PropertyOfZack

Every act’s time must come to an end. Some bands meet their untimely demise without ever scratching the surface of their potential, while others fade away without so much as a whimper. Some bands leave behind a legacy. Throughout their much-adored shelf life, California-based post-hardcore outfit Finch cemented themselves as not only a must-see act, but also a band seemingly begging to pulsate through the headphones of legions of fans worldwide.

Finch was, to the surprise of many, a special breed. A band unwilling to pigeonhole themselves within the confines of a single genre, but instead a group of musicians hell-bent on breaking the mold, as evident on their acclaimed 2002 full-length, What It Is To Burn. Fluctuating between pop-punk sing-alongs, alternative rock anthems, and chaotic post-hardcore offerings, What It Is To Burn was a collection of thirteen masterful cuts that, to this date, remain entrenched in the hearts of rabid onlookers across the globe.

Now, more than ten years later, Finch have returned, rejuvenated and hungry, to celebrate the legacy left behind by the record that defined their careers. The five-piece, whole again just as they were a decade prior, announced that the album would be performed in full in select cities across the world, a tour that would serve as a thank you to fans unwilling to relinquish their passion for an album that inspired so many.

On March 9, Finch made their seventh stop in support of What It Is To Burn at Toronto’s Sound Academy, a venue nestled on the edge of Lake Ontario. Fans waited with baited breath as the quintet took the stage, some on the tips of their toes in hopes of a better view, others with a look in their eye only previously seen on Christmas morning. Anticipation was in the air as loyal fans stood shoulder-to-shoulder, all here for the same reason; to relive one more night of adolescent adrenaline and teenage angst.

As the opening notes of “New Beginnings” rang out, it felt as if the last ten years had simply been a fallacy. Could a band, largely inactive for such a prolonged length of time, really reform without ever missing a beat? The answer, evidenced by vocalist Nate Baraclow’s commanding stage presence, as well as his supporting cast’s supreme ability to replicate a decade-old studio recording, was a resounding yes. These were five musicians meant to play together, both ten years prior and today in 2013.

March 17, 2013 ⋅ 69 notes ⋅ Comments

POZ Gallery: What It Is To Burn Ten Year Tour
Features: Finch, The Almost, The World Is A Beautiful Place…
Location: The Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA
Photos By: Dan Bassini

POZ Contest: Finch ‘What It Is To Burn’ - Metro Tickets

March 1, 2013 ⋅ 9 notes ⋅ Comments

PropertyOfZack is stoked to be teaming up with Finch, The Almost, and Metro to give away a pair of tickets to see both bands play on March 7th in Chicago, IL. The contest will end on March 6th, so find out how to enter below!

To win a pair of Chicago tickets you must do each of the following things:

“Like” PropertyOfZack on Facebook.
“Like” The Metro on Facebook.
Write on POZ’s wall: I’m entering to win tickets to see Finch at Metro!

POZ Presents: The Weekly Content Round-Up

February 18, 2013 ⋅ 8 notes ⋅ Comments

The Monthly Summary
Week I
Week II

Albums Out This Month
Week I
Week II
Week III

The Weekly Tour Round-Up
Winter - Spring

Reviews
Silverstein – This Is How The Wind Shifts
The Used - Vulnerable II
Laura Stevenson And The Cans - Runner EP
Hopeless Records - Love Is Hopeless
Squid The Whale - Four More

Perspectives
Heated Column About Heat Thing

Discussions
The Don’t Miss Tours This Spring
Albums That Deserve “Classic” Status In 2020

Decade
Finch - What It Is To Burn

Playlists
Team Recommendations - Anti-VDay

Contests
Idobi Meltdown Festival Tickets [Ended on February 13th]
Heavy And Light Tour - NYC Tickets [Ended on February 13th]

Road Blogs
Light Years

Contributor Blogs
Thomas Gutches

Streams
Death In The Park - The Human Centipede

Behind The Booths
Stickup Kid

Podcasts
100 Words Or Less: Mike Minnick (Curl Up And Die)

Showcase
Anavae
Darkhorse

Gallery
Desaparecidos, Joyce Manor

Sponsored Tours
The Acoustic Basement Tour [Now-02/23]
Forever Came Calling, Heart To Heart, Last Call [03/20-04/21]

Finch Add The World Is A Beautiful Place To 10 Year Tour

February 15, 2013 ⋅ 38 notes ⋅ Comments

Finch have added The World Is A Beautiful Place to their Midwest and East Coast ten year tour dates. Check out the routing below by clicking “Read More.”

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POZ Decade: Finch - What It Is To Burn

POZ Decade: Finch - What It Is To Burn

February 12, 2013 ⋅ 59 notes ⋅ Comments

2013 is going to be an incredible year to reflect back on the music we love and the memories attached to songs we still know better than any others. We’ve created a new PropertyOfZack feature called Decade to celebrate those albums that we love and the albums that have inspired a new wave of music in their path. Decade will be a frequent feature on the site taking place around the ten year anniversaries of albums or their tours.

We’re kicking off Decade which Finch, who recently began their What It Is To Burn anniversary tour. We have commentary on the album via team members Jesse Richman and Adrienne Fisher, Under The Gun friend of the site Dan Bogosian, Joe Cubera of American Dream Records, and Buddy Nielsen from Senses Fail that has all been compiled by Managing Editor Josh Hammond. Enjoy and reblog to let us know your thoughts on What It Is To Burn over ten years later!

Legacy of What It Is To Burn:

What It Is To Burn was the album that broke post-hardcore into a mainstream entity, as far as I’m concerned. Thrice and Thursday became bigger bands, Glassjaw ranked higher on the charts for a bit, but Finch hit number one on the Heatseekers chart and 99 on the Billboard 200 in an era where the top 200 had no idea where to go after ‘N Sync broke up (and no, that isn’t a joke). Finch came out of nowhere and identified themselves as a mainstream link to an obscure scene, combining the east coast hardcore sound with the San Diego alternative scene, bridging the likes of Drive Like Jehu and connecting them to the “emo” people still cling to today. A decade later, we can look back and say that maybe the album isn’t everyone’s favorite, but the imprint and the impact were there and stood the test of time. What It Is To Burn changed two guitar music in the 2000s, and – perhaps against the band’s own wishes – made “screamo” a thing. Love it or hate it, the album changed the shape of what was to come, and still provides songs to sing along to. I’ve seen every reunion show so far, and every audience member knows every word. If that isn’t a profound legacy, what is? - Dan Bogosian (@dlbogosian)

I would say that What It Is To Burn was one of those records that influenced a generation of kids to play a certain style of music. The mix of the catchy singing and heavy parts 100% spurred Senses Fail to explore that world of sound. - Buddy Nielsen (@SensesFail)

How the album changed Finch’s future:

The record being such a success for the band might have actually hurt their future. I feel like the band resented the fact that they had that much success, on a record they didn’t feel represented where they wanted to be musically. It is pretty obvious that on their follow up they wanted nothing to do with their old sound. - Buddy Nielsen (@SensesFail)

How What It Is To Burn holds up in 2013:

What It Is To Burn is not an album has has aged particularly gracefully. Ten years after its release, the record doesn’t get played for much of any reason other than that of nostalgia. Having to sit through the entirety of the album is more of a chore than a pleasant experience, and tracks like “Grey Matter” and “Project Mayhem” are noisy, painful reminders of the screamo heyday. A few bright spots remain, however, as the title track, “Post Script,” and “Ender” are decent songs, and can still be enjoyed in moderation. As with a lot of music from this era, WIITB is not the most mature album, musically or lyrically. As tastes have been refined and as angst has subsided over the past ten years, much of the appeal which made this album popular has been lost to the ages. – Joe Cubera (@anamericangod)

I think the album still holds up very well. I think well written songs will always stand the test of time and this record is filled with those. - Buddy Nielsen (@SensesFail)

Finch’s follow up to What It Is To Burn:

I think that the battles between what the label wanted and what the band wanted played a large part in the delay of the follow up. They were on MCA, as per Drive Thru’s deal, but MCA folded into Universal and the band ended up on a rudderless label in Geffen. By my personal accounts on dealing with Geffen, it was an awful place for a band like ourselves, Finch, Starting Line, and NFG to be. We luckily were able to leave and NFG powered through but I really feel like Starting Line and Finch paid the price. I truly think things would have been different had Finch been allowed to stay on DTR or chart their own course. - Buddy Nielsen (@SensesFail)

Finch Add The Almost To Ten Year Tour

January 23, 2013 ⋅ 10 notes ⋅ Comments

Finch have added The Almost to a leg of dates on their ten year tour. Check out the routing below by clicking “Read More.”

Finch ‘What It Is To Burn’ Pomona Support Bands

January 15, 2013 ⋅ 23 notes ⋅ Comments

Finch will be playing four What It Is To Burn ten year shows in Pomona, CA this February. Check out the support bands for each of the shows below by clicking “Read More.”

Morning Recap: blink-182 Stream “Boxing Day,” Top 100 Emo Songs Of All Time

December 11, 2012 ⋅ 17 notes ⋅ Comments

Finch ‘What It Is To Burn’ UK Tour

December 10, 2012 ⋅ 10 notes ⋅ Comments

Finch will be doing a ten year What It Is To Burn tour. Check out the dates below by clicking “Read More.”

Finch: Vinyl Reissue Information Is Incorrect

December 3, 2012 ⋅ 9 notes ⋅ Comments

Finch’s What It Is To Burn is being reissued on vinyl, but it appears the original posting made for the reissue is not exactly accurate. Check out a statement from the band via Under The Gun Review below by clicking “Read More.”

Edit: It should be noted that the Hot Topic pressing is most likely a deal between Hot Topic and Finch’s label, which does not mean the band needed to be in the loop regarding the pressing whatsoever.

Finch ‘What It Is To Burn’ Vinyl Reissue Coming

December 3, 2012 ⋅ 29 notes ⋅ Comments

Finch’s What It Is To Burn will be reissued on 2xLP vinyl this February. Check out pressing info below by clicking “Read More.”

Finch Apologize For Thin 10 Year Tour Routing

November 30, 2012 ⋅ 14 notes ⋅ Comments

Finch’s Randy Strohmeyer has released a lengthy statement apologizing for the band’s What It Is To Burn tour routing, which misses many cities and countries. Check out the message below by clicking “Read More.”

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Finch Announce Three More Full Album Shows

Finch Announce Three More Full Album Shows

November 28, 2012 ⋅ 13 notes ⋅ Comments

Finch have announced three more What It Is To Burn ten year shows. Check out the dates below by clicking “Read More.”