18 | Campus Circle [OCTOBER 17 - OCTOBER 23 ’07]

Ultimately, both Dawson music music 101 | artist feature and Gaskarth feel the effort was worth the final product. “We set out to make a cd reviews really solid pop punk record, MAKING THE GRADE: A EXCEPTIONAL ALL TIME LOW and I think that’s what we B WORTHWHILE | C MEDIOCRE achieved,” says Gaskarth. “We D SAVE YOUR MONEY want people who didn’t ever F WILL BE ON HELL’S JUKEBOX Chart the Ups and Downs like pop music to like pop music. We tried to make of Songwriting something as ridiculously infectious as possible while BY BRIEN OVERLY maintaining that this isn’t Hilary Duff.” “We’re not trying to set “IT’S NOT REALLY MUSIC AS Dawson with a laugh. ourselves apart as some crazy, much as it is scattered noise,”says All “Going into it, we had this huge innovative, groundbreaking Time Low drummer Rian Dawson of fear that a producer would be like,‘No, band. We’ve never wanted to his band’s latest , So Wrong, It’s you’re not doing that, do this instead,’ do that,” he continues. “It was Right. telling us what to do, so we were really always to just have fun and Though joking, he and his band terrified of Squire,” Dawson adds. have people put us in their CD mates have heard far worse from critics And though they may have gotten player and say,‘I want to dance and audiences and are no strangers to off to a rough start under his watch, the to this.’Maybe we’re meant to BLACK LIPS being both panned and lauded by both band found that, contrary to be that cliché band, but as Good Bad Not Evil in the same breath. Nevertheless, the expectation, working under a producer long as people like us, I don’t (l to r) Rian Dawson, Jack Barakat, and Zack Merrick of All Time Low (Vice) Maryland natives welcome what their wasn’t such a bad experience after all. really care.” Good Bad Not Evil would detractors have to say about them. “It was like having a loose second That said, for all his be a slight test for the band’s In fact, “We celebrate it,” says opinion; It really helped, especially confidence and proclaimed schedule for the remainder of the audience were it the records frontman Alex Gaskarth with a self- when it came down to lyrics and the indifference to skeptics, Gaskarth year, those numbers are only looking and not the infamous live aware grin. vocal stuff,” says Gaskarth. “I always admits a bit of anxiety while awaiting keep growing. shows they craved. The band Even so, writing and recording So second guess myself, so I’d end up not the masses’ reaction to the album. Gaskarth wouldn’t have it any is now dabbling outside of its Wrong saw the band, including being able to write the lyrics until the “We’ve built a lot of hype on this other way:“The way I look at it is if the bluesy garage rock bubble, guitarist Jack Barakat and bassist Zack very last minute. I’d usually be in the record, and I only hope it lives up to worst part of my job is being tired and though the humor mostly Merrick, take themselves outside of vocal booth writing out a verse, but the it,” he says. “That’s the one thing I’m because I’ve been traveling the remains, the sloppy DIY their comfort zone. added pressure worked out well.” nervous about. When you build up country, meeting all these people and mentality is somewhat laid to “It was different from anything we “There was a lot of pressure, something so big, I just hope we don’t playing for crowds of hundreds of rest. Highly distorted, cheap had ever done before; we’d never especially for Alex,” agrees Dawson. disappoint.” people every day, then I have a pretty production has given way to worked with a producer before. On the “The music all fell into place, but when If the exponentially growing sweet job, so I really can’t complain.” complete clarity, meaning first day of production, [producer Matt people listen to this music, they don’t number of kids who learned the there are now audible voices Squire] was like, ‘Yeah, we have to care about what the drums or guitars words to “Dear Maria, Count Me In” So Wrong, It’s Right is currently and lyrics to consider. condense this.’ Most bands go in with are doing, they care about lyrics and weeks before So Wrong had even available. The band will perform Oct. On one hand, Black Lips like 50 songs, have to cut it down to 25, melodies. We stayed in the studio unofficially leaked are any indication, 20 & 21 at House of Blues Sunset no longer remain a generic then cut it down from there. We were about two months longer than we Gaskarth hasn’t got much to worry Strip. For more information, visit garage rock band – this working our way up from three,” says were supposed to.” about. And with a solidly booked tour www.alltimelow.com. release isn’t just another in an unvarying, reliable line, though there are fuzzy drum rolls, bluesy bass lines and music dvd reviews PHIL VARONE of Varone snorting line after line of ’50s harmonies as expected. Waking Up Dead cocaine and fondling countless topless But songs here like “O (MVD Visual) women; all the while carrying on a Katrina!” lack the urgency of, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN with his manager caused him to not put At the very beginning of this film narrative complaining about how he’s say, any live rendition, which Under Review anything out for three Phil Varone, former broke and has wasted captures much rougher 1978-1982: Tale of years. drummer for Saigon his life with these antics. harmonies and growls. And the Working Man Former E Street Kick and Skid Row, Not all of the “Veni Vidi Vici” is a straight (Sexy Intellectual) Band member Vini issues some advice for footage is vintage up pop song that somehow This film doesn’t try Lopez, musician Laura those considering a life either – he’s still doesn’t belong. to recap Springsteen’s Veirs and journalist in rock ’n’ roll: “Don’t snorting coke as the The men of Black Lips are entire career; instead it Robert Christgau are do it!” Then the docu- movie is being made. no longer the (teenage) boys focuses on the period of among those explaining mentary shows Varone Varone intends for this they were, and we’ve now maturation that came why this blue-collar indulging in an endless film to garner him got proof that they’re finally through the releases rocker is so endearing parade of booze, drugs sympathy but instead being noticed after seven Darkness on the Edge of and why this particular and eager women – he comes off like a total years of recording together. Town, The River and period was so crucial to hardly the stuff of loser, not for his past Grade: B+ Nebraska. This was sort his becoming a superstar. discouragement for but for his present. —China Bialos of a make-it-or-break-it time for Grade: B nascent rock stars. Grade: B Good Bad Not Evil is currently Springsteen – he had just had his —Kevin Wierzbicki The film is called Waking Up Dead —Kevin Wierzbicki available. commercial breakthrough with the Under Review 1978-1982 is currently so you would expect some real grit Waking Up Dead is currently Born to Run album, but a legal battle available. here. What is given instead is footage available.

EULOGIES three-man band, Eulogies. Eulogies was temporarily ARI GOLD Eulogies It’s actually been awhile since redeemed on “Running in the Rain,” Transport Systems (Dangerbird) I’ve been as bored with an album as a cool tune with smooth rhythms, (Centaur) Whenever I think of the word I was with this one. Drummer Chris but titles like “Blizzard Ape” and Being an openly gay music artist eulogies, the thought of a funeral Reynolds produces some good “Under the Knife” didn’t help me and aiming to create songs and lyrics comes to mind. Unfortunately, that’s beats, but it’s frontman Peter connect with this album. that reflect your community is a bold

also what comes to mind while Walker’s dull vocals that lack the Grade: C act for any emerging pop artist. Gold listening to the self-titled debut pizzazz needed to engage the —Fay Rose « album from the recently formed, listener. Eulogies is currently available. CD REVIEWS CONTINUED