Features Two bands put their own spin on over-done styles
Turn on the radio and you're bound to hear song after song, each one sounding the same. It's becoming rare these days to hear something different from someone new.
Seattle, Wash., alternative band, The Classic Crime has taken the 
emo/indie sound and are doing something different. The band combines a taste of early-1990s alternative with modern (and popular) emo.
Signed to Tooth and Nail Records, the band has combined the 1990s alternative rock styles with modern pop-rock/punk and done away with both styles, creating something different. Their songs feature classic rock style guitar leads, heavy drumming like something from a metal band, and Matt Macdonald's vocals just don't quit. They've had stints on Warped Tour and have certainly made a splash in their home market.
Comprised of MacDonald (vocals), Alan Clark (bass), Robert "Cheeze" Negrin (guitar), Paul "Skip" Erickson (drums), and Justin DuQue (guitar) they released their sophomore full-length during the summer of 2008. Forget the buzz that the band may be a "Christian" band. This simply a band that rocks. Check them out on their Myspace at www.myspace.com/theclassiccrime.
And while Virginia-based band The Downtown Fiction may look like the Jonas Brothers and brand themselves as pop-punk, this band stands out due to the unique vocals of Cameron Leahy. Their music is high-energy and seemingly ready for the Top40 stations. They're doing the same thing as everyone else but sound remarkably different.
The Downtown Fiction are an overnight sensation. They claim to have formed at the end of 2008 and if you take a look at the calendar, we're only a few months into 2009. They've created a catalog of songs, released an EP and have ammassed over 50,000 friends on Myspace. Shocking.
Maybe all the buzz is because that while you can compare this band to all the other bands in this genre, there's something about The Downtown Fiction. We're enamored with Cameron Leahy's vocals and though this band might remind you of the Jonas Brothers, make no mistake. This ain't Disney.
Their songs have contagious hooks and are downright fun to listen to. Surely their a a splash in the pan of pop-rock but while they're around we're enjoying them. Check them out at Myspace at www.myspace.com/thedowntownfiction.
