Day 4- Free Music Friday

Sonder – Passerby

This week’s installment of Free Music Friday is Sonder’s “Passerby”. I try to stay away from the term emo because of the negative connotations that come along with it, but this four track EP reminds me so much of the early 2000s emo music I grew up with that I just can’t think of a better term for them. They have a throwback sound with unique vocals that any early 2000s emo fan can appreciate. My favorite track off the album is “Parkside”.

To get the free download, follow this link: https://sonderthebandil.bandcamp.com/
Passersby, by Sonder
 Day 3- “Gorllaz” Announces New Album

Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn announced that they are reactivating after their hiatus that started back in 2012. The album is planned to be released in 2016. Gorillaz is known for having both incredibly long CDs, but also having a very large amount of guest appearances. There are many new artists that have surfaced since their last album released that I would like to see, such as ScHoolboy Q and Danny Brown. I hope to see the return of old features such as MF Doom and Del the Funky Homosapien as well. One artist I have always wanted to hear them partner up with is Steven Stills. I don’t know what to expect from them because Gorillaz is always full of surprises, but I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.

For more information, go to this link here.

Day 2-  Tyson Stevens, Scary Kids Scaring Kids Vocalist Found Dead at 29

Day 1- The Difference Between Growing Up and Selling Out

On Oct. 16, Canadian post-hardore legends Silverstein announced that they are currently recording their eighth studio album. I have been a fan of Silverstein since “Discovering the Waterfront” came out in 2005. Silverstein is one of the few bands that has managed to keep their style while still growing and maturing with each album. Most bands either break up, keep the same sound and get stale, or sell out entirely. While Silverstein admittedly dabbled in the mainstream with “Arrivals and Departures”, they recognized their mistake and rectified it with “A Shipwreck in the Sand”. They are one of the few bands I can think of that really matured and managed to keep their style. Bands don’t have to keep a similar sound to mature though.

Panic! At the Disco is a prime example of maturing without selling out (with the exception of their latest release, “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!”, which is nearly the definition of selling out). Their first album “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” has an almost cabaret sound mixed with electro-pop and rock. “Pretty. Odd.” boasted an indie rock sound that was completely unlike AFYCSO. Their third album, “Vices and Virtues” was a happy medium between both their previous CDs. They didn’t have a single album that sounded similar, but it worked and their fans loved it. This shows that you can grow up and still make quality music that fans will enjoy without selling out.

Selling out is when a band gives up on their roots to please the masses and make more money instead of keeping their artistic integrity and making music that pleases them. Selling out is a term that is typically despised by all groups. Many people dislike it because they pair it with bands abandoning their roots to make more money. Many dislike the people who use the word because they argue that the bands are just growing up and that the fans should let them do what they want. Both sides have rights to their own opinions, and I understand where both are coming from. Bands like Silverstein and Panic! At the Disco have had people claiming they are sell outs with every album they’ve put out. Others claim that bands like My Chemical Romance were just expressing artistic integrity with each new CD. Some people have a hard time distinguishing the difference between selling out and growing up.

Growing up and maturing as a band is very different from selling out. It usually involves becoming calmer, getting more technical instruments, and better production. While the bands may (and hopefully do) get more popular as they put out more albums, they aren’t typically doing it for money. Most of the time, they do it so more people can hear their work and so they can tour and have fun performing their music.

Bands need to mature as they grow older in their music career. They need to focus on making their music better and enjoying it more themselves than to make it for money making purposes.