Artwork by Mateo Rocha

On September 27th, 2011, punk rock band, Blink 182, released its long awaited album Neighborhoods after a hiatus of over four years, leaving fans, and me, overjoyed with the new material.

Ever since I was six years old I have been listening to Blink, so hearing and watching the group evolve into more mature musicians has been an experience. I believe that one must appreciate the change and growth of the musicians in order to properly understand their music.

The album title, Neighborhoods, comes from the idea that each individual band member contributes different traits to Blink; each musician comes from different backgrounds and different Neighborhoods, if you will.

This album encompasses all of what DeLonge, Hoppus, and Barker bring to the table as musicians. Hoppus’ bass backbones every song with a low and enduring tremolo sounds. This gives each transition and chord change a lot more depth rather than if he was only following simple chord progressions of the guitar melody.

DeLonge adds a lot of flare with his melodic singing and poppy guitar riffs. The tunes he plays leave a melody ringing in my ears long after the song is over, and have left me whistling the songs throughout my day.

To put the icing on it all, no other drumbeats can match the intricate and fluid beats of Barker. On this album, Barker presents all of his skills through fast paced fillers in between measures, and in his explosive, almost industrial sounding beats. I believe all drummers who have made names for themselves in the musical world have a distinct playing style that cannot be equaled, and Barker does just that.

There is much musical and philosophical depth to the music encompassed in Neighborhoods. Musically speaking, Blink manages to weave in harmony through the raw clashing of beats paired with minor key to major key synchronization.

For example, typical radio rock tends to have a set chord progression for song verses and choruses, only following three to five chords repetitively. Blink strays from generic compilations of chords. A perfect example of this can be seen in their song Snake Charmer, jumping from interludes based off of major chord progression into verses that hold only minor chords, all topped off with synthesized sounds that add a unique effect of depth to the song.

Well-developed lyricism can be heard accompanying the musical compilations in the songs. Lyrics such as “I’m like a cat in a cage, locked up and battered and bruised. I am the prodigal son, a shameful prodigy too,” from the second song titled Natives, expresses a state of torment full of emotion. These kinds of lyrics are heard throughout the entire album, which paint pictures of lies, deceit, love, contradictions, and, like in their song Up All Night, inner demons that “keep me up all night.”

Well-developed lyrics had not been seen in any of Blink’s songs up until their self-titled album in 2005. Prior to that, Blink’s lyrics were straightforward declamations of teen angst and rebellion. In Neighborhoods, Blink continued to evolve on lyrical ideas that entail real emotions and life philosophy.

When I first got the album I took the time to sit down and really listen to the entire collection of songs. What stood out to me the most after the first round of listening to it was the strong melodic composition of the songs, all wrapped up with a powerful punk rock punch of a sound. Upon listening to the album a second and third time, I began to take note of the individual components added to create the songs: the different sound that a song has when Hoppus sings versus one that Delonge sings, and the infinite interpretations of the illustrious lyrics used in the compositions. The album took me through a journey that made my mind think up, down, happy, regretful, nostalgic, hopeful, and overall pleased.

For more information on Blink-182 you can visit their website, or you can buy Neighborhoods today at your local CD store or on iTunes.

Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Artwork by Ed Gloor

In an attempt to follow up the success that came with the release of the album, Real Talk, Man Overboard released its self-titled album on September 27, 2011, on its new label Rise Records.

The album doesn’t make any drastic changes to the endearing style of the band; in fact, the group doesn’t make any apparent changes at all. However, the way this album is constructed, musically, vocally, and the overall flow, makes this collection of music album-of-the-year worthy.

The vocals and musical stylings of the entire band mesh extremely well. There isn’t a single song that seems to offer more emotion from the vocals or any single instrument, making the album a more complete experience.

Some notable songs include Dead End Dreams, Picture Perfect, and Atlas. All these songs personify pop punk to me. They attack topics commonly talked about, but the band flat out says what it means. Instead of bogging down its songs with illusive metaphors, the band gets straight to the point; when they question what it means to be an adult, they outright question it. It is difficult to explain to someone who isn’t an avid listener to this genre of music, but for those who understand, I think many would agree that Man Overboard does this fantastically.

Dead End Dreams is a fantastic song, and for a teenage bleeding heart, it hits home. The lyrics, “I’m busy trying to save my world, and making plans to see a girl. I’ll do both if I can and figure out how old I am,” really strikes a familiar chord in my own life. Trying to maintain a normal life with the distraction of girls and attempting to balance the two isn’t always the easiest thing to do. This song is about just that. From my perspective, I could see a lot of teenagers similar to myself relating to the heartfelt lyrics.

What I enjoy most about the song Picture Perfect is the fact that it isn’t a love song that would normally be heard on the radio. I don’t even think I could consider it a love song at all; but instead a song about struggling to make a relationship work. “And that’s when they fell in love, not at first, but when push really came to shove. And her picture perfect world couldn’t keep her happy. Her picture perfect world couldn’t keep her happy no more.” A lot of times people see love as people being happy and having good times with someone all the time. In this song, however, it shows that that isn’t enough; that struggle defines the parameters of the love people can feel for another.

The song Atlas reminds me of the scene from the movie Step Brothers, when Will Ferrel’s character is in therapy, asking what exactly makes an adult, an adult. Obviously this song isn’t comedic like Ferrel’s part, but both address the topic pretty well. “I stare out of my window and I look at my neighbors and take notes on being normal. How to wave and be nice or talk to a child or offer a hand or actually smile. Maybe I’ll learn how to talk to people, maybe I’ll learn how to laugh, maybe I’ll end up just like my dad. But I just don’t feel like a grown up yet.” In all honesty, I don’t really see what makes someone a grown up. Is it paying bills that makes someone grown up? Or does it come with age? This song’s idea isn’t something that is normally talked about, but I think it is a pretty interesting concept.

This album is beautiful. I don’t regret giving The Wonder Years five stars on its recent album, but I feel that this album is on a different level. The Wonder Years earned the five stars that I gave it, the album was spectacular. If I could though, I would give Man Overboard and its self-titled album six stars, but five stars will have to suffice. This is an album worth checking out, no matter what genre of music you enjoy.

★★★★★

Artwork by Ed Gloor

On June 14th realist pop punk band The Wonder Years released their third studio album, Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing.

I saw the band for the first time live this summer on Vans Warped Tour, and the experience was one that I won’t soon forget. But seeing them once just isn’t enough for me. Turning to their recorded music is a great way to keep the memory alive, and the new album cements the love I have for their music.

The album has a bit of a story, which is overlaid by the album titled tracks, Suburbia, I’ve Given You All, and And Now I’m Nothing. The tracks in between are a bit like back stories, or interludes to help fill in the story between each title track. After research I found out that the story is about the lead singer Dan “Soupy” Campbell’s life, but determining exactly what parts and what his intended meaning through the album isn’t something that I can say for sure.

The Wonder Years is called “Realist” Pop Punk because of their ability to capture emotion in their songs without anything hidden or faked. They don’t disappoint on this album in this aspect; as a matter of fact, there isn’t anything wrong with this album. Yes, I am a big fan, and readers will have to take what I say with a grain of salt, but this album as a whole captures me every time, with its stories and its meaningful lyrics.

Some songs I really enjoyed on this album are Came Out Swinging and Don’t Let Me Cave In. The structure and composition of these songs are fantastic, and the build-ups all catch the listener at the perfect moment. Both songs tell very relatable, but different stories, one about reflecting on a year, and the other on the repetitive life of the lead singer.

In Came Out Swinging, the opening track to the album, the band makes a great transition from The Upsides, the album that broke them into the Pop Punk scene on a larger scale. If you didn’t know the difference between the two albums, it would be hard to tell that they were two separate bodies of work. The song itself is about growing and reflecting on the past year. “I came out swingin’ from a South Philly basement caked in stale beer and sweat, under half lit fluorescents. And I spent the winter writing songs about getting better, and if I’m being honest, I’m getting there.” In this emotion packed outro to the song, Dan “Soupy” Campbell slowly builds the urgency and passion in his voice, giving the song a feel similar to that of Melrose Diner from The Upsides.

Don’t Let Me Cave In is a song about finding support in friends, instead of finding it within yourself, like in Came Out Swinging. The song itself reflects on the daily life of “Soupy” and the repetitiveness of his life. He finds respite in his routines and in his friends. “You drove me all the way up here, ‘cause you could tell that I was a mess. I wasn’t gonna make it to dinner, and I shouldn’t be callin’ again. You drove me all the way up here and asked if we could stay in bed. ‘Cause you’ve got work early tomorrow and I’ve got a plane to catch. You drove me all the way back.”

Some other notable tracks are Hoodie Weather, Local Man Ruins Everything, and My Life As Rob Gordon. I enjoyed this album immensely and I think any fan of Pop Punk would agree. This is also an excellent album to introduce curious listeners into the genre, because all the songs are relatable. Be sure to check out the album for a great musical experience, and a hunger for more of the same.

★★★★★

Artwork by Mateo Rocha

With the latest album release, Up From Below (2010), Alexander Ebert and his gypsy-traveling friends have introduced yet another interesting and one-of-a-kind musical group, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Edward Sharpe meant much more to Alex than just another musical escapade; there was a spiritual and personal tie with his decision to form this band of feel-good musicians.

An ex-drug addict, Alex had almost hit a rock bottom with his old L.A. party-band, Ima Robot. As quoted from the LA times, “I used to say my primary motivation was getting things done before I die. I was getting a lot of things done, but I was a mess,” Alex says. “I ended up on a lot of drugs; I basically lost myself. The last two years we were on the major label, I became an automaton — I became a robot,” said Alex.

Leaving Ima Robot and breaking up with his girlfriend was a small step for recovery in Alex’s life. Along with taking small steps into sobriety, Alex had created an alter ego named Edward Sharpe to help give him a new identity where his slate was clean. This was the birth of what is now an 11-member band, full of harmonic chanting mixed in with indie-folk sounds, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Up From Below invokes a kind of spiritual feel when listening to the melodic lyricism of Alex and the simplistic beats performed by the other ten members in each and every song. With a message, such as the one in the song Up From Below, Edward Sharpe says that he’s sinned, lost, and abused his life, but now he will come “up from below.” He paints the feeling vividly with colorful language such as, “I’m riding on hell’s hot flames… after all the blood I’ve spilled, only trying to get killed.” The sound of the trumpet in the background mixed in with the steady piano make the overall song feel hopeful, despite the melancholic lyrics.

Most of the songs on the album have a feel-good vibe to them; thus the state of the feel-good musicians for the members of Edward Sharpe. All of the messages revolve around a central philosophy of love. The words are tied in with constant changing vocal pitches and a steady, folksy sound of the rhythmic instruments. There are over ten instruments used in the making of the songs, which include but are not limited to acoustic guitars, pianos, violins, flutes, trumpets, chimes, electric basses, snare drums, marimbas, cellos, and multiple vocals from all ranges in pitch.

There is a faint resemblance of revival music in the musical masterpiece that is Edward Sharpe, but the main characteristic that makes up this musical group is the resourcefulness of its sounds. There are never too many or too few beats hit in a song. There is no congestion of sound with Edward Sharpe, where other bands tend to clog their songs with as many crazy sounds as they can fit into one measure. The songs are planned out beautifully to where there is a steady build-up to a chorus or interlude, but also carry a steady rhythm that can catch anyone’s attention. Whistling, clapping, chanting, and clicking can be heard on all of their songs, which to me make for – like in their song 40-Day Dream – a “magical mystery kind.”

For more information on Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, you can check them out on their Myspace page (Myspace.com/edwardsharpe), or buy their full-length album on iTunes.

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Artwork courtesy of Yellowcard's CD Cover

Released in early 2011, Yellowcard’s latest album, When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes, is already receiving overwhelming praise from critics and fans.

Yellowcard is a pop punk band based in Jacksonville, Florida. Their music heavily features a violin, and their songs are primarily about love and heartbreak. When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes is their fourth album and they’ve been together since 1997, though they took a hiatus from 2008 to 2010.

The album starts out with one long, low, heavy note creating tension and anticipation in the listener. The note is followed by fast-paced guitar and bass that could make anyone’s heart race. The song, called The Sound of You and Me, continues at that quick tempo as Ryan Key’s slightly nasal voice comes in with the first lyrics, “Are you there putting all the words together?” After about two minutes, the song slows down and becomes a ballad, though still backed by a steady hi-hat which builds up to an instrumental conclusion.

With You Around is another upbeat song about a girl the speaker has been waiting for all of his life. He talks about all the fun times they’ve had and how afraid she is he’s going to leave her. At a slow point in the song, he sings, “You’re like a slow song waiting to accelerate,” and then the song accelerates to match. It’s a clever lyric and a great song.

Hang You Up is the first really slow song on the album with pulsing, rhythmic drums to stir emotion. It is full of poetic lyrics such as, “My hands are tired of only waiting to let go, and I am waiting still.” It’s a song about waiting for a love that never panned out. He sings of still missing the girl but having to let go. Key’s voice truly shines throughout, powerful and precise. He conveys the poignant emotions perfectly without compromising his vocal talent.

Life of Leaving Home begins with Key’s vocals backed only by a guitar; a personal weakness of mine. The rest of the instrumentals pick up and the vocals continue in the same fashion, building up to a brief instrumental break followed by the chorus. The song is both powerful and relaxed at the same time because of the clash created by the up-tempo, drum-heavy instrumentals and the smooth vocals and intimate lyrics. “Think of me when the stars come out tonight, take a look at the sky,” sings Key, his voice practically dripping with longing. The song is about leaving behind his home and the girl he loves, and the lyrics are so sincere it’s heartbreaking.

Soundtrack is the second slow song on the album and another to use musical terms to refer to a girl, which is still very witty. Key sings, “Save me from myself and be the soundtrack to these stories that I tell,” saying that the album is the soundtrack, or the girl. The intense, aggressive guitar and bass are balanced out by the dulcet violin and Key’s sentimental vocals. The song is about needing to be saved and trying to survive. He asks the girl to be the one to help him survive and to save him from himself. “If I lose my confidence, I’ll borrow yours.”

The songs have a very similar feel to Yellowcard’s previous albums, but their musical growth is undeniable. The band is relying less on melodic violin to make their music stand out, but putting more emphasis on poetic lyrics. Key’s voice has matured yet still blends wonderfully with the backing instruments. The album still has an even mix of mellow and upbeat songs, but the upbeat ones have a happier feel and the slower ones have a heavier drum line, both of which are undeniably good things.

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Photo courtesy of en.metalship.org

As soon as I read on the Internet that Protest the Hero would be in town on April 16th, 2011 in the Marquis theatre, I immediately bought the tickets for $13 because I wanted to see if Protest could play live, the crazy music they create on their albums.

I park downtown and wonder how my night will be. There are three bands playing: Tesseract, Maylene & The Sons of Disaster, and Protest The Hero. I have never heard of Tesseract, a British Progressive Metal band, and I wonder how they are going to sound. I know previous Underoath singer Dallas Taylor created Maylene & The Sons of Disaster, and read before the show that he loves to interact with crowds. Protest The Hero is my favorite band, and I know they will provide a wondrous live performance; I am desperate to find out what songs they will be playing.

I walk into the Marquis Theatre and choose a spot behind a couple of people and stand. The people in front of me are on stools behind railings, and are friendly. I ask who is performing next , and they tell me it is Tesseract, an underground British Progressive Metal band that has a different sound that takes time getting used to. They start playing and I hear the vocalist singing in this beautiful falsetto while some deep heavy guitars are laying out chords behind him. This is seriously heavy. The guitars are seven strings (a normal guitar is six strings, and a seventh string adds a low B string), which allow for dark and gloomy riffs to be played, adding a new depth to metal. Their music includes epic breakdowns, to which I find myself head banging and rocking out. Their solos are slow, adding more feeling and bends into every note. They all look like traditional metalheads with long hair, except the lead singer, who has short hair and looks more like a guy from a pop-punk band. Looks are deceiving, as they rock the small crowd out of their socks.

I talk with the guys in front of me and ask who is next. They tell me Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, which is a dirty sounding southern metal band. When the band comes on, I understand what he meant. Their riffs are slower, and very gritty. It sounds like Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Kurt Cobain with kerosene poured into their guts. A guy next to me says, “I feel as if I should be wearing a confederate flag, these guys are dirty.” Slide guitar – a typically country driven style – is being used in conjunction with heavy distortion, which just makes it sound even grimier. They look southern as well, with one of their guitarists having long curly-blonde hair with gold framed and lensed aviators, looking like he just came out of the swamp.

I am in awe of the band at once, especially front man Dallas Taylor, who immediately takes control of the stage. He makes the entire theatre his own, jumping from drum set to speaker while biting the microphone cord and screaming his lungs out. He interacts with the crowd the entire time, whether giving the microphone to a fan to sing so he can take a break, or a specific crowd-pleasing act that includes expectoration. The amount of energy this guy exudes on stage adds to the experience of watching them live. If it weren’t Protest The Hero next, I would say they should have been the headliner for the performance.

The band I have been waiting for finally comes on, playing C’est La Vie, from their newest album, Scurrilous. From here on, I feel such an emotional joy from seeing them play some of my favorite songs. Every note is hit perfectly, with explosive speeds and heaviness that sends people into major head banging. It is amazing to see the intricate music they play live, right in front of me. Every aspect of their time signatures is played to perfection, and they never hiccup or make a mistake. They enjoy themselves as well, making faces at the crowd or doing what guitarist Luke Hoskin loves to do, checking the time on his fake watch in between a quick no-instrument section in Limb From Limb.

The set list is perfect, with only one disappointing factor in it: they don’t play Hair-Trigger, a song I have come to love from their newest album. That is a song I would like to see. They play classic songs that put them on the mainstream side of music, as well as old songs that many fans have grown to love. Four songs are from their new album, Scurrilous, five from their second album, Fortress, and three from their first album, Kezia. All together I get an amazing set list that has the crowd jumping and singing with excitement.

The real reason I came to see Protest The Hero is to see Rody Walker and his amazing operatic voice, which he shows off with such ease during the concert. He hits every high and low note, and absolutely demolishes the screams by making them even more grittier and harsher. Many times he lets the crowd sing the songs, and then would provide comments on how well we sing. If he ever wants to find a new job, he could find one as a comedian. He cracks jokes that sound very professional and well-rehearsed, as if he actually was a comedian. This addition to their set list is perfect for those awkward moments in between songs.
Overall, this concert is a blast. Never before have I gone to a show that has three amazing bands, each sounding better live than they do on their albums, even though they are of different genres. All of their sounds and music mixes perfectly, adding energy, heaviness, and harmonious melodies to this wonderful experience.

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Photo by Hanna Kazlouskaya, artwork by Haden Johnson

Video killed the radio star; we know that.  And now the Internet sensation is consuming traditional video methods in a violent tornado of downloads and web orders.

Many of us recall a time when our parents would tell us stories of archaic record players, 8-track cassettes, and landline phone calls.  They would reminisce while recalling how amazing the changes that have taken place in their world have been.  There was a time where none of us could imagine how technology and the times could even advance; DVD’s, Blu-Rays, bookstore chains… it couldn’t get any more advanced than that, right? The brave new world we live in is changing whether we’re ready for it or not.

I recall a time when, if I wanted to watch a DVD or play a new game, I would take a trip to the neighborhood Blockbuster video store previously located on Hampden and Tamarac at Tamarac Square’s mini mall.  This trip had its pros and cons, but was more often than not worthwhile because of the experience and satisfaction experienced when getting your hands on a Friday night movie.  Blockbuster’s immense library of new and old releases available at retail price and at the rental price of 10 to 13 dollars, as well as hefty late fees and some overpriced releases gave customers something to complain about, giving leeway for the takeover of Netflix.

Through the faults of Blockbuster, Netflix was able to satisfy people looking for a cheaper alternative.  The sensation took the population by storm, quickly gaining revenue through the membership deals offered to users.  This service is entirely electronic and can also be ordered by mail; yet another reason to keep home video owners satisfied.  The fact that people didn’t even have to leave their houses to find something good to watch was appealing to the masses.  On Demand, Red Box, and other quick pay-per-view options have been popping up on the scene replacing the stores of which we once made use.  The digital age is upon us and making quick work of the archaic methods we used to use to rent movies.

Despite all the advantages Netflix has, there are still many gripes users have with the Internet streaming phenomenon.  Technology, being the flawed and calculated system it is, has its share of problems that often make it more frustrating than going to the video store.  There have been a few instances with glitching and freezing for network users, and occasional crashes, that prevent thousands from watching their digital media. There are some things for which the digital age just won’t be able to compensate.

Still, Netflix has led the charge for several new methods of digital entertainment; E-books are in the process of replacing Borders bookstores, iTunes has been dominating over the record store industry.  These alternatives are all optional but with the majority of people falling in line under the throne of electronics, it seems that it won’t be long before people won’t have a choice and we’ll see a large-scale conversion from real material possessions to less tactile digital archives.

Artwork by Ed Gloor

Scurrilous, the new album by Canadian five-piece Protest The Hero has hit the shelves and the album boasts a fantastic progression for the band, which leads me to proclaim it a great success.

The music is epic. Throughout every song there is an underlying jazz groove that is very easy to listen to. This jazz is backed by ear-shattering metal with enough energy to overcome a bear’s ears. Every song has melodic instrumental breakdowns with lightning quick guitar riffs that sound psychedelic and jazzy, making full use of pentatonic scales. Every instrument is played in controlled and precise measures, even though the band switches time signatures with ease. It is not odd to hear a disruption in the beats per measure because the band enjoys changing the time signature.

I was interested to hear if Luke Hoskin, the lead guitarist, could pull out anymore-creative leads and taps, and as soon as Tongue Splitter blasted through my headphones, I was in awe. The guitars get a rating of awesome for their fast-paced, creative, and perfectly strummed licks and riffs. Luke and Tim even calm down on the distorted guitars to slower paced blues solo’s during  C’est la Vie and Dunsel. They never seem to let up, and when they do, it builds up to a perfectly timed explosion of epic paced 6-stringers.

Arif, the bass player, can actually be heard in this album. His funky bass-lines have a bunch of different styles incorporated into them, including slapping and popping.

Moe Carlson brings great energy into the songs with his technical playing ability on the drums. He pounds the skins with such force and builds up breakdowns with ease. The entire band is playing like a tightly knit orchestra, everything is in sync and nothing is out-of-place. The songs flow like a classical composition, with intricate harmonies and chord progressions in which the lead singer, Rody Walker, can belt out his phrases with ease.

Rody Walker stepped up to the plate on the lyrics for this album, and for this being his first time he did an exceptional job. His lyrics contain more about the everyday struggles of life, including suicide, cancer, and love. He did manage to bring out the unique historical writings as previous albums have had, which keeps the same Protest The Hero vibe to the album.

The last song, Sex Tapes, speaks bout the controversies of women as secretaries in the business world. Rody’s voice has matured greatly, and he has full control over every note he belts. He has reduced the amount of screaming on the album to a bare minimum, which really shows his vocal perfections.

Making a return on Hair-Trigger is Jadea Kelly, whose soft melodic voice is the perfect opposite to Rody’s harsh vocals, which can be heard as they switch off singing  “Cold, cold, cold.” Jadea Kelly was on the first album, Kezia, and finally made her return, which was much-needed.

Overall, Scurrilous is the best progress the band has made, ever. They combine melodies, emotions, energy, and everyday life perfectly into one electric album. One thing I miss is the piano interludes that would accompany some songs in the past. These piano interludes were long arpeggiated scales that would bring a perfect end to a movement or song. I can live without them on this album, because they provided a lot more in the ear-shattering riffs and scales in the music. Every song takes the listeners on a ride that will surely result in them being blown away.

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Photo by Ed Gloor

The music industry today is changing drastically, with the advances of technology pushing more and more artists to release songs or albums via the Internet.

Within the browsers of any Internet provider a person may find websites that allow the illegal downloading of songs, or the ability to buy an entire album online. The online albums are much cheaper than any record found in a music store. It is also easier to click a button to get an album rather than drive to the nearest store with the chance they do not even carry the specific music. The good thing about the Internet is that it is always reliable; I have always been able to find the artist, song, or whatever I have wanted from somewhere along the intraweb.

A new addition to the Internet is the big hit website, Pandora, which is an online radio as well as a music recommendation station. Pandora started in 2007 in San Francisco California, and has since been named as one of the top companies out of the San Francisco Bay area.

Here is how Pandora works: the music is streamed online and plays out of speakers from a computer or laptop. While listening to a specific song or artist, Pandora will automatically choose a song or artist that is similar to the present one playing. An example of this is when I am listening to a song by The Cure, Pandora intelligently mixes in bands that include Tears For Fears and Soft Cell. In fact, listeners can click on a button that will give details into how the current song or band is playing is similar to the playlist. All three of these bands can be linked by the years in which they came into the music scene, as well as the type of music each plays.

Pandora is an easy way to listen to music, and it’s also free. One must simply register, which is free, and can then begin a journey into a mix of music all can enjoy. After signing up, Pandora will ask the listener to type in an artist or song, in which it may or may not begin to play. The song or artist chosen will be turned into a “station,” like a radio, that will play songs that are similar to whatever was chosen. If the song chosen is a good song, the user can give a thumbs up, meaning it could be played again in the future. A thumbs down on a song will skip to the next song and make sure that that song is never played in the playlist again. A user is only allowed 12 skips in a 24-hour time-frame unless the program is upgraded to “pro,” which can have unlimited skips. It must be taken into consideration that in order to get songs of another genre to play, one must start a new station. It is quite obvious that a Led Zeppelin song will not play after a Lady GaGa song, unless the user does a quickmix of all the stations, or expands the station. An expansion of a certain station will allow multiple genres to be played in one. If I were to expand my folk station to include metal music, then metal and folk will be in the same station. A quickmix takes all of the stations a user may have and mixes them together.

Pandora is an easy way to enjoy music, as well as being cost-effective.

Pandora is a great way for me to listen to music. I only have four stations, because creating a station for metal does not bring up songs or bands that I specifically enjoy, and I usually get angry at skipping songs, and delete the station. Thus I have Elliott Smith, Right Away Great Captain!, Alexi Murdoch, and The Cure radio stations, and I can enjoy most of all music from these specific genres. I quickmix the stations because I love all of these bands and genres they fit into. I rarely ever have to thumbs down a song, and my musical horizon gets broadened as I find new artists to listen to.

There are pros and cons to choosing Pandora over another music playing device. The great thing about listening to Pandora is the fact that it will broaden the spectrum of music a person listens to. The user can get an instant biography of the band that is playing currently, which allows for an in-depth look at music and understanding of why the listener may like the song. The user can also buy the song that is playing at the touch of a button. The cons of Pandora are hard to come by, but the fact that the user has no control over what song will come next turns some people off. In an iTunes playlist, one can choose which songs go after each other based on what the user thinks is best. Not having control over the playlist is bothersome. The user also does not have a list of songs that have recently played. If I heard a song two days ago on the specific station but cannot remember the name, there is no way to look and find what song it was.

In the end, Pandora’s constant streaming music is a wonderful tool for music lovers. Unlike Pandora’s box from greek mythology, opening Pandora on a web browser will not unleash the evils of the universe into the world.

Artwork by Ed Gloor

Despite being another cookie cutter Rise Against production, the album Endgame, which was released on March 15, 2011, will be a success among their loyal fans.

This 13 song punk album is good, and has deep and meaningful lyrics, and a powerful sound; typical Rise Against material. The music or meaning hasn’t changed much from their previous album, Appeal to Reason, which could be a drawback for some fans. I don’t like the fact that the band hasn’t changed its sound much throughout the years. I do appreciate the fact that Rise Against has its own distinct sound, and that this sound is what made the band who it is, but if the group changed it up every once and awhile, we would have a much more interesting band, and potentially it would be able to expand its fan base.

Despite making few changes, the band has still put out a fantastic album, with such songs as Architects, that questions the original punk rockers, asking if they still hold the same beliefs that they once did; Satellite, a song about fully experiencing life; and Survivor Guilt, a warning of forthcoming doom. This is not to say that all the songs aren’t good; they all impress. This is the kind of album that doesn’t lose momentum towards the end. Much to my surprise, End Game does not have any acoustic, or sobering songs, like they have had on previous albums, such as Hero Of War. This seems to work for this album, though; a slower song would cause the collections to lose its spark. The songs are all filled with deep meanings that can be applied to life and politics which, seeing as how the band is very political, is probably their intention.

Rise Against is a very political band, and openly expresses its political beliefs in its music. In the song Survivor Guilt, there is a conversation between an American and a person from a foreign country. They discuss the fact that America can be destroyed, just like every other super power before them, and the American disagrees. The band seems to be challenging the way of thinking of its fellow Americans, making the listeners realize that they are not invincible.
The group is also a part of Punkvoter, a political activist group. They also appeared on the music compilation, Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1. “Few things are more exciting than watching Bush finally release America as his eight year hostage,” said lead singer Tim Mcllrath.

Overall, I give this album a four stars. The message is strong, the music is fantastic, but I would like to see an update to the typical Rise Against sound.

★★★★☆