Time For a Plaid Shirt and an Acoustic Guitar

If only I could find the fountain of youth, my favourite bands could play forever. But alas, there is no such thing as eternal youth, and the demise of my favourite bands will either happen by their choice or mine. After all, there is nothing more pathetic than seeing a bunch of middle-aged dudes trying to play the same music they did so well when they were in their early twenties. But so far so good; bands like Brand New, Moneen and the Ataris are adapting their sound to their age, and looking back at classic examples such as At the Drive In breaking up to avoid forcing their early punk sounds and also to search for a more mature sound. Believe me when I say that I am not against the pop-punk/high energy rock bands, what I am against, however, is the idea of these same bands attempting to create a long-lasting career with these same songs and styles.
Just one listen to Moneen’s latest album The World I want to Leave Behind illustrates exactly what I am advocating. They have come a long way from their earlier days of high-energy jams which can be found on 2001’s The Theory of Harmonial Value. This was a great album, and I will listen to it for the rest of my life, but if I go to a Moneen show in three years and they’re still playing those same songs, I may have to reconsider my love for the lads. I have to stress that The World is a much more mature side of Moneen, even more so than The Red Tree, which was just a step along the way to being the band they are now.
Brand New are another one of my favourite bands who are in the middle of a transition period of their sound (when have they not been?). The differences between 2001’s Your Favorite Weapon and this year’s release Daisy are staggering. Jesse Lacey has succeeded in leading his best friends, and their fans, from their early roots in Long Island’s punk scene into worldwide success. They have managed to do this unscathed, all the while maintaining their credibility, not an easy thing to do in the genre. Along the way they have released some of my favourite songs, and albums, each one completely different than the previous release. Along the way, Jesse has also developed his solo career, performing countless acoustic shows with friends like Kevin Devine. Is this an avenue that Jesse will continue to explore? One can only hope. I don’t wish to see the end of Brand New anytime soon, but I would much rather never hear another Brand New album that isn’t a “brand new” sound.
While we’re on the topic of solo careers branching out of our favourite “punk” bands, there are a few more people who I must mention. First off, the obvious, Dallas Green. Dallas, as we all know, is from the St. Kitts based Alexisonfire. What we also know is that Dallas is one extremely talented singer, and a decent guitarist. Combine these two and what do you get? A career that will live on long after the guys in Alexisonfire have called it quits due to their ever expanding beer guts, and failing vocal chords. Another man who deserves a great deal of praise for his solo work is Kris Roe, of The Ataris. If you aren’t a fan of The Ataris you may not know what I’m talking about, so I will enlighten you. In between Ataris albums (yes, they have more than one), Kris is known for going on solo tours without any set dates, leaving it up to his fans to book shows for him along the way. The result of this is smaller, more intimate shows filled with true fans of Kris’s acoustic performances. Not only is Kris doing these small acoustic shows, his albums are also becoming smaller in a sense. They have been stripped down to basic formats, and the songs speak of more mature subjects. Songs about teenage riots and broken promise rings have been replaced by much darker themes and subjects.
Don’t get me wrong, I value the time that I have with bands like Dead and Divine, A Day to Remember and Protest the Hero. What I’m trying to say is that I know they aren’t going to last forever. The genre itself requires too many variables that expire when the band’s twenties pass; energy, a healthy liver, strong vocal chords, and the ability to connect with one’s audience. While we wish our favourite bands could last forever, we save their music to our computers because we know that our hard drives offer something much more permanent than those bands can ever give us.

Declan