Matt Rubano & Matt Fazzi leave Taking Back Sunday, former members John Nolan & Shaun Cooper rumored to rejoin

Big news today with regards to the line up of Taking Back Sunday.

(*Article from Alternative Press)

UPDATE: 6:02 p.m.
Shaun Cooper tweeted earlier this afternoon, "I have a feeling things are about to get extremely weird..." further solidifying the rumors.

UPDATE: 5:47 p.m.
Earlier today, John Nolan posted a simple, two-word message via his tumblr account: "LOOK OUT!!!" possibly referring to the potential TBS reunion.

UPDATE: 5:33 p.m.
A photo has been posted on Taking Back Sunday's website indicating that former TBS members John Nolan and Shaun Cooper are back with the band. The photo shows Nolan and Cooper with vocalist Adam Lazzara, guitarist Eddie Reyes and drummer Mark O'Connell with their eyes blacked out. The photo's composition is reminiscent of this early promo shot of the band.

ORIGINAL STORY: 5:21 p.m.

Two members of Taking Back Sunday have revealed today that they're no longer with the band. There are messages posted on the band's website from bassist Matt Rubano and guitarist Matt Fazzi, both saying that they're leaving TBS.

Rubano's statement read: "After seven years I'm sad to announce that I will no longer be playing the bass with Taking Back Sunday. I would like to thank Adam, Eddie and Mark for giving me this amazing opportunity that changed my life. I am proud of the music we made together and cherished every moment of it. And to Taking Back Sunday fans, there isn't anything I can say that will express the way I feel toward you. It's literally been a dream come true and you were the cast of that dream. I am happy to have met and befriended so many of you. I will miss you all."

Immediately after that, a note from Fazzi was posted that reads: "To everyone in the TBS family, it is with great sadness I am announcing today that I am no longer a part of Taking Back Sunday. The last 2 years with Taking Back Sunday have been beyond a dream come true, from touring and playing with bands that I really admire, to playing new places all around the world, to meeting and working with so many wonderful people along the way. It's something that I never once took for granted and that I will never forget. I want to thank Eddie, Matt, Adam and Mark for giving me the chance to play and make music with them, if even for a short while. We've accomplished a lot in a short time that I will forever be proud of. Thanks to everyone involved for making this such a beautiful experience for me, especially YOU, the fans. You have been so warm and receptive to me since I joined and for this I am forever grateful. As for me, I will continue on with my own music and I hope to see some of your smiling faces around soon."


>> Personally, I'm kind of in shock. TBS is one of my all time favorite bands, and another line-up change is something I'm pretty nervous about. I loved the most recent line-up, but I've been a fan of TBS for as long as I can remember, so naturally an opportunity to hear the band with its original members peaks my interest as well. I know that they are all exceedingly talented musicians, and I trust that they know what they're doing. I guess we'll just have to wait & see what happens next.

So, what do you think about the TBS line-up change?

Album Review: "Nightmare" by Building Rome

Release date: 9/15/2009

>> Building Rome is a great alternative rock group from St. Louis, Missouri. Consisting of 4 talented guys, the band has mastered the art of creating beautiful music full of passion and intensity. Their album, "Nightmare", includes tracks with a variety of sounds and attitudes, some being upbeat with a hidden meaning, and others being fairly dark and ominous. The album is made up of 12 songs that tell a story of addiction, hopelessness, self destruction, remorse, acceptance, and so much more.

>>"What Are We Fighting For" is a great opening track. It sets the perfect tone for the record, hinting at a conflict that will get worse, but hopefully be resolved as the album progresses. It's a dark song that helps the listener paint a mental picture of what's to come. "Nightmare", the title track, sounds like the perfect mix of Capital Lights and Alkaline Trio, two great bands with almost opposite sounds. This track is upbeat, but it also has a dark side to it. "Dr. Doctor" is fairly similar, with a hint of Ludo thrown in as well, with regards to both sound and sense of humor. That track is almost guaranteed to get stuck in your head, but it's certainly not something to complain about. "Sink Like An Anchor" is deceptively soothing; with such a sweet melody it's almost surprising when you listen & realize the lyrics talk about revenge and self destruction. This is also the song that inspired the album artwork. "Take Cover (Burn)" starts out with a fairly ominous tone, and keeps the intensity just as strong as it continues. It's everything you could want in a rock song- it has a dark sound that grabs your attention, and passionate lyrics that are pretty easy to relate to. Here's a sample from the last chorus: "Will we ever learn what it takes to burn? Take cover, run as fast as you can, that little girl's got blood on her hands and dreams of fire.... I have no desire, no desire to burn." The next track, "Haunting Me", helps to show the diversity in Building Rome's music. You can hear the emotion put into it like the other songs, but this track has more of an upbeat, pop-punk tone than some of the others. It sounds like a party song with a chorus reminiscent of "Walking Disaster" by Sum-41. "Last Time Again" is smooth, soft, and full of remorse. This song is truly beautiful; a type of ballad with a dark twist. The intro of "Orange Case" reminds me of that of "Just The Girl"by The Click Five, but longer with a faster tempo. It's funny to compare the two songs seeing as how they're fairly opposite aside from that one similarity. It lures you in with the catchy intro, uses the verse to build anticipation, and transitions nicely into the chorus with a smooth, rock tone that does not disappoint. It's a fairly tame song, no dramatic crescendos or unexpected low-points; this song is stronger in its meaning and representation than anything else. "Streetlights" starts out with soft, eerie vocals that just draw you into the hard-rock chorus. The song is almost 3 minutes long, but it seems shorter- the track might start out slowly, but it certainly doesn't drag. This is a track whose tone seemingly corresponds with its meaning, representing someone being overtaken by the negative in their life and, essentially, turning over to the 'dark side.' I love "Tired Of Waking Up", and not just the song, but it's place in the track-listing as well. It's a fairly hopeful song, both with its upbeat sound and message of acceptance. It's about reflecting on , letting go of, and accepting what life has brought, and making an attempt to move on with one's life. "I was so happy by myself, I never needed any help. There were dreams of fun & fame, but now I know life is just a game, and I lost my turn on you... I'm gonna take your pictures down, and kick myself back off the ground, forget your face, and let you go." This is one of my favorite lines in the song. It shows acknowledgment of the past, and motivation towards the future. "Bring Me Home" is a beautifully sad, yet sweet acoustic song. The violins featured on this track only add to the emotion personified by the lyrics, as seen here in the closing line: "Close your eyes & I'll kiss you one last time before I miss you, but this time I'll be okay. Here's goodbye my love, goodnight." This is a song that almost anyone can relate to in some way, it's about letting go- something we have all experienced at one time in our lives. The final track, "If This Is Where It Ends", is only about a minute long and asks one question. "If this is where it ends, where do we begin? Where do I begin?" It's the perfect end for this record- fairly open-ended, and ominous. It hints at the fact that everything repeats itself, and that life is almost cyclical until it ends.

>> Overall, this is an incredible album. Taken simply for the music, each song is different from the last, but their common factor is the emotion that went into writing them. Once you listen to each song and hear the lyrics, get a taste for the meaning, one can truly see how talented the members of Building Rome are.
>I would think myself lucky to see them perform live, if one can feel this much intensity recorded onto a CD, I could only imagine what it would be like in person. Building Rome has some shows coming up in Texas, Missouri, and Illinois. Check their MySpace for dates, and do your best make it out to a show.


>>You can get the record through iTunes, Best Buy, Amazon.com, and CD Baby, or you can download it free from this NoiseTrade.com widget.

>> When I was referring to what the songs meant, or what they were written about- That wasn't just my view on it, it's a fact. I got the information here, when Jon posted a blog 'explaining Nightmare.' Check it out for an even better look into the mind of a talented lyricist, and story-teller.

What I'm Listening To - "The Motivation Proclamation"

>>Here's the Genius playlist my iTunes made based on
"The Motivation Proclamation" by Good Charlotte.

It's a great pop-punk / alternative mix :)

Get Hyped: Some Spring/Summer 2010 Tour Info

>> Amely has announced dates for their upcoming tour with School Boy Humor & Action Item. Check them out here:

• 04/15/10 - Slidell, LA @ Ohana Pier; 1321 Gause Blvd., Slidell, LA
• 04/16/10 - Pensacola, FL @ Sluggo's; 2403 W Cervantes St., Pensacola, FL
• 04/17/10 - Jacksonville, FL @ Murray Hill Theatre; 932 Edgewood Ave S., Jacksonville, FL
• 04/18/10 - Augusta, GA @ Sector 7G; 631 Ellis St., Augusta, GA 30901
• 04/19/10 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade; 695 North Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308
• 04/21/10 - Richmond, VA @ Alley Katz; 10 Walnut Aly, Richmond, VA 23223
• 04/23/10 - Vineland, NJ @ Hangar 84; 20 South 6th St., Vineland, NJ 08360
• 04/24/10 - Rockville Centre, NY @ The Vibe Lounge; 60 North Park Ave., Rockville Centre, NY 11570
• 04/25/10 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's; 1039 Washington Ave., Hoboken, NJ
• 04/26/10 - Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Cafe Metropolis; 94 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, PA
• 04/27/10 - Buffalo, NY @ Xtreme Wheels; 356 Hertel Ave., Buffalo, NY
• 04/28/10 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's; 2083 East 21st St., Cleveland, OH 44115

>> The Bamboozle Roadshow is changing things up in 2010. Last year it was like any other tour- a bunch of bands, one stage, and everyone having a good time in order to promote Bamboozle. This year, The Roadshow is seemingly modeling itself after Warped Tour. There are several bands playing each date, and the line-ups alternate daily. The Roadshow runs from May 21st to June 27th. Click here to see the dates, and click here to buy tickets and view the full line-up for each date.

{ (Cannot wait for May 1st & June 26th, 2010 ) }

>> Pre-Sale tickets for the Vans Warped Tour 2010 go on sale on March 26th! Not only do they look badass, but they give you access to cool stuff from the Vans booth, a free copy of the Warped Tour Compilation CD, AND they’re cheaper than regular tickets. There are only a certain amount of pre-sale tickets available for every date, so make sure to get yours asap!

The Vans Warped Tour 2010 runs from June 24th to August 15th. Click here for the full list of dates.

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Name Dropping 101 ; The Used

>> Today is #THEUSEDdayTuesday , just like it is every Tuesday. This one is a bit more significant though, considering I met The Used 6 months ago today. Check the video below to relive that day with me :D

> Check out the song I just posted on my tumblr, Lunacy Fringe (Acoustic) from The Used's Purevolume sessions.

> Also, if you don't yet own the band's entire discography like I do, make sure you pick up these EPs on iTunes, in addition to all of their albums.

• Untitled EP
• The Bird And The Worm EP

* Make sure that you tweet about #THEUSEDdayTuesday every Tuesday! Mention @WeAreTheUsed & get all your friends to do it too :)

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