"What Separates Me From You" by A Day to Remember

I have a confession to make when it comes to the subject of this post. This album represents a guilty pleasure of mine. I don't pretend to say that it breaks any major barriers musically or lyrically, but man is it catchy. That, and how cool is the album cover??

"What Separates Me From You" by A Day to Remember is ADTR's most commercial and most accessible release to date. I probably like "Homesick" a little better on a whole. However, this album is by far the best for those who thought ADTR's previous work was just a tad too rough for them.

On this album, the band is pissed. That much is obvious. Almost every song pulses with straight fury and angst. This goes for the lyrics as well, which detail abandonment, anger, and an overall "F you" to the people of the past.

I know this is not a new bit of subject matter. But holy heck do these guys do it well. Every single song is extremely catchy. The electric guitar riffs, the melodies and lyrics of the choruses in particular, everything just grabs you and doesn't let go. Every. Single. Song.

This is not an example of a band branching out and taking their music to new places that it hasn't previously been. ADTR is returning to familiar territory willingly, and they are continuing to show that musical genre who's boss.

If you're angry or upset or just feel like using music to let off some steam, this album is just the ticket.

My favorite three songs are "All I Want," "This Is The House That Doubt Built," and "If I Leave."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/adaytoremember

And here's a link to the Facebook page for this blog! Like it and pass it along to your friends!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Great-Music-You-Havent-Heard/157409857629889

Until next time, enjoy all the music out there!

Andrew

"Signs and Wonders" by Animal Kingdom

How's it going everyone? Well, as it starts to be, once again, time to start studying for finals (have you ever noticed how I almost always have a midterm or an essay or a final to work on? Yay quarter system!), I wanted to get another post on here for you!

The album, ladies and gents, is "Signs and Wonders" by Animal Kingdom. This album popped up about 1.5-2 years ago, and I didn't buy it for a while because I had foolishly gotten it into my head that I wouldn't like an album that was a reincarnation of psychedelic rock.

Obviously, I was wrong. This album is amazing. There are definitely strong elements of psych rock in here that remind me a little bit of Pink Floyd (never a bad thing), but there's a heart of rock pulsing under the airy vocals.

For a relatively new artist, Animal Kingdom is able to put together an incredibly diverse set of songs. Nothing on here feels like filler, and there's always some new melodic element that the band is adding into their songs.

The lyrics are clever as well, well-written but unassuming. They are not the star of this album, though the frontman's airy/almost falsetto vocals do add a ton to the album. The choruses on this album are some of the best I've heard in a while.

You're probably thinking that I'm about to say the music is the star of the album, if the lyrics aren't, right? Wrong! The music is also a critical element of the album, but the trick of this album, and the facet of it that makes it so special is that there isn't a star. The music is at times light and ethereal, and at times more rock-ish and psychedelic, but it's always well-executed and it always backs up the vocals perfectly.

This album has been floating around for a while now, so I can only hope that a new album is in the works! Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/weareanimalkingdom

My three favorite tracks on the album are "Tin Man," "Silence Summons You," and "Chalk Stars."

Until next time, enjoy the music and follow the link on the "I Need Your Help" link! :)

Thanks,
Andrew

The Best Albums of February 2011

Hey all!

As I sit here recovering from what was an overall boring Oscars show, I figured it was a perfect time to write out my top three albums for February 2011! It was another good month for music, but not quite as solid as January (that month of music is going to be hard to top). Anyway, here they are! I hope you enjoy!

1. "Smart Flesh" by The Low Anthem

The Low Anthem does several things superbly in this album. They tread the lines between folk music, indie rock, and classic rock with amazing precision. In addition to their clever lyrics, what really got me hooked on this album is their multi-faceted instrumentation, which occasionally includes a clarinet. I had never heard a clarinet used in contemporary music, and as a clarinet player myself, it sent shivers of "Wow my instrument CAN be cool!" down my spine. You can safely expect this album in a future post.

2. "Barton Hollow" by The Civil Wars

What makes this album stands out is the male/female harmonies. Together, the vocalists of The Civil Wars craft an album that is so extremely delicate and so intimate that it's easy to simply float away into their songs. Along with sweet lyrics, simple and delicate instrumentation makes this album a light treat to listen to. It'd be safe to expect to see this album later as well.

3. "The Cold Still" by The Boxer Rebellion

I suppose it's probably safe to assume that many more of you have heard of this album than the previous two in this month's list. "The Cold Still" is an admirable heir to "Union," which catapulted the band to popularity with its epic and anthemic feel. The epic songs are in this album as well, but even more impressive and haunting is the dark, brooding songs that dominate the first half of the album. This album gets to you with its poignancy, and doesn't let you go for a while, throwing you through peaks and valleys. It's quite the musical ride. 

Hope you enjoy the music and I'll see you all on the other side of my essay due this week (no worries, it's only worth 30% of my grade... gulp). 

Andrew

"Copia" by Eluvium

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for another review of an instrumental only album. In this case, it's the "ambient/electronica but not really" album titled "Copia" by Eluvium, one of my favorite ambient artists, though his most recent album features vocals.

The album is the amazing combination of relaxing and epic. If you don't believe me, just take a look at the album artwork. The human-ish creature on the cover is a recurring character in most of Eluvium's album artwork. It's as if we as listeners are following his journey. And that's exactly what this album feels like: a journey to some majestic, far-away place.

It's the perfect set of songs to just float away into. I listen to it when I'm doing homework and I absolutely need to focus or when I'm reading and I just want to forget every single bit of stress around me. Thirty seconds into the first piece and I'm gone. Nothing can bother me.

The album almost feels like one big classical composition in itself. Strings, woodwinds, piano, and brass make up a huge part of the instrumentation. It feels as though your listening to a soundtrack. If only there was a movie that went to this music. I'd be in line waiting to see it. This feel of one big orchestral effort is aided by the song titles, many of which include musical terms such as "hymn," "prelude," "requiem," and "ostinato."

As a little sidenote, the final song on the album, "Repose In Blue," is the grand finale to the symphony, complete with the sounds of fireworks.

For anyone looking to expose themselves to some great ambient music, the work of Eluvium is a perfect introduction. For those of you who are already fans of that genre and are looking for another great artist to follow, look no further.

My three favorite songs on the album are "Amreik," "Requiem On Frankfort Ave," and "Repose In Blue."

Here's a link to Eluvium's Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/eluviumtaken

Until next time, enjoy the music and please tell all your friends to go to the "I Need Your Help" post and click on the link to Castle Ink to help me win a scholarship!

Thanks :)

Andrew

I Need Your Help!

Hello everyone,

So, this isn't a music post. I am taking part in a scholarship competition through Castle Ink. My job is bring as many visitors to their site through a statement encouraging recycling. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could visit it (as many times as you want :]) and tell your friends to visit it; re-post it wherever you can and send it to anyone you can. Thanks again so much and here goes!

If recycling inspires you, click on the link below. If it doesn't, click on the link below because: 1) maybe you'll discover a passion for keeping the earth green and 2) this blog doesn't help my parents pay for my college education, but this scholarship will. Please and thank you!

http://www.castleink.com

Thanks again so much and I'll be back soon with another music post!