Band of the Week #13 - Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters was a band that was formed directly after the end of Nirvana, the band lead singer/guitar player David Grohl played drums for. David went into the studio for a week after hearing the news of Nirvana's lead singer Kurt Cobain's suicide. He recorded songs about how he felt, and released it as a demo tape dubbed "Foo Fighters".  Grohl wanted to stay anonymous for a while since Nirvana was one of the most famous bands at the time, and he didn't want to be under the microscope of the public for a short while. The demo tape garnered a lot of attention, and almost two decades later, the Foo Fighters are still going strong, writing hit songs like "Rope", "Monkey Wrench", and "The Pretender"

I initially got into this band when my old friend Jason showed me "The Pretender" music video back when it came out in 2007. The lyrics were almost mystical to me at the time, but what really made my jaw drop were the instrumentals. I never really heard anything quite like the Foo Fighters at that point. After hearing "The Pretender", I didn't really listen to them a lot until four to five years later. It wasn't because I didn't like them, it was just that I never listened to full albums a lot at that point. I only listened to a track here and there, but one day I just decided to listen to The Colour and the Shape and Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace from cover to cover and it was quite possibly one of the greatest decisions I ever made as a musician. There were songs on the albums that were soft acoustic tracks, and then there were tracks that were loud, kickass rock tracks. Each album had a perfect blend of soft tracks and loud tracks, thus providing the fans a very dynamic, strong catalog.

Foo Fighters have a lot to offer musically. They were never a four chord band, and they always wanted to push the envelope as musicians. Drummer Taylor Hawkins is a monster drummer and knows how to embellish tracks without overplaying and making pieces sound awkward. Bassist Nate Mendel keeps a great groove, and if you listen closely, adds nice tags to his bass lines to make sure that they don't just follow the simple root notes of the guitar. Chris Shiflett, the lead guitar player, plays very percussive lead parts that add a lot of flavor to the songs. Pat Smear, David Grohl's guitar player whilst in Nirvana, lays down a great rhythm guitar along with lead singer David Grohl. Grohl's vocals are an even blend of old school punk screaming, and melodic phrases make the band truly unique. Lyrically, their songs are varied and stretch across various topics. They don't strictly stick to romance and love as a point of topics, thus making them a well rounded band lyrically. The Foo Fighters have been one of those bands that has stood the test of time and I am sure they will be relevant in the music industry for years to come due to the bands' unique songs and their sheer creativity when it comes to writing songs. 

Rope: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbpqZT_56Ns

The Pretender: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBjQ9tuuTJQ

Monkey Wrench: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7rCNiiNPxA

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Band of the Week #12- A Day To Remember

History:

Coming straight from Ocala is pop punk/ post hardcore band A Day to Remember. Like most bands, all the members were all in different bands until they all met up and formed ADTR. They were originally signed to Indianola records where they released their first EP as well as their debut album And Their Name Was Treason. This album was able to get the band a lot of attention throughout the DIY tour of which they were a part of. Through various connections, the band was able to talk to a representative of Victory Records and was eventually able to get signed to their label after the representative saw them play a show in Chicago. On this record label they would release all of their albums, except for their most recent album Common Courtesy. Right after they got signed to Victory Records, they changed drummers to Alex Shelnutt. They released their sophomore album For Those Who Have a Heart in January of 2007, and it gained them the spot of Number 17 on the Billboards Heatseekers Chart. They toured this album for two years, and even played shows as far as the UK and Bamboozle.

In 2008, they went back to the studio to record their third album Homesick. Their guitar player Tom Denny would leave the band during 2008, and was replaced by Kevin Skaff. Denny still had a say in how the album was written. They released the album in February of 2009 and then went on tours to support it. They even had their own North American Tour, dubbed Toursick. This album is widely considered to be their best album to date, as well as their breakthrough album. They toured this album extensively, and then they their fourth album What Separates Me From You. They originally released their first single off the record, "All I Want", in October of 2010, followed by the release of the full album in November of the same year. The album was well received, although fans consistently compared it to Homesick. The album had a great mix of heavy tracks and pop punk tracks. It was overall well received, but then they would soon have fallouts with their record label, Victory Records. With all of that aside, the band was able to self release their most recent album, Common Courtesy last Tuesday. The band is currently on the House Party Tour with Pierce the Veil and All Time Low.

My Thoughts:  

ADTR is probably the band that helped me get into "scremo" music. I got into their most recent album at the time, What Separates Me From You, and then progressively started listening to heavier and heavier material. They were a great band to help me transition into listening to heavier acts such as Protest The Hero and Between the Buried and Me. The band overall is fantastic and  although they may be a little bit generic when it comes to lyrics, their instrumentals are really good and dynamic. The guitarists work well together and the rhythm section know hoe to keep a tight groove. Jeremy McKinnon, the lead vocalist has a lot of energy and passion when it comes to singing and writing his lyrics. The band overall is amazing and their new album is stellar. I will be releasing an album review of it in the upcoming week. 

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Mayday Parade- Monsters in the Closet Album Review

I only found out about this album three months when I saw the band post information about it on their Facebook page. If they hadn't done that, I wouldn't have even heard about it. I checked out the lyric video for their first single and thought it was a really good song. Right then and there, I decided that this would have to be an album that I check out. Mayday Parade's past three albums have all been unique in their own special way, so without further ado, let's get on with the review.

In Depth Review:

1.      Ghosts- This was the first of two singles they released from this album. It has a really soft intro, but it picks up within after the first 30 seconds. The first thing I heard was the guitar in the background. It was doing a lot more movement than I expected, but I'll admit I like it. It isn't like Hail to the King by Avenged Sevenfold where the intricate part stood out and tarnished the song to a certain extent, but a subtle guitar part that gets its time to shine for the quick solo in the song. The song in itself is very dynamic and has a lot of tempo changes as well as a good mix of highs and lows. Another plus is that I can hear the bass really well in this track which is always good since the bassist gets a little time to shine as well. This is overall a really good opener, I'd give it a 8/10

2.      Girls- This is the second single off the album that was released a couple of weeks ago. This song sounds very pop-punk, but in a good way. The drums are really punchy and push the song forward a lot. The song has a nice guitar riff going for it and the vocals are stunning. Towards the end of the song, it slows down a lot, but they were able to keep tempo and maintain the integrity of the song. Overall, I'd give this song a 7/10. I felt there was something missing in the song, something that could have made it ten times better, but it is still a great track.

3.      Last Night for a Table of Two- The introduction to this is song is amazing! The guitar has a very Middle Eastern feel to it. This song is really technical in comparison to Mayday Parade's previous material. There are a lot of held notes, and there is an insane guitar solo filled with shreddy goodness. The vocalists Derek Sanders and Jake Bundrick have really nice vocal tradeoffs and they fit really well together on the vocal department.  The bass and drums are really tight on this track and the track overall is a really rock oriented track. I did not expect this type of track to be on the album; it surprised me in a good way. 9/10

4.      12 Through 15- This track is the type of track I was expecting to be on the record, and it doesn't disappoint. The track opens up with an audio clip from a movie. The track overall is very soft and laid back The bass is playing a very slow, but moving progression while the guitars play a nice percussive chord progression. The band really focuses on the vocals and set their goals to accentuate the vocals in this song. The song really picks up towards the second half, and it really shows off Derek's vocals. 8/10

5.      The Torment of Existence Weighed Against the Horror of Nonbeing- The intro is a big band "la-la-la" intro, but I wasn't too fond of it. I can see it being used in a live set extensively, but I wasn't a fan of the record version. With that aside, the song is really cool to listen to. The bass does some really cool stuff in the verse, and the vocals are stunning in the chorus. Jason and Derek get to show off their vocal abilities. The second guitar and piano in the second verse add nice accents in the song without overshadowing the song as a whole. The bridge and the buildup to the final chorus are amazing and I absolutely love this song. My only other issue with this song is that the end of the song has a violin section that feels out of place. With that aside, the album seems to get better the longer you listen to it. I'd give this track a 7/10

6.      Even Robots Need Blankets- This is yet another soft rock track. It starts off with a piano, and throughout the course of the song, goes back to focus on it since it is the main component of the song. The song gets slightly heavier, but it doesn't really change much. There are no interesting dynamic changes, nor a fun moving bassline. What really threw me off was the end of the song that seemed to have ended on a bad note. The song also initially end in an abrupt manner before going to the piano to end it. I'd give this song a 5/10. It feels very unpolished and incomplete.

7.      Repent and Repeat-  From the fade in to the very end, this track had me hooked. The drums are stellar and it is very pop-punk like. It has a great feel to it and I really like the song lyrically. The song flows really well and always stay up beat. It is personally one of my favorite songs off of the record so far. It is just so consistent and powerful. Plus the song is really catchy and the chorus is already stuck in my head after one listen. 9.5/10.

8.      Demons- This is another one of Mayday Parade's powerhouse tracks; a pop-punk track. This song would stand out if it was placed on one of their older records, but in an album filled with lots of fast upbeat tracks, it doesn't shine like it should Demons is a great track and one of my first thoughts about this song was that the intro is very Boys Like Girls like. It is reminiscent of their style, but in a good way.The track doesn't stand out terribly well in the album, but it is all in all a good track. 6.5/10

9.      Sorry, Not Sorry- I had two simultaneous impressions of this song when I first heard it. The first expression is that this song sounds like something off of their debut full length album, A Lesson in Romantics. The second was that the phrasing of the song is really awkward in various parts such as the intro. It didn't quite ruin the song for me, but it did bother me a little bit.  The song overall was good and I'd give it a 7.5/10

10.  Nothing You Can Live Without, Nothing You Can Do About- Something about this song strikes a chord with me. I don't know why, but I feel that I really relate to this song. With the personal feelings aside, this song is amazing. It feels like something that would have made it onto their second album, Anywhere But Here. It fits the theme of that album quite well, but it fits this one just as well. It is a really nice track and I would give it a solid 8/10

11.  Hold Onto Me- This is probably their most powerful song on the album. It is a soft rock track, very similar to Lifehouse in that sense. The track is a soft track and is a nice way to reach the ending of this album. Derek is belting out all he has vocally and is clearly putting some passion and soul into his work. I liked this track quite a bit. 710

12.  Angels- The album digresses from its hard hitting intros and triplets on the bass drum to end with yet another soft track. The album built up and digressed in a nice even manner. As for the song Angels, it reminds me a lot of Miserable at Best, a song they released on their debut album A Lesson in Romantics. The song is a nice soft ending to fantastic album. 7/10

The Album Overall:

WOW. Let me start with that. This album was amazing. I will definitely be listening to this album again and again for quite some time. The album has a things going for it and it was mixed really well. The lyrical content is no different than any of their other records, so I didn't focus on it as much. What really blew me away for this record was the instrumentals and the musicality. It is unlike any other Mayday Parade record I have ever heard and it is amazing. Id' give the album as a whole a solid 8.5/10. There are some really stellar songs in this album and I can happily say in my opinion that there are no bad tracks on this album. Nothing stood out like a sore thumb in a negative manner, and nothing sounded terrible. The album was well mixed, well made, and in my opinion, it will be well received. 

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iOS 7 is on Android!

iOS 7 is without a doubt one of the biggest things to happen to Apple this year alongside the release of their iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S. The new OS touts various new features as well as a new  refreshing look with bright icons and live wallpapers. But it isn't just for iOS devices anymore.

Some of you may have read my article a while back about the Android launcher Espier Launcher, an app that made your Android device look like it was running iOS 6. It would also operate like iOS 6 with the jiggle on the icons, iPhone search page on the left and the similar folder layouts, as well as modified icons to replicate iOS6. The same company has come back with an iOS 7 version of their launcher. Now this launcher has been around since iOS 7 was released in its beta stages back in July, but I decided against posting it since we didn't know much about iOS 7 and I didn't want to misinform you lovely readers. With a couple of weeks since iOS 7's release, I figured now would be a good time to talk about Espier Launcher's latest attempts in imitating one of the most popular OS's on the mobile market for the time being 

For those of you using Espier Launcher (the iOS 6 version), you can download a theme that will simply convert your current theme into iOS 7 without having to reconfigure anything. I initially did this in order to see what iOS 7 would look like on my phone.The background changed to the stock background of iOS 7, but it didn't move like the iOS 7. No matter, there are live wallpapers for it all over on the market so I wasn't terribly worried about that. Plus, I prefer the wallapaper to be static since it takes up less RAM and makes my phone run faster. The icons for the most part changed to their iOS 7 counterparts, but nothing else really changed. This theme is good for those who just want the physical look of iOS 7 without sacrificing the functions and features of iOS 6. 

If you want the functions and features of iOS 7, I recommend you try out the iOS 7 Espier Launcher. IF you do chose to use this launcher., you will have to reorganize everything as if you just got the launcher for the first time. I personally say it is worth the sacrifice. Once you utilize the launcher, you will see all the icons change to their iOS 7 counterpart as well as the theme changes. This is where all the comparisons changed to the theme version of it. If you swipe up you see the same task bar from iOS 6, but if you swipe down, you can find the search bar in its new position. I personally like it better in its new position. When you group applications together, you can see the new folder layout. The animations are almost perfect imitations of iOS 7.  Just like the iOS 6 version of the Espier launcher, you are able to edit and change the icons which was always a nice feature. You can import icons just like always from your external storage device and this is just a supplemental thing that adds to the feel of iOS 7.

In addition to all of these features, there are other applications that can help bring iOS to your Android phone, and they are all by Espier. The Espier Lock Screen is the iOS 7 variation of the stock lock screen. This version just provides the simply slide function as the only iOS 7 function. There is a paid version of this application by Espier Studio that provides a little bit more in terms of imitating the latest iOS. It provides the a better lock screen with the same num pad as iOS 7. It also has other handy features like switching to your camera without having to unlock your phone as well changing the text for "Slide to unlock", and the operator name. It also lets the notifications appear on the lock screen, a signature Apple trademark. The applications itself is very fluid and it works very well with the iOS 7 launcher.

Espier also have their own version of the Control Center as well as their own version of the notification center. The Control Center is much more fluid than I originally expected. I have had some experience with some other control centers and they were always very buggy. The swipe up feature was always super sensitive and would pop up on the screen when I would be using my keyboard. The Espier version works much more fluidly and therefore is much more usable and practical. The Airplane Mode, Wifi, Bluetooth, Data and Screen Rotation lock are on the top half of the screen, whereas the Flashlight, Clock, Calculator, and Camera icons are on the bottom. There is a very nice 4 x 1, 5 x 1 spot in the middle for a widget of your choice. They recommend using the Espier Music Controller there to make it really feel like iOS 7, but I personally don't like their controller so I just put a battery widget there by Du Saver Battery.

In addition to the Lock Screen and the Control Center, Espier also offers their own Notification Center. I personally think that this application needs a lot of improvement in the user interface. The screen seems to lag a lot it doesn't always change screen when they are swiped. The notification center is creative in the sense that you can select which apps appear in the center and which don't. You can also choose to just select the notification aspect of the application, the notification bar on the top of your screen, or both. I think that if Espier chooses to fix the little things about this application, it'd be fantastic and fluid. It has a tad bit of latency, but I'm sure Espier will fix it in future updates.

Espier has a lot to offer to the Android market. They are perfect for people like me who like the flexibility and uniqueness of Android, with the simplicity of an iPhone. Although some of their applications need improvements, the overall presentation of the application is fantastic. I would recommend Espier's apps to anyone that wants a simple to use launcher or plugins to make their Android phone into an iPhone replica with legitimate interactive icons and features.

Edit: Here are the links for the various applications I was mentioning throughout the article

Espier iOS 7 THEME (This is if you are using the old launcher and just want a quick upgrade) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.espier.launcher.theme.ios7

Espier iOS 7 LAUNCHER (Full makeover and features) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.espier.launcher7

Espier iOS NOTIFICATIONS- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.espier.launcher.plugin.notifications7

Espier CONTROL CENTER= https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.espier.launcher.plugin.controller7

Espier SCREEN LOCKER- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.espier.launcher.plugin.screenlocker7

P.S. There are also "Full Paid Versions" for the screen locker, Control Center, Notifications, and the Launcher. They have the word "Pro" after their title on the Google Play Store. These Applications offer more features for the user and can make the experience more enjoyable. I only have the pro version for the Screen Locker and find that there is a slight amount of lag when it comes to unlocking the screen once you press the lock button on your phone. Using the normal screen locker I find no latency at all. It could just be my phone, but I thought I'd point it out for the sake of pointing it out. 

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Band of the Week #11- Pierce The Veil

History:

Pierce the Veil is a post hardcore band from Sand Diego, California that was formed by lead singer Vic Fuentes and his brother Mike Fuentes in 2007. They left their prior band "Before Today" and they recorded their first album together under the moniker Pierce the Veil with their old record label Equal Vision Records. Their first album, A Flair for the Dramatic, was released on June 26, 2007 with Mike Fuentes on drums and backing vocals and Vic Fuentes on bass guitar, electric guitars and vocals.  Prior to touring this album for the next year and a half, the brothers found guitar player Tony Perry, and bass player Jaime Preciado to take up the open positions in the band. The band then went on to go back to the studio for their second album Selfish Machines. It released in 2010 around the same time as their first album from three years ago. It featured their hit single "Caraphernelia" featuring Jeremy McKinnon from pop punk/ post-hardcore band A Day To Remember, as well as songs such as "Bulletproof Love", and
"I Don't Care If You're Contagious". Like most post- hardcore bands, they toured this album with various Warped Tour dates. They also accompanied various of their label mates on the Alternative Press Tour.

The band switched labels from Equal Vision Records to Fearless Records prior to their third album Collide with the Sky which was announced in 2011. The band was recording material while on their various tours and released the album on July 17, 2012. It's first single King for a Day featured Kellin Quinn from the post hardcore band Sleeping with Sirens, and was a great hit with the fans. Their second single Bulls on the Bronx received similar reception. The band continues to tour that album up until the present day, and they are going to be releasing a DVD soon of their first world tour.

My Thoughts:

I originally heard of Pierce the Veil when I got a hold of Punk Goes Pop Vol. 4 and heard their cover of "Just The Way You Are". I really liked their interpretation of the song and it made me want to listen to more of their material. I then starting listening to " Caraphernelia" and their more recent material such as "King for a Day". What really drew me to the band were the vocals and the guitar work. It really stood out to me and made them unique in comparison to other bands in the same music scene. I really recommend them for anyone who is interested in rock with a tad bit of heaviness since Vic also tends to do unclean vocals. I really recommend their most recent effort, Collide With The Sky, because it is their most versatile album to date and it is a joy to listen to. Vic's voice is very different, it has a certain grittiness to it that makes Pierce the Veil fun to listen to vocally The drums really push their songs forward in a good way and I can't wait to watch their DVD when it releases! 

Caraphernelia- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN-dRCGh-ME

First Punch- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twp8XL0xzr0

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