Bouncing Souls / The Loved Ones

live in Farmingdale (2007)

Brian Shultz

Static Radio NJ began this solid, generally punk rock show, and it's actually the second of three treks with the Souls that are lined up for the band. There's really no beating around the bush with them -- if you like melodic hardcore, you'll probably like Static Radio. Halfway through the set, one crowd member yelled a request for "'Pits + Poisoned Apples'!" to which the singer responded, "'Pits + Poisoned Apples'? Yeah, I don't like them…just kidding!" It was a pretty humorous bit of self-deprecation in the face of five million (but no less positive) reviews in which Static Radio find themselves being compared to Kid Dynamite. Although they also contributed several tracks to a previously released three-way split and played some new material that night, it was impressive that the band managed a 25-minute set considering their One for the Good Guys EP doesn't even eclipse 10 minutes. The songs might have been generally similar, and their style seemingly went over the head of many in the audience, but they were definitely enjoyable. Keep an eye out for a review of that EP soon.

I found I Am the Avalanche's self-titled debut enjoyable if not a little tepid, but it probably didn't help that my expectations were a little outrageous considering frontman Vinnie Caruana's main previous endeavor. But live, the band is definitely on, playing invariably tight and just energetic enough, likely thanks in addition to the experience of members like ex-Further Seems Forever's Brandon Swanson and ex-Scraps and Heart Attacks' Kellen Robson. They played the best material from said album, and threw in two new songs. The first of these was incredible -- it definitely showed off a healthy Lifetime influence, but just to hear Caruana's voice in front of fast, poppy tempos again is an indescribable feeling. The other reared it back to a mid-tempo frame and a simple, catchy chorus ("whatever happened to the Brooklyn Dodgers? / whatever happened to me?"), not unlike much of I Am the Avalanche, but more creative, with guitars that switched from brief, cathartic cuts to being wandering and atmospheric. ("Polar Beast" is the other "new" song that wasn't played that night, a Glassjaw-ish tune the band has previously played live often in recent months.) With new material like this, I Am the Avalanche's forthcoming (which is fully written, but yet to be recorded) could be the best work Caruana's been involved in since This Time Next Year. Lastly, the band nailed a cover of Weezer's "Tired of Sex," whose response was terribly underwhelming. Overall, a great set that I enjoyed way more than I'd figured.

Set list (5:59-6:29):

  • I Took a Beating
  • This Is Dungeon Music

    • -----

  • untitled new song

    • -----

  • The Brooklyn Dodgers [new song]

    • -----

  • New Disaster
  • My Second Restraining Order

    • -----

  • Tired of Sex [Weezer cover]

    • -----

  • Dead and Gone

    The Loved Ones have gradually grown on me since the release of their middling, self-titled EP in 2005, but it's still an ongoing process. I'll vouch for their live show, though -- it's decent enough. I'll even go so far as to say that while one will obviously miss the presence of