This week's song of the week was a difficult week. Normally I have a certain song that I can't stop listening to over the course of a week, but this time it happened to be a band. This band, Bring Me the Horizon was featured on the AP Fall Tour that I recently went to (I have a review coming shortly) and on October 5, 2010, released their third full length, "There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Lets Keep It A Secret."
The song I have chosen for this week is their current single, "It Never Ends", off their newly released CD. This song features all the normal BMTH elements, such as great guitar riffs, pounding drums, crunching breakdowns and Vocalist, Oli Sykes, screaming his lungs out. The enjoyable thing about this new song, and CD in general, is the newly added elements to the bands ever-growing sound. Things like synthesizers, a female choir and more melodic guitar parts thrown in really enhance the breakdowns and darker parts of the song. This mixture of light and dark and fast and slow really takes you through a roller coaster of sound that fit the vocals well.
Sykes takes a very personal view to his lyrics, focusing on overcoming the perils of his drug addiction. The thing I find irresistible about Sykes is not only his delivery of his screams, but how he writes the lyrics that he screams. He speaks of his addiction almost like an tangible object that he simply can't get away from. He also describes his struggle to beat the addiction as a war that he just can't seem to win. Also, Skye's scream delivery is exceptional on this track, allowing the listener to experience his pain and suffering through his vocals.
The song is a great mix of music and vocals showing the skill and evolution of BMTH. Starting as a simple and generic deathcore band, BMTH has found a style that truly reflects them as artists. The mix of lighter and darker elements, as well as faster and slower paced music really takes the listener through a roller coaster of emotion, allowing listeners to almost feel the emotions of Sykes and the horrors of going through an addiction. Posted below is the video for "It Never Ends" so let me know what you think of the song. Also let me know what you think of the blog and the song of the week segment so far.
Bring Me the Horizon-It Never Ends (Official Video)
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Song of the Week (11/14-11/20)
For this song of the week, I am not only going back to my teenage years, but I am also making it a guilty pleasure of sorts. As I child, my first musical love happened to be, believe it or not, boy bands. Although I pledged to the Backstreet Boys, I have recently acquired a new-found appreciation for former Nsync front man, Justin Timberlake. I determined that he is not only a great actor, but great at music as well.
Justin Timberlake's song, "My Love", has been stuck in my head all week long. His vocal range, from high to low, is very skilled. The beat in the back, although simple, is very catchy. Lyrics about being in love with someone can surely relate to anybody. Bringing in T.I. for a verse adds a certain character to the song, and seems to emphasize Timberlake's smoother style of vocals.
All and all, this is a great song from a great artist and I feel that anybody could like this song, despite any genre conflicts (who would of thought a kid who likes hardcore and punk would make a pop song the song of the week?). Below I have a link for the song posted, although I am sure almost everyone has heard it. Also feel free to tell me your opinions on Timberlake. Try to keep the comments intelligent and PG-13 however.
Justin Timberlake-My Love Music Video
Justin Timberlake's song, "My Love", has been stuck in my head all week long. His vocal range, from high to low, is very skilled. The beat in the back, although simple, is very catchy. Lyrics about being in love with someone can surely relate to anybody. Bringing in T.I. for a verse adds a certain character to the song, and seems to emphasize Timberlake's smoother style of vocals.
All and all, this is a great song from a great artist and I feel that anybody could like this song, despite any genre conflicts (who would of thought a kid who likes hardcore and punk would make a pop song the song of the week?). Below I have a link for the song posted, although I am sure almost everyone has heard it. Also feel free to tell me your opinions on Timberlake. Try to keep the comments intelligent and PG-13 however.
Justin Timberlake-My Love Music Video
Friday, November 19, 2010
Concert Review- Say Anything and Motion City Soundtrack
Where: Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI
When: Saturday November 6, 2010
Who: Say Anything and Motion City Soundtrack w/ special guests Saves the Day and A Great Big Pile of Leaves
For the record, I would just like to start with a little concert habit I have. This is the habit of me liking to be at a concert as easy as possible. Honestly I don't know why I do this, but every concert I have been too I have gotten there considerably early. I suppose that I really enjoy being in the front row at these smaller venues and I also like to be there in hopes to meet and talk to my favorite band members. It tends to make friends who go to these events with me at first, but in the long run they generally tend to thank me.
Well now that I have this little habit of mine stated, let's get on to the review. When I first glanced at Lupo's, I felt it was considerably smaller and more run down than the House of Blues in Boston, which is where I normally go for concerts. I happens to give Lupo's a try due to it being much closer to my college in Bristol, RI than the HoB. Waiting in line for five hours got me exactly what I wanted, first in line and and front row and center for the show. Although the concert hall did happen to be smaller and more run down than I had seen in the past, it turned out to be just as good of an experience. We were slightly closer to the stage (four feet by my estimation) and the smaller venue provided a more intimate show. The only downfall of Lupo's happens to be in it's microphone system. More times than not, the instrumentation of the band overwhelmed the singer causing vocals to be drowned out.
Even with the mic problems, these bands still put on a great performance. A Great Big Pile of Leaves kicked off the show. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, these jazz rock newbies rocked the show, regardless of it being their first tour ever. Even though they only played five songs, while the other three bands received fourteen, this band left an everlasting impression on me. They played upbeat, mellow music that would be perfect to just sit and relax to. Their problem lied in their crowd connection. They spoke little to the crowd and didn't leave me feeling connected and wanting to see them again, however I do give them a mulligan due to this being only their fifth or sixth show.
Next up was Saves the Day, a band I was sure to see experience from. They bopped through past and present favorites, spanning their sixteen year career. Chris Conley, singer and guitarist for the band was oddly animated even though he spent most of the performance behind the mic. Saves the Day was great at mixing their slower jams with their faster hits, making a truly interesting set. It was at this point in the concert when the fans began to get into it, shouting vocals and crowd surfing. The guys in Saves the Day had a great relation with their fans throughout the concert but seemed to lack chemistry with each other. This concert features a new line-up for Conley , the only constant member, and StD, featuring guitarist Arun Bali (joined April, 2009), Rodrigo Palma (Sept, 2010) and drummer Claudio Rivera (Sept, 2010). As you can see from the lack of being together, band chemistry will definitely need to be worked on.
It was finally time for the main band I came to see, Say Anything. I was excited to see them for the second time and also wanted to see what changes were made to their set. This time I saw more excitement and passion from the band then I saw the first time. Max Bemis is one of my favorite singers and the band is amazing live. As they began to play, I realized that the more the crowd gave to Say Anything, the more they gave back to the fans. The crowning achievement of this performance was that Say Anything chose to play a song off of their first album which rarely happens anymore. They also invited Chris Conley back on the stage to play a son from lead singer Max Bemis' and Conley's side project, Two Tongues. Unfortunately the addition of these songs forced omissions of popular hits (Hate Everyone and Shiksa being two) but the fact that these two rarely played songs were a part of the show to begin with almost made the concert by itself.
Although I was sad to see Say Anything leave the stage, I was curious to see if Motion City Soundtrack could follow their performance. I must say I was rather impressed. Even though Motion City is popier than Say Anything, they still received a similar crowd reaction. What impressed me most about MCS was that even though singer/guitarist Justin Pierre was losing his voice the whole show, he still sang his heart out, even when he showed signs of pain and it sounded like his voice would give out. He also continually thanked the crowd and was happy that the crowd was bearing with his voice. I was also impressed by the energy that keyboardist Jesse Johnson put in the show. There never happened to be a dull moment watching Johnson, with him frantically smashing keys and jumping around. The biggest disappointment for the MCS part of the show was they ran out of time. Lupo's wants the bands out at 10 pm due to it also being a club so Motion City didn't have anytime to play encore songs.
Overall this concert was one of the best concerts that I have been too. Although many minor obscurities popped up during the show, the overall performances by the bands and the reaction of the crowd caused this concert to be something truly spectacular. If you want to see the pictures I took you can go to my facebook page.
When: Saturday November 6, 2010
Who: Say Anything and Motion City Soundtrack w/ special guests Saves the Day and A Great Big Pile of Leaves
For the record, I would just like to start with a little concert habit I have. This is the habit of me liking to be at a concert as easy as possible. Honestly I don't know why I do this, but every concert I have been too I have gotten there considerably early. I suppose that I really enjoy being in the front row at these smaller venues and I also like to be there in hopes to meet and talk to my favorite band members. It tends to make friends who go to these events with me at first, but in the long run they generally tend to thank me.
Well now that I have this little habit of mine stated, let's get on to the review. When I first glanced at Lupo's, I felt it was considerably smaller and more run down than the House of Blues in Boston, which is where I normally go for concerts. I happens to give Lupo's a try due to it being much closer to my college in Bristol, RI than the HoB. Waiting in line for five hours got me exactly what I wanted, first in line and and front row and center for the show. Although the concert hall did happen to be smaller and more run down than I had seen in the past, it turned out to be just as good of an experience. We were slightly closer to the stage (four feet by my estimation) and the smaller venue provided a more intimate show. The only downfall of Lupo's happens to be in it's microphone system. More times than not, the instrumentation of the band overwhelmed the singer causing vocals to be drowned out.
Even with the mic problems, these bands still put on a great performance. A Great Big Pile of Leaves kicked off the show. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, these jazz rock newbies rocked the show, regardless of it being their first tour ever. Even though they only played five songs, while the other three bands received fourteen, this band left an everlasting impression on me. They played upbeat, mellow music that would be perfect to just sit and relax to. Their problem lied in their crowd connection. They spoke little to the crowd and didn't leave me feeling connected and wanting to see them again, however I do give them a mulligan due to this being only their fifth or sixth show.
Next up was Saves the Day, a band I was sure to see experience from. They bopped through past and present favorites, spanning their sixteen year career. Chris Conley, singer and guitarist for the band was oddly animated even though he spent most of the performance behind the mic. Saves the Day was great at mixing their slower jams with their faster hits, making a truly interesting set. It was at this point in the concert when the fans began to get into it, shouting vocals and crowd surfing. The guys in Saves the Day had a great relation with their fans throughout the concert but seemed to lack chemistry with each other. This concert features a new line-up for Conley , the only constant member, and StD, featuring guitarist Arun Bali (joined April, 2009), Rodrigo Palma (Sept, 2010) and drummer Claudio Rivera (Sept, 2010). As you can see from the lack of being together, band chemistry will definitely need to be worked on.
It was finally time for the main band I came to see, Say Anything. I was excited to see them for the second time and also wanted to see what changes were made to their set. This time I saw more excitement and passion from the band then I saw the first time. Max Bemis is one of my favorite singers and the band is amazing live. As they began to play, I realized that the more the crowd gave to Say Anything, the more they gave back to the fans. The crowning achievement of this performance was that Say Anything chose to play a song off of their first album which rarely happens anymore. They also invited Chris Conley back on the stage to play a son from lead singer Max Bemis' and Conley's side project, Two Tongues. Unfortunately the addition of these songs forced omissions of popular hits (Hate Everyone and Shiksa being two) but the fact that these two rarely played songs were a part of the show to begin with almost made the concert by itself.
Although I was sad to see Say Anything leave the stage, I was curious to see if Motion City Soundtrack could follow their performance. I must say I was rather impressed. Even though Motion City is popier than Say Anything, they still received a similar crowd reaction. What impressed me most about MCS was that even though singer/guitarist Justin Pierre was losing his voice the whole show, he still sang his heart out, even when he showed signs of pain and it sounded like his voice would give out. He also continually thanked the crowd and was happy that the crowd was bearing with his voice. I was also impressed by the energy that keyboardist Jesse Johnson put in the show. There never happened to be a dull moment watching Johnson, with him frantically smashing keys and jumping around. The biggest disappointment for the MCS part of the show was they ran out of time. Lupo's wants the bands out at 10 pm due to it also being a club so Motion City didn't have anytime to play encore songs.
Overall this concert was one of the best concerts that I have been too. Although many minor obscurities popped up during the show, the overall performances by the bands and the reaction of the crowd caused this concert to be something truly spectacular. If you want to see the pictures I took you can go to my facebook page.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Song of the Week (11/7-11/13)
This week's song of the week is a cover song. The song is called Blame It and is originally done by Jamie Foxx and T-Pain, but this version was done by Of Mice & Men. This is Of Mice & Mens first recorded song featuring new singer Jerry Roush, formerly of Sky Eats Airplane, on vocals. Of Mice & Men used to have Austin Carlile on vocals but due to a heart surgery and tension between band members he was released.
Its funny to think of a hip hop song being covered by a hardcore band, but it surprisingly works well. Clean vocalist Shayley Bourget and screamer Jerry Roush seem to banter back and fourth, much in the same way that Foxx and T-Pain do which helps transistion the song to a different genre. The tuned down guitar riffs, breakdowns and double bass in the drums typical to the genre, although not fitting with the original song, take a fresh new approach that fits well. Overall, this song is very catchy and makes you appreciate the direction that Of Mice & Men will be heading in. I have poeted the original and cover below, so tell me what you think.
Original w/ Jamie Foxx and T-Pain
Cover w/ Of Mice & Men
Its funny to think of a hip hop song being covered by a hardcore band, but it surprisingly works well. Clean vocalist Shayley Bourget and screamer Jerry Roush seem to banter back and fourth, much in the same way that Foxx and T-Pain do which helps transistion the song to a different genre. The tuned down guitar riffs, breakdowns and double bass in the drums typical to the genre, although not fitting with the original song, take a fresh new approach that fits well. Overall, this song is very catchy and makes you appreciate the direction that Of Mice & Men will be heading in. I have poeted the original and cover below, so tell me what you think.
Original w/ Jamie Foxx and T-Pain
Cover w/ Of Mice & Men
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Is Attack Attack! going on the Defense?
I just wanted to take a little time to talk about a band I really enjoy known as Attack Attack!. Described as "crabcore" or "dubcore" by their fans, this band has been on the rise the past couple of years. Their music features a typical metalcore sound, with tuned down guitars, crunching riffs and emese breakdowns. One of the unique features of AA! is the combination of their metalcore sound with various electronics via keyboards and synthisizers and use of autotunes in their clean vocals. But every band who is on the rise will eventually have some problems to overcome.
Their first problem came when the band decided to kick out vocalist Austin Carlile. Carlile, who was known for his higher pitched, "chirping" style of screaming, seemed to be a great fit for the band. Kicked to the curb, AA! was forced to find a new vocalist which they found in Nick Barham. Barham had a drastically different approach to voacls, taking more of a lower pitched sound, marking the beginning of a new deeper sound for AA!. But due to wanting some change in his life, Barham didn't last very long, which prompted keyboardist and synth op, Calab Shomo, to take over vocals.
Shomo's screams happen to be deeper than even Barham's, so on their second self-titled CD, the band decided to reflect the deeper sound of Shomo's vocals with a deeper sounding music. This new CD expanded AA!'s sound in ways that weren't possible with Carlile as frontman. And although everything seemed to be working great for the budding band, another problem was on the way.
Following a very successful Warped Tour run, guitarist/clean vocalist, Johnny Franck, decided to leave the band to focus on his relationship with god. Although the band respects his desicion and wishes him the best, this raises the question of what to do next. The band is commited to continue on their headlining tour, which started this week, and to continue making music with Shomo taking over clean vocals as well. A clip of a new song was posted on their MySpace page this week with Shomo doing all the vocals. Although the music itself seems similar, the vocals sound dramatically different. The contrast that was once between Shomo and Franck no does not exist, with Shomo not being able to hit higher pitches. This raises a big question of can Attack Attack! re-invent themselves, or have they already reached their prime, just 5 years into their career as a band? Only time will be able to tell, but one can only hope that these four kids from Cleveland can continue to do what they love and find success at it.
Below you will find three links featuring the three recorded eras of Attack Attack!. Let me know what era you like best and what you think will happen in the future.
Attack Attack! w/Austin Carlile on vocals (Barham in video)
Attack Attack! w/ Shomo on Vocals
Attack Attack! w/out Franck
Their first problem came when the band decided to kick out vocalist Austin Carlile. Carlile, who was known for his higher pitched, "chirping" style of screaming, seemed to be a great fit for the band. Kicked to the curb, AA! was forced to find a new vocalist which they found in Nick Barham. Barham had a drastically different approach to voacls, taking more of a lower pitched sound, marking the beginning of a new deeper sound for AA!. But due to wanting some change in his life, Barham didn't last very long, which prompted keyboardist and synth op, Calab Shomo, to take over vocals.
Shomo's screams happen to be deeper than even Barham's, so on their second self-titled CD, the band decided to reflect the deeper sound of Shomo's vocals with a deeper sounding music. This new CD expanded AA!'s sound in ways that weren't possible with Carlile as frontman. And although everything seemed to be working great for the budding band, another problem was on the way.
Following a very successful Warped Tour run, guitarist/clean vocalist, Johnny Franck, decided to leave the band to focus on his relationship with god. Although the band respects his desicion and wishes him the best, this raises the question of what to do next. The band is commited to continue on their headlining tour, which started this week, and to continue making music with Shomo taking over clean vocals as well. A clip of a new song was posted on their MySpace page this week with Shomo doing all the vocals. Although the music itself seems similar, the vocals sound dramatically different. The contrast that was once between Shomo and Franck no does not exist, with Shomo not being able to hit higher pitches. This raises a big question of can Attack Attack! re-invent themselves, or have they already reached their prime, just 5 years into their career as a band? Only time will be able to tell, but one can only hope that these four kids from Cleveland can continue to do what they love and find success at it.
Below you will find three links featuring the three recorded eras of Attack Attack!. Let me know what era you like best and what you think will happen in the future.
Attack Attack! w/Austin Carlile on vocals (Barham in video)
Attack Attack! w/ Shomo on Vocals
Attack Attack! w/out Franck
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Coming Up
Hey I just wanted to make a quick post explaining what I will be posting in the near future. First and formost, I will be going to the AP Fall Tour featuring Bring Me the Horizon, August Burns Red, Emarosa, Polar Bear Club and This Is Hell. So will be posting a concert review on that as well as the concert I saw last weekend (Motion City Soundtrack and Say Anything).
There are also a couple of opinion pieces I will be focusing on. My first question for a piece will be are main stream artists making fans pay to much for their stuff? I will also be focusing on my opinions about "crabcore" band, Attack Attack! and the departure of their guitarist/vocalist Johnny Frank.
If you guys read this let me know if you have an opinion, I would love to hear it.
I will also be starting a feature known as "Song of the Week" and be explaining what my song of the week is and why I like it so much.
I know this is a new blog so I don't expect to have many viewers yet, but to all who read these blogs, thank you. It means a lot to me when people actually read and take an interest in what I'm writing. Oh and please tell your friends and spread the word on this. It would be greatly appriciated.
There are also a couple of opinion pieces I will be focusing on. My first question for a piece will be are main stream artists making fans pay to much for their stuff? I will also be focusing on my opinions about "crabcore" band, Attack Attack! and the departure of their guitarist/vocalist Johnny Frank.
If you guys read this let me know if you have an opinion, I would love to hear it.
I will also be starting a feature known as "Song of the Week" and be explaining what my song of the week is and why I like it so much.
I know this is a new blog so I don't expect to have many viewers yet, but to all who read these blogs, thank you. It means a lot to me when people actually read and take an interest in what I'm writing. Oh and please tell your friends and spread the word on this. It would be greatly appriciated.
For the Love of the Music
I figured I would take a little time to talk about music and why it is so special to me. For me, music is one of the greatest forms of expression known to man. You don't need a talented voice or a vast amount of skill, just a desire or ambition. Musicians can use an instrument to express themselves in ways that words just simply can not. Even without vocals, a piece of music can speak to you and tell you a story. Its can communicate various emotions such as happiness, love or even things like hatred and fear.
When I listen to music it takes me to places I just can't go to in reality. I can listen to music and just let my thoughts run wild. Even on days when you feel like you are the only one feeling your pain, music will prove to you someone else has gone through something similar. I often use music to disconnect from reality and just clear my head and simply enjoy living.
No matter what kind of music you like, cherish it. Even if you are the only person out of your friends that like it, like it because you are into it. Never stop listening to something you like just because someone makes fun of you for it. If the music speaks to you, let it. Many people are surprised to hear that while I thoroughly enjoy many "screamo" and heavy bands, I also enjoy blues artists like Robert Johnson, contemporary pop artists like Lady GaGa (her songs have always been very catchy to me) and even the occasional country star (country legend Johnny Cash anybody?). So I guess what I'm trying to say by all this is enjoy music. It is a powerful tool for a sense of community, stress relief and general enjoyment purposes. So just kick back and relax with your favorite tunes and let the music take you over.
When I listen to music it takes me to places I just can't go to in reality. I can listen to music and just let my thoughts run wild. Even on days when you feel like you are the only one feeling your pain, music will prove to you someone else has gone through something similar. I often use music to disconnect from reality and just clear my head and simply enjoy living.
No matter what kind of music you like, cherish it. Even if you are the only person out of your friends that like it, like it because you are into it. Never stop listening to something you like just because someone makes fun of you for it. If the music speaks to you, let it. Many people are surprised to hear that while I thoroughly enjoy many "screamo" and heavy bands, I also enjoy blues artists like Robert Johnson, contemporary pop artists like Lady GaGa (her songs have always been very catchy to me) and even the occasional country star (country legend Johnny Cash anybody?). So I guess what I'm trying to say by all this is enjoy music. It is a powerful tool for a sense of community, stress relief and general enjoyment purposes. So just kick back and relax with your favorite tunes and let the music take you over.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Hey
I just wanted to do a brief introductory blog to start off my new blog site. I am starting a blog to further my writing skills for my future. I have determined that I want to be a music journalist, most likely for Alternative Press magazine. I was told that a blog would be a good way to not only hone my skills, but get my name out there. So if you are reading this and you like what you see, tell your friends.
As far as the content of this blog, I plan to cover various things in the musical field. I will be doing music reviews and reviews of concerts that I have been to. I will also touch on other various musical opinion pieces, giving my thoughts on many things going on in the music industry. I will primarily be covering punk, hardcore, rock and metal based music genres but on occassion I may branch out to other genres.
I will also be open to opinions and suggestions, so if anyone wants to comment or make suggestions I will try to respond as quickly as possible. I hope you guys enjoy my blog and thank you to all who take the time to read it.
As far as the content of this blog, I plan to cover various things in the musical field. I will be doing music reviews and reviews of concerts that I have been to. I will also touch on other various musical opinion pieces, giving my thoughts on many things going on in the music industry. I will primarily be covering punk, hardcore, rock and metal based music genres but on occassion I may branch out to other genres.
I will also be open to opinions and suggestions, so if anyone wants to comment or make suggestions I will try to respond as quickly as possible. I hope you guys enjoy my blog and thank you to all who take the time to read it.
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