The Music Obsession: January 2009

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Free Music ; The Sounds of Summer Sampler, Vol 2

I'm not exactly sure how it happened,
But I'm quite glad it did.

>>You're probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about. Well, I'm not sure how, but 2 days ago I came upon this website, and it made my day. It has a list of songs, a fancy title, and a big, flashing 'DOWNLOAD' button at the bottom. Intrigued? I know I was. I knew some of the songs already, but I was unfamiliar with most of them. It's a really great bunch of songs, and for free?! Count me in. I'll list the songs, and you decide whether or not to download them here.

The Sounds of Summer Sampler, Vol. 2

Bada Bing! Wit a Pipe! - Four Year Strong
Livin' Th' Dream - You, Me, And Everyone We Know
Backslide - The Thief
Sleep, Everyone - Powerspace
Home Is A Heartache - Honor Bright
In Bambi's Eyes - The High Court
Waiting - There For Tomorrow
Rock, Shock & Load - Thee Armada
Medicated - National Product
Palm Trees - Sexy Is My Middle Name
Rested Eyes Tell No Lies - 2*Sweet
Never Enough - Holiday Parade
Parker - Automatic Loveletter
North By Northwest - Robot Love Story
A Certain Kind of Touch - Breathe Electric
Roll Right Over - Eye Alaska
Clouds - The Morning Light
Annie Taylor - The Lives of Famous Men
Level of Doubt - VitalLight
Where Were You? - Every Avenue

>>After that discovery, I figured I'd look for some more new music. I found Boys Will Be Boys via MySpace, and I'm really feeling their sound. "Make This Count remix" actually sort of reminds me of Forever The Sickest Kids (sound wise, and because they reference someone named 'Haley'. Coincidence?), which is kind of a big deal in my book. The song has an acoustic flare enhanced by killer vocals & an awesome beat that makes you want to listen to it all the time. "That's Whats Up" is a great song; It's really upbeat and just fun overall. Now that I'm hearing all of their songs, the band really does sound similar to FTSK (Can you tell they're on my mind?!). Based on the music, and the name, the guys seem like they'd be really fun to hang out with. If you're anywhere near here, unlike myself :[, you can see then at the Jammin Java in Vienna, VA on February 13 & 14. Check their MySpace page for more info. By the way, the band is from Virginia, and their 'headline' on MySpace reads "7OH!3" <3333 style="font-weight: bold;">3OH!3, so I really do appreciate that. Remind me to talk to these boys one day soon. Go look 'em up!

>>Shutup And Dance; More than just a command, it's also a band! (And yes, I hate how that rhymed.) I just put on the first song on their music player, "J E A L O U S", and I seriously got chills when it hit the chorus. It shouldn't be all that surprising seeing how fond I am of mixed vocals (a girl&guy whose voices really sounfd great together.) "Let This Be A Lesson" is pretty great too, having an almost techno undertone I'm fairly crazy about. "I Am Free" is mad chill, and it's a great complement to how I'm feeling right now.

>>I've lost my sense of focus. Surprise, surprise. But remember that 'fan page' I mentioned making on Facebook? Well, I've got 20 fans .. and I think that's pretty damn pathetic. If you have an account, and who doesn't these days?, click here & become a fan. I have a bunch of stuff that I haven't figured out to fit on here, like picture albums, concert info, & videos galore. Check that out, and I'll seriously love you forever. Thanks a bunch...

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Video Killed The Radio Star: Cobra Starship

I love Gabe Saporta.
Questions?

[Guilty Pleasure - Cobra Starship]

Version 1: Cobra - Made
Version 2: On MTV

Which do you like better?

Name Dropping 101 ; Fueled By Ramen

>>If you didn't know, Fueled By Ramen is one of my favorite record labels, and with good reason. As of January 20th they are releasing a bunch of limited vinyl LPs from some of my favorite bands. "All We Know Is Falling" by Paramore, "Take This To Your Grave" by Fall Out Boy, "Rotation" by Cute is What We Aim For, and more are all available right now. They're all around $13, and I personally can't wait to get my hands on a few of them .. Check that out HERE

If you're not that familiar with the record label, hit up the FBR site & check out the bands. Once you've done that, vote on your favorite from the label on the poll on this site, and see what others are thinking.

Thanks, loves.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

New Addition: Facebook Fan Page

>>Since I don't have the energy to do anything else at the moment, I decided to make a page for this site on Facebook. It's like a fan page, but since I made it about 5 minutes ago, I'm the only fan .. I suggest you click HERE & become a fan so I don't feel like a failure. Oh, and if you actually look, don't worry: I'll add pictures & videos & stuff tomorrow, so it won't be so plain.

THANKS.

[Old Banner. I should probably make a new one .. Remind me?]

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Name Dropping 101 ; A Rocket To The Moon

Listen & Love.
You can't do one without the other.

>>I realized that I never did a formal post about Rocket, and that really bothered me. So, here goes nothing I guess.

>Pretty much anyone who knows me is aware of my obsession with A Rocket to The Moon, a band I found in May of 2008. Unfortunately, few people are familiar with their music, only having heard of them through my rambling on and on about them anyway. The band is fronted by Nick Santino, who is probably one of the most talented people I’ve come across in a long time. His lyrics are genuine, and you seriously can’t help but smile when you hear his voice. If you’re a guy reading this, you’re probably thinking something along the lines of, “Yeah okay, nice try.” But I know from experience that even if you think A Rocket To The Moon sounds lame, or something idiotic like that, Even if you’re determined to not like the music, you won’t be able to help yourself. His music has evolved over the years, and it just keeps getting better. When I first heard Rocket, it was live at the Bamboozle Festival on May 3^rdof 08. I had never heard of them before, but I immediately fell in love with their sound. The songs I first heard were from the Summer 07 EP, currently available on iTunes. This EP shows the acoustic side of Rocket mixed with a slightly electronic vibe that just makes the whole thing fall into place. If you’re planning on looking into it, I would suggest “Fear of Flying”, “Not A Second To Waste”, “I Think About You Everyday”, and “Are You Catching My Drift Yet?”. The first two are wholly acoustic, and the second two have those little extra effects that enhance the songs.

Sensing my desire for new music, Rocket released the Greetings From… EP in October of 08. I bought it when I saw them live again that month (11 days after the release), and that’s when I actually met Nick. He is so much fun to be around, and he lives life to the fullest. He’s really a genuinely amazing person, and it shows in his music. The newer stuff is much different than anything before it, but it still has those Rocket qualities I love, meaning it’s still incredible. The songs have more of a studio-quality sound, AKA they’re more refined and it’s not just Nick on the tracks. Essentially, Greetings From… makes them sound like a real band, which they really have been from the start. My favorites from this EP, as hard as it is to choose, would have to be “If Only They Knew”, “Dakota”, and “Just Another One.” Also, they re-did “Fear of Flying” from the Summer 07 EP, and it’s just as amazing as the original. I don’t think I can say that one version is better than the other, so you be the judge on that one. Over the years, A Rocket To The Moon has been described as ‘Powerpop’, ‘Electronica’, and the like, but personally I would just go with incredibly addicting. Don’t take my word for it, go look them up. You won’t be disappointed; Nobody I’ve recommended them to has been so far.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Local Spotlight: Table 21

Why do I feel like I've said that everyday of my life?
Oh, that's probably because I have.

>>My friend and I were talking music, and she mentioned a band I'd never heard of. They call themselves Table 21, and they're really good. Hailing from Whitestone, New York, this trio had mastered the art of making songs that you want to listen to when you're just hanging out & having a good time. For me, "Freeway" makes me think of a beach party. This fits seeing as how their page's background is the guys on a beach. I can't help but smile when I hear "Party in My Pants" with it's upbeat, energetic vibe. "Showeys and Goeys" is honestly the best of both worlds sound wise. I geniunely wish they had more than three songs up, but fortunately they're playing The Crazy Donkey on January 24.. Good thing I'm busy that day :[ If you live on the island, you should seriously check out that show. They're playing with The Mercurial, Kids of Survival, East of Eden, Last One Standing, and more (I'm not familiar with any of those, to be honest. Check them out for me & let me know what you think.) Trust me, as soon as you start listening to Table 21, you'll be quite happy you did.

>>So I'm pretty sure I was going to say something else, but apparently my attention span has failed to last for more than 10 minutes yet again. Honestly, this may be a new record. Ehh, I'll think of it eventually.

Click, Look, & Love

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Get Hyped: Believers Never Die! Part Deux

>>In case you were wondering, this means that Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Cobra Starship, Hey Monday, and Metro Station (The bands on this tour) have apparently been confirmed for the Saturday Date of Bamboozle '09 [May 2nd]. I've seen them all live at least once, and they're all amazing. Actually, I really like Metro better in person. Maybe that's just me.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

I've Been Thinking

And since I'm already on the internet, why not post my ramblings?

>>I was looking through some of my old files on Microsoft Word, and I found a bunch of random things like this one. Should I post them, or simply forget I found them? You be the judge.

{{Don't you ever wish you could just go back? To times when things were great, people weren't complicated, and when you were actually happy? Unfortunately, wishes are just that - wishes, and not reality. So stop thinking ‘What if’ and start saying ‘When’, because we’ve only got one shot at this life. Make it so that when you look back, you have no regrets. Live a life you’ll be proud of, and forget the rest. It was never that important, anyway.}}

Friday, January 9, 2009

You Voted: "INTMY!B" Poll Results

In case you hadn't noticed, my current poll just closed.

>>Remember those goddamn "INTMY!B"? Neither do I. Well, I don't remember who I still have to talk about. Oh well. Anyway, the poll I had up asked which was your favorite of the bands on that list. Here are the results:

Everly - 6 Votes
To Be Juliet's Secret - 9 Votes (2nd Place)
My Cardboard Spaceship Adventure - 5 Votes
The Fastest Kid Alive - 2 Votes
Cory Lee - 2 Votes
Holiday Parade - 5 Votes
Van Atta High - 1 Vote
The Great Valley - 2 Votes
Light The City - 3 Votes
A Clear Blurr - 1 Vote
The Goodnight Anthem - 5 Votes
Feels Like July - 2 Votes
American Civil War - 1 Vote
Brighten - 8 Votes (Tied for 3rd Place)
Man In A Blue Van - 3 Votes
Capital Lights - 7 Votes
Jonas Sees In Color - 3 Votes
Linden - 8 Votes (Tied for 3rd Place)
Honor Society - 5 Votes
Nevershoutnever! - 10 Votes (THE WINNER)
Ugly Colors - 1 Vote

>There were 27 Votes total, meaning 27 people voted seeing as how I let you choose more than one band. I'm going to do that for my new poll too. I'm going to put it up right now. Guess the topic? (I'll give you a hint: It's my Favorite Record Label.) Check it out.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Get Hyped: Punk Goes Pop 2

Information via the MySpace Blog.

CHIODOS Added & Official Tracklisting!

Chiodos has joined the ranks of Punk Goes Pop 2 artists with their cover of "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger! We've also posted the final track listing for the album below. Which song do you think will be next on January 27th?

Punk Goes Pop 2 Tracklisting
1. Alesana- "What Goes Around...Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake
2. Silverstein- "Apologize" by One Republic
3. August Burns Red- "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears
4. Mayday Parade- "When I Grow Up" by Pussycat Dolls
5. A Day to Remember- "Over My Head (Cable Car)" by The Fray
6. Escape the Fate- "Smooth" by Santana feat. Rob Thomas
7. There For Tomorrow- "Ice Box" by Omarion
8. Chiodos- "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger
9. Bayside- "Beautiful Girls" by Sean Kingston
10. Breathe Carolina- "See You Again" by Miley Cyrus
11. The Cab- "Disturbia" by Rihanna
12. A Static Lullaby- "Toxic" by Britney Spears
13. Four Year Strong- "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles
14. Attack Attack!- "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry

Lookin' Good.

I can't wait for its release on March 10, 2009.

2 Days before my birthday.

I think it's a sign.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Get Hyped: Bamboozle 09

>>The AP Tour (featuring 3OH!3, A Rocket to the Moon, The Maine, Hit the Lights, and Family Force 5) has a show on May 2nd at The Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY. You're probably asking yourself, Why is that important? or Why not mention any of the other dates? WELL, It's not that I'm biased towards how amazing New York is, even though it's a common fact, but this year's Bamboozle Festival is on Saturday, May 2nd and Sunday, May 3rd. Of course, any band playing on May 2nd's AP Tour date couldn't possibly be playing at Bamboozle at the same time. From this, I've concluded that 3oh!3 and A Rocket To The Moon (the 2 bands playing Bamboozle as well) must be playing on Sunday, May 3rd, confirming what I'd already been told about the date Rocket was gonna play. Crazy how I put 2 & 2 together & got 4, right? (Super lame, I know, but I can't use the 2&2 phrase without saying I got 4; It doesn't make sense to me otherwise. I mean, sure you can put 2&2 together, but what does that matter if you got something like 30487? It's a phrase that you have to be specific with, otherwise it just sounds wrong. But then again, nobody aside from me feels like completing the sentence. Oh well.)
>Speaking of bands playing on Sunday, my 2nd favorite band of all time Taking Back Sunday posted a blog entry on December 19 stating the following:
We have just been added to the Bamboozle 09 lineup for Rutherford, NJ on May 3. We are really excited to play with No Doubt and a bunch of our friends. Don't miss it!
Oh, I would never miss that. Neither Should You! Trust me, and I don't care if you live in Guam, heading out to Jersey fer Bamboozle will be one of the best decisions you'll ever make.. concert wise, at least :: As you can tell, it's obsession-worthy. & I feel like I figured out someone who was playing on Saturday, but I can't remember. More to write about later, I guess.

CAN'T WAIT

>>Strikes Again is one of the bands that found me recently, and I love their sound. The female vocalist, Aria, has an incredible voice that flows perfectly with the male part taken care of by Adam. Song wise, I'd suggest "Go On" & "Revenge of the Synth". Their upbeat, fun-loving vibe just puts you in a good mood. Check them out, and shoot them a message telling them I sent you, and that you love their stuff. Because, odds are, you will :]

Monday, January 5, 2009

Name Dropping 101: The Academy Is..

>>I just bought Fast Times At Barrington High by The Academy Is..., and it's wonderful. I unfortunately don't have Santi, and I only really know 2 songs from that album: the single, "We've Got A Big Mess On Our Hands", and "Same Blood" that I got off of the '08 Warped Tour Compilation CD. I do, of course, have Almost Here from 2004 so I don't feel as bad, I suppose.. As I'm listening to my new purchase, I realize the band has changed quite a bit in four years. "About A Girl" and "Summer Hair = Forever Young" are the first two tracks from the newer record, and you could easily pick them out if you played them with some of my favorites by the band, such as "Black Mamba" and "Classifieds". The sound is quite different, but I can't say I'm complaining. It seems almost more main-stream though, with more of a pop-punk influence than before. The song "After the Last Midtown Show" stands out the most at this point because it reminds me of their old sound, actually refrencing their debut album's title in the lyrics. I'm really fond of how the tracks flow into eachother. Now that I think about it, it seems like as you listen from track one to track twelve, you go from more of a lighter sound to something you'd expect from The Academy Is... The beginning tracks have 'poppier-punk' qualities that I love but was surprised to hear from this band at first, and those towards the end* fit better with my mental image of their music as a whole. Almost Here had been called the "best emo album of '04" and the like by reviews on iTunes, not that those are all that reliable, but one of those reviewers couldn't say the same thing about Fast Times without completely misunderstanding the genre. It's not that the band has lost its touch, all I'm saying is that they've changed things up a bit from the last time I bought one of their CDs. It's a good album from what I've heard of it so far, and I doubt any The Academy Is... fan would be dissappointed.

Now that I've listened to the whole thing twice, I can say that Fast Times At Barrington High is definately worth looking into, fer both those who knew the band's older stuff as well as fer those who are unfamiliar with The Academy Is...

*- Track 11, "Paper Chase", fits in better with the beginning tracks as I've described them.

>>By the way, check out the Glamour Kills Blog. The Best of 2008 post seriously just made my day. It features lists of 10 albums & 5 EPs, most of which should be ringing major bells if you read my site. Champion (The Audition), Rotation (Cute is What We Aim For), Fast Times (The Academy Is...), Can't Stop Won't Stop (The Maine), and Hold On Tight (Hey Monday) have all been mentioned at least once.. or at least, the bands & songs from those albums are refrenced somewhere on here. As for the EPs listed? Greetings From... by my loves in A Rocket To The Moon & That's What She Said by The Friday Night Boys made the cut. I'm not all that familiar with The Way Out is Broken, but I love Armor For Sleep so I'm going out on a limb to say it's something worth checking out. Same goes for Hawthorne Heights and their album Fragile Future.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Name Dropping 101 ; CiWWAF & Jonathan Clay

>>I've been on a major Cute Is What We Aim For - kick for a few days now, and it's been great. I bought Rotation on iTunes and I've been listening to every song from that as well as my favorites from The Same Old Blood Rush With A New Touch. I quoted "Newport Living" fer the post title because I'm obsessed with that song in particular. To further prove that point, I used that song to make a Genius playlist on iTunes that I'm listening to right now, and let me tell you, it's called Genius for a reason. It makes a list of a certain amount of songs (25, 50, etc) that will sound good with the one main song you choose as a base. It's a great thing to have, and I'll admit I abuse it. So what? It's worth it. Anyway, I've been absolutely in love with Blood Rush since it came out [in 2006, I believe], so I was really psyched when I got my hands on Cute's new stuff. I was really surprised at how differently Rotation sounded, to the fact that I almost thought there was a new singer.. and I almost had a panic attack. It's still Shaant, thank god, but his vocals shine through in a way that hadn't been embraced on the first album. It's almost like he doesn't go as all-out on each song this time around, which bothered me at first. If you're as big of a fan of their older stuff as I am, the new album will probably sound strange when you first hear it. But definitely give it a shot, because once you're accustomed to it, you'll absolutely love the sound. Song wise, I'm really feeling "Time", "Doctor", "Practice Makes Perfect", "Miss Sobriety", and "Do What You Do". "Time" is the last track on the album, and I think it's a perfect way to wrap it up. Although it's quite a different sound, it's still Cute Is What We Aim For, which means it's still amazing. Check out the album review on AbsolutePunk.net because I like & agree with most of what they're saying, and because I want to be able to write like that one day. Your opinion? [By the way, Rotation came out in June of '08, so it's not like it JUST happened.. I guess I've fallen a bit behind? I'll work on it!]

>>Jonathan Clay is amazing. His music is absolutely breathtaking, and it's for free. The entire album! I took advantage of this weeks ago, but he just posted it in a way that I can put on here for all of you. Just click 'Download Album For Free' at the bottom, and embrace the gloriousness that is Jonathan Clay.

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