Balance and Composure

“Balance and Composure are an American alternative rock/melodic punk/post-hardcore band from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Jonathan ‘Jon’ Simmons, bassist Matthew Warner, drummer Bailey Van Ellis and guitarists Erik Petersen and Andy Slaymaker. The band formed in the winter of 2007; their first release being a 6-song EP entitled I Just Want To Be Pure in 2008. The EP is now out of print. A 12’/CD EP entitled Only Boundaries (2009) and a split with Tigers Jaw (2010) followed. The band has also released 2 full length albums: Separation (released May 10, 2011) and The Things We Think We’re Missing (released Sept 10, 2013). Both full lengths were released on No Sleep Records.”

(Bio courtesy of last.fm)

Secret Grief is an emo-tinged, indie-rock band from the lower peninsula of Michigan. Their new album, The Sea Of Trees takes a slow and methodical look into the struggles of accepting one’s own existence in the world. Like life, it is full of dense layers that require repeat visits to truly understand and appreciate all that it has to offer. It is a labyrinth of emotions, and will reward those listeners who can find their way to the center of the maze.

Grand Ledge, MI quintet Jason Alarm is a generational clusterfuck. Bearing the banner of an unnamed, undefined (and perhaps nonexistent?) third-wave of synth-saturated counter-culture rock, the band is perhaps simultaneously too naive to scare away from the proggy-structures and ideas defined as sacrilege by its new wave forbears, and too drawn to the the guitar-shredding excess of metal eschewed by its punk heroes to leave either alone. This exuberant lack of shame and demonstration of beyond-its-years talent manifests itself in a youthful and energetic explosion that might not even stretch its toes over the punk line if not for its speed and clever ability to show restraint and rely on simplicity when called for in any given song or performance. This is truly the beginning of a natural convergence between the mid-to-late 90’s midwest synth punk fallout and the still adventurous themes found amongst dad’s record collection (think Brainiac meets Iron Maiden at a Yes concert)…whether the band itself knows this or not is another question altogether.