Counterpush

What is a counterpush? The main songwriter and lead singer of the band explains, "You won't find the term 'Counterpush' in the dictionary, but once you listen to our EP, you'll understand our mission and what we're setting out to achieve."

Counterpush means exactly what it appears to mean: To push against.

As a musician heavily influenced by bands within the alternative rock genre, Velardo Dala has grown weary with genres and the direction alternative rock has taken in recent years.

When Counterpush was in its infancy, the alternative rock acts pervading the air waves had one voice: and it often took the form of a screaming, beating-your-chest, suburban angst-driven noise. "For the past decade, it seems that every major alternative rock band has been incapable of expressing a sentiment other than unadulterated anger." Is screaming the only way these guys can express themselves?

With the release of their debut EP entitled De Anima, produced by Dave Carlock (The Transplants, Pink), Counterpush intends to go against the proverbial grain by returning to the more pensive and highly personal style of songwriting that propelled such earlier bands as The Smiths or R.E.M.

De Anima is littered with idealism and stories of relationships gone wrong. But Velardo is also determined to show the breadth of his songwriting capabilities.

With Mingo on drums and Gabriel Brooks on bass, the trio manages to take the listener on an emotional journey. De Anima manages to explore a variety of emotions through six well-crafted, intriguing songs. From the unabashedly idealistic "Julie's Song," to the piercing realization of disillusionment in "Siren," De Anima ventures to go beyond the standard emotions that all but guarantee radio airplay in the sterile soil of today.

Clearly the band is not afraid of exploration. Now all they need is an audience that is equally open-minded.