Patrick Stump New Song

Former Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump's new solo project finally has some tunes to add to the name. In fact, Stump recorded two versions of the new track, "Spotlight". You can vote on his website for the version you like more, in addition to a stream of both the tracks and a free download of each of them as well. You have the choice of the piano led and slower "Oh Nostalgia" version or the dancy, hand-clap led "New Regrets" version. I definitely prefer the "Oh Nostalgia" version, but you can make your own decision on Stump's site here.

Interview with A Great Big Pile Of Leaves

On the November 12th date of A Great Big Pile Of Leaves tour with Motion City Soundtrack, Say Anything, and Saves the Day, the band agreed to do an interview with us (myself and my photographer, Andrea). The band is definitely full of very talented people and the band has a bright future ahead.

Album Review: Circa Survive - Appendage EP

Most people get happy to see one release in a year by one of their favorite bands. Circa Survive wasn't content with that in 2010. Along with one of the best releases of the year, Blue Sky Noise, Circa Survive came around with round two with the Appendage EP. Although only an extension of Blue Sky Noise with five B-sides not released on the album, it's almost like the tracks could have been on the album. In fact, the album may even have been better with these tracks on it.

Tonight Alive

Everybody loves Australia. From kangaroos to crocodile hunters to amazing accents, Australia just seems like heaven. Tonight Alive is just another great thing about Australia. Imagine an Australian Paramore. That's Tonight Alive. However, Tonight Alive still stands out due to lead singer Jenna McDougal's excellent vocals and the band's solid songwriting skills. The band is currently in the US recording their first full length album with Mark Trombino, better known as the producer of some of Jimmy Eat World's albums. The band has two excellent EPs out, All Shapes and Disguises and Consider This. You should consider checking out the band on their myspace page here.

Freelance Whales

Horns, whistles, bells, and more. Indie pop band Freelance Whales just seems to use almost every instrument out there. They also know how to make one of the best songs of the year, "Hannah". The opening synth lines along with the background bells are only the tip of the iceberg of this amazing song. Along with one of the catchiest melodies and choruses I've heard in quite some time, Freelance Whales should be a lot bigger than they are. The whole album is incredible, and you should check them out. Check them out on Myspace here.

Cari Clara

Another day, another Deep Elm Records artist I discover. Cari Clara has a distinct sound compared to all of the other Deep Elm artists I have recommended. In fact, the vocals sound eerily similar to the one and only Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Those haunting vocals surrounded by mysterious arrangements of the traditional rock instruments with some strings definitely seem to be influenced by Radiohead. So obviously, if you like Radiohead you need to listen to Cari Clara. Even if you don't check them out. You can stream the entire album on the Deep Elm Website here.

Gifts From Enola

Post-rock has seemed to be showing up on this site a lot lately. So why don't I show you guys another of my favorites, Gifts From Enola. This isn't your ordinary crescendocore post-rock. Gifts From Enola feels more like rocking out than creating long, drawn out climaxes that can isolate listeners without patience. Even though the songs are long, they still stay creative and exciting. Their newest album, the self titled one seen in the picture, was a huge growth from the first album. Hopefully the band will continue to progress and grow in popularity. You can check the band out on myspace right here.

Deep Elm Records - Sampler 10

Deep Elm Records has just released their Sampler 10, containing fifteen new free songs. As posted earlier this week, Deep Elm is probably my favorite record label out there right now. This sampler contains quite a few of my favorite Deep Elm artists, including Goonies Never Say Die, Athletics, Dorena, Last Lungs, I Am Sonic Rain, and Moonlit Sailor for the post-rock fans with Les Sages and She Bears for those fans of indie pop/rock. This sampler is a must download for anyone wanting to find a ton of new artists to put on your mp3 player. Check it out and download it here.

The Spill Canvas - One Fell Swoop

Listening to One Fell Swoop reminds me how good The Spill Canvas used to be. Songs like "Polygraph, Right Now", "Staplegunned", and the older "The Tide" (one of my favorite and  most emotional songs of all time) are extremely good songs that should have launched The Spill Canvas to extreme popularity. Alas, they released the mostly atrocious Formalities which was mostly a rehash of the extremely boring Realities EP. The album is even worse when put next to the first of their "alities" release cycle, Abnormalities, which was superb. I just hope the band will finally get back on the right track with a new album.

Born Without Bones Free Album Download

Bandcamp is possibly the best site for streaming and selling music right now. It allows you to sell music for whatever price you want, including a "pay what you want" option. Additionally, the buyer can buy it at practically any format, from high quality MP3s to FLAC files. Born Without Bones is one of many bands that is moving over to this excellent source. A band that has songs varied from the Saves the Day style pop-punk (with better vocals nonetheless) such as "Out of Step" to folky songs like "GKN" and "The Camera Turns". You can download Born Without Bones' Say Hello on their Bandcamp site here.

The Get Up Kids New Album and New Song Stream

The Get Up Kids were one of the most influential bands in the late 90's and the early 2000's, playing acclaimed pop-punk/emo songs. After a seven year hiatus since their last album, The Get Up Kids are returning with a new full length There Are Rules. The first track, "Regent's Court" is now streaming here. Although there is a definite indie rock feel rather than their customary pop-punk sound, there is definitely signs of the old Get Up Kids in the new track. The new album will be out January 25th.

The Last Dinosaur Free Download

Everybody loves free music. Free legal music is even better. Free legal music from an awesome band that you have almost definitely not heard of is one of the best things ever. The Last Dinosaur is offering their first EP release for free, and it's great. I can definitely hear a Bloc Party resemblance in their music with their driving guitars and distinctive vocals. Check out The Last Dinosaur on Myspace here, and download the album for free from this link.

New Circa Survive Song Streaming

Circa Survive already has one of my favorite albums of the year, and now may be adding one of my favorite EP's as well. The EP (named Appendage) will be five songs that were recorded during the process of creating Blue Sky Noise but were not released on the album. One of the tracks, "Stare Like You'll Stay" is now streaming and seems to come directly from Blue Sky Noise. Check it out here. The EP will be released November 30th.

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

In the future, I will thank this album for getting me into hip-hop. You may hate his ego, but his ego actually helps him make his music amazing. Even though songs such as "Power" show off his self indulgent beliefs, it is actually one of the best tracks on the album, surrounded by tribal chants and Kanye's signature flow. Every track brings out every bit of creativity in his mind, even containing unconditional artists such as folk artist Bon Iver on a track. Pitchfork gave this album the first 10.0 score since Radiohead's Kid A. If this hasn't convinced you to buy it yet, then just take a listen to the clips on the amazon page here. Once you love it, buy it for $3.99, an unbeatable deal.

Deep Elm Records

Deep Elm Records has one of the best catalogs I have seen in a record label in quite some time. From known bands like Moving Mountains and The Appleseed Cast to upcoming stars like Desoto Jones, Moonlit Sailor, and Goonies Never Say Die, Deep Elm knows what good music is. They stream practically every one of their albums on their site through Bandcamp, and allow many different purchasing options. If you like good Post-Rock, Emo, Punk, or Indie, check out many of the bands on the site, especially the ones listed above. Deep Elm also has 99 songs on samplers for free right here. Download them and post which artists you are fans of in the comments.

Blog Reflection

So, this blog has been up for almost a year and a half now, and it still has an identity crisis. Ever since the first summer, my writing has diminished by a lot. I have a reason for that. Looking back on my old writing, it was awful. I wish I had the time to rewrite all my old reviews. Although, the result would be a lot more negative than it was then. My taste has changed, and you will see a lot more mature and varied music on the site from now on. Do not think that anything before Summer of this year I support. I now know that they are awful. Do not judge my blog just because of posts I made over a year ago. I am also changing my focus from review to just plain old input on music. There will still be reviews up, but they will be a lot stronger and better developed. There should be another one up within the next week or so. Also, there will be an interview with A Great Big Pile Of Leaves that exposes quite a bit of awesome information. Just keep checking in on the blog, and I am planning on putting a least one post a day from here on out.

Thanks everybody,
Casey

He Is We Album Stream

He Is We is now streaming their new album, "My Forever" on purevolume here. This female/male pop duo has been a huge hit on Purevolume for quite some time now, and was recently signed to Universal Motown records. If anyone has common sense, this band will be huge. Some extremely catchy pop songs should be able to dominate the radio. If you're liking bands like a more acoustic based The Narrative or The Morning of, you'll love He Is We.

Hotspur Acoustic Hot Topic Performance

You Should Know Better By Now

If These Walls Could Talk

Atlantic

Her Majesty

Heads/Tails

$$$

Alphabetic File

Album Review: Punchline - Delightfully Pleased

Everyone needs a fun record to blast in their cars. Punchline's sixth record, Delightfully Pleased, is 2010's fun record. The instant you see the wacky album cover, you know you are ready to go on a journey to a magical world, where Punchline fights the Kingdom of Boring Music in order to create a musical paradise for everyone. Through the blasts of their blaring guitars and the pummels of their steady rhythm section combined with slick production, Punchline succeeds at making one of the best pop-punk records of the year.

Intercept - Symphony For Somebody Else

Who?

Intercept is a Southern California based band that combines traits from many genres, including pop, alternative, rock, folk, and even country influences. After releasing two albums that have put several tracks on college radio and performing at well known venues such as the House of Blues, their third album has enlisted an all star cast in both production with Erik Ron (Panic At The Disco, Foxy Shazam) and distribution from Universal.

How Is It?

Solid. Intercept knows how to create catchy radio rock songs. Vocalist Christian Knudson has a vocal talent, and he knows how to use it. Opener "Made To Fall" sets the tone for the rest of the album with snare beats surrounding soft acoustic strums before bursting out in sound. "Last One To Show" could easily be a radio hit with the staccato riffs and powerful chorus and is an excellent choice for a second single. "Love Is Like That" shows off the softer side of Intercept with a folky acoustic track that could easily be heard in a coffee shop. But Intercept doesn't keep their quiet side for long, immediately going into the highlight of the album, the angry "100 Times". The guitars complement the soaring vocals at all times, including the practically shouted bridge. "Every Native Face" shows even another side of Intercept, mixing a country style vocal delivery with the strongest guitar and bass work on the album. Closer "No Surprise" ends the album off with an explosion of radio rock. However, the biggest downfall of the album are the lyrics. The lyrics, while aren't awful, aren't great. Single "Rest of My Days", while one of the strongest vocal and musical songs on the album, contains some of the worst lyrics. However, for a radio rock album is that really the first priority? This album has all the traits to continue the legacy of Intercept's college radio domination.

Tracklist:

1. Made To Fall

2. Rest Of My Days

3. Last One To Show

4. Symphony For Somebody Else

5. Love Is Like That

6. 100 Times

7. So Say Whatever

8. Every Native Face

9. On My Own

10. No Surprises

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