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

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 dru

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 “&Sere

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 keeps i