All Time Low

All Time Low - The Party Scene
Release Date: July 19, 2005
Record Label: Emerald Moon Records

I remember when I was 17 years old. I did a lot of stupid things, as well as some great things, but I never did what the 4 members of All Time Low did. That would be releasing a debut album under independent label Emerald Moon Records. Hailing from Baltimore, All Time Low (consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Alex Gaskarth, guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson) have released an album, titled “The Party Scene”, filled with great melodies, catchy sing-alongs, and energizing guitar hooks. If you were listening to this album for the first time, not knowing who the band was, you would think that this would be an established pop-punk band’s second or third album. You would think that a band with four 17 year-olds wouldn’t be able to write an album as good as this. But All Time Low has surprised many, showing that they are very talented despite how young they are. Prepare yourself for 40 minutes of some of the best pop-punk you’ll hear all year.

“The Party Scene” starts with a short prelude that leads you into Gaskarth’s raw vocals on the title track. I am impressed by the vocals on this album, not all 17 year-olds can sing like this. There is no trace of a whine in his voice. The hooks in the title track haven’t left my head for a while. “Lullabies” begins with soft vocals backed by with the gentle strumming of the guitar. Gaskarth’s vocals then rise as the guitars kick in and the drumming picks up. “Hometown Heroes, National Nobodies” is the fastest song on the album, as it gets to business right away. It reminds me a lot of old school NFG, minus the annoying vocals. Gaskarth does a great job of harmonizing on this track. “Circles” is a harder song with a slight dark undertone. “Break Out! Break Out!” is definitely my favorite track on this album, as it punches you in the back of the head, only to caress it with the insanely catchy chorus. All Time Low shows some range with “Running From Lions”, a soothing acoustic song filled with handclaps and superb harmonizing.
“The Girl’s A Straight Up Hustler” reminds me a little of Northstar, a song that starts up slowly, only to pick up towards the end. To the end the album, the boys give us a little humor and booty shaking with a techno song titled “Sticks, Stones, and Techno”. It’s a fun way to end a stellar pop-punk album.

All Time Low is ready to take over your ears as your new favorite pop-punk band. 13 upbeat tracks ready to bounce around in your brain and emerge from your mouth. All Time Low has the potential to be the next The Academy Is… and Cartel, and be even better than those bands. So, put on your dancing shoes, this is one “Party” you don’t want to miss - Absolute Punk

While sizable chunks of high school graduates received their diplomas at the end of the school year unsure on what sort of career path they'll embark, the members of Baltimore-area pop-punk quartet All Time Low have an exact idea of where they'll be headed — straight into the van and in the studio for a full-time career in music.

These class of 2006 high school graduates have spent most of their high school careers developing their sound, refining their live sets and gaining valuable recording experience through their years in All Time Low. And they're exiting their senior years with the talent and knowledge in hand to take their craft seriously, primarily via the release of their Hopeless/Sub City debut, Put Up or Shut Up. Kick-starting with the melody-drenched opener "Coffee Shop Soundtrack," Put Up or Shut Up winds the listener through the various hallways of All Time Low's musical safe house, including the seamless, stuttered chorus accents of "Break Out! Break Out!," the swaying, waltz-esque rhythms of "Lullabies" and the stunning vocal harmonies of "The Girl's a Straight-Up Hustler."

Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat launched All Time Low over three years ago after gaining some initial inspiration from bands like Blink-182 and Green Day. With the addition of drummer Rian Dawson and bassist Zack Merrick, All Time Low found itself further refining its early sound. "We always set out to play pop-punk, as that's always what we've wanted to play and write our music around," says Gaskarth. "Though there hasn't been a huge change in the style of the music, we've progressed and matured as musicians over the years."

All Time Low's Baltimore locale was instrumental in helping the act gain some quick recognition and experience in the clubs. "Baltimore has some really great venues and all the venues give young, new bands a chance to do their thing and play to as many people as they can," says Gaskarth. Some of those acts have included Motion City Soundtrack, The Early November, The Academy Is..., Acceptance, Gym Class Heroes, and Cartel.

Touring between their high school commitments, the members of All Time Low managed to cover both the East Coast and Southern states, gaining some valuable road lessons during spring breaks and summer vacations. In addition to the touring life, All Time Low also released a pair of independently produced discs via local label Emerald Moon, including a four-song EP, The Three Words to Remember In Dealing With the End, in 2004 and a full-length, titled The Party Scene, in 2005.

One of the bands All Time Low happened to share a bill with was Amber Pacific. After becoming friends with the Hopeless act, Amber Pacific passed All Time Low's music to Hopeless Records. The label immediately took interest and the band quickly became the newest addition to the roster. (All Time Low aim to start recording their next full-length in late 2006.)

Put Up or Shut Up features new recordings of some older material, refined and updated to meet the band's current standards. The self-produced EP was mixed by Zach Odom and Kenneth Mount at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta (Outkast, Cartel).

And there are plenty of people around All Time Low at their live shows, which Gaskarth likens to a party of sorts, where silly string, beach balls and crowd surfing aren't all that uncommon.

"We don't like to replicate the CD exactly," he says. "We make a thing out of being almost theatrical on stage. We try to turn the whole place into a party every time. We want to be everybody's friend. I think we try to keep everything really positive and have a good time. We've come to party!"

As for the opportunity for these fresh high school graduates to graduate into the real world through a formidable music career filled with promise, says Gaskarth, "It's just a dream that's slowly coming true."
- Last FM- the social music revolution

All Time Low is a pop-punk powerhouse of a band hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, their music defined by unforgettable melodies, explosive guitar hooks and relentlessly driving rhythms. Having formed in the summer of 2003, Alex Gaskarth, Zack Merrick, Jack Barakat and Rian Dawson, set out with nothing more in sight than the aspiration to play good music that people could dance and clap their hands to; perhaps even sing along with. Patience, practice and the release of their first EP gave rise to an explosion of unexpected, but extremely welcome appreciation for the music about a year later, and with that, an acknowledgment of the loud n' clear message that All Time Low's music so avidly conveys; "We're here, and we're here to stay." Now at the prime age of 17, with the independent release of their debut full-length, "The Party Scene", the band seeks to drive itself deeper into the hearts and minds of listeners and secure a place in that medium for years to come. - www.reverbnation.com

"All Time Low has the potential to be the next The Academy Is and Cartel, and be even better than those bands, so put on your dancing shoes - this is one Party you dont want to miss."
87% / B+ - absolutepunk.net

"They baked this cake to perfection; every track is your neighbors flawlessly manicured lawn. They have done more than master pop rock with sickeningly catchy sing-alongs these boys created all of Baltimore's summer soundtrack in one false swoop." -- - upbeetmusic.com

All Time Low: Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat (guitar); Zach Merick (bass instrument); Rian Dawson (drums).Additional personnel: Juliet Simms (vocals); The Dangerous Summer, Matt Flyzik, Dan Dori, Jason Park, Alex Grieco (background vocals).For its first full-length album, SO WRONG, IT'S RIGHT, the Maryland punk-pop act All Time Low offers up a sharp, sensitive set of tunes. Incorporating heart-on-the-sleeve sincerity without resorting to emo histrionics (see "Remembering Sunday"), the quartet, fronted by affable singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth, also nods to vintage hardcore on occasion, as evinced on the blazing opener, "This Is How We Do."

- Muze

"While the comparisons to fall out boy are inevitably it does'nt stop this from being a great EPthey are one of the best indie emo bands out there and after the release there full length album will probably get signed to a major label, this is a great band with a great sound defienetly buy this EP" - by: Bradbabs from Deerfield, Illinois

HOPELESS SIGNS ALL TIME LOW; BAND TOURING WITH TRANSITION
Posted by Scott Heisel on 28-Mar-06 @ 05:03 PM

Southern California-based independent label Hopeless Records has announced the signing of Baltimore pop-punk band All Time Low. The band, whose most recent release was 2005's The Party Scene on Emerald Moon Records, are currently in the studio finishing their Hopeless debut EP, titled Put Up Or Shut Up. The seven-song EP will feature two brand new songs, and five re-worked from the band's back catalog. The EP should be out later this summer.

The group expect to be out of the studio by this Saturday, after which they will embark on a brief tour with Transition, as well as play some fests along the way.
- Hopeless Records