New Music Review: Placebo "Battle For The Sun"

The sixth studio album from the London-based Placebo brings out the bright side of the band. Well, as bright as its going to get at least. In an interview lead singer Brian Molko said that they wanted to get away (slightly) from the darker side for a while.

Placebo - Battle For The Sun (10/10)

There is definitely a different feel to this album compared to their early, minimalistic instrumentation albums Placebo and Without You I'm Nothing; but it seems that they have expanded and evolved their sound even farther from the more recent and expansive albums Black Market Music, Sleeping With Ghosts, Once More With Feeling, and Meds. They have brought in a new drummer, Steve Forrest for the new album, and it seems that the lineup change has evoked a new side of all the remaining members. Along with a new drummer, they have begun experimenting with a brass section, including the use of some trumpets and saxophones. This album is also notably heavier than the previous few.

The lead single "For What It's Worth" is just an appetizer for the rest of the album, and nowhere near the best song on it. My favorite is a close race between "Battle For The Sun" and "Speak In Tongues". Artistically, these two really capture what Placebo is and how far they've come since 1994. The entire album flows so well; but the songs that really stand out almost seem to have a brief point of pause before and after to kind of say "HEY! Here comes something awesome!".

Other Tracks To Check Out:
"Ashtray Heart"
"Come Undone"

New Music Review: Rhett Miller "Rhett Miller"

Former Old 97's frontman Rhett Miller has released yet another solo effort, this one self titled. Some has called this one his best solo record yet. Better than The Instigator? That's a bold statement.


Rhett Miller - Rhett Miller (9.5/10)

The Instigator was Rhett Miller's first solo record for the front man of indie-rock monsters The Old 97s (made somewhat mainstream by an appearance in the Jennifer Aniston/Vince Vaughn film The Break Up). The 2002 release was quite possibly Miller's finest work (97s included) until now. His self-titled release is hands down his best work ever. Leading off with "Nobody Says I Love You Anymore" which sets the tone for the rest of the album, flowing seamlessly from song to song, many of which you will find yourself getting lost in. "Like Love", the second track on the album is a song you'll find yourself grooving to, all the while thinking, 'I've heard this song before somewhere'. Miller is like that, writing songs that are sort of pre-engrained into your head so that you are prepared for how awesome they are.

While he continues to make records with The Old 97s, Miller's continued epics as a solo artist are further launching him closer to that level of indie-rock Gods that no matter what they do, it ends up being a polished work that mainstream artists only dream of having.


Tomorrow: Placebo - Battle For The Sun

New Music Review: Kasabian "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum"

Quite possibly the longest title in my (brief) reviewing history, but it's worth the carpal tunnel risk because this album was the best Kasabian has done to date.

Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (9.5/10)


The first half of this album is where all the points are scored for Kasabian, with the first 8 tracks having me locked and mesmerized in my chair lost in total fantastic-ness, a feat rarely accomplished by a band not named The Beatles. The good thing about this album is that all of the songs are so good, there really isn't another song that sticks out as the "best" like the song "Club Foot" did on their self titled album. The lead track "Underdog" is the closest thing to a standout track, but "Where Did All The Love Go" and "Fast Fuse" make sure that they are noticed as well.

This album would have garnered a perfect score had it stuck to its guns from beginning to end. That album started off strong, but then tailed off at the end becoming more airy and noticeably different from the start. Everything is all well and good until track 9 of 12 "Ladies and Gentlemen, Roll The Dice". The songs at the back are still good, but it really disrupted the flow. About halfway through track 11 "Fire" they realized what was going on and began picking it back up, thus regaining my love for the album, only to hit the last straw and dock points for going back and totally jacking the flow up for the last song "Happiness" which is probably close to a minute and a half too long (checking in at 5:17).

Fantastic work turned in by the guys in Kasabian, and I look forward to more from the gents from Leicester, and hope they can make it across the pond soon, as they are indeed a band I'd love to check out live.


Tomorrow: Rhett Miller - Rhett Miller

New Music Week: June 9, 2009

This week I'm reviewing something new, something solo, and something nostaligic(ish)

Wednesday: Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

Thursday: Rhett Miller - Rhett Miller

Friday: Placebo - Battle For The Sun

New Music Review: Dave Matthews Band "Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King"

Capping a huge new music week I thought it fitting to save one of the best for last. Dave Matthews has done nothing but produce epic works since their debut Remember Two Things. This is the first studio album without founding member saxophonist LeRoi Moore, who died stemming from complications following an ATV crash shortly after the band announced that they had begun recording for Big Whiskey.

Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King (10/10)

The lead single from Big Whiskey, "Funny the Way It Is" is one of my favorites on the album, points out some of the little, tragic things in life throughout the verses, including "somebody's going hungry/someone else is eating out" and "a soldier's last breath/his baby's being born". Quite honestly, the more you listen to it, and catch the nuances in the song, the more you'll enjoy it.

I'm a weird DMB fan; I have to admit, I either LOVE a song, or can't stand it, there really is no in between for me. Truth be told, a few of these songs took a minute to grow on me, and there really isn't a bad song on this album, when reviewing from an open mindset. LeRoi's presence is noticeably missing, and most of the songs could use is jazzy touch to add another dimension that would put the cherry on top of the music sundae that is DMB.

The entire album just flows like a slow river, picking up to rapid strength but not too strong as to make you want to stop rolling along on it. Musically, like always, DMB has added pieces of rock, jazz, blues, afrobeat, world, and likely some genres that haven't even been invented yet, to further cement their place atop the jam band scene.

Other tracks to Check:

"Spaceman"
"Alligator Pie"


See Ya Next Week!

New Music Review: Taking Back Sunday "New Again"

All I can say for Thursday is THANK GOD this album was better than Elvis Costello's album. I love Costello, but dear Lord that thing was a turd. On with the review.


Taking Back Sunday - New Again (8.0/10)

Picking up where the previous three studio albums left off, New Again continues the amazing pseudo-toned-down screamo rock that Taking Back Sunday has made their trademark. Somehow managing to pull off harmonies using backing semi-scream vocals, TBS finds a way to blend their grinding guitars and harder-edge feel to the band with fantastic songwriting and melody skills.

2009 has been a busy year for the guys in Taking Back Sunday, headlining The Bamboozle Left, sharing the bill with 50 Cent and The Used on the Wonka Stage. Followed up with a spring tour alongside Anberlin, accusing a Brazilian band of stealing their chorus from "Make Damn Sure", then stating that they weren't mad, but kind of took it as a compliment. If that wasn't enough, they are also a part of the videogame Rock Band, with a downloadable 3-song bundle available.

The lead single "Sink Into Me" is a fantastic track to lead off the promotional aspect of the album, but is by far not the best song on the album. That dubious honor belongs to "Carpathia" one of the last tracks on the album, but definitely worth the wait. It has the feel of the most powerful song, like everything was stepped up for the recording of that track and there is an intense vibe all around the song. Typical to a Taking Back Sunday album, it flows dynamically, and despite its heavier vibe, it is an album that you can put on, and go about doing things about the house while still enjoying it without it being distracting. I do recommend giving the album your undivided attention for a listen or two, in order to pick up on all the little things in the album. Personally, after yesterday's album review debacle, it could have been 4 guys playing violins while they pooped on a mountain goat and punched a baby and I would have been glad I wasn't listening to Elvis Costello's album. OK, so maybe without the baby punching, I would have taken points off for that, but goat-pooping would have gained points to make up for it.

Tomorrow's Review: Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King

MAY IN REVIEW: The Albums (and Scores) of May 2009

As we enter the new month of June, I wanted to post a reminder of all 10 albums reviewed in May, coupled with their scores.


10. Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free (3.5/10)

9. The Fresh & Onlys - The Fresh & Onlys EP (7/10)

8. Mat Kearney - City of Black and White (7.5/10)

7. Better Than Ezra - Better Than Ezra Plays Paper Empire (8/10)

6. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown (8.5/10)

5. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (9/10)

4. Intelligence - Fake Surfers (9/10)

3. Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications (9.5/10)

2. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (9.5/10)

1. Eminem - Relapse (10/10)


Congrats to Eminem, on having my Top Album of May 2009.

New Music Review: Elvis Costello "Secret, Profane and Sugarcane"

Now keep in mind while reading this review that I LOVE Elvis Costello and I am a HUGE fan of his work.


Elvis Costello - Secret, Profane and Sugarcane (6/10)


Under normal circumstances, I would be extremely excited for a new Elvis Costello album, just as I was Monday perusing the scheduled new releases for the week, thinking to myself "Oh sweet, a new Costello album". My oh my, was I let down in a big big way.

This new album Secret, Profane and Sugarcane is entirely too twangy for my tastes, and I found myself halfway through thinking to myself "is it over yet?" These things should not go through my head when listening to an Elvis Costello album. The man is a legend and free to change it up for whatever reason he deems fit, but this seems to be a stretch from the days of "Alison" and the like. While there are some tracks that are quite good, the rest, for me, are moderately intolerable. I love the lead track "Among the Wines and Spirits" and "My All Time Doll" but the rest of the songs didn't really stand up and scream "HEY! NOTICE ME!!!!" I almost feel guilty giving such a low score to such a musical genius, but in fact, I gave him BONUS points for being the same. If I have one hope today while listening to this album, its that Taking Back Sunday's album is better for me to review tomorrow.


Tracks to check out:

"My All Time Doll"
"Among the Wines and Spirits"


Tomorrow's Review: Taking Back Sunday - New Again

New Music Review: June 2 Releases

This week I will be reviewing the following albums released the week of June 2nd.


WEDNESDAY: Elvis Costello - Secret, Profane and Sugarcane

THURSDAY: Taking Back Sunday - New Again

FRIDAY: Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King

New Music Review: Three For All!!! Grizzly Bear, Intelligence, and Phoenix

So it has been a VERY slow music week (except for Marilyn Manson and Busta Rhymes, both of which I gave a quick listen to and HATED both). As such, I've been listening feverishly to three albums all week. Grizzly Bear Veckatimest, Intelligence Fake Surfers, and Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. I also have been trying (unsuccessfully) to get my hands on a copy of the debut album from Crash Kings, and based on previews from myspace, Amazon, and iTunes, would probably garner a 10 from me. As such, on with your Friday Three-For-All.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (9.5/10)

This is by far the best of the three albums that I have been enjoying. From the lead track "Liztomania" to the end track "Armistice" this is the best thing to come from France since....ummm....maybe ever (ok, so Air was a decend band and one of the guys in Phoenix was in a band called Darlin' with the two guys from Daft Punk, whom are also French). The fourth studio album from Phoenix is admittedly the first one I've listened to, but will definitely not be the last. It does get a little lenghty in the middle with the 7:29 Love is Like a Sunset, of which the first nearly six and a half minutes is instrumental. Beyond that, it is as fantastic as fantastic goes. Also, check out "1901" and "Lasso"

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (9/10)

2009 South by Southwest (SXSW) standouts Grizzly Bear unleashed a monster when the released Veckatimest, the third studio album from the Brooklyn, NY quartet. Described by most as an indie, experimental-folk rock by many, their new album shows that they are no stranger to any and all genres and apparently had no clocks or timers in the studio, with the average song checking in on this album at right around four and a half minutes. Each song is quite epic in its own little way, but this album shines as a whole, flowing seamlessly from one track to the next, of which you know I am a sucker for, and any band who pulls this off gets automatic bonus points in scoring with me. Check out the tracks "Dory", "Cheerleader" and "Two Weeks"


Intelligence - Fake Surfers (9/10)

Studio album number four from the lo-fi side project of A-Frames drummer Lars Finberg. I really, really, really enjoyed this album from the aspect of its different un-Seattle-like sound. Lars doesn't do anything really overly fancy, just puts together a fantastic freakin' indie animal capable of both lulling you into a hypnotic trance "Fake Surfers" and making you then get up an dance "St. Bartholemew" until Lars snaps his fingers and you return to your previous state of normality. He also can get a little punk with the fantastically titled "Fuck Eat Skull". This album also flows surprisingly well and made for a pleasant surprise of an album as a whole in what was a slow music week.


Thank the Lord that next week is a busier music week, with the new Dave Matthews Band, 311, and Taking Back Sunday albums scheduled to drop on 6/2. Stay tuned to New Music Tuesday to see my selections for the week!

New Music Review: Mat Kearney "City of Black and White"

Mat Kearney is a Nashville based singer/songwriter who has witnessed his popularity skyrocket thanks to his tunes appearing on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, ABC Family's Kyle XY, and (at the time) NBC's Scrubs. His new album City of Black and White was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville. He has begun touring this month with Keane and The Helio Sequence.

Mat Kearney - City of Black and White (7.5/10)

Don't get me wrong, the 7.5 score for Kearney's new album isn't because it isn't any good, because it is. He probably would have received an 8.5 or 9 if he didn't sound so much like Chris fucking Martin from Coldplay. Honestly, I would probably like Coldplay more if Martin, his wife, and their fruit-based children moved to Cambodia and Kearney took his place. Enough ranting, we're here to praise Mat Kearney and his fantastic new effort, not dis Chris Martin and his band The Song-Stealing 4 err, Coldplay.

City of Black and White sounds just as I described it earlier, like the B side of a Coldplay album. All of the songs flow fantastically well. The lead single "Closer to Love" brings all the pieces of who Mat Kearney is together into one neat little package and the rest of the album ties it off with a tiny bow. No one track really stands out to any great degree, with the one glaring exception of "Fire and Rain", which will stop you dead in your tracks and make you listen much like watching a NASCAR race for the crashes. There isn't really anything special about it, but the arrangement is too good to ignore. The first time I listened through it, I paid particular attention to each song, and was kind of....eh. Once I listened a second, and third time, I found myself motivated and moving about doing other things (such as getting dressed for work). It is one of those albums you could put on for a drive to Kalamazoo to make the trip seem shorter and provide a pleasant backdrop for random conversation and a soundtrack for the boring spots such as the part just past Albion before Battle Creek where its all farm-y and not much to look at.

Gut response to the album would have given it a 4 or 5 score, but luckily for Mat Kearney, I don't score based on my gut, and gave it a few more listens for flow and arrangement, and to see if I missed anything of relative potential epic-ness. Unfortunately for Mat, those additional listens turned me off to the fact that he sounds way too much like Chris Martin for me and if I heard any of this on the radio, I'd turn it off for fear that I would like a Coldplay song.

Tomorrow: SATURDAY!!! I will (try) to give a brief review of the NEW Our Lady Peace single being released tonight at 5 on MuchMusic (Canada) and MSN Canada. Also, while I'm at it, this weekend may feature reviews of Passion Pit, Jason Lytle, and White Rabbits.

New Music Review: Jarvis Cocker "Further Complications"

For those that do not know, you can play six degrees of separation with Jarvis Cocker and Dr. Dre. Jarvis Cocker is the former lead singer of the band Pulp, who had a mid-90s hit with "Common People", a song that was covered by William Shatner. Shatner's album Has Been was produced by Ben Folds, who did a cover of the song "Bitches Ain't Shit", a classic rap track by Dr. Dre. What does this have to do with Cocker's new album Further Complications? Nothing really, just really cool.

Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications (9.5/10)

First off, I would like to announce that I LOVE this album. Cocker's delivery and voice allow him to present the fantastic laid back vibe throughout most of this album, but dial it up and rock it out, UK style when needed for his newest effort, Further Complications. Apparently fueled by sex and the desire of a woman (or several), Cocker's tuned up, rock tracks, reminecient of Elvis Costello, include "Angela" a song proclaiming his love for a 23-year old named....yep, Angela. "Homewrecker" turns up the horn section for a moment, and "fuckingsong" introduces a chainsaw-esque intro, grinding distorted guitars, and a request to be turned on. The album gets a little strange with "Caucasian Blues" beginning with the lyrics "you find a good woman/then fuck her 'till her head falls off". Apparently, Cocker feels the need to discuss how difficult it is to be white these days. The album slows down for two final mellow, and LONG tracks (one of them could have fit with the '77 disco scene entitled "You're In My Eyes") at the end, both are no doubt great, but could have stood to be a few minutes shorter.

My favorite track by far is "Further Complications", the title and lead track for the album, and is what I would call the epitome of Cocker's album, a fantastic installment to his career, proving that he can get it done with or without his mates in Pulp.


Tomorrow: Mat Kearney City of Black and White

New Music Review: Eminem "Relapse"

ed. note: Due to complications in the availability of Carbon Leaf's Nothing Rhymes with Woman I have pushed up the Eminem review to today, and will be replacing the Carbon Leaf album with Jason Lytle's Yours Truly, The Commuter. I will attempt to review Carbon Leaf if I can find it. Also, I'm going to try to fit Passion Pit's Manners and White Rabbit's It's Frightening this week too. It was a busy busy week for new music.

Now, on with the Review.

Eminem - Relapse (10/10)

Ok, it's been a very long time since we've heard from Marshall Mathers, in any one of his incantations. After his hiatus, he returns with relapse, and the perhaps the wildest of his personalities, Slim Shady.

Some of the more conservative readers have probably already stopped reading, but Relapse is the Slim Shady album everyone knew Eminem could pull off. Keeping the leash short fresh out of rehab. He still pulls off the celeb-bashing, mom hating rants and raves, but now there is much more onus on him, discussing his demons and how they've haunted him while he's been away.

The skits retain more hilarity, including his attorney reminding Em that Christopher Reeves is dead and claiming "..and the whole gay stepfather, incest, rape thing? I don't have your back on this. I can't fucking handle it"

The music (which is the point of a music review) is FANTASTIC. The first two tracks address to key issues with Mathers; "3am" (drug addiction and rehab), and "My Mom" (FINALLY acknowledging that he and his mother are the same). Of course there is the celeb bashing lead single "We Made You", a fantastic song to lead with, flashing Eminem's brilliance in both flow and delivery, mixed in with traditional Shady antics. Then comes THE song of the album, "Old Times Sake" which features a drop in from the legendary Dr. Dre. That song turns the tide of the album to a more mature flow the likes of which has yet to be heard from Marshall Mathers, ever.

The entire album is fantastic and worth the wait that Marshall put his fans through (although the hiatus was much needed for Em's health and sanity). I'm hoping that this album is the beginning of a new era of Eminem's fantastic career.

Tomorrow: Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications

New Music Day! Preview of the Upcoming Week

Allrighty then, it's New Music Day! Upcoming this week on the blog reviews:

Wednesday: Carbon Leaf - Nothing Rhymes With Woman

Thursday: Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications

Friday: Eminem - Relapse

Monday: Mat Kearney - City of Black and White

I'm wicked stoked to get to the Eminem album, but we shall see where it goes.

New Music Review: The Fresh & Onlys "The Fresh & Onlys EP"

Well, in the musical review world, you're going to land a few stinkers during your reviews of some new music. Akron/Family was said stinker, and I'm hoping to turn the tides back to the world of good for The Fresh & Onlys self-titled EP. Keep your fingers crossed.


The Fresh & Onlys - The Fresh & Onlys EP (7/10)


I personally enjoyed this album quite a bit. The San Francisco based Big Beat band sucks you in and never lets you go on this 14-track epic work that is some of the finest big beat music I have heard in a long, long time. My only complaint is that it is entire too quick. Track times ranging from 1:41 ("Imaginary Friends") to 3:48 ("Arm's Advice"), you really have to listen twice to catch every single nuance of the album. On my first listen, I was still taking in the fantastic-ness of "Arm's Advice" (the lead track) before I realized I was already 2/3 of the way through the album when "Nuclear Disaster" began playing. My second time through I was album to catch all that this album has to offer, and taking the time to really relish each piece as an individual and the album as a whole, which has a FANTASTIC flow, and really would have to given the short run times appearing with each song. I had to dock a few points off the album for being entire too short, thus forcing me to give it a second listen to grasp everything. (ed note: I would have listened a second time anyway, because it was THAT good) I highly recommend this album to anyone interested in a change of pace from the doldrums of modern rock and those of you who enjoy listening to The Impact (MSU's student radio 88.9fm). My favorite track is either the most pop-like on the album in "Peacock and Wing" or the early White Stripes-guitar-influenced "Endless Love".

It is quite possible that a few of the tracks, at the risk of being too repetitive, could have been 20-30 seconds longer and survived, but there really isn't a bad song on this album, a definite keeper. Not legendary by any stretch of the imagination, but one that will find itself playing on my iTunes more often that not.

Tracks to Check out:
"Endless Love"
"Peacock and Wing"
"Nuclear Disaster"

Tomorrow is NEW MUSIC DAY!! - No review tomorrow (maybe a "turn-back-the-clock" review and a preview of what's to come next week!)

New Music Review: Akron/Family "Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free"

Its been a crazy ass weekend, but I'm back at it, so without further dudes (to quote Family Guy) I present my review of Akron/Family's Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free.

Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free (3.5/10)

When this album kicks off, I was kind of like "what the hell is this?". They kind of kick it off all over the place, much like the sounds of a Southern Baptist Preacher, A woman giving birth, and The Polyphonic Spree all in the same room together. The lead track "Everyone is Guilty" certainly lives up to its name. Everyone in Akron/Family (all 3 of them) is guilty of a god awful and repetitive song that is enough to drive even Bin Laden out of hiding to make it stop. All in all, "everywhere and the same place at the same time" is the best way to describe the album, as every song is quite complex musically, but lacks any time of complexity within the lyrics. The first few listens I put this album through, I couldn't stand it. The more I play through and ignore the lyrics, the better, sort of lazy day on the lake vibe takes over. Truth be told, this album, left as an instrumental work might have gotten a better score. My favorite track on the album, "Set 'Em Free" is my personal favorite because of its short run time (2:37) and thus complete lack of time to be over-repetitive and awful. Unless you enjoy crazy complex folk-inspired chaos, shy away from Akron/Family's Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free. Sometimes, you have to take the good with the bad, and I apparently this week had a little bit of both extreme ends of the spectrum.

Tracks To Check Out:
...you know what? Don't.

Up Next (today, since I fell behind over the weekend) is The Fresh & Only's - Fresh & Only's EP

New Music Review: Better Than Ezra "Paper Empire"

OK, so technically the album is entitled Better Than Ezra Plays Paper Empire but I'm not typing that every time I an unable to refer to the album without using a pronoun, so Paper Empire is all you're gonna get.

Better Than Ezra Plays Paper Empire (8/10)

This album flows fantastically, and anyone who has listened to BTE beyond Deluxe (the album with "Good", "In The Blood" and "This Time of Year") knows that every single effort they've released since has had a fantastic way of flowing, yet retaining each song's individualism. kicks off with the catchy and quietly memorable "Absolutely Still". I found myself humming the chorus all day: "I've got this nervous feeling I never wanna kill/Absolutely still.". BTE has done a fantastic job of maturing from their alt-rock/grunge roots into grown-up, big-boy alternative rock pop masters, somehow flying under the radar. "Just One Day" hearkens back to a vibe similar to "Closer" on the album of the same name; with its quiet, laid back self-reflection message. With that album (Closer) they began their intrepid quest to shake themselves from the grunge genre, and moved to more of a super-poppy, catchy hook band, and thus catapulted themselves into mainstream obscurity. The follow-up (Before The Robots) saw them pull back the reins a bit on the over the top poppyness, and move back towards a true rock band. They have FINALLY gotten the right mix with Paper Empire. They still felt it a point to remind everyone that they can write a catchy song that you will find yourself singing around your co-workers, followed by their subsequent ridicule of you, thanks to "All In" and "Hell No!". Then there is what is possibly my favorite track on the album "Nightclubbing". It has a very brit-pop feel to the song, and, coupled with "Blacklight" is really the epitome of BTE, bringing together all the pieces of who they are, who they were, and where they could be going.

All in all, its a fantastic album; not nearly their best work, but it is near the top in the ranks of Better Than Ezra's catalog. If this is an indication of what's to come from the guys in BTE, they will continue to list me as a fan, and with a little push from some viral, grassroots marketing, could add or bring back hordes more.

Tracks to check out:

"Wounded"
"Blacklight"
"Nightclubbing"

Tomorrow's (well, later today's since I'm a day behind): Akron/Family's Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free.

New Music Review: Green Day "21st Century Breakdown"

Since this is a music blog, and I don't really blog every day and really need to, I think I might try to pick up 5-7 albums every week on New Music Day (Tuesday) and provide y'all with a quickie review of each album I pick up.

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown (8.5/10)

I have been a long, long supporter of Green Day, have all the studio albums (including International Superhits!) and was in instant fan of American Idiot upon the day of its release and thought to myself "This is it, Green Day his hit the nail on the head, no topping this one". I went into listening to Green Day's newest effort 21st Century Breakdown thinking that it was going to be an exact copy of American Idiot, and would subsequently destroy my enjoyment of Green Day. I was somewhat correct. While the same "concept" feel of their last effort remains, the political overtones are pounded into my head through a different point of view. The album as a whole is essentially the journey of a couple through life in the 21st century (hence the clever title). It made for quite the background album. One of those albums that you can turn on and go do other stuff like clean or study and just let it play. The album opens with the "old-time radio" vocal effect intro with "Song of the Century" and proceeds into a reminder that Green Day has matured from a wild, punk rocking juggernaut into true musicians with a message and talent that has allowed them to pull off this transformation seamlessly. The only song that really felt out of place on the entire album was "Know Your Enemy" that lead single and only really repetitive song on the album. Somewhat of a throwback (I say somewhat because it is more of an American Idiot song than a Dookie track) with grinding guitar and little effect to transform it into something more than it needed to be. All-in-all, it's a good listen, not great, and it really could never top American Idiot nor does it try. As far as a concept/quadrant albums goes, it might be time for Green Day to re-reinvent themselves for their next album, or risk alienating and burning out long-time fans.

Tracks to Check Out:
"21 Guns"
"Restless Heart Syndrome"
"Know Your Enemy"


Tomorrow: Better Than Ezra's Paper Empire.

Hell!!

Riceboys
Circle I Limbo

Scientologists
Circle II Whirling in a Dark & Stormy Wind

Goths
Circle III Mud, Rain, Cold, Hail & Snow

The New York Yankees
Circle IV Rolling Weights

Republicans
Circle V Stuck in Mud, Mangled

River Styx

PETA Members
Circle VI Buried for Eternity

River Phlegyas

Qusay Hussein
Circle VII Burning Sands

Uday Hussein
Circle IIX Immersed in Excrement

Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, George Bush
Circle IX Frozen in Ice

Design your own hell

iTunes A-to-Z

Since music news is somewhat slow after the Rock Hall of Fame inductions (btw, congrats to Metallica and Run DMC) I thought I'd have a little fun and blog about my iTunes and what's in it. Going from A to Z by artist, starting with Academy Is..,The (lol) and ending with 500 Miles to Memphis (for some reason, my iTunes places bands with numeric names at the end) and everything inbetween. So without further delay, here's some background on The Academy Is...

The Academy Is...

Hometown: Chicago, IL
Formed: 2003
Label: Decaydance (a division of Fueled by Ramen)
aka: The Academy (2003-2004)

Current Lineup:
William Beckett (vocals)
Michael Chislett (lead guitar)
Mike Carden (rhythm guitar)
Adam Siska (bass)
Andy Mrotek (drums)

Former Members:
AJ LaTrace (rhythm guitar) (2003)
Michael DelPrincipe (drums) (2003)
Tom Conrad (rhythm guitar) (2004-2006)

The Academy Is formed out of the separation of Chicago-based bands Remember Maine (Beckett), and Jodie (Carden). Beckett, Siska, and Carden then recruited AJ LaTrace and Mike DelPrincipe for their demo entitled The Academy released in 2004. Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy heard the EP and liked it so much, he convinced the brass at FBR to sign the band.

Under the FBR banner, the group traveled to Florida to record their debut album Almost Here. Following a summer tour and the completion of the album, The Academy Is parted ways with LaTrace and DelPrincipe and added Tom Conrad on guitar and Andy Mrotek on drums. With the new lineup, TAI released Almost Here and hit the road extensively with other rock bands Fall Out Boy, Motion City Soundtrack and Something Corporate. Following the tour, the band shook up the lineup yet again, replacing Tom Conrad on guitar with current lead, Michael Chislett. Almost Here reach numer 188 on the Billboard 200 and featured the singles "Checkmarks" and "The Phrase The Pays". Based on the success of the album, the band was also named as a headliner for the 2006 installment of the Vans Warped Tour. During the tour, the band began writing and recording their follow-up album Santi.

In the second half of 2006 the band completed the album and it made its official release early in 2007, leading with the hit single "We've Got A Big Mess On Our Hands" and the smash "Everything We Had" Santi reached #32 on the Billboard 200. TAI parlayed their success into headlining the Honda Civic and "Sleeping With Giants" tours.

2008 saw the band's third Fueled by Ramen release, Fast Times and Barrington High reach #17 on the Billboard 200 and #46 on Rolling Stone's top 50 albums of 2008 list. The lead single "About A Girl" has appeared on an episode of MTV's The Hills and was #88 on the US Pop Charts. Currently, the band is touring and working on their fourth studio album tenatively titled Winter Passing.

I absolutely LOVE the FTABH album and consider it their best work to date. Some of my other faves are:

• Down and Out
• About A Girl
• The Test
• LAX to O'Hare
• We've Got a Big Mess On Our Hands

I hope you enjoyed this installment of iTunes A-to-Z. Up next is ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS.

If You Like...with a twist

OK, so here's the deal. Go to Pandora. Pull up your iTunes. Set said iTunes to shuffle. Press Play. The first artist to come up, search for them in Pandora. Find an artist similar to the band in your iTunes. Enjoy. Here's my Ten.

10. We Are Scientists (found via Phantom Planet)
The Brooklyn-based indie rock trio We Are Scientists formed in 2000 around the talents of guitarist/lead vocalist
Keith Murray, bass player Chris Cain, and drummer Michael Tapper. After building a small but devoted following through their epic live shows and a series of three self-released EPs, the group signed with Virgin Records. Their major-label debut, With Love and Squalor, was released in early 2006. In 2008, the group -- which was now just the duo of Cain and Murray -- put out their second full-length, also on Virgin, entitled Brain Thrust Mastery. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

9. Pete Yorn (found via Ryan Adams)
Pete Yorn is proof that fairy tales do come true. The 26-year-old drummer turned singer/songwriter landed a record deal
after an impromptu performance of his song "Life on a Chain" for a Columbia Records A&R person. In 2000, a few years after graduating from Syracuse University, the New Jersey native moved to Los Angeles, CA, where he began writing music for film and television. Things heated up when Yorn scored the 2000 Farrelly Brothers film Me, Myself, & Irene, starring Jim Carrey. Among Yorn's accomplishments, his song "Strange Condition" also appeared on the Elektra soundtrack to the
film, and Yorn's "Just Another" is featured on the compilation album for the WB television series Dawson's Creek, Songs from Dawson's Creek , Vol. 2. Yorn co-produced his 2001 solo debut album, Musicforthemorningafter (Columbia), with Brad Wood (Placebo, the Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Sunny Day Real Estate) and R. Walt Vincent, while playing the bulk of the instruments himself. Yorn went on to tour the world for 18 months, allowing Musicforthemorningafter to go gold by April of 2002. In spring 2003, he returned with the earnest Day I Forgot. A year later, Yorn issued his first live album, Live from New Jersey; the double-disc set captured Yorn's late October performance at the Community Theater in Morristown, NJ. For his third studio LP, Yorn enlisted collaborators such as the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Dixie Chicks Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines for the bright rock sounds of Nightcrawler. The Butch Walker-produced effort arrived in August 2006 and was supported with plenty of in-store and club performances. ~ Kerry Smith, All Music Guide

8. Thirteen Senses (found via Oasis)
Melancholy Brit-pop quartet Thirteen Senses originated from Cornwall, England with the lineup of Will South
(vocals, guitar, piano), Tom Welham (guitar, vocals), Adam Wilson (bass) and Brendon James (drums). First going under the name Soul Magician, the band released a single titled "Inside a Healing Mind" in 2002, followed by the "No Other Life Is Attractive," the first release as Thirteen Senses. "Falls in the Dark" surfaced a year later. The Invitation was available by September 2004 and reached number 14 on the U.K. charts upon its re-release. Cracking the singles chart were a handful
of songs including "Into the Fire," which was featured in several popular U.S television shows. The band toured Europe in 2005 before returning to the studio for Contact, appearing in April 2007. ~ Kenyon Hopkin, All Music Guide

7. Tarkio (found via The Decemberists)
Formed in 1996 in the college town of Missoula, MT, Tarkio, named for a small city in the western part of the state,
featured the talents of guitarist Gibson Hartwell, bass player Louis Stein, drummer Brian Collins, pedal steel player Kevin Suggs, and singer/songwriter and future DecemberistColin Meloy. The band mined similar musical territory as college rock staples the Go-Betweens, the Waterboys, and R.E.M., employing a blend of alternative country and Americanized Brit-pop that
won them a small but loyal regional following. Between 1996 and 1999 they released two records, the full-length I Guess I Was Hoping for Something More and the EP Sea Songs for Landlocked Sailors, both of which were reissued on the Kill Rock Stars label as a two-disc set called Omnibus in 2006. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

6. Nine Days (found via The All-American Rejects)
(editor's note: Those of you who've known me since high school have been hearing me sing this band's praises since 2000!!!!!!)
Nine Days was formed on Long Island by singer/songwriter/guitarists John Hampson and Brian Desveaux, who had
previously played together and apart in a series of local groups. The band was filled out by keyboard player Jeremy Dean, bass player Nick Dimichino, and drummer Vincent Tattanelli. Focusing on their songwriting and shared lead vocals, Hampson and Desveaux holed up in Hampson's apartment in Deer Park woodshedding, then released their own
debut album and began playing live shows. They won WBAB's Homegrown Talent Search and WLIR's Best Unsigned Band competition, made a second CD on their own, and finally signed to Epic/550 Music, which released their debut major-label album, The Madding Crowd (its title a comment on Thomas Hardy's novel Far from the Madding Crowd) in May 2000. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

5. Jimmy Eat World (found via The Academy Is...)
(ed note 2: another band I've LOVED since '99)
Once a trailblazing name in the mid-'90s emocore scene, Jimmy Eat World steadily rose to national prominence by
embracing a blend of alternative rock and power pop that targeted the heart as well as the head. While the band's influence widened considerably with 1999's Clarity -- an album that has since emerged as a landmark of the emo genre -- it
was the band's self-produced follow-up (specifically the infectious single "The Middle") that crowned them as major figures in commercial rock. The emo label proved difficult to shake throughout the 2000s, even when subsequent albums Futures and Chase This Light did little to evoke the hard-edged sensitivity of Clarity, but Jimmy Eat World nevertheless remained a league above the generation of emocore torch-bearers they'd helped influence. Read the rest here.

4. Owl City (found via Hellogoodbye)
No Pandora bio, but you can check out his Myspace page and his tidbit about himself now: Hello, my name is Adam. I prefer daydreams over reality. Music is my muse. I write and record in my basement. I have trouble sleeping. These songs are all I have to show for my sleepless nights. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them. It means the world to know someone is out there listening. You have no idea how much I appreciate you. Thank you.

3. Cartel (found via Motion City Soundtrack)
Cartel's earnest take on emo/pop-punk emerged out of Atlanta around 2004, when vocalist Will Pugh, guitarists Joseph
Peppers and Nic Hudson, bassist Ryan Roberts, and drummer Kevin Sanders released an initial EP that caught the ear of the California-based Militia Group label. Militia signed Cartel, and the Ransom EP reappeared under Militia in 2004. The label then released Chroma, Cartel's full-length debut, in September 2005. The album cracked into the Billboard Top 200, as bloggers praised the band and the video for "Honestly" found moderate airtime on MTV. The majors noticed all of
this activity, and in early 2006, Cartel inked a deal with Epic. Touring continued through the rest of the year, opening for acts like New Found Glory and the Starting Line. That same year, Roberts decided to leave the band. He was replaced by
Jeff Lett, who joined on just in time for their 2006 Warped Tour dates. The band's biggest marketing break came in May of 2007 when they were invited to do a four-part MTV mini-series called Band in a Bubble. The show followed Cartel as they lived in a giant bubble-shaped structure on Pier 54 in Manhattan and were filmed for 22 days writing and
recording their self-titled sophomore album Cartel. Although the album was planned for release in July, just after the band left the bubble, it was postponed while they filmed a video to promote the single "Lose it" and the record didn't officially hit the shelves until August 21st, 2007. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

2. Explosions In The Sky (found via Death Cab for Cutie)
With a reputation for a scathingly intense live performance and a quickly sold-out CD-R demo, How Strange, Innocence,
which was later reissued in 2005, Explosions in the Sky was touted early on in their career as the next phenomenon in moody and dynamic instrumental indie rock à la Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor! The quartet of Texas kids, made up of Mark Smith and Munaf Rayani on guitars, Michael James on bass, and Christopher Hrasky on drums, was
signed for its first release on Temporary Residence Limited after half a listen to their demo, which was submitted by the American Analog Set with a brief note saying "This totally f*cking destroys." From that, they released their first six-song album, Those Who Tell the Truth, in the latter half of 2001. After a new record, 2003's contemplative The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, and the 2005 re-release, Explosions in the Sky, who had by this time garnered a dedicated fan base, came out with All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone in 2007. ~ Blake Butler, All Music Guide

1. Wes Fracker (found via his sheer awesomness)
Ok, so this one I cheated. Ben Folds Five came up on my iTunes, and Pandora had no other options for me other than Ben Folds (solo style), The Beatles, and Gary Jules ("Mad World"); I thought I'd throw a little love to a hard workin' piano man. Check the myspace here

Pluto Revolts Every Avenue and 8 Other Bands You've Never Heard Of.....or have you?

So, if I am known for anything, it is having an odd taste in music, a flair for the unknown, and a strange attraction to all things BritRock. Here are 10 bands that I am currently diggin on that you may or may not know about.


10. Pluto Revolts, Cincinnati, Ohio
Tracks To Check Out: "Collar Up Against The Wind", "Bed Of Nails"

9. Ten Bears, Manchester, UK
Tracks To Check Out: "Sex Music", "Hotel"

8. Tubelord, Kingston, UK
Tracks To Check Out: "Feed Me A Box Of Words", "I Am Azerrad"

7. All-Time Quarterback, Seattle, WA
Tracks To Check Out: "Plans Get Complex", "Rules Broken"

6. Vampire Weekend, New York, NY
Tracks To Check Out: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", "A-Punk"

5. The Decemberists, Portland, OR
Tracks To Check Out: "O, Valencia!", "Sixteen Military Wives"

4. Kings Of Leon, Nashville, TN
Tracks To Check Out: "Sex on Fire", "Fans"

3. The Alternate Routes, Bridgeport, CT
Tracks To Check Out: "California", "The Future's Nothing New"

2. Coconut Records, Los Angeles, CA
Tracks To Check Out: "Drummer", "West Coast"

1. Every Avenue, Marysville, MI
Tracks To Check Out: "Think Of You Later (Empty Room)", "Chasing The Night"

But Now I wanna hear from you guys. Throw out some bands you dig on. Locals, strange bands I mayhaps have not yet stumbled upon that I may enjoy. Bring it on!

Even Boondocks Has My Back!

Topic of the Day

So last Friday at work, we were talking about music and how it just isn't quite the same as it used to be. Gone are the legendary bands that put out album after album of classics and memorable b-sides. They have been replaced with Disney pre-teen divas, cookie-cutter rock bands that all sadly sound like Nickelback, and American Idol runners-up. Then the topic shifted to everyone's Top 5 Albums of All-Time. There were rules to the list, of course. Studio albums only, meaning no live albums, and no greatest hits albums. The final rule: Bands are only allowed one album on the list. Everyone had a different interpretation of "All-Time", from greatest selling, to most influential in their lives, to genre changing albums, and beyond. The discussion raged on for hours, and I must say that I had about 40-50 albums that I thought of off the top of my head and about 5 different lists based on my interepretation of "All-Time". I finally decided on my "Deserted Island" list. Those were the 5 albums I would take with me if I had to spend my days on a deserted island. And they were:

5. "Spiritual Machines" - Our Lady Peace

4. "Pretty. Odd." - Panic! At The Disco

3. "The Black Parade" - My Chemical Romance

2. "Hotel California" - Eagles

1. "Rubber Soul" - The Beatles


The question I pose to you is this: What are your Top 5 Albums of All-Time?

10 Songs I Currently am Diggin on

So for those that keep tabs, here's a few songs that have grabbed my attention lately

10. "Sincerely, Me" - Better Than Ezra

9. "This Time of Year" - Better Than Ezra

8. "Sequestered In Memphis" - The Hold Steady

7. "Pain (Demo Version)" - Jimmy Eat World

6. "Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon

5. "Revelry" - Kings of Leon

4. "Postman" - Shellsuit

3. "Feed Me a Box of Words" - Tubelord

2. "A" - Barenaked Ladies

1. "Ruby" - Kaiser Chiefs

Enjoy!

And now for something completely different.

If you don't know who the UK band Tubelord is, you do now.

Check 'em out.

Tubelord on MySpace

These semi-geeky looking yet totally rocking set from Kingston, UK feature a fantastic song "Feed Me a Box of Words" that starts out hardcore (almost screamo-ish) then tunes itself into fine English indie rock.

They're funny to boot. Under their Sounds Like section: "It sounds like a Mark David Chapman scenario to me..." They also encourage fans to make their own Tubelord gear, as it "saves us money, saves you money, it stimulates an active state of consumerism within the self and will make you feel ever more appreciative of that shirt you spent 6 hours on designing and printing."


Love 'em.

Random 10: February 22, 2009

10 Random Tracks from my iTunes.

10. "Don't Ask For The Water" Ryan Adams (Heartbreaker)

9. "The Sound of Settling" Death Cab For Cutie (Transatlanticism)

8. "This Time of Year" Better Than Ezra (Deluxe)

7. "When The Sun Goes Down" Arctic Monkeys (Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not)

6. "Dirty Second Hands" Switchfoot (Oh! Gravity)

5. "Our Lawyers..." Fall Out Boy (From Under The Cork Tree)

4. "Changes" Common (Universal Mind Control)

3. "Attention" The Raconteurs (Consolers of The Lonely)

2. "Echo" Incubus (Morning View)

1. "Autumn" Paolo Nutini (These Streets)

From Web-Only Labels to Radiohead: The New Indie Scene

Looking back on my previous blogs (I know it's been a while, sorry), one of the options a new band has is being released from their label and going "underground". While the indie/underground scene has evolved significantly from where it was ten, even five, years ago; it is still essentially the same type of people, just slightly more technologically savvy.

A few years back, an "indie" band would self-promote through the use of street teams, their original hometown crowd, and buzz around campus with colleges that have a good campus radio station. I know for me, if it wasn't for WIDR (Kalamazoo-WMU) and WDFM (E. Lansing-MSU), I would have NEVER found some of the bands I listen to now.

Now indie bands can promote still through street-teams, and college rock stations, but now with the explosion of "myspace, facebook, and fuckface" (to quote Raine Maida) bands can essentially have a huge following without ever leaving their basement in Iowa. While I prefer the old-school method of playing dive bars and college festivals to "make it", a good mix of the new school can't hurt either. And if you're anti-major label like I am, this method seems to be the best way to make a decent living with your music.

Most bands nowadays will post their tunes on myspace, develop a groundswell around their hometown which subsequently makes it was to the local university, where its played on the radio station. If the band is good enough to develop a fanbase through the radio, they will play as many of the bars, clubs, and festivals around said university. If they make enough money for themselves (and the bars, clubs, etc) they will develop through word of mouth with promoters and universities (a local fraternity might tell a chapter from another university to book this band and so on) and be able to "tour" the college scene. After a while, these same fans will be clamoring for an album; which if you're smart, you'll stay away from a label with this one and DIY all the way.

So you head to a local reputable studio, record your album, have a release party at a local bar (usually the first one you played at or one you've played on a regular basis) and proceed to sell the living crap out of it at your shows, local record shops (they do still exist) and the trunk of your car. If you are lucky enough to have someone you know with some web finesse, you can put your album on iTunes and other music sites such as that in order to boost some sales and hope that more people stumble upon your little hidden gem. But what if you don't know anyone such as that? Well friends, that's where web-only labels might help you.

A web-based label works almost the same way as a regular label, except you generally can keep the rights to your music, you won't get a much (if any) upfront money, and they usually can only help promote in an online capacity (less employees means less overhead=more profit). You still keep your artistic integrity, make a little cash, and have some help in the web-world with boosting sales and obtaining new fans. But what if your band is already successful, has some cash, and simply doesn't want to be anally probed by your label anymore?

Finally there is the "Radiohead Method". Essentially, it boils down to 1. You hate your label (or all labels), 2. You want to prove to Major labels that they are an unnecessary and evil function in the art, and/or 3. You want to stick it to them by accomplishing as much if not more via the "evil" internet and download society we live in. You see, major labels are afraid, in essence of being phased out by the napsters and limewires of the world. While I am aware that file-sharing is technically considered pirating and is therefore illegal. What Apple has done with iTunes is basically provide you the ease of file-sharing and the labels the benefit of a few bucks for all their "hard work". Artists are 50/50 on this. Some say that Napster is bad and they don't want people to hear their music unless they pay to do so (see Metallica). Usually, these are bands who are rediculously rich already and need a new house in Cabo for the weekend. The other side of the fence are artists who embrace file-sharing and think that it is a great way to gain new fans who will then buy tickets to concerts (which is where artists truly make their money if you remember) and keep them in the coin. That side has it right. They have essentially said "screw the label, I can record a track in my basement, post it for the world to hear, get them to fall in love with the new (self-financed) album and thus pay to see the tour that promotes said album." Take the band Radiohead (whom this method is generally attributed to). They recorded In Rainbows with their own money and released it as a web-only downloadable album. In addition, they told fans to name their own price. And even with $0.00 as an option, the AVERAGE person paid $8.00 for the album. Basically, Radiohead turned PayPal into a glorified tip jar. It proved to the labels that not only a) they were not needed to finance, produce, and promote and album, b) people would still pay money for albums, even when they were not forced to. Stick that in your empty suit and smoke it Sony.

I'm Giving EMI the "Hootie" Treatment....

Continuing my assault all that is corrupt and wrong with the music industry, we move on to phase three. But first, let's recap. We've made our major label debut album, toured the globe to promote the living hell out of the thing to boost sales, and FINALLY broke even (and made a little cash) to cover our fronted money from the label. So...now what do we do? Since the band is still under contract for a few more albums it's time to record some more. This is the make or break point for many bands. Most times, it'd be the "sophomore slump" thing that pressures bands into getting more fronted money from the label and you're back to step one and repeating the process all over again. But there are alternatives.

OPTION 1: I'M GOING UNDERGROUND. Your first album was SO bad that the label decides, now that you've broken even, that you aren't worth any more of their time and money, and drop you from the label. In many aspects this could be a blessing in disguise. For instance, let's say that commercially, the album sold terribly and was critically torn down; but the kids LOVE it. You have quite a few songs that are played all over college radio. There is still the groundswell of fans you had before the deal, and now you've added the music snobs (like me) and college kids who have found a home fitting in with the indie crowd. So you stay indie and underground, and use the residuals from your album and subsequent self-funded, small bar/club "tour" to record a new album without the pressure of the label on your neck. You sell your albums as online downloads only and make quite a nice living....more on this option in subsequent posts. The downside is that you aren't a rich rock star and you have to deal with music snobs who want to talk about the comparisons between your new album and The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper" album.

OPTION 2: THE "FAIRWEATHER JOHNSON" METHOD. You make a HORRID second album (see Hootie and The Blowfish's second album Fairweather Johnson) that is so bad that you are dropped from the label and try to reclaim what fans you had before the release of the album with a tour of intimate venues playing NOTHING from the crappy album. You can claim that the album was you and the rest of the band attempting to experiment with new influences or that you were paying homage to . Most intelligent people will call bullshit, and realize that the album just sucked; but you will find a few people who are thinking "wow, I loved said 90s indie band, even though this album was lackluster, I'd still follow this band". The plus side is you have another album whose residual checks will keep you flooded in RV gas money and Taco Bell for the next year until you record your next album. The negative is that your RV money and Taco Bell rations are about all you have to show for all your hard work and you risk being labeled as "has-beens" or "never-weres".

OPTION 3: READ YOUR CONTRACT!! If for some reason you're legally savvy and in a band, read your contract! If there is no clause indicating exclusive rights to publication (not the rights to the songs themselves, those almost always belong to the album), just work a 1 album deal with a different label that provides better terms and more creative control over your music. You will be sued by your original label, but you've read your contract and you're safe, so fuck 'em, take the money and run.

OPTION 4: HONOR THE DAMN THING! What better way to take down the man than from the inside. Record your next album, make it better than your first, gain more fans, money and artistic acclaim. In this business money=power; if you're making the empty suits money, then you have some power. This option, like all the others, has pros and cons. Pros: hmmm, you're a rock star now....you figure out the perks. Cons: You could stand to lose some of your original fans and a piece of the hardcore indie crowd who have now labeled you a "corporate slave". But who cares? You're rich now, sellout.

In the next few blogs we will look at the options and where your band is headed with each one.

We Owe Warner $10 Million....Catch Us If You Can!

If you remember my last blog, I explained how bands go about getting into a seemingly awesome record contract, only to be screwed by empty suits who are more business savvy then a young up and coming band; thus swindling them out of more than money. So here a bands sits, broke and owing yet more money to their label. What are they gonna do? One option is to tour, tour your ass off. Going back to our Fall Out Boy example: Let's hope the boys were smart enough to set some of that money aside to finance the initial leg of their tour. When you're the "next big thing" or you're a hot band that will pack a crowd into a mid-sized venue (St. Andrews, Blind Pig, etc) you won't have to pay to rent the club, in fact, the club will pay YOU! How cool is that? OK, so let's say that the tour is in 10 cities (for mathematical purposes) and they are paid $100,000 per show from the club promoters. Because the album was somewhat weak, there is quite an elaborate stage show, and it costs $5,000 per show, and payroll for all your techs, roadies, gophers, drivers and the like runs another $5,000 per show. If you're lucky enough to have a manager that loves you and manages to score you 10% of the gate on top of the $100,000 per show you get for just showing up, AND he scores you an appearance in town which pays $5,000. Sounds pretty dope right? RIGHT! But wait, there's MORE! On top of all that freakin' money, you get more from the sales of your swag. T-shirts, bumper stickers, buttons, and other vital emo gear. Nothing says I'm in individual like having the same hoodie, t-shirt, and haircut combo as Pete Wentz. FYI, emokid, having the same gear and 'do as Pete won't mean you get to fuck Ashlee Simpson...or even a lookalike, but that's a totally different story. Moving on....
So here's where we stand.

PERFORMANCE FEES: $100,000 (x10) = $1,000,000
+ 10% of GATE (2500 @ $40 each at 10% times 10 shows) = $100,000
+ Swag Sales (1000 units @ $20 each times 10 shows) = $200,000
+ APPEARANCE FEES: $5,000 (x10) = $50,000
TOTAL INCOME = $1,350,000
- CREW PAYROLL $5,000 (x10) = $50,000
- STAGE SETUP $5,000 (x10) = $50,000.
- MISC EXPENSES (management's cut, hotels, gas, food, etc.) = $50,000
TOTAL EXPENSES = $1,200,000

Well, fuck, we still owe the label another $2.8 million. That means we have to tour MORE! This is why you will see years between albums from your favorite bands, because they have to tour all over the planet just to cover their asses with the label. Some bands will tour for 2-3 years criss-crossing the globe to cover fronted money. If the band mimicks the same tour as before, would have to tour 3 more times just to come out ahead of owing the label. After the second leg, they still owe $1.6 Million, after the third, $0.4, and after the final leg, they are up $800,000 which still needs to be split amongst the members of the band. So after being away from your families for in excess of 1 year you only made $200,000. Not a bad deal, if you discount the fact that you had to bust your ass to make someone else $10 million and all they compensated you for was $200,000 and said "Thanks, now go make another record." The next stage is the part that makes or breaks a band in terms of survival....stay tuned!

Taking Down Sony...If They Didn't Own Me

One of the largest problems I have with the record industry is the control over EVERY aspect of an artists life that they hold. Bands are at the complete mercy of their label and have to go to them for nearly everything. Granted, given a band's popularity, ANYTHING they want will gladly be provided to them, however any funds "fronted" by the label MUST be paid prior to the artist receiving any royalties. In addition, any work done under a label becomes property of the label. So, in essence, the artists write and record fantastic work, pride themselves on it, and technically, it isn't even theirs. Yes, bands get a percentage of the sales of the record and any royalties from licensing the song, but they have no control over who the label sells their work to. For example, let's say Fall Out Boy's "Dance, Dance" is licensed to BMW for a commercial. Maybe Pete Wentz is USA true blue kind of guy and only buys American-made products and doesn't want his work associated with anything but American products....well, too fucking bad, bro. You and your emo haircut have no say, because you don't own the rights to your song, and besides, you owe the label another 4 million for all the crap you guys bought during the recording of your last album. Yeah, that's right, take a peek at this, again let's use Fall Out Boy as an example, and during the recording of their new album, the label fronts the guys 10 million for studio time, new guitars, and misc. expenses. So, they cut the album and it sells...poorly. The take from the sales after the first year is 4 million. Let's say the label licensed a song form the album for 1 million and it produced 1 million in royalties. Sounds like FOB is living fat right? Wrong. Check this:

"Fronted" Money: $10 Million
Sales: $4 million
Licensing: $1 million
Royalties: $1 million

Money Owed to label: $10 Million
Sales, Licensing & Royalties: $6 million
Money STILL owed to label (Fronted money minus S+L+R): $4 Million.

That's right, they STILL owe their label $4 Million bucks? Which means they they will see ZERO dollars from their work until that $4 million is paid. Which could take years if the album was awful and stopped selling. What's a band to do? Stay tuned....

A Message to the "Big 4"

Many of you know my feelings behind the music "industry" as a whole and my thoughts behind record labels and whatnot. For those of you who don't....to surmise, I hate them. An interesting question was posed to me the other day; and its one that many up-and-coming artists and bands are faced with almost daily. When you have an empty suit from a label with a contract and the resources that come with it, are you REALLY man enough to say "No Thanks?".

Honestly, I couldn't answer that question. My goal musically has always been simply to have people hear my work. The best way to have people hear your work, is to have a marketing team behind you that creates are groundswell about your band. Record companies do exactly that. Basically they are just glorified marketing agencies. Do you really think that the head of Warner Brothers Music Division is rocking out the new Avenged Sevenfold CD while some guy is driving him around in a Bentley? I don't think so.

If you wiki the term "record label" you will find that there are four (yes, only FOUR) Major record labels, all of which are owned by larger corporations. Something is wrong with this. Somehow I don't think that the bigwigs at Sony care about the hot new metalcore band in Des Moines, Iowa. What they see, are 500,000 Myspace fans, which equates to 500,000 dollar signs. There are many things that are wrong with the "business" side of music, and there are some thoughts and changes that I propose or have heard of that could change the way things are being done. Stay tuned......

While You Sleep

So after some suggestion, I've decided that my blog on myspace needs a second home. Stay tuned for more posts regarding my musical opines coming soon.