Reviews

Album Review – Linkin Park, “Living Things”

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Megan Purazrang WCB Music WriterLinkin Park “Living Things” Released – June 26, 2012 Producers – Rick Rubin and Mike Shinoda Label – Warner Bros. Living Things is the fifth album for the six member band Linkin Park. It was introduced with the single “Burn It Down,” a song lead with vibrantly exhilarating percussion and a powerful articulated style from main vocalist Chester Bennington. The song was just enough to show that the musical progression of the band still matches the overture appeal. Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory album released in 2000, has always remained one of my favorite albums. The songs spun a fusion of music genres and became the embodiment of the edgy collaboration of grunge, hip hop, heavy metal and rap with the end result of nu metal.

Reviews

Album Review – Imagine Dragons, “Continued Silence – EP”

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Megan Purazrang WCB Music WriterImagine Dragons “Continued Silence” Released – February 14, 2012 Producer – Alex Da Kid Label – Interscope RecordsImagine Dragons EP Continued Silence is an awe-struck way of entering the music world. The six song record is only a preview of what the band is capable of achieving.  The Las Vegas native members are uncannily the contemporary version of The Killers.  The introduction song called “Radioactive” begins with simplistic guitar strums and evolves into a powerful full-anthem epiphany. “Demons” is a strong vocal run with enduring and poetic lyrics flirting with dark spiritual concepts. On par with the recognizable sounds of Train, Imagine Dragons is infusing the stylistic trademarks of genres from reggae to rock settling with an overall Indie-rock alternative core. The concluding song “My Fault” is a ballad with a constant thump petal heart-beat-pulse driving its reflective path. It’s rare to find an album that embraces so many essences and births a sound that is unique and yet comparable.

Reviews

Hoobastank Concert Review

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Megan PurazrangWCB Music Writer  Hoobstank Arcadia Place, Kalamazoo Greek Festival June 2, 2012 Photo Credit: Seth Messer On Saturday June 2, 2012 the Los Angeles based band Hoobastank took the stage at the Arcadia Creek place’s 36th annual Greek Festival stage in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. The festival ran from May 31-June 2. (It was a two night rock event featuring San Francisco rock band Night Crawler on Friday evening). Lead vocalist Doug Robb began by giving a short, but effectively thankful spiel on being asked last minute to play at the Kalamazoo Greek Festival and obliging instantly. Upon admitting that this show was the first time playing Kalamazoo, he also added the specialty of saying that it was the first outdoor show that they have ever played.

Reviews

Album Review -The Head And The Heart, “The Head And The Heart”

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Megan PurazrangWCB Music WriterThe Head and the Heart is without a doubt a spitting image of Mumford and Sons. The band native to Seattle, Washington originally was formed by Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell in 2009, now consists of six members total. The indie rock genre tends to carry with it a double-edged sword. The music can carry immense lyrical matter, but with the negative condition of sounding the same as every other of their band peers. The Head And The Heart The Head And The Heart   Released – April 19, 2011Label – Sub Pop The debut self-titled album The Head and the Heart is a happily noted folk-rock record.

Reviews

Album Review – The All-American Rejects, “Kids in the Street”

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Megan Purazrang WCB Music Writer The-All American Rejects Kids in the Street Released – March 26, 2012 Producer – Greg Wells Label – Interscope, DGC Kids in the Street marks the bands fourth album since their formation in 2009. All it takes is a listen of lead vocalist Tyson Ritter screaming “1, 2, 3, 4!” followed by the song “Someday’s Gone” to know that this album is not just similar, but closer to identical to the music releases that are a part of The-All American Rejects past albums. The song allows predictability in the lyrics so an audience could easily guess and remain with the pace of the music. The first single off of the record is “Beekeeper’s Daughter” lyrically a song narrated from the perspective of a boy who is no friend of commitment. The melodic line “you’re a pretty little flower and I’m a busy little bee” clearly sums up the message without further explanation. Three minutes into the song is a defiant guitar solo to emphasis the lack of monogamous interest of the story.

interview

Shy Guy Says, Q+A Interview

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Megan PurazrangWCB Music Writer Local Illinois band Shy Guy Says sat down to answer a 10 questions about their band. Here is what the members RJ, David and Jeremy had to say. WCB: How did everyone in the band meet?RJ: I have no ideaDavid: Me, Jeremy and Marc have known each other pretty much since grade school but we didn’t consider being in a band together until our early years of high school. RJ is Jeremy’s brother so he kind of just was around and he expressed having similar musical interests.Jeremy: We all grew up within a couple blocks of each other. I introduced RJ to the rest of the guys when we went to see Serj Tankian at the Vic in ’07.WCB: What bands are you currently listening to?RJ: Four Tet, Saul Williams, Flying LotusDavid: As of right now I’ve been listening to Native, Russian Circles, True Widow, and a band called Gospel who quite possibly have the most insane drummer in all of existence… sorry Marc.Jeremy: Lately I’ve been into Sonic Youth, Bibio, Animal Collective, Talk TalkWCB: Where do you find inspiration for new songs?RJ: There’s never one ‘good answer’ to that question.