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"

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

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"

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

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