Taylor Swift – Speak Now (2010) [Country/Pop]

Speak Now Review

June 28th, 2012

Written by Lyla Page

Edited by Troy Swiatek

★★★★★★★★☆☆

            Two questions often associated with Taylor Swift’s music are “Why do all her songs sound the same?” and “Has she ever written a song that’s not about a guy?” Yes…and no. Her latest album, Speak Now, answers those questions. Like her previous albums, Speak Now is loaded with ballads like the wistful “Dear John”, which presumably chronicles her relationship with John Mayer. Swift’s signature storyteller lyrics of the heart-wrenching “Back to December” can be interpreted as an apology to a broken-hearted Taylor Lautner. Of course, there’s the upbeat, in-your-face “Better Than Revenge”, which takes a stab at a mystery girl who “stole” Swift’s boyfriend. However, the theme of the album is not romance, but the bridge to adulthood. Swift touches on the bliss of childhood with “Never Grow Up”, seen through the eyes of a lonely adult. Even her catchy love songs like “Mine” and “Sparks Fly” demonstrate a deeper understanding of relationships in relation to her previous albums. (“I was a flight risk with a fear of falling/Wondering why we bother with love if it never lasts”) and (“It’s okay, life is a tough crowd/Thirty-two and still growing up now”). The album’s closer, “Long Live”, shows that Taylor Swift may be looking back at her high school days, but her experiences have helped her to make a solid, more grown-up version of her music. Yes, many of Swift’s songs may sound similar (the sign of an artist who’s successfully developed a signature sound), but like any good song, each track on Speak Now stands out in its own way – demonstrating Taylor Swift’s best effort yet.

• Musicianship: 7
• Lyrics: 8.5
• Overall: 7.5

Flying Colors – Flying Colors (2012) [Progressive Rock]

Flying Colors’ Debut: A Review

June 19th, 2012

Written and Edited by Troy Swiatek

★★★★★★★★☆

I picked up this album alongside Adrenaline Mob’s Omertà during my last visit to my local record store. They’re both recent Mike Portnoy supergroup releases, so of course I had to get both. Fortunately, the two albums were on two separate sides of the spectrum: heavy metal in Omertà and progressive rock in Flying Colors. The genre for this album, however, is debatable, so let’s just call Flying Colors eclectic progressive rock for now. Luckily for me, I don’t have to copy and paste that damned “à” for this album name. Not to mention the fact that I’m completely in love with progressive rock at this point.

Since its release, there have been many positive reviews of this album. Unfortunately, this one is but another in that haystack.

The album cover truly intrigues me. Of course, it caught my eye and was one of the reasons I purchased it – I was looking for it for a while, but couldn’t find it until I saw the easy-to-spot album art. The album cover has a sense of diversity to it, which reigns true throughout the album; there is a certain diversity on every track; a different musician shines on each track. Of course, there is a bit of similarity between all of the tracks: the annoyingly cheesy lyricism. The lyrics were simply.. stupid on this album. That, however, does not interfere with the fact that the musicianship on this album is perfectly executed.

Any who, purchasing this album was a no-brainer for me. It features many of the progressive/rock musicians I’ve come to know and love in my past three years of music exploration. There’s drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Transatlantic, Neal Morse, Liquid Tension Experiment, etc.), keyboardist (and vocalist, not to mention guitarist) Neal Morse (Spock’s Beard, Transatlantic, solo), guitarist Steve Morse, who is of no relation to Neal Morse, (Dixie Dregs, solo, Kansas, Deep Purple, etc.), bassist Dave LaRue (Dixie Dregs, Planet X, Steve Morse Band, etc.) and one who I am relatively unfamiliar with, vocalist (alongside keyboards and rhythm guitar) Casey McPherson. Transatlantic also happens to be my favorite modern progressive rock band, so another collaboration between two members of the band I’ve come to love couldn’t possibly be bad. Well, it could, but that doesn’t happen here. I also happen to absolutely adore Steve Morse’s work in Dixie Dregs. Basically, the musical portion of this band had to be phenomenal. No letdowns there, I assure you. Then there’s the vocalist whom I have no prior experience with: Casey McPherson. Surprisingly, his and Neal’s melodies were beautiful throughout the album. No complaints on the musicianship. The vocals, however, were a slight nuisance on a few songs. The lyrics.. well, relatively cheesy throughout. Flying Colors, however, manages to incorporate almost everything I love about progressive rock into this album, hence the 8.5/10 rating.

Now then, onto the individual track reviews.

The first track of this wonderful album is entitled Blue Ocean. This track really sets the mood for the rest of the album: a fun-loving group of musicians doing what they love: making wondrous music. You can tell at the beginning of the song that these guys simply adore working with each other; that, in my mind, sets the course for a brilliant album. This is probably my favorite track off of the album, and currently my favorite song released in 2012. Mind you, I have never heard Mr. McPherson sing before this track, and quite simply.. I was blown away. His vocal abilities are astounding; his vocals soar right on through the music, flowing beautifully. This is the track that really stands out above all the others on this album. Especially with the “Blue ocean” harmonies, not to mention a brilliantly coordinated solo by Steve. The song caps off with the stellar “Blue ocean” piece. Wonderful, simply wonderful.

Shoulda Coulda Woulda is the second track of the album and the title scared me a little bit. Casey’s vocals at the beginning also frightened me quite a bit. The vocals remain quite.. annoying throughout the entire song. However, the musicianship is simply fantastic, and that alone makes this a song works listening to. Lyrics are also extremely cheesy, and I would advise Casey to avoid these types of vocals for future reference.

Kayla is the third song of the album, and from what I’ve seen has received extremely positive reviews by listeners. Unfortunately, I don’t hear the attraction. The song is actually quite boring and one that I would tend to skip when listening to the album. The music is slightly above average, vocals slightly below average, and the lyrics are pretty.. bleh. I’m unsure what the cause of the extremely positive reviews were, but I could not find anything that truly impressed me here. It’s an overall below average song. That’s all.

The Storm is the fourth track of the album with a title that makes me hoping for a barrage of orgasmic instrumentals alongside relatively ‘louder’ vocals. My expectation was indeed quite off the mark, but nonetheless this song is wonderful in its own right. Excellent musicianship. Soaring vocals. The Morses: keyboards and guitars. An overall impressive track. Not what I expected initially, but I left with a smile on my face and a tune in my head.

Forever in a Daze is the fifth track off the album. The beginning is simply orgasmic, for lack of a better term, and certainly sets the mood for the rest of the song – a soaring bass. Hm. Appears to be another love song, similar to Kayla, but certainly much more impressive. Bass and guitar solo right in the middle. This song is fantastic, a must-listen for any progressive rock lover. I usually despise love songs, but this song is an obvious exception. “You don’t even know my name, but you got me loving you forever in a daze..”. Very nice.

Love is What I’m Waiting For is the sixth track of the album that has me thinking: Another love song? Ah, that doesn’t exactly matter. The lyrics are quite cheesy and don’t appeal to me much. The musicianship, on the other hand, remain continuously impressive and leaves me relatively happy. This is an okay song. The vocals fit, flow and are performed well, but just do not impress me whatsoever.

The seventh track of the album is called Everything Changes. This is probably the softest song on the album with a fairly simply message, as noted in the title: everything changes. And indeed it does. Despite its softness, this song is carefully orchestrated into masterful perfection. Brilliant guitar work. Portnoy flows right along with the rest of the crew. Casey truly shines here, demonstrating his beautiful vocal ability. Quite an impressive song to say the least.

Better Than Walking Away is the eighth track of the album that begins in a way that left me thinking I was wrong about the last song being the softest on the album. Luckily for me, it picks up relatively quickly and morphs into a ‘faster’, ‘heavier’ song about halfway through. The two, Everything Changes and Better Than Walking Away are clearly the two softest songs on the album. That, however, does not diminish their brilliancy. Another nice listen.

All Falls Down is the ninth track of the album that finally starts to pick up the album, once again, into the heavier portion of progressive rock that is this album. Starts off with a combination of Steve and Mike’s brilliant musicianship and quickly transforms into an epic song with some nice ‘harmonies’, or rather ‘chants’ from the group. Excellent guitar playing by Steve on this track, he really shines here. Casey flows right along with Mike’s poundin’. Another great track.

Fool in My Heart is the tenth track of the album, leaving me thinking, once again, ANOTHER LOVE SONG? Well, yeah, basically. “I always will love you, forever I will“.. meh. The lyrics somewhat annoy me, but Casey and the crew pull off another okay song, which is rare for me – mind you, I hate songs about love.  Of course, this song contains yet another awesome solo from Steve but quickly picks up back into the cheesiness.

The final, eleventh track of the album is called Infinite Fire. This is the longest song on the album, clocking in at nearly 12 minutes long. The longest by nearly five minutes. It kicks off with.. well, basically a great, nearly two-minute instrumental portion before the vocals pop in. The vocals, in my opinion, flow relatively less here than in other songs, but they still make an excellent sound. LaRue, alongside Portnoy, Neal and Steve all shine brilliantly on this song. The harmonies are also quite intriguing, however cheesy the lyrics they’re singing are. Nonetheless, fantastic solos and genius drum-work truly make this song one of the best on the album. I believe there’s even a keyboard solo by Neal here. Truly a magnificent piece of work Flying Colors managed to create here, incorporating each of the members’ talents so terrifically. It reminds me slightly of Transatlantic’s My New World, although the lyrics there, I believe, are better than those portrayed on Infinite Fire. Nonetheless, this track is amazing and a brilliant closer to a great album.

Alright then, that concludes the individual track reviews. Now, I must admit, my opinion of this album overall altered during the writing of this review. The rating went from a 9.5 to a 9.0, only getting worse for me, and eventually halting at 8.5. I believe this album is quite worth the 8.5, and quite possibly, at best, an 8.75. I could not, for the life of me, find a copy-and-pasteable half-star for the ‘out of 10′ stars under the album cover at the very top – this bugged me for at least half an hour before I gave up and decided to ’round up’ for the star-rating. Any who, this album was well-worth the listen and I can see myself going to see these guys in concert, if they happen to tour. I would also jump at the chance to purchase a new album of theirs, if such a chance arises. I’ll be listening to this album, especially Blue Ocean and Infinite Fire, for years to come. I would recommend the album to any progressive rock fan who can also handle the occasional ‘pop rock’ influence; this influence is mainly held within the vocals, anyway. The musicianship is top-notch, the crew consists of the best of the best, and the vocalist, despite novel to me, really impresses me. I’m honored to be able to express my opinion on this album as a review. 🙂

• Music: 9.5
• Vocals: 8.5
• Lyrics: 4
• Overall: 8.5

Adrenaline Mob – Omertà (2012) [Heavy Metal]

A Review of Adrenaline Mob’s “Omertà”

June 14th, 2012

Written and Edited by Troy Swiatek

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

I picked this album up on a whim, being a huge Mike Portnoy fan, while at my local music store (of course, I picked up the brand new Flying Colors album along with it; it will be reviewed at a later date, but I was most definitely more impressed with that release in comparison to this one). Needless to say, with a superstar trio consisting of the magnificent Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen, infamous shredder Mike Orlando – I am quite the fan of his Sonic Stomp albums – and the brilliant Transatlantic (hell, I prefer Transatlantic to Dream Theater and his other projects) drummer Mike Portnoy, I was expecting a mind-blowing release.

However, with an early peek at the album art, I could already foresee a mediocre album. I expected “yet another” average hard rock/heavy metal album, but figured if these beyond talented musicians were participating it could be made into a fantastic album. Unfortunately, after a few listens of the album, this dream turned into reality – indeed, it is a relatively average album, for the most part. There were some surprisingly brilliant tracks, however.

Undaunted is the first track of the album. It starts off pretty well, showcasing Portnoy’s and Orlando’s abilities – not brilliantly, but adequately enough to be slightly impressed. After about half a minute, Russell Allen’s unrecognizable vocals explode into the song. Russell was most definitely trying a new vocal style with this album – I actually loved his vocals on his most recent Symphony X album, Iconoclast (2011), and was expecting the same vibe from Omertà. I don’t think this type of vocals suit him at all; however, it most certainly flows along with the music, which I always love. Not to say that I dislike the vocals, I don’t, but they were surprising at first. Overall, this is a solid track and will definitely convince listeners to lengthen their attention span for the entire album. My favorite part would have to be the chorus and Russell’s pronunciation of “undaunted” within it – “You wannabe, I stand undaunted; you gonna see, I am undaunted“. An impressive track to kickoff the album with.

Psychosane is the second track, with a paradoxical, contradictory title – you can’t be “psycho” and “sane” at the same time! This song was slightly less impressive to me; it was a bit less heavy (hey, my opinion) and flows much less than Undaunted. The lyrics were pretty mediocre, somewhat cheesy at times. What saves this track from being a total letdown was Orlando’s solo near the end of song. Pretty much loved that, despite its relatively short length. Similar to the previous song, my favorite part was the chorus – “Heavy thunder blows my mind, knocks me senseless all the time; the sound of lightning screams, I hear them melt my brain – Lord I’m going psychosane“. That alone makes this track re-listenable for me.

Indifferent is the third track, possibly my favorite, of the album. The song starts off very nicely with a catchy riff alongside Portnoy’s drum-pounding – Mike and Mike are definitely in sync on this track. This is one of the softer tracks on the album, but by no means is it a “soft” track whatsoever. The only reason this song is my favorite is that Russell’s vocals are RECOGNIZABLE – it’s the Symphony X vocalist once again, and I love the vocals on this track. I’m also quite indifferent (love the word) to most issues in the world at the moment. Not to mention another wondrous solo by Orlando.. this track is wonderful; in terms of vocal ability, Russell really nails it on this track. Of course, the chorus was also enjoyable – not sure why I’m enjoying these so much on this album. Probably because of Russell. 😉

All on the Line is the fourth track containing a similar vocal-style to the third track. Now, this track is definitely the softest on the album. Although it contains a slightly heavy chorus, the rest of this song is quite ballad-like but nonetheless brilliantly performed. This song definitely showcases Russell’s vocal ability – absolutely fantastic. It also is quite reminiscent of Triumph’s Lay It On the Line, but only in that All on the Line contains the line “I’ve got to lay it all on the line” and they’re both hard-rock “ballads”. This song showcases each of the trio’s unique, legendary talents that has allowed them each to make it in the music industry. This song may very well be my favorite on the album. Simply great. The chorus.. once again.. “I don’t wanna wake up and make the same mistakes, it happens to me all the time; if I lie, I lose it all, if I stand or if I fall, I’ve got to lay it all on the line..“. This song also contains a very slight but perfect solo to go along with the song. Love it.

Hit the Wall is the fifth track on the album, signaling a path back to the heaviness of the album, with the two previous songs being relatively soft in comparison to the rest of the album. I’ll be honest, this song is monotonously boring. I did not enjoy this song at all. There were a few nice guitar licks, but nothing utterly fantastic in my opinion. Portnoy also had a few good moments within the song.. but aside from Orlando’s solo the song was pretty one-way. Definitely a bust.

Feelin’ Me is the sixth track on the album, probably the harshest, in terms of vocals, and nothing short of a kick-ass song. Love the guitar riff, Portnoy flows right along with Orlando and Russell continuously delivers excellently. Not a fan of the chorus – “I gonna stand up and fight, gonna knock out the sky ’cause I don’t give a shit; ya mother fuckers feelin’ me, are ya mother fuckers feelin’ me?” – it’s pretty unwarranted but flows right along with the slight harshness of the song. A great rebound from the fifth disaster.

Come Undone is the seventh track on the album, a cover, originally performed by Duran Duran. I must admit, I haven’t heard the original, but that’s irrelevant when it comes to this song. It’s an excellent song, although I can’t say if it’s a “good cover” or not. The female guest-vocalist definitely fits right in with the song, they perform the chorus flawlessly in my opinion – “Can’t ever keep from falling apart.. at the seams; can’t I believe you’re taking my heart.. to pieces”. The vocals really stand out on this song; don’t notice Orlando and Portnoy as much, which wasn’t a necessarily bad thing, for Russell (and whoever the hell that female vocalist was) really tore it up.

Believe Me is the eighth track on the album, starts off extremely weak. Russell utters “Come on!” so weakly that I figured the rest of the song would follow suit. I was pretty much correct in that assumption. The rest of the song is mediocre, relatively monotonous but not as bad as Hit the Wall. Another song I would be tempted to skip upon another listen of the album. Nonetheless, it is by no means a terrible song, I simply dislike it.

Down to the Floor is the ninth track of the album, whose title reminds me of Blood On the Dance Floor. The lyrics on this one are simply atrocious. “I feel the wind breakin’, tires shakin’; I feel the earth quakin’, come on give it some more.” “I bleed the brake line, hands shakin’, red light, sweat breakin’, I’m ready to explode!”. The music is average. Nothing special here, but still not awful.

Angel Sky is the tenth track of the album with a ballad-like title; I admit, the name of the song had me hoping for a fantastic song. Seems I was correct on the ballad-likehypothesis. Russell’s voice is quite nice in this one, but I didn’t find anything special in this one aside from the chorus -“I wish I could see through your eyes, fly through the angel sky, fly so high spread your wings to try.. fly away to a different place in time, won’t you fly away?”. It’s delivered quite nicely by the group and I would listen to the song again just for the chorus and corresponding guitar-licks by Orlando.

Freight Train is the eleventh and final track of the album. It begins with the sound of a freight train followed by a smooth riff. I expected something memorable, it being the final track and all.. unfortunately, there was nothing spectacular except for Orlando’s guitar and Portnoy’s drums. Russell was pretty boring on this track, especially with the annoying chorus – “Freight train rollin’, ya keep on rollin’; freight train goin’, all night, freight train rollin’, ya keep on goin’, rollin’ down the line”. Aside from the vocals, this song was delivered exceptionally and is quite brilliant in terms of musicianship.

As a whole, this album was completely different from what I’m currently exploring – progressive rock – but was indefinitely a solid album. Quite simply, this album is a punch to the face – a kick-ass, rockin’ album that you should play as loud as possible. I would completely recommend Omertà to any fan of the current hard rock and heavy metal scene. I’m actually looking forward to a sophomore release from this supergroup. I believe that as they develop a bond as a group, they’ll perform better and dive into unexplored musical regions with a new album. The talent is there, but the chemistry appears to be absent, which can be improved with extended “bonding time”. Unfortunately, each of the members have other groups to tend to (except Orlando, not exactly sure what he’s doing at this point), and Portnoy’s all over the place with his recent tours, groups and contributions to albums.

• Music: 8.
• Vocals: 7
• Lyrics: 5
• Overall: 7

overall incorporates my impressions, how well I felt the music flowed, the lyrics, performance of each member on the album, and a few other unimportant factors; it is not an average of the music, vocals and lyrics ratings

On Guard: The Riot Grrrl Revolution

On Guard: The Riot Grrrl Revolution

5/23/12

Written by Holly Reynolds

Edited by Troy Swiatek

They created a subculture that lasted well after the initial movement began to die. Young women from all over the greater Pacific Northwest were rampaging, developing a music scene to explore their feminist thoughts and desires through garage bands. Even if the genre never exploded into the mainstream eye, the girls who riot continue to influence many emerging acts (the ever enticing Lipstick Homicide, and the like) while still engaging a strong cult following which continue to push the original goal of the first riot grrrls – to increase the significance and number of women involved in music.
“You learn that the only way to get rock-star power as a girl is to be a groupie and bare your breasts and get chosen for the night. We learn that the only way to get anywhere is through men. And it’s a lie.” – Kathleen Hanna
Riot grrrl created its own place within a male-dominated punk scene and continue to impact many aspects of indie and punk rock culture today.  Bands such as the revolutionary Bikini Kill often selected their audience, changing the dynamics of punk gigs to create a place where women of the same passionate views gathered in a place where they felt empowered. Female musicians weren’t seen as week and lovelorn, as the riot grrrls expressed their thoughts on issues (like sexuality, patriarchy, rape and domestic abuse) important to their everyday life. It was a time where a woman could pick up a guitar feel her voice is heard.

Associated with third-wave feminism, the underground punk rock movement peaked within the early to mid 90s. Patti Smith, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and Joan Jett were among the many female musicians throughout the 70s and 80s who greatly influenced the beginning embers of the genre. The first traceable evidence of riot grrrl forming as a genre included an article titled Women, Sex, Rock and Roll by Puncture in 1989, and a seemingly unknown radio show describing itself as “aimed at angry young women” by the name of Your Dream Girl which aired in Olympia where many early riot grrrl acts spawned, largely contained to small garage gigs. The phrase “riot grrrl” developed over time (all due to a letter from Bratmobile member Jen Smith, where she wrote, “This summer’s going to be a girl riot!”), but has since become a very welcomed term embraced by the bands, adding to their image and overall message.

There often comes the common misconception that all riot grrrls are male-haters, who believe in not the equality of sexes but the superiority of women. In fact, this is always rejected, once summarized: “We’re not anti-boy, we’re pro-girl.” Despite the presence of several male band members within the riot grrrl genre including Huggy Bear’s Jon Slade and Billy Karren of Bikini Kill, the bands were not always positively received at shows by male attendees. Although rising after the queer-core movement, the distinction between riot grrrl and queercore is often blurred due to bands like Fifth Column and Team Dresch.

To outsiders, the musical credibility of the riot grrrl revolution is questionable, but to fans, what the movement represents is far more important than the music itself. It’s a way of life.

Recommended listening:

#1 – Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney
Notable tracks: One More Hour, Dig Me Out and Little Babies
Ranked at #24 on Spin’s 100 Greatest Albums 1985 – 2005 and often regarded as the album that “defined the band’s sound”, Dig Me Out was the third Sleater-Kinney
studio album, released in 1997. Establishing at the tail end of the original movement, Carrie, Corin and Janet escaped the trap that many riot grrrl bands fell into: never approaching popular acceptance. The trio rose to a to a critically revered indie rock act, heavily due to their harmonious blend of riot grrrl passion, hooky lyrics and ingenious instrumental techniques. Dig Me Out is more than a riot grrrl album to me; this is the pinnacle of all I love, my favorite album, by my favorite band, including my favorite song. Ever, full stop.
#2 – Pussy Whipped by Bikini Kill
Notable tracks: Rebel Girl, Sugar and Speed Heart

Straight from the woman who famously spray painted “Kurt Smells like Teen Spirit” on Cobain’s wall, comes an album containing, undeniably, the most iconic girl-power anthem of the riot grrrl era, Pussy Whipped is the debut studio album by Kathleen Hanna’s Bikini Kill. Occasionally collaborating with high profiles acts such as Joan Jett and Nirvana, Bikini Kill was well known for turning down well-known labels and the mainstream music journalists. “Rebel Girl” appeared on Rolling Stone’s Most Excellent Songs of Every Year Since 1967 for the year 1993. You’ll be screaming she’s the queen of your world, I guarantee it.

#3 – Feminist Sweepstakes by Le Tigre
Notable tracks: Fake French, On Guard and My Art

Kathleen Hanna, centre of the riot grrrl universe and fabulous Bikini Kill front woman, went on to found the “protest pop” Le Tigre. Released in 2001, Feminist Sweepstakes is their second studio album and first to feature JD Samson. They find a sweet point between experimental electro and the riot grrrl ethos Hanna helped create. The entirety of the album is seamlessly fluent, even with each track noticeably unique, it just works. Admittedly, the alternative direction won’t be to everyone’s taste, but well worth trying.

Music Listening: A History

Music Listening: A History

5/23/12

Written by Kim Dixon

Edited by Troy Swiatek

Thousands of years ago, ancient man discovered that hitting different objects together made a sound that was enjoyable. As time passed, those sounds became known as music and those basic objects turned into complex instruments.
It used to be that when you wanted to hear music, you either had to hire a musician or learn to play an instrument yourself. However, as humans began to harness the power of electricity, it became possible to record sounds on a phonograph, which was invented in the late 19th century by Thomas Edison. Since then, technology has grown at a never before seen, exponentially mind-blowing rate.
Radio became available for public broadcasting in 1920. Records came out around the same time, but the more familiar vinyl records didn’t come into play until the ‘50s. In 1890, the first “nickel in slot” phonograph was invented. By 1940 this kind of phonograph became known as the jukebox. Jukeboxes hit their peak in the ‘50s in popular hangout joints for the young people, but you can still find modernized jukeboxes with the current technology all around.

Records remained the best & just about the only way to listen to music for a few decades, but people wanted easier, less bulky, & more portable ways to listen to their tunes. In the late ’50s & early ’60s the transistor radio, a small portable radio, made it possible to listen to music on the go. In the late 60s the FM radio format, which had been patented in 1933, & played mostly music, became very popular because FM had been adopted by fans of “Alternative Rock” music (“A.O.R.”- album oriented rock)  but it wasn’t until 1978 that listener-ship to FM stations exceeded that of AM stations in North America.

In 1964, stereo 8, better known as the 8 track, come out & allowed for even more portability. They were extremely popular in the states, but remained relatively unknown to much of the world. In the early 70s-80s, the compact cassette became the next must have. Smaller, less bulky & with a rewinding/fast forwarding option, the cassette was a huge leap in music listening as the machine needed to play them could be made pocket size (ex: Sony Walkman), but something was needed for people to be able to listen to music without disturbing others. The answer: Headphones.

The first headphones were used in the early 20th century for radio transmissions. They were primitive by today’s standards as they had very crude audio & were genuinely very uncomfortable to use. Improvements have been made over time, including the invention of ear-buds that fit directly into the ear with little to no discomfort.
In the 70s, boomboxes became popular. Though they were bulky & big in size, they were portable as most models could run off of electricity or batteries. The early models were an attractive hybrid which fused the booming sound of large sound systems and the portability of small cassette players they were typically small, black, heavy, and most importantly loud. The effective AM/FM turner was the most attractive feature of the early boombox – up until the incorporation of input/output jacks into the boxes, allowing the use of devices such as microphones. This development brought boombox to their height of popularity, and as their popularity rose so did the innovative features included in the box. Urban teens loved boomboxes for their portability and sound quality, but most important to the youth market was the bass. The desire for louder and heavier bass led to bigger and heavier boxes; by the 1980s some boomboxes had reached the size of a suitcase.
By the time the 80s rolled around, the world was heading into the digital era. On March 2nd, 1983 the compact disc (CD), was released in the U.S. This date became known as the “Big Bang of the Digital Audio Era”. Expensive at first, the price gradually fell as the disc gained popularity. The CD was an improvement of the cassette because you could skip tracks by just pressing a button.

By the 90s the personal computer (PC) gained popularity as they became useable in homes. In 1993 the mp3( & later iPods) player hit the shelves. Small, compact, & able to hold thousands of songs, it took a few years to catch on, but by the early 2000s it became the most popular way of buying music, because of the ease of use. Gone were the days of listening to a full album, now all you had to do was download the song(s) you wanted to hear.

Sites like YouTube, Last.FM, Spotify, etc. now allow people to be able to listen to music online for free & be able to check out albums to see if you wanted to download/buy them or not. Unfortunately, with the ease of use, came the people who wanted to cheat the system & bands, by illegally downloading songs. As the internet grew the number of legal & illegal downloading sites grew as well. Luckily, the government is taking action against such illegal sites.
Technology just keeps on growing & improving, who knows what will become the next musical must have? What do you think?

How to Properly Destroy A Band’s Income

How to Properly Destroy A Band’s Income

5/21/12

Written by Lyla Page

Edited by Troy Swiatek

-~> We all know the feeling of finding out a favorite band is on tour near us – excitement is the first thing we feel, but despite our love for the band, the price of concert tickets often stops us from going to the show. One might wonder why ticket prices have been on a rise for several years now, and the answer is very simple: it’s the result of illegal downloading. Illegal torrenting, through the form of sites like MegaUpload, which was recently shut down for severe copyright infringement (not to mention advocating criminal activity on the Internet), has seared across the Internet, dragging in users with the promise of free – albeit copyrighted – material. The idea of downloading movies and music for free has sucked in millions of Americans, with IFPI claiming that 95% of music downloads are illegal. This form of downloading, often referred to as piracy, is better described, pure and simple, as stealing. Paying nothing for individuals’ copyrighted work is inexcusable, yet sites such as MegaUpload eagerly promote such theft. Granted, MegaUpload offers the “useful” features of sharing files, such as photo albums and documents, options which are highly functional. However, it must be remembered that while MegaUplaod, generally speaking, did not directly host copyrighted files; they offered direct routes to said files. One MegaUpload employee described the nature of the site as “We’re not pirates; we’re just providing shipping services to pirates.” Offering an alternative to piracy, Spotify is a site that offers free music-sharing services, all protected under copyright laws. Data has shown a correlation between the number of downloads since Spotify came on the radar; illegal downloads have noticeably decreased.

-~> One can argue that illegal downloads have also decreased as a result of piracy education. According to the RIAA, only 35% of Americans knew that freely downloading copyrighted files was violating the law. Studies have shown that teenagers who have been educated on the topic of piracy are less likely to download, so it is certainly possible that piracy education will become a cornerstone in ending illegal downloading. A certain irony is found in the debacle – many of the same individuals who complained about SOPA, a bill designed to end piracy and one that would supposedly censor the Internet, were the same individuals that knowingly downloaded copyrighted material. While others’ refusal to illegal download may stem from a combination of morals, education, and Spotify, the ultimate driving force in ending downloading will be increased concert ticket prices. Remember this the next time you go to buy seemingly overpriced tickets for a band like Radiohead, who gave up on (selling) records and instead chose to make their profits through ticket sales – right, didn’t you just download their last album?

May 2012: A Recap

May 2012: A Recap

5/20/12

Written by Christian Purcell

Already, yet another month has passed by in 2012, and the steady stream of new releases isn’t slowing down either. Chronicled here are 6 records/EP’s (and one Single) from May that I believe are essential listening, for any music fan. From the soaring vocals of Laurel Halo, the sounds of rave revival in Lone’s productions, to even the quick and vicious rhymes from hip-hop mainstay, El-P. It’s all here. Enjoy!

Laurel Halo – Quarantine

– Synth Pop / Art Pop / Bass music

Key Tracks: Airsick, Carcass, and Light + Space

Recommended if you enjoy: Björk, Grimes, or Nite Jewel

Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music

– Southern Hip-Hop / Hardcore Hip-Hop / Gangsta Rap

Key Tracks: Big Beast, Regan, and Butane

Recommended if you enjoy: Big K.R.I.T., G-Side, or UGK

Lone – Galaxy Garden

– Hardcore Breaks / Footwork / UK Funky

Key Tracks: As A Child, Crystal Caverns 1991, and Raindance

Recommended if you enjoy: Zomby, Machinedrum, or Chris Clark

Beach House – Bloom

– Dream Pop / Indie Pop

Key Tracks: Myth, Lazuli, and Irene

Recommended if you enjoy: Chromatics, Tennis, or Real Estate

Girl Unit – Club Rez EP

– UK Bass / Dubstep / Electro

Key Tracks: Ensemble (Club Mix) & Double Take

Recommended if you enjoy: Jam City, Lil Silva, or Kingdom

El-P – Cancer For Cure

– Experimental Hip-Hop / Abstract Hip-Hop / Electro

Key Tracks: The Full Retard, Drones over BKLYN, and The Jig is Up

Recommended if you enjoy: Company Flow, Aesop Rock, or Cannibal Ox

Burial & Four Tet – Nova

– Future Garage / Ambient House / Dubstep

Recommended if you enjoy: Clubroot, Zomby, or Swarms (And, of course, Burial and Four Tet, respectively)

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – A Review

May 18th, 2012

Written by Kim Dixon

Edited by Troy Swiatek

If you’ve ever watched That Metal Show, then you’ve probably heard Eddie Trunk rant and rave about how screwed up the Rock n Roll hall of fame (rnr for short) is. This is a review of more or less my opinion of the highly acclaimed establishment.

When you think of rock n roll you probably think of bands/artists like The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, the Doors etc. All of whom are in the hall of fame. OK so if those bands are in, you would think that bands like Deep Purple, Bad Company, Steppenwolf, Def Leppard, Rush, etc. would be in the hall right? WRONG!! Here’s a list of the most famous bands who have been snubbed: http://www.futurerocklegends.com/The_Snub_List.php.

I understand that only a few bands can be inducted each year & that to be able to be inducted it must be at least 25 years since the release of a band’s debut, so if it takes a band say 3 years to make the hall. I’m not too upset, but when a band has been eligible for over 10 years or more & when Michael Jackson (2001 inductee) beats out that band for a slot, I just feel confused.

Which brings me to my next pet peeve about the hall. What’s the deal with inducting non-rock n roll artists? Since when is Run DMC rock? Pioneering rap group, yes, rock band, I don’t think so. Mind you here are some artists who most folks wouldn’t consider rock, but the very selective group of people of who inducts artists do: Run DMC, ABBA, Grandmaster Flash, Prince, & Bob Marley, to name a few. I Mean nothing against those artists; it’s just to most of us their music isn’t rock. Now I know some people would say ABBA is rock (pop rock) so they could go either way, like my favorite band Fleetwood Mac (1997 Inductees though only half of the band was included). List of RnR HOF inductees: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame_inductees#Performers

Another peeve is that deserving bands normally have to wait too long to get in. Take Black Sabbath for example. Their debut was released in February 1970, making them eligible in 1995. They have been inducted 11 years later in 2006. Only 4 out of 20+ members (some of who were only in the band for few months while others in the band for years); they even snubbed Dio. The Hall of Fame has habit of inducting only a few members of a band. In my opinion if a person contributed to making music in the band then they are just as deserving as the founding members.

My last point is about the people who decide who makes the cut and who doesn’t. Why is it that only a select few can decide who they want in? Why not leave up to the people who made this music the big success it was and continues to be to this day, THE FANS! The “judges” or board, for lack of a better term, only put the bands that they want in and the fans don’t get any say in the voting of who gets in. I wish that somebody would make another “hall of fame” and actually put deserving bands in it.

To Summarize the Rock n Roll shouldn’t be called the Rock n Roll Hall of fame, it should be called the Hall of Fame Created by a Bunch of Elitist Musical Snobs. It isn’t a good hall of fame. while there are some deserving artists in the hall, there are about as many artists who don’t need to be in there.

U.S. iTunes Top 5 [5/18/12]

US iTunes Top 5 – A Review

5/18/12

Written by Lyla Page.

1.    “Call Me Maybe” – Carly Rae Jespen

        The infectious chorus of “Hey, I just met you /And this is crazy/But here’s my number/So call me, maybe?”, is not only “crazy”, but backed up by obnoxious synthesizers and drum machines offers nothing new to the current spectacle known as mainstream pop music. However, we may as well give Ms. Jespen credit for our inability to hear auto-tune ringing true and free throughout her one-octave vocals.

2.    “Somebody That I Used to Know” – Gotye (ft. Kimbra)

        A mellow acoustic intro kicks off this heartfelt ballad as Gotye sings about the joys and conflicts of supposed love. A surprising vocal feature, courtesy of Kimbra, serves only to add emphasis and emotion to the song’s in-depth lyrics. Kimbra’s solo is easily the highlight of the song, wailing, “Now I’m just somebody that you used to know.” A solid effort, this hit offers a refreshing change from the 80’s pop-esque love songs that dominate teen radio.

3.    “Payphone” – Maroon 5 (ft. Wiz Khalifa)

        OH DEAR GOD. Not ANOTHER catchy Maroon 5 single, right? But this time, it’s featuring Wiz himself. There’s not much to say about the auto-tuned vocals and generic lyrics, with the exception of “All those fairy tales are full of shit.”

4.    “Wild Ones” – Flo Rida (ft. Sia)

        THE MASTER OF MAINSTREAM PARTY MUSIC IS BACK. Flo Rida has returned, this time featuring newcomer Sia (how many Flo hits don’t feature a rising star? *cough cough KESHA* ), whose voice adds the right amount of carefree, wild enthusiasm to the perfect house party theme.

5.    “We Are Young” – Fun. (ft. Janelle Monae)

        A simple yet dominating drum beat kicks off Fun.’s massive hit, “We Are Young.” While the lyrics may be intentionally ambiguous (“I know I gave it to you months ago/I know you’re trying to forget”), they offer the hope a promise can bring. From the piano outro to the emotional singing, “We Are Young” is the perfect song to kiss and make up to.

 

“In short, what’s considered popular at this day in time makes me want to shove a spoon down my throat and regurgitate the Harry Potter jelly beans I had for breakfast.”

About

Musical Indulgence: Defined

      Quite simply, we are a group from the notorious, faraway land of RockNPopia. RockNPopia lies within the clueless country of Yahoo. There, unruly trolls and a myriad of ne’er-do-wells reside comfortably. Fortunately, we’ve managed to escaped the tyranny of the nuisances and their manifestation within the country of Yahoo. The land in which we now reside is known as “WordPress”. It is an exquisite kingdom that allows entry to all intellectual and kindhearted folks alike; luckily, the kingdom vehemently enforces a law that eternally exiles all of those who seek to cause harm to others. ALAS, WE ARE FREE.

Now that that’s over with.. we here at Musical Indulgence are a prideful group of creatures (men, women and sheep alike) that possess a common interest: music. Without it, our lives would alter dramatically; this is unfortunate but true. Because of our passion – and hunger for entertainment – we have decided to share our discoveries, not to mention insight, with the rest of the world through this miniscule blog. We here at Musical Indulgence hope that you’re able to become accustomed to our way of doing things, as we are new to blogging and WordPress, and simply enjoy the daily musical indulgence as we spoon-feed it to you all.

We do have a staff/team at Musical Indulgence. We are lovable.

Troy “The Sheep” Swiatek

Baahey there! I am known as “The Charm of the Sheep” on Yahoo Answers’. I am a Rock and Pop regular and have been for over a year now. I am also the one who wrote all of the above material, not to mention edited all of the material currently present on the blog. You could say that I am the founder, but, I am not, merely a “top contributor” (as we Y!Aers would say). The true creator of this blog is a wondrous female who would prefer to remain anonymous on the Internet. That is her decision, and so be it.

A few miniscule details about myself.. I love computer gaming. I love video games. I love reading. I love writing. I believe in Agnosticism. I am a firm believer in equality – nobody should be discriminated against for whatever reason. I will fight to defend that fragile equality. I am also a fairly intelligent individual, and relatively mature for my young age. Not to mention that I am quite knowledgeable in the music field. My weak points, however, are band members’ names; it is absolutely impossible for me to identify band members by name or face.

I also try to live by a certain philosophy dictated by the oh-so-wise Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson who once said “For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness”. This is a brilliant quote, and I attempt to live by it as closely as possible. I am always happy, unless something dramatic has occurred within my life. This is most certainly something rare within society these days, and I am ultimately proud of this quality.

Drugs, as well as cigarettes, are something I’d very much like to avoid. My mother, up until two years ago, recently had an addiction.. of prescription pills.She was receiving all types of mind-numbing, body-destroying pills. I’ve learned my lesson vicariously through her. Fortunately, since then, she’s been sober. Two whole years. It is a wonderful experience, having a mother once again. That is the reason why I will never, ever resort to illegal drugs or cigarettes, not to mention alcohol (although I will likely drink it occasionally when I am older for fun). Although there is one thing that is severely preventing me from even trying this type of stuff: my overactive asthma. If I attempted to smoke.. well, I could very easily have an asthma attack right then and there, and perhaps end up killing myself. I also have an allergy to several nuts.. so, I’m pretty screwed when it comes to exercise (asthma) and eating things people give me (severe allergies).

I love science. In the future, I wish to become an astronomer, astrophysicist or the like. Space intrigues me, as does everything inside and beyond it. The creation of the universe is one of the topics within (historical) astronomy that piques my interest the most. I hope that one day I will be able to pursue this in a university of my choosing. I am also quite interesting in other sciences, such as biology (astrobiology!) and chemistry (ties in with astronomy for “extraterrestrial life”). Computer sciences are also quite intriguing, as I am currently a newbie programmer in C++ and will soon be learning Java next year. Meteorology was also a concept that I was fairly intrigued by as a child. The storms that would always hover over New Jersey were particularly frightening to my wee-soul. Now, however, I can honestly say that the intrigue is still there! I am, however, quite frightened of larger storms (hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.) but I have become accustomed to the occasional thunderstorm or torrential downpour. All of these are points of intrigue for me and I hope that someday I am able to pursue each and every one of them, whether it be as an amateur or a professional.

Unfortunately, as of now, I am simply “ticking away the moments that make up a dull day” and also “frittering and wasting the hours in an offhand way”, as Pink Floyd’s brilliant “Time” would say. I’m wasting away my life on the computer as of now.. well, can’t say that I’m too dissatisfied with it. I am, however, constantly neglecting my homework and receiving unfortunate marks because of it. I’ve also developed a slightly large bodily figure because of it. Oh well.

I am also what people would call an “otaku”. I love reading manga. In short, they are Japanese comics with an ongoing (or complete) storyline. Like television shows (and books), there are large assortments and categories.. and, well, basically millions of these mangas online, available for me to read. They are allowing to me to pass time cheerfully, which I suppose is a good thing!

Alright, now to explain who the blog I am. My name is Troy Swiatek. I am a 16 year young high school junior who utterly adores both learning and music. I wish to merely introduce a large number of people to music they’ve never dared to even attempt to discover – the obscured, “lost” gems of music. I’ve committed a large amount of my time, and will continue to, to discovering new music. I’ve only lived a short number of years, but my desire is fomented by the knowledge that my music collection can never be too large. My favorite band is Pink Floyd, and they introduced to me to my current favorite genre of music, progressive rock. It is a particularly unusual genre  that most people attempt to stay away from. Luckily, with the wondrous Internet, I am able to meet people with common interests and possibly have them introduce me to something new – the reciprocal is also true.

Despite my passionate love for music, I am but an untalented man when it comes to playing music. I do not wish to learn an instrument at the moment, but I have tried in the past. The only one available to me at this point would be the keyboard, or the piano. They both appear to be achievable, learning wise. Perhaps I will look into them if I hit an insurmountable brick wall in my near future.

Any who, Pink Floyd’s song “Sheep” is what introduced me to them. It is an absolutely brilliant song, as is the entire Animals album. I combined it with a song I was into at the time, “The Charm of the Seer” by Ayreon. They’re a modern progressive rock group.. well, that doesn’t matter. I combined the two song names and it stuck. So, here I am, the Charm of the Sheep, giddy and proud.

Summarized, I love music and I love sharing it with other people. I hope I am able to touch the lives of other people through introductions into new music.

Lyla “The Founder” Page

Hey there. First things first, I prefer to remain anonymous on the Internet – so I shall go by the alias of Lyla Page. My interests include the arts – namely music – as well as sports and coffee. I am a multi-instrumentalist in a band – hopefully some of our music will see the light of day! Speaking of which, music is my passion, as cliché as it sounds. For the record (see what I did there?), I’m not entirely sure what to write about in an “About Me” section. (Kudos to Mr. Sheep for having a far more sophisticated entry than I. ) If you get to know me, which you will, you’ll discover that I’m sarcastic yet sweet, serious yet funny, as well as everything in between. Why choose one when you can have them all? On another note (are you loving these music puns yet?), I am a proud neo-Objectivist and Methodist, which are mutually inclusive concepts. All right, that’s enough chatter – I hope to see you around! Feel free to add me on last.fm. My username is LiveForever16. Cheers xx.

Kim “Motormouth” Dixon

Hola, I’m Kim, but I’m probably better known as Rock Metal Country Blues Forever which is my username on Yahoo! Answers. I’m not on as much as I once was but for a while I was a fairly regular(reg) on R&P(Rock & Pop). However I still get on every so often & I talk to other “regs” so I decided to join my friend’s( Lyla Page’s) R&P blog.
Anyways a little bit about me:
I’m 16 & am currently going through rough times in my life but I find joy in participating in and on groups, blogs, chat-rooms, & websites. Doing stuff on the computer(music, chatting, making new friends, having fun etc) is my escape from my screwed up regular world life.
I guess I would venture to say that my music taste is pretty varied, especially after reading my username. I thank my parents & my uncle for about 85% of my musical tastes. Growing up hearing late 60s-early 80s rock(hard rock, classic rock, blues rock, soft/pop rock, southern rock, & folk rock mostly), I just fell in love with rock ‘n’ roll. After my dad died when I was 11, my uncle became the main musical influence. He got me into harder rock, old school metal, progressive rock, & some country. For a while his music was all I listened to, until I rediscovered my mom’s & dad’s stuff. Their 3 different tastes have come together to form most of mine & along with my own online musical searches on last fm & other sites(mostly for heavier metal) are mainly what I listen to now. Also I would like to give a shout out to my good friend Troy “Sheepster” Swiatek for getting me into listening to more than the “hits” from a band & also for getting me to search for new music.

Back to my life & interests; I’ve never been a “normal” kid nor normal girl for that matter. I’ve always been a tomboy (look it up if you don’t know what it is). I’ve always the rugged girl: always wanting have fun outside & enjoying the great(well mostly great) outdoors. I’ve lived my whole life in Leary, Georgia, which is in the southwestern part of the state. There’s nothing but farms/plantations & woods around here but I enjoy the peace & quiet of living in a small town.
I’m a big sports fan. I support all the home-state teams( Atlanta Braves,(baseball),Atlanta Falcons,(football) Georgia Bulldogs(college football) & Atlanta Hawks(basketball). My dad worked at a racetrack (dragstrip) from the time I was born till he died, so racing’s in my blood.(NASCAR & NHRA) Extreme sports also peak my interest. I enjoy watching the X games & Olympics.

My dad was a big history/reading buff which he passed down to me much to moms displeasure. Some historical eras that interest me are: the dark & middle ages, Greek, Egyptian, & Roman history/mythology Victorian era England, English history from the Viking era-1800s, American Civil war, American Revolution, & most American history from 1607–1945 I’m in intrigued by Sci-Fi stuff. I’m a huge Star Trek fan & I love the paranormal. I love reading(drama, history, mystery, etc.)
As for myself as a person, I’m fairly easy going. Most people find me funny, caring, & nice to be around. As I said before I’m not normal in that I don’t keep up with the latest trends or whatever. I don’t give into peer pressure I’m not 1 to really care about how I look. That’s not to say I don’t try to be nice but I am me myself & Kim, not anybody else.

If you ever want to talk to me about music, hit me up on my Last.FM: http://www.last.fm/user/rockmetalrules

Holly “The Riot Grrrl” Reynolds

I’m a freak of nature, I’m telling you now. I don’t know where my love of music came from, because my parent’s certainly don’t have it. First and foremost, riot grrrl holds a special place in my black and unholy heart. It’s how angry it is. It’s the lyrics of sexuality and female empowerment. Kathleen Hanna, this is entirely your fault.

I’ve spent all of my eighteen-and-a-bit years living in Tasmania, Australia. It’s a rather sheltered upbringing, with a population of just half a million people state wide. I don’t exaggerate when I say that everyone knows everybody. I’m in my final year of high school, studying Media, English writing, Art and Religion & Philosophy. My father pays a ridiculous amount of money to send me to this very conservative private all-girls school, where I make movies, write poems, paint hyper-realism portraits on huge canvases and debate the meaning of life. It’s not that I dislike conformity (I can acknowledge that society needs it to function); I just think it suppresses individualism and stunts our own personal growth. And this, I’ll admit, gets me into a lot of trouble, and I have a bit of a reputation.

It could be the piercings, tattoos, fiery red hair or side-cut, but it’s more than likely my vocal feminist tendencies. Not only that, but I’ll support anything where there is a breach of equality or human rights. I find it disgusting how people can do nothing but hope and wish and pray. I promise I’ll fight with you, but I need you to fight along with me. I’ve often been told I come across as bitter and arrogant. I probably am, but it’s not all that. They’ve got me all wrong. I’m just passionate.

I do not believe in the existence of any superior force or being, although if you think otherwise I’ll hold the utmost respect for you and you’re opinion. I find the whole concept of religion fascinating. Alternatively, I believe in the power of the individual. Fuck yeah, I believe in myself.

I’m very comfortable with the kind of person I am, even when I know that a lot of people don’t feel comfortable around me. I’m not as naive to think that people won’t discriminate against people who don’t fit under the umbrella of the social norm, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t get to me, even only slightly. Despite this, no matter who you are, music will let you love it. You can turn against it. You can ignore it. You don’t have to feed it. But whenever you’re ready, it’ll be there, just as ready as always without ever skipping a beat.

I’m known as Holly Speechless on Yahoo! Answers. Please don’t take me seriously. People spend far too much time being serious.

Patrick Jude

Hello to anyone who happens to come across this page. I’d like to keep my private life a mystery, which it is to me as well. I can’t live without three things, Music, Manchester United and Whose Line Is It Anyway?. For me, life is useless if you don’t have these three things, something to believe in, something to be interested in and someone that loves you for who you are.
Back in 2003 I wasn’t having any fun until I heard a song on TV about some kids who didn’t need education. No, it wasn’t Weezer but rather a strange musical quartet who made music about animals, building brick walls and astronomy. How can a clueless teenager not be intrigued by that?. Music had never soared such heights in my brain before. More than nine years have passed and although I’ve not evolved mentally, I know what music means to a human soul which dearly craves it. If I really like the music I’m hearing , I don’t care how many unicorns that musician had to kill to make that song.
I give my unpopular opinions away at a place called Yahoo! Answers. Don’t be afraid to care.
And I am not frightened of dying. Any time will do, I don’t mind. Why should I be frightened of dying? There’s no reason for it. You’ve gotta go sometime.
I never said I was frightened of dying. One does not simply live without music.

Zach (Johnny Bliss)

Hello, my name is Zach. I am 16 years old and I am from Canada. There is lots that could be said about me, unfortunately, I don’t know how to word most of it. Actually, fuck it, lets give it a try but don’t expect anything big. I’ll just word everything in short little sentences, I mean, at least I’ll be getting the point across, right?

I like music. I play guitar. I like hockey. I play it on a regular basis. I have procrastination problems. I can’t keep my priorities straight. I write music most of the time. I find irrelevant humour to be hilarious. Every Friday after school I take a 3 hour nap. I have to sleep with a fan on. Snow is wonderful. I dream about coffee more than actually drinking it. I drink water 90% of the time. I have a dog. I need a job. My clock is an hour and twenty-two minutes ahead so I can wake up better in the morning. I’m living my life.

Anyways, in my jam-packed life there has been lots of mysteries, surprises, relentless times of worry and happiness, and countless times of disappoint. That being said, everything that has happened in my life has shaped me up to the person I am, and the person I am will (hopefully) make things lots of fun. I hope that my Canadian antics and love for hockey will shine on into your minds and annoy the shit out of you, cause frankly, I love hockey. Now, have a nice day //

Christian Purcell (Chris Gingrich, Based Disciple, Giygaszor)

Ay, this yo boy Chris. For all the niggas not in the know, I like music, all kinds of music. Dubstep, UK Garage, Witch House, Synth Pop, you name it, I fux wit it.

Other turn ons: Lesbians, candy, video games, conspiracy theories, King of the Hill, Mountain Dew (Code Red, nigga), Trilluminati stuff, and RVIDXR KLVN shit.

Also, Aeris dies in Final Fantasy VII, nigga. Go figure. That’s what she gets for being way weaker than Tifa the whole 1st disc.

Hit up a nigger at this location / http://www.last.fm/user/Giygaszor

Seth Brock

Hey, i’m Seth. I prefer to keep my last name off this site so i’m going with the alias Brock. My main interests involve music, religion, psychology, and reading. I am an Atheist, and a Neo-Objectivist.
I’m a 14 year old living in California, just trying to find my way through this world. I’m have a passion for music that has kept me from doing things that might harm myself and others, and making my life better and myself a better person.
I’m also a musician (Mainly Guitar and Bass, among many other things) who hopes one day that someone might stumble upon my music. I write a mix of Ska and Alt/College Rock.
Speaking of music preferences, i listen to mainly Ska (All waves) and College/Alt Rock. That isn’t all though, i can listen to everything from Requiem to a Melvins song then to a Acid Jazz song then to a Death record. My favorite bands include Modest Mouse, Streetlight Manifesto, Tool, The Supervillains, and Alice In Chains.

Thanks for taking the time to read this lengthy introduction post. If you enjoy our blog, be sure to pop in every day for something new!

~Musical Indulgence Staff