Okay, first off, I’d have to clear to way and level the playing field, otherwise I might get taken out by your critics for publishing this here. I first heard about Meg and Dia from a friend of mine who normally hooks me up with interesting new music to listen to. Now my top bands at the moment include Incubus, Billy Talent, Brand New, Alkaline Trio and Rise Against and my music-giving friend has an even more alternative taste. So when he suggested I give Meg and Dia a listen, I thought okay maybe it’s just something indie (whatever that is anyway these days) with a little softer side since it has chick vocals.
My conclusion to his promotion of M&D and my initial thoughts is that M&D pleasantly suprised me and I listen to it every now and again when my girlfriend is around - that softer side thing again.
Meg (21) and Dia (19) Frampton are two sisters and they’re the founders of the band. They started out with just an acoustic guitar, but has since grown into a full 4-piece band (that is what success does to you). Their music can be described as guitar-driven with poppy, but slightly unique, chick vocals. So yes, they are poppy, but I can be a man and face up to listening to them sometimes.
The interesting thing about M&D however is the fact that they appeal to the more alternative crowd and I don’t if that’s just because they are the prettiest girls in the alternative scene or whether the alternative peeps just enjoy their music. M&D are signed to a major label, but they tour with smaller, but more well-known punk bands, which means that maybe the next time you get to see your favourite band, M&D will be there too.
First off, we found this insane video of My Chemical Romance performing their debut single, “Welcome to the Black Parade” live at MTV’s VMA PreShow. The big hoo-hah about this however is the fact that they performed the whole song live on the rooftop of a massive building in midtown Manhattan! Another awesome part of the video is the kiddies that MCR got in on the act - they actually sing the bridge late in the song - so cute!
Check it out, it’s insane…
Second reason to celebrate was also the fact that we got the new MCR album (The Black Parade) yesterday and we’ve had quite a earful of it thusfar. The only way for us to describe the sound of this album, is EPIC. The sound is big and different, very, very different. My Chemical Romance has definitely experimented with a new sound on this album and although we don’t think they’ve sold out, the album is certainly more radio-friendly. This is one of those albums that will grow on you over time, but it’s also one of those albums that might piss off and alienate previous fans…
MCR have definitely come up with all guns blazing and they’ve created a massive and complete audiovisual package for the new album. This is evident in the start to the video above and also the quality of the music video for “Welcome to the Black Parade”. What’s also interesting is that vocalist, Gerard Way, has coloured his hair completely blonde and he looks all Nazi super-race with the blonde hair and supposed (might be contacts) blue eyes. The whole Nazi thing is also interesting, as a lot of the songs and definitely the videos give you the idea that it’s all Hitler-inspired.
Although Billy Talent is been around for a while now and they’ve just released their new album, II, about two months ago, we still feel that their first hit single “Try Honestly” is one of the best songs ever ever in the world ever. This was our psyched-up summer tune in 2005 and we just felt that we’d share the music video with you.
What makes the music video so awesome is the part where the lead vocalist just absolutely goes insanely mad (it’s later in the song, at the bridge part) and just spins out of control. That and the guitarists freakish square mullet-afro of course - but who doesn’t like a Marge Simpson haircut now and again?
So we decided to hunt some of our favourite music videos at the moment down on YouTube. Since pasting all of the code for the vids in this post, would make this post uber-long, we decided to rather list our Top 5 in order. The songs link back to their individual YouTube pages.
The One AM Radio is the sensibly-chosen stagename of singer-songwriter, Hrishnikesh Hirway. Having been around since 1999, HH has released 2 full-length, 3 EP’s and 4 split albums in a very diverse discography.
It’s difficult to define the sound of this guy, but the combination of edgy electronic beats, acoustic guitar, piano and the most haunting & mysterious voice you will hear, makes for a very unique end product. The One AM Radio takes you on a mystic journey through every song - where you never know what is behind the next corner. The music is so descriptive and arty, that a whole fantasy landscape is created in your mind - automatically. The sounds dares and invites you to just go with the flow.
What makes this guy even more amazing, is his viral marketing ideas. He released a four track EP, An Assembly, which is downloadable online (here’s the link), complete with all the album artwork. This is a really great idea and an awesome edition to your music collection. Check this guy out.
The One AM Radio