Featured Band : Terrible Things

Listen to Terrible Things' Self-Titled record on Myspace.

New Universal Motown band Terrible Things may be hailed as rock all-stars – with ex-Taking Back Sunday vet Fred Mascherino, Coheed and Cambria alumnus Josh Eppard, and Hot Rod Circuit guitarist Andy Jackson forming the powerful triumvirate.
Appetites whetted for the splintering, pointed rock we’ve come to expect from each member of the reserved trio should prepare for added twists to their own reliable brand this time around. Never known to rest on thorny laurels /giving the gas face to the weathered indie formula of ‘doing well and being miserable’ in a recent interview with Alternative Press/, Mascherino’s first order of new business was to record the new album in Birmingham, Alabama with producer Jason Elgin.
Terrible Things have made a concept album about a series of fires that haunted Fred’s former hometown, the depressed Pennsylvania steel-millburgh of Coatesville, PA, located 40-plus miles west of Philadelphia. A reign of arson terror scorched the more modest neighborhoods of Chester County from 2007-2009. “It’s not a political album,” says Fred. “I leave that to others. But growing up in Coatesville, the shock of these fires affected me in a way I was even surprised at.”
On the album, the band addresses such themes of fear and alienation in songs like “Revolution,” with the lyric – ‘This is not a revolution til we say it is…it seems we only want what we don’t have….’ Another song, the searing “Up At Night,” touches on the town’s fear and atrophy – ‘burning, burning bright, our eyes wide open; I bet you can see our town at night from space.’
“I was just struck by the helplessness,” says Fred. “Growing up there I remember the decay, but this was such a mindless thing, symptomatic maybe, of pure hopelessness” Though the band didn’t initially set out to do a concept album, Fred says the other band members understood the depth of Fred’s passion. Andy’s contributions include “Not Alone,” and “Wrap Me Up.” Josh’s Coheed and Cambria chops – no stranger to conceptual themes in their music, as well – made the debut offering a total communal effort.
The choice of Jason Elgin as producer, and the surprise location of Birmingham, Alabama to record their kick-off CD was agreed upon by all three members ‘to get into a different head space,’ says Fred. Jason was great, and to record down here meant no distractions. We were totally engaged in the music.”
Even though they were fans of each others’ work, forming any new band, particularly when each member’s individual ‘earned-our-stripes’ indie cred’ proceeds a new union - the chemistry is not always guaranteed. “We are very lucky,” says Fred. “This all happened so organically. It seems we were all ready to take another leap into the band thing head-first.” A feat even more remarkable when you consider the members’ stellar pedigrees – Fred’s Taking Back Sunday legacy includes game-changing critical raves, multiple Top 5 album debuts and a propulsive live legacy. Coheed and Cambria also wrote their own ticket as one of the new prog-breakthrough bands, earning a Top Ten Album landing and a pummeling live reputation of their own, thanks, in no small measure to Eppard’s unique drum presence. Still, both Eppard and Mascherino willfully left their bands more than two-and-a-half years ago.
Fred had known Josh from mutual tours – including his previous band incarnation prior to Taking Back Sunday, Breaking Pangaea. “I knew Josh from Coheed and Cambria. He has always been my favorite drummer to watch. He just brings so much to Terrible Things. Doing my solo stuff after Taking Back Sunday, I think I also missed the social component of being in a band. The fun of everyone contributing. I’ve been in bands pretty much since 9th grade so I also knew that if I was going to do it again, it better be with the right people. We’re pretty happy about the place we all are at right now.”

Tour Dates
In Stores
8/27 - FRIDAY
First Unitarian Church
2125 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.563.3980
All Ages 7:30pm $15

8/28 - SATURDAY
Wilkes University - Campus Quad
84 W. South Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766
All Ages 7pm FREE

8/29 - SUNDAY
The Basement
744 Broadway
Kingston, NY 12401
845.338.0744
All Ages 8pm $7

8/30 - MONDAY
Looney Tunes
31 Brookvale Avenue
West Babylon, NY
631.587.7722
6pm In-Store Performance & Signing
http://looneytunescds.wordpress.com/...instore-event/

8/31 - TUESDAY
Vintage Vinyl
51 Lafayette Road
Fords, NJ 08863
732.225.7717
6pm In-Store Performance & Signing

9/1 - WEDNESDAY
FYE
100 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19110
3pm In-Store Performance & Signing

The Note
142 E. Market Street
West Chester, PA 19382
All Ages 7pm $10 Adv. $12 DOS
w/ Mae, Windsor Drive
Oct 01 The Canal Club Richmond, VA
Oct 02 The Casbah Charlotte, NC
Oct 03 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
Oct 05 The Social Orlando, FL
Oct 07 Club Downunder Tallahassee, FL
Oct 09 The End Nashville, TN
Oct 12 The Historic Southgate House Newport, KY
Oct 13 Musica Akron, OH
Oct 14 Water Street Music Hall Rochester, NY
Oct 15 The Space Hamden, CT
Oct 16 Middle East Downstairs Cambridge, MA
Oct 17 School Of Rock S. Hackensack, NJ
Oct 20 Gramercy Theatre New York, NY
Oct 21 Eleanor Rigby’s Jermyn, PA
Oct 22 World Café Live Philadelphia, PA
Oct 23 Chameleon Club Lancaster, PA
Oct 24 Altar Bar Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 26 The Eagle Theatre Pontiac, MI
Oct 27 The Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL
Oct 28 Off Broadway Nightclub St. Louis, MO
Oct 30 The Record Bar Kansas City, MO
Oct 31 The Waiting Room Omaha, NE
Nov 02 The Marquis Theatre Denver, CO
Nov 04 The Electric Theatre St. George, UT
Nov 05 Avalon Theatre Salt Lake City, UT
Nov 06 The Venue Boise, ID
Nov 07 El Corazon Seattle, WA
Nov 10 Bottom Of The Hill San Francisco, CA
Nov 11 Downtown Brewing Company San Luis Obispo, CA
Nov 13 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA
Nov 16 Nile Theatre Mesa, AZ
Nov 19 The Door Dallas, TX

Recently Featured Bands

(08/10) : Terrible Things
(08/10) : American Bang
(08/10) : Orbs
(07/10) : Terrible Things
(07/10) : The Maine
(07/10) : Picture Me Broken
(06/10) : Mozart Season
(06/10) : Pierce The Veil
(06/10) : The Gaslight Anthem
(06/10) : This Is Hell
(06/10) : Hawthorne Heights
(05/10) : It's Alive
(04/10) : Bleeding Through
(04/10) : Red Sparowes
(03/10) : I Can Make A Mess Like Nobodys Business
(03/10) : You Me At Six
(03/10) : Rifoki
(03/10) : We Are The Arsenal
(02/10) : The Architects
(02/10) : Places And Numbers
(02/10) : Disco Curtis
(01/10) : FREYA
(01/10) : The Dear & Departed
(12/09) : Bane
(12/09) : Eye Alaska
(11/09) : NOFX
(11/09) : ArmsBendBack
(11/09) : The Almost
(10/09) : We Came As Romans
(10/09) : Converge
(10/09) : blessthefall
(10/09) : Inhale Exhale
(09/09) : Strung Out
(09/09) : Every Time I Die
(09/09) : It Dies Today
(09/09) : Saosin
(09/09) : Farewell
(08/09) : Oh, Sleeper
(08/09) : The Color Fred
(08/09) : After Midnight Project
(08/09) : Suicide City
(07/09) : The Silent Years
(07/09) : Memphis May Fire
(06/09) : Miss Derringer | Kiss Kiss
(06/09) : Therefore I Am
(06/09) : Consider The Thief
(06/09) : There For Tomorrow
(06/09) : Taking Back Sunday
(05/09) : Oceana
(05/09) : cKy
(05/09) : Green Day
(05/09) : Unholy
(04/09) : Madina Lake
(04/09) : The Veer Union
(04/09) : Rockin' Romance
(04/09) : The Orphan, The Poet
(03/09) : Vanna
(03/09) : These Green Eyes
(03/09) : Ace Enders & A Million Different People
(03/09) : Punk Goes Pop 2
(03/09) : U2
(02/09) : Belle Epoque
(02/09) : Thursday
(02/09) : Scale The Summit
(02/09) : My Chemical Romance
(01/09) : Leathermouth
(01/09) : Mozart Season
(01/09) : The Kris Norris Projekt
(01/09) : Woe of Tyrants
(12/08) : State of Shock