There For Tomorrow Interview - June 24th, 2009

Interview: There for Tomorrow
Date: June 24th, 2009
Conducted by: Brandon Allin (www.twitter.com/brandonallin)

Brandon Allin, pit reporter for The Daily Chorus/Bandology, had an opportunity to sit down with Maika Maile, frontman for Orlando, Florida quintet There for Tomorrow, earlier this year. Maika discussed how the alternative four-piece came to be, touring this summer as part of the Vans Warped Tour, and their debut full-length, A Little Faster, which is available in stores now via Hopeless Records.

Before we get started, can you give us your name and what you do in There for Tomorrow?

I'm Maika (Maile), and I sing and play guitar.

For those of our readers who may be unfamiliar with your band, why don't you give us a quick history lesson on how it all began?

Well, to keep a long story short, I met Chris (Kamrada) way back when we were just little tikes playing football together. American football, that is. When Chris was thirteen, he began jamming with Jay (Enriquez), and shortly thereafter, they called me up and I asked if I would like to join them, since Chris knew I had been playing guitar for a while. For some strange reason, I naturally assumed the position of lead vocalist, but it's worked out for us so far. Christian (Climer), our bassist, joined the band about four years ago, and since then, we've become a happy little brotherhood.

Your debut full-length, A Little Faster, hit stores on June 9th courtesy of Hopeless Records. How has the response to the record been thus far?

The response has been both surprising and unexpected. We never dreamed of accomplishing the things we have, but at the same time, it seems like this only the beginning of this little project of ours. Over the course of the next year, we're just planning on keeping our heads in the game, and only focusing on what really matters. You've got to expect noise to come out of your opposition, even though we never picked a side in the first place. The people that have willingly opened their ears to our album have approached us with the exact understanding that we aimed to put out there in the first place, and we can't ask for anything more than that.

What do you feel sets this album apart from your previous efforts? Is there anything in particular you did to take your sound to the next level?

Well, with A Little Faster, you get to see every side of us as band musically, and you also get to see every side of me lyrically. We shot for a wide range of emotions to be expressed throughout the album, and we think we accomplished that. The changes from our EP to this album weren't pre-meditated efforts, they just came to us naturally. We're simply four growing musicians and personalities, and as long as we stay true to who we are as human beings, we will keep maturing as a group.

You will be spending the summer performing as part of the Vans Warped Tour. What can fans expect from There for Tomorrow on a day-to-day basis?

I think the most important thing we can do this summer is just appeal to as many people as possible, no matter who they are or what kind of music they're into. We want people to be a part of what we're doing, as our career as musicians depends on their loyalty as fans. If a high-energy performance is what we offer, we hope the crowds will mirror that. With that in mind, I feel that we have a lot of fans out there who fully believe in what we're doing, and a lot of them seem very anxious for our run this summer. To cut to the chase, it's going to be a good time. [Laughs]

With that said, what are you looking forward to most about being a part of the Warped Tour? Is there anyone on the bill you're particularly excited to be touring with?

To be honest, I can't wait to lose gallons of sweat every day alongside so many unique, aspiring artists. There are a handful of great, up-and-coming bands that will be taking the stage this summer. In short, we're just looking forward to making some lasting friendships, and confirming the ones we've already made.

Before I go, do you have any advice for young bands struggling to make a name for themselves?

Well, I'm pretty sure that's what we still are. [Laughs] With that said, just be realistic, and do it because you love it.

That's all I have for you today. Is there anything you'd like to add before we part?

Please go grab our album, A Little Faster, in stores or online. We're all really excited about it, and we're looking forward to the future. Thanks for all the love and support, and we just want the team behind us to know that we deeply appreciate their encouragement. Also, come sweat with us this summer.

Thank you for taking the time to be here with us today.

Thank you very much.

There for Tomorrow's debut full-length, A Little Faster, is available now in stores and online via Hopeless Records. For more information, please visit MYSPACE.COM/THEREFORTOMORROW, or follow the band on Twitter at TWITTER.COM/THEREFORTMRW.

The Daily Chorus would like to extent our utmost gratification to Gary Strack for his hard work in coordinating this interview.

MySpace Records: You Pick The Winner

MySpace Records has narrowed down the bands to a Top 5 in their Toyota sponsored "Rock The Space" contest. The winner has a chance to win a MySpace Record deal and $10,000 worth of Fender gear.

The five finalist feature two former TDC Top Unsigned bands The Days The Nights (alternative rock - pictured) and Thee Armada (pop rock). The other three include Big Chad Famous (hip-hop), Call The Cops (pop rock) and Jon Robert (acoustic rock).

MySpace Records started in 2005 and their current roster includes Pennywise, Sherwood, Kate Voegele, Meiko, Mickey Avalon and the Polysics. They also had gold selling artist Hollywood Undead.

You can vote for the five artists for the next 26 days, once a day. Simply log into your MySpace account.

You can read who I think should win this contest and why in the comments.

What artist is your pick and why?

Jacks Mannequin - August 1st, 2009

Show Review/Photos: Jack's Mannequin
Date: August 1st, 2009
Venue: Shoreline Ampitheatre (San Francisco)
Conducted By: James Grant (mailto:%20jamesgrant2009@gmail.com)

Whoever might have said that full-size acoustic pianos don’t belong onstage in bands these days has obviously never seen Jack’s Mannequin live in concert.

Headed by Andrew McMahon, the piano-pounding wunderkind originally of the Southern California piano punk band Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin delivered a powerfully moving performance complete with punk piano-top antics and a killer cover of Tom Petty’s song “American Girl.”

Onstage, McMahon defied the traditional schoolgirl embodiment of the piano, bringing with it a fresh new perspective on true stage presence and musical tenacity. Not only did McMahon show supremacy on the ivory keys, but he also transformed his brown baby grand piano into more than an instrument, using it as a prop, climbing atop at several points during the performance, and ending a few songs by stamping up and down the worn black and white keys.

In the same set, though, Jack’s Mannequin was able to pull the crowd’s poignant side in with slower songs like “Swim” and “Rescued,” from both their debut album Everything In Transit and their sophomore record, The Glass Passenger, which was released in September of 2008. The slower songs showed the band’s ability to capture a sentiment and convey it to the crowd in the slower songs, through sheer fervor that could be heard in McMahon’s voice and seen on all band members’ faces.

Not to be left out, guitarist Bobby ‘Raw’ Anderson’s audacious guitar solo in the cover of Tom Petty’s song “American Girl” got the fans screaming, which was only compelled by McMahon’s keyboard-stomping, drummer Jay McMillen’s flawless beats and bassist Jonathan 'Dr. J' Sullivan’s slick stage presence.

Jack’s Mannequin’s unique sound and onstage presence won’t be forgotten by their fans and will compel the members of the audience who had never heard of them to start listening.


Bandology.net would like to extend a big thank you to Tracy Giang at Warner Bros Publicity for her hard work in coordinating this show review and photo opp. Also, the Shoreline Amphitheater staff was very helpful as well.

James Grant
www.myspace.com/syntheseyesphoto
www.flickr.com/photos/jamesgrant2009
www.twitter.com/jamesgrant2009

Billboards Top 200 Albums - August 5, 2009

Here are some of the Billboard Top 200 albums this week:

Kings Of Leon Only By The Night 48,000 (1,045,000)
Green Day 21st Century Breakdown 18,000 (721,000)
All Time Low Nothing Personal 10,000 (105,000)
Katy Perry One Of The Boys 9,000 (1,102,000)
Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix 7,500 (95,000)
Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage 7,500 (108,000)
Warped Tour Compilation 2009 6,500 (60,000)
Incubus Monuments & Melodies 6,000 (126,000)
Silversun Pickups Swoon 5,000 (143,000)
August Burns Red Constellations 4,500 (33,000)
Rise Against Appeal To Reason 4,000 (296,000)
Kanye West 808s & Hearbreak 3,500 (1,583,000)
LMFAO Party Rock 3,500 (25,000)
Parachute Losing Sleep 3,000 (45,000)
Job For A Cowboy Ruination 3,000 (24,000)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz! 3,000 (148,000)
A Day To Remember Homesick 2,800 (107,000)
Set Your Goals This Will Be.... 2,700 (10,000)
The Devil Wears Prada With Roots Above.... 2,700 (78,000)
All That Remains Overcome 2,500 (187,000)
Blue October Approaching Normal 2,500 (105,000)
Mars Volta Octahedron 2,400 (51,000)

Top Debuts

Fabolous Loso's Way 99,000
Divine Heresy Bringer Of Plagues 3,100
George Thorogood The Dirty Dozen 2,700
Death Before Dishonor Better Ways To Die 800
Bad Boy Bill Album 600

More Albums

Four Year Strong Explaiins It All 1,950 (6,500)
Safetysuit Life Left To Go 1,700 (49,000)
The Maine Can't Stop Won't Stop 1,400 (90,000)
Valencia We All Need A Reason 1,300 (19,500)
There For Tomorrow Little Faster 1,200 (10,000)
The White Tie Affair Walk This Way 1,100 (68,000)
He Is Legend It Hates You 1,000 (5,000)
Bring Me The Horizon Suicide Season 1,000 (66,500)
Hey Monday Hold On Tight 1,000 (57,500)
Mandy K Mandy K 1,000 (4,500)
Attack Attack! Someday Came Suddenly 1,000 (46,500)
Thriving Ivory Thriving Ivory 800 (143,000)
The Cab Whisper War 800 (64,500)
Darkest Hour Eternal Return 750 (11,000)
Meg & Dia Here Here & Here 700 (15,500)
Cash Cash Take It To The Floor 700 (13,000)
Sing It Loud Come Around 650 (15,500)
The Word Alive Empire 600 (2,500)
Barcelona Absolutes 600 (5,500)
VersaEmerge VersaEmerge 600 (9,500)
Innerpartysystem Innerpartysystem 600 (30,500)
Barely Blind My Life With A Giant 550 (3,300)
I Set My Friends On Fire You Can't Spell... 550 (21,000)
Eyes Set To Kill World Outside 500 (9,000)
P.O.S. Never Better 500 (25,000)
I See Stars 3D 450 (12,300)

Advertising In CDs - Great Idea!

Billboard.com is reporting that Island Def Jam will include advertising in the new Mariah Carey album that is set to be released on September 15th. Great idea!

I just want to say that I've had this idea since 2006. The idea of incorporating sponsors and/or ads on a run of CDs would cut costs and keep money in the artists hands. This can even work on the local/unsigned level.

IDJ is taking a bigger step by incorporating 34-page booklet which is sponsored by Elle magazine. There are other branded companies within the booklet. It's not your typical "ad" campaign. To me, it's less intruding. The article says IDJ is working on similar ideas for Bon Jovi, Rihanna and Kayne West new albums.

But I don't understand why everyone is up-in-arms over this. Bob Lefsetz says in his blog that, "I truly thought this was a joke." He goes on to say, "If you can tell me how an ad in a CD booklet enhances the listening experience, I’m all ears." Bob, it doesn't enhance the listening experience. It's adapting to the current state of the music business without taking more money out of the artists pocket.

If these sponsorship/ad ideas help labels from NOT taking more money out of the artists hands (360-deals), then I'm all for it. This is exactly what labels should be doing. As a matter of fact, I've said for years that you can create a whole label built on sponsors/ads! As long as the artist was ok with working with the companies, why not? I would let my band have a logo of Honest Tea on the inside/back of their CD if they got a few $1,000 from it to help pay for manufacturing. Why not?

Plus, you would most likely have the companies supporting the artists on their websites and other marketing materials. Mariah's new album booklet will be included in a smaller form in over 500,000 Elle subscribers magazines. That could expose her to 10,000's of new fans!

Ad-supported models are popping up everywhere (no pun intended). I first came up with this plan in 2006 when I was planning to start a label. To offset costs, I wanted to bring in sponsors and advertisers on each run of CDs. I'm glad to see the labels starting to find other ways to make money other than taking it from the artists or the fans with higher prices.

On a fan level, how many of you would care about seeing advertising or sponsorship logos in your jewel cases?

No Doubt, Paramore Concert Review & Photos

Show Review/Photos: No Doubt - Paramore - The Sounds
Date: July 24th, 2009
Venue: Marysville Sleep Train Ampitheatre (Wheatland, CA)
Conducted By: James Grant (jamesgrant2009@gmail.com)

On July 24 2009, thousands of diverse fans packed the Marysville Sleep Train Amphitheatre for what would be one of the venue’s biggest summer concert events.

The Sounds, a Swedish band also fronted by a woman, opened the show for the night with a pop-laced and high-energy set (not pictured).


After The Sounds, Paramore’s Hayley Williams’ omniscient stage presence, fiery orange hair and intrepid attitude immediately set fire to both the stage and the crowd. With a set that included hits like “Misery Business” and “Decode,” all the Paramore fans in the crowd had their thirst quenched.


Following Paramore’s flammable performance, the lights dimmed and a huge white curtain was lowered across the front of the stage. After a drawn-out set change, a blaze of white light illuminated the curvaceous silhouette of No Doubt’s icon lead singer, Gwen Stefani. The white curtain dropped, exposing a dramatic space-age stage setup. A huge spider-like drum platform spanned back half of the stage, the legs of which served as walkways.


Stefani and the rest of the band members were dressed in all-white costumes with black trim. Stefani sported a slightly baggy white tuxedo jacket which she shed after the first couple songs (much to the entertainment of the male audience members), exposing a cutoff tank top.


No Doubt’s two-hour set thrived on Stefani’s raw theatrical and musical talent, something that the diehard fans in the house had missed during the band’s absence from the music scene. Any appetite that the fans had mustered during that absence was overfed by the performance, and no fan left unsatisfied.


Bandology.net would like to extend a big thank you to Chris Martinez of LiveNation for his hard work in coordinating this show review and photo opp.

James Grant
www.myspace.com/syntheseyesphoto
www.flickr.com/photos/jamesgrant2009

Paper Route: MTVu Video Candidate

Paper Route was only the second #1 unsigned band on TheDailyChorus. I remember talking with JT, the lead singer, on the phone in early 2008 before picking them #1 because I didn't know much about them. I didn't know if they were a "hobby" band or were pursuing a music career. I just couldn't understand how a band with so much talent and a great sound was not covered on any other website like Pitchfork or Stereogum. There had to be a reason.

Apparently, there wasn't.

Since their #1 rank, they have signed to Universal Motown and have been captivating crowds with their live show. They even picked up support from bands they didn't even know like OneRepublic, Shiny Toy Guns and Paramore. That means you're doing something right.

Below is their video for their great song Carousel. Please head to the MTVu Video Voting Page to vote for Paper Route this week. Let's get them on MTVu's rotation. I promise they will be big.



Buy Carousel for .99 cents ------>

Set Your Goals Interview - July 18th, 2009

Interview: Set Your Goals
Date: July 18th, 2009
Venue: The Reverb, Toronto, ON
Conducted by: Brandon Allin

Brandon Allin, pit reporter for The Daily Chorus, had an opportunity to sit down with members of the punk rock sextet Set Your Goals before their performance in Toronto on July 18th, 2009. The band discussed their sudden, yet unexpected emergence onto the scene, their history as a touring band, and the release of their new record, This Will Be the Death of Us, which is available in stores now via Epitaph Records.

I'm sitting here with two of the guys from the punk rock powerhouse Set Your Goals. How are you folks doing today?

JS: Not bad at all.

JB: I'm doing great. We're happy to be in Toronto.

We're happy to have you here. Before we get started, why don't the two of you go ahead and introduce yourselves for those unfamiliar with your band.

JS: I'm Joe (Saucedo), and I play bass for Set Your Goals.

JB: I'm Jordan (Brown), and I am one of the co-vocalists for Set Your Goals.

We're a little under a week into this tour, where you're joined by the likes of Four Year Strong, Fireworks, The Swellers, Polar Bear Club, and the list goes on. How have things been going thus far?

JS: It's been great so far. When we kicked things off, it didn't feel like a tour at all. It felt more like an excuse to hang out with a bunch of close friends. With that said, the shows have been fucking awesome; Four Year Strong are killing it. We played in Chicago and Detroit the last couple of nights, and the crowds were insane.

What can the kids who come out to these shows expect to see from your performance on a nightly basis?

JB: Lots of energy from all the bands on this tour. The room is filled with an intense vibe for probably 3-4 hours every night. From our set, you can expect to hear a lot of new songs. I'd say about half of the set is made up of new material, and the other half is old songs. We're just trying to spread the word on the new music we've written, and hopefully people get into it like they did with Mutiny!

Do you prefer organizing and routing your own tour in the summer, as opposed to something like Warped Tour?

JS: I think we definitely prefer it this way. We get to bring up the towns and cities we're interested in playing, and our booking agent tries to work around that. On the other hand, being on Warped Tour is kind of like a constant headache. It's always so hot, and you're constantly working, so it's a little bit draining. This way, we kind of get to do our own thing and hang out in different cities every night.

Your debut full-length, Mutiny!, garnered a pretty incredible response upon release. Was that kind of recognition and success something you expected, or did it all come as more of a surprise?

JB: In part, it was definitely a surprise. We had no idea it was going to take off the way it did. When we were writing the album, all we wanted to do was tour and play shows. We were psyched enough on the music ourselves, that through our own excitement over our material other people started to take notice, and it all kind of just escalated from there.

You have a new record entitled This Will Be the Death of Us prepped to hit shelves on July 21st via Epitaph Records. What can fans expect from your sophomore effort?

JS: I think it's a more mature record, from which you can expect very similar lyrical content. We've always been about having a good time, but at the same time, expressing what's on our minds. With that said, the musicianship is definitely miles ahead of where it was. The songs are faster, and a lot heavier at times. It's more mature, but it still has the whole Set Your Goals vibe to it.

From what I understand, you had a handful of guests lending their vocals to the album, including Jon Gula from Turmoil, Chad Gilbert from New Found Glory, Vinnie Caruana from I Am the Avalanche, and Hayley Williams from Paramore. Did they come to you expressing an interest to join forces, or how did you go about selecting who you wanted to appear on the record?

JB: Well, we're all such good friends with everyone, we approached each of them individually and invited them to hop aboard. They all knew what we were up to, cooped up in the studio working on the record. As far as deciding who appeared on the album, we kind of just thought to ourselves about whose voices would sound cool where as we were developing the songs. We'd write a part, and then an idea of having someone make an appearance would pop into our heads. It was a lot of fun, because everybody was really excited when they were recording their parts. Hayley, Jon, and Vinnie did their parts in other studios, and Chad and I worked on his part in the studio with Mike (Green).

In the past, you've drawn what feels like endless comparisons to Four Year Strong. How do you feel about those, and do you think This Will Be the Death of Us will help to further bridge the gap between the two bands?

JS: It's interesting you say that, because we feel like everyone who listens to our bands is constantly trying to compare one another. It's like there's always been a tiny bit of tension between the two bands, which has nothing to do with any of us, but because of what people say about our bands. With that said, I don't find that we're clones of each other or anything along those lines. To me, we have two entirely different sounds. Not to mention, they're from the Boston area, and we're from California.

JB: As for the new record, I think it will help separate us a little more, and I also think that their new record will have a similar effect. I think we're both developing our own sounds. However, musically, we both come from the same backgrounds, so there's always going to be slight similarities between the two. With that said, we're both slowly establishing our own identities. It will be cool to look back in a few years on how we were both apart of the same scene, but we both went on to do our own things.

Musically speaking, you seem to blend punk rock, hardcore, and pop punk almost seamlessly. Is that kind of diversity in your sound something you strive for when writing a new album?

JB: Definitely. We want to write music that's a lot of fun to play, so whatever we're having fun listening to ourselves, that is what is going to make it onto our records. I think our sound just kind of comes together itself through the wide array of music we all listen to. With this new record, I think every song holds it own. Mutiny! was more of a cohesive effort, whereas here if you take a song like "Gaia Bleeds," which is heavy and intense, and holds a powerful message, and then you skip to the second to last trick, it's made up of nothing but an electric and acoustic guitar. We wanted to focus on one sound per song, not a set sound for the album as a whole.

Earlier this year, you inked a deal with Epitaph Records. What fueled the decision to sign there?

JS: For us, I think it was kind of a no-brainer. We had other options, but everyone in our band has been listening to Epitaph's roster for years now, and we wanted to be a part of that. Not to mention, Brett Gurewitz has been an amazing guy since day one, and everyone else who works there are great people who are willing to work just as hard as we are. We love that they put the same amount of attention into their roster as an entirety, whereas other labels might just primarily focus on one band. They're just a hardworking label, and with Brett being in Bad Religion, he knows what it's like to be in a touring band. That's why for me it felt like a no-brainer.

When you found yourselves as free agents, were there a handful of labels trying to scoop you up?

JB: Not really. The only other label that has ever really looked out for us was Fueled by Ramen. John Janick has been behind our band since the very beginning. For a while, we wanted to see if we could work something out with them, but signing with Epitaph felt right from a musical perspective. Not to mention, as Joe said, all of the people there are a lot of fun to work with.

You folks joined New Found Glory earlier this year on their headlining tour. How did it feel to share the stage with arguably the undisputed kings of modern pop punk night after night?

JS: It was amazing. We've become pretty close friends with the guys in New Found Glory over the years, but it's still kind of crazy to think about, considering the reputation and success they had built for themselves while we were growing up. Not to mention, they are a lot of fun to watch every night. They put on an unbelievable show. It seems like no matter what kind of days they're having, as soon as they hit the stage the music speaks entirely for itself. They have crowds hyped from the minute the first chord hits to the very end. It was an honor to go out with them.

With that in mind, is there anyone in particular you're itching to tour with?

JB: Well, we've already had the opportunity to tour with so many great bands, it's hard to think of someone. In fact, I could probably list every band we've ever played with if I tried to. For the most part, we've played with every band we've ever wanted to, including Less than Jake, Anti-Flag, Gorilla Biscuits, Paramore, Lifetime, Crime in Stereo, No Trigger, and the list goes on. With that said, it would be exciting to go out with somebody like Jimmy Eat World or The Offspring, or someone like that.

That's all I have for you today. Is there anything you'd like to add before we go our separate ways?

JS: If you haven't already, check out the new Fireworks record. It's been out for a little bit already, but it's definitely one that will grow on you. Also, The Swellers have a new album coming out pretty soon on Fueled by Ramen, and Four Year Strong are putting out a cover record in a couple of days. Lastly, take a listen to Smartbomb, a band from Worcester who are good friends with Four Year Strong.

JB: Also, check out Canada's own, Grave Maker. They're on this tour, and they've been killing it every night.

Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us today.

JB: Thank you.

JS: Thanks a lot.

Set Your Goals' new album, This Will Be the Death of Us, is available in stores worldwide courtesy of Epitaph Records. For more information Set Your Goals, please visit MYSPACE.COM/SETYOURGOALS, or follow the band on Twitter at TWITTER.COM/THEREALSYG.

The Daily Chorus would like to extend our utmost gratification to Juan Ramirez for his hard work in coordinating this interview.

Top 5 Weekly Songs

***Click on the iTunes link to hear song clips***

1. Silversun Pickups "The Royal We" - This is the third week in a row with a Silversun song in the top five. I have no idea if this song is the next single or not but I can't stop listening to it. This makes me realize how much I miss bands that can write emotional lyrical content. Bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails and The Cure were the masters at it. Silversun could be that new breed. "I swear we fell in love but not the first time....." (Dangerbird)

2. Barely Blind "Panic Attacks Are Normal" - This is my favorite song off their EP My Life With A Giant. This band has made it on the Billboard Heatseeker chart for the last 3 weeks. They hit as high as #57 (twice). This band was in the last issue of Substream and seem to have the work ethic to take it to the next level. Listen to this song. (TDR Records)

3. Dredg "I Don't Know" - I fell in love with this band on Taste Of Chaos '05. Yeah, it was a weird tour for them but watching them every night made me a fan. Their new release didn't get a lot of press and I'm just now starting to listen to it. I describe this band as a cross between MuteMath and Anberlin. If you like those bands, you should like this one. (Ohlone Recordings)

4. Hello Hollywood "Kids Undercover" - This is a new Phoenix band that will be on the national scene soon. If you like bands like Every Avenue and Quietdrive, you'll like Hello Hollywood. Their local shows are bringing in the crowds and it's starting to branch into Orange County. Put this band on your radar. (Unsigned)

5. Anberlin "Breaking" - This song is starting to climb the rock radio charts as their song Feel Good Drag hit #2 earlier in the year. I'll never forget the first time I saw Anberlin live in 2005. I was in awe and every show since has been the same. Hands down, one of the best live bands out there. Let's watch commercial radio carry this song up the charts. (Universal Republic)

Have any songs of the week suggestions? Email them to timtowner77@gmail.com. If you're an unsigned band, include the song.