The Music Scene

2005-11-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Muse

Muse. A band some of you may have heard of. They are a British rock band with a very unique sound. There is a lot of guitar and piano combinations that work very well in all of their songs. They also have very powerful lyrics, especially in the song, Time Is Running Out.It's all about how you're time is now to shine and you can't waste the day. Carpe Diem basically. Some of their songs are pretty heavy like, Stockholm Syndrome. One of my favorite songs by them is Butterflies and Hurricanes. It's all about the buildup, then it has this amazing piano solo that comes out of no where and you would think that you were listing to Mozart or some famous classical composer. It's a very cool song. Definitely one worth checking out. Here's a breif biography of the band.

The English rock trio Muse consists of guitarist/vocalist Matthew Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenhome and drummer Dominic Howard. Bored by the sleepy life their hometown of Teignmouth, Devon provided, the three friends began playing music together. They started the first incarnation of their band when they were all 13, changing the name of the group from Gothic Plague to Fixed Penalty to Rocket Baby Dolls as time passed. By 1997 the band settled on the name Muse and released their self-titled debut EP on Dangerous Records, followed by the Muscle Museum EP in 1998. The group's emotive, Radiohead-like sound and live dates drew critical acclaim and industry buzz, and after a trip to New York's CMJ festival, Muse signed a deal with Maverick Records. Singles like "Cave" and "Uno" preceded their debut full-length album Showbiz, which was released toward the end of 1999. Two years later, Muse issued The Origin of Symmetry and had a major hit with "Hyper Music." In 2002, fans were treated to the double-disc live set Hullabaloo. Muse's fourth album, Absolution, got the usual royal treatment upon its late-2003 release. Stateside fans finally got a taste of Absolution when it was released on Warner Bros. the following March. A short North American tour in the spring coincided Muse's spot on the fifth annual Coachella Music and Arts Festival in May 2004. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

She gave a much better bio than I would have been able to come up with.

Download these songs:

Apocalypse Please
Time is Running Out
Butterflies and Hurricanes
Endlessly
Hysteria

2005-11-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

Poison

Ok, I know that Poison is mainly an 80's and early 90's glam-rock band, however, they are one of my favorite 80's bands and they still kick ass. The reason I am writing about them is because I am going to see them on Tuesday night. Bret Michaels, the lead singer, is the only original member still in it, but it should still be awesome. They are playing in Hershey, PA at a club my friend works at. We are going to be able to get in early, and if I am lucky, we'll be able to meet the lead singer. That would be absolutely insane. I already know what I would say to him.

When I was about 6, my cousin gave me one of their singles. It had 4 songs on it: Strange Days of Uncle Jack, Valley of Lost Souls, Swampjuice, and Unskinny Bop. It was the first real rock I had ever listened to. Unskinny Bop became my favorite song, and it still is to this day. So I would let him know that his band is the reason that I love to listen to rock. So hopefully I can tell him this.

Their music was some of the best metal out at their time. They had incredible concerts and sold out huge venues. They were insane. Yes, they wore make-up which is weird, but they were still kick ass. They were even compared to Metallica in Billboard magazine. They are just a feel good band and when you listen to their songs they make you want to rock out. I wish I could have been old enough to go to their shows when they were one of the top bands out there. Seeing them with just Bret Michaels will have to do, and it will still be amazing. I'll let you all know how it is after I get back to school from Thanksgiving.

They have a TON of great songs, but there are definitely a few that are my favorite. Here they are:

Unskinny Bop
Valley of Lost Souls
Every Rose Has Its Thorns
Life Goes On
Talk Dirty to Me
Something to Believe In

2005-11-20T15:12:00.000-08:00

System of a Down - Hypnotize CD Review

System of a Down has a new CD coming out on November 22nd, Hypnotize. It is one of the craziest CD's that I have ever heard. It is the follow up to their album, Mesmerize, which was originally slated to be a double CD, but eventually was released as a single album. The band, known for being very political in their songs, definitely lives up to that on this CD, especially in the first song, Attack. I decided to do a song by song breakdown review of the CD. Here it is on a 10/10 scale:

01. Attack - This is a very heavy song that gets you right into the album. Very political song and it may not please everyone 10/10.
02. Dreaming - They definitely don't let up here. Another heavy song, even more so than Attack. Drumming is awesome on the song 10/10.
03. Kill Rock And Roll - The lyrics are rather dumb, but is a catchy, decent song 6/10.
04. Hypnotize -This is the lead single for the album and it's a good song to chill to. It's a good song and the vocals are very well done 8/10.
05. Stealing Society - Moderately heavy song and pretty catchy 8/10.
06. Tentative - Sounds like an old Toxicity song, but it's a good heavy song 9/10.
07. U-Fig - Great song reminds me of War! off the self-titled LP 9/10.
08. Holy Mountains - A good song full of harmonies and great vocals. Another chill song 10/10.
09. Vicinity Of Obsenity - Absolutely crazy, funny as hell song. It has bad lyrics but the song is so catchy and funny you can't help but love it. Guitar even sounds funky like the Red Hot Chili Peppers at times. Definately a stand out 10/10.
10. She's Like Heroin - Another crazy song that's almost as hilarious as the last song. Again bad lyrics but it's so catchy and great it doesn't even matter 9/10.
11. Lonely Day - Another song to chill out to that sounds great but has some terrible lyrics 7/10.
12. Soldier Side - A great ballad and great way to close the album. Connects with intro from Mesmerize perfectly 10/10.

I give the album overall, a 9/10. It is definitely one of their best albums and one that I have not stopped playing since I got it. In terms of songs to download, they are all really good and it is deinitely a CD that I would recommend that people go out an buy. It's not the type of music that everyone will like, but if you are a fan, this is the CD for you.

2005-11-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

Velvet Revolver

Hey everybody. This week I'm going to talk about a band that has been out for a couple of years, Velvet Revolver. They have an awesome sound, and if you like Guns N Roses, then this is the band for you. Velvet Revolver was formed when three Guns N' Roses alumni - Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Matt Sorum (drums) - joined together to play a benefit concert for fellow musician Randy Castillo in 2002. They decided to form another band together. When Izzy Stradlin declined an invitation, the band recruited guitarist Dave Kushner who had previously played with Wasted Youth and Dave Navarro.

The then set about recruiting a lead singer with the recruitment process filmed by VH1. Scott Weiland had become friends with McKagan and had played on the same bill as Kushner when Stone Temple Pilots were known as Mighty Joe Young and Kushner was in the Electric Love Hogs. Weiland heard the material and offered his services as the lead singer and the band clicked. Slash suggested the name 'Revolver' for the project and Weiland suggested the addition of 'Black Velvet' to the title. Slash thought this sounded too similar to 'Stone Temple Pilots' so the name was abbreviated to simply 'Velvet Revolver'.

Their first album, Contraband, was released in June 2004 debuting at #1 on the Billboard album charts. As of August 2005, "Contraband" has sold roughly 2.0 million copies in the United States, and the rigorous touring in support of the album has reached global scales. Already, the band has toured both the United States and Europe twice, while also hitting Australia and Japan.

Downloads:

Slither
Falls to Pieces
Loving the Alien
Illegal i Song

2005-11-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

Alter Bridge

Here's a band I'm sure most of you haven't heard of before, Alter Bridge. The band is basically Creed without their lead singer, Scott Stapp. The evolution of Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall as artists is marked with the debut of Alter Bridge. After selling 30 million albums worldwide, Creed has called it quits and its members have chosen to pursue new creative directions. Over three albums, Creed achieved countless industry accolades, had two # 1 albums, and played to millions of fans around the world. Guitarist/ songwriter Mark Tremonti states, “After all Creed achieved professionally, I felt that I needed to refocus on the goals that I had personally. One of those goals was to get back to my rock and roll roots. They picked up Myles Kennedy, original lead singer of Mayfield Four as their new lead singer.

The reason I like the band so much is mainly because of the guitarist Mark Tremonti. I never liked Creed, but I did always like Tremonti's guitar style. In Alter Bridge, he really lets his rock roots out and just has some amazing riffs in some songs. The songs in general are very melodic and the singer's voice helps that. They do still sound a little bit like Creed, but they are definitely more on the rock side. They are definitely a really good band and hopefully you'll enjoy listening to them as much as me.

If you go to their website, you can listen to songs and watch some music videos.

Songs to download:

One Day Remains
Open Your Eyes (This is their big single you might have heard)
Metalingus
In Loving Memory
Down to My Last

2005-11-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

Panic! At the Disco

What's up? Back with one of the bands that I heard at the Nintendo Fusion Tour, Panic! At the Disco. I thought that they were pretty good when I saw them there, but ever since the concert I can't stop listening to their CD, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. Their music is much, much different than the normal music that I listen to. Their musical style would best be described as dance punk emo... yea, that's a lot of genres packed into one band, but once you listen to them you'll see what it is that I'm talking about. They have a slightly European sound to them also.
Either way, their songs have a ton of energy and definitely put you in a good mood once you start listening to them.

I tried to get some information on the band from the internet, but they are so new that they didn't even have a bio on their website which I thought was crazy. I did find out that they are from the suburbs of Las Vegas, although when I first saw them I would have sworn they were from England. They recorded their first album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, in College Park, MD. They are now a very popular band on the indie music scene and have a large underground following. They are definitely more popular with a younger crowd, but I still think they are really good. Definitely download some songs by them and give them a chance. See ya next week.

Songs:

- Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
- The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage
- London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines
- Time to Dance

^^^^ (I know the names are pretty long, huh?)

2005-10-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Chevelle

Back again... The band I'm going to talk about this time is Chevelle. Some of you may have heard of their big song, The Red, or Send the Pain Below. They are a sweet band with a really cool sound. They are similar, in my opinion, to Funeral For a Friend but are not as heavy. Yes, they have their moments of screaming, but for the most part, it's just good ol fashioned rock n' roll. The best way to describe them is most songs start out slow and then build up and then just explode into some awesome chorus.

They were formed in 1995 and Chevelle's members are brothers Sam (drums), Pete (vocals, guitar) and Joe (bass) Loeffler. They started out playing parties and outdoor events, which quickly led to bookings at Chicago clubs when youngest member Joe was just 14. In 1999, the band released their Steve Albini-produced debut album, Point #1, on Squint Entertainment. Three years later, the band inked a deal with Epic and issued Wonder What's Next. In June, the album went platinum and their second single Send the Pain Below was a number one hit at modern rock and mainstream radio. Main stage dates with the annual Ozzfest tour followed that summer, and 2003 brought a concert album, Live from the Road. This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) followed in 2004.

My favorite songs by them are:

The Red
Closure
Send the Pain Below
Vitamin R
The Clincher

2005-10-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

NINTENDO FUSION TOUR

Hey Everybody,

Comin' at ya with a few new bands you may have never heard of. I went to the Nintendo Fusion Tour last night and it was awesome. It was at the Electric Factory in Philly. It was headlined by Fall Out Boy with guests, The Starting Line, Boy's Night Out, Panic at the Disco and Motion City Soundtrack. Upon arrival, we realized the entire crowd was 15 year old teenie-bopping girls and little punk guys, so we went upstairs to the 21 year old balcony/bar. It was a really good view from up there, altho the energy wasn't as intense as being down on the floor.

Panic at the Disco opened up the show. I had never heard of these guys before. They are basically a punk band that has a very British sound to them. They were pretty good though. Definitely worth checking out. Boy's Night Out went on next. They were good, but their sound was muffled because they had way to many things going on at once. A keyboarder, 2 guitars, bass, lead singer and drums and there were usually 2 people singing at once. They have the possibility to be really good though, I'm in the process of downloading their CD to see if it's better. Motion City Sountrack came on next. They were really good and they have an INSANE keyboarder that just went crazy the entire time. They were my favorite band out of the first 3. The Starting Line, which some of you may have heard before, were next. They were really tight and I knew some of their songs so it was more enjoyable to watch. They played their songs a little bit slower than they normally sound which I thought was weird, but they were still good.

Finally, Fall Out Boy came on. They had an amazing set. It started out with "Act One" so it played out like a play. I don't remember their set list, altho I wish I did, but they played most of their hits and a bunch of older songs. The guitarist and bass player were spinning all over the place and the bass player actually jumped off the balcony into the crowd which was a sold 15 feet. Pretty nuts. They had some of the singers from the other bands come out and sing with them which was really cool. All I wanted to hear was their song "Saturday" which is my favorite song by them. They actually closed with it which was clutch. There's a part at the end where there's a guy just screaming in the background and they had a guy come out and sing that while the singer sang the regular part and it sounded awesome. All in all it was a really good show and the venue was really cool. I will definitely go back to see more shows there. I'm out.

2005-10-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Story of the Year

I'm back again with another band to introduce you to, Story of the Year. Many of you are probably familiar with their hit song, Until the Day I Die, which came out 2 years ago. You may be wondering why I am talking about a band that hasn't had a new hit song in a year. The reason is they are coming out with their second album, In the Wake of Determination. I'm highly anticipating its October 11th release date. Their first single from the album, We Don't Care Anymore, is available for download and can also be heard on their website. The song is really good and if it's like any of the other songs on the CD, it should be awesome.

I first started listening to Story of the Year my sophmore year. I heard Until the Day I Die and was immediately hooked. They have a really good mix of heavy rock and some more chill songs on the CD. The band is made up of 5 members:

Dan Marsala - Vocals
Philip Sneed - Guitar/Vocals
Josh Wills - Drums
Ryan Phillips - Guitar
Adam Russell - Bass

I'll give you a heads up, some of the songs on their first CD, which is self-titled, are definitely a little bit heavy, slightly heavier than some of the Funeral For a Friend songs you may have downloaded from my previous post on them. They balance out their heaviness with some slower songs like, Sidewalks and Razorblades. The main reason I like these guys is their overall sound. It's a very full, melodic sound, especially during the choruses. I have yet to see them live, but hopefully I will see them soon. They are currently on tour with Funeral For a Friend, so if I could see that show it would be great. Unfortunately all the shows they are playing in in the area are currently sold out.

Well, I hope you check out some of their songs that I suggest and let me know what you think. Since they only have once CD out, I'll post all of the songs on it and I'll put a star next to my favorite ones.

New Song: "We Don't Care Anymore"

Self-Titled CD:

1. And The Hero Will Drown
2. Until The Day I Die*
3. Anthem Of Our Dying Day*
4. In The Shadows*
5. Dive Right In
6. Swallow The Knife
7. Burning Years
8. Page Avenue*
9. Sidewalks*
10. Divide And Conquer
11. Razorblades*
12. Falling Down

2005-09-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

What's up? I'm back again with yet another band I've been listening to and I'm sure not many of you have heard of this band, Funeral For a Friend. It's a pretty dark name for a band but I promise you they are not dark or anything like Marilyn Manson or something crazy like that. They are rock band that is definitely a little bit more on the heavy side, but the heavy guitar is accompanied by amazing lead guitar melodies. I first started listening to these guys last year at some point when my friend told me about them. As I mentioned before, myself being a guitar player, they have some nice complicated stuff that I am trying to learn in order to get better at guitar.

The band consists of five members:

Matt Davies - Lead Vocals (Melody)
Kris Roberts - Lead guitar
Darran Smith - Lead guitar
Gareth Davies - Bass & Backing Vocals
Ryan Richards - Drums & Vocals (Aggression)

Funeral For A Friend formed originally from a band called January Thirst. They were a hardcore band from South Wales, who were started by two friends, Kris Roberts and Johnny Phillips, in 2001. The band also included Keri (Kris' brother) on guitar, Matthew Evans and Mike Davies both doing aggression vocals and Andi Morris playing bass. Soon afterwards, Keri was replaced by Darran Smith, who was previously a part of local legends, Tripcage.

Currently, the band has out 3 albums. The first was titled, "Seven Ways to Scream Your Name." This one is really hardcore and not really my type of music. The second album was, "Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation." Some good songs on it are, Bullet Theory, Juneau, and Escape Artists Never Die. There is also a real mellow song that's good called, Your Revolution is a Joke. Their latest CD, "Hours," is my favorite album by them. It's a lot calmer compared to the other heavier albums. The best songs on it are, Drive, Recovery, StreetCar, and Alvarez.

I highly recommend downloading some of their songs that I listed. They might seem a little heavy at first, but the more you listen to them the better they get. Thanks for stopping by. Peace.

CD's and songs to download:

CASUALLY DRESSED & DEEP

IN CONVERSATION

Bullet Theory
Juneau
Escape Artists Never Die
Your Revolution is a Joke

HOURS

Drive
Recovery
Streetcar
Alvarez

2005-09-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

Ah, back again for my second introductory post. This time I'm going to specifically talk about my favorite band, 311. I first started listening to 311 freshman year of highschool. I had just started playing guitar and I really enjoyed playing their music. I've been listening to them ever since. So far I have been to 4 of their concerts, including the show they had here, at the Bob and most recently, this summer. They put on one of the most amazing live shows I've ever seen. Their sound is perfect and is exactly the same as the album. I encourage everyone to try to see them at least once.

As far as their music goes, you may be familiar with such songs as, Amber, Down, Transistor, Love Song, and most recently, Don't Tread On Me. Their style of music has a touch of reggae, rock and rap all mixed into one. The band originates from Omaha, Nebraska and started over 10 years ago. Nick Hexum is the lead singer, accompanied my S.A. Martinez who sings most of the rap and spins beats on the turntables. Peanut rocks out on the bass guitar and has the incredible ability to play amazingly fast. Tim Mahoney play lead guitar and really makes the band's sound with his reggae riffs. Chad Sexton plays drums and is absolutely incredible at them. His drum solos at concerts are rediculous.

Overall the band is jsut amazing. They have to be considering they have been coming out with hit songs for over 10 years. I'd like to leave you with a few of my favorite songs that you can download. Enjoy.

Don't Tread On Me
Beautiful Disaster
Do You Right
I'll Be Here Awhile
Don't Go Home

2005-09-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Music Scene, a place where you can come and talk about any music that is out there, especially new music. There are constantly new bands coming out that I am unaware of and I am always looking to listen to something new so let me know if there's a band you're listening to that's good. The type of music I like varies from rock, alternative, rap and some techno. I play guitar so I definitely enjoy learning how to play the songs I listen to. I feel like I can appreciate the song even more, knowing that I can play along with it if I want to. In terms of specific bands I like, lately I've been listening to a lot of 311, Fall Out Boy, Funeral For a Friend, and of course, 80's rock. I'm sure most of you have heard of 311, and maybe Fall Out Boy. Funeral For a Friend is a band I stumbled across on a website called, ShoutWeb.com. This is a great site to go if you are looking for some new alternative music. I'll post info about any new bands I come across or any cool sites where you can listen to new music. I hope all of you find a new band to listen to by visiting my site, so keep an open mind and check out some of the bands people listen to. Thanks for checking out my site.