It's Tuesday. Which is technically literature day. But as I don't really have a whole lot to report on that end of things--college doesn't give you a lot of time to read your own material and it doesn't help that I'm always preoccupied writing my own--I'm going to do some discussion of the musical variety. Because I have like, 9 or 10 albums to discuss with y'all, okay? Okay. We should probably just get started or this post is going to be a mile and a half long and who has time for that anymore? Honestly.
...I was just thinking that I could make way more--and much shorter--posts if I just separated each of the albums into their own posts. But why on earth would I do that? This isn't Tumblr or something.
Moving right along. Album one:
The Cascade Sun: A Scene a Sailor'd Give His Eyes For
The Cascade Sun is a local band, hailing from Minot, North Dakota. They've actually been around awhile, but before they were Cascade Sun, they were In Defense of a Marionette, and with a slightly different lineup.
(They were the former title in 2007, which I know because I met two of them at Rock the Leaves without actually realizing it, but that's another story entirely.)
This album was self-produced in the concert hall on campus--if the pictures on Facebook are an accurate indication of that--and mixed by a guy in LA (whose name the drummer didn't give me, as if it actually genuinely mattered, eh?).
At least 3 of the 5 members of this band attend Minot State University. I know definitively that 1 isn't attending college (Facebook creeping for the win) and I honestly have no idea about member number 5. (In truth... I don't know anything at all about said member 5... Moving along.)
The band consists of Mat Charley on lead vocals and guitar, Tim Olson on drums and backing vocals, Casey Black on bass and backing vocals, Sam Buchholz on keyboard, electronics-programming and vocals, and Ben Carlson on guitars and vocals. Normally I would shy away from placing names online, but considering that they're destined to be famous rock stars some day that the whole world knows and adores (because they're fabulous) I doubt it really matters.
Anyway. The album. Now that I've rambled about the band long enough... Hah. So. Onward.
A Scene a Sailor'd Give His Eyes For is a 6 tracked alternative/electric pop album available on iTunes, and... uhm... other places... I can't remember what Tim told me anymore. Sorry. But look around on whatever program you use. I know for sure it's on iTunes. And you can order it straight through their Facebook page, too. (Facebook - The Cascade Sun) So there's that. And I think I'm gonna throw links to a few of their songs here, as well, because their music speaks best for itself.
I will say however that there are a few locations in this album where the vocal harmonies cause... well, I mean, the kind that give you chills, or that make you stop what you're doing and just listen because it's so... perfect. I get rather moved by music, for anyone who hasn't yet noticed.
It feels really awkward for me to say stuff like that because I know them personally and it's like... weird. You know what I mean? Like... it's weird for me to think that people I know and am moderately familiar with have the kind of talent that... can really connect with me on an emotional basis. Not like I don't connect with people, but it's a little different through music, you know?
Also, Mat has a really beautiful voice. Like, I don't often announce that men have beautiful voices because most of the time different adjectives are better suited, but this time the best term is just beautiful. He has this perfectly clear and smooth falsetto that's within easy reach for him and he can switch in and out of it no problem--I've watched them perform enough to notice.
Last Chance to Relax (<--I made this video... because I wanted this song to be on YouTube so I could show it to a friend. hahaha.)
Astronaut Arms
Sink (<--this one is one of my favorites)
Posting links to their songs is proooooobably a bit of a cop-out in reality, but you know what, just listen to at least two of those songs. It's like, 7 minutes of your time. What else are you going to do with those minutes? I mean really. Just watch it.
With those links firmly in place, I shall move onto the next album on the docket:
Mayday Parade: Mayday Parade
It's their third album, and it's the one they self-title. I know a lot of bands do that, but it still sorta confuses me. Like, could they just not come up with a decent title this time? Orrrr what's the deal? I don't know. I don't mind self-titled albums, obviously, but... Anyway.
Mayday has managed to evolve in their sound as well as in their lyrics since album one while managing to still be the same band they started as. They're like The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus in that respect, except that the changes haven't been anywhere near as drastic for Mayday. It's been moderately subtle while still being noticeable.
"Oh Well, Oh Well" I recognized as a sad song when I listened to it, but it wasn't until I watched the video that it really occurred to me how sad it was. Embedding the videooooo now:
Album 3:
New Found Glory: Radiosurgery
NFG is a band that has been around for a very long time. Obviously they aren't who they started out as. I really like where they've come to, though. I like their early music and their new music in two completely different ways; it's almost as though I consider them as two different bands, even though they are decidedly the same one.
This album has a fair amount of attitude and really moves, if you know what I mean. Like, the paces of the songs are moving, like a heavy train going full speed--it has a lot of momentum. I like that in an album, though. I haven't really had a chance to pick it to pieces yet, as I just bought it last night. But the amount that I have listened to it has said enough.
Amusingly... one of the tracks on the album is Trainwreck. Anthem for the Unwanted is one of my current favorites, though.
We Are the In Crowd: Best Intentions
I love this band. They're so much fun to listen to and really good. Alternative pop band with a lot of punk influence. Acceptable amounts of attitude without reaching bitchy. And their lyrics actually mean something.
"This isn't me And I hate what we've become. This isn't my life And I don't know where it went wrong. Wait and see... We'll figure it out" are the opening lines to This Isn't Goodbye, It's BRB. We Are the In Crowd is a band with something to say, and I am perfectly happy to listen.
Evanescence: Evanescence
7 years later, they finally put out a new album. The band's lineup has changed, but Amy Lee is still at the forefront--if she wasn't, I don't think they could call themselves Evanescence, but that's off topic.
I really like this album. The feel of their music has changed just a little, but I feel like it's in a good way.
I know I just crab-patched about Mayday Parade self-titling their album, but I kind of feel like self-titling this album was a good move. Like, it's kind of re-establishing their identity as a band. Almost as if to say We are Evanescence, and this is our sound. Maybe I'm misreading it. But that's the impression I get from this album. The songs on it kind of... enforce that impression, too, depending on how you look/read into them. I'll leave that up to you. Do "What You Want". (hah. music pun. lolz)
Madina Lake: World War III
Not sure what's in the corner of this image, but it's the only one I could get to link right. So whatever.
Madina Lake hasn't changed much since their sophomore album. I really like it, though. I feel like they have their own totally unique identity that shouldn't change. (Not like I feel like other hands should change identities. Never mind.)
That isn't to say of course that they haven't grown at all, because that they definitely have. I'm just saying that if you like early Madina Lake, you're still going to like their new material. Basically.
Actually that's not really what I was saying, but we'll just say it was and go with it. Kay. Sounds good.
Rock band. Thoughtful lyrics. Hooks that get stuck in your head and keep your brain's radio tuned in for awhile. It's totally worth it.
Black Veil Brides: Set the World on Fire
The picture was tiny, and thus is now blurry. That's obnoxious, but I don't really care right now. haha.
Anyway. Metal album. BVB. It's... Well, it's just them. I love them, don't get me wrong. I just don't really have a whole lot to say. It's typical metal, screaming included.
My album came with a poster. And I was kind of excited until I realized it was just the one guy, and then I was vaguely confused. I'm considering putting it up in my dorm room anyway, just because I think it'd be funny. Random? Weird? Both. I know. You really shouldn't be surprised by that by now. Just saying.
Anyway. that's what I've got for music today. I could really go back and do a few more, but I need a nap and am running out of time to take one. SO! I'm out.
Ta ta!
--Emily Renae
Playlist! (Haven't had one of those in awhile, huh?):
This Isn't Goodbye, It's BRB--We Are the In Crowd
Sink--The Cascade Sun
Where are the Heroes--The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Anthem for the Unwanted--New Found Glory
Legacy--Black Veil Brides
Stay--Mayday Parade
Sick--Evanescence
Call Me Hopeless, Not Romantic--Mayday Parade
Priceless--Mayday Parade
Saviour--Black Veil Brides
I'm Not the One--New Found Glory
Sirclase--Joel Janikowski
Wake Me Up--The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
When You See My Friends--Mayday Parade
Don't Lose Hope--The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Angel in Disguise--The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Fallen Angels--Black Veil Brides
See You Around--We Are the In Crowd
Hey Superstar--Madina Lake
Exits and Entrances--We Are the In Crowd
Happy Endings are Stories that Haven't Ended Yet--Mayday Parade
The Other Side--Evanescence
Last Chance to Relax--The Cascade Sun
...I was just thinking that I could make way more--and much shorter--posts if I just separated each of the albums into their own posts. But why on earth would I do that? This isn't Tumblr or something.
Moving right along. Album one:
The Cascade Sun is a local band, hailing from Minot, North Dakota. They've actually been around awhile, but before they were Cascade Sun, they were In Defense of a Marionette, and with a slightly different lineup.
(They were the former title in 2007, which I know because I met two of them at Rock the Leaves without actually realizing it, but that's another story entirely.)
This album was self-produced in the concert hall on campus--if the pictures on Facebook are an accurate indication of that--and mixed by a guy in LA (whose name the drummer didn't give me, as if it actually genuinely mattered, eh?).
At least 3 of the 5 members of this band attend Minot State University. I know definitively that 1 isn't attending college (Facebook creeping for the win) and I honestly have no idea about member number 5. (In truth... I don't know anything at all about said member 5... Moving along.)
The band consists of Mat Charley on lead vocals and guitar, Tim Olson on drums and backing vocals, Casey Black on bass and backing vocals, Sam Buchholz on keyboard, electronics-programming and vocals, and Ben Carlson on guitars and vocals. Normally I would shy away from placing names online, but considering that they're destined to be famous rock stars some day that the whole world knows and adores (because they're fabulous) I doubt it really matters.
Anyway. The album. Now that I've rambled about the band long enough... Hah. So. Onward.
A Scene a Sailor'd Give His Eyes For is a 6 tracked alternative/electric pop album available on iTunes, and... uhm... other places... I can't remember what Tim told me anymore. Sorry. But look around on whatever program you use. I know for sure it's on iTunes. And you can order it straight through their Facebook page, too. (Facebook - The Cascade Sun) So there's that. And I think I'm gonna throw links to a few of their songs here, as well, because their music speaks best for itself.
I will say however that there are a few locations in this album where the vocal harmonies cause... well, I mean, the kind that give you chills, or that make you stop what you're doing and just listen because it's so... perfect. I get rather moved by music, for anyone who hasn't yet noticed.
It feels really awkward for me to say stuff like that because I know them personally and it's like... weird. You know what I mean? Like... it's weird for me to think that people I know and am moderately familiar with have the kind of talent that... can really connect with me on an emotional basis. Not like I don't connect with people, but it's a little different through music, you know?
Also, Mat has a really beautiful voice. Like, I don't often announce that men have beautiful voices because most of the time different adjectives are better suited, but this time the best term is just beautiful. He has this perfectly clear and smooth falsetto that's within easy reach for him and he can switch in and out of it no problem--I've watched them perform enough to notice.
Last Chance to Relax (<--I made this video... because I wanted this song to be on YouTube so I could show it to a friend. hahaha.)
Astronaut Arms
Sink (<--this one is one of my favorites)
Posting links to their songs is proooooobably a bit of a cop-out in reality, but you know what, just listen to at least two of those songs. It's like, 7 minutes of your time. What else are you going to do with those minutes? I mean really. Just watch it.
With those links firmly in place, I shall move onto the next album on the docket:
It's their third album, and it's the one they self-title. I know a lot of bands do that, but it still sorta confuses me. Like, could they just not come up with a decent title this time? Orrrr what's the deal? I don't know. I don't mind self-titled albums, obviously, but... Anyway.
Mayday has managed to evolve in their sound as well as in their lyrics since album one while managing to still be the same band they started as. They're like The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus in that respect, except that the changes haven't been anywhere near as drastic for Mayday. It's been moderately subtle while still being noticeable.
"Oh Well, Oh Well" I recognized as a sad song when I listened to it, but it wasn't until I watched the video that it really occurred to me how sad it was. Embedding the videooooo now:
NFG is a band that has been around for a very long time. Obviously they aren't who they started out as. I really like where they've come to, though. I like their early music and their new music in two completely different ways; it's almost as though I consider them as two different bands, even though they are decidedly the same one.
This album has a fair amount of attitude and really moves, if you know what I mean. Like, the paces of the songs are moving, like a heavy train going full speed--it has a lot of momentum. I like that in an album, though. I haven't really had a chance to pick it to pieces yet, as I just bought it last night. But the amount that I have listened to it has said enough.
Amusingly... one of the tracks on the album is Trainwreck. Anthem for the Unwanted is one of my current favorites, though.
I love this band. They're so much fun to listen to and really good. Alternative pop band with a lot of punk influence. Acceptable amounts of attitude without reaching bitchy. And their lyrics actually mean something.
"This isn't me And I hate what we've become. This isn't my life And I don't know where it went wrong. Wait and see... We'll figure it out" are the opening lines to This Isn't Goodbye, It's BRB. We Are the In Crowd is a band with something to say, and I am perfectly happy to listen.
7 years later, they finally put out a new album. The band's lineup has changed, but Amy Lee is still at the forefront--if she wasn't, I don't think they could call themselves Evanescence, but that's off topic.
I really like this album. The feel of their music has changed just a little, but I feel like it's in a good way.
I know I just crab-patched about Mayday Parade self-titling their album, but I kind of feel like self-titling this album was a good move. Like, it's kind of re-establishing their identity as a band. Almost as if to say We are Evanescence, and this is our sound. Maybe I'm misreading it. But that's the impression I get from this album. The songs on it kind of... enforce that impression, too, depending on how you look/read into them. I'll leave that up to you. Do "What You Want". (hah. music pun. lolz)
Not sure what's in the corner of this image, but it's the only one I could get to link right. So whatever.
Madina Lake hasn't changed much since their sophomore album. I really like it, though. I feel like they have their own totally unique identity that shouldn't change. (Not like I feel like other hands should change identities. Never mind.)
That isn't to say of course that they haven't grown at all, because that they definitely have. I'm just saying that if you like early Madina Lake, you're still going to like their new material. Basically.
Actually that's not really what I was saying, but we'll just say it was and go with it. Kay. Sounds good.
Rock band. Thoughtful lyrics. Hooks that get stuck in your head and keep your brain's radio tuned in for awhile. It's totally worth it.
The picture was tiny, and thus is now blurry. That's obnoxious, but I don't really care right now. haha.
Anyway. Metal album. BVB. It's... Well, it's just them. I love them, don't get me wrong. I just don't really have a whole lot to say. It's typical metal, screaming included.
My album came with a poster. And I was kind of excited until I realized it was just the one guy, and then I was vaguely confused. I'm considering putting it up in my dorm room anyway, just because I think it'd be funny. Random? Weird? Both. I know. You really shouldn't be surprised by that by now. Just saying.
Anyway. that's what I've got for music today. I could really go back and do a few more, but I need a nap and am running out of time to take one. SO! I'm out.
Ta ta!
--Emily Renae
Playlist! (Haven't had one of those in awhile, huh?):
This Isn't Goodbye, It's BRB--We Are the In Crowd
Sink--The Cascade Sun
Where are the Heroes--The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Anthem for the Unwanted--New Found Glory
Legacy--Black Veil Brides
Stay--Mayday Parade
Sick--Evanescence
Call Me Hopeless, Not Romantic--Mayday Parade
Priceless--Mayday Parade
Saviour--Black Veil Brides
I'm Not the One--New Found Glory
Sirclase--Joel Janikowski
Wake Me Up--The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
When You See My Friends--Mayday Parade
Don't Lose Hope--The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Angel in Disguise--The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Fallen Angels--Black Veil Brides
See You Around--We Are the In Crowd
Hey Superstar--Madina Lake
Exits and Entrances--We Are the In Crowd
Happy Endings are Stories that Haven't Ended Yet--Mayday Parade
The Other Side--Evanescence
Last Chance to Relax--The Cascade Sun
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