On the Horizon...

Hey everyone,

There are some pretty big things coming up that you may be interested in.  I have news on Green Day, The Chariot, and Fireflight.  There is also some items of interest coming to our friends Pop Deflators, but first let's cover the news.

Green Day

Although Valentines Day is one of my least favorite holidays, and is also over a week past, I thought you might want to know that Green Day gave the world a Valentines gift by announcing that they are in the studio again.  February 14th was the first official day of recording for Green Day's new album!  With respect to Green Day and the music they have produced in the past, I can only hope that this album is one of the best they have.  Their last release 21st Century Breakdown didn't fair too well with the "old school" fans of Green Day like myself.  Will they continue in their emo-esque crusades, or will this album be a return to their roots as punk-rock icons of the late 90's? According to the band's fan site, this album promises to be more punk and less political.  We shall see...

Chariot's Latest Album Long Live
In Stores Now!

It's been a month or two since we've seen some solid news from the Christian side of the music industry.  So it brings me a lot of excitement to tell you that The Chariot is currently working on a new album as well.  They recently put out a Twitter post asking Billy Corgan, frontman of the Smashing Pumpkins, if he would like to work on the album with them as a guest.  My mind is going a thousand different directions with this.  Billy Corgan and the Chariot??  Could be an interesting blend of style/genre... I guess we have to wait and find out.  In the meantime, here is a little Chariot love for ya!

Fireflight

Also in the Christian rock realm is a new single by Fireflight.  It's just a single, not the promise of a new album... believe me I looked.  The link to the video for the single, entitled "Stay Close", is up on the Pop Deflators Facebook page.  Be sure to give it a listen.  If the band continues to write like this for a new album, I won't be upset at all, especially since their last effort For Those Who Wait kind of fell flat on me. That is just my personal opinion, some people really liked it.

Where do we go from here?

Speaking of the Pop Deflators, my work with the crew has continued, although I haven't got to cover any shows yet this year.  We are discussing and have made a few changes for the fans.  We have a new podcast up and running on iTunes.  We are also looking to start doing video podcasts, so you can see our beautiful faces!  With the thought of video comes the idea for a graphic logo to play behind us.  This is where you guys come in.  What should the logo do?  Should it explode, should the fire move?  Let us know what your thoughts are.  You can either comment here, or post your thoughts to the Pop Deflators wall on Facebook.

Grammy Whammies!!

Whammy

For those of you who don't know what a Whammy is... it's a character from the game show, Press Your Luck. I used to watch that show almost everyday as a kid!  The Whammies made their appearances when a contestant stopped on them, and then lost the game.  "No Whammy, no Whammy.....STOP!"

That being said, I have to give a few Whammies to some (not all) of the Grammy performances.  There was good, bad, and "what was THAT!!!" in this year's show, so let's get started with some positive things about the Grammy show.

Bruce Springstein opened the show with the E Street Band, singing a semi-patriotic anthem entitled "We Take Care Of Our Own."  Although I have never been the biggest fan of Springstein's work, I can at least say that he did a decent job for his age, and kept to his signature sound.

Bringin' Back Motown

Next up is Bruno Mars... again, I am not a fan of his music per say, but I do appreciate the homage he paid to the early days of rock n' roll in the 1950's and 60's era.  His stage set and costume were brilliant in the tribute they paid to the Motown era.

I could go on listing artist by artist, but then you would all be really bored, and my fingers would get tired, so here goes the summary of my "positive thoughts"... Paul McCartney can still rock, Taylor Swift actually knows what real country is, and the tributes to Glen Campbell, Etta James,  and Whitney Houston were touching and nicely done. Props to Jennifer Hudson especially, she was fantastic in her handling of a very sensitive area in music right now.

Foos Rockin' Out!

Now, I need to take some time out for the really awesome parts of the show. Of course, anyone who reads this blog on a semi-regular basis knows that I am a Foo Fighters freak, and maybe hero-worship Dave Grohl a little too much.  To you guys I say.....you're right.  But anyway, The Foos made a great showing not once, but twice in the Grammy show, and took home an award for Best Rock Performance to boot! I love the amount of heart and energy the Foos put in to each show. It's infectious and travels right through the TV screen! I was a little miffed with the network for cutting off Dave's acceptance speech though.  If you go to the Grammy video site, you can see an edited version of speech in which Dave makes a gorgeous point of where true music comes from.  Just bear in mind it's not the whole things, cause he doesn't scream "Long live Rock N' Roll!!" at the end of it.  I wouldn't do justice to the Foos if I didn't mention their wardrobe choice for the evening as well.  Only they can pull off t-shirts under suit coats.

Moving on to another, very cool and surprising moment for me.  Adele...I really didn't know much about her before the Grammys, but I have to say that I have a whole new respect for her as an artist.  She is unlike anyone, and has a unique voice unlike anyone I have heard or known in the music industry so far.  Her come-back performance following vocal surgery was truly amazing.  You can check that out here.

Chris Brown vs. Q-Bert: See the resemblance?

Among the evening's annoyances are Chris Brown with his lip sync happy version of the video game, Q-Bert, in early Nintendo days; Rhianna with her repetitious lyric of "we found love in a hopeless place" ten-million times in 2 minutes; Carrie Underwood with her completely disrespectful upstaging of Tony Bennett; The Beach Boys Tribute which looked as thought they would rather be taking a nap than singing; Katy Perry- you're fake fuse-blowing ruse was clever, but your music still sucks, nice try. Add to the list Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson with their so-called country duet.  Sounds more like bad pop-music to me.  Let's be honest, country music hasn't really been country since Hank Williams Sr. But the "special" (as in short-bus) award goes to none other than Nicki Minaj.

WHAT WAS THAT!  I won't be surprised in the least if the Roman Catholic Arch-Diases doesn't sue the pants off of her for the next three decades for the amount of sacrilege that took place on that stage!  That was NOT cool. It was NOT innovative. It WAS just plain dumb.  Honestly, words fail me as to how bad this was... so if you missed it... here is the link.  May God have mercy on your soul as you watch this.

So to sum up the Grammys...the good, the great, the bad, the annoying, and Nicki Minaj - who single-handedly caused every pope to roll over in their grave simultaneously.  Congratulations! 

Super Bull...

Hey guys!!

Sorry I have been such a slacker lately when it comes to getting the news up and in your faces.  A lot of craziness has happened, and you can rest assured that the Pop Deflators crew and I have a lot of things to say about recent events.

This particular post is going to focus on the Super Bowl Halftime Show, featuring Madonna. In order to make up for that catastrophe, I will also review Hats Off To The Bull, the latest album release by Chevelle.  I know I had mentioned the album back in November, but now I have it and have listened to it...so I get to review it.

Let's start with the hard part, Madonna...

She's Not Xerxes!?!?

Now before you start thinking that I am going to bash her, and tear her in a million pieces, let me say this... she has done a lot of good for the music industry in her career and her talent, be it strange at times, is undeniable.  She has carved a place for herself that is unique and no one, despite the efforts of Lady Gaga, can fill.  But here is where the tricky part comes in...

Because I respect her contributions to music, why she make a choice to enter the football field being carried by Roman soldiers?  This was watching 300 done by the cast of Glee. It's confused, and scared me at the same time...and the show hadn't even started yet!
I can appreciate that she did a wide array of songs from her catalogue as most of her fan-based is now in their late 30's and early 40's, so I have no problems with that.  What I do have problems with is her "guest-stars", and the over-emphasis on her dancers and performers over her.  I thought MADONNA was the star of the Halftime show, not her dancers or cheerleaders for that matter.

I still can't believe this is real.

In my honest opinion, the highlights (meaning the good points) of the show were the drum-line remix, and the stage effects. The entire field and stage were converted into a LED screen for the show, which displayed some really cool lights and effects.  I could go into how those are created, but I don't want to bore you.  Besides, if you watched the Super Bowl, then you've already lost enough brain cells as it is. Not only because of the Halftime show, but the commercials this year were just plain STUPID.  Who knew that the most boring game ever could be turned into a movie?  Battleship?  Really?  What's the dialogue going to be, "Captain, missile coming in B-4...miss!"

Hats Off To The Bull Cover

Okay, enough about Madonna, let's focus on some good stuff for while.  Back in November I announced that Chevelle would be coming out with a new album entitled Hats Off To The Bull.  I recently picked up the album, and I have to say that it's definitely Chevelle.  They have managed to keep their signature sound on this album.  I would almost say that this album is a throwback to the style that Wonder What's Next was written in.  Their current single from the album "Face the Floor" is getting regular airplay here on the East Coast, and I don't mind it at all.  It definitely gets stuck in your head.  For more information on the album, or to purchase the songs, be sure to visit iTunes, or Amazon.

Stay tuned...the Grammys are coming......mwahaha!!!

Time Warp!

Traditionally, a new year is a time when people make resolutions and vow to change the way they do things. Often, these resolutions are broken in a matter of weeks, if not, days.  In that spirit, I have decided to open the year by going back in time a little bit.

As I have said in this blog before, there is not a whole lot of new things happening in the Christian Music arena.  There are a lot of things I could say to that, but it will have to wait for another time. However, since I don't want to be too one-sided, let me take this post and devote it to "old skool" Christian Rock/Metal.  When I say "old" I am NOT talking about Audio Adrenaline, or D.C. Talk from back in the 90's, so get it out of your head right now!  What I am talking about is a little older...say from the late 70's early 80's period.

A friend of mine gave me a stack of CDs for Christmas, and I went through them all and chose a few to share with you...my faithful readers.

Spoken Self-Titled

First up is Spoken.  These guys have been around for a while, but have recently decided to make a come back with a secondary self-titled album.  I like what I hear out of these guys with one minor exception.  Their lead singer sounds a lot like the singer from 30 Seconds To Mars.  If you happen to be a fan of 3SM, then you are in luck, and probably want to check these guys out.

Next to the party is Se7enth Seal.  No I didn't miss-spell that...  This band came as a HUGE surprise to me.  I wasn't expecting to hear the onslaught of sound that I heard from a name like that.  These guys are comparable to older Godsmack or Disturbed.  I had the disc in my player for around a week solid.  This one definitely grows on you.

Eternal Decision

Eternal Decision boasts a pre-haircut Metallica type of sound.  If you have ever been a fan of Metallica, and you appreciate extremely biblical lyrics, you should give these guys a listen.  I have copies of their debut album and their third effort, cleverly titled "ED III" (no one said creativity had to extend to album names). The first album almost tries TOO hard to sound like songs from "And Justice For All" or "Ride The Lighting".  Their third effort changed things up a little bit.  For starters, the sound quality was WAY better, and the style took on more of a blend of Metallica and Megadeath.

Not everything I listened too was worthy of compliment though.  In fact, A LOT of what I listened to ended up getting trashed (or worthy of becoming a coaster on my desk).  Groups like Sinbreed and Goliath are prime examples of this.  A great number of groups from this era in Christian Metal, especially Sinbreed, spent WAAAY too much time trying to sound like Judas Priest.  The squealing high vocals with almost incomprehensible lyrics drove me INSANE for the 30 seconds that it lasted in my player.  I just couldn't stand anymore.

Dick Clark - Oompa-Loompa

Speaking of not being able to stand crappy music... Pop Deflator fans, brace yourself.  Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve was anything but.  The musical line-up was absolutely horrid!  The only thing I could justify listening to was One Republic, who I don't even like!  Was the music for 2011 just that bad that EVERYTHING sucked?  I beg to differ!  Foo Fighters were named the best Rock Band of 2011 with the release of "Wasting Light"...so I know that something good came out of last year.

Lady Lightbulb

With all respect to Dick Clark himself, I have to wonder what the TV station was thinking when they broadcast this pile of junk across the airwaves.  Not only was Lady Gaga dressed like a giant lightbulb, but the song she sang (at least in my head) sound almost exactly like Madonna's "Express Yourself" from the early 90's!  Furthermore, I really feel sorry for Dick Clark himself.  I know that his health has been down as of late, but why try to hide that with a metric ton of makeup?  For those readers who have seen the broadcast...you know what I am talking about.  HE LOOKED ORANGE!  They took Dick Clark and made him an Oompa-Loompa!

Hopefully, this year will bring change.  Change in the Christian Music Industry, the "secular" Music Industry, and people's brainwashed heads.  Good music is out there...you just have to know where to look!

Holiday Break(down)

It's the holiday season!  It's time to reflect on the year and remember the things that are special to us.  So in that same spirit, I thought I would look back at my experience as a blogger.

When I found out that I was going to have to write a blog as part of my course curriculum at school, I was devastated.  I hated blogging!  My personal opinion of it can be perfectly expressed in the picture you see to the side. 

Somewhere along the way, however, things changed in my perspective.  I still maintain that those people who use a blog as an online diary should really not blog (at all, if not, so often), but as I have come to find/write, their are those of us who put useful content out there.  People like you, the readers, make it worth it for us.

Digging through pages and pages of links to find content was always a challenge, but still proved to be rewarding when I found something genuinely interesting. From what's new in the music industry to album reviews, I have honestly enjoyed putting stuff out there. The main problem I have had is finding content about Christian Rock/Metal music, as some of you have probably noticed.  This is about to change...

This week I am showcasing two Christian Metal bands! What good is a blog post if all I do is talk about my experiences blogging.  Let's get to it...

Phinehas - Thegodmachine

Something amazingly awesome has come out of my home state of Illinois!  Allow me to introduce you all to a band called Phinehas.  They are signed with Red Cord Records out of Loves Park, IL, and have recently released their album Thegodmachine.  I have had this album in my car for the last week, and have not been disappointed.  They boast an August Burns Red (ABR) sound style for the most part. The interesting thing to note in my ears is the Guitar Hero style solos that come from the sound-scape of this record.  Featuring lots of growling, double bass kicks, and heavy breakdowns; this album is sure to please any fan of metal.  The lyrical content is also very solid in it's Christian theme.  Nice job guys!  You can find out more about Phinehas by checking out their MySpace and Facebook pages.

Saving Grace

Next up is Saving Grace.  These guys have been around for a while now (since 2005) and hail from the little country of New Zealand.  These guys have a similar sound to ABR as well, but their breakdowns remind me of Bless The Fall as well.  I guess I'll let you guys be the judge on that one.  Their debut album Behind Enemy Lines is what they are best known for, but you can find out what the band is up to now by checking out their MySpace page.



That's all for this year...since it's the holidays, I encourage you all to get off the internet and spend time with your families.  This especially applies to our neo-gothic, emo-kid crowd.  I don't care if you hate your parents, spend time with them anyway!  It's not their fault that you choose to be miserable and write stupid poems about ice burning like fire.

Arena Rock!

Wilkes-Barre PA will never be the same after last night's performance at the Mohegan Sun Arena!

I had the pleasure of working as a Pop-Deflator once again.  Starky and I attended the show last night and had an interview with the opening band, Rains.  Be sure to watch the Facebook page for the interview post.

Rains

As far as the actual show goes, the entire show was actually really good.  I can't say that I was disappointed with any of the performances that were given.  Rains started out the night showcasing their blend of rock with a little country influence.  During the interview they shared with us that they did not want to make that "cookie-cutter" sound. Amen to that, good sirs!

Hatebreed

Hatebreed followed and really got the crowd warmed up and active in the show.  They put on a great heavy metal show, but the most interesting thing to me about their set was the almost patriotic nature of the banter between songs.  There was a lot of "God Bless America" statements and a respect for the soldiers that I admired from such an aggressive group.

All That Remains Bassist

The third act was All That Remains.  I have heard them on the radio and on discs before, but to see them live is something entirely different.  The shocking revelation that the bass player is not only female, but also the growler of the group had my jaw on the floor.  I made sure to give her some horns from the pit where I was busy snapping the photos from the show that are being used in this blog!  Yep, you heard right...these concert photos are all me baby!

Five Finger Death Punch

Finally, on to the headliner...Five Finger Death Punch.  If you are unfamiliar with their sound, they have a pretty cool blend of a 12 Stones sound with the crunch of a good metal band... so rest assured metal-heads, there is plenty of screaming and growling for you too.  The coolest part of their set was when they brought a group on really young kids on the stage.  These kids were crowd surfed up to the stage and then introduced as the "Future of heavy-metal music" by the lead singer.  That had to be the greatest moment of their young lives!

Thursday

Enough about the show...how bout some news? Get ready for the eye-liner (or guy-liner if you prefer) to run on the faces of the emo-crowd once again.  Thursday has announced that they are on an indefinite hiatus following their U.S. and Australian Tour.  The band released No Devolucion recently, and I could tell that, while the content was still good, they seemed as though they were getting tired.  The mix on that album, in particular, seemed lazy and not properly balanced at all.  Before I incite an angry mob, let me just say that I am a fan of Thursday, but of all of their efforts, No Devolucion fell short for me.  I much prefer the quality and energy behind A City By The Light Divided.

Album Cover for Hats Off To The Bull

Chevelle is set to release a new album next week (December 6th) entitled Hats Off To The Bull.  This is the group's sixth studio effort, and from what I can tell of their single on the radio, it proves to be a harder sound for Chevelle, but not a big departure from the signature sound we have come to know.

Last but not least, Angels and Airwaves (AVA); Love: Part 2 released on November 8th this year.  I took a listen to the album and I was not disappointed in my expectations.  AVA is known for their anthem style music, and obscenely long intros to songs.  Love: Part 2 is no exception to this rule.  The band has released a dual disc package featuring Love: Part 1 and Love: Part 2 that is available in any retail store.  You can also find it on iTunes and Amazon

Album Cover for Love: Part 1&2

Everybody Stop....Now Skank!

That's right kids, this week Ska is making a comeback.  For those of you who missed the mid to late 90's, the Ska movement was insanely popular and has been part of the underground since then.  I remember bands like Reel Big Fish, Buck O Nine, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones sparked a flame in a lot of young punks back then... well ladies and gentlemen, they're back!

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are releasing a new album in December this year called The Magic of Youth.  You can listen to a single off of that record called Shotgun here.  All I can say, after listening to this track myself, is FINALLY!  The Bosstones have their signature sound back.  It was so nice to hear horns again. Make sure to keep up to date with the Bosstones progress by following their Facebook page.

Some other Ska-related news is that Reel Big Fish announced a UK tour.  Rocksound.tv has the dates for the UK leg of the tour, so be sure to check that out!

Rise Against

Although they might not be termed as "Ska", Rise Against has been around for a number of years, and they have stuck to their original sound too.  The band recently released a new record, and so (as the natural progression goes) they are currently on tour to promote the album entitled Endgame.  The dates for the UK leg of the tour can be found by clicking here. The band is touring with Tom Morello formerly of Rage Against the Machine. For those of you who don't live in the United Kingdom, but rather in the United States, you can view the U.S. tour dates by clicking here.  As an added bonus to the U.S. tour, Rise against plans to play with A Day to Remember, The Menzingers, and joining the tour in February will be none other than Glassjaw!

Skillet - Is that guy liner?

I hate to kill the buzz that I've created, but an ugly truth has come to my attention lately. In the realm of Christian Rock, there has been a certain band by the name of Skillet that has been very successful as of late.  Here is my gripe...although they have recently scored their fourth Top 10 mainstream hit, I really have to ask; is it really them?  When Skillet first started out, their sound was completely different than it is now.  They went from something sort of techno-grunge to this hard (using the term loosely) rock sound.  Since the change, they have gained a mass of emo-kids for a following and have influenced the producers of Christian Rock albums to make every other Christian band sound like they do.  Thus, my point is, when I listen to a Skillet song, who am I hearing?  Is it them, or is it Ashes Remain, or 12 Stones?  Continuing this trend of sounding the same are bands such as House of Heroes, and I Am Empire, who mysteriously took on the same sound as long time Christian rockers Disciple.  So please, producers of the Christian Rock, DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!  Canned music is not good music, be original...please.

Last but certainly not least (and much needed after that rant) is a piece of news from our dear friends August Burns Red (ABR).  A while ago, I reviewed their latest album called Leveler.  Well the fun and goodness of that album are far from over. ABR just released a video for the song "Empire" from the album.  Why wait?  Watch it right here... right now.