Patrick Stump - Truant Wave Review

Patrick Stump may be most well known for his role as Fall Out Boy's slightly pudgy pop-punk vocalist, but the 26-year-old won't be letting that define his career as a musician. Since FOB's split, Stump has not only shed the pounds, long hair and hats, but has also turned his music in a whole new direction.

Late last month, Stump released, Truant Wave, his six-song solo EP via iTunes. The R&B infused record is loaded with new material that stands as both a progression from where FOB left off, and something many fans thought they would never hear.

Truant Wave opens with a quick synth beat that is more like something you'd expect to hear in a club than on the ex-punk's first solo release. There's even a whole verse that's rapped by guest artist, Alph-A-Bit. But that track certainly doesn't set the tone for the rest of the record.

Track two, "Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)", gives hope that the Stump we all grew to love is still alive and well. It's one of two versions the artist first made available for the public to vote on a few months back. Regardless if it's the one you chose, the track stands as probably the strongest on the EP. It's uplifting lyrically and exhibits Stump's vocal talents through soaring highs and a FOB-esque bridge that will stay stuck in your head for days.

And while some of what Truant Wave offers may sound slightly like some of FOB's most experimental work, Stump is quick to point out that his new music, along with his band mate's new tunes (Black Cards, The Damned Things) has no place in the FOB empire. In an interview with The Gunz Show, Stump explained this by saying, "We were also, like, we shouldn't do either of these things with Fall Out Boy."

So naturally, Stump took his liberties when creating this EP. It incorporates the R&B side mentioned earlier, swings hard to the left on "Cute Girls" which sounds more like a Michael Jackson b-side than anything any self-conscious punk would admit to listening to, and then rounds off nicely with "Love, Selfish Love" which could actually could fit in on FOB's 2008 release, Folie A Deux.

Lyrically, it's the strongest on the album. "This is me confessing, / God bless the sad and selfish. / Stay helpless." Not bad considering Stump didn't have famed bassist Pete Wentz behind the pen and pad for this record. That's also the reason this album is a little more upbeat than what most FOB fans are used to.

And while Stump may have gone a different direction from his roots in the punk scene, he didn't lose touch with the scene entirely. He enlisted in the help of ex-Taking Back Sunday bassist, Matt Rubano for some work on various parts of the album, proving that while this music might be a long shot from anything "Grand Theft Autumn" related, Stump hasn't turned his back on his fans.

And for those who thought Stump had a full length release in his agenda, it's also important to note that that album, Soul Punk, is still scheduled for release at some point later in the year.

Bands We Said Goodbye To In 2010

While 2010 was loaded with a number of great new records and stellar shows, it was also a year in which the scene lost some of its best and most renown acts. So let's have a look at a few of the bands we had to say goodbye to this year.

Fall Out Boy

In the beginning of the year, the pop-punk megastars called it quits. Having taken a break after their stint as openers on blink-182's '09 reunion tour, FOB came forward and announced their hiatus from the scene. In a February interview with Spin Magazine, lead singer Patrick Stump announced, "I'm not in Fall Out Boy right now." This, in addition to a slew of Tweets by celeb-bassist Pete Wentz, solidified the news that would break car-crash hearts worldwide.

In the meantime, however, each FOB member has embarked on new musical ventures. Wentz is currently keeping his hipster status with his new band, Black Cards. Stump has decided forego a full band, and is working on his solo project. You can listen to his first single, "Spotlight", off his yet-to-be-released album, Soul Punk, here. Drummer Andy Hurley and guitarist Joseph Trohman have joined forces with Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax and Keith Buckley (Every Time I Die) to form the hardcore outfit, The Damned Things.

Envy On The Coast

After dropping one of the best, and most honest, records of the year (Lowcountry), EOTC sent out

shock waves across the underground when they announced their final few shows at the end of August. It seemed that constant turmoil with their record label over the lack of promotions Lowcountry was receiving drove the band to call it quits.

Though their final shows were packed with as much energy as ever, (Backstage Press was at the Boston show), nothing seemed to be able to hold the Long Island outfit together.

However, lead singer Ryan Hunter and guitarist Brian Byrne have already started working on a new musical project. It's still in the early stages, but according to Hunter's blog, the band is named North Korea. Have a look at their latest video/recording here.

From First To Last

Just four months after releasing Throne To The Wolves, a blistering 11-track album, FFTL cashed out of the scene.Their reasoning, following your standard break-up blog post, was simple. Having been on tour for almost eight years was taking its toll on the band. They wanted to try new ventures, and see what else life had in store for them. You know, you've heard this all before.

But, in a stunning and sudden twist of events (literally the day after FFTL's announced hiatus), the band's frontman/guitarist Matt Good announced he would be joining Craig Owens' new band, D.R.U.G.S. (Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows). You can check them out here. No word on what other FFTL members are currently doing.

Crime In Stereo

Another band that fell victim to this summer's slew of breakups. In early August, the New York

natives Tweeted, "Crime In Stereo Is Dead (2002-2010)." Information beyond that was slow coming, but the band finally released a statement almost a month later confirming that the hardcore outfit were in fact breaking up, and would play a handful of final shows in the Northeast.

Their last show was scheduled to be this past November, but some fans weren't let into the venue, leading the band to add one final performance slated for January 14, 2011 in Long Island, New York. For ticket information, click here.

CiS' last release was this year's I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone, which was released on Bridge Nine Records.

Paramore

Before we get started, let's just clear the air. Paramore claim to STILL be a band, though earlier this month two of the founding members, Josh and Zac Farro, quit the band leaving only guitarist Taylor York, bassist Jeremy Davis and frontwoman Hayley Williams.

Originally, the remaining members released a statement regarding the split without input from the Farro brothers. Days later, the brothers shot back putting out a statement with a much darker and different side of the story. They cited that the band were more a part of, "Hayley's dream" than anything else. Ultimately, neither Josh or Zac felt comfortable anymore, which led them to calling it quits.

The news was so unexpected that it made waves in the mainstream media, too. Yahoo placed the story on their main page. Ultimately, the future of Paramore remains up in the air at this time as lineups are still to be determined. Be sure to check back here for the latest on the band.