Soundwave 2010 - Jimmy Eat World

Shortlisted as the most popular band among the acts at Soundwave Festival 2010, Jimmy Eat World are a live act made for Soundwave and after coming out of recording sessions 2 weeks prior to Soundwave week and managing their sidewaves as well did not disappoint anyone, except for those My Chemical Romance fans that solely bought tickets to see them, but that's another story.

Following Jane's Addiction, Jimmy Eat World were the first 'night' set and what better way to start off by getting the crowd into it with one of their many sing-a-longs - Sweetness. Though the set was mainly predictable, this opener was probably not as fans were expecting A Praise Chorus to open (which evidently came right after), but for the majority of the people at Soundwave, they did opt for a majority of Bleed American songs with remnants of their other records - which left most fans satisfied.

Definitely not the loudest set imaginable for Jimmy Eat World, with at least 4 tracks from my favourite record - Clarity, it really wasn't the best set to mosh too, although it did make Faith No More louder than first imagined. So maybe there's a positive eh? JEW followed radio favourite Let It Happen and Always Be from their newest record - 2008's Chase This Light. JEW apoligised and damn right so for not touring down under for the promotion of Chase This Light, but made up for it even more (as much of a lie as it was although I have to admit that the crowds this year were probably near 50000) by telling Sydney that this is the best place they ever played. I'll leave it up to you to decide.

Vintage were waiting for vintage tracks this didn't take long with Lucky Denver Mint up next yet, we were still waiting for a louder track!! Nevertheless, people at Eastern Creek with their special other had a good time and it made it even better with 23 from Futures. JEW expresses their emotional all here making it a memorable set.

But surely Short. Fast. Loud. didn't sponsor the event for this old school crap right? You betcha! Get It Faster finally started to get spme speed and sound into fans early and the pit finally started to have some hardcore energy that I was waiting for. No Sensitivity emerged and those that hadn't the song weren't sure if it was really them, but it sufficed for a little buffer song, before more from Futures - Work and Futures following and the crowd began to get some life, peaking in the right time for the last 30 mins of the set!

Though Jimmy Eat World's enegy was not like many other bands before, their ability to write such a wide range of songs was won over fans instead of their stage banter and antics, like Jane's Addiction or AFI before them. somewhat lifeless to what some of their records sound like but the music up close and personal is infinitely better than paying 20 bucks for a CD.

Down the stretch is where Jimmy Eat World like to excel, we aren't disappointed with the latter parts of their Soundwave Sydney Set. Starting off the finale with their single from Chase This Light – Big Casino begins the loudness and rocking attitude we had been waiting for and fans really knew what was to come, or at least hope! Blister, their popular track from Clarity set the pit off, and then followed by Hear You Me and their energy was really starting to peak; but as the clock was winding down and fans actually didn't know how many songs were left due to the timing problems earlier in the day (possibly due to Alexisonfire?), overdrive turned on and volume set to 11 – Bleed American starts to blast before crowd favourite – Pain and as JEW announce good night and farewell to Sydney, there could only be one song left – unless there was an encore (which had not happened so far at the festival and if could happen I guess right?) The Middle began to rock the house down and the radio hit from 2001 made it a very successful set for JEW and most fans weren't too disappoint, except for a lack of Futures track, but that could always wait for the sideshow at UNSW Roundhouse on Tuesday. Near perfect Music Festival set and I am personally glad that they got to play 23, so all in all a very successful outing for Jimmy Eat World – 8/10.

Soundwave 2010 - Paramore

Paramore's energy especially from Hayley WIlliams and her ability to command the stage like a dance floor still with mic in hand shows their ability to become the newest pop-rockers of the world.

Opening with Josh and the distorted electric guitar oppf the opening song of their 40 minute set - Ignorance really encapsulated the crowd - until Hayley takes the stage. Paramore's ability to write short, fast and loud songs for the popular culture of the Western World sees them take the crowd by storm with their 4th disc - Brand New Eyes. Anger and happiness cross in Hayley's voice and image with the iconic lyric from the new record - 'Ignorance is your new best friend.'

Following in a 35 degree day out at Eastern Creek in Sydney, it doesn't bother them although Hayley still has to ask the crowd if they are ok in the blistering heat, and they following with other classics from Riot which all fans were hoping for - and they weren't disappointed. Crushcrushcrush and That's What You Get were some older singles from their breakthrough record, and this following with the inevitable popular tracks from Brand New Eyes, which made No. 1 in Oz, and even Hayley doesn't know how it happened.

After a break and the introduction as well as the short but sweet banter from Hayley WIlliams - 'This is gonna be a fun set, it already is... So let me ask you a question, and there is no right answer, 'No' is acceptable... Who has our new record?' (screaming, yelling). They continue with Careful and Let The Flames Begin and set the crowd on fire with Pressure - the classic track from their first record, All We Know Is Falling.

Is there another track to top the already fantabulous set? You fucking better believe it. for those rare Twilight fans out there, Paramore's Decode deom the soundtrack set fans wild and with limited time left, we all knew what tracks were remaining. Misery Business followed and the crowd all joined in with Hayley's true dancing 'moves' coming out when Josh started banging the guitar solo.

With energy at a peak in the pit, what could be left? Brick by Boring Brick, the radio hit on Triple J and a crowd favourite with full participation for the whole song. Fans couldn't wait for the final 30 seconds of the set as we all chanted - 'Pa da pa pa da pa pa da!'

Soundwave 2010 - Motion City Soundtrack

Fans have been waiting for Justin Pierre and his Motion City Soundtrack to come back to Australia for a long time and their Soundwave performance did not disappoint. Showing the world that they are truly the band to beat after their success of their first three albums, I Am The Movie, Even If It Kills Me and Commit This To Memory. In 2010, after 4 years of waiting, Motion City Soundtrack release a fourth disc and with that a new and anger-filled record to excite and entice old fans as well as capture new fans with tracks from with new record – My Dinosaur Life. Also being their first record on a mainstream recording label – Columbia we see the band branch out and encourage a wider range of music for the mainstream listeners around the world with new popular favourites like Disappear and Her Words Destroyed My Planet.

At Eastern Creek Raceway, they looked good and their energy was excellent producing a solid outing and for me a great start to Soundwave. Although outnamed by so many other acts this year, they only received a short 30-40 minute set but that was sufficient for Justin to promote the new album as well as play some old favourites that fans came to hear.

1.Disappear
2.The Future Freaks Me Out
3.My Favourite Accident
4.Broken Heart
5.When You're Around
6.Delerium
7.This Is For Real
8.A Lifeless Ordinary
9.Attractive Today
10.Her Words Destroyed My Planet
11.Everything Is Alright

Soundwave Review - Overall

Soundwave at Eastern Creek Raceway like past years gone by produces a large array of rock, metal, emo and punk rock acts to come around to Australia and blast away with noise. This year we say a multitude of international acts appear from all over the world. What brings tear to mine and I'm sure many fan's eyes is the rebirth and reformation of several acts including minor favourite band - The Get Up Kids, who have molded the path of modern Emo-Pop for the generation of listeners around the world over the last decade.

Interestingly, not only the reforming of bands occurred but Soundwave Festival 2010 was a chance for international acts to show what they have done for popular and rock music around the world including Paramore, Motion City Soundtrack and Jimmy Eat World. But who really stole the stage away this year? Eagles of Death Metal and Reel Big Fish produced solid live outings as hoped but nothing can be taken away from the main stage acts that were brought in for those old fans; and encapsulated young listeners out there as well - Jane's Addiction and Faith No More. With Perry Farrell and Mike Patten's stage presence mixed with their deep and influential alternative rock/metal music over the 80s and 90s they were quite simply FAST and LOUD and brought fans together as one, although hardcore Anti-Flag or H.I.M. fans just couldn't miss those acts on alternate stages.

Stay tuned - Individual reviews coming soon...

Confirmed Act 4: Faith No More

After being out of the business for 10 years, the legendary alternative rock/metal supergroup Faith No More have reformed for a 2009 European Tour which has extended past that one continent and onto the rest of the world – inlcuding their beloved Australia. Making an appearance, is not enough – they're the premier headliners and deservingly so for their contribution to alternative rock during the 80s. Will we see a bigger set of headliners that Soundwave 2011? I darn hope so because it would be a pretty massive feat to champ over Faith No More, Jimmy Eat World and Paramore!

1.Midnight Cowboy
2.The Real Thing
3.Land of Sunshine
4.Be Aggressive
5.Caffiene
6.Evidence
7.Surprise! You're Dead!
8.Last Cup of Sorrow
9.Ricochet
10.Epic
11.Midlife Crisis
12.RV
13.The Gentle Art of Making Enemies
14.King for a Day
15.Ashes to Ashes
16.Just A Man
17.Chariots of Time
18.Stripsearch
19.We Care A Lot
20.Pristine

Confirmed Act 3:The Get Up Kids

After what was 5 or so years of rather good success and the influence they put on other pop-punk and emo bands to the day – even such as superstars Fall Out Boy and pulled-out act of Soundwave 2010, My Chemical Romance, and their further stint with more meaningful and productive pop-punk group, The New Amsterdams, they will be sure to bring out a lot of ranging songs and the setlist will be hard to predict. Obviously, fans love their breakthrough record – Something To Write Home About, but of course the other records will be cover, seeing their 10 year absence has brought tears to many fans.

1.Holiday
2.I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel
3.The One You Want
4.Coming Clean
5.Overdue
6.Woodson
7.Your Petty Pretty Little Things
8.No Love
9.Off The Wagon
10.Valentine
11.Red Letter Day
12.Campfire Kansas
13.Holy Roman
14.Mass Pike
15.Action & Action
16.Walking On A Wire
17.Long Goodnight
18.Don't Hate Me
19.I'll Catch You
20.Ten Minutes

Confirmed Act 2: Paramore

After only a limited time in the popular music industry, the alternative rock group, Paramore, have taken the world by storm, with a suprisingly similar composition of band members to Blondie. Nevertheless, their success is accentuated by the female vocals, giving a different but vibrant shock to the standard listener. Their 2009 hit album, Brand New Eyes, puts it among the Top 10 rock albums of 2009 and deservingly so, get the nod with a 45 minute set at Eastern Creek Raceway at Soundwave 2010. Again, hopefully to promote their new record as widely purchased as it was by Australians, their new catchy track will rock Australia this summer with singles and “should-be” singles Ignorance, Turn It Off and Playing God. I'm very interested to see what else they might pull out for Australia.

1.Ignorance
2.crushcrushcrush
3.That's What Your get
4.Looking Up
5.Careful
6.Let The Flames Begin
7.Never Let This Go
8.The Only Exception
9.Pressure
10.For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic
11.Where The Lines Overlap
12.Decode
13.Misery Business
14.Brick By Boring Brick

Confirmed Act 1: Motion City Soundtrack

Well all the bands that are coming, particularly the bigger acts will have a problem since their dilemma of trying to mix the old and the new stuff, seeing that most of they had a new album in the last 18 months. None more so than Motion City Soundtrack. They have flown under the radar for quite some time in the alternative rock and pop-punk world yet their stage presence, stage antics and ability to lyrically write fantastic songs bodes well for 2010. After releasing their newest record, My Dinosaur Life, in late January 2010, this will surely be the majority of the act with such poppy and catchy track as Worker Bee, Delirium, Her Words Destroyed My Planet, Stand Too Close and Disappear, they essentially could cover the whole 40 minute set with the new album... but they won't. Of course there will be moments of the older stuff while fans love and obviously some new fans will enjoy the set due to the increasingly poppy yet meaningful lyrics and music by Motion City Soundtrack.

1.Worker Bee
2.The Future Freaks Me Out
3.My Favourite Accident
4.Broken Heart
5.Delirium
6.This Is For Real
7.When “You're” Around
8.Pulp Fiction
9.Motherfuckers
10.Last Night
11.A Lifeless Ordinary (Need A Little Help)
12.Even If It Kills Me
13.Attractive Today
14.Stand Too Close
15.Perfect Teeth
16.Her Words Destroyed My Planet
17.L.G. FUAD
18.Disappear
19.Everything Is Alright

Preview to Soundwave Festival 2010 – Sydney

Well T-minus 8 days to Soundwave Festival 2010, the premier punk, rock, metal and emo showcase of the best acts from Australia and around the world. We've all seen the timetable and after months of speculation and changes I bring you the bands that I will be attending. Some that I wish I could attend and setlists of them, well at least hopeful setlists!

Soundwave Festival 2010 Mix Volume 1

1. Anti-Flag - The Press Corpse
2. Jimmy Eat World - A Praise Chorus
3. Motion City Soundtrack - Delirium
4. Jane's Addiction - Mountain Song
5. Faith No More - Epic
6. The Get Up Kids - Ten Minutes
7. Paramore - Ignorance
8. Anti-Flag - Power To The Peaceful
9. Faith No More - We Care A Lot
10. The Get Up Kids - Holiday
11. Jane's Addiction - Stop!
12. AFI - Miss Murder
13. Motion City Soundtrack - Disappear
14. Paramore - Brick By Boring Brick
15. AFI - Medicate
16. Jimmy Eat World - Blister
17. Motion City Soundtrack - Everything Is Alright
18. Jimmy Eat World - Sweetness

Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life

This album was written by the five members of Motion City Soundtrack, produced by Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 fame, and mixed by the legendary Andy Wallace. If that isn't enough to describe just how undeniably accessible and fun "My Dinosaur Life" is, then I must continue.

This album seems to find Motion City Soundtrack coming through a difficult time, but with a but sunnier outlook than that of their previous album, "Even If It Kills Me". The opening track, "Worker Bee", is not a typical super-fast sugar rush like the listener may be expecting if they are familiar with this band. It is, comparatively, a mid-tempo track in this context. It still has the quality that makes it perfect to open the gates on a great pop-rock album, and sets the tone for a bumpy yet enjoyable ride.

"Her Words Destroyed My Planet", if I had to wager, will be recognized as a big hit sooner rather than later. If you don't believe me, watch the video. Try not to have flashbacks to the memorable Fall Out Boy video for "Dance, Dance". I dare you.

"Disappear" may be the angriest track this band have ever released, or at least the most frenetic. The vocals sound like a panic attack that somehow managed to find its way to a microphone.

Motion City Soundtrack shines brightly when they lay their hearts on the line. "Stand Too Close" will prove this, if you don't believe me. If you don't wistfully recall some lost love or recover a deep-seated pain from listening to "Skin and Bones", you're a robot, and in the words of William Murderface, robots are NOT to be trusted.

The sound of this album has all of the guitar, synth and drums that you expect from this band. But as a fan, and a musician who started on four strings, I urge the listener to dig deep and appreciate the deftness of Matt Taylor's bass playing. Taylor's developing skill certainly anchors the sound of this album.

Lyrics and Singing: Justin Pierre is a master lyricist not because he paints an abstract and dark canvas of enigmatic poetry. He is a master of his role as main lyric writer for Motion City Soundtrack because he tells his story with brutal honesty, down to every anal-retentive detail of whatever inspires the track in question. Whether it is the disillusioned but hopeful spirit conveyed in the key lines of opening track "Worker Bee" (I've been a good little worker bee / I deserve a gold star"), the pop-culture references that this band have become known for ("Her Words Destroyed My Planet", "Stand Too Close"), or the hilariously and nonchalantly profane "@!#?@!", the lyrics never let up in tone.

My only gripe is that for a guy who claims to be sober and clean, Mr. Pierre seems to have a continuing fixation on drugs, evidenced in "Delirium". It's still a catchy and memorable track, but how many times can one man beat the same dead horse?

Impression: Is there a number higher than 10 that I can choose for this category? Honestly, this is my favorite Motion City Soundtrack album since the beginning of their career. "My Dinosaur Life" has established that not only are this group of outcast musicians and misfit Midwesterners catchy, but they are competent. Motion City Soundtrack has made an album that plays to every strong point of every note or lyric that this quintet have previously put to celluloid or computer. It shoe-gazes without being overly self-aware. It is bouncy, bouyant, and I can safely say it is brilliant.

Soundwave Timetable

The Get Up Kids - Something To Write Home About

So, this is a pretty good record I must say and after purchasing the 10th anniversary CD/DVD with a live performance of the entire album, this will be a good band to check out if you are attending Soundwave Festival 2010, pending the timetable annoucement (I know there's gonna be at least one clash because the lineup is so AMAZZZIINNG!!).

Opening with Holiday, it sets a punk-inspired alternative rock album with some easily identifiable pop-punk sounds. The vocals give their genre away, and some pop-punk rhythms help us rock out to the track. And gee... wouldn't we all like to be on a holiday right now?

Here, come out the alternative rock of TGUK with Action & Action with a pop-punk riff mixed with a synth and keyboards. This style follows with several tracks, Red Letter Day, the uptempo Ten Minutes and I'm a Loner Dottie, a Rebel...

Evidently, we see the influence that TGUK have on many modern bands, and following on from the gothic rock and metal scene in the 80s, they form the backbone of the second wave of Emo, as cited by pop-Emo group - Fall Out Boy.

But of course, any great album needs to have contrast and change, to make those singles and iconic songs on the record stand out. We are introduced to this lower tempo indie rock through Valentine and even more so with Out of Reach with its soothing acoustic guitar, which is very well recorded with the emphasised bass notes and slides.

The lyrics throughout the album, make it a very enjoyable and meaningful album, shown in Out of Reach - "Out of sight. Out of mind. Out of reach... Start over..." Even in the high tempo punk inspired Ten Minutes, "It's like I've fallen in love, while I just fall apart." lyrics have a strong role in the song.

Beautifully, the album's end starts with a cover of The Cure's Close To Me, which I would almost listen to instead of the original, except that they are missing one key factor - Robert Smith's vocals. Finally, Something To Write Home About ends with a maginificent outing track. It begins with its beautiful piano arpeggios and faint electric guitar. Lyrics clearly want to be heard, and the assurance given that I'll Catch You means that we'll always have Something To Write Home About.

7.5/10

Next, I'm feeling towards AFI's new record Crash Love.

Soundwave Countdown

126 days intil Soundwave starts and with so many acts, I’m looking to psych up with reviews every 2 days.  That adds up to over 60 albums!! Spark up, because first on the list is Jane’s Addiction – Nothing Shocking.

Soundwave 2010 - Sydney

Nuff Said – One of the greatest lineups to come to Oz in my memory.

http://www.soundwavefestival.com/lineup