RESTLESS STREETS

Restless Streets – One of Albany’s finest post-hardcore line ups is demanding your attention. Earth shaking melodic undertones that demolish the standard and hooks that keep you coming back for more. Incorporating driven lyrics with bone crushing musical beat downs, Restless streets is sexy smooth with a sound all of its own. With this past summer’s release of their three song sampler, I was pulled into the almost immediate intensity. “Concealer” starts this three song sampler with an illustrious introduction that seduces your senses into an auditory addiction. This song held residency in my speakers far past its reviewing point, occupying space in my mind I couldn’t help but break out in song. Fear not, you will not be disappointed by the following of “Deathwish”, and “The Beautiful Friends” as they add depth and variation to this release. This three song sampler showcases Restless Streets’ ability to leave an inconceivable mark on the future of post-hardcore. This masterpiece is available on Itunes. You can scope them out on Facebook by going to: www.facebook.com/restlessstreets
-Christine Palmer - Upstate Metal Magazine

Restless Streets are a self-described Post Hardcore/Metalcore band from Albany, NY. After a busy 2011, they’ve decided to take a well-deserved break to work on recording some new material, but not before a last show at Valentine’s! Our own Christine Palmer recently had a chance to speak with vocalist Logan Carpenter about the show, sponsorships and future plans.
Christine: The time is fast approaching! Wednesday at Valentine’s is the last set show date before you dudes head in to the studio. What can we anticipate with the new material coming from Restless Streets?
Logan: The new material that we have written for 2012 is a vivid representation of our lives through sound. We offer fresh new rhythmic patterns, not only within our breakdowns, but throughout the entirety of each track. Our new songs are the most melodic, and mature tracks we have written thus far. We write thought provoking music about relevant issues and concerns that our generation faces throughout each day of their lives, making it easy for anyone to relate to. Whether it be lyrically, or instrumentally, our music will dominate your senses, and force you to lose all control.
Christine: The composition of musicians within your bands structure creates an intense sound to go along the emotionally driven lyrics. What can we expect in terms of growth, what variations are anticipated with this new record?
Logan: I would never say that our band has changed, or transformed into something different. I like to think of it as each individual member becoming more themselves. Each of us have become more confident and comfortable with the lives we want to lead and the music we think fits us best. We have taken more time on these songs and learned that sometimes less is more. We have a lot of parts that really slow things down for a minute to let the listeners wipe the blood from their noses and think about what just hit them before we plunge into the next sequence. Our thoughts are collected and showcased throughout our music with a mixture of ambient, melodic interludes and electrifying, fast-paced riffs.
Christine: How will the production of this release differ from the summer sampler you released? How many songs can we anticipate?
Logan: Most music that emerges from our genre these days is over-produced, polished work that is pieced together stroke by stroke to create a track that can never be reproduced live, leaving no room for human error. We thought long and hard to come to the conclusion that we are all human!!! So we are going with a bit more of a “raw” approach with these songs. I think small imperfections bring life to music. How can anyone relate to something that sounds like it was made on an assembly line? I think people find comfort in music that helps them feel like it’s alright to be unique, to be real.
Christine: What will the name of this release be, and is there a projected release date?
Logan: Title and release date have yet to be announced at this time.
Christine: You guys recently landed a sponsorship with thINK Apparel. What other companies do you guys hope to land sponsorships with?
Logan: We appreciate every company that reaches out to us with any type of support, promotion, or endorsement. A few companies that I think would be really rad to work with in the future would be Peter Says Denim, Gator Road Cases, Stheart Clothing, and Monster Energy!
Christine: Is there a possibility for a tour to come within the year? What regions do you hope to reach with this tour?
Logan: We have plans to tour starting the end of this month into late February that will be released very soon!
Christine: How long will you guys be on hiatus recording before emerging from the studio to play shows again?
Logan: We will be tracking for about two weeks without playing any shows, we will begin playing dates again immediately following the studio.
Christine: What is one goal the band has set for 2012.
Logan: I think we all just want to sell a lot of records, tour non-stop, and enjoy this amazing journey with all of the amazing people that brought us to where we are. Let’s party
Christine: Logan, thank you so much for you time in doing this! Upstate Metal loves and supports you and Restless Streets on your endeavors! We look forward to anything and everything you guys have to offer.
Logan: Everyone appreciates your enormous out pour of support more than you could imagine, thank you so much for your enthusiasm and kindness! - Upstate Metal Magazine

Hailing from Albany, New York, RESTLESS STREETS have just issued their second self-released EP entitled AT LAST A LIGHTHOUSE. This five-song affair finds the band presenting a heavy dose of melodic hardcore, sprinkled with elements of screamo in a quick, twenty-minute package.

While comparisons to more well-known bands would be easy to make, RESTLESS STREETS make it clear that they're not afraid to try new things, bringing some surprising accents of sonic experimentation into the mix.

"Perspectives" brings the anger to start things off, laying the cards on the table to show that the band has the ability to balance hatred and beauty. Whether intentional or not, there's a moment just after the end of the song where you can hear fingers sliding on strings - a slight quip of imperfection that gives the recording a live feel. "I'm a Trainer, I'll Train Her" is one of two real gems on the record. The synth and programming shines on this, although bringing the levels up on the mix would serve the song well, as the keyboards feel smothered at times.
"Her Final Expenses" is the song on the EP that I keep going back to, likely for the same reasons that prompted the band to make it the first single and video from 'LIGHTHOUSE. Making good use of the left and right channels for the guitar mix, it's a great song to enjoy through headphones. Shockingly, the dreaded auto-tune makes a production appearance on this one, marking one of the few uses of the studio tool in recent memory that didn't make me want to punch someone in the faceOverall, RESTLESS STREETS have crafted a solid offering that should entice listeners to check them out. If they continue playing their cards right, I don't see any reason why they won't emerge on the National stage within the next year. - Kik Axe Magazine

Based out of the Albany, New York area, Restless Streets is an exciting up-and-coming band heading out on a highway to success. The band has just unleashed an exciting new EP entitled At Last, A Lighthouse and has been making a name for themselves throughout the East Coast and beyond. Mixing introspective lyrics with heavy, dynamic musicianship, the passion and enthusiasm Restless Streets places within their songs and live shows is well worth checking into. It’s definitely a block party heard round the world, and you’re invited in on the fun! Here is a recent interview we conducted with lead vocalist Logan Carpenter…
Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Restless Streets, and how long the band has been together.
My name is Logan Carpenter, I sing for Restless Streets. The band as you see it today has been together for almost 2 years now.
Where is the band based out of and what is the music scene like there? Any local bands you could recommend?
We come from different towns throughout the capitol region. We consider Albany, New York the birthplace of the band. The scene has seen recent growth and shown stability and rising interest during the past year which has been great to see. There is a lot of talent in the Albany area, a few local bands that I’m really into right now are Engloria (Glenville/Scotia, NY) The Nightlife (Schenectady, NY) The Art Of Living (Schenectady, NY). All really talented artists that I could see blowing up in the near future. These guys make me proud to be a part of this particular scene.
Is there any story or concept behind the At Last, A Lighthouse EP title?
Of course, everything I write has reasoning and meaning behind it. “At Last, A Lighthouse” is a record that we took a lot of time to write and mold. The name itself represents a discovery, whether it be inside of ourselves or externally. I think the title has a slightly different meaning for each one of us. Personally, the title represents us growing as a group, or a family. I think we finally understand where we want to take this band and what we hope to accomplish together as a group, almost like a crew on a ship. We’re sailing ahead towards our dream and the taste is at the tip of our tongues, so close it’s almost painful. The journey to where we are has been long and strenuous. We’re finally starting to see things pay off. I found myself relating the feeling to a ship nearing it’s destination, a lighthouse being a sign of life, salvation, and quite literally…success.
Where do you get your ideas for some of the song lyrics? Please cite two songs from the EP and what inspired you to write the lyrics.
I draw inspiration from every single event in my life. I find significance in the insignificant. Every word spoken to me, every bit of advice given and received, and every action or reaction I come in contact with throughout my life finds it’s way into my music somehow. I find myself often writing about things that I think are completely fucked up within the world we live. Being a psychology major I often write about confusion within my own head and how I plan to sort out all of the clutter, something you’d assume I’d be fit to do right? Wrong. I think writing in itself is the only real vice for me. So I don’t think I can ever stop.
Her Final Expenses – I wrote this song after seeing a commercial on T.V. about burial plots and how to prepare for the death of a loved one. I was intrigued by the odd topic so I watched intently. There was a woman speaking enthusiastically about how happy she was that she didn’t have to stress about the cost of her ceremony and other funeral expenses her family would have to attend to once she passed. Her excitement and enthusiasm puzzled me for obvious reasons. The sheer fact that someone could even plan for an event on earth to take place after they had passed struck me as unfathomable. So… naturally I began thinking about my own passing and events afterword. I had trouble imagining a life after mine…after all I am 19 years old. The song became a mixture of my feelings towards the woman I’d seen on the television and my own feelings on death and the departure from those we love. It’s something that people don’t really ever take the time to fantasize about, mainly because undesirable thoughts are normally ignored or placed out of mind until those who deter from them are directly affected by them. I enjoy placing people’s minds in places they hadn’t planned on going, that’s my job.
Squids – I wrote Squids during a time when a lot of my best friends were either moving with their families, or moving away to school. I also had a few friends that just felt they needed to leave, and start fresh somewhere new. Many of their decisions struck me as careless, or a bit spontaneous at the time, until I came to the realization that there are certain paths people are meant to take. I was forced to come to terms with the fact that life is ever changing, and nothing ever goes as planned. People are meant to fuck up along the way here and there. Nothing can be perfect without trial and error. Nothing can really ever be perfect, and the way we deal with imperfection and disappointment is what makes life interesting. If everything went according to plan, the world wouldn’t be a very interesting place. The loss of old friendships, and the exciting start to new ones provoked me to sit and write for hours. Squids could have been a novel, or maybe a psychological theory; but I decided to use my words for the album. I chose the theme “squids” because of the independent tentacles a squid is equipped with. Each tentacle seems to have a mind of it’s own, spanning as far as it can go in the most wayward direction. The first line of the song reads “There’s separate highways for both of our lives.” Ya dig?
How does the EP differ from your Emergencies debut?
This EP is much heavier than Emergencies. I think these songs have a level of technicality and organization that wasn’t present on our previous release. We’ve grown more comfortable with the writing process and more aware of where each one of us fit into this collective unit. I’ve also experienced a lot of crazy shit this past year that really reflects itself in my lyrics. We are all really young and I believe youth brings about a lot of change and conflict, we’ve changed. Therefore, this EP is unlike anything anyone has ever heard from us. Our music will continue to change and melt, and re-solidify for as long as we write. I believe that’s what keeps us so fresh and interesting as a group. I think people enjoy the changes. Like I previously stated; life would be miserable and stagnant without change, no matter how scary it may be.
What could one expect from a live Restless Streets show?
Our live performance is full of raw energy and excitement. We love playing our songs for people and that shows on stage. Anyone who’s ever seen us play will tell you they felt the bond that our band shares on and off the stage. When a band is having fun and is enjoying the opportunity to play for an audience it is clear to everyone in that room. We make sure that every kid at the show gets their money’s worth. We simply love what we do and that reflects into the minds and hearts of our listeners. Nothing feels better than letting your inhibitions fly out the window and simply letting your body rock and sway to the music you created with your brothers. Nothing comes close.
Are you and Kyle brothers or related, and if so, what is the best and worst part about being in a band with a brother or relative?
Haha, I love this question. YES me and Kyle (Ky-jelly) are brothers in the literal sense. Kyle and I have been really close for as long as I can remember. Kyle started playing guitar when he was around 9 years old, I was 6. He started a band when he was in the 5th grade. I used to run down to the cellar and fuck with their instruments whenever they’d finish practice. It got to a point where all I wanted to do was play a drum kit, so Kyle’s friend Patty G gave me his old CB four piece when I turned 7. I wrecked that shit. I love playing in a band with my brother, for many reasons. One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had with Kyle would have to be when we were on tour. We were in Providence, Rhode Island and I had lost my voice after a show we played. We were all pretty drunk and I was really upset that I had lost my voice, considering the fact that we had four more nights to play. Kyle took care of me that night, making sure I ate and had a comfy place to sleep (which ended up being the back of a Ford Explorer full of sleeping bags) – makes me want to cry! hahaha. Me and Kyle bicker and argue A LOT. But that doesn’t change the fact that we love each other to death. I think the best part about being in a band with my brother is the security I feel on the road. Kyle once gave a guy 20 dollars to refrain from stabbing me, saved my life! I just like having my big bro with me, I can’t explain the exact reasoning behind the feeling.
You’ve recently done a bit of touring. What was that experience like and did you have any strange or unusual moments while out on the road?
Yea we did a tour August 10’ that consisted of around 11 dates. It was unforgettable to say the least. We toured with a band called Astrella from Providence. This was our first tour and it was called the “Turning This Life Around Tour”. We wouldn’t have been able to make that happen if it weren’t for our manager Travy. He’s like our babysitter/therapist/party-partner. One weird thing that I remember from tour is when Brian lost his cell phone. We were leaving for the Providence show from our boy Andrew (Astrella)’s house. Brian left his phone on the bumper of our van, as you can imagine we left without noticing. Brian didn’t realize his phone was gone until we got to the venue which was luckily only about 20 minutes from the house. At the time, Brian couldn’t remember what happened to his phone, but I remembered him setting it down on the bumper. We drove back to see if it had fallen off close to the house, we didn’t find it anywhere. We started to drive away, discouraged but still keeping an eye out. A few minutes passed and some 4 year old kid called MY PHONE from Brian’s. I was the only person with Brian and to this day we still have no idea what made the kid call me out of all 324365 numbers in his phone. We hooked the little guy up with some free merch and a pat on the back.
Who are some of the bands you’ve opened for in the past and what was that experience like?
We’ve opened for a lot of bands. I’ve had the opportunity to hang out with and play with some bands that I’ve listened to since I started playing music. Some of the most memorable are bands such as Bring Me The Horizon, Escape The Fate, We Came As Romans, Asking Alexandria, Bullet For My Valentine, and Four Year Strong. Every time we play on a big tour I feel really accomplished. A lot of the time I’m envious of the awesome career these guys are pursuing and I just can’t wait until it’s our turn to take the national stage!
Have you played Warped Tour and if so, how did it go?
We have not been granted the opportunity to play Warped yetttt…but we are in third place for a competition to play the Ernie Ball stage at this summer’s warped tour, so anyone who has a little free time should head over to the Ernie Ball page and give Restless Streets a daily vote!!!
Are there any Restless Streets groupies wandering around the streets of Albany or beyond?
Ha, there are chicks all over the place trying to sneak a ride in the backseat…we let Brian and Nick manage that.
Have you had any label interest so far?
We have been contacted by multiple indie labels but we have yet to find one that fits our agenda. Were waiting for something promising to come along. We have yet to send a single press package out thus far which could play a big role. We are beginning that process as we speak, we already have new tracks nearing completion in the studio to send out, we never stop!
What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most after hearing Restless Street for the first time?
All I want is for the listener to relax and take a step back from their ailments or issues at the time to think and relate. If i can provide three minutes of relief for any one person I am 100% satisfied to say the least. Knowing that there are kids out there who can relate to the words and the sounds we create and piece together is the greatest feeling any group of people could ever experience. It makes everything more than worth while.
Any final words of wisdom?
Life is what you make of it.
(Interview by Kenneth Morton) - Highwire Daze Magazine

HER FINAL EXPENSES / I’M A TRAINER by RESTLESS STREETS (Self-released)
Restless Streets is a charismatic metalcore band based out of the Albany, NY area who are in the midst of recording a follow-up to their Emergencies EP from last year. Judging by what is heard on the recent two-song demo, these guys mean business and are ready to break it into the big time.
Her Final Expenses is a ferocious effort, showing a band approaching the height of their creativity as a collective unit. Brutal yet melodic, the song is guaranteed to garner the Streets a good deal of attention and respect. I’m A Trainer, I’ll Train Her further demonstrates the band’s knack for combining infectious melodies with an all-out assault to the senses. These two tracks possess a good deal of promise, and you can bet we’ll be hearing a lot more from Restless Streets in the future. These guys would make a perfect addition to a label such as Rise or Victory Records.
The Restless Streets lineup consists of Logan Carpenter- writer/vocals, Brandon John-Lead guitar, Brian Nellis-Keys/Programming, Kyle Carpenter-Guitar, Chris Mccabe-Bass/Harmonies, and Nick Dumar-drums . If you are a fan of bands such as Underoath and The Devil Wears Prada, be sure to roam these Restless Streets and prepare to meet up with your next favorite band.
Restless Streets has shared the stage with everyone from Thursday to Avenged Sevenfold, and will be opening for Silverstein on March 26th at Valentine’s in Albany, NY.
(Review by Kenneth Morton) - Highwire Daze Magazine