Circa Survive
Circa Survive is an Indie Rock Band that hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Band members include Anthony Green, Colin Frangicetto, Brendan Ekstrom, Nick Beard, and Steve Clifford. Anthony Green, the vocalist, was formerly part of a band called Saosin. He terminated his relationship with that band and started jamming with Colin Frangicetto. Together, they formed the band, started auditioning potential band members, and then eventually settled on the current lineup.
Their sound is drawn from their influences as well as their personal style and flair. Rhapsody.com classifies them as Emo under the Indie Rock category. The term emo has evolved - where it once indicated a specific subgenre of punk and has since evolved. Their sound is brooding and dark where the vocal stylings and guitar playing weave to form a complex array of emotions. Their sophomore album shows that the band has evolved but has also stuck to its roots.
They’ve released two albums since its inception, Juturna and On Letting Go. They also have several music videos and continue to tour throughout the country. Visit their website or myspace page for details on new releases and tour dates. They launched their Summer 2007 tour and plan to hit multiple cities.
Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool is an indie nu-metal band who first gained prominence while on tour with Ozzfest. Their sound contains all the elements of the genre - heavy guitar, strong rhythms, electronic affects, and a lead singer who screeches and yells while managing to sound lyrical without muddling the words, which is refreshing.
The fact that they’ve had a rocky history has not stopped them from churning out albums and collecting a devoted fan base. In the time they’ve been together, they’ve already had three lead singers. A year after their debut album was released, original lead singer Dave Williams was found dead in his apartment.
Jason Jones was the replacement for Williams and the band released their sophomore album Desensitized in 2004, which went platinum. Jones left in 2005 and was replaced by Ryan McCombs, formerly with SOiL. Despite this, the band has been rocking harder than ever.
Besides releasing their own albums, touring, and appearing in Ozzfest, they also contributed to the Saw III soundtrack with their track "No More". Their sound has proven to be a nice fit for the movie’s graphic content.
They released a new album in August of 2007 titled "Full Circle" which continues the nu-metal tradition.
Tributes paid to Anthony Wilson
August 20, 2007 by Mitch
Filed under Indie Music Blog
Anthony Wilson, the Manchester musical legend and the founder of Factory Records died on the 10th of August. He was 57 years old and died of Cancer. Anthony Wilson was the man behind the success of several bands in Manchester. Anthony Wilson passed away on Friday evening. Last year, Wilson was diagnosed for Kidney cancer, and had undergone an emergency surgery to remove a kidney, in January.
Wilson, born in Salford as often been dubbed as ‘Mr. Manchester’. He was often referred to as the mastermind of Manchester’s music industry. Wilson started out as a broadcaster, but he managed to influence almost every aspect of the music industry. His influence was not limited only to the music scene in Manchester but extended even to the wider UK music scene. In fact the bands New Order and Happy Mondays were launched by Factory Records. He was also responsible for the launch of Hacienda nightclub.
Phil Saxe who worked at Factory Records with Anthony Wilson had this to say while glorifying the greatness of Wilson,
"Part of me, part of Manchester, part of modern British music has died tonight. I really don’t know what to say. Tony was a genius, basically. I know people say he wasn’t a great businessman, but they’re missing the point. He was a visionary in that he helped bands, who otherwise wouldn’t have made it, who were a bit out of the ordinary. He helped them realize their dreams and through that probably realized himself to be Mr. Manchester".
Stephen Morris had this to say while he paid his tribute to Wilson, "New Order wouldn’t have came to be what they are without Tony and the Factory Record label because he was very passionate about music and he believed the band should have total freedom. He was I think, the only person in the music industry that didn’t believe in contracts. You’d see him do deals with record companies and the whole thing was done on the back of his hand. You could literally do what you want."
Anthony Wilson was truly a great icon and had inspired many around the world. Hundreds have paid tribute to ‘Mr. Manchester’, and his loss has certainly come as a massive blow to both Manchester and its music industry.
Armor For Sleep
With its complex alternative rock sound, it’s hard to believe that New Jersey band Armor For Sleep started as a one man band after Ben Jorgensen hit the studio after leaving his former band. He played all the instruments, wrote all the lyrics, and sang all the songs. The band members joined shortly after. After some adjustments to their lineup the current one stands with Ben Jorgensen on vocals, PJ Decicco on guitar, Anthony Dilonno on bass, and Nash Breen on drums.
They currently have two albums. Their first, Dream to Make Believe, was released about a year after they got together in 2002. They waited two years to release their second album, What to Do When You Are Dead. Their third is scheduled for release in September 2007. Their website contains a video that is designed to plug the new release.
Though their chosen genre, alternative rock/punk, is populated by bands - they manage to bring something different to the scene. And whatever they’re doing to bring originality to the scene is certainly working. They have a loyal following with fans spanning in all corners of the United States and beyond, thanks to the internet. You can find them on YouTube, MySpace, and on their site.
One Armor for Sleep song, End of the World, is featured on the Transformers soundtrack.
The Format
Categorized on Rhapsody.com as "jangle pop", The Format fits nicely in this category with bands like the Gin Blossoms from the 90’s. However, they fit in the category without completely conforming to it. Perhaps that’s why it’s often hard to categorize them. Jangle pop, alternative, and indie have all been used to describe their sound. And their style could differ from song to song. Perhaps that’s part of their appeal.
The band’s name was chosen as a sarcastic tribute to the music industry’s desire to "format" a hit song. And when you listen to their lyrics, you realize that they bring originality to a pop genre that doesn’t always support free thinking.
The band was formed by Nate Ruess and Seam Means and were later joined by members Mike Schey, Don Raymond, and Marko Buzard. They release their first album, Inventions + Lullabys, in 2003. Their second album, Dog Problems, was released in 2006 and proved to be a worthy follow-up to their debut. They’ve also appeared in a variety of compilation albums such as the soundtrack for the television show Veronica Mars and on the soundtrack for the movie National Treasure. Originally with the now defunct label, Electra, they are part of a new family at Atlantic Records.