Brand Who?

I love the New York alt-rock band Brand New. The only thing is, I have no idea why anyone else does.

Brand New has been around for quite some time now. I think I probably first heard of them from a Thrice tour poster, as the two bands used to tour together a lot. I had always supposed that Brand New supported Thrice, or that the two were at the most on par in terms of popularity and prominence.

Then the Fall 2009 tour rolled around. The concert posters had shown BRAND NEW in massive letters with the minuscule text "with THRICE" hiding underneath. I was surprised, as both bands had just released new albums, and were both very prominent and respected. At any rate, I wanted to go to a show nearby, but an evening class conflicted with it, and my friends drove off without me.

When they got back, they gushed to me about a massive venue that was filled to the brim with restless, excited fans. They also told me that, while Thrice had performed a respectable (but short) set, Brand New had blown everyone away, performing their entire latest album, as well as several other fan favorites (all the while exhibiting nearly no band dynamics as they merely stood on stage looking depressed). Apparently, Brand New played for a good long time, and nobody was complaining.

Lest you accuse me of hating on Brand New, remember that I did say I love them. They have a remarkably unique, intriguing sound, and their music gets to me deep down inside. However, they do surprise me. Despite their most cacophonous and earth-shattering tendencies, the ladies fawn over them. Despite their most tender and sensitive moments, tough, masculine guys heartily rock out to them.

I guess it's safe to say that Brand New is one of the world's (or at least North America's) favorite niche bands. I always thought that Thrice was much more accessible to a much wider audience, but it turns out that Brand New is obscenely popular, even among many of those who wouldn't appreciate other bands in the genre. I don't know how they do it, I can't even guess, but one thing I do know is that I don't want them to stop.

Check out their diversity:

Heart-throb:


Heart-attack: