Thanks to modern shoegaze giants Whirr, Nothing has been hyped in the shoegaze scene for a pretty significant amount of time. “Guilty of Everything” marks Nothing’s debut LP, and I can confidently say that this is one hell of a debut. Nothing packs the intensity and sheer loudness of shoegaze acts such as Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine and adds their own, unique, Philly-punk spin.
After cutting his teeth in various Philly-based hardcore bands and serving jail time for aggravated assault and attempted murder, lead singer Dominic Palermo’s view of the music he should be making shifted. Due to his mother’s love of bands such as Cocteau Twins, The Cure, and Slowdive, Palermo decided to return to his familiar childhood sounds and create powerful shoegaze music. While Nothing uses traditional shoegaze sounds such as droning guitars, vocal soundscapes, and a multitude of effects pedals, Palermo adds his past hardcore intensity to the mix making for a very unique shoegaze album.
“Guilty of Everything” opens with, in my opinion, the most outstanding track on the album, Hymn to the Pillory. The track begins with standalone guitar chords and Palermo’s breathy-yet-intense vocals. As the track progresses, soundscapes are added in to the mix to create a beautifully melancholic atmosphere. After the first verse, the track explodes into an atmospheric soundscape emphasized by heavy, droning guitar riffs and explosive percussion sections that display Palermo’s hardcore past.
The album progresses elegantly from track to track, exploring different soundscapes in the process. In the song Bent Nail, listeners hear Palermo adding a very poppy tone that conflicts (in a good way) with the rest of the album. The album continues with expertly crafted shoegaze tracks, especially the second to last track titled B&E. This track begins with a darker tone than the previous songs, but ends in an extremely powerful, two and a half minute instrumental outro that leaves me with goosebumps each time I hear it.
My advice for listening to this album is to listen to it AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE. As with most shoegaze bands, Nothing utilizes massive decibel levels to increase the intensity and emotion of their music. In an interview with Vice, Palermo states that their shows usually range between 120-130 decibels, which is louder than hearing a jet engine from 100 meters away. Overall, this album is a masterpiece of modern shoegaze. Words cannot describe how excited I am for the future of Nothing.
Grade: 9.5/10
Songs to Check Out: Hymn to the Pillory and B&E, especially the outro
This may be too early to declare, but this album could possibly be my pick for the 2014 Album of the Year. Unless La Dispute’s new release lives up to expectations, I cannot see a 2014 release being as good as this album.
The Hotelier began life as The Hotel Year back in the later stages of the aughts. After releasing a demo in 2009 and a pretty overlooked debut album in 2011, The Hotel Year decided to release their second studio LP under a new monicker. “Home, Like Noplace There Is” shows an emo band knowing what they’re doing. Each song is beautifully composed musically AND lyrically, setting a new standard for emo bands from here on out. Every song on the album is extremely well done, but I want to dedicate this review to the track “Your Deep Rest.”
“Your Deep Rest” was the first song I heard off of this album. Never before have I pre-ordered an album AND a tshirt after only hearing one track. “Your Deep Rest” depicts a funeral in which the speaker is attending. This funeral is of a friend of the speaker who committed suicide. The track starts off with some light, kind of poppy guitar riffs into the first verse. The lyrics in the first verse describe seeing someone with depression from the outside.
The first verse leads beautifully into the chorus. Under light guitar chords, the singer emotionally sings “I called in sick from your funeral. The sight of your body made me feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t recognize your shell.” This track is a lyrical masterpiece about knowing someone struggling with depression who eventually takes their own life. The song ends with the singer proclaiming “You said ‘remember me for me.’ I watched you set your spirit free.”
Grade: 10/10
Tracks to Check Out: Your Deep Rest, obviously. Also, Housebroken is a heart-wrenching song from the point of view of an abused dog that still loves its family.
Many of you may have no idea who this band is, but I assure you that you’ll want to know very soon. Death of Lovers came to fruition due to the friendship between bands Whirr and Nothing. Whirr had my favorite EP of 2013, so I was excited to see some of the members doing other music. When I first learned about Death of Lovers, I was expecting a shoegaze masterpiece along the lines of My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive. Instead, I got a lot more than I expected.
The EP starts off with a chilling, modern-goth-rock track entitled “Cold Heaven.” The instrumentation and the vocals channel Bauhaus almost exclusively, which is something I haven’t heard since Bauhaus. The dark, chillwave-esque sound makes for a good introduction to this album.
Moving further into the album, the darkwave influences from bands like Bauhaus and The Cure are very apparent. Minor synthesizer textures can be heard in the background while shoegazey guitar riffs add to the atmosphere. The lead singer also adds a gorgeous element to this EP. His deep, dark voice properly mixed with effects creates a chilling ambience throughout each track.
Overall, this EP is wonderful. It harkens back to the days of 80’s darkwave music, which isn’t something that’s commonly done today. I’m very excited to see the direction this band decides to go in the future.
Grade 8.5/10
Tracks to Check Out: Cold Heaven. If you’re a fan of Bauhaus, you’ll love this track.
Hello again, internet. I have finished a 57-page paper and a 27-page take-home exam, and my first semester of PhD complete. Between my program and the dearth of good albums released in December it’s been slow around here, but I’m back to put together a list of my favorite albums from the past year. I’ve decided against rank ordering my list, as making those kind of decisions across genres just didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense. Enjoy!
1. The Wonder Years – The Greatest Generation
The Wonder Years fall into the unfortunate category of “bands I should have given a chance way sooner.” I’ve been peripherally aware of them for several years, but for some reason I had decided -based upon next to no exposure- that I didn’t like them. In the course of a few days earlier this year, I saw a line from their song Logan Circle pop up a handful of times on both twitter and tumblr –I’m not even sad anymore, I’m just so tired most nights- and really connected with it, as it mirrored my current experience with mental health issues. I looked up the song and have been hooked ever since. The Greatest Generation is as fun of a pop-punk record I’ve heard, with frontman Dan “Soupy” Campbell’s emotional delivery and excellent lyricism shining through on every track.
Sample track:
2. Cannibal Ox – Gotham
Cannibal Ox may have taken 12 years of since the 2001 release of their debut album, the critically-acclaimed The Cold Vein, but Vordul Mega and Vast Aire have certainly not lost even half a step. With such a long layoff between albums and the level of love listeners have for The Cold Vein, Can Ox was fighting an uphill battle with Gotham, but the album doesn’t disappoint in the least.
Sample Track:
3. We Came as Romans – Tracing Back Roots
I had come to know of WCAR back in high school and was drawn in by lead guitarist Joshua Moore’s excellent, positive lyrics. Unfortunately, after a rather lackluster sophomore effort with Understanding What We’ve Grown to Be and taking in a few uninspiring live performances, I was ready to give up on We Came as Romans. Clean vocalist Kyle Pavone flat-out could not sing live and his voice was often auto-tuned to death in the studio. Unclean vocalist Dave Stephens was consistently great, but the rest of the band seemed to have failed to live up to the promise of their debut LP, To Plant a Seed.TBR answered my doubts decisively. Stephens was given an increased role, adding clean vocals on many tracks in addition to his normal throat-shredding screams. Pavone, for his part, appears to have improved by leaps and bounds. The auto-tune of the past is notably absent -and videos of live performances demonstrate a drastic improvement- and Moore’s lyrics are once again a high point in an overall fun, upbeat album.
Sample Track:
4. The Civil Wars – The Civil Wars
Pending an unexpected reunion, The Civil Wars will always be one the groups I will most regret never getting to see live. Vocalists Joy Williams and John Paul White had an unmistakable chemistry and a level of musicianship that is pretty much unmatched in popular music. Their simple, emotional songs resonate with me in a big way, and are some of my favorite things to play and sing with my good friends. Seriously, as a vocalist, you have no idea how difficult this performance of “From This Valley” from their self-titled album is.
Sample Track:
5. Jamie Cullum – Momentum
Jamie Cullum should be infinitely more popular than he is. The Brit import has gone from albums mostly consisting of jazz standards and covers to 2013’s Momentum, produced by Dan the Automator and featuring only a two covers. Cullum is an energetic performer and excellent pianist and at this point in his career, he is at his absolute peak.
Sample Track:
6. Touché Amoré – Is Survived By
Touché Amoré burst onto the scene in conjunction with bands like La Dispute, Pianos Become the Teeth, and Defeater, and Jeremy Bolm’s powerful vocals and deeply personal lyrics have helped establish them as leaders in this particular movement within post-hardcore.
Sample Track:
7. The Devil Wears Prada – 8:18
It’s been a real treat to watch TDWP grow up. Frontman Mike Hranica lived and went to school in my hometown of Sidney until middle school, and the band is based out of nearby Dayton. I can remember seeing Prada at the local venue at a release show for Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord back in 2006. That they have grown into the scene behemoth they have become would have seemed very unlikely back then, given the overwhelming irrelevance of my hometown (and what was, in retrospect, the fact that Dear Love was not a particularly good album). The miles Hranica has put on his vocal cords are evident on 8:18, but the band opted to leave these imperfections in place, lending a type of authenticity and realness to the tracks. After a lackluster effort with 2011’s Dead Throne, Prada is at their peak on 8:18, a punishing, confident record that showcases a breadth of musical style/influence not seen on previous albums.
Sample Track:
8. Hands Like Houses – Unimagine
The sophomore effort from the Australian post-hardcore/power pop group has hooks for days and excellent guitar work to back them up. After popping up on the scene radar thanks to guest vocals from Jonny Craig and Tyler Carter on their single “Lion Skin” in 2011, HLH holds up quite well without any help on Unimagine. Their 2012 debut, Ground Dweller, showed a lot of promise, but the songs tended to blend together without much to differentiate one song from another, but Unimagine demonstrates a much improved sense of identity and stylistic differentiation between tracks -Most noticeably on “Oceandust,” a piano-driven ballad, a large departure from previous work. Unimagine is one of the more interesting albums of the year, and I still find myself unable to get certain songs out of my head for days at a time.
Sample Track:
9. Have Mercy – The Day the Earth Pushed Back
Baltimore’s Have Mercy is one of the new additions to Topshelf Records’ already excellent roster -which includes bands like Duck! Little Brother, Duck!, Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate), and The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die. Thankfully Have Mercy opted for a simpler name and have the musical chops to live up to Topshelf’s sterling reputation, even more impressive given that The Day the Earth Pushed Back is their full-length debut.
Sample Track:
10. Mayer Hawthorne – Where Does This Door Go
Not much analysis required for this on; Mayer Hawthorne just puts out fun records. Slick production, all the rad bass lines your heart could desire, and a dope drop in by Kendrick Lamar all make for an excellent listen, not to mention the vast improvement Hawthorne has made as a vocalist since his debut with 2009’s A Strange Arrangement.
Sample Track:
11. Tiny Moving Parts – This Couch is Long and Full of Friendship
Tiny Moving Parts may be the least well-known -even in the scene- of any band on this list, but it’s certainly not due to a lack of talent on the part of the Minnesota-by-way-of-North Dakota trio. Couch moves deftly between spoken word vocals and screams, mixing noodly rifs that would be right at home on a Dance Gavin Dance record with indie and emo sensibilities. That Tiny Moving Parts can craft a rich, full sound as easily as they can the still, quiet moments on Couch is impressive given the group’s 3-man composition and young age. Couch definitely gives me plenty of reason to look forward to what the band does next.
Sample Track:
Honorable Mentions:
Paramore – Paramore; Norma Jean – Wrongdoers; The Head and the Heart – Let’s Be Still; Dance Gavin Dance – Acceptance Speech; I, The Mighty – Satori; Defeater – Letters Home; Sara Bareilles – The Blessed Unrest; The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die – Whenever, If Ever; Deltron 3030 – Event II
Well, I just posted my top 10 albums and included one EP. After publishing that post, I realized that I totally neglected the amount of amazing singles/EP’s that 2013 has produced. So I’m just going to dive right in. Here they are, my top 5 EP’s of 2013.
5) CHVRCHES – Recover EP
CHVRCHES exploded on to the synthpop scene with the release of their Recover EP in early 2013. What drew me to this group is the excellent production, catchy melodies, and the timbre of vocalist Lauren Mayberry. Her high-pitched vocals are complimented by the catchy synth lines and textures that are masterfully programmed into the songs. I also got the chance to see them live this year, and was not let down. The light show fit perfectly with the music. The only complaint I had was that Lauren’s stage presence wasn’t that spectacular, but that’s to expect from a new band. Overall, I’m really impressed by this group and I’m excited to see where they go.
Check out the title track for their EP:
4) Touché Amoré/Pianos Become the Teeth – Split EP
Earlier this year, screamo giants Touché Amoré and Pianos Become the Teeth released a ridiculously good split EP. The EP is only two songs, one from each band, but each song is equally as powerful. Pianos Become the Teeth’s contribution, “Hiding,” is unlike anything they’ve released before. While PBtT are known for intense, emotional songs, they toned it down for this split. The track cuts back on the rough vocals and emphasizes cleaner vocals. It’s still easy to hear the incredible emotion conveyed throughout the track, but it’s in a more melancholic sense. Regardless, the track is a quality release
Touché Amoré’s contribution, “Gravity, Metaphorically,” is also unlike their previous music. While previously having only one song exceeding two minutes, this song is an incredible four minute emotional roller coaster. The song begins like a typical hardcore song, but evolves into something that’s a mix of post-rock and screamo.
Listen to Pianos Become the Teeth’s contribution:
3) Whirr – Around
Modern shoegaze giants, Whirr, released an EP earlier this year and it’s phenomenal. Whirr has perfected the shoegaze sound by dousing their songs in the perfect amounts of reverb and fuzz. The somewhat muddied instrumentals are complimented by a female vocal texture that pierces through the foggy guitars.
Check out the title track for Around:
2) Burial – Rival Dealer
UK Garage giant, Burial, surprisingly dropped an EP earlier in December. Burial’s been pretty quiet since the release of his last LP, Untrue, but has sporadically teased fans with EP’s containing two or three 10-minute masterpieces. Rival Dealers is some of Burial’s best work yet. Burial’s penchant for vocal sampling shines through in the title track. The other tracks show off Burial’s percussion sequencing and the grainy, gritty sound that defines him.
Check out Rival Dealer:
1) Hop Along – Sister Cities
Falling in love with alt-folk band Hop Along was not a difficult task for me at all. Their 2012 release Get Disowned has gone down as one of my all-time favorite records. While Sister Cities is just a single, it’s the only taste of new Hop Along music that we got in 2013. Hop Along’s story-telling lyrics mixed with vocalist Frances Quinlan’s vocal talent makes for one hell of a listening experience.
2013’s been a pretty rad year for music. We’ve seen some older bands reunite, we’ve seen mainstream journalists start to pay attention to emo music, and we’ve had a lot of pretty fantastic records drop this year. I’m gonna count down my 10 favorite albums of the year with number one being my choice for album of the year. I’m gonna be covering a few different genres, so put your seat belts on and enjoy the musical journey.
10) The Naked and Famous – In RollingWaves
The Naked and Famous gracefully entered the synthpop/post-punk revival scene last year with their single “Young Blood” from their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You. After hearing that The Naked and Famous were working on a new record, I instantly became excited. PM,AY was a quality synthpop album, and In Rolling Waves is no different. Although it seems a bit toned down in the musical intensity, In Rolling Waves rivals CHVRCHES’s The Bones of What You Believe as a solid synthpop release.
Check out their single “Hearts Like Ours” here:
9) Kanye West – Yeezus
From releasing the first song as a projection on buildings in various US cities to creating a music video parodied by James Franco and Seth Rogen, Kanye has done it all this year. Yeezus aimed to introduce a new sound in mainstream hip-hop by incorporating heavily synthesized sounds and untraditional beats. Ye’s lyrics were a bit lacking on this album, but he made up for it with killer production from the likes of Daft Punk, Hudson Mohawke, and No ID. Sure Kanye’s been stirring up a bit of controversy, but listeners can’t argue once they hear Yeezus.
Here’s his pretty frightening video for the single “BLKKK SKKKN HEAD” which features a creepy CGI Kanye:
8) Tiny Moving Parts – This Couch is Long and Full of Friendship
“I did not know what steps to take after graduating high school.”
We’ve all felt this. We can all sympathize. That’s what makes emo outfit Tiny Moving Parts’ newest album so great. It’s relatable with even the most minuscule facets of life. From songs about life in the midwest to interludes that include twinkly guitar riffs with Brett Farve’s retirement speech in the background, this album is a work of art. The off-key, generally rough vocals add to the emotion behind the lyrics to the songs.
Here’s the video for their song “Clouds Above My Head”
7) Moving Mountains – Moving Mountains
Quasi-post-rock icons Moving Mountains released their final album as a band this year, and it was a work of art. Abandoning the rash, harsh sound of their last release Waves, the new s/t venture back to the post-rock roots of Moving Mountains. Soft vocals, incredible crescendoing bridges, and ethereal guitars makes this album one of the best post-rock releases of the year.
Check out their song Apsides:
6) Melt-Banana – Fetch
Japanoise veterans Melt-Banana released a killer record this year, breaking their nearly 6 year break from recording. Fetch is a fun, noisy record full of raucous guitar riffs and high-pitched yet angry sounding vocals.
Here is the single, Candy Gun:
5) Death Grips – Government Plates
Death Grips shocked their fan base by sporadically releasing a new album on Facebook. After legal troubles following their 2012 release No Love, Deep Web, DG started their own record label so they could release their own music for free. In my opinion, Government Plates is the Grips’ best release yet.
Check it:
4) Deafheaven – Sunbather
Black metal band Deafheaven shocked music lovers with their newest release. Black metal fans hate this record due to the shoegaze/screamo elements. Regardless, this album is a fantastic metal release that incorporates ethereal, atmospheric instrumentals and post-rock length songs ranging from 6 to 15 minutes.
Here is the opening track, Dream House:
3) Danny Brown – Old
Danny Brown exploded on to the hip hop game last year with XXX. This year, Danny blew up with his new album. Featuring production from BadBadNotGood, Rustie, and SKYWLKR, Danny Brown’s Old is a hip-hop masterpiece. From honest lyrics about his drug-addled life to party bangers, this record covers everything
Here’s his song Dubstep featuring a very talented British MC:
2) The World is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – Whenever, If Ever
2013 was definitely the year for the genre of emo. Sure, emo’s been around for a while. But 2013 brought new light to the genre. TWIABP helped the genre’s reputation a ton with their release this year. This album is full of amazing elements including cello features, analog sounding synthesizers, and a phenomenal vocalist who brings life to the lyrics.
Here is their song Gig Life:
1) Laura Stevenson – Wheel
Laura Stevenson got her start with the ska/punk group Bomb The Music Industry! Wheel marks Stevenson’s first release as a solo act. The folk rock singer delivers a beautiful take on the genre. Her voice and lyrics blend perfectly while her background guitar riffs only add emphasis to the songs.
Here is her song The Move:
Special Bonus Section: EP of the Year
Whirr – Around
This EP from shoegaze masters Whirr delivers a powerful sound. From the fuzzy, loud guitars to the texture of the vocalist, this EP is definitive for the shoegaze genre.
THE HYPE IS OVER. Yes, that’s right. Last night, Death Grips independently released their third studio album, Government Plates. After a year of controversy and being booted from their label due to the leaking of their second album, No Love Deep Web. Since then, the Grips have started their own label, called Third Worlds, and are digitally releasing their music for free. Looks like the Grips have figured out how to undermine the corruption that is the music industry.
In my opinion, Government Plates shows Death Grips at their creative apex. The noise/hip-hop trio are by far one of the most creative forces this decade. The soft spoken frontman, Stefan “MC Ride” Burnett, unexpectedly screams raspy verses over the noisy electronics produced by drummer Zach Hill and producer/keyboardist Andy “Flatlander” Morin. These guys are of course an acquired taste, but their creativity cannot be diminished. Kanye West even cited the Grips as heavy influence for his newest album, Yeezus.
The album opens with the quick hitting song probably titled by Fall Out Boy, “You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it’s your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat.” The album goes on with Flatlander and Hill’s production being shown off more than ever. From the shout samples in “Two Heavens” to MC Ride’s voice being vocoded on their first single, “Birds.” MC Ride is present in the songs, but the lyrics seem to be unimportant. Most songs are only 3-4 lines long. This album shows off the creative team of Flatlander and Hill on production.
With Government Plates being their magnum opus, Death Grips are an upcoming force to be reckoned with. With the release of their own label, they pose a massive threat to the corporate music industry. Death Grips prove that one doesn’t need to succumb to corporate labels to be successful in music.
Songs to Check Out: Birds, Two Heavens, This Is Violence Now
Laura Stevenson was born into a musical family. Her grandfather was a composer whose resumé includes “Little Drummer Boy” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?” while her grandmother was a singer for Benny Goodman. Needless to say, these musical genes have been passed down to Laura.
Laura Stevenson began her musical career as the keyboard player for Jeff Rosenstock’s punk/ska/whatever the hell they were musical collective, Bomb The Music Industry! While touring/recording with BTMI!, Stevenson grabbed a guitar and began writing songs with a few other BMTI members. Thus, Laura Stevenson and the Cans were formed. The Cans released two records before Stevenson did her own thing and released a solo album.
“Wheel” is Stevenson’s first solo release. It was released under Don Giovanni Records, which also released another killer record this year but we’ll get to that later. “Wheel” is a very, very refreshing folk, singer/songwriter album with songs about middle class love. She sings about “mak[ing] you happy” by “making you coffee when [she] wake[s] up in the morning.” Her unique vocal timbre along with her finger-plucked guitar melodies make this album a nice, relaxing folk album.
This is probably my album of the year. I highly recommend giving this album a listen. I was hooked after hearing the first song.
Chiodos has apparently been trying out a new tune on their current run across the pond with Vans Warped Tour Europe. While it’s always next to impossible to get a real grasp of how the final version will sound, it certainly doesn’t appear to lack in sonic power. New guitarist Thomas Erak’s fingerprints are all over this one, and thew new album should be an interesting listen.
On October 31, I traveled to Rochester to take in a show on Emery’s current tour celebrating the 10 year anniversary of their seminal album, The Weak’s End. This was not just a straightforward rock show, however. For this tour, Emery put together one of the most unique concert experiences I’ve had the pleasure of taking in live. The structure of the show was this: the guys from Emery would take the stage and do a short question and answer session with the crowd, punctuating each set of questions with an acoustic performance of songs from their catalogue. After playing 2 songs, Toby would introduce the supporting band that would follow them on stage. The supporting band would do their acoustic set and then the process started all over. After all the openers had played, Emery would take the stage to play The Weak’s End front-to-back without stopping to say a word between songs. Below you can find video I took of Emery (with founding member Devin Shelton back in the fold) performing The Ponytail Parades acoustic.
First up on the stage was a band by the name of Peace Mercutio. Peace Mercutio is a power pop/rock band almost in the vein of Four Year Strong from Seattle, and a group with which i was unfamiliar with prior to the night. I am certainly familiar with them after that performance. The 3 current members of the band (Vocalist/Guitarist Andy Lundman, vocalist/guitarist Dan Buckley, and drummer Taylor Jurgens) were an absolute blast to watch. When not performing acoustically, Jurgens usually does not provide any vocals whatsoever, but his monster harmonies and guitar work added to the performance in a big way. Below is a video taken by a girl who was standing immediately to my right of their song “Credit Cards,” which may have been my favorite performance of the evening.
Next up on stage was the band This Wild Life, who also put on a very enjoyable show. I hadn’t listened to these guys before the show, but Kevin Jordan and Anthony Del Grosso were both very engaging and positive forces on stage, and the audience definitely matched that energy.
The final opener was Matt MacDonald, best known for his work as the frontman for the Seattle rockers The Classic Crime. Matt was performing songs from The Classic Crime’s substantial catalogue by himself, utilizing a looping pedal to layer sounds and riffs to create a full, dynamic sound from a single guitar. For my money, Matt is one of the best vocalists in the scene, with power and range to spare. Below you can find video I took of Matt performing “The Precipice” from TCC’s 2012 album, Phoenix.
Of course after this, the acoustic guitars went away and Emery took the stage to perform The Weak’s End. I’ve been to a lot of shows, but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a crowd go from “laid back acoustic show” to “hot, sweaty, in-your-face hardcore show” before, let alone in less than 15 minutes time. The venue, The Bug Jar, is essentially a bar with a small stage, not a music venue that also happens to have a bar. I would say that the entire stage area was in a roughly 20′ x 40′ rectangle, and that contributed to an intense atmosphere, with the 200+ patrons piled one on top of the other. Emery may be senior members in the post-hardcore scene, but they haven’t lost an ounce of passion or ability. Honestly, keys/programmer Josh Head and guitarist Matt Carter’s unclean vocals have actually improved since The Weak’s End and frontman Toby Morrell has become a much stronger clean vocalist over the years. Packed though they were, the crowd was fully along for the ride; pushing, jumping, clapping, and screaming every single word at the top of their lungs. Being front and center, completely surrounded by that level of passion and positivity is always an incredible experience, and the Rochester crowd brought it hard. By the time Emery’s set was over and the last note of the encore, “Studying Politics” faded, I was drenched in sweat (most of it not even my own), short of breath, and with a significant ringing in my ears that has only now disappeared. A great night with great musicians making great music. Not much else I can ask for.
Ryan and Jon Do Music 