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Pardon My French by Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! Album Review

8/19/2014

Pardon My French
by Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!

French pop-metal band Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! released their second full-length album Pardon My French under the Fearless Record label on April 30th, 2013. I know, I know, I’m really late on hearing about this band, but thank goodness I finally did! They have become my new addiction.

Pardon My French exhibits C!NCC!’s ability to mix together the opposing genres of pop and metalcore in a way that appeals to both genres’ audiences. Head banging yet upbeat, songs like “Restart,” “Haters Gonna Hate,” and “Taking Chances”—just to name a few—compel the listener to sing along.

It is difficult to compare the remarkable vocals of Bertrand Poncet to that of any other singer. He has singing skills all along the spectrum ranging from a deep growl to a higher-pitched, clear-voiced singing. His voice is practically designed for the genre he plays, and is comparable only to Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire.

To explain C!NCC!’s unique sound, I’m going to take a look at the first song on the record, called “Restart.” After a couple seconds of static, the band launches into this really hard-hitting guitar riff that has the catchiness of pop but the deep, edginess of metalcore. At first, when Poncet sings it’s a half-scream/half-spoken vocal that accelerates into a deep-throated scream. In half a second Poncet switches from angry metalcore singer to peppy pop singer, using his high, pretty voice. It’s almost like C!NCC! has two personalities and switches between the two.

Arguably the best song on the album, “Haters Gonna Hate” displays C!NCC!’s remarkable ability to write funny lyrics despite the fact that English is not their first language. For example, Poncet sings in the memorable chorus:

Get up, open your eyes,
You’re just like everyone.
You waste all your time faking your smile.
Take a look at your life, you don’t need to f*@k mine.
Here is my advice: GET THE F*@K OUT!

Many different songs on the album start with the heavy metal/metal core guitar riffs, like “Bipolar Mind,” “The Progression of Regression,” and “Between Your Lines.” Whenever any of those songs play on my stereo I become one of those people you see when you’re driving who are air-guitaring and head banging at every traffic light.

Pardon My French is an extremely good album, but is not consistent. By song nine or ten, attention tends to drift; the album fails to keep the listener captivated. However, the first eight songs are some of the best songs written in the metalcore genre. The first eight songs are as follows:

Restart
Taking Chances
Bipolar Mind
Haters Gonna Hate
The Progression of Regression
Pardon My French
Between Your Lines
I Am Nothing Like You

C!NCC! also has a fantastic collection of music videos on their YouTube channel. All of them are entertaining and clearly were even more fun to film than they are to watch. I suggest watching the videos for “Haters Gonna Hate” and “In Friends We Trust.” It’s quite evident from these videos that the members of C!NCC! are humorous guys.

I first heard about C!NCC! when I was reading through the Van’s Warped Tour lineup. My dad talked my ear off about the lead singer’s vocal range on the drive up to the festival. I attended Warped Tour on two separate days, and on the first day, I didn’t have the chance to see C!NCC!, but my dad did. He swore that they put on a mind-blowing show, so it was my priority the next day to make sure I saw them. Not only was my dad right, but what he said was an understatement! C!NCC!—all of their members—are born performers, truly meant to spend their life on the stage. Their concert was downright FUN.

I absolutely love this band, and I suggest you check out the awesome album Pardon My French!

Zoe Adler is a music journalist from Long Beach, California. Besides her website, which is her pride and joy, she works with the GRAMMY Foundation and the Long Beach Independent. Additionally, Ms. Adler is a musician, spending half of her time playing the flute, piccolo, trombone, and marching baritone. She has been with TeenView Music since the very start and hopes to make something of it in the future.

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Written In Blood by Darkness Divided- Album Preview

8/17/2014

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Written In Blood
by Darkness Divided

"Darkness Divided has the most unique instrumental sections, from a sick drum beat to the most technical guitar riffs. This record will keep heavy music fans wanting more."
Substream Magazine

"Darkness Divided displays a technical prowess far beyond their years. More metal than core, they keep it heavy and brutal. If you're looking for the next big thing in Christian metal, look no further."
New Noise Magazine

San Antonio Christian metalcore quartet truly carries soul and faith through their Victory Records debut Written In Blood. Darkness Divided presses the confines of their genre by intermixing melodic orchestral sounds with the traditional rock ‘n’ roll instruments. DD is not only bound by spirituality, but by brotherhood; siblings Gerard, Christopher, and Joseph Mora are joined by Israel Hernandez to create the unique, hardcore band.

Written In Blood, a testament to both their faith and their metal roots, will be released on August 19th.

Darkness Divided has a wide mix of sounds on their album. Ranging from instrumental preludes (“Severance” and “Interlude”) to thrashing, emotional anthems (“The Hands That Bled” and “The Will of Man”), their musicianship is showcased. Hidden between passionately growled verses and emotively shouted choruses, you’ll catch the occasionally sung vocal (by both the lead singer Gerard Mora, and the back-up singer), and his voice instantly sucks you in. Hypnotic and clear, the vocals leave one wishing he would sing more.

My personal favorites on the album are undoubtedly the single “The Hands That Bled,” and the fantastic “The Will of Man.” I favor these songs for their exceptional guitar intros and evident skill. I’m a sucker for a hard and rhythmic, metalcore drumbeat, and I am definitely not disappointed by what Darkness Divided has to offer.

Experimenting with electronica sounds is really what sets the album apart from the average metalcore record. Usually, one can find bands like Crown the Empire or Linkin Park, which utilize electronic sound to extensive lengths, or bands like Three Days Grace or Nickelback that don’t use it at all. Darkness Divided is the perfect in-between, using industrial sound conservatively to create the largest impact possible.

Intelligently put together and expertly recorded, Written In Blood has the fuel and fire for a metalcore fan. It is obvious to me just by listening to the album that their live shows are electric with energy and absolute loads of fun. For fans of Christian metal, this is a must-have.

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Law of Time- EP by Blackmore

8/12/2014

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Law of Time- EP
by Blackmore

Observe the phenomenal album art by Lead singer Adrian Barrios

Armenian-Filipino heavy metal quintet Blackmore recently released their debut EP featuring five fantastic songs. Blackmore is comprised of guitarists Shaunt Sulahian and Vahan Aslanyan, bassist David Dadoyan, drummer Vinny Mezian, and vocalist Adrian Barrios. Each member is a top-notch musician and an expert at their instrument.

The very first time my dad saw Blackmore was when they were opening for VIZA at the El Rey Theater in 2013. As a promotional measure, Blackmore had pre-recorded a two-song mini-EP with “Beautiful Hurricane” and “Battlefield.” I can tell you, the recording quality difference between that EP and this one is immense. Law of Time is professionally recorded and the music sounds like it written by a band that is selling out arenas.

Law of Time showcases Sulahian and Aslanyan’s phenomenal guitar skills most in “Animalistic” and “Backdraft.” The complex, metal riffs are deeply laced with Armenian influence and complement Barrios’ vocals perfectly.

The vocals in Law of Time are excellent, but surprisingly are not Barrios’ best work. His voice is much better represented live, which is actually quite a complement.

An aspect of Blackmore’s music that I particularly like is the fact that the guitarists work off each other and their previous rhythms. This causes the guitar riffs to become increasingly intriguing as the song progresses.

I haven’t really touched upon drums or bass, and that’s because they aren’t loud and in your face, like they might be in some metalcore bands. However, I don’t want you getting the wrong idea. The bass and drums are an essential piece to Blackmore’s sound.

It may take a few rounds of listening to Law of Time before you begin to really get hooked on the music, but once you do, you simply can’t stop. A wise woman once told me that if it takes awhile before you start loving an album, you’ll never get sick of it and the album will undoubtedly end up being one of your favorites. Along with Law of Time, this has proven true for me with The Black Market by Rise Against and The Campaign by Affiance.

Repetition plays an important role in Blackmore’s music, but not in a negative way. They strategically repeat variations on the main melodic lines, which definitely keeps the music interesting. This is especially evident in “Battlefield.”

My favorite riffs on the album come from the beginnings of “Animalistic” and “Beautiful Hurricane.” I end up with those guitar lines stuck in my head every time I listen to the album.

“Downfall,” the final song on the EP, has a deceptively calm start for the first forty-five seconds. Stick around, and you’ll witness some hardcore rocking lead by Barrios’ powerhouse vocals and Sulahian and Aslanyan’s guitars. In fact, the bass line takes on a metalcore feel for a minute or so in the middle, which Blackmore pulls off perfectly. “Downfall” is definitely the perfect way to end The Law of Time.

Elaborating on that, the order of the EP is well though out and sequences ideally.
Every aspect of this album is masterful and—not to be repetitive—perfect. Much like Nothing More’s self-titled full-length, the music is addictive and fun both live and on CD. Nothing More and Blackmore will actually be playing a show together at the Troubadour on September 3rd.

Be sure to head over to the iTunes store and purchase this album…I promise you won’t regret it.

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Slow Me Down by 3PM Album Preview

8/8/2014

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3PM's new mp3 Slow Me Down- music you don't want to miss

Up-and-coming pop punk three-piece 3PM features upbeat choruses and catchy guitar riffs on their sophomore album Slow Me Down. The much-anticipated record will be in stores (physical and online) starting August 15th, and their title track and hit single “Slow Me Down” was released on August 4th.

3PM had the privilege of recording Slow Me Down with producer Paul Leavitt who also produces big-name artists All Time Low, Senses Fail, and The Dangerous Summer. They have been growing their fan base ever since they formed in 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland, and this year caught the attention of many with their appearance at Van’s Warped Tour.

Currently, 3PM is preparing to tour off Slow Me Down, and is scheduled to perform at the Gettysburg Rocks festival on August 9th in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Slow Me Down includes eleven songs that showcase vocalist and bassist Brennan Stark’s clean vocals, Brandon Millman’s skillful drumming, and Scott Montgomery’s phenomenal guitar-work. Listen to any song from the upbeat opening track “Something New” to the ballad-esque penultimate track “Who We Are,” and Montgomery’s ability to open a song with intriguing (and expert) guitar is evident.

Elaborating on “Something New,” the beginning is a pure pop punk guitar riff that, after every four bars, adds a new element: first very reserved drumming layers itself on top, and then morphs itself into a bouncy, fun beat.

The second track, “Missed Call,” starts with simplistic, punk-style strumming on just one chord and continues as such for eight or so measures with quiet chord changes by the bass in the background before being joined by a peppy drumbeat. At this point, the guitar begins to reach around and find solid ground on a catchy riff based off the original chord. This groove is continued for sometime until Stark begins singing and the guitar drops out for a while.

“Moving Day,” the third track, features an amazingly catchy riff at the beginning and after about four bars launches into some excellent vocal work. Along with “Moving Day,” my favorite riffs come from “Something New” (track one) and “All Caught Up” (track nine). Starting a majority of their songs with catchy guitar really makes the music inviting and encourages listeners to continue jamming. The riffs shine light on their influence from Blink-182 and Green Day while still showing their creativity and unique sound.

The sixth track, “Lazer Tag,” starts not with guitar, but with a short drum feature, which is equally interesting and musical. Even the songs that start immediately with vocals, which include the single “Slow Me Down,” are excellent.

Get ready for Slow Me Down to hit the stores because, believe me, you need to hear this band. 3PM will be the new big band of pop punk, you just wait and see. Be sure to buy their album when it comes out on August 15th!

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SHAUNT SULAHIAN of BLACKMORE's Top 5 Rock/Metal albums of 2014 so far.

7/27/2014

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5. Babymetal – Self Titled.

A Japanese metal band… fronted by three girls of whom the average age is 15. Disaster? More like awesome. More like Babymetal headlining arenas awesome. These girls hadn’t even heard of metal until their record label came together and had the idea to mix J pop (which is exactly what you think it is), with heavy metal. In this day in age, I wouldn’t even consider that much of a risk granted that there is a sub-genre for every genre imaginable. In all honesty, this record is tasteful and disgustingly catchy. The group sings in Japanese, which is probably the only record label risk, but hey if Rammstein can conquer American arenas, than it’s just a matter of time that BabyMetal catches on. They already sold out there American debut performance at the end of July at the Fonda, so these girls might have something here. Epic breakdowns, guitar riffs for days, and hip hop interludes? Do yourself a favor and check out their single “Megistune”, and take it from there. 7/10

4. Mastodon – “Once More ‘Round the Sun”

For starters, Mastodon’s “Crack the Skye” is a masterpiece. An unadulterated masterpiece… that will shine brighter than 90% of any metal record that’s thrown out into our generation. That being said, they need to constantly re-set the bar high, and they give one hell of an effort on their 6th record. Filled with its fair share of intricacies and psychedelic nuances, this record exceeds in musicianship, but seems like it’s a bit lackluster in vocal melodies. The album, however, does not disappoint. Its various moods take you on a journey; one you would like to stay on and hold on to for as long as you can, just because it seems a tad bit better than reality. One thing Mastodon has gotten significantly better at is creating a mood. Dynamics plays a huge part in the record, and I’m sure it’s always been something the band takes seriously. I would say this record is worth checking out just because of the vibe it sets. Powerful, atmospheric, progressive metal for your soul. 7/10

3. Killer be Killed – Self Titled.

Killer be killed; the true definition of a metal super-group that has not gotten enough praise. Members of The Mars Volta, The Dillinger Escape Plan, ex-Sepultura-Soulfly-Cavalera Consipracy, and Mastodon collide to create a crushing, brutal beauty of a record with just enough hint of melody to keep you on your toes and make you craving more clean vocals. Finally, an album that’ll make you instantly flashback to your 14 year old self to look up tabs and start playing your favorite riffs. This is surely a record that has potential to influence the next generation of metal heads to pick up a guitar and start doodling, much like you would when you start drawing aimlessly with no purpose, then suddenly create something beautiful. Definitely looking forward to a nation-wide tour from Killer be Killed. 8/10

2. Nothing More – Self Titled

Nothing More’s debut record is more of a Rock record than a Metal record, but hits twice as hard as most metal records that have been released this year. Fresh from signing a 5 album record contract with Eleven Seven Music, Nothing More went full throttle with their debut record with a whopping 17 tracks of the most diverse types of rock n roll/art rock/alternative metal elements that will grace your ears. Soulful melodies, political innuendos, and some of the most epic choruses that will have you chanting on the freeway for weeks. All-in-all this record kicks your ass from start to finish. Is calling a rock record a fun record necessarily a bad thing? Cause this is what Rock ‘N roll is all about…stirring up that excitement from the album’s first single and diving into the record the second it’s released. This is one of those albums. Truly some of the best song-writing I’ve heard in a long time from a debut album. 9/10

1. Destiny Potato – “Lun”

This is a record that will probably stay on number 1 on my list, even after I hear the rest of what 2014 has to offer. The debut album by Serbian metal/pop mammoths Destiny Potato is the most unique collection of music I’ve heard in the past half-decade. Aleksandra Djelmas is the bands front-woman, and has the ability to do some amazing things with those vocal chords of hers. Alternating between stunningly beautiful melodies/harmonies and intense growls; this record is almost a mix between straight up pop meets djent metal…a perfect medium between Paramore and Periphery. Songs like “House of Lies”, a ballad that clearly plays on the emotions of the listener and is noticeably comparable to Adele, acts as the polar opposite to tracks like “Addict” and “Blue Sun” which are full-fledged metal tunes with diverse time signatures. You won’t be able to head bang to several of these riffs -- it just won’t happen. This album bleeds of creativity and breathes new life into the genre of both rock and pop. It tears down the boundaries of what is possible and what is, or has been commercially acceptable. On top of all this, the vocal melodies will drift in your mind and linger for years to come. “Lun” is complete and utter catchiness with brilliant song-writing that’s worth any pop/metal fans attention. 10/10

Shaunt Sulahian is one of the guitarists for the Los Angeles-based band Blackmore. You can give their music a look here.

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Guest Blog Album Review of Leave Your Mark by Stars in Stereo

7/8/2014

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Stars in Stereo hits the mark with new release Leave Your Mark

After having enjoyed the self-titled first release Stars in Stereo, I have looked forward to the upcoming release of Leave Your Mark since they played a few tracks off the album in San Diego a few months back. It has been with mixed feelings however, since I was worried that the band could not live up to the incredibly high standard that they set with their first album. As I sit and listen to each of the songs again and again, I can attest to the fact that they have at least matched the quality of their first album. Leave Your Marks will become a family favourite, even if it is not quite as family friendly.

Stars in Stereo's amazing debut album included this single, The Broken.

The follow up, Leave Your Mark, is more intense.

What I loved so much about the first CD was the band’s ability to play serious metal as well as ballads and songs even pop music fans could enjoy. Stars in Stereo has been a staple for car rides in our family, and even more so when we have other people with us with different musical tastes. It has been the perfect album to influence people away from the bland, meaninglessness of pop music. I sort of saw Stars in Stereo as the “gateway drug” I could use to bring people over to real, live, exciting music.

With the new CD, Stars in Stereo has made a giant step away from the pop sounds of the band’s first release and has made a leap into harder hitting rock music; they have been incredibly successful at this transformation, bringing in harder chords and angrier sounds without giving up any of the beauty that characterized their first CD, Stars In Stereo.

The first three songs on the album are probably the best, “Not a Shot”, “Echo” and especially, “Leave Your Mark," which is a microcosm of the entire album, showing off everything this band is so great at. Starting out as a ballad it turns into a super catchy metal song, and finally introduces some of the less than family friendly lyrics and concepts that characterize the newer SinS. They really show their harder side with “Vacancy,” which has a hard, driving beat with outstanding guitar work almost reminiscent of southern metal, a great twist to the sound of the rest of the album. “Wasted (Until I'm Gone)” is another amazing song, which showcases Bec Hollcraft’s ability to flirt with the more gothic sound of metal.

The part that I wondered most was how they could follow up on the beautiful ballads from their first CD, highlighted by the incredible “Queen of Catastrophe.” Bec and her group succeeded in pulling that off with “I Can’t” and “Fall Forward” on Leave Your Mark. Both are awesome songs that are made so much more enjoyable by Hollcraft's amazing range. There is an addictive acoustic version of “I Can’t” on their YouTube channel, which you should not miss.

The biggest challenge I felt Stars in Stereo faced was the “not a bad song on the album” curse. Their first release had 10 outstanding songs, and no one in the family ever asked, “can we skip this song…it sucks!” Well, we certainly won’t hear that this time either, except now mom and dad may say, “can we skip this song? We really don’t want to explain those lyrics to your friends (‘s parents)!”. There is not a single song on the new CD that is not catchy, enjoyable, and fun.

Of course, a new CD means . . . Upcoming Live Shows! I have seen Stars in Stereo several times in the past couple of years, and I have enjoyed everything about their shows…except that they have been opening for others and have not had long enough sets. I am always wishing they had more time to show off the diversity and range of the band’s abilities, but in less than 30 minutes I have always been wanting more, hoping they come back as a headliner sometime. "Sometime" is getting closer.

Bec making friends with concert security

Stars in Stereo released each song on the album with a virtual concert, releasing one song each day in video format, and they are all up on their site. For fans of Stars and Stereo you can see the evolution of this band as it moves towards heavier and harder rock and roll. Bec’s performances, both live and on video have become more provocative, which as a middle aged man raising two daughters is my only complaint about the new sound and image. Of course in a perfect world, female singers would be judged by the quality and range of their voices and their skills at songwriting and not by the other, less meaningful scale used today. In this perfect world, this band, this album, and this singer would be one hell of a hot commodity. Hollcraft has such amazing talent, bringing together the haunting sounds of Amy Lee (Evanescence), the range of Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation), and the heavy metal attitude of Lzzy Hale. Combine that with the talent of the other musicians and the quality of the new release and the future looks bright for Stars in Stereo.

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Guest Blogger's Review of Nothing More by Nothing More

7/3/2014

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One of the Best Albums of 2014:
Nothing More by Nothing More

There are a few bands out there that I look forward to the release of their next album for way more reasons than just the music. The arrival of a La Dispute album is like the publication of a new book of poetry that always tends to have a deep relevance in my life. When Rise Against releases a new album I am not only in awe about how Tim McIrath finds new ways to express his frustrations and ideals about society, but also his ability to bring in ever new ideas and fresh arguments about personal issues and our responsibilities towards each other as people. Affiance is another band whose lyrics are so amazing that I look forward to the jacket cover as much as I do the CD itself.

Well as they say, there is a new kid on the block. For fans of meaningful lyrics who at the same time demand quality music with fresh rhythms and new ideas, may I introduce you to the best hard rock release of 2014 so far; Nothing More’s self titled album. This CD has 17 kickass songs with meaningful lyrics, amazing musicianship and creative, unique mixes of musical genres. I saw Nothing More at Rocklahoma this year, and I was completely blown away by their show. In fact the show was so incredible, so inspiring and energizing that I actually expected to be disappointed by their release because of my high expectations. That was certainly not the case.

How does one find a favorite song on this album when every song is so good? Probably "Jenny" is the most emotional song on the album. I read the lyrics, and I am brought to tears. Listening to how the song melts with the lyrics; the voice, the guitars and drums convinces you that every member of Nothing More feels the emotions of this person’s struggle with self-confidence and addiction.

Nothing More Lead Singer Johnny Hawkins

Another song that really moves me is "Mr. MTV". Although the concept, at least for me as a listener is not as emotional as with "Jenny", this song uses its beats and sounds to complement the lyrics in a way that expresses frustration with our materialistic culture in a more complete way than I have ever heard before. Even Eve couldn’t live without her iPlan. I cannot stop singing this song.

The first single, "This is the Time (Ballast)", is also amazing. The lyrics call out for self-examination. I know personally I can see my own life in that...how when times get hard, rather than dealing with the frustration and moving forward, we blame, we get angry and we get trapped:

Anchored in anger, we exile ourselves
Bitter Blood builds our prison cells
Darker water now fills our lungs
The depths of our heart have blackened the sun

Anyone who can read that and not feel a twinge in the stomach, congratulations, you are a better person than I.

"Christ Copyright" is another of the many songs in rock and roll that criticize religion’s role in our society. But along with the incredible music, what really sets this song aside is the fact that the lyrics are so clearly indicting the use of religion to control people, and not religious beliefs and definitely not religious people. The creativity of the name of the song is equally amazing. Yes, we have our Christ, but they have him Copyrighted. The accompanying music is devastatingly spot on for the message.

I could go on for pages and pages about how each and every song touches a nerve in some way or another. I have had the CD for ten days and have listened to it through about 20 times. But a better way to spend your time than reading my words is to head immediately to www.nothingmore.net and follow the lyrics link. Read "God Went North," then scroll down to the comments section. Yes, this band will respond to your comments and questions. They will share with you the emotions and experiences that inspired the songs. Can a musical experience get any better? Can it get any more comprehensive as a fan?

Finally, I get to see Nothing More at least twice, and hopefully three times in the next couple of months. They are doing a headlining tour, playing Aftershock in Sacramento (http://www.aftershockconcert.com), and then opening for Volbeat and Five Finger Death Punch. What I wonder is how will they ever create a setlist from so much amazing material? I got to see a short set at Rocklahoma on the hard rock stage, but the thought of a full set has me so excited that I want summer to go by faster….ok not that excited…I teach… I love summer.

Nothing More is undoubtedly one of the best young metal bands in America. They have it all….music, lyrics, live show and communication with their fans. Their new CD is an incredible work of art, a masterpiece of music and verse. You will rock, you will headbang, you will air guitar, you will laugh, and you will cry. And then you will put the CD back in and do it all over again….to an even deeper level.

Dan Adler was raised in Southern California to a mom and dad, one of whom appreciated Creedence and left wing anti-war politics. By the teenage years, Dan became obsessed with Black Sabbath, listening to the same seven albums repeatedly for 5 years. During this time, his favorite concert experience was seeing Metallica open for a bunch of bands that no longer exist and winning the 1st ever Santa Cruz Air Guitar contest. After several years in Africa listening and dancing to Chimurenga music, Dan returned to have the two best children in the world, one of whom spends a lot of time at concerts with him. What a lucky dad!

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Album of the Week- What is Love? by Never Shout Never

4/7/2014

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What Is Love?
by Never Shout Never

So, I have this friend (please don’t act surprised) who is even more music-obsessed than I am and he is always recommending this band or that band and I tend to ignore him or write the band down on a list that is constantly growing and yet I never look at. He had been instructing me repeatedly for almost a year to listen to Never Shout Never before I finally got around to actually listening to them. And I must say, I truly regret waiting that long.

There are a few moments in the life of Zoe where I hear a pop band and become obsessed; these instances probably have been P!nk, Dido, KT Tunstall, and Susanne Vega. Never Shout Never has added itself to that tiny collection of pop bands that are superior enough to appeal to a rocker like myself.

One odd trait this album has that stood out before I even heard the first note was that the album had eight songs and was only twenty-one minutes long…. and it’s not a punk album. Pop songs are usually the standard 3:30, so seeing songs that average about 2:50 confused me.

The first song on the album, “Love Is Our Weapon,” starts out with the chorus, which isn’t something that bands normally do. Additionally, the ukulele riffs (that isn’t a word combo you normally hear, is it?) are deeply catchy and feel-good. This song has some entertaining lyrics as well, including, “I never got involved with politics/

'Cause they always brought out the worst in my folks.” When I first played this song for my mom, she loved that line. It’s also quite true. Another line is from the chorus and is a goofy way of saying that people need to stop fighting with each other: “We got a hard day coming if we can’t work out/All the pissy little problems that were fightin’ about.” Laughing? Me too.

“Jane Doe,” the second song, is SHALLOW but cute. Basically, it’s about a guy who sees a girl and falls in love, but doesn’t even know her name…kind of like Romeo. “Jane Doe, I don’t even know you but I know for sure that you are beautiful so baby let me know your name. Damn what’s your name? ‘Cause I’m overly attracted and terribly convinced that she could be my princess and I could be her prince. And I’ve felt that way since, since I saw Jane Doe.” Shallow, right? But incredibly cute! My friend pointed out that the beauty of this song lies in that Jane Doe could be anybody and that the ability to envision any girl with any body type and skin colour is appealing and likewise different from most pop bands (who tend to popularize deeply thin white girls with straight blonde hair and diamond blue eyes).

The single “Can’t Stand It” comes next and is such an insanely catchy tune that sometimes I become afraid that I’ll go crazy if I don’t get it out of my head. “Baby I love you, I’m never gonna let you go. The more I think about it, the more I wanna let you know that everything you do is super duper cute and I can’t stand it.” In this song, the lead singer Christopher Drew uses some interesting vocals that I don’t know quite how to describe. At the ends of a few lines like “sail the ocean blue,” he goes flat and it sounds kind of like “spoken word.” I like it, but it’s definitely odd.

The next song, “Sacrilegious,” is honestly not one that I like. I’m not one to enjoy religious music of any kind; however, I do like the meaning of this song. From what I can tell, it sounds like the lead singer struggles with church because he doesn’t fit in with the people there. Lines like “skip church service to find my Jesus” and “I just don’t belong in a place like that,” hint at that meaning. I find this to be a good point to bring up because many people who choose to adorn themselves with piercings and tattoos do not fit in with a religious crowd and are therefore not accepted; also, heavy metal rockers have the stereotype of being “Satan worshippers.” Although some rockers probably do spend there free time sacrificing babies to the devil, a majority actually don’t. So, I do like the meaning of the song, but Drew’s voice is kind of whiny and hard-to-take.

However, the next song is as adorable as “Jane Doe” and “Can’t Stand It.” “I Love You 5” has no deep and hidden meaning, but uses a very fun beat and cute lyrics. You may be wondering, what exactly is “I Love You 5” supposed to mean? Well, here’s the chorus: “I love you one, a-two, a-three shoobeedoo, I love yah four, that’s more than I can afford, and can tell someday that I’m gonna say the truth….I love yah five!” So there you go. Adorable!

“California” is actually pronounced Ca-li-for-nigh-ay, which is the classically ridiculous way to pronounce California. This song boasts backup vocals that could easily be found in an old Beach Boys song including a bunch of “la-la-las.”

Track 07, the title track, and my favourite song on the album have some clever lyrics that I want to discuss. A lot of people live their lives thinking that everything revolves around money: “And I know you work hard everyday/But it call comes down/To the way you’re paid.” Now think about the name of the song, “What Is Love?”; that really is a good question. “Is it giving up? ‘Cause that’s not how you raised me.”

The final song, “The Past,” sings sadly of a life of a teenager who suffered from drug problems because of a town that didn’t really want him. “I’ve been smoking the green since I was merely sixteen,/Just to find an escape from this town that was so mean to me.” “The Past” is so much more heartfelt than any of the other songs; listening to it, you don’t feel the happy-go-lucky emotions inspired by the previous songs. Instead, you can feel the remorse and the memories spun into the words. Drew’s emotion finally shows through the music in this song, and makes it really touching.

This is an excellent album. Definitely listen to it!

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Album of the Week- The Forum by The Unending Thread

1/27/2014

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THE FORUM
by The Unending Thread

The songs on the album:

La Casa De Mi Padre
Fun
Party at Gatsby's
I Don't Cosplay
Valley Brat
Winnebago
Abdiela
Foar Boxxy
Daisy Chain

Before I start into the album review, I’m going to give a little background. On January 3rd of this year I attended a Blackmore concert at the Troubadour and The Unending Thread was opened up the concert. After The Unending Thread’s performance, Cesar Alas (lead guitar and vocals) approached me with a copy of The Forum. My father and I have, since that day, listened to this album many times and have been thoroughly impressed. They definitely have one thing down that will separate them from other bands: the openings to songs. Their openings exude awesomeness like a classic Sum 41 opening.
The album starts off with this really interesting guitar riff that has a great use of syncopation that many bands tend to overlook as a form of musicianship. The first line of this song is one of my favourite quotes of all time: “those who don’t know history are always doomed to repeat it.” I also enjoy this quote: “The best part of this journey, it hasn’t happened yet.” This song has a really epic guitar part that makes you want to headbang like crazy. Definitely a fun one. Cesar and Kim (lead vocals)’s voices always blend together beautifully which works really well with the music.

Song two, “Fun,” mixes fast yet melodic guitar playing with their classic meld of vocals. It also has this surreal part in the middle where a soft background chord accompanies a light rhythm on top. Kim then sings like Evanescence, using the famous meloncholy-with-gusto style. A rhythmically creative guitar solo follows to end that phase of the song.

“Party at Gatsby’s” starts off with a quiet and mysterious guitar riff that is soon joined by the other instruments until Cesar’s voice comes in and changes the mood. After a verse, an odd vocal comes in through that sounds somewhat like it’s being filtered through a loudspeaker. Later, the drummer plays a drum solo that piggybacks into an epic guitar solo. The rest of the song after that is purely instrumental and quite danceable.

This next one is really a very cool song that also happens to have a music video that’s worth checking out. I’m not sure I can completely pinpoint what makes “I Don’t Cosplay” so good, but I think it’s at least partially due to the verses being sweetly sung by Kim with an echo-y guitar background. Plus, the guitar part during the chorus really creates a compelling sound. I’m not entirely sure what the song title, “I Don’t Cosplay” is meaning because cosplay is dressing up as a superhero or character from games or TV shows and such. It’s all up to your analyzing what you think this song means.

The beginning of “Valley Brat” is really dancey and fun thanks to the drum beat. I swear I was bouncing in my seat every time I listened to it. After a quick beginning, the song slides into a more muddy section before switching back into the initial mood. This song also has a really cool synth beat that joins in about two and a half minutes into the song. This one line is repeated multiple times in the song and I took great humour in it so here it is: “We are the lovely valley brats. We’re fabulous, aren’t we?”

“Winnebago” was my dad’s favourite song that The Unending Thread performed in concert. It has a cool upbeat thing going on in the intro that is carried on by the drums and occasionally joined in once again by the guitarists. After the first chorus, the drums get another solo! I love drums solos :) This song also has a brought out keyboard part and this really cool guitar riff that shows up approximately two and half minutes into the song. Following this, an a cappella part that includes hand clapping and escalates back into the full band playing. Great song!

This next song, “Abdiela,” has a rather curious first 20 seconds; of course an awesome guitar riffs joins in and makes the music even better. I wonder if this song is a Romeo & Juliet reference, but it doesn’t really correlate. If you listen, Juliet loving her cat is brought up for a while which I entertaining. “Oh! No! Where’s Juliet?!” is repeated in a spoken word-ish manner at the very ending, so quite possibly it’s referencing the famous Shakespeare play instead of just using the name “Juliet.”

The beginning of “Foar Boxxy” has two intricate guitar riffs that weave together really well. I decided to Google “foar boxxy,” trying to figure out what it meant. Apparently Boxxy is a character played by an internet celebrity/vlogger… I’m a little confused, maybe I should be spending more of my time on YouTube instead of watching Glee and doing homework. Did I mention that this song has an awesome guitar solo? Well, it does.

The last song, “Daisy Chain,” startled me when it first started playing because one of the male vocalists was half screaming and there was this intense and heavy bass that is completely out of character compared to the rest of the album. There is a sort of back and forth going on between the screaming with the heavy sound and the sweet vocals with the more melodious sound. It’s just a very interesting song. Just go listen to it.

This album is awesome and The Unending Thread is a small band. Give them some support and go listen to this album.

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Challenger by Memphis May Fire

1/6/2014

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CHALLENGER
By Memphis May Fire

Let’s start with some short background info: Memphis May Fire is a band from Dallas, Texas, that formed in 2004. Their newest album, Challenger, was released in 2012.
Anyways, how did I discover this band? Let’s see…. A friend of mine recommended me this insane list of bands and I proceeded to download Pandora on my phone and create dozens of stations. I started with Of Mice & Men and Memphis
May Fire kept playing and every time I heard anything by them, my immediate thought was wow. These guys kick ass. And, by the way, they do.

The Songs on the album:

Without Walls
Alive In the Lights
Prove Me Right
Red In Tooth & Claw
Vices
Legacy
Miles Away (featuring Kellin Quinn)
Jezebel
Losing Sight (featuring Danny Worsnop)
Generation: Hate
Vessels

This album is an awesome experimentation mixing soothing synth beats with serious metalcore. You start off with “Without Walls,” which starts with this haunting keyboard riff and a few measures in a whispery chant falls in and increases in volume until there’s a complete style switch to screaming and a driving drum beat. Throughout this there remains in the background the original riff that the whole song fades to in the closing.

Next up Challenger plunges into the hardcore “Alive In the Lights.” After a beginning of drums and screaming interlaced with an epic guitar riff, the keyboard slides in again to give an apprehensive mood to the music. Once MMF reaches the chorus, Matty Mullins (the lead singer) shows off his fantastic singing voice but immediately switches back into growling. This leads into a short but sweet guitar solo that ends with screaming and a repeat of great guitar work. Throughout the chorus repetitions, you can experience the impressive high range that Mullins possesses that is definitely not apparent in his deep-throated screams.

“Prove Me Right” starts out with guitar chords that are quickly joined by a simple drum beat and then the enjoyable voice of Mullins who later switches back to his growling. “Prove Me Right” has this extremely drum-driven and catchy chorus followed by an almost spoken word type line that ends in “Just know I told you so. HAHAHA!” A very fun and addicting song! Just remember… “Thanks for nothing” (a commonly repeated phrase during “Prove Me Right”).

A drum fill begins “Red In Tooth & Claw,” joined by the voice of Mullins that I enjoy so much. Seriously, there’s something almost addicting about his voice and I just love it in this song. There’s this one quote that I find particularly noteworthy (and funny in a slightly sick way) that I wish to share: “I think I have room in my heart but I simply reserved none.” Hahaha. The driving force of the bass drum carries the band during this song.

Next up is “Vices,” which has an unappealing vocal beginning, but the guitar work makes up for it. A repeated line in this song is “I just want to feel love again,” which hints to the meaning that can be narrowed down to “I’m a fuck up. I want you. But I’m a fuck up. But I want you. Etcetera.” Again, the bass is just such an imperative part in keeping the song moving. Without the solid bass line, there wouldn’t be MMF. Or they’d just suck. One of the two. Or they could become a pop band!

“Legacy” has a short few measures that builds up to Mullins screaming. Joining the rest of the sound comes an interesting keyboard riff that sounds like a xylophone. It sounds really cool. A bit later, the song builds up and then drops into this piano riff and then it just all picks back up again. It’s an interesting piece that repeats itself throughout the song. The lyrics in the bridge really appealed to me: “lift up your eyes discouraged one, when you feel like giving up, when they say it can’t be done, it’s up to you to show them why they’re wrong.” Also, the line “words only come to life when you believe,” strikes me pretty hard as a notable quote.

If you remember from the Holiday Visual Radio Special, “Miles Away” featuring Kellin Quinn was played. I love this song because it captures a specific kind of relationship, and it is done very well. Also, the song is beautiful which is admirable in and of itself.

“Jezebel” has an excellent transition from the previous song and definitely serves as a shocker because of the vocal change. I am not sure if I can pinpoint what it is about this song that I like so much, but it probably has to do with the great intertwinement of the guitar and baseline. I just love it! This would be awesome in concert; it’s a serious head-banger.

As if the album was designed for me, MMF starts out “Losing Sight” featuring Danny Worsnop starts out with a heavy bass drum beat and is joined by an intense rhythm guitar part. I love this one line: “I’ve grown blind from always being in the spotlight.” This makes a lot of sense because a lot of famous people end up in the limelight so long that they forget themselves; in a sense, they become blind to reality and make stupid choice after stupid choice after stupid choice.

“Generation: Hate.” Well I’m assuming you can guess what the song is about. And believe me, if you listen to the lyrics you get a pretty good idea of just how much hate Mullins is channeling for this song. I find this lyric funny: “your deepest secret’s that you wish that you were me.” That would inspire a lot of hate.

The album closes with “Vessels” which sounds really cool. That’s really all I have to say. There aren’t lyrics, but you can hear the raining in a boat dock or on a boat at sea and the shouting of people in the background. It’s moving to hear it because you can feel the tragedy.

Awesome album. You should listen to it.