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Music

Energetic Music: A Lot Like Birds – “Conversation Piece”

Thomas Frank Music

“I’ve got a pocketbook of dark, black pick-up lines…”

This provocative line from the song “Think Dirty Out Loud” is just one of the memorable lyrics that permeate Conversation Piece, the latest outing from the San Francisco-based post-hardcore outfit A Lot Like Birds. This is an album with some damn smart writing behind it; it ain’t no Five Finger Death Punch – that much is for sure. I think my favorite line comes from “A Satire of a Satire of a Satire is Tiring” – simple and smart quip: “What you’ve got in smarts, I’ve got ten times in dreams.” Read More →

Study Music: Transit – “Listen And Forgive”

Nick Kelly Music

Rise Records’ new-comers Transit just released their debut album Listen & Forgive on October 4th, and they bring a new meaning to the term “pop-punk”. I have to admit, I’m not a huge listener to this style, but this record is definitely catchy and could easily calm me down after watching an MMA fight. If anyone listened to them before this release, they would probably be unfamiliar with this new sound. Listen definitely has a softer direction than their previous releases on other labels, which makes it a perfect fit for a study album. Read More →

37 Awesome Streaming Music Sites You Should Check Out

Thomas Frank Internet, Music, The Best Stuff

Note: Yo! I’m in the process of majorly updating this post. If you see entries without text, fear not – they’ll be filled out very soon. Thanks!

“Dude, you gotta hear this!” This is an often-used statement around here, and I’m usually the one saying it. I’ve been saying it for years. Indeed, my insatiable appetite for discovering new music goes back to my days as a teenager, back when I was rocking a giant CD player shoved in my hoodie pocket. Back then we had no streaming music; the only way to share music with my friends was to physically take the CD over to wherever they were and put it in a stereo. Man, how times have changed. First, we got downloadable MP3′s – we could simply tell a friend to check something out on iTunes, CD Baby, Rhapsody, or whatever. Now, however, it’s an entirely different ball game.

Streaming music websites have revolutionized the way we acquire and listen to our tunes. Read More →

Energetic Music: Dat Rap Playlist

Thomas Frank Music

A common quote I hear thrown around my best friends’ apartment is, “Yo, 50 in the house”. I think Martin says this because it’s utterly stupid and makes absolutely no sense, but I’ve got to give it some credit; it inspired me to get out of my rock bubble and try to find some good rap and hip hop. Yo, not gonna lie, I found some damn good stuff. Like, this playlist be off da hook. Read More →

Study Music: Mutemath – “Odd Soul”

Thomas Frank Music

Sometimes bands decide to go in a different direction and change their sound completely. A couple examples of this kind of a change that come to my mind include The Showdown’s radical change from the straight-up death metal of their debut album to the Pantera-influenced classic hard rock sound of their sophomore release, as well as Panic! at the Disco’s shift from the Fall Out Boy-inspired pop rock of their debut to the slower folk sound of their second album Pretty. Odd. Read More →

Energetic Music: Breakdown Of Sanity – “Mirrors”

Nick Kelly Guest Post, Music

This week’s album review was written by Nick Kelly, whose distinctions include being a freshman at ISU, being in a band, and being my cousin.

Like Parkway Drive? Good. Like Korn? Awesome! Like dubstep? Even better! Like random Barack Obama samples? Then Breakdown of Sanity is the perfect band for you. The unsigned 5-piece from Bern, Switzerland just self-released (meaning without label backing) their newest album, Mirrors, in April, and it fits the “energetic” title perfectly. Read More →

Study Album Of The Week: maybeshewill – “I Was Here For A Moment, Then I Was Gone”

Thomas Frank Music

Ok, so I’ve really been getting into post-rock lately. Call me obsessed, but the genre’s great musicianship, layered compositions, and general lack of vocals tend to be things I want to have when choosing music for my ridiculously busy life. Two weeks ago, I featured sleepmakeswaves, an up-and-coming band who definitely offer some of the best post-rock out there. This week I’m turning my eye to the band they’re most often compared to. Read More →

Energetic Music Feature: 10 Ear-Blasting Slices Of Dubstep

Thomas Frank Music

I hope you’ve got some good speakers set up, wherever you are.

This week I’m breaking out the good stuff. That’s right – we’re doing a dubstep playlist. In case you live under a rock, and don’t know what dubstep is, it’s basically a type of music that uses overwhelming bass, lots of samples, and is basically awesome. I’ve been cultivating this dubstep playlist for a while, and I think I’ve got it nicely curated now. Read More →