The opinions expressed in these blogs are solely those of the people who wrote them, and do not represent the views of WPSU or Penn State University.

Live Local Music

Artist on the Rise: The Front Bottoms

Posted by Mike Moynahan on 09/15 at 05:59 PM

“Please fall asleep so I can take pictures of you and hang them in my room,” begins “Flashlight,” the opening track on the self-titled debut album from New Jersey indie-rock-pop-punk outfit The Front Bottoms.  These lyrics may come off as a little creepy at first, but they turn into something beautiful.  “So when I wake I’ll feel like everything is alright,” the song continues. It’s a song about a lover who has moved on and how the one left behind is trying to cope. With this opening track, the listener gets the idea of what The Front Bottoms are all about. These lyrics will be personal, they might get uncomfortable but you can be sure they will always end up being meaningful.

It’s refreshing, really. There are stories within each song. “The Beers” tells of the desperate lengths one will go through for love (“I will remember that summer as the summer I was taking steroids. Cause you like a man with muscles and I like you.”) while “Mountain” explains the simple joy of being able to buy fireworks in Pennsylvania in order to transport them across state lines to New Jersey. “They’ll probably arrest me. They’ll probably ruin my whole summer.”

The band is made up of Brian Sella on vocals and guitar, Matthew Uychich on drums and vocals, with Drew Villafuerte joining them for live shows providing back-up vocals and a variety of other instruments. Although their self-titles album was released just over a year ago on Bar/None Records, it’s actually comprised of two of their EPs: Slow Dance to Soft Rock and Grip ‘n’ Tie. The latter had it’s initial release cancelled after the group signed to Bar/None, and was instead used to complete their first full-length album.

Their live shows blend slower moments with loud and vibrant crowd-surfing opportunities. Recently, they’ve been touring constantly with acts like Kevin Devine and Motion City Soundtrack. They’re sets are high energy and don’t disappoint. Tour dates and ticket information can be found here. Be able to say you knew these guys were good before anybody else. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of The Front Bottoms from the band or on iTunes and Amazon. Check out the video for their single “Maps” below.