9/2/2009

in

A Clear Blurr may soon become your favorite band.

Susie Kopecky

Blink 182 and New Found Glory: two incredibly beloved pop punk bands, and two influences for the up-and-coming punk rock band A Clear Blurr, which just released a new album, titled "Trigonometry." And music fans, get excited: all 12 tracks are pretty fantastic and full of great energy.  
  
A Clear Blurr was officially started in October 2005 and is made up of four talented young men: Kevin Nicotera, Tom Kenney, Karl Pearson and Cole MacDonnell. This band is based in New Jersey, but if audiences are lucky, at least one of the members may relocate to California in the future.  
  
I had the pleasure of asking band member Kevin Nicotera a little about the band. Nicotera explains that influence-wise, "Blink 182 is definitely one of our big influences, but a lot of people seem to think it's our only influence which isn't true. I (Kevin) am influenced by a ton of different bands including Brand New, Ace Enders, Four Year Strong, and Death Cab for Cutie. Cole is influenced by bands like Thrice, Thursday, Incubus, and The Starting Line. Tom is influenced by bands such as New Found Glory, All Time Low, Motion City Soundtrack, and Johnny Cash. Karl is influenced by Social Distortion, Tiger Army, The Misfits, and The Necromantics."  
  
One can be excused if they detect hints of Fall Out Boy, though Kevin Nicotera explained that the group was pushing out tunes a little before Fall Out Boy's later big successes. Some songs on the band's sophomore album of particular note include "Drive Me Crazy," "Gyna," "Sharks & Liars" and "Barely Breathing."  
  
This is a group of chill guys, who sound relaxed and pretty happy, and put out some of the best pop I have heard in a long time.  
  
"About 9 times out of 10 the band will just get together and start working up some kind of idea with hopes of turning it into a song," Nicotera explains. "Over time, we'll pick it apart and change things here and there. Once it's pretty much done, Tom \[Kenney\] will come up with some lyrics and we'll throw it all together and see how it fits and continue to work it from there. I do have to hand it to Cole though, for coming up with a lot of guitar riffs," Nicotera pointed out. "He came up with the roots of songs like 'Barely Breathing' and 'Never Sing Again.'"  
  
A Clear Blurr can next be seen in Bar East, in New York City, on September 5. On September 25, they will be playing at the Fall Festival in Edison, New Jersey and the band's CD release will be in Fords, New Jersey at Vintage Vinyl.