Father’s Day!

My father is the best. Among other things, many, many other things- he was the number one influence on my musical taste. I had a lot of help over the years, but it always seemed like he was one step ahead of my interests. Thinking about it now, it was his influence on me that helped me make a lot of friends. Another thing that makes my dad great is how accepting- without some satire I admit- he always was of the music I thought was important. So, as a bit of a tribute and a thanks, here are some songs that remind me of him.

This song was the first of my indoctrination to My Chemical Romance. I remember listening to this and Dad talking about how it sounded like Green Day. And then, when he bought me my first MCR band tee, he put a CD in the player and started blaring this song. It was really awesome.

So, my dad doesn’t have this song on record that I know of, but every time someone gets him started on Pearl Jam he always mentions the beginning of this song.

Any of you remember Isles & Glaciers? They weren’t the first band to take great vocalists and put them together into a single band. I’m sure my dad felt the same way when two of his favorite vocalists came together for Temple of the Dog. Seriously, the guy fangirls over Chris Cornell sometimes (love you Daddy!)

And since I mentioned Chris Cornell, I will leave one of my favorite Soundgarden songs here.

 

Seriously though, I’ve got the best dad ever 🙂

Happy Fathers Day everyone.

Xoxo,

Radium Rollercoaster

Not Really Music Related, But Heck, It’s Saturday

You know those days, or even weeks, were you are stuck in a sort of limbo between not actually being lazy but not really doing anything at all? That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. So, as a result, I’ve been listening to the same drawn out playlist on YouTube at least a dozen times. Most of it consists of Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, and the occasional throwbacks. Until I decide to do the review on Save Rock and Roll, those videos are very overplayed around here and aren’t the article-writing type.

  (Go away Fall Out Boy!)

And really I’ve just been thinking about life in general. Not really deep stuff, I’ve had my head stuck too far into Tumblr for any real deep thinking, but just in general. Part of it, the part I’m going to address today just for the sake of playlisting, is how the best kinds of people aren’t really the ones you care about the most, or get along the best with, but the ones that make you a better person. Better is relative, so that part is up to each and every one of you, but better nonetheless.

 

As of late, I’m realizing I definitely don’t go into the “hopeless romantic” type. I mean, for me, most love songs can be easily friendzoned and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But, rather it’s family, friends, or other (how do I classify that? Significant other[s]??), music is always a nice way to express feelings. So with that, I’ll leave you with a few songs for the feels.

<– So this one actually kind of hurts because it was cannon once upon a time.

  <– Not really for the feels, but I put this in the humor category of love songs.

^This song is just really pretty, especially for a Shinedown song (:

I promise eventually I’ll get off my butt and listen to new music for you guys. But not today.

Goodnight, sleep well, and enjoy this music or else 😀

Xoxo,

Radium Rollercoaster

 

Bulletproof Love- Elizabeth Grace

My two obsessions as of late: Youtube and Pierce The Veil, came together when the talented Elizabeth Grace used Youtube to post her cover of “Bulletproof Love”. This song is one of my favorites by the Mexican post-hardcore band, mostly because of Vic’s singing style. I think that the simple acoustic cover that Elizabeth- or snacksize549- produced really allowed people to appreciate the vocals of the song, even when a female is covering it.

She’s got many different original songs as well as covers, so you should check her out!

Xoxo,

Radium Rollercoaster

Shinedown: Unity

Shinedown had been a big thing when Sound of Madness came out, with songs like “Second Chance”, “The Crow & The Butterfly”, and of course “Sound of Madness”. However, I think they quickly became underrated when their fourth studio album, Amaryllis, came out. This album is more diverse, and a good deal of their songs are relatable on an all-age scale, which is unique as well as important. I think a lot of people just let the album go unrecognized, myself included. While I like all the songs on this album, their second single, “Unity” is the song that really reminded me that Shinedown was still around and that they were a good band, even beyond just their music.

This video almost brought me to tears for some strange reason the first time I watched it. I’ve put it up on this website once, but I don’t think I ever really talked about why I think it’s important.

And your moment of truth

Is the day that you say “I’m not scared”

The way Brent Smith sings this line sends shivers down my spine, and the emotion behind it is how you know that this line is why the whole song was written. It’s a reminder to everyone that no one is useless and everyone is important, even to the people we think are bigger than we are in life.

I don’t know, it’s just a good song and a good video. Think what you want.

Xoxo,

Radium Rollercoaster

Buying Time: Use Somebody

Hey guys! I really don’t have a great article for today, because I’ve been reviewing some old music, but I have a question. I found two different covers of “Use Somebody” of Kings of Leon, and I want to know which you guys think is the best!

Original!

Cover #1- ScreamerMCR

Cover #2- Sarah Parker 10

 

Comment your answer and reasoning below!!

Xoxo,

Radium Rollercoaster

The Summer Set: Lightning In A Bottle

The Summer Set, a small pop rock group from Scottsdale, Arizona, just released their new album Legendary, which symbolized a big turn in the lives of all the members. Jess Bowen, the sparky female drummer, finally came out with her sexuality, and Brian Dales used the album to look back at his life and reflect. Not to mention the start of their career with a new label (Fearless Records), I would say this album meant a lot to the whole band. Nevertheless, it’s very poppy and upbeat.

I posted the cute lyric video for “Boomerang” already, but I think that this song is just as cute, if not better because it’s got less allusions. So, enjoy this for today, and I’ll have some more music for you guys to check out tomorrow!

Xoxo,

Radium Rollercoaster ❤

The Most Anticipated of 2013 Revisited

It’s halfway through 2013 already! I’ll admit it’s been a fairly boring year so far, but summer always inspires fun and adventures, doesn’t it? I decided I should go back and remember what I was excited for and see if I was disappointed or pleased. My review on the Paramore album Paramore was pretty long, but I was surprised at how they furthered their style by using new influences and ideas to make a great album. I haven’t listened to the whole Sleeping With Sirens album, but I wasn’t impressed by “Low”. I don’t know if I’ll go back and see the final product or not. While I’m not attending Warped Tour myself this year, I am indifferent with the lineup. I see good and bad bands and since I’m not going, I’m not really in a position to judge.

Of course, I must take a moment to say that when I wrote this article in December of 2012, I was not expecting what is to me the harshest point in music of 2013. My Chemical Romance, who had announced the release of Conventional Weapons in what I believed to be an effort to stall while they prepared MCR5. This was untrue. On March 22^nd of this year, My Chemical Romance announced their disbandment, and I was pretty upset about it. As if to soften the blow, a month earlier Fall Out Boy made an unexpected return with an album. Soon I will talk about that.

No one seems to know why, but there isn’t going to be a Journey’s Backyard BBQ 2013. It’s a shame, really, considering it’s importance to me. But, what I wanted to write this article for is to talk about the Nearly Deads.

Probably the second biggest thing on my Most Anticipated list was the release of their next album, which at the time no one knew anything about. Today two announcements were made, and the “soon” that The Nearly Deads were notorious for became NOW! Or at least, August 20^th, 2013, when their next album, Survival Guide, will be released! There is new merch on its way hopefully as well. Another huge step for The Nearly Deads was their signing to Standby Records.

Congratulations The Nearly Deads! Can’t wait to review that wonderful album of yours! And YES. I AM EXPECTING CHANGEOVER ON THIS EP GOSH DARNIT ❤

Xoxo,

Radium Rollercoaster

There And Back Again: Mikefest 2013!

Life continuously surprises me, as a person that doesn’t set extremely high standards for most things. I was ready to spend my Saturday night in my room, listening to music I’ve heard dozens of times and scrolling through [insert any website here]. That is, until I was offered to go to this…Mikefest 2013. What was this? I had no idea, but there would be bands there, along with one of my best friends. Which sounds better? Well, a free outside concert of course!

Let me clarify now, Mikefest is a celebration held every year to celebrate the life of Michael Charles Russell, and this years donations went to SGT Keith Hale, who recently medically retired. There were tents set up for local businesses of all kinds, as well as raffles that went towards the donation money. It was a free, all ages event, with children running around on the inflatable slide and bounce carousel. There were also four very excited and well-behaved wild Border collie’s running around: One, Two, Fluffy, and Troublemaker.

We arrived right before Inveyn’s set; a Nashville band that I have heard once before at Rivers & Spires. Their bassist’s strap fell off a good number of four times in total, even when he switched into the frontman’s extra strap. He played it off well, in fact; I didn’t realize he wasn’t just kneeling for affect until he stood up at the end of the song to fix it. They played a few of their own songs, as well as Cumbersome by Seven Mary Three, Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Seek and Destroy by Metallica. They’re great performers, like a mix between Metallica and Godsmack (don’t ask, just accept it), and hopefully next time they play I’ll be there again!

The next act was Kris Bell, a trio that played country-rock with phenomenal guitar solos. I stayed back for the first half of the set, appreciating the musicianship. After we went forward it was insisted that for the next song everyone had to be out from under the trees and in front of the stage. After a fifteen minute wait everyone finally yielded and stood up for the rendition of Freebird, ending a great set.

Most of these bands sounded relatively the same, but as the sun goes down, things are bound to change. At least, that’s what For Lack of Lythium brought to this Mikefest. They are to rock and metal what the Venetia Fair is to pop-punk and alternative: crazy and sporadic and good. They were obviously enjoying themselves; with the lead singer dancing back and forth across the stage. The second song they played when I stood up was something that sounded like Michael Jackson. It wasn’t until Dylan told me (thanks Dylan!) that I realized it WAS Michael Jackson. They killed the coolest rock version of Billie Jean I’ve ever heard; sorry Breathe Carolina! Even moreover, when I went back to talk to them afterwards, the whole band was extremely personable and friendly.

Oh, also, there were these girls that can’t have been older than 8 headbanging and holding up rock and roll signs. They were the stars of that show, props to them and whoever brought them!

It was so nice to get out of the house and see these great bands that performed with such energy and talent. Don’t be surprised if you hear about them again, they’re all local bands thankfully, and I’ve got my eye on them. It just goes to show you that the best things are always unexpected, and the best friends are the ones you go on adventures with.

I don’t have any videos for you guys, but I’ll link all their Facebooks below so you can go like them and keep up with them too!

Inveyn

Kris Bell

For Lack of Lythium

Xoxo,

Radium Rollercoaster

Motionless In White’s Circus: America

Motionless In White has come a long way from their first full length studio album. I remember being introduced to “City Lights” and getting shivers from the dark and elegant song. Even the lyrics touched me and I liked it. MIW has always been different almost extreme to a point- in their dress and music. “Immaculate Misconception” seemed harsh to me, but I almost admired that. But I never really got into them.

There’s ups and downs to the fact that they’ve seemed to level out recently. There’s nothing quiet about the message that their new song “America” brings, however. With obvious influences of Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie (think Living Dead Girl here), their attack on our increasingly corporate country is another reminder that things need to change.

The video, directed by M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan of Slipknot, and while entertaining and just strange enough to representing the country we know in the form of a circus, I don’t really care for. Contrary wise, lyrics like the verse “ Oil prices are so high we can’t feed ourselves/ So we buy into fast food and occupy the will/ We upload our status and beg for attention/ While they’re all eating cake up on Capitol Hill” in a metal-hardcore anthem was brilliant.

I know that many people will dislike this song for different reasons, but I appreciate it, and apparently my little sister does too! I think that the point isn’t truly to criticize the country as a whole but to wake people up to making a change for the next generation.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qN5ewi44N8]

Xoxo,

Radium Rollercoaster

Amber: A Story of Stick(ing) To Your Guns

As I delve more into the hardcore scene, I’m realizing that there’s a reason why this genre is becoming so popular. The lyrics I’ve seen out of these bands have been some of the most moving, most powerful lyrics I have ever heard. This revelation was brought around to me by the band Stick To Your Guns. I saw one line “She has a smile that could end a war”, in an image (shown below). I didn’t know what genre this was from. I didn’t even know what band it was from. But that one line struck a chord with me and I decided to look more into it.

The song I found was “Amber” by the very same Stick To Your Guns, off of their third album. I had no preconceptions of this band, and thanks to that I was able to really accept the sound and appreciate the lyrics even more. It captures your attention from the beginning, and tells the story of a fourteen year old girl who has potential just like everyone else, and the troubles that seem to follow her regardless.

It speaks to me, obviously, because of my own age. This girl, “Amber”, is basically stuck with these problems that she gave herself. She feels cut off and disconnected from the world and her happiness. It’s something more people go through, and it’s strange because it seems like such a young age, most people don’t acknowledge that that’s when most of the problems start. And it’s hard because like the storyteller, all you want is to tell these people they aren’t alone.

Sometimes it’s the music in a song that captures my interest. If the instrumental was terrible, the lyrics would be useless to making the song any good. But the frusteration and heart is shown through the vocalist as well as the other instruments, which makes this song special. I don’t usually hear songs that instantly compel me to write about them, but when I heard “Amber” for he first time I just knew I’d have to put it out here for everyone to see.

Xoxo,

Radium Rollercoaster