Thursday & Epitaph Records

Thursday

Common Existence

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!

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




















Here's the music video for Souled Out!!!