Love these shredders. They were one of the first bands I worked with when I was hired on at Davdon. They were super young at the time - I think the singer Ryan was 14 when they started up. His mom was their manager. We had to book shows around their school schedule, although eventually Ryan dropped out to do the band full time. This was mid-90s and pop-punk was hitting big.
Slick Shoes was a band that could hang with their peers "chops"-wise. The first thing that always comes to mind when a song from them comes up is "my favorite little shredders." I only got to meet up with them and see them play once here in Nashville. Definitely wish I could have seen them play more. They just reunited for a show last August with MxPx and Five Iron Frenzy, and they're either about to play or just played w/Zebrahead.
Rich Mullins was the realest. In 6th or 7th grade a missionary came to our church and introduced me to Christian music. I wasn't really looking for it, and I didn't really have any limitations on what I could listen to from my parents - but I dove in. Maybe because it was a small, more exclusive community where I fit in - as opposed to the bigger world out there. Thinking back...there's something to that - something that's off.
Anyway, this tape was included among the tapes this guy gave me to go home and dub. I liked the melodies and feel of the music. In the late 80s this had kind of a Paul Simon/Billy Joel/Singer-Songwriter vibe that I was into. Musically this is very 80s - echo chamber drums, spacey-sounding keyboard bits, bass line that flows but seems more treble than bass.
Back to Rich being the realest. This guy kept making music and was part of the "Ragamuffin" community that embraced grace and simple living. He even had his accountants figure out the minimum amount of income he could live on and donate the rest to charity.
Unfortunately Rich died in a jeep wreck in 1997. I'd be curious to see what part of the faith community he'd be in today. I have a feeling he would shun the evangelical title just as I have.
The most legit of metal bands. In more legalistic times I had a problem with them, but I'm over it. These are some older dudes from Richmond VA (also home to GWAR) who've been doing this for a LONG time. D. Randall Blythe (vocals) is a super interesting dude and a great follow on Instagram. He's an accomplished photographer and a very thoughtful writer. I looked around for info on what the song is about but couldn't really find anything. It's kind of a two-parter with the next song on the record, but they're individual tracks so I'm just posting up this one. Lamb of God on Spotify Lyrics: Gone Gone Shoot me straight for the sun I wanna be the only one left Misdiagnosed condition Burnt beyond recognition Sink her straight through the floor She's not breathing anymore Choke in this atmosphere Nothing will be left here Gone.
This one is a heavy hitter for me. The Crucified was my #1 favorite band all through high school and they're still one of my favorites today. Teenage me was crushed when they broke up right before I was going to see them for the first time at Atlantafest in 1993. Fun fact - I came to that festival from Albuquerque, NM and my future wife who lived in Smyrna, TN was also there at the same time. We saw all the same shows. I wish we could go back now and watch it over again and see if we ever saw each other, rode a ride together, etc. Small world. Years later I had the privilege of being a booking agent for Mark's and Jeff's band Stavesacre, who became a new favorite of mine before I started working with them. I came to Nashville to work in the music business and I was over the moon to get to work with Stavesacre and some of my other favorite bands. I started the job out of college and didn't know what I was doing right off. I know we booked some rough tours, but I also know there were some good ones. For some good conversation I highly recommend Mark's podcast, Never Was. Lyrics: The deficit, environment, a government corrupt So many things to worry us and tangle our minds up We know we're being taken, we know it all too well We know that something must be done but there's more to tell
Where are you going? What's your focus? Losing your reason? For a... Lie
Caught up in the cause, the fight, caught up in the roar You know that your intentions are right in what you're fighting for But in the midst, the heat of it all, don't forget your drive We're hear to do the father's will our reason to survive
There's so much going on around us and we must be aware It's important that they see our love and that we truly care
Our time for lying dormant while the world is so in need Is over now but don't forget the purpose of your doing
Where are you going? What's your focus? Losing your reason? For a... Lie
Yeah, there's a trend here. A BUNCH of my saved songs in Spotify are gonna be nostalgic. I still like MxPx, and I LOVED their Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo record. I didn't love this record, but I probably like it more now than when I first got it back in the mid 90s. Looking forward to hearing the Urban Achiever episode with Mike Herrera that's sitting in my podcast queue.
Lyrics:
We're all walkin' down a dusty road I wouldn't care to bear the load I know my limits but you won't leave me alone
It's a system unopposed For those of us who won't say no Your time is your own now, face the facts are real 'Cause they are real
Establishing lines always comes first So many don't realize the pain they cause
We're all walkin' down a dusty road I wouldn't care to bear the load I know my limits but you won't leave me alone
It's a system unopposed For those of us who won't say no Your time is your own now, face the facts are real 'Cause they are real, yeah
Establishing lines always comes first So many don't realize the pain they cause
More heaviness - this could happen a lot. This is from Strongarm's 2nd/last Tooth and Nail record. I really liked the turn they took with this record. I can't even describe the new sound, but it left behind the straightforward speedy hardcore sound of their first record. I think I find this record interesting because there are so many movements in the songs without much repetition. Council of Perfection of Spotify Lyrics: truth and justice belong to You behold the power of His undying sacrifice as a sanctuary for the wounded in the council of perfection all creation stands as a witness all creation stands as a mark of Your will all creation stands on the breath of God wisdom hides behind Your eyes darkness divided by Your fallen tear there the wicked cease from turmoil and the weary are at rest all sacrifice and all suffering is redemption formed in the palm of God's mighty hand shaped by the work of His will and alive from the breath of His heart man's inspiration is God's touch on the quickened nerves of the spirit enflamed by Your unquenchable fire i stand in the spirit of conquest through You i am created to conquer fleeting living a life of calamity forces unseen are controlling your destiny we're not at the mercy of fate fears born of this world are groundless lord teach me and i will be silent word made flesh we long to hear You You are my advocate my mediator with complete power and perfect love You alone hold the scales of judgment
I really liked the Random Starts I posted a few years ago. I'm still an audiophile and still searching each week to find new jams. I probably quit posting right around the time the Zune service was killed off and replaced with the atrocity that is XBox Music. The Zune devices didn't go over in the marketplace, but the software was a stroke of genius. SO SO SO much simpler than iTunes and very easy to manage. I'm a Spotify boy now, and I've cultivated my presence there enough that I can use my "Saved Songs" to create these posts. I'll try to post about the first jam that comes up when I start playing on shuffle. It'll be a mess and probably embarrassing sometimes, but that's part of the fun of it.
Today's entry is Soldier & Child by Anything Box. There aren't ANY videos on YouTube for it so I only have Spotify links. I ONLY know this band because I used to hang out with Joey Belville of The Echoing Green in Albuquerque in my high school days (back when they were called Ocean Chorus) and he introduced me to them. This song is a deep cut, but their record Hope is a pop/dance masterpiece of catchiness. Listening to them again reminded me of a more current band that is probably also influenced by them, Bad Veins.
Well, 2 bummer Random Starts in a row in my opinion. I've liked some of Gorillaz' singles, but otherwise they don't do it for me. About to do more deleting. Note - I keep a LOT in my collection that I don't regularly listen to thinking that it's something good I'll come back to later. Having Zune Pass I can afford to do that and not spend a ton of $$ on music.
Someone at church recommended The Script to me after seeing them perform on a late night talk show. I'm not sure why I haven't deleted this yet...it's kind of like The Fray part 2. Just not into it. Deleting now. Bummer of a Random Start.
I've had a rough with Random Start lately pulling up some really obscure songs I can't find video files for. Today it pulled up a track off a demo by the Stills, so I found a video for a song that was pushed for them as a single. I don't listen to this band a ton, but they're one where I know they'll have some good songs. I don't have to be in any particular mood to listen to them...just good, melodic rock.
Beloved is a band I never got into before they broke up...and I still haven't really caught on. Some music people I respect really liked this band, so I think I'll give it another shot. Plus, lately, I've been loving a metal band called Advent and I believe some of their members were from Beloved.
I first got into Petra in middle school when we started going to church and I was pretty heavily locked into this band for about 6 years. I just listened to this song again for the first time in years and still remember every bit of it...I was a pretty big fan.
Love me some Living Sacrifice. Still can't believe I saw them for the first time when I was in high school in the early 90s and they're still making good music. I couldn't find a quality video of a live performance. LS is best experienced live.
Man, this is the only file I can find of this band...unfortunately the recording isn't that good. I'm stoked to be seeing these guys on a tour with La Dispute, Balance & Composure, and All Get Out....a stacked lineup if you ask me. Sainthood Reps have a sound that hearkens back to grunge. I never liked grunge, but I do like these guys.
This song is from U2's most recent record, which I didn't like much. Honestly, I probably didn't give it much of a chance. I really like some of their newer material, but I tend to "discover" it after it's been out for a year or two. Maybe I don't like things that are over-hyped. I will say that the concert I saw from them last Summer was amazing. I was glad a big tour like that rolled through Nashville.
I just found Dr. Dog this week and fortunately they came up on Random Start today. When I was working on Thursday I had a Dr. Dog based SmartDJ playlist running on Zune (think Pandora) and it was good stuff all day long. I'm thinking this will be a good find.
This is one of my favorite bands from my concert booking days. If it looks like they're young, well they are...and this is from about the middle of their time as a band...from their 3rd record. I liked their songs and they played fast and tight. In my opinion they're one of the better pop-punk bands of the late 90s/early 2000s.
The Bends is my favorite record from Radiohead. I was going to say this is a standout track, but to me that record doesn't have any filler - so it's just another solid song from The Bends. I can appreciate what Radiohead is now, but I wish they'd just make one more record with more traditionally structured songs. If they can deconstruct music the way they've been doing for years, surely they can put it back together and create something that's really special.
I've talked about how I feel about Foo Fighters in previous posts, so I won't re-hash that. This is one of my favorite tracks from them, and I think it might have been their breakout hit. Simply a very very good rock band.
I can't make up my mind on Story of the Year. I think my personal window to like this band has come and gone. A few years ago I downloaded some of their stuff as it was similar in ways to Finch, Thursday, etc, but amid the heaviness it had too much of the sing-songishness of emo for me. So my take on these guys is that they wrote some sick, heavy riffs, but end up being a typical heavy, then poppy sounding emo band.
