Bayside Pre-order Bundles "Cult"

Bayside

Bayside, an alternative rock band from Queens, NY has announced the release of their sixth album, entitled "Cult." The 11 track album will be out on February 18th, 2014. The band posted several pictures on social media websites like Facebook and Instagram over the past week of symbols without captions. It was a clever way to make the announcement as fans tried to guess what the images meant.

Ashes Forever Release "All You Love Will Put You"

Ashes Forever

Ashes Forever, a New York band with their own genre, has been busy in the studio for the past several months. They have yet again surprised listeners with what they're capable of and have created something remarkable. It's definitely something worth listening to, if not to see how different this band really is. Ashes Forever writes their own rules when it comes to their songs and they don't mind going against the confines of one particular genre.

The newest release from Ashes Forever is due out August 2nd. I got a chance to catch up with drummer, Matt Dillon to get some more information on it.

Recent and Upcoming Album Releases

Recent and Upcoming album releases from your favorites:

Yellowcard Releases "Ocean Avenue" Acoustic

Yellowcard

It seems as if a current trend with bands celebrating 10 year anniversaries is to re-release their first album. Yellowcard is a band that was popular in the early 2000's with their unique sound and violin incorporation. Earlier this year, they released their newest album, "Southern Air" and now they have announced that they too are going to release "Ocean Avenue" acoustic. There is no word yet whether it is going to be a live recording or a studio recording of the album. Taking Back Sunday's release of "Tell All Your Friends" was released as a live recording (on digital formats only) and I was a bit disappointed when I found this news, they could have appealed to more fans had they done a studio release across digital and physical formats.

Taking Back Sunday Releases "Tell All Your Friends" Acoustic

Taking Back Sunday

Yesterday, Taking Back Sunday announced that they would be releasing an acoustic version their first album, "Tell All Your Friends." Last year, Taking Back Sunday celebrated the ten year anniversary of TAYF by going on a tour with Bayside and now the celebration continues with this release.

Pandora's Shares Streaming Data

Pandora

By now, most are familiar with various forms of listening to music on the go whether it be through downloaded content or through streaming websites like Pandora and Spotify. Internet radio websites have been criticized in recent years because several big name artists are concerned with the amount they are receiving in artist royalties.

Where Spotify allows users to create their own playlists, radio stations, and follow friend's playlists, Pandora is less interactive and only offers users radio stations based on an artist of their choosing. Based on user's likes and dislikes, Pandora generates a station that is custom to the user's preferences. Although Pandora has been under fire for artist royalties, it is in the process of offering an addition service to artists that could be extremely useful for their careers.

Sleeping with Sirens Pre-order Bundle

MerchNow

Sleeping with Sirens recently announced that their newest album "Feel," will be released June 4th in physical and digital formats. This will be the band's third full length album and possibly one of the most anticipated releases this year.

Fans can pre-order the album from MerchNow for $11. The band is also offering several other pre-order merch bundles including a limited edition colored vinyl, t-shirts, posters, stickers, and other items. Prices vary from $11-$74 depending on the bundle.

All Time Low, Pierce the Veil, Mayday Parade

This week kicks of Rockstar's Spring Fever Tour. From April 11th to May 12th All Time Low, Pierce the Veil, and Mayday Parade will be hitting the road and touring across the US. This is a great line up and the perfect way to start off the spring/summer for concertgoers. Several dates are already sold out so check Ticketmaster for the latest information on ticket availability.

Pierce the Veil has posted that the only dates with tickets available are the following:

4/26 Lowell, MA - Tsongas Arena

4/28 Towson, MD -Towson Center Arena

4/30 Rochester, NY - Main Street Armory

5/8  Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre

However, this may have changed since.

My Chemical Romance Break Up

My Chemical Romance

It looks as if rock and roll has lost another great band. My Chemical Romance called it quits today by releasing a statement on their website.

"Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing. We've gotten to go places we never knew we would. We've been able to see and experience things we never imagined possible. We've shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends. And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end. Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure.
My Chemical Romance"

Through 4 great studio albums and 12 years of music, My Chemical Romance has been one of the most influential bands for alternative rock. Their concept albums gave listeners not only music but stories as well. It's tragic that it ended so soon. 

Artists Hurt From Digital Music

Digital Music News

It’s no secret that the music industry is struggling partially due to the economy and partially due to the rise in digital music. With iTunes and Youtube, there really isn’t a desire for consumers to go into a music retailer such as FYE. Not purchasing music and just downloading it or streaming it online hurts the artists. To prove a point, some artists are taking it into their own hands to show fans how it effects them. 

NoraStone Interview

NoraStone

NoraStone is an upcoming band from New York, well on their way to making their presence known nationally. Only about one year old with a few months performance experience under their belt, the band has already opened for Flyleaf and Drowning Pool and played venues in New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

NoraStone’s “Hopeless Lives & Lullabies” is a five-track album that expertly shows off each member’s individual talents. As a whole, NoraStone sounds polished and perfected despite being such a young band. Upon first listen, the guitar solos and vocals are reminiscent of Avenged Sevenfold and leave the listener wanting more. Hearing a band like NoraStone is refreshing considering the talent (or lack thereof) that is popular in today’s music industry. Because of their unique sound, the band is able to really differentiate themselves from everything that is out there right now. Having this advantage is really the best key in a successful career in the industry.

Fall Out Boy Saves Rock and Roll

Fall Out Boy

First emerging from Illinois in the early 2000s, Fall Out Boy became a well known band, not only for their long song titles but their stage presence as well. Their first album ‘Take This to Your Grave’ was released in 2003, with hits such as ‘Dead on Arrival,’ and ‘Grand Theft Autumn’ (Billboard). In 2005, Fall Out Boy released their second album, ‘From Under the Cork Tree.’ This album really put the band on the charts with ‘Sugar We’re Going Down,’ and ‘Dance, Dance.’ The album went double platinum and the band went on to play at The Bamboozle Festival and on the Vans Warped Tour. Third album ‘Infinity on High’ brought fans ‘This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race’ in 2007 and the album ‘Folie a Deux’ brought us hit song ‘I Don’t Care’ shortly after.

2013 Vans Warped Tour

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The Vans Warped Tour has added some new bands to their lineup this year, proving that this year will be better than the last. Although more bands are still being announced, confirmed artists include Hawthorne Heights, Chiodos, Sleeping with Sirens, Motion City Soundtrack, Blessthefall, We Came as Romans, and I See Stars among several others. The next band announcement is this Friday, February 8th. 

Tickets are now on sale for all the tour dates through the Vans Warped Tour website and Ticketmaster. Check out the Vans Warped Tour blog for more information.

Anthony Raneri and TWLOHA

Anthony Raneri

Last year Anthony Raneri, Bayside’s frontman, released his first solo album, “New Cathedrals.” For only $5 on iTunes, fans could pick up the five song album to see what the singer/songwriter is like without the talents of Jack O’shea, Chris Guglielmo, and Nich Ghanbarian. Needless to say “New Cathedrals” is very different from what Bayside fans are used to. It is lighter and upbeat, proving that Raneri must be drawing from different influences.