2008 Woodie Awards
Music Review: Alert The Press
Jason Vanover
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: Feature
It's somewhat of a simplistic idea that most people start bands because they are influenced by other artists (or they want to meet girls). Acts like The Killers cite British artist Joy Division and The Smiths as crucial influences in their band's development. Something a bit more representative of bands taking an influence and updating it would be the "garage rock revival," headlined by The Strokes and others in the late 90's. Recreating sounds is a trend that can work, but rarely does for a lengthy period of time.
When I listened to Alert The Press, my initial reaction was that I wasn't listening to anything I had never heard before. (Imagine a stand-up comic delivering a re-hashed joke for his opener: leaves a bad taste in your mouth, right?) On the very surface, the guys seem to know how to play their instruments. While that's essential, it will not alone keep listeners around for more than a few seconds. This is not to say their tunes aren't worth a listen, but it will, however, take a certain type of fan to find their music entertaining.
If you took early Blink-182, mixed it with The Ataris and threw in a few other sub-par pop punk bands of the late 90's, you have Alert The Press. Even members of said bands have updated their initial styles with founding Blink members recreating their musical niche. If you were to turn on the radio or pick up a copy of Rolling Stone magazine for signs of the pop-punk revival, you would be hard pressed to find it. Had I heard this demo during the time period that people purchased Fenix TX or MXPX records, I might be a bit more forgiving in my opinion of the content.
Alert The Press is a bit too nostalgic for their own good. In their case, recreating sounds of other bands wouldn't be as bad if they were good bands, or moreover bands that are relevant today. Music is first and foremost an art form that changes with the times. Few artists stick around forever, and there are reasons for that.
Again, the guys know how to play their instruments and there are instances of solid playing on some of their songs. "Christmas B Side" has a catchy guitar riff that is followed up with a Jimmy Eat Word-esque guitar which showcases the talent possessed. Sloppy vocal melodies and incredibly tight snare drumming sometimes drown out the things that do essentially work, however, which in the end make the songs somewhat hard to get through.
When I listened to Alert The Press, my initial reaction was that I wasn't listening to anything I had never heard before. (Imagine a stand-up comic delivering a re-hashed joke for his opener: leaves a bad taste in your mouth, right?) On the very surface, the guys seem to know how to play their instruments. While that's essential, it will not alone keep listeners around for more than a few seconds. This is not to say their tunes aren't worth a listen, but it will, however, take a certain type of fan to find their music entertaining.
If you took early Blink-182, mixed it with The Ataris and threw in a few other sub-par pop punk bands of the late 90's, you have Alert The Press. Even members of said bands have updated their initial styles with founding Blink members recreating their musical niche. If you were to turn on the radio or pick up a copy of Rolling Stone magazine for signs of the pop-punk revival, you would be hard pressed to find it. Had I heard this demo during the time period that people purchased Fenix TX or MXPX records, I might be a bit more forgiving in my opinion of the content.
Alert The Press is a bit too nostalgic for their own good. In their case, recreating sounds of other bands wouldn't be as bad if they were good bands, or moreover bands that are relevant today. Music is first and foremost an art form that changes with the times. Few artists stick around forever, and there are reasons for that.
Again, the guys know how to play their instruments and there are instances of solid playing on some of their songs. "Christmas B Side" has a catchy guitar riff that is followed up with a Jimmy Eat Word-esque guitar which showcases the talent possessed. Sloppy vocal melodies and incredibly tight snare drumming sometimes drown out the things that do essentially work, however, which in the end make the songs somewhat hard to get through.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Trevor Bostick
posted 9/22/08 @ 12:57 AM EST
That wasnt a review of a CD that was a review of a genre of music.
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