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| Put aside the usual pigeonholes, things like style and genre classifications - it takes much more for a band to really make a personal connection with people. Yellowcard understand this. The Ventura-based punk quintet (by way of Jacksonville, Florida), have made that direct |
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Put aside the usual pigeonholes, things like style and genre classifications - it takes much more for a band to really make a personal connection with people. Yellowcard understand this. The Ventura-based punk quintet (by way of Jacksonville, Florida), have made that direct musical connection in each of the hundreds of shows they've played at all-ages punk nights, rock dives, school events, suburban VFW halls, living rooms, back yards and any of the other places they play over 200 nights a year. It's a mature insight for five young guys who don't take themselves too seriously, but then Yellowcard - Ryan Key, 23 (vocals, guitars); Sean Mackin, 24 (violin, vocals); Ben Harper, 22 (guitar); Longineu Parsons, 23 (drums); and Alex Lewis, 25 - aren't your typical young punk band -- starting with the classically-trained violinist in their ranks. And they've now created a powderkeg of affecting, personal and explosive rock on their new album, Ocean Avenue.
Yellowcard formed in 1997 but quickly made some lineup changes. Current singer Ryan Key was friends with most of the band from their high school days in Jacksonville, Florida. He and Sean Mackin, in particular, were close friends and both enrolled at Florida State University after graduating.
Key dropped out of college after only half a year, moving to Santa Cruz to follow his heart and make music. He played with a couple of punk bands in California and Florida but nothing really stuck. Yellowcard guitarist Ben Harper saw one of Key's band practices and quickly extended an invitation to him to jam with the rest of the band - as luck would have it, they had jettisoned their current singer and were looking for a replacement.
"We started playing some songs I had written," remembers Key, "and it all just clicked. Sean and I had always been really tight and I had a good relationship with the rest of the guys. It just seemed to work very naturally somehow."
Yellowcard were now a complete band and Key convinced the band that they needed to move from Florida to Southern California to have a real shot of catching their aspirations. They would move to Ventura County and quickly find their collective voice together, playing many of the songs Key wrote on his own before joining the group. Most of these were recorded on their debut album, One For The Kids (Lobster Records), released in 2001, and the 2002 follow-up, The Underdog EP (Fueled By Ramen Records). Both releases received favorable reviews and genuine buzz, particularly for the group's upbeat, honest music.
Ocean Avenue, Yellowcard's debut for Capitol Records, was produced by Neal Avron and mixed by Tom-Lord-Alge. On the album, themes of self-empowerment and self-awareness reveal themselves throughout the 13 songs on tracks like "Believe" and "Inside Out." And there is a conspicuous lack of irony or sarcasmÉsincerity rules. "We're definitely a positive band," says Key. "We want to take experiences in our life and use them in a productive way, to encourage people not to let anybody tell them what to do with their life."
Ocean Avenue offers a passionate brand of upbeat punk -- but with a twist, complementing the standard band setup with the exotic (by rock standards, anyway) inclusion of a violin as a rhythm instrument, played by Sean Mackin. It makes their songs stand out, says Key. "I write the verses and the chorus and then let the band take it from there. They come up with any new kind of rhythms or chord structures that they can to just make the songs more interesting, to make them better. It's a very equal-parts thing that comes out really strong."
Ocean Avenue's opener, "Way Away," finds Key speaking to the idea that people are ultimately the masters of their own destiny. "We're talking about really owning up to what you want to do in your life," he explains of the song. He cites his own personal journey from dropping out of college to pursue his dream of being a songwriter, and the band's decision to leave their hometown of Jacksonville for California. "It's like, I'm not going to stay here just because you tell me I have to. A lot of those people who say that are doing the 9-to-5 and they're not happy. You have to do what you want to do."
On other songs, Yellowcard cull directly from their lives. On "Only One," Key talks specifically about the recent breakup with his girlfriend. "I can't stand albums where every song is about some chick who broke your heart," laughs Key. This song is different, though, he says. "I made the decision to end the relationship because it was the right thing to do, even though I'm not sure exactly why, and this song is about knowing it was right but still trying to understand it."
On "Miles Apart," Yellowcard reflect on the divergence of friends' lives after seminal periods like high school. "Twentythree" is about youthful idealism giving way to maturity. And the frenzied pace of the song stands out on Ocean Avenue, as do the vocals, done not by Key but by Mackin. "It's amazing how Sean can sing a song and it still sounds like Yellowcard," says Key.
By design, the end of the album feels like arriving at the end of an emotional journey. The final song is "Back Home," a counterpoint to the album's opener, "Way Away." If that opener is about the brash pursuit of personal dreams, "Back Home," is a sentimental reflection on what was left behind. "Sometimes when you've gone out to do what you want to do, you miss what you left - home, security, friends, family, safety," explains Key. "We wanted to end the record with that kind of reflection."
Indeed, it's that kind of wise-beyond-their-years sensibility that has helped Yellowcard stand out from the pack. In 2002, they joined the West Coast leg of the famed Warped Tour, a breakout stint for the band, and they soon used their newfound buzz to land spots on tours opening up for revered punks like No Use For A Name, Lagwagon and Less Than Jake. This summer, they'll be featured again on the Warped Tour, this time on the East Coast leg.
"It's awesome to know we sacrificed and followed our hearts to end up where we are right now," says Key. "We definitely feel lucky, but we've worked hard as hell to make that luck happen."
Source: http://www.yellowcardrock.com/about.php#bio |
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Discussion Topic
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Creator
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whats ur fave song by
yellowcard
whats ur fave song by yellowcard, my fave is
"life of a salesman", ryan key
is so damn hot!!!! lol
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Josie_guitarded |
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Replys
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Listener
| | i love all of their songs!! | XXmusicgurlXX | I love Only one and Ocean Avenue the most.
But do either of you know how much their
concert tickets are and how to get the
tickets? | Yellowcardrox3 | im not sure how much their concert tickets
but you can get them at ticketmaster and most
of the time it will say how much they are. | XXmusicgurlXX | | teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenie! | i_heart_emo_boys187 | | i like all of them | mrsmadden | | i like "Way Away" | BLASTT | Way Away, Ocean Avenue, Life Of A Salesman,
and Only One are my 4 most favorite songs | musixqueen2006 | | i hate teenies | i_heart_emo_boys187 | i hope that wasn't directed towards
me...and yeah if you only like the 3 singles
and another random song, off the most popular
of their albums, that's a teenie... | BLASTT | | i like powder. | shadowbug26 | | what the hell is a teenie?! | Josie_guitarded | hey fucker, i like there whole cd...not just
3 songs | i_heart_emo_boys187 | i like way away, miles apart, and
belive.....but i like the whole cd....those
are just my favorites | blackrain13 | i>3 believe and breathing, empty apartment
rocks too | lindz_e80110 | | i like only one and ocean avenue | i_heart_emo_boys187 | life of a salesman is really good...im kinda
getting tired of ocean avenue tho, b/c they
really overplay it where im from, which is
sad cuz i used to love that song. the whole
cd is awsome, but breathing is definatly my
favortie..i would kill to be able to play the
guitar part of that song... | its_just_willy | | they do over play it.... | i_heart_emo_boys187 | i wasn't talking 2 you about the 3 songs
thing nikki | BLASTT | | ewoweowoewoewoe | i_heart_emo_boys187 | | ? | BLASTT | | bobobobobobobobo | i_heart_emo_boys187 | | a\l/c\o/h\o/l my anti-drug | BLASTT | | lol | rach_luvs_simpleplan | | sooooooooooooo true | i_heart_emo_BOYS187 | | um okay | xxMusicGurlxx | | alcohol is my anti drug | i_heart_emo_BOYS187 | | woohoo go nikki! | BLASTT | | quit being sarcastic | i_heart_EMO_boys187 | that wans't sarcasm...i was agreeing with
you | BLASTT | | music is my anti-drug | rach_luvs_simpleplan | | thats nice | i_heart_EMO_boys187 | | i guess | rach_luvs_simpleplan | | :) | i_heart_emo_boys187 | drugs are my anti-drugs...meh drugs are bad,
alcohol rules all! | BLASTT | | ..not really | rach_luvs_simpleplan | | really.. | i_heart_emo_boys187 | boose
| mrsmadden | My favorite song is, "Ocean
Avenue". Wish someone had felt that
way to me. I mean, I think that person does,
but I don't know. Anyway, that's my
favorite song.
-Lala | punk2007 | that's amazing but we weren't really
talking about that...i hate when people
respond to the post when no one is even
talking about it | BLASTT | | ok then. | i_heart_emo_boys187 | | booze | mrsmadden | | ok? | rach_luvs_simpleplan | | yum | i_heart_emo_boys187 | | :| | rach_luvs_simpleplan | i need some booze...i think im going to get
wasted this weekend...its been a long time | i_heart_emo_boys187 | I love "Only One." They are so
passionate in that song, it makes the song
that much better. | bandchick | | shut up teenie | i_heart_emo_boys187 | I like only one, ocean ave, one year six
months, inside out and miles apart. those r
my favorites | Beto589 | | rad | i_heart_emo_boys187 | | ocean avenue and only one | ALLthatREMAINS11 | probaly the only fucking yellowcard songs
you've heard....poser | i_heart_emo_boys187 | i think most people are posers.... especially
my 9 year old sister.... | rach_luvs_simpleplan | | hahahahha | i_heart_emo_boys187 | i was buying "chucks" yesterday
and she was trying some on and wanted to by
them. And i was like..,dont even think about
it dork.And i called her a poser.And my mom
got mad and asked what that meant.. | rach_luvs_simpleplan | | lol | i_heart_emo_boys187 | my fav is a view from heaven:) its a great
song:) | fairiekisses | | yeah it is | xxMusicGurlxx | they only have a couple of good songs...and
there to quiet for my tastes | i_heart_emo_boys187 | They remind me too much of Good Charlotte and
Simple Plan, and I'm not a big fan of that
kind of stuff so it's not the greatest.
They could use a little originality. | bandchick | i dont think they're much like good
charlotte.. | rach_luvs_simpleplan | Much, being the key word there. They are an
upgrade of good charlotte and simple plan.
Like I said, not the greatest. | bandchick | | ..oh well. | rach_luvs_simpleplan | they dont come close to gay charlotte
and they dont come that close to simple plan
but nothing like gc | i_heart_emo_boys187 | | thank you dirk. | rach_luvs_simpleplan | I reckon Life of a salesman is 1 of da best
cus the drummin is awsum!!! | Little-travis | | the CD of them is superb! | damn-freak05 | they are a good band...so is good charlotte,
and so is simple plan and i'm not going
into that discussion. i'll blow my
freaking mind out! | rockerchick27 | | ...ok | rach_luvs_simpleplan | k ya i no its annoying but i just gotta say
that empty aparmetn cigarette and october
night RULE and they are form to different cds
so dont even try saying that i m not a real
fan i not the biggest fan of them but i still
really like them! | blue_n_yellow69 | It's a tie between "Empty
Apartment" and "view from
heaven" | Ahem | | mines..Way Away its always stuck in my head | SucidalMickeyMse | Only One!! Was Ocean Avenue until I heard
this song | 13threligion_chic | | empty apartment... breathing is great too. | Lodie | Empty Apartment? So that's what the song
was called? Wooow... >_ | Stargaze | | yup. lol | Lodie | all and he is hott
| NYC_rock_yknowme | | "Only One". | DanC | i love ocean avenue...reminds me of an old
boyfriend | dizzieliz182 | life of a sales man is absolutly one of their
best! Yellowcard should come out with a music
video for it | lost_rose_8 | Is it possible just to name one??? Everytime
i think i have a favorite, they come out with
something even more amazing and musically
complex! I love it! I can wait to buy thier
new album!but for the record right now my
favorite is a tie between
How I Go/ and Gifts and Curses
How do they do that, make a song fo a movie
sound just as good as thier normal
tracks!?!!!?!!!
| KaylaGutt | | | |
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