Music Resource: AbsolutePunk.net

My homepage since 2002 has been Absolutepunk.net. The site, operated by Jason Tate, essentially began as a blink 182 fan site. Since then it has grown to one of the biggest music resources around for the rock/pop-punk scene. They do an extremely good job featuring new artists and always have some very good "Absolute Exclusives". Be sure to check them out!

Featured Song - Jason Mraz: Tonight, Not Again

I've listened to Jason Mraz for years, but just recently really started to get into the song Tonight, Not Again off of 2002's Waiting For My Rocket To Come. I always skipped over it because the beginning starts off and makes it seem like the song is going to be dark and gloomy, but in actuality it is the complete opposite. The chorus really hits with a really airy feeling, one that has a very summer time feeling to it. In the middle of all this snow (I can't stand the winter) it really goes a long way.

O.A.R. - Rain or Shine

O.A.R. dropped Rain or Shine just about a year ago in January 2010. The live album recorded on two consecutive nights in Chicago last summer includes 37 tracks and just over 4 hours of music - enough to more than satisfy anyone who thinks albums aren't worth the $15 price tag.

Any O.A.R. fan will tell you live is really where they excel. Previous live releases Any Time Now, 34th & 8th, and Live From Madison Square Garden have all been excellent, with Any Time Now long considered to be the very best live album they have ever done. That was until Rain or Shine.

Longtime fans will continue to dispute Any Time Now VS Rain or Shine, but in my opinion Rain or Shine blows everything else they have done away. Not only is the scale of the album a completely new undertaking for O.A.R., but the sound quality is also unreal - making for an amazing, refreshing take on the O.A.R. live experience. Add in the fact that even with the weather on Night 2 including a horrible storm with heavy winds, rain, and lightning the audio remains perfect.

The album kicks off with About Mr. Brown, with a new intro that had been played only a few times previously. By the time I reached the end of the fourth track So Moved On I knew this album was going to be priceless. The ridiculous end sax on So Moved On made me so amped up even at 1:30 in the morning when I was originally listening to it for the first time. Not to mention the first freestyle of the album that also comes in that track.

Other personal highlights on that monstrous 4-disc set include Conquering Fools, Lay Down, Fool in the Rain, War Song, the entire third disc (Night 2 Disc 1), Get Away, and Rhythm of Your Shoes.

Laced with freestyles and jams throughout various songs, this album is a must have for not only any O.A.R. fan but any live-music enthusiast. Best of all, this is only the beginning in what will be a jam-packed year for O.A.R.. The band is already hard at work writing and rehearsing before heading into the studio to release the next studio album sometime this summer (my guess is late June - early July). For now, enjoy the album because it is a great one.

Music Resource: HillyDilly

One of my favorite music resources? HillyDilly.com. Unfortunately, HD has gone down in quality slightly when they began focusing more on hip-hop then rock-reggae. Still, you can find a lot of great stuff here. Check them out!

O.A.R. - Backstage

In the summer of 2008 I had the privileged of going backstage prior to O.A.R.'s show at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA. The "privilege" came from shelling out over $100 for a limited edition copy of their 2008 album All Sides. Only 1000 copies were sold, with each album being numbered. Along with a bunch of other extra's we were also given meet & greet passes to any show during the summer of '08.

With O.A.R. being my all time favorite band, this was an opportunity I could not pass up. This was also my very first concert. I headed down with my brother and two friends around 3PM (when gates didn't open until 6). I put up $40 to park in the premium lot and we played wiffle ball in the empty lot while tailgaters watched in amusement. Finally we headed in.

Meeting the band was a cool experience. Groups of 5 or so with backstage passes were ushered in to take a few minutes to chat with the guys and get individuals pictures. It was really cool to talk for a bit and see how down to earth they all really were. I'm hoping a similar option will come up with next years album, because I'd definitely do it again.

Music Exposed: Last.FM

For those of you that may not know, there is a site out there called Last.fm that lets you "scrobble" your tracks, essentially allowing you to share your recently played music with everyone, compare tastes with friends, find concerts, and etc. I've been on this site for years but for a while stopped scrobbling (done automatically in the background while you listen to music.) I recently passed 50,000 plays, and I'm wondering how many I would be at if I never stopped using the service for such a long time. I highly recommend you check it out as it is a great way to see your music history over time and goes a bit further than your standard iTunes or Windows Media Player playcounts.

If you're interested take a look at my Last.fm profile.

Laptop is about to die and I'm currently in the library with the only socket around me being hogged by an iMac charger which conveniently covers half of the other outlet. More soon!

Featured Band: Valencia

Valencia's upcoming release (due October 12th) - Dancing With A Ghost - has been on repeat all week long for me. Valencia is a pop punk band from Philly that have been bringing it since their initial release in 2005. Even as a relatively unknown band baseball fans may be familiar with some of Valencia's tracks as past songs have been featured in MLB: The Show and more recently in an episode of This Week In Baseball (just last week).

Dancing With A Ghost has a slightly different sound than past albums We All Need A Reason to Believe and This Could Be a Possibility, but for me it is a welcomed change and one they pull off nicely. There is a lot more variety on this album, with my only complaint being that the album is way to short for a full length (only 10 tracks plus a hidden track).

Standout tracks on this album include the title track, Spinning Out, The Way, Losing Sleep, and Days Go By. "So if you check the weather report, than why the fuck are we heading north? We're driving straight into the storm to finish what we started" (from Losing Sleep) is one of many powerful lines throughout the album. Consider Me Dead is another excellent track that takes a departure for the bands normal sound and brings in a much harder sound during the second half of the track.

For me this band needs exposure, and hopefully with this album they will blow up. I've had my copy pre-ordered for a while, but just a few days ago they began selling the album at shows which of course lead to the inevitable leak just a few hours after their first show this tour. I'm lucky I've had extra time to listen to it, as its been a great way to cope with the raw rainy days we've had over the last few days. Be sure to check them out and grab this album.