Four Year Strong
If this is hardcore, then it ain’t so bad. This listener has heard screamo/growl bands, especially the five-band lineup at 2 Cents Plain in downtown St. Louis. Not a big fan!
But Four Year Strong is slightly softer than hardcore. The boys can sing, for one thing. Then there is the youthful energy that brings to mind some of the better young bands of the current century. Four Year Strong is: Dan O’Connor – guitar, vocals; Alan Day – guitar, vocals; Joe Weiss – bass; Jake Massucco – drums; Josh Lyford – synth.
For sure, "Heroes Get Remembered" (Rise or Die Trying 2007 I Surrender) has a touch or two of growl in it, but for the most part it is a rather well constructed, melodic tune. "Bada Bing Wit’ A Pipe" from the same collection has the same rhythmic touch and a bit of screamo icing. But again, the guys in Four Year Strong have their hands and heads strongly in their music. Great guitar and drum work in "Bada Bing Wit’ A Pipe" folks! Want to listen for a long time? Bring your Red Bull!
Now, "Catastrophe" pulls back a bit on the joy stick, but just a bit. "Men Are From Mars" doesn’t. Check this out.
Tags: music, indie music, independent music, Four Year Strong, indie
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:28 pm
You know, this is not exactly my preferred listening normally but it is something that I could let grow on me. It is definitely very different.
Actually, the more I sit here and listen to it, the more I like it.
Can you recommend anyone else similar to these guys? I’d like to check them out a bit more and maybe some others.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:14 am
They don’t look young to me but lots of great musicians right now aren’t that young anymore so I guess that it wouldn’t be the concern for most of the fans. Their picture is saying that they are a rock star because it has an effect of making anyone dizzy if they are going to look at their picture for a along time. I wonder if they are giving away some free shirts.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:57 am
Postman: You’re kidding, right? Please tell me you’re kidding.
I read the review, listened to some songs in MySpace, and I’m trying to understand where you’re coming from, but there’s really no rhyme or reason to the comment. I did not see in the review any mention of “youthful looks” anywhere. Youthful energy, yes, and it does show in the group’s music, but no one said anything (or cares) about Four Year Strong’s looks.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Actually I am gonna have to disagree with you here Fardreamer. In a perfect world, people wouldn’t care about looks, but unless you are just a truly talented band, then you are going to be judged on looks most the time….just as Postman just did. This happens all the time in all genres of music…sad but true. Do you think Britney rose to the fame that she did with her immaculate vocals? And to me, this band is not up there in the ranks with the greats. It could be that I just don’t like scream-o, even though are a bit softer than the majority of that genre that I have heard, but I also personally disagree with the author too and don’t think the vocals are good either. I would say decent at best. Now I do have to give props on the guitar work; AWESOME on almost every song. Other than that, nothing too stand out to me.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:12 am
Like Leighdu had already said the talent may get you notice but it will never get you into fame for a long time because people likes to judges this singers based on their looks. Backstreet boys never got its fame just because with their talents. They also have the looks. This goes to a lot of those singers that made it to the top.
Do you still think that I’m kidding, Fardreamer?
April 24th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Maybe you both have a point, but I seem to remember when this notion of having to have good looks as well as musical talent was considered to be shallow, at least as far as music goes. Maybe that’s because back in the early days of recorded and radio, voices and skills with instruments were valued far more than physical appearance.
Now, with videos and webcasts and all those audio-visual techniques audiences rely on, sex appeal and physical attractiveness certainly seem to be as important, or even more important than, as musical talent. I seriously doubt that Janis Joplin or Bob Dylan, giants of rock and indie-style music of the Sixties, would pass muster by today’s pop-tart standards that gave us Britney, Cristina, ‘N Sync, and all those other acts.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Yes, it’s totally shallow, I am not disagreeing with you there. But the truth of the matter is that looks sell, shallow as that is. But my whole point was that if you have the talent looks don’t matter, but it certainly doesn’t hurt either. All these non talent manufactured bands rely mainly on their looks to get where they are.
April 25th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
All very true.
One of the most vivid examples I can think of that proves your “sex/good looks sell” point as being the Gospel truth is this:
When I was still in junior high, way back in the 1970s, I went over to a friend’s house just to chill out after school. He had a huge record collection, and one of them featured a gauzy but still very visible cover shot of the female singer, in her birthday suit, riding on horseback. No timid covering up of breasts with her long blonde hair, either…it was like a Playboy photo, just a bit blurry as though it had been shot through gauze.
I don’t remember the singer, nor the exact genre, but I do remember the cover art.
Also, I shudder to think about what people would think nowadays about Kate Smith. She was, as the term for overweight women now current online goes, a BBW, but she had a great singing voice. Doubt she’d make it through one round of American Idol, though.
April 27th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Fardreamer, you are contradicting yourself. Your first posts says that no one cares about looks, then you said the total opposite in your last response. And I will repeat what I said: looks don’t matter when you have the absolute talent to back it up. As far as American Idol goes, just looks at Reuben Studdard. He weighed I’m sure over 300 pounds, but he won because he is an incredible singer. I don’t guess you are much of an American Idol watcher.
Anyhow, back on topic. I can see why Postman would say that about their looks because these guys are not firmly established well known talent, and in listening to them, I think they have lots of work to do to get that level.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Um, yes, I do seem to be contradicting myself. Sometimes I tend to do that without intending to.
All right…this is how I see the whole situation as far as looks and talent go in the music business.
It helps a great deal to be good looking as well as musically talented these days. Raw talent does carry one far, but in most cases, particularly now that videos and other visuals are so important, looks matter way more than in the pre-video age.
American Idol isn’t a show I watch on a regular basis, but I did watch part of the season where Reuben won the top prize. Talented singer he was, and probably still is. Hasn’t done well lately as far as his post-AI career goes.
As for this band, I agree…they’re very much a work in progress; their music seems to be all right enough for them to tour all over the world, but it doesn’t impress me much. I wasn’t enamored of Bada Bing Wit’ a Pipe…maybe its because it seems to be a stream of consciousness song with only some good but not great vocals and instrumentals.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:46 am
I think that if this is the age of innocence like in the old days, I’m sure that they would make it to the top with their talents but because such things are just common now you must have a lovely face to get notice and to be famous. Such talents is just common now because I’ve been hearing lots of good voice whenever I’m in a party singing with my friends. Talents and looks are the best combination.