Next Review

SO. I WAS going to do a review of Four Year Strong's new CD soon. So I went and ordered it on Amazon, and the ASSWHOLES SENT ME A CRACKED CD!!!! Needless to say, I'm sending it back and getting a new one. ASSWHOLES!

Anyway, here's a hint of what my next post is going to be about:

Hoobastank is amazing. Should find out if they're releasing anything new anytime soon...
~Jamie

Panic! at the Disco--Vices and Virtues Review

Artist: Panic! At The Disco
CD title: Vices & Virtues
Release Date: March 18, 2011
Genre: Pop, rock, alternative pop rock, dance
How I Got It: Bought
Sounds like: Their first CD...and their second CD. (People keep comparing them to FOB but I don't get WHY.)
Favorite song: Always, The Ballad of Mona Lisa, Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)
Makes you wanna: Daaance and sing along.
Best to listen to: In the car.

Jamie hates these guys. I don't know why she does, ask her. All I know is that I pretty much love Panic! at the Disco.

Their first CD (A Fever You Can't Sweat Out) was full of alternative-electro-poppy-dance tunes that everyone loved. Which is why everyone was shocked when they decided to change their sound in their next CD (Pretty. Odd.) to some kind of Beatles-rip off band. I'm among the few that actually liked Pretty. Odd. I think. It wasn't as good as the first CD, but I didn't think it was bad either. There were actually a few songs that I really liked.

Well, after two of the band members left and the ! after the word "Panic" returned, they put out this CD. Honestly, I think those two band members leaving was the best thing that could've happened to this band, because this CD's much better than Pretty. Odd.

In many ways, it's like the two CDs had a baby. A much more mature baby. It's this CD's maturity that makes this the band's best release yet, I think. The edgy, dark tones are much more present in this than they were in the last CD, and I think it's that that I'm most grateful for.

Favorite song: Always, The Ballad of Mona Lisa, Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)

At first listen, Always sounds like a happy love song. It is, in fast, a really effing depressing love song. And I love it. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

The Ballad of Mona Lisa is the first song I heard from this CD, and after I heard it and it was stuck in my head all day I broke my own rule and bought it. It was a need, not a want, a need. I love this song; it's energetic and perfect to sing along to.

Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met) is completely different than any of the other songs on the CD. It's suave and smooth but also full of Panic!'s infamous electronic sound. Basically, that song is my jam.

Makes you wanna: Daaance and sing along.

Self-explanatory.

Best to listen to: In the car.

Maybe it's just because my mom, brother, and sister (she texted me one day proclaiming her love for them, and acted like I'd never heard of them after I'd had their CDs for twenty years. It was weird) all love this band too, but it's a perfect car CD. It makes you feel like you're on the top of the world and it's great. This CD is great. Pick it up if their second CD disappointed you.

--Jessica

Just felt like sharing

Because it's amazing.

~Jamie

Jamestown Story's new CD!!!!

Soooo appearing on Itunes tonight, at midnight, is Jamestown Story's new CD "A Walk Through Time"! These guys are AMAZING, both Jess and I LOVE them, so we're REALLY looking forward to it!!!! You can stream a bunch of it on Purevolume now (link below) so definitely go check them out! (And maybe buy the CD...;) )

Purevolume link:
http://www.purevolume.com/new/jamestownstory

Youtube:

See? Awesome! :D

Alesana--Where Myth Fades To Legend Review

Artist: Alesana
CD title: Where Myth Fades To Legend
Genre: Scream/hardcore
How I Got It: Gifted, I think.
Sounds like: Silverstein
Favorite song: Seduction, As You Wish
Makes you wanna: I don't even know...
Best to listen to: Um...I don't know.

I'm going to start this review with a disclaimer: I am not really into screamo. I don't hate it, and I love Chiodos. My favorite screamo band, fo sho. So I kept comparing Alesana to Chiodos in my mind, and...well, Alesana didn't live up.

Even when you stop comparing the two, Alesana--or this CD at least--is not for me.

Their instrumentals are good, actually. I have no problem with heavy instrumentals when it's not just for-the-sake-of-making-noise heavy instrumentals, and I didn't have that problem with Alesana. So, you know, points to them. I also didn't have a problem with their singers voice. It's stands apart from other singers, in my opinion, though sometimes it can get a little nasally.

I didn't love the screaming, really. Maybe that's part of the reason this album didn't work for me. I'd be digging the song and he'd start screaming and then it all just felt a little too chaotic for me.

That's the word I'd use to describe this entire CD: chaotic. If you like chaotic music, check it out. I don't.

Favorite song: Seduction, As You Wish

I originally heard of Alesana through one of the Van's Warped Tour Compilation, and it was Seduction. I really liked that song, and actually still do. It's fun.

As You Wish is their only slow song on this CD, and despite the chick's voice (which, obviously, I don't like) it's a pretty good song. A little creepy, but still.

Makes you wanna: I don't even know...

This CD doesn't really get any emotions from me, sadly. Maybe I occasionally want to jump around and jam a little, but not even really.

Best to listen to: Um...I don't know.

I honestly don't really see myself listening to this much at all, if I'm being completely honest.

Final verdict: Not for me. Maybe screamo fans will enjoy it more, but it just wasn't my favorite. At all.

--Jessica

How To (Legally) Feed Your Music Addiction Without Breaking The Bank

So the first year I got into new music I must've spent 400 bucks on CDs. Some of them I hated, actually (more on that in a bit).

After that, I knew there was a better way to get music. And there IS. Now it's time for me to share my knowledge.

1. SHOP. AROUND. For the love of God, don't just pick up a CD at Target when you see it. There's this thing called the internet, and it has this awesome feature in which you can find a better deal than Target offers. 
2. Free songs! I know iTunes offers free songs, and Amazon usually has a list. I've discovered some awesome bands that way.
3. Listen to as many of the band's songs as you can before buying their CD. I made the mistake of not doing this a few times (Coldplay and Hollywood Undead) and I've definitely learned my lesson now. Hearing two songs isn't enough.
4. Use your local library. The library is great, and odds are yours has more fantastic music than you'd realize they do.
5. Thrift stores! Goodwill's CDs are 3 bucks. Salvation Army's are 1. Just be sure that the CD is in decent condition.
6. Amazon download deals. Amazon usually has a lot of 5 dollar downloads on hot CDs. Also, you can sometimes find links to get you 2 bucks off. (I know, I hate downloading too. But sometimes the money you can save is worth it.)
7. Purevolume! I love this site more than words can convey. You can discover amazing signed and unsigned artists through it, and sometimes said artists put some of their songs up for free!
8. Make sure your friends don't have the CD. I've gotten calls from Jamie before asking if I have such-and-such's newest, and I'll ask her the same question. Good friends share their music, so make sure you and your good friend don't get doubles.

Then you can keep all your savings and buy a full priced CD! I know that's what I do. :p

Jamie, did I miss anything? Readers, did I? Let us know!

--Jessica

Avril Lavigne-Goodbye Lullaby Review

Artist: Avril Lavigne
CD title: Goodbye Lullaby

Release Date: March 2, 2011
Genre: Rock, Pop, Soft Rock
How I Got It: Library
Sounds like: The Veronicas, P!nk
Favorite song: Wish You Were Here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This CD was, by far, no Let Go, which is my favorite by Lavigne. It's definitely not her usual. The music sounds much more like Under My Skin then Best Damn Thing was. The sound was much more old Avril, excluding "Smile" and "What the Hell". I try not to criticize artists too much for changing their sound, I mean, musics all about changing and morphing into something new, right? I just wish she were going in a different direction... It's almost like she's becoming a pop princess sell-out, but if that's what she wants to be, I won't judge.

We start out with an intro song, "Black Star". Sweet piano and even sweeter lyrics morph this song into a great start to a pop-rock CD. "What the Hell" and "Alice" are the only tracks on the CD not about a relationship. So if you're looking for a good end of relationship CD, this one's good one. "Not Enough", "Everybody Hurts", "Wish You Were Here", "Remember When" and "Goodbye" are all about break-ups and leaving and love dying. "What the Hell" is about just saying screw it all and having fun. "Push" is about a relationship that is dying, but deserves to live. It just needs time. "And you know when push comes to shove/It's gonna take the both of us/Baby this is love." "I Love You" is the sweetest song on there. "You're so beautiful/But that's not why I love you/ I'm not sure you know/ That the reason I love you is you". This is the song I'd recommend you go download. The CD is finished with "Alice", Lavigne's contribution to the latest Alice in Wonderland movie's soundtrack.

I'm not quite sure if this CD is supposed to be a break-up CD, or a let's fix our relationship CD.... It's definitely a relationship CD, regardless of the relationship's position. If you're in love, going through a hard time in your relationship, or just looking for some good modern love songs, definitely check out this CD. Fans of Lavigne will be pleased to hear it's much more like Let Go then Best Damn Thing.

I'm going to leave you with two music videos this time. Enjoy :)

"I Love You" should've been a single...

~Jamie

Just a little taste of what I'm reviewing next....

So, I'm REALLY big on chick singers. I LOVE them. And Avril Lavigne is one of my favorites. Her new CD, "Goodbye Lullaby" may not be her best, but it's still amazing. This is one of my favorites off of it. Enjoy.

~Jamie

The Black Keys--Brothers Review

Artist: The Black Keys
CD title: Brothers
Genre: Alternative (with a bit of a bluesy-ish twist)
How I Got It: Library
Sounds like: Old bands. And sometimes it sounds a little like The White Stripes.
Favorite song: Ten Cent Pistol, Next Girl
Makes you wanna: Dance around and smoke a joint.
Best to listen to: Doing the dishes, or when you're feeling kinda romantic but not really.


I'm going to start this review by saying that I may accidentally steal some lines from The Annoying Hipster That Did Nothing During The Black Keys Show But Talk About The Show. He was annoying, but he had some definite points, and those points were so drilled into me that I'm no longer sure which of the following are my thoughts or his. So thanks man!


The Black Keys are really popular in the alternative music world and even the regular people world right now, and if you listen to Brothers it's easy to see why: These guys are in a league of their own. The Black Keys have no catchy song that screams, "PUT ME ON THE TOP 40 PLZ AND THANKS." No, they rely purely on their musical abilities, which are abundant, lemme tell ya.


Their other major identifier is their sound. Their music sounds old, like maybe some kind of sixties or seventies bluesy rock, and by infusing their music with that style as well as some new style, they become something wholly unique. Are they the only band to think of this? (No seriously are they? I want more like it.)


Favorite song: Ten Cent Pistol and Next Girl


Ten Cent Pistol is just kinda wonderful. It's a cool story about how these people get shot and stuff and the sound of it is just awesome...Not the sound of the story, just the song itself and...oh you know what I mean.


Next Girl tells a story too, though a much more common one: A guy cannot find a decent chick but keeps hooking up with them anyways and regretting it later. This one has a tendency to get stuck in my head a lot (despite the lack of top-40-hook) and I just love the concept behind it.


Yes, did I forget to mention that their lyrics are pretty awesome too?


There are a couple other songs on here that are seriously awesome, but those two are definitely my favorites.


Makes you wanna: Dance around and smoke a joint.


The first couple songs on Brothers are the singles (Tighten Up, Howlin' For You, I Got Mine, etc.) that you've probably already heard, so I need not tell you how dance-able they are.


The rest is much slower though. Not in a bad way but it does not have the same dancey feel. It more makes you wanna chill out and smoke a joint and pretend you're from the seventies or something.


Best to listen to: Doing the dishes, or when you're feeling kinda romantic but not really.


Perfect dishes music, truly. It's easy to get lost in and quite fun, too. It's also good for when you're feeling a bit romantic, but maybe reluctantly slow. (Or, if you're me, this means writing.)


--Jessica

Michael Buble.

Yes, I went there.

So he is slowly becoming one of my SUPER GUILTY guilty pleasures. I heard "Haven't Met You Yet" (GO AND CHECK IT OUT!!!!! BETTER YET, I'LL POST IT) and instantaneously (big words FTW!) wanted to own it. So, I work at a library, so when I was shelving I picked up his CD Crazy Love, the one with THE AWESOMELY AMAZING GUILTY PLEASURE "Haven't Met You Yet" on it. And haven't stopped listening to this CD since.

My life has been crazy lately. There's been work and GED-studying and a new baby little sister and boyfriend troubles and more work and too many books and I just don't have a whole lot of time to post. And when I'm not super busy, I'm feeling down. I was feeling down before I started listening to this CD. There's just no feeling down with Michael Buble. So I apologize for the not-posting, but blame life. So now I'm going to post a little mini review of Crazy Love.

Artist: Michael Buble
CD title: Crazy Love

Release Date: October 9, 2009

Genre: Um....No clue.
How I Got It: Library
Sounds like: See Genre
Favorite song: A bunch.

I lied earlier. It is possible to feel down while listening to Crazy Love. It's possible to feel down, feel happy, feel like having fun....Crazy Love is one of those emotional rollercoaster CDs. I'm sure someone, somewhere, has said that this is the soundtrack to their life. It's THAT kind of CD.


From the intense entrance with "Cry Me A River" (and no, it's not the same as the Justin Timberlake song),  which starts out with some crazy dramatic instrumentals and leads into Buble sounding just as dramatic as the beginning instrumentals, to the final mellower romantic declaration dubbed, "Whatever it Takes", this CD is a romantic and emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. It's the kind of music that really makes me feel.... which I haven't been able to find lately.


 "All of Me", "Crazy Love", "All I Do is Dream of You", and "Baby You've Got What it takes" are the love songs on the CD. "Cry Me A River" is a dramatic number about a girl who wants a guy back, and the guy saying suck it. Much nicer. Everything about this song screams drama, the lyrics, the instrumentals, Buble's voice.... This song makes me want to dance, and sing, and conduct an orchestra all at once. "Just Haven't Met You Yet" was the first song I heard on the CD, and one of my top favorites. I'd describe it to you, but  just listen instead. "Georgia on My Mind" and "Stardust" are my least favorites. "Stardust is just....yeah. But don't let me stop you from checking it out yourself. "Whatever it Takes"is a softer song that you just want to dim the lights and dance to.


To wrap up, this CD is emotionally provocative, enticing you to love, dance, and cry. This collection of works will have you swaying til the end, regardless of how it makes you feel. Go download "Just Haven't Met You Yet" or "Hold On", or damnit just the whole CD. Or all of his CDs...

~Jamie

Song Of The Day

Hello! I too must apologize for my absence. Nanowrimo.

The story of how I recently discovered Wye Oak is a really boring one, so I'll just show you the song.




ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL. I really want their CD now.

Also, it's free on Amazon right now. Snatch it up, guys. 

--Jessica

Concert Tips and Etiquette

When I was thirteen, I went to my fair share of concerts, fo sho. Now, it's slowed down quite a bit, but the memories and knowledge that I got from them still remains. SO I decided to pass it on.


Do:

• Try to stay moderately hydrated. Not too hydrated, especially if you have a small bladder. This rule especially goes when you're standing and won't be able to return to you spot after you leave for the fifth time. (Jamie's note: If you have a smaller bladder ((*cough*like me*cough*)) drink your 8 glasses of water HOURS before the concert.....trust me. Just do it. A glass of water during the concert should be fine, just drink it all hours beforehand.)
• Eat before the concert.
• If you're, say, standing beside a railing, and the guy in front of you in is not a douche (trust me, you'll be able to tell) save his spot. He may return the favor.
• Be aware of your surroundings. For safety reasons, and just to make sure you're not being unintentionally awful to everyone around you.
• Sing along, dance, jump, whatever you want. Have fun. (Jamie: You'll regret it if you don't.

Don't:

• Lean on the chick standing behind you and then yell at her mom (HI EVIL GUY FROM THE RISE AGAINST CONCERT)
• Shout every five seconds. Yes, you're excited. We're all excited. But there's no need to shout "I LOVE YOU" in the middle of a song.
• Wear a dress or anything uncomfortable.
• Not know the band you're seeing. "Aren't we seeing the All American somethings?" POSEURS.
• Jump on people feet. (Ok, actually I was the one to do this one, but I didn't care cause it was Rise Against. Plus, I got this whole little area to myself to jump. \m/*.*\m/)
• Talk through the entire concert about how great the band is. Yes, we get it, you're a fantastic hipster who knows things about The Black Keys now SHUT UP.
• Run around shirtless with your buds. (Jamie: ESPECIALLY if you're....less then attractive. No offense. But if you're super hairy, or super sweaty, just don't. Then again, it's awesome laughing about guys like you afterwards.)
• Do anything you'll regret tomorrow liiiike, oh, I dunno, grind against random dudes, or dance like sluts for NO REASON.

Ta da! Did I miss any?

--Jessica

Jamie:

Yeah, Jess, ya did.

 About moshing. As much fun as it looks, if you're small, be careful; it's a REALLY good idea to bring a big friend with you in case you get in there and realize you can't handle it. If you get in there and realize you're not ready (and trust me, it happens, I've been there) JUST LEAVE. Don't stick around thinking you'll be able to handle it. Just get out of there.

OK, we should be good now.

P.S.

Editor's Note about the Don't's, sorry that you can't see the last 2... Just highlight it with your mouse. I changed the blog template/layout aaand can't seem to fix it... Sorry. ~Jamie