New Discovery: American Beauties

Jen from LadyLake Music contacted me to have a look at one of the bands from her company's roster: American Beauties, a folk-rock/pop band from Somerville, Massachusetts. I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of this genre, simply because it doesn't touch me as much as other genres do. However, it's a nice change between all the loud, yelling bands I usually listen to and I'm always happy about broadening my horizon with other genres.

Miles From Nowhere, the song I got for free, reminded me of Lady Antebellum at the beginning. I didn't know what to expect, but I was surpised in a positive way. Miles From Nowhere reminds me of warm summer nights, of sand under your bare feet, of a light breeze in your hair. It would be the perfect soundtrack for dancing in the rain with your loved one, for being happy, for celebrating the bright sides of life. 
Miles From Nowhere is only one song of the band's new album Too Worn To Mend, which they recorded with Grammy award winning engineer Ducky Carlisle, so if you like this kind of music, you'll love American Beauties! 

Find out more about them here: 

http://americanbeautiesmusic.com/

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We Came As Romans - Tracing Back Roots

When I went to work this morning, I thought to myself that it's time to liveblog again. I also noticed that it's time to check out one of the bands on my list, so I decided to combine these two realisations. I picked out We Came As Romans because they just released a new record called Tracing Back Roots. Feel free to join me here!

Tracing Back Roots

"Eight years ago I committed a sin and there were many more that followed with; some that changed my mind, some that broke me down but all of them made me who I am now." 
I have to admit that I don't know anything about We Came As Romans so what happened eight years ago? If you know it, drop a comment and enlighten me!

"Eight years ago I admitted a dream
To chase it I had to give up everything
But the things I've learned and the things I've found
All of them made me who I am now!"

Okay nevermind, I think I found the solution on my own.

I didn't see clean vocals coming at all and I surely didn't expect them to sound this good, oh my God wow. 

Fade Away

More clean vocals!! I'm already a fan -  what these guys do there is pretty damn amazing. I totally enjoy how there's no screaming at all, it fits to the song. 

I Survive

Looks like I can get used to the clean vocals and believe me, I'm more than happy about it. Their vocalists have such great voices. 
This song absolutely fulfills its purpose because it makes me feel like I can achieve everything I want. 

Ghosts

I like the guitars at the beginning and oh, he's screaming again okay. It reminds me a little of Memphis May Fire? This song is so good, I don't even know what else to say. I really like how they combine screaming and singing!

Present, Future, And Past

Ah, it's getting more aggressive again, great. I already see the mosh pits right in front of me, it's like I can smell and feel thousands of people going crazy around me.
Again We Came As Romans prove what great vocalists they have, I'm impressed. 

Never Let Me Go

This one might be my favourite song so far, bless this band. 

Hope

"I won't stop, I won't let my own passions fade away in my dreams"

Songs that encourage me to chase my dreams have a special place in my heart, that's for sure. 

Tell Me Now

Creating the lyrics for a song seems to be manageable in my eyes but how the hell do bands find the right melodies and tunes then? This is one of the songs that makes me think about this issue a lot, it just fascinates me. 

A Moment

We're getting closer to the end of the album, this song is good but I don't really know what to say about it so let's move on quickly. 

I Am Free

I guess I just really like this band - they could sing the names which are listed in a phone book and I'd still like it. Obviously this song is much better than a phone book, so. 

Through The Darkest Dark And The Brightest Bright

The title sounds like a vow at a wedding, the song itself may not be suitable for a traditional wedding though, I suppose. Apart from that, it's the perfect ending of a perfect record. 

It was the best decision I made in a while to check out We Came As Romans and if you don't already know them, you should do the same! I'm definitely in love. 

Album Of The Week: All Time Low - Dirty Work

I know I said that Don't Panic is the best album All Time Low ever recorded but I'm not too sure anymore. 


Dirty Work means emotions. It means love, energy and passion. It makes you think about what went wrong in your relationships, it helps you to get over these relationships. It makes you cry, it makes you smile, it makes you sing and it gives you hope. It contains the song I'd marry if I could: Time Bomb. It contains the song that makes me dance on the streets even though there are people around: Do You Want Me (Dead?). It contains the song which gives me this warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach: Get Down On Your Knees And Tell Me You Love Me. It contains songs that inspire me to write cheesy love scenes for no further purpose: No Idea, Under A Paper Moon and A Daydream Away. For all the kids out there who are too punk rock for "normal" Christmas songs, the four guys from Baltimore offer one that improves your holiday a hundred times: Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass. It contains songs I skip when I'm not in the mood for them.

Dirty Work is honest. It's pure, it's happy and it's melancholic. The mood of the whole record changes within minutes which is brilliant. It's more mature than Nothing Personal but not as mature as Don't Panic, it's everything I need to be happy for a while. 

Interview: Nobody Takes Vegas

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that Nobody Takes Vegas belong here like nobody else, that's why I asked them for a little interview. Jack Morrow, one of their guitarists, sat down to answer my questions. SPOILER ALERT: This is the best interview I posted so far, enjoy!

Q: Story behind your band name:

A: It all started with our old drummer and friend Ian. We had just finished writing a song, and he had proposed the name "Nobody Takes Vegas" for it. We asked him his reasoning behind it, to which he replied "when I went to high school, there was a security guard there named Vegas, and he was so tough that nobody could take him." We all liked the name so much along with the story that we decided to name the band that instead. Maybe one day the original NTV namesake song will resurface itself.

Q: What inspired you to start a band?

A: This response would probably be different for every member of the band you ask, but I've personally been playing in "bands" and performing since I was 7 or 8, starting with playing trombone in elementary school all the way up until high school. I picked up guitar when I was thirteen and played in two different rock bands with my best friends in high school, mostly covering songs by Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, even Miley Cyrus. One fateful day, I heard a style of music I had never heard before. Rhythmically it reminded me of pop punk or alt rock, but the chords and timbre of the guitar were so far beyond what I had been hearing at the time and I decided I wanted to make music like that. I had already known Harrison from working together previously, and had met Nick through a mutual friend of ours. From there the two of them pulled some strings and we eventually wound up with Rob and Jimmy in the band, and it worked.

Q: With which band would you like to work one day?

A: We've already opened for He is Legend, one of myself and Harrison’s favorite bands, and even have another show with them coming up on August 10th, so that option's out the window. I guess the only option left would be to raise Kurt Cobain from the dead and tour with Nirvana. Get back to me if you know any necromancers.

Q: How will you survive the zombie apocalypse?

A: This is a tough one, as many would opt for the classic motorcycle/chainsaw combination, but zombies are way too fast nowadays for this to work. Fortunately they're physically weak, so a bunker with plenty of firearms, ammo, and rations would be sufficient for a short while. I haven't seen World War Z yet, so if they've presented a be-all end-all solution to the zombie apocalypse, I'd like to hear their input.

Q: FMK (fuck, marry, kill) with your band members - GO!

A: Fuck: Toss-up between Nick and Jimmy
Marry: Rob
Kill: Harrison (sorry man)

Q: If you were a woman for a day, what would you do?

A: Probably the same things I usually do, except I'd be playing with my hair and boobies quite a bit more.

Q: Would you rather have Nicolas Cage play the lead role in every movie you watch, or Nickelback sing every song you'll ever hear?

A: Nicholas Cage, obviously. I hear he plays a mean Disney Princess.

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New Discovery: Reboot The Robot

I hope you guys are having a lovely sunday, today I'd like to introduce Jon Ware, also known as Reboot The Robot, from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Jon started making music in 2008, has released 4 albums so far and I got the chance to listen to his new album Wellesbourne, which will be released on July 30th. 

First of all I'd like to say that this is one of the prettiest album covers I've ever seen, it fits perfectly to the album. 

Wellesbourne contains 12 songs which are definitely ready to occupy your heart and soul. Jon has a very warm, pleasant and calm voice what has the effect that it immediately carried me away from all the things that were bothering me before I pressed play. Furthermore he proves that he can't just touch people's souls with slower songs like Break Before You Bend, he can also make you dance with By My Side.

These are songs you listen to when you actually need a hug, when you need somebody to tell you that everything is going to be okay. These are songs you can listen to on repeat for hours without getting tired of them. Many of them start acoustically, so there's the danger of them sounding the same but that's not the case here. Every song has its own power, its own sound and its own message. 

This record takes you on a journey of feelings, it makes you think about your own life, your own experiences and memories but Jon also shared his own experiences and feelings through the lyrics. There's no way of denying what a talented musician he is and if you won't check him out after reading this, you're definitely missing out on some amazing music. 

Thanks to Jon for the free music!

Now it's your turn: Go check out Reboot The Robot on Youtube, give him a like on Facebook and follow him on twitter!

Interview: Our Own Invention

It's time for another interview before I have to work until Friday. Our Own Invention are one of the first bands I ever reviewed (check it out here: [x]) and I'm really happy about the fact that I'm still working with them! 

Here are their answers to my questions: 

Q: Story behind your band name:

A: Our Ex bassist who has worked with us sometime in our sophomore/Junior year came up with the name after he saw a dream. He thought it was a cool name and gave me a phone call. Although we have parted ways with him, it's all under good terms. His name is Alex Ybarra and he's now playing in another band called Ridgeway.

Q: Who's your bigger inspiration?

A: There are so many people who inspire us to keep making music. Many come from our favorite bands, family, close friends, and our awesome fans who are always there to support. Thank you all for sticking around with us this far!

Q: Name 3 bands you want to work with!

A: As a band, we have so many wonderful artists we would love to work with. We really can't narrow it down to 3 bands but we've worked with Ian Berg of In Her Own Words back in February of last year when we recorded our record, Nose Goes EP (music available for free downloads over at ourowninvention.bandcamp.com). We have future plans to work with him again to record our LP and work with Bert of Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! for Mixing/Mastering though we can't say anything for sure as its only a part of our future plans.

Q: What are your plans for the future? Are there new songs coming soon?

A: We are moving out to Colorado as a band to start school. We will be busy getting everything together and getting used to the new life though we plan to keep the band going. We can't say we will be putting any new music out, though you could expect our first full length album sometime in the future!

Q: What's something you can't live without?

A: Something WE can't live without personally would be music. That goes for listening to, creating, discovering, ect. It's affected our lives in so many different ways, it's become an everyday routine to be involved with music.

Q: If you could be part of any music video, which one would it be and why?

A: I would love to have been in the video for Traveller (The Fool) by In Hearts Wake. The nature in that video is just gnarly. We'd be so down to play in Australia!! 

Q: Message to your fans:

A: For anyone who has been supporting OOI from the beginning as well as the many new recent followers and fans, we are so happy to have you all. We would be nothing without your help and support. Whether you buy our music or download our music for free, to know that people actually care is such an amazing feeling. So thank you guys for being the best, friendly, and extremely supportive fans. We are always striving to thank our peeps. We love you all so much. Keep your eyes and ears open for new material in the future! Stay Gooey For OOI \m/ 

Y'all should definitely go and check them out, you won't regret it!

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letlive. - The Blackest Beautiful

Five days ago, letlive., four guys from LA, released their new record The Blackest Beautiful and if you haven’t already listened to it, I recommend you do so immediately. Before I started to write about it, I listened to the commentary given by Jason Butler, lead vocalist of the band, on Spotify and let me tell you, the thought and work alone that have gone into these 11 songs is nothing short of impressive.

The Blackest Beautiful kicks off with Banshee, a song which is intended to reflect the different stages the album went through until it became the beautiful record that we can listen to today. Empty Elvis follows this, as a sequel of sorts to Banshee. It deals with the way the entertainment industry works, and explains the changes that people can go through as they entirely devote themselves to their dream.

Some culturally conscious topics are also brought up in this record. For example, in song number three, White America’s Beautiful Black Market, the issues of being born into restrictive environments are explored, especially discussing how differing circumstances of birth can determine people’s futures. Furthermore, this song is also a commentary on the state of the health system in America. Of this subject, Jason says the following: “There is a sickness that is spread throughout societies and it’s intentional. They want to keep us sick." A statement which arguably says a lot in itself.
The Priest And Used Cars discusses faith and the ignorance which results from the blind following of ideology, whether it’s religious or scientific. One of the most important things gained from this is that having individual opinion is imperative to the wellbeing of society.

As well as covering political arguments, this album handles some of Jason’s personal demons. In Dreamer’s Disease he discusses his struggle to place someone in a position of trust and to be able to open up, while Virgin Dirt is meant to reveal how he has difficulty with love in general. He tries to live his life as normal as possible and yet he says that relationships are tightly connected to self-sabotage. Pheromone Cvlt even describes how Jason failed being “the" man for a woman, how he failed being in a relationship; he even provides conflicting imagery by describing love as a war.

Concluding the record is 27 Club, a song that reflects the recklessness in Jason’s life and an amazing end to an amazing record.

The Blackest Beautiful turned out to be a challenge for me. The lyrics caused, and still cause, me to reflect a lot. Jason has a very special way of handling words and putting them together and sometimes it is difficult to understand what his intentions are. If you’re already a fan of letlive., I’m sure you’ll love this album as much as I do and if you’re going to listen to them for the first time, you’ll get used to their sound. All in all I believe that this is one of the best records of 2013 so far.

Go To Hell For Heaven's Sake - A Playlist

I'm in the best mood today *raising my sarcasm sign*, so I felt like doing a nice little playlist for everybody who pisses me off and who pisses my readers off. Let's kick some asses!

Bring Me The Horizon - Go To Hell, For Heaven's Sake

The title speaks for itself, I suppose; I chose this video because a) I couldn't find the album version and b) I was there and it was awesome. 

Bring Me The Horizon - Antivist

Middle fingers up, if you don't give a fuck!! Also this song contains so many swear words to scream that you'll immediately feel better. 

Bullet For My Valentine - Leech

Hey, leech, no longer will you suck my blood, you can't keep away, you need another taste.

Hey, leech, you think that you are here to stay, you can't keep away, you need another taste.

Memphis May Fire - Generation: Hate

This one is for our whole generation, especially for those who are so brave and cyber bully others. 

Of Mice & Men - I'm A Monster

Austin (or whoever wrote this song), is better with words than I am, so I'm just gonna quote again: "For every backstabbing lie and the whispers, I'll shove this down your throat!"

I can only recommend to sing/scream/yell along. 

Of Mice & Men - Ben Threw

Gather around children, I'd like to tell you a story. In my last year at secondary school, I had one friend. We were close, it was great, I really liked her, I thought she'd like me, too. I was pretty unstable around the time of final exams, I made it through somehow when suddenly this girl stopped talking to me. I tried talking to her but she always ran away until I called her and asked what her problem was. The reply I got was the following: "You're so depressed, I can't do this anymore."
Well, you know, good thing that you never walked a single mile in my shoes, so of course to you, my time at school didn't seem as horrible as I experienced it. That's okay though, fuck you. :-) 

Paramore - Anklebiters

When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Hayley comes to me, speaking words of wisdom: "Fall in love with yourself because someday you're gonna be the only one you've got."

It's sad enough that she's completely right with this. Sooner or later, everybody's gonna leave you, apparently that's how life works. 

Pierce The Veil feat. Kellin Quinn- King For A Day

So sick of playing, I don't want this anymore. The thought of you is no fucking fun, you want a martyr, I'll be one because enough's enough we're done!

Sleeping With Sirens - If You Can't Hang

It took me quite a long time to learn that you can't force people to stay. If they don't want to be your friend anymore, alright. If they want to go, let them go. In 99% of all cases you're better off without them and in a couple of years you'll look back and think "Thank God I got rid of that *insert whatever you like*"

Asking Alexandria - A Lesson Never Learned

Because no matter how many people I will meet in my life, I will always make the same mistakes and trust the wrong ones. 

New Discovery: Military Arcade

It's been forever since I got in touch with a band who'd like me to write about them, so I'm very happy about introducing Military Arcade from Newbury, UK today.

Military Arcade was formed in 2008 by Aaron (lead vocals & bass) and Ashley (vocals & guitar) Miles and with their drummer Mark Bilton, they released a 2 track EP.

However, Mark left in 2012, so Tom Hutchings took his place and has been the drummer ever since.
Military Arcade won Best Live Act 2012 at the Exposure Music Awards in London, in 2013 they released their first full-length album Revolution Is Imminent and toured the UK.

I had a closer look (and listen) at this album and if you like rock music, you’ll definitely dig this record.  

Revolution Is Imminent offers 11 energetic, passionate tracks which make you want to jump around and flip your hair because they all sound different from each other. I’ve never heard these songs before, but when ‘The Grouch’ came up, I turned up the volume and felt like I’m at a huge concert with thousands of other people.

Aaron definitely convinced me with his vocals. He sounds great when it gets loud in ‘Reptilia’, he sounds great when it gets quiet in ‘Fountain Of Youth’, he sounds great when he screams in ‘Viva La Revolution’. I'd love to hear him do an acoustic performance though, that could be interesting!

I’d also like to talk about the intro of ‘No Money’. It’s one of those intro’s that make me want to learn how to play the guitar because it just kicks ass along with the whole song. 

This record is a win in every way, as you might have figured out I fell in love with it a little so you should go and check it out! I seriously can’t wait to see (and hear) what these guys will create throughout their career!

Revolution Is Imminent is available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Deezer and Google and for those of you who still think hardcopies are cooler than digital copies, you should go here: 

http://www.militaryarcade.co.uk/

Another way of supporting these guys is giving them a thumb up on Facebook and/or following them on twitter. 

Album Of The Week: Imagine Dragons - Night Visions

I'm always literally five years too late with everything I put on this blog, simply because it takes me forever to realise how good certain bands actually are. This time four guys from Vegas are the lucky ones, they're also known as Imagine Dragons and supply the soundtrack of my week. I haven't bought the record yet, so Spotify had to help me out for this review. 

Imagine Dragons are obviously too great to "save the best for last" because their debut album kicks off with their most famous song "Radioactive". At first I didn't like it at all, then Rock am Ring happened and did its magic - I didn't even see this band live but it was enough for me that they showed their performance on the huge screens next to the stages while we waited for the next band (can be watched here: [x]). Meanwhile I sing along to this song from the top of my lungs and it's the best feeling ever (sidenote: If you don't do this heavy breath right at the beginning, you can't enjoy the song at its fullest). 

The next two songs, Tiptoe and It's Time, are perfect for summer. For that time of the year when everybody is in a good mood simply because it's warm and you can sit outside for the whole night.
As happy as these songs sound, the next one is a lot calmer. I really like how Demons slowly builds up and then explodes in the chorus, it makes the whole song sound even more powerful.
On Top Of The World gives us some life advice we all should definitely keep in mind: "If you love somebody better tell them while they're here 'cause they may just run away from you." 

The last song I'd like to talk about is "Bleeding Out". I don't exactly know what it is, but something about it makes me want to be in a relationship and have a dramatic fight while this song is playing in the background. This is the kind of song you listen to on repeat for hours when you feel horrible and it actually helps.

All in all this is an amazing start for an even more amazing career. I'm one gazillion percent sure that Imagine Dragons will take over the world sooner or later (rather sooner I suppose) and I'm very excited to see what else they'll come up with in the future! 

Interview: The God We Create

I worked with Ben before what you can read here: [x] 
He's making music on his own, so if you're looking for a band you could play in, hit him up!

Here are his answers to my questions: 


Q: Story behind your band name:

A: I feel people create and put things ahead of what really matters and the name comes from that idea. 

Q: How long have you been making music? 

A: Several years

Q: Who's your biggest inspiration? 

A: That is a tough one. I'd say life, as cliche as it sounds. As far as music, I listen to just about everything but I am a punk, hardcore, and metal fan for life.

Q: What's your biggest dream concerning your career? 

A: Hard to say since it is just getting started. It is currently just myself (Ben Thomason) writing, producing, etc.. So hopefully a band and extensive touring. 

Q: What are your plans for the future? Is there new music coming soon? 

A: Again, touring. I also just finished Pre- pro for the EP. I can't promise a date, but I'd say before the end of the year.

Q: If your house was burning, what would you take outside with you? 

A: My cats. 

Q: Would you rather do a world tour with Justin Bieber or listen to nothing but Taylor Swift for the rest of your life? 

A: Tour with Justin! Im not a huge fan of his music but I have a lot respect for him for living the dream!

Q: Message for your fans: 

A: If you have supported me in any way, THANK YOU! If you have never heard of me check it out! I love you all and appreciate the support! Keep an eye out for the EP. It will be available on all digital outlets once released. Again thank you and hit me up on twitter @thegodwecreate

Go follow Ben on twitter, give him a like on Facebook and check out his music here: [x]

Interview: Liar, Liar

Good morning guys! In order to keep this blog a bit more interesting, I've been trying to get e-mail interviews with some bands. I already worked with most of them so it was easier to get in touch. However, I also sent out requests to some "bigger" bands but we'll talk about it again if I get a reply from their press contacts. 

The first interview was with Liar, Liar from the UK. I introduced them here: [x]

Enjoy!

Q: What's the story behind your band name?

A: Joe was looking through his DVD collection for some inspiration for band names and the only two that stood out were Legally Blonde and Liar Liar. 

Q: What inspired you to make music in the first place?

A: listen to bands such as Blink 182, New Found Glory and Sum 41 growing up.

Q: If you could play in any music video, which one would it be and why?

A: Hmm, tough question. It would have to be the First Date video from Blink 182, wearing wigs and fake moustaches would be a treat.

 Q: With which band would you like to work in the future?

A: bands such as The Story So Far and The Wonder Years, those guys are going to take over the world.

Q: Who's your guilty pleasure?

A: Music-wise? As a band I think our guilty pleasure would be the Bee Gees. Those guys are legends.

Q: If your house was burning, which three items would you take outside with you?

A(Liam):  My bass, my dog and any bags or Doritos or tubes of Pringles that are stashed away in the cupboard.

Q: Would you rather play a world tour with Justin Bieber or listen to nothing but Taylor Swift for the rest of your life?

A: Play a world tour with the Bieb!! Playing in front of 30,000 people every day would be more than amazing. Even if they are Beliebers.

Q: Message to your fans:

A: We have a new single coming out at the end of the summer! Keep your eyes peeled! It's quite possibly our best music yet. Peace!

Go follow them on twitter and like them on Facebook !

Album Of The Week: Paramore - Paramore

With over 26 million likes on Facebook and over 2 million followers on twitter, Paramore belongs to the most popular pop punk bands our generation has to offer. I never really liked them; I thought they're okay and there must be something about them that makes people like them but I never understood. Well, then Rock am Ring came, Hayley Williams totally blew me away and literally the first thing I did when I came back home was buying this album. 

Paramore's self-titled album kicks off with a song called "Fast In My Car", a very catchy and promising start for the record itself.
Even if you don't know who this band is, you definitely know the song "Now" because they play it everywhere. Paramore has a rather troubled past and this song deals with it in an impatient way ("If there's a future, we want it now!").
The next few songs deal with topics like growing up and the effects it has on you, leaving people behind who aren't good for you anymore and it sounds a lot like Hayley is processing a relationship which didn't work out. Furthermore there's no way of denying what a great lyricist Hayley is, for example in Last Hope: "Every night I try my best to dream tomorrow makes it better and I wake up to the cold reality and not a thing is changed but it will happen."
My favourite song on the record has to be Still Into You. It sounds so unburdened and happy and when you take a closer look, that's exactly what it's about. "It's not a walk in the park to love each other but when our fingers interlock, can't deny, can't deny you're worth it cause after all this time, I'm still into you."
I'm just going to quote the next song, Anklebiters, here because it contains some very accurate life advice: "Fall in love with yourself because someday you're gonna be the only one you've got!"
These were the songs that made an impression on me right after listening to them for the first time, all in all this is a very successful album everybody should have in their CD collection.