Twenty One Pilots

The musical duo Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun make up the band Twenty-One Pilots. They are an indie band whose music has been described as alternative hip-hop and indietronica. To play there music they use drums, piano, synthesizer, and the ever-rare keytar to go along with Tyler's vocals. After their formation in 2009 they gained a decent amount of underground fame, until they began self-producing albums. Their first self-titled album garnered a good reception, but it was their second album, Regional At Best, was extremely popular. The album earned them a sell out show at Columbus' Newport Music Hall which attracted a multitude of record labels looking for their signature. They continued to gain more and more success, and they finally decided to sign for Atlantic Records subsidiary Fueled By Ramen Records. It was under this label that they produced their third studio album, Vessel, released in January 2013.

Vessel was the record that earned them major main stream success. The band has gained an almost 
cult following, as many indie bands do. On the album their are six songs that have been revamped from their previous albums, as well as six more brand new songs that have the same brilliant lyrics, catchy beats, and entrancing synthesizer sounds. One song that has gotten much success is "House of Gold" which is the second single released off the album (I want to save the first single for last). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDyxykpYeu8 The song is a very upbeat, catchy song that tells a lovely story of his family in an almost fairy tale like fashion. It is a happy song played using a ukelele



that was popular enough to be featured on Jimmy Kimmel. Another track off Vessel which is one of my personal favorites is titled "Car Radio." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92XVwY54h5k It is quite different from "House of Gold" and is much less upbeat, but still quick paced. While the prior mentioned song sounds very pop, this song is rap with a short cameo of alternative style. It involves a simple, but catchy drum rhythm, accompanied with haunting synth beats to go with the rap lyrics. This song is great especially for anybody who really appreciates lyricism. One last song to mention off the album is titled "Holding Onto You," it is their first single, most popular songs so far, and one of my all-time favorite songs I have ever heard. It uses beats from the drums, piano, and synthesizer all at once to complement the rap lyrics. My favorite part of the song is at about the midway point where everything is slowed down, and the only thing heard is a piano solo and Tyler singing in a soft, high octave. Then the drums slowly come in and builds up to more rapping, banging drums, and old-school rapesque turn table spinning. It is very difficult to describe the song which is part of what makes it so amazing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktBMxkLUIwY

The band is pretty big already, and with all the recent popularity of modern indie music, Twenty One Pilots has nowhere to go, but up! They just finished their Save Rock & Roll Tour headlined by popular pop-punk band, Panic At The Disco! and perhaps the biggest rock band in the world right now, Fall Out Boy. To join these two modern rock monsters on stage is a statement in itself just how popular they have become. If you would like to hear the band, just follow the links posted earlier, and also visit their band site here: http://www.twentyonepilots.com/ Thank you for reading, and until next time, keep rockin'.
-TR

BROCK BAKER - "Young 'N' Stupid" EP Review

            There’s a new guy in town! This new guy is Brock Baker, a young man from Phoenix, Arizona who began performing music at the age of four by first participating in singing contests and performing in front of thousands of people. On his Facebook page, he says this:

            “I knew at a young age music was my passion and I had to pursue it! I

            packed my bags, jumped in my car and made my way to Los Angeles,

            California!”

Since arriving in California, Baker’s dreams of becoming a successful musician have come true. In 2007, the Gospel Music Association presented Baker with his first award, the “Best Vocals” award, at the GMA Dove Award ceremony. In addition, he has appeared on GLEE, American Idol, The Voice, the Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon. According to the Brock Baker music website, Baker performed with Katy Perry, The Eagles, Tim McGraw, Jordin Sparks, and many others. Despite his growing popularity, I didn’t know about Baker until I saw his new EP on the front page of iTunes a week ago, and I took the time to listen to it.

           

            The new EP is “Young ‘N’ Stupid”, which was released on November 12^th 2013. Baker has an impressive, somewhat pop music voice, and is mostly backed by a radio-friendly rock sound. The first three tracks seem to relate to teenagers beginning to experience relationships. However, the last two tracks are what impressed me the most. The track “Young ‘N’ Stupid” describes a person remembering one of his or her teenage relationships that failed because of immaturity. Baker’s vocals prove to be outstanding, as well as dramatic, and give emphasis to the emotion of the song. The sounds of guitar and piano also add to the emotional effect. The last track, “Lost You To The World” has a classic rock, Journey-vibe and deals with heartbreak after a break-up. The end of the track contains a separate, small, acoustic section where Baker provides very beautiful vocals, singing lyrics dealing with moving on and finding “something new”.

            Brock Baker’s EP is a good first effort, with the title track being the most effective due to its nostalgic lyrics and emotional sound. Baker proves to be an impressive vocalist and musician. Even though I am optimistic about Baker, one concern comes to mind. When Baker begins to work with a major record label, I fear that the label will try to make Baker compose more pop, mainstream music with less of a rock sound that may focus mostly on the beat. The label having artists change to a more mainstream, pop sound has happened to some good artists, such as Taylor Swift and Maroon 5. I hope this won’t happen to Baker. But for now, Baker, have yourself a field day. Job well done. 

Written by: John Dirscherl

Works Cited

 "About." Welcome to The 44th Annual GMA Dove Awards RSS. WordPress, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.        

            <http://www.doveawards.com/about/>

Baker, Brock H. "Brock M. Baker | Facebook." About. Facebook, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. <https://www.facebook.com/brockbakermusic>.

"Home." Brock Baker Music. Brandcure, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. <http://www.brockbakermusic.com/>

A Skylit Drive Rise

        

This September, post-hardcore band A Skylit Drive released their fourth studio album titled Rise. The band is one of the most distinct ones on the PH scene mostly due to their lead vocalist Michael Jagman because he has an extremely high pitched voice. Although on this album he seems to have managed to lower his octave a produce a different sound which helped the band produce an even more diverse style. The album has also marked a growing maturity in the band, and also the shying away of unclean vocals which are much more scarce on this album than their previous three.

The first song on the album called "Save Me Tragedy" can be heard here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCtBR3Qmsyw This track is a definite indication of the bands evolution and new maturity. The song is both catchy, and melodic, but not very complex. It shows the changes in both vocalists very well as the clean vocals are in a much lower octave, and the scream vocalist, Corey La Quay has changed his technique a bit. The first single released was the title track that can be heard here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkRVnVZF-rc and is a song about standing up through adversity. The track uses a very simple melody, and is very catchy. The chorus once again shows the progression of the vocalists, and is one of my personal favorites. My favorite track on the album is titled "I, Enemy" and is incredibly catchy and can be listened to here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w702odbm9II Throughout the song the two background singers complement the lead perfectly making it sound like an epic chorus of much more than three voices. The drums are also very noticeable using the bass pedal brilliantly, and giving the song a distinct rhythm.

The band is growing in popularity after the success of their previous album, and hopefully Rise furthers their notoriety even more. They are currently touring the United States with bands called Violet and Here Lies A Warning. For more information on A Skylit Drive you can visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ASkylitDrive. If you enjoy the band you can also check out similar artists such as The Word Alive and Breathe Carolina. Until next time, have a rockin' day.

-TR

Angel Haze is an American rapper and lyricist.  She is signed to Universal Republic and Island Records.   She first got recognized with her released EP Reservation for free online and her two mixtapes from 2012.  From that she signed with the record label Universal Republic Records and continues with this record label while working her way up. 

            At first Angel had a rough time standing out since there were many famous MCs such as Nicki Minaj, but she kept working hard and made a name fore herself.  Angel has even appeared on the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher, which is a show were rappers show their skills to a larger audience and appear on TV.  Angel has proven herself and continues to work her way up.

Her first single --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMw65FwtlOI

Hail To The Kings

This August Avenged Sevenfold, one of the biggest contemporary heavy metal bands, released their newest and fifth studio album. The album, titled Hail To The King, has big shoes to fill because their previous album, Nightmare, reached #1 on the US charts which is a huge feat today for a metal band. This is also a very important, yet somber album for the band because it is their first one without their former drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan who passed away last year. Despite losing not only their great friend, and creative presence, the band has moved on well. They are the modern day products of bands like Metallica, Guns 'N' Roses, Iron Maiden, and Pantera, and they represent the metal or metalcore genre of today brilliantly in this album.

The band not only survived the tragedy, but they further blossomed through it in a thunderous way. This band rocks just as hard as their other works, if not harder, yet maintains the very melodic style they are known for. The first song on the album "Shepherd of Fire" kicks off the album personally with thumping drums, and wailing guitars setting a perfect tone for the rest of the tracks. A link to the track follows here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GLkvCrcExU The album's next song, that shares the same title. "Hail To The King" is the first single released off the album, and it really set the bar high when people heard it for the first time. With face melting guitar riffs and solos, along with front-man

M. Shadow's great vocal work, the song gives a chill to its listeners. Any metal fan can appreciate this song, as well as anybody who enjoys rock in general, and should listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DelhLppPSxY Just like their role models I mentioned earlier, Avenged Sevenfold also knows how to kick it down a notch, and write a kick-ass ballad that not only soothes, but rocks. The track "Crimson Day" is a metal ballad that even Axl Rose or Kirk Hammett would be proud of. It starts off acoustic, and progresses to a harmony of steady percussion, and a screaming guitar met by a soothing counterpart. It offers a bit of a change of pace to the album, which any great one need, and can be heard here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSs_NYNWB1M

Any fan of metal who reads this knows who Avenged Sevenfold is, and if you have yet to check out the album, get on it ASAP. For people new to the genre, it be tough adjusting to, but it would change your views on music. Some may not enjoy how heavy heavy metal is, but if you are looking for a band to get you started this is the band for you, and also the perfect album. Hail To The King has shown just how much this band has matured since their formation in 2000, and hopefully means even more great metal to come! Until next time,

-TR

Tracing Back Their Roots

This Summer the post-hardcore band We Came As Romans released their newest studio album titled Tracing Back Roots. This is the third album they have released since their formation in 2008. As far as the post-hardcore genre goes, they are quite popular. They have a unique sound that uses traditional rock instruments along with a synthesizer to create electronic sounds for their songs. They have one clean vocalist, and one screamer who can also sing clean a bit, and they complement each other very well. If you like bands such as A Skylit Drive, The Amity Affliction, or Abandon All Ships then this band is for you.

The album itself is easily their softest one yet. Of course it still has their hardcore sound, but the amount of scream vocals has decreased considerably since the previous two, and both singers now sing clean vocals. The electronics and choruses on the album also add a more pop-like sound than their previous work. The first single off TBR title "Hope" is a perfect example. While containing heavy guitar riffs, a lot of bass pedal, and chilling synth, the song has a lighter feel to it. While it does use scream vocal, they are very melodic, and the chorus is brilliantly well done mixing pop and hardcore quite well. The album is already their highest selling, and most popular to date. This album has really put the band on the map in not only the post-hardcore scene, but the whole rock genre scene.

Other than "Hope" the band has released two other singles on this album. "Fade Away" and "Tracing Back Roots" which obviously shares the title with the album. These two songs contrast vastly for WCAR standards meaning that "Fade Away" is on the softer side, and "Tracing Back Roots" is very heavy. The defining characteristic or "Fade Away" is the heavy, but catchy synthesizer riff, and melodic chorus that just begs to be sung along to. You can hear the song here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JvmqRYZ56Y
"Tracing Back Roots" is perhaps the hardest song on the album, and also the most unique. For the first two minutes approximately it is strictly heavy riffs, along with scream vocals. At about the 1:45 mark the song takes U-turn and breaks down. It finishes with a lovely soft vocal segment about love of family, and then finishes strong with chilling "woahs" and the singer repeating "my home is in your heart." This is amazing live, absolutely everybody was singing along at their concert I saw. A link to the song is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1Cn7IN9Hj4 And lastly, my favorite song off the album titled "A Moment." This songs mixes clean and scream vocals very nicely, and the chorus is incredible. find the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW-ZfPGJlrg That's all for today, check out the band's website here: http://www.wecameasromans.com/

-TR

IVAN & ALYOSHA - Band Review

Tim Wilson - lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Ryan Carbary - guitars, piano, vocals
Tim Kim - electric guitar, vocals
Pete Wilson- bass guitar, vocals

            Ivan & Alyosha is a folk-pop rock band from Seattle, Washington with a sound that combines artists like The Beatles, Fleet Foxes, Mumford & Sons, Billy Joel, etc. Ivan & Alyosha formed in 2007 when Tim Wilson nd Ryan Carbary met and spent almost a year writing songs for their first debut EP, "The Verse, The Chours". Released in March 2009, the EP generated a surprising amount of exposure in the U.S. as "Easy to Love", one song off the EP, received some airplay. The band also generated word-of-mouth popularity after playing at the SXSW Festival. The group was then joined by bass player Pete Wilson, whose songwriting talent contributed to the band's creative sound, and Tim Kim, whose guitar playing provided a new dimension to the band's sound. After that, Ivan & Alyosha released their second EP, "Fathers Be Kind", their first LP, "All the Times We Had, and has spent time touring the United States. The band's energetic, exciting live performances and LP and EP releases were critically acclaimed and helped develop a loyal fan base. According to iTunes, Ivan & Alyosha "mixes wonderful melodies with thoughtful, intelligent lyrics and gorgeous four-part vocal harmonies". ("Ivan & Alyosha.")

            After listening to many tracks by Ivan & Alyosha, I think the group has some of the most emotional pieces of music I've ever heard. For example, "All the Times We Had" reflects a person's nostalgic feelings when going through a major life transition, such as moving away and leaving loved ones behind, as evidenced by the lyrics, "It's hard to feel the end". Also, "Don't Wanna Die Anymore" tells the story of a person recovering from drug addiction and wanting to make changes to his life. This track brought me to tears as it made me reflect on a close friend of mine who went through a similar situation. Other songs Ivan & Alyosha released deal with emotional and personal issues, such as overcoming obstacles and finding trust in yourself and others. I highly priase teh impressive melodies, Time Wilson's outstanding vocals, and the band's wonderful harmonies taht give emphasis to the emotions and meaning of the band's songs. In addition, I enjoy "The Folds" for its beautiful mix of piano and guitar. Tim Wilson's vocals on the track sound similar to Brandon Flowers', lead singer of The Killers. Finally, due to the two songs' vocals and music, I think "Be Your Man" has a Black Keys-vibe and "God or Man" has a Billy Joel-vibe. I believe Ivan & Alyosha will reach many people emotionally through its lyrics, and is capable of exposure on mianstream radio if the band expands its popularity.

Written by: John Dirscherl

Works Cited:
"About." Ivan & Alyosha. Tumblr, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

           <http://www.ivanandalyosha.com/about>

"All The Times We Had Lyrics." Ivan & Alyosha. LyricsFreak, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

           <http://www.lyricsfreak.com/i/ivan+alyosha/all+the+times+we+had_21032807.html>

"Ivan & Alyosha." ITunes. Apple, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
           <https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ivan-alyosha/id305962919>