Sometime Around Midnight

What a chillin' song...

Neil Peart Drum Solo

Absolutely incredible. Rush drummer Neil Peart is a drum god.

Dirty Magic

This video is for old school Offspring fans. "Dirty Magic" is from the album, Ignition (1992). In this video, Dexter and Noodles perform this classic tune acoustically.

Return of the '90s

People grow up listening to different music. Your taste in music is often inherited by what your parents and/or older siblings listened too. In my case, I was raised in the '90s grunge and punk era. Sweet. You can say what you want but it was fantastic. I still remember my brother's CD case with "Superunknown" by Soudgarden, "Smash" by the Offspring, "Dookie" by Green Day and "Nevermind" from Nirvana. To me, they were classic and they still are today. You may say those are mainstream bands, but does selling millions of records classify you as 'mainstream'? No, it shouldn't because that's bullshit.

The nineties saw various changes in music; the birth of grunge and alternative rock, the revival of punk, the outbreak of "Girl Power" and pop music and Slim Shady featuring Dr. Dre. It was crazy and even though I'm almost 22, I still remember all of it. So what do we know? Nirvana introduced grunge, The Offspring/Green Day resurrected punk to masses, Smashing Pumpkins led the way for alternative rock and the Spice Girls took over the world. Do I need to be corrected?

TOO MANY BANDS TO DISCUSS!

The real reason I'm here is to discuss the outbreak of returning '90s acts. Bands such as Alice in Chains, Third Eye Blind, Motley Crue, etc have returned either with new singers, guitarists or even albums. THANK GOD. In my opinion, the rock acts of the '80/'90s paved the way for many bands of today. It's nice to hear and see them back, especially if you grew up listening to that decade.

I never imagined in my life that I would see GN'R, Alice In Chains, or STP in concert. It's a great feeling to have and the best part is my favourite bands (who are mostly from the '90s) are still together and making great music. If you look through my other entries, you'll be able to piece them together. My advice for you is to cherish those artists who make you feel inspired. They can break up, dropped by their label or just stop anytime. You might even be lucky enough to experience a famous band reunite due to greed! That's the best part! Ok, I'm done.

All You Did...

Click here to hear the brand new single from Our Lady Peace, "All You Did Was Save My Life."

Inaugural Backyard Discoveries

Tonight marks my first outdoor laptop experience of 2009. During warm, clear nights, I like to sit on my patio furniture with my laptop, pop in my earphones and blast the best tunes I can find. Like I said in previous entries, the sound of your favourite tunes under a beautiful night sky makes it so much better.

Like the blog title says, I have yet again, discovered some great new music to add to OUR musical library. If interested, please click on the myspace links below. Cheers.

The Veer Union
Modern Day Zero
Forty Foot Echo (they've been around for a while but need their popularity boosted again)

New Divide, New LP

This is a brand new track from Linkin Park, entitled "New Divide." It is the theme song for Transformers 2. It's a great tune, but it's a real shame this song will not appear on a new album from Linkin Park. Anyways, hope you like it...

Rock Mix 5

1. Mystery Of You - Red
2. Sound Of Madness - Shinedown
3. Know Your Enemy - Green Day
4. There Was A Time - Guns N' Roses
5. In The Meantime - Spacehog
6. Rainy Monday - Shiny Toy Guns
7. If I Die Tomorrow - Motley Crue
8. Give Up The Grudge - Gob
9. All That You Are - Econoline Crush
10. Carmelina - Matthew Good Band

Album Review: "Innocence & Instinct" by Red

What originally drew me to Red’s music was their powerful, heavy riffs, deep lyrics and perfectly charted keys that polished off their nu-metal sound.

It was apparent that their debut album “End Of Silence” was the beginning of a solid act in the Christian rock and nu-metal scene. As of now, I wouldn’t categorize them as “mainstream” because they simply aren’t. Their debut album sold an impressive 200,000+ copies in the US but didn’t quite catch the attention of any major fan base. It’s too bad, but perhaps their nu-metal sound or image was the reason for their write-off in mainstream music. But I will say this to those overlooked this band, you are missing out.

“Innocence & Instinct” is a well crafted album. It’s easy for bands to write the same thing over and over and be unoriginal but Red possesses a modicum of depth and keeps on breaking barriers of their genre.

The album contains crafty riffs and unforgettable, epic choruses that bleed emotion lyrically and musically. “Mystery of You” is a personal favourite that screams out personal anguish with the lyrics “somewhere I will find all the pieces torn apart.” You can truly feel what singer Mike Barnes is feeling with his powerful vocals. I’ve never been a fan of shouting or screaming in songs, but you must read his lyrics…he’s yelling or crying to someone!
“Shadows” is another example, the chorus is absolutely huge and hooks you instantly. The only disappointment is that the album only contains 10 tracks. We want more! Boo.

As a whole, the album will take you through a world of dark and ethereal tones, while receiving messages of hope and sorrow. Keep those headphones on because I doubt your ears will want freedom. If you liked Red’s first album, gear up for another intense ride.

Rating: 3.8/5

Track listing is as follows:

1. “Fight Inside” ***
2. “Death of Me”
3. “Mystery of You” ***
4. “Start Again” ***
5. “Never Be The Same”
6. “Confession (What’s Inside My Head)”
7. “Shadows” ***
8. “Ordinary World” (Duran Duran cover) ***
9. “Out From Under”
10. “Take It All Away”

Bloggers Block

Alright, here's the deal, in my last post I stated that I can't for the life of me blog about anything. It's frustrating because I love blogging and it makes me happy. Damn...

Lately I have been preparing numerous album reviews but haven't completed them due to a small case of writers block and/or laziness. However, I can tell you THIS! Hopefully in the next few days or weeks these album reviews will be complete.

On the list:
1. 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day
2. Innocence and Instinct - Red
3. We Are Pilots - Shiny Toy Guns
4. Chinese Democracy - Guns N' Roses
5. Only Through The Pain - Trapt

In The Meantime

I think I may have a touch of writers/bloggers block. Why you ask? Well, I have been concentrating mostly on writing album reviews and so far, it's been difficult. I can't seem to grasp the meanings, themes, lyrics and tonality of what I'm hearing, thus ending in pointless, inconsistent blabber....much like this entry.

I've attempted to write rough drafts of my ideas but I can't seem to gel them all together and present them entirely. Boo.

In the meantime, I have no stories or anything to share. At least I don't think...WAIT, did I say "in the meantime"??? Ahh, what a song! It came this afternoon during 102.1 the Edge's "Nineties Nooner" show with Josey Dye. Remember Spacehog?

Spacehog- In the Meantime
by Tunashaker

Garage Bands

This is going to be a different entry today. It's a beautiful day in Hamilton and I'm going to celebrate it by rockin' the eff out! Perhaps I'll do some gardening or pick up the shoes that I ordered. HA! Or maybe jamming on one of my three bass guitars? BUT! One thing must be done, I have to find an outdoor project that allows me to blare my ipod speakers to the world! Maybe cleaning my garage for the second time in 3 weeks? Yes! It needs to be done! As Dane Cook would say "IT'S A QUEST AND I'M ON IT!"

I'm just gonna go in there and blast the roof off that garage with some...Metallica? Big Wreck? Trapt? Hmm...WOOO!

Michelle Shantz is beautiful. Follow her blog...NOW!

Cheers to a beautiful day and bust out those summer rock tunes! Nothing can stop you now, right Johnny Cash?



Also, I would like to mention that I have about 3 or 4 album reviews in the works including Green Day's new album. I will go on-record by saying "21 Guns" from Green Day is a fantastic song. See you in the future.

L.A. Ink

I've realized that Motley Crue has been all over this blog for a while now but this is the last MC post I'm gonna do unless something HUGE happens to the band. I watched an episode of L.A. Ink with Kat Von Dee, and her boyfriend, Nikki Sixx, decided to get a tattoo; a very special tattoo. Check out this clip:

Props to Buckethead

A great solo by former GN'R guitarist Buckethead...and a great song, too!

Album Review: "City Of Black And White" by Mat Kearney

After opening the door to a more mainstream fan base in 2006 with "Nothing Left To Lose", Mat Kearney has returned with his third studio album entitled "City of Black and White." What can I tell you? It's Mat Kearney alright. He is back with more mellow, crisp acoustic-rock songs and ballads that touch the soul.

I must admit, my anticipation for this album reached an all-time high about three months ago when I watched an episode of Grey's Anatomy. If you're a fan of that show then you've probably heard at least 3 or 4 songs by Mat Kearney on there. The great thing about Mat's music is that it speaks to you lyrically and instrumentally. His songs tell a story about anything from love and dreams to wishes and revelations. It's almost as if he has a song for every emotion.

The first noticeable difference between his two previous albums, is that "City of Black and White" lacks the infamous rock/hip-hop style that Kearney is known for. In it's place, we receive straight forward acoustic-based rock songs. That's not a bad thing, though. The majority of the songs are personal with the lyrics definitely telling a story, describing thoughts or even painting a mental picture. The instrumentation on the album is almost perfect, leaving each song with gliding melodies and dynamics. With this album, songs like “Lifeline”, “Fire & Rain” and “Never Be Ready” scream out "single" with chorus's that tattoo your brain and overshadow the more bland songs like "On And On" and "Annie."

Just like "Nothing Left To Lose", Mat's new album, for the most part, let's the listener dive into their deepest thoughts, emotions and revisit some memories with music that matches life lessons with tone and melody. All in all, it's a soothing, inspiring record and a good effort from Mat Kearney.

Rating: 3/5

Track-listing:
"All I Have"
"Fire and Rain" *
"Closer to Love" *
"Here We Go" *
"Lifeline" *
"New York to California"
"Runaway Car"
"Never Be Ready" *
"Annie"
"Straight Away"
"On and On"
"City of Black & White" *

Burn Burn

OUR LADY PEACE IS BACK!

"Burn Burn" the new album from OLP will hit stores on July 21st, 2009! The first single from the album entitled "All You Did Was Save My Life" hits radio airwaves on May 25th with a video to shortly follow. Burn Burn baby!!! BURN BURN! Oh, I can't wait to review that album!

Here's the track-listing:
1. All You Did Was Save My Life
2. Dreamland
3. Monkey Brains
4. Never Get Over You
5. Escape Artist
6. Refuge
7. The Right Stuff
8. Paper Moon
9. Signs Of Life
10. White Flags

Fix You

No, not the Coldplay version, The Offspring version. Yup, that's right folks, the Offspring has a song entitled 'Fix You' and in my opinion, it's better then the Coldplay version. Again, just my opinion. I was actually surprised when I first heard this song because as we all know, the Offspring don't record ballads. However, this is a song from the heart that everybody can relate too.

The Rising

An incredible performance by the "Boss", Bruce Springsteen...

Just Because...

jane's addiction- just because
by evilfrogger1