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A Moment's Worth / Blog

NEW AbsolutePunk.net review!

Our brand new EP "Sleepless" was just reviewed by AbsolutePunk.net. (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=408151) Read it here: A Moment's Worth - Sleepless (EP) Posted on 07/15/08 by CatchThePhoenix A Moment’s Worth - Sleepless (EP) Record Label: Smart Fox Records Release Date: July 2008 As music consumers, we so often relish in the task of trying to set apart a band as one-to-watch, and/or which band will become the next big thing. More often than not, this quest forces us to wade through releases that are often underwhelming and mediocre. Neither of those sentiments though can be said about the eight song EP Sleepless by Bronx, New York band A Moment’s Worth. Beginning with the hard-hitting opener “Unsound,” the quintet lets listeners know that their brand of ferocious rock is not to be taken lightly. The bass lines are energetic, the drums are propulsive, and the guitar riffs are fiery. Lead vocalist Alex Bondarev, whose vocals are restrained for much of the eight songs, allows the music to take center stage, and lets his voice take second fiddle to the extremely proficient playing. In truth, Bondarev’s voice is underutilized and should have taken the forefront, especially when he sings lyrics like: “And I've chosen this existence where we're always racing time / And we're running on pure passion / Leaving everything and everyone behind.” Whereas some bands are loud for the sake of being loud, A Moment’s Worth kicks up the sonic level without sacrificing musicianship. Every minute of the record is incredibly cohesive, as if to assume that the band has been playing together for a dozen years (they’ve actually been a band since 2003), and that making music is something they could do in their sleep, without even mustering any energy. So often reviewers pass along the words effortless without giving it any real consideration, but the way in which the five players put together rhythm and melody on second song “Zero.Four.One,” it's apparent, the endeavor really is effortless. Third song “Too Far, Too Long,” may be the only dud, but it’s allowed to be, as fourth track “Sleepless,” and fifth track “My Lost Self,” steal the show and cement this band as a serious contender for major label status. In “Sleepless,” Bondarev sings of an apocalyptic like moment, “And I was at home with my whole family / And we watched as the streets filled with smoke / And the TV had spoken of death and confusion / And what we should do for the bombs they were using.” Ingeniously, the band doesn’t allow "Sleepless" to end and the song flows directly into “My Lost Self,” almost making it one long eight-minute track. Whereas "Sleepless," was infectious, achingly catchy and built around a memorable guitar riff, "My Lost Self," is built on Bondarev's vocals, which soar above a hodgepodge of electronic and synth noises. Both "Sleepless" and "My Lost Self" are the album's crowning achievements and the only songs on which Bondarev's vocals stand above. The back-to-back segue is an incredible trick that made me listen to the disc a few times to actually realize the nuance was occurring. Sixth track “Exit With a Desperate Cry” is a minute of a gentle guitar riff while vocalist Bondarev delivers barely audible spoken word verses. The song serves as a lead in to the ferocious album closer “Cross My Heart,” which draws on much of the same energy as the opener. The album, which was recorded and produced by guitarist Nicola Terzulli, also bristles with the sparking gloss of a major label album and proves that the band is as adept behind the knobs as it is in performing music. In it's five year history, the band has amassed a slew of low-level awards and a host of prominent endorsements. Major label status should hopefully come calling in due time.

NEW AbsolutePunk.net review!

Our brand new EP "Sleepless" was just reviewed by AbsolutePunk.net. (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=408151) Read it here: A Moment's Worth - Sleepless (EP) Posted on 07/15/08 by CatchThePhoenix A Moment’s Worth - Sleepless (EP) Record Label: Smart Fox Records Release Date: July 2008 As music consumers, we so often relish in the task of trying to set apart a band as one-to-watch, and/or which band will become the next big thing. More often than not, this quest forces us to wade through releases that are often underwhelming and mediocre. Neither of those sentiments though can be said about the eight song EP Sleepless by Bronx, New York band A Moment’s Worth. Beginning with the hard-hitting opener “Unsound,” the quintet lets listeners know that their brand of ferocious rock is not to be taken lightly. The bass lines are energetic, the drums are propulsive, and the guitar riffs are fiery. Lead vocalist Alex Bondarev, whose vocals are restrained for much of the eight songs, allows the music to take center stage, and lets his voice take second fiddle to the extremely proficient playing. In truth, Bondarev’s voice is underutilized and should have taken the forefront, especially when he sings lyrics like: “And I've chosen this existence where we're always racing time / And we're running on pure passion / Leaving everything and everyone behind.” Whereas some bands are loud for the sake of being loud, A Moment’s Worth kicks up the sonic level without sacrificing musicianship. Every minute of the record is incredibly cohesive, as if to assume that the band has been playing together for a dozen years (they’ve actually been a band since 2003), and that making music is something they could do in their sleep, without even mustering any energy. So often reviewers pass along the words effortless without giving it any real consideration, but the way in which the five players put together rhythm and melody on second song “Zero.Four.One,” it's apparent, the endeavor really is effortless. Third song “Too Far, Too Long,” may be the only dud, but it’s allowed to be, as fourth track “Sleepless,” and fifth track “My Lost Self,” steal the show and cement this band as a serious contender for major label status. In “Sleepless,” Bondarev sings of an apocalyptic like moment, “And I was at home with my whole family / And we watched as the streets filled with smoke / And the TV had spoken of death and confusion / And what we should do for the bombs they were using.” Ingeniously, the band doesn’t allow "Sleepless" to end and the song flows directly into “My Lost Self,” almost making it one long eight-minute track. Whereas "Sleepless," was infectious, achingly catchy and built around a memorable guitar riff, "My Lost Self," is built on Bondarev's vocals, which soar above a hodgepodge of electronic and synth noises. Both "Sleepless" and "My Lost Self" are the album's crowning achievements and the only songs on which Bondarev's vocals stand above. The back-to-back segue is an incredible trick that made me listen to the disc a few times to actually realize the nuance was occurring. Sixth track “Exit With a Desperate Cry” is a minute of a gentle guitar riff while vocalist Bondarev delivers barely audible spoken word verses. The song serves as a lead in to the ferocious album closer “Cross My Heart,” which draws on much of the same energy as the opener. The album, which was recorded and produced by guitarist Nicola Terzulli, also bristles with the sparking gloss of a major label album and proves that the band is as adept behind the knobs as it is in performing music. In it's five year history, the band has amassed a slew of low-level awards and a host of prominent endorsements. Major label status should hopefully come calling in due time.

Our story (biography)

Let's get right to the point. We are five best friends that grew up together in the Bronx, NY and started a band because we love music. We've kept it going for almost a decade because it's developed into so much more. Still interested? Keep reading and I'll tell you who we are, how we began, and where we're going. Speaking for all of us, we've been through a lot that has influenced us, both as people and musicians in our 23 years of life: moving across the globe, losing people we love, being far from our families, and even the exhausting struggles of everyday life. A Moment's Worth is the emotional outlet that kept us sane through these rough times. Our songs always helped us to take on our problems and keep a perspective of what's most important: growing as friends and individuals. So, in a lot of ways, this band is about much more than the music—it’s a vital expression of our lives, a 12-year friendship, and an ongoing journey. So where did this journey begin? In Catholic School —fifth grade, to be exact, when Anthony (guitar), Frank (drums), and I (Alex, vocals / guitar) began our friendship. Through the years of strict discipline and being bullied (for mushroom haircuts, pre-pubescent awkwardness, my Russian accent, and most importantly our shared love for punk and rock music), we grew close as outcasts. At 15, we started the prototype "garage band"—literally playing in a garage on garbage cans. Lacking formal training, we had our first show at an annual Bronx festival. Chris, our best friend (1999 – the end of time) and former bassist (1999 - 2005), played with us that night. Despite the uncoordinated cacophony that we produced, the one element that initial performance did not lack is the same one that drives us to this day: passion. Being from the Bronx, we knew how to hustle (it must be something in the water). And it was time to do just that. Inspired by the larger-than-life energy of bands such as Green Day, Goldfinger, and NOFX, we practiced every day—sometimes twice a day and scribbled lyrics on anything we had handy. With time, our out-of-tune-chord-feedback-can-banging developed into our first album “Ironic Last Words," which was self-released in 2004. We played every place that would book us: Sweet-Sixteen's, benefit shows at local hospitals and universities, shows at legendary venues such as CBGB's and The Knitting Factory, and always with our hometown scene—The Bronx Underground. We sold over 3,000 copies of our CD at these shows and the response we were getting blew us away. We knew that we were on the road to living out our dream. But it couldn't have been that easy. We hit a few roadblocks along the way. Being an independent band means paying for everything out of pocket. Including our equipment which was robbed one night costing us thousands of dollars to replace—money we didn't have. On top of that, the local music scenes were changing trends, so it was becoming harder and harder to book a gig. The most devastating blow, however, came in 2005, when Chris decided to leave the band for professional reasons. We thought it was over (and yes, we cried). But then, as if by the hand of Fate, our high school edition best friend Johnny agreed to be our new bassist, "even if [he] had to play on a rubber band." Johnny was a great addition creatively and musically. Shortly thereafter Nicola, our friend/producer/engineer/fixer-of-all-things, joined as an additional guitarist, solidifying our sound and current line up. Together we wrote, recorded, and released our latest full-length album, “A Moment's Worth," a matured continuation of our ongoing story. In short, we are A Moment's Worth. We play rock, pop-punk, and what we feel speaks best for us in a song. We don't claim to be anything but ourselves. We are, however, real people who pour every ounce of ourselves into our songs, in hopes that you will take our music and make it your own.