Don’t forget to support the bands you love and believe in!

Recently, I had some exposure to Kickstarter as my place of employment launched and successfully funded an amazing project. It’s a great place for people to come together and support a goal – and how fun it is to see the project through after it’s funded!

I don’t usually do this here – in fact, this is a first. I rarely make posts that aren’t album reviews unless they’re little messages or updates, but this is something that just struck me.

I was jamming out to The Dear Hunter today while I was doing some graphic design at work and I happened to tweet about it. A couple of hours ago, I got a reply from a band who will be heading into the studio with Casey Crescenzo in May to record their first full length record.

The Elephant Room could use our help in funding this album through their Kickstarter campaign. It’s so important to support up and coming bands that you believe in. I can never stress that enough. That’s why here at Back to the Music, I really try to write about a mix of people you know and bands you may have never heard of.

With programs like Kickstarter, we’re able even more than ever to show these smaller bands that we believe in them. This band has until Sunday, April 7 to reach their goal. Believe me – go listen to their songs on Facebook and you’ll see why I didn’t hesitate to donate to this Kickstarter.

Click here to see their campaign page, watch a video from the band, and read a little bit about their goals.

 

Blake Shelton: Based on a True Story

If you asked me to pinpoint five men in Hollywood that I’d willingly marry tomorrow, somewhere on that list of five would be Blake Shelton. The man is handsome, plays guitar, sings, writes adorable lyrics, has a great sense of humor, and seems like a real Southern gentleman. Let me tell you – they don’t actually make them like this in the South – at least not in great numbers. I love Blake’s music, and I’m sure his new album Based on a True Story is not going to be any different.

The album launches off the ground with Boys Round Here, a carefree song about beer drinking, ladies, trucks, and rednecks. What else do you expect from Blake Shelton? This song feels like summer evenings in the south. The laid-back vibe and fun lyrics reflect many evenings I’ve had in Southwest Virginia quite accurately.

Do You Remember is a beautiful ballad that slows Blake’s tunes down and lets you take a ride down the river with him. Not only are the vocals delightful, but the lyrics are beautiful in a bittersweet way. I still feel the hope in your kisses, I still feel the sun on your skin. I swear I was holding forever back then. Do you remember? We ran, we kissed, we learned to love, to live.

My Eyes is truly adorable – and I’m talking in real Honey Bee fashion. My eyes are the only thing I don’t wanna take off of you. These songs are the reason that I will always envy Miranda Lambert.

This album goes back and forth like a see-saw. One song seems to be less serious, more light hearted, chock full of jokes and funny quips that relate to beer and middle fingers (see I Still Got a Finger), and the next song is a love song of sorts – either of the sad variety or one like Mine Would Be You where the lyrics are actually sweeter than the product we all know as sugar.

Wrapping up the album is Grandaddy’s Gun, a sentimentally slow song that I can definitely relate to. People get pretty sentimental in the southern states and occasionally that sentimentality will involve something like a gun. I know that rings true in my family. This song is beautiful, maybe more so because it hits so close to home for me. Something like this is a nice wrap up to the album. The song isn’t necessarily sad – maybe a bit around the edges – but it’s mostly a celebratory song interlaced with memories.

Blake always delivers, no matter what he’s doing. If he’s on a corny singing competition show, it’s going to be great. If he’s writing adorable songs about his lucky and equally adorable wife, they’re going to be fantastic. This man never fails to amaze me – and he’s a hit with all ages. My elderly neighbor adores him and seems to lose her train of thought every time he comes on CMT. This is an album you’ll want to pick up as warmer temperatures approach us and nights of driving with your windows down come back around.

 

Key Tracks
My Eyes (track 6)
Sure Be Cool if You Did (track 2)
Grandaddy’s Gun (track 12)

Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience

Ladies and gentlemen, Justin Timberlake is back – and so am I.

It’s no secret that I’m an absolute sucker for some good pop music. I loved the boy bands and bubblegum pop of the 90s – and I still do, if we’re being really honest. Even though I was first and foremost a Backstreet fan, I enjoyed me some *NSYNC. When Justin Timberlake broke out and started doing solo records, I didn’t know whether I should be offended or excited (Lance Bass was always my favorite). Eventually, I gave in to the sweet chords of Cry Me a River. You know when the last JT record was out? I was a junior in high school. Now I’m nearly two years out of college. Thanks, JT. Thanks a lot.

The album starts out with the smooth crooning of Pusher Love Girl – a song I was initially very skeptical of when I saw it performed live in Jimmy Fallon (anyone else watch Timberweek?). Now that I’ve listened to the album, I am absolutely hooked on this song. Nothing is better than Justin’s sweet vocals slipping like caramel over a slow jazz-oriented beat. This song is liquid gold and you won’t be able to resist it.

I can’t seem to resist the sweet talking Strawberry Bubblegum. I know, I know. The song is titled Strawberry Bubblegum and there’s mention of blueberry lollipops and flavors and all. But Justin Timberlake is singing so beautifully and this song rocks almost like something you’d hear in the ballroom of a sea-themed party in the mid 70s. Something about it reminds me of waves and I would love if Justin wrote a song like this about me.

My favorite song off the album has to be Tunnel Vision. This song has more of a classic JT style to it. The music is pop tinted with some R&B/urban style courtesy of Timbaland. This song really just makes me want to dance.

A close second in the my favorite song on the album race has to be Let the Groove Get In. This song just doesn’t stop from the very first second all the way until the end, coming in at an impressive 7 minutes and 11 seconds. This one almost sounds like something to the likes of Senorita from JT’s first album – just updated to 2013 with an extra splash or two of funk.

When Justin first announced he was about to put out new music, I was ecstatic. When Suit & Tie came out, I was skeptical – it took forever for the song to grow on me. But when I heard Mirrors, I knew it was okay to be excited for the album again. If I had to pinpoint one song on this entire album that was quintessential Justin Timberlake, I would seat you right next to this song and bring you a candle for the table. This song has enough of a funky beat to keep your head nodding, but is slow enough to allow JT to do his thang. Most of the songs on this album are either really slow or really fast – this is such a happy medium that I want to give it a standing ovation.

The album wraps up in the slow variety with Blue Ocean Floor, a ballad with barely any instrumentation behind JT showing off his exceptional vocal chords. Make fun of him for the Ramen noodle hair all you want – this man can sing (and he can produce it live). This is a beautiful song, but if I hadn’t read that there was a Part 2 of this album coming, I wouldn’t like it for a wrap-up of the album.

Welcome back to the music scene, Mr. Timberlake! This is a great album – well worth the wait of seven years – and I can’t wait until he throws out Volume 2. Though the songs are on the incredibly long side (the shortest song clocks in at 4 minutes and 49 seconds), they keep my attention with the differentiation of tempos and beats. This is going to be on repeat for a long time.

 

Key Tracks
Mirrors (track 9)
Tunnel Vision (track 5)
Pusher Love Girl (track 1)

Penny and Sparrow: Tenboom

When I’m at work, my coworker and I listen to a lot of Spotify. Obviously, eight hours a day in the office makes way for a lot of musical intake, especially when a lot of my time is spent staring at the InDesign interface. I got a text from one of my good friends a couple of days ago recommending a band. I know for a fact she has good musical taste, so I didn’t waste any time turning this album on in the office. And let me tell you – it was the most beautiful music I’ve heard from a band I didn’t even know existed. I didn’t have a listen to the whole album at that time – I wanted to wait until I was able to write about it here because believe me, you need to hear this. Here goes Tenboom by Penny and Sparrow.

This album, released January 8, begins with the quiet Just and Just As. The song fades in with soft strums of an acoustic guitar, a great way to enter into an album and a world previously untouched. Vocals come in just as softly, and the story telling begins. The vocals are so gorgeous, so full of emotion, that the response is mirrored in my being. When the chorus hits, I almost cried from how gorgeous it is. So come back to my house and I’ll give what they can’t offer. Let’s just lie on the couch and we’ll clean it up together. A mirage of stringed instruments come in, melding together to echo the powerful vocals.

One reason I was initially so struck by the band is the innate storytelling that’s hidden within the songs. I get so lost in music of any genre that can tell me a story while wooing my ear drums and Penny and Sparrow do all of the above. Bones is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It’s beautiful in such a striking way as a story is told over haunting and stark stringed instruments. Right now, everything is coated in ice outside, and this song could be played into the cold night air and would feel right at home. It’s still and quiet, almost fleeting.

The vocals have a robust, deep sense to them while still remaining elegant enough to fit perfectly with the acoustic nature of the music. During A Woman Caught in particular, I found myself turning up the volume time and time again to get all of the sounds in at once. Closing your eyes, you could lose your whole self in this song.

The album winds up in an interesting way with Patience, First and Patience, Please. Patience, First feels a little more emotional and desperate. Patience, Please is a little more subdued and quieter. Both songs are asking (or maybe begging) in different lights to Please come home. They’re handled so differently, one beginning desperate and one beginning delicate and escalating with each passing plea. Having two songs together that are each clocking in with just a minute and a few seconds is an interesting take to wrapping up the album and it leaves me wanting more with the slow fade out.

This album absolutely blew me out of the water. I had never even heard of the band, so I really had no preconceived notions and no idea what I was walking into when I received the text message recommending them. Wow, what a gem, though. You absolutely have to have a listen to this – I don’t care what genre of music you prefer. This is absolutely incredible. Check the band out on Facebook or Twitter – and find this album on Spotify!

 

Key Tracks
La Reyna (track 8)
Just and Just As (track 1)
Bones (track 6)

Anberlin: Vital

Anberlin became one of my favorite bands the second I heard them. I don’t think it even took me a full song to fall head over heels for them. I saw them in concert with Taking Back Sunday a couple years ago and they were one of the liveliest, most crowd-engaging bands I’ve seen to date. They’re divine. I felt horrid when I realized they had a new album out and I hadn’t gotten a chance to hear it. I wanted to write about it on the blog, so I’ve been putting off listening to it for a while so I could go through honest first run through reactions. Now, it is time for Vital.

The album opens with the toe-tapper Self-Starter. There are normal Anberlin-esque progressions happening musically, but what Stephen is doing vocally is something on my palette that I’m not used to from this band. The vocals feel a bit more muted in this song and the chorus is exquisitely fast (think BBC’s Sherlock singing the chorus).

I’m mesmerized by Other Side. The vocals are so stated and shy while the drums and guitars come down on you like a ton of bricks. Love me, why don’t you love me? Know me, why don’t you know me?  There’s such a beautiful juxtaposition between instruments and vocals in this song that left me with chill bumps.

Vocals are back in full swing and rocking you to sleep in Innocent. This song is striking in so many ways. The music is soothing and intricate. The lyrics tell a sad story that pulls a longing for childhood out of your core. We are all born the innocent, we were born to run carefree. You will live on in the hearts of men, constantly. We were all born the innocent  I will hold on til the end – there will never be an end.

Orpheum feels like you’re racing. There’s some brilliant piano additions here that keep up with the swift melody through speeding up and slowing down, adding another dimension to the song and creating a swirling in your ears. This song is Anberlin in their element.

The band wraps up the album with God, Drugs & Sex. This one is like you took a song from this album and leaned it back in a reclining chair. This song is very mellow, moving along slowly and steadily. The addition of soft female vocals in the background adds to the ambiance of the tune. It’s an interesting way to wrap up an album. We started off slow, with vocals that almost sounded like they were behind a veil – until we moved through to clear vocals with more upbeat tempos. By the time we got to Modern Age (the track directly before God, Drugs & Sex), we had reached the heaviest point to the album. After all that, God, Drugs & Sex almost feels like being lifted up into the clouds on a roller coaster.

If I were being real honest, which I’m trying to do, Vital isn’t the album I expected from Anberlin. I’m much more used to them from the likes of Cities (2007). It’s not going to go down in my books as my favorite album from the band, but it’s an interesting transgression for them and I’d be interested in seeing how they translated this album to a live show.

Key Tracks
Orpheum (track 9)
Modern Age (track 10)
Little Tyrants (track 2)

Terrible Things: Pre-Transmission EP

I have loved Taking Back Sunday since middle school. If you know the band, you know members have come and gone – under all kinds of circumstances. That’s fine, whatever, it’s their ordeal. When someone leaves the band and starts another project, it’s almost a surefire bet that I’m going to listen. Enter Terrible Things. When I found out this was a new band with Fred Mascherino, I knew it would be golden. Mix in Andy Jackson of Hot Rod Circuit and Josh Eppard from Coheed and Cambria, and this was an instant play for me.

Their self-titled debut album is fantastic and remains a staple in my car. We’re going to have a listen to the recently released Pre-Transmission EP.

The EP comes in with the at-first-electronic History that quickly melts into pleasant rock notes with repeating Those who forget the past are destined to repeat it‘s. This song sets a softer tone than their full length debut, which is pretty strictly rock and roll.

History melts right into Confession, a 57 second beautiful, intriguing number that throws the album into what I’d expect from Terrible Things. Innocent starts right off with some great drums and guitar riffs. This song mildly reminds me of something Beatles-esque if you put those tunes in a shaker with modern rock and strained out variety shows and Warped tour. This number has a really great breakdown that puts a gleam on the drums.

Last Look keeps things slower, and for good reason. The lyrics take a somber tone as they tell of a loved one that’s been lost – to death or to unconsciousness. The transgressions in this song are beautiful – going from slow and somber to electrically charged and loud and back again within a few seconds. This number wraps up with a heartbeat monitor, footsteps, murmurs of conversation and then a flat line.

This EP reads as a whole instead of five separate songs. Hospital finishes the album, continuing right on from Last Look. This song feels like confusion and sounds like what the smell of a hospital waiting room would sound like if you could hear it. There’s no guarantee and no clear solution. Just as soon as the confusion reaches the highest point, the song fluxes into some acoustic guitar notes and then blanks out.

While emotionally charged, this five song EP is packed with impressive music turns. It’s not quite what I expected after their 2010 debut, but it makes me excited for the direction the trio is going. If you haven’t heard this band and are a fan of any of the bands these members have been in, I highly recommend checking out this EP and their 2010 full length. You won’t regret it.

Key Tracks
Last Look (track 4)
Innocent (track 3)

Christina Aguilera: Lotus (Guest Blog)

I was asked to do a Guest Blog review on Christina’s new album Lotus! Here’s a sneak preview, but you can check the full review out over on Drunk On Pop at this link!

I still remember the first time I heard Christina Aguilera. I was walking around a mall with my cousin (dangerously without our parents behind us) and all of a sudden my cousin started singing along with the radio that was playing in the background. “Haven’t you heard this song?!” she said when she realized I wasn’t dancing to the beat along with her. That evening, at our sleepover, she put the Genie in a Bottle single in her cassette player. I was sold.

That album was one of the first CDs I purchased (right after Michael Jackson, BSB, and Britney Spears). Though Britney has always been my queen, I never disliked Christina. Many of the songs on her first two albums would go on the soundtrack to my adolescence if I had to make one. I’ve been rooting for her in the past couple of years when things have been going so terribly wrong. I’m really hoping Lotus will be that jumping point that she needs.

Click here to finish reading.

The Monsters I’ve Met: Lights Out!

There’s really nothing I love more than opening up my email inbox and exploring all of the bands that I receive emails about. For someone who loves music as much as I do, it’s basically like Christmas every day. Today, I’m going to jump into an album from The Monsters I’ve Met, a metal/hardcore/electronica band who just released their first album, Lights Out!

Intro kicks the album off and sounds almost like the album is going to be instrumental – think Explosions in the Sky if they were dressed up as a dubstep impersonator. I wasn’t sure what was going on until the album launched into Sink or Swim in the most intriguing of ways. The song begins with the strange electronic sounds that carry over for continuity, but then blaring vocals invade your ear drums. Soon, the chorus kicks in and sounds like a pop-punk band you’d catch on a small stage at Warped. I wasn’t sure this band was anything out of the ordinary until I really got into this song. It’s really such a strange thing to mix electronic, screamo (is that what the kids are still calling it?), and smooth pop-punk. I know a lot of bands tried it when I was still heavy into this style of music, but none pulled it off quite like this.

The title song, Lights Out!, is where the money is. This was the first song I listened to when I was checking the band out and I was thoroughly impressed and entertained by this number. I don’t know which part I enjoy the most – actually listening to some great hardcore tunes or hearing the strange mix of electronica and hardcore and pop-punk.

When Friends Become Phobias not only has an awesome title, but has a different vibe, which is impressive for six tracks. This track is darker, less on the pop-punk side, more focused on the other two. This song almost has an old school hardcore feel to it with the intensity of the guitars and drums at some places.

Throwing you for a loop one last time on Every Word You Said, The Monsters I’ve Met approach this track in a more melodic and slowed down manner. I can’t decide if this song is off-putting in it’s severe difference or if it’s a brilliant change to wrap things up. I’ll get back to you on this.

The Monsters I’ve Met is comprised of four musicians that are former members of bands like A Beautiful Silence, Bury the Gods, and Famous Last Words. They formed in January of 2012 and hail from Michigan. You can check them out – and listen to their album for free – on Facebook here!

Key Tracks
Lights Out! (track 3)
Sink or Swim (track 2)

Taylor Swift: Red

I freaking love Taylor Swift. There are no and, ifs, or buts about the thing. I love her. I used to scoff at her when she first broke it big, but then I listened to the masterpiece that is Speak Now and I was done for. I’ve been excited for Red to come out since it was said in Rolling Stone that she was recording for a new album. This album has been a long time coming. And it absolutely makes up for the long wait.

The album starts off with the quaint State of Grace which is just a slight departure for Taylor. There are less acoustic guitars and more of a bouncy, carefree feel to this one. I was pretty iffy about this track until a few listens. This song is kind of like a hazy, slow summer day – it’s almost sloggish to get through until you take a listen to the lyrics. I can never get over Taylor’s lyrics. Cheesy? Sure. But I sure do love em.

Of all the songs that came out before the album completely leaked, I was the most weary about I Knew You Were Trouble. This song is very unlike what Taylor has done in the past – or really even most songs on this record. This one is one hundred percent pop – maybe even straddling the electronic pop  line. There’s auto-tuning and funky effects. I listened to it and I snarled my nose. I wasn’t pleased until I realized this was just her growing as an artist. Where would the fun be if every artist we enjoyed stayed exactly the same? We’d live in a dull world. While this song still isn’t my favorite on the album, I enjoy listening to it – especially in the car. I knew you were trouble when you walked in, so shame on me now. Blew me to places I’ve never been, now I’m lying on the cold hard ground. Typical Taylor lyrics, atypical Taylor sound.

All Too Well is one of the reasons I adore Taylor’s music – this song at its simplest tells a story. Yes, it is a love story – or perhaps a story of love lost – but it goes through the meeting, the relationship, the break up and reflection. I know her penchant for writing songs about love is what is made fun of the most – but let’s be real: you can relate to it. Love is a shared human emotion and the variety that she uses in her songs are astounding. I guarantee you can find one that you relate to.

There are two really great duets on this album – The Last Time featuring Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and my personal favorite track of the entire album Everything Has Changed featuring Ed Sheeran.  Both songs are light and beautiful and both men sound graceful with Taylor’s voice. Everything Has Changed just has such an intoxicatingly beautiful melody behind some really wonderful lyrics. There’s light music behind the vocals – a rapping of drums and strumming of a guitar – until the chorus hits when the instruments come in as loud as the song will get. Taylor’s voice sounds full, confident and bursting at the seams with beauty in this track. I just want to know you better, know you better now. Cause all I know is we said hello and your eyes looked like coming home. All I know is a simple name and everything has changed. All I know is you held the door – you’ll be mine and I’ll be yours. All I know is since yesterday is everything has changed. This is one of the best tracks Taylor has ever worked on.

My other favorite song on the album is Starlight which is supposedly about Bobby and Ethel Kennedy – the grandparents of Taylor’s current boyfriend. I love anything and everything to do with the Kennedy song, so when I heard this song was about Bobby and Ethel, I was mush. I’m with Bobby on the boardwalk, summer of ’45. Picked me up late one night out the window he was 17 and crazy, running wild. Can’t remember what song he was playing when we walked in the night we snuck into a yacht club party pretending to be a duchess and a prince. And I said oh my, what a marvelous tune. It was the best night, never would forget how he moved. This is so sweet.

This album is really, really great. Even though I’ve listened to it countless times through, I can’t decide if it rivals Speak Now or not. I suppose I need to let them lead separate lives – they’re both wonderful albums and I should leave it at that. No matter how many people scoff at Taylor for being who she is, the girl is making some great music. She’s writing her stuff and even though it may be primarily about love, that’s okay. Keep laughing, cause she’s still selling records like hot cakes.

I can’t wait to get the deluxe version of this at Target tomorrow since it has three extra tracks. Don’t forget – Red will be released on iTunes tonight at midnight!

 

Key Tracks
Everything Has Changed (track 14)
Starlight (track 15)
Red (track 2)

One year anniversary!

Guys – I’m so excited! I realized a few days ago that this blog was nearing its one year anniversary and I went back to pinpoint it so I could know what day. Officially, Back to the Music is a year old!

I wanted to post a quick Thank You to everyone who follows the blog, reads the blog, leaves comments, and sends me emails. I couldn’t do this without you guys. I never thought I’d be sitting behind my computer screen a year later having kept up the blog – and I definitely didn’t think I’d have as many followers as I do!

Thank you!

I also wanted to say that I’ll be announcing a giveaway soon, so stay tuned for details on that. I’ll do a regular post about it and create a specific page with details following the announcement.