Before you start binging on Christmas music this year, here are a few bands you may want to add to your Black Friday shopping list.
Mayday Parade
Anywhere But Here
Grade: 3 stars
Mayday Parade isn’t the first band to promote their backup vocalist following the departure of the group’s frontman (Hit The Lights comes to mind). However, it’s virtually impossible to make the transition without drawing comparisons to the former, and the same is true for the pop-punk six-piece from Tallahassee, Fla. Mayday Parade is not the same band they were on their stellar full-length debut, A Lesson In Romantics. The duets between ex-lead singer Jason Lancaster and then-backup singer Derek Sanders that made them stand out among their contemporaries in the alternative scene are gone, and lyrically the band has taken a step backward. Consequently, nostalgic fans (myself included) will have to come to grips with the fact that Mayday is a different group and accept the possibility that Anywhere But Here is merely a slightly above-average record.
Danger Radio
Used And Abused
Grade: 3 1/2 stars
If Justin Timberlake were reincarnated in the form of an alternative band, Danger Radio would be it. The power-pop outfit’s 13-track full-length release from 2008 incorporates elements of jazz, pop and funk, and will make you wanna get up on the dance floor. Numerous tracks — including the title track and “Kiss N’ Tell” — have a distinctly Maroon 5 vibe, but the Seattle-based ensemble manages to surprise on every track. If you’re looking for a fun change of pace with bouncy beats, look no further than Used And Abused.
City And Colour
Bring Me Your Love
Grade: 3 stars
City And Colour is probably not what you would expect from a member of the Canadian post-hardcore group Alexisonfire. Then again, that’s the beauty of side projects. Following the debut of 2005’s Sometimes, Dallas Green’s solo act followed suit with another folksy, acoustic-driven effort sure to please indie fans and music lovers alike. Green is an undoubtedly talented musician (he plays guitar, banjo, piano and harmonica, in addition to writing all the music, lyrics and singing), but 56 minutes of largely mellow acoustic guitar is just too much. Maybe it’s just me.
Ivoryline
There Came A Lion
Grade: 4 stars
It was inevitable that the Tyler, Texas, five-piece would draw comparisons with former labelmate Anberlin after signing to Tooth & Nail Records in 2007. However, that’s little reason to lump the Christian, alternative-rock outfit into the same circle as Anberlin. The 11-track release is one of the strongest you’ll likely find on a first effort, and Jeremy Gray’s vocal ability is a force to be reckoned with. If There Came A Lion is any indication, Ivoryline is destined for big things — just like their extremely successful predecessors.
Halifax
The Inevitability Of A Strange World
Grade: 3 1/2 stars
Lauded as a fist-pump-inducing, ’80s metal band with a slightly modern twist, the SoCal quartet has been making waves since their 2004 EP, A Writer’s Reference. The release of The Inevitability earned the band the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers in late 2006, and the riff-heavy, 13-track effort offers numerous arena-shaking anthems. Despite the subsequent loss of lead singer Mike Hunau and a split from Drive-Thru Records, expectations remain high for the group’s new album, Untitled, which was finished in August.
Joe Pfister is a senior majoring in English and political science. Want to talk music? E-mail him at [email protected].
