From May 15 to July 31 I will be interning for HM Magazine in Austin, Texas. I will not be updating my blog until August. If you miss me check out my intern blog at HM below:
http://www.hmmagazine.com/2010/05/intern-diaries-bianca-montes/
Have no fear, my concert log is full come August and I will totally be rocking the face of North Texas.
American-hardcore band August Burns Red made a tour-stop in Dallas May 11 as part of the 2010 Homesick tour.
The heat from inside the concert hall scorched your skin as you walked into the Palladium Ballroom. Bodies filled the entire room and the humidity was ripe in the air. Nothing was comfortable about the situation, yet somehow the music managed to pull you in.
The pure brutality of Pennsylvania-natives August Burns Red was the very first thing that made me take notice of this band when they performed with Underoath at The House of Blues in Dallas last December. From the moment I saw the toes of vocalist Jake Luhrs grasp onto his sandles as he tore across the stage, I was fascinated.
In all honesty, an opening band is not supposed to upstage the headliner. Yet, somehow, the ear-splitting vocals and fascinating riffs of August Burns Red stole that show. Fast-forward five months, and there was still not a band on the tour docket that managed to release the passion like August Burns Red, not even the headliners A Day to Remember.
Shredding through fan favorites such as “Meddler,” “Marianas Trench” and “Thirty and Seven” guitarist JB Brubaker and Brent Rambler lifted the bodies of the audience off of the floor as the fervid lyrics danced around the ears of every body in the house.
Ending the evening with two tracks from their 2007 release Messengers, “Up against the ropes” and “Composure,” created one of the largest circle pits I have seen in an indoor venue. As the bodies of the audience crashed into one another as the pounding drums shook the room, August Burns Red committed everything to the drenched and slightly dehydrated crowd leaving everyone thirsty for A Day to Remember.
Artist: To Speak of Wolves
Title: Myself< Letting Go
Album Length: 10
Release Date: 05.18.2010
Adding on to their already impressive lineup, Solid State Records is set to release their latest artist To Speak of Wolves to the masses May 18 with their debut offering Myself< Letting Go.
Fusing hard-core with a steady progression of clean vocals, To Speak of Wolves introduce a powerful message to arise from your past and stare guilt right in the face.
“There are things that are good, and there are things that are bad,” vocalist Rich Jacobs said. “You often find it difficult to follow that path… You veer from that path and you shouldn’t feel guilty for it, you should just try to get back on the right road.”
The bands first single, “Darkness Often Yields the Brightest Light,” may or may not have been the best choice to start off the album. While the vocals are faultless and the chorus is one of the most memorable, it is understandable why this is their first single. However, that does not take away from the fact that the sound channels a soft-core Underoath and lacks creativity.
Taking a drastic turn with “You Should Have Locked Your Door Days Ago,” this album convincingly recovered. The screaming on this song is blaring, and I love that. The arrangement of the song is a bit all of the place, but it works. Envision rock band The Chariot in all their chaotic glory, and know that music does not have to be neat.
To Speak of Wolves is not introducing anything new to the metal-core scene musically yet, there is still something about their sound that is refreshing. In fact, there is not a whole lot to dislike about Myself< Letting Go. The band definitely has talent.
When asked about the prospects of a new single, front-man Jacobs mentioned he would not mind any song taking the slot. With an album filled with promising hits such as “White Dress, Red Dress,” “Just One Time,” and the post-rapture inspired “In The Midst of the City” it would be easy to imagine any of those songs hitting airwaves.
The best attribute of this debut is the bands ability to agitate their sound. Just when you feel that you have grasped the overall tone of the band, a song such as “Quercus Alba” infects your ears with something completely different. Standing out for all the right reasons, the intro to this song is slow, it is vocally rich and the instruments are steady and light. Breaking down the comely intro, forceful screams demand a presence in this delicate offering and leaves a lasting impression.
There is always that one metal song that regardless of how loud and insane it is, it just makes you want to stand there, close your eyes, reach your hands for the skies and allow whatever emotion is building up inside you to erupt. For Myself< Letting Go, this moment comes in the form of “Nothing Ever Ends,” the last selection.
Brilliantly depressed might wrap up the emotion that you are left with following this song, which is hands down one of the best on the album.
“I felt it was the most emotionally driven song on the album,” Jacobs said. “I think you can almost feel the kind of impact that it has physically at the very end. The song ends, and it is an abrupt ending and I think that is why we wanted it at the end of the album.”
Left wanting anything but an ending, the blaring screams and edgy guitars sang a song of joy while the deliverance of the vocals wrapped this album up perfectly.
To hear the entire interview with vocalist, Rick Jacobs listen here
For more information about the band visit their myspace page
 May 10, 2010 Boston, MA – Life is good®, a Boston-based company that spreads good vibes through its colorful collection of apparel and accessories, will host a two-day music festival with the goal of raising $1 million to heal and strengthen children facing life-threatening challenges, including violence, illness, and extreme poverty. The festival will feature a first-of-its-kind fundraising component, rewarding festival attendees who raise money for the cause with special VGP perks and privileges (Life is good’s version of a VIP is a VGP – a Very Good Person). The 2010 Life is good Festival at Blue Hills will feature nationally-known musical talent, good food, games, activities and art projects. The multi-stage festival will take place September 11 – 12 on historic and picturesque Prowse Farm at the foot of the Blue Hills in Canton, Mass., a suburb of Boston. The location is fully accessible via public transportation, with all-day shuttles to and from the nearby Rte. 128/University Avenue train station. A large number of free parking spots are also available. Designed for optimists and all those who aspire to see the glass half-full, the festival will feature two days of first-quality musical talent on three stages. Every age will find top-notch musicians, including children and their parents, who will be treated to several of the nation’s best-known children’s performers. The line-up will be announced soon.
To ensure a top-quality festival experience, Life is good has partnered with Superfly Productions, the nationally recognized producers of the iconic Bonnaroo and Outside Lands festivals. Bonnaroo is about to open the gates to its ninth annual event and has had many world-class legends grace its stage over the years including Bob Dylan, The Dead, Neil Young, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Phish and many others. Superfly also has a great deal of experience with and has won awards for its greening initiatives. From alternative energy sources to extensive composting and recycling programs to environmental education and the promotion of healthy living, Superfly will be putting its years of knowledge into practice at the 2010 Life is good Festival at Blue Hills. Through its nationally-known festivals, Life is good has attracted more than 375,000 people and raised over $3 million to date for children in need. In 2010, for the first time, Life is good has set a goal of $1 million raised through ticket sales and a unique approach that ties charitable fundraising to extraordinary VGP (Very Good People) opportunities for attendees. “We are taking our Life is good Festival to a whole new level this year,” said Bert Jacobs, Life is good co-founder and chief executive optimist. “Doing so will not only help us spread joy to the thousands who attend, but most importantly it will help thousands of the most vulnerable children in the Greater Boston area and beyond. We also believe that the power of a community coming together around a good cause and the spirit of volunteerism on display will allow us, on this important date, to honor the memory of those lost in the tragedy of 9/11.” Every festival attendee will have the opportunity to access exclusive hospitality, preferred viewing, artist meet and greets and other prizes by achieving fundraising goals or making a donation to help kids in need. The top fundraisers will be called VGP’s – Very Good People – and will have a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience.
Life is good will donate 100% of its profits from ticket sales, sponsors, and onsite apparel and merchandise sales to the Life is good Kids Foundation. All public donations, including individual fundraising prior to the event, will also be directed to the foundation. The Life is good Kids Foundation is a registered 501©3 nonprofit committed to healing and strengthening young children deeply impacted by life-threatening challenges such as violence, illness, natural disaster and/or extreme poverty. Its Playmakers initiative provides training, resources and support to the adults dedicated to caring for these children so that all involved lead healthier, more joyful lives. For more information on The Life is good Company, the Life is good Kids Foundation, and the Life is good Festival, please visit www.lifeisgood.com/festivals.
About The Life is good Company The Life is good Company, based in Boston, MA, spreads a fresh outlook on life with its colorful collection of apparel, its quality accessories, and its optimistic cultural hero with the huge smile, Jake. For more information on Life is good, please visit www.lifeisgood.com
About Superfly |
SHADYLITTLEROAD.COM 
