Review: Ocean Is Theory - Future Fears

My freshman year in college I used to do something that all my friends thought was really weird. I would go to concerts by myself. Not big stadium shows, but small standing-room shows at some of the most run-down, sketchy places in the DFW Metroplex. I always went to these shows by myself because I would see bands that no one I knew listened to or has even heard of. The benefit of that was that I could be whoever I wanted to be. If I felt like raging, if I felt like standing in the back, it didn’t matter because I was by myself. So I am standing in the back at show while the opening acts play. The place was dead, near empty. The main acts were outside hanging out, so most of the people at the show were too (there still couldn’t have been more than 150 people all together). So I am sitting there probably thinking about where I was going to stop and eat after the show when the second opening act started to play. It was a group of young guys all about my age. They were new and not from around the area, hence the lack of fans. Then they started playing. Holy Mother-of-Pearl. These guys were good. Beyond their years good if you asked me. How could they be unknown? They handed out their first EP for free after the show. I grabbed it and listened to it the rest of that semester on repeat. These guys were going to be huge, they had to get huge. Talent was oozing out of them. Well those guys were Ocean is Theory. Four years later, they finally released their first full length LP. They may not be big yet like I expected, but the talent is still all there.

Ocean Is Theory – Future Fears

This record is an example of why it is so hard to make it in the music business. After three different EPs and almost a complete change in the bands sound, they finally got signed to Razor and Tie Records. Well after some stuff happened, (not really clear on what so don’t ask me) they ended up releasing this well after it was recorded on their own.

A word that describes how this record makes me feel is melancholy. I don’t mean that in a bad way. It is just a very mellow sounding album. It starts off with “While We’re Young”, a song about having no regrets. It has a quick tempo and a striking chorus. It goes from there with a good mix of slower paced and high tempo tunes that blend well together. No song seems out of pace thematically or musically. The vocals are strong and fluctuate all over from a whisper to a scream, always conveying lots of emotion. The instruments all do what they are meant to, providing feeling and a distinct rythm to almost every song. These are power-chorus songs that will be stuck in your head for days. Songs like Best Intentions,  Scared Now, and King Sized Bed are standouts in this regard. The end of the record does stand out a little less in comparison to the first half for me. I felt like some of the songs started to blend. Thankfully I liked them all regardless so it wasn’t a huge complaint. About half the album is made up of previously released songs which is a bit of a bummer as well.

Rating: 4/5 "It's Just Swell"

Even though it has been four years since I first heard them, I would still say they have talent beyond their years. This is a fantastic first effort. Hopefully it will lead to an even better second, third, etc. If not, well I suppose that is why the music business is what it is. 

Top 5 Christmas Songs

I love this time of year because now I can bust out the Christmas music anywhere I go. In the mall, in class,  in the shower, on the toilet, anytime is good for Christmas music! I wanted to share some of my favorite and most memorable christmas tunes with all of you and I would like to hear some of yours as well! Here is my top 5!


1. Bing Crosby- White Christmas
A freaking classic if there ever was one. There are not too many guys as charming as Bing as he belts out a song about getting some snow on christmas. I can guarantee if he sung this to any girl, even in the middle of summer, he got them.

2. Trans-siberian Orchestra- Carol of the Bells

A ton of bands and musicians have covered this song. There have been the classical version and there have been a ton of hard rock version. This one was one of the original that rocked out to a classic christmas tune. It is still a great pump up song as you get ready to charge the mall and do some holiday shopping.

3. Capital Lights- His Favorite Christmas Story
So this one is from a little band that nobody has ever heard of. They put out one so-so album and then disbanded. Before that happened, they wrote this little heart-warming jingle. It is like a more romantic and less depressing version of "Christmas Shoes" that gets me every time. It is corny as hell but a great tune that is catchy beyond belief. Please check it out if you have not heard it.

4. WAM- Last Christmas

This is the song you break out after having those big family arguments that come from too much togetherness. Whether it is the original or some really bad dutch cover version (the one I put below is my personal favorite) you cannot listen to this song without cracking a smile. Maybe it is George Michael's boyish charm, or maybe it is because the song is so stupid. Either way, it will cause a laugh.

5. The Barenaked Ladies- Jingle Bells

One of the most creative versions of what might be the most popular Christmas song of all. The guys of Barenaked Ladies start it off on a very serious, mellow tone only to break out the crazy about a minute in. Throwing in the Batman verse doesn't hurt either. These guys were always known for their humor and it shows why in this cover.

Honorable Mention- House of Heroes- All I Want For Christmas Is You

They get huge points for making a version of this super-catchy song that I can listen to and sing to without looking like I lost my man card back at The JCPennys. Thanks Boys.

Let me know some of your favorites!

Review: Relient K Is for Karaoke

Relient K is for Karaoke

Cover songs are dangerous territory for bands. Taking songs that, most of the time, people love and giving them a bands revision does not always work. At best, it succeeds and you are known for a song you did not even write (Alien Ant Farm anyone?), and at worst you look like a pompous ass who thinks you can touch a classic but fail miserably (Limp Bizket's cover of Behind Blue Eyes).


Like I said, dangerous territory.

There are two ways to go about cover songs. You can either stay pretty close to the original recordings, and just throw in a bit of your bands sound, while not straying out too far. While this can work and is the safe route, a lot of times songs just come off boring. A band that did it well is House of Heroes, covering the classic "All I Want For Christmas is You" (see below video).

Then there is the path of just going crazy and not following anything near the original. While this can distance you enough from the original to get away from comparison, this can also lead to butchering of songs. A success of this method is The Devil Wears Prada's metal version of Big Tymer's rap hit Still Fly (below). If you doubted the ability to make rap into metal, listen to this. Some bad examples, well check out Brittany Spears. She has done some hideous things to some classic rock songs.

As far as Relient K goes, they stayed somewhere in the middle. The band has been known to burst out in random covers during their shows, some of which are much goofier than others. Regardless, a cover album is a good fit for the band. The best thing I can say about this album is it covers a HUGE variety of tunes. From recent hits like Justin Beiber's "Baby" to the seldom heard They Might Be Giants' "Doctor Worm". The band has all the bases covered. Are all of the songs good? It is pretty close. Most of the songs stick to the vibe of the original enough that they are all immediately recognizable. Some get more modern makeovers, like Toto's Africa, but these are welcome modifications.

The hits include: Justin Beiber's "Baby", just because you cannot listen to this song and not laugh at the fact it somehow became a hit. The words are horrible. The Wallflowers "One Headlight", Toto's 80's hit Africa, and Weezer's "Surf Wax America.

There are a few misses. They are not bad covers, just they do not stick out. Third Eye Blind's "Motorcycle Drive By"and "Crazy" by Gnarles Barkley. Neither of these songs really did anything for me and I would much rather just listen to the originals all the time.


Rating: 4/5 "It's Just Swell"

Definitely worth checking out, if not just for a few songs. There is something here for everyone though. If you played this on a road-trip with a bunch of friends, I can guarantee everyone would say "hey I know this song" at least once. Relient K has managed to make a whole covers album without butchering any songs. Impressive.....

Track List

1. Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper) (2:48)
2. Baby (Justin Beiber) (2:49)
3. One Headlight (The Wallflowers) (4:17)
4. You're The Inspiration (Chicago) (3:45)
5. The Distance (Cake) (2:54)
6. Crazy (Gnarls Barkley) (2:51)
7. Motorcycle Driveby (Third Eye Blind) (4:14)
8. Doctor Worm (They Might Be Giants) (3:00)
9. Interstate Love Song (STP) (3:38)
10. Here Comes My Girl (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) (4:05)
11. Africa (Toto) (4:57)
12. Surf Wax America (Weezer) (3:02)
13. Inside Of Love (Nada Surf) (4:03)
14. Everybody Wants To Rule the World (Tears for Fears) (3:55)

Reviews: Hawk Boy (formally As Cities Burn) EP and Ocean Is Theory EP

Sorry for the slowness lately. I have gotten kinda lazy. Having a real job has been wearing me down. Anyways I am back this week with two quick EP reviews from the bands that show a lot of potential. First up is...

Hawkboy - Hawkboy EP

First I should probably describe a bit about Hawkboy. The band is made up of two members. Anyone who ever has listened to As Cites Burn will be excited to hear the two members are the lead singer and drummer of that now-defunct group. When I first heard of Hawkboy i just figured it would be two guys from the band who did not want to let it go so they went around playing old ACB songs with two people. Boy was I wrong.

1. Two Bit- The first track catches you right at the beginning. It has an immediately catchy intro that builds into some nice guitar, almost sounding like something from the 80's. This track lets the listener know that   the passion ACB could show in a song is still there in full force. It also closes hard like a lot of old ACB songs used to.
2. Soundrel- Great production value shows with this song. These guys still now how to mix there stuff even if they do not have label support anymore. This song feels like it should be right behind 84 Sheepdog on ACB's last record Hell or High Water.
3. Mother London- Probably the most simple song of the bunch. The guitar work shines and drumming is fast and sporadic.
4. Damnkneesya- This song goes back to ACB's Come Now Sleep. Very mellow and slow tempos, but very far from a boring song. Ends on a very moody note that reminds the listener the emotion this group can capture in a few minuets.

Overall- I honestly hate to keep comparing Hawkboy to As Cities Burn because they are not really the same band. The sounds mix Hell or High Water and Come Now Sleep but still sound new. The guitars, the drums, the vocals, the ambiance, they are all there in perfect form. The only complaint I have is the lyrics. As Cities Burn was always known for their gut-wrenching lyrics and I hate to see that be the thing they change to differentiate themselves from one another. They are by no means bad though, still more thought provoking then 99% of the crap out there. I was heartbroken when I heard As Cities Burn broke up so this EP gets me so excited to see where they go from here. The album is on Itunes and you can get it for free from their Facebook as well (but support them and buy it please, it is well worth it).

Rating 5/5 "It's The Bee's Knees"


Ocean Is Theory - Future Fears EP

This bands first full length album is my most anticipated album of the year, BY FAR. I have been listening to these guys for a few years now. They have only put out two EP's up to this point. Nine songs is all I have had to listen to, but those nine songs have gotten more play then anything on my Ipod. Number of times played of those nine songs range from 256-187. Thats is how good these guys are. I was so excited to hear they signed with Razor and Tie earlier this year and have been waiting for their full length, which keeps getting pushed back. Well thankfully they gave us the Future Fears EP to hold us over, and does it ever.

1. Best Intentions- Instant favorite. That is all I can say. The first listen I was in love. Everyone who has heard this song is singing it to themselves later. With the strong hooks, stomping, clapping, and group vocals, this song is immediately catchy and stands out. It is also has much more of a pop sound to it then anything they have done to this point, which works really well here.
2. Underneath- Nice intro at the front and the song holds a solid mood the whole time. Probably the most similar to the older stuff of the 3 tracks. It shows Josh, the lead vocalist, has gotten significantly better with his range.
3. King Size Bed- More of an Indie sound but still hold the Ocean Is Theory sound. My favorite of the bunch lyrically.
4. Bonus* King Size Bed (acoustic)- Nice little added bonus. Not as good as the original but still a great version. Uses group stomping and clapping really well and the bride almost gives me goose bumps.


Overall: These guys are going to get huge, I have no doubt in my mine. After hearing their new stuff and the new direction to a more accessible sound, it is going to happen. They are young and talented, and I sure hope they stay that way as long as they can. They managed to change their sound while still keeping the vibe that makes them Ocean Is Theory. Also they have MASTERED group vocals. I CAN NOT WAIT for their full length, it needs to get here now.

Rating 5/5 - "It's The Bee's Knees!"

Go buy both of these EP's, now. It will cost you less then $10 and you will get two FANTASTIC albums.

Music Review: Emery - We Do What We Want

I will admit, when I first heard this CD I dismissed it as not being as good as their last. I am not sure if it was high expectations or the fact their second vocalist, Devin Shelton, left but I had some preconceived notions about this album. The fact Emery could use their two singers, switch off, and harmonize without me being able to hear the difference between the two was amazing. It was honestly one of the best parts of the band for me. Needless to say, even with Devin gone, Emery carries on with style. This album, after a few listens, is as good as anything they have ever put out. It is a perfect combination of everything they have done right from their past releases. The slower tempo songs from The Question, the hard edginess from While Broken Hearts Prevail, the soaring vocals from The Weaks End, and even the quirkiness from my I'm Only a Man. Emery has done it AGAIN!

Emery- We Do What We Want

The album starts off hard with The Cheval Glass. Right from the start it is obvious the band has gone a little more hard rock with their sound. They of course pull it off. Not all the songs are like this though. A few have more of a pop-rock type sound to them, while the last two are actually much slower songs. The vocals are fantastic. Toby has stepped up his game with the screaming, delivering some of the most intense screams of any Emery album. Josh has also done a good job picking up some vocal duties. The dual layered vocals are present but they are definitely weaker then with Devin. Honestly after about three listens you forget about that and accept the new Emery. I mean hey, the vocals are still better then most bands anyways.

The guitars are good, but so long are the random quirky guitar duals that were so prevalent in While Broken Hearts Prevail. The keyboard and drums do plenty to make up anything lost with Devin's departure. The keys as always help change the moods of the songs right when they need to. The drumming is fantastic and frantic. Actually the songs are pretty frantic. Every song starts off in one direction and then changes directions....... multiple times. This makes repeat listens extremely enjoyable. Even after twenty spins I cannot predict where these songs are heading.

The lyrics as always are top notch. Emery delivers some of their most emotional and mature lyrics to date, which says a lot. Lyrics have always been a strong point for the band. With my personal favorite song, The Curse of Perfect Days, Toby sings about getting old and loosing a loved one. My girlfriend (who hates any kind of screaming in music) cried during the song. The lyrics are powerful. The last two slow songs are both bursting with emotion. The first of the two, I Never Got to See the West Coast, is about suicide, plain and simple. No metaphors, no secrets, it is about suicide. It is the best song on the subject matter sense Blink-182's Adam's Song in my opinion. The last, Fix Me, is actually one of the most spiritual songs Emery has ever written. It provided a nice surprise and I was happy to see they are fully capable of writing a pseudo-worship song.

Rating 5/5 "It's the Bee's Knees"

After I repeated listens I am in love with this album. There is not a bad song on it. Emery has now shown they can adapt to major change. It is the most diverse album musically for the band, but it is still all Emery. Devin, you will be missed but I am so excited to see where this iteration of Emery goes next.

If you have not heard any of Emery's music, do it now. They have not released a bad album to date.

Review: Abandon Kansas- Ad Astra Per Aspera

I am currently sitting on the balcony of my hotel room. Oh and the hotel is The Cancun Palace in Cancun, Mexico. Here is a picture, just so I can rub it in.

Yes it is that perfect. In all this down time I have had plenty of opportunity to listen to the new Abandon Kansas record "Ad Astra Per Aspera". I am glad this is the record that I am stuck with because it is a really solid album.

I want to first say I had no idea what Ad Astra Per Aspera meant or where it came from so I looked it up. It means to the stars through difficulties and is apparently the state of Kansas' state slogan. Who knew?! Makes sense being the band is called Abandon Kansas, but anyways I will stop rambling. On to the music! The first thing I feel like I need to emphasize is this is this bands FIRST full length album. FIRST! Listen to any one of the songs on this album and tell me this does not sound like a veteran band. The production value behind it is amazing. Everything is crisp and clear. The instruments are mixed and balanced perfectly, each coming through just as it needs to. These guys know what they are doing, that is clear. The music has a very deep sound that separates itself from most acts. Then there are the lyrics. I love lyrics like this. Deep with meaning that is not made apparent even after multiple listens. It is like a puzzle, every time you listen to it you find a new piece. Lyrics lack this kind of creativity anymore (Thanks JB). They also lack the emotion these do. When the lead singer Jeremy Springer belts "am I more then the sum of the things that I have and haven't done?" it sounds like he means it. 


Once again, FIRST ALBUM!


As far as the music is concerned, the first thing that stood out to me is the bass. The band knows how important a good base groove is and uses it in every song. The guitars have a rock tempo with an occasional indie flare to them. Think of Jonzetta's first album popularity when it comes to bass and guitars. The vocals may sound a bit lazy and unenthusiastic at first, but once you get past the fact that is how Jeremy Springer sings, it really matches the music perfectly. There is a guest vocal spot by Tim Skipper in the second track, "Liar", which is great but I feel he is a bit underused. Toward the end of the album there is more group vocals and guitarist Brad Foster lends his hand at some vocal duties as well. This leads me to my one and only complaint. The album does not have enough variety. It is there, do not get me wrong, but after hearing how well Brad Foster can sing I feel like they could do more with him. The music itself also sounds great but some songs just sound too similar. It is a small and minor complaint however that does not hurt the album much, especially after repeated listens. 


Rating- 4/5 "It's Just Swell!"


This is mature sounding rock that sounds like it is coming from hardened veterans. There are bands that have released multiple CD's that still cant get a sound that is this deep. That gives me a lot to look forward to with these boys. If you like The Killers, The Arcade Fire, Mae, or even Weezer, check this album out. If you don't like those bands, check it out anyway just to see Springer's mustache.

Reviews(Music): The Devil Wears Prada and Queens Club

icAlright everyone I have two music reviews for today! I will make them all pretty short, the CDs are just EPs so they will not take too long. Anyways sorry it has taken so long to get some non-food reviews up. First up.....

The Devil Wears Prada- Zombies EP

So I have listened to The Devil Wears Prada (TDWP) for a while, although I still don't know how I feel about them. They definitely have some talent and have been able to make some catchy metalcore/screamo songs. Unfortunately they have yet to really make a whole album that grabs me. They decided to have a little fun between their records and release a concept EP called Zombies. Can you guess what it is about?! That is right, it's about zombies! When I heard the idea I thought "a metal band doing a zombie concept album? Tight!". Problem is, I feel like it could of been a lot more than what it is.

 I'll start with the bad. The lyrics are boring and generic. They had an opportunity to tell a cool story or show some sort of emotion but the lyrics are like their subject matter, lifeless. Good thing you can not really understand what the heck the singer is shouting anyway! If you are going to write lyrics with zombies do something like Showbread and their song "George Romero Will Be At Our Wedding".

This record does have its positives though. The music itself is raw and hard. This is a different TDWP, and they show it from the get go. It is much more metal, much less screamo then their past albums. The vocals are much more of a growl than the shout they used to be. There is also less whining (what they consider clean vocals) then in past albums. The guitars are good, nothing special. The drums are fantastic , fast a chaotic yet precise. The album has a very creepy atmosphere thanks to some great sound effects such as gun shots, radio PSAs, and even heavy breathing of someone running away. Also I am a sucker for good cover art and theirs is pretty badass. Very eerie and dead looking.

Overall I like the direction these guys are headed and am excited to see where they take it, especially applied with good lyrics. This EP is a fun little distraction in the meantime but is overall forgettable.

Rating- 3/5 "It's Just Meh"

Queens Club- Friendly EP


I have one big problem with Queens Club. They seem to be lost finding their sound. Right now they seem to be a mix between pop/punk and Indie, but they do not mix them very well. The first three tracks on this EP are upbeat musically, with good rhythm and tempo. The last two are acoustic versions of two of my favorite tracks from their last album. The guitars and drums are solid. Very upbeat, fast paced, and quirky. They seem to be very sporadic in the direction but always keeping things moving. The bass is awesome, very noticeable and almost steals the show with some good grooves. The vocals are what kill me. They just sound like the vocalist is falling asleep or just woke up. There is no oomph. Very dull and does not match their overall sound. The vocals are those of an Indie band while the instruments are more along the lines of a band like Jonzetta. The acoustic songs are solid. They do something most bands avoid when doing acoustic covers and that is change the structure of the song. I really enjoy it and they are solid renditions.

Until Queens Club finds their sound, I just can not get into them. They have a few bright moments here and there but overall they are just do not offer anything that separates them from every other quirky new band. I cannot complain about the album too much though because it is free on there facebook. Check it out if you like free music and need some new tunes, otherwise I cannot really recommend it.

2/5- "It's Not Worth It"

My Favorite Albums of 2010

So this will be my first music blog, and it will be a best of list. This will give you a pretty good idea of my music taste. They are pretty varied but I tend to listen to obscure bands. Anyways here is my list of favorite albums of 2010, in no particular order.

Norma Jean: Meridional

It was close between this album and The Chariot's Long Live, but this album takes the cake. The first half is the Norma Jean we all know and love and can be summed up as organized chaos. The second half of this album is where it Norma Jean starts to look like a pretty lady in a new dress. Norma Jean experiments a lot and I hope they continue to do so in their next album because it sounds fantastic. Moody, ambient, yet still rocks in that Norma Jean way. 

Rating: 4/5 - "It's Just Swell"

Fair- Disappearing World

Fair is a band led by front man Aaron Sprinkle. I doubt many know who he or his band are, but you might be familiar with some of his other projects. He is the main producer behind bands like Mae, Anberlin, Emery, Copeland, and many more. As you can imagine with a mastermind like this at the wheel this album is genius. This is music at its best. A basic, simple rock album with no gimmicks or tricks that manages to fit with any mood. I listened to this album after a great first date, and I did after that same first date dumped me 6 months later. This is my favorite album of the year, only because I know I will be able to listen to this years later and it will still shine

Rating 5/5 - "It's the Bee's Knees!!"

Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

My first preview of this album is when Kanye posted a mix of Monster of twitter. I remember hearing that thinking, "holy balls, if this album is anywhere near this good, it will be AWESOME". Turns out, it is that good and it is awesome. Between the hip-hop and rap oriented Monster, Power, and Hell of a Life to the more pop/R&B oriented Runaway, All of the Lights, and Devil in a New Dress, this album hits all of the bases. A lot of people complain the last few songs are weak but I disagree, they are just different, in a good way. This is by far Kanye's best album and easily the best rap/hip hop album of the year.

Rating 5/5- "It's The Bee's Knees"

Bonus- Kanye put out a remix of Power with Jay Z when he was doing his G.O.O.D. Fridays releases. If you have yet to hear it, find it. It is better then the original in my humble opinion.

House of Heroes- Suburba

So I think House of Heroes got the royal shaft on this one. This album just happened to drop the same day as another very popular band's album of a similar name did. This is the more solid release if you ask me, but once again what do I know!? The album concept by the band was just to write a record that sounds like the best-summer-of-your-life soundtrack and they nail it. Every song in this album is immediately catchy but they all become much more layered and deep after a few listens. Also the bonus track "Galveston" is WAY too good to be just a hidden track.

Rating 5/5- "It's the Bee's Knees"

The Secret Handshake- Night & Day

One word will tell you if this album is for you or not, Motown. This album is so far from anything The Secret Handshake has ever done but it is the best change he could have made. He ditched his stupid, overly used techno, auto tuned beats for some good old fashioned Motown. This album was made by someone who you can tell loves Motown too. The horns sound great, the group choruses hit all the right notes, and his famously corny lyrics have even gotten a bit better (only a bit). Anyways if you are in the mood for something different or just want to something to make you smile, check out this release.

Rating 4/5- "It's Just Swell"

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross-The Social Network Soundtrack

Okay so I know this is a score but OMFG it is soooo good. I remember just watching the trailer for this film and hearing "Hand Covers Bruise" for the first time, I got goosebumps. The soundtrack captivated me the whole film and I knew I had to get it ASAP. I did and I listen to it constantly. It is one of those rare soundtracks which I can put on my ipod and actually listen to like I do normal songs. Everyone has been raving about Daft Punk's Tron Soundtrack but this blows that out of the water. This proofs once again Trent Reznor is still a musical Genius and I hope to hear more of his scores in the future. My favorite soundtrack possibly ever.

Rating 5/5- "It's the Bee's Knees"

Children 18:3 - Rain's 'a Comin'

This band is still one of the most underrated punk bands of the past few years. Their first release had great energy and this one follows through. I guess when you are a punk band singing about 101 Dalmatians it is hard to get the respect you deserve. These guys do know their stuff though. With fast and frantic drums and guitars, smooth baselines, and chaotic yet harmonies melodies, these siblings can rock you pants off. This album never has a dull moment. If you are a fan of older Green Day, Blink 182 or Weezer, check them out ASAP, I promise you will fall in love.