the latest @altpress issue [sleeping with sirens cover] has in the last article a comment about @relientk’s “who i am hates who i’ve been“….likened to a ben gibbard-sung sum 41 track. bummer. who i am… is easily, so easily one of the best tracks in the relientk catalog.
around the time of Two Lefts Don’t Make A Right… But Three Do, the old relientk known for goofy lyrics and 80’s and 90’s nostalgia transitioned out of adolescence and into one of the most fast-growing pop punk staples i’ve ever seen. song after song of witty, truthful lyrics layered comfortably over growing musicianship and expanded instrumentation made Mmhmm one of the greatest albums i’ve had the pleasure of owning. [i gave it to my then girlfriend, which converted her to a relientk fan. i miss it, and i miss her, but it was worth it.] topped with powerfully energetic live shows, relientk took growing up in stride.
after Mmhmm, two rock-solid albums have followed: Five Score and Seven Years Ago, and still the greatest breakup album of all time, Forget and Not Slow Down.
if you haven’t heard either of these, they are highly, highly recommended. this ohio five-piece hasn’t gotten where they are on power chords and cheesy lines. they’ve earned every screaming fan with 14 years of tireless writing, recording, touring, and honestly, just growing up.
the priceless acoustic version that altpress mentioned is here:
http://bit.ly/s9e3yU
it’s every bit as good as they say. trust me.
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band i’m absolutely floored to hear is dropping a new album in a few weeks: @mewithoutYou.
if you’ve never laid ears on a mewithoutYou track, it’s hard for me to say where to begin. claiming that the pennsylvanian four piece is a treasure whose work touches nearly every genre is somehow still an understatement. i can’t count the times i’ve said the only lyricist in modern music capable of going toe to toe with mwY frontman aaron weiss is brand new frontman jesse lacey.
i’ll admit, i have most of their back albums, but i haven’t heard much of it prior to 2006’s Brother, Sister. for what it’s worth, brother sister is a freakshow of talent. it took me a while to get used to aaron’s singy-talky-mumbly warble, but once i looked past it i found myself immersed in a sea of imagery and perfectly written lyrics. i can’t overstate it. weiss’ lyrics are, literally, perfect. sandwiched between the mindbendingly beautiful opener, Messes of Men and the unforgettable closer In a Sweater Poorly Knit, this is an album brimming with lush imagery and powerful spiritual reflections.
the 2009 follow up, It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All a Dream! It’s Alright! was not quite so much of what I expected coming out of Brother, Sister, but it was incredible nonetheless. first single The Fox, the Crow and the Cookie came with a whimsical video about…well, a fox, a crow, and a cookie [link below]. the album isn’t all ups though, following up with a sobering account of david’s last days in The Angel of Death Came to David’s Room. other highlights included the penultimate The King Beetle On the Coconut Estate, which sounds a bit ridiculous but is equal parts beautiful and majestic. it’s, again, hard to put into a few words what mewithoutYou is like.
anyways. mewithoutYou is releasing their next album, Ten Stories, which will be available on may 15th. it looks like there is some sort of preorder deal you can look into, but i’ll wait ;]
til then, cheers.
oh yea. http://bit.ly/wk35IY
]]>steady my heart, from kari jobe’s brand new album, where i find You.
i’ve loved kari jobe for a long time. revelation song? come on. this new track is strangely taylor swift-esque with a touch of Jesus take the wheel, i think. i also think it’s awesome that there is a rise in well-known, strong female worship leaders like her and kim walker-smith. the gals need role models too.
she’s got a great voice and personality, a decent stage presence [i saw her at creation 2010. excellent] and is just generally adorable. num.
cheers.
]]>my brother’s church [ironically also called ecc] led this at youth group on friday. couldn’t have asked for a more relevant or timely new song to hear. david crowder band has been pushing the limits of modern worship styles since day 1, and it’s amazing to see how far they’ve come. for anyone fortunate enough to have been to one of their live concerts…you know how energetic and fun they are. i’m bummed i missed the 7 tour, but their last album, the 34 track monstrosity that is Give Us Rest or [a Requiem Mass in C (the Happiest of All Keys)], is STUNNING. i picked it up for $12 at best buy. i would also HIGHLY recommend this year’s passion cd, which is where you can find the track “sometimes”, about $12 on amazon as well. always buy!
cheers.
***an amendment: after looking at Give Us Rest more closely, sometimes is actually on that CD as well, with a 100% less audience-y/clappy studio version than the passion 2012 one! both are great though.
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