If Only You Were Lonely

This is Hawthorne Heights' newest release, I'm pretty sure it came out in like, February, but whatever. Hawthorne Heights is one of the very very few bands who can mix post-hardcore and pop-punk without making it sound terrible. Catchy drum beats, awesome guitar lines that show the band's overall talent, and a passionate singer make for one heck of a band. No questions asked. Now I know what all the hype about them is about. Anyway.
Recommended listens: "This is Who We Are," "Saying Sorry," and "Pens and Needles." Other albums by Hawthorne Heights include The Silence in Black and White. Enjoy.

Age of Reptiles

Yeah, I really really really really want this Showbread album. I don't know much about the album, or the band, except that both are freakin' awesome! I can't really describe Showbread's genre, besides like, post-psychadelic hardcore. So yeah. I think that Showbread is one of Tooth & Nail's finest to offer. Age of Reptiles is Showbread's new release, so yeah.
Recommended listens: "Pacycephalosaurus," and "Oh! Emetophobia!" Also, check out Showbread's other album, No Sir, Nihilism is not Practical. Enjoy.

Angels & Airwaves

When Blink-182 gave up being a band and went on in search of other projects, Travis Barker continued to own his brand name "Famous Stars and Straps," which is still pretty popular today. Mark Hoppus continued his career with his brand name "Atticus," as well as making his own podcast for iTunes titled "Hi, my Name is Mark." But Tom Delonge(seen above, far left), not only continued his brand name "Loser Kids," but also he decided to make another band of his own, titled Angels & Airwaves. However, if you're expecting that Blink-182 pop-punkish sound, then you're wrong. Angels & Airwaves have more of an epic, ambient, mature, alternative rock sound. Think an alternative version of U2. I know, to some of you it's still not entirely your sound, but it really is pretty good music.
Recommended listens: "The Adventure," "Valkyrie Missle," and "Do it for Me Now." Also, check out their album We Don't Need to Whisper. Enjoy.
Angels & Airwaves' purevolume account.
Angels & Airwaves' MySpace account.

Silverstein

Silverstein is a hardcore punk/emo band that has been rising to the top in the past few months. Though I don't really like their look, and I don't know much about them. But they can rock hard. Like I said, I don't know much about 'em, so here we go.
Recommended listens: "Smile in Your Sleep," and "Discovering the Waterfront." Enjoy.

The BLED

The BLED is one of my favorite hardcore bands around. These guys know how to rock, scream, mosh, everything. I first heard them when they did the cover of "House of Suffering"(which is a pretty good song in itself). But then I went into more of their music and I realized, this is so much better than that cover. I'm not gonna continue to babble, so just check 'em out.
Recommended listens: "Last American Cowboy," "My Assassin," "She Calls Home," and "Daylight Bombings."

The BLED's purevolume account
The BLED's MySpace account

Enjoy.

Job for a Cowboy

Hey, this is Matt, Shannon's brother. I thought you guys might appreciate this SIIICKK death metal band. I like them, in a weird freaky kinda way. Listen to Entombment of a Machine if you want your brains blown!!!! My sister hates them tho, but whatever.

Death Cab for Cutie

K, first of all, I counted all the posts since Shannon's "130th post," and this one is number 150. So yeah, it just goes to show, we all love our computers way too much. But on with Death Cab for Cutie, this Washington based indie/pop pand. Though they may sound dull and boring to some of you(I would know, I was bored the first time I heard their song), don't let that get to you, you'll find that they are very catchy and soft, a type of band you will rarely see with mainstream success. So just give them a listen and tell me what you think.

Recommended listens: Unfortunately, there is only one song on their purevolume, titled "Soul Meets Body," so just listen to that. Enjoy.

Cute is What We Aim For

I was looking through the charts at purevolume, and I've heard of this band before, and they've been really popular, so I thought I would check 'em out. Turns out that they're a pretty catchy punk-pop/powerpop band. Though they may just be kinda mediocre, they are pretty dang catchy and you will also find yourself singing to it all day long(kinda like The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, huh?). Anyway, just check 'em out.

Recommended listens: "There's a Class For This," "The Curve of Curves," "Trying to Please," and "Lyrical Lies." Enjoy.

Tell me that isn't talent...

Please look at this video for a drum solo by Blink-182's drummer, Tom Barker. There will be no Blink songs in it, just a drum solo, so please, check it out. It's so awesome. Thank you, and enjoy.

Warped Tour '07 fantasies.

Ok guys, there is one post on the Warped Tour Website that asks who you want to see next year on the tour. I would just like to know, if you chose the bands, who would you select. Here's a list of all mine(you don't have to read it if you don't want to):

My Chemical Romance
Taking Back Sunday
UnderOath
Haste the Day
Thursday
Less Than Jake
Thrice
mewithoutYou
Emery
Yellowcard
The Used
Story of the Year
Project 86
Hawthorne Heights
Blink 182(reunion)
Good Charlotte
Goldfinger
Fall Out Boy
Dead Poetic
Breaking Benjamin
Avenged Sevenfold
AFI
The All American Rejects
Rise Against
New Found Glory
Franz Ferdinand
She Wants Revenge
Hellogoodbye
Snow Patrol
The Racounters
Cartel
Audioslave
Evanescence
Angels and Airwaves
Cute is What We Aim For
The Academy is...
Arctic Monkeys
Lostprophets
Motion City Soundtrack
From Autumn to Ashes
From First to Last

And yeah, there are others too, but in general, this is who I wanna see next year. You can leave a comment with all the bands you wanna see, or go here to place your comment. Enjoy.

The Devil Wears Prada

the Devil Wears Prada is some awesome Christian Hardcore. Haha, I wanted to post something and I didn't know what to post and TDWP just so happened to be one of the featured artists! So I guess that's a sign. =) But anyway, tomorrow (8/22/06) they will be releasing their first debut album, Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord. As far as I know they are a fairly new band. I don't have much to say because I don't know much about them except that they rock, and they rock HARD! Recommended listens: Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over, Swords, Dragons, and Diet Coke, and Modeify the Pronunciation. Ok, Shannon I know you're probably thinking "Oh great, more hardcore!" but if you'd like check em out and I'll let you bash on them as much as you'd like. Have a listen and let me know what you think.

The Illusion of Safety | War All the Time

Alright, another double post. I hope I'm not bugging any of you by making you read all these double posts. Just tell me if I am. But anyway.

Thrice's sophomore album, The Illusion of Safety, though being claimed by few as "Thrice at their best, is rather Thrice's second, or third best. I've already told you in the past that Vheissu is Thrice's best work, and The Artist in the Ambulance is their second, which makes this one third. This one is vital, however, to Thrice's career. It's because of this that Thrice was signed to Island Def Jam Records to go on to make TAinA, and it's because of this one that Thrice sounds the way they do now. This is when they realized that they're an emocore/screamo band with a whole lot of talent. I recommend this album, not because of how good it is, but because it shows how Thrice got to where they are now. Just listen to "Deadbolt," and that's it.

Thursday is also an emocore/screamo band. This album is actually they're best album, with A City By the Light Divided following closely behind. War, death, love, tragedy, all issues mentioned and repeated on this album. You can tell just from the title and album art that this band from New Jersey have serious problems with death and killing, but then again, many bands do. Not only that, but also a song dedicated to September 11th, 2001 is on this album, so check it out. It's called, you got it, "War All the Time." And that's all I have to say about that.

I only want you to listen to 2 tracks, it's that easy. "War All the Time," and "Deadbolt." Other albums by Thrice include Identity Crisis, The Artist in the Ambulance, and Vheissu. Other albums by Thursday include A City By the Light Divided. So yeah.

Thursday's purevolume
Thursday's MySpace

Thrice's purevolume
Thrice's MySpace

Enjoy.

Blink-182: Greatest Hits | Green Day: International Superhits!

Green Day and Blink 182 are two of my fave bands, and they also sound similar. So I thought I would bug you guys by making you read this double post on both of 'em. So yeah, here we go.

Green Day was my first favorite band, and I guess that would be because of their overall catchiness, their melodies, and I guess I learned of them because of their fame back in '04 for American Idiot. But this album was before then. Before the controversy of American Idiot. Before they broke out to the top of the mainstream with the smash hit "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." Before they began selling out stadium venues to over 65,000 people per concert. No, these were the better times of their career, in my opinion. Back when punk-pop didn't have to be political and it was just fun. So yeah, if you wanna hear them in their prime, listen to songs like "Longview," and "Minority," and "Good Riddance." So yeah.

Blink-182 have had an up and down career, having both mainstream success and underground success that couldn't quite make it up to the mainstream. For instance, a few of their mainstream songs would be "Dammit," "All the Small Things," and "I Miss You," while some of their underground songs would be "M+Ms," "Feeling This," and "Not Now," but even if they aren't successful, you should check 'em out. Blink-182 to a long time to break out into the mainstream, so it's understandable if you've never even heard of these songs, but that's just adressing us Blink fans. So yeah, I recommend listening to "Dammit," "All the Small Things," "Adam's Song," and "I Miss You."

Basically, considering Melina and I are pretty much the only Blink-182 fans on this blog, and as far as I know, I'm the only fan of Green Day, I'll let you guys off easy saying you don't have to listen if you don't want to, 'cause it seems that whenever I post something like this, you never like it either, so yeah. Enjoy.

Blink 182's purevolume account

Green Day's purevolume account

Waking the Fallen | Burning Bridges

I thought for a change, I would put one album by one artist against a different album by a different artist, but both have a lot in common. Both are screamo metal music with wailing guitars and drums. Both are dominating their own department of music. Haste the Day in the Christian metal department, Avenged Sevenfold dominating the secular metal department. But even though one is Christian and the other one isn't, they both can compete against each other, because they share the same genre. So enough beating around the bush and back to the albums.

Haste the Day is one of my favorite Christian metal bands, though, I don't like them as much as Amanda, so she could recommend this to you better than I can. Burning Bridges is one of the best metalcore albums ever, I just hope I can actually buy it soon. But what I love about it most is, the fact that the lead screamer, Jimmy Ryan, has one of the best screams I've ever heard. He literally sounds like he can bite your head off. Not kidding. One of the best examples of this, is on the song "Substance," with him opening up the song with a scream so startling that it literally made my mom jump when I made her listen to it. Also not kidding. I definitely recommend this album to you guys who love metal, hardcore, or screamo, but those who don't, just stay away.

Avenged Sevenfold is also one of my favorite bands, period. They can rock hard, the screams and vocals(yes, there are vocals) are loud and emotional, and the drummer is simply unbeatable. The overall talent of the band is almost unmatchable in the music industry these days. If you want guitar players who really know how to play, I suggest you pick up Waking the Fallen, A7x's sophomore album. You're not gonna find just chords and notes, oh no, you'll find that the two players play the same solos in synchronization with each other and a chello playing in the backround. Simply amazing. Just check out "Unholy Confessions," to see what I mean. You'll find you may like it afterall.

If you like Haste the Day, then check out Avenged Sevenfold, and vice versa. You'll find you will like both. Another release by Haste the Day is When Everything Falls, and another release by Avenged Sevenfold is City of Evil.

Haste the Day's purevolume account

Avenged Sevenfold's purevolume account

Enjoy.

Dookie | Green Day

I was looking at the alternative page on iTunes the other day and it had a section that said "Must-have alternative albums." So I looked through it and I saw Nevermind, by Nirvana, one old Foo Fighters CD, but then sure enough, there was this album. A must-have album. And I can't agree more. I bought this album back in December and fell in love with it immediately. Catchy riffs, fast-paced drumbeats, and, you guys won't believe it, no really bad cussing! Ok, there's some mild language, but nothing like American Idiot. If you guys still don't believe it's all that great, look to the Grammys, yeah, Dookie won a grammy in '94 for best alternative album of the year. So yeah. I'm just gonna ask that you guys check out one of the songs I list below. Just one! Listen to the whole thing and I'll let you off the hook! Anyway.

Recommendations due to their biggest hits on this album: "Burnout," "Longview," "Welcome to Paradise," "Basket Case," "She," "When I Come Around," and "F.O.D." Also, if you like this album, you may wanna check out some of Green Day's other albums, including Insomniac, Nimrod, Warning, and American Idiot. And! If you like those albums, which may be a stretch, you could check out From Under the Cork Tree, by Fall Out Boy, Nevermind, by Nirvana, In Your Honor, by Foo Fighters, and Move Along, by The All-American Rejects. Sorry for makin' you guys read all this, but Enjoy.

Dusk and Summer

Lately, I've been into Dashboard Confessional. I'm trying to get some of their other albums, but so far I only have Dusk and Summer, their latest release. Chris Carabba, the frontman(or should I say, only man), sings and plays guitar. I can finally say, I found a voice that is real emo, without it being exhausting listening to. Sweet, soft, acoustic love songs(I know, it sounds terrible), but if you are, or are becoming, a hormonal/love-struck teenager then you need to look no further than this album. Of course, if you're a hormonal/love-struck heartbroken teenager who is gonna stay up all night in your room crying over your boyfriend/girlfriend who just dumped you, then this would also keep you occupied.

Recommendations: "Don't Wait," "Reason to Believe," "Stolen," "Dusk and Summer," and "Heaven Here." Other albums by Dashboard Confessional for you love-struck heartbroken teens include The Place You Have Come to Fear the Most, The Swiss Army Romance, and A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar. Enjoy.

Don't You Fake It

Here again is what a few critics have to say about Don't You Fake It, by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus:

-iTunes:

"The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus sound nearly like what would result if Hawthorne Heights and Hoobastank have a love child. Essentially alternative rock with screamo tendencies, their slick and accessable debut, Don't You Fake It, comes ready for radio airwaves while remaining just abrasive enough for the Warped Tour stage..."

-Rhapsody:

"...there is enough energy and angst on this debut to garner fans who believe in the band's brand of assembly line emo, which shifts between ballsy songs on domestic abuse(the single "Face Down"), to sulking piano-laced love ballads.

Recommendations: "Face Down," "In Fate's Hands," "Atrophy," and "Your Guardian Angel." If you like this album, I suggest you try some of these albums, including Chroma, by Cartel, Dombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!, by Hellogoodbye, and Age of Reptiles, by Showbread. Enjoy.

Phobia

Breaking Benjamin are an alternative hard rock/metal band who have been called "a poser metal band," by Matt Nichols. However, if that's what you think their new album, Phobia, is gonna be like, well then I guess you'll just have to check it out yourself, because this album is all metal. The lyrics are dark, and the music is aggressive, and the vocals are loud, all of which make for an enjoyable listen. I didn't want to just use one link so there are a few below.

Recommendatons: "Diary of Jane," "Breath," "Dance With the Devil," and "You." Also check out some of Breaking Benjamin's other albums, including We Are Not Alone, and Saturate. If you like those albums and Phobia, you may also like Master of Puppets, by Metallica, and All the Right Reasons, by Nickelback. Enjoy.

http://www.myspace.com/breakingbenjamin.

http://www.purevolume.com/breakingbenjamin.

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has grabbed me and I can't let go. These guys are so catchy. Thank you Melina for letting me know about them. I would have never listened to them because they are so popular. RJA is a pop-punk-ish/alternative/post-screamo band that will have you singing "Do you feel like a man when you push her around?" all day long. I don't know much about them since I only started listening yesterday, but they are too cool to be in the top 10 most played song on PureVolume. Recommended listens: Face Down, In Fate's Hands, Guardian Angel and all others by them. Have fun!!!

The Weak's End

The Weak's End, which is one of the best albums I've heard this year, is Emery's first album release, and is much better than their second release, The Question, or at least, so I hear. Hardcore, punk, emo, post-hardcore, alternative screamo, it seems Emery's genres are endless. I especially love the song "Walls." In fact, if I had an award show for favorite music I've heard in the last year, "Walls," would be nominated for best song, and The Weak's End, for best album. It's just that good.

Recommendations: "Walls," "The Ponytail Parades," "Fractions," and "As Your Voice Fades." If you like this album, I suggest you listen to Define the Great Line, by Underoath, and Never Take Friendship Personal, by Anberlin. Enjoy.

Never Take Friendship Personal

Anberlin's sophomore release, Never Take Friendship Personal, is probably one of the best albums released in '05. Pop-punk, post-hardcore, post-punk-all describe this album. With ferocious energy, and guitar hooks that can as iTunes says "sweeps you off your feet," I highly recommend this album to anyone.

Recommendations: "Never Take Friendship Personal," "Paperthin Hymn," "Stationery Stationery," and all the others. The only other album by Anberlin is Blueprints for the Black Market. Enjoy.

Destroy the Runner

I'm taking advantage of the opportunity. So here's Destroy the Runner, one of Solid State's newest editions, and yet another awesome hardcore band. Currently they're touring with Haste the Day, August Burns Red, and Scary Kids Scaring Kids. I don't have much to say about them so check out their song "My Darkness" and let me know what you think.

As Cities Burn

Here we have As Cities Burn. A fine hardcore/rock/alternative band. Currently they only have 1 full length album, Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest and 2 EPs that I know absolutely nothing about. Recently their vocalist (TJ Bonnette) got married and they decided that ACB wouldn't be the same without him so they decided to break up. A few weeks later they realized they loved being a band together too much to give it all up. So thankfully, they're still together. To get the full story you can head on over to their official website.

Recommended listens: "Bloodsucker Pt. 2," "Terrible! How Terrible! For the Great City," "Wake, Dead Man, Wake" + many more.

Hey, everyone, it's Matt.

In the library on base, just doing nothing. Yeah, haven't been on in awhile - I know, I know. You may see more splurts of me in the future, but don't count on me making a full comeback or anything...

Ricky: Please get your OWN review format; you totally ripped the current one of me. I need to get that patented.

Amanda: Give Rick heck - keep posting the hardcore. Oh, and I wanna borrow your subseven EP, if possible. (Yes, I went overboard with that Emery review, *ahem*)

Since I finally purchased my iPod, I've d/l'd some kicking podcasts, namely The Bored-Again Christian (www.boredagainchristian.com). He mostly plays independent Christian musicians/bands ranging from soft acoustic pop to straight-up freak-folk. Ehh, may not be your guys' style, but just thought I'd inject some REAL MUSIC into this blog.

Sufjan Stevens is such a dream boat/hero. I've been listening to a ton of his music. Oh, and Danielson Familie - cannot forgot them. Both these are played on the podcast. Oh, and Half-Handed Cloud...him too. I'm such an Asthmatic Kitty fanatic.

Rambling. Something I seem to excel at.

Peace and <3.
Matt.

P.S. Ricky, when I can I come over and mess with your iTunes library?

The Pussycat Dolls

Remember way back when I made the anti-Panic! At the Disco post? Well, I made a new one like that. Everybody duck and cover for The Pussycat Dolls! Though this "music group" may be a big hit amongst teenage girls, they are so sensual to be advertising to anyone. If you don't believe me, go to www.azlyrics.com/p/pussycatdolls.html. There you will find lyrics proving the fact that this group should not be listened to. If you wanna listen to the songs anyway, just to torture yourself, click on the title.

Their poser hits: "Buttons," "Beep," "Stickwitu," and "Don't Cha." Please, for your own sake, don't listen to them at all costs.

Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses are one of the biggest heavy metal bands ever. With catchy drumbeats, rhyming lyrics, and guitar hooks that drive you nuts 'cause they're so good, Guns N' Roses are sitting on the throne of heavy metal next to Van Halen, Motley Crue, and Ozzy Osbourne. Anyway, with the release of their greatest hits in '04, within a year they had already gone double-platinum.
Recommendations: "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Paradise City," "Patience," and "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." Recommended albums by GN'R includes Appetite for Destruction, Greatest Hits, Use Your Illusion I & II, and The Spaghetti Incident? Enjoy.

130th blog

I counted how many blogs and there is 130 posts!!!! Yay! well thats it
c yall later
shannon

Switchfoot: Whats your favorite?

Umm ok this is all i can think of so here goes. My favorite switchfoot cd is the beautiful letdown, i like all the songs on the cd. their albums are(in order of newest to oldest):
1. Nothing is Sound, featuring 'stars' and 'lonely nation', their most recent hits.
2. The Beautiful Letdown, featuring 'Meant to Live', 'Gone', 'Dare you to Move', and 'Adding to the noise', just to name a few of the most popular songs on the cd.
3. Learning to Breathe, which features 'dare you to move' and 'learning to breathe'.
4. New Way to be Human, featuring 'New way to be Human' and 'Only Hope'(from the movie A Walk to Remember).
5. The Legend of Chin, featuring 'You'(also in a walk to remember).

i recomend checking all of them out at www.switchfoot.com/musicmain.htm
they let you listen to clips of any song if you click on the cd, a popup window comes up and click on listen.
shannon

Queen: Greatest Hits I & II

This is a CD I just ordered online so I decided to post it. Queen: Greatest Hits I &II, is a double-album(meaning two CDs in one set), complete with all of Queen's finest. "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Another One Bites the Dust," all of 'em. I seriously can't wait to get this in the mail or from UPS, I just wanna start cranking it up. Oh well, I hope you enjoy it.
Considering this is a greatest hits album, I'm just gonna recommend any song on this CD. So yeah, Enjoy.

Nevermind

Here's what a few critics had to say about Nevermind by Nirvana:

iTunes-
"...Nirvana changed the course of rock when their "Smells Like Teen Spirit," pungently perfumed the airwaves. This joyously snarling single was only one of the many delights to be found on Nevermind, the trio's second album and massive breakthrough."

Music.com-

"There's nothing that says what the early '90s was about like this album by Nirvana, a band who no one would have expected to succeed in a world dominated by heavy metal and old school rap."

Rhapsody-

"The phenomenon of this record in the early '90s was a definite "before and after" experience. Exceptional pop music, delivered by sludge dishing punks with just enough polish on them to reinvent mainstream radio."

There you have it. I highly recommend this album to punk-lovers.

Recommendations: "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and "Come As You Are," along with the rest of the CD. Other albums by Nirvana include Mtv Unplugged in New York: Nirvana, In Utero, and Nirvana. Enjoy.

Flatfoot 56!!!

Haha, yes, I know he's wearing a kilt. This is Flatfoot 56. They are too cool. I think they're kind of like... a hard punk sound. I dunno. They're intense sound accompanied by bagpipes is quite catchy and fun. I think they're going to be touring with xLFx sometime soon. Their releases include Rumble of 56 (2002), Waves of war (2003), Knuckles up (2004), and the re-release of Knuckles up (2006) on Flicker Records. The first song on PureVolume in the beginning is just bagpipes, don't let that throw you off, I beg of you please listen to the whole song. Thank you!!! Bon Vaoyage!

Queen

Queen is definitely one of the best bands of all time. With classic British rock, mixed with over-the-top arena rock, Queen made their way to stardom with such songs as "We Will Rock You," "We Are the Champions," and of course their most popular song "Bohemian Rhapsody." I think you guys should check them out. You'd be surprised how many bands we like today are influenced by Queen. The tragic thing about them is, Freddy Mercury, the lead singer(the one with the mustache), died years ago thanks to AIDs. Seriously, why must all the good bands die?? Why can't Panic! At the Disco die instead? Oh well, we'll remember you, Queen.
Recommendations: "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You," "We Are the Champions," "Another One Bites the Dust," and "Under Pressure(feat. David Bowie)." Recommended albums by Queen include Night at the Opera, Stone Cold Classics, and Queen: Greatest Hits I, II, & III. Unfortunately I can't find any websites with their music, so just listen on iTunes. Enjoy.