In the current fast paced music industry, bands are breaking up and reuniting constantly, and the past few years been great for reunions; some of the more notable bands that have gotten back together are Sunny Day Real Estate, Smashing Pumpkins, The Police, and Guns n' Roses. But with the way things are going, I think any one of us could be hopeful enough that one of our old favorite bands might one day reunite and tour near us.
The Deftones have also reunited recently and are currently on tour with progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria. Following this trend is the Misfits with a slightly modified all-star cast, and Stone Temple Pilots. To elaborate more, Van Halen has announced a reunion tour; however, a lot of people seem to be upset about this, deeming it as unnecessary.
There have also been lots of rumors floating around about bands that are planning reunions, these include The Who, Radiohead, Led Zepplin, and System of a Down. In the end, I believe it's only a matter of time before most past bands (the ones that made names for themselves) decide to do reunion shows. So if your favorite band hasn't announced a tour, keep your chin up, maybe it will happen soon!
Also, if you have heard of some reunion shows that I didn't name, go ahead and post them in the comments!
A brief look into music, films, and things of the sort
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Coheed and Cambria: Big Finale?
Coheed released their final concept album earlier this year, and while some people seemed unsatisfied with it, overall I would have to say it is one of their best albums yet. So what will Coheed do now that they are finished with concept albums? Will they continue to write music under the same band name or will they disband Coheed and Cambria and pursue their own separate endeavors?
Coheed and Cambria has made a career out of pleasing and wowing their fans in concert and through the sheer genius of their music. Despite criticism from all sides of the board, they have continuously written great music and a deep story line. And now, in what could very well be the last days of Coheed, they have gone all out for their fans embarking on multiple tours in this year alone! Touring with bands like Circa Survive, Porcupine Tree, The Dear Hunter, and- on their latest tour- The Deftones.
But aside from pleasing fans, what underlying message do all these tours present? Could this be a "grand finale" to end the path of this masterpiece? Now, let's assume this is the end of Coheed and Cambria as a band, should this mean it is the end of the story for the Coheed and Cambria story? I have reason to believe not. Rumor has it that Claudio, in addition to finish releasing the comics, has plans on releasing a movie- either in several animated installments or a few movie releases (do I hear an epic coming along?).
Whatever the case may be, I think it will be a good while before the tale of Coheed and Cambria is finally laid to rest, and until then, go enjoy some of their concerts! I've personally seen them 3 times this year.
Coheed and Cambria has made a career out of pleasing and wowing their fans in concert and through the sheer genius of their music. Despite criticism from all sides of the board, they have continuously written great music and a deep story line. And now, in what could very well be the last days of Coheed, they have gone all out for their fans embarking on multiple tours in this year alone! Touring with bands like Circa Survive, Porcupine Tree, The Dear Hunter, and- on their latest tour- The Deftones.
But aside from pleasing fans, what underlying message do all these tours present? Could this be a "grand finale" to end the path of this masterpiece? Now, let's assume this is the end of Coheed and Cambria as a band, should this mean it is the end of the story for the Coheed and Cambria story? I have reason to believe not. Rumor has it that Claudio, in addition to finish releasing the comics, has plans on releasing a movie- either in several animated installments or a few movie releases (do I hear an epic coming along?).
Whatever the case may be, I think it will be a good while before the tale of Coheed and Cambria is finally laid to rest, and until then, go enjoy some of their concerts! I've personally seen them 3 times this year.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
A Mission and A Plea
Ok readers, there are very few times in life that I will ever ask you for a favor this huge. But In this case, I definitely need your help more than anything else. For those of you who read my interview with Tides of Man and my album review of them, you should guess that I pretty much like them a lot. haha.
Now, they are holding a contest and the first prize gets a lifetime guest pass to all their shows! The way you win is by doing the best out of everyone when it comes to promoting and advertising the band, and although I've done my fair share of that, it still isn't quite enough. So what I need you guys to do is "Like" their facebook page, and leave a comment telling them that I showed you their music and sent you over. So something along the lines of this, "Hey guys, Alex Miller showed me your stuff, sounds good (or good job, or keep up the work, or good luck or whatever)."
Do this for me please and make me the happiest man alive! Thank you!
facebook page
Now, they are holding a contest and the first prize gets a lifetime guest pass to all their shows! The way you win is by doing the best out of everyone when it comes to promoting and advertising the band, and although I've done my fair share of that, it still isn't quite enough. So what I need you guys to do is "Like" their facebook page, and leave a comment telling them that I showed you their music and sent you over. So something along the lines of this, "Hey guys, Alex Miller showed me your stuff, sounds good (or good job, or keep up the work, or good luck or whatever)."
Do this for me please and make me the happiest man alive! Thank you!
facebook page
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Music Projects
Hey everyone, I'm terribly sorry I haven't been posting lately, but I've been uber busy with my own music projects! We had our first jam session with a potential drummer yesterday, and we've been writing songs for the past two weeks to get ready for an open mic night this Friday. If I can get a video up of it I will, other than that my birthday passed recently and I went skydiving :)
So I'll DEFINITELY get a video up of that when I get it back so all my readers can see what it's like living life on the edge! lol
Anyways, I'll hopefully catch another break here soon and update you guys more on stuff, but to be honest... I haven't heard a good new album or seen a new good movie in a while :/
Let me know if you guys have seen anything interesting come out recently so I can check it out!
So I'll DEFINITELY get a video up of that when I get it back so all my readers can see what it's like living life on the edge! lol
Anyways, I'll hopefully catch another break here soon and update you guys more on stuff, but to be honest... I haven't heard a good new album or seen a new good movie in a while :/
Let me know if you guys have seen anything interesting come out recently so I can check it out!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
More Than Just Music...
With all the posts about music I've been doing, I'm sure most of you forgot that this blog is actually for digital media in general as well as bands (I know I forgot!).
So here is my first posting about video games!
For many of us gamers, the console wars of this new generation are the most competitive so far! But it seems as though, even with all the cool new technology, the failure rates of consoles are at an all time high! The big question has always been, which gaming console is the best? But I am urging you all to rethink this question, as each console is nearest to perfect in it's own respect:
- The PS3 may be a gaming console, but it's actually a multipurpose multimedia entertainment system.
- The Wii is a gaming console aimed not at graphics, but uniqueness and individuality.
- The Xbox 360 is a gaming console made with only one thing in mind; gaming.
That being said, I am a PS3 owner, and a recent encounter with the Yellow Light of Death, or YLOD (the PS3s instance of RROD), has made me consider new factors in the gaming field: console failure rates and what the companies are doing about it.
Sony, unfortunately, does very little for their end users concerning YLOD- unlike Microsoft who spent over $1 billion in an effort to supply a solution for the RROD. My personal conclusion for this is that YLOD is nowhere near as publicized as RROD, and thus Sony does not feel the need to spend such large sums of money to fix it.
Now, I must admit when I first got YLOD I had NO IDEA what was happening. I, like many of you probably, didn't even know there was such a thing. So I searched... and searched... and searched more. And after two hours of searching I learned everything I thought I needed to know and began a grueling process of taking matters into my own hands and reviving a supposedly dead PS3.
During my time searching, however, I also came across the failure rates for all three next-gen consoles, *they are as follows:
Xbox 360 has the highest failure rate of 23.7%
PS3 has the next highest failure rate of 10%
Wii has the lowest failure rate with a mere 2.7%
*please note that these are legit statistics taken in Sept. '09
You can read the full statistics here.
It's obvious that with so much attention being drawn to the 360s alarmingly high failure rate, Sony can be slack on their out-of-warranty repairs.
So how did I take matters into my own hands you might ask? Well, since my PS3 was out of warranty I was left with only a few options. 1) Send it to Sony and get charged 150 bucks for a refurbished system and lose ALL saved data and not have a system for up to 6 weeks, 2) Send it to one of the many Ebay users who charge anywhere from $35 to $90 + shipping and handling, or 3) fix it myself for dirt cheap.
Also note that options 2 and 3 void warranty and literally make your console a ghost in the eyes of Sony.
I went with option 3, and thanks to a little guidance from Gilksy's ad found here I was able to repair it. It now works perfectly fine.
So I hope this post is useful and informative. And if nothing else, maybe it will encourage you to take matters into your own hands on occasion when life sticks you the finger. :]
So here is my first posting about video games!
For many of us gamers, the console wars of this new generation are the most competitive so far! But it seems as though, even with all the cool new technology, the failure rates of consoles are at an all time high! The big question has always been, which gaming console is the best? But I am urging you all to rethink this question, as each console is nearest to perfect in it's own respect:
- The PS3 may be a gaming console, but it's actually a multipurpose multimedia entertainment system.
- The Wii is a gaming console aimed not at graphics, but uniqueness and individuality.
- The Xbox 360 is a gaming console made with only one thing in mind; gaming.
That being said, I am a PS3 owner, and a recent encounter with the Yellow Light of Death, or YLOD (the PS3s instance of RROD), has made me consider new factors in the gaming field: console failure rates and what the companies are doing about it.
Sony, unfortunately, does very little for their end users concerning YLOD- unlike Microsoft who spent over $1 billion in an effort to supply a solution for the RROD. My personal conclusion for this is that YLOD is nowhere near as publicized as RROD, and thus Sony does not feel the need to spend such large sums of money to fix it.
Now, I must admit when I first got YLOD I had NO IDEA what was happening. I, like many of you probably, didn't even know there was such a thing. So I searched... and searched... and searched more. And after two hours of searching I learned everything I thought I needed to know and began a grueling process of taking matters into my own hands and reviving a supposedly dead PS3.
During my time searching, however, I also came across the failure rates for all three next-gen consoles, *they are as follows:
Xbox 360 has the highest failure rate of 23.7%
PS3 has the next highest failure rate of 10%
Wii has the lowest failure rate with a mere 2.7%
*please note that these are legit statistics taken in Sept. '09
You can read the full statistics here.
It's obvious that with so much attention being drawn to the 360s alarmingly high failure rate, Sony can be slack on their out-of-warranty repairs.
So how did I take matters into my own hands you might ask? Well, since my PS3 was out of warranty I was left with only a few options. 1) Send it to Sony and get charged 150 bucks for a refurbished system and lose ALL saved data and not have a system for up to 6 weeks, 2) Send it to one of the many Ebay users who charge anywhere from $35 to $90 + shipping and handling, or 3) fix it myself for dirt cheap.
Also note that options 2 and 3 void warranty and literally make your console a ghost in the eyes of Sony.
I went with option 3, and thanks to a little guidance from Gilksy's ad found here I was able to repair it. It now works perfectly fine.
So I hope this post is useful and informative. And if nothing else, maybe it will encourage you to take matters into your own hands on occasion when life sticks you the finger. :]
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
You Voted! Thee Armada: The New You, The Old Us
Thank you so much for the participation everyone! And as you selected, here it is!
For those of you who aren't aware of Thee Armada already, they are a pop/rock group hailing from Houston, Texas.
Their first EP, titled "Rock, Shock, And Load" was full of tasty hooks; it was also the debut of the original version of "Rock, Shock, And Load" (the song). In this album, they combined songs from the first EP and the second EP, "Sweat Tease," as well as add some new songs AND a revamped version of "Rock, Shock, and Load." Thee Armada's guitarists are very exceptional, though they tend to not showboat much. But you can tell from the songs they write that they have a lot of potential.
The opening song "Guess I'm Inconvenience"
which was the final track of their first EP, remains unchanged from it's original version but brings a relatively high energy to the table and sets the mood for the rest of the album. The high energy pop/rock feel continues through the next 2 songs before coming to the new "Rock, Shock, and Load." I personally prefer the original version to the new one and feel that it would have been better to introduce the changes as a new song rather than a revamp. In any case the guitarists finally add more taste and fills to their songs all the while most certainly improving their overall sound. The last three songs are all new and show more of a progressive side to Thee Armada.My only complaint about this album is that at times it seems the vocalist strained to hard to reach the higher notes, almost like they were rushed through the recording and didn't have time to polish over the vocals. Aside from that, they have great catches to their songs, sweet guitar riffs, and tasteful breaks throughout the album. I rate "The New You, The Old Us" a 3 out of 5 in their respective genre.
Here is a link for the album as always!
The New You:the Old Us
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Interview with Tides of Man: 9/22/2010
Interviewer: Alex
Interviewee: Tilian
Alex: How long have you known each other and how did you meet?
Tilian: I have known Josh for about 13 years. We went to Middle School together. I knew Alan and Spencer a little bit a couple years before we started the band in December, 2007. We didn't really hang out before that. The other three members had a band 5 years ago but they broke up after a year or so of jamming.
Alex: How did you get your start as a band? Who were the founders?
Tilian: We are all the founders really. Alan and I were living in LA (not together) and we both came home (Clearwater, Fl) for Christmas in 2007. Alan wanted to do a kind of reunion show of Spencer, Josh and his old band. Adam and I were listening in on their practice and we all decided to form a new band. We played our first show after being a band for 10 days.
Alex: What caused you to pick your band name?
Tilian: Tides of Man is kind of an analogy to the rise and fall or ebb and flow of empires. It can also be taken as the "tidings" or story of a man.
Alex: Is there a relation between your band name and the lyrics you write?
Tilian: The name is pretty broad, so yeah, it has to do with our lyrics.
Alex: Who writes the music?
Tilian: We all write the music for our respective instruments for the most part. Usually Spencer or I will come up with a series of riffs and chord progressions. We then move on to the next instrument (usually drums) and work out a structure. Sometimes I will have a whole song in mind and I will teach the parts to the other guys.
Alex: Who are your biggest musical influences?
Tilian: Musically, A Perfect Circle, Radiohead, Days Away, The Dear Hunter, The Sound Of Animals Fighting, Death Cab, Circa Survive, more recently Veil Of Maya and Karnivool. I am also heavily influenced by movies and books: American History X, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, etc.
Alex: How did you come about getting signed to Rise Records?
Tilian: We did an interview with indiestar.tv. Emarosa had also done and interview with them, and Craig Ericson was checking out the website when he saw our link on the page to our myspace. He hadn't heard of us before. Within hours we were talking with Rise.
- What was the initial feeling you had when you got signed?
The initial feeling was amazing. We were done being a local band. We had people giving us advice not to sign, and to wait it out, but we were tired of waiting and didn't want to miss our window. I think we made the right choice :)
How does it feel to travel and tour with bands that have already made pretty big names for themselves?
It's rad, man and very inspiring. You get to know great musicians and form relationships of mutual respect.
- Who, if any, has been your favorite band to be on tour with so far?
My favorite band we have toured with has to be Karnivool. They are incredible.
Alex: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
Tilian: Money. Really it's no joke. It is extremely difficult for a touring band still paying their dues to stay solvent on the road. And it gets really stressful at times.
Alex: What is the ultimate direction for you as a band? Do you seek fame and fortune, or do you do this for simple love of music? (or both, I understand that totally. haha.)
Tilian: I listen to music for pleasure and enjoyment, but there are also times when I need it, even if I didn't know I needed it. At certain times I have been in a tough spot or faced with a tough decision and I have listened to a song that was so beautiful that by the end of the song I had the answer, the solution. That's what we are trying to create with our music.
Alex: And finally, are there any last words you would like to give to the readers or any advice on getting a their band up and going?
Tilian: Right now... My advice to bands is to get some chugga chugs and breakdowns and scary notes with br00tal screamz. Get some auto tune and try to find a singer who sounds like N'SYNC.
So there you have it guys, br00tal screamz, chugga chugs, breakdowns, and an N'SYNC autotuned singer. Hahaha
Thanks so much Tilian and congratulations to Tides of Man on their success so far and on their new album!
Interviewee: Tilian
Alex: How long have you known each other and how did you meet?
Tilian: I have known Josh for about 13 years. We went to Middle School together. I knew Alan and Spencer a little bit a couple years before we started the band in December, 2007. We didn't really hang out before that. The other three members had a band 5 years ago but they broke up after a year or so of jamming.
Alex: How did you get your start as a band? Who were the founders?
Tilian: We are all the founders really. Alan and I were living in LA (not together) and we both came home (Clearwater, Fl) for Christmas in 2007. Alan wanted to do a kind of reunion show of Spencer, Josh and his old band. Adam and I were listening in on their practice and we all decided to form a new band. We played our first show after being a band for 10 days.
Alex: What caused you to pick your band name?
Tilian: Tides of Man is kind of an analogy to the rise and fall or ebb and flow of empires. It can also be taken as the "tidings" or story of a man.
Alex: Is there a relation between your band name and the lyrics you write?
Tilian: The name is pretty broad, so yeah, it has to do with our lyrics.
Alex: Who writes the music?
Tilian: We all write the music for our respective instruments for the most part. Usually Spencer or I will come up with a series of riffs and chord progressions. We then move on to the next instrument (usually drums) and work out a structure. Sometimes I will have a whole song in mind and I will teach the parts to the other guys.
Alex: Who are your biggest musical influences?
Tilian: Musically, A Perfect Circle, Radiohead, Days Away, The Dear Hunter, The Sound Of Animals Fighting, Death Cab, Circa Survive, more recently Veil Of Maya and Karnivool. I am also heavily influenced by movies and books: American History X, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, etc.
Alex: How did you come about getting signed to Rise Records?
Tilian: We did an interview with indiestar.tv. Emarosa had also done and interview with them, and Craig Ericson was checking out the website when he saw our link on the page to our myspace. He hadn't heard of us before. Within hours we were talking with Rise.
- What was the initial feeling you had when you got signed?
The initial feeling was amazing. We were done being a local band. We had people giving us advice not to sign, and to wait it out, but we were tired of waiting and didn't want to miss our window. I think we made the right choice :)
How does it feel to travel and tour with bands that have already made pretty big names for themselves?
It's rad, man and very inspiring. You get to know great musicians and form relationships of mutual respect.
- Who, if any, has been your favorite band to be on tour with so far?
My favorite band we have toured with has to be Karnivool. They are incredible.
Alex: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
Tilian: Money. Really it's no joke. It is extremely difficult for a touring band still paying their dues to stay solvent on the road. And it gets really stressful at times.
Alex: What is the ultimate direction for you as a band? Do you seek fame and fortune, or do you do this for simple love of music? (or both, I understand that totally. haha.)
Tilian: I listen to music for pleasure and enjoyment, but there are also times when I need it, even if I didn't know I needed it. At certain times I have been in a tough spot or faced with a tough decision and I have listened to a song that was so beautiful that by the end of the song I had the answer, the solution. That's what we are trying to create with our music.
Alex: And finally, are there any last words you would like to give to the readers or any advice on getting a their band up and going?
Tilian: Right now... My advice to bands is to get some chugga chugs and breakdowns and scary notes with br00tal screamz. Get some auto tune and try to find a singer who sounds like N'SYNC.
So there you have it guys, br00tal screamz, chugga chugs, breakdowns, and an N'SYNC autotuned singer. Hahaha
Thanks so much Tilian and congratulations to Tides of Man on their success so far and on their new album!
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