The Banner Year
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The Banner Year

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""...And Straight On 'Till Breakfast" CD Review"

"If I could be anything, I would be just strong enough to choose what I would be if I could be anything" spouts lead vocalist Jason Small bout three-fourths way though "Daylight Robbery" on The Banner Year's ... And Straight On 'Till Breakfast. What a great lyric... and thats kind of par for the course for this release.
Sure they actually put this out in November (hence their inclusion on my top 10 Austin-released albums of 2007) but it just took me that long to ingest this ten-track offering. It's a damn good pop-punk record. These guys could be played alongside any national band in their genre and fit in famously. It's got a Green Day meets Sum 41 feel to it.
The straight-up Rock of "Building A Life," the acoustic and disturbing "Tonight's Top Story," and the old-time rock sound of "A Long Time Coming" showcase the diversity that The Banner Year possesses.
My favorite track on the CD has to be the Faith-Searching "Monolith." Apparently Small has made a few personal decisions on the matter and isn't afraid to make the statement...although I don't agree at all with his findings, the presentation of the song is amazing.
I actually had the chance to check them out at a show in early January and they've got a killer high-energy show to boot.(Deans List)

- Sean Claes
INsite Magazine - Insite Magazine (Austin, TX)


""...And Straight On 'Till Breakfast" CD Review 2"

“Somewhere between the headlines are all the lies in black and white,” sings The Banner Year’s frontman Jason Small at the start of “Greyscale,” the opening track of the band’s newest full-length album, “…And Straight On ‘Till Breakfast.”
But there are no lies in this album – just hard-driving, sincere punk rock played by small, Michael Murray, Josh Smith, Charlie Fisher and St. Edwards’s junior Facundo La Rocca.
The album was released in November, and it’s 11 tracks are brimming with transcendent lyrics and intense music.
Just 30 seconds into “greyscale,” it’s clear that the song has all the ingredients for a punk classic. It begins with a catchy guitar solo, followed by perfectly timed drums and fetching bass lines.
During this song others, the band mixes the tones of pop-punk and hard-rock greats like Blink-182 and Sixx:A.M. with the lyricism of Green day and Pearl Jam. Yet, The Banner Year manages to retain its own distinct sound.
The album’s lyrics are full of captivating imagery. During the song “Building a Life,” Small sings, “I’ve seen the rain falling like little tears from God’s eyes, when he sees how many millions of us are just wasting all our time.”
This lyric perfectly captures the melancholic feeling that our days are senseless and unproductive – a feeling many of us know all too well.
But in some areas, the lyrics don’t deliver. Choruses will inevitably repeat, but on some tracks they repeat ad nauseam. For all its strengths, this is the default of “Greyscale.”
The music carries on with passion and intensity, but the words lose significance as Small continuously sings “Whatever you say.”
What’s next for The Banner Year? Hopefully more great music and live shows. If you’d like to hear The Banner Year’s music, visit www.myspace.com/thebanneryear

Grade: B - Hilltop Views Newspaper (San Marcos, TX)


Discography

"What You Won't Get" full length CD
(April 2010)
"...And Straight On 'Till Breakfast" full length CD
(Nov 2008)
"thebanneryear" S/T full length CD
(Oct 2004)

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Bio

The Banner Year formed in 2003 and settled into it's current lineup in 2005. The band went from hobbyists to professionals with the release of 2007's “...And Straight On 'Till Breakfast,” playing 150+ shows across two years and several independent national tours, selling approximately 1000 copies out of the van. With most of the follow-up written in between tours, The Banner Year settled back into life in Austin, TX in the fall of 2009 to flesh out a few last songs and record “What You Won't Get,” the culmination of almost seven years of struggling to perfect their song craft. Replete with the boisterous energy of their stage show, “WYWG” showcases The Banner Year at their vibrantly aggressive best and introduces fans to a lusher, more complex sound-scape at the same time. 2010 will be a defining year for TBY as they new fans, new business partners, and new avenues to a long and prosperous music career.