Turntable.fm is pretty the best site ever right now. I've always though that listening to music with other people made it better, and this is a chance for people to listen together. Plus, you can upload your own songs. It's a sweet site; check it out.
http://turntable.fm
Friday, July 1, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
2:30 AM thoughts
So, it's 2:30 in the morning, and I'm watching a re-run of Robot Chicken. Well, kinda watching it; I also have Paul Baribeau playing. At any rate, I decided to put down some thoughts I've had lately.
First: Summer thus far, albeit not too exciting, has been fun. I do miss Kyle and Cole a great deal, but, it's nice to have a lot more free time. I've been reading, writing, and playing guitar more. I've been playing a lot of ultimate frisbee too. I guess I've always done that, but, I've gotten much better. Along with the ultimate, I've also entered my way into frisbee golf, which I suck at it. I think I spend more time in the woods than actually playing.
Second thought: I'm super stoked for October. Three days after my 20th birthday, I will be attending my first ever Fest. Anyone who's talked to me know that I've been talking about this forever. Well, i've looked forward to this more than pretty much anything else. Three days of non-stop music, with the coolest people ever. Not to mention that a few bands I've wanted to see forever are playing, like Lifetime, Hot Water Music, and Defiance, Ohio. I'm so stoked.
Third: If you're into music, I definitely suggest reading "Our Band Could Be Your Life". It's a great book, with some cool stories and insights into bands. I'm on Husker Du right now, and I'm pumped to start reading about the Replacements.
On a music review related note (somewhat), I've really been listening to a lot of Motion City Soundtrack lately. I had seen them last October with Greg, Allison, and Ty, but, I wasn't too into them since I didn't listen to them. Half a year later, Pat got me into them. My Dinosaur Life is definitely one amazing album. It's got some great cuts, specifically the last five tracks and track two. These six tracks are some of the greatest pop punk songs recorded. Lyric wise, they've got some fancy and witty word. The lyrics are pretty introspective at times, without losing the fun the band has. If you're interested in that type of stuff at all, definitely check out some Motion City. You won't regret it at all.
Today, me and my mother cleaned my room. Pretty amazing for anyone that's seen how it used to look. To celebrate, we bought a new A-Frame bookcase. It's for all of my records so I can store them properly, and also for extra CDs I have. I've got a lot of CDs recently, and my old rack has become too small. For reference, I can only hold from Against Me! to MxPx, so...a lot of goodies left off the decision field. Tomorrow's plan is to build and organize with Lauren.
That's about everything for late night thoughts.
-Rob
First: Summer thus far, albeit not too exciting, has been fun. I do miss Kyle and Cole a great deal, but, it's nice to have a lot more free time. I've been reading, writing, and playing guitar more. I've been playing a lot of ultimate frisbee too. I guess I've always done that, but, I've gotten much better. Along with the ultimate, I've also entered my way into frisbee golf, which I suck at it. I think I spend more time in the woods than actually playing.
Second thought: I'm super stoked for October. Three days after my 20th birthday, I will be attending my first ever Fest. Anyone who's talked to me know that I've been talking about this forever. Well, i've looked forward to this more than pretty much anything else. Three days of non-stop music, with the coolest people ever. Not to mention that a few bands I've wanted to see forever are playing, like Lifetime, Hot Water Music, and Defiance, Ohio. I'm so stoked.
Third: If you're into music, I definitely suggest reading "Our Band Could Be Your Life". It's a great book, with some cool stories and insights into bands. I'm on Husker Du right now, and I'm pumped to start reading about the Replacements.
On a music review related note (somewhat), I've really been listening to a lot of Motion City Soundtrack lately. I had seen them last October with Greg, Allison, and Ty, but, I wasn't too into them since I didn't listen to them. Half a year later, Pat got me into them. My Dinosaur Life is definitely one amazing album. It's got some great cuts, specifically the last five tracks and track two. These six tracks are some of the greatest pop punk songs recorded. Lyric wise, they've got some fancy and witty word. The lyrics are pretty introspective at times, without losing the fun the band has. If you're interested in that type of stuff at all, definitely check out some Motion City. You won't regret it at all.
Today, me and my mother cleaned my room. Pretty amazing for anyone that's seen how it used to look. To celebrate, we bought a new A-Frame bookcase. It's for all of my records so I can store them properly, and also for extra CDs I have. I've got a lot of CDs recently, and my old rack has become too small. For reference, I can only hold from Against Me! to MxPx, so...a lot of goodies left off the decision field. Tomorrow's plan is to build and organize with Lauren.
That's about everything for late night thoughts.
-Rob
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sorry
Sorry to anyone that actually reads this. I completely forgot about it to be honest. But, I will be back soon but instead of only reviews, I'll start expanding into a little bit of everything. So, stay tuned for new stuff.
-Rob
-Rob
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Acoustic EP
Another Against Me! review is due. This time it's the Acoustic EP, released in 2001. It's 6 tracks (4 on the vinyl) of only Tom's acoustic and Dustin Fridkin on the bass. Some of the songs were later re-recorded for Reinventing Axl Rose but are solely acoustic on here.
If there's one thing Against Me! can do, it's acoustic tracks. For every acoustic song, Tom still manages to pour the same amount of heart, soul, and energy into them as he does for electric tracks. These stripped down versions are powerful and heartfelt, with each song being just as good as the previous. All six songs are a great insight of what Against Me! started as, with topics from love to politics to just life in general. Being both personal and political, Tom's songs are able to really find a spot in the heart of everyone. Even fans of country are in for a treat with "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong".
Overall, the EP itself encompasses everything Against Me! do; make music, play music, and love music. It's a great album and rocks just as hard as any other release by Against Me!, or any other band in general. Seriously, this EP is amazing.
If there's one thing Against Me! can do, it's acoustic tracks. For every acoustic song, Tom still manages to pour the same amount of heart, soul, and energy into them as he does for electric tracks. These stripped down versions are powerful and heartfelt, with each song being just as good as the previous. All six songs are a great insight of what Against Me! started as, with topics from love to politics to just life in general. Being both personal and political, Tom's songs are able to really find a spot in the heart of everyone. Even fans of country are in for a treat with "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong".
Overall, the EP itself encompasses everything Against Me! do; make music, play music, and love music. It's a great album and rocks just as hard as any other release by Against Me!, or any other band in general. Seriously, this EP is amazing.
10/10
Five whole dollars. That's it. All you pay for perfection.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
White Crosses
Against Me! have become one of the popular punk acts of the millennium, and rightfully so. Starting with the very rough sounding recordings of Against Me! and Tom's First Demo Tape, to major label releases such as New Wave and White Crosses, there's no doubt the band has progressed with both their instrumentation and their overall sound. This evolution has resulted in garnering more fans but alienating others. However, regardless of the production value put into each album, there's no doubt that Tom Gabel and company love what they do and put heart into every song, every record, every show. White Crosses is no different.
The follow-up to the popular New Wave, their second major label release, White Crosses expands upon the more straight-forward punk rock of the aforementioned as opposed to the more acoustic/folk punk of early albums. Opening with the title-track, the album starts with a strong song. A strong chorus, catchy guitar riff; it's pretty easy to tell it's Against Me!. Though a strong song, it seems as if Tom stumbles a bit on his songwriting. It's a good lead song, but it seems to be missing something. That's where track two comes in. "I Was A Teenage Anarchist" acknowledges the evolution that the band has made. One of the strongest songs on the entire album, it's structure is similar to "White Crosses", but Tom's songwriting is definitely spot on for this song. Not only that, it's an even catchier sing-along than before, with a great chorus and fantastic verses. "Because of the Shame" really shows the progress the band has made as musicians by featuring a piano throughout the whole track. The downside is that, like the other two before, it's the exact same structure. Catchy intro, build up, strong chorus, repeat; in fact, the formula doesn't change until "We're Breaking Up". A much slower-paced song, it's essentially a ballad. It's placed nicely though. Helping change the pace of the album, it becomes a memorable song. "High Pressure Low" returns back to the catchy rock featured previously. The energy is right up front with this track (which makes sense why it would be released as a single). The next track however, is what makes the album an Against Me! album: the acoustic song. "Ache With Me" is a throwback to the older days of Against Me! and is a powerful song. Lyrically, it's one of the best written by Tom, and the backing acoustics during the chorus are haunting, but fit right in. The song shows that Against Me! still know their roots and can still write intelligent, acoustic tracks like the old days. "Spanish Moss" serves as the follow-up to "Ache With Me", and it's gang "Whoa's" seem like a follow-up that just make sense. It's similar to the other tracks, however, the odd-guitar tone throughout verses helps set it apart. The next track, "Rapid Decompression" is the shortest, fastest song on the album. The intro guitar is very bluesy, and Tom's voice is just as powerful as ever. However, it's not Tom's voice but the guitar that really drives this track home. The album closes with "Bamboo Bones", and it's a good closer. It's a song with a positive message and really shows that while Tom does stumble with some lyrics, he still knows how to write a song with a message.
White Crosses is an odd release. On one hand, the fancy production, the stumbling songwriting, and the annoying "chick-a-chick-ah" aren't really Against Me! at all. But, on the other hand, the album packs so much energy and so much heart into every song, it can't be anyone else but Against Me!. The album itself is solid; as mentioned before, lots of energy. It's unfortunate there's only one acoustic song, the band writes great ones, but, the one that is present is a solid one for sure. And though Tom does stumble, everything needed in an album is here. It may not be perfect or the band's best, but Against Me! sure as hell can play music.
The follow-up to the popular New Wave, their second major label release, White Crosses expands upon the more straight-forward punk rock of the aforementioned as opposed to the more acoustic/folk punk of early albums. Opening with the title-track, the album starts with a strong song. A strong chorus, catchy guitar riff; it's pretty easy to tell it's Against Me!. Though a strong song, it seems as if Tom stumbles a bit on his songwriting. It's a good lead song, but it seems to be missing something. That's where track two comes in. "I Was A Teenage Anarchist" acknowledges the evolution that the band has made. One of the strongest songs on the entire album, it's structure is similar to "White Crosses", but Tom's songwriting is definitely spot on for this song. Not only that, it's an even catchier sing-along than before, with a great chorus and fantastic verses. "Because of the Shame" really shows the progress the band has made as musicians by featuring a piano throughout the whole track. The downside is that, like the other two before, it's the exact same structure. Catchy intro, build up, strong chorus, repeat; in fact, the formula doesn't change until "We're Breaking Up". A much slower-paced song, it's essentially a ballad. It's placed nicely though. Helping change the pace of the album, it becomes a memorable song. "High Pressure Low" returns back to the catchy rock featured previously. The energy is right up front with this track (which makes sense why it would be released as a single). The next track however, is what makes the album an Against Me! album: the acoustic song. "Ache With Me" is a throwback to the older days of Against Me! and is a powerful song. Lyrically, it's one of the best written by Tom, and the backing acoustics during the chorus are haunting, but fit right in. The song shows that Against Me! still know their roots and can still write intelligent, acoustic tracks like the old days. "Spanish Moss" serves as the follow-up to "Ache With Me", and it's gang "Whoa's" seem like a follow-up that just make sense. It's similar to the other tracks, however, the odd-guitar tone throughout verses helps set it apart. The next track, "Rapid Decompression" is the shortest, fastest song on the album. The intro guitar is very bluesy, and Tom's voice is just as powerful as ever. However, it's not Tom's voice but the guitar that really drives this track home. The album closes with "Bamboo Bones", and it's a good closer. It's a song with a positive message and really shows that while Tom does stumble with some lyrics, he still knows how to write a song with a message.
White Crosses is an odd release. On one hand, the fancy production, the stumbling songwriting, and the annoying "chick-a-chick-ah" aren't really Against Me! at all. But, on the other hand, the album packs so much energy and so much heart into every song, it can't be anyone else but Against Me!. The album itself is solid; as mentioned before, lots of energy. It's unfortunate there's only one acoustic song, the band writes great ones, but, the one that is present is a solid one for sure. And though Tom does stumble, everything needed in an album is here. It may not be perfect or the band's best, but Against Me! sure as hell can play music.
7.5/10
Ten dollars. It's Against Me!, do it. Sure, they've changed their sound a bit, but they still rock. And for cheap.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Hold On, Dodge
Talk about a band that's made waves. A relatively young band, Scranton's Menzingers formed in 2006. Last year, they released the critically acclaimed Chamberlain Waits on Red Scare. The album was considered one of the best of the year, and got them national acclaim. Before that album however, there was this EP.
Released in '09, the five song EP ("Kentucky Gentleman" is a bonus track) is a great one. The Menzingers really have everything going for song-writing ability. Between lyrical content, dual vocals, and great instrument playing, The Menzingers can pay. Not only that, but songs like "Lilith Avi" expand upon the typical punk sound, with a guitar that sounds more like the Dire Straits' "Walk of Life". The last song, "Kentucky Gentleman", is a wonderfully done acoustic ballad and makes a great sing-a-long.
Hold On, Dodge is a great EP. It's short and sweet and gives a great taste of what this band can do. There's not a single bad song on the EP. The only downside is that it's an EP; much too short for the Menzingers.
Released in '09, the five song EP ("Kentucky Gentleman" is a bonus track) is a great one. The Menzingers really have everything going for song-writing ability. Between lyrical content, dual vocals, and great instrument playing, The Menzingers can pay. Not only that, but songs like "Lilith Avi" expand upon the typical punk sound, with a guitar that sounds more like the Dire Straits' "Walk of Life". The last song, "Kentucky Gentleman", is a wonderfully done acoustic ballad and makes a great sing-a-long.
Hold On, Dodge is a great EP. It's short and sweet and gives a great taste of what this band can do. There's not a single bad song on the EP. The only downside is that it's an EP; much too short for the Menzingers.
8/10
Boom. $3.99. Purchase. Now.
Monday, April 11, 2011
I Lied My Face Off
Released in '99 on Asian Man, I Lied My Face Off was Alkaline Trio's fourth release, later re-released on the compilation Alkaline Trio. The band themselves formed in '96 in Chicago, and have been releasing music since then. They've always had a way with words, writing some of the greatest songs lyrically of anyone. Most of their songs pertain to heart-ache and sorrow, and this EP is no different.
Opening with "Goodbye Forever", it's pretty clear that the band knows how to write music. Aside from the great fills provided by drummer Glenn Porter, Dan's bass playing is some of the best he's ever done. Matt's voice in the chorus is so urgent and emotional; it's hard to not sing along. The band plows right on into track number two, "This Is Getting Over You". Driven by another one of Dan's bass lines, the lyrics are, again, fantastic. The spoken line of "this is getting over you" over and over during the bridge really helps this song stick in your mind. "Bleeder" is the poppiest song on the EP, with dual vocals and a more upbeat guitar tone. The singing is much more upbeat too; rather than shout the lyrics with urgency, the song has real singing. "I Lied My Face" is the most heart-wrenching song on the whole EP. The chorus alone could make sad kids cry. Mixed in with the very intense drumming, Matt's guitar work sounds just right.
There really is no downside to this EP. Every song is solid, whether it's the fast paced "Goodbye Forever" or the poppy "Bleeder", the band can play. Not only that, but the lyrics are some of the greatest lyrics written by a band. It's a great EP, but, the band has better songs. That being said, the EP is four solid, tear-jerking songs about lost love, sadness, and ways to cope.
Opening with "Goodbye Forever", it's pretty clear that the band knows how to write music. Aside from the great fills provided by drummer Glenn Porter, Dan's bass playing is some of the best he's ever done. Matt's voice in the chorus is so urgent and emotional; it's hard to not sing along. The band plows right on into track number two, "This Is Getting Over You". Driven by another one of Dan's bass lines, the lyrics are, again, fantastic. The spoken line of "this is getting over you" over and over during the bridge really helps this song stick in your mind. "Bleeder" is the poppiest song on the EP, with dual vocals and a more upbeat guitar tone. The singing is much more upbeat too; rather than shout the lyrics with urgency, the song has real singing. "I Lied My Face" is the most heart-wrenching song on the whole EP. The chorus alone could make sad kids cry. Mixed in with the very intense drumming, Matt's guitar work sounds just right.
There really is no downside to this EP. Every song is solid, whether it's the fast paced "Goodbye Forever" or the poppy "Bleeder", the band can play. Not only that, but the lyrics are some of the greatest lyrics written by a band. It's a great EP, but, the band has better songs. That being said, the EP is four solid, tear-jerking songs about lost love, sadness, and ways to cope.
8.5/10
The actual EP is out of print, however, for 10 bucks you can get the collection of early Alkaline Trio. Get it.
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