It’s been about a year since Gainesville, Florida’s Against Me released their stellar “White Crosses” and have been touring pretty nonstop since the release. First was a summer tour with Silversun [...]]]>

Never know, St. Andrew's Hall might be as hot as Coachella's desert air when Against Me plays there on June 15th.

It’s been about a year since Gainesville, Florida’s Against Me released their stellar “White Crosses” and have been touring pretty nonstop since the release. First was a summer tour with Silversun Pickups and then abruptly took a break. There was no real word at first as to the delay in touring, but later it turned out that the band was parting ways with Sire Records, home of their first major label deal.

With the band’s two releases on Sire, “New Wave” and “White Crosses”, the band forged a path that might have scared off a few of their longtime fans, but gained a new legion of fans and put them on the fast track to modern rock stardom. “Crosses” is just another example of how high the band can set the bar: tracks like “I Was a Teenage Anarchist” might have made their old time fans pout, but it did show a bit of maturity that let lead singer Tom Gabel take a look back and reflect on his views so far.

Since the band has got back on the road since the departure from Sire, the band has recruited drummer Jay Weinberg (son of E Street band drummer Max Weinberg) and has been out on the road for much of this year. Earlier this month, the band announced that they would be starting their own label and releasing future albums through their own label.

With the band now on the road with Screaming Females and Lemuria through June 18^th, the band will tour most of the summer on the Warped Tour. But with no Detroit Warped date for the band, the show at St. Andrew’s Hall on Wednesday, June 15^th will be the best opportunity to see one of the best bands, punk, alternative or otherwise give the fans what they want.

Against Me plays at St. Andrew’s Hall on Wednesday, June 15^th. Tickets are $20 and are available at www.livenation.com. Additional tour dates and band info can be found at www.againstme.net.

Fans of the Gainesville, Florida band Against Me’s earlier material were probably selling “sell-out” when the band worked with ex-Nirvana producer Butch Vig on their stellar 2007 album “New Wave”. So, when the band picked Vig once again to produce the band’s [...]]]>

Against Me! hits the Fillmore Detroit on July 2nd.

Fans of the Gainesville, Florida band Against Me’s earlier material were probably selling “sell-out” when the band worked with ex-Nirvana producer Butch Vig on their stellar 2007 album “New Wave”. So, when the band picked Vig once again to produce the band’s follow-up, you could be sure that those old time fans were steaming.

But for those fans, what they will be missing on the band’s new album, “White Crosses”, is another stellar and fine tuned effort that throws a few curveballs, but doesn’t resort with pandering to the masses- but at the same time, should strengthen their fan base.

Tom Gabel and company might shock fans with a single that’s called “I Was A Teenage Anarchist”, that some fans might seem like the band is giving up on their past views, but the reflective moment shows a lot of maturity in their sound and provides one of the catchiest choruses you’re gonna hear all year. Through songs like “Suffocation” and “We’re Breaking In”, the band have put some polish on the anger filled punk- but still hits with a vicious tone.

Only the latter album track “Spanish Moss” failed to ignite any excitement, but other than that, most moments of “White Crosses” are great successes.

I think the main theme of this album is growing out of your teenager and early adult anger about life, but at the same time, that anger is honed in and presented in a more mature perspective. Against Me may be trying to please the masses and a good portion of their hardcore fan base at the same time with “White Crosses”. If the band ends up being a smarter, wittier version of Green Day in the long run- then I guess there are far more fates to imagine.