Music Reviews and News

#NowPlaying (3/1/12)

2012-03-01T17:11:00.001-08:00

Hey guys,long time no see. Sorry about that. Let's dive into what's playing this week.

First up is the new jam from John Mayer. Its called "Shadow Days" and its nothing less than the best (Mayer is one of my favorite solo musicians). Its a great track and I really love what he's singing about on this song. It has influences of country music and twang in it (Recorded in Nashville,what do you expect?) but it doesn't affect his signature style. The guitar work is excellent,go download it!
RATING: 5/5

Next is "Sweet Sour" by rock band Band of Skulls. This track has a very distinct sound to it, and the opening guitar work really sets the kind of eerie western feel to the song, if that makes sense? The song builds up and builds up and reaches its climax at the chorus as the words "Sour by the minute but your sweeter by the hour!" are exclaimed. Wonderful tune.
RATING: 5/5

This next one has been played by me for awhile now, I just haven't remembered to include it n this list before. Its "Levels" by Avicii, a Brittish music producer. The buildup and beats in the song are catchy and infectious. (The remix by dubstep artist Skrillex is even better).
RATING: 4.5/5

I recently discovered a very upbeat alternative band called Sleeper Agent, and got their debut album "Celebrasion" and I really found myself dancing and moving to the music as I listened. I'll try to do a review of it soon, but my choice song off of the album is "Get Burned". Its the second single, and its just so catchy as the singer sings "Imma get burned" through the chorus.
RATING: 4.75/5

MIA burst onto the music scene here in the US a few years back with her hit song "Paper Planes" and now she's back doing only what she can do as seen in the new track "Bad Girls". The beat sounds like something that would be played to an Egyptian pharoh and it is AWESOME. "Live fast die young,bad girls do it well!"
RATING: 4.75/5

Ok,don't hate, I know the lyrics are shitty and pointless,but I really like singer Dev and her frequent collaborators The Cataracts. Really been digging her song "Bass Down Low" recently. The bass on the song is INSANE and I love listening to it on my speakers with the subwoofer on! "I like my beats fast and my bass down low!"
RATING: 5/5

Lacuna Coil's new album is awesome, and so is the first single "Trip the Darkness". The instrumentation in the opening is amazing, and the whole song reminds me of old style Evanescence. Dark and heavy, with a great music video to accompany it.
RATING: 5/5

Cloud Nothings is probably a band you've never heard of. Their an indie alternative group behind the amazing 9 minute epic, "Wasted Days". The first 2 minutes are hard rocking and hard hitting with great lyrics, and then the song goes into a 5 minute spiral of distorted instrumentation which eventuall fades back in to the line "I thought I would be more than this" repeated over and over until the end of the song. Hear and believe it.
RATING: 5/5

Lastly is a track from producer deadmau5, called "Maths". It took forever for the finalized track to be released to itunes, but it finally surfaced a few weeks ago. Another great track by deadmau5, so go check it out! Its addicting!
RATING: 4.25/5

thanks for reading guys,be sure to like me on facebook.com/albumreviewtv and follow me on twitter and subscribe on youtube to stay up to date on everything! Peace
-Jon

#NowPlaying (2/16/11)

2012-02-16T11:42:00.002-08:00

Hey guys,hadn't discovered too much new music lately,or good music I should say so I've been holding off on typing this collection of what I'm listening to until now.Here we go,the selections aren't tooo amazing.

First up we have "Heartbeat" by Childish Gambino. Its off his newest album "Camp" and its actually one of the best rap songs I've heard in awhile. The lyrics are honest,about real life struggles,and can be related to. All over a pounding beat,this makes for a great tune.
Rating: 4.5/5

Next up is "Some Nights Intro/Some Nights" off of Fun's new upcoming album of the same name. The intro is amazing, and could be a stand alone song if they wanted it to be. Some Nights is a great tune that shows off the singers vocal skill. you'd be crazy not to check out this band.
Rating: 4.5/5

Next is a track you probably haven't heard before, its "The Mistake" by AM Taxi. The video won some sort of contest for MTV a few years ago, and I saw it in tv and loved it. Its doesn't sound like it was recorded in a studio, more like a basement. But it gives it a really cool vibe. Cool rock jam.
Rating: 4.5/5

"Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men is a cool little tune that has an awesome video that goes along with it. Their an indie rock band, and have a unique sound to them. I suggest checking out their new EP 'Into the Woods'
Rating: 5/5

A track from Mumford and Sons has surfaced, possibly one that will be on the upcoming album,and I absolutely love it. Its a very slow song, but its powerful and really draws you in. Slow burner.
Rating: 4.5/5

Throwback. John Mayer's "Born and Raised" is dropping this year with the first single already being leaked, but this got me listening to his older material material. My pick from him this week is "Stop This Train". I love John's guitar work and especially his lyrics in this song as he sings "so scared of getting old i'm only good at being young" which I agree with and fear so much as well. Rock on Mr. Mayer.
Rating: 5/5

Next is an electronic song by Nero called "Me and You". Very cool buildup, with dubstep beats pounding in the background as she sings "are you ready? do you know?". Super fun tune
Rating: 4.75/5

One last track for this week, "Let's Roll" by American rapper Yelawolf featuring Kid Rock. Wasn't expecting to like this, but I really Kid Rock's vocals in this, and Yela is a pretty good rapper,although he's a bit too redneck for me.
Rating: 4/5

50 Greatest Pop Songs of the 2000's

2012-02-02T22:42:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, thought I'd make my top 50 pop songs of the 2000's era for you guys.I'll try to include the title followerd by artist followed by year of release ( if i know it) Enjoy! If you have any thoughts,leave a comment or let me know at youtube.com/AlbumReviewTV where you can send me a message!

1. Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5 (2007)

2. I'm With You - Avril Lavigne (2003)

3. Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray (2005)

4. Complicated - Avril Lavigne (2003)

5. Apologize - One Republic (2007)

6. Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson (2004)

7. The Only Exception - Paramore (2009)

8. Hero/ Heroine -Boys Like Girls (2007)

9. Boston - Augustana (2007)

10. Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's (2006)

11. Someone Like You - SafetySuit (2008)

12. First Time - Lifehouse (2007)

13. Cupid's Chokehold - Gym Class Heroes (2006)

14. Paper Planes - MIA (2008)

15. Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf/Lil Wayne (2008)

16. One Thing - Finger Eleven (2007)

17. Sk8r Boi -Avril Lavigne (2004)

18. You and Me - Lifehouse (2005)

19. How to Save a Life - The Fray (2005)

20. Misery - Maroon 5 (2010)

21. Back to December - Taylor Swift (2010)

22 That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings (2008)

23 Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol (2006)

24 Untouched - The Veronicas (2007)

25 LoveStoned - Justin Timberlake (2006)

26 My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson (2009)

27 Good Girls Go Bad - Cobra Starship (2009)

28 She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5 (2002)

29 Picture to Burn - Taylor Swift (2007)

30 Ocean Avenue - Yellowcard (2004)

31 Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stephani (2005)

32 Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 (2011)

33 The Scientist - Coldplay (2002)

34 Halo - Beyonce (2009)

35 I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas (2009)

36 Look What You've Done - Jet

37 Heartbreak Warfare - John Mayer (2009)

38 The Great Escape - Boys Like Girls (2007)

39 Let's Get It Started - The Black Eyed Peas (2003)

40 Circus - Britney Spears (2008)

41 Invisible - Clay Aiken (2003)

42 Dead and Gone - TI/Justin Timberlake (2008)

43 Where'd You Go? Fort Minor (2005)

44 I'm In Love With A Girl -Gavin DeGraw (2004)

45 Baby,It's Fact -HelloGoodbye (2006)

46 Ridin' Solo -Jason Derulo (2009)

47 I'm Yours - Jason Mraz (2008)

48 Sunday Mornings - Maroon 5 (2002)

49 Hey Soul Sister - Train (2009)

50 Your Beautiful - James Blunt (2005)

#NowPlaying (2/1/12)

2012-02-01T01:30:00.000-08:00

That's right people,I changed the name of the weekly article! Formerly known as "what am i listening to", the series will now be known as "#NowPlaying"! Don't like it? Too bad. Haha. Anyways, on to the good stuff. Been diggin alot of tracks this week. I'll also be giving you guys my ratings for each track from now on.

First up, its Electronic/alternative band AWOLNATION with the catchiest song so far in 2012, "Not Your Fault". The song is so damn catchy, fun, and easy to sing along with. The electronic sound along with guitars and unique vocals, this is easily near the top of my list for 2012 songs at this point.
Rating: 5/5

Next is a remix track from Pete Wentz fronted electonic duo Black Cards. Their remix for Cobra Starship's "#1Nite" isn't perfection, but its a really good remix, and makes the already fun song alot more fun. Have a heard a few other Black Cards remixes, which don't sound as promising. You guys can decide for yourselves though!
Rating: 3.5/5

"Bite My Tongue" by Brittish rock band You Me At Six is next on my list. It features Olli Sykes of Bring Me The Horizon (which is a nice featured guest for the screamed vocals). Its a great rock song, and the song reaches its climax as the singer rages "I want to hate every part of you with me! I can't hate the ones who made me!". The screamed vocals and breakdown happen near the end of the song are a very nice addition. Def suggest it to you guys!
Rating: 4.5/5

M83's surprising hit in the US (on the alternative songs chart) "Midnight City" is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The vocals are drowsy and slow paced and low on purpose, to add to the retro feel that the song brings. The song is by no means dull, just listen to the electronic breakdown that comes in, in place of a chorus after each verse!
Rating: 4.5/5

The next song was a dissapointment to me. I had been super stoked about The All-American Rejects new single "Beekeeper's Daughter"after hearing the first promotional single "Someday's Gone" back in December. The song feels bland, and effortless, compared to what the Rejects are capable of. (As shown in Somedays Gone,which should have been the lead single.) The lyrics are...wtf? I'm a pretty little flower,your a busy little bee? Come on now.
Rating: 2.5/5

Throwback track! You guys remember the band The Bravery? Me too! Believe it or not,the song that got them famous in 2005 "An Honest Mistake" wasn't heard by me until last week. Not the original version,that is! I had only heard and downloaded the 'Superdiscount remix' of the song that had been featured on the PS2 game 'Burnout Revenge'. I finally heard the original and couldn't believe how awesome it was! The guitars in the song are incredibly wicked, and the vibe is even better than the remix! 6 years late, but at least I'm finally listening to the right version!
Rating: 5/5

Passion Pit's "Little Secrets" is next on my list. I heard this one on Pandora while on a custom station I had created for the band Sleigh Bells. I heard the intro to the song, and thought "holy shit! I've heard this before!" And I had. It was used in a lot of commericals in recent years, car ads and such. Its an electronic song that's pretty damn fun and catchy.
Rating: 4/5

Recently discovered the band Circa Survive, fronted by Anthony Green, a respected solo artist and former frontman of Saosin. All the CS albums have been critically acclaimed,so I thought I'd check them out. Granted,Green's voice isn't my favorite, and I like him on some songs,and on others,I don't. Simple as that. My favorite track from them so far is "Imaginary Enemy". Green sings in desperation,presumably to a girl, that he isn't the enemy and he's tried for so long to convince her of that. Solid tune.
Rating: 4/5

Jack White is BACK! Jack White is my favorite guitarist of all time, and one of my personal heroes. Needless to say, I've been a huge White Stripes,Raconteurs,and Dead Weather fan, and I was ecstatic when I found out White was releasing his first solo album in April. Something about that garage rock feel he always brings to any music project he's involved in is just amazing. The first single of his album is called "Love Interruption", and its a dark one. But a great one. White sings of all the horrible things he wants love to do including "I want love to murder my own mother and take her to hell or somewhere up above". The second verse starts off acapella, and its a nice touch. I wish the song had more guitars in it, electric specifically because I know what White can do. I have very high hopes for the album because he's never let me down in the past! The cleverness for this one is in the repetitiveness.
Rating: 4.5/5

Back to 2005. "Riot Radio" by The Dead 60s was a mild hit on the modern rock charts. I remember hearing the song, and couldn't recall the name! Managed to find it on youtube, and it still holds up to present day. Catchy opening guitar riff makes the song, and powers it through til the finish.
Rating: 4/5

Civil Twilight. You Might know them for that hit they had "Letters From the Sky". Their new album drops in March (along with a ton of other albums) and the first single is called "Fire Escape" Its a catchy and more upbeat tune although the lyrics are considerably dark as the lyrics sing "We're on fire but we can't feel a thing,everybody out the fire escape".
Rating: 4/5

One last track, and again,for the 3rd time we visit my favorite year in music, 2005. This time,its "Hate Me" from Blue October, which to this day I still find to be one of the most powerful songs I've ever heard, that to this day still almost brings me to tears when listening. "Hate me for all the things I didnt do for you" The emotion is truly felt by the listener, as the singer sings and begs his ex-wife to stay, as she leaves anyways. The music is beautiful, and the violin near the end of the song captures the mood perfectly. One of the best songs ever made.
Rating: 5/5

Thanks for reading guys,hope you found this helpful and be sure to check out the tracks!

AFI "Decemberunderground" Album Review

2012-01-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

"Decemberunderground is a time and a place. It is where the cold can huddle together in darkness and isolation" - That's what AFI lead singer Davey Havok had to say when asked what the album name meant. And the band did a great job of creating that dark atmosphere they were going for on this album. It showcases pain,struggles,and at times, desperation throughout the album.(Check out the album artwork below,isn't it weirdly awesome??)

DU is the 7th studio album by alternative and post hardcore band AFI, and was released in 2006. (fun fact for you,this was the first album I ever actually bought,got it the day it came out). The album is the band only chart topper on the Billboard 200,reaching the peak by selling 182,000 copies in its first week. Its AFI's best album in my opinion,with Sing the Sorrow being a close second and Crash Love being third. The album has since gone platinum,selling over 1 million copies in the United States.

The album tells tales of misery,torment,and many other topics,and does so in a musically entertaining way,on most of the tracks. Lets start with my criticisms of the album first. There aren't too many,other than the album seems to 'drag its feet' at times,if you will. Tracks like "Kiss and Control", "Affliction", and "The Killing Lights" grow boring to me as a listener.

Now the negative is far outweighed by the positive on DU. I love the guitar work on the album,and Havok's vocals as they "sing the sorrow" (haha) in each track. I also like the screamed vocals in "Kill Caustic", the second track on the album. The band did a great job picking singles for the album for the most part, as "Miss Murder", "Summer Shudder", and "Love Like Winter" are my 3 favorite songs on the album. "Miss Murder" to this day is one of the greatest songs I have ever heard. It's the song that introduced me to AFI. It was 2006,and I was on my dad's computer looking at the top modern rock charts (now known as alternative songs chart) on Billboard's website. I saw the song had jumped for the #22 position to #9.(dont ask me how I remember that lol) I remember thinking wow, this must be a great song to jump that many spots in a week. I looked it up,and fell in love.

Other favorites on DU are "Prelude 12/21", "37mm" and "Endlessly She Said". To this day, "Prelude" is still my favorite album intro of all time. The way the song builds up and kicks off the album with lyrics of pain and anguish is simply a thing of musical ecstasy. The eerie vibe it gives off with the pounding drums in the background goes unsurpassed.

Overall, the album was a great followup to "Sing the Sorrow" and was AFI's last commercially successful album, as Crash Love flopped and only sold 52,000 copies in its first week. The direction the band took for Decemberunderground was a wise choice,and this album still holds up and proves itself to be worthy of a listen almost 6 years after its initial release.

Grade: 4/5

Lasting Value: High

Lyrics: Sad and full of pain,but creative and well written.

Tracks you have to have: "Prelude 12/21", "Miss Murder", "Love Like Winter", "Summer Shudder"

Thanks for reading guys!

Peace-Jon

youtube.com/albumreviewtv

What Am I Listening To? (1/22/12)

2012-01-22T01:36:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,its that time again! Time to show you guys what i'm listening to and enjoying this week! And from this point forward,I'll let you guys do the searching on these songs because it takes forever to add the links and I'm a lazy bastard,haha.

First up is "Where Is My Mind" by The Pixies,a late 80's rock song that has always been one of my favorites. Also this week,I've been digging several remixes and covers of this wonderful song. The best covers in my opinion are the ones done by Kings of Leon (they performed it throughout their 2011 tour) and Brittish rockers Placebo. Both versions add their own flair to the original,and i've also really been enjoying Bassnectar's remix of this song. Something about the remix just sounds so right and makes the song sound modern. Of course,NOTHING will ever top the original!!!!

Continuing the trend for 90's rock,we have 2 songs from some of the pioneers of modern emo music and alternative. This band would be Sunny Day Real Estate,if you've never heard of them,then well...your probably not very old! The tracks I've been playing alot this week are "In Circles" and "Seven" which are both off of their debut album "Diary". Def take the time to look them up!!

Let's get back to present day music,shall we? Next on my list is "Comeback Kid", the new single from noise pop group Sleigh Bells (new album in March,yeeeee!!!). This is def what I wanted to hear from the band (disappointed in the albums first single) and its energy and use of guitars is just amazing.

The Ting Tings are finally back with a new single and a new album! (which will drop in late March) This Brittish pop rock duo released their debut album "We Started Nothing" in 08 (you may know them for their hits "Thats Not My Name" and "Shut Up and Let Me Go") and the name of their new single is "Hands". While not as great as their old material,this is still a solid track and I suggest you guys check it out,as I still have high hopes for the rest of the album.

D.R.U.G.S. (Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows) have a new song out titled "Scream If Your Crazy",showing that their still producing new music even with the recent loss of their bassist. If your a Craig Owens fan,you won't be dissapointed.

Last on my list this week (short list I know,sorry), we have a song that alot of you guys will hate me for liking. Its incredibly stupid,full of cliche and idiotic lyrics that are about the same thing as every other pop song these days, (sex dance music pop bottles etc) but Dev knows what shes doing by constantly teaming up with The Cataracs. "Booty Bounce" is an older single of hers that I just recently heard,which came out before she was featured in "Like a G6" and her own hit single "In the Dark" (the latter of the 2 of which I consider myself a fan). Sory guys,its catchy and for some reason I can't resist it!

Until next time guys,peaceeeeeee!!!

-Jon, follow me on twitter @AlbumReviewTV

What Am I Listening To? (1/15/12)

2012-01-14T23:54:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! Lot of new songs I've discovered this week! Lets get started,shall we?

First up to the plate we have "Fall Out" by Canadian pop rock group Marianas Trench. I'm a big fan of this group and just heard this song last week,its the second single off of their new album,and personally I think it should have been the lead! This track is incredible. The songs vocal melodies are beautiful, thats the only way I can describe them. Its not like most things you hear these days. All of the band members unite and sing together to make a wonderful song that tells the tragic tale of a man's spiral down after his girlfriend leaves him.

Second,we have "War of Change" by hard rock band Thousand Foot Krutch! This is the first single off of their new album thats coming out in March. This is the best song I've heard from the band since 2006's "Move". It has screamed vocals as well as nice clean vocals and awesome lyrics! "I feel it in my veins,its not going away,everythings about to change".

"New Earth" by Zerbin is an indie rock song that caught my attention with its catchy whistles and floating melodies. Makes for a great song to cheer yourself up or brighten up a setting,with a song that provides an open and optimistic outlook on life.

Next is "Filth Friends Unite" by I See Stars. Let me just say that this is my favorite ISS song to date. Its possibly the hardest song they've ever made,a huge departure from "end of the world party" (THANK GOD). The intro,the breakdowns,the screamed vocals,the clean vocals,everything about this song is just...perfect. Best song the band has ever done,and I hope the album that's forthcoming will be just as good.

"Bullet Believers" by alternative band The Bigger Lights is next on my list. This song is fast paced,fun,and well written.

The new Enter Shikari album comes out this Tuesday 1/17/12. (I will be doing a review on youtube channel). My choice song from the album is "Constellations". Not because its a hard rocking song,its actually the softest on the album. What I like is that an angry hard rock metal band can write such a change of pace song that actually works. Its a wonderful track that ends the album in a good way.

Last up for this week is "Free" by Twin Atlantic". Great alternative track by a Scottish band.

What Am I Listening To? (1/9/12)

2012-01-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

Hello all,hope your new year is going well so far. Its that time again where I share with you what I'm listening to!

First up is a song from a foreign powerpop group called "Hey You" by the band Pony Pony Run Run. This song could be at the end of any 80's movie or in the soundtrack at least. This song is amazing. One of my Russian friends sent it to me and I'm glad she did! The chorus sounds amazing with all the instruments and synths working together oerfectly as the singer sings "hey you,you know you don't have to go!" LISTEN

Following the trend of foreign music (its still in the English language,no worries), we have "Locked Out" by Red Wire Black Wire. This song is very rare in the states and I was lucky to get my hands on a download. Its not on YouTube, so check it out LISTEN

Next up is "Everything I Wanted" by Punchline". I did a review on this blog so you know I love this song (and the whole EP), with my favorite line from the song being "Your out of your mind but I can't Get you out of mine" LISTEN

"Shiver" by Coldplay,off of their debut album "Parachutes" is next on my list. This song is simply wonderful and beautiful. It had been quite some time since I had listened to it until this past week. The guitar riff literally sends shivers through my body (maybe thats what they were going for hence the song title?) LISTEN

"White Nights" by Oh Land is my pop choice of the week. Oh Land is a very interesting artist, and her music videos are something that someone Stoned out of their mind would make. But nonetheless, I love this song. The melodies and choruses are well done and very catchy. I have Beavis and Butthead to thank for me finding this song. LISTEN

Next is "Bounce" by alternative band The Cab. This an old song from 2006 that I recently came across. The chorus is the best part of the song "bounce bounce baby bounce...back to me" LISTEN

Moving on, we have "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz. This is his first release in going on 4 years. You may remember his huge hit "I'm Yours". And this new track looks like it will be going for a top 5 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 as it has been in the #1 spot on iTunes for 6 days straight (as of me posting this blog). Its another well done song from Mraz. I'm a fan! LISTEN

"Something Good Can Work" by Two Door Cinema Club is next on my favorites list this week. They are a Brittish band, and I defintely suggest checking out their album "Tourist History" from which this song is off of. This song is so catchy and fun, as is the whole album. LISTEN

"Safe and Sound" (featuring the Civil Wars) by Taylor Swift is an amazing song. So soft and quiet and well played and produced. You guys know I love anything Taylor does, but this song is seriously a song anyone can enjoy if you love mellow music sometimes. LISTEN

"Bully" is the brand new song from rock band Shinedown. These guys are amazing, I've loved all of their albums and this certainly has done anything BUT change that point of view. This song is hard rocking with lyrics that have a good meaning, and I dedicate those lyrics to my fucking boss. He needs to hear this song lol. Anyways.... LISTEN

Next is "Hurting" by Friendly Fires. This song is perfectly smooth and islandish if you know what I mean. LISTEN

Finally,we come to the end of the list. I recently downloaded the entire catalog of The Beatles music. All the albums. And I'm slowly listening to it all so I can have a better appreciation for the gods of music. My pick for the week from them is "Helter Skelter" which some people describe as 'the first metal song ever'. This song is hard rocking and especially hard for the time in which it was made! Love this band, and I hope you guys appreciate them too! LISTEN

Until next time guys,peace. Thanks for reading.

-Jon

Punchline - So Nice To Meet You (EP Review)

2012-01-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna be honest. Somehow I had never heard of the punk/rock band Punchline. I've done my research and I've seen that they've been around for quite awhile. They have 6 studio albums and 3 EP's under their belts. And yet they've never found fame. Lead singer Steve Soboslai is now 32 and still trying to get the band's name out there. Unfortunately,their releases have never even touched the Billboard top 200 album charts. Their newest release is called "So Nice To Meet You",and the band has been rallying fans to get the album to the #1 spot on the iTunes albums chart. So far,at the time of posting this blog,they've made it to #8. I bought the EP. Never even heard of the band. But I listened to the previews,and I thought,hell,this sounds great,why not buy?

The album is fun and fast paced most of the time and reminds me old punk and alternative music,which is great. Highlights and favorites on the album are "Everything I Wanted", "Universe", and "I Want You To Want Me". But there aren't any bad songs on the EP by any means. I love this EP. Dare I say best release of 2012 so far? YES. Although that isn't saying a ton, its still great. I enjoy the lyrics alot,obviously they've come a long way in the song writing since they formed the band.

I highly recommend this EP to you guys, its one of the best EP's you'll get your hands on. I hope you guys decided to buy the album,its great and help these guys get the #1 spot they've been waiting forever to get! The band was set back by iTunes not putting the album live and lead singer Steve said "I bet LMFAO wouldn't have this problem" but since their a small band, they don't get the attention they should get. Support these guys!

Overall, 95/100. Solid EP. Buy it. Peace guys.

-Jon

How Katy Perry Cheats the Music Industry

2011-12-22T15:42:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,this post is a bit different than usual,but its something that really pisses me off and I wanted to share my thoughts with you guys.

As you may know,Katy Perry is a huge superstar pop star that has had 5 consecutive #1 songs on the Billboard 100,and she's gong for a 6th. People may think,"Wow,that is incredible that she is just putting out music and that many people are buying it just because they want to!" NO.False.I feel like Katy cheats the system.Its probably not her fault granted,its the record label EMI. Every time she releases a single, especially for the last 4 singles, she has released a remix for each of her songs. What does this mean? Well,the sales on itunes count torwards sales of the original song on the Hot 100,so the sales of the regular song just aren't enough, so the record company releases a remix featuring a popular rapper so the song will appeal to more people and sell more. She isn't releasing remixes just because "they sound cool" or something. Its cheating in my eyes. She wants as many #1's as she can get. ET featured Kanye West, which pushed it to #1 on the charts. LAst Friday Night featured Missy Elliot on the remix, and pushed it to #1. Perry's latest single "The One That Got Away" has really struggled to work its way up the charts,so what does EMI do to ensure that it keeps moving up the charts? They cut the price of the single to 69 cents in iTunes. But wait! That wasn't good enough. Its stuck in the middle of the top 10! Oh no,so what do they do?? Release ANOTHER remix,this time featuring B.o.B!! What the FUCK Miss Perry, are you that desperate to have another #1 single?? Isn't 5 off of "Teenage Dream" enough you greedy bitch?? Fuck you,Katy Perry,why can't some good bands like Foo Fighters,Green Day,Foster the People,or Cage the Elephant etc etc get a #1 hit? Because america's taste in music is totally FUCKED. For the majority. Thanks for reading my rant, and just know, its no chance of fate that Perry has had this many #1 hits.

Top 15 Albums of 2011

2011-12-22T00:21:00.000-08:00

Here they are! My top 15 albums of 2011 in order

1. The Naked and Famous - Passive Me,Aggressive You (March,US)
2. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light (April)
3. Yellowcard - When You're Through Thinking,Say Yes (March)
4. Simple Plan - Get Your Heart On! (June)
5. Blink 182 - Neighborhoods (September)
6. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math (April)
7. Owl City - All Things Bright and Beautiful (June)
8. Hollywood Undead - American Tragedy (April)
9. The Lonely Island - Turtleneck and Chain (May)
10. Falling In Reverse - The Drug In Me Is You (July)
11. Ballyhoo! - Daydreams (September)
12. Mutemath -Odd Soul (October)
13. Taking Back Sunday - Taking Back Sunday (June)
14. Panic! At the Disco - Vices and Virtues (March)
15. Foster the People - Torches (May)

(Honorable mentions)

16.Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto (October)
17. Seether - Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray (May)
18. Grouplove - Never Trust A Happy Song (September)
19. Cage the Elephant - Thank You,Happy Birthday (January)

What Am I Listening To? 12/20/11

2011-12-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,sorry for the sporadicness (is that a word?) of my posts for "What Am I listening To". It's been crazy lately,and I plan to get back on track and post a new one every other Tuesday from this point forward. Thanks for all the support on the blog! Seriously! Over 3100 blog views and counting, thats more than I ever expected from this.

First on the chopping block, the new single from Neon Trees "Everybody Talks". I love this band, since i first heard their hit single "Animal". Their debut album "Habits" was great,and if this first single is any sign of what the new album will sound like,then I am stoked! This track has a great vocal delivery and interesting lyrics, with sharpened instrumentation and an even better quality sound than their previous work. Listen here

Next up is "Burn A Miracle", the brand new single from Max Bemis fronted band Say Anything. This is their first single (and album upcoming) for Equal Vision records since dropping off of their major label. This song reminds me of what made the band so great and different, their quirkiness and frustration that you can actually hear in Bemis' voice. "Is a Real boy" is my favorite album by the band, and this song reminds me of that album. Listen now!!

Sleigh Bells is a band I just recently discovered. Their weird. The music isn't for everyone, I know that already. Its a genre called 'noise pop'. I love it. My picks from them for you guys to check out are "Infinity Guitars" and "Crown on the Ground". The focus is on the instruments and sound,not the vocals or lyrics. Check it out HERE

Getting into the Christmas spirit,this brings us to "Merry Christmas,Kiss My Ass" by All Time Low. Its a bonus track from their newest album "Dirty Work" (which I wasn't a fan of). One of the best tracks on the album in my opinion, I think this song is catchy and honest, and humorous at the same time. Check out the song NOW

"The Killing Moon" is an 80's rock song by Echo & The Bunnymen that I've really been digging lately.It has a weird and kind of eerie feel to it,which makes it all that much greater. I saw it in the related videos on something I was watching and clicked it. I realized I had heard this somewhere before, but I had no idea where! Then I realized it was in the soundtrack to the movie "Donnie Darko" and also in the game Rock Band 3. Listen to the song

Next on my list is "Rumor Mill" by We Are The In Crowd. I saw these guys live last year and I admit, I didn't give them enough of a chance. They have a female singer that has a great voice, with a guy that does some great back vocals. This song has brutally honest lyrics and I like that. Its got a catchy guitar part and hook. Listen to the song right here

I'm sorry for this next one. But it's so good I can't resist. Kesha is autotuned to hell, but her "Sleazy Remix 2.0" that features the rappers Wiz Khalifa, Andre 3000, TI, and Lil Wayne. It's some of the best raps i've heard in awhile. Listen here

"Ours" by Taylor Swift was recently released as a single to itunes. It was originally a Target only bonus track. But thats changed,and theres a music video for it now. Its another great song from the love of my life,Miss Swift. Too bad that picture is fake. Watch and listen Here!!!

"Cameras" by Matt and Kim is such a unique track and definetly one of my favorites right now. What a creative and fun band. (Saw them live,great show) The music video is just wonderful, Enjoy it NOWWW

Ok guys, last one for this week is "Call It What You Want" by Foster the People. This song is incredibly catchy (just like the rest of the album) Its fun and irresistable, listen NOW

Thanks for reading and checking out my recommendations! See you guys soon, 2012 is gonna be great for music! New albums from The All American Rejects,The Fray,Neon Trees,Say Anything,Enter Shikari,Fun,Adam Lambert,and maybe Muse,Queens of the Stone Age,and Green Day! Peace guys- Jon

Check out my youtube channel for more http://www.youtube.com/user/AlbumReviewTV

Top 50 Songs of 2011.

2011-12-15T02:47:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! 2011 was a great year for music. The good outweighed the bad,because I didn't listen to the bad! Here are my top 50 songs of 2011 in order. If your here from my youtube channel,please check out my other blogs!

1 Tongue Tied - GROUPLOVE
2 Numb - The Airborne Toxic Event
3 The Ballad of Mona Lisa - Panic! At the Disco
4 The Sound of Me and You - Yellowcard
5 Under Cover of Darkness - The Strokes
6 Paradise - Coldplay
7 Up All Night - Blink 182
8 Punching in a Dream - The Naked and Famous
9 Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
10 Cinema (Remix) - Skrillex
11 The Sound of Winter - Bush
12 All I Ever Wanted - The Airborne Toxic Event
12 Colours- GROUPLOVE
14 Cough Syrup - Young the Giant
15 Blackout - Breathe Carolina
16 Heart's All Gone - Blink 182
17 Young Blood - The Naked and Famous
18 This Is All Now - Taking Back Sunday
19 I Just Wanna Run - The Downtown Fiction
20 Gorgeous Nightmare - Escape the Fate
21 The Cave - Mumford and Sons
22 Sunset In July - 311
23 Virgin - Manchester Orchestra
24 Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
25 Itchin' On A Photograph - GROUPLOVE
26 Aberdeen - Cage the Elephant
27 Drown - Carolina Liar
28 Blood Pressure - MUTEMATH
29 Screaming Bloody Murder - Sum 41
30 All Your Friends In Love - Lovecraft
31 Hollywood Hills - Sunrise Avenue
32 So American - Portugal the Man
33 Walk - Foo Fighters
34 Hurts Like Heaven - Coldplay
35 Comin In Hot - Hollywood Undead
36 Planetary (GO!) - My Chemical Romance
37 Jack Sparrow (ft. Michael Bolton) - The Lonely Island
38 The Drug In Me Is You - Falling In Reverse
39 Houdini - Foster the People
40 C'Mon - Panic! At the Disco & Fun.
41 Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites - Skrillex
42 Dignity - New Politics
43 The Adventures of Raindance Maggie - The Red Hot Chili Peppers
44 New Low - Middle Class Rut
45 She's Dope - Down With Webster
46 I feel Like Dancin' - All Time Low
47 Lovely Cup - GROUPLOVE
48 The Verge - There For Tomorrow
49 Niggas In Paris - Jay Z & Kanye West
50 Evil Penguin - BALLYHOO!

What Am I Listening To? (12/7/11)

2011-12-07T00:43:00.001-08:00

What am I listening to? is back! Let's dive right back in with my selections for the week!

First up is "Someday's Gone" the new song from alternative band The All-American Rejects! I was incredibly excited for this song,and it didn't disappoint! This is definetly my favorite song at the moment. Catchy and distraught, Tyson Ritter has written another great song. Their new album drops in February 2012. Listen here

"We Are Young" by indie alternative band Fun. is up next. This song was covered by the cast of "Glee" this week,it was a decent cover, but the original is so much better. It's an anthem for the youth of our nation,overall great song. Fun's album is coming February 23rd via Fueled by Ramen. Hear it now

"I'm Made of Wax Larry,What Are You Made Of?" is a track off of A Day To Remember's album "Homesick" that I've really been digging this week. Give this great tune a listen here

Next on my favorites list is "Immigrant Song", originally by Led Zepplin, but covered by Trent Reznor and Karen O. (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) for the upcoming David Fincher film "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" (in theaters December 23). Amazing cover, and you can listen by clicking

The Maine have a new album out called "Pioneer" (def worth picking up) and one of my favorites is the catchy song "Some Days" which you should check out here

"N**gas in Paris" is the best rap song I've heard in 2011. Hands down Jay-Z and Kanye West killed it. The beat is so perfect, and the lyrics are great. Love it. LISTEN

Another hot hip hop track I love is the new one from Chiddy Bang called "Ray Charles" It flows perfectly over an old school beat, and makes constant references to "being blind" and "not being able to see" since the song is about a blind musician (RIP). Listen now

I'm really getting into the reggae rock band Ballyhoo! I just ordered a physical copy of their newest CD called "Daydreams" So many great songs on this album,expect a review soon on youtube. My favorite song off of the album is "Evil Penguin". So fast paced with a fun island style beat and guitar rhythms. Enjoy

Next up is a new one from Hot Chelle Rae called "Beautiful Freaks". In my opinion,its the best song off of "Whatever" (their new album). I love its beat and catchiness,its pop heaven. Check it out!

If I have to pick a favorite off of the new album by The Black Keys, I think it would be "Little Black Submarines". Starts off kinda slow, but gets crazy, and I love the guitar on the song. My review of the album is up on AlbumReviewTV on youtube. Check out the song now

Ok guys,this is the last one for this week. Its "Narcissistic Cannibal" by Korn feat. Skrillex and Kill the Noise. Its off of their new metal/dubstep crossover album "The Path of Totality" which was mostly hit and miss, but this was a hit. I dig this track alot,and its very experimental to blend these 2 genres. My full review will be on youtube soon.

Thanks for reading guys. Enjoy the new music and some older tunes too! You can always find me on http://www.youtube.com/user/AlbumReviewTV

Peace guys - Jon

VersaEmerge "Fixed At Zero" Album Review

2011-11-28T12:19:00.001-08:00

VersaEmerge,just so you know,is not Paramore. Or Evanescence. The alternative band fronted by a female is no doubt constantly going to be compared to Amy Lee or Haley Williams, or even the singer from Flyleaf. But VE is definitely making a name for themselves, and standing out whether you want to admit it or not. VE released a few EP's before finally releasing "Fixed at Zero", their debut album for the label Fueled By Ramen. (same label as Paramore,what a coincidence lol) The band is most likely Paramore influenced, but their not a rip off of the band or a cheap imitation.

VersaEmerge caught my attention when I heard the song "Whisperer" which was off of their self titled EP. I then heard the single "Fixed at Zero" off of this album,of course, and decided to listen to the full album because I liked those songs so much. I'm glad I did. It has a nice feel to it. Some of it is desperate, dark, and fun, all in different places. There's an angst in lead singer Sierra Kusterbeck's vocals that draws your attention to the songs and makes you want to listen. If you like Paramore and their older stuff, you'll for sure enjoy this band. Their new album is coming in 2012, get pumped!

My favorites from this album are "Fixed at Zero", "Fire", "You'll Never Know", "Mind Reader", "Figure It Out", and "Lost Tree" which is an amazing long song, that holds your attention the whole way through and really draws you in when Sierra starts to scream the lyrics.

The replay factor for this album is moderate to moderately whole. It's not terribly creative or something that will forever be played and remembered, but its a great debut album with some lasting value to it. Not just a "one and done" type of thing.

Overall, I give the album an 89/100.

Check back soon for more reviews on here and on youtube.com/AlbumReviewTV

Peace guys-Jon

"Fixed at Zero"

Punk Goes Pop Volume 4 Album Review

2011-11-20T22:02:00.001-08:00

So this is becoming a yearly thing eh Fearless records? (releasing PGP albums every year). I can deal with that. The first Punk Goes Pop title was released in 2002, and featured artists such as Yellowcard back when they were with the record. The second installment came 6 years later in 2008 and had covers of songs such as "Smooth" and "Beautiful Girls". Last year saw the release of volume with covers of such popular songs as "Bad Romance" and "Blame It". Each installment has had its share of hits and misses with the album composed of cover songs. Some of the screamo bands that have covers on the album just feel out of place. Volume 4 was released today,November 21,2011.

The album is probably my favorite since volume 2 (not slamming volume 3 at all,calm down). There are alot of good covers on the album, but there are a few that just don't seem to fit.

My favorite covers on volume 4 are "Yeah 3X" covered by Allstar Weekend, "Just the Way You Are" by Pierce the Veil, "Love the Way you Lie" covered by A Skylit Drive, "Rolling in the Deep" covered by Go Radio, "Last Friday Night" by Woe Is Me, and "Runaway" by Silverstein (props to them for covering the full almost 9 minute song).

Now on to the covers I had mixed feelings on... First up. The "You Belong With Me" cover by For All Those Sleeping. The screaming felt so out of place. I would have rather seen it covered by a different band (maybe the Downtown Fiction?) because it could have been alot smoother,although the second verse was better as the screams were cut back. Another track I don't know how to feel about is the "Little Lion Man" cover by Tonight Alive. (originally by Mumford and Sons) I was really excited when I saw this on the PGP4 tracklisting. I like Tonight Alive alot, as they were just recently signed to Fearless Records in the US (their a rock band with a female lead singer from Australia). Her voice just sadly did not fit the song at all, and I see it as a disappointment. I also wasn't feeling the hardcore attacks from Chunk! No Captain Chunk on their "We R Who We R" cover. It was like some of the screaming belonged on the island of misfit toys (Rudolf references,Christmas is coming up lol)

Covers that I didn't love or hate included "Roll Up" by the Ready Set and "Till The World Ends" by I See Stars (but I'm liking the latter more and more).

Hope you guys go pick up the album on iTunes or in stores! Thanks for reading and as always, i will see you on Album Review TV on YouTube or else back right here on my blog!

92/100

Peace-Jon

Gym Class Heroes "The Papercut Chronicles II" Review

2011-11-16T13:30:00.001-08:00

Travie and the Gym Class Heroes are back doing what they do better than most, blending rock,rap,and pop. "II" is their first album since 2008's "The Quilt". Travie McCoy (lead vocalist/rapper) went solo for a few years, put out a somewhat successful album "Lazerus" (you may remember the hit single "Billionaire"). I honestly hadn't heard much of Gym Class Heroes until now, besides their hit single "Cupid's Chokehold" which was from the 2006 album "As Cruel As School Children".

Some of my favorite songs off the new album are "Stereo Hearts" which features Adam Levine and was a huge on the Billboard hot 100, peaking at #4. Other favorites are "Kid Nothing and the Never Ending Nightmare" (which is a very long song and the last on the album, it blends screaming,rapping,and pop), "Holy Horseshit Batman" (possibly my favorite on the album), "Ass Back Home" (feat. Neon Hitch), "Martyrial Girl$" and "The Fighter" featuring Ryan Tedder of One Republic (probably the second best on the album).

As for lyrical content, its nothing revolutionary, Travie writes about girls, parties, the tough situations that life throws at us, etc. It's not horrible, and their catchy. At least its not as bad as Kesha's lyrics!!

The replay factor is moderate to high for this album. I find myself wanting to listen to the album as a whole,instead of just a track here and there, although the tracks are good to listen to independently as well.

Overall, the album is fun, enjoyable, upbeat at times, and solemn and serious at points as well. It blends genre's well, and is well produced, and i compliment the members of the band for doing a good job on each instrument. It sounds nice, fresh, and overall i give the album a 90/100.

More reviews to come guys! Sorry it took so long to post a new blog, I haven't had time until now, I've been moving into my new apartment! I will be posting more often now, but until next time guys,follow the blog,subscribe here and to my youtube channel! Peace guys!

-Jon

The Naked and Famous "Passive Me,Aggressive You" Review/Download

2011-11-05T01:13:00.000-07:00

The Naked and Famous are an indie rock group, popular mostly overseas due to the fact that they are from New Zealand. The band started gaining popularity in the US in 2011, after their track "Young Blood" was featured as the iTunes Store free single of the week. The song managed to peak at #9 on the US Billboard 'Alternative Songs' chart, while their second single "Punching in a Dream" has peaked at #21 on the same chart (so far). Their uniqueness is a good thing, the vocals are split between a female singer (who does the majority of the vocal work) and a male. Their songs range from uptempo pop to eerie indie rock ("The Sun" for example).

Their first full length album is called "Passive Me,Aggressive You". (I love the album title just as much as the album haha) It fits the album perfectly, and the title is actually a line from the opening track "All of This". The album is just great. Its got a little of everything you could expect from indie rock, but better. Its very well done, and doesn't just have a few good songs here and there like so many debut albums from rock groups seem to have. Its filled with catchy tunes, and you'll find yourself wanting to listen to the whole album instead of just a track here and there.

My favorites on the album are "Punching in a Dream" "Young Blood" "The Sun" "All of This" "Girls Like You" "Spank" and "Wolf in Geek's Clothing".

High replay factor. You'll want to listen to this album multiple times. Great 'driving music' if you know what I mean. Some of the music feels like it belongs at the end credits of an 80's romance movie,not in a bad way haha. ("Eyes" for example")

Big fan of this album and this group, and I'm really excited for their future as a band. Awaiting the next album patiently! Stay tuned for a Down With Webster and Angels and Airwaves album review along with many more! Thanks for all the support and for reading this. Hope it helps in your decision to possibly support the band and in the meantime, download the album HERE (free just so you can give it a listen)

Until next time guys,peace.

94/100

-Jon

Set It Off "Horrible Kids" EP Review

2011-11-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

Set It Off. I'm not sure what genre to classify the band as. Rock,alternative, and punk I suppose. Whatever it is, I like it. The lead singer has a cool quality in his voice, and at times, makes the songs song eerie in a disturbingly good way.

"Horrible Kids" is the name of their latest EP, that was released in spring of 2011. I had discovered the band when I was watching a Choidos music video. Both bands are signed to Equal Vision records and Set It Off's video for "Breathe In Breathe Out" was in the related videos. I listened. I loved it. Then I didn't check out anything else by the band. At first that is. One of my subscribers on my YouTube channel suggested that I check them out, so I decided to listen to the full EP

"Breathe In Breathe Out" is by far the best song on the EP, its wonderful. It has alot of feeling and passion behind the vocals, catchy lyrics that are also good lyrics, and an overwhelmingly feeling over eeriness that goes with it. "My favorite weapon lies behind my teeth" the singer howls. Other favorites are "@Reply" "End in Tragedy" and the slower song "Missing You".

Overall, I'm impressed with the bands EP. (this is their second EP). I'm waiting for the full album, I think the band has alot of potential, and I hope they continue to grow and improve. The EP isn't perfect by any means, but still, its really good for an EP. I hope you guys enjoy it too. Thoughts? Leave a comment. Keep following the blog,I've got Angels and Airwaves, The Naked and Famous, and Down with Webster reviews coming ASAP.

83/100

Peace guys (download the EP here) Download Horrible Kids EP Here

-Jon

What Am I Listening To (10/31/11)

2011-10-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! Or if your reading this any other day,disregard that. Thanks for all the support on my blog guys. Over 900 total blog views on 13 posts in only a month! Glad you guys are reading them and showing support!

Time for this week in what music am I listening to.

Let's start it off with the new track from the Black Keys called "Lonely Boy". This is my favorite song by them to date. It was just released this past week, and it gives out such a great vibe, and its damn catchy. Hope you guys like it as much as I do, new album from the Keys drops December 6th,its called "El Camino".

Next up is "Nice Guys" by Chester See, Kevin Wu, and Ryan Higa. This song is hilarious, and the music video is what makes it even funnier. The song revolves around a guy wishing he could be nice to a girl but "you only date bad guys" so he treats her like trash.

"Good Feeling" is the new song from Flo-Rida,and his raps are as quick and catchy as ever. He samples an old song for the chorus of this song, and raps at a fast pace in the rest of the song. Its catchy and fun, soon to be near the top of the charts.

Christmas is coming quickly! My Christmas song of the week is "Little Drummer Boy" by TobyMac, a Christian rapper/rocker. This song has electronic and dubstep influences, which I think is awesome. Check it out.

"Porn Star Dancing" (Rock Version) by My darkest Days features Zakk Wylde and Chad Kroger, and is an awesome rock song. Addictive with lots of hot women in the music video,what else could you expect or ask for?

Throwback time. First track is "I Alone" by Live, off their 1994 album "Throwing Copper". This song has alot of passion and angst behind it, that really drives it home. "I ALONE,love you!" the singer yells.

Next throwback is "Far Behind", a classic from Candlebox that I had forgotten but got back into this week.

See you guys this time next week! Peace-Subscribe to the blog and my youtube channel, new Angels and Airwaves review is up on my channel.

-Jon

What Am I Listening To (10/24/11)

2011-10-24T02:13:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,that time of the week. Time to hear what I'm listening to!

First up,its "In Friends We Trust" by Chunk,NO! Captain Chunk! CNCC is a pop punk band of sorts,with some hardcore influences,as you can tell by the guitar riffs and screams in this song. Its the future of pop punk music I suppose, and I like it. This song is amazing,check it out.

Next, we have "Breathe In,Breathe Out" by Set It Off. This song feels perfect for the Halloween season, with some of the eerie melodies, the band did a great job with this song. Take a listen.

"Not Strong Enough" by Apocalyptica is up next. There are 2 versions of this song,one featuring Brent Smith,lead singer of Shinedown, and one featuring Doug Robb of Hoobastank. Both vocalists have a lot to offer to the song, and I can't decide which version I like more. Apocalyptica always has guest vocalists on their songs (you may remember "I'm Not Jesus" featuring Corey Smith and "I Don't Care" featuring Adam Gontier") because the band is only comprised of cello players and a drummer, which is really cool to me.

Black Veil Brides continue to impress me with singles from their album "Set the World on Fire". The newest single is called "Rebel Love Song'. I'm gonna go ahead and say it. These guys look like KISS wanna-be's. But their doing something right with the music they make. The guitar solo in this song is great. The preceding singled "Fallen Angels" and "The Legacy" impressed me as well, so I'm getting close to checking out the full album.

DRUGS. As in Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows. "If You Think This Song Is About You,It Probably Is" is high up on my favorites list right now, as I find it cool that it starts quiet and slow,crashes in,fades out,then slams into the chorus as Craig Owens (formerly lead singer of Chiodos) howls the words "Today was the day,you tried to shut me down!!! Be honest,did you ever mention name??!! Did you get sick of the shame???!!!" The passion behind the song is great,check it out.

"Jejune Stars" by Bright Eyes one of the few mellower tracks I discovered this week. I was kind of on a hard rock kick, but this song evened it out. Not a well known band by any means, this song is hard to find to download. At times, the singer reminds me of the lead singer of Manchester Orchestra. Cool song.

Angels & Airwaves double album LOVE Parts I and II drops November 8th. Get ready for pure fucking epicness. Already heard part II, although still not as good as Part I, worth buying for SURE since it comes in the package (at Best Buy only $18) "Anxiety" is the song I suggest you check out. Its the lead single, and it will help you transition into Part II. Epic song,sick music video too. Great band.

Newest single from the band The Airborne Toxic Event is nothing less than what you would expect from the band. They continue to produce great music, as "Numb" is currently topping the list of my favorite songs of 2011. Their newest single is called "All I Ever Wanted" and its a superb tune. The lyrics from this band are what I love most, along with the epic instrumentation and the diverse song they give while still maintaining their status as a rock group. "You tell me your scared that your turning into your mother... I feel myself turning into my father... We could lie and pretend that we're still happy...it's easy when your young and you want it so badly"

The new Daughtry single is upon is, no,not "Crawling Back To You". Thats an ok song. But Chris Daughtry really shines when his band shows off their rock talent and doesn't try to make a pop song. "Renegade" is a perfect example of what the band can do. It's the best I've heard from the band since their debut album in 2006.

Ok.Throwback tracks time.

This week, I'm giving you a throwback album, which just so happens to be my favorite album of ALL time. Always will be. American Idiot by Green Day. Really been jamming out to this album this week. Suggest you guys do the same.

Until next time guys,peace.Subscribe to my blog as well as my youtube channel. Peace guys.

-jon

100 Favorite Songs EVER

2011-10-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

So this is it...the list. Song followed by artist,1 to 100. This is just my opinions, if you want to know more about what albums and songs i love, let me know in the comments on my youtube channel.

1 Boulevard of Broken Dreams-Green Day
2 I'm Not Okay (I Promise)-My Chemical Romance
3 Sugar,We're Goin' Down-Fall Out Boy
4 Perfect Situation- Weezer
5 Knights of Cydonia-Muse
6 Fat Lip - Sum 41
7Meant to Live- Switchfoot
8 Breaking the Habit- Linkin Park
9 All These Things That I've Done-The Killers
10 Can't Be Saved- Senses Fail
11 Go With the Flow-Queens of the Stone Age
12 BYOB-System of a Down
13 Home-Three Days Grace
14 Move Along-All American Rejects
15 Little Sister- Queens of the Stone Age
16 Jesus of Suburbia-Green Day
17 Famous Last Words-My Chemical Romance
18 Man Overboard-Blink-182
19 The Pretender-Foo Fighters
20 Faint - Linkin Park
21 Hate Me - Blue October
22 Holiday- Green Day
23 You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As Your Told) - The White Stripes
24 Speed of Sound- Coldplay
25 I Write Sins Not Tragedies- Panic!At The Disco
26 Make Damn Sure-Taking Back Sunday
27 Mountain Man-Crash Kings
28 Dirty Little Secret-All American Rejects
29 Dance Dance - Fall Out Boy
30 Somebody Told Me- The Killers
31 Miss Murder- AFI
32 Beast and the Harlot- Avenged Sevenfold
33 Hypnotize- System of a Down
34 Notion- Kings of Leon
35 All the Small Things- Blink 182
36 Mr. Brightside- The Killers
37 Wake Me Up When September Ends-Green Day
38 The Denial Twist-The White Stripes
39 Savior- Skillet
40 Seven Nation Army- The White Stripes
41 I Hate Everything About You-Three Days Grace
42 Under Cover of Darkness-The Strokes
43 Walking Disaster- Sum 41
44 Dead! - My Chemical Romance
45 Juicebox- The Strokes
46 Numb- Linkin Park
47 Dani California-Red Hot Chili Peppers
48 Bat Country - Avenged Sevenfold
49 I Miss You-Blink 182
50 Aerials-System of a Down
51 Hyper Music - Muse
52 Pain- Jimmy Eat World
53 The Bird and the Worm-The Used
54 Tears Don't Fall-Bullet For My Valentine
55 Longview-Green Day
56 The Ballad of Mona Lisa- Panic! At the Disco
57 Heart Shaped Box- Nirvana
58 Lights and Sounds- Yellowcard
59 You're Gonna Go Far Kid - The Offspring
60 All My Life-Foo Fighters
61 Helena-My Chemical Romance
62 Starlight- Muse
63 Don't Tread On Me-311
64 Welcome to the Black Parade-My Chemical Romance
65 Clocks-Coldplay
66 Creatures (For Awhile) -311
67 Scars-Papa Roach
68 The One I'm Waiting For- Relient K
69 Birthday-Taproot
70 Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies
71 Adam's Song-Blink 182
72 Secret Crowds - Angels & Airwaves
73 Numb- The Airborne Toxic Event
74 I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem)- Good Charlotte
75 Lazy Eye- Silversun Pickups
76 Time To Pretend - MGMT
77 Monsoon - Tokio Hotel

78 E-Pro - Beck
79 In the End- Linkin Park
80 Re-Education (Through Labor)- Rise Against
81 Closer- Nine Inch Nails
82 Undead-Hollywood Undead
83 Savior-Skillet

84 I Don't Care- Apocalyptica & Adam Gontier
85 Steady As She Goes- The Raconteurs
86 Middle of Nowhere- Hot Hot Heat
87 Situations- Escape the Fate
88 Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn- Hellogoodbye
89 Cold Hard Bitch-Jet
90 Giving Up the Gun- Vampire Weekend
91 Misery Business- Paramore
92 Tongue Tied- GROUPLOVE
93 Paradise - Coldplay
94 Otherside - Red Hot Chili Peppers
95 Blue Orchid - The White Stripes
96 F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X- The Fall of Troy
97 Feel Good INC- Gorillaz

98 Welcome Home- Coheed and Cambria
99 The Downfall of Us All - A Day To Remember
100Walk - Foo Fighters

What Am I Listening To - 10/17/11

2011-10-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,its that time of the week again. Let's get to it.

First up, "Hurts Like Heaven",an amazing new track from Coldplay off the recently leaked album "Mylo Xyloto". Review of the album coming soon.

Next, 2 tracks from Patrick Stump. "Explode" and "This City" which are the 2 best songs of the upcoming album "Soul Punk"

"Heartbeat" by The Fray is next on my list. New album coming soon! This track is great, reminds me of why I always liked this group.

"Renegade" by Paramore. This track had live versions floating around for awhile but the studio version is finally out. They are releasing 3 new songs throughout the rest of 2011, you can join the Paramore singles club and get all 3 of the new songs as they are released for only $2.99.

2 tracks from Romanian artist Alexandria Stan are next. Club bangin' beats and electronic instrumentation are heavy on these tracks "Lollipop" and "Mr. Saxobeat" Their both irresistibly catchy, and I always have trouble getting them out of my head.

Now for a few older ones.

"And I" by Box Car Racer is first for the throwbacks. BCR was a side project of Blink-182 in 2002-2003. Tom and Travis teamed up and formed this short lived band.

"Sins of my Youth" by Neon Trees is next. This is probably my favorite song off of their album, beating out "Animal" and "1983".

Stay tuned for more reviews such as Coldplay and Angels and Airwaves plus artist profile's, countdowns, and more.

Peace guys-Jon

Sunrise Avenue - Artist Profile

2011-10-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Sunrise Avenue... I'm guessing you haven't heard of these guys? Correct me if I'm wrong.

SA is a rock band from Finland, and they are nothing less than perfect. Their popularity and fan base is mostly overseas, in countries such as Finland, Switzerland,Sweden, and Russia. (Before you ask, YES,they sing in English lol). The band released its first album "On the Way to Wonderland" in 2006, and it is arguably their best release. Two follow up albums have been released, 2009's "Popgasm" (my least favorite album,but still great) and this year's "Out of Style". Their musical abilities and melodies amaze me, like no band has done in a long time. I know I praised GROUPLOVE's debut album, ,but SA's first release was far above even that.

Finnish rock with hints of pop, guitar riffs that pull you in and lyrics that you can relate to. What more could you ask for? The songs aren't just about women and partying, like so many bands these days. They write about traveling, the world, and other things as well as women of course. Haha.

My favorite songs by Sunrise Avenue are "Hollywood Hills" "Not Again" "Fairytale Gone Bad" "Forever Yours" and "I Don't Dance". There are plenty of other great songs to check out off of all 3 albums, I'm just listing a few to get you started. Please check out this amazing band, I'm so glad I discovered this band that so few Americans know about (I have to thank one of my Russian friends for sharing the link to the Fairytale Gone Bad video with me haha).

Until next time guys, hope you like Sunrise Avenue as much as I do. Peace out.-Jon

Arist Review: 97/100 overall

Mayday Parade Self Titled Album Review/Download

2011-10-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Mayday Parade. Fearless Records gave them their big break, and the band started gaining popularity on MySpace with songs such as "Miserable at Best" and "When I Get Home,You're So Dead" off of their freshman album "A Lesson In Romantics". The bands landed a top 40 debut on the Billboard 200 with 2009's "Anywhere But Here" with the strength of the single "Kids In Love". All of the songs I mentioned, I loved. with "When I Get Home" still being my all time favorite. The new self titled "Mayday Parade" looks to score the band a top 20 album, possibly even a top 10 with strong first week sales on iTunes. The album, in my opinion, is their best work yet, or at least up to the level of their first album.

"Mayday Parade" opens slow with "Oh Well,Oh Well". Or so you think. What starts off as a slow song turns into the song sung by angry guy moving on from a relationship and singing over roaring guitars "Oh well oh well, guess I'll see you in hell" which is probably my favorite line from the entire album. The whole album is a great example of everything a pop punk record could be. However, I would like to see the band tackle more subjects and themes in their songs. Lead singer Derek Sanders seems to be struck writing about love and girls, and relationships that have gone wrong or relationships he can't have. Many pop punk bands fall into this rut, of writing the same material over, but nonetheless, the way its presented (the instrumentation and vocals) make up for the lack of content in the lyrics.

My favorite songs on the album are "Oh Well,Oh Well", "Without the Bitter, The Sweet Isn't As Sweet", "When You See My Friends", "Call Me Hopeless,Not Romantic", and "You're Dead Wrong". I really want to compliment the outros on the songs "Call Me Hopeless", "Without the Bitter" and the final song of the album, "Happy Endings are Stories That Haven't ended yet". It was the perfect ending to this album. The songs I listed are the most memorable on the album, and overall, I was say there is a moderately high replay factor for the album.

I definitely suggest this album to you all, more reviews to come such as Evanescense and Coldplay, along with an artist profile blog on Finnish rock group "Sunrise Avenue". Hope this helped you guys out if your thinking about buying the album. I'll be picking up a hard copy soon.

Download the album free here: Mayday Parade-Self Titled Album Download

92/100

Peace guys-Jon (follow the blog and my youtube channel!