Updates

So, the blog has been running for approximately two months now. In that time I've had over 8000 page views. I'm genuinely shocked how well this is doing. I never thought when I started this I'd last for even this long. You people are the only reason I keep doing this. I'm glad you all appreciate what I do.

I'm leaving in half an hour for the week. As a result there will be no articles until at least next Saturday. I have a request. I want everyone to come onto this post and comment. Make a request. Praise the blog. Beat down the blog with a giant stick. I don't care. But comment. Also, the best thing you guys can do is surprise me with the view counts when I get back. I understand they will be down from usual, but hopefully you guys can bring me some more. Every single person counts.

I've added several things in the past few weeks. On the right hand column there is a list of bands that have advertised the blog. I'd like to thank every one of them personally here; Girls Get All The Action, The Arrival, Catch The Sunrise, Hello Hollywood, Runner Runner, Show Me The Skyline, Boys Will Be Boys, and The Icarus Account. They are all amazing bands full of amazing people and you all should check them out. Also, I will be updating the upcoming album list I posted last week. I made it easily linked to also in the right hand column.

After I get home, I hope to do a few more articles. Then school starts. From there I might not be able to do an article a day. I will continue to do the best I can. I hope to reintroduce the cover song articles soon. I totally ran out of ones to write about so any suggestions are definitely appreciated and will be noted in the review.

Finally, I'd like to thank some individual people that have helped me so far. Andy for attempting to work on the layout. Megan for making the banner (and much much more). Jason from Girls Get All The Action for being a big inspiration to the creation of this blog. All the people from AP.net that have totally bashed me for writing but at the same time have inspired me to go on longer. My three (four?) chatbox fangirls that always bring me both entertainment and annoyance. All my friends for helping me advertise and for giving me a big start. And my family, especially my mom for giving me this idea and would never have been made without it.

- Casey

Emotion EP Review - Breathe Electric

Tracklist:
01. Emotion
02. What Would You Say
03. The Best Of All
04. Let Go
05. The Average
06. The Endless Fight


The title track, Emotion, hooked me instantly. Every time I hear the opening beat it reminds me of a Paul Oakenfold song I heard on the radio a few years ago. I think it was called Faster Kill Pussycat. If you know it, tell me if you agree. The beats are extremely catchy although not heard before by Breathe Electric. The chorus hooks with the secondary vocals before going back into the lead singer's lower pitched voice. This is a great electropop song and definitely introduces many new techniques into the band's arsenal of tricks.

What Would You Say features the lead singer of a fairly well known band as guest vocals. The guest vocalist is Tom Higgenson from the Plain White T's. It's a pretty unorthodox combination of vocalists. The piano goes along with the electronics extremely well. It also seems more mainstream than usual. Tom Higgenson might even lead the song to top 40 radio. I wouldn't be surprised at all of that happens. It's different to hear Tom's voice electrofied instead of his usual raw vocals. He will get a lot of complaints for that. It is still a good song and definitely a highlight of the album.

The Best Of All sounds like a song that Between The Trees would do if they were a little bit poppier. The piano led first verse definitely resembles Between The Trees. The first verse doesn't seem to go along with the rest of the song. The chorus sounds just like I Can Get Back Now by You, Me, And Everyone We Know. It's another song that is a lot less electronic than usual Breathe Electric. The last chorus includes another slow piano part that as earlier does not fit in at all. The song would be much better without those slow parts. Overall, the song is still pretty good.

Let Go is another great song. It's pretty much a pure electronic track. The vocals are covered with Autotune throughout most of the song. However, Breathe Electric was always full of that. The whole song is extremely upbeat and there are almost no resting moments. The chorus is full of energy and is extremely catchy. It sounds different than every other song so far. The last album sounded pretty much the same all the way through, but this one definitely diversifies.

The Average is a remade version of the song from the first EP. I can't notice too many differences between the versions. The vocals seem a bit more sustained and covered by more autotune. This was my absolute favorite song from the first album. It was extremely catchy and never got tiring for me. I have replaced the old version with this one. There isn't enough difference to carry both versions, so I decided that renovated is better. Pick whichever version you want, but you better download it.

The Endless Fight is another totally different sounding track. It is another piano led track that is softer and less energetic. His vocals sound a little different but are still great. The chorus is basically a powerful chant. Also, uncustomary (for the band) guitar is throughout the song. This could be the beginning of a less electric BE. The guitar is definitely pleasing to hear after hearing so little beforehand. This song may have to grow on you, but it is definitely something good.

This album is much different than their last. There is much more diversity within the tracks. Hopefully there will be a full length out sometime soon. Definitely something to look forward to. You can listen to the whole album on their myspace HERE.

Hello Fascination Brief Review - Breathe Carolina

Tracklist:
01 - Hello Fascination
02 - I'm The Type Of Person to Take It Personal
03 - Take Me To Infinity
04 - Dressed Up to Undress
05 - I.D.G.A.F
06 - Welcome To Savannah
07 - I Have to Go Return Some Video Tapes
08 - The Dressing Room
09 - Tripped and Fell in Portland
10 - Can I Take You Home
11 - My Obsession
12 - Velvet
13 - Rescue

I've already talked about Hello Fascination, so here's what I said earlier. The title track of the new Breathe Carolina CD, Hello Fascination, is much different than songs such as Birds and the Bees, Diamonds, and the cover of See You Again. There's definitely more guitar than I am used to in a BC track. It begins off sounding like a hardcore song and goes back into hardcore mode at several points during the song. I also have to admit that their vocals in the song sound similarly to The Used. I'll probably get shunned from the music world for that comment, but oh well. BC seems like they are trying to separate themselves from the other "shunned" bands of the crunkcore world. Fearless is definitely doing a good job with BC.

However, the next track I'm The Kind Of Person To Take It Personal brings them back to their old lousy self. Nothing about the song stands out. The back and forth clean vocals and screaming do nothing for me in this song. Take Me To Infinity starts catchy but gets extremely monotonous after a while. Dressed Up To Undress finally is a song I can listen to. It almost sounds like a pop song at the beginning. The beats are extremely catchy and fun. The chorus is pretty good, although not great. The bridge sounds like 3oh!3 made beats for them. There is basically no screaming throughout the whole song. While not great, it's listenable.

The next song is hard to describe. It's called I.D.G.A.F. If you don't know what that means, you shouldn't be listening to this band. The first listen through this song made my lips drop on how bad the chorus was. I still think it's bad, but it stood out to me. If a part of a song stands out this much, there must be something to it. I'll admit it's semi catchy. And about 10 minutes from now I'll slap myself for saying that. Now, before I give myself more reasons to scold myself...

Welcome To Savannah comes on next. This song is great. The chorus is extremely catchy and the screaming as backup vocals definitely brings the vocals out. It sounds nothing like BC's old songs. Which is a good thing since I only liked one or two of them. The beginning of I Have To Go Return Some Video Tapes almost stopped me from listening to it. I'm glad I took time to time to listen through that part. It still isn't a great song, but it's decent instead of horrid. The second half of the first verse is a screaming/singing part while the chorus is definitely pretty good. The verses after the first are also much better than the intro.

The Dressing Room is another song with a good chorus and decent verses. The beats definitely sound like something from their first album. However, the chorus flows extremely well and is extremely catchy. Tripped And Fell In Portland is something totally new for BC. It sounds like a hardcore song at the beginning. There's as little electronica as you can imagine in a BC song. The screaming part isn't great in this song and could definitely have been done better. The chorus is great as well. This is a song that is a huge surprise for the band. I've even heard AP.net people praising this song. Well...more than usual for BC.

Can I Take You Home is one of the best songs on the album. However, the best hasn't come yet. The beats are great and the chorus is even better. This is another song in which BC sounds nothing like their past style. My Obsession is a strange song. The beats in the verses sound like it was made from kitchen utensils. The chorus is pretty good, but still nothing special. Of course, it leads up to...

Velvet. Easily the best song on the album. The beats are upbeat and strangely addictive. The chorus has been stuck in my head for days. The lyrics flow perfectly together and are full of intensity. This is probably the most intense song I have heard by BC. The lyrics aren't great, but the song is just too darn catchy. The album then ends on Rescue. Not a great song. The lyrics sound like chants. Breathe Carolina shouldn't attempt to do a slow song. It's not part of their style. At all.

Overall, this album is decent. It reminds me of the Cobra album in my opinion of it. There's a few songs I like, but most of the album isn't special at all. However, Velvet makes the album go up more than a few points. The album comes out in two and a half hours. It will be released on myspace at midnight HERE.

Artist Profile - Thee Armada

Some of you might have seen the Toyota Rock The Space contest on Myspace. Thee Armada is one of the final five bands in the contest. I've had the pleasure of knowing this band for about a year now. They definitely deserve to win the record deal. They're a pop/rock band from Texas and they take much pride in their hometown. Their first song was actually a song played during Houston Astros games.

That first song I heard for the first time on Sirius Hits 1. Rock Shock and Load is a great rock anthem that could have gotten tons of airplay if it had more publicity. They proclaim themselves the "Boys of Texas" while claps are going along with the beat. The claps then turn into drums and guitar. The Rock Shock And Load hook is shouted right before the chorus. You can tell why this song was a stadium smash hit.

However, the next song I heard by them became one of my favorite songs. Along The Way is the perfect song about having great friends. For my sister's party montage she needed a song for friends. I suggested to use this song. She loved it and it fit in perfectly with the montage. The lyrics have tons of meaning at the riffs are strong. The chorus flows perfectly and the bridge keeps the song moving. You need to download this song now. It's one of the best songs I've ever heard.

They released a new EP in May of this year. I'm not a real fan of it. However, the song on their Toyota Contest player is from this EP. It is easily the best on the EP. It's a fun little song with an amazing hook. The "lalalalala" during the chorus is absolutely irresistible and will hook a listener from the start. If you have any doubt about the catchiness of the song, the whoas during the chorus will remedy that. The guitar also goes along with this song and gives it a great rock feel.

Thee Armada is currently working on their first full length. I think getting signed to Myspace Records would help their record reach its full potential. A real record label would get plenty of publicity for them and allow them to break through. Definitely go vote for them. Check out their myspace HERE.

Artist Profile - i Rival

I know many of the readers of the blog are interested in the DanceRawrDance tour featuring Breathe Carolina, Family Force Five, and Cash Cash. One band most of you might not know that will be on the tour is i Rival. They are an experimental rock band using styles from both rock and electronica. Also, they were formerly known as Esme. Their music on iTunes is still under the old name. That's why you might not have been able to find them on iTunes. However, some member changes including additions of members of National Product convinced them to change their name. The name change did not change their music as they still sound exactly the same as before. Thus all their old songs are still used.

The first song I heard by them was Dreams Are Real. It definitely begins sounding like a dream before drums and guitar come in. The "sparkle sound" affect is used throughout the song to continue the dream feel. The lyrics in the chorus go perfectly with the theme of the song. The verses aren't the best, but they aren't terrible either. The drums and guitar are both extremely impressive during the bridge. They are definitely worth listening for. This song immediately turned me on to the band long before i Rival was even an idea.

Close Your Eyes was the second song by them I really loved. This song is basically the album title track. If the song would be any other name, it would be the album name. It is definitely a prominent theme in the song. The chorus is what won me over. The "don't wake up" hook instantly got stuck in my head. It flows extremely well as well as being instrumentally impressive. The bridge also keeps the song mysterious and powerful. Definitely another song to download.
However, their best track so far is their first i Rival song Make Me Scream. They had previews of the song up on myspace for months without having the full version. Recently the full version was added. The electronics in the first verse stay mysterious until the song comes on strong with guitar. The chorus is even better than Close Your Eyes. Powerful lyrics and strong but catchy melodies create an amazing chorus. The first half of the bridge is mysterious while the second half is one of the best electronical rock combinations I have ever heard. I think you know my verdict on this song. Get it as soon as possible.

This band is about to bust out huge with this upcoming tour. Additionally, they are touring with Hit The Lights, Sparks The Rescue, and There For Tomorrow in October and November. That is one tour which if I do not go to then bad things will happen. They are also releasing a new album, Don't Wake Up Extended, on September 6th. I'm guessing this will be the old EP + several new songs. Check out i Rival on Myspace HERE.

Spain Album Review - Between The Trees

Tracklist:
01. We Can Try
02. Spain
03. The One Thing
04. One Last Time (Darlin' II)
05. Story Of A Boy
06. Miss You
07. Move
08. Scarecrow
09. Gentleman
10. Changed By You

We Can Try was the first single released off the album. The intro starts with an instrumental version of the chorus with guitar as the melody and piano as the lyrics. The verses are calm with background drums and piano. The guitar comes in right before the chorus and gives plenty of intensity. The chorus flows extremely well and has gotten stuck in my head many times. The bridge is a great guitar part followed by a great final chorus. This was definitely a perfect choice for the first single. An amazing track to start off one of my favorite albums so far this year.
Spain begins with upbeat keyboard as guitar comes in to accompany it. The verses are definitely a huge contrast to We Can Try. However, the chorus is extremely good. The lyrics and vocals are both amazing. It flows perfectly and as in We Can Try has gotten stuck in my head. It contrasts from the verses in a way that works well. The final chorus builds up intensity as the instruments come in the second time through. Another amazing track.
The One Thing begins acoustically with piano. Between The Trees has definitely created diversity between each song. The verses are very calm and peaceful. Drums give the chorus a little more intensity without totally disrupting the mood. The drums continue on through the chorus along with the verse. The intensity is at its highest during the bridge until it eases off slightly in the chorus. After the first two songs on this album, this one seems only decent. It's a very good song, but pales in comparison to the first ones.
One Last Time begins with another musical difference; the time signature. It's 6/8. Every song to this point has had it's differences from the others. That is what is perfect for a band. Making songs different without losing their general sound. The chorus is what really stands out about the song. There is plenty of intensity while still being sweet. The bridge is a great instrumental part that definitely stands out in the song. This is another great song on the level of the first two tracks.
Story Of A Boy begins with piano driving the lyrics until drums and a little guitar come in. The chorus again stands out in the song. It almost seems like the tempo speeds up. It's much different sounding than the other songs so far. The tempo seems to slow back down at the end to go back to the original pace. The bridge is a piano solo with a little guitar backing it. The song ends with a guitar solo before a final slow singing part. Another great song. 5 songs through and no one song sounds the same.
Miss You is the first song that I don't think is great. I do think the first verse is pretty good however. The unplugged electric guitar sounds very good. However, once the drums come in I become less of a fan of the flow and the vocals. The vocalist however does show off his great range. I'm not a fan of the chorus either. This song just isn't my style in general. However, it does not diminish from the greatness of the album so far.
Move is another song that begins differently. It has a rock/reggae feel with the guitars for the first verse. The bridge to the chorus displays amazing vocals while the chorus is another great chorus in the style of the first two tracks. It is not as good as them though. The bridge is another guitar led segment with decent vocals. Another good song, however it is middle of the pack.
Scarecrow is a slower piano song. The opening sounds like what The Fray wishes they could have done in Never Say Never. The chorus is repetitive but is sweet in its own way. The first chorus fades out with tons of emotion as drums and guitar come in to support. The bridge is great as it is full of emotion and intensity. Another really good song.
Gentleman begins cutely lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally. The guitar comes in to add intensity before the chorus. The chorus is fairly good. I'm a fan of several parts of it, but some parts just don't seem to fit for me. The chorus and the verses stick out from each other. The bridge is great although it sounds a little bit like Viva La Vida. The songs still are all totally different. Can the last song keep up the trend?
It does. Changed By You is a slow piano ballad that never adds guitar. The vocals are very good especially during the chorus. The vocalist definitely takes advantage of the slow song to express his voice. It's an extremely good love song that combines the simplistic nature of the piano with the lyrics and vocals. This song is a definite standout song as the only song without guitar in it.
This is probably one of the best albums I have heard. I was never a real fan of Between The Trees. Although I had their last album, it never grew on me. This album has been playing on my ipod for the last few days now. I've played it so often I had to review it. Support the band. Buy the album. Listen to them on myspace HERE.

Rain Or Shine EP Review - Show Me The Skyline

Tracklist:
1. Clocks & Calendars
2. It's On Me
3. Get On Your Feet
4. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
5. Speak Up



Before I start reviewing the album, I will start by saying that this is not a lousy electropop album. The cover may make you think that. It's actually a really good pop/rock album with better guitar than you might expect. Also, they're only 2500 plays away from a million. So help em out by listening on myspace below.
Clocks & Calendars begins with a combination of synthesizers and guitar blended together. The verses flow well and definitely stand out. The chorus however is even better. The lyrics and the rhythms all move together perfectly. It is also extremely catchy and will get you to sing along. I definitely think the lyrics sound like Artist Vs Poet. The bridge has hints of All Time Low in it. The final chorus has great riffs throughout the whole thing. This is definitely a great song that can appeal to many different musical tastes. A definite must listen.
The beginning of It's On Me is a bit of a turnoff to me. The electro sounds definitely do not appeal to me. However, if you take 5 seconds for the guitars to come in, the song definitely gets better. The bridge to the chorus is full of extremely catchy hooks. The chorus is good, but nothing special. The bridge does not stand out to me. This is a good song, but nothing special.
Get On Your Feet begins with an extremely depressed tone. The lyrics and piano help with the tone. The guitars then come in and gives the song some energy. Just as suddenly as the guitars come in, the tone changes. It starts to become somewhat of a party song. The chorus is extremely well put together. I can imagine it being a huge crowd song in a concert. The bridge is full of glisses (a note then instantly scaling down quickly a couple of notes) that definitely add some style to it. This song has many stylistic changes that are different from the rest of the album. Definitely another song to check out.
Put Your Money Where You Mouth Is is another song that does not stand out much to me. The verses are decent, but nothing about them is great. The chorus is pretty good, but nothing special. The bridge might be the best part of the song. I love the rhythm and the electronic melody instead of guitar. I suppose the song is catchy, especially the hook in the chorus, but other than that there isn't much more to say.
Speak Up instantly begins with a lot of energy and remains that way throughout the entire song. The guitar and electronics stay very enthusiastic. The chorus isn't as good as the verses, but at least the energy never leaves. The bridge is quieter but the beats definitely keep intensity. The bridge is a repeated chant that could definitely be another great concert part. This song is middle of the pack; not as great as Clocks and Calendars and Get On Your Feet, but still with the other two tracks.
This album is definitely a great Pop/Rock album. You may not think it from the cover artwork, but you might be pleasantly surprised. The members are extremely friendly and will definitely talk to their fans. They are in the studio recording their new album right now, and I am extremely excited. Check them out on myspace HERE.

Upcoming Album Releases

Post in comments which ones you want reviews for. Or any others that I do not have listed.
This is preliminary, as I do not know which ones will be added and such.
Actually, I am going to link this on the side. If you ever need album/single releases, it will be here.

September 22nd:
Monty Are I - Break Through The Silence
Three Days Grace - Life Starts Now

September 29th:
Paramore - Brand New Eyes
Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony

October 6th
Family Force 5 - The Family Force 5 Christmas Pageant
Mayday Parade - Anywhere But Here (Full Review)
Relient K - Forget and Not Slow Down
The Years Gone By - Something You Know Nothing About
Racing Kites - Right Here, Right Now

October 13th
A Rocket To The Moon - On Your Side
The Summer Set - Love Like This

October 20th
Cartel - Cycles

November 3rd
Every Avenue - Picture Perfect
The Almost - Monster, Monster

November 17th
Forever The Sickest Kids - This Weekend, Part One: Friday

You Are Forgotten EP Review - Conditions

Track List:
1. American Castles
2. Born Again Question
3. Man To Mannequin
4. Citizen
5. Illuminati
6. Goodbye Good Name



Conditions starts the CD with American Castles. This verses are high energy and while the chorus seems to have less energy, it is just because the vocals take more of a prominent role. The political lyrics have lots of meaning in them. The bridge has guitar that does not sound like it belongs to the rest of the song, but it gives a different feel while the lyrics mysteriously are quiet in the background. This song isn't anything special, but it is a great opening to the album.
Born Again Question is another song similar to American Castles. The songs begins with great guitar and is very high energy. I'm not really a fan of the chorus. It's just not my style of idea chorus. The bridge has a small fill that definitely adds a kick to the song. The last chorus has chant vocals harmonized in the background. Another decent song, but again it is nothing special.
The next track, Man To Mannequin, is their most popular song. As with Artist Vs Poet, it was featured on the iPod app Tap Tap Revenge 2. That is actually where I first heard of the band. The song opens with a great drum buildup into great guitar. This is definitely one of my favorite songs from the album. I love the flow and pace of both the chorus and the verses. This song is also a bit more mainstream than their other songs. If you only can download one song from the album, then this is the one for you.
Citizen reverts back to the rock style of their first two songs. The intro is full of great guitar, but then crashes in the verse. I do not like the verses at all. It's the scattered style I do not like at all. I prefer lyrics to be more connected than broken apart. I hear hints of Saosin in the chorus. I am talking about recent Saosin, not Anthony Green Saosin. Saosin's last album is actually what I would most compare Conditions to. I'm a fan of the chorus and bridge, redeeming the song from the miserable verses. A song to check out if you're a Saosin lover.
The next song, Illuminati, is actually a bit of a coincidence for me. I just finished reading Angels And Demons. Great book by the way. Read it if you haven't. The song starts slow in the intro before having a phrase of big guitar. The verses then fade back out and go back to the relative calm of the intro. The chorus again sounds like Saosin. However, I like this song more than Citizen. The better verses definitely make a difference. One of the songs I like most on the album.
The verses of the final track, Goodbye Good Name sounds like another band I really like; Anberlin. The vocals definitely sound similar to Anberlin songs such as Godspeed. I did not see this comparison in any of the other songs. The good news is that this means the vocals are great. Anberlin is revered for their great vocals. This is another high energy song that flows pretty well. The bridge is full of good riffs and definitely helps finish off this good album.
This melodic rock album definitely has it's ups and downs. Conditions is a band just starting to get out there. They are actually just about to hit 1 million plays on myspace. Definitely go listen to help support them. Listen to them on myspace HERE.

Artist Profile - Artist Vs Poet

Artist Vs Poet is a 5 piece powerpop/rock band from Dallas, Texas. They formed in late 2007 and were signed to Fearless in about a year. They released their first self titled EP in November 2008 before being named by Alternative Press as "one of the 100 Bands You Need to Know in 2009". They are currently in the studio working on their first full length album. This catchy band has emerged quickly and as shown by their signing to Fearless they are becoming well known.
Catchy hooks such as in the chorus of Run Away are what makes AVP stand out. Run Away was a song many people found through the popular iPod app Tap Tap Revenge 2. The opening of the song has great guitar. Additionally, I'm a real fan of the singer's vocals. The chorus is full of hooks that will easily make you love this song. If you need to download one song by them, download this.
Assurance, Closure is another great song. It starts small while building up instruments to the chorus. The guitar comes in strong at the chorus and is another catchy song. There might be a hint of autotune in the chorus, but it sounds great in the one place it might have been used. I'm not 100% sure, so don't take my word for this. There is some cool sounding guitar in the bridge that doesn't seem to show up anywhere else. Overall it sounds similar to Run Away, but as I've mentioned in other reviews that a sound is okay to continue using as long as it's not the band's only sound.
All In is a song that definitely has a different style than the other songs. The song is almost entirely a slow acoustic song. There is also some piano placed in throughout the song. I'm not a real fan of the verses. The pace just doesn't work to me. The chorus is definitely much better as intensity is added. There's also a small electric guitar part during the bridge. It doesn't seem to fit too much. It's a good song, but definitely not my ideal acoustic song.
Artist Vs Poet definitely got off on a good start. Their new album is one of my most awaited albums. There has not been a release date released yet, but when it is I will definitely inform you all. Other songs such as Infallible and Lisa Marie stick to the Run Away/Assurance/Closure style. I would definitely suggest downloading the whole album. Check out Artist Vs Poet on myspace HERE.

Playlist - August 7th Edition

All Time Low - Toxic Valentine. Toxic Valentine is a song coming off the soundtrack for Jennifer's Body. The soundtrack also includes the new Panic! song, a new Cobra song, and a Hayley Williams solo song. There was a real reason this song was not placed on Nothing Personal. It's rather simple. The song sounds nothing like the rest of the album. From the beginning the guitars sound nothing like any of the songs from Nothing Personal. It definitely sounds more like a song from Put Up or Shut Up. It's less upbeat and more rock feeling than the pop-punk sounds of usual All Time Low. So far, the first two songs from the soundtrack are really good. I'm really excited about the Hayley song especially. Check out ATL on myspace HERE.

Owl City - Fireflies. I first heard this song as a free download on Itunes. I had heard songs by Owl City before, but they didn't stand out to me. However, I heard this song and fell in love with it. Adam Young is an extremely good lyricist that puts good relaxing beats to his lyrics. The beat is extremely playful and goes along perfectly with the lyrics. It sounds like fireflies dancing in the wind during the song. I am sorry for anyone who missed the free song, since this was probably the best free song since Check Yes Juliet. You can listen to Owl City on myspace HERE.

The Higher - The Runaway Artist. This song is a lot more mellow than some of their other songs off the album. It is about a girl who ran away from home to live her dreams of becoming a singer. Although she accomplishes her dream, she leaves her home behind and changes everything about her. The song starts with soft guitar and light drum beats and continues on throughout the whole song. This song definitely is more of a story song than a party song especially when compared with the R&B influences of the rest of the album. It's different than the other songs, but still is one of my favorites. In a future playlist article I'm probably going to talk about one of the more upbeat songs by them. Until then, listen to The Higher on myspace HERE.

Better Now Than Never EP Review - The Real You

Tracklist
1. The Truth About Liars
2. Unwound
3. Worse For The Wear
4. Wrong Side Of My Head
5. What It Means To (Love)





The first thing that needs to be said is that The Real You uses piano in all of their songs, separating them from other bands. The Truth About Liars begins sounding almost exactly like Bubbly by Colbie Calliat. However, it is more upbeat and led by piano instead of guitar. Cymbols come in as beats while the piano keeps driving the song. The vocalist performs amazingly and the lyrics are great. The song is musically very diverse as there are just scales of piano stuck in at times. I actually just downloaded this song tonight, and I already like it a lot.
The next song, Unwound, is the reason I wanted to start writing this review. This song could possibly be in my top 10, if not 5 favorite songs of all time. The opening piano is absolutely amazing and as soon as I heard it I was hooked. The lyrics in the chorus are amazing as well as the flow. The piano and guitar work together perfectly to create an absolute masterpiece of a song. I wasn't exaggerating when I said this could be one of my favorite songs ever.
Worse For The Wear was another song I downloaded tonight. It opens by sounding like elevator music with a little bit of a rock feel. The piano slowly comes in when the verse comes. It seems to be a lot less prevalent than the first few songs until the piano solo during the bridge. Jingle bells are heard in the background during the chorus. This song definitely has a different feel to it than the other songs. It's not my favorite, but maybe it will grow on me. It's still a song worth getting.
Wrong Side Of My Head is another song with more guitar than the first two songs. The piano plays more of a background role again. However, it does add some cool effects such as the wind chime sounding scales. I'm not a real fan of this song. It seems a bit too boring to me. There's not much that stands out to me as in Unwound or The Truth About Liars. If you can only get two or three songs, I wouldn't suggest this one.
What It Means To (Love) is another piano led track. The piano continuously leads the song throughout the full length of it. There's some cool guitar between the verse and the chorus which is only heard if you pay attention. Just a little something to listen for. The chorus is catchy with all the "la la la love" phrases and can get you to sing along. This is another good song that I would definitely suggest downloading.
The Real You is definitely a band on the rise. Their piano based alt rock sound is one not heard in many bands nowadays. More bands should try to follow this format. It definitely adds a whole other dimension to the music. I would recommend everyone to buy Unwound right about now. Check them out on myspace HERE.

To Love And Back Album Review - This Century

Track List:
1. Battling A Heavy Heart
2. To Love And Back
3. Running
4. No Way Out
5. Go Get Her
6. So Cruel



Battling A Heavy Heart begins with drums accompanied by electronics. The electronics fade out to simple drums and bass. The guitar comes in during the first verse and continues on through the chorus. The song is a simple song, yet is catchy and refreshing. I can't see anything that stands out to me, but that doesn't make it a bad song. Simple catchy pop songs work well as long as there is some diversity within the songs.
The title track, To Love And Back, definitely stands out much more. It begins with piano covering the melody with guitar covering the beat. This basically goes on throughout the song. The chorus flows extremely well lyrically and melodically. It still keeps the simple pop song style, but the piano adds another element to the song. I also think that even though they beat of the chorus isn't as catchy, the lyrics flow much better. A highlight from the album.
Running is a longer song; over a minute longer than the rest of the songs. I'm not a huge fan of the verses. They aren't bad, but nothing about them stands out. The pickup to the chorus is several loud heavy drum beats. That is the beginning of the improvement to the song. The chorus is catchy and easy to hum along to. The guitar after the chorus comes in much stronger than the rest of the song. Although it stays to the same style, it definitely sounds different than the other songs. Another great track.
The verses of No Way Out are simple piano and cymbol taps. The lyrics are soft and sweet. The chorus comes in with louder guitar and drums and extremely catchy hooks. The backup vocals definitely help make the song stand out. They create the catchiness of the hooks and along with the claps during the bridge create crowd participation.
Go Get Her definitely sounds different than the rest of the album. It definitely seems more rock than the other songs. The louder guitars and stylistic changes make that easy to realize. The bridge and the pickup to the final chorus also add more rock elements to the song. It's a good song that adds diversity to the album.
So Cruel is a great ending to the album. The song is a heartbreak song about a cheating girl. The melody is piano with drums and guitar as the beat. The chorus is simple but catchy. Actually, simple but catchy can be the theme of the whole album. As I said before, that's not a bad thing. Music does not have to be life changing and epic to be good. Sometimes simple music is all that's needed to have a good time.
This Century's album is definitely full of fun and fairly upbeat music. A great band for guys to play for their girlfriends. Definitely a good album to listen to. You can listen to This Century on myspace HERE.

Hot Mess Album Quickie Review - Cobra Starship

This is a quick review of the album. I'm not doing a full track review; instead I will go over the Highlights and Lowlights.

I'm not a huge fan of Cobra, but I have liked several songs on each album. Plus, after the major success of Good Girls Go Bad I was curious to see what the album would sound like. To be honest I'm not thrilled with it.
Nice Guys Finish Last is a decent song. It's very electric and jumpy and is a pretty good opening to the album. Cobra even inserted a guitar solo in the bridge. After the guitar solo there's a weird call and response part with a female voice. The more I listen to this song I can see it's pretty catchy. This might be one of the ones I like.
Pete Wentz Is The Only Reason We're Famous was the first song released long before Good Girls Go Bad came out. This song instantly became a song I liked a lot. The chorus is extremely catchy with great hooks. This song could and should be the second single off the album. It's less electric than many of their other songs while still being just as catchy as the others.
Everyone knows Good Girls Go Bad. I see no point reviewing it, however I do have something to say. I know many people are angry that this song went popular. Who cares? Like the music for the music. Not for the popularity of it. Don't hate the band just because they sell out. If you still like the music, keep liking it. If they change it so you don't like it, move on. Don't hate.
You're Not In On The Joke is a song that I actually like. The chorus is extremely catchy with "T-t-t-t-t-tongue in my cheek" as a great hook. The lyrics throughout the whole song flow extremely well. This song stood out to me from the first listen. That's important to me. Those songs are usually the ones that turn out to be the best. The bridge is very unusual in which there are screams. Rumors say that it's Pete Wentz. The song then continues with only a piano accompanyment.
Hot Mess is a song that grew on me over time. I originally thought it was pretty bad, but the chorus definitely won me over. The catchy hooks along with the background bongo drums created a great club-rock song.
Living In The Sky With Diamonds stood out to me with the name as being similar to the Beatles song. The chorus doesn't sound like anything that Cobra has done.
The last song, The World Will Never Do, is absolutely terrible. The beat reminds me of a bad song in the background during a porno. Yes, I seriously just said that. They even threw a rap part in at the end. I can't imagine why they would do that. It did nothing to make this lousy song any better.

I'm not a fan of the remixes or the bonus track, so I don't see a point of getting the bonus album. To me, someone who does not know much of Cobra's older stuff other than their few singles, I wasn't thrilled at all. This seems like an album which might grow on me, but also might not. If any other Cobra fans would like to disagree with me, go ahead. I'm willing to take input on this compared to their old stuff. Listen to Cobra on myspace HERE.

Boys Will Be Boys Album Release Show - Videos

Boys Will Be Boys Album Release Show - Review

**All pictures and videos taken by Megan**

I went to the Boys Will Be Boys album release show last night at Jammin Java. 8 bands played in total. Almost all of them were small bands I had never heard of. Me and my friend were the first people in line at about 4:15 PM. The eighth band was not added until 10 minutes before the show, however they were definitely one of the best.
The first band to perform was Cowabunga. Although they had a TON of energy performing, they were not very good musically live. The guitars totally covered up all the singing. I could barely hear any of the lyrics. The recorded versions of their songs seem to sound a lot like Hit The Lights. The good news is that they had fun and that is all that is important for them.
I was a much bigger fan of Ever Since Ebbwood. They were definitely much better musically. It's great to see this kind of ability from small bands. They did a cover of Whatever You Like which is currently on their myspace. I don't have too much else to say about them, but are definitely worth checking out.
The next band, McTwist, is actually a band from my city. It's actually really cool seeing bands that know places that you know. Their music wasn't bad, but it didn't really stand out to me. It was still decent pop-punk. The best part about them was after the performance the guitarist challenged everyone to Super Smash Brothers on N64. He was good. I'll say that. And good is a relative term. He was
amazing.
The next band, Pathway To Providence, was a band I had found the night before getting prepared for the concert. And wow, they are great. Also, they are amazingly nice guys. I bought a shirt from them and they made sure to round up the entire band to sign the shirt. I also got a picture afterwards. They're from Florida and are good friends with two of my favorite bands; There For Tomorrow and Amely. They definitely have a somewhat similar style to the two bands as well. Three songs I have to recommend are I Am The Tower, Hypochondria, and Meet Me At The Terminal. The first two are great rock songs while Meet Me At The Terminal is an amazing acoustic love song. Definitely a must listen band.
I did not get a very good listen to the next band, Life On High, since I was busy getting the signatures from Pathway. However, I did return in time to hear their single and only recorded song, Say Hello. This song is on Itunes and is a must listen. This song makes me look forward to their next recorded material. They did do a Jonas Brothers cover, which made them lose points on my coolness scale (just kidding guys).
The next band was the band that was added last second. The Icarus Account is a band of two brothers playing acoustic rock. They switch off voices similar to The Scene Aesthetic. They were absolutely amazing live. To be honest I wasn't too thrilled to hear them since I knew I thought it wouldn't be that fun of a performance. That didn't matter. They have amazing voices and are extremely nice guys that care about their fans. I met them before their performance and after it when I went up to them to buy my friend her CD/Shirt (totally worth it) they remembered our names. This band could easily bust out in the way of The Scene Aesthetic. They put their Burn (Usher) Cover up on purevolume for free download.
The next performance was by B.Faithful. He is a former rapper who recently turned to electric pop. It was absolutely terrible in my opinion. He overdid the autotune and basically boasted about using it. He also had a "fanclub" of absolutely drunk girls that went up stage and "danced." I really don't have much more to say about this at all.
Finally, Boys Will Be Boys went on. Although I had seen them play before, I never saw them play full band. I was not let down at all. The singer, Lehi, had a cold and had a bit of difficulty performing; however he still did a great job. The guitarist, Joe, was absolutely amazing on guitar. Some of the solos during songs I had no clue were actually played. He totally owned them and throughout the night played some of the best guitar I had ever personally seen. They played Make This Count, Forever, Jaded (Forget You), Word On The Street, Stop Calling Me, a cover of All The Small Things, Until I Leave, and Thats What's Up. I definitely suggest to everyone to buy the CD. It's great.










The show was definitely worth going to. I do want to say that I feel honored that BWBB has looked at the blog and actually remembered me from their other show. It means a lot that bands actually support the blog. That was one of my reasons for making the blog. I want to get to know bands and I want to tell people about them. I also became friends with many of the other bands during the evening. Support them all!