This month we bring you reviews on Yellowcard, Kids of 88, The Color Morale and more!
Hello everyone! Welcome to what I consider the REAL Lemonade time of the year and what better way to start it off than to have Fighting The Villain on the cover and the lovely Brooke Ross to my right on this opening page (your left). Just the other day I was driving down to Tacoma and I noticed all the cherry blossoms coming out finally. Trust me guys, for us northerners up here that is a HUGE thing, definitely gives you that sense of relief that there are only warmer, sunnier days on the horizon.
Lots of things have happened in the world since the last issue, but one in particular I would like to address is the 8.9 earthquake in Japan which was followed by a devistating tsunami. I won't go over and over the statistics and such, we all have seen the pictures and the news updates, but I do want to say how much my thoughts go out to not only the people I know who are over there or the people I know here who have family and friends over there, I really want to send my thoughts to everyone who has been hurt by this disaster. If you ever wondered how many people care over here, I can honestly say I haven't talked to or interviewed one person since it all happened who hasn't taken a moment to simply just talk about how sad they were and how much they were thinking of everyone touched by it. If you would like to help, please visit www.redcross.org and find out all the ways you can help. You can also text REDCROSS to 90999 and automatically donate $10.
Here is to hoping for everything looking up for our friends in Japan and for spring and summer to bring the world some quiet relaxing time.
-Brandon
Fresh off of the Bright Lights tour (also featuring Stacy Clark and Jesse Thomas), we caught up with Jake while at home in California between shows to talk a little about bringing some passion to the singer/songwriter genre, as well as Miley Cyrus covers.
LM: Happy to be back in California?
Jake: Yes nice to be back after a two and a half week run with Stacy Clark and Jesse Thomas.
LM: I got to see you guys in Seattle and the name of the tour (Bright Lights Tour) was very fitting. What was the tour like for you?
Jake: It was great, you know being in a car with people you are going on tour with for a very long time can go either way, but we really gelled together. We kind of tailored our shows to each other and it started to feel seamless going from show to show, getting off stage and going back on stage. It was really cool.
LM: What was your favorite stop on the tour? (and the correct answer is Seattle)
Jake: ::laughs:: No really, no joke it really was Seattle, the combination of the venue (Egans Jam House in Ballard) and the crowd. It was also one of the shortest drives on the tour, so we were well rested. It was only like six hours from Portland, our previous show, so it was really just a phenomenal show.
LM: I do remember you mentioning that you had some fun in Portland as well.
Jake: Yeah the venue was really intimate and I really loved Portland for how weird it was.
LM: No shock there ::laughs::.
Jake: Yeah, and I mean I just found myself walking around in awe of the Pacific Northwest, Seattle is the same way in that respect. I think if I ever settle down anywhere in the country it will be the Pacific Northwest. I love both Seattle and Portland so much.
LM: Have you ever watched Portlandia?
Jake: No actually I haven't, but I have seen some trailers and it looks great. Actually one of my friends works on the show.
LM: Speaking of funny stuff, comedy seems to come quite easy to you in between songs on stage. Has it always been that easy for you in your performances?
Jake: That's typically how I am now, but in the beginning I always thought my songs should speak for themselves and I would just throw out some dry witticisms in between songs, but after years and years of crowded bars and some of the weirdest venues on the planet, the only way I could survive was to wrestle the tension with not only my songs, but also my humor as well. You have a lot to compete with in the 21st Century, people are entertained by these enormous spectacles each day and you have to rise above that or at least try to swim against the current, so that's why I started to bring a lot of comedy into my shows as well.
LM: Well I have to say it works well, because I left feeling very entertained and you don't always get that from every show. A lot of people in your genre are pretty calm, yet you seem to have a lot of emotion and passion in your voice, do you find this separates you from other artists similar to you?
Jake: I suppose it does, I actually cut my teeth playing at the Hotel Café in L.A. and that's the same scene where Joshua Radin and The Cary Brothers got their start as well. We are all friends and we all started at around the same time. I am not sure if I meant to be different at first, but I started to, for a lack of better words start screaming in a sense when I sang or at least relatively and I suppose that has saved me from seeing a lot of
psychologists because of the way I sing :laughs:.
LM: It is definitely nice to hear that uniqueness for sure. What do you have available for people to buy and download right now?
Jake: I have Amazon.com MP3s right now, and we are also going to be putting two CDs on Amazon as well, Im A Bird and Soldier of the Heart and they are both EPs. Theyre available from iTunes as well and most of the online MP3 places, you can also get hard copies from www.JakeNewton.com . I am also working on a full length that will be coming out in September of this year.
LM: What was it like growing up? What inspired you to become a musician?
Jake: My dad was a professional musician in the mid 70's who worked for RCA and a few other record companies. He was a studio musician and had this huge collection of folk albums, James Taylor, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot. I would just go over and over this collection, so I would say 70's folk was a huge influence on me. I remember the first time I heard Leader of the Band by Dan Fogelberg , I knew I wanted to do, because it made my mom laugh and it made her cry and I always strived to do that whether I was telling a joke or a story or something like that, my mom is my Geiger Counter.
LM: If people check out your youtube (www.youtube.com/jakenewtonmusic) , they will find a very strange cover of Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus. Tell us a little more about that and can we expect more Miley covers in the future?
Jake: You know I think we are missing out on a huge market, I really want to get into doing more Miley, especially after recent events of her going completely crazy. The time is now, the world needs more....:laughs: I will be pulling some more out soon, a few doozies I have covered.
LM: How about a Bieber cover?
Jake: Oh that's good.....that's good, you may have planted a seed in my head right now.
LM: Good, I am glad I could help plant one, I guess you could always go down the Rebecca Black road......so sad.
Jake: Oh man, it's like they were playing Boggle and started pulling out words, like "hey this will work".
LM: Exactly, I was thinking this morning as I made lunch "going to the fridge, pulling out some rice, reheating the rice, its Thursday", I could make a song out of that.
Jake: Done!
LM: Well I am definitely looking forward to the future Miley covers and maybe some Bieber.
Stacy (Clark) said you reminded her of Jim Carey while I was at the show. What's your feeling on that?
Jake: Oh man, a lot of people compare me to Jim Carey and my response is if I could just get a tenth of his net worth, I will take the comparison gladly.
by Brandon Lemons
Bands and musicians trying to ride the coat tails of a trend are a dime a dozen. Artists who do what feels right regardless of what's popular are something special. You have to listen to Afterlife Parade to understand that what's coming over your car speakers or your head phones has just as much potential to be a timeless novel or one of your favorite movies as it does a song. The words are a story, there are trials, triumphs and everything in between. I was very happy to be able to speak with the voice behind Afterlife Parade, Quinn Erwin not so long ago to get a little more perspective on what makes Afterlife Parade so unique.
LM: Hey! How's it going?
Quinn: It's going great man! Watching some TV and all that good stuff.
LM: Are you an NCAA fan? Watching the tournament?
Quinn: :: laughs :: No, actually my wife and I watch a lot of reruns, so we are watching reruns of Smallville. I love it, I have actually been a comic book fan since I was a kid.
LM: Are you a Scott Pilgrim fan?
Quinn: I have never read the graphic novel, but the movie was mind blowing! I think people get the wrong idea about comics sometimes, that they are always about super heroes and such. I read a lot of graphic novels that are actually really meaningful and yeah there are even some really meaningful ones that include super heroes. I really like this book called Everything Matters by this guy from New York, Iguess his wife fell in front of a subway train. It really changed his life a lot, so he started drawing a lot, things from around his home, around the city and he talks about how it changed his life and stuff. It is just brilliant.
LM: I imagine you can relate to that as well, since events in your personal life led to a change in your music as well.
Quinn: Absolutely. I was definitely inspired by loss. The whole process is kind of strange, because there's this delayed reaction. It was several years of things happening and it didn't completely register, until I started talking to my friend, who had lost her mom and that was sort of the trigger. I sort of woke up and realized all this stuff I had been through. It's funny how things catch up with you, I don't know if its a defense mechanism or what, but I think that's kind of the way it was for me.
LM: Well after listening to your EP, Death I was so surprised by it and how unique it was. I love that you put the spin on there being triumph in death. I loved the EP.
Quinn: That really means a lot to me, that is awesome. That's the stuff that really makes my day. When I hear that people get it, I feel like I have done my job. I felt like these songs were gifts that were given to me, that I could also give to other people and we can all work through these problems together.
LM: I also heard rumor, you will have a follow up called Rebirth coming out soon as well?
Quinn: Yeah, we are going to release a single probably at the end of May/early June and we will release Rebirth at the end of July or early August.
LM: Definitely look forward to it, what would you say are the biggest differences from Death to Rebirth?
Quinn: Well you know this whole project has been an evolution in discovering new sounds and testing myself and pushing myself to write different than I ever have and pushing myself to be more genuine and honest when I write. Also making music that I enjoy listening to, not that I haven't enjoyed the stuff I have written in the past, but I'm really digging into stuff I want to see myself doing in the future. In terms of sound, its a dance record man and when I say dance I dont mean like disco beats that weve been hearing in the last few years, I mean more in terms of being upbeat and really percussive. There will be elements you will hear from Death, but I see it as a progression in sound. I didn't necessarily set out to do this, but many of the songs will be an answer to some of songs on Death, so I feel the two will sort of morph into each other in the future. Also instead of an EP, it has evolved into more of a full length album.
LM: What I also find cool is that you have already given yourself an identity. Its cool to hear a concept album of sorts that doesn't come across as gimmicky. Its very realistic and relatable.
Now you are living in Nashville right now, but are not a native. Tell us a little bit more about where you are from.
Quinn: You know so many people ask where I am from and its one of the most difficult questions to answer. I have moved around so much in my life, the last place I lived before here was Biloxi, Mississippi and Mississippi definitely had a hand in being a part of the sound of Death. If you want to talk about loss, I don't think many people realize how hard Biloxi was hit by Hurricane Katrina and you know it didn't get as much news coverage. That was definitely a huge part of my journey as a person.
LM: It is sad to think about how many places go without being noticed during these sort of disasters, I can imagine Japan is going through similar issues right now.
Quinn: Yeah and it's definitely understandable why we saw all the coverage being on New Orleans, I mean we are talking about this huge city with thousands that needed to be evacuated, but it's tough when not many people realize that in a lot of cases, all that was left of houses in Biloxi were slabs. Nothing's left. I moved two days before Katrina hit and than spent the next 10 months traveling between Murfreesboro, TN and Biloxi. It's incredible what people went through, it affected my family too and so my heart goes out to Japan and anyone who has had to experience this sort of thing.
LM: Looking at your pages on Facebook and such, I find it shocking after enjoying your EP so much that you don't have a ton of followers. However I also have found this a lot in the new social networking age with other bands, as well as bands who are not nearly as talented who end up generating a huge base that leaves me shaking my head. Does the emphasis that is put on social networking ever become a little discouraging at times?
Quinn: I mean I am obviously just grateful we are having this conversation and I am talking to someone who loved the record. To completely answer your question, yeah I think there is an element of frustration, but you know what it all boils down to and what I am learning from all of this is that it comes down to who you know. Unfortunately a lot of things have to be viral now, but at the same time I have to believe that people are following me and fans of my work for the right reasons. I also believe there are a ton of Afterlife Parade fans out there that we just haven't connected with yet. A lot of the people who sky rocket to fame end up being a flash in the pan and all for the wrong reasons. I want this to last a long time you know?
LM: What do you have planned for the rest of the year?
Quinn: Well as of now you know I set out to start a solo project and it morphed into a band, which I am really happy about. In the next few months we are going to be rehearsing a lot, because we really want to come out swinging. We will be playing some shows in April and some shows in May, but show-wise things are a bit slow right now, since I am finishing up Rebirth. Once Rebirth hits iTunes and online stores, we're going to be playing a lot, I am trying to establish some relationships with college booking agencies and our hope is to be playing some college shows in the fall and winter. If anyone wants us to come out, we would love that invitation! Really whats going on right now is a lot of foundational stuff and we want our live show to be as good as it can be. Personally I want people to walk away after a show thinking that they have just had one of the most meaningful parties ever.
It was almost accidental how I came across Brooke Ross' music, so I guess this is proof that even accidents can be lucky, because after listening to her voice, listening to her lyrics and talking with her, I feel like there is no doubt she is on the cusp of being huge...well for that matter, her writing has already been huge, but you can mark my words you will be seeing Brooke Ross' name in a lot more places than the liner notes very soon.
With that said Lemonade would like to introduce you to....Brooke Ross.
LM: Hey Brooke, glad to be talking to you! How are things?
Brooke: Things are good, very good. How about you, how's the weather up there?
LM: It's good, the sun came out today and we were really shocked, we hadn't seen it in a while. You're no stranger to cool weather though, you grew up in Colorado right?
Brooke: Yes, exactly. I used to walk to school and have icicles on my eyelashes, that's how cold it was! The nice part though is that it's always sunny and there are always blue skies, so after a snow storm, the sun comes out, so it's not dark and depressing.
LM: That's not the only state you called home though before California though right?
Brooke: I actually moved to Nashville first and went to high school in Nashville and a little bit of college. When I moved to Nashville, speaking of the weather, it was a huge difference for me, because I had lived in Denver my whole life and it was really dark there and my mood got really affected by that I think. At the same time Nashville is a really amazing city and it's really where I started my songwriting and where I met a lot of my mentors. I also started to perform more in coffee shops and such and was offered a couple Christian record deals. It was a big difference from Denver where there wasn't much of a music scene.
LM: A lot of people in the industry do seem to list Nashville as an almost spiritual experience for them as musicians in many different ways.
Brooke: Yeah it is really community oriented, that's really good. Some of my best friends in the whole world that I will have for life are in Nashville. People really nurture relationships there and I feel that's a good thing. It's also a very religious town, very by the book there, very much country music or Christian and so that did end up being the reason I moved to New York City, so I could make pop music and as far as the producers it was a better fit for me. I remember going to New York when I was 11 years old and knowing I was going to live there one day, I fell in love with it instantly.
LM: You've since moved to L.A. of course, what was the reason for the move?
Brooke: I was ready for a change, there is good and bad to both places and I was just ready for a change. As a career choice there is a lot more commercial opportunity here in L.A. As a song writer I had success in New York with a song I wrote called N.O. which went Platinum for Paulina Rubio and so after that I was getting more gigs as a song writer and it just made more sense to be in L.A. I had also been working with Red One and he was moving out to L.A., I was getting a lot of advice from piers like him that told me it would be a good move. Not to mention I love the weather, its less claustrophobic here, you get more for your money. Its been really nice, I really like Los Angeles.
LM: Sticking with the geography theme, you recorded your last EP in Stockholm, Sweden. What was that like?
Brooke: It was amazing! I fell in love with it. I was only there for a couple of weeks, so
it's not like I know it that well, but the quality of life there and the quality of the food, it's just so clean. We went to a McDonalds there and it was like organic meat! It was so different, I also read that it's one of the healthiest countries in the world and I definitely could see that. It seems like such a high quality of living, I want to go back and live there for like six months or something, because I don't feel I got to spend enough time there.
LM: From what I have heard from other people and now you, it makes me want to go even more, it sounds like such an amazing place.
Brooke: It's so great for pop music too, so much talent has come out of there and I have heard that they don't have the same sort of relationship with celebrities there as we do here. They treat them like everyday people. I have never experienced it or seen it first hand, but I have heard that when Britney Spears or Usher have been there recording they treat them as they would anyone else there. I found that really fascinating.
LM: Going back to something you mentioned earlier about Paulina Rubio doing one of your songs N.O. (Latin version Ananda) and it going Platinum. Explain what that felt like as a songwriter.
Brooke: It was very unexpected. I was writing the song with Eric Sanicola at the time for my record and he was signed to Ric Wake at the time who was working with Paulina and was just kind of walking by the studio as we were working on it. He liked it so much, he asked if we could play it for her management and after he did, they translated it to Spanish and basically we came to an agreement that I would release it in English and she would release it in Spanish. I was pursuing a career as an artist who wrote her own music, so it was completely unexpected and a huge blessing for sure.
LM: Listening to your voice, it is so clean and so beautiful to listen to, I would imagine that is still your goal though to perform your own music right?
Brooke: Yeah I mean I am also kind of doing everything simultaneously. I have this theory about planting seeds everywhere and seeing which ones grow naturally. I try to take all opportunities that come my way, so I am writing a for other artists and also recording my own stuff, I have had some amazing opportunities come my way lately, it looks like I am going to be doing a dub step pop record. More dance oriented. I have been having a lot of fun with that and I also have this dream to have my songs used on TV and such, so I am working at that too.
LM: Something else I noticed was how your music is good dance music, but the writing has substance as well, which seems to be lacking these days in dance music.
Brooke: That's really important to me, because my passion is singing and also being a lyricist, so I try to take it from the angle that I want it to be catchy and have a good pop sound, but also have this message in there that if you want to look into it, you will find it.
LM: I remember back when I was younger you would hear of songwriters like David Foster doing a lot of work for big name singers and then as I got older people told me you had to have it all, as in being a musician/singer/songwriter. Do you feel the industry is changing again somewhat?
Brooke: I do remember feeling that same way about having to have it all. I remember the biggest thing working against me when being looked at by major record labels was that I wasn't a great guitar or piano player, basically I am a topline writer, I write vocal melody and lyrics. What's interesting nowadays is that producers that are becoming successful are hiring track people and then hiring topline writers as well. Recently it's becoming a thing that being a topline writer is more validated. I think too there are more collaborations happening and synergies, sometimes you are even seeing nine different writers on a project. There seems to be less pressure, especially in mainstream music to do it all, so you are able to focus on what you're good at as a performer and I think thats a good thing.
LM: What was it like working with Red One?
Brooke: He's so amazing, so positive and full of energy. He gets very excited, which is really great to have that when you are working, it's very motivating and inspiring. He's an amazing vocal arranger since he's a singer too, he does a lot of the background vocals on my EP. He's a really good person and has worked really hard to get where he is, so I am very happy for him.
LM: Since you are switching up your sound a bit for your new stuff, what is inspiring your new work?
Brooke: Obviously the dub step scene, what I like about it is that it has a lot of hard elements and my vocal type is very soft, so I think it creates a nice balance. I really enjoy artists like Ellie Goulding and Sunday Girl, I listen to Ellie Goulding like crazy! It's funny I like a lot of artists in the UK, because they are very musical and the same time it is really good pop music. As for American pop, I love Kanye West, I love how he does his own thing, but it's still really huge. I also love Britney Spears, I will always love Britney Spears.
LM: I definitely agree it is nice to see some good pop music and writing again, like Jessie J for instance who has suddenly taken off.
Brooke: Oh man, I love her too.
LM: What are you hoping that listeners will take the most from your work?
Brooke: I think mostly that I have a good heart and I am very honest with my work and also I really believe in positivity. I am a lover at heart, I am a romantic and I really express those things. Being honest and relatable means a lot to be, so I don't sugarcoat those things. I do tell stories about heartbreak and such, but I also try to be positive about it, because that's how I live my life. Music is such a great tool to connect to people with. I love being able to talk to my fans on an honest level.
Tell us how and when you guys formed...
We started out like most bands. We were just friends trying to play music together; whether it be in someone's bedroom, attic or backyard. Fighting the Villain was officially formed in the summer of 2007, when the line up was completed with Caitlyn (singer) Danny (drummer) Miguel (guitar) and Cisco (guitar). We had a few line up changes with our bassists but found Kenny; our latest addition, who drove all the way from Sebring Florida to pursue his passion for music with FTV.
Your name is pretty damn cool. What's the story behind the name Fighting The Villain? Were there other names being tossed around as well?
Miguel: Before FTV was even a band, and when I was just starting to learn
how to write songs, I used to experiment with writing on a program I had on my computer.
At one point I wrote a song that sounded just like the music from the final stage of Zelda. (yea most of us are video game dorks!) Someone else heard it and agreed that it sounded like the song off of Zelda and said "Yea! like when you're fighting the villain!" and then light bulb! A band name idea! I think it was our first idea so we stuck with it.
Who are you really inspired by right now both on the radio and surrounding you?
Caitlyn: Inspiration comes from EVERYWHERE and EVERYONE we come across. Personally a lot of people in my family inspire me, everyone on my dad's side are all very musical. Brandon Boyd, Mike Patton, Gwen Stefani, Astrud Gilberto are some other vocal influences of mine. As a band, one of the BIGGEST inspirations are, our fans. It is truly an inspiration knowing that there are actually people out there who have taken the time to learn our songs word for word, and have supported us since day one. We love them and love maintaining a strong relationship with them. They have become our friends!
Tell us something we probably don't know about each of you.
Oh man! We can all agree we have had some obstacles. One being, we always have to deal with being the "odd man out". The bay area music scene is rough. The local music scene here is either indie or hardcore. Being the type of band we are and having the sound we have developed has made it hard for us to feel accepted. People will always compare us, until they really give us a listen. We just want to be ourselves, and we want other people to see that and hear that.
What tour or album release are you looking the most forward to in 2011?
Lady Gaga's new album, Warped tour, and the AP tour SXSW.
What can we expect from Fighting The Villain in 2011?
The release of our single Last Goodbye mixed and mastered by producer Andrew Wade (A Day To Remember). A brand new EP, writing, and touring. Lots and lots of touring. And BBQ's!
What is biggest thing you want the world to know about the band?
We want to send all of our listeners a message. Believe in yourself, never settle for less no matter what ANYONE tells you. We don't come from the greatest homes and don't have any money...but music is what keeps us going. Never lose hope, never lose sight of your dream(s).
What is your favorite moment so far as a band?
We have had many many favorite moments, and are excited for more. Being in this band is forever a favorite moment. Touring, talking to fans from all over the world, writing music together, hanging out, hanging out with fans, throwing birthday parties for fans, all of those things!
It's spring time, which means summer, beach party music is just around the corner! Some of your favorite artists are already getting warmed up though and searching for a place on your iPod in hopes of being immortalized at your bon fire get together. Money is tight though right? Well once again we are here for you, we are your friend! Well I mean more like a facebook friend ok?
This month features Yellowcard's latest, Seattle's darkest, and the UK's most promising.....enjoy
I am not sure if you will find a band that embodies the dark, depressing, menacing Seattle rain like Aiden does...and I imagine they would take that as a compliment.
Disguises is the much anticipated, brand new release by the Victory Records veterans and more than ever these guys are not pulling their punches. Once again their undead obsessions and atheist overtones make up the majority of the album mixed in with samples of various interviews and the like on thoughts about religion (sampling of interviews and news clips is a pet peeve of mine). However, my personal pet peeves aside, Disguises offers some very strong tracks including Shine, where they get a little help from everyone's favorite "undead" girl, Ashley Costello. Radio, although very morbid in the "you broke my heart, now go electrocute yourself in the bathtub" sort of way, is another very strong track where William laments "I've got a big fat fucking bone to pick with you my darling, in case you havent heard Im sick".
Perhaps I am just not THAT dark, but the redundancy of death, atheism, and depression at times seems as preachy as any religious album. On the other hand, if Aiden started singing about love and sunshine I would start to get very worried. Disguises is a very well produced album, as well as an album that comes across as very confident and who can blame them for being that way after all this time? Fans of Aiden should be very pleased and I can imagine they will snag some new fans as well.
I didn't know a lot about Kids of 88 before I listened to this EP, but immediately when I started listening to it, I could hear that sound that I have come to believe you only hear from bands from the continent of Oceania. I don't know if that makes sense to most people, but if you are familiar with bands such as Cut Copy, you will know what I mean. There is just a distinct sound, and not just in their accents, I mean their music as well.
Anyway, these New Zealanders are all about making dance music. I first turned it on while in my car and it very suddenly became a moving dance floor. I love the fact too, that you could hear influences from classic bands like Wall Of Voodoo and Men Without Hats. It's not often you see a dance record that provides that sort of nostalgia and more improtantly succeeds in doing it. For someone like me who really isn't a huge fan of electronica or heavily remixed music, it was really refreshing to hear it all done really well.
I will be the first to admit that I am probably not the best person to review a metalcore band. The screams always seem out of place and I usually get frustrated by the fact that the lyrics and lead vocals are most of the time good, yet overshadowed by the aforementioned screaming. That aside, after receiving The Color Morale's sophomore album, My Devil In Your Eyes, I decided to give it a shot.
The Color Morale knows who they are and knows who their fans are. This was very evident on the record. My Devil In Your Eyes is a very solid second effort for them and it even had some surprises for this skeptic, especially the final two tracks, This Lost Song Is Yours and Fill; Avoid which I very much enjoyed. Garret Rapp doesnt debunk my theory on metalcore vocalists either, as he busts through the record with a relatively soulful voice for the genre.
Personally will I ever be the greatest person to take advice from on buying this sort of album? Probably not, but I think you can trust me on this one. If you are a big fan of the post hardcore movement, you should definitely add this album to your collection.
Let's take a moment to think about the female pop powerhouses right now from both the UK and USA. Over here you have Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and Katy Perry and over there you have Florence + The Machine, Jessie J and the subject of this review, Ellie Goulding. Now I know most will fight me on record sales and all that and don't get me wrong I am definitely a fan of my country and its amazing artists, but personally I have to admit...I think the UK is edging us out a bit right now in this battle.
What really does it for me is the writing, we all know the brilliant poet that Florence Welch is, and the super wit of Jessie J, but the third party I mentioned earlier named Ellie Goulding doesn't quite get the same reception over here and I am not sure if there is anyone more deserving of it than her. She has the best of both worlds when it comes to writing, mixing wit with poetry and then of course you also have that voice! A mixture of soft acoustic folk and downright soul....Adele who!? The soulful side is most felt in the second track, Guns and Horses one of my many favorite tracks on Lights. Another favorite of mine is The Writer where Ellie sings "I've got a plan. Why don't you be the artist and make me out of clay? Why don't you be the writer and decide the words I say?".
Probably the biggest surprise of the album for me was her cover of the Sir Elton John classic, Your Song. I am not always a huge fan of covers being on studio albums, especially when you are covering a legend like Sir Elton John, I mean he's untouchable right? Ellie definitely proves that wrong, since her take on Your Song is beyond beautiful and even gave me chills. I would be willing to bet if Sir Elton has listened to it, there is no doubt she has his full approval.
What separates Ellie and her countrywomen apart from the Americans mentioned is the respect for artistry, wit over bluntness, and overall class they exude. Trust me there is room for all for all of them, Yankee and English alike in the industry, but if you only have enough room on your credit card to buy one of their albums right now? I would suggest you buy Ellie Gouldings Lights.
Aww, how a band can take you back right? When Ocean Avenue came out I was 17 going on 18 and damn the world seemed full of excitement and new opportunities. Those opportunities became responsibilities and those responsibilities became stress, but every time I hear Only One, I go right back to 2004.
I guess thats proof that you've made it as a band when you can do that to someone right? In my opinion it makes you even more of a band when you can successfully release an album seven years later that makes sense in both the same and different ways that the first album did.
I have always thought of the violin in Yellowcard's music sounding like a canary amidst the most brilliant chaos, it has helped separate Yellowcard from other alternative punk bands and really provides a metaphor for what they are to the genre on a whole. Yellowcard has never been your typical punk band, they don't blast you with song after song about troubled youth or anarchy, instead they provide a more widely relatable discography and in most cases provide a bright side, which is what has always drawn me to them.
I realize that they have had two albums between Ocean Avenue and this one, but When Your'e Through Thinking, Say Yes shows that Yellowcard has grown up, just like most of us who fell in love with them years ago and they have done it gracefully. The album is like an answer to some of my favorite songs off of Ocean Avenue. With You Around, where Ryan Key sings "I want to chase forever down...with you around" seems like the honeymoon to Only One's wedding, and See Me Smiling seems to be the acceptance to the confused, sadness of losing a loved one in View From Heaven. When it comes down to it, I love every song on the album, it made me smile, made me sad, gave me chills at times, but most of all it will be an album that I cherish for years to come.
