Spitalfield Preview

Let it never be said that poppy bands don't take chances.

Armed with their first release on Victory Records, "Remember Right Now," the Chicago-based four-piece Spitalfield is pulling out all the stops. When the second Radio Takeover Tour

enters the Showplace Theatre on Wednesday evening with Fall Out Boy and Acceptance, be prepared for some surprises.

Surprise number one: Spitalfield is daring. One of the few non-heavy bands to play this year's Hellfest in Syracuse (the band played the same time as the brutal hardcore of Terror), the band's last pass through western New York was with metalcore heroes Underoath at the Cruise Inn. After this 34-date tour ends, Spitalfield heads through Canada and down the West Coast with Alexis on Fire.

"We know we're the poppiest band on all these shows. But we like playing to new kids, taking a shot at them," said vocalist/guitarist Mark Rose. "Sure, sometimes everyone leaves during our set and comes back afterwards. But also sometimes it's a change of pace for them and they really like it. We don't want to be penned in."

Surprise number two: Spitalfield is actually pretty versatile. "Remember Right Now" holds down some standard "emo" elements of bands like Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, and even some of the dreaded New Found Glory. Rose teeters on the verge of the Juliana Theory's Brett Detar throughout the whole record without ever crossing into the full-blown whiny range. To his credit, Rose's vocals sound very sincere and even cross into the "touching" description on more than one occasion.

That said, Spitalfield musically transmit many different pulses. One song emits a distinctly "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" Foo Fighters feel while another rings brightly of the Jimmy Eat World's "Clarity" era. Most songs do feature some semblance of awfully familiar pop-punk riffs, but Spitalfield does enough with the addition of bells and the solidly played and recorded drums of JD Romero to dispel, or at least dissuade, any poorly placed rip-off accusations.

Most impressive is the production and mixing of Sean O'Keefe, who takes the band's tightness and excellent use of dynamics and highlights every nuance of what makes a pop song catchy. Both the fullness of drums and the interplay between vocals and guitar, as well as the relationship between both guitars, are done better than 95 percent of the music released this year.

Surprise number three: Spitalfield has been working their tails off. All members recently moved back into their childhood homes in a show of young wisdom:

"It's not always the best idea to pay rent when you are home three weeks out of every four or five months," said Rose, musing. "It is hard, keeping in touch with your friends and family, but this is what we want to do."

Rose and Romero have been together since 1998, and the core of the band was established later that year with the addition of guitarist Dan Lowder. Bassist TJ Minich is the newest member, added in the fall of 2002 right before the band signed with Victory.

"This is the line-up we're happiest with by far. It feels right and has been the best it ever has, especially from a show and songwriting standpoint. Things are going how we'd like them," Rose said.

The Radio Takeover Tour has certainly been a boost for all three bands. Along with Spitalfield, Fall Out Boy's pop-punk and Acceptance's Further Seems Forever-esque rock have neared the 200,000 play mark on mp3.com, an achievement rarely surpassed. Rose highlighted Radio Takeover's work.

"We're coming back to venues we've already played to nominal crowds and seeing more faces than we could've imagined. (Radio Takeover) have supported us since our days on Sinister Records and have been more of a help than anyone outside of Victory."

Joining an impressive label known up until very recently for its support of early hardcore (Earth Crisis, Snapcase, and Boysetsfire are notable), Spitalfield now finds itself on a label in their hometown. All members of previous Midwest hardcore bands, Spitalfield is now on its home turf on a label with Taking Back Sunday, Count the Stars and Glasseater, among other bands.

"Living in Chicago is great because we hang out with the people at Victory and make connections outside of work. It's easier to call up when you are in a jam and talk to friends. It's easier for them to lend a sympathetic ear," Rose said.

With a record doing "surprisingly well, considering no one had heard of us before last summer," Spitalfield is heading into the tail end of 2003 with higher expectations and a passion to nurture their early success on Victory.

Information on all three bands, as well as mp3's by each artist, is available at www.radiotakeover.com.