HJ Music’s Now You Know rings in the new year with four albums from last year that might have escaped your notice, but bear your attention. From the hip-hop of Gym Class Heroes to the standard rock of Army of Anyone and Augustana to the indie alternative of Brand New, there are hopes and dreams and desires that have still been unmet. Unattained and as of now just out of reach, these artists want something more than meaningless maintenance of motion—they want it to be something that means something, something that matters.
Augustana’s Stars & Boulevards presents another mellowed band with lyrics about missing your girlfriend and drinking away the sadness. Mixed with a blend of commentary on the weather in California and Boston, it’s ironic that the crew is from Illinois. The lyrics to “Bullets” hit on a romance gone sour, but “Maybe” shows the most promise, with its second verse, “You live your life in shackles/Strip away your pain/Take away serenity/Take away your name.” They do have a nice sound with more melody and piano-driven sounds than the run-of-the-mill stuff out there, but it would be nice to hear them embrace some new lyrical content. Having toured with Switchfoot, there are obviously some connections there, but not much is in print about the standard 'Christians in a band' question.
What happens when the nerds of gym class write their own lines, rather than fit the mold their bullies expect? The Gym Class Heroes ignore the fitness test and hit the stage. GCH brings the varying talents of lyricist/singer Travis McCoy and drummer Matt McGinley who did really meet in gym class in high school, as well as guitarist Milo Bonacci and bassist Ryan Geise. Needless information for the fans: they’ve come a long way from playing birthday parties and local festivals. Having caught the eye of Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, they found their album, The Papercut Chronicles, produced by a big time label. With ‘hits’ like “The Queen and I” and “New Friend Request,” GCH will be certain to have underdogs everywhere rejoicing. Listeners seeking more lyrical meat will enjoy “Sloppy Love Jingle” in both parts, where we learn McCoy’s history: “I remember back to fifth grade/I tried to read the book of love, but sadly/The introduction didn’t grab me/So I left it on the shelf and kept moving.” The final history of these guys isn’t yet written.
Formed when the frontman of Filter Richard Patrick joined with members of the Stone Temple Pilots (Dean and Robert DeLeo) and David Lee Roth’s drummer, Ray Luzier, the Army of Anyone presents a self-titled debut that is simple in its regular ol’ rock ‘n roll message, but it doesn’t sound half-bad. From “It Doesn’t Matter” with it’s desire to “live where the truth can win,” to “A Better Place” where they long to make a place filled with love, the band rocks solidly, a poor man’s Creed. “Father Figure” shows some promise, with a testament to self-preservation a la “Janie’s Got A Gun,” and “Disappear” speaks to a harsher reality where “Jesus lost his crown/heaven must help us.” Overall, not a bad listen but nothing too great either.
Brand New’s third album, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me has caught the attention of the alternative crowd, but I’m still not sold on Alternative Press’ “America’s Radiohead” band. Taking the album’s title from a conversation that lead singer Jesse Lacey had with a schizophrenic friend, but they’ve taken their title from the Beastie Boys’ song of the same name. None of their stuff provides much hope for the future, from “Sowing Season” and the encouragement to ‘plant something’ in the ground before you’re buried in it, to the despair of the “Millstone” wrapped around Lacey’s neck. These just begin Brand New’s religious references: “Jesus Christ” expresses an interest in the afterlife, while fearing that Lacey’s past sins will nail Jesus back on the cross. Brand New doesn’t stop then, but sometimes the band’s depression just got in the way of their good music.
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