Posts

“Spotlight” by MUTEMATH, Thursday, October 31, 2024

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In 2007, it seemed like Mutemath would become a big Alternative Rock band with their breakthrough single “ Typical .” With former members of the Christian Rock band Earthsuit , Mutemath had taken technical, jazz-influenced electronic music to late-night TV, on tour with The Fray and Matchbox Twenty , and to Alternative radio. The band’s self-titled album didn’t spawn any other charting singles, but their next move seemed like it would make them bigger. In 2008, Mutemath released “ Spotlight ” on the Twilight soundtrack . The song was even featured in the film in the scene when Edward Cullen ( Robert Pattinson ) and Bella Swan ( Kristen Stewart ) are first seen together as a couple. The soundtrack boasted a strong collection of Alternative Rock songs by Muse , Linkin Park, and Paramore--overshadowing Mutemath’s contribution. Furthermore, inclusion in the soundtrack wasn’t particularly helpful as the vampire novel series and its film adaptations were polarizing with some young viewe

“Hourglass” by A Perfect Circle, Wednesday, October 30, 2024

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The cover of A Perfect Circle ’s fourth album, Eat the Elephant, is the most macabre of the band’s albums. The supergroup had a career of creepy, conceptual work. The band’s 2018 album came after a lengthy hiatus after recording three albums between 2000 and 2004. The band formed when Billy Howerdel , the guitar tech for Nine Inch Nails , and eventually Tool , showed the lead singer of Tool some demos that Howerdel had been working on. Maynard James Keenan , Tool’s frontman, encouraged Howerdel to pursue the new musical project. Eventually, Keenan became the band’s lead singer after several other singers could not commit to the project. Tool went on hiatus and A Perfect Circle recorded their first album Mer De Noms . Every member of A Perfect Circle was also a member of other rock bands besides Howerdel. This would cause conflict throughout the band’s career, causing many replacements and breaks during Keenan's duties with his main band. DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE SOUND AS THE GRAINS

“Fiction” by Kids in the Way, Tuesday, October 29, 2024

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In 2005, when Kids in the Way released their sophomore album, Apparitions of Melody , the band challenged their listeners to a new sound. The band’s first album Safe from the Losing Fight was full of serious emotional punk rock songs. The first one on the album, “ We Are ,” was a kind of introduction to the band. What was probably meant to be a comment on parenting in America as boomer parents in the 80s and 90s sometimes viewed their children as an obligation to work around busy work schedules and personal lives, ultimately made the band sound immature. If the first album was about childhood, the second album was certainly an angsty teenage one. The album’s first single, the title track, was accompanied by a stormy music video in which they wore all black and performed in a CGI tornado.  THESE DEAD LETTERS WON’T SURVIVE. Kids in the Way’s stylistic change was toward the gothic and emo. Singer Dave Pelsue incorporated more screaming in the verses of the songs on Apparitions of Melod

“Feed the Machine” by Red, Monday, October 28, 2024

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When Red 's producer Rob Graves posted on Twitter a picture of a note on Red's guitars tuned to "A#, A, and G," some fans thought that the band's third album would be heavy. The band experimented with recording on the road during their whirlwind touring schedule from their second album Innocence & Instinct , arranging hotel mattresses to create a makeshift studio. For their third album, the band brought a portable case that unfolded into a mini recording studio. When waiting for a show to start at the venue, the band could flesh out ideas, many of which came from their former guitarist Jasen Rauch , who had stopped touring with the band to take a job closer to his family. Rauch remained a member of Red until he joined Breaking Benjamin in 2014. Rauch contributed guitar parts which the rest of the band built songs around for their  February 2011 album Until We Have Faces . YOU MUSTN'T DISAPPOINT THEM. Red’s third album takes its name from the 1956 C. S. L

“To Die For” by Sam Smith, Sunday, October 27, 2024

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A month before releasing The Thrill of It All   in October 2017, Sam Smith began dating actor Brandon Flynn . Smith’s sophomore album dug into the singer’s misfortune with love and religion in a record full of soulful, almost Gospel-inspired songs. But in June 2018, Smith and Flynn seemed happy as an Instagram-official couple. Smith told V Magazine , “I’m in a relationship for the first time; I think I deserve to be happy.” But by June, the relationship had ended. Following Sam Smith’s break up, the singer began releasing singles, which were intended for a new album. First was a collaboration with Calvin Harris called “ Promises ” and a song, “ Fire on Fire ,” for the Netflix original animated limited series Watership Down based on the novel of the same name. Then Smith changed musical directions leaning into a much more pop-oriented style.  AS I WANDER DOWN THE AVENUE.  Sam Smith began full pre-album promotion in 2019 starting in January. “ Dancing with a Stranger ” was a fresh s

“Facepaint” by Family of the Year, Saturday, October 26, 2024

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In 2012, Family of the Year released their second album, Loma Vista . This album was noticed by several publications, from Entertainment Weekly to Billboard , and the band performed its second single, “ Hero, ” on several late-night shows. They played many festivals and began building their name among other ‘10s indie and alternative acts like GROUPLOVE and WALK THE MOON . In 2014, the song was featured in a pivotal scene toward the end of Richard Linklate r’s film Boyhood .  In 2015, the band released their self-titled album which was not as commercially successful as their second album Loma Vista. The band released a fourth album, Hello Sunshine, Goodbye Nighttime , in 2018 before going on hiatus “Due to personal circumstances beyond [their] control.” In 2021, the band released a single and have since released several singles both solo and collaboratively since then. Time will tell if we will have more music from Family of the Year.  FEATHERS AND FACEPAINT IS ALL THAT SHE WE