soon to come updates

Now that life has finally stopped flying at 8 thousand miles an hour, I have some time to breathe.

Sadly, I have very little to report to you, my small following of readers. My life is amazingly boring when taking a full course load and working most of my free time.

We The Living released their newest album, "Depths of the Earth" on December 9. I'll be making an update on their album, which I've listened to a few times and love.

Fall Out Boy's "Follie A Deux" was released (or leaked, I'm not sure...I found a stream of it) and I'm sorry, but you're not going to like what I have to say.

Mae has been quietly attempting to rebuild what they lost about a year ago by starting a grassroots following via e-mail. January 1 signifies a new release of music. I'll periodically be updating you.

I'm seeing "Wicked" in Chicago on January 8, just two weeks before its finale night. It'll be the first time I see this Tony-winning show so I expect it to be nothing but amazing.

I've also made some new discoveries, though they're old: Audrye Sessions' "Braille," The Format very quietly released "B-Sides and Rarities" and Valencia's freshman album "This Could Be a Possibility."

All in due time.

Keane- Perfect Symmetry

Keane, a piano-rock band from Battle, East Sussex, UK have finally come out with their third album, “Perfect Symmetry” and, as much as I really want to like every song on the album, some of them leave me wishing there was more effort put into it. The first four songs lack the amazing quality that I know Keane has, but the rest of the album more than makes up for it.

The album starts with their first single, “Spiralling” which I’m told sounds like “Electric Feel” by MGMT. Not a big fan of MGMT, I beg to differ. Keane have clearly branched into a new era, using more computer songs to add to their piano and drum sound. The songs have more oomph than previous albums, “Under the Iron Sea” and “Hopes and Fears” but when Tom Chaplin goes off on a tangent asking…
Did you wanna be a winner?
Did you wanna be an icon?
Did you wanna be famous?
Did you wanna be the president?
Did you wanna start a war?
Did you wanna have a family?
Did you wanna be in love?
Did you wanna be in love?
…I got a little irked at the uselessness of the part of the song. The questions don’t even really make much sense to begin with. He seems to have just thrown them in because there was open space to sing it.

The second single, “Lovers are Losing” is up next. The song has a bit of an 80s feel, which can be said about a majority of the album but the lyrics are so good that it makes up for the annoying ABBA quality the song has.

“Better Than This” make me want me to applaud Tom for his vocals but “Better Than This” seems so out of place in the album. The Moog usage is very hard to get over and it detracts from the music.

“You Haven’t Told Me Anything” reminds me so much of “Under the Iron Sea.” I’m very glad they decided to add it to the album. It definitely compliments it and allows long-time fans to remember the way they were.

“Perfect Symmetry” is quite possibly the most amazingly heart-wrenching song I’ve heard in a long time, and that includes “Bedshaped” from “Hopes and Fears.” “Who are you, what are you fighting for/ Holy truth, brother I chose this mortal life/lived in perfect symmetry” and “I dream in emails, worn out phrases/ mile after mile of empty pages” resonate through the perfectly chosen vocals and piano and can make anyone fall in love with the song.

“You Don’t See Me” reminds me of something one would hear on a Disney movie, “Again & Again” takes us back to the 80s but then takes previous fans back to Hopes and Fears. “Playing Along” takes the album for a dive and “Pretend that You’re Alone” and “Black Burning Heart” don’t really help to save it. If they dropped the 80s techno licks, the songs would have much more power. All the extra noise detracts from Tom’s voice, Tim Rice-Oxley’s piano and Richard Hughes’ drums. “Black Burning Heart” makes up for it with amazing lyrics but Keane are known for amazingly pithy and deep lyrics.

The album ends with “Love is the End,” a slow song with just the three guys, no extra stuff added. It’s simple and ends the album with a sweet note.

Yes, lets stay out until 1 a.m. and then work at 8 that morning!

The Involuntary Movement tour came to the Midwest and it seemed that no one in Chicago was going to miss it. So we paid the $2.50 for tolls and finally got to see the show my friend and I had been awaiting for months. Regardless of the fact that the tour didn’t make it to Milwaukee, the money and time I spent getting to see The Matches, The Status and Valencia opening for Bayside was well worth it (and that includes the sore throat from all the screaming).

The show started with The Status, which I only got to see a few of their songs, but I was pleasantly surprised since there’s been some bad luck with tour-mates for the bands I go to see. The Status has a Mae-like feel and sound. The lead singer was very clear and, other than feeling the bass throughout my entire body, I could hear each part individually. The guys weren’t over the top but they had just enough to keep the crowd interested and alive.

Valencia came next to the stage and I, again, was very happy to hear that there was another good band on this tour. Let me tell you though, when you’re on the outskirts, you tend to get pushed around and not in a good way. Bruised pride and shins aside, Valencia did a lot to get the audience into the music and bassist George Ciukurescu even began crowd surfing during one of their final songs. I got a great deal on their latest album, recently released called “We All Need a Reason to Believe.” Those 11 tracks are definitely as great as what I heard from the stage and I’m interested to see what they can do in the future.

This was the first time I was able to see the new Matches; with bassist Dylan Rowe taking the place of Justin San Souci who left the band earlier this season. Dylan fit perfectly with the guys and I was very pleased at how great of a bassist he is.
Guitarist Jon Devoto broke one of the fingers on his left hand about a a month and a half ago, forcing him to learn how to play the guitar on one hand and he did it flawlessly. I was amazed at how well he played the pieces during their set and during the acoustic set which occurred after the concert was over which included "Scratched Out" from their first album "E.Von Dahl Killed The Locals" and "Salty Eyes" from "Decomposer."

There were two parts of this set that I enjoyed so much. We saw the set list earlier than the show when guitar tech Ben Young was sitting by the Merch table and had it just lying on the table. It didn't have one of my favorite songs, "What Katie Said" on it so we assumed they wouldn't be playing it. Little did we realize that after singing "Point Me Toward the Morning" off their third album, "A Band In Hope," we were excited when they started singing the song. It got the crowd riled up and Shawn even broke into Spanish, saying "muchacha" in his attempt to sing the song in spanish. I've heard him sing it before and it was just as much of a thrill this time around.

Another surprise to the set list was during the last song, "Papercut Skin," near the end, they slipped into "Between Halloweens" mixing their second and third albums. It was fantastic and I'd never heard something like that done before at all the concerts I've been to.

Bayside came next and, it may have been where I was in the venue or that I didn't know their music, but I couldn't hear anything of this band I'd never heard before. The foursome, from Bayside, Queens, New York, which is where their name originates, recently released their newest album "Shudder" at the end of September and it seemed that they played every song from that album and then some. The set lasted for what seemed like more than an hour yet the fans never wavered and it wasn't until after the band finally finished did I see even the smallest crowd of people outside the staged area.

I would highly suggest that you check out these bands and keep track of when they'll be visiting the area again. Most definitely they are great bands to be watched over the next seasons to see if they can come up with something equally as great as they've already done.

Plain White T's- Big Bad World

I became a fan of Plain White T’s two years ago, when Every Second Counts just came out. I instantly fell in love with the melodic sounds of frontman Tom Higgenson and the angry break-up songs which always had a way of making you feel better, as if you had gone through that pain, and I even liked Hey There Delilah, before it blew up over the radio. I was a fan of the band before all the youngin's learned who they were and I enjoyed the low-key feel they had. I’m still a closet fan (I guess not so closet anymore…) but when Big Bad World came out, I was just so disappointed while listening to the album that I’ve all but lost my faith in them. It’s Infinity on High all over again.

I didn’t want to make this a mean review of Plain White T’s fifth album but I felt like I was watching a kids show while listening to Big Bad World. If they had done something more like what they’d previously done, it would have been much better and they would have received a much better response from their long time fans.

The album opens with "Big Bad World" which makes me want to watch High School Musical or something one would find on early Saturday morning kids television.

"Natural Disaster" and "Serious Mistake" are a couple of those songs that are just so bad that they never leaves your head. I kept hoping without payoff that it would get better.

"Rainy Day" gives the listener a relief of bad music by reverting to their previously tried and true options. I almost left the album on repeat so I wouldn't have to bear any further pain. It's too bad I didn't.

"1,2,3,4" sounds like a bad Beatles' cover and it's just not that well-done of a song. The backup vocals are nice but the song is just so cheezy and over-done that I felt like I've heard it from 10 other pop artists before.

"That Girl" and "Sunlight" are just badly composed and finished. "That Girl" says nothing of substance and it's a song that not even kids shows would put into their repertoire. "Sunlight" starts off with a flat thud and stays sad and nonplus.

"I Really Want You" takes us back to another attempt at becoming The Beatles again and again, fails to make the grade. "Meet Me In California" has its moments where it's good but it's not when anyone is singing. The guitar parts are well done but it could have been put to a different song. Something with more power would make it a much better song, quite possibly a hit.

"Someday" is the other good song of the album, making the "good song count" finish at two. It's a good song and it reminds me of their previous albums but with 80 percent of the songs not being good enough to want to listen to again, "Big Bad World" bites the big one.

Practical Magic, deceives late readers

Again, it’s a little late for me to be writing a review since the movie came out in 1998 and the novel came out before that but again, I found the novel and decided I would read it and see if it was anything like the movie.
It wasn’t and I was a little disappointed.
I just finished reading it and I kept wondering when it will start to sound like the movie.
It never did.
The Owens sisters are only accused of being Witches- not actual witches. They are indeed orphans and were raised by their aunts, which only brought the rest of the people in the town to think they were just as ‘weird’ as the aunts. It is true Gillian, the youngest was a free spirit who fled the aunts house at an early age but she eventually returns to the house to help her elder sister Sally, who returns to the house after leaving to be with her husband. In the novel it’s the other way around. She stays in the house with her husband and family and it’s only after he dies, does she leave the house.
Sally’s daughters are much younger in the movie, and nearer to the same age. In the novel, Antonia and Kylie are three and a half years apart, both in their teens, and are nothing alike, nor do they bond until much later in the novel.
Gillian only returns to Sally’s new home in New York and does not return to the aunts’ house. Sally has nothing to do in the death of Jimmy Angelov (Hawkins in the novel) but they do bury him in the backyard, under a lilac bush in the novel, a rosebush in the movie.
Detective Gary Hallet makes his appearance much later after the death of Jimmy, yet does fall in love with Sally but the way they fall in love is much different. It is said in the movie that Sally sent for him, because she performed “Amas Veritas,” a spell to ask for a man who possessed qualities that were unnatural and no man could have all of them. In the book, love just happens between them.
And yet the final narration by Sally at the ending is exactly the same in both versions.

Jones almost meets expectations

OK, OK, I know what you’re thinking—it’s ridiculously late for me to be writing this but I just found the book at the bookstore and I thought I would go ahead and read it and see how accurate it was to the movie starring Renee Zellweger.
It wasn’t.
The movie is great but it also adds a lot of information that isn’t in the book.
A lot of information.
I read the entire novel in about two days and found that many of the plotlines were accurate, but I found them scattered throughout the novel. The entire plotline with Bridget and Mark Darcy is completely changed around and in fact, Darcy starts a relationship much earlier in the book than in the movie. Actually, the majority of the plotline of Bridget and Daniel Cleaver is much different as well.
Magda, Bridget’s married friend, plays a much larger role in the novel than in the movie as well. Shazzer is known as Sharon for the most part during the novel and only referred to as Shazzer in the movie. This complicated things for me since I had never heard her called that. The Shazzer in the novel also barely says ‘fuck’ which is one of her favorite words in the movie.
Its not like I expected the movie to be exactly like the book but the book was so perfect that had they written the movie just as the book, it would have been much better and a much more funny movie.

We The Living Rocks Summerfest

I attended Summerfest, the biggest festival in the nation, for the first time in about six years to see We The Living on June 29. I had been anxiously waiting for this day and willingly shelled out the $15 to see JP, Jasper, Matt and Ben since I had wanted to see this quartet once more after seeing them earlier in the year. I immediately fell in love with their music and, if I could remember their set list past the first three songs, I’d definitely be writing a much better review for them. All I can tell you is that it was fantastic, and I wished their set could have been longer than 45 minutes.
For the first time, they played a new song from their recently cut album “Depths of the Earth” which we can anxiously anticipate to be finalized and released soon.
They played all the favorite songs of the crowd and, even though they played at 10 p.m., it wasn’t a deterrent for those of us who had to be up early the next morning. I would be lying if I didn’t leave the concert with a huge smile on my face and beaming over how great the concert was since We The Living never fail to impress me. We The Living next play at Warped Tour on August 1. If you’re willing to shell out the 40 bucks it costs to get in, most definitely do it since the guys are worth it; and there’s other good bands playing during the same day as well.

Alkaline Trio has no Agony or Irony

I’m not the average listener where I’m not overly fond of Alkaline Trio’s ridiculously dark songs, which is why I really like “Agony and Irony,” the trio’s latest album, released on July 1.
“Calling all Skeletons” takes us back to the old times, before all the extra crap that the guys had put into their songs. Agony and Irony has nothing but guitars and drums, which only make the guys’ voices sound that much more amazing.
“Help Me,” an uppity song has just enough darkness to remind us that it’s Alkaline Trio. It’s totally corny but ridiculously catchy.
“In Vein” was first heard in part on “The Hills” and I became entranced with the song from the very beginning so being able to hear the entire song just made it better. It bring Alkaline Trio back to their dark side and the lyrics are just perfect enough to bring us to that place.
“Over and Out” is just sad… I listen to it because the words are just so perfect. “’Over and out,’ he said/ With a .45 to his head/ The war has taken everything from me/ it’s all I’ve seen…” makes me wonder if they’re talking about the current war, which would make the song much more deep and perfect.
“I Found Away” starts with an Australian reciting some lines with an echo then starts the song. Again, it’s very catchy but it yo-yos between dark to light, making it sound much more like the rest of the album.
“Do You Wanna Know” and “Live Young, Die Fast” come next. Both make me want to sing along but I don’t because I just sit there and listen to the words. Neither of these songs are different than other things the guys have done, but they’re just so deep and the guitar and drums seem to be weaved into the song, as if those two entities are heard separately than the songs.
As if the album were getting too sappy, “Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss” brings us from that thought.
“Lost and Rendered” makes me think of “Crimson,” their previously latest album in the sound that it reminds me of the songs I’ve heard from that album—this comes from the girl who has just a smattering of their songs, without actually having full albums of any of their stuff.
“Ruin It” and “Into The Night” finish off the album on a good note, pulling the listener in only for the CD to restart, much to the delight of many. These last two songs are polar opposites of the beginning two songs, but in a very good way. They are much darker and much more deep, and as always, they finish their albums with a bang.

Death Cab impresses listeners

This review should have been written a long time ago for “Narrow Stairs” Death Cab For Cutie’s new album. I got this album when it leaked… because I wasn’t patient enough to wait until it released even though I bought it later anyway…
The album starts with “Bixby Canyon Bridge,” in which I fell in love with from the very beginning. It has a sound that is perfectly possessing that I couldn’t help but listen to it repeatedly until I thought it was probably time to go to the next song.
Next comes the first single, “I Will Possess Your Heart,” a song which pissed me off for the first four minutes until lead singer, Ben Gibbard actually started singing. The song was so perfect for the last four minutes that it completely negates the annoyance of the first four. The song is supposed to be an egregious “screw you” to the radio stations, but when hearing it on the radio, they cut out the first four minutes.
“No Sunlight” has a feeling that is really not what you’d hear from a DCFC album but it’s ridiculously catchy that you can’t help but sing along. The same is with “Cath…” which reminds me a lot of what I’ve heard on “Plans,” their most previous album.
“Talking Bird” and “You Can Do Better Than Me” are the least interesting songs on the album. I’m sure some would say they’re both very interesting but I’ve not been able to make it through “Talking Bird” and “You Can Do Better Than Me” is so short it’s easy to sit through. “Talking Bird” gave me the feeling that there was no effort put into the song… that it was just something the guys came up with in the spur of the moment to fill in the CD.
“Grapevine Fires” has to be one of the best songs on this album. It’s so perfectly put together and the words are so deep that I can’t even sing along. I just listen to the words and feel for whoever it’s about.
“Your New Twin Sized Bed” makes me think of “Brothers on a Hotel Bed.” It doesn’t sound much like it… it just makes me think of it. The song is very good and it’s like a conversation being played out with music, which is very much the Death Cab way.
“Long Division,” “Pity and Fear,” and “The Ice is Getting Thinner” finish the album, leaving the listener wanting more with deep lyrics and even deeper messages.

A re-review of The Matches

I’ve been listening to The Matches’ newest album A Band in Hope for about a month now and I thought it would be an interesting idea to re-write a review for it. My opinions on many of the songs have changed and upon listening further I found a new liking and ultimate respect for the CD.

The album begins with AM Tilts, which, in its corniness, I actually quite like. It’s not some odd quality that just makes it work much better than some of the other songs. It’s slightly quirky and shows off Shawn’s voice really well. It reminds me a lot of their second album, Decomposer, which is what I was hoping to get out of this album.

I know I said before that Their City needs to be listened to in moderation but now I really like it. It’s kitchy and weird and I enjoy being able to turn up the volume and let down the windows and just share The Matches with the world!... or the people around me.

Wake the Sun is my version of Darkness Rising to everyone else. Everyone I’ve talked to has become terribly bored with Wake the Sun but I still love it. I saw it live and it was just fantastic and gave me a new love for the song. I still stand by my previous mention that there is no real difference between the chorus and verses… which still bugs me.

Darkness Rising is still a song I can’t make it through. Something about the Queen quality just irks me and I can’t stand it. I love Jon but… not enough to live through that song any more than I have to.

To Build a Mountain starts out with some of the best lyrics I’ve ever listened to. “Maybe a saint is just a dead prick with a good publicist.” It’s hilarious and the rest of the song is just as perfectly written. The ‘doos’ and the humming still get to me. If the words weren’t so good, I’d say this song bit the big one. Those lyrics save it though.

I still can’t make it through We Are One… Nuff said.

I remember hearing the Locals’ version of Point Me Toward The Morning and I was so excited to hear that song again for A Band In Hope. Now I know why it reminded me of E Von Dahl Killed The Locals, probably because it was written when they were still The Locals… I still really like the song.

I had decided to give 24C a second chance when I had heard something new about the name of the song. I also didn’t have a choice but to listen to it while in the car headed to the concert… damn you Marie for having control over the CD player… Either way… I listen to it and the words and I get why people like it… I would just rather skip it and go to something more up beat while in the car.

I don’t listen to Clouds Crash anymore… Something about the way it bores me.

Between Halloweens has a new perspective for me as well. I used to skip it because I thought it would be another monotone, ridiculous song I didn’t want to listen to, but now I find myself leaving the song on, either out of boredom or the next button is too far away or… just because it’s good.

I don’t listen to If I Were You that much. It repeats the words over and over and over again that I get bored.

Future Tense is a song I’ve had stuck in my head since early this morning. I wasn’t too stoked about the song at the very beginning but it’s growing on me… slowly, but it growing on me nonetheless.

I still thoroughly enjoy Yankee In A Chip Shop.

Upon hearing that 24C was actually a plane seat that Shawn was in while he was writing said song, Proctor Rd. has a new meaning for me. With the line “This is your capitain speaking,” I’m not sure whether he’s talking about being in a plane but the little ding at the end that sounds like the seatbelt sign on a plane makes me wonder if he also wrote Proctor Rd. while on a plane. I also wonder… is there an actual Proctor Rd… if there is, where is it?

No Chicken Dinner for You

“21” soundtrack lacks oomph of film

By Amanda Throm

While bringing back memories of the two times I saw the movie, the “21” soundtrack doesn’t quite live up to the standards the movie held.

Starting the 15-song CD with The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is a different version that what we actually hear at the beginning of the film. It’s also not the first song of the film, regardless of the version. This song has got to be one of the most re-mixed and re-edited songs I’ve ever heard. This version from Soulwax is actually pretty good, but it would have been nice had we had the song in the proper place.

“Time to Pretend” from MGMT quickly became my favorite song of the film. We’re talking perfection here. It was very synthesizer-y but it was just the right touch to the beginning of the film.

Let’s get one thing straight: clapping in a song is never cool. “Big Idea” from LCD Soundsystem came in next and I was less than enthused by the song. It was very repetitive, almost like the CD was skipping.

“Giant” by D. Sardy feat. Liela Moss was boring at best. Her voice is evocative of Bjork, which I don’t really think can ever be a good thing. The song was very bass-ey, but not so bass-tastic that it drowned out her voice.

I couldn’t remember where in the movie “Always” by Amon Tobin came. Either way I was intrigue and fascination of the Radiohead/Cloud Cult sound the song had. This song had no lyrics, which I wasn’t surprised over because it’s a movie soundtrack, but I was bored either way after a couple minutes.

“Young Folks” by Peter, Bjorn & John came next. Ahh... the whistling, is all I have to say.

Yet another annoying voice came during “Mad Pursuit” by Junkie XL feat. Electrocute. It was, again, very repetitive and I recommend that you press the forward button on this song. It was just… bad. Any other words would be giving it a compliment.

“Sister Self Doubt” by Get Shakes sounds like it would be a good song past the 30 second mark but… no. That pre-fabricated bass is ridiculously unneeded regardless of the sound they were trying to achieve.

“I am the Unknown” by The Aliens was the first song in a while that I didn’t have the uncontrollable urge to skip ahead. This song brings me back to Ben (Jim Sturgess)’s first time in Vegas. It’s very melodic and has a lot of interesting chords. The only problem with the song is the last minute or so where all that’s said is “We are The Aliens” over and over and over. Needless to say, I skipped over it.

“Shut Up and Drive” by Rhianna was perfect for the point of the movie which it appeared. I’m not a huge Rhianna fan but the song worked so perfectly with the film that it didn’t matter.

Another repetitive song came with “Alright” by Knivez Out and I skipped ahead to “Tropical Moonlight” by Domino and quickly skipped again again to “Hold My Hand” by UNKLE. To say the least, “Hold My Hand” was a lot better than the previous two songs. For some reason, this song reminded me of an early 90s song; I felt like I should have been punching the air while listening to this song.

L.S.F (Lost Souls Forever) by Mark Ronson feat. Kasabian evoked a very 90s feel again but the lyrics didn’t make a whole lot of sense. They never say the title words and the lyrics have no meaning. It’s like incoherent babbling.

The final song was “Tender Buttons” by Broadcast and while fascinating in its computerized sound, I don’t remember hearing actual lyrics to this song so much as three or four words repeated. It probably would have been better to end with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” since that was how the movie started… sort of.

If you’re thinking of buying the “21” soundtrack, don’t. Buy the movie when it comes out in a couple months. You’ll be saving a lot of money and you get to see a little more Jim Sturgess that way.

AP Tour Fails to Deliver

To my JMC TA Amanda: One post below is my assignment for JMC 201. This is my personal blog so I will not be stalling my posts for a response on my previous assignment.

Opening act should have been headliner

By Amanda Throm

I rarely leave a concert talking bad of four out of five bands I had seen, but last night was definitely my exception.

Friday night, The Rave/Eagles Ballroom hosted The Alternative Press tour, featuring three opening acts and two co-headliners. I was much less than impressed with the outcome of the bands chosen, save one.

My friend Marie and I showed up to The Rave late only to be bombarded with the loudest mash-up of noises by Forever The Sickest Kids. I attempted to keep an open mind but after about a minute I couldn’t find the kindness in my heart.

You know a band is emo when all the band-mates have longer hair than a majority of the girls at the venue. Such was the case with Sonny. I applaud him on his attempt at falsetto but the only people who should be singing that high are Anthony Green from Circa Survive or Tom Chaplin of Keane.

It was like Coheed & Cambria had a love child, except with straighter hair. The only word I can use to describe the 30 minute set, which ended in Sonny playing some random mix on his laptop and pounding his fist in the air, was painful.

I specifically paid $20 for my ticket for the third opening band, who should have been the headliner. The Matches; Shawn, Justin, Jon and Matt, should not have had to be associated with the crap-tastic music we heard that night.

Coordinated in red clothes (save Matt, who wore blue), and started with the first single on their second album, Decomposer. “Salty Eyes” was fantastic and they couldn’t have done anything to ruin the song.

Next came “Little Maggots” which I had never seen live before. Even the feedback worked with the song.

The guys make their music so interesting. During “Papercut Skin,” they were so over the top that it was fantastic and entertaining to watch, especially when guitar tech Ben Young, AKA Triangle Man, came out on stage and rocked that triangle. It was much better than the other bands that just stood there.

“This one’s a new song,” said Jon to which Shawn replied, “Unless you believe in time travel,” before starting “Wake the Sun,” the first single off their newest album A Band In Hope.

“Sick Little Suicide” came next and any words for this song would be doing it injustice. It was exactly as the album and it was amazing.

“Yankee In A Chip Shop” and “Their City” showcased two of the best songs of A Band In Hope and were both equally fantastic.

They closed their set with “Sunburn Vs. The Rhinovirus.” I don’t care how long they’ve been on this tour, they’ve never sounded better.

Here’s where my nice words end. The co-headliners for this tour were The Rocket Summer and All Time Low. I think I heard words during this time but I have no clue.

The lights went down when The Rocket Summer came on stage and everyone in there started screaming to which Marie replied, “Calm down, it’s just a shitty band!” It was an attack of the fangirls and no one was safe.

I was lost at “How’s it going Milwaukee?”

There was so much crap on that stage which included a keyboard with lights on it. What purpose did that serve? To see how much crap they could shove on the stage?

The building was not big enough to get away from the terrible-to-terribler sound.

I met up with Nicky Schneider, student at UWM, and watched her do a facepalm while shaking her head and exclaiming “Oh my god!” during All Time Low, the second headliner of the night.

The set started with a parental advisory and that was pretty much the only thing that had any form of enunciation. They were the only words I understood for the entire 45-minute set. I think I’ve heard more music and melody in the click of a retractable pen.

I guess you really have to be a hardcore fan of these bands before actually committing to going to a concert of them but The Matches were the only band that were worth listening to of the entire night. Either way, 4/5 of this concert bit the big one.

Sullivan rocks out and goes eco-friendly

Operation Adaptation Offers Two-Day Music Fest for Environmental Awareness



The weekend of April 18 will feature two days of being environmentally friendly. I'm not talking about hugging a tree for two days but rather a huge blow-out of a concert, camping out as well as learning eco-friendly values.

Operation Adaptation LLC. was formed by Nathan Kamsler, a 21-year-old student of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and area resident Ryan Peterson in 2008 with the sole purpose of bringing people together through music to enhance awareness of environmentally friendly practices.

The group formed to raise public awareness of some of the environmentally healthy alternative products and processes that many hard-working individuals and green companies strive to produce.

I'll admit I'm not the most environmentally friendly person but I'm all for spending a weekend being kind to the ground I walk on. Operation Adaptation, a weekend-long festival features musical stylings of Willy Porter, Chinese Fingertrap, Fat Maw Rooney and many of the best roots music, bluegrass and jam bands from the U.S. and Canada.

For each ticket sold, a tree will be planted thanks to Trees for the Future. Compostable corn-based utensils and dishes will be available as well as environmentally friendly vendors will be featured at the event.

Parking is available at the site for $5. In the case that you want the parking fee waived, donate eight or more non-perishable food items for the Hunger Task Force.


Other bands performing *They can be found on MySpace or PureVolume:

• Stealin' Strings
• Groovatron
• Family Groove Company
• Pert' Near Sandstone
• Run Side Down
• Unity...the Band
• Cosmic Railroad
• Bryan Cherry
  
• Heatbox
• Sean Shiel
  

A Band In Hope

So this is what I posted on The Matches boards a while back after their album A Band In Hope came out on March 18.
I just went through the songs on the album and said what I thought. It's not a publication worthy item but I just wanted to vent...

I actually quite like AM Tilts. It's not my favorite song but it reminds me somewhat of Decomposer, which is what I was hoping for in this album. I didn't want their sound to change much.
Their City needs to be listened to in moderation.
I really do like Wake the Sun. Something about the lyrics makes it a great song. I don't really see a huge difference in the chorus and the verses though which is a huge problem with me-- I hate songs where there's no swell of sound for the choruses.
Darkness Rising is another song I couldn't make it through. It reminds me of one of the boring choir songs we had to sing in high school. The chords are very interesting through-- I almost look forward to hearing this song on tour.
I love the lyrics in To Build a Mountain; which is probably a huge part of why I like it. I like the 'dooo's' and the humming that really has no purpose in the song but it's perfect.
We Are One says the same words over and over and over... I'm glad it's a shorter song because I'd be going nuts otherwise. I don't know why it's on the CD.
I actually quite like Point Me To The Morning-- It does remind me a lot of EVDKTL but adds a nice little updated twist. However-- the same 'ohh's' before the chorus are used later in the CD. It would have been better to omit them from the second song. I'll get to that later.
24C is interesting in the beginning but quickly gets boring and repetitive. It even says "monotone" in the song. I feel like I'm going to fall asleep every time I hear this song.
Clouds Crash is interesting... That's really the only word I can come up with for it. It's another song, however, that has to be listened to in moderation.
I enjoy Between Halloweens. I always picture Shawn as James Dean for Halloween. I hope he does it this year.
If I were You is the other song that repeats the 'Ohhh's' as Point Me Toward The Morning. It's kind of annoying but I actually like the song. It's just so wrong that it's right.
Future Tense has something that I like... I feel like they're channeling Head Automatica on this one. The chords and whatnot just remind me of a couple songs by HA. It's a good thing
Yankee In A Chip Shop is a song I was specifically waiting for since I saw a YouTube version a while back. I like it a lot! It's totally random but it's perfect!
Proctor Rd. is short a quick. I immediately felt the urge to restart the CD.

We The Living

Here's the edited draft-- I'll link up to the actual article on the Web next Monday.

Hope you guys enjoy it!

They rock and/or roll
We The Living and UWM: A perfect fit

By Amanda Throm

With one album under their belts in the past year, We The Living has been doing wonderfully at making a name for themselves. This Wisconsin-native-currently-living-in-LA band left the crowd, and a few floors up and down Channel in Sandburg Hall, awed by their melodic and hard-to-place sound last Monday.

Lead singer John Paul (J.P.) Roney and drummer Ben Shaefer began as The Profits at UW- Madison. After two of their bandmates left, they added Matt Holmen on guitar and Stefan Benkowski (soon after to be Jasper Austin) on bass and became the We The Living I saw last night. Since then they’ve recorded and released “Heights of Heaven,” an entrancing and amazingly heart-melting album that I’ve not been able to stop listening to since I first heard their sound about 12 hours before seeing them live.

I got a chance to catch up with the band as they arrived on campus and started getting set up. The guys play a different venue every night and play 250 shows this year and cannot imagine it any other way. “Days off are horrible” said Ben.

With a sound that the album produces, I was fascinated as to how these guys all started with their chosen instruments and was very surprised. Jasper, Matt and Ben all started their instruments on their first day of tour or a few days beforehand. J.P. was the only one who had some experience before they started. They knocked me off my feet when they started playing.

Jasper was fun to watch during the show. His facial expressions were a mixture of concentration and pure fun. He is the bass-playing version of Tom Higgenson of Plain White T’s and not just by his attitude on the stage: he looks like him too though I enjoyed watching Jasper play more than a Plain White T’s concert.

Ben rumpled his hair between each song (“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he said after the show, while rumpling his hair) and never quite notices what his face is doing during the set. It was, for lack of a better word, quite entertaining.

Matt had little space to work with on the stage but he made his presence known. During his solos and the interludes, the lights would change and his hands looked like they were moving a mile a minute on that guitar.

J.P. also didn’t have much space to work with but he moved around next to Jasper and Matt smoothly and while at the microphone he sang with all his heart and you could see that on his face.

The guys had no cares on the stage other than what they were doing was something they loved. “Our goal isn’t to make any kind of rock and Roll dream… our goal is to make a living off what we love to do,” said Ben and so far they’ve been successful. “We’re only getting better slightly faster than gas prices are rising,” said J.P. They run their band as a business every day and don’t need or want to be signed with a label to do so. “We don’t want to be making pre-fabricated music. We want to do what we love every day,” said J.P.

J.P said his songs start with a rhythm which spurs an idea that comes with a melody to which he rushes to an instrument and makes a song happen in about 20 minutes. “I’m not like Dashboard Confessional,” said J.P answering how much thought and meaning he puts into a song.

The show began with “Atlantic” and “75 to 17” which happen to be two of my favorite songs. They were just as perfect as the album. I can’t say much more than that. Any other words would be doing the songs injustice.

“Typical,” the first song on “Heights of Heaven,” came next. J.P. connects with every person in the crowd and his voice is just so amazingly different than anything I’ve ever heard that I couldn’t help but watch.

“St. Paul” was stuck in my head for about six hours before the concert started. It sounded better than the album and when J.P. went quiet near the end of the song I could hear everyone singing along, something they said they loved to have happen.

Next came “London Rain” which has a wonderful quality I can’t place and “Best Laid Plans” which was dedicated to Perez Hilton after he mentioned We The Living in his blog. It’s Perez’s favorite song, so it was fitting.

They next performed a Depeche Mode cover followed by “Half The Girl,” which was absolutely amazing. I didn’t realize from the album that the song could be rocked out to so well. After that was “Barometers,” and a Sufjan Stevens cover, both of which were incredible.

The last song of the night was dedicated to the first-timers; myself included. I remember during warm-up, when J.P. started singing “History” I felt as if nothing could sound sweeter and I felt the same when he played it to close out a remarkable night.

“Heights of Heaven” can be bought for less than $10 on iTunes.

We The Living play in the area again at Loyola University in Illinois on April 23, UW- LaCrosse on May 10, and Middleton West High School in Middleton, WI on May 31.

Lindsay stoops too low

Nude photo shoot means to tribute actor but lacks pizzazz of original
By Amanda Throm

The spring fashion line edition of New York Magazine will be seeing yet another side of Lindsay Lohan. The once-actor/singer/boozer can be seen posing nude in a Marilyn Monroe tribute which would cause Monroe to turn in her grave.

Giving a nod to photographer Bert Stone and having him shoot again, Lohan attempts to re-create Monroe’s famous 1962 shoot, even in the same Hotel Bel-Air where Monroe originally posed.

While I’m sure Lindsay is trying, she doesn’t quite meet the standards that Monroe made during this shoot just six weeks before her unexpected death by overdose. Lohan lacked an obvious amount of oomph during the shoot. She should have been thinking about that career boost; maybe it would have woken her up.

It was quite obvious during this shoot that Monroe was drunk, something we all hope Lindsay wasn’t. After multiple stints in rehab, I’m personally getting a little tired of seeing her drunken face on magazines.

Pouting lips and obvious sex-appeal was something that, no doubt, came naturally to Monroe. Lindsay, however, pushes her lips out too far and looks more like a fish than a model.

She appears bored. Even Lindsay’s short platinum blond hair didn’t help her cause, as it aged her about 20 years.

While I respect the idea of a tribute to one of the most famous actresses in history, could this be Lindsay’s equivalent to posing for Rolling Stone? Is she really hoping to get out of the ditch she’s made for herself? She could have at least done something where she wouldn’t have to bare all.

Being a fellow woman, I applaud her embracing her sexuality and knowing she is a beautiful person, but I feel it’s a cop-out when someone poses nude. She’s got to know that oodles of guys are going to be running to the news stands for a New York Magazine just to catch a glimpse of what’s behind that sheer piece of fabric.

I don’t see Marilyn in these pictures whatsoever. Lindsay was either trying too hard or was barely making an effort. She may use the same props: fabric, fake flowers, diamond necklaces, etc., but Lindsay should have left the idea as just that: an idea.

Don’t pity Hillary!

Repeat of New Hampshire could mean wins for Clinton
By Amanda Throm

While also airing clips of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" from the musical "Evita," News Radio AM 620 broadcast a despondent, tired and close-to-tears Sen. Hillary Clinton in an ad which first appeared in Texas, where the presidential hopeful is getting a head start for the March 4 primary.

This ad, also found on www.hillaryclinton.com and titled "Lifetime," seems to be a repeated attempt to win a state after the New Hampshire tear-up victory in early February.

Okay, so she could have been talking about something she was passionate about, but does someone seem a little tired? Maybe a little too stressed out?

Maybe she realized that what happened in New Hampshire was actually helpful for her so she's trying for pity votes. I don't think that's how someone who is attempting to make history should really go about doing so.

The tear-jerking video from New Hampshire can be viewed on YouTube, but really, it's not anything we haven't heard before. How many of you girls have cried to get out of speeding tickets?

Now I'm not equating a vote for presidency to getting a ticket, but Hillary got a huge amount of female votes when she started crying, and it's part of the reason why she won the New Hampshire primary. The recent Wisconsin primary, where she lost by a 17-point margin, may have been saying something: she doesn't seem to have cried in the last 10 primaries. She's probably catching on to the fact that she gets more votes because apparently tears are seen as passion, not being pathetic.

"It's very personal...not just political; it's not just public," she said during the speech she gave in New Hampshire. She continues speaking as if she’s talking with a girlfriend; talking about watching her weight, trying to eat healthily when "the easiest food is pizza."

She's got some skill, showing her fellow females that she's just as concerned about what she puts into her body as the rest of us.

I just don't understand how people are eating, save the pun, what she's saying and believing that when she's crying, she really means it. I personally couldn't care less if our next president is fat or thin, fit or reaches for that pizza. While I applaud someone’s attempt at staying fit, as long as they run our country with finesse and can manage to solve the problems we're currently facing, it shouldn't matter what they look like.

The tone she carries in "Lifetime" is just an echo from New Hampshire. AM 620 opened up to phone calls and nearly 10 callers asked if she had a tear in her eye. She sounds really tired, like she's already lost.

We're not looking for sadness. The American people want something to believe in, not sadness and how everything can't be exactly the way we want it.

This election is going to change everything if a Democrat becomes president. Hillary is using her gender far too much this time around, and she’s not exactly doing it properly. She should be evoking past women who have shaped our country today, not saying that because she's a woman she's more fit for the job.

True, if elected president, Hillary would be making history, but is what we're hearing in her speeches and ads just a precursor to what we would hear if she were put in office?

The Hannah phenomenon

Pre-sales and overpriced tickets cause sad little children
By Amanda Throm

Bartenders are making kiddie cocktails for hours and serving them to thousands of little girls sitting in line waiting anxiously for those precious, blessed, even holy, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana tickets.

Too bad those little girls won’t be able to get their tickets unless they’ve got some cold, hard cash. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never known any 10-year-old with $500-$4,000 in their back pocket.

Many children return home ticket-less, and blame their parents for not having enough money. Greedy little bastards.

The biggest question here is why are those tickets so expensive? I personally refuse to spend more than $20 on a concert, and those are better concerts than Miley Cyrus, at better venues, too. So what is the point of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a ticket to see some chick sing when you can watch her in one of the worst-acted television shows of the time?

It is said that, during the pre-sales, ticket brokers buy thousands of tickets and essentially scalp them for many times more than the proper amount. These tickets can be sold through Ticketmaster for about 60 dollars minus tax.

One entry on eBay was selling 2 tickets, 16th row, for 500 dollars with a $25 shipping cost. Yeah…because it really costs that much to ship three pieces of paper.

As if it were some kind of scavenger hunt, radio stations were warning people a few weeks before the concert in Milwaukee, “Get your Miley/Hannah tickets, if you can find them!” After you find the tickets, go 45 paces north and find a spare tire with flowers in it.

Parents write comments on random Web sites that publish articles about these ticket brokers, mainly stating that they’re so sad that they can’t afford to send their children to this concert and how they feel like a bad parent. Then they get mad and make accusations and hateful messages to anyone who will listen to them.

I remember being a 12-year-old girl desperately wanting to see ‘N Sync but my mom wouldn’t pay for the tickets and said it’s not worth it. She said I’d be up in the nosebleeds and JC and Justin would be the size of ants.

I learned she was right when I stood about 10 feet away from Tom Higgenson of Plain White T’s at The Rave and realized he was actually taller than I thought. Parents will learn in a few years that the children will completely forget that they couldn’t go see Hannah Montana when they go see Motion City Soundtrack or The Matches at a smaller venue for a much cheaper price.

So tell those children that missing Hannah is just called a life lesson. It’s only a first in a string of heartbreaks throughout your sad, unfortunate lives.