entertain

There really aren’t many better ways of finding your next favorite band than Myspace Music: go to your current favorite artist, click on their friends until you find a band you like the sound of, rinse and repeat if desired. Because anyone with internet can create an account, you can often find obscure small-time bands who end up becoming tomorrow’s greatest music makers. Of course you have to manually sort out through the random fan-created pages and the not-so-talented accounts, but I have found many bands this way, as was my case with the discovery of Artist Vs. Poet.

Hailing from Dallas, Texas, they have only their van, a record contract, and one self-titled EP, yet they already have fans nationwide. Compared to many of their peers, they have not been together very long: In late 2007, vocalist/frontman Tarcy Thomason (who was at the time in a band called Enter The Collector) realized he could not deny his need to create his own music. He sent out a Myspace bulletin announcing his decision. Life really is first com, first served, for the first to hit the reply button was Craig Calloway, AVP’s guitarist/vocalist. What started out as a side project for the two of them quickly thickened; with the additions of Joe Westbrook (drums), Joe Kirkland (guitar/vocals), and Jason Dean (bass), the AVP line-up was completed. With their catchy tunes and relatable lyrics, Artist Vs. Poet is hard to miss. Their songs stick on to you and refuse to let go like craft glitter. Their stories are teen angst told in a voice that turns your ear toward them each time you listen. From singing about a first broken heart in “Infallible Remedy”, to unrequited true love with “Lisa Marie”, to one last fight for the girl – as described in “Assurance, Closure” – each of their songs take on a point of view that anyone can relate to. They show you that hormone-driven teenage drama is actually not completely overrated.

In the epoch of too many pop-punk bands that all sound alike, AVP is a breath of fresh air. Of course it is a pop-punk band, and keeps all the forms of one, such as a four or five piece band, and uptempo tunes. But unlike their cohorts, AVP’s drum beats do not just tick like a metronome, they contribute to the mood of the song; the guitars drive and steer the song; the bass adds texture and depth. From this combination comes Thomason’s slightly nasally, lyrical, almost pensive voice. Together they are at once heart-wrenching, sweet, cheeky, and absolutely genius.

Do yourself a favor and download/buy/somehow obtain a copy of their debut EP. I bet you that you will fall in love. If you do somehow obtain a copy of their EP, you should know that AVP is on tour this fall with Forever The Sickest Kids and The Rocket Summer; also, their first full length album is due out in February of Twenty-Ten.

A band that was born because of Myspace was found by many, many people by Myspace. It maybe fate, or it maybe coincidence, but I hope you will be the next chapter to this saga.

sources:
fearlessrecords.com

Myspace.com/artistvspoet

Twitter.com/artistvspoettx