House of Heroes - Suburba

Track List:

1. Relentless
2. Elevator
3. Love is For the Middle Class
4. So Far Away
5. God Save the Foolish Kings
6. Salt in the Sea
7. Independence Day For a Petty Thief
8. Somebody Knows
9. Disappear
10. She Mighty Mighty
11. Constant
12. Burn Me Down
13. Galveston (Amazon MP3 Bonus Track)
14. Patient (iTunes Bonus Track)

I have to admit, after the epic that was their 2008 release, The End is Not the End, I was skeptical as to whether or not House of Heroes would be able to live up to it with Suburba. Thankfully, after my first listen through I was assured that House of Heroes did, in fact, pull through and somehow managed to put together another record that's every bit as good as, if not better than, the near-perfect The End is Not the End.

"Relentless" opens the album on a very strong note, immediately introducing a sound quite different from that of their previous album. It's rock with just enough pop mixed in to hook you in and keep you listening. "Elevator" is an extremely catchy song with a driving beat and a straight rock and roll vibe that is present throughout the album. "Love is For the Middle Class" talks about how money often speaks louder than love. The chorus when frontman Tim Skipper sings, "If all I had was love, would I still be lovely? / If all I gave was love, would you give up on me?" is sure to get stuck in your head. "So Far Away" slows down the tempo slightly while maintaining a high energy level. It opens with the upbeat line, "We got to hold on to hope, in this heartless world, we gotta hold on to hope".

"God Save the Foolish Kings", the lead single from the album, tells a powerful story to an equally powerful melody. Featuring vocals from the extremely talented Stephanie Smith, this song has it all. It keeps up the rock vibe with a melody that's just begging to be sung along to. "Salt in the Sea" is a beautiful acoustic ballad with very poetic lyrics. The track ends with a traditional spiritual being sung by all the members of the band. While it sounds great, it seems a little out of place. It goes into "Independence Day For a Petty Thief", a heavier rock song. It has a short interlude in the middle with nothing but the sound of fireworks and a reappearance of the spiritual, which fits in well with the theme of the record, but interrupts the flow of an otherwise driven song.

"Somebody Knows", "Disappear", the album's darkest track, and "She Mighty Mighty" are the closest things this album has to filler. While very good songs in their own right, they tend to blend in with the rest of the album. "Constant", an upbeat rock ballad, slows down the pace one more time before moving into the album closer, "Burn Me Down". This song ties together many elements of the album and it ends with an acoustic outro that rounds out the album remarkably well.

The two bonus tracks are good additions to the album, but it's clear why they are just bonus tracks. "Galveston" is a good song that's reminiscent of The Beatles, but it would be overshadowed by the rest of Suburba. "Patient" is a beautiful song carried by piano and simple orchestration. It doesn't fit the rock vibe of the record, but it's beautiful, nonetheless, and worth the extra purchase.

Overall, Suburba is a very strong album. The production is flawless, Tim Skipper and the rest of the band sound great, and the writing is better than ever. It has the slight experimentalism that has made House of Heroes stand out from all the other rock bands out there, and while it occasionally is a bit much, it generally works out very well for them. One of my favorite parts of this album personally is that the lyrics let their faith shine through without becoming overbearing in the least. Regardless of what you believe, I would highly recommend this album to anyone who wants to listen to a solid rock album.

Renovating My Blog

I pretty much only use this blog to post my Best Of lists now, and I want to change that, so I'm going to make this more of a music blog. I'll post reviews and stuff, and of course my Best Of lists.

Since my last post, besides my Best of 2009 list, I've been to three concerts. First was Relient K (yet again) with Barcelona and Copeland opening. It was good to see RK and Barcelona again, and Copeland put on a great show. Then I saw Anberlin, with Terrible Things and Story of the Year again. I can't stand screamo, so I didn't particularly care for the latter, but overall the show was awesome. Finally, I saw The Fold, with three local bands opening. Those were The Future Is Me, Jonas Sees in Color, and Gossip Grows on Trees. All were really good. If you ever get the chance to check out any of those bands, do it! You will not regret it.

I've been spending a lot of time on my own music. I have several songs written, and a few recorded. Granted, the recordings aren't wonderful, but that's okay. If you want to check them out they're here.

Best of 2009

Looking back at my best of 2008 list, I realized if I were to make that list again it would be completely different. It's funny how much you can change in a year. Since last year, I've discovered new music, my musical tastes have shifted, and I've started to appreciate more than just the music that can get itself embedded in my head. With that said, here's my shred of recognition for what I feel is the best of 2009.

1. Relient K - Forget and Not Slow Down

2. The Fold - Dear Future, Come Get Me...

3. Owl City - Ocean Eyes

4. Barcelona - Absolutes

5. Deas Vail - Birds & Cages

6. Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane

7. The Almost - Monster Monster

8. We Shot the Moon - A Silver Lining

9. This Providence - Who Are You Now?

10. Philmont - Attention

What Should I Call This?

A lot has happened since the last time I wrote anything since it's been so long. It was over three months ago. I went to two concerts since then. The first one was Mae with Tokyo, Barcelona, and Person L opening. That was pretty awesome. What I heard of Tokyo was good, Barcelona was hilarious, and Person L was good too even though their music isn't normally the kind of stuff I normally like. It's better live, I guess. The second was Relient K (again) with Deas Vail, Rookie of the Year, and Owl City opening. They were all amazing. I wasn't really paying attention to Deas Vail since I was trying to find a place to stand, but I wish I had. I got some of their music later and it's really good. Rookie of the Year was good even though they didn't play my favorite song by them. They did play another one of my favorite songs by Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes, side project of Relient K's lead singer. Owl City played two of my favorite songs by them and another that's now one of my favorite songs (I'd never heard it before then). Relient K played three songs off their new album coming out this October. I got Adam Young from Owl City to sign my shirt after. I got Owl City's new CD a few days ago and it's amazing. If you're reading this, get it. You won't regret it. You probably won't be able to find it in stores so get it on iTunes. You get a couple extra songs that way anyway.

Top 10 of 2008

I decided to compile a list of my favorite albums released this year, since I have nothing better to say and again it's been over a month since I last posted. So, here's to the best of 2008. Sorry about the lengthy commentary about each one. I couldn't help myself. Ignore if you wish.


1. House Of Heroes - The End Is Not The End
Aweseome album. I might be a little biased from seeing them live, but every song on here is great. Most of the tracks have a World War II theme, which sounds weird, but it actually plays out really well. Get some of these songs. They're amazing.


2. Relient K - Nashville Tennis EP
Not actually a full-length album, but since a) I'm biased (Relient K is my favorite band after all) and b) it's longer than most full-lengths anyway, I decided to include it. It's not cohesive at all, but it's packed of great songs. And by the way, this is part of The Bird and the Bee Sides, but I only counted the EP songs.


3. Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger
I happen to like their first album better, but this one's great, too. Good variety of songs while still working together. I love piano, and dang, this guy can play. Good album.


4. Every Avenue - Shh. Just Go With It
I only discovered this band a couple of weeks ago, but I'm a fan. Great, catchy songs. This isn't an album you get bored of listening to very easily. There isn't a song on here that I dislike at all. But I have to say the picture gives me a headache.


5. The New Frontiers - Mending
Sadly, this band is breaking up, which is really crappy, since this is some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. Not a very exciting album and there were times I was a bit bored, but it's unbelievably pretty. Good relaxing music.


6. Sing It Loud - Come Around
Another album loaded with fun, catchy songs from another band that I recently discovered. Not much else to say about it, but it's definitely an album worth giving a chance.


7. Hit The Lights - Skip School, Start Fights
Nothing really stands out on this album, but on the other hand that means that everything's good. It's not boring to listen to. It keeps me entertained. Check it out.


8. Capital Lights - This Is An Outrage!
It's like the one above it - not too much stands out, but it's a really good album overall. You won't be bored. Unless you just don't like this type of music, in which case you probably shouldn't be taking music advice from me.


9. Forever The Sickest Kids - Underdog Alma Mater
More of the same. If by some odd chance you actually listen to anything I have listed and you like it, try this one too. It won't disappoint.


10. The Academy Is... - Fast Times at Barrington High
This album is more hit and miss, but there are definitely more hits than misses. There's only one song I actually dislike, and that's just because of the beginning. Other than that, great songs.

Honorable Mention:


Anberlin - New Surrender
Anberlin is one of my favorite bands, so it makes me kind of sad that this album wasn't that great. Not to say that it's bad, it just doesn't make the top ten. Good songs, but they all sound kind of the same, and it's not as good as some of their older stuff.


Ruth - Anorak
A good CD, but nothing that special. Slightly boring at times, but for the most part enjoyable.


Cute Is What We Aim For - Rotation
This would probably be #11 if I was doing that. Good album. It would probably help if I had actually listened to it more than once. Then it would probably be higher. Pretty cover art.


Ludo - You're Awful, I Love You
Unfortunately for Ludo, seeing them live didn't have quite the same effect as seeing House of Heroes live. There's some good songs on here, and then there's quite a few really strange ones. But if you like that kind of thing, go for it.

Time Flies...Or Crawls

Yeah, once again it has been over a month since I last wrote anything and I have absolutely nothing to say. I just thought I'd get on here so all one and a half of you who actually reads this won't feel like I've forgotten you. I do have a few songs. I have one complete song, a couple that are almost complete, one that all it has is a melody, a couple still in the lyrics stage, and one in the "I just had an idea of a song I should write" stage. And no, this isn't a new thing. These songs have been gradually accumulating over the past several months.

So...the past couple of weeks have been a ton of fun. I went to a Halloween party last night, hung out with all my best buddies, and had an absolutely amazing time. Very excited I didn't have any nightmares. Last Friday (Oct 24) I had the best night of my life by far. Went to go see my favorite band, Relient K, live in Charlotte, along with their awesome openers House of Heroes, This Providence, and Ludo. They played a whole bunch of my favorite songs, including one I had no idea they were going to play, and it was indescribable fun.

I guess that's it for today. I'll let you know if I ever decide to do anything productive.