Intro to Favorite Artists: Tony! Toni! Tone!/Lydia

[ClaxtonMcGee]

>mfw when Wednesday is the best

[SadLionFan00]

Killswitch Engage



Killswitch Engage is currently comprised of Howard Jones (vocals) Adam Dutkiewicz (guitar/backup vocals) Joel Stroezel (guitar) Mike D'Antonio (Bass) and Justin Foley (drums).

Killswitch got its start back in 1999 when underground metal bands Aftershock and Overcast split. The original lineup was Jesse Leach (vocals) Joel Stroezel (guitar) Mike D'Antonio (Bass) and Adam Dutkiewicz (drums). After their first self-titled album, the band added another guitarist, Pete Cortese, but he didnt last long in the band. After Cortese left, the beand added Tom Gomes to play drums and Adam D. moved to guitar. However, on their second (and most popular) effort, Adam. D played both guitar and drums. Tom Gomes played drus on only one KsE song (When Darkness Falls).

After the succes of Alive or Just Breathing, which is regarded as one of the pioneer and most influencial metalcore albums, released in 2002, vocalist Jesse Leach left the band because of depression. The band found a new vocalist, Howard Jones (formerly of Blood Has Been Shed). Fun fact: Phil LoBonte, vocalist of All That Remains, was almost the new vocalist but was barely beaten out by Howard Jones.

With Jones and new drummer Justin Foley, the band recorded their third album The End of Heartache in 2004. The same lineup also released Daylight Dies in 2006 and their second self-titled album in 2009. The End of Heartache and Daylight dies got great reveiws and are huge metal records, but their self-titled effort took on a heavier and darker sound KsE had ever released.

Their albums, from most amazing to least amazing, in my opinion;

Alive or Just Breathing
Daylight Dies
1st self-titled
The End of Heartache
2nd Self-titled

Most popular songs

The End of HEartache http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wG6pSfgdec

My Curse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTiktZzPguU

This Fire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rivf9yfRtE

When Darkness Falls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YSBGKdgvv8



My favorite Songs (also in order from most amazing to least amazing)

1. Vide Infra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q37PhVv3n4A (NOTE: casual music fan wont like this song)

2. My Last Serenade http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoQrwKJtv_c

3. The Element of One http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDWrnC4ZQoA

4. Rose of Sharyn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxsB9dKHvUg

5. Reckoning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XuBh1zwUUA

KsE is known for amazing life performances. Even if you dont like their music, watch the following viedo live. It is The Element of One with Howard Jones singing. Pure amazingness. Even if you dont like their type of music, you cant deny that is one amazing singing voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUIwehsqiKk

If you liked that, they have a bunch of other songs from that concert. Check them out if you have time.
_________________

[ClaxtonMcGee]

NICE THROW. YOU STILL MISSED. Sorry, I can't take anyone that talks that way seriously. Can't really stand the band. But nice write up, informative.

[jetsfan4life51]

I love Killswitch! I'll add Arms of Sorrow and Unbroken to the list of good songs.
_________________

[SadLionFan00]

[Jetsqb101]

[Colt45fool]

[Jetsqb101]

[iPwn]

Jean Grae

Genre: Hip Hop

Rather than give a simple background of the artist that can be found with a simple Wiki search, when applicable I’m going to go ahead and tell my story of how I found the artist

I don't remember the first time I heard Jean Grae. It almost certainly was a track by Talib Kweli, but may have been her singing the chorus on Immortal Technique's You Never Know. In the late fall of 2007, I found myself looking through the Hip Hop section of my local FYE. It was then, by fate, that I happened by two Jean Grae albums This Week and Attack of the Attacking Things. After having heard her on several tracks by the aforementioned artists, and being completely enamored by what she brought to those songs, I was fairly certain that I could trust her to deliver, so I went ahead and bought both albums. From the first cut I heard (What Would I Do), I was hooked.

Jean isn’t your typical female rapper. Long gone are the days of Lauryn Hill where lyricism could still get a female artist mainstream props. Now days, it seams that the only way a female urban artist can become popular is to flaunt their sex appeal. Despite having done modeling work as a teen, Jean has refused to compromise herself by using sex appeal to garner attention from the genre. As such, despite her talent, Jean seems to be forgotten and passed over my many as another can’t rap female emcee by many who judge her as an artist before giving her an actual listen.

Jean has a very diverse catalogue, arguably one of the most diverse in the game. She has never been one to take herself too seriously, and as such, you will find her talking on subjects that very few artists, let alone female artists would ever find themselves rapping about. Case in point, back in ’99 when she was rapping under the name What What, she released a track with High & Mighty, Kool Keith and a couple other artists that would even have the most perverse minded person doing double takes (Hands On Experience). A bit of a Love Guru, Jean can also be found giving a hilarious list of rules to follow for all of us out there who are looking for a fool proof plan on How To Break Up (With Your Girlfriend).

At the complete opposite side of the spectrum, Jean can speak on serious topics better than, possibly, anyone else in this genre. Maybe it’s the fact that she’s a female and therefore, it’s more socially acceptable for her to speak on these topics in ways that male artists can’t, or maybe it’s just that Jean is that much better than everyone else in this regard. Whether she’s taking you along an emotional rollercoaster as she speaks of the pain and regret she feels for having two abortions (My Story Full version of the short film here) or she’s giving every emo cutter hip hop fan an anthem (Live 4 U), Jean seems to be a lone voice of emotion in a genre that is filled with artists too afraid to delve into painful, heartfelt topics.

An accomplished storyteller (Taco Day), adept freestyle artist (Freestyle Break), great braggadocio rapper (Hater’s Anthem), and introspective artist that can hang with anyone (Don’t Rush Me), Jean brings something to the table for a fan of just about any sub-genre of hip hop. Hell, she can even cover your favorite emcees’s hit jam (Hypnotize) and hold her own in version comparisons.

There are so many more songs that I feel I should mention so as to further showcase her diversity on the mic, but I feel as though I’ve already gone past the saturation point for this post. So I’ll leave you all with two last links.

Like Jean Grae? How about downloading her latest track You Don’t Like It (So What), or the compilation mixtape Grae Fruits, featuring many of the songs that she has been featured on throughout her early career.
_________________

[Jetsqb101]

I'm not a big fan of hip-hop but she seems alright, although I've got to critique her naming skills. Attack of the Attacking Things?

nice writeup Ipwn

[iPwn]

[animaltested]

CYNE
(Cultivating Your New Experience)

[Sandwiche]

I liked them. I didn't really love them, but I'm gonna take a better look at them tomorrow so maybe that'll change.

I don't know if I was hearing their lyrics correctly, but they seemed to just be tossing out names of classics and stuff which for some reason sounded like they were trying to sound smarter than they were, at least that's how my weird mind interpreted it. Of course, I wasn't listening too closely so again, I'm gonna give them another listen.

Nice pick, AT
_________________

takeonme on the sig

[Jetsqb101]

these songs are awesome so far, great choice, I'm only 3 in but i've enjoyed all 3 especially Arrow of God

is the third song by Nujabes featuring Cyne or Cyne featuring Nujabes?

[khodder]