I'mmmmmm Back

Hey guys,

Sorry for taking a while to get back into this. I know I owe you all many many more posts. Some family things have come up that needed my full attention. But I'm back :)

So how about Less Than Jake? I haven't addressed them in a while. Or ever on this blog. But I love them. A lot. They were my first venture into the world of punk and ska, and so many bands that I've found and fallen in love with have been found because of them. Reel Big Fish, Voo-Doo Glow Skulls, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Goldfinger, etc.

The first time I heard them was in a little old video game called Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, with the song "All My Best Friends Are Metalheads."

And the rest is history.

I've seen them in concert on 4 separate occasions, and I own hard copies of all of their albums. I'm still working getting the vinyl editions. And the singles. And the posters. And the shirts. And DVDs. And special editions of their stuff. And action figures. And all that. I'm kind of a superfan. But I'm proud.

Check them out. You WILL NOT be disappointed. This I promise you.

www.lessthanjake.com
www.myspace.com/lessthanjake

When life gives you lemons...

So this post will stray a little bit from my regular format. Just because I don't know what else to do right now. 

This weekend I was planning on heading up to my lovely girlfriend's school and stay the weekend, spend some time, catch up, and celebrate our 3 year anniversary. We were going to watch Jim Gaffigan, make food, go to her Honors Program's Formal, and dance the night away to great music, which is something we haven't done since her senior prom in '07. 

But now I need to get a front left wheel, a front left tie rod end, and alignment done to my crappy old '93 Eagle Talon. Because of a pothole that I hit on 53. That took up 3/4 of the lane. Which my tax dollars SHOULD have gone to, so those things can get repaired. But apparently they go somewhere else. I'm not exactly sure where. Maybe we can ask Rod Blagojevich... Oh wait....

Anyways, I'm very bummed out. Because I do not have the money for the repairs right now. And I was really looking forward to seeing her. Like, REALLY looking forward to it. Sigh....

Anyways, I may be booked later today running around trying to find a place to get my car done and stuff, so Five-Song Friday might not happen. But I'll keep my promise to you all, with the Saturday and Sunday rule. I'll keep up. Don't worry. 

- Jim

Five-Song Friday!!!

I think I'm going to start this new thing, just to get back in the swing of keeping this updated. I'm going to post 5 random songs that I like, and why I like them. I encourage you to listen to at least 2 (if not all) of them. I promise it will not be a waste of your time. I also promise that if I fail to post my 5 songs on Friday, I'll make up for it by doing a Six-Song Saturday. And if I'm an even bigger failure after that, kick it into the high gear with a Seven-Song Sunday. Sounds good? Good. 

1. Some Fantastic - Barenaked Ladies

This is honestly one of my most favorite songs of all time. The lyrical content, the whimsical nature , and the light hearted childishness (yes. That's a word now) of this song make it an instant classic. Even if it wasn't a single or ever played on the radio. The version below is from a series of videos that the band did for YouTube from Ed's bathroom. Aptly dubbed "The Bathroom Sessions."

2. Life Less Frightening - Rise Against

The sheer power of this song is enough to make someone stop and listen to this song. If you really listen, you'll hear a great message that I personally think is resonating throughout every American mind during the rough time going on right now. 

3. New Friend Request - Gym Class Heroes

Gym Class Heroes is honestly one of the most clever bands that I've ever come across. It's not your typical hip-hop either. The beats are there, the hooks are there, but there's something else there too that I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe listen and tell me what you think? Also, excuse whoever made the youtube video below. There are some spelling errors. Don't worry, you'll get over it. 

4. Absolutely (Story of a girl) - Nine Days

This brings me back. I'll probably love this song forever. I miss this kind of rock/pop. Note the rock organ in the song. Totally awesome, right? Also, the video I posted below is only there because the official music video is owned by Sony BMG and I can't embed it here because they decided to take the code off of YouTube. Lame.... BUT you can still see the actual video at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWF_DZx-qS0

If you don't want to copy the link, enjoy the lyrics below :)

5. Hit That - The Offspring

Every album that The Offspring releases makes me smile. There always some gold on every single one of their records. They've nailed down punk, rap-rock, thrash, and everything else they've tried their musical hand at. Once again, the emedded code has been taken off of Youtube, so you can check out the actual video at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J5TPXUrj-0

In the meantime, enjoy the lyrics below!

Thanks for checking this out! Keep coming back for more! I promise there'll be more soon! Feel free to comment or send me messages about anything and everything! :)

- JPBIV

Request Number One!!!

So as it turns out, someone other than my lovely girlfriend and my dad actually read this! That is pretty exciting for me. Knowing that there are at least 3 readers here is wayyy better than knowing that there are only 2. So I just got a message from this pretty crazy-cool kid asking me to give Forever The Sickest Kids a listen. So I'm all over this one. 

______

Don't let the ridiculous name fool you. Even though Forever The Sickest Kids was voted the "No. 1 Worst Band Name of 2008" By AP Magazine, I would highly recommend giving them a chance. Yes, the name is pretty dumb. But if you like some serious power-pop, then this band is perfect for you. 

The first song I heard was "Whoa Oh" and it definitely caught my ear. These guys sound like a mix of Hellogoodbye with an edge, and Panic At The Disco, if they hadn't discovered classic rock (even though it's absolutely ridiculous that they had to "discover" classic rock). In any case, they have a great brand of power-pop. Honestly, it's probably the most concert-friendly music out there right now. It makes you want to jump and dance and sing along, even when you're listening to it at school or work. So can you imagine what a live show would be like?

Speaking of concerts.... FTSK (yes, I abbreviated it...) is in Europe right now, but they'll be coming back to the US for a tour this April with We The Kings (Check yes Juliet), The Cab (who are actually very good... Kinda like Maroon 5) Never Shout Never (VERY like Metro Station), and Mercy Mercedes (mega mega poppy). Sounds like a pretty huge show to me. 

I noticed something on FTSK's myspace page though.... Taylor Swift is in their Top Friends List. What's the deal with that??

- JPBIV

1997

I'm not talking about the year... (even though '97 DID grace us with a Black Sabbath reunion, a Pat Boone album of metal covers, and "MMMBop" and "Barbie Girl" both getting MASSIVE radio play and being worldwide, chart-topping hits)

... I'm talking about the band. 

1997 is a band from the 

Chicago suburbs that every person should check out. There's never been a sound quite like theirs

. It's an equal mix of folk, pop, rock, indie, and amazing. They have two albums out right now.

The first, called "A Better View of the Rising Moon," was released through Victory Records in 2007. This album is nothing short of musical perfection. It really has something to offer everyone. "Garden of Evil," "Hey Darlin'," and "The Roads You Can Take," are the tracks you absolutely have to listen to. "Grace," "Water's Edge," and "Tennessee Song," are equally fantastic as well. 

Their second album is called "On The Run," and was also released through Victory Records a year later. Alida Marroni replaced Kerri Mack on this record, and some key tracks to listen to are "One Track Mind, Four Track Heart," "Dancing With The Devil," and "Tennessee Song Pt. 2."

All in all, I just wanted to gush about this band. They truly redefine songwriting. They challenge you as a listener to find everything there is to enjoy about music. 

Check them out at www.partylikeits1997.com, where you can listen to their early stuff and their entire second album, and also see some videos of them playing live. You can also buy their albums at Best Buy and on iTunes and elsewhere. 

Expect some amazing things coming from these guys soon!

Requests

If there's anything you guys think I should listen to or want me to review or comment on, please please please send me a message or a comment with the band or album. Or even a movie. I love love love love love love hearing and seeing new things. Hook me up :)

- Jim

The clanking of crystal/Explosions off in the distance

Happy 2009 everyone!!!!!

I hope you all had a great night and got to and from wherever you were going safely. 

Thing to look forward to in the coming months:

- Inauguration day :)

- The Offspring going on tour

- Reel Big Fish releasing their new cover album (Fame, Fortune, and Fornication) and then releasing a new album of original material.

- More Evil Iguana Production Videos (check them out on youtube. I do some of the music for their stuff youtube.com/eviliguanaproduction)

- 99 Songs of Revolution by Streetlight Manifesto, Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, and other bands. It's a huge project. Look it up. It's gonna be fantastic. 

- New Green Day album. Yes. I'm still a fan. And proud of it. 

There's tons more to get excited about. These are just a few things that I'm particularly psyched about. I hope you are too!!! Look for another post really soon! Thanks for reading!