Artist Recommendation: Shapist

2nd Album Review: 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day

Green Day's rock opera and concept album 21st Century Breakdown won a Grammy for Best Rock Album, at the 52nd Grammy Awards, and I can really see why.  The album expresses the discontent and struggles of lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong's life, and the band's view of the 21st century.  It is full of references from the band's lives, and the punk tones mixed with rock riffs and influences really brings this concept album together.  Armstrong's one of a kind voice really supports this albums message and feelings, and it explores political and social aspects of the 21st century.  From the softer,slower tones of 21 Guns to the punk-rock explosion in East Jesus Nowhere, this album breaks down the century we live in through the riffs and vocals of Billie Joe, Mike, and Jason and the drumming of Tre.  Five well earned stars.

If haven't heard any of the album, go listen to East Jesus Nowhere. Great song.

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Interview: Nick Dewar, Lions Among Us

Hello. So I conducted an email interview with vocalist Nick Dewar, from the Christian Post-Hardcore band Lions Among Us. I asked him about his music and his influences, and here is what he said.

1. How did you get your start in music?

Nick: Well, I started playing music in 4th grade. My mom is a musician and a music teacher so it has always been around. I played in the school band and all of that as well. Then, I started taking lessons along with teaching myself. I started playing in bands when I was 15 or 16 and haven’t really stopped since.

2. What influences the music you make?

Nick: Literally everything influences us. We take inspiration from everything. My biggest inspiration is actually the pain I see around me. I know this might sound a little weird but let me explain. I have seen some very dark places in life. I never want to go back to feeling that way. And I see so many other people hurting and dying. They are the reason that I do this. It is my mission to help them get out of those situations. We are a band to show people that there is hope and there is love in the world. They are my biggest influence and reason that I do this.

3. How did you all meet, and how did the formation of the band occur? Nick: I was in a band before this one. We ended up breaking up for numerous reasons. So, I went into the studio and the engineer and I wrote and recorded the first EP. I then started putting together the right guys to fill the spots in the rest of the band. I met Nick (guitar) on craigslist actually. And through mutual other friends in bands or other bands that had broken up etc., the rest of us joined up.

4. Who are your inspirations, music-wise?

Nick: Musically, we all listen to very many different groups, everything ranging from Jazz and orchestral to pop and punk to hardcore and metal. So we bring a lot to the table honestly. We pull inspiration from many different kinds of music so it is hard to nail down just a few.

5. Have you experienced any difficulties or obstacles in your music career? If so, could you name some?

Nick: Yes. The music industry is FULL of difficulties and obstacles that most people don’t realize or know. There are the obstacles that you face from the musical band standpoint. The biggest one being money. Just to record a solid record costs thousands and thousands of dollars not to mention the hundreds of hours that are put into writing and perfecting it. Then after all is said and done, you only make a few dollars per record sold. Sometimes, you never even break even let alone make money on a release. Especially with how easily one can download music for free, many bands never make money on music alone. That also doesn’t count the cost of printing merchandise etc. as well. Which to make quality merch, is expensive. Then you think about the difficulties while on the road. Many of those include money issues as well. Van payments/repairs, insurance, food and other travel costs (which many bands members live on $10 a day for food or less). There are also the issues that many bands are on the road for 300 days a year. This means that they are away from home for birthdays, holidays weddings, not to mention deaths, funerals, hospital visits. I was 600 miles away when I got the call that my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Then there are the internal struggles like fights among band members or even finding the perfect band members to fit the band. You will be trapped in a van with them for hours and hours a day for 300 days a year; tensions will rise. It is not the glamorous life that many think it is. It is a very hard life. But there is nothing I would rather do.

6. Do you have any interesting encounters or stories of experiences that you have had while on the road?

Nick:There are so many crazy things that have happened on tour. Honestly though, the most amazing encounters we have on the road are with our fans. I know it might sound cliche or something but it is the truth. The fans are the reason we do this and it is awesome to meet them, talk with them and hang out. It truly is.

7. What are your plans for the future, music-wise? Do you have any particular direction that you plan to take your music?

Nick: The future honestly looks very bright. We have a ton of plans and really cool things in the works. We are writing a new record as we speak and hopefully that will be out this summer. The direction will be a mix of what we have done in the past and more. Our first record was quite electronic and pop like then our second record was much heavier and did not have much of an electronic element. This next record is going to be a mix of both and more. We will be releasing more information about all of this very soon!

This album by Shapist is really good, and you should listen to it. Listen to “Cancer”.

1st Album Review: Superunknown - Soundgarden

I listen to a lot of radio, and I am always looking for more music and artists to listen to, and more albums to listen to on repeat.  So when I heard Chris Cornell's slightly rusted and twangy voice belting out Spoonman and Black Hole Sun, I knew I had to listen to the full album.  The energetic, brisk pace of Let Me Drown to the heavier, darker sound of 4th Of July really shows the range of the album.  One of Soundgarden's heaviest albums, this definitely did not disappoint, and now is one of Soundgarden's most iconic albums.  If you haven't listened, go listen to Spoonman, and you'll understand the 4 and 1/2 rating of this album.

The fighting doesn’t just end after they come home.

Veteran Vision Project

One day we need to have a conversation about how the majority of HR professionals are white women and how they operate as the single largest barrier to entry for non white people in corporate.

Green Day - East Jesus Nowhere [Music Video] Road To Nowhere

"Road To Nowhere is inspired by Green Day’s song "East Jesus Nowhere". Its 1932- The Devil comes to a ramshackle town to peddle sin and vice, and the people must find the strength to resist temptation. ”

You can have my isolation You can have the hate that it brings You can have my absence of faith You can have my everything Help me Tear down my reason Help me It's your sex I can smell Help me You make me perfect Help me become somebody else

Closer- Nine Inch Nails

This song is from the album The Downward Spiral, which is about a man's descent into madness and ending in suicide.  This particular song is centered around how this man hates himself and escapes his insecurities through "love-making". He is obsessed with the person he is singing to, and views the person as their only connection to life. The album is full of songs with under-lying meanings and darker themes. The way Trent twists the lyrics to create these themes is amazing and improved his music all the more.