NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

" Take Cover " is the opening track to  Acceptance 's debut and almost final album,  Phantoms .  It starts with a piano loop and adds momentum with the drums.  Jason Vena 's smooth vocals hit a high register which puts the band on good emo footing for the time, as a singer who could whine a few lines was essential for a band that makes it. Listening to  Phantoms  again today--as I've talked about this album at least three times before--I thought about one of the fatal flaws of the record: the track order. Even though, I think that this album is a perfect artifact of my last two years in high school, I can kind of see why this band wasn't huge, and it has to do with the track listing of this album. SHE MAKES THE CITY SEEM LIKE HOME.  Today, I'm going to do a track-by-track analysis of this album, and I'll probably add to this analysis as I choose more songs to be song of the day. I may not have a lot to say about the tracks individually as I've alre

  Acceptance 's story about the band that called it quits before they realized made the band a legend. In 2014,  Jesusfreakhideout   posted their top " One Album Wonders ," and Acceptance's  Phantoms   topped the list. According to lead singer  Jason Vena , when he sat down with  Billy Power   on  Urban Achiever Podcast  in 2015, the lead singer recounted about how he had no idea the cult status the band then had in the scene. In various other interviews, Vena talked about how other bands, namely  A Loss for Words  and  All Time Low  inspired him to consider an Acceptance reunion.  LAST SEASON OF THIS MASQUERADE.  In 2005, Acceptance after their failed attempt at major label stardom, Vena took a job in Seattle outside of music. The band dissolved, and some formed side projects with other musicians. Lead guitarist  Christian McAlhaney  talked with  Josh Coats  on  Your PUSH Coach Podcast  in 2020, talking about what made him successful in three bands and other projects

When  Acceptance  released  "Cold Air, " in the summer of 2020, I was immediately taken by the catchy, '80s New-Wave electronica meets  The Outfield -style harmonies sung by lead singer  Jason Vena . However, the rest of the album failed to pack the punch that their 2005 debut and 2017 sophomore record had. Acceptance had become known for their lyricism, Vena's near-perfect execution in his mid-to-high range vocals, and often haunting/ mysterious guitar parts--all mixed and produced by  Aaron Sprinkle . However, what  Wild, Free  offered was clipped guitars, electronics, and gruffer vocal takes by Vena. There were certainly some highlights, but other than "Cold Air," there hasn't been much to come back to--except for a song that got stuck in my head today: "Wasted Nights." I THINK WE MET AROUND THE FIRST OF MAY.  Billy Power  had an  interesting interview with Jason Vena  back in 2015, in which Vena talks about how his first marriage dissolved

  In 2017, Aaron Sprinkle released Real Life , his last release on Tooth & Nail Records . The legendary producer had released solo work sporadically since the ‘90s; however, being the go-to producer for some of the most successful bands in Alternative and Hard Christian Rock was time-consuming, and Sprinkle felt that producing great records was more successful than trying to promote a solo career. Sprinkle’s production always felt cutting-edge when he recorded, whether for Anberlin , Acceptance , Demon Hunter , Falling Up , or a host of other bands. Real Life, however, feels very 2017. Today, let's explore the album, track by track. 1. Invincible kicks off the album with that 2017 electronic sound. Featuring Poema ’s Elle Puckett contributing a spoken-word/ rap part, the song sounds nothing like what you’d expect from either artist. The lyrics seem to be the speaker coming to realize that he is not invincible. Puckett tries to convince the first speaker that he never needed

Aaron Sprinkle began his musical career as the guitarist for Alternative Christian Rock band Poor Old Lu . The band released albums between 1990 and 2002, starting as BellBangVilla before changing their name in 1991. As the Chronicles of Narnia - inspired band was winding down, releasing In Their Final Performance in 1998,  Sprinkle started the band Rose Blossom Punch , releasing two albums before disbanding. Next, Sprinkle began releasing solo records, starting with Moontraveler in 1999. He released albums consistently until 2004’s Lackluster . In 2006, Sprinkle released The Best Worst-Case Scenario by a new band called Fair . COULD THIS BE OUT OF LINE? Fair only released two albums, concluding with 2010’s Disappearing World . In 2013, Aaron Sprinkle released Water & Guns , his first solo album in nine years. Readers of my blog will know that what Sprinkle lacked in building a concert and solo record franchise he was more than prolific in his songwriting and producing for othe

This Is All I Know is the final album by Number One Gun . The band from Chico, California, became one member-- Jeff Schneeweis —in 2007 on the band’s The North Pole Project . The other members went on to form the band Surrogate and work with other bands such as Emery .  There was a lot of controversy surrounding Number One Gun's last album, related to the late fulfillment of crowd-funding. Some backers for the 2014 album claimed as of 2021 they hadn’t received what they had been promised. After releasing This Is All I Know, Schneeweis declared that Number One Gun finished and started releasing music under the moniker Lael . This Is All I Know is the end of the Christian Rock era. HEAVY IS UPON US. Just as Anberlin had announced their farewell in 2014, several other bands called it quits. In 2017 the band Yellowcard , along with Anberlin drummer Nathan Young, recorded their final album and gave their farewell tour. After Anberlin ended, Stephen Christian was busy first in Nash