On The Rise: Set Your Goals

When you think about the San Francisco bay-area music there is usually one word that comes to mind: hippies. Forty years later, there is a band that is trying to change that. In 2004 there was a group of six merry men that eventually got together to form a band. That band has since gone from San Fran to the doorstep of every hardcore and pop punk scene in the world. When you first see them with a dual vocalists you probably think that shouldn't be seen in the punk scene, but if you were to think that you would get a slap in the face. Overloaded with scene cred, Matt Wilson and Jordan Brown (vocalists), Daniel Coddaire (rhythm guitar), Audelio Flores Jr (lead guitar), Joe Saucedo (bass), and Michael Ambrose (drums) bring a mix of pop punk with melodic hardcore that the entire world will soon be singing along to.

Taking their name from CIV's debut album, Set Your Goals quickly made a name for themselves while on tour. After touring for about two years, the band signed to Eulogy Records. After they first released an EP on Eulogy, they released their debut album, Mutiny!, which was released in July 2006. Set Your Goals toured on that album with the likes of Anti-Flag, Alexisonfire, Big D And The Kids Table, which should say something about the band's diverse sound. Their tour-mate list became more legitimate in the spring of 2008 when they went on the Bamboozle Roadshow with Saves The Day, Armor For Sleep, and Valencia. The boys then played the entire Vans Warped Tour in 2008.

After the Warped Tour, the band got into a complicated battle with Eulogy Records that resulted into a buy-out of their contract. In March of 2009 the band then found a new home on Epitaph Records. While just being new to the Epitaph family, Set Your Goals supported their label-mates New Found Glory on their UK Easy Core tour as well as their Not Without A Fight tour. On July 21st 2009, Set Your Goals released their second full-length, This Will Be The Death Of Us, which was the praise of many critics. Touring in support of that record, the guys played alongside All Time Low, Four Year Strong, The Swellers, and Fireworks.

The group's sound is usually hardcore, sometimes melodic, always sincere. Heavy guitars, aggressive drums, and harmonic vocals set the tone for Set Your Goals. The band's bright future and pure talent is matched only by their sense of humor and the fun that they have on stage. One prime example is during one show they went on as Set Your Grohls and played a set composed of Nirvana and Foo Fighters songs. The fun quality that this band brings every day can be heard loud and clear on the album, but is better experienced with a great live show. With a signature blend of the their dual vocals and anthemic choruses, it only takes one listen to prove that Set Your Goals is on the rise and will soon break it big. So you better see them live, buy their records, and wear their gear, because it won't be long before your entire school is jamming to them.

With so many heavy pop punk bands sporting neon these days, how do you know that this band is better than the rest? All it takes is a single listen to the band's heavy, yet melodic, songs and the hook will be in deep. It doesn't matter where you first listen to them, if it's at Best Buy, at a friends house, or Hot Topic; when you go back to your house you will be singing along and two-stepping to every line and every hook that their records have to offer. Set Your Goals is an enigma in stereo, and it's only a matter of time before it comes through the national airwaves.

Recommended Listens:
"The Few That Remain" (featuring Hayley Williams)
"This Will Be The Death Of Us"
"The Fallen"
"Look Closer"
"Echoes"

Recommended If You Like:
Saves The Day
New Found Glory
Crime In Stereo
Gorilla Biscuits
The Movielife