Based in Eldersburg, Maryland, Threadbare Clothing is the quirky, yet tastefully simplistic clothing brand of the lovely Sydney Adamson. Adamson generously enlightened us on the inspiration behind her work, along with the struggles and rewards of building Threadbare.

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ELI WHITNEY & THE SOUND MACHINE is a New York City based band formed in the summer of 2008. Vocalist/bassist Craig Shay gives us an insight on the journey of their unique blend of ska-punk, with a little help from fellow vocalist and guitarist Mike Vizzi.

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PX: Who is answering these questions and what is your role in the band?
Craig Shay. I play bass guitar, sing, and write half the songs.
Mike Vizzi is also in the room gently guiding my answers. He plays guitar, sings, and writes the other half of the songs. Though, according to him he “hits strings, gets sad, and yells.”

PX: Can you tell us a brief history of how Eli Whitney & The Sound Machine came to be? 
Vizzi and I have been playing in bands since High School (all terrible), and this band’s been around since the summer of 2008. After High School Vizzi and I would play sporadically as a 2 piece (him on guitar, me on drums, both singing) until Vizzi met CJ [Dunaieff] (our super talented drummer) at a Less Than Jake concert and we started playing together. We proceeded to ask entirely too many horn players to join our band, and have since whittled it down Ben [Hennessy] (alto sax), Frank [Ferro] (tenor sax), and Samson [Flancbaum] (trombone/writes the horn lines), though we often play as a three piece.

PX: How did you come up with your name?
You know that game where someone says the name of a band (ex: Weezer) and the next person has to respond with the name of a band that begins with the last letter of the previous band name (ex: REM)? The letter “E” comes up a lot in that game. 

PX: Were any other names considered?
Nope. We were all dead set on it and now I’m the only one who doesn’t want to change it. I feel like I’m Russia vetoing everyone else during a UN Summit.

PX: How long have you been playing music for?
When I was 16 my parents said I could either have an expensive High School Ring or a bass guitar (I had been asking for one). I went with the bass guitar. I picked up guitar and drums within the next 2 years, and learned how to sing by copying Vizzi. I am the worst musician in the band.

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I’m rather picky when it comes to anything to do with ska or anything under the ska umbrella, but Long Island three piece (sometimes six piece), Eli Whitney & The Sound Machine make my elitist cut. I can’t pin point what it is about this band that I just plain dig, but unlike many ska related bands, they don’t annoy me, at all.

Their debut full length, Mickey, kicks off with the infectious “My Response To A Stephen Jerzak Concert.” Seeing the title of this track on paper led me to believe this would be a killer, and I was correct. The track is catchy for obvious reasons such as melodies and gang vocals, but it’s what is sung that sticks in my mind the most. Dual vocalists Craig Shay and Mike Vizzi illustratively recount experiences to ensure you feel you’re right there with them. These descriptive words about a ‘smokey room’ contrast well with stern anthem chant, ‘Fuck stereotypes and fuck ignorance/ Fuck this smallmindedness/ You might hate growing up/ But I hate people acting like kids/ If you fill your head with garbage it’ll come out your mouth/ Yeah, this is fun but is it all you’re about?’

“Ridgewood” and “Us” present a less energetic Eli Whitney & The Sound Machine, complete with steady and simplistic horns, which were perhaps the draw card for me.

“Ghost Song” yet again takes things down a notch, adding an acoustic touch to compliment yet another anecdotal piece. The song is laced with confidence, believability and strength, and as it transforms from the mellow to a toe-tapper, this poise is cemented. 

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When it comes to friendships, if someone does something wrong by me, I’m pretty lazy and just shut the door on them. I’d just rather spend my time and energy on the really awesome people in my life. If you’re not genuine, get out. This goes the same for the music I choose to listen to. If you’re not genuine, get out of my iTunes library (although you probably wouldn’t make it in to begin with).  Buffalo, NY’s Pentimento present themselves and their music in the most genuine of ways, cementing them a place in my near full iTunes library. 

From the get-go, Pentimento ensure you’re aware the 11 tracks on their self-titled debut full length are encased in a shell of pure passion and honesty. Opener “Unless,” blends the lines of punk rock, hardcore, and pop-punk influence into one satisfying bundle of sound that’s unique to the quartet. Despite the weighing lyrical matter including line ‘I’m holding on / to all of the things that I’ve done wrong / mistakes I’ve made over and over’, uplifting guitars courtesy of Lance Claypool and singer/guitarist Jeremiah Pauly, provide a healthy balance to accommodate any mood. “Circles” presents more of the pop-punk side of Pentimento, still with other sub-genres seamlessly flowing through, creating one of the catchiest tracks on the record.

Personal highlight “Conscience (Consequence)” demonstrates the initial slight quirkiness and suave clarity of Pauly’s voice, which contrasts effortlessly with coarsely yelled backing vocals. The gritty vocals and heavier end to this track are intelligently juxtaposed with a beginning full of smooth and flowing melodies. An acoustic version of “The Bridge” slots in nicely, acting as a transition into following tracks of a more somber feel. “Almost Atlantic” takes a subtle approach, slowing things down with metaphoric imagery as Pauly sings ‘You were the ocean / I was the sand beneath your waves’. “Subtle Words” is a stark difference to some of the plain punk songs on the album, with its gorgeous velvet like string piece. Each word is sung with all heart and each note has so clearly been intently structured to form one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in recent times.

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Positivexposure got a chance to sit down with WHY?’s Yoni Wolf just before they took off for their most recent US tour and the release of their latest full-length, Mumps, etc. A quick interview between rehearsals ended up an hour long conversation, giving a rare glimpse into the meaning behind the music. WHY? is a collective from Cincinnati, Ohio that has been notoriously hard to categorize into a genre since 1997.

PX: I’m gonna talk a little bit about Eskimo Snow and Alopecia really fast. I’m wondering why you think people reacted the way they did to Eskimo Snow vs. the way they reacted to Alopecia.
WOLF: How did they react? What do you mean?

PX: It seems like it was really negative. People seemed to think it was a step backward or they just didn’t love it as much.
WOLF: Yeah. I didn’t get a necessarily negative reaction as much as just not as positive, you know? Not as hyped. Alopecia got a certain kind of hype to it but I think it has to do with the way, when it came out and the kind of sound that the record had. It makes sense to me in a way and that was the slower songs, the more ballad-y kind of songs, and it makes sense to me that the Alopecia ones would have more, sort of, hype around them than the Eskimo ones. They’re subtler. It’s a subtler record, you know? It’s not as brash.

PX: They’re kind of more personal listening songs, rather than group listening.
WOLF: I think so too. Alopecia, you can kind of turn it on in the car with your friends driving around and Eskimo is more like maybe headphones when you’re going to sleep or something like that.

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PLAYTIME REVENUE is a melodic pop-punk quartet from Eldersburg, Maryland. Like many things in life, the band began because it “felt natural”, just like a staple trip to Taco Bell. Despite the maturity in their sound, Playtime Revenue is just over a year old, with members around the youthful 20 year mark. Vocalist and guitarist Shane Conard was kind enough to give up his time to fill us in on the band’s history and future, and how a stint on MTV Cribs wouldn’t be knocked back.

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Q: Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions for us! Who is answering these questions and what is your role in the band?
Hi, I’m Shane and I play guitar and kind of just yell for Playtime Revenue.

Q: How long have you guys been a band for? Can you tell us a brief history of how Playtime Revenue came to be?   
Playtime Revenue had their first show April 15th, 2011. We all played in bands together throughout high school and starting PR just felt natural. We began as a pop-rockish band, but as things go, teenage angst took over and you have that sound that we have today.

Q: How did you come up with your name?
The name was kind of a long story about some weird idea I had. It has a lot to do with taking the things you’re familiar with when you’re younger, and the lessons you learn, and applying them in the future. Playtime, referring to youth, and revenue, referring to the morals that you keep with you. It seems really complex, but we were all for it at the time. In a further release, we plan on applying the theme of our name within the lyrics of a song. I think it will help people understand our stupid name.

Q: Were any other names considered?
Other names were considered, but they were all playing off the same theme. We chose Playtime Revenue simply because it comes off the tongue well.

Q: How long have you been playing guitar and singing for?
I picked up my first guitar when I was around 11. Played in a few “bands” growing up. I was always a terrible vocalist, and heard about how bad I was all the time, but I worked at it, and I started singing for a band in high school when I was about 16.

Q: The new record is a great step up to previous material, what influenced the band’s progression?
The first record was really to see what we could do with the sound we had. PR started as just Nick [Overfelt] (drummer) and me. We went into the studio with half ideas for songs, and recorded what we could. Then, we got Matt [Campion] (bass) and Aaron [Sheperd] (guitar). The chemistry was there with the four of us, and we drew from a large array of bands, old and new.

Q: Can you tell us about the writing and recording process of the release?
The writing process was pretty straight forward. Guitarist, Aaron, and I met up at his apartment every Thursday for a few months writing out ideas. We’d think of a lot of ideas on our own, and then when Thursday came around, we would hash them out and see where we could go. Then we would show the ideas to Matt and Nick, and tinker with them in a full band setting, and we all put our own spins on the basic structures Aaron and I had come up with. I couldn’t ask for a better group of dudes to work with.

Q: What’s your favorite song on Revolving and why?
I’ve been contemplating this a lot recently, and it honestly changes from day to day. Currently, I’m thinking “Worlds” is my favorite. I think I got my point across lyrically, and I think it’s the most complex song on the album musically. I love playing it live, and I think it reflects the theme of the entire album the best.

Q: How was the response to the album?
Response has been great thus far! During our first week, we were the 10th highest seller of the week on Bandcamp. People have been really supportive and everything, and we couldn’t be more thankful.

Q: Obviously being in a band isn’t the easiest of ‘hobbies’, why do you do it?
It’s starting to feel more and more like a necessity than a hobby. Some call it a creative outlet, but it’s becoming more than that. Personally, music’s the only thing that keeps me motivated. School, work, and other things are just a let down most of the time, being in a band has never failed to make me feel good.   

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I hate breakfast. I avoid it at all costs unless it’s pancakes and orange juice (with pulp). On the odd occasion I actually wake up in time for breakfast, I ensure I just skip to the tastier meal of the day - lunch. There’s just a nicer selection of scrumptious food at midday. For the guys in Milhouse though, they seem to believe that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

Milhouse’s second EP, Thrillhouse, begins with feel good track “Cereal.” Moving on from various animal by-products such as “Eggs” (from 2011’s Everything’s Coming Up…) to grain, “Cereal” is plain infectious. From the warm, clear and quirky vocal tones to catchy guitar hooks, both provided by Thom Elder, it’s obvious from the word go that Milhouse are confident in their brand of pop/‘awkward/nerd’-punk. The intriguing anecdotal and humorous yet intelligently witty lyrical content of Everything’s Coming Up…was a significant drawcard last year, and thankfully this has flown through to Thrillhouse. Elder sings, “It’s 7:23am/ so grab your spoon and bowl/ There’s nothing to be afraid of/ there are no hot plates involved.” Despite the little love I have for breakfast, Milhouse has successfully given me something related to it to actually like. This track is a killer and possibly my favourite Milhouse track to date.

In another domestic subject, “Laundry,” a slower jam, perhaps shows the band’s true ability to write an all-round great song with drummer Chris Costin leading the way. Elder reminds you just how annoying “Tissues in pockets tearing themselves apart” in the wash are, something we all can sadly yet surely relate to. “We had a washing not a drying machine/ hence the hanging”, will be stuck in your head after the two and a bit minute track.

If there’s one thing I hate more than breakfast, it’s Mondays. Milhouse happen to have a song called “Monday” too, and again, I’ve now found something related to Mondays to dig. With references to “Monday-it is” and portraying the bummed feeling of a Monday morning, this song would leave me pretty desolate had it not been catchy and still somehow posi.

Despite songs about things I don’t necessarily enjoy, Milhouse has still managed to leave me incredibly posi thanks to a 10 minute EP with the lot. Tomorrow is Sunday which means a) I can miss breakfast, b) it’s not Monday and c) I can listen to this EP on the way to the footy a couple of times – that’s posi.

Apparently someone was really looking out for fans of WHY? last Friday since Sod in the Seed was slated for an August 14th release date.  Yet, here we are, able to download the album for free four days early.

I previously reviewed the EP’s single and had expressed the hope that the rest of the songs would sound similar to “Sod in the Seed”.  And they do.  Well, sort of.

The bass driven sound that was missing from Eskimo Snow returns on Sod in the Seed (Alopecia fans rejoice!); there are plenty of gorgeous oohs and ahs, plenty of quickly spoken lyrics, and a lot of melodies that you can dance to.  It’s pretty much everything I had hoped for.

However, it’s not that cohesive so sometimes it seems like the verse and chorus of a song don’t flow together. The lyrics are a bit different than we’re used to from Yoni Wolf.  Some may think he’s lost his edge. But, those are the people who want Wolf to be stuck in a moment, writing about the same thing over and over, never moving forward, and only writing about the things he shouldn’t have said or done, the things he may regret, and the things that make him unhappy. I’ve seen this EP get a bunch of criticism but I am not really going down that road, though there are some things that I think could have been done to improve this EP.

The bottom line: Sod in the Seed is a great album that combines the groove and lyrical wit of Alopecia with the more experimental and full-band sound/tinge of hope of Eskimo Snow.

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For every fan that already adores The American Scene, there are another dozen lingering out there who are bound to fall in love with the Berkeley quartet. If you somehow didn’t win your best mate over with 2011 debut By Way Of Introduction, this year’s Safe For Now will fill in what was missing for your uneducated bud who’s unknowingly waiting to be pulled over to ‘the good side’.

If you’re not on the ball, then Safe For Now will come as a surprise to you. However, if you’ve checked out the three songs already released on Pure Noise Records’ YouTube page, chances are you’ve already compared the new sound to previous releases and therefore aren’t as shocked.  Safe For Now sports hints of infectious pop elements that could have been directly plucked from the By Way Of Introduction era, particularly in opener “Just Say It”. Accompanying them this time around however, is a more melodic, mature vibe showcasing the true ability of the band’s unique writing skills. Beginning with melodic guitar tones reminiscent of Transit, vocalist Matthew Vincent instantly reminds you why you fell in love with the warm nature of his voice last year as he sings, “We’re all detachable / Nothing’s permanent”.

Discussing relationships on track “Blood Orange”, Vincent methodically states, “If this is what you call love/ Well then I’ve had enough / The space between you and me / Weighs more than your company.” Unlike many of their peers, The American Scene refreshingly deal with the subject with perspective, rather than pure almost-immature angst.

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Starting with the cover art and continuing with the catchy hooks and gang-vocals spread liberally throughout, this album shouts out to listeners that it is summertime and that we should all be out on a road trip to the nearest ocean or lake. There is a Buster Keaton-esque energy to it, a sort of frenetic “getup letsgo thereisSOMUCHtodowithyourLIFE.” The first track specifically provides an example with its upbeat greeting.

When you do manage to extricate yourself from the grooves you’ve worn into your computer chair and get to a body of water, this is indeed the album you’ll want to use as a soundtrack to your roadtrip. It is made of an eclectic collection of songs that nonetheless bear the aesthetic stamp of The Mowgli’s. I thoroughly appreciate their blend of acoustic instruments with electric guitars; despite all the electricity running through the project they manage to maintain an organic sound. Those gang-shouts and group harmonies always come in at perfect moments.

I was on a hike today and I thought of this band I as we crested a peak on the trail and found ourselves overlooking the town of Lake Elizabeth and its twin lakes. I was thinking how much The Mowgli’s are unlike the other bands that I’ve been listening to lately: Modest Mouse, Man Man, Elliott Smith… All of these emotionally-distraught, introspective bastards. The Mowgli’s can’t be introspective because there are eight people singing at any one time. Listening to them is like hitch-hiking and getting invited into a van of smiling hippies without any weird hang-ups.

You’re going to have a good time.

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The artwork’s pretty gloomy. The title has a sense of doom. The lyrical content is heavy. Run, Forever’s The Devil, And Death And Me, does indeed deal with heavy subjects of gloom and doom thanks to a little reality called death. No fear though, Run, Forever’s seamless folk inspired punk-rock is more than enough to leave you pleasantly content after one listen.

The Pennsylvania trio make structured, self-assured tracks seem easy, particularly in opener “A Sequence Of Sad Events”. The track opens with vocalist and guitarist Anthony Heubel recalling “I didn’t want to die young / I didn’t want to die at 21”, in a confident yet almost vulnerable state as he discusses the now ended life of close friend, Corey James Wolfram.

“The Grand Illusion” is one of the most folk influenced tracks on the record, filled with imagery and reflection of life and perceptions. Acoustic soother “When It Won’t Leave” shows the lamenting range of Heubel with a feeling of clarity and acceptance, “I thought about death / and I thought about my friends / and how it’s been a rough year / without you around.” “No Truth” deals with ideas of confusion and these sensitivities of life being turned on their head. Heubel sings, “And is there some bigger part to this / please someone give me constant proof / because I’m so sick of believing what I’ve heard”.

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There are many brilliant things about being involved with positivexposure. It’s okay, this isn’t a plug and you’re not about to read a list of reasons I enjoy this so much. However, I feel it’s a necessity to highlight how excellent it is receiving an e-mail about a new release and instantly falling in love. Without prowling through the internet as I usually do, I lazily sit on the couch with my laptop and little bundles of joy are delivered to me. The next step is for me to confess my love.  It’s human nature to discuss things we adore, so being asked to write about how superb a group is, is always welcomed. State Lines is the latest band to make me wish there was a known saying, “good things come to those who are lazy”, but I’m aware instances such as these are far too rare to prompt a globally known saying.

The four piece from Long Island, New York commence their self-titled EP with the buoyant, “5’s On The Elephant”. The catchy beat guaranteed my head was subconsciously bopping along with the gruff and gravely vocals of Jonathan Dimitri and Tom Werring’s team effort. This vocal collaboration is put in the limelight when the song mellows in parts. Dimitri not only masters the distinctive raspy side of the spectrum, but also nails contrasting cleaner vocals, showcased as he sings with ease, “I’ll stand as still as you need me /as still as a jumpy bag of bolts can be.”

“Plenty Of Time” ensures the EP’s 11 minutes are widely diverse. It’s faster, edgier and punkier yet more sombre and laidback, avoiding falling into the trap of becoming stagnant and too consistent. The rough production compliments the vocals in a way which is similar to peers, the soon-to-be-defunct, Basement.

The easy to relate to “Cave In” deals with the ups and downs of teenage life, as the music rollercoasters along in a similar manner. Dimitri sings from experience, “Do you remember the day/ you said you couldn’t wait/ to just get out of here/ to just get out of this place?”

Bookending the ups and downs of the middle two tracks, “Win Free” ends the EP with an upbeat catchy melody. The call and response ending creates notable memories of early Taking Back Sunday, an enjoyable way to leave this instalment of State Lines.

In many of my reviews, I’d have noted the release’s highlight track by this stage. The one that sticks in my mind and on my iTunes playlist with a higher number of plays. Not this time. It’s hard to pick favourites, or even fault such a consistently well rounded release that shows the evolved abilities of a youthful band. It might be hard to pick a favourite song, but thanks to one little e-mail it’s not hard to pick a new favourite band.

Good news for patient WHY? fans: after a long silence since 2009’s Eskimo Snow, we’re being rewarded with not one, but two new releases this year. And our first introduction isn’t some weak 2 minute preview; we get almost 5 minutes of new WHY?! “Sod in the Seed” is the title track of the upcoming EP, out next month (8/13 – Europe, 8/14 – US) and I’m hoping it represents the tone for WHY?

Starting out with oohs and ahs, (probably provided by the lovely Liz Wolf who did the gorgeous oohs and ahhs on Alopecia) xylophone, and melodic singing, “Sod in the Seed” seems like an extension of Eskimo Snow until it kicks into a dance-y bass line which provides singer Yoni Wolf a platform for his characteristic (or shall we say, classic,) slow-rap/fast-talking lyrical style. 

Full of imagery continuing the train of thought from Eskimo Snow’s “This Blackest Purse,” (“the poser in the bowler gets shot first / thinks he’s the shit ‘cause he can spit and curse / acting brash and flashin’ a pistol that squirts”) Wolf discusses his feelings on indie fame, who he is in the public eye and who he is in his own eyes. I could be way off, but a lot of Wolf’s lyrics seem to scream out “I’m not as cool as you think I am and I actually feel unworthy of your time, why are you even listening to my music? Okay I guess I’m alright” and it’s his aloofness and blatantly honest slight self-deprecation that make you want more.

Reviewing this seems a little odd because of the lyrical content… It makes me wonder, does this make me one of the “wordy blogger thugs” who Yoni thinks “morbidly orbit your toilet like hornets”? I’d like to think not. I’d like to think I am in some neutral territory between the critics and the “groupies with big breasts” that end up part of your life when you’re “a minor star”.

I’m assuming the current line-up of musicians in the song also include Josiah Wolf and Doug McDiarmid, but as the entire band are multi-instrumentalists I can’t tell you exactly who is doing what, but the music is fun, dance-y, bass driven, and somehow manages to combine the mellow and oddly upbeat mood of Eskimo Snow with the funk of Alopecia.

Whether I’ve delved into the inner workings of Wolf’s brain (yadda yadda) or I am completely off base, the lyrics are still awesome and the song is a great follow-up to earlier releases. It’s reassured me that WHY? will keep doing what I love them for while still growing and expanding their boundaries and influences.

Are you a new WHY? fan?

If you like the lyrical style of this song, you’ll like pretty much all of Alopecia, but especially “The Fall of Mr. Fifths,” “Twenty Eight,” “A Sky for Shoeing Horses Under,” and Elephant Eyelash’s “Crushed Bones”.

If you like the lyrical content of this song, although none of these songs have lyrics quite as witty as “you can gather up the contents of the catcher’s cup and suck,” you’ll like Eskimo Snow’s “This Blackest Purse” and “Even the Good Wood Gone,” and Alopecia’s “Good Friday.”

If you like the overall sound of the song, you’ll like Eskimo Snow’s “January Twenty Something” and “Berkeley by Hearseback”.