Album Spotlight: Fox In The Henhouse 'The Fox EP'

I mean, to be straight up right off the bat. The album is damn decent. The music is enjoyable, the lyrics are full of energy, and the presence is all over the place. A three song EP put out by 2 former members of Wakefield, and a third local musician. A mix of 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's indie rock and "goth rock" brings this three piece ensemble to a head with songs that will surely relax and excite you simultaneously. Opening with the track "Fears" is a mix of Ooh's and Ahh's, sweet guitar notes, light synth, bouncy drumming, and a voice that's just all over the place really sets the pace for what the band really is, and that's just a bunch of guys trying to have some fun and rock the fuck out the way they see fit. Flowing into track 2 "Dangerous", the band turns to a sound that feels like it could have made a Smiths, Buddy Holly, or any early 60's indie band's B-Side list. Crooning and running all over the charts with it's dark verses and uplifted chorus. Closing the album, probably the best way it could have ended, is the song "Up". Kicking off the start to a peppy summer driving jam that get's people moving the second the first note is hit. The verse's relax the song a little, building up to explosive choruses and bridges that could keep a party flowing at an amazing pace. The album really sets the stage for a band I actually can tolerate listening to, and might even possible love.

Personal Space: Right Style. Wrong Paths.

Johnny fucking Craig. The name alone makes me wanna fucking vomit. Self absorbed, alcoholic piece of shit. This man is the definition of what is wrong with music. So the man can sing. So fucking what? Celine Dion can sing, and she catches more shit than Hitler. "JCraig", as his blind, tasteless, ignorant fanbase calls him, has been insulted, talked down to, physically hurt, and ignored by him on several occasions. Yet, what do these skinny jean wearing fucking idiots do? They kiss the ground he spits on in front of him. The man made like, one good album. Downtown Battle Mountain was a decent thing, but that should have been the entirety of it. Emarosa is just another ambient copy/cut/paste clone band. Which leads me to another point. Where the FUCK does Rise Records get off? They push all this fucking terrible breakdown music, that, unless they're blind, KNOWS people are fucking sick of. Unless you are a teenage girl who wets their panties every time a pair of skinny jeans stretches out for a breakdown, we're through. Why are they not pushing the artists on their label they signed for their talent and not their marketability. Tides of Man, Closure In Moscow, pmToday. Those bands would shut the fucking scene down quick, clean, and easy if given the chance? I mean, has it really, and I mean REALLY, come to the point where we are ignoring EVERYTHING that doesn't swoop it's hair, scream on an album, and write more breakdowns than music? It's fucking pathetic. What makes things worse? The bands that DO have talent are being ignored over the fact that arrogant fucking hipsters are the only people pushing their rep. Like, I have seen some terrible things, but mommy and daddy kids with imaginary issues repping bands with talent is actually less appealing than guys in suits marketing teenagers in Nike hi-tops playing "metal" music. Give it up, music. You've lost the fight. Your era has ended. Let's all just pray St. Vincent can save us all. (That was my shameless plug for a person who really does deserve attention.)

Moments to Myself: Youth Music.

Youth music, yes. It's not that I've been jamming to music for kids all week. It's what I've decided to call music that I listened to in my youth, and it's what you should call music you listened to in yours. The last few months I've lost literally ALL hope in the future of music, and if I had it my way. I'd politely ask every aspiring musician to put down their instruments, and please back the fuck out quietly. We don't want your breakdowns. We don't want your techno infused metal. We don't want your dupstep inspired mosh pit. We want our generation to remember that Emo music, Hardcore music, Post Hardcore music, and Pop Punk music were all in place long before them. It was doing alright by itself, and we didn't need you to come in here and change things for what you call "the better". When The Used released their self titled album, they didn't need tight pants, Kanye sunglasses, and hair products to get where they were at. When Chiodos dropped "All's Well That Ends Well", and Matchbook Romance recorded "Stories and Alibies" they weren't looking to market it. They just wanted to make music they though they inspired, and kids would like on a personal level. When Taking Back Sunday released "Tell All Your Friends", When Coheed & Cambria pushed "Second Stage Turbine Blade", after Senses Fail sold copies of "From The Depths of Dreams" without a label. Even after Taking Back Sunday all went their seperate ways Brand New and Straylight Run were pushing solid debut albums. We were a generation of kids, following a generation of mature artists that had their shit together. H2O, At The Drive In, Mineral, The Movielife, New Found Glory, Blink 182, Green Day, Weezer, Texas Is The Reason, Rites of Spring, Hot Water Music, Anniversary, Finch, Boy Sets Fire, Brand New, and even Funeral For A Friend. Why couldn't we just stick to the plan? Why couldn't we just let honest music takes it course. Why did we literally make it a point to fuck everything up just to market breakdowns and skinny jeans to 13 year old girls and boys. Why did we let Woe, Is Me get a record contract? Why did we say fuck DIY ethics, and usher in an era of Marketing Campaigns? Fucking ridiculous.

Artist Spotlight: Miley Cyrus

What? Miley Cyrus? Really, Adam? Really? Yes, really. A lot of people are already wondering why I, of all people, would even allow her name on my blog. Well, let me promise you, I have nothing nice to say. I actually just wanted to vent on her new music video "Can't Be Tamed". First off, let me just say, someone should REALLY educate the stupid bitch on what the definition of "tamed" is. In this video she parades around as a bird or something that was supposed to be extinct. She has feathers and wings and a stupid hat, and it it just ridiculous. She proclaims that she is her own person, and that nothing nobody does will ever stifle her creativity or her personality. Well, your personality has been tamed from day one. You sit when you are told to sit, and you stand when given the command. You sing what they write for you, and not one time have you ever even begun to do anything original. You CAN be tamed, and you have been for a long time now. Miley Cyrus. Sit down, shut up, and continue doing what you are told. NEVER again make a personal statement about your rebellion, especially when you're doing it with someone else's lyrics, music, and style.

Concert Spotlight: Coheed & Cambria (Atlanta, Ga April 23, 2010)

Coheed and Cambria walked out on stage. That was all the crowd needing. A deafening roar of cheers, screams, whistles, and enthusiasm exploded from the masses. 4 Generals of war, standing proud, excited, and immaculate with their instruments. An army of people stood before them. Hundreds of people whose lives have been changed by a single band. The words of 4 men who were successfully able to blend the passion and creativity the world had been missing from music for so long. The lights dimmed, and the echo of One screamed through the renovated opera hall. Then, in a split second, the lights exploded and the band began playing The Broken. The crowd raised their hands to the roof, and all hell broke loose. For the next hour or two there was nothing to be remembered but deafening chants, raised fists, blaring choruses, and a seven and a half minute drum solo that only Chris Pennie could muster up on the spot. That's right. The band rocked the auditorium so hard, so loud, that they actually exploded their sound board, and Chris Pennie was told to improvise, and improvise he did. To sum it up, the performance was amazing. Masters of their craft on stage singing their parables to a crowd of people that have given up so much to be a part of their music. Music that has had such a spark, such inspiration, such magnitude in so many lives has given people a new hope. New faith in music. Mortal human beings forever changed from people to something much greatest. We are Children of the Fence, and we are the luckiest fans in the world. I cannot wait to see Coheed again at any venue in my area, because I have never been so jaw dropped and awe-inspired before. Good work, guys. I hope every show is purely as magical as the one I seen.

SETLIST:
Time Consumer
Everything Evil
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3
Three Evils (Embodied In Love & Shadow)
The Velourium Camper III: Al The Killer
A Favor House Atlantic
21:13 (w/ Iro-Bot)
Welcome Home
No World For Tomorrow
One
The Broken
Guns of Summer
Here We Are Juggernaut
Far
World of Lines
Made Out of Nothing (All That I Am)
Pearl of the Stars

Format Spotlight: Vinyl

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Vinyl records are coming back. In some form or another, anyway. A lot of people wanna wonder why the music industry is going to shit. Some blame poor CD sales, some people wanna say pop music is ruining everything. Justin Bieber this. Lady Gaga that. No, the answer is actually quite simple. It's lack of passion. Not to say that musical artists are not passionate about the music they create, it's about the listeners lack of passion in wanting to hear it. The solution: A vinyl record. Now days if you want a new song, all you have to do is hit up your favorite music provider, or get one of your friends to rip you a copy of an album. The greatest downfall we were ever given was the ability to choose. I think options ruined everything. When an artist releases an album, he creates a full dynamic of sounds and melodies they want you to enjoy beginning to end. A product musicians are usually very proud of, but that's not the case anymore. There have always been songs fans have preferred over others on albums, but because of this artists know they only have to work really hard on 1 or 2 songs, because that's about how many hits they're gonna have off an album. When Rush released 2112 on vinyl on it's original release date, people didn't get to fast forward or skip songs they didn't like, or at least didn't usually do it. The simplicity in just being able to press a button, and skip to the next had ruined a lot of things for people. They don't enjoy albums anymore, they just wanna hear their favorite tracks, and then jump to a new CD. I know music will never be what it used to, because times do in fact change, but try listening to a vinyl copy of your favorite album, and I promise you'll hear a pure, raw passion that you never felt before. If you want to at least give respect back to the music industry, try giving passion back to the listeners.

Artist Spotlight: LIGHTS

Yes, LIGHTS. A lot of people over the last 2 years have insulted me in many different ways, and not once have I faltered or changed my mind. I figured I would now take a second to explain how this woman heroically saved a genre of music for me. Let's start with her as a person. I have never personally met her, but from stories of others, and the postings of her twitter, video blog, and various other ways she stays in touch with her fans, she bears a very important quality. She's real. She seems as though she not only cares about her fans, and the experience they receive from her performances and albums, but she also cares about keeping her fan base loyal and strong. She's in touch with reality, and she actually appreciates the hand she's been dealt in life. Now onward to the point more important in this entry, her music. At first her music, admittedly, was nothing unique or standout to me. Auto-Tune vocals, electronic noise, and basic eletro-pop nonsense. Later down the road I was happily proven wrong. An ex girlfriend of mine popped in her debut EP, and informed me that I HAD to check out "this chick's CD I found the other day." The EP was poppy, fun, enjoyable, colorful, emotional, and just an all around delight to listen to. The album cover was bright and fun, and I had to ask. Who is this that I have been enjoying. The answer actually stunned me. LIGHTS. From that moment on I began going to any show she was playing in my area, and following her music as best I could. Eventually I finally read the news I wanted to read. LIGHTS would be releasing her debut full length, The Listening, and I couldn't have been happier. Electronic based music died for me a long time ago, I couldn't get into it. Everything just got stale, but then I picked up The Listening. I remember thinking that my first listen was actually disappointing, but then I went ahead and gave it a second go, and just like I hoped I felt everything I needed to. The joy, the emotion, the funtastic sounds. This album actually reminded me why Electro-Pop was not some mainstream forgettable sound, but actual music too. The artists did sometimes put their creative force behind an actually impressive piece of work. LIGHTS did that with The Listening, and I couldn't be happier, and more excited, to hear more from her in the future.