Edith Piaf

Some people spend their whole lives trying to accumulate dizzying heights of talent and it’s almost cruel that certain people are just born with it; their mere existance mocking those who work hard but still fail. Edith Piaf - The Little Sparrow - was one of the lucky few to be born with an extraordinary talent.

I’m now quite ashamed that the music of Piaf was introduced to me by the biopic of her life, ‘La Vie En Rose’, in which Marion Cotillard successfully portrayed the life and songs of Edith Piaf, earning herself an Academy Award and many other prestigious awards in the process. I found myself singing the songs days after I’d seen the film and that’s the beauty of Piaf. The songs stick once you’ve heard them, and you find yourself singing them; on your way to school, in the queue for the checkout at the supermarket, even mid-conversation.

Piaf’s early life - if you want to believe what you read - was chaotic and often deeply emotional; many of her early songs were written to reflect this. In 1935 the fairytale began and a club owner by the name of Louis Leplée, who renamed the 4 feet 10 inches singing sensation, La Môme Piaf which translates as ‘The Little Sparrow’. The black dresses and dramatic arm gestures that became her signature were all instigated by Leplée who in many ways started the Piaf cart moving.

It’s often bizarre listening to songs in another language, you don’t always know what they’re saying, therefore you don’t know what you’re saying when you sing. But it is a great help to any language learning. “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” is a beautiful song, that builds up to some incredible vocals and once you’ve read the translation, what …  Continued »

Warped Superiors

Warped Tour, as we all know, is the mecha of summer festivals. It is the only place where you can walk around in fifty circles and by the end of the day have bags full of free stuff, cameras packed with band pictures, and a tan line to laugh about for the next month. It is the gathering spot where a hundred bands can come together and play old and new fans alike.

Tweleve hours in the heat, millions of screaming fans, and chaos that is just basically unexplainable is just the beginning for the bands the trudge out the summer. It’s a great starting point in a career of a new band on the scene to get their music out to as many people as they can. However, I’m not qutie sure if all the bands know just what they are getting into when they sign up for music camp. Some bands that have dealt with the frenzy and have chosen to take it on again headstrong this year.

Here is a list of bands that will play this years Warped Tour that can now have the senority title under their belt:

• 3OH!3
• The Academy Is…
• Against Me!
• Alesana
• Anberlin
• As I Lay Dying
• The Audition
• Chiodos
• Cinematic Sunrise
• Every Time I Die
• Forever The Sickest Kids
• Fear
• From First To Last
• Gym Class Heroes
• The Human Abstract
• Ludo
• Mayday Parade
• Maylene and Sons of Disaster
• Norma Jean
• Motion City Soundtrack
• Paramore
• Patent Pending
• Pennywise
• Rise Against
• Set Your Goals
• Street Drum Corps
• Tat
• Valencia
• The Vandals

Mary Magdalan
www. myspace.com/marymagdalan

I was first introduced to Mary Magdalan when a fan of theirs added me on myspace. Her myspace profile was plastered with pictures and music by Mary. Curiosity is what killed my junkie virginity. Honestly, I have never seen such dedication and loyalty from fans than that of the Mary Magdalan junkies. And this craze is for good reason.

Inspired by a dark past, struggling with a mother battling a heroin addiction, female front woman, Mary Magdalan, whole-heartedly bears her soul through her lyrics, in high hopes of bringing healing to those going through the same pain. All of Mary Magdalan’s lyrics are biographical and is what makes them so original. Her story is truly inspiring and is one of the many reasons why I am so attracted to this band.

I can’t quite place what genre of music they belong in. They remind me very much of the band Otep, but with a little more grunge. Their sound is truly a breath of fresh air and very different from what we’re used to hearing. Their different musical influences explain why this band is so darn different. On guitars is Ericb, who has his masters in classical and is heavily influenced by Metallica and Pantera. Gzus brings the hip-hop element to their music and Mary, the vocalist, is influenced by legendary songstresses like Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. Their unique blend of genres is heavily reflected upon their music and is something you just can’t find anywhere else.

Mary Magdalan’s debut album called “Pity Girl” ,which was solely mastered, manufactured and distributed by the band themselves, is out on sale and can only be bought directly from the band. They are in the midst of recording their next album and …  Continued »

Building a Record Collection

The music industry is mind-blowing. The strange twists and turns that it takes are often unpredictable and defy logic. One of the strangest twists in recent years has been the effect mp3 files have had on album sales. Ever since Napster changed the way we obtain music (legally or illegally), CD sales have been dropping rapidly. Your average music listener doesn’t have to buy the new *insert pop icon here* album. Instead they can buy the mp3 of the new hit single (the only reason they would have purchased the album in the first place) or heaven forbid they can download it illegally.

Even though CD sales are declining, surprisingly enough vinyl album sales are rapidly increasing. Yes ladies and gentlemen, we are reverting back to old technology. Why? Well lets look at it this way. There are two kinds of people who are shop for music. The first we have already discussed, the person wanting the new single thats tearing up the charts and honestly, thats it. The second are people who appreciate an album. The people who love and adore when one track fades into the next. The people who love a concept album or an album that seems to speak to them. We have already decided that its the in first group’s best interest to just pick up the mp3. The second group however strive for the quality of their music. They are the people who complain about the quality of the mp3. This group has rediscovered the quality of vinyl records. Any album that isn’t recorded digitally is going to sound the best on vinyl. And even in the digital recording world, having the vinyl record is pretty awesome. They last much longer and have sentimental value.

So do you want to start a record collection? Here’s …  Continued »

Sigur Rós

I’m pretty notorious for making outrageous claims. I have a tendency of blowing some artists out of proportion,  giving them a God-like status and expectations that can rarely be reached. But there is no way that I can over exaggerate the pure genius that is Sigur Rós.

Only five days before writing this piece, I saw the band play a set in a Tennessee field from 1 to 3 in the morning at the Bonnaroo music festival. I can’t describe in words the pure brilliance that is this band. Vocalist Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson’s unique way of playing the guitar with a cello bow creates such a haunting, beautiful noise that will stay with you for days. His voice commands you to feel and understand what he is singing, even though most of the crowd cannot understand the words.

Most of the lyrics are in Icelandic, but on a few songs and the entire album () the lyrics are in a language called Vonlenska, a gibberish language that Birgisson created  in hopes that the listener would create their own meaning and lyrics to the songs.

The band has four albums out right now. These albums are Von, Ágætis byrjun, (), and Takk… They just released their fifth album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust online, which hit stores June 23rd. It features their first song to be sung entirely in English.

I seriously cannot stress how fantastic this band is. Don’t let the lack of English lyrics scare you off. This is the band you want playing in the background of the most important events of your life. Seeing the band live is life changing, and just hearing one of their albums can change your viewpoint of the world around you or your mood for the day. Do yourself a …  Continued »

Get a Front Row Stand

It takes careful consideration and planning to achieve a want. This is one advice that can be applied to every aspect of your life. Concerts are no exception. Teenies prefer to play dirty to get ahead. I know this from first hand experience. Their plans usually provide results but this approach is prone to backfire.

From every regretful experience in life comes about something positive. I’d like to think that my horrid years as a teenie would someday benefit another human being. That somehow I have achieved something from 3 years of “OMGILOVEYOU”s and that it can subsequently help others.

Well, the day is finally here! I come to you, as a former insider, bearing a gift of knowledge. Here are some tips on how to be sneaky in a concert crowd and get yourself front and center!

• Dress for Comfort

If you’re planning to be covered in spikes with 50 pounds of metal attached to your body, be prepared to be a target in the mosh pit. First of all, how comfortable can dragging your heavy metal body (literally) be? If you think this will prove how metal or brutal you are, think again. Arrogance equals a target mark on your forehead.

Secondly, what is the point? Unless you have glow-in-the-dark skin, no one can see you in the crowd! And quite bluntly, NOONE CARES! Some of you may be thinking, “but what if I bump into the band after the show?” Believe me, there is nothing sexier than a sweaty band shirt. That’s your way of showing the band you had the time of your life getting down and dirty with them. The goal is to sneak your way to the front, so ensure that you can move about freely and not have anything …  Continued »

Ballads

Sometimes we have difficulty remembering that even our favourite bands and artists are real people. The limelight they’re in taints our perception of them and we forget that they can face the same heartache and trauma that us civilians can.

Maybe it’s easier for these musical beacons of inspiration to get closure; by pouring their hearts and feelings into these songs they learn to deal with the subject. I think that’s what makes these songs even more heartbreaking. If it’s done right you can picture the devastation of the writer’s life, the upset it must have caused and the time it took to overcome

So as you go through this list, you’ll instantly know which the honest ones are; the emotion will jump off the page.

• Don’t Speak - No Doubt
• With or Without You - U2
• Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O’Connor
• Ghost of You - My Chemical Romance
• Wake Up - Coheed & Cambria
• Through the Glass - Stone Sour
• Apologise - OneRepublic ft. Timbaland.
• Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day
• Warwick Avenue - Duffy
• Yesterday - The Beatles
• Face Down - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
• Tears Dry On Their Own - Amy Winehouse
• Littlest Things - Lily Allen
• Eternal Flame - The Bangles

God’s Own Medicine 
www.myspace.com/godsownmedicine

Rob, who is the ingenious creator and only member of this band, is clearly very talented. I find his music intense and moving, especially in his more ambient instrumental tracks. For Rob the band isn’t about making money, getting famous or making a name for himself; it’s all about the music! He uses music as an outlet for his imagination and it can definitely been seen in the emotion and mood of each song.

A lot of his music is percussion based and has a beautiful natural feel about it, like the sounds of the world. I myself am a percussionist, and it’s great to see such a diverse instrument (or instruments, as percussion is about four actual instruments and four hundred other things to hit) being used so brilliantly.

Skylong
www.myspace.com/skylong 

Skylong are an Italian band (yes, getting multi-cultural now!) They are young, energetic and very passionate about their music; three of the most valuable factors for an up and coming music sensation to possess.

They began as a cover band, playing songs by great pop-punk bands like Blink182 and Green Day. Skylong’s origins are quite evident in their music as the songs are very “pop punk.” Alessandro and Nicola (who provide the majority of the vocals and play guitar in the band)  got a taste for the music industry and began to write their own music. In just two months, the boys wrote and recorded their first demo, The Legend. The demo represented them perfectly, catchy beats and lyrics about life as a young adult.

The thing I adore about this band is the unique vocals. The band has three separate vocalists (two as lead singers and one as backing) which makes them distinguishable from every other pop-punk band out there.

Unique Band Names 

Band names are pretty darn important. Maybe I’m just not very opened minded, but if a band’s name doesn’t jump out at me, I am far less lightly to listen to them.

Take, for example, Chicks on Speed. Personally I find that band name genius, how can you not listen to them? Curiosity builds; who are these chicks? And are they, as their band name suggests, on speed?

I’ll keep this one short and get to the yummy bit, here’s a list of band names that are, well, unique, and very hard to ignore. I am one hundred percent serious; all of these band names are legitimate.

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Build a Rock Band

After extensive research (i.e. reading many Alternative Press, Revolver, Spin, and Rolling Stone back issues, watching Almost Famous and Spinal Tap religiously, and having spent countless hours hanging after hours with “rockstars” at concerts), I have developed the ultimate guide to creating a musical sensation. For all you aspiring rock n’ roll gods, with the help of this article, you too can achieve your dream.

 Imagine all access passes to the hottest clubs in the country, hundreds of fans dying to be close to you, the roar of the crowd, the heat of the lights, and the victorious feeling of success. Who wouldn’t love it? If you’re one of those that can’t resist this imagery, then this is where you need to start.

Step 1: The Beginning of your journey

In order to begin your climb to stardom, you must first establish your talents. What is it that you’re good at? Of course this a silly question, because if you’re the one starting this band, you probably want to be the frontman/woman. Anybody and everybody can sing…not everyone can sing well, but everyone can sing; right?

Step 2: Build-A-Band

Now build around yourself. If by some stroke of genius you decide that you are one of those saddened few that cannot sing well, then the only reasonable choice is lead guitar. In either case, this is the part of the plan where you find flexible, play-dough like people who will agree with your every whim and overly creative desire. Exploit yourself to draw attention to your cause. This is when you get on Myspace, Facebook, MSN, Yahoo Messenger, and every other networking internet forum, and tell the world that you are looking to build the most awesome band ever! You’re bound to find someone. The stars will align …  Continued »

Ohana
http://www.myspace.com/ohanari

No, this is not a hawaiian-influenced Elvis cover band. Claming to ”walk an intense and interesting line between pop and metal,” Ohana is rocking Rhode Island one crowd at a time. I thought that the term for the distance between pop and metal was more of a continental divide, but these Rhode Island boys seem to know what they’re doing.

There isn’t much info on the band online as far as history, which doesn’t seem to matter much…Ohana is only looking forward. Having shared the bill with bands as varied and ecclectic as Hurt, Meg & Dia, Powerspace, and Madina Lake, you can’t be sure what to expect, so you might as well jump in and be a “part of something truly unique with no signs of stopping.”

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The Last Song

A great album follows a very basic formula. The album starts with either an energetic welcome to the album up tempo track, or a slow song that builds to lead into an energetic second track. The first single usually lies around track 3 or 4, and the catchiest songs are at the beginning of the album. The tempo slows down towards the middle of the album, and then slowly builds back up as the CD is coming to a close.

Then, in the final moments of the album, the artist unleashes the song that will sum up the album. Although many artists are defined by their biggest singles and catchiest tracks, the true fans of an artist define them by the songs they feel have the biggest impact or musical talent. Most artists strategically place the song that falls under this category as the last track on their album. Its pure logic; if someone is going to listen to your album only once, what is the lasting impression you want to leave them to get the vision and message of your album across?

Whether its the heaviest track on the record, or the biggest ballad, or maybe just a track that builds to a dramatic conclusion, its inevitable that you often see the full potential of a band in their last track. Here is a list of songs that I feel are excellent album closers:

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Seo Tai Ji

It’s a wonder that we’ve never heard of him here in the west, but then again, us westerners are just now discovering the phenomenon of J-rock…it’s no suprise that Korean icon Seo Tai Ji is virtually non-existent on our musical radar. 

Korea’s answer to our handful of genre hopping superpowers, Seo Tai Ji is as chameleonic an artist as Madonna ever was. Transitioning from a 17 year old metalhead to K-pop dance anthem master, to gangsta rapper extraordinnaire, to as big a pop-punker as Fall Out Boy could ever hope to be, Seo will go down in Korean pop culture history as one of the most influential musicians ever to…well, pick up a guitar, scream into a mic, wear baggy pants, or sport thick rimmed emo glasses.

 Whatever your cup of tea, there’s a Seo Tai Ji to suit your every mood.  Here’s a few suggestions (with familiar comparisons to go along with each) to get you started…and with a new album due out this month, who knows what will be next!?

• Internet War (sounds like: Limp Bizkit)
• Heffy End (sounds like: Fall Out Boy)
• Robot (sounds like: Foo Fighters)
• Take Five (sounds like: LFO)
• Come Back Home (sounds like: House Of Pain)

Girl on Fire
http://www.myspace.com/girlonfiremusic

Girl on Fire originate from Seattle, Washington and are made up of five rather tasty looking young men, (Robbie, Nick, Brent, Josh and Harry,) not to mention they are all very musically gifted. Their exact genre is hard to define- I’d put them somewhere in between pop-rock and screamo, with clear influences from Taking Back Sunday and My Chemical Romance.

The first song of the band’s I listened to was “Mix Drink” and it immediately drew me in like a fly to a light with its catchy drum beats and gritty vocals performed wonderfully by Robbie. After that I was hooked! I was also surprised to discover that they have been playing together for less than a year, starting in September 07 and their album, Nowhere & Everywhere being released that November.

I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing them live (due mostly to location) but just by reading the many MySpace bulletins to their ever growing fan-base, I can tell they value their fans greatly and must put on a great show. I know they are touring this month around Washington and California, which I suggest you all check out if you are in the area!

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Discover New Music

We’ve all been there; stuck in a musical rut with what seems like no way to get out. But my friend, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Nay; several lights. There’s a whole world of music out there just waiting for you to find it. Who knows, you might find your new favourite band. Or you might just find yourself enlightened by a genre you never thought you would be.

In this day and age it’s easier than ever to come across new things; but if you don’t know where to start then it can all become a bit overwhelming. But it’s all okay; I’m catering to your needs. Take a deep breath, read the following and let your music taste develop a life of its own.

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