SHREDnews

By: Steph Mirsky

About a twenty-five years ago, The Ramones said it best, “We want the airwaves/We want the airwaves, baby/If rock is gonna stay alive.” Now let us flash forward past the fanny packs of the 90’s, the rise of pop-rap to musical conformity, and a stock market crash, to the present day music scene. Gone is the grungy edge of The Ramones, The Clash and Blondie; gone is the anarchist attitude that gave rock its sound. But in the slew of highlighter deep-Vs and Technicolor sneakers, one band holds true to their punk predecessors. Clad in classic Vans and the simple colors of the past, FAREWELL is bringing the punk and rock back to punk-rock music.

This sextet from Greensboro, NC formed in 2005, when members joined together after leaving various other punk and hardcore bands. Marshall Davis (lead vocals), Kevin Carter (guitar), Will Andrews (guitar), Buddy Bell (bass), Jeff Ellis (drums), and later Martin Cagle (keyboard/vocals) moved quickly in order to put their dreams in effect. After building a large local fan base, FAREWELL took to the road and toured around the Southeast. Their pop-rock sound quickly gained the respect of fans and labels alike. In 2007, the band signed to Epitaph Records where they found the perfect balance between creative control and skillful management.

The band’s first album Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun!? demonstrated that a raw rock sound can be just as catchy as pop infused power-rock. There is an air of attitude and frustration prevalent throughout this entire album. It is clear that the members of FAREWELL have something to prove: their originality. This band has established a sound that eludes the cookie-cutter, fabricated sound of many of the other bands in their genre. This “up against the world” attitude carried over to their sophomore release Run It Up The Flag Pole, which dropped this past September.

FAREWELL did not disappoint on Run It Up The Flag Pole; they refused to conform to the new genre norm and instead decided to face the world with honesty and lyrical elegance. On the track “Devoid (That’s What I Think About It)” FAREWELL voices their opinion about the current state of the rock genre, “So when did rock-n-roll become this fucking fashion show?/You talk so much but you don’t understand./I’ll smash my radio devoid of any heart and soul,/So now you know exactly how I feel./That’s what I think about it!” It would seem that these boys are “sticking it to the man” just as their punk-rock predecessors did over twenty-five years ago and taking back the airwaves. These guys have clearly established themselves as musical artists and friends, who will never compromise their music or friendship for the chance at rock stardom.

With that being said, I don’t think we will be saying farewell to this band any time soon; especially with a national tour lined up for the later part of this fall. FAREWELL is a band on the move and a band you should be listening to. Go pick up their newest album and see them on tour because they’ll have you jumping and singing along to their catchy tunes and true punk-rock sound.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/farewell
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