THE ACTUAL
Pop Punk / Powerpop / Indie
IN STITCHES due out May 29th!
the story...
We never let starvation or icy roads get in our way, muses Max Bernstein, singer/guitarist of The Actual.
Indeed, the ultra-literate punk-pop combo, rounded out by guitarist + singer Ben Flanagan, Jeremy Bonsall on bass and Rob Obee on drums have covered many a mile on little more than a healthy dose of we-think-we-can and an '82 Econoline that thankfully shares that sentiment. Shortly after their first show on Easter Sunday of 2001, The Actual have spent most of their time on tour playing pretty much to anyone who would listen at just about any place that would book them, sometimes with questionable results. "We played to a room full of angry bikers in Idaho once. That caused me to rethink my booking policy," says Max.
Thankfully, people DID start to listen, and one of those people was rock legend Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, who promptly signed the band to his new RED/New West/SonyBMG co-venture Softdrive Records. Scott took the band out of the bars and basements and onto a string of arena shows with Velvet Revolver, and co-produced the bands new album. "We played a hotel bar in Nevada to 12 people one night and the next night pulled our van up to the Aladdin in Las Vegas and played to 4,000 people. It was pretty ridiculous." adds Max.
The album, "In Stitches" is a fantastic 13-song juggernaut of smartypants punk-pop that while sung from the heart is obviously carefully filtered through a serious set of brains (Max is the son of writer Nora Ephron and Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein - the band's literary complexity is pretty unavoidable.)
The leadoff single "This Is The Worst Day of My Life (Do You Want To Come Over)" might be the catchiest song since "It's a Small World" until it morphs into a grandiose Queen-esque outro. "Dancing On The Perimeter" channels Placebo, The Go-Gos and Husker Du into a dance-punk anthem about being afraid of dancing. "Stay In My Rectangle" sounds like Alkaline Trio taking a shot at Dinosaur Jr.'s best work. Jeremys stacatto lines weave around Max's raspy voice which is thankfully nothing like the typical over-earnest emo whine that has become inescapable.
Listen up for The Actual on tour with Ozma and then on the Vans Warped Tour this summer!
The music video for "This Is The Worst Day Of My Life"
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Members: Max, Ben, Jeremy, + Rob
Outtakes from the new album!
No release date
Album II Preview
No release date
Songs On Radio Idaho
No release date
rae. rebellion
Oh, how I wish I could be free and run all over the world, and then when I get just a tad bit older, I'll grab the boy of my dreams and run off to Nairobi, Kenya.
musicman777
east of providence, Rhode Island
Yuki
In the conservatory, with the candlestick
murAMdyana
Denton, TX
BlahLauren
Suck it :P
vosovic LOVE
I\'m loving the music... the vocals are so perfectly
raspy, and the lyrics are great. ;]
posted Jun 08
candymoney
you guys are amazing
posted Jun 07
Iheartpunnk
love you guys
posted Jun 05
Azalea22
Love the video for Worst Day.....All you music is
wonderful!
posted Jun 03
Shawn Miller
Simply fucking amazing
posted Jun 02
well i dont like your pants
oh well you know... i like you. your music is yummy. :
)
posted Jun 01
lalalamb
I loveloveLOVE you guys! Please come to PA!
posted May 30