Consequence of Sound » The Offspring http://consequenceofsound.net Think Fast, Listen Slowly Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:46:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Muse, The Strokes, Pulp head Reading and Leeds 2011 http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/03/muse-the-strokes-pulp-head-reading-and-leeds-2011/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/03/muse-the-strokes-pulp-head-reading-and-leeds-2011/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/03/reading-and-leeds.jpg Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:20:50 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=109842 The UK’s annual end-of-summer music extravaganza, Reading and Leeds, returns August 26-28 with a lineup featuring rock and roll heavy hitters from both sides of Atlantic. Muse, The Strokes, My Chemical Romance, Jane’s Addiction, and The National head this year’s edition, while two of 2011′s most celebrated reunited outfits, Pulp and Death From Above 1979, are also confirmed to perform.

Other notable acts include Interpol, Deftones, Elbow, Rise Against, Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday, Beady Eye, The Offspring, Friendly Fires, Crystal Castles, The Kills, and hip hop risers Odd Future.

Rounding out the initial bill are The Horrors, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Streets, Warpaint, The Naked and Famous, The Vaccines, Two Door Cinema Club, White Lies, and The Libertines’ Peter Doherty. In all, the festivals will feature over 150 acts over over six stages.

For those unfamiliar with the set-up, the festival takes place at two different sites during the same weekend, with acts alternating per day. For more information, visit Reading’s website and Leed’s website.

Ticket for both the Reading and Leeds portions of the festival will cost £192.50 and go on sale today via seetickets.com.

]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/03/muse-the-strokes-pulp-head-reading-and-leeds-2011/feed/ 0 311, The Offspring attempt to unite Virginia Beach (7/14) http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/07/311-the-offspring-attempt-to-unite-virginia-beach-714/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/07/311-the-offspring-attempt-to-unite-virginia-beach-714/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SDC12466_2x.jpg Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:51:52 +0000 David Buchanan http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=55392 Maybe the heat was finally crushing my grasp on reality, baking my brain into oblivion as I stood lodged between drunken bros, stoned amigos, and tanning salon tarts underneath a mid-July sun. I cannot be too sure the events described here actually occurred, but one thing is certain: for four hours yesterday afternoon, Virginia Beach temporarily relocated to the Californian coastline.

Pepper had the opening slot, a short set at just around 45 minutes, but their impact resonated phenomenally. The Kailua-Kona natives, in stereotypical lifeguard garb, shared some random shtick between songs, including the latest from upcoming Popping Clappers titled “Wake Up”, and Guitar Hero: World Tour/No Shame favorite, “Your Face”. Most impressively, this little trio has toured with 311 a few times before, and their love of the reggae/dub/rock fans bled through immensely in every way possible: between beach balls and banter, some goofing off from Bollinger on the bass frets, and Kaleo commenting on the state of the weather, Pepper invited everyone to just enjoy themselves and their glorious human freedoms.

The Offspring‘s Dexter Holland rolled in on a balls-out swagger with the introduction to “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid”, with Noodles always along to start up the roller coaster ride. The band immediately followed up with fan favorite “Bad Habit” and an as-of-yet untitled new song to treat the fans for being so collaborative during the universally recognizable “Bad Habit” bridge verse. I hesitate to claim The Offspring offered severe fan service, as most of the set was comprised of staple singles, including “Hammerhead” and “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)”, plus three more Americana pieces, and zero Ignition moments.

Holland and the crew did offer some tidbits to complement the evening perfectly, though: a Holland solo rendition of “Gone Away” on piano (a certified fan boy moment here, people), five of the Smash variety, and a somewhat unenthusiastic cover of The Clash’s “Guns Of Brixton”. Much as 311 would do later, the set was wrought with down-tuned instruments, background recordings, and occasionally incomprehensible vocals; on the bright side, two songs I looked forward to hearing were given ample time — just don’t expect any praise for “The New Song”, as it comes across like a heavy-yet-overly-saccharin Rise And Fall B-side crossbred with Foo Fighters.

My first introduction to The Offspring was via Smash and Americana, the band’s landmark and most successful albums. Ignition, Conspiracy Of One, and Ixnay On The Hombre are what snagged my lifelong dedication. It was nice to hear those old singles transferred from your car stereo to a live setting, but a little obscurity would have been nice — a little Ixnay and Ignition, especially.

Upon nightfall, the Omaha boys of 311 took the stage, and as their performance progressed, it was the first time I had ever been so authentically impressed and deplorably bored simultaneously. The set list, while predominantly upbeat with slices of soft surfer atmospheres and mysticism in between, was chock full of lights and stage antics; solos from Aaron “P-Nut” Wills on bass, Tim Mahoney on guitar, Chad Sexton on drums, and a full-band tribal drum exhibition-style performance thrown in for good measure. The DJ pop-locked the whole show, and his co-conspirator Nick Hexum contributed total fan encouragement all night.

The boredom sank in, sadly, when I began realizing that so many of the band’s songs that night sounded exactly alike (with the exception of a few obvious singles and some jam-level solo improv). I got the feel-good message that 311 was providing, and I felt absolutely awestruck being in the presence of my dear Offspring and 311, but there’s mellow and then there’s just…listless. 311 managed to keep its most loyal fans happy, but these are fans you could relate to the dedication of maggots, juggalos, and dead-heads all at once — sometimes it’s awesome, sometimes it’s blind faith, depending on your perception. Hexum could have humped a giant plastic spliff replica on stage and the crowd would have bought it. Much appreciated fellows, but next time, turn up the microphone some and don’t smile like you just got head from an angel. The good news? The entire set was a superb history lesson on 311, full of deep cuts and singles abound.

What exactly do you get when one teams up the Hawaiian equivalent of Sublime, a punk rock surfer band turned modern rock staple, and 311? Summer in a nutshell? This concert should have been a party; it should have been utter insanity, beach ball gimmicks, and good outdoor times for all walks of people, young and old (this is called the Unity Tour for a reason). While it was entertaining, it felt as though the mood had been cheapened by a constant bombardment of advertisers, incoherent microphone volumes, and an unfit amphitheater at half capacity.

While 311 made up for its monotonous sounds with a sincere grab bag of varying tunes for the loyal, The Offspring dominated its more traditional fare with energy and touching moments. Bright sides to an otherwise discombobulated afternoon — and chanting along with “Genocide” was the ultimate highlight, aside from P-Nut’s bass romp.

Verizon Wireless Amphitheater is a wonderful venue with (albeit mildly cramped) seating and strong acoustics to boot, but this tour was not meant for a crowded stage under an awning; this is a festival for the oceanfront, a wet dream for spring break fanatics and summer-loving sand dwellers. The Unity Tour, while well-intentioned, needed a far more appropriate showcase. From the midwest to California, straight up to our lovely I-95, these three bands may have the proper tools to get a great groove going, but tonight felt less like a summer jam of unity than a heat stroke of infamy.

The Offspring Setlist:
You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid
Bad Habit
The New Song
Come Out and Play (Keep ‘Em Separated)
Genocide
All I Want
Hammerhead
Gone Away (Piano Version)
Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?
Gotta Get Away
Guns Of Brixton
Why Don’t You Get A Job?
Staring At The Sun
Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)
(Can’t Get My) Head Around You
The Kids Aren’t Alright
Self Esteem

311 Setlist:
Down
Homebrew
From Chaos
All Mixed Up
Jackpot
Visit
Taiyed
Come Original
Champagne
Applied Science
Still Dreaming
India Ink
Beyond The Gray Sky
Let the Cards Fall
Nutsymtom
Beautiful Disaster
Life’s Not A Race
Hey You
Silver
Hive
Creatures (For A While)
Amber
Feels So Good


]]> Popping Clappers titled "Wake Up", and Guitar Hero: World Tour/No Shame favorite, "Your Face". Most impressively, this little trio has toured with 311 a few times before, and their love of the reggae/dub/rock fans bled through immensely in every way possible: between beach balls and banter, some goofing off from Bollinger on the bass frets, and Kaleo commenting on the state of the weather, Pepper invited everyone to just enjoy themselves and their glorious human freedoms. The Offspring's Dexter Holland rolled in on a balls-out swagger with the introduction to "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid", with Noodles always along to start up the roller coaster ride. The band immediately followed up with fan favorite "Bad Habit" and an as-of-yet untitled new song to treat the fans for being so collaborative during the universally recognizable "Bad Habit" bridge verse. I hesitate to claim The Offspring offered severe fan service, as most of the set was comprised of staple singles, including "Hammerhead" and "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)", plus three more Americana pieces, and zero Ignition moments. Holland and the crew did offer some tidbits to complement the evening perfectly, though: a Holland solo rendition of "Gone Away" on piano (a certified fan boy moment here, people), five of the Smash variety, and a somewhat unenthusiastic cover of The Clash's "Guns Of Brixton". Much as 311 would do later, the set was wrought with down-tuned instruments, background recordings, and occasionally incomprehensible vocals; on the bright side, two songs I looked forward to hearing were given ample time -- just don't expect any praise for "The New Song", as it comes across like a heavy-yet-overly-saccharin Rise And Fall B-side crossbred with Foo Fighters. My first introduction to The Offspring was via Smash and Americana, the band's landmark and most successful albums. Ignition, Conspiracy Of One, and Ixnay On The Hombre are what snagged my lifelong dedication. It was nice to hear those old singles transferred from your car stereo to a live setting, but a little obscurity would have been nice -- a little Ixnay and Ignition, especially. Upon nightfall, the Omaha boys of 311 took the stage, and as their performance progressed, it was the first time I had ever been so authentically impressed and deplorably bored simultaneously. The set list, while predominantly upbeat with slices of soft surfer atmospheres and mysticism in between, was chock full of lights and stage antics; solos from Aaron "P-Nut" Wills on bass, Tim Mahoney on guitar, Chad Sexton on drums, and a full-band tribal drum exhibition-style performance thrown in for good measure. The DJ pop-locked the whole show, and his co-conspirator Nick Hexum contributed total fan encouragement all night. The boredom sank in, sadly, when I began realizing that so many of the band's songs that night sounded exactly alike (with the exception of a few obvious singles and some jam-level solo improv). I got the feel-good message that 311 was providing, and I felt absolutely awestruck being in the presence of my dear Offspring and 311, but there's mellow and then there's just...listless. 311 managed to keep its most loyal fans happy, but these are fans you could relate to the dedication of maggots, juggalos, and dead-heads all at once -- sometimes it's awesome, sometimes it's blind faith, depending on your perception. Hexum could have humped a giant plastic spliff replica on stage and the crowd would have bought it. Much appreciated fellows, but next time, turn up the microphone some and don't smile like you just got head from an angel. The good news? The entire set was a superb history lesson on 311, full of deep cuts and singles abound. What exactly do you get when one teams up the Hawaiian equivalent of Sublime, a punk rock surfer band turned modern rock staple, and 311? Summer in a nutshell? This concert should have been a party; it should have been utter insanity, beach ball gimmicks, and good outdoor times for all walks of people, young and old (this is called the Unity Tour for a reason). While it was entertaining, it felt as though the mood had been cheapened by a constant bombardment of advertisers, incoherent microphone volumes, and an unfit amphitheater at half capacity. While 311 made up for its monotonous sounds with a sincere grab bag of varying tunes for the loyal, The Offspring dominated its more traditional fare with energy and touching moments. Bright sides to an otherwise discombobulated afternoon -- and chanting along with "Genocide" was the ultimate highlight, aside from P-Nut's bass romp. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater is a wonderful venue with (albeit mildly cramped) seating and strong acoustics to boot, but this tour was not meant for a crowded stage under an awning; this is a festival for the oceanfront, a wet dream for spring break fanatics and summer-loving sand dwellers. The Unity Tour, while well-intentioned, needed a far more appropriate showcase. From the midwest to California, straight up to our lovely I-95, these three bands may have the proper tools to get a great groove going, but tonight felt less like a summer jam of unity than a heat stroke of infamy. The Offspring Setlist: You're Gonna Go Far, Kid Bad Habit The New Song Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated) Genocide All I Want Hammerhead Gone Away (Piano Version) Kristy, Are You Doing Okay? Gotta Get Away Guns Of Brixton Why Don't You Get A Job? Staring At The Sun Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) (Can't Get My) Head Around You The Kids Aren't Alright Self Esteem 311 Setlist: Down Homebrew From Chaos All Mixed Up Jackpot Visit Taiyed Come Original Champagne Applied Science Still Dreaming India Ink Beyond The Gray Sky Let the Cards Fall Nutsymtom Beautiful Disaster Life’s Not A Race Hey You Silver Hive Creatures (For A While) Amber Feels So Good ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/07/311-the-offspring-attempt-to-unite-virginia-beach-714/feed/ 2 Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock to feature The Rolling Stones, Muse http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/07/guitar-hero-warriors-of-rock-to-feature-the-rolling-stones-muse/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/07/guitar-hero-warriors-of-rock-to-feature-the-rolling-stones-muse/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/07/guitar-hero.jpg Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:25:22 +0000 Chris Coplan http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=51567 If you’re a fan of Guitar Hero, the sixth game in the series wants you to forget about The Beatles and Green Day games of their competitor (along with those wussy keyboards) and get you out of your chair and into the loving embrace of a plastic flying V guitar as you shred through the music world in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Is your face scorched yet?

According to NME, the newest game will feature some of the heaviest rockers in the music world, including AFI, DragonForce, Drowning Pool, Foo Fighters, KISS, Metallica, Slipknot, Slayer,  The Rolling Stones, and many others. Not to mention, there’ll be slightly less intense acts to rock with, like Muse, Queen, and Silversun Pickups. And somehow Foreigner and Night Ranger made it to the final list, which you can peep below. Speaking of KISS, the developers also created a storyline mode that’s narrated by KISS’ own Gene Simmons. So, expect lots of bad sexual innuendos, gamers.

Stay tuned for more news, including any more big name additions. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock hits shelves on September 28th.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Tracklist:
01. AFI – Dancing Through Sunday
02. Anthrax – Indians
03. Avenged Sevenfold – Bat Country
04. Black Sabbath – Children Of The Grave
05. Buzzcocks – What Do I Get?
06. Children Of Bodom – If You Want Peace… Prepare For War
07. The Cure – Fascination Street
08. Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me (Live)
09. Dethklok – Bloodlines
10. Dire Straits – Money For Nothing
11. DragonForce – Fury Of The Storm
12. Drowning Pool – Bodies
13. Fall Out Boy – Dance, Dance
14. Foo Fighters – No Way Back
15. Foreigner – Feels Like The First Time
16. The Hives – Tick Tick Boom
17. Jane’s Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
18. Jethro Tull – Aqualung
19. KISS – Love Gun
20. Linkin Park – Bleed It Out
21. Megadeth – Sudden Death
22. Metallica & Ozzy Osbourne – Paranoid (Live)
23. Muse – Uprising
24. My Chemical Romance – I’m Not Okay (I Promise)
25. Night Ranger – (You Can Still) Rock In America
26. Nine Inch Nails – Wish
27. The Offspring – Self Esteem
28. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
29. Rammstein – Waidmanns Heil
30. The Rolling Stones – Stray Cat Blues
31. Silversun Pickups – There’s No Secrets This Year
32. Slayer – Chemical Warfare
33. Slipknot – Psychosocial
34. Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
35. ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man (Live)

]]> Guitar Hero, the sixth game in the series wants you to forget about The Beatles and Green Day games of their competitor (along with those wussy keyboards) and get you out of your chair and into the loving embrace of a plastic flying V guitar as you shred through the music world in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Is your face scorched yet? According to NME, the newest game will feature some of the heaviest rockers in the music world, including AFI, DragonForce, Drowning Pool, Foo Fighters, KISS, Metallica, Slipknot, Slayer,  The Rolling Stones, and many others. Not to mention, there'll be slightly less intense acts to rock with, like Muse, Queen, and Silversun Pickups. And somehow Foreigner and Night Ranger made it to the final list, which you can peep below. Speaking of KISS, the developers also created a storyline mode that's narrated by KISS' own Gene Simmons. So, expect lots of bad sexual innuendos, gamers. Stay tuned for more news, including any more big name additions. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock hits shelves on September 28th. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Tracklist: 01. AFI – Dancing Through Sunday 02. Anthrax – Indians 03. Avenged Sevenfold – Bat Country 04. Black Sabbath – Children Of The Grave 05. Buzzcocks – What Do I Get? 06. Children Of Bodom – If You Want Peace… Prepare For War 07. The Cure – Fascination Street 08. Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me (Live) 09. Dethklok – Bloodlines 10. Dire Straits – Money For Nothing 11. DragonForce – Fury Of The Storm 12. Drowning Pool – Bodies 13. Fall Out Boy – Dance, Dance 14. Foo Fighters – No Way Back 15. Foreigner – Feels Like The First Time 16. The Hives – Tick Tick Boom 17. Jane's Addiction – Been Caught Stealing 18. Jethro Tull – Aqualung 19. KISS – Love Gun 20. Linkin Park – Bleed It Out 21. Megadeth – Sudden Death 22. Metallica & Ozzy Osbourne – Paranoid (Live) 23. Muse – Uprising 24. My Chemical Romance – I'm Not Okay (I Promise) 25. Night Ranger – (You Can Still) Rock In America 26. Nine Inch Nails – Wish 27. The Offspring – Self Esteem 28. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody 29. Rammstein – Waidmanns Heil 30. The Rolling Stones – Stray Cat Blues 31. Silversun Pickups – There's No Secrets This Year 32. Slayer – Chemical Warfare 33. Slipknot – Psychosocial 34. Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song 35. ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man (Live)]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/07/guitar-hero-warriors-of-rock-to-feature-the-rolling-stones-muse/feed/ 0 On Sale: May 1st & 2nd, 2010 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/on-sale-may-1st-2nd-2010/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/on-sale-may-1st-2nd-2010/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/03/onsaletoday.jpg Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:00:03 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=38271 The following tickets are on sale beginning Saturday, May 1st and Sunday, May 2nd, 2010. Oh, and did you know you can support CoS simply by buying through the links below? Talk about an added incentive!

This weekend will see tickets go on sale for a number of upcoming tours, including 311, The Gaslight Anthem, and Meat Loaf. What’s more, on Sunday, Los Angeles’ legendary Hollywood Bowl will begin selling tickets to a series of high profile concerts, featuring Pavement, Vampire Weekend, and Phoenix.

311 w/ The Offspring:

What: North American tour

When: June – July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 1st

The Chemical Brothers w/ Chromeo & YACHT:

What: Date for Hollywood, CA

When: September 26th

Tixs: $12.00 – $131.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 2nd

Empire of the Sun:

What: Date for Hollywood, CA

When: August 11th

Tixs: $22.50

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 1st

The Gaslight Anthem:

What: North American tour

When: July – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 1st

Meat Loaf:

What: North American tour

When: July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 1st

Pavement w/ Sonic Youth & No Age:

What: Date for Hollywood, CA

When: September 30th

Tixs: $30.00 – $70.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 2nd

Phoenix w/ Grizzly Bear & Girls:

What: Date for Hollywood, CA

When: September 18th

Tixs: $25.00 – $58.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 2nd

Rush:

What: Tour dates for Las Vegas, NV; Boston, MA; & Woodlands, TX

When: August – September

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com and Livenation.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Vampire Weekend w/ Beach House & The Very Best:

What: Date for Hollywood, CA

When: September 26th

Tixs: $18.00 – $85.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 2nd

]]> What: North American tour When: June - July Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 1st The Chemical Brothers w/ Chromeo & YACHT: What: Date for Hollywood, CA When: September 26th Tixs: $12.00 - $131.00 Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 2nd Empire of the Sun: What: Date for Hollywood, CA When: August 11th Tixs: $22.50 Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 1st The Gaslight Anthem: What: North American tour When: July – August Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 1st Meat Loaf: What: North American tour When: July Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 1st Pavement w/ Sonic Youth & No Age: What: Date for Hollywood, CA When: September 30th Tixs: $30.00 - $70.00 Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 2nd Phoenix w/ Grizzly Bear & Girls: What: Date for Hollywood, CA When: September 18th Tixs: $25.00 - $58.00 Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 2nd Rush: What: Tour dates for Las Vegas, NV; Boston, MA; & Woodlands, TX When: August - September Tixs: Price varies depending on location Buy: Ticketmaster.com and Livenation.com at 10:00 AM Local Time Vampire Weekend w/ Beach House & The Very Best: What: Date for Hollywood, CA When: September 26th Tixs: $18.00 - $85.00 Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time on May 2nd]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/on-sale-may-1st-2nd-2010/feed/ 0 311, The Offspring hit the road http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/03/311-the-offspring-hit-the-road/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/03/311-the-offspring-hit-the-road/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/03/anim_83c16108-7fed-d614-e92c-0cda50b76245.gif Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:15:16 +0000 Michael Roffman http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=30777 Considering the recent efforts of 311 and The Offspring happen to be the bands’ worst, it only makes sense that the two would hit the road together this summer and celebrate their respected mediocrity. But wouldn’t you know, that’s what they plan to do with this year’s incarnation of 311′s annual “Unity Tour.”*

Fans should be excited to know that the two will be co-headlining the whole shebang, with Pepper tagging along, meaning it’s going to be one truly rad extravaganza. You might want to let your FB friends know about it. Like now. To play the Devil’s advocate though, you can’t blame folks for being interested; after all, while the bands might give you stomach pains on record these days, they’re sure to play all the hits and favorites. Who doesn’t want to hear “Amber” and “Self-Esteem” again? You know, without turning on modern rock radio, right?

Find out for yourself starting Saturday, March 27th, when tickets go on sale via Ticketmaster.com.

*Kudos to Brent Burpee for the tip.

311/The Offspring 2010 Tour Dates:
06/18 – Fairbanks, AK @ Blue Loon *
06/19 – Anchorage, AK @ Moose’s Tooth Pub *
06/24 – Columbus, OH @ Lifestyles Community Pavilion *
06/25 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest *
06/26 – Cincinnati, OH in Riverbend Music Center *
06/29 – Chicago, IL @ Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
06/30 – Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre at Tower City *
07/02 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre St. Louis
07/03 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Capitol Federal Park at Sandstone
07/07 -Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Center
07/09 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
07/10 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Art Center
07/11 – Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
07/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier
07/14 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater
07/16 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
07/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
07/18 – Memphis, TN @ Mud Island Amphitheatre
07/20 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
07/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Usana Amphitheatre
07/24 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
07/25 – Chula Vista, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

* = without The Offspring

]]> *Kudos to Brent Burpee for the tip. 311/The Offspring 2010 Tour Dates: 06/18 - Fairbanks, AK @ Blue Loon * 06/19 - Anchorage, AK @ Moose’s Tooth Pub * 06/24 - Columbus, OH @ Lifestyles Community Pavilion * 06/25 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest * 06/26 - Cincinnati, OH in Riverbend Music Center * 06/29 - Chicago, IL @ Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island 06/30 - Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre at Tower City * 07/02 - Maryland Heights, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre St. Louis 07/03 - Bonner Springs, KS @ Capitol Federal Park at Sandstone 07/07 -Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Center 07/09 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater 07/10 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Art Center 07/11 - Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center 07/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier 07/14 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater 07/16 - Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live 07/17 - Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood 07/18 - Memphis, TN @ Mud Island Amphitheatre 07/20 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre 07/21 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Usana Amphitheatre 07/24 - Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater 07/25 - Chula Vista, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre * = without The Offspring]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/03/311-the-offspring-hit-the-road/feed/ 11 Watch: The Offspring’s “Shit Is Fucked Up” http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/08/watch-the-offsprings-shit-is-fucked-up/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/08/watch-the-offsprings-shit-is-fucked-up/#comments Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:45:08 +0000 David Buchanan http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=17870 After a stint of sub-par animated music videos, The Offspring either heard the fan outcry, or simply decided to take a step back to square one. The west coast band’s latest single is probably one of the best and most aggressive tracks from last year’s Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. Superlatives speak volumes in light of said album’s lukewarm presence, and “Shit Is Fucked Up” marks a return to The Offspring’s performance video roots.

This throwback exhibition bears anthem punk rock similar to Green Day’s “East Jesus Nowhere”, with a decidedly signature Californian flare that the band is well versed in. During the bridge, a double-time rant against everything society holds dear chimes in (think “Americana” on caffeine) and is the closest anyone will get to pre-Conspiracy era Dexter Holland. At the very least one can be thankful there is now a video to overshadow “Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?”.

Meanwhile, back at the crazy house, all of our everyday iconic American loonies were released to perform between shots of the band playing in sepia tone, while Holland’s gives a mock presidential address (as seen in The Offspring’s tour announcement). The video for “Shit Is Fucked Up” showcases any remaining essence of this band’s early work while shimmering with rock radio appeal and occasionally sophomoric pop culture satire.

In short, The Offspring has actually made an altogether entertaining music video. So, leave your cynical brain at the laundromat and drop into this insanity full throttle.

]]> Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. Superlatives speak volumes in light of said album's lukewarm presence, and "Shit Is Fucked Up" marks a return to The Offspring's performance video roots. This throwback exhibition bears anthem punk rock similar to Green Day's "East Jesus Nowhere", with a decidedly signature Californian flare that the band is well versed in. During the bridge, a double-time rant against everything society holds dear chimes in (think "Americana" on caffeine) and is the closest anyone will get to pre-Conspiracy era Dexter Holland. At the very least one can be thankful there is now a video to overshadow "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?". Meanwhile, back at the crazy house, all of our everyday iconic American loonies were released to perform between shots of the band playing in sepia tone, while Holland's gives a mock presidential address (as seen in The Offspring's tour announcement). The video for "Shit Is Fucked Up" showcases any remaining essence of this band's early work while shimmering with rock radio appeal and occasionally sophomoric pop culture satire. In short, The Offspring has actually made an altogether entertaining music video. So, leave your cynical brain at the laundromat and drop into this insanity full throttle. [youtube oObL3Ajmr2Y]]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/08/watch-the-offsprings-shit-is-fucked-up/feed/ 1 The Offspring talk up new album of old stuff… What? http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/06/the-offspring-talk-up-new-album-of-old-stuff-what/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/06/the-offspring-talk-up-new-album-of-old-stuff-what/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:15:05 +0000 David Buchanan http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=16524 There have been a million and one reasons to hate The Offspring‘s last few studio albums, everything from how Splinter was short and full of filler to pretty much everything stated in our stellar review of Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. Though with another release comes another chance, and only a year after they put out their eighth effort, the California pranksters are back for another round — possibly.

According to Punknews.org, the alleged release could be comprised of throwaway tracks from the band’s previous three albums. Whether or not that’s a good thing is up for discussion, but regardless, the band sounds enthused:

[Vocalist Dexter Holland and Bob] kinda went over a couple of things that were left off the last record,” he reports, “and songs that were even left off ‘Splinter’ or maybe even ‘Conspiracy of One’ and kind of looked at some things with free eyes and see if there was anything there that can be worked on.

Yes, you heard that correct – they went with Bob Rock again. It should also be mentioned that drummer Pete Parada of Saves The Day fame will make his first studio appearance as an official member of The Offspring during any future recordings. Could he be any less a fit for this band who went from California punk to pop rock in the hot minute between “Cool To Hate” and “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)”?

Just the same, we look ahead and hope for the best because let us face facts – The Offspring cannot possibly do worse than “Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?” and its accompanying emo Holland video, right? Right?

The Offspring 2009 Tour Dates:
06/23 – Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion ^!
06/24 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion ^!
06/26 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
06/27 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Lawn ^!
06/28 – Detroit, MI @ Freedom Hall ^!
06/30 – Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC ^!
07/02 – Toronto, ON @ The Molson Amphitheater &#
07/03 – St-Ephrem de Tring, QC @ Woodstock en Beauce Festival
07/04 – Halifax, NS @ Virgin Festival Nova Scotia
07/07 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom *#
07/08 – New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom *#
07/10 – Boston, MA @ Tsongas Arena *#
07/11 – Gilford, NH @ Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion *#
07/12 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ WHRL Big Day Out
07/14 – Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Boutique Amphitheatre *#
07/16 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live *#
07/17 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre *#
07/18 – Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheater *#
08/08 – Algarve, PT @ Rockone Festival
08/10 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz
08/13 – Avenches, CH @ Rock Oz‘Arènes Festival
08/15 – Terchova, SK @ Budzogan Festival
08/16 – Budapest, HU @ Sziget Festival
08/18 – Kiewit, BE @ Pukkelpop
08/21 – Lüdinghausen, DE @ Area 4 Festival
08/22 – Erfurt-Hohenfelden, DE @ Highfield Festival
08/25 – London, UK @ Brixton Academy
08/26 – Manchester, UK @ Academy
08/28 – Ulft, NL @ Huntenpop Festival
08/29 – Paris, FR @ Rock en Seine Festival
09/01 – Munich, DE @ Tonhalle
09/02 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
09/04 – Wiesen, AT @ Two Days a Week Festival
09/05 – Zagreb, HR @ Tvornica

^ = w/ Dropkick Murphys
! = w/ Time Again
* = w/ Sum 41
& = w/ Pennywise

]]> Splinter was short and full of filler to pretty much everything stated in our stellar review of Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. Though with another release comes another chance, and only a year after they put out their eighth effort, the California pranksters are back for another round -- possibly. According to Punknews.org, the alleged release could be comprised of throwaway tracks from the band's previous three albums. Whether or not that's a good thing is up for discussion, but regardless, the band sounds enthused: [Vocalist Dexter Holland and Bob] kinda went over a couple of things that were left off the last record," he reports, "and songs that were even left off 'Splinter' or maybe even 'Conspiracy of One' and kind of looked at some things with free eyes and see if there was anything there that can be worked on. Yes, you heard that correct - they went with Bob Rock again. It should also be mentioned that drummer Pete Parada of Saves The Day fame will make his first studio appearance as an official member of The Offspring during any future recordings. Could he be any less a fit for this band who went from California punk to pop rock in the hot minute between "Cool To Hate" and "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)"? Just the same, we look ahead and hope for the best because let us face facts - The Offspring cannot possibly do worse than "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?" and its accompanying emo Holland video, right? Right? The Offspring 2009 Tour Dates: 06/23 - Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion ^! 06/24 - Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion ^! 06/26 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest 06/27 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Lawn ^! 06/28 - Detroit, MI @ Freedom Hall ^! 06/30 - Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC ^! 07/02 - Toronto, ON @ The Molson Amphitheater &# 07/03 - St-Ephrem de Tring, QC @ Woodstock en Beauce Festival 07/04 - Halifax, NS @ Virgin Festival Nova Scotia 07/07 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom *# 07/08 - New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom *# 07/10 - Boston, MA @ Tsongas Arena *# 07/11 - Gilford, NH @ Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion *# 07/12 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ WHRL Big Day Out 07/14 - Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Boutique Amphitheatre *# 07/16 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live *# 07/17 - St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre *# 07/18 - Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheater *# 08/08 - Algarve, PT @ Rockone Festival 08/10 - Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz 08/13 - Avenches, CH @ Rock Oz‘Arènes Festival 08/15 - Terchova, SK @ Budzogan Festival 08/16 - Budapest, HU @ Sziget Festival 08/18 - Kiewit, BE @ Pukkelpop 08/21 - Lüdinghausen, DE @ Area 4 Festival 08/22 - Erfurt-Hohenfelden, DE @ Highfield Festival 08/25 - London, UK @ Brixton Academy 08/26 - Manchester, UK @ Academy 08/28 - Ulft, NL @ Huntenpop Festival 08/29 - Paris, FR @ Rock en Seine Festival 09/01 - Munich, DE @ Tonhalle 09/02 - Milan, IT @ Alcatraz 09/04 - Wiesen, AT @ Two Days a Week Festival 09/05 - Zagreb, HR @ Tvornica ^ = w/ Dropkick Murphys ! = w/ Time Again * = w/ Sum 41 & = w/ Pennywise]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/06/the-offspring-talk-up-new-album-of-old-stuff-what/feed/ 3 The Offspring thinks this S*** Is F***ed Up http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/03/the-offspring-thinks-this-s-is-fed-up/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/03/the-offspring-thinks-this-s-is-fed-up/#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:15:09 +0000 Andy Keil http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=13296 It’s hard to believe that Huntington Beach’s flyest white guys have been a band for almost 25 years now. But, come May 15th, The Offspring will in fact prove this when it kicks off the two month, 37-date “The Shit Is Fucked Up” tour in Nashville, Tennessee. “President” Dexter Holland (vocals, guitar) announced the tour in a mock State of the Union Address that was posted as a widget on their official website.

The fun runs through July 18th and will feature its fair share of punk contemporaries. Alkaline Trio and Street Dogs will be supporting the first leg of the tour while Shiny Toy Guns hops on for a week, Dropkick Murphys for nearly two, Sum 41 for eight shows, and Pennywise even shows up for one date.

When The Offspring hit the stage, expect a lot of new material from last year’s Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace – after all, to date the album has sold 1.8 million copies worldwide and spawned three hit singles including “Hammerhead”, “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid”, and “Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?”. As for the band’s composition, Save the Day’s Pete Prada, who has been filling in on drums since the departure of Atom Willard, will likely continue backing Holland, Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman, and Greg Kriesel throughout the summer.

The Offspring 2009 Tour Dates:
05/15 – Nashville, TN @ Merrell Crawfish Boil Festival
05/17 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center #!
05/19 – Austin, TX @ Austin Music Hall #!
05/20 – Dallas, TX @ Nokia Theatre #!
05/22 – Kansas City, MO @ Buzz Under The Stars Festival
05/25 – Sioux City, IA @ Gateway Arena #!
05/26 – Rapid City, SD @ Rushmore Plaza Civic Center #!
05/28 – Morrison, CO @ Punk Rocks Festival
05/30 – Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Concert Theater #!
06/01 – Phoenix, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre #!
06/03 – San Diego, CA @ Open Air Theatre #!
06/05 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater #!
06/09 – Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater #!
06/10 – Vancouver, BC @ UBC Thunderbird Arena %!
06/12 – Calgary, AB @ The Stampede Corral %!
06/13 – Edmonton, AB @ Northlands %!
06/15 – Saskatoon, SK @ Prairieland Park %!
06/17 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre %!
06/19 – St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium ^
06/20 – Chicago, IL @ Charter One Pavilion ^
06/21 – Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Amphitheate ^
06/23 – Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion ^
06/24 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion ^
06/26 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
06/27 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Lawn ^
06/28 – Detroit, MI @ Freedom Hall ^
06/30 – Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC ^
07/02 – Toronto, ON @ The Molson Amphitheater &
07/03 – St-Ephrem de Tring, QC @ Woodstock en Beauce Festival
07/07 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom *
07/08 – New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom *
07/10 – Boston, MA @ Tsongas Arena *
07/11 – Gilford, NH @ Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion *
07/14 – Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Boutique Amphitheatre *
07/16 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live *
07/17 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre *
07/18 – Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheater *

# = w/ Alkaline Trio
! = w/ Street Dogs
% = w/ Shiny Toy Guns
^ = w/ Dropkick Murphys
& = w/ Pennywise
* = w/ Sum 41

]]> Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace - after all, to date the album has sold 1.8 million copies worldwide and spawned three hit singles including "Hammerhead", "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid", and "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?". As for the band's composition, Save the Day's Pete Prada, who has been filling in on drums since the departure of Atom Willard, will likely continue backing Holland, Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, and Greg Kriesel throughout the summer. The Offspring 2009 Tour Dates: 05/15 - Nashville, TN @ Merrell Crawfish Boil Festival 05/17 - Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center #! 05/19 - Austin, TX @ Austin Music Hall #! 05/20 - Dallas, TX @ Nokia Theatre #! 05/22 - Kansas City, MO @ Buzz Under The Stars Festival 05/25 - Sioux City, IA @ Gateway Arena #! 05/26 - Rapid City, SD @ Rushmore Plaza Civic Center #! 05/28 - Morrison, CO @ Punk Rocks Festival 05/30 - Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Concert Theater #! 06/01 - Phoenix, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre #! 06/03 - San Diego, CA @ Open Air Theatre #! 06/05 - Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater #! 06/09 - Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater #! 06/10 - Vancouver, BC @ UBC Thunderbird Arena %! 06/12 - Calgary, AB @ The Stampede Corral %! 06/13 - Edmonton, AB @ Northlands %! 06/15 - Saskatoon, SK @ Prairieland Park %! 06/17 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre %! 06/19 - St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium ^ 06/20 - Chicago, IL @ Charter One Pavilion ^ 06/21 - Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Amphitheate ^ 06/23 - Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion ^ 06/24 - Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion ^ 06/26 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest 06/27 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Lawn ^ 06/28 - Detroit, MI @ Freedom Hall ^ 06/30 - Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC ^ 07/02 - Toronto, ON @ The Molson Amphitheater & 07/03 - St-Ephrem de Tring, QC @ Woodstock en Beauce Festival 07/07 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom * 07/08 - New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom * 07/10 - Boston, MA @ Tsongas Arena * 07/11 - Gilford, NH @ Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion * 07/14 - Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Boutique Amphitheatre * 07/16 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live * 07/17 - St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre * 07/18 - Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheater * # = w/ Alkaline Trio ! = w/ Street Dogs % = w/ Shiny Toy Guns ^ = w/ Dropkick Murphys & = w/ Pennywise * = w/ Sum 41]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/03/the-offspring-thinks-this-s-is-fed-up/feed/ 3 Court of the Ginger King: 2008, We Hardly Knew Ye! http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/12/court-of-the-ginger-king-2008-we-hardly-knew-ye/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/12/court-of-the-ginger-king-2008-we-hardly-knew-ye/#comments Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:00:52 +0000 Ginger King http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=9725 Well, well, well… 2008 comes to a close. While the site had its year-end spectacular a couple of weeks ago, what better way to recap the whole shebang than some closing thoughts with the ol’ Ginger King himself. He may be on break, hibernating with some egg nog, but that only makes him all the more feisty. So, sit back, relax, and then… get angry. -Michael Roffman, Editor in Chief

As 2009 approaches, we are only days away from when Hanukkah Harry, Kwanzabot, and Paul Giamatti’s character from that shitty Vince Vaughn movie come and bestow gifts upon us. This means one thing, year end recaps and best of lists. Oh, this is definitely my favorite time of the year.

Personally speaking, 2008 blew for music. If it wasn’t for the last bastion of respectable music coverage, we would have probably all killed ourselves. We all owe TRL a big debt of gratitude. Unfortunately, that seems to have gone awash, as well.

Don’t believe me? Let’s turn around and trace our steps some. If you search on Wikipedia for “2008 in music,” the first entry Face to Face’s reunion announcement. That’s how special 2008 was for music, right? Wrong. Face to Face fans with an internet connection aside, actual shit happened this year. We learned that System of a Down isn’t going to reform and the Grammys continue to happen, both sad things. Furthermore, Erykah Badu made a comeback, Def Leppard and The Eagles went on tour and Scott Weiland left Velvet Revolver. A tree fell in the woods; no one heard it or cared. However, on April 5th, the newly reunited Face to Face performed in Irvine, CA. God Bless America!

Let’s continue, though…

Did you know Mariah Carey is officially only two #1 singles behind The Beatles for all time? This is cataclysmic news because I realized that my grandchildren will have framed posters of the album cover Butterfly. And you know what, I’m fucking happy about it. Who in the world didn’t enjoy the video for “Honey”? I will go on record and say Butterfly is our generation’s Sgt. Pepper. (Editor’s Note: Please folks, flame away!) This seminal album, or masterpiece as it will be known for years to come, set the stage for the Shakespearean drama that is Mariah Carey. Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, she fought for her independence, grew as a musician, had a meltdown, left in exile, etc, etc.

On the flipside however, in 2008, Carey fought and clawed her way to the top, battling the likes of T-Pain and Leona Lewis to take the number one spot like all great champions before her did. Just like Air Jordan, Napoleon Bonaparte, Jackie Brown, and Ted Dibiase before her, Mariah Carey is a people’s champ. She has furthered music to almost unfathomable levels and she will overtake The Beatles’ record for most #1 singles within a decade. Welcome to the future everyone.

So, what else happened?

Oh, that Scott Weiland character didn’t leave the former Guns empty handed, as he left and rejoined the Stone Temple Pilots. You probably didn’t know that Donna Summer had a number one song again, but you might have bought Madonna’s leventh, yes eleventh, album. (She also turned 50!) A second tree fell in the woods. Donna Summer and Scott Weiland smoked it, no one cared.

This is when things get “crazy”…

The shitty mayor of Los Angeles got a whole heck of a lot better when he proclaimed April 15th as Mariah Carey Day. From April 25th to April 27th, the Empire State Building was lit up in lavender, pink, and white in celebration of Mariah Carey’s achievements in the field of music. A world rejoiced as the two leading epicenters for music in modern day America saw eye to eye, or face to face, in their appreciation of the musical titan, “Mariah.”

Meanwhile, The Offspring eleased an album, David Cook won season 7 of American Idol, and Westlife (who?) celebrated ten years of music making. A third tree fell in the woods, it killed 3 and injured 4, and again… no one cared.

Naturally, as all this happened here, Zeus and Apollo laughed from above in Olympus at the amazing creation they bestowed on us mere mortals. Built not from flesh and blood, Mariah Carey symbolizes a new future in music where singers are sent to us from the heavens.

Carrying on, George Michael played his first US Tour in 17 years, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith was actually developed and released, and a shitload of festivals happened. Oh, and Souljaboy continued to take the world by storm. By this time, the many proverbial trees have fallen down… thanks to global warming.

So, where we at? Oh, the end of the summer: LOLLAPALOOZA 2008! Need I mention that Consequence of Sound covered that shit like they own it? BOO-YAH.

Then came the seasonal changes: Katy Perry continued to do whatever the hell she does, a new Queen album came out (or is coming out), that plane crash involving Travis Barker and DJ AM happened and the two lived to tell the tale, Paul McCartney returned to Israel since being banned, Britney got another number one, Rihanna got a few ones too, and finally, Face to Face continued to search for their first one.

Of course, 2008 wouldn’t 2008 without Axl f’n Rose. How could we forget? Chinese Democracy was unleashed upon the ill prepared world! Rumor has it that only Mariah Carey is known to be able to handle the sheer awesomeness and virtuosity that the album contains. Too bad that negates 99.99% percent of the world. Speaking of the world, a lot of awesome people connected to music left it, but that’s what always happens: people die. Some can argue and say that Mariah Carey should have considered resurrecting them with her powers, but let’s get realistic people.

2009 Prediction: Face to Face will produce Mariah Carey’s next album, I Will Never Go Away As Long As People Can Handle My Voice As They Pleasure Themselves to My Videos.

Check Out:

An Early Holiday Gift…

]]> Well, well, well... 2008 comes to a close. While the site had its year-end spectacular a couple of weeks ago, what better way to recap the whole shebang than some closing thoughts with the ol' Ginger King himself. He may be on break, hibernating with some egg nog, but that only makes him all the more feisty. So, sit back, relax, and then... get angry. -Michael Roffman, Editor in Chief As 2009 approaches, we are only days away from when Hanukkah Harry, Kwanzabot, and Paul Giamatti’s character from that shitty Vince Vaughn movie come and bestow gifts upon us. This means one thing, year end recaps and best of lists. Oh, this is definitely my favorite time of the year. Personally speaking, 2008 blew for music. If it wasn’t for the last bastion of respectable music coverage, we would have probably all killed ourselves. We all owe TRL a big debt of gratitude. Unfortunately, that seems to have gone awash, as well. Don't believe me? Let's turn around and trace our steps some. If you search on Wikipedia for “2008 in music,” the first entry Face to Face's reunion announcement. That's how special 2008 was for music, right? Wrong. Face to Face fans with an internet connection aside, actual shit happened this year. We learned that System of a Down isn’t going to reform and the Grammys continue to happen, both sad things. Furthermore, Erykah Badu made a comeback, Def Leppard and The Eagles went on tour and Scott Weiland left Velvet Revolver. A tree fell in the woods; no one heard it or cared. However, on April 5th, the newly reunited Face to Face performed in Irvine, CA. God Bless America! Let's continue, though... Did you know Mariah Carey is officially only two #1 singles behind The Beatles for all time? This is cataclysmic news because I realized that my grandchildren will have framed posters of the album cover Butterfly. And you know what, I’m fucking happy about it. Who in the world didn’t enjoy the video for "Honey"? I will go on record and say Butterfly is our generation's Sgt. Pepper. (Editor's Note: Please folks, flame away!) This seminal album, or masterpiece as it will be known for years to come, set the stage for the Shakespearean drama that is Mariah Carey. Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, she fought for her independence, grew as a musician, had a meltdown, left in exile, etc, etc. On the flipside however, in 2008, Carey fought and clawed her way to the top, battling the likes of T-Pain and Leona Lewis to take the number one spot like all great champions before her did. Just like Air Jordan, Napoleon Bonaparte, Jackie Brown, and Ted Dibiase before her, Mariah Carey is a people’s champ. She has furthered music to almost unfathomable levels and she will overtake The Beatles' record for most #1 singles within a decade. Welcome to the future everyone. So, what else happened? Oh, that Scott Weiland character didn't leave the former Guns empty handed, as he left and rejoined the Stone Temple Pilots. You probably didn't know that Donna Summer had a number one song again, but you might have bought Madonna's leventh, yes eleventh, album. (She also turned 50!) A second tree fell in the woods. Donna Summer and Scott Weiland smoked it, no one cared. This is when things get "crazy"... The shitty mayor of Los Angeles got a whole heck of a lot better when he proclaimed April 15th as Mariah Carey Day. From April 25th to April 27th, the Empire State Building was lit up in lavender, pink, and white in celebration of Mariah Carey’s achievements in the field of music. A world rejoiced as the two leading epicenters for music in modern day America saw eye to eye, or face to face, in their appreciation of the musical titan, "Mariah." Meanwhile, The Offspring eleased an album, David Cook won season 7 of American Idol, and Westlife (who?) celebrated ten years of music making. A third tree fell in the woods, it killed 3 and injured 4, and again... no one cared. Naturally, as all this happened here, Zeus and Apollo laughed from above in Olympus at the amazing creation they bestowed on us mere mortals. Built not from flesh and blood, Mariah Carey symbolizes a new future in music where singers are sent to us from the heavens. Carrying on, George Michael played his first US Tour in 17 years, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith was actually developed and released, and a shitload of festivals happened. Oh, and Souljaboy continued to take the world by storm. By this time, the many proverbial trees have fallen down... thanks to global warming. So, where we at? Oh, the end of the summer: LOLLAPALOOZA 2008! Need I mention that Consequence of Sound covered that shit like they own it? BOO-YAH. Then came the seasonal changes: Katy Perry continued to do whatever the hell she does, a new Queen album came out (or is coming out), that plane crash involving Travis Barker and DJ AM happened and the two lived to tell the tale, Paul McCartney returned to Israel since being banned, Britney got another number one, Rihanna got a few ones too, and finally, Face to Face continued to search for their first one. Of course, 2008 wouldn't 2008 without Axl f'n Rose. How could we forget? Chinese Democracy was unleashed upon the ill prepared world! Rumor has it that only Mariah Carey is known to be able to handle the sheer awesomeness and virtuosity that the album contains. Too bad that negates 99.99% percent of the world. Speaking of the world, a lot of awesome people connected to music left it, but that's what always happens: people die. Some can argue and say that Mariah Carey should have considered resurrecting them with her powers, but let's get realistic people. 2009 Prediction: Face to Face will produce Mariah Carey’s next album, I Will Never Go Away As Long As People Can Handle My Voice As They Pleasure Themselves to My Videos. Check Out: An Early Holiday Gift... [youtube u-xk1oSi5JQ]]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/12/court-of-the-ginger-king-2008-we-hardly-knew-ye/feed/ 2 Bumbershoot 2008 works hard over Labor Day weekend http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/09/bumbershoot-2008-works-hard-on-labor-day-weekend/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/09/bumbershoot-2008-works-hard-on-labor-day-weekend/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:48:58 +0000 Dustin Wiyrick http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=6143 If you’re not familiar with Bumbershoot, let’s refresh your memory. Founded originally in 1971, as the city-funded “Mayor’s Arts Festival”, the Seattle, Washington-based music and arts festival has since evolved into one of the bigger events in the music world, now hosting 100,000+ attendees each and every Labor Day weekend. Of all places, the iconic Space Needle at the Seattle Center plays host to the festival. It’s currently a three-day festival, but each year they expand the artistic offerings. In addition to the many musical artists present, the festival highlights works from across the artistic spectrum including, but not limited to: comedy, performance art, graphic arts, poetry, creative writing and film. One would be hard pressed to come away from Bumbershoot 2008 feeling that there could have been more.

Saturday, August 30th

At first arrival, Bumbershoot can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, as it’s spread over 74 acres and has an attendance of roughly 50,000 each day. But once you settle in and realize that it will take time to get to the various stages and events, you’ll relax and have an amazing time.

Opening up Saturday’s events, Rock-a-Billy artist Nick Vigarino added a jazz twist to his country sound by having a tenor saxaphone. As if to keep the sound consistent, Neko Case and Lucinda Williams maintained the alt-country sound. Unfortunately, many missed Case’s first song or two because security had yet to let people in for the performance. Not sure what was the problem, but the line moved quickly once it started. Case was fantastic as always playing mostly songs from her past album, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood; however, she managed to pull out a few new songs that will be on a future release. Whereas Case was very soothing, Williams was more rockin’ in her country-tinged, blues rock.  She played some new songs, which at times were corny (e.g. “Real Love”), but you can’t help but love her voice and instrumentation, especially for a woman of 55. Both Case and Williams’ new albums will be something to look forward to in the near future.

Local, listener-funded, radio station KEXP puts on several intimate shows each day in a secret location, with no more than 200 people admitted. The first was with Nada Surf. Unfortunately, bassist Daniel Lorca was injured, so he was replaced by Ozma bassist Jose Galvez, who did a fine job in Lorca’s absence. They played seven songs, all acoustic with Ira Elliot on the Cajon, a box-like drum that the musician sits on and hits with his palms. The highlight of the show was the boys playing “Amateur” from The Proximity Effect, a song that rarely shows up on their setlists. If you enjoy indie rock, this is a band you need to know.

As mentioned above, Bumbershoot is not all about the music. One of the few other events that took place at the festival was a comedy show, simply titled, “The MySpace Show.” This side show consisted of six comedians doing improv comedy on two real MySpace pages from random audience members. It was fun once things started rolling, though it did take awhile to find a few audience members who had their pages not set to private.

After the comedy show, and over at the KEXP Lounge, !!! (Chk, Chk, Chk) were billed to let us dance our asses off. Unfortunately, it was in a seated venue, so it was mostly head bobbing, but in any other setting it would have been a great dance party.  Despite this, the show was unreal, and !!! sounded great with some fantastic stage presence. If you’re into bands like Ghostland Observatory and The Ting Tings, you should check out !!!.

Finally, it was time for the best one-two punch of the festival: Band of Horses followed by Beck. Although some may disagree, Band of Horses is one of the best, if not the best, live indie rock act out today. Not only did they perform well, but most of the set list was culled from their first two releases, plus two new songs to boot, one of which featured the harmonica and the other a melodica, best described as a woodwind keyboard.

Beck closed out the day with a killer “greatest hits” set. He started with “Loser” and continued through his catalogue. The only album they didn’t play from was Mutations, which was a bummer because it’s such a great album. However, the band did play “Nicotine and Gravy” off of Midnight Vultures, which was awesome. When he played “Hell Yes” and “Black Tambourine”, all five members of his band played 808 drum machines. Despite the amazing set list, the show did sound and feel a bit different. On the Guero/The Information tour, the slinky frontman kept himself busy with an elaborate puppet show, complete with dancers. Only this time, there was just a backing band, some large spot lights and a big screen made up of hundreds of bulbs. It was very minimalist, which is why it was so surprising that his sound was much less polished. It was almost grunge, actually. Nevertheless, you have to appreciate Beck for changing it up all the time. The guy is definitely a genius and should never be missed when he appears at a venue near you.

Sunday, August 31st

For some reason, Sunday was not nearly as jam packed with bands as Saturday or Sunday. Nonetheless, there were some great acts. Kicking off the proverbial sabbath, Lushy brought somewhat of a surf rock sound, only there were some undertones of jazz, too. Even with such a unique sound, it’s hard to hold the concertgoer’s attention when there’s also a vert ramp at the show. Yes, a vert ramp. With a combination of skaters and BMX bikers, the sight was pretty awe inspiring.

Following the vert ramp, there was a “Post-it Note Reading.” This was interesting, to say the least. At the reading, animation was drawn on Post-it notes, using a Sharpie, while a corresponding story was read. These light-hearted, humorous stories were a pleasant surprise. Following this, Dale Watson played his own unique style of Rock-a-billy, comparable to Johnny Cash. The only problem? The Whigs were starting up. The Whigs is a band with a fun, garage rock sound. Fun show aside, they’re a band you like, but not one that’s particularly memorable.

If Band of Horses and Beck were the best one-two punch of the festival, The Black Keys and Stone Temple Pilots (above, center) were a close second.  With crunch and huge riffs, The Black Keys’ bluesy rock is amazing, and it’s hard to believe that so much sound comes from only two guys on drums and guitar. Given Scott Weiland’s tumultuous past, you never know what to expect from 90′s rock outfit, Stone Temple Pilots; however, it turned out to be a rocking show. Thirty minutes past their scheduled set time, a tour bus drove right up to the stage and within minutes they were in front of thousands, blowing away any doubt that they could still rock. Hit after hit they rocked through a set which included a jazzy cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” on the outro of “Creep” and a plugged-in version of “Sour Girl.” It was one of the best arena rock shows in recent memory… and it wasn’t even in an arena.

 

Monday, September 1st

The last day was the weakest of the three days, but still a great time. Local teen sensation Vince Mira started off the work week. Mira’s only claim to fame stems from a sound that’s uncannily like Johnny Cash. Saturday’s Dale Watson sounded like Johnny Cash too, but Vince Mira is Johnny Cash. It’s a bit eerie. This 15 year old, backed by The Roy Kay Trio, played mostly Cash’s hits, but also squeezed in a few of his own that were actually not bad. He may never be able to move beyond great impersonator, but there is no doubt he will always have an audience.

Keeping the local band theme going, Head Like a Kite, an electronic/new wave/rock group, were up next. Fronted by a guy who looked like a Jonas Brother, the band held a lil’ Flaming Lips flare, with some creatures dancing on the stage that looked all too much like the sugary candy, Nerds. It will be interesting to see how these young guys fare in the Seattle music market. Following shortly after was the much anticipated Israeli band, Monotonix. These guys put on a show similar to Gogol Bordello and they did not disappoint, even despite a very short set. It was very crowd heavy too, as you could not see them because they were not on the stage, but instead playing on the floor with the crowd surrounding them. All the while, lead singer Yomtov was continually crowd surfing both with and without a garbage can. Yes, he got inside a garbage can and was hoisted on top of the crowd. The guitar player then got in on the action and crowd surfed, too. Mind you, he was still playing all the while. After two, dirty garage rock songs an announcer came on stage and said that the show was being shut down. No explanation, but a reasonable guess would be due to safety. The crowd was not happy and began booing and flipping the poor guy off. Luckily, singer Yomtov came to his rescue and talked the crowd down. One can only imagine a full set by these guys, if it ever happens.

Bumbershoot this year, if you had not noticed, was full of 90′s acts and The Offspring were no exception. Like Stone Temple Pilots and Beck, they played a hits with a smattering of songs off of their new album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. As always, the band was fun to see and sounded great. The same can’t be said for the next act, X Levitation Cult, which was essentially a singer-songwriter who could neither sing nor write songs very well. 

Bumbershoot is known for its diverse acts, but also for its diversity, and Cheb I Sabbah & 1002 Nights featuring Riffat Sultana is a great example of that. They consisted of a DJ, two percussionists, a singer (Riffat Sultana), a belly dancer and occasionally a Middle Eastern guitar. It was an interesting mix that was a entertaining, especially if one managed to snag a cold beer. Del tha Funky Homosapien sounded good, but Superchunk sounded excellent. Superchunk was probably one of the best surprises at the festival. They rocked hard with their brand of early 90′s indie rock, which still sounds contemporary. It was a good choice as Death Cab for Cutie came next, closing out the festival with a solid set. Now that they are a successful veteran band, it would be great to see them venture out a little and be more playful. Not much, just if they could add a cover or two, or play a song deep from its catalogue. You know, one that no one has heard live in years. Preferences aside, the Seattle indie group played well, predictable, but well. With a weekend like this was, it’s hard to complain.

]]> Fox Confessor Brings the Flood; however, she managed to pull out a few new songs that will be on a future release. Whereas Case was very soothing, Williams was more rockin’ in her country-tinged, blues rock.  She played some new songs, which at times were corny (e.g. “Real Love”), but you can’t help but love her voice and instrumentation, especially for a woman of 55. Both Case and Williams’ new albums will be something to look forward to in the near future. Local, listener-funded, radio station KEXP puts on several intimate shows each day in a secret location, with no more than 200 people admitted. The first was with Nada Surf. Unfortunately, bassist Daniel Lorca was injured, so he was replaced by Ozma bassist Jose Galvez, who did a fine job in Lorca’s absence. They played seven songs, all acoustic with Ira Elliot on the Cajon, a box-like drum that the musician sits on and hits with his palms. The highlight of the show was the boys playing “Amateur” from The Proximity Effect, a song that rarely shows up on their setlists. If you enjoy indie rock, this is a band you need to know. As mentioned above, Bumbershoot is not all about the music. One of the few other events that took place at the festival was a comedy show, simply titled, “The MySpace Show.” This side show consisted of six comedians doing improv comedy on two real MySpace pages from random audience members. It was fun once things started rolling, though it did take awhile to find a few audience members who had their pages not set to private. After the comedy show, and over at the KEXP Lounge, !!! (Chk, Chk, Chk) were billed to let us dance our asses off. Unfortunately, it was in a seated venue, so it was mostly head bobbing, but in any other setting it would have been a great dance party.  Despite this, the show was unreal, and !!! sounded great with some fantastic stage presence. If you’re into bands like Ghostland Observatory and The Ting Tings, you should check out !!!. Finally, it was time for the best one-two punch of the festival: Band of Horses followed by Beck. Although some may disagree, Band of Horses is one of the best, if not the best, live indie rock act out today. Not only did they perform well, but most of the set list was culled from their first two releases, plus two new songs to boot, one of which featured the harmonica and the other a melodica, best described as a woodwind keyboard. Beck closed out the day with a killer “greatest hits” set. He started with “Loser” and continued through his catalogue. The only album they didn't play from was Mutations, which was a bummer because it’s such a great album. However, the band did play “Nicotine and Gravy” off of Midnight Vultures, which was awesome. When he played “Hell Yes” and “Black Tambourine”, all five members of his band played 808 drum machines. Despite the amazing set list, the show did sound and feel a bit different. On the Guero/The Information tour, the slinky frontman kept himself busy with an elaborate puppet show, complete with dancers. Only this time, there was just a backing band, some large spot lights and a big screen made up of hundreds of bulbs. It was very minimalist, which is why it was so surprising that his sound was much less polished. It was almost grunge, actually. Nevertheless, you have to appreciate Beck for changing it up all the time. The guy is definitely a genius and should never be missed when he appears at a venue near you. Sunday, August 31st For some reason, Sunday was not nearly as jam packed with bands as Saturday or Sunday. Nonetheless, there were some great acts. Kicking off the proverbial sabbath, Lushy brought somewhat of a surf rock sound, only there were some undertones of jazz, too. Even with such a unique sound, it's hard to hold the concertgoer's attention when there's also a vert ramp at the show. Yes, a vert ramp. With a combination of skaters and BMX bikers, the sight was pretty awe inspiring. Following the vert ramp, there was a “Post-it Note Reading.” This was interesting, to say the least. At the reading, animation was drawn on Post-it notes, using a Sharpie, while a corresponding story was read. These light-hearted, humorous stories were a pleasant surprise. Following this, Dale Watson played his own unique style of Rock-a-billy, comparable to Johnny Cash. The only problem? The Whigs were starting up. The Whigs is a band with a fun, garage rock sound. Fun show aside, they're a band you like, but not one that's particularly memorable. If Band of Horses and Beck were the best one-two punch of the festival, The Black Keys and Stone Temple Pilots (above, center) were a close second.  With crunch and huge riffs, The Black Keys' bluesy rock is amazing, and it's hard to believe that so much sound comes from only two guys on drums and guitar. Given Scott Weiland’s tumultuous past, you never know what to expect from 90's rock outfit, Stone Temple Pilots; however, it turned out to be a rocking show. Thirty minutes past their scheduled set time, a tour bus drove right up to the stage and within minutes they were in front of thousands, blowing away any doubt that they could still rock. Hit after hit they rocked through a set which included a jazzy cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” on the outro of “Creep” and a plugged-in version of “Sour Girl.” It was one of the best arena rock shows in recent memory... and it wasn't even in an arena.   Monday, September 1st The last day was the weakest of the three days, but still a great time. Local teen sensation Vince Mira started off the work week. Mira's only claim to fame stems from a sound that's uncannily like Johnny Cash. Saturday's Dale Watson sounded like Johnny Cash too, but Vince Mira is Johnny Cash. It's a bit eerie. This 15 year old, backed by The Roy Kay Trio, played mostly Cash’s hits, but also squeezed in a few of his own that were actually not bad. He may never be able to move beyond great impersonator, but there is no doubt he will always have an audience. Keeping the local band theme going, Head Like a Kite, an electronic/new wave/rock group, were up next. Fronted by a guy who looked like a Jonas Brother, the band held a lil' Flaming Lips flare, with some creatures dancing on the stage that looked all too much like the sugary candy, Nerds. It will be interesting to see how these young guys fare in the Seattle music market. Following shortly after was the much anticipated Israeli band, Monotonix. These guys put on a show similar to Gogol Bordello and they did not disappoint, even despite a very short set. It was very crowd heavy too, as you could not see them because they were not on the stage, but instead playing on the floor with the crowd surrounding them. All the while, lead singer Yomtov was continually crowd surfing both with and without a garbage can. Yes, he got inside a garbage can and was hoisted on top of the crowd. The guitar player then got in on the action and crowd surfed, too. Mind you, he was still playing all the while. After two, dirty garage rock songs an announcer came on stage and said that the show was being shut down. No explanation, but a reasonable guess would be due to safety. The crowd was not happy and began booing and flipping the poor guy off. Luckily, singer Yomtov came to his rescue and talked the crowd down. One can only imagine a full set by these guys, if it ever happens. Bumbershoot this year, if you had not noticed, was full of 90's acts and The Offspring were no exception. Like Stone Temple Pilots and Beck, they played a hits with a smattering of songs off of their new album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. As always, the band was fun to see and sounded great. The same can't be said for the next act, X Levitation Cult, which was essentially a singer-songwriter who could neither sing nor write songs very well.  Bumbershoot is known for its diverse acts, but also for its diversity, and Cheb I Sabbah & 1002 Nights featuring Riffat Sultana is a great example of that. They consisted of a DJ, two percussionists, a singer (Riffat Sultana), a belly dancer and occasionally a Middle Eastern guitar. It was an interesting mix that was a entertaining, especially if one managed to snag a cold beer. Del tha Funky Homosapien sounded good, but Superchunk sounded excellent. Superchunk was probably one of the best surprises at the festival. They rocked hard with their brand of early 90's indie rock, which still sounds contemporary. It was a good choice as Death Cab for Cutie came next, closing out the festival with a solid set. Now that they are a successful veteran band, it would be great to see them venture out a little and be more playful. Not much, just if they could add a cover or two, or play a song deep from its catalogue. You know, one that no one has heard live in years. Preferences aside, the Seattle indie group played well, predictable, but well. With a weekend like this was, it's hard to complain. ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/09/bumbershoot-2008-works-hard-on-labor-day-weekend/feed/ 10 Watch: The Offspring’s “Hammerhead” http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/06/watch-the-offsprings-hammerhead/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/06/watch-the-offsprings-hammerhead/#comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:36:26 +0000 Michael Roffman http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=2631 If you haven’t checked out our “well accepted” review of the album, then maybe this might clue you in: The Offspring are back. Yesterday was a fairly exciting day for the band, especially since they’ve been out of the spotlight since I was just starting college five years ago. Not only did they stream their new album, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, on imeem, but they also released the video for the hard hitting new single, “Hammerhead.” To be honest, it’s a bit vague and disappointing, but give it a watch yourself.

]]> Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, on imeem, but they also released the video for the hard hitting new single, "Hammerhead." To be honest, it's a bit vague and disappointing, but give it a watch yourself. ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/06/watch-the-offsprings-hammerhead/feed/ 5 Album Review: The Offspring – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/06/album-review-rise-and-fall-rage-and-grace/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/06/album-review-rise-and-fall-rage-and-grace/#comments Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:46:24 +0000 Michael Roffman http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=2614 A long time ago, though not too far back, teenagers used to bash heads against one another, chanting mercifully, “Come out and play!” It was the summer of 1994 and along with Green Day’s breakout album Dookie, Smash convinced every teenager they were newfound punk rockers. It didn’t take much convincing, especially since most of the fan base carried over after a certain someone was found in a certain green house. The misnomer that was grunge rock was fading and with the rise of “gangsta rap” from the likes of Nas and Wu-Tang Clan, rock fans embraced this more mainstream punk rock approach.

There’s an interesting parallel between the two pioneers, Green Day and The Offspring. Both of their follow ups, Insomniac and Ixnay on the Hombre respectively, embrace that dark side to the band, scaling back from the click n’ pop that made their breakthroughs so enjoyable (and successful). When that didn’t play out as well as they’d hoped, the two bands decided to speak directly to their audience, writing in perspectives that didn’t quite match their age, with the high school angst in Americana and the teenage drama in Nimrod. Okay, so what’s the point?

Green Day moved on. Warning and American Idiot broke past any barriers that stopped them before, working off of a more mature sound that didn’t quite find success until the latter. The keyword here is mature, something that The Offspring strayed further away from, with continuous attempts to capitalize on the success of “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)” that resulted in later (horrid) singles, “Original Prankster” and “Hit That.” Even if 2003′s Splinter held some grit and punch, it was largely ignored commercially; instead, pushing the band into recluse.

Two words: Good call.

Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace, the band’s eighth album, is the culmination of two years writing and recording, a first for an Offspring release. With so much time locked away recording, sparring shows here and there and a Greatest Hits album to boot, one would think the band had enough time to write some bold material. The result? A pretty bad case of “this and that.”

“Hammerhead”, the current single, is a good harbinger to base this album off of, considering it changes structure and pace a few times in just under five minutes. Holland hasn’t sounded quite this sincere since the very best Americana had to offer (“The Kids Aren’t Alright”, “Have You Ever”), shouting off some frightening lyrics (“And you can all hide behind your desks now/ And you can cry, ‘teacher come help me! “) with some engine like distortion that rockets ahead. There’s some banter in the song, mainly towards the end that hints the band’s latter years, too. Altogether, it works lyrically, but lacks the swinging enthusiasm, namely due to uninspired riffs that are too polished from the start.

This is an album that shows its age. A song like “Half Truism” rings back on the 2004-2005 days, when emo rockers The Used, My Chemical Romance or Brand New banged out sing-a-long choruses (“If we don’t make it alive/Then it’s a hell of a good day to die”) that hit the heart more than the balls, which was something The Offspring previously trademarked. There’s even some backpedaling, as seen in the nostalgic “Trust in You”, which brings to mind Smash’s “Nitro” or “Something to Believe In” and an assortment of riffage from that era, despite the flashy guitar scales at the end. It’s good and all, but by the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather be listening to Smash?

The dance-y “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” seemingly competes with the Panic! crowd, only it’s saved by some of that edge which usually overshadows any Offspring song (Close call!). It’s a catchy tune, thanks to its lyrics (“Dance fucker dance, he never had a chance/ It was really only you”), and something any fan should appreciate. “Takes Me Nowhere” borrows from this fluff, too. It’s not as successful, but certainly not as affronting as what comes soon after..

The slower songs here stick out like sore thumbs, especially the rumored second single, “Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?”, which might be the worst song the band’s put together, complete with cheeky melodies, a horrible acoustic drawl, and a forced chorus (“Can you stay strong?/ Can you go on?/ Kristy, are you doing okay?”). Despite the story behind it, the song sounds stripped from a cliché romantic comedy, simply because that’s what it sounds like, a cliché. Again, this is unfortunate given the lyrical material there. On the other hand, “A Lot Like Me”, aside from the piano laden introduction, is a more driving, powerful hit that doesn’t necessarily belong in the Offspring catalog, but doesn’t hurt. Toss in “Fix You” to the mix, an introspective love song that showcases Holland’s vocals, and the gentle side of the former balls-to-the-wall band is available for everyone to laugh at.

Towards the end, “Nothingtown” starts sounding too Green Day, which is unfortunate for this review, given my bloated history lesson beforehand. Then there’s “Stuff Is Messed Up”, a throw away track, attempting to be contemptuous yet coming off stale, and “Let’s Hear It For Rock Bottom” that conditions itself with a series of upstroke guitar chords that lead to a chorus that once belonged to Blink-182. The closing track, “Rise And Fall”, is “American Idiot” but with cheaper lyrics, though if those aren’t your thing, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two.

On the whole, there’s enough here to keep the fans busy and patient, that is until Holland decides he wants to grow up musically, too. It’s a shame. They’re a step up from 2003′s Splinter, but unfortunately there’s so much weight here that it’s sinking what should have been a great comeback album. Nine times the charm?

]]> Dookie, Smash convinced every teenager they were newfound punk rockers. It didn't take much convincing, especially since most of the fan base carried over after a certain someone was found in a certain green house. The misnomer that was grunge rock was fading and with the rise of "gangsta rap" from the likes of Nas and Wu-Tang Clan, rock fans embraced this more mainstream punk rock approach. There's an interesting parallel between the two pioneers, Green Day and The Offspring. Both of their follow ups, Insomniac and Ixnay on the Hombre respectively, embrace that dark side to the band, scaling back from the click n' pop that made their breakthroughs so enjoyable (and successful). When that didn't play out as well as they'd hoped, the two bands decided to speak directly to their audience, writing in perspectives that didn't quite match their age, with the high school angst in Americana and the teenage drama in Nimrod. Okay, so what's the point? Green Day moved on. Warning and American Idiot broke past any barriers that stopped them before, working off of a more mature sound that didn't quite find success until the latter. The keyword here is mature, something that The Offspring strayed further away from, with continuous attempts to capitalize on the success of "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)" that resulted in later (horrid) singles, "Original Prankster" and "Hit That." Even if 2003's Splinter held some grit and punch, it was largely ignored commercially; instead, pushing the band into recluse. Two words: Good call. Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace, the band's eighth album, is the culmination of two years writing and recording, a first for an Offspring release. With so much time locked away recording, sparring shows here and there and a Greatest Hits album to boot, one would think the band had enough time to write some bold material. The result? A pretty bad case of "this and that." "Hammerhead", the current single, is a good harbinger to base this album off of, considering it changes structure and pace a few times in just under five minutes. Holland hasn't sounded quite this sincere since the very best Americana had to offer ("The Kids Aren't Alright", "Have You Ever"), shouting off some frightening lyrics ("And you can all hide behind your desks now/ And you can cry, 'teacher come help me! ") with some engine like distortion that rockets ahead. There's some banter in the song, mainly towards the end that hints the band's latter years, too. Altogether, it works lyrically, but lacks the swinging enthusiasm, namely due to uninspired riffs that are too polished from the start. This is an album that shows its age. A song like "Half Truism" rings back on the 2004-2005 days, when emo rockers The Used, My Chemical Romance or Brand New banged out sing-a-long choruses ("If we don't make it alive/Then it's a hell of a good day to die") that hit the heart more than the balls, which was something The Offspring previously trademarked. There's even some backpedaling, as seen in the nostalgic "Trust in You", which brings to mind Smash's "Nitro" or "Something to Believe In" and an assortment of riffage from that era, despite the flashy guitar scales at the end. It's good and all, but by the end of the day, wouldn't you rather be listening to Smash? The dance-y "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" seemingly competes with the Panic! crowd, only it's saved by some of that edge which usually overshadows any Offspring song (Close call!). It's a catchy tune, thanks to its lyrics ("Dance fucker dance, he never had a chance/ It was really only you"), and something any fan should appreciate. "Takes Me Nowhere" borrows from this fluff, too. It's not as successful, but certainly not as affronting as what comes soon after.. The slower songs here stick out like sore thumbs, especially the rumored second single, "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?", which might be the worst song the band's put together, complete with cheeky melodies, a horrible acoustic drawl, and a forced chorus ("Can you stay strong?/ Can you go on?/ Kristy, are you doing okay?"). Despite the story behind it, the song sounds stripped from a cliché romantic comedy, simply because that's what it sounds like, a cliché. Again, this is unfortunate given the lyrical material there. On the other hand, "A Lot Like Me", aside from the piano laden introduction, is a more driving, powerful hit that doesn't necessarily belong in the Offspring catalog, but doesn't hurt. Toss in "Fix You" to the mix, an introspective love song that showcases Holland's vocals, and the gentle side of the former balls-to-the-wall band is available for everyone to laugh at. Towards the end, "Nothingtown" starts sounding too Green Day, which is unfortunate for this review, given my bloated history lesson beforehand. Then there's "Stuff Is Messed Up", a throw away track, attempting to be contemptuous yet coming off stale, and "Let's Hear It For Rock Bottom" that conditions itself with a series of upstroke guitar chords that lead to a chorus that once belonged to Blink-182. The closing track, "Rise And Fall", is "American Idiot" but with cheaper lyrics, though if those aren't your thing, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two. On the whole, there's enough here to keep the fans busy and patient, that is until Holland decides he wants to grow up musically, too. It's a shame. They're a step up from 2003's Splinter, but unfortunately there's so much weight here that it's sinking what should have been a great comeback album. Nine times the charm? ]]> 54 http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/06/album-review-rise-and-fall-rage-and-grace/feed/ 73