Ok, I’m a little late with this one…I just had a lot going on this weekend and I needed my sleep 
1. One Day as a Lion - Wild International - This is the side project that Zac De La Rocha was working on during Rage Against the Machine’s hiatus. (I think he has a thing for long band names) It’s some pretty cool stuff. It doesn’t have Tom Morrello’s sweet guitar parts, so its not quite as cool as Audioslave or Rage.
2. Pennywise - The Western World - Everyone has heard of Radiohead’s online CD release where fans chose how much to spend. And then there’s Trent Reznor, being ahead of his time as usual, doing all kinds of free downloads for his fans. But few seem to talk about the Pennywise album that got released for free online. That’s how I got it anyway, it was through a myspace promotion. I was pleasantly surprised with the album, which I probably wouldn’t have bought otherwise. So now, I’m a Pennywise fan.
3. Matt Nathanson - Car Crash - He does that kind of songwritey-mellow music like those guys “with-names-that-start-with-J” do. So its not like he’s doing anything out of the ordinary, but I do like this song.
4. Everlast - So Long - It’s been a while since I heard any new Everlast, so I decided to listen to some old stuff this week. This was a song that few knew about compared to “what it’s like” and “ends”. This is actually my favorite Everlast song, besides what he did with House of Pain. Plus, it was on the End of Days soundtrack.
5. Evans Blue - Over - I heard that their lead singer is leaving them. So I don’t know if we’ll be hearing from them anymore. But they had a couple good singles during their time, this is one of them.
6. Wolfmother - Dimension - Another band that is breaking up this week. I guess the bassist and drummer got fed up with the frontman…I don’t know the story. I liked these guys though, very similar to Led Zepplin. “Mother” is their big song, but I like this one better.
7. Life of Agony - Love to Let You Down - I had never heard of this band until about 3 years ago…this is still the only song I’ve heard from them. But supposedly, they’ve been around for a while…I guess I can’t be up on all bands ever. This is a pretty badass song though.
8. Teddybears - Cobrastyle - No clue what this song is about, what he says, or who is in the band. But this song is freakin fun. Great for parties and movie trailors/soundtracks.
9. Sixx AM - Life is Beautiful - I have total respect for Nikki Sixx and the stuff he did/does in Motley Crue, but I love this song more than anything he did in the Crue. While Motley Crue’s songs are great for drinking, partying, and having fun, this song has a lot of maturity in it. And, the guy can hold a note a lot better than Vince Neil.
10. Shinedown - Devour - C’mon who doesn’t love a military drum cadence in a rock song?? This is from Shinedown’s latest album The Sound of Madness. This song is heavier than their earlier stuff, kind of reminds me of Disturbed at times…which is funny, cause Disturbed has a song called “Devour”.
Cherry S/T - Boston, Massachusettes
Bob Bowser: Vocals
Jay Carine: Drums, Vocals
Denis McKenzie: Bass, Electronics
Dan Maleck: Guitars, Programming, Vocals
John “Deuce” Wiley: Guitars, Keyboards
My first comparisions for this band would be The Used, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Taking Back Sunday. Those 3 bands all had a rough, unpolished sound when they started in the music industry (I’m not saying their old stuff was bad). They all have a more mature and polished sound now with more of a musical flow. Cherry’ kind of skips that first part and already has a very solid sound.
I came across them, like many other bands lately, on myspace. (They added me 
) Cherry S/T doesn’t really add anything new to their genre, but they do improve upon it. They define themselves as “rock/electronica”…Think more rock, but the synths they use work very well with their sound. They seem to have a very solid line-up. The bass is tight, the drums fit, the guitars do their job, and the vocals shine. “I’m Over You” is one of their more guitar-driven songs. But, “Let it Go” is my favorite track. It’s well produced and very catchy. It should be on radio stations around the country.
It looks like they’re gearing up to go back in the studio this fall, so look for new material from them too. Check them out on myspace - http://www.myspace.com/cherryst And their official website - cherrystmusic.com
Well…its that time again. I’ve been trying to find some new music, but there isn’t that much new stuff that’s very exciting.
1. Avenged Sevenfold - Seize the Day - I’ve loved this song ever since it came out. Its a damn good love song. The lyrics are great, and the video is pretty cool too.
2. SR-71 - Tomorrow - Well, this song is kind of the opposite of the last one. In the video, its not about love so much as being cheated on by the one you love. I’ve never heard anything this band has done before or since this song. So, I don’t know if the rest of their work is as good.
3. Trigger Point - Silent Protest - Ok, so I did my review earlier on this band…I’ve been hooked on this song ever since. It’s heavy as hell and has a somewhat unique sound for today’s metal.
4. Fair to Midland - Dance of the Manatee - I think this is one of the stupidest song names ever, but its a very different song and its kinda cool. The guy’s voice really rings out on these. Reminds me a little bit of the band Dream Theater (without the technical playing).
5. Cauterize - Closer - This is my favorite song from the relatively unknown Canadian band. When we added it to my college radio station’s playlist…we got a lot of calls asking for “that butterfly song”.
6. Blue Flannel - Having a Bad Day - First heard this song from the movie “Bubbleboy”. Even though it’s all about hating stuff, it’s kind of a fun song.
7. Shwayze - Corona and Lime - I’ve been avoiding this band as hard as I can. I’ve been seeing commericials for them all over VH1 and MTV. So, I know its bad if I “discover” a band through either of those means…if I haven’t heard of you through some other medium…you’re probably not that talented (80’s and early 90’s music excluded). But hey, this song is catchy …damnit.
8. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down - Honestly, I liked this song a long time ago. So, this is really just a song-revisited. Its not a “heavy” song really…but it has a very heavy feel to it.
9. Motion City Soundtrack - This is for Real - This is just a fun and catchy song. It’s probably my favorite MCS song. And, since its from their latest CD, it means they are still improving…so, their next CD should be even better, right?
10. Saosin - You’re Not Alone - I usually listen to Saosin just for the drummer, but this is their song that I really like the vocals. I really like the way he sings this one, but since I don’t sing that high, I can’t really sing along in the car…
Alright, this is a post just to show my respect for James Hetfield, he turns 45 on the 3rd. Crazy. Death Magnetic, the new Metallica CD, comes out in mid-September. So this is my top 10 Metallica tracks from their previous works. And, I chose not to include any covers (aka. Garage inc/days) even though I really like Stone Cold Crazy, Turn the Page, Astronomy, Breadfan, and Tuesday’s Gone.
10. Of Wolf and Man (Black Album) - The “black” self-titled album was Metallica’s most commercially-successful CD. It’s what put Metallica on the map. The choice for me, for #10 was between this and the obvious “Enter Sandman”. Sandman was too easy to pick, and also, it’s never really been one of my favorites. It’s good, but ‘Wolf’ is awesome. This would seriously be the track that a wolf-pack would listen to while they were on the hunt…if they could afford iPods.
9. One (and Justice for All) - I’m reluctant to include anything from the Justice album. I think that was Metallica at their lowest point, mentally. (Not counting St. Anger…that was most sober point) They had just lost a vital member of the band in a very tragic way, and had to replace him with some kid who they treated like crap. But, ‘One’ is a great song regardless. The lyrics are very haunting and creepy. It’s also probably Lars at his best. The guitar solos aren’t too shabby either.
8. Whiplash (Kill ‘em All) - The intro to this song is a little bass solo entitled “Anesthesia: Pulling Teeth”, which is pretty much the coolest thing anyone will ever do on a bass guitar. Then the song kicks in…it pretty much set the standard for thrash metal at that point. It’s a song about headbanging, how much more “metal” can you get?
7. Wherever I May Roam (Black Album) - My favorite intro to a Metallica song. The song just starts out amazing. You can play it on the crappiest headphones, laptop speakers, phonograph horn…and you can still get the mental picture of how this song sounds live. I think this song is the real reason people bought the Black Album. I just wish they wouldn’t have done “the fade” at the end.
6. Battery (Master of Puppets) - Oh, listen to this nice acoustic intro to this song, relaxing sigh…oh what the…?! This is heavy as hell. This song is the beginning of the best metal album ever. It really sets the tone for the next hour. And, I totally think “Shadows Fall - The light that blinds” rips off that intro…not that it’s a bad thing…
5. The Outlaw Torn (Load) - This is my only pick from the Load and Reload years. Many may ask why I did not choose something more obvious like Unforgiven, Until it Sleeps or Fuel. Well, the Unforgiven songs were cool, but not amazing, Fuel was just a radio single, and Until it Sleeps was close to making the list. What really sells ‘Outlaw’ is the S&M version. Its awesome. This is one of those songs that feature a cool bridge. This is a song full of angst. And, its more obscure…it’s always cool to name something obscure when talking about music.
4. I Disappear (MI: II) - I wrote about this song once already in “best use of songs in soundtracks”. I just really like how the song seems to revolve around Jason leaving the band…even though he wouldn’t leave for another couple years yet. This is how I was hoping the St. Anger CD would have sounded, little did I know, Bob Rock wouldn’t know how to use Pro-Tools, James would give up drinking, and suddenly its ok for Kirk to have input on lyrics and choose not to do solos.
3. Welcome Home: Sanitarium (Master of Puppets) - Great intro, great lyrics, great verses, and most importantly great bridge. This is such a good song, even Limp Bizkit sans Wes Borland didn’t screw it up. This song is heavy and melodic, with great guitar solos through the whole thing.
2. Fade to Black (Ride the Lightning) - Bet you thought I was gonna forget about the 2nd Cd…lol. Fade’ was the first song that Metallica dared to slow down. It’s pretty much the greatest song ever about suicide and death. Seriously, if you were thinking about jumping off a building or out of a plane without a parachute…listen to this song first, then do it. You’ll be singing the lyrics on the way down. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to do a little “air” guitar for the chorus before you hit the ground. (sorry, couldn’t resist a pun in all that dark humor)
1. Master of Puppets (Master of Puppets) - I told you this album was amazing! Why this song hasn’t been the final track for a guitar hero game still amazes me. This is Metallica at their best; the guitars rock, the bass is awesome, the drums are good, and the vocals are angry yet melodic. Besides, the irony is great…their greatest song is about none other than alcohol addiction.
*Honorable Mention* Human (S&M) - This is one of the least known Metallica tracks. It’s the other new song from the concert of Symphony and Metallica, besides the radio single - No Leaf Clover. I always thought it was a pretty cool song, and it has an awesome main riff.
So, lets see what “Death Magnetic” will come out sounding like. It probably won’t sound like Kill em all and Ride the Lightning, just because James voice can’t go that high and screamy anymore. It hopefully won’t be messy like St. Anger. It might come off radio friendly like Black Album/Load/Reload. It should have more bass in it than And Justice for All. Since there’s no symphony and its not full of covers…the next choice is for it to sound like Master of Puppets…here’s to hoping. Happy Birthday James.
This will be my 3rd band “review”. I think I will try to get a band in each state, depending on my laziness and what’s out there…(I’ll take suggestions, its not like I know every rock band in the US…lol).
I used to live in the midwest, so I know there are a ton of good bands in that area. But, I think everyone has to admit that there is a ton of bands in California. This is where everyone comes to ‘make-it’ and be found. Bands don’t write songs about Montana (no offense), but they do write “From Oakland to Sacktown, the Bay area and back down” and “Cause I’m goin to Hollywood. I’m chasin my dreams again.” Look up “songs about california” on wikipedia…it’s pretty much the longest list I’ve ever seen. Then go on myspace and see how many bands claim CA as their home base. So, the question becomes, how do I choose a band to feature under my “unsigned/indie”? Well, I’m not going to declare a “best” that’s for sure. But I can show you a band that seemed to stick out to me. I mean, cmon, its got to count for something if a random LA band caught my (random person) eye.
That band is Trigger Point. Started in the early years of the new millenium, this metal band offers quite a few good tunes. They’ve got good heavy riffs, solid drumming, and vocals that dip into “hardcore” without being overbearing. Their music is definitly heavy and probably could get defined using some ‘core suffix. But, I also think it’s close to being radio friendly, with a few lyrical edits. I guess I would compare them to Atreyu, Otep, and Bloodsimple.
“A Silent Protest” is my favorite song from them, and it has a pretty cool video. The shaking effect is kinda cool and different. Check out this band on myspace. Another cool thing about this band: they went on an entire US tour that only fans booked. They may not be the best band in California, but they’re definitly better than a lot of the others.
I found this story online, so rather than try to re-write it in my own words…here it is copied and pasted.
Crahan: ‘I Can’t Wait To Leave Slipknot’
Slipknot rocker M. Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan desperately wants to leave the band to spend more time with his family.
The percussionist admits he has become disillusioned with life on the road with the heavy rock group and hopes he will be able to quit or take an extended hiatus.
Crahan’s wife Chantal was diagnosed with bowel condition Crohn’s disease in 2001, and the star insists he would love to be at home with her and their four children.
He says, “I’m in a really weird place in my life right now. I’m at a point where I wouldn’t say I’m having a mid-life crisis but… I’d love to be doing anything other than Slipknot right now.
“I’ve never wanted to be around my family as much as I want to be around them now. My wife is in the best health she’s been in for a long while and I’m enjoying watching my kids grow up.
“I guess I don’t know who I am any more and that’s pretty scary.”
It’s been a really slow week, I’ve hardly been motivated to write or find anything new in music…but of course, there’s no way I could go a week without listening to something!
1. Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko - I had heard of Shiny Toy Guns and I had heard this song, but I never actually realized this was by them until just recently. Take equal parts - techno and girl-rock - and you’ll have this song. The first line is really the lyric that everyone seems to know.
2. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah - I know this is a song that everyone seems to obsess over. Props to Cohen for doing the original, but really Buckley made this song amazing.
3. Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love - I’m not a big fan of Manson’s latest CD, the guitar parts were really lacking without John 5. So I’m still listening to classic Manson. His own music is pretty cool, but I love when he does covers. This is one of my favorite music videos too. Chyler Leigh makes out to be one of the hottest goth-chicks ever.
4. Flogging Molly - If I Ever Leave This World Alive - I’m not Irish, so I’m not totally obsessed with this band. But, I like their tunes and I think this one is very cool. It’s a sad, but fun song…in terms of lyrics about death.
5. Blink 182 - Not Now - The last ever song from Blink 182. Also one of their best and most mature. It’s a very fitting “goodbye” song.
6. Guano Apes - Open Your Eyes - You might recognize this from the late 90’s. I “re-found” this song a couple years ago while working at my college radio station. I had never known the song name nor who it was by until then. It’s a pretty cool tune and really catchy.
7. Monster in the Machine - Savior - I got this CD for free. Its pretty cool, nothing amazing to rave about. But, I really like this song, with its flow and baritone vocals.
8. Deftones - Passenger - It’s an underrated song off the Deftones’ White Pony album. Chino and Maynard James Keenan combine for a very eerie but great song. And, this also falls under the songs-with-cool-bridges catagory.
9. Seether - Six Gun Quota - One of the songs that are not a single from Seether’s newest album, 6GQ is really cool. Its just Seether doing their angst-filled alt.rock, with a real catchy chorus.
10. Strata - Cocaine - It has a very cool hand-drawn music video. Its a haunting song that anyone with a daughter or anyone who’s ever tried to pick up a girl from a club would fear. Plus, you’ve gotta love the lyric “she don’t like cocaine baby, just likes how it smells”
So, I’m combining two different articles I read about in the last couple days. The first one being a top 10 list for movies that are very unfaithful to science. One of them being the Matrix, because the human body does NOT actually produce much energy in a very efficient way. The second article being about a “power-generating dance floor”.
This sounds completely badass. People waste a ton of potential energy, and no I’m not talking about me sitting on a couch all day playing with my laptop. I mean when I go to the gym, and jump on the treadmill for a mile or so. Not only is the force I’m exerting being unused, but the machine takes power just to run the belt, displays, and tiny fans. Imagine if our resistance training would not include weights, but actually some kind of generator for electricity. I’m not exactly sure how the machines would look for actual strength training, but harnessing the energy of running/biking people should be fairly easy.
Well, the first step has been made, maybe not with gym-type exercise, but with dance. A few clubs around the globe have been putting in “power-generating dance floors”. I was reading an article about UK’s first club to try it out, and how it works…here.
This is pretty amazing, I don’t know how efficient it is, but I gotta think it’s a good thing. Rather than just having people come in and pretend to dance, jump around, and use up all their energy, they can harness that to power up all the lights and equipment to cut down on energy costs. Now, if they could only do something about the heat too…
But, this article proves the Matrix was wrong, we’re not going to just lie there bald and dreaming. The machines will make us dance. Think about it…what is the music played at most clubs lately? Techno! AKA…made mostly by computers and not instruments. So really, the scene where all of Zion is dancing after an uplifting Morpheus speech…that’s where they really harness the energy. Paul Oakenfold and Moby will be the death of us all…
I’m diving back into the movie side of the entertainment industry again. I was just watching a couple movies this weekend, and thought, “that was a badass use of that song for this scene”. See as follows:
Mudvayne - Forget to Remember (SAW II) - I love the SAW movies. They bring a new twist to the gore genre. After this movie goes haywire, the credits roll and this song starts - awesome. The music video is one of the best, I think, in terms of really working with the movie. Some music videos just make random cuts to movie scenes, but this one really integrates the concept.
Rage Against the Machine - Wake Up & Calm Like a Bomb (Matrix) - They used Rage to end both the Matrix and Matrix Reloaded. C’mon, I think that’s perfect. Rage…against the MACHINE….get it? But also, those were cool songs to walk out of the theater with after the movies were done.
The Used - Pretty Handsome Awkward (Transformers) - Here’s one that I’m not just talking about the credits. This is seriously a cool guitar riff, and it works perfectly with a car chase. Heck, I even push a little harder on the gas pedal when this song is on in my own car.
Foo Fighters - My Hero (Varsity Blues) - Ok, if I remember right, they use this song twice. Which you really shouldn’t do, one use per movie only. I don’t remember the 2nd time, but when the song intro starts while they are dramatically lining up for a play…that’s a great usage.
Black Sabbath - Ironman (Iron Man) - Seriously, if you didn’t see this coming… 
What other song would fit this movie this absolutely perfect, if cliche’. Pretty much one of the oldest songs in heavy metal and still pretty cool.
Static-X - Cold (Queen of the Damned) - I would have used any of the songs Jonathan Davis did for the movie, but I wanted to stick to songs done originally before the movie. This is one of Static-X’s coolest songs. And, it fits with the whole “cold” and cold-blooded vampires. I chose not to use Deftones - Change, because they use that song in a ton of soundtracks.
Disturbed - Down With the Sickness (Dawn of the Dead, 2004) - The remake for Dawn of the Dead is pretty cool in itself. But this song fits perfectly. Sickness = Zombie Virus, wink-wink. But what really makes the song fit for me, is the use of Richard Cheese’s version during the movie, its hilarious. Side note - this song is ALSO in the Queen of the Dammed.
Foo Fighters - Tired of You (I Think I Love My Wife) - Not a terribly good movie, but it does have one saving grace. This Foo Fighters song is used as a sort of theme through a couple scenes in the movie. I think those were the two times that I looked up from my computer screen to the TV screen while it was on.
System of a Down - Lonely Day (Disturbia) - Shia Labeouf is being groomed as Hollywood’s future. He plays a much better nervous insecure guy than Jason Biggs. This System’ song just helps to prove how bored Shia is after being put under house arrest.
Metallica - I Disappear (Mission Impossible II) - Rumor has it that Metallica was not expecting to write this song. They were under the belief that a song was done to match the movie, and that the producers just wanted Metallica’s “sound” for it. The guys were on the way to the studio to record it when they learned that it was not already written for them. So in a half hour drive, they came up with a cooler song than anything in their Load, Reload, and St. Anger albums. It would also be the last song Jason Newstead would ever be a part of. I really like the video for it too. Oh, honorable mention…I loved the Limp Bizkit version of the MI theme song.
