Everyone wants to be Irish. This is a fact that's generally seen around the second week of March, when drunken mobs soak themselves in green beer to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and late September, whenever the Red Sox start inching towards another title. The only difference between the faux Irish and real deal is that the real Irish always stay true to their roots -- something punk band Flogging Molly has built a huge following around, adding more and more Irish wannabes with every show.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but indie pop forefather Pedro the Lion is no more. This isn't a new development as it's been about a year since it happened, but still, it's hard to keep up with things like this. Fear not though, Lion fans, good news is right on the heels of this somewhat late, but crucial announcement.
In downtown Salt Lake City, the chances are pretty high that you could throw a rock out of a moving car and hit someone in a band. More than that, the chances of you hitting someone in a good band are almost just as high. Salt Lake City has always had a reputation for producing good, often great, bands, and most of the time they're playing for the love of music and not to snag the cover of Rolling Stone.
"It's like 'Grand Theft Auto' down here," yelled American Steel bassist John Peck as he raced among cars during rush-hour traffic in San Diego. Just as he reached the other side, the clanging bell of an approaching train stopped him in his tracks and forced another location change.
As a lifelong metal lover and die-hard Slayer fan, Bleeding Through guitarist Brian Leppke jumped at the chance to hit the road alongside his idols last summer. "Slayer is one of my favorite bands of all time," said Leppke, "Touring with them was a dream come true.
In 1981, Henry Garfield was working 60 hours a week managing an ice cream parlor just outside Washington, D.C. One night, he went to New York City to see a show by a semi-known punk band called Black Flag. Garfield asked the band to play "Clocked In" for him, since he had to leave the show to make it back to work on time.
"We've been together for 10 years now, and you start to realize that it's the real bands that are able to span the test of time," said Every Time I Die guitarist Andy Williams in regards to his band's die-hard work ethic and dedication to the road. Buffalo, New York's favorite sons of southern metal have spent the better part of the last ten years on tour, giving it their all day-in and day-out.
Singers are overrated. All they do is steal the spotlight, the glory and all the girls. Let's not forget the girls. The cutest ones always go for the singer. Go ahead and add bass players to the overrated list, too. Who needs 'em? Just ask The F***ing Champs.
Being a solo artist is hard work. Blame it on Chris Carrabba; he ruined everything. Carrabba, the man behind Dashboard Confessional, hit the big time and left every acoustic/indie rock solo artist trying to escape his ever-present shadow. Jason Collett falls into this solo artist category, but the comparisons end there.
Bands these days have no heart. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's true. Back in the day, the only way to make it was to tour relentlessly and hit any city referred to as "the armpit of America" at least twice. Nowadays, all you need is a MySpace page and the right friends.
