Tag Archive for emo

Texas Is The Reason Live In Philadelphia (2/16/13)

/ February 18, 2013 / No comments

Texas Is The Reason twice in less than 6 months… am I lucky, or what?  Saturday night I got a chance to see Texas Is The Reason again with some friends, only this time I stayed pretty close to home heading out to Philly’s own Union Transfer.  I missed Title Fight (confession time: I’m not a huge Title Fight fan although I heard their new album is killer… maybe I’ll give them another listen) but made it with plenty of time to see Texas Is The Reason.

Preparing for a night of melancholy post hardcore, TITR took the stage to a sold out crowd and told us about how they were dedicating the set to a kid who was terminally ill and had tickets to the show but sadly passed away hours beforehand (and if you know him, my thoughts go out to you).  They said that his parents informed them that the last song he listened to before he died was “Do You Know Who You Are” and so they opened with the instrumental track.

From there on, the band proceeded to play through most of their incredibly short discography with the majority of us oldsters shouting along every word.  While the show never got that rowdy, we definitely lost our shit to songs like “If It’s Here When We Get Back It’s Ours” and “Back And To The Left” (obviously).

The band played tightly, and threw in a new songs (well… they wrote it years ago).  I’m not sure if this is the last time I will ever see Texas Is The Reason, but I feel lucky enough to just be able to catch them twice now.  Anything other reunion shows are just bonuses at this point.

Setlist (From what I remember and not in order at all):
Do You Know Who You Are?
The Magic Bullet Theory
Johnny On The Spot
If It’s Here When We Get Back, It’s Ours
Nickel Wound
Something To Forget
There’s No Way I Can Talk Myself Out Of This One
Dressing Cold
Blue Boy
The Day’s Refrain
Back And To The Left

Encore:
A Jack With One Eye

MP3:
Texas Is The Reason – If It’s Here When We Get Back, It’s Ours

This Is Only Fun For Me:
Texas Is The Reason – Self Titled EP
Lifetime – Hello Bastards

Buy:
Revelation Records

Donovan was rarely injured, then suddenly he was. That’s an incredibly frustrating feeling.

Category: emo, live, music, post hardcore, show, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , ,

Hold Tight – Blizzard Of 96 (For fans of Latterman, Title Fight, Lifetime)

/ October 25, 2012 / No comments

I remember the first time I saw Richmond pop-punkers Hold Tight.  I went to a house show here in Philly and they were playing with one of my favorite local hardcore bands Lighten Up (RIP).  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was completely blown away by their feel good pop-punk, and I picked up their debut Can’t Take This Away, and it was love at first listen.  Two EPs and a split later, they recently released their second LP Blizzard Of 96.

While their past few EPs experimented with hardcore (which I love by the way), Blizzard Of 96 is a bit of a return to the pop-punk we heard on their debut.  With 14 incredibly catchy anthems about growing up and moving on, Blizzard is a lot moodier than their past releases, yet so melodic this time around that it’s sure to bring on a fuck ton of sing-a-longs.  Shit, I am writing this on a plane, and I really have to stop myself from shouting along and not creep out the people next to me.

If you like pop-punk, I highly recommend you check this one out.  Hold Tight is easily one of my favorite pop-punk bands. Oh, and check out Call The Zoo by them, easily my favorite.

MP3:
Hold Tight – Graduation Day

I Never Remember That Nothing Lasts Forever:
Hold Tight – Can’t Take This Away
Hold Tight – Call The Zoo
Hold Tight/Direct Hit Split (Hardcore)

Buy:
Hold Tight

Category: emo, music, pop punk / Tags: , , , ,

Texas Is The Reason, Gameface Live In NY (10/11/12)

/ October 12, 2012 / No comments

Last night I headed out to New York City’s Irving Plaza with some friends in order to catch post-hardcore legends Texas Is The Reason reunion show at Revelation Records Anniversary show.  Unfortunately I could not catch any of the other nights (Youth Of Today is playing Saturday), but I was stoked to catch TITR.

Gameface:

We got there in time to catch 1990s South Cali band Gameface.  I’m not overly familiar with Gameface, but they played a decently enjoyable set with a lot of people in the crowd singing along to each word.  They blended elements of punk, emo, and 90s rock… to which I can best describe as the product if Samiam, Farside, Oasis and the Goo Goo Dolls had somehow had sloppy group sex.

An enjoyable set, I headed out of the venue for a bit before coming back to catch Texas Is The Reason.

Texas Is The Reason:

Texas Is The Reason were one of the most influential emo bands of their time.  Blending elements of hardcore similar to Lifetime with the slower sounds of bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, they are one of the very few “emo” bands that I love.

The band took the stage to the sounds of “Do You Know Who You Are” and then immediately busted out into one of my personal favorites “It It’s Here When We Get Back, It’s Ours”.  The crowd immediately broke out into a short lived frenzy, with people stage diving and two stepping (ok… yours truly was two stepping), to which my friend said was much rowdier than the show the night before.

Texas Is The Reason blasted through the majority of their entire catalog (not too difficult to do when you only have 12 recorded songs from one EP and one LP), and even played two “new” songs… which were probably written back in 1999.  Besides the new ones, we were shouting along to every word through the hour long set.  “Back And To The Left” had easily the biggest reaction of the night, and the band closed out with “One Eyed Jack.”

Definitely a solid show, it’s a shame their career was so short.  While I’m not holding my breath, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’d be stoked to see them play again (preferably in Philadelphia).

Setlist:
If it’s Here When We Get Back, It’s Ours
The Magic Bullet Theory
Nickel Wound
Johnny On The Spot
New Song
Blue Boy
There’s No Way I Can Talk Myself Out Of This One
Something To Forget
New Song
The Day’s Refrain
Dressing Cold
Back And To The Left

Encore:
Antique
A Jack With One Eye

MP3:
Texas Is The Reason – If It’s Here When We Get Back, It’s Ours

More:
Texas Is The Reason – Self Titled EP
Lifetime – Hello Bastards
Thursday – Full Collapse
Saves The Day – Can’t Slow Down

Buy:
Revelation Records

Category: emo, live, music, post hardcore, show / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Weston – Got Beat Up (For fans of Latterman, Sunny Day Real Estate, Weezer)

/ October 3, 2012 / One comment


There seems to be a huge revival of melodic pop punk bordering on emo going on right now… you know, with bands like Title Fight and Latterman selling out reunion shows.  I don’t know where this came from, but I do know that one of the earliest and most influential bands and albums of this genre is constantly getting overlooked.  Weston’s Got Beat Up is a one of the most underrated gems in pop punk history.

Weston formed back in 1990 in Bethlahem, PA.  While the band broke up in 2001, the breakup was short lived as they reformed in 2006.  Releasing their 2nd album Got Beat Up in 1996, I think it’s one of the catchiest pop punk/emo albums around.   Whether it’s the energetic sing a long “No Kind Of Superstar” or the Sunny Day Real Estate-esque “Your Summer Dress”, Weston’s Got Beat Up is a solid listen through the entire 13 track 33 minute album.

Incredibly nostalgic, if you dig pop punk or old school emo at all, you definitely need to check out these unsung heroes.

MP3:
Weston – No Kind Of Superstar

More:
Teenage Bottlerocket – Another Way
Saves The Day – Can’t Slow Down
Hold Tight! – Can’t Take This Away

Buy:
Go Kart Records

Category: emo, music, pop punk / Tags: , , , ,

Texas Is The Reason – Self Titled EP (For fans of Lifetime, Thursday, The Promise Ring)

/ September 7, 2012 / No comments

Texas Is The Reason are for better or for worse… one of the most influential bands of their time and genre.  While incredibly short lived with only one full length and one EP, they along with Lifetime and Sunny Day Real Estate are considered to be one of the main influences of the 90s emo genre (oh no, I said the dirty word!  Saying “emo” on a punk site is like yelling “socialist” at a GOP convention).

Now before you stop reading and dismiss them immediately, it’s worth noting that early emo had a very different definition than now, and resembles hardcore more than any of that crying into microphones that gets touted as emo today, and their 3 song Self Titled EP proves it.

Besides being named after a Misfits line dealing with the Kennedy assassination (“Texas is an outrage when your husband is dead/Texas is an outrage when they pick up his head/Texas is the reason that the president’s dead/You gotta suck, suck, Jackie suck”) you here many melodic hardcore roots throughout the album.

Take the incredibly two-steppable opener “If It’s Here When We Get Back, It’s Ours”.  With lyrics like “I think I’m finally sick of faking it / But I hate you all and that’s for free and that’s what makes it easy for me.” , Texas Is The Reason is filled with bitterness and cynicism.  The EP continues with the midtempo yet incredibly noisy sound of “Dressing Cold”, only to finally slow down for a few seconds with closer Antique, which eventually picks right back up.

If you always avoided Texas Is The Reason for their emo tag, then you should definitely give them a chance, you may be pleasantly surprised.  And if you are a fan of any shape of emo at all, go listen to one of the biggest influences on your genre.

MP3:
Texas Is The Reason – If It’s Here When We Get Back, It’s Ours

I Dare You To Give Me One Reason To Stay:
Lifetime – Hello Bastards
Thursday – Full Collapse
Saves The Day – Can’t Slow Down

Buy:
Revelation Records

Category: emo, hardcore, music / Tags: , , , ,

Signals Midwest – Latitudes and Longitudes (For fans of Menzingers, Braid, Smoke or Fire)

/ February 16, 2012 / No comments

There’s just something about Signals Midwest’s “Latitudes and Longitudes”.  I’m not usually into the particular style that these Cleveland, Ohio dudes play, and while it’s not in my regular rotation (yet), I do enjoy the album.

Signals Midwest play that gruff midwestern punk mixed with melodic emo influences that seems to be randomly big these days, but unlike 90% of similar bands, they’re able to keep me hooked.

You can hear their influences through each melody, from The Menzingers, Braid, to Smoke or Fire (shit, listen to the opening vocal pattern of “The Weight And The Waiting”, it’s the exact same as Smoke or Fire’s “Neon Light”). Speaking of melodies, some of them are just straight up addicting, particularly “Family Crest” and “The Quiet Persuader”.

For fans of people who like sticking their hands in their hoodie pockets and nodding furiously along to songs, only to take it out and thump on their chests for the really exciting parts… oh and beards.  Definitely beards.

Mp3:
Signals Midwest – The Quiet Persuader

More Melodic Punk For Your Melancholy Heart:

The Menzingers – Chamberlain Waits

The Reveling – Tributaries

Crucial Dudes – 61 Penn

Buy:

Tiny Engines

Category: music, punk / Tags: , , ,