Academy Is
Like sports, Rock music can turn one-time rivals into partners. That was the case for guitarist Mike Carden and vocalist William Beckett who were in competing Chicago bands. But the music world is survival of the fittest. Carden and Beckett joined forces in '02 as the Academy, and eventually, Academy Is. Bassist Adam Siska's arrival came around the time the duo added a second guitarist and drummer. A locally released EP came to the attention of Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz who brought the group to F.O.B.'s label, the Gainesville based Fueled By Ramen.
Before the group relocated to Florida to record, there were some changes. Guitarist/vocalist Tom Conrad and drummer Andy Mrotek entered the picture. This new line-up opened for F.O.B. and Something Corporate, among others. Their full length debut, "Almost Here" arrived in February of '05. The following year, Academy Is released a six song acoustic EP, "From The Carpet" exclusively through iTunes. The set included a cover of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero." Academy Is then ventured back out on the road, this time as co-headliners with Panic! At The Disco.
In late '06, Conrad left the band. Whether he quit or was fired was never made clear. Regardless, Michael Guy Chislett was his replacement.
Once their stint on the '06 Warped Tour was finished the group went into the studio to work on "Santi." Recording was completed just before the end of the year with the album's release coming in April, '07.
Academy Is plays clean, high energy, melodic Rock. They make an impressive debut with "Almost Here." Carden and Conrad are a potent pair of guitarists while Siska and Mrotek give the songs a strong backbone. But it's Beckett's vocals that provide Academy Is with their most identifiable sound. His urgent vocals nearly jump ahead of the group as they drive through songs.
"Season" is a kick-start Rocker while "Slow Down," races through the Hollywood Hills. The critic bashing (they must have got some nasty reviews in the past) "Black Mamba" and "Skeptics And True Believers" demonstrate the band's "your either on our side or out" philosophy. On "Classifieds" and "Checkmarks," Academy Is varies song textures with good results.