Trust Company

The post-grunge band Trust Company was formed in 1997 by vocalist Kevin Palmer who is joined by drummer Jason Singleton, bassist Josh Moates and guitarist James Fukai. They had released two albums, The Lonely Position of Neutral and True Parallels before going on a two year hiatus, after which they released their latest album Dreaming In Black And White in 2011. The band has received a certified gold for their first album most likely because of its unique mixture of heavy alternative metal type guitar riffs mixed with post-grunge type vocals. So if you like either alternative metal or post-grunge then check out Trust Company, it'll be worth your time.

Neon Trees

Neon Trees is an alternative rock band that was formed in Salt Lake City Utah by neighbors Tyler Glenn and Chris Allen in 2005. Shortly after the formation of the band two more members joined the group, Branden Campbell and Elaine Bradley. Together they have released two albums, Habits and Picture Show but have yet to receive any awards. Many of their songs have been featured on T.V. shows and ads most likely because of their catchy upbeat rhythms and their combination of dance music and rock. So if you like dance or alternative rock then check out Neon Trees.

Sixx A.M.

The band Sixx A.M. was started by Motley Crue's bassist Nikki Sixx as a side project to go along with the release of his book the Heroin Diaries. The band is comprised of members Nikki Sixx, Dj Ashba and James Micheal. What makes their music so unique is it tells the story of Nikki's battle with his heroin addiction when he was with his old band Motley Crue. They have released two albums and have a certified gold single, "Life Is Beautiful". Sixx A.M. is worth checking out if you like hard rock or rock.

Lost Prophets

The rock band Lost prophets is a Welsh band from Pontypridd and is comprised of vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist (later guitarist) Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze. They have released five albums and won awards for best single and for best album. It's no surprise that they have won these awards because of their music's unique blend of metal and alternative. So if you enjoy rock, metal or alternative then check out Lost Prophets, it'll be worth your while.

Bloc Party

Bloc Party is a British indie rock band formed in 1998 and is composed of Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Russell Lissack (lead guitar), Gordon Moakes (bass guitar, synths, backing vocals, glockenspiel), and Matt Tong (drums, backing vocals). They have released four albums and have been nominated for several different awards including best new artist. Their music combines both rock and dance genres to create a sound that has been compared to blur and sonic youth. So if you like pop rock or dance genres of music then check out Bloc Party.

Matchbox Twenty

Matchbox twenty is a post-grunge rock band from Orlando Florida and is comprised of Rob Thomas (lead vocals, piano), Paul Doucette (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brian Yale (bass guitar), Kyle Cook (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Ryan MacMillan (drums, percussion). They rose to international fame after their debut album Yourself Or Someone Like You which was certified Diamond in the United States and multi-platnum in many other countries. It's easy to see why they quickly rose to fame with their perfect mix of upbeat and slower songs which are only made better by Rob Thomas's unique strained vocals. After a short hiatus in 2007 they are once again back to make more hit songs. So if you like post-grunge or pop rock then check out Matchbox Twenty.

Shinedown

Shinedown is a southern rock and post-grunge band that was formed in 2001 by lead singer Brent Smith and drummer Berry Kerch. In 2005 guitarist Zach Myers joined the group followed by Erich Bass on the Bass guitar in 2008. Shinedown has released 4 albums so far which include Leave a Whisper in 2003, Us and Them in 2005, The Sound of Madness in 2008 and their most recent, Amaryllis in 2012. From these albums they have had many number one hits on the U.S. mainstream rock charts some of those songs include "Save Me", "Devour", "Second Chance" and "The Crow & the Butterfly".

I enjoy Shinedown because of the powerful vocals that the lead singer Brent Smith projects whether its in recorded or live versions of his songs and i like the mesmerizing guitar riffs that back up the vocals. So if you enjoy alternative rock or post-grunge then give Shinedown a listen.

Foster The People

Foster The People was created in 2009 and is an indie dance group from Los Angeles, California. The band was originally called Foster & The People but fans misheard it as Foster The People and Mark liked it so the name stuck. It's members include Mark Foster on vocals, keyboard, guitar, programming and percussion, Cubbie Fink on bass and backing vocals, and Mark Pontius on drums. Although the band only has three members they are assisted in live shows by Sean Cimino and Isom Innis. The band is becoming increasingly popular thanks to their hit song "Pumped Up Kicks".

I enjoy the band Foster The People because they they mix together many different genres within their songs, some of these genres include alternative rock, electronica and indie pop. My favorite song from the album torches is Pumped up Kicks because it mixes an upbeat tune with darker lyrics, which provides an interesting contrast in the lyrical and musical composition. Mark Foster also has an wide vocal range, mixing together high and low pitches in songs such as "Waste" and "Houdini" which I think adds a lot of character to their songs. So if you enjoy upbeat music with catchy rhythms and great lyrics then you'll love Foster The People.

As always I have posted some of their tracks on the music player in the bottom right corner of my page.

Cage The Elephant

Cage the Elephant is an indie rock band from bowling green Kentucky comprised of brothers Matthew and Brad Shultz, Lincoln Parish and Jared Champion. The band has already released two albums, their self titled debut album and "Thank You, Happy Birthday". With radio friendly songs such as "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" and "Shake Me Down" it's no wonder this band has started to gain popularity.

The reason why I like this band so much is their catchy lyrics, which incorporate imagery as heard in the song "Around My Head" where Matthew says that shes got him "tangled like a bread tie twisted" and because of the many analogies hidden throughout their songs. In addition to this Matthew's vocals put a lot of emotion into his songs such as, in "Lotus" he goes from sounding worried in the intro, to optimistic in the chorus. Not a lot of other bands can evoke the type of emotion and energy that's felt from his singing that this band can. I also enjoy their catchy drum and guitar riffs and the jazzy bass pattern that can also be heard in the song "Lotus". So if you like what you hear from the music player at the bottom right hand corner of my page check out Cage The Elephant, it'll be worth your while.

Out With The Old In With The New

I've realized now that politics are a little boring to write about, in my opinion. So I've decided to start writing about something that I know very well, which is music. Now this blog will be all about the different bands that I like. With every band that I post about I will have some of their music posted on my blog so you can hear what the band sounds like.

Can We Afford a Taxcut?

Well my English teacher had wanted us to start a blog for class and I figured, what better topic to write about than politics? So I think I'll talk about the new payroll tax cut. Is it really such a good idea? Don't get me wrong I like more money in my paycheck just as much as the next person and, that's what this bill is meant to do. At an average of twenty more dollars per person to be exact. That extra money may sound like a nice windfall to us but, is it really that good for the government? Think about it, if we take away twenty dollars for every person in the U. S. from the government's revenue that adds up to $6,261,400,000 per week. Can we really afford to do this? If the government is already spending way beyond it's means without a budget cut in sight we'll just spiral further into debt and continue further on the road to ruin.