Backstage Pass

Brand New is scheduled to play an in-store concert at the newly renovated Looney Tunes record store on Dec. 17, according to store owner Karl Groeger, Jr.

The 40-minute acoustic set is a benefit for the independent music retailer, which was consumed by a fire earlier this year and plans to re-open on Dec. 1. Brand New will be selling signed, limited-edition lithographs for $20 that come with a wristband for the concert.

Here's Brand New at Looney Tunes on Nov. 20, 2006:

Even without the explanatory title of its new CD, it's clear there's a battle brewing within Brand New.

The Merrick-based band's "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me" (Tiny Evil/Interscope) strips away the clever song titles and the hyper, guitar-driven punk-pop style of its preceding albums and goes for a beefier, more straightforward kind of rock. "Devil and God" is likable and interesting, but there are times where the quartet barely sounds like the guys behind the underground anthem "Jude Law and a Semester Abroad" or the breakthrough hit "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows."

They sound a bit like The Cure in the opening of "You Won't Know" before raising the rage level to thrillingly monstrous proportions in the chorus. They drop elements of System of a Down into "Not the Sun." They take the Coheed and Cambria route on "Archers," which bounces between Jesse Lacey's engrossing vocals and a swirling, intensifying musical growl.

The first single "Sowing Season (Yeah)" is a mix of Death Cab for Cutie-ness on the verses and shrieking catharsis on the chorus, successfully taking the loud-soft-loud formula to a new level. Where Brand New still seems unsure, though, is on how to balance Lacey's intricate, detailed lyrics with the more middle-of-the-road rock of "Millstone" or the seven-minute-plus "Limousine."

Until Brand New chooses to mainstream its lyrical and melodic quirks or develop them, it sounds like the internal battle will rage on. ("The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me," in stores today; Grade: B)

Listen to "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me" here

After two years of secrecy surrounding its upcoming album, Brand New has officially leaked the first track over the Internet.

After wrapping up its semi-secret headlining tour of the U.S., Brand New is hitting the road with Dashboard Confessional in October.

This may not mean much to New Yorkers: Brand New's leg of the tour starts in Arizona and doesn't come any farther east than Illinois. But it clearly suggets the band is gearing up to release its new album, which is mostly finished, according to the Website. It's also a good sign that a major band like Dashboard is willing to take the group on tour. (Or is it just a sign that the two acts share the same publicity firm?)

Pre-sale tickets to the shows can be purchased here.