The words ‘Christian’ and ‘Rock’ typically don’t form the image of a band of hard-core rockers with dark, brutal songs and respect of the punk community, right? Think again.

Meet UnderOath, a contemporary post-punk screamo (look it up, kiddies: http://www.urbandictionary.com/
define.php?term=screamo) band from Tampa, Florida, who are out to prove that Christianity isn’t all bad. At first listen, however, you may not put two and two together. The post-hardcore sextet (singer Spencer Chamberlain-voice of the screams-, singer and drummer Aaron Gillespie, guitarists James Smith and Tim McTague, synth operator Chris Dudly, and bassist Grant Brandell) began seven years ago, in a world full of pop tarts (pop stars like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, etc.) and boy bands (N*Sync, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees), and quickly learned to hold their own in the punk world.

They’ve turned down several advances from major labels, and instead, chose to stick to their roots on the smaller indie labels, seeing it as a better opportunity to express themselves, and their creativity. With larger labels, they limit more of what you do. Indie (independent) labels, however, welcome uniqueness and creativity.

The new ablum, Define The Great Line, which dropped June 20th, is, as AP magazine describes it best, a borderline brutal and relentlessly dark album, but without a whiff of negativity. And there in lies their Christianity. They can rock, have fun, and take their music to an eerily dark place without being overly negative like many hard-core screamo bands tend to do. It is possible, I promise you. The album is all about finding out who you are, and what path you’re meant to be on. Whether you believe in God or not, it’s a valuable thing to consider, and these boys do it. And they make you think about it. They make you want to consider these things, just through their music.

“I want people to know that our band has nothing to do with those kinds of people,” says drummer Aaron Gillespie in the July issue of AP magazine, of hard-core Christians who look down on rock music. “I feel like, in a lot of ways, Christianity has given itself a bad name by being overly conservative or browbeating. I fell like as Christians, our job is to hang out with everyone.”

While they want to make people see that Christians aren’t all crazy, their main goal is still clear: become a role model for kids everywhere, and make them see that even with commercial success, record deals, high-profile touring gigs (They kicked off the Vans Warped tour this year)…they’re still just regular dudes, doing what they love.

Dashboard Confessional

So, what do you usually think of when you hear the words “Dashboard Confessional”? Rather, what words could be used to describe DC? The first word that springs to many people’s minds is simple. Three letters that describe it all: Emo.

No, DC isn’t new to the scene. Not even remotely. Front man, and virtually the only member of the band, Chris Carrabba is back in full force this summer with a brand new full-length album, Dusk and Summer that lives up to everything it’s cracked up to be. Carrabba’s soulful, emotional, and eerily heart breaking voice croons hits such as “Don’t Wait” and “The Secret’s In the Telling”. If you asked me to sum it up into one word, I’d most definitely have to choose… beautiful. Yeah, it sounds a little melo-dramatic describe an emo album as ‘beautiful’, but seriously, there’s no other way to put it.

I’ve been a big fan of Dashboard Confessional for quite some time, and have been anticipating the new album. While previous albums failed to be major commercial successes, the band acquired a strong following, and the songs of Dashboard always promise to tug on your heartstrings, and send you on an emotional roller coaster. Hence the word that brands the genre, ‘Emo’. Dashboard is emo and more. It’s catchy, it’s heart breaking, it’s happy, it’s sad. You’ll want to fall in love, and fear it at the same time. Heck, life would be perfect if you fell in love with Chris Carrabba, and broke up. Because he’d break up with you so gently and beautifully, you wouldn’t even care.

Panic! at the Disco

Okay, so, we all know I have a little bit of an obsession over Panic! at the Disco. But they’re on fire this summer. They’ve had more radio time than ever in the last couple of months; the video for their first single, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” is all over television. And just recently, they shot the video for “But It’s Better If You Do.” And, personally, I fell in love all over again with that video. More recently, however, they shot yet another video, this time for the hit ‘Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off,” set for release in the US in September.

This summer, the boys of Panic! are heading out on a nation-wide tour as the headliners, and grabbed a top spot in AP’s Twenty-One and under list in the celebratory 21 year anniversary of the magazine (Brendon and Ryan are 19, while Spencer is just 18. The band recently parted ways with bassist Brent Wilson, also 18). Check the boys out at a stage near you when they head out with OkGo, The Hush Sound, and special guests The Dresden Dolls, all summer long.

AFI

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the God-like entity that is A.F.I (A Fire Inside). Alright, moment over. Let’s gush, shall we? I have loved this band for quite a while now, but my obsession over them grew with the release of their first album in three years, Decemberunderground. In the past few months, there’s been a lot of hype in the punk community, and a lot of speculation. Let me tell you first hand, it lives up to all of it.

The release of the first single off the album, “Miss Murder,” and the first single in two years, was widely, immediately, and eagerly accepted and loved by fans world-wide. Within 24 hours of its much-anticipated release, the song was making constant rotation on radio stations everywhere.

It’s a sweet success for front-man Davey Havok, who a short time after the release of their last album, Sing the Sorrow (2003), underwent surgery for damage to his vocal cords. It put a damper on the success of the band who had to turn down several invitations for tours and gigs. But never fear, my sweets, AFI are back in full force, and ready to rock.

Thank the sweet heavens. I missed you, boys. Once again promoting the Warped Tour, check the rock-gods out there this summer.

From First to Last
by guest columnist Brandon Midkiff

From first to last, a band that has all the ingredients to become something amazing in the new and upcoming genre that is affectionately called emotional punk and/or screamo, the hybrid of screaming raging hardcore punk and the softer side of emotional punk. With the origins of the band split between the more laid back southern areas of Florida and the more up-tempo culturally infused areas of California, this is what you might call the best of both worlds. A band with the west coast and east coast punk scene mindsets all combined into one young and powerful package. ‘Young’ is the word to describe the teen punk quartet that barely found themselves old enough to purchase cigarettes.

In addition to the usual four Wes Borland, former Limp Bizkit guitarist has found himself touring and recording with the band as their bassist. The band itself consists of the young Sonny Moore, a sexually and emotionally straight individual whom as openly admitted to his sexuality. With this in mind, the music itself takes on a whole new meaning; alternate ideas involving the lyrics now play out a completely different picture. Following closely behind is Matt Good and Travis Richter on guitar and finally the young and talented Derek Bloom.

Their two albums Dear Diary, My teen angst has a body count and Heroine, are slowly growing into something as a phenomenon as the new and fresh band takes the emo world by storm. The two albums are a must listen and would be a great addition to any persons album collection

Tool
by guest columnist Brandon Midkiff

Tool is an American Progressive Metal band, who for years has become a kind of underground phenomenon, with few very well known hits, formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California, when drummer Danny Carey joined the rehearsal of his neighbor, singer Maynard James Keenan, a man who has taken on the role of a god to many, well known for his ridiculous and flashy outfits, stage performances and artsy persona.

Guitarist Adam Jones and bassist Paul d'Amour were soon to follow, not truly knowing the scope of this endeavor. His decision proved to be a stroke of luck, introducing dark, vaguely underground metal to the preening pretentiousness of art rock, most notably due to their influential third album, Ænima. They have gained a following and praise for a complex and ever-evolving sound, that ranges from heavy metal on their first release to more progressive influenced songwriting on Lateralus which "in another era would have fallen in with the more growing sensation of progressive rock.

Their overall sound has been described as grinding, post-early nineties heavy metal as well as a primal sound as distinct as it is disturbing most categorizations of the band's genre are often dismissed. Their music has been influenced by King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rush, Dream Theater, and early Yes, among several others. In turn, the list of bands that have been inspired by Tool is long and very well known

In addition, Tool’s future is on a rocky edge which threatens to crumble under the weight of the many side projects of their dynamic front man. With the release of their newest album 10,000 days, Tool has once again taken their music to a new level, but again the ominous monster of a breakdown looms over as the new album gains success.

Angels and Airwaves
By guest columnist Brandon Midkiff

A dynamic collection of musicians haling from some of the nineties prominent rock bands, Angels and Airwaves proves to be phenomenon all its own as its fetal album We Don’t Need to Whisper has just hit the shelves May 23 of this year. With a collage of backgrounds ranging from pop punk to alternative rock, AVA (Angels and Airwaves) has been called a cross between U2 and blink 182. A sound all its own, created by former Blink 182 and Box Car Racer front man Tom Delonge, former Hazen Street and Box Car Racer guitarist David Kennedy, former Distillers bassist Ryan sin, and former Offspring drummer Atom Willard the band continues to take over the airwaves with there first and current single, “The Adventure”.

The band will continue to grow as the band takes on a world clouded by pop and rap figures, it has the potential to open the door to a new reign of rock bands that had previously been written off as offspring of a former generations dreams and adoration for rock. AVA will continue to impress and the album is a must for listeners looking to broaden there horizons of the rock genre