A Day to Remember Offers Plenty That’s Memorable

After hearing from a friend that A Day To Remember’s (ADTR) video for “The Downfall of Us All” had broken onto the Fuse Countdown recently, I decided that I had to write this and write it quick. The point of the site, after all, is to feature music that has not yet made it into the mainstream.

And Their Name was Treason, ADTR’s first album, was released in 2005 through Indianola Records. Through word-of-mouth the album sold around 8,000 copies. In 2007, the band signed with Victory Records.

Their second album, 2007′s For Those That Have Heart, was released on Victory Records. In 2008 the album was re-released to include several bonus tracks, including their cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.” Shortly after this, And Their Name Was Treason was remixed and remastered by Victory Records, and released under the title Old Record.

There are several stand-out tracks from For Those That Have Heart, including “Show Em the Ropes”, “The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle”, and the bonus track “You Should Have Killed Me When You Had The Chance.” The latter is a reworked track from And Their Name Was Treason.

The topics that ADTR covers are pretty standard for the genre – love, loss, hope, betrayal, disappointment – but it is the song writing that really sets them apart. I’ve heard plenty of bands that will catch your attention with their instrumentals, but when you sit down and listen to the lyrics it is almost shocking at how utterly bad they are.

Note to all songwriters: If we can correctly guess the next line you are going to say…you need to try harder. Being a cookie cutter, predictable lyricist is not going to help your cause or credibility.

With ADTR, this is not the case. Their choruses are catchy enough to satisfy fans of pop-punk, and their breakdowns are hard enough to satisfy the metalcore fans (although if you fall into the second category you definitely want to focus on their earlier releases). I find random lines from their songs running through my head pretty frequently.

I have no idea how many times the songs “My Life for Hire”, “NJ Legion Iced Tea”, and “Another Song About the Weekend” have been played on my iPod, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that number totals well over 100 plays. Those songs – all from Homesick – are ones that will be stuck on repeat for quite some time.

The band – who originated in Ocala, Florida – released Homesick in February 2009. Since then, they have covered The Fray’s “Over My Head (Cable Car)” for Punk Goes Pop Volume 2. They will also be on all the dates for Vans Warped Tour this summer.

If ADTR’s next release (whenever that may be) is better than Homesick, then all screamo, metalcore, and pop-punk bands should be worried…it’s time to step your games up.

Click the album artwork below to purchase songs/albums from iTunes:

Homesick

For Those That Have Heart

Old Record

And Their Name Was Treason

Punk Goes Pop Volume 2 (The Fray – Over My Head cover)

Or, if you prefer to shop at Amazon, check out their discography in CD and MP3 format: A Day To Remember

Check out the Official Video for “The Downfall of Us All” off their latest album, Homesick:

All photos, music, and videos copyright of their respective owners. Used only for promotional purposes and to gain notoriety for the artists featured.

06172009