Algernon Cadwallader is an American

Midwest emo Midwest emo (or Midwestern emo) is a subgenre and scene of emo music that emerged in the Midwestern United States during the 1990s. Employing unconventional vocal stylings, distinct guitar riffs and arpeggiated melodies, Midwest emo bands shift ...

and

math rock Math rock is a style of Alternative rock, alternative and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush (band), Rush. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), cou ...

band from Yardley,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. They were originally active from 2005 to 2012. In 2022, the band regrouped and began touring again. ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

'' referred to the band as the "heroes of the

emo revival The emo revival, or fourth wave emo, was an underground emo movement which began in the late 2000s and flourished until the mid-to-late 2010s. The movement began towards the end of the 2000s Emo-pop, third-wave emo, with Pennsylvania-based groups ...

History

Peter Helmis, Joe Reinhart, and Colin Mahony met in

Pennsbury High School Pennsbury High School is a four-year public high school located in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Pennsbury School District. With 2,907 students enrolled for the 2021–2022 school year, Pennsbury High School is the ...

and formed the precursor to Algernon Cadwallader, ''Halfway to Holland,'' with their friend TJ DeBlois (drummer of metalcore band ''A Life Once Lost''.) The lineup was Helmis and Reinhart on guitars with Mahony on bass and Helmis on vocals as well. While the band was short lived, it continues to have a cult following to this day. Helmis went on to various solo and duo acts, while Mahony and Reinhart formed another band, ''Like Lions'', with fellow school mates. Reinhart and Mahony's collaboration with ''Like Lions'' was short lived due to musical differences, and subsequently reached out to Helmis and friend Nick Tazza (from ''Ape Up''!) to form Algernon Cadwallader in 2005. The line up changed with Helmis still on vocals but switching bass with Mahony, now on rhythm guitar. A four song "Demo" was released in 2006, with more of a heavy influence from the math-rock/Midwest emo genre, than their previous project. Lyrical content however, was a more upbeat, happy musings of personal experiences or day to day life, than the darker, more somber tones the emo genre had been known for. They released their first full-length album in 2008 titled ''Some Kind Of Cadwallader''. Up until this point, shows mainly consisted of Philadelphia basements and house shows, with small tours to neighboring cities. Tazza left the band in early 2008 and was replaced with Matt "Tank" Bergman from ''US Funk Team''. Mahony left the band later in 2008 and Algernon became a trio, choosing not to replace Mahony. The trio toured throughout America and a European leg. In 2009, they released the ''Fun'' EP through Protagonist Music, followed by their second full-length album in 2011 titled ''Parrot Flies''. In 2012, the band had been "laid to rest." Post-Breakup (2012–2022) In 2014, Reinhart, Helmis and Tazza, along with guitarist Nate Dionne of the band Snowing formed ''Dogs on Acid'', who released one eponymous album in 2015. In 2018, Algernon Cadwallader re-issued their albums to digital streaming services for the first time. The re-issue contained what the band referred to as their "third LP", a compilation of their 2006 demo, the 2009 ''Fun'' EP and several b-sides and covers of instrumental Beatles and Beach Boys songs, "some of it we decided to record and put vocals on it.” Algernon Cadwallader has been herald for emo-revival in the mid 2000s and has consistently been praised for their math rock arrangements consisting of alternative tunings and off-time rhythm, earning spots on several "top lists" of emo bands. Reinhart went on to join Philadelphia indie rock band Hop Along and well as creating Philadelphia based recording studio, '' Headroom Studios.'' Helmis continued with other feats such as ''Peter the Piano Eater'', ''Yankee Bluff, and'' ''Peter & Craig.'' Reunion (2022–present) On June 1, 2022, the band – at the time consisting of all previous members – announced a North American reunion tou

https://www.spin.com/2022/06/algernon-cadwallader-reunion-interview/] After the success of their North American tour, Algernon Cadwallader announced two New Years Eve shows at Philadelphia's Johnny Brenda's. In 2023, the band now consisting of the four founding members, Helmis, Reinhart, Mahony and Tazza, announced several tours. On January 19, 2023, a headlining Japan tour was announced for April 2023 followed by a Europe/UK in June 2023. On September 20, they announced an American Southwest tour for November 2023, while also playing festivals in Seattle and Philadelphia. On December 28, 2023, they released a cover of "Mad World" (''Tears for Fears)'' in support of the ongoing Palestinian relief effort. The cover was in collaboration with ''Kinsella + Pulse,'' Theo Katsaounis and Bryce Pulaski with 100% of proceeds going to Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

Musical style and influence

Algernon Cadwallader's music has been described as

emo Emo () is a genre of rock music characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of hardcore punk and from the Washington, D.C., hardcore scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore. The bands ...

and

. They cite

Cap'n Jazz Cap'n Jazz (sometimes stylised as caP'n Jazz) is an American emo band from Buffalo Grove, Illinois. History Brothers Tim Kinsella and Mike Kinsella formed the band Toe Jam with Victor Villarreal, and Sam Zurick, in 1989, before eventually ...

and

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

as influences. According to Ian Cohen of Pitchfork, the band "purposefully ''chose'' Midwestern emo over other forms of

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

and hardcore, a choice that liberated from the professionalism, earnestness, and striving that defines

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

." According to

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

, "Algernon Cadwallader ignored emo's present to embrace its roots". Joe Reinhart's guitar work in the band consisted of finger-tapping,

arpeggios An arpeggio () is a type of chord in which the notes that compose a chord are individually sounded in a progressive rising or descending order. Arpeggios on keyboard instruments may be called rolled chords. Arpeggios may include all notes ...

harmonics In physics, acoustics, and telecommunications, a harmonic is a sinusoidal wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'' of a periodic signal. The fundamental frequency is also called the ''1st harm ...

, hammer-ons and pull-offs, odd time signatures, and capoed chord progressions. The band's debut full-length album ''Some Kind of Cadwallader'' has been described as "technical", and has been noted to take stylistic cues from heavy metal in addition to math rock. The band's second full-length album ''Parrot Flies'' has been said to have "foreshadowed" the style of Reinhart's future contributions in the Philadelphia

band Hop Along. Some of the album's riffs have drawn comparisons to Pavement. American musician Yvette Young has cited Algernon Cadwallader as an influence.

Members

*Peter Helmis – vocals, bass guitar (2005–2012, 2022–present) *Joe Reinhart – guitar, backing vocals (2005–2012, 2022–present) *Colin Mahony – guitar (2005–2008, 2022–present) *Nick Tazza – drums (2005–2008, 2022–present) *Tank Bergman – drums (2008–2012, 2022)

Timeline

Discography

;Studio albums * ''Some Kind of Cadwallader'' (2008) * ''Parrot Flies'' (2011) ;EPs * ''Demo'' (2006) * ''Fun'' (2009) ;Splits/Compilations/Live recordings * "Life on an Island Summer Compilation Vol. 2 (2010) - Look Down (feat. Hop Along) * ''Cover Up'' (2011) – "This Boy" (The Beatles) * ''Fuck Off All Nerds: A Benefit Compilation For Mitch Dubey'' (2011) * ''Summer Singles'' (2011) – "(Na Na Na Na) Simulation" * ''What It Is'' (2011) * ''Algernon Cadwallader'' (2018) * ''Mad World'' (Tears for Fears 2023)

References

{{reflist

External links

Official websiteFacebook
Emo musical groups from Pennsylvania American math rock groups Punk rock groups from Pennsylvania Musical groups from Philadelphia Emo revival groups Protagonist Music artists