Christmas and new music :)

This morning I opened a pile of presents and three of those presents really made my Christmas amazing. I received Product (RED)  Solo Beats by Dre headphones, Angels and Airwaves Love Pt.1 and Pt.2 Deluxe Edition with DVD, and the newest Blue October album Any Man in America. Right now I'm listening to Blue October. For those of you who aren't familiar with the band I'll give you a quick intro to them. I am a huge fan of the band and always have been. Blue October's lead singer Justin Furstenfeld is as bipolar as you can get. He uses this in his music and for that I love him. Their music ranges from happy violin and vocal pairings to angry yelling and depressing lyrics. Their hit song was Hate Me which is a song Justin wrote for his mother, giving him the chance to apologize to her for all the crap he put her through. Sad yes but it's a pretty happy song towards the end. Their next big song, Dirt Room, took a different approach with angry vocals. Lyrics such as, "Oh god then you awoke you started screaming through the duct tape don't ever think I'm letting you go. I'm busy digging you a hole, now you'll be living in a dirt room breathing through the straw of your own." He's not a homicidal maniac, it's all figurative I swear.  The latest album kind of showed up off the radar.

I hadn't heard of a new album release but saw the album at Target and begged for it for Christmas. Any Man In America is dedicated to Justin's daughter Blue, her artwork is on the cover of the album and photos of her and her father are used inside the album case. After a very recent and very traumatic divorce, Justin no longer has custody of Blue and the entire album is fueled by the divorce. In his dedication he tells Blue that he tried to fix things and that he's sorry things aren't working out and that he apologizes for the language he uses on the album but that he loves her more than anything. Blue's voice is heard on the album for a moment and the rest of the album is a combination of frustrated and angry emotions thrown at his now ex wife and what they went through and apologies and warmhearted emotions for his daughter. The album is titled after all the men in America who go through divorce's and lose their children, which happen 90% of the time. I expected some kind of sad song feel to the album but it's far more than that. It's an incredible album and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Blue October or Kings of Leon, Carolina Liar.

The Chills- Blue October

Favorite songs off of Any Man in America:
For the Love
The Chills
The Flight (LNK to MSP)
Any Man In America

I'll be sure to write a review of Angels and Airwaves once I get through both albums. And anyone looking into headphones, I highly recommend Beats By Dre. Best headphones I've EVER had. You can hear literally everything in the song :)

-Emily

Music as therapy...

Music has many uses. It entertains us, occupies spare time between classes, gives us motivation to exercise, and for me it's a form of therapy. I am bipolar, I have a history of self injury and suicidal thoughts, I've been hospitalized many times, and I know what it's like to feel like there's no way out. Luckily I have music, we all go through tough times and music can always help whether a song helps you smile or even make you realize how lucky you are to be alive. So whether you're bummed out, heart broken, depressed, suicidal, or just need something to make sense in your life here are some of my favorites... (may or may not be triggering, please use your own discretion)

Flyleaf- Much Like Falling

Saosin- You Are Not Alone

Skillet- Last Night

Sick Puppies- Odd One

Evanescence- Tourniquet

Flyleaf- Red Sam

And this girl made an incredible video. I'm not religious but I found this video inspiring. Hopefully you weren't triggered by anything above but this is a great way to end the post. The video shows you that you have a reason to live, you were put here for a reason. Check it out, support Cassie!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cassie-Carnage-A-Reason-To-Live/199451823418557

-Emily

Laconic!!!

hey so I found this incredible band you should all look into you will not be disappointed I promise. The band is Laconic, they're out of Arizona. Their sound is unique however you'll definitely like them if you like Killswitch Engage and Five Finger Death Punch. I'm officially a fan, my favorite songs are Medicated and On This Cold Night. They seem like cool guys with a lot of talent so give them a listen! You can preview their songs on their facebook page, they are also on twitter and youtube. I will give you all of the links :)

http://www.facebook.com/laconicmusic?sk=info

http://twitter.com/#!/laconicaz

http://www.youtube.com/user/LocalBandsOfArizona?feature=watch

let me know what you think .

-Emily :)