I think this is the third time I’ve start this… I didn’t check but hey, let’s actually try do this blog because sometimes I have a lot to say, mostly negative if I’m honest (more on this soon*) and I really need to vent sometimes. So welcome to the reboot of my blog where I’m going to talk about stuff to do with stuff that I happen to like or dislike.
That’s all there really is to say right now. So I will post my latest video and see you soon with a full post about something, not sure what yet but rest assured that it will be words that my fingers press out for your wonderful eyes. Let’s get productive shall we?
Every year the BBC (British Broadcasting Company for those across the pond) recognize a new, upcoming artist who they personally believe have potential be huge in the coming year. Recently they’ve just announced the winner of Sound of 2016 to be Jack Garrett, an extremely talented musician and no doubt worthy of the title. There’s already been a thousand articles praising him so I’m going to tackle the issue I see with the whole BBC Sound of.
The two biggest issues I have are, where are all the bands and where’s the diversity?! This year there was one band on the list who went by the name Blossoms, that’s it. Everyone else was a solo artist or collective of artists. Is this because there was simply a lack of bands to emerge this year? Is the lack of diversity because of the BBC preferring one type of music over the other? Is this enough thought-provoking questions to get you to carry on? Right, let’s get on with this!
More Diversity Please:
Right, let’s get one thing straight. There is tons of diversity within types of music and I also can’t stand the classic phrase ‘It all sounds the same…’ Honestly it makes me wanna slap the ignorance out of whoever says it because nothing sounds the same. Even people making awful rip off versions of songs don’t sound the same as originals. The reason why I’m saying this is because I know those who enjoy the style of music that it is present will say that there is already diversity and that brings me into my wider point.
I want diversity that covers a ton of genres! I want everything possible represented. Give me Rap, Metal, Hip-Hop, Pop-Punk, all of it! If you’re going to be putting out a list that is the sound of a year then surely it should include as many sounds of that year as possible. Here’s an example of how little diversity there really is. Six out of the fifteen have the genre ‘Pop’ in their PR line and five have the term ‘R&B’ or ‘Rap’. That’s 73% of the list put into three (very similar) genres. Yes diversity exists within genres as stated but I want diversity of genres.
BBC, I hear your adverts on Spotify all the time, you preach to me that you want to show us new music and that you’re the number one place for new music. Why don’t make good on what you claim and show us something new and something different most importantly. Every single winner falls under one of three categories, ‘Pop, Rap or R&B’. There’s been one artist that has a hint of heavy in them, that being Enter Shikari, who still use synths and dance elements in their songs, they came fifth for those interested.
Is there a clear bias within the BBC as to what wins? I’m not going to claim anything but I will say that in the rules, that I found in a simple Google search, that they hold the right to disqualify any artist if they deem it fit too. Take that as you will. The real problem though is that it punishes bands and artists who gain success on their own. If you release an album, you won’t be on the list and BBC will pretend that you don’t exist. If you breakout by yourself then they won’t have any part of you, the BBC only want artists that they can break themselves and therefore claim that they did it.
More Bands Please:
The second biggest issue is that they always favor solo artists over bands. Need evidence? Well, there have been fourteen winners and two of those have been bands… What’s so wrong with bands BBC? Why are they such a rarity both on your list and as winners? Solo artists are great yes, I’m not disputing that but bands are just as good. There have been hundred upon hundred of fantastic bands to come out over fourteen years and you’ve deemed to acceptable to praise two of them? Two?! Change is needed, let’s have some equality within this list.
I not advertising for there to be seven bands and eight solo artists. I understand that most solo artists will not release an album or go on tour before they find success whereas a band is much more likely to try do everything themselves. Seriously though, give his three or four bands on the list. Just more than one and I’ll be happier.
To Finish:
I understand that the list isn’t aimed at me and that it is for the mainstream audience. That doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be for me though and there needs to be more diversity within it. We are in an age where everyone, every culture and everything is becoming more accepted and praised. Why can’t we continue this revolution in mainstream music. I’m not asking for niche genres to be on prime time radio, what I’m asking for is the chance for those listening to hear something different that they wouldn’t normally hear.
BBC, you have no advertisers to keep happy, no sponsors demanding results so please, take a chance and give everyone the opportunity to hear something new and ultimately decide for ourselves what we like. The Sound of… list has so much potential to give everyone something new and every time it’s the same, you can be better and we should expect more.
Right so it’s late and I decided to review Ice Nine Kills new record! Why? Because it’s late and I act on impulses, so lets do this!
Ice Nine Kills
Every Trick in the Book
This is Ice Nine Kills fourth studio album and after the first three records delivered really good singles, the album tracks only ever felt like filler. Every Trick in the Book looks to add depth to every song by making each one about a classic story such as Dracula or The Exorcist and for the most part they succeed.
The sound we’ve come to expect from them is clear and present but with a much more defined, more thought out feel to it. The guitars are still heavy with interesting riffs in each song, the drums and bass are solid but rarely standout on their own. The vocals are the best part of the album. The feeling and emotional variety is truly astounding. No where better does it stand out in than ‘Me, Myself & Hyde’. The lyrics and vocals combine perfectly to create this real, almost theatrical sound of a man struggling with a split personality disorder. We also get a softer song, ‘Tess-Timony’ than we’re used to with Ice Nine Kills where, once again the vocals stand out, really showing the range or music that they can create.
Each song feels unique and yet manages to fit perfectly within the overall sound of the album. Opening with the epic ‘The Nature of the Beast’ sets the tone for the entire album, with its theatrical opening into the full on the verse and having a huge chorus that anyone can sing along to. Its the perfect opening song. Other standout songs include ‘Bloodbath & Beyond’, ‘The Plot Sickens’, ‘Me, Myself & Hyde’ and ‘Tess-Timony’. Each offering something for every Ice Nine Kills fan to enjoy.
Unfortunately though, the album still suffers from having certain songs that aren’t bad, just unmemorable. Songs like ‘Communion of the Cursed’, ‘Alice’ and ‘Star-Crossed Enemies’ just can’t reach the level that the best songs do. These songs are a huge step above their previous albums but in comparison to what else they have on offer here, for me, they just don’t reach the standard they’ve set themselves.
Those tracks are the only thing holding the album back from being truly great. I do love this record, I think that as a whole it’s a step in the right direction for Ice Nine Kills, it puts them onto a path for greatness, they’re just one more album away from it. I would love for them to carry on with the theme of each song being a story, it gives so much depth to the songs that otherwise may not be there.
Overall: 8/10 – Buy.
And there’s my first review. Felt serious, I’m not used to being serious, felt weird. Need more explanation marks! There we go! Final thing, these are all my opinions, you don’t have to listen to or agree with me!
Hello! Back at it again, I can’t stop myself, words are just pouring out of my finger tips recently! This is how my mind words, one day it’s this, next day its that and so on. Right so today I’m talking who I believe are the ‘Breakout Band’ of 2015! Nice buzz word isn’t it, a fancy way of saying, this band are new and awesome. Anyway, what is my criteria?!
Here it is in a nice little bullet point list:
Must have an album release from this year.
Clear rise in popularity.
Have to have been on tour.
I have to like them.
And that is about it, now I’m pretty sure that the winner has been spoiled already because WordPress uses the videos I put in the posts as it’s thumbnails. Thanks for that! However, if it hasn’t been ruined for you, my personal choice for Breakout Band of the Year is…
As It Is!
Congratulations! I’ll think of a name for the award later, I’ll make sure it sounds prestigious and something you could put on a tour poster as an endorsement, if a small time bloggers approval is something you want to sell your band on! So, why did they win? We need some headers for this part.
Album:
This year they released their debut album; Never Happy, Ever After, which is an amazing debut album. When you listen to it the first thing you will hear is the extremely catchy vocal lines and melodies provided by Patty Walters and combined with the grittier, harsher sounding vocals from Benjamin Biss they contrast so well. The music itself initially sounds like standard pop-punk but when you listen, there’s a depth to it, something more than just whats on the surface. That’s what I listen for in music, depth and you find tons of it here.
Popularity:
The band signed in 2014 to Fearless Records and have sky rocketed in popularity since but also they also shown a huge amount of potential with their first album, the future holds big things and part of being a Breakout Band is having the potential to, well, breakout!
Touring:
Since releasing their album in April they’ve played every date of the Vans Warped Tour and Reading & Leads festival. If that wasn’t impressive enough for a new band, from England may I add, to play every show on an American tour, take a look at the size of the audience watching them in the video above.
I Like Them:
And in case it wasn’t already obvious enough, I really like them and I did state that as a part of the criteria so I felt the need to include the header anyway! Plus headers are nice, they really give structure to a post. Right, before this derails lets wrap up.
That’s who I name Breakout Band of the Year. The end of year is for awards so hey, why not give out an award of some kind! Who would you say is an emerging artist you’d give this award too? What other questions can I ask to get a comment? And is this an effective call to action? Smash that ‘Like’ button before you let me know!
Well, got a bit sarcastic at the end there! As always, stay awesome and stay you!
Hello! Yes, yes introductions, I am well. How are you? Fantastic! Let’s get stuck in!
There are a few huge misconceptions regarding vocalists that scream and use vocal techniques to growl, scream and so on. This post isn’t here to convince you to enjoy it or like the vocal style. No, this article is here to educate those who don’t understand or think that it all ‘sounds the same’. I’m including songs you can compare too, some will be from Pop Goes Punk in order to try help those who aren’t into heavy music a chance to relate to what I’m talking about. Each video will be a different kind of screamed vocal.
They All Sound The Same:
This is the most common and typical statement I hear in regards too screamed vocals. I’ve heard veteran radio DJs, who have claimed to know what’s good in all kinds of music, say that they don’t understand screaming or can hear a difference between bands. Right, if this is you, get ready to open and simultaneously have your mind blown!
They don’t all sound the same! Now, here’s some reasoning while you’re putting your brain back together. In singing, different singers have different ranges that they sing within. Same with screams. You can get highs, lows, mids and so on. Also, different singers have different accents, pronunciations and a variety of things that can affect how they sound. This is the same with singers in popular music. You wouldn’t say Justin Bieber and Usher sound the same whereas those who don’t understand would say that. It’s all about personal taste and perception as to how we form our opinions.
With this in mind, when you hear a screamed vocal, don’t just close your ears and push it out. Take a few seconds to actually listen, take in what you’re listening too. I know it can sound like noise, or just loudness without definition but if you take the time, you may find something you like. If you don’t, that’s awesome! At least you’re a nice person with an open mind!
They Only Do It Because They Can’t Sing:
Right, this statement can only ever be made in ignorance or if you’re trying to be annoying. Why? Because screaming is singing and just because it’s different doesn’t mean it doesn’t fall under the same category. For example, metal is incredibly different to R&B however both are still music. A guitar is as much a musical instrument as a synth is and vocal, screamed or clean is still a vocal.
As for the implied meaning to the statement that screaming is easy, that is also untrue. For those who think it’s easy, I invite you to scream along to the video below and see if you can hit all the correct pitches, lyrical pronunciation and so forth. Don’t worry, I’ll wait!
How’d ya do? See it isn’t that easy. In fact, it’s easier to sing along to a song than it is to scream it. How often do you sing in the shower? Or in your car when your favorite track comes on? Or at two in the morning when you’re listening to your favorite song and can’t help singing at the top of your lungs no matter how many times the neighbors ask you to stop? Now, how often you think someone who screams just naturally screams along. Not many because it takes a lot of practice and technique, which leads me onto the final point!
They’ll Just Ruin Their Vocal Chords:
Yes, it’s incredibly obvious why you’d think this. I’ve thought this before! I’ve even hurt my voice while screaming and other famous musicians have had to change their way of singing because of incorrect techniques. The fact of the matter though is that if you use the correct screaming methods then you won’t hurt anything.
Extremely brief reason as to why. When you were little and you had a tantrum because you didn’t like spaghetti and your lovely mum insisted that you should try eat spaghetti, mum’s spaghetti shall we say! Well, when the bowl went across the room and you screamed because you hated it, that didn’t damage your vocal chords. When you clear your throat, that feeling doesn’t hurt. What I’m getting at is that creating a distorted noise is natural and if you scream from the correct areas, you won’t hurt yourself. That’s the simplest way I can describe it and there’s a lot more needed to do it correctly but you get the picture!
You can always tell when someone is using good or bad technique and here’s a tip, watch some live videos, that’s where you can tell. Take Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire, his screams live are always consistent as well as his clean vocals. He wouldn’t be able to do this night in night out if he was hurting himself. Right, anyway I’ve spoken for ages, get to the wrap up!
The Wrap Up Is Underneath This Header Which Only Exists To Keep Consistency:
And here we are! At the end of that. If you enjoy screamed vocals then this blog did nothing but assert what you already think. However, if you don’t like that style normally, I hope you learnt something. I tried my best to relate and bring more people into this genre, even if i Read More
Welcome back, or if its your first time just welcome! You’ve read the title, I’ve hooked you in, so now lets dive straight into the discussion.
There’s a trend with bands to release an album and then, after a certain amount time, normally around a year and a half, to re-release the same record with a couple of new songs plus some acoustic or rerecorded versions. In this discussion I’ll be limiting the examples to Crown The Empire and Memphis May Fire, since they’ve both recently done this and I want to keep it in the area I listen to and consume myself. I’ve also gathered some opinions from Reddit to compare peoples thoughts.
First, why do bands release Deluxe Editions? Several reasons.
Number 1, they need to make money. Like everyone else with a job, recording and being part of a band is their job. To continue doing their job they need to make money! Production costs, studio fees and the fact that downloads are steadily declining and streaming is still being figured out mean that paying those bills can become costly, especially when the production values are so high on the records. Also, they have to pay everyone else behind the scenes and the label/publisher need their money as well. Releasing a deluxe edition that will sell just as well as the first release makes sense financially, if you could print money then why wouldn’t you?!
Number 2, it is proven that people will buy a re-release otherwise they wouldn’t bother releasing deluxe editions. As consumers we love new shiny things and shy away from the old things (until they’re so old that they become vintage but that’s an entire different blog post). Therefore those who missed the initial release have a chance to pick up a new shiny deluxe edition because even though it is old songs, it is presented as new.
Number 3, it fills the gap between full length releases, keeps the band relevant and gets their fans excited for whats coming next. One of the best examples is Crown The Empires new deluxe edition which features two new songs, one called ‘Cross Our Bones’ which is almost showing a new direction they might take. This builds excitement or interest towards their next album. One comment from Reddit suggested that rather than releasing a deluxe edition, why not have singles or an E.P. This would be great for those who already bought it but unfortunately they aren’t who the publisher/ label are targeting.
So that’s why bands, labels and publishers release repacked deluxe editions. So now the topic of discussion turns to, is this okay? Is it okay to release something once and then again but as a shinier version? Is it greed or trying to sustain the costs of production? Is it justifiable? Does it benefit the consumer at all? The answer is incredibly complex and different for each person so lets try compress this as best we can.
From a personal stand point I think deluxe editions are great! I get a justifiable reason to buy the CD again since I always lose them. You support the band and everyone involved, get some extra songs and shiny new artwork! If I don’t want to buy the new CD, I can always download the individual new songs which is the same as buying a single.
I can also see why people don’t like it. It comes across as lazy, money grabbing and milking your fans when they’ve already paid for the music. It punishes the super fans, those who are at the front of every show and check everyday for updates. If I was someone who had pre-ordered the first release and was then told I had to buy it again instead of a whole new album, I’d be pretty pissed off.
The two most ‘upvoted’ comments on Reddit share this sentiment. They think it’s ‘bullshit‘ and ‘cash-grabbing‘ which I totally understand. When you buy a car and then someone has the faster version because they waited a little bit longer its a bitter pill to swallow. It’s an issue that record-labels and bands need to address more, if they were transparent and explained themselves, the public feeling on the subject might be less sensitive.
Overall, is a complicated issue. People need money to make music but those with money don’t want to feel as though they are being ripped off. We all just need to decide as individuals whether we agree and want to support it or not, then vote with our wallets. If something doesn’t sell, they won’t make it.
Welcome to the first installment of my blog! In two years you can now say that you were here, when it all began and be one of those people…
Anyways, shall we begin? *
I’m writing this as I’m in between writing assignments so this will probably be a relatively brief blog. But I’ve finished working on a lyric video, which will be embedded at the bottom of this post, where the lyrics are very much designed to honor children that fight terminal illness.
I found out that the average age of death for a child with cancer is eight years old, which in turn means that lose over seventy years of life expectancy. That really hit me hard because children are an image of innocence, potential and ultimately society as wholes future. The fact that all of that could be taken away because of an illness beyond our control is truly devastating.
As human beings we should strive to make these children’s life’s the best they can be, and give them as many experiences as they can have in their little time. What I find truly inspiring though is how much you see them smiling. How they don’t give up despite everything and are always so full of life. I think the lessons they can teach us, defiance when the odds are against you, hope in the face of doubt and gratitude for what we have despite the hand we are dealt are some of the greatest lessons we can learn.
That is the reason I wrote Stolen. I find music is the best way to express emotion and ideas in a medium that is easily consumed and relate-able. Music does have the power to effect people in ways that songwriters cannot expect. We all have a song that has helped us in difficult times. When you strip away the sale numbers, the dramatization of famous musicians, the cycle of copyright claims and disputes over ownership.
Music, at its core, is something that pulls us together as people.
Thanks for reading!
*I always include references somewhere, this was from Star Trek Into Darkness.
Mess Matty 