Tag: MondayMotivation

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Monday Motivation: Rob Zombie

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

As I’ve grown older in music I have come to understand that every generation has one or two artists that parents both conservative and liberal label as being demonic, satanic, or otherwise bad for their children. These are artists that, despite whatever imagery accompanies their work, find a path to mainstream exposure that infuriates small town minds and inspires throngs of church-going citizens to plan some form of midwest protest in response. For my grandparents, this figure was Elvis and his unstoppable hips. For my parents, it was Kiss and the rise of rap in mainstream culture. For me, and probably for everyone else born just before the 1990s, it was Rob Zombie.

To be completely fair, Rob Zombie is not someone people of my generation discovered in the classic sense. Zombie, born Robert Bartleh Cummings, had already proven his rock pedigree as a member of White Zombie before he started a solo career, but none of his success with that group could prepare him or anyone else for what would come when he was untethered from the rest of the rock community. Hellbilly Deluxe, Zombie’s first solo album, was a veritable smorgasbord of rock goodness and horror movie sensibilities. Zombie created a visual component to his musical art that was, and remains, unmatched in the greater hard rock community. His videos were essentially short horror movies, and his songs were like horror audiobooks set to the kind of electric orchestration one might expect to here accompanying the arrival of satan on Earth. In one album, Zombie usurped Marilyn Manson as the king of shock, and through doing so claimed a throne in the world of music that put him in the crosshairs of every conservative music fan on the planet.

I was 11 when Hellbilly Deluxe came out. You could say I was too young to appreciate everything Zombie was trying to convey through his music and imagery, but everything I did understand won me over in no time at all. The first time I heard “Dragula” was also the first time I recognized that I was listening to something my parents would never approve of me enjoying, and I knew right away that I had to stand my ground. This, I soon found out, was far easier said than done. I had no money of my own, and I couldn’t buy anything without first making my parents aware of the the thing I wanted, so to make my goal of enjoying Rob Zombie regularly a part of my life I had to convince several friends to burn me copies of his album on blank CD-R discs that I would later label as something else entirely just in case mom and dad looked at my music collection. There was more than one occasion where my plan was uncovered, and such happenings were almost always followed by me being grounded for a week or more, but part of me didn’t care. Rob Zombie had given me an excuse to rebel, and I had fallen in love with the notion I was doing something others might find weird or wrong.

As time carried on and Zombie continued to release music, my fascination with his world of horrors only grew, and when he transitioned into the world of filmmaking I followed suit. Horror was always my favorite genre, though as a young teen I had admittedly not seen much of it, so once again I followed Zombie where he chose to lead. House Of 1000 Corpses was the kind of film the kids at my school talked about as if it were the holy grail of things we were not meant to see. Anyone with parents absent enough to let them attend such a feature did so two or three times over during the film’s short run in theaters just because it was the most violent, absurd, and altogether original thing any of us had ever seen. The notion such horrific things could not only be created, but distributed on a global scale, opened our collective minds to a world of possibilities none of us had ever really considered. It was as if we had spent our entire lives blindly assuming all mainstream art, be it film or music, was so easily available because it was intended to entertain as many people as possible. With Rob Zombie, this was not the case, not was it ever what he desired for his career to be. Zombie made things for people like him, and for many people in my generation that included us, or at least we thought it did in that moment.

Almost two decades have passed since Hellbilly Deluxe cracked open my skull to expose my curious mind to the possibilities of self-expression without restraint, and to this day Zombie continues to define himself by his own standards. The quality of his work can and will be debated for the rest of time, but at the end of the day there is no one who walks away from something Rob Zombie has created feeling as if he had to change his original vision or idea in the slightest. His new album, The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser, is proof of this being true. Zombie creates for himself, just as he always has, and through being honest about who he is he inspires others to do the same. The people who enjoy Rob Zombie’s art do so because it makes them feel something they cannot find in anything else because it’s something that can only be achieved by Zombie himself. They recognize that, be it in music or film, Zombie is constantly trying to deconstruct what makes him tick and showcase those things to the world. The kind of unflinching honest is rare, but when it is found it attracts swarms of followers that no amount of catchy songs or epic movies can match. It’s the same power possessed by Beyonce, Prince, and David Bowie, and it’s something we are forever needing more of in entertainment.

What I mean to say is, regardless of whether or not Rob Zombie creates the kind of art you typically enjoy, there is no way you can see what he makes and feel it comes from anywhere other than some place true. The authenticity of his work is never questioned because anyone who experiences his work recognizes that it could only come from his mind. That kind of work is what we should all inspire to create in our day to day lives, and in my experience there are few better ways to inspire that level of authenticity than through exposure to others whose work reflects that. We don’t need another Rob Zombie, but we do need more free spirits like him to share their unique perspectives on the world around us, and that could easily include you as long as you’re willing to work at it.

The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser hits stores this Friday, April 29.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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Monday Motivation: The Used

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

Since the beginning of the music business the people who work at the very top of the industry have been trying their hardest to understand the behavior of consumers under the age of twenty-five. Research has shown that young people are often the most passionate supporters of media, and their outspoken support of an artist or group can do far more in terms of raising awareness for a particular talent than any amount of paid advertising. The problem is, the attention span of this demographic has always been short, and it has become even shorter since the dawn of the digital age. Even if you can manage to hook young listeners on a new artist or song, the likelihood they stay engaged with that talent beyond a few weeks or months is incredibly low. Many have tried to curve this trend with advertising and elaborate promotional plans, but any industry veteran knows the only way to truly win fans for life is by crafting material that reaches through speakers and headphones to make a personal connection with the listener. Music fans need to feel their life is somehow tethered to those who entertain them in order to keep them engaged, and in my experience there are few bands who have managed to engage fans that way better than The Used.

No one could have predicted what happened when The Used first burst on the national radar. Their 2002 self-titled debut album arrived like a shotgun blast fired in close proximity to the chest of alternative music. Fans of punk, hardcore, and every slight variation in between found themselves becoming obsessed with the emotional and unabashedly honest lyrics of Burt McCracken, which were perfectly complemented by the group’s unpredictable take on modern rock. One song would be so heavy you’d think the members collapsed in a fit of sweat and shortness of breath as soon as the recording was cut, while other tracks arrived with the delicacy of a dove. To say people wanted more would be an understatement, but the band refused to simply do more of the same for their follow-up, In Love And Death. That record, which arrived in 2004, boasted bigger hooks and more arena-ready production than their debut, but still found its energy in the unpredictable nature of the band’s individual members. You still didn’t know what to expect from song to song despite having become familiar with the group’s flair for the overdramatic, and that continues to be a theme of their records to this day.

Any artist existing in the modern age is lucky to release even two albums without losing a significant amount of their initial fan base, but The Used have continued to maintain their stranglehold on the edgier side of alternative music throughout six full-length records, two EPs, and two live albums. Their latest, Live And Acoustic At The Palace, may be the most peculiar yet. As the band has aged their reliance on digital production, synth, and additional inorganic sounds to bolster the ferocity of their music has become something of a second wave signature, but on this record all that added noise is nowhere to be found. For over an hour all fans hear are the sounds of light instrumentation, McCracken’s ever-so-slightly gruff voice, and the scream-singing of fellow fans. The tracks cover the band’s career from beginning to now, though not necessarily in that order, and as they play you’re reminded of why this band has made it this far without losing much, if any, of their initial popularity. The Used is more than the members of the band, and in a way The Used is more than the combination of the members and their fans. The Used is a movement, born out of a shared feeling amongst music fans that their may be no place for them in the world outside of concert halls and the space between left and right headphones. From that place a community has blossomed, and each member of that community carries the torch for the band’s music to others around the world. To be a fan of The Used is to be a part of something bigger than yourself, and that feeling of belonging is more powerful than any hook McCracken could hope to write.

Some may say records like Live And Acoustic At The Palace are little more than greatest hits compilations, but to think that way is to reveal a complete misunderstanding of why this album was created in the first place. Those who listen to The Used do not need to be reminded of why they love the band, nor do they need another version of songs they have already bought once, twice, or even three times in the past. This album exists, at least as far as we can tell, to showcase the power of uniting people around the idea that everyone feels bad sometimes and that feeling is perfectly normal. This album exists to empower an already strong community to keep their faith in a better tomorrow despite what often looks like a worsening socio-political climate. This album exists to remind people of the power of community and of being part of something bigger than yourself, which sadly is not something everyone walking this planet today knows. As long as The Used exist however, there will be an open door waiting for those who need to flee their own thoughts and lose themselves in art. And in the end, isn’t that what music is all about?

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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Monday Motivation: Otep

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

Some things become better with age. Wine, for example, is believed to taste better after it has been allowed to age for months or even years. The same can be said for several kinds of liquor, as well as the bond between two friends. The reasons for this are as varied as the list of things you could say improve with time, but perhaps the most interesting evolution aided by time is that of those who create. It’s one thing to write a song, teach it to your friends, record said song, and then perform that song every night for as long as people are willing to see you play. It’s something else entirely to do all of that and then, just as interest is beginning to wain, retreat to your secret lair and do it all over again, but that is the career musicians agree to when they decide to dedicate their lives to music.

For some creative types, the time between releases is a time to focus on refining what works for their sound without necessarily trying to change the status quo. There is this belief in popular music that most listeners want more of the same. They like who they like because of a certain sound or style and all they ask moving forward is for that artist or group to give them more of what they’ve already bought. What fans fail to realize, as do those artists who try to meet this demand, is that all creative types are people just like you or I at the end of the day. They might like certain things or think certain ways right now that they won’t even be able to relate to in six months times, let alone six years. People, regardless of career or status, must evolve to survive. It’s change and challenge that keeps our mind thinking and our muscles growing, and if we want to become the best versions of ourselves we have to first accept that it’s possible no one will enjoy what comes next. We have to accept that we will change regardless of our best efforts to stay the same, and when we do that we can begin to make the most out of the people we have become.

Otep has been a force for rock and roll creativity for the better of part of two decades now, but you would be hard-pressed to find any two albums in the band’s catalog that sound the same. From record to record, EP to EP, Otep has been a band that prides itself on setting a new standard not only for the members of the group, but the rock world at large as well. You might not know some of the band’s material, but the band’s you idolize do, and they’ve probably committed a large part of that material to memory because Otep is, and for some always have been, just that good.

All of this is why, just days away from the band’s seventh studio album hitting shelves, we felt compelled to bring their name to the Haulix blog. In our decade of existence we have yet to encounter a rock fan who did not know the name Otep, and that is not something that can be said for the vast majority of musicians working today. Somehow, despite changing consumer behaviors and the increasingly overcrowded genre they call home, Otep have been able to establish a presence beyond the world of cookie-cutter rock that demands just as much attention and respect as the bands currently making a living off the success of radio singles. We wish we could explain how this came to be in a way you could imitate in your own career, but to do so would be to express a basic misunderstanding about why Otep is considered so great in the first place. This band, perhaps more than any other group working in rock today, understands and embraces the uniqueness of who they are as people, and that acceptance of self is then conveyed through the art they create in such a way that fans feel inspire to live similarly lives.

When you hear Generation Doom you feel a fire ignite within your soul. You’ve probably felt this same fire before, most likely when you were just beginning to grasp how big the world actually is, and for one of the few times in your adult life you begin to believe anything is possible. When tracks like “God Is A Gun” plays you feel the strength of ten thousand armies coursing through your veins as the double bass bounces off the walls of your brain, and your body believes you can do anything. You feel empowered to express who you are, go after what you want, and altogether be whoever it is you feel you are regardless of what others might think. Even “Royals,” which is admittedly a metal cover of Lorde’s hit single of the same name, feels as if it could only be created by the group of musicians bringing this album to life. It is, just like every other song, a unique moment in time captured to digital tape in such a way as to not lose an ounce of the beauty found in the initial performance. This is raw rock, captured and preserved just as it was performed, and it’s utterly mesmerizing.

We don’t kid to ourselves and believe everyone will see this release the way we do, but it would be pretty great if that we the case. It should be, after all, as Otep have crafted an album with Generation Doom that will be looked upon in years to come as one of modern rock’s great accomplishments. It’s an intoxicating and pulsating musical romp that grabs you by the collar from the opening moments and never lets go. This album wants to make you think almost as much as it wants to inspire you to fight for change, and we believe it accomplishes both those goals in a big way. If you’re feeling as if your connection to music has begun to slip, this record may be the savior you have been seeking. This record is a reminder of the positive influence at can have on the world, and we would give anything to see more records like it appear in the years to come.

Generation Doom hits stores April 15, 2016 via Napalm Records.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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Monday Motivation: Scissor Sisters

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

One of the most common lies told to children is that the world wants them to be a unique individual who contributes something original to the global community. Innovators are definitely welcomed when their ideas simplify the lives of others, but as we age we learn that most people only manage to make a living and build a life by bending their will to promote, protect, or be the gears that keep the corporate world running. We’re conditioned to believe that our best ideas are the ones that make ever-so-slight variations to the way things already are, and even then they’re only acceptable if they ultimately result in someone other than ourselves making more money (or saving some, depending on the concept).

If you’re lucky, you will begin to recognize this unfortunate truth at a young age. Music, film, and literature have been ripe with eye-opening art since the dawn their invention, and as the reality of the world is revealed to you there is a brief window of time in which you are able to make a decision to break from what is expected. Maybe you do not alter the way the world spins, but you refuse to conform in a way that is so undeniably unique that you not only embrace who you really are, but you inspire others to do the same. All art should, on some level, entertain, but the best creations always have something more to say than reiterating the need to celebrate existence. The true greats find a way to deliver social commentary in a way that entertains as much as it hopes to inform, and so far this century few artists were able to master that level of song craftsmanship like (sadly now defunct band) Scissor Sisters.

You may not think you’re all that familiar with the music of Scissor Sisters, but if you have been a consumer of most major pop culture phenomenons from the worlds of television or film at any point since 2004 you have almost assuredly bobbed along to one of their songs. The band, which formed in 2001, broke onto the international stage with a disco cover of “Comfortably Numb” that was followed by the critical and commercial success of their self-titled debut album. Songs like “Take Your Mama” and “Filthy/Gorgeous” quickly became licensing gold, and the band’s music, promoted as being forged in the ”scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York,“ brought elements of gay culture to the public eye in ways never before attempted. Whether they wanted to or not, the band became symbols of a larger movement towards acceptance and equality in a time when most of America was still only just beginning to embrace the LGBT community, and that positioning helped push their status into the culture stratosphere.

As time passed, the flood of attention began to subside, but the quality of Scissor Sisters’ music and the frequency of their placement in media did not. Each album introduced new ideas and future classics to the world, with tracks like “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing” and “Only The Horses” reaffirming the group’s knack for unforgettable ear worms again and again. The media may have overlooked the albums these songs appeared on, but fans did not. Through constant contact aided by the rise of social media Scissor Sisters were able to forge a connection with listeners all over the world that cemented their place in music for as long as they wished to have it. Several forums for the group became full blown websites, and the members of the band were known to frequently engage with fans through these portals that they, as far as anyone knows, had no actual stake in. The band recognized the value in making listeners feels as if there is an open dialogue with artists and used it to harness the marketing power of those who believed in them.

When Scissor Sisters announced plans for a hiatus in 2012 their fans were shocked, but accepting. The group had delivered four albums worth of material, toured the world several times over, and through it all they never forgot their position as cultural representatives for something much larger than themselves. When frontman Jake Shears told The Guardian “sexuality is a universal thing” in 2010 he introduced an idea to untold thousands who otherwise may not have consider such a possibility. He, like the rest of the band the music they created, exemplified a way of seeing the world that most of us would like to hope we can achieve in our own lives. Every member of Scissor Sisters embraced everything about themselves, as well as that of those around them, and their music celebrated the unity that can come from such acceptance. It did not shy away from the fact such things are not easy to attain, but it argued there is always reason to fight for a better tomorrow, and through doing so instilled a sense of hope in people from all walks of life who, for whatever reason, felt discouraged about who they knew themselves to be.

Whether or not Scissor Sisters will return remains a mystery, but as long as licensing exists their music will continued to be exposed to new listeners. The hope is that those brief clips inspire deeper discovery, and that playing the albums inspires the listener to tell someone else what they’ve heard, but I couldn’t tell you how often that actually happens. I certainly hope it does, as there may never be another band quite like Scissor Sisters, and I would hate for future generations to not know the beauty of their art. We need more bands like Scissor Sisters, and not just to further the discussion of equality and acceptance. Music can shape the way people view the world in a way no other medium can match, and with enough forward thinking positivity we might just be able to improve this thing we call life.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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Monday Motivation: The Summer Set

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

Here’s a headline you’ve probably read before: Growing up is hard. I never thought of myself as the type of person to relate to the generic motivational phrases disguised as groundbreaking ideas juxtaposed against nature or floral backgrounds you most often find plastered across the Instagram and Tumblr pages of today’s youth, but if we’re being entirely honest I’ve probably always been that type of person. We all are, I think. We are all hope that steering the ship of life in our favor is as simple as thinking positive and behaving in a proactive manner, but as time continues to pass that alleged reality is repeatedly proven false.

I don’t write all of this to dishearten your, but rather to prepare you for everything that will force itself in your way as you continue your journey in life. Sometimes even when it seems our dreams are coming true we learn the truth about those goals is nothing like we imagined it would be. Sometimes we reach what others might call the height of success only to find ourselves yearning for something more. As human beings our thirst for adventure is endless, which it should be, but that doesn’t mean we like having to find new paths to self-fulfillment when our original plans prove insufficient.

From an outsider’s point of view, The Summer Set seem like a band that couldn’t ask for much more out of life. Having found a sound all their own in the vastly overcrowded world of pop rock, the band has spent the better part of the last decade building a dedicated global following that now spans two generations of alternative music fans. Their 2013 LP, Legendary, is considered an essential record for anyone hoping to understand the current alt-pop climate, and therein lies one of the many reasons the band is only just now, in April 2016, releasing a follow-up. 

You see, Legendary catapulted The Summer Set to their heights of their music scene, but not the height of music in general. Though the record spawned several singles that eventually garnered radio play the album didn’t quite have the push needed to breakthrough to mainstream audiences in a meaningful way. Any success is good success of course, but the member of The Summer Set were unsure how they could outdo what they had just created, and as soon as they were presented with the opportunity to begin working on something new they chose collectively to a break instead. Countries were visited, memories were made, and slowly, but surely the group began piecing together more material. Still, something inside them questioned whether or not it would be good enough to push the group beyond the success of their previous album, and that uncertainty eventually lead them to question their future as a band.

It wasn’t until vocalist Brian Dales penned “Figure Me Out,” which serves as the opening track on the band’s new album Stories For Monday, that the band found their purpose and drive once more. The track, which tells of someone struggling to know themselves in the midst of realizing that their dreams might not be as ambitious as they had anticipated, reminded the group as a whole why they played music in the first place. The Summer Set didn’t start out with plans of being Billboard sensations. That would be nice, of course, but simply having recognition was never their intent. The band started because they wanted to connect with people, and through writing Stories For Monday they remembered they were already able to achieve that goal, as well as many more. They still want success, but they understand they have already achieved it as well, and a result they no longer worry whether or not every new track is good enough to be a hit at radio. They create because it’s what they want to do, and they play the music that makes them happy. What more could they really ask for?

When I listen to Stories For Monday I am reminded of the importance of knowing why you’re doing whatever it is you’ve chosen to do with your life. All too often we get distracted with what the world tells us is an indicator of success and we forget to ask ourselves what would make us happiest. All the accolades in the world may look good on a press release, but unless you believe in what you’re doing you’re never going to feel good about the results. The Summer Set may have taken years to find themselves, but we all benefit from their hard work. Stories For Monday is reminder that we are at our best when we do something for reasons other than personal or financial gain, and it’s also one of the best album you will hear all year long. Don’t miss out.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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Monday Motivation: The Word Alive

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

You cannot throw a rock in the modern hard rock arena without hitting a band that people have described as being passionate and/or deeply personal, but that is definitely not a problem. The last decade has welcomed a crop of new metal kings and queens who are able to connect with increasingly distracted music fans by coupling their own life experiences with some of the sickest riffs ever laid to digital tape. Some would even go as far as to say now is one of the best times in history to be a fan of rock, and those needing proof of this assessment need look no further than The Word Alive’s new album, Dark Matter.

Getting personal with fans is nothing new for The Word Alive. The Arizona based group have practically built their careers atop a series of anthemic, yet introspective cuts that have analyzed everything from the way they see themselves to the way they perceive the world around them. Fans have championed each new release for its ability to pull listeners further and further into the band’s narrative, but no progress made with previous albums can compare to the leaps and bounds taken on Dark Matter. From the politically-leaning anarchy of “Sellout,” to depicting the harsh realities of having an absentee father on “Hell To Pay,” every song on Dark Matter leaves an impact on the listener. Some tracks are thematically heavier than others, but they all come from the same desire to open fans’ eyes to the often troubling realities of the world around them.

If this all sounds a bit too heavy for your liking, just know the music elements of Dark Matter are by far the catchiest and most memorable compositions The World Alive have delivered to date. The nu-metal elements of their previous album, Real, have taken a backseat to an ever-so-slightly mainstream rock focused sound that elevates everything that makes The Word Alive great to a level with far more accessibility for the uninitiated. There isn’t a song on the record that wouldn’t perform well at radio, but there is also not a single track that feels like a dumbing down of the group. This is progression in the best sense of the word, and it sets the bar incredibly high for other bands in the same scene moving forward.

I never expected anything less than quality from The Word Alive, but what I discovered on Dark Matter completely blew me away. In a time when many have begun to question the selling power of rock in the streaming age these five men have found a way to create an album that all but demands repeat listens. It’s impossible to imagine a situation where one walks away from the record wanting anything other than to listen to it all over again, and from there they will most likely desire to discuss the record at length with anyone willing to listen. This is the kind of album that spawns new ideas and discussions about what it is we want from modern rock, and it does so without trying to be anything other than a fitting continuation for the the band that created it.

Despite having been considered a successful band for several years, Dark Matter feels like the first time The Word Alive have offered a completely unabashed portrait of who they are to fans. It’s the most personal and infectious record in their catalog, and it continuously urges the listener to better express themselves through their everyday lives. This is the kind of art we all hope to create in our lifetimes, and it leaves you with a sense the band is still just getting started. They can do anything from here, and after listening to the album you will feel the same. This is a record that will changes lives all over the globe, and I sincerely hope there are more releases like it on the horizon.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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Monday Motivation: 3 SXSW Artists You Need To Know

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

South By Southwest begins tomorrow, March 15, which means there are currently hundreds of musicians from all over the globe making their way to Austin in hopes of furthering their careers while playing anywhere from one to ten shows, if not more, in the coming days. To say this believe is a little absurd would be hard to deny, but history has proven time and time again that every year there are several acts whose time in Austin helps propel them into the national spotlight. 2015, for example, kickstarted the global obsession with Courtney Barnett’s insatiable rock talent, as well as our Leon Bridges’ new take on old soul music. No one knows who will be the next to pop, but we have found five artists we believe everyone, including those not attending SXSW, should make time to know in the days ahead.

In The Whale (Twitter)

Hailing from Colorado with a take on rock and roll that is almost as raw as the bison liver Leonardo DiCaprio ate in <em>The Revenant</em>, In The Whale is a two-piece group whose sound and energy rivals any genre peer you can name. To see the band perform is to reconnect with what first made you fall in love with music. It’s loud, wild, unpredictable, and unquestionably born from a place where the only goal is to entertain. We first caught the group while they were appearing as part of Riot Fest 2014, and ever since we have been impatiently waiting to see them rise to the heights of rock success we believe they deserve. With a new album release on the horizon, 2016 feels like the year In The Whale take the next step towards becoming industry mainstays, and SXSW is the perfect place for that evolution to begin.

Cousin Stizz (Twitter)

Most people associate New England with the numerous rock bands the upper Northeast has produced, but those hoping to discover the next Aerosmith will not find the sound they seek with Cousin Stizz. Instead, they will discover something even better. Channeling a wide array of hip-hop influences through a very specific sound, Stizz has been putting Boston rap back on the map since his Suffolk County mixtape dropped in mid-2015. With the recent viral hit “Super Bowl” still in regular rotation with underground rap fans, Stizz seems poised for big things in the months and years ahead. This SXSW may be your last chance to catch the emcee in a small venue setting. Don’t miss out.

Slingshot Dakota (Twitter)

If you have been following our blog at all this year you already know that we are huge fans of Topshelf Records duo Slingshot Dakota. The group has just released one of the year’s best albums, and they will now kickoff what will quickly become an extended period touring with a slew of shows around Austin. We expect material new and old, all of which will be met with applause and cheers. If you have been hunting for the next big thing in indie rock, look no further than this group. We promise, you will not be disappointed.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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Monday Motivation: Slingshot Dakota

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

Nothing you have ever read or been told about life in the music business can prepare for the day when you realize it is possible for you to make a career in this business. Maybe that is due to the fact that so few ever find themselves in a place where they truly feel as if they belong in the world of music, or maybe it’s because the individual journeys we all take to become the people we are meant to be are so different that know two paths to success are the same. Instinct tells us it’s probably the latter, but emotions leads to believe the former. Wherever you stand, don’t worry. You are not alone.

The longer you live and work in the world of music the stranger a place the industry becomes, and that is largely through no fault of your own. We each decide to chase the dream of a life dedicated to music for our reasons, but somewhere along the way we come in contact with other dreamers whose success we wish to see just as much as our own. We believe, on some level, that if one of us succeeds then there is a chance we all can do the same, but time has proven again and again that is rarely the truth. What usually happens, as hard as it may be to admit, is that a select few achieve lasting success while everyone else, including those who earn fleeting notoriety with a hit song or album, find an alternative path or career. This is neither good or bad, but rather the way things are. It’s life, plain and simple.

What separates those who work on the business side of the industry from those one the artistic side during this time is what motivates you to continue fighting for your place in music with each passing year. Where artists typically attempt a career in hopes of sharing their ideas and creations with the world, those working behind the scenes often enter the industry to help others succeed. The publicists, managers, bloggers, journalists, podcasters, lighting techs, guitar techs, and even label owners in this business usually got their start in music because of their love for a specific band or genre of music. They didn’t attempt to spend their lives behind keyboards or sitting backstage to work with just anyone, but rather with someone or some group they believed could change the world with their music. Those professionals dedicate their lives, especially early on in their careers, to making the talent that lead them into music as widely recognized as possible. It’s how they cut their teeth, so to say, and it’s how they began networking toward the jobs they will have in the future.

The things is, not every artist that every professional believes in will become a talent whose career spans several decades and numerous albums. A few will succeed, but the vast majority will not, and as time passes those individuals who started toward a life in music because of a specific band or sound begin question why they remain. If the world has moved on from the music that gave them a door into the music business, why should the business keep a place for them? Professionals, whether intentionally or subconsciously, often tie their success to the success of those they aim to help the most. Be it PR clients, a band signed to a new indie label, or even the seven bands a blogger covers on their site each and every week, the success or failure of those artists reflects on the individuals who dedicate their lives to making them a household name.

When the artists you loved one day one begin to fade away, the key to keeping your passion alive lies in the world of new music discovery. Regardless of the genre you claim to love or work in, allow yourself to entertain the notion that something completely different may take you by surprise. Scour the net, listen to every promo you can, and do you best to take in the ever-evolving world of popular music. You probably won’t love most of what you hear, but somewhere along the line you will hear an album, artist, or sound that fills you with the same passion for music that first lead you into this industry. Who knows? Maybe the artist you discover has been around for a decade, but their music is knew to you. Use that renewed faith in the arts to fuel your work, and look for ways to further align yourself with whatever it is you’ve begun to adore.

Slingshot Dakota, a two-piece group from Pennsylvania with an indie rock sound that isn’t afraid of sonic exploration, recently saved my professional life. As the new year began I felt an overwhelming sense of loss in regards to the bands who had inspired me to pursue a life in music. Pop-punk was the place I had called home for over a decade, but after seeing even the biggest acts from my early days begin to hang it up I thought that perhaps I too needed to reevaluate my life’s work. If bands with fans around the world were capable of reaching a point where they could no longer support themselves then how was I, a blogger who had made his mark on the industry by promoting those same bands, going to stay afloat? My current job isn’t connected to pop punk per se, but my passion to music is, and I worried that aspect of myself would begin to fade as I found myself working with more and more artists that were unlike anything I had gotten in this business to help succeed.

Around this very same time a friend at Topshelf Records sent me Break, the fourth full-length album from Slingshot Dakota. I had seen the band’s name floating around the alternative music scene for as long as I could remember, but I could not recall if I had ever given them a chance, so on a Monday with temperatures in the low teens I put the album on with not a single expectation on my mind. “You,” the album’s shimmering opener, poured through my headphones with an inherent sense of urgency that was hard to deny. My toes began to tap along with the music, and my head began to bob. By the time the fourth song, “Stay,” began, I discovered I had essentially stopped working altogether. My monitor was open, an email was half-written, and my eyes were glued to the screen, but my mind was a million miles away. For the first time in what felt like years I was completely carried away by the music of a band who I had only just discovered, and as the album carried on I allowed myself to drift further and further out to sea in hopes of being fully engulfed by their sound. If music can cast a spell, then Slingshot Dakota had me in a trance, and though I was aware of what was happening I had no desire to see it end.

By the time I reached “Storytellers,” Break’s killer second to last track, I knew my life would never be the same. Slingshot Dakota had entered my world with the ferocity and catchiness of Miley’s “Wrecking Ball” and left me emotionally devastated, yet begging for more. In one album with just nine tracks the duo of Carly Comando and Tom Patterson had flipped my world upside down in the same manner Blink-182 did when I was just twelve years old. For about an hour I was that same kid who first fell in love with music, and when the album was over I immediately reached for the repeat button while also grabbing my phone to tweet about how great my first impression had been. I was hooked, and I remain that way to this day.

Break finally arrives in stores this Friday, and next week I have my first chance to see Slingshot Dakota live. I imagine myself being calm, cool, and collected while shaking their hands, but in reality I will probably resemble Wayne and Garth falling at the feet of Steven Tyler in Wayne’s World 2. If Break hadn’t entered my life I don’t know that the fire required to make a life in this industry work would still be burning inside my soul. Slingshot Dakota saved my life, and they did so by reminding me why I got in this industry in the first place. They can do the same for you too, if you only give them your time.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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News

Monday Motivation: Romp

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

The best music has the ability to transport us from wherever we are on this spinning rock we call home and place our feet in the shoes of another. Be it a bird in the sky or a first date at a punk rock show, music offers us perspectives and experiences in life that we may otherwise never be able to experience. For a few minutes, or maybe even just a few seconds, music allows us to shed the trappings of our skeletal cages and explore the endless possibilities of the imagination.

Romp, hailing from same New Jersey stomping ground that gave bands The Gaslight Anthem and Thursday their start, offer listeners the chance to view life through their eyes. Lead by vocalist and keyboardist Madison Klarer, the group blurs the lines between punk, indie rock, and revivalist emo to deliver anthem tales of love, life, exploration, and heartache with deeply personal lyrics that all but reach through the speakers and grab you by the collar. Like the influential bands that hail from their hometown, Romp find relatable in the minute details of existence. They find the simple beauty of a an everyday moment and through doing so create art that can and often will stop you in your tracks, or in the midst of yet another text, and demands you not only pay attention, but fully submit to the sonic adventure they wish to share.

Listening to Departure From Venus, the band’s full-length debut out this month on Bad Timing Records, is akin to sharing memories, problems, and aspirations with a close friend over coffee in the dead of morning or night. You know, when the sky is as quiet as the city streets and for a brief span of time you feel as if you and your friend are the only two people on the planet? This is album is like that, only in in musical form. Departure From Venus is a crash course on the band, its members, and who those members are as individuals channeled through anthemic choruses and hypnotic melodies meant to move your feet just as much as your soul. You could argue that other albums accomplish similar feats for their creators, and you may be right, but none of them hum with the emotional intensity or lyrical whimsy present in every note shared by Romp. This is their adventure, and they are guiding us as only they know how to do.

All of this musical magic would make a lot more sense if it had come from a band with years of shared memories and experiences behind them, but that is not the case with Romp. Two years ago no one in Romp knew the people who would soon be their bandmates, and it’s only because of a chance meeting through Tinder that the band even had a chance at being forged into existence. The fact their artistic chemistry mixes as well as it does at such a young age, both as individuals and a group, would be considered a miracle if not for the profound dedication and work ethic shared by the group’s members. You cannot find a person in alternative music who knows of Romp and does not swear by their talent. People have been cheering for this group long before they were being promoted by one of the hottest young alternative labels in music, and that fact speak entirely to their talent which, at the end of the day, is what always matters most.

As you head into this week, make time to experience Departure From Venus and allow yourself to fully engage with what you hear pouring through your speakers. Put down your phone, close your laptop, pour some coffee, and lose yourself in everything that Romp has to share. Their music, while riddled with angst, is as beautiful as anything laid to tape in the last year. It’s a sudden rush of pure energy and excitement for life, delivered through music, that will lift your spirits and make you think differently about the world around you, as well as how you deal with any hurdles in your way. Romp provides a soundtrack for self-acceptance that begs the listeners to embrace their every flaw with the same confidence as they do their strengths, and the best part of it all is that they’re only just getting started.

James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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Monday Motivation: Hands Like Houses

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

I couldn’t tell you when I first felt like I was punk, or that I belonged to the quote/unquote “punk community,” but it was probably sometime in my early teen years. Blink-182 had converted me from a person who simply enjoyed music to someone who believed they needed music like they needed their next breath with the release of Enema Of The State, and from there my love for the alternative world grew like vines on the side of an old brick house. If there was a show nearby, I was there. If there was a new album on display at the record store that claimed to be pop punk, hard rock, or edgy in some way, I wanted to hear it. More often than not I probably bought that record as well. For me, it was impossible to have too much of a good thing, and in many ways that belief still stands true today.

It wasn’t until I reached college and the age of discovering music online arrived that I really began to consider the numerous styles of music that existed outside my audio comfort zone. Even though I was quick to find artists outside the world of rock I enjoyed, my admiration for their art was something I largely kept to myself. After all, every moment of my life in music before that time had been defined by my love for all thing alternative, and it was in that genre that I found a sense of community that I had not known in my hometown or through school. While other kids had friends in the so-called “real world,” my closest companions often lived on a CD, mp3, or (for a few years) audio cassette. Bands were my friends, and their songs were the stories we shared when no one else wanted anything to do with us. Punk, and I am admittedly using that term in the loosest sense of the word, had kept me company through thick and thin. I didn’t know if I could ever feel as close to anything as I felt to the alternative community, and as a result I feared venturing away from it for fear it may turn its back on me.

That may sound silly to you, but the above is entirely true, and I think it may be true for many others as well. When you find yourself associating who you are as a person with the thing, scene, or group that first made you feel free to express yourself it can be incredibly hard to consider even the smallest change because you worry that thing, whatever or whomever it may be, won’t love you anymore. What’s even worse is that you also begin to fear that no one or no thing will want you either, which is preposterous, but as a young person still finding confidence in yourself it seems as likely as anything. So you stay stagnant, preventing yourself from having a chance at being or trying something new, and in my experience that complacency will eventually lead you to feel less and less interested about the world of music, as well as art in general.

Hands Like Houses are an Australian rock band that formed in 2008 and quickly found international acclaim thanks to alternative sound that played well with what was popular in the genre at the moment. The group found a home in Rise Records, a label known for setting trends in the alternative world, and in 2012 the group released their debut LP, Ground Dweller, to critical and fan acclaim. The band then toured extensively, touching down on several continents, and then in 2013 another record (Unimagine) hit shelves. More positive reviews were received, more tours were planned, and the group once again found themselves in a global whirlwind of press and publicity that would find them being face-to-face with throngs of followers from every corner of the planet.

By the time Hands Like Houses found themselves celebrating the dawn 2014 they had already accomplished more than most bands ever hope to achieve. They had risen through the Australian music underground, caught the attention of one of the biggest alternative labels in the globe, and managed to build a dedicated international following that continuously showered the group with praise. No one could have blamed the group if they chose to write and release another album that sounded similar to the two they had already released. Heck, the band probably could have toured with the same group of bands they had always toured with as well. Hands Like Houses had enough going for them at that point that such decisions would have felt obvious, albeit safe, but as you can probably guess based on the rest of this post that is not what happened.

Starting with 2014’s Reimagine EP, Hands Like Houses began a sonic pivot that found their sound trending more towards mainstream rock than ever before while still retaining the alternative edge that had always been a cornerstone of the group’s music. Reimagine was little more than reinterpretations of material from the group’s previous LP, but it offered the group a chance to showcase a side of themselves audiences hadn’t really heard before, and fans of the bands were quick to express their pleasure in the change. Some were admittedly turned away as well, but that was bound to happen regardless of what the band chose to release. Some people simply hate change, and there is no way you can, well, change them.

Fast-forward another two years and Hands Like Houses are preparing to release their third full-length album, Dissonants, on February 26. The arrival of the record marks an end to the longest period that Hands Like Houses have gone without releasing new music, and it’s clear from the opening track “I Am” that the time away was very much needed. This album, more than any other release in the Hands Like Houses catalog, feels like the most authentic representation of who the band is and what they hope to convey through their music. That is not to say the group was ever dishonest in either respect, but listening to Dissonants makes it clear that some of the group’s earlier material had far more influence from the genre and culture it was produced in than what the band may have intended. This record, front to back and back to front, feels like a wholly authentic release created without any desire to cater to a specific scene, sound, or genre. Whether it’s the bouncy riff of “Perspectives” or the radio ready sounds of “Stillwater,” this album is a pitch perfect representation of what the men of Hands Like Houses have become over the better part of the last decade. It’s diverse collection of ideas and emotions presented without restraint, and it’s without a doubt the best material the group has ever released.

When I hear Dissonants I am reminded of that period in my life when I feared what might happen if I admitted to myself and everyone else that I had interests outside of punk. Like so many artists and music professionals, I thought my value to the world was equal to my standing amongst my alt/punk peers, and it wasn’t until I shook this thought from my head that I found true happiness and purpose in my life. I am punk, just like Hand Like Houses, but neither me or the men of that band are punk and nothing more. We are all humans, and as such we are influenced and inspired by a wide array of art, experiences, and conversations that all mesh together to make us the people we have become. My hope, like the hope of Hands Like Houses, is that I can show my true self to the world and be accepted just as I was when I thought being punk was all I would ever be. Life has taught me that such acceptance is possible, and Hands Like Houses new album has reminded me of that fact once again. The hardest part is taking it upon yourself to make a change. Once you do that, everything else will being to fall into place. Life might not be what you thought it would, but it won’t be as bad as you feared either. Just be you. No matter what, just be you.

James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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