Paper Airplanes. Yes.

An Airplane Carried Me To Bed (by Sky Sailing)

Tracklist:

1.) "Captains of the Sky" - 2:44

2.) "Brielle" - 4:06

3.) "Steady As She Goes" - 2:37

4.) "Explorers" - 4:10

5.) "A Little Opera Goes A Long Way" - 3:49

6.) "Tennis Elbow" - 3:45

7.) "Blue and Red" - 3:40

8.) "Alaska" - 2:37

9.) "I Live Alone" - 2:37

10.) "Take Me Somewhere Nice" - 2:48

11.) "Sailboats" - 4:19

12.) "Flowers of the Field" - 3:54 (this is a bonus track)

What it's about:

This CD is a the work of Adam Young, the man behind Owl City. It is the earliest of his workings, representing some very finely made more acoustic tunes than his recent offerings.

I find it more relaxing and chill than his other work. Far be it from me to malign any of his music, but I prefer this.

The standout tracks on the album include Brielle, A Little Opera Goes A Long Way, Alaska, and Sailboats.

Rocks a little like:

Anything else written by Adam Young

5 out of 5 Nate-Points

MySpace link

Brielle (music video)

Brought to you from a very bearded man

The Eventually Home (by Right Away, Great Captain!)

Tracklist:

1.) "Down To Your Soul" - 3:14

2.) "Devil Dressed In Blue" - 2:31

3.) "Cutting Off The Blood To Ten" - 2:31

4.) "Once Like You" - 5:31

5.) "What A Pity" - 1:47

6.) "Father Brian Finn" - 5:30

7.) "Memories From A Shore" - 2:22

8.) "Oh No, I Tried" - 3:03

9.) "I Am A Vampire" - 6:55

10.) "I Was A Cage" - 4:30

What it's about:

I felt that this post should go hand-in-hand with the one below it, seeing as it's the first two (so far) released parts in the trilogy CDs of Andy Hull.

What was said about the band in the last post still applies here, so I'll focus on the music. This CD is noticeably sadder than it's predecessor. This is because Andy is approaching the sad part of his tale.

The best songs on this acoustic CD are Devil Dressed In Blue and Cutting Off Blood To Ten.

Rocks a little like:

City & Colour

Anything purely acoustic you've been listening to

4 out of 5 Nate-Points

MySpace link

Devil Dressed In Blue (song only)

Devil Dressed In Blue (live)

Right Away, Great Captain!

The Eventually Home (by Right Away, Great Captain!)

Tracklist:

1.) "Oh, Deceiver" - 4:05

2.) "Right Away, Great Captain!" - 5:20

3.) "Memories On A Deck Part I" - 2:58

4.) "Memories On A Deck Part II" - 1:41

5.) "Night Marry You" - 2:27

6.) "Love, Come Save Me" - 3:20

7.) "Like Lions Do" - 4:02

8.) "Right Ahead, Young Sailor!" - 1:55

9.) "What A Lullaby, What A Way To Die" - 2:23

10.) "Haunt While I Sleep" - 3:04

11.) "Gasoline Family" - 4:56"

12.) "Cause I'm So Scared Of Dying" - 4:58

13.) "Sacred Heart (A Sailor's Drunken Eulogy)" - 2:22

14.) "I'm Not Ready To Forgive You" - 4:21

15.) "Captain I'm Find And Thank You For Everything" - 2:35

What it's about:

Andy Hull (the lead singer from Manchester Orchestra) uses this CD as a platform to launch his acoustic solo side project "Right Ahead, Great Captain!" It is the first part of a trilogy that details the adventures of a young sailor at sea who returns home only to discover his wife cheating on him with his brother.

This is as acoustic as it gets. It is only, and I mean only, Andy and his guitar. True, there are multiple guitar parts on the songs and harmonies mixing with the melodies, but it's all Andy. He recorded all the parts and wrote all the music. If you have ever listened to City & Colour, then I'd tell you it is a little like that. A little. But only a little.

All I can say is that you need to at least check this guy's solo music out. It's super catchy, and the fast-paced tracks somehow end up sounding full even without a backing band.

The best song on this CD is easily Right Ahead, Young Sailor!, but that's not to disrespect the rest of this record.

Rocks a little like:

City & Colour

Anything purely acoustic you've been listening too

4 out of 5 Nate-Points

MySpace link

Right Ahead, Young Sailor! (song only)

Straight from the Golden State

This Will Be The Death of Us (by Set Your Goals)

Tracklist:

1.) "This Will Be The Death of Us" - 3:09

2.) "With Hoffman Lenses We Will See The Truth" - 0:42

3.) "Look Closer" - 3:50

4.) "Summer Jam" - 3:05

5.) "Like You to Me" - 4:26

6.) "The Fallen..." - 3:24

7.) "The Few That Remain" - 3:21

8.) "Equals" - 3:23

9.) "Gaia Bleeds (Make Way for Man" - 2:52

10.) "Flawed Methods of Persecution & Punishment" - 4:09

11.) "Arrival Notes" - 1:08

12.) "Our Ethos: A Legacy to Pass On" - 4:34

What it's about:

These Warped Tour darlings hail from San Francisco. Although I didn't spot that in their sound while I was listening to them, they definitely have a very refined and fast-paced punk rock sound.

I would not call SYG "heavy" with their musical style. Although they scream, they are not screamo. They are somewhere in between, and they flavor their music with a refined style that I cannot put a finger on.

The best songs on the CD are easily Summer Jam and The Few That Remain. These guys are definitely going in my summer playlist this year!

Rocks a little like:

"Don't Let Her Pull You Down" (by New Found Glory, off the CD Not Without A Fight)

"State of The Union" (by Rise Against, off the CD Siren Song of the Counter Culture)

3 out of 5 Nate-Points

MySpace link

This Will Be The Death of Us music video

The Few That Remain (song only)

I couldn't think of a good title. Sorry.

When The Flowers Bloom... (by Promise of Redemption)

Tracklist:

1.) "Getting Through" - 0:46

2.) "How Fast" - 4:38

3.) "From the Second I Wake Up..." - 3:46

4.) "Oh the Way" - 5:07

5.) "Remember the First Day" - 3:21

6.) "When the Flowers Bloom" - 4:46

7.) "Live in Love" - 4:39

8.) "Sunsets and Pictures" - 5:12

9.) "A Long Way Home" - 3:14

10.) "Rough Road Leads to the Stars" - 5:46

11.) "Dana Leigh" - 3:26

12.) "It Just Takes Time" - 4:21

13.) "Trace Those Steps" - 4:29

What it's about:

Not only is it acoustic, but it's also incredibly Indie. Shane Henderson, the solo man behind this record, pours his heart into this record. It definitely shows through.

Potential listeners should be warned; this is a very sorrowful CD. I would not call it Emo, but it is definitely not a cheerful and upbeat collection of songs. However, the world needs this kind of music sometimes, and it's a good thing that Shane does such a good job as he's playing it.

Standout tracks on the album include Sunsets and Pictures and Trace Those Steps.

Rocks a little like:

"She's Got Style" (by NeverShoutNever!, off the CD NeverShoutNever! - EP)

3.5 out of 5 Nate-Points

MySpace link

How Fast (song only)

Warm summer night music

Reach For The Sun (by The Dangerous Summer)

Tracklist:

1.) "Where I Want to Be" - 3:39

2.) "Settle Down" - 3:41

3.) "Weathered" - 3:54

4.) "Symmetry" - 3:00

5.) "Surfaced" - 4:05

6.) "A Space to Grow" - 4:03

7.) "Reach for the Sun" - 3:27

8.) "The Permanent Rain" - 3:24

9.) "Northern Lights" - 4:31

10.) "This is War" - 4:03

11.) "Never Feel Alone" - 3:23

What it's about:

Other than sounding like the perfect summer band, The Dangerous Summer have one thing on their side; They are actually quite good at writing catchy hooks that try to never leave your mind.

It's scary how they will occasionally sing a certain note and strum a chord on the guitar, and you'll say, "Oh my word, that's __________ (insert band here)." I have heard The All-American Rejects, Blink-182, and some other bands from my youth while I was listening to this CD, and it made it that much cooler.

I'll be honest; musically, The Dangerous Summer is not the absolute best band I've ever heard. But they are still a really talented band, and if they can somehow figure out a way to get their music out to more people, I could see them becoming really, really popular.

Rocks a little like:

"Six Feet Under the Stars" (by All Time Low, off the CD So Wrong, It's Right)

"Someone Like You" (by Boys Like GIrls, off the CD Love Drunk)

4 out of 5 Nate-Points

Myspace link

Where I Want to Be music video

If I was on an island forever with one CD..

Blue Sky Noise [Deluxe Version] (by Circa Survive)

Tracklist:

1.) "Strange Terrain" - 3:59

2.) "Get Out" - 3:05

3.) "Glass Arrows" - 4:12

4.) "I Felt Free" - 3:56

5.) "Imaginary Enemy" - 4:24

6.) "Through the Desert Alone" - 4:06

7.) "Frozen Creek" - 4:59

8.) "Fever Dreams" - 4:34

9.) "Spirit of the Stairwell" - 5:30

10.) "The Longest Mile" - 4:04

11.) "Compendium" - 1:49

12.) "Dyed in the Wool" - 4:58

13.) "I Felt Free (Safe Camp Sessions) [Acoustic Version]" - 4:13

14.) "Dyed in the Wool (Safe Camp Sessions) [Acoustic Version]" - 4:08

15.) "100 Steps (Demo) [Bonus Track]" - 3:41

What it's about:

I won't lie; I'm in love with this CD. This is an incredibly biased opinion. But is that so bad? I have never encountered a band that plays quite the same as Anthony Green and his crew of East Coast comrades.

From start to finish, this record is audio ecstasy. Strange Terrain leads off with a kind of surreal sound that is extremely hard to pin down (but is infinitely enjoyable). The next personal favorite comes up with the hard-hitting Glass Arrows. The midsection of the record is held up by the uplifting tracks Imaginary Enemy and Through the Desert Alone. The best songs toward the end is the joyful and free-flowing Dyed in the Wool. This synopsis of the Cd really can never be fair, because everything is just so good on Circa's work this time around.

The best song out of the bonus songs (by far) is the acoustic version of Dyed in the Wool. They slowed the pace down a little, which allowed the track to really lend itself to the organic nature of an acoustic cover.

If there is one CD that you look into after reading my blog this year, make it this one!

5 out of 5 Nate-Points

MySpace link

Get Out music video