Ok we get it, you’re different, you’re not mainstream. You’re proud your a hipster? What do you stand for? I guess just going against the norm is what you stand for. Chill. You listen to music I’ve never heard of? You may not be “mainstream” but you still follow hipster trends. The Dr. Dogs & Of…
This reminds me that I never did a day on Skindred. Next post will be about them.
Wow, it’s been a while- lots of music to catch y’all up on. I’m going to start reviewing albums rather than just picking out the ones I recommend listening to. There have been a few pretty bad albums out recently and I’d like to start recommending what not to listen to as well.
I started listening to City and Color, Dallas Green’s acoustic folk solo project which deserves kudos for the name alone. While Dallas Green plays guitar and sings in the post-hardcore group Alexisonfire, City and Color really showcases his abilities as a singer and a songwriter and shows an impressive contrast between the styles of music he is capable of producing.
City and Color - The Girl
Alexisonfire - This Could Be Anywhere In The World
B.o.B’s newest album, while horribly mainstream, isn’t that bad. His lyrics are fairly terrible but I find his songs a lot more tolerable than most of the stuff on the radio these days so here are a few begrudging recommendations.
Papa Roach released a live album along with 5 new songs on a CD called Time For Annihilation. The new songs are the usual Papa Roach style but are actually a step up from their last album Metamorphosis which left a lot to be desired. The live part of the album is fine. They’re not bad live but they’re not outstanding. Since they no longer release new songs in their old rap-rock style its nice to hear a few of their classics live like “Last Resort” and “Between Angels and Insects”. If you’re in the mood of some hard-hitting punk rock and/or want to hear Papa Roach play live check it out.
(I can’t find any good links for the new songs so just listen to any of them- they’re all about the caliber none of them really stand out)
Disturbed has a new album out called Asylum which is a huge step down from their previous releases. Indestructible (their last album) was absolutely amazing and you should go get it right now along with their first album The Sickness which has recently been remastered and re-released and is nothing short of legendary. The singles off of Asylum sound like something you’d find as filler on any of their other albums. The melodies are uninspired and the guitar solos are expected. This album brings nothing new to the table and almost every song could have been B-sides off of any previous Disturbed album. The album starts off strong with a nice intro song Remnants which makes the album seem like It’ll take off in a new direction. Alas, it does not. The first track after the intro, Asylum, is probably the best track on the album and also has a pretty cool video so check it out. Disturbed also whips out a cover of U2’s Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For which isn’t as bad as one would think. They manage to pull it off while adding a bit of their own signature sound. The rest of the album is horribly generic and can be missed.
Kele from Bloc Party released a solo album called The Boxer which essentially sounds like Bloc Party with electronics replacing all the instruments. The first single off the album, Tenderoni is great and extremely catchy. If you like Bloc Party, check it out.
That’s plenty for now. In the next few days I’ll try to write about Osheaga, a music festival in Montreal which I went to this summer and Linkin Park’s new album which is just a huge mess, I can’t even get started on it here. I’m also seeing a bunch of concerts in October so I’ll review all of those too.
It feels good to be back.
New motto: I no longer believe in the existence of bad music, there exist only music that I don’t like yet.
With the right conditioning we can grow to enjoy any sort of sounds, so our musical taste is merely representative of our current state of mind. People ask me why I have so much music on my Ipod, I must not even listen to half of it. It’s true, there must be thousands of songs on my Ipod that I haven’t listened to once. I haven’t listened to these songs because I haven’t been in the right mindset, when the time comes for that genre or band then they will be right there at my fingertips (literally). Let us praise Steve Jobs for the invention of the 120 gig ipod classic. Without it, we might be forced to discriminate between our music. What a wonderful analogy- lack of space leads to discrimination…
It’s 2 in the morning, sleep deprivation gets me philosophical. My sincerest apologies.
So I’m going away to camp for 6 weeks and I’m sure to be back with some new music of all of y’alls.
Since i haven’t posted in a while here are some random selections across the genres:
Reel Big Fish is a great ska-punk band. Their music is upbeat, their lyrics are amusing, their style is varied. Here’s a song. They really shine in their live performances and their live album, quaintly titled “Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album”, is easily one of my all time favorite live albums. A great example of this (for those of you who are not yet convinced by my enthusiasm) is their live performance of their song “Suburban Rhythm” where they perform the simple song in about 10 different genres. They also do a great cover of “Take On Me” by A-ha.
Maximum the Hormone is a Japanese hardcore band which I’ve grown fond of if only for the fact that they somewhat pull of what they’re trying to do. This one’s my favorite.
If you like rap/hip hop then you’ve probably already listened to Eminem’s new album and realized that its pretty bad (I mean that you are not and will never be in the right state of mind to appreciate it). Check out the Canadian rapper Classified, he has tons of albums and pretty much every song is good. This one was pretty popular recently and got Class some recognition.
Out of those three bands/Classifieds you should be able to find something you like
I no longer believe in the existence of bad music, there exist only music that I don’t like yet…and some really terrible music.
My motto is hereby rebuked.
Enjoy your summer :)
Oh, and check out my Deviantart page, i posted some poetry and a bunch of light painting pictures i did recently.
To keep with the mood of things (and with the god damn smell) here’s a smokin’ hot, incendiary playlist
The Unforgettable Fire- U2
Sleep Now in The Fire- Rage Against the Machine
Firestarter- The Prodigy
I Caught Fire- The Used
Sex on Fire- Kings of Leon
Inside The Fire- Disturbed
Fire- Dead by Sunrise
The Danger in Starting a Fire- A Day to Remember
Slow Burn- Atreyu
Burn The Evidence- Billy Talent
Beds are Burning- Midnight Oil
Crash and Burn- Sinner
Burn- Three Days Grace
Hearts Burst Into Fire- Bullet for my Valentine
Enjoy!
Paper Tongues are an up and coming band with some decent stuff and a very catchy single. The band fuses rock, rap and hip hop but remains low key, swaying from what is normally referred to as ‘rap-rock’. While the beats are simple and the melodies are undeniably catchy as they ring with the distinctive voice of lead singer Aswan.
Paper Tongues’ debut eponymous (I love that word) album came out only slightly more than a month ago so I’d look out for them in the future. While most of the album is good, it’s really defined by the song Ride to California which I’ve been listening to regularly since discovering.
“I can’t wait to get a ride to California
Cause it makes sense to go to California”
haha, remember when I was going to do one of these every day? That fully didn’t happen.
So, Flobots. I don’t actually know this band that well but I find some of their stuff interesting. They’re a hip-hop group but they also use actual instruments (what a concept!) and have a fair amount of musical talent. The group has the usual political views- ‘The government is evil, stop the war machine, blah blah blah’ but they communicate it in a nicely poetic way in this song:
This song is pretty cool also- there’s something undeniably awesome about the format:
My personal favorite song by Flobots is White Flag Warrior in which they got Tim McIlrath from Rise Against (great band, I should do a post about them) to help out with the bridge and the verse.
Enjoy
I’ve been meaning to do this for a while.
Van Canto is phenomenal, they change everything.
Let me explain- I love when musical genres are mixed. The more awkward the combination, the more amazing I find it when it actually ends up being good.
Van Canto is an a-capella-hero-metal band and they are phenomenal. They have been gaining popularity over the years and just released their 3rd album- Tribe of Force which is a great step forwards for the band.
The group consists of 2 lead singers, 2 singers on guitar (each sing a note to make a power chord), a bass singer and a a drummer (fine, they’re not fully a-capella but try doing metal drums vocally and see how it works out for you). Most of their songs feature guitar solos which are performed entirely by voice. They do this by singing through a guitar amp with distortion and wah. It may or may not be the coolest thing ever.
This song Speed of Light is a good introduction to the band and a representation of their style.
Keep in mind that they’re a hero metal band so their lyrics aren’t exactly mentally stimulating, they’re actually kind of funny. All their videos involve knights and horses for the same reason.
Van Canto currently does not perform outside of Europe but spread the word! If you like their stuff, support them and bring them to the rest of the world!
Here are a few of my favorite Van Canto songs
Wishmaster (Nightwish Cover)
Stormbringer (Deep Purple Cover)
To Sing a Metal Song (my personal favorite)
Rebellion (Grave Digger Cover)
Enjoy! Who knows, maybe you’ll become a ‘Van Cantian’ too.
Brokencyde is the greatest band in the world, their magnificent combination of screamo and crunk music elements is simply a stroke of genius that isn’t often found in the music industry nowadays. Their debut album “I’m Not a Fan, But the Kids Like It” is a fantastic release through and through and should be listened to on repeat forever. The best part is how each of their uniquely talented band members brings something new and impressive to the table, all of them clearly having a vast amount of musical training under their belts.
Get Crunk!!!- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa6qpgLvH30
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS, EVERYONE
Brokencyde is actually the least talented band in the world, they’re so bad it’s almost impressive. They are, by a long shot, the worst band ever. Their genre is the worst idea I’ve ever heard put into practice and they should all be hurt physically as punishment for going through with this. This is an example of what not to do. Ever. The mere fact that they managed to get a record deal makes me sick to my stomach.
I mean I have nothing against screamo, or crunk for that matter, but come on.
Please never listen to this band again
Thank You
Shit, the habs just lost…
So The Offspring aren’t exactly an underground band, in fact they’ve probably been one of the most influential punk bands of the last few decades. If you’re into punk and haven’t heard of them you probably live under a rock. So, if any of my 11 followers are chilling under their rocks and don’t know this band I suggest you go listen to them.
One of their first albums Ignition was released back when the band was under the radar, and it was acceptable to not know them. It’s not bad but a bit generic, you can skip this one.
LAPD- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xouSYWzCiI4
Their breakthrough album Smash is a very solid album and should be listened to all the way through. I’ve got a few of my favorite tracks from the album to get you started-
Self Esteem- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kIZeVoRBuU
Come Out and Play- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJQFf0qj9Nk&feature=channel
One of the bands best albums has to be Americana which really showcases the band’s style, concretely established by this point and built on from hereon after.
Why Don’t You Get a Job?- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqHkuHy39eA&feature=channel
The Kids Aren’t Alright- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1DOcke51iM
Americana- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSaf3XcckIw&feature=PlayList&p=64EC695859D76E0E&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=2
The Offspring’s newest album is Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace and is probably one of my favorite albums of the last few years. It’s simply full of energy and shows a nice, although slight, evolution of the group’s sound.
Half Truism- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr0pqtyM8m0
You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRxHHZEqwpw&feature=related
Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o14DWdZbNA0&feature=related
aaaand the grand finale:
Hammerhead - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xPT5w0jPX4
Enjoy, I’m off to New York!
It rhymes, see? Maybe I’ll make all my post title rhyme from now on…
Anyways, Billy Talent was here last Wednesday and I haven’t reviewed the show yet because I’ve been tired. Also, I’ve finally recovered physically from the bruises and limps acquired at this show so I can judge it without the pain skewing my opinion.
So first up was Cancer Bats, and they let us know that as their lead singer repeatedly explained: “WE ARE THE MOTHERFUCKING CANCER BATS”. I kind of like this group and they sounded good- I expected the guitar and vocals to be very noticeably inferior to those recorded but they managed to make every pinch harmonic resonant, and every scream piercing. Their cover of the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage was definitely the highlight of their set and was one of the best songs of the night to mosh to.
“Children of nothing this is our song”
Moshometer rating: Moshish
Next up was Against Me! who I seem to like enough to have devoted a post solely to them a while back. The first half of their set was all unreleased songs off of their upcoming album White Crosses. I felt kind of lost during this part because I hadn’t heard any songs off of the album but I really enjoyed one called Suffocation -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y0us6-PXJg
That’s the only video I could find of the song, ignore the random parcour dude and just listen
Their last few songs were off of New Wave and I happily sung along in recognition. Tom’s raw voice came off great live and Against Me! was really a joy to listen to.
“Protest songs in response to military aggression, protest songs trying to stop the soldier’s guns. But the battle raged on”
Moshometer rating: Minimal Moshage
Alexisonfire took the stage next and the second the first “alright!” erupted from the depths of George Pettit a second into their opener Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints the fairly docile crowd turned to madness. I actually posted a video of the explosion of intensity- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_mZVS3439I
Their set was mostly satisfying- There was a dry spot around the middle with a few of their more forgettable songs but they redeemed themselves with The Northern and their grand finale This Could Be Anywhere in the World
“The streets are in distress. The sun suffocates behind the darkened skies”
Moshometer rating- Moshtastic
So moshtastic, in fact, that the only picture i managed to get was of their giant poster before they came on…
Finally, Billy T had their turn and they did not disappoint. I used to really love them a few years ago so every song from the albums Billy Talent 1 and 2 was a wonderful blast from the past while the new tracks from Billy Talent 3 were a demonstration of where the group stands now. The performance of Saint Veronika, my favorite song from the new album, was practically surreal as the crowd went completely nuts, I crowd-surfed during the climax of Line & Sinker which was fantastic and the grand finale Red Flag may have been the most intense 3 to 5 minutes of my life.
“In a crooked little town they were lost and never found. Fallen leaves on the ground”
Moshometer rating- Moshsplosion
