This Condition

November 20, 2008
By: Susan Frances

This Condition - We Don’t Have To Be Alone
Record Label: Unsigned
Release Date: November 18, 2008

This Condition have returned with their latest EP, We Don’t Have To Be Alone, the follow up to their 2007 disc, Find It In You. Produced by Anthony Santanocito, We Don’t Have To Be Alone has a prom night feel relatable to Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and a pop punk palette reflective of Houston Calls. Engineering a mix of acoustically jeweled rock, softcore punk, and lively rustles planked by glam-rock riffs, This Condition has a tamed wildness that wraps their punk rock flakes in melodic trimmings and frame their acoustic vessels in power rock boosters, invigorating quakes, and heart-shaped arcs. This Condition’s new disc offers alot to like about this band’s music and keeps power rock-fringed tunage a contender in the world market.

The band’s rapport is attractive racking up punk-inspired rivets and limbs of frilly guitar licks from Mike McGovern and Anthony Giambalvo along “The Timing” and “Some Nights Just Feel Right” lotioned by leader singer Nate Cyphert’s sinewy vocal hooks. Cyphert shows a champion attitude asserting that life cannot beat you down unless you let it in the song “Barefoot” when he insists, “Nothing is going to change unless we let it happen.” The song has a sing-along vibe reminiscent of The Kooks. This Condition hits their stride when they coalesce acoustic schemes with power rock flecks through “Red Letter,” and when their glam-rock voltage through “I’m No Hero” is thimbled by slow throbbing rhythms from drummer Steve Keyes and bassist Nick Cantatore.

This Condition’s new disc can be classified alongside The Kooks showing a penchant to relate to real life, and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus in its reels of engaging power rock riffs. The band skates through these tracks as if the songs are flowing in their blood. The songs and the band are such a perfect fit for each other that no gimmicks are required.

http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=691212 - absolutepunk.net

December 2008
By: Andrew Klatzke

Band: This Condition
Album: We Don't Have to Be Alone
Genre: Pop
Line up:

Label: Unsigned

Tracks:
1. The Timing
2. Red Letter
3. Some Nights Just Feel Right
4. I'm No Hero
5. Barefoot (Steve's Song)

This Condition is a relatively unknown band from Long Island. Their songs are predominately pop, but not exactly the kind of pop you're likely to be expecting. They're not the infectious, hook reliant, synth overrun garbage that everyone's come to expect coming out of the scene. Instead, they're a bit more diverse. The songs are a lot more subtle, almost encompassing an indie-esque tenderness. They're far from being labeled anything as specific as indie-pop, but they've definitely got something going on that bands like The Maine or All Time Low can't claim.

Everything about this EP is extremely solid. The rythm sections is solid, the guitar work is more diverse than most pop acts, and the vocals (as required) are great. The vocals are especially interesting, and their vocalist (Nate) can really hold his own. Not only is his voice good, his delivery and inflection are pleasantly entertaining. The whole sound they've got going just fits together so well. You may not hear any epic guitar solos, and they've got nothing extremely marvelous going on, but the sound is just so amazingly cohesive that it more than makes up for it. This isn't empty cookie-cutter praise, this EP really has solidified itself a spot as one of my favorite pop albums of '08.


There really isn't a weak song on this five-track EP. They're all solid, and while some take a more downbeat approach there are others that are much more alive. "The Timing" starts it off with a great, slower track. This leads into "Red Letter" a predominately acoustic track that is truthfully one of my favorite songs I've heard this year. The simple styling, combined with some of the most heartwarming lyrics I think I've ever heard work together to make this track simple amazing. While they may be a little cheesy, the lines "I should tell her that I love her, I need her tonight. That the stars are only second to her beautiful eyes. I want her all for my own. I should tell her that my mornings are the best when I wake to see my angel, with a smile gracefully on her face" are truly some of the most heartwarming, (and may i say, cutest), ones I've heard in a long, long time. The rest of the EP doesn't dissapoint after this either. While there may not be another track that hits like "Red Letter," none of them are letdowns.

We Don't Have To Be Alone is five tracks of pure pop bliss. For such a young band, This Condition has themselves one great, cohesive sound. They may not be the most original band, but they sure put most of their contemporaries to shame. We Don't Have To Be Alone came out of completely nowhere and caught me by complete surprise. Now you know, so do yourself a favor; when this comes out November 18th, don't miss it.
Rating: 9

http://www.highbeamreview.com/review.php?id=333 - Highbeam Reviews

December 2008
By: Kyle Schnitzer

This Condition - We Don’t Have To Be Alone EP (8.6/10)

Lalalalalala. Long Island doesn’t really produce music anymore. And if this land mass does put out music, it usually sucks. It’s either terrible hardcore acts or some TBS cover band. So lets say it’s been a while since there’s been a band worth the hype. I could stop my review here, but I’ll keep going. The area hasn’t put out “pop-rock” music ever. Not even “pop-punk.” But it seems times have changed...

While Long Island isn’t the new Maryland, the area is starting to get some good bands to blossom. One of those bands is This Condition. One could say this band was generic at one point. They have opened for all indie label acts on the Island. Trust me, I’ve seen them a lot. They released an EP last year; I wouldn’t call it great, but it showed that they had potential. Nearing the end of 2008, This Condition released We Don’t Have To Be Alone, a five song EP highlighting the potential of this band.

This Condition delivers the listener, “The Timing” right away. This radio-begging track showcases the prancing vocals of Nate Cyphert, where his pipes bring resemblance to Bryce Avery of The Rocket Summer. The duo of Crypher and Steve Keyes can make any listener remember the chorus, “We Don’t Have To Be Alone/I’m gonna set the record straight/ I’m a kid on the interstate.” From this upbeat fashion, This Condition slows it down with “Red Letter.” This track seems to be a favorite of most listeners. Cyphert’s addition of acoustic guitar and his falsetto’s, has the listener thinking. You could even get lost in the music.

I’m not gonna ruin the EP for the listener. So I’m going to jump to the last track, “Barefoot (Steve’s Song).” This track gives the listener a feel of how comfortable This Condition is with their sound. While it might not be unique, they know how to make it polished. Think of This Providence before they signed to Fueled By Ramen, the sound we all loved. This Condition portrays this sound. They even end the EP with a little sing along at the end.

While I could beg you to listen to this, I won’t. I’ll tell you that if you don’t listen to This Condition soon, they won’t be alone. They should be signed to a label. We Don’t Have To Be Alone is polished pop-rock. It’s not overdone by anything cheesy - it’s straight up. Predicting 2009: This Condition should be the next hype band all over the internet. We Don’t Have To Be Alone is a hit.

Artist: This Condition
Album: We Don’t Have To Be Alone EP
Label: Unsigned
Location: Long Island, New York
RIYL: This Providence, The Rocket Summer, The Maine
Reviewed By: Kyle Schnitzer

http://thedailychorus.com/rev.php?subaction=showcomments&id=1229370723&archive=&start_from=&ucat=6& - TheDailyChorus.com

April 2009
By Joseph Buscarino

This Condition, a five piece set straight out of the heart of Long Island, offer music lovers a fresh new twist on the acoustic driven bands we’ve been deprived of for awhile. This Condition gets back to emotional roots of LI, while still getting plenty of kick from the catchy electric and acoustic mix of sound.
Head bobbing bass and drum lines keep the music groovy, while airy lyrics that make us remember the ones we’ve loved and the times we’ve had; the mood these tunes put you in doesn’t allow you to stop listening them. This Condition is currently in a battle for a spot on this year’s BAMBOOZLE. Vote for them here. The finals are from April 13-26, but you might as well vote now with the link right in front of you!
If you’re looking for some straight up Long Island heart and soul head on over to their myspace. Also, their hot new EP “We Don’t Have To Be Alone,” is available here on iTunes. Personally I think “The Timing,” is an absolutely incredible track, so make sure you check it out!

http://lishowdown.com/2009/04/14/artist-this-condition/ - LIShowdown.com

April 2009
By Cassie

I’m still having some connection issues so we’re going to make this short. Here is your new Band of the Week. THIS CONDITION! This is one of my fave hometon bands. These dudes have killed it on stage every show i’ve been to.


Let me explain my Sunday night to you guys this week. I’ve been following the showpopr bamboozle contest each week and popn and dropn everyone as I feel needed. Now Sunday night ended the last round. I stalked the fuck out of that website. I messaged probley a good 100 people to vote for TC and I posted atleast 4 bulletins. At one point in time during the night ( I belive around 1130, voted ended at midnight) the 1st 2 pages of Bulletins on my Myspace were all “VOTE FOR THIS CONDITION” from fans, and other Long Island bands, not even the band themselves. I thought that was amazing. Anyway, I dont even know if the winner has been announced yet, b/c both TC and INK got so many votes at the end, they had to audit the votes. But please check out This Condition.

If you’re hitting up Bamboozle this weekend, check the dudes out Saturday, 11:35, Zumiez Stage.

http://www.myspace.com/thiscondition

http://cassiesroadtripmusicblog.com/post/101035765/im-still-having-some-connection-issues-so-were

http://cassiesroadtripmusicblog.com/post/101035765/im-still-having-some-connection-issues-so-were - Cassie's Roadtrip Music Blog

Find it in you is the most recent release from the Long Island band, This Condition who are presently working on a new record to be released in August 2008. Their EP, Find It In you is packed with emo gears, pop punk cylinders and shafts of energetic rock that have put Cartel and The Plain White T’s on the radar, proving that sometimes too much of a good things can make audiences want even more of it. The fivesome’s music strikes a chord with people of their own age, and with anyone who enjoys the wicked tremors emitted from a series of rocketing chords shot off like a row of fireworks. The demonstration shows that This Condition have the pop punk sensibilities of The Starting Line and the power rock blasts of Sugarcult. Find it in you has songs that This Condition want to play, and most notably, it is music that starts up this band’s engine.

“Red Letter� is the first song that plays on the media player at the band’s Myspace page. It is a multi-toned track, opening with bars supported by acoustic guitars and vocals, which then burst into action midway through with a splurge of power rock flourishes. The richness in the melodic layers have an attractive acoustic and rock blend, which could be a teaser about what to expect from the band’s new record because this track is not on Find It In You.

Still, the EP has several good points. And though much of the recording is concentrated on the rivulets of vibrating power chords modulated by guitarists Mike McGovern and Anthony Giambalvo, the rhythm section of bassist Nick Cantatore and drummer Steve Keyes produce a catchy thumping momentum, which give songs like “Thieves and the Things They Do� and “The Pick Up No. 96� some place for fans to grab onto through the riptides in the current. The density of the guitar shreds through “Sunday� creates a high rise sonics while the pop punk grooves of “In Brooklyn� have an emo-touch which commandeers the steering.

The lead vocals of Nate Cyphert have a melodic ring buoyed by the agility in his bounce as he manages an energy level that runs right alongside his band mates. The overlapping of his vocal melodies on “Thieves and the Thing They Do� broadens the track’s ability to induce excitement, and the band’s rhythmic jumps and splashing through “Cast Away� reinforces the band’s prowess for pop punk.

This Condition’s record is music that you will feel very familiar with, and may even be enamored of if your tastes favor the energy levels of pop punk. The band shows that they can play like their musical influences, but whether This Condition can move out of the shadow and into their own frame is what their new record will tell. They dunked their feet in new waters with “Red Letter,� but is there more where that came from or was it a one-time effort? This will be revealed in the band’s new record.

By Susan Frances
AbsolutePunk.net, July 27, 2008 - AbsolutePunk.net

"I love Long Island."

"I hate Long Island."

Nate Cyphert and Anthony Giambalvo, both members of the band This Condition, don't typically disagree like this. But regarding the love/ hate relationship with this isle of suburbia, it is accurate to say they are thankful for being here.

In the franticly evolving digital music era, Long Island is one of the few remaining important geographical music scenes, ranking among the likes of Austin, Texas Atlanta, Ga., and New York City. Alexander Ferzan, a Long Island-based manager and artist development representative, says as little as four years ago, "Long Island was the new Seattle." He believes that the island has become a graveyard for tons of broken music, referring to the clutter of so many similar sounding bands. Succeeding in getting past this clutter in is one of the few ways into an industry that is starved for fresh, good talent.

The crowded Long Island music scene is showing early signs of recognizing This Condition as one of its rising stars-a strong first step for the band in the marathon race to make it big in the music business. In other words, This Condition is a band you will want to know now (so you can say you knew them later).

Cyphert's voice is the first quality that distinguishes This Condition from other bands. With his vocal range resting comfortably in the tenor range (similar to falsetto of The Rocket Summer's Bryce Avary, but with more power underneath), his vocals succeed at grabbing listeners' attention. Once they have listeners hooked, their other strengths take hold as the energetic guitars and bass provide a high-energy pop to their music, all the while resting on the solidly-driving drums.

The band members, all from Long Island (save for Hofstra-grad Cyphert, a Pennsylvania native), recently won a "Battle of the Bands" contest hosted by Adelphi University. After making it through multiple rounds with scores based on a mix of fan voting and a panel of judges, This Condition took home the win in late March of this year.

Beating out four other bands in the final round, This Condition based their high-energy performance around Cyphert's front-man presence, the band's talented musical performances and the crowd's enthusiastic interaction. One fan even jumped off part of the stage. They were also the only band to pull the entire crowd close to the stage; the other bands could do nothing to contain the scattered college crowd.

The win allowed them to open for Adelphi's Spring Concert featuring Yellowcard and Brand New, two well-established bands with avid fans. Performing with those bands added to the growing exposure This Condition has received throughout the past year.

Aside from the Adelphi contest, the band has lasted deep into other Battle of the Bands competitions in the area. They've also participated in an MTV2 online competition, and have worked hard promoting themselves through online media.

The intense whirlwind is taking place as each member is either working on or has wrapped up their post-secondary studies. Guitarist Giambalvo, 18, currently attends SUNY Farmingdale. Bassist Nick Cantatore, 19, is a Nassau Community College student (drummer Stephen Keyes, 20, used to go there), and guitarist Mike McGovern, 22, goes to (and travels to band functions from) Marist University in Poughkeepsie. Lead singer and guitarist Cyphert graduated from Hofstra in May 2007, and at 23 is the oldest member of the band.

Despite their young ages, the members of This Condition come across as if they are already veterans of the music scene they are trying to break into. Name any Long Island music venue and they trade stories like war veterans. Start talking local bands and they'll dissect what they believe to be the best and worst of their peers. Since most of the members are from Long Island, they have a somewhat natural understanding of the local music community.

Given that, it makes sense that on a dreary Saturday morning in February the band members would be hard at work in a furnished basement in Plainview, N.Y. Sipping coffee to stay alert during the "early" practice (as college students know, any hour before noon on a Saturday is early), they practice various aspects of their music, debating arrangements of drum breaks and possible crowd sing-a-longs. They are situated just minutes away from the hometowns of bands like Taking Back Sunday and Brand New, bands that just ten years ago were practicing in front of similar scenery.

This Condition was born in 2006, a product of happenstance acquaintances made in workplaces and through friendships. Three of the members had played together in bands before, a common mark of many bands from Long Island. They worked on writing and performing, and recorded a five-song EP in 2007 called "Find it in You."

The songs from that EP have been played over 50,000 times on the band's MySpace page, a number that has grown to be just as important (if not more) than record sales in today's industry. In fact, the amount of EPs they have sold is almost an obsolete figure.

"Our EP is on iTunes, and we've sold about 300, but we have way more plays online," Cyphert says. "We watch that a lot more. On a day where I can check the MySpace and see like 400 plays, that's awesome."

"When you're booking a tour, agents will look at your friend count and play count [on MySpace]," McGovern adds. "The biggest thing is every band's doing it and you have to get past them."

How to do that is a question most bands today are still asking. This Condition is trying a few new things to get to that level. As immersed as they are in the Long Island scene, they are doing what they need to do to stand out. Each member has his own idea of things the band can to do thrive.

"We're still not the popular kids on the schoolyard, that's why we want to get out of here and tour," says McGovern. "You can get too involved in this scene, so we're kind of lucky that we are coming in from the outside."

"Colleges are key now," Giambalvo says.

"I don't even look to mainstream radio," adds Cyphert, "but colleges can get you there."

The band is also looking at Internet radio as well, working with the likes of DJ Rosstar, an online radio pioneer who has a Midas touch in many music related circles.

"Any band that he talks about on his show, their MySpace page just blows up," Cyphert says.

But the band's main efforts are going towards using what Long Island has to offer to their advantage. This is where Cyphert's time at Hofstra is paying off-he graduated from the university's young music business program, which the university describes as helping students "develop a background in music and musicianship that prepares them for a wide range of further educational and vocational activities that include music as a component."

"It really did help, I'm a lot less na've," laughs Cyphert.

His studies have also helped stress the importance of actual people, not just numbers online. One of the biggest benefits of attaining any sort of success as a band in Long Island is the characteristically passionate fans. Bands from the area that have become extremely popular all have very loyal and traditionally avid fan base.

"That's definitely part of what we want," says Cyphert. "Fans in general are a huge part, they power all of the online stuff, and we have fans who are very passionate."

For proof of the power local fans hold, look no further than Nassau County natives Lights Resolve, who won a Samsung Mobile Unsigned Bands Competition. The contest was judged completely by the votes of fans, and Lights Resolve received over 20,000 votes on their way to the win, which netted them $7,500 cash and an opening spot on a major U.S. tour. When This Condition caught wind of this news, they were excited.

"They won that?" Cyphert asks as the band starts spouting superlatives about their Nassau County companions. "They definitely deserve it."

With a young fan base already established, the members of This Condition say they want to expand to other age groups, especially their own.

"We've done a lot better with college age people," says McGovern. "Once we started performing better live, people stopped coming out of pity. They started coming to have fun."

Which, according to Cyphert, adds to the credibility of the band. He explains, "If you're 25 and your fans are 15."

"It's almost like bands like that don't want to play music, they just want to woo girls at shows," Keyes cuts in.

"That's why the Battle of the Bands is our make-or-break point for the summer," McGovern adds. The win not only put them in the Adelphi concert, but netted them $1,500 as well. The money will be used to ease the costs of both a planned summer tour and recording sessions for their next EP.

"We are working with a booking agent, and we have close to 40 shows in the Northeast planned," says McGovern.

Cyphert looks surprised by this information. "Wow, really? Forty?"

The busy upcoming summer will prove to be an important one for the band, with the tour and EP serving as benchmarks to measure their success.

Since graduating, Cyphert has been spending a lot of his time away from work doing band-related activities. Applying what he learned at Hofstra has been crucial, he says, and has paid off.

As for the rest of the band, they're focusing on their studies until they can devote all their time to music.

"Right now we're all in school and we aren't ready to stop that," McGovern says.

Once the semester is over, the band will focus on the busy summer and continue to take steps to becoming a more professionally legitimate band, something that can mean different things depending on who you speak to.

"I know I don't want to be looking for a major label deal or anything like that. It's a lot to deal with," Cyphert says.

Bands like Paramore and artists like Madonna have signed "360 deals," an idea This Condition seemed to approve. These deals basically allow the record label to take more profit from tour ticket and merchandise sales (mainstays for income of every band) in exchange for offering a larger lump sum upon signing.

"I think it's cool, I like the idea. If the label signs you they have to stick to you because they've already invested money in you," says Keyes.

"It's bringing artist development back into view," adds Giambalvo.

Where This Condition actually goes from here rests on a few things. Success with their upcoming EP and tour could keep up the momentum they have already built so well. And as always in the music business, one chance meeting with a producer or manager could be the lucky break that speeds things up. The talent is there, as is the incredible amount of passion for what they're doing. The band has an honesty that is visible in their music and in their performances-a rare find in a time when most bands are just working for the next record deal.

The steps This Condition has taken to succeed started with small ideas, many of them originating in classrooms. Now, they find themselves in a world where it is no longer a dream to play with bands they grew up listening to, nor is it a fantasy to have devoted fans following them from show to show. The members of This Condition have invested in the Long Island music scene for many years now, and with the returns finally coming in, they couldn't be any happier.

By Sean O'Kane
pulsemagazineonline.com, May 2008 - Pulse Magazine Online