http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-TlJ3quFp0

Love is a Four Letter Word

Mraz pushes a new melody, opening with “The Freedom Song,” a cover song – a first for a Mraz album – originally written by Luc Reynaud of Luc & the Lovingtons during the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina. This New Orleans-inspired track will have listeners up on their feet in no time. Keeping the same beat, “Living in The Moment” has a reggae sound and is easily one of the more inspiring tracks on the album with simple-yet-profound lyrics like “Wherever I’m going, I’m already home / Living in the moment.”

Calming down a bit, “The Woman I Love” is a beautiful track that truly shows off Mraz’s lyrical talent. For any guy out there trying to impress his lady, this is the song for you. Lead single “I Won’t Give Up” is a very powerful and emotional song. In an interview with Billboard, Mraz explained, “Regardless of what happens in this relationship, I don’t have to give up on loving this person, or loving myself, or give up on whatever my dreams are.” The next track “Everything is Sound (La La La)” will remind fans of some of Mraz’s older singles with its catchy choruses, fun melodies, and creative lyrics.

“93 Million Miles” starts off with a very natural sound and builds into a delicate soft rock track before flowing smoothly into “Frank D. Fixer.” This is a tribute to his grandfather, a charming tune with impeccable high-pitched vocals. The flawless “Who’s Thinking About You Now?” was originally an instrumental song for a decade before Mraz decided to write it into a story for this album. The love song “In Your Hands” is elegant and beautiful, easily one of the strongest songs on the album. Finally, listeners get another taste of the raspy sound that fans have come to know Mraz for in “Be Honest.” He wrote this while visiting Brazil, so don’t be surprised by its beach-inspired feel. “The World As I See It” is a great closing track for the album, full of Mraz’s trademark upbeat sound sure to put any listener in a great mood.

Jason Mraz has done a remarkable job with Love is a Four Letter Word, delighting listeners from start to finish. Although the album sees him moving in a different direction, each song is carefully crafted layer by layer and repeated listens will bring the stories to life and reveal new meanings. Mraz’s latest effort is another wonderful addition to his discography, perfect for those cloudless summer days when nothing can go wrong.

Rating: 4.5/5

By Jen Appel, idobi.com Contributing Writer

Writes the RMLC:

Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI) and The Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) have announced an agreement in principle for a new industry-wide license, settling a multi-year litigation between the parties. The agreement covers the performance of more than 7.5 million musical works in the BMI repertoire.

If approved by the court, the agreement will end a Federal Rate Court litigation over the fees that radio stations pay BMI on behalf of the songwriters and music publishers it represents for the public performance of their works by radio stations. The proposed deal covers January 2010 through December 2016.

Details of the agreement have not been released pending review by the Court.

On The Gunz Show; Thrice, Bearcat, and All of a Kind.

Tune in tonight at 9pm ET, only on idobi Radio.

The band cranked this record out around their busy tour schedule, which may be part of why they haven’t changed their formula much, but what they do, they do well. “Protoman” and “MDMA” are oddly paced, with a slower, more dynamic feel than the rest of the album. “I Am Onslaught” features energetic drum parts that direct the flow without overpowering the rest of the band. “War Begins With You” and “Bison Diaries” are consistently aggressive, proving that Mark Castillo was a great addition behind the kit – he has a knack for knowing when to take over and when to let the songs breathe on their own.

The guitar lines don’t deviate from the stereotypical chug of this genre, but Jesse Ketive and Mike Mulholland sure know how to work them into a song. “Umar Dumps Dormammu,” “Black Heart Reigns” and “She Gave Her Heart To Deadpool” are all similar tracks that have a riffy feel, with guitar lines that will have you wondering if your CD is skipping. Frankie Palmeri hasn’t expanded his range by much in the year since their previous release, but he showcases the small growth he has made well on these tracks. Placing “Poltergeist” and “Cross Over Attack” next to each other was a fantastic choice by the band. “Poltergeist” is an intermission track, breaking the album in half. Following that with “Cross Over Attack” will only make you appreciate it more. Lyrics like “Press start to continue / This game isn’t over” make it a more subtle reference to video games than the rest of the album.

If you’ve followed Emmure at all, you already know exactly what to expect on Slave to the Game: the same heart-pounding, adrenaline-infused, rage-anthem music you’ve grown to know and love. If you’re looking for a CD to throw down to, Emmure is and will continue to be your band. With album number five, Emmure shows their fans that being a Slave to the Game is something to be proud of, but perhaps waiting a little longer between records will build more anticipation for their next release.

Rating: 3/5

By Lia Wilderman, idobi.com Contributing Writer

At 8:30- Ryan Mapes, Co-Owner of Arkaik Clothing will be on the show to talk about the company, being out on tour, their summer line, and upcoming touring plans. This interview gives fans a look into what it’s like to run a clothing company of this size; all while being completely online.

At 9:15 Alex Erain, Vocalist of Obey The Brave (ex-Despised Icon) is on the show to talk about his new band. OTB have made a huge splash in a short amount of time and will be dropping a 7″ May 29th on Good Fight Music! We talk about that, starting a new band, influences and moving away from Despised Icon, what he has been doing for the past year away from playing music, and much more!

At 9:45 one of the best up and coming unsigned Pop Punk bands Late In The Playoffs are on the show. The chicago band just put out The Wayside Sessions which was recorded with Gary Cioffi (Who also produced Transit’s Listen & Forgive in 2011). We talk about today’s Pop Punk Scene, having Tim Landers of Transit on their track The Wayside, and much more.

As well we’ll get to new music from The Rocket Summer, Architects, Daytrader, the remastered version of The Wonder Years “Get Stoked On It!” and a ton of other great music! We’ll also talk about The All Stars Tour and Scream It Like You Mean It, as both tours revealed their dates this week, and the future of Against Me! after Tom Gabel’s interview with Rolling Stone.

Rock The Walls tonight with Patrick Walford beginning at 8pmET! Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Twitter with any thoughts or song requests!

Follow Rock The Walls on Twitter
Like Rock The Walls on Facebook 

We’re here with Leighton from Lydia. How’s your day going, man?

It’s not bad. We got hung up at the border for a few hours, but they let us through.

This is your first time in Canada, right?

It is, actually. It’s weird because we’ve always done full US tours but I don’t know why we’ve never made it across the border. It’s cool though. I’m excited.

You guys are about three and a half weeks into your tour with The Maine. How’s it been going so far?

It’s really good. It’s a different kind of crowd than we’re used to playing to, but I like when bands kind of step out of their element and out of their comfort zone and do something a little bit different.

How have you been finding the different crowd has been responding to you guys?

Really well. Better than I thought they would. I think a lot of them have just never heard this type of music before, like this kind of take on it, so it’s cool. I think a lot of them are just surprised and end up getting the record.

How do you approach a tour like this knowing that you guys are opening and playing for a lot of people that haven’t heard you before as opposed to doing a headliner?

I guess you kind of have to see your 45 minute set as almost like a trailer or something just to get people involved in your set and into your band because there are gonna be Lydia fans but a lot of the people there haven’t heard about you. So you kind of have to put your best songs forward.

How have you found this tour package has been fitting together?

It’s awesome. I love small package tours. Like, Arkells play, we play, the Maine plays. It’s just really simple and to the point and it’s cool. After about four or five bands, I think even people in the crowd get blown out. They’re just like, “I’m over this. This is too much music to listen to in one city.”

You guys released your most recent album Paint It Golden at the end of 2011, but before that it was actually looking like you guys weren’t going to be making any more music for a while – you announced a hiatus and did the whole farewell tour. What was the one defining moment that you decided you needed to keep the band together?

Well, I was gonna put out some music under my own name. Me and the other guy [Steve McGraw] that started the band just couldn’t get along anymore, and so about like three or four days before the farewell tour he ended up just leaving. And so me and Craig [Taylor], the drummer, we’ve been making music together for quite a while, and we did the whole farewell tour and there were just so many people just pouring their hearts out to us telling us not to leave. And it was just amazing that so many people were that attached to the music. So we got home and we talked about it for a little while. I was on the fence and I didn’t really know if I was gonna do it and then Craig kind of ended up talking me into it. He was like, “There’s too many people that really are attached to this band, dude. You shouldn’t let this go.” And we just really like making music together so we were like, let’s just keep doing it.

How did you approach Paint It Golden differently than the other albums, especially the fact that it was just the two of you?

I had had some of the songs for Paint It Golden for quite some time, but for whatever reason I didn’t use them on certain records. Probably about half of the songs on the record I had had for years and I was just kind of putting them on the backburner because I didn’t really want to mix them with [Steve] – we just didn’t match anymore. And so a lot of the songs I was like, “This is a really cool song, we should put this on the record.” And then the other half we just kind of let flow out. So I didn’t really approach it differently, to be honest. It was kind of the same process, me and Craig just working stuff out in the studio.

Did you feel like there were a lot of expectations with this record, saying you weren’t going to make music anymore and then putting an album out?

Absolutely. This was probably the hardest record to release because when you come back with new music, people are like, “You better be coming back for a reason and not just putting out a shit record and saying you’re back.” So there was a lot of expectation, obviously a lot of naysayers and whatnot. But it got a really good response, so I was happy about that. I mean, I really like the record, so that’s all you can do.

You did the record with Matt Malpass, who also did Assailants and Illuminate, and you also have a side project with him [The Cinema]. What is it about Matt’s production style that keeps you coming back to him and allows you to work well with him?

I really can’t see myself working with anybody else at this point. You know when you just have something with someone that just kind of clicks together and you don’t really know how to explain it? Me and him just work really well together. And he’s really good at calling me out. Like, if I’m doing something that’s straying off and it could be better he immediately just calls me out on it, which I really like. I’ve recorded with certain people where whatever you do they’re just like, “Yeah, sounds great. Let’s track it.” And I was like, “Dude, I need some constructive criticism.”

You don’t just need a yes man.

Yeah, exactly. And he’s really good at that. And he’s also just a really good producer. So we decided to even do another project together, The Cinema, because we both agreed we work really well together.

How are you finding balancing The Cinema and Lydia so far? Since it hasn’t been too long that you’ve been doing both, how do you think you’ll continue to balance it in the future?

I mean, it’s a little bit tough. It’s moreso that we’re trying to balance the touring schedules out because our management is trying to get The Cinema on its first tour this summer. We just kind of did the record for fun but then it got a really good response so management really wants a tour to happen around it. So it’s moreso balancing the touring between Lydia and The Cinema because there are so many countries and markets and two bands and there’s not a lot of time to do it all. But writing wise, it’s always that Matt’ll doodle out just a simple beat and a progression and he’ll send it to me. I’ll put some more guitar, piano, whatever on it and send it back. We always just go back and forth with songs.

Kind of like a Postal Service-type collab.

Exactly. That’s what the whole record pretty much was. We were only in the same room when we were actually tracking the record. So we just went back and forth until we were really happy with it, and then I flew to Atlanta and we tracked everything. So it’s moreso balancing the touring stuff than the actual music.

What do you think the future holds for Lydia after this tour?

We’re definitely gonna make another album. I probably have five songs already written and somewhat done. I don’t really like to finish a song until I get in the studio. I don’t know what it is – I think it’s like 50% procrastination and 50% that I work better when I’m just on the spot. But I probably have like five songs somewhat done, and so I’m thinking we’ll probably have another record out maybe by Christmas, but most likely by early next year.

You guys are out on the Pioneer world tour right now. This is one of the biggest tours that you guys have ever headlined. How’s it going so far?

John: It’s going really well. It sounds so official – Pioneer world tour. It’s officially been fun, for sure. Come Friday I think it’ll be officially halfway done. It’s hard to think that we have another half to go, but it’s been a lot of fun so far. People are showing up and being supportive, so we can’t complain about anything at this point.

You brought Lydia and the Arkells out on this tour with you. What was it about those two bands that made you decide, “You know what, this is our big world tour and these are the two bands that we need to have on it.”

Pat: It all kind of comes down to the music.

J: I mean, it only comes down to the music. I got Arkells’ first record when we toured here in 2009 on An Evening With… and some kid handed me their record, and usually I’m kind of weary but the kid was really enthusiastic about it so I sat down on the bus and put it in and really just fell in love. I listened to that nonstop for a while. I just love that they have a really good way of mixing kind of a Motown old school soul vibe in with like upbeat rock music and I think that’s really unique these days. And then when we found out they were putting out their new record and started talking to them on Twitter, it seemed like a good fit for them to open and for us to swap some dates in Western Canada, which we haven’t been to. And then with Lydia, fortunately our buddy Tanner [Radcliffe] who works over with our manager started to work with Lydia and that kind of just worked in our favour. We’re big fans of their band and it just fell together pretty nicely. With our track record recently of who we’ve been going on tour with, I think it’s another step in an awesome direction and it’s not something that you’ve seen from the Maine in 2007 to 2010 or 2011. And it helps us play in front of new people because both of them are bringing people, so it just seemed like a really good fit.

Obviously the Pioneer world tour is in support of the new record Pioneer. Like you were saying before, you guys have been moving in a different direction than where you started out. How have kids been responding to the record?

P: It couldn’t be going better. Anytime you put out a new record you’re kind of unsure of how people are gonna react to it, and with this record I think it was even more of a departure from things that we’ve done in the past so we were kind of unsure how the reaction would be, but it’s been incredible. I think people have really gotten behind the songs and gotten behind how the album was recorded and released, so we’re very very happy with it all.

It was definitely a risk not only taking your music in a different direction but you did your last album on a major label and this one you did independently. With all those different factors, how did you approach this record differently?

J: I think the process in its entirety was completely different than anything we’ve ever done before. We didn’t have anyone breathing down our necks telling us what to do and I think that allowed us to be as creative as we wanted. And I think the idea that we were in control definitely empowered us to try to explore different realms of music and maybe take a different approach to the entire thing. Fortunately we were able to put it out and I think at the end of the day that’s the biggest thing for us.

P: The way this record was made, you know, hopefully it’ll happen again, but this could be the only time in our career really where there wasn’t any pressure from anybody. There wasn’t even really a lot of pressure from ourselves either because it wasn’t even like it was the time to make a new record yet.

J: And we weren’t even certain that we were gonna be able to put the songs out.

P: Yeah, so we were just kind of recording songs for the sake of recording them and just seeing how far we could take it. So I think that was for sure a unique experience that I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to have again.

Do you feel like you were primarily driven to take things in a different direction from knowing you had all this freedom and there wasn’t pressure?

J: I don’t know what it was. I think becoming more aware of what we enjoy as music enthusiasts, the music that we listen to influenced not necessarily the overall sound, but I think the attitude was most definitely influenced by acts like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen and even Jack White. I think it was the mentality that you don’t have to compromise. It’s okay to do things your way. And I think whether we figured out what “our way” is or not, we got to experience freedom for a little bit. And I think that was what sculpted the songs – just the idea of being free and the idea that you have a blank canvas. We’re really proud of it. If we weren’t really proud of it, we wouldn’t have put it out, you know? But we just felt really strongly about the work that we put in and the steps that we took to get to the point where we did. It was an incredible feeling and hopefully we’re allowed to feel that way again, but time will only tell.

Does it ever feel strange playing your newer songs mixed in with your older songs from when you had a different sound? Is it hard making sure you’re playing everything your fans will want to hear?

J: I don’t think that’s as hard as everyone thinks it would be because first and foremost, we’re music lovers. So when we go to a concert of an artist that we really enjoy, just as anyone else would, we expect to hear “the gems,” you know, the ones that you know they have to play and you know that you want to hear. And it’s kind of laid out for you online seeing the response, so you have a pretty strong idea of what songs people would like to hear. Of course, at the same time, you can’t please everyone. And you also have to be happy with whatever it is you’re playing onstage or else you’re not gonna be enthusiastic about the show. But I mean, that’s a learning process in itself and it’s just something that takes time. On this tour I think we have a good balance of new and old and we’ll continue to battle with that in the future, but we’re never gonna go out and just play the new record and new songs that you’ve never heard before. I don’t think that’ll ever happen.

With some of your older songs, like Everything I Ask For, you’ve been doing refurbished versions that are more in the style of the new album. How have kids been responding to those updated versions?

J: We were toying around with the idea of doing that again on this tour, but Pat has a good point when he says that if you have too many different versions of one song, how is anybody supposed to latch on to any single one? So I think right now the goal would be to let that one breathe for a little while and not harp on it, and then when we go back to playing it maybe play it the original way.

P: There are some songs where it makes sense to take it to a different vibe and then there are some songs where it would just feel kind of weird, you know? So I think it just depends on the song.

J: But the ones that we have kind of morphed, it’s not unintentionally. We definitely want to spice it up for us but we also want to make it not too out there for the set. On this tour we’re doing The Way We Talk but we’re not playing it straightforward like we used to and I think it fits the vibe. And I mean, it’s still a pop song. It’s a straight up pop song even when we play it on this tour. So we’re keeping the integrity of the song, and we’re not changing lyrics or anything like that, so I think people have been pretty excited about it.

It’s a little up in the air right now but if you had to speculate, what would you say will be happening for the Maine after this tour and into the future, if the world doesn’t end?

P: After this tour, we’re gonna do a bunch more touring.

J: We know up until July for sure. We’re going back to Brazil. We know that we would definitely like to visit the United Kingdom and Europe on this Pioneer run, which we will.

P: And then we’ll go back out in the States again in the fall. And then after that it’s kind of up in the air.

J: That’s the part that we can’t even speculate about, because…

Because the world might end.

J: Yes, exactly.

P: We know that at some point in the future there are gonna be songs that will be written and recorded, and we also know that we will be on the road again. So it’s just a matter of what the order is.

J: Music will come out…touring will occur. When? Where? I’m not sure yet.

We’ll have to stay tuned and find out. Thank you guys so much for talking with me!

J: It was a pleasure.

A Rocket to the Moon opened the show, playing a solid mix of tracks off their Greetings From EP and the now three-year-old On Your Side. In addition to a fantastic cover of “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty, the band also showcased several new tracks from their forthcoming record, which emphasized a bit more of a Southern rock flair. The band recorded the new album in Nashville with Mark Bright, who has worked with both Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts, and his influence is definitely noticeable on their new songs.

Launching straight into their 2005 platinum single “Dirty Little Secret” as they took the stage, The All-American Rejects showed us that they’re back and they’re not to be messed around with. They then transitioned into one of the catchier tracks off Kids in the Street, lead single “Beekeeper’s Daughter.” From there, AAR played a much, much older song from their catalogue: “My Paper Heart” off their ten-year-old self-titled release. This wasn’t the first curveball they’d throw the crowd as they later played “Your Song” and “Swing, Swing” from that album as well.

As frontman Tyson Ritter stalked the stage, it was obvious that he was happy to be back in front of an audience after being away for so long. With the explosive energy throughout AAR’s set, the crowd was definitely ready to have the band back too. Ritter and Kennerty slowed things down a bit with a gorgeous acoustic version of Kids in the Street‘s closer, “I For You,” which melted even the strongest hearts in the audience. Then, Ritter and Matt Rubano tag-teamed the bass-heavy intro to “Gonzo” before knocking out two of their biggest songs, “Move Along” and “Gives You Hell” to finish off the set.

The All-American Rejects are back and reinvigorated with the release of Kids in the Street. The band’s spring tour is a return to form and – dare I say – an all-American good time.

By Tarynn Law, idobi.com Contributing Writer

The following dates have been canceled and will not be rescheduled:
May 15 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY
May 17 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH
May 18 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT
May 19 at The Bamboozle in Asbury Park, NJ
May 20 at Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem
May 22 at Colisee Pepsi Arena in Quebec City, Canada.

The May 10 and 11 concerts at the Winstar Casino in Thackerville, OK have been rescheduled for September 13 and 14, 2012. All previously issued tickets will be honored on the new dates respectively.  Refunds are available at point of purchase.

We wish Travis a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing Blink-182 back on the road as soon as he’s well again.

As of the time of posting, Owens and his team have not made a formal statement about the tour’s cancellation.

Life Cycles track list:

1. Dragon Spell

2. Wishmaster

3. Entirety

4. For Your Health

5. Bar Fight

6. Life Cycles

7. Evolution

8. Hidden Lakes

9. Ambitionary

10. Live A Lie

11. Belong

12. Room 126

13. Astral Plane

“For me, the most terrifying thing about this was how [Heather] would accept the news. But she’s been super-amazing and understanding.

I’m going to have embarrassing moments, and that won’t be fun. But that’s part of what talking to you is about – is hoping people will understand, and hoping they’ll be fairly kind.”

While the news may come as a surprise to many, Gabel has previously alluded to her gender dysphoria in Against Me!’s music – the song “The Ocean,” from 2007′s New Wave, features the lyrics “If I could have chosen, I would have been born a woman / My mother once told me she would have named me Laura / I’d grow up to be strong and beautiful like her.” The full story will be available in the latest issue of Rolling Stone, due out this Friday.

On The Gunz Show; Lit, MewithoutYou, and Mike Ferri.

Tune in tonight at 9pm ET, only on idobi Radio.

Opener “Deadfriends” immediately draws you in with an almost pulsating beat leading into a strong chorus. The influence of producer Mike Sapone (Brand New, Taking Back Sunday) can be heard immediately – the album sounds massive compared to the band’s early work. “If You Need It” helps build the album’s pace while lead single “Firebreather” will leave the line “How can you breathe when your body’s working against you?” etched into your brain long after the song is over. Vocalist Tym has mastered his craft, shining through on songs like “Lost Between The Coasts,” which focuses on the battle that comes with being away from home, and “After-Image.”

“Struggle With Me” is the shortest track on the album, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most hard-hitting. It combines upbeat melodies with hopeful lyrics about trying to make a relationship work like “Nothing easy is ever worth that much / So come on, struggle for us.” The next two songs show off Daytrader’s range as “Silver Graves” would fit in perfectly with their early work while “Heard It In A Song” is a heartfelt acoustic number that could fit right into a flashback scene in a movie. The highlight of the album comes in closer “Letter To A Former Lover.” Tym spills out all his emotions about the end of a relationship while still hoping for the best for his ex-lover. As he sings, “You know our tragic stories are the best damn ones to tell / If you hear this song some time from now I hope it finds you well,” the honesty is enough to bring tears to your eyes.

With Twelve Years, Daytrader will have you pressing repeat and finding a new little something in the songs every time. Under the guidance of Mike Sapone, the band have dropped most of their pop punk tendencies for a more melodic sound – with very successful results. The music may be reminiscent of older bands bands like Hot Water Music and Jimmy Eat World, but the lyrics will take on a life of their own as each line can be found easily relatable and quotable by today’s generation. If Daytrader continue to grow and put out albums this strong, they may just have a long voyage ahead of them.

Rating: 5/5

idobi Radio

Here are the results:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91nkerO_D7g