Ohhhh how I love new sounds! And I once again found it this week in a band called Max Population, who presents the most unique combination of psychedelic rock and reggae out there! This band from Brockport, New York never fails to bring the funk as their music is composed only of interesting sounds and combinations in harmonious melodies (with the exception of one), all presented by one man: Justin Miller. Justin says that he is “really into the old 60′s style trippiness, early 70′s style funk, late 80′s and early 90′s grunge, some industrial/metal, and even some jazz.” And that certainly could not show more in his music, as its variation is far and wide, and all too relaxing. Only one song, “Closephenshis” contains lyrics, some of which include “Universal connection/It’s all in your head/We’re not all dead/We’ve been mislead.” His lyrics present a way of thinking that is just as abstract as his music, which is what makes it all so enjoyable to listen to. Some of Justin’s major influences include Eric Lorbeck, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison, so if you like any of those highly influential artists, be sure to check out Justin’s recordings, as well! Please do so at http://www.myspace.com/maxpopulation and let me know what you think!
Max Population
@zacherybot
Every once in a while, I am ready for a refreshing sound that my ears are not accompanied to, and I love to find that sound in the form of good ol’ acoustic guitars. That’s what led me to discover the band @zacherybot. Composed of one man, Zachery, he forms a sound that is completely his own. While most of his music is composed of only his music and an acoustic guitar, he also combines an interesting mix of electro-acoustic sound. His music is the upbeat pop sound that would put anyone in a joyful mood. I’m sure Zachery spends much time perfecting his music in Arvada, Colorado, and it certainly shows in the four songs that he currently has posted: my favorite, “Dreams Aren’t for Forever”; the upbeat “Nothing But a Faded Memory”; the downbeat “An Anchor Made of Gold”; and the rap influenced “Shagwagon.” @zacherybot currently has tour dates on August 1st and 8th of this year, and is hoping to get enough votes to join bands on the Warped Tour. So check ‘em out at http://www.myspace.com/zacherybot, and if you like him then be sure to cast your vote!:)
Dodd
“Looooooveeee meee! Loooooovvveee mee!” are repeated lyrics screamed at the end of Dodd’s song “The Kiss,” a song that conveys many overwhelming feelings–those of fear, frustration, desolation, hopelessness, and anger–much like their profile picture posted to the right. And much like their song “The Kiss,” all of the songs created from this band that roots in Minneapolis, Minnesota are filled with powerful messages that are conveyed through both lyrics and music that creates a bang. The vocals are powerful, and usually screaming, portraying the darkest feelings that occur within humans. Dodd is the man supplying the vocals that demand your attention, Todd Haug and Don Tinsley provide the deep and captivating guitar riffs, Chris Quinn is slapping the bass, and Lowder provides the noisy and ever-constant drum beats. Other members include Nick, who controls the sound and atmosphere; Cara Mastrey, who fine tunes their voices, and Brian Reidinger, the engineer. Dodd is currently recording an album and hopes to be on tour soon, but all the while you may recognize some of their music in TV commercials, cable shows, and on channels such as MTV and VH1. This band covers a wide variety of music, most of which is some type of alternative screamo which I would say is all their own, but their talents stretch to further spectrums as well, as shown in their rap-rock song “Wavemaker.” Other songs to check out from them include “2,” a moody song that sounds like it should share a spot with Deftones on one of the Underworld soundtracks; “Empty Woods,” which would appeal to the anger in all of us; and “Make the Cut,” a slow song composed only of relaxing noises and softly sang romantic, hopeful lyrics, although it still has a tinge of eeriness due to its background noises and whispering throughout the song. Be sure to check out all of these amazingly composed songs that portray emotion on a whole new level at http://www.myspace.com/doddmusic. Let me know what you think!
Branded With Fear
Originating in Atlanta, Georgia, Branded With Fear is bringing a new, edgy sound to the world of hard rock. Deriving their band name from a transition within each of their lives, from being conformed to unafraid, Branded With Fear consists of four members, who found each other one by one. Dante Pastore is the lead guitarist, Chris Green provides an aid in guitar while singing main vocals, Jake West provides backing vocals and bass, and Nathan Weaver occupies the drums. The bands has achieved much success since beginning in 2006; in fact, they recently released a new EP (extended play)in 2009 that is available at Best Buy and Hot Topic locations, in addition to being on iTunes, and it is entitled In My Head. Previous to that EP, one was released in 2008 entitled Into the Void. The band produces a wide variety of music; they have heavy, dark sounding songs such as “In My Head” and “Your Last Chance,” and also show a different, more moody side of them in songs such as “There’s More to Life,” which is beautifully recorded acoustically. They recently had a homecoming show in March of this year which was performed at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee, and I expect to see this band on tour many, MANY more times from this point on. They are gaining fame at unexpected speeds, and I think that they will soon become a popular, mainstream band within the hard rock scene. Please go and show your support for Branded With Fear at http://www.myspace.com/brandedwithfear; they will certainly appreciate it and I have no doubt that you will enjoy listening to their awesome songs!
Farewell From The Gallows
A band exists that is a unique combination of being Christian, hardcore, and melodic; light and inspiring through their lyrics, and dark and destructive through their sound. This band is producing awesome music, and perhaps the best part of all is that all this is taking place just a little over an hour from where I live; this band lies within Terre Haute, Indiana. All of their lyrics are religious in content, accompanied by the usual hardcore aspects: heavy guitar riffs, drums and cymbals that are constantly beating and clashing, a deep bass pounding out loud, powerful beats, and of course, the continuous screaming. Kenny Brumback provides us with the screeching vocals, Christian James and Aaron Hall are supplying the wicked guitar riffs, Shawn Piat is hammering the bass, and the band is currently looking for a drummer–so if you’re a drummer, be introducing yourself to these guys at http://www.myspace.com/fftgmetal, where you can also check out their current playlist of rockin’ tunes. After listening to these guys, you’ll most likely feel both pumped, due to the astonishing musical composition, and inspired, if their lyrics speak to you or mean anything to you at all. (Which they may not if you disagree which their beliefs, but they provide good music in itself all the same.) So be sure to check these guys out, and read up on their blogs and keep up to date with how they’re doing. Let me know if you like ‘em! 
Art of Wor
Hailing from Melbourne, Victoria in Australia, Art of Wor is bringing a new front to the hard rock scene. They produce songs such as “White Man,” which start out melodic and soft and then progress into violent breakdowns; “Back to One,” which is an alternative, groovy song that is sung in German; and “Why,” a slow melodic piece that shows the true mastery of Fergus Electus’ voice. Snake Man is always demanding attention while playing dark notes on the bass; Nygaard produces beats that pound hard on the drums; Tim Davies plays dark edgy chords on the guitar, while receiving a little help from Fergus from time to time, as he accompanies Tim on guitar. They have been a band since October of 2007, and I see them going big places in life. Their music career should carry them far. They have a sound that I would compare to a harder, edgier version of a Three Days Grace and Seether band mushed together. All of their songs contain catchy guitar riffs and hooks, excellent lyrics, and driving beats. In some songs, all band members chant the words, making it seem all the more powerful. Art of Wor is definitely a band worth checking out, and I would recommend doing so at http://www.myspace.com/artofwor. Let me know what you think. Better yet, send Art of Wor some feedback; they’d love to hear from you!
THYATEIRA
A booming new band has risen to the surface from the suburb of Crystal Lake, Illinois and is here to tear the metal scene to shreds. This band is Thyateira, composed of never-ending deep screams (even in the chorus, wooahhh! Yes!); loud, clashing cymbals; heavy, rhythmic bass sections; and guitars that are constantly playing at super-sonic speeds with a wide variation of notes. It’s lead singer is David Kvistad; the man banging on the drums is Tom Hane; Chase Ganske and John Furst are mutilating the guitars; and Mitch Bruner is providing the heavy bass. David is new to the band; therefore, they will be producing brand new promos and recordings, woohoo! They are currently on tour and I hope they will be for quite some time; such a talented group deserves success! They currently have two songs posted on MySpace, ” Through Dark Eyes,” and “Sincerely, The Selfless”; the latter of which you can even download right off their page. As always, be sure to give them a listen! http://www.myspace.com/thyateira
(Don’t you love their awesome long hair?!)
Also, be sure to check out the video of them entitled “Thya-What?! Who is the band THYATEIRA?” under their blog entry “Who is Thyateira?” It not only provides a good insight into the band’s live performances and behind-the-scene clips, but also of the band members themselves. It’s a pretty funny video; be sure to watch it! http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendId=209195382. Be sure to look for the titles that I listed, because you will have to scroll through the blog list to find it! Let me know if you enjoy!
DEMIA
AHHHHHHHHH!! That’s pretty much the first thing you’ll hear exiting my mouth after hearing the sounds of a band such as Demia. And, no, not out of fear, but out of sheer excitement to hear such crazy, powerful music. I was on the verge of taking a nap when looking for a decent band to write about, but then I came across Demia’s page and was instantly awaken by the explosive music that was smacking me across the face: brutal screams belting from Yoav; hard shredding, fast-paced guitar parts from DMN and Robert, the drums and cymbals exploding in the back from Sky; and the thrash that enters the music from the deep, dark sounding bass. This band from Amsterdam in the Netherlands is truly exceptional. They have toured all over Europe and have even hit up the U.S. promoting their album Insidious. Given the chance, I would definitely attend one of their concerts–but I’d avoid the mosh pit of this dangerous sounding music at all means! Check out what one of their concerts would be like by watching a live performance of their song “Doubt” by following this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bKwSs9B5uk. Okay, so the lead singer gets a little into it, but don’t judge! If music allows you the power to lose yourself within it, then more power to you! And as always, check out their crazy tunes on MySpace:http://www.myspace.com/demiamusic. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Let me know what you think!
Absolution Project
This week I discovered a band from Rochester, New York that has funky bass lines, powerful drum beats, awesome rhythm on guitar, and a unique lead vocalist that all automatically caught my attention in the form of Absolution Project. Juston, on vocals; Steve and Rodger on guitar; Walt, on bass; and Craig, on drums all were previously engaged in separate bands before they came to find one another to provide this moody, hard rock band. Their first album, Lies, was released in 2005, followed by their recently released second album entitled Songs From Io. Both albums contain fantastic music! Absolution Project has been accepted by the fans of bands they have previously toured with, including acts such as Papa Roach, Green Day, Nonpoint, Finch, and 36 Crazy Fists. What I enjoy most about this band, perhaps, is not only their hard rock essence, driving beats, and occasional incorporation of screaming, but supremely, their vocabulary. Looking at some of their songs such as “Symptomatic,” “Self Made Martyr,” “Narcissist,” and “Unconscious Thoughts,” it is refreshing to see a group that possesses not only talent, but also brains! (Although I can think of many hard rock bands who do the same, much unlike the pop music of those such as K$sha and Mariah Carey). Absolution Project has a refreshing new sound that I would recommend to all who enjoy hard rock music and want to hear some new upcoming talents! Buy their songs on iTunes or check ‘em out at http://www.myspace.com/absolutionproject. You won’t be let down!
Down to None
These past couple of weeks for me have been all about learning about freedom; about living life for MYSELF and not complying to anyone else’s demands or what they want for me, no matter how much I think they may be worth it. Sometimes you must learn to let go of things in order to move on for the betterment of yourself. So freedom and liberation have been huge for me this week, and it’s felt great. Where have I found help to celebrate this freedom? In music, of course! I was originally going to write a blog about a new metal band that I discovered; for metal, aka the most liberating music EVER, is what I’ve been listening to lately. But then I had a sudden change of mind when I discovered this band–Down to None. The very first song I heard by them, “Crywolf”, could not be more perfect in explaining what my past couple of weeks have been like, and it related to me perfectly. Ah, the magic of music lies within its very essence. I couldn’t love it more. Anyways, here is an excerpt of some of the lyrics to “Crywolf”, a song that helped me so immensely: “I see your arms are still open wide/But your hands are as cold as death/You might as well dig yourself an early grave. How many times will you cry/Why won’t you cry wolf when you’re fine/In your eyes I saw an angel/Couldn’t see past the skin. But I was blinded by your touch/So I let you in. I know it’s all a lie/Every single time you cry.” Those lyrics spoke to me crystal clear, as pertaining to my last couple of weeks. So I’d definitely like to thank Dave, on vocals and guitar; Tony, performing all of the vicious and heart-felt screams; Evan, on bass; and Tom, on drums. These guys from Boston, Massachusetts are producing awesome hard rock music that I deeply appreciate. They have the traits of alternative rock in the sense that they have a clear chorus and melodies that one can easily sing along to, and they also have screaming parts that are necessary to let off that extra steam–if you sing along like me, that is. So if you want to hear some great music, check out http://www.myspace.com/downtononemusic and give “Crywolf” a listen, in addition to their other two songs posted, “James Bond” and “Sober and Cold”. Better yet, visit their page and vote for them to come perform in Vincennes–it just may happen!
