Saturday, March 1, 2014

DECEMBER AVENUE & BIG WRECK: AWESOME UNDERGROUND ★ MUSIC REVIEW #5

This is my review of underground bands December Avenue, a Filipino band and Big Wreck, a Canadian band.


Big Wreck

This band sounds good, strike that... They sound great. And their sound is what kept me listening past that glorious 5 second deciding factor duration that most people (including myself) browsing soundcloud tend to give. Those five seconds are crucial. And that is the best bit of advice I feel I could give a musical act posting on soundcloud. Okay, enough about soundcloud. About Big Wreck: their sound kept me around for the duration of that first song (which if I remember correctly was "Albatross"). But what I really want to rave about is their l y r i c s. I'm going to do something here, maybe it's crazy, call me a rebel. Are you ready? Okay, hold on to your pants. I'm going to quote the FIRST line in "Albatross".
"One last cup of starlight before I wake and start my day."
I know, that was intense right? Well, it actually was for me. Anyone like me who tends to be attached to the night to an overwhelming extent would feel the same. That is such a beautiful line. Oh, but it doesn't stop there, nope. Just give them a listen and I guarantee you'll find a treasure chest full of gems just as shiny and colorful. That song actually isn't, as a whole, about night time. It's about longing for a life-change and being stuck inside of your issues because, no matter how tragic, there remains beauty and pleasure there. (Okay, that's coming straight from me. There was no Q & A with this band, and that is strictly my interpretation of that song. So don't sue me if it's actually about pie.)

Big Wreck's Links:
Facebook
Youtube
Soundcloud

December Avenue

Before I even hit play on another song to listen to from them while I write this, can we just talk about "Breathe Again" for a minute? Holy eargasm, Batman! No joke, it is perfection and the best part of the entire song is when they actually sing the words "breathe again." I mean that and trust me, it's a rarity for a short phrase to mean so, so much. But December Avenue made it into something truly and overwhelmingly meaningful. When I hear them singing, "breathe again" it really is just like fresh air and open skies. It reminds me of Oklahoma. And for those of you who don't know, a big piece of my heart stays there with enormous puffy clouds and all of that state's varying beauties. Some of which are the city lights of Tulsa and topping that highway ramp to see them glitter like the stars. It's just like feeling whole again after months of being torn. It's like you can breathe, and I mean really breathe and take everything in after a long stressful period of time. Alright, I swear I wasn't trying to make this review about Tulsa, that was just the only way I knew to describe the feeling that song gave me. (sidenote, if you've never been, throw Tulsa on your to-do list) December Avenue, the band, actually has absolutely nothing to do with Tulsa, Oklahoma... they're from the Philippines. Uh, yeah, now do you guys see what I mean about people attaching their own memories, feelings, and meanings to songs? Anywho... Their sound is a distinct one. If you have them on a playlist, even if it's a song you haven't heard yet, you're going to know it's them in two seconds flat. It's beautiful and it should be on U.S. radio. Trust me, I mean nothing bad by saying this, but thank God it's not. Because U.S. radio would just ruin it. Sure, it would be fortunate for this band, but I can't even count how many AHMAZING songs radio has ruined for me (which is why I've limited myself to tuning in only once a month, trust me new things don't come any more frequent than that). If you haven't heard this band, then that's a pity. It's an absolute must-do. You can find them all up on soundcloud and a few other places that I'll throw down below. You don't have to thank me, just be sure to let them know how in love you are after that first song. And if you want, you can even let them know I sent you.

December Avenue's Links:

Just in case you missed it, here's the video version of
DECEMBER AVENUE & BIG WRECK: AWESOME UNDERGROUND ★ MUSIC REVIEW #5:



And here's a stalker pass, just for you:
H-mail (because E-mail is so 90's and my name starts with H): hpfansonghost@gmail.com
That box I have a key to where things magically appear: P.O. Box 424 Gruetli-Laager, TN 37339

5 comments:

  1. Thank you for featuring December Avenue on your review. And I agree with you on the part about attaching memories. So true. :) the Philippines has a lot of great artists that needs to be known. Sadly, not everyone appreciates what these artists do. *sigh* anyway, I also agree with you about the radio ruining great songs. Also happens here in the Philippines. Hahaha. Sometimes, when we hear a great song, we have thos tendency to want to keep it to ourselves. Right?Hahahaha. Keep on making reviews, loved reading them. :)

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    1. No thanks necessary! I only write about music that I love. But I am really glad that you enjoyed it :)
      It is a travesty that so many amazing artists are being under appreciated and go completely unnoticed everywhere! Finding music that is great and really makes you feel something has been my mission pretty much since I was eleven. It's funny how things you do when you're young affect you throughout life. The only differences in then and now is the advancement in technology (which makes it so much easier) and the realization that I could share this music with others through that technology. I don't just want to find that life-changing music for just myself anymore, it's important for the world to get to hear it. And if I can help get that music to just a few sets of ears, then I've done what I set out to do.
      The only thing I really hate about radio is they play songs so repetitively that it becomes less meaningful. You forget the day, you forget the moment, and the feeling when you first heard it. I could go on about that forever, but I'll do you the favor of not doing that haha. Thank you for taking the time to comment on this.

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  2. Thanks for the glowing Big Wreck review. They're what is missing in radio rock today. Straight forward, honest, heartfelt sing along rock and roll... If I can educate you a bit on Ian Thornley, he actually prefers people to interperet his music however THEY want. Thats why he doesn't post the lyrics in the liner notes. Go back a bit further in time and check out their first two offerings from the 90s and Thornley has two albums as well...

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    1. You're absolutely right, that is certainly missing in radio rock today. I'll check out the older stuff, thanks for the info :) I'm glad you enjoyed the review. Big Wreck is a great band.

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