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  • Weekly Top Albums 11/22-11/28 (ish)

    30 nov. 2009, 1h43m par Cheekeemunkee

    cheekeemunkee's top albums (7 days) 1. Weezer - Raditude (20)
    2. R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi (18)
    3. R.E.M. - Monster (14)
    4. Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (14)
    5. R.E.M. - Document (13)
    6. Europe - Last Look At Eden (13)
    7. U2 - Achtung Baby (12)
    8. R.E.M. - Reckoning (12)
    9. House of Lords - Cartesian Dreams (12)
    10. R.E.M. - Green (12)
  • 5 x 5: How Weird Can They Be (Artists #6 - #10)

    30 nov. 2009, 0h26m par VioletPoetry

    Rules:
    Get your overall top 5 artists from Last.fm, and find the top 5 of their tracks that you've scrobbled most. Then note where it comes in that artist's "most-played" lists. The lower the track in the list, the weirder you are... or something to that effect.

    NOTE: This is a continuation of my previous 5 x 5 note. Read that note to see how it turned out for artists #1 through #5.

    6) U2
    1) ÉcouterCity Of Blinding Lights - #16
    2) ÉcouterAll Because Of You - #36
    3) ÉcouterNo Line On The Horizon - #14
    4) ÉcouterPride (In The Name Of Love) - #14
    5) ÉcouterOriginal Of The Species - #42

    Result: Weird, I guess... Only one track in the top 15.

    7. Stream of Passion
    1) ÉcouterThe Art of Loss - #12
    2) ÉcouterGames We Play - #16
    3) Far and Apart - #35
    4) ÉcouterNow or Never - #18
    5. ÉcouterWhen You Hurt Me the Most - #13

    Result: Again, on the weird side. And it's all songs from the new album. I guess I really like that one. :)

    8. Epica
    1) ÉcouterDance of Fate - #5
    2) Never Enough - #4
    3) ÉcouterQuietus - #3
    4) ÉcouterRun for a Fall - #7
    5) Beyond Belief - #17

    End Result: Not as weird as I thought. Most of my favorites are the fan favorites, too. Hmmmmm...

    4. After Forever
    1) Evoke - #5
    2) Discord - #2
    3) ÉcouterDigital Deceit - #22
    4) ÉcouterEccentric - #19
    5) Equally Destructive - #1

    Result: Ha ha, they all start with the letter D or E. Besides that... again, not as weird as I thought it would be.

    And, last but not least...

    5. Coldplay
    1) ÉcouterThe Hardest Part- #23
    2) ÉcouterTwisted Logic - #42
    3. ÉcouterPolitik - #24
    4. ÉcouterCemeteries Of London - #12
    5. ÉcouterLife In Technicolor - #9

    Result: Weird - most of my favorites aren't the singles, anyway, so that doesn't surprise me. And I don't quite get it why some of my other fave Coldplay tracks aren't in my top five most scrobbled...

    And there you have it!
  • TweetClouds

    29 nov. 2009, 21h04m par atris

    Thanks again to everyone who came out to our show at Urban Outfitters yesterday! That was a blast.

    Today, one of our Twitter followers, @Amie_FM, shared a TweetCloud with us. If you're not familiar with TweetCoulds, I hope you'll take a moment to check out icodefolove.com. Chad Scira, the creator, has put together a remarkably intuitive and super neat little web app to allow you to "generate a cool looking cloud of the words your tweets mostly contain."

    Here's what I got when I plugged in our @atris account:


    Our top three words were thanks, check, and atris. I thought that was pretty appropriate :)

    If you use Twitter, I hope you'll copy and paste what you get in our comments section below!
    -Mason
    a'tris

    Coldplay, Radiohead, U2, Muse, R.E.M, Elbow, Doves, Grandaddy, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Tragically Hip, Pinback, Rogue Wave, Bloc Party
  • Top 10 Songs by My Top 10 Artists (as of 11/29/09)

    29 nov. 2009, 19h55m par VioletPoetry



    1. Autumn (893 plays)

    1. Skydancer
    2. Paradise Nox
    3. Altitude
    4. A Minor Dance
    5. Satellites
    6. Twisted and Turned
    7. Horizon Line
    8. Cascade (For a Day)
    9. Angel of Desire
    10. Synchro-Minds




    2. Flowing Tears (837 plays)

    1. Pain Has Taken Over
    2. The War We Left Behind
    3. Rain of a Thousand Years
    4. Grey
    5. Orchidfire
    6. Colossal Shaped Despair
    7. Children of the Sun
    8. For Tonight
    9. Merlin
    10. Thy Kingdom Gone




    3. Within Temptation (797 plays)

    1. The Howling
    2. Stand My Ground
    3. Hand of Sorrow
    4. Our Solemn Hour
    5. Angels
    6. Frozen
    7. Somewhere
    8. The Cross
    9. Forgiven
    10. Ice Queen




    4. Lacuna Coil (775 plays)

    1. Comalies
    2. Cold Heritage
    3. Senzafine
    4. Entwined
    5. Humane
    6. Distant Sun
    7. Stars
    8. Without Fear
    9. Heaven’s a Lie
    10. Tight Rope




    5. Kamelot (756 plays)

    1. The Black Halo
    2. The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)
    3. The Edge of Paradise
    4. When the Lights Are Down
    5. Rule the World
    6. Serenade
    7. Center of the Universe
    8. March of Mephisto
    9. Descent of the Archangel
    10. Abandoned / The Human Stain / Wander




    6. U2 (665 plays)

    1. City of Blinding Lights
    2. All Because of You
    3. No Line on the Horizon
    4. Pride (In the Name of Love)
    5. Original of the Species
    6. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
    7. Discotheque
    8. Bad
    9. Magnificent
    10. I Will Follow




    7. Stream of Passion (559 plays)

    1. The Art of Loss
    2. Games We Play
    3. Far and Apart
    4. Now or Never
    5. When You Hurt Me the Most
    6. My Leader
    7. This Endless Night
    8. Nostalgia
    9. Embrace the Storm
    10. Street Spirit / Let Me In




    8. Epica (536 plays)

    1. Dance of Fate
    2. Never Enough
    3. Quietus
    4. Run for a Fall
    5. Beyond Belief
    6. Chasing the Dragon
    7. Sensorium
    8. Sancta Terra
    9. Resign to Surrender (A New Age Dawns Part IV)
    10. Fools of Damnation (The Embrace That Smothers Part IX)




    9. After Forever (520 plays)

    1. Evoke
    2. Discord
    3. Digital Deceit
    4. Eccentric
    5. Equally Destructive
    6. Intrinsic
    7. Come
    8. Dreamflight
    9. Boundaries Are Open
    10. Energize Me / Being Everyone / Forever / Sweet Enclosure




    10. Coldplay (470 plays)

    1. The Hardest Part
    2. Twisted Logic
    3. Politik
    4. Cemeteries of London
    5. Life in Technicolor
    6. God Put a Smile Upon Your Face
    7. Low
    8. Til Kingdom Come
    9. Yes
    10. A Message
  • Top 10 at the End of 2009

    29 nov. 2009, 16h08m par leodegraf

    1. Rush
    Rank in 2007: 1 (unchanged)
    First Song: ÉcouterWorking Man. Must have heard this on FM radio in Toronto circa 1975.
    First Love: ÉcouterIn the End. My first entry into Rush was the just released All The World's A Stage album. "In the End" was my first favourite.
    Current Favorite: Armor and Sword. From 2007's Snakes & Arrows, the guys show that they're still rocking and writing great music after 30+ years in the business.
    Trend: Still my favourite band.

    2. Porcupine Tree
    Rank in 2007: 2 (unchanged)
    First Song: Blackest Eyes Saw that these guys opened for Yes. Bought In Absentia and was hooked.
    First Love: Trains The best track on In Absentia, IMHO.
    Current Favorite: Time Flies from The Incident.
    Trend: A return to form with The Incident. Awesome concert as well!

    3. Dream Theater
    Rank in 2007: 3 (unchanged)
    First Song: As I Am Blew me away.
    First Love: As I Am
    Current Favorite: The Count of Tuscany off of the new album is great.
    Trend: Still listening to a lot of DT. I have to say the new album is a notch behind Systematic Chaos.

    4. The Tragically Hip
    Rank in 2007: 2 (up 1)
    First Song: ÉcouterLittle Bones On Much Music when it came out.
    First Love: ÉcouterLittle Bones Was the official party tune of that summer.
    Current Favorite: It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken Not the typical Hip song; great guitar work.
    Trend: I finally purchased World Container. It's OK, but like Rush, I'll continue to support them for a long time.

    5. The Tea Party
    Rank in 2005: 4 (down 1)
    First Song: The River Again on Much Music.
    First Love: The River Sounded like nothing else at the time.
    Current Favorite: Halcyon Days Probably the best mix of East and West rock.
    Trend: Unfortunately, TP has disbanded so without new music, I expect them to slip down the charts over time. Great band though.

    6. Genesis
    Rank in 2007: 6(unchanged)
    First Song: ÉcouterDance on a Volcano In someone's basement circa 1976.
    First Love: Follow You, Follow Me On FM radio
    Current Favorite: ÉcouterWatcher of the Skies Back to the Gabriel days for my favourite.
    Trend: Still a classic band.

    7. Yes
    Rank in 2007: 9 (up 2)
    First Song: ÉcouterRoundabout Again, FM radio.
    First Love: ÉcouterClose to the Edge It's a toss-up between this and...
    Current Favorite: ÉcouterAnd You and I
    Trend: Kind of surprised that they have moved up in two years since I have not purchased any music of theirs in some time.

    8. U2
    Rank in 2007: 10 (up 2)
    First Song: ÉcouterGloria On campus radio circa 1981.
    First Love: Where The Streets Have No Name I obsessed over this album while living in London, UK in 1986-1989.
    Current Favorite: ÉcouterMagnificent Good tune from their newest album.
    Trend: Again solidly in the Top 10 and rising.

    9. Coheed and Cambria
    Rank in 2007: 7 (down 2)
    First Song: ÉcouterThe Crowing Heard this on a flight home from Tokyo on American Airlines of all places.
    First Love: ÉcouterThe Crowing Again, C&C sounded like nothing else at the time.
    Current Favorite: ÉcouterWelcome Home The new album rocks.
    Trend: Still like their stuff a lot, however #4 in 2006 was probably just a timing thing.

    10. Sarah McLachlan
    Rank in 2007: - (-)
    First Song: ÉcouterVox Heard this one on CBC radio back when it was first released.
    First Love: ÉcouterVox I had a sense that she would be good.
    Current Favorite: ÉcouterFear Great track.
    Trend: I now have a Bose iPod speaker system in the dining room so my wife and I are listening to more SMcL in the evenings.

    Take care,
    Barry
  • New Opinions of Last.fm's Top 50

    29 nov. 2009, 10h06m par LexiFSAS

    Before I begin, this is for my own fun and because I'm extremely bored with nothing to do. I'm sick. Even if I say I don't like a certain band or say negative things about a certain band, I have mad respect for anyone that listens to them. Everyone's music taste is their own, and no one has the right to tell you that your taste in music is bad. If anyone does, make them go away.

    1. Muse - I, for one, don't like Muse. I feel like they have become the new Radiohead. I really enjoy a select few songs, particularly Assassin. This song is just great and full of some really intense energy. Also, Plug-In Baby is really great. I find everything else... rather bland. I really dislike their new album and have heard from other people that it was disappointing. Also, I find Knights of Cydonia really annoying. Don't ask me why. Most of you probably think it's like the best song ever made, so props to you. Just not for me.

    2. The Beatles - I don't want to go ranting about them, and I know people will just absolutely hate me because I don't like their music. However, John Lennon is a big influence on me and I did a pretty damn big project on him in 8th grade. I also think they have really shaped music and pretty much paved the road for music. I'm just not into THEIR music. I know, I'm bad.

    3. Radiohead - I think this is the one band on here that I really hate. I have respect for you if you listen to them, that's cool, but this is just definitely not my thing. I think it's more backround music, to be honest, as a friend of mine once said. It could be good for long car rides or something, or maybe falling asleep to. I've only discovered one song I really have enjoyed by them, ÉcouterWeird Fishes/Arpeggi.

    4. Coldplay - I like their music, but I personally think they are annoying. Their music is pretty good and catchy, I like their energy as well. I really enjoyed ÉcouterShiver when I first heard it, and their newest album isn't bad at all. I just find the band as a whole kind of annoying, I'm not sure why.

    5. Lady GaGa - No surprise this lady is that high up on the list. Teens are going crazy over her. A lot of people think she's just downright freaky for her obscure and bizzare fashion sense. Some of her music is very catchy and danceable, however, this is NOT my style of music. As a person, I do have respect for her as an individual. She definitely is not afraid to go out there and be the person she is, even if it's just... weird. I'll admit, whenever one of her songs come on the radio, me and my friends are definitely singing and dancing along. But once again, not my style.

    6. The Killers - I don't like them and I especially don't like Brandon Flowers. Their style of music kind of freaks me out. Also, I met them because my friend was in one of their music videos, and they are douche bags. Maybe that's why I feel so negatively about them. I mean, ÉcouterMr. Brightside was pretty decent and all, but I think it's the way they represent themselves and what they represent are the things that bug me.

    7. Red Hot Chili Peppers - These guys obviously rock. I get all pumped up and excited whenever I hear By the Way or Can't Stop come on the radio. I don't listen to them that much at home at all, but my view of them is pretty positive. I like pretty much all of their work with the exception of their newest album, which was decent at best. I respect them for sticking it through this long and still releasing good quality albums.

    8. Metallica - I'm all about metal. I love metal. I just hate thrash metal. These guys are one of the pioneers of thrash metal, or so I'm told, and I really just don't like the genre that much as a whole. I heard their new album was kind of absolute shit, which left me kind of disappointed. They have some seriously epic songs obviously, and I do respect them. It's just not my preferred subgenre of metal. I also find their singer a little weird and annoying.

    9. Michael Jackson - I don't listen to him, first off. And I think it's kind of sad that his song count went absolutely sky rocketing since his recent death (R.I.P.), I really wish he was here to see everyone adore him as they do now. It would have made him happy. I believe he was a genuinely good person, and just horribly misunderstood. It's not really my style of music, but he's just such a huge part of music, and I have deep deep respect for what he's done.

    10. Kings of Leon - I definitely don't like these guys. I read their interview in the Rolling Stone and they seem kind of off. They most definitely sold out with ÉcouterSex On Fire, and then somehow sold out once again with ÉcouterUse Somebody. I actually did like some of their songs at first listen when they were on the radio 24/7, but they just got so overhyped, it ruined them for me. They are okay though.

    11. Nirvana - I love Nirvana. I absolutely love them. I love Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl a disgusting amount. I really like their music. I'm really sad that Kurt is gone now (R.I.P.). I totally think Courtney Love did it, somehow. I don't really have anything else to say but positive things about these pioneers of grudge, so I'll leave it at that.

    12. Linkin Park - I used to love, love, love Linkin Park in middle school. They were my obsession. They went to the same high school as I did, and I had teachers who had Mike Shinoda that talked very highly of him. Hybrid Theory and Meteora were so good. They made up my middle school and 9th grade career. I think I know every word to every song on both of those albums. But when they released Minutes To Midnight, I was SO disappointed. I feel like they took a whole new different direction. That album blows.

    13. Green Day - Well, I have mixed opinions about them. Obviously, as most people will agree, their old stuff was the shit. It was amazing. I feel like they didn't really care what people thought of them back then and went all out in a punk-ish sort of way, which I love. But once American Idiot hit, I feel like their popularity or something went straight to their heads. They are definitely not like they used to. I still have some deep respect for them, they are still a good band releasing albums that most people still seem to like, although I didn't enjoy their newest album too much.

    14. Pink Floyd - I'm not sure I can really talk about these guys because I don't know much about them. Everyone loves them though, and the songs that I have heard are groundbreaking. They made some good music, at least from what I have heard so far. I'm pretty sure they had a role in shaping rock just as The Beatles did. However, I won't go on because I just don't know anymore.

    15. Arctic Monkeys - I'm a little surprised to see these guys so high up on the list. I had no idea they were this popular. I really, really liked I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor, but once again, really not my style of music altogether. I've heard some other stuff, and it was just pretty average to me. I'm not sure I really dig what they represent either. They are okay, though.

    16. Foo Fighters - I love Foo Fighters. I have so much respect for Dave Grohl, I really do. He is a great musician, absolutely fantastic. I love their drummer too, but I forgot his name. I wasn't the biggest fan of their latest release, but ÉcouterThe Pretender was awesome. They released probably one of my favorite albums of all time, The shape and the colour. I think that album is flawless, or pretty close to it. I love their energy, especially Dave's at live shows. I love a band who can stick through it and can keep releasing good albums.

    17. Black Eyed Peas - Not a big fan of Fergie or Will.I.Am. Definitely not. I think I know every single word to ÉcouterFergalicious, though, just because it was on the radio so much back in the day. They obviously have some catchy music, and I also know all the words to ÉcouterBoom Boom Pow because of how much it was on the radio. Some of their songs are good and catchy, and like I said before, I'm not afraid to admit that me and my friends dance and sing when some of their stuff comes on in the car. I don't have a big general liking for them though, and I most definitely don't keep up with them. Not my style.

    18. Death Cab for Cutie - YES! I absolutely love this band. So much. Probably my favorite indie band of all time. I really don't listen to indie, but when I do, it's usually these guys. I like how pretty much every single album they released has been epic and great, not a single bad album. Photobooth is my most played song on iTunes, and probably one of my favorite songs of all time. I only listen to a few other indie bands, like Tegan and Sara, Broken Social Scene, Bloc Party, and maybe some others. But these guys are my favorites.

    19. Placebo - Also surprised to see this band so high up on the list. I had no idea they were this popular. However, I literally know diddly squat about them and have heard absolutely any of their music. If you guys want to suggest me some songs to listen to, go for it and I'll check them out.

    20. Paramore - Say what you want, I really like them and I respect them. Even the song they did for the dreaded Twilight movie was pretty good (ÉcouterDecode). I like Hayley Williams, she's definitely a cutie. I think I have a ton of plays of this band. I really like them and their music. Sadly, I still haven't checked out their newest album, so if anyone wants to tell me their review on it, you totally should. While this isn't completely my style of music, I like it quite a bit. I also screamed like a little schoolgirl when I heard Hayley randomly come in on the Set Your Goals song The Few That Remain on their album (which I suggest all you pop-punk/hardcore fans go check out right now!)

    21. Queen - I have always thought they were kind of overrated, but people absolutely love them. I know they have released a few groundbreaking epic songs, but I don't really like their music at all. I definitely respect them and what they have done for music. Unfortunately, I don't know anymore about these guys so I can't go on.

    22. U2 - This is one of the few bands that I will actually say I hate. I don't hate their fans at all or anything like that, I just selectively hate Bono and his band. I hate what they represent. I also hate how Bono dresses. But this has nothing to do with their music, which I also have never been a fan of. I really just hate all of their songs and I think this band is just kind of icky. They rub me the wrong way, if you get my drift.

    23. Led Zeppelin - Absolutely love Led Zeppelin. I only have their greatest hits albums because I'm not that much into classic rock, but every song on their is just so fucking awesome. They pretty much shaped rock-n-roll, or at least most of it. I don't know a lot about them, but the songs I have heard are amazing. I don't listen to them near enough, though.

    24. System of a Down - Yes, yes, yes, yes. Used to be one of my favorite bands ever, and they still kind of are. I don't listen to them as much as I used to, but I can say with confidence that I have liked every album they released. I'm pretty upset that I didn't get to see them live before they broke up, and I just oh so desperately want to get them back together. I really don't like Scars on Broadway or Serj Tankian doing it solo. I actually don't find that music at all. They need to get back together, who's with me?!

    25. Oasis - I always see this band getting so much hate. I actually like them, not all of their stuff but definitely a few songs are really, really great. I still find myself listening to Champagne Supernove, ÉcouterWonderwall, and ÉcouterDon't Go Away sometimes. I definitely don't like all of their stuff or their newest stuff, but a few songs have some great memories attached to them, and I'm always thankful for songs like that.

    26. David Bowie - I hope I don't get flamed, but I really know absolutely nothing about him. I heard he's made some pretty epic and groundbreaking stuff, so if anyone here wants to suggest me some songs, I'll go and listen to them. Unfortunately, I can't review him anymore because I simply don't know anymore.

    27. MGMT - Meh, meh, meh. It's the perfect word to describe this band, in my opinion. Not too great, not too bad. I really like ÉcouterElectric Feel (which I heard at a party and started dancing to) and ÉcouterTime to Pretend, but not really anything else. Keep in mind, this isn't really my style of music, but I imagine people who like this weird electronic kind of indie stuff like them a lot. I also read an interview about them in the Rolling Stone and they didn't sound like great people. But they are okay, I respect them.

    28. The Rolling Stones - Once again, I really don't know much about them to give a review on them. I know that ÉcouterGimme Shelter is an amazing song, but I haven't heard really anything else. I know that they're in the Hall of Fame and they shaped rock-n-roll somewhat, so mad props for that.

    29. The Cure - I never got into The Cure, I just never could. Some of their music is decent, in my opinion, but it's just really not my thing. I have respect for them though and I know people absolutely love them. As the list keeps going down, I know less and less about bands, so bear with me!

    30. Bob Dylan - I think Tangled Up in Blue is such an annoying song. I don't know why, I just do. I know I'd probably get super mega flamed if I insulted Bob Dylan anymore than I just did, so I'll refrain. I guess he's cool though, and he definitely has some good songs. But I don't know anything about him or his music, so I'll stop here.

    31. Rammstein - Hm, German metal? Sounds alright to me. I obviously, like most of you guys, enjoyed Du Hast quite a bit. The guitar work in that song is so awesome and catchy. I believe it led me to get their discography, and I was definitely impressed with some of their work, but nothing matches up to Du Hast. I'm not a huge fan because I don't understand German, and I usually like to understand what they're saying.

    32. Daft Punk - I got some serious respect for Daft Punk and I was really happy to see them in DJ Hero. I have quite a few songs by them, including ÉcouterOne More Time, ÉcouterAerodynamic, ÉcouterAround the World, and several others, and I have to say, I still listen to the songs I have by them often. I definitely enjoy them, but at the same time, I'm not in on the whole techno or whatever scene. It's not my thing. But these guys are an exception, and they create some great beats and catchy music.

    33. blink-182 - Finally. My music taste has long since expanded since these guys were at the peak, and I'm not totally into this genre that much anymore, but they have remained my favorite band of all time ever since I was a child. I have so many songs by them that have memories attached to them, and I am thankful for that. I love Mark, Tom, and Travis with the fire of a thousand suns. I literally cried when they broke up, cried when they got back together, and started screaming insanity when I heard about Travis Barker's plane crash, and cried some more when I heard DJ AM died. Anyways, I love ÉcouterWhat's My Age Again? more than most people. I also saw them live twice, the first and last shows of their tour. Greatness!

    34. Depeche Mode - I know like diddly squat by these guys. I'm not sure what type of music they play. Someone should enlighten me and throw some songs my way so I can expand my musical horizons!

    35. Beyonce - I find her so annoying. I'm sorry, I just do. I know that everything she represents is so good and positive, but I just find her to be a really annoying human being. No disrespect to her fans, but her music is definitely not my thing either. Once again, I'm not afraid to admit that I dance and sing along to Single Ladies and Halo whenever it comes on in the car. Yes, I know the words.

    36. Franz Ferdinand - I really don't know much except ÉcouterTake Me Out friggin' ruled. I've heard some of their other stuff and it doesn't really compare. I have mixed opinions on them, but once again, the respect is definitely there. Unfortunately, I don't know anymore about them, so let's move on.

    37. The White Stripes - I really only like the song Icky Thump. I think that song is just so epic, so epic. I love it. I actually ended up getting that whole album (whatever it's called, I forgot), and I've listened through it a couple of times. I really don't like any of their other songs by Icky Thump. But I definitely think they are a talented group of fellows, and lady (if I recall, their drummer is a chick-a-dee).

    38. Bloc Party - YES! I love Bloc Party, so much. Silent Alarm is one of my favorite albums of all time. I love this album so much and have so much respect for this band, it's insane. It's probably one of the few indie bands I listened to, as mentioned before. Some of my favorite songs of all time belong to them, such as ÉcouterBanquet and ÉcouterLike Eating Glass. I really didn't like their new album, Intimacy, all that much. They kind of took a different direction and I didn't like it, but ÉcouterOne Month Off is great.

    39. Eminem - I have respect for him since I know some details about his personal life, as I'm sure some of you do. It seems like he's battled some really hard times and had the courage and strength to write about his difficulties and show them to the world through music. I really didn't like his new album, Relapse, but some people really enjoyed it, and that's good. I am definitely a fan of his older stuff when he was a goof ball and didn't give a fuck.

    40. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - I think this is one of the indie bands that kind of annoys me, but I still respect them and Karen O. at the same time. (What is her last name?) Of course, I gotta have respect for them since ÉcouterMaps was the first song I ever learned on drums, but this kind of indie isn't really my style. I guess they're okay, but definitely not my thing.

    41. Britney Spears - No, no, no. I really don't like her. Yeah, I know all of the words to ÉcouterToxic, but who doesn't? Her new album(s) have kind of blown, but I do have respect for her. She shaved her and went through a bad downward spiral, but it seems she came out on top. So congratulations on that. Now let's all go kill K-Fed. Who's down?

    42. Guns N' Roses - My mom used to dream about having the sexy times with Axl Rose. (I don't know how to spell his name, my apologies). I don't really like all of their music that much, but I know they recently released Chinese Democracy. I've been hearing mixed reviews about it. I remember there was one song on there that I really really liked, but I can't remember. Some of their old stuff like ÉcouterParadise City was obviously just great and epic.

    43. Weezer - I like them a lot. Not a lot a lot, but just a lot. They recently released a new song that's been gaining mad popularity that I've really enjoyed, but I forgot the name. I bought the album Make Believe sometime ago and I still listen to it from time to time. I'm not a big enough fan to go get some of their more better albums, but they have some absolutely great songs that I love.

    44. Kanye West - I'm a huge fan of rap or the hip-hop genre as a whole. However, Kanye had a lot of respect from me and I really enjoyed pretty much all of his older stuff. You could tell on Graduation he started going downhill as he started getting depressed, and then when 808s & Heartbreaks came out, he hit rock bottom. I think he should have just stuck with his not auto-tuned good rapping like All Falls Down and some other stuff. I liked him back then. And then that whole Taylor Swift thing? Yeah, respect lost, Kanye!

    45. AC/DC - I think I have a lot of plays by them. I used to listen to them a lot, and I definitely like some of their songs. They fucking rock out. I don't know that much about them and I don't even know what albums I have by them, I know that they're pretty good though. I don't listen to them anymore, though, and I definitely don't plan on it.

    46. Jay-Z - I think he's okay (with the exception of looking like a monkey). I think he's a really great rapper, but as I have said earlier, I'm definitely not down with hip-hop or rap, so I can't really judge. I actually have been really recently enjoying Empire State of Mind, though. That song is really great. If all of his other stuff sounds like that, then I'm down.

    47. The Strokes - Once again, I don't know diddly squat by this band, but I absolutely love the song ÉcouterReptilia. I know every word to that song and I eventually learned the drums to it, it's great stuff. I think somewhere down the line, I liked that song so much I decided to check out some of their other stuff and I think I remember being really disappointed.

    48. The Prodigy - I'm not sure I've even heard of these guys, anyone care to enlighten me?

    49. Pearl Jam - I find these guys SO annoying! Some of their songs are okay, but I get them confused with other bands a lot, and I don't know, I just really don't like them. I don't remember ever liking them. I know they were huge in the 90's, though. I actually hear The Fixer sometimes on the radio, and I really like it, so maybe I'll go buy that one song. But everything else is just so meh.

    50. The Offspring - I love The Offspring, absolutely love them. These old guys keep rocking out and releasing good quality stuff, that's just fine by me. ÉcouterHammerhead is such an awesome song, and I think ÉcouterThe Kids Aren't Alright is probably one of my favorite songs ever made. I got some mad respect and I hope they keep releasing some groovy stuff.

    Anyways, there it is. I'm not even sure why I just did that, but I had the time, so I did it. I think I started at about 12:43 AM and I ended just now at 2:04, so that was a good hour of my time.

    There's no need to flame here, guys. I respect your taste in music, so please respect mine. If you disagree with something, right on, bro. I expect that most of you will disagree, which is 100% good. Opinions are important. Comment, flame, +1 to your post count, pee yourselves, or all of the above.

    This is a full blown assault!
  • Happy Black Friday!

    28 nov. 2009, 1h52m par atris

    Hello everyone,

    I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving! Did anyone manage to grab any good deals today? My hat's off to those of you who joined the crowds of holiday shoppers this morning. You were in my thoughts as I made myself a cup of hot chocolate, stretched out, and finished reading another Grisham novel. No lines for me!

    What are your holiday plans? I'm looking forward to starting to put the finishing touches on some of the material for a'tris' next record. If you are in or around the DC area I hope to see you tomorrow! I'll be performing a couple of the new songs at Urban Outfitters and I can't wait to share them with you! I also have a limited number of "Of The Commons" CDs to give away at the end of the show! I don't think you could find a better stocking stuffer. But I may be biased.

    If you'd like to introduce your friends to our music and are not in the DC area, iTunes allows you to easily gift albums, and we've made it even easier for you to buy ours. All you have to do is click here and then choose gift this artist. I'm sure many of you are aware of this, but I only discovered it last week so - if you're like me - here's a helpful screencast:



    1. Thanks to The Modern Vocalist for recently featuring us! It was seriously cool to be recognized by them. TMV is made up of extraordinarily talented vocalists and vocal coaches so that really meant a lot to me personally.

    2. Thanks to Leah DeVon from Indie Style TV, Rob Saunders from Deuce Management and Promotions, and the folks at Comcast! In Leah's latest episode, she had a great chat with Rob about the music biz and shared our music video from "Automatic Doors". If you're a subscirber and would like to catch our video on the big box be sure to check your local listings! I've included a clip of the show below for you if you'd like to watch it on your computer.



    Hope this finds you all feeling healthy!
    -Mason
    a'tris

    Coldplay, Radiohead, U2, Muse, R.E.M, Elbow, Doves, Grandaddy, Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, The Tragically Hip, Pinback, Rogue Wave, Bloc Party
  • OTR: The Call - Reconciled

    27 nov. 2009, 2h40m par warren33

    The cover art is a greyscale photo of a baby sitting in a faux leather bag run through a filter so that the varying shade of the picture do not run from white to black, but light lavender to dark purple. What this photograph has to do with the music on the LP, who the kid is or what said kid has grown up to become, I don't know. However, I can tell you that with Reconciled The Call could have probably been the next U2...had U2 not beaten them down off the charts with the one-two punch of The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree.

    Released in 1986 and clocking in at 44 seconds shy of 40 minutes, Reconciled was The Call's fourth LP overall. It was also their first for Elektra Records after a contract dispute with Mercury kept them from releasing any new material for two years. They would release two LPs under the Elektra label before moving to MCA in 1989.

    One of Peter Gabriel's favourite groups, Gabriel - along with Jim Kerr - provide backing vocals on opening track "Everywhere I Go." It's not a bad opener, but I would have switched the sequence so that it was track two, allowing for the actual track two, "I Still Believe (Great Design)" to be the opening track.

    While "Everywhere I Go" is not an inferior song and it certainly caries itself well, the anathematic "I Still Believe" demands to either be an opening or closing track. It's self-contained nature - that is to say that it is a song which needs no other songs to "support" it - damn near demands that it become a "bookend" track. Given the number of albums I've listened to, most records are pretty easy to divide into songs which bridge spaces from one song to another (often mere filler on pop albums, but purposeful in moving a musical narrative if done right) and songs which stand self-contained ("hey boys, we've got a hit single on our hands"). "I Still Believe" was wisely released as a single, despite being over five minutes long. Even so, the song became a college radio hit but couldn't seem to crack the Billboard charts.

    A track in its proper place would be the melancholy closer "Even Now."

    As a whole, this disc is like an anthem-rock time capsule from the 1980s. Every touchstone of the decade is there: the big drums with heavy reverb on the snare, the seemingly extraneous keyboards, the affected depth on the vocals...I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it. Still, while enjoyable, The Call doesn't hold the same place in my heart as say The Cure or The Church. Perhaps this is because, while I've been aware they existed on some level for years, I never actually bought the album until I needed it for a DJ gig. Nothing prompted me to seek it out, as I'd heard the songs with enough infrequency to find them still enjoyable yet was satisfied with the number of times I'd heard them as I had no need to "possess" the music and control when the playback occurred. Honestly, if I were DJing regularly I'd probably buy a whole lot more records where I feel this way.

    It's just funny because I do have the disposable income - especially if I buy used as most of the music I love has been out for over a decade - to get all of those random records I couldn't get growing up. The price of discovery isn't so high anymore. However, when I was a kid, I rarely had any spending money of my own. When I would buy a CD, I would agonise over which one to choose. I'd know songs from the radio, but there I would be, faced with a shiny discs, each with ten-twelve songs, the majority of which I hadn't heard. The local record store didn't have any listening stations so I'd have to take a leap of faith as to which musician would reward me with quality entertainment beyond just the singles for my purchase. I suspect, at least at one point, it was this kind of thinking which may have been partly responsible for the success of the Now That's What I Call Music series.
  • Músicas para acordar feliz

    25 nov. 2009, 13h33m par Danielcarmoo

    Eu moro sozinho. Depois de tanto tempo só, o seu pensamento muda tanto... Seu gosto também e seu jeito.
    Bem, onde eu quero chegar é, eu amo dormir. Muito mesmo. Só que ás vezes, dependendo do modo que eu acordo, meu dia pode ficar arruinado ou começar muito bem (ou começar mau e depois ficar bom, de repente. E vice-versa).
    Quando eu acordo o mundo já é um borrão. E se eu tive um sonho do tipo "real até demais" durante o sono é pior ainda.
    Mas as vezes ualguma coisa pode tornar o despertar totalmente sereno, calmo e aconchegante. E consequentemente nosso ânimo aumenta e o dia irá parecer mais fácil e bonito. Uma dessas coisas é a música. Uma bela música cedo pela manhã muda o jeito que vemos o mundo ao nosso redor. Aqui estão minhas favoritas pra isso:

    10. a-ha - ÉcouterEarly Morning
    O nome da música já diz quase tudo, mas a letra é mais profunda do que o título. Mesmo assim, a melodia da música é bem calma e alegre. Pra quando a gente acorda muuito cedo (no meu caso cedo é 10h).

    9. Coldplay - ÉcouterGreen Eyes
    A maioria das músicas do Coldplay não são pra acordar, mas sim pra dar sono. Mas essa é uma exceção devido a história que tenho com ela, fora que verde é minha cor favorita.

    8. Depeche Mode - Policy Of Truth
    Do albúm mais fodástico do Depeche Mode, esse música me faz ficar muito animado. Na época de Violator, Dave Gahan tava muito no ácido e conseguiu compor coisas incríveis como Policy Of Truth. O ruim é você ficar cantarolando aquele "Never again..." do refrão o dia inteiro.

    7. Faith No More - King for a Day
    Uma das mais felizes do King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime. Caso a noite anterior tenha sido ótima essa é pra ficar lembrando do que rolou (se for possível lembrar de alguma coisa).

    6. Morrissey - ÉcouterFirst of the Gang to Die
    Eu usava essa música como toque do despertador do meu celular, o ritmo é contagiante. Parece que depois de você ouvir ela dá vontade de beber café.

    5. Stone Temple Pilots - ÉcouterSour Girl
    Também uma pra ficar lembrando da noite anterior. Caso haja uma bela garota do lado na cama fica ainda melhor.

    4. Garbage - ÉcouterVow
    Essa tá na lista por motivos mais pessoais. Eu acordei um dia e tava passando o clipe de Vow na MTV (A unica hora que a MTV presta: Madrugada). Foi aí que eu conheci essa banda que é hoje uma das minhas favoritas. Mesmo assim, é uma boa pra hora de acordar se você gosta das outras músicas do Garbage.

    3. Rage Against the Machine - ÉcouterWake Up
    Puramente pelo nome. Para aquelas manhãs que é quase impossível acordar, mas é necessário. A força da música é grande, e os gritos de Zack de la Rocha acordam qualquer um (dependo do volume que está a som rsrs...).

    2. U2 - ÉcouterBabyface
    Há tantas músicas do U2 boas pra o despertar do sono, de ÉcouterStay (Faraway, So Close!) a ÉcouterIn A Little While. Mas eu escolhi essa pela letra totalmente amável da música.

    1. Muse - I Belong To You (+Mon Cœur S'ouvre À Ta Voix)
    A música que me acordou hoje. Eu não sei descrever o quanto tudo em I Belong to You é lindo, desde o piano ao triângulo no refrão e a letra romântica. A melhor faixa de The Resistance com certeza é perfeita pra qualquer manhã. Me deixa completamente feliz.

    Muitas outras músicas poderiam estar nessa lista, mas essas são as que eu mais gosto. Decidi escrever isso porque minha manhã ta muito linda, isso devido principalmente a I Belong To You (+Mon Cœur S'ouvre À Ta Voix). I belong, i belong....
  • "World" Music Block

    24 nov. 2009, 21h36m par TulsaMJ