Yellowcard Back On the Road; Questioning Selves?

[Jason Tate]

Billboard.com has posted an interesting article (http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id= 1002688178) on Yellowcard (http://www.absolutepunk.net/yellowcard) hitting the road again after their lead singer, Ryan Key, had recent vocal surgery. This article includes a few tidbits that seem to hint at the band questioning why their recent release, Lights and Sounds (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=109436), isn't doing as well as their break-through hit Ocean Ave. Key mentions that, "[y]ou just can't help thinking, why isn't it working like it worked that one time?" and further mentions that the band need to "remember the time when [shows] weren't sold out anyways."

[fredrico0012]

They lost alot of fans when they got rid of their guitarist.

[cahrishurr]

they lost fans because people got a clue

[preppyak]

They lost alot of fans when they got rid of their guitarist.
that's a big part of it
they lost fans because people got a clue
well, Ocean Ave was good, Lights and Sounds, not...plus, when you admit that you really cared about the money with your hit album, and add in kicking out your heart and soul...shit happens

[blimpcityhero11]

The curse of the Ben-bino... and maybe because the album just can't hold up to Ocean Avenue.

[Jamie Pham]

if they dont know why peopel arent buying the cd then their dumbasses

[Jamie Pham]

that's a big part of it

well, Ocean Ave was good, Lights and Sounds, not..

one for this kids > ocean ave and lights and sounds combined

[1.8Nate]

The album could've been better if Mendez would've had influence on the songs. He's an amazing guitarist but the album had already been written when he joined (if I remember right).

[MusicOrMisery]

if they dont know why peopel arent buying the cd then their dumbasses

Thats possibly the most ironic sentence I've seen all day.

[xTJx]

If this means they'll go back to playing stuff off OFTK, that doesn't bother me at all. I loved their cover of Everywhere by Michelle Branch

[GDSP]

How about both of those albums are lame and people moved on in between. Take note Fall Out Boy.

[Craftsy21]

They blew it, period. They fall into that niche where NOBODY likes them... they embrace their popularity too much and the scene stops liking them (plus do some other shitty stuff like kick band members out)... so they at least had the pop people loving them... Then they decide to want to make a much more experimental album that pop fans won't like, and they're left with nobody really caring for them anymore. I say fuck 'em. They were one of my favorite bands in this genre 5 years ago or so, and i even dug ocean avenue... but the new album is shit, and they are full of it themselves, also. I'm sure they are still capable of making solid music, but i think much like this article implies, they are confused by what has happened to them.

[mrzippo3]

some of the best news I've read in a while, they're gettin what they deserve.... I was at the show in Atlanta when Ryan made the remark that they only wrote the songs on Ocean Ave to sell records... I was gone after that

[IcedOpethBlind]

i actually enjoy Lights & Sounds.
Some of the better musicianship for the genre they're in.
Key's vocals are the only considerable weakness of it imho.

[jklo16]

i agree with everything everyone has said before. they are all HUGE reasons why the album isn't selling as much as prior releases. but, in all fairness, i hated lights and sounds when i first got it, but now there are times when i really enjoy some of the songs. i think 'waiting game' is a solid track, for instance. i think if no one knew who they were, knew nothing of the original members, had never heard ocean avenue, and had no prior expectations for what this album would be like.......it would have been received better by the same people bashing it now.

[jtrocka182]

Hopefully this means they will go back to the Pre- Ocean Ave. era, but it's kind of too late now without Ben Harper bein there. :(

[NFG4ever]

I wish Ben was still in YC. That guy was the heart of that band.... on stage he stood out like a mother fucker , now they look like a boring bunch.

[1.8Nate]

Hopefully this means they will go back to the Pre- Ocean Ave. era, but it's kind of too late now without Ben Harper bein there. :(

Hopefully their next album sounds like Staring Back with violins :D.

[Chris Immunity]

to be honest, i really like this cd.
i didnt at first.
but i do now.
(there are a few tracks i can't stand)
they fans they still have after they lost ben, are real die hards. some of the kids on the virgin College Mega tour were freaking nuts. every kid knew every word to every song.

i do miss ben though. and i feel like ryan is faking his sincerity speech every night. idk. meh

[Scuba Chris]

i agree with everything everyone has said before. they are all HUGE reasons why the album isn't selling as much as prior releases. but, in all fairness, i hated lights and sounds when i first got it, but now there are times when i really enjoy some of the songs. i think 'waiting game' is a solid track, for instance. i think if no one knew who they were, knew nothing of the original members, had never heard ocean avenue, and had no prior expectations for what this album would be like.......it would have been received better by the same people bashing it now.

I agree with you. I am starting to come around no L&S, some of the guitar work and drumming is far superior to anything that they have released previously, however, the vocals and lyrics are basically terrible. But I have found myself listening to it more and more frequently, in fact, I rocked it in my car today on the way home from work.

[IcedOpethBlind]

i agree with everything everyone has said before. they are all HUGE reasons why the album isn't selling as much as prior releases. but, in all fairness, i hated lights and sounds when i first got it, but now there are times when i really enjoy some of the songs. i think 'waiting game' is a solid track, for instance. i think if no one knew who they were, knew nothing of the original members, had never heard ocean avenue, and had no prior expectations for what this album would be like.......it would have been received better by the same people bashing it now.

it's a good record, people are just stupid.

[FootFoot]

These guys played a large festival we have out in N. CA this past weekend and it was pretty sad to see the crowd reaction (disclaimer: I think this band is terrible). There was a crowd of nearly 20,000 there watching them (no other bands were playing at the time) and the percentage of people responding with anything positive was dismal except for the less than 13 crowd, who bopped along happily with their moms and dads.

I saw lots of people giving them thumbs down and flippin the band the bird while they were on stage (which I think is pretty rude, even if you don't like the band). Then the crowd went wild for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs who followed Yellowcard's set. I think it was pretty clear that a bulk of their audience has moved on.

[emerson1892]

When is the VH1 Behind the Music airing?


"I don't know man, I woke up in my own vomit with a 15 year old girl in my bed, and I knew it was over" Ryan Key

[NationalProduct]

yellowcard is a great band, and the thing is...yeah the ben thing stinks fuckin bad, i love ben, but when it boils down to it, sometimes it takes a lot of time to create timeless music and records like OFTK and OA ad after that, the label really pushes to get a release out of a band and good songs come from experiences, heartbreak, love, death, the world changing, views changing etc and those experiences for some bands and writers dont just come because they have an expected date to get back into studio. We obviously all connected with the previous 2 records not just cause of Ben but because they were creating some amazing music that had heart and soul like that one kid before me said. Its the same way you felt when you heard Joshua Tree from u2 or Black Sails from AFI, well for me, it was way before Black Sails, but most people caught on around that time and other albums where we just went, fuck yes, that was years in the making of experience and pain, and happiness and everything in between. Good songs take time, and i think if YC sits back and really gets back to why they love playing music and the bigger people on their rocket ship let them do that, we are going to hear some great fuckin music from them like OFTK and OA again. Im not discrediting L&S. I think it was very well done but....i personally didnt connect with it quite like i did with the previous two but im not going to change my mind that the band is still fuckin rad.

[I am all talk]

And meanwhile in Oregon, Jason Tate couldn't be happier.

[luckyboy611]

im obviously in the minority here, but i loved one for the kids, and i thought ocean ave pretty much blew outside of like 3 or 4 songs...but lights and sounds is probably my favorite yellowcard album

[wtfemokid]

yellowcard is a great band, and the thing is...yeah the ben thing stinks fuckin bad, i love ben, but when it boils down to it, sometimes it takes a lot of time to create timeless music and records like OFTK and OA ad after that, the label really pushes to get a release out of a band and good songs come from experiences, heartbreak, love, death, the world changing, views changing etc and those experiences for some bands and writers dont just come because they have an expected date to get back into studio. We obviously all connected with the previous 2 records not just cause of Ben but because they were creating some amazing music that had heart and soul like that one kid before me said. Its the same way you felt when you heard Joshua Tree from u2 or Black Sails from AFI, well for me, it was way before Black Sails, but most people caught on around that time and other albums where we just went, fuck yes, that was years in the making of experience and pain, and happiness and everything in between. Good songs take time, and i think if YC sits back and really gets back to why they love playing music and the bigger people on their rocket ship let them do that, we are going to hear some great fuckin music from them like OFTK and OA again. Im not discrediting L&S. I think it was very well done but....i personally didnt connect with it quite like i did with the previous two but im not going to change my mind that the band is still fuckin rad.
yeah, maybe you're right. after having so many people write them off and stop going to shows etc, they should have something to write about for the next album, lol.

[punkrawkgoddess]

It's likely this story was generated to make people feel sorry for them and get the 'old fans' back into the band since they're going on tour this summer. In other words, a marketing ploy.

PS - If you want to see Ben, he'll be at just about every stop of the Warped Tour this summer at the Takeover Records tent.

[rufiocardtime]

I agree with you. I am starting to come around no L&S, some of the guitar work and drumming is far superior to anything that they have released previously, however, the vocals and lyrics are basically terrible. But I have found myself listening to it more and more frequently, in fact, I rocked it in my car today on the way home from work.

I would have to say that especially the guitar and drum work falls way below par on Lights + Sounds...even farther below than the vocals and lyrics this time around.

The reason this record bombed isn't because of Ben not being in the band and it isn't because they suck and couldn't repeat what they've already done, it's because they didn't aim to write the next Ocean Avenue. I don't think writing catchy songs was as close to the top of their list as it was the first few times around. The fact of the matter is that the songs aren't as good. The melodies aren't as good. They don't have power-pop choruses and flawless production. That's what people have come to love about Yellowcard in the past. They didn't get it this time around, so record sales are nothing.

I think 95% of the 3 million fans they have that actually buy records could care less about Ben being in the band or not, or whatever the stupid speculations are.

[radxbandit]

yellowcard is a great band, and the thing is...yeah the ben thing stinks fuckin bad, i love ben, but when it boils down to it, sometimes it takes a lot of time to create timeless music and records like OFTK and OA ad after that, the label really pushes to get a release out of a band and good songs come from experiences, heartbreak, love, death, the world changing, views changing etc and those experiences for some bands and writers dont just come because they have an expected date to get back into studio. We obviously all connected with the previous 2 records not just cause of Ben but because they were creating some amazing music that had heart and soul like that one kid before me said. Its the same way you felt when you heard Joshua Tree from u2 or Black Sails from AFI, well for me, it was way before Black Sails, but most people caught on around that time and other albums where we just went, fuck yes, that was years in the making of experience and pain, and happiness and everything in between. Good songs take time, and i think if YC sits back and really gets back to why they love playing music and the bigger people on their rocket ship let them do that, we are going to hear some great fuckin music from them like OFTK and OA again. Im not discrediting L&S. I think it was very well done but....i personally didnt connect with it quite like i did with the previous two but im not going to change my mind that the band is still fuckin rad.

that was cute, i agree.

[B4theblackout]

some of the best news I've read in a while, they're gettin what they deserve.... I was at the show in Atlanta when Ryan made the remark that they only wrote the songs on Ocean Ave to sell records... I was gone after that

your an an idiot, i live in atlanta and have been to every YC show for the past 3 years and he never said anything like that, but im glad you like to hop on the 10 year old wagon of kids who hate bands because this website does...as for the new album it could use some work

p.s. the only reason you made that dumbass statement was because tate talked about how cool and down to earth ryan use to be (when he thru the AAR cd out the window, then later said he wrote a cd based off the idea to get big)

yes ryan is a tool, yes this band sucks now, and yes you also are a tool

[Suchasucker]

They lost alot of fans when they got rid of their guitarist.
That did it for me.

Warren + Alex + Ben = Too much drama

I've yet to even listen to all of Lights & Sounds, but the few tracks that I have heard were not impressive in the least bit. They should have kept it simple, instead of trying to overproduce everything.

[piaffeprncess98]

I actually saw Ben today at Warped. He was on the side of the stage when Hellogoodbye was getting set up.

[xscreamingeyesx]

Thats possibly the most ironic sentence I've seen all day.


Hahahaha.

[March_Faster!!]

Well, I'll admit I was a fan of "one for the kids", "underdog ep", and even "ocean avenue" had some jams, but the new cd blows. That's gotta be why no one's showing up. Explains why I wasn't there...

[irishpunk14]

Lights and Sounds just isn't as good as Ocean Ave.

[Jason Tate]

your an an idiot, i live in atlanta and have been to every YC show for the past 3 years and he never said anything like that, but im glad you like to hop on the 10 year old wagon of kids who hate bands because this website does...as for the new album it could use some work

p.s. the only reason you made that dumbass statement was because tate talked about how cool and down to earth ryan use to be (when he thru the AAR cd out the window, then later said he wrote a cd based off the idea to get big)

yes ryan is a tool, yes this band sucks now, and yes you also are a tool
There are quite a few people that heard this comment ...

[CrazeeJaney]

What the hell.

Yellowcard. Most people only hate them because the guys aren't the nicest.
For one, kicking your bassist out so your friend can come back into the band when he originally left isn't the greatest idea. Two, telling your fans to fuck off if they don't like this idea is another bad idea. Did they also not started to fall apart with Ben because he opposed to kicking Alex out? Oh, and they said they wanted to write the same kind of music as the O.A. album just because it got them big. Sure, not all bands play just for the music, but Ryan Key's cockiness went way over the edge. Everytime they tried to gain fans or grab some respect, they lost more - fans and respect.
Their tour manager now was introduced by Alex and he's got a lot of respect for the guys, having been the merch guy and still sticking with them after all this shit and his friend getting betrayed. That's the only reason I'm starting to give these guys another chance. But shit, they really need to drop the jerk act and ego.

[thebestkylever]

lights and sounds was not as catchy as ocean avenue. i really think it's as simple as that.

[savesthedave28]

Guess Yellowcard has had their run. At least OA went platinum and they'll be collecting royalties from radio for a while. If all they wanted was a record to make them money, they got it.

[mrzippo3]

your an an idiot, i live in atlanta and have been to every YC show for the past 3 years and he never said anything like that, but im glad you like to hop on the 10 year old wagon of kids who hate bands because this website does...as for the new album it could use some work

p.s. the only reason you made that dumbass statement was because tate talked about how cool and down to earth ryan use to be (when he thru the AAR cd out the window, then later said he wrote a cd based off the idea to get big)

yes ryan is a tool, yes this band sucks now, and yes you also are a tool
First off, YOU'RE an idiot, because you just plain can't spell.. This comment Ryan made was said at their last show at the Roxy when they toured with Acceptance, it WAS fucking said, I was fucking THERE, maybe you were busy buying a t-shirt or calling your mommy to make sure you got picked up on time, so you need to shut your mouth.. Oh, and yeah I really jumped on some band wagon because of this site..uh, no.. I don't like most of the bands talked about on this site. You obviously like attention and like to be a negative asshole.. As for why I made that statement, Jason had nothing to do with it, I just flat out don't like their personalities, so why don't you pull Ryan Key's dick out of your ass and get your shit straight..

There are quite a few people that heard this comment ...

Thank you! Yes it was said, I heard it with my own ears

[timmysavedlatin]

one for this kids > ocean ave and lights and sounds combined

that's what's up jamie

[blink621]

they are basically admitting their heads are too big... or up their ass... whichever

[Ender217]

Key's vocals are the only considerable weakness of it imho.

What about the lyrics? Many songs are just incredibly cheesy with the lyrics. Trying to hard to make things rhyme .. or seem like the rhyme. Can't stand it.

[weworemasks]

in my opinion, they arent selling records because despite the massive chunk of shit that lights and sounds is, it really isn't as radio friendly and as boy-bandish as 90% of ocean avenue. i mean, a perfect example of this is story of the year. their older record sold a helllll of a lot more records than their newest. even though they have some poppy songs on the newer one, most of it wouldn't hold up on a radio. im just talking out of my ass though.

[1000shadesofred]

one for this kids > ocean ave and lights and sounds combined

so true, so true.... and even the underdog EP was freaking better then lights and sounds and ocean ave combined