Always fun.

So, I'm sitting here in my school library, wicked bored, so I decided to frustrate the rest of you guys.

You're now aware that you're blinking, breathing and swallowing, and now you're performing these actions manually. Your tongue feels weird in your mouth no matter how you put it. You're starting to feel itching all over your body and you're about to start scratching.

On top of all of that, you just lost the Game.

Cheers!

Dive Into the Unkown

Here's my first post on the subject of bands that you probably haven't heard of but should check out.

Soapbox Paradox is a rock/punk group with a ska vibe out of Michigan. I found them a while back on garageband.com (which, if you haven't heard of it, is a great place to find independent music). The first thing that struck me was the band's original and extremely varied sound. I honestly can't compare it to much that I've heard because each song is so different from the last. They have a really tight sound. The drums are notable as they perfect each song's groove. All the instruments compliment each other nicely. They have a fun sound without getting too corny. It's worth a listen.
Check them out at: http://www.purevolume.com/soapboxparadox




The next band I'd like to talk about is the Flatliners, a ska-punk band straight out of Ontario, Canada. I don't remember exactly how I heard about them, but I'm glad that I did. These guys absolutely kick it, plain and simple. So far they've released two studio albums. The first, Destroy to Create, has a slightly larger ska feel to it, but rocks pretty much all the way through. The second, The Great Awake, features much more roaring guitar and more intense/frantic vocals. From the first track on, you can feel that this band has a message and won't stop until it's delivered. Most of their songs range between the normal two to four minute range aside from the final song on The Great Awake, KHTDR, which lasts for a little over seven minutes but never gets boring. They haven't completely ousted their ska influences as is seen in songs like "This Respirator" and "Mastering the World's Smallest Violin." This is one of my favorite bands at the moment and have influenced my own songwriting quite a bit. You should definitely give them a long listen.


The final band in this entry is a ska/punk group from France, P.O.Box. They recently released their first professional studio album, ...And the Lipstick Traces. Unlike the previous two bands, P.O. Box actually has a horn section. They play an aggressive style laden with heavily distorted guitar. That's not to say you won't find a more traditional ska style in some songs. They're genuinely fun to listen to all the way through. They play at a vicious pace that rocks but makes some songs feel much too short. Most of their songs are between two and three minutes long, but some clock in below that range, which just leaves you wanting more. Just like the Flatliners, the final song on the album is longer than seven minutes, but also encompasses two songs. The first is a continuation of the 30-or-so second intro track on the album while the second is an alternate version of a song on a previous album, Diving (which happens to be one of my favorite tracks that the band has produced). This version is much slower and has ditched guitar, bass and drums for cello and piano. It's an unusual way to cap the album off, but it works quite nicely.




Well, I'm out. Man I need a good catchphrase to end these posts.

Accelerate

I should be studying for Latin right about now. Getting behind on Cicero's works isn't the most fun thing that one can do. Cicero was a pretty cool dude. He was a pretty sweet politician and was exiled and stuff. Anyways...


After the digression of style on of their past three albums, this is quite refreshing. R.E.M.'s new CD, Accelerate, came out a few days ago. I listened to it a few times and my response was very positive. The band came out with a more aggressive style than much of what they've previously recorded. Michael Stipe may be aging, but lyrically he is still at the top of his game. Peter Buck's guitar playing is absolutely explosive and confident, driving the music to rock again like the good ol' days. The album features a wide array of styles, from boisterous and jovial tunes to haunting melodies that will leave you slightly chilled but satisfied. My only qualm with the album is that it seems to fly by, as the title suggests. Accelerate notes a fantastic resurgence from a band that's been rocking since a certain president that had a little something to do with the Camp David Accords was in office. That's right, I just made an allusion to Jimmy Carter. The album is a triumph for a band that had nothing to lose, and I hope to see more from this band that is trying to reclaim its throne. R.E.M. will be touring North America along with Modest Mouse and The National this May and June. You can bet I'll be going.

R.E.M.'s Accelerate: 8.5/10