*Check out the original article for a free download
1/27/09
ArjanWrites.com - "Razoreyes"
ArjanWrites: "Ready to disco, rock and roll around a little? Check out the brand-new single from emerging Atlanta outfit Elevation. Engineered by Mark Endert (The Fray, Madonna, Maroon 5), this quintet presents a potent blast of pop rock in the vein of The Killers, Oasis and Thriving Ivory. "Razoreyes" packs a steady hook, and the song's small doses of disco, strings and piano keeps it sounding fresh and diverse."
*Check out the original article for a free download
*Check out the original article for a free download
How old is too old for men and women to...
•Too old to wear a letter jacket – high school – 19 & college - 22
•Too old to wear hooker boots at the bar – 21 (let’s be honest, only underagers dress like hussies when they go to the bar)
•Too old to go to Spin Nightclub – 18½ (once you reach second semester in college you should already be over Spin)
•Too old to shop at Hollister – 13
•Too old to wear a knee length jean skirt – 0 years old
•Too old to go to Big Island (Lake Minnetonka) on Saturdays – 35 years old (just bc you have a big boat doesn’t mean I want to see your beer belly and hairy body trying to scam on college aged girls)
•Too old to live on campus – 27 (but that is only if you are in grad school, I say 25 latest otherwise, sometimes it takes awhile to let go of the best years of your life)
•Too old to wear your hair in pig tails – depends if you can pull them off or not
•Too old to go to Mexico during spring break time – never too old
•Too old to get black-out drunk – 28 and that’s only on occasion
•Too old to have your belly button pierced – when you have kids or you gain too much weight
•Too old to live with your parents – it depends on how many levels in the house…if you have access to separate door (excluding the sliding door) into the house than your parents add ten years.
•Too old to eat easy mac – 25 years old
•Too old to buy your underwear from Limited Too – 8 years old
•Too old to wear PINK by Victoria’s Secret – once you get married
•Too old to do the walk of shame – the age you can start to afford taxi fare.
•Too old to wear a slutty Halloween custom – 21
•Too old to do the “kissy face” in pictures – in moderation it never goes out of style
•Too old to wear your hat backwards – when you can no longer get student tickets for sporting events.
•Too old to use your student ID for discounts at the movies – when you start to get wrinkles.
If you have any others, please comment!! We always need a good laugh!
-Katie
•Too old to wear hooker boots at the bar – 21 (let’s be honest, only underagers dress like hussies when they go to the bar)
•Too old to go to Spin Nightclub – 18½ (once you reach second semester in college you should already be over Spin)
•Too old to shop at Hollister – 13
•Too old to wear a knee length jean skirt – 0 years old
•Too old to go to Big Island (Lake Minnetonka) on Saturdays – 35 years old (just bc you have a big boat doesn’t mean I want to see your beer belly and hairy body trying to scam on college aged girls)
•Too old to live on campus – 27 (but that is only if you are in grad school, I say 25 latest otherwise, sometimes it takes awhile to let go of the best years of your life)
•Too old to wear your hair in pig tails – depends if you can pull them off or not
•Too old to go to Mexico during spring break time – never too old
•Too old to get black-out drunk – 28 and that’s only on occasion
•Too old to have your belly button pierced – when you have kids or you gain too much weight
•Too old to live with your parents – it depends on how many levels in the house…if you have access to separate door (excluding the sliding door) into the house than your parents add ten years.
•Too old to eat easy mac – 25 years old
•Too old to buy your underwear from Limited Too – 8 years old
•Too old to wear PINK by Victoria’s Secret – once you get married
•Too old to do the walk of shame – the age you can start to afford taxi fare.
•Too old to wear a slutty Halloween custom – 21
•Too old to do the “kissy face” in pictures – in moderation it never goes out of style
•Too old to wear your hat backwards – when you can no longer get student tickets for sporting events.
•Too old to use your student ID for discounts at the movies – when you start to get wrinkles.
If you have any others, please comment!! We always need a good laugh!
-Katie
1/26/09
Elevation: Featured Artist on thefrontloader.com
Being in a band isn’t as easy as it may seem. Musicians will often compare the band relationship to a marriage… personalities will often clash, disagreements will arise, and breaking up is sometimes the single most difficult thing to do because everyone wants to do what’s best for the group, and not for the individual. Joining a band is a huge commitment, not only to the other members, but to the music as well.
Atlanta’s Elevation is a great example of the heights a band can achieve by rebuilding until they get it right. Originally formed in 2002 by singer Nathan Smith, Elevation has taken a few years to put all the pieces together, but now that the members have been solidified, they’ve released an excellent new album called Strangelove. It’s loud, it’s big, it’s rockin’, it’s emotional, and it’s really, really, really catchy.
My first introduction to Elevation was their first single, “Razoreyes.” This song is a fine representation of their sound… it’s got a retro feel to it, but as a whole it’s as current as the daily news. The pseudo-disco beat immediately catches your attention, and once the chorus hits, you’re hooked. “Razoreyes” also showcases their excellent pop sensibility, as there are hooks pretty much everywhere in the song. It took me a good day and a half to get the chorus out of my head.
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After digging on “Razoreyes” for a while, it was time to move on to the rest of the album. Strangelove is full of songs that I can hear on the radio right NOW. The production, musicianship, and song writing would all have absolutely no problems sliding into any rock radio program, but don’t let that statement fool you… although Elevation writes some excellent pop songs, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t more underneath the surface.
One of the many examples of this for me is the beautiful “Not Going to Beg.” This delicate piano driven piece brings Smith’s voice front and center, and I think this is his finest performance on the record. The song has a gorgeous melody, yes… but it’s how he handles the melody that pulled me in as a listener. He’s got a set of pipes, that’s for sure, but “Not Going to Beg” showed me that he’s able to be vulnerable without losing any of his strength.
I love how he sings the line, “And the way you looked at me just sank my heart.”
While looking through the Internet for more info on Elevation, I came across this studio video of “Not Going to Beg.” Take a few minutes and watch it… it’ll give you an idea of how the song came together.
I’ve posted this track in the Dig-it section below, along with the single, “Razoreyes.”
Another choice track is “Be Free.” This uplifting song begs to be performed live, and is, hands down, my favorite song off the album. The structural simplicity allows the rest of the band to take the time to work their dynamics, and they definitely work it to the limit. The coda is just as huge as you hoped it would end up being… I have a feeling that this is a show-stopper in their live performances.
“Be Free” is also one of the stronger lyrical moments for the band. I dig the message of the chorus:
So just let it be
Come on be free
It’s all right to believe in the things you can’t see
Come on be free
Some sound advice given there. It may not be a new message, but it’s one that I think a lot of us can relate to.
Strangelove carries a hefty fifteen tracks, so it might take a while to digest it. It’s a fun listen, though, and well worth the time spent. Good song writing is always the number one priority for any record, and Elevation has put together a quality collection here. Without the song, nothing else matters.
The album was released in August 2008, so the band is still out on the road in support of it. They’ll be in Athens, GA for a couple of shows starting tonight… if you’re in the area, go check them out. Judging by the energy they show on the record, I have no doubt that you’ll get your money’s worth.
Here are the details on those two Georgia shows:
Jan 26 2009 @ 9:00P - TASTY WORLD w/Lights Resolve in Athens, Georgia
Jan 27 2009 @ 9:00P - MASQUERADE w/Lights Resolve in Atlanta, Georgia
Visit the band on MySpace. You’ll find a few more songs to sample, and a short video documentary on the band.
Pick up the record, dig it, share it, see a show, grab some swag, spread the word…
*Link to the original article on thefrontloader.com
1/23/09
Rock Shows and Emos
A friend scored a last minute spot on the list for the Anberlin show, so I tagged along as the +1. I agreed to go because I figured there would be some old skool fans in attendance. NOT even close. Da club was full of emos. To illustrate: I was searching for my emo styled friend (who will remain nameless), but I was unsuccessful because the silhouettes of skinny jeans, tight t-shirts and layered/teased hair all looked the same in the dim house lights.
I don't have anything against this social...movement, if you will, but understand that I grew up during the boy band era. An era where closest sounding EMOtional music in my repertoire was Alanis Morrisette's "Jagged Little Pill" and "it's like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife" was located on the furthest reaches of the drama spectrum.
My [semi] point: I was in no way prepared for this scene. The emo scene. Not to mention how old I felt and I hadn't been 24 for even a week. I felt ancient, especially when the bouncer shouted "if you're under 18, get out, you're curfew is 10pm."
Around the time I started feeling bad about my old-self, a nice emo girl sporting a fake ID bellied up to the bar next to me. We got to talking about music and soon reached the inevitable question, "what is your favorite band?" I quickly fired, "Zeppelin." Emo girl responded, "umm, who." I knew then and there that it was time for me to ramble on.
-Torrey
1/22/09
Music Under Fire: Elevation + Lights Resolve
The Riffs and Snow Drifts Tour is winding down w/ two last shows in Georgia.
Check out this review of the January 20th show in Philadelphia, PA.
Music Under Fire blog
Check out this review of the January 20th show in Philadelphia, PA.
Music Under Fire blog
1/16/09
1/12/09
Drums, Guitar, Computer and a Mission
Engaging a group is never an easy thing. I think that it’s a process of creating stuff that fuels your internal passion, showing that passion and building a community around that.
In the case of musician Justin Vernon, he’s found himself engaging a group just by taking his troubles of a broken band and broken relationship to the backwoods of Wisconsin and recording his sorrows away.
In 2006, Vernon posted his sad songs from his album, “For Emma, Forever Ago”, on MySpace, hoping for some feedback and maybe sell his story via a few CDs. The reaction over time has spawned a community of followers that can relate to his style and sincere tone. In turn, that caught the attention of new media blogs and other social networks.
For Vernon, being real and always true to himself, has cashed out well. In a recent Wall Street Journal article titled, “Musician Finds a Following Online”, he tells artists to always keep on the path, playing shows and putting their noses to the grindstone, not worrying what the end result is going to be. With that concept in his mind, his new band Bon Iver is playing sold-out shows across the United States.
The music industry has changed but the basic principals have not. It comes down to this: you make good music from your soul, you put it out there, you adore your listeners, you embrace the feeling of success and the rest has no choice but to follow.
-Jodi
1/9/09
Elevation's Tour Blogs
So Elevation is now in the thick of their January tour with Lights Resolve. They'll be continually updating people on their travels via the web (of course).
Follow them on Twitter.
Here's their brand new photo blog.
And here's the official news+blog.
Oh yeah, lastly they'll be creating video blogs to post on their YouTube Channel.
1/5/09
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