Big City Story

Rise Against don't have an Obstructed View

2006-03-31T13:49:00.000-06:00

Hey wait a sec, didn't I just post on Rise Against? I sure did, but hey, this is merely a case of giving the people what they want. Someone wanted to hear the song "Obstructed View", which is culled from some compilation entitled Your Scene Sucks. I don't really know where it's from either, but I'm not too worried about it. Here ya go.

Rise Against - Obstructed View

Side note: I've been on Spring Break this week cleaning out my house like no one's business, so I haven't been thinking on the blog too much. I'll be back in full swing by next week hopefully. Represent.

The early days of El Oso

2006-03-30T00:44:00.000-06:00

This post may seem irrelevant to most, but I'm just trying to fill some requests that I've been slacking on (or ones that I can actually fulfill). These are the original demo sessions for one of Milwaukee's best bands, El Oso. The quality on these bad boys is pretty awful, and is certainly not a good representation of the band at all. Definitely check out their Myspace and see why you should be paying more attention to these dudes. Indie-pop-rockin goodness all day long.

Bury It And Smile (Demo)
Location Location Location (Demo)
The Great American Novel (Demo)
Tonight's Now Tomorrow (Demo)

2006-03-28T12:01:00.000-06:00

Yellowcard is both one of the most loved and hated bands out there right now. In favor of Yellowcard is their ridiculously catchy pop-rock, which was exhibited most recently on Lights and Sounds. However, many fans are still pretty miffed over the fact that founding guitarist Ben Harper left the band late in 2005, admist a swirl of controversy and rumors. awwwwwwwkward. Well anyway, left off the latest album and made into an Itunes b-side is the following gentle gem; it's a little weird, but still somewhat enjoyable.

Yellowcard - Three Flights Down

An old school Starting Line performance

2006-03-24T11:35:00.000-06:00

Here's a fun one for you guys: as far as I know, this shit is exclusive. Wanna know why? Cause I made this mp3 myself. Back when video network Fuse was still in it's infancy, they had a show called IMX which featured a stock market exchange on bands. For the record, I made a lot of money on 50 Cent (you just gotta believe in a guy who get shots 9 times). Anyway, the show also featured the occasional live performance. The particular one that I captured was from the Starting Line. The performance itself was pretty awesome: there was rain outside the studio, the crowd never really vocalized itself above the band, and there was a certain way in which the song was delivered that was just jaw-dropping. Now you'll have to pardon my recording skills; all I had is a $10 computer mic and my 1970's hotel television. But you can get the jist of it.

The Starting Line - The Best Of Me (Acoustic on IMX 9.29.03)

Acceptance Take some Cover with acoustics

2006-03-23T10:01:00.000-06:00

Releasing one of the most overlooked albums of last year, Acceptance should totally be bigger than they are right now. Like Donald Trump big motherfucker. Alas, the band is somewhat still a secret, but hopefully that will change to the ears of mainstream music listeners everywhere. Off an acoustic EP released along with Phantoms last year, here's a sweet version of "Take Cover". Rock it hardcore.

Acceptance - Take Cover (Acoustic)

As Tall As Lions decide to smash some pumpkins

2006-03-22T10:04:00.000-06:00

I've been riding As Tall As Lions jock for about three and a half years now. Originally stumbling upon the band before their first EP was out, I was drawn in by the soaring vocals and powerful rock instrumenation. I'm not gonna lie: I somehow managed to pass over hearing the band's 2004 album Lafcadio despite being enamored with every song I've heard off it thus far. Really, I'll get on that one soon. Word on the street is they're going to drop a new album soon; awesome. What I offer to you is ATAL covering the Smashing Pumpkins classic "33". Originally appearing on a tribute album last year entitled Shot Full Of Diamonds, the song is merely a rehash of the style Corgan and company played it in so many years ago. Despite lacking originality, it's still pretty sweet.

As Tall As Lions - 33

(My apologies: at the end of this song there are some glitches. This is NOT my rip, nor have I seen another mp3 of it anywhere else yet; wish I could fix it but alas just listen and enjoy the quality it's in)

Semi-Charmed b-side from Third Eye Blind

2006-03-21T10:07:00.000-06:00

One of the best albums that I have in my collection is the 1997 debut effort from Third Eye Blind. Close to 10 years later, the album still sounds as fresh and powerful as the first time "Semi-Charmed Life" echoed out of the FM dial. The band forged on in the following years, releasing two decent follow ups, which spawned a few minor hit singles; nothing like the overwhelming success of their first record. Here's the amazing part...one of the best songs got left OFF the album. That's right, as amazing as Third Eye Blind was, the b-sides were just as good. Basically, I miss late 90's alternative rock a whole lot. Anyone else?

Third Eye Blind - Tattoo Of The Sun

Fall Out Boy get Stitches and Walkers

2006-03-20T13:05:00.000-06:00

Last week, Fall Out Boy let loose the re-issue of 2005's now breakout success From Under the Cork Tree. In the extra material now included with the album was a b-side entitled "Snitches and Talkers Get Stitches and Walkers". After repeated listens to this song, all I can say is hoooooly crap. If the band could have kept up this intensity on the whole album, it would've been pretty rockin. See for yourself what I mean.

Fall Out Boy - Snitches and Talkers Get Stitches and Walkers

Jimmy Eat World rock out Your House

2006-03-17T13:39:00.000-06:00

Since you guys wanted it, here's another Jimmy Eat World b-side out of the archive. This is the "rock" version of the beautiful "Your House" song from 2001's Bleed American/Jimmy Eat World. So instead of being all emo and sad while listening to sweet ballad like guitars, you can be emo while dancing around like an idiot. Or I'm the only one that does that? Psh whatever.

Jimmy Eat World - Your House (Rock Version)

Side note: As of this post, the songs I've uploaded have been downloaded 6,000 times. That's awesome!! Thanks for all the support and hopefully you guys have enjoyed the music.

Rise Against the usual boring blog post

2006-03-16T10:01:00.000-06:00

Shacked up in a studio somewhere right now, Rise Against is furiously writing a new collection of sing-along punk anthems for the general public to sink their teeth into. Yesterday, I busted out their 2004 effort Siren Song Of The Counter Culture and remembered just how good that record really is. Many argued it was typically softer than the band's earlier works, but it's almost impossible to deny that it was still a magnificent album. After rekindling my love for the band, I went on a listening spree and turned up this old school track. Perhaps it shall inspire you to dig the RA out of hiding too.

Rise Against - Generation Lost

Thursday and The Count should do a remix

2006-03-15T09:59:00.000-06:00

The anticipation grows just a little larger each day as May 2nd approaches, and the new Thursday album finally drops. From a band that was almost hailed dead due to their extended break, it seems these New Jersey emo-rockers are set to once again take us all by force. Although it seems unlikely they will ever reach Fall Out Boy like status, Thursday should be able to rope in a whole new assortment of fans this time around. So you've been streaming the debut single "Counting 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" over and over again you say? Why not just download it in high quality to listen to at your leisure? Yea I've got that covered for you.

Thursday - Counting 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Anything But the Truth of the Honorary Title

2006-03-13T17:03:00.000-06:00

The first time I saw the Honorary Title was on a cool crisp September night in 2003. Taking the stage in a most bare bones format, I couldn't believe an act like The Movielife had brought these guys on what would turn out to be TML's farewell tour. Once the band started, I was instantly drawn in by Jarrod Gorbel's powerful vocal range. The EP I purchased that night was just as enchanting. Then came a deal with Doghouse Records, their stellar 2004 release Anything Else But The Truth, and many ensuing tours. Which brings us to now: AEBTT has gotten a facelift in the form of a reissue, with a few new songs and some alternate takes. To save you some cash, here's the brand new songs. Dig in.

The Honorary Title - Soft Pale and Pure
The Honorary Title - Never Said

2006-03-10T11:41:00.000-06:00

Earlier in the week, I busted out the near-perfect Clarity by Jimmy Eat World. Taken aback by how good this band was and still is, I went on a binge and listened to all their albums during the course of the rest of the night. Once done, I figured it was appropriate to upload a b-side off their recent album. From the CD Single for "Pain", here's an acoustic number entitled "Yer Feet". Drink up ye kids, for hopefully by Monday I will be able to upload the new Honorary Title songs. Word.

Jimmy Eat World - Yer Feet

side note: If you guys want more Jimmy Eat World, I have a few more demos, b-sides, and acoustic tracks floating around. All you need to do is tell me to up them and I'll slowly get on it. You know me...slow but reliable. That goes for other requests too...seriously, I'm running out of ideas for uploading.

I know that I Know My Name Is Steven is awesome

2006-03-07T10:03:00.000-06:00

Savefile was being a hater last night, so I have nothin new for the day. Until I get another song uploaded though...

...everyone should go check out I Know My Name Is Steven. Branching off from Milwaukee indie-pop favorites The Meteah Strike (also highly recommended), lead singer Steve Look sat down with just an organ, his sparse yet intriguing voice, and the descriptive wonder of words running through his head. What has resulted is a beautiful set of airy laid back jams, the kind of songs that you dream about at night. If you dig the spacier moments of artists such as Stars and Death Cab, then you NEED to get on this.

Speak Like Citcom (right-click)
All Night Ninja Fight (right-click)
Seatac International (right-click)

Pick up two more songs at his Purevolume page if you dig what you hear. And leave a comment if you're bored/have any more requests.

See the Early November with Open Eyes

2006-03-06T16:21:00.000-06:00

The Early November releasing their debut EP a few years back in the actual early days of the month of November was cute. It seems though that their new triple disc album The Mother, The Mechanic, and the Path might just get delayed enough times to push it back to early november once again. While we all sit in eager anticipation, here's a pretty quality version of an old TEN song off their labeless So This Is Fun? demo EP from way back in the day. Rock on.

The Early November - Open Eyes

The Rejects Dirty Little Secret

2006-03-03T11:21:00.000-06:00

The All-American Rejects are one of those bands who have so much potential behind them, it's always painful to watch them squander it. That's not to say the band's sophomore album Move Along was bad, it just wasn't the album all the anitipcation had led up to. In hopes that the band will basically kick my ass silly on their next efforts, here's a little throwback track from the AAR. It's a nice little acoustic number from the earlier days of the band. Rock on.

The All-American Rejects - The Cigarette Song

Let the Eagle Soar with an Anti-Flag song

2006-03-02T10:06:00.000-06:00

Those silly little idealists/wonderfully minded political punk rockers Anti-Flag are set to release their new album in less than two weeks. The album, For Blood and Empire, comes out at an exceedingly appropriate time. Just a few short days after cross country rallys will be held to protest the third anniversary of the fuck up in Iraq, the musical battle cry to accompany it will hit store shelves. Will Anti-Flag be able to avoid the curse of a major label? Let's hope so. To hold you over the days til the album drops, here's an acoustic version of a song off their last record The Terror State.

Anti-Flag - Turncoat (Acoustic)

Get even more pissed off along with AF, and download The Protest Song (right-click) and Antithetic To The Cure (right-click).

2006-03-01T14:42:00.000-06:00

Atreyu is about as bad ass a band as you're gonna get considering they named themselves after a character in the Neverending Story. The band's brand of emo-metal/hardcore/whatever other sub genre is sometimes laughable to listen to, but when done correctly, is really freakin good. Their new album A Death Grip On Yesterday is set to drop on March 28th. Here's the first released song off it, so headbang along safely and responsibly please.

Atreyu - Exs and Ohs

Sufjan Tames the Friendly Beasts

2006-02-28T09:58:00.000-06:00

Apparently this kid Sufjan Stevens is real hot in the streets right now. After last year's stellar release Illinois! basically knocked the indie world on it's back for a few minutes, the anticipation grows to see which state will receive the Sufjan honor next in his 50 states project. But until that news gets released, here's a new song done for a children's compilation entitled See You On The Moon: Songs for Kids Of All Ages.

Sufjan Stevens - The Friendly Beasts

Maybe Fall Out Boy was spending too much time with Jay-Z

2006-02-27T09:53:00.000-06:00

Recently making it's way online was a 6 track promo CD for the impeccably catchy anthem "Dance Dance" by everyone's favorites, Fall Out Boy. The disc features a few really decent techno remixes of the song, but especially of interest is the following track. Underground hip hop heavyweight RJD2 took on the task of remixing the pop-punk track in his own special way. Definitely check it out, for an it's an interesting listen.

Fall Out Boy - Dance Dance (RJD2 Remix)

New Saves the Day songs. yea...it's like that.

2006-02-24T11:37:00.000-06:00

Often considered one of the essential bands of the emo-punk movement that spread like wildfire a few years back, Saves the Day have gone from merely being a Lifetime rip off to one of the more influential groups to smack the emo/pop-punk scene around. Now it's been almost 2 and a half years since the often panned In Reverrie, but fear not. STD were merely off writing their triumphant comeback. Hot off the presses, here's three new songs from Sound The Alarm.

(p.s. The tracks are kind of quiet..this is NOT my rip, so sorry about that)

Saves the Day - Dying Day
Saves the Day - Eulogy
Saves the Day - The End

Finch buries themselves, I bury Finch

2006-02-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

The status of influential heavyweights Finch is currently in limbo, with the band on an "indefinite hiatus". Although this announcement seemed a long time coming, it's still a little disheartening to hear when a band throws in the towel as such. Even though I was not the biggest fan of 2005's Say Hello To Sunshine, Finch still held a place in my heart since What It Is To Burn was one of those "records to grow up to" for me. Anyway, a long long time ago, following the release of WIITB, a new Finch demo had leaked online. Initially rumored to be intended for the now-defunct third edition of Drive Thru's Welcome To The Familly compilation series, the song now exists only in the vast expanses of the internet. Just in case you haven't heard it, or just want a really decent rip of the song, here ya go. It's got that old school Finch sound to it, and damn it's good.

Finch - Bury Me (Demo)

The Get Up Kids catch you acoustically

2006-02-17T11:23:00.000-06:00

The Get Up Kids are more than responsible for a lot of the melodic pop-emo-rock-whatever that's out there today. The band were always masters at crafting a hummable tune, but doing it with enough style and grace that no one could ever quite fault them for growing away from their indie roots. Even though they broke up following 2004's Guilt Show the influence still lives on. What better way to keep the memory alive than with a nice little acoustic rendition of "I'll Catch You" taken from the "Wouldn't Believe It" CD single.

The Get Up Kids - I'll Catch You (Acoustic)

In more GUK related ish, lead singer Matt Pryor's side project/new band The New Amsterdams have a new album, Story Like A Scar, coming out on March 21st. In case you missed the mp3 release of that, check it out.

The New Amsterdams - Turn Out The Light (right-click)

MC Lars said so...it's really okay

2006-02-16T09:30:00.000-06:00

Sure sure, post-punk laptop rap is an absurd genre title, but MC Lars is pretty much the man at making it work. After releasing the Laptop EP in 2004, Lars is finally back with a full length album The Graduate, which drops on March 21st. If you were a fan of the old stuff, you need not worry: The Graduate basically covers the same terrain, but that's definitely an okay thing. To give you a little more of a taste of what to expect, follow the title of the song and listen up. The track is a well deserved rip on the music industry in general, no matter which side of the downloading debate you stand on.

MC Lars feat Jaret of Bowling for Soup - Download This Song

2006-02-13T19:52:00.000-06:00

The Starting Line are currently embarking on their cleverly titled Screaming Is For Babies tour, alongside Copeland, Cartel, and Gatsby's American Dream. The band is out promoting last year's criminally underappreciated effort Based On A True Story, which drew a little bit of backlash from their more pop-punk fans. Such a shame, since the album, upon repeated listens, just gets better and better. In my opinion though, the Starting Line left off one of the best songs from this album. So without further ado, straight off the Japanese edition of BOATS, the b-side "Nights and Weekends". You may have also heard this song on a Drive Thru Sampler last year, but this is the final, polished mix of it. Word.

The Starting Line - Nights and Weekends

I don't like it unless it's Brand New

2006-02-10T00:17:00.000-06:00

Sure I just quoted Rhymefest in the title in order to introduce this post. So if you're anti-hip-hop, just stop being offended right now and keep reading. Trust me, it's worth it.

Via request, the new demo sessions of Brand New. The complete series, not just one song like yesterday. Tell your friends where you got em!

Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Track 4
Track 5
Track 6
Track 7
Track 8
Track 9 - Link Currently Down!! Workin on fixing it.

More To Come...Hopefully

With my immense free time today, I was able to get a bunch of good stuff uploaded for the next upcoming days sooo I'd recommend coming back soon. B-sides from the Starting Line, Finch, acoustic Get Up Kids, and a new song from MC Lars. Plus whatever else I can conjure up. So yea...and I'm always open to requests (I'll try my hardest) and if you need any old songs reposted just let me know and I can hook that up. Sound good? Sweet.

A Comeback Is In Order (Brand New!!, Motion City!!, Larry Arms!!)

2006-02-09T00:52:00.000-06:00

Whoops

So this is my apology to everyone for seriously slacking on this blog. I had little to no motivation to get this done as of late, but hopefully I can change my ways with this post. So give props to my friend Nick Van Eyck, who badgered me for the past week straight about finally updating. Here ya go buddy, the name mention, and the goods.

The Goods

One of the many unlucky souls that haven't heard the Brand New demos yet? Quench a little bit of your anticipation with this, the 4th track from their recently leaked series of 9 demos. Want more? I'll work on it, but this should tide you guys over for at least a few hours.

Brand New - Untitled Demo 4

Motion City Soundtrack is about to embark upon a nice little headlining tour with several fantastic bands such as The Spill Canvas, The Plain White T's, and OkGo as support. Of course they'll be tearing through all the favorites, but chances are you won't be hearing this song. Per request, off of the Japanese release of Commit This To Memory, here's a nice little b-side. The rip isn't mine, just the conversion, but the sound should be pretty stellar.

Motion City Soundtrack - Monsters Invisible

Insult them for the facial hair in this picture...go ahead do it. Chances are, you'll get ass kicked by a least one drunk member of this band. The Lawrence Arms have been a consistent output of high quality and intelligent punk rock over the years, and even with a b-sides compilation to tide fans over, the wait has seemed too long for a new record. On March 7th, that wait is proven well worth it as the album absolutely tears it up. Falling somewhere between the melody laced Greatest Story Ever Told and the earlier works such as a Guided Tour Of Chicago, Oh! Calcutta! has a chance to overthrow every Larry Arms fan favorite work by the band. Need more proof? I've got a sample, Fat Wreck has a sample, the album will begin having streaming tracks...you have no reason not to indulge.

The Lawrence Arms - Old Dogs Never Die
The Lawrence Arms - The Devil's Taking Names (right-click)

Armor for Sleeping Fall Out Boy's...Demos Galore!!

2006-01-15T21:23:00.000-06:00

I've been slacking on my duties of hooking everyone up. So therefore today, I buckled down and made sure I got a post in. Fall Out Boy and Armor For Sleep. Hate em all you like, but damn both these groups can write a catchy song. From Fall Out Boy, I bring the other demo left off From Under The Cork Tree entitled "Star 67/Intro". And from Armor For Sleep, a brand new demo called "The Way Out Is Broken". Both are quite delicious, indulge in them yourself.

Fall Out Boy - Star 67/Intro

Armor For Sleep - The Way Out Is Broken

2006-01-01T16:53:00.000-06:00

The long haired flailing gentelman pictured above...you all know that guy. It's Adam Lazzara of emo-punk poster children Taking Back Sunday. Although TBS is currently holed up in a studio in LA recording their major label debut, Adam found time to jet his way over to another studio and lay down a guest vocal spot. For none other than 80's icon Cyndi Lauper. Adam's role is merely a little harmonizing vocal in the background of the chorus, but it's still an interesting collaboration and worth a listen.

Cyndi Lauper feat Adam Lazzara - Money Changes Everything

A few bands seem to be battling for the title of 'Biggest Band In The World' right now. And anyone who doesn't think Coldplay is one of those bands has to be living under a rock. Although my personal opinion is that Coldplay has been in a consistent slip since their jaw-dropping debut album Parachutes, flashes of brillance still shine through Chris Martin every now and then. Well the b-side off their new single for 'Talk' is one of those moments. The song, 'Sleeping Sun' has an incredibly folky guitar riff, and sounds pretty much nothing like the epic piano ballads that littered X&Y. Definitely a good thing if you ask me. Judge for yourself.

Coldplay - Sleeping Sun

Back in the day when mp3.com still ruled the world of unknown internet bands, I used to spend my weekends searching the site looking for new favorites. Stumbling around one day, I found a band called The Getaway. This being my super emo pop punk phase in life (oh what a fun time period it was) I was instantly attracted to the bleeding heart lyrics this band presented. Suddenly the band was being scooped up by Epitaph, changed their name to Matchbook Romance, and before I knew it they were touring the country with tons of kids hanging on their every word. Although I evolved my musical tastes and realized just how unspectacular this band actually was, it's still fun to throw on the demo tracks now and then. Straight outta The Getaway era, here's the demo version of 'Promise'.

Matchbook Romance (as the Getaway) - Promise (Demo)

Happy New Year

Thanks everyone who visited the site consistently in 2005 and left words of encouragement. In 2006 I'll try to update more frequently. I make no promises on that, but I'll still be bringing the music no matter what. Stay awesome.

David Melillo, the Benjamins get cured, and Dashboard X-mas

2005-12-19T18:14:00.000-06:00

It was a good weekend for shows in the Milwaukee area. Friday night, Hellogoodbye, The Rocket Summer, Hit The Lights, and David Melillo (seen above) passed through the Rave. All the bands were pretty awesome. First off, the spetacular finale of costumes and screaming to end Hellogoodbye's set was entertaining. The Hit The Lights EP is addicting, and their live show was really decent to boot. Finally, Bryce Avery is just the happiest man in music I think. Then there's David Melillo. This FL singer songwriter sounds like Dashboard did a few years ago, just with a higher voice and such. Maybe that's a bad thing, but the songs are still catchy as hell. See for yourself.

David Melillo - Wait For It

Then on Saturday, Milwaukee sweethearts the Benjamins sort of got their act together and reunited again. The playing was sometimes sloppy, but the band just smiled and kept going, and the crowd stayed with them the whole time. Running through almost their entire catalogue as a band, The Benjamins reminded me why I loved them so much back in the day. They even busted out their cover of The Cure's classic 'Just Like Heaven'. Wanna know what that sounds like?

The Benjamins - Just Like Heaven

Christmas Goodness

Here's another Christmas goodie. Everyone's favorite emo poster child Chris Carraba doing a nice little chill out song.

Dashboard Confessional - The Only Gift That I Need

People In Planes and more Christmas Cheer

2005-12-15T22:46:00.000-06:00

I've really been digging this track from People In Planes called "If You Talk Too Much". The 5 piece band is a product of Cardiff, but is slowly and surely gaining recognition here in America. Having played SXSW and inking a deal with Wind Up Records, it seems these moody rockers are set to turn some heads in 2006. Look no further for proof of that than in the song below. Sporting an indie-rock sound thick with airy yet punchy guitar lines, and biting lines such as "And I take my shit and then I'll vanish, I want my shit, that's all", this track provides me hope that the debut album from this band will be insanely good. Check it yourself sucka.

People In Planes - Talk Too Much

Christmas Cheer For Everyone

After sitting through many hours of useless elevator Christmas music at work already this holiday season (with many more to come), I come home and find myself searching for those ol christmas classics. And by classics I mean good christmas songs that don't completely suck. Via the magic of internet searching, I managed to snag links to tons of decent x-mas tracks. So get out the mistletoe and crank these up.

Fall Out Boy - Yule Shoot Your Eye Out (right-click)
Copeland - Do You Hear What I Hear? (right-click)
The Matches - December Is For Cynics (right-click)
Acceptance - So This Is Christmas (right-click)
Jason Gleason - Sleigh Bells and Wine (right-click) (HIGHLY rec'd)

Random Asides

-One more day of class, two days of exams, and I am done with my first semester of college. Rockin. Then I have a month of bummin around to do, so expect more frequent updates out of me.
-El Oso makes me happy inside to listen to. These Milwaukee boys know how to put on a good show, and their new songs sound amazing X 100. I had the pleasure of seeing them on Saturday and it was fantastic.
-I didn't really make it anywhere in the Fantasy Football Music Bloggers league. Maybe if Larry Johnson continues to score more touchdowns than Jesus, I can snag the consolation prize. We'll see.
-RIP to Tim Jordan of The All-American Rejects/Welton. For those who never heard Welton, they were absolutely fantastic. Condolences to his family and friends.

The First Record To Buy in 2006, Home Grown Christmas Fun, and No Trigger

2005-12-07T17:45:00.000-06:00

Many blogs are already pointing out the first great artists of 2006. I'd figure I'd hop on this bandwagon. Fresh off the Pour Me Another tour with Rhymesayers Entertainment franchise player Atmosphere, P.O.S. will be releasing his album Audition in January. What makes P.O.S. so enchanting is his ability to not just rhyme, but to toss an insane amount of energy at the listener. His subject matter is a mix of political and social awareness combined with a sense of self-doubt and introspection you'd expect from the Rhymesayers. All of this is delivered over beats that either resonate with urgency or convey a sense of minimalism that allows for the words to standout. Oh and did I mention that the album features guest appearances from Craig Finn (The Hold Steady/Lifter Puller), Craig Attonitto (the Bouncing Souls) and samples Underoath? Sink your teeth into one of the new songs below, and get your senses assaulted by a lyrical attack on Fat Joe, Bush, hip hop kids, and Fresca. Yea that's right...put the mothafuckin Fresca down.

P.O.S. - Half Cooked Concepts (warning: this is censored, that's how the advance copy is)

Continuing with one of my favorite Christmas songs, here's a pretty rockin rendition of "Feliz Navidad" from hibernating Drive Thru Records band Home Grown. What sold me on this version of the song was the incredible drum machine intro. Speakin on Home Grown, anyone know what the heck the status on these dudes in after that last EP?

Home Grown - Feliz Navidad

Last but not least in this marathon post, I'll discuss No Trigger. Starting out as a blatant Strike Anywhere rip off, the band has slowly morphed from a tribute band into their own brand of political-fueled and melodic punk rock. If you enjoy music in the vein of Strike Anywhere, Rise Against, A Wilhelm Scream, then definitely get all over these dudes. Nitro will be releasing their new album Canyoneer on March 21, 2006. Listen for yourself why these guys should be blasting from your speakers more often with a brand new mp3.

No Trigger - The Honshu Underground (right-click)

Holiday Cheer

2005-12-04T23:48:00.000-06:00

This past Friday in Milwaukee, the Before The Blackout/After The Break-Up Tour or whatever it's called, starring Fenix TX and Allister, rolled through Milwaukee. Due to cash circumstances, I didn't hit this show up. But I did get inspired to start off a string of holiday songs with the hilarious Allister X-mas song. Laugh along everyone.

Allister - Lil Scottie For Christmas

Burying The Alkaline Trio

2005-11-30T23:05:00.000-06:00

Apparently the Alkaline Trio are re-releasing their recent album Crimson within the next few weeks with a whole disc full of extra goodies. What's being left off the disc? All the really fucking good songs that were recorded but not put on the record. This trend continues with the recently released song "Buried" taken from the Mercy Me CD Single. Enjoy, for tomorrow, I think I'll kick in some X-mas spirit.

Alkaline Trio - Buried

The Early November Cut Their Hair (okay not really)

2005-11-27T23:32:00.000-06:00

I'm back bitches. After multiple problems involving many different variables, the final obstacle has been overcome and Savefile is working for me again. Let the fun begin once more. Anyway, The Early November were seriously slacking on getting their fans new music...til now. Fresh off a new sampler, a brand new TEN song from their upcoming three-disc album. Enjoy.

The Early November - Hair

Okay then

2005-11-18T11:13:00.000-06:00

Dear everyone,

I've been having major trouble uploading stuff as of late. Savefile and EZArchive are both hatin. I have not let this thing to yet, just trying to resolve some issues and all will be well once more. Keep it straight playas.

-Nick

From the Depths Of Senses Fail

2005-11-10T00:49:00.000-06:00

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending the Saves The Day/Senses Fail/The Early November/Emanuel show here in Milwaukee. The concert was nearly flawless, with the botched soundjob preventing Emanuel from sounding as amazing as they should have, being the only downside. Other than that, every band delievered incredibly energetic and entertaining sets. Here's what I've determined:

-The Early November 3-CD is going to be worth the wait. At least if the promising sound of the new songs played tonight holds up.
-Saves The Day are the best unsigned band in America right now. Their new album is a monster waiting to happen, and their crisp live show reminded everyone in attendance why Saves The Day inspired so many tepid emo bands.
-If Senses Fail can improve their song-writing abilities and learn to place those screams a little better, they could very well blow up come their next CD. Their live show is superb, and there's a large enough fanbase to generate decent buzz initially.

To get a better taste of what that new Senses Fail may hold, one must only venture over to their re-issue of Let It Enfold You. I've been a fairweather fan of Senses Fail based on their past works, but this song just keeps me coming back for more. Find out for yourself why...

Senses Fail - American Death

Become One Anything...

2005-11-08T00:56:00.000-06:00

A discussion about the dreaded 'emo' word came up at work today. I tried my best to teach the kids the ropes, but alas, my attempts were in vain. Well anyway, it got me thinking about the emo rush of the 90's that I just missed and am now discovering. Instantly I turned to local Milwaukee bred the Promise Ring. How can I tie this in I wonder? Well this Thursday, Maritime (feat Davey Von Bohlen of TPR) is scheduled to play a show at the Cactus Club here in Milwaukee. There's a special trick; the special guest band is listed as Nothing Feels Good. If you can't put the puzzle pieces together on that one, I'm surprised you were able to read all the way down this paragraph. Insults aside, here's my treat for you guys today. I did the recording of this myself, back in freshman year, and I simply held the microphone up to the television. I had NO idea what I was doing, but just work with it eh?

The Promise Ring - Become One Anything One Time (Live on Conan 5.24.02)

Epitaph Records Killed The Song "Superman"

2005-11-02T00:10:00.000-06:00

Hard drive problems...resolved. Issue of time....still pressing. I'll make this quick since I need to be up bright and early tomorrow yet again.

I've been riding The Matches jock since Spring 2003. I've seen them go from playing to a rather indifferent crowd prior to Reel Big Fish to gathering an extremely decent following at this past year's Warped Tour. I have heard them progress from E Von Dahl....oh wait. That's right. E Von Dahl Killed The Locals has been out since Summer 2003 too, Epitaph just decided to give it the old re-release treatment. The two new songs were killer, but I was still partial to the old version because it helped me fall in love with these dudes. So well I sit and anxiously await for these guys to get their butts off the road and into the studio, I'll give you a nice high quality version of the song left off the re-release of E Von Dahl. Enjoy.

The Matches - Superman

Troubles Abound

2005-10-31T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hey for you few loyal readers. Here's the deal. My 5 year old computer hard drive (it's only purpose was to run Windows) just decided to up and die on me on Friday night. So I've spent the weekend buying new hard drives and reassembling. I should be up and running again within the next two days. Word.

The Strokes Get Sharp

2005-10-27T00:24:00.000-05:00

I'm currently in the middle of writing a nice little paper for my media and politics class so I have not much free time to form a huge post or anything. Or to find a picture. Anyway, today I figured I'd toss another new The Strokes song your way. This track is yet another leaked song off the upcoming Strokes album First Impressions Of Earth. Enjoy, and spread word of the blog kids.

The Strokes - Razor Blade (5.02 mb)

Still Ain't Nobody's Darlings

2005-10-25T00:08:00.000-05:00

For reasons I am not fully aware of, I just started humming random bars of Lucero today. I went home and popped on the CD and remembered how much I dig this band's sound. Sure it's derivative of everything done before, but Lucero does the Southern roots rock thing better than anyone in my opinion. Ben Nichols voice is still enchanting to me, despite the fact it sounds like thumb tacs being scrapped against gravel. After indulging in a few more songs, I suddenly remembered I had a nice little b-side cover from them. Listen to their absolutely gorgeous take on Jawbreaker below.

Lucero - Kiss The Bottle (5.12 mb)

Milwaukee Monday (via way of Canada) - The Pettit Project

2005-10-24T00:16:00.000-05:00

Every now and then, you hear a band so irresistably fun that just can't turn away. Their songs get stuck in your head for minutes...then hours..then days. You get the idea. The Pettit Project is one of those bands. This fiesty group of moog-infused power-pop Canadians draws likely comparisons to Zolof The Rock and Roll Destoryer, Motion City Soundtrack, Fountains Of Wayne, and Weezer. Oh yea it's like that. Their 2003 album CheerROCKracy was packed with morsels of pop goodies, with video game references and catchy hooks galore. The new album, A 6 Week Summer Vacation In Hell, promises to be another wonderful slice of power-pop music that should be blasting out of your car windows come next Summer.

Now just to clear things up, the reason this falls under Milwaukee Monday is because of that good lookin dude in the upper right corner of this picture. That's my buddy Mark, who used to rock faces with me in our old band. Once we threw in the towel, Mark joined up with the Pettit Project a few months later. So since the band is technically 1/6th Milwaukee, they get posted on. Enjoy the goodness of two songs off the band's old album below, and head to their Purevolume page to hear a lot more rock.

The Pettit Project - You're Champagne And I'm Shiznit
The Pettit Project - Simple Song, Simple Plan

I'm With Will Salazar

2005-10-22T17:54:00.000-05:00

All the recent talk of Fenix TX and their reunion tour with Allister, combined with the rumors of a new album, led to me asking myself: What became of Denver Harbor? For those lacking the info, Denver Harbor was the new band of Will Salazar, who also just happened to lend his lead vocals to Fenix TX as well. I really am not sure on the state of the Harbor, except for one thing. They did manage to record a VERY amusing cover of a Avril Lavigne song for a recent tribute entitled Boys On Top: A Punk Rock Tribute To Avril Lavigne. I'm not lying, this actually exists. Would you like proof? Listen below.

Denver Harbor - I'm With You (4.61 mb)

Saigon: Gets Any Chick He's Got His Eyes On

2005-10-20T18:15:00.000-05:00

The Late Night Hype Show is a staple of the hip hop scene here in Milwaukee. Every Tuesday from 9pm-12am, the LNHS churns out some of the hottest rap songs your ears have had the pleasure of listening to. Being a frequent visitor to the LNHS message board, awhile back I was turned on to the rapper who might very well be the next BIG thing: Saigon. The credentials are certainly there: he's inked a deal with Atlantic Records/Just Blaze, he's appeared in the hit HBO series Entourage, he's been spitting pure fire on a variety of mixtapes, and most important to the street cred, he's been locked up (haha). Even Rolling Stone recently named him one of the 10 New Artists To Watch.

I still have yet to form an opinion on if he really will be the next big thing. You can judge for yourself with a tiny sampling of his style below.

Saigon - Do You Know

And Now....All-Star Daryl Palumbo

2005-10-19T18:04:00.000-05:00

The man hiding underneath that fine looking hat is Daryl Palumbo. You may know him as the energetic and frenzied singer for influential screamo band Glassjaw and dance-punk band Head Automatica. Recently, Roadrunner Records (former home to Glassjaw) released a compilation entitled Roadrunner United. The concept was to amass tons of musicians, both past and present, of the Roadrunner label. It's a pretty impressive roster of vocalists and guitarists: ex-Misfits, King Diamond, Slipknot, Soulfly, Opeth...the names go on. The featured track below features the aforementioned Daryl on vocals, with production from Junkie XL and a few other note worthy names that I can't place right now. Does the song live up to the hype? Judge for yourself.

Roadrunner United feat Daryl Palumbo - No Way Out (5.96 mb)

A Two Year Party On The Bloc

2005-10-18T13:53:00.000-05:00

Those amazing Britains in Bloc Party are consistently pumping out material as of late. Besides a remix version of their Silent Alarm album, the band has recorded several new songs that have been making the rounds about the internet. One of these songs "Two More Years" is available in high quality below.

Bloc Party - Two More Years

No Creative Titled Needed: New Thursday demos

2005-10-15T17:13:00.000-05:00

I am currently in LaCrosse on a nice little road trip to see all my awesome friends. Fun times have been had. Also, I'm abusing the UW-LaX internet for my own purposes. Don't worry this benefits you too. Yes these are the new Thursday demos that leaked on the internet. You know you want them. Download away, and be sure to tell all your friends when you copped them at.

Thursday - Untitled Demo 1
Thursday - Untitled Demo 2
Thursday - Untitled Demo 3
Thursday - Untitled Demo 4
Thursday - Untitled Demo 5

Mad for Medusa (not the Junior Varsity song)

2005-10-13T20:57:00.000-05:00

Emanuel released their upbeat and rocking album Soundtrack To A Headrush earlier this year. This Vagrant Records band had the masterful Machine (Boys Night Out, Armor For Sleep) produce their album and the man did a fantastic job bringing this band's brand of guitar solos, power chords, and undeniably strong vocal melodies into one sweet sounding package. The Japanese lucked out on their release of Soundtrack, as they were rewarded with a nice little b-side entitled "Medusa". This track, which shreds just as much as the other songs on the album, can be found below. I Got Tha Hook Up.

Emanuel - Medusa (8.16 mb)

The Class Of 98 = Me Graduating Elementary School

2005-10-11T23:52:00.000-05:00

The Militia Group has really yet to do wrong this year regarding their releases and the bands they have signed. The fine dressed gentlemen in The Class of 98 are definitely no exception. Featured below is a song from a recent Militia Group sampler feauturing two new Class of 98 songs. In the featured song, The Class comes off as a very competent pop-punk/rock band, with just a slightly harder edge to them. If this sounds cliche, well it probably should, as the genre has been done to death. These guys make me believe that life still exists for that particular style of music. Check it out and see for yourself.

The Class of 98 - 100s and 1000s of Stars (4.95 mb)

Milwaukee Monday - This Holiday Season

2005-10-10T17:45:00.000-05:00

The young bucks featured above are yet another indie-pop slowly band coming up in the Milwaukee scene. This Holiday Season carve themselves out nice little slabs of clean guitar laden music, laced with an unapologetic apathy while delivering the vocals. The results are quite magnificent. The songs aren't exactly the catchiest numbers you have heard, the vocals aren't quite perfect (I consistently get vibes of early Davey Von Bohlen mixed with early Bob Nanna...and if you don't get those references then die haha), but they aren't quite as strained. These boys have all the right influences, and their upcoming 2006 release is high on my anticpated release. For now though, go check out the songs below and experience for yourself another gem of the Brew City.

This Holiday Season - Strawberry Blonde (right-click, HIGHLY recommended)
This Holiday Season - If Only You (right-click)

Elementary School version of the Gym Class Heroes

2005-10-08T19:18:00.000-05:00

Before Schleprok was tearing up the microphone with a live band behind him, the dude was just another indie rapper looking to make a name for himself. I stumbled upon the Gym Class Heroes on accident on Purevolume one day, only to find them signed to Fueled By Ramen a few months later. I wondered how a fairly decent MC, certainly not the best in the game, suddenly inked a deal with a record label known for it's amazing pop-punk. Then I heard the new GCH tracks, and heard the live band kickin the jams behind Schlep. Suddenly things were coming into perspective.

What you're going to hear below is the Gym Class Heroes when drum machines, not actual drums, were still making the music. You'll hear battle raps, not emotional lyrics or name dropping emo bands. It's different, but god damn it's still good. So put your headphones and be prepared to rock your head as best as you can.

Gym Class Heroes - The Game Show (3.62 mb)

I Can't Imagine The Fun Involved Making This Track

2005-10-06T00:28:00.000-05:00

In Weather and Climate class this semester, my ears perk up every time I hear the word 'Atmosphere'. The main reason for that is pictured above, with the duo of Slug and Ant, the creative force behind underground hip hop behemoth Atmosphere. Through years of rigorous touring and ridiculously good albums, the two have made themselves a force to be reckoned with in the world of hip-hop. This week marked the release of Atmosphere's new album, You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. The album is a vast improvement over their 2003 effort, and just continues the tradition of quality introspective hip hop that this duo so wonderfully creates.

Although I don't have any b-sides from the new album, I felt it necessary to pull one off the old one. The featured track is a duet with a whole other hip hop force all in himself, Sage Francis. On this track, both MC's tear the mic up over Ant's drum infused beat. Need a reminder that good hip hop still exists? Well here's the tip of the iceberg.

Atmosphere feat Sage Francis - A Song We Made With Sage (3.55 mb)

Staying On Jimmy Eat World's Side

2005-10-04T00:11:00.000-05:00

Tuesday means only one thing, and that is new album releases. Today, everyone's favorite emo-rockin Arizonians (arizonites??) Jimmy Eat World are putting out a new EP. The EP, entitled Stay On My Side Tonight is two things: 1) super fucking good and carries on the tradition of quality music released by this band, 2) super fucking cheap. Seriously it's only $4.99 at Circuit City, you can't top that.

In order to celebrate, I've pulled out a nice little Eat World song from the archives. Taken from an out of print split 7" with Emery released in 1995 (yea this shit is old), I give you a really decent sounding version of the rare JEW song "Better Than Oh". Rockin.

Jimmy Eat World - Better Than Oh (4.29 mb)

Milwaukee Monday - El Oso

2005-10-03T00:06:00.000-05:00

That lovely bearded man that somewhat resembles a lumberjack? Yea that's Jim. The really hot sexy guys behind him that rock ass? Those guys, along with Jim, make up El Oso. Formed in 2003, El Oso recorded some shitty quality demos, slapped em online, and generated a slight buzz throughout the Milwaukee area. I went and saw their first show in 2004, and was eagerly awaiting to see what this band had in store for me. This year, the boys finally delievered with Whichever Chapter Covers Now. Extremely promising for a debut album, El Oso is just another reason why the Milwaukee scene is slowly making a comeback towards awesome.

Sounding somewhat like a cross between Limbeck and Death Cab For Cutie (yea screwed up eh?), the Oso delivers a very catchy yet indie-pop sound that gets stuck in your head quite easily. Check these dudes out and get lost in their wonderfulness. (And yes, I used wonderfulness as a word)

El Oso - Tonight's Now Tomorrow (right-click)
El Oso - Location Location Location (Live) (right-click)

Whoops, I suck

I fell behind a bit last week with the constant updating. I have two exams coming up this week, so chances are that might happen again. I swear I'm trying guys!!...I got my ass rocked completely off by The Meteah Strike/The Response/City On Film on Friday. Each band was ridiculous. And I mean that in the best way possible. Bob Nanna is the fucking man.....I haven't got much else. It's bed time. I think i got my shit tossed in fantasy football this week. Ah well.

Fight The Good Foo

2005-09-30T00:47:00.000-05:00

Well everyone I'm a little slow at my promises, but here they are. Partially. As I said, I got a Foo Fighters b-side for y'all to sink your little teeth into. This song is a cover of the classic Cream song "I Feel Free", and honestly, I can't even tell who's singing on this track. If anyone wants to help me out on that ish, I'd find it greatly appreciated. I really wanted to post this amazing b-side called "The Sign" by the Foo boys, but I fell off because of apathy. Sorry. I'll try to post that shit on the weekend just to keep my karma in full. So here ya go everyone...especially you Brian, you crazy Foo groupie :)

Foo Fighters - I Feel Free (3.99 mb)

Limbeck's Teeth Aren't Perfect!!...well, maybe they are

2005-09-28T13:36:00.000-05:00

In case you can't read the blatant picture, the feature today is on those bad boys of Limbeck. Today I'm even hitting you all up with two featured tracks as special treats. Damn. First off, the second half of the Motion City Soundtrack/Limbeck split is going up. If you remember (or you can scroll down), I posted the MCS version of "The Sun Woke The Whole State". Well now the tables are turned, as Limbeck puts their wonderful little alt-country spin on "Perfect Teeth" by Motion City. The track is ridiculously awesome, as will be caught in your head even more than the MCS version. Check that ish.

Limbeck - Perfect Teeth (4.82 mb)

Second, is a nice demo version of "The Sun Woke The Whole State". Remember how MCS made the song into an upbeat pop number? Well that's not too far off from how Limbeck had originally recorded it. Go ahead, constrast and compare.

Limbeck - The Sun Woke The Whole State (Demo) (4.9 mb)

Milwaukee Monday (er...Tuesday) - The Meteah Strike

2005-09-27T00:26:00.000-05:00

That hot young stud above is the lead singer of local Milwaukee band The Meteah Strike. Let me lay it out like this: The Meteah Strike sound falls somewhere like that of Death Cab For Cutie/Karate/Mineral...basically your arty and airy sounding sort of indie-emo bands. At times the band's guitar sound swirls around your head and entrances you, other times it knocks you flat with a swift kick to the groin. The vocal melodies are both haunting and charming, the lyrics are abstract but quite delicious. Seriously, this band dominates some major ass. They released a six song EP a few months back entitled These Colours Say Something Vibrant, and it is a wonderful and promising record. Plus, the production was done by this awesome guy named Kristian Riley, who used to be in Citizen King. Yes, "I've seen better days" Citizen King.

If all the above haven't convinced you yet to listen to this band, then something is very wrong with you. I'll be seeing the boys in The Meteah Strike this Friday out in Madison along with the Bob Nanna project City On Film. Should be one hell of a show. So go download the two songs below, and visit the band's Myspace page (linked above) to hear another new demo. Trust me...completely worth it.

The Meteah Strike - Design (Right-click)
The Meteah Strike - Prototype (Right-click)

The Receiving End Of Demo EP's

2005-09-25T03:16:00.000-05:00

Monday night, the Take Cover Tour hits up The Rave here in Milwaukee. To put it simply, I am fucking psyched for this show. Acceptance, Cartel. Augustana, Panic At The Disco!, and the featured boys above in The Receiving End Of Sirens. On Tuesday, I'll give everyone a full update on the show. Should be a night of super fantastic rock. I was planning on doing at least one feature on one of the bands prior to the show, but after my near brush with death (not really) on Wednesday night and having my modem get itself charred, the update comes a little late. My bad. This particular post is all the better too, since it comes via request. Like I said kids, tell me what you want to hear and I'll see what I can do.

The Receiving End Of Sirens put out a pretty bad ass post-punk rock album this year with Between The Heart and The Synapse. Even with many of the songs clocking in at over 5 minutes, the album consistently kept the listener's interest with it's articulate lyrics and three-guitar assault on the senses. Where is all this leading you ask? Well TREOS came out with a Untitled Demo EP in 2004 prior to inking their deal. When Between The Heart... came out, the demo EP got itself spread around as well. Below is that entire EP, in high quality VBR sound for your listening pleasure. Nice little weekend treat.

1. The War Of All Against All (6.28 mb)
2. Transition One (4.55 mb)
3. The Art Of Subversion (5.05 mb)
4. Transition Two (2.43 mb)
5. Dead Men Tell No Tales (6.25 mb)

A Few Additions

A preview of goodies this week: Limbeck covering MCS (by request), a b-side from either the Foo Fighters or Jimmy Eat World (I'll see), MAYBE a new Straylight Run song (don't hold breath), and one of the most promising bands to come out of the Brew City for Milwaukee Monday. You REALLY are going to want to listen to them....I've become addicted to the new Augustana album....The movie Crash is really damn good. I honestly didn't think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did....Seriously keep tossing requests at me. Alright, bed time for me.

The Fun Of Thunderstorms

2005-09-22T15:14:00.000-05:00

There will most likely be no update for today, since last night the highly electrical storms that ran through Southeastern Wisconsin decided to be awesome. A bolt of lightning hit the satillite dish on the roof and proceeded to power surge: the two dish recievers, the DVD/VHS player, and all the phone lines throughout the house. Therefore my internet, and possibly my modem, are currently unavailable. Damn. Fuck weather. Especially you Hurricane Rita!!

A Taste Of Well-Produced Chaos

2005-09-21T16:02:00.000-05:00

The two beautiful long haired gentleman with microphones should be familiar faces to anyone who's current address doesn't involve a rock. On the left, Bert of the Used, and the right, Gerard of My Chemical Romance. During the Taste Of Chaos tour, these bands teamed up to do a live duet of the classic David Bowie/Queen song "Under Pressure". A live version of the song was floating around on the internet for awhile, with a studio version being released some time later. I wasn't sure how big a circulation the studio version had made, so I figured I'd throw it up here for everyone to sink their teeth into. The post came with inspiration though: My Chemical Romance will be bringing their wonderful rock music to Milwaukee tonight along with the Alkaline Trio and Reggie and The Full Effect. I'm not attending since I have three concerts I want to attend next week, and because the show is in the Eagles Ballroom at the Rave. And I HATE the Eagles Ballroom. Anyway, enjoy.

The Used and My Chemical Romance - Under Pressure (5.2 mb)

Random Round Ups

I'd like to thank the New York Giants backfield of Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs for pulling through for me this week and scoring me a Week 2 victory in the Music Bloggers Fantasy League. I'm now 1-1. Go that. Today is also my 19th birthday, which I am celebrating by doing absolutely nothing. And it feels fantastic. And the final note: if anyone has any requests for artists/songs, anything you'd like to see if I could pull up, feel free to ask away. I'll try to do my best for ya guys. Later.

The B-side Of the Cork Tree

2005-09-20T00:57:00.000-05:00

You all recognize the pretty gentlemen in the picture above right? That's right, Chi-town sweethearts Fall Out Boy. This band is everywhere right now, and their album From Under The Cork Tree is blowing the fuck up and making Jay-Z even richer. That's about as much of an introduction as I'm going to give on these bad boys. On to the meat of the post...

Here's a demo straight out of the From Under The Cork Tree sessions. Enjoy.

Fall Out Boy - Austin, We Have A Problem (4.5 mb)

Milwaukee Monday - The Benjamins Strike Back

2005-09-19T21:24:00.000-05:00

Back by popular demand from last week, I bring you all the other two tracks from the vinyl version of The Art Of Disappointment. To clear it all up, yes "Just Like Heaven" is a cover of the Cure.

I'm working on finding a decent version of "3720 to 1" to post someday, for I have issues about the quality with my mp3. Someday kids. Meanwhile, hook yourself up with the tracks below.

The Benjamins - Ephedrine Kings (2.91 mb)
The Benjamins - Just Like Heaven (3.09 mb)

Weekend Treats from the Trio

2005-09-17T18:22:00.000-05:00

The Alkaline Trio have been one of punk's most consistent bands during their existance. From their gritty early work to their more melodic recent material, the Trio have always produced quality music. I've heard the band's latest, Crimson, being hailed as their best effort yet. I may disagree, but it is a fairly damn good CD. Certainly better than Good Mourning, which many Trio fans such as myself consider to be the band's weakest effort. But I digress.

The first single from Crimson, "Time To Waste", has been released as a CD single and along with it: two wonderful b-sides. Both of those can be found in high quality form below. They're not "Radio" but hey, what really is eh?

Alkaline Trio - We Can Never Break Up (4.73 mb)
Alkaline Trio - Don't Say You Won't (3.24 mb)

Flashback Friday: Buckcherry

2005-09-16T15:56:00.000-05:00

Fun and balls-ripping rock music is one of those genres that only sparks it's head every few years when an amazing straight up rock and or roll band comes along and starts tearing heads off. Back in 1999, that call was answered by Buckcherry. Lighting up the national stage with their irresistable cocaine anthem "Lit Up", Buckcherry reminded everyone that some howlin rock n roll was okay every now and then. The band's self-titled album sold decently, as did the follow up Timebomb, but neither really took off to the point of megastardom.

The band has since disbanded, with lead singer Joshua Todd going solo. Honestly, I'm too lazy to look up the whereabouts of the other members at the moment. Just grab the tracks posted below and get ready to put your tight pants on and air guitar in the mirror like we all know you do in your spare time. Or maybe that's just me.

Buckcherry - Whiskey In The Morning (3.43 mb, from Timebomb)
Buckcherry - Dead Again (4.68 mb, from Buckcherry)

Some Fun Update Sort Of Things

Sorry about my lack of updates this week, school got slightly crazy. My Bad. I'll try to keep the goodies coming next week more consistently....An update on last week's flashback Harvey Danger. They put out a new album on Tuesday. I only found this out AFTER posting the segment. I think I need to go pick that up....the new Audition album is good, the new Augustana album is delicious, and the Straylight EP is just freakin weird.

Not brand new, but still Brand New

2005-09-13T22:02:00.000-05:00

The guys in those pictures: Brand New. You all know who they are. If you don't, your ass is ignorant. You also know you've been waiting eagerly for the band to just finish their third album already, or at least give some hint as what it's going to sound like. And you're also pretty sure that if it's as good as the last two, it's going to be fucking awesome.

I'll attempt to do my part to tide you guys over til Brand New can finally unleash the beast. On the Deja Entendu sessions leaked to the internet, there was this wonderful little song called "Flying At Tree Level" that never made it to the actual album. The band re-recorded the song for the Beer: The Movie soundtrack and made it sound like an actual studio track, as opposed to the unmastered version scattered over file sharing services everywhere. Since I could barely find the high quality version of this song, I'm assuming many of you haven't heard it. Problem solved.

Brand New - Flying At Tree Level (Version 1.0) (5.37 mb, follow the link as usual)

Milwaukee Monday - The Benjamins

2005-09-12T00:25:00.000-05:00

This week's installment of Milwaukee Monday can also be considered a flashback if you really want to be technical. The Benjamins released The Art Of Disappointment in 2001 on prominent pop-punk label Drive Thru Records. After a somewhat successful albeit adventerous Summer (including getting kicked off the Warped Tour and getting caught with pot in their van crossing the Canadian border), the Benjamins started to slow down a little bit. Then in November 2001, the band announced via message board they were going to disband. The group had their final show on March 2nd, 2002 at the legendary Globe East (R.I.P.) here in Milwaukee. The show was absolutely fantastic, with a fine and very talented set of openers. The only downside: I did have to bring my Dad with me (I was 15 at the time, shut up!). The boys have reunited a few times since then, but not one has made much of a fuss over it.

The Benjamins witty and nasally sung pop-rock was prime for fans of Weezer and Superdrag, and was a fantastic intro into the 'scene' for someone such as myself. The album, if you don't have it, is easily the best thing DTR ever got their hands on. Go pick that shit up. So here's the fun part.

Since I assume a lot of you already have the album, I've searched through the archives and found some old b-sides to put up. The first comes from the band's independently released 2000 EP Bordering On Boredom, and was the only song not re-done for the full-length. The second is one of three vinyl-only b-sides that appeared on the record version of The Art Of Disappointment. I'll try to get the other two up eventually. Word up.

The Benjamins - Where You Been? (3.32 mb)
The Benjamins - The Art of Disappointment (1.33 mb)

Flashback Friday: Harvey Danger

2005-09-09T00:05:00.000-05:00

Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone? Not only was this the title of Harvey Danger's breakthrough album way back in 1998, but a question that rings true of the music scene as of the moment. What did happen to all the fun pop-rock that dominated the airwaves in 1997/1998? Remember when Matchbox 20 was still a number band? Everclear wasn't playing State Fairs...Third Eye Blind hadn't yet fallen into their leather pants phase....Hmmm good times.

Back to Harvey Danger. The band played incredibly catchy rock songs, with an arsenal of articulate and witty lyrics waiting to engrain themselves into your brain. Their song "Flagpole Sitta" was everywhere, and rightfully so as it was a near-perfect slab of poppy rock, fitting perfectly all over radio and MTV. Now the band and their one hit wonder status are but mere mentions on late 90's mixtapes, and occasionally the song pops up here and there as background noise. The follow up, King James Version, was deemed a flop and never caught on with radio. Harvey Danger called it quits, and members went on to various activites (including Barsuk Records darlings The Long Winters).

Judging Harvey Danger based on the merit of their one hit alone though, is a crime; the two albums were both absolute genius. Sean Nelson's captivating and intriguging voice spun witty and biting lyrics over the band's crunchy rock goodness, and made these albums repeat listens. Here's my advice: download the two tracks below. If you enjoy them, go dig around your local used CD store's $3 rack and pick both these albums up. Well worth the money.

Harvey Danger - Old Hat (5.27 mb, from Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?)
Harvey Danger - Meetings With Remarkable Men (3.98 mb, from King James Version)

Am I Really Happy With Moneen Right Now?

2005-09-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

Dear Moneen, Where Art Thou? I have been asking myself this question for awhile now, as it seems these Canadians got lost somewhere in a snow drift. Or at least attacked by a bear. Fear not fellow Moneen fans, in fact the boys are alive and well. After releasing a stellar album in 2003 with Are We Really Happy With Who We Are Right Now?, and an insanely high energy live show (Seriously...fucking awesome) showcased on the highly prolific Taking Back Sunday/Saves the Day co-headlining tour, it seemed these guys were set to take off. A few tours later, and suddenly they were off the buzz map.

Today, a brand new mailing list send out reminded everyone that Moneen is in fact not deceased. They've recorded a split with Alexisonfire, and their next album is slated for release in Jan or Feb of 06. And if you check their web site, supposedly there's a new video with brand new Moneen music. My computer hates me and isn't running the video properly, but I'm sure it kicks ass. Where's all this leading to you wonder? Well, Vagrant was at least decent enough to put a new Moneen demo on their Spring sampler a few months back. I don't think track has made the rounds enough yet, so click away and indulge.

Moneen - Bleed and Blister (Demo Version) (5.22 mb)

Some Personal Notes To Toss In

Thanks to everyone who's been leaving me nice comments about the blog. I truly do appreciate it!! I'll keep giving you guys love, even if you do start to hate me. haha. Anyway, I'm going to try and keep a more consistent update going. This might prove difficult, as I started college today and time may become limited, but I swear I'm gonna keep trying. Once again thanks, and happy downloading!

Armor For Sleep - What To Do With Those B-Sides

2005-09-06T00:18:00.000-05:00

One of my top three releases this year was Armor For Sleep's latest What To Do When You're Dead. This quasi-concept album, about a man dying and then returning from death to check on his lover, has haunting undertones. The lyrics are brilliantly written; vaguely enough where the idea of the album is portrayed, but they can be related to situations not involving the emo paranormal. The music is standard straightforward emo-rock fare, and effortlessly matches lead singer's Ben Jorgensen's powerful vocal chords. To put it simply, this shit is awesome.

After the album was released, it was announced that a bonus track would appear only with the album purchase on ITunes. Well damn the man, save the empire, I managed to find the track online anyways. Apparently this song is being released on some crazy compliaton in the coming months, but why make you wait? Enjoy folks.

Armor For Sleep - Very Invisible (5.68 mb)

Milwaukee's Best, But Actually Tasty - The Response

2005-09-05T01:13:00.000-05:00

Another what I hope to be a weekly tradition here in the good ol world of Big City Story. I try my best to keep my finger on the pulse of the local scene here in Milwaukee, so I'll sort the good from the bad and deliver them directly to your local modem line. All wrapped in a convienent little "Milwaukee Monday's" package. So keep checking back on Mondays for the best new music out of Brew Town.

The first featurette is for a band I have long been a fan of, The Response. My first experience of this band live was in 2003 at a terrible club in the armpit of the Milwaukee suburbs, West Allis. A small number of kids were there, but they all got their asses rocked off. I picked up their Six EP and listened to it non-stop, proceeded to download everything the band put up online, and saw the band every chance I could (the total is now up to 8) playing with pretty prolific acts, including Braid, The Used, Story Of The Year, Letterkills, Hey Mercedes, and Somerset. Almost two years later, the band consistently impresses me, and despite breakup rumors abound, are insistent that their oft-delayed and long awaited album will be out soon. Here's to hoping it hits the shelves eventually boys.

The next question you're probably asking: what exactly do they sound like? I'll let the band do it themselves. "Newer Jimmy Eat World and Foo Fighters Colour and the Shape era, mixed with Coheed and Cambria guitar stylings, and hooks similar to that of Your Favorite Weapon era-Brand New." That is almost entirely acccurate. Essentially, if you like really catchy and melodic rock or pop-punk, The Response will quench that proverbial thirst for new music. Plus, it's been said that Mikey looks like a 5-year older version of me. So you know he's hot.

Here's two tracks to rock your head out to, or visit their Myspace page (linked above) to hear some new live stuff:

The Response - If You Only Knew... (4.45 mb)
The Response - Until Then (4.44 mb)

Flashback Friday: Virgos Merlot

2005-09-02T02:45:00.000-05:00

To join in the tradition of other blogs, I'll start my own little Flashback Friday segment all up in here.

Virgos Merlot came out of nowhere back in 1999 with their one and only release Signs Of A Vacant Soul. The songs on this album are strong doses of guitar rock with a penchant for a soaring melody or two. This is the kind of music that gets labeled radio rock in today's impulsive genre-assigning world, the only difference being you'd actually like to hear this coming out of your local FM dial. The album stirred a very slight buzz off the single "Gain" (including a few choice promotion spots on WWE's Sunday Night Heat program), garnering the band opening spots for other fine rock acts of the day, Eve 6 and Fuel. After the release and a few tour dates, the band threw in the towel and moved on to other projects. Lead singer Brett Hestla became a touring member of Creed, and recently latched on with heavy-rock supergroup Dark New Day. I'm not sure what the other members are up to, but chances are it doesn't live up to the quality recording of Signs Of A Vacant Soul. Featured below are two fantastic tracks off this release. "Kiss My Disease" may very well be one of my favorite songs of all time, hopefully you'll dig it too.

Virgos Merlot - Kiss My Disease (6.24 mb)
Virgos Merlot - Wrong (4.27 mb)

Fantasy Football Abound

The fantasy football draft of music bloggers took place Wednesday night. Not being present for the draft as I was off on a road trip to Madison (good night, bad morning haha), I had to pre-rank my players. It didn't come out too terribly.

QB: Culpepper
RB: Barber
RB: Staley
RB: Mich Bennet
WR: Horn
WR: Coles
WR: Chambers
WR: Ke. Johnson
TE: Gates
K: Vinateri
DEF: Tampa Bay

I'm a little weak at the RB, but meh the league is simply for bragging rights, so no big worries.

Nada Surf's Up Dudes!!

2005-08-30T16:53:00.000-05:00

The wonderful boys of Nada Surf. Here's the story: Giant single back in 95/96 with the ironic anthem 'Popular'. High/Low, their Ric Ocasek (of the Cars fame) produced album sells a few units, but quickly gets relagated to the clearance racks at used CD stores. Fast forward as Nada Surf changes up their crunch-heavy style to a clean guitars and soaring melodies. The latest result of this career 180: The Weight Is A Gift. Due out September 13th, this album is a fantastic listen, and exemplifies the new Nada Surf down to a T. In order to get you as excited for the release as I am, here's a few goodies. Note in 'Blankest Year', the most beautiful harmonization of the words "Fuck It" you have ever heard. Worth the download alone.

Nada Surf - Blankest Year (follow link)
Nada Surf - Do It Again (Right-click)

A Nice Little Side Comment

Recently, Garrison of IndieInterviews got into contact with me. The podcast features a bunch of really cool artists, so check that out if you get the chance. Thumbs up.

Plans: Death Cab For Cutie

2005-08-28T14:47:00.000-05:00

Really must I type an introduction for this band? Good. Now that we've dispensed with the preliminaries, here's the meat of the post. If one were to pre-order the new album Plans (comes out Tuesday), they would get a 'Soul Meets Body' 7" record as well. Via the wonder of the internet, the vinyl has already leaked; and along with it, the b-side "Jealousy Rides With Me". Since I know you we all love Death Cab, quit reading and start downloading.

Death Cab For Cutie - Jealousy Rides With Me (3.51 mb)

A Nice Saturday Trip to the Resale Store

2005-08-27T19:12:00.000-05:00

What's up everyone? I'm a lazy bum this weekend and not working as all my friends depart for college. While they were all packing today, I took a trip to the local Half Price Book store, where they sell discount CD's too. Digging through the really cheap racks, I stumbled upon two gems for only $3 each. Doesn't get much better than that.

The first was (the EP) by Owen. The five songs on this EP are traditional Owen style, very breathy and beautifully sung finger picked ballads with biting and often witty lyrics. Just in case you haven't heard the wonderfulness that is Owen, check out an mp3 of the song "In The Morning Before Work" below.

Owen - In The Morning, Before Work (Right-click)
BONUS: Owen - The Ghost Of What Should Have Been (Right-click)

The second find was the 2003 release Keep Moving by Novi Split. It's a nice collection of melancholy indie-pop songs recorded in various bedrooms over the course of three years. Check out some fresh jams from that below.

Novi Split - I Had You (right-click)
Novi Split - The New Split (right-click)

The Roc is still alive when I hear these rhymes

2005-08-26T03:26:00.000-05:00

One, if not THE, hottest name in hip-hop is Kanye West.

Seriously...dude is everywhere. If you haven't heard of Kanye, then you're living under a rock. If you also haven't heard Kanye is putting out a new CD next Tuesday, then you clearly are not paying enough attention to good mainstream hip hop. Here's the deal: Late Registration drops this Tuesday, and is a fairly decent album. For me, it pales in comparison to the College Dropout and Kanye's numerous guest appearances. Just as I was about to say Kanye had already peaked in his career, the magic of the internet corrected my ignorant ass. Coming to me straight from Japan, were two jaw-dropping bonus tracks.

The first, entitled "We Can Make It Better" has a fantastic jazz driven beat, and features Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, Common, and one other rapper I can't place. How's that for hip hop firepower. The second, "Back To The Basics", features Common as well, and features fairly strong instrumentation. I seriously do not know why Kanye did not put these on the domestic version of Late Registration, but at least they're out and released. If Kanye really wants to make it better, he should just switch these two bad boys onto the album. Enjoy.

Kanye West - We Can Make It Better (5.4 mb)
Kanye West - Back To The Basics (2.26 mb)

Some Motley Mannequin

2005-08-24T03:36:00.000-05:00

The mere mention of the name Andrew McMahon seems to stir up interest from a legion of indie kids and emo popsters alike. Rising to a steady following in Something Corporate, lead singer Andrew McMahon slowly won over more fans, one piano rock fueled riff at a time.

Yesterday, I, as well as many other kids, went out to purchase the debut album from McMahon's solo project, Jack's Mannequin. A sure fire surprise to many fans may come upon a browse through the liner notes. Tommy Lee (of Motley Crue fame...yes THIS Tommy Lee) plays drums on seven of the album's eleven tracks. Such a relationship is not all that strange however, when a quick glance is given to the tracklisting on Tommy Lee's new album Tommyland: The Ride. Featured on not one, but two tracks, is everyone's favorite emo ivory player, Andrew McMahon. So in honor of the Jack's Mannequin album finally coming out, here is one of those songs, featuring McMahon primarily on vocals. Plus, within the last few weeks it was announced that McMahon's Acute Lymphonic Leukemia was headed into remission; very good news if you ask me.

Tommy Lee featuring Andrew McMahon - I Need You (4.34 MB)

I Am The Movielife

2005-08-21T21:02:00.000-05:00

Local Milwaukee venue Mad Planet has only been doing all ages show for about two years. I've seen some fantastic shows there and played some fantastic shows there. What still strikes in my mind about this dirty rock club is the first all ages show the venue ever held: The Movielife back in September of 2003.

The show was absolutely amazing, and the 100 or so kids that witnessed it as well would most likely agree. A week and a half later, the boys in the Movielife threw in the towel and moved on to new respective bands. Tonight at the Mad Planet, Vinnie (lead singer's) new band I Am The Avalanche played. I chose to take a pass on this show, cause gas is expensive and they were the only good band playing. But simply seeing the show listing inspired me to bring out the Movielife. So here's a nice little Movielife b-side I dug out of the archives. It's an incredibly pretty song, and makes me yearn for the group to get back together. Ah well. Enjoy.

The Movielife - Sailor Tattoos (4.24 MB)

Motion City Soundtrack: Looked Attractive Today

2005-08-18T01:18:00.000-05:00

America and Apple Pie. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Conan and Motion City Soundtrack. Yes all these are amazing combinations. But I digress. Tonight the boys in MCS ventured into the NBC studios to rock the Late Night with Conan crowd silly. The band tore through "Everything Is Alright", although it did seem that one guitar was just a tad overdistorted. Slight hinderances aside, the performance still inspired me to dig through the extra MCS songs I had laying around. Here's what it turned up.

Former MCS tour mates Limbeck, who themselves released a wonderful album a week ago, paired up with the guys to record a split, where the bands covered each other's songs. Limbeck turned in a fantastic version of "Perfect Teeth". And Motion City...well...listen for yourselves.

Motion City Soundtrack - The Sun Woke The Whole State (4.99 MB)

The Early November is still alive

2005-08-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

Save for a few random tour dates and some scattered demo posts, the Early November have been flatlined for awhile. The band has reportedly been holed up in New Jersey recording a triple CD (yes...triple), set for release in 2006. To tide their fans over, the boys have been preparing a few treats. The first was the recently announced tour featuring Saves the Day, Senses Fail, and Say Anything... , which will most likely give fans a quick glimpse at a few new songs. Second was a recently released split with I Am The Avalanche (ex-Movielife), featuring a brand new demo song. That song, "Outside", can be found below for your listening pleasure. Keep in mind, this is pretty rough, but if the Early November can produce demo tracks like this, kinda gives em a faint glimmer of hope for the future.

The Early November - Outside (Demo) (6.62 mb)

BONUS TRACK: The Early November - Decoration (Demo) (Taken from the band's Purevolume page)

Story Of The Year...Well at least the day

2005-08-14T18:20:00.000-05:00

Welcome everybody. This is my vain attempt to spread the joy and wonder of music to all..or at least give you something better to listen to on your IPod.

To start everything off, I provide you all with a brand new Story Of The Year song.

It's from their forthcoming album In The Wake Of Determination, which comes out on Maverick Records..well soon enough. Well anyway, I'm expecting bigger and better things than the oft cliched riffs and screams found on their last album. I'll probably be let down, but meh, at least this song is fairly catchy. Have fun with this one kids, and spread the word.

Story Of The Year - We Don't Care Anymore (6.19 Mb) (File is hosted by Savefile...opens in new window)

Keep checking back.