Modern Minstrels

The Adventure

Angels and Airwaves (Tom Delong's and other Box Car Racer members new band) have posted their first song, The Adventure, on PureVolume. Go download it now! It's a totally different sound from Box Car Racer, and in my opinion is way better than anything on that album. Actually, this song could almost fit onto the last Blink-182 album (musically it reminds me a bit of All of This), though its instrumentals are a lot deeper than anything on the Blink album.

Tom has been hyping this band like crazy, and I have to admit I was worried they wouldn't live up to it. But after hearing The Adventure, I can't wait for the rest of the album. In fact after finally hearing something from them, I'm going to contribute to the hype and guarantee this album will make my Top 5 albums of 2006.

More Missed Albums of 2005

The awesomeness of Cartel's debut full length, Chroma, has finally hit me. (I'd link to their webpage, but it's a flash website that blasts music at you, not just once, but twice...and no one wants that) I don't know why it took me so long to get hooked (it may have been just getting used to the singer's voice), but I finally am and I can't get enough of this album.

The last two tracks, Q and A, are especially awesome and just perfectly sum up the entire album. "If you're not getting answers, ask better questions." If you hadn't guessed, communication is the main theme of the album. The album starts off with a track called Say Anything (Else) and you've got a song called Runaway (obviously about running instead of communicating) and of course there's The Minstrel's Prayer which is all about communicating through song. And those are just a few of the songs.

The whole album is really well done, and I highly recommend you check it out. If you're not into it right away, just make sure you give it a few listens before you write it off. I guarantee you'll get hooked.

Another album of 2005 I've been listening to a lot recently is Jimmy Eat World's EP, Stay on My Side. I've especially been hooked on Disintegration and the Drugs or Me Remix. Check 'em out!

Yo DJ HAL Bring That Beat Back

The Graduate by Post-Punk Laptop Rap extraordinaire MC Lars is now available on the iTunes Music Store, a full month before it hits store shelves.

I've listened to the album numerous times the last couple days, and I'm definitely digging it. His songs are filled with catchy beats and an onslaught of lyrical references to everything ranging from references to the music industry, to science fiction, to literary classics such as Moby Dick.

You can stream full versions of three of the album's best songs (Generic Crunk Rap, Hot Topic is NOT Punk Rock, and Download This Song) over on his My Space page.

My one disappointment with the CD is that it two songs (iGeneration and Signing Emo) that were on The Laptop EP. I thought they might be new mixes of the songs, but alas they aren't.

If you haven't heard MC Lars before, go check him out! And if you have heard of him, then I have no doubt that you're already rocking out to the album.