NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

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

Spotify Wrapped probably flooded your social media right last month. Two years ago, I got jealous, so I subscribed to Spotify. Apple Music started Replay in response to that Wrapped jealousy, but I still don't see many people posting their Replay stories on Instagram.  I never stopped listening to Apple Music, though. I have different habits for listening to Spotify and Apple Music, and today I'm going to discuss the differences between those two listening habits. HONESTY WAITS HERE FOREVER .  I started using Spotify last year. I decided to start linking the artist, album, and songs on Spotify if available because it seems that Spotify has more listeners than Apple Music. Last year, I used Spotify mostly for my blog and didn't listen to it much. I listened to Apple Music on my own time, and whenever I was in the middle of writing my blog and needed to listen to a song, I listened to it on Spotify. This year, I listen to Spotify for my blog but I also switched to Spotify at

When Acceptance released their 2017 record, 12 years after their cult classic Phantoms, the band's fans had mixed feelings about Colliding By Design . On the hand, listeners thought it was great to hear the vocals of Jason Vena and the riffs of Kaylan Cloyd and the moody atmospheric rhythm guitar of Christian McAlhaney all produced by the band's "sixth member" Aaron Sprinkle . But some listeners didn't like the pop direction the band took. In 2020's Wild, Free the band offers less guitar, but Sprinkle takes the band further into the pop world, making the band feel even more distant from their 2005 classic.  1. " Midnight ." The album starts with a slightly musically underwhelming track. It seems that the record deals with Jason Vena's romantic history, "Midnight," perhaps addresses his divorce and how the singer was put in the spotlight when his ex became a constant on The Bachelor. The band filmed a video for the song. 2. " Col

When  Acceptance  released  "Cold Air, " last summer, 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 while he wa

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming contain's M83 's biggest hit, " Midnight City ." Everything on Hurry Up, is calculated to give listeners, including M83's sole member Anthony Gonzalez, the maximum amount of nostalgia. After a song-length, mood-setting intro, "Midnight City" builds on a riff for three minutes before climaxing in a saxophone solo, unheard in most music since 1988.* Track three, "Reunion," builds on layers of guitars and harmonies by one singer. This guitar-based M83 is a bit rare in their catalogue, as most of M83 is programing in synthesizers with touches of guitar here and there. But a guitar-based track is no-less nostalgic. It's that '80s chord progression heard in New Wave rockers and glam hair metal that sounded so cool to a young Gonzalez, listening to music in his bedroom growing up that bleeds into this song. The lyrics beg for a reunion with a loved one who has gone away.  A NEVER-ENDING DANCE. For today's post