I dunno guys, I just really like this band.

A picture of Brandon at the release concert for
the "&" EP

I don't even know where to start, this post is gonna be a tough one. The Moth & The Flame is one of my favorite bands ever, and I've been following them for so long, I think I'll just start at the beginning.

I started listening to TM&TF about two and a half years ago, I was introduced to their music through the radio station that's owned and operated by the high school I attended. I quickly took a liking to their music and made plans to get to one of their concerts as soon as I could. I was 16 when I first saw them live and last weekend I saw them for the tenth time, this was the last time I would be able to see them before I leave for 2 years to New England doing service for my church.

The first time I saw them I was only able to stay for the first two to three songs of their set (I wouldn't want to be late for curfew), the one that hit me the most is titled Maker. I bought their CD and I remember driving home listening to their album and just sobbing, the music coming through the speakers in my car really meant something, and it was this experience that started the revolution in my musical taste. Before TM&TF all I listened to was cheesy pop music and dubstep (as much as I hate to admit that).

Me and some friends with Brandon after the release of the & EP

All I wanted to listen to for the next month was that self titled album I had bought at their concert, and I made sure to listen to it on my CD walkman to  keep with the idealism that they had about that first album. They only released that album as a physical copy because they considered the artwork to be a first track of sorts, I had never heard of anyone doing anything like that before. I really liked the thought of that and it's what inspired me to start my collection of CD's and vinyl rather than just buying digital copies of everything online. I still have the same copy I bought years ago and I still listen to it often.

During my Junior year of high school they released their "&" EP, and the singer, Brandon Robbins, wanted to do a radio interview on my high school station. My friend Jake and I were the lucky DJ's who got to speak with Brandon for about an hour and we got to exclusively preview the track Winsome about a week before the EP was released. I remember that interview so vividly and I remember how much time Jake and I put into coming up with the questions we were going to ask when we had the chance. The interview went well and when the EP was finally released it was all I listened to for what seems like weeks. I still love the EP, I'm actually listening to it as I write this.

Brandon and I after speaking with him after Saturday's concert

Most recently, the band signed onto Elektra records and they're hard at work on a new album. I've heard some of the songs that are going to be on the new album and they're fantastic! When I spoke to Brandon after their show on Saturday, he told me that the band is constantly looking for a balance between a catchier sound that will appeal to a greater audience, and sticking to the integrity of their older music that really means something, and in my humble opinion they've done a great job finding the balance. I love their new music and can't wait to see them go places.

I feel really connected to this band, reason being I've been following their progress so closely for so long. There will always be a special place in my heart for their music and many times when I'm listening to that first self titled album I react the same way I did when I first listened to it. I end up sobbing in the lamplight in the corner of my room. The first time I saw the TM&TF live was the first time I really felt what I was listening to.

The music this band makes has really grown to become a part of me and has helped me through a lot of hard times. I dare say that if it wasn't for TM&TF I would still be listening to sub par pop music and dubstep. I owe a lot to this band and I hope one day to be able to repay them for all their music has done for me. Do yourselves a favor and give them a listen. I'm not sure if their self title is still available, but if it is, GO BUY A COPY ASAP, it'll change your life. If not, listen to the EP, it'll change your life too.


Cheers,
    Michael

Just a quick rant

No matter how smart you think you are, you don't know exactly what someone is thinking when they write a song. No matter what you read about on the internet, you don't know exactly what the lyrics meant to the artist. I've seen a lot of people on different forums and such online claiming to know exactly what the artist meant in their lyrics, and that just isn't possible.

I think the reason that this bugs me so much is the fact that thousands of people can listen to the same song, and everyone can get something different out of it. That, to me at least, is what makes music incredible. I love the fact that different people interpret songs differently because we all have different situations.

I'm using the word different way too much but that's the point. Everyone interprets music DIFFERENTLY. This being said, WHY THE HECK ARE PEOPLE CLAIMING TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE SONG MEANS NO MATTER WHAT. I'm sorry, I just hate it when people do this. I think Dave Grohl says it perfectly "That's one of the great things about music, you can sing a song to 85,000 people and they'll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons."

Everyone has a different story, and everyone has a different perception of the world, so who are you to say what they should think of a song.

I try to avoid doing this in my blog, in fact, I try to encourage all of you guys to listen to songs for yourselves and decide what you think.

So if you're one of those people on the forums who tell everyone what to think, throw your computer out the window because you don't deserve to have it.

Sorry about the rant but it really needed to be said.

Cheers,
    Michael

Cheers to Thom Yorke

Today marks the birthday of Thom Yorke, also known as the lead vocalist Radiohead, the  most famous rock, metal, classical, alternative infusion band from the early 90's through today.

 A few short weeks ago, Thom released a solo album titled Tomorrow's Modern Boxes which was released with great controversy. This album was in fact released through BitTorrent, a popular online music downloading website often best known for hosting illegally published music for free download. A short twist, you actually have to pay for the album. Charging what seemed to be the too good to be true cost of $5.99, I was disappointed to see that the track list only containing 8 tracks, but I was thoroughly rewarding upon listening to it. Fear not if you don't use BitTorrent, it should be released on Vinyl and CD for purchase within the coming months.

Originally planned to be an EP release with three tracks, it was later expanded to an entire studio album. The release came to a complete surprise for his followers, no promotional anything or any information was given prior to the internet release. However, he must of done something right, with 2 million downloads since it's release September 26.


Tomorrow's Modern Boxes contains many unexpected gems. The basis of the album is built on complicated intertwined synthesized lines. Radiohead is definitely famous for this, but usually with "real" instruments. His vocals remain as good as ever, sliding up to the high register with ease on nearly every track. This album definitely is a branch off from the usual sound of Radiohead, but it's not a bad thing.

The second track, titled Guess Again, is definitely one of my favorite tracks. The intro includes an ever so famous catchy piano intro, and the sultry entry of his voice happens right after. The electronic back beats and rhythms create a nice contrast from the smooth piano line. My favorite lyrics from this song are as follows:

As one door shuts
Another opens
Guess again!Do you think your mind blows up?
Do you think your mind blows up?
Guess again ......

Overall, I just really like this song.

The fourth song on this album is another one of my favorites, titled The Mother Lode. A rhythmically driven beat and uptempo keep this song driving. The "melody" so to speak is passed between a series of synthesizers, going back and forth throughout the entire song. With large instrumental breaks, this song is good for driving around, relaxing with friends, ect.

Also, this album comes with an unusual album cover as expected, considering the fact that Radiohead always has one.

Overall, this is a very good album. Different than Thom's previous releases, but in a good way.


Namaste,
Carly

Seasons Greetings!

Hello!
My name is Carly and I reside in Seattle, WA. I have known Michael for 5 years now and he and I starting bonding over our love for music. Because Michael will be gone for 2 years, I am honored to say that I will resume posts on this blog while he is away (hopefully you are all okay with that).

I would say that Michael and I have a similar music taste. I enjoy almost all genres, and I am constantly surprising myself by getting into new styles, artists, and musical ideas. You can expect my reviews to contain a variety of music. My first post will be up soon!

Also, feel free to comment with any songs or artists you would like to me review.

Namaste,

Carly

I'm leaving soon

In December I will be leaving on a 2 year religious mission and I won't be able to post while I'm gone. Because of this I'm adding a friend as a writer. My Friend Carly is now a writer so there will be content for you to read while I'm gone! So everyone say hi to Carly, you'll be seeing posts from her soon. She has a great taste in music and I'm confident she'll do great things!

Cheers,
    Michael