Make sure to check out the new site at music-rag.com

6.30.2013

Shared Music

       One of my favorite things since starting this blog has been having a band/ PR company/ record label email me information about their work; I love it.
       Finding music is fun and amazing (I can't believe it took me so long to find bands like Family of the Year and Passenger, Kodaline continues to amaze me and, had I not found Lady Danville [now Hunter Hunted] back in '08, I would have never returned to music), but there's just something really great about being given the chance to hear music I may have never found on my own.
       Below are just some of the awesome bands who have gotten in touch with me (through Gmail, Twitter, YouTube) over the past eleven months (This blog is almost a year old! I feel like I should do something special. If you know who I am, let's go do something August 16), along with some of the bands who have so graciously reached out to me after I mentioned them on the blog; you are all amazing. I cannot wait to hear the music you continue to create and you make it worth the effort it took to turn my life back over to music and, for that, I am eternally grateful.
"Chandeliers" Our Big Plan 
"The Tide" Shake It Up (this is not on YouTube, so click on the link for good music)
"Goodbye Serenade" The Rebel Light (they were the first band to get in contact with me. They're pretty cool)
"Lionheart" Sirsy (check out "She's Coming Apart" because it's overly great too [all of their music is great])
"Boogieland" Moonshoes
"Twenty First" Drop the Anchor
"Some Kind of Fairytale" Shauna Case
"Lethal Dose" Ayah Marar
"Drinkin'" Holly Williams (songs like this show just how pure and gorgeous country music can be)
"We Love Like Vampires" Sparks the Rescue (I will play this on repeat all summer)
"Sold My Soul" Cattle & Cane (this song, and all of their music, is simply gorgeous and I can't get enough)
"Mighty Fine" Flora Cash (one of my best musical finds this year)
"Bein' Round You" Momma Holler (one good thing that came out of attending FSU at one time)
"If Worries Were Weights" Dear You (probably one of my favorite 'new' bands and, as Louis Moore [drummer] is 
       the one who got in touch with me [kind of.. found me on Twitter], he's one of my new favorite people; this 
       song, and all of their music, is pretty perfect) 
- E

6.29.2013

Smile Big

       Sometimes you just need some great jazz music with a hint of ukulele and plenty of brass.
       Leftover Cuties' "Smile Big" provides a perfect soundtrack for crossing over the James river and into Virginia, especially when you realize how relatively close that is to DC (where you will be able to swear off driving for the next week).
- E

Can't Go Home

       I am so happy to be off 95 for the night; if only I could sleep before getting back on the road again...
       If I wasn't so addicted to good indie folk pop I could probably do just that, but with a strong rhythm and a sweet melody, amazing lyrics and a perfect chorus, and a quick closing verse of "there's nothing more empty than my own bed, I don't know where to go when I can't go home", this song is too great to not listen to on repeat a few times.
       "Can't Go Home" Good Old War
- E

6.26.2013

Same Love

       The best thing about being woken by your phone beeping incessantly is realizing that your friend is texting you for amazing reasons, and not bad ones. My stance on DOMA has been clear, I believe, but, if you're new to the blog, here's a past post about the need for marriage equality in this country.
       Overturning the Defense of Marriage Act is only a small step as, though you can now be recognized as a married couple at a federal level and receive all the same benefits as other married couples, there are still plenty of states who still can't seem to figure out that a basic human right should be available to every human being, no matter their sexual orientation. My friends who have found someone they truly love, family friends who have been with each other for thirty years, they deserve the right to marry the person they love, without having to wait for a federal court of strangers to decide whether or not their relationship should be given the same rights which every other citizen is born with.
       This song is gorgeous and makes it impossible for me to not love Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (even if I still can't stand "Thrift Shop" because all I can think of is stalking Girl Scouts... but that's another story for a different time).
       "Same Love" Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert
- E

Dear You Update

       Dear You's latest single, "If Worries Were Weights", is available on iTunes now. Get it; it's awesome. 
       The music video is adorable and fun, but the song is more than capable of standing on its own; I've listened to it about forty times by now and I still find myself hitting repeat.
       Get it HERE.
       Then listen to it fifty times.

London Grammar Update

       London Grammar's Metal & Dust EP is now available in the US iTunes store and, while it does not feature "Darling Are You Gonna Leave Me", it does include "Hey Now" (and the remix), "Wasting My Young Years", and, my favorite, "Metal & Dust". 
       Go get the EP now because it's awesome, the band is kind of amazing and you should support them, and because you don't really have a reason not to get the EP now (it's in your iTunes store for only $5).
- E

Repeat

       Some songs that have been mentioned in the past (and some more recently) deserve to be played on repeat now (and forever). They're all perfectly awesome.
"Erase Me" Kid Cudi and Kanye West
"Sweater Weather" The Neighbourhood 
"Bright Lights" Matchbox Twenty
"Sun Goes Down" New Medicine (check them out here)
"Texas Rain" Sleeperstar (check them out here)
"Brand New Day" Kodaline (check them out here)
"Sold My Soul" Cattle & Cane
"Take Your Time (Coming Home)" Fun. (after all their fame and top 40 radio singles, this is still their best song)
"I'm Ready, I Am" The Format (If we're listening to Nate Ruess, we should go back to those gorgeous basics)
"Reckless" San Cisco
"Walking Disasters" The Wombats (check them out here)
"Take You Higher" Goodwill & Hook N Sling
"Gentle Folks" Hunter Hunted (check them out here [if you want more music like this, check out Lady Danville])
"Things That Stop You Dreaming" Passenger (check him out here)
"Calm My Soul" Paper Route (check them out here- I was briefly concerned that I only fell for the band's music 
       because of the timing of their latest album but, listening to their music once again, I love it simply because 
       Paper Route can create absolute perfection in a single song. I'm forever repeating this song)
- E

6.25.2013

If Worries Were Weights

       Dear You is one of my latest addictions, and for good reason. They've got that punk rock with great (yet unobtrusive) lyrics genre covered, without slipping into the realm of a high school level band; they're pretty awesome. 
       The band's fun, their music gets better every time I listen to it, and this song is so damn catchy; the music video may be cheesy, but it's cheesy in a really great and fun way and I can't get enough of it or the music (as I've watched it seven times already... You have to love that sign at the 1:30 mark). 
       This song is undeniably great and completely perfect for summer (and will be available on iTunes by tomorrow); it's going to be one of the main tracks keeping me awake during my trip to DC this weekend.
       "If Worries Were Weights" Dear You
- E

Dance

       Nothing can quite get rid of your frustrations like a day at the batting cage then some crazy dancing with friends.
"Four Simple Words" Frank Turner
"Let Go" SafetySuit
"Dance With Me" Ra Ra Riot
"Forever" Youngblood Hawke
"Where Will We Go" Iamdynamite
"Chloe" Grouplove
"Tik Tok Together" Doctordude
"Take You Higher" Goodwill and Hook N Sling
"Start A Fire" Ryan Star
"The Ballad of Mona Lisa" Panic! At the Disco
"Party, Fun, Love and Radio" We The Kings featuring J Trill
"We Love Like Vampires" Sparks the Rescue
"Never Heard" New Medicine
"22" Taylor Swift
"How to be a Heartbreaker" Marina and The Diamonds
"Double Vision" 3OH!3
"99 Red Balloons" Goldfinger
"Party Ain't Over" Pitbull featuring Usher and Afrojack
       And repeat. 
- E

6.24.2013

I Will Rise

       Cattle and Cane's latest EP, I Will Rise, was released June 24 and, as with the rest of their work, is pure and beautiful.
       Their single, "I Will Rise", has clean vocals, a quick acoustic rhythm, and great lyrics (which leave a wide berth for self-interpretation). It has all the makings of a great indie folk song, and I find myself completely addicted to their sound (and their latest EP, which you can get now on iTunes).
- E

6.22.2013

Cleaning

       If it looks like Forever 21 and Ann Taylor exploded, then Barnes & Noble threw some books around to decorate and you woke up with a dog toy and a Flight of the Conchords DVD box under your pillow, you need an awesome cleaning mix because your weekend off from work has become a cleaning weekend.
       Seeing as how you're good enough at procrastinating that it has reached the point where you're going to have to spend the entire weekend doing nothing but cleaning, you need a good playlist to keep you focused and going until you've finished.
"Killin' It" Foxy Shazam
"Hurricane" Panic! At the Disco
"22" Taylor Swift
"Keep Me Crazy" Chris Wallace
"Rich Kids" New Medicine
"Called Out in the Dark" Snow Patrol
"Leaving on a Jet Plane" Me First & The Gimme Gimmes
"Keep the Car Running" The Goo Goo Dolls
"Sold My Soul" Cattle & Cane
"Walk Away" The Script featuring B.o.B
"Mercy" Matt Nathanson
"Four Simple Words" Frank Turner
"Better Side" Lady Danville
"Run" The Maine
"Break Me Out" The Rescues
"Brand New Day" Kodaline
- E

6.21.2013

SafetySuit Update

       SafetySuit's music is timeless and, though I've done a post about them before (and mentioned them multiple times), they deserve a resurgence to the top of the blog page again; because they're really freaking awesome. 
Apology ("I want you to notice me, 'cause I'm already lonely and I don't know what to do" is great)
Something I Said ("I could take it if I knew just why I waste my time with you"; perfect)
Annie (from that opening speech to the guitar's fade out at the end, this song is completely beautiful)
Get Around This ("take me back to yesterday, if you can forgive me I will, stay by you only")
Never Stop (Click here for the wedding version; songs like this make it impossible to not love SafetySuit)
Stranger (that opening and "I hope that you aren't thinking of us like something you could never love" are perfect)
You Don't See Me (another song about being friendzoned and it's too perfect; SafetySuit amazes me)
Hallelujah (The best cover of this song. Ever.)
       Listen to their music, fall in love with every song, then try to decide on a favorite (because I still can't decide; everything from "What If" and "Annie" to "You Don't See Me" and "Stranger" is amazing). The band is working towards another album release soon and I cannot wait to hear their new music.
- E

6.20.2013

Goodnight Moon

       Even though I never got too into Mayday Parade, I will never get enough of Go Radio. Lancaster's work is nothing if not gorgeous and this song and music video are both adorable; I love them.
       "Goodnight Moon" Go Radio
- E

6.19.2013

LP Update

       LP's next album is scheduled to be released sometime before the end of the year and, with songs like "Forever for Now" and "Fighting With Myself" being recorded, I can't wait. 
       Her voice is gorgeous and, though I have said it (multiple times) before, see her live. If you think her voice is amazing recorded, it will give you goosebumps live. Besides, there's a good chance that you can stand right in front of the stage to hear her live now but, in a few years when everyone realizes how great she is, it's going to be crazy expensive to get a floor seat for her performances (words honestly cannot describe how great her live performances are).
       Each song LP writes is filled with so much pure emotion it's intoxicating and I have no doubt that her new album will be amazing.
       If, somehow, you still have not heard this song or seen this music video, do so now, because the video is fun and adorable and great for summer, and the song is perfection.
- E

Mighty Fine

      Flora Cash's recent mention of my blog only makes me love them that much more. 
      Their music is amazing, the vocals hypnotic and beautiful, and their lyrics inspiring, and I just can't get enough.
      "Mighty Fine" has always been my favorite song from the band and has been on repeat in my car (and mind) for months. I absolutely love it.
- E

Bride and Groom

       Just another reason why The Airborne Toxic Event is one of the most amazing bands ever (also, just another song they have failed to play at either one of their concerts I have attended. I guess I'll just have to keep seeing them live...). 
       That gorgeous instrumentation, which is such a staple in all of TATE's music, is perfect for this song; it's reminiscent of the Romantic era program music, in that the introductory notes evoke an image of a wedding scene (organized with a steady back beat, soft, and slowly beautiful), before the notes fall into a sort of disarray about a minute in when the chorus begins (the drum beat picks up, the back beat falters from its steady beginnings, and the dynamics crescendo) and, by the time those opening notes tumble back around two minutes in, you can hear some dissonance in the background, which only picks up as the song (or 'relationship') comes to an end.
       Technical terms aside, the band is amazing simply because their lyrics ache with harsh truths. Lines like "this city is haunted by the ghosts of failure, I am one and you are one", "I picture you like snowflakes, like desperate pouring rain, like the beating of the drum in a parade of the insane", and "I'm not good enough for you, you were never good enough to me, no one's ever good enough to be, or have something so naive" are amazing, but that first chorus which simply states, "but I broke my hand on your car, when you told me you were leaving, and I begged for your forgiveness, my broken fingers bleeding, my heavy heart repeating the phrase 'just stay here with me'", is absolute perfection. I will never grow tired of the pure art this band creates. 
       "Bride & Groom" The Airborne Toxic Event
- E

6.18.2013

Kodaline Update

       If you caught Kodaline's Livestream, you got to see them answer a few questions and play some songs ("Love Like This", "High Hopes", "All I Want") live; they were all amazing. 
       After missing out on seeing Kodaline open for The Airborne Toxic Event (though LEAGUES was a truly awesome opening band) during their U.S. tour, watching their performances on Livestream should be good enough to hold me over until the band returns to the U.S. to tour again.
       Though I love the band a lot, I think I may have to stop joking around with my sister on a few things. Making remarks about Garrigan being super attractive is one thing; having her exclaim "HE'S AFRAID OF ELEVATORS TOO!" is in it's own category of weirdness that edges towards creepy (also, who wouldn't be afraid of elevators? You're trapped in a small metal box that hangs from a few wires; not cool engineers).
       If you missed their Livestream (because their information doesn't circulate around the U.S. too quickly and I put that last post up a little late.. sorry) you can still go to this website (HERE) and watch it because the band is adorable and the songs are amazing. 
       Listen to the band's acoustic version of "All I Want" for something gorgeous.
- E

Twitter

       On principle, I have never had a Twitter account and I never planned on getting one; who really cares what you are thinking every second of every day. If sixty percent of the people around me knew what I was thinking at any given moment, I would have no friends (either because they're being awful or because I'm sitting here thinking about how I would rather get sun poisoning then fall down a flight of rough concrete stairs than sit here listening to your stories of how blue the water in Croatia was. Water is blue; everywhere. If the water in Croatia was purple, then I would want to hear about it [because that would be awesome and probably a sign of the end of the world and I have some great plans for the apocalypse]).
       In light of some recent events though, I have decided to start a Twitter for the blog, if only to announce when new posts have been put up or to make it easier for you guys to talk to (at?) me (though you can still totally send emails because I like those and, more importantly, I understand how those work...). I am awful at using social networking sites correctly (i.e. apparently, you are supposed to change your facebook profile picture more often than once every two years; who knew?) and I am positive that I will, no doubt, fail at doing this thing correctly. If I fail to post updates or 'follow' you or whatever it's called, just know that, though I may look like a college student, I have the social networking skills of an eighty year old. I love you, I just don't know how to show it online (though I would totally hug you if I ever met you).
       So bear with me as I try to get this figured out so I can share music with you guys a little more efficiently and I guess.. follow me? Maybe. Yeah. Follow Me
https://twitter.com/TheMusicRag
- E

Kodaline Update- Livestream

       Kodaline's latest album, In A Perfect World, was recently released and the band will be answering questions and performing some of  their songs from the album during a Livestream today at 12:30 PM (Eastern time).
       As the album remains unavailable in the US iTunes store I am going to take full advantage of this Livestream to hear some of the band's 'new' music. 
       Many of the songs off In A Perfect World track list have been released before (or were at least circulating around YouTube, like "Big Bad World") and, with great songs like "All I Want", "Love Like This", "High Hopes", "After the Fall", and "Pray" rounding out the album, I find some of the more harsh reviews of In A Perfect World difficult to believe; after all, Kodaline's lyrics never fail to hit you just right, their instrumentation is pure anthem rock, and Garrigan's vocals are too great to be ignored.
       As of yet, my only problems with the album are that "The Answer" is not on it (unless it's a bonus track?) and that the album, titled In A Perfect World, is conspicuously void of "Perfect World"; two of the best Kodaline songs are missing from the band's first album and it's a little disappointing. 
       Watch today's Livestream at 12:30 PM to hear songs from In A Perfect World
http://new.livestream.com/SonyMusicUK/KodalineInAPerfectWorldLivestream
- E

6.17.2013

Bright Lights

       This song hasn't exactly withstood the passage of time (with it being only ten years old), but it is still one of the best songs ever written and I will never get over listening to it on repeat. 
       "Bright Lights" Matchbox Twenty
- E

Lethal Dose

       Every time I play this song, I get a little more addicted to that beat and I can't wait for that chorus to circle back around after each bass heavy verse; her music was made for these hot summer nights.      
       "Lethal Dose" Ayah Marar
- E

Walk off the Earth Update

       Other songs from Bruno Mars' latest album were great (the radio won't stop playing "When I Was Your Man" or "Locked Out of Heaven" and my readers know how addicted I was to "Young Girls") but "Natalie" was, by far, Mars' best song off the album, and the fact that Walk off the Earth chose to cover this song only makes me love them that much more.
       KRNFX (who worked with the band on their "I Knew You Were Trouble" cover) lends his vocal talents to the track and, along with the amazing instrumentation (made even more fantastic when you realize that the instrument list includes wine glasses, spoons, a salad bowl, and an electronic toothbrush [the pure musical talent of each of these artists is amazing]) makes this cover perfect.
       "Natalie" Walk off the Earth and KRNFX
- E

6.15.2013

6/15

"All Men Are Pigs" Studio Killers
"Lionheart" Sirsy
"What I Wouldn't Do" She Swings, She Sways
"After the Fall" Kodaline
"Sweater Weather" The Neighbourhood
"You Belong Here" LEAGUES
"Bride & Groom" The Airborne Toxic Event
"Infinitesimal" Mother Mother
"Hearts On Fire" City Rain
"Fucked Up Kids" The Maine
"Four Simple Words" Frank Turner
"UNI" Ed Sheeran
"Slow It Down" The Goo Goo Dolls
- E

"Hallelujah" Covers

       Leonard Cohen wrote and released "Hallelujah" in 1984 and, though the song did not become popular under his name, it soon gained fame after being covered by John Cale and Jeff Buckley.
       Cohen wrote around eighty separate verses for this song, recording the original for his 1984 album, Various Positions, and performing the other verses during live performances, alternating between the album version and his written versions.
       Since its inception, the song has become a crowd favorite for covers, partly because everyone knows it and loves to sing along, but mostly because the song itself was created to be adored.
       Written using a compound duple meter in the C major chord, the song itself is created from a simple beat and a basic chord, with lyrics that sound just as lackadaisical upon first listen (with the constant repetition of "hallelujah"). While the basics of the track remain simple, the song grows upon itself with simple chord progressions building to a fuller sound, following the classic style of waltz and gospel music, invoking feelings of strong emotion (each person finds their own way to let this song inspire/move them). With uplifting chords, a steady dance-able beat, and lyric lines that delve deeper into our emotions with each new verse, the song was made to withstand the passage of time. Pair that with the fact that a C is basic enough for any singer to feel confident in their abilities to hit it and it is no wonder that this song has gained the majority of its success from the covers done by various artists, each taking it on as their own but maintaining those same bits that will keep this song a timeless favorite.
       Like most people, I grew up listening to Buckley's popular cover of the song but, being an instant addict of Scrubs, when they dropped John Cale's cover of "Hallelujah" into one of their first few episodes, I fell in love with that version over all others I had previously heard; it's simply gorgeous. Solid male vocals and an acoustic piano? Yes, please.
       Bon Jovi can make anything sound amazing and their cover of "Hallelujah" is no exception. Jon Bon Jovi's vocals (drenched in that solid rock vibrato [with that rough scratchy sound I can't get enough of]), supported by the constantly playing piano and guitar, with a violin and the rest of the bands' vocals joining in at just the right moments, all come together to make this version just as great as I would expect from Bon Jovi.
       Though they have now disbanded, Say Chance's cover of "Hallelujah" was great. It relies only on the acoustic guitar (which is played amazingly and is really the only thing which drew me to this version, at first), leaving the listener to respect how great those clear, full vocals really are.
       While I have always been a fan of Kate Voegele's voice, her version of "Hallelujah" makes me appreciate her vocals that much more; hearing her reach each note, easily, with only the soft chords of that guitar to back her up make it nearly impossible to not respect her talent.
       If you've read this blog before, you know that I'm always looking for a chance to preach the greatness of Walk off the Earth (and their covers), and Sarah Blackwood's cover with her brother, Ian Blackwood, is as beautiful as the rest of their music. As far as female vocalists go, Blackwood's voice can't be beat, and I'm always a sucker for any song that relies solely on an acoustic instrument.
       As the piano was the first instrument I ever learned (and my constant love) I always have to find a good piano based cover, and Michael Henry and Justin Robinett's version is just completely gorgeous. It's simple, slow, balanced, and a little incredibly close to perfection (especially when that violin [courtesy of the keyboard] comes into play about three and a half minutes in); I just keep hitting repeat.
       Of course, my favorite cover is SafetySuit's (they made "Annie" and "Let Go" [and twenty other amazing songs...]; nothing they do will ever be anything less than stark perfection). Other covers are gorgeous and all, but they all seem to stick to that main concept: keep it simple and keep the emotion in the vocals. With musicology and composition being so important to me, I just can't get enough of a band who knows the value of putting their emotions into their instrumentation, versus their lyrics or vocal inflection. That solid drum beat next to that slowly picked guitar, building up to that frenzied guitar solo in the middle of the song speaks volumes over any lyric line; and Brown's rock screams of "hallelujah" align more closely with my feelings when it comes to this song than those slow, soft, held out "hallelujah's" from other artists. SafetySuit takes a different approach to the basic cover format and forces me to, once again, play their music on repeat; I truly love them. 
- E

6.14.2013

The Optimist

       With Kodaline's Perfect World being released only in the UK (really, very few of their songs are available for purchase in the US), San Cisco's latest (self-titled) album still not available in the US, and the inability of great artists (like Frank Turner or The Wombats) to travel and perform any place south of Atlanta, it's almost enough to make me fall exclusively for American bands (after all, we all know that Canada continually produces amazing indie rock bands [Mother Mother, Tokyo Police Club, Apollo Ghosts, Grimes] and that no one can beat a good all-American rock band [nothing sounds as good as The Fray, The All-American Rejects, or Panic! At the Disco during their live performances]). Then I find music like this and think, "yep, I'll just swear my allegiance to American music now".
       City Rain's latest single, "The Optimist", is one of the few songs I've heard this year where I have immediately acknowledged the fact that this band is not only great, but that other people will think they're pretty awesome, as well (i.e. they're not going to be a secret for long). City Rain's music and, more specifically, this single, is too catchy, the lyrics are just great and inspiring enough to sing along to, those rough rock vocals and electronic instrumentation just sound oh so good together and, despite every other aspect of perceived greatness, a band's success really comes down to the 'likability' of the members, and the charisma (on-stage and off) which these guys possess cannot be denied. 
       What better song to start your weekend than one that preaches optimism in the face of "broken dreams and broken hearts, empty streets and empty hearts"; personally, I can't help but sing along to lines like "do you ever stop to emphasize or are you drowning in your lies", "do you understand that on this ride there is nowhere to run and hide", and, that ever repeating, "there's an optimist in me".
Check them out (cause they're awesome):
- E

Lost Springs

       Just perfection.
       "Lost Springs" Night Beds
- E

6.12.2013

Sad Beautiful Tragic

       I listened to Taylor Swift's new album constantly during my dad's duration in the hospital (which included a lot of trips home at odd hours in the morning) and fell in love with the entire album; nothing sounds better in the 3 AM sea fog than a really great break-up song from Swifty. 
       I may have been slightly emotionally off at the time that this last album was released, but I still know great music when I hear it, and Red was perfection (which is why it's still a little unbelievable that the Billboard Milestone award went to a child whose career is over; the Milestone award should go to someone who's going to be around for a while, not a passing fad). 
       If you have not yet heard all of Red (in which case, your only acceptable explanation for this strange phenomenon would be that you just finished a year long stint working with underprivileged something or other in a third world country of your choice), start listening now; I may have too many emotional ties to this album (and Paper Route's The Peace of Wild Things, which was released around the same time and is amazing), but that does not lessen the maturity, lyrical greatness, and overall perfection that is Red.
- E

6.10.2013

The Start of Something

       Nothing is better for a summer road trip, especially with your windows rolled down and the music turned up (actually, this song is good no matter the weather conditions because, even after all these years, it is still utterly amazing[because lines like "if I die clutching your photograph don't call me boring, it's just 'cause I like you" and "the ring it nearly weighs her down, she's got another boy, oh boy" are just too great]).
       Voxtrot was perfection and I cannot wait for a new album to be released.
"The Start of Something" Voxtrot
- E

6.08.2013

The Storm

       After getting stuck in traffic behind road construction and arriving at The Airborne Toxic Event's SunFest set half an hour late this year, I am so inexplicably excited to be heading to Orlando to see one of the most amazing bands of all time perform tonight. Each of their songs is stuffed full of these soulful melodies that carry an enormous amount of emotions, rendering lyrics useless, yet the band still manages to find and create these achingly true lyrics that get to the point, refusing to hide any emotion, and which only serve to better an already perfect song; I will never get enough of those gut-wrenchingly beautiful truths in this band's music (and that mixture of violin and piano, like in "Safe" or "Sometime Around Midnight"; it's truly gorgeous).
       If you have not yet heard of this band or, simply, have not taken the time to listen to them, start now, because this band, with every song they have put out since their formation, continually manages to amaze me; not one of their songs has ever been anything less than a perfect transcription of emotion and experience into music (it's perfectly amazing).
- E

Spotlight

       As LEAGUES will be opening for The Airborne Toxic Event, I decided I should probably check out some of their music before the show; now I'm a little obsessed with their sound. Their music reminds me of the pure vocals and simple, yet soulful, lyrics of Lady Danville (and my readers know how I feel/felt about Lady Danville [now, and forever more, referred to as Hunter Hunted]) mixed with the fun alternative rock heard in Tokyo Police Club's music.
       Don't let the fact that I'm comparing them to any other band lessen their greatness for you, because their songs kind of amaze me. I can't not sing along to lines like "I'm never gonna give you up, never ever gonna give you up", "romantic love it's so sugar sweet, it comes and goes so easily" and "I see all the troubled waters, I'll jump in anyways" and it's near impossible to not feel like dancing when listening to any of the band's music.  
       I may be a new fan, but songs like "Haunted", "Mind Games", and, of course, "Spotlight", have me indescribably excited for tonight's performance.
- E