Thursday, September 8, 2011
New Blog
Hey guys I just wanted to announce that I am making the switch from blogspot to wordpress. I hope you will make the transistion with me. Please go to nicksmusicblog.wordpress.com to see the new blog. I hope you enjoy it. I am also going to try to transition all my other posts to the new site.
Song of the Day (09/07/2011)
I would just like to start out by explaining a couple of things. Because I listen to so much music per day, and because I could always use more practice writing, among other things, I have decided to turn my "Song of the Week" posts into "Song of the Day" posts where I examine a song that really caught my attention on that day in particular. I also want to get more into other aspects on this blog so that I can write more than a quick song explanation every day. I want to get into more concert reviews (on time) and also things like CD reviews, music news with my opinion included, and various other features. I also want to let you know that commenting is more than allowed on this blog. If you agree with me, have something to add to what I have said, recommend music or other things, or even want to criticize my writing or selections, please feel free to comment. But enough of me rambling on, time for my song of the day.
I'm sure many of you reading this enjoy or have at least heard of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (and if you haven't you need to get out from underneath whatever rock you are under and listen to them). Everybody loves the classic Peppers songs like "Under the Bridge" and "Scar Tissue" but that isn't why I am writing this post. In case you haven't heard anything Peppers related lately, they are back from their hiatus, and not only with new guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer (unfortunately John Frusciante has left the band again in pursuit of a solo career), but a new album entitled "I'm With You." And in case you haven't put the pieces of the puzzle together yet, their new single "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" is my song of the day, which I have been listening to nonstop since I began writing this.
I wouldn't call "Rain Dance Maggie" classic Peppers, but I would say that it is slowly becoming one of my favorites. Built, like always, around Flea's amazing bass line, this song will immediately get your foot tapping and head nodding. But what seperates this song from the pack is Klinghoffer's immediate impact on the Pepper's sound. Although Klinghoffer has been with the Peppers for a few years now as a touring member, this is his first contribution to a record. Klinghoffer offers a fresh approach to the Peppers sound, offering rich, textured, feel-good riffs throughout. And although all the elements of this song are great, the icing on the cake is the cowbell; because, come on, who doesn't like a cowbell section!?
"Rain Dance Maggie" is slowly climbing its way up to the top of my top played list for many obvious reasons. The new twist to the Peppers line-up keeps them fresh and interesting, while the classic methods offer an everlasting appeal. It's just an overall great song to lighten up your day. If you haven't heard the song yet, I strongly urge you to because it's really good. Posted below is the link for the music video. Feel free to comment about the song, the band, or anything else.
The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie Music Video
I'm sure many of you reading this enjoy or have at least heard of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (and if you haven't you need to get out from underneath whatever rock you are under and listen to them). Everybody loves the classic Peppers songs like "Under the Bridge" and "Scar Tissue" but that isn't why I am writing this post. In case you haven't heard anything Peppers related lately, they are back from their hiatus, and not only with new guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer (unfortunately John Frusciante has left the band again in pursuit of a solo career), but a new album entitled "I'm With You." And in case you haven't put the pieces of the puzzle together yet, their new single "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" is my song of the day, which I have been listening to nonstop since I began writing this.
I wouldn't call "Rain Dance Maggie" classic Peppers, but I would say that it is slowly becoming one of my favorites. Built, like always, around Flea's amazing bass line, this song will immediately get your foot tapping and head nodding. But what seperates this song from the pack is Klinghoffer's immediate impact on the Pepper's sound. Although Klinghoffer has been with the Peppers for a few years now as a touring member, this is his first contribution to a record. Klinghoffer offers a fresh approach to the Peppers sound, offering rich, textured, feel-good riffs throughout. And although all the elements of this song are great, the icing on the cake is the cowbell; because, come on, who doesn't like a cowbell section!?
"Rain Dance Maggie" is slowly climbing its way up to the top of my top played list for many obvious reasons. The new twist to the Peppers line-up keeps them fresh and interesting, while the classic methods offer an everlasting appeal. It's just an overall great song to lighten up your day. If you haven't heard the song yet, I strongly urge you to because it's really good. Posted below is the link for the music video. Feel free to comment about the song, the band, or anything else.
The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie Music Video
Monday, May 30, 2011
Song of the Week (05/22-05/28)
I want to start this post off by apologize for my lack of posting. I have recently completed my first year of college and with all the finals and moving back into my house, I haven't had much time to think about my blog. With that being said, I also want to say that I intend to do 2-3 posts a week for as many weeks possible. But without further adieu, here is my song of the week. This song of the week comes from a band that I have been listening to for more than a year now but am just now finally getting into, Motion City Soundtrack. MCS is one of those bands that I am discovering that I can listen to in any mood and are gradually climbing up the list of my favorite bands. The hardest thing about this weeks song of the week is that I'm not really sure what song to choose because I have been listening to all of their songs. To be honest even while writing these first two paragraphs my song has changed at least 3 times. But here it is, my song of the week selection "Hysteria," off their most recent album, My Dinosaur Life.
What makes "Hysteria" such a great song is how all of the instruments and vocals are accessible to the ear, giving each instruments time to shine. The guitar parts are very rhythmic and high energy, helping to guide the song along. The bass line helps these guitar parts in sections, but also give the song a bouncy element to it at times. Justin Pierre's vocals are great as always, singing about a crush which everyone can relate too. But the best parts of this song for me are the drums and keyboards. The drums for this song are amazing, and really help show off Tony Thaxston's ability as a drummer. The keyboard parts on this song are the catchiest part of the song and almost like a mini-solo at parts.
When I first saw something about Motion City Soundtrack, it was them getting a five star rating for My Dinosaur Life in Alternative Press Magazine. I began to listen to songs off that album and thought that they were okay but never really understood the five star rating until now. I don't think there is a weak song on the album and love how each song is arranged. Its funny how Motion City Soundtrack went from decent band to top 10 band in my eyes just in a few weeks time. And it was songs like "Hysteria" that helped them achieve that status with me. Posted below is a lyrics video for the song, let me know what you think.
Motion City Soundtrack-"Hysteria"
What makes "Hysteria" such a great song is how all of the instruments and vocals are accessible to the ear, giving each instruments time to shine. The guitar parts are very rhythmic and high energy, helping to guide the song along. The bass line helps these guitar parts in sections, but also give the song a bouncy element to it at times. Justin Pierre's vocals are great as always, singing about a crush which everyone can relate too. But the best parts of this song for me are the drums and keyboards. The drums for this song are amazing, and really help show off Tony Thaxston's ability as a drummer. The keyboard parts on this song are the catchiest part of the song and almost like a mini-solo at parts.
When I first saw something about Motion City Soundtrack, it was them getting a five star rating for My Dinosaur Life in Alternative Press Magazine. I began to listen to songs off that album and thought that they were okay but never really understood the five star rating until now. I don't think there is a weak song on the album and love how each song is arranged. Its funny how Motion City Soundtrack went from decent band to top 10 band in my eyes just in a few weeks time. And it was songs like "Hysteria" that helped them achieve that status with me. Posted below is a lyrics video for the song, let me know what you think.
Motion City Soundtrack-"Hysteria"
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Kurt Cobain Obituary Assignment
Hey guys I just wanted to post this assignment I did for my writing for mass media class that I did. It was an obituary and we were allowed to choose anybody from any time period to write about. I chose Kurt Cobain who I have always been fascinated with. I decided to post it for two reasons, one being I got a good grade on it and the other being I wanted some opinions on it. I'll warn you that it is rather long (around 800 words) but I would really appreciate it if you guys would give me some input. So here it is, my Kurt Cobain memorial obituary. (Note: Cobain's body was found on April 8 and that was the due date of the assignment)
It was seventeen years ago today when the world learned that one of the most iconic rock figures in the history of the genre, Kurt Cobain, had taken his own life at the age of 27 in the apartment above the garage in his Seattle, Washington home.
Cobain, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the popular grunge rock band, ‘Nirvana’, had been missing for six days when he was found by an electrician going to his house to install a security system around 9 am. Police investigated and determined that Cobain had died roughly three days earlier, due to a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head, although high traces of heroine and valium were later found in his bloodstream, as reported by the coroner’s report.
Although many were shocked by the news, those close to Cobain would see his suicide as no surprise, knowing of Cobain’s battle with drug addiction and depression, as well as his medical issues with his stomach and back.
Born on February 20, 1967 in Aberdeen, Washington to Wendy and Donald Cobain, Kurt showed his desire for art and music at an early age. And although there was encouragement by his parents to draw, paint and play various instruments, this was also where the roots of his depression began. “I had a really good childhood up until I was nine, then a classic case of divorce really affected me,” Cobain once said in an interview.
But this parent’s divorce didn’t derail his goals of becoming a rock musician. Cobain went on to create one of the most influential grunge rock bands of all-time, Nirvana. Cobain and his band would go on to win a Grammy for their MTV Unplugged acoustic performance, as well as win an American Music Award, a handful of MTV Video Music awards and sell more than 50 million records worldwide, with their album “Nevermind” being certified 10 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Cobain eventually started a family, marrying Courtney Love on February 24, 1992 and had a child, Frances Bean Cobain, who was born on August 18, 1992. And although Cobain often described these times as the happiest in his life in many interviews, these moments would also not go on without strife, with Frances being taken away from the couple for several weeks after birth, when they were accused of being drug addicts during Love’s pregnancy.
Many of these events portrayed Cobain as a bad and negative person, associated with the stereotypical rock star lifestyle until his untimely death, but he ultimately became the voice of Generation X’s youth, becoming the catalyst for teen angst.
And although Cobain’s image may be shrouded by depression, misunderstanding and suicide, many friends and family will remember him as a happy and funny guy. “Kurt really wasn’t the tortured artist, like, the sulking tortured person. He was a really funny person,” says long-time friend and Nirvana bass player, Krist Novoselic in an interview.
The impact that Cobain had on people became apparent during his public vigil on April 10, 1994 at a park at the Seattle Center when approximately seven thousand people showed up and mourned the death of Cobain.
People who spoke at the vigil included Love, read passages from Cobain’s suicide note, along with the remaining members of Nirvana and various family members.
“I remember the day after that I woke up and I was heartbroken that he was gone. I just felt like, 'Okay, so I get to wake up today and have another day and he doesn't,'" said Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters guitarist and vocalist, Dave Grohl, in response to Cobain’s death.
“He had the desperation, not the courage, to be himself. Once you do that, you can't go wrong, because you can't make any mistakes when people love you for being yourself. But for Kurt, it didn't matter that other people loved him; he simply didn't love himself enough,” said Dave Reed, who was Cobain’s foster father for a short period of time.
And with the seventeenth anniversary of the finding of Cobain’s body and death happening this week, people are finding entirely new ways to pay tribute to his legacy. Many people are going to social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter and posting about Cobain and his death. Many magazines and rock news websites are running memorial articles on him. Even his hometown of Aberdeen, Washington has gone as far as to create a guitar shaped memorial in his honor.
Kurt Cobain became a rock icon, voice of a generation, loving family man and a tragic case of when fame goes wrong. But then again Cobain did once say “It’s better to burn out than fade away,” which he surely did.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Concert Review-The Game Changers Tour
Who: A Day to Remember, Bring Me the Horizon, Pierce the Veil, We Came As Romans
When: March 13, 2011
Where: The Palladium in Worcester, MA
First off I would like to say that I am sorry that this is coming so late, I kept putting it off due to school work. But anyways here is the long delayed concert review of the Game Changers Tour!!
Venue: This was my first time going to the Palladium and I must say it was much smaller, but I liked it. It made the experience much more intimate experience. But the funny thing about the Palladium is even though the guest capacity seems smaller, the stage seems bigger, giving the bands more room to move around. The venue also had a nice breeze running through it which helped cool me down in between sets.
We Came As Romans: Before this night, I hadn't really listened to WCAR all that much, but I was really impressed with their performance. Great vocals between Clean singer, Kyle Pavone, and screamer, David Stephens. I was also really impressed with what the band did with their lack of space, still jumping around and ultilizing their space well. The best performance for me goes to bassist, Andrew Glass. He was very energetic and did some sort of cool bass flip that is shown in the video below. (This video isn't from the concert I went too. Fast forwars to about 2:15 to see the bass flip)
We Came As Romans-Broken Statues (Live)
Pierce the Veil:This is my second time seeing Pierce the Veil live, with the first being at Warped Tour, but I definitely liked this performance better. Not only was the overall performance better, but I liked how they opened to an altered version of Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" to enter. They played many of my favorite songs and had a lot of energy throughout the whole show. They also did a short cover of "Like a G6" and brought a girl on stage and sang part of their song "Yeah Boy and Doll Face" to her. The final highlight was the lead singer of A Day to Remember, Jeremy McKinnon, coming out and singing "Caraphernilia" with them. (both videos are from the same tour but a different date)
Pierce the Veil- Intro and Besitos (Live)
Pierce the Veil-Like A G6 (Live)
Bring Me the Horizon: This is also my second time seeing BMTH. I liked them much more than the first time seeing them, because this time they had a lot more energy for the show. The only thing I didn't really like is that they didn't really do anything flashy or special. Although their performance was great, they didn't have anything extra that the concert I saw them at before. Even the set list was similar. (video is from the same tour, different date)
Bring Me The Horizon- Chelsea Smile (Live)
A Day to Remember: Lastly, the headliners. Again, this is my second time seeing this band. But this time ADTR really spiced up the show. On top of their normal energy packed set, they added a lot of "flashy" elements, including guys in spandex suits shooting t-shirts to the crowd, confetti machines, dropping balloons on the crowd and CO2 guns shooting up from the stage. They also added a lot of attention with a curtain in front of the stage to start the show, but the crowd went absolutely nuts when it dropped. And to top it all off, at one point Jeremy got in a giant bubble suit and walked on top of the crowd for "Homesick." ADTR's performance was over the top and definitely my favorite performance of any band I have seen perform to date. (video from the same tour, different date)
A Day to Remember- Intro/Sticks and Bricks (Live)
A Day to Remember-Homesick (Live)
Overall: This was probably the best concert that I have ever been too. All the bands performed great and the only dull moments came during the set-ups in between. The only thing I can think about that I didn't like was how cold it was to wait outside in line for it, and the fact that Bring Me The Horizon was the only band to not do anything special with their set.
When: March 13, 2011
Where: The Palladium in Worcester, MA
First off I would like to say that I am sorry that this is coming so late, I kept putting it off due to school work. But anyways here is the long delayed concert review of the Game Changers Tour!!
Venue: This was my first time going to the Palladium and I must say it was much smaller, but I liked it. It made the experience much more intimate experience. But the funny thing about the Palladium is even though the guest capacity seems smaller, the stage seems bigger, giving the bands more room to move around. The venue also had a nice breeze running through it which helped cool me down in between sets.
We Came As Romans: Before this night, I hadn't really listened to WCAR all that much, but I was really impressed with their performance. Great vocals between Clean singer, Kyle Pavone, and screamer, David Stephens. I was also really impressed with what the band did with their lack of space, still jumping around and ultilizing their space well. The best performance for me goes to bassist, Andrew Glass. He was very energetic and did some sort of cool bass flip that is shown in the video below. (This video isn't from the concert I went too. Fast forwars to about 2:15 to see the bass flip)
We Came As Romans-Broken Statues (Live)
Pierce the Veil:This is my second time seeing Pierce the Veil live, with the first being at Warped Tour, but I definitely liked this performance better. Not only was the overall performance better, but I liked how they opened to an altered version of Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" to enter. They played many of my favorite songs and had a lot of energy throughout the whole show. They also did a short cover of "Like a G6" and brought a girl on stage and sang part of their song "Yeah Boy and Doll Face" to her. The final highlight was the lead singer of A Day to Remember, Jeremy McKinnon, coming out and singing "Caraphernilia" with them. (both videos are from the same tour but a different date)
Pierce the Veil- Intro and Besitos (Live)
Pierce the Veil-Like A G6 (Live)
Bring Me the Horizon: This is also my second time seeing BMTH. I liked them much more than the first time seeing them, because this time they had a lot more energy for the show. The only thing I didn't really like is that they didn't really do anything flashy or special. Although their performance was great, they didn't have anything extra that the concert I saw them at before. Even the set list was similar. (video is from the same tour, different date)
Bring Me The Horizon- Chelsea Smile (Live)
A Day to Remember: Lastly, the headliners. Again, this is my second time seeing this band. But this time ADTR really spiced up the show. On top of their normal energy packed set, they added a lot of "flashy" elements, including guys in spandex suits shooting t-shirts to the crowd, confetti machines, dropping balloons on the crowd and CO2 guns shooting up from the stage. They also added a lot of attention with a curtain in front of the stage to start the show, but the crowd went absolutely nuts when it dropped. And to top it all off, at one point Jeremy got in a giant bubble suit and walked on top of the crowd for "Homesick." ADTR's performance was over the top and definitely my favorite performance of any band I have seen perform to date. (video from the same tour, different date)
A Day to Remember- Intro/Sticks and Bricks (Live)
A Day to Remember-Homesick (Live)
Overall: This was probably the best concert that I have ever been too. All the bands performed great and the only dull moments came during the set-ups in between. The only thing I can think about that I didn't like was how cold it was to wait outside in line for it, and the fact that Bring Me The Horizon was the only band to not do anything special with their set.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Song of the Week (04/24-04/30)
Last week was a week full of music for me, attending two concerts on top of my normal music listening. On Thursday I attended my school concert which featured Third Eye Blind and Lupe Fiasco and on Friday I attended The Endgame Tour, featuring Rise Against, Bad Religion and Four Year Strong, at the Boston House of Blues. And although both of these concerts were amazing, only one can inspire my song of the week. My song of the week selection comes from the Endgame tour, which far surpassed my expectations, becoming one of my favorite concerts I have been to so far (I will post the concert reviews for both concerts as well as my long-overdue review for the Game Changers tour hopefully all this week). As far as the actual song of the week is concerned, I will be choosing headliner, Rise Against's, current single "Help Is On The Way."
Lyrically, "Help Is On The Way" is similar to many Rise Against songs, displaying a strong social-political message but where this song differs is the content of this message. The songs lyrics depict a family in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. Lead singer, Tim McIlrath's, speaks of how the family is hoping to be saved from the tragedy, but it seemingly never comes. The song is lead by a great guitar riff by guitarist, Zach Blair, and is held together by the great rhythmic works of bassist, Joe Principe, and drummer, Brandon Barnes. One of my favorite moments in this song is in the "breakdown" section, where McIlrath screams "Right Here! Right Here!" because it helps add a lot of raw emotion to the song.
Rise Against is definitely one of the best punk bands of their generation, contributing not only great music but also strong messages that I feel music needs more of. They were extremely great live and made it a point to point our their beliefs of supporting troops and animal rights, which I thought was awesome. This world definitely needs more bands like Rise Against, and I will always support them musically. Posted below is the video for Rise Against's "Help Is On The Way." Let me know what you think of the song and the band in general.
Rise Against-"Help Is On The Way"
Lyrically, "Help Is On The Way" is similar to many Rise Against songs, displaying a strong social-political message but where this song differs is the content of this message. The songs lyrics depict a family in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. Lead singer, Tim McIlrath's, speaks of how the family is hoping to be saved from the tragedy, but it seemingly never comes. The song is lead by a great guitar riff by guitarist, Zach Blair, and is held together by the great rhythmic works of bassist, Joe Principe, and drummer, Brandon Barnes. One of my favorite moments in this song is in the "breakdown" section, where McIlrath screams "Right Here! Right Here!" because it helps add a lot of raw emotion to the song.
Rise Against is definitely one of the best punk bands of their generation, contributing not only great music but also strong messages that I feel music needs more of. They were extremely great live and made it a point to point our their beliefs of supporting troops and animal rights, which I thought was awesome. This world definitely needs more bands like Rise Against, and I will always support them musically. Posted below is the video for Rise Against's "Help Is On The Way." Let me know what you think of the song and the band in general.
Rise Against-"Help Is On The Way"
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Song of the Week (04/17-04/23)
This week's song of the week selection is me going back to the days of my middle and high school life, listening to one of the few genres that I could truly identify with, nu-metal. Although nu-metal gets its fair share of criticism and is regarded by many to be a 90s musical fad, I used to and still love listening to it. One of my favorite bands of this movement, Korn, was one of my favorite bands of the time and really helped get me into the music I'm into today. When one of their guitarists. Brian "Head" Welch left the band in 2005, I was devastated by him leaving after six albums and more than ten years of being in the band. Korn had since then put out two mediocre records and lost drummer, Dave Silveria (in 2006), and I was beginning to think that Korn should call it quits. I felt that they had became to experimental and lost what made them so great when two of the five members had left. But then Korn put out 2010's "Korn III; Remember Who You Are." This marked a renewed enthusiasm from the band and great new drumming from the newly announced drummer, Ray Luzier. Listening to this CD a lot more lately made me realize how great of a band that Korn still is and made me decide to feature the song "Oildale (Leave Me Alone) as this weeks song of the week.
"Oildale "Leave Me Alone" could have easily been a track off a much earlier Korn CD, and I think that is why I like it so much. It really marked a return to form for Korn, even to the point of recording the album without pro-tool and with producer Ross Robinson, who produced their first two albums. They used old methods, like recording in a garage and using an old 24 track tape machine for recordings to give it an old school, early 90s Korn vibe, and it really comes through in songs like this. Luzier does a great job of holding the rhythm in the place of Silveria with very powerful drum sounds. Bass player, Reginald "fieldy" Arvizu's, always interesting lowly tuned 5 string bass paired with a slap bass technique add low end rattle, while James "Munky" Shaffer's lowly tuned 7 string guitar parts alternate between brutally low riffs and eerie high end riffs make a great environment for singer, Jonathan Davis' always intriguing voice. His combination of near-whimpers and angry yells create very emotional quality vocals. The best part of this song, in my opinion, is the final moments when it becomes a breakdown-like segment, speeding up the song, giving it a really aggressive and primal sound.
A lot of people may have given up on nu-metal and Korn, but after songs and a whole album like this, I simply can not. Korn has always been one of my favorite bands and if they keep putting out great music like this, I will always be a fan. More recently Korn has experimented a little more, collaborating with dub step artist, Skrillex, creating a whole new possible direction for the future of the band. Only time will tell what the band chooses to do, but I will be supportive no matter what, always hoping for the best. Posted below is the video for "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" and their collaboration song "Get Up!" Let me know what you think.
"Oildale (Leave Me Alone)"-Korn
"Get Up!"-Korn feat. Skrillex
"Oildale "Leave Me Alone" could have easily been a track off a much earlier Korn CD, and I think that is why I like it so much. It really marked a return to form for Korn, even to the point of recording the album without pro-tool and with producer Ross Robinson, who produced their first two albums. They used old methods, like recording in a garage and using an old 24 track tape machine for recordings to give it an old school, early 90s Korn vibe, and it really comes through in songs like this. Luzier does a great job of holding the rhythm in the place of Silveria with very powerful drum sounds. Bass player, Reginald "fieldy" Arvizu's, always interesting lowly tuned 5 string bass paired with a slap bass technique add low end rattle, while James "Munky" Shaffer's lowly tuned 7 string guitar parts alternate between brutally low riffs and eerie high end riffs make a great environment for singer, Jonathan Davis' always intriguing voice. His combination of near-whimpers and angry yells create very emotional quality vocals. The best part of this song, in my opinion, is the final moments when it becomes a breakdown-like segment, speeding up the song, giving it a really aggressive and primal sound.
A lot of people may have given up on nu-metal and Korn, but after songs and a whole album like this, I simply can not. Korn has always been one of my favorite bands and if they keep putting out great music like this, I will always be a fan. More recently Korn has experimented a little more, collaborating with dub step artist, Skrillex, creating a whole new possible direction for the future of the band. Only time will tell what the band chooses to do, but I will be supportive no matter what, always hoping for the best. Posted below is the video for "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" and their collaboration song "Get Up!" Let me know what you think.
"Oildale (Leave Me Alone)"-Korn
"Get Up!"-Korn feat. Skrillex
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Song of the Week (04/10-04/16)
Last week I can to a couple of realizations about music and I. The first being that if I had to choose any decade of music that I couldn't live without, it would be the '90s, and I will eventually write a piece about why. But lets get to the revelation that spawned this weeks song of the week. Although the '90s is my favorite decade, this week I have determined that my favorite album came out in 2004. This CD is Say Anything's classic, ...Is A Real Boy. It is one of those CDs that I can just sit down and listen too over and over again (both discs), multiple days in a row, as I did all of last week. I just find that there isn't a single week song on either CD, even with songs varying in tempo and emotion. And instead of picking a song everyone knows for my song of the week (cough cough..... "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too" cough cough....), I choose cult classic "Admit It!!!" as my song of the week.
"Admit It!!!" is the longest track on either CD, coming in at just over six minutes (twice the average Say Anything song), but that doesn't make it any less interesting. The song is held together by a great punk-rock riff throughout most of the song, highlighted by drummer, Coby Linder's precision and power behind the kit and occasional background, keyboard sounds. But what makes this song truly stand out among Say Anything songs is the anthemic rant that singer/songwriter, Max Bemis, goes on throughout the song. Using big, sophisticated words, witty banter and blatant sarcasm, he deconstructs the modern media and social system, trying to get people to just admit the faults of these systems and themselves. Throughout the song, Bemis also exclaims the simpleness of band-life ("My car and my guitar"), proudly being a loner instead of conforming to these ideals he doesn't believe in.
"Admit It!!!" is one of those songs that truly gets you to think about the state this world and country is in, dependant on trends and pop-culture. But then again I think that's what I enjoy most about Say Anything's brilliant ...Is A Real Boy. It is an album that gets you to think and feel various things, and not only do I love that about this album, but much of Say Anything's music in general. This is one of the many reasons why this album and band will always be one of my favorites. Posted below is the song "Admit It!!!," let me know what you think about this song and our society.
Say Anything-"Admit It!!!"
"Admit It!!!" is the longest track on either CD, coming in at just over six minutes (twice the average Say Anything song), but that doesn't make it any less interesting. The song is held together by a great punk-rock riff throughout most of the song, highlighted by drummer, Coby Linder's precision and power behind the kit and occasional background, keyboard sounds. But what makes this song truly stand out among Say Anything songs is the anthemic rant that singer/songwriter, Max Bemis, goes on throughout the song. Using big, sophisticated words, witty banter and blatant sarcasm, he deconstructs the modern media and social system, trying to get people to just admit the faults of these systems and themselves. Throughout the song, Bemis also exclaims the simpleness of band-life ("My car and my guitar"), proudly being a loner instead of conforming to these ideals he doesn't believe in.
"Admit It!!!" is one of those songs that truly gets you to think about the state this world and country is in, dependant on trends and pop-culture. But then again I think that's what I enjoy most about Say Anything's brilliant ...Is A Real Boy. It is an album that gets you to think and feel various things, and not only do I love that about this album, but much of Say Anything's music in general. This is one of the many reasons why this album and band will always be one of my favorites. Posted below is the song "Admit It!!!," let me know what you think about this song and our society.
Say Anything-"Admit It!!!"
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Why Are All The Bands That I Like Falling Apart?
Unless you live under a rock or don't follow the "music scene" you won't be surprised by either of these things I'm about to tell you.
The first of these two stories comes in the form of Four Year Strong keyboardist and occasional screamer, Josh Lyford, being kicked out of the band last week. FYS has made a statement in which they gave their reasoning for Lyford not being in the band anymore, citing that they no longer feel that keyboard parts are relevant in the band.
When I first heard the news I was shocked. I always felt that the members of FYS were really tight and close-knit and figured they could have made room for some keyboard parts or screaming parts to keep Josh in the band. But then when I really thought about it, I realized that it was a natural progression for the band. FYS has been slowly drifting away from the keyboards, turning away from pop-punk and opting out for a more punk-rock sound with every album. I suppose it was only a matter of time before Lyford was phased out of a job in FYS. With that being said, I'm still pumped to see FYS at the end of April with Bad Religion and Rise Against and also look forward to their new album and it's keyboard-less sound.
In other bad news in the music world, Emarosa announced yesterday that they would be continuing on as a band without front-man, Jonny Craig. This news comes as a shocker to some, but most knew that it would happen eventually. Craig has been doing a lot of touring and work with the original line-up of Dance Gavin Dance, and hasn't really had much time to devote to Emarosa as of late.
And although Emarosa feels that it is in their best interest to move on without Craig, I feel that this could cause problems for the band in the future. All the members of Emarosa are very talented but lets face it, Craig is the face of Emarosa. Regardless of whatever controversy that surrounds him, the guy has a great voice and stage presence. I really do wish Emarosa the best and hope they can find another great singer to replace Jonny, but I don't think it looks so hot for Emarosa.
The news of these two bands getting rid of members really saddens me. They are both great bands that I have seen live and listen to a lot. I hope the best for the two bands, but this raises a question for me. Why does it seem like all my favorite bands are beginning to fall apart. It was only at the end of last year when I wrote that Attack Attack! had lost another member and now there are two more bands I like losing members. If any of your favorite bands have lost members or broken up, post below.
The first of these two stories comes in the form of Four Year Strong keyboardist and occasional screamer, Josh Lyford, being kicked out of the band last week. FYS has made a statement in which they gave their reasoning for Lyford not being in the band anymore, citing that they no longer feel that keyboard parts are relevant in the band.
When I first heard the news I was shocked. I always felt that the members of FYS were really tight and close-knit and figured they could have made room for some keyboard parts or screaming parts to keep Josh in the band. But then when I really thought about it, I realized that it was a natural progression for the band. FYS has been slowly drifting away from the keyboards, turning away from pop-punk and opting out for a more punk-rock sound with every album. I suppose it was only a matter of time before Lyford was phased out of a job in FYS. With that being said, I'm still pumped to see FYS at the end of April with Bad Religion and Rise Against and also look forward to their new album and it's keyboard-less sound.
In other bad news in the music world, Emarosa announced yesterday that they would be continuing on as a band without front-man, Jonny Craig. This news comes as a shocker to some, but most knew that it would happen eventually. Craig has been doing a lot of touring and work with the original line-up of Dance Gavin Dance, and hasn't really had much time to devote to Emarosa as of late.
And although Emarosa feels that it is in their best interest to move on without Craig, I feel that this could cause problems for the band in the future. All the members of Emarosa are very talented but lets face it, Craig is the face of Emarosa. Regardless of whatever controversy that surrounds him, the guy has a great voice and stage presence. I really do wish Emarosa the best and hope they can find another great singer to replace Jonny, but I don't think it looks so hot for Emarosa.
The news of these two bands getting rid of members really saddens me. They are both great bands that I have seen live and listen to a lot. I hope the best for the two bands, but this raises a question for me. Why does it seem like all my favorite bands are beginning to fall apart. It was only at the end of last year when I wrote that Attack Attack! had lost another member and now there are two more bands I like losing members. If any of your favorite bands have lost members or broken up, post below.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Song of the Week (4/3-4/9)
Many people who know me, know that I am quite the CD buff. I am always buying CDs, adding to my collection that is currently near or maybe even over 100. I just have always enjoyed having hard copies over digital copies, much like I prefer books and magazines to their digital counterparts (not to crazy about electronic book sources). I also really enjoy reading and looking at the the liner notes and CD art as well. And this brings me to my song of the week. Any day now, I should be getting the new Silverstein CD, Rescue, their fifth CD total and debut for new label, Hopeless Records. And although I haven't heard every song of the CD yet, I believe that this could be one of Silverstein's strongest set of songs to date. And that's why my song of the week is my current favorite off the album "The Artist."
"The Artist" is not only one of my favorite songs that I have heard off Rescue, but could potentially be my favorite Silverstein song ever. This song mixes all the elements that make Silverstein a great band, i.e. Shane Told's brilliant mix of singing and screaming, aggressive, yet catchy guitars, and always great drum work by Paul Koehler, in one song. Told has truly come a long way from his beginnings as a horrid screamer (a wailer in my opinion) and a mediocre singer and become one of my favorite singer/screamers of all-time. And not only has Told progressed greatly, but the band as a whole has. In songs like "The Artist"you can truly see their ten plus years of growth. The music has become more formed, structured, catchy and meaningful.
When I first heard "The Artist" I really became excited for the new Silverstein. It was sad to see them leave from Victory, but if this is the type of music they will put out through Hopeless Records, then I am very open to the change. I can not wait until my copy of Rescue to come in the mail, and with it coming out in two weeks, everyone should surely pick themselves up a copy. Posted below is Silverstein's video for "The Artist," let me know what you think. I also have a question. Do you guys think I should do a CD review? I haven't done one yet, but have wanting to and was thinking this would be a great opportunity to start. Please answer below or on my facebook (Nick Handy) or twitter (@nickhandy69) and let me know what you think.
Silverstein-"The Artist"
"The Artist" is not only one of my favorite songs that I have heard off Rescue, but could potentially be my favorite Silverstein song ever. This song mixes all the elements that make Silverstein a great band, i.e. Shane Told's brilliant mix of singing and screaming, aggressive, yet catchy guitars, and always great drum work by Paul Koehler, in one song. Told has truly come a long way from his beginnings as a horrid screamer (a wailer in my opinion) and a mediocre singer and become one of my favorite singer/screamers of all-time. And not only has Told progressed greatly, but the band as a whole has. In songs like "The Artist"you can truly see their ten plus years of growth. The music has become more formed, structured, catchy and meaningful.
When I first heard "The Artist" I really became excited for the new Silverstein. It was sad to see them leave from Victory, but if this is the type of music they will put out through Hopeless Records, then I am very open to the change. I can not wait until my copy of Rescue to come in the mail, and with it coming out in two weeks, everyone should surely pick themselves up a copy. Posted below is Silverstein's video for "The Artist," let me know what you think. I also have a question. Do you guys think I should do a CD review? I haven't done one yet, but have wanting to and was thinking this would be a great opportunity to start. Please answer below or on my facebook (Nick Handy) or twitter (@nickhandy69) and let me know what you think.
Silverstein-"The Artist"
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Song of the Week (3/27-4/2)
One of my all-time favorite things to do in life is to find brand new bands to listen to that I really enjoy. The most recent of these bands has been the band, We Came as Romans. I have been hearing about these guys a lot the past couple of months, but I didn't really decide to check them out until I heard how they were going to be on the Game Changers Tour that I recently went to (I will have the review up by the end of the week if you guys want to hear about it) and to make a long story short, I have been enjoying them ever since. The song that I have choosen as my song of the week is "To Plant a Seed" purely because I haven't been able to stop listening to it (although "Broken Statues" came in a close second).
"To Plant a Seed" was one of the first We Came as Romans songs I had listened to and will definitely always remain one of my favorites. The vocal chemistry between screamer, David Stephens, and clean singer/keyboardist, Kyle Pavone, is extraordinary and surely one of my favorite vocal duos out there right now. And not only do they sound great together, but they right awesome lyrics. The lyrics in "To Plant a Seed" appear to be about their growth as a band and takes a really postive approach, as most of their songs do. Many people who don't take the time to listen to bands like this could right them off as a negative band, surely on the grounds of their screamed vocals and crunching riffs, but WCAR is an unbelievably positive band. The guitar riffs in this song rreally compliment the balance put forth by Stephens and Pavone, alternating between melodic passages and typical hardcore riffs. Drummer, Eric Choi, offers a nice rythmic background, and some solid drum work, for the band.
We Came as Romans really impressed me at the Game Changers Tour, offering much energy and stage for and presence in a support band and really got me hooked on them. Although they currently only have one LP out, I will definitely be on the lookout for their follow-up LP, which from what I hear, will be out sometime this summer. I also really hope that I can see them live again, only for a longer period of time and can't wait to catch them on the Warped Tour this year. Posted below is the music video for "To Plant a Seed," let me know what you think.
We Came as Romans-"To Plant a Seed"
"To Plant a Seed" was one of the first We Came as Romans songs I had listened to and will definitely always remain one of my favorites. The vocal chemistry between screamer, David Stephens, and clean singer/keyboardist, Kyle Pavone, is extraordinary and surely one of my favorite vocal duos out there right now. And not only do they sound great together, but they right awesome lyrics. The lyrics in "To Plant a Seed" appear to be about their growth as a band and takes a really postive approach, as most of their songs do. Many people who don't take the time to listen to bands like this could right them off as a negative band, surely on the grounds of their screamed vocals and crunching riffs, but WCAR is an unbelievably positive band. The guitar riffs in this song rreally compliment the balance put forth by Stephens and Pavone, alternating between melodic passages and typical hardcore riffs. Drummer, Eric Choi, offers a nice rythmic background, and some solid drum work, for the band.
We Came as Romans really impressed me at the Game Changers Tour, offering much energy and stage for and presence in a support band and really got me hooked on them. Although they currently only have one LP out, I will definitely be on the lookout for their follow-up LP, which from what I hear, will be out sometime this summer. I also really hope that I can see them live again, only for a longer period of time and can't wait to catch them on the Warped Tour this year. Posted below is the music video for "To Plant a Seed," let me know what you think.
We Came as Romans-"To Plant a Seed"
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Song of the Week (3/20-3/26)
This song of the week selection came as more of a challenge to me. This week I have been listening to a wide variety of music and haven't really had a stand out band or song to put as my pick. So for this pick I thought that I would pick a song that I really enjoyed that until recently, I haven't listened to in a while. In this case, it comes in the form of a band than a song, and this band is called Underoath. I really haven't listened to Underoath in a while and I have really forgotten how skilled they truly are. Even with the departure of their final founding member and drummer/ clean vocalist, Aaron Gillespie, this band has still stayed true to their vision and that's why I'm selecting "You're Ever So Inviting," a song still featuring Gillespie, as my song of the week.
The thing that I love about this song is how rich the music is. When you listen to "You're Ever So Inviting" you are listening to a complete song instead of a bunch of instruments playing on the same track. In order to decipher each instrument, you must listen with a keen ear because of how well each element fits together. Clean vocalist, Gillespie, and screamer, Spencer Chamberlain are a great match for each other, matching Chamberlain's lower pitched screams with Gillespie's higher pitched clean singing style. Underoath is also great at matching up instrumentals with the vocals, offering more ambient sections during lighter vocal parts and heavier parts during choruses or heavier vocal parts. The song as a whole has a lot of ambient sound qualities and is just an overall great Underoath song.
Although Underoath has been through a lot of member changes, no one can argue that this band has lost any steam. I am definitely glad that I am listening to Underoath again because I feel that they have a very unique style to them that separates them from many other bands in the genre. Posted below is the music video for "You're Ever So Inviting" and I hope that you guys tell me what you think of the sound. I'm also a little curious, do you think that bands like Underoath that have none of their original members should change their names? Or do you believe that as long as they keep the same principles as the band members before them that its okay to carry the name on? Feel free to comment below.
You're Ever So Inviting-Underoath
The thing that I love about this song is how rich the music is. When you listen to "You're Ever So Inviting" you are listening to a complete song instead of a bunch of instruments playing on the same track. In order to decipher each instrument, you must listen with a keen ear because of how well each element fits together. Clean vocalist, Gillespie, and screamer, Spencer Chamberlain are a great match for each other, matching Chamberlain's lower pitched screams with Gillespie's higher pitched clean singing style. Underoath is also great at matching up instrumentals with the vocals, offering more ambient sections during lighter vocal parts and heavier parts during choruses or heavier vocal parts. The song as a whole has a lot of ambient sound qualities and is just an overall great Underoath song.
Although Underoath has been through a lot of member changes, no one can argue that this band has lost any steam. I am definitely glad that I am listening to Underoath again because I feel that they have a very unique style to them that separates them from many other bands in the genre. Posted below is the music video for "You're Ever So Inviting" and I hope that you guys tell me what you think of the sound. I'm also a little curious, do you think that bands like Underoath that have none of their original members should change their names? Or do you believe that as long as they keep the same principles as the band members before them that its okay to carry the name on? Feel free to comment below.
You're Ever So Inviting-Underoath
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Song of the Week (3/13-3/19)
My most recent song of the week selection comes from a band that is currently supporting A Day to Remember on the Game Changers Tour. Although I saw these guys at the Warped Tour last year and enjoyed a couple of their songs, I was never really into them until I saw them recently at the Palladium in Massachusetts. At first I felt that their lead singer came across as whiny and they seemed to be trying to hard to create music that was both catchy and heavy at times but ever since I saw them the second time I have began to listen to them a lot more. This band, hailing from San Diego, California, is none other than Pierce the Veil and their song "Bulletproof Love" is my song of the week.
"Bulletproof Love" comes as a weird pick to me at first, not hearing the song until I heard it at the concert a mere week ago, but I instantly fell in love with the song. This is the song that really helped me to understand how great of musicians that Pierce the Veil are and has really gotten me into them. Although not one of the heavier PtV songs, it is still just as enjoyable live as any other song. Lead singer and guitarist, Vic Fuentes, really sings his heart out, communicating the emotions of a breakup with a girlfriend using a variety of metaphors. I also enjoy how they composed the instruments together. Lead guitarist, Tony Perry, really steps up for this song, creating many catchy high-end riffs, to only further enhance the song. The rhythm section of Pierce the Veil is also great, offering a great mid-tempo beat to keep the structure amongst Perry's sometimes offbeat riffs.
"Bulletproof Love," although not Pierce the Veil's strongest song, definitely proved to me how great of musicians they really are, and began to get me hooked on them. Although I have already scene them twice in concert, I definitely can see myself seeing them again and look forward to what next musically for the band. Posted below is the song of the week, feel free to let me know what you think about the song. Also be on the lookout for my concert review of the Game Changers Tour, I should hopefully have it up within a week or so.
Pierce the Veil-Bulletproof Love
"Bulletproof Love" comes as a weird pick to me at first, not hearing the song until I heard it at the concert a mere week ago, but I instantly fell in love with the song. This is the song that really helped me to understand how great of musicians that Pierce the Veil are and has really gotten me into them. Although not one of the heavier PtV songs, it is still just as enjoyable live as any other song. Lead singer and guitarist, Vic Fuentes, really sings his heart out, communicating the emotions of a breakup with a girlfriend using a variety of metaphors. I also enjoy how they composed the instruments together. Lead guitarist, Tony Perry, really steps up for this song, creating many catchy high-end riffs, to only further enhance the song. The rhythm section of Pierce the Veil is also great, offering a great mid-tempo beat to keep the structure amongst Perry's sometimes offbeat riffs.
"Bulletproof Love," although not Pierce the Veil's strongest song, definitely proved to me how great of musicians they really are, and began to get me hooked on them. Although I have already scene them twice in concert, I definitely can see myself seeing them again and look forward to what next musically for the band. Posted below is the song of the week, feel free to let me know what you think about the song. Also be on the lookout for my concert review of the Game Changers Tour, I should hopefully have it up within a week or so.
Pierce the Veil-Bulletproof Love
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Song of the Week (2/27-3/5)
Many of the people who read my blog right now are my friends (not that I'm complaining, I have some of the best friends in the world) and know me as "the kid that likes all the screaming music." And although I do like a lot more than screaming based music, it wasn't always that way. As a child, I heavily enjoyed pop, hip-hop and rap music, which I still like to a degree. But out of all the bands that I listen to, the band that really got me into screaming music was Atreyu. Referred to me by a friend, I immediately became a fan of their mix of clean singing and screaming, mixed with musical elements that I was already beginning to like. But anyways, I have lately been listening to the first CD I ever bought with screamed vocals on it A Deathgrip On Yesterday and am starting to remember why I loved the band in the first place. And that's why I have decided to feature the song "The Theft" as this weeks song of the week.
The funny thing about this week's song is that earlier I was talking about how it was the screaming that really got me into Atreyu in the first place, but "The Theft" is one of the more melodic and almost beautiful songs that Atreyu has made. The thing I like about it this song the most, is the fact that even though it is a very melodic and beautiful song, it still fits in the screaming and heavier elements that I like about Atreyu. Clean vocalist/drummer Brandon Saller and screamer Alex Varkatzas spend most of the song singing back and forth with melodic sounding guitars but during the chorus, Varkatzas utilizes his great scream and really adds a lot to the song. The other noticeable thing about the song is the fact that even though the guitars are being played more cleanly and higher than a normal Atreyu song, they still add that darker, heavier element with down-tuned guitars. The prominent bass line throughout the song also helps to bring down the lighter elements with its low growl.
This song seemed to be a scene from what was to come for Atreyu in later releases, opting out for a lighter and ultimately more commercial sound. Although I still support and like their new sound, I would really love for them to return to the elements that made me love them in the first place. Like I said before, this is by no means a heavy Atreyu song, and this song doesn't mean that you would like any other Atreyu songs, but maybe this song could ease people who aren't accustomed to the elements of screaming in music. Let me know what you think of the song in the comments section below, and if you like it feel free to check out other songs from this great band.
Atreyu-The Theft
The funny thing about this week's song is that earlier I was talking about how it was the screaming that really got me into Atreyu in the first place, but "The Theft" is one of the more melodic and almost beautiful songs that Atreyu has made. The thing I like about it this song the most, is the fact that even though it is a very melodic and beautiful song, it still fits in the screaming and heavier elements that I like about Atreyu. Clean vocalist/drummer Brandon Saller and screamer Alex Varkatzas spend most of the song singing back and forth with melodic sounding guitars but during the chorus, Varkatzas utilizes his great scream and really adds a lot to the song. The other noticeable thing about the song is the fact that even though the guitars are being played more cleanly and higher than a normal Atreyu song, they still add that darker, heavier element with down-tuned guitars. The prominent bass line throughout the song also helps to bring down the lighter elements with its low growl.
This song seemed to be a scene from what was to come for Atreyu in later releases, opting out for a lighter and ultimately more commercial sound. Although I still support and like their new sound, I would really love for them to return to the elements that made me love them in the first place. Like I said before, this is by no means a heavy Atreyu song, and this song doesn't mean that you would like any other Atreyu songs, but maybe this song could ease people who aren't accustomed to the elements of screaming in music. Let me know what you think of the song in the comments section below, and if you like it feel free to check out other songs from this great band.
Atreyu-The Theft
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Top Ten: Favorite Clean Vocalists
This is something I have been thinking about for a long time. I thought it would be fun to rank my favorite band members according to a variety of different things such as guitarists, singers, etc. So this is my first official top ten on this blog. I just want to clarify that this list is my top ten favorite clean singers, no screamers or dual singer/screamers involved. I am not necessarily judging my selections on skill, but just how much I enjoy them. So here is is folks, my top ten favorite clean singers. And if you notice, the singers name will be in a different color. If you want to hear the singer I selected singing just click the name and it will bring you to a link showing off the singers ability.
10. Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty, solo work)
I have been a Rob Thomas fan ever since could enjoy music. Matchbox Twenty was one of my first favorite bands as a kid and I loved what he did in Yourself Or Someone Like You. I love how he is a very emotional sounding singer at times, but he also knows how to sound great in a more reserved role. I also enjoy his work in his solo projects, as well as the song "Smooth" that he did with Santana.
9. Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)
Call him raspy, call him grunge, call him whatever you want, but Cobain was more than just a fad. Although Cobain also plays guitar in Nirvana, it is his singing that really gets me into them. Whether he is mumbling or yelling until his vocal chords are about to shred, Cobain arguably has one of the best voices of the grunge movement.
8. Hayley Williams (Paramore)
First off, I just want to give kudos to Ms. Williams for being the only girl to make it on my list. Most would say the world of punk rock is a boys club of sorts, but Hayley does a great job of holding in there. Hayley is one of those front(wo)men that really take command of a song and add that extra kick to it. Hayley is truly one of the great singers of her time, and in my opinion, is still on the incline.
7. John Mayer (John Mayer Trio, solo work)
Mayer has been seducing the women of the world for more than a decade, but has also been seducing mine, since I heard the song "No Such Thing." John Mayer has one of the smoothest voices I have ever heard, and is one of my favorite easy listening artists to listen too. Even as I write this, he is relaxing me with his smooth vocal delivery.
6. Max Bemis (Say Anything, Two Tongues, Max Bemis and the Painful Splits)
Many people might argue with me about this pick. Although he doesn't have the strongest vocals per-say, I am in love with his nasally vocal delivery. He also really knows how to work a live set and an acoustic stage, both things meaning a lot to me. It was Bemis' lyrics and singing that first brought me to Say Anything, which is my favorite band.
5. Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, solo work)
I like Cornell for a lot of the same reasons that I like Cobain. His delivery is more of a raspy style and he knows how to control his voice between mellow singing and yelling. But what makes Cornell such a great singer is the fact that no matter what kind of musical environment he is in, he can strive. In more reserved mellow songs he can take command with his mellower style vocals and be great at it, while during more up beat and aggressive songs he can maintain his more upbeat and yelling style of singing while staying in command of the song.
4. Craig Owens (D.R.U.G.S., Chiodos)
Many people wouldn't know what would happen to Craig Owens when he was released from the band Chiodos. For those of you who guessed make a new band that was as good as his old band, you guessed correctly. Owens has been tearing the scene up with his new band that just released their first CD, and I am really impressed with his singing on the CD. Owens is really good at singing at a higher key, which not all men can say that they are good at.
3. Justin Timberlake (solo work, Nsync)
I know I'm going to get criticism for this choice, but honestly Timberlake was one of the greatest singers to come out of the pop genre. Timberlake has many things admired in a singer; a good voice, range and lack of auto-tunes. I will continue to view Timberlake as an elite singer until someone convinces me otherwise.
2. Tyler Carter (Woe, Is Me and solo work)
The only thing that is currently keeping Tyler Carter from being my number one pick at this moment is his lack of experience. Carter was truly gifted with a great voice and vocal range and I am extremely happy that I stumbled across his band. Carter has a really great range and even with lack of experience, has great control. I am really excited to see what he can do in the future and maybe one day he can become my favorite singer.
1. Jonny Craig (Emarosa, Dance Gavin Dance, solo work)
Regardless of whatever scandals Craig is currently going through, you can't deny the power of his voice. Whether he is singing in a more reserved fashion or absolutely shrilling his vocals out, Jonny Craig does it with poise and command. Currently in enroled in three projects, and that's just what I know of, this man has devoted himself to a life of singing and it really shows in his vocals. Currently only being able to be touched by Tyler Carter, who shares a similar style of singing, Craig will be securely at the top of my list for at least another couple of years.
Well there you have it everybody, my list of favorite clean singers. Now I really want to stress these next points. The first is that you should take the time to really check out these bands or artists if you haven't already, you might find something you really like. Second of all, I would really like some feedback on this one. I would love to know your opinions on this list. Let me know if you think I missed someone, or if you feel someone shouldn't be on the list, or even if you feel someone should be higher or lower. Also remember that this list is for singers that just sing, no screamers or combos. Thank you for reading this and I hope you comment so I can reply back.
10. Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty, solo work)
I have been a Rob Thomas fan ever since could enjoy music. Matchbox Twenty was one of my first favorite bands as a kid and I loved what he did in Yourself Or Someone Like You. I love how he is a very emotional sounding singer at times, but he also knows how to sound great in a more reserved role. I also enjoy his work in his solo projects, as well as the song "Smooth" that he did with Santana.
9. Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)
Call him raspy, call him grunge, call him whatever you want, but Cobain was more than just a fad. Although Cobain also plays guitar in Nirvana, it is his singing that really gets me into them. Whether he is mumbling or yelling until his vocal chords are about to shred, Cobain arguably has one of the best voices of the grunge movement.
8. Hayley Williams (Paramore)
First off, I just want to give kudos to Ms. Williams for being the only girl to make it on my list. Most would say the world of punk rock is a boys club of sorts, but Hayley does a great job of holding in there. Hayley is one of those front(wo)men that really take command of a song and add that extra kick to it. Hayley is truly one of the great singers of her time, and in my opinion, is still on the incline.
7. John Mayer (John Mayer Trio, solo work)
Mayer has been seducing the women of the world for more than a decade, but has also been seducing mine, since I heard the song "No Such Thing." John Mayer has one of the smoothest voices I have ever heard, and is one of my favorite easy listening artists to listen too. Even as I write this, he is relaxing me with his smooth vocal delivery.
6. Max Bemis (Say Anything, Two Tongues, Max Bemis and the Painful Splits)
Many people might argue with me about this pick. Although he doesn't have the strongest vocals per-say, I am in love with his nasally vocal delivery. He also really knows how to work a live set and an acoustic stage, both things meaning a lot to me. It was Bemis' lyrics and singing that first brought me to Say Anything, which is my favorite band.
5. Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, solo work)
I like Cornell for a lot of the same reasons that I like Cobain. His delivery is more of a raspy style and he knows how to control his voice between mellow singing and yelling. But what makes Cornell such a great singer is the fact that no matter what kind of musical environment he is in, he can strive. In more reserved mellow songs he can take command with his mellower style vocals and be great at it, while during more up beat and aggressive songs he can maintain his more upbeat and yelling style of singing while staying in command of the song.
4. Craig Owens (D.R.U.G.S., Chiodos)
Many people wouldn't know what would happen to Craig Owens when he was released from the band Chiodos. For those of you who guessed make a new band that was as good as his old band, you guessed correctly. Owens has been tearing the scene up with his new band that just released their first CD, and I am really impressed with his singing on the CD. Owens is really good at singing at a higher key, which not all men can say that they are good at.
3. Justin Timberlake (solo work, Nsync)
I know I'm going to get criticism for this choice, but honestly Timberlake was one of the greatest singers to come out of the pop genre. Timberlake has many things admired in a singer; a good voice, range and lack of auto-tunes. I will continue to view Timberlake as an elite singer until someone convinces me otherwise.
2. Tyler Carter (Woe, Is Me and solo work)
The only thing that is currently keeping Tyler Carter from being my number one pick at this moment is his lack of experience. Carter was truly gifted with a great voice and vocal range and I am extremely happy that I stumbled across his band. Carter has a really great range and even with lack of experience, has great control. I am really excited to see what he can do in the future and maybe one day he can become my favorite singer.
1. Jonny Craig (Emarosa, Dance Gavin Dance, solo work)
Regardless of whatever scandals Craig is currently going through, you can't deny the power of his voice. Whether he is singing in a more reserved fashion or absolutely shrilling his vocals out, Jonny Craig does it with poise and command. Currently in enroled in three projects, and that's just what I know of, this man has devoted himself to a life of singing and it really shows in his vocals. Currently only being able to be touched by Tyler Carter, who shares a similar style of singing, Craig will be securely at the top of my list for at least another couple of years.
Well there you have it everybody, my list of favorite clean singers. Now I really want to stress these next points. The first is that you should take the time to really check out these bands or artists if you haven't already, you might find something you really like. Second of all, I would really like some feedback on this one. I would love to know your opinions on this list. Let me know if you think I missed someone, or if you feel someone shouldn't be on the list, or even if you feel someone should be higher or lower. Also remember that this list is for singers that just sing, no screamers or combos. Thank you for reading this and I hope you comment so I can reply back.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Song of the Week (2/20-2/26)
There has been a lot of controversy involving Dance Gavin Dance clean singer, Johnny Craig lately, but that still hasn't stopped me from listening to DGD's new material. Hearing that DGD was going to make a CD with the original line-up, minus guitarist Sean O'Sullivan, I became excited. I really enjoyed the CD Downtown Battle Mountain and was really bummed when I learned that that particular line-up was only together for one full length. But that still didn't stop me from listening to DGD's other releases. After giving some of those songs a quality listen, I yearned for the old group back, and to my luck, they have finally reunited and made Downtown Battle Mountain II. Although it hasn't been released yet (March 8) I have heard a couple songs and like the song "Heat Seeking Ghost of Sex" as this weeks song of the week.
One of the greatest things about DGD is there contrast between singer Johnny Craig and screamer Jon Mess. Although Mess isn't my favorite screamer, his voice greatly contrasts Craig's and really adds a lot to the song. The other funny thing involving the vocals is that I really love how Craig can really belt out his vocals and has done so in the past, but takes a more conservative approach to these recordings. Thoroughly enjoying his belted out vocals, I didn't think I could enjoy these conservative vocals, but they really work well in the songs. As far as the music is concerned, it is oddly enjoyable. Combined with the dual tandem of vocals, the music can be almost confusing at times with a lot of different elements going on. A lot of the time both guitars are playing totally different riffs that don't match up sonically, but mesh well together. The rhythm section is also very complex but works really well. The bass doesn't seem to really follow any instrument in particular, creating its own rhythmic section that corresponds to the drums, which are all over the place.
The thing that makes this song so great is the fact that even though there is a lot of different things going on in one song, they all seem to find a way to mesh up together, something that DGD has always been good at. Even though the fate of the current line-up is in jeopardy, with vocalist Johnny Craig recently checking into rehab, I am really hoping for the best for these guys. They are a really great band and this new CD will hopefully reflect that the original line-up of DGD still has it in them. Posted below is the song of the week "Heat Seeking Ghost of Sex," give it a listen and let me know what you think. And you really like it you can always pre-order the CD like i did. Don't forget that comments are allowed on this blog, so feel free to post your thoughts, feelings or opinions.
Dance Gavin Dance "Heat Seeking Ghost of Sex"
One of the greatest things about DGD is there contrast between singer Johnny Craig and screamer Jon Mess. Although Mess isn't my favorite screamer, his voice greatly contrasts Craig's and really adds a lot to the song. The other funny thing involving the vocals is that I really love how Craig can really belt out his vocals and has done so in the past, but takes a more conservative approach to these recordings. Thoroughly enjoying his belted out vocals, I didn't think I could enjoy these conservative vocals, but they really work well in the songs. As far as the music is concerned, it is oddly enjoyable. Combined with the dual tandem of vocals, the music can be almost confusing at times with a lot of different elements going on. A lot of the time both guitars are playing totally different riffs that don't match up sonically, but mesh well together. The rhythm section is also very complex but works really well. The bass doesn't seem to really follow any instrument in particular, creating its own rhythmic section that corresponds to the drums, which are all over the place.
The thing that makes this song so great is the fact that even though there is a lot of different things going on in one song, they all seem to find a way to mesh up together, something that DGD has always been good at. Even though the fate of the current line-up is in jeopardy, with vocalist Johnny Craig recently checking into rehab, I am really hoping for the best for these guys. They are a really great band and this new CD will hopefully reflect that the original line-up of DGD still has it in them. Posted below is the song of the week "Heat Seeking Ghost of Sex," give it a listen and let me know what you think. And you really like it you can always pre-order the CD like i did. Don't forget that comments are allowed on this blog, so feel free to post your thoughts, feelings or opinions.
Dance Gavin Dance "Heat Seeking Ghost of Sex"
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Song of the Week (2/13-2/19)
It seems like the last couple of weeks have been a trip down memory lane for me. Recently I was watching Fuse (a cable network specializing in music) and I happened to catch Linkin Park's recent set at Madison Square Garden. As a band or a music fan, you know that a performance at Madison Square Garden means you have hit it big. Now I've always been a Linkin Park fan, since I first received Hybrid Theory when I was a kid, so I was excited to see some live concert footage on TV. Something about that concert really brought me back into the realm of Linkin Park so I decided I should feature their song "Lying From You" as my song of the week.
"Lying From You" is one of the songs that really shows you the extent of what Linkin Park can do as a band. It successfully combines Chester Bennington's singing/screaming with heavier elements of their sound with Mike Shinoda's rapping ability and the more electronic elements of their sound. The verses feature the rapped vocals by Shinoda with hip hop drum beats, and some cool electronic elements. The chorus becomes a little more rock oriented, with Chester Bennington taking over, singing the chorus with Shinoda in the background. One of the best parts of this song, for me anyways, is the breakdown towards the end of the song. The breakdown itself is very aggressive but what I like about it is what sets it apart from standard breakdowns. The aggressive turntable scratches paired with the combination of the music, and Shinoda's aggressive rap lines over Bennington's always epic screams really puts this breakdown, and the song in general, over the top.
Although Linkin Park has changed a lot from their roots, they still are one of the best bands when it comes to melding rock and hip hop elements together. They have been and probably always will be on of my favorite bands and I'm always excited to see what new material they are coming out with next. Songs like "Lying From You" will always be played on my years for years to come, and if you haven't really checked into Linkin Park, you definitely should. Posted below is live footage from Linkin Park's Live in Texas CD. I posted this version because I really love Chester's screams in this version. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Lying From You (Live In Texas)-Linkin Park
"Lying From You" is one of the songs that really shows you the extent of what Linkin Park can do as a band. It successfully combines Chester Bennington's singing/screaming with heavier elements of their sound with Mike Shinoda's rapping ability and the more electronic elements of their sound. The verses feature the rapped vocals by Shinoda with hip hop drum beats, and some cool electronic elements. The chorus becomes a little more rock oriented, with Chester Bennington taking over, singing the chorus with Shinoda in the background. One of the best parts of this song, for me anyways, is the breakdown towards the end of the song. The breakdown itself is very aggressive but what I like about it is what sets it apart from standard breakdowns. The aggressive turntable scratches paired with the combination of the music, and Shinoda's aggressive rap lines over Bennington's always epic screams really puts this breakdown, and the song in general, over the top.
Although Linkin Park has changed a lot from their roots, they still are one of the best bands when it comes to melding rock and hip hop elements together. They have been and probably always will be on of my favorite bands and I'm always excited to see what new material they are coming out with next. Songs like "Lying From You" will always be played on my years for years to come, and if you haven't really checked into Linkin Park, you definitely should. Posted below is live footage from Linkin Park's Live in Texas CD. I posted this version because I really love Chester's screams in this version. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Lying From You (Live In Texas)-Linkin Park
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Song of the Week (2/6-2/12)
Recently, I went to a Barnes and Noble and (surprise!) brought a book. Normally I'm not the book type, opting out for the monthly Alternative Press magazine and various online articles, but this book really caught my eye. It was a biography on Kurt Cobain. And not just a biography, but a biography explaining his live through his art and music (he did not only a lot with music but art as well). Anyways, I bought the book and I have been reading it ever since. And not only has the book been an interesting read, but it has also brought me back to one of my original rock music loves, grunge. Nirvana and other grunge bands were favorites of mine throughout high school. They were actually influential enough to me where I wrote my senior year research paper on Kurt Cobain's suicide. This book has brought a resurgence of grunge in my life, and with that, you have my song of the week. This song is Nirvana's classic "In Bloom."
"In Bloom" was one of the first Nirvana songs I had ever heard and it will always be one of my favorites. The song is driven by a simple, yet catchy, bass line that really helps you groove through the song. The guitar tends to mirror the song at points though parts of the song, and at other parts is either silent or soloing which only amplifies the song. Both instruments have their share of sludgy sounding distortion which really characterized the grunge sound. This is the first CD featuring permanent drummer, Dave Grohl, and it really shows why they kept him. Grohl pounds his drum set and keeps the rhythm catchy, yet precise. And as great as the instrumentals is, Cobain's voice really puts the icing on the cake. Cobain has always been associated with his raspy vocals that mix between yells and almost mumbles. The combination of these three grunge rock gods adds up to a really great song.
Nirvana was one of those bands that started something truly special, a rock revolution. Armed with one of the greatest musical artists of all time, they seemed unstoppable. Unfortunately drugs and the pressures of fame caught up with Cobain, resulting in his untimely death. And even though this great artist has left us, fortunately his bands legacy and music has not.
Posted below is the music video for "In Bloom". Let me know your thoughts on the song and the band and anything else relating to this week's song of the week.
Nirvana-"In Bloom"
"In Bloom" was one of the first Nirvana songs I had ever heard and it will always be one of my favorites. The song is driven by a simple, yet catchy, bass line that really helps you groove through the song. The guitar tends to mirror the song at points though parts of the song, and at other parts is either silent or soloing which only amplifies the song. Both instruments have their share of sludgy sounding distortion which really characterized the grunge sound. This is the first CD featuring permanent drummer, Dave Grohl, and it really shows why they kept him. Grohl pounds his drum set and keeps the rhythm catchy, yet precise. And as great as the instrumentals is, Cobain's voice really puts the icing on the cake. Cobain has always been associated with his raspy vocals that mix between yells and almost mumbles. The combination of these three grunge rock gods adds up to a really great song.
Nirvana was one of those bands that started something truly special, a rock revolution. Armed with one of the greatest musical artists of all time, they seemed unstoppable. Unfortunately drugs and the pressures of fame caught up with Cobain, resulting in his untimely death. And even though this great artist has left us, fortunately his bands legacy and music has not.
Posted below is the music video for "In Bloom". Let me know your thoughts on the song and the band and anything else relating to this week's song of the week.
Nirvana-"In Bloom"
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Song of the Week (1/30-2/5)
I have recently been updating my iTunes, not only getting the correct information for my songs, but adding songs to my current repetoir that currently features more than 3800 songs. Although that sounds like a lot, on my pevious computer and iPod I was above 5000; and then my computer crashed. I lost a lot of old favorites that I am currently trying to get back, and I must say I am on my way. But the moral of my story is that things like this can be a good thing, surprisingly. Not only have I found a lot of new good music, but I have returned to a lot old favorites that I haven't listened to in a while. One of these bands I have been listening to a lot is Enter Shikari. And their song "Sorry You're Not A Winner" is my song of the week selection.
"Sorry You're Not A Winner" is a song that caught my ear at first listen. It was a beautiful combination of screamo and techno music and definitly got me into the band as a whole. The techno introduction is not only a little bit trippy, but begins to pull you in. Then when the actual song begins, adding and dropping instruments in sections, I just feel this great build up that needs to be released. This release happens when singer/electronics operator Rou Reynolds screams into his microphone, signaling the true start to the song. When eveything comes together, I was iimmediately blown away by how catchy and aggresive the song is. The song battles between Rou's screamed and sung vocals and the battle between the guitar riff and the elctronic elements, just to be broken down for a bridge. This bridge strips the song down, but gradually adds everything together to form a great build up. The last section of the song is essentially a bunch of different breakdowns, culminating with the best breakdown saved for last.
"Sorry You're Not A Winner" is truely a great song, balancing out the elements of screams vs. clean vocals and electronics vs. great guitar riffage. Enter Shikari have created something that is truely unique and only gets better from album to album. Although originating from England, this quartet is begining to make strides in America, and you can catch them playing at this year's Warped Tour. Also showcasing their energetic and overall great live show, I will be posting a clip of "Sorry You're Not A Winner" live, instead of their music video. Let me know what you think.
"Sorry You're Not A Winner" Live at Big Day Out 2008
"Sorry You're Not A Winner" is a song that caught my ear at first listen. It was a beautiful combination of screamo and techno music and definitly got me into the band as a whole. The techno introduction is not only a little bit trippy, but begins to pull you in. Then when the actual song begins, adding and dropping instruments in sections, I just feel this great build up that needs to be released. This release happens when singer/electronics operator Rou Reynolds screams into his microphone, signaling the true start to the song. When eveything comes together, I was iimmediately blown away by how catchy and aggresive the song is. The song battles between Rou's screamed and sung vocals and the battle between the guitar riff and the elctronic elements, just to be broken down for a bridge. This bridge strips the song down, but gradually adds everything together to form a great build up. The last section of the song is essentially a bunch of different breakdowns, culminating with the best breakdown saved for last.
"Sorry You're Not A Winner" is truely a great song, balancing out the elements of screams vs. clean vocals and electronics vs. great guitar riffage. Enter Shikari have created something that is truely unique and only gets better from album to album. Although originating from England, this quartet is begining to make strides in America, and you can catch them playing at this year's Warped Tour. Also showcasing their energetic and overall great live show, I will be posting a clip of "Sorry You're Not A Winner" live, instead of their music video. Let me know what you think.
"Sorry You're Not A Winner" Live at Big Day Out 2008
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Song of the Week (1/23-1/29)
With the Blink-182 kick that I have been on lately, I feel as though it would almost be more fitting to change the song of the week to the band of the week. Blink has always been one of my favorite bands, dating back to my childhood. I fell in love with their immature lyrics and stripped down, fun style of punk music. Blink-182 was the band that got me into what I like for music now, which eventually got me into wanting to write for a music magazine such as Alternative Press. I owe a lot to Blink in my development as a person, and because of that, I paid homage to them with a tattoo of their dead smiley logo with six arrows, honoring their reunion. As far as a song for this week, I will be choosing one of my all-time favorite Blink songs, "What's My Age Again?"
"What's My Age Again?" is an example of the classic Blink song. Simple yet catchy guitars and bass, Travis Barker's always interesting drumbeats and Mark Hoppus' smooth voice singing immature lyrics about acting childish as an adult, backed by Tom DeLonge's slightly raspy voice. I think that Hoppus and DeLonge are one of the best one-two vocal punches in music history, both with great, yet slightly contrasting voices. I love the vocals for this song, referring to many immature situations that make me reminisce of my childhood.
This song and band have inspired me in more ways than one, and I feel as though they have shaped my life for the better. In a round about way, Blink is the band that got me to start this blog, and I will always be an avid follower. Innovators of a new genre (pop-punk) and dominators of the 1990's, Blink are arguably one of the greatest bands in music history and have had great influences on many up-and-coming bands. Posted below is the music video for "What's My Age Again?" If you read this, let me know your opinion on Blink-182, favorite songs, and how excited you are for the new album (which should be out this year!!)
What's My Age Again? Music Video
"What's My Age Again?" is an example of the classic Blink song. Simple yet catchy guitars and bass, Travis Barker's always interesting drumbeats and Mark Hoppus' smooth voice singing immature lyrics about acting childish as an adult, backed by Tom DeLonge's slightly raspy voice. I think that Hoppus and DeLonge are one of the best one-two vocal punches in music history, both with great, yet slightly contrasting voices. I love the vocals for this song, referring to many immature situations that make me reminisce of my childhood.
This song and band have inspired me in more ways than one, and I feel as though they have shaped my life for the better. In a round about way, Blink is the band that got me to start this blog, and I will always be an avid follower. Innovators of a new genre (pop-punk) and dominators of the 1990's, Blink are arguably one of the greatest bands in music history and have had great influences on many up-and-coming bands. Posted below is the music video for "What's My Age Again?" If you read this, let me know your opinion on Blink-182, favorite songs, and how excited you are for the new album (which should be out this year!!)
What's My Age Again? Music Video
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Song of the Week (1/16-1/22)
Lately, I have found myself listening to a lot of different genres of music. I have been listening to different types of rock, rap and electronic music, and enjoying them all. One of the bands I have been listening to a lot is the Deftones. Deftones have always been a band that I have enjoyed, offering a great mixture of in your face and ambient, almost psychedelic music. One of Deftones most recent hits, "Rocket Skates" is my song of the week.
"Rocket Skates"comes off of Deftones most recent CD, Diamond Eyes, a CD that was formed out of the car crash of their bassist, Chi Cheng, who is currently in a coma like state. Deftones enlisted their friend Sergio Vega to fill in for Cheng on bass, who does a pretty good job in his absence. "Rocket Skates" is a great mix of Deftones always great instrumentals and vocals. Vocalist, Chino Moreno, uses his smooth, trance-like vocals to pull you into the song, just to use his hair-splitting screams to push you back away. Guitarist, Stephen Carpenter, uses great riff patterns to help create a perfect environment for Moreno's vocals. The song, however, is enhanced greatly by two people, keyboardist and turntable operator, Frank Delgado, and drummer, Abe Cunningham. The keys are very faint in this song, but add a very eerie and psychedelic feel, furthering this idea of a mixture between in your face and psychedelic. Cunningham's drums on this track take the song to a whole new level, punctuating the song in all the right places.
I was amazed to hear how much heavier this song had been from the singles coming right before it. Deftones had began to stray away from the heavier elements in their music and began to rely more and more on the ambient and psychedelic natures of their music. I have always been a fan of their unique mixing of the two, and although I like the really light and ambient stuff, I'm glad they have returned to their roots. Posted below is Deftone's video for "Rocket Skates". Let me know what you think, comments are always welcome.
Deftones-"Rocket Skates"
"Rocket Skates"comes off of Deftones most recent CD, Diamond Eyes, a CD that was formed out of the car crash of their bassist, Chi Cheng, who is currently in a coma like state. Deftones enlisted their friend Sergio Vega to fill in for Cheng on bass, who does a pretty good job in his absence. "Rocket Skates" is a great mix of Deftones always great instrumentals and vocals. Vocalist, Chino Moreno, uses his smooth, trance-like vocals to pull you into the song, just to use his hair-splitting screams to push you back away. Guitarist, Stephen Carpenter, uses great riff patterns to help create a perfect environment for Moreno's vocals. The song, however, is enhanced greatly by two people, keyboardist and turntable operator, Frank Delgado, and drummer, Abe Cunningham. The keys are very faint in this song, but add a very eerie and psychedelic feel, furthering this idea of a mixture between in your face and psychedelic. Cunningham's drums on this track take the song to a whole new level, punctuating the song in all the right places.
I was amazed to hear how much heavier this song had been from the singles coming right before it. Deftones had began to stray away from the heavier elements in their music and began to rely more and more on the ambient and psychedelic natures of their music. I have always been a fan of their unique mixing of the two, and although I like the really light and ambient stuff, I'm glad they have returned to their roots. Posted below is Deftone's video for "Rocket Skates". Let me know what you think, comments are always welcome.
Deftones-"Rocket Skates"
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Song of the Week (1/9-1/15)
I have been trying to check out a bunch of new bands lately and I have began to find a bunch that I like. One of these new bands is known as The Word Alive, and their song "Epiphany" is my song of the week selection. The Word Alive has taken a nice new approach to metalcore, combining very aggressive music with techno/dubstep elements and melodic choruses. The song "Epiphany" is one of the best songs to showcase this.
"Epiphany" immediately starts off absolutely brutal, with crunching riffs and pounding drums and almost blood curdling screams. Then a little into the song, electronic elements are introduced, and although they make the song no less brutal, they add a nice background element to the song. "Epiphany" lightens up and becomes more melodic several times throughout the song, allowing vocalist, Tyler "Telle" Smith, to sing and the band to take a more melodic approach and give the song some nice contrast. The song transitions well between the lighter parts and the heavy parts, and really pulls you into the song.
The mixture of brutality, melodics and electronic elements make this song, as well as this band, great. Since I stumbled upon The Word Alive, I have began to fall in love with their music and I can't wait to see them on Warped Tour this summer. If you are looking for some really brutal, yet melodic music, I would recommend The Word Alive, hands down. Posted below is their song "Epiphany". Let me know what you think.
The Word Alive-Epiphany
"Epiphany" immediately starts off absolutely brutal, with crunching riffs and pounding drums and almost blood curdling screams. Then a little into the song, electronic elements are introduced, and although they make the song no less brutal, they add a nice background element to the song. "Epiphany" lightens up and becomes more melodic several times throughout the song, allowing vocalist, Tyler "Telle" Smith, to sing and the band to take a more melodic approach and give the song some nice contrast. The song transitions well between the lighter parts and the heavy parts, and really pulls you into the song.
The mixture of brutality, melodics and electronic elements make this song, as well as this band, great. Since I stumbled upon The Word Alive, I have began to fall in love with their music and I can't wait to see them on Warped Tour this summer. If you are looking for some really brutal, yet melodic music, I would recommend The Word Alive, hands down. Posted below is their song "Epiphany". Let me know what you think.
The Word Alive-Epiphany
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Song of the Week (1/2-1/8)
This week, I discovered a CD that I bought about a month ago but never really listened to all that much. This CD is A Day to Remember's most recent CD, What Separates Me From You. Why I bought it and never really listened to it is beyond me, but I am finally giving it the listens that it deserves. I am realizing how good of a CD it is and that is why I chose to pick the first song I really got into on it, "All I Want", as my song of the week.
All I Want is by no means a heavy ADTR song, which are the songs I usually gravitate to by the band, but is instantly becoming one of my favorite ADTR songs. The song opens with a very catchy riff that stays throughout the song, dragging the listener in. The instrumentation of this song reminds me a lot of Phil Spector's idea of a wall of sound, stampeding you with lots of noise and instrumentation. And although the song is more light and poppy, the instrumentation almost seems heavy in a way. The music retains this catchy riffage and lighter sound until towards the end, where it gets heavier at times and becomes more of a breakdown, retaining that typical ADTR sound.
Frontman, Jeremy McKinnon, really excels his vocals in this song, keeping his screams to the breakdown section only. McKinnon really shines in this song, and uses his therapeutic style of vocals to deliver some really emotional, heartfelt lyrics. McKinnon is one of an elite group of singers that has a great singing and screaming voice, and really shows it, regardless of his lack of screaming in the song.
This song overall is a really catchy, upbeat song that will keep you listening over and over again. The combination of McKinnon's great voice, with heartfelt vocals and the catchy poppy and light, yet somehow heavy instrumentation makes for a really great song. Posted below is the newly released music video for All I Want. Make sure you catch A Day to Remember headlining the Game Changers Tour featuring Bring Me the Horizon, Pierce the Veil and We Came as Romans this spring.
All I Want-A Day to Remember
All I Want is by no means a heavy ADTR song, which are the songs I usually gravitate to by the band, but is instantly becoming one of my favorite ADTR songs. The song opens with a very catchy riff that stays throughout the song, dragging the listener in. The instrumentation of this song reminds me a lot of Phil Spector's idea of a wall of sound, stampeding you with lots of noise and instrumentation. And although the song is more light and poppy, the instrumentation almost seems heavy in a way. The music retains this catchy riffage and lighter sound until towards the end, where it gets heavier at times and becomes more of a breakdown, retaining that typical ADTR sound.
Frontman, Jeremy McKinnon, really excels his vocals in this song, keeping his screams to the breakdown section only. McKinnon really shines in this song, and uses his therapeutic style of vocals to deliver some really emotional, heartfelt lyrics. McKinnon is one of an elite group of singers that has a great singing and screaming voice, and really shows it, regardless of his lack of screaming in the song.
This song overall is a really catchy, upbeat song that will keep you listening over and over again. The combination of McKinnon's great voice, with heartfelt vocals and the catchy poppy and light, yet somehow heavy instrumentation makes for a really great song. Posted below is the newly released music video for All I Want. Make sure you catch A Day to Remember headlining the Game Changers Tour featuring Bring Me the Horizon, Pierce the Veil and We Came as Romans this spring.
All I Want-A Day to Remember
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Song of the Week (12/26-1/1)
Hey guys I just want to start off by wishing everyone a happy new year and hope that everyone had a great holiday season as well. I'm going to kick off the new year with the first song of the week. Lately, I have been searching for some new music and bands to listen to, and I have found a band I really like. They are new band, getting their start this year and are known as Woe, Is Me. I have began to take a liking to bands that successfully mesh clean and screamed vocals as well as hardcore breakdowns with electronic elements. Woe, Is Me has definitely shown me that they can mesh all of these elements together to create some great music.
My song of the week selection is (&) Delinquents. This song features a great balance of decently screamed vocals with excellently sang vocals. Clean singer, Tyler Carter, has to be one of my favorite clean singers and has a great vocal range that rivals that of Johnny Craig. The screamed vocals not only help add heaviness to the vocal range, but further enhance the clean vocals. The song always has some sort of background electronics going on, usually giving an underlying techno-like beat. Throughout the song, the rest of the band offers melodic and breakdown sections to the music giving the whole song a bunch of different sounding sections and a lot of contrast. I think what I like about this song the most is the fact that they are combining a lot of different elements that work well together. Posted below is the music video for the song and feel free to comment and let me know what you think.
Woe, Is Me- (&) Delinquents
My song of the week selection is (&) Delinquents. This song features a great balance of decently screamed vocals with excellently sang vocals. Clean singer, Tyler Carter, has to be one of my favorite clean singers and has a great vocal range that rivals that of Johnny Craig. The screamed vocals not only help add heaviness to the vocal range, but further enhance the clean vocals. The song always has some sort of background electronics going on, usually giving an underlying techno-like beat. Throughout the song, the rest of the band offers melodic and breakdown sections to the music giving the whole song a bunch of different sounding sections and a lot of contrast. I think what I like about this song the most is the fact that they are combining a lot of different elements that work well together. Posted below is the music video for the song and feel free to comment and let me know what you think.
Woe, Is Me- (&) Delinquents
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