The road to today has been a long and tumultuous one for the Chino Hills, California rockers. Forming in 2001 while still in their teens, A Static Lullaby launched themselves into the local scene of Southern California with a fresh sound that was all at once heavy, catchy, and flat out well-written. ASL found themselves on stage and performing a short two weeks after becoming a band and immediately began to set the bar too high for their peers to reach. In the blink of an eye the band went from writing in their living rooms to being in the radar of the music industry spotlight. Thanks to an intense live show, a strong self-released EP entitled "Withered", and an eye-catching image, the music of A Static Lullaby did not go undetected for very long. In 2003 the band signed to the well-established Ferret Records and released their debut record "...And Don't Forget To Breathe." The creativity of the writing was evident on every track, with each member pulling from their respective interests and musical backgrounds. A genre was born and a story was beginning to unfold.
With record sales climbing each week and the band hitting the road hard in support of their release, it was no surprise that the executive eyebrows of major labels began rising nationwide. In 2004, ASL signed to Columbia Records and were sent back into the studio with producer Lou Giordano (Taking Back Sunday, Goo Goo Dolls) to follow up the huge success of their critically acclaimed debut. The new relationship gave birth to 2005's "Faso Latido", which was a testament to experimentation in a hardcore environment and truly showcased the very core of the band's talent. However, the world of major record labels can be harsh and unfair. Falling short of high expectations, tension began to rise causing a chain of events that would shake free the glue holding together A Static Lullaby.
Arguably, there is no harder time in the life of a band than when members part ways. After drummer Brett Divono made the choice to leave and return to school, creative differences led to an unfriendly separation from bassist Pirrone and guitarist Nathan Lindeman. Five years after forming, Joe and Dan found themselves alone and confused. However, instead of allowing the hard times to turn to self-pity and regret, the pair shone the situation beneath a positive light: a rebirth was in store for A Static Lullaby.
Starting over was a chance for Joe and Dan to find members who truly shared the same vision and desire as themselves. Solidifying their lineup with drummer Jarrod Alexander, guitarist John Death, and bassist Dane Poppin, ASL began to rebuild themselves. In four short months the band wrote and recorded a collection of new songs with a fresh look and a raw attitude. The music was a return to roots and and a fresh sound carefully molded together. In January of 2006, Fearless Records president Bob Becker found signing the band to be a no-brainer. "Fearless has been a great support system enabling us to get back on our feet through some trying times," says Joe. "Everyone is truly professional and have great patience with (me)." The songs were compiled onto a self-titled third record and released later that year to critical acclaim, including a debut on The Billboard Top 200 at #172. The album was living, breathing proof that it was going to take a lot more than member changes and lost record deals to slow the engines of A Static Lullaby.
Despite its glamour and almost dreamlike nature, even the world of music can not hide from the trials and endeavors of everyday life and love. A tough divorce coupled with time spent in rehab led to a rough period for Joe. Its time like these when music can seem insignificant, touring can seem pointless, and the industry as a whole can simply seem too hard. A lesser person may have just drowned in the pressure and let life get the best of him. We should all be very thankful that Joe Brown is not that lesser person. Instead of bowing out and giving up, he picked up the pieces and unleashed his emotion on the much anticipated fourth studio album from A Static Lullaby entitled Rattlesnake!
The music is heavy, the melodies are soothing, the screams are angry, and the lyrics are painfully honest. There is no hiding anything on this record. ASL returned to their friend and mentor, producer Steve Evetts (Senses Fail, Every Time I Die, Dillinger Escape Plan, Alesana), to help mold the emotional chaos and the result is a speeding locomotive stopping for nothing in its path. "Steve has been a close friend for many years now, ever since the first record," says Joe. "There was no question about returning to the studio with him. He understands the dynamic of our band...better than any other producer I've worked with." The band wrote as a four piece for the first time and they truly took their time spending two months in the studio. "All in all this is the record I've always wanted to make since starting the band," says Joe. "It showcases everything we worked to create as A Static Lullaby and should be received that way."
There is no hiding the anger and frustration displayed throughout all ten tracks on Rattlesnake! Joe paints a clear picture with lines like "Your girl is safe with me, bound and bleeding the way they all should be", "Someone answer me, I got the steel in my mouth", and "Take a second to see, no one can be as sorry as me." "Most of the lyrics were inspired by poems I wrote after my divorce and during my stay in rehab," recalls Joes. "A lot of the visual side of the lyrics are logs from dreams I had during this time." Despite their depth and importance, there are times on the record when lyrics are not even necessary to portray the ferocity of the subject matter. The high energy attack of the drums and the perfectly orchestrated guitar arrangements speak for themselves. "Tyler (Mahurin) has filled the shoes and out-done any previous works on this record," brags Joe. "It is a blessing to have such talent being the backbone of the rhythm section of our band." Recorded at Omen Room Studios in Garden Grove, California, the record is scheduled to hit store shelves on September 9, 2008.
A Static Lullaby is certainly no stranger to the road having already completed tours with acts as prestigious as AFI, The Used, Sum 41, Head Automatica, Senses Fail, and My Chemical Romance. They have performed on The Vans Warped Tour, were a main stage act at the 2005 Taste of Chaos, played the Take Action Tour in '07, and were direct support for a sold out UK tour with Funeral For A Friend. From the look of things 2008 will be no different for ASL. "I embrace touring," says Joe. "...always staying fresh and playing to new people is all I could ask for." All summer long the boys will be co-headlining the US with Dance Gavin Dance with support from Four Letter Lie, Secret and Whisper, and Lower Definition. They will also be appearing with Maylene and The Sons of Disaster this fall. With nearly 120,000 MySpace friends, 5,000,000 MySpace plays, and a collective 200,000 records sold, room to move will be hard to find once ASL hits the stage.
Through the ups and downs, the good times and the bad, A Static Lullaby has proven one thing: they are not going down without a fight. Rattlesnake! is a clear sign that the boys from Chino Hills have no plans of slowing down. "The most important thing to me is that we are able to continue to make records that satisfy my lunacy and our fans," says Joe. "I believe our band is the best at what we do and as long as I continue to believe that, we will make records and tour." This is a new and improved ASL. One that grabs ahold of you and refuses to let go. One of the originators of their genre, A Static Lullaby has returned to conquer the scene and take back what rightfully belongs to them. To close appropriately, the words of Joe Brown: "I refuse to let this be the last song I sing."
-Shawn Milke
Check Out A Static Lullaby's Websites.
www.myspace.com/astaticlullaby
www.facebook.com/astaticlullaby
www.buzznet.com/astaticlullaby
www.purevolume.com/astaticlullaby
www.ilike.com/artist/A+Static+Lullaby
Lipgloss and Letdown
A Static Lullaby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walk for the moment, find the reason in yourself,
Theres a reason for you and I,
Take this time to find a meaning,
A reason to sit back and measure the worst six years of my life,
Waiting for your legs to close on my best friends,
Last night I saw your life flash before my eyes,
Why did I laugh so hard baby?
I never meant to hurt you (but I did)
I'm sorry that you cried so hard darling,
I'll never hurt you again,
Take this time to find your tounge,
A sorry excuse to stop your lies,
The best 30 seconds of my life,
My angel take your pills,
My angel I sold your ring,
And now I can't stop laughing,
I didn't want it this way,
I hope you're happy where you are
And i'm glad to say I put you there,
Who's the one that's laughing now,
I'm the one who's laughing now
(now theres nothing left to say I hope you're feeling my embrace, and I can't sleep)
You should have left me sleeping
You should have let me sleep....
The lyrics of A Static Lullaby's song Lipgloss and Letdown appear to be about a failed relationship and the pain that comes with it. The chorus suggests a sense of regret and apology, as the singer repeats "I'm sorry that you cried so hard darling, I'll never hurt you again." However, this sense of remorse is juxtaposed against the verses, which are filled with bitterness and anger towards the former partner. The lines "Waiting for your legs to close on my best friends" and "The best 30 seconds of my life" both suggest infidelity on the part of the ex, and the singer seems to relish the idea of having the upper hand now that the relationship is over ("I hope you're happy where you are, and I'm glad to say I put you there").
Despite the references to pills and rings, it's unclear whether the song is suggesting anything more sinister than emotional manipulation and hurtful words. The line "You should have left me sleeping, you should have let me sleep" suggests that the singer would rather have stayed in the relationship and avoided the pain of the breakup.
Overall, Lipgloss and Letdown seems to be a complex, emotionally charged exploration of a failed relationship, with the singer vacillating between anger and regret as he tries to make sense of what went wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
Blind to the answers, find yourself,
You don't have clarity in life and hence you need to introspect and find your own answers to the problems
Walk for the moment, find the reason in yourself,
Live in the moment and try to find the reason for your existence within yourself
Theres a reason for you and I,
We both have a purpose in life and we need to find it together
Take this time to find a meaning,
Take time for yourself and try to find a deeper meaning in life
A reason to sit back and measure the worst six years of my life,
Reflect on the past and evaluate the negative impact it had on your life
Waiting for your legs to close on my best friends,
Feel betrayed and hurt because the person you trusted had an affair with your best friend
Last night I saw your life flash before my eyes,
Had a moment of realization that the person you loved was not worth it
Why did I laugh so hard baby?
Realized that the entire relationship was a joke and felt relieved
(you won't be back and i'm still laughing)
You are not coming back and I am happy about it
I never meant to hurt you (but I did)
Didn't intend to cause pain but did it nonetheless
I'm sorry that you cried so hard darling,
Feel guilty for causing so much pain to the person you loved
I'll never hurt you again,
Promise to not cause any more pain in the future
Take this time to find your tounge,
Take a moment to speak up and express your feelings
A sorry excuse to stop your lies,
Using an apology as an excuse to stop the person from lying to you
The best 30 seconds of my life,
Sarcasm indicating that the best moment of their life was actually very insignificant
My angel take your pills,
Ask their partner to take their medication
My angel I sold your ring,
Sold their partner's ring to show that they don't care anymore
And now I can't stop laughing,
Feeling relieved and happy after finally letting go of the toxic relationship
I didn't want it this way,
Didn't want the relationship to end but it had to because it was not worth it
I hope you're happy where you are
Wishing the best for their former partner in their future endeavors
And i'm glad to say I put you there,
Taking credit for ending the relationship for the better
Who's the one that's laughing now,
Satisfied and content after moving on and no longer being affected by the past relationship
I'm the one who's laughing now
Feeling victorious and happy after finally letting go of the toxic relationship
(now theres nothing left to say I hope you're feeling my embrace, and I can't sleep)
No more words needed as actions speak louder than words; feeling content and at peace
You should have left me sleeping
Should have left alone when I was in a peaceful state
You should have let me sleep....
Should have left me alone and not entered my life to cause more chaos
Contributed by Samuel V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kevin mazz
First concert ever. Boys night out, From autumn to ashes.. Sudbury' 2004. They all killed it π€π½#2020
Lydia Nunyabidnessyadig
Omfg lucky!! I love static but fata was my all time favorite band!! Still is one of my favs.
TinaScene
Ahhh boys night out. π€ I saw them like 06 ish with plain white teeβs. Met the drummer by accident.
ryd1zzle
Wtf I'm Jealous af!!
Cassio Francisco
You luck! ASL never came to my country
jdgonzo1982
this album was gold man...so many killer melodies...and they were fucking good on their instruments too!! this album and Hopesfall's The Satellite Years are essential...rare little pieces of gold that most people missed out on!!
Daniel Cris Reinert
still blastin this in 2019. getting old pretty fast
Alex Villa
15 and a half hrs ago lol. Favorite album of all time 9/1/21
Kre8 TBA
2021!
Mysterious J
2. Good song but just not the song for me to cover. I let this be! Thank you though! Hope you guys can see my other song covers in review contents! Thank You! π€πΆπΈ