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Album Stream: Hawthorne Heights

Chris — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:20:05 +0000

This stream is no longer available.

“We’ve only been together six years,” says Hawthorne Heights drummer Eron Bucciarelli.

“But it seems we already have a story worthy of a VH1 Behind the Music episode.”

Indeed, the band’s career has been pretty eventful since breaking out of Dayton, OH, with 2004’s platinum debut, The Silence in Black, on the influential Chicago-based indie label Victory Records, on the heels of MTV and VH1 airplay for the single, “Ohio is for Lovers.” The 2006 gold follow-up, If Only You Were Lonely, debuted at 3 on the Billboard Album charts, producing the Top 10 Modern Rock smash, “Saying Sorry.”

“I never feel complete without you/I’ll never heal without you.” “Bring You Back”

On Nov. 24, 2007, the world of Hawthorne Heights was turned upside-down when they discovered the body of guitarist Casey Calvert on their tour bus, dead from an accidental mixture of prescription drugs. A long, protracted legal fight with their label was finally settled, with the result the release of last year’s Fragile Future, a highly personal album that dealt in large part with the group’s reaction to the death of their band mate.

Hawthorne Heights now emerge from a self-imposed isolation with their eagerly awaited debut album for Wind-up Records, produced by Howard Benson (Three Days Grace, Daughtry, My Chemical Romance) at his Bay 7 Studios in Valley Village. It’s an unflinching look at what has brought them to this place, executed with a firm desire to make the best of what they see as an opportunity for renewal by expanding their musical palette. Sure, there’s the anthemic hard rock of “Bring You Back,” with its aching feelings of loss, but there’s also the funk-driven ‘80s new wave noir feel of “Nervous Breakdown,” which describes the insanity of having your lives in the hands of the legal system, the eerie Johnny Cash country shuffle of “Gravestones,” with Micah Carli manning the pedal steel guitar, the pop harmonies of “Picket Fences,” the unsparing look at a recession-wracked heartland and the epic emotional scope of “Boy,” JT Woodruff’s autobiographical look back at a childhood in which his family was abandoned by an alcoholic father.

“Being on a new label liberated us,” says Woodruff. “This album sounds like us, but we were able to grow our sound. We had the luxury of time to sit around and think about what we wanted to do, which helped us create something new. It’s a way not to use the same canvas every time.”

“It’s a fresh start, a new record company, new album, new perspective on life,” nods Eron. “We’re viewing it as a second chance. Not a lot of bands get the chance to right their wrongs. We’re fortunate that Wind-up has taken us under their wing, loves our music and is really, really supportive.”

“Bring You Back,” refers to not only the loss of Casey, but to one of JT’s high school classmates who committed suicide, the first time the teenager had to deal with the death of a contemporary.

“It was very hard for me to sing,” he says, “because it connects me to so many different emotions and brings me back to that situation, which makes it all the more powerful. It’s my way of showing people, we’ve been through this, and if you’re going through something similar right now, I feel for you.”

Hawthorne Heights’ resolve to survive regardless of the pitfalls comes through loud and clear on the defiant drive of “Here I Am,” with Eron’s thumping drums and Matt Ridenour’s four-on-the-floor bass forming the rock-solid rhythm section, while Carli’s grinding, buzzsaw guitars slice like a hot knife through butter.

“Back when we were in our angsty/I-hate-my-parents/rebellion period, it was all about Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins,” explains JT. “Lyrically, I wanted to get back to that ‘Who cares?’ attitude, that ‘if you don’t like me just move on.’”

“Boy” is even more personal, with JT channeling the hurt and anger he felt with his parents’ abandonment. “You never thought she said/I love you like a son/I know your father’s gone/And the damage has been done.”

“We’ve had some hard lessons, which I wish we didn’t have to experience ourselves, but it has made us appreciate what’s important in our lives,” nods Eron. “For us, it’s back to the core values of friends and family. We’re not focusing on the superficial bullshit, like money and fame, which comes into the picture if you have a little bit of success.”

The band continues to push the envelope on stylistic left-hand turns such as the country-flavored “Gravestones,” the pop song craft of “Picket Fences” and the jittery dance groove of “Drive.”

“We wrote more songs for this album than ever before,” says Eron. “We wrote over 30, than whittled them down to the absolute best ones. We took parts from some and added them to others and made a Frankenstein out of ‘em. We were always writing, re-writing, arranging and re-arranging. Howard [Benson] really pushed us in the song writing department to go against what we’ve done in the past.”

“I thought that I should tell you/My world is crashing down again/I’m spinning round//Falling down/I’m falling.” “Nervous Breakdown”

With all the travails of the last few years, Hawthorne Heights are just happy to get back to doing what they do best, playing for their fans, but not without reminding them that reality is never far away. In the deceptively calm, acoustic strains of “Picket Fences,” Woodruff portrays an America reeling under the worst economic recession in most of our lifetimes.

“This band isn’t really about parties and fun,” he says. “There are people out there who can’t afford to put food on their table or gas in their car, let alone pay the bills. It makes you realize how small we are as individuals. Anything can be taken away from any one of us at any time.

“For this album, we took it down to the essentials, the skeleton of who we are as a band. We then tried on some new skins, and added the flesh and blood. We’re just excited to play these new songs and see how people react to them.”

To do that, Hawthorne Heights will hit the road, playing some of the same small, sweaty dives they once did as a novice group opening for Victory Records label mates Silverstein back when they started.

“Some of our best shows ever were in venues like these,” says Eron. “The people packed in, the intensity. It’s just a lot of fun. This will give us a chance to reconnect with our fans.”

After everything Hawthorne Heights has been through, it will come as welcome relief.

“Luckily, we don’t have to pay for therapy,” laughs JT. “I just pick up a guitar and try to figure it out myself. But I’ll be honest with you, it doesn’t always work.”

This time, it sure does.

My Chemical Romance Drummer Leaves Band

Chris — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:35:43 +0000

My Chemical Romance have announced the departure of drummer Bob Bryar. A replacement for Bryar, who joined the group in 2004, has not yet been named.

My Chemical Romance Finishing Up New Album

TuneLab — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:47:08 +0000

My Chemical Romance are in the studio putting the final touches on their upcoming new album due out some time in the spring of 2010.

Album Stream: Like A Storm – ‘The End Of The Beginning’

TuneLab — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:53:14 +0000

This stream has expired, check out the band’s video for “Chemical Infatuation” below:

Like A Storm is:
Chris Brooks (Vocals, Guitar, Programming, Didgeridoo)
Matt Brooks (Vocals, Guitar, Programming)
Kent Brooks (Vocals, Bass, Programming)
Thomas Karanasos (Drums)
myspace.com/likeastorm

On their debut album THE END OF THE BEGINNING, Like A Storm stir up a torrent of infectious hard rock. The Vancouver-based quartet’s first full-length is an avalanche of captivating choruses and hard-hitting grooves, as exemplified by the first radio single “Chemical Infatuation.” Electronic textures and string flourishes cascade into a wall of distortion as vocal melodies hypnotize. Brothers Chris (Vocals/Guitar/Programming/ Didgeridoo), Matt (Vocals/Guitar/Programming) and Kent Brooks (Bass/Vocals/ Programming) conjure a dynamic rock sound that’s simultaneously ethereal and edgy.

Like A Storm’s journey began in 2005. After rehearsing once in their native New Zealand, Matt, Chris and Kent decided to move to North America and pursue the rock n’ roll dream.

“New Zealand is such an awesome place to grow up,” says Chris. “It’s a really inspiring place–so beautiful and isolated. But the first time we jammed, we had this amazing chemistry, and we knew we had to take our sound to the world. We left our family and friends and set up in Canada. There are so many different experiences from that time, and the songs on the record are about them.”

Upon moving to Canada, it only took one show for Like A Storm to build a buzz. Kai Marcus (Methods of Mayhem/Noise Therapy) saw the band and was instantly blown away. He struck up a friendship with the guys and introduced them to multi-platinum producer/mixer/engineer Mike Plotnikoff (Three Days Grace/My Chemical Romance/ Buckcherry) in early 2006. Plotnikoff and the boys immediately began trading ideas for what would become THE END OF THE BEGINNING.

The band began officially recording with Plotnikoff in Calabasas, CA in early 2007. Virtuoso musician and former Yes keyboardist Igor Khoroshev joined the production process, bringing his progressive and classical influences to the record. After over 16 months of writing, recording and experimenting, the band emerged with THE END OF THE BEGINNING.

Matt continues, “THE END OF THE BEGINNING is really the start of the next stage. We spent two years making the record, and we really lost ourselves in the recording process. We seriously evolved as artists and as writers. For us, it’s a snapshot of two years of our lives and all that we went through. Musically and lyrically, it’s our story.”

Like A Storm packages that story in the powerful hard rock of fist-pumping anthems like “Lie to Me” and “Just Save Me.” The band strikes a balance between warm electronics and massive hard rock. Matt describes their style comprehensively. “It’s a big rock sound with a lot of different textures. Every time you listen to it, you’ll hear something new. It’s a combination of all of our favorite sounds – from heavy rock to electronic music.”

“Chemical Infatuation,” hits radio in August 2009, and it’s the perfect introduction to the band. Not only is it dark, but it’s also undeniable. Chris explains, “The first riff comes in like a sledgehammer right into your skull. The riff sets the tone for this dark place of addiction and obsession. It captures all the elements of Like A Storm. It’s a heavy and ambient journey.”

The video conveys that journey in disturbing but strangely sexy fashion. Its dark narrative is memorable all around. “The video is about a guy who becomes obsessed with these girls,” says Chris. “He seduces them, kills them and then turns them into a drug that he can take. Every time he takes it, he hallucinates that he’s making love to them.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Like A Storm penned a heartfelt and epic eulogy for their grandmother entitled “Galaxy (Rest In Peace).” Matt goes on, “She was a huge part of our lives, and she passed away while we were making the record. Because we were in L.A., we couldn’t be there for the funeral. So that song was our tribute, and we wrote it for the funeral. We had two days to write the track, and the idea came right away. It was probably the easiest song we’ve ever written. It meant so much to all of us. We wanted to do something special and immortalize her.” They did by creating one of their most touching and vibrant songs. Chris adds, “That experience brought us even closer together.”

Like A Storm has grown into an extremely tight unit with Thomas Karanasos rounding out the lineup behind the kit. Thomas adds a pummeling presence that heightens the drama inherent in Like A Storm’s sound. It began with the live show, and the Like A Storm concert experience is still crucial. Chris elaborates, “The live show is a huge part of what Like A Storm is. We love being on stage and blowing people away. It’s an energetic explosive rock show.”

In the end, for Like A Storm, artistic integrity is paramount to their path. Matt offers, “The album’s sound is epic, surreal and ominous. That’s the kind of art we want to make. I want the music to transport people away from their every day lives and into this world we’ve created. We feel lucky we got to make a really ambitious record for our first album.”

Chris concludes, “We didn’t have any rules making this record. We pushed ourselves, and it was such a creative, chaotic experience. Out of that came a lot of honesty.”

Being honest is always the best way to start a revolution. Let this storm sweep you away.

My Chemical Romance Hit The Studio

TuneLab — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:04:22 +0000

My Chemical Romance have hit the studio to begin recording their upcoming new album with producer Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, Incubus, Audioslave). Front man Gerard Way recently told rolling stone that the album includes a song titled “Death Before Disco” in what he calls his favorite MCR song, and “the greatest song” the band has written.

The band is hoping to release the effort sometime later this year or early next year.

Future Release Dates

TuneLab — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:07:12 +0000

2009 TBA:

7 Days Away – ‘1,2,3,1‘
12 Stones
Aaron Lewis (solo album)
Allele – ‘Something Cured‘
Alex Band (solo album)
American Hi-Fi
Ashes of Soma
Barenaked Ladies
Biffy Clyro – ‘Only Revolutions‘
Blink-182
Burning Vegas
Burn Season
Cinder Road
Deepfield
Dev Electric
Digital Summer
Divide The Day
Drowning Pool
Early Pearl
Egypt Central
Filter
Finch
Fixer
Flaw
Future Leaders Of The World – ‘Reveal‘
Goo Goo Dolls
Hourcast
Jimmy Eat World
June Halo
Just Jinjer
Kid Rock
Limp Bizkit
Machina – ‘To Live and Die in the Garden of Eden‘
Mushroomhead
Mutiny Within
My Chemical Romance
My Darkest Days
Myles Kennedy (solo album)
Norma Jean
Oleander
Primer 55 – ‘The New American Gangsters‘
Professional Murder Music – ‘Burn the Sun‘
Royal Bliss (live acoustic album)
Sixx A.M.
Smash Into Pieces – ‘A New Tomorrow‘
Soulidium
The Ataris – ‘The Graveyard of the Atlantic‘
The Drama Club
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Third Eye Blind – ‘Ursa Minor‘
Tonic
TrustCompany
Under The Flood
Violent New Plan
Wake The Light – ‘Leave it All Behind‘

Tentative/Announced:

3 Doors Down
36 Crazyfists
Adema
Aerosmith
AFI
Airbourne
Alien Ant Farm
Alkaline Trio
Alter Bridge
AM Conspiracy
ANew Revolution
Apocalyptica
As I Lay Dying
Avenged Sevenfold
Black Label Society
Bleeding Through
Blindside
Bobaflex
Bullet For My Valentine
Cake
Celldweller
Coheed and Cambria
Corey Taylor (solo album)
Course of Nature
Crossfade
Deftones
Depswa
DevilDriver
Down
Evanescence
Fear Factory – ‘Mechanized‘
Fightstar
Fireflight – ‘For Those Who Wait‘
Foo Fighters
Garbage
Glassjaw
Godsmack
Hawthorne Heights – ‘Skeletons‘
Hellyeah
HIM – ‘Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice‘
Hole
Jesse Valenzuela (Gin Blossoms front-man solo album)
Jet Black Stare
Jonathan Davis (solo album)
Karnivool – ‘Sound Awake‘
Kidnap Kings (formerly Dropping Daylight) – ‘Flashing Lights and Sounds‘
Korn
Linkin Park
Lo-Pro – ‘The Beautiful Sounds of Revenge‘
Lostprophets – ‘The Betrayed‘
Luna Halo – ‘Take It All‘ EP/DVD
Machina – ‘To Live and Die in the Garden of Eden‘
Madam Adam
Maroon 5
Methods of Mayhem
Mnemic – ‘Sons of the System‘
Motorhead
No Doubt
Nonpoint
Offspring
Pound
Raintime
Rob Defaze (solo album)
Rob Zombie – ‘Hellbilly Deluxe 2 – Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool‘
Saliva – ‘Take That Society‘
Sent by Ravens
Sevendust
Silent Civilian
Silverchair
Simple Plan
Since October
Slash (solo album)
Slaves On Dope
Society Red
Soilwork
Soulfly
Stone Sour
Stone Temple Pilots
Story Of The Year
Switchfoot – ‘Vice Verses‘
Sybreed – ‘Doomsday Party‘
We Are The Fallen
The Classic Crime
The Exies
The Showdown
The Strokes
Them Crooked Vultures – ‘Them Crooked Vultures‘
Vayden

My Chemical Romance Recording New Album

TuneLab — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:50:29 +0000

My Chemical Romance have announced that they will hit the studio this week to begin recording a new album. The band is hoping to release the effort sometime later this year.

My Chemical Romance Stream New Video

TuneLab — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:20:04 +0000

My Chemical Romance have streamed the video to their cover of Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row”, check it out here.

The track is taken from the soundtrack to the upcoming new film “Watchmen”, due out later sometime this year.

Most Added To Rock Radio

TuneLab — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:04:45 +0000

The following are the most added singles to Active, Modern, and Mainstream Rock Radio as of January 27th:

49 – U2 “Get On Your Boots” [Listen]
32 – Papa Roach “Lifeline” [Listen]
13 – AC/DC “Big Jack” [Listen]
13 – My Chemical Romance “Desolation Row” [Listen]
10 – Hurt “Wars” [Listen]
9 – Trapt “Contagious” [Listen]
9 – Staind “All I Want” [Listen]
8 – 3 Doors Down “Citizen Soldier” [Listen]
6 – Hinder “Up All Night” [Listen]
6 – Lamb Of God “Set To Fail” [Listen]
6 – The Killers “Spaceman” [Listen]
5 – Steadlur “Bumpin’” [Listen]
4 – Blue October “Dirt Room” [Listen]

Dave Matthews Band Announce Release Date

TuneLab — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:30:27 +0000

Dave Matthews Band will release their first studio album in four years on April 14th, 2009. The release will also be DMB’s first since the passing of saxophonist LeRoi Moore, who died in August.

The as-yet-untitled album was produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance) and includes contributions from Tim Reynolds on guitar, Rashawn Ross on trumpet and Jeff Coffin on saxophone.