Album Pick: Been to the Future

This is a great solo acoustic album by Joey Eppard, lead singer of the prog rock band 3. If you didn't like 3 because you thought it was too heavy or fast-paced, you might want to give it another try with this album. Eppard does a lot of acoustic covers of 3 songs which you might find easier to listen to. His guitar technique is unlike anyone I've seen before. He combines finger picking techniques with slap/flamenco to make for a very unique guitar sound. His voice sounds like he could be a member of the backstreet boys, which isn't a bad thing, but it does give the music a very pop-like sound. It's hard to pin any kind of genre on this music because he experiments with different styles from hip-hop to prog rock to folk. If you don't like the first song you hear, try listening to a couple other tracks and see if you like those. This album is definitely worth listening to for any fan of acoustic solo performances. My favourite track off this album is "Amaze Disgrace." Check it out!

London Music Club - UWO Students Perform Tonight!

Tonight the London Music Club is hosting UWO Bands and Songwriters Society for their second open mic of the year! BANDSS is a great club at Western for students who want to get involved with music at school. Come to London Music Club tonight between 8:30 and 12:30 and check out the student talent. There are some great musicians at Western and this is the perfect way to see them. You'll get to see everything from solo performances to a full band. If you enjoy the show and think you might want to perform yourself, all you have to do is ask.

"The End" Response

I just watched a 3-part series call “The End,” for my blogging class. Even though this is an assignment, it is has a lot to do with music so you might want to give this a read anyway!

“The End” isn’t about some crazy 2012 apocalyptic theory for the end of the world, but it does ask the question about whether or not we’re facing the apocalypse of print and broadcast radio/tv. All three of these mediums are losing their audience, especially young people, to the internet, where people can access pretty much whatever they want, whether it is a song, movie, tv show or news article. Text, images, audio and video can all be viewed on a computer screen and the internet stores it for us to access whenever we want for free! The video even mentions the Open Content Alliance, which is working with Yahoo and Microsoft to digitize all the world’s books! Imagine having every book imaginable at your fingertips, but is this a good thing?

The issue for mainstream media isn’t how we consume the content we want, it’s about getting us to see the advertisements that pay a lot of money to get our attention. When we download a tv show, we don’t see the ads that paid for that show to go on the air, and so the advertisers lose money and thus the tv station loses money. This could be a bad thing since networks would have less money to spend on making quality content for us, OR we could look at it as a way of putting pressure on the tv networks to make better content that would encourage us to watch more television. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of garbage on television these days, and I think it’s a possible reason for the lack of success we see in television today, rather than the rise of the internet.

What about the music industry? It has been fighting things like file sharing and torrents since it first began with the likes of Napster and other file sharing software. Do you know anyone in university who has an iTunes library with thousands of songs and has paid for all of them? I’d be surprised if you do. Our generation is used to free music, and we get to carry it all in our pockets with an iPod, with thousands of songs at our fingertips. FM radio is losing its audience too because we can access whatever song we want for free, and there are no annoying advertisements either. When we download music are we hurting the artist (who make very little profit off record sales) or the record label? Artists make most of their money from touring live, and the more fans they have (through downloading music perhaps?) could mean a larger audience that want to see them on stage. Some artists like Nine Inch Nails have embraced this idea by releasing their music for free and increasing their ticket sales.

Bottom line, mainstream media conglomerates need to adapt to this new information environment rather than try to fight it. The 2 questions they need to ask are how can they get an audience and how can they profit from it. I don’t think we’ll see the end of print, radio and tv, but they will undoubtedly change. For better or for worse? What do you think?

Album Pick: Brave New World

If you're a metal fan then this should not be an unfamiliar band to you. Though I wouldn't consider myself a huge Iron Maiden fan, their music is a strong influence for some of my favourite bands including Dream Theater and Coheed & Cambria. This particular album was released shortly after lead singer Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith rejoined the band after 5 years. Because the albums that were released after Dickinson left were Iron Maiden's least successful, the reunion was a big deal for fans. Brave New World shows the band is still strong. The thing I find most impressing about the band is their ability to keep writing amazing guitar riffs even after releasing over 10 studio albums. The standout tracks here are "The Ghost of Navigator," "Brave New World," and "Dream of Mirrors." Give them a listen. Even if you're not a metal fan. You might be surprised.

Metropolis Pt. 1 Live!

I was just watching some live concert videos on youtube and stumbled on this video. Metropolis Pt. 1 is one of Dream Theater's best tracks, and it represents pretty much everything that the band is about. This song is very progressive with a great metal/rush kind of sound. This particular performance is from their 20th anniversary show, "Score," featuring an entire orchestra backing up the band. I watched the concert today and whether you're a fan of Dream Theater or not, you can't help but be impressed by what these guys do live. I can't htink of any other band where each member is so good at their respective instruments. Check it out!

Album Pick: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3

This is the second album I've recommended by Coheed and Cambria. It's their second studio album and arguably their best work to date. It sounds pretty different from GAIBS4 (album 3) since this one was recorded on an indie label, so it sounds less produced than their more recent albums. If you can look past that and listen to what they wrote, you'll be impressed. This band really takes advantage of having 2 guitarists, which makes for some awesome riffs that I've even begun to learn on guitar. Of course, the centerpiece of the album is Claudio Sanchez and his vocal work. He's got a very unique voice. It might take some getting used to but it sets this band apart from others. If you're a fan of Rush or Iron Maiden, then this music should be easily accessible since they are big influences in this album. My favourite tracks are "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3," "The Crowing," and "The Light and the Glass." Check it out!

The band got most of their following from their lives performances. Here's why:

Stone Temple Pilots - in London Thursday!

If you're in the mood for some good ol' rock and roll, you should visit the John Labatt Centre to see the Stone Temple Pilots!

They'll be playing at the John Labatt Centre this Thursday, November 19th, so if you're a fan and you haven't got a ticket yet, you might still have a chance. I don't know this band very well but I listened to some of their songs on their MySpace and I think it's pretty good. They sound semi-metal semi-pop rock, so if you like either genre you might be into this music. I can't make it to the concert so if you got to see it let me know how good they are live!

Album Pick: Images and Words

I'm a huge Dream Theater fan, so I had to bring up this album eventually. Images and Words is the second studio album released by Dream Theater, and many would argue that it's their best work. This was their first and only album to go Gold, and it has their only big hit that received radio play and featured by MTV, "Pull Me Under." That being said, every track on this album is a masterpiece. If you've heard other Dream Theater songs and thought they were too heavy on the metal side, you should give this album a try. While there are still metal influences, this album is much more progressive than their later albums. Some influences include Queensryche and Rush, so if you're a fan of either of those bands, this album is a must. It is also their first album to feature lead singer James LaBrie. They auditioned over 200 people before giving him the gig, and he's been with the band ever since. I personally recommend listening to "Take the Time," "Metropolis Pt.1 - the Miracle and the Sleeper," and "Learning to Live." You may find it hard to digest at first, but if you listen enough times, you'll begin to get an appreciation for the amount of creativity and time put into the writing of this music, which is something you don't find very often in popular mainstream music.

Wednesday Nights at Spoke! Rick McGhee!

If you like the sound of a nice old man playing hearty folk songs on an acoustic guitar while getting your drunk on a Wednesday night, then the Spoke at the UCC is the place to be! Come listen to Rick McGhee at around 10 o'clock. I was there a couple weeks ago, and he reminds me of the cool uncle who plays tunes at the campfire pit. He does some great covers including "Needle and the Damage Done," "My Girl," and of course, "American Pie." Come listen and sing along. It's Wednesday, but you'll find a lot of people there. We are Western students after all!

"And them good ol' boys were drinking whisky and BEER!,

Singing this will be the day that I DIE DIE DIE!"

Upcoming London Shows! (LIST)

There are a bunch of cool shows happening in London this week. If you've got some free time on your hands you should check them out and support the local music scene!

Nov. 12 @ 7:00 PM

The Midway State - London Music Hall

Nov. 13 @ 8:00 PM

The Trews - London Music Hall

Nov. 14 @ 10:00 PM

Mad Caddies - Call the Office

Nov. 15 - 8:00 PM

Chantal Kreviazuk - Centennial Hall

Nov. 19 - 7:00 PM

Stone Temple Pilots - John Labatt Centre

Hope to see you there!

Album Pick: Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Neil Young and lots of the great songs he's written. If you like his studio albums, you should take a look at his live album from Massey Hall, Toronto. I really think there's something special about this live performance, and I personally prefer most of his songs performed this way rather than their studio versions. It is just him and his guitar or piano (depending on the song), without a band backing him up. I think certain songs, such as Cowgirl in the Sand and Journey Through the Past sound better than the originals. If you're not a fan of live music because you don't like the sound (I often feel the same way), the quality of the recording is as good as it can get.

Give this album a listen! It's Neil Young at his best. Here's the album:

What do you look for in music?

Have you ever noticed that one of the easiest ways to annoy someone and put them in a bad mood is to play music that they don't like? Ever been really excited to share your music with a friend only to have them say it's garbage and then obnoxiously change it to something they want to hear? Why are a lot of people so unwilling to be open minded towards music they don't know? Is it because a lot of people think the music they listen to is a reflection of themselves? For example, would it be possible for someone who's into pop music to also listen to a lot of heavy metal? I'm sure it is, but I don't see it very often. Is it because people who like pop can't stand the sound of heavy metal or they don't like the idea of being associated with the crowd that listens to that kind of music?

I think it's more simple. People look to music to make them feel a certain way, and everyone has different expectations in that sense. I personally prefer anything that is melodic, and written well. To me, lyrics are an afterthought, so genres like rap and hip-hop aren't really my flavour. Some people prefer lyrics over melody, and some people want music to calm them down instead of really high energy music. What do you prefer? What is it that makes a song pull you in? What kind of music do you hate? Is it because you think it is crap or because it makes you feel emotions you'd rather not feel? Think about it.

Album Pick: Art in Motion

A lot of the albums I've recommended have been pretty heavy sounding, with a lot of metal influences and quick tempos. If you didn't like any of that stuff and have decided that my musical tastes suck, check this guy out. Andy McKee is an instrumental guitarist and I think he is one of the most talented guys I've ever seen. Every song is layered so that it sounds like there are multiple tracks in each song, but it's really just one man and a guitar the entire time. The track Drifting got him youtube fame with over 24 million views! On some songs he's got a custom guitar with bass strings added which make the instrument look half like a guitar and half like a harp. You'll find this a lot more relaxing than past bands I've featured. If you like it let me know. I'm a huge fan of acoustic instrumentals so I'm also looking for some recommendations. I'd love to hear some.

Here is the album in it's entirety. Check out some tracks. Rylynn and Africa are my personal favourites. I've included a youtube video so you can see what this guy is doing with his hands. Truly amazing to watch and hear. Enjoy!