Top 10 of 2013: The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record

The Dangerous Summer have been one of my all time favorite bands for about six or seven years now. Every album they release is amazing. I would describe them as the perfect cross between an indie and an emo band, which is how I have been able to still love them all the way from high school to now.

They released their third full length album this summer, called Golden Record. The year or two leading up to the album release was full of turmoil within the band. They had lost 2 of the founding 4 members by the time they needed to record this album. They enlisted the help of drummer, Ben Cato and guitarist, Matt Kennedy (who is also involved with The Sun And The Sea) and were able to overcome the adversity to create a great piece of art.

Their music is as polished as ever and the addition of the new members adds new elements to the overall sound of the band. You can really tell on the more uptempo tracks on the album, like Miles Apart and We Will Wait In The Fog. The music is brighter and more optimistic. Another thing about the album that has progressed from their previous work is AJ's lyric songwriting ability. His lyrics are very revealing about his life and the things he has gone through since the last album and how he feels about those changes. Listening to third album is almost like reading his personal diary. It takes true talent to be able to connect to people through music the way he does.

Let me give you some music to listen to from them that will give you an idea of why I love this band so much.

The album can be found on Spotify or hear all my favorite tracks on the Audible Twilight playlist! PLEASE follow them on Facebook if you dig them. I want to make sure this is not the last album they make, so show them some love!!

Enjoy! <3

The Sun And The Sea

The Sun And The Sea are the product of one of my favorite bands of all time. It is comprised of ex-members of the band The Graduate that called for an indefinite hiatus back in July of 2011, but it seems that some of the members weren't finished with music just yet. I was completely obessed with The Graduate. So when I found out about TSTS I was beyond excited. In early 2012 the band released their first EP as TSTS called Nightfalls. Check it out on Spotify!

When you listen to the EP it is apparent that the band is still trying to find their sound. The 7 tracks are like a meandering journey of ambient rock, but the direction for the band was set. It was a solid start. Check out my favorite track from the EP, Something We Can All Leave Behind.

Several months later TSTS came back with their latest release called Vega. Upon first listen to Vega I was blown away at the progress the band had made from their last EP. Every single song on Vega is something special. Listen to it on Spotify or check out my two favorite tracks out below.

Vega is definitely a departure in the right direction for TSTS. It is still ambient rock, but the electric guitars and drums are much more prevalent and the production is much better. This is one of those albums you can listen to over and over again and you will like each song more after every listen. This band may be a small, no-name band, but the members all have years of experience making music and touring the nation, and it shows.

It would mean so much to me if even one person supported this band. PLEASE purchase music from their BandCamp if you like what you hear, or at the very least throw them a 'Like' on Facebook!

Thank you, Enjoy! <3