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Showing posts with the label Cities

"Fire and Rain" (repost) by Acceptance, Thursday, July 4, 2024

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  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

“Uncanny” by Anberlin, Friday, May 24, 2024

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In another life, we would have a light, optimistic Anberlin . This version of the band would have followed up their bright-eyed debut Blueprints for the Black Market with an upbeat pop-rock album about the gender divide, high school crushes, and traveling the world. But the band chose to go in a hard rock sound for their sophomore album, Never Take Friendship Personal , in part because of some of the conflicts the band had with guitarist Joey Bruce , whom they kicked out before the record. The hard rock album with grittier lyrics didn’t completely kill Anberlin’s pop-punk sentiments with songs like “ A Lay Late ” and “ Time and Confusion ” becoming fan favorites.   OH, THEY LOVE THESE AMERICAN BOYS. Anberlin’s third album, Cities , took an even darker tone than their sophomore record. The intense album had the pop-rock moments of “ Adelaide ” and “ Dismantle.Repair. ” But the serious tone of the album as a whole left no room for the carefree moments on the previous albums. Lead singer

“So Contagious” by Aaron Sprinkle, Monday, February 19, 2024

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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

“Enjoy the Silence” by Anberlin (reworked blog post), Tuesday, January 3, 2024

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The ‘90s in rock music started quietly. Hair metal was still around, but vibey New Wave tracks had gained traction in the late ‘80s. It was an eclectic time without a clear direction for a musical style. Of course that all changed in the fall of 1991 when  Nirvana  burst onto the scene and Alternative and mainstream rock listeners determined that grunge would be the collective musical trend. Just as disco didn't die in 1979, the New Romantics sound of the late ‘80s carried over into the early ‘90s. In fact, in the early ‘90s,  New Order ,  The Smiths ’  Morrisey , and  Depeche Mode  enjoyed their peak success. For Depeche Mode, that success came from a dark pop song, which crossed the Alternative Rock band over to the pop charts with the single from their seventh album  Violator , “ Enjoy the Silence .” ALL I EVER WANTED, ALL I EVER NEEDED IS HERE IN MY ARMS.  Produced by the now legendary Mark Ellis, better known as  Flood ,  Violator  was years of dark electronica in the making.