Tom Lynch

Whether you like it or not, Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz has more influence on today's kids than teachers or, probably, parents.

First was the rocketing success of his own emo troupe, Wilmette's saving grace and poster boys for the new millennium. Then came Panic! At the Disco, Wentz's baby he found all by himself and spoon-fed to the masses via his Decaydance label. Last month Fall Out Boy's "Infinity on High" sold a quarter-of-a-million copies in its first week, reaching the number-one slot on the Billboard 200. He's also got Clandestine Industries, which distributes clothing and books, one of which, "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side," Wentz penned himself. Oh, and movies, through his Bartskull Films.

After hearing the self-titled debut EP of Hoffman Estates' The Academy Is..., Wentz went ballistic and convinced FOB's original label Fueled by Ramen to take a look. They did, and in February 2005 released "Almost Here," the band's first full-length, a catchy, nostalgic collection of emo machinery that sounded a hell of a lot like a little-brother companion piece to FOB's "From Under the Cork Tree," and has since sold more than 200,000 copies. They hit the Warped Tour. They opened for Panic! and Fall Out Boy and Motion City Soundtrack. It was all very incestuous. The band headlined internationally last year and sold out every single show.

The future became evident. The Academy Is... took the influence of their peers to heart and was set to follow in their footsteps--when Fall Out Boy broke out wholeheartedly in the summer of 2005, followed by last year's mainstream radio sensation Panic! At the Disco, it looked like William Beckett and his crew of tight-panted emoticons were, absolutely, next.

In that way, "Santi" is make or break for the band. The Academy Is... has jumped up to a major in Atlantic Records--which has developed a partnership with Fueled by Ramen--and it's the band's shot at hitting the largest audience possible. It helps that "Santi" is tougher, tighter than "Almost Here," a fine combination of the jabbing pop-punk they've done in the past and summer-night ballads that would be perfect for the part where Joey climbs the ladder and peers into Dawson's bedroom. There's a more mature sound in this collection of songs ("mature" being a term that Beckett abhors--"it's all relative," he tells me)--this band has grown up a bit, they're not kids anymore, not willing to solely exist in the shadow of those who've come before them. Much of this is deserved--while a good chunk of the genre is blanketed in vapidity, The Academy Is... keeps us young.

Beckett says that much of the new record's content comes with newfound tastes. "`Almost Here' was four years ago--our tastes have changed," he says. "There's a big difference. On `Almost Here,' Mike [Carden, guitarist] and I wrote everything, and told the other guys what to play. On this record it was a true collaboration."

There have been significant lineup changes since the band first formed, but Beckett and Carden have remained constants and, with this current lineup, Beckett feels the band is making its best music. "One hundred percent," he says. "I think if you listen to the record, you can tell it's a better record--well, not necessarily a better record, but a more natural record for us. [With `Almost Here'] we weren't good enough as musicians, we were still developing a lot of our [skills], we were still trying to find ourselves out musically... A few people in the band just weren't capable of writing interesting things. We had to do it. On this record now, we're all competent musicians, we're intellectually inspired by each other. It's a creative melting pot."

He credits a lot to changes one experiences between their teenage years and their twenties. "If you can think back between the ages of 17 and 22, or 23, a lot changes, you become a man," he says. "There are a lot of taste changes in music, your perspective broads. Our goal is to keep broadening our perspective, learning new things, experiencing things, be the best people we can be."

Beckett says that not only has each member of the band honed his craft on his own instrument, but has also developed a grasp of the others' roles as well. "We understand each other's instruments more," he says. "Early on it was all about what the individual was doing--what the drummer was playing, the guitar player waiting for his time to show off. Now it's about the songs, the full package. We're very conscious of each other. These things will naturally happen, and that's what happened here. We made the best record we possibly could, and we honestly can't wait for the next one."

The Academy Is... plays April 3 at Metro, 3730 North Clark, (773)549-0203, at 6:30pm. $21.

(2007-03-27)

Also by Tom Lynch

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Tip of the Week
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Bizarre Pop Scientist
The multi-dimensional, shape-shifting musician, who's by now established his name fairly high on Chicago's long list of current artists, has a new record due Tuesday, "Armchair Apocrypha," and it could easily be his best put to tape. Of course, most Bird fans cite his live show first and foremost as his gateway to his audience--either they caught him by accident a few years back or friends had tirelessly pimped him until they gave in--as his stellar, florescent violin playing takes his indie-pop/jazz/gypsy into new realms
(2007-03-13)

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(2007-03-06)

Love, Lethem, Love
(2007-03-06)

Tip of the Week
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NONFICTION REVIEW
(2007-02-27)

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