BUZZ BANDS

For a band whose tempestuous music always seemed to match its inner soap operas, From First to Last sounds as if it’s in a pretty good place these days. “It took a while for us to discover who we are as a band,” says Matt Good, (far right, with Matt Manning, left, Derek Bloom and Travis Richter) the guitarist who moved over to lead vocal duties for the quartet’s fourth, self-titled album (due April 15). “Every time you make a record, it reflects a little bit more of your life experience and what you’ve been going through.” In FFTL’s case, there’s been plenty. Singer Sonny Moore, whose vocal chord problems led to the band being excused from a tour with Atreyu in 2006, departed a year ago, and the foursome has moved to its third label, Suretone. The results of its L.A. recording sessions with Josh Abraham suggest that From First to Last’s hard-core is aging well -- the howls, growls, shouts and screams, as well as the artillery-fire bass and drums, serve as mere punctuation marks now, instead of the statements. “We’re still passionate about it,” Good says. “Music has been driving us a long time.” It will take them even further in 2008 -- another summer on the Warped Tour, and, before that, dates with Every Time I Die on the Take Action Tour (Wednesday at the House of Blues and Feb. 28 at the HOB Anaheim). Take Action, the brainchild of L.A.-based Hopeless/Sub City Records, sets aside for charity 10% of ticket revenue and 5% of sales of the tour’s compilation CD. This year’s beneficiary is the nonprofit Do Something, which awards grants to teens for community-oriented activities. ALSO CHECK: Tonight, TSOL, Agent Orange and D.I. play the final punk show at the soon-to-close Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana. . . . More good punk: Time Again celebrates the release of its new album, “Darker Days,” on Friday at the Knitting Factory. . . . A month ahead of its appearance at the Paid Dues Festival, Dilated Peoples headlines the Temple Bar on Friday. . . . And singer-songwriter James Combs plays El Cid on Saturday to mark the release of his album, “To Know You is to Save You.”

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-- Kevin.Bronson@latimes.com