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Song: Dead Ends and Cracks in the Pavement
Band: Brookside
Genre: Rock/Emo
Album: This Means Goodbye EP
Label: Unsigned
Website: www.purevolume.com/brookside
Bottom Line: Long Island has churned out at least one more.
Just down the road from Long Island giants Brand New and Taking Back Sunday comes Brookside. After the first beat of "Dead Ends and Cracks in the Pavement," the listener is immediately thrust into the high energy of the song. From the mid-tempo verse to the sing-along chorus, there is no denying that the band has written a gem. With the lyrical content based around looking back at a past relationship, it’s a song that anyone can relate to.
"We saw the world crash around our feet
We saw the world ignite above my street
You were the girl sitting next to me
You were the girl that made it all complete."
- IndependentClauses.com
Brookside were the rock stars of the night, even drawing some numbers into the crowd that even The Goodlife didn’t have. When a band is so cohesive and energetic, how can anyone not be mesmerized by them? Owing to better production in sound than the Gathering Grounds show as well as about ten times the crowd, Brookside really shined this night. Everything is clean and well-arranged for the band, but Brookside is not by any means anti-septic. Incorporating the bass even more than The Red Racer did, each band member has their own time to shine, and aside from raw talent both the lead singer and second guitarist of Brookside owned the stage. Climbing up on the drum platform, ritualistically slicing down enemies with their instruments, Brookside were an all-around enjoyment. However, the climax of their set came during “Myspace Ruined All My Important Relationships”, and the studio-quality sound of “Westmoreland Heartbreak” showed Brookside as being two steps away from national prominence.
Brookside’s influences would bubble up through the set, with “Dead Ends” having a “Jed” – era Goo Goo Dolls mixed with SR-71 feel. Brookside would leave the stage twenty till midnight, but the crowd that surrounded their merch table would leave them selling and signing to well after midnight. Likeable, talented, and polished, Brookside was the culmination of a night marked by electrifying bands and a perfect crowd.
- Neufutur.com
Discography
Glory Lasts Forever (2000)
This Only Happens in the Movies (2001)
This is me Now (2003)
This Means Goodbye (2004)
On our current EP, This Means Goodbye, we had 2 tracks played on 107.1 The Box in Suffolk, NY
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Long Island has been known for breeding amazing talent through the years, and it doesn't seem to be stopping now. The new kid on the block making all the noise is BROOKSIDE, from the suburban town of Merrick, Long Island. The story goes as such: BROOKSIDE forms in January of 2001, feverishly writes songs and records its first demo entitled Glory Lasts Forever with the help of Brian Lane (Brand New) and Brandon Reilly (The Movielife/Nightmare of You). BROOKSIDE begins booking their own shows at an even faster rate, and from August 2001 through April 2002 shares the stage with Brand New, the Stryder, the Starting Line, Taking Back Sunday, Autopilot Off, Allister, Finch, Something Corporate, the Reunion Show, Coheed and Cambria, Bayside, and the June Spirit. BROOKSIDE earns a reputation of putting on a very emotional and unrelenting live set, and in between all the shows, BROOKSIDE hit the studio to record the This Only Happens in the Movies EP at Runaway Studios in Sands Point, Long Island.
After a brief hiatus, and a lineup change in March of 2003, BROOKSIDE returned fresh out of Joe Dirt Studios with its new demo titled This Is Me…Now, and jumped back into the live circuit, sharing the stage with Thursday and the Starting Line, as well as Allister, Fall Out Boy, Dont Look Down, Steel Train, and the Rocket Summer. The group then embarked on a self-booked, self-funded tour spanning the entire United States in August of 2003. The group, consisting of Matt Baard (vocals/guitar), Brett Newman (drums), Ryan Sherrill (guitar), and Eric Holden (bass) has been playing consistently every weekend along the East Coast. BROOKSIDE have recently completed a new EP entitled This Means Goodbye, recorded at The Animal Farm in Glen Cove, NY. This past May-June, BROOKSIDE again ventured out onto the road for another tour of the U.S., as well as the Midwest in August.
Catchy music, intense live performance, and down-to-earth friends make BROOKSIDE what it is. If they are in a town near you, do yourself a favor and go check them out. They will undoubtedly leave you wanting more.
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