Dear Stardom

Artist: Overise
Album: A Long Story
Purchase: Overise Store
Label: None
Release Date: February 15, 2005



Overall: 7.5
Lyrics: 7.3
Music: 7.6
Production 7.8

Overise are a four piece band that hails from just outside Philadelphia. Their overall sound is pop-rock with lots of melody. Their songs come off pretty catchy with the high sounding vocals of Joey De Noble.

Starting this CD is "Outside" a song that has a nice intro that leads to a nice melodic song with sing along lyrics. They mix catchy and simple guitar licks that make their songs sound really uplifting. On "My Mistake" this song takes a bit of a slower approach but the band still fills it fully of melody. The guitar work is again good and the licks are pretty catchy. Their songs are mostly about girls and love which most people are probably sick of hearing but your not going to get away from those types of songs because those are what influence most writers. "Heaven" starts with a nice catchy intro and then moves into a rather common sounding pop rock song. Here comes Something Corporate on "Part Time Crush". The song, vocals, and everything sounds so much like Something Corporate its almost scary. This is a very nice laid back piano song to wrap up the album.

Overall Overise haven't made anything that is new to our ears, however their music is rather catchy and they have a lot of potential on where they are going. For a good sing along pop/rock album be sure to check them out.

Track Listing
1. Outside
2. It's All Over
3. My Mistake
4. Heaven
5. Part Time Crush

Standout Tracks
"Outside", "It's All Over", "Part Time Crush" - Driven Far Off - http://www.drivenfaroff.com/

Hailing from Philadelphia, a four piece pop-punk band known as Overise has been rocking local Pennsylvania audiences for a little more than a year now all while juggling college careers. Their college education has not stopped them from putting everything they have into the band and they were/are able to book their own shows and put out a six-song demo back in the summer of 2004 and even a three-song acoustic EP in 2003. One would think that with all that on their plate, their musicianship might take a hit, but instead, they seem to have only gotten stronger.

On their newest release, “A Long Story,” a five-song EP that displays their tightened musicianship, the band sounds better than ever. The EP opens up with the song “Outside,” which is their best. It really showcases their musical talent with soothing harmonies and a pretty cool little guitar solo in the middle. This song really sets the tone of the album. The next track, “It’s All Over,” is more of the same formula, again completed with a nice guitar solo in the middle and also sounds like something that Relient K would write. The third track, “My Mistake,” slows things down a bit, but it is a power ballad done well. The fourth track, “Heaven,” is an old track that appeared on the band’s acoustic EP. It has never sounded better than on this EP. The last track, “Part Time Crush,” is one that is more reminiscent of a Something Corporate song and is the perfect ending to the EP which leaves you wanting to hear more from the band.

I am excited about this band and truly believe that if they can keep doing what they are doing, they will end up in some really great places. Keep an eye out for this band.

// Brian

- Frequency Reviews - http://www.frequencyreviews.com/

By Allison Stull
Published: Monday, February 21, 2005

The show "Jackass," teachers, and the giant from "Big Fish"who works at 15 North are just a few of the great things that have come out of West Chester. Now we can add one more thing to the list: the band Overise. Lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Joey Denoble is a combo of sweetness and power when he steps up to the microphone. Denoble then joined forces with lead guitarist Mark Bolger. The two were a natural fit and soon Overise was born. Bolger and Denoble attended West Chester University where they were roommates. They soon added bass guitarist Garret Watts, who joined after seeing Overise perform at a live acoustic show. Last to join the group was drummer Kevin Kurtz, who brought Overise to life with his experience and energy.

All the members of the band are full time college students which makes it difficult to concentrate on their band. However, they manage to pull it off and their dedication can be heard in their music. Overise has opened for bands like Better than Ezra, Dispatch, Familiar 48, and Junction 18. They have also appeared on the 2004 Skate & Surf Compilation "Under the Boardwalk." Overise recently finished recording their first 5-song demo entitled A Long Story.

Overise joined forces with two-time Grammy award winner Michael Tarsia who has worked with such stars as David Bowie and Dru Hill. Tarsia worked as chief engineer on mixing and mastering the CD. The music on the album is very impressive.

The first song, "Outside," shows the true talent of front man Denoble, not to mention the amazing musical accomplishments of the other members of the band. "It's All Over" and "Part-Time Crush" are also enjoyable.

To learn more about Overise, visit their Web site at www.overise.com, and while you are there, sign up to be on their mailing list. Fans can purchase A Long Story at the band's Web site, their shows or at www. smartpunk.com. In the end, Overise looks to bring some dignity and acknowledgement from the music world to the small town of West Chester. - The Quad - The Student Publication of West Chester University (http://www.wcuquad.com/)

Interview with Overise



Twizted Fate (TF) : First, congratulations on finally releasing your EP. What are your feelings now that the world has a chance to hear what you have to say? Feel like there is a weight lifted off your shoulders?
Joey: Yes, there is a definite sense of relief for finishing this CD. We are very proud of the way these songs turned out in the end. This recording is dedicated to everyone who has stuck by us with support in this past year. I feel that the writing is very universal in the fact that lots of people will be able to relate and connect. I have a good feeling that all of our old school and new fans will appreciate this EP.

TF: At anytime during trying to release the EP, were there thoughts of giving up?
Overise: No way. This band is our life. We've become a solid family through all of the hard work and dedication put towards our success. Overise is our future...

TF: I love the cover art and the idea of painting oneself into a corner. Does that symbolize anything? Who came up with that concept?
Joey & Kevin: Well Kevin and I pulled many all-nighters in the process of creating the artwork. We both wanted to "paint a picture" for our listeners. We felt that the cover should explain the "Long Story" we had to go through for making the EP. The figure of the Lawyer painting himself into the corner of a room really brought out the symbolic truthfulness for us. To make a long story short, because of all of us being full time college students and having to deal with legal band issues on top of that, it ended up becoming really hard for us to manage it all. Since we were a freshly new band and the burden of not having lots of money to help us, we were put in an awkward position. This is something that a lot of our fans didn't know about until now. Although above all the obstacles we faced, we are very proud of ourselves for overising it all.

TF: Does it bother you that people negatively criticize your music? (Ex: They are just another pop-punk band.)
Kevin: If anyone wants to criticize our music in any way, whether it is good or bad, that is fine. One thing I think we all can't stand is when people try to bash us because we play music that is poppy. If you can't use logistics and explain WHY you don't like our music, then you aren't saying anything that's fair. This goes out to any and all bands out there that have had similar criticisms said to them. If someone says something bad and they can't back their opinions up with anything that can provide some sort of "constructive criticism" to help the band improve, those people really have no reasons for talking. Just saying that "I don't like their music because it is too poppy" isn't saying anything that really means anything...we would rather you not listen to us instead of going around telling everyone that you "don't like Overise's music because it's too poppy." Also, most of us in the band like listening to some radio, which is probably one of the biggest things that sets us apart from most of the local bands in the area. If our radio-friendly sound doesn't excite you, that's fine - just understand that we're playing the music we love to play, and that we don't expect everyone out there to like our sound.

TF: Describe Overise in five words or less.
Overise: talent, family, future, dedication, ambition

TF: How did you go about getting on the Drive Thru/PureVolume compilation? Think you gained a few fans from it?
Mark: Amazingly we were offered a spot on the Compilation by Richard Reines (co-owner of Drive-Thru Records). We kept in touch with Richard, and a few months after meeting with him, the offer came to be on this compilation. We were extremely excited and grateful that we were going to be a part of it. I think we gained a good number of fans so far. It's still a little early to tell, but we've been noticing an increase of plays on our PureVolume site (http://www.purevolume.com/overise), which is always a good sign.

TF: If you could tour with any three bands currently together, who would they be and why?
Overise: Jimmy Eat World, Sugarcult, Silvertide, The Used. They are a few of our favorite bands that most of us are listening to right now. We have some more favorites, but we'll list those since they were first to mind.

TF: As far as touring goes, what do you guys have planned this year, if anything. And if nothing is planned, what do you want to do?
Garret: As of right now, we're in the process of buying ourselves a new van for transportation. It's really hard financing an expense like that, so we're doing our best trying to figure it out. We are in the process of setting up a mini tour for this summer, provided we get the dough together for the purchase of a vehicle for ourselves. Anyone out there selling a decent used van that we can have or buy for cheap? Donations are always a plus!!

TF: I know it's early, but I need more Overise so, when can we expect a full-length?
Overise: Well this CD was basically just our demo, so we should be hitting the studio again sometime tentatively in the fall. We already have many new songs lined up that we are now playing live, as well as new ones that we are continuing to work on.

TF: You come across someone who has never heard of you. How would you convince them to listen to you?
Joey & Mark : We would most likely say something like "If you listen to my band, we'll will buy you ice cream."

TF: Thanks for taking the time out to do this. Any shout-outs?
Overise: Tooshebinn Yogurtsinn forever!!! - Twizted Fate - http://twiztedfate.net/

Overise
A Long Story

Rating: 4 Hearts / 5 Hearts


Cliché? Sugary-sweet? Over done? Or simply really catchy, summery pop-rock-emo goodness? Bands walk a fine line between these two extremes, where clean guitars and songs about girls sung in crisp American accents over hooks a plenty and vocal harmonies are certainly not in short supply nowadays, but those who fall into the latter category are loved and the ones treading into the former get swept away with the tidal flow of the other wash of bands doing the same thing.

It can be a very personal definition on what’s good and what’s not, and on this occasion I think whilst certainly not being a masterpiece, or original by any stretch of the imagination it made me sing back at my stereo on the first listen, and the little guitar solos are no Slash, but they are made for this band as each song could be a possible summer anthem. With the rise of programmes like the OC across the globe Overise would fit perfectly into the soundtrack.

Kevin Kurtz the current drummer of Overise was formally in a band called 5 Days Ahead, who hold a special little place in my heart from my old Eyesore Records days, and when he left it was quite gutting and prompted the demise of said band, however with Overise his talents flourish with a steady and varied style throughout the EP.

Comparisons to Drive Thru bands of old such as The Starting Line and Something Corporate are easy to make, especially as Kevin used to be in a band with Kenny Vasoli the lead singer of The Starting Line, so their backgrounds and influences will be almost identical. Overise have even managed to secure themselves an appearance on the Drive Thru/PureVolume compilation “Bands You Love, Have Heard Of, And Should Know”, which will hopefully aid them to the next stage of their musical career.

“It’s All Over” is more of the same, but done well, with the little guitar widdling and the breakdown being merely two parts that make this very easy listening.

Perhaps more definition is needed for them to create their own identity and sound, but for now I’ll appreciate our advancing summer and realise that this band are the epitome of summery music.

Track Listing:

1. Outside
2. It’s All Over
3. My Mistake
4. Heaven
5. Part Time Crush

Score = 7/10

Website: www.overise.com
Listen: www.purevolume.com/overise
Purchase: www.overise.com
Label: Unsigned.

Submitted by James Davison - Static Domain - http://www.staticdomain.com/ezine/

Reviewed by Scott:


After teasing us for months on a release date, Overise's debut EP is finally out for the world to hear. From the first time I heard this band, I knew there was something special, and after hearing this EP, it only solidified my thoughts.

The EP starts out with my favorite song, Outside. It's that catchy song that will get in your head and stay there for days. It's a song like this that makes Overise so special. The lyrics are good, but nothing outrageous that you have to stop and think about what they are trying to say. Each song has a story that you can probably relate to in some way. Along with the story is just plain good music. My foot is tapping the floor as I type this and listen to it. Everyone has to be somebody's friend.

The second song, It's All Over is one of the new songs. It starts of fast and gets you dancing right away. It is about cheating and the relationship is well, it's all over. The chorus to this, althought only one line (the title) gets stuck in my head and you will find yourself singing it out loud at random times.

The EP slows down with My Mistake a song that after you hear, you think, "Wow, that happened to me". They connect with you once again. The emotion of the band really comes out in this song more than any other.

After slowing it down a bit, we pick it back up with Heaven. This is probably the hardest of the songs on the EP. Near the end, it slows down a bit, and there is a great guitar solo. Another great song.

The last song, Part Time Crush, is another new one. It starts off as if it will be a slow piano-based ballad. It is absolutely beautiful. And the first few lines sound exactly like Something Corporate, and that's not a bad thing at all. Then the beat starts along with some techno-like effects that fit really well. Another good guitar solo and another good, catchy chorus cap off an excellent EP.

The only reason the score isn't any higher is because, it's over too fast, and three of the songs are 'old'. I can not wait for the full-length from these guys, I know it will blow me out of the water. Great job guys, keep it up.

Track Listing:

1. Outside
2. It's All Over
3. My Mistake
4. Heaven
5. Part Time Crush

Rating - 8.0/10 - Twizted Fate - http://twiztedfate.net/