Joe DeAndrea
01/12/08, 02:31 PM
Radio Pirate DJ – This Is Life, This Is Living.
Release Date: December 20th, 2007
Record Label: Unsigned
I don't know which feeling is stronger; the pain I've endured over the past year waiting patiently for Radio Pirate DJ's new album This Is Life, This Is Living, or the excitement I had once it landed on my doorstep. Either way, I'm more than pleased with it and glad it's finally here for everyone to listen to.
Now before you all groan about Radio Pirate DJ being "another cookie-cutter-pop-punk band," hear me out: this band is currently one of the better unsigned bands in its genre. The production is great, the musicianship will surprise you, and the lyrics aren't all that bad. The only thing that I'm not a big fan of is the vocals. They can get slightly annoying at times, though compared to their previous stuff, they've improved greatly.
The 11-track, 39.4 minute record (thanks, iTunes) starts off with "For Fear Of Trust, I Forget To Say.", a song that is unlike Radio Pirate DJ's other material, as it starts off with a piano intro leading into a choir. Up next comes "A Discovery," a song with catchy guitar riffs galore, and proof that this is going to be an incredibly promising album while you're only in the first 7 minutes of it. If anyone is familiar with my music tastes, I shouldn't have to explain why the 3rd track "A Microwave Is Not An Instrument You Junkie!" is my favorite song on the album, as well as one of my favorite songs of 2007. The synth-happy anthem will be sure to put a smile on your face and has a chorus so infectious, your only solution is to rely on 2girls1cup to burn it out of your head.
After the next two songs which take a break from the epic poppiness, Radio Pirate DJ do something different with "It's Always Darkest Before Dawn (A Sequel)." Why is it called a sequel? Well, a few years ago the band released a song entitled "Strange Rum," and now this is the follow-up. What does that mean exactly? The vocal melodies are alike, along with the overall melody and now the band has gone from "being outside her window, throwing rocks to wake her" to being "inside her bedroom singing her to sleep." I thought this was a pretty clever idea, and hopefully others will think the same. However, if a band like Panic(!) at the Disco tried this, they'd be instantly accused of re-hashing old material. Oh well.
The second half of the album is just as impressive as the first, with songs like "Sky, Save Yourself" that roundhouse kick you in the face with guitars. "Bikes With Triggers" is another song on the album that is much like "A Microwave Is Not An Instrument You Junkie!" but this time I suggest something more along the lines of the BME pain olympics to get the melody out of your head. "Abandoned & Alone" is one of the last songs on the record and starts off acoustically but half way through converts into full band. The final track, "Believe Is Trusting," brings the to a close, fading out to the lyrics "So let's leave these feudal times / And forget what we've left behind."
This Is Life, This Is Living succeeds at adding diversity and originality to a genre where it's much needed. Radio Pirate DJ has released one of my favorite albums of 2007 and I'm eager to hear what they have in store next. It's time for labels to take notice.
Track Listing
01. For Fear Of Trust, I Forget To Say.
02. A Discovery
03. A Microwave Is Not An Instrument You Junkie!
04. Call Off The Wolves
05. Lovers & Dreamers
06. It's Always Darkest Before Dawn (A Sequel)
07. Throwing Stones In A Glass House
08. Sky, Save Yourself.
09. Bikes With Triggers
10. Abandoned & Alone
11. Believing Is Trusting
Produced by: Bryan Beeler
Radio Pirate DJ is:
Josh LaFave - Vocals/guitar
Josh Augustine - Vocals/guitar
Bryan Aldrich - Keyboard
Mike Reed - Bass
Griff Powe - Drums
Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/radiopiratedj)
Buy the album (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=269092863&s=143441)
Release Date: December 20th, 2007
Record Label: Unsigned
I don't know which feeling is stronger; the pain I've endured over the past year waiting patiently for Radio Pirate DJ's new album This Is Life, This Is Living, or the excitement I had once it landed on my doorstep. Either way, I'm more than pleased with it and glad it's finally here for everyone to listen to.
Now before you all groan about Radio Pirate DJ being "another cookie-cutter-pop-punk band," hear me out: this band is currently one of the better unsigned bands in its genre. The production is great, the musicianship will surprise you, and the lyrics aren't all that bad. The only thing that I'm not a big fan of is the vocals. They can get slightly annoying at times, though compared to their previous stuff, they've improved greatly.
The 11-track, 39.4 minute record (thanks, iTunes) starts off with "For Fear Of Trust, I Forget To Say.", a song that is unlike Radio Pirate DJ's other material, as it starts off with a piano intro leading into a choir. Up next comes "A Discovery," a song with catchy guitar riffs galore, and proof that this is going to be an incredibly promising album while you're only in the first 7 minutes of it. If anyone is familiar with my music tastes, I shouldn't have to explain why the 3rd track "A Microwave Is Not An Instrument You Junkie!" is my favorite song on the album, as well as one of my favorite songs of 2007. The synth-happy anthem will be sure to put a smile on your face and has a chorus so infectious, your only solution is to rely on 2girls1cup to burn it out of your head.
After the next two songs which take a break from the epic poppiness, Radio Pirate DJ do something different with "It's Always Darkest Before Dawn (A Sequel)." Why is it called a sequel? Well, a few years ago the band released a song entitled "Strange Rum," and now this is the follow-up. What does that mean exactly? The vocal melodies are alike, along with the overall melody and now the band has gone from "being outside her window, throwing rocks to wake her" to being "inside her bedroom singing her to sleep." I thought this was a pretty clever idea, and hopefully others will think the same. However, if a band like Panic(!) at the Disco tried this, they'd be instantly accused of re-hashing old material. Oh well.
The second half of the album is just as impressive as the first, with songs like "Sky, Save Yourself" that roundhouse kick you in the face with guitars. "Bikes With Triggers" is another song on the album that is much like "A Microwave Is Not An Instrument You Junkie!" but this time I suggest something more along the lines of the BME pain olympics to get the melody out of your head. "Abandoned & Alone" is one of the last songs on the record and starts off acoustically but half way through converts into full band. The final track, "Believe Is Trusting," brings the to a close, fading out to the lyrics "So let's leave these feudal times / And forget what we've left behind."
This Is Life, This Is Living succeeds at adding diversity and originality to a genre where it's much needed. Radio Pirate DJ has released one of my favorite albums of 2007 and I'm eager to hear what they have in store next. It's time for labels to take notice.
Track Listing
01. For Fear Of Trust, I Forget To Say.
02. A Discovery
03. A Microwave Is Not An Instrument You Junkie!
04. Call Off The Wolves
05. Lovers & Dreamers
06. It's Always Darkest Before Dawn (A Sequel)
07. Throwing Stones In A Glass House
08. Sky, Save Yourself.
09. Bikes With Triggers
10. Abandoned & Alone
11. Believing Is Trusting
Produced by: Bryan Beeler
Radio Pirate DJ is:
Josh LaFave - Vocals/guitar
Josh Augustine - Vocals/guitar
Bryan Aldrich - Keyboard
Mike Reed - Bass
Griff Powe - Drums
Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/radiopiratedj)
Buy the album (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=269092863&s=143441)