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