"California" by Blink 182

"The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World

"California Drought" by NOFX

 Sometimes a person just knows when they are ready to make a change.



"I once heard a song about it never rains in Southern California
I once saw a band play at the farm sober, I hadn't had a drink
Like cleaning gums or hugging bums or doing something that you knows good for ya
Those times are tedious and tenuous and hopefully much shorter than a blink

I'm so easy to deciphe, I could rationalize for life
But from all the strife I caused, I gotta go without
Taking 'codones is insane
I don't wanna kill, I want more pain
So like the California drought,

I'm drying out.

I got the one job that it's frowned upon if you're not a user
The bands that are all sober are the ones playing the Warped and county fairs
I'll go to a meeting and get called a loser
Then I get invited to a party from a bro who works at Bayer

He's got shit from 1910
Bottled H, that's genuine
I just want see what all the hype's about
I just gotta try it once
But I say no 'cause I got 3 months
And like the California drought,

I'm drying out.

My sponsor should be Ernie Ball or PBR and not Pat from Petaluma
The chips I want are kale, corn, potato and for betting on a flush
But now I gotta listen to a 20 minute story that's just a rumor
And I'm sorry but this nicotine and caffeine don't gimme the same rush

I'm a jest pilot in jux
Two positions in a crux
I'm not in fashion, I'm in flux,
so they all doubt

I just want some cocaine
But it's making me insane
I think I may have broken my brain,

I'm drying out."

New Music: "Rebel Girl" by Angels & Airwaves

Album Review: Redux - The First 10 Years by Silverstein

Silverstein is a band that ages like fine wine. Many bands struggle to rediscover the energy of their debut album, but Silverstein is one of the rare breed who have only gotten better with age. Their sound has managed to evolve throughout their career without losing the signature "Silverstein" blend. This is clearly evident on Redux: The First 10 Years, as the band breathed new life into their past by re-recording twelve songs spanning their first four full length releases.

The album begins with "Smashed Into Pieces" from their 2003 debut album When Broken Is Easily Fixed. The song still hits with the same energy as it did years ago, and highlights the growth of Shane Told's vocals as his voice has matured over the years. Again... like fine wine. The addition of piano and violin adds depth to the bridge of "Bleeds No More," which also replaces the line "you're the best thing that ever happened to me" to a clip of Helena Bonham Carter's character Marla Singer from Fight Club telling Edward Norton's character the opposite. Brilliant.



I have mixed feelings about "My Heroine" being re-recorded for this album. I know this is a fan favorite, and a classic show topper during live performances. As such, it is a must on any list of Silverstein's greatest hits. But nothing will beat the semi-acoustic version from their live album. I'm a sucker for the acoustic build up to full band accompaniment. However, the version re-recorded for this album has some solid vocal harmonies added to it, as do other tracks on the album.

"Vices" is perhaps one of my favorite re-recordings done for this album. The riffs of Paul Marc Rousseau, who replaced original guitarist Neil Boshart, really cut through the music and enrich the feel of the song from it's Shipwreck In The Sand counterpart. The group vocals added during the breakdown are a nice touch, capturing the essence felt during live performances of the song.



Call me a softy, but "Still Dreaming" has always been a favorite song of mine, and the acoustic re-imagining of this song is no different. Shane Told is one of the rare vocalists who can really pull off both screaming and clean vocals effectively. Their acoustic versions of heavier songs always have a unique feel of their own, while also maintaining the emotion of the original. Hey Silverstein, if you're listening, Acoustic Album ::cough cough:: haha!



In Summary: Redux is a solid collection of re-recorded songs from Silversteins early career. Structurally, these are all the same songs you know and love, but they have been vastly enriched with deeper instrumentalism and the growth of Shane's vocals. Again, Silverstein is a band that ages like fine wine.

Support the band by purchasing their albums or seeing them on tour: http://www.silversteinmusic.com/

"Altered States" by Direct Hit!

All the ghosts in the graveyard all have just what they want
All they lost they recovered
Here they're now back to haunt

All the demons in hell
Their crown's all their pain and their cries
All their suffering's their playground
Emptiness fills their minds

Cause no one has a thought before they die that each of us rots in
Time

We're all animals in an altered state
You know it takes a lot to recognize you're insane
And time tends to equate all the pointlessness in heaven we hope for
With all that we create

So all that's left is to witness all the ways that they've won
All the games of existence matter not when they're done
Floating round in the sewage is all that we've got after death
Call it heaven if it's what you want, call it whatever you get

Cause no one has a thought before they die that each of us rots in
Time
Yeah no one has a thought before they die that heaven is a moment in time

We're all animals in an altered state
You know it takes a lot to recognize you're insane
And time tends to equate all the pointlessness in heaven we hope for
With all that we create

We're not the same, but we're not more
We're spirits in a rotting world
We'll wait again to see what's next in line

We're all animals in an altered state
You know it takes a lot to recognize you're insane
And time tends to equate all the pointlessness in heaven we hope for
You're obsessed with infinite
doped up more on death than living,
don't ignore everything we love left at the door.

"Lonely Train" by Tommy & June

"Negative Reel" by Cokie The Clown