Please note: I've included a download link for their split with The Remington, but everything else is readily accessible via the discography compilation that I'll talk about below.
Last Days Of August was a five-piece emo/indie-rock band from Long Island, New York that existed for a brief period in the late 1990s, and disbanded sometime after the turn of the century. The band members were as such; Salvatore Montemaggiore on vocals, Phil Capone and Joshua Chaplinsky on guitar, Mario Leston on bass, and Corey Martin on drums. Their sound is characteristically poppy, not unlike some of their contemporaries, and certainly was a starting point for what would later evolve into emo's third-wave, so to speak.
While their isn't too much history for me to dig up, what we do have is an amazing show to watch. This performance was put up and archived on Youtube, thanks to Beginners, and is just what I'd expect from this band. I mean that in a good way! Sal especially looked like he was having the time of his life, and I'm certain that love and passion extended to those experiencing the band first-hand. Besides this though, the only other thing I've found is that Sal became a teacher sometime after LDOA was done with their run, so that class must've ruled.
Last Days Of August's sound is, as mentioned earlier, quite poppy. Sal's vocals are an excellent representation of this, and that in no way means the music is bad, it's phenomenal! Though the band only existed for a few years at the tail end of the century, they still managed to put out a decent amount of material, of which they released; their self-titled 7" EP in 1998, their split 7" with The Remington the following year, and lastly their self-titled full-length CD that very same year. Both their self-titled releases were put out on Fadeaway Records, which also put out some other notable releases, namely; The Miracle Of '86s first full-length, as well as The Movielife's first full-length titled "It's Go Time". Moving on. LDOA also had a demo cassette, but it's not on Discogs, and of course it's probably bonkers rare. That's not bad for a band that only really existed for say 2 - 3 years, hey?
Now, onto the music. Their first release, as just mentioned, was their self-tiled 7", released in 1998. A humble starting point, and one that already puts on display the pop-leanings the band plays with, while still keeping some tasteful aggression in their back pocket. A fantastic and booming first offering, it's pretty powerful stuff. Sal's vocal work is quite standout, and that will only become more apparent on subsequent releases. The instrumentation on both tracks is some classic emo/indie-rock goodness, and mixed with Sal's lyrics and delivery comes together into quite a lovely little 7".
S/T 7"
Side A. Written In White Ink
Side B. Baltimore Again
Next up is a split 7" with The Remington, released on Eudora Records the following year. LDOA's side is absolutely fantastic, and is quite possibly my favorite track (if I had to pick one) from their discography, believe it or not. There's something about the bands early work that really gets me, and I'm not quite sure what that something is. It just has a noticeably more raw and, say, "aggressive" feel to it that I think really lends well to their sound. The Remington's side is also just as amazing, and it makes total sense why these two would be on a split together! Their side of this split is some ripping emo/indie-rock with a nice helping of pop-punk mixed in at points. The performances all around, from the vocals, to the aforementioned ripping instrumentals are phenomenal. Their side of the split is one I'm sure many would love, and it's a shame that most haven't heard it. Super recommend checking it out!
Split w/ The Remington
Side A. Last Days Of August - Six Ways From Sunday
Side B. The Remington - Our Founder Saves The Day
Thank you to Beginners for providing a transfer of this while my turntable is out of commission!
Now for the main course. Their only full-length, that being their self-titled CD, released in 1999 also on Fadeaway Records. This disc is an awesome and pretty rare/hard to find gem, and most have likely heard of it via Travis' upload of it from years ago. That's how I first heard about it at least! Definitely a beloved disc among nerds, not unlike Pictures Can Tell, and it makes sense. The sound the band was aiming towards is fully realized here, and absolutely rips from front to back. Sal's vocals sound better than ever, seriously, he's just soaring across this CD, and the bands playing/instrumental work is top-notch as well! Their beautiful blend of indie-rock, emo/emo-pop, as well as a bit of pop-punk is basically on full blast here, to put it simply, with it now being fully refined and well polished. Even though it can be a little cheesy at times, I think it lends well to the record for the most part. They really gave it their all on this disc, and it shows, with tracks like "Paper Hearts & Broken Glass" being a prime example of how much the band has both grown, and nailed their sound. If you're at all a fan of Pictures Can Tell, or even Eleventeen, and haven't heard this one, do yourself a grand favor and change that!
1. Wishful Thinking
2. Braille
3. In Heaven Everything's Fine
4. A Sailor's Dream
5. Marathon
6. First Light, False Dawn
7. The Art Of Breathing
8. Carousel
9. Cheating Distance
10. Paper Hearts & Broken Glass
S/T
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1. Wishful Thinking
2. Braille
3. In Heaven Everything's Fine
4. A Sailor's Dream
5. Marathon
6. First Light, False Dawn
7. The Art Of Breathing
8. Carousel
9. Cheating Distance
10. Paper Hearts and Broken Glass
S/T 7"
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11. Written In White Ink
12. Baltimore Again
Split EP
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13. Six Ways From Sunday
Blood, Sweat & Tears Comp
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14. Words I Wish Were Mine
Fadeaway Records Presents The Best Comp In The World
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15. Dead Boys Club
Demo Tape
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16. Carousels ("Carousel" Demo)
17. Holy Thursday ("The Art Of Breathing" Demo)
18. My Sky (Demo)
19. Fay (Demo)
Massive thank you to Beginners for helping out with this post!
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