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Single: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Belong”
Track: “Belong”
Artist: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Release Date: March 15, 2011
Label: Slumberland Records
“Belong”, the title track and second single from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart‘s, opens with a rather relaxed, sweet sound, before catching the listener off-guard and launching into a heavily distorted and hard-hitting guitar riff at around the fifteen second mark. This certainly isn’t the same Pains that we saw on their self-titled debut; the guitars are heavier, the drums rattle louder, and the band sounds bolder. The change in sound can be attributed to the new production team of Flood and Alan Moulder, the same team that crafted The Smashing Pumpkins‘ classics, explaining the huge distortion that appears on the track. While “Belong” may not have the same catchiness as past Pains tracks, it carries a more defined and confident sound, a markedly positive step forward for the band.
“Belong” is from Belong, out March 29, 2011 via Slumberland Records.
Rating: 8/10
Single: Yellowcard – “For You, and Your Denial”
Track: “For You, and Your Denial”
Artist: Yellowcard
Release Date: January 18, 2011
Label: Hopeless Records
After a 2 year hiatus from music, pop-punk/alternative band Yellowcard announced late last year that they have been working on a new album, which will be their first album released since 2007’s Paper Walls. A certain amount of excitement and hype has surrounded Yellowcard’s latest release, and last month they gave us a taste of what to expect with their single “For You, and Your Denial.” Taking us back to the early 2000’s, “For You, and Your Denial” reminds every Yellowcard fan out there what got them into the band in the first place. Opening with a classic fiddle intro, Yellowcard shows that they haven’t missed a beat as they deliver their trademark pop-punk sound in glorious fashion, taking us all back to a lighter days of jamming Ocean Avenue all summer long. Vocalist, Ryan Key’s vocals are on par with everything Yellowcard has released and the guitar hooks of Key and lead guitarist, Ryan Mendez are as infectious as ever. Drummer, Longineu W. Parsons III also unleashes an impressive performance, rounding out the track and leaving the listener smiling as this release marks Yellowcard’s imminent return to power.
“For You, and Your Denial” is from When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes, out March 22, 2011 via Hopeless Records.
Listen: Via Yellowcard’s Myspace
Rating: 8.5/10
New Lupe Fiasco Song
Lupe Fiasco has released the second single from his upcoming album Lasers. The song is titled “Words I Never Said”, with the hook sung by Skylar Grey, and is described by Lupe as a “big, controversial record.” You can listen to the song below.
Lasers is scheduled for a March 8th release via Atlantic Records.
Free Fearless Records Sampler
In exchange for a “Like” on Facebook, Fearless Records is giving away a free download of a label sampler. The sampler features brand new songs from Sparks The Rescue and Go Radio.
Check out the tracklisting below.
Tracklisting:
1. Breathe Carolina – Hello Fascination
2. Every Avenue – Tell Me I’m A Wreck
3. blessthefall – Hey Baby, Here’s That Song You Wanted
4. Go Radio – Lucky Street
5. Sparks The Rescue – Postcard of a Tidal Wave
6. A Skylit Drive – XO Skeleton
7. The World Alive – 2012
8. The Aquabats – The Shark Fighter!
9. Motionless in White – Abigail
10. Amely – Sing For You
11. For All Those Sleeping – I’m Not Dead Yet
Track: XV – “SmallVille (Prod. J. Cole)”
Track: “SmallVille (Prod. J. Cole)”
Artist: XV
Release Date: January 28, 2011
Label: Warner Bros. Records and Roc Nation
Recent Warner Bros. signee XV dropped his latest track “SmallVille” a few days ago, collaborating with fellow rapper J. Cole. While Cole doesn’t grace us with a new verse, he crafts a superb track as producer, sampling The Smashing Pumpkins‘ “To Forgive”. Needless to say, XV goes in on the track, dropping clever line after clever line – “They’ll never steal my dreams like Leo DiCaprio.” – all while chronicling his relatively meteoric rise to fame. I haven’t watched the TV show Smallville, so I’m not entirely sure how the track relates, but Vizzy’s superhero references are smooth over J. Cole’s mellow, bass-heavy beat, taking the artistic liberty to add superhero inspired rhymes to the sampled chorus. Stream and download the song below.
“Smallville (Prod. J. Cole)” was released via Twitter; happy birthday to J. Cole! XV is expected to release his highly-anticipated album The Kid With The Green Backpack later this year.
Rating: 8.5/10
Single: The Fair Weathered – “Glass Cities”
Track: “Glass Cities”
Artist: The Fair Weathered
Release Date: January 25, 2011
Label: Unsigned
Piano ballad “Glass Cities” closes The Fair Weathered‘s debut album Last Year slowly and passionately. The track, part pop-punk and part piano rock, primarily features the soothing voice of vocalist and guitarist Tom McQuade, who carries the song with the emotion and passion of his words. The trio, though young, has no doubt experienced the same emotional troubles that pretty much every band in the genre has, and “Glass Cities” is their reflection on the world and their changing lives, opening with the claim, “I can’t explain feelings that I see, like neon skies and these glass cities.” Towards the end of the song, Tom raises his voice and the drums and guitar join in, launching the listener into an inspiring breakdown that ultimately ends the song. For such a low-budget production (see music video), “Glass Cities” is a great song and a fantastic closer for the band’s first album.
“Glass Cities” is from Last Year, out now.
Rating: 6.5/10
Does It Offend You, Yeah? New Album and Single
Does It Offend You, Yeah? have reportedly finished their sophomore album Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You, which is scheduled for a March 15th release via The End Records/Cooking Vinyl. You can listen to the new single “The Monkeys Are Coming” on Soundcloud, courtesy of Some Kind of Awesome.
Check out the tracklisting below.
Tracklisting:
1. We Are The Dead
2. John Hurt
3. Pull Out My Insides
4. Yeah
5. The Monkeys Are Coming
6. Wrong Time Wrong Planet
7. Wrestler
8. Wondering
9. The Knife
10. Broken Arms
Lost In The Sound Presents: Big Big Plans
Big Big Plans
For Fans Of: This Condition, Holiday Parade
Big Big Plans is a four piece pop punk/pop rock band from West Chester, Pennsylvania. The band is composed of Eric Thomas Reavey on vocals and guitar, Kevin Shishko on drums, Derek Parker on guitar, and JP Florio on bass and vocals. Their first release was a 3 song EP titled 2010 EP back in early 2010. Since then, the band has been hard at work on a new full length that is set to come out in the next few months titledEverything You’re Hiding. “Stop & Go”, which is the first single off the new record is just a taste of what they have in store. Since forming, Big Big Plans has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Four Year Strong, Polar Bear Club, and Koji. While they are made up of 3 college students and a high school junior, they are still hard at work currently writing more material to be released after the LP and also playing as many shows as possible.
Bandcamp: http://www.bigbigplans.bandcamp.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bigbigplans
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bigbigplans
Tokyo Police Club and Two Door Cinema Club Mashup
Tokyo Police Club have mashed up “Breakneck Speed” with Two Door Cinema Club‘s “Something Good Can Work”. The two bands are currently touring together. You can listen to the track on Soundcloud.
Single: Oh Land – “White Nights”
Track: “White Nights”
Artist: Oh Land
Release Date: October 19, 2010
Label: Epic Records
Track number two from Danish electro-pop artist Oh Land‘s 2010 EP, “White Nights” is a fun, energetic pop song about the singer’s struggles to find inner peace among the “white nights” and hubbub of Brooklyn, New York, where she now lives. The cheery, layered vocals combine with the frantic, jungle drumming in the background to completely capture her inspiration and thinking behind the song. The other instruments certainly are not lacking either; the rhythmic piano and synthesizers drive the song along from the start. I first discovered the track after Hoodie Allen sampled the track in his latest single, “Dreams Up”, which you can listen to here. In traditional Hoodie Allen style, the rapper chose a lesser-known act and added his verse over top, and as usual, the sampled song is also a really good listen. Be sure to check it out below, as well as a new version of the song remixed by Twin Shadow.
“White Nights” is from Oh Land – EP, out now via Epic Records.
Remix:
Rating: 8/10
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