I'll try to do these more often. Especially when I don't have time to write much. Your favorite band will record any song you want. What would you choose. I think off the top of my head I'd choose Love Game by Lady Gaga. I don't know, I just think it'd be hilarious and it could be pretty sick as a rock version.
Comment and tell us!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Cover Songs - Punk Goes Pop 2 Part 6
Last one. Finally. Back to regular cover song posts tomorrow. Listen to Punk Goes Pop 2 HERE.
Escape The Fate - Smooth. This is a cover of Santana and Rob Thomas's massive 1999 hit song. The song is similar to the original, however there are still stylistic changes. Escape The Fate plays the role of Santana well while making it more hardcore. The vocals are more gruff then Rob Thomas, contributing to the hardcore style of the song. They did extremely well with the solo in the bridge. Escape the Fate tried to recreate the original song and did well. However, there are not enough changes to make it an amazing cover. However, it is still a very very good song.
A Static Lullaby - Toxic. Yes, this album has two Britney Covers. It's not their fault they are HILARIOUS. Anyone who sings Britney Spears screamo is going to get famous. It's just too funny not to be. The hook sounds like it is chanted along with guitar instead of mechanized. The second half of the verses and parts of the chorus are screamo. A Static Lullaby goes surprisingly high pitched during the chorus but it works well. However, it does seem they are trying to mimic Spears there. I can not think of another way they can do it, and it works well, so why fix what isn't broken? The bridge is made pretty hardcore and gives it more of a "toxic" feel. It's a good cover, not my favorite, but still great.
Mayday Parade - When I Grow Up. This is a cover of the Pussycat Dolls 2008 hit song. Again, this is a funny cover. It's another of those songs which sounds hilarious if a guy sings. Mayday Parade changed the song's style perfectly. They make the verses less pop and the chorus full out rock. They also add a bit more singing to the chorus as the original was more monotonous. The also give the bridge much more of a rock feel. This was another cover which I was really looking forward to. This one however met my expectations. Maybe not as good as I expected, but still pretty darn awesome.
Escape The Fate - Smooth. This is a cover of Santana and Rob Thomas's massive 1999 hit song. The song is similar to the original, however there are still stylistic changes. Escape The Fate plays the role of Santana well while making it more hardcore. The vocals are more gruff then Rob Thomas, contributing to the hardcore style of the song. They did extremely well with the solo in the bridge. Escape the Fate tried to recreate the original song and did well. However, there are not enough changes to make it an amazing cover. However, it is still a very very good song.
A Static Lullaby - Toxic. Yes, this album has two Britney Covers. It's not their fault they are HILARIOUS. Anyone who sings Britney Spears screamo is going to get famous. It's just too funny not to be. The hook sounds like it is chanted along with guitar instead of mechanized. The second half of the verses and parts of the chorus are screamo. A Static Lullaby goes surprisingly high pitched during the chorus but it works well. However, it does seem they are trying to mimic Spears there. I can not think of another way they can do it, and it works well, so why fix what isn't broken? The bridge is made pretty hardcore and gives it more of a "toxic" feel. It's a good cover, not my favorite, but still great.
Mayday Parade - When I Grow Up. This is a cover of the Pussycat Dolls 2008 hit song. Again, this is a funny cover. It's another of those songs which sounds hilarious if a guy sings. Mayday Parade changed the song's style perfectly. They make the verses less pop and the chorus full out rock. They also add a bit more singing to the chorus as the original was more monotonous. The also give the bridge much more of a rock feel. This was another cover which I was really looking forward to. This one however met my expectations. Maybe not as good as I expected, but still pretty darn awesome.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Artist Profile - Runner Runner
Runner Runner is a five piece electro/pop/rock band from Huntington Beach, California. They are the remains of the pop-punk band Over It from the early 2000's. They formed in 2008 and released their first EP, Your Greatest Hits, in August. They then released an acoustic EP of all the songs from their first EP in December. They also currently have a few other unreleased songs on their myspace. When I first heard So Obvious, I was immediately hooked. It begins with electro before the guitars jump in. They use extremely catchy lyrics and phrases to lure in listeners. They also have tons of variety in their music. They have songs like So Obvious and slower songs such as See You Around. See You Around sounds like it could be a top 40 pop song. The chorus is extremely catchy and easy to get stuck in your head. One feature of both So Obvious and See You Around is that you can hear the harmonies in the background. They also show their musical talent by making an acoustic version of each one of their EP songs. The acoustic versions are just as good as the originals. So Obvious and See You Around are both love songs, however The Breakup Song is a more vicious song. The bridge is a skit in which he breaks up with his "girlfriend" and she goes crazy. They have also released three songs on myspace on what I hope will be an upcoming album. She's My Kinda Girl is an extremely sweet love song with amazing lyrics. They talk about how amazing this girl is and how he'd do anything for her. It flows perfectly and is one of my favorite songs. Back To Go Again and Hey Ally are also songs worth listening. I saw them live with All Time Low in December and they were amazing. I definitely suggest checking them out. Listen to Runner Runner on their myspace HERE.
Cover Songs - Punk Goes Pop Part 5
One more part to go. Then back to normally scheduled cover songs. Listen HERE
Silverstein - Apologize. This cover of One Republic's 2008 huge hit song was the first one released on the Punk Goes Pop 2's myspace. It starts similarly to the original until the guitar in the background comes in the middle of the first verse and then breaks down for the chorus. The bridge is all screaming. Silverstein has done a very good job on this cover. The first and best improvement is no weird noises from Timbaland in the background. Also, the extra guitar definitely transforms the song into a normal Silverstein song. This is another cover that should definitely be downloaded.
Breathe Carolina - See You Again. First of all, claps to Breathe Carolina for covering an absolutely terrible song and improving it. Of course, that does not mean they made it a very good song. The verses are extremely boring and are nothing special. The second verse at least adds some extra screaming to it to add another dimension to the song. The chorus changes the melody somewhat to at least have some changes to the song. This is not a very good cover or song, but at least it's better than the original.
Silverstein - Apologize. This cover of One Republic's 2008 huge hit song was the first one released on the Punk Goes Pop 2's myspace. It starts similarly to the original until the guitar in the background comes in the middle of the first verse and then breaks down for the chorus. The bridge is all screaming. Silverstein has done a very good job on this cover. The first and best improvement is no weird noises from Timbaland in the background. Also, the extra guitar definitely transforms the song into a normal Silverstein song. This is another cover that should definitely be downloaded.
Breathe Carolina - See You Again. First of all, claps to Breathe Carolina for covering an absolutely terrible song and improving it. Of course, that does not mean they made it a very good song. The verses are extremely boring and are nothing special. The second verse at least adds some extra screaming to it to add another dimension to the song. The chorus changes the melody somewhat to at least have some changes to the song. This is not a very good cover or song, but at least it's better than the original.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Playlist - Favorites Edition
This time on the playlist I'm reviewing three of my favorite songs of all time. These songs are fairly well known, but all these songs you MUST get NOW. :)
A Day To Remember - If It Means A Lot To You. The first thing people who know ADTR say when hearing this song is "WTF THIS ISN'T ADTR." Once they hear the voices, they're shocked it's them. The normally hardcore A Day To Remember finally has done an acoustic song. And it's a masterpiece. One of the best songs I have ever heard. It features guest vocals of Sierra from VersaEmerge. Both vocalists singing together creates a contrast from each other in a beautiful way. The end of the bridge begins rocking out and leads into the final chorus. Get it now and you won't regret it. Listen to it on their myspace page HERE.
All Time Low - Remembering Sunday. If you're reading this site, you probably know this song. However, if you don't, go download it now. It's an acoustic song that features vocals of Juliet Simms from Automatic Loveletter. It's a sad song, yet it is All Time Low's best song ever. The story of the song is amazing. A man falls in love with a girl that is not in love with him. At the end of the song she leaves and it starts raining. Juliet Simms comes in and explains that she did something wrong and can not stay by him. The beautiful vocals of Alex Gaskarth along with the simple acoustic guitar to the build up and epic ending. You can listen to this song along with the rest of All Time Low's music on their myspace page HERE.
Mayday Parade - You Be the Anchor That Keeps My Feet on the Ground, I'll Be the Wings That Keeps Your Heart In the Clouds. No, I did not write that whole thing. Copy and paste is your friend. However, this song is lyrically amazing. The chorus is too long to put here, but the whole thing is beautiful. The bridge is an epic build up to the final chorus with what seems like a shout to the sky "Please don't let me go." Again, this song is an absolute must listen. You can listen to Mayday Parade on myspace HERE. I can not wait until their new album comes out on October 6th.
A Day To Remember - If It Means A Lot To You. The first thing people who know ADTR say when hearing this song is "WTF THIS ISN'T ADTR." Once they hear the voices, they're shocked it's them. The normally hardcore A Day To Remember finally has done an acoustic song. And it's a masterpiece. One of the best songs I have ever heard. It features guest vocals of Sierra from VersaEmerge. Both vocalists singing together creates a contrast from each other in a beautiful way. The end of the bridge begins rocking out and leads into the final chorus. Get it now and you won't regret it. Listen to it on their myspace page HERE.
All Time Low - Remembering Sunday. If you're reading this site, you probably know this song. However, if you don't, go download it now. It's an acoustic song that features vocals of Juliet Simms from Automatic Loveletter. It's a sad song, yet it is All Time Low's best song ever. The story of the song is amazing. A man falls in love with a girl that is not in love with him. At the end of the song she leaves and it starts raining. Juliet Simms comes in and explains that she did something wrong and can not stay by him. The beautiful vocals of Alex Gaskarth along with the simple acoustic guitar to the build up and epic ending. You can listen to this song along with the rest of All Time Low's music on their myspace page HERE.
Mayday Parade - You Be the Anchor That Keeps My Feet on the Ground, I'll Be the Wings That Keeps Your Heart In the Clouds. No, I did not write that whole thing. Copy and paste is your friend. However, this song is lyrically amazing. The chorus is too long to put here, but the whole thing is beautiful. The bridge is an epic build up to the final chorus with what seems like a shout to the sky "Please don't let me go." Again, this song is an absolute must listen. You can listen to Mayday Parade on myspace HERE. I can not wait until their new album comes out on October 6th.
Cover Songs - Punk Goes Pop Part 4
Same drill. Myspace is HERE.
Chiodos - Flagpole Sitta. This was the one song on the album in which I did not know the original. I was surprised how similar they sounded though. Craig Owens voice has his usual touch to it that makes it sound different than the original. It doesn't seem to flow as well, but it makes up for it by making it rock more. The guitar definitely is a lot more hardcore. Craig Owens shows off his amazing vocal range during the bridge. The third voice goes all out with hardcore guitar and screaming as it brings about the Chiodos style. It's definitely a good cover, although not my favorite.
A Day To Remember - Over My Head. Absolutely PERFECT. Best cover on the album. The pace is picked up right from the beginning, and the drums and guitar fit perfectly with the song. They rock out during the chorus and during the second verse they add a perfect amount of screaming. The first part of the bridge is all screaming. ADTR's vocals fit perfectly with the song. There isn't too much more to add. This is my favorite cover and in my opinion by far the best. That's saying a lot due to the fact that there's a bunch of other really really good covers.
Chiodos - Flagpole Sitta. This was the one song on the album in which I did not know the original. I was surprised how similar they sounded though. Craig Owens voice has his usual touch to it that makes it sound different than the original. It doesn't seem to flow as well, but it makes up for it by making it rock more. The guitar definitely is a lot more hardcore. Craig Owens shows off his amazing vocal range during the bridge. The third voice goes all out with hardcore guitar and screaming as it brings about the Chiodos style. It's definitely a good cover, although not my favorite.
A Day To Remember - Over My Head. Absolutely PERFECT. Best cover on the album. The pace is picked up right from the beginning, and the drums and guitar fit perfectly with the song. They rock out during the chorus and during the second verse they add a perfect amount of screaming. The first part of the bridge is all screaming. ADTR's vocals fit perfectly with the song. There isn't too much more to add. This is my favorite cover and in my opinion by far the best. That's saying a lot due to the fact that there's a bunch of other really really good covers.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Catch Me If You Can Album Review - Beyond Hope Lies
Already did a preview of them in the interview post. Check it out there and post your questions for them. *Edit 11:29 PM It's not looking like the interview is going to happen. They still haven't gotten back to me. Oh well. I'm still trying to find bands to do it. If you have connections tell me! :)*
Track List
1. Great Fall
Great Fall starts out with guitar and a great buildup to the first verse. This is one of their more punk sounding songs. There's not too much to say about this song, other than great guitar and solo during the bridge. The lyrics are also pretty impressive, even if they are pretty dark.. Catch Me If You Can is the title track and also my favorite. It's a more pop sounding song with really great lyrics. The chorus is what got me into the song. It's easy to imagine the audience screaming "Catch Me If You Can" which is exactly what the lyrics say. Any song that can make a person visualize what is going on is a truely great song. A must buy. Void is not as poppy as Catch Me If You Can but not as punk as Great Fall. However, there is still good guitar after the verses. The lyrics are again pretty dark, but so are most of these songs. Also there is a little bit of screaming in the verses, but the bridge is all screaming. Another pretty good song. Letters to John has call and response lyrics and guitar during the verses. Lyrics stay with the darker theme, however the chorus flows well. There's a guitar solo during the bridge, and the final chorus ends by repeating without any instrumentation. Beautiful Nightmare is another more punk song. During the verses and chorus there is barely any break between lyrics. The song just keeps going and doesn't stop. That's not a bad thing. It shows the musical skills that the band can do continuously without taking many breaths. There's a tiny bit of what sounds like Autotune in the bridge, but it just brings out the lyrics. Futures Unfold is another poppier song. The guitar doesn't break down until the chorus, but it comes in pretty hard. It's another dark song with a really good chorus. "Apalled by your fascist inhibition, stand tall, write this life in your own words, make time, understand your disposition, with this line, I am writing my last verse." I have not listened to this one as much as the others, but as far as I've heard it sounds pretty great. It ends on a fadeout. The final song, Knowledge Vs. Music, is more hardcore than the other songs. There's more screaming than most of the other songs and more variety in music then the other ones. The song talks about the battle between creativity and knowledge, and definitely expresses this point in a vicious song. There's also what sounds like a keyboard solo after the bridge. Another song that you should definitely check out.
You can listen to all this music through the links on the intro post a few posts below this.
1. Great Fall
2. Catch Me If You Can
3. Void
4. Letters To John
5. Beautiful Nightmare
6. Futures Unfold
7. Music Vs. Knowledge
3. Void
4. Letters To John
5. Beautiful Nightmare
6. Futures Unfold
7. Music Vs. Knowledge
You can listen to all this music through the links on the intro post a few posts below this.
Quick News - Future Albums
Wow. This has been an amazing year for music. Especially since a couple of new albums have just been announced:
- New Panic At The Disco single is coming out August 17th.
- New Saosin album will be out September 9th.
- New Boys Like Girls single is out on their myspace and the album will be out September 8th.
- Also, new Paramore single will be out July 7th with the album out September 29th.
- Then everyone knows about the new Cobra Starship album, the new Breathe Carolina album, and much much more! WOW.
Cover Songs - Punk Goes Pop 2 Part 3
Same thing as usual. Check out Punk Goes Pop 2 HERE.
There For Tomorrow - Ice Box. This is a cover of an old Omarion hit song from 2007. There For Tomorrow recreates the song for their own style superbly. They play the beat throughout in guitar giving it the rock feel not in the original. The drums come on to give it the R&B feel from the original. The second verse gives it more of a rock feel and the second chorus starts rocking out. Maika's voice fits perfectly in the song. I was never a fan of Omarion's voice or this song, however TFT made it enjoyable.
The Cab - Disturbia. This song is a cover of Rihanna's enormous hit from 2008. However, this cover was such a huge letdown to me. This was the one I was most looking forward to hear. However, it's my least favorite. The Cab doesn't sound like themselves and although they create a rock style for the song, they lose their own image. The cover is basically the original with drums and guitar and the vocals are pretty terrible. Their voices are squeaky throughout the entire thing. This was by far the worst cover on the whole album. I still love The Cab, but not all bands can cover every song well.
There For Tomorrow - Ice Box. This is a cover of an old Omarion hit song from 2007. There For Tomorrow recreates the song for their own style superbly. They play the beat throughout in guitar giving it the rock feel not in the original. The drums come on to give it the R&B feel from the original. The second verse gives it more of a rock feel and the second chorus starts rocking out. Maika's voice fits perfectly in the song. I was never a fan of Omarion's voice or this song, however TFT made it enjoyable.
The Cab - Disturbia. This song is a cover of Rihanna's enormous hit from 2008. However, this cover was such a huge letdown to me. This was the one I was most looking forward to hear. However, it's my least favorite. The Cab doesn't sound like themselves and although they create a rock style for the song, they lose their own image. The cover is basically the original with drums and guitar and the vocals are pretty terrible. Their voices are squeaky throughout the entire thing. This was by far the worst cover on the whole album. I still love The Cab, but not all bands can cover every song well.
Friday, June 26, 2009
GOOD NEWS. INTERVIEW #1
BEYOND HOPE LIES has agreed to an interview. And they assured me it is going to happen. Please request your questions for them in the comments here. Beyond Hope Lies is a Rock/Powerpop/Screamo band according to their myspace but I think it is a bit more punk. They're from New York, New York and are about to go on a huge tour. CHECK EM OUT. HERE! Also, this widget will help them get signed to myspace records. Listen and add!
All Time Low - Nothing Personal Listening Party Review
I was at the listening party for the new All Time Low album. And I hate to say I was disappointed. There really weren't any stand out tracks. i was only able to hear each track once, so while I can't do a track by track review I can do an overall review.
I still think Weightless is the second best ATL song ever. The lyrics are epic and the chorus might be one of the best choruses I have EVER heard. "Maybe it's not my weekend, but it's gonna be my year" is probably the best line of any song I've heard. I'm really upset it's not getting as much publicity as it should, cause I could see this song going #1. This song is perfect. Get it. Now.
Damned If I Do Ya is extremely catchy. I've been singing the chorus all evening since I came home. It's actually ATL's first ever top 100 hit. Surprising. This should be Weightless. However this or Lost In Stereo are the second and third best songs on the album. I have not been able to Lost In Stereo enough it is definitely a standout song.
Sadly I can't say the same for any other track on the album. It might need to grow on me. However there are not any other instant classics such as Dear Maria, Poppin Champaigne, Stay Awake, Remembering Sunday, and many others. One song stood out, but not for good reasons. Track 9, Too Much, was awful. It started with club beats and just was overall terrible. They said "Too Much" way too much and had the worst lyrics I've heard in an ATL song. "Too much of anything is too much" is when I gave up on the song. Most of the other songs sounded similar to each other, although Track 11, A Party Song, has potential to be a standout song. I was disappointed there were no acoustic songs like Remembering Sunday. The one real slow song, Therapy, was not great and was depressing without standing out at all. Maybe it will grow on me, maybe not.
Overall I think it was a good album, just not up to ATL standards. I need to listen to the songs much more before I give a real rating, and hopefully I'll be able to update in a positive way. However my first listen was not great and that's never a good sign.
I still think Weightless is the second best ATL song ever. The lyrics are epic and the chorus might be one of the best choruses I have EVER heard. "Maybe it's not my weekend, but it's gonna be my year" is probably the best line of any song I've heard. I'm really upset it's not getting as much publicity as it should, cause I could see this song going #1. This song is perfect. Get it. Now.
Damned If I Do Ya is extremely catchy. I've been singing the chorus all evening since I came home. It's actually ATL's first ever top 100 hit. Surprising. This should be Weightless. However this or Lost In Stereo are the second and third best songs on the album. I have not been able to Lost In Stereo enough it is definitely a standout song.
Sadly I can't say the same for any other track on the album. It might need to grow on me. However there are not any other instant classics such as Dear Maria, Poppin Champaigne, Stay Awake, Remembering Sunday, and many others. One song stood out, but not for good reasons. Track 9, Too Much, was awful. It started with club beats and just was overall terrible. They said "Too Much" way too much and had the worst lyrics I've heard in an ATL song. "Too much of anything is too much" is when I gave up on the song. Most of the other songs sounded similar to each other, although Track 11, A Party Song, has potential to be a standout song. I was disappointed there were no acoustic songs like Remembering Sunday. The one real slow song, Therapy, was not great and was depressing without standing out at all. Maybe it will grow on me, maybe not.
Overall I think it was a good album, just not up to ATL standards. I need to listen to the songs much more before I give a real rating, and hopefully I'll be able to update in a positive way. However my first listen was not great and that's never a good sign.
Cover Songs - Punk Goes Pop 2 Part 2
Same thing as usual. Two more cover songs for you guys. You can listen to the whole album HERE.
Attack Attack - I Kissed A Girl. Everybody knows the original by Katy Perry. This is probably one of the most hilarious covers on the whole album. The first two verses are electronica with what sounds like a semi computerized voice. There is a little bit of screaming at the chorus, but it gets better. First of all, they do not change the lyrics at all. It's always hilarious hearing male voices sing those sort of lyrics. The best part is the bridge. They do it ALL screamo. It's absolutely hilarious hearing them scream "US GIRLS WE ARE SO MAGICAL." This was the first cover I heard from the album and I still laugh when I hear it. 100% must buy for any screamo fan.
Four Year Strong - Love Song. This is the second cover I've talked about by Four Year Strong. Covers seem to be their forte. The original was by Sara Bareilles last year. Four year strong instantly blasts out a guitar and dramatically increases the speed. They turn this song into a rocking punk song. When they say "I'm going to write you a love song" they screech a bit, but that's something that makes the song theirs. The bridge is definitely recreated to their own style by slowing it down then speeding it up again. One of the top 5 covers on the album.
Attack Attack - I Kissed A Girl. Everybody knows the original by Katy Perry. This is probably one of the most hilarious covers on the whole album. The first two verses are electronica with what sounds like a semi computerized voice. There is a little bit of screaming at the chorus, but it gets better. First of all, they do not change the lyrics at all. It's always hilarious hearing male voices sing those sort of lyrics. The best part is the bridge. They do it ALL screamo. It's absolutely hilarious hearing them scream "US GIRLS WE ARE SO MAGICAL." This was the first cover I heard from the album and I still laugh when I hear it. 100% must buy for any screamo fan.
Four Year Strong - Love Song. This is the second cover I've talked about by Four Year Strong. Covers seem to be their forte. The original was by Sara Bareilles last year. Four year strong instantly blasts out a guitar and dramatically increases the speed. They turn this song into a rocking punk song. When they say "I'm going to write you a love song" they screech a bit, but that's something that makes the song theirs. The bridge is definitely recreated to their own style by slowing it down then speeding it up again. One of the top 5 covers on the album.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
With You - Goodnight Sunrise Reloaded
With You - Goodnight Sunrise. This song is a cover of Jessica Simpson's 2004 hit. This version is almost exactly the same as the original. I've been listening to it and I can not find very many changes. There is definitely extra guitar added in the second and third verse and chorus, but you could substitute both versions and it would be extremely similar. Because of this reason while it still is a good song, I can not say this is a very good cover. The point of a cover song is to make it your own version. Goodnight Sunrise is still a good band with potential. They also have a new album coming out soon. Check out Goodnight Sunrise HERE.
That was the original post.
I listened to it more and after talking to the band I needed to make some changes. Their voices are definitely an extreme increase over the poppy voice of Jessica Simpson and there's definitely a "mean double bass" in the chorus. In quotes. Even though I agree. And you need to listen closely to see the major differences. I feel bad for not hearing them before. The music throughout the whole thing is definitely more of a pop rock style. I apologize to the band for giving it a negative review.
That was the original post.
I listened to it more and after talking to the band I needed to make some changes. Their voices are definitely an extreme increase over the poppy voice of Jessica Simpson and there's definitely a "mean double bass" in the chorus. In quotes. Even though I agree. And you need to listen closely to see the major differences. I feel bad for not hearing them before. The music throughout the whole thing is definitely more of a pop rock style. I apologize to the band for giving it a negative review.
Never Shout Never Summer EP Review - One More Song
Since the album has come out, I've been able to hear the bonus song Liar Liar. Since I don't want to leave any song out, here's the review of it.
This is definitely something absolutely brand new for nevershoutnever. It starts with him singing along with acoustic guitar, but then a drumset comes in while a piano comes in soon after. This is the first song totally of full band. He still has his signature catchiness although this song is much harsher than is used to for NSN. I do have to admit that songs like this are still needed. It is always good to have some variety. There's even a tiny guitar solo in it. This song is basically everything NSN never was. That's not saying it's a bad song, because it definitely is a really good one. Check it out.
This is definitely something absolutely brand new for nevershoutnever. It starts with him singing along with acoustic guitar, but then a drumset comes in while a piano comes in soon after. This is the first song totally of full band. He still has his signature catchiness although this song is much harsher than is used to for NSN. I do have to admit that songs like this are still needed. It is always good to have some variety. There's even a tiny guitar solo in it. This song is basically everything NSN never was. That's not saying it's a bad song, because it definitely is a really good one. Check it out.
Cover Songs - Punk Goes Pop 2 Part 1
Now I'm going to take a week of cover songs to put together a full review of Punk Goes Pop 2. Every song is on their Myspace HERE. I have already done one for August Burns Red
Alesana - What Goes Around. This song is a cover of Justin Timberlake's recent hit song. The first thing I need to say about every Punk Goes Pop 2 song is that they do exactly what a cover is supposed to do; recreate the song with the artist's own style. Alesana turns this pop song into a hardcore screamo jam. The whole song is led by guitar and drum beats. The lead singers voice works perfectly into the song. Also, the screaming is brought in perfectly. They do not overdo the screaming either. The song flows perfectly and is a close to perfect cover of this song.
Bayside - Beautiful Girls. This song is a cover of Sean Kingston's summer hit song from last year. Bayside definitely makes this song their own. They make into a surfer rock style of song. This is definitely not one of my favorites from the album, but I was never a real fan of Bayside. The intro to the first verse definitely sounds like surfer music. I have never been a fan of Bayside's voices but it is at least an improvement over Sean Kingston. The guitar also definitely adds an extra twist to the song. If you are more into the punk side of music, then you might like this cover more than I do.
Alesana - What Goes Around. This song is a cover of Justin Timberlake's recent hit song. The first thing I need to say about every Punk Goes Pop 2 song is that they do exactly what a cover is supposed to do; recreate the song with the artist's own style. Alesana turns this pop song into a hardcore screamo jam. The whole song is led by guitar and drum beats. The lead singers voice works perfectly into the song. Also, the screaming is brought in perfectly. They do not overdo the screaming either. The song flows perfectly and is a close to perfect cover of this song.
Bayside - Beautiful Girls. This song is a cover of Sean Kingston's summer hit song from last year. Bayside definitely makes this song their own. They make into a surfer rock style of song. This is definitely not one of my favorites from the album, but I was never a real fan of Bayside. The intro to the first verse definitely sounds like surfer music. I have never been a fan of Bayside's voices but it is at least an improvement over Sean Kingston. The guitar also definitely adds an extra twist to the song. If you are more into the punk side of music, then you might like this cover more than I do.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Cover Songs - Rap Edition
As said in the title, today I'll post about covers of two extremely well known rap songs.
The first I will mention is Live Your Life by The Shoreline. I absolutely hated the original. Thought it was one of the worst songs on the radio. However, The Shoreline does an excellent punk cover of it. The first improvement is that they actually sing the opening. The second improvement happens as soon as the first chorus, with guitar in the background and the words actually being easy to understand. *cough Rihanna* They also put good buildups into the chorus to make it much more effective. Another improvement is shown when the band actually tries to sing the rap. Also, they put an extremely excellent build up to Rihanna's part, which they improve drastically. This is definitely a great cover to check out. Check it out on their myspace HERE.
The second is The Way I Are by Phantom of the Cineplex. They have done several other covers as well. This is my favorite. They're an electrorock band. The song starts similar to the original until big guitars come in. The verses aren't great. Too similar to the original for my taste. I might even like the original better. However, they totally destroy the original chorus. In a good way. For the first time I can actually understand all the lyrics. That along with the guitar makes the song great. I did not necessarily dislike the original, but PotC definitely added things to make it better without making anything worse. They have probably 10-15 songs up for free download on their purevolume page HERE.
The first I will mention is Live Your Life by The Shoreline. I absolutely hated the original. Thought it was one of the worst songs on the radio. However, The Shoreline does an excellent punk cover of it. The first improvement is that they actually sing the opening. The second improvement happens as soon as the first chorus, with guitar in the background and the words actually being easy to understand. *cough Rihanna* They also put good buildups into the chorus to make it much more effective. Another improvement is shown when the band actually tries to sing the rap. Also, they put an extremely excellent build up to Rihanna's part, which they improve drastically. This is definitely a great cover to check out. Check it out on their myspace HERE.
The second is The Way I Are by Phantom of the Cineplex. They have done several other covers as well. This is my favorite. They're an electrorock band. The song starts similar to the original until big guitars come in. The verses aren't great. Too similar to the original for my taste. I might even like the original better. However, they totally destroy the original chorus. In a good way. For the first time I can actually understand all the lyrics. That along with the guitar makes the song great. I did not necessarily dislike the original, but PotC definitely added things to make it better without making anything worse. They have probably 10-15 songs up for free download on their purevolume page HERE.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Playlist
I decided to try out a new section. In this section I'm going to do reviews of individual songs that I have been listening to lately. The songs can be unrelated and of different genre or similar. Please leave input if you want me to continue this or just work on individual artists.
The Scene Aesthetic - Come What May. The Scene Aesthetic is a two part acoustic band. This song is their first song off their upcoming EP A Type & A Shadow. I had listened to some of their stuff in the past and was not impressed. But this song immediately caught on to me. TSA uses both members of the bands as singers while alternating to make it similar to a call and response. The verses are using the call and response with acoustic guitar in the background. However, the chorus made it stand out. The lyrics flow perfectly and light drum beats are added to make it similar to clapping. The last chorus adds a drumset in to add a little bit of intensity. It works. Perfectly. Usually songs like this don't stand out to me, but something about it definitely made it special. Tell me what you think. Listen to the song on their myspace page HERE.
New Years Day - Ready Aim Misfire. This song is older than anything else posted on this blog so far and the band has also broke up. This is a female led pop-punk band. No, I am not going to compare them to Paramore. They are nothing like them. The song begins with guitar as the singer comes with perfectly flowing lyrics. The thing that makes this song so great is the chorus. It has some of my favorite lyrics right now. "Shoot My Shoot my cupid out of the sky Break off his wings, and gouge out his eyes And thank him for nothing, 'cause that's all that he gave to me Your love is my heart disease." I would definitely suggest checking the song out. You can download it for FREE right on their purevolume page HERE.
LoveHateHero - Echoes. I thought I might want to put more of a hardcore song on here for once. LoveHateHero is a hardcore/screamo band. This is the first song off their upcoming album. The song begins with two men talking. One of them keeps saying "I hurt myself. I killed myself." As After the intro the song bursts out with huge guitar. The guitar is consistently amazing throughout the song. Although they are a screamo band, most of the song is sung. The screaming takes place at the end of the choruses and the bridge. This definitely is a song for any hardcore fan. Listen to the song and LoveHateHero HERE.
The Scene Aesthetic - Come What May. The Scene Aesthetic is a two part acoustic band. This song is their first song off their upcoming EP A Type & A Shadow. I had listened to some of their stuff in the past and was not impressed. But this song immediately caught on to me. TSA uses both members of the bands as singers while alternating to make it similar to a call and response. The verses are using the call and response with acoustic guitar in the background. However, the chorus made it stand out. The lyrics flow perfectly and light drum beats are added to make it similar to clapping. The last chorus adds a drumset in to add a little bit of intensity. It works. Perfectly. Usually songs like this don't stand out to me, but something about it definitely made it special. Tell me what you think. Listen to the song on their myspace page HERE.
New Years Day - Ready Aim Misfire. This song is older than anything else posted on this blog so far and the band has also broke up. This is a female led pop-punk band. No, I am not going to compare them to Paramore. They are nothing like them. The song begins with guitar as the singer comes with perfectly flowing lyrics. The thing that makes this song so great is the chorus. It has some of my favorite lyrics right now. "Shoot My Shoot my cupid out of the sky Break off his wings, and gouge out his eyes And thank him for nothing, 'cause that's all that he gave to me Your love is my heart disease." I would definitely suggest checking the song out. You can download it for FREE right on their purevolume page HERE.
LoveHateHero - Echoes. I thought I might want to put more of a hardcore song on here for once. LoveHateHero is a hardcore/screamo band. This is the first song off their upcoming album. The song begins with two men talking. One of them keeps saying "I hurt myself. I killed myself." As After the intro the song bursts out with huge guitar. The guitar is consistently amazing throughout the song. Although they are a screamo band, most of the song is sung. The screaming takes place at the end of the choruses and the bridge. This definitely is a song for any hardcore fan. Listen to the song and LoveHateHero HERE.
New Releases
Every Tuesday, most new music is released. I will list some of the new things that come out that would fit on this blog. If someone is interested in me doing a full review of one of the albums, please comment.
The Cab - The Lady Luck EP. I already did a review of this.
Never Shout Never - The Summer EP. I also did a review of this.
Hit The Lights - Coast To Coast EP. Hit The Lights are a pop-punk band that I would definitely check out. I saw them at the AP tour and they did great. This might be reviewed soon.
The Higher - It's Only Natural. I have a bunch of friends that like The Higher, so I decided to check out the album. I was pleasantly surprised. The Higher is a pop band with influences from R&B.
The Cab - The Lady Luck EP. I already did a review of this.
Never Shout Never - The Summer EP. I also did a review of this.
Hit The Lights - Coast To Coast EP. Hit The Lights are a pop-punk band that I would definitely check out. I saw them at the AP tour and they did great. This might be reviewed soon.
The Higher - It's Only Natural. I have a bunch of friends that like The Higher, so I decided to check out the album. I was pleasantly surprised. The Higher is a pop band with influences from R&B.
Cover Songs - Rockin Romance Part Three
This is the final section of the "Trilogy" of Rockin Romance.
Summer Girls - Change Of Pace. This song is a cover of L.F.O's one and only hit from 1999. The original peaked at #3 in the top 40 charts. Change of Pace definitely does a great job at covering this song. After the song's little intro, the song immediately comes in with guitar and drums. It is by far more upbeat then the original. The electric guitar and drums definitely transform the song from a pop song with an acoustic guitar to a rock song. They also put in their own singing style of the song, but most of the song is similar to the original. However, the rock definitely improves the song. You can listen to the cover on the Rockin Romance page HERE.
She Will Be Loved - Runner Runner. This song is a cover of Maroon 5's 2004 smash single. When this song came out it was probably one of my favorite songs. My music style has shifted since then, but I still love the original. When I found out one of my favorite bands was covering it, I was psyched. The first time I listened to it I didn't think it was great. However, it has definitely grown on me. Similar to most of these covers, the song is more upbeat. The song is carried by drums and acoustic guitar in the verses. The chorus is carried by electric guitar and more drums. Runner Runner also does an amazing job on changing the style to more of a rock feel. This song is a definite must listen. You can check it out on the Rockin Romance page.
Summer Girls - Change Of Pace. This song is a cover of L.F.O's one and only hit from 1999. The original peaked at #3 in the top 40 charts. Change of Pace definitely does a great job at covering this song. After the song's little intro, the song immediately comes in with guitar and drums. It is by far more upbeat then the original. The electric guitar and drums definitely transform the song from a pop song with an acoustic guitar to a rock song. They also put in their own singing style of the song, but most of the song is similar to the original. However, the rock definitely improves the song. You can listen to the cover on the Rockin Romance page HERE.
She Will Be Loved - Runner Runner. This song is a cover of Maroon 5's 2004 smash single. When this song came out it was probably one of my favorite songs. My music style has shifted since then, but I still love the original. When I found out one of my favorite bands was covering it, I was psyched. The first time I listened to it I didn't think it was great. However, it has definitely grown on me. Similar to most of these covers, the song is more upbeat. The song is carried by drums and acoustic guitar in the verses. The chorus is carried by electric guitar and more drums. Runner Runner also does an amazing job on changing the style to more of a rock feel. This song is a definite must listen. You can check it out on the Rockin Romance page.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Artist Profile - Boys Will Be Boys
First of all, if you hadn't noticed I put a poll up. Please vote on it. I will be updating the poll two or three times a week so keep up. Sometimes the poll will be about upcoming articles. I want to work to the needs of the public :)
Now, back to your regularly scheduled program.
Boys Will Be Boys is a four piece Powerpop band from Northern Virginia. They have released three albums of singles on itunes. Their first release was the Pre-Release, featuring Thats Whats Up, Make This Count, and Word On The Street. Their second release featured Stop Calling Me and a remix of Make This Count. They also released a cover of Chris Brown's Forever. The band which I can easily compare them to is Forever The Sickest Kids. Thats Whats Up sounds like exactly like something that FTSK would do. Their lyrics are mostly playful and fun rather than serious. In Make This Count they sing "Stop talking to your friends cause I hate them." However, the Make This Count Remix is probably one of their best songs. It is more of an acoustic then a remix, but some lyrics are also changed. The acoustic definitely improved the song. Their best song is definitely Stop Calling Me. The chorus is extremely catchy and fun. "Stop calling me, it's not fair but I have to leave just leave baby leave I know it's hard to believe I gotta leave." It flows perfectly and even though again the lyrics are not very serious, it makes the song fun. I suggest Boys Will Be Boys to anyone who likes powerpop music. If you are looking for great lyrics, I wouldn't suggest looking here, however if fun and upbeat music are what you want, Boys Will Be Boys are for you. You can check them out on myspace HERE.
Additionally, I might be getting an interview with Boys Will Be Boys. If anyone has any question suggestions, post here. If I ask them I will credit you!
Now, back to your regularly scheduled program.
Boys Will Be Boys is a four piece Powerpop band from Northern Virginia. They have released three albums of singles on itunes. Their first release was the Pre-Release, featuring Thats Whats Up, Make This Count, and Word On The Street. Their second release featured Stop Calling Me and a remix of Make This Count. They also released a cover of Chris Brown's Forever. The band which I can easily compare them to is Forever The Sickest Kids. Thats Whats Up sounds like exactly like something that FTSK would do. Their lyrics are mostly playful and fun rather than serious. In Make This Count they sing "Stop talking to your friends cause I hate them." However, the Make This Count Remix is probably one of their best songs. It is more of an acoustic then a remix, but some lyrics are also changed. The acoustic definitely improved the song. Their best song is definitely Stop Calling Me. The chorus is extremely catchy and fun. "Stop calling me, it's not fair but I have to leave just leave baby leave I know it's hard to believe I gotta leave." It flows perfectly and even though again the lyrics are not very serious, it makes the song fun. I suggest Boys Will Be Boys to anyone who likes powerpop music. If you are looking for great lyrics, I wouldn't suggest looking here, however if fun and upbeat music are what you want, Boys Will Be Boys are for you. You can check them out on myspace HERE.
Additionally, I might be getting an interview with Boys Will Be Boys. If anyone has any question suggestions, post here. If I ask them I will credit you!
Cover Songs - Rockin Romance Part Two
Part two of the Rockin Romance edition of songs. Part three will be tomorrow.
Lets Get It - All My Life. This song is a cover of K-Ci and JoJo's R&B #1 hit in 1998. Similar to 1000 Miles, the song starts out similar to the original before coming in with a drumset for the first verse. Then the guitar comes back in right before the chorus. Lets Get It transforms the song from a gospel love ballad to a song that rocks. This version is almost the same as the original except for the guitars, faster tempo, and the lack of the gospel chant in the chorus. I'm also going to take this time to congratulate the band on their recent signing to Fearless Records. Good luck for the future guys, and I hope to be able to put you guys back on here soon. Check out the song and the band on their myspace HERE.
With You - Goodnight Sunrise. This song is a cover of Jessica Simpson's 2004 hit. This version is almost exactly the same as the original. I've been listening to it and I can not find very many changes. There is definitely extra guitar added in the second and third verse and chorus, but you could substitute both versions and it would be extremely similar. Because of this reason while it still is a good song, I can not say this is a very good cover. The point of a cover song is to make it your own version. Goodnight Sunrise is still a good band with potential. They also have a new album coming out soon. Check out Goodnight Sunrise HERE.
Lets Get It - All My Life. This song is a cover of K-Ci and JoJo's R&B #1 hit in 1998. Similar to 1000 Miles, the song starts out similar to the original before coming in with a drumset for the first verse. Then the guitar comes back in right before the chorus. Lets Get It transforms the song from a gospel love ballad to a song that rocks. This version is almost the same as the original except for the guitars, faster tempo, and the lack of the gospel chant in the chorus. I'm also going to take this time to congratulate the band on their recent signing to Fearless Records. Good luck for the future guys, and I hope to be able to put you guys back on here soon. Check out the song and the band on their myspace HERE.
With You - Goodnight Sunrise. This song is a cover of Jessica Simpson's 2004 hit. This version is almost exactly the same as the original. I've been listening to it and I can not find very many changes. There is definitely extra guitar added in the second and third verse and chorus, but you could substitute both versions and it would be extremely similar. Because of this reason while it still is a good song, I can not say this is a very good cover. The point of a cover song is to make it your own version. Goodnight Sunrise is still a good band with potential. They also have a new album coming out soon. Check out Goodnight Sunrise HERE.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A Little Faster Album Review - There For Tomorrow
This was probably my most awaited album of the year. I've LOVED TFT since the moment I heard them. I saw them in concert with Anberlin and Scary Kids Scaring Kids and they were amazing. Additionally, me and my friends got to meet the band and got signatures and pictures with Maika. So what album better to write my first full length review for? You can check out TFT on myspace HERE Also, the full album is on purevolume HERE.
Track List:
1. The Remedy
2. A Little Faster
3. Wish You Away
4. Backbone
5. Deathbed
6. Just In Time
7. Stories.
8. I Can't Decide
9. Sore Winner
10. Burn The Night Away
11. The World Calling
The Remedy was the second song from the album released on myspace. There was also a preview of it in their album trailer. The opening of the song is absolutely perfect. The guitar totally symbolizes the beginning of the song. It gets everyone excited for the rest of the amazing album. This song is very similar to the style of the music from their first EP. It's exciting and a great crowd exciter. The second song, A Little Faster, was the first single. The song starts out with guitar, then comes in big with drums. It calms down a bit at the verse, but starts rocking out when the chorus comes in. The lyrics in the chorus are super catchy and flow perfectly. "Show me what you're after just a little faster." This was a great first single off the album. Wish You Away is much different than their first album. It is lighter than usual for TFT. The verses don't seem to flow very well. However, the chorus makes the song better. The bridge is also probably the most put together part of the song. This song is definitely more filler and an average song. However, average for TFT is still good for many other bands. The next song on the album, Backbone definitely isn't average. It is probably one of the best songs on the album. It immediately starts out rocking and doesn't stop throughout the entire song. The lyrics in the chorus are extremely harsh, asking "Where is your backbone, Cause you're looking very flimsy I'm breaking down your paper wall." This song is their third song from the album put on myspace and is a very good choice. Additionally, this song was voted as one of the songs they will play on warped tour this year. The fifth track on the album is Deathbed. This song also is slower than most of their older stuff. Similar to Wish You Away, the verses don't flow extremely well while the chorus does. Another average filler song. Just In Time is another new style for them. The song builds up intensity as the song goes on. The beginning is just a soft guitar and some background noises. Halfway through the first verse soft drum beats come in. The chorus continues the same way. The second verse starts with a continous drum rhythm. Halfway through the second verse, the guitar comes in instead of the background noises. As the chorus comes around the second time the song starts rocking out. It then calms down gradually, until the second line of the chorus when it starts rocking out again. This is definitely a good song from the album. Stories is similar style to Remember When from the EP. It still rocks, just lighter than some of their other songs. The chorus flows extremely well and the verses aren't bad. As I've mentioned several times before, most of us are spoiled from TFT being so amazing that even their good songs seem to be average. This song is definitely another must listen. I Can't Decide is TFT's first ever real acoustic song. And they do amazingly. This song has definitely gotten better the more I've listened to it. It just shows that you can't trust what you think of a song from the first listen. The lyrics are also excellent. They may be dark, but it goes perfectly with the feel of the song. During the bridge, the song starts rocking out again. It compliments the acoustic part perfectly by building up the intensity and making it have an epic feel. This song shows that TFT can do almost any style. The song leads up to probably the biggest rock song they have on the album. Sore Winner is another angry song that goes together amazingly. This is definitely in the top 5 songs on the album. The guitar and drums go amazingly and Maika's vocals as usual are superb. Burn The Night Away is another acoustic song. This song is definitely filler material and is not very impressive. It is just another slow song with fairly good lyrics that leads up to the big finale. The World Calling is a perfect ending, ending just how The Remedy began. The guitar goes out during the first half of the bridge then comes back in loud and in your face. A good album starts the album with a bang and ends with a bang, and TFT executes this pefectly.
There For Tomorrow is one of the best young bands out there, proven by the Best New Artist award they won at the Woodies this past year. This is a very very good album, however my expectations were extremely high from the pages EP. It makes it hard to give it an unbiased opinion. However, it is definitely worth buying.
Track List:
1. The Remedy
2. A Little Faster
3. Wish You Away
4. Backbone
5. Deathbed
6. Just In Time
7. Stories.
8. I Can't Decide
9. Sore Winner
10. Burn The Night Away
11. The World Calling
The Remedy was the second song from the album released on myspace. There was also a preview of it in their album trailer. The opening of the song is absolutely perfect. The guitar totally symbolizes the beginning of the song. It gets everyone excited for the rest of the amazing album. This song is very similar to the style of the music from their first EP. It's exciting and a great crowd exciter. The second song, A Little Faster, was the first single. The song starts out with guitar, then comes in big with drums. It calms down a bit at the verse, but starts rocking out when the chorus comes in. The lyrics in the chorus are super catchy and flow perfectly. "Show me what you're after just a little faster." This was a great first single off the album. Wish You Away is much different than their first album. It is lighter than usual for TFT. The verses don't seem to flow very well. However, the chorus makes the song better. The bridge is also probably the most put together part of the song. This song is definitely more filler and an average song. However, average for TFT is still good for many other bands. The next song on the album, Backbone definitely isn't average. It is probably one of the best songs on the album. It immediately starts out rocking and doesn't stop throughout the entire song. The lyrics in the chorus are extremely harsh, asking "Where is your backbone, Cause you're looking very flimsy I'm breaking down your paper wall." This song is their third song from the album put on myspace and is a very good choice. Additionally, this song was voted as one of the songs they will play on warped tour this year. The fifth track on the album is Deathbed. This song also is slower than most of their older stuff. Similar to Wish You Away, the verses don't flow extremely well while the chorus does. Another average filler song. Just In Time is another new style for them. The song builds up intensity as the song goes on. The beginning is just a soft guitar and some background noises. Halfway through the first verse soft drum beats come in. The chorus continues the same way. The second verse starts with a continous drum rhythm. Halfway through the second verse, the guitar comes in instead of the background noises. As the chorus comes around the second time the song starts rocking out. It then calms down gradually, until the second line of the chorus when it starts rocking out again. This is definitely a good song from the album. Stories is similar style to Remember When from the EP. It still rocks, just lighter than some of their other songs. The chorus flows extremely well and the verses aren't bad. As I've mentioned several times before, most of us are spoiled from TFT being so amazing that even their good songs seem to be average. This song is definitely another must listen. I Can't Decide is TFT's first ever real acoustic song. And they do amazingly. This song has definitely gotten better the more I've listened to it. It just shows that you can't trust what you think of a song from the first listen. The lyrics are also excellent. They may be dark, but it goes perfectly with the feel of the song. During the bridge, the song starts rocking out again. It compliments the acoustic part perfectly by building up the intensity and making it have an epic feel. This song shows that TFT can do almost any style. The song leads up to probably the biggest rock song they have on the album. Sore Winner is another angry song that goes together amazingly. This is definitely in the top 5 songs on the album. The guitar and drums go amazingly and Maika's vocals as usual are superb. Burn The Night Away is another acoustic song. This song is definitely filler material and is not very impressive. It is just another slow song with fairly good lyrics that leads up to the big finale. The World Calling is a perfect ending, ending just how The Remedy began. The guitar goes out during the first half of the bridge then comes back in loud and in your face. A good album starts the album with a bang and ends with a bang, and TFT executes this pefectly.
There For Tomorrow is one of the best young bands out there, proven by the Best New Artist award they won at the Woodies this past year. This is a very very good album, however my expectations were extremely high from the pages EP. It makes it hard to give it an unbiased opinion. However, it is definitely worth buying.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Cover Songs - Rockin Romance Edition Part 1
Destiny Worldwide released an album of covers of love songs back at the end of April. I listen to 6 of them. I'm going to divide it into three parts with two songs each.
1000 Miles - Moneta. This song is a remake of Vanessa Carlton's hit song. Most people may know it from the 2004 movie White Chicks. The song starts out exactly the same as the original, but then bursts out in guitar along with the original piano. The singer of Moneta works the vocals very well. Before hearing this I don't think I could have imagined a guy singing this song. However, this is a very good cover and is definitely worth listening to.
Kiss From A Rose - The Arrival. This song is a remake of the 1994 Seal hit. I'll admit I've never heard the original before, but I looked it up last evening to prepare for this. The original was much different than I thought. The cover sounds pretty similar except it puts more guitar and more of a techno feel. The Arrival definitely pulls off the vocals really well too. My only issue is the fade out at the end, but I suppose there wasn't really another way to do it. I still suggest listening to it.
1000 Miles - Moneta. This song is a remake of Vanessa Carlton's hit song. Most people may know it from the 2004 movie White Chicks. The song starts out exactly the same as the original, but then bursts out in guitar along with the original piano. The singer of Moneta works the vocals very well. Before hearing this I don't think I could have imagined a guy singing this song. However, this is a very good cover and is definitely worth listening to.
Kiss From A Rose - The Arrival. This song is a remake of the 1994 Seal hit. I'll admit I've never heard the original before, but I looked it up last evening to prepare for this. The original was much different than I thought. The cover sounds pretty similar except it puts more guitar and more of a techno feel. The Arrival definitely pulls off the vocals really well too. My only issue is the fade out at the end, but I suppose there wasn't really another way to do it. I still suggest listening to it.
Rant Needed
Okay. So I've gotten in a big argument with many people over on absolutepunk.net about my blog. I was trying to advertise and get a few more followers when people started calling the site worthless JUST because it involves bands such as NeverShoutNever. So I need to make this clear. I'M WRITING THIS STUFF BECAUSE IT'S WHAT I LIKE. I don't care what other people think. I want them to like it. That's why I'm writing this. I want to inform other people and make them aware of the music I like. And I'm proud of my writing. All the haters of the bands just leave. There are always people who do like this music and they will come here and read it and hopefully like it. That's all my goal is.
Rant over, peace out all.
Happy Father's Day tomorrow. I won't be able to post too much due to family activities, and I'm going to be busy over the week, but I'll do my best to get in at least a post a day. Don't worry, this site is here to stay.
Rant over, peace out all.
Happy Father's Day tomorrow. I won't be able to post too much due to family activities, and I'm going to be busy over the week, but I'll do my best to get in at least a post a day. Don't worry, this site is here to stay.
The Summer EP Review - Never Shout Never
Never Shout Never's second studio EP comes out this coming Tuesday. Five of the six songs are currently on his myspace page HERE while the 6th is found live on youtube.
Track List
1. Happy
2. Hummingbird
3. I Just Laugh
4. Simple Enough
5. On The Brightside
6. Losing It
Happy is the first song on the on the album and the one that has been out the longest. This is the one of two songs on the album in which he uses the Ukulele. As the song starts it sounds like a song that you could hear in Hawaii. This song flows perfectly with his voice and the Uke. It is supposed to be a "cute" love song while also being catchy and fun. Warning: Might get stuck in your head. The second track is Hummingbird. Hummingbird was the start of something new for NSN. It was the first song in which a full band was used. The first track is acoustic with a little keyboard thrown in. As the chorus ends, drums come in. This surprised me the first time I heard the song since NSN had never used drums before. I did not like this song very much at first but as the new style grew on me it became one of my favorite songs. The chorus will definitely get stuck in your head. However, this song is a MUST get. I Just Laugh surprised me even more. This is probably as rock as I could imagine NSN being. It begins with a guitar riff never heard before in a NSN song. The chorus is as sing-a-long as it can get. In the videos I've seen of this song Christofer Drew always gets the audience to sing the chorus. I hope NSN continues in the future with this style as it could attract a broader crowd of listeners. Simple Enough is another love song. It has very corny lyrics about falling in love however that is the point of the song. It is a perfect song for his style. There isn't much else to say about the song. I guess it is just "simple enough". The song On The Brightside was a poem Christofer Drew wrote. It flows just like a poem as the only instrument in the song is an acoustic guitar playing a continuous string of notes similar to Hey There Delilah. It is a very short song at only two minutes long, but the message is large. This song just shows Christofer Drew's musical talent. On myspace he did not put on the interpretation of the song, however he left it open for discussion. My view of the song is that if you believe you are a good person and you act like it, you are. The view of someone else on you does not make a difference. The last song on the EP is Losing It. This song is the saddest song on the album. Christofer Drew put up the meaning of this song on myspace. It is about how when he was 16 he lost his virginity to a girl he loved. However, he heard from his friend that she continously cheated on him. This is not a stand out song, but sometimes artists just need to express their events in music form rather to care of what anyone else thinks.
This EP is definitely worth listening to. It may appeal more to teenage girls, but that does not mean that other people won't like it. Christofer Drew is extremely talented and I wish him luck for his future.
Track List
1. Happy
2. Hummingbird
3. I Just Laugh
4. Simple Enough
5. On The Brightside
6. Losing It
Happy is the first song on the on the album and the one that has been out the longest. This is the one of two songs on the album in which he uses the Ukulele. As the song starts it sounds like a song that you could hear in Hawaii. This song flows perfectly with his voice and the Uke. It is supposed to be a "cute" love song while also being catchy and fun. Warning: Might get stuck in your head. The second track is Hummingbird. Hummingbird was the start of something new for NSN. It was the first song in which a full band was used. The first track is acoustic with a little keyboard thrown in. As the chorus ends, drums come in. This surprised me the first time I heard the song since NSN had never used drums before. I did not like this song very much at first but as the new style grew on me it became one of my favorite songs. The chorus will definitely get stuck in your head. However, this song is a MUST get. I Just Laugh surprised me even more. This is probably as rock as I could imagine NSN being. It begins with a guitar riff never heard before in a NSN song. The chorus is as sing-a-long as it can get. In the videos I've seen of this song Christofer Drew always gets the audience to sing the chorus. I hope NSN continues in the future with this style as it could attract a broader crowd of listeners. Simple Enough is another love song. It has very corny lyrics about falling in love however that is the point of the song. It is a perfect song for his style. There isn't much else to say about the song. I guess it is just "simple enough". The song On The Brightside was a poem Christofer Drew wrote. It flows just like a poem as the only instrument in the song is an acoustic guitar playing a continuous string of notes similar to Hey There Delilah. It is a very short song at only two minutes long, but the message is large. This song just shows Christofer Drew's musical talent. On myspace he did not put on the interpretation of the song, however he left it open for discussion. My view of the song is that if you believe you are a good person and you act like it, you are. The view of someone else on you does not make a difference. The last song on the EP is Losing It. This song is the saddest song on the album. Christofer Drew put up the meaning of this song on myspace. It is about how when he was 16 he lost his virginity to a girl he loved. However, he heard from his friend that she continously cheated on him. This is not a stand out song, but sometimes artists just need to express their events in music form rather to care of what anyone else thinks.
This EP is definitely worth listening to. It may appeal more to teenage girls, but that does not mean that other people won't like it. Christofer Drew is extremely talented and I wish him luck for his future.
Morning Covers
Busy day planned for today, hopefully two more articles up by the end of the day.
And Then There Were None - Right Here Waiting. This is one band not very many people know, and I can kind of see why. If you listen to them they seem techno, and they are. However, they aren't like any other techno band I have ever heard. I have to hand it to Tooth and Nail for finding this band. They used to be a metalcore band before totally reinventing themselves. Now they're alternative with europop beats. That's how I describe them. If someone else has a better way tell me. Cause that's the best I can do. The song is a remake of Richard Marx's 1989 ballad. It's another of those songs that lots of people can recognize but do not know the artist or anything other than the chorus. The cover has an extremely different style. The cover is far more upbeat and definitely a dance song. You can check them out on myspace HERE.
School Boy Humor - Realize. This powerpop band is starting to become big. One of their songs was even (sadly) top thirty on Radio Disney. However, they aren't the usual disney band. Their cover of Colbie Caillat's Realize shows their true style. Similar to bands such as The Friday Night Boys and Artist Vs. Poet, most of their songs are upbeat and exciting, something the original isn't. The cover is a whole minute shorter than the original. However, that is not a bad thing. This song could easily pull for an original. I think they unlocked the true potential of this song for powerpop. You can check them out on Myspace HERE.
And Then There Were None - Right Here Waiting. This is one band not very many people know, and I can kind of see why. If you listen to them they seem techno, and they are. However, they aren't like any other techno band I have ever heard. I have to hand it to Tooth and Nail for finding this band. They used to be a metalcore band before totally reinventing themselves. Now they're alternative with europop beats. That's how I describe them. If someone else has a better way tell me. Cause that's the best I can do. The song is a remake of Richard Marx's 1989 ballad. It's another of those songs that lots of people can recognize but do not know the artist or anything other than the chorus. The cover has an extremely different style. The cover is far more upbeat and definitely a dance song. You can check them out on myspace HERE.
School Boy Humor - Realize. This powerpop band is starting to become big. One of their songs was even (sadly) top thirty on Radio Disney. However, they aren't the usual disney band. Their cover of Colbie Caillat's Realize shows their true style. Similar to bands such as The Friday Night Boys and Artist Vs. Poet, most of their songs are upbeat and exciting, something the original isn't. The cover is a whole minute shorter than the original. However, that is not a bad thing. This song could easily pull for an original. I think they unlocked the true potential of this song for powerpop. You can check them out on Myspace HERE.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Lady Luck EP Review - The Cab
The Cab is releasing their new EP on Tuesday. However, they have already put it on purevolume.
Track List:
1. Take My Hand (Remix) Featuring Cassadee Pope
2. I Am Who I Am
3. Diamonds Are Forever
4. I'll Run (Strings)
5. I Want To Break Free (Queen)
6. Lights
It looks like they are releasing a video for the Take My Hand Remix. It is definitely better than the original. It's much more upbeat, and Cassadee adds a whole new dimension to the song. Definitely a must-listen. I Am Who I Am is probably my second favorite song on the album. It has a really jazzy feel similar to a few of their other songs. The first thing that I thought when I heard this song was how it related to the album name. When I think of "Lady Luck" I think of a Vegas casino, and I can see the music video for this song being shot there. There's also a rap bridge, which isn't my style but it definitely makes the song interesting. Another must listen. Diamonds Are Forever starts out with an electric beginning but then comes in with guitars. Something new for a Cab song is a solo after the second chorus. A new style for them. Also it seems like the chorus is definitely a sing-a-long. I'm curious to see videos of them performing it. Next is an acoustic version of I'll run. It's slower and with an orchestral arrangement. I'm not a huge fan, but sometimes slower songs are good depending on your mood. Next is a cover of Queen's "I Want To Break Free." They definitely adapt it to their own style even though it is different than something they would do. It's not my favorite track, but I can see it growing on me. Last song is Lights. It definitely sounds like Zzzzz from their full length album. Starts out without guitar, but during the verses it bursts in with some pretty good riffs. It's overall more of a piano led song.
I definitely recommend checking out this album. The Cab have combined Jazz and Powerpop in order to create...The Cab.
Track List:
1. Take My Hand (Remix) Featuring Cassadee Pope
2. I Am Who I Am
3. Diamonds Are Forever
4. I'll Run (Strings)
5. I Want To Break Free (Queen)
6. Lights
It looks like they are releasing a video for the Take My Hand Remix. It is definitely better than the original. It's much more upbeat, and Cassadee adds a whole new dimension to the song. Definitely a must-listen. I Am Who I Am is probably my second favorite song on the album. It has a really jazzy feel similar to a few of their other songs. The first thing that I thought when I heard this song was how it related to the album name. When I think of "Lady Luck" I think of a Vegas casino, and I can see the music video for this song being shot there. There's also a rap bridge, which isn't my style but it definitely makes the song interesting. Another must listen. Diamonds Are Forever starts out with an electric beginning but then comes in with guitars. Something new for a Cab song is a solo after the second chorus. A new style for them. Also it seems like the chorus is definitely a sing-a-long. I'm curious to see videos of them performing it. Next is an acoustic version of I'll run. It's slower and with an orchestral arrangement. I'm not a huge fan, but sometimes slower songs are good depending on your mood. Next is a cover of Queen's "I Want To Break Free." They definitely adapt it to their own style even though it is different than something they would do. It's not my favorite track, but I can see it growing on me. Last song is Lights. It definitely sounds like Zzzzz from their full length album. Starts out without guitar, but during the verses it bursts in with some pretty good riffs. It's overall more of a piano led song.
I definitely recommend checking out this album. The Cab have combined Jazz and Powerpop in order to create...The Cab.
Covers - Taylor Swift Edition
Sorry about the delay of posting, been busy today. Hoping to get another article up tonight, but for now I'll stick with a cover song post.
I happen to have three covers of Taylor Swift's Love Story. They each are different, so I thought I'd discuss them.
The first one I have is by the Right Coast. This is probably my favorite out of the three. This one is more rock then the other two. They also make changes by making the song from Romeo's point of view. They change lyrics from "You were Romeo" to "I was Romeo" and from "I said Romeo take me" to "You said Romeo take me". This and the more upbeat rock style makes it symbolize more of the guy's point of view. You can check it out HERE
The second one I have is by Goodnight Crisis. This version starts with an electric feel, but it adds some screaming. The screaming takes place during the pickup to the chorus and an extended part during the bridge. The bridge also adds a hardcore feel to the song. Another quality of this version is that the lyrics are not changed. It is a bit odd to hear the male voice say some of Taylor Swift's lyrics, but at the same time it adds some humor to the song. You can look up Goodnight Crisis HERE
The final cover of Love Story is by the most well known band of the three, Forever The Sickest Kids. This version is the most electric of them all, constantly using synthesizers for voice and beats. It adds a semi techno feel to the song. This version also has the lyrics changed, but in a different way. It makes the song originally as if Taylor Swift was a guy. It does change the story somewhat to make a little less sense, but it still works. You can check FTSK out HERE.
Which one do you like the most? Comment and tell us!
I happen to have three covers of Taylor Swift's Love Story. They each are different, so I thought I'd discuss them.
The first one I have is by the Right Coast. This is probably my favorite out of the three. This one is more rock then the other two. They also make changes by making the song from Romeo's point of view. They change lyrics from "You were Romeo" to "I was Romeo" and from "I said Romeo take me" to "You said Romeo take me". This and the more upbeat rock style makes it symbolize more of the guy's point of view. You can check it out HERE
The second one I have is by Goodnight Crisis. This version starts with an electric feel, but it adds some screaming. The screaming takes place during the pickup to the chorus and an extended part during the bridge. The bridge also adds a hardcore feel to the song. Another quality of this version is that the lyrics are not changed. It is a bit odd to hear the male voice say some of Taylor Swift's lyrics, but at the same time it adds some humor to the song. You can look up Goodnight Crisis HERE
The final cover of Love Story is by the most well known band of the three, Forever The Sickest Kids. This version is the most electric of them all, constantly using synthesizers for voice and beats. It adds a semi techno feel to the song. This version also has the lyrics changed, but in a different way. It makes the song originally as if Taylor Swift was a guy. It does change the story somewhat to make a little less sense, but it still works. You can check FTSK out HERE.
Which one do you like the most? Comment and tell us!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Artist Suggestion - Amely
Amely is a four piece Alternative Rock/Pop band from Orlando, Florida. They are a fairly new band, only putting their first song on myspace a couple of months ago. However, they already have almost 430 thousand listens on myspace. An easy band to compare them to is another Floridian band, There For Tomorrow. They have similar musical styles although Amely is poppier. One quality that stands out about this band is the artist's huge musical range. Compare the beginning of I'd Rather Be Alone to the chorus. From just listening to those two parts you can see the musical talent of the lead singer, Petie.
Their first song that they released was I'd Rather Be Alone. The beginning of the song definitely has some similarities to Anberlin. When I first heard the band, that was who I compared them too. However, if you listen further through the song you can see the bands are totally different. The chorus can get in your head easily. This is definitely a standout song by them.
Their second song is On My Own. This song especially shows the singer's incredible vocal range as he stays in the high end for most of the song. A very good second release.
Their third song is a cover of Miley Cyrus's The Climb. I'll admit it now, I really dislike those Disney artists. However, Amely BLOWS the original away. They totally give it a new feel. This is one song I can listen to over and over. I understand they may be ridiculed for covering this song, but sometimes good artists need to cover terrible songs in order to make them passable.
Their fourth song and mostly recently released is Have You Ever Known. This song was just released two or three days ago when they hit 20000 friends on myspace. This song is a total style shift from the last three songs. The biggest difference is that the song is in 3/4 time. I can even see this song being a slowdance song at a party. The final chorus again shows of the extreme range of the vocalist as he goes probably higher up in his range than in any other song. I have not listened to it too much but it definitely is a great song that will probably be on my playlist for a while.
Overall, Amely is a great band for fans of poppier rock. Additionally, they are really nice guys that answer almost every comment left for them on myspace. I know this because I've had several conversations with them. I'm additionally trying to organize an interview, so if you have any questions for them post them in the comments. Also, you can go visit their myspace HERE.
Their first song that they released was I'd Rather Be Alone. The beginning of the song definitely has some similarities to Anberlin. When I first heard the band, that was who I compared them too. However, if you listen further through the song you can see the bands are totally different. The chorus can get in your head easily. This is definitely a standout song by them.
Their second song is On My Own. This song especially shows the singer's incredible vocal range as he stays in the high end for most of the song. A very good second release.
Their third song is a cover of Miley Cyrus's The Climb. I'll admit it now, I really dislike those Disney artists. However, Amely BLOWS the original away. They totally give it a new feel. This is one song I can listen to over and over. I understand they may be ridiculed for covering this song, but sometimes good artists need to cover terrible songs in order to make them passable.
Their fourth song and mostly recently released is Have You Ever Known. This song was just released two or three days ago when they hit 20000 friends on myspace. This song is a total style shift from the last three songs. The biggest difference is that the song is in 3/4 time. I can even see this song being a slowdance song at a party. The final chorus again shows of the extreme range of the vocalist as he goes probably higher up in his range than in any other song. I have not listened to it too much but it definitely is a great song that will probably be on my playlist for a while.
Overall, Amely is a great band for fans of poppier rock. Additionally, they are really nice guys that answer almost every comment left for them on myspace. I know this because I've had several conversations with them. I'm additionally trying to organize an interview, so if you have any questions for them post them in the comments. Also, you can go visit their myspace HERE.
Morning Cover Songs
One of the things I love to listen to are cover songs. Rock cover songs. Of popular songs. So another segment on this blog I will have are cover songs. I'll try to do two or three every morning.
Also, I'll love to take any suggestions of cover songs. If they're good I'll put them on here AND I'll mention you.
Absolutely (Story of a Girl) by Four Year Strong. Although one of those songs almost everyone knows if they hear it, the artist is still not well known. The original artist is Nine Days. Sound familiar now? Didn't think so. However, the Four Year Strong cover puts a definite punk feel into it. Definitely revives the song for this genre. You can listen to the cover HERE on their myspace.
Baby One More Time by August Burns Red. This song makes me laugh. Every time. Seriously, who wouldn't laugh if someone screams through a Brittney Spears song. However, any hardcore/screamo listener will love it. It was put on the Punk Goes Pop 2 compilation. This was one of the best cover albums I have ever listened to and this segment will soon have most of the album on it. I can not find a link on a myspace for it, so HERE'S the youtube page.
Also, I'll love to take any suggestions of cover songs. If they're good I'll put them on here AND I'll mention you.
Absolutely (Story of a Girl) by Four Year Strong. Although one of those songs almost everyone knows if they hear it, the artist is still not well known. The original artist is Nine Days. Sound familiar now? Didn't think so. However, the Four Year Strong cover puts a definite punk feel into it. Definitely revives the song for this genre. You can listen to the cover HERE on their myspace.
Baby One More Time by August Burns Red. This song makes me laugh. Every time. Seriously, who wouldn't laugh if someone screams through a Brittney Spears song. However, any hardcore/screamo listener will love it. It was put on the Punk Goes Pop 2 compilation. This was one of the best cover albums I have ever listened to and this segment will soon have most of the album on it. I can not find a link on a myspace for it, so HERE'S the youtube page.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Band Suggestion - Girls Get All The Action
What better way to start this blog then to feature a band with some of the nicest dudes I know. Girls Get All The Action are just one of the great bands from Northern VA. They talk to all their fans and are definitely in the business for the fun. They just released their first EP - White Lights just a couple of weeks ago.
Itunes happens to classify their music as electronica. However, it definitely has some hip-hop and rock influences. The drums are influenced by hip-hop and rap beats. To be honest, it's hard to even describe. I can not even think of a band to compare them to. There are some slower songs that have more of an epic feel such as Dream and The Future's Ours, along with some more upbeat club songs such as Behind The Sheets and Liars Turn Me On. They also did a cover of the Lady Gaga song Poker Face. During their recording of Poker Face, they went on Stickam to show the public the recording process. It definitely was something new for me, since I had no clue how bands recorded their music. They add their own twist to the song. Definitely gives it a rock feel and they change the way the lyrics flow. I prefer it over the original.
I would definitely give these guys a listen. Their myspace page is http://www.myspace.com/girlsgetalltheaction.
UPDATE:
Jason from GGATA has given me permission to put one song up for free download. Download Liars Turn Me On for free HERE.
Itunes happens to classify their music as electronica. However, it definitely has some hip-hop and rock influences. The drums are influenced by hip-hop and rap beats. To be honest, it's hard to even describe. I can not even think of a band to compare them to. There are some slower songs that have more of an epic feel such as Dream and The Future's Ours, along with some more upbeat club songs such as Behind The Sheets and Liars Turn Me On. They also did a cover of the Lady Gaga song Poker Face. During their recording of Poker Face, they went on Stickam to show the public the recording process. It definitely was something new for me, since I had no clue how bands recorded their music. They add their own twist to the song. Definitely gives it a rock feel and they change the way the lyrics flow. I prefer it over the original.
I would definitely give these guys a listen. Their myspace page is http://www.myspace.com/girlsgetalltheaction.
UPDATE:
Jason from GGATA has given me permission to put one song up for free download. Download Liars Turn Me On for free HERE.
Welcome
I'm a real fan of music in the powerpop, alternative, electronica, and screamo genres, plus I have a few band connections, and I like to share my music, so I made this blog. There will be music suggestions, myspace links, upcoming album releases, and many other things. Possibly links for music sometimes.
Any suggestions of things to put on here are definitely accepted.
Any suggestions of things to put on here are definitely accepted.
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