United Nations, a mystery to some, a phenomenom to many. Thursday's frontman, Geoff Rickly, was the only person publicly to speak out about United Nations. With help from members of Glassjaw and Converge, Eyeball Records has produced a SUPERGROUP.
From MTV: "According to Rickly, the idea behind United Nations is to get people pissed off again and to stir the musical pot a touch."
What's so special about this group? With only Rickly going public about the band and having half of the band as a mystery, makes it all the more fascinating. I had to go out and find out about this band the second I heard Rickly was doing a side project.
United Nations- Reagan masks- who's who? I don't even know...
Click here to listen! There music is loud, in your face, and beyond political. The band is making a statement, and what else is a better way than getting your myspace AND facebook deleted?! "What will they delete next is their tag line on their website"
The band is known to be raising controversy from their name, to their songs, to yes-- THE ALBUM COVER. Yes, The Beatles, in flames on Abbey Road.
This was the limited edition album cover because they were told they could not produce it more than a certain amount of copies due to the picture on the front. I have this one.
The band does not release a lot of information, and their website is sarcastic and hard hitting. So take a look, grab the album, get angry and listen. It'll make you think, a lot.
Making Beds in a Burning House is probably my recent obsession. This LP was released in 2005 and I'm very excited I have it in my possession.
These four guys from Chicago, Illinois put this upbeat album together so cleverly. As their own website has it, their album is "upbeat tunes about miserable situations written by the guy that sings them" (Chris)
So why 1999-2005?! Well this band was together for only a short amount of time, but in this time they produced five LP's and 2 EP's. All of which are absolutely amazing.
Here is their "rare" video for 14,000 Things to be Happy About
If you're in need of a good up beat song about something so in depth, you should probably already be grabbing your car keys.
In depth? I know, not everyone wants to listen to something that has some significant meaning, but then again, this is indie and Troubled Hubble has you tapping your toes and moving quickly around your room with their song I'm Pretty SureI Can See Molecules "When you're nothing, you're still something. You're molecules"
Their songs range from growing up in suburbia to having insomnia, and to my personal favorite their song Jackpot Stampede Deluxe. This song takes place in a casino to "win big just once," but they can'tstayforever.
Even though the band is not recording, their album will always still play in my itunes. I highly recommend this album- it will make you think, happy, dance, and smile, all within the first 2 songs, and it just keeps getting better!
Dallas Green is known for his "dulcet" voice in Alexisonfire. He has recently begun his amazing solo project as City and Colour. This Canadian has released his second album entitled "Bring Me Your Love" in February 2008. City and Colour's first album is called "Sometimes" released in 2005, with a few EP's before and between both albums.
Bring Me Your Love is an amzing album and clearly shows off Green's creative side. This indie and emo feel leave you wondering who makes Green feeling this way to produce such beautiful music.
Alexisonfire (Vagrant Records) are working on coming out with a fourth album, and this does not mean that Green is stopping either one. There will still be more of Green in City and Colour (on tour now!) as well as Alexisonfire!
Alexisonfire-- Dallas Green on the far left.
Here is the video from Alexisonfire "This Could Be Anywhere in the World"
And so you know what City and Colour sounds like, here is the video for "The Girl"
Each band has proven how amazing they are together and that the sum equals its parts. Dallas Green is an extremely talented person, and Alexisonfire & City and Colour are equally brilliant. With Alexisonfire's hard hitting sounds, that make you screaming for more; and City and Colour's emotional sounds that make you want to play it over and over again.
But wait, there is more! "One of my Kind" is a documentary, that will be released on April 15th, that gives a behind the scenes look from Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. The documentary will be will be available as a free stream through many sites such as Conoroberst.com and CauseCast.org
"Unlike any film release before, Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band are donating the documentary, “One Of My Kind” for FREE, in the hope that viewers will make a donation to one of the many nonprofits or causes on Causecast."-- Conoroberst.com
One of my favorite things on iTunes, is the shuffle button. I went from Ben Folds' Landed, to Thursday's Tomorrow I'll Be You which went right into Tilly & The Wall's Fell Down the Stairs. I quickly turned off shuffle, and listened to their Wild Like Children album. An album released in June 2004 through Team Love Records.
This album has it all, and it's funny how much you can really appreciate an album if you haven't listened to it in a while.
This indie/folk/pop band is from Omaha, Nebraska and some of the members have even worked with Conor Oberst and Rilo Kiley.
Wild Like Children, has a very soulful sound, but has this amazing way to lift you up with the music. Tilly & The Wall has a tap dancer, Jamie Pressnal, as their percussionist which might be able to explain the rhythms and emotion put into their songs. But without each of the individual performers, Tilly would be incomplete. Each of the five members contribute to more than anyone could imagine.
Tilly & The Wall has released their newest album in June 2008, but it does not have a name. There uniqueness continues since the album is simply represented by the shape of an o because of the album cover which showcases many artwork from various artists inside.
Random Fact! The band has actually been on Sesame Street where they performed their verison of the ABC's.
This LA band is far from sounding like any other band. The punk-folk-indie-orchestral sounds completely flow with the creative lyrics that follow. The lead singer, Mikel Jollett, originally wanted to be a writer and the bands lyrics seem to tell always tell a story.
While listening to them, you notice that not all of their songs have a chorus, but that just fits in with their uniqueness. Jollett has such a powerful voice, and it is hard to compare them to another. With a little mix of Vampire Weekend and The Clash, barely help describe their range of musical capability.
Their first single- Sometime Around Midnight: Their official music video can be seen on Youtube, but the video cannot be posted. So here is the band playing on David Letterman!
The swell of the violins and cellos throughout their songs portray all of the emotion the band wanted to capture. In their song Innocence you can feel the passion in Jollett's soul and voice. Each song from Gasoline to Does This Mean You're Moving On? show the powerful story this band writes and preforms about and the emotion they have for their music. From heartbreak to losing yourself, to developing Something New, this band has you wrapped in world of indie and punk all while being hypnotized by the orchestral background.
I recently spoke with Evan Pierri, a graduate from Rider University, who is the tour manager for the band Four Year Strong. The band and Evan are on tour now for the Taste of Chaos Tour and enjoying life of the road.
How did you get involved with Four Year Strong?
EP:The summer after I graduated from Rider I had an internship in New York City with Crush Management. Four Year Strong’s current manager started working there that summer and introduced me to them. I was pretty much able to talk them into taking me out on tour (with a little recommendation from an I Surrender Records intern) to do merch for them for free. This was to see if I could handle touring and if the band liked the way I worked. Two tours later I was able to show them that I was organized, hard working and had the ability to learn skills to help the band on the road and promoted me to Tour Manager.
When you’re on the road what do you prefer to listen to and why?
EP: I usually end up listening to something that’s polar opposite of the bands I’m currently on tour with to balance out my musical life. Right now I’ve been listening to a lot of City and Colour, Jason Mraz, and my all time go to musician John Mayer.
How would you describe these next upcoming months on tour for the Taste of Chaos Tour?
EP:So far this has been the most easy going tour for me. Taste of Chaos has a full production staff who takes care of some of the normal tedious tasks I have to as a tour manager. Having them in place means I don’t have to run around searching for promoters or venue managers and I can focus more on the band. The hard thing about a tour like Taste is that it’s two months long. That means being away from home and trapped in a van or bus with 8 other guys for that long It can be grueling at times.
After being on tour and away from Jersey for so long, what is the fist thing you anticipate doing when you return home?
EP: Sleeping in my own bed is usually the thing I look forward to the most. Beyond that going to Surf Taco for a burrito a diner for a Pork Roll sandwich and catching up with my friends and family.
What would you say your favorite indie label is and why?
EP:Epitaph records is one of my favorite indie labels of all time. They have introduced me to some of my favorite bands of all time. Motion City Soundtrack got their start with Epitaph and now they’re taking on extremely established artists like New Found Glory and helping them get in touch with their fans on a more personal level by putting a record out on a smaller level and giving the record and them the attention they deserve.
When the band isn’t playing or practicing, what do you usually do?
EP: I’m home either preparing for the next tour or looking for other production or tour work.
What were your musical influences growing up, and would you say they helped you get where you are today?
EP: My musical influences growing up were bands like Green Day, Rancid, Operation Ivy, No Doubt and Blink 182. I grew up in the New Jersey pop punk scene helping out friends in bands and learning as much as I could about the process of dealing with promoters, venues and other bands. If my friends from home never gave me a chance to see what it was like working with a band I probably would not be doing what I’m doing now. That gave me some insight into what I wanted to do with my future. When I got to Rider I became actively involved with S.E.C. and furthered my knowledge of dealing with artists, contracts and production. All of these things helped me have a better idea of what I should be doing as a tour manager.
Four Year Strong is:
Dan O'Connor - Guitar, Vocals
Alan Day - Guitar, Vocals
Joe Weiss - Bass
Jake Massucco - Drums
The much anticipated album by one of New Jersey's favorite bands, Thursday, has arrived! Common Existence was available in stores February 17th and this album has been playing non-stop on my itunes (personally Thursday is my favorite band, and I was extremely anxious for this release). Thursday has been working in the studio very hard for this album, because they switched to an independent label, Epitaph Records, from Island Records, a major label.
With the new record label, a new album release, and being on the cover of AP magazine, the only thing left is a tour-right? Right. Thursday is now headlining this years Taste of Chaos Tour, sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drinks. The opening bands are: The Cancer Bats, Bring Me The Horizon, Pierce The Veil, and Four Year Strong.
Common Existence, expresses things that Thursday hasn't been able to on their major label, and can now be more political and have more fun with the music that we all enjoy from these New Brunswick rockers. The album starts powerful with the song entitled Resuscitation Of A Dead Man, hits us hard with Friends In The Armed Forces, and has us realize why we love Thursday in the first place with their amazing last song, You Were the Cancer. The track listing for Common Existence is as follows: 01. Resuscitation Of A Dead Man 02. Last Call 03. As He Climbed The Dark Mountain 04. Friends In The Armed Forces 05. Beyond The Visible Spectrum 06. Time's Arrow 07. Unintended Long Term Effects 08. Circuits Of Fever 09. Subway Funeral 10. Love Has Led Us Astray 11. You Were The Cancer
Thursday's first album Waiting was released in 1999 and since then, each album has been a great achievement in their career. Each album has been meaningful to them and their listeners and the band has never shed an ounce of their roots from growing up in New Jersey. It's now 2009 and Thursday keeps bringing us more of what we want and keeps us alive with their music.
Singer Geoff Rickly on the album:
“So many of our songs have been about crazy or devastating situations and this record is about growing up and seeing that everyone shares the same existential crisis that we’re going through,” Rickly explains. “Everybody feels like they’re special or different and this record is about me realizing that everybody has these feelings and there’s nothing more common than what we think is our individuality.”
Here is their video for Resuscitation Of A Dead Man:
Thursday has been through a lot in these past nine years and each time we are reminded why they touched us musically in the first place.
If you are interested in hearing the bands new album you can head over to their myspace, since it is streaming now! I highly recommend buying this album, it's absolutely amazing!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Conor Oberst's Solo Album
Conor Oberst is known mainly as the front-man of Bright Eyes, on the indie lable Saddle Creek. However, his much anticipated self-titled solo album (with help from the Mystic Valley Band) has been one of his greatest albums yet. This album was recorded in Tepoztlán, Morales, Mexico during Janurary and February in 2008. He signed to the indie lable, Merge Records for his solo work with the Mystic Valley Band. In this album, Oberst has the listeners wanting more of the relaxed and calming feeling he gives off. The artwork on the album is Oberst laying in a hammock, which is probably the best way to listen to the album, just simply relaxing and enjoying the outdoors. The songs have significant meanings from places in Mexico to a story about a boy named Danny Callahan dying of bone marrow. One song titled, Valle Mistico (Ruben's Song), just has the sound of what appears to be a didgeridoo. From Get-Well-Cards, and NYC- Gone, Gone gives the album an upbeat feeling, without becoming overwhelming. The track listing for the album is as follows:
01. Cape Canaveral 02. Sausalito 03. Get-Well-Cards 04. Lenders In The Temple 05. Danny Callahan 06. I Don't Want To Die (In A Hospital) 07. Eagle On A Pole 08. NYC - Gone, Gone 09. Moab 10. Valle Mistico (Ruben's Song) 11. Souled Out!!! 12. Milk Thistle
Amy Giubilo, 21, is currently a Senior at Rider University majoring in public relations and a minor in advertising. She works in the Admissions Department at school as a telecounselor. In her hometown, Egg Harbor Twp. NJ, she works in Atlantic City as a head hostess at Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Giubilo enjoys surfing and listening to music and loves being around family and friends and especially her black lab, Laddy.
Click here to listen! 
