TRANSPLANTS ***

Transplants are an American punk rock/rap rock supergroup. They formed in 1999 when Tim Armstrong (of the bands Rancid and Operation Ivy) played his friend and roadie Rob Aston some beats he had made using Pro Tools and asked Rob if he would consider contributing lyrics. Initially, Tim played all the instruments himself but as the project grew, he invited musician friends such as Matt Freeman (Rancid), Lars Frederiksen (Rancid), and Vic Ruggiero (The Slackers) to add to the sound. Before long, Tim and Rob decided to officially form a band, but to make things complete, they wanted a drummer, so Travis Barker from Blink-182 was asked to join in 2002. Tim first became inspired to work with loops and samples after being introduced to London's speed/garage scene by Kerrang! magazine writer Mörat in the mid-90s.

The group's music is a combination of hip hop, reggae, drum n bass, dub, and punk. Although many musical genres are used sparingly throughout the album, punk and rap remain as the most prominent styles. Lyrically, Rob Aston describes their songs as ranging from topics such as murder ("Quick Death") to the passing of a loved one ("Sad But True") to failed friendships ("We Trusted You").

After the release of their first album, The Transplants briefly disbanded in 2003, due to all members being involved in their own projects, including Rancid and Blink-182. Then in 2004, they reunited to record their second album (Haunted Cities) before going on hiatus again until 2010 when the band has started to record new material.

History

Transplants and first hiatus (2002–2003)

After two years of recording, Transplants released their debut album Transplants on Hellcat Records in October 2002. In the end, the album was recorded and mixed entirely in Tim's basement. Special guest vocalists included Eric Ozenne (The Nerve Agents), Davey Havok (AFI), Son Doobie (Funk Doobiest), Danny Diablo (Crown of Thornz, AKA Lord Ezec), Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) and Brody Dalle (The Distillers, ex-wife of Tim). Brody sings on the track "Weigh On My Mind", which Tim, at the time, described as "their song."

The singles "Diamonds and Guns" and "D.J. D.J." quickly became MTV favorites and earned the band critical and commercial success. "Diamonds and Guns" and its unmistakable piano hook played by co-producer Dave Carlock was featured in TV commercials for Garnier Fructis shampoo and Neutrogena and the song "Tall Cans In The Air" was featured on the soundtrack for the movie Bulletproof Monk (2003). The band followed up the record's success by touring with the Foo Fighters.

By 2003, the band had temporarily disbanded, while Travis worked on then-upcoming Blink-182 album, and Tim worked on Rancid's Indestructible.

Haunted Cities (2004–2005)

In 2004, during an extensive Rancid hiatus, Armstrong decided to bring the Transplants back together. The band's second album, titled Haunted Cities, was released in June 2005, just four months after Barker's former band Blink-182 announced their hiatus.

The album's first single, "Gangsters and Thugs" was a hit and the band began touring on the 2005 Warped Tour. After the Warped Tour, Transplants started to plan a large North American tour with Pennywise and wanted to release a second single. The band shot and released another video for the single "What I Can't Describe." However, Break-up rumors began to swirl.

Amidst all the turmoil, the band released the Chopped and screwed version of Haunted Cities on November 1, 2005.

Soon after the cancellation of the tour, two band members announced several more side projects that they would be embarking on during the Transplants break. Travis revealed that he would be starting a tour with DJ AM and also a new band with Rob and DJ Paul Wall which would become Expensive Taste. Rob Aston revealed that he was working on a solo album.

Second hiatus (2006–2010)

In an interview with Rob Aston and Paul Wall on January 16, 2006 about their project, Expensive Taste, Rob stated "The Warped Tour had just ended and Transplants had just broken up". This led to some confusion over whether the band had officially broken up, or not. Despite the statement made by Aston about how the band had "broken up", frontman Tim Armstrong contradicted this statement on a recent MySpace bulletin. He stated: "In the upcoming years, I hope to make another Transplants album. I love recording with those guys".

From to 2006 to 2009, the Transplants had been "on hold", as all the members had continued working on their own projects. Armstrong was busy touring with Rancid promoting their new album, Let the Dominoes Fall. He also released his solo album, A Poet's Life, in 2007. Travis Barker is currently working on an album with a recently reformed Blink-182, who toured during the summer of 2009, and also recently formed a new band called Expensive Taste, along with Aston.

Second reunion (2010–present)

In January 2010, Barker announced on his twitter account that the Transplants were reunited and are in fact recording new material in 2010. The band announced that their new website will be posted in February 2011. It was also announced that the 3rd album will be released on the bands original home at Hellcat Records.

Tim Armstrong and Skinhead Rob appeared as guests on Travis Barker's first solo album Give the Drummer Some along with ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash on a latin rock influenced song called "Saturday Night". The band performed the song live on Conan March 7, 2011, with Mix Master Mike on turntables, Elvis Cortez on guitar and Kevin Bivona on bass. Slash did not take part in the performance.

In an interview with 29-95 in April 2011, Barker has revealed that material for the Transplants album has been written since August 2010, and that 16 songs were already written by Armstrong, Aston and him for the album. He has also said that he expects around 30 songs to be written, with the best 12 to 15 making the cut.

SAVE FERRIS **

Save Ferris was a ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County,California. Their name is a reference to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

History

The band formed in 1995 after the dissolution of a number of Southern California third-wave ska bands. Los Pantelones members Brian Mashburn (guitar/vocals), Bill Uechi (bass), Eric Zamora (saxophone), and José Castellaños (trumpet) joined with Larry vocalist Monique Powell, Nuckle Brothers trombonist Brian "T-Bone Willy" Williams, and drummer Marc Harismendy to form the original Save Ferris.

Financed by Uechi and Mashburn's families, as well as Powell's sister, the band released their debut EP Introducing Save Ferris on Starpool Records in 1996. Later that year, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences gave the band a Grammy showcase award for best unsigned band, earning them a recording contract with Epic Records. The band released their debut full length for the label in 1997. It Means Everything featured several re-recorded tracks from the EP, several new songs, and a cover of Dexys Midnight Runners' "Come on Eileen," which the band released as a single. The band also released "The World is New" as a single which was featured in the film The Big Hit as well as being used in Tara Lipinski's debut program as a professional skater in the 1998 Skate TV Championships. The album charted on the Billboard Top 200 at number 75 that year.

The band toured extensively in support of the album, opening for bands such as Sugar Ray,The Offspring, and Reel Big Fish, and Powell also provided vocals on the Reel Big Fish song "She Has A Girlfriend Now." In April 1998, they made their television debut on HBO's music series Reverb and made an on-screen appearance in the film 10 Things I Hate About You. The album proved to be a moderate success in the United States, selling over 400,000 copies, and spawned three Top Ten hits in both Japan and Mexico.

Winter 1998 saw the departure of drummer Marc Harismendy. Evan Kilbourne joined shortly thereafter, and the band began writing their follow-up to It Means Everything. The appropriately-titled Modified was released in October 1999, approximately one year later and charted at number 136 in the Billboard top 200 that year.  The album saw the band moving away from their ska-punk roots and into pop-rock territory. The band toured with fewer ska-punk and pop-punk bands as a result, opening for bands like Lit.

2000s

José Castellaños left the band in June 2000, citing a desire to return to school. He was replaced by T-Bone Willy's former bandmate from Six Feet Deep and Nuckle Brothers, Oliver Zavala.

Brian "T-Bone Willy" Williams quit the band in 2001.

The band continued to tour in support of Modified throughout 2000 and 2001.

In August and September 2001 the band did a short tour of the U.K. playing with the bands Lightyear and Jesse James.

The final performance with Powell, Uechi, Zamora, Kilbourne and Mashburn, the last true version of Save Ferris, was held in Culver City on September 20, 2002.

After the band parted ways, Powell self-financed what she called a "For the Fans" tour in 2003 essentially playing the same set list as previous Save Ferris shows but backed by hired musicians.

On March 29, 2003 at Ska Summit 2003 in Las Vegas, Monique Powell of Save Ferris played on the main stage to a thunderously positive response.

Powell later founded the band "The Mojo Wire". She has stated that the "Mojo Wire is nothing like Save Ferris", but "still so much fun".

Post-breakup

Since the breakup, Monique Powell has focused her efforts on her studio career. Her work can be heard on albums by The Used, Lostprophets, Hilary Duff, Goldfinger and others. Her new band, The Mojo Wire began headlining shows in the LA area after an overwhelming response to the four demos posted on MySpace in 2008. Consideration of the songs for TV and film have been coming in.

In 2003, Bill Uechi, Brian Mashburn, T-Bone Willy, Eric Zamora, and Oliver Zavala started the band Starpool with Alan Meade on vocals and Phil Hanson on drums. They released an EP in 2003 titled STRPL E.P.0001 before going on hiatus for two years. The band started to play once more in 2006 releasing the single Start Again in 2007. Former Save Ferris member Evan Kilbourne joined the group as its drummer in 2010 when Starpool released a full length album in 2010 called Living in Transition.

In addition to Starpool, Brian Mashburn plays guitar for Power Serge and PopBritannica. Bill Uechi also plays in Red Panda with John Tran of Home Grown.

THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ****

The Presidents of the United States of America, commonly referred to as Pot USA or "PUSA" or The Presidents, are a twice Grammy-nominated  American alternative rock band. The band formed in Seattle, USA, in 1993. The three-piece group currently comprises vocalist and "basitarist" Chris Ballew, drummer and vocalist Jason Finn with "guitbassist" and vocalist Andrew McKeag. "Guitbassist" and vocalist Dave Dederer was a member of the band for 11 years before leaving in 2004. They have released six studio albums since forming in 1993.

Biography

Early years and rise to fame (1993–1998)

The band was formed in late 1993 by Chris Ballew (basitar and lead vocals) and Dave Dederer (guitbass and backup vocals), who met while attending The Bush School in Seattle. Initially a drummerless duo, Ballew and Dederer performed a half-dozen or so shows in 1993 as "The Lo-Fis", "The Dynamic Duo", and "Pure Frosting." Ballew eventually came upon the name "The Presidents of the United States of America." Shortly after settling on their name, Ballew and Dederer added drummer Jason Finn; the band played their first show as a trio at Seattle's Romper Room in early December 1993. At the time, Finn was also the drummer in the band Love Battery, who had recently changed record labels from Sub Pop to Atlas Records, an A&M subsidiary.

The Presidents recorded a 10-song cassette, Froggystyle, in early 1994 in one day at Laundry Room Studios. The band sold the cassette at shows in 1994. Finn also sold the cassette from behind the bar of Seattle's legendary Comet Tavern, where he bartended.

In 1994, the Presidents signed with the tiny Seattle label PopLlama Records and released their self-titled debut in the following year. The band also released a limited edition blue vinyl 7" single, "Fuck California", on C/Z Records. Columbia Records signed the band shortly thereafter and re-released the album in late July 1995. Driven by the singles "Lump", "Peaches", and "Kitty", their debut album proved to be a smash.

Critics praised the band's catchy, humorous, and self-deprecating songs, which were a major departure from the grunge/post-grunge sound. The album received Grammy nominations in 1996 and 1997. Though "Peaches" met the most critical success, the band credits "Lump" as their favorite single. The song's strange lyrics came from a dream that Ballew had while fighting pneumonia. The antibiotics he was taking caused an allergic reaction that produced several consecutive nights of wild and crazy dreams. The lyrics for "Peaches" were written about a crush Ballew used to have on a girl. According to him, she had a peach tree in the front of her yard, and when he finally summoned the courage to go talk to her, he stood under the tree and smashed peaches in his fist until he decided not to talk to her.

In 1996, "Weird Al" Yankovic created a parody of the Presidents' "Lump", titled "Gump". This song was released on Yankovic's album Bad Hair Day.

A follow-up album, II, received similar praise, but did not match the commercial success that the Presidents' debut album had, though it was still certified gold in the US.

Throughout 1995, 1996 and 1997, the band made worldwide tours to support their first two albums. In addition to relentless touring in the U.S. and Canada, PUSA made multiple tours of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. They also made many appearances in major print media and on radio and TV, including multiple appearances on Leno and Letterman in the U.S. A little-known fact is that the Presidents turned down an offer to perform on Saturday Night Live in the fall of 1995 because the date conflicted with Ballew's wedding.

The band broke up in January 1998 as Ballew quit to spend more time with his young family and explore other musical terrain. Pure Frosting, a final album composed of new songs, covers, and demos, was released in 1998. The CD also contained videos for "Lump," "Peaches," "Mach 5," and "Dune Buggy."

Pure Frosting featured two songs that had previously been used in a movie and as a television show theme. "Video Killed the Radio Star" was included on the soundtrack for The Wedding Singer, while "Cleveland Rocks," originally recorded by Ian Hunter, was chosen as the theme song for The Drew Carey Show. Another song on the album, "Man (Opposable Thumb)", appeared in the Nickelodeon-produced motion picture Good Burger but was not directly written or performed for the film.

The Presidents also wrote the theme song for the 1998 TV movie My Date with the President's Daughter. They also performed a cover of the George of the Jungle theme song for the 1997 movie of the same name. This performance is not available on any of their albums.

In 1996, the band performed a live concert at Mount Rushmore on Presidents Day. They were introduced with: "Ladies and gentlemen, the Presidents of the United States."

Indefinite break (1998–2000)

Following the breakup, each band member devoted time to his own solo projects. Ballew was the most prolific of the three, releasing albums with The Giraffes and The Tycoons, two of his side projects. Dederer collaborated with former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan as The Gentlemen and in McKagan's perennial hard rock band, Loaded, including contributing to the album Dark Days. Dederer also played bass in the Seattle band Juke and produced songs for singer/songwriter Gerald Collier. Finn played drums for several bands, including Nevada Bachelors, The Fastbacks and Love Battery, his original band.

In 1998, the group appeared on the album Happy Hour by Japanese female rockers Shonen Knife (also a three piece); they did backing vocals on the song "Sushi Bar".

The Presidents also collaborated with Sir Mix-A-Lot as Subset, a short-lived rock and hip-hop band. They had a brief tour and recorded several songs, but never released an album. The band broke up because Sir Mix-A-Lot wanted to take the band in a harder, more electronic direction, but Finn and Dederer were not interested.

In 2000, Columbia Records released Lump, a discount greatest hits compilation, without the band's approval or collaboration.

Brief reformation (2000–2003)

The Presidents reunited in 2000 to release a new single, "Jupiter," on MUSICBLITZ Records. Because of the single's popularity, the label convinced the band to release a new album. Freaked Out & Small was released that year to critical praise. The band did not tour on or promote the album, which quietly sold 25,000 copies as MUSICBLITZ, an early digital music player, quickly went bankrupt.

Afterwards, the band members once again went their own ways. Ballew continued to produce and record his own work and collaborated with Tad Hutchison of The Young Fresh Fellows as The Chris and Tad Show. Also during this time, The Young Fresh Fellows recorded a song, "Good Times Rock 'N' Roll", about The Presidents, which appeared on the 2001 album Because We Hate You.

In 2004, the band once again reformed, releasing Love Everybody on their newly formed indie label PUSA Inc.. As with their previous albums, it received praise from many critics. Two singles from the album have been released through the Apple iTunes store. In late 2004, the rights to the debut album were returned to the band, who have since reissued the album through PUSA Inc. twice: once as a Ten Year Anniversary edition with extra tracks, and again in the spring of 2006 in a low-price edition.

Andrew McKeag, Seattle guitarist (formerly of Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver, Shuggie, The Black Panties and others), joined the band on guitbass in late 2004, as an occasional live-performance stand-in for Dave Dederer, who had expressed an interest in spending more time with his family. Since late 2007, Andrew started touring full-time with the band, and later replaced Dederer.

Dederer has played live with the band in concerts in Seattle on occasion.

In November 2007, it was announced that the band's next album would be entitled These Are the Good Times People, which was released on March 11, 2008. They did a live webcast celebrating the albums release from Easy Street records: http://app.synclive.com?show/17772

In December 2007 KEXP played the new song "Bad Times." On February 1, 2008, 107.7-The End (a Seattle radio station) played the first single from the Presidents' new album, title "Mixed Up S.O.B." The music video for the song was directed by "Weird Al" Yankovic.On June 15, 2008, they played for Pet-Aid 2008 in Oregon.

In October 2008, "Lump" was released on the video game Rock Band 2. "Ladybug", "Feather Pluck'n," and "Dune Buggy" were released as downloadable content for the game on November 4, 2008.

Around 2006, Chris Ballew began collaborating with Seattle-based rapper Outtasite as The Feelings Hijackers. They have done local shows and have a few songs on their myspace page.

In the summer of 2009, The Presidents performed in San Diego at the North Park Music Thing Music & Media Festival which only showcases local bands. Apparently, the new President's guitar player is a San Diegan. In 2009, in addition to his continued work with The Presidents, Ballew began recording and performing as children's artist Caspar Babypants. In September 2010, The Presidents performed during halftime of the UW-Syracuse game at Husky Stadium.

On March 5, 2011, The Presidents performed a new tribute song, "Can't Stop (Catchin' 'Em All)" at the Nintendo World launch event for the video games Pokémon Black and White.

Politics

Despite their chosen name, The Presidents' music has remained largely apolitical, although the band did perform for President Bill Clinton at a 1994 Democratic Party fundraiser in Seattle. The band also supported John Kerry in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. On January 17, 2009, The Presidents released a single on the National Public Radio show Weekend America called "Moving In," detailing the journey of Barack Obama in celebration of his inauguration as president. The Governor of Washington State, Gary Locke, is featured on the backing vocals of "Volcano" (Live) [Ten Year Super Bonus Special Anniversary Edition].

Instruments

Ballew and Dederer/McKeag play a basitar and guitbass, which are regular, six-string guitars with special modifications: Ballew's instrument has two bass strings (with which he plays bass parts), and Dederer/McKeag's instrument has three guitar strings (used to play guitar parts). The original idea came from Morphine frontman Mark Sandman, with whom Ballew had previously worked.

Guitars modified in this way use heavy-gauge strings for a heavier sound and are normally tuned in Drop D, though the Presidents play half a step lower in C#. For a basitar, the strings are placed in the D and A positions. Chris uses a .60 gauge string tuned to C# and a .36 tuned to G#. On a guitbass, the strings are placed in the A, D, and G positions. .54 gauge tuned to C#, .42 to G#, and a .32 gauge tuned to C#.

Finn's drum kit is currently supplied by Slingerland; his cymbals are a variety of Sabians.

NEW FOUND GLORY **

New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. Founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Moreno. Current drummer Cyrus Bolooki replaced Moreno after only a handful of shows and the lineup has since remained unchanged. Their brand of music is drawn from influences such as punk revivalists Green Day and NOFX, to hardcore acts like Hatebreed and Madball.

The band is noted for their blend of pop melodies with the energy and fast tempos of classic punk rock.Subsequently, they are widely considered a key pioneer in the fusion genre of pop punk. Indeed, Allmusic have credited the band for "practically serving alongside the work of Blink-182 as the blueprint to the entire genre for the early 2000s." Also renowned for their energetic live performances, the fivesome have garnered a devout following over the course of their career.

After releasing the home-recorded EP, It's All About the Girls in 1997, the band were able to build a cult following after a rigorous touring schedule of the East Coast area and the release of debut album Nothing Gold Can Stay (1999). The album was distributed on independent label Eulogy Recordings and sold over 300,000 copies. The following year, debut single "Hit or Miss" charted on the US Modern Rock Chart and exposed the band to a wider audience. Their subsequent three studio albums; New Found Glory (2000), Sticks and Stones (2002), and Catalyst (2004) all charted on the Billboard 200 and achieved gold certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

After a break from touring, the band worked with Thom Panunzio on their critically acclaimed fifth album, Coming Home (2006). The record drew influences from classic rock and marked a departure from the band's earlier work. After a spell without a contract, the band signed with independent label Bridge Nine Records and released a new EP titled, Tip of The Iceberg (2008) which paid homage to their melodic hardcore influences. Their sixth and most recent studio album, Not Without a Fight (2009), was recorded and produced by Mark Hoppus before they signed with current label Epitaph Records. In January 2011, the band announced that they will be returning to the studio in March to record their seventh album. They plan to release it later on in the year, with Neal Avron the producer.

History

Formation, Debut EP and Nothing Gold Can Stay: 1997–1999 

The origins of the band date back to the summer of 1997 when Jordan Pundik (vocals) had met Stephen Klein (guitars) at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the pair began writing music together. Pundik later stated the band name was created whilst he and Klein were working in Red Lobster together; "We came up with A New Found Glory, we wrote it on a napkin. I think we pulled some of it from "A Newfound Interest in Massachusetts" by the Get Up Kids". They recruited friend Ian Grushka on bass, who they had previously played with in a band named "Inner City Kids". Practicing in his garage, they later invited Joe "Taco Joe" Moreno to play drums. Shortly thereafter, Chad Gilbert (lead guitar), former vocalist of Shai Hulud, joined to complete the quintet.

The band recorded their debut EP, It's All About the Girls (1997) in a friend's apartment, and the EP was distributed by local independent label Fiddler Records. However, the band were growing uneasy with the contribution of Moreno, and Gilbert later stated the drumming on the record was "so bad". Soon after, Moreno was replaced by current drummer Cyrus Bolooki after two rehearsal sessions. The band went on to tour up and down the East Coast and quickly sold out the entire pressing of the EP. The band's underground success soon caught the attention of Eulogy Recordings and the quintet subsequently signed shortly afterwards in order to increase distribution of their music. Following the success of their EP, the band recorded their debut full length album, Nothing Gold Can Stay (1999), initially selling one-page insert copies at their shows supporting NOFX. Richard Reines, co-founder of Drive-Thru Records had also noted their devout following and held talks with the band. Drive-Thru subsequently signed the five-piece and paid Eulogy $5,000 to licence Nothing Gold Can Stay, which went on to sell more than 300,000 copies. In 2009, Alternative Press included the album in their "10 Classic Albums of '99" feature. Brendan Manley wrote, "Like it's title emplies, Nothing Gold Can Stay is the sonic transcript of a glorious, fleeting time for NFG - and for pop-punk. But just as gold never loses its luster, it's only fitting that 10 years later, Nothing Gold Can Stay still shines".

From The Screen To Your Stereo EP, and New Found Glory: 2000–2001

Whilst still in their teens, the five-piece signed their first proper record deal with Drive-Thru Records, and released an EP of cover songs from film soundtracks entitled From the Screen to Your Stereo in 2000. Drive-Thru's relationship with MCA Records ensured that the smaller label's more popular bands would be picked up by the major. Later that year, debut single "Hit or Miss" peaked at #15 on the US Modern Rock Chart, which helped propel the band to a mainstream audience. Subsequently their self-titled second album New Found Glory (2000) reached number one on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, and spent 21 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. In a Kerrang! magazine article years later, they referred to the album as the band's Essential Purchase. They wrote, "marking one of the biggest and quickest improvements in alternative music, the major label debut hurled them to the forefront of the punk scene barely 12 months after its predecessor. Packed with infectious melodies and sing-along anthems, it would see them jostling with the likes of Blink-182 for the genre's crown." The album also marked the official debut of the band's new moniker, which dropped the indefinite article "A" from their original name due to some fans struggling to find the band's records in stores. The album was certified gold by the RIAA.

Sticks and Stones and Catalyst: 2002–2005

Between 2002 and 2004, the band experienced the height of their popularity with headline slots on the Warped Tour with Blink-182 and a supporting tour with Green Day. Third album and major label debut, Sticks and Stones was released on June 11, 2002 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 chart. The record spawned two popular singles; "My Friends Over You" and "Head on Collision". Following the success of the album, the band headlined the 2002 Warped Tour and later saw the album certified gold by the RIAA. Lead single for their fourth album, "All Downhill from Here" reached #11 in the Rock Chart before Catalyst (2004) peaked at a career-high number three on the Billboard 200, selling 146,000 copies in its first week. The heavier style of the record, which included some metal and new wave influences, was due to the comparisons that magazines and other media outlets would make between New Found Glory and other popular bands. Chad Gilbert stated: "Well, when Sticks and Stones came out and we were doing that Honda Civic Tour, we were getting compared to bands like Good Charlotte and Simple Plan we were angry with that. At that point, we were getting compared to more pop bands and we aren't a pop band." Producer, Neal Avron also said of the record: "There's definitely more going on, and we were using keyboards more frequently. There's also some string arrangement and choir stuff. The intro to that record was basically a fuck you to bands who were copying." The band promoted the album with a supporting tour with Green Day during the fall of 2004 on the American Idiot Tour. The song, "This Disaster", was featured in EA Sport's Madden 2005, and "At Least I'm Known for Something" was featured in EA's Burnout 3: Takedown. This became the band's third record to be certified gold by the RIAA.

Coming Home & From The Screen To Your Stereo Part II: 2005-2007 

After the release and tour in support of Catalyst, the band took an extended break before beginning pre-production for another album in 2005. On June 14, 2006, Gilbert announced to MTV that their fifth album would be titled Coming Home and that it was scheduled to be released on September 19, 2006. He also stated that first single, "It's Not Your Fault" would be released sometime in July 2006. The band worked with Thom Panunzio (Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy Osbourne) having moved into a house together in Malibu, California called the Morning View Mansion to write and record. Despite this, Gilbert took into the studio a book containing over 40 riff ideas that were written during the previous tour. Unlike their previous releases, Gilbert and Pundik also worked on lyrics alongside primary lyricist Steve Klein for the first time.

Drawing influences from classic rock, the album marked a considerable stylistic change as the pace of the songs were slower and were regarded as "the most mellow of New Found Glory’s career". Guitarist and lyricist Steve Klein, described the sound as "less guitar driven and more melody driven, more than any other of our records. Everything about the record is way more classic rock sounding". With a new direction in mind, Pundik recalls, "Usually with every record we think, 'We’ve got to put the fast punk song on it or people won't like it', but this wasn't anything like that."He did admit that around thirty songs were written, including some fast-paced songs, but were excluded as, "(they) didn't really fit." Speaking of the underlying theme of the album, Pundik explained, "Coming Home is really, I don't want to sound like a Christian rock band or something, but the new record is a little more uplifting and positive in a way. This record definitely has more of a theme. It's about taking responsibility in relationships and being away from people, and people you love and stuff."

Demo's were tracked with long term friend and studio engineer Paul Miner, before the band entered the studio with Panunzio. The band had decided against working with Neal Avron, who had produced the band's three previous albums, as they wanted to try something different.Pundik explained that, "We love Neal, and Neal's amazing and he's one of our really close friends. But after three records with him, after writing those records and a lot of other bands started to come out and get kind of popular, we kind of wanted to try something different."After hearing a demo of "On My Mind", Panunzio was keen to work on the project. "One of the songs that really got him to say. 'OK, I want to do this' was that song 'On My Mind.' That song really got him. Thom's done everything from like the Go-Go's to Bob Dylan, so he's very well rounded in music." The frontman also said of Panunzio that, "he brought this classic vibe to it, especially with the tones he got. We learned we don't have to double-up 15 Mesa cabinets and make it all distorted to make it sound big." While all the songs were written on guitar, Panunzio brought in Benmont Tench to add keyboard and piano melodies that are prominent throughout the album. Pundik said that the acoustic track, "Too Good to Be" was written in minutes whilst in the studio; "The funny thing is, that's the song you'd think we wrote sitting on a beach around a fire."

The release proved popular with many critics giving the album positive reviews. It was acclaimed for its "matured and nuanced songwriting", and was generally recognised as being the band's most mature work. It was also featured on the Alternative Press end of year "Essential Albums of 2006" list. Despite a lack of label support it entered the Billboard chart at nineteen. Due to no further singles being released, the band eventually left Geffen Records. They would later be critical of their former label after signing with Epitaph in 2008. Bassist Ian Grushka said, "My goal for this album (Not Without a Fight) is to sell more copies then we did of Coming Home. We are so happy to be on Epitaph now. Our old A&R guy at Geffen was a tool so it would be like a 'fuck you' to him when we sell more CDs".

From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II, the band's follow-up to From the Screen to Your Stereo, was released on September 18, 2007 via Drive-Thru Records. Unlike the earlier EP, Part II is a full-length album, containing 11 songs plus one bonus track for the Japanese edition and iTunes. The first and only single from the album was "Kiss Me" and the music video can be viewed on MySpace.

Hits and Tip of The Iceberg EP: 2008

On March 18, 2008, a compilation named Hits was released. Two previously unreleased songs, "Situations" and "Constant Static," are also featured on the album. This was their last release on Drive-Thru/Geffen before going on to sign with independent labels, Bridge Nine Records and Epitaph Records. In April 2008 a compilation from the Punk Goes... series, called Punk Goes Crunk, was released, and features New Found Glory covering "Tennessee", originally by Arrested Development. New Found Glory had previously released another cover song, "Heaven", on Punk Goes Metal.

On April 29, 2008, the band released a new EP with six tracks on Bridge 9 Records containing both new material that paid homage to their melodic hardcore influences. The EP, entitled Tip of the Iceberg, was released on CD, 7" and through digital music outlets. The CD also included an extra disc from The International Superheroes of Hardcore, named Takin' It Ova!. The ISHC is a side project of all members of the band and features Gilbert on vocals and Pundik on guitar, with the remaining members playing the same instruments they play in New Found Glory. All the members use pseudonyms for their "characters" in the band (e.g. Gilbert is known as "Captain Straightedge"). The band also recorded an internet-only music video for "Dig My Own Grave" with director Joseph Pattisall.

Not Without a Fight and Self Titled Anniversary Tour: 2009-2010 

Their sixth studio album, Not Without a Fight, was released on March 10, 2009, and was produced by Mark Hoppus. It was released through the band's new label, Epitaph Records. Hoppus has said that during recording, they had felt like a different band altogether. The lead single from the album was called "Listen to Your Friends". The music video for the song was filmed in Los Angeles. The single was released December 23, 2008 in the US & a day earlier in the UK, both via iTunes & AmazonMP3. Following the albums release, the quintet set out on the "Not Without a Fight Tour" with support from Set Your Goals, Bayside and Shai Hulud. During the tour, a split EP with Shai Hulud titled Not Without a Heart Once Nourished by Sticks and Stones Within Blood Ill-Tempered Misanthropy Pure Gold Can Stay was exclusively released. There were two colors limited to a total of only 500 copies and only for sale from either Shai Hulud or New Found Glory at these shows.

During the summer, the band made appearances for major festivals at the Rock AM Ring in Germany and Reading and Leeds Festivals in England. In June 2009, internet radio station PunkRadioCast teamed up with Jones Soda to create a punk pop 6 pack featuring labels designed by PunkRadioCast and five artists. As well as New Found Glory, Less Than Jake, Bad Brains, Thursday and The Gaslight Anthem also featured. Shortly afterwards, Cyrus Bolooki also confirmed they had finished shooting the video for second single "Don't Let Her Pull You Down", which was expected to be released in late summer/early autumn. The video premiered on October 15, and was released on October 20 via limited orange and sky blue vinyl prints.On October 17, Chad Gilbert announced the band would be playing a free show at their practise studio in South Florida. Around 120 fans packed into the studio where the band played a setlist made up of fan requests.

In late 2009 AbsolutePunk announced that Dashboard Confessional had been confirmed as the main support for New Found Glory's headline American tour. Chad Gilbert then hinted the band had been rehearsing Dashboard songs for a possible split EP, which he later confirmed on his Twitter account days later.Gilbert later posted regular studio updates including a video of him recording his guitar lines for the release. However, shortly before the tour was due to commence, Dashboard withdrew due to personal reasons and the tour was subsequently cancelled. Soon after Chris Carrabba confirmed that as an alternative, a new tour had been arranged which would see both bands perform a series of unplugged shows. The split, titled Swiss Army Bro-Mance had initially been due for sale on the previously cancelled tour, but was later made available online on a limited pressing of 2,500 copies.

During this time band announced they were planning a commemorative tour in early 2010 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their self-titled album. A special edition re-release of the album was planned which would feature seven bonus tracks and a DVD. Soon after in December 2009, AbsolutePunk officially announced the special anniversary edition of the album would be released on January 26, 2010 through Geffen Records. The additional material included new liner notes, demos, b-sides, The Story So Far DVD and a remix of debut single "Hit or Miss" by the late Jerry Finn. A full tour was also confirmed where the band would play the record in its entirety, with support from Saves the Day, Hellogoodbye and Fireworks. On the 29th and 30th May New Found Glory headlined the Pop-Punk festival SlamDunk Festival held in Hatfield and Leeds.

In 2010, guitarist Chad Gilbert announced he will be releasing solo material online at some stage for free of charge. Shortly before the start of the bands commemorative tour, Gilbert visited his doctor for pneumonia. After suspicious cells were discovered in his thyroid, he underwent surgery which caused him to miss the first three dates of the new tour. Anthony Raneri of Bayside replaced him for this period. He later posted on his twitter that the surgery was a success. Later that year, the band headlined the Slam Dunk Festival along with Alkaline Trio and Capdown. In early June, it was announced the band were shooting the video for "Truck Stop Blues", the third single from Not Without a Fight.

In summer of 2010, New Found Glory opened for Paramore, which had Chad Gilbert's girlfriend, Hayley Williams, alongside Tegan and Sara and Kadawatha on the Honda Civic Tour.

New Album and Recent Events: 2011 - Present

New found glory are set to Tour Australia again as part of the 2011 Soundwave Festival with acts like Iron Maiden, Queens of The Stone Age, Slayer, Primus, 30 Seconds To Mars, Bullet For My Valentine, Millencolin, Sum 41, MxPx and more. The tour starts on the 26th of February in Brisbane and concludes 7th of March in Perth.

In January 2011, New Found Glory announced that they will be returning to the studio in March 2011 to record their seventh album. They plan to release it later on in the year. The album will be released on Epitaph records, and produced by Neal Avron.

Musical style and influences

New Found Glory are widely recognised for their fast and energetic pop punk style, although over the course of their career, their music has also ventured into a more rounded rock sound, as well as alternative rock, punk revival, and melodic hardcore. Their traditional sound builds upon verse-chorus song structures, that combines pop melodies and chord progressions with fast punk rock tempos, hardcore-influenced breakdowns, and sometimes gang vocals.

NME magazine have noted that on their self-titled second album, the band add "just the right amount of pop tinge to their relentlessly hard-charging tunes," while Allmusic have described their earlier sound as encompassing "choppy uptempo rhythms, spiky buzzing guitars, and youthful harmonies." College Music Journal have likened their earlier material to bands such as Green Day, Blink-182 and Lifetime, stating they are "abrasive, yet extremely catchy." The band's sound was seen to have progressed somewhat by fourth album Catalyst (2004), which was regarded as a "heavier" record, that built upon the bands hardcore influences and also implemented the use of choir vocals, synthesizers and keyboards. Kerrang! magazine described the album as "combining their renowned knack for massive choruses with some of their hardest hitting riffs". Their following album however, moved drastically in the opposite direction and was regarded as a "massive departure". Featuring the most "mellow" songs of their career, Coming Home (2006) infused piano and string parts to resemble a more matured, classic rock-influenced sound. The Palm Beach Post opined that, "Coming Home is similar, in spirit, to the 1990s crooning of Chicago's brilliant Smoking Popes. Jordan Pundik's vocal delivery curls into sweetness, rather than a snarl. Wrapped around journal-entry cute lines on the boppy, '80s-ish "Hold My Hand" and the earnestly protective pleadings of "It's Not Your Fault." Alan Sculley of The Daily Herald explained that, "Coming Home, pretty much leaves any punk element behind. The songs still rock - just note the wallop delivered by "Hold My Hand" or "Connected." But the band pulls back on the tempos of virtually all of the songs." AbsolutePunk founder Jason Tate also warned that, "it's crucial you abandon any pre-conceived expectations for this album. If you're anticipating the band's previous albums re-hashed, you're going to be completely let-down. While the choruses and sing-a-long hooks could compete with the best on any of their previous albums - it's the slower melodic approach to the songs that truly makes the album come alive and fully breathe." The band moved somewhat back towards their roots with the release of Tip of the Iceberg (2008). The EP, which contains three original songs and three covers, pays homage to the band's melodic hardcore influences. Most recent studio album, Not Without a Fight (2009) was seen as a "return to form", with the band revisiting a more stripped down and energetic sound similar to their earlier work. Bill Lamb of About.com wrote that the album contains, "choppy guitars and emotional choruses", and predicted that, "fans of their older work will be pleased", while Brendan Manley of Alternative Press said that, "opening track, “Right Where We Left Off,” builds upon a chunky guitar riff that recalls classic NFG, yet surprises with smart, subtle rhythmic twists. NFG’s true maturity though, shines in the album’s skillful composition that offers up instant classics like “Heartless At Best”." Kelly Knickerbocker of the Dallas Observer also noted, "Heartbreak bodes well for creative processes, it seems. Not Without A Fight is full of performances by pissed-off dudes who are taking it back to their roots: raw punk-pop."

Critics have praised the band for their ability to write infectious hooks and the sincerity of their lyrics, often about growing up and relationships. Joe DeAndrea of AbsolutePunk has described the band's lyricism as "blatant and to the point", yet "relatable". Michael Dabaie of College Music Journal opined that, "These guys exude sincerity, and lyrics like "The needle on my record player has been wearing thin/This record has been playing since the day you've been with him" will ring true with everyone who ever wore out their Descendents records during a bad breakup." Chad Gilbert has noted that, "if the delivery is honest and real, that's what keeps it from being the corniest thing you've ever heard before. New Found Glory is a band that people enjoy listening to not because we give off this harsh message. We write about who we are and what effects us in life and those are our relationships". Bassist Ian Grushka has stated that "all of the lyrics are based on real life experiences. A song can be created from something one of us is going through or a conversation we've had." While also adding, "We only really talk about personal things that have affected us first-hand, our songs are about emotions rather than some political agenda." Rhythm guitarist Steve Klein is the band's primary lyricist, while lead guitarist Chad Gilbert is the main composer of the songs. Although for the recording of Coming Home, Klein, Pundik and Gilbert all worked on lyrics together for the first time.They have cited hardcore bands Hatebreed and Madball, as well as fellow pop punk bands Green Day and Blink-182 as major influences on their career.

Impact

In recent years the band have been cited for their long lasting influence on contemporary pop punk music. Adam Webb of Ultimate-Guitar wrote of the band during a review of Not Without a Fight (2009); "In an age filled with formulaic, wannabe emo bands focused more on the haircut of the week rather than creating tunes that rock the copper wires off your speakers, the Floridian quintet, now 12 years into their existence, have created a rockin' pop punk album that shows just why they stand so tall above the crowd of uneventful scenesters that is the tragedy of the music scene today." He also opined that the bands music can appeal to fans of "pop, hardcore and punk" in equal measure. Brendan Manley, journalist for Alternative Press covered the bands history in a 2010 article. He stated, "In the 13 years since the South Florida-bred band took their place as the kings of easycore, New Found Glory have time and time again brought their signature fusion of melody and mosh to the masses. As impressive as the band's contribution is to the modern pop-punk cannon, their longevity and perpetual relevance is nearly as astonishing".

British rock magazine Kerrang! have also noted, "basing much of their lyrical content on heartbreak, the band have gained somewhat of a cult following due to their ability to connect with their fans on unusually personal levels, while their penchant for incorporating pop sensibility into a sound that (largely) stays true to punk's roots has earned them respect from much of the hardcore community." In a diffent Kerrang! article in 2010 covering the re-issue of their self-titled album, George Garner wrote "without them, pop-punk would be missing some of its most anthemic moments, and All Time Low wouldn't have their name." PopMatters also wrote an article on the album and it's anniversary tour. Melissa Bobbitt stated, "What a blessing it is to still have NFG around, on this, the 10th anniversary of their self-titled record. This tour served as a collection of whimsical snapshots in their prolific career. It may not be apparent to anyone outside of Alternative Press readers, but New Found Glory’s influence is vastly felt today. A testament to that was supporting act Fireworks. Their whiplash sound and choreographed jumping all came from the pages of the NFG guidebook to punk-pop."

Ian Chaddock of Big Cheese magazine has also praised the bands longevity; "What makes NFG better than all the pop punk bands coming through these days? The songs, that's what. And the Florida quintet have accrued plenty of infectious anthems in their 12-year history." Jason Tate, the CEO of AbsolutePunk, wrote of the band, "Back when New Found Glory's Self-Titled album was released there weren't many that gave it a chance to be one of the building-blocks for an entire genre. However, in hindsight, it appears as though that disc may have had more of an impact than anyone ever could have guessed." Rock Sound magazine have also opined that even some of the stronger pop-punk releases in recent years have "only been bettered by their US peers New Found Glory's 2000 self-titled effort." Mark Hoppus, who later produced the bands sixth studio album, said of New Found Glory: "It was one of those records that never found its way out of my CD player. New Found Glory just had something different and unique. I was really drawn to their melodies, and their guitar parts were more interesting and more creative than a lot of the stuff that was going on." It was also explained that when Jared Logan was producing Fall Out Boy's debut album, he asked bassist Pete Wentz about the sound the band had desired for recording. Wentz responded by "handing over the first two New Found Glory records".