XIBALBA, cold

     This band will be playing in town this weekend. And they'll be playing two shows. One is all ages. Maybe make it to both? I'll see. They look like a good time. It should be a good time. If they do a bbq before both their sets, that would be amazing too. I hope they invite me.

PIMPBOT, ck

     Happy Thanksgiving! Hope everyone had a good day today. I'm thankful for family and friends. Yes I am :-D
     I think people are out shopping all ready. Stop the madness! Be safe out there. Black Friday can get out of hand. From what I've seen. I remember working the grave shift at my old job. People all ready lining up at 9:00 pm stacking up on snacks and coffee only to stand in line the rest of the night. Good times though. Speaking of family and friends. My buddy/brotha directed this video a little whiles back. It takes place at a costume party, so pretty much anything goes. I love it. And I love the song too. Pimpbot rocks my world. For Real.

Taking the Lead - Episode #60

This is the 60th episode of the Taking the Lead Podcast! Some rather excellent tunes on this show. A bit on the heavier side, but nonetheless, excellent! Some debut releases, new tunes to the show, and some exclusives appear on this week's playlist. I have a track from American Standards, from their EP, Still Life, which will be re-released through We Are Triumphant Records. Also on the show is a track from Manalive, a hardcore band from New Jersey. The song comes from their debut EP, Pistol to the Head of the Modern Man. From Salt Lake City, Utah, are Still Sea, with a track from their 2011 EP, Palms open to the Firmament. With some new material on the way, Siblings, will be releasing a new EP with eight songs sometime next year. On this episode is a track with one of their newest demos titled, The Fear. And closing the show is track from Territory, from their new LP, Sic Semper Tyrannis, released through Escapist Records. Excellent record. Please spread the good word about these bands and support local music! Thanks for listening, always :-D

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LEADERS, conviction

     Loving this band at the moment, Leaders. Music video for their track, Conviction, from their Facedown Records release, Now We Are Free. Yeah, they're in a forest. Nothing wrong with playing in the woods. I'm still trying to figure out what's in the box. I'm not too bright ya know...

NEW FOUND GLORY, dressed to kill

My favorite New Found Glory song. I'd say it's the best song they ever wrote, followed by, Sincerely Me. Oh yeah...

SAVES THE DAY, deranged & desperate

Been listening to Saves the Day a lot lately. Not feeling down or emotional, I just absolutely love their music. Yeah, I'm a, Through Being Cool, era fan. And stayed with them ever since. Man, that album brings back some nice high school memories. Slowly starting to appreciate, In Reverie, a little more. Didn't really like that album until after Daybreak came out last year. The third installment in their trilogy was a pretty important release of 2011. Definitely a lot more uplifting than the previous three. Well, it's supposed to be, right? :-D I like this video. I wonder if those excerpts (if they indeed are excerpts) in all the pictures are supposed to be obscure references to past Saves the Day songs? Why does my heart always beat before yours does? I love that song.

Taking the Lead - Episode #59

Welcome to another episode of the Taking the Lead Podcast! This is Episode 59. On this episode is another ska-filled treat of some lovely tunes by Black Star Dub Collective, Crookedhook, Go Jimmy Go, Hella Jalapenos, and Show me Island. The newest tracks on this episode come from Black Star Dub Collective with the track, Leviathan, from their debut release, From Rusholme with Dub, which was also featured on the new TNS Records compilation, These Troublesome Thinkers. The other new track comes from Show Me Island with the song, So Long For Something, from their EP, MV:MMXII Also on the show are a couple personal favorites. The song from Go Jimmy Go, Tin Penny, comes off of their first album, Slow Time. Crookedhook's song, Down It Goes, come from their only album, All We Got. And of course, new to the show is Hella Jalapenos with the song, Shoot Me Down, from their album, Burning Up the Keys. Enjoy the show! Thanks for listening!

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LAST STAND FOR LUCY, seven

     Love this band. Last Stand For Lucy have a new music video out for their song, Seven, from Dysthymia Part I. One of my favorite tracks from this EP. The black and white look is tight too.  

REEL BIG FISH, the promise

     This song is probably what Reel Big Fish should have had on their, Fame, Fortune, and Fornication, album. It's another 80's classic track and I'll go as far as to say it's the best cover song the band has done, so far that is. They do a mid-tempo mellow rendition of the original When In Rome's, The Promise. The feel of the song is along the same beat as, I'm Cool (the, Why Do They Rock So Hard?, version), which also happens to be my favorite track from Reel Big Fish. The horn section mimics the main melody and the bass plays a lively line that gives this song a heartbeat. And Aaron Berret sings with a bit of charm, but with some mild swagger. With an opening track like, Everyone Else is an Asshole, I'm sure a little fury is still lingering after thirteen songs. And to fully appreciate this track, I had to listen to the original. The part in the video where the hands on the keyboard move up to a higher range while the music is still playing the same notes bugs me. Just a little bit. I'm guessing them hands were just following the camera, right? Ugh.
 

Taking the Lead - Episode #58

This episode of the Taking the Lead Podcast features punk, rock and pop tunes. It features new tracks from Fools Rush and Dads. Earlier this year, Fools Rush released a new EP titled, Expired. Same catchy punk rock from the Northwest as their last album, Turns All Your Bad Feelings Into Good Ones. For Dads, this two-piece released an LP titled, American Radass (This Is Important), through Flannel Gurl Records. Also on the episode is Pink Mist from the island of Oahu. Nice catchy pop-rock and shoegaze from the Hawaii trio. A track from Cold Heart Re-Press is on the show too from their, Escaping the Doldrums, album. And finally, a track from the lovable, The Unlovables. Love this band to death. The track is titled, Non Stop Thinking of You, from their Crush, Boyfriend, Heartbreak, album. Hope you enjoy the music on this episode. Thanks for listening!

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