Fans have been speculating for months about who was going to play the last tour, with guesses ranging from plausible to never-gonna-happen (*cough cough* a My Chemical Romance reunion). Alas, the lineup has been revealed and the consensus is split: some are very ecstatic about the lineup, and some are incredibly disappointed. As for me? I’m definitely excited, but I can see where people were disappointed.

Before I jump into my top ten picks, I want to address the certain marketing tactic that they used to announce the bands. As always, they post a photo with all the bands written on it in alphabetical order, with asterisks by the bands that weren’t playing the whole tour. This year, instead of asterisks, they put those bands in a purple font as opposed to the black font. At first glance, you don’t realize that they aren’t playing the full tour until you see the fine print at the bottom.

A lot of fans were upset about this, mostly because some really big bands are playing, with a lot of them only playing select dates. This sucked, because there are a lot of big names, Warped-esque bands, such as All Time Low, Asking Alexandria, Bowling For Soup, Sum 41, and Taking Back Sunday, that are only playing one or two dates. While they do clarify that they aren’t playing the full tour, one can’t really tell at first glance, which makes the lineup a little bit more disappointing.

But enough of that. I’m still pretty pumped about the bands that are playing the full tour, which all ten of these are.

1.) Movements

I CAN’T CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT TO SEE THIS BAND LIVE AGAIN. I saw them at last years Warped Tour, when they were on a small stage with a small crowd, and this year they have been upgraded to the MAIN STAGE! These guys released a killer album last October, titled “Feel Something,” which skyrocketed their career (hence the spot on the main stage). If you’re into post-hardcore emo, then you definitely need to check out this band.

Favorite song: Vacant Home

2.) The Maine

The Maine also released an amazing album last year, “Lovely Little Lonely.” I’ve only seen them once before, but that was before LLL came out and before I was really that big of a fan. The Maine are a rock band from Arizona, and they’ve played Warped shows in the past. Now that I’m into their music some more, I’m really excited to see them this summer.

Favorite song: How Do You Feel?

3.) State Champs

Tbh, I’ve seen State Champs like 5 or 6 times already. What can I say? They’re one of my all-time favorite bands that also happens to be one of the biggest in the pop-punk scene today. When I first saw them at Warped Tour back in 2014, they were still relatively small. I’m excited to see them again this year, back on the main stage, performing my favorite songs. Talk about coming full circle, huh?

Favorite song: All or Nothing

4.) Knuckle Puck

Knuckle Puck are a band that I’ve fallen deeply in love with over the last few years. They just released their sophomore album, “Shapeshifter,” this past October. It took a little while to grow on me, but I absolutely love it now, so I’m definitely excited to see them play some of their new material live.

Favorite song: Want Me Around

5.) Real Friends

Whenever I think about Real Friends, I think about the first time I saw them at Warped Tour 2014. If you couldn’t tell already, that years Warped Tour was an amazing year that got me into a lot of my current favorite bands. Real Friends are a pop punk band from Chicago, and they always give fun performances no matter where they play, but there’s something a little bit more special about their Warped shows.

Favorite song: Summer

6.) Grayscale

At this time last year, I had no idea who Grayscale was. And now, I. love. them. I discovered them shortly after the release of their 2017 pop-punk album “Adornment,” and now I can’t get enough of them. They’re still relatively small(ish), and I think those are some of the most fun sets to see live at Warped. I haven’t had the chance to see them live yet, and I hear that they’re awesome, so I’m excited.

Favorite song: Beautiful Things

7.) Broadside

Broadside are a pop punk band that I tried to see at Warped 2016, but just barely missed. They also released an album last year, “Paradise.” I haven’t listened to it too much, but from what I’ve heard of it, it’s pretty good. I loved their album “Old Bones,” and their sound overall, so I hope that I get to see them this year.

Favorite Song: Coffee Talk

8.) Simple Plan

You might be thinking, “Simple Plan are still around?” and the answer is yes, yes they are. I actually got to see them live here in Iowa City a couple years ago for the University of Iowa Homecoming (review of that here). While that was a fun, outdoor night show, I want to see them during the Warped atmosphere. They’re definitely one of the more popular Warped Tour veterans, having played the festival 1999-2005, 2011, 2013, and 2015. I’m excited to hear their most popular tunes.

Favorite song: I’m Just A Kid

9.) With Confidence

After some drama went down with the band over the past year, they’ve been kind of silent. But now, they’re ready to play Warped this year, and I’m pretty excited. I saw them as an opening band once, but what I’m really looking forward to is seeing them at Warped.

Favorite song: Voldemort

10.) Mayday Parade

And last but not least, Mayday Parade. I’ve already seen them live a handful of times, two of those being at past Warped Tours, but nonetheless, I’m still excited to see them. Mayday Parade always puts on a great show with their outstanding stage presence. They’re always so excited to be playing live, making the Warped experience that much better.

Favorite song: Just Say You’re Not Into It

So there you have it! Make sure to stay tuned for my review of the festival this summer. In the meantime, check out my review of Warped Tour 2016 here, Warped Tour 2017 here, and also my thoughts on the end of Warped Tour here.

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: Bands I want to see at Warped Tour 2018 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Chicago-based pop-punk band Knuckle Puck (KP) is at it again with their sophomore full-length album, “Shapeshifter.” After their debut album “Copacetic” dropped in 2015, I have been dying for new KP music. “Copacetic” is probably one of my favorite albums of all time, so “Shapeshifter” had a lot to live up to — and boy, they did not disappoint.

As far as instrumentation goes, this album is up to par with “Copacetic,” which was heavy on instrumentals. KP seems to be keeping up with the “concept album” theme. Meaning, that “Copacetic’s” recurring theme was that “everything is copacetic” (a line repeated throughout the whole album), while “Shapeshifter’s” recurring theme, is that things are continuously changing, even if a person doesn’t realize it. Each songs’ lyrical content deals with some sort of subject that has to do with change.

.@KnucklePuckIL tour kicks off in less than a week! Get your tix now to see them here on Saturday, November 18th: https://t.co/L5mM8AywLl pic.twitter.com/JzVSzZX2rt

— St. Andrew’s Hall (@StAndrewsHall) October 5, 2017

(Side note, they’re on tour right now but they’re not coming anywhere near me. RIP.)

The album opens up with “Nervous Passenger,” a short, mellow intro track that sets up the tone for this record. In the beginning, there is the faint voice of the automated train conductor of the Chicago trains, also known as the “L,” and this is where we imagine the speaker getting off at his or her destination. The harmonies between lead singer Joe Taylor and guitarist Nick Casasanto are what really drives this song, making for a great listen.

The song then explodes into the second track, “Twist,” which is your typical pop-punk song; great lyricism, a nice, clean guitar, and drums that really drive this song.

Next is “Double Helix,” the second single released. This track is the most aggressive of the album, and also my favorite. I love the grit in Taylor’s vocals paired with the intense instrumentation.

It flows nicely into “Gone,” the first single released. These two tracks are some of my favorites from the album and definitely prove worthy of being singles as they showcase what this album entails.

“Everyone Lies To Me” is an unexpected turn on this album, as Taylor’s vocals are kind of reminiscent of pop-punk band Neck Deep’s early stuff (and I mean early — like, “Rain In July” kind of early). Taylor and Casasanto trade off vocals in a call-and-response style, which really drives this song. I dig it.

The second half of the album starts off strong with “Stuck In Our Ways,” which fans seem to be grabbing onto. The guitars are thick and heavy, but just enough to still be enjoyable. The chorus of this track is what makes it memorable, with the lyrics being, “One foot out of the grave / And it feels so safe / And we’re still stuck in our ways.”

“Want Me Around” was the third single released and the softest of the heavier songs (I hope that makes sense). It’s got a slower vibe to it — not to be confused with a slow song. The chemistry we see between Taylor and Casasanto is heard most on this track, as well as the whole album. This song kills it. It gives that chill, relaxed vibe, before we jump into “Conduit,” which is the actual slow song of this record. The guitars and vocals give this song an ambient vibe. KP knows how to kill these tracks, whereas songs like these on other albums can sound dull if not done right. KP had a lot of ambient vibes like this on “Copacetic,” so they definitely know how to pull it off.

Second to last is “Wait,” a more emo track that I’m totally there for. It’s heartbreaking in all the right ways, with the simplistic lyrics stabbing you directly in the heart. Give it a listen to see what I mean. This segues perfectly into “Plastic Brains,” which opens with this twinkling guitar and clean vocals from Taylor.

“Plastic Brains” is a song about people changing with time and the effect that has on relationships. This song is the perfect close to this album, with the end of the track fading out over the course of a whole minute — a true Knuckle Puck ending.

Overall, this album is sick as fuck. I dig it. I can already tell it’ll be one of my favorite albums of the year.

The post Album Review: “Shapeshifter” by Knuckle Puck appeared first on KRUI Radio.