Year 5, Day 326

Hello everybody. So today's song is Call Back by Paper Lions.

If you've been following this blog for awhile, you'll know exactly when I saw this band live because I talked about it. I've featured them a lot, but I can't find an instance that I did an overview so here we go. They are a Canadian band from PEI made up of John MacPhee, David Cyrus MacDonald, Colin Buchanan, and Rob MacPhee. They formed in 2004 when the other three met David in high school. At the beginning they were called The Chucky Danger Band. Right now their discography is split evenly between the names, with four titles as Chucky Danger and four as Paper Lions. They changed names in 2008 and started touring with Cake after releasing their first album under the new name. They got a lot of radio play from it, which let to more opportunities being featured for things. They were signed in 2010 and re-released their album, but didn't see any earnings from it. So by 2012, they released their new album independently and free for download. They were still with the label and their action seems to me like a sort of silent rebellion, which did lead to them being contacted and everything being straightened out (the label blaming a staffing error on their office closures for the misunderstanding). They've released more music and done lots of touring since (including to here luckily) and I honestly can't wait for more.

Now for the flip side of the one we did two days ago. This is a song by someone you’ve seen live. I’m glad I spent time when I was at SAIT going to mini concerts at the bar there otherwise I would have a very small pool of options. Anna went with Dust by Parquet Courts. My grandma used The Gambler by Kenny Rogers, and Will went with Dusk Dismantled by Trivium, who he’s seen a couple times. Sammy and my mom had both used the same band, and it was actually a concert they went to together, but then Sammy changed hers to Hollywood by Michael Buble. Then my mom used Jump by Simple Plan.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 325

Hi. This is Supermassive Black Hole by Muse.

These guys are an English rock band who've been around since 1994 consisting of Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard. They all went to the same college, and were in separate bands before grouping together originally calling themselves Rocket Baby Dolls. They entered a battle of the bands and smashed their equipment during their performance as a form of protest... except then they won the competition. That's when they started to get serious about music, choosing to do it full time. This is also when they changed the name to Muse. They spent a few years building a fan base before getting managed by a family friend and creating their first EP in 1998. They ended up signing with an American label because no British one would sign them, and their debut was released in 1999. They experimented with instruments for their second album, which was received positively except for by their label who thought it was too dark for radioplay. They continued to release the music their way on the label before being able to sign with someone new in 2005. In between albums they did lots of touring, opened at festival, and released a documentary of behind the scenes. This song is from their fourth album made in 2006, and the whole thing is a nod to their love of science fiction. Most songs by them I know seem to be from this era, but they have continued making music and touring since, most recently releasing a single this year in preparation for their eighth studio album being in the works. So if you like them check out more of their stuff.

This one is for a song that makes someone else think of you. A big shout out to all my friends and family for being uncooperative as fuck and making it take me two weeks to get an answer for myself. My grandma said Queen of Hearts by Juice Newton, my mom picked Beautiful Trauma be Pink, and Sammy used Second Chance by Shinedown. Will asked his sister and she apparently gave him a gigantic list, complete with descriptions as to why which is great, so one of them was The Crimson by Atrevu.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 324

Hi. So today's song is American Idiot by Green Day.

This is an American punk rock band active since 1986 and currently made up of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool. It was Armstrong and Firnt first, pairing up at 14 and calling themselves Sweet Children. By 1988 they were seen and signed t a label, recording an extended play the following year, but before that came out they changed the name. I didn't know this, but it's apparently a nod to weed. All their as of then released music was compiled and released in 1991 on an album, and around that time Cool joined replacing a previous drummer. They spent a couple years touring, then leaving the punk scene behind switched labels for their next album released in 1994. They had some crazy shows, starting mud fights and band members getting punch by security which made them even more popular. The released another album in 1995, which was darker and not as popular as their other stuff, but still warmly received. After they took a break for a bit before releasing another album in 1997. They kept releasing music for the next couple years and while there were some exceptions, most were viewed as sub par and their popularity waned. In 2003 after completing an album, the masters were stolen, so rather than redo them, they scrapped that work and started again (bold move). So in 2004, the American Idiot album was born. The whole album is epic, and is about America under stupid leadership and manipulated by biased media... sounds familiar now right. It was released before an election and is considered protest art, hence why I thought it fitting for today. There's a lot more to their career recently that I could hit on, but I want to leave off there because of its relevance. Feel free to look them up though.

Today's criteria is a protest song. And everyone got to interpret it differently. My grandma picked That Don't Impress Me Much by Shania Twain, and my mom picked Praying by Kesha (which is a personal protest more than a blanket statement protest). Anna went with Run Through The Jungle by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Sammy chose Just A Girl by No Doubt. Will  went with Killing In The Name Of by Rage Against The Machine.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 323

What's Up. So today I give you Say Amen by Panic! At The Disco.

So the original group were childhood friends and started recording stuff while in high school in 2004. They actually started out as a Blink 182 cover band, and Brendon Urie was not the singer. They got their start when sending a demo to Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy who signed them. They spent a summer working on their album, living together before releasing their debut album in 2005. Soon enough I Write Sins skyrocketed, and the band did with it. In 2006 one guy was kicked out of the band because he didn't actually play any of his supposed parts on the record (instead Brendon did it). They did a bunch of touring that year, despite someone throwing a bottle at them and knocking Brendon unconscious during a performance. They took a little break before working on their next album and actually scrapped the whole thing once because they didn't like it and were trying to take their songwriting more seriously than before. They released that album in 2008, and also actually dropped the exclamation point from the name. By 2009 they were working on the next album, but two members also chose to leave due to creative differences. At this time the exclamation point was added back to the name and they picked up a couple touring members to continue on. The album was finally finished and released by 2011. In 2013 there was another album and another departure, this time for substance abuse issues, but while absent didn't officially leave until 2015. By then Brendon Urie is the only full member, and released the fifth studio album. Honestly as much as I love I Write Sins, most of the stuff I like is from here on with just him. So now he tours with Kenneth Harris, Dan Pawlovich, and Nicole Row; but he does all the studio music himself.

Today is for a song we’d love to hear live, and it brought on an eclectic mix. Will, of course, said Down From The Sky by Trivium. My mom went with I’d Do Anything For Love, But I Wont Do That by Meatloaf, and my grandma chose Kaw-Liga by Charlie Pride. Anna picked Bitch Better Have My Money by Rihanna, and once again we were waiting on Sammy to round it off, which she did with Sway by Michael Buble (who's she's seen live but can't get enough of).

Peace.

Year 5, Day 322

What's Up. Today's song is Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz.

This started as the brainchild of Damon Albarn and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett as a commentary on the lack of substance on MTV. This is considered a virtual band, and while there are other musicians behind the characters, the main thing is the characters so we have 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, Noodle, and Ace. When they started in 1998, it was a pretty new concept which intrigued everyone, and that interest has continued throughout their career. This song is easily their biggest, coming out in the early 2000's. By 2012 the groups future looked bleak because of tension between the only two permanent members. Hewett felt like his contribution was getting washed out and underappreciated, but the tension seemed to work out in the long run, since they've kept at it since, with a new album released as recently as this year. If you've never seen a video, check it out. I like the concept of them.

Now we need a song that features our favorite musical instrument. My first thought was vocal chords count, but that's too predictable for me so I went with a song with good bass guitar. Will picked Hot For Teacher by Van Halen for its drums, and Anna said Diamonds On The Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon because of the African Choir. Then Sammy went with Be My Man by Jill Barber for the clarinet since she used to play that instrument, my mom chose Mercy by Brett Young which has a good piano part and my grandma decided on Fare Thee Well Love by the Rankin Family for its violin.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 321

Hiya. So today's song is Battlecry by Jordan Mackampa.

I don't have a lot of information on this guy. He was born in the Congo, but grew up in the UK where his career started in 2014. I know his stuff because this song was featured as the theme for Our Girl, and I immediately loved it. His career is still relatively new, while starting up (at least on YouTube) in 2014, it's this year that he released his first music video, and he's touring at a larger scale than in the past, which is where he is right now. So listen to the song and if you like it, keep an eye out for him. I anticipate great things.

This one is a song about war. Broad scope so should get some good responses. Will chose Indestructible by Disturbed, Sammy picked Hands Held High by Linkin Park, and Anna went with Fortunate Son by Creedance Clearwater Revival. Then my grandma picked Sink The Bismark by Johnny Horton, an my mom decided on Battle of New Orleans which is also by Johnny Horton.

Peace.

Year 5, Day 320

Hello everyone. So today's song is Where Do You Run by The Score.

I've already written their overview recently, and I told you to watch for more of their stuff that I'd show so that day is now! I've honestly listened to every song on their YouTube channel and love them, it's hard to narrow it down and not flood you guys with their stuff, so this might be the last one for this year. There will be more though because I really want you guys to like them too.

This is a song to drive to which is hard since I already used my driving song in a different year. The day I asked for this I had a really good drive as far as music goes, so I listed those and my grandma stole Life Is A Highway by Rascal Flatts. Will had the same, but then switched it to Fuel by Metallica. Anna went with Mississippi Queen by Mountain. My mom went predictable with Heaven In Our Headlights by Hedley, and then Sammy picked Werk Me by Hyper Crush.

Peace.