Tag: Music Monday

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Monday Motivation: Eric Church

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.

Today I turned 28, so I guess now is as good as time as any to admit that I am no longer the most knowledgable person on the planet when it comes to new music. Okay, I probably never really was the number one person for music discovery, but I always thought I was at least in the upper echelon of quote/unquote tastemakers. Through my work at Under The Gun Review, a music blog I launched in college, I was able to help promote a number of bands before the industry at large took notice, and there were countless others I discovered whom I wish I could have helped as well. In all my time as a music professional there has never been a period when there was a shortage of great new music to discover, and I am certain that will continue to be true for the foreseeable future.

Something I learned over the last year is that while I may have been on the pulse of everything new in the world of alternative music I had neglected to consider the artists currently dominating other areas of the entertainment industry, as well as what they may or may not have to offer me as a music fan. It’s as if I had become so consumed with all things rock, metal, and punk that I never even thought to see how the rest of the music business had been evolving, or who was responsible for inciting those changes. When I did make time, I was admittedly shocked by how many artists outside my musical comfort zone appealed to me. There were many I didn’t like as well, of course, but quite a few names that were more or less new to me began creeping into my daily playlists. Specifically, several country artists made the cut, and by the time fall fell I had to admit there was a fairly good chance my favorite record of the year would be an album most the world labeled as country. I didn’t see it that way, and to be honest I still don’t, but our consumer culture loves labels, so I guess I have to say country has, in some small, way stolen my heart.

I was debating between two different country releases for this column, and I ultimately chose the more recent of the two simply because I feel like less has been written about it. Eric Church is a man who has long straddled the line between country and rock, and his latest album, ‘Mr. Misunderstood,’ is no exception. Over the course of 10 songs, Church shares tales from his own life through a unique sound that feels most inspired by the heyday of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. Though the emotional content of the material ranges from happy to sad and everything in between, the cohesion of the songs, as well as the replay value for even the most bittersweet melodies, is incredibly high. Church has crafted a one-of-a-kind road trip record that feels every bit as exciting on the twentieth play as it did on the first. If that isn’t the definition of the true rock and roll spirit, I don’t know what could be.

The day I fell in love with Eric Church I was in the middle of a six-hour drive from Pennsylvania to Boston with no one to keep me company. I had heard and enjoyed several Church songs before, but I never took the time to enjoy one of his albums from front to back until that day. I started with his last album, ‘The Outsiders,’ and by the time it ended I had listened to several songs three times in a row. I knew I needed more, and fortunately for me Church had ‘Mr Misunderstood’ read to share with the public. As soon as the album hit iTunes I bought it without a moment of hesitation, and though it was nearly midnight I stayed up until I could complete one full spin. I was so overjoyed by the end of the album I nearly woke up my fiancé, Lisa, to tell her about the album. Being a man who loves having a happy household however, I decided to let her rest and talk about it in the morning (happy wife = happy life, fellas).

When I play ‘Mr Misunderstood’ now I still feel the way I did when it first came pouring through my headphone late on release day. I do relate to the title character in many ways, as you will no doubt be able to discern from the title track, but my love for Eric Church goes beyond that simple connection. There is a spirit to this record that is palpable, and no matter how many times you hear the material on this album you walk away wanting more. Church has tapped into a sense of creative freedom that inspire others to do whatever it is they want to do with their lives. It’s infectious, joyous, and all too rare in music today. I know many of you reading this now probably wouldn’t consider yourselves a typical country fan, but this is not typical country music. Heck, this isn’t even really country. It’s just great, original, all-American music.

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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Monday Motivation: The Plot In You

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 never know how long it will take to do something right. Some of the biggest pop hits of all time were written in under thirty minutes, like Lorde’s breakout single “Royals,” but other musical creations take months or even years to come together. The key for creators is to know when something is actually complete, and sadly not everyone is able to recognize that. For some, the inner turmoil associated with whether or not they have done to the absolute best of their ability consumes them. They feel unless something is perfect it is not ready to be shared with the world because that would mean revealing to fans they are not the flawless artists some believe them to be, but that is exactly what they have always been. They are human, just like you or I, and if they don’t learn to accept the fact they too are incapable of perfection they will drive themselves insane. I’ve watched as many fell victim to this path, including myself, and I continue to work to this day to better my own outlook so similar situations do not occur.

The Plot In You spent nearly two and a half years working on the material that would become their new album, Happiness In Self Destruction, and in that time a lot changed for the band. For starters, the band broke ties with Rise Records following a mutually unhappy relationship. The band was getting the support they expected and the label wasn’t seeing the return they anticipated. That could have easily been the end for The Plot In You, or at least reduced the band to being something members did in their free time, but Attila frontman Fronz saved the group with an offer to sign with his new label, Stay Sick Recordings. In the words of the band themselves, it was the deal of a lifetime, and they happily accepted it. I can’t speak to why necessarily, but if I had to guess I would say the band believed that since Fronz himself was a touring musician he understood what they needed to be successful in their own career. If that is the case, they were absolutely right.

What you get when a band has two-plus years to create a record is something eclectic, yet undeniably cohesive with more heart than anything found at radio today. The material on Happiness In Self Destruction takes a hard look at what brings us joy in life, and then proceeds to ask why so many things we rely on to feel good actually cause us pain, such as alcohol and prescription drug abuse. That may sound like a band taking to task those who choose to partake in such activities, but that could not be further from the truth. Instead, The Plot In You are simply shining a light on an ugly truth most gloss over because such actions are typically deemed culturally acceptable. Most people feel good after a couple drinks, so it can’t be that bad, right? Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. The point is that a life lived without questioning such things is a poor excuse for existence. Like anything, you shouldn’t do something because others say it’s okay or that it will somehow bring you happiness. You should only do the things that are good for you, and I mean that in a physical and mental sense, as well as emotional. It’s not about handling your high, but asking why that high is needed to reach what you believe to be happiness.

It was Socrates who said “The unexamined life is not worth living,” and on The Plot In You’s new album that seems to be the message they hope to convey to fans. Question everything. Not just the world around you, but the thoughts, ideas, hopes, and dreams that fire across your brain throughout the day as well. Ask why you do the things you do, and be honest with yourself in your response. If you do that, you may discover you are actually your own worst enemy, and that the things you thought would bring joy into your life have actually been causing more harm than good. They didn’t make you stronger, they just made you numb, and now you’re so cut off from the world as a result of your actions you don’t know how to make amends. I can’t give you that answer, and to be honest neither can The Plot In You, but listening to Happiness In Self Destruction can remind you that you are not alone. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle only they can fully appreciate, and at the end of the day it’s on each of us as individuals to figure out how we handle those wars. Some will overcome their demons, but others will not. If you want to be among the survivors, you need to take a hard look at your life and figure out what, if anything, needs to be changed and then act on those beliefs. Then, and only then, can you begin to find true happiness in this life.

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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Monday Motivation: Coheed And Cambria

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 problem with finding something you’re passionate about at a young age is that you rarely, if ever, find a way to disassociate yourself from that passion. You might pull it off for awhile, if you’re lucky, but once you establish yourself in one arena it can be incredibly hard for the world to see you as anything else. I’ve seen it happen many times in my own life, both from friends and acquaintances. Even Michael Jordan struggled with it. After several years as the biggest athlete in the world Jordan decided he wanted to leave basketball to pursue a career in baseball. People were behind him for a minute or two, but once he hit the field and it was clear his skills were better applied on the court people began to cry foul. It no longer mattered what Michael wanted, or at least it didn’t seem to matter to the general public. They wanted the basketball star they loved to return, and in time that is exactly what they got.

I cannot speak for Michael Jordan, but I have spent many nights of my adult life wondering if he regrets not further pursuing his career in baseball. It’s true that he was never all that impressive of a player, but if baseball is where his passion lied then that is where he should have kept his focus. The minute you let the world dictate what you can and cannot do, or who you are and are not, is the minute you lose control of yourself. If you live your life trying to be the person you think the world sees you as you will never find your true self, and as a result you may never be truly happy. You have to do what is best for you, always, and sometimes that means going against everything you’ve done before, which is why I chose Coheed And Cambria for this week’s Motivation Monday post.

On Friday, October 16, Coheed and Cambria will release a new album titled The Color Before The Sun. The album is the eight studio release for the band, but only the first to exist outside their popular high concept recording series known as The Armory Wars. That conceptual saga has been one of the main forces propelling Coheed And Cambria into the public eye since their debut album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, arrived in 2002. In fact, until the band decided to step outside the saga with their new release many fans expected The Armory Wars to continue as long as the band does, and while that may still happen it seems – at least for the time being – the group is ready to try something new.

The idea of doing something new or different is a scary proposal for any adult, especially if those changes relate to how that adult does their job. Coheed And Cambria have been a band for two decades at this point, but it wasn’t until the last year or so that frontman Claudio Sanchez decided to turn his storytelling talent inward to share his own perspectives on life, love, and the general chaos of existence. Think about that for a second. Two decades of shows, fan adoration, and critical-acclaim told Claudio he was good at writing a very particular style of music. A style he pretty much ushered into existence, truth be told, but at some point along the way his passion for that style of songwriting began to change. He found new ideas that lived outside his comfort zone, and for whatever reason he eventually hit a wall where he felt the only option was to pursue those interests to the fullest extent. He knew that in order to be happy he had to make a change, and instead of hiding behind another stage name or side project Claudio is sharing his newfound passion on the same stage where his previous work found its success. That is a bold move for anyone, let alone someone two decades into their career, but when you hear the music being created you know it was the right move to make.

When I listen to The Color Before The Sun I know there is life after doing something for yourself. I think all too often we get the idea in our heads that the world only accepts us for being one thing, and that thing is usually whatever we are at that particular moment. We fear meaningful change because it removes us from our comfort zone, exposing our insecurities to the world in a way that hasn’t happened since our current way of life was established some years back. But heed my words, dear friends, because longterm comfort is the cousin of death. To be comfortable as a creative type is to relax in a sea of sharks, making yourself vulnerable to the numerous predators of happiness through inaction. The only way to be who you are meant to be and find your way in this wacky world of ours is to be bold and take risks even when doing nothing seems like a safe bet. If your heart is calling you have to listen, and when The Color Before The Sun plays you know the band behind it is doing exactly what they feel they must in order to maintain their own sanity and happiness. That kind of sound inspires me to take my own life by the reigns, and I hope it will now do the same for 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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Monday Motivation: Fit For An Autopsy

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.

Working in music has provided me with a lot of opportunities to speak with young people about their experiences with music. If you ever get the chance to do this, be it with a sibling or someone else, I highly recommend doing it. Young adults who are still amazed at the fact there is music beyond what their parents enjoy and whatever is currently hot at radio are amongst the most dedicated music fans on the planet. They consume everything, old and new, simply because they want to know what else exists. Some stuff they enjoy, and thanks to the age of streaming they can burn through most artists’ discographies the same day they discover them if they so desire, but the vast majority of material is in one ear and lost in space. It becomes the kind of thing they tell their friends they’ve heard so they don’t risk sounding uncool at the next big party, but in reality they only know that one song someone shared on Twitter that one time. Their video was probably cool.

Anyways, what I love about conversations with young music fans is their willingness to spin practically anything at least once. They don’t put much weight in names or genres, at least not at first, and I believe that allows them to enjoy music in a way far more pure than our consumption as jaded adults. We hear a name, or a genre, or even a track title, and we make judgments. We think, “Oh, this is going to be another one of these artists/bands,” and immediately draw some conclusion. It sucks, and it’s something that is incredibly hard to find a way around. In fact, I don’t have a solution. At 28, my plan is to simply say yes to everything I am able and experience whatever comes my way. Sometimes that results in epic post-rock amateurs doing their best to spin new versions out of ideas everyone who has ever heard Explosions In The Sky could recognize, other times that means experiencing some truly, truly terrible souther hip-hop. It’s a roll of the dice every time, but it’s always an experience that gives me a good story.

A band with a name like Fit For An Autopsy is probably not one you would expect to see accompanying a headline like ‘Monday Motivation,’ but if that is the case then you’ve been several under-appreciating the world of modern metal. For the better part of a decade Fit For An Autopsy have been finding unique ways to express themselves through the heaviest and most aggressive music this side of Sweden’s black metal scene. Critics writing about their music often use descriptive phrases like ’skull-crushingly heavy’ or ‘relentlessly brutal,’ but that doesn’t really do the band and their art justice. That isn’t to say such phrases are untrue, because they often fit the sound of a FFAA release to a ’T,’ but it’s the way the band delivers their take on heavy music that makes their art something everyone should find time to consume.

Without naming any band or artist specifically, there are many in the world of music today who are getting by on having just enough talent to write a good hook or create a catchy riff. Their music is fine, but after one or two releases it becomes clear they are pretty much creating the same sound over and over with only slight variation. It’s as if they believe changing things too much will scare fans and their money away, which is the one thing they fear more than anything else. Creative freedom be damned! As long as people keep asking for the band or artist to be one thing they will never attempt to be anything more because they have no desire to evolve in the first place. The fact they made it big in the first place is a miracle, and they will ride the idea that first made them popular until long after album sales have taken a nosedive.

I don’t hate artists like those described above. In fact, there are many I enjoy precisely because they can be relied upon to create solid albums every time they enter the studio, but I never look to those acts to create records that will forever stand the test of time. In order to create that kind of release an artist or group must challenge themselves, as well as their listeners, by taking bold and unexpected chances with their music. They must throw caution to the wind and see what happens when they attempt to do something other than whatever has been working for them up to that point. It’s the kind of thing that only happens when someone or some group put their careers on the line for the sake of creative expression, and even then there is no guarantee the final results will work in their favor. They rarely do, if we’re being completely honest, but for those who pull it off their is an ever-increasingly window of opportunity for growth and continued success that few ever experience.

Fit For An Autopsy could easily be a band that created the same good, but never truly great album for their entire career and they would have likely found a way to make things work for at least as long as they have now, if not longer. Fortunately for everyone in the world of metal that is not the kind of band they want to be, and with the release of their new album they have final taken the steps and risks necessary to produce something really special. Absolute Hope, Absolute Hell is a thrilling release that captures the brute strength and unabashed sincerity of Fit For An Autopsy’s music in a way no prior creation of theirs has ever been able to covey. It’s proof that being true to yourself and doing what feels right for you is the smart play when forced to choose between creative integrity and financial success. While money may be nice in the short term, there is no feeling worse than knowing you could be doing something better than you are if only you had the gull to make a change. Fit For An Autopsy have no desire to live with regret, so they poured their all into Absolute Hope, Absolute Hell and everyone who hears the album will be better off as a result.

If you’re reading this today thinking there is no way in (absolute) hell you could find inspiration in metal, let me be the first to tell you that you are wrong. Like any style music performed well, great metal has an ability to instill a sense of confidence in its consumer that is possessed by no other medium. It’s as if knowing that the music you’re hearing is what the artist wanted to convey somehow makes it okay for us to do whatever it is we believe is needed in our own lives. I don’t know why life works that way, but it does and I am forever thankful. I am also thankful for Fit For An Autopsy, because it is their latest album that has given me the strength to do what is needed in my own life as of late. I can be a better me because they are working to be a better them, and I think anyone who experiences their new album will feel the same.

This week – be bold. Take risks you have been avoiding for days, weeks, or months and do that thing you know you should. Also, buy the new Fit For An Autopsy album. It’s really good.

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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Monday Motivation: Mark Rose

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 grew up in home where alternative christian music was the main form of audio entertainment in our home. Groups like DC Talk, Audio Adrenaline, and Newsboys were the first rock stars I knew, and I nearly made it into my teens years thinking the were amongst biggest acts in the world. I knew there was music outside the stuff my parents allowed in our home, of course, but I had no idea how niche the market I considered my entire world was when considered against music as a whole. That is, not until we could afford cable, which in turn exposed me to MTV.

Talking about MTV as an introductory point to the world of mainstream music sounds as old fashioned to kids today as relying on phones that were attached to a wall in your home for communication to people born after 1985, but when I was preparing to enter middle school MTV was still something special. I would rush home from school every single day to see Carson Daly host TRL, otherwise known as Total Request Live, a top ten countdown featuring the most popular music videos of the moment. It was through this program I was introduced to hundreds of artists who would later become staples of my life, including Blink-182, Eminem, TLC, Kid Rock, and many more.

As much as I loved watching videos on MTV and, by then, listening to top 40 on the radio whenever my parents allowed it, I was still prohibited from seeing the secular artists I enjoyed in concert. I know not everyone is taken to concerts at the age of 10 or 11, but this was a common occurrence in our home. My parents raised me in the alternative christian community. We traveled to concerts all over Northwest Ohio when I was in elementary school, and when I was a little older we even attended a few multi-day festivals. I saw everyone I heard on the radio, as well as dozens of up and comers who supported them. To me, this was how everyone experienced the music they enjoyed. If you liked the artists you heard on the radio, you bought a copy to own and saw the artist live when time and finances allowed. That remains my belief to this day.

The first secular concert I was ever able to attend was a single day festival at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, MI. Over a dozen bands performed on what I later learned was an ‘off day’ for those traveling on Van’s Warped Tour. I was fifteen at the time, and my driver was my sixteen year old girlfriend, Amy. Her parents were equally, if not more strict than mine. We saw Less Than Jake, My Chemical Romance, The Bled, Senses Fail, and others whose importance in my life would not be clear for years to come. It was fun, but looking back now it’s largely a blur. A Joyous blur, but a blur nonetheless. The thing I remember the most is that people could smoke indoors then, and when you had 9-plus hours of music the smoke would get thick. The Intersection would periodically open their giant loading doors to vent the venue, which in turn exposed an audience who had otherwise been packed like tuna in a dark room too bright lights and cool, fresh air.

My second secular concert has gone on to have far more meaning for me, and it has very little to do with the reason I attended the show in the first place. Amy and I waited six months to ask for permission to attend another show, and we chose Hawthorne Heights’ headlining run for The Silence In Black And White as our target. We bought our tickets early, drove from our tiny Southwest Michigan farming town to Grand Rapids in the January snow, and found our way to what can best be described as the row behind the people fighting each other for a barrier spot. No drinks, no smokes. This was just two teens ready to sing along with a band whose heartache had been repurposed to define the brief periods between interaction they experienced in their short time together. They called it love.

Then it happened. Before the headlining act, a band called Spitalfield took the stage. I had no idea who they were at the time, but something about their pop rock fueled perspective on growing up in the suburbs of Chicago grabbed my midwest soul with and refused to let go. Amy felt the same, and we left with a copy of their debut album, Remember Right Now, on CD. I don’t think we spoke with a member of the band, but if we did it was brief. We did, however, lose our voices during Hawthorne Heights. Mission: Accomplished.

I didn’t know it at the time, but that set would become something I would talk about for the rest of my life. Not often, but every few years, whenever Mark Rose-vocalist for Spitalfield-comes through town. More than ten years have passed since that night, and in that time I’ve pursued a career in music while Mark has continued to develop his career in music. Spitalfield eventually came to a close, but Mark reemerged with a solo career that found him experimenting with a different side of the rock music spectrum. Gone were the days of pop rock anthems and present was something far more akin to an eighties influenced version of John Mayer, only with more heart and better hooks. Also, no relationship with Katy Perry (that I know of).

To be honest, it took me a while to come around to Mark’s new sound, and I think it took him a while to be comfortable sharing it with the world. His first recordings were good, and you could sense where he wanted to go, but it was clear a part of him felt compelled to pander in some way to those who had given him years of support through his previous project. I didn’t mind, as I was one of those supporters, but I got the sense Mark knew he could create something the more closely resembled the music he heard in his head with time. There was a fire in his eyes every time he spoke of the future. The things he had planned, the things he wanted to accomplish, and the things he thought he could do once the next level was reached. It was never about tomorrow with Mark, it was about next month or next year. Sustaining his dream over the longterm had become his career, and he was back at the beginning. This time, however, he knew what needed to be done.

This Friday, Mark will release his new album, The Wild Type, through InVogue Records. I had the opportunity to hear the majority of the record for the first time several months ago, and I’ve been itching for the opportunity to share my favorite songs with the rest of the world. The hopes and ideas Mark spoke of over the last half decade have come full circle, and he’s finally creating the kind of art I believe he has been chasing his entire life. There is a sincerity to every song that can only come from someone creating out of pure joy for the craft. Radio play and licensing are nice, and they can certainly help facilitate future tours or albums, but Rose is focused first and foremost to being true to himself. The same unique perspective that gave Spitalfield its defining characteristic has evolved into a man who still sees the world with wide-eyed wonder, and the music he’s creating is a reflection of that change.

We don’t call Monday Motivation posts reviews because there is almost always an incredible bias, but I had to tell you this long story in order to help you understand just what you’re hearing when The Wild Type plays. Mark Rose is an amazing talented singer-songwriter with a knack for hooks and melodies who is second to none in what I like to call the ‘modern soft rock’ genre, yes, but he’s also so much more. He’s a testament to staying true to that little voice in your heart, soul, mind, or whatever you want to call it that tell you compels you to create. He listens to that thing that propels us to be unique and is unique in a way that brings people together. In some cases, he makes people smile. In others, he comforts them while they weep. Whatever the situation, he’s doing that while sharing an honest part of himself with the world solely because it’s what he wants to do. It’s not about the money or the exposure, but rather the art itself. It’s pure.

I encourage you to set aside and extra thirty minute when listening to The Wild Type this week. Find a place to enjoy the album in full, then grab a sheet of paper and write down the thing you really want to do with your life. Don’t worry about the costs or how impossible it may seem in relation to your life today, just write down the thing you wish to pursue the most and be honest when doing it. Look at it. Say it out loud. Commit it to memory and repeat it to yourself over and over until you find a way to take steps to make that dream your reality. It won’t come overnight. It might not come for the next several years, in fact, but if you stay true to yourself, focus on your pursuit, and good things will come in time. When you feel like the world is getting you down, put The Wild Type and find the strength to fight another day.

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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Monday Motivation: The Dear Hunter

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.

Sometimes in life you encounter an artist who continues to impress with each and every creative endeavor they pursue. They become so impressive, in fact, that you are willing to follow any and every future idea they have sight unseen. Call it being a fanatic or simply a diehard believer, but whatever label you place on it that relationship is special. It’s something is reserved for only the deepest of connection with someone or some group we as people can never really know. It’s intimate.

In my life I have known four artists I can say I have felt this way about, and there is none that I feeling more strongly for than The Dear Hunter. Their albums share both an ongoing story, as well as a series of unique listening experiences that challenge that concept of modern alternative music in every way. It’s as if founder Casey Crescenzo set out to make the most complex, yet undeniably infectious cinematic rock band the world has ever known, then challenged himself to raise the bar for quality and diversity in every facet with each release while simultaneously telling several stories stretched across numerous recordings over what is quickly becoming a decade. To say there is a high concept idea or twelve at play would be an understatement, but there is something very inviting about every release. An experimental, genre-defying band for everyone, if you will.

I have tried over several years and reviews to convey my appreciate for The Dear Hunter’s music, so I’m going to try and not repeat those efforts here. I’m a fan, and I think that is established at this point. The reason I’m a fan is because the sheer fact a band like this exists and receives the support of not only a respected label like Equal Vision, but countless thousands of fans around the world, inspires me to chase every big idea I have in my own life. Casey Crescenzo had an idea for what his future could be, and he set to making it a reality in spite of what may have seemed safe or popular at the time. He carved his own path from day one, and with each subsequent release or tour he continues to do things in a way only he can conceive. Each record may not play out the way you expected, but you know it’s exactly what he wanted and you have to respect it. There is no blueprint for such a band, and yet they have found a way into the hearts of people who love any one of a variety of genres, including rock and singer-songwriter shoe gaze. The Dear Hunter is whatever Crescendo wants it to be, and he’s cultivated a following that embraces that ambiguity with open arms.

There is nothing I wouldn’t do to feel confident enough in my own creative endeavors to do exactly what I wanted at all times. To fully express my vision, regardless of what twists and turns arise through doing so, and not allow the pressure of pleasing the outside world influence my work. There may be things Crescenzo feels he is still unable to do, but when I hear the challenging and thought-provoking work he creates I get the feeling he’s content in what is being delivered to the listener. He knows he has done his best and he’s prepared to his work with the world feeling secure in the quality of his effort. He’s not concerned with criticism because he’s already challenging himself to outdo whatever came before because it’s the only way he can ever hope to accomplish such a task. He must always be thinking ahead. Focusing on what is to come, and doing he best to stay true to himself.

I’m definitely projecting what I aspire to be onto Crescenzo and his music, but it works to inspire me to reach such heights. The Dear Hunter’s latest album, Act IV: Rebirth In Reprise, is no exception. Over the course of well over an hour the band delivers a lush and entirely entrancing near masterpiece that intricately weaves elements of previous albums into an entirely new collection of material. The first time I heard it I felt the need to sit in a room without distraction and let the album wash over me. I let it carry me to whatever sonic landscape Crescenzo wanted to explore, and I was happy I did. This album is The Dear Hunter’s best yet, and it leads me to believe there is even better work to come in the band’s future.

This week, give Act IV a chance. It’s a big undertaking in comparison to the short and sleek sugary pop albums dominating charts today, but it’s definitely worth your time. If you don’t walk away feeling inspired you can at least find peace in the fact you heard what is amongst the best examples of true art being created in music today.

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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Monday Motivation: Make War

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.

Something dawned on me the other day that had admittedly crossed my mind about a billion times before without ever being given a second thought. We as consumers spend so much time talking about the songs that matter to us and why they hold such great meaning that we rarely ask the creators of the music what experiences lead them to create in the first place. The song that helped me get through my best friend dying last fall could very easily have been written by someone trying to get over a break up or deal with the fact they had to move away from everyone they loved. The reason for the materials’ creation may not mean as much to me as the material itself, but as all art is the product of experience it is important to try and appreciate what someone else was going through when they decided to lay pen to paper and form a melody with words mirroring feelings held deep within.

The reason this crossed my mind is because of a little known band called Sad And French. Last year, Sad And French released an incredible debut acoustic album through Black Numbers that was promoted through Haulix. The album was written following one member’s experience with a rough breakup, but when I heard the record lost love was the furthest thought from my mind. 2014 was, for me, a year of learning to take life by the reigns in spite of whatever negative bullshit may come my way. I have learned more about myself in the last year than I had in the half-decade prior, and a lot of my learning was the result of dealing with hardships. The Sad And French record came into my life at a time when I felt the weight of everything happening around me pulling me down, and if we’re being entirely honest I felt as if I were reaching the end of my rope. Depression had swept over me on like a ghost with a bone to pick, complete with fits where I felt unable to pull myself out of bed, but something in the music of Sad And French gave me hope. It wasn’t that music was uplifting in any way, but rather that the group seemed to thrive on wallowing in their mistakes. They dealt with what was bothering them by working through it rather than working around it, and I realized after several dozen listens I needed to do the same.

This week, Sad And French return with a new album released under their new name, Make War. The band’s music is now about much more than a single relationship, but the way their material works is very much the same. Make War, like Sad And French, thrives on pulling apart the bullshit of everyday life, examining it, and realizing that we as people are much more than any one moment in time. It’s not about moving on as much as it is making sense of everything that has happened, learning from it, and finding new ways to exist in the wake of everything we have gained from the experiences we have had. It’s beautiful, chaotic, and infectious all at once, and I cannot recommend enough that everyone finds time to experience the album in full. For now, here’s a little taste:

I chose Make War for this week’s Motivation Monday because I feel we could all learn something from the way this band chooses to deal with life. Growing up is not about shaking off the rough times in our youth, but rather learning to take things in stride and accept the fact we cannot control what comes our way. The best we can do is to face life head-on and give it everything we’ve got. If we fail, at least we tried, and that is still better than most.

Make War will be released August 28 via Black Numbers and can be pre-ordered here.

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 ofAntique 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: Pop Evil

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 started college in the fall of 2006, which was less than a year after the world experienced the boom of Social Media and we began to recognize the interconnectivity of our lives with technology. Things seemed slower then. Maybe they were, in fact. There was no Twitter, the popularity of texting was still in its infancy, and the careers of young entertainers were still largely developed from gig to gig on the open road. There were one or two Myspace success stories, of course, but most artists were still trying their best to build a fervent following from their hometown out.

Sometimes I think I liked those days more, if only because it allowed artists a little more time to develop their sound and presence before being thrust upon the world at large. Before the age of social media, a bad show was just a bad show. You did your best, and if people weren’t into it everyone would shake their heads and go home wishing things had gone better. It was tough, but it a lot was better than having someone tape that show and post video of it, in full 1080p HD, to YouTube before you even pull out of the venue parking lot. That kind of thing can tarnish an artist’s reputation before they should even be at a point where live show reputation matters a great deal. Not everyone is an arena ready headliner from the moment they pick up a guitar, but for whatever reason the age of immediacy that followed the rise of social media has created a culture that demands perfection from day one, despite several hundred years of human experience and history that tell us most of the greatest creative minds of all time were also, on occasion, absolute disasters.

What I’m trying to say with all of this is that I’m still very much a fan of the long game. I love an overnight success story as much as the next person, but my personal experiences in music have shown me that those who last the longest in this business often did not find success until they had dedicated many years to refining their talent. Flash in the pan success is great, but ultimately fleeting. The people who make a real difference in music as those who toil in the middle, caught between stardom and being unknown, for as long as it takes to get the recognition or opportunity they have worked their entire lives to attain. There is no plateau they seek, only continued progression over time. It’s not about the money or the fame or the success, but rather doing the thing they love to do as well as they can for as long as people will pay them to do so. That’s where the real rewards lie, and that is what I myself hope to find as my career in music (hopefully) continues to develop in the years to come.

It’s with all this in mind that I decided to make today’s Motivation Monday post about eOne’s immensely successful rock group, Pop Evil. Many of you probably know their work, but some of you may not. It doesn’t matter either way, really. You can learn from Pop Evil whether or not you even like the style of radio friendly rock and roll they perform. Their success is not as much about the sound of the music they create as it is their determination to make what they believe is great music regardless of what the outside world told them would sell.

Labels these days don’t always promote the length of time a group has been together, and I have to believe that is due to our obsession with youth and the idea only the young can change the world, but I’ll be the first to tell you Pop Evil spent nearly a decade together before the vast majority of radio rock listeners knew they even existed. The band formed in 2001, but they didn’t receive their first national #1 until nearly the end of 2013. Before then, Pop Evil were just another low level rock band scraping together whatever money they could to get from show to show for many, MANY, years before money and attention came their way. That was okay though, because to them the money and success was always something that would come in time. It wasn’t about being successful tomorrow, it was about working as hard as they could to be they best they could up to, and after, the point when someone other than themselves would give a shit.

When I hear Pop Evil’s music I know the men performing it not only believe in the music, but they believe in themselves. Pop Evil have built a career on doing exactly what they believed was right for them, and through doing so they have developed a dedicated international following that welcomes them with open arms wherever they go. It took a long time to reach this point, but the band never let the length of their journey derail their dreams of staying true to that voice inside their hearts and minds that told them music was their way of life. I’m sure they appreciate the success, but even if it were to go away tomorrow I am confident the band would still be on the road 100-plus days a year, playing for whoever cared enough to see them.

Pop Evil’s new album, Up, hits stores this Friday. The album is filled with potential radio rock hits that I imagine will be very popular with fans young and old, as well as any newcomers who just so happen to discover the band in the months or years ahead. I know you may not be a Pop Evil fan right now, but I challenge you to give the band some time in the days to come. If you look beyond the genre being performed you will see this group, like any real artist or group, are creative people doing their best to express themselves through the medium that they feel best represents them. To hear the music of Pop Evil is to know the members of Pop Evil, and it’s hard to imagine anyone knowing of them and not feeling inspired by their hustle. For over a decade this band has given everything to be themselves, and as long as their is breath in their lungs I believe they will continue to do exactly that, regardless of whatever fanfare may follow.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine a better way to live life than that.

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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Monday Motivation: Stray From The Path

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.

There is a quote from H.L. Mencken that I have kept on the wall in my office for the better part of the last half decade. It reads:

“Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.”

I could spend several minutes and paragraphs exploring the history of the black flag and its use in counter-culture proclamations against perceived acts of tyranny throughout time, but suffice to say it’s a symbol intended to send a message that a person, group, or community are no longer willing to sit idly by while corruption and wrongdoing continue to thrive. If there is anything we in the alternative music community have learned in 2015 it’s that no one has the right to say they have no place in the battle for a safe, welcoming scene. Between the rampant accusations of sexual misconduct, the low payout artists receive from streaming services, the rise of crimes against bands on the road, and the ever-present, albeit rarely discussed division that exists between various sub-groups of kids who claim to belong in this scene, there has never been a more urgent time for people to speak up, be active, and in other words fight for the community they claim to love.

This isn’t just a message to you, the reader, but also one to myself. I think it’s entirely possible for anyone to get caught in a routine of subpar living because we think we lack the power to drive substantial change,and it often isn’t until an outside forces tells us otherwise that we begin to believe in ourselves. If you feel the same, don’t worry. It’s normal. Too normal, in fact, and that is why it’s important to remain aware of your surroundings at all times. It doesn’t take long to find some corner of alternative music where controversy or problems exist, but it’s almost impossible to find anyone taking it upon themselves to inspire meaning change. It seems everyone wants to be the person who yells “Fire,” but no one wants to grab an extinguisher, and if that trend continues it won’t be long before we no longer have a scene at all.

Stray From The Path have long been a band who wore their opinions and hearts on their sleeve(s). They may have started out as any other unknown hardcore band from Long Island does, clawing and fighting for any piece of publicity they received, but over their last two releases it has become increasingly clear this band has undergone a change that made them something akin to a modern day Rage Against The Machine. I’m not saying they have the same sound or technical prowess of that group, but the reason for their existence, as well as the reason they continue to grow from release to release, seems to revolve almost entirely around the fact they say what others are afraid to even acknowledge. In a time where it seems most artists would rather write about the same three or four topics that have always been a selling point for alternative music than risk being seen as controversial, Stray From The Path are breaking down walls and shoving a fat middle finger in the face of anyone who says they are out of line. Their music is about awareness over sales, and it’s because of their diehard dedication to seeing improvement from the community, as well as the individuals who populate it, that I knew they had to be featured in one of our Motivation Monday posts.

The new Stray From The Path Album, Subliminal Criminals, finds the band being outspoken as ever as they tackle everything from the rise of sexual assault within music, to the misguided complaints of those experiencing ‘first world problems.’ It’s a chaotic and heart-pounding listening experience that can and will inspire you to fight for change in your own life. It’s the kind of record that could provide the soundtrack to the day you finally take a gamble on the lifelong dream you’ve kept a secret from your friends and family, or it could be the score to the day you kick the ass of the bully who has been making fun of you or people you know due to sexual preference. Whatever the case, it will motivate you to make a positive change in the world around you, and in my opinion there could be no better sign of a great record. If you agree, click here and pre-order a copy of Subliminal Criminals today!

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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Monday Motivation: Future

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.

Generally speaking, we tend to keep a running list of artists and releases to feature in this column that outlines the next several weeks or even months of content production, but every now and then a release comes along that is so good we scrap our plans and talk about it instead. Such is the case today, as we woke and realized it was Future’s new release Dirty Sprite 2 that we needed to cover instead of the record we chose back in June. This was unexpected. It’s not that we don’t enjoy Future and his unique brand of hook-laden rap, but we never really saw his work as something substantial until this release hit our inbox early Friday morning. Now, we may be fans for life.

Now it’s important for those unfamiliar with the work of Future to know he’s not a rapper like Drake or Kendrick Lamar, and by that I mean he’s not someone whose music is necessarily praised for its lyrical content. The infectious nature of Dirty Sprite 2, like most of Future’s catalog, is owed to the way it makes you feel when it plays. There is a vibe to this record that is downright empowering. You hear it and you want to fight a little harder for whatever big dreams you possess. You want to ball as hard as he does, but you don’t necessarily want to be him. The joy Future speaks of is the result of being himself, and it’s that self-assurance in his own greatness that listeners will want to replicate in their own lives.

On a less serious note, Dirty Sprite 2 is also the perfect soundtrack for keeping the feeling of freedom the weekend offers alive throughout the busy work week. You can put it on to and from work, in between meetings, or while you’re at the gym and find that little extra boost of energy you need to push through whatever challenges may present themselves. You bob along with the beats and, even if just for a moment, feel as if your life has temporary transformed into the glossy world only found in music videos. It’s a fleeting effort in low level escapism, but it’s an escape nonetheless.

The reason I chose Dirty Sprite 2 for today’s motivational post is similar to the reasons behind our selection for last week and the week before, which is the presence of undeniable originality and the ability of that force to influence positive life changes in whoever happens to hear them. We don’t want you to catch yourself pissing codeine syrup like Future mentions doing on DS2’s opener, but we do want you to hear what is possible when someone throws caution to the wind and presents themselves to the world without any sense of hesitation over revealing their true selves to the world. Future hasn’t always been able to do that, but having emerged from the end of a deeply intimate relationship with Ciara feeling a new drive to create he’s finally reached that point and it’s good enough to make you work a little harder to be you in everything you do. Don’t miss out.

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