Red Light On REVIEWS

Kyoto Drive is an up-and-coming Pop-Rock band out of the UK, and have just released their first ‘mini-album’ entitled “The Approach” on I Am Mighty Records. I Am Mighty contacted me and asked if I’d take a listen to the free stream of this album and let them know what I think, and I’m glad they did.

Kyoto Drive’s “The Approach” takes me back to days when bands like Anberlin, Acceptance, and Cartel were unknown but blasted through the stock car stereos while my friends and I drove around to nowhere in particular. Their mix of pop choruses and group vocals remind me of summer, and instantly puts me in a great mood!

This band could easily be paired up with likes of  We Are The In Crowd and All Time Low and create a strong following. Unfortunately I don’t believe their lyrical content will push them over the edge and into the land of longevity. But with their creative mix of singalong choruses and powerful guitars they would make a nice fit in the summer tour circuit. 

They’re fun! Which is why I recommend you check them out. They will be on a Co-Headlining tour this Summer with the band Violet.  And who knows, this might be everything you’re looking for right now…

-Dave

A great new tune from Motion City Soundtrack, and I would expect nothing less.

propertyofzack:

Motion City Soundtrack have released a new lyric video for “Timelines.” Watch it below by clicking “Read More.”

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propertyofzack:

William Beckett was the frontman and primary songwriter for emo-pop mainstays The Academy Is…, but as that beast melted down slowly over the last two years, bested by the crucible of label demands and outside pressures that only increased as popular tastes (and radio programmers) drifted away from rock music, it often appeared as though Beckett had lost control of his creation, and maybe lost his mojo in the process. So while news that Beckett was putting TAI to rest and moving forward without a label may have been met with consternation from his fans, there was also reason to be hopeful. Walk The Talk EP is Beckett’s first release as a man free from label strictures and hit-chasing. The EP is exactly what one might expect from an artist tentatively stretching his wings: a mildly-schizophrenic cluster of measured experiments, the sound of Beckett gingerly toe-testing new waters.

Best of the four tracks here is “Oh, Love!,” a joyously bouncy paean to desperate devotion whose verses play like The Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back” filtered through the production lens of Folie a Deux-era Fall Out Boy. “Oh, Love!” also offers a soaring chorus that features the same glorious chord change that made A Rocket To The Moon their money on “Like We Used To”. Nearly as good are “Compromising Me”, a jaunty bit of sunny 90’s oddball pop that’s more eels than Everclear, and the biting rave-up “Girl, You Should Have Been A Drummer”.  

“You Never Give Up” is the odd man out, a pretty trifle of 80’s schmaltz-pop that falls half a lite-rock sax solo from the band named after Beckett’s place of residence (that’s Chicago, for folks playing along at home). The sentiment is solid, but the lyrics are a mess — can we please call a moratorium on “when I can’t breathe // you’ll be the air” and its derivatives? – and being tacked on to the tail end of Walk The Talk, feels like more of an afterthought, or an unfinished idea, than a closing track.

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rowdycowlick:

propertyofzack:

The Receiving End Of Sirens played a reunion show at Bamboozle this past Friday. Check out footage from the special show below by clicking “Read More.”

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THIS WAS AWESOME

My initial reaction: “well that’s been done already.”

But then I thought, “this is going to be sooo much better than Tupac!” 

commonrevolt:

In light of the recent Tupac hologram, it looks like legendary rock band Queen will be next to perform with this technology.

Freddie Mercury will be brought to the stage with a hologram-esque “optical illusion effect” next Monday alongside Queen band mates. This performance will celebrate the anniversary release of their hit “We Will Rock You.”

More info can be found here.

I see so many artists do this without realizing that they’re running in the wrong direction. So please take my advice on this so I can maintain a healthy blood pressure without cutting out the booze and drugs.

So you’ve got new music out that you’ve posted to Facebook and you want to use this as a tool to build a bigger Facebook fan-base.

So what do you do? 

Make people “Like” your page in order to listen to your new material!

WRONG!

And I hope by now you’ve read this aloud and it’s starting to sink in. But for those of you who are still feeling the effects of last night’s bender allow me to explain how retarded this is.

I’M NOT GOING TO “LIKE” YOU IF I:

1. Don’t already know who you are
2. CAN’T LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC TO TELL IF I LIKE IT OR NOT!
   
   

Here’s the thing that you have to remember. The general public is stupid, but not that stupid. They will not “Like” your page if they don’t like YOU. And how can they like YOU if you are holding hostage your only means of spreading the good word?!

“But won’t they just “Like” the page so they can hear us?” 

NO! Why would I waste my time?! You obviously aren’t interested in building an ACTUAL fan-base, you just want more virtual fans.

And think about what virtual fans do for you?

The answer is: nothing.

What are you doing with these “Likes?” Hopefully they listen to your music and attend your shows while you’re town. But most likely they have Unsubscribed from your feed because all you do is talk about your next “Big SHOW” in Omaha at the Sun-Dried Tomato.

I think you get the point. So please, do me a favor and let ME decide if I like you or not.

-Dave