October 28, 2010

Loud Rock!

What's going on guys? Zach here with this week's Loud Rock blog.

Some recent album news: Check out the new release from After the Fall, a hardcore/punk band out of Albany, NY! The album is titled "Eradication" check it out on the band's myspace: www.myspace.com/afterthefall518
Senses Fail and Your Demise both have new albums out! Both are great! Be sure to give them a listen.  The new EP from Alexisonfire will be out November 2nd, check out the title track "Dog's Blood" on the bands myspace now!


Some upcoming shows to get stoked on:

The Acacia Strain is bringing the "To Catch a Predatour" to Northern Lights on October 29. The tour also features The Red Chord, Terror, Gaza (pffft) and The Contortionsit.


Blessthefall and Architects will be at Lost Horizon in Syracuse Sunday November 7th!


Asking Alexandria, Born of Osiris, and All That Remains will be at Lost Horizon the next day, Monday November 8th, and that same tour will be at Northern Lights Wednesday November 10th, minus All That Remains. Restless Streets will be on the bill for the NL show though! 


A Day To Remember with Underoath, The Word Alive and Close your eyes will be at Northern Lights Monday, November 8th!




That's all I have for this week, check the blog again next Monday for more loud rock news!


And remember: Mosh hard or not at all!

October 22, 2010

The Latest Pop Hits!


Hey everyone, it’s Tyler with this week’s hottest new hits!

P!nk “Raise Your Glass”
Off of her soon to be released greatest hits album “Greatest Hits…So Far!!!”, “Raise Your Glass” is as mainstream as a song can get. It is a pop anthem that many people will be able to relate to as it celebrates being an underog and being unique. Add a catchy sing a long rock chorus and your all set to raise your glass with P!nk!

Ke$ha “We R Who We R”
Ke$ha is back with a brand new single from her upcoming nine track EP Cannibal. “We R Who We R” is basically Tik Tok 2.0, but filled with more auto-tune. However, the chorus will still make you want to get up and dance whether you love or hate her. Get ready for Ke$ha and her slurred auto-tune voice to continue to rule the airwaves into next year.

Rihanna feat. Drake “What’s My Name”
It will only take you ten seconds to be instantly hooked to this island-tinged single. With a little less of a dance feel than her current single “Only Girl (In the World)”, it proves that RiRi can pull of a non-dance song. Drake throws in a flirty verse at the start of the song as Rihanna responds to him singing “You’re so amazing/You took the time to figure me out.” From her latest two singles, it seems Rihanna has a hit album on her hands as Loud will be released on November 12, 2010.

Music Video: “Whip My Hair” Willow Smith
Willow Smith, nine-year-old daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, shatters all expectations in her debut video for “Whip My Hair.” She shows off a sassy yet mature side and for only being nine years old, Willow is on her way to becoming the world’s next biggest pop star! Rihanna and Beyonce better watch out! Check out her video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymKLymvwD2U

October 21, 2010

Album Review: Young the Giant - S/T

Artist: Young the Giant
Album: Young the Giant
Label: Roadrunner
Genre: Indie Rock
Release Date: October 26th, 2010
If you like Jonezetta, Matt and Kim, or the Futureheads, definitely check out this album!
Over the course of the past year, Young the Giant have been vigorously working on their debut album.  And the extra time spent has certainly paid off.

The album boasts typical pop lyrics (My body tells me no / But I won't quit, 'cause I want more), but backs it, not with auto-tuning, but with guitar heavy, catchy melodies.  The first single off the album, I Got, is vocal-heavy, with extra harmonies.  The vocals themselves take on a blues-feel, adding even more depth to the track.  To promote hype for the record, the band has been touring constantly, most recently on a nationwide tour with Marina and the Diamonds and will continue to tour even after the album's release with the Futureheads.

As far as debut records go, this is definitely one of the better ones out there.

Rating: four out of five stars
Recommended tracks: My Body, Apartment, Cough Syrup, I Got, Guns Out


- Vikki

Loud Rock!

What's going on guys? Zach here with this week's Loud Rock blog.

Some recent album news: Madball's newest album "Empire" is out, if you haven't yet be sure to check that one out.  More album news; All That Remains newest album "For We Are Many" is out now. Your Demise and Senses Fail have new albums dropping very soon! Oct. 25th for YD and Oct. 26th for SF.

Some upcoming October shows to get stoked on:

Defeater, Make Do And Mend, Living With Lions and All Teeth will be hitting Valentines in Albany on October 23.

The Acacia Strain is bringing the "To Catch a Predatour" to Northern Lights on October 29. The tour also features The Red Chord, Terror, Gaza (pffft) and The Contortionsit.


*I'll have news regarding November shows in next week's blog!* 

That's all I have for this week, check the blog again next Monday for more loud rock news!


And remember: Mosh hard or not at all!

October 18, 2010

Album Review: Bring Me The Horizon "There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret"

Zach here with a review of "There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret."

Bring Me The Horizon, of course being infamous for their following of br00tal 14 and 15 year old scenesters, have truly come a long way from the Count Your Blessings days.  Following up their second full studio album “Suicide Season” BMTH proves they can do more than just play breakdowns and straighten their hair. 

BMTH’s improvement as musicians is truly apparent in this album.  They stretch the boundaries as far as incorporating electronics, clean vocals, several guest vocalists (a few of them female) and other instruments including the violin and acoustic guitars into their music.  Singer Oli Sykes’ vocal style has really come a long way from the ear piercing screech that was Count Your Blessings, making every song on that album straight up unlistenable in my opinion. 

These guys are still a long ways from making an album that I can say I love, however.  Some of the songs are just plain corny (Don’t Go actually made me laugh) And overall, all of the songs sound the same in a way.  I have to give them some credit though, for making an album that I could get through in it’s entirety.  For this, I’ll give BMTH and their ridiculously long titled record 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Recommended Tracks:  It Never Ends, The Fox And The Wolf

Album Review: Terror "Keepers of Faith"

Hey it's Zach with a review of Terror's new album "Keepers of Faith."

Ever-hyped front man Scott Vogel and the crew are back with their 5th studio album “Keepers of the Faith.” 

It’s been a little less than two years since “The Damned, The Shamed” and as a die hard Terror fan, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t getting impatient.  This record was worth the wait.  Terror truly captures the scene itself in this one: the gang vocals are done by 30 Terror fans (I envy them all) The riffs are heavier, and the solo’s are more numerous and every song delivers a chorus that’s going to give every fan in the venue the uncontrollable urge to walk across countless heads to scream into the mic. 

If Terror graces a town near you with their presence, you make it your first priority to go.  This album is going to bring about even more stage dives and pits than you would find at a Terror show before. In case it’s not clear, I’m still stoked off it. 5 well earned stars for this one.

October 17, 2010

Album Review: Maroon 5 "Hands All Over"

Hey guys! Tyler here with a review of Maroon 5's newest album!

Maroon 5 is back after a three year hiatus with their third studio album titled “Hands All Over.” Not only is the band’s pop/rock funk sound back with a vengeance on this album, but there is also a hint of some new sounds as well.

“Misery”, having already peaked in the top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, was a perfect way to start the album off. It’s a fun, upbeat danceable song which is somewhat unusual for a typical Maroon 5 song.

The second single to be released from the album, “Give A Little More”, features an even funkier beat than the first single. It has more of a guitar hook but leaves you somewhat bored by the middle of the song.

“Stutter” is one of the standout tracks on the album. It’s an up-tempo love ballad that is about Adam wanting to be with a certain someone all the time and making him feel so good that he stutters. It is a very radio friendly song that will soon be all over the airwaves.

While the album bounces back and forth between different sounds, overall it has many possible hits which is what Maroon 5 needs after their last album underperformed. Will your hands soon be all over the album? 

October 14, 2010

INDIE THURSDAY

Hey guys! Vikki here with some Indie news.

Last week on Pion-Indie, I played Hey Monday.

The Band: The band, which formed in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2007, is composed of three members, Cassadee Pope (lead vocals), Alex Lipshaw (rhythm guitar) and Mike Gentile (lead guitar). After undergoing many line-up changes this year, the band has pulled through and secured their indie-pop sound, despite the changes, and released a new, six song EP entitled "Beneath it All" and are preparing in the studio to put out their third album in 2011.

The Sound: Although the band has reached a more mainstream following lately, their sound still has the same poppy feel as always.  They rely heavily on guitar and heart-felt vocals to propel them from song to song.  Their new single, "I Don't Wanna Dance," has a fun vibe, but still showcases Pope's vocal range and includes pumping bass and a chugging guitar rhythm that can get even the biggest Hey Monday hater up and dancing.

Most recently, they were featured on the Warped Tour.  They'll be kicking off a new, currently unnamed, tour on October 20 with Cartel, The Ready Set, We Are the In-Crowd and This Century.  They currently have two records out, "Hold On Tight" (2008), featuring their debut single "Homecoming," and "Beneath it All," both out now on Decaydance Records.

Check back next Thursday for more Indie news!

October 13, 2010

Active Rock

Hey Its Brian and I have got some great news about active rock in this weeks blog.

New Albums: My Chemical Romance who is a huge influence in the active rock culture will be coming out with a new album on November 22nd  of this year. In the days leading up to this date though they will be doing some exciting things. They are going to present a music video for their new single "Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na" on October 14th. They are also going to open for an NFL Football game between The Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers on October 31st to a crowd of an estimated 85,000.

Also The Dear & Departed have a new album coming and are recording it in the studio right now. They just came out with an ep called Chapters. A few of their songs have been played quite a bit on our station and also had a video made for their song Matter of time that came out quite recently. They have A.F.I. and Alkaline Trio influences in their songs, I encourage you to give them a listen if you enjoy those two bands.


You can hear My Chemical Romances new single playing on our station.

That is all I have to say about Active Rock this week. Check in for a new blog on Active Rock next week

Loud Rock (better late than never!)

What's going on guys? Zach here with this week's Loud Rock blog.

Some recent album news: Bring Me the Horizon released their 3rd full studio album recently. I wasn't overly impressed with it. You can read my recent review on the album on WPNR-FM's Music Reviews page on our websiteMadball's new album "Empire" drops the 12th. Words can't describe how stoked I am for that one.

Some upcoming October shows to get stoked on:
Whitechapel, Impending Doom, Miss May I and several more will be making an appearance at Lost Horizon in Syracuse on Thursday, October 14.

Strife, Death Before Dishonor, Cruel Hand, Born Low and one or two more are making a small East Coast run that's set to hit Albany, NY at Valentines on October 19. Cro Mags, Rhinoceros and more at Bogies in Albany on October 22.

Defeater, Make Do And Mend, Living With Lions and All Teeth will be hitting Valentines in Albany as well on October 23.


The Acacia Strain is bringing the "To Catch a Predatour" to Northern Lights on October 29. The tour also features The Red Chord, Terror, Gaza (pffft) and The Contortionsit.

Also coming to Northern Lights:
Gwar with The Casualties-  October 15
Bad Religion, Bouncing Souls, Off With Their Heads- October 16
And last but not least, The Misfits- October 20


That's all I have for this week, check the blog again next Monday for more loud rock news!


And remember: Mosh hard or not at all!

 

October 12, 2010

Current Radio Hits!

Hey everyone, Tyler here for an update on all of the newest pop hits, albums, and concerts.

Songs:

While Katy Perry currently has the most played song in the country right now with “Teenage Dream”, she is already set for her third single off of the album titled “Firework.” The song is similar to “Teenage Dream” with its slow pop-dance feel and very catchy chorus, which will surely help “Firework” to become Katy’s next top ten hit.

Chris Brown is finally back with a soon to be hit single called “Yeah 3x.” Ever since the Rihanna incident, his songs have been pretty disappointing and have failed to have much success. But get ready for this song to be all over the radio in the next few months as this dance song is sure to shoot straight to the top of the charts!

Coming off of his two number one hits “Break Your Heart” and “Dynamite”, Taio Cruz is onto his third single “Dirty Picture.” The song features fellow pop star Ke$ha who adds her usual slurred, drunk sounding vocals. But besides Ke$ha and the song being repetitive about sending X-rated pictures, it does have a good beat for the clubs. However, it falls short to Taio’s last two hits.

Albums:

Both Zac Brown Band and Maroon 5 released albums last week, with Zac Brown Band’s album “You Get What You Give” debuting at number one this week ahead of Maroon 5’s “Hands All Over” which debuted at number 2.

Eminem’s “Recovery” is still holding strong in the top 10 as well as Justin Bieber’s “My World 2.0.” Other notable top ten albums this week are Linkin Park’s “A Thousand Suns”, Selena Gomez & The Scene’s “A Year Without Rain”, and Trey Songz’s “Passion, Pain & Pleasure.”

Upcoming albums for the month of October include:

October 5th:
Bruno Mars “Doo-Woops & Hooligans”
David Archuleta “The Other Side of Down”

October 12th:
Lil’ Wayne “I Am Not A Human Being”

October 19th:
Sugarland “Incredible Machine”
Kings of Leon “Come Around Sundown”

October 25th:
Taylor Swift “Speak Now”

Concerts:

Lady GaGa is still on the road with her Monster Ball Tour which started in November of last year and doesn’t plan on ending anytime soon. Just this past week, GaGa released even more tour dates that go into June of next year. I highly recommend this tour as I went to see it in the spring and it was an amazing show. You can check out the tour dates on her official website of www.ladygaga.com.

American Idol winner and R&B star Fantasia is set to go on her first headlining tour ever this year starting in November. The tour is in support of her latest album “Back To Me” which recently debuted at number two on Billboard’s album chart. Go to www.fantasiaofficial.com to check out all of the tour dates.