::RELIENT K::

For those of you who know me fairly well, you have seen this coming since the inception of this music blog. Relient K has been one of my favorite bands for a long while. Though I tried to push them away, I eventually couldn't resist (especially when the album The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek was burned for me as a Christmas present...with no writing on the disc...those clever girls). With the Christmas season nearing each and every day, my thoughts reflect to the CD copied for me so long ago (as well as the wonderfully executed Christmas album Let It Snow, Baby...Let It Reindeer).

Relient K, an alternative/pop punk band out of Canton, Ohio, has been one of the bands that, through my constant shift in musical taste (see last post), always seems to find their way into my speakers. The band has been categorized into the Christian Rock genre by many critics; however, many fans have questioned whether or not that classification fit the band. To this, lead singer Matthew Thiessen stated in an interview:

"Our whole answer is, call us whatever you want. You can call us a Christian band, you can call us a rock and roll band. And we can go out on tour with this band, and we can go out on tour with that band. But we don't care. We're just doing what we do. We're having fun. We write about what we want to write about and, you know, most of the time, that's, you know, our hearts and our faith."

I'd like to follow the same idea given to us by Mr. Thiessen himself...it doesn't matter if you're Buddhist, Christian, or Palestinian, one thing (and perhaps the most important thing) still remains constant: this band knows how to write music...and write it well. If you're in the mood for a slow, acoustic driven song about throwing all cares away and seeking something you love, they've got it ("Getting Into You"). Say you feel like listening to an upbeat, catchy tune to put on a mix CD for that special someone...they've got that too ("Must Have Done Something Right"). Let's venture for a minute: maybe you're in the mood for an 11 minute, wisdom filled reflection through a life that has come and gone...yep, they've written that too ("Deathbed").

In addition to the brilliantly crafted melodies, Relient K also has a one-up on the competition: their lyrics. From the dramatically hopeful lines found in "Life After Death and Taxes (Failure II)" ("And this is how I choose to live/As if I'm jumping off a cliff/Knowing that you'll save me") to the tongue in cheek lyrics found in songs such as "Sadie Hawkins Dance" ("Sadie Hawkins Dance, in my khaki pants/There's nothing better/(Oh, oh, oh!)/Girls asking guys, it's always a surprise/There's nothing better/Baby, do you like my sweater?") In other words, no matter your mood, Relient K has (brilliantly) written a tune to fit your exact emotion. If, somehow, this band has gone overlooked, I urge you to give this feel good quartet another shot...you won't regret it.

::THIRD EYE BLIND::

The first time I heard Third Eye Blind, I was in the 5th grade. It was one of my 8th grade friends' favorite bands, so he let me listen to the band's debut album (Third Eye Blind)...and I wasn't ready for it. The lyrics were too far above my head to understand, the music was far from what I was used to (which wasn't much at all, let me tell you), and I just didn't get into them. Though I didn't like them as a musically naïve 11 year old, that experience opened the door for my current musical taste. After hearing them, I was a bit intrigued. I don't know what it was, but I wanted to hear more music. The way my friend loved that band made me want to find a band where I'd know every word to every song. That moment came in 7th grade in the form of fellow 90's alternative rock band Eve 6. After toting the album to school in my CD player (a CD player?!) nearly every day until the album was almost too scratched to play smoothly, I decided it was time to branch out. I then remembered Third Eye Blind, the band I only gave one shot back in 5th grade.


After giving them another shot, I found that I could better relate to the lyrics, and my musical taste had evolved to the point where it fit into the genre of music I most enjoyed. "Semi-Charmed Life" very quickly became one of my favorite songs. I may not have known all the words to the quickly sung verses, but boy, did I know that chorus...and I made sure people knew. A friend of mine had by then purchased the 1999 release, Blue, and burned me a copy of the album. The radio-friendly single, "Never Let You Go", made it onto a mix tape (wow...I haven't even thought about one of those in years) of songs recorded from the radio. That tape was quickly worn out.

High school then came, and so did a shift of my taste in music. My freshman year of high school was filled with metal (Slipknot, Disturbed), and a pair of headphones that never left my neck. For my sophomore year, I started to stray from the angry heavy metal scene and turn to the ska/punk scene, where bands like Sugarcult, The Ataris, and Less Than Jake began to become more prevalent in my listening schedule. By junior year, I was into the pop rock/pop punk scene, with bands such as The Format, Yellowcard, and longtime favorite Jimmy Eat World were among the most listened to. It wasn't until my senior year (or just after) that I rediscovered the Third Eye Blind CD burned for me so many years prior...so I gave it a shot. I was quickly reminded as to why this band was one of my early favorites. Songs like "Slow Motion", a slow, piano filled tune about drug use, and "Blinded", a song full of gratitude and love (lines such as "I wanted to thank you for a vision that was lost that you returned/But you're past where you understand" and "So when I see you/Despite all that we've become/Still I'm blinded" highlighting the song) found their way into my iTunes library and racked up the play counts. Call it perfect timing, call it luck, call it what you will...but Third Eye Blind will always remain one of my favorite bands.

::JIMMY EAT WORLD::

Jimmy Eat World (another band out of the great state of Arizona) has long been regarded as one of my favorite bands. From the first time I heard "The Middle" to submerging myself in the symphonic sound of "23", there's not one thing I don't love about these guys. Their live show is impeccable, every album is packed with amazing songs that seem to define the years between releases, and the musicianship of every member of the band is astounding. In this blog, I'm going to take my favorite two songs from every release (from Clarity to the present) and talk about the wonder that is Jimmy Eat World.

::CLARITY::


"Lucky Denver Mint": This song has been one of my favorite songs from Clarity since the first time I heard the CD. The lines "You're not bigger than this/Not better/Why can't you learn?" seemed to be stuck in my head for hours on end. The driving feel of the verses that bursts into the chorus seems to make you want to get up and dance...and if it doesn't make you want to dance, you certainly can't avoid singing along.

"Blister": With some of the better lyrics on the CD, lines such as "How long would it take me/To walk across the United States/All alone?/The West Coast has been traumatized/And I think I'm the only one/Still alive" and "I'm falling fast into this pit of fire which surrounds us all/In a blanket of fear that I've been wrapped in for years/Don't try and stop me/You can't stop me" highlight the song. The song, featuring lead vocals from guitarist Tom Linton, shows us the real talent of the often overlooked ex-frontman. On previous releases, Linton sang lead vocals on many of the songs, and with this song, we can see why.

::BLEED AMERICAN::

(retitled Jimmy Eat World after the 9/11 attacks, so as to avoid anti-American criticism)

"If You Don't, Don't": One of my favorite upbeat Jimmy Eat World songs on this release, "If You Don't, Don't" never leaves you without tapping your toe to the beat or singing along to the words. This song marks what I would describe as the pinnacle of the album. Placed in the middle of the album (track 7), it's easy to overlook the song, especially when surrounded by hits like "The Middle" and "Sweetness". Before the next time you skip the track and go straight to one of the singles, think twice...you may just be skipping one of the best tracks on the CD.

"My Sundown": The first time I heard this song, I almost skipped right on past it. The intro is a 20 second fade in of a reversed guitar sound, where then enters the soft acoustic sound kept throughout the song. This song remains one of my favorite Jimmy Eat World songs of all time, and I feel ready to explain why. The song itself builds upon itself, first adding drums, finger snaps, and bass, then a second guitar part, and the song continues in that fashion until the very end, adding bells, (wonderfully beautiful) backing vocals from Rachel Haden, and piano. The lyrics are one of the key reasons this song remains one of my favorites. With the honesty and hope of lines such as "I see it around me/I see it in everything/I could be so much more than this" and "I need you to show me the way from crazy/I want to be so much more than this", it's not hard to understand why this song is a favorite of mine. Last, but not least, we have the outro. The song finally resolves to the outro, where we fittingly find the lines "Good, goodbye/Lovely time/Good, goodbye/Tinsel shine/Good, goodbye/I'll be fine/Good, goodbye/Good, goodnight", and the song ends just as beautifully as it began.

(This CD is so full of great songs that I have to mention at least a couple more: "Cautioners" and "Your House" also find their way high in play counts on iTunes.)

::FUTURES::

"Kill": Another one of the seemingly popular "one word title" tracks on Futures, "Kill" has been (and probably always will be) one of my favorite Jimmy Eat World songs. I'm not sure if it's because I feel like a great deal of my life can relate to the lyrics or if I just wish that were the case, but at any rate, the lyrics of "Kill" are some of the most memorable I've seen Jim Adkins write. Rather than post my favorite lines (the whole song), you can read the lyrics here. If you either haven't heard this song or don't have it in your music library, I urge you to buy it (what's $.99 anyway?), download it, find it from a friend, anything.


"23": Though I generally dislike using this word to describe song (unless the name of your band is Dragonforce), this is one of the more "epic" songs of the Arizona quartet's. Featuring a full string section, wonderfully written guitar parts, and incredible harmonies, this song has repeatedly been repeated...whether it be on a drive late at night, at home, browsing the internet, etc., this song is one to remember. The lyrics seemingly plead with the listener, "You'll sit alone forever/If you wait for the right time/What are you hoping for?/I'm here, and now I'm ready/ Holding on tight/Don't give away the end/The one that stays mine", and with sincerity like that, you can't help but fall in love with the song. A few guitar solos and a repeat of the chorus later, we find ourselves at the end of this 7 minute adventure...and somehow, almost robotically, press repeat.

::CHASE THIS LIGHT::

"Chase This Light": The title track for the album doesn't leave you wanting anything more except for one thing: a few more minutes of the song. The meticulously crafted picking patterns, the perfect harmonies, and the beautiful imagery of the lyrics seem to work their way under your skin after one listen, and this track is an instant favorite. The peak of the lyrics comes toward the end of the song ("Confetti rainfall/And the quiet street/The beauty is in what you make it/So get up on your feet/Because tonight the world turned in me/Because right now, I don't dare breathe/Oh babe, I know/It's alive and somewhere for us to find tonight/Chase this light with me") and leave you feeling like you can take on the world...which, at the time, doesn't seem too farfetched.

"Dizzy": This track has a similar feel to "23" in a few aspects: it's the album closer of the 2007 release and has pleading, sincere lyrics ("Respectfully, some honesty I'm calling out/Do you hear this conversation we talk about?/Back away to the safety of a quiet house/If there's half a chance in this moment/When your eyes meet mine, we show it"). The song features a string section throughout a great deal of the song, a beautifully dissonant bridge, and showcases the talent of singer Jim Adkins. The song seems to be a soundtrack to anyone in question, an anthem for the brokenhearted. As is the case with many Jimmy Eat World songs, this song brilliantly takes the feelings of a single man and relates it to every person who listens.

::CAPTAIN SQUEEGEE AND THE SOAP SUDS::

Hailing from all over the East Valley of sunny Phoenix, Arizona, comes a band by the name of Captain Squeegee and the Soap Suds. Fusing rock, blues, jazz and ska into one eclectic mix, Captain Squeegee is sure to make for a good listen. The current lineup, playing together since around 2005 (though the band started back in 2002), began to change the ultra-ska sound of the original Soap Suds crew. Their sophomore release, Behind the Metal and Metric Pace, marked the beginning of something unprecedented for the band. The album, a 6 song release clocking in at just over 27 minutes, is one of the best investments you can make with $10. The album, highlighted by songs such as "Securely Caged", which, being their single, is packed with tight harmonies and explosive choruses (if you haven't heard this song, head over to their MySpace and listen to it...now), "Now That It's Over" which showcases the vocal talent of singer Danny Torgersen, and the album closer, "Ignite It", a wonderful tune that keeps the momentum created by the entire album going until the last second.

The 7-piece lineup consists of Danny Torgersen (vocals, trumpet), Kory McCarthy (guitars), Austen Mack (guitars, keys, vocals), Chris Hoskins (tenor saxophone), Mat Maloy (drums), Tyler Carlblom (bass), and Ryan Sims (trombone). You might think, "7 members in a band? That's way too much." It isn't. Without every contribution from every member in the band, this band would not be where it is today. There is also another thing that desperately needs to be addressed: the live show. By far one of the better live shows I have seen, this band uses every inch of stage to bring one of the premier live acts of the valley. If ever you see a flyer, catch word of, or feel like seeing/hearing a great performance, go check out a Captain Squeegee show. The band currently has a new song posted on their MySpace entitled "Somethin'", which almost has a 50's surf rock sound in the beginning and builds to the chorus, where we find the poignant lyrics "Wouldn't it be somethin'/Somethin', To start over new?/And the only thing that's stopping me/Is the thought of stopping you". These guys deserve all the attention you can give, so the next time you feel like feeling good, give these guys a listen.

Photo Credits: Janet Zhou (http://www.janetzhou.com)

::THRICE::

I first heard of Thrice, a post-hardcore band from the heart of Orange County, from a small little snippet in Spin magazine. The way they were described intrigued me. The author described the group's sound as "Metallica, with a coat of emo Armor All". I must have been really inspired by that one sentence, because I did something I almost never did: purchased a CD of a band I hadn't even heard. I wound up buying their then-current release, The Artist in the Ambulance. I fell in love with it almost instantly. My music collection was so full of pop-punk and ska bands, that I needed a bit of a change...and Thrice was it. There was just something about the heavy guitars, perfectly executed dissonances and mix between singing and screaming that hooked me.

Since hearing 2003's Artist in the Ambulance, I have been eager to hear everything released by Thrice. Their next release, Vheissu (the name of which is taken from the Thomas Pynchon novel V.), was unexpected, yet gladly welcomed. The band still maintained their "hardcore" moments, yet began to incorporate a more complex musical sound into their productions. The band nods to earlier releases and original fans with their intensity-packed single, "Image of the Invisible", and provides new material for the newest or oldest of fans with (amazing) tracks such as "For Miles", "Music Box", and "Red Sky". This album also seems to feature more personable lyrics than previous releases, with lines such as "We must see that every scar is a bridge/And as long as we live/We must open up these wounds/When someone stands in your shoes/And will shed his own blood/There's no greater love/We must open up our wounds" and "Wake/Stand and feel your worth/Oh, my soul/Kneel and know the word/That can save us all" being common themes for the album. The album's positivity and musical genius (see: "Red Sky", "Of Dust and Nations", "The Earth Will Shake") makes this album one to remember.

Thrice has recently recorded 4 EP's entitled The Alchemy Index. All 4 EP's are themed around the elements: fire, water, earth, and wind. The first two volumes (Fire and Water) were released together on October 16th, 2007, and the final two (Earth and Wind) are to be released in the same fashion in April of 2008. Having recently seen Thrice's live set (which was completely and utterly flawless, mind you), the band's energy and musical direction is one to keep an eye out for.

::COPELAND::

I'm going to try something I haven't done on this blog before...I'm going to compare two albums. I am going to take two tracks, "choose a favorite" (for lack of a better term), and then from that, decide which album I like better. Copeland is a tough band to do this with, as I love nearly everything by them, but, well, here it goes. I'll be taking their debut CD, Beneath Medicine Tree and their 2006 release, Eat, Sleep, Repeat...which worked out nicely, since both albums have 11 tracks.

1. "Brightest" vs. "Where's My Head"
Ah, the album openers. "Brightest" is as good a Copeland album opener as there is: soft, lullaby-esque, and piano driven. The peak of the lyrics come at the end of the chorus: "I just know that she warms my heart/And knows what all my imperfections are/And she said that I was the brightest little firefly in her jar". "Where's My Head" is an almost Radiohead sounding song, featuring eerie melodies and interestingly placed drum fills. The lyrics, fitting with the overall sound of the song, drill the line "Where's my head?" about five times in the chorus, with other lines that seem to have no relevance to the idea of the song ("'Cause I just want to eat some more chocolate and go straight back/I'll go straight back to bed"). The song itself is a good tune, but I have to give this contest to "Brightest".

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 1; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 0

2. "Testing the Strong Ones" vs. "Eat, Sleep, Repeat"

The next songs were tough to judge, as they both have very different sounds...but here it goes. "Testing the Strong Ones" is a great track, with as touching a message as ever. The lyrics hit close to home, with lines such as "Its testing the strong ones/Scarring the beautiful ones/It's holding the loved ones/One last time". The song has a driving chorus, where (at about 2:20) is where the song peaks. The dissonance/resolutions of the guitars in this instance seem to stay with the theme of the song, making this song as powerful as any. "Eat, Sleep, Repeat" is a wonderfully written song about the nature of love. Lyrics such as "It occurred to me at once/That love could be a great illusion/That makes fools of brilliant thinkers everyday" and "It occurred to me at once/That love gets everything it asks for/Like a young girl picking flowers in the lawn/She gets every kiss and tear/She gets every smile and fear, but still/She never finds the last of them is gone, oh/She never finds the last of them is gone", coupled with brilliant instrumentation make this song a keeper. That's right, this one goes to the latter.

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 1; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 1

3. "Priceless" vs. "Control Freak"

These two songs, though more alike than the last two, are just as hard to compare. "Priceless" has always been one of my favorite Copeland songs, but "Control Freak" is equally as quality of a track. "Priceless" boasts more powerful lyrics, with the chorus sweetly singing "All of the world/And all of it's power/Couldn't keep your love from me, no/Couldn't keep your love from me/'Cause I need you like the dragonfly's wings need the wind/Like the orphan needs home once again/Like heaven needs more to come in/I need you here like you've always been". The track also features a tender intro/outro with a swelling, ethereal chorus, typical of many Copeland songs. "Control Freak", the single from the 2006 release, is almost in the same vein as "Where's My Head". The lyrics seem to give a sense of helplessness ("I could run like a coward for the door/But I'll never get out...you're freaking me out") that, though it portrays the idea well, can't compare to the hopeful message of the previous song. "Priceless" wins this round.

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 2; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 1

4. "Take Care" vs. "Careful Now"

"Take Care" was the first Copeland song I had ever heard, and I heard it on a Take Action! compilation. This was the song that initially got me hooked on Copeland. As is the case with most of the lyrics on Beneath Medicine Tree, the honesty found within the lyrics is what makes the song memorable ("Let me draw the blinds for you/You can watch the sunset from/The bed in your hospital room/Until you're sleeping/I'm sure/I don't understand how I found a love so pure"). "Careful Now", also fitting the type set by the preceding tracks on Eat, Sleep, Repeat, seems to give a sense of uncertainty and loneliness. Looking at the lyrics, "And I can't help but get lost in a fault like this/When I don't know how to hide myself in open air/Where I'm all alone, alone, alone", it is apparent that our beloved Aaron Marsh was in a confusing spot when this record was written. In this case, nostalgia prevails, and "Take Care" takes the cake.

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 3; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 1

5. "When Paula Sparks" vs. "Love Affair"

"When Paula Sparks" starts off with a soft, resonant guitar, when the drums and bass enter, still maintaining that hushed sound. The lyrics, still wonderfully describing that same sense of love found on other tracks, are just as good as any other track on the album. The same idea of a quiet beginning/ending with a swelling chorus is recurrent in this track as well, and though the track is a good song...a little variety would be welcomed. "Love Affair", one of the most brilliantly written tracks on the record, begins with a fantastic piano intro, then launches into the verse with powerful lyrics ("'Cause love took her hand like a thief/Took her heart like a robber/And the feelings that scare her/Become her relief"). The chorus, the highlight of the song, croons "Just let me run where I want to runJust let me love who I want/Just let me run where I want to run/Just let me love who I want"). During a jazzy, almost lounge feeling breakdown/outro, the song ends with closing lines "There are no rules for this love/Just keep your head and don't give up/Like all the fools who play it smart/Lose your head just for your heart, just for your heart"...which perfectly sums up the song. This may go without saying...but "Love Affair" stole my heart this time.

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 3; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 2

6. "California" vs. "I'm Safer on an Airplane"

"California", speaking of a hopeful longing for a friend who moved away, is one of the most hopeful, honest tracks on the album. Lines such as "I miss the way you sing low/So I can't hear your voice over/The radio in my car/But you know every word they say/You knew you just the right thing to say, well/Distance ripped us farther and farther and farther away/I'll see you soon" and "I'll see you soon/If you'll come back here/I'll see you soon/Just say that you want to see me too" sung over a warm string part (that launches into a powerfully rocking instrumental outro) make this song worth a second (or third) listen. "I'm Safer on an Airplane", a heavily synthesized track, written over a light synth drum beat, seems to stay in one place. The song itself doesn't seem to build on itself the way most Copeland songs do. Thus, "California" gets the win this time.

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 4; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 2

7. "She Changes Your Mind" vs. "By My Side"

The first track, an upbeat, explosion of introspective alternative rock, leaves no room for question. The fuzzy guitars, the swell to the chorus, everything about the song just seems to click. The lyrics, still themed along with the longing idea ("It was your hello that kept me hanging on every word/And your goodbye that keeps me listening for your voice around each corner"), show the lyrical capabilities of Marsh, and take you to another place, as if you were experiencing the events described. "By My Side" begins with the soft voice of Marsh and impeccable musicianship backing him up. He then begs in the chorus, "I need you to tell me you'll be right by my side/When I feel alone, you'll be right by my side, oh", and he does it ever-so-convincingly. It was a tough call, but "By My Side" gets my vote.

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 4; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 3

8. "There Cannot Be a Close Second" vs. "Cover What You Can"

"There Cannot Be a Close Second", brilliantly portrays the overall theme found on Beneath Medicine Tree. The pleading truthfulness of the lyrics ("So forgive me/Cause I don't know what to do/When you look at me/There can be no hesitationThere cannot be a close second to you") and the contrasting dynamics of the song make this track one of the album highlights. "Cover What You Can", a short, almost interlude sounding track, though it features good instrumentation, lacks the punch that is found in "There Cannot Be a Close Second", which comes out ahead.

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 5; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 3

9. "Coffee" vs. "The Last Time He Saw Dorie"

Here we find Copeland slowing things down with the lounging feel of "Coffee", which, musically, seems to fittingly be begging to be put onto a coffee shop soundtrack. Though I am generally a fan of the slower, laid back pieces, that's not what sold me on this song. The lyrical content of the song is just as great. With the beautifully worded lines "There's a love that transcends/All that we've known of ourselves/And I'll wait for it to come/I'll wait for it to come/Well it's got to be strong to touch my heart/Through its shell/And I'll wait for it to come/I'll wait for it to come", it's hard to not fall in love with this song. "The Last Time He Saw Dorie" is a slow, mellow tune, and though the song isn't exactly the most musically exciting song, the lyrical abilities of Aaron Marsh once again make themselves evident ("Live, live, live because you/Love, love, love and love will make you/Give, give, give and give in when you/Break, break, break but you just want to/Fix yourself just to break again..."). Though the latter track put up a good fight with the cleverly worded verse, "Coffee" tallies up another victory for Beneath Medicine Tree.

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 6; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 3

10. "Walking Downtown" vs. "I'm a Sucker For a Kind Word"

"Walking Downtown", the single for the album, is one of the most rocking Copeland songs I think I've ever heard. The song itself is good, but the lyrics seem to be a little lacking, with the repeat of the chorus ("We were walking downtown ,yeah/My favorite part of town") far too often. "I'm a Sucker For a Kind Word", on the other hand, is a delightfully free track, a song that when listened to, will elminate all cares of the world, if you'll let it. The song, (imagine with me) should be listened to in a large field, mid-summer, perhaps lying on a blanket, wearing all white...just taking in life. Though the lyrics don't seem to portray quite what I've described ("'Cause my mind just can't stop movin'/And I think I know why/Ooh, I know why/It's sad/But I'm a sucker for a kind word/And I'll just hurt until I find one"), this song still (figuratively) takes me back to the peace-loving, hippie era of the 1970's...and wins.

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 6; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 4

11. "When Finally Set Free" vs. "When You Thought You'd Never Stand Out"

"When Finally Set Free", the closing track for Beneath Medicine Tree, does just what it suggests: it sets you free. The musicality of the song seems to take you on a journey, with well-written guitar hooks and well-versed lyrics. The song seems to offer an invitation to self understanding ("Feel the pain, teaching us how much more we can take/Reminding us how far we've come/Let the pain burn away from our hearts/We have time to start all over again"), then closes with the sincere lines "Well, if you would shine your love down here, oh/Make our hearts as perfect as new/Oh, if you would shine your love down here, oh/I promise I'll reflect it right back at you". "When You Thought You'd Never Stand Out" is one of my favorite tracks from Eat, Sleep, Repeat. The fullness of the instrumentation, the accompanying female vocals, everything...it just seems to come together to kind of encompass all that the album is about. This decision wasn't that hard, and even though "When Finally Set Free" is a great song, it can't stand up to "When You Thought You'd Never Stand Out".

Score: Beneath Medicine Tree: 6; Eat, Sleep Repeat: 5

And there we have it. Beneath Medicine Tree beat out Eat, Sleep, Repeat in the point count, but it's almost impossible to base an opinion solely off this. I love both albums, and I suggest that if you don't have anything by Copeland, you have been missing out greatly.

::BRAND NEW::

The first time I heard Long Island-based quartet Brand New, I had no idea that this band would turn into one of my all-time favorite bands. The first song I had heard (and I suspect this is probably true for about 60% of their fans, at least on the West Coast) was "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows", a great first single for the 2003 album Deja Entendu. It did its job...it got me hooked. After hearing that song, I went out and purchased the album. I fell in love. Deja Entendu (which, in French, means "already heard") is currently on my list of top 10 favorite albums...ever, and I don't forsee that changing in the near future. Every song on the album has its own message, and after searching out possible meanings for what track titles such as "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades" or "Guernica" could mean, I have come to find myself wrapped in these songs even more than at first. It would be impossible for me to choose a favorite song from this album, so, in order to save time and a slur of words, I will just say this: if you don't have this album, get it. Now.

After falling in love with Brand New and everything they had released up to Deja Entendu (including the debut, 2001's Your Favorite Weapon, an upbeat record discussing the highs and lows of teenage relationships), I did what any (and every) fan of a band does: I wondered (and feared) what was next. I wasn't sure that Brand New could top their 2003 release. In 2005, the band announced that they were going into the studio to record a new album. It took nearly 2 years to release the album (finally hitting stores on November 21, 2006), and was titled The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. Needless to say, I was excited. As soon as I could get my hands on the release, I did. I was not disappointed. On first listen, I thought, "Okay, this is a good album....but now what?" To me, the album seemed to lack the cohesive aspect that made me fall in love with Deja Entendu. I gave the album listens, but my favorite Brand New tracks still remained on their sophomore release. After some time (and almost forgetting about the album), I decided to give it another shot. I devoted on evening to listening through the album in its entirety. As cliché as it sounds, my eyes were opened. I found what I had been searching for in this release. With Deja Entendu still holding that nostalgic superiority over The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, it's impossible for me to say that their most recent release is my favorite, but the album is still a great album that I hold in high esteem. Brand New has had a significant impact on both myself and my musical taste, and I recommend this band to anyone looking for a change of pace, musically...or just some good, quality listening.

::MATCHBOOK ROMANCE::

Matchbook Romance, the now defunct 4-piece rock band from Poughkeepsie, New York, was a band that caught my attention from the start. I don't even remember exactly when I heard the group, but from the start, my thoughts have always been somewhere along the lines of "Hey, these guys are alright". After hearing a few songs from their debut album, Stories and Alibis, I went over to the record store and picked up a copy. I was pretty satisfied for a while, but after a while, the CD went from the car stereo, the CD case, then after a while, back into the case and on the shelf. Don't get me wrong, it was a good album, and I still enjoy listening to songs such as "Promise", "Tiger Lily", "Stay Tonight", and "The Greatest Fall of All Time"...but the CD just got old.

After some time (and losing track on what Matchbook Romance was actually doing), I caught wind that they had produced a new album, Voices. I was interested, just to see how it'd be. To my surprise, what I thought the record would be and what it actually was were polar opposites. The new album was, in a single, solitary word, rockin'. I began with track one ("You Can Run, But We'll Find You"), starting off with the piano plunking out a melody. Throughout the course of the song, the instrumentation builds on itself until finally (at about 2:20), the song launches into what we all wanted it to do: rock. The album continues in the same fashion as the first track, fully rocking while still maintaining the brooding, haunting quality that makes it great. Then comes one of the track highlights (the first single), "Monsters", which is about as dance-y a track as ever, complete with handclaps and a mind-numbing guitar solo to bring the song to its peak. In the back end of the album, the song "What A Sight" is found, a ballad-like love song ("Don't ever forget me/I thought I lost you") that still maintains that ghostly sound found all throughout the album. Though Matchbook Romance has since gone on an indefinite hiatus, the albums (especially the latter) released will always have a spot in my music collection.

::CARTEL::

For a band I was introduced to almost exactly a year ago, they sure have gained a lot of ground on my respect meter. The first release of theirs I had heard was 2005's Chroma, a record full of catchy hooks and poppy (yet still explosive) choruses. From the beginning, I had to like these guys. They were just too darn catchy to not like. However, after several listens, I realized that there was more than just 4 chord songs and a high pitched, sugar coated tenor voice. These guys actually rocked.

Chroma, best highlighted by such tracks as "Say Anything (Else)", "Honestly" (their first single from the album), and fan favorite "The Minstrel's Prayer", is an album that most any pop-punk loving teen scenester will fall in love with. After I heard that Cartel was going into the studio to record a new album, I was eager to hear what would come. Would it be Chroma, Pt. II, or would it try (and more than likely fail) at breaking the mold they've been cast into? Well, months went by, and Cartel began writing their new album (all under the watch of the general public) in the US version of "Band in a Bubble". The band went into this "bubble", with 23 cameras placed to watch their every move (24/7), and 20 days later, they were to unveil the new album to the world by performing it, in its entirety, live.

Their new album, simply titled Cartel, was not what I expected...but gladly welcomed. On first listen, I was caught off guard. I thought to myself, "Is this really Cartel?" Obviously, it was, but the album is definitely a more rock oriented effort. A few of the album gems are tracks such as "Lose It", a song as catchy as they come, that will have you pressing "repeat" over and over (and over) again, "Tonight", featuring swelling guitars and a driving chorus, and the album closer, "If I Were To Write This Song", which almost turns into a veritable jam session with an impressive, soulful guitar solo. Needless to say, I was a fan of the new album. I believe that if they keep up the current trend, Cartel could be one of the more influential bands of our time.

::THE SPILL CANVAS::

I have started to get into The Spill Canvas more and more as time has passed. At first, and I don't know why, but I gave them a listen, then kind of put them on the backburner for a while. Recently, their 2005 release One Fell Swoop has made its way into my car stereo...and stayed there. The musical compositions are good...very good...on every release, but it's the lyrics that keep me coming back. Doused with a coat of "emo" Armor All, the lyrics, penned by frontman Nick Thomas, seem to break the cliché of most artists thrown into the crowded genre of "emo".

From their first record, Sunsets and Car Crashes, released in 2004, to their most recent album, No Really, I'm Fine, released just over a month ago (October 2nd, 2007), it's apparent that these 4 guys are onto something big. One of the things about this band that keeps them coming back into my regimen of music is their variety of style. Take songs such as their first (and quite possibly most) popular song, "The Tide", an acoustic song heavily laden with catchy hooks and powerful lyrics, 2005's "Secret Oath", a seemingly pop rock approach to an indie/country sound, and a tune from their most recent work, "Reckless Abandonment", an upbeat, intense explosion of straight alternative rock, and try to compare them...it's not that easy. Though there may be mixed opinions on this band, I assure you, this is one band you won't want to throw on the backburner, as I did.

::ROCKY VOTOLATO::

Rocky Votolato is easily one of my favorite artists of the year. Upon hearing "White Daisy Passing", from his 2006 album Makers, to hearing his newest release The Brag and Cuss, then searching out older releases, such as A Brief History and Suicide Medicine, there is nothing about this man's music that doesn't astound me every time I listen to it. Seeing him perform his material live, in an intimate, laid back setting, affirmed the notion that "Wow, this guy may just be one of my favorite artists for a while to come" stronger than almost any performance I have seen, and I have seen quite a few.

I'm not sure why I like Rocky's music so much...it might be the crackling honesty in his voice, the steel guitar and harmonica solos, or maybe it'd just be useless to try and figure it out, but one thing's for sure: if you haven't heard anything by Rocky Votolato, you're missing out. His musical style, ranging from folk rock, country, to the now-overused label "indie rock", is a good indicator that you're in for either a.) a treat, b.) a surprise, or c.) both. A good starting point into the world of Mr. Votolato would be tracks such as "White Daisy Passing" (Makers, 2006), "Before You Were Born" (The Brag and Cuss, 2007), or "Goldfield" (Makers, 2006). Whether you're in the mood for a smooth, relaxing melody, an emotional tune that'll pull at your heartstrings, or an upbeat song that'll keep your toe tapping for hours, Rocky Votolato is definitely an artist worth giving a second (third, fourth, and fifth) glance.