- A to G
> Element 101
- H to P
- Q to Z
Kids These Days (1998 Burnt Toast Vinyl)
BAND: crissie verhagen (vocals) - chris mizzone (guitar, vocals) - danny papa (guitar) - sal ciaravino (bass) - craig (drums)
TRACKLIST: at the diner - dreamlike hopefuls - another day - punk rock and poodle skirts - once upon a time - the gift of our youth - so happy together - sometimes
REVIEW:
Element 101 used to be a punk band?! They also used to just be named Element, hence the cd cover. This album was recorded at Clay Creek Studios in Newark, DE with Cliffy Huntington of the Huntingtons and Nick Rotundo. In my opinion, I think the sound quality is better than "Future Plans Undecided" just because all the instruments seem to have more presence. But then there's Crissie voice... I almost wonder how they even made this record with a voice like that. You're wondering, where did they find this 10 year-old and why would they put her hideous voice on their cd? But, it IS their first cd, so let's let it slide this one time. Anyways, Mikee Huntington sings with Crissie on "Punk Rock and Poodle Skirts," taking some of the pressure off of her. As far as the songs go, it seems like they're trying too hard to sound punk, and that's where the songs drift off, when they go from mild paced beats into that typical "punk beat." There is also a lengthy diatribe by Crissie in the liner notes which is very religious and spiritual, yet kinda hokey at the same time. Personally, I'm not really down with the whole Christian part of Christian punk bands, but it's one aspect that the band seems to have kept from the beginning. Overall, this is the kind of music that I think went out of style a long time ago, and isn't very interesting to listen to. But it is amazing to see how far the band has come.
Future Plans Undecided (2000 Tooth and Nail)
BAND: crissie verhagen (vocals) - chris mizzone (guitar, vocals) - danny papa (guitar) - sal ciaravino (bass) - nick acocella (drums)
TRACKLIST: between now and then - leaving me before spring semester - in my heart and on my mind - a galaxy apart - so unpredictable - keeping secrets - some chances are worth taking - jersey never seemed so long - preconceived notions - some things are better left unsaid - only in pictures - you never cease to amaze me
REVIEW:
First things first, this album doesn't hold a candle to their second release on Tooth and Nail, Stereo Girl. Now that that's out of the way...
Future Plans Undecided was given a helping hand by none other than Mxpx frontman, Mike Herrera, who produced the album and helped them get it released on Tooth and Nail, the label Mxpx started out on before moving to A&M. Now, I love Mxpx, but I think the downfall of this album is from Mike Herrera's production skills, sorry Mike. The talent is definatlly there, of course it's not as well polished as on Stereo Girl, but every band's first album is usually less spectacular than their later releases. For me, it's the sound and production quality of the album that detracts from it's appeal. It's a very solid album, but nothing that exciting, with the exception of a few meticulously crafted preludes and bridges here and there, which are Element 101's strong suit. The track that shows the most promise for things to come would have to be the instrumental "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid," where the title speaks for itself... if you know what I mean. But then they fall into blandness with the wannabe punk beats and powerchords throughout the verses and choruses. Of course they didn't have the blessing of being able to work with the musical genious that is Bill Stevenson, so I'll let this album slide to to circumstances out of their control, haha. I think the band would agree with me on that one, seeing as how you have a better chance of seeing hell freeze over than you do hearing them perform one of these songs at a show. Overall, I'd say don't bother with this one unless you're a diehard E101 fan.
Stereo Girl (2001 Tooth and Nail)
BAND: crissie verhagen (vocals) - chris mizzone (guitar, vocals) - danny papa (guitar) - sal ciaravino (bass) - nick acocella (drums)
TRACKLIST: to whom it may concern - dead romance language club - a faithful fascination - standing on the edge of night - todays and always - just to like you - 20 years in the making - a wish for you - private conversations - a desperate plea for the retailiation of the mundane - introspective - skyline silhouettes
REVIEW:
At first listen, you�ll hate it. The songs sound like bubblegum pop with a really annoying and thin voiced female singer. But after a closer listen, you�ll understand what is really going on here. This band of all Italian Jersey natives has captured a beautiful vision with their second Tooth and Nail release Stereo Girl. Recorded and produced by Bill Stevenson at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO, Stereo Girl undoubtablly blows away the bands previous record, Future Plans Undecided (2000). The song writing has progressed but most importantly the vastly improved quality gives the band justice, no offense to Mike Herrera who produced the last album. However, it is highly recommended that you see the band live in order to fully grasp their goals as musicians. It is plan to see how seriously they take the music and how diligently and precisely they execute it, both on stage and in the studio. Chris Mizzone�s guitar fills are a stroke of genius only complimented by Sal Ciaravino�s driving and rhythmic bass lines. Most of the song structuring is straight forward, but they tend to show off their precision on the bridges of many songs, such as that on �Just To Like You� and of course the instrumental track �A Desperate Plea For The Retaliation Of The Mundane.� It�s easy to see that this band has their shit together, and this album is about as close to perfection that you can get.
More Than Motion (2002 Tooth and Nail)
BAND: crissie verhagen (vocals) - chris mizzone (guitar, vocals) - danny papa (guitar) - sal ciaravino (bass) - nick acocella (drums)
TRACKLIST: fade away - stop breathing - the fragile - love has no sound - this time around - something like a dream - angel blue eyes - a song - under the ocean - my darkest night
REVIEW:
I was dying to hear this album after I fell in love with Stereo Girl, and they were going back to work at the Blasting Room again. I heard a sound clip that they had on their site of the first song, "Fade Away," and it was so awesome even though it was like only 10 seconds of this strange guitar intro. Plus, I had heard the song live and it rocked, but I only remember the one line of the chorus and the melody for it. Well, the album was delayed a week, which pissed me off to no end since I had been waiting for about 5 months for it to come out already. Well, the first track really rocks, the intro is very awesome and weird, but then it breaks into this rock beat, eh... its ok, cause the chorus is cool. "Stop Breathing" is also a great song, one of the best on the cd, and it's the second track. Then you have "The Fragile," third track and a kind of depressing, strange little number. After that, the rest of the cd seems, well.... kind of bland. The songs just are catchy or beg to be listened to a second time, with the exception of "A Song" which is the first time Chris Mizzone has taken over lead vocals. This track is probably the most promising out of the entire cd, its a breath of fresh air that lets you know E101 is still a good band, and Chris's voice is extremely good. Speaking of voices, Crissie has evolved quite a deal since their last cd, but I'm not sure if it's all for the better. She does this grunting/growling thing on a bunch of the songs, and while it gives a broader scope of versatility, I'm not digging it that much. In a way, it sounds like she's trying too hard to make up for all those years of pretty vocals. In my opinion, I like the old style vocals better and the old songs for that matter. I figured since they were going with Bill Stevenson again this time, that we would have another amazingly good sounding album on our hands. Not that case. It seems they've gone the way of Saves the Day as they did with their sound transition from "Through Being Cool" to "Stay What You Are," going from perfect punk rock mixing to a more laid back "artsy" sound. Now this crap has got to stop, I'm sorry. I know the bands think its a more refined and mature sound, but its lame. I like to hear all the instruments loud and powerful like they are live. I mean, when someone kicks on a distortion pedal, there should be a jump in sound level, but instead it goes from smooth to slightly rougher.
Overall, this album went down the wrong path in my opinion, but I won't blame the band because I know how good they are and that this is probably just an experimental album. There's a few high points on it, but the hidden track is super lame; they decided to put Crissie and her harp on the cd, resulting a fucking hokey as all hell song that even Disney wouldn't touch, haha. Let's hope they bring the rock back into their lives on the next cd.