The Alternative Tone

Dance Gavin Dance – Acceptance Speech 08 October 2013 Rise Records Rating: 8.7 FFO: Post-hardcore, which apparently isn’t over. Written by Ben Curttright After the 2011 release of Downtown Battle Mountain II , Dance Gavin Dance was a band in disarray. DBMII had seemed like a turning point for Dance Gavin Dance, as both original vocalists were back for the first time since the original Downtown Battle Mountain . It turns out, some things just can’t be recreated, and DBMII turned out to be a bit of a joke. Though the trio of screamer Jon Mess, guitarist Will Swan, and drummer Matt Mingus seemed enthusiastic to work together again, it was clear that vocalist Jonny Craig wasn’t taking the project seriously, and his second stint fronting DGD didn’t last. After Craig’s first departure, the band remade itself behind Kurt Travis. Could Dance Gavin Dance do the same again? Surprisingly, yes. New vocalist Tilian Pearson (ex-Tides of Man) was never g...

Atlas - With Love, Evelyn McHale  16 July 2013 Self Released Rating: 6.7/10 FFO:  Anberlin, Conditions, Balance and Composure by Joseph Francolino Atlas ' newest release was recorded under the tutelage of Portrait Recording Studio's Chris Badami (best known for his work with The Early November & Hidden in Plain View) and it feels as tho this album pays homage to the era in which those bands began. A few songs even dabble in the practice of inserting audio clips into instrumental parts which is something that was all the rage back in the day but had died out for some time(as it should have) after it became an overused gimmick. A few newer bands have been pioneering the comeback of this such as Their/They're/There and Tiny Moving Parts and the snippets that Atlas use are pretty tasteful and do add to the songs nicely. Mixing Post-hardcore with a modern alt rock sound, they create something to be proud of sonically.  All the songs are well put to...

Haverford – Spirit Bear 03 September 2013 Self-released Rating: 8 FFO: The Early November, Transit, Balance and Composure by Ben Curttright  Spirit Bear by Haverford It’s understandable if your Internet browsing or show-hopping hasn’t yet led you to Haverford. The Long Island five-piece only entered the scene a year ago. But, what a year it’s been. Since releasing their first EP, Wisdom Lost, in September 2012, Haverford have been featured on several splits and compilations alongside bands like State Lines, Captain, We’re Sinking, and Dowsing. The next natural step is, of course, a full length, and Haverford have answered the call with Spirit Bear, a remarkably mature album from such a young band. Immediately, the notion of Spirit Bear as a complete album shows itself through the ambient lightness of the intro track, “Anxious”, which features sliding, tapped guitar, slow drumming, and ethereal, building vocals. Several more traditional songs follow the intro. The...

Old Gray -    Everything I Let Go and The Things I Refuse To Release Date: 22 August 2013 (Europe) Record Label: Dog Knights Productions Rating: 7.8 For Fans Of: La Dispute, Saetia, Merchant Ships By Mark Garza For a lot of people, Old Gray is one of the first bands they listen to when they start getting into emo, screamo or “skramz.” Old Gray has had a history of solid releases, never failing to leave an impression and get listeners enthusiastic over this oftentimes newly found genre of honest, passionate music. Though Everything I Let Go and The Things I Refuse To was a hit or miss for many and came out a year ago this November, it remains one of my favorite EPs of 2012 that remains true to Old Gray’s sound while exploring newer, darker territory. Everything opens with a spoken word piece courtesy of Charlie Singer that, whether because of the striking delivery or the words themselves, leaves a stout sensation of loss and regret, of defeat and concessi...

Football, etc. – Audible Release Date: 13 August 2013 Record Label: Count Your Lucky Stars Records Rating: 9.5 Far Fans Of : Dowsing, Everyone Asked About You, Joie De Vivre By Ben Curttright  It’s been two years since Football, etc. released The Draft , and now, the Houston-based trio is back. Their sophomore LP, Audible , contains more sweet melodies, more twinkly guitar, and more American football references. I don’t mean the band American Football, though Football, etc. was certainly influenced by Kinsella emo. For reasons I don’t quite understand, Football, etc. exclusively name their work using arbitrary football terms, leaving us with song titles like “Hut 1” and “Extra Point”. But hey, I don’t judge. At least, not based on song titles. I judge based on musical proficiency, songwriting ability, production quality, catchiness, and the awkward, wonderful feeling that I get when I hear things like the crescendo at the end of Mineral’s “&...

Crash Of Rhinos - Knots  Release Date: July 22, 2013  Record Label: Topshelf Records Rating: 8.4 For Fans Of: Braid, Nai Harvest, Prawn By Brian Nissen Knots by Crash Of Rhinos   Starting immediately with the opening track, “Luck Has a Name”, Crash of Rhinos make it hard not to be mesmerized by the compelling automaton-like conformity that the two guitarists, two bassists and drummer achieve. Staring into this cleverly crafted machine, where each turning gear knows its role and executes it perfectly, can take you further into the music than the punk-like energy or the sincerity of the vocals ever could alone. Here are call and response melodies, like in the middle of “Luck has no name”, performed with candid communication that feels like honesty you only share with your closest friends. As it is that time spent together creates this open communication between you and your best confidantes, we can assume that time and many late nights were put into practi...

Robins/Baltimore Cuts – Best Friends Split Release Date: August 27, 2013 Sorry Girls Records Rating: 9/10 For Fans Of:  Grown Ups, CSTVT, Dikembe Written by Ben Curttright The Best Friends split EP is the first official release by Philadelphia-based Sorry Girls Records, though they have put out some of Baltimore Cuts’ demos over the past few months. And, for two new bands on a new label, Best Friends is an extremely well put-together release. The A-side of the split features two new songs from Robins. “Welcome to Future City”, the opener, is emo punk at its finest; the guitars would sound at home behind clean vocals, but matching them with rough screaming instead makes for a unique feel. The ending of “Welcome to Future City” is too hardcore breakdown-esque for me, but the quality of “That High, That Quick”, their second song, more than makes up for it. “That High, That Quick” has a much more upbeat punk feel, though the cleverly tapped guitar in the verse kee...