Top 10 albums of 2009

10.) Happiness/ Dance Gavin Dance



This band has progressed lately with their screamo sound and smooth vocals. Happiness puts them ahead of the game among their other competitors, even though it comes to close to sounding generic. With their collection of never ending gritty guitar riffs, Kurt Travis’ abnormal smooth vocals that sound like he’s trying to get you in bed and Will Swan’s make you ears bleed screams make the album perfect. Travis once again shows why he’s the best lead singer for the band. Jonny Craig should go crawl in a hole with Kayne West.


Songs to download: “Don’t tell Dave” & “Self-Trepanation”


9.) Crossing the Rubicon/ The Sounds



Damn you Sweden for making non-pop bands that I can actually enjoy without thinking of annoying ass dance moves. The Sounds can’t do any wrong in my eyes since witnessing them live during the summer. Crossing the Rubicon out do’s Dying to say this to you with its more relatable lyrics. Maja Ivarsson offers her 80’s inspired spunk to each song. “Beat box” sounds like part two to the single “Tony the beat” from their previous album. The use of synthesizers is very apparent throughout the entire album. However, their Swedish accents are close to invisible on this album.


Songs to download: “4 songs and a fight” & “My lover”


8.) Daisy/ Brand New



They’ve slowly grown on me, with their song “The Quiet things that no one ever knows”, but I have to admit that Daisy is hands down their best album to date. I want to kidnap Jesse Lacey and make him serenade me every night. This album will make you little angry at first listen, but after the second you start to appreciate their sound. There’s a hint of some Modest Mouse influence throughout the album. They avoid the emo simplicity of lyrics with songs like “Gasoline “and “Vices”. It doesn’t hurt that this was their first top billboard charting album.

Songs to download: “In a Jar” & “You Stole”



7.) I and Love and You/ The Avett Brothers



I waited a few months to actually give this album my undivided attention, and I’m pissed that I waited. The Avett Brothers capture the perfect rawness of the songs on this album. I was shocked to find out the Rick Rubin produced this album…MOTHER FUCKING RICK RUBIN! To me the Avett Brothers are like the Mountain men version of The Beatles…that I can listen to without having to be drunk or thinking I have to take a tab of LSD. Their damn love-laced lyrics add to the Beatles comparison.

Songs to download: “Kick drum heart” & “Incomplete and Insecure”


6.) Veckatimest/ Grizzly Bear



Yes…the album’s name confuses you and it’s in German, but forget about that and once again Grizzly Bear is awesome! The band experimented with this album and it worked out for them, making this their most successful album. They’ve even gained some musical genius fans…and a genre that’s pretty new to me called Art-Rock. This album truly embodies a sound of its own with its acoustic riffs and uniquely haunted lyrics. Each track flows perfectly with the pop sound and the raw emotion.

Songs to download: “All we ask” & “Dory”



5.) New Again/ Taking Back Sunday



I LOVE TAKING BACK SUNDAY! And I mean love them…to the point I would go groupie if I had the perfect opportunity. With the departure of Fred Mascherino, I was effy on how the band would recover. But, I have to admit it was probably the best thing to happen to them. Mascherino’s replacement Matt Fazzi has become a legend in my eyes after being able to watch him live on stage jumping/stomping around with a medical boot on his foot. New again has the TBS sound that cannot be duplicated. The song “Everything must go” has Adam Lazzara spawning the lyrics: “You quote the good book/When it’s convenient/But you don’t have the sense/No you don’t have the sense to tie your tangled tongue…” There was no doubt this album was going to fall into my top favorites of the year.

Songs to download: “Lonely, Lonely” & “Swing”


4.) Brand New Eyes/ Paramore



I didn’t want to give this album a try at first…I’m still in love with their first album All we know. But, I gave it a quick listen and then the damn songs stuck to me. I couldn’t stop singing the chorus to “Careful”. I guess almost breaking up made the band see a new light and they focused on repairing their bond. It has less angst then Riot, but it has the potential for people to see Paramore more than just the “Twilight” band. Each song clearly channels the bands feelings during the animosity of Hayley Williams getting most of the attention. I have always loved her voice and her true vocal range is shown in track 11 “All I wanted”. It starts off soft and melodic and then the chorus literally punches you in the jugular.

Songs to download: “The Only Exception” & “Playing God”


3.) Swoon/ Silversun Pickups



This damn band got under my skin…but in the good caring way. At first the whispery voice got to me, but “Well thought out Twinkles” kept playing over and over again in my head. The album showcases the bands true talent, and it’s also nominated for a Grammy…which means they’re going to become more mainstream and then I’m going to get annoyed. Just like when Paramore became mainstream and I wanted to stab people. This album shows the qualities of a true alternative rock band. Everything on this album makes Silversun Pickups a band to recognize. The drums and bass seem to overpower every song, but it’s still a remarkable album.



Songs to download: “It’s Nice To Know You Work Alone” & “Growing Old is Getting Old”



2.) Its Blitz/ Yeah Yeah Yeah’s



The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s seem to outdo their creativity in almost every album. When they released “Zero” I was caught off guard by the sounds they presented in the song. It had the old school Yeah Yeah Yeah’s charm but it had more of happier beat to it. The whole album was more relaxed but it was undeniably their creative juices flowing thru every song. The album generated a lot of buzz among music magazine as they dubbed it the best Yeah Yeah Yeah’s album. Karen O has always been a “god” in my eyes and this album just puts her on a higher pedestal.

Songs to download: “Hysteric” & “Dull life”


1.) Two Suns/ Bat for Lashes


I thought this band was an actual full on band with like a guitarist and bass player…but it’s not. I had no idea who the hell Bat for Lashes was until I saw her performance on Jimmy Fallon… btw I hate his damn show. Natasha Khan noted that some bands such as MGMT and TV on the radio were influences for the album. Khan releases her alter ego “Pearl” thru out the album with the songs “Daniel” and “Pearl’s dream”. Her voice is so haunting but yet it has a certain Kate Bush quality to it. She references emotions in her songs that seem to be kept locked upside. From start to finish the album has an automatic hook on you. I love how she her melodies interline with fables. If you haven’t heard of Khan I strongly advise you to start stalking her via youtube now!

Songs to download: “Sleep alone” & “Two planets”

3oh!3 the sarcastic duo of 'crunkcore'

All summer long the lyrics to “Don’t trust me” by 3OH!3 have been escaping from the mouths of almost every 12 to 30 year old in the country. Due to that song the dynamic duo can now say they’re double platinum artist. It’s also a known fact that when two six year olds know all the words to your song even though they don’t know the meaning of it, your Grammy material.
The two best friends, Sean Forman, 24, and Nathaniel Motte, 25, hail from Boulder, Colo. They met while attending the physics class at Boulder University of Colorado. Within the year alone they have managed to create a new genre of music with their own version of ‘crunkcore’.
The duo cites the R&b crooner, and supermodel Heidi Klum’s husband Seal as their inspiration.
They produced a few tracks in a shady basement and got signed to the New York based indie label, Photo finish Records.
With their first album mostly a dud, their second album titled, “Want” has sold approximately 372,937 copies. The first single off the album “Don’t trust me” is branded every humans mind. It doesn’t hurt that the song shows off their historic knowledge of Helen Keller. The video for the song has been on heavy rotation on MTV and FUSE TV for almost six months.
The second single off the album “Starstruckk” is already certified gold in the U.S. It’s currently in the Top 100 billboard. Tour mate Katy Perry is featured on the remix of the single and the music video.
Their eccentric dance moves and sarcastic lyrics have made them a staple in the pop scene.
Since the release of the album the band has been touring non-stop. In 2008 they took the reins and headlined the Vans Warped Tour. That same year pop singer Katy Perry asked the guys to be her opening acts for the European leg of her tour. They’ll return to Europe for their own tour this fall, they’ll also perform in Australia.
They crazy stage antics have gotten them selected top headline Alternative press magazines music tour that started in March 2009.
In August 2009 they performed at the infamous MTV Video Music Awards, where they were nominated for best new artist. Unfortunately, they lost out to Lady Gaga.

Here's the video for their second single "Starstrukk":

Shock and Awe...The New Moon soundtrack is actually damn good

Now I'm not the one who goes for sparkling vampires...or the whole eternal love crap, but I must admit the New Moon soundtrack is good. It's so good I actually bought it and FULLY listened to it.
The soundtrack from the much anticipated film New Moon is going to greatly surpass the original Twilight soundtrack. It was released Oct. 16, four days earlier than its original release date. It’s surprisingly that good because every song was composed just for the album. The soundtrack is expected to be number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. It landed at number two with 115,000 copies sold its first week.
The Twilight soundtrack had the punk rock feel with bands such as Paramore, Radiohead, Muse and Linkin Park. But the New Moon Soundtrack is a mosaic of indie artist; Lykke Li, Death Cab for Cutie, and The Killers even decided to dissolve their artist bubble to appear on the soundtrack.
The first single off the album, “Meet me on the Equinox” by Death Cab for Cutie was released just a few weeks ago. It’s seems to be a melody about the love of the two main characters Edward and Bella.
Lykke Li’s “Possibility” is hands down the most haunting and unforgettable song off of the album. The Swedish artist’s whispery voice and lovelorn lyrics make the song 10 times more desirable. There’s a point in the song where the heave of a rocking chair can actually be heard.
European band, Muse is the only music artist to have appeared on both movie soundtracks. Twilight author Stephanie Meyers has a huge infatuation with them. The song “I belong to you” is a remix of the same song from off their latest album, The Resistance.
Every song relates to the love triangle that three main characters are intertwined in. Songs about loving a vampire never sounded so good.
The 15 track soundtrack is dominated by acoustic guitars, synthesizers and hypnotize me with your vampire powers lyrics.

Here's the video for the Death Cab for Cutie single "Meet me on the Equinox" from the New Moon Soundtrack.

Paramore uses third album as therapy

For a small town band, Paramore seems to be everywhere, literally.
The Franklin, T.N. based band has a knack for touring and their haunting acoustic live sound. While touring with the 90’s band No doubt, they managed to record their third studio album, Brand New Eyes.
The band consists of small town guys; Bass player Jeremy Davis, new guitar player Taylor York, brothers Zac (drums) and Josh (lead guitar) Farro. The feisty orange-haired lead singer is Hayley Williams.
Brand New Eyes may disappoint the die-hard Paramore fans, but it’s clear the band wanted to try a very different sound.
“Ignorance”, the first single off the album has the original Paramore sound. It has the fast paced guitar riffs and the in your face attitude that all fans adore. It was made available for digital download July 7. The second single, will be “Brick by boring Brick”. It seems as though their releasing the songs that still reminds everyone of their old sound.
Majority of the album was made when the band was going through a tremendous hardship. The recording process was a type of self expressed therapy. This marks the first time the band went into the studio without the watchful eyes of a producer. Brand New eyes was released Sept. 29.
Williams described the process as “stressful” In early February the band went decided to take a much needed hiatus. Rumors circulated that the band was going to split ways because of friction between the band mates. The lyrics ended up being a way for them to express how they felt about the situation and shed light on how the band handled it. The album was named Brand New Eyes because during the course of making it they were seeing things in a whole new perspective.
They performed “When the lines overlap” for the first time during their summer tour. From the audience reaction they seemed to love it.
The 11 track album displays the bands unique way of being able to switch out from a high octane song, to a slow acoustic one. Track six, “The Only Exception” has the vintage lyrics of love and proves that Paramore can keep their loyal fans happy. However, Track 11, “All I Wanted” has Williams screaming her heart out; it shows a faint similarity to “My heart” from their first album All we know is falling.
Regardless if fans may be on the fence about this album, it’s still worth a listen to.

Here's video of Paramore performing "Turn it off"

An album worth listening to

Fans of The Used can now rejoice, their latest album, Artwork is ITunes playlist worthy.
The Alternative rock band released their fourth studio album on August 31, 2009. It was produced by Matt Squire. Squire has worked with Panic at the disco and The Receiving ends of sirens in the past. They began writing in early 2008. They also introduced their new drummer, Dan Whitesides in 2006. The rest of the band, lead singer Bert McCracken, bass player Jeph Howard and lead guitar Quinn Allman.
The album has a pure studio sound, like Weezer’s 1996 studio album Pinkerton.
The band wanted to take their music into a new direction. McCracken felt that the previous albums had the similar sound. He’s hoping to create a new genre called “gross pop”.
The 11 track album is nosier and louder than their last album Lies for the Liars. If purchased off ITunes there are 15 tracks of pure angst. A lot of the songs seem to have the revolving theme of hating yourself. Some even sound like their referring to morality. Alternative Press magazine gave the album 4.5 stars.
For example Track 9, “Meant to die” is sounds like it’s based on the death of actor Heath Ledger. Ledger died in 2008 of an accidental overdose. The chorus reads like a page out of troubled person’s mind. “So maybe I took a little too much/Maybe life didn't want this part of me/It helps to know, I never let you go/Sure, I lost my mind/ But I never really meant to die.”
The first single “Blood on my hands” was released June 30 and began airing on the radio July 14.


Here's their performance of "Blood on my hands" at Bamboozle.

The Sounds are ready to dominate

Most bands know that they’ve became known when one of their songs end up in a commercial.
The Sounds were practically unknowns in the U.S., until the song “Hurt you” was featured in a Geico commercial that aired in September 2008. Since then they’ve gained a decent amount of fans.
The New wave, alternative rock band hails from Helsingborg, Sweden. Forming in 1999 the band consists of lead singer Maja Ivarsson, Bass guitar player Johan Bengtsson, Lead guitar player Felix Rodriguez, Keyboard, Piano, and guitar player Jesper Anderberg, and lastly drum player Fredrik Nilsson.
When their debut album, Living in America came out in 2003, the band played over 300 promoting the album. They even performed during the 2004 Warped Tour. Two years later they played on the main stage of the event.
Iversson was featured on the single “Snakes on a Plane (Bring it)” for the sleeper hit Snakes on a Plane.
They have toured with the bands like, the Foo Fighters, Morningwood, The Strokes, Angels and Airwaves and Panic at the disco.
Their second album Dying to say this to you was released March 21, 2006. The album was produced by Jeff Saltzman, the genius behind another hit album called Hot Fuss by The Killers.
The song “Painted with numbers” had a video made and was broadcasted on major U.S. music channels.
Strangely they received a cult following of celebrity fans such as Pharrell, Quentin Tarantino, Bam Margera and even Britney Spears.
Unlike other bands The Sounds promote themselves by word of mouth and by having excellent street team members.
The band was recently on tour with No doubt during the summer. They also had a few small gigs in the country while promoting their latest album Crossing the Rubicon, which was released June 2. The use of synthesizers is very apparent throughout the entire album. However, their Swedish accents are close to invisible on this album. Their hometown origin doesn’t become clear unless you meet them face to face or hear Maja say “Your awesome thanks for coming to our show” So far, the song “No one sleeps when I’m awake” has been playing on radio stations and the video capitulated them to higher level with most musicians.
The band will be touring the U.S. again this fall.

The video for "No one sleeps when I'm awake"

She's backkkk...

I remain very giddy about FeFe Dobson. She was basically the bane of my existence in high school. I danced around in my room to her self titled first album. She got alot of hype from MTV...and then Rihanna got signed to the same label as Dobson. From that point forward the label devoted all their time and energy into Rihanna and released Dobson from the record label. I think that was the most depressing day of my life. However I returned from the slump when Dobson announced on her myspace that she was doing more music. But, she spoke too soon because that got derailed by her label company also. But enough of the sad crap, all that matters is that she's back with a vengeance. Her new singles " I want you" and "Watch me move" have been all over MTV (well more like during MTV's 3 hours of videos). She's matured with her sound and the video above is the main reason why I can't to see her perform one day soon.!

Onerepublic continues to surprise me...

I know a band is pretty damn amazing when I can precisely remember when and where I first heard one of their songs. Onerepublic was a random band that I found on MySpace about three years ago. At that time their song “Apologize” was a soft melody that showed off lead singer Ryan Tedder’s true vocals.
To me the song was perfect to drift off to sleep to, that was until Timbaland caught wind of it and put his unnecessary spin on it. After that I couldn’t listen to it anymore.
But, when their album, Dreaming out loud came out I instantly fell in love again. Granted that Timbaland was the executive producer I put that hatred aside for the sake of the music.
The album seemed like a tell all story of a love stricken, deep thinking guy. The second single “Stop and Stare” became a hit on the charts. With that achievement the band skyrocketed to the top of the charts and began headlining their own tours.
Four singles in all came off that album. Currently they are in the studio working on their sophomore album titled, “Today”. I just hope Timbaland doesn’t feel the need to remix anything.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs defy the odds

There seems to be a few bands that defy what people think of them and follow their own path. The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s happen to be one of them.
The New York City based indie rock band formed in 2000 with the eclectic Karen O leading on vocals. Brian Chase provides the drums and Nick Zinner on guitar.
The band started off small by making their way through their first self titled debut EP in 2001. That same year they performed at the music festival South by Southwest and received international attention. That led to them to headlining their own tour in the U.K. and signing with Interscope Records.
The band’s first full length album, Fever to Tell was released on April 29, 2003.It managed to sale more than 1 million copies worldwide. The album became a major success due to the single “Maps”, which received praise on radio airwaves and MTV.
It was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. Later, that song was featured on the video game Rock Band. The following year the band released the DVD, Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow. The DVD featured concert footage, interviews and music videos of the band.
Their second studio album Show Your Bones was released in the U.S. on March 28, 2006. Following the footsteps of their first album, it was also nominated for a Grammy. The album was probably the band’s hardest. They almost broke up and used that along with other low moments in their lives to produce the album. The first single off the album “Gold Lion” reached number 18 on the U.K. charts. Rolling Stone magazine gave the album four out of five stars and NME magazine named it the second best album of the year.
In 2007 the band released their second EP called Is Is. It featured five unreleased songs and a short film of the band on tour.
The band’s latest album, It’s Blitz! was released March 31, 2009. The album seems to show more of the bands soft side. The first single “Zero” is currently number 68 on the U.K. charts. It peaked at number 22 on the U.S. charts selling 56, 020 copies. This album proves why the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s are an amazing band; they never seem to disappoint their fans.

What's coming up?

I've realized that I've been neglecting my blog so I've decided to make a list of things I will be writing about in the upcoming days.

*The No Doubt/Paramore/The Sounds concert on June 8th
*Wrestling
*The sudden Vampire craze
*New Music from amazing bands that I love

SO until then later homie g skillet...and yes I just typed that!

Taking Back Sunday still have a hold on my heart...

North Carolina has spawned its share of great musicians but none of them has been underestimated for too long. Adam Lazzara the amazingly hot lead singer of Taking Back Sunday lived in High Point before moving to Long Island, N.Y.
Taking Back Sunday has had the success of many other typical rock bands. They started out in N.Y. in 1999 with Antonio Longo on lead vocals, Jesse Lacey on bass and backing vocals, John Nolan on guitar, Eddie Reyes on guitar, and Stevie DeJoseph on drums. After a few other line-up changes, the final member of the band are; lead singer Adam Lazzara, bassist Matt Rubano, guitarist Eddie Reyes, drummer Mark O’ Connell and new guitarist and back-up vocalist Matthew Fazzi. Fazzi is replacing Fred Mascherino, who left the band in 2007 to work on his solo project, The Color Fred.

The rock band released their first full length album, Tell All Your Friends in 2002 with Victory Records. With that album they got a feel of the spotlight in the alternative rock scene.
In 2004 they were the opening act for Blink-182 and the co headliners for the Vans Warped Tour. On July 27 that year they released their second album, Where You want To Be. The album debuted in the charts at three, the following year it went gold. The single “A Decade Under the Influence”, made the album a major success along with the song “This Photograph Is Proof (I know you know)”. Three songs off of the album were featured in block buster movies that year.
With the success of their second album, the third came out on top. Louder now was released April 25 2006 with the bands new label Warner Bros. Records. It sold over 600,000 copied and landed at two in the Billboard charts. The first single off the album, “MakeDamnSure” spiraled to number one on the charts. They even had the song “What it Feels Like to be a Ghost” featured on the Transformers movie soundtrack. The album showcased the bands raw talent with Lazzara vocals and Mascherino’s screaming back ground vocals. Not only was the album amazing, but during their live shows they give their songs the true justice they deserve.
The following year the band joined My Chemical Romance, HIM, and Placebo as opening acts for the Linkin Park Tour Projekt Revolution. Their performance was one of the many highlights of the show. Lazzara drew the crowd in with his on stage antics and ability to swing the microphone around without hitting anyone. Even though their set was short, it was worth standing in blistering hot weather for.
In late 2008 the band started working on their fourth studio album, New Again. They’ve been performing in secret shows across the states to promote the album. On May 9 they will be on the stage again with My Chemical Romance at Madison Square Garden.
On the band’s blog Rubano said that, “On this record, we challenged ourselves to write the best songs we possibly could while trying new things in an effort to push the envelope in terms of what it means to sound like Taking Back Sunday. I think this record has an honesty and an urgency that we haven't achieved before.”

The first single, “Sink Into Me” will be released for radio airplay April 27. The album will be out in stores June 2.
For the spring they will be headlining a tour in the U.S. with Anberlin and Envy On The Coast. They will also be playing at The Bamboozle festival in May and The Bamboozle Left festival in April.

Video for "Sink into me"

Kings of Leon finally gets the attention they deserve

Nashville, T.N. based band Kings of Leon is having an award winning year. The alternative rock band is having great success with their latest album, Only by the night. At the 2009 Grammy Awards their single, “Sex on Fire" won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Kings of Leon is a family band with three brothers and a cousin making amazing music. Caleb Followill is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist. His brothers Nathan and Jared provide drums, bass guitar and additional backing vocals. Their first cousin Matthew is the lead guitarist and back up vocalist.
They all grew up in a very religious household. Their father was a Pentecostal minister who traveled to other churches from time to time. They all learned how to play instruments by performing at churches with their father.
In 2002 they signed with RCA records and began working on their EP, Holy Roller Novocaine.
The band’s first album Youth and Young Manhood was released in August 2003. That album made them a success in the United Kingdom and Australia. It peaked at number three on the U.K. charts. The album had three singles: “Molly’s Chambers”, “Wasted Time” and “California Waiting” all entered the U.K. charts throughout the year.
Their second album Aha Shake Heartbreak was released in the U.S. in February 2005. Every band members wrote the songs on the album. They received the help of producer Angelo Petraglia on this album as well as their first one. The song “Taper Jean Girl" was used in the 2007 movies Disturbia and Cloverfield. The band also received much respect from several of rock musicians, including Bob Dylan. The band toured with Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan for much of 2005 and 2006. The album was produced by Angelo Petraglia and Ethan Johns.
Their third album Because of the times was released in the U.S. on April 3rd 2007. This album was also produced by Petraglia and Johns. The album gained mixed reviews from many critics. Some said that the band failed to show them that they matured; others said it was their greatest work. However, the album debuted in the U.K. at number one. The album featured the singles, “Charmer”, “Fans” and “On Call”.
In early 2008 the band started working on tracks for their fourth album Only by the night. In an interview with the U.K. magazine NME Jared said that the album would "rock harder" and that they were "ready to tackle their southern roots...again." For inspiration the band listened to bands like Crystal Castles, My Morning Jacket and Radiohead. The song "Crawl" from the album was released as a free download on the band's website on July 28. "Sex on Fire" was then released as the second single in later the next month. The song became the band's first top 10 hit and first British number 1 and it also reached the top spot in Ireland. It was also their first song to chart number 1 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock chart in the U.S.
The album went five times platinum in the U.K. and remained at number for four weeks. The album was released a few days after that in the U.S. and reached number 5. The second single "Use Somebody" achieved worldwide chart success. The album was named the UK's 3rd biggest selling album of 2008 and the biggest selling album of 2008 in Australia. At the Brit Awards 2009 they won Best International Band and Best International Album where they also performed the song “Use Somebody”.
Currently the band is touring throughout the U.S. and U.K. They will be performing in N.C. at the end of April.

Here's a performance of "Crawl" from the "Only by the night" album. Yes, there are other good songs than just "Use Somebody" on the damn album.

Finally Blink 182 is back

After a four year hiatus Blink 182 is back and ready to get back in the studio. The punk rock band announced the reunion at the 51st Grammy Awards ceremony on Feb. 8.
The California based formed in 1992 with Tom DeLonge (vocals, guitar), Mark Hoppus (vocals, bass) and Scott Raynor (drums). Raynor was replaced with Travis Barker in 1998, during a tour. DeLonge and Hoppus met in high school in 1992, that same year they recruited Raynor for drums and was named Duck Tape.
Blink 182 is known for their teen angst and dirty humor. Their first major single “What’s my age again?” topped the charts in 1999 and was heavy rotation on MTV and other music channels. Their third album, Enema of the State, shot them into mainstream. That album produced other chart toppers for the band; “All the small things” and “Adam’s song” were anthems to teens.
In 2001 they released their highly anticipated follow up Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. The album sold more than 350,000 copies in its first week. After the success of that album the band found it hard to do a follow up. The fifth studio album was released in 2003 and spawned the hits, “Feeling this”, “I miss you”, and “Always”.
After the fifth album the band toured on the “DollaBill” tour. Tickets were only a dollar. Along with Blink 182, No Doubt toured with them in 2004 before their major hiatus.
In 2005 DeLonge wanted to spend more time with his family, but the band had numerous of appearances and tour dates to fulfill. The band’s manager informed the other two remaining members of the band that DeLonge had quit the band.
Ironically in 2006 DeLonge released an album We don’t need a Whisper with his new band Angels and Airwaves. The album debuted on the charts at number four. The second album was released in 2007; a DVD following the days of the demise of Blink 182 was featured with the album.
The band has been in the studio working on their latest album, which at press time is still untitled. It’s also slated for a 2009 release and plans for a major tour this summer.
Blink 182 fan Bradley Tate said, “I think that their albums weren’t just labeled as ‘humor’ or ‘serious’ I think really it was a balance of both. There were some catchy ridiculous songs but also on the same album there were songs about things that we deal with in everyday life like the song ‘Stay Together for the Kids’. I think this album will be more mature just because they've grown older and gone through more but I don’t think they'll lose their humor it just a part of them. "

My top 5 albums of 2008

5.) Santogold/ Santogold
I accidently came across Santogold on YouTube one day. My first thought watching her perform was, “Why the hell is MIA performing I thought she was pregnant?” But, I was wrong because in my eyes Santogold is less annoying than MIA. Her music is a brand of her own, with punk, new wave, and eclectic all over her album ‘Santogold’. After giving the album a good few listens, it grew on me. Her first single “Les artistes” was an indie/rock hit and made her a fixture among music artists. The album has received great praise from magazines and the industry itself.

www.myspace.com/santogold




4.) N.E.R.D/ Seeing Sounds
I’ve always been a fan of this band, until they broke up out of nowhere in 2005. I settled to listening to their second album ‘Fly or die’ for almost a year until I eventually lost it…on purpose. But, due to random boredom, they got back together to make their third album, ‘Seeing Sounds’. The first single “Spazz” received less airplay than their other single ‘Everyone nose’ which had a music video. I hated the music video due to Lindsay Lohan making a worthless appearance in it. The album shows their true producing talent as every song is written by Pharrell Williams. Every song is more unique and unlike them, which makes it even better.

www.myspace.com/nerdofficial




3.) Does it offend you yeah? / You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into
Does it offend you yeah?, formed in 2006 in Reading, England. Their electro/ dance punk sound has made critics compare them to Daft Punk, Justice and Digitalism. As for the name of the group, according to an interview it came from an episode of the British TV show “The Office”.They have a way of screaming at you, literally. As soon as you go on their MySpace page at less one of their songs immediately grabs you full attention.The one song that made me pay over $20 bucks just to get their album from a friend in the UK was “Let’s Make out.” Every song is a different dance track that I guarantee has been played at a rave.The only way I can hate this band is if I hear another one of their songs in a horrible movie trailer.

www.myspace.com/doesitoffendyou




2.) Lykke Li/ Youth Novels
I’ve tried so many ways to avoid her when she first came out. I just remember seeing her video one day on MTVU in the cafeteria. However, I gave her a try when my two persistent friends kept singing her songs out loud and posting her other songs all over MySpace. And I must say that I’m pissed that I actually avoided her. Her music is a mix of soul and electro and her voice makes it better, even though she’s kind of talking. Rolling Stone magazine put her song “I’m good, I’m gone “in the # 24 spot for the 100 best songs of 2008. Her album “Youth Novels” is apparently a book of her life, which sounded like it was filled of break ups and makes ups…cliché I know but I had to do it. She even did a cover of the song “Knocked up” which is by and featured Kings of Leon and that makes her awesome in my eyes.

www.myspace.com/lykkeli


And drum roll please ….




1.)Mindless Self Indulgence/ IF

If you have never heard of Mindless Self Indulgence you need to choke on something…I don’t care what it is but choke! I never heard of this band until 2007 when I went to Projekt Revolution and ended up working by the second stage where new artist performed. MSI hit the stage with the lead singer Jimmy Urine (yes, that is his name) talking about animals having sex and throwing condoms into the audience. After their set I had the chance to get an autograph and picture with him. Yes, I just bragged about it, because it was that fucking awesome! With their new album, IF their sound stays the same as their first album. However, this album was more of a big fuck you to their record executives. Every song is showcases Jimmy’s true ability to make masturbation and sex on the road funny. This album made my summer more interesting due to my friend and I blasting it every day after work and during our road trips. In other words this album deserves to number one for one reason…”IT’S MOTHER FUCKING AWESOME!!”

www.myspace.com/mindlessselfindulgence

Honorable Mentions:
Paramore –The Final Riot!
Kings of Leon- Only by the night
Jack’s Mannequin- The Glass Passengers
The Killers- Human

The wait is almost over for No Doubt fans

With the spring approaching, slowly music artists are beginning to plan those summer concerts students love. Recently, one tour was announced that made the recent snow day 20 million times better. The ska punk, pop band No Doubt announced that they will be going on tour in May.
If No doubt is a vague memory from your adolescent years, then it’s time to refresh your memories. No Doubt is a band that originated in Anaheim, Calif. in 1986. They gained major success from their single “Just a girl” which was released in 1995.
Their third album “Tragic Kingdom” was diamond certified and featured three singles that were billboard hits, won two Grammy awards and sold over 27 million records worldwide.
The band mixed in a reggae and dancehall sound into their fifth studio album Rock Steady in 2001.
The group features Gwen Stefani on vocals, Tom Dumont on guitar and keyboard, Tony Kanal on bass guitar and Adrian Young on drums and percussion.
No Doubt last toured in 2004 with Blink 182. That same year, they went on a hiatus. All members did solo projects.
Stefani began working on her solo career in 2003. When 2006 hit, she released two successful albums and made a family with her husband, Gavin Rossdale.
There has been speculation about an upcoming album from the quartet.
“Hopefully, the tour will inspire us to make new music,” Stefani told E! Online.
The initial shock of No Doubt going on tour wasn’t complete until it was announced that pop punk band Paramore will be joining them.
Paramore’s first album ‘All we know is falling’ was a commercial success in their hometown of Franklin, Tenn.
The band just wrapped up their ‘Final Riot Tour’ in December and has begun working on their third album. They gained a worldwide audience with their smash single, “Misery Business.”
“I just love their music....when you listen to it at first it may sound like it makes no sense, but it’s really deep, and I can relate to their songs....especially ‘CrushCrushCrush’ and ‘Spiderwebs’ by No Doubt,” said student Cheron McMullen.
Paramore’s leading lady Hayley Williams provides some of the best live vocal’s ever performed I have heard. Her fellow band members Josh and Zac Farro, Jeremy Davis and Taylor York help her bring true energy to the stage.
Opening up for both bands are Janelle Monae, Bedouin Soundclash and The Sounds.
Ticket prices and dates have not been announced yet, but fans are hopeful that they will come to the Carolinas.

Listen up...

The best things are yet undiscovered, that happens to be the case with the band Stellarfone.
Stellarfone is made up of Ashley Harrison, Shannon Stigall, and Richard Oliveira. They’re all hail from Fayetteville, NC. Harrison plays lead guitar, Stigall sings and Oliveira plays the drums/percussion.
Harrison and Stigall have been best friends for eight years and throughout their friendship music has always been their love. Majority of their middle and high school years was devoted to not just grades, but to also song writing. “We have a lot of songs, but we just haven’t put most of them up on MySpace.” Stigall said.
“I’ve been singing since I could talk, performing wise I started in church when I was eight,” Stigall said, “My first day of church the preacher just threw me on stage.” When Stigall was 11 years old she was in a gospel group with a few friends form church, they even released an album. Their eclectic taste in music is a big influence on their sound. Such bands as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blink 182, Plus 44, The Sounds, Dragonette, Weezer, No Doubt and Coldplay are just a few of their favorites. “Our sound is kinda Pop Punk/Rock, but we’re however we feel that day,” Stigall said.
Both girls focused on school after graduating from Seventy-First High School in 2006. They both attended college and in the mist of all the homework, they came back to their music roots by forming Asher and Shan. Late in 2008 Richard Oliveira was added to the band.
So far, the band has three songs featured on their MySpace page, “Victim of the dance floor”, “Faith” and “Circles” every song also has a live video. “The website is going up soon. We record all of our own music on Garage Band.” Stigall said. They promote themselves by social network websites, YouTube and by word of mouth. In March they will perform for the first time in front of an audience at open mic night at the music club, The Rock Shop located in Fayetteville.

For now the band plans on focusing on their music and creating a solid fanbase. You can check them out at http://www.myspace.com/asherandshan