NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

I n Western North Carolina, we had two modern rock radio stations. From upstate South Carolina there was  93.3 “ The Planet,”  an Active Rock radio station that played lots of ‘90s rock and neo-90s rock. They loved grunge and post-grunge. They played  Nickelback ,  Seether ,  P.O.D. ,  Flyleaf ,  Puddle of Mudd , and that kind of music. Then there was Charlotte’s  106.5 “The End ,” an Alternative rock station. While playing much of the same music, they also featured some newer groups, such as  Silversun Pickups ,  Thirty Seconds to Mars , and the occasional  The Almost  or  Saosin  song. The Starting Line was one of those emerging bands that was starting to be picked up on radio. The first single, “ Island ,” from the band’s third and final (latest) LP,  Direction ,  was a kind of break out for the band to mainstream alternative rock. The band had toured on their two previous albums and built up a fan base thanks to venues like the  Vans Warped Tour , but some band members grew tired o

Tooth & Nail Records became a front-runner in the race for general-market-ready Christian Rock. Feeding bands like  Anberlin , Mae , and The Almost  to major labels and supporting Underoath as they shaped the world of metalcore, the label defined a generation of Christian music. No longer were rock festivals giving Christian Rock the stink eye. But as the label’s marketing expanded to the general market, some complained that the message of the bands had been watered down. The name of Jesus rarely appeared in lyrics printed in the Ryan Clark-illustrated flyleaf in the crystal jewel case. That’s where Flicker Records and ForeFront Records came in, offering bands with distinctly Christian lyrics. That's where we meet ForeFront Records' This Beautiful Republic. DOUBT HAS NEVER PROVEN ANYTHING. This Beautiful Republic formed in 2004 when alumni of Toledo Christian Schools in Toledo, Ohio joined California drummer Cameron Toews. After the band’s lead singer left the band, energ

I made two mixtapes for winter for Spotify. Now I’m going to make an Apple Music winter playlist. I tend to add songs to my Apple Music playlists more than Spotify, so this playlist is more of an ongoing project.  The emphasis is more on the beginning of the year, but anything wintry will suffice. I hope that these tracks keep you feeling warm for the harshest weather. These days it’s easy to give up on the New Year’s Resolutions we made for ourselves. But Spring is just around the corner. We just need a little boost to get through.  Check out the playlist on Apple Music.

  When Aaron Gillespie announced his solo project would be the band The Almost , it began with the Underoath drummer recording demos and uploading them to MySpace under the moniker The Almost. In 2006, while recording Define the Great Line , Gillespie started writing the album Southern Weather , which he would then take to Aaron Sprinkle and record in ten days, releasing the album in 2007. Gillespie played most of the instruments on the album. Before the release of Southern Weather, Gillespie formed a band to tour and promote the album, including Dusty Redmon and  Jay Vilardi   on guitars, Alex Aponte   on bass, and Kenny Bozisch on drums. I GET IT, I NEED TO FALL. The Almost’s Southern Weather was a successful record released on both Tooth & Nail and Virgin Records. The lead single, “ Say This Sooner ” peaked at number 7 on the Alternative Airplay chart. The band’s second album, Monster Monster , was also jointly released through Tooth & Nail and Virgin Records.  Gillespi

" Free Fallin' " is certainly synonymous with Tom Petty , but t oday, we'll look at a few versions of the song, but due to the Christian Rock theme of the last few days, ultimately I chose  The Almost 's  version  to be the official version for my blog. As pointed out in an excellent video by  12Tone  (see below), there is a lot of meaning packed in the musical theory of the song, ultimately illustrating that there are pros and cons to being  free.  ALL THE VAMPIRES  WALKIN' DOWN THE VALLEY MOVE WEST DOWN VENTURA BOULEVARD.   Tom Petty  released his first solo record  Full Moon Fever   in 1989. The first song recorded for the record and first track on the record is "Free Fallin'." The song is one of Petty's biggest and most recognizable tracks. It was also his last top 10 hit on the  Billboard Hot 100 . The simple ballad is partly a breakup song and partly a love song for his then home of Los Angelos. The Gainesville, Florida, native always k

Paramore 's second album  Riot!   made the pop-punk emo band of late millennials famous with the summer Alternative Rock and pop radio hit " Misery Business ," which is still arguably the band's signature hit. Usually, though, a band's signature hit is either their highest charting song or their located within the era of the band's commercial peak. However, seven years after the summer of "Misery Business," Paramore charted the highest with their 2014 final single from their eponymous record, " Ain't It Fun ." This shift from emo to more conventional pop was in line with fellow bands  Fall Out Boy  and  Panic! at the Disco  did as well. Just as the scene kids were growing up as every generation of rebellious rock 'n' roll had, "Ain't It Fun" is a song about growing up and realizing that the world isn't as easy as you once thought it was. It may not be punk-rock, but it's certainly still got some emo sentime

" Free Fallin' " is certainly bigger than any artist who has sung the three-chorded song. Today, we'll look at a few versions of the song, but due to the Christian Rock theme of the last few days, ultimately I chose The Almost 's version to be the official version for my blog. As pointed out in an excellent video by 12Tone (see below), there is a lot of meaning packed in the musical theory of the song, ultimately illustrating that there are pros and cons to being free.  ALL THE VAMPIRES  WALKIN' DOWN THE VALLEY MOVE WEST DOWN VENTURA BOULEVARD.  Tom Petty released his first solo record Full Moon Fever in 1989. The first song recorded for the record and first track on the record is "Free Fallin'." The song is one of Petty's biggest and most recognizable tracks. It was also his last top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 . The simple ballad is partly a breakup song and partly a love song for his then home of Los Angelos. The Gainesville, Flori

In 2016, Jake Miller released a style-changing EP titled Overnight . The south- Florida-based singer started his musical career while he was a student at the University of Miami , posting videos of his music online. Miller cut his teeth in Hip-Hop, opening for Snoop Dogg and releasing several Hip-Hop EPs and a full length record in 2013. Miller’s music always featured a tropical house melodic elements, but in 2016, Miller shifted more to singing, releasing Overnight without any rapping. The seven-track EP of feel-good electronic vibes, are brimming with youth, vitality, and sexuality.  YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO NOWHERE BABY.  With only two minor pop radio hits, 2014’s “ First Flight Home ” and 2019’s “ Wait for You ,”  Jake Miller certainly isn’t a household name.  But the late summer sounds of  Overnight  were refreshing in a year of turmoil. In an interview with Zach Sang , Miller discusses his change in sound and his new life in Los Angeles. While explaining his change in style, Miller

  I n Western North Carolina, we had two modern rock radio stations. From upstate South Carolina there was 93.3 “ The Planet,” an Active Rock radio station that played lots of ‘90s rock and neo-90s rock. They loved grunge and post-grunge. They played Nickelback , Seether , P.O.D. , Flyleaf , Puddle of Mudd , and that kind of music. Then there was Charlotte’s 106.5 “The End ,” an Alternative rock station. While playing much of the same music, they also featured some newer groups, such as Silversun Pickups , Thirty Seconds to Mars , and the occasional The Almost or Saosin song. The Starting Line was one of those emerging bands that was starting to be picked up on radio. The first single, “ Island ,” from the band’s third and final (latest) LP, Direction , was a kind of break out for the band to mainstream alternative rock. The band had toured on their two previous albums and built up a fan base thanks to venues like the Vans Warped Tour , but some band members grew tired of touring,