The Second Coming of Craig: Jonny Craig's Return To Dance Gavin Dance.

Dance Gavin Dance have been going through a lot of member changes for years now. After their first full-length "Downtown Battle Mountain," scene singing sensation Jonny Craig left the band and joined Emarosa. He was replaced by Kurt Travis, who took a while to get used to, but ended up being an amazing replacement. After about 3 years and 2 albums that blew their old material out of the water, it seemed like Travis was here to stay. Then, on Wednesday, I heard the most shocking news in Dance Gavin Dance history...that Travis was no longer in the band and Jonny Craig would be returning as the lead vocalist. I still haven't decided whether to be angry or excited about the news.

First off, I do enjoy Craig's voice more than Travis', so that really isn't the issue. The problems I have is that DGD have progressed immensely since Craig's departure and that Craig is a douche. The two albums that Travis sang on were better in almost every aspect. Now, with Craig and screamer Jon Mess returning, their lineup is nearly the same as on Downtown Battle Mountain, and even before this lineup change there were rumors that the new album would essentially be "Downtown Battle Mountain 2." And today I saw this tweet by Jonny Craig himself:

"Dear world :) I am once again apart of dance Gavin dance #DBM2. I did not quit emarosa. Both will be full time and full dedication. TALKSHIT"

Now let's breakdown everything wrong with this tweet.

1. If you haven't caught on yet, DBM2 = Downtown Battle Mountain 2. Jonny Craig is basically confirming that the new album will be just like Downtown Battle Mountain. This is a huge step backwards for the band and I hope it is some kind of sick joke.

2. He is still in Emarosa. This is a major problem. I don't know if he is conceited enough to think he can balance writing, recording, and touring with two bands full-time, but if there is anyone that would think they can do it, it would be the pompous sir Jonny Craig. Just because your initials are JC doesn't mean you are some kind of superhuman. Eventually Craig is going to have to quit Emarosa or DGD is going to have to find another new singer.

3. He is just a straight up douche, which becomes evident when you read his other tweets. Example:

"I am the lead singer for EMAROSA and DANCE GAVIN DANCE. Don't like it? Drink and drive :)"

Now I will pray to the lord JC. Please don't let DGD take a step backward with their music. They have made it through drastic member changes before, so give them the strength to do it one more time. Don't let their music be set back 3 years by this douche:

Album Review: Emarosa - Emarosa

When I heard that there was a new Emarosa album, I had to stop and think to myself, "Wait, so she makes music?" and then "Wait, NEW album? That means there were albums before this!" To say I was thoroughly impressed by this is an understatement, the idea that such a mean human being like Emarosa was making post hardcore albums really struck me as amazing. And it seems that her newest album, named after herself OF COURSE, (showing her narcissism) proves just how good she is at creating interesting music. Who knew that a woman with such a heart of ice could create something that has this much of a huge pulse of vibrant emotion inside?

The album begins in a lovely fashion, as Emarosa brings her soul into singing the first track "A Toast to the Future Kids!" You can truly feel that she is putting her all into the album. Her vocals are really the backbone, creating a wave of consistency for the guitar, drums, and bass to flow along with. Her voice is strangely angelic, which is something I wouldn't expect from Emarosa, as her voice always seemed grating and more manly to me. But by whatever means she did it, Emarosa really shows off how clean and lovely her voice can be, even if it can have a cutting edge to it when she is barking orders during a business challenge. Another track that strikes me is "Share The Sunshine Young Blood" with it's sweeping guitar and aggressive drums. For an album named only after Emarosa, the other instruments really deserve some spotlight, as much as Emarosa would like to have the attention only on her. They truly hit hard on the song, giving her voice something to soar on. While the instruments are gorgeous, you can feel the conviction in Emarosa's voice, because I truly feel that "Share the Sunshine Young Blood" is Emarosa trying to come to terms with her age, giving us insight into her need for plastic surgery. It's heartbreaking and wonderful to hear at the same time.

Another striking track, "The Game Played Right" is a defining statement toward "The Game" Emarosa thought she played so well a few years back, and it's a bit of her more mischievous side showing. The song once again has her voice (almost like an apprentice to Anthony Green) accompanied by beautifully tumbling guitar and drivingly decisive drums. The whole album has an emotionally heavy feel, as if this could be an insight into the more emotional side of Emarosa that we never saw while she was playing this "game". We all saw her years ago as an angry black woman, hell-bent on getting her way, but now we get to feel the angst pent up from being the villain for so long.

Emarosa and her band show an even more message intense, emotional side in the song "I Still Feel Her Part 4" It feels as if this was Emarosa's way of talking about still feeling the slavery her great, great grandmother went through four generations back. She's trying to convey that she still feels the whippings her ancestor went through, it's highly emotional, begging for the listener to feel the pain of a race most listeners of Emarosa's new album know nothing about. She ends the album on a more existential note with "We Are Life". Vocal Harmonies with strikingly moody lyrics are accompanied by precise guitar and drums that punctuate beautiful crescendos.

Emarosa made her television debut years ago, and while she rocked the reality television scene with her evil nature, cut throat tendencies and overly dramatic business ethics, she stays relevant in a whole new light with her newest release in the music industry. It's a consistent album, almost too consistent for it's own good, as I feel the album could have done with some more experimentation on her behalf, possibly getting her to speak her native african tongue, play some tribal drums, or at the least have some sort of hip-hop influence, with possible rapping on some songs, considering her ethnicity. This is my only problem with an album that is sweepingly lovely, and the experimentation is not necessary, but it is something to consider for her next album. She's made a statement with this album, proving that she won't be fired from this band, unlike Craig Owens from Chiodos, who proved to be more of an apprentice than a leading man. I can't wait to see more from this pant-suit clad ebony beauty, as she proves she's a worthy project manager for her band, and the genre as a whole.

This Week In New Releases

This week we have some pretty anticipated releases from some established bands. Let's jump right into them!



First is Emarosa's self-titled, second LP. Their first album, Relativity, was plagued by boring and repetitive vocal lines and a lackluster rhythm section, which is a real shame considering how talented singer Jonny Craig really is (See Dance Gavin Dance's Downtown Battle Mountain). Hopefully this time around they can craft an album that shows off what Jonny Craig is capable of.





We also have the long awaited debut LP from one of my favorite bands, Maps and Atlases. They have abandoned their old spastic math rock style for poppier vocal lines and a much folkier style. The album has already received pretty positive reviews from Pitchfork and Sputnikmusic and will hopefully be liked by their old fans. The album is also streaming on their myspace page




3OH!3 is back with their follow up to 2008's "Want." I don't like this band, but the single "My First Kiss" even seemed low for their standards.







Metalcore act Parkway Drive's new album also comes out this week. I don't expect it to be anything more than a generic metalcore album, but maybe they will surprise me...