Entertainment | The Ty_RockCity Music/Entertainment Blog

TyRockCity Best of 2019

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Ty Jamar

What can I say about the year 2019? It was a year of growth, prosperity, memories, loss, and hysteria. As far as music goes in 2019, it was a year of hard-hitting albums, big-name shows, festivals, and preparing for what’s to come next year. Personally, so much has happened this last year, I can’t even begin to explain. To sum it all up in an “end of the year” blog piece, I have decided to talk about not only the usual, my top 10 favorite albums of this year, but the projects, events, and times in my life that I went through to end the decade in the best way possible. Of course, the top 10 albums are a good way to start, so let’s go!

TOP 10 ALBUMS of 2019 (in no particular order)

Knocked Loose – “A Different Shade of Blue”.

I was really looking forward to this album after I felt that “Laugh Tracks” had been played out, especially with the whole “Arf Arf” craze (ugh). Putting that aside, there were good songs AND it was their debut album. The band itself promised that the album was going to be faster, more dynamic, and would include more ferocity, while still remaining Knocked Loose. The end result not only delivers but surpasses the aforementioned album AND goes in a darker direction. This emotion keeps the metalcore genre refreshed and alive. For myself personally, once the album came out, I removed “Laugh Tracks” from my iPod. “Blue” is THAT good. I even have extra space and I STILL did it. Some peeps may dispute this opinion, but in my opinion, “A Different Shade of Blue”, is just a continuation of the history of Knocked Loose going forward, not backward.

Wreath of Tongues – “Penance”.

I first caught wind of this Long Island-based band in Brooklyn, seeing them play live with SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Heavens Die, and TRNQT at Saint Vitus in July. In the end, I was really impressed with the sound in their arsenal, which is influenced by bands like Converge, Botch, and Coalesce, with the addition of grindcore and death metal. I got to meet the guys after they got off stage and I was told by a couple of members that their EP was coming out in December. I was eagerly awaiting the release and this EP and it is definitely worth multiple listens if you’re looking for a resurgence of the old school mathcore sound of the early 2000s (with a modern twist of course). After seeing more of their shows, I’m looking forward to seeing even more from these guys in the future.

Synapses Firing – “Ruining You”.

Anyone who knows me personally knows I heavily fucks with Synapses Firing since their debut full-length, “Forgive”. Not to mention, I’ve been friends with singer/guitarist Sean Dowling and drummer Paul Bennardo for years going back to the Bronx Underground days. After listening to pretty much everything in their discography, and heavily jamming the “Fever Dreaming” 7’’, I was really anticipating this one. Also, word got out that the band was recording the album with Adam Cichocki of Gatherers! Chock full of jams and more experimentation, you can definitely hear a bit more vocal range for Sean as he’s pushing towards a sort of raw, organic, but slightly polished sound. Altogether, “Ruining You” is a perfect balance of alternative rock and experimental post-hardcore that goes full force, while giving you some chances to chill a bit in every listen.

Johnny Booth – “Firsthand Accounts”.

A friend of mine used to be a super groupie of this band and would always talk about how great they were and another friend always used to dispute it all the time. Myself included. That was until I saw the music video for “Fever Dreams” and made up my own mind. Naturally, I became interested in how the newest album was going to turn out. They did not disappoint. Johnny Booth really brought the heat with this album. I finally caught them live in Brooklyn with Cryptodira and Husbandry, and the songs from the album really play well live. Not too long after the release of “Firsthand Accounts”, the band stated that they have already started writing for their follow-up album. I can’t wait to see how that comes out!

SeeYouSpaceCowboy – “The Correlation Between Entrance and Exit Wounds”.

The first time seeing SeeYouSpaceCowboy live after hearing their past music was most certainly an experience. I personally felt that not only was it a new era of metalcore but a chance for transgender people to have their voices heard in heavy music. This is a reference to frontwoman Connie Sgarbossa. While the band’s early material was more on the “screamo” side, this album showcases a more mature sound. They’ve definitely moved away from the genre they never wanted to be boxed into (check out the song “Stop Calling Us Screamo” for further reference). Months leading up to the album’s release, they released all their old material in one CD with a new song included to let fans know the direction the new music was going to take. “Correlation”, really shows the more melodic direction while still retaining the SeeYouSpaceCowboy flavor. One of the songs, “Late December”, Connie dedicated to a friend of hers who had committed suicide. Over 2019, SYSC has grown to be one of the more popular metalcore bands with one big tour after another. The year ending with the Knocked Loose headliner and a spot on Tid the Season with Every Time I Die. 2020 is looking to be a good year for the band as they continue to grow and who knows, maybe a new song or two?

WristMeetRazor – “Misery Never Forgets”.

WristMeetRazor is one of the bands looped in with the whole “#20NineScene” bullshit. Along with SeeYouSpaceCowboy, despite the stereotype being pushed on them, is much more than that. With their Converge-tinged goth style of metalcore, they went from being a small band, which was originally just a solo project, to signing to Prosthetic Records and continuously touring throughout the year. I was fortunate enough to capture photos of their East coast tour when they came through Brooklyn, and I became good friends with vocalist/bassist Justin Fornof. We still shoot the shit to this day. Overall, this album is definitely a good 21 minutes of your time if you’re looking for more of a revival of the throwback metalcore sound with a goth atmosphere.

Wicca Phase Springs Eternal – “Suffer On”.

I came across WPSE while reading the insert on TRNQT’s EP “I Hate the Way This Makes Me Feel”. After doing some research, I came to find out that this was a solo project of former Tigers Jaw frontman Adam McIlwee, which he pursued after departing from the band. Also, he collaborated with Lil Peep before Peep passed away. Even though this is a goth trap, emo rap, whatever you want to call it style EP, I have grown to dig the sound, despite my disdain for a lot of trap music. But, I made an exception for the Gothboiclique crew and sound. With some acoustic guitar thrown into the mix, it’s predominately a goth trap EP that you can chill and vibe too, whenever you’re in the mood, or if you want an escape from the shitty trap that’s out now. Go for something more emotional with more authenticity like “Suffer On”.

Bury Your Dead – “We Are Bury Your Dead”.

Since 2011, after the release of “Mosh N’ Roll”, Bury Your Dead fans have been anxiously awaiting new music from one of Boston’s powerhouse hardcore bands. Myself included, I must admit. After reading that they signed with Fronz from Attila’s label Stay Sick Recordings and releasing a new EP with Mark Castillo back on drums and Aaron Patrick back on bass, I was really looking forward to seeing what they could still do. After the single release “Collateral”, I went straight to pre-ordering the vinyl. But before then, they had come through to play a few headlining shows along the East coast with Upon a Burning Body, Great American Ghost, and Born a New. Perfect opportunity to finally catch Bury Your Dead with Mat Bruso on vocals since I had previously seen them live with former frontman Myke Terry (who had replaced Bruso for some time). It was a good show but the EP is just as fire as it brought them back to their more old school Bury Your Dead style. If you ever want to relive your younger years and punch walls like you did when you jammed “The Color of Money”, “House of Straw”, and “Magnolia”, this is your go-to EP. Welcome back, Bury Your Dead!

Monochromatic Black – “Pneuma”.

What can I say about Monochromatic Black? After many rumblings of a new band being formed by an acquaintance of mine, Tanya Beickert, I was extremely interested since she’s one of my favorite vocalists! I was patiently waiting as Tanya and her bandmates, drummer Eddie DeCesare and guitarist John Gribbin were busy working on what would be the “Pneuma” EP. Once the work was finished and they dropped a couple of music videos for the songs “The Herd” and “Phosphenes”, I was hooked right away. On this EP, Tanya really showcases her range as a vocalist going from deep death metal growls, spoken word passages, high pitched shrieking, and melodic singing. Influences from the rest of the band really show as well as they mix metalcore, death metal, and progressive music, without sounding too discombobulated and unfocused. With a couple of tours under their belt since the EP release and an upcoming appearance at NAMM 2020, expect this band to move nowhere but upward.

Transgression – “Lost All Light”.

Like SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Transgression is another band that I was stoked for because they have members who are part of the Trans community. More voices in the scene is always a good thing. They are raw and heavy as fuck, and it showed on this release, I was definitely impressed. If only they weren’t going to break up after their final show at LDB Fest 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. I definitely wanted to hear more of their stories and what they have to say through their music and lyrics. Give this band a listen and be sure to catch them when you can before they call it quits. Their music will still be on Bandcamp and other streaming services for sure.

Not only was it a year of favorite albums for me, but 2019 had me doing many projects I had always had wanted to pursue. One of them was a beer collaboration release festival with my brothers/crew Uptown Beer Society. Me and the homie Joel originally spoke about it because he wanted to make a beer with the band Daly’s Gone Wrong, his favorite Bronx local band of all time, and I had wanted to book a show with Daly’s as the headliner. It was a ton of work putting it together, but, in the end, The Bronx Dance Party Festival was created and the beer was coincidentally called Bronx Dance Party (after one of Daly’s classic songs). It was well worth the work because not only did we make a great tasting hoppy Kolsch with our friends from Barrier Brewing, Bronx Beer Hall, Brewski’s, and the band, the show was one that will be talked about for years after. 12 bands, including The Drew Torres Trio, the reuniting of Ismada, Bryan Keith, Synapses Firing, The Day Before, Monsters on the Horizon, the comeback of Onikiri, and many others played with the help of the DJs of the Uptown Vinyl Supreme crew spinning vinyl in between sets. Many independent vendors also came from The Bronx and the Uptown section of New York City to share in the experience and sell merchandise. It was definitely a feeling of a community at The Point Community Center in The Bronx. That feeling had been missing for years after Bronx Underground ceased operations and people stopped booking shows in The Bronx. There may be another Bronx Dance Party Fest in the works…bigger and better…stay tuned!

Aside from booking the Bronx Dance Party Festival with my friends, there were many shows this year I had the pleasure of attending. The biggest one being the performance of the O.G. lineup of the legends, The Misfits, at Madison Square Garden along with Rancid and The Damned. Being a self-proclaimed gothcore kid who grew up on metalcore bands like Bleeding Through, Avenged Sevenfold, and It Dies Today, seeing the Misfits live was definitely a bucket list show. My god, did they play a whole set of classics and top hits from their earlier discography when Glenn Danzig was their singer. Just the fact I had got to fulfill my dream and see Glenn Danzig live with Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein on guitar, Jerry Only on bass, and Dave Lombardo of Slayer fame playing drums, definitely made my year right there! Another show I got to attend this year was the final Back to School Jam in Jersey City, New Jersey, with bands Martyr AD, Folly, Vein, and Most Precious Blood playing to a whole lot of old heads and young heads who love and appreciate the true metalcore style. That, and seeing Jesus Piece play the after show just down the street from the venue capped off the night. Definitely a whole bunch of great shows this year to end the decade.

With 2020 being the start of a new decade, I am definitely looking forward to a new beginning and a new chapter. Lots of new friends to be made, new music to be heard, and new projects to pursue. In the words of Daly’s Gone Wrong, “so here’s to us”. Cheers to a new year!

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Thank you, Thursday.

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Ty Jamar

To all the Thursday fans on the East coast, more specifically New York and New Jersey, we all know the very final Thursday show to celebrate 20 years, where they played songs off of the “Full Collapse” and “War All the Time”, brought their tour to a close on Tuesday, March 19th at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn. Tears were shed, people were being pummeled on and off stage, sweaty as fuck, all in all for a great time to say thank you to modern day legends in the post-hardcore genre and to say “See you later” to them for a while. For myself, I personally wanted to write a show review but I decided to do this post in form of a Q&A and take questions from the Facebook group with a chock full of Thursday fans. As a matter of fact, it IS a Thursday fan page. Lol. So I received a few questions to answer on here and I just want to thank Geoff McElwee of the 1000PaperCranes.net Facebook page (feel free to check them out if you love Thursday as much as this group) for sending me your questions. Much appreciated! Here we go.

How would you describe the Thursday discography in one sentence?

Sweet and spicy with a touch of storytelling and lyricism that is left for the listener to decipher.

How did you first get turned onto them?

I first took interest in them back in 2007, I believe, in college when an old classmate of mine had the dove tattoo on his hand and he explained to me one day that the dove tattoo symbolized the band Thursday and he was a fan of them. Some years later, I saw them live for the first time with Pierce the Veil, Bring Me the Horizon, Cancer Bats and Four Year Strong on the Taste of Chaos 2009 tour and bought their “Common Existence” album, which was my first actual Thursday album I owned. From there, I worked backwards towards “Full Collapse” and albums after, researched their history and now I look them as a respected and influential band in their genre.

What are your Top 5 songs, and why?

Understanding in a Car Crash – To me, this is my real taste of what Thursday brings to the table. “Common Existence” may be my first Thursday album, but I hardly go back to it. So that’s why I feel that “Full Collapse” is definitely the most important and most revered album in Thursday’s catalogue and this song leads the charge out of the entire album alone. Good balance of Geoff’s lyricism and the band’s instrumentation.
For the Workforce, Drowning – The structure, the heaviness, gets right to the point as far as album openers go. This song gets the album going. Now that I think of some of the lyrics in this song, I see why a band like Bring Me the Horizon gets the “don’t let me drown” line from for their song.
Signals Over the Air – I was introduced to this song by a friend of mine from the local scene. Every time I hear this song, I feel the vibes and the song puts me in a vibe where I can imagine this song being a romantic song in some way, shape or form.
This Song Brought to You by a Falling Bomb – This song, to me, is where I feel that this is a story being told about a war scenario or a city/town in the brink of destruction. The piano and Geoff’s vocals and lyrics combined together help make the song what it is. Definitely one of my favorite Thursday songs.
War All the Time

What keeps them relevant in your life despite a lack of continued recordings/new material?

One thing for sure is their influence in the genre and the scene. Me being 33 years old and a fan of old school music from back in the day, people can tell you that I always go on about how good music was constantly. Also, to hear their name mentioned with other bands who blew up in popularity around the same time like Thrice, Finch, Taking Back Sunday, etc., makes me happy that people got to have music like the music Thursday be there for them whether it’s during their youth or just being a lifelong fan of the band. Makes me wonder why I never got into them back in high school. Lol

What’s one thing you would say to Geoff’s parents if you met them? (I met his parent’s in Asbury Park…I consider myself an empath, and I’m in sales, so I read people very quickly. Introduced myself on a whim)

I would tell them that I can speak for everyone when I say thank you for creating this human and bringing him into many peoples lives. However the conversation will go afterwards, I’ll be happy to continue it along with them.

Setlist for March 19th, 2019 at Saint Vitus Bar:

For the Workforce, Drowning , Between Rupture and Rapture , Autobiography of a Nation , A Hole in the World , Signals Over the Air , Division St. , This Song Brought to You by a Falling Bomb , Steps Ascending , War All the Time , Cross Out the Eyes , Understanding in a Car Crash , You Were the Cancer , Jet Black New Year , Stay True

Stray from the Path “Only Death Is Real” Album Release Show

Posted on September 17, 2017 by Ty Jamar

Happy 8-day anniversary to the best album release show I have been to since God (there’s no God) but God knows when!

But yeah, it’s been 8 days and I’m still jamming these two albums that were celebrated in one great night which took place on September 8^th in Amityville at Revolution Bar and Music Hall: Stray from the Path’s “Only Death is Real” and END’s “From the Unforgiving Arms of God EP”. It was mainly Stray’s album since it was in their hometown but END was releasing their EP around that time too so it made sense for them to do a few dates together and bring some good music to the masses. As soon as the news came out months ago that a band made up of members of Counterparts, Fit for an Autopsy and Structures was going to be coming out with music, fans of those three bands couldn’t be more excited to see what was going to transpire. As the summer passed by, Stray was getting a lot of hate because of the controversial music video for the song “Goodnight Alt-Right” on YouTube while END announced the release date of the upcoming EP. Once tickets for the show were available online, I bought mine right away because I wasn’t missing this! We, the people, were in for an awesome show and we couldn’t be more hyped!

First band of the night was a local band called Sanction from Long Island. They were dope as fuck as their sound reminded me of a more modernized Disembodied/Martyr AD. Was a great set being that it was my first time seeing this band live and bought their EP at their merch table and I look forward to hearing more from these guys soon! Be sure to support them by buying their EP on Bandcamp at sanctionli.bandcamp.com. Next band to play was Champ, another band from Long Island, which were alright and I didn’t really get. They got a good reaction for the most part and had somewhat of a non-technical August Burns Red feel to them. Pretty tight set and had people anticipating what was to come after.

For those that don’t really know, END is a new band that is made up of members of Counterparts, Fit for an Autopsy and Structures (Brendan Murphy, Will Putney and Andrew McEnaney respectively) with Jay Pepito from Reign Supreme and Gregory Thomas who was in Misery Signals. Their EP came out the night before which was the 7^th of September so it was their release show before Stray’s. I have heard the album stream online and was hoping that the live performance would live up to the hype. Once the first note hit, everyone was hooked immediately! As the set went on, few people were up front singing the words back to Brendan and I may have seen a few people stagedive during the set. For me, it was a first time seeing Will Putney play live on stage because of him being a member of his main band that doesn’t really tour with them because of his work as a producer at Graphic Nature. After the set was done, there were one thing I got from the performance aside from everyone sounding good and the performance was tight with lots of movement: that being that Brendan Murphy looked happier and had more fun on stage with END. Not that he is thinking of ending Counterparts anytime soon because their new album is coming out in a couple of days and it sounds like it’s gonna be fucking sick! While I was conversing with him after the set, you can tell that he felt great after performing in a new band aside from his main band. I’ll say this now, 2017 is Brendan Murphy’s year! Two releases from his two bands in the same year? How could anyone not agree?

Setlist: Chewing Glass, Usurper, Love Let Me Die, From the Unforgiving Arms of God, Necessary Death, Survived by Nothing. (Basically their entire EP from front to back)

Up next were the hometown heroes in Stray from the Path. It was my 3^rd-4^th time seeing Stray live and they always kill it every time! I had become cool with their bassist Anthony Altamura before and it was always good times whenever we run into each other at their shows. With this release, I knew they were going to kill it again and that they did! One minor thing is their drummer Craig Reynolds was unable to play the shows due to work VISA issues since he lives in the UK so their ex-drummer Dan Bourke had to learn the new songs in a matter of hours and he did an awesome job playing the parts that Craig wrote! A set mixed of songs off “Only Death Is Real” and a couple of oldies really made the night what it was. During the set before they dove into their song “Goodnight Alt-Right”, frontman Drew York gives a speech about racism in the scene and how it wasn’t allowed at a Stray show and that people of all colors and races are always welcome at their shows. A tremendous amount of crowd participation, stage diving left and right, a tight performance: all you get when you’re at a Stray from the Path show. After they closed out the set with “First World Problem Child”, everyone was hanging out at the merch table after the show and was going home happy even though there was a fight at the right side of the stage after someone stage dove and landed on someone who didn’t like it. But whatever, stage diving is better than a wall of death. Just a personal opinion so but it was definitely a great night overall!

Setlist: Outbreak, Badge and a Ballet 2, A Day and a Night, Goodnight Alt-Right, D.I.E.P.I.G., Snap, Negative and Violent, Damien, Opening Move, Loudest in the Room, Badge and a Bullet, First World Problem Child.

Sum 41

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Ty Jamar

Sum 41 from Ajax, Ontario, Canada. What can I say? One of the OG modern day rock bands from the 2000s that has been labeled pop punk, melodic hardcore, skate punk and alternative rock. I finally had a chance to see them on their headlining tour that they are currently on with Senses Fail and As It Is. How did I get into Sum 41 in the first place? Of course, with me, there’s an interesting backstory with these bands and me so I’m going to get into it.
The year was 2007 and I was still in my metalcore phase and hating everything pop punk, scream and emo even while in college. After many film/broadcasting projects, most notably a hilarious debate between me and a classmate about metalcore vs. alternative rock, I went to my school library one day just to hang with my dude Brian who worked there who’s a huge metalhead and another student who frequents the library had been talking to us about Chuck and Sum 41. That one name Chuck had been in my head at that time and I’m like what did Sum 41 and Chuck has to do with each other? Then the next day, I had class with the classmate whom I’ve had the debate with tell me about Sum 41 and Chuck as well, which was kind of funny because I took him as a huge hip-hop fan. Turns out he was serious because he recommended the album titled “Chuck” by Sum 41 and one of his favorite songs off the album titled “There’s No Solution”. After that, I told him that I would consider listening to the album one night. Of course, this was back when Limewire was the big thing for those who want to download music. Next time I saw my boy Brian at the college library and was talking with him about Sum 41 and their connection to metal because I remembered them playing MTV Icon: Metallica even though they’re not a metal band and he told me that they actually listen to metal but they don’t play it so one night I decided to download the “Chuck” album and give it a listen to for the very first time. In the end, it became one of my favorite albums of all time and I considered it one of my masterpiece albums. The album in general is a perfect mix of what Sum 41 has been known for for the time they have been a band while incorporating more of the metal and hardcore influences. Over the years, I have went backwards in their discography and listened to the “All Killer, No Filler” and “Does This Look Infected?” albums and enjoyed those too as well but “Chuck” will always be the top favorite for me.
Now on came the day where the leaders of the Scumfuck family made the stop in New York City on their Don’t Call It a Sum-Back Tour. Friday, October 14th, 2016 was the day where the show was completely sold out but not before I won tickets through the Thrill Call app. Funny story, my podcast co-host Ian won tickets for the same tour through the same app for the concert in his part of town. So I won the tickets to the show and while waiting for my ride because I had someone going to the show with me but I guess he got held up at whatever he was doing at his job so I made the trip downtown via subway and made it down to Playstation Theater in Times Square just to catch the last couple of songs of Senses Fail’s set before Sum 41 came on stage to perform. So picture a completely sold out show even if some people left after Senses Fail and Sum 41 comes on stage with a pretty sick intro that mixes a James Brown song with a Metallica song until drummer Frank Zummo hits the cymbals and the crowd roars in applause after his bandmates ring out their instruments and make their entrance before they jump into the first song of the set which was “The Hell Song” off the “Does This Look Infected?” album. Over the time Deryck Whibley and Co. played their set, a moment where Deryck attempting a solo during a song before the finish the rest of it so he provide the audience with some comedic shit like bringing up a fan to the stage supposedly to have him showcase his guitar skills because it was led to believe that the fan can do better, which he did a pretty good soloing job. It was all in good sport and made for a good entertainment segment during the song. Overall, the set was a mix of songs from their newest album titled “13 Voices” and a bunch of old favorites including the closing song of the encore “Fat Lip”. At the beginning of “Fat Lip”, confetti and smoke were propelled form the stage cannons and had people going nuts and everyone sang the words out loud and made for a great night ending for all those who ware partying with Sum 41 in Playstation Theater.

Setlist: The Hell Song, Over My Head, Fake My Own Death, Goddamn I’m Dead Again, Underclass Hero, Screaming Bloody Murder, There Will Be Blood, War, Motivation, We’re All to Blame, Walking Disaster, With You, God Save Us All (Death to POP), Frank Zummo drum solo, No Reason, We Will Rock You (Queen cover), Still Waiting, In Too Deep. Encore: Pieces, 13 Voices, Fat Lip.

In the end, I give the performance Sum 41 gave a 4.5/5 due to the fact they know how to put on a good show despite a few people would want Senses Fail to headline instead even if Sum 41 are clearly the veterans and are the bigger band. Also, because of the inflatable skeleton on stage blowing up during the encore songs to show the “Sum 41 salute” which I thought was dope as fuck! To catch Sum 41 one their next couple of tour dates, keep up with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media and be sure to check out their latest album titled “13 Voices” and my co-host’s concert review, which we discussed on the latest episode of Ian Hates Music.

http://www.ianhates.com/podcasts/ian-hates-music-51-the-core

Oh, and I finally found Waldo.

Entertainment, Music

An Update!

Link | Posted on August 1, 2016 by Ty Jamar

Hey all! It’s been a while since my last blog post. There has been so much going on when it comes to shows and work so it’s been delaying my posts from once every month to now where it’s just when I can find the time to do it. Anyhow, for this post, I have decided to provide for who would might stumble upon this a link to a podcast that I joined in on an episode of. The podcast is titled Ian Hates Podcast and it’s based out of Massachusetts and it was fun doing a three-way discussion with him and another friend of the show named Jackson. In this episode here, we talk about Warped Tour 2016 and our experiences at our respective dates, music news and Breakdown from the past where we talk about an album from back in the day that we had loved to listen to. Hope you all enjoy it and be sure to keep a look out for any blog posts and updates within the next few months!

IAN HATES MUSIC EPISODE #30 PART 2 (WARPED TOUR AND MORE!)

www.ianhates.com

ianhates@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/ianhates

Twitter: @ianhatespodcast

Instagram: ianhatespodcast

The First of the Ty_RockCity Music/Entertainment Blog

Posted on January 24, 2016 by Ty Jamar

Hello and welcome to the brand new music blog titled The Ty_RockCity Music/Entertainment Blog. My name is Ty Jamar. I go by the name Ty Rock around the local music scene in New York City. I have been involved in music for a few years now since late 2008 while pursuing a career in entertainment. Over the years, I have experienced the atmosphere of being at a local show as opposed to a show taking place at a big venue, too many bands coming and going, fierce competition with the scene and a lot more. I decided to start this music blog due to high demand of peeps within the scene who look at me like I’m this big music/entertainment news geek (Which I am. Not going to lie. Lol) and I should get it all out there by writing a blog any chance I get and they would read it. I said ‘Sure. Why not?’ Well here it is. And what better way to start off the first blog than with the year 2015?

Overall, the year 2015 has been a year of musical evolution, focusing on the rock scene for the youngsters (Metalcore, pop punk, post-hardcore, etc). Bands who have been playing music and touring for years have released their music to positive, mixed and negative responses from critics and music listeners all over the world. I happen to be one of them of course. The way I decided to list my favorites of the year 2015 is by splitting them into two groups. One group being the big name bands which I will list ten of them and the second being the bands from my hometown, New York City. Long Island bands are included as well. Nothing against bands in other parts of the Tri-state area like Currents (CT) and Sentinels (NJ) as they are doing their thing and are currently working on their new music. Focusing solely on bands in New York makes it much more easier for me to be connected with the local scene here because I’m obviously more familiar with it. You may be wondering what my favorites are so let’s get to it.

Group A (10 favorite releases from big name bands):

– Bring Me the Horizon – That’s the Spirit.

What was once a heavy yet melodic metalcore band fronted by Oli Sykes’ strained screams as he blew out his voice in the band’s early years, returned after 2013’s Sempiternal with a complete game changer which very few people saw coming. Abandoned are the breakdowns and in came Oli Sykes singing, melodic riffs, catchy choruses and tracks that can create powerful energy within stadium arenas. In conclusion, you get Bring Me the Horizon as an alternative rock band. First time listening to the album, I really enjoyed it even if I was iffy about one track, that being “Run” but it has grown on me. And there’s even a dance rock track at the very end of the album, which is enjoyable. It’s safe to say that Bring Me the Horizon really accomplished what they wanted to achieve musically and is a fresh start for this group.

– Lions Lions – Changing the Definition.

This EP has been a constant play for me with no hesitation. Just like their live set, the EP is very energetic and somehow more pop punk than their last couple of releases. But hey, it makes for a good listen for the most part. If you’re looking for anything heavy on this EP, listen to the tracks “Alt-Delete” and “Standards” (which features Garret Rapp of The Color Morale). The EP in general whenever I listen to it always reminds me why Lions Lions is definitely one of my favorite bands.

– While She Sleeps – Brainwashed.

Anytime I throw on an album from While She Sleeps, it’s always an onslaught of passionate heavy music that never lets up. Saw them at Warped Tour during the summer and they always put on a show. Always energetic and makes for good workout music at the gym or a fun time with the blokes in the UK. “Our Legacy” will always be the jam.

– Parkway Drive – Ire

Once I saw a video on Youtube of frontman Winston McCall talking about how the album was going to be different from their past releases, it wasn’t shocking at all. He has said before that he has heard one too many breakdowns and the band was going to be incorporating musical influences from bands like Rage Against the Machine. The first single and video they release of the album titled “Vice Grip” which is catchy as it reminds you of 80s hard arena rock but with a current day twist to it the best way Parkway Drive can do it. “Crushed” is definitely the Rage Against the Machine inspired track with it’s buildup intro after an awkward Arabian sounding vocal intro and the riff which can take you back to when you used to rock out to Tom Morello’s open string guitar riffs. It’s very different musically for the band on some of the tracks and many people have had mixed reactions to the album but what can you expect from a band that chooses to grow up and evolve?

– Lamb of God – VII: Sturm Und Drang

This is as angry and powerful as Lamb of God can get. Of course, the tough time period the band went through as vocalist Randy Blythe was going through a legal situation, which thankfully he made it through, definitely influenced the writing for the tracks on the album and honestly gave the music a kick that I felt the Desolution album needed and was lacking in some ways. The biggest surprise to me comes in form of the track “Overlord”. Randy Blythe really shows his vocal talent by singing in half of the song then going back to the heavy raw screams for the other half of the track. I posted on social media that it was Lamb of God’s first bipolar track ever. Overall, it was definitely a big release for the band for the year. I recommend the track “512”.

– Veil of Maya – Matriarch.

What can I say about Veil of Maya and the crazy sick riffs and songs courtesy of my guy Marc Okubo? I found out about the new album because of the release of the music video for the single “Mikasa”. Immediately, I took interest and it’s Veil of Maya how I know them to be. But little did I know, the new vocalist brought a new melodic approach with the throat vocals and also clean singing, which is a first in Veil of Maya because they have never had clean vocals on songs before from what I can recall hearing. I was shocked by how good the track was and it got me looking forward to the rest of the album. Of course, people are not going to be welcoming of the clean singing and look at it as them going for the chipmunk sound. Lmao. Still the sick band known as Veil of Maya last time I checked but with a little something called change. *clicks tongue

– Fit For an Autopsy – Absolute Hope Absolute Hell.

Before this album, I never really took it upon to listen to the band altogether. I have always heard the name around when bands I listen to go on tour with them and maybe have come close a few times to seeing them live. Probably with Thy Art Is Murder or another band. Since I love anything that guitarist/producer Will Putney touches, I decided to give the first single a listen. In the end, I loved it. All in all, the product is deathcore but without the long string of breakdowns/dragging sections of blast beats and includes more musical variety. Fit For an Autopsy definitely won me over with this album and they slay it live when it comes to live performances. If you’re looking for deathcore with more musical variety and with the golden touch of Will Putney’s production, even if he’s a member of the band, go pick up the album. I did.

– From First to Last – Dead Trees.

The hype was real when Matt Good announced that From First to Last was getting back together after a few years hiatus/side projects and Spencer Sotelo, vocalist of Periphery, was brought in as the official lead vocalist for the band and is singing on the album which is to become the one known as Dead Trees. It was a long wait for the people who were dying to hear the album as they heard the remake of the classic song “Note to Self”. The album shows a rejuvenated band as they come blasting in with a sonic onslaught and you can hear a bit of a djenty influence on some of the tracks but still had the From First to Last flavor. Also, the guys were nice enough to release the album with 3 old song remakes including the aforementioned classic jam especially to those who wanted Skrillex formerly known as Sonny Moore to come back when he’s already too far gone into the Grammy world. Looking forward to more music in the future and if you haven’t, listen to Periphery’s Alpha and Omega albums while at it as they were released in 2015 as well.

– Phinehas – Till the End.

Till the End was one of the albums that I was looking forward to hearing this year as I have been following them since the albums before this one and also working sound at show they were playing in Queens. This one is another step in the band’s career especially with newest member in the form of Daniel Gailey of the band Becoming the Archetype. With the new flavor Daniel brings to the band, their style of metalcore with some southern rock seasoning has definitely kept my attention and will continue to do so in the years to come.

– The Plot in You – Happiness in Self Destruction.

First Born and Could You Watch Your Children Burn were hits amongst The Plot In You’s fanbase and Landon Tewers is definitely a musical genius. Don’t care what no one says. Take a listen to his solo material, if what I said isn’t convincing enough. When the single “My Old Ways” dropped, people were eager to hear more as some were reluctant to hear a band like The Plot in You go in a more “commercial” direction. Landon has said himself that the new album was going to be a little different from CYWYCB as he has come out of many personal situations in his life whether it involved the passing of his grandfather or him getting over drugs. It shows as you listen to the album in songs like “Pillhead”, “Take Me Away” and “Time Changes Everything”. Once you listen to the albums, you definitely feel a lot of the emotions Landon went through in writing the songs while still keeping it The Plot In You. The album is definitely worth checking out.

Honorable mentions: August Burns Red – Found in Far Away Places, Stick to Your Guns – Disobedient, Stray from the Path – Subliminal Criminals, Counterparts – Tragedy Will Find Us

Group B (Top NY local scene music releases):

– Varsity – Risen.

The new single released from the Post-hardcore/metal/ambient 5-piece is just a preview of what to expect from them later in 2016 as they are currently working on new material. It’s definitely a step up from the Lights EP and the vocal duel of clean vocalist Joey Varela and bassist/screamer Javy Dorrejo (ex-Five Cases of a Tragedy) really give the track it’s well known edge. Peep the music video done by Alex Kouvatsos of Blackwolf Imaging, as that shit is fire.

– Made In March – Hara-Kiri EP.

A heavy chugging intro and five tracks equals Made In March’s strongest offering to date. With the incorporation of the rap lyrical style from Fil Fury’s old-school bar spittin’ days in the rap game, it adds a whole new dynamic to the traditional also evolving MIM sound their fans have grown to love. Even Patrick Somoulay of the metalcore band Reflections lent his guest guitar solo talent to a song of theirs on the EP. Recommended tracks include “The Reaper” (which you can watch the music video for on Youtube), “Firefly”, and “Lead or Follow”.

– Mutiny Abroad – Vultures and Vices EP.

This Long Island band really got my attention with their style of Hardcore while taking influence from bands like Every Time I Die, Converge, Poison the Well, and Pennywise. First time that I saw them live in Amityville, I felt like I was listening to metalcore and hardcore from my late teenage years and early 20s and immediately went looking for their EP. For fans of the aforementioned bands, support them and purchase their EP at a show or on Bandcamp. They are well on the way up.

– Overcomer (now known as Restwell) – Humanly Speaking EP.

I was put on to this band by a long time familiar face from the Long Island scene. His exact words were ‘these guys sound like Counterparts if they went in a more metalcore direction”. Once I heard them play the first song of their set, He was right. To me, they are bringing back the vibe of Christian metalcore but without the Mattie Montgomery constant preaching. This four-piece from Long Island is slowly growing, as they are a fairly new band. The Humanly Speaking EP is sonically pleasing for any metalcore fan and I recommend a spin or two or three. Recommended tracks: “Faces (In My Head)”, “15:5”.

– The Bryan Durieux Project (now known as Durieux) – Living With Other Things.

For anyone who is a fan of Bad Rabbits, this band is your go-to band. I have had the pleasure of hearing the band whether they are performing as a full band or just vocalist/guitarist Bryan Durieux performing solo, and it’s nothing short of musical goodness. If my future wife and I do end up making a baby to the music, then we all know who really is to blame. Lol. Whenever you want to chill out and relax and get a jazzy vibe, the full length ten track album is worth listening to and available for purchase on Bandcamp and keep an eye out for future performances. Tracks to check out: “Crazy”, “Memories”, “Back-up Plan”, “The Disappearing Act”.

– Call It Home – Just a Dream.

This 5-piece post-hardcore/pop band from Long Island is getting bigger every day. Now armed with a new Cameron Mizell mixed and mastered full-length album that is coming soon, this single has held down their diehard fans to this day until the album is released. The track definitely gives you a That’s Outrageous vibe, not that it is anything wrong with that. You’ll definitely find yourself headbanging to the heavy grooves, the powerful screams provided by vocalist Chris Cristofi and the poppy clean singing of former guitarist/clean vocalist Andrew Rothberg. Keep up to date with the band because they’ll be coming to a city near you on tour for 2016 as they tour with some signed bands.

– I, Awake – Heart/Home and Instance singles.

New up and coming progressive metalcore band out of Long Island who had a good and steady first year as a band closing 2015 down with a opening spot on Texas In July’s final U.S. tour. These lads are adding onto the melodic progressive metalcore landscape as it was missing in today’s scene, as bands tend to rely on open string breakdowns, no melody and no musical range. 2016 should be the year of I, Awake’s growth as a band and should have more good music coming out during the year. Not a band to be sleeping on.

– Above the Empty – Inside My Mind.

Formerly known as Deistruct, the duo of musicians Peter Lanza (vocals, guitars, bass) and Mike Martinez (drums, lead guitar) came back as a whole new machine as their previous band dissolved. The single Inside My Mind really showed them at their fullest potential and yes, while the chorus may remind people of a Make Me Famous song but you still listened long enough as they grabbed your interest with the song as it has your dose of melody, punchy drums, catchy lead guitars and the dual vocal style of clean singing and throat vocals of Peter Lanza. Looking forward to that they have in store for this year.

– As Beings – Self-titled EP.

I watched these dudes evolve from the ashes of Edge of Existence and become a whole new band after much needed minor lineup changes and taking on a new musical direction. For fans of Volumes, The Contortionist and Aristeia, the tracks are pretty good and never stray far away from the melodic sounds while retaining the heaviness of the Djent style.

While the year of 2015 may have been full of worldwide chaos and many tragic losses, the year has also been about new beginnings and fresh starts. Especially for bands whether they are signed, DIY or locals. 2016 should be a continuation of that and is definitely being talked about as the year for a lot of talented bands. For this year, I’m definitely looking forward to releases from bands such as Killswitch Engage, Thrice, Deftones, Korn, Saosin and some unsigned tri-state bands that are looking to start their careers in music. And who knows what else we can expect this year? Maybe more band comebacks? We’ll just have to wait and find out this year.

“Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a new chance to rebuild what you want.” – Brooke Addison

R.I.P. Kenny “BreedMachine” Batista

1991-2015