BEST ALBUMS of 2008

Here we go the big reveal:

Honorable Mentions: Anthony Green - Avalon, The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound, Russian Circles - Station, Thrice - The Alchemy Index Volumes 3 & 4: Air & Earth, United Nations - United Nations

10. Once Nothing - First Came The Law
9. Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
8. Dance Gavin Dance - Dance Gavin Dance
7. Good Old War - Only Way To Be Alone
6. Bayside - Shudder

5. Underøath - Lost In The Sound of Separation
Unquestionably my favorite UO record to date. I can't think of a single complaint about it.

4. Colour Revolt - Plunder, Beg, and Curse
Every time I listen to this record I find a new song to love.

3. City and Colour - Bring Me Your Love
The beauty of this one lies in it's sheer simplicity.

2. La Dispute - Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair
One of the most emotional records I've ever heard in my life. Legitimate screamo is still alive and kicking.

1. Lydia - ...Illuminate
Some of the most beautiful sounds ever put to record. This has been my number one since January, and nothing has been able to come close.



Again, if I'm missing any lists you'd like to see, please let me know. Also, read these on my Myspace, the formatting is better there. This list also may change as soon as next week, with every listen I find something new to love in all of these albums. Please, give these artists a chance.

Best EPs of 2008

10. La Dispute - Untitled 7"/Here, Hear I/Here, Hear II
9. Jon Foreman - Winter EP/Spring EP/Summer EP
8. The Narrative - Just Say Yes EP
7. Deas Vail - White Lights EP
6. All Get Out - All Get Out EP
5. The Glass Ocean - Put On the Wooden Overcoat EP
4. Manchester Orchestra - Let My Pride Be EP
3. Eye Alaska - Yellow & Elephant EP
2. You, Me, and Everyone We Know - So Young, So Insane EP
1. Person L - Initial EP

Note:
There's a very good chance that unless you follow what I type very closely, you haven't heard all of these artists. Well I would very strongly recommend give every single one of them a chance, they're all outstanding and hardworking people.

Best Albums of 2007 in Retrospect

10. Thrice - The Alchemy Index Volumes 1 & 2: Fire & Water
9. Shad - The Old Prince
8. Dance Gavin Dance - Downtown Battle Mountain
7. The Receiving End of Sirens - The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi
6. Bayside - The Walking Wounded
5. Every Time I Die - The Big Dirty
4. Dashboard Confessional - The Shade of Poison Trees
3. Circa Survive - On Letting Go
2. Big D and the Kids Table - Strictly Rude
1. Radiohead - In Rainbows

Best Live Bands I Saw in 2008

Honorable Mentions: Alkaline Trio, Bayside, The Dear Hunter, Norma Jean

10. Chiodos
9. Eye Alaska
8. Person L
7. Manchester Orchestra
6. Lydia
5. All Get Out
4. Circa Survive
3. Once Nothing
2. Kevin Devine
1. Thrice

Do yourself a favor and go pick up Thrice's Live at the House of Blues DVD

Bands I Don't Dig in 2008

These are all bands that have received generally positive promotion from people whose opinions I respect, thus I expect to enjoy the band, yet I don't. Not saying they're bad.

Anberlin
Bon Iver
Closure In Moscow
Fleet Foxes
Foxy Shazam
The Hold Steady
House of Heroes
Love You Moon
The Matches
These Arms Are Snakes

Most Disappointing Albums of 2008

5. Norma Jean - The Anti-Mother
4. The Sound of Animals Fighting - The Ocean and the Sun
3. Dear and the Headlights - Drunk Like Bible Times
2. Bring Me the Horizon - Suicide Season
1. Fear Before - Fear Before

Note:
All of these albums followed my personal favorite releases from these bands. I don't like a single one of these albums, but every album (i.e. Redeemer, Lover..., Small Steps Heavy Hooves, Count Your Blessings, The Always Open Mouth) that preceded it are personal favorites.

Best Guest Appearances of 2008

5. "I Can Get Back Up Now" - You, Me , and Everyone We Know
Featuring Max Bemis of Say Anything

4. "Hospital" - Lydia
Featuring Aaron Marsh of Copeland

3. "Weak Man" - Good Old War
Featuring Anthony Green of Circa Survive

2. "Uneasy Hearts Weigh The Most" - Dance Gavin Dance
Featuring Nic Newsham of Gatsbys American Dream

1. All of Razia's Shadow: A Musical as performed by Forgive Durden
Featuring Casey Crecenzo of The Dear Hunter, John Gourley of Portugal. The Man, Kris Anaya of An Angle, Aaron Weiss of mewithoutYou, Danny Stevens of theAUDITION, Chris Conley of Saves the Day, Daniel Young of This Providence, Max Bemis of Say Anything, Greta Salpeter of The Hush Sound, Brendon Urie of Panic at the Disco, Nic Newsham of Gatsbys American Dream, Shawn Harris of The Matches, and Lizzie Huffman of Man in the Blue Van

Best Songs of 2008

10. "The Dust of a Town" - Once Nothing - First Came the Law
9. "Storms" - Person L - Initial EP
8. "Wolves At Night (Live on WBRU-FM)" - Manchester Orchestra - Let My Pride Be EP
7. "You've Already Been (iTunes Bonus Track)" - Bayside - Shudder
6. "Breathing In A New Mentality" - Underøath - Lost In The Sound of Separation
5. "One More Day" - Lydia - ...Illuminate
4. "New Storms For Older Lovers" - La Dispute - Somewhere At the Bottom of The River
Between Vega and Altair
3. "Moses of The South" - Colour Revolt - Plunder, Beg, and Curse
2. "Water and God" - All Get Out - All Get Out EP
1. "I, The Swan" - The Sound of Animals Fighting - The Ocean and the Sun

Unfortunately I couldn't find all of these songs on Myspace, otherwise I'd have a playlist of them. Just a few notes:
"Wolves at Night (WBRU-FM)" is VERY different from the version featured on I'm Like A
Virgin Losing a Child. It's worth buying though. "You've Already Been" is the iTunes bonus track to Shudder, but would have been the best song on the record. "I, the Swan" just makes me dance.

Last week's list

I realize I'm a day late, and I'm not gonna put myspace links cuz there's gonna be A LOT:

Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now (rock)
Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends (rock)
Taking Back Sunday - Where You Want to Be (rock)
Thursday - Thursday / envy Split (post-hardcore)
envy - Thursday / envy Split (screamo/post-rock)
La Dispute - Somewhere At the Bottom of The River Between Vega and Altair (screamo)
Every Time I Die - The Big Dirty (southern metal)
Manchester Orchestra - I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child (rock)
Darling, You Should Be Ashamed - The Weight of Days (metalcore)
Secret Lives! of the Freemasons - This Was Built To Make You Dance (post-hardcore)
You, Me, and Everyone We Know - So Young, So Insane EP (pop-rock)
Closure In Moscow - The Penance and The Patience EP (alternative rock)
Showbread - No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical (post-hardcore)
Further Seems Forever - The Moon Is Down (emo)
Uzi & Ari - Headworms (indie)
Chuck Ragan - Feast Or Famine (folk/acoustic rock)
Codeseven - Dancing Echoes/Dead Sounds (alternative rock)
Circus Circus - Brooklyn Nightlife (metalcore)
Chiodos - Bone Palace Ballet: Grand Coda (post-hardcore)
The Sound of Animals Fighting - The Ocean and the Sun (alternative rock)
Fear Before The March of Flames - The Always Open Mouth (metalcore)
City and Colour - Sometimes (folk/acoustic rock)
Sufjan Stevens - Songs For Christmas (holiday)
Alexisonfire - The Switcheroo Series (post-hardcore)
.moneen. - The Switcheroo Series (rock)
Moving Mountains - Foreword EP (post-rock)
Radiohead - In Rainbows (indie)
The Chariot - The Fiancée (metalcore)
Dance Gavin Dance - Dance Gavin Dance (post-hardcore)
House of Heroes - The End is Not The End (rock)
Uzi & Ari - It is Freezing Out (indie)
Shad - The Old Prince (hip hop/rap)
Eisley - Combinations (indie)
¡All-Time Quarterback! - ¡All-Time Quarterback! (indie)
Alexisonfire - Crisis (post-hardcore)
.moneen. - The Red Tree (rock)
Heavy Heavy Low Low - Fuck It?! EP (grindcore)
Kevin Devine - Put Your Ghost To Rest (folk/rock)
Kevin Devine - Split The Country, Split the Street (folk/rock)
Copeland - Beneath Medicine Tree (alternative rock)
Copeland - Eat, Sleep, Repeat (alternative rock)

No, there's way too many to link em all. Maybe I'll go back and edit later.

Most Anticipated of 2009

Well, being it's the last three days of 2008 I figure I should post all of my end of the year lists. Rather than overload you with one mega-post, I'll post all my lists in several separate posts.

Here's what I'm most excited for next year:
Brand New
Kevin Devine (expecting this to be AOTY, but who's to say)
Manchester Orchestra
As Tall As Lions
Gallows
Lupe Fiasco
Radiohead
Say Anything
mewithoutYou
Circa Survive (probably most anticipated)
Taking Back Sunday
Two Tongues
Saves The Day
The Snake The Cross The Crown
Silverstein
Thursday
Deas Veil
All Get Out (also going to be VERY good)
You, Me, and Everyone We Know
Envy On The Coast
The Dear Hunter
.moneen.
Circle Takes The Square
Wale
Every Time I Die
glassJAw (in my dreams)
Once Nothing
Cassino
Arcade Fire
Person L
Isles & Glaciers
Dashboard Confessional
Portugal. The Man
Alexisonfire
Minus The Bear

Needless to say, it should be a good year.

Today

is going to be a long day. I'm stuck in the car traveling the route I posted yesterday. Fortunately my dad is driving so I can do this. I decided I'm gonna listen to all the albums I have on my iPod that I haven't given a chance to. I already listened to Chiodos' Bone Palace Ballet: Grand Coda through Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It gets a little worse with every listen to be honest. I didn't like the album at first, save for three or four songs, but the re-issue rejuvenated it. Now though, the more I listen to the new songs on Coda, I get the feeling they were very rushed. The songs lack a certain quality. I just finished listening to Circus Circus' Brooklyn Nightlife, and I must say, I'm impressed. This is one I'll definitely listen to again. For fans of Chiodos, Alexisonfire, and other generic (BUT GOOD) metalcore/post-hardcore-ish stuff. Right now I have Codeseven's Dancing Echoes/Dead Sounds on, and I cannot think of why I haven't listened to this yet. I heard of these guys from an Equal Vision Records sampler I got at Hot Topic in '05. Oddly enough, that's also how I got into Circa Survive, Bear vs. Shark, and Armor For Sleep. I still have that sampler. I'd recommend these guys if you like Circa, or even some post-rock stuff. When I finish this (or the next record) I'll edit this post.

EDIT: That Codeseven record is very good, but it felt like it dragged on. It definitely could be that I'm trapped in a car with my family and no one to talk to because it's 11am on a Sunday. Right now I have Chuck Ragan on. It was refreshing to hear the first chords after that Codeseven record. I always liked Hot Water Music, but I never could get that into it. This though I can dig. I definitely recommend Feast or Famine to anyone who likes folky acoustic stuff. Another edit to come soon.

EDIT 2: Right now I have Uzi & Ari's Headworms on. If anyone reads anything I say you may have seen what I said about It Is Freezing Out. Well, this record is far different from that. But NOT in a bad way. If anything, Headworms is more accessible than It Is Freezing Out, but it sacrifices nothing that makes Uzi & Ari different than everything I listen to. Another edit soon.

EDIT 3: Now I have Further Seems Forever on. Like Dashboard Confessional? You probably like this band. It's just Chris Carraba's pre-DC band. There was another singer too, but the only album I really like is The Moon Is Down. I'm getting really annoyed with everyone in this van.

EDIT 4: Showbread's No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical is a really long record. Not to say that it's not good, I'm actually rather enjoying it, but it's very long. Christian post-hardcore, I believe they're on Tooth & Nail.

EDIT 5: Closure In Moscow's debut albumette, The Penance and The Patience, is not as good as I hoped. All the reviews I've read just RAVE about it and to be perfectly honest, I'm not very enamored at all. It may stay on my iPod though, I'll give it time to grow.

EDIT 6: Just finished You, Me, and Everyone We Know's new EP. Still love it :). There's not a whole lot of really REALLY poppy stuff I listen to, but man I love those guys.

EDIT 7: Secret Lives! of the Freemasons are new to me. I know, I'm behind. They're pretty good, worth giving a shot if you're a fan of the other generic post-hardcore stuff I recommend. With a name like that though, I keep wanting them to be a ska band. Oh well, I'll settle lol.

EDIT 8: This will be my last update till I get home. I just got through Darling, You Should Be Ashamed's new EP, The Weight Of Days, and I must say, it's awesome, though not as good as their first, Nostalgia. It shows definite progression, but I don't think they're fully comfortable with it the way they seemed with Nostalgia. It's unfortunate they're on hiatus, their next could be outstanding. I'd recommend these guys to fans of The Chariot, Greeley Estates, and stuff along those lines.

Tomorrow

We're doing this:
Looks like fun, right?

Wow

The holidays are so drawn out. I love it. Today we slept, then relaxed, then we went to my cousin's house and me, him, my sister, my other cousin (his brother), and his girlfriend played Guitar Hero: World Tour. As cheesy as it was, it was really fun haha. Then we went to the mall. Lame. I am about ready to go home. Do some snowboarding. I'm craving it. I'll leave you with this, JP Walker's part in Mack Dawg Production's Double Decade:

I love MDP.

Mmmm

iPod on shuffle is treating me right tonight:

"Debate Exposes Doubt" - Death Cab For Cutie
"Bend and Not Break" - Dashboard Confessional
"Kick, Push" - Lupe Fiasco
"Family Business" - The Fugees
"Tira Me a las Arañas" - The Mars Volta
"Can't Shake This Town" - Sleep Station
"Satellite" - Elliott Smith
"The Backseat" - The Gaslight Anthem
"No Face" - The Suicide Machines
"You Won't Know" - Brand New
"Real Game" - Shad
"Blues For Alican" - Joe Pass
"Cute Without The 'E'" - The Arrogant Sons of Bitches LOL
"Buttoned Down" - Straylight Run

I'll leave off there. I'm gonna go play wif my new stuff or something. Again, Merry Christmas everybody.

Just wanted to say

Merry Christmas to anyone who actually reads what I type. I appreciate your time, really.

I think I'll go to Boston

Actually, Assonet, Massachusetts. Visiting some family for the holidays. We drove up, its like a ten hour drive. RIDICULOUS. But I got to listen to a lot of music. Anyone who reads this blog fo real, I guess you'd like to know what:
¡All-Time Quarterback! - ¡All-Time Quarterback! (Ben Gibbard sideproject thing) like five times in a row.
Uzi & Ari - It Is Freezing Out (strange electro-pop-ish stuff)
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Moving Mountains - Foreword EP
Dance Gavin Dance - Untitled

I'll edit this if I remember any others, but those were the significant ones. I seriously listened to that ATQ record five times in a row. It's not even that good, but it was perfect for the weather, as was Uzi & Ari. They sound like Thom Yorke singing Postal Service songs with acoustic instruments (because that makes perfect sense).

Anyway, I'm going to bed. It was a long day that generally wasn't very good until just a few minutes ago. Our second jazz band performence was cancelled because the senior class was too immature (big surprise), so I didn't get to perform for my own class. Our school's administration is quite a mess right now.

Night errbody

BRACE YOURSELF

This week I spun a little bit of everything. Actually, a LOT of everything:

Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star (Hip hop/rap)
.moneen. - The Red Tree (Alternative Rock)
Jay-Z - My President Is Black (Hip hop/rap)
Fall Out Boy - Folie à Deux (FAIL)
All Get Out - All get Out EP (Atlanta rock)
Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger (Piano rock)
The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium (Modern prog rock)
Pedro The Lion - It's Hard to Find a Friend (Indie rock)
Circa Survive - On Letting Go (Alternative rock)
Good Old War - Only Way to Be Alone (Folk rock)
Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas (CHRISTMASSS)

I had iTunes on shuffle a lot, but those were records I listened to pretty much all the way through. Bloc Party's on now.

This Wednesday I'll have a Christmas-themed playlist on my myspace :)

Ben Roethlisberger

lost today's game entirely on his own. Leftwich should have been playing in the first quarter.

TODAY

I'm gonna write a pop song. Like, REALLY poppy. Fall Out Boy's new album inspired me. It's so incredibly awful, I know I could write something better. Maybe I'll sell a billion records?

Spinning some Jay-Z right now. Hip hop all day here.

Warped Tour 2009

The first announcement regarding bands has been announced. Here, in full, is the list. Bolded are the bands I hope to see this year.

3OH!3
A Day to Remember
A Skylit Drive
Alexisonfire
Anti-Flag
Bad Religion
Bayside
Big D and the Kids Table
Black Tide
Bouncing Souls
Breathe Carolina
Brokencyde
Cash Cash
Chiodos
Dance Gavin Dance
Dear and the Headlights (great live show)
Dirty Heads
Escape the Fate
Every Avenue
Flogging Molly
Gallows
Hit the Lights
I Set My Friends on Fire
Jeffree Star
Less Than Jake
Lights
Meg & Dia
Millionaires
NOFX
Outernational
P.O.S.
Saosin
Scary Kids Scaring Kids
Senses Fail
Shad (mmmmmmmmmmm amazing)
Silverstein
Sing it Loud
Streetlight Manifesto
Tat
The A.K.A.s
The Architects
The Ataris
The Devil Wears Prada
The Maine
The White Tie Affair
There For Tomorrow
Therefore I Am
Thrice
TV/TV
Underoath
Valencia
Westbound Train

Every year Warped gets a little more...well...warped. Half of these bands don't belong anywhere, and only like three of them belong on the actual Warped Tour. But I'm not going because of the premise of Warped Tour - I'm going to see some sweet bands.

mmmmmmmm

The Steeler's gave us another good game today :). In honor of, here are three of my favorite Ravens/Steelers clips. You'll understand why.

This week

was okay, but gradually downhill up until this morning, when I almost crashed my car. It's not because I'm a bad driver, I'm really pretty good. I just wasn't paying attention. I knew going to church wouldn't be good. Anyway, the soundtrack to my near miss was:
Thrice's The Artist In The Ambulance (specifically "All That's Left")
Convenient. The rest of the stuff I listened to this week was:

Thrice Live at the House of Blues (hard rock/post-hardcore)
All Get Out's All Get Out EP (rock)
Cassino's Sounds of Salvation (folk rock)
Pedro The Lion's Achilles Heel (folk-ish rock)
Radiohead's OK Computer (90's finest alt-rock)
Circle Takes The Square's As The Roots Undo EP (legit screamo)
Brand New's Your Favorite Weapon (pop rock)
La Dispute's Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair (legit screamo)
Kanye West's Late Registration (don't you know?)
Say Anything's For Sale... Tour EP (pop rock)
Moving Mountain's Pneuma AND Foreword EP (post-rock)
Bayside's Shudder AND Bayside (pop rock/rock)
Right Away, Great Captain!'s The Eventually Home (acoustic/folk)
Matt Pryor's Confidence Man (folk-rock)
Colour Revolt's Plunder, Beg and Curse (rock)
City And Colour's Bring Me Your Love (acoustic/folk)
Bring Me The Horizon's Count Your Blessings (generic death/"grind"core)

Wow, lots this week. I didn't post a lot because I was that busy haha. Having my license is amazing.

Rain down; rain down, come on rain down on me

Listening to OK Computer :). God loves his children, yeah.

I recorded a little clip tonight.
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?frk2jdtkmmz

Turning into a song soon hopefully. Dance tomorrow :/ We'll see.

Shoot that dog if you can't afford to feed it;

I'm late again. Busy weekend, but a good one :).

This week, I spun:
United Nations' United Nations
mewithoutYou's Brother, Sister
La Dispute's Somewhere Between...
EVERYTHING Kevin Devine
Heavy Heavy Low Low's ...F*ck it?! EP
City and Colour's Bring Me Your Love
Anthony Green's Avalon Remixed by Colin Frangicetto

^that last one is so good. Find it somehow. Buy the vinyl if it's still avaliable.



p.s. the Steelers are still amazing.

This has always been worth living.

(December 6, 2008 Pittsburgh PA - Club Diesel)

Me and Manchester Orchestra's live encounter is long overdue, so when I found out they were coming through Pittsburgh on a Saturday night I jumped at the opportunity. This was several months ago. Of course, since then, my expectations have increased every day. I couldn't have been happier with what I witnessed last night. If you can catch this tour still, do it.

The first band to play was All Get Out. Because of the snow we were late arriving to the venue and missed some of AGO's set. They too had a run-in with the snow - on the way to this stop they wrecked their van, fortunately escaping with minor damage. As I walked in though I was instantly impressed with their stage presence, something most opening bands really lack. I only caught two or three songs, but they were absolutely amazing. By the end of the set I was absolutely blown away. Their frontman (Nathan I believe) gave the most inspired performance I have seen as long as I can remember. Show these guys some love.

After All Get Out came Dead Confederate. I enjoyed their set, but I wasn't as into it as I would hope. They were very good though, all five members (especially the keyboardist and slide guitarist) are meant to do what they're doing. Their frontman reminded me a lot of a Bleach and pre-Bleach era Kurt Cobain on stage. This is not a bad thing. Going back and listening to their recorded stuff though, I enjoy it more than their live show. Still a fantastic band, one of the better ones I've seen lately.

Kevin Devine was the main reason I was as excited for this show as I was. There were two things I was hoping for when I found out he was playing: a. an acoustic set, or b. a set with Manchester Orchestra acting as his backing band. So I won't lie to you when I say I was disappointed to find out he was playing with the Goddamn Band. Well they proved me wrong. The setlist, as best as I can remember, was as follows:

*Carnival*
*Another Bag of Bones*
*I Could Be With Anyone*
No Time Flat
Just Stay
*Brother's Blood*

All performed full band, I'm accustomed to several of these songs (all the *new ones*) acoustic. The demos and live versions I've heard of said songs are decent, not amazing. The full band versions ARE amazing. "Carnival," one of the Myspace Demos, never stood out as a great song until I saw it last night. If this isn't one of the highlights of Kevin's new album, Brother's Blood, I can guarantee he's releasing the album of the year for 2009. "Another Bag of Bones" is significantly better full band. "I Could Be With Anyone" is better live or on the Myspace Demos than on the EP in my opinion, still a very good song. His last three songs were the best though, "Brother's Blood" being the absolute standout of the night. I'm going to have it stuck in my head until the record comes out. This video gives you an idea, but does it no justice:

I really wish Kevin would've played longer.

Following Kevin's set was Manchester Orchestra. I knew going into this that they were playing several new songs. The setlist, to the best of my memory was as follows:

New Song
New Song
New Song (Black Man)
New Song
New Song (Shake It Out)
New Song (Everything to Nothing)
Wolves At Night
Now That You're Home
I Can Barely Breathe
Where Have You Been [with "You'll only End Up Joining Them"]
*JUST ANDY HULL*:
RAGC song
Sleeper 1972

The titles in parenthesis next to the new songs are the titles that I know for sure. If these songs show what their new album will be like, Andy Hull is going through his angst-y stage, which is not a bad thing. They all sounded fantastic, but Shake It Out was fantastic. A bootleg of their Coachella set featuring "Shake It Out" and "Black Man" can be found here. After all the new songs came the ones familiar to me. "Wolves At Night," "Now That You're Home," and "I Can Barely Breathe" were all fantastic (though I think Andy forgot the words to "I Can Barely Breathe"). After this cam an extended version of "Where Have You Been" during which Kevin Devine and a couple members of his band joined Manchester on stage. Andy incorporated lyrics from Kevin's song "You'll Only End Up Joining Them" into the end, and Kevin sang the line "Cause when you look at me, I'll be digesting your legs. Cause I can hardly see what's in front of me these days and those days too" at the end. It was fantastic. At the end of the songs everyone left except for Andy. He played a Right Away, Great Captain! song for us (with fun crowd participation) and an INCREDIBLE version of "Sleeper 1972" identical to the version featured on the Let My Pride Be EP. It was the perfect way to end an amazing set.

After the show we hung out in the venue, I was trying to get my Another Bag of Bones 7" and tour poster signed. My dad actually found Kevin and snagged him, but he was extremely nice, signing my 7" and my poster. He said all the new songs they played would be on the new record. After talking to Kevin for a minute I found Chris and Robert from Manchester and they signed my poster and were very nice. Eventually they kicked us out of the venue, it turns into a nightclub immediately after shows. So me and my friend hung out outside for a while hoping to catch a few more guys from MO while my dad went and waited in the car. A guy with Dead Confederate (I'm sorry I didn't catch your name!) offered to get my poster signed. I obliged, and he took it and ended up coming back with it untouched, because the Sharpie didn't work. It was a double sided one, they used the bad end. I showed him the good end and he was gracious enough to find Andy, Jeremiah, and BLAH and they all signed my poster. He came back out and me my friend and my dad chatted with him for quite a while. He was so nice, I thank him. While we were talking Kevin ended up coming out and talking to us for a little while, he even remembered my name (I'm such a fanboy!). While we were talking with Kevin and DC's dude Andy Hull came over and talked to us. I really should have gotten a picture. They were so great. Andy confirmed that Mean Everything to Nothing will be released on vinyl, we talked about Favorite Gentlemen. After they left we figured it was time to go and headed home. I could not have asked for a better night. Everyone was extremely kind. And Dead Confederate is welcome to play my house party any time ;).

Again, please support all these artists by at least giving the music a listen, and if you like it, buy it.

http://www.myspace.com/manchesterorchestra
http://www.myspace.com/kevindevine
http://www.myspace.com/deadconfederate
http://www.myspace.com/allgetout
http://www.favoritegentlemen.com

Year End Review - Preview.

Lydia's Illuminate is still number one. I don't see anyone knocking it off.



Such a good song.

Kevin Devine - Myspace Demos

Artist: Kevin Devine
Album: Myspace Demos
Notes: Released at various times over the past two years through Myspace, thanks to It's Only Your Life for having all of these available. "Tomorrow's Just Too Late" features Jesse Lacey of Brand New. Some of these songs will be on Kevin's new album, titled Brother's Blood, out next year on Manchester Orchestra's record label Favorite Gentlemen

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?euyhd0zdyxe

No really,

I hate school so much. I think I'll quit.

New glassJAw song

You Think You're John Fucking Lennon
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?y1k3k3mtjmu

courtesy of yours truly ;). Great song, has me very excited. If you're confused at first while listening, DO NOT turn up your speakers. The song drops at 1:27, and it WILL scare you.

"Last" week

Well, I guess it's the weekly rec time. This week, when I had time to listen to music (holiday's are busy), I was listening to:

The Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound
Colour Revolt's Plunder, Beg, and Curse
Envy On the Coast's Lucy Gray
Once Nothing's First Came The Law
Dashboard Confessional
Big D and the Kids Table's Strictly Rude
Moving Mountains' Pneuma
The new glassJAw song :) (www.glassjaw.com)

And I've been reading David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day, its good.

Right now I got Wu Tang on. Good stuff.

It's been a busy week, but the Steelers made it okay with a huge win today. They look like a championship team again.

Happy Thanksgiving

Watch this at 6:50ish. Hilarious

Anyway, today is/was Thanksgiving, and I don't really care. All that means is I don't have to go to school.

I've been playing a lot today. Learning Van Halen songs. Don't ask why hahaha.

Matt can't go to Manchester Orchestra now :\ so I guess Macko is haha.

Right now I don't have anything playing, but after I post this I'll be watching It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia's season finale on hulu.com.

Peace nukkas

We Don't Care

^ been addicted to this song for the past two days haha. Old Kanye is so ill.

Hopefully by the end of Fall Recess I'll have a lengthy review up. I got a lot of work to do on my reviews. I think I'll do Bayside's Shudder.

New Kevin Devine song here :)

Writing an essay about Jonestown right now. Read up. Very interesting stuff you probably didn't know.

Tomorrow is

a busy day. Probably won't post.

Listening to Jesse Lacey Live at the Downtown. I'll post that on here soon, expect Wednesday.

Bought a wah pedal today :) Dunlop CryBaby 535Q. I'll post my whole rig in the near future also.

Great Expectations

are not what I had when I started listening to The Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound. Wow was I surprised. This is probably gonna be on my top ten list of 2008.

Right now I'm listening to it for the second time in a row while I write an essay about tradition. Lameee. But I'm downloading Nastradamus right now, and my cat's sitting in my window :)

EDIT: I finally decided to listen to listen to La Dispute. Good move on my part.

Wow

So I just realized I haven't posted in over a week. What can I say? I've been busy. I spent most of today playing acoustic and listening to Dashboard haha. I also made $17 throwing bails of hay onto a truck. Only in Eighty Four.

This week the main records I spun were:
Anything Dashboard
You Me and Everyone We Know's So Young, So Insane
Thrice's Vheissu
In Reverent Fear's Stomacher (they're AMAZING writers)
Bayside's Shudder
Conor Oberst's S/T
The Get Up Kids' Something To Write Home About (hooray!!!)
Shad's The Old Prince

I think me and Matt are gonna go see Matt Pryor (TGUK), Chris Conley (Saves the Day), Anthony Raneri (Bayside), and Dustin Kensrue (Thrice) in January. We ARE going to see Manchester Orchestra in a few weeks :)

For now I'll just leave it at that. Hopefully I'll post soon. Indoor drumline starts this week!

Radiohead - Radiohead: Live In Concert (2008)

Artist: Radiohead
Album: Radiohead: Live In Concert August 28, 2008
Notes: Ripped from here at 320 kbps using Audacity, tracks split using Kristal. All free and legal software.

Download: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DN7D2HMB

p.s. our hockey team won last night :)

Boo

Kanye West thinks he is our generation's voice. I like Kanye's (old) music, but that's just absurd. It'd be one thing if someone GAVE him that title, but it's ridiculous to call oneself anything of that nature.

I'll have some good music posted hopefully by tomorrow. Radiohead fans look out.

I've been on a ska spree lately too. Bomb the Music Industry! today. I don't know what I'm gonna listen to on my busride home tonight either. (EDIT: I listened to Dance Gavin Dance's Downtown Battle Mountain. Great post-hardcore.)

I got a ton of jazz band music to learn this weekend. Good hockey game tonight though, I'm pumped.

First blog!

I think it's safe to say this blog is going to end up primarily about music. So I'll start now:

Right now I'm listening to Streetlight Manifesto's Keasbey Nights. Great ska record, one of the best ever. Better than Catch 22's version in my opinion.

After this I'll probably just watch TBS while I organize stuff.

I'm really anticipating the Thrice Live at the House of Blues CD/DVD. Amazing live show.

Also expecting some vinyl in the mail soon, I'll post pics when they come.