Posts tagged album review
Golden Mixtape
we're all one track away from completing our mixtape
The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die: Whenever, If Ever
This morning I was later than I wanted to the initial stop, but after a minute I settled into the subway car. Heading to the school where I volunteer at with the Big Brother Big Sister program, I let The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die’s Whenever, If Ever be my morning guide. From here on out I’ll just say TWIABP because really, Akon’s full name has less words in it. I’ve heard people praising this band for a while not, and after listening to Whenever, If Ever…I can see where those people are coming from. Musically the band is as stimulating as The Office in syndication, but I wasn’t connecting to anything else.
Golden Youth: Quiet Frame; Wild Light
Ariel, Tiana, Jasmine, Stephanie Lauren. Wait, who’s the last one? Stephanie is one half of Golden Youth, but I tacked her along there because she and Kyle Monroe’s Quiet Frame; Wild Light reminded me of a world I’ve often dreamed of. Imagine if Disney Princesses were real and they could take their songbird vocals and apply them to music outside of the magical realm. If that were possible, the result would be the indie elegance of Golden Youth.
Harmful If Swallowed: Allergy
When I’m hoping to meet a deadline at night I put in my earbuds to drown out the 2am drivers heading to the 405, and type away. That happens once a week as I can’t deny Golden Girls on repeat. Why aren’t these on during the day? Maybe it’s better they’re not. Then I’d be even more distracted and would never have time to listen to Harmful If Swallowed’s seasoned punk album Allergy.
The New Regime: Exhibit A
It’s amazing how we often glaze over the process of recording – forgetting that there are real people in the studio behind the instruments. We almost never know their names, or care to look at their Instagram because to the average listener, they’re nothing in comparison to those who take the stage and sing over the instrumentals. Illan Rubin is a new name in my musical dictionary, and it shouldn’t be. I’m familiar with his beats on Paramore’s latest self-title album, and am no stranger to Angels & Airwaves. Recently, Rubin’s project, The New Regime, has released one of it’s first of many installments, Exhibit A.
Beta State: #FRIENDSHIP
About a month ago I wrote this post about the idea of friendship being more than a bracelet. It was a little longwinded, so I’ll just say that it’s right here and you can click that if you’d like a closer look inside my life because right now I’d like to focus on a new friend, Beta State. The name Beta State had me thinking I was in for an indie rock ride that I’d compare to Foster The People, but instead they surprised me with their album #FRIENDSHIP. This wasn’t a band with muffled vocals and ironic lyrics; they were a pop rock outlet that I could actually keep in rotation in my personal time.
Captain, We’re Sinking: The Future Is Cancelled
Saturday I was meeting a sloth and a hedgehog and loving life, today I’m sick and tired of egotistical trips and being ignored. I’m shaking that off to enjoy a band that’s name isn’t new to me, but whose music is; Captain, We’re Sinking. I’ve seen their name sprawled across AP pages and have never been intrigued enough to listen. Then The Future Is Cancelled entered my life and here we are. The punk of Captain, We’re Sinking had something in it that reminded me of why I love the likes Broadway Calls. That roughness in the vocals makes it almost a folk experience revved up.
Val Ventura: Sun Down California
Although most of my friends would trade the California sun for the seasons of the east coast or the culture of foreign lands, I never could. California has been and always will be home. That is unless Nick Carter finally realizes he’s in love with me and wants me to move to Florida. Then I’d be like, see ya Cali! Alas, I am sitting in the valley of LA under a ceiling fan listening to a fellow California girl, Val Ventura. Her EP Sun Down California has a pop punk vigor that made me think of summer months as a kid deep in movie marathons.
Banquets: Banquets
There is such a thing, at least known to me, as “summer music.” Summer music is crisp, light, and carefree without too much philosophical digging – just fun. It embellishes the energy of the moment, whether that is something as mundane as driving your car late at night after a show, or parking it to overlook the city lights with the windows rolled down. Jersey City band, Banquets, and their sophomore, self-titled LP, could easily fit into this category.
You, Me and Everyone We Know: I Wish More People Gave a Shit
People like me spend almost all day in a confined space typing away. Social interaction isn’t something we strive for, but when it comes about we take it on like a foreign concept. Sometimes those events leave us confused, other times they’re okay and we walk away from them with a smile. Today was a smiling kind of day. Lunch with a friend I met through the world of blogging ended with me grinning and in a good mood. So with a positive mindset, I sat down with You, Me and Everyone We Know’s latest I Wish More People Gave a Shit. I came so late to the You, Me and Everyone We Know party, basically when it went from a band to a single dude. But I couldn’t let that shake my love, so I’m glad to hear that Ben’s still continuing on because me and his voice are getting pretty serious.
Over the Ocean: Be Given to the Soil
There was a starting line for this review, but then Alan Thicke was on the TV and I was saddened to see it wasn’t a Growing Pains rerun, just some hidden camera show. Back to the task at hand, so today I yesterday afternoon I was listening to Over the Ocean’s Be Given to the Soil on the bus on the way to a lunch date (never romantic) and then the record felt a bit murky, but listening to it again in the middle of the night while the rest of world sleeps, is downright terrifying.
Wild Party: All Nighter
Remember that time I was going to wake up at 8am to write this review to get a head start on the day? Yeah, me either. I do remember hitting the “stfu” button on my phone as the alarm kept reminding me I was failing at life by sleeping and reading through hazy eyes that Bill Hader was leaving SNL, but that 8am wake up time…A distant memory now. But hey, at least I’m up now and rekindling my relationship with Wild Party. Last time we encountered them, it was through Lincoln as we chatted a little about their new album All Nighter. This time around All Nighter is the center of attention, much like a girl on her Sweet 16, if she was an indie pop record with a coastal attitude.
A Bright Sky: Reinventing Yourself
Monday mornings for me aren’t that much different than any other day because I work from home. The only thing that has be down today and feeling groggy is the heat. Damn sun, can’t you ease us into your burden? It’ll be over 100 degrees today and because of that, I won’t be heading out to get a new tattoo like I had planned. While I’m trying not to make sudden movements due to the temperature rising in my apartment, I listen slowly to A Bright Sky’s Reinventing Yourself. Before I even read we called Southern California home, I jotted down that their pop rock reminded me of so many local bands I’ve seen over the years.
Radical Dads: Rapid Reality
My head is flustered with numbers and logistics thanks to Backstreet Boys announcing dates. To those who judge, what have you loved that much for that long? Please save your glares of “really…you’re too old for that,” and let me be. As I try to figure all that out on top of budgeting my time for the eight other sites I contribute to, I’m listening to Radical Dads’ Rapid Reality. It’s a lot more indie rock than I’m used to and definitely not like anything I’d have in my personal collection, but there were at least a few songs I walked away with.
Weekend Review: A Pair of Interviews & 4 Reviews
Last Sunday I wrote 13 things and I felt just like Tina. Sometimes I think I take on too much for too little, but writing is all I really know how to do. I don’t do it well all the time, but…See, no real thought on how to end that.
So I started writing for two more sites this week. Well, I signed on for two more and have written for one. We had some login trouble with the other. I hope all these other obligations don’t mess up what I have going on here. If they start do damper my Mixtape relationship…I already know who I’d cut first and then second. Not really, I love them all. Sadly, one of my paying gigs has been absent from my life for 2 weeks. That’s the price of a new tattoo. Which, speaking of tattoos. I plan on adding a new one to my “favorite characters” leg; Cher Horowitz. 26 with no skills to man a car and no skills to drive a man, you can figure out why one of the most famous lines aimed at Cher applies to me.
As always, this is what I did musically this week…Saw the Goo Goo Dolls at Kimmel. They did “Iris,” but sadly not “Slide.” Those who are my age will agree that those are gems. And of course I have to mention seeing All Time Low. My $2 ticket was worth the price, although the kids at the show…*in Schmidt from New Girl voice* YOUTHS! When I was that age, I would’ve never went to a show in my panties. All I could do was say, “Oh my lord…” the entire night. Tonight it’s another Hopeless show, The Wonder Years at Chain Reaction.
Next week is nothing musical at all…It’s all about my soul mate; TV. I hate that I am anticipating The Vampire Diaries finale. I feel like it’s my Richard Gere. It started out as a job to watch, but I had to break my rule, kiss on the lips and fall in love. I blame Klaus for this. Also, The Office series finale…I’ll get the tissues ready now.
Wait, next week will be musical here though. Album reviews are in the works for a Monday through Friday reveal and it’ll be exciting to share them with you as the days unravel and we get closer to another weekend.
In case you missed it:
Foreign Talks: From Coffee Shops to Hip Hop
Justin Chapman and Citadel’s City-Sounding Soup
The Wonder Years: The Greatest Generation
If The Wonder Years are talking about this generation, the one that contains those of us in our late 20’s and early 30’s, then I’d have to disagree that we’re the greatest generation. We’re selfish and focused on whose tragedy is bigger (shout out to Showtime’s Shameless on that one). I could go on about how I am a part of this generation and break it down further, but I won’t. I’ll just include this right here and say that it contains a rant I did about this very topic just the other day, and then get to the core of what we’re here for, The Wonder Years’ The Greatest Generation. Nothing like it reminded me of The Upsides, a couple screamed Suburbia and the rest was an inclination that The Wonder Years are growing up more and more with each record; both personally and musically.
