my boy @smackinyc, the violinist that has helped make yellowcard a household name, has been fighting thyroid cancer since the end of last year. it sounds like he’s recovering and doing better, but cancer is always a bitter fight. you can find the official statement on altpress here.
if you have friends or family who have or have/have had cancer yourself, i have a hug for you. my mom was diagnosed 5 years ago with breast cancer, and it was easily one of the darkest times of my life.
sean, here’s to you and to everyone who’s battling or battling with a loved one. just have faith. just.
]]>in case you haven’t seen it [you probably have by now]. @craigowens reunites with @chiodos? THERE IS NO WORD ON WHETHER D.R.U.G.S. is over or not, and i think i read somewhere that craig wasn’t planning on calling it a day with them. there’s a vacancy at the helm of chiodos, and if anyone deserves it, it’s craig.
]]>CHECK OUT THE RIDICULOUSLY SLOW LOADING @VIMEO CLIP THAT @CHIODOS JUST EMAILED OUT FEATURING CRAIGERY OWENS AND THE TRADEMARK CHIODOS C THAT MADE HIM A HOUSEHOLD NAME.
are you freaking kidding me. don’t get me wrong, i LOVE what he’s been doing with DRUGS [destroy rebuild until God shows, that is, not actual drugs. or maybe. i’m not one to judge.], but craig owens on home turf again now that brandon bolmer is out to pursue other things.
don’t get me wrong on this either, chiodos with brandon bolmer at the helm released one of the all-out STRONGEST post-hardcore albums i’ve ever heard. but craig is an entirely different beast. this is gonna be FREAKING SICK.
LINK HERE http://www.chiodos.net/
]]>@twypoppunk: “Suburbia, stop pushing.”
i really can’t believe how good the wonder years are.
i keep listening to other pop punk/punk groups and time and time again, i find myself listening to this raging philadelphian sextet. frontman dan “soupy” campbell’s lyrics are poignant and unapologetic, emotionally rooted yet surprisingly un-whiny in any way. in just the last few weeks, i’ve found myself quoting them, thinking about some of the lines that resonate with me, writing fb statuses with their lyrics and posting the occasional music video. TWY, they’re that good. it doesn’t hurt that with their junior effort, campbell strives to be a new generation’s allen ginsburg. the lyrical resemblance is clear, but infused with such passion that TWY takes the listener to depths generally unheard of in the genre.
the first TWY album i picked up, The Upsides, drew me in with 11th track home run, “Washington Square Park”, equal parts hopeful, thoughtful, and powerful. from there, campbell’s sing-and-shout-yourself-hoarse vocals and electrifying lyricism layered with intelligently arranged punk parts [not so fresh that it’s alienating, but not so tired that it sounds like a cookie cutter album] brought me fully into fandom after just a few listens. i couldn’t get enough.
The Upsides special edition featured the GEM of a bonus track “I was Scared, and I’m Sorry”, which was easily one of the favorite new songs in my library last year, and looked to remain on the shortlist for this year…or so i thought, until Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing was released mid-2011. with just one listen i was sure the third full-length would rank for top albums of the year in my book. sure enough, as far as pop-punk was concerned, few other contenders even came close.
campbell and the boys were back in full force with the outrageously powerful and aptly named opener , titled “Came Out Swinging”. just as i expected, the video was homey and nostalgic at the same time, like the curious feeling of returning to your childhood house and not being sure if you belong.
the second song to stick out through the first listen was track 10, “Don’t Let Me Cave In”, a strangely haunting driver with unforgettable hooks and the eloquent yet simple style that has been pushing TWY toward punk rock kingship.
just as The Upsides featured familiar places and major landmarks, SIGYAANIN highlighted memorable events and locations, revisited logan square, and, of course, had at least one track with campbell’s openly atheistic views on display. i don’t take offense to any of these tracks, since for the most part they’re either targeted toward westboro, whose teachings i couldn’t disagree with more, or toward rigid “religiousness”, the rites and traditions focused christian lifestyle which isn’t really what i believe in, either.
that’s a whole different discussion.
for now,
don’t let me cave in: official live video montage [a spectacle, to be clear]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeQ5BJdGoPE&feature=relmfu
i was scared, and i’m sorry: official lyrics video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RZ7Zt7UyOk&feature=related
buy the albums on amazon: the upsides is 12.99 for new physical; suburbia… is on sale for just 9.99.
until next time, cheers.
]]>cheers.
]]>and a quick post of an interview from KP. everyone knows i love the KP, but not everyone knows she was a christian artist before her big break. it’s heartbreaking to me since her first few albums were rated perfectly. all the critics who got their hands on her early material raved about it, but for some reason it just didn’t catch with the public. i think that probably contributed to taking her where she is. either way, she is a gifted musician and i look up to her for that, and for not giving a crap about people judging her all the time. cheers to that, KP.
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