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