''Dream to Make Believe'' is the debut
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Armor for Sleep. Following on from his previous band Random Task,
Ben Jorgensen
Ben Jorgensen is an American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best-known as the lead singer and the guitarist of the rock band Armor for Sleep.
Early life and education
Jorgensen grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and is of German ...
taught himself guitar and later recruited additional members to form Armor for Sleep. With some buzz, and the addition of manager
Gabe Saporta
Gabriel Eduardo Saporta (born October 11, 1979) is an Uruguayan-American musician and entrepreneur. From the years 2005 until 2015, he was the lead vocalist and founder of the electropop band Cobra Starship. On November 10, 2015, after nearly ...
, the band recorded their debut album with
Ariel Rechtshaid
Ariel Rechtshaid ( ;) is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixing engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. His accolades include three Grammy Awards for music production.
Rechtshaid was the lead singer and guitarist of the ska ...
at two studios in California: El Barrio in
Van Nuys
Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.
History
In 1909, t ...
and Standard Electrical in
Venice Beach
Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California.
Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...
. ''Dream to Make Believe'' mixed the
space rock
Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumental textures that typically produce a hypnotic, otherworldly sound. It may feature distorted and reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drummin ...
of
Hum
Hum may refer to:
Science
* Hum (sound), a sound produced with closed lips, or by insects, or other periodic motion
* Mains hum, an electric or electromagnetic phenomenon
* The Hum, an acoustic phenomenon
* Venous hum, a physiological sensation
...
with the
emo pop
Emo pop (also known as emo pop punk and pop-emo) is a fusion genre combining emo with the melodies of pop punk and/or pop music. Emo pop features a music style with more concise songs and hook-filled choruses. Emo pop began in the 1990s with ban ...
of
the Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids are an American rock band from Olathe, Kansas. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-1990s Midwest emo scene, otherwise known as the " second wave" of emo music. Their second album ''Something to Write Home About' ...
; it tackled the topics of dreaming, time-travel and space.
Armor for Sleep formally announced they had signed to independent label
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand.
The label originally existed solely to ...
in early 2003, and went on two tours following this. ''Dream to Make Believe'' was released on June 3, where it was met with a generally positive reaction from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
, with some finding it a highly enjoyable listen. ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' included it at number seven on their list of the best punk albums of the year. The album was promoted with four US tours, continuing into mid-2004. Music videos were released for the title-track and "My Town" in early and mid-2004 respectively.
Background and production
Influenced by local acts
Lifetime and
Saves the Day
Saves the Day is an American Rock music, rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, and bassist Rodrigo Palma.
After forming under the nam ...
,
Ben Jorgensen
Ben Jorgensen is an American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best-known as the lead singer and the guitarist of the rock band Armor for Sleep.
Early life and education
Jorgensen grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and is of German ...
formed the
punk rock act Random Task with friends from school. Though he was initially a drummer, he started playing guitar when his bandmates would leave their instruments at his mom's home. The group attracted attention from two record labels, however, the members' parents were "too scared at the time to let us do anything like that."
Before Jorgensen started college, he spent the preceding season writing material and taped two songs ("Dream to Make Believe" and "Slip Like Space") at a local studio in August 2001.
Jorgensen wished to record more, but felt daunted by the task of playing every instrument by himself, he recruited bassist Anthony Dilonno, They recorded a demo in October 2001, which consisted of "All Warm", "Phantoms Now" and "Pointless Forever"; they combined this and the two previously done songs, and sold them as a five-track demo release.[
Armor for Sleep soon began attracting buzz;][ they were due to appear on a ]Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several record labels. It has featured many prominent artists including Thur ...
compilation, though were later taken off.[ In April 2002, it was rumored that the band would be releasing their debut album through independent label ]Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand.
The label originally existed solely to ...
later in the year. Gabe Saporta
Gabriel Eduardo Saporta (born October 11, 1979) is an Uruguayan-American musician and entrepreneur. From the years 2005 until 2015, he was the lead vocalist and founder of the electropop band Cobra Starship. On November 10, 2015, after nearly ...
of Midtown became the group's manager; Saporta viewed Jorgensen as a younger brother-type of figure and wanted to help him avoid issues in the music industry that he experienced with Midtown. After the producer the band enlisted for their debut went missing, Saporta put them in contact with Ariel Rechtshaid
Ariel Rechtshaid ( ;) is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixing engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. His accolades include three Grammy Awards for music production.
Rechtshaid was the lead singer and guitarist of the ska ...
. They recorded over five weeks from August 2002 at El Barrio in Van Nuys
Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.
History
In 1909, t ...
, California and Standard Electrical Recorders in Venice Beach
Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California.
Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...
, California.[ Rechtshaid acted as the producer and handled engineering, with additional engineering from Chris Fudurich. Chris Knight served as the assistant at Standard Electrical. Rechtshaid mixed the recordings, before they were mastered by Brian Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood, California.][ Jorgensen later said that they made the album "little too early nto their careerand rushed into the process".]
Composition
Musically, the sound of ''Dream to Make Believe'' mixed space rock
Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumental textures that typically produce a hypnotic, otherworldly sound. It may feature distorted and reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drummin ...
in the vein of Hum
Hum may refer to:
Science
* Hum (sound), a sound produced with closed lips, or by insects, or other periodic motion
* Mains hum, an electric or electromagnetic phenomenon
* The Hum, an acoustic phenomenon
* Venous hum, a physiological sensation
...
with emo pop
Emo pop (also known as emo pop punk and pop-emo) is a fusion genre combining emo with the melodies of pop punk and/or pop music. Emo pop features a music style with more concise songs and hook-filled choruses. Emo pop began in the 1990s with ban ...
in the style of the Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids are an American rock band from Olathe, Kansas. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-1990s Midwest emo scene, otherwise known as the " second wave" of emo music. Their second album ''Something to Write Home About' ...
.[ Comparisons were drawn musically and lyrically to ]Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They h ...
and Further Seems Forever
Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over its initial eight-year run the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their first three s ...
,[ while Jorgensen's vocals were compared to Legends of Rodeo frontman John Ralston.][ Jorgensen wrote the majority of the material "in my room with the walls of my own skull as pretty much the only things to bounce ideas off of".][ DeCicco said they were attempting to differ themselves from their contemporaries with the space rock sound, they "wanted to almost bring like Thursday meets Radiohead and put it somewhere in between, and just kind of give it a little more."
The album is based on one theme, which evolved out of a poetry class Jorgensen took while in college. Though he disliked the class, he realized "since you're forced to write in one specific way your originality can come through."][ Jorgensen's lyrics were centered around inspection, with elements of darkness and melancholy,][Hinke 2003, p. 75] and tackling the topics of dreaming, space and time-travel.[ Rechtshaid contributed synthesizers to the recordings.][ The opening track is an instrumental titled "Armor for Sleep", which lasts for 45 seconds.][
]
Release
In the midst of recording the band went through membership changes, with drummer Nash Breen and guitarist PJ DeCicco, both of whom were cousins of Jorgensen and members of Prevent Falls, joining shortly at the end of August 2002. They then supported Midtown on their US tour in September 2002.[ Demos of songs that would feature on the album were hosted on Armor for Sleep's website, namely of the songs "All Warm", "Being Your Walls", "The Wanderers Guild" and "Slip Like Space".][ Armor for Sleep formally announced their signing to Equal Vision on January 18, 2003. In February, the group went on tour with ]Hey Mercedes
Hey Mercedes was an alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois, United States, formed after the dissolution of Braid by its former members Bob Nanna, Todd Bell, and Damon Atkinson.
History Early years and ''Everynight ...
. Shortly afterwards, they performed at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
music conference.[ In March and April, the band toured across the US with ]Northstar Northstar may refer to:
* Polaris, a star
Arts and entertainment
* Northstar (band), an emo band from Alabama
* Northstar (rap group), a rap group affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan
* "Northstar", a 2019 song by XXXTentacion from the album ''Bad Vi ...
, This Day Forward
This Day Forward was a Philadelphia-area band active from 1996 to 2003 whose style varied from metalcore to post-hardcore with indie rock influences.
History
The band was formed in 1997 in the Philadelphia suburbs by brothers Mike and Gary ...
, and Breaking Pangaea, leading to an appearance at Skate and Surf Fest. In May and June, the group went on tour with A Static Lullaby
A Static Lullaby was an American post-hardcore band that formed in Chino Hills, California, in 2001.
History
Early years and formation (2001–2002)
A Static Lullaby came together after a high school jam session led to the members to quit the ...
, Time in Malta
Time in Malta follows Central European Time (CET), which is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Malta observes daylight saving time from the last Sunday in March until the last Sunday in October. Europe/Malta is the only IANA time ...
and the Bled
The Bled was an American post-hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona, formed in 2001. They released four albums ('' Pass the Flask'', '' Found in the Flood'', ''Silent Treatment'' and '' Heat Fetish'') before disbanding in 2012.
History
Format ...
, and performed at The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle is an annual three-day music festival which was held in New Jersey from 2003 to 2012, and is scheduled for a 2023 revival by its founder. Every year, new bands competed for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the ...
festival. ''Dream to Make Believe'' was released through Equal Vision on June 3, 2003; a release show was held for a crowd of 500 people.[ The Japanese edition included the bonus track "Pointless Forever".
In August 2003, the band performed at Krazy Fest 6 in Louisville, Kentucky and Go Time Fest. In September 2003, the band played a few shows with labelmates ]This Day Forward
This Day Forward was a Philadelphia-area band active from 1996 to 2003 whose style varied from metalcore to post-hardcore with indie rock influences.
History
The band was formed in 1997 in the Philadelphia suburbs by brothers Mike and Gary ...
, and played at a ''CMJ
CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
'' showcase. In November and December 2003, Armor for Sleep supported Vendetta Red
Vendetta Red is an American alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington, that was formed in 1998. They released an EP, ''6 Kisses, A Blatant Reminder of Why We Are Alive'', in 1999 and two albums, '' Blackout Analysis'' in 2000 and '' White ...
on their headlining US tour. On December 16, 2003, a music video for "Dream to Make Believe" was posted online. In February 2004, the band went tour with the A.K.A.s
The A.K.A.s, a.k.a. The A.K.A.s (Are Everywhere!) is a band that started in Pittsburgh then followed in New York City and later relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They call their music "dancehall fight music"Bane
Bane may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman
* Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series
* Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy
* Bane the Druid, a Gu ...
and Silent Drive
Silent Drive is an American post-hardcore band from Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. The band was formed from members of Ink Cartridge Funeral, Bane, Dasai, and Drowningman. The band was signed to Equal Vision Records, and toured Interna ...
. Between late April and early June, the group went on a US tour with Midtown and Your Enemies Friends
Your Enemies Friends is a post-hardcore rock band that formed in late 2001 in Los Angeles, California.
They have shared the stage with bands such as ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Blonde Redhead, The Icarus Line, TV on the Radio, T ...
. They were supported on select dates by Time and Distance, the Working Title
The Working Title was formed in 2001 and released their first E.P. ''Everyone Here Is Wrong'' in 2003. The EP was rated 5 out of 5 in Alternative Press Magazine, which also labeled The Working Title "A Band To Watch". The band's next LP, About F ...
, Stars Hide Fire, Vise Versa, Emanuel
Emanuel may refer to:
* Emanuel (name), a given name and surname (see there for a list of people with this name)
* Emanuel School, Australia, Sydney, Australia
* Emanuel School, Battersea, London, England
* Emanuel (band), a five-piece rock band fr ...
and Lance's Hero. On July 1, a music video for "My Town" was posted online. The video was directed by Andrew Paul. In July and August, the group went on tour with Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
, Bayside, the Academy Is... and Name Taken
Name Taken was an American rock band from Orange, California. They were originally known as All That's Left in October 1999 until they discovered that the name was already taken; thus the name "Name Taken". The band started in the eighth grade wh ...
.
Reception
''Dream to Make Believe'' received generally positive reviews from music critic
''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...
s. In Music We Trust
''In Music We Trust'' is a music webzine, publicity company, and record label based in Portland, Oregon. It was established as a webzine in July 1997 by Alex Steininger and his friend Ryan O'Neill. Its original goal was to help promote work by new ...
writer Vinnie Apicella opened his review by calling it "an amazing record" by "talented musicians". The release set itself apart from other works by its thematic choice; it saw the group incorporate "edgy and quick minor chording technique accentuated by mild harmonic runs, lingering resonance, and Ben Jorgensen's thoughtful croon." ''Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' Jasamine White-Gluz said it was a "beautifully" crafted record, encapsulating "a sort of naive innocence that probably wouldn't be possible" if Jorgensen was "old enough to drink." She complimented the group for coming up with "the perfect emo record without being too cheesy or cliché". Kaj Roth of''Melodic
A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combinat ...
'' said despite the members' ages, they made "quite a good debut", delivering "good songs in a good performance."[
]AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
reviewer Kurt Morris said the release "showcases another band partaking in the propagation of the emo movement" with "slight variations have been made to the sound so as to distinguish them" from their peers. Though he clarified, " at's not to say that what's here isn't good", the usage of "hooks and some good lyrics are key and come in at the right places".[ Punknews.org staff member Megan said only the pre-release demos our the only highlights on the alum, with the rest being "a slow drudge of songs that don't really evoke any emotion." She criticized Jorgensen's voice as "often sound ngwhiny and nasal", and since they are the "focal point of the music, they shouldn't sound so horrid. It's almost like nails on a chalkboard."][ '']LAS Magazine
''LAS Magazine'', also known as ''Lost At Sea'' or ''LostAtSea.net'', is a daily online magazine founded in 1998 by Eric J Herboth. An online social group for the magazine list it in the "Entertainment & Arts - Online Media" category with a descr ...
'' writer Jonah Flicker bluntly said the group "isn't doing anything new, and not much good either." As "excuses and half-assed endorsements a good record do not make. Let Armor for Sleep take a nice long nap."
''Exclaim!'' ranked it at number seven on their Best Punk Album of the year list.
Track listing
All songs written by Ben Jorgensen
Ben Jorgensen is an American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best-known as the lead singer and the guitarist of the rock band Armor for Sleep.
Early life and education
Jorgensen grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and is of German ...
.[
]
Personnel
Personnel per booklet.
Armor for Sleep
* Ben Jorgensen
Ben Jorgensen is an American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best-known as the lead singer and the guitarist of the rock band Armor for Sleep.
Early life and education
Jorgensen grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and is of German ...
vocals, guitar
* Anthony Dilonnobass
* Nash Breendrums
* P.J. DeCiccoguitar
Additional musicians
* Ariel Rechtshaid
Ariel Rechtshaid ( ;) is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixing engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. His accolades include three Grammy Awards for music production.
Rechtshaid was the lead singer and guitarist of the ska ...
synthesisers
Production
* Ariel Rechtshaidproducer, engineering, mixing
* Chris Fudurichadditional engineering, mixing
* Chris Knightassistant
* Brian Gardnermastering
* Pam Piffardband photography
* Chris Strongalbum photography, graphic construction
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
External links
''Dream to Make Believe''
at YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
(streamed copy where licensed)
{{Authority control
Armor for Sleep albums
2003 debut albums
Concept albums
Equal Vision Records albums
Albums produced by Ariel Rechtshaid
Space rock albums