Posts Tagged ‘Rise Against’


05.12.2008

Polar Bear Club – More Touring

posted by Will

in Music News

POLAR BEAR CLUB – Touring the World (sort of)
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* U.S. Shows with Fireworks begin on Friday (Dec 05 – 16)
* Canadian dates with Cancer Bats (Dec 17 – 21)
* UK / European tour with The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner (Feb 02 – Mar 04)

——————————————————-

No rest for New York’s Polar Bear Club as they continue with a heavy touring schedule in support of their Red Leader debut, Sometimes Things Just Disappear (released 03/11/08).

Beginning on Friday, the boys will leave for nearly two weeks of shows in the U.S. with Fireworks, immediately followed by five days in Canada with Cancer Bats. Then in February, the band will travel overseas for a month of shows in the UK and Europe with The Gaslight Anthem and Frank Turner.

While it’s not exactly a “continuous” world tour, 14 countries in the span of three months counts for something, right? Consider that in that same time period, I will have traveled to exactly one state. Maybe two if I decide to drive ten minutes due south.

If you’d like to attend any of these shows or speak with Polar Bear Club, drop me a line here.

Tour
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DEC 05 – Syracuse, NY @ Westcott C.C. w/ Another Breath, Like Wolves, more
DEC 06 – Albany, NY @ SUNY Albany w/ Forfeit, After The Fall
DEC 07 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott w/ Forfeit
DEC 08 – New Haven, CT @ Peoples Center
DEC 09 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fire w/ Fireworks
DEC 10 – Baltimore, MD @ Charm City Arts Space w/ Fireworks
DEC 11 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks w/ Fireworks
DEC 12 – Indianapolis, IN @ The ESJ w/ Fireworks
DEC 13 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s w/ Fireworks
DEC 14 – Romeo, MI @ Static Age w/ Fireworks
DEC 16 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place w/ Fireworks
DEC 17 – Ottawa, Ontario @ Babylon w/ Cancer Bats, The Holly Springs Disaster
DEC 18 – Montreal, Quebec @ Underworld w/ Cancer Bats, The Holly Springs Disaster
DEC 19 – Kingston, Ontario @ Time To Laugh w/ Cancer Bats, The Holly Springs Disaster
DEC 20 – London, Ontario @ Rumrunners w/ Cancer Bats, The Holly Springs Disaster
DEC 21 – Toronto, Ontario @ The Mod Club w/ Cancer Bats, The Holly Springs Disaster
FEB 02 – Portsmouth, UK @ Wedgewood Rooms w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 03 – Birmingham, UK @ Academy w/ w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 04 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2 w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 05 – Bristol, UK @ Academy 2 w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 06 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 08 – London, UK @ Shepherds Bush Empire (NME Awards) w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 10 – Koln, Germany @ Underground w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 11 – Berlin, Germany @ Kato w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 12 – Malmo, Sweden @ KB w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 13 – Gothenburg, Sweden @ Sticky Fingers w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 15 – Helsinki, Finland @ Tavastia w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 17 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser Slussen w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 18 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Lille Vega w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 19 – Hamburg, Germany @ Knust w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 20 – Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 21 – Munich, Germany @ 59:1 w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 22 – Vienna, Austria @ Flex w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 24 – Milan, Italy @ Zoe Club w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 25 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Mascotte w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 27 – Brussels, Belgium @ Botanique Orangerie w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
FEB 28 – Groningen, Netherlands @ Vera w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
MAR 01 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
MAR 02 – Norwich, UK @ Waterfront w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
MAR 03 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock CIty w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner
MAR 04 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Academy w/ The Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner

Listen to Burned Out In A Jar (Free MP3)!

- Jam-packed with ace, life-affirming tunes for fans of Rise Against, Hot Water Music, Propagandhi and great, gruff punk anthems in general.Rock Sound
- PBC has something special – an original voice – and the album is one that can be respected by fans of indie, hardcore and punk alike.Wonkavision
- This immensely talented quintet have all the poise of seasoned veterans. Scary thing is, they’re only just beginning.Alternative Press
- One my favorite albums to come out this year and quite possibly one of my favorite albums of all time.ScenPoint Blank
- Packing unrelenting power and passion…Sometimes Things Just Disappear has classic written all over it.Exclaim

17.04.2008

Polar Bear Club: Sometimes Things Just Disappear

posted by Will

in Music Reviews

Releasing such a promising debut can be a double edged sword for a band. It’s twofold for Polar Bear Club on their second release and first full-length, Sometimes Things Just Disappear. Here, not only does the band have to live up to their debut but they have to do it with a vastly different line-up. In between records, Polar Bear Club added a few new members (most notably from the defunct melodic hardcore outfit, Marathon). So, now you can add on the expectations of Marathon fans as well. So, how does Sometimes Things Just Disappear hold up against the weight?

Sometimes Things Just Disappear comes off sounding like an album in transition. That is a difficult proposition for a band releasing only their first full-length and it is one the band struggles with here. The album is somewhat familiar to the shift that Small Brown Bike made later in their career. Moving away from their screamy tendencies, the band embraced a more melodic approach. Here, Polar Bear Club are stuck somewhere firmly in the middle. It makes for an album that simply lacks cohesion. The album starts off strong with two of its best tracks leading the surge. After that, Sometimes Things Just Disappear struggles to find its way. Seemingly going in a more accessible direction, Polar Bear Club lose some of that passion and aggression that was dripping from the band’s debut. However, the band is able to rebound with some strong material near the back end of the album. When the band is hitting on all cylinders it is a powerful statement to witness. Too often though, Sometimes Things Just Disappear struggles to find a secure footing. For now, Polar Bear Club may have failed to fully capitalize on their enormous promise. I would not give up on them just yet though. The talent is here for something phenomenal in the future.

Genre: Melodic Hardcore/Rock

RIYL: Hot Water Music, Small Brown Bike, Rise Against

Label: Red Leader

Eat Dinner, Bury The Dog, And Run

01EatDinnerBuryTheDogAndRun.mp3

Burned Out In A Jar

05BurnedOutInAJar.mp3

www.myspace.com/polarbearclub

05.10.2006

Alexisonfire…

posted by Will

in Music Reviews

Alexisonfire “Crisis” (Vagrant)

Wow, I remember listening to Alexisonfire’s Self-Titled debut record a few years ago and thinking that it was pretty awful save a few songs. The band has undergone a remarkable progression to this, their third album. As much as I have come to loathe this style of post-hardcore/screamo, Ontario’s Alexisonfire have proved with Crisis that they deserve to be above the mountains of unoriginal bands playing in this genre.

The first thing that jumps out to you is the powerful dual vocals of the band. You have the the impassioned screamy style of one vocalist which are complimented nicely by the smoother serenade of another. It’s a trick that has been done a thousand times before but when you do it right, it works. Alexisonfire pull it off brilliantly. Much of Crisis plays out at a breakneck speed as the band hardly lets up from the throttle. The album centerpiece “You Burn First” sees the band slowing it down a bit. This song sounds like the band’s been listening to the slow burning style of latter day Planes Mistaken For Stars a good bit. The album closer “Rough Hands” is a slower number as well that showcases the band’s range. The band would be well suited to offer more of this kind of tempo variation in the future. They’ve certainly got the talent to pull it off. One thing is certain though. When listening to Crisis you realize that Alexisonfire has more heart and guts than 95% of the bands playing this style. In the end, that’s what sets the band apart.

If you are not a fan of the newer school of bands playing this type of style I highly doubt Alexisonfire have what it takes to convert you. However, if you dig this style or can appreciate the better bands of the genre, Alexisonfire is definitely on the top tier looking down at all the pretenders. Give Crisis a chance. It certainly surprised me and it just might do the same for you.

RIYL: Thrice, Rise Against, Planes Mistaken For Stars