Artist Of The Week - Anchor & Braille

It's been about three years since we've gotten an album from Anchor & Braille, the indie side project of Anberlin's Stephen Christian, but this week, on July 31st, the band's sophomore album will be released. The Quiet Life is a collection of haunting melodies and catchy percussion, certainly a maturation of sound since 2009's Felt. The Quiet Life is available now in stores and online through Tooth & Nail Records.

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Terra Firma

Mychildren Mybride will release their new single "Terra Firma" on May 18th. It comes off their sophomore album Lost Boy releasing June 8th. They will also be on tour with Haste The Day this June.

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Travesty

Haste The Day will release their new single titled "Travesty" this Tuesday, May 4th. It comes off their upcoming album Attack of the Wolf King. Haste The Day will also be going on tour with Mychildren Mybride this June, which will be followed by the summer long Warped Tour.
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Cover Your Eyes

Children 18:3 have just posted their new single entitled "Cover Your Eyes" here. It will be available to purchase on iTunes and AmazonMP3 on May 18th. Rain's A Comin' will release on June 29th via Tooth & Nail Records.

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Artist: Write This Down
Album: Write This Down
Release Date: 4/20/10
Label: Tooth & Nail Records

Ever so often does a debut come along that is nearly perfect in almost every way. That's the case with Write This Down's debut album. The best way to describe there sound would be Emery meets Underoath with an added pop punk element. The majority of the album does have a constant pop punk sound thrown in with screaming every here and there.

Starting off the debut is "Alarm The Alarm," one of the highlights, featuring lyrics that certainly showcase the band's faith, such as "There is no other name, by which I am saved, I will not be afraid, to trust in You." The metal-driven "Renegade" features a chorus that will be sure to stick and is also one of the heaviest songs on the album.

Write This Down does a very good job on the heavier songs of the album. The Emery-esque "We Shot The Moon" blends heavily layered screams with a fun chorus made up of gang vocals. "Kings and Councilors" features some rather metaphorical lyrics and pop punk hooks. The acoustic-driven "Heaven and Hell" seems a bit out of place on the album, but relentlessly closes it well.

Rating: 9/10 Write This Down have certainly gotten off to a good start with the release of their self-titled debut. This is one of the best debuts I have heard in a while and I would advise you to check WTD out.

Tracklisting:
  1. Alarm The Alarm
  2. Despite Your Valour
  3. Renegade
  4. Hand Grenades
  5. I Never Said I Was Through With You
  6. Center Of Attention
  7. Citadel
  8. Redemption
  9. We Shot The Moon
  10. Kings and Councilors
  11. Heaven and Hell

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Artist: Sixteen Cities
Album: Sixteen Cities
Release Date: 4/20/10
Label: Centricity Music

Pop rock can be a very wide and common genre. Some bands will come out as a success and some as a failed effort. Sixteen Cities easily come out as a refreshing take on some of the typical pop rock, blending a contemporary rock sound along the lines of Nevertheless and Sanctus Real, along with catchy pop melodies.

The light hearted chorus of "Just Wanna Dance" starts off the album with some light pop, followed up by a personal favorite, "Save Me From Myself." The song contains some hooks that hit it just right, with lyrics that come as a plea to God to save us from ourselves. The song "Come As You Are" is pretty self-explanatory, being God telling us to come to Him no matter how hard we're hurt of have sinned. Another song that comes off as an easy success is the closer "Winter," a completely piano-driven song that gives a very emotional message that hits straight to the heart. Although it varies from the style of the album, it is still one of, if not the highest, point of the album. Sixteen Cities, if they get the needed attention, are sure to be big and have no doubt started off on a high note.

Rating: 8/10 The self-titled debut from Sixteen Cities shines though the large genre of generic pop rock. Deep lyrics and a contemporary sound, mixed with a worship sound drive this band a long way. Getting the much needed attention, SC are sure to be big in a matter of time.

Tracklisting:
  1. Just Wanna Dance
  2. Save Me From Myself
  3. Sing Along
  4. Pray You Through
  5. Only After You
  6. Come As You Are
  7. Innocent
  8. Captured By Your Love
  9. Someones Work Of Art
  10. Bleeding For You
  11. Winter

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Artist: Jaymes Reunion
Album: Everything You've Been Looking For
Release Date: 4/20/10
Label: BEC Recordings

After having multiple setbacks and such, Jaymes Reunion bring us their long awaited debut album, Everything You've Been Looking For. The album contains a nice batch of pop rock tunes, which show frontman Jaymes Cameron's knack for songwriting. Full of catchy pop rock tracks and some ballads, the album hits off nicely for Jaymes Reunion.

The opening sounds of "More Than A Day" may lead listeners to expect of typical pop rock album, but songs like "Trouble" and "Fine" may convince them differently. Some favorites off the album come with the ballads "Loveliest Thing" and "My Song," the closing tracks. By far some of the catchiest on the album, "Loveliest Thing" tells a great love story, while the latter builds up to a great pop rocker to close the album. Well not a completely perfect album, Jaymes Reunion have got off to a good start with their debut.

Rating: 8/10 The wait is finally over for Jaymes Reunion's debut album Everything You've Been Looking For. It certainly show's the band's ability to perform catchy pop rock tunes. It was worth the wait for sure.

Tracklisting:
  1. More Than A Day
  2. Trouble
  3. Let It Shine
  4. If You Wanna Cry
  5. Fine
  6. Forevermore
  7. Beautiful
  8. The Answer
  9. There You Are
  10. Lost It All
  11. Loveliest Thing
  12. My Song

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Children 18:3 are set to release their sophomore effort titled Rain's A Comin' on June 29th via Tooth & Nail Records. Been anticipating this album for a while!

Tracklisting:
  1. The Cruel One
  2. Rain's A Comin'
  3. Cover Your Eyes
  4. Whispering
  5. Hey Driftwood (Tides)
  6. Oh, Bravo
  7. Oh, Honestly!
  8. Wonder I
  9. Stronger Boy
  10. Jack o Lantern Dreams
  11. Reprise
  12. The Last Laugh

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Mycildren Mybride will release their new album titled Lost Boy on June 8th via Solid State Records.

Tracklisting:
  1. Terra Firma
  2. Hooligans
  3. King of the Hopeless
  4. Crimson Grim
  5. Lost Boys
  6. Dark Passenger
  7. Gatekeeper
  8. Digital Rebirth
  9. Redeemer
  10. Nuclear+
  11. Lungs Full of Water

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Artist: The Classic Crime
Album: Vagabonds
Release Date: 4/6/10
Label: Tooth & Nail Records

Sometimes the best things in life are the simple things. It's just the beauty of simplicity. The Classic Crime certainly show this on their newest release Vagabonds. Keeping it simple on this album is a key. Vagabonds progresses past their darker sound heard on The Silver Cord, which dealt with many different shades of life. With this album, many themes that are shown consist of a love for music and moving away from today's common society.

Vagabonds opens with "A Perfect Voice,"which is in fact being a perfect opener. A simple structure is heard in this song and Matt MacDonald's nicely written lyrics that declare, "I may not have a perfect voice, but I'll still sing at the top of my lungs until my days are done." The witty styled "Solar Powered Life" is wrapped in a classic rock-tinged sound, but is rather short.

Found in songs like "Four Chords" and "Vagabonds" are the band's love for music, with the latter even talking about their hometown of Seattle. Something that certainly catches my attention on Vagabonds are the last two ballads, "Different Now" and "Broken Mess." A pop rock side of the band is found, along with some moving lyrics about love. Starting off slow is "Broken Mess," which goes through a few stages lyrically and musically, ending up a beautiful closer and the perfect song to close off one of the best albums yet that the year has seen.

Rating: 10/10 The Classic Crime give us a masterpiece of an album with their third studio effort Vagabonds. Moving on past their darker sound on The Silver Cord, we hear the band at their best, containing a bit of everything on this album. Currently sitting atop many other releases of the year, Vagabonds may be one of the best albums the year has yet to offer.

Tracklisting:
  1. A Perfect Voice
  2. Cheap Shots
  3. Solar Powered Life
  4. Four Chords
  5. Vagabonds
  6. The Happy Nihilist
  7. My Name
  8. Everything and Nothing
  9. The Count
  10. Different Now
  11. Broken Mess

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Artist: Secret & Whisper
Album: Teenage Fantasy
Release Date: 4/6/10
Label: Tooth & Nail Records

Album titles can mean everything or nothing. Secret & Whisper's sophomore album Teenage Fantasy has nearly nothing to do with the title at all. No, this album is not specifically aimed toward teenagers, but is derived from the band's teenage dream of being in a band. Wrapped in a complex sound and cryptic lyrics, Secret & Whisper contain a very unique edge to them. Composed of post-hardcore mixed with ambient layered indie rock, Teenage Fantasy is a solid follow up to the band's debut Great White Whale.

Teenage Fantasy has a somewhat dreamy sound to it, still mixed in with the post-hardcore styled riffs, but is less heavier from their debut. The album's highlight "Whale Bones" is a slower song that still has their edge, but a heavier sense of indie thrown in. A guest appearance from producer Jeff Schneeweis (Number One Gun) adds to the feel, giving it an airy feeling. It stands as one of the unique parts of Teenage Fantasy. Most of the songs on the album seem to run together a bit, not varying much from song to song. The heavier "Warrior (Southern Arrowwood" is another highlight, with mystifying lyrics that are found on nearly every song. The instrumental "Pretty Snarl" has some catchy riffs, accompanied by some other repetitive instrumentation that actually turns out as a high point. Teenage Fantasy is a solid album and doesn't come off categorized as the dreaded sophomore slump.

Rating: 8/10 Secret & Whisper's latest Teenage Fantasy is a solid follow up to Great White Whale. The tracks don't necessarily differ much from song to song, but do contain an edge to them. The album will leave you in a dreamy state of mind as well, mixing heavier elements with
slower indie rock formed tunes.

Tracklisting:
  1. Youth Cats
  2. Warrior (Southern Arrowwood)
  3. Bedroom Galaxy
  4. Tiny Sparkle
  5. Famous For A Century
  6. Edge Of Wilderness
  7. Pretty Snarl
  8. Star Blankets
  9. Blush
  10. Whale Bones
  11. Silver Mountains