Day 7: A song that reminds you of a certain event.
Last summer, my friend Pat and I roadtripped down to Detroit to see a Suicide Machines reunion show. We blared this album on the way down. Then we left the cd in our motel room because we thought that if the van got searched going over the border, the guard wouldn't enjoy seeing this album art. So this song always reminds me of that show/trip. What sucks about Leftover Crack is that if their lyrics weren't so dumb, they'd be an awesome band.
I talk about Mixtapes all the time on here. They've been recording a second full-length recently and I am really stoked about it. The non-stop barrage of awesome songs keeps coming. You can check out one of those new songs and download it for free too!
PRESS PLAY!
Also if you happen to be reading this on March 30th 2011, go here and get the Protagonist album! It fucking rules so much and the band deserves way more attention than they get! The album is free but only for today!
Remember that record label Paper and Plastick I wrote about? It was recently their three year anniversary since starting out. The first thing you should wonder is "Wow! How can label that has only been around for 3 years have put so many incredible records already? That's Amazing!" The second thing you should wonder is "Why should I care about this!"
Well, you should care because they are doing a bunch of awesome things to celebrate.
The first awesome thing is that they are putting up tons of test presses for auction. Test presses are the prototypes of vinyl records, as implied by the name. This makes them very rare. All of the proceeds go towards relief efforts in Japan. So firstly you can score some incredibly rare versions of awesome punk rock albums. Secondly, your purchasing of these albums helps people who are about a step away from turning into the Chrysalids.
The other awesome thing they are doing is giving away a bunch of free record downloads every day! There's about 5 being given away each day this week. Go to this link and you can get more awesome music than you know what to do with. Then do it again tomorrow.
They are a fucking awesome label and put out radical music by great bands on the gnarliest vinyl records you can imagine.
I first started to get into music on my own around the seventh grade. I heard blink-182, Sum 41 and Jimmy Eat World on MuchMusic and was immediately taken by the faster/simpler/melodic "punk" music that was popular at that time. "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World blew my mind at the time and still does today. It was really the first time I heard a song and really thought "Wow, I really like the way that sounds." It was just after that a whole new world of sounds opened up to. Or at least one that didn't consist of listening to Bat Out Of Hell and Jive Bunny And The Master-Mixer in my mom's Acclaim.
But even though I was (and still am today) endlessly searching for bands that pique my interest in my spare time, the input of others was just as helpful. This ranged from trading new bands with my other three friends who listened to punk at my elementary school to my brother hearing me listening to Sum 41 and telling me to listen to "The Decline" by NoFX instead. (Actually that was a pretty watershed moment in my musical history. They were my favourite band for a long time and were a huge "gateway band" because I discovered so many other new ones through them).
Last sidebar (I promise!): The three bands my brother showed me were NoFX, LagWagon and No Use For A Name. This was in grade 7. I still listen to all of these bands pretty regularly today. I take pride in this. I find that a lot of people just kind of change with the wind and stop supporting a lot of bands. I kind of take solace in the fact that I've been into punk rock for pretty much as long as I've been into music.
Also at this time of discovering bands, my Dad showed me some stuff. He brought me two cds one day; Cream (which I wasn't that into) and My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello. He brought me that one because it came out in 1977 and was when Costello was "most punk" I guess (The first song is only a minute and 24 seconds long!).
I thought it was pretty good at the time and then forgot about it for a while.
Then I watched Sixteen Candles last night and a wave of 80's nostalgia hit me. I've been on a huge Costello kick since. The album really is phenomenal and required listening for anyone.
Even though it's one of his biggest songs, you just can't deny how great it is:
Long story short, my Dad got me Elvis Costello albums and takes me to art galleries. He's probably cooler than your dad.
A bunch of my friends are doing this "30 Day Song Challenge" on facebook. There's a theme for each day and it obviously goes on for 30 days. I figure this is a good way to post something every day and will maybe stimulate my brain to think of things to write.
Anyways, day 1! Your favourite song:
I've posted this a few times before, but it is my favourite song so it's gotta happen I guess. As soon as I hear the opening A chord it always puts me in a good mood. It's a song about liking music, but they write like a love song. It's da best.
