The Music Obsession

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Album Review: "I Know Who My Friends Are" by Christopher John

>> On February 26th, 2011, Christopher John will be releasing his first EP under his own name. Although this latest project is his way of making music on his own, Chris acknowledges every person that has ever supported him through the title (and title track) of the EP - I Know Who My Friends Are. Through this EP, Chris gets back to his acoustic roots and shows that this is the music he was born to make.

>> The EP starts off with "Optimistic." This track is sweet and upbeat, much like its name. It has a great pop sound with some characteristics of rock and roll thrown in as well. "Beautiful Day" begins with a strong guitar line, growing with the addition of a tambourine and drums until the vocals come in. This song is everything you could ask for in a solid pop rock song- It's catchy, and it has great energy behind it.

>> "I Know Who My Friends Are" builds off of the energy established in the previous track, and brings it to a completely different level. This will be the song that everyone remembers, and for good reason. Through this song, Chris succeeds in making every listener think about who their friends are, and shows how important they can be. "Case of the Mondays" is another song that virtually everyone can relate to. It refers to the phrase "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," and this is perfectly portrayed through the lyrics. The message is simple: don't drown yourself in work. Everyone needs to come up for air eventually, and what better time to do that than the weekend?

>> Chris saved the best for last with "Isn't It A Wonder." This song consists of some of the most adorable and genuine lyrics ever written by this artist. Starting out with a sweet combination of guitar and piano, this final track is bound to make anyone smile. It's full of honesty, passion, and soul.

>> Written with great energy and positive thoughts in mind, I Know Who My Friends Are is an EP that everyone can truly enjoy. Whether it's the relate-able lyrics or the catchy choruses that draw listeners in, each song has something worth hearing over and over. Be sure to download the EP on February 26th and dare to ask yourself, do you know who your friends are?

Get Connected with Christopher John:
facebook.com/ChristopherJohnBand
myspace.com/christopherjohn1
twitter.com/Chr1st0ph3rJohn

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Half A Decade of Downtown Records

>> Downtown Records is 5 years old! To celebrate, Downtown is bringing our artists together for two unbelievable shows. Tickets go on sale tomorrow and Saturday. Learn more about each artist pick up tickets here:

Webster Hall - Friday, March 4 (featuring A-Trak, White Denim, & more)

Terminal 5 - Saturday, March 5 (featuring Miike Snow, Santigold, & more)

>> RCRD LBL has created a playlist featuring songs from the artists for each night. Check out the acts and download every song free! - Downtown Music Festival Mix

Tour Dates: The Manscout Jamboree ft. The Wonder Years, Fireworks, & more

>> Fireworks will be co-headlining The Manscout Jamboree Tour with The Wonder Years this spring. The tour features support from Such Gold, Make Do And Mend, and Living with Lions.

Dates:
04/08/11 - Lansing, MI @ The Loft (www.fusionshows.com)
04/10/11 - Covington, KY @ Mad Hatter (www.cincyticket.com)
04/12/11 - Dekalb, IL @ The House Café (www.yourticketstand.com)
04/13/11 - Des Moines, IA @ The Vaudeville Mews (www.midwesttix.com)
04/14/11 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room (www.etix.com)
04/15/11 - Wichita, KS @ The Oz Café (www.kpconcerts.com)
04/16/11 - Colorado Springs, CO @ Black sheep (www.ticketweb.com)
04/18/11 - Sparks, NV @ The Alley (www.ticketweb.com)
04/19/11 - Stockton, CA @ Plea for Peace Center (www.tgptix.com)
04/20/11 - Fresno, CA @ Club Retro (www.tgptix.com)
04/21/11 - Bakersfield, CA @ Jerry’s (www.tgptix.com)
04/22/11 - North Las Vegas, NV @ Area 702 (www.ticketfly.com)
04/24/11 - Tucson, AZ @ Skrappy’s (www.ticketmaster.com)
04/25/11 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad (www.launchpadrocks.com)
04/27/11 - Austin, TX @ Emo’s (www.ticketweb.com)
04/28/11 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory (www.ticketstorm.com)
04/29/11 - Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music
04/30/11 - Nashville, TN @ Rocketown (www.ticketweb.com)
05/01/11 - Birmingham, AL @ The Firehouse (www.kapiro.com)
05/03/11 - Pensacola, FL @ Big Easy Tavern (www.ticketweb.com)
05/04/11 - Pembroke Pines, FL @ That Talent Farm (www.kapiro.com)
05/05/11 - Jacksonville, FL @ The Pit (www.foryourfriends.bigcartel.com)
05/06/11 - Augusta, GA @ Sector 7G (www.kapiro.com)
05/07/11 - Raleigh, NC @ The Brewery (www.etix.com)

Get Connected:

www.thewonderyearsband.com
www.myspace.com/fireworks
www.myspace.com/suchgold
www.triplecrownrecords.com

New EP From The Blue Pages

>> The Blue Pages will release a new 5-song EP, titled “Anthropology,” on February 1st, 2011. The album will be available for digital download through Bandcamp.

>> Anthropology has more of a true rock sound than the band's previous album, which lead singer Zac Barnett attributes to the band’s relocation:

“The new EP was very much inspired by our recent move from Boston to Brooklyn. During our first week in the city, a close friend of mine invited me to see one of New York’s up-and-coming bands, Atomic Tom. It was refreshing to see a band portray pop rock music with an upbeat mentality, but still keep the emotion close to the songs. Anthropology really taps into our primary influences which include Bloc Party, Snow Patrol, Coldplay, Arcade Fire, U2 and so on. We love big, epic rock bands and we hope to have captured something similar to that while still maintaining The Blue Pages’ pop hooks and subtle electronic influence.”

>> The Blue Pages have partnered up with the nonprofit organization Education Through Music, which provides quality music instruction to disadvantaged schools throughout New York City. The mission of this organization is something all members of the band strongly advocate, and therefore The Blue Pages will be donating 50% of all album proceeds from Anthropology to Education Through Music.

>> Download the band's single "Run Back Home" for free on Bandcamp. If you like it, make sure to download Anthropology on February 1st.

Get Connected with The Blue Pages:
thebluepagesmusic.bandcamp.com
myspace.com/thebluepagesmusic
facebook.com/thebluepages
twitter.com/thebluepages

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Local Spotlight: Patent Pending

>> For those that haven't been properly introduced to the band, Patent Pending is a great pop-punk band from Long Island, NY. The band is made up of 5 members, and is surrounded by one of the biggest, most supportive families I've ever encountered. This 'family' consists of singer Joe Ragosta's brothers (also musicians), close friends of the band, and anyone who has ever come out to a show or bought a CD.

>> This band is very passionate about their music, but they never take themselves, or much else, too seriously. They recently released a video recommended for fans of mustaches, Burt Reynolds, Charles Barkley, sweet harmonies, & Saves The Day covers. Watch the second episode of "Joe & His Bros," featuring Joe Ragosta, his brother Robert, and Jon Biegen (singer of Love, Robot) below.

>> One thing the band does take seriously, however, is helping people. Since the beginning, Patent Pending has set out to help as many people as they can with their music. In the video below, Joe explains the story behind the song "One Less Heart To Break." He gets emotional while describing how important it is to hang in there even when things seem hopeless, but as the song states, "It's always darkest before the light." Watch the video, and know that everything said is 100% genuine.

>> Patent Pending was recently included in Less Than Jake's free tour sampler. This digital compilation includes music from Less Than Jake, Punchline, Transit, and many more. Click here to download this sampler for free.

Get Connected with Patent Pending:

Facebook | MySpace | YouTube | Merch
patentpendingmusic.com
www.theworldofjoe.com

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Matt Nistler: Journalist At Large

>> Picking up writing skills “on the job” and gaining support from his superiors, Matthew Nister worked his way up from a layout designer of a college newspaper to the founder of TheSoundAlarm.com.

>> Matt Nistler graduated from Bemidji State University in Northern Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in design technology. His talents in graphic design, combined with his interest in writing would eventually fuel his career.

“Even though I was the designer for the newspaper (‘The Northern Student’), I picked up a lot of journalism tips and tricks from my time there,” Nistler said. “I wrote a number of articles for the newspaper, when spaces needed to be filled up. My journalism training was ‘on the job’.”

>> Nistler noticed that The Daily Chorus, a respectable music website, was looking for reviewers. After being added to their staff, Nistler eventually began writing for other sites as well, and went on to create his own, titled The Sound Alarm.

“I get to promote music I love, and the writers get to do the same and get a lot of cool opportunities and perks such as free music and concert tickets,” he said. “Deserving bands and labels get free promotion, and readers get informed and can possibly discover their next favorite band.”

>> The benefits of running his own site seem endless, but Nistler cited writers’ block, keeping each review unique, not being too biased, and deadlines as some of the challenges faced in this profession. One of the major challenges is keeping things consistent.

“All of my The Sound Alarm writers have different skills and abilities, so it’s my job to make sure everything is proper, standardized and high quality,” he said. “Journalism requires a lot of coordination.”

>> Nistler also has some meaningful advice for those interested in a career similar to his.

“You don’t have to go to journalism school or be getting paychecks from the New York Times to be a journalist,” he said. “If you’re passionate and knowledgeable about the piece you are working on it will show.”

>> With enthusiasm and willingness to learn, virtually anyone can have a shot at becoming a journalist.

“The harder you work on honing your skills the more you'll improve your writing,” Nistler stated.

'Love Is Hopeless' Compilation From Hopeless Records

>> Hopeless Records will be releasing a special digital compilation for Valentine's Day, titled Love Is Hopeless. The CD features songs from The Dangerous Summer, Anarbor, We Are The In Crowd, & more. You can pre-order the compilation here. If you order now, your digital download will arrive via email on or before February 8th.

Track listing:

"Some Things" - For The Foxes
"Never Be What You Want" (Acoustic) - We Are The In Crowd
"L-O-V-E" (Nat King Cole cover) - Divided By Friday
"Love Instead" (Acoustic) - Anarbor
"Can't Help Falling In Love" (Elvis Presley cover) - Shane Told (of Silverstein)
"Never Feel Alone" (Acoustic) - The Dangerous Summer
"Archer Woman" (Live at Park Ave CDs) - Damion Suomi
"Borrowed Chords" - Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties (ft. Dan Campbell of The Wonder Years and John James Ryan)

hopelessrecords.com/loveishopeless

Video Killed The Radio Star: 1/26/11

>> Patrick Stump (ex Fall Out Boy) posted a video for his cover of "Green Light" by John Legend and Andre 3000.

>> Lights recently did an acoustic performance of “February Air” for On-Airstreaming. Watch it by clicking here.

>> Alex Goot posted a cover of "Hold It Against Me," the new song by Britney Spears. If you like it, pick it up on iTunes!

>> Beautiful Tuesday recently released a video for their song "Rain." Watch the video below, and be sure to "like" the band on Facebook.

>> I attended the Bayside 10th Anniversary Show on January 21st at The Crazy Donkey. I was only able to record one song during the show. Check out my video of "Don't Hold Back" by The Sleeping below.