Samantha's Review

Some people ask how Bob Marley's Music got so popular despite what some would say, inappropriate and vulgar content. Even though Bob Marley's lyrics contain referances to drug abuse or violent and illegal actions, Bob Marley has created some of the most amazing and soothing music in the reggae genre.
Bob Marley was one of the bast musicians known to the reggae genre. His music connected with many people because it came from his own personal expirences.One of his hit songs,"I Shot The Sheriff", connected with people who sought out freesom in life. The lyric seem vulgar in the sence that "I shot the sheriff, but i did not shoot the deputy" refers to murder, the message behind the song was to be free and not held in contempt.
The reggae superstar Bob Marley died on May 11, 1981 in Lebanon hospital in Miami, Florida due to brain, lung and stomach cancer. Born on Febuary 6, 1945, Marley made a quick career creating smootha nd joyful music. Hitting the Jamacain charts in 1964 with the group called the Wailing Wailers, the hit album "Simmer Down" was the clame that heated up Marley's reggae career.
In 1966 Bob Marley and the Wailing Wailers broke up when two of their members left due to the stress of keeping the band togeather. Marley moved to America with is mother. Marely woked in a factory in Delaware. He returned to Jamaica and reunited with the Wailers. Durng this time they recorded a few more albumes that were not very sucessful.On December 3rd in 1976 Marley and his entourage were violently attacked and shot at. Even though Bob and Rita Marley were grazed by the bullets delivered from the attackers, Marley still took the stage two days later with his band at the December 5th "Smile Jamaicia" concert, showing his dedacation to his music and his fans. This act proved to be the world how seriouse Marley was about his music. This was the high light of Marley's career. In 1973 the band broke up to go on solo careers. Marley expanded the intromental section of his band and brought his wife in to be a singer. The band was then Bob Marley and the Wailers. They toured around the U.K and the U.S and created more then 40 top hits including "No Women, No Cry" in 1975 and "Jammin" in 1977.
Marley lived a life of fame and hard work. HGe was never handed anything that he had, he worked for it. By the age of 36 he had created some of the bes music known to not only the reggae genre but to a lot of soulful and spiritual people. Bob Marley's music will live on even though he dose not. I Believe that people should liik past his vugar lyrics and material because his intention was not to create a bad world ir to sorrup listeners, but to create soothing music and show the world that though all the turmoil and crime, even in a bad life that there is hope and freedom. That is why Bob Marley's music is some of the best around.

Kristina's review

Cassadee Pope has a voice that holds her own and can make any song sound good.
At the age of 13, Cassadee started singing. She loved it. When she got into high school it became her passion. During high school she became friends with Mike Gentile, Alex Lipshaw, Michael “Jersey” Moriarty, Elliot James, and Bobby Nolan.
Right out of high school, Cassadee was at the age of 20 she made the band “Hey Monday”, made up of her friends.
There first CD “Hold on Tight” came out on March 17th, 2009. Their song “Homecoming” became there number one hit in no time. Click
here for the music video of homecoming

From racing guitars that run rampant through the hot summer sun of “Arizona,” to the more anxious styling of “Homecoming” and the empowering ballad “Candles,” Hey Monday has delivered a CD that embraces the young energy of the musicians that created it. From spiteful breakup songs and bitter observations that an ex has moved on mingle with muffled expressions of independence and a quest for one’s self in the world around us.

With her voice in the band makes them stand out of all the rock-pop bands out there…. They will always shine bright in the music industry...

Jesika's review

The Maine
The Maine is an all boy band that plays pop-punk music. They aren’t dressed casual or even fancy for their performances. They seem to wear what some people call “girl clothes”. I normally only listen to R&B or pop but their voices drew me to them. The Maine’s last album Can’t Stop Won’t Stop got me to listen and leave my ear wanting more and more.
This band is from Arizona and started going on tour before any of them got out of high school. Every day they get noticed more and more. What first got them noticed was in 2007 when they met up with the band Boys like Girls. Boys like Girls made a shout out and got The Maine booked a tour for that very next summer. Their audience fell in love.
The boys of The Maine relate their music to their lives, and I can relate to their lyrics also. For example the song, “Girls Do What They Want”/ the lyrics “She’s 18 and a beauty queen, she makes the boys feel so weak” shows that the lead singer finally found a girl that likes him for who he is and not for fame or any other reason. On their web page the article about this song said that the lead singer and his long time girlfriend fell in love before fame and that means a lot to them.
Another song of theirs “She’s The One”, talks about how this girl and the lead singer have fallen in love not for looks not for any reason but for herself and her all together personality. Most girls fell in love with this band for their lyrics because of that reason.
The Maine and I have a lot of things in common. Like we both love to hang with friends and just have a good time. They have a positive attitude at all times and try to be less negative as possible. Those are very important things to think about.
In conclusion, the Maine is a band I highly recommend to any teenager or even adults. If you’re into romance, punk-pop kind of music you will love the Maine. I love them and so do many others, so check them out.

Jesika
1-12-10
Choir

Link: http://music.aol.com/video/into-your-arms/the-maine/bc:31300911001

Michelle's Review

Alanis Morrisette review by M Vigue



Alanis Morrisette is one of today’s most unique artists as evidenced in her album
Jagged Little Pill. With her voice, lyrics, and many different rhythms and instruments, this album is full of different tones and attitudes. This album is also full of expression and explores different situations that she has either been a part of, has seen, or has made up.
Beginning with her voice, Alanis Morrisette’s is like no other. Most artists strive to have a perfect sounding voice but she does just the opposite. Unlike others her voice cracks on the high and low notes. She also hardly ever has a quiet song. On the album there is a hidden track “Forgive Me Love.” She sings this song acapella which means no instruments, beats, or anything to back up her voice except the lyrics. This song is beautiful in it’s own way despite the sad lyrics. The sound and tone of her voice make it that way.
Next are the instruments and rhythms she uses in her songs on this album. The choice of instruments for the album are not common ones, but rather very unexpected. She plays the guitar which seems pretty normal but then you hear harmonica and the flute. Blended together these instruments, just like a symphony, help make an awesome song. But she doesn’t use all the instruments in every song, she switches it up so each song is different. Her choice of instruments gives this album a great amount of variety and style.
Lastly is the choice of lyrics. Usually in most songs no one uses correct punctuation or they use way too much but Alanis doesn’t seem to care how the song is written. She uses slang and idioms in place of the correct word in order to make the sound different. There is a huge difference of the use of words; sometimes using the wrong words make the song even better just by the way it comes out of the artist’s mouth. For example: in the song “You Oughta Know” (note the title) it has grammatical mistakes in every verse and chorus but the beat, the rhythm, the instruments, and the tone of her voice make up for it. A second example would be in “Hand in My Pocket” where just like the other song has a few misspellings but it’s backed up by everything else.
If you’re looking for a change in genre, beat, or anything else along those lines, I would recommend you give this album a listen. This kind of music can put you in a relaxed mood or just be something fun to listen to just to get you going. On a scale of 1-10 I would give this album a 10 because of the variety and because it’s never the same thing twice.
To see "Hand In My Pocket" click here

Kati's Review

Owl City

Is a sythnpop musical project made by singer Adam Young. Adam Young started out making music when he was young in his parent’s basement. He lived in Owatonna, Minnesota.
His music is a mixture of Disco, Alternative rock, emo and electronic. After two amazing albums that Young made, his third album under, the name Owl City, Ocean Eyes was a very popular album from 2009. "Fireflies" a song from Ocean Eyes, was the #1 single on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100. "Fireflies" was the most downloaded song on iTunes in 2009.
Owl City became popular on Myspace. Featured songs on Owl City's Myspace were "Hello Seattle" and "The Saltwater Room" with the singer Breanne Duren.
Adam Young sings about topics such as urban design, the elements, travel, dental care, and also love and romance. Young’s music is primarily synth based, dreamy and atmospheric.
The song "Fireflies" is about memories from his childhood. The music video was directed by Steve Hoover. It features Adam Young in a toy-filled bedroom where most of the toys come to life. All the toys are old toys from the 1970’s and 80’s, also in the video are vintage household items such as an old TV and record player. Some of the lyrics are:
"I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep".

These lyrics are a great example of his childhood and how he tried to sleep and never falls asleep. Why can't he sleep? It seems to me that he makes us try to think about these things.

I like Adam Young's voice because it's very soothing and soft. He is very unique because he is creatative in his music and lyrics.


You can click here to watch the Fireflies video.

Tori's Review

Framing Hanley isn’t exactly a new group but the sound they have created is entirely their own. Their new C.D. “The Moment” hit stores in August of 2009, showing remarkable emotion as well as the ability to connect with their audience.
The bands song “Hear Me Now” shows their truly unique ability to put real life experiences into their songs. For example, the lyrics “I swear to you and God we’ve been down this road before the guilt’s no good and it only pains us more,” shows falling back into an old routine that we know we shouldn’t. Most people can connect with this fact.
The sound they have created is entirely their own. Its not only the voice put to the music but the music itself. The song “Lollipop,” originally sang by a rap artist by the name of Lil’ Wayne, has a new beat as well as a new sense of the song. The meaning of the song hasn’t changed but the song in my opinion has been taken to a whole new level. Framing Hanley switched a rap song to a rock song with drums and guitars that replaced technical riffs.
Framing Hanley has shown tremendous talent and emotion in the music they have presented; weather their trying to show you how hurt they are or how happy they are. I believe this band will take the music business into a new ERA, filled with passion and great music.


To see a video of Framing Hanley click here

To see more vidoes of Framing Hanley click www.methodshop.com

Leeah's Review

To see the full band photo click here

Led Zeppelin:A Decade of Influence

Often underestimated, Led Zeppelin over the years has influenced many an artist in the rock and roll genre. Rolling Stone calls them, “unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history.” It was a summer in 1968 when the original Yardbirds broke up and recently initiated guitarist, Jimmy Page, desperate to keep the flame going, went on search to find new members. Although they were not the original people he sought out, the players he found would eventually encompass what would later become the everlasting band of Led Zeppelin. In its time, almost a decade from 1968 to 1980, Led Zeppelin would rise to the top of the charts removing the Beatles album, “Abby Road,” with their second installment, Led Zeppelin II and release five platinum albums. Their unmistakable music has attracted musicians and fans alike, with artists crediting their inspiration to Led Zeppelin's music to the listeners whose desire for their music made the continuation of the band possible.


Led Zeppelin's originality is due mostly to their one of a kind sound. A sound which can range from hard and heavy beats to rolling acoustics. Take for instance, their number one song, “Stairway to Heaven” from Led Zeppelin Four (often marketed as Zoso) and compare it to “Kashmir” from their sixth album, Physical Graffiti. Stairway offers some very distinct folk rhythms that build to a hard rock finish-- “And as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our souls, there walks a lady we all know who shines white light and wants to show.--” “Kashmir” contrasts with “Stairway” due to the repetition of the one particular guitar riff. The song often reminds the listener of walking through a desert landscape-- “Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dreams.” While both are separate songs with two separate styles, one being more folk oriented and the other giving a Middle Eastern feel; it is easy to distinguish the musicians and their individual contributions. The singer, Plant with his wailing, Page with his amazing guitar riffs, Bonham providing the beat and Jones playing either organ or bass.


Perhaps the greatest proof of Led Zeppelin's influence can be found in their ardent followers, the fans. In their earlier years of opening for bands like Iron Butterfly, the media gave them little to no exposure. In fact, Led Zeppelin's music had only been shown on a single television broadcast which featured the song, “Communication Breakdown.” Due to the poor sound and picture, the band itself abandoned the use of television in favor of live concerts. The media was often times too afraid to display anything by Led Zeppelin for fear that their music wasn't the mainstream. Fans would have to attend live concerts or purchase the albums in order to listen to Led Zeppelin because the radio stations wouldn't play their songs. It was only until “Stairway to Heaven” was released when the radio fully accepted their music. Still, even with this lack of exposure, the band continued to play and continued filling entire stadiums. News of their concerts was passed from mouth to mouth and fan to fan.


On a scale of artists and musicians influenced by Led Zeppelin, some of the more heavily influenced are stadium bands as well. One of the most obvious of these bands is Aerosmith. On occasion, Aerosmith has adopted a few songs from hit bands. The Beatles song, “Come Together” was featured on their Greatest Hits CD. One such song played by Aerosmith was “Train Kept A Rollin'.” Originally a Yardbirds song, it was the first song Led Zeppelin ever played together before they acquired their name. Freddy Mercury, first and former lead singer for Queen had also compared his band's journey to Led Zeppelin's. He says, “Back in the old days, we were often compared to Led Zeppelin. If we did something with harmony, it was the Beach Boys. Something heavy was Led Zeppelin.”


Led Zeppelin's influence has spread from the time when they were playing and even today years after the original band parted ways. Fans from back then and some from younger generations, still listen to their almost revolutionary music. There is also no doubt that some of the bands of this day and age attribute their inspiration to Led Zeppelin or other bands that were inspired by Led Zeppelin. From one of a kind music, to fans to musicians, Led Zeppelin has become an important part of rock history and the history of music itself.

Article by: Leeah Whittier

Cited websites
www.brainyquote.com
www.ztorak.tripod.com/lz/chronology.html
www.allexperts.com
www.rollingstone.com
www.youtube.com
www.photobucket.com

Magazines Cited
School of Rock Magazine—Led Zeppelin Exclusive
Rolling Stone Magazine—Issue 1041 December 13, 2007 The Return of Led Zeppelin

Albums Cited
Led Zeppelin IV or Zoso—“Stairway to Heaven”
Physical Graffiti—“Kashmir”

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Jen's Review

Gackt Camui

Many musicians and bands find a genre that they stick to until the cruel end. They stick to this genre despite the lyrics and message they are wishing to portray and never break the mold. Instead they find a way to adapt their meaning around their set sound. That is what makes the single artist, Gackt Camui, stand out from all the rest. With an ever-fluctuating style that is unprecendented in the music world, Gackt's songs find a way to convey a deeper emotion and touch people's souls.

Many artists often find themselves pressured to write songs that have little to no meaning due to record companies demanding that they produce. This often resualts in the same sounds and the same words, which makes the meaning of the overall song...disappear. It just doesn't touch the heart of the listener because it is not fully from the heart of the maker. When people listen to a beautiful song that truly touches them, it is a song that has a meaning to it. A strong song doesn't fit a set mold. A strong song is one that's main top imporance was to convey ane emotion and experiance to the audience, not one that's main function was to soothe the record companies for a little while. When an artist can overcome the challenges of pressure from the record companies and the expectations of anxious fans, they are able to break the mold. Breaking this mold resualts in an overall better experiance for the artist and audience, as well as the channeling of a truly deeper meaning to their music. This being said, it is a known fact that Gackt has pushed back deadlines so much as four months despite the record company telling him to get it done. In fact, the album Moon took eleven months to complete all together. This is because he refuses to write songs that don't effect anyone. When he tries to write songs under pressure, he says that it "simply doesn't come" to him. All his songs are stories, or as he says, "like letters to the listener" in which he shares his experiances. Some of these stories are said to have "hit [him] in the back of the head" on late night drives. Proof of their story-like resemblance lies in the album, Moon. Each song on the album tell a part, or chapter, of an over-all story. When they are put all together, it puts the audience in that story almost as if they are reading a good book. The audience can really feel like they are in this world that Gackt creates and they can relate to it better that way. Gackt feels that even if his words are "just a memo written on paper" that if it touches the audience even just a little bit then that memo was meant to be there. He makes his lyrics just that, an experiance that the audience can take and experiance.

Gackt has never fit a mold. He has a belief that "music should never pressure people to fit a mold." That music should be flexible. The important thing to him in music is the message he is trying to convey to the audience, not the record company's orders. In fact, Gackt has broken the mold before with his changing of style for the betterment of the quality of the the message. When he was part of the famous Visual Kei band, Malice Mizer, he began to write lyrics that were not the norm for the band. He not only changed their type of music, but they also switched from a dark imposing image to one of a Gothic Aristocratic style. Such a great change was caused by Gackt artistic opinions on a flexible form of music that was more about message than "just looks" as most Visual Kei are. After leaving the band at the height of their success, Gackt moved on to continue changing his style to suit the meaning of his song. Take for example the song "Returner ~Yami No Shuuen~", a single released June 20, 2007, and the song "Another World" from the Moon album (released September 5, 2001). Both have reached the top music charts in Japan upon release and yet have completely different styles and stories. "Returner", which hit Oricon's "#1 Pick" on both Daily Singles and Weekly, is about a woman waiting the return of her beloved who is on the battlefeild. The lyrics are from the woman's prospective and speak of dreaming that the husband would die and longing for him to come home unharmed. The song itself uses traditional Japanese flutes as well as a beautiful guitar and drum rhythm in the background. These three instruments encompass Gackt's vocals which are in their lower range but hit a higher range during the most emotional parts of the song. In contrast, the song "Another World" has an atmosphere that can be described as light and bouncy. It is joyful despite the fact that the song is speaking of the longing to be out of bad conditions and hoping to be in another world. It primarily uses guitars that accompany the vocals which sing from the view of a close friend in the same situation that wishes to get out...but feels that they don't need another world because they are together. The lyrics themselves are completely different in their set-up and rhyme. Instead of how most lyrics are set up to convey one thought and then go to the next line, Gackt puts a thought out there to give snippets of the scenery that the "characters" of the song are living in. Instead of making it a precious thought, it is made into snippits and little flashes. For example, the beginning of the song says "yaburisuterareta Magazine yogorenaki tamashii / eiga no you na One Scene anata nara anshin," or in English, "A ripped up magazine An untarnished spirit / A movie-like One Scene You are safe." He does this several times through the song to indirectly give the listener an idea of how they are living. It really puts the listener there rather than just observing. Instead of using the emotional voice he uses in "Returner," Gackt uses one that's just as bouncy as the guitars and that conveys hope which is what the song is all about.

What really makes Gackt stand out from other artists is the way he performs on stage. When he performs, he puts his whole being into it. He doesn't seem to wear down as the show goes on, but rather keeps the same strong integrity that he starts with. It is as if the message and song have taken over and he is no longer a human up there singing but rather is completely the link to channel between it and the audience. His mood and actions on stage reflect the song so entirely that even non-Japanese speaking listeners can get the gist of what the song's emotion is. They can tell whether it is revealing a deep sorrow or filled to the brink with a happy hopefulness. With that, they can feel the message without even having to know what the message has said. Of course, many artists can move their audience during a performance. However, unlike Gackt, they begin to lose energy as the show goes on because it is not easy to be up there on stage performing. This loss of energy can make the true essence of the song watered down and lose its effect of truly touching the audience. When you get an artist like Gackt up there who doesn't lose his endurance and stays completely in tune with the meaning of the song, the quality of the music and the message begin to syncronize and the audience leaves the show feeling as if they have experienced something much more than just a concert.

It is because of these principles above that Gackt is different than other musicians. Yes, his style and genre is ever changing and can almost never be fully classified as "J-Pop" or "J-Rock." However, despite this, Gackt's music brings the audience into a new world and gives them an experiance of living the story that the song is of. It touches the soul rather than the short-term memory. As such, his songs, although different than each other, will always find a way to enthraw the audience and become not just another experiance but rather a part of their own soul.

SOURCES:

"Jihaku" by Gackt Camui

("My Confession") ; An autobiography by Gackt

"Returner ~Yami no Shuuen~" by Gackt

"Another World" by Gackt

Japanese - English Dictionay by Seigo Nakao

For Gackt's Website Click Here

Kenzie's Album Review

Tegan and Sara

“So Jealous” is the best album ever made by Tegan and Sara. The twins were born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on September 19, 1980. They got started in the music industry by initially going by the name “PLUNK” and using their school’s recording studio to record two demo albums: “Who’s in Your Band?” and “Play Day”. They also had three albums called “Orange Demo”, “Yellow Demo”, and “Red Demo”. Even though the main subject in the press seems to be their sexuality, their songs are rarely about that. The two have also expressed their aspiration to be judged solely on their music, not their gender, sexuality, nationality, or the fact that they’re twins. This album, “So Jealous” includes breathtaking lyrics which piece together fantastic songs. The beats are catchy, the songs are unique, and the duo sounds terrific. The other albums that they have made are amazing too, but “So Jealous” definitely tops them.

The album “So Jealous” has a variety of rhythm and songs. From slow sad love songs that are hardcore honest, to the hopefulness in their love lives. For example, in the song, “Bright just like the stars above me, Proud just like my mother planned it, short on all the things I don't want, I'm full of love and longing” The lyrics are amazing and really catch your attention, the style of Tegan and Sara is so unique. Most songs are about self motivation and wanting to change for the better, which I think is a positive thing. The duo of the girls voices together is incredible and the background music flows together nicely with their sound.
The album, So Jealous came out on September 14, 2004. It was co-produced by Jason McGerr of Death Cab for Cutie, Matt Sharp of The Rentals, and Hunter Burgan of AFI just to name a few. Spin Magazine had given it four out of five possible stars that year. Tegan and Sara write all of their own songs and whichever twin had written that song, leads the vocals for it too. So Jealous was the art of mostly Tegan, she wrote most of so she can sing most of the lead vocals.
“So Jealous” is a big change from their previous albums. Albums like “Under Feet Like Ours”, or “This Business of Art” are very different from their more modern albums. For example, the song, “Nineteen” from the album The Con, shows how young and inexperienced they were with lyrics. Lyrics like, “I felt you in my legs, Before I even met you, And when I laid beside you, For the first time, I told you, I feel you in my heart, And I don't even know you” which is sung to the sound of an uneven, awkward beat for the first part of the song. But now, the lyrics flow together more and make more of a point of what they’re trying to say and the message they’re trying to put out. They were 19 when they recorded they’re first album so you could say that it was a little off key and they hadn’t found the exact sound they were trying to.
In my opinion, “So Jealous” is the best album Tegan and Sara have ever made. I have many facts that support this statement. The album “Sainthood” is a very close second, I haven’t had the time to listen to it completely, but from what I have heard sounds amazing. Maybe their best is yet to come and we will be changing “So Jealous” to a second best. Hopefully Tegan and Sara will continue to record and leave the future open for more incredible music to come.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/tegan-and-sara-so-jealous/DE5D781AC4590B34B3A9DE5D781AC4590B34B3A9

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/tegan-and-sara-walking-with-a-ghost/7CB823B7CE09BEAC28F97CB823B7CE09BEAC28F9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va9uOHGZskg
YouTube video of “Speak Slow”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bqL8o6SxUo

Ashley review

We are the same in a way

Kelly Clarkson’s song “I’m Not Dead” Reminds me a lot of my life. The song is about how she finds the love of her life and tries to tell him that. I had a similar experience.

Another song “Because of You.” Is about when her mom got beaten by her dad. That is something that many people can relate to. “Behind These Hazel Eyes” is about when she is about to get married then she sees him flirting with a guest. She feels heart broken.

Just how much are we a like? We feel the same way about life. Her song “I’m not dead” is like my song “I Don’t Care Anymore.” How sad are her songs and mine? Her song “Behind These Hazel Eyes” and my song you “Broke My Heart” are very sad songs since she is in love and gets hurt and that is sad.
Click here to take a look at some Kelly Clarkson images.

It’s not fun being the one who gets hurt all the time. I wrote a song called “For the One We Love”. Her song “I’m Not Dead” is a song that inspired my song. I know I’m not famous but still we are alike in away.

Click here to see a video of Kelly Clarkson.

Shelby's Review on Matchbox Twenty

Matchbox Twenty

Matchbox Twenty is a great band because it is easy to take any moment in your life and relate it to a line in a song, or a whole song from them. Their two disc set titled, “Exile on Mainstream”, contains many songs that are easy to relate to.
Matchbox Twenty’s 3 A.M. on disc two of Exile on Mainstream is a song of deep meaning. It is easy to relate to because many people have experienced it. Rob Thomas, the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, wrote this song to perform with his band in the 90’s. He wrote this song to express how he felt when his mother was battling cancer when he was just 14 years old. She is scared of the outside world because what it has brought to her and that’s why the first line of the song says, “She said its cold outside and she hands me a raincoat, she’s always worried about things like that. She said its all gonna end and it might as well be my fault, and she only sleeps when its raining, and she screams, and her voice is straining.” She feels like she has to protect Rob from the sickness that struck her. Protection is something that comes with parenthood, but when tragedy grows strong, the need to protect your children always grows stronger.
Obviously, this song is about being close to someone to make sure they’re okay. However, that’s the complete opposite of their song “All Your Reasons.” Have you ever had a bad day and felt like someone was pulling you down and piling negativity on you? If so, then you can relate to this song. “Why don’t you just go away? I can’t seem to get my head straight. There’s so much I need to say, it could take all day. Yeah, but what you got, I don’t need it. I can’t listen to all your reasons. Wake up I don’t feel it, I can’t listen to all your reasons. Your bad mood just ties my hands…it turns my cartwheels into headstands. I’ve done everything I can, gave all I had.” I’m sure everyone has felt this way about a person. I know I have. Don’t worry... its human.
Along with telling someone you can’t stand to be around them, Matchbox Twenty also sings a song about letting someone going and realizing you don’t know what you have till it is gone.
The popular 90’s hit “If You’re Gone,” is a great song to listen to when you lose a lover and you realize even though it’s hard to be around that person, it’s harder to be without them. For example, “If you’re gone, then maybe its time to come home. There’s an awful lot of breathing room but I can hardly move. If you’re gone, then baby you need to come home, ‘cause there’s a little bit of something in me, in everything in you.”
Click here to view a Matchbox Twenty AOL video.

Obviously, Matchbox Twenty sings song that you can relate to on various levels. The songs have deeper meaning then just a cool melody and rhymes.
Ultimately, every song by Matchbox Twenty is easy to relate to. I encourage all people, youth & old, to listen to Matchbox Twenty and find lyrics that you can relate to in any way.



References: photo; http://www.musicfanclubs.org/matchbox20/images/mb24.jpg, Google, Matchbox Twenty lyrics.

Elvis Presley Review -N. Lacey

Elvis Presley Review

Though many people may have disliked Elvis Presley, I believe he was one of the greatest artists that has ever lived. This is so because he made history with his musical style and lyrics, his stage presence and performances, his album, “Jailhouse Rock” and even his lifetime as a whole was truly amazing.
First of all, Elvis Presley was very musically talented when it came to his rock-and-roll style and lyrics. Elvis set the marker for rock-and-roll music. He was an international sensation and his sound and style combined all of his own musical influences such as pop, country, gospel, and black R&B. His lyrical style was yet another among his many talents. When Elvis sang, he got to the point which made his lyrics so easy and fun to listen to. The notes and pitch he produced were always on key and yet his sense to go crazy with any song he sang especially in one of his songs titled,” Devil in Disguise”;
“You look like an angel
Walk like an angel
Talk like an angel
But I got wise
You're the devil in disguise
Oh yes you are
The devil in disguise
You fooled me with your kisses
You cheated and you schemed
Heaven knows how you lied to me
You're not the way you seemed”

In addition to that, Elvis had amazing stage presence and his performances were landmark. Whenever Elvis got on stage, the crowd went wild. Fainting would occur, mainly from the love-crazed women who adored him, as would uproarious applause, and even tears from those who were so excited to see him. Not only could Elvis sing, he could dance as well. Many would do anything to see the sway of those legendary hips. However, some people thought that his movements were controversial and too sexual for audiences of the time to see, but that didn’t stop him. Also, Elvis had a unique style of dress. He would get on stage dressed in lavish costumes that sparkled in the spot light. His most famous costumes were all jumpsuits; these were always a crowd pleaser.
Next is a little about his background that led up to his fame. Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tulepo, Mississippi on January 8th, 1935 to Vernon and Gladys Presley. He was born in a two-room shot-gun house, which is basically a gun room, that his father had readied for his birth. Jesse Garon Presley, his identical twin brother who was born thirty five minutes prior to Elvis, was sadly a stillborn, which made him an only child. His family was just above poverty so they could not afford lavish things but still managed to get Elvis a decent education. His first performance was at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair & Dairy show at ten years old and at eleven he received his first guitar. As Elvis got older, many noticed his strong interest in music. He played at lunch time during school and began taking guitar lessons in high school. Though he had many musical influences such as Roy Acuff, B.B. King, and the Statesman Quartet, his initial inspiration was the Assembly of God church he attended as a child, he would frequently crawl out into the aisles and walk up to the choir and try and sing with them Soon Elvis grew and began trying for record deals. After many tries with different companies, he finally got a break with Sun Records and recorded his first hit, “That’s Alright Mama’’. He continued to live an amazing career in music, acting, and he was also an Army Sergeant for two years. As a film star he made thirty-one movies including “Jailhouse Rock”, which introduced the hit song “Jailhouse Rock”. Also on that soundtrack was “Treat Me Nice”, “I Want to Be Free”, “Don’t Leave Me Now”, “Young and Beautiful”, and “Baby I Don’t Care”. The most popular being,” Jailhouse Rock”.
Lastly is how amazing his album, “Jailhouse Rock”, is and how it really incorporates everything that made Elvis, Elvis. One of Elvis’s most famous albums was the, “Jailhouse Rock”. This song incorporates all of his signature things: lyrics, his famous “jail-bird attire”, and dance moves. Elvis made this song a hit with all of these things combined just as he did with every endeavor. These lyrics may seem cheap to some,but the way the song flows and how it sounds is really what got to most of his fans;
“The warden threw a party in the county jail.
The prison band was there and they began to wail.
The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing.
You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing.
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock”
Click here to visit Jailhouse Rock video on Youtube.

These lyrics definitely show his get-to-the-point style and the scene in the movie shows every attribute Elvis can dish out. This song and album are truly a great addition to the Elvis collection of songs because if you like some of his original work, then listening to this song will surely bring joy to your ears.There is not a better song or album anywhere.
All in all, many may have and still do dislike The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, but I believe he was one of the greatest artists that has ever lived. This is true because he made music history with his style and lyrics, his stage presence and performances, his lifetime before fame, and his album, “Jailhouse Rock”.
Elvis had an outstanding life and career that sadly ended August 16th, 1977 from a drug overdose. Even after his death, his albums still continue to gross millions each year, it seems true that the great ones never truly die.


Image link- http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2324205056/tt0050556
Audio clip-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRu3tw9fYxE

Paramore Review by Ashley

Paramore has a style all their own, with incredible music that rocks the body and touches the soul. The ability to connect with the fans is an art they have perfected. Their level of fame has skyrocketed within 6 years, from a high school band to a Grammy nominated band! Their music was used for the famous movie Twilight. Not bad for a punk/rock band right?

In 2004, paramore came to be. A band of five members, Hayley Williams, Zach and Josh Farrow, and Jeremy Davis, all started at a young age. The youngest of the group is Hayley, she was 13 when the band started! This group made their way up the latter of fame by starting at the bottom like they all do. They started with talent shows, to performing at local hang outs which got their ticket to higher level gigs in rock clubs.

What makes their band so good is Hayley’s power house voice, and the music that makes your body move whether you want it to or not. This band isn’t just a noise maker like some other bands. Paramore’s music says something. They throw a message out to the fans for all of them to hear. If they have an opinion, they will sing about it. There first album “All We Know is Falling” came out in 2005. The songs on this album definitely had an effect on our generation. The song “All we know” became a hit, which led to many hits to come. Like the song "Riot" off of the album “Riot.” This song definitely caught the attention of the rock music lovers and the outcasts. Obviously this band is very influential through their music, talking of love, heart break, the skeletons in our closets, and the path back to who you are, and much more…

Personally, I think their songs are very powerful. The songs have very deep meaning if you listen carefully. For example, the song “Misguided Ghosts.” The song says: “I’m going away for a wile but I’ll be back, don’t try and fallow me.’ Cause I’ll return as soon as possible. See I’m trying to fid my place, but it might not be where I feel safe. We all learn to make mistakes.” This is one of those songs that touches base with the seniors in high school. It connects with them about how going out into the world and finding one’s self. She also says in this song: “And run from them, from them. With no direction. We’ll run from them, from them with no conviction.” In this part she is basically admitting she runs from her problems. This is only one way to look at it. Many people may have different ideas. This example is my own thought on the song and it happens to be my favorite.

The song that led them to fame is “Decode.” This song was used in the movie series “Twilight!” Video clip!! >> http://www.paramore.net/video/decode/ and after you watch this video, check out there formal website! There pretty fun and entertaining to fallow. They are very interactive with there fans. That is also why they have gotten so popular. Not to mention there incredible cover songs such as “Need somebody” Link: youtube, kings of leaon by paramore.

Definitely with a style of their own they have stolen the hearts of many music lovers. Their fresh and spunky way of expressing themselves has taken them further than anyone had expected. I’m quite sure that this band is only at the starting line of fame, but I’m positive they will go all the way and make it to the history books. All they have to do is stay honest in their lyrics as they always have.

Chris's Review

Chris Rammstein
1/4/10
Choir

This is a most excellent band with interesting music and fantastic musical ideas. If I had the chance to go to any live concert I would choose to go to a rammstien concert.

Rammstien was created in 1994 in the capitol of Germany, Berlin. The name of the band was created because of a tragedy that injured and took 80 lives during an air force flight show. There are 6 members of the rammstien band. Till lindemann is the lead singer, Richard kruspe and Paul Landers is the guitarist, christoph Schneider is the drummer, Oliver riedel is the bass player, and Christian “flake” lorez plays the keyboard. In 1995 rammstien recorded their first sound track, Herzeleid. This album sold over 500,000 copies in Germany alone.Rammstien continued selling one album about every 2 years. Rammstien became the most famous rock band in Germany. Rammstien also performed not only on stage around the world, but also in the movie xXx and in a C.S.I episode. I believe if anyone likes a good song then they will definitely be astonished by how well rammstein can perform music.

Two of rammstien most famous songs, feuer frei (Open Fire) and, du hast (You have) are known to many
people world wide. The album in witch these songs came from was named mutter. The song meaning ‘open fire’ was from the military command that was given to soldiers to fire upon the enemy “feuer frei” (open fire).

The song feuer frei is an amazing song because the music quality is exquisite. The keyboardist is fantastic at playing the instrument. The instrumentalists are well trained and the lead singer is extremely well at changing from a bass to a falsetto voice.


In addition to this music report I have added a music video of rammstien singing the song feuer frei. The following link will take you to the video.


http://www.slack-time.com/music-video-657-Rammstein-Feuer-Frei
Thank you
Christopher Leon James Bowden

The information depicted in this report was from the following web sites.
http://www.last.fm/music/Rammstein/_/Feuer+frei!
http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Rammstein/Biography/

Daniel's Album Review

Alex Gaudino

He is back. Alex Gaudino, the famous DJ from Italy. After being quiet for several years, he has been working on his new album called My Destination. Music experts expect that this is going to be one of his best albums ever, because he put a lot of work in it. And the first impression after listening to that album takes everybody’s breath away. These songs are going to be played all over the clubs in this world!

So let’s take a look at Alex Gaudino. A lot of people probably did not hear anything from him before, even I didn’t! Alex Gaudino started his music biz career in 1993 in Flying Records. In 1998 with the support of the famous Italian record company TIME, he founded his own label called RISE Records. This label had a string of Hit records like Robbie Rivera’s Bang. He got nominated for best European A&R at the European Music Awards in London in 2000. After several remixes he made in his own, like Reaction or Head over Heels that came out in famous compilations like Ministry of Sound and Hed Kandi, his real gear-change came in 2007 with his single Destination Calabria that you also find on this album. With that Hit, he became a well-known international DJ.

Let’s get back to our album. Like I said, the first impression was amazing. After 30 seconds I already felt like dancing, and I really thought that I was in a club. I don’t get this feeling everytime while doing an album review! The tracks that I like the most on this album were Destination Calabria (which already is well-known) and Watch Out. These songs are still in my mind, and I can’t get them out of my head because I loved the beats and the instrumental parts. So, here we come to the aspects that make these songs so good.

Destination Calabria, what Alex Gaudino made with vocals from Crystal Waters, is a really good song. When hearing that song, some people might identify that the vocals come from Crystal Waters’ single Destination Unknown. And then, there is this melody, played by a saxophone. This melody comes from the Danish producer Rune and is called Calabria.
When all parts are put in together (the drums, the beat, the vocals and the saxophone), it becomes an unforgettable, unique sound. The genre of this song is electronic house.

Watch Out, produced from Alex Gaudino with the support of vocalist Shena, is another really great song from Alex Gaudino. First of all, this song has a lot of beat in it, even more than Destination Calabria. But that does not mean, that this song is boring. Alex Gaudino again added a saxophone melody to his song. And actually, it is quite similar to Destination Calabria, except that this song samples a song from the British punk band Pigbag called Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag. As for myself, I’ve never heard of this song. However, Watch Out is a real summer hit and was even nominated to be the soundtrack for the 2008 UEFA European Soccer Championship!

In my opinion it is the best album produced in 2008, because it has a lot of good music in it, especially my favorite songs Destination Calabria and Watch Out made me jump into the air while listening to my stereo. The vocals are pretty good, I love the voices from Crystal Waters and Shena. And honestly, while you are listening, you don’t really care about what they are singing. And the saxophone, which you can hear really often in this album, plays melodies you will never forget. Like I said, after the first listening I still have the saxophone from Watch Out bumming in my head, and I love it. It makes me just happy and puts a big smile in my face :)





Links:
-www.alexgaudino.com
-www.wikipedia.com

Music:
-click destination for music video of destination calabria!
-click watch out for the music track watch out!

NickelBack Review by Rebecca

Nickelback

NickelBack is the best band because this band consists of five people, their names are: Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Daniel Adair, Brandon Kroeger and Ryan Peake. Chad Kroeger is the lead vocals and lead guitarist, they all come from Vancouver Canada. The name comes from working at star bucks, the band started in 1995. Nickel back is one of the most successful Canadian groups; they sold over 30 million albums and are still making it big.
One of the reasons I like Nickel Back is their style and music because their music. The song "Follow You Home" means to be in love and you won’t let anything stop you, something cool about this band is all the guys are related to each other.
The first time I listened to this group was about four years ago and I loved it instantly. I let my mom borrow my CD and she loves it too. She says the song “How you remind me” is her favorite because it reminds her of the mistakes she made with men and how she grew from it.
Another favorite of mine is “How You Remind Me” because it brings me back to a boyfriend I had a while back and how the break up it made me wiser. One thing I think about this band is it’s a sharp slap of reality because it shows you that the world is a cold unforgiving place.

My favorite album is their original album which is called “Fight For All The Wrong Reasons”.
My favorite songs are from the album “Animals.” I like this song because it’s a fun song and I like how the instrumentals and the words complement each other. One line from this song is “so come on baby get in” because it’s what a typical guy would think about when he’s with a girl, to just jump in his car and go.
My other favorite line is “We Parked Out By The Tracks And We Just Started Getting Busy When She Whispered What Was That?” Her dad found them and the man started freaking out and looking for the keys to drive away. I picked this lyric because it’s funny and ironic because when you’re that age you think you won’t ever get caught. This shows how their music is a sharp slap of reality.

Click here to visit NickelBack's Webpage.


Images found at /www.starpulse.comThe following link is to a picture.



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