Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Chasing Monroe formed in 2003 and have been making great music and have been hard at work ever since. Drawing from tons of different musical tastes the four guys blended all of this into a style all their own. Hailing from the ever-growing popular musical state of New Jersey, they’re making a name for themselves among giants.
All right I’m going to be absolutely honest. A friend gave me this EP after he purchased it and I’ve had it for a while not giving it a fair chance. I saw how high it was on smartpunk and decided to give it a shot and after hearing the opening track stopped it and put it on the shelf. “Our Hearts Speak in Third Person” is an extremely slow musically intelligent piece and I was in the mood for some fast paced guitars and screams. Only after featuring them on the site did I decide to get past this first track and boy am I glad I did. The next track, “Start This Tape Over” offers exactly what I was looking for. It opens with great vocals over a pounding fast paced drumbeat. Insanely intense guitar riffs comprise the majority of the song. Just a great surprise after the slow opening, I was hooked and ready for more. “The World Through Stained Glass” started with an extremely slow soothing intro before kicking it into overdrive. The vocals are pretty amazing as well and the guitar just crunched perfectly throughout the song. The bridge breakdown of a the slow guitar riff with distant vocals over the top was awesome especially when the drums erupted once again. “Third Before Fifth” offers more of the same. It has extremely technical music, great lyrics and awesome vocals. It also slows way down and the dynamics in it make it that much better. It’s amazing that even though they are showcasing such awesome hooks and riffs the songs themselves are somehow still catchy.
I apologize to everyone for not reviewing this EP the day I got it. One of the EP highlights of the year. The band offers extremely passionate guitar work, excellent vocals and awesome lyrics. For a self-produced EP it is unbelievable. The production sounds extremely clean s well. Musically this is one of the best EPs I’ve heard in this genre not to mention the guys seem to do all of this while not sounding like anyone else. Go pick it up today, you won’t be disappointed. - Joe Kominowski (Drivenfaroff.com)
Chasing Monroe "A Friend At Midnight" was released July 10th. A great cd, fun for any fan of emo. The wierd thing is, these guys do not sound like any other emo band. Although the singer reminds me of a young Claudio Sanchez (in his voice), it still does not sound like any other band. They have brought a new style to music, a style everyone should be entertained by.
Chasing Monroe may not be your most popular band, in fact not many people outside of New Jersey have actually heard them. That will change in the next few years, as Chasing Monroe will start to tour and make more great music. With loud guitars, fast bass lines, pounding drums and a voice that stands out like no other, you have to like this cd.
One song that stood out was "Start This Tape Over", its one of those songs where, you know the words before they even start singing, or before you have even heard the song. Its very catchy and has a lot of speed. Making it one of the best songs on the cd. This is only one of the good songs on the cd.
"The World Through Stained Glass" an older song, but still can shock you everytime you listen to it. One of their most emo songs on the cd, but one of the best once again. So if you like the details I gave you I would go and buy this cd. Its worth the $6 and you will not be disapointed at all.
For Fans Of: Coheed and Cambria, Hidden In Plain View
Standout Tracks:
"Start This Tape Over"
"The World Through Stained Glass"
"Crimson Skies"
- Thomas Puopolo (Acclaimedpunk.com)
Discography
"A Friend At Midnight" EP - released July 14th 2004.
"Shoelaces" and "The Getaway" are two singles released in April 2005, only on Purevolume and the radio. (Both songs have been played on many college radio stations, including Monmouth University, Seton Hall University (WSOU), and Lehigh University (WLVR)).
The new LP, "if and only if" will be released in late 2006. Songs are up on myspace and it will be available on iTunes and in selected stores
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Every once in awhile, a band comes along that just seems out of their own league. A band that is meant for things we cannot begin to imagine, a band that defies ordinary definition. A band that just seems special. A band that simply put makes it look easy. A band that is fueled solely by music… its flow, its rhythm, its feel. When music is life, life becomes music, and thus every experience becomes a song, every feeling a lyric, and every day another opportunity to make feet-stomping, head-bobbing tunes that will stay in your head until next leap year. The band that does all this? Chasing Monroe.
The boys of Chasing Monroe were born to groove. Grooving isn’t a hobby of theirs; it’s what makes their worlds go round. Singer/Guitarist Tony Vangi began his musical career with bassist Corey Flynn back in 2001. The two immediately knew what they wanted to do with their talents, and got to it right away. Soon they found the other two pieces of the puzzle, Guitarist Justin Similo and drummer Adam Frese. When the four met, well…let’s just say the music world breathed a sigh of relief. The tunes started coming and the whole place became one big groove factory.
Chasing Monroe quickly released an EP, titled “A Friend at Midnight”, and began pursuing their dreams. They sold over 1500 copies of the EP within the first 6 months it was out, even getting to #1 on the Smartpunk.com CD sales charts for awhile. They rocked out all over New Jersey, and toured the northeast like nobody’s business. After the name was established throughout Jersey, plans for the second album came into focus. The four boys went back to work and kicked out jams that made the first EP sound like a kindergarten playground. For their second release, they decided to work with upcoming Long Island producer, Anthony Santonocito, or as everyone knows him, the infamous Santo. The 5 men went into Killingsworth Recording Studio, and a week and a half later, came out with the future of Chasing Monroe tightly rolled into 11 songs. The new LP, titled “if and only if”, is a detailed look into the musical minds of Chasing Monroe. It takes you from the hardest rock to the lightest folk all the way back to a sing your heart out anthem. And the best part is… these young boys are just getting started. At an average age of 19, they plan on making their mark on music, life, and the world with every waking breath.
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