Música Miscellanea

Things Venues DO NOT Care About

2009-07-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

I’m not bragging, but I have been involved in music in all sorts of aspects for almost 5 years now (yes, even when I was young). I started out by learning photoshop and audacity, then moved on to other computer programs. Then, I started working with different artists and bands trying to improve them. I have been the coordinator, the publicist, the producer, the critic, and occasionally, the rabid fan (Muse anyone?). But something I have noticed more and more is that bands don’t understand exactly how getting a gig works, and far worse, they usually do exactly the opposite of what would get them the show. Any band needs to put themselves in the place of the person who owns the venue, and not to make them sound like crooks, but these venues are usually concerned about how many people you will be bringing to your show. In other words, how much business AKA money will you bring them if they let you play. Even if you aren’t playing, at say, the Handlebar, whatever church or coffeehouse you are playing at is still interested in the customers or face value you’re bringing. In general, venues (or even me if I’m organizing the show) do NOT care about the following things….

Who you have played for. Unless you’re playing with them at my show, or it’s a local band with heavy draw.
Where you got featured. There is only one paper her called The Greenville News and not many people even read that. Similar to this, I don’t care what press clippings you include in your letter or link to in the email.
Who produced your EP. Saying that Rick Rubin produced your album is like saying Emeril Lagasse made your dinner. He’s going to do it for anyone… as long as they can pay.
Hometown fame. Self explanatory. Unless you have a bus of hometown fans following you, I don’t care.
How good you are. I actually do care how good you are, but I don’t want to hear it from you. Similar to the press thing. Why the hell would you give me or tell me bad things?
Last of all, I don’t care what you sound like. If you tell me that your post-grunge, Radiohead influenced trance rock will have my crowd enthralled, I am going to stare at you and nod my head slightly (you can guess what that means). The only reason I care about what you play is so I don’t mis-match bands or overlap fan bases. Personally, I prefer to have a variety of bands, as long as it is all in the same vein of music.

Review: Swoon by Silversun Pickups

2009-06-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

One thing I have noticed about myself is that I like music with texture. What do I mean when I say this? I mean that I like music that you can feel, both on a physical (auditory) and emotional level. I'm not talking about bumpin' dance music. that takes the fun out of the texture, I'm talking about weaving and intricate music. A prime example of this is the new album, Swoon, by the Silversun Pickups. In their second full album, the pickups have taken the same formula from their first album, Carnavas, reworked the material into new tracks, and gotten a few upgrades typical of a sophomore album. On the surface, the album is a solid second attempt, but the album can do a number on you if you let it. Unfortunately, I did.

One reviewer I saw compared the entire to a beached whale. Yea, out come the metaphors. This description is right on track for the mood of the album. Follow these emotions: you go out on the beach after hearing haunting shrill moans. It is sometime past midnight as your feet hit the cool sand. You are forced to walk some distance before you come to the dark, looming figure that you now recognize as a whale. This is what Swoon is like... it is dark, mysterious, sometimes brooding, and majestic. Despite some of the altrock tracks, the album as a whole maintains this mood. The title track is an exception. It kicks off with a few guitar licks and a catchy verse hook. The 3rd track embodies that dark mood. Its bass line and shimmering guitars break out into guitar fuzz near the end. The 5th track has already received considerable airplay. "Panic Switch" is the perfect soundtrack to a bad trip (go ahead, click the link for my definition). It's a sort of schizo track, but well crafted and compelling. The album kinda drops off after "Panic Switch" but still maintains a good listen. Of particular interest is "Draining", "Sort Of", and "Catch and Release".

The one drawback of the album lies in the fact that the volume, dynamics, and overall production of the softest track is not much less than that of the loudest track. The Pickups have garnered many a comparison to the Smashing Pumpkins and the one thing that separates the two is that for every slow song the Pumpkins had, there was a robust one. All of the songs on Swoon maintain the consistency of overcooked cabbage. But again, the lack of truly alive "tracks" per se is what gives rise to what i like: a collection of musical textures. Though Swoon lacks in the epic album department, it wins in the department of well crafted alternative rock.

Final Grade: 68
Vocals/Lyrics: 13
Music: 14
Production: 13
Creativity: 15
Value (Was it worth the listen?): 13

Kid CuDi, a New Edge for Hip-Hop

2009-05-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

I have to give props to my man Jeremy for this one. Kid CuDi is a sight for sore eyes in the genre of Hip-Hop. The alternative rapper shows his versatility through his style and recordings. The beats are solid, and his voice tops off the production. The music flows and the tunes and beats are pretty dang catchy. His first mixtape, "A Kid Named CuDi" caught the attention of everyone's favorite egotistical beast rapper, Kanye West, which got Cudi signed to GOOD Music (think John Legend and Common). "A Kid Named CuDi" also features the first single off of Cudi's upcoming album, Day 'n Nite. This song features a smooth Trip Hop beat sparsed with introspective lyrics about a lonely smoker. But I more prefer Cudi's other mixtape, "Dat Kid From Cleveland". This one shows a better selection of Cudi's abilities, especially on the song "Poke Her Face" and "Super Boo", a driving song with more than solid rapping.

I'm pretty sure that we are going to be hearing more from Cudi. Though it would be sacrilege to compare him to Kanye (and doing such would warrant a call from Kanye's PR team), I believe that Cudi will, like Kanye, be continuously successful. The first album, "Man on the Moon: The Gaurdians" is expected to be released August 25th.

Go HERE for mixtape albums and more.

Cudi Myspace

Why I Love TWLOHA's Music

2009-01-12T21:38:00.000-08:00

To Write Love On Her Arms has great taste in music. Argue with me all you want, but the artists closest to TWLOHA are excellent, talented, and down-to-earth bands. I am watching the Heavy and Light show that happened last night in Orlando's House of Blues. These are the type of concerts I enjoy most. Music is personal, so why should I honor some rock god on a stage half a mile away from me? Even though I am watching a recording of a simulcast from last night, I can feel the vibe of open friendliness between those on stage and in the audience as if I was there. True, I am biased to about anything TWLOHA does, but these acoustic performances are awesome. The concert featured performaces from the lead singers of Bayside, Thrice, The Almost, and Switchfoot. If all of them on stage isn't enough, then how about them together? The encore in itself is worth the watch. The concert was not a benefit, but simply an evening of music. The kind of night where you are reassured that there is still love between people in this world. The footage will be available for a day or two. Please, enjoy.

Provided by SyncLive.com

Review: Anberlin, Madina Lake, Between the Trees and The Becoming Concert

2009-01-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

I really hate that i don't take pictures at concerts I go to, but it's a policy of mine. I'm there for the music and the experience, not as a photographer, but this post is going to be rather difficult without the photo proof of the experience. Me and "the gang" with a few lineup changes headed to Asheville's The Orange Peel to catch this one. Concert started actually on time at 8 PM.

First up was The Becoming. I don't have much to say about them, except their sampler/keys/synth dude had a sweet set-up and they probably get this guy to do their hair. The different elements of their music by themselves were ok, but together, at least live, it didn't jive well. After listening to their music on myspace, I'm disappointed by the live show, the few good things about them didn't shine through at all, and that singer got on my nerves. Lower voice, similar to demon hunter, but devoid of all dynamic ability. OH! yea, I forgot. I swear the bassist (I think) had a tattoo of OJ Simpson on his left wrist. This band is from Nashville, just signed to Tooth and Nail, and according to them, just made it to #1 on Christian Charts. This surprised me, cause I get an email weekly with a readout of all the chart crap that way I don't have to listen to the radio to know what's "hot", yet I had never heard of these guys. They aren't anywhere on Billboard, iTunes, or Christianrock.net. After some searching, I found some chart I'm not familiar with that verily, had them listed at #1 with "Your Love" (Red @ 2, which is what I thought was #1). Go figure. Their current album, Volume I is now available.

Next, it was time for me to be frustrated. After seeing Between the Trees with Rene Yohe from TWLOHA in Greenville, I was amazed by their live performance. So I dug out their album from the massive iTunes library and gave it a re-listen and was reminded why I had ditched the band in the first place. To me, the album goes in a direction musically that this band isn't meant for. It's hard to explain, maybe these guys just need to go make a live album, but I don't feel the energy and earnestness on the album that I get live. I feel they're ok on the album, but live, the music is fuller, the vocals better (Lead Ryan Kirkland is amazing),the message clearer, and the energy far more apparent. I understand that's natural because you're actually seeing them perform, but this band still remains a mystery to me with their studio vs. live difference. Bonus points for the band being apparent diehard Florida gator fans. All but one member was decked out in Florida gear and post-concert meet and greet was postponed til the game ended. Between the Trees has a new album coming out this year... I hope the album is different than the last one, but if it isn't, I'll just have to catch them next time they come through town.

I would have left for Madina Lake had I not been stuck in the crowd. They are one of the things I hate most in music (alongside cheap popular R&B tunes made on garage band). They represent to me that brand of sub-emo punk that is embodied by bands such as My Chemical Romance, The Used, and formerly, Fall Out Boy. Their music is written decently and their ambitious concept of the fictional town of Madina Lake fits together and permits their views a musical portal. I'll admit that their performance was good, and the lead knows how to get the crowd going with invitations to take "whatever the hell is bothering you and release it". Mosh pit ensues and then comes one of the most stunning performances of the evening. Like CIA trained lifeguards, Orange Peel security breaks up what could have been an (awesome) disaster considering the blend of people at the concert and packed-ness of the venue. I'm not hatin' on Madonna Lake (my new fav nick for a band), but I can not respect their music and what they stand for--I AM hatin' on whoever signed them to this concert. Even while they were playing I tried to figure it out. At first I thought it may have been a one time thing, but Madina Lake and Between the Trees is touring with Anberlin throughout this tour. Then I thought maybe Madina Lake is also signed with Universal, Anberlin's new label, but Madina Lake is signed to Roadrunner Records which is a subsidy of Warner. There is no label connection. Their match up with Anberlin is lamentable. You expect to hear the stylings of the headliner band in the openers. This was apparent with The Becoming, and Between the Trees and Anberlin being fairly close as far as bands go. But Madina Lake represents something on the opposite side of the spectrum (they've toured with Linkin Park and cite Trent Reznor as an influence). Their music also comes from a completely different breed of post-grunge rock. Anberlin is from the home of modern alternative pop-rock (central Florida) while Madina Lake comes from the heavily pop-punk influenced hardcore scene. If you still doubt that Anberlin and Madina Lake are polar opposites, take this: Madina Lake appeared on the show Fear Factor in 2005 eating cow innards and hanging from helicopters to pay for their demo album.

Anberlin was everything I expected. Not really anything more than, but they did fulfill my best hopes for their show. I believe the started out with "Day Late Friend" and worked from there. They played a good mix of songs from their career, which made me happy because some of the songs on their latest album, "New Surrender" were half-baked. As much as I have written about the other bands, I amazingly don't have that much to say about Anberlin, which may be a testament to how much I enjoyed it. For everyone but Anberlin, I focused on the music, performance, and show (except for when me and Jordan made fun of bands). I let myself go during Anberlin's concert, which is the first time I've done such since a Nickelback concert 2 years ago. I can't recite the set list, but I do remember "Disappear" standing out in my mind as one of the best songs of the evening.
I had mentioned during the show that I had hoped they would play either "*Fin" or "Miserabile Visu" but doubted it as they relied heavily on sampling and were longer almost alternative styled art rock pieces. After the last song (which I've already forgotten what it was), there was the usual call for an encore, which was honored with "*Fin". I could write this song it's own post, but I'll spare you that travesty. It is safe to say that the moment provided definition and closure to the evening.

All in all, this was one of the best concerts I have been to in at least a year. The music was good, the emotion good, and company was bar none the best in town. Other than Madina Lake, I feel on the same level with where these bands were coming from and I look forward to seeing Between the Trees and Anberlin in the future.

I'm working on a decent concert rating system, so bear with me. I'm digging this one I came up with, but it requires higher math for me to figure out the overall score.
Overall: 94
Venue: 18
Opening Band(s): 18
Set List: 19
Band Connection: 20
Band Energy/Intensity/Showmanship: 19
ConcertGoer Energy/Intensity: 20
Sound Quality: 19
Set and Lighting Design (SLD): 17
Lasting Value: 19

Review: Chinese Democracy by Guns N Roses

2009-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

You can just skip this post if you read the next sentence. Chinese Democracy is the Titanic of rock albums. Its massive, overbloated, has errors in its construction, and most importantly, was doomed for failure before it set sail.

Lets start this review out with some logic. We all know that this album has been stuck in production hell longer than it takes Axl to actually get to a concert. So I ask you this, if the album was any good when they started working on it, do you think that Axl would have taken 17 years or whatever to release it? NO! He woulda gotten that bad boy out on the streets as fast as he could produce it. And another thing, too many cooks not only spilled this soup, No, they argued over it and spilled it on the ground. Axl has chased off every last person that embodied GNR (except for himself) yet retained their mark on the album. Still reminiscent Slash bits will ring in your ears after listening to Chinese Democracy, but what the heck is that instrumental synth rock crap that is smothering the beauty? And on some of the tracks that Axls vocals are literally burning up, their so enveloped in numetalpopalternativeindustrialrock junk that he cant shine through. Honestly, this post is going down the toilet in much the same style of the album. I mean well, I have a plan... It's complicated, but i want to surround you in my creations and communicate my emotions-do you see what I mean? Can you see that in Chinese Democracy?

But enough of my personal vendetta against Axl for ruining Chinese Democracy, and more importantly I believe, ruining GNR, lets get down to the nitty gritty.

Looking at the album as a whole, its a collection of extended, swollen, and metastasized old GNR tracks. All opinions aside, it's still Guns N Roses, but just in Axl Rose "perfected" form from where he slaved on these tracks all the years. I like the idea of these rock soundscapes, but I don't think they come together here. I found myself trying to skip or repeat to a particular part.... then even taking out the left earbud to just get the guitar bit in the right pan. One of the places where the "over-the-topness" works is in "There Was a Time". Here, the melody actually works with the metal soundscape. The verdict is still out on Madagascar for me. I don't like the trip hop thing, but it almost works, but its not GNR.... ugh... a track like that shouldn't even be attempted by the #9 rock band in the world (according to the culture idiots). The light and bright "Catcher in the Rye" actually disappoints me (though I've heard others like it). Again, this isn't a perfected GNR Axl, no matter what you thought. Scraped is one of those songs where I dig the vocals, put its murdered by funky blown up and out grunge. I.R.S. is good, but was leaked about 7 years ago, which shows on the song. Some of this songs were created in different generations. One article I read pointed out that if you went back the 17 years to Use Your Illusion, then went another 17, you'd barely even have metal for Rose to tinker with. Your back in the proto-punk days. The final two tracks, "This I Love" and "Prostitute" are some of the best. Definitely different, and don't shoot me, but almost Queen sounding.

Forgive me for the comparison, but I believe Chinese Democracy is actually similar to the album that beat it on the charts, Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak. While one is overproduced and armed to the teeth and the other stripped and cut of all but vocals and beats, they both expose the artists beneath to a degree. It becomes apparent throughout Chinese Democracy simply how much time and how many events Axl Rose has gone through. Music has changed and we've seen the Clinton Era, dotcom bubble, its bust, 9/11, ensuing war, housing bubble, its bust, and so much more. I'm not saying the album is outdated, but time shows through the tracks, which are not worth the hype. The album exists. That's the bottom line and Axl and whoever else better realize that. It is interesting, but almost more for the character behind it than the music itself. This is the first of a trio of new GNR albums.... we can only hope Axl Rose learns from his mistakes... and that we don't all die before the trio is done in 34 years.

Final Grade: 51

Vocals/Lyrics: 12

Music: 10

Production: so hard.... do i fail for the overuse of such or pass for the fact that some parts were good? ummm.... 9

Creativity: 11

Value (Was it worth the listen?): 9, only because the new GNR album requires a listen

PS: Dr. Pepper stills owes me my free soda, though they supposedly made good on the promise.

BEST Music Videos of 2008

2008-12-26T21:50:00.000-08:00

I feel terrible for not doing a post in forever (2 weeks), but I have a backorder list of ideas, but after watching what the "culture" idiots thought were the best music videos of 2008, I decided I needed to make my own list. I only agreed with them on 2 songs (I think)

10. Closer by Ne-Yo (from Year of the Gentleman [September])

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUTh3OJjWjM
This video made the list mainly for the dancing.... it lacks everything else, but the pop moves mixed with the urban style behind the hypnotic lyrics make the video, plus the cinematography is pretty good-almost as if the producers were trying to get Ne-Yo from every angle, and I do mean every.

9. Love Song by Sara Bareilles (from Little Voice [July])

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5xv3pt7KI
If you thought this song was about, well.... love, then your wrong. It's about how best this artist can say screw you to the music industry and get away with it. Not a love song, but a pop jingle that ended up selling over 2 mil copies. You may have missed that unless you watched the music video which features Sara trapped in a jukebox.... you'll get the idea.

8. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa by The Vampire Weekend (from Vampire Weekend [January])

High school jock chases goth chick with the poofy hair at the beach party in preppy pantaloons. Most definitely the best slice of 80's I've seen all day... month, or year for that matter.

7. Squeeze Me by Kraak and Smaak (from Plastic People [April])

A little less unknown indie video. Flip books are the new treadmills. The idea would get old but it is used creatively up to the end. I kinda wish the music was a little more so.

6. Touch My Body by Mariah Carey (from E=MC2 [April])

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzxR8OH-fDQ
This is exactly the kind of song that would never end up on any of my best lists, except that Mariah parodies every video she's ever done in this. The plot is Mariah has computer problems, calls the geek squad and then while the geek fixes her computer, she runs off leaving the guy to fantasize about Mariah. What follows can only be described as nerdcore.

5. Disturbia by Rihanna (from Good Girl Gone Bad [Album from 2007, single from June])

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6zdhHLvT7k
Take Trent Reznor's creepy mad scientist lab oriented video for Closer (1994), swap out all meaning and symbolism for sexiness and don't forget that Rihanna is standing in for Reznor.

4. Time to Pretend by MGMT (from Oracular Spectacular [October '07/January '08, single from March])

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVnRzEjpUmE
I'm glad we're pretending, or I may need to go to rehab. These are the people mother warned you about during the drug talk. I mean, we can look at it as an audacious stab at creativity, but lets admit it, its a beach party with some strong LSD. Jokes aside, this video won because when originally posted on MGMT's website, you could control the trip.... errrr... effects yourself from a color panel at the bottom of your screen.

3. Who's Gonna Save My Soul by Gnarls Barkley (from The Odd Couple [March])

http://pitchfork.tv/videos/gnarls-barkley-whos-gonna-save-my-soul
This video just really needs to be watched, and no skipping the beginning dialogue, or you'll wonder why the hell a heart is screaming soul music into a broccoli stalk on the middle of a diner table.

2. Love Lockdown by Kanye West (from 808's and Heartbreak [November])

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVZX-W3vo9I
YES, I'm biased. I'll admit it. I love this side of Kanye, not permanently, but it's a good change. It shows that beneath the cocky Hip-Hop star there is some emotion. The video fits perfectly with the song, lyrics, and music. There is the harmony of the elegant camera action with the rawness of the shot. The contrast between Kanye's typical futuristic motifs and the "warriors". There are fantasy elements contrasted against the stark reality of his emotions. Evidence, around 2:35, when Kanye is sitting with the primitive native beside him, does it not occur to you that the native represents Kanye's raw and primitive emotion? It just works. Get off my case.

1. Pork and Beans by Weezer (from Weezer AKA The Red Album [June])

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI
Props to a video that at my last count, included references to 26 of the past 3 years' weirdest and most watched youtube videos of the last three years. It's unique, and if you have been online at all the last couple of years, I'm sure it will maintain your interest.

Runner Ups
--House of Cards by Radiohead (from In Rainbows [Album from 2007/Single from May])

To be really honest, this video is downright boring, but instead of using traditional film technics, the video was used with lidar technology, which uses a laser to detect the properties of the object it hits. This gives the video its grainy and gridlike feel. Not only did they use the new technology, but they also eccentuated the video by putting sheets of acrylic glass in front of the lasers to distort the image (hence the "blowing away" effect). How they did it video here.

--Chasing Pavements by Adele (from 19 [January])

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz7vGW2_5c0
This one just told a great story in a creative way. It recounts a car crash, with the two victims on the ground, but in the chorus, the couple's relationship is recounted on the pavement on which they lay.

Footnote/Rant
If you didn't notice, I was only able to supply three of the videos on my list of 12. This is due to the fact that the bullies have disabled embedding on youtube to all their music. So take notice of the three artists that are independent or on an indie label.

What AltPunk Should Look Like

2008-12-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

I heard what I've always imagined Alternative Punk should look like last week, and it was completely unexpected. In a world where punk now takes the form of the Offspring, Rise Against, and Green Day, the band Philmont was a refreshing, intelligent change. It was a typical concert at the Channel, featuring (imagine this) the practical house band Days Off Screen. Opening act was Almost An Epic, who will now ask for reprint rights on provided images. Philmont, the middle band, encouraged me that there still are good bands that have yet to be found and break mainstream. I failed to find one thing that I didn't like about them. Their type of music isn't my thing, but their music was well crafted, dynamic, and personal. It wasn't "in your face", but it still had a heart and character to it. Furthermore, I recognized that their sound isn't pre-packaged. It didnt neatly meet the guidelines of "American Idiot" punk. They had elements of electronica (w/ the synth), hardcore, and alternative (some of the licks), yet still presented it without sounding like a clearance bin of multi-colored grandma yarn. Did I mention their energy was honest? Like their music, it was real, and tangible, because if i see one more band go into a hip swinging breakdown, I'm gonna lose my lunch. I would love to see these guys blow up Tremont in Charlotte. That venue is on the verge of collapse. These guys might be the ones to do it too. Bonus points for the drummer's shirt. It was one of those completely random, but originally meant to be serious shirt. Something about an Oscar Meyer shopping experience.

There is only one drawback. Philmont is signed to Forefront (owned by EMI's Christian side). Thats right, my indie purists, they have trafficked with the devil. But lets not have an exorcism over it. We should wish them well, for how else can they expand unless they are signed? I highly doubt they have the funding to support themselves, and lets not forget, even the mecca of "right" labels, Tooth and Nail is owned by EMI (50% stake). The fact that they are signed is a testament to how good they are anyway. I commend whoever signed off on that decision.

To conclude this bit, I believe that Philmont is one of the best more or less undiscovered bands of their type. They are currently touring with Capital Lights and their most recent recorded material can be found on the "Oh Snap EP". A full lenth album is expected early 2009.

7 Band Blowout: Will Rock Your Face

2008-12-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

This show (entitled as the Bao Tran Fest) will deffinitely rock your face off. It will be like that one scene in the original Indiana Jones where they uncork the ark and that nazi guys' face melts.

Here's the stats:
Who: 7 Bands (listed below)
When: This Saturday (Dec 13th); Starting around 6:15. I highly doubt the show will be over before 11:30.
How Much: 5$ a practical closeout clearence on live music
Where: R3V3Rb @ 109 Augusta St.

View Larger Map

Here are all the bands playing:
Staring at the Sun
Sweet Moses and the OHC's:
An Inconvenient Betrayal
Almost an Epic
Man the Cannons
A Bridge Too Far
Overtone

Come, or be this guy

Grammy Nominees Announced

2008-12-05T05:55:00.000-08:00

Speaking of the Grammy's, the nominees were announced last night. No big surprise anywhere seeing as how there were no "good, hot-selling" albums this year (note quotes for others' opinions).

Lil Wayne received eight for "Tha carter III" and Coldplay seven for "Viva La Vida". Also mentioned were Leona Lewis ("Bleeding Love"), Radiohead for groundbreaking "In Rainbows", Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for their collaboration "Raising Sand", Ne-Yo, the Doofus Brothers, and M.I.A.

It hink just about any of these nominations are stupid if we're judging quality. Aside from Radiohead's, and maybe Coldplay's releases this year, there was no big selling, "good" album this year. But, alas, this is America, where the recording industry isn't interested in honoring creative talent, therefore, "Tha Carter III" will most likely win due solely to the fact that it sold hottest, fastest. I personally believe Radiohead should win, if nothing but for the fact that their release proved you didnt have to package, ship, and charge outrageously for music. Their pay-as-you-want system still charted their release, but little info has yet been released on the numbers of their profit.

Might I mentione I'm not the only one who thinks these awards mean little more than the metal their made out of? Last year's show drew only 17.2 million viewers, making it one of the least-watched Grammys. This decline has been seen for several years. This years show is scheduled for live broadcast on CBS on Feb 8.

But, there is always next year to hope for with several big names releasing in the first half of 2009. We can only hope we are spared another piece of candy, brother band, or tailor made artistic disaster.

Noted*

2008-12-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

Sales of recorded music fell almost 30% from a year ago. Hopes for better sales were squashed as big acts such as Eminem, Dr. Dre, Muse, Hoobastank, michael Jackson, and The Fray pushed releases to first or second quarter 2009. Makes you wonder who's gonna win the grammy's this year.... I'm sure it won't be coldplay. /sarcasm

I will be doing an extended bit on the Gestapo, Limewire, and ISPs later this week after this.

*story originally found from The Week magazine

Music's Top Megalomaniacs

2008-12-01T06:48:00.000-08:00

When was the last time you told the world you would be the embodiment of their generation? or threatened to kill a coworker cause he says your work sucks? lets admit it.... probably never. This is why your not a rock star. BUT, the professionals have perfected the art of the Ego (yes, capital E)

Heres everyone's favorite big-egoed (is there such a word?) musicians...

Runner Up: Wes Scantlin: Has been known to bathe in Elvis's pool (true story-he randomly jumped in while on tour) and he calims he is better than kurt cobain, which to me, personally, is like calling Houdini a fraud. His own lyrics: "I'm so sure/what a snotty thing to say/Stuck up people always get their way.../ I don't wanna be like you." Jokes on you, Wes.

10. Axl Rose: Two words: Chinese Democracy. Not even worth mentioning his feuds with Vince Neil; Kurt Cobain; Tommy Hilfinger; his own guitarist, Slash; Tommy Stinson from Eagles of Death Metal; Bon Jovi; and the pope.

9. Kanye West: Has stormed on stage during awards programs to argue a contested result. In 2006, he stated he would "have a problem" if he didnt win album of the year.

8. Bono: kinda a given. He can be save orphan's in Africa one day and then sing to a crowd of 20,000 teens the next.

7. Madonna: Exhibit A: she was born in the '50s. Exhibit B: any picture of her. Something isnt quite right, is it?

6. Eminem: scaled down to size since his glory days. The over 250 lb "slim shady" was approached recently to do a spot for Jenny Craig. That kinda puts you into place.

5. Prince: or is he that symbol still?

4. Pete Townshend: repeatedly called The Who the best live band ever, and purposefully blew the stage up a few times. Perhaps were invincible too?

3. Michael Jackson: another given.... wants all people to idolize him.... ALL people

2. Gene Simmons: Out to sell you some KISS merchandise, and make a move on national television on Donald Trump's daughter.

1. John Lennon: Said that his band was Jesus. No one else on this list has tried that. The vatican just now forgave him of his past transgressions. There is some inside info on that story though-back in the '60s, the church was more than happy to portray the Beatles as the antichrist as Europe (particularly the UK) was taken by Beatle fever. Still today, calling popular musical acts "the devil" only adds street cred.

Member of TSO Leaves $10,000 Tip

2008-11-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

No, for those of you who saw them in town this weekend, it didn't happen here, but a member of the Trans Siberian Orchestra did leave a $10, 000 tip. It was at Sullivan's Steakhouse in southern Iowa.... no word on how many people were injured in the fight to figure out how it should be split.

On a TSO side note, they officially got me in the Christmas spirit on Thursday.... I loaded their junk on the old iPod. One of my warmest memories is remembering when TSO and Manheim Steamroller would play on an old CD player in my Gma's bathroom at Christmas....

And if your not in the mood, this video should probably get you there.

Afterthought.... FF5, Relient K, and TMac Concert

2008-11-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

This weeks been crazy for me, so I've gotten behind on my list of "to-post" ideas, but I did at least want to mention that I went to the Winter Wonder Slam Concert last week, which was pretty good. Definitely not the best concert I've been to, but not too shabby either. The opener was some person whose name I had to look up (B. Reith, BTW). He had a pretty good voice, but does this hip-hop thing that is kinda bad. He beatboxes if that tells you anything, and I love how the MC of the evening (a tobyMac groupie) called his style "soul". I'm sorry, but if this guy was soul, then maybe I'm stuck in a place where soul is more meaningful. Next up was quite different than anything else Family Force 5, who had a pretty kickin performance. They were about what I expected from the type of band they are..... it's hard to explain. Listen closely to any of their songs, and you'll hear a drum machine, a guitar, a bass, drums, and synth. Listen closer and you'll notice none of those parts are particularly complicated, yet somehow, FF5 required an 8 person band on stage. 3 of those people were what I now affectionately call the "hair shakers". It doesnt bother me that some of their stuff was musically lacking, because it isn't even really about that for them, it's more about the attitude more or less, something that they were not short on. The whole FF5 show felt like the 80's threw up on stage, but hey, it was fun! Next up was Relient K, which I'll be straight up, they didn't do as good as they did last year when they toured with Switchfoot. In fact, last year, their show beasted Switchfoot's. They did do an old fav of mine, Mood Rings, which has to do about the fairer sex, and is a pretty fun song. They split their performance, performing Christmas Songs. I'm split on this, because I love their holiday material, but they mainly their slower songs, so I felt I lost some of the energy through this part. I also missed a couple of other favorites from their set list.

Intermission....

(Yea, thats right, Tmac hogged half the whole show, trimming opener's act to slightly more than 10 minutes, FF5's to 25 and Relient K's to 35 or so)

TobyMac also Stole the show in a good way too. I understand that he was the headliner, but they really did good even considering that. The lights were pretty good, the supporting band on target, and who doesn't love some break dancing? I recognized all the songs I liked by him, plus some more obscure ones, but he mainly waded through his most recent material from Portable Sounds. Theres not a ton to really say about it, but the performace was really strong. There were some almost hardcore moments, some slow moments, and a little throwback to the opening days of Christian Rock. There was what you might call a cameo performace of the song Jesus Freak, which I quite enjoyed. It took me back to elementary school when that was popular (97 or so, I was a little young when it first came out).

Throughout the concert, holiday favs were sparsed in. FF5 did a pretty interesting rendition of Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer and Relient K did a whole Christmas mini set. TobyMac played one too, but I'm embarrassed to say I've already forgotten which one.

Bottom Line: Good concert, but not the "best freakinist show ive eva been to lulz" as a friend of mine said.... not by a long shot.... but it was good.

Overall: 70
Set List: 14
Band Energy/Audience Connection: 16
SLD (Set/Lighting Design) & Sound Quality: 14

Sound AKA Lip Sync Factor: 14

Lasting Value (will I remember this in six months?): 12

Moby Forms Punk Band.... or does he?

2008-11-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

The house/electronica artist who brought you the theme music for the Bourne movie series is returning to his roots by forming a punk band.... from a bunch of 13 year old craigslist responders. Moby released a video (seen below) chronicling the history of his new punk rock band. It's.... kinda weird, and almost seems like a joke, except that I wouldn't put it past the eccentric Moby to do something like this.

...and for the record, most 13 year old's I know don't even know what the Soviet Union was, much less who Gorbachev was. As weird, seemingly staged, and random that video from him was, he's still a great house musician. Check out Disco Lies, a darn good single from his last album, Last Night.

Music 3.0.2

2008-11-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

I did a post less than a month ago about how I discovered new music from an app on my iPod. At the end of the article, I mentioned that it wouldn't surprise if an artist released an exclusive app for their fans. Well, it didn't take long, but industrial artist Trent Reznor has released his own version of the application I was talking about. The application allows fans of Nine Inch Nails to enjoy tracks from their recent albums, such as The Slip and Ghosts I-IV (available for download here). This isn’t exactly what I wanted, and it kinda ticks me off, especially with Trent Reznor’s history of industry crushing ideals. The app costs…. quite a bit compared to similar apps… about $5.00. Furthermore, this isn’t really geared towards furthering the band at all, though reviews on the app store show that some people are now interested in NIN’s music. When I wrote the previous post, I had a vision of some forward thinking (most likely indie) artist releasing an app that would offer news, samples, updates, posts from the artist, video links, etc. If you haven’t messed around with an iPod touch or iPhone, the technology makes it incredibly simple to stay updated through the 3rd party applications. I believe that such an extension would reach fans, make new fans, and make a worthwhile statement. But I do have to give credit to whoever is behind Tap Tap for allowing artists a way to promote and release their stuff. Each week there is some new song or contest that has to be sponsered by the artists. Last week, Kaiser Chiefs had a contest through Tap Tap that anyone who reached over a certain score on their new song would be entered to win signed merch. That is definitely something new and forward, but I am still holding out hope for an artist exclusive application.

Review: Appeal to Reason by Rise Against

2008-11-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

I started this review almost a month ago when I first received the album, but life gets in the way, and well, you know the rest. But as is the case with music, my view of Appeal To Reason has changed since first listen, so I have had to tweak some parts of my review.

Rise Against’s fifth album, Appeal to Reason, is in a sentence a somewhat imperfect, but solid angst punk album. Lead singer Tim McIlrath's vocals are still cutting, the bass lines are still heart thumping, and the drums still call for head banging, but in a way, they did sell out. I feel that the performance isn’t as solid, both musically, and ideologically. The album certainly reeks of politically charged lyrics, in light of the recent election, but about a third of the songs suffer from a lacking of heartfelt anger or admonition. All of this sadly starts only three tracks through the song, with Re-education (Through Labor). The lyrics are fairly strong. McIlrath screams “I won't believe the lies that hide the truth/I won't sweat one more drop for you/'Cuz we are the rust upon your gears”. But the feeling is slightly lacking and even the first time I heard it, I was ready for it to end by the first chorus. The opening track is strong, following Rise Against tradition, as is Hero of War, the only acoustic song on the album. Hero of War evenly fits into current events, as well as past wars. Though the song is no Swing Life Away, it is still a heartfelt tune. The album drones on with Radio Friendly punk hits, though some gems…. albeit imperfect are sparsed through the album. The album does break out a little bit-The Dirt Whispered recalls an almost pop-punk jangle, and Entertainment is almost a concept song, bringing in elements in the melody to back the lyrics, a new feat for Rise Against. Savior is one of the best songs, and I feel that it embodies the album fairly well, which brings up the question: why does the album end on screaming, profanity laden Whereabouts Unknown? The songs music and vocals mismatch through screaming lyrics that surprisingly, lack the strong ending a Rise Against album deserves. To sum up what I’ve been saying, the good songs are good, and bad songs are absolutely terrible. Rise Against is sadly facing the problem many angst bands such as Anti-Flag and Bad Religion have faced. They’re simply running out of steam. When a band puts that much energy into a couple of albums, its hard to keep the energy up to create a long lasting career. I have learned that this fulfills their current contract with Geffen records, so we may see a change on the next album, but until then, Appeal to Reason falls slightly below standard, yet still packs some meaningful anthems for the angry.

Final Grade: 73
Note: while a 73 may seem harsh, remember that I grade out of a “100”, not as a A, B, C, etc. grade where a 73 would be almost failing. Make sense?
Vocals/Lyrics: 16
Music: 16
Production: 17
Creativity: 14
Value (Was it worth the listen?): 10 (That's a NO, go get the four good songs yourself)

Death Cab for Cutie Frontman Stung by Scorpian

2008-11-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard was crying this past Thursday, and it wasn't because of some "One Tree Hill" style fling with a girl **cough** like most of his lyrics. Gibbard was stung by a scorpian twice backstage before a concert. Seriously, you couldnt make this stuff up.... in fact, its just one of the many strange happenings that actually frequent rock musicians and concerts. According to the blog post, it was suspected that Gibbard may actually develop "scorpey" powers. It does seem that the mild mannered character may fit. Despite worries because the scorpion was small (small=deadly when it comes to those critters), Gibbard went on to play the show.

AHHHHH!!!! Scorpian Senses.... TINGGLING!!

More about Death Cab:
They are reissuing their EP Something About Airplanes and releasing their most recent album Narrow Stairs on vinyl all this November, basically in hopes of getting some holiday sales.

Review: "Love Lockdown" Single--Kanye West

2008-10-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

For Kanye West, less is more. That is definitely been the case for the first two singles off his upcoming album "808s and Heartbreak". The first one, "Love Lockdown" was released early October, so I'm a little late on the bandwagon, but the song is.... well, I would say near perfect. The song's simple structure allows for greater impact for Kanye's voice, which is enhanced using the now (in)famous auto-tune (think lil Wayne and T-pain). While I'm not sure if the auto-tune was a good idea, I do think that using the Roland Tr-808 drum machine (pictured below, left) was. The 808 is one of the earlier drum machines made in the early '80s. It was famous, then hated, then regained popularity and now has an album named after it. Kanye has said that every song uses the 808 for beats.

Another element from "Love Lockdown" I love is the eastern sounding taiko drums (pictured below, right) which bring an earnestness to the song during the chorus. All in all, this is by far Kanye's most experimental and riskiest song. Have i mentioned that not one verse is rapped in the song? But it is the fact that he sings that carries the song.... love the effect on his voice or not, the vocals are epic, as are the lyrics. The song runs through the thought processes of a person before they leave their lover. West seems conflicted, saying that he's in love, but that the vibe is wrong.

Personally, I like the new almost impromptu, experimental Kanye. The album was recorded only about a month ago, and after the first version of "Love Lockdown" was received critically, it was changed to the current version. And if you're into mixing and remixing, you can get the original stems from Kanye's Blog (only all six of them).

Love the single or not, the album is going to be a big deal going into the holiday season. The second single, "Heartless", has been released as well. The album is expected November 25th.
Final Grade (for the single)=96
Vocals/Lyrics: 19
Music: 18
Production: 20
Creativity: 20
Value (Was it worth the listen?): 19

Music 3.0

2008-10-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

So I heard a great song today.... wanna guess where? No, it wasn't the radio (heck no!), iTunes, last.fm, or even youtube, it was from a game application on my iPod touch. There was a time not so long ago that this would seem totally foreign but in a day and age where new artists are signed from webcam covers and major artists let you decide how much their music is worth, it's almost believable. The song is an almost techno remix of Feel Good Drag by Anberlin, so yes, I have heard the song before, but I like this remix.... like really, I do. To me, Stephen Christian's almost angry vocals on top of the simpler synth beat almost says more than the regular "heavy" song... especially at the bridge and the end.

I do believe that as more and more issues crop up with the "normal" way of doing music, that we will see more things coming from out of the blue... like finding music randomly in an iPhone app. It wouldn't surprise me if some artists even released an "exclusive" app that allowed fans to read news, play audio clips, view video podcasts, etc.

View Feel Good Drag from "Tap Tap Revenge" on youtube
and I'm trying to link to a download. (if anyone knows of a good "put file" site, let me know)

BTW: I would try to explain what "Tap Tap Revenge" is, but it is unexplainable, so here is a video that shows it... (think Dance Dance Revolution for iPhone)

A "Spear" headed Comeback?

2008-10-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I just couldnt resist the pun, especially when it is so hard to take anything having to do with Britney Spears seriously. But that may change. She is releasing her new album, Circus, December 2nd, and according to other blogs, newspapers, and the rollingdoofus, its going to be a big deal. Supposedly her comeback album, but I thought that was "Blackout". Hmmmm....

Spears says she will be touring in early '09 to promote the new album. The first single has already been released. Called "Womanizer", critics are saying it goes back to Britney's classic "Toxic" days.... I'll say-I'm getting the feeling that just hearing her name now is hazardous to your health, and I haven't even mentioned that the new video is rather provocative (consider that a warning). But, we may be hearing more of it if this album is as popular as it seems it might be.

I would have embedded the video, but that has been disabled, but this was from the official release of the song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOvaH54QG74

Chinese Democracy Update: Nov 23?

2008-10-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

We have the most solid proof yet that Chinese Democracy might actually be released this century. According to several sources, including trusty Billboard.com, the album will be released exclusively to Best Buy on November 23rd. All of this follows almost 15 years of drama that involves everyone from the feds to Nine Inch Nails to Kurt Cobain to the Offspring. Maybe that is the whole point? to make fans so rabid they will be bound by some unearthly force to go buy the album the first day it comes out? Too bad it has already been leaked, though it has been in bits and pieces. Here is part of a respected leak, though I'm sure there were major changes between this and the upcoming album. BEWARE: some federal flunkie is sitting at his desk right now just waiting for the next person to try to download this album. Other parts of the album have been legally heard on Rock Band 2 and the movie Body of Lies. It is also worth noting that everyone has ditched Axl Rose, supposedly for his domineering influence on the band (according to Slash in his autobiography). Only time will tell if the 17 year wait in production hell for new material will be worth it.

News: Apple iTunes Threatens to Shut Down, But Doesn't Have To

2008-10-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

"If you dare raise those music prices 9 more cents, well I'll... I'll... I'll shut iTunes down!"

I can just picture Steve Jobs' reaction when the Copyright Royalty Board (the geniuses who brought you today's music prices and pictured on the left) announced that since it had been over ten years since musicians' royalties increased, it would be voted on to increase them by 9 cents. The vote was set to go on the 2nd. After hearing the news, Apple went into a meltdown because a 9 cent rat hike meant a 20% cut into their profits. But why? The money can be made up easily, just increase the iTunes rates by 9 cents. But Jobs refused, insisting on keeping the 99 cent pricing structure of iTunes, but I just think they know that 1.05$ songs just don't sell like 99 cent ones.

Don't get me wrong, I think that musicians should be payed more. It's just that this was a random, seemingly meaningless hike that would cause more trouble than it is worth. Put next to Jobs partly public fit, it seems stupid.

Update:

The motion failed with the board, and everything fizzled, but I suspect if you did some digging, you would find that the committee's close friends suddenly got sick right beforehand..... I'll have to keep you posted.

Update Dos:

A rumor was dispelled today that Steve Jobs had a massive heart attack (acute royalty shock maybe?). The report was on CNN as part of a "citizen journalism" part of the site. Within 30 minutes, the report was removed, but Apple stock still dropped considerable. Original story here.

This is what Steve Jobs looked like when he heard of the music royalties hike.

Review-New Surrender by Anberlin

2008-09-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

One of the purposes of this blog was for me to spread around my crazy, half baked, infecting, biased opinions on bands and their so called life work. For my first review, I'm going to tackle Anberlin's new 4th album, New Surrender. If you know a little background and recent news about Anberlin, you can probably guess what the album sounds like, but if you don't, lemme fill you in.

Cities was great. For a technical indie band of their type, Anberlin put together a more than solid effort toward it. So good, that they were signed by one of the four goons, Universal to be exact, so all you Tooth and Nail hippies can put on your emo V-neck and wish for the days when there was a chance that the new album would be bad.

So I guess it's safe to say that Anberlin is at their Everest, and New Surrender is the flag on the peak. They have perfected who they are. The album is everything you expect from Anberlin, but with the trappings of the producer who brought you Yellowcard. The first few licks on the album make a point to showcase the new guitarist Christian McAlhaney. "The Resistance" is a typical anthem, with a particularly strong ending. Along with the opening track comes other hard hitters like "Breaking". Of course, there's also the other side of Anberlin, the almost soulfull heart-felt mild songs that rebuke culture and issues.

These songs are the only reason I hold out on becoming a die-hard fan. They cliche themselves, if that makes sense. It almost as if it is insincere. If I hear a Rise Against song, I feel that they mean what they say when they warn of me of broken love and evil Starbucks lattes, but when Anberlin warns me of "paper tigers", I lose sleep trying to think of where the line came from. They've got no where to go, so they're burning up their own image. Yea, the album is wonderful. In fact, go get it, now, errr... well, 5 days from now., but I feel that its lacking a lot of heart. The words are meaningful and backed by pop-rock magic, but they feel hollow. I'd rather enjoy the latte, cause Anberlin isn't going to make me regret it.

Back to the album, "The Feel Good Drag" gets a makeover, though its only cosmetic. Very simple changes like a new intro give the album a first single. Stephen Christian stated that the song didn't get the chance it deserved and that he wanted to give the new guitarist some ownership on the album, but I bet they wanted to make sure there was a strong single, and with their newfound friends at Universal, they had the production power to put the song on steriods. The song has been in top ten lists on Satellite radio, but I've yet to hear it down here on Earth, and BTW: I miss the screaming in the bridge.... badly, but alas, the worlds wants RFUS's. "Soft Skeletons" is by far the darkest on this record and unlike some other tunes, has real emotion behind it. I have a hunch I might know who its about, but I may be wrong. Indie soliloquies remid us that the end is near on "Misearbile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum)". "The sun will turn dark very soonYour days are numbered when there's blood on the moon" says Christian, but whats the fun in that? No more album sales for Universal? I think thats a breach of contract. Other than the doomsday lyrics, song with strange name that means "wonderful by the sight (from bad comes good)" is one of my favorites. It is the follow up to *(Fin) and a good one at that. After reading several interviews, I think that the song ends the album exactly how they wanted it. It's one of those 6 minute songs that leaves a very specific, yet hard to explain emotion with you.

In conclusion, I believe this is the end of Anberlin as we know them. No, I doubt they will disband, not when they're on top of Everest, but their style has changed little since the beginning, yes, they've matured and shifted, but the Anberlin formula is the same. I highly doubt that they will aim a 5th album in the same direction. I can't guarantee an overhaul of their style, but something's gotta give. If they bank on keeping up their style on the next one, I doubt people willl be talking about them as much as they are now. But until they wear out their welcome (which is a compliment), go buy the album.... on Tuesday that is.

Final Grade=82

Vocals/Lyrics: 17

Music: 17

Production: 19

Creativity: 14

Value (Was it worth the listen?): 15

NEWS! Barker, Love, and Spears

2008-09-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

A couple stories in the headlines and off the beaten path...

Barker

First off, former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and associate DJ AM were involved in a Learjet crash in Columbia, SC on Friday. Both Barker and DJ Adam sustained several burns. Unfortunately, 4 other passengers, all Californians, were killed in the blaze. It is unsure if the voice recorder off the plane will be of help. The plane skidded off the runway shortly before takeoff.

Spears
Earlier this week, Lynn Spears, mother of pop star Britney Spears stated in an interview on the Today Show that it was her fault her two girls ended up the way they did. Referring to Britney, she said it was a bad decision to introduce a 15 year old to the world. Lynn stated that Britney lost a piece of her childhood by becoming a star at so young. When asked, she said that she cried when her other daughter, Jamie Lynn, announced recently she was pregnant. Lynn stated, "I was in shock. I think I was just truly in shock, and then I started to cry. And she started consoling me at that point." Jamie Lynn gave birth to a girl in June and is raising the baby with her boyfriend in their Mississippi home. Her mother is releasing a memoir, "Through the Storm" this week.

Love
Former wife of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, must be having a really good month, which usually means the rest of the world has a bad one. Love has been on the spotlight for several outbursts the past few weeks. First was her re-emergence of blogging, after she "swore it off".
Her main target err... topic? The VMA's.
"theyre not the "VMAS" and they never will be again - i had ZERO desire to watch let alone go"
This line was by far the most coherent in the blog. About two sentences later, she began to rag on the purity rings worn by the Jonas Brothers, an uncalled for rant since the Jonas' don't need rings to show they're not getting laid. Less than two weeks later, Frances Bean Cobain (Kurt and Love's daughter) turned 16. The soiree featured music, dancing, and was suicide themed down to the "who looks dead the most" contest. The party cost in excess of $300,000. No word yet if the party coordinator does heroin or alcohol poisoning themed bar mitzvahs.

Introduction, Disclaimer, and Me

2008-09-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

Well, i finally got a blog. I've been talking about it for a while and thinking about it even longer. I finally decided that i might stop talking about music to everyone i meet if i just wrote about it.

The title is musica miscellanea (no, i cant spell it either), meaning a pretty random assortment of music related info. I plan on covering whatever comes to mind, be it album reviews, news, today's musical idiot, lyrics that make me sick, conspiracy theories surrounding kurt cobain, the local music scene and its issues, countdowns, and any other tasty tidbits that i come across.

This isnt about music in general. Its whatever crosses my path. I'll just go ahead and say that this blog will mainly be about modern and alternative rock, simply because that is what I listen to. There will definitely be articles and posts about other genres and artists thatn those, partly because pop music has the weirdest news, no thanks to britney.

Another thing i will be up front about is language. I will often post about Christian music, but I also listen to decidedly un-Christian music. My best excuse is that almost all what I listen to is real. The content that will be in question will almost always revolve around some strong emotion or life experience. Also, my policy when posting lyrics, interviews, or news reports will be to edit all but the first letter of any foul word in question. If you have a problem with this, dont bother reading.

I will say this, one of the reasons I am finally starting this is because I believe that music is something powerful. I believe its a vehicle that can take you places. You just hold the steering wheel. I know its played a crucial part of my life (as cheesy as that sounds) and that it may have even shaped part of my character despite I've only been listening to what i listen to now since March of '05. I believe that there are times when emotions cannot be conveyed with words along, it takes notes, and emotion. I think that a well written song can speak volumes more in three chords than a letter can in 3 pages.

All that out of the way, lemme get this posted. I'm ready to actually write something other than a disclaimer.