Artist Suggestion/Free Music - Kiven

Kiven is a Southern California based alternative rock band that definitely knows how to create their own image. Taking hints of their music from a wide variety of bands, Kiven combines strong vocal ability with superb technicality. "Frigid Stares" showcases Minus The Bear like riffs combined with their own twist. "Two In The Same" shows off their diversity with a quieter track that Radiohead would be proud of. They are allowing free downloads on their Bandcamp page, and if you like the two bands listed above along with Thrice, Mutemath, or As Tall As Lions you should definitely give it a download. Link

Kadawatha Interview

I'd like to thank the band for taking their time to do this interview, Scott and Jamie for helping me organize this, Tiffany for assisting me with the interview, and Ariane for videotaping the interview.

Punchline - Delightfully Pleased

Please see http://muzikdizcovery.blogspot.com/2010/09/punchline-delightfully-pleased.html for the updated review.

Kadawatha Show Review

Interview and Pictures possibly soon to come.

The Honda Civic tour has had quite a variety of bands in its nine tour career. Bands from Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At The Disco to The Black Eyed Peas and Maroon 5 have performed on this tour. This year, the tour lived up to its standards with Tegan and Sara, New Found Glory, and the headliner Paramore. However, the opening band, Kadawatha, is a band that almost no one had heard of before this tour. Luckily, they put on a show to remember and won over most of the crowd.

Kadawatha opened with "Revolutionary" to a confused crowd curious on who this band in the way of their precious Paramore was. As the crowd sat and watched, Kadawatha rocked out. Eerie electronics led to a spacey and mysterious feel of the music. The singer (and songwriter) Daniel brought his lyrics to life with his powerful vocals. He hit all the notes from high to low while the rest of the band held the energy that the crowd was lacking. During "Gonna Stay", the high production light show went perfectly along with the performance. The closer, "Agape", showcased the bands creativity and outside the box thinking as all the members finished the song laying down before collapsing on the ground and walking off to a loud applause.

Kadawatha easily pleased the crowd with an extravagant performance. For a band on its first tour of any kind, opening for an enormous band such as Paramore could be extremely stressful and nerve-racking. Needless to say, Kadawatha surprised everyone, and will hopefully cement their place in the music scene of today. Who knows, maybe one day they'll headline the Honda Civic Tour. I wouldn't doubt it if they keep up on this track.

Setlist:

1. Revolutionary

2. Whitest Tiger

3. Gonna Stay

4. Dreams and Dreamers

5. Agape

Mid Year Top 10 Album List

1. Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise

2. Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life

3. The Morning Of - The Way I Fell In

4. The Wonder Years - The Upsides

5. PMToday - In Media Res

6. Sing It Loud - Everything Collide

7. The Forecast - The Forecast

8. Four Year Strong - Enemy Of The World

9. Steel Train - Steel Train

10. Foxy Shazam - Foxy Shazam

H.M. Emarosa - Emarosa, We Are The In Crowd - Guaranteed To Disagree, Isles and Glaciers - The Hearts Of Lonely People, Gifts From Enola - Gifts From Enola, The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang, Pierce The Veil - Selfish Machines, Mercy Mercedes - Believe It, Minus The Bear - Omni, VersaEmerge - Fixed At Zero, Norma Jean - Meridonial,

Swing The Coast - Deluxe

Tracklist

1. Suburban Girls (Make Me Crazy)

2. Take This City

3. Scream (With The Radio)

4. Hold On

5. O.K.D.

6. She's So Rock And Roll

7. Young In Love (Feat. Dave Melilo)

8. Suburban Girls Acoustic

Who:

Swing The Coast is a recently started four piece pop-rock band from Detroit, Michigan. They have recently started getting lots of buzz, including being voted into the Top 3 of the Rock Yourself To Sleep Tour contest. Both major and indie labels are looking to acquire this rising band.

How Is It:

Although a pretty generic haircut band, these guys know how to write a pop song. "Suburban Girls" is your typical pop-rock song, showcasing lead vocalist Josh Belanger's impressive voice. Its chorus is a sing-along crowd pleaser that will surely attract many teenagers on their upcoming tour. "Take This City" is your typical pop-rock song, with a sing-along crowd pleasing chorus that will surely attract many teenagers on their upcoming tour. "Scream (With The Radio)" is your typical pop-rock song, with a sing-along crowd pleasing chorus that will surely attract many teenagers on their upcoming tour. Is this review getting redundant and monotonous? Well, that's exactly how I feel listening to the album. The first six tracks are basically the same song, with different lyrics and a slightly different melody. "Young In Love" would also be in that category, except for Dave Melilo's impressive guest vocals. In order to slow the album down, they simply recorded an acoustic cover of "Suburban Girls" which does not live up to the original due to the unnecessary drumming. Although lead vocalist Josh Belanger has a great voice, the band needs to diversify. However, it works extremely well for their targeted audience. But they will never move out of the huge mess of similar bands until change happens.

Recommended If You Like - The Right Coast, outRAGEus, listening to the same song over and over again, simple pop rock

Myspace

We Are The In Crowd - Guaranteed To Disagree

Tracklist
1. Carry Me Home
2. Never Be What You Want
3. Both Sides Of The Story
4. Lights Out
5. We Need A Break
6. For The Win
7. Calendar Pages

Welcome to your new summer band. We Are The In Crowd is the epitome of fun pop-rock. The combination of the Paramore-like vocals of Tay Jardine and the supporting vocals of Jordan Eckes blends perfectly to create poppy magic. This is the kind of music you will blast in your car with the top down and screaming every word of every song. One of the most recent Hopeless Records signings, We Are The In Crowd is soon to hit radios everywhere.

From the first phrase of the first song, Tay shows off her excellent pipes as she shouts "Carry me home tonight", before bursting into the upbeat verses. Jordan also helps create some excellent harmonies between the two voices as fire and water. "Carry Me Home" will easily be a track you sing along every word to by the second listen of the song. "Never Be What You Want" is one of the highlights of the EP as one of the catchiest songs on the album, which isn't easy. The song isn't lyrically powerful, but it doesn't need to be. Some songs don't need to be full of substance to be enjoyable. However, Will Pugh's (Cartel) lent vocals to the twinkling bridge dwarf Jordan's, almost leading one to want Pugh to sing in place of Jordan throughout the whole album. "Both Sides Of The Story" is a synth heavy track that is the first downfall of the EP. Nothing about it stands out, and it is pretty much a throw away track. The band does however show some of their best lyrics in the chorus. "Lights Out" is the first single and will make the listener quickly forget about the last track. The keystrokes of the piano in the chorus accompany one of Tay's strongest vocal efforts. Even Jordan has highlights on his vocals in this track. "For The Win" is my personal favorite track on the album. A major improvement from the demo version by removing the autotune and replacing it with soft piano. The chorus is superb as the voices harmonize perfectly. The seven song EP may lack quantity, but there is no missing quality.

We Are The In Crowd has the perfect ingredients to blow up and become huge; the sweet yet spicy vocals, the undeniable catchiness, and the choice of signing to the same label as All Time Low. After a trip throughout the country on the entire Warped Tour, it is inevitable that those two bands will meet paths and tour together. All Time Low fans will eat We Are The In Crowd up from the first listen. In a supersaturated genre containing many similar bands, We Are The In Crowd does enough to stand out and reach out to people who wouldn't expect it.

Recommended If You Like - A combination of Paramore, All Time Low, and Forever The Sickest Kids

Myspace

Breathing Blue Self Titled EP Review

Tracklist

1. A Star in the West
2. Chase the World
3. Roads
4. Real Eyes (Realize; Real Lies)
5. From Athens to Alcatraz
6. Sparkle (Bonus Track)

Who?

Breathing Blue is a young progressive rock band that has been touring and performing for about three years now, but are just starting to get attention. They have played with bands such as The Ataris, and made their way onto Bamboozle as a reward for winning a contest. These young men make sure to create real music without the use of autotune or other unnatural music techniques.

How Is It?

Pretty good. The music is very similar to Circa Survive, although the vocals are much lower. The opening track, "A Star In The West", showcases the band's skilled musicianship. The soaring guitar riffs in the background give power to the song. "Chase The World" shows the band can diversify the music with soft keys in the opening and time shifts in chorus. It also displays the positive message that the band is trying to give. "Real Eyes" contains several other messages (real eyes, realize, real lies) simply in the title. The staccato guitar plucks give it a unique sound and creates another EP highlight. The final track, "Sparkle" adds a synth line along with an inspiring chorus. Breathing Blue is a band just scratching their potential. They've already shown their talent in this album, and have excited me for future releases.

Recommended If You Like - Circa Survive, Mute Math

Myspace

Top Of The Year So Far

Top Albums of the first quarter of the year:
1. Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life
2. Four Year Strong - Enemy Of The World (New Found Glory, A Day To Remember, Set Your Goals)
3. The Wonder Years - The Upsides (New Found Glory, This Time Next Year, Fireworks)
4. Fair - Disappearing World (Jack's Mannequin, Copeland)
5. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis (Mathcore, The Number Twelve Looks Like You)
6. Jamie's Elsewhere - They Said A Storm Was Coming (Broadway, I See Stars, Attack Attack)
7. Destine - Lightspeed (All Time Low, Boys Like Girls)
8. The Audition - Great Danger (Anarbor, The Bigger Lights, The Friday Night Boys)
9. Envy On The Coast - Lowcountry (Incubus)
10. Sleeping With Sirens - With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear (Broadway, I See Stars)

Top EPs Of The Year So Far:
1. Isles and Glaciers - The Hearts Of Lonely People (Pierce The Veil, Chiodos, Emarosa)
2. The Downtown Fiction - Best I Never Had (The Bigger Lights, The Friday Night Boys, This Providence)
3. Brighten - Be Human (A Rocket To The Moon)

Artist Spotlight - Loomis & The Lust

I'm going to start a new feature today in order to get some more content on here. I've been sent albums by a couple of bands that wanted to get their name publicized. You can basically call it a mini review.

Loomis & The Lust is a band unlike most I ever review on here. However, their extreme catchiness is contagious. Their EP, Nagasha, may only be five songs, but as you drive to school in the morning it is something that you will keep on repeat. The first single, Bright Red Chords, won MTVu "Freshman" video and you may have seen it if you check out MTVu constantly. The catchy drum beats are just one addicting part of the song. Break On Love has the same catchy qualities along with plenty of sing along segments. The rest of the EP goes along the same way. Loomis & The Lust is definitely a band that anyone can enjoy. Check them out on myspace HERE.

Lightspeed Album Review - Destine

1. In Your Arms
2. Everything In Me
3. Burn
4. Stars
5. Where Are You Now
6. Spiders
7. Forget About Me
8. Wake Me
9. Sinking Sand
10. Am I So Blind
11. California Summer
12. In The End

On a cool autumn morning, I woke up to an email. Some guy wanted me to check out this Dutch band. I open up the myspace page, and the guy has cool hair. So I listen. And I get hooked. I guess it was (bad pun alert) "Destine" that I received that email. Destine's original EP ended up in the top 3 of my 2009 EPs. Lightspeed may not end up that high, but this extremely catchy Pop/rock band will definitely stay in my playlists all year.

"In Your Arms" will immediately get you listening with powerful guitar and a noticeable accent. I'll be honest; accents are usually a musical turn off to me. However, Destine pulls off the vocals very well. Do not expect too much difference from the first track. Destine stays pretty much to the same themes throughout. Expect lots of great riffs and extreme catchiness that won't get out of your mind. "Burn" is perhaps one of the strongest displays of the band's talents. "Stars" is a bit more mellow, but the chorus reminds the listener of what Destine is here for. "Where Are You Now" shows some diversity with a quick acoustic opening and small clinks on the piano before bursting out again with the electric. One of the band's newest songs, "Spiders", shows the band's lyrical maturation. "Am I So Blind" is another strong point. The song "California Summer" confuses me, because I doubt the band has ever been to California. Correct me if I'm wrong guys. The band finally changes things up with "In The End"; a slow piano ballad. The band finally shows their true potential with this song. Insert a few more of these within the album, and it would get much more universal praise.

On that note, I have a feeling that Destine is on the verge of busting out big into the US. Destine has a perfect recipe of hit pop/rock music. They're already selling out shows across the ocean, and one day they may be able to do that here. And they may want to thank the guy who emailed their name. Check out Destine on myspace HERE.

You Should Know Better By Now Album Review - Hotspur

Tracklist

01. Hypochondria
02. Chandelier
03. Never Asked For Love
04. Too Young
05. $$$
06. Atlantic
07. Heads/Tails
08. Gunfight
09. Sold
10. Walls
11. Alphabetic File
12. Up And Away
13. You Should Know Better By Now

Everyone feels a bond towards their local bands. There's more of a bond felt with bands from your city, and even more so when they go to the school in your grandmother's backyard. However, Hotspur shows they have an exceptional amount of talent. From playing charity shows at a local high school, to headlining shows at the 9:30 Club, Hotspur's unique style has won over the entire area.

One track into the album, you can see how Hotspur is different than other bands. The unique vocals, witty lyrics, and extreme passion in the vocals are strengths. You can hear the paranoid feelings in the final verse of "Hypochondria" as they sing "Everybody's following me." The lyrical strength first shows up in the entirely metaphorical first verse of "Chandelier." Hotspur also shows they can take things down a notch on "Too Young" by creating a song meant to wave open cell phones while giving off a message that every young person should understand. "$$$" may have some of the most cliche lyrics on the album, but it is also one of the catchiest.

Soon, you hear the soft piano strikes of "Heads/tails." This song is a masterpiece. The lyrics of the chorus are absolutely brilliant. The song keeps a catchy drum beat while still having the emotional support of the piano. The piano bridge leading to the electric final chorus and the final piano fade out may be best moment on the album. "Heads/tails" is the new single off the album, and with the right promotions, this song could be a top 40 hit.

Hotspur continues the strong middle of the album with "Gunfight." The beginning of the song is a little too repetitive, however the chorus is the best flowing and one of the catchiest on the album. "Sold!" is a fun, upbeat song that will make you just want to dance. "Alphabetic File" is another lyrical strong point which showcases more vocal range than any other song. "You Should Know Better By Now" is a perfect upbeat album closer that will leave a listener dashing to press the album repeat button. I definitely did.

Hotspur is on the brink of bursting out huge. Their first video got plenty of MTV airplay, and their second video is sure to exceed it in airplay. They put a hell of a show that everyone should see. Anyone from a 12 year old girl to her grandmother can like parts of this album. Montgomery County, Maryland will soon have its biggest band since O.A.R. Check out Hotspur on myspace HERE.

Something You Know Nothing About Review - The Years Gone By

Tracklist:

1. The Last Perfect Thing About This Year

2. For The Hopeless

3. The Safest Place

4. Make You Stay Tonight

5. Dirty Converse Shoes

It seems that pop-punk has been very controversial lately. Every other band seems to be classified as pop-punk. People are getting into arguments over whether Blink 182's self titled album or PlayRadioPlay's Texas is pop-punk. However, this album brings some sanity into true, good pop-punk. The Years Gone By have created an EP that surged into my favorite releases of 2009.

The album begins with a boom with a track that is probably the best. "The Last Perfect Thing About This Year" is a brilliant track. It may be one of their poppiest, but it doesn't take away from their strong drumming and great lyrics. You can hear the hints of All Time Low in the song, and The Years Gone By pulled it off better than ATL could have. "For The Hopeless" moves back to their roots with a solid pop-punk song. The drumming again is a highlight, along with the great vocals. "The Safest Place" begins much calmer than the other tracks, but soon explodes with intense drumming and guitar. The last two songs stay with the same format; catchy hooks and great drumming. Not bad for a five song EP.

The Years Gone By definitely shows a ton of talent, especially with the drums. The similarity of the songs doesn't concern me too much as of now, since I believe for an EP the quality of the songs is what matters. If put together well, their upcoming LP will push them to the top of the Pop-Punk genre. If you feel like arguing with me about that, make your point or shut up. Oops, I'm not supposed to say that. Check out The Years Gone By on myspace HERE.

AP.net Review - Forever The Sickest Kids - The Weekend: Friday

Track List:
1. Do Or Die
2. Tough Love
3. She Likes (Bitter Sweet Love)
4. Take It Slow
5. Hip Hop Chick
6. What Do You Want From Me
7. Hawkbot


You love them or you hate them. There seems to be no gray area for Forever The Sickest Kids. Their first album, Underdog Alma Mater, was a mega hit for their genre. Their follow up, The Weekend: Friday, is the first of a three part EP series instead of one full album. Hopefully the rest of the weekend is better than this Friday which starts out as a party and ends up blacking out. Painfully.

The first few tracks have them back to their signature style. Do Or Die is full of catchy hooks and a strong buildup to the chorus. However, the first sign of change from Underdog Alma Mater is definitely the increased synth. Tough Love is the first mishap of the weekend. The absolutely awful vocals in the first ten seconds already take much of the appeal out of the song. If you can get past those first ten seconds, the song isn't terrible, but good luck. Luckily, the highlights of Friday is up next. She Likes is easily the catchiest song on the album, and even though the chorus is easily a ripoff of about fifty songs out already, you won't forget this song. Friday hits a peak with Take It Slow. Forever The Sickest Kids moves away from their pop track with a pop-punk song All Time Low wishes they had thought of.

However, this is where the good Friday goes bad. Hip Hop Chick is so tremendously bad that you don't think they could get any worse. It's extremely electro heavy with awful lyrics such as Don't ask my why I'm with/A hip hop chick. Friday rebounds a bit with What Do You Want From Me. This song is a grower that may take some time to get into. That brings us to the last track; Hawkbot. This song makes Hip Hop Chick seem like a Grammy winning song. It is that horrid. I can't even go on how awful this song is. The band didn't even mention this song on their Alternative Press track by track review. I wonder why. It's a pathetic hip-hop song with absolutely no guitar. Just don't listen to this song. There's no point even giving it a chance.

Maybe Forever The Sickest Kids are geniuses. Maybe this is a concept album trying to focus on the progression of a Friday night. Maybe they purposely made the end bad to symbolize where partying hard on a Friday night can do. However, I think we all know that wasn't their intention. If only there was a way to split an EP in half, I'm sure many listeners would get this EP. But, sadly, the monstrosity of Hawkbot and Hip Hop Chick make the second half of it impossible to even listen to. It's definitely an album to purchase single songs online, but buying the whole album is a waste of your money. And let us hope that Saturday and Sunday have better outcomes.

AP.net Review - Late Nights And Lovers - Hello Hollywood

Tracklist:
1. Danger Danger
2. Celebutant
3. Summer Sweetness
4. So Late So Sorry
5. Kids Undercover
6. If I Could Be


Redoing this for AP.net. Original review can be found HERE.

Let’s cover this now. Hello Hollywood is not ground breaking music. They won’t sell millions of records (probably) and won’t change music forever (definitely). However, they’re darn catchy. And they’re having fun with what they do. Although they get a lot of criticism for their totally bland music, I would bet everything I have that they don’t care. At all. There’s hundreds and thousands of small bands just like Hello Hollywood. However, many bands don’t even reach anywhere near where they have gotten.

Danger Danger is a perfect example of the majority of their songs, containing simple lyrics having to do with love, simple guitar riffs, and a chorus full of extremely catchy hooks. It’s one of their better songs that will hook you from the first chords from the guitar. Celebutant follows the exact same formula, containing a chorus that could be mistaken for an edited version of the first song. The difference between Celebutant and Danger Danger is the extremely watered down verses. There’s just nothing fun about them at all. Summer Sweetness is another song of the same vein. It’s catchy, but bland. They do however gain credit for mentioning fireflies before Owl City did. So Late So Sorry adds another dimension with the guest vocals of Brian Dales from The Summer Set. His higher pitched voice definitely gives a change up from the usual low pitched voice of Hello Hollywood. The bland Kids Undercover has a lot of meaning to the band, but the lyrics are nothing special and neither is anything else in the song. If I Could Be finally switches things up a bit. And when I say a bit, I don’t mean much. The verses are basically slower versions of every other verse in the EP. It’s just another average song.

Hello Hollywood is definitely a band on the rise. They still need to work on diversifying their music. If they accomplish that, they could easily surge in popularity. They have plenty of potential. However, playing the same song over and over won’t get the band anywhere. You can listen to Hello Hollywood on myspace HERE.

Schedule

If you haven't heard by now, I have been asked to do a few reviews for absolutepunk.net. So, instead of continuing on with my best of the year, I'm going to work on these. Those albums/EPs will eventually be done, however separately. This is just a better opportunity for me. However, all of those will be posted here first, as always. I have been asked to do three so far; a remake of my Girls Get All The Action - White Lights, Hello Hollywood - Late Nights and Lovers, and Forever The Sickest Kids - The Weekend: Friday.

Smile, Kid Album Review - We The Kings

Track List
1. She Takes Me High
2. Promise The Stars
3. Heaven Can Wait
4. The Story Of Your Life
5. Rain Falls Down
6. Summer Love
7. In-N-Out (Animal Style)
8. Spin
9. Anna Marie (All We Need)
10. We’ll Be A Dream (feat. Demi Lovato)
11. What You Do To Me
12. Heaven Can Wait (Acoustic)
13. She Takes Me High (Acoustic)

Finally. It's been two years since their self titled album has come out. In those two years We The Kings broke into mainstream music, placed two songs in the Billboard top 100, had several headlining tours, and won over the hearts of hundreds of thousands of teenagers. We The Kings has steadily become a mainstay in iPods everywhere. As one of the last releases of the year, this album carried a significant amount of hype. I'll admit that I was worried for this album, however it is definitely a good pop album.

Currently, my favorite song is the opener, She Takes Me High. It contains the usual corny lyrics and extremely catchy lyrics, especially in the chorus. Travis also uses some of his best vocals in the chorus. The bonus acoustic version at the end of the album shows off the vocals even more. Promise The Stars is a fairly boring track in which nothing stands out. The verses are extremely boring and the lyrics are nothing special. Heaven Can Wait has already been talked about on the blog. My opinion has not deviated much, as I still am not a fan of the track. The song is finally bursting into top 40 radio, but I do not expect it to get anywhere. The acoustic version is much stronger vocally than the original, as Travis' voice is much more raw and shows much more emotion.

The next few songs are not anything special. However, they go right along with the album. The difference between individual songs and a full length album is that it is extremely difficult for every song to stand out. However, the more the album flows, the better the songs sound when played together. The Story Of Your Life is decent; the more I listen to it, the better it gets. However it is more filler than a single caliber track. The next track, Rain Falls Down, was originally supposed to feature Cassadee Pope. I am waiting for that version to leak, since I have a feeling it would drastically improve the song by adding another dimension to it. It's still extremely similar to Story Of Your Life. Summer Love continues with the streak of filler songs. The whistling can get fairly annoying.

The tracks finally begin to improve with In-N-Out (Animal Style). I'm not even going to comment on the track name, other than saying that's what the song is about. The synth definitely adds a lot to the song. The chorus is catchy and the bridge is definitely strong. A very good track, and single potential. Spin is one of the best songs on the album. The chorus has many similarities to Check Yes Juliet. The whole track seems to be produced a lot better than the filler tracks. It overall sounds different. If you liked the old WTK singles, this is your song. Anna Maria (All We Need) is a synth heavy song that although isn't as bad as the filler tracks, still is not anything special.

We'll Be A Dream is the song based on a similar theme to many other breakthrough bands of the year; a celebrity vocalist. In this song's case, it's Demi Lovato. I had an extremely bad feeling about this song, however I was extremely pleased with the outcome of the track. I had never been a Demi fan, however even I have to admit her voice is excellent in this song. The song seems like We The Kings' version of Two Is Better Than One. The song style is similar, with Demi coming in the second verse and the choruses building up intensity. The final track, What You Do To Me, was the second song released. It is also in the running to be the second single. If it does win that honor, it will be well deserved. It follows the blueprint We The Kings formula for success: catchy hooks and cute lyrics.

I was actually worried at the beginning of the review that I would have to rewrite the entire introduction due to the fact I wasn't sure that the album was as good as I thought it was. After listening through it several times, it's definitely better than I thought. It's a grower, but so are many full length albums. I disliked Nothing Personal at the first listen, but by the end of the year it has become one of my favorites. We The Kings has definitely created a catchy pop album that will almost sure produce several top 40 hits. Check out We The Kings on myspace HERE.

Top EP's Of The Year: Rookie Of The Year - Since I Left Your World

December is here, meaning it is time for the best of the year lists. To kick things off is Rookie Of The Year. I had heard of them before this EP, however I had not given much of a listen to them. After hearing such positive comments on AP.net, as well as there being an exclusive early listen of the track, I decided to look into it. Now it's one of my favorite EPs of the year.

The title track, Since I Left Your World is a great introduction to Rookie Of The Year's style. Their acoustic guitar/piano combo works extremely well in separating themselves from other bands. They diversify by adding other instruments including drums, electric guitar, and even tambourine in some songs. The songs still stay catchy even with the tranquility of the album. The choruses of Slow Down and Hey Lauren show the catchy hooks Rookie Of The Year can create. This is supported even more by the Ba Ba Ba's in And We Sing The Melody. The album ends with Eight Eight Keys, my favorite song on the album. It's a brilliant piano ballad that has a peaceful intensity in it. Ryan's vocals are brilliant as he sings "Eighty Eight Keys" The soft piano ends both the song and the EP.

One of my favorite things about starting this blog is my willingness to listen to new and different music. Occasionally, I find extremely talented bands such as Rookie Of The Year. I have talked to Ryan several times and he is a great dude. That also is another plus of the blog. It's always great to talk to the band members, since my one and only job from writing this blog is to promote the very best bands out there. This is a great album and a definite must listen. Check them out on myspace HERE.

Song Of The Day 11/30/09 and Upcoming

As you all know, we are getting to the end of the year. The end of the year means it's time to make the "best of 09" lists. December will be the month of my top albums, EPs, and individual songs of the year. I have been trying to put a list together, however I have realized the order can change by the minute. I will post my top 10 alphabetically, with my top 3 actually stated. That will take up most of December.

Today's song of the day is Marla Singer Doesn't Take Standardized Tests (Disposable Smile) by Analog Rebellion. Analog Rebellion is Dan Hunter, formerly known as PlayRadioPlay! The recent name change was his choice in order to remove similarities between him and other bands such as NeverShoutNever. I don't agree with his decisions, however I do like this song. However, it is much different from the Texas album. Compared to PlayRadioPlay, it is much less electric and has more guitar. As always, Dan keeps his music extremely catchy. The bridge has a big guitar part, another major break from PlayRadioPlay songs. I'm curious to see how Analog Rebellion works out. He also has a 40 song PlayRadioPlay B-sides album out soon. Check him out on myspace HERE.

Artist Profie - Oh No Not Stereo

Let me start by wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving. And with that, I also give thanks to a band that was extremely friendly to me at the Manatour. Oh No Not Stereo was not even supposed to be on the tour, but due to personal issues I Rival had to drop off the tour, opening a spot for ONNS. I don’t think I met a single person at the show who had heard of them beforehand.

They easily won the crowd over with their intense, wild rock music. The first song they played, Let’s Get It Started, is the perfect opener. The chorus is something everyone can get pumped up and sing along to. Hurricanes, played second, is another song that I knew before the show. The lyrics are strong, as shown by the extended metaphor encompassing the song. The powerful guitar solo easily fits in with the flow of the song. By the end of this song, people were finally getting interested in the band. They closed with This Friday Night, a song I had not known before the show. They made sure to get crowd participation by telling them what to do at the chorus. Along with the fact that the show took place on a Friday, the crowd was psyched. However, they did not play my favorite song of theirs; 12 Years Later. Due to the quiet acoustic nature of the song, I can see why they didn’t play it. Lyrically, the song is very strong and meaningful. The chorus is extremely catchy, especially for an acoustic song. The song builds up by the end and finishes with intensity.

After the show, they met with all their fans. They were extremely friendly guys, and the lead singer, Skyler, even gave out his cell number. I’ve talked to him on occasion and he’s a great guy. He and the rest of his band deserved to go out on this big tour with Hit The Lights and There For Tomorrow. Additionally, they are giving away their whole catalog on their website. Check it out here and download all of their music for FREE.