Author: William Wachter

An Interview, Joey Testa of Yours For Mine

If you didn’t know already, the indie rock/metal-based band Yours For Mine has returned! I (William Wachter), caught up with my close friend, Joey Testa of the band to bring you all an inside look at what the band is up to these days.

Yours For Mine, originally from Woodstock, Va. you all started the band in 2005, correct? Or when did that begin and tell me how it formed? 

Joey: Yes, early 2005. Most of us were living in the Edinburg/Woodstock area when things got started. Chad Altenberger, Stephen Minnick, and I all played in the high school band together (my tuba talents have yet to be incorporated into YFM). 

I remember Chad saying that there was this guy from Winchester (Jon Woods) that he wanted to start playing music with. Originally, it was me, Chad, and our friend Tyler Dowdy that played with Jon, under the name Each New Day. We quickly changed the name to The Red Letter Days. Our friend Tyler exited the band and Stephen joined. That’s when we changed the name one last time to Yours For Mine. (Tyler still ended up designing most of our merch and is actually the one responsible for the art on this new project). Eventually, Benjamin Cooley joined on guitar, making YFM a five piece.

So nearly 13 years since the last original music for Yours For Mine has come out, take us through this journey a little bit.. What are some things that have changed and things have maybe stayed the same about the band and its direction? 

Joey: A lot has changed! We all got married. Most of us have kids now. We honestly never intended to get back together after things fizzled out, all those years ago. The reunion show in 2017 was supposed to be the last hurrah, but that night reignited our love for the old “cabin songs” that we never got to finish. We agreed from the beginning that it would be fun to just record them well and give them away for free to the handful of folks that still care. That eventually developed into the idea that we could use this project to help raise funds for people with mental health issues who are struggling to afford therapy. Although the world around us has changed quite a bit, our calling to love our neighbors has not.

I know maybe what a lot of people don’t know about Yours For Mine is that, even as small as band as you were before reforming, that, you all would perform with bands like August Burns Red and Haste The Day, what was sharing the stage with some of your idols like so to speak?

Joey: We did get to play with some really fun artists over the years. The guys in ABR probably don’t remember us by now, but the impact they left on me was huge. We hit up the local IHOP after our show with them and just hung out. Just sharing a table with those guys was great. They were so nice and down to earth! I didn’t detect an ounce of that big headed rock n roll celebrity attitude that often takes over the bigger names out there…the shows with Haste the Day, Listener & Me Without You were also great. That said, as cool as it was to share the stage with some big hitters, most of my favorite memories are some of the smaller scale shows we did with local acts like us.

Cool, well I know that you all were originally on Blood & Ink records, which of course for those listening that might not know they were and are a fairly big independent label in the christian music scene… Now you all are coming out and doing a sophomore album self-released… Tell me what things were like being on Blood & Ink, and also tell me about the decision on putting this album out on the band’s own terms? 

Joey: Blood & Ink was really kind to us. I honestly didn’t handle any of the interactions with them directly, so I can’t say much more than that, but they were super helpful in getting our name out there. I don’t think we would be against partnering with a label on this new project at all. We just understand that a label collaborating with a band that is pretty “inactive” is a stretch.

During the Yours For Mine reunion show, the band performed 3 new songs calling them “the cabin songs”, this has been a working title for you all dating back to when these songs were created… So I have to ask, will these songs be on the upcoming album, if so how much have they changed if anything from when they were originally created? 

Joey: Yes! All three cabin songs from the show (“Not by Force, Not by Strength” & “Break the Teeth” & “Forgive, Act, Repay”) are part of the album. They are the only songs that were mostly completed before the band’s hiatus. Surprisingly, we barely altered any of the original lyrics, as they still fit directly into the larger story that this album will tell. There were some hefty changes made from a structural standpoint on the music, but the original message weaves perfectly into the bigger narrative that came much later.

And how many songs that were unreleased from the cabin songs days will be on the new record? 

Joey: The album has 12 tracks! It is 10 “cabin songs” that are bookended by a prologue/epilogue.

So I’m curious about the album title “How Dark The Night”… it’s very interesting.. Not just the title, but, that this is also the first time fans of the band including myself are seeing this album name for the first time… So what does the title “How Dark Is The Night” mean to you all as a band, and why did you all pick the name? 

Joey: Great question! So we decided to go with the name “Yours For Mine: How Dark the Night” for both the album and the book that accompanies the music. The songs and chapters are all connected and tell a story about a young boy named Habit who runs away from home. On top of already struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, and suicidal thoughts, Habit eventually finds himself enslaved in a mysterious town called “Seduction”…

The overall story is an allegory. It wrestles with what it is like to grow up in a world where you are told that God exists…that God is good…that God is love…and then you look around at all of the terrible things going on around you and within you and wonder…has God forgotten us? The specific name of this project comes from a chapter/song towards the end of the story

I do want to say of course as I’ve expressed to you Joey, the new songs “Head In The Clouds” & “We All Hide” lyrically grabs the listener by the throat and takes us through this journey of what you have gone through and they are absolutely fantastic tracks and the transparency in the lyrics is so visible which is great… But I have to ask, what would you like for the listener to take away from these tracks and the upcoming album if anything else or just in general? 

Thanks Willie! I’m glad you liked the two singles. I think there are three main things I would love for people to take away from this project:

#1) You’re not alone. People with mental health issues often get pegged as the weirdos…the “crazy” people, right? But take suicide, for example. That’s just one of many things that somebody could be wrestling with. Every 2 seconds, somebody is trying to kill themselves. Every 40 seconds, somebody succeeds. It’s heartbreaking. It might even be unexpected in a lot of cases. But it isn’t crazy. Something that happens every 2 seconds on the earth is far from crazy. It’s common. If you aren’t struggling, you’re in the minority. I’d like to see a culture that is more open to conversations about mental health.

#2) It’s okay to have faith and still ask a lot of questions. Just like I would love to reverse the many stigmas that surround mental health issues, I would love to see more churches that encourage questions….churches that are intentionally trying to reverse the misconception that asking questions is indicative of an inferior faith or no faith.    

Questions have the potential to create a more robust faith. I think God is big enough to handle your biggest questions towards Him.

#3) There is hope.

Very cool, so do you do vocals on the whole album or just part of it? Because you know, in the first album you were doing unclean vocals as well as drums and Jonathan would do lead vocals and drums as well. 

Joey: Not one drum was harmed (by me) in the making of this album. We pulled the old switcheroo. Jon did all the drums, and I did most of the main vocals. 

Stephen and our old friend Ace Cosner have some leading vocal parts throughout the album. For people invested in the story arc, you’ll notice that each of our voices are often associated with a particular “character”

I know that you had hinted at possibly doing a show after when the new album comes out in conversations we’ve had… Is that still a possibility that’s on the table? Maybe even some touring? Of course, when the pandemic is over! 

Joey: We all agree that at least one more show makes sense! We are thrilled with the way this thing has turned out and would love to perform it in person. The logistics make it hard enough to say that it isn’t for sure, but I wouldn’t rule it out!

What art, people, bible verses or anything inspired you most in the writing of this album? 

Joey: In a span of just 7 years…my dad died. My wife and I lost 3 kids to miscarriage. My childhood best friend died. My grandfather died. I almost saw my wife die in front of me. My grandmother died. I had a major mental breakdown and ended up in the hospital and therapy. And then my uncle died. And then my father in law died. 

Without getting into all of the gruesome details, a lot of those events were pretty traumatic for me. The lyrics and the story come from a genuine place of struggle…a place of life and death…hope and despair…almost all of the words were written in between my first few therapy sessions, towards the very end of 2019.

The biggest inspiration from any biblical text was the story of the Prodigal Son that Jesus told in Luke 15.

I guess that could lead into my next question, Yours For Mine has always been a christian band and I know, you, Joey are very outspoken with your beliefs, how has your relationship with God changed since the last album? Could you maybe touch on that a little bit?

Joey: My relationship with Jesus, like most, has had its ups and downs. I think the last few years of my life have been the hardest, and with that comes change, for sure…but the most comforting thing is that it hasn’t been Jesus that has changed. He is changing me. God is the only thing that has been constant throughout the good and the bad times. 

I think the biggest thing is that I’m truly learning to live through all of the things that I was taught as a kid…like, I was always taught that God is with us in the storm, but now I’m actually feeling it. It’s easy to ask where God is hiding when everything is crumbling. And it’s easy to give an answer when you’re not the one going through it…but now my knowledge of God’s love for us has moved more from cerebral to experiential.

I don’t fully understand a lot of things. My faith is still a work in progress. But I know enough to know that Jesus is the only one to fully satisfy my soul. All pain points to the cross and the cross to the empty tomb and the empty tomb to our soul’s deepest longings.

I always find this interesting with bands because what we listen to musically has a huge effect on when the music is being made and in the studio… so, what were you listening to on your own time when the album was being made? 

Joey: For the first time in my life…almost nothing. I went through the longest period of time where I was solely fixed on this project. I didn’t want to listen to anything else but Yours For Mine for months on end haha It sounds weird to hear myself say that…like, I don’t wanna sound a certain kind of way, but it’s the truth. 

I wanted to be fully immersed in this story, so I would listen to the music to write a chapter of the book or vice versa. I would read a rough draft of a chapter of the book to come up with lyrics. 

This project has been super therapeutic for me, so on really rough days, the music/book was all that kept me going. So yeah, I would come back to YFM:HDTN on the daily.

That said, some of my biggest personal inspirations, musically, would have to include He is Legend, the Chariot, and Imogen Heap.

So I have one last question, what can we expect with the new album if you’d like to talk about it? Any trumpet work, or similarities, or maybe even big differences? And is there anything you’d like to say to fans of the band or anyone that will read the interview? 

Joey: Expect a lot of different sounds and a lot of different emotions!

We hope this project helps you heal…helps you hope…and even if you don’t agree with us from a religious standpoint, we love you.

William: Well, that’s it folks. I want to thank you all for reading and if you haven’t already, check out the newest single below “We All Hide” by Yours For Mine from their upcoming second album How Dark The Night. They have also released another single called “Head In The Clouds”, be sure to check that out (on Youtube) as well if you would like. Their first album “Dear Children” is also available to stream on Spotify or Bandcamp (and Myspace if you still use that, haha).

Top Albums Of 2020

As we all know, 2020 has been an interesting year, but even a more interesting year for music. A lot of good albums & runner-ups have been put out during this rough year… as most of us have been inside this year due to the pandemic & trying to keep our time filled, we’ve been listening! So, we at Not A Sound have decided to give you all our top 5 releases of the year with each writer’s picks! Take a look if you’d like, and have a great 2021!

Aaron Zajac:

  1. Ugly is Beautiful – Oliver Tree
  2. Esther – Second to Safety
  3. This is Loss and It Will Pass – A Boy Named John
  4. Notes on a Conditional Form – The 1975
  5. Life on Other Planets – Moon Hooch

Jeremy Schep:

  1. Run The Jewels – RTJ4
  2. Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters
  3. Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
  4. The Strokes – The New Abnormal
  5. Jeff Rosenstock – No Dream

Zacharia Bowman:

  1. Pinegrove- Marigold
  2. Run The Jewels- RTJ4
  3. Imperial Triumphant- Alphaville
  4. Jeff Rosenstock- No Dream
  5. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit- Reunions

Zack Rozmus:

  1. August Burns Red- Guardians
  2. The Ghost Inside- Self Titled
  3. Second To Safety- Esther
  4. Pinegrove- Marigold
  5. Slaughter Beach, Dog- At the Moonbase

    (Zack listed “Phoebe Bridgers- Punisher” as well as “The Front Bottoms- in Sickness and in Flames” as runner-ups respectively)

Jason Panella:

  1. Hum- Inlet
  2. Phoebe Bridgers- Punisher
  3. Shiner- Schadenfreude
  4. Nothing- The Great Dismal
  5. Taylor Swift- Evermore

William Wachter:

  1. Fiona Apple- Fetch The Bolt Cutters
  2. Big Sean- Detroit 2
  3. Mac Miller- Circles (deluxe)
  4. IDLES- Ultra Mono
  5. Charmer- ivy

    (William lists “Taylor Swift- folklore” as well as “Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats- Unlocked” both as runner-ups respectively)

That’s all folks! Thank you for checking out these lists & for being the reason we do what we do. We hope to see you all next year! Until then, we hope to bring more content to you in the new year & maybe soon, so keep your eyes peeled. Take care.
Peace & love.

Albums That Slipped Through The Cracks: Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven by Kid Cudi

FFO: Nirvana, Minor Threat, Alice In Chains

Kid Cudi is an artist who has always changed up his formula with every project he has released. Well known and critically acclaimed for his first two “Man On The Moon” albums, he wasn’t willing to settle by any means. Even as projects moving forward would tend to flop in the eyes of critics and fans or get mixed reviews, Scott Mescudi, or “Kid Cudi”, still continued in doing what made him happy. While “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven” received negative and mixed reviews as well, over time, fans have come to appreciate how deep and different the album is compared to Kid’s other projects. Even Andre 3000 as well as other notable artists Kanye West and Erykah Badu gave the album high praise. When friend of mine mentioned to me that this is a punk rock album by Kid Cudi, as some one who loves punk rock music and its culture, I was curious to see how this record would be overall.

While this album isn’t something that hasn’t been tried before, for Kid Cudi it is something almost completely different. If you are expecting any hip hop elements in the mix here of this album, you may be disappointed. However, you may at least appreciate the title track “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven”, which sounds like something off of the “Man On The Moon” albums but with much more instrumentation. I was very impressed with how much versatility Kid pulled off in this album, not just because it is a style change, but for how loud this album is. It’s very punk rock at times and also very grunge-sounding at times. It sounds as if Kid may have been on the brink of insanity by lyrical content, putting it into poetry and him singing/yelling over a bunch of sloppy punk rock riffs. If there’s one thing I can agree with fans on, it’s that this is arguably his most deep and confident release of his career thus far. 

Through the record until about the middle part of it stopping after the track “Judgmental C**t”, we hear very Nirvana-esque riffs and music while the vocals some times don’t differ too far from his work before this record. At some points, the vocals don’t seem to play well into the mix, but it’s made up for what it lacks in the way the music sounds. “Fade 2 Red” & “AMEN” are arguably the most punk-rock sounding songs on the album, loud and filled with more drums than most of what the rest of the album has to offer. “Handle With Care” is my personal favorite song on the album though, surprisingly… It is his most soft song here in terms of sound as well, but the lyrics are very deep and yet somehow cathartic. 

At this point in the album though, the sound starts to decline a little bit throughout the second half. While there are some very alluring & much more deep moments as far as lyrical quality, nothing stood out to me as much as the first half. There’s also Beavis & Butthead skits at the end of several songs in the album… While this adds a lighthearted and funny feel to soften up the album’s flow, it almost doesn’t fit. During their appearances, Beavis & Butthead both comment on how they are feeling about the album & how they are being influenced by hallucinogenics while listening to it.  It is weird to hear this in the album, but also makes me appreciate the album as an art piece less in a way though too. I was surprised to hear the 3 demos in this half of the album and no fully finished tracks of the same names to back them up as well. While these 3 tracks may keep the spirit of punk rock fresh in the album, it doesn’t seem to fit well where they were placed, as they feel like some songs that should have been put on the first half of the album(or maybe not at all).

Overall, if you are big fan of punk rock and grunge music, this may be an album you are at least able to appreciate. It is infectious in terms of sound, but, somewhat lackluster in quality and when considering it artwork. I will say, though, this is arguably Kid Cudi’s most underrated album and is one for the books, it is one I may be revisiting in the future as well. In more recent times, Kid has put out a single with legendary rapper Eminem titled “The Adventures Of Moon Man & Slim Shady”. Kid Cudi & Travis Scott also put out a track in April titled “The Scotts” under their new group titled under the same name “The Scotts”, and are slated to release a much anticipated project in the future. What can we expect from Kid Cudi in the future aside from this? Who knows?! He is a man of many talents and obviously has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. I, personally, would like to see a return to the punk rock & grunge sounds on this album at some point should Kid Cudi feel the urge to release something similar to this again… either way, I’ll always be eager for what his future as an artist holds.

Our Rating: 6.0 (Solid)

Release Date: December 4, 2015

Label: Republic Records

Albums That Slipped Through The Cracks: Space Camp by Audio Karate, A Track By Track Review

FFO: WAVVES, Lagwagon, The Starting Line, Alkaline Trio

For much of the underground scene, Audio Karate has been of interest to many fans of punk rock, skate punk & pop punk genres alike. They had their moments of fame like when making it on MTV(UK) and playing with bands such as the descendants… But were always on the cusp of becoming something bigger & better, their freshman album “Space Camp” showcases this with full force. The first track off of the album “Rosemead” had ballad-like potential, the drums and guitar in the track are reminiscent of its time in the pop punk sphere. The lyrical content in this song may make you feel like you are reading a love letter to your valentine, while at the same time, the nostalgia may also make you feel a sense of longing and belonging somehow. There are very few albums I can listen to nowadays for the first time without stopping and this track caused me to do so. Much of this album has a track that is as infectious as the track prior in one way or another.

It starts to become melodic with the track “Drama Club Romance”… Here, we notice the signature guitar parts that stand out from many similar bands at the time. It’s like going to the beach and listening to pop punk, the waves pull me in more and more. This song is one of my favorites and more visited tracks for me personally. “Nintendo 89”, the first track I and many others first heard by this band, could have reached ballad status as well. To me, though, it was just that and more. Arguably the track has a My Chemical Romance-like entrance but eventually demanded that I mosh in the comfort of my own home.

The attitude of the album takes a turn from hopeful to heavy in the song “Hello St. Louis”, which could be considered the most surprising song as well. The sporadic and punch-filled bass solo turned into guitar solo parts jumped out at me as something that stood out on this record. It’s a good turning point for the album and could peak your interest(like it did mine) at what is to come in following songs. “Monster In Disguise” plays off of the previous track and adds even more fuel to the fire as the most emotional track on this release. The song seems to be about a bad relationship, though the lyrical content itself could also provide solace to some one feeling isolation and lonliness.

The songs to come may be surprising as the emotion suddenly changes to a more mellow vibe. “Car Ride Home” returns to the punk rock summer vibe that “Drama Club Romance” had, and also is debatably the most poetic song on this record. The music here yells 90’s skate punk and reciprocates that it’s still alive even in the early 2000’s while still being the most surprising track on this album(in my opinion). “Senior Year” continues this fashion and the nostalgia here is so infectious as it is the most child-like song here. “One Day” and “San Jose” were the least exciting tracks to me, they don’t offer much of anything too different but are still fun and catchy nonetheless.

However, the song “Jason” takes a turn in the album holding the place of the last song before the closer on the album. For me, in albums this is where I never know what to expect going into the last two songs. Although, this track specifically serves as the most raw version of the band at their time as frontman Arturo Barrios sings “can’t do this anymore”. The song as a whole is alluring and holds an explosiveness to it that is broad in the best of ways. Finally, we’re at the closing track “T-San”… Here, Arturo sings “so I say goodbye to you”, and to me this serves as a great closer for the album. It became a tearjerker after reading the lyrics in depth considering the heaviness that is so present here.

Overall, this album is one that constantly serves as inspiring and interesting. This record is so fun at any time of the year to me, I can throw it on almost anytime. It’s a gem as well as underground staple that has stood the tests of time, aging very well. Today the album turns 18 years old… So, happy anniversary/birthday to Audio Karate on the album(if you all read this), and congratulations on the more recent release of the incredible album “Malo” ! I am looking forward to whatever this band has up their sleeves next.

7.6 (Stand-Out)



Release date: March 14, 2002

Label: Kung Fu Records

Albums That Slipped Through The Cracks: Killing Us Is Easy by Operatic

FFO: Jimmy Eat World, At The Drive In, As Cities Burn

If you’re looking for a great alternative album but also something new and not average in this genre, then look no further. In their debut, the members of Operatic prove they have potential, and a lot of it. As the music progresses, it could throw you off guard some times but, I feel, it keeps you interested the whole way through in one way or another. In a lot of ways, you understand clearly the message the lyrics are trying to convey… In other ways they can be cryptic and almost eery, and because of this, leaves room for interpretation. If you have ever been in an unhealthy relationship of any kind or have felt lost in life, then this EP may be a cathartic listen for you. Other themes involved can be repetitive but only for the sake of putting emphasis on what this record is trying to accomplish.

Killing Us Is Easy, as a whole, takes on a style of a melodically driven progression while throwing you small surprises along the way. Some may not find this EP as interesting, but for me, when first hearing this release, I was blown away with the lead guitar work… It is impressive, fresh and leaves you wanting more similar sounds to grace your ears. The vocals and instrument dichotomies are genuine and polished, making this a crisp listen, one of which tugs at the emotions of the listener’s soul. Most have found out about this band from the demo version of the first track titled “Interested In Madness”, which was featured on Tony Hawk’s Underground 2, and, this is how I found them as well. The demo version is a little bit different at some points and gives off almost a completely different feel for the song with small subtleties.

“Forget + Think + Tell” may be my favorite track on this just because of every aspect involved and how the song moves as compared to the others. The chorus screams what rock and roll at the time could look like, while you almost feel like you’re taking a small step through this path in the dark with rhythm guitarist & frontman Jesse Fritsch as he walks on it. The song “Fiona”, however, takes place right after and is possibly the most progressive and explosive track here… It is a great place to have this track with how the songs flow. Here, Jesse, sings “with this we’ve become, not so interested“… But to me, this record is nothing short of interesting. In fact, at the time of this release, it breaks the mold and can be considered a bold statement as well as a staple.

Our Rating: 7.2 (Stand Out)

Release Date: December 31, 2004

Label: Self-Released

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/killing-us-is-easy/132828102