Between the Trees

So, this is the last post. And I saved the best (or one of, in my opinion) for last. I think I mentioned in the first post that the name of this blog, The Story and the Song, was named after an album by Between the Trees. I said that every song has a story and is interpreted differently by people.

Between the Trees is hands down one of my favorite bands, and always will be. I have lyrics by them tattooed on my foot. I have seen them 13 times. I interviewed them once. And they played in my apartment. Which was the last time I saw them. Unfortunately, they broke up-not on bad terms, but they were all just moving on to different things. All of them were married, one of them had just become a father, etc. They're all still friends...they just aren't in a band together anymore.

They actually started out as a five piece, but then went down to 3 members, and then added a touring guitarist, and then kind of became an official member. Between the Trees (when they broke up) consisted of Ryan Kirkland, Jeremy Butler, Josh Butler (yes, they are brothers) and Stevie Benz. I first saw them (when they were a 5 piece) in 2008 at Warped Tour. The following summer, my friend and I saw them 3 times and then from there every time they toured I went to at least 2 shows). I actually kind of got to become friends with them from seeing them so much. I feel kind of weird when I say that, but it's kind of true.

So, when they announced they were breaking up, they also announced they would be going on a house tour, playing acoustically for people. It was kind of on a first come, first serve basis. I luckily was one of the people that got to have them come and play. They came to my apartment this past October. It was October 19 actually. I don't think I'll ever forget the date. And they hung out for a while and played. It wasn't exactly cheap to have them come, but it was well worth it and I'm so happy I was able to do it.

They're just something about them that is so great. I feel like I should be able to explain it better, but I really can't. They're music is just positive, good music. They're good people. Some of the nicest, most genuine people I've ever met. And they are so appreciative of everything.

There aren't really words that can describe it. Now that I've written a novel, here's their music video for 'We Can Try'.

PS-Have you ever heard of the organization To Write Love On Her Arms? Ryan Kirkland had a huge hand in that. I won't explain it. But just thought I would share. :)

Wakey! Wakey!

I first heard about Wakey! Wakey! from One Tree Hill (I do still watch that show). :) I was really interested in it, it was slightly different, but his voice was incredible. Wakey! Wakey! is essentially Michael Grubbs. He did have a role on One Tree Hill for a while but then left to tour.

I finally saw him on Saturday (along with Jukebox the Ghost) and my friend actually got to interview him for the radio station. We were both going to do it, but then I just told her to do it. The interview went extremely well. He was very nice and really talkative. He was great live as well. He played sooo many good songs.

Below is the video for Light Outside. Also check out War Sweater. I love the eeriness of the song.

Jukebox the Ghost

I had heard of Jukebox the Ghost before, but just saw them this past weekend at The Grog Shop. They were soooo good. And now I'm hooked. They're stage presence is awesome, they're hilarious, and they seem like down-to-earth, genuine people. They are also very personable.

They're from Washington D.C. I really don't know too much about them, other than that they're music is fun, I really like them, and I can't wait to see them live again.

Here is their video for "Hold It In".

This Providence

This Providence is a band from Seattle, Washington. The lead singer, Dan Young is actually from Australia, but moved to the US when he was about 16. I like that you can hear his accent when he sings.

I don't even really remember how I heard of them, but they are one of my favorite bands. I've seen them a few times now. On the last tour they were on (which was about a year ago) it was probably one of the best tours. It consisted of The Bigger Lights, Anarbor, The Audition, and then This Providence as the headliners. I listen to all of these bands, so it was just an awesome line-up. This was their first headlining tour as well. They played their latest album, Who Are You Now? in its entirety, plus some songs from their other two albums.

They are currently working on their next album. In the photo above, which is the album artwork-that building that you see is actually in Cleveland. I believe it's the side of the House of Blues downtown. When they were on tour with Relient K, they had Ethan, the drummer from RK take that picture, and they ended up using it, which I think is pretty cool. :)

Below is their most recent music video for "Keeping On Without You". It's one of the slower songs on the album. Give their other stuff a listen-it's a lot more upbeat.

Goot

Goot, also known as Alex Goot, is huge on YouTube. You may have seen his videos before. He covers popular songs. He's covered Katy Perry, Oasis, Bruno Mars, even The Jonas Brothers (and sounded very much like Nick Jonas). He recently won an award from MTV through a contest. People could vote on videos people had done of covers, and he won! :)

He also records every instrument in the song. And the way he does the videos is really cool. You can see him playing all of the instruments. But aside from doing covers, he also writes his own music. I have seen him 4 times. 3 of those times was when he was on tour with Between the Trees (a post about them will be coming up!) We actually got to know the guys really well. He had a touring drummer and bassist. They were all extremely nice. It was actually really hot out the one day, and they let us chill out in their van before the show. They're just really genuine people, which I love.

Here is one of the songs he's done a cover of. Check out his other music though too! :) Goot Music

Yellowcard

Yellowcard was recently in Cleveland. They're on tour with All Time Low. I didn't buy a ticket in time and it sold out, so I unfortunately couldn't go. Yellowcard is one of my favorite bands and I'm so excited that they're back after a 7 year hiatus. I used to listen to them allllll the time in high school. Ocean Avenue is probably one of my favorite albums.

I'm hoping they'll go on a headlining tour soon in support of the new album. And when they do, I will buy tickets as soon as they go on sale. I definitely don't want to pass up the opportunity to see them again. My friend went to the show at the House of Blues and when they started playing classics like Ocean Avenue and Way Away, she said the crowd went crazy. I think that would be such an awesome feeling to be there and just have so much love and appreciation for them. Especially because this is their first tour in a long time. And in turn, the band must feel incredible getting that reaction. I guess at the show they said they would definitely be back to Cleveland soon. My friend said Ryan Key, the lead singer, was just the happiest person that night. Aahh...so jealous I wasn't there.

Here is there latest music video for 'For You and Your Denial'.

Two Door Cinema Club

Two Door Cinema Club is an Irish indie/rock band. I love how fun and catchy their music is. I don't listen to them as much as I would like to, but they are definitely worth trying out.

Check out their music video for Something Good Can Work.

Terrible Things

It was recently announced that Andy Jackson from Terrible Things is no longer in the band. Which is a shame, because he was my favorite. I love his voice. It was nice because they had two vocalists. If you aren't familiar with Terrible Things, Fred is the lead singer-from Taking Back Sunday. I'm glad I got to see them twice while Andy was still in the band. Andy is from a band called Hot Rod Circuit. He also has another band called Death in the Park. Both are good. So I mean, he definitely has other projects and things he can work on. I just really liked him in Terrible Things. They're album is amazing from start to finish.

Here is their first single from the album. It's called Revolution.

The Starting Line

Another band that is very high up on my list-The Starting Line. I don't really have much to say...other than that they're soo good. Plain and simple. They broke up, but recently played a few shows together. I'm hoping they do get back together and record a new album, but who knows. Kenny Vasoli, the lead singer, has another band called Person L. I was able to see Person L, but have never seen The Starting Line.

I don't listen to Person L as much. I'm definitely more partial to The Starting Line. And now that I think about it, I haven't really listened to them in a really long time. But summer is coming, and they're perfect to listen to in the summer.

This song is really old. But it's one of my favorites.

Sam Roberts

Does anyone remember the show Degrassi? It's still on..but with a completely different cast.

I first heard Sam Roberts on an episode of Degrassi. The song 'Hard Road' played during a scene and the more I heard the song, the more I like it. (And I used to watch Degrassi ALL the time.) So I had heard the song a lot.

Sam Roberts is the first band I started listening to that was different than everything else I listened to.I was in the 8th grade at the time, and I listed to whatever was on Top 40 radio at the time. Really poppy music.

They are basically the band that shaped what I listen to now. Because once I started listening to them, my taste in music totally changed.

Here is the music video for Hard Road. I was able to see them at the Grog Shop about 2 years ago. They're a Canadian band-so it's harder to see them in the US. It was great seeing them play this song and just seeing them in general since they had such an influence on me musically.

Mumford and Sons

Some of you may be aware of Mumford and Sons. I heard about them through the radio station when we started playing their song 'The Cave'. It's awesome folk/indie music. It wasn't until I saw them perform at The Grammy's that I really got hooked. I hope to see them live one day.

Here's their performance at The Grammy's. They performed with The Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan. It gives me chills every time I watch it.

The Honorary Title

The Honorary Title is very high up on my list of bands I love. They unfortunately aren't together anymore, but Jarrod Gorbel, the lead singer of THT does solo stuff now. Personally, I like The Honorary Title a lot more, but I'll take what I can get. Jarrod's voice is amazing when he uses it to its fullest potential. What I'm about to say sounds like I don't really like him. I do, but I just think he could be better (aka-The Honorary Title should get back together).

I've seen The Honorary Title once, and it wasn't even with the original members (except Jarrod). It was the last tour before he officially called it quits. I've seen Jarrod a few times and when I have, it's been just him with a violinist, which I'll admit is great. However, his songs are the same on the album. He also slows them down a bit. He did tour with Good Old War and they played on stage with him for a few of the songs. It was full band and he played his faster-paced songs. It was the best I've ever seen him. And that's what I wish he would do more of.

Here's a video of the first song I ever heard by The Honorary Title.

Side note: Jarrod Gorbel is one of the strangest, but funniest people I've ever met. He also used to date Kelly Osbourne.

Hanson

So some of you may think I'm crazy for posting something about Hanson. A lot of people I talk to are surprised when they find out they're still around. I am proud to say I'm a huge fan of Hanson. I always have been since the 90s when they first came out with 'MMMBop'. I've seen them 4 times and can't wait to see them again. They put on an amazing show and it's so cool to see that they are still making music after so many years.

I always tell people...if you haven't listened to them since 'MMMBop', listen to them again. They've obviously grown up and they're music has definitely changed. Posted below is the video for 'MMMBop' and below that is their latest video for a song called 'Give a Little'. There is clearly a difference. :)

Grouplove

Grouplove is another band I heard about through the radio station. Their song 'Colours' was in rotation and while at first I wasn't sure how I felt about it, the more I listened to it, the more I loved it.

Grouplove's music is just very happy and positive. In an interview that I watched with the band, they talk about being friends and that they're all about just having fun together...which is kind of where they got the name "Grouplove" from.

Instead of posting that music video for 'Colours' I decided to post an acoustic performance of the song so you can see them interact and the 'group love'. :)

Ian Axel

I first heard about Ian Axel from the radio station. The song "This is the New Year" was in rotation and I loved it as soon as I heard it. So from there, I started listening to more of him. His lyrics are amazing. The song "This is the New Year" gives me chills just from the message of the song and how it builds up. I can't wait to see him live. Apparently he did an interview at WJCU, John Carroll's radio station, a few days ago. But he didn't play anywhere in Cleveland.

Envy on the Coast

Envy on the Coast is one of the more "hardcore" bands I listen to. I don't even know if that's really the right word to use. They just have a harder sound to them I guess. I first saw them the summer of 2009. They opened up for Taking Back Sunday at the House of Blues. I thought they were the craziest, most interesting band I had seen in a while. They all played barefoot and the lead singer was sooo crazy on stage. It wasn't until maybe about a year ago that I saw them again. The second time I saw them, they played at the Grog Shop. While they were incredible, that show was horrible. The people that we were around were so obnoxious. This girl that was standing by us was freaking out at the people around her and in turn, everybody was getting annoyed with her. I guess you had to be there to understand it but it was just not a good time.

The band has unfortunately broken up but 2 of the members still plan on doing music together. I haven't really heard anything recently from them, but I hope to in the future.

I think that after watching the music video posted below for Sugar Skulls, you might understand what I mean...and can imagine that they would be crazy on stage. This video is from their first album, the second video is from their second and last album.

The Audition

The Audition is hands down one of my favorite bands. I think I've seen them about 12 times now. They used to come to Erie, PA a lot, which is where I'm from. So I got to see them a lot because of that. I think that each album they put out is better than the last. I feel like not every band can do that. With a lot of bands that I listen to, I often think that they're first album is the best. Not that I don't like the other albums they put out...it's just that none of them compare to the first.

With the Audition, each album is so good in a different way. They're first album Controversy Loves Company, it's more of a harder, edgier sounding album. When they put that one out, they were very young. You can tell that over the years they've matured and grown and people and as musicians. Their 4th album they put out (the most current one) is called Great Danger. I know I've said this before, but this is another band I'm excited about listening to in the summer, with the windows rolled down, blasting as I'm going on a road trip.

One of the times I saw them, they had to play acoustic because their van broke down. So only half the band made it to the venue. It was in Pittsburgh about a year ago. So it was just the lead singer and guitarist. Out of all the times I have seen them, that performance was one of my favorites. It was nice to see the songs stripped down. Danny, the lead singer, has an incredible voice and you really got to hear it with only an acoustic guitar behind him.

Check out the music video for You Ruined This below. :)

The Almost

Some of you may be more familiar with The Almost. Or maybe you're familiar with Underoath. Aaron Gillespie is the former drummer of Underoath and is the front man for The Almost. I was able to finally see The Almost this past fall at Musica in Akron. Aaron Gillespie is, in my opinion, one of the best drummers. He doesn't play drums in The Almost, but he's still incredible. He also has a worship project called Anthem Song. The album was released not too long ago. I think that Southern Weather, the first album released from The Almost is one of my favorites. It's another one of those albums that's perfect for blasting in the car in the summer with the windows down.

Check out the video for Say This Sooner below.

Anarbor

Anarbor was another one of the bands on the same tour as Valencia. I have seen them a few times before. They're so young...but I guess a lot of bands are. But I feel like they're a band that's been around forever when they really haven't been. They're just so good. One of my favorite songs by them in You and I. It has 2 key changes in it, which is crazy. I love seeing them play it live. They just have so much energy and you can tell they're really passionate about what they do.

I first remember seeing them in an issue of Alternative Press Magazine. And I remember listening to them a little bit, but then after that I kind of stopped. I'm not sure why. Then a while later, I saw them again somewhere and that's how I started listening to them again.

Here's their music video for You and I.

Valencia

I recently saw a band called Valencia from Philadelphia, PA. I have been aware of Valencia for a while now, but I never really sat down and listened to them. I actually interviewed them for the radio station. My friend was going to do it but then couldn't.

I saw them play at the Grog Shop about a week ago and I don't know why it took me so long to listen to them, but I'm glad I finally am. They were so great live. My friend actually told me that once I see them live, I'll be hooked-because that's what happened to her. I can't wait to see them again. They're playing a show in Columbus this summer so I plan on going to that.

It's really good summer music.

Here is as acoustic version of Dancing With a Ghost. They have a music video for it too, but i just love this version of it. I also highly recommend listening to Still Need You Around.