Casey's EPs, Songs, and Albums of 2012

Reflecting back on 2012, I can't help to compare it to 2011 due to the fact that I only started paying attention to a broader scope of music that year. As of now, 2012 feels a lot weaker at the top than 2011, however the depth far surpasses it. It pained me to leave off records such as Chromatics, Gifts From Enola, Lone, Masked Intruder and Savoir Adore, but this year just had too many strong albums to mention every single one of them. It's even crazier when you think that if you had told me that all of Two Door Cinema Club, Say Anything, Sleigh Bells and Motion City Soundtrack wouldn't have a place on this list, I would have thought you were crazy. Surely a couple of those could release poor albums, but there was no chance that all of them could. Alas, the worst happened, and none of those albums will receive any more mention than this. Pop punk also had a very down year after taking up three of my top five spots (or so) last year, and you won't find a record that I consider pop punk amongst the top 25. Bands you will find featured predominantly are fun., Yellowcard, Frank Ocean, Take One Car, Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, ScHoolboy Q, and far more that you can find below. If you click on the name of the album, you will find links to our coverage. If you click on the name of the song, you will be taken to Youtube for a listen.

Live Review: Jukebox The Ghost, 9:30 Club (6/29/12)

Fans don't just go to live shows to listen to music, as they could just as easily do so on record. Live shows carry a multitude of other characteristics that separate them from just a simple recording, such as stage presence and crowd interaction. It's a rare quality these days to be as charismatic and warm as Jukebox The Ghost is in their live set. They noticeably try their best to put on a fantastic show and engulf fans in their set by making them feel like part of the show. It becomes more than just a show, it's a gathering of friends, all there to experience Jukebox The Ghost's quirky piano rock in all its glory.

Dizcovering Muzik: Volume Two Out Now

I am pleased to announce that the free download of our second compilation Dizcovering Muzik: Volume Two is now available, featuring tracks by Maps and Atlases, Jukebox The Ghost, The American Dollar, I Call Fives, Now, Now, Mansions, The Forecast, Athletics, and many more. All of the bands are personal favorites of us at MuzikDizcovery, and there will absolutely be something that everyone can enjoy. Feel free to stream and download via the link below, and let us know what your favorite tracks are. 
Thank you everyone for supporting the site, and here's to another three years!

Three Year Anniversary + Dizcovering Muzik: Volume 2 Announcement

So today's a big day for us at MuzikDizcovery. Three years ago, on June 18, 2009, I started up a little Blogspot page and started writing (extremely poorly written) reviews and spotlights. While my writing and musical taste has improved (although some of you may disagree), I've still kept the same opinions on what a music site should be, and that is what has kept the site running for all these years.

But none of you care about that, so here's the big news you've all been waiting for. In honor of our three year anniversary, I'd like to give back to everyone who's ever clicked on a review on our site.  On June 25, we're giving away our second sampler, full of the best music you've seen here on the site. Bands such as Now, Now, Maps and Atlases, The American Dollar, Jukebox The Ghost, I Call Fives, and many more have donated tracks to this assembly of excellent music across many different genres, and I feel it's a great representation of the wide variety that we cover on the site. Below, you can see the album art and a preliminary list of tracks that you may see on the sampler. All of these tracks have been confirmed, and quite a few more are on the way. You can follow the additions on our Facebook page.

Album Review: Jukebox The Ghost - Safe Travels

Album Rating: B+

Jukebox The Ghost has always been a unique entry in the keyboard based pop rock crowd. Firstly, the band doesn't keep one lead singer or icon, such as a band like Jack's Mannequin, as every member of the band has equal importance, and each vocalist gets a fairly even amount of airtime. The lack of bassist also puts the band in an unusual spot, as deep piano swells usually helps with the rhythm. Finally, the band always had a knack for adding a quirkiness to songs such as "Schizophrenia," "Static" and "Under My Skin" that added a bit of an "anti-mainstream" feel to a genre that's known for it's accessibility. For the band's third album Safe Travels, they made everything a little bigger and more accessible, yet kept their signature Jukebox The Ghost sound and perhaps have inched even closer to perfecting it.

New Muzik Monday (4/9/12)

Mickey Factz - Mickey MauSe
I don't normally listen to a lot of hip-hop. So when I immediately like a record as much as Mickey Factz's newest, I know it must be something special. Factz is an absolutely monster on the mixtape, only featuring a few guest verses and even doing a lot of the production himself, doing a deed that few artists would dare doing in these ages. Factz even has a special unique theme to the record, basing the albums around three "memoirs", containing social commenting by his "character" about life as a 1980's graffiti writer kicked out by his parents for being troubled. Deadmau5 and Danger Mouse samples only sweeten the deal of one of the best hip hop releases so far this year.
Download for free

Interview With Jukebox The Ghost

Jukebox The Ghost has been slowly gaining popularity over the past few years or so. In addition to touring with Ben Folds and Barenaked Ladies, the band also played on Letterman. They most recently wrapped up a tour with Jack's Mannequin, and are planning to release a new record in 2012. All of Jukebox The Ghost sat down with me at the penultimate date of their tour with Jack's Mannequin, and we discussed timetables for the new album, new quirks on the album, the differences between opening and headlining, the origin of donuts, and much more, which you can read below.