FF2- Foo Fighters

 Not many people ever think that the Drummer of one of the most influential bands ever would have the potential to become the Singer and Bass player for one of the most successful alternative rock bands of the past ten years. For those of you who don’t know, Dave Grohl was the drummer for the band Nirvana. When Nirvana’s singer and writer Kurt Cobain allegedly committed suicide, the band was left alone, without a front man. The one person who was really left with a burning passion for music was the drummer, Dave. Today people, still recognize his past as the drummer for Nirvana, but he is mostly recognized as the lead singer for the band the Foo Fighters. The Foo Fighters formed in 1995 shortly after Kurts death. Their first album was self-titled. A lot of people didn’t really know what to expect from this man who never really stuck out in 

Nirvana. Lucky for Dave though, their first album killed it. People loved it, critics loved it, and everybody loved it! That was the start of a long career for the Foo Fighters. From 1995 to 2007, the Foo’s have released five albums, all of which got great reviews. In 2007, the relased  “Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace”. This was the turning point for the band. This album absolutely blew up. The album featured the song “The Pretender”, which was played at least once an hour on 1033 the edge every day for quite some time. The album was phenomenal. The Foo’s took a different approach to music than Nirvana. They kind of lost some of the “grunge” feel that Nirvana was known for, and did their own thing. I don’t really know how to describe it, but it worked. The Foo Fighters are becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Rock and Roll industry.

FF1- Brand New

Brand New first comes off as just the basic cliché pop punk band. That’s what I originally thought. Not saying that I didn’t like it, but they never really stood out to me. The band consists of Brian Lane, Derrick Sherman, Garrett Tierney, Jesse Lacey and, Vin Accardi. The band first album was titled Your Favorite Weapon and was released in 2001. That album never stood out to me. In no way was it a bad album, but it was just the same as every other pop punk band out at the time. The band second album Deja Entendu was in my opinion, their best release to date. The album dropped in 2003. This is the album that musically gained 

my respect for the band. To date, this is one of my favorite albums of all time. That includes every genre. Musically, the album is a little more toned down than their first release. I think that helps to get the emotion across. The album also features a little more acoustic sets than their first release. It comes together and flows very well and I absolutely love it. In 2006, the band released The Devil and God are Raging Inside me. This album was even more toned down than Deja Entendu. Still very good though. I can personally appreciate the musicianship that went into this album. Brian Lane has a very distinct voice that comes together phenomenally well with the rest of the music. The album has almost an Indie Rock style to it. It was very good though. I can’t really talk about the bands newest album too much which was titled Daisy. I haven’t really listened to the album very much. Critically, the album got decent reviews but I would have to listen to it for myself to give an honest opinion. Either way, Brand New is a decent band with one phenomenal album. I would definitely recommend them.  

DD2- Ace Hood

Ace Hood is an up and coming rapper from Broward County, Florida. Ace was born Antoine McColister. Being one of the few new mainstream rappers that I really like, I think that says a lot. At first he sounds very similar to most other new rappers. His lyrics are good though, much better than most new rappers out right now. Growing up, Ace never thought he would be a rapper. He had goals to play professional football, but an injury took away any chance of a career in the sport. He then decided to go with the other activity in his life that he was good at, which is rapping. He was 17 years old, when he got together with the entertainment label, Dollaz & Dealz. That is where he recorded the hit "M.O.E." ("Money Over Everything") and it became an instant hit with Floridians. Ace stated to perform and network his music and image; this helped him to obtain the exposure he was looking for. He continued to perform locally to hone his skills. Then Ace decided to aim a bit higher. Ace raps about growing up in the streets. Not having a father really impacted his rhymes. One of the main things that he raps about in one of his newer albums “Trials and Tribulations “is the shooting of his unnamed friend. There are a lot of references to this, but the biggest would have to be the song “Memory Lane”.  Ace Hood has a very good grasp on how life had can be. His way of coping with that is music. It’s his outlet. Without it, he most likely would not be here. As an up and coming star, he is making his mark. I don’t see him going anywhere for quite a while. Doing songs with artists such as Rick Ross, Meek Mill, and Asap Rocky, he is making his mark.

DD1- Chiodos

If you don’t listen to what most people call hardcore, or metal music you probably have never heard of Chiodos. Chances are that if you ever chose to listen to them, you would probably not enjoy their music. They take a special ear. The guitar, bass, and drums follow the same generic pattern that most hardcore bands tend to follow. Fast and pounding, with frequent breaks that slide into calming riffs. The vocals in Chiodos are very unique though. Most tend to not enjoy it whatsoever. They have a sound that I can’t really put into words. You just have to listen to them to understand what I’m referring to. I personally enjoy their music quite a bit. They are one of the first bands in the hardcore scene I really got into. The band was formed in the town of Davison Michigan. The band members included vocalist Craig Owens, keyboardist 

and vocalist Bradley Bell, guitarists Pat McManaman and Jason Hale, bassist Matt Goddard, and drummer Derrick Frost. The band recorded a demo tape in 2002 while still in high school. It was titled “The Best Way to Ruin Your Life”. The band had a phenomenal live show, and it helped to develop a cult-like following. Their next release was also a self-recorded and produced album. The album was called “The Heartless Control Everything” and was recorded in McManaman’s bedroom. The album was released in 2003, and after its release the band suited up for their first tour. They crossed the United States even times all the while performing with bands like “YellowCard”, and “Coheed & Cambria”. All of these shows eventually led to a deal with Equal Vision. They released their first album on a real label in 2005 titled “All’s Well that Ends Well”. After the release, the band didn’t stop touring. They continued travelling the US. Eventually they started opening for bigger bands such as Atreyu. Their second full length album was titled “Bone Palace Ballet” and was released in 2007. The album hit number five on the charts. Shortly after the release, Owens and Frost left the band. By 2012 however they were back in. At the end of 2012, guitarist Hale announced he would be leaving Chiodos. His replacement would be Thomas Erak from “The Fall of Troy”. Chiodos toured quite a bit in 2013, and is still going strong today.

BB2- YelaWolf

Michael Wayne Atha (born December 30, 1979), better known by his stage name Yelawolf, is an American rapper. He is currently signed to Shady Records, Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment and Interscope Records. He is co-managed by Redd Klay Entertainment along with his personal manager Jeremy “J Dot” Jones.Raised in Gadsden, Alabama, Atha appeared on the reality series The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott and released his independent debut album Creek Water in 2005. Two years later, Atha signed to Columbia Records and released the single “Kickin’” from his unreleased first studio album, before being released from the label later that same year. From 2008 to 2010, Atha released an extended play and four mixtapes with Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment. Trunk Muzik 0-60, Atha’s fourth mixtape, was also released by Interscope 

Records. In 2011, Atha signed to Shady Records and his debut studio album Radioactive was released on November 21, 2011 to positive reviews. It entered the Billboard 200 at number 27. He spent much of his childhood in various locations around the southern United States, including Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Atlanta, Georgia, and Antioch, Tennessee.Atha is half white and Cherokee, and the name Yelawolf is a reference to his Native American roots. Yelawolf is an avid skateboarder and made attempts at a professional skateboarding career but was forced to abandon due to injuries. Yelawolf began releasing mixtapes independently in 2007. He was briefly signed to Columbia Records in 2007 and left the label the same year. In 2011, YelaWolf admitted that he went on a trip to Detroit to have a meeting with Eminem, and has been subsequently signed to Shady Records. YelaWolf is a very skilled rapper. He reminds me of Machine Gun Kelly with the way that he raps. He is a definite speed rapper, and he does it well. YelaWolf will be making a mark in the game, and soon.