domingo, 30 de diciembre de 2012

Top Songs of 2012...


Music is the language of soul. People love music but every one has his own taste for music. The list below contains top songs of 2012. So just browse through the list and discover the beautiful journey of eternal music.

01. Comfort Trap - House Of Heroes
02. Innocent - Anberlin
03. Every Breath Is a Chance - Lovelite
04. Find Me - Anchor & Braille
05. Finn Hatches A Plan - Falling Up
06. Suspect - House Of Heroes
07. Radio - Sixpence None The Richer
08. You - Future Of Forestry
09. Someone - Future Of Forestry
10. Brother Sister - Lovelite
11. Knew Then Know Now - Anchor & Braille
12. Safety Line - Sixpence None The Richer
13. Wild Blood - Lovedrug
14. Revival - Lovedrug
15. West Coast Rock Steady - P.O.D.
16. New Horizons - Flyleaf
17. Penny Black - Further Seems Forever
18. Fire Fire - Flyleaf
19. Dinosaur - Lovedrug
20. Laugh It Off - Eisley
21. One Last Song - Eisley
22. This Is Love - Kutless
23. Between the Raindrops - Lifehouse (feat. Natasha Bedingfield)
24. Heaven Come Down - Christafari (Feat.Dominic Balli)
25. Every Day of My Life - Christafari
26. Roots Revival - Christafari (Feat.Dillavou)
27. Bad Boy - P.O.D.
28. Murdered Love - P.O.D.
29. War Of Change - Thousand Foot Krutch
30. Ill Make You Famous - Write This Down
31. Stay Close - Fireflight
32. Need - Kutless
33. Psycho - 12 Stones
34. Know Us By Our Love - Moriah Peters
35. All The Ways He Loves Us - Moriah Peters
36. Pressing on the Bruise - Derek Webb

part1
part2
part3

pass: Godrocks

Enjoy...Happy new year!

martes, 4 de diciembre de 2012

Chevelle - Hats Off To The Bull (2011)


Chevelle have never been flashy, showy or ostentatious. The power trio, as their sixth album Hats Off to the Bull once again demonstrates, simply enjoy getting together and cranking out Helmet-inspired metal laced with thick riffage (see "Same Old Trip") and prickly breakdowns (check out "Clones"). At the same time, several tracks, among them "Ruse," "Envy" and "Piñata," reflect Chevelle's understated knack for big hooks and catchy choruses. This shouldn't come as any surprise, really, considering the band hails from Chicago.

Track list:
1. Face to the Floor
2. Same Old Trip
3. Ruse
4. The Meddler
5. Piñata
6. Envy
7. Hats off to the Bull
8. Arise
9. Revenge
10. Prima Donna
11. Clones

Flyelaf - New Horizons (2012)

 
After two years since their last studio album, Flyleaf has resurfaced on the radar once again. Taking qualities from Flyleaf and Memento Mori, the Texas natives have been able to incorporate them into their latest opus, New Horizons. Along with paying homage to their two prior albums, they're still able to add freshness to their diverse rock sound.
 
New Horizons opens with two mellow (for Flyleaf) songs, "Fire Fire" and the title track, and both seem to possess that "rock radio" feel. Showing that they have not abandoned their aggressive-sounding roots, "Call You Out," "Freedom" and "Green Heart" take that edgy route Flyleaf's famous for. Meanwhile, "Cage on the Ground," "Great Love," "Bury Your Heart," "Saving Grace," "Stand" and "Broken Wings" all vary in the range of moderate pop/rock. Not to be fooled by the large amount of softer music on here, the lyrics are still as poignant as ever. Some standouts amongst that group are "Great Love" and "Broken Wings."
 
While New Horizons is an excellently executed album, it still, depending on perspective, has its kinks. One of Flyleaf's biggest highlights was Lacey's ability to deliver a hard rock song with such grace and uniqueness that others have only tried and failed to imitate over the years, and it was unfortunate that those kinds of songs are pretty scarce on New Horizons.
 
The latest chapter in Flyleaf's story is a sure to be a memorable one, as it is evident that these veterans left it all on the floor of that recording studio. What's presented is a labor of love that shines in its own right, and closes this section of their career with integrity and passion.


Track list:
  1. Fire Fire (3:01)
  2. New Horizons (3:09)
  3. Call You Out (2:19)
  4. Cage On The Ground (3:33)
  5. Great Love (3:40)
  6. Bury Your Heart (3:34)
  7. Freedom (3:19)
  8. Saving Grace (3:44)
  9. Stand (3:40)
  10. Green Heart (2:43)
  11. Broken Wings (3:34)
  12. Mama (3:56) **iTunes Exclusive

Anberlin - Vital (2012)


Since leaving Tooth & Nail almost five years ago, Anberlin has morphed their sound in more accessible ways to try to win over a broader crowd. Unfortunately, this hasn't exactly worked for them as well as they may have hoped, with the two albums following Cities viewed as a mixed bag of sorts to fans. Vital reunites the band with talented producer Aaron Sprinkle and forges the next chapter in the band's musical journey that feels like a worthy successor to their 2007 epic project Cities that the band never had. With lyrics that once again address relationships with hints at more deeper, spiritual themes, Vital is everything one can expect from an Anberlin album. At first listen, it sounds like a conglomeration of the past three albums with little new brought to the table, but further listens reveal deeper layers beneath the surface. "Innocent" and "Type Three" are some of the album's softer moments and actually serve as some of its best (I love the lyric of the latter, "I look to heaven to save me and you call me naïve / rather been a hopeless lover than cursed with disbelief"), while "Other Side," "Intentions" and "Desires" are among the best rockers. Vital is definitely amid Anberlin's best records yet and, in a time where a lot of today's modern rock music feels like it's the byproduct of a just-add-water mixture, this is a truly refreshing album.

Track List:
  1. Self-Starter (3:17)
  2. Little Tyrants (3:21)
  3. Other Side (4:05)
  4. Someone Anyone (3:28)
  5. Intentions (3:08)
  6. Innocent (4:17)
  7. Desires (3:03)
  8. Type Three (3:56)
  9. Orpheum (3:50)
  10. Modern Age (4:12)
  11. God, Drugs, & Sex (6:13)
  12. Unstable (3:34) **iTunes Exclusive
  13. Said Too Much (3:29) **Best Buy Exclusive
  14. No Love To Speak (4:09) **Best Buy Exclusive

Anchor & Braille - The Quiet Life (2012)


No doubt one of the most popular and practiced bands in T&N's history, Anberlin amicably parted ways with the label in late 2007, but with an impressive tenure comes lasting future providence. Anberlin's vocalist Stephen Christian began the project Anchor & Braille years ago, but for his second album, T&N gladly took him on their roster, but The Quiet Life proves its worth well beyond its marketability.
 
The central theme of The Quiet Life is living vibrantly in the moment. Unlike the bleak, sometimes bittersweet, musings of 2009's Felt, this go-round feels far more hopeful and optimistic without opting for unrealistic naivety. Even when it's not in sight, joy is the destination. Look no further for a sanguine outlook yearning for something more with lines such as "Life is beautiful, open your eyes…/it's not somewhere out there, it's there by your side/it's here and today, it's there in your smile" ("Knew Then Know Now") and "Is it just me or is life passing us by?/We breathe and we eat then we sleep then we drink and we die/If not now then, if not now when?" ("If Not Now When"). But even outside more positive themes, the musical landscape this time is more upbeat and makes better use of interesting percussion techniques (akin to Felt's "Like Steps in a Dance"); the lead single "Goes Without Saying" is ushered in with an electronic timed drum beat, and other tracks such as "In With the New" and "Kodachrome" follow this level of buoyant composition, and it adds more layers to A&B's alternative-painted texture. But just in case listeners get concerned with low supply of ballads on The Quiet Life, A&B sticks "Hymn For Her," "Everybody Here Wants You," and "Before I Start Dreaming" at the album's end, and they prove to be a trio worth savoring. The Quiet Life serves in the meantime as one of finest singer-songwriter efforts this year, one in which Tooth & Nail should take pride and joy.

Track List:
  1. Goes Without Saying (4:20)
  2. Knew Then Know Now (4:11)
  3. Find Me (4:04)
  4. In With the New (3:19)
  5. If Not Now, When (3:28)
  6. Kodachrome (3:13)
  7. Collapse (4:46)
  8. Hymn for Her (5:05)
  9. Everybody Here Wants You (5:15)
  10. Before I Start Dreaming (4:12)

The Wedding - No Direction (2012)


Despite being around for years now, The Wedding hardly ever seems to be dropping full-length albums. But the newly signed Tooth & Nail act known for their punk flair alternative tunes is bringing their creative sound to a record store near you with their third album, No Direction.

The first chunk of the album is exactly what one would expect to find when listening to an album from the four piece from Arkansas: fast-paced, chant filled, anger-laced alternative rock tunes, and each one comes out delightful. These boys can definitely play their instruments and holler positive anthems, making this part of the album replay worthy. Near the middle of the release is "The Wildest Ocean," which showcases a softer side and more depth with lyrics like "with all my transgressions, I need Someone who can wash it all away... Tell me it's more than being broken." The track is haunting and simply amazing.

Some of the songs aren't noteworthy, but they're not necessarily bad, either. "The Raconteur" and "Young and Dangerous" sound a little repetitive with a few too many "whoa's whoa's" for their own good, and "Hang On Love" doesn't seem to fit on this album and should have been omitted entirely. Overall, this is certainly worth picking up if you're into previous stuff from The Wedding or simply a fan of the rock or alternative genre.
Track List:
  1. No Direction (3:19)
  2. In the End (3:04)
  3. The Lesser Worth (4:24)
  4. The Raconteur (3:16)
  5. Hang On Love (4:13)
  6. The Wildest Ocean (5:16)
  7. Mors Tua Nos Vita (3:09)
  8. Kill Any Excuse (3:22)
  9. Heartbreak in Melody (3:01)
  10. Don't Let Me Down (3:49)
  11. Young and Dangerous (3:35)
  12. Distance and Resolution (2:33)

sábado, 1 de septiembre de 2012

House Of Heroes - Cold Hard Want


House of Heroes is a diamond in the rough in Christian music. Often being underappreciated and overlooked, it begs the question as to why. Hopefully Cold Hard Want breaks them out of that cycle and garners the band the recognition for the musical beauty that this record is. Combining HOH nostalgia with heavier, edgier and more anthemic musical pieces, they may have set the bar higher than any of their previous records. From its first three eager, energetic pieces to its slower, introspective gems and back, House of Heroes shows its maturation as a formidable force. Tim Skipper's vocals have never sounded better in "Angels of Night" and "Suspect," and their lyrical musings in "Comfort Trap," "We Were Giants" and "I Am a Symbol" have this listener eager for what this year has to offer this much appreciative fan. gems on here.


P.O.D. - Murdered Love


After coming off of what is often referred to as one of their weakest albums, P.O.D. is back with an anticipated new record. The styles found on Murdered Love echo previous albums such as Southtown and Satellite. Lyrically, this album is one of their boldest when it comes to speaking out about their faith, with just a few "party band" tracks included. Some of the album highlights are "Murdered Love," which is an aggressive track about the Crucifixion of Jesus and "Higher," which is a rap-infused/melodic track where lead singer Sonny Sandoval sings about Heaven, and his anticipation to spend eternity with God. P.O.D. slows things down on "Beautiful", where Sandoval sings about a girl who cuts herself to relieve the pain in her life, and he's telling her (and everyone) that "Life is beautiful, share a little love with the whole wide world." And "You're beautiful to me." "On Fire" sounds similar in content and style to Thousand Foot Krutch's "I Get Wicked," and would almost fit on their new record better than P.O.D.'s. "Panic and Run" closes the album on the Christian retail version, and opens to wildlife sounds and has a "punk rock/reggae" vibe which then goes into a metalcore bridge. The bonus track found on the mainstream release, and also the most controversial track, "I Am," has several bleeped f-words laced within the song. The song itself has a redeeming message, a sinner looking for grace and rescue, but unfortunately the swearing overshadows it. While this album features some of their strongest work to date, it also has their weakest. "West Coast Rock Steady" and "Bad Boy" are among the latter. Still, Murdered Love is quite an improvement from Angels and Serpents, and if listeners will look past the controversy associated with "I Am", they'll be sure to find some gems on here.


The Classic Crime - Phoenix


After releasing four albums with Tooth & Nail records, including their last release, Vagabonds, The Classic Crime continues with a surprisingly different approach with Phoenix. This project is filled with many thoughtprovoking lyrics which involve some pretty serious subject matter like suicide, pride, acceptance, and unconditional love. One of my personal favorite lines are from the song, "Young Again" which is dealing with the issue where one regrets that they haven't had a fulfilling life: "Every thought is a blessing / Every breath that you take / Everything outside of right now is illusory / It's not real / The past, the future, they don't exist / All you have is now / Is this enough for you?" One of TCC's most memorable and emotionally driven songs to date, "The Precipice," flows so well and has such an enjoyable resonance that it's destined to become an instant favorite as it deals with one's acceptance: "Whatever the cost / whether it works out or not / I'll follow you with my heart." "Dead Rose" signals a change that takes place when we depart from our old self and enter our new life with God: "Dead rose, I don't love you anymore / We'll look back on the day / when the dead rose from the grave / No more sorry and shame / The new body and name / Nothing perfect will die / No more tears in our eyes / No more worries and trials / We'll have faith like a child's / When I come through that open door." Phoenix is a welcome collection of songs that has been in the waiting since The Silver Cord was released four years ago, and it seems that the definition for the word "phoenix" is appropriate when describing this compilation: "A person or thing that has become renewed or restored." This album is proof that good things can come from Kickstarter funds. Some enthusiasts might object to Phoenix as a more toned down record when compared to previous efforts, however, it does have several songs with an edge like "Glass Houses," "Young Again," "You and Me Both" and "Painted Dreams." Phoenix is, for the most part, a release that is unforgettable both musically and lyrically, and it should please existing fans as well as inspiring new listeners.

martes, 21 de agosto de 2012

Sixpence None The Richer - Lost In Transition


In the ten years since their last full album as Sixpence None the Richer, Leigh Nash and Matt Slocum's music career has taken quite a journey. One Christmas record and an EP, new music rumors, label woes, postponed release dates, and a title change later, their full-length reunion has arrived in the aptly titled Lost in Transition. At this point, a casual listener who mostly remembers them for "Kiss Me" might forget about this indie release, but lovers of alternative pop could find this one worth noticing.
Lost in Transition lives between the stripped down alternative of early Sixpence and the pop shimmer of their later work. Sometimes, they're introspective and downbeat, as in the raw emotion of "Radio" and "Be Ok." In other moments, they embrace catchy, singable hooks with a southern twang, with "Should Not Be This Hard" being a prime example. With the exception of maybe "My Dear Machine," which makes use of horns and a fuller sound, this record is stripped down, warm, and just poppy enough.
But underneath -- or perhaps above -- all that, is Leigh Nash's voice that has always in some ways defined the Sixpence sound. Sometimes, she evokes a little bit of the Eisley ladies in her ethereal, yet emotional delivery. Songs like "Give it Back" reveal conviction and heart, as she begs for a return of faith, then angelically lilts, "If you'll blow on the embers / The light will shine on my face / The streams will run in the desert / And sing amazing grace."
Whether Sixpence can reascend to the popularity of songs like "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes" remains to be seen, as it's easy for a relatively low-key release like this to get lost in the constant rush of new music. Longtime fans will no doubt find reason to rejoice that this album is finally here, but casual acquaintances should certainly consider giving this one a listen. There's a mature beauty that shows the payoff of years of hard work, proving Sixpence is back and worth the wait.



sábado, 28 de julio de 2012

Write This Down - Lost Weekend


The mysterious Tooth & Nail Records outfit Write This Down made a grand splash in 2010's year in music, and their self-titled debut boasted a sweeping variety of rock approaches that fluctuated from song to song. Two years later, Lost Weekend is a far more consistent effort, honing in on a coarse hard rock style (best foretold in last album's "Redemption") with dirtier riffs and unrelenting aggression throughout the vast majority of its tracks. WTD's cryptic, but honest, lyricism is back in full force, as Johnny Collier and Nate Rockwell scream and sing with conviction, digging for better than the lowest common denominator in both themselves and their surrounding society. The clever and flawless No Doubt cover "Don't Speak," the acoustic-based and heartfelt "Cheap Affairs," and the short and sweet "Minnesota Interlude" are all the budding flowers in the record's rugged landscape, giving much-needed variety to the album's full picture. While Write This Down had little issue diversifying within an expanded genre, it was a slightly unfocused collection, and though Lost Weekend addresses this area effectively, it's almost too locked in to one sound, giving off an ever-so-faint formulaic flair. WTD has proven to be comfortable both in and out of their musical skin, and album number three will likely work best as the happy medium in their genre of choice. Still, Lost Weekend is an immensely appealing hard rock ride; worth ample listens this summer and beyond, it's certainly the most complete record from the Tooth & Nail roster this year, at least for now.

Style: Screamo / Rock
Street Date: June 5, 2012
Track List:

01. The Older I Get, The Better I Was (3:26)
02. See Ya Never (3:16)
03. I'll Make You Famous (3:18)
04. Red 7 (3:38)
05. Crash and Burn (3:31)
06. Don't Speak (3:17)
07. Cheap Affairs (4:12)
08. The Florida Rage (3:15)
09. Lost Weekend (3:50)
10. Touch and Go (3:49)
11. Minnesota Interlude (2:02)
12. Song and Dance (4:59)

Link: Mediafire
pass: godrocks

viernes, 6 de abril de 2012

Pop Scene...

01. Stand By You - Paul Wright & Rebecca St. James
02. Reborn - Rebecca St. James
03. I Believe - ZOEGirl
04. Protection - Future Of Forestry
05. From Sunrise to Sunset - Paul Wright
06. Did You Know - Sarah Macintosh
07. Take Me Away - Stacie Orrico
08. So Simple - Stacie Orrico
09. I'm Not Missing You - Stacie Orrico
10. God - Rebecca St. James
11. Consume Me - DC Talk
12. Dreams - Lovedrug
13. Wherever We Go - Newsboys
14. Secret Kingdom - Newsboys
15. Yahweh - Tal & Acacia
16. Stuck - Stacie Orrico
17. (There's Gotta Be) More To Life - Stacie Orrico
18. I Promise - Stacie Orrico
19. Make Some Noise - Krystal Meyers
20. Love It Away - Krystal Meyers
21. Shine - Krystal Meyers
22. Feel So Right - Krystal Meyers
23. We Were Made for You - Aaron Gillespie
24. I Need You - Jars Of Clay
25. Shelter - Jars Of Clay
26. Beating My Heart - Jon McLaughlin
27. You Can Never Go Back - Jon McLaughlin
28. For You From Me - Jon McLaughlin
29. The Middle - Jon McLaughlin
30. Perfect - Jon McLaughlin
31. Walking On Sunshine - Jump5
32. El Movimiento Es Amor - Implosion
33. The Only One - Kelly Mack
34. Shine - Newsboys
35. Breakfast - Newsboys
36. Be Love - Plus One
37. Break It Out - Press Play
38. Life Is Beautiful - Press Play
39. Hold On - Remedy Drive
40. Cut (Bronleewe & Bose Radio Edit) - Plumb
41. The Generous Mr. Lovewell - MercyMe
42. Move - MercyMe
43. Back & Forth - Lanae' Hale
44. Alive Agian - Lanae' Hale
45. Note to God - Charice
46. On and On - Chasen
47. Take You Back (live) - Jeremy Camp
48. Backwards - After Edmund
49. Birds - After Edmund
50. The Only Thing -Addison Road
51. Love - Inhabited
52. Respect - Inhabited
53. One Show - Inhabited
54. Trouble - Jaymes Reunion
55. The Answer - Jaymes Reunion
56. There You Are - Jaymes Reunion

lunes, 16 de enero de 2012

Athlete - "Black Swan"


Athlete are an indie rock band which formed in 1999 in Deptford, London- England. Their sound is a mix of indie rock and electronic music, most recently integrating organic sounds into their music.

Street Date: August 24, 2009


viernes, 6 de enero de 2012

All the Day Holiday - "The Things We've Grown to Love"


The enchantment and gorgeous intentions of The Things We’ve Grown To Love is immediate. Album opener “Autumn” starts with a token lead: urgent guitars, pulsating effects busting through the seams, vocal lines that draw maps across several landscapes and then a lyric that assures “We’re caught up in/A thousand spiderwebs and lies/So let it go, let the pages turn on their own” and then “I promise you we’ll make it out alive.” A key gut-jerking that “this is something real” (as the band puts it on “Real Time”) gives All The Day Holiday a mystic that there is something unbeknownst to us all, and they’re just helping us understand that. But above those virtuous ideals, All The Day Holiday are still a bit naïve. And so are we all - the combination of this all is what gauges The Things We’ve Grown To Love at a mesmerizing level of emotive. Similar experiences have been had with bands like Lovedrug and Pompeii, but All The Day Holiday is the new player on the frontlines of tingly auras.

But enough of these gushy sentiments. The beauty of The Things We’ve Grown To Love has a lot more to do with Matt Malpass production and the band’s nerve for laying pop atmospheres akin to Mae or Days Away. Every track on the album, with the exception of acoustic ender “Invisible”, is a sophisticated calculation of delay and sounds as colors. Despite being new to our ears, All The Day Holiday has the structure of a band who has toyed around with their sound for more than a few years (and was previously splashing around in the screamo genre with former band, Against The Nations). This shows in their secure delivery and precision.

Style: Indie / Experimental / Ambient
Street Date: August 4, 2009

Track list:
01 Autumn
02 Real Time
03 2000 Winters
04 Greener
05 La Voyage
06 Atmosphere
07 Cities
08 The Things We've Grown To Love
09 Flowers And Fireworks
10 Cheers (You Still Love Me)
11 Mountains
12 Invisible

Link: mediafire

jueves, 5 de enero de 2012

Chasing Victory - Fiends



First, a list:
1) The Battle of Verdun
2) Art & Culture During The T'ang Dynasty
3) Chasing Victory
4) Millard Filmore, The 13th President of the United States

The only thing the items in this list have in common is that they are a compilation of subjects that I know little to nothing about. I got the commission to review Fiends, the third release from Chasing Victory, a band I hesitate to call emo-core or alt-core, but nonetheless a band that falls out of my normal bailiwick of extreme hardcore and metal music.

The album opener, "Chemicals," should be enough to rope you into listening to the whole record, which is a magnificently written compilation of hard music written by a clearly accomplished band, not just your run-of-the-mill weepy screamo kids. The vocals are nice, fairly standard; lots of shrieks mixed in with clear falsetto vocals. Songs like "Wolves" and "Fiends" have vocal melodies that remind one a lot of bands like Mindless Self Indulgence with their frantic octave changes and coffee-grinder-full-of-bones screams. On the softer side of Sears, they've got a lot in common with the Bleed American sound of Jimmy Eat World, especially heart-renders like "Brides" with its weepy guitar leads and quavering lyrics.

Fiends is certainly a worthy third effort, and also certainly worth a listen.

Style: Alternative / Hardcore / Rock
Street Date: May 8, 2007

Track list:
01. Chemicals (King Of The Carp)
02. Wolves (G.O.B. Vs Tony Wonder)
03. Fiends (Selling Out Ain't Easy)
04. Queens (The Skeleton Key To A Skeleton)
05. Carnies (Rapture Raptors)
06. Janus (Doctor Jekyll/Stephen Hyde)
07. Zombies (Oceans Away The Sequel)
08. Brides (The Groom Of St. Albany)
09. Kings (Miaminions)
10. Barbarians (Crackle Rotcha Tee Thout) 

Link: mediafire