The rock band "Brand New" has one of those names that induces comical exchanges between music fans. It's very similar to the phenomenon caused by bands like "The Who," "The Guess Who," "Them," and "The The."
Here is an example of a conversation invoked by the name "Brand New:"
"What are you listening too?"
"Brand New."
"Oh, they're new huh?"
"No, they're Brand New."
"Okay, but what are they called?"
"Brand New."
"I know they're brand new, but what's the band's name?"
"The band's name is Brand New."
"Their name is brand new? What was wrong with their old name?"
You see how much fun you can have with a name like "Brand New." It's like an Abbott and Costello routine only without the baseball.
Comedy bits aside, Brand New is a mysterious rock/punk/emo band based in Long Island, New York. They've just released their fourth studio album, Daisy, and will support it with a brand new fall tour.
Daisy, produced by long time friend and collaborator Mike Sapone, has received mostly positive reviews. Of course most of the reviewers live in dorm rooms and/or go by the name "Kegger."
The album, which took a year to make, is quite a departure from their previous works. It's almost like they have a brand new sound. Daisy is more aggressive, louder and heavier than Brand New has ever been.
It's curious how reviewers enjoyed the band's brand new pace but worried fans won't appreciate it. Maybe the band was trying to garner brand new fans? Maybe the band wanted to go in a brand new direction? Whatever the reason, Brand New seems to share the reviewers' apprehensions.
"I'm a little worried [about the new album]. It's a pretty exhausting record. It's quite dense and I think some of the decisions we made don't always go in the most obvious direction. We were thinking a lot more about what we'd want to play when we were up onstage rather than actually what you'd want to hear on a record," says Brand New's front man Jesse Lacey.
Hitherto, Lacey has written most of the lyrics but for this offering the band employed a brand new lyricist, guitarist Vincent Accardi.
Accardi picked up the pen and composed some of the albums most powerful lines.
"I started to present my lyrics as well as melodies to the rest of the band," Accardi says. "There was no talk of Jesse asking me for help or anything like that, but to some extent, after the first three records, that guy was pretty drained, especially after 'The Devil and God.' That was a pretty heavy record, and that took its toll on us."
The album's first brand new single, "At The Bottom," was released in August. Daisy, which was released Sept. 22, debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200.
There's speculation that Daisy may be the beginning of the end for Brand New. Lacey hinted as much in a recent interview with metal magazine Kerrang! However, Accardi thinks the band can always make a brand new start of it.
"Everybody's starting to sort of feel that maybe they want to spread their wings in other areas of interest in their life. I don't think that's to say you'll never hear from Brand New again, or there's a hiatus coming up or anything like that. But you have the weight and confusion of what's going on in the record industry and how everyone is handling business now," explains Accardi.
At the first of the brand new year the band will play a show in
London.
Joining Brand New on the road, at one time or another, will be Manchester Orchestra, Thrice, Glassjaw, Sybris, The Builders and the Butchers, and Crime In Stereo.
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