New Wave (Against Me! album)

New Wave
Studio album by Against Me!
Released July 10, 2007
Recorded October 1–December 23, 2006 at Paramount Studios, Hollywood[1]
Genre Punk rock, alternative rock
Length 33:33
Label Sire, Fargo Records
Producer Butch Vig
Against Me! chronology

Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!!
(2006)		 New Wave
(2007)		 The Original Cowboy
(2009)
Singles from New Wave
  1. "White People for Peace"
    Released: May 1, 2007
  2. "Thrash Unreal"
    Released: October 10, 2007
  3. "Stop!"
    Released: April 10, 2008
  4. "New Wave"
    Released: August 5, 2008
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AbsolutePunk.net (81%) [2]
Allmusic [3]
Blender [4]
IGN Music (7.8) [5]
Kerrang!
Okayplayer [6]
Pitchfork Media (5.5/10) [7]
Punknews.org [8]
Rolling Stone [9]
Spin [10]

New Wave is Against Me!'s fourth full-length studio album and their debut album on Sire Records. Produced by Butch Vig of Nevermind fame, it was released on July 10, 2007. The album debuted at #57 on the Billboard 200 on the week of its release. The album's first single, "White People for Peace", was released in May 2007, prior to the album's release. A second single, "Thrash Unreal", followed in July 2007.

New Wave is the first Against Me! full length to not feature any acoustic tracks.

In August 2007, Australian singer-songwriter Ben Lee covered the entire album and released it as a free MP3 download on his blog. Explaining why he decided to cover the album, Lee said "I fell in love with the album. Really. Like, couldn't stop listening to it. As heavy and gnarly as it sounds at times, it is unmistakably a pop masterpiece."[11]

The album was #1 on Spin Magazine's Album of the Year and #9 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.[12]

Production

New Wave is the band's first album with major label Sire Records. Some fans responded negatively to the decision, calling them "sell-outs". Singer/guitarist Laura Jane Grace commented on this, saying "It's just kind of a self-defeating, shoot yourself in the foot-like attitude to have. I find it completely frustrating and off-putting and it turns me off of the punk scene really because people are very closed minded."[13]

The album was originally scheduled for release in the spring of 2007, but was delayed due to mixing issues. Mixing was due to start on February 1, 2007 but it was pushed back to February 9. The band had to start touring on the February 20, so they ended up mixing for ten days before they had to leave. While on tour, producer Butch Vig and mixer Rich Costey would email the band a song which they would then listen to and comment back on.[13]

Tegan Quin's collaboration on "Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart" came about on the 2006 Warped Tour when Quin and a friend were interviewing bands for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic. When her friend said he was going to interview Against Me!, Quin, being a fan of the band, requested to do it instead. During the interview, the band mentioned that they were making a new album to which Quin jokingly said something along the lines of "you should have me sing on the record." Grace was a big fan of Tegan and Sara and liked Quin's voice. Grace had an idea for a duet with Quin and she wrote "Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart" with her voice in mind.[13][14]

In its January 2008 issue, Spin Magazine named New Wave the best album of 2007.[15]

On June 17, 2008 a deluxe edition of New Wave was released in France on Fargo Records with 5 bonus tracks.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Laura Jane Grace. 

No. Title Length
1. "New Wave"   3:29
2. "Up the Cuts"   2:53
3. "Thrash Unreal"   4:14
4. "White People for Peace"   3:33
5. "Stop!"   2:34
6. "Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart" (Featuring Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara) 4:10
7. "Piss and Vinegar"   2:27
8. "Americans Abroad"   2:17
9. "Animal"   3:21
10. "The Ocean"   4:39

B-sides

B-sides digital release cover art.

A digital release titled New Wave B-Sides compiled several of the available B-sides in one EP. It was made available on Amazon's MP3 download service on July 29, 2008.

  1. "Gypsy Panther" (also on Stop 7")
  2. "So Much More" (also on New Wave 7" and New Wave Deluxe Edition)
  3. "Full Sesh" (also on White People for Peace 7")
  4. "Untitled" (also on New Wave Deluxe Edition)- Later posted on Laura Jane Grace's MySpace under the name "Graceful Concession" by Elephant Ears
  5. "You Must Be Willing" (also on Thrash Unreal 7")

The B-side digital release did not include the Butch Vig remix of "White People for Peace" which was previously available on the "White People for Peace" 12" single and iTunes digital download.

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Like. "Against Me! - interview/performance Part 1 of 2 on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
  2. ↑ "Against Me! - New Wave - Album Review". AbsolutePunk.net. 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
  3. ↑ New Wave (Against Me! album) at AllMusic
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ Ed Thompson. "Against Me! - New Wave Review - Music Review at IGN". Music.ign.com. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ "Against Me!: New Wave". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "Against Me! - New Wave". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
  9. ↑ "Rolling Stone Music | Album Reviews". Rollingstone.com. 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
  10. ↑ "Against Me!, 'New Wave' (Sire)". SPIN. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
  11. ↑ Lee, Ben (2007-08-19). "Why I covered the entire "Against Me!" album "New Wave"". ben-lee.com. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
  12. ↑ ROBERT CHRISTGAU, DAVID FRICKE, CHRISTIAN HOARD, ROB SHEFFIELD (December 17, 2007). "The Top 50 Albums of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-20
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Gorman, Bobby (2007-03-31). "Interview with Tom Gabel". thepunksite.com. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
  14. ↑ Robinson, Rowan (2007-12-06 Issue 1086). "Tegan Quin, Tegan and Sara - Sister Madly". interview (Perth: Xpress Magazine). p. 10. Check date values in: |date= (help);
  15. ↑ "Album of the Year: Against Me!". SPIN. Retrieved 2012-03-03.