Another Day Late, News Said It’s Raining In New York

• Artist website: www.anotherdaylate.com
• Listen at: www.myspace.com/anotherdaylate
• Available on: Get it from them at a show, or wait for the release in March.

From the Envy On The Coast show 1/26 at Chain Reaction. Another Day Late is a band out of Orange County that plays slightly geeky, introspective rock. Their sound is solid melodic pop-punk, but the lyrics have an immediate, almost conversational tone to them. News Said It’s Raining In New York focuses on faster paced songs, but the vocals have a soaring, dreamy quality to them that balances the aggressiveness of the music. Standout track is “Fear Is A Man.” [Ed - This is now available at Amazon MP3]

Danger Radio, Punch Your Lights Out

• Artist website: www.dangerradio.net
• Listen at: www.myspace.com/dangerradio
• Available on: Amazon MP3

From the Envy On The Coast show, 1/26 at Chain Reaction. Danger Radio plays dance-rock, with a serious emphasis on dance. The sound is a little synth-pop with punchy lyrics and raucous choruses. Punch Your Lights Out has the feel of a perfect driving album. Standout track is “Sparkle Baby Shine.”

We Shot The Moon, The Polar Bear & Cougar

• Listen at: www.myspace.com/weshotthemoon
• Available on: iTunes

From the Sherwood show, 2/2 at The Knitting Factory. We Shot The Moon is a piano-based rock band out of San Diego that plays dreamy, introspective power-pop. The songs are optimistic and soaring performed in an accessible style. Standout song is “Welcome Home.”

Art Of Chaos, Crimson and Catharsis

• Listen at: www.myspace.com/ArtofChaos
• Available on: CD Baby

Ok, so these guys didn’t actually open a show, but they did blitz the scene this weekend. The band was at all three shows I attended handing out copies of their excellent EP, Crimson and Catharsis. Art of Chaos is a Los Angeles band that plays aggressive, melodic rock that is just this side of screamy. The lead singer has a voice that is eerily androgynous at times, reminiscent of Anthony Green of Circa Survive, but the band’s sound isn’t nearly as stylized. Standout track is “Coward.”

Flight To Athena, Flight To Athena

• Artist website: www.flighttoathena.com
• Listen at: www.myspace.com/flighttoathena
• Available on: CD Baby

Flight To Athena is a San Diego band who also did not open a show, but gets serious points for marketing. A band member (no idea which one, he didn’t look anything like any of the guys in the picture) walked the line at the Emery show on Sunday offering to let people listen to samples of the album on headphones, and then asking them to sign up for the email list or buy the EP for $2.00. It was a low-key, effective, and entertaining approach that every new band out there needs to steal.

Flight To Athena plays high-energy melodic pop-punk with soaring, sing-along choruses. The sound is aggressive, guitar-based rock that, if not terribly new, is wonderfully executed. Lyrically, the album is emotional and introspective, but the aggressiveness of the sound keeps it from descending into sappy cliche territory. Standout track is “Blameless Vestal.”