Search The City – A Fire So Big The Heavens Can See It

(re-up’d)
As I’m sure many of you have noted, the majority of new music is complete garbage. Listening to the crap they play on the radio is just about enough to make me puke.

Good news: Search The City.

This band has restored my faith in radio-friendly alt rock music. They have a sound similar to Acceptance, Sing It Loud, Anberlin, and Secret & Whisper. Listen to track 1, Son Of A Gun, for some really fantastic song-writing.

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Weezer – Weezer (Red Album)

Weezer. If you haven’t heard of them, there’s something wrong with you. Catchy pop hooks. Crunchy guitar.

The band’s third self-titled release, dubbed the Red Album, just leaked. Thankfully this album sounds nothing like their previous effort, Make Believe. Definitely give this album a listen.

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In Flight Radio – The Sound Inside

As some may know, I’m nearly finished with my Music Production Minor at my college. I want to produce, or at least engineer the recording of music. My purpose in bringing this up is to describe In Flight Radio:

Brooklyn-born songwriter, lead singer and guitarist, Peira, has an amazingly smooth and wispy voice, the tone an audio engineer dreams about. Her vocal tone is the centerpiece of the album. I can only imagine, but I would guess that every mixing decision was made with her vox in highest priority. Everything else on the album compliments her voice perfectly. A job well done by the studio team.

Ethereal British-influenced rock with lush female vocals and atmospheric guitars.

In Flight Radio has arrived at a place where they feel they can stay true to their indie-rock roots, while also touching on the British rock anthems and shoegazing textures that they grew up listening to. It’s a sound that can be felt as well as heard. It is truly The Sound Inside.
-CD Baby

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OZMA Discography

OZMA – Rock and Roll Part Three (2000)
OZMA will surely please any Weezer fan with their first studio release. They share the same energetic powerpop, but where OZMA excels is their witty and often ironic lyrics. Prepare for a tribute to Natalie Portman, the contradictory lyrics of “Ups and Downs,” Nintendo refrences (Mario and Luigi), and plenty of wordplay. Theres a great Back to the Future reference in “In Search of 1988:” “Warp me back at 88″ (the speed required for time travel, duh).

Favorite Line: “An apple pie, the number pi, I studied you in math class. I did all my work, but never got your digits!”
Favorite Song: “In Search of 1988″

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OZMA – The Doubble Donkey Disc (2001)

Early in 2001, the band also self-released The Doubble Donkey Disc (later reissued on Kung Fu Records). With this release, Ozma experimented with the traditional Russian balalaika and the flute to create a sound they called “Russian coldfusion”. The disc was split into two imaginary “concept EPs”: the first five songs (including the Russian folk song “Korobeiniki”, more famously the Tetris theme) revolved around Russian themes, while the second half created a more “dance party” atmosphere.

Expanding on the Nintendo theme, OZMA begins to experiment with their rendition of the Tetris theme song, and it becomes a common thread in a lot of their songs. They will continue to use the style of connecting songs with common musical themes and melodies. Also, check out references to Link from Zelda, and playing with Legos.

Favorite Line: Eh, no favorite. I’m not nearly as familiar with this album as the others, but it’s still very good.
Favorite Song: Korobeiniki [Traditional Russian Folk Song] (aka: the Tetris theme song)

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OZMA – Spending Time on the Borderline (2003)

OZMA’s third studio album is powerpop like it ain’t no thang. Notice more of OZMA’s use of Nintendo and Back to the Future references (Both in “Game Over”: “where I go I don’t need roads!” and also a reference to Huey Lewis and the News’ “Power of Love” in “Come Home Andrea:” “Girl make a one man cry, make another man sing”)

Favorite Line: From “Come Home Andrea”: “Tonight I’ll be a whore for you, and you can dance for me. No money exchanged if we ask the same fee”
Favorite Song: “Wake Up” It’s the song that hooked me.

So witty OZMA!

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OZMA – Pasadena (2007)

Review from previous post here

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+44 – When Your Heart Stops Beating +BONUS

When this album came out it was like Jesus’ second coming.

Originally +44 was only going to be a side project to blink-182, when Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker noticed that Tom DeLonge was becoming less and less interested in blink. After blink-182 announced their “indefinate hiatus” in February 2005, former members, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker wanted to continue working on music. The duo began to collaborate which resulted in writing and recording new songs together in Travis’ basement. Originally, electronic drums, keyboards, and direct computer recordings were used in the majority of recordings. Barker later stated that the whole electronic element of the band was derived from “155″, the first song he and Hoppus wrote as a band (the song title is simply the tempo of the recording).

As work continued on the demos, “Get the Girl” vocalist Carol Heller was invited by Hoppus and Barker to try out her vocals. Heller’s performance was agreeable enough to the band and as a result the three kept working on more songs together. The band’s lineup changed again early 2006, with the addition of guitarist Shane Gallagher. In order to progress with their demos, Barker and Hoppus acquired a studio, a move which marked a major turning point for +44. Travis Barker said in an interview that he recorded Chapter 13 (which happens to be track 12) in one take without hearing the lyrics or the whole song in its entirety. He wanted to re-record it after he heard the final recording of the song but the guys in the band wouldn’t let him. They thought he nailed it (which is not uncommon of Travis…he’s one of the best drummers out there, and his talent is undeniably evident on this album).

The band began working solely in the studio they had purchased, playing live drums, guitars and vocals. The band’s sound had started with an electronic element which became less evident, but still remained a key feature. As a result, Heller found she wasn’t compatible with the band’s direction, and with the addition of her wish to start a family, she left the band. The vocal work that Heller contributed is still present in the songs “Make You Smile”, “Weatherman”, and the early mix of “No, It Isn’t”. After this, Hoppus, Barker, and Gallagher were left to find a new backing vocalist. Guitarist Craig Fairbaugh of “Mercy Killers” then joined the band.

As the projected release date grew nearer, it was believed that the album would be called “A Little Death Makes Life More Meaningful,” which was later revealed to be a lyrics from the song “Little Death.” Mark finally settled on “When Your Heart Stops Beating”. The band played their first gig on the September 7, 2006 (my birthday!) in Hollywood, which was the first live show that Mark had played in two years. The album was released on November 14, 2006 in North America.

Note: On August 6, 2007, Mark announced on his blog, HiMyNameIsMark, that plans were underway for a new album (to be released on Interscope Records).
“We’ve got a bunch of ideas; a studio full of instruments, microphones, and effects; and a soundboard from the 1970’s.”
-Hoppus

I could go on and on about this album, but I don’t want to bore you. Let me just say this: eclectic. catchy. wonderful.

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OZMA – Pasadena

Isn’t it fun to move through the years and see what bands stick with you?

Well here’s one of my favorites that I discovered back in high school, OZMA. This is their latest release, and the first after their break up in 2004. OZMA to me, is best signified by their witty lyrics, and geek rockness. Over their four studio albums, they reference the “Back to the Future” trilogy multiple times, and various Nintendo games including “Super Mario Brothers”, and “Zelda.” While this release seems to be a bit more serious, it still brings a smile to my face every time I hear the wailing love rock song “Eponine.” Fans of Weezer will be much pleased by this I’m sure.

I think what I’ve just said is a jumbled mess…so listen to it already.

Here’s “Spending Time” from their previous release “Spending Time on the Borderline.” Essentially the same sound, it’s just the only good video I could find. In any case, I’m sure I’ll post that album soon.

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