New Discovery: Monday's Mona Lisa

I've been back on twitter for roughly two days, and I already discovered a handful of amazing bands. I'd like to talk about one of them today: Monday's Mona Lisa from Florida.

Their debut EP Who I Want To Be contains five songs which definitely deserve your attention.

Start, the first song on the record, immediately convinces with a catchy tune and well-worked lyrics; it's the kind of song you listen to when you're in a good mood and want to celebrate that.
Up next is Demon, a slower, more thoughtful track which reminds me of Twin Atlantic (who are amazing, so there's that.) What's so great about this song is that you can identify with the lyrics so easily, and the vocals deliver the emotions of the song very clearly.
Want To Be is up next and with this guitar part we're already off to a great start. Apart from that, we get meaningful lyrics again and you get so caught up in the song that you only notice that it's over when What's He Got On Me is on with some fresh, faster tunes and the potential of staying in your head for a while.
Last but not least, there's Hurt. The title probably speaks for itself, so you can expect a stripped down song with acoustic guitars and a piano; you can expect sad lyrics with sad vocals and you can expect wanting to hear more than these five songs.
Monday's Mona Lisa definitely have everything a band needs to make it big, now they only need more people to appreciate and support them. Go and download their EP on their website (it's free so) and give them a follow/thumbs up/subscribe on/to their social networks! Supporting upcoming bands is super important, especially when they're this talented!

ALSO if you really want to help these guys out, do the following: 

• comment as often as possible on the following videos: [x] & [x]
• like their facebook page (link is up there)
• tell your friends to join the game!

New Discovery: Those Who Seek

Between all the preparation for university and writing for The Wellz Street Journal, I sometimes forget that I have a blog to run, too. In other news: Sorry for the lack of posts, it shall get better soon! 

Today I got some free music by a band from Manchester, UK called Those Who Seek. They released their debut EP Because Really, We're Just Animals on July 12th 2013 and will tour the UK this month (so, if you can go to see them, do it!)

Those Who Seek classify themselves as "progressive heavy pop punk" band what couldn't be more accurate. The record contains breakdowns and screaming (e.g. in Look To The Skies), acoustic guitars and clean vocals. It offers passion, emotions, stories and experiences we all have to make sooner or later, for example in Run From Me. It's a pity that there are only four songs on the record, I'd love to hear more! 

Now it's your turn: go listen to Because Really, We're Just Animals on bandcamp and give the band a like on facebook!

Thanks for the music, guys!

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New Discovery: Double Lined Minority

Today I've got something for the lovers of pop punk: Double Lined Minority from Gold Coast, Australia. Founded in 2009, the four guys released their debut EP "Calling All Liars" on June 18th 2013 and I highly recommend you go check it out. 

The record kicks off with Stop Me, a song which already makes you want to mosh around your room because it has everything a good song of this genre needs. 

Song number two, I Hate This Song And So Should You, could easily be by Fall Out Boy before they came back to save Rock and Roll (and I'm not just saying that because of the title). I like how catchy it is and Eddie, Double Lined Minority's vocalist, has a very pleasant voice which fits perfectly with the sound of the band's music. 

Loved, song number three, is my favourite on the whole album. It contains some very accurate lyrics combined with an amazing guitar part at the end, and who doesn't "just wanna be loved"?

The next song has the most accurate title ever: Facebook Likes Don't Make You Famous (I'd suggest the band gets this printed on shirts and adds them to their merch, I'd wear one!)
Smoke And Mirrors is the end of a promising record. Double Lined Minority definitely is a talented band with much to come in the future and "Calling All Liars" is just the beginning of something great!

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New Discovery: Lacey

It's been a while since I had a new band to introduce but today I'm supposed to review a band from Nottingham, UK: Lacey. They asked The Wellz Street Journal for a review about their current EP "Outlaws" and I gladly sat down to write a few words. 

Lacey are: Graham Turner (lead vocals and bass), Josh Lewin (guitar and vocals), Pete Maksymiw (guitar) and Dave Pearson (drums and vocals).
Formed in 2010, the four-piece band already released two EPs and achieved several things, for example headlining the Red Rooms Stage at Hit the Deck Festival. 

Their current EP, "Outlaws", contains four songs which emphasise the band's talent and passion. Throughout the whole record, it's noticeable what a pleasant voice Graham has and how well the other members build their instruments around it. It doesn't matter whether it's a fast song like "Burning Out" or a slower song like "Hometown" - Lacey perfectly manage to capture you and make you wish for more than four songs. At least that's what happened to me so I really hope there will be more songs coming soon!

Since you all fully trust my taste, go and check the band out here: 

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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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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. 

New Discovery: Like Vultures

Sometimes I receive mails from people who ask me to check out their band. I always do and last night I got a message on facebook from Jacob Krueger, vocalist in Like Vultures. He said they sound like Memphis May Fire so of course I was curious and they didn't disappoint me. 
Founded in January 2013, the post-hardcore band from Washington just started working on their career but it already sounds pretty promising. Jacob Krueger (vocalist), Tristen Guillam (drummer), Angel Garcia (vocalist), Caleb Oakes (bassist) and Billy Howard (guitarist) released their first EP (Obsessed) on January 9th 2013. There are nine tracks, including a cover of Taylor Swift's We Are Never Getting Back Together. I wasn't able to check out the lyrics so this time I only focus on what I hear. 

After listening to the whole record once, I can definitely say that I dig it. A lot. The voices of the vocalists go together very well and there's not a single song I'd want to skip. However, I have to admit that I miss a slower song in between just to take a breathe and because I'd like to know how it would sound. 

All the songs contain some pretty nice guitar parts, for example at the beginning of The Truth, which is my favourite song on the record by the way. 

The cover of We Are Never Getting Back Together is brilliant. It starts so innocent and basically like the original and suddenly he starts to scream and you just don't expect it. Who thought that this song could be material to mosh with hundreds of other people? I definitely didn't. 

Not even 24 hours passed since I listened to Like Vultures for the first time but they're already in the top 3 of my favourite New Discoveries. Jacob said they'll try to tour here in Europe somewhen next year and I just really hope that's going to happen. 

Go check them out, show some love and let me know what you think of them!

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New Discovery: Fires Over Broadway

Today I present you a post-hardcore/metalcore band from Leeds, UK: Fires Over Broadway. 

currently the lineup is the following five members: George Wild (Vocals), Andrew Gula-Walker (Guitar), Alex Coulson (Guitar/Synth), Tom Jepson (Bass/Vocals) and Callum Shields (Drums).

Fires Over Broadway have spent almost the whole of the past year writing and preparing to play live, so they'll soon be ready for recording their first full length album which will most likely be recorded in the USA at the end of the year.
If you live in the UK you should pay attention now because the guys will start playing live in June - they'll even play main stage at Khaos Festival on Sunday, 4th August!

Let's take a closer look at their first single Cowards Don't Give Second Chances. There's already a proper video available:

The beginning already reminds me a lot of Asking Alexandria in a good way, the vocals aren't as rough and deep as Danny Worsnop's though so now I rather think of Memphis May Fire. All in all the video is pretty intense, I love the part when they all bang their heads at the same time, it looks awesome with the lights in the background. 

So, if you like Asking Alexandria, A Day To Remember, We Came As Romans, Crossfaith, Memphis May Fire, Capture The Crown, Woe Is Me or Of Mice & Men, you'll definitely like Fires Over Broadway - go check them out! 

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PS: Don't be confused when you'll see the same entry again in german, I just want to make sure that as many people as possible check out this band. 

New Discovery: All New Atmosphere

I finally found a new band to introduce: All New Atmosphere from Woodbridge, New Jersey. 

First of all, All New Atmosphere are: Alex Farkas (Vocals), Chris Petronzio (Guitar), Juan Melendez (Bass & Vocals), Brian Boxley (Guitar) and Chris Dorocki (Drums). They began making music together in 2012 what I honestly didn't expect. When you listen to their self-titled EP (released on April 20th 2012) you could think they've been playing together since forever.

The first song on the record is called Better Left Alone. I suppose the title speaks for itself, sometimes it's just better to leave people behind and move on without them. The first thing I noticed while listening to this song is how remarkable Alex's voice sounds. I mean, he hits these high notes as if it's nothing, if I tried that it would sound like....yeah well let's not talk about my lack of talent in singing but move on to the next song instead.
Hangin Over is one of my favourite songs on the EP. It's fast, catchy and makes you want to dance around. What I don't really understand is this one line where it says "I'm hanging onto twenty one and even if she tries to leave, I'll never never let her." Who or what is twenty one? 

Song number three is called All The Same and contains some damn fine guitar parts. I know that I usually focus a whole lot on lyrics and the singer so it's time to say that this band has some very talented guitarists who turn their music into something really special. 

I belong to the girls who have troubles showing who they really are. The girls who tend to pretend to be somebody else because that makes them think people will rather like them. The girls who hide their passions. Ladies, that's bullshit. All New Atmosphere seem to agree because their fourth song, Colors, is basically about that. They keep asking why you hide your colours because they're "a beautiful work of art" and they also keep asking "why you go and change them when you're perfect the way you are".
In other news: We're all great just the way we are and I really love that bands spread this message through their music. 

The last song, Falling Without A Parachute, is about the moment in a friendship when you're not sure anymore whether you're still friends or not and what happened to lead to this situation. You think it's your fault that there's this weird tension so you even ask for a second chance ("If I asked for another chance id wonder if you would say yes?") even though you know that it probably won't work out anyway ("I'm pretty sure when this is over, you're gonna turn your back"). 

Apart from this EP they covered some cool songs which you should check out, too:

Bruno Mars - Locked Out Of Heaven and

Adele - Set Fire To The Rain

Now it's time for you to go and check All New Atmosphere out because a) they make beautiful music, b) they're really talented and c) they deserve all the support. 

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New Discovery: Watch Us Fade

Well, actually the heavy metal band from Tamworth, England isn't that new to me because I'm friends with one of their guitarists. However, they're pretty heavy so it took me a while to get used to the sound and to find the proper words for a review.

Watch Us Fade was formed in 2011 and already went through several line-up changes and two album releases. Their current album, Past, Present, Hell, was released on March 29^th 2013 with the following band members: Connor Sanders (Vocalist), Jack Crooke (Lead Guitarist), Tom Phillips (Rhythm Guitarist), Joe Spencer (Bassist) and Cassius Hewitt-Dudding (Drummer).

If I had to summarise this EP with three words, I'd say: darkness, rage and death.
The first song, A Peaceful Dark World is short but the message is clear: “Imagine death, no people, no feelings, only a peaceful dark world.“
That the world isn't peaceful at all show the songs that follow. Iratus made me really uncomfortable to be honest because the lyrics make me feel like I'm in a horror movie or something (“Tear your heart out from the inside, rip apart your fucking spine, smash your face in with a hammer, cut you up then spit you out, I'll cut off your fucking eyelids, so that you can see my work, ...“). Combined with Connor's deep voice this is the best way to show a girl that she shouldn't fuck around with these guys if she doesn't want to be tortured to death.
The third song, Under Black Banners, is my favourite. I'm not distracted by the lyrics this time so I can actually pay attention to the instruments. I really like the guitar solo in the middle for a change! Furthermore I think this song is the least close to death with lyrics like: “Break free! Unwrap the chains of a broken society and express yourself!“
The anger and rage in Iratus travel from one person to the whole society and the last song, Cadaverous, partly picks up the topic of Under Black Banners. I'm so impressed by how fast Connor can scream because I had already troubles listening, reading the lyrics and following his voice, especially at the beginning of the song. I assume there are many of us who don't fit into society's standards for whatever reasons and this song perfectly sums up what's wrong with these standards.

As a conclusion I can say that Watch Us Fade are slightly too heavy for me but if you'd like some more dark music in your life you should definitely check them out!

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New Discovery: I've Got Gloria

It all started with a tweet: “Our bassist has agreed to take everyone out for dinner and a movie to who help try and reach 7000 followers!“
I've been following the five guys from Niagara Falls, Ontario for a while but this tweet caught my attention. Obviously (and unfortunately) it was a joke but they got their 7000 followers, I had something to laugh at and a new band to write about.
I've Got Gloria are: Vocalist Matthew Dell, bassist and soon broke because of all the dinner invitations Jeremy Morocco, drummer Nicholas Plati and the guitarists Antonio Cirillo and Jason Golden. They started making music together in 2007 and released their EP Rebuilt on August 27^th 2012.

The first song on the record, Ange Avenue, created a little film in my mind while listening. Two teenagers are driving in a car, he tries to get closer to her, she rejects him and leaves. Later I find out that they were in a relationship which she ended and now he tries to get her back while standing alone at the corner of his heart. I see him walking around at night with all the memories on his mind but before I know how the film ended, I'm back to reality.
The next song totally contrasts with the first one: Better Now reminds me of summer, of long nights, of being happy. It's about a boy and a girl who leave together to a better place, he seems to love her a lot because he says he'd die for her. This is one of the songs I'd marry a guy for if he wrote it for me.
Oh the joy – I'm taken back to school again, to science class this time. Chemicals is about the end of a relationship, the writer's attraction for his partner will die soon. If I was better in chemistry I could probably say more about the metaphors but thanks to the talent of the whole band you don't have to understand the lyrics in order to get the message of the song.

Our Time basically is a song about the band, about how hard they work to fulfill their dreams and how they'll manage to stand out in the crowd. I can definitely picture these guys playing in front of a huge crowd because they manage to deliver emotions through their songs and if music isn't connected to emotions then I don't know what's the purpose of it.
The last song on the record, Rebuilt, is about love again, especially about the beginning when you're so in love that it feels like you're high.

So, you should go and check out I've Got Gloria for two reasons: First, they take you on a rollercoaster of feelings while you listen to their songs and secondly they are really talented musicians who deserve some more recognition. 

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New Discovery: The God We Create

“Art never comes from happiness.“
That's what Chuck Palahniuk, american author and journalist once said and looking at the singer I want to present you today, this quote seems to be very accurate.

17 year old Ben Thomason from Nashville, Tennessee is also known as The God We Create, a hardcore solo project. His six songs sound a lot like Bring Me The Horizon and I have to be in the mood for them because they're too heavy for me to be listened to 24/7.
Looking at the lyrics you can see that Ben has already been through a lot. The first song is called Goodbye and tells the story of death taking somebody you were close to. It tells the story of how you continue living even though it's a lot more difficult now (“My world's gone dark with you gone“), how you constantly have this person on your mind (“When I dream, I dream of you“) and how you'd do everything to bring them back (“Take my hand I'll bring you home, take my hand I won't let go“). As sad as this song is, the end offers some inspirational lyrics I didn't expect while listening: “I swear no matter how bad it may seem or how awful it may get, there is hope around the corner for each and every one of you.“
Hands down: I don't know many 17 year old boys but the ones I know would never come up with lyrics like these.
The second song, Long Gone, is in no way inferior to Goodbye. While listening you can literally feel the sadness, anger and disappointment raging in Ben because this song is very raw, very real. I can't imagine how it feels when your family is torn and I also can't imagine how it feels to leave a part of your family behind to start over without them but Long Gone really touched me and I'm quite impressed because Ben managed to turn his negative feelings into something positive that he can share with the whole world.
I don't know how many of you heard the story of Katelyn Norman, a girl who suffered from cancer for a long time and passed away last week. I only heard about her because she was a big fan of Of Mice & Men and the whole band, especially Austin Carlile, was there for her until the end. I assume that Ben knew her because he wrote a song for her which sent shivers down my spine and I get goosebumps only from reading the lyrics. Rest in Peace, Katelyn.

The other four songs are as raw as the ones I mentioned and I honestly think that Ben can make it far when he gets some more support and a record label behind him to boost his talent.

http://www.reverbnation.com/thegodwecreate

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New Discovery: Another Mask

“dep·o·si·tion (dp-zshn)
n.
1. The act of deposing someone; removing a powerful person from a position or office
2. The act of depositing, especially the laying down of matter by a natural process.
3. Something deposited; a deposit.
4. Sworn testimony recorded for use in court at a later date.
5. "Deposition" The removal of Jesus from the cross.

This record tells a story of an intelligent civilization that is gradually becoming aware of itself and its place in the universe. Each song represents a step in perceiving the nature of things that increases the scale of known universe, making an individual less and less significant.
It is a message to any other species telling that it is possible to overcome greed, selfishness, ignorance and superstition and to prosper in knowledge, love and peace.“
This is what Another Mask have to say about their second record Deposition which they released on March 7^th 2013. Pavel Kazantsev (vocalist), Maxim Gribanovsky (guitarist), Oleg Sharikov (guitarist), Andrey Rozhkov (bassist) and Artem Taganov (drummer) are five guys from Moscow, Russia who started making music together in 2006 what you can definitely hear on their record. The twelve songs on Deposition deal with serious issues like the fast development of our society and how we can find our place in it (“So we grasp whatever hands can reach trying hard to show that we are the masters of this tiny place that we call home“). However, no matter what we do, we'll never be more than “ the smallest cogs rotating endlessly inside this perfect clock“ what's a symbol for our society again and a line in their fifth song Perfect Clock. I like this song a lot because it perfectly describes the vicious circle we currently live in.

The eighth song on the record is my favourite: Origin Locus offers great lyrics just like “The greatest secret is kept forever from our eyes, so one can just surmise. I think it might be the reason we breathe, the reason we keep this fire bright, I think it might be the reason we fight, the reason we lock ourselves inside“. Apart from the lyrics, I like the pace of the song, especially how strong the guitars sound.
The next song takes me back to biology class at school: Natural Selection. I'm glad that I don't have to explain the concept of natural selection now because the lyrics of the song pretty much cover everything you need to know (and I was really bad at biology). I have to admit that I'm quite fascinated because of how the writer turned such a boring topic (sorry) into such a good song!

All in all Another Mask impressed me. Not only because the songs deal with these unusual topics but also because the lyrics are very well written. Even though english isn't the band's native language, the songs contain words I had to look up because I never heard them before but this formal language is something what definitely separates the band from other bands out there.
I want to lose one quick sentence about the artwork: Every song has a different cover fitting to the meaning of the song. For example the song Won't Last Forever has an hourglass as a cover or Perfect Clock has three cogs as a cover.

You can clearly see how much work, energy and passion stands behind the whole album so you should go and check Another Mask out right now and download Deposition!

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New Discovery: Shapes & Colors

“Oh my god, I'm amazed by this Shapes & Colors band!“
That's what my best friend said while she listened to Shapes & Colors, the next band I want to present you. The five guys from Detroit played as Aria Aesthetic for three years but then decided to start over as Shapes & Colors and consist of the following members: Travis Bobier and Aaron Loftis as vocalists and guitarists, Mike Morris as guitarist, Bob Allers as bassist, vocalist and violinist and Zack Waggener as drummer.
I totally agree with my best friend – Shapes & Colors are an amazing band. At first they reminded me a lot of You Me At Six but the more I listen to them, the more I figure out their special style. While doing my research I stumbled over a great phrase they put in the description of their website: “We now play music under the banner of Shapes & Colors, hoping to spread our message of hope; hope in times of despair. You can overcome the darkness that surrounds you if you keep your sights set on the light ahead of you.“
I really like the idea behind it because I believe that music has the power of helping people to get better. Sometimes it's even more effective than one session at a therapist; you can believe me because I'm speaking from experience.
Shapes & Colors released their first album Hold Your Breath on May 19^th 2012 which contains eleven fantastic songs. The Intro is already pretty great, I like how they worked with the violin there. I was hoping that the intro flows into the first full song, The Reckoning, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Apart from that, the next five songs are kept in the same fast, melodic style what I like a lot. Imagine them playing these songs at a concert and the whole crowd sings along, how awesome would that be!? What I also really like is how they work with the guitars, especially the parts where you can only hear them, it shows that there are some pretty talented musicians behind the instruments.
If these songs don't convince you of the talent of this band, the first slow song, Dear Sister, definitely will. Make sure you're in a quiet place, turn up the volume and enjoy. I love how fragile the song sounds because of the violin and how all the instruments take a step back to make place for Travis and his voice.
The tenth song on the record is Hold Your Breath. I don't really know what to say about it because it's just fantastic. It gives me this warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach, it makes me happy and it gives me hope.
The last song, Change, is one of the most beautiful songs I heard since I started discovering all the new bands. The piano and violin turn the song into something very special, combined with Travis' powerful voice it's the best song on the record and my absolute favourite.

I honestly don't understand why Shapes & Colors aren't signed because they're an amazing band and they deserve everything connected to a record label. I guess you can tell that I turned into a fan of them while doing this review so go and check them out, it'll be worth it!

http://www.shapesandcolorsmusic.com/

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New Discovery: Liar, Liar

Take a little bit of All Time Low, a little bit of You Me At Six, a little bit of Blink 182 and four guys from Sheffield and what you get is called Liar, Liar. Joe Daniels (guitarist and vocalist), Liam Bates (bassist and vocalist), Jake Lawton (guitarist) and Jack Dudill (drummer) started making music together in October 2011 and now they enrich the music industry with their first record He Said, She Said and four very catchy songs. Obviously Liar, Liar are on a very good way because they already shot a music video for the first song on the album: Heart Attack. Basically the song tells the story about how you're in a relationship with somebody who turns out to either be fake or just not good for you so you let them go. You move on, you stop missing them, you even find yourself in a new relationship which is great for you. However, your ex doesn't seem to get over it as well as you did so they show up at your house one day and find you with your new partner. At least that's how I'd interpret the video in connection to the song. Here you can watch the video!
In my opinion, Heart Attack is a very authentic song because most teenagers can relate to it somehow. I love how catchy it is, after listening to it for a couple of times I can basically sing along what's always a good sign.

The other songs on He Said, She Said aren't less catchy, in fact I've been listening to them the whole day while pretending I could dance. What I'm trying to say is that you should have a listen now because Liar, Liar aren't just one pop punk band in a million, they're really talented and I'm very curious to see where they will be in a couple of years because I'm sure they can make it to the top.

Check them out here: 

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New Discovery: Your Version My Story

I'm always fascinated about how bands find their names because I had already trouble finding a name for my blog and in the end it didn't come out as creative as I wished. Your Version My Story were a lot more successful there. Ben and Tom Price, two guys from Port Elizabeth, started making acoustic music under this name and by adding three more band members, the style of their music changed to a combination of electronic and acoustic over the last three years. Current members of Your Version My Story are: Ben Price, lead vocalist, Tom Price, lead guitarist and backup vocalist, Dill Jones, rhythm guitarist, Johnny Leyland plays the keyboard and synthesizer and Brennan Strydom plays the drums.
Whenever I review a band, I wonder what makes this band special, what separates it from other bands out there. Your Version My Story use the sound of a synthesizer and apart from Asking Alexandria I don't know another band who works with this instrument. Furthermore Your Version My Story is the first of my New Discoveries that has an acoustic song to offer: I'll Show You Hard To Get. I'm a big fan of acoustic songs anyway, simply because the voice of the vocalist gets most of the attention. Ben definitely deserves attention for his voice, he has quite a special sound and can be recognized easily.
Your Version My Story released four songs so far, three melodic, fast songs which remind me of Asking Alexandria somehow, and the acoustic song I mentioned before. After listening to the first song, Here To Stay, I was waiting for some more screaming but unfortunately there wasn't more (maybe on the next record?). This song is my favourite though, especially the beginning, I love how the instruments work together!

I'm actually surprised by the fact that the guys are unsigned because they're very talented, their songs are quality and I can totally picture them playing at Warped! I'll definitely keep an eye on Your Version My Story and you should do the same. Go download their songs here, give them a like and follow!!

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New Discovery: Drop The Anchor

This week I've been paying a lot of attention to new bands so I don't really have an album of the week. Instead I want to present you my favourite new discovery so far: Drop The Anchor.
In August 2011, five guys from Indianapolis, Indiana decided to start a band. Meanwhile four of them are left: Mark Lane as vocalist and guitarist, Harold Navarrete as guitarist, Eddie Rector as bassist and back-up vocalist and Bryan Davies as drummer and back-up vocalist. Their debut album In A Way, It's Everything was recorded with different members though and released on November 2^nd 2011, in October 2012, Drop The Anchor signed for Stand Firm Records.

In A Way, It's Everything kicks off with my favourite song on the whole record: Casino Destroyale. Love can be a risk, you can win everything at once as well as you can lose everything in seconds just like you can win or lose while gambling. The song tells the story of somebody who has been gambling with love but realised that it won't work out before it was too late. He managed to look through the pokerface of his partner and admitted that he can't gamble with a broken heart. Using this metaphor to describe the end of a relationship is brilliant in my opinion.
The topic of a horrible relationship is also what the second song, Actions, is about. However, the writer is getting more bitter and clearly states his opinion with less metaphors. He has been toyed around with, he has been lied to, he's sick and tired of the “ugly wicked“ who put him through so much pain. He's so tired of her that he wishes she'd die.
With the third song, Consummation Proclamation, we leave all the bad aspects of relationships behind and concentrate on the nice aspects: Sex and the feeling of being in love. Yes, this is a song about sex and I love it. There are (too) many songs about sex out there but there aren't many songs with such classy lyrics: “Our hearts they race to the beat of every single time our hips meet. Pull me in deeper baby, grip those sheets and when I hit the spot say my name for me.“ Halfway through the song you can hear a change, it's getting slightly slower and so do the lyrics. “I'm your knight in shining armor, I'm down on my knees. I'm begging please stay with me, I'm begging please lay with me.“ There's also a very talented lady singing with the band now, her name is Brooke Voils from the band Glorious Rebellion. Now the song sounds like a conversation which warms my heart and gives me hope that true love still exists somewhere out there. Now I also have to change my opinion and say that this song is my favourite because it has the biggest plot twist I ever heard.
The next song is the song I can relate to the least: Go Hard or Go Home is about partying and drinking and everything connected to it. In other words: Lyrics aside, the song is very catchy with some really nice guitars and some screaming and even if I don't drink, I can still have a party in my room with this song.
The last song on the record makes my heart ache in jealousy because it's obviously written for a very lucky girl. Alive, And Finally Mine shines again with amazing lyrics just like “you're the beat that keeps my heart in sync, the right in my wrongs...“ - hands down ladies, who doesn't want a song like this written for them? I'll marry the guy who does that for me.

As final words all I can say is that Drop The Anchor are a very talented band as a whole. Not only the lyrics are amazing, the instruments make the written words alive and guarantee five very catchy, passionate songs. I believe that these guys can make it far as a band!

Go check them out here: 

https://droptheanchorin.bigcartel.com/

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Have another New Discovery: Stuart Newman

Good morning guys! It's been going great lately, so here's already my next new artist to talk about!

At times where artists often feel the need to attract attention with weird outfits or crazy performances, artists who don't do that are hard to find. That's why I'm even more happy about being able to introduce Stuart Newman today, who attracts attention with his voice and guitar. In fact, his voice has the most unique sound I heard in a while what makes him, as an artist, even more interesting. 

Stuart Newman from Brighton (UK), released his first home recorded EP Single But Defective in 2009 and offered it for free all over the world, one year later he started recording his songs in a studio. Single But Defective offers 13 songs I'd listen to on a rainy day when I'm sad. I don't really know why, but for some reason these tracks are the perfect soundtrack for such days.
Stuart's second and current EP, Bored Of Idiot Chatter, was released on May 18th 2012 and you can definitely hear the progress he made as an artist. Compared to his first album, he added drums and more guitars what makes the songs sound less raw and simple. Furthermore, I noticed that these songs don't make me as sad while listening as the others did and all in all they remind me a lot of Mutemath. It was very interesting for me to listen to Stuart's songs as I'm generally very curious to hear what the music world has to offer apart from my beloved pop-punk, but I also have to admit that I'm not a big fan of this genre. Nevertheless it was a pleasure to make an exception for Stuart, you should give him a listen, it'll be worth it!

You can find him here and on the following social networks: 

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New Discovery: Farewell, My Love

I have to admit that Farewell, My Love aren't that new to me. In fact I've been a fan for a while so you can imagine how excited I am about finally getting into contact with them (well, as far as some replies on twitter count as contact).

What many teenagers, including myself, look for in music is a place to escape. A chance to forget our daily struggles and to let go. We look for bands who understand what's going on in our minds and who use their music to express our feelings. We let their lyrics speak for us, we let them inspire us to carry on, we let them give us strength to keep fighting.
Farewell, My Love definitely belong to the bands who are capable of doing this for me. They remind me of My Chemical Romance during their Welcome To The Black Parade era but vocalist Rian Howell has a very remarkable voice which separates his band from many other theatrical rock bands out there. The other four members, guitarists Röbby Creasey and Logan Thayer, bassist Charlee Conley and drummer Chad Kowal complete this unique style.
Founded in 2011, they released their first EP A Dance You Won't Forget the same year and were signed for Standby Records soon after.

This EP is quite impressive for a band's first EP because it lets the listener think that these guys haven't done anything else since forever when in fact they're only at the beginning of a promising career. My absolute favourite song on A Dance You Won't Forget is Just Another Soul. No matter how often I listen to it, it always sends shivers down my spine, mostly because of the lyrics. “Scars run down your arms to make you feel like something. I'm so lonely and it's killing me, it's tearing me apart.“ Not only do they know how it feels, they're also role models for all of their fans who struggle with the same self-destructive addictions. These guys are the best example to show how it gets better and how dreams come true when you work hard enough.

In early 2013, Farewell, My Love released their second EP Mirror, Mirror with three brand new songs, a cover of Bon Jovi's song It's My Life and an acoustic version of Just Another Soul. If I wasn't broke as hell, I'd download both EPs because they're simply amazing. So, if you have some spare money, go and download their songs! You won't regret it, I promise!
I'm very excited to watch the five guys from Phoenix, Arizona grow and develop, I'm one million percent sure that they'll create many more beautiful songs and memories for all of us in the future!

You can find Farewell, My Love on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and on the following social networks: 

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Now it's your turn: Go and follow, like, subscribe, download and support!

New Discovery: Nobody Takes Vegas

Nick LaGreca, Harrison Feuer, Jack Morrow, Rob Krug, Jimmy Kubik. You should keep these names in mind because the guys behind these names form the pop-punk rock band Nobody Takes Vegas from Long Island, New York. They released their same-titled album on September 14^th 2012, which I want to introduce to you now. 

There are five songs on the record and the guys managed to let every song sound differently than the others. The first song, Riding in Cars with Bears, deals with breaking up with somebody who turned out to be fake and how to handle the situation. While listening I could literally feel the bitter experience the writer described.
The second song, Half Dead in Hempstead, is my favourite. Not only is it catchy, it tells the story of many teenagers who are just different. Who may have colourful hair or piercings or dreams which sound stupid in the ears of adults. I assume I speak the mind of many young people when I say that it can be very exhausting when adults feel the need to tell us how to live our lives and there's one line in the song which also mentions this: „Why does the world decide to get involved and tell us what to do?“

I have to admit that I had troubles finding out the main topics of the other three songs but that doesn't mean they're less quality than the others. What I like a lot is how Nick incorporates the screaming parts because they're not the biggest parts of the songs but yet they exist. In my opinion he's a very talented vocalist anyway and I'd love to hear him singing some slower songs or even the songs on this record as acoustic versions.
All in all I'm very glad I discovered Nobody Takes Vegas because they're a very talented band and I really hope to hear more in the future!
Thanks for the free album guys!

Now go and check them out here: 

http://nobodytakesvegas.com/

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