Next Up To Bat

Sleeping With Sirens is the newest addition to the Rise Records family. I've only heard a songs off their upcoming EP but I think they have a lot of potential. It's actually a pretty cool story how they were formed. One of the guitarists from the band Broadway, which is signed to Uprising Records decided to call it quits. He wanted to start playing music again but could not seem to find any bands or projects worth his while in his home state of Maine. He finally decided to start his own band and since he couldn't find members locally he recruited people from all over the country. He eventually found four members that come from Oregon, North Carolina and Florida and they began writing. After they had some ideas for songs they all flew to Florida to write and record for two weeks. They recorded their EP at Chango Studios which is run by Cameron Mizell and Mike Rakoczy. Collectively they have recorded bands such as I See Stars, Of Machines, Broadway, Burden Of A Day and many others. Mizell is also a A&R rep for Rise Records. He obviously liked the potential from this upcoming band and contacted the management at Rise. They were actually signed after only playing a few gigs. Anyways, if you get a chance check this band out in the next few months. They are currently touring with We Came As Romans, Broadway and Tides Of Man. They will then go out on a month tour with Jonny Craig (Emarosa), Craig Owens (Newly ex member of Chiodos) and Tides Of Man.

Here is a link for a few of their demo songs. Download

To Plant A Seed...

We Came As Romans is a band that I have been following now for almost a year. I first heard a few songs from their last ep "Dreams" and knew that this band would be making noise in the near future. WCAR was signed to Equal Vision Records in April of 2009 and quite frankly I thought this was a great move for both parties. EV has been a great label for Post-hardcore bands such as Coheed and Cambria, Chiodos, Pierce The Veil and Sky Eats Airplane just to name a few. "To Plant A Seed" was recorded at Joey Sturgis's Foundation Recording Studio. Sturgis is by far my favorite producer right now because of his work with many Rise Records bands and his ability to recognize a bands vision for their album.

"To Plant A Seed" has very much the same sound and feel as their previous EP "Dreams". WCAR incorporates a lot of different parts in their songs. When looking at a lot of the new wave screamo bands, you can pretty much throw concrete song structure out the window. This holds true for We Came As Romans new album. That's not to say it's a bad thing because each song keeps you guessing. One minute you are hearing break downs and bass drops and the next minute the song can go into an emotional, digital, synth driven part. Some people might not like that style of songwriting but I think that it's good to hear music that takes you on a ride so to speak. Music has become so predictable and I like the fact that bands are taking a different approach to writing their songs.

We Came As Romans have found their niche in the post-hardcore, screamo genre. Kyle Pavone (vocals, keys) takes a more orchestral approach to the synth parts in the songs. You can see a lot of influence from fellow Michigan band Chiodos. His high pitched singing rivals any singer in the genre. David Stephens (vocals) hones in on a throaty mid-range metal scream. The contrasting vocal styles used on this album are compared to the likes of bands such as Underoath, The Devil Wears Prada and Attack Attack.

Although We Came As Romans definitely hit the nail on the head stylistically (as far as what's going on right now in the Post-hardcore, Screamo genre) there are a few issues I have with this album personally. For instance, although I like this bands sound I don't see a lot of growth in their new songs. When comparing the EP to the LP I didn't see the leaps and bounds I expected to hear. That being said, these guys are still young and this is their first stab at a LP. Im looking forward to when they release future albums to see if they step into their own as opposed to mimicking what's going on right now in their genre.

Like many of the bands going the screamo, synth route, WCAR uses a lot of tempo changes in their songs. That's cool in stuff and I understand the reasoning behind that (randomly slowing down the tempo to increase the brutality of breakdowns) but the transitions between parts aren't defined. The problem I have with it is you can hear the speed of the song randomly change without warning. Although I like many of the individual sections of the songs, sometimes the transitions seemed forced as if they didn't know how to fit the puzzle pieces together.

In conclusion, this album is a strong first release for this band. If you have never heard We Came As Romans and you like screamo music there is a good chance you will enjoy this album. They are at the forefront of what's "in" right now. Take the album for what it is and we will see what they can come up with next.

-7 of 10


Give the album a listen for yourself: DOWNLOAD

A Bird In Hand...

Some of the best records are the ones that put you in a certain mood from start to finish. I've always loved the idea of concept albums as well. Music that has a theme or tells a story so to speak. I remember hearing the first Coheed record and loving the music and hooks. The album was very raw and under produced but it made that record great. It had extraordinary emotion to it and then when I found out that the album was a science fiction story it made it even that much better. To this day I have to put Coheed and Cambria "The Second Stage Turbine Blade" as one of my favorite albums because it influenced so many of the bands that are out today.

Today I want to touch on 5 albums that really put you in a mood from beginning to end. A few of these albums are newer and a few are just albums that I've recently started listening to again. Check out a few of the bands if you have time. If you like the music cool....if not....well maybe this will be the last time you take my advice.

Lydia - Illuminate
To some this album might come off as either boring or melancholy to a certain degree. If you really take the time to listen to the album from start to finish you will find it to be very catchy. All the songs are slow but are very well written and have a certain dream like feel to them. I remember catching on to the first few tracks when I used to go to work but later I got more into the second half of the cd. I really can't decide which song I like the best which is why I had to put this album on the list.



Days Away - Mapping An Invisible World
This album was released a few years back and I recently started listening to it again. When you first listen to the record you will think it's just another pop rock album but when you dig deeper into it you will find that it has a very atmospheric feel to it. Each song seems simple but has very complex arrangements in them. Keith Goodwin has a very underrated voice and it was a shame that more people did not get to hear this record. The album is definitely worth a second and third listen before you can really appreciate it.



The Devil Wears Prada - With Roots Above And Branches Below
I have to admit TDWP was on my band hit list a few years back. I hated their music to say the least until I heard this new record. This album is basically in your face heavy music. It has break downs from start to finish and capitalizes on the ever popular digital and synth driven metal that you hear a lot today. I think this album separates itself from the competition and the production by Joey Sturgis is unbelievable. The Devil Wears Prada have definitely become better muscians and it really shows on their latest release.


Number One Fan - Compromises
Compromises was released in 04 and is another album I recently started listening to again. What makes this album great is the lasting value and overall quality of the record from start to finish. I feel that Number One Fan was ahead of their time and if Compromises was released now with the production we have today, it could have been a huge success. Although some people might label the album "emo" because of the vocals I would argue that it's more complex then your typical emo album. But lets be honest, most everyone has a at least a few Dashboard Confessional or Saves The Day songs in their library.



Owen - At Home With Owen
Mike Kinsella is the man that makes up Owen. I first heard "Bad News" and knew I would love this album. It's hard to put my finger on what makes this record so good throughout it's entirety. Owen is a unbelievable acoustic guitar player and also has lyrics that are far different from most artists I have listened to. His lyrics are honest and he talks a lot about his own deficiencies. I think most people can really relate to that kind of thing. What also makes these songs so good is the subtle string arrangements he incorporates into many of the tracks. I recently got his new album "New Leaves" and was very impressed. I suggest you check out this artist.

The Beginning...

I've never thought I would actually start my own blog. Music has always been my first love. I spend most of my time listening and talking about music and I have great admiration for people that make music or just enjoy listening to it. I would be lying if I said I thought many people would read one persons opinion on what is good on such a broad subject. My hope and ultimate goal is to get even a few people to listen to some stuff they haven't been exposed to. Since I'm not really a musician myself, I've always got satisfaction by showing others music. Im going to try and write a few posts a week. I just hope that my writing skills can improve so I can get my opinions across correctly. Some of my posts will be album reviews and others will be about music concepts and even industry discussions. I hope you enjoy the blog.