I THE MIGHTY: AWESOME UNDERGROUND ★ MUSIC REVIEW #16

I the Mighty is an Alternative Rock band based out of San Francisco, California. Their album, Satori, really makes me all happy inside. Band members include: Brent Walsh (lead vocals/guitar), Ian Pedigo (Guitar/backup vocals), Chris Hinkley (Bass/ backup vocals), Blake Dahlinger (percussion)

Finding this band was one of the happiest moments of my YouTube journey. And to this day, (more than two years later) they remain one of my favorite bands. "Satori" is still one of my most frequently used forms of therapy. This band blends all of the standard elements of a great rock band, creativity, intelligence, and passion in perfect measure.

It's not often that I run across a band that melts my heart with every element of their work. Every note, every riff, every beat, every lyric, EVERY CONVERSATION. I the Mighty is that band, though. I love everything they have done. I love how warm and kind they are after every show. I love how they'll have casual conversation about practically anything and hand out a hug if you ask nicely enough. They'll even pose how you want for a picture. They love back. A few of my favorite memories include Brent Walsh screaming in my face. And another is the time Ian stopped mid-soundcheck to strike up a conversation with me "Hey! I know you!" Yeah, they've seen me several times, but how many faces do they see in a week? Whether he actually recognized me or not, it sure made me feel good.

This band continues to amaze me with everything they do. From acoustic tracks to album commentary, I love everything I the Mighty puts out into the public. Brent seems to have strong beliefs on several issues. And while I may not agree with him 100% on everything, I can always appreciate that his opinions are well constructed with research and consideration of all factors involved. And I always admire that he hasn't lost the guts to speak his mind.

There are political songs, and love songs, and break-up songs. Songs of loss and longing and even Fuck-you songs. Intelligence, creativity, spite, and passion sum up the lyrical content in their discography. AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL.

Since I put out the review that I'll be pasting below, I've seen this band 8 times live and they have put out a new album, Connector. They've also headlined their own tour, Connectour (which had the best opening acts of any tour in the history of touring) and gained a lot of recognition for their flawless sound. I feel lucky to have found them early enough to witness this growth. I'm so proud every time they reach a new milestone. This is a band I truly love.

While Connector has a different feel, all of the elements that made me fall for I the Mighty are still there. Everything I love about their sound remains. It's not as rough or bluntly in-your-face as their previous album, Satori. But Satori is a break-up album through and through. With Connector come new emotions: love and longing, romantic anticipation... but the spite isn't gone (thank heavens). "The Lying Eyes of Miss Erray" is one of my favorite tracks on the album and although it sounds upbeat and catchy, there's a bite to it if you pay any attention to the lyrics at all. OH and "Psychomachia" ahhhh that is pure spiteful heaven! It's hard to pick a single track as a favorite from Connector, as it was with Satori, but those two are probably up towards the top of my list.

I'm including a handful of pictures that I have taken at shows because I love this band and because I flipping can. You're welcome.

Click the thumbnail below to watch the video review:

In case you're a super music nerd like me... they're also in my warped tour video from 2014

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How to Get Your Music Noticed: Presentation - Social Media Art

In this mini-series, I'll be giving indie artists tips to help them be more successful in getting noticed on the internet and growing their fanbase. In this video, I'll be covering how important social media art is for presentation, and getting noticed in the sea of musicians. 


For a very long time now, I have noticed that so many very talented independent musicians skip very simple, but very important steps that would help them get noticed by potential fans. So, here I am, sharing what I know in an attempt to help those who may not know what I do.

Let's talk about presentation as a whole for a minute. The image that you present to the online world has such a large bearing on whether anyone ever listens to your music that it cannot be ignored. It doesn't matter that you've created the next big musical thing if nobody ever clicks on your link. You are but a tiny paddle boat out in a sea of varying sized ships. You have to stand out. You have to look like you're worth someone's time, or they'll decide that you aren't before even hearing what you have to offer. So, let's learn how to put a shiny new coat of paint on that old worn out paddle boat.

Social Media Art:
Where do you share your music? How do you let the world know that your music exists? If one of your answers to that was not social media, then you're even further behind than I expected. People see so much on social media that everything you present needs to look bright and shiny. This is where social media art comes in. If someone lands on your page and it looks like a kindergartner made your art, they're not going to take you seriously. If someone lands on your page and your art doesn't excite them, then they're likely to not even bother. You have to give people incentive for them to give you their time, or they just won't. As theneedledrop so accurately stated, people aren't going to come up to you and beg you to make music for them. There's already more music out in the world than any one person could ever even listen to. They don't need you. But that's not to say that you can't add value to their music library, that you can't brighten their days, that you can't help them through emotional turmoil. But they'll never know that if you don't coerce them into giving your music a shot. These days, everything starts with an image. Make that image beautiful. Make it represent you accurately.

So, how do I do this social media art thing?
Well, you have two options: you can pay someone to do it for you, or you can learn to do it yourself. I suggest the latter because it's a valuable tool in several areas where marketing is concerned. However, I know that independent musicians are busy. You're working a day job, you're making posts, you're connecting with fans, you're playing shows, you're practicing, your work is endless and on top of all of that you still have to have time to do two more things: create music, and have a life. So, if you're not up for the challenge of learning how to do this stuff, and you're broke (I know you are), go here and find someone to do it for you for $5.

Okay, now that I've weeded out those who aren't up for the challenge of learning to make their own social media art, to you worker bees in the group, here's what to do:
You're going to need a photo editing program, such as Photoshop. However, I don't recommend Photoshop because it's pricey and the learning curve is steep. Gimp will get you on your way a whole lot faster and it's not going to hurt your wallet at all (since it's free).
Learn how to use the lasso tool. This will allow you to take the background out of an image and replace it with a solid color to make it more captivating. You can search videos on how to make an image have a transparent background. This will help you out tons!
This part is very important:
Learn the aspect ratios for each social media or music sharing platform. For example, for YouTube thumbnails, the dimensions are 1280x720. You can google whichever social media you're working on at the time. And usually, you can even find a template. Keep in mind that most social media sites have multiple dimensions for different devices. So, you're going to need to know where the line is.

Make sure that the image you use has a high resolution. You don't want the thing you've worked so hard on to end up blurry! Well, that's not everything you need to know, but it will be different for each individual. I will offer this, if you come across a problem and you need to know how to do something (and you just can't figure it out), you can message me on Facebook and I'll do my best to walk you through it (or help you figure it out if I don't know how).

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Support Local Music #2 ★ Denver

On my mission to support local music, I found that SpokesBUZZ is an amazing music program that fosters the talent of growing Denver musicians. Eldren and Red Fox Run have both been part of that program. As has Shatterproof. I got some surprises while getting all of my ducks in a row for this review, but I think you'll find a happy place with at least one of these bands. This is some great underground music, regardless of the surprises.

Eldren:

Hippy

They classify themselves as “Psychadelic Space Pop” and I couldn’t agree more. This music is very free-spirited and it feels good for the soul. They have some trippy intros, but they go well with the rest of the song they belong to. It isn’t something I could listen to just any time, but when in the right mood, this music can really leave me feeling light and carefree, and maybe even a little more lovable. Some of their tracks are even what I would describe as super pop, that nods to a different decade.

Red Fox Run:

There’s something about denver vocalists that tug at my heart. The way they form their words has a similarity to it, just like speech from any area. Within the first five seconds of listening to “Didn’t see you there” My mind morphed to Isaac Slade of The Fray and his ability to touch my soul with simple delivery of an everyday word. Daniel has that power within him as well. However, I’ve heard him sound like a few different artists that hold a beloved spot in my heart. For instance, at some point, I thought to myself… this guys voice really sounds like the lead vocalist of NEEDTOBREATHE and at some points, the music reminds me of band of horses. I’m not trying to box this band up into how they sound like so many other artists. Because as a whole, their sound is something unique and beautiful. I’m simply telling you where my brain went while falling for this band. I think if you like The Fray, Taking Back Sunday, Constantines, bands that have strength in being mellow, you’re really going to love this band also.

They list their genre as Rock, indie, alternative, which is fitting. And I like that they didn’t try to get too specific with classifying themselves because throughout their discography, the sound does vary a bit. So this generalized classification fits them well.

I found both of these bands on the SpokesBUZZ website, which is a GREAT place to find amazing Colorado music. I really want to thank this organization for promoting their local music and I actually found it through a band I reviewed in the past, Shatterproof.

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PICTURESQUE: AWESOME UNDERGROUND ★ MUSIC REVIEW

Picturesque is a Lexington, KY based underground rock band with those "northern notes" being "crushed" by lead vocalist, Kyle Hollis (as "Alternative Press" so accurately stated).

If you follow me at all, you know that I'm constantly searching for music. But I'm also constantly being reminded that while I am capable of finding pure gems all on my own, sometimes the music that falls out of the sky and into my lap unexpectedly is the greatest treasure. With plans to see one of my favorite bands (for the third time), I nerdily began listening to some of the other bands on the tour line-up. Quickly, I realized that the band (aside from my favorite, Too Close to Touch) that I was most excited to see was the underdog of the tour, the low men on the totem pole, if you will. Actually, it's not all that surprising in retrospect, because I'm forever traveling hours to see openers on tours where I have no real interest in the headliners. But somehow, this simple trait of mine keeps surprising me. Picturesque may have been the low men on this particular totem pole, but they sure as hell were stars on that stage, politely. The guitarist would glance down at me before stepping on the barrier every single time to make sure that he didn't step on my hand (thank you for that, Zach).

This band is full of talent, and the thing that made them an unusual favorite for me was their vocalist, Kyle Hollis. His voice is definitely on the higher end, which isn't something I usually enjoy. But it fits so perfectly with the sound of this band, how could anyone not love it? To me, his voice embodies heartbreak, which works so perfectly with the lyrics he's shouting. He won't just verbalize your pain, he puts those feelings out into the air as if they had been trapped within him for ages. And even if you didn't start off listening to this music with a broken heart, once you finish this EP, you'll know what heartbreak truly feels like.

Casting spells on the strings in this band are Zach Williamson, Dylan Forrester, and Robert Mote. I'll not pretend to know which wizard makes what sound, because I'm just not that advanced. However, I will say they come in hard to rock your face off right before pulling the strings attached to the most recently created hole in your heart. No worries, though, I'm quite positive that it's all in the service of stitching it up, or at least aiding you in the task.

Cole Clark is the warlock slamming on the voodoo doll that is your exes head (he plays the drums, if you didn't catch that). Be sure to thank him for doing such a great job. You didn't think they had backed off of the drunk texts for no reason, did you?

I don't know when this band formed, but I can definitely say that they compose and perform such perfectly pieced together works of art that it blows my mind. Every space is filled with the right chord, the right beat, the right note. Through my brief interactions with this band, I conclude that Picturesque is a great group of immensely talented guys who were lucky enough to from a band that is full of compliments to one another artistically, whose music is sure to captivate the broken parts of your heart, and maybe even heal it, if you let it.

Click the thumbnail below to watch the video review: 

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FIVE HUNDREDTH YEAR: AWESOME UNDERGROUND ★ MUSIC REVIEW

In most cases, it is pretty simple to decide right away if a band is something I enjoy, can tolerate, or simply detest. However, when I am asked for my opinion, such quick-draw type judgment won't suffice. Why do I like this band? Why don't I like this band? What is it that they could do to sound more appealing to me? Or What is it that they do differently than the fourteen thousand other bands I've listened to this week that makes me smile and shout, "Yes!"
Had this been a band I found on my own, honestly, I would have skipped them. Don't stop reading yet. I would have skipped them because their style isn't what I normally enjoy listening to, not because of any lack of talent or fatal flaw.
The band is pushing a cover track "Talking Body," originally performed by Tove Lo and an original called "Blame."
Let's talk about that cover first, shall we?
The original version is what I would classify as bubble gum pop attempting to be badass, however not accomplishing that. This is a good song, how it is delivered by Tove Lo is substandard and mediocre. It's just "okay" but a great artist could really turn it into a fantastic song.
Five Hundredth Year covering this song is different. It's not like they're copying Tove Lo's version, they have made it their own. And I will repeat this until I can no longer utter the words: You will not do a cover song better than the original artist attempting to do it the same way as they did. If you do not make it your own, you will fail, and fail in an epic manner. We will laugh at you. Don't butcher our beloved tunes. Sorry, back to Five Hundredth year. They nailed the chorus. Fucking nailed it. They did the chorus of this song better than Tove Lo could have in an acid enhanced dream,okay? They beat her. FHY, you win.

Okay, quick intermission. I'm realizing more and more that I am extremely picky about the type of vocalists I enjoy... and those who don't fit that standard, I tend to pick apart (and I do it well). So, excuse me while I attempt to NOT do that with this band.

However, I couldn't properly call myself a critic if I didn't tell you the good and the bad, the sometimes harsh opinion more admirably known as mine. The lead vocalist is... well, his vocal chords are the doppelganger of Sully Erna of Godsmack's vocal chords, mkay? That's what I'm hearing. His delivery is okay but it tends to seem lacking a bit when he's in the spotlight. Don't argue with me, I know the lead vocalist is "always in the spotlight." What I'm getting at, is when the drums and guitars and all that magic is hanging back a bit he does not convey as much passion and enthusiasm and sense of belonging as he does when they are at closer to equal levels. Hate me for this, I know you will, but I could just do without the female vocals altogether. I do not feel like they add to any of the songs this lovely, and surely talented lady happens to be lending her pipes on. It does not seem to fit at all to me. It sounds out of place. I'm not bashing her, nor trying to downplay her gift. I'm just saying hers does not fit the sound of this band, in my opinion. I'm not sorry. *shields herself from inevitable stones thrown*

Moving on!
I stumbled upon a handful of original tracks that I actually listened to before the cover. "Blame" is the one they're pushing, but I do what I want, and I'm going to say save that for second. Why? Because "Reflection" is better. I am right about this. I believe the term "magical" was used in the discussion I had with myself concerning the guitars, the energy, and the emotional build-up. Again, I could do without the female vocals *ducks* but overall, that's the only complaint I have about this song. And if my opinion counted for anything, I would say FHY, you're pushing the wrong tune. "Reflection" is your gold star track. This is one of those tracks, you know? Those tracks that pull you out of life for 3 minutes or so and surround you. One of those that you could close your eyes and feel like you're levitating to (I swear I'm not on drugs).

"Blame" starts off high energy and immediately grabs your attention. I can't help but think of Drowning Pool in certain spots, however the song as a whole doesn't sound like any other band.What I'm saying is I see clear influences, but no lack of originality. This is another good song to find escape in... maybe not at the same level as "Reflection," but in a similar way.

This band is semi-heavy, but still manages to be melodically well structured and the lyrics are good. For the most part, the vocal delivery is good. The drummer and guitarist play well together. All in all I think this is a good band. I would advise a few changes, but what works for me does not work for everyone. And if they sit back and assess their sound and it sounds like what they want it to, then it's perfect. As for you, you should go listen to them. You can find them virtually anywhere, and you know you'll find their links below, as always. Don't forget to let me know what you think and tell Five Hundredth Year that I sent you. I'm coming back to YouTube, I have not abandoned you guys, I PROMISE.

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Click the thumbnail below to watch the video review:

BREAKFAST IN NEW YORK: AWESOME UNDERGROUND ★ MUSIC REVIEW #27

Everyone knows how much I love 37 Reasons. (If you don't, you could always read this to find out.)
I'll never forget the day. You know you have really fallen for someone's music when you always remember the first day you listened to it. So, I knew that whenever Mr. Brown released something new, I would feel that joy all over again. It's a special kind of excitement when you hear that news. "New music is on it's way." Well, for me it is.

Today, Sam Brown releases his new EP "Breakfast in N2ew York."
And let me tell you, it doesn't disappoint. There are obvious differences between this new EP and the last one. As a music lover, I must discuss these. 37 Reasons is beautiful and wonderful and it reminds one of being a teenager and really being in love. But with Breakfast in New York comes a whole different phase of life and of musicianship. With age comes growth: in maturity, in world views, in personality... and if a musician is truly talented and dedicated, in music. I'd like to compare Mr. Brown to a sponge. Because he has obviously soaked up as much as one can in the span between releasing these two bodies of music. I hear clear growth in Breakfast in New York... in all of the areas I listed before. With this new EP comes a much fuller sound and I am so proud of that.

Sam's wide array of instruments and layered vocals surround you and refuse to share your attention with anything outside of the song you are listening to. He ventures over the lines of standard pop into the edges of other genres, such as Jazz, in this EP. He never ceases to amaze me with his ability to perfectly piece together all of the right elements of a song to make it whole and he just keeps getting better at it! One thing I really love about this EP is that it does not fit in a box. It is not one genre. It is art.

I love that Sam just went with his instincts to create each song. I don't see a template here... each song is its own. And they are all different. But they do go nicely together. That is a talent that not every musician has. To have songs that are different from one another, yet can still pass as an arm or leg on the same body. You have to buy that the songs on a body of work are getting their life force from the same beating heart, otherwise, it's not a body, it's just a bunch of songs thrown together.

One last thing and I'll stop gushing. My favorite track is "The Motion." I guess that's rather typical of me, but I think it's perfect. There are things I love about each song on this EP, but that one, in my opinion, is the best track.

Click Thumbnail for Video Review:

37 Resons Written Review

37 Reasons Video Review:

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A Concert Review or Something (Black Mass Tour)

Tuesday, I took my niece to her first concert. I can't even begin to describe to you how perfectly it went, as firsts go. And I am so proud that I got to witness it. By the end of the night, she was fighting back happy tears, which made me almost cry too. And I'm not even a crier. It was a four hour drive one way and every mile was worth it.

     We got there late and unfortunately, we missed one of the openers. However, it happened to be the only band on the bill she didn't want to see. I know that most people don't give a crap about openers. But I find  that often, a great deal of magic happens on stage before the main event. I almost always find a new band to love in these "filler" spots. This night was no exception.

     Our concert experience started with Set it Off. And let me tell you, they had me at introduction. Any band who starts off their set (especially knowing they're the low man on the totem pole) with, "Everybody get the fuck up!" immediately earns my undivided attention. Don't get me wrong, the critic in me is forever present. But even she was impressed. Their on stage energy was fantastic and absolutely gorgeous. I fell in love. I know, I know, I say that a lot about music. But please, never discount that phrase coming from me. When I tell you I fell in love with someone's music, you just imagine the most alive and vibrant love you've ever felt romantically. And then, magnify that feeling by a hundred or so. It's an experience that cannot be topped and that feeling is what makes my world spin.

     On top of putting on a great show, Set it Off was the only band in the lineup to show their faces after it was over. They took silly pictures with us and talked to us for hours, as a group and one on one. And when security kicked us out of the venue, the lead vocalist went outside and hung out with us. When I handed him the information booklet from the album I had just bought, his face lit up and he said, "You bought a CD! Let me sing to you!" Like I was going to say no. This just goes to show how important it is to small bands, signed or unsigned, that you buy their music. I'm not going to go off on another tangent and preach that you buy music.But if you feel like hearing one of those, I have a few videos where I'll beg you to do that and I'll just go ahead and post the links to those below. These bands need it, and they appreciate it more than you'll ever know.

     Moving on to the other bands, I must tell you that I had only heard a few songs from both Falling in Reverse and Black Veil Brides and I had decided upon listening to these few songs that I wasn't crazy about either of them. I didn't exactly dislike what I'd heard, it just didn't capture my interest. The impression, the first impression I got from Falling in Reverse as a live act was theatre. The lead vocalist was extremely dramatic in his movements, and somewhat robotic. I enjoyed the songs they played, though and their energy was good. They had me thinking I should give their music another listen. And then, they stopped mid-song to check on an injured fan. And they didn't start back up again until she was safely relocated to a less crowded area in the venue. This happened three times during their set and it really made me respect them. It's important for bands to maintain care for their fans. Because the music is better when it's made to be shared in a mutual relationship, rather than one in which love is only received by the artist(s) and not given. As I've said before: reciprocation.

     Black Veil Brides was the big name on the ticket, the one all of the girls screamed for and "like ohmygosh he just LOOKED at me! Did you see that?!" To me, they were just a show band. Sure, the music was good, but I felt a lot more like they were trying too hard to entertain, far more than they were playing music for a crowd. I've never felt more like an audience member before in my life. And to me, at a concert, there should be a crowd of willing participants in an act of love for music and out of mutual or similar feelings and experiences. Action trumps attention. And trust me, you're going to hold my attention a lot better if you prompt me to be active during your set. But besides all of that, I wasn't crazy about the vocals or lyrics. I felt like what this band had to offer was something that could be fabulous instrumental work with the removal of the unnecessary, less than special, vocal portions. I know there is an army of BVB fans out there just waiting to throw stones at me for that now. But honestly, I mean no disrespect. You love what you love, and I'm just glad that you have found something that sets your soul on fire. And it obviously does. Because I wasn't that into the Black Veil Brides set, I stood back and watched the fans instead of the band after a while. And witnessing that level of fandom was a joy for me to experience again. It's one of my favorite parts of any show: the crowd, the energy, all of the feelings exuding from hundreds of people... it's euphoric.

More than all of that, like I said in the beginning, this was my niece's first concert experience, and things went more perfect than I could imagine. Even though we were late, we didn't miss anyone she wanted to see. We got up front. She caught a sweat towel (I know, yuck, but I get it) with all of that nasty 'I'm in the middle of a set and there are a thousand degree lights beaming on me' from one of her favorite band members of her very favorite band. And when Cody of Set it Off hugged her, she cried a little. I could not have dreamed of a better first experience for her. And I'm so grateful that I got to be there for that. Introduction into the world of live music is a big thing, if you're as crazy about music as I am.

Set it Off Band Review (video)

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