"Listen to Your Friends" Released: December 23, 2008
"Don't Let Her Pull You Down" Released: October 20, 2009
"Truck Stop Blues" Released: July 21, 2010
Not Without a Fight is the sixth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was released on March 10, 2009, through independent labelEpitaph Records. Produced by Blink-182 singer-bassist Mark Hoppus and recorded at his home based-OPRA Studios, the album was seen as a return to the band's energetic roots in comparison to its predecessor; the mellow Coming Home (2006). The gap between releases marked the longest period between studio albums in the band's career thus far, while the title is taken from the lyrics in opening track, "Right Where We Left Off".[2][3]
In the United States, opening week sales reached 26,900 units allowing it to debut at number one on the Billboard Independent Albums Chart and number twelve on the Billboard 200.[4] This marked their fourth consecutive album to debut in the top twenty on the Billboard chart, despite leaking six weeks prior to its official release.[5] The album was released early in Australia to coincide with the band's appearance at the Soundwave Festival and it debuted at number thirty six on the ARIA Charts.[6]
Background
Following the release, promotion and touring of Coming Home (2006), the band parted ways with major labelGeffen Records in early 2007.[7]Steve Klein, the band's chief lyricist and rhythm guitarist explained that due to the label undergoing several management changes, the band were left feeling isolated; "At the time of Coming Home being released, this guy who was the president was all about Pussycat Dolls and all that pop and R&B. It came out at a time when they weren't really caring about their rock bands. And you know, we had a choice to be on that label again for the next one and we just decided that we didn't want to be part of a label that didn't want to put out rock music."[2] The band subsequently recorded their second cover album, From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II (2007) without a record contract, before agreeing a distribution deal with former label Drive-Thru Records.[7] After writing and recording several demos in the interim period, lead guitarist and composerChad Gilbert contacted Mark Hoppus early in 2008 to discuss a possible project. When they met, Gilbert showed Hoppus the series of rough demos from his iPod and it was then agreed to record an album in Hoppus' home studio, despite the band not being signed to a label at the time.[8]
Recording and production
"The record is definitely energetic. These are straight-up rock songs. There's no bullshit or crazy effects."
The band entered the studio in the latter part of May 2008,[10] and completed recording in July.[11] Hoppus later stated that he was willing to take part in the project as he would be working with a band with a "definite sound" in mind, but who "also wanted input and guidance from someone they trusted."[8] The producer also commented afterward that, "We worked really hard to get great, gritty guitars, big drums, edgy bass, and Jordan is singing stronger than he ever has. The songs really came together, and I can't wait for people to hear this record."[8] Speaking of the recording sessions, Steve Klein praised the "lighthearted" atmosphere amongst Hoppus and the band; "He didn't take himself too seriously and we don't take ourselves too seriously, either. Every day, you'd wake up and go, "Man, I can't wait to get to the studio." [2]FrontmanJordan Pundik also praised Hoppus. He commented in Alternative Press magazine, "He had a lot of really cool ideas as far as bass lines and bass tones and things like that, and he also came up with some really cool harmonies for vocals. But he wasn't really there to tell us what to do. It was more like a collaborative. It was nice to have him there because he's not just a producer. He was in a band that kind of set the tone for bands like New Found Glory and a lot of the newer bands."[12] Gilbert meanwhile, spoke of the band's desire to concentrate solely on their music; "Lately in music, especially in our scene, I feel like there has been a lot of emphasis on the look, and I feel now there is a lot less emphasis on the song and a lot more on the album packaging or the color of the shirts the band is wearing and the style of their hair. I just hope people get this record and say 'Wow, this is a straightforward album with pure emotion and pure adrenaline' and it's a record with five guys, who look like guys".[13]
Composition
The album's overall sound was seen as a "return to form",[14][15][16] going back to the band's faster and energetic roots.[17] This was mainly because previous album, Coming Home, was viewed as a more mellow, mid-tempo and sentimental record.[17] Fans made comparisons with the band's eponymous second album,[13] while critics often noted a growing maturity. Mike Demante of the Houston Chronicle reported that, "Not Without a Fight is full of those catchy choruses and gang vocals that fans have come to love. The album is a return to form, whilst still incorporating the indie-rock of its Geffen records' swan song, Coming Home, and last year's melodic hardcore EP Tip of the Iceberg."[15] 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"."[18]The A.V. Club critic Aaron Burgess was in agreeance; "Maturity remains a guiding principle on Not Without A Fight—the band strikes a keen balance between hard-hitting, soft-hearted, youthfully exuberant, and all grown up."[19] 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, with crafty and sometimes cynical lyrics."[20]
The metaphor for the album title was described by Gilbert as "our personal war and the wars that you have in relationships with your loved ones. When you want something bad enough in life you have to fight for it. That's like with our band. We love being in this band, and we'll do whatever it takes to continue."[13] Drummer Cyrus Bolooki further explained, "I think it just kind of goes in with the whole idea that we've been around for a while, and we really feel like a resurgence for us that after eleven years now we're still relevant. We're on tours with bands like Four Year Strong, A Day To Remember and you know, a lot of these bands maybe first got into bands like us, so it's almost like another generation."[3] Musically, Gilbert explained that unlike the harmony-driven Coming Home, the band wanted to return to a more energetic style both because of the embittered lyrics and the need to translate songs live. "We love [the songs off] Coming Home, but live we couldn't really rock out to them. And that's what we love. So I think naturally I was wanting rhythms that I knew I'd have fun playing live."[21] He supported this by explaining the band's desire to alternate between albums; "Every album New Found Glory's released is different in its own way, and we'll continue to work that way. When we write albums, whatever comes out, comes out. We're always real, and I think that's why we still have the fans we do."[13] Much of the lyrical themes also come in contrast to Coming Home, largely due to divorces that Pundik and Gilbert went through since writing the previous album, as well as their departure from Geffen Records. Most topics deal with reflection and bitterness towards the former relationships. Gilbert found the best way to express these emotions was to revisit the fast-paced style of the band's earlier days. "The truth of the matter is that when we did Coming Home we were all in love. I was engaged, Jordan was engaged, But since that time my relationship failed, Jordan's relationship failed and going into this record we had a lot of angst. We didn't aim to make a faster, more energetic record. That's just what really came out because of our natural emotion."[17]
Release and promotion
Klein, Pundik and Gilbert perform during the 2009 Not Without a Fight Tour at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Upon completion of the album, the band were in a position to present songs to various record labels. Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, already a keen admirer of the band,[2] signed them to his long running independent labelEpitaph Records in September 2008, with a view to release the album in February 2009.[22] In September and October 2008, New Found Glory went on a US tour, dubbed the Easycore Tour, with International Superheroes of Hardcore, A Day to Remember, Four Year Strong and Crime in Stereo.[23][24] On October 13, 2008, Bolooki revealed that the album would be titled Not Without a Fight. He said it "kind of goes in with the whole idea that we've been around for a while and we really feel like a resurgence for us that after eleven years now we're still relevant."[25] In November 2008, they went on a UK tour with Set Your Goals and Four Year Strong.[23] The first single from the album was "Listen to Your Friends", and was released through iTunes on December 23.[26] On January 6, 2009, the album's artwork and track listing were posted online.[27] "Listen to Your Friends" was released to radio on January 27, 2009.[28] Over a month before its official release, the album leaked online.[29] In response to this, guitarist Chad Gilbert stated although he was disappointed, he was happy for his band's music to be heard by any means: "As far as the leaking thing. If my favorite bands CD came out early online I would download it too. I will still buy it though because when I love a band I've got to have the album packaging and artwork. The whole building up to release date loses a bit of its excitement but to be honest, the fans that would go out of their way to download it are the true fans that go out of their way to buy merch and are the ones that will know the words first and sing every song at the show."[30] In February and March, the band toured Australia as part of the Soundwave festival.[31]
Not Without a Fight was made available for streaming through the band's Myspace profile on March 3, 2009, before being released through Epitaph Records on March 10, 2009.[32] The vinyl edition of the album was released through independent label Bridge Nine Records. The Japanese edition of the album included "I'm the Fool" as a bonus track.[33] A music video for "Listen to Your Friends" premiered on the same day.[34] Between late March and early May, the band went on headlining tour of the US with support from Set Your Goals, Bayside[35] and Shai Hulud. Verse were originally supposed to support New Found Gloiry, however, they unexpectedly broke up, resulting in Shai Hulud taking their place. On April 18, Shai Hulud left the tour and were replaced by Fireworks.[36] New Found Glory appeared at The Bamboozle festival in early May.[37] During the summer, the band made appearances for major festivals at the Rock AM Ring in Germany and Reading and Leeds in England.[38][39] Soon afterwards, Bolooki confirmed they had finished shooting the video for second single "Don't Let Her Pull You Down".[40] The video premiered on October 15,[41][42] and was released on October 20 on 7-inch vinyl.[43] In October and November 2009, the band embarked on a headlining US tour; they were due to end the year supporting Dashboard Confessional, but that act cancelled their tour citing family issues.[44][45] An acoustic tour was instead scheduled with Dashboard Confessional, running through December 2009.[46]
Touring continued well into 2010, with the band headlining the Slam Dunk Festival along with Alkaline Trio and Capdown.[47] Later in June, it was announced the band were shooting the video for "Truck Stop Blues", acting as promotion for the band's appearance on the Honda Civic Tour between July and September 2010.[48][49] The video was later released via the band's Twitter and Facebook pages on 21 July.[50] In between dates of the Honda Civic Tour, the band played headlining shows in smaller venues alongside Lemuria and the Wonder Years.[51]
Not Without a Fight garnered mostly positive reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, the album holds a score of 61 out of 100 based on reviews from eleven critics, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[52] Joe DeAndrea, staff reviewer for AbsolutePunk, awarded a score of 86%. He said of the band that, "on Not Without a Fight, it's clear that New Found Glory still haven't lost their knack of creating an album with sing-a-long choruses and memorable guitar riffs that fans will love." He described the songs as "energy filled" and noted the album was "another breath of fresh air within a genre saturated with vocoder and neon.[53] Andrew Leahey, in his review for Allmusic, awarded the album 3½ stars out of five. He praised the "mature performance" of frontman Jordan Pundik; "Unlike his younger pop-punk contemporaries, though, Pundik no longer seems smitten with the idea of a happy relationship. There are precious few traces of the urgent, here's-to-the-night ethos that other groups champion so heartily. Taken as a whole, Not Without a Fight is a pleasant listen, mature in its outlook, and happily adolescent in its vigor".[54]
Alternative Press journalist Brendan Manley also awarded a score of 3½ stars out of five and claimed, "throughout Fight, it's the guitars, fueled by drummer Cyrus Bolooki's frenetic tempos, that exude the greatest return to form. From "47," with its near-speed-metal breakdown to the raucous "I'll Never Love Again" to the fluid, Tom DeLonge-esque guitar lines in "Truck Stop Blues," it becomes abundantly clear that guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein have rediscovered their mojo and have come to rock." Despite stating that the album lacked consistency in the latter half, he summarised that, "the record is a reminder of why we fell in love with NFG in the first place and for many of us, that's enough."[18]Billboard magazine were also favourable, stating, "With Blink-182/+44 bassist Mark Hoppus producing, Fight does pack a wallop, enveloping frontman Jordan Pundik's angsty relationship paeans on a dozen compact, dynamic and hooky tracks in a mere 35 minutes".[52] Alex Hofford of North Carolina State University-based newspaper, the Technician, awarded the album 4½ stars out of five in his review. He called the album a "paradigm of the pop-punk craze from earlier in the decade", while noting, "New Found Glory has successfully combined the sounds from their previous ventures into one sonically cohesive album. Even when the band wants to slow down the pace with more melodic songs like "Reasons" and "Heartless At Best," they don't ruin the flow of the album. This is one "fight" you shouldn't miss."[60]Q magazine writer Dave Everley awarded the album a "good" three out of five stars, opining that, "New Found Glory's newfound maturity makes for a palatable record that will soothe lovelorn rockers. It may not be their defining release, but its a reminder as to why the fivesome have garnered such a devout following."[58]
Rock Sound magazine were highly impressed and gave a score of nine out of ten, lauding the album as the band's best work to date. Andrew Kelham opined that, "each song is a thick cut of pop punk played to perfection by a group of musicians who have taken a genre by the throat and defined it with their sound".[59]The A.V. Club critic Aaron Burgess awarded the album a "B" grade and remarked; "the loud-guitar and crunching-rhythm style that drives the album, demonstrates that, softening middle years be damned, New Found Glory still hits hard enough to matter".[19] Adam Webb, staff writer for Ultimate-Guitar was also largely favourable in his review, awarding a score of 8.3/10. He commented that the band had, "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". Hailing the band as the "undisputed kings of pop punk", he finalised his review by adding, "You'd be clinically insane not to give this album a go. Either that or you're blind, deaf and dumb. In which case you have a valid reason and a much bigger problem at hand".[1] However, other reviews were less receptive. Tom Bryant of British magazine Kerrang! was critical of the album's sound asking "whether this is a sound of a brand trying to recapture the past; a band having a midlife crisis."[21] In his review for Rocklouder!, critic John Webber noted that "By no means is this a bad record; in fact it easily lays waste to most releases in the same vain this side of Coming Home, but when held up against such a stunning back catalogue, it is certainly not an essential purchase for any new fans."[61]PopMatters echoed this sentiment by writing, "It doesn't mean they've made a bad album here, just a predictable one. Attempting a traditionalist record in any genre is a game of constraints, and those constraints are fully felt on Not Without a Fight."[52]
As part of their "20 Years of Pop Punk" Tour, the band played the album in full in rotation with other releases from their catalog in 2017.[63]
In 2016, Chad Gilbert, while ranking his favorite of his own albums with New Found Glory ranked Not Without a Fight in last place stating
"I think I tried the least on that one. It came after the Coming Home record, which we put a lot into song writing and lyric wise, and there’s a lot of emotion in that record. But when Coming Home first came out it wasn’t that well received, so when we went back into the recording studio for Not Without a Fight I was like, ‘Screw it! I’m just gonna write and record punk songs, and that’s it.’ So I don’t think I pushed myself enough, and musically it was the quickest and easiest album I think we’ve ever done. It was also the one I was the least emotionally attached to,"[64]
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka, Chad Gilbert, and Cyrus Bolooki (drums). Longtime rhythm guitarist and lyricist Steve Klein left the band in late 2013. During their lengthy recording career, the band have released twelve studio albums, one live album, two EPs, and four cover albums.
Sticks and Stones is the third studio album by American rock band New Found Glory.
New Found Glory is the second studio album and major label debut by the American rock band of the same name. It was produced and mixed by Neal Avron and released on September 26, 2000, through Drive-Thru and MCA Records. Featuring a new recording of the band's breakthrough single "Hit or Miss", the album was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with shipments of 500,000 units.
Nothing Gold Can Stay is the debut studio album by American rock band New Found Glory, released on May 1, 1999, through independent record label Eulogy Recordings. At the time, the band was then named "A New Found Glory", but later dropped the indefinite article "A" due to some fans struggling to find their records in stores. The original pressings of the album contained samplings from several films including The Outsiders (1983), Weird Science (1985), and That Thing You Do! (1996), as well as Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay", after which the album is named.
Catalyst is the fourth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory, released on May 18, 2004 through Drive-Thru and Geffen Records. It was the band's last album to be produced by Neal Avron until 2011's Radiosurgery.
Jordan Izaak Pundik is an American singer. He is a founding member and the frontman of Floridian rock band New Found Glory, for whom he sings lead vocals and contributes lyrics. He was also the guitarist in the band's now-defunct side project International Superheroes of Hardcore, where he performed under the pseudonym of "Chugga Chugga".
Matchbook Romance was an American emo band from Poughkeepsie, New York and was formed in 1997. They were signed to Epitaph Records. They released two full-length albums and one EP. Their EP, West for Wishing, released in 2003 was their first recorded album during their time on Epitaph; their full-length debut album, Stories and Alibis, was recorded in the same year.
Coming Home is the fifth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was produced by the band along with Thom Panunzio and released on September 19, 2006, through Geffen Records. Written and demoed at the Morning View Mansion in Malibu, California during 2005, Coming Home is lyrically themed around being away from home and loved ones. The album marks a departure from the band's earlier work, implementing a more layered and mid-tempo sound that features various piano, keyboard, and string instrumentation more comparable to classic rock than their usual pop punk style.
"It's Not Your Fault" is a song by American rock band New Found Glory, serving as the lead single from their fifth studio album Coming Home (2006). The track was first announced in July 2006, before the music video debuted on TRL on 1 August. "It's Not Your Fault" was released to radio on July 25, 2006. The song was later released to Modern Rock Radio in September, shortly before the album was released.
From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II is a cover album by American band New Found Glory, and is the follow-up from the EP From the Screen to Your Stereo (2000). All the tracks are cover versions of songs from motion picture soundtracks. In 2019, the band released another album in the series, From the Screen to Your Stereo 3, under the Hopeless label.
Hits is a compilation album by American pop-punk band New Found Glory, released on March 18, 2008, on Geffen Records.
Farewell is an American pop punk band formed in 2004 in Greensboro, North Carolina. They were signed to Epitaph Records releasing two CDs. After fulfilling their contractual obligations with the release of their second CD, the relationship with Epitaph ended.
Not Without a Heart Once Nourished by Sticks and Stones Within Blood Ill-Tempered Misanthropy Pure Gold Can Stay is a split EP by pop punk band New Found Glory and hardcore punk band Shai Hulud. This limited edition EP was only available at shows on the "Not Without a Fight" tour with New Found Glory, Bayside, Set Your Goals, and Shai Hulud. This tour spanned from March 25, 2009 to May 10, 2009. However, the EP was not available until the March 26 show in San Diego. Shai Hulud's song featured on this release originally appeared on the band's album, Misanthropy Pure. New Found Glory contributed their song, "Truck Stop Blues" to the release, featured on their last album, Not Without a Fight, produced by Mark Hoppus from Blink-182.
This Will Be the Death of Us is the second studio album by American rock band Set Your Goals, released on July 21, 2009, on Epitaph Records. Following the release of their debut album Mutiny! in 2006, the group discovered they were not being paid royalties. After a prolonged battle to terminate their contract, the band began working on their second album in late 2008. They spent March 2008 recording with producer Mike Green in Los Angeles, California. Friends from other bands contributed additional vocal performances on several songs. Preceded by supporting tours with New Found Glory and All Time Low, This Will Be the Death of Us was released through independent label Epitaph Records in July 2009.
Swiss Army Bro-Mance is a limited edition split EP by American rock bands New Found Glory and Dashboard Confessional.
All I Have to Offer Is My Own Confusion is the debut full-length studio album by American rock band Fireworks.
Radiosurgery is the seventh studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was first released on October 3, 2011, in Europe, before its US release on October 4 through independent label Epitaph Records. It is the band's final studio album to feature founding guitarist Steve Klein. To follow up predecessor Not Without a Fight (2009), the band began writing new material during their stint on the 2010 Honda Civic Tour. After self-producing a set of demos and contacting long-term record producer Neal Avron, the band went on to record the album in Avron's home recording studio over a period of three months in 2011. The quintet set out to write an album that paid homage to classic punk rock records that first inspired them to form a band during the 1990s. Listening extensively to the likes of early Green Day and Ramones, New Found Glory strove to create a sound that could "bridge the gap" between old and new generations of the genre.
A Very New Found Glory Christmas is the third EP by American rock band New Found Glory. Self-produced by the band, it is a special edition Christmas-themed acoustic recording featuring two original songs and three covers. The EP was limited to 2,000 pressings and was released via cassette tape on December 1, 2012. 1,000 white copies were sold on tour, and 1,000 red copies were sold in their online store. The band released "Nothing for Christmas" via Rdio and Spotify on December 20, after debuting songs off the EP during the tenth anniversary tour of their Sticks and Stones album. The cover art is a parody of the 1990 blockbuster movie Home Alone.
Kill It Live is the first live album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was recorded during two sold-out shows at the Chain Reaction music venue in Anaheim, California between March 27—28, 2013. It was first released on October 7, 2013 in the United Kingdom, before its wider release in other regions soon after. It was issued through imprint label Violently Happy Records, a partnership between independent label Bridge Nine Records and the band's guitarist Chad Gilbert.
Resurrection is the eighth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. Released on October 7, 2014, it is the band's first album recorded as a four-piece since the departure of founding guitarist-lyricist Steve Klein in late 2013. The album also marks their debut release with independent label Hopeless Records, having concluded their previous recording contract with Epitaph Records.
↑ Hutton, Sarah (September 23, 2008). "Soundwave Line-up 2009". FasterLouder. Junkee Media. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
