Rating: 4/5
The Summer Set have lost even more of their pop punk tendencies on their new album, Everything’s Fine, but fans have absolutely nothing to fear because in the process, they have become an even more amazing straight up pop rock band.  In a way, The Summer Set have taken the same giant leap that their Arizona brothers in The Maine did with last year’s terrific Black & White.  On Everything’s Fine, The Summer Set in a sense sound like the band they always wanted to be and in the process they should have no problem breaking into the mainstream with their sharp hooks, timeless and relatable lyrics, and summer oriented chord progressions.  The album starts off incredibly strong with “About A Girl” one of the best songs the band have ever written, in which lead singer Brian Dales is a dead ringer for his vocal idol Nate Ruess of The Format and more recently, Fun.  At times on this album it would seam as though Dales has shown the most growth in the band as his lyrics and melodies are considerably stronger this time around, despite them being quite accessible as well.  The album stays consistent throughout as well with some of the best moments coming towards the end of the album, such as mannequin, which at times sounds like a song Taylor Swift would have written if she grew up touring on warped tour instead of in stadiums.  First single “Someone Like You” may be a slight departure for the band, but it is still an enjoyable pop gem, and certainly better than any of the pop rock music that is being played on the radio right now.  John Fields who has worked with everyone from the Jonas Brothers to Switchfoot and more recently All Time Low and even Jimmy Eat World, has also helped the band achieve a sound that is not only more universal, but also more focused.  Ultimately, there is barely anything to complain about Everything’s Fine besides the fact that some earlier fans might be somewhat turned off by the fact that there is nothing as saccharine on it as “Chelsea” was, but in reality The Summer Set needed to mature past that style of music to fulfill their potential and it will be interesting to see how their maturation continues to play out. 

Rating: 4/5
Set Your Goals are back in full form on their newest release Burning at Both Ends, their third LP and second for indie label powerhouse Epitaph records.  Burning at Both Ends was long worth the wait, and should not disappoint any fans of the bands energetic, positive and uplifting easycore tunes.   The one two punch of opener “Cure For Apathy” and “Start the Reactor” prove SYG haven’t lost their touch for crafting infectious hooks and the power to insert awesome gang vocals.  Early on during the album however, it is clear that there is a lot more pop punk going on this time around then hardcore, which honestly isn’t such a bad thing, because Set Your Goals really do sound better than ever, and have proved that they have no desire to re-write the same album over and over.  The more streamlined pop-punk approach circa the early 2000’s really does suit Set Your Goals well on tremendous sing-along’s like “The Last American Virgin” in which co-vocalist Matt Wilson really shines.  “Last American Virgin” also features a fun spoken interlude reminiscent of the interlude in Weezer’s massive hit “The Sweater Song”.  Overall, both vocalist, Wilson, and Jordan Brown have both stepped their game up and Daniel Coddaire and Audelio Flores JR. have started playing more upbeat riffs that rival those of the best bands in this genre.  What is perhaps the most amazing about this new Set Your Goals release is that the band got so much better and created such a unique offering in a genre that is currently becoming very crowded.  The hooks in songs like “Exit Summer” and “London Heathrow” are both familiar and innovative, making them some of the bands strongest songs ever.  “Product Of the 80’s” is a fun left turn and stylistic departure for the band, which is super saccharine, but also a lot of fun making it an album standout.  After two albums with the same stable lineup, it is clear Set Your Goals are finally meeting the incredible potential everyone saw in them with the release of Mutiny.  Burning at Both Ends just might be the best album to drive around to in the sun this summer, and the best album to get sun burned to while moshing at warped tour.  Either way, it seems like Set Your Goals are truly having fun again and that means awesome music for all of us. 

Rating: 5/5
The Wonder Years crafted what was most definitely the greatest pop punk album of the last three years with their previous release, The Upsides.  That album was loved by fans and critics alike, and brought the band to the attention of Hopeless records who wound up re-releasing the album to even more critical praise, and higher record sales.  With their stellar follow up, Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing  the band don’t waste anytime getting the listener’s attention.  Opener, “Came Out Swinging” is perfectly titled and sets the tone for most of the album.  It is a song that is both familiar sounding and also re-energizing.  From that point on, things only get better as the band unload pitch-perfect pop-punk melodies and guitar riffs that pay homage to everyone from Lifetime and Saves The Day, to the early Drive-Thru Records roster.  What is perhaps the best thing about The Wonder Years as a band and really about this album as a whole, is that it can appeal to a large audience.  The young pop-punk fans who might be more into some of the neon-oriented bands, will have a hard time denying the sheer catchiness of this album, and for the twenty something’s like all of us who work here at Rockshowaddiction it takes us back to a time when this music actually made you feel human, alive, and ready to take over the world.  One of the album’s high points, is the Hot Water Music meets The Starting Line combination that we hear on “Local Man Ruins Everything “ which is perhaps the most personal song Dan “Soupy” Campbell” has ever written lyrically.  The album stays strong throughout all thirteen songs, with some of the best tracks coming towards the end, like the fantastic, “Hoodie Weather” which is obviously about the band’s hometown of Philly, but could translate to any city across America with its themes of moving on while not forgetting where you came from.  Overall, The Wonder Years have hit it out of the park with this follow up, proving there was no reason to ever doubt them in the first place.  All we can truly say is this record is all you could ever want out of this type of music and so much more. 

Rating: 4/5
With their sophomore release The Flood, Of Mice & Men have truly crafted an album that should silence all of their haters while also taking the focus off of the drama that often surrounds front man Austin Carlile.  Ultimately, The Flood puts the focus back on the music.  New guitarist and San Jose native Alan Ashby has breathed so much new life into this band that at times it truly does sound like a new project without straying to far away from the screamo territory Of Mice & Men treaded before on their self-titled debut.  Opener, the hilariously titled, “O.G Loko” is clearly one of the tunes that Ashby and Carlile penned together as it is very reminiscent of the more streamlined metal sound Carlile had described their new project together would originally sound like, before the return to Of Mice & Men.  Slipknot is an obvious reference point, which is surprisingly refreshing to hear blended in to the bands metallic post-hardcore crunch, and Ashby’s down-tuned riffs might honestly be enough for the band to set themselves apart from the rest of the screamo pack.  Upon listening to the rest of the record however, it is clear the clean singer and now bass player, Shayley Bourget and guitarist Philip Manansala were also hard at work writing great new songs for the album.  “Let Live” and “My Understanding” see Bourget pushing his vocals to new limits while sounding even more like a dead ringer for Aaron Gillespie, in fact these two songs at times sound like they could have even been on a record by The Almost.  Despite wearing their influences on their sleeves, the band never sound like copycats and ultimately do wind up standing out from the rest of the Rise Records roster for the first time in their careers, which is a really beautiful thing.  As horrible as it may sound on paper, it is the weirder moments that make this album more entertaining, like the unexpected vocal break in “Ohioisonfire” which includes an “oo-a-a-a” scream that brings to mind the beginning of Distrubed’s smash hit, “Down With The Sickness”.  On paper that sounds absolutely terrible, but somehow Of Mice and Men make it work.  Hopefully, The Flood will help refresh today’s stagnant post-hardcore scene with its surprising originality.  Judging from the bands recent tour, which was mostly sold out, and the buzz surrounding this album, it is clear that Of Mice & Men have more than a good chance of doing so.  After listening to the album, we can rest-assured, success aside, this is a band that means business and has matured into a genre leader. 

Rating: 4/5
Kiss The Sun Goodbye, the debut full length by Vampires Everywhere! is an album filled with strong melodic choruses, crushing breakdowns, and stellar electronic programming all performed by a bunch of dudes who look like, well, Vampires.  It’s a damn shame many people do not seem to give this band a chance based on the way that they look, because they are missing out on something fresh and different in today’s stale screamo music scene.  Singer Michael Vampire screeches and yells like he is in a black metal band or even better yet, Bert McCraken of the Used prior to his having vocal surgery but he also winds up singing like some demonic pop robot.  Admittedly, there is a little bit too much auto tune on his clean vocals throughout the album, but it has gone down significantly since their prior releases, which is a definite improvement.  Slight industrial undertones throughout songs like “Undead Heart” and “Bleeding Rain” are a nice touch and really add to the dark atmosphere of the record.  The best song however, might “Let Me In” which is almost a ballad despite its constant screaming, that recalls the best moments of 90’s alternative rock. (Think Aiden covering Smashing Pumpkins)  The devil himself, Wil Francis of Seattle’s Aiden even shows up on “Bleeding Rain” for a perfect vocal cameo, that makes the song all the more memorable.  At times the band calls to mind a young Atreyu considering the many parallels they share such as vampire obsessed lyrics, Swedish inspired metalcore guitar licks, and crushing breakdowns.  Ultimately, Vampires Everywhere!, just like Black Veil Brides, are a great example of why you simply cannot judge a book by its cover when it comes to this music scene. 

Subcity Take Action Tour Featuring: Texas In July, The Swellers, Polar Bear Club, Bayside and Silverstein at El Corazon on May 16,2011

When the annual Take Action! Tour rolled in to Seattle on May 16th 2011, El Corazon was filled with a diverse audience eager to see an even more diverse bill.  This particular reviewer didn’t make it in to the venue until the Swellers began bringing there powerful and melodic brand of punk rock to the El Corazon audience, and midway through their set, it is clear that the audience is in love with their fast paced antics.  The set was heavy on tracks from their most recent full length Ups and Downsizing including arena worthy renditions of “Welcome Back Riders” and “Fire Away”.  It is clear that they are one of the tightest bands on the bill tonight, with each song pitch perfect and properly executed.  By the end of the set it seems as though over half of the audience is with them, and beginning to move around a bit.  By the time Polar Bear Club hits the stage, many of the concert patrons have left the club, presumably to smoke or go drink at the bar, but that didn’t seem to stop the band from putting on an entertaining post-hardcore performance.  Polar Bear Club definitely incited the most moshing of the night, and held the record for most crowd surfers, but what was more important about their set was the energy and conviction with which they played.  Though their set could have benefitted from having a few more of the faster paced songs off of their newest album, Chasing Hamburg it was still chock full of fan favorites like “Living Saints” which the club gladly sang along to.  Overall, the Swellers and Polar Bear Club seem like the two bands on this tour that go well together with their combinations of rough punk rock and catchy singa-longs. 

            Once Bayside frontman Anthony Raneri steps on stage, it is clear whom the majority of the fans came out to see tonight.  The tiny club was completely packed in for Bayside's tremendous set of old fan favorites, and quality tracks off of their newest album Killing Time.  The new material may not hold a candle to the old songs, however it does sound decent live, and the crowd seems to love the bands passionate rendition of the song “Already Gone”.  Guitarist Jack

O’Shea pulls out all the tricks during the band’s set shredding and wailing on his guitar on past hits such as  “The Walking Wounded” and closer “Devotion & Desire”.  Anthony Raneri sang with such passion, and emotion, that the crowd at times looked as they could feel the pain that he felt when crafting his dark pop gems.  “Montauk” was the song that really got the audience singing tonight, and after it is over the audience admittedly looks a little tired as many fans begin to filter out of the club. 

            As Silverstein took the stage around ten o clock, a considerable portion of the audience has left El Corazon for good, but it is clear the die hard fans still in attendance, couldn’t be more stoked to see some amazing early 2000’s screamo songs played live.  Silverstein still sound great for the most part, however, their age does show a bit tonight.  Singer Shane Told has some trouble hitting the notes in his own songs and ultimately screams a lot less than on record, however he still seems to be putting a lot of energy into the performance.  Their set included fan favorites like “My Heroine” and “Smile in Your Sleep” but also included some less obvious songs, like a powerful rendition of Propagandhi’s “Fuck The Border”.  It was a slight disappointment that the band didn’t play “Texas Mickey” off of their new album Rescue especially since it features some awesome guest vocals from Bayside’s Anthony Raneri.  By the end of the show however, it seems as though perhaps tonight Bayside should have taken over headlining duties. 

            Overall, the Take Action tour was a quality night filled with great music and for a good cause. 

Rating: 4/5
Manchester Orchestra had the unfortunate task of following up one of the greatest albums of the past five years when they headed into the studio to record Simple Math.  Their last album Mean Everything To Nothing is undoubtedly an album that will go down as one of the greatest masterpieces of indie rock and post-hardcore ever created, so frontman Andy Hull and company definitely had something to prove with Simple Math.  For the most part, Manchester Orchestra do wind up proving they have made a more than competent follow-up to Mean Everything To Nothing but unlike most other publications that have reviewed the album, this reviewer is hesitant to say its as good as their last record.  Simple Math is an awesome record, nonetheless, it just sounds at times like the band lost some of the edge that they had the past few years.  For example, “Mighty” at times sounds somewhat dialed in, and lacks the intense emotion found on some of the later tracks on the album.  “Pensacola” is Manchester Orchestra at their most upbeat and sounds like a song that Hull will pump a lot of emotion into live.  The opening guitar riff on this song calls to mind Modest Mouse’s major label output, while the verses are catchy enough to have made their way on to Death Cab For Cutie’s Transatlanticism.  The album returns to some of the darkness we heard on Mean Everything To Nothing on the albums best track, “Virgin” which even features an ominous children’s choir in the chorus.  The guitars on this track are pure post hardcore, while the bass buzzes along through the verses giving the song its distinct heaviness, something that would have made this album even better if it were present on more songs.  “Simple Math” calls to mind Radio Head in the same way Brand New’s later output does, with Hull’s vocals sounding somewhere in between the former’s Thom Yorke and latter’s Jessie Lacey.  “Pale Black Eye” is another one of the album’s strongest tracks embodying an almost alternative country sound much like My Morning Jacket, which is something the band has scarcely tried before.  Simple Math is definitely the kind of album that demands many listens, and perhaps I have not listened to it enough times to clearly decide where it falls within the spectrum of Manchester Orchestra’s recorded output.  Ten or fifteen listens in though, it is clear that no matter what, Manchester Orchestra have created another terrific album, proving they have only scraped the tip of the iceberg of their potential as songwriters. 

Rating: 4/5
Justin Pierre is best known as the frontman of nerdy pop punk superstars Motion City Soundtrack, but recently he has been in full force promoting his terrific side project, Farewell Continental.  What is perfect about Farewell Continental is that as a band, they do not sound like a side project at all nor do they sound like a band that resembles Motion City Soundtrack.  The band’s new full length, !Hey, Hey Pioneers!  sounds like an album lifted from the late 90’s midwestern emo explosion that saw the birth of great bands like The Get Up Kids, The Promise Ring, and The Anniversary.  Throughout the album you can hear the influence of a lot of those artists as well, such as The Promise Ring on opening track, “Seasoned Veterans” which is lo-fi in a good way and includes some killer clean guitar tones.  The guitar riff throughout this terrific opener sounds like it was inspired by the first American Football record.  “Who’s The Boss” includes some energetic and youthful vocal interplay between Pierre and incredibly likeable co-vocalist and keyboardist, Allie Fox.  The male-female vocal trade offs call to mind the later recordings of The Anniversary, however, nothing ever sounds borrowed or stolen from that band.  Fox and Pierre also harmonize in a terrific way that one could argue is missing from today’s modern emo bands.  The combination of their voices together is infectious enough to maybe even ring in a couple of younger We Are The In Crowd fans who are looking for something a little more mature.  The fuzzy guitar tones used throughout the album are another plus considering they have a lot more in common with indie rock icons Superchunk.  It is clear that Pierre were trying to go for a less main-stream sound, with the lo-fi production and less obvious hooks, but the songs still somehow wind up being catchy enough to get stuck in your head.  This beautiful contrast is what makes Farewell Continental much more than just Motion City Soundtrack with a female co-vocalist.  Ultimately, it establishes them as a unique band on their own, and one that no doubt deserves the respect and attention they are getting at the moment even without Pierre’s impressive resume.  Hopefully, these songs will hold as much energy in a live setting considering Farewell Continental will be on tour playing all-ages venues throughout the summer before Pierre goes back to his day job in Motion City Soundtrack. 

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Rating: 4/5
              It's getting harder and harder to stand out in today’s pop influenced punk genre yet This Century still do a good job of doing so on Sound Of Fire their first major release for Action Theory records.  With a sound that is aimed at reaching fm radio waves, the band have successfully distanced themselves from being a “scene” band, while crafting an album that seems much more timeless than most of their peers.  The album starts off strong with the bouncy track “Young & The Useless” which is destined to gain the band some new fans and to get people moving around at their shows.  “Everywhere Everything” is perhaps the most mature moment on the album, in which the band showcases their talent for crafting soaring ballads.  Lead single and title track, “Sound of Fire” shows the band combining their softer and more energetic sides, and showcases the awesome production by Sugarcult’s Tim Pagnotta.  “Hopeful Romantic” is already a crowd favorite and during a recent interview with the band, the members stated it was their favorite song off of the album and after listening to this track it is clear why.  The whole album is truly a pop rock gem, and within a sea of lookalike bands This century have truly found a way to stand out while maintaining every bit of their accessibility.  Sound of Fire is an exciting and refreshing debut LP from a band that is clearly only starting to reach their full potential. 

Rating: 4/5
It really is a crime that The Blackout are strictly just a British phenomenon for the moment.  Their strong mixture of hardcore, screamo, pop-punk and even a little bit of nu-metal undoubtedly should be reaching the American masses via warped tour much like their brothers in You Me At Six.  For the time being however, all we can hope is that Hope is the album that will break this tremendous band in America.  The album starts off strong with Sean Smith’s blood curdling screams in album opener “Never By Your Side” which despite the obvious heavy undertones is still an anthemic rocker that is hard not to sing along to.  The album’s first single, “Higher and Higher” shows off the bands versitality, with heavy guitar tones, atmospheric programming, strong hooks, and a killer cameo by a close friend of the band, American rock-rapper Hyro Da Hero.  Hyro’s performance is not cliché at all, and proves that if it is done right, just a little bit of rap rock can do great things for a band as far as standing out from the crowd.  “The Devil Inside” proves that The Blackout can take an unlikely influence like Slipknot and create great guitar riffs to contrast a tremendous musical landscape that includes screams that bring to mind Converge and enough hooks to make the song plenty accessible.  On “Your Not Alone” The Blackout channels the best work of their heroes in the band Lost Prophets.  That song especially sounds reminiscent of Lost Prophets classic Liberation Transmission.  Overall after hearing this album, it is clear that it is only a matter of time before this band becomes a huge sensation over here in the states, but until then we are crossing are fingers for The Blackout to come to America more often.