Honor By August (who capitalize the "By" in their name [1] ) is an American rock band originally from Washington, D.C. They come from the same scene around Georgetown University that spawned Vertical Horizon, although many years later. [2]
The idea behind the name "Honor By August" is that one gains honor by doing something admirable or awe-inspiring [3] (as an adjective, "august" means "inspiring reverence or admiration" [4] ).
Early on, the group won the grand prize in the pop category of Billboard Magazine's World Song Contest for a live recording of the song "Only in Photographs." [5] [6] Their first big break was opening for Hanson at the 9:30 Club as a result of winning a "battle of the bands" contest. [7] [8] They also won a competition, out of over 150 bands, to open for Bon Jovi at a sold-out show at the DC-area arena Verizon Center. [7] [9] Additionally, the group has played or toured with Imagine Dragons, [10] Switchfoot, [11] Jonny Lang, [12] Tony Lucca, [11] Hanson, Red Wanting Blue, Hootie & the Blowfish, Pat McGee Band, Howie Day, Ingram Hill, Emerson Hart, Keith Kane (of Vertical Horizon), Virginia Coalition, Emmet Swimming, Aslyn, Michael Tolcher, State Radio, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, and The Alternate Routes. They won the BMI/Pulse Battle of the Boat competition to play on The Rock Boat in 2007 and were again added to the lineup for 2014. [13]
Their first independent effort, Drowning Out the Television, was released in 2006, [9] [14] [15] then re-released in 2007 with bonus material. It was produced by Ted Comerford. Both the original release and the re-release were made available on Aware Records's website and hit #1 in sales.
In 2010, the group self-released an EP entitled On Our Own [16] and embarked on a national tour with Luna Halo and the Ruse. [17]
The group's 2013 release Monuments to Progress, [18] its first on Noble Steed Music, [19] was funded by a Kickstarter drive. [20] According to frontman Michael Pearsall, "We had all the material but not the funds, so figured we’d try Kickstarter. The amount of support we received was completely humbling and mind-blowing; not only did we make enough to record the album, but the donations actually surpassed what we needed." [21]
The album was released on April 23, 2013, [22] and the first single, "Last Chance," was picked up nationally and added into rotation on over a dozen stations, including WIAD (94.7 Fresh FM) and "The Pulse" on Sirius XM. [23]
Melvins are an American rock band formed in 1983, in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. They originally performed as only a trio but later also sometimes appeared as a quartet with either two drummers or two bassists. Since 1984, vocalist and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been constant members. The band was named after a supervisor at a Thriftway in Montesano, where Osborne also worked as a clerk; "Melvin" was disliked by other employees, and the band's members felt it to be an appropriately ridiculous name.
Nomeansno was a Canadian punk rock band formed in Victoria, British Columbia and later relocated to Vancouver. They issued 11 albums, including a collaborative album with Jello Biafra, as well as numerous EPs and singles. Critic Martin Popoff described their music as "the mightiest merger between the hateful aggression of punk and the discipline of heavy metal." Nomeansno's distinct hardcore punk sound, complex instrumentation, and dark, "savagely intelligent" lyrics inspired subsequent musicians. They are often considered foundational in the punk jazz and post-hardcore movements, and have been cited as a formative influence on the math rock and emo genres.
Disciple is an American Christian metal and rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, formed in 1992. Since its formation, the band has released 12 studio albums, 3 extended plays, 1 live extended play, and 1 compilation album.
Number One Gun was a Christian rock band from Chico, California, that was most recently signed to Tooth & Nail Records. They self-released their debut EP Forever in 2002, before releasing their follow-up albums Celebrate Mistakes (2003) on Floodgate Records and Promises for the Imperfect (2005) on Tooth & Nail Records.
Misery Signals is an American-Canadian metalcore band formed in Wisconsin in 2002.
Michael Emanuel, better known by his stage name Michale Graves, is an American singer. He is best known as the lead vocalist for the 1990s re-incarnation of the horror punk band Misfits from 1995 to 2000, leaving briefly in 1998. Graves grew up in Dumont, New Jersey. He has also released several albums as a solo artist.
Amber Pacific is an American pop-punk band that formed in 2002 in Federal Way, Washington. The band has released four full-length albums, The Possibility and the Promise in 2005, Truth in Sincerity in 2007, Virtues in 2010 and The Turn in 2014.
Enter the Haggis is a Canadian Celtic rock band based in Toronto. The band was founded in 1995 by Craig Downie, the only remaining original member in the lineup, which currently consists of Downie, Brian Buchanan, Trevor Lewington, Mark Abraham, and Bruce McCarthy (drums). For about a year, starting in late 2014, they recorded and performed under the name Jubilee Riots, and released their eighth studio album Penny Black under that name, before returning to the original name.
Young Knives are an English indie rock band from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. The name is based on a misunderstanding of "young knaves", which was found by the band when rummaging through a book.
The Classic Crime is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington formed in 2004. The band's current lineup consists of Matt MacDonald, Alan Clark (bass), Robert "Cheeze" Negrin (guitar), and Paul "Skip" Erickson. They have released three albums and an EP on Tooth & Nail Records, two of which, The Silver Cord (2008) and Vagabonds (2010), charted in the Billboard 200. In July 2011, the band left Tooth & Nail to produce a fourth album with the help of fan donations via Kickstarter, called Phoenix (2012). After the success they found in the crowdfunding approach with Phoenix, the band continued using Kickstarter as a means to fund their albums, subsequently releasing What Was Done: Vol. 1 in 2014, How to Be Human in 2017, and Patterns in the Static in 2020. A seventh full length album was successfully funded and is due to release sometime in 2022.
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalist Jon Mess, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. The band formerly included lead vocalists Jonny Craig, Kurt Travis, and Tilian Pearson. The lineup has changed several times since their inception. Swan and Mingus are the only band members who have appeared on every studio album.
Eleventyseven is an American pop punk band from Greenville, South Carolina which was formed in 2002. They chose the name "Eleventyseven" because "it's the one that looked cool the next morning". The band was originally signed to Flicker Records and released two albums with the label that charted on Christian music charts. After an independent streak, the band signed on to Sony Japan before returning to an independent status a year later. They continued to tour, self produce and release music independently until disbanding in September 2014.
Everybody Else is an American rock band from Silverlake, California.
A Skylit Drive is an American post-hardcore band from Lodi, California. The band has released one DVD, one EP and five studio albums: Wires...and the Concept of Breathing (2008), Adelphia (2009), Identity on Fire (2011), Rise (2013) and, most recently, ASD (2015). The band has toured internationally both as headliner and supporting act. In 2017, the band broke up after a dispute between Nick Miller and Michael Jagmin.
Abandon is an American Christian rock band from San Antonio, Texas. The group had five members: brothers Josh and Justin Engler (guitar), cousins Stevan (guitar) and Dave Vela (drums), and Bryan Fowler (bass).
Jonathan Monroe Craig is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter, best known as the former lead vocalist of bands Dance Gavin Dance, Emarosa, and Slaves, as well as the co-lead vocalist of the short-lived supergroup Isles & Glaciers. As a solo artist, he has released two studio albums, two EPs and a live album to date, and his distinct type of soul-based singing has earned him considerable acclaim.
Sparks the Rescue is an American rock band from Maine. They formed when members of three high school bands Pozer, Short of April and Two Girls Later converged. Their debut EP Stumbling Skyward was released independently in 2005 with McAllister and O'Connell sharing main vocal duties. The band released the Hey, Mr. Allure EP in 2006, which saw the addition of lead vocalist Alex Roy. On February 6, 2007, Sparks the Rescue released their junior EP The Secrets We Can't Keep after signing to Double Blind Music. This release saw the departure of their keyboardist. STR officially released their debut full-length album Eyes to the Sun on May 5, 2009, on Fearless Records. The album was produced by Jonathan Wyman of Halo Studios in Westbrook, Maine.
Yuck was a rock band that originated in London, England in 2009. The band's final lineup was drummer Jonny Rogoff, guitarist Ed Hayes, bassist Mariko Doi, and lead vocalist/guitarist Max Bloom, who formerly played in the band Cajun Dance Party along with former Yuck member Daniel Blumberg. The band's self-titled debut album was released through Fat Possum on 21 February 2011 in the United Kingdom. Critics have likened the band to bands such as Dinosaur Jr., The Smashing Pumpkins, Pavement, My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth.
The Dunwells are an English rock band, formed in Leeds in 2009. The group consists of brothers Joseph Dunwell (vocals) and David Dunwell, along with friends Adam Taylor and Rob Clayton.
X Ambassadors are an American pop rock band from Ithaca, New York. Its members currently include lead vocalist Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris, and drummer Adam Levin. Russ Flynn is a touring member that plays guitar and bass. Their most notable songs include "Jungle", "Renegades", and "Unsteady". The band's debut full-length album, VHS, was released on June 30, 2015. Their second album, Orion, was released on June 14, 2019. Their third album, The Beautiful Liar, was released on September 24, 2021.