OUR//MIXTAPE

Or do people stop looking…

Can’t get enough of this EP

(Source: Spotify)

What’s the point of having a favorite band? Having a favorite song and a favorite album are both things that make sense, but pledging loyalty to a band? That’s something to think twice about.

I rarely, and I do mean rarely, encounter a band whose every note, every arrangement, and every musical decision I agree with. Even on the albums I think the fondest of, there’s usually a bridge, an intro or even a whole song I could’ve done without, often skipping. Laying claims to a group of musicians as your favorite only seems like an exercise in disappointment. Even if the band does overcome the sophomore slump and stays true to their roots on the third and fourth album, you’ll eventually be devastated when they aren’t making enough to pay for food and call it quits. 

When you scroll through your media library, settle on an album you’ve listened to 430 times before, but still push play and still crack a grin at the opening riff, it’s safe to you have a favorite album. An album is this permanent thing that can’t change, it can’t “explore new directions”, it is what is and you either love it to death or you don’t. Just because I’ve loved everything this band has done to-date doesn’t mean I’ll even like their next release, do they then drop out of favor, out of favorite status? Does favorite extend to the actual people in the band or does it stop at just the music they create? There are a lot of questions in determining what you mean when you blurt out “They’re one of my favorite bands” spur of the moment to keep the conversation going.

I’m not against people having favorite bands, favorite artists, I mean, I’ve said it plenty of times myself, but I’m just wondering if this whole favorite band thing isn’t some kind of grand illusion we’ve fallen victim to. Only after a band has recorded and released one or more albums and then de-banded can you look back on their career and possibly proclaim, “They we’re my favorite band”.

How’s that for injecting your head where your heart belongs?

So, it’s May 2012 and you’re finally writing the correct date. Next thing to reevaluate before the year passes you by is that you’ve at least listened to a few noteworthy albums. This isn’t a list of the best album of the year so far, these 5 albums might not even make your top ten at the end of the year, but you at least need to give them a listen. We’ve all been there when we discover an album a year or more after it came out and the shame is hard to bare. Don’t let that be you. 

Driver Friendly, formally Drive F, put out a new album called ‘Bury A Dream’ that’s full of angst, perfect for those that need a soundtrack for trying to outrun their own skin. We don’t know each other, but you’re just going  to have to trust me when I say their blend of punk and ska is exactly what you’ve been looking for. If any band could bring back horns to a burnt one-too-many-times punk scene, Driver Friendly is the band to do it. And actually if I hadn’t said anything about the horns you might not have even noticed because they blend and fit so well. Start with “Ghosts”, the album’s short and simple anthem. It’s only in the fact that you pick up the words as quick as you do that you realize the song has no verses only a fist pumping (does anyone really do that?) chorus.

The Fray already put out a new, lackluster, album this year. If you cared at one point, but feel little connection to the band anymore I don’t blame you. I only bring it up because Green River Ordinance also put out a new album, but they did so independently and they actually included a ton of great songs. The two bands are in a similar genre, also cousins of Needtobreathe and Augustana. “Heart of Me” begins with one of the best guitar riffs I’ve heard in a long time. Instantly catchy setting the stage for the rest of the song to coast on. GRO is one of those bands that, no doubt, does the mainstream radio rock sound justice, but the redeeming factor for those too cool for that sort of thing is they put a unique spin on most of their songs. “San Antone” is one of those that sticks out like crazy on the album, but succeeds beautifully with an additive chorus that could drive you crazy when it, undoubtedly, gets stuck in your head. 

The Jealous Sound are back. There’s also not a lot to say about this late ‘90’s/early ‘00’s styled rock band because not a lot is actually different about the new album compared to past ones. ‘A Gentle Reminder’ sticks to what the band does best and then drives it home. Maybe it’s the familiarness or maybe the new songs are just that good, but anyone remotely in the mood for monotone, driving lyrical anthems should definitely be sampling the new album. “Change You” might be the best track to start with, though it’s only the start.

Crosses, the band that spells their name with actual crosses (†††) is destined for the big time, though I haven’t heard much chatter about them recently. Their new EP is electronic laced pop/rock that immediately grabs your attention. It’s hard to ignore “Prurien†”, which is, in my opinion, the best song on the 5 track EP. Interestingly, and slightly annoyingly, the band replaces every “t” with a cross making it a bit difficult to quickly and correctly read the song names. Despite that small quark, fans of the darker tone and bands like Deftones and Team Sleep should feel right at home.

Vacationer was a new name to me. The music is constantly bouncy and consistently electronically rigid yet so fun. Despite the band’s name being new to me, the vocals were not. There was something irritatingly familiar until I looked up that Vacationer is Kenny Vasoli, who you might remember from The Starting Line or Person L. Though he’s not listed on the band’s Facebook or website. The music is different that anything he’s done before, which might have been why it was hard to place him. Rhythm drips from the debut album ‘Gone’ and also shimmers with plinks and tinks placed like tiny stars in the songs skyline. With summer just around the corner, this is an album that could easily provide the background to the hottest months of the year.

This is, of course, just a few of the many albums already released this year, but who needs to be told that fun. released a new album? I mean, you can’t even pump gas without being told that “we are young tonight”. Who needs to be reminded that Good Old War has somehow convinced people acoustic rock is the new cool thing with ‘Come Back As Rain’? These few album suggestions are for the people just now getting a little sick of spinning the new Lana Del Rey album. You know, you can only listen to “Video Games” so many times before enough is enough.

runningastartup:

plugyourselfin:

Music Video: Good Luck Varsity - “Lakes”

Had never heard of these guys before, but glad I stumbled across ‘em. Their harmonies; holy ****. Reminds me a lot of The Mile After, if any of you remember them. They had three vocalists who meshed so well. This song will probably be on repeat for a while. You can stream their new EP, Thrones, in its entirety on their bandcamp.

crazyheartrecords:

“Miracle” By Ghost Beach is out today!

Best summer song of 2012

graphingmusic:

Of Monsters And Men - My Head Is An Animal

I’m pretty surprised Cassino never took off the way Good Old War did. 

(Source: Spotify)

The new album from The Tower & The Fool on Run For Cover records is really great. Give it a listen. If you like The Dangerous Summer, I think you’ll like it.

Bandcamp Link

If someone owns something can’t they do pretty much whatever they want with it? Well, doesn’t iTunes already pretty much own the music industry? An Apple run record label isn’t a new rumor or topic. There were rumors back in 2007 that Apple would start a label and hire Jay-Z to run it. This would have been a huge surprise, but probably a tad early timing wise. Now, however, I think the time is just right.

Disruption

In 2006, almost no one thought it would be a good idea for Apple to get into the cellphone market. It was an industry that was “intrenched” with incumbents and very low profits. Why would a company that supposedly knew nothing about making phones want to jump into a market that had low profits? It just didn’t make sense until 2007 when Apple reveled the iPhone. Just 5 years later Apple has captured something like 5% of the phone market, but captured something like 80% of the profits.

Apple is amazing at disruption.

Microsoft had been making tablets a decade before the iPad and yet its Apple who is leading the way in the tablet, or should I say iPad, space.

Apple knows how to disrupt a product category and even a whole industry. It doesn’t matter if there are 3 major labels or 100. Apple is a company that joins the race when they have a plan or, more importantly, a reason for doing so.

Potential Problems

On several occasions dating all the way back to 1978, Apple Corps, owner of Apple Records, has sued Apple Inc. First it was because of the name, then it was still because of the name, but because Apple Inc. was getting into the music business with iTunes. For the most part the story plays out that Apple Inc. forges ahead with things it sees fit to do in order to expand it’s market and then paying a sum of money to Apple Corps, for the supposed consumer confusion over the Apple name.

This is a great, and constant example that if Apple could further move in the music industry and simply pay off someone for unforeseen issues.

Also just because Apple enters a market, doesn’t mean they can change the landscape. Take e-books for example. Even after a few years, I’d argue that Amazon is clearly still in the lead and clearly the one in control. So even if Apple did jump into music industry full force, there’s a god chance they’d change everything, but no guarantee.

The how and why

Why is the real question because Apple has proven to be a company that only acts if they have a really good answer for “why”. The simple answer is control.

Here’s how I see an Apple record label working. The record label wouldn’t be one in the traditional sense, but a label of the future. One that “signed” or accepted anyone.

Just like app developers connect directly to Apple through their developers program, I think Apple could do the same thing with music. On the software, or app, side devs pay $99 a year for access to sell in the app store so why not open iRecords, charge $99 a year for access and use the same 70/30 spilt with 70% going to the artist?

Right now Apple pays out something upwards of $15 million every month to record labels. If that could be transferred to artist instead don’t you think musicians would absolutely run to the new label? Apple would continue to make minimal amount from selling music, but the real change would be with rights and control.

By doing this Apple could wield even more power over the music industry and, in my opinion, finally open it up so that it’s able to transform from an age of analog practices to one that recognizes and embraces digital. That’s a side benefit of course, but when you sell hardware the software or music or video content is an object that is necessary. By creating their own record label Apple could be the ones to shape the music industry in their image for the next 100 years.

Reblog?

(Source: liist.in)

Punk Rocker Review: M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion

Here’s a 10 song compilation featuring independent artists appearing on Liisten.com throughout the past year. Please reblog and spread the word. 

Liisten.com/v1