I Breathe the Underground

Breathing Life Back into a Dead Language

Okay. So I've been in a two month blogging coma. But give me a break, my laptop is totally f-ed.

I thought it'd be fitting to erupt from this interlude with guns blazing, so I'd like to introduce you to a brand new punk act that I've only known for a short time myself, a group that's as tight as they are melodic. The band: Latin for Truth. 

Who the hell are these guys, anyway? Somehow, it took Latin for Truth three EPs, a collection of demos and a full-length before they popped up on my radar -- a signal that I don't mind bragging is quite attuned to the burgeoning pop-core scene. Apparently, the band has encountered a few setbacks over the last year or so and has decided a redefinition is in order.

LFT mixes tight, quick drum tracks reminiscent of Anchors for Arms, melodic vocals a la No Use for a Name, MXPX- and Gatsby's American Dream-like chord progressions, and an urgency that is all their own. This is a band that would make Lifetime proud.

Even better: LFT's new (rebirth) EP, We Are Sick of Not Having the Courage to Be Absolute Nobodies (name taken from a Salinger essay), is available for free digital download here. A full-length, already titled Youth Crew Blues, is due out in 2010.

I'm going to be looking for good things from these guys in the future. Check 'em out.

Download 88 says

"Now, you Irish cops are perking up. That's two sound theories in one day, neither of which deal with abnormally sized men. Kind of makes me feel like Riverdancing."

- Paul Smecker, Boondock Saints

Define "Irony"

After about two weeks of some hardcore listening, it's pretty clear to me that Manchester Orchestra is neither British nor orchestral. Still, there's something defiant and clear-cut in the band's hodge-podge of influences, something clearly defined that helps the Atlanta natives stand-out against the backdrop of pretentious indie rock permeating the music scene as of late.

Manchester Orchestra's recently released second label-backed full-length Mean Everything to Nothing is as ironic as the album's title. MO front-man Andy Hull has cited a diverse list of influences for the sophomore offering, from Foo Fighters to Nirvana to Death Cab for Cutie. What ultimately emerges is a concoction of Smoking Popes-esque vocals, big Motion City Soundtrack hooks, Get Up Kids pianos, anthems and lyrics that would make Matt Skiba jealous, twangy Hot Rod Circuit riffs, Hold Steady honesty, and a definitive sound that is quite oft compared to the evolved stylings of Brand New (who ironically enough discovered MO).

In a recent Alternative Press article, Max Bemis even weighs in: "On the upcoming Say Anything record, I was inspired a lot lyrically by [MO's] Andy [Hull]...They are the band who will push kids to write and listen to better music."

METN is exactly that, displaying rich soundscapes of indie-emo explosiveness that bridges genres without spreading itself too thin. Universally relatable and widely acclaimed, METN debuted at #37 on the Billboard charts -- and it's easy to hear why. METN will identify a far better direction for the wayward world of indie music.

The entirety of Mean Everything to Nothing is currently streaming at Manchester Orchestra's MySpace. What nice guys.

"Are you the living ghost of what I need? / Are you giving me the best of me? / We will see."
- Manchester Orchestra, "Shake It Out"

Open Up Your Books to Chapter 1, "The Rise of Science"

In high school, I hated science so much that I never took a college course in any of the major disciplines. In fact, I think I took some sort of blow-off geology class to fulfill my gen-ed credits. But for the first time, science has touched me in a way it never has before. The science of musical cohesion, as exemplified by unsigned but innovative five-piece post-hardcore outfit The Rise of Science.

I found these guys randomly through Alternative Press' AP&R section, and I have to say "bravo" to the indie mag. The Rise of Science are stunning, employing Moneen-esque guitar riffs, high-pitched, raw vocals a la Coheed and Cambria, aura-building melodies that build brighter hooks than Circa Survive, and an essence that would turn Anthony Green...well, green (with envy, of course). Yet, TROS encapsulate a beauty that is rare for an unsigned band. In fact, I'm almost enraged at the fact that these guys are not signed to a huge deal. I've yet to come across such an impressive band that I've never heard of.

I don't have any tracks to share on the site, but please do me, them and yourself a favor and go check these guys out. They just got in a van accident for f@*#'s sake!

And definitely check out their cover of "Desperados Waiting for a Train."

"I can't pin my lungs and bite my tongue / Induce what I might soon forget."
- The Rise of Science, "Short Comings Can Be Incomplete"

Supergroup Causes First Degree Burns

A punk rock supergroup comprised of ex-Rise Against, Ignite and Death by Stereo members is blazing a new trail for the genre. Hot on the heels of RA's recent success, ex-guitarist Chris Chasse has teamed up with some second-gen punk rock veterans to create Nations Afire, a melodic, radio-friendly collaboration that's sure to have true punkers scoffing and those in the punkosphere who've embraced the new face of punk rock cheering wildly.

Nations Afire borrow heavily from their former bands (Death by Stereo = questionable) to create an amalgam of poppy, melodic anthems fueled by the sort of punk rock intensity defined by bands like Ignite. Flawless, clear vocal harmonies are layered on top of heavy punk rock riffs and well-produced, thick drums. There is no want of hooks here; these guys will get radio play if that's the road they decide to take.

Not sure why, but I've been finding a lot of bands lately that I disagree with in principal but fully support in other, more aural ways. These guys are sort of McDonald's delicious; you've got a buzz while you ingest them, but afterwards you feel pretty full and throw up in your mouth a little.

Oh yeah, as far as I know these guys are unsigned. Let the label frenzy begin!

I don't have any MP3s readily available for download as these guys are brand new, so I've left you with a little Ignite to tickle your music bone.

Download 02 bleeding

"Oops?"
- Patrick Chewing

A Hardcore Band to Remember, Bra

Whoever thought of mating anger with happiness blew my f@#%ing mind. I'm of course talking about the affectionately-labeled "happy hardcore" (or "melodic hardcore" to those keeping official track), a trend that is catching on in a big way. You've probably already noticed this burgeoning movement erupting through bands like Set Your Goals, Daggermouth, Four Year Strong -- and of course the band that began the movement in the first place, Fall Out Boy. Don't act so offended, hardcore kids.

Expect to hear a lot about the next up-and-coming act in metalcore, a five piece from Florida called A Day to Remember. These kids can rock, and they've got the melodic hardcore world by its tail with their new release, Homesick.

Yep, here comes another bastard-child analogy to try to put the band's sound on the level. Think Bullet for My Valentine (fresh off a recent fling with My Chemical Romance) meets Fall Out Boy, falls in puppy love, elopes to Vegas and is wed by Set Your Goals, who have the authority to marry following a mix-up at the state department. The resulting offspring would sound a lot like ADTR.

Homesick makes me feel simultaneously comfortable and violently ill. ADTR masters the art of hardcore with an ecstatic flair, utilizing some of the most radio friendly riffs I've heard from a hardcore act. The screaming borders on death metal; the drums are oddly dumbed down. But the edge is there in a big way...and so are the hooks. They could have called this album The Next Big Thing in Underground Music and it would have turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Final summation? A Day to Remember will top my chart as the next music act that I love to hate, drawing in an audience most hardcore bands won't be able to relate to but keeping me interested with their catchy, edgy tracks. They stand as a reminder that even hardcore can be relatable to a wider audience while solidifying the death of gang vocals. RIP.

Here's a track from the new album, Homesick, for your listening pleasure.

Download 01 The Downfall Of Us All 1

"You know I've got you, / like a puppet in the palm of my hand, / don't you let me down."
- A Day to Remember, "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?"