Stoodio53 - Mixtapes

The other day I was on iTunes randomly searching for free music in the form of podcasts (yay podcasts!) and I came across Stoodio53 mixtapes. There are about 9 of them that you can download off iTunes right now, and as I said they're free (premixed) music. The mixtapes vary, because they're mixed by different DJs, but generally stick to pretty straightforward underground punk, rock and pop. You can also find information about some of the artists, DJs, and setlists on the website linked above. I've listened to three so far, and my personal favorite was #7 (mixed by djMoo.) It's an eclectic mix including a song by Ween called "Push th' Little Daisies" that sounds like a breakup song sung by Cartman of South Park. Yeah, that weird, in fact so weird and ridiculous that it's also hilarious.

-Musicsnob

Lights & Sounds - Yellowcard

I began streaming this album off Myspace with low expectations. It seemed to me that the success of "Ocean Avenue" had propelled Yellowcard to heights undeserved. The album Ocean Avenue was a lackluster effort that didn't do justice to the energy found in the single. I was very pleasantly surprised when this latest endeavor proved to be a much more cohesive and interesting group of songs than those found on Ocean Avenue. To me, Lights & Sounds realizes all of the potential I'd heard from Yellowcard when listening to their last single "Ocean Avenue". The band has tightened their sound while also opening up to the insanely catchy melodies that make their singles such hits. The first few songs are a whirlwind of sound and pattern that blend nicely together while still remaining individually recognizable. "Down on My Head" is an excellent segue into the album after the crashing "Lights and Sounds". Yellowcard then lightens the sound a little with the nice "Sure Thing Falling", and embraces a soft melodic country twang with "City of Devils". "City of Devils" is one of the highlights of the album, with it's gorgeous sound and brokenhearted lyrics it resonates clearly with the feeling of loss that drives the album. Everything on the album runs smoothly until Yellowcard hits a speed bump with the seemingly well-meaning but underwhelming antiwar song "Two Weeks From Twenty". The lyrics on “Two Weeks from Twenty” are below the standard set by the rest of the album, and sound childish in comparison. Luckily, after this speed-bump the album jumps back up to the upbeat melodic pop-punk that makes Yellowcard so hard to ignore. Lights & Sounds is definitely a fun album, and in my humble opinion a huge step up from Ocean Avenue, both lyrically and musically.

"For every prohibition you create, you also create an underground" -Jello Biafra

"The Manifesto:

Music isn't about what shirt you wear or how ripped your pants are. Music isn't about the pins and patches you wear on your designer messenger bag. Music isn't about proving how much cooler the bands you like are to other people. Music isn't about a certain body type. Music isn't about being fat or thin. Music isn't about how many friends you have or the large crowd you hang out with. Music isn't about censorship. Music isn't about headlines and the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Music isn't about being signed to a major label and getting a million dollar advance. Music isn't about different hair colors and different shades of eyeliner. Music isn't about social status or standing. Music isn't about being intimidated by what other people think. Music isn't about press shots and planned photo shoots and lead articles in Alternative Press.

Music is about being yourself. Music is about the visceral feeling you have that can't be summed up by anything but the butterflies in your stomach. Music is about finding a way to connect people with thousands of different backgrounds with one note or word. Music is about combining the mental, aural and visual. Music is about being eclectic and open-minded. Music is about growing and being experimental and different with the next note that comes out. Music is about the first amendment. Music is about screaming along with your favorite band from the first row. Music is about not giving a fuck what other people think. Music is about being both influenced and influential. Music is about standing for something you believe in. Music is about saying something, anything meaningful. Music is about connections. Music is everything."

-Stolen Bike Crusade

Does anyone else think this ^ is AMAZING??!!! I do. Friend Stolen Bike Crusade now, and you will not be disappointed.

Vampire playlist

Yeah, so I just read this sweet book by Robin McKinley called Sunshine. It's all about vampires and the supernatural and kinda pulls apart the whole idea of good and evil and in between. The main character Sunshine ends up falling in love with a vampire and he sort of falls in love with her too. So I've been thinking a lot about Vampires and stakes and coffins, etc. I don't really believe in vampires, but if they did exist I think this is the kind of music they'd listen to:

"Heart-Shaped Box" by Nirvana
"Crown of Love" by Arcade Fire
"The Man Without Fear" by Drowning Pool & Rob Zombie
"Stained Silver" by Cave In
"Lost in the Supermarket" by the Clash
"The Suffering" by Coheed & Cambria
"Zombie" by the Cranberries
"Lovesong" by the Cure
"Going Under" by Evanescence
"Absurd (White Wash Edit)" by Fluke
"Everlong" by Foo Fighters
"Thirteen" by Johnny Cash
"Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin
"Extreme Ways" by Moby
"Helena" by My Chemical Romance
"Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)" by Neil Young

New Year!

HAPPY 2006!!!!

So, yes I know it's been 3 days since it became the New Year, but I was busy doing New Year's things.

Surprising news of the New Year:

Weathermen are wrong (why is this surprising? I don't know. Yet we continue to plan our lives around false forecasts.)

The new Strokes album doesn't suck. It's not really my thing, but it doesn't suck like I thought it would. Given the suckiness (IMHO) of their last two albums this is probably one of the most surprising surprises of the New Year.

I still like the Spice Girls. I know, slightly lame since I listened to them when I was (what?) eight. Their music isn't bad, it's kinda catchy. Almost makes me wish I hadn't thrown away their albums....almost....

Anyway here are all the confessions of the New Year you guys need to hear. I hope you had an excellent celebration (even the lurkers.)