Panic! at the DiscOWNED

Bottle to the face. -Adrian

A Static Lullaby

They've returned which much to make up for. Their last album, Faso Latido, was a trainwreck; it was a strong departure from the aggresive sound many came to love with their Ferret release, ...And Don't Forget to Breathe. But now the band is back in a new form. Since the release of FS, the band has lost and replaced three members (vocalist Joe Brown and guitarist Dan Arnold are the only original members). With that has come a somewhat new sound. From what I've listened to so far, the band hasn't returned to their roots but is taking a different approach to FS post-hardcore sound. It's better, but still far from ADFTB. A Static Lullaby - Hang 'Em High Stream other tracks at ASL's official website... -Adrian

The Sound of Animals Fighting - Show Clips

Four clips have appeared for the bands only shows ever, the above one being the best. If any of you lucky few who went to the shows (meaning you Chris) managed to snag any other pictures or videos, please share them with us. Also, feel free to leave impressions on the shows in the comments. -Adrian

Updates!

Hey. I'm back from the Vineyard! I've actually been back for a good week or so but I've honestly just been too lazy and busy to do anything All Things Go related. Austin, Ryan, and Alex have already headed off to college at U-San Francisco, UVa, and Bard, respectively. I myself am off to Wisconsin this Tuesday, and Adrian's classes will resume at Georgetown in the next week, so we have quite a full plate. I apologize for the lack of updates, but my mind has been everywhere else the past week. I missed all of you terribly. Anyways, on to the music. I didn't want to write a bunch of detailed posts about specific bands so I'm just going to put down some songs I haven't been able to turn off in the past week. Here goes: Canasta - Slow Down Chicago Anyone who reads ATG knows that I get wet when I hear organs, and no song in the past year or so has better utilized them then on "Slow Down Chicago", by (surprise) Chicagoans Canasta. I originally found these guys over at one of my favorite blogs, 3hive. The upbeat, muted hornline is so my genre of music it's a bit ridiculous. This is the most poorly written description of a song ever. My bad. Regina Spektor - On the Radio Another incredibly upbeat track, this time from my favorite adorable Russian, Regina Spektor (sorry Putin). Regina's soft, almost whispery vocals, teamed with a bouncy piano and bassline make for one of my favorite songs of the year. Plus, the part where Regina goes "bum-buh-buh-bum-buh" and the piano answers her call might just be cuter than Alex's dimples. Gnarls Barkley - Smiley Faces Gnarls Barkley is not a one hit wonder, though everyone is bound to write them off as such. While I can't deny that "Crazy" is my favorite song on Cee-Lo and Dangermouse's debut, St. Elsewhere, "Smiley Faces" is a very close second. A more danceable track, "Smiley Faces" better exemplifies Cee-Lo's soulful, sometimes gospel-y voice, and, while not a good fit for radio play, definitely deserves a good listen. Plus, Adrian pointed out that Dangermouse samples Boohbah noises on this track. Awesome. Justice Vs. Simian - Never Be Alone Derek introduced me to this song, then introduced it to the whole world over at GWFAS. This song definitely will turn some people off, but for those who can get over the high-pitched, monotonous vocals, I cannot reccomend a better dance song at the moment. Try getting this song out of your head. Just try. Well that's all for now. Expect more updates and a new layout in the not so distant future, including an album review of The Long Winters latest, Putting the Days to Bed, teamed with an interview with the band and a CD giveaway. I hope you didn't miss me too much. -Zack

The Hills Have Eyes

I'm not sure how much of you readers are fans of the whole prog-hardcore genre (Fall of Troy, The Number 12 Looks Like You, HeavyHeavyLowLow, etc). If some of you are, then hopefully this post will appeal to you. Born from the ashes of Seattle's A Kiss Farewell, The Hills Have Eyes features members of the now-defunct band as well as Thomas Erak, vocalist/guitarist of the Fall of Troy. But Erak, being the guitar-whiz he is, sets his ax down and only assumes vocal duties this time around. That's not necessarily a bad thing; Erak is able to demonstrate a vocal range that goes farther than the usually high-pitched screams seen in his work under TFOT. Although THHE's music may not demonstrate any mindblowing guitarwork, the music is still great. So far, the band has only posted three untitled demos on their MySpace. They may not be of the best quality, but they sure sound promising. The band plans to release a four-song EP some time in the near future, after which they will begin touring. Click here to stream tracks by The Hills Have Eyes -Adrian

Gatsby's American Dream

With their previous efforts, Gatsby's American Dream have taken on creating musical interpretations of grand concepts; 2003's Ribbons & Sugar's lyrical content was largely based around George Orwell's Animal Farm, while the band's last masterpiece, Volcano, was meant to chronicle the story of Pompeii, referring to several literary works along the way. On their most recent self-titled effort, Gatsbys decides to travel down a less metaphorical road and make the theme of their record a little more apparent. After listening to only the first few tracks, it's clear that vocalist Nic Newsham's words are expressions of disdain towards the music industry. The only problem is that it's too clear, throughout the entire album. The band leaves no room for guessing, making the obvious repetition of disgust for greedy record labels and fake scenesters a bit irritating. But you know what? I don't give a shit! The music on this album kicks ass! Screw what the shallow reviews say about Gatsby's American Dream's lyrics. The fact is, they sound better than ever. And last time I checked, that's the reason why I listen to music in the first place. The groove and rhythm of Volcano returns in full-force for this record; guitarist Bobby Darling's guitar riffs are dancey as ever, and bassist Kirk Huffman's back-up gang vocals and Rudy Gajadhar's fantastic drumming accompany it all perfectly. The official addition of Kyle O'Quin as keyboardist is also a welcome change. The cohesion of all five guys shows best on the album's second track, "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" (my personal favorite). Fans of Gatsby's will stay fans after listening to this record. And for those of you who aren't yet familiar with the band, then this album (as well as any other) is a perfect first listen. The only big problem I have with the band is what seems to be a grim outlook on their future. After reading For The Sound's recent interview with Bobby, I'm scared that we won't be seeing much more of the band in the future. I hope for everybody's sake that the band stays together for as long as possible. These guys have demonstrated their capabilities as an album-producing powerhouse, creating three amazing full-lengths that just get better every time. Gatsby's American Dream - You All Everybody Gatsby's American Dream - We Can Remember It For You Wholesale Gatsby's American Dream - Badd Beat Gatsby's American Dream - My Name Is Ozymandias -Adrian

New Saosin Songs

Once again, sorry for the lack of updates recently everybody! Like Zack, I too am on vacation and haven't been able to write much. But with the few minutes I have on this computer, I decided I'd just remind you all of the two songs Saosin have posted on their Myspace off their highly-anticipated major label debut/first full-length album. I'd say "Voices" and "Follow and Feel" are both solid songs that follow the post-hardcore sound demonstrated by "Bury Your Head." Yet they lack that special something that made songs like "Seven Years" and "They Perch On Their Stilts..." And no, that special something is not Anthony Green. I have to hand it to them; they could have found no better replacement than Cove Reber. Perhaps it's the guitar. If you compare the riffs of the aforementioned song pairs, you'll find that those off the newer material are just rapid high-pitched notes which, although they may sound kind of cool, really lack the punch found off nearly every song on the Translating the Name EP. I don't want to sound like a negative nancy, but I'm hoping the rest of the album proves to be better than these two songs. I've been waiting for this album for way too long to be disappointed. Click here to stream "Voices" and "Follow and Feel" My next post'll be better than me just linking to a band's Myspace. Promise! P.S. If the other ATG writers are still alive, write something. It'd be nice. -Adrian

New Music: Novillero + The Consumer Goods

Thanks to Trent for hooking me up with these two bands. Novillero and The Consumer Goods are from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and both are relatively unknown. Novillero is very upbeat, and features plenty of piano. I definitely see similarities between them and Spoon, as Rod Slaughter (lead vocalist for Novillero) has a voice quite like Britt Daniel and the harmonies are very much like Spoon's. "Hypothesist", my favorite single off of Novillero's 2005 release, Aim Right for the Holes in Their Lives, has a very upbeat dirty rock club feel. It's the kind of music I want to dance to in a poorly lit club while drinking a shitty beer at 3am. Not to mention the fact that at around the 2 minute point of the song, there is a clapping bridge. Nothing is more danceable than claps. The fast-paced guitars and claps of "Hypothesist" are traded in for melodious piano lines and smoky vocals on the groups second single "Aptitude", though the dirty guitars return for the climax of the song, which builds up quite nicely. I know I haven't really written a bad review for any group yet (Note: I'm too afraid to) but believe me, these guys are actually worth a listen. You can choose whether or not you like them, but I think you should at least give them a try. Novillero - Hypothesist [download or die] Novillero - Aptitude Check their website and be their myspace friend. The Consumer Goods are another group that my boy Trent introduced me to. I haven't given them a good long listen, but after hearing their four tracks available for download on myspace and reading their biography, I'm excited to sit down and have a real listen. According to their bio, The Consumer Goods can be described as: "Against a backdrop of shimmering, jangling and sometimes raging guitars and lush, full keys and rhythms, Shipley's vocals range from rich, smoky textures to soaring, powerful melodies and demonstrate the wide variety of emotions that are depicted in this musical call-to-arms." As my good friend Derek would say, color me intrigued. I recommend "Babylong Song" and "Revolution", in my opinion their two strongest tracks. Since they made their songs available for download on their myspace, and since we are running out of room on our ezarchive, I am not posting songs, but here is the link to their myspace page where you can grab all the songs. Also, I will be out of town starting tommorow (Tuesday) until the 14th (next Monday). I'm visiting my ladyfriend Claire and adorkable GWFAS mastermind Derek in Martha's Vineyard. Look for some updates from Adrian, and pray that Austin, Alex, Ryan, or Everett gets their damn shit together and writes SOMETHING. I might be able to get in an update from the Vineyard, but if not, then goodbye for a week. I'll miss you all dearly. -Zack

New Blood Brothers Songs

I encourage all of you to check out the two amazing tracks the Blood Brothers have posted off their upcoming album, Young Machetes, on their MySpace page. "Set Fire to the Face On Fire" and "Laser Life" are sneak peeks to what seems to be their best (and perhaps most melodic) effort yet. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find the files for download, so streaming them will have to do. Get pumped for Young Machetes, out in stores October 10th. Click here to listen to "Set Fire to the Face On Fire" and "Laser Life" -Adrian

The Colour: Devil's Got a Holda Me EP

The Colour is rock. Don't let the extra, fancy "u" in their name throw you off. These guys are rock, with a hint of cockiness. This EP feels like these guys spent quite a while on each song, perfected them, and are now making all of us their bitches. The Colour has sort of a Raconteurs/Spoon/ACDC feel (I know those bands have nothing in common), especially on the title track "Devil's Got a Holda Me", a song that features a breakdown with handclaps. The layered guitars, well thought-out vocals and occasional guitar-hero solo's make for one hell of a debut EP. I can't describe them as anything but pure rock, and I'm excited to be able to say I told you so when these guys make it big with their debut LP, Between Earth and Sky. Just listen. The Colour - Devil's Got a Holda Me [download or die] The Colour - Until We're High I've been told the best way to take in The Colour is in a live venue, which seems pretty obvious given their style and sound. The Colour is doing a massive tour, with stops literally everywhere. Check their dates below, and go check them out. 8/22/06 - Los Angeles, CA 8/23/06 - San Francisco, CA 8/24/06 - Portland, OR 8/25/06 - Seattle, WA 8/26/06 - Columbus, OH 8/29/06 - Minneapolis, MN 8/30/06 - Chicago, IL 8/31/06 - Detroit, MI 9/01/06 - Toronto, ON 9/02/06 - Montreal, QC 9/03/06 - Asbury Park, NJ 9/05/06 - Boston, MA 9/06/06 - New York, NY 9/07/06 - Baltimore, MD 9/08/06 - Pittsburgh, PA 9/09/06 - Philadelphia, PA 9/10/06 - Baltimore, MD 9/11/06 - Cleveland, OH 9/12/06 - Indianapolis, IN 9/14/06 - Kansas City, MO 9/15/06 - St. Louis, MO 9/16/06 - Wichita, KS 9/17/06 - Nashville, TN 9/18/06 - Atlanta, GA 9/20/06 - Dallas, TX 9/21/06 - Dallas, TX 9/22/06 - Austin, TX 9/23/06 - Houston, TX -Zack

Sneak Peek: These Arms Are Snakes - Easter

These Arms Are Snakes - Crazy Woman Dirty Train These Arms Are Snakes - Perpetual Bris These Arms Are Snakes - Horse Girl These Arms Are Snakes - Lady North -Adrian