The Aquarian Weekly » Divya Gunasekaran

Terrible Things: Rise From the Ashes

Divya Gunasekaran — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:42:13 +0000

Anonymity can be a powerful weapon. As a new band putting out their debut album, however, it’s usually a weapon that works against you. Yet, the recently formed trio, Terrible Things, is reveling in the opportunity to operate in obscurity and build their name from the ground up—which might be more difficult than expected considering the list of associated acts houses names like Taking Back Sunday, Coheed And Cambria and Hot Rod Circuit.

Terrible Things is vocalist/guitarist Fred Mascherino, vocalist/guitarist Andy Jackson, and drummer Josh Eppard, former members of TBS, HRC and Coheed, respectively. Though they have big credentials to…

Interview with Jordan Witzigreuter of the Ready Set: The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

Divya Gunasekaran — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:48:56 +0000

Judging by his debut album, which was released just last week, Jordan Witzigreuter is well on his way to mastering the art of catchy pop. I’m Alive, I’m Dreaming showcases Witzigreuter’s knack for combining pop, electronics and even hip-hop undertones into a light-hearted, danceable blend. Just ask Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz. Witzigreuter signed to Wentz’s Decaydance Records and to Sire Records in November, and his debut will be the first release from the collaboration of the two labels.

However, as the 20-year-old singer, songwriter and musician from Fort Wayne, IN, told The Aquarian, he has certainly paid his dues.…

Interview with Anthony Green of Circa Survive: Clear Skies Ahead

Divya Gunasekaran — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:49:46 +0000

For Circa Survive frontman Anthony Green, each album represents a new chapter in the band’s career. With the release of Blue Sky Noise in April, the Philly band has entered the third chapter in its life—the chapter that “really fucks you up,” according to Green.

Green says he felt an overwhelming amount of pressure during the creation of the album—not from Atlantic Records, which the band signed to in the past year after its contract with Equal Vision Records ended, not from his bandmates and not from the fans —but from himself. As a testament to the band’s strength, however,…

Interview with Something Corporate: The Second Time Around

Divya Gunasekaran — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:47:07 +0000

By all appearances, there is no such thing as life after music. Bands are born into the music world, lead exciting, nomadic lives, and breathe creativity day in and day out. They may break up, sell out, reunite, burn out or fade away, but in many people’s minds, when musicians aren’t making music, their lives are suspended in animation and spent sitting motionless in the studio, poised with instrument in hand, ready to spring to life with the start of the next record cycle. The thought that performers could even have goals and aspirations outside of music is simply incomprehensible.…

The Pixies / Black Gold @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Divya Gunasekaran — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:38:01 +0000

NEW YORK, NY—Any time a respected, formerly dissolved band reunites to play old favorites, there are always going to be people who ascribe shallow motivations to that band, gripe about the pricy concert tickets and point out the lack of new releases.

I’m sure that was the case when the Pixies played the Hammerstein Ballroom four nights in a row as part of their Doolittle tour, which has been celebrating the 20th anniversary of their third album. And if you’re one of those people, then you’re missing the point because this tour is about the fans. Whatever the actual motivations…

Interview with Vincent Accardi & Brian Lane of Brand New: Heeding The Call

Divya Gunasekaran — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:10:20 +0000

Deja Entendu suggested it back in 2003, 2006’s The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me announced it loud and clear, and this year Daisy removed any doubts that may have still lingered: Brand New is not the same band it used to be. In their almost decade-long career together, the Long Island natives have greatly evolved from their adolescent pop-punk beginnings and are now operating on a more somber and contemplative level at the alternative and experimental end of the rock spectrum.

The September release of Daisy brought forth not only another bout of touring—which has brought the band…

Super Furry Animals: Interview With Gruff Rhys: Day For Night

Divya Gunasekaran — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:42:51 +0000

Super Furry Animals know rock ’n roll. During one of their shows at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, vocalist and guitarist Gruff Rhys embraced the rough, uninhibited spirit of the genre by vomiting on stage—even if it was unintentional.

“Yeah, it was quite unfortunate, but I think it was very raw,” Rhys said. “It’s quite rock ‘n roll.”

Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a repeat of that incident when the Welsh quintet come over to the States this month on one of their “musical excursions” —a term Rhys coined to describe the short bouts of performances the band has been doing…

Never Shout Never: Never Left Unsaid

Divya Gunasekaran — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:45:50 +0000

Anytime I see young artists rise to the top of the charts and pave a way for themselves in the music world, I always end up looking back at the accomplishments of my youth. It is at this point that I realize my biggest achievement was not getting into a car accident—except the time I ran over a concrete divider, but that doesn’t really count. But this obviously isn’t about me—after all, I’m not the one over whom record labels were fighting and I’ve never appeared on MTV’s TRL. Those credits belong to 18-year-old singer, songwriter, and guitarist Christofer Drew…

Interview with Black Gold: Silver And Gold

Divya Gunasekaran — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:45:04 +0000

Eric Ronick and Than Luu’s experience coming together as Black Gold and putting out a debut album probably falls along the lines of the atypical. There were no bowling alley gigs or free house concerts; no obscure or non-existent musical background; and no uninterrupted, yearlong writing/recording session. Instead, Black Gold’s first tour was in support of Panic At The Disco at stadium-sized venues. As for their credits, Ronick has frequently played on tour with Panic as well as with the band Ambulance Ltd., while Luu has worked with artists like M. Ward and Rachel Yamagata. And their debut album, Rush,…

Interview with Reggie And The Full Effect: Final Boarding Call

Divya Gunasekaran — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:00:00 +0000

For James Dewees, this 2008 summer tour is his last ride as Reggie And The Full Effect. The former drummer for hardcore outfit Coalesce, keyboardist for indie rockers The Get Up Kids, and touring keyboardist for My Chemical Romance and New Found Glory struck a catchy balance of rock, synth pop, hardcore and ridiculous humor with his solo project, Reggie And The Full Effect, and its multiple personalities (British techno sensation Fluxuation and Finnish death metal lords Common Denominator). After 10 years, however, multi-instrumentalist Dewees feels it’s time to lay Reggie to rest.

His fifth and last album, Last Stop:…