Send "Rocky Loves Emily " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Absolutepunk |
 In regards to fit, one might suggest that Detroit’s Rocky Loves Emily would better fit alongside The Maine on Fearless Records than perhaps Ivoryline on Tooth & Nail. With that said, these six guys inevitably bring quite a diverse sound to T&N; however, they still maintain the optimistic feel prevalent throughout all releases on their label, allowing them to fit in, only with a different sound. Optimistic by nature, American Dream is a poppy anthem for RLE; for a debut effort, Rocky Loves Emily could easily tour with bands such as Hit The Lights or The Maine. Title track “American Dream” is the prime example of who Rocky Loves Emily are – a poppy, uplifting outfit. Featuring a foot-tapping rhythm and addictive chanting, the opening track is the first dose of the feel of Dream. The following single “Clueless” follows suit, channeling Hit The Lights through and through, while the country-tinged “See Her Again” reminisces The Maine’s latest mediocre outing, Black And White. “Name Of The Game” is driven by guitarists Sean Kick and Andrew Stevens as they set the tone for vocalist Brandon Ellis’ captivating vocal delivery. The final “There’s A Word For You” is trickery – beginning with an acoustic strum before then rising into another poppy tune about girls. As American Dream comes to a close, it is not without its flaws, mainly a lack of depth or innovation. The lyrics pull the record down incalculably, as well, with nearly every track being about girls. On the other hand, it’s a fun EP at that; there’s no denying how ridiculously catchy each track sounds, which has clearly led to huge careers of many others. In this way, if these six guys can grow and mature with their music and lyrics – perhaps taking hints from many of T&N’s other bands – they definitely will have a bright future....full text |
| Truepunk |
| Immediately after pressing play on “American Dream” you will feel the need to jump up and down with a crowd of teenagers at a parking lot, a small venue, or even at your neighbors’ party. There are three words that describe the music of Rocky Loves Emily: Pure-Pop-Rock. Catchy choruses that make you want to sing along to every syllable that comes out of the mouth of singer Brandon Ellis. With lyrics like “She says she doesn’t even know my name/That’s the name of the game” and “I wanna see her again”, teenage love and hanging out with friends seems to be the American Dream and the soundtrack of the average teenager. Yet these kids have a knack for creating riffs that complement the catchy choruses. There is no way you won’t know their name after listening to American Dream. “There’s A Word For You” is a great song that many boys will soon be covering with their acoustic guitars for their youtube accounts, and “Clueless” is every girls chance to sing “Boys Will Be Boys”. Produced by Casey Bates (Chiodos, Foxy Shazam, Gatsbys America Dream) The American Dream EP is just party fun with a great sound; and the party just gets better. On New Year’s Eve 2009 six kids from Detroit, MI set out to make their American Dream come true. Ever since then the demand for the music of Rocky Loves Emily has been increasing. AP Magazine named them Hometown Heroes on their January issue, not only for their music but what they have done to get people to listen. The band has been working DIY style from the beginning, booking their own shows in their beat up van around the country. They made sure to schedule the same cities from time to time to reconnect with fans and friends they made in past shows. They toured on the Hot Topic’s in-store acoustic series playing almost 70 acoustic shows around the U.S. becoming the Hot Topic band. Two years in the making and they are still true to their roots by releasing the American Dream EP exclusively in Hot Topic stores and iTunes on November 22. Lead singer, Brandon Ellis says, “We all know that everyone has a specific dream in their heart.” Definitely, Rocky Loves Emily’s dream is coming true on the ever-growing horizon of pop-rock bands....full text |
| Indievisionmusic |
| You’ve gotta love the iPhone. I mean, seriously, what’s not to love. It can do pretty much anything… and much of what it can do is free. The other day on the recommendation of a friend, I downloaded a free app called Labyrinth 3D. It’s one of those walled rat-mazes with the holes in the floor that you try to roll a ball through. I used to love those as a kid. Because it’s not just about finding your way from one end to the other, you have to do so with a very steady hand. Music is a lot like that. It’s a careful balancing act while trying to avoid pitfalls. Too much of any one thing and the resulting shift could be disastrous. Not enough attention paid to what you’re doing or where you’re going and the bottom could drop out before you ever even got things rolling. Michigan’s Rocky Loves Emily manages to find that delicate balance that allows them to sound familiar enough to be instantly accessible while sounding unique enough to be instantly enjoyable. A pop rock outfit from the suburbs of Detroit, Rocky Loves Emily may be relatively new to the scene, but their drive, vision, and work ethic have already garnered them a rabid fanbase. Not to mention catching the ear of Tooth & Nail Records. With a sound that easily elbows it’s way in among such industry standards as Every Avenue, Dropout Year, and The Maine, Rocky Loves Emily is a 6-piece touring machine that would be right at home in any pop rock fan’s playlist. It’s a happy blend of quasi-whiny and anthemic vocals over layers of churning guitars, rolling drums, and plinky keys. The bass does a good job of providing a strong foundation but typically stays pretty tame as the rest of the band races around it. Think My Favorite Highway meets The Bigger Lights. Lyrically, these guys keep things pretty ubiquitous. Which is just a fancy way of saying generic. The themes found in the songs on “American Dream” are for the most part interchangeable with any other similar sounding pop-rock band… Christian or otherwise. Tailored to this generation’s younger crowd, it’s all about life, love, and loss. Albeit in a bubbly, happy, put-a-ribbon-on-it sorta way. Consider the shallowly self-effacing “Name Of The Game” which says, “oh she said what’s your name boy / I thought in my head / oh how could she forget / the sleepless night in Detroit / she showed me everything about her silly plans / and how she hates her friends / and how no one understands / no one understands her but me / she said she doesn’t even know my name / and it’s me I should blame / even know my name / that’s the name of the game”. All that wrapped in a sparkly ball of happiness. So if you’re looking for spiritual content, I’d suggest looking elsewhere. But if you’re just wanting some no-brainer music to play volleyball on the beach to or just something to play in your car, Rocky Loves Emily should do the trick. For a little while anyway. It should be noted that this 5-song EP clocks in at just under fourteen minutes. Lucky for us the songs manage to hold up well on repeated play throughs. They run together a bit, but most folks probably won’t even notice....full text |
Rocky Loves Emily lyrics
|
| |||||||
