So, here it is, November 22, and I’m JUST NOW getting around to looking at the photos I took at Warped Tour this summer.  I went to the Dallas show as I have for the last two years, which I love.  I’ve been to Warped in Pomona, Las Cruces, and San Antonio, and Dallas is by far my favorite venue.  I think it’s the giant covered stage that does it for me.  You’ve got a place to sit and relax in the shade at about 2 pm when you feel like you are going to pass out.  That’s Warped for you.

My favorite part of Warped Tour every year is that glorious moment when you decide you’re so hot you no longer care about how your hair or make-up looks, and you let the guys with the water hose spray you down.  It’s such a liberating feeling… one that I haven’t been able to partake in the last few years because I’ve had thousands of dollars worth of gear strapped on my back.  Oh, well.  Warped is always worth every drop of sweat shed.  Where else can you find thousands of kids who can decide for one day to get over their differences for the sake of the (very varied) music?  It’s special, you know?  So here are a few of my favorite shots from Warped Tour 2009… I already can’t wait for next year!

3oh!3

Alexisonfire

Chiodos

Hit the Lights

Typical.

Thrice

Thrice

Underoath

Underoath

Underoath

Ok, since I’m really not doing much for my birthday this year (read: I’m broke and I can’t afford a cupcake) I figured I’d pick my 21 favorite songs and write about them. These are songs that mean a lot to me, or evoke a certain time in my life or person. And they are songs that I still get goosebumps to hear. Note: This is a random order.

21. Cute Without the ‘E’(Cut from the Team) by Taking Back Sunday

The anthem for getting cheated on, Taking Back Sunday’s “Cute Without the ‘e’(Cut from the team)” off their debut Tell All Your Friends became the hit song that turn this band from Long Band surrounded by drama into the emo princes they were. The premise of the song that the singer, Adam Lazzara, finds his significant other cheating on him and how broken hearted he is about it. This song sums up the emo ideal; heart broken but being able to make the heart breaker feel like crap with your amazing way with words, but not really talking to them cause it won’t help. This song shows off thebands’ talent to a T; blending Lazzara’s frenzied vocals with then backup singer John Nolan’s slower growl to emphasize the point, you just feel the anger and heart break come from the song. I saw this band live in 2007 with then back up singer Fred Mascherino. Lazzara had the crowd singing along to random “ohhs” starting the opening line “your lipstick, his collar, don’t bother angel, I know exactly what goes on’ to which the crowd immediately jumped in on signing and then started moving to as the music kicked in. Though it says that it was only “wishful thinking,” it became the breakup song of year.

Watch the video for “Cute Without the ‘e’ (Cut From the Team)” here.

20. The Heretic by The Sound of Animals Fighting

I love super groups and this one takes the cake. The Sound of Animals has a core of four musicians but has had up 8 members in their retinue. Off their sophomore release, Lover, the Lord Has Left Us, “The Heretic” amazes me with the different layers of music, vocals to give off a haunted feel to the song.  The words the are spoken at the end of the  songs echoed those said in “Act II: All is Ash or the Light Shining Through It” which are from the poem “Anorexia” by Eavan Boland. This evokes a sense of looking back at someone who has been lost and just wondering what happened to them and to the relationship with them.

To hear “The Heretic” click here.

19. Quality Revenge At Last by Hey Mercedes

This is exactly what a girl wants to her when she is brushed off by a guy she fancies; not “there are other fish in the sea” or “you’re too good for him”, it’s “revenge.” With singer Bob Nanna’s sad and moving voice, “Quality Revenge At Last” doesn’t paint the girl as a villain like many second wave emo bands did; the song reminded the audience that girls can get hurt to and there are decent normal guys out there. Though the band broke up shortly after the release of their 2003 release Lose Control, the fans still get excited to hear this song  when the band plays occasionally together. Besides what girl doesn’t want to hear “we are on our way to save you”?

To hear and watch the video for “Quality Revenge At Last” click here.

18. Going to California by Led Zeppelin

In the Fall semester of 2007, I sat in with my then roommate in a Myths class. Though I had a full course load, I was thinking of dropping my 8am science class, but I had not planned to fill the empty spot with this class. After the professor talked about what would be covered in the semester, he played a live version of “Going to California.” I merely smiled at my friend and ran to get an add-number. The folksy simplicity of Jimmy Page’s intricate guitar work, the mystical feel that John Paul Jones bring with his mandolin, matched with Robert Plants soaring vocals, this song just make the listener sink back and imagine this ideal place and person that this song paints. Though I had been a fan of Led Zeppelin since I was little (thanks, Dad), I didn’t discover this song until I was about 15 when I read it mentioned in a story. It was love upon first listen and it served a good purpose, that was the class I met and became friends with my current roommate.

To hear Led Zeppelin performing this song from their Earls Court performance, click here.

17. Say This sooner by The Almost

So despite the fact that I’m usually pretty calm and not bouncing off the walls hyper, I absolutely love high energy songs and get hyped up just from listening to them. Case in point, “Say This Sooner.” Fronted by Aaron Gillespie, The Almost is high-energy to its core from their songs to their live performances. Gillespie, who is also the drummer/vocalist for metal band UnderOath, is a crazy musician who it can’t stand still when he’s near an instrument. He puts all of his emotions into his music, whether it’s crazy double pedal drum action or acoustic gospel-style singing, and it’s in every single aspect of all his music. “Say This Sooner” was the band’s first single, off their debut Southern Weather, and immediately got a buzz going. Since fans knew Gillespie from UnderOath, they knew that the music would be sure to get them moving. But they were soon blown away with the heavy yet melodic guitars, the drums intricately keeping the beat, and Gillespie’s own vocals being more aggressive yet not screaming. The personal and self-doubting lyrics show make the song easily accessible to anyone and hidden spiritual undertones are characteristic of Gillespie’s work. The basic message, so what if you’re different, if you’re ok with yourself, then it’s all that matters.

To listen to “Say This Sooner” check it out here.

Sit tight, Part 2 is coming up soon!

I’m a huge music lover. My bread and butter is rock but I also love Reggae, R&B, Blues, Classical, Vocal music, and even Jazz and Bluegrass in small doses. As mentioned though, I love Rock the most; hard-driving, intense, hacked-off, loud rock.

I never really liked Heavy Metal growing up. Some of my favorites  were: Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Little Feat, Led Zepplin, and Sly and the Family Stone. In the 80’s I inexplicably fell in love with Disco, then Rap and as Rap became increasingly vulgar, I slowly turned back to Rock. As I and  most of my peers started listening to Classic Rock and turning their nose up to the new Rock  a funny thing happened. Kellye’s cousin Preston, a few years younger than myself, ( he and I had always sent each other music), sent me a cassette tape (yeah) of Pantera. He said in the  accompanying note; that it would seem extremely heavy but to give it a chance. It was and I did,  it slowly grew on me, and before long I was listening and enjoying all sorts of thrash, hard rock, and Metal.

Then I heard POD and everything changed.

Before that a  friend of mine was always ragging on me and saying; how could I listen to the music I did ( Sevendust, White Zombie, Godsmack, Slipknot, etc.) and be a strong Christian? My standard comeback was that I just enjoyed the music, and that I didn’t listen to the lyrics, most that you couldn’t understand anyway. He did cause me to start feeling pangs of conscious however. I heard about a good music edit program that I downloaded  and  started editing all the bad stuff out of the songs. I did that for a couple of years, drawing much ribbing from Raleigh for my  pitiful editing skills, butchering to pieces songs like House of Pain’s Jump, and Manson’s Mobscene. Anyway, back to POD.  I got into them and others: Blindside, Living Sacrifice and  realized that there was tons of good music out there where I didn’t have to listen to a bunch of cussing, dark lyrics, devilish subject matter, and just plain darkness.  Matter of fact, the more I investigated and searched , I found there was absolutely a barrage of  such music out there.

Below I  have listed my favorite bands. I hope, if you haven’t heard some or any of the them, you’ll check them out. Their MySpace sites are a good place to sample, or  ITunes.

I’ve listed first the group, a brief description, Hardmeter (10 would be the heaviest possible and 1 would be peaceful, chilled out, devo music), my favorite 2 songs by the group, the best line or the best part, the CD it comes from, and then a few songs that are really good but didn’t make my top 2.

Caveat #1. My definition of a Christian band. Most of the bands are not “Christian ” bands, i.e. that would be on the top 10 Christian sellers for the week or up for Dove awards. I don’t think any on the list are, maybe with the exception of Pillar. The MO for these bands is that most or all of the band members are Christians and their songs are about God and/or living the Christian life. There lyrics range from bold, in your face, calling you out Christian lyrics, and testimony ( Sleeping Giant) to very vague lyrics that you wouldn’t even know were about God unless you were a fan of the band (Underoath).

Caveat  #2:  Bone up on your internet lyric -finding skills because you’re going to need that with most of these bands.

Sleeping Giant

Every song  SG does is about God’s Kingdom, every one. They’re not vague about it either. Hard meter 8 on the hardest stuff but they have several chill-type praise tunes; O Praise Him, He Will Reign. If you want to get revived in your faith and like this kind of music, these guys are the ticket.

Whoremonger Scripture: Proverbs 7: 6-27  Best part/Line ” Hell  relinquish your hold on my Sons”  CD Dread Champions of the Last Days

Descending Into Hell Scripture: James 1:27  Best Line “You know what’s unbiblical? It’s Jesus sitting in some blackened room.” CD Sons of Thunder

Honorable Mention: King of Kings, The Streets Don’t Lie

Norma Jean

NJ’s CD’s have gradually got less hard with each successive one.Their absolute hardest, brutal, math core-esque was their 1st 2 cds which feature the top 2 most played songs on my ITunes account: Memphis Will be Laid to Waste, and Face: Face. Their CD Redeemer is still hard but the most blatantly Christian. Hard meter: 8

A Small Spark vs A Great Forest Scripture; James 3:1-12  Best Line : “Oh how we curse, tongue is a flame, let there be Grace”  CD Redeemer

The End of All Things Will be Televised Scripture: Revelation 21  Best Line: ” Out comes the Mercy, shutting down Hell”,” Captain, the ship is sinking, Have Mercy”. CD Redeemer

Honorable Mention:  Face Face, Memphis Will be Laid to Waste, Amnesty Please.

War of Ages

Wonderful band. So sincere. Check out front man Leroy Hamp’s testimony. Good,  Pennsylvania, power metal/christiancore with some serious guitar work and real praise of God. Very inspirational lyrics. Hardmeter 7

One Day Best Line: Chorus:  “God save Me”  CD: War of Ages

My Solitude Best line: ” my life is not in vain, proved by the stripes on his back” CD War of Ages

Honorable Mention: Guide for the Helpless, Stone by Stone

POD

There 1st 3-4  CD’s were their most in your face Christian: Snuff the Punk (my all time favorite cover art), Brown, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown,  and Satellite. All those are still frequent visitors in my CD player.

Hard meter 5.5

Run Scripture: Psalm 13 (word for word)   Best line “I will sing to You, my Lord, for You have been so good to me”  CD Snuff the Punk

Tribal Warriors Best Line “Holding the stars, is the man who carries my scars”. CD The Fundamental Elements of Southtown

Honorable Mention: Southtown, Outcast, Anything Right, Portrait

As I Lay Dying

Very hard but just as with just about all Christian heavy music, it has a goodness, a wholesomeness that non-Christian bands noticeably lack. You would think that would be true huh? You definitely need the lyric sheet with these guys and it makes it all the more awesome when you find out what they’re saying alongside such monster guitar riffs and frenetic drum runs. Hardmeter 9

Collision Best Line:” I want you to know, how much it means to have you in my life. I could never forget You. I will never be the same”. CD Frail Words Collapse

Distance is Darkness Best Line: How quickly I forget, that this is meaningless” CD Frail Words Collapse

Honorable Mention: 94 Hours, Through Struggle, Meaning in Tragedy

Life in Your Way

Jordans favorite band. They, even though scream-rock, have a very wholesome quality which exudes goodness and love ( see songs below) We’ve seen these guys live several times and have been very impressed with them off-stage. They have a holler-guy and a sing guy like a lot of hardcore bands these days. Hard meter 6.5

Salty  Grave Best Part: The Hymn, I Love You Lord halfway into the song. CD: Waking Giants

Threads of Sincerity Best Part: “Everywhere I go, everywhere my feet take me, Your compassion never fails me“ CD: Waking Giants

Honorable Mention: The Beauty of Grace, We Don’t Believe, Reach the End

Blindside

These guys went from really screaming, hardcore on their 1st CD: A Thought Crossed my Mind (HM 9) to a lot less harsh , commercial-friendly singing style on Silence (HM 5). After that, they’ve gone too commercial, and lamed out. Those 1st 2 CD’s are good though, especially Silence which is packed with great stuff. Hardmeter See above

Cute Boring  Love Song is About: Lust  CD Silence

Act Best Line ” Shift into a higher gear, place a brick on the gas. On what I left behind, I won’t shed a tear, My rear view mirror has got broken glass”. CD A Thought Crushed My Mind

Honorable Mention: Pitiful, Sleepwalking, Caught a Glimpse, King of the Closet

Underoath

These guys are probably the most commercially popular of anyone on my list, their CD’s going high up the Billboard charts, Grammy awards, and Gold records. My favorite cd is Define the Great Line which is really good, packed with killer songs. My next favorite is They’re Only Chasing Safety. Their earlier stuff is  Hardcore Screamo which I don’t really love. These guys headlined the Warped Tour when it was in Nashville a few years ago.They’re the real deal musically. Hardmeter 7

In Regards To Myself, Casting Such a Thin Shadow  CD: Define the Great Line

Honorable Mention: Returning Empty Handed, A Moment Suspended in Time,Young and Aspiring

Living Sacrifice

I bought this CD early in my Christian Rock evolution,unheard, on the recommendation of some 13 year old hardcore/Christian kid at one of Jordans soccer games when he was about 10. I got home with it, cranked it up, heard the Living Sacrifice version of the devo-song I am Not My Own and freaked out. It was about the most awesome thing I had ever heard! Praise to God in absolutely SLAMMING, breakdown, monster riff, stop-start beats, with absolutely no commercial ambitions, only to crank as hard as possible and to glorify God. Wow. Hardmeter 9

Not My Own Best Line ” Born again, born again, LIFE. Born again, born again, PEACE. Born again, born again, LOVE , I am not my own”. CD The Hammering Process

Reborn Empowered: Best Line:Reborn empowered,All strongholds broken,Old ways have died,Given new life.CD In Memoriam

Pax 217

This band is broken up now.Their music is a really good; So-Cal, optimistic, blend of rock,rap with a little reggae thrown in.Their name “Pax” is Latin for Peace, and 217 stands for Ephesians 2:17.They sound a lot like the old rap/rock band 311. I wish they hadn’t broken up. The song No place Like Home breaks my heart. Hardmeter 4

No Place Like Home. About: Divorce. Best Line: “Mom and Dad come back around” CD Twoseventeen

I’ll See You  CD Engage

Honorable Mention: Prizm, Engage, PSA, Move On This.

Oh Sleeper

One of Raleigh’s favorite bands.Wow.These guys are like listening to a hard rock representation of the book of Revelation.You’ll just have to check them out to see what I mean. Their music is a little too intense for over a couple of songs at a time for me personally.Their guitar-virtuoso rating is very high,with ex-Between the Buried an Me guitarist Shane Blay leading the way, shearing off monster riff lines. Raleigh has met these guys and says they appear to be the real deal, really friendly, accessible, humble, and God fearing. 

Vices Like Vipers  Best Line: (hard to decide) Like the Viper, I kept when You said “Let Go”.  “Take my lust, this world’s love. Great Counselor, take what’s left, Great Counselor, take what’s left…..of me.” CD When I am God

To Flagship  Best Line: “As the Sons of the first King, the Sons of Flagship” CD When I am God

Honorable Mention Son of the Morning,We are the Archers, Building the Nations

Pillar

Fireproof is my favorite with their preceding cd, Above, my next favorite which was pure rap/rock.Pillar is now more pure rock as in Where do We Go From Here, another good offering from start to finish. They’ve kind of went the commercial route and sold out since. Hardmeter 4

Fireproof Best Line ” I tried to tell you but you wouldn’t be quiet, I am FIREPROOF.”  CD Fireproof

Live for Him  Best Line ” We’re battle soldiers caught in spiritual warfare , fighting’ for the souls of the lost in this dark nightmare “. CD Above

Honorable Mention: You Should Know, Frontline, You Simply Loved

Sophia

A local band, now broken up, they are actually a few Belmont guys.This is very good stuff, especially for a local band. I saw them a couple of times. Their front man had a penchant for jumping off really high places during their performances. I always see their little bearded guitarist in the pit at local shows. Check out the history of their band name Sophia. Hardmeter 7

Suffocating the Magpie  Best Part: “I called you my Daughter, I called you my Mother, Forgive us, my sister, I am the curse“. CD My Morning; Migration

Prison Epistle Abridged Best Part: ” I am the poorest one if I give all I have to follow You Father” CD My Hands, My Greedy Hands

Honorable Mention: The Dove’s Solemn Hymn, Desertification

The Showdown

These guys are from Elizabethtown Tn. Their 1st CD A Chorus of Obliteration (HM 9) was really heavy but their 2nd Temptation Comes My Way (HM 6.5) is more Southern Heavy Rock, way, way more melodic with very little screaming. Great guitar work.

Head Down,  I Victim   CD Temptation Comes My Way

A Monument Encased in Ash This song is about the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah. Yes, awesome.

Haste the Day

This group has a good mix of screaming (almost a screech) and singing, and really good guitar driven, breakdown, hardcore rock. They are one of Raleigh’s favorites. He saw them, and As I Lay Dying at one show. Wow. Their name comes from the lyrics in the Hymn It is Well With my Soul. I read this: they asked a band member to leave the band because he no longer believed in Christ and they didn’t feel that worked with their purpose as a band. You wouldn’t think of that type commitment when you hear these guys because they are so hard but that’s  why we shouldn’t judge by appearances. ;0) Hardmeter 8.5

Walk On, When Everything Fails,  CD When Everything Fails

American Love  CD Burning Bridges

Honorable Mention Pressure the Hinges, Chorus of Angels

The Best of the Rest

August Burns Red

Bloodlined Calligraphy

Devil Wears Prada

Gwen Stacy

A Plea For Purging

I Am Terrified

Get Your Guns

Once Nothing

Demon Hunter

Project 86

Underoath in Nashville
Don’t miss them at Rocketown with Emery and To Speak of Wolves!

This year was the first time I attended Van’s Warped Tour. I had heard many different things about the tour – some good, some bad. But I decided to go for it and decide myself. I’m glad I did! There were multiple stages and over fifty bands. Thousands of teens and twenty-something’s, and the occasional young child (of whom you wonder why in the world he was allowed to come) wandered
around the Susquehanna Bank Center.

As I parked my car in the rather expensive lot, dodged the many tailgaters and even heard Skillet blaring from one of those cars, I took a deep breath and entered into the long line to pick up my press pass. Of course, I was in the wrong line. So once I made that observation and headed over to the press tent the very hot, humid, and exciting day began.

When I walked past catering and entered the press room I was pleasantly surprised. I’d been used to the backstage access offered by venues such as churches, granges, and Christian music festivals. This however, was legit backstage. The air conditioner was blasting, water was offered, and “famous” people were milling about. I signed up for quite a few interviews, picked up a schedule for the day and headed out into the maze of Warped Tour.

First on my list of bands to see was The Goodnight Anthem, a band local to the Philly area. I’d seen them once before and quickly fell in love with the CD they had so kindly given me after their set. This performance was no exception. Their high energy appealed to the masses of guys and girls shoved up against the stage in the covered amphitheater. Their lively pop songs were a great start to the day. As they finished playing they announced the sale of their album, and people rushed to buy it from a guy standing on the side of the stage. In my opinion, The Goodnight Anthem will soon be a household name in the world of secular popmusic. They won’t be just a Philadelphia band for long!

The day before I attended the Camden, NJ date, I had received countless emails from many of the bands’ publicists requesting interview time. I received a text message from Ionia’s manager early in the day and plans to meet up. A band from New York City, Ionia would exhibit their slightly darker, heavier sound on the Kevin Stays Stage. Their live show was tight and polished – despite the relatively low turnout for their set. But before they played, I met up with them backstage and we headed to catering to chat for a few minutes.

While talking with them, I learned a great deal about the band. “We’ve been doing some local tours, and played Taste of Chaos. We did a tour in Costa Rica for handicap kids. We like raising money for something – and our music is very socially conscious,” says lead singer Blaise Beyhan. In light of this, a lot of their music carries that same theme. Their song “Excuses, Excuses,” relates this idea as well. “It’s about people in our country cutting themselves a lot of slack for not doing what they set out to accomplish, and then patting themselves on the back for being mediocre,” shares Blaise. It’s a condition that’s poisoned
a lot of American society. `American made’ doesn’t mean much more than garbage. People don’t take much pride in what they do anymore.”

I was also able to catch up with Nick Barham, AttackAttack!’s new vocalist. He joined the Rise Records band after he received a 4 a.m. phone call asking if he’d fly out and sing for them while they were in the heat of a tour. “I learned all the songs on the air plane ride, and then had my first show with them the next day,” he recalls. “We’re a lot different than a lot of bands, because we’re screamo with electronic and dance beats.” Well apparently being different played out for them, because they were asked to play every date on this summer’s Warped Tour. “I have no clue [how we got on Warped] but I’m glad we did because it’s so much fun. It’s been sick. It’s been really cool because we’re playing with all the bands I used to look up to. It’s neat hanging out with them and seeing how they really are.”

Warped Tour seems to be the launching pad for many bands. Pop/rock band, The Maine, played 10 dates on the tour last year, and this summer was enlisted for the whole shindig. I was able to chat with band members Kennedy Brock and Jared Monaco for a few minutes to get their take on things. And what have been the highlights of the tour for them? “Food!” they both excitedly said. “We’ve been having some pretty crazy shows on the East Coast. The West Coast was fun, but it was really hot. Yesterdays show [Buffalo, NY ] was awesome! Definitely a highlight of our week! Also being in New York City.” They also asked me to inform (and urge) you, as their dedicated fan, to pick up a copy of the deluxe edition of their album Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop. You won’t be disappointed!

Along with newer acts, Warped was also filled with veteran bands including Underoath. They had a crazy crowd (which is to be expected) with crowd surfing, moshing, fist pounding and countless voices singing along to their set. This was my first time seeing the hardcore act take the stage and they more than owned it. Before their set, (and after snapping the press shot to your left) I was able to sit down with keyboardist Chris Dudley, who has been in the band since 2000. They’ve come a long way since they formed, and have more than earned their high ranking in the current music scene. Chris reminisced on when they first signed their record deal. “We didn’t set out to accomplish a ton of things; we just wanted to write music. We are all Christians and wanted to glorify God and tell people what we believe. We played a show in front of ten people in Alabama. There was this guy named Chad Johnson that saw us play. He said he was starting a record label and asked if we wanted to be on it. It was this little indie label he ran out of his basement. Tooth & Nail bought that indie label, and that’s where we are now!” Well it’s obvious that they’ve come quite a long way since that Alabama show, and were enjoying their time on the road. “There’s no drawback [to Warped Tour] except for the lack of
showers and the heat sometimes.”

A large part of the tour’s space is devoted to various causes and non-profit organizations. The Truth Campaign, devoted to educating concert-goers of the harms of tobacco (while the majority of the kids lit up almost the entire day), held a very large presence at the event. Invisible Children was there, as well as To Write Love On Her Arms. I was able to talk with Jason Blades, who coordinates special events for TWLOHA. “TWLOHA was on all of Warped tour,” he shared recently. “My favorite part was that each day we had the opportunity to get to meet and talk to people from a new city. We got to see some of the
country, meet awesome people and help spread TWLOHA’s message. I also think that it is amazing that Warped tour sacrifices valuable space and accommodations to have its own non-profit section. I think that it is incredible and it shows how much they truly care.” The organization is dedicated to reminding people that there is hope, and somewhere for everyone to go for help with depression, self- injury, addiction and suicide. “We want to connect and help spread the message that hope is real, help is real and possible,” Jason informs.

Overall, the day was great. The diversity among the bands was well balanced and they all played quality shows. For being the largest and most known tour in the country, Warped does a great job at setting the pace. Where else can you chat with the lead singer of Saosin multiple times – and not even know who he is? For more information on any of these bands and causes, check out the links below:

www.warpedtour.com, www.myspace.com/thegoodnightanthem, www.myspace.com/ionia, www.myspace.com/attackattack, www.myspace.com/themaine, www.myspace.com/underoath, www.thetruth.com, www.invisiblechildren.com, www.twloha.com

Lady Gaga is fairly marvelous. I think we can all agree on this in some facet or another. Whether or not you actually enjoy her is another discussion altogether, but let’s face it, the girl is innovative, to say the least. She changed outfits three times at the 2009 VMA awards and that was after “bleeding” profusely onstage while being strung up at the end of her live performance. Anyway, this here orchestral mash-up aroused my attention when I found out it was a rendition of Gaga’s Love Game. I’ve been a big fan of orchestral cover songs for awhile now, first falling in love with them with The String Quartet’s Tribute to Incubus 1 & 2. This, however, is quite fun, as well. Not as complex as most Incubus tunes (not nearly) but still fun to hear. Hit the link!

Lady Gaga-Love Game Orchestral

P.S. I’m still waiting for an orchestral album of hardcore covers. Seriously, Underoath SCREAMS orchestral cover.

P.P.S. In what should have been much more than simply the Post Post Script, I wanted to include a little info on the man behind the orchestral machinations; check him out at ForOrchestra.com. He’s got some pretty sweet ones, like Kids by MGMT.

Fan of All That Remains? Lacuna Coil?  Taking Dawn? From Sword to Sunrise? Or Maylene and The Sons of Disaster? If so get ready because they maybe rocking a stage near you soon.

The Hard Drive Live Tour 2009 will kick off Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009 in Albany, NY. providing you with the chance to see all five band take the stage.

All That Remains

Metal fans favorite All That Remains will be preforming tracks off of their latest album Overcome at Hard Drive Live, including Forever In Your Hands, the track which they just released the music video to on Oct. 7, 2009.

Taking Dawn

Formerly known as 7th Son, Taking Dawn has recently signed to Roadrunner Records. Inspired by 80’s metal the band proclaims that they are in no way a “throwback to 80’s glam metal,” but include new solos, melodic rhythms and shredding in their songs. The track that attacked Roaderunner to them that you should keep your ears open for? Time To Burn.

Lacuna Coil

Lacuna Coil returns with their newist full-length release, Shallow Life, their first release since Karmacode released in 2006. Was it worth the wait? Make your way to the Hard Drive Live Tour when they come to your town to see.

From Swords To Sunrise

Formed in late 2007 From Sword To Sunrise spawned from hardcore foundations on the music scene in Spokane, Washington. In 2008 the band headed out on more extensive tours with All That Remains and Trivium and when they finished they started recording their debut full length album FSTS. The band is discribed as, “Hard hitting and explosive, combined with influences of mayhem and destruction,” by a local writter.
Seth Wolther, Vocalist, thanked Hard Drive for, “have given us a real shot here.” Take your opportunity to see what you think of them at Hard Drive Live 2009.

Maylene and The Sons of Disaster

Get ready for the gun toating outlaws to make their way to a stage in a town near you on the Hard Drive Live Tour 2009.  Straight out of Birmingham, Alabama Maylene and The Sons of Disaster are considered, “musical outlaws who rob and steal the best parts of heavy metal, punk rock, down-home classic rock n’ roll and bluegrass and reshape it in their own image with the true-life morality.” The bands third album, With Beautiful Simplicity, III, pushed the envelope even further in which they broadened the scope of the repertoire established in their depute and album II. Recognize the vocalist? You might. Dallas Taylor was the original vocalist of UnderOATH who was “asked to leave” the band in 2003.

Need tickets to Hard Drive Live Tour 2009? Get them before they are gone! For tour dates, venues and tickets CLICK HERE.

It began in 1996 has hard music community were clinging to the shattered dreams and the nearly forgotten remnants of glory in a rock radio world that had seemingly forgotten and the creation of hardDrive radio came into play. From the radio to the stage Hard Drive Live Tour soon was an reputable tour in the hard music community. HardDrive radio soon became hardDrive XL, which is now on the air five  days a week for five hours a night.

Little more than two months remain in this decade… well, unless you want to be technical and say the decade ends on a ‘0 year, but come on, when we say “the 80’s,” we’re not talking about 1990, so let’s call this decade 2000-2009. Anyway, it’s almost over, and I’ve been reflecting on those years and the influence they’ve had on my life, particularly in the realm of music.

Epoch The First
When this decade began, my knowledge of recorded songs consisted entirely of Chris Rice’s “Cartoon Song,” Stephen Curtis Chapman’s “Dancing With The Dinsoaur,” and my father’s Petra collection. My parents were not exactly musical connoisseurs, and while they did not necessarily object to rock and roll and the whole shebang (see Petra collection), the Christian radio station my mother listened to in Minneapolis probably did, and their repertoire consisted mostly of talk shows and the occasional “Cartoon Song.”

Then, in the late spring of 2000, we moved to Chicago. My mother probably had no idea she was about to change my life forever. She was just looking for a local Christian radio station to replace the one she listened to in Minnesota. But the one she found was much more in tune with the great conglomerate affectionately known as the Contemporary Christian Music industry. SHINE 89.7! (I still remember the jingle.)

This was all new and exciting stuff for me. We had discovered the station just in time for Plus One to storm across the airwaves. I had no idea they were supposed to be appealing to teenage girls. I had no idea they were carbon copycats of more popular (but undoubtedly less holy) boy bands. There was melody! There was harmony! There was instrumentation! This was cool stuff! The Promise, I am unashamed to say, was the first album I purchased with my own money, and later that year when we moved to St. Louis, their concert at the enormous Family Arena with Stacie Orrico and Rachael Lampa was probably one of the highlights of my formative middle school years (though I wish I could go back in time and see the smirks of the older schoolkids as I wore out that band T-shirt through the halls of CHS).

Of course, it wasn’t all sugar and spice. Some artists survived completely on the nourishment of the CCM market, but there were others that merely spilled over into radio appeal, and I tended to gravitate towards the Audio Adrenalines more than the Avalons. AA, dc Talk, and Newsboys all put out greatest hits albums around the same time, allowing me to quickly imbibe some of the highlights of the last decade while laying a foundation for the rockier side of things (I also got my first taste of industry practices.. The recorded version of “Say The Words (Now)” has Toby rapping on the bridge?!? And more electric guitar than the radio version?!? But it sounds so much cooler that way!)

I soon discovered that 89.1 played Christian rock on Saturday nights (and they let you request songs!), and while the Internet was a long way from utilizing music to its full potential, I used our dial-up modem and my 30-minute parental daily time allowance to read up on the latest charts, news, and even exclusive music videos from JesusFreakHideout.com. Kutless, Pillar, Thousand Foot Krutch…. such energy and power! Music became an interaction with my friends… John introduced me to some band named Skillet with whom he had a mildly distant church/family connection, and a kid named Dylan Chapman let me listen to an album by four young punny guys called The Anatomy Of The Tongue In Cheek (I though it was just OK at the time).

I floated happily along the twin channels of Christian Contemporary and Rock radio for the next three years and into high school (the 2003 “Go Show” at the Family Arena with Audio A and Kutless was another highlight), but eventually I was starting to get bored. I was still eating up new releases by bands that had come to be favorites, but the CCM radio thing was getting stale. The whole worship craze was kicking into gear, and while I had learned to love worship through the churches my family had been attending (particularly The Life! Church), the songs that made it through the machine and onto the careful airwaves didn’t give me the emotional connection of Hillsong United’s power chords, ambient keys, and raw lyrics. Some of them weren’t even original, and it started to bother me that Tree63’s “Blessed Be Your Name” and Phillips Craig and Dean’s “Come, Now Is The Time To Worship” were contributing sales and popularity to bands that didn’t even come up with the songs themselves. So Hillsong United kept me spiritually anchored while I went to explore elsewhere.

Epoch The Second
I’d heard for awhile the criticisms that the Christian industry just copied the mainstream, and, strangely enough, some of my favorite bands were actually starting to get played on secular radio! Those were the stations my high school peers were listening to anyway, and I was ready to get in on the exciting stuff. I was driving now and could listen to the radio in my car, and I was often tuned to the adult contemporary/pop tunes of Y98 or 101.1 The River, but I also discovered the alternative rock of 93.3 before I graduated high school. 3 Doors Down! Gavin Degraw! And on and on…. The well-polished catchiness of the mainstream stars was invigorating. I discovered the Pageant with my crossover bands, and as I had only ever seen a show from the back of a stadium, I was surprised and more than pleased to discover that in this “small” venue, there wasn’t a bad spot. The content of the secular musicians wasn’t all totally evil, although I wasn’t really interested in the depressing stuff. I even found uplifting Christian artists hiding in the mainstream…. The Fray, Flyleaf, Mat Kearney. It only bothered my ever-shaping worldview that there seemed to be an inverse relationship with how popular a band was and how much they specifically mentioned God or Jesus…. new Switchfoot was less blatant than old Switchfoot…. but compared to The Fray? Was this what was known as “selling out”? How could you “be a light” if you had to keep dimming it the farther you got into the darkness?

These thoughts churned in the back of my mind as I delved further into the mainstream. Breaking Benjamin was pretty depressing, but “Diary of Jane” had a cool and intense rhythm. MCR’s “Welcome To The Black Parade” sounded soooo epic! I even took a short detour through the hip-hop and rap scene. I certainly never allowed my personal library to be defiled with such vulgar language, but the beats of “Snap Yo Fingers” and “Ridin‘” and even some of that Rihanna stuff were really catchy to listen to on the radio. I can still recall most of the songs at the top of any major 2006 songs list, although it amazed me how easily the masses gobbled up the Top 40 “variety.” The R&B-laden “Temperature” and beat-driven “Lean Wit It” went down just as easily as the super-sugary ballad “What’s Left Of Me” or the country-pop “What Hurts The Most.” It didn’t matter what it was as long as it was catchy and easy and…. mindnumbing. Oh, so mindnumbing.

I got sick of the Top 40 stuff very quickly as I realized that three months later I didn’t know the songs anymore… it was all new and yet it pretty much all sounded the same as the old stuff. And the lyrics seemed to be getting even trashier. The unfaithful and cheating “Lips Of An Angel,” the deliberately audacious “Girlfriend“… it all felt like a blatant attack of selfishness, instant gratification, and destructive pleasure. It broke my heart to see my McDonald’s co-workers collapsing in broken relationships while they were listening to an utter glorification of physical satisfaction by any means possible (consequences not included). The Akon radio edit that replaced the obscene verb of “I Wanna F— You” with “I Wanna Love You” (as if the two words were somehow equatable) was one of the last straws. By the time the more innocuous and simply mindnumbing “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” came around, I had said goodbye to the radio, and I have no idea how that song goes, or most of the transient “hits” that have followed.

So what filled the new void? Well, the hardcore scene, for one, although that was really only one piece of a bigger puzzle (Underoath powerfully pioneered my epiphany that screaming nonsense actually contained discernible lyrics, often backed by beautifully talented music). But the integral element of my newly forming landscape was the Internet.

Epoch The Third
By the time I started my first year of college at the end of 2006, the Internet had come a long way from merely displaying charts and providing online radio…. and no, I’m not talking about downloading (which I still shun for a patchwork of legal, ethical, and philosophical reasons). I’m talking about this little website called MySpace and this nebulous buzzphrase called “social networking.” People forget that before MySpace there was no surefire, legitimate way to spontaneously listen to an entire song without spending money (unless you were lucky enough to find a music video on AOL… here’s to you, modern YouTube). You mean I can listen to the whole song… not just a clip…. of “Bad Day” without buying the album and without waiting 30 minutes for the radio to play it again??!! This was a monumental breakthrough!

Initially, towards the end of my radio days, I merely used this service to satisfy the urges for singles I had not yet purchased from iTunes. But it quickly became an efficient tool for discovering new music. Everyone was on MySpace. When CCM Magazine (which my grandmother mysteriously stopped renewing for me right about the time its value was waning for me) recommended a little Arkansas band called Deas Vail, I was able to find some tracks online that convinced me to purchase the album when it released.

AbsolutePunk.net quickly became a priceless beginning source, which, despite its name, collects news and reviews from a variety of genres. I had heard that Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman was working on solo projects, but it was a news post on AP that reminded me that it was out and that I needed to get it. I had heard the name Thrice mentioned here and there, but it was the buzz on AP that led me to the MySpace full album stream of the Alchemy Index (Vol I & II) that led me to purchasing the project that led them to become one of my favorite bands. A lot of these bands were also re-jolting my Christian/mainstream paradigms, as I discovered an increasing amount of Christian musicians who were respected and liked by unbelievers – even the musicians that were less compromising about their faith.

I was finally checking out musicians that had never been played on the local radio stations. Some of the bands I was listening to couldn’t fill a place like the Pageant, and I soon discovered truly small venues like the Creepy Crawl, Pops, and Off Broadway. I couldn’t try out every band I heard of, obviously, but I fell into a system of letting the buzz on a band build upon itself from a variety of sources – Internet, friends, live shows, etc – until they warranted a listen. I had heard of mewithoutYou, and I knew my friend Sam really liked them, but it was their midnight show at my first Cornerstone (2007) that finally pushed me over the edge. Ah, yes, Cornerstone. I have said plenty elsewhere about the impact of that annual festival.

These days, I feel like I’m pretty well-rounded. David Crowder Band and MuteMath slowly worked their way into my consciousness through a variety of connections via CCM, the Internet, and friends until I finally purchased an album and fell in love. Even now I don’t manage to entirely avoid the CCM circuit and occasionally come across a gem (tobyMac’s “Made To Love” gets a 5-star rating), and this is also true of the mainstream (see Coldplay’s last album). I found Children 18:3 because of my brother Jacob, Ian McIntosh because of my cousin Andy, and Josh Garrels because of my newer friend Josh Ehrmann. I went from the fence to a fan of Becoming the Archetype thanks to my college friend Ben, and Tyler Burkum went from forgotten to fascination this February thanks to a girl I had just met named Emily.

Maybe I’m starting to spread myself too thin, trading a few popular acts for a smattering of smaller ones and scooping up dozens of follow-up releases that all too often simply don’t seem as good as the originals (I’m looking at you, Ian McIntosh, Mat Kearney, MuteMath, The Glorious Unseen, and A Fine Frenzy). But before I consider the path of the future, I’m going to spend some time looking back at the last decade, highlighting the landmarks of my journey that was ridiculously long in the telling. I’m a musical nerd who always posts top lists at the end of the year.

In the coming weeks, as we finish off the 2000’s, I will be posting my countdown list of the ten most personally influential albums of the decade – how I discovered them, what I liked so much about them, and why they were and still are so important to me. If you want to humor my mild narcissism, feel free to guess what’s coming and read along….

GOAL/SCHEDULE
Week of 10/18 – Honorable Mentions (#14-#11)
Week of 10/25 – #10. Lord of the Rings
Week of 11/1 – #9. How To Save A Life
Week of 11/8 – #8.
Week of 11/15 – #7.
Week of 11/22 – #6.
Week of 11/29 – #5.
Week of 12/6 – #4.
Week of 12/13 – #3.
Week of 12/20 – #2.
Week of 12/27 – #1.

I’ve always wanted to make a list of all the bands I can think of that would be amazing to see in concert. I’ve finally got around to doing this. This of course will be a wonderful growing list as I go on in life but here is what I have so far. I open to suggestions so feel free to leave any.

There is one or two I have seen already but would be happy to re-live the experience.

Manchester Orchestra
Iron and wine
Sufjan Stevens
Mewithoutyou
David Crowder
Becoming The Archetype
Coldplay
Copeland
Daft Punk
Death Cab For Cutie
Family Force Five
Fly Leaf
Foo Fighters
The Gabe Dixon Band
House of Heroes
The Glorious Unseen
Imogen Heap
Jack Johnson
Jason Upton
Linkin Park
John Reuben
The Mars Volta
Mute Math
Motion City Soundtrack
Page France
Phil Wickham
The Raconteurs
Underoath
Regina Spektor

underoath-theyre_only_chasing_safety-(reissue)-2005-rtb

szerencsére az underoath az utóbbi időben meglehetősen nagy népszerűségre tett szert, így kétlem, hogy a számos tagcserén átment zenekart be kellene mutatnom. zenéjük kissé behatárolhatatlan, mivel jópár műfajból merítenek, ráadásul lemezről lemezre változnak, de legjobb korongjuk ilyen téren homogén: minőségi és tiszta emocore ez, a 2005-2006 előtti szép időkből, mikor még nem kurvult el a műfaj igen nagy része. ez volt az underoath első lemeze a maylene and the sons of disasterbe (nem önként) távozott dallas spencer énekes nélkül, így ezen már nem voltak “hörgős” részek, ellentétben a korábbi lemezekkel. az emocore krémje ez a lemez, majd jön még pár hasonlóan nagy klasszikus.

j e t l a g  o v e r

arizona trip was…interesting. every time i go back though, it’s getting easier to leave for my real home. i still miss my family and friends and i loved getting to hang out with them, but arizona doesn’t belong to me anymore. it’s great to be back here with my second family and my daddy. but getting back into the groove of things at work hasn’t been the easiest. that’s gonna take a little time for adjusting. getting things together in my life before the year is over. getting the ball rolling.

today’s song is Stop It by The Almost

this is another band i’ve started listening to recently and i love them already. they’ve got a great sound mostly due to one of my favorite male vocalists ever, Aaron Gillespie from Underoath. their lyrics are great and if i listen to one of their songs in the morning it’s stuck in my head for the rest of the day. this is one of my favorites, it got me through the boring flights to arizona. it’s about the complication of relationships, what else?

It seems like every time we’re here I look right back at you
As your eyes perk up and you say boy don’t you come unglued
I’ll be so kind to bust it up on the floor
I’ll make a change so that you want me more (So that you want me more)

Is this really my idea?
I had no clue, that all of this was really happening
My thoughts remain lying on the floor
It’s not my fault I’m such an awful mess and more

Now we’re here at breakneck speeds oh just to make me feel
Less aware of all the times, the times I made you
It’s stronger than you really want it to
And make a face that said you know just what to do (You know just what to do)

Is this really my idea?
I had no clue, that all of this was really happening
My thoughts remain lying on the floor
It’s not my fault I’m such an awful mess and more

It’s true I failed
But your love covers me
It’s true I failed

Is this really my idea?
I had no clue, that all of this was really happening
My thoughts remain lying on the floor
It’s not my fault I’m such an awful mess and more

Is this really my idea? (Is this real?)
I had no clue, that all of this was really happening
My thoughts remain lying on the floor
It’s not my fault I’m such an awful mess and more

A Come&Live csapataitól fokozatosan érkeznek az újabb zenék, így most a már korábban bemutatott floridai Preson Phillips is stúdióba vonult, hogy Tim McTague produceri segédkezésével elkészüljön a következő album Weep… He loves the mourners tears címmel. A zenész azt mondta az új anyagról, hogy “tíz dal lesz, melyek a Máté evangéliuma és az Efezusiakhoz írt levél igehirdetései közben születtek”.
A tervek szerint első fázisban az ingyen is letölthető digitális kiadás jelenik meg, majd karácsonyra megérkezik CD-n és vinylen is.

via: C&L!

I have given up on the entire human race. You’re all fucking dead to me.

I strongly believe you’re all caught up in your egocentric, conceited selves that you eventually become so god damn narcissistic, you disregard absolutely everyone else around you.

I hate having “friends.”

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(If the f-word is NSFW, then don’t scroll down until you get home!)

• I’m not feeling very serious today! This is a good thing!

• I want to make dumplings soon. These two posts should get anyone through the process easily. Here and here. They are a bit labor intensive but soooo rewarding! 
• Speaking of food, on a fashion-centric blog, I really liked this post from Fashion is Spinach. It’s a swell revelation to have… a nice little reality check. 
• I love this video (and the song)! It’s not the official video but instead, a very creative fan made it!
• The Keyboard Cat t-shirt made it on Threadless - of course! I can’t decide whether to get it or not… after all my oohs and ahhs, I’m really agonizing over it! damnit! Where would I wear it? I think the answer is EVERYWHERE!

• My fave screamo (they call themselves metalcore) band ever, Underoath is coming back to the Norva on November 30th. This will be my 5th time seeing them. I’m 30 years old and I’m going to be screaming with a sea of 16 year old kids and I. Can’t. Wait! There is no shame in my game. Here’s a pic from the last time I saw them… and my post about that night! For the first time, I won’t be going by myself. The bf has NO idea what he’s getting himself into. He owes me. I took him to see Atmosphere for his b-day!

• This Kakuzai notepad is adorable! At $25 and with 1,200 sheets, it would make a great x-mas gift! OMG why am I already thinking about Christmas!?!?! I’ve been stalking this notepad waiting for some update on where to buy it in the US, since the original source was in Japanese and someone finally let everyone know where to get one here! (via)

• It was interesting to take a quick peek into the Marimekko textile factory.
• These labels are a must. Thanks to Thursday Night Smackdown… one of my fave food blogs. 

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• This is one sad pup. He’s all over the place with his sadness, looking for his lost love!

• I really want a new phone. My Helio Ocean just isn’t cutting it for my online demands. I need to see how much longer I have with my contract and iPhone here we come! I just wish they had different providers!

Natalie Dee

(Her blog is awesome!)

• My mom’s b-day is coming up and she’s always wanted a big fuzzy (fake) sheep in the house. (I wonder where I get it from.) Anyhow, I found one and it’s a stool. Only it’s $1,200. Maybe next time mom. 

CRAIG OWENS KICKED OUT OF CHIODOS

To the surprise of many Chiodos fans, the band has announced that they have kicked lead-singer Craig Owens out of the band.

Could this just be a bad week for bands? This news comes only a few days after VersaEmerge kicked out their drummer and original member Anthony Martone.

The band released a statement today, regarding Craig Owens:

“To all of our friends, family, and fans: We would like to let you know that we have let Craig Owens go as the singer of Chiodos. This decision was a necessary one. Out of respect for all of the hard work that we have put in together for all of these years we will not be discussing the specific reasons that this needed to happen. We wish Craig well . We will absolutely be continuing on as a band and we will keep you informed as this next chapter unfolds. Chiodos fans are the best fans in the world and all we can ask of you, after everything you have already given us, is to share in our excitement for this next album. We promise you will not be disappointed…………Brad, Jason, Pat, and Matt”

Chiodos just finished an entire summer of Warped Tour, and made obvious by their Myspace name, are working on a new record. We’ll keep you updated on this situation, and who they plan on taking Owen’s spot.

Song titles, particularly of Pop songs, are usually pretty short and punchy. Some examples…

• Beat It (the late M Jackson)
• Imagine (John Lennon)
• Superstition (Stevie Wonder)

and the list goes on.

Personally I like it when bands get creative and name songs with entire sentences.

My favourite for the moment…Christian Screamo band Underoath, track 2 from Lost in the sound of Separation:

“Anyone Can Dig a Hole But It Takes a Real Man to Call It Home”

Great song too…

Tour Dates
11/20/09 – Rocketown, Nashville TN
11/21/09 – The Masquerade, Atlanta GA
11/22/09 – Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh NC
11/23/09 – Music Farm, Charleston SC
11/24/09 – Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale FL
11/25/09 – The Ritz, Tampa FL
11/29/09 – Amo’s Southend, Charlotte NC
11/30/09 – The Norva, Norfolk VA
12/01/09 – Crocodile Rock, Allentown PA
12/02/09 – Northern Lights, Clifton Park NY
12/03/09 – House of Blues, Cleveland OH
12/04/09 – Orbit Room, Grand Rapids MI
12/05/09 – The Rave, Milwaukee WI
12/06/09 – Metro, Chicago IL
12/08/09 – Sokol Auditorium, Omaha NE
12/09/09 – Granada Theatre, Lawrence KS
12/10/09 – Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa OK
12/11/09 – The Village, Little Rock AR
12/12/09 – New Daisy Theatre, Memphis TN
12/13/09 – House of Blues Dallas, Dallas TX
12/14/09 – Las Palmas Race Park, Mission TX
12/15/09 – La Zona Rosa, Austin TX
12/16/09 – Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston TX
12/17/09 – House of Blues, New Orleans LA

Links
Underoath Official website
August Burns Red Official website
August Burns Red at MySpace
Emery’s Official Website