*Thirteen-Year-Old Rock Band Takes Over New Jersey's Music Scene

(L to R: Billy Manning, Andrew Pacheco, Luke Blecker, Dylan Quesada)

If you think sixteen-year-old Justin Bieber has a lot of talent for his young age, maybe you should brush up on your music history.  Björk began studying classical music at age five and released an album at eleven.  Nathan Young, drummer of rock group, Anberlin, and Zac Farro, ex-drummer of Paramore, both joined their bands at age twelve.  And who could forget Michael Jackson at the tender age of five?  He was already in the big leagues with his older brothers and sisters in The Jackson Five.  He had his first song reach number one as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 at age eleven and another song as a solo artist at age thirteen.

Just like the other young prodigies, thirteen-year-old pop punk group, Alter The Ending, are working their way into the industry, and kicking ass while doing so.  The four young gentlemen from Berkeley Heights, NJ, have only been playing together for a year and have already established more than a lot of people their age.   They’ve played at well-known venues such as Starland Ballroom, The Stony Pony, and plenty of music festivals in the local New Jersey area.  “I think it's awesome how we've been able to do that after just a year of being a band,” says guitarist Billy Manning on playing at venues where his favorite bands have performed.  They’ve also recorded with Jon Santos, former singer/guitarist of Seven Wiser and owner of 1176 Studios in Whitestone Queens.  “Jon is an amazing guy to work with,” says Andrew Pacheco, lead vocalist and guitarist.  “He really brought the best out of our music.”   The band recorded two tracks with Santos, and will be recording a few more to complete the Gone Again EP, which will be released in mid-2011.  Until then, you can catch the young lads at The Break Contest, in which they will be competing with many bands for a spot on Bamboozle 2011’s main stage.

(L to R: Billy Manning, Andrew Pacheco. Back: Luke Blecker)

The interview:

AP= Andrew Pacheco (Vocals, Guitar)

BM= Billy Manning (Guitar)

DQ= Dylan Quesada (Bass)

LB= Luke Blecker (Drums)

1) How did the four of you meet?

AP: Billy and I were playing at a talent show in the 5th grade and Luke happened to be in the same show, [only he was] playing guitar at the time. We started taking and he mentioned that he played the drums, so we got together and started our first band, which [consisted of] me, Billy, and Luke [called Toxic Sludge].  …a few years later [when] I was ready to switch to guitar, we started looking for a bass player and pretty soon after that, I got a message from Dylan saying he'd like to join the band. …we knew it was the perfect lineup right away.

2) How long have you all been playing your instruments?

LB: I've been playing drums for five years, but at the time it wasn't my main instrument. Now it has become my favorite interest and such a big part of my life.

DQ: I've been playing bass for five years as well, but once I joined the band I got a lot more serious about it.

BM: I began playing guitar when I was seven, but when I was nine, I started working a lot more towards it and started to improve my performance.

AP: I had tried to teach myself guitar up until when I was about ten, [which was] when I started taking lessons. I've been singing since I was really young, but I've never actually taken singing lessons.

3) Because you are so young, is there a certain expectation for you guys when you jump on stage?

AP: Definitely.  People are usually surprised, but I don't think there's any extra pressure on us, we just jump on stage and do our thing, and hopefully the crowd likes it.

4) What is your biggest accomplishment as a musician? As a band?

BM: Playing venues that some of our favorite bands and influences have performed at, such as Starland Ballroom and The Stone Pony. I think it's awesome how we've been able to do that after just a year of being a band.

LB: I think just being able to have people listen to the music that we've written ourselves is an accomplishment to me.

DQ: Kind of like what Billy said, being able to play on the same stage as the bands that we love have played on is really cool.

AP: I agree with Billy, Luke, and Dylan. The fact that we've been able to play the songs that we've written at these cool and legendary venues is awesome. Especially when the crowd is into it, it's an amazing experience.

5) How did you wind up working with singer/songwriter/producer Jon Santos? Will you be releasing an album anytime soon?

AP: My cousin and her band Stelladeora had been working with Jon. We were looking for a studio to record in and she recommended his place, 1176 Studios. Jon is an amazing guy to work with and he really brought the best out of our music. As for an album, we released two songs "Tear Me Down" and "Gone Again" for free online, and we're working on getting a few more done so we can release the "Gone Again" EP.

6) Where can you see ATE in a year from now?

DQ: I see us improving and hopefully getting some more fans.

LB: Hopefully we can play some bigger shows, getting a larger fan base, and having a larger selection of songs to play.

AP: Right now we're trying to get ourselves out there, so I see us hopefully getting as good and tight as we can be, and bigger and better.

BM: Hopefully we'll be playing some more shows and have a full-length album out around then.

7) What does Alter The Ending bring to the table that no other band does?

BM: We play a wide variety of music, from our calmer songs, to our punk and heavier side, we cover basically every genre of rock and alternative. We think that’s important so we can reach out to different audiences.

8) Anything you’d like to plug or tell people who have never heard of you before?

Everyone: Search us on Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter so you can stay updated with the latest Alter The Ending news and download our songs. Hopefully you can follow us through an exciting journey.


*This article will be featured in next month's edition of Broken Records Magazine.

The Life I Lead: Taking Over the Pop Rock Scene

(L to R: Stan Rapoport, Jonathan Aguirre, Steve Muskopf, Pawel Potapowicz)

Are you a fan of Cartel, The Academy Is, or The Maine?  If you are, check out upcoming band, The Life I Lead.

The five guys are from all different parts of New York City and have been building their fan base over the past few years.  “Playing and touring as much as possible and promoting at shows and online,” is what helps spread the word about the pop rock band, says bassist Ryan Elias.  It seems like their tactics have been working, because Ryan and his band mates have nearly 3,000 fans on Facebook.  The band also just finished the “Holiday Cheer Tour,” where they played at venues in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

Me Against You EP (2009)
1. Bright Lights
2. Confide
3. Send Love
4. When Actors Stop Acting
5. Me Against You
6. Insight

In 2009, The Life I Lead released an EP entitled, “Me Against You.”  Each of the six songs have catchy vocal melodies and driven guitar parts.  What’s also great about it is that each song has a different element than the next.  The EP opens up with gang vocals you can easily sing along to in “Bright Lights,” and the rest of the song has a likeable factor.  “When Actors Stop Acting” has a fun opening riff that will captivate you within the first few seconds of it; drummer Stan Rapoport does a great job here.  In general the EP is really good—if you haven’t, take a listen. 

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommended Track: “Confide”

Here’s the interview I had with the members of The Life I Lead:

1. The Life I Lead has nearly 3,000 fans on Facebook. How did you guys go about building your fan base?

Playing and touring as much as possible and promoting at shows and online.

2. What does a typical day on tour look like?

We like to show up to shows early and promote. But we also have fun and hang out with each other and whoever else will hang out with us. We'll have some drinks or play acoustic songs outside of the van and trailer to fans that are there early or we'll wander around and explore the area we're playing.

3. A lot of bands that tour together like to play pranks on each other. Do you have any stories you'd like to share?

We started doing the "wet dream" prank where whenever someone fell asleep or napped someone, [we] would pour large amounts of cold water on them.

4. What venue did you enjoy playing at the most? Why?

Swayze's in Marietta [and also] Georgia was an amazing time; the kids were great and had so much energy. Webster Hall in NYC is always a great show and a lot of fun.  We also played Warped Tour this year in LI and followed the tour down through Florida which was amazing.

5. If you could paint your own future as far as TLIL goes, what would it look like?

We just want to tour and play as much as possible and in as many different places as possible. We have so much fun leaving home and meeting new people/playing in new places. It’s what everyone wants to do and anything more than that would just be icing on the cake. We love doing what we’re doing.

6. Anything else you'd like to add/plug?

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter! @thelifeilead and download our album on iTunes! And keep up to date with us in 2011, because we’ll be touring nonstop with a lot of amazing bands and releasing brand new songs!

Beneath It All EP by Hey Monday

Beneath It All EP (2010)
01. Wish You Were Here
02. Wondergirl
03. I Don't Wanna Dance
04. Hangover
05. Mr. Pushover
06. Where Is My Head

If you’re a hardcore metal fan, Hey Monday’s new EP, Beneath It All, is the album for you! Just kidding.

Originating from West Palm Beach, Florida, the power pop group has toured with acts such as The Academy Is, We The Kings, NeverShoutNever, The Cab, This Providence, A Rocket To The Moon, and Cash Cash. At the beginning of 2010 (and shortly after the departure of drummer, Elliot James), Hey Monday began recording new tracks for their second release, Beneath It All EP.

The six songs have a poppy and bubbly feel to them, but most of the lyrics are far from upbeat. In “Where Is My Head,” the lines, “today I told myself that I would control myself / but my heart and zipper seem to disagree,” are pretty risque and aren't something you would normally hear in a power pop song. Lead vocalist Cassadee Pope hides the true meanings of the songs with catchy melodies and harmonies, which she does rather tastefully. Other than the lyrics, the EP isn’t terribly original. The first three tracks bleed into each other and the last three also have similar feels to them.

The standout track out of the six is “Hangover," but Beneath It All isn’t anything we haven’t heard before. It's overall a decent but expected release from Hey Monday.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended Track: "Hangover"

*Apocalyptica: Taking Over the Globe, One Cello At a Time

(L to R: Perttu Kivilaakso, Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen. Back: Mikko Sirén)

Countless mainstream metal bands such as All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, Bullet For My Valentine, and August Burns Red usually consist of fast paced drummers, a bassist, two guitarists, a singer or screamer, and the occasional keyboard or synth player. As far as conventional bands go, Apocalyptica is far from the norm.

Cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, Max Lilja, and Antero Manninen formed Apocalyptica in Helsinki, Finland in 1993 with the original intent to be a Metallica tribute band. After their first public appearance in 1994, the media convinced the band to do an album with the cover songs they played live, and they succeeded; over one million copies of Plays Metallica by Four Cellos were sold.

Since then, Apocalyptica has written original songs and LPs and has featured many guest musicians on them. They’ve worked with Ville Valo of HIM, Lauri Ylönen of The Rasmus, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, and Dave Lombardo of Slayer. Whether these appearances were what drove the band to fame, no one knows. “[We had] no idea,” current drummer Mikko Sirén said about the ever-growing popularity of Apocalyptica across the globe. “We didn’t plan it.” Most of the musicians that the Finnish guys have worked with came up to them at festivals or contacted them personally, saying they liked the band and wanted to collaborate.



7th Symphony (2010)

On their latest effort, 7th Symphony, Gavin Rossdale of Bush, Joseph Duplantier of Gojira, Lacey Mosley of Flyleaf and Brent Smith of Shinedown were all featured. When asked about the newest album, Sirén spoke about how the writing of this album was different than their past albums. Before Symphony’s release, the band was on a two and a half yearlong tour and was not very prepared; most of the tracks were arranged during recording. When talking about the album artwork, Sirén said he wanted it to be “dark, dangerous, but [also] beautiful, fragile and romantic.”

Recently the band has canceled all shows in the United States, because one of the members was really sick. All shows will be postponed, including a show at Starland Ballroom on March 17th, 2011 with opening act, Process of Fusion. Mikko hopes to see more of a response to Apocalyptica’s music in the states, because “[most people have] no idea what the band is about. [Hopefully they will think] we’re something good to see.”

*This article will be featured in next month's edition of Broken Records Magazine.

Year of the Black Rainbow by Coheed and Cambria (2010)

 Year of the Black Rainbow (2010)

1. One - 1:54

2. The Broken - 3:53
3. Guns of Summer - 4:47
4. Here We Are Juggernaut - 3:44
5. Far - 4:54
6. The Shattered Symphony - 4:26
7. World of Lines - 3:18
8. Made Out of Nothing - 4:38
9. Pearl of the Stars - 5:05
10. In the Flame of Error - 5:29
11. When Skeletons Live - 4:18
12. The Black Rainbow - 7:33
13. Chamberlain (Demo) - 4:20
14. The Lost Shepherd (Demo) - 4:11
15. Hush (iTunes Exclusive Track) - 4:18

On April 14, 2010, Coheed and Cambria released their album, Year of the Black Rainbow. The album is the fifth and final installment in The Amory Wars, a sequence of stories written by singer and guitarist Claudio Sanchez. Coheed goes considerably darker on this album than on previous ones, their new sound apparent on songs like “Guns of Summer,” which have a more psychedelic and progressive feel to them. “The Broken” and “Here We Are Juggernaut” remain true to the sound previous records have had, and both are single worthy. An acoustic guitar is present throughout “Pearl of the Stars” which is done rather tastefully and is the softest track on the album. “Far” is another soft track, and with lyrics like, “So, whatever this is, this thing that now I've become / you hate it so much, you keep on running from it,” the song is somewhat bone chilling. “World of Lines” allows drummer Chris Pennie to show off his chops, and is my personal favorite on the CD; the fast guitars and the vocals are what make the track one to watch out for.

If you were not a die-hard Coheed fan, in regards to this album, you most likely would not be able to tell one song from another. As someone who does not listen to the band religiously, the remainder of the album sounds like it blends together in a way, and I feel this is a consistency on their earlier albums as well. It is not an attack on the band all together, but I do think they could be a bit more original at times.

Overall, this album is a decent effort from Coheed and Cambria, and if you were a fan beforehand, Year of the Black Rainbow will not disappoint.

Recommended Tracks: “The Broken” and “Far”
Rating: 4/5

Party With It's Not Over On Earth Day

It’s Not Over

(Left to Right: Joshua Cronopulous, Mike Giordano, George Thomas. Back: Matt Cabello)
 Photography by Justin Sarachik

If you were near building 1C on Earth Day, chances are you heard live music from local Staten Island band, It’s Not Over. In October, the pop-punk quartet won the third annual Battle of the Bands at CSI, and was promised an hour-long set as their reward.

Drummer Matt Cabello and vocalist/guitarist Mike Giordano started the band in October of 2006. Later in the game, they added guitarist Josh Cronopulos and bassist George Thomas to their lineup, and have played many shows in Staten Island and Manhattan. The band “quickly gained a reputation among audiences for their energetic performances and melodically catchy song writing,” according to their biography on Facebook. Their songs have been played on UCLA College Radio and CSI’s own WSIA, remaining in the Alternative Top 30 for numerous weeks in a row. To this day, the four guys are continuing to win the hearts of many fans, and the show on April 22nd was no exception.

The pop punk band played songs like “Love Affair,” “Taking Me Over,” and “Better Off,” which are up-tempo and catchy songs that pumped up the audience. Lead vocalist Mike Giordano busted out an acoustic guitar for “Never See Me,” which displayed a softer side to the group. Midway through the set, bass player George Thomas encouraged the crowd to count how long it would take Giordano to down a bottle of water; it only took him thirty seconds, which was rather impressive to watch. The band closed with “Catastrophe,” and received a giant round of applause from the crowd, especially Andrew DiLorenzo from WSIA radio who seemed to know most of the words. Overall, the band put on a good performance and I would not mind seeing them again.

If you want to check out It’s Not Over, you can head here to listen to their self-titled EP.

Mmhmm by Relient K (2004)

Mmhmm (2004)
1. The One I’m Waiting For – 3:02
2. Be My Escape – 4:00
3. High of 75 – 2:27
4. I So Hate Consequences – 4:01
5. The Only Thing Worse Than Beating a Dead Horse Is Betting on One – 1:13
6. My Girl’s Ex-Boyfriend – 2:28
7. More Than Useless – 3:50
8. Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet? – 4:11
9. Let It All Out – 4:21
10. Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been – 3:52
11. Maintain Consciousness – 2:52
12. This Week the Trend – 2:59
13. Life After Death and Taxes (Failure II) – 4:23
14. When I Go Down – 6:42

For my first review, I decided to do Relient K’s Mmhmm simply because it is a perfect album to start off the spring season. Trust me, this is something you will want to listen to with the windows rolled down and the sun shining brightly through your windshield. It also helps that Relient K is one of my favorites. If Mmhmm doesn’t hook you straight away, perhaps pop rock isn’t the right genre for you. But with music and lyrics that are very tastefully done, this Christian band does it right.

The album starts off on a high note, with the happy go lucky “The One I’m Waiting For.” The catchy vocal by Matt Thiessen will instantly grab your attention with this song about a girl who “can break a heart / [she’s] like a work of art.”   The song could also be interpreted as a nice guy falling for a slutty girl, but we won’t go there. ;) Other tracks with an upbeat feel are “Be My Escape,” “High of 75,” and “My Girl’s Ex-Boyfriend.”

Toward the second half of the album, you will find the lyrics become more in depth. In “I So Hate Consequences,” Thiessen sings about dealing with mistakes and letting a person you love down. “Which To Bury, Us or the Hatchet” talks of a relationship gone badly and “Life After Death and Taxes” is about failure. “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been,” one of the two singles off the album, is a song most people can relate to: human growth and hating the person you were before this change occurred. Other tracks like this are “More Than Useless” and “This Week the Trend.”

Songs like “Let It All Out” and “Maintain Consciousness” may at first seem like casual throwaway tracks, but after a few listens they become just as captivating as the rest of the album. “Maintain Consciousness” is probably my least favorite track, but is a fun song nonetheless. “Let It All Out” is the slowest track on the album, and is quite uplifting with lines like, "the end will justify the pain it took to get us there," but yet the tone of the song remains somber throughout.

“When I Go Down” has its own little blurb, because this song in many ways touched my heart. With lyrics like “I've thrown away so many things that could've been much more / and I just pray my problems go away if they're ignored,” it is impossible not to connect to this song. The message of the song is no matter how hard you fall, no matter how many issues you have, the man upstairs will be there for you. The lyrics are inspiring and perfectly written, and the musicianship on this track is rather beautiful. This song is a great end to an amazing record.

Everything comes together really nicely on this album, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Recommended Tracks: Who I Am Hates Who I've Been, My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend
Rating: 5/5

The Blank Pages

Reckless, hopeless, dream-filled vortex of solitude

An interlude to solace, a fortress we make of change.

Divisions shade the truth that you hold inside of you

Mind and soul show your secrets,

know that I hear them now.

Black holes and substance filled capsules keep the mind right

Static through dead telephone lines feed the starry night.

Broken lives terrorize the nature of the innocent

Complexity is hard to see through belligerence

Time will learn to heal the wounds you have succumbed to

Redemption is the son no wrong will do.

Father, I have seen no evil. All I've heard is of your ignorance.

Bliss is something I have never bought into

Frankly I'm quite sick of it.

Danger signs see past the blind, hope is no longer an option.

The smell of gunpowder infiltrates the war we have won

I've resided here since the day of the rising son.

The words he proclaims will stain blank pages:

"I am not your son

The war is done

I will not give in to fear.

"We have made mistakes

In the present wake

Why the hell am I still here?"