New Found Glory
"From The Screen To Your Stereo" EP was one of those oddball concepts that occasionally fall out of the blue. Following the indie release of "Nothing Gold Can Stay" which was picked up and re-released by MCA, New Found Glory embarked on a covers project. Groups often record songs by favored predecessors but to record a set that featured bland pop songs unfamiliar to anyone under forty was a stretch. Genius or inane? The good news was they Rocked through some of the deadest MOR pop driftwood ever, including "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing," composed by pop songwriting machine Diane Warren. "The Glory of Love" which, in a different form, appeared in one of the "Karate Kid" films. "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" and "My Heart Will Go On" are there as well. For "My Heart Will Go On," NFG mercifully stayed from Celine Dion's tragic howling. They slammed through the songs, which was about all they could do. To say they exceeded the material would be an understatement.
NFG pulled itself together in the summer of '97 with vocalist Jordan Pundik, bassist Ian Grushka, drummer Cyrus Bolooki and guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein. The group hit the East Coast club circuit and earned a solid reputation as a powerful, energetic live act.
"Nothing Gold Can Stay" with "You've Got A Friend In Pennsylvania" and "Winter of '95" got NFG a major label deal. Next came "From The Screen To Your Stereo." New Found Glory's self-titled CD, their second full-length effort, rolled out in '00 with "Hit Or Miss." "It's All About The Girls," which was a re-issue of NFG's debut EP (originally released in '97), hit the stores in April, '01. "Catalyst" arrived three years later.
New Found Glory's second CD is the one to get. Entirely written by the group the set features Rockers "Better Off Dead," "Second To Last," "Vegas" and the high powered "Hit Or Miss." "Nothing Can Stay Gold," NFG's full-length debut is a strong set. "From The Screen To Your Stereo" EP is surprisingly good, given it's pop songs originally used in movie soundtracks. Thankfully, there's little resemblance to the original versions.
New Found Glory continues on a roll with "Catalyst." The set rides jerky chords, single note assaults and tight riffs to get across. With titles "Ending In Tragedy" and "This Disaster" NFG keep their downbeat but commiserating lyrical stance intact. The standouts are "All Downhill From Here," "Your Biggest Mistake," with backing vocals shouted rather than sung, and "At Least I'm Known For Something."