Barely Blind- Review

Barely Blind

 Barely Blind is a, to put it in their own words, “fuzzy rock’n’roll” band originally from Port Arthur, Texas. The four-piece group, formed in 2003 has been busy releasing their unique brand of rock/indie/pop punk music upon the world. Their debut EP “The Way We Operate”, released in 2007, was a solid first step in the band’s musical career. Even at this early stage, the trademark sound that is Barely Blind is starting to show through. However, even with this in mind, this album sounds like many others from that time frame. That is not to say that the album wasn’t very good. The vocals mix perfectly with the instrumentals to create a solid pop/punk sound. Standouts from the album include “Crazy”, a picture perfect example of the genre and “97 Called” which captures the essence of the late 90’s and early 2000’s take on pop/punk. Altogether a very well done album.

Barely Blind

  This was followed up with the 2009 release “My Life With A Giant”, a seven song EP. Contained within the album are more polished instrumentals and vocals creating a perfect harmony. The growth of the band is evident through the more mature take on this album. However, you can tell that they have not let go of their past as you can still hear elements from the bands first EP sneaking into this one. The title track, “My Life With A Giant”, sums up all the sounds from the album. Accompanied by “Some Days Are Diamonds” and “Young Love”, this albums core is as solid as a rock. Top it off with the remaining songs and “My Life With A Giant” is a solid second release.

  Their most recent release “Wilder Child Of A Thousand Suns” truly shows how far this band has come. With an ever changing musical landscape, Barely Blind has changed for the better. This album feels as though they have arrived where they were always meant to be. The raw emotion portrayed in this album easily make it their best release to date. It is hard to pinpoint which song truly makes this album as they all help to create a solid listening experience. Some notables on the album include “Silver Lake”, the first song on the album, it draws you in and sets the tone for the rest of the album. “How To Sail The Atlantic Alone” is another great song that helps propel this album to the next level.

  All three of these albums are on iTunes and are well worth the money. I look forward to seeing how this band continues to evolve and grow. “Wilder Child Of A Thousand Suns” will be a hard album to top but I believe that Barely Blind can get it done.

Connect With Barely Blind

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/BarelyBlind

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/barelyblind

Website: http://www.barelyblind.com

Interview with Green Line Inbound

How did the band members meet?

It's kind of a wild story in terms of how we all met…J(.)(.)$E and Rare Breed were friends since kindergarten, while Husky J, B-Mac, and DJ GBLOK met while in line for their dorm keys the first day of college freshman year. Coincidentally, J(.)(.)$E, Husky J, and B-Mac were dorm roommates. We all became friends from hanging out, and after countless nights of Nintendo 64 binges we realized that we had the proper instrumentation to set up a few jam sessions. After playing together a few times, we decided for formally start a band together and the rest has been history.

Green Line Inbound

How did you decide on a band name?

We decided on the name Green Line Inbound because it's rooted deeply in Boston. Our college, as well as our old Band house were located along the green line in Boston, so Green Line Inbound just kind of stuck.

Who are some of your major influences?

We all come from different musical backgrounds, but share a lot of the same "favorite" artists and influences. We are mainly influenced by the Hip-hop mainstream of the past few decades, with specific artists being Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Wiz Khalifa, and a couple other oddballs like Lil' Wayne or LMFAO. Other than that, we pretty much enjoy listening to anything that's good.


Where do you draw inspiration from?

Most of our inspiration in our own writing comes from the above influences, and we try to bring the elements of that sound to our own music. Over the past couple of years, our sound has evolved and we've sort of "re-formatted" our songs and sound to its current configuration.


What is your favourite song that you have written and why?

All of them! (Haha). Well, it's tough to say that we have one favorite, so the most recent four off of our Mixtape have pretty much been the current favorites. We'll be releasing our own take on a Boston tribute song late this summer with a few special guests on the track, so that just might become our favorite!


What do you hope listeners take away from your music?

Whether they're listening to a recording or seeing us live, we hope that our listeners feed off of the energy that we put out and feel good. We want them to have a good time, and basically just want to make people feel like partying!


Any advice for bands that are just starting out?

Keep on keeping on. There's new things that we're learning every day about being in a band. If you work hard and believe in yourself & your craft, people will notice and have no choice but to take you seriously. Some days you might be playing your biggest show yet, and other days you might be broken down in your van on the side of the Jersey turnpike. All of it is part of the big story, and each band tells their own in time.


Where can people get a hold of your music?

Google us. We're on most social networks (so go and Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter), and have a strong YouTube presence of both Cover & Original songs. You can download all of our tracks for Free off of our website as well!


 Finally, is there anyone you would like to give a shout out to?

We'd like to shout out to friends, family and fans - thanks for the continued support. Also shootouts to our CA$HFORD crew, our Photo/Video director Steve at Mindlessphotos.com, and all of the amazing artists in our local Boston community for creating such an awesome scene to be a part of.

Deer Park Avenue- A Review

 Deer Park Avenue is a pop/rock band based out of Sacramento, California, consisting of two sisters living out their dreams. Playing music from such a young age together has helped unify and solidify their songs thus far. From the instrumentals to the vocals, everything fits together so well. Their music is very catchy and it hooks you in, as any music should.

Deer Park Avenue

 When listening to “City Streets”, the first release from Deer Park Avenue, you can already tell that the chemistry and talent is there to make it big. You can see that their sound is starting to take shape as it lays a solid foundation for which to build upon. Everything that makes them Deer Park Avenue is evident in this record, from the lyrics to the vocals to the instrumentals, everything that is associated with Deer Park Avenue makes an appearance. My personal favourites from the five song EP include “Over Again”, a picture perfect pop/rock song and a staple that sets the tone for the rest of the album. “Rescue Me” is also high on the list due to the emotion expressed in the song. The lyrics to this song are also my favourite.

 “Stop & Go”, the second and most recent release from Deer Park Avenue is a solid follow up album. Building on the foundation of “City Streets”, the instrumentals have become more well rounded and provide more harmony for the vocals. Speaking of vocals, “Stop & Go” is just another example of Deer Park Avenue’s greatest strength. They take nothing away from their debut EP but instead add another step of depth and growth.

 Both of Deer Park Avenue’s albums can be found on iTunes and I highly recommend you give them a listen. Personally, I can’t wait to hear what they come up with next but without a doubt, it is sure to be a solid next step in their musical careers. Bursting with talent, Deer Park Avenue is one of those bands that will be around for a long time to come.

Connect with Deer Park Avenue

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/deerparkavenue

Facebook: http://facebook.com/deerparkavenue

iTunes: http://itunes.com/deerparkavenue

Website:  http://deerparkave.com

Interview with Vale Of Avalon

How did the band members meet?

 Sam, Michelle and I are die hard Paramore fans. I read on Twitter that Paramore was going to do a signing at a Wal-Mart so we went. We were in line where we met Sam with her acoustic guitar jamming. We started talking and she knew some Paramore covers, so we decided to start playing for the people in line. And everyone said, "you guys are good" so we all decided to start a band together. A year later our drummer left, so Sam's friend introduced her to Kaden. And after jamming with him, we knew his sound is what we were missing. -Richi


How did you decide on a band name?

  Well, we were in need of a new name since our old one could've caused a legal conflict. I was reading a short story about King Arthur at the time and learned about Vale Of Avalon. A real place in England, which according to legend, is the final place where he joined his forefathers. I looked up the meaning and it translates into "the valley of the apples". I fell in love and knew it'd work. We soon learned we had in fact always been Vale Of Avalon.-Michelle


Who are some of your major influences?

 "Blink 182, Angels & Airwaves, Saosin, Pantera, and so many more" -Kaden "Paramore, Confide, Southern Lights, Mumford & Sons. And supporting local music" -Sam "Meg & Dia, LIGHTS, Panic! At The Disco, Flyleaf, Paramore, Regina Spektor"-Michelle "Underoath, Paramore, Flyleaf, Circa Survive, Eyes Set To Kill, Taking Back Sunday, Pierce The Veil. The Killers, Muse, Metric, Mumford & Sons, Falling In Reverse and so many more. That's the best part about music, it's endless" -Richi


What is your favourite part of making music for a living?

 When we started to make music it was only for fun, we never knew our lyrics would touch a lot of people. We're blessed that we have the chance to do what we love to do and perform for everyone and inspire fellow musicians to do what they love.


What do you hope people take away from your music?

 What we hope people take away from our music is our sound, that we don't even know which genre we even are, is a new refreshing sound to the music scene that we're in. We love seeing the faces on kids each night coming up to us after the show and telling us "thank you for your music, the instrumentals are so different."


Which bands would you most like to tour with?

 Pierce The Veil, Eyes Set To Kill, Paramore, Falling In Reverse, Underoath, Circa Survive, and so many more bands that influenced us.


Finally, is there anyone you would like to give a shout out to? God, our families, our best friends, and most of all---our fans, because of you guys we wouldn't be here without you guys.


Connect with the band:

Artist Of The Month (May)- Plastic Smiles

Plastic Smiles is a pop/punk based band based in Chicago, Illinois. In a genre that has been watered down, Plastic Smiles is one of the rare exceptions that stand out. Now, that’s not to say that they haven’t followed the book in terms of the foundation of their music but it’s what they built on top that sets them apart from the rest.

Any way you look at this band, they are a solid group that flows together so well. Their lyrics are heartfelt and easy to relate to. This is a big reason for the success they have found so far. The vocals are reminiscent of several other artists, most notably, Hawthorne Heights. They are a perfect fit for this genre and vocals being as important as they are, this is a crucial part to this bands continued success. Instrumentals in the band are what you would expect from the genre, whiney, upbeat guitars coupled with similar upbeat bass and drums. This is not necessarily a bad thing as pop/punk is almost always based around this.

Released in late 2010, “Deadlines” is a solid debut EP for Plastic Smiles and is worth a listen or two. “The Great White Buffalo” is a solid opening track filled with relatable lyrics, excellent vocals and exceptional instrumentals. This is paired nicely with “HeartAttack”, the lyrics being about similar events. Both “Runaway” and “Rise & Shine” are my favourites on this EP

I was hooked from the first time I listened to Plastic Smiles. A solid debut EP and I can’t wait to see how they build off of it. I believe that this band will be around for a long time to come and I look forward to hearing more from them.

Connect with the band

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/PlasticSmilesIL


Listen to “Deadlines”: http://plasticsmiles.bandcamp.com/album/deadlines

Read our interview with Plastic Smiles here: http://yourmusicnewsblog.blogspot.ca/2012/04/interview-with-plastic-smiles.html