Five Albums That Changed My Life: James Carroll of Make Do and Mend

Make Do and Mend hail from Hartford, Ct., but their throat-tearing brand of melodic punk rock brings to mind the work of Gainsville, Fla. bands like Hot Water Music and Against Me! So far the group has delivered two critically-acclaimed releases, their 2008 EP 'Bodies of Water' and their first full-length on Paper + Plastick, 2010's 'End Measured Mile.' The latter landed on several "best-of" features last year, including landing the #2 spot on Punknews.org's best of 2010 list. Out on tour right now with Senses Fail, Make Do and Mend guitarist-vocalist James Carroll took time out to take part in Noisecreep's 'Five Albums That Changed My Life' series.

'Enema of the State,' Blink-182 (1999)

"It's a bit juvenile to look back on now, but this record turned my world upside down. I was in 5th grade when 'Enema' came out. Growing up I was a total product of '90s rock radio. When I first heard Blink on the radio, I immediately knew that it was something different and that it was something substantial. From Blink I kept on digging and my life has never been the same since"

'Bleed American,' Jimmy Eat World (2001)

"This is the perfect heavy, driving rock record. It has some of my favorite guitar tones of all time. JEW were one of the first bands that I started taking notes from when it came to songwriting. I definitely still do to this day."

'Caution,' Hot Water Music (2002)

"When I heard Hot Water Music for the first time it became clear to me that that is what music is supposed to sound like. Honest, passionate, intense. 'Caution' is the perfect balance of fury and control. There is not one bad song and the record flows perfectly from beginning to end. HWM has always written some of my favorite lyrics, but the lyrics on Caution are above and beyond. They have helped me work out a lot of tough s--t."

'Forty Hour Train Back to Penn,' The Movielife (2003)

"In a lot of ways The Movielife are the band for me. They were the first band that taught me that you can write emotional lyrics and not sound like a baby. There is such an element of substance and honesty to their lyrics. And the music itself is upbeat, but it's not overly poppy, there was a heaviness to it that really drew me in. I saw a lot of myself in that band. 'Penn' was the last record they put out and it was flawless the entire way through."

'The Weight Is a Gift,' Nada Surf (2005)

"This record was a complete game-changer for me. I came upon it during a very tough time in my life and there is such an air of positivity throughout the entire record that caused me to take a second to look around and realized that I could start to work towards feeling better. Positivity not in a stupid unrealistic way, but more in a "Hey, I've been there" sort of way. I carry things I've learned from Nada Surf with me every day of my life. "Maybe this weight was a gift, like I had to see what I could lift.""

Make Do and Mend will be releasing an acoustic EP entitled 'Part and Parcel' on Nov. 22nd. The band is currently out on tour with Senses Fail, Stick to Your Guns, and the Story So Far. All of the remaining dates are listed below:

11/8 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre

11/9 Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue

11/11 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven

11/12 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre

11/13 San Francisco, CA @ Slim's

11/14 Pomona, CA @ The Glass House

11/15 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues

11/16 Mesa, AZ @ The Nile

11/18 Austin, TX @ Emo's East

11/19 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's

11/21 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In

11/22 Covington, KY @ Mad Hatter Club

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