The Academy

The EP's

1. Rushmore Academy "Dramatics & Theatrics". For weeks after I got this, I had a really hard time taking it out of my CD player. It is incredible. It's Rushmore Academy as they have always been, but a tiny bit different - in a good way. It is so insanely catchy and energetic, that you just feel the need to learn all the words as soon as possible so you can scream along with it. It's just a really really fun CD with some of the most creative lyrics I've seen in a while. :D 5/5? 5 Stars? Now if only the band will come to Denver...
2. Always Rushing By "Boys Grab Your Girls". Interesting story, I order this EP from SmartPunk and the following day the band breaks up. Yeah. But, Always Rushing By certainly left behind some fantastic music, and I can't wait to hear what project their singer ends up in. Their style of pop-punk is so refreshing, it's like old Starting Line meets All Time Low, and they have a baby and that baby doesn't follow in his parents footsteps but instead takes their influence and creates something really special on his own. It's happy, catchy, and beautiful. 'Boys Grab Your Girls' is one of the funnest songs I've EVER heard. 'A Beautiful Lie' has some absolutely gorgeous chords and a falsetto note towards the end that gives you the goosebumps. And the short but sweet 'In Fridays Lights' is almost perfection. 5/5. 5 Stars. It's too bad they are no longer.
3. The Dangerous Summer "There Is No Such Thing As Science". This is the band I have been waiting for, without even knowing it. Following the intro track, 'Of Confidence', I was speechless. Seriously. You could just tell that this was something unforgettable. The next four songs of the CD are brilliant. The singer's voice has such a unique texture that lends itself so well to their music stylings, and is only further emphasized by the incredible lyrics. It's danceable, inspiring, energetic, happy, and so so easy to fall in love with. 'The Permanent Rain' is one of my favorites, and really shows off the chemistry that The Dangerous Summer has. It all works so flawlessly - the airy guitars, the driving vocals, and the drumming that ties it all together so well. Another fantastic song that almost has a tangible energy to it is the final track. The chorus is just fantastic. This CD just screams, "Turn it up, roll the windows down, and smile". I'm in love, and I could go on about how incredible this CD is, but I'd much rather you find it out on your own. 100%. 6/5. 300 stars. Just listen to this. ^_^

The Shows

1. Last week I braved the hour-long drive to Colorado Springs and visit The Black Sheep for the first time, to see Leer 43, Ronnie Day, Melee, and Quietdrive. Leer 43 is a fantastic local Colorado band that I wish the crowd would have gotten more in to, but they pulled out a great show either way. Easily the highlight of the night was The Militia Group's very own Ronnie Day. He played the show acoustic, which was a welcome surprise. He came out wearing a black hoodie and a ski-cap, and began to tell his story that is so well documented on his album, "The Album". As he progressed in the time-line, he started to take of his jacket, hanging on one sleeve for a song. By the end of the show, he no longer had the hoodie or the ski-cap and was still singing his heart out. I loved the symbolism of that; him becoming "naked" to their crowd. There's was a real connection between Ronnie and the audience that just can't be put to words. A few songs he even stepped away from the mic and just used his flawlessly projected voice to sing the songs he'd written. It was unforgettable. He even played 3 or 4 new songs, and they were gorgeous. He didn't hit a wrong note the entire night.
   After Ronnie was the always amazing Melee. Such a great band, and their new CD should blow everyone away. Brilliant pop music. And then it was Quietdrive, who put on a decent show, to one of the most pathetic encore attempts I have ever heard, and came out and finished off by playing Britney Spears' 'Toxic'. It was epic.
2. And then last night. Last night was Quietdrive (again? And what's this, I'm seeing them again in a week and a half? Insanity!), Boys Like Girls, Cobra Starship, and Cartel. Being the third-time seeing both Quietdrive and Cartel, I knew what to expect. But what I did not expect was a sold-out show with hundreds of 16 year-old girls screaming about how gorgeous the singer of Boys Like Girls is. Hmm. Either way, Boys Like Girls put on a great show, although you could just sense how arrogant the lead singer is, which was a HUGE turn-off. Then came Cobra, and I just could not wait for them to get off the stage. Nothing against them, I'm just not into their music.
   And then Cartel. Amazing. :) Who doesn't love Will Pugh? The whole set was fantastic, and had a few surprises! One of them was the first time I'd ever seen Minstrils Prayer live. You could have heard a pin-drop during that song. Incredible. And sometime after that they played both 'Q' and 'A'. I absolutely loved how they played ALL of 'A'. All 10 minutes of it. It was beautiful. ^_^ I just still can't believe I decided to miss out when they came to Denver in 2005, the day OF their release of Chroma, with Hit The Lights and The Receiving End Of Sirens. :'(

I also got a few CD's to go over, including the new Anberlin, Deas Vail, and finally give my analysis of Self Against City's debut.

Listen To: The Dangerous Summer