Songs of the Week: September 4-10

Hi! I apologize for taking last week off...I was out of town for a chunk of it. But I'm back, and with awesome tunes for your listening pleasure.


Alkaline Trio: This Could Be Love (Damnesia re-recording) -- Back in July, Alkaline Trio released the album Damnesia, which consists of acoustic and semi-unplugged versions of some of their greatest hits. Well, imagine my excitement when I discovered they did a re-recording of "This Could Be Love," one of my faaaaavorite Trio songs. And, my goodness, it Blew. My. Mind. "This Could Be Love" is kind of a twisted song (listen to/look up the lyrics and you'll see what I mean), and the Damnesia version totally takes on a more sinister, desperate vibe that fits absolutely perfectly. The original recording of the song has a somewhat manic air to it, which is also great, but I really dig the darker tone Alkaline Trio gave it on Damnesia. Gives me chills!

Cobra Starship: You Make Me Feel -- This song was the first single released from Cobra Starship's most recent album, Night Shades. I have lukewarm feelings toward the album as a whole (which will be addressed in a separate post), but I love this particular song. "You Make Me Feel" is typical Cobra Starship--very dancey, synthy, and catchy, with Gabe Saporta's stellar vocals shining through. It has a slight hip-hop vibe to it, which is cool, and the female vocals by Sabi add a nice dimension to the song. As for the video...how freaking cute is Gabe? I swoon.

Avril Lavigne: Smile -- I'm just going to assume you're judging me for the fact that Avril Lavigne is on this list. Let's just acknowledge that and move on, ok? Righty-o. So, here's why I like this song (aside from the fact that it's catchy and has sweet lyrics). Avril's first hit, "Complicated," was my self-proclaimed theme song in 8th grade. Sort of set the standard for my longtime reign as the emo one in my group of friends. Well, a decade later, someone has come into my life who makes me smile more than I thought was possible (seriously, I'm pretty sure if things keep up I'm going to have to relinquish my title as the emo kid). The chorus in this song is very fitting to the situation: "And that's why I smile. It's been a while since every day and everything has felt this right, and now you turn it all around, and suddenly you're all I need--the reason why I smile." It's also kind of cool to have come full-circle with an artist's music. So...yeah.

Matt & Kim: Daylight -- I had heard a lot about Matt & Kim and had listened to a few songs, but for some reason never gave them a very serious listen. Well, the other night they opened for Blink 182's Minneapolis/St. Paul show (review coming soon!) and I was so impressed. Super fun, high energy, interacted with the crowd, and great musically. Across the board, awesome performance. I've been listening to them somewhat incessantly since. And! Discovered while seeing them live that Matt is really cute*. Bonus!

*Sidenote: I am in no way whatsoever one of those people who will listen to a band solely because I think a member of the band is attractive. In fact, I make a very conscious point not to look for pictures or watch videos of the band until after I've listened to them so I don't have that sort of bias in my head.

Adele: Rolling in the Deep -- Vocally, Adele is pretty much the embodiment of perfection. I'm fairly certain the girl couldn't hit a sour note if she tried, and the power with which she delivers her music is earth shattering. As far as female artists go, Adele is what the music industry needs to try to get more of: someone who not only possesses pure talent (no autotune!!!), but who is all about marketing herself based on that talent and not off of gimmicks and raciness. Classic.

Enjoy the tunes, and be on the look out for several more posts coming in the next couple of weeks because I have lots of ideas tumbling around in my head that I want to share with you guys!

Songs of the Week: August 7-13

Songs of the week for the second week in a row! I'm on a roll! Woo!

We the Kings: Say You Like Me -- As mentioned last week, I recently saw We the Kings live. Absolutely amazing show. Consequently, I have continued listening to them obsessively. "Say You Like Me," from their new album Sunshine State of Mind, has been the track I've been playing most repetitively. It's sweet, it's upbeat, it's an all-around great song.

Forever the Sickest Kids: Tough Love -- Really, you can't go wrong with Forever the Sickest Kids. They're just kind of fantastic. They've got a bit more edge to them than a lot of pop-punk bands, and I dig that.

Every Avenue: Girl Like That -- Not going to lie, this song cracks me up. And I don't think it's intended to be a funny song. It's about being into a girl you don't think you can have, and not knowing what to do about it. Pretty typical fare, right? And then there's the chorus:

"I would make a move if there was a chance she'd let me in. I would make a move if I thought there was a chance she'd let me in. What can you do with a girl like that? Taking everything giving nothing back. Stuck between her legs when she sets her trap, what can you do with a girl like that? It's like a curse that's she's put on me, sweaty hands, shaking knees. Tell her that I want her to move too fast, that's what you do with a girl like that."

So basically, it's not even about liking this girl. It's just about wanting to sleep with her. The lack of subtlety it awesome.

Go Radio: Goodnight Moon -- In case you don't know, Go Radio is the band that Jason Lancaster, former vocalist, lyricist and guitarist of Mayday Parade, started after leaving MP. The vibe of Go Radio is very similar to Mayday Parade, except pushed to more extremes. The emo songs are emo-er, and Go Radio has an all-around heavier sound than Mayday Parade. I dig it. "Goodnight Moon" was the first Go Radio song I heard, and I love it. It's unbearably sappy, but so heartfelt that you can't help but enjoy it. Plus, I'm a sucker for any slow songs sung by Lancaster. The man legitimately has a great voice, and slow songs like "Goodnight Moon" really showcase the power and emotion his voice carries. Fantastique.

Dashboard Confessional: Stolen --Weird fact: I only listen to Dashboard Confessional in the summer. I might listen to a song or two at other times during the year, but for the most part, DC is summer music to me. No idea why. Consequently, I end up rediscovering different Dashboard songs every year, and this year I've found myself once again head over heels in love with "Stolen." I honestly think it's one of the most romantic songs ever. Really, who doesn't want to be told that they've stolen someone's heart?

Tune in for next week's songs!

The Audition: Great Danger

I would be lying if I said I don’t like the pop-punk genre. It may not be my favorite type of music to see live, but it’s definitely catchy, and there’s something to be said for that.
However, I do find pop-punk to be a fairly stagnant genre– there’s just not a lot of variation to it. Consequently, when I popped in The Audition’s new album Great Danger and was greeted with a song that starts out sounding like it could be by any of a handful of pop-punk artists, I was wary as to how the rest of the album would progress.

And, I’m happy to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

Great Danger is not just another generic pop-punk CD. It definitely has the characteristic catchiness of the genre, but it’s heavier than a lot of other pop-punk albums out there. There’s something about it that, while being a very fun album, has an edge and a somewhat mature feel to it.

Part of what sets this album apart from others of the genre is singer Danny Stevens’ voice. Stevens has a very strong voice, and a range to match. He sings with clarity and enunciation, and every word can be understood. Additionally, his voice maintains the power it has on the fast, upbeat songs, even when he’s singing slower, softer songs, such as “Run Away.” There’s confidence and control in Stevens’ singing, and it’s genuinely enjoyable listening to him.

From beginning (well, once you get past the first 20 seconds) to end, Great Danger is a great album. Occasionally CDs will be good for the most part, but have a song or two that just fall flat in comparison to the others. This isn’t the case with Great Danger. The songs are consistently good, and The Audition varies up the style enough that the songs don’t just bleed into each other. The overall vibe the band gives off with Great Danger is that of a band that is experienced enough to know what they’re doing and want to do that well, while at the same time not taking themselves too seriously and having fun with their music.

I’d definitely recommend giving Great Danger a listen–I think it’ll appeal to a wide range of musical tastes.

Album Highlights: The Art of Living, He’s All You Want, Run Away

The Starting Line: Somebody's Gonna Miss Us

The summer of 2008 saw the final tour (for now) of pop-punk band The Starting Line. This tour provided the content for the band’s recently released CD/DVD combo Somebody’s Gonna Miss Us.

The CD part of Somebody’s Gonna Miss Us is a live recording of The Starting Line’s final performance in their hometown of Philadelphia. The DVD contains a video of the performance, as well as a documentary following the band as they head into their last tour and talk about what has brought them to that point.

Out of the two parts to Somebody’s Gonna Miss Us, the DVD far outshines the CD. Lead singer Kenny Vasoli generally has a pretty good voice, but on this album it’s just not there. He frequently sounds as though he is shouting or talk-singing, more than doing any real vocal work. Even when his singing does come out, it sounds flat in comparison to the band’s studio recordings...MORE