NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

Twenty-one years ago,  Linkin Park  released their sophomore record,  Meteora .    Throughout the band's career, their sound would shift to various styles of rock music, but  Meteora  is not much of a departure from the band's debut  Hybrid Theory .  The album did, however, embrace Asian musical instruments on several tracks. At the time of its release,  Meteora  not only debuted at number 1 on  Billboard's 200 Album charts  but also set the record for the most units sold in a week beating  Celine Dion 's  One Heart .  In 2003, Nu Metal was the ruling dynasty and Linkin Park was the king of the music. I CAN'T FEEL THE WAY I DID BEFORE.  Speaking of deluxe editions, you can stream Linkin Park's 20th anniversary edition of  Meteora-- 95 tracks of live performances, B-sides, and demos; some of which have been released like their  Live in Texas   record and some remastered tracks which had never left the vault. Personally, I don't have fond memories of this reco

On October 25, 2005, Falling Up released their sophomore record, Dawn Escapes . The album, produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette , varies from the band’s Hybrid-Theory - inspired debut Crashings . Rather than maintaining the momentum of the synth-driven rock on Crashings, the band’s sophomore effort focuses on a dreamy ambiance enhanced with hard rock guitars. The first single from the album, “ Exit Calypsan ” (Only in My Dreams)--released earlier in 2005 on the Christian Rock compilation X2005 -- is slower than the singles from Crashings. The chorus brings heavy guitars in to keep Falling Up a rock band. Dawn Escape ’s second single, “ Moonlit ”; however, broke the band’s electronic formula and gave them a riff-heavy rocker. With the two singles preceding the album, listeners were treated to a dreamy experience that perfectly wrapped the dichotomous songs.   THIS PLACE I PASS. The album cover of Crashings showed a fresh-faced six-peace band. According to their cover artwork, Falling

In 2007, despite being toward the end of the second Bush term and being in the middle of a war and high gas prices, the world felt more optimistic than today. It was a simpler time when you thought you could trust the summer blockbuster. But then we learned 1) Michael Bay is obsessed with close up details that disorient the audience. 2) While Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox ’s performances were comedically entertaining, neither actor could carry the weight of a 2 hour 24-minute film, and coupled with Bay’s action sequences felt ten times as long.  3) that not every movie based on a nostalgic toy produces a fond memory. While the American public loved Transformers , Hollywood was entering its “exploit the sequel” phase, bombarding us with the same formula two years later. GIVE ME REASON TO PROVE ME WRONG. Meanwhile, in 2007, Linkin Park had not released an album since their 2003 critically acclaimed sophomore album Meteora . The lead single from their third album, Minutes to Midnight , “

Nineteen years ago, Hoobastank killed rock music when they released their only ballad, " The Reason ." The song rose to number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 and is the only song remembered by the band, despite the group having several Alternative radio hits. The band formed in 1994 and played local gigs with Incubus and Linkin Park before those bands were popular. Like Incubus and Linkin Park, Hoobastank were known for an eclectic hard rock sound--something listeners of their 2004 hit probably wouldn't get if all they knew was their biggest song. And no, it wasn't the band that ruined rock music, but it was certainly an indicator of the changing of times when music A&R pressured rock bands to follow the Hoobastank model. IT'S SOMETHING I MUST LIVE WITH EVERY DAY. Howard Benson produced Hoobastank's sophomore record, The Reason . We've talked about Benson as a rock producer of bands like P.O.D. , Mae , and The Starting Line . While Hoobastank's

I've written a bit about how I'm a  Coldplay  apologist. I believe that the London-based band is very good at what they do. Though so many artists accomplish their sound, both musically and lyrically, better, there's something uplifting about a new Coldplay album. Two years ago, I talked about the band's first single from their ninth studio record,   Music of the Spheres , " Higher Power ." The album was released on October 15, 2021 . Before the release of the record and after releasing "Higher Power," the band released the promotional single, the 10:17 track " Coloratura ," which was praised by critics for its composition and production. Then they released the second radio single " My Universe ," featuring the South Korean boy band,  BTS . The song shot straight to number 1 on the  Billboard Hot 100 , becoming the second Coldplay single to top the Hot 100, the first being " Viva la Vida ." I JUST WANT TO PUT YOU FIRST .

  Linkin Park 's fourth studio album,   A Thousand Suns   underperformed compared to the band's massive first three albums. The album produced two singles, " The Catalyst " and today's song, " Waiting for the End ," but ultimately listeners didn't like the album as most of the songs were not catchy. I always want to dig deeper into this album and its themes, but today, I wanted to introduce my   AAPI Heritage Playlist,   so I chose the most pop-oriented song on   A Thousand Suns.  If you want more information on the music theory behind this album, I'll link to   The Discographers ,  an excellent podcast that explores the discography of Linkin Park in one of their seasons.  MY MOUTH KEPT MOVING AND MY MIND WENT DEAD.   May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the United States, and I wanted to make a playlist that recognized some of the amazing talent by AAPI musicians. As with my other lists, I realize that making lists like t

  Twenty years ago, Linkin Park released their sophomore record, Meteora . Throughout the band's career, their sound would shift to various styles of rock music, but Meteora is not much of a departure from the band's debut Hybrid Theory . The album did, however, embrace Asian musical instruments on several tracks. At the time of its release, Meteora not only debuted at number 1 on Billboard's 200 Album charts but also set the record for the most units sold in a week beating Celine Dion 's One Heart . In 2003, Nu Metal was the ruling dynasty and Linkin Park was the king of the music. I CAN'T FEEL THE WAY I DID BEFORE.  Speaking of deluxe editions, you can stream Linkin Park's 20th anniversary edition of Meteora-- 95 tracks of live performances, B-sides, and demos; some of which have been released like their Live in Texas record and some remastered tracks which had never left the vault. Personally, I don't have fond memories of this record. I thought of it

  Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Let’s celebrate with a depressing song about separation and/or death. While Linkin Park released Minutes to Midnight after I graduated high school, the sentiment of the pains of being pathologically single burns in the song. The sounds bleak imagery of the gray skies, naturally occurring during this time of year in the northeastern United States and similar climates, paired with the feelings of deep loss and loneliness, the ninth track on Linkin Park’s third record, “Valentine’s Day,” is a perfect anti-Valentine’s Day track. And being without the one who I love today, I decided to make a playlist of anti-love tracks. These aren’t break up tracks, persey. But rather they’re about missing a loved one, titled Missing You. Enjoy!

In early 2012 when  Anberlin  announced that they would be returning with an album produced by  Aaron Sprinkle , longtime fans knew that they were in for a good record. While their prior major label releases had stretched the band and had proven how versatile their sound was, the band had not produced an album that matched the lyrical and musical depth of their fan- favorite,   Cities . 2012's   Vital   took Anberlin to both familiar territory and reinvented their sound.   I CAN FINALLY FORGET A PAST YOU SAY YOU NEVER KNEW.  Vital  is a heavier album than their previous two. But, up to that point, the band did very little with electronic music.   Vital,  however, opened to the electro-heavy " Self-Starter ," complete with an autotune chorus, somewhat reminiscent of   Avenged Sevenfold 's " Lost ." In fact, many of the the tracks incorporated electronic elements. The band admits to consuming a lot of   M83   at that time.  Critics and fans both loved  Vital .