some of Ari's singing is completely incoherent, which is a shame since the lyrics are wonderful. Also, the band didn't have a solid line-up, so there's not a perfect mesh between all members. Still, being Lifetime, the EP manages to be very enjoyable and most of all; good.

6.5/10

http://jadetree.merchnow.com/products/65271

The EP itself is out of print, but, for 14 bucks you can purchase Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey. It's a collection of all their early stuff. Double CD, 14 bucks. That's 7 dollars per CD. Awesome deal.

Can't Slow Down

Saves The Day; since 1997 the Jersey band’s been touring, releasing records and changing members. Can't Slow Down is the band's first album, recorded back when Chris was still in high school. Upon first listen, it sounds like an exact clone of Jersey counterparts, Lifetime. Though it sounds similar, the vocals are much poppier and cleaner, and the guitar seems to be a lot heavier.

The album itself is full of catchy songs with chorus sing-alongs and gang vocals. The instruments are played quickly, the drumming is precise, and Chris Conley's voice is young and whiny. All of these things create great sounding songs that sound amazing thirteen years later. Songs like "Handsome Boy", "Sometimes, New Jersey", and "Collision" are quick little songs packed with so much energy, you can't help but shout along to it. Other tracks, like "Blindfolded" and "Jodie" are longer tracks that help fill out the album. "Jodie" features a fantastic bass and drum intro, before breaking into a great melodic hardcore track. The tracks on here suffer from sounding too similar. The lyrics aren't quite as "there" as they are with the later tracks, although this could be since Chris was still in high school.

Still, despite the lackluster lyrical content and the generic melodic/Jersey hardcore instrumentation, the album is a solid debut for Saves The Day. While the band may have grown up, and out of being hardcore kids, we're still left with young Chris Conley and company and the fantastic music they can write.

7.5/10

http://equalvision.merchnow.com/products/63594

Ten dollars for this gem. Also, ten dollars for Through Being Cool. Get them both.