I’ll admit to being a relative newcomer to their music; I was recently introduced to their previous album Ode to Sunshine (2008) and spent a good few days obsessing over it – tracks like “People C’mon” and “Trashcan” defining their sound for me – different, upbeat, vibrant, but I know this is a band I will be listening to for a long time. History from Below launches into brilliance with the more politically charged “911″(which for the first few seconds sounds very acoustic and reminiscent of something more fitting to Ingrid Michaelson until the drums kick in!) which takes a satirical stance on the current state of the US economy –‘The folks back east, they say the market’s fine/I heard that before 1929’, and singer Matt Vasquez’s voice adds a sense of raw honesty to the lyrics, as with the entire record, which develops into an album with evident character. Up next is “Bushwick Blues”, which suggests that the band have stepped towards a less folk, more rock direction, but it feels natural, not forced, as Vasquez’s individual vocals driving the band’s truly unique sound. After such an energetic start, calming the album down and setting the tone for the next few tracks (“White Table”, “Ransom Man”, “Devil Knows Your Dead”) comes “Salt in the Wound” which seems to be an emotional and eloquent existential crisis. Far from being depressing, this track has become one of my favorites on the album, its conclusion is not one of despair but hope and respite in the beauty of the world – ‘Now with my heart wide open / I listen to the wind just for a word / Sure, I know it’s futile / But that’s all I have in this world’.

For me, one thing that stands out about this album is that it is certainly a mature and varied progression from Ode to Sunshine – it deals with love, spirituality, politics – and the range of sounds and emotions and intensities are broad – from the subdued, folksy “Scarecrow,” diffused with the soft sounds of birds, to the powerful, upbeat “Golden State,” to the eight minute epic story of “Ballad of Vitaly” – probably my favorite track on the album. Yet despite this variation, it remains cohesive, thanks to Vasquez’s consistent vocal style and the skill and adaptation of the other band members. My only criticism (and it’s a super tiny one!) is that part of me feels that History from Below is lacking maybe one more really upbeat, anthemic track, like those defining Ode to Sunshine. It is undeniable that the band has progressed, but subtly – the energy fueling History from Below [...]]]> If it’s a band with the talent to soar from songs full of catchy hooks, powerful vocals, toe-tapping rhythms, dashes of scathing polemic wit and lyrical prowess to soft-spoken, beautiful ballads you’re after, San Diego’s Delta Spirit are the band for you. Their second full length studio album, History from Below was released at the start of June, and certainly does not disappoint.

I’ll admit to being a relative newcomer to their music; I was recently introduced to their previous album Ode to Sunshine (2008) and spent a good few days obsessing over it – tracks like “People C’mon” and “Trashcan” defining their sound for me – different, upbeat, vibrant, but I know this is a band I will be listening to for a long time. History from Below launches into brilliance with the more politically charged “911″(which for the first few seconds sounds very acoustic and reminiscent of something more fitting to Ingrid Michaelson until the drums kick in!) which takes a satirical stance on the current state of the US economy –‘The folks back east, they say the market’s fine/I heard that before 1929’, and singer Matt Vasquez’s voice adds a sense of raw honesty to the lyrics, as with the entire record, which develops into an album with evident character. Up next is “Bushwick Blues”, which suggests that the band have stepped towards a less folk, more rock direction, but it feels natural, not forced, as Vasquez’s individual vocals driving the band’s truly unique sound. After such an energetic start, calming the album down and setting the tone for the next few tracks (“White Table”, “Ransom Man”, “Devil Knows Your Dead”) comes “Salt in the Wound” which seems to be an emotional and eloquent existential crisis. Far from being depressing, this track has become one of my favorites on the album, its conclusion is not one of despair but hope and respite in the beauty of the world – ‘Now with my heart wide open / I listen to the wind just for a word / Sure, I know it’s futile / But that’s all I have in this world’.

For me, one thing that stands out about this album is that it is certainly a mature and varied progression from Ode to Sunshine – it deals with love, spirituality, politics – and the range of sounds and emotions and intensities are broad – from the subdued, folksy “Scarecrow,” diffused with the soft sounds of birds, to the powerful, upbeat “Golden State,” to the eight minute epic story of “Ballad of Vitaly” – probably my favorite track on the album. Yet despite this variation, it remains cohesive, thanks to Vasquez’s consistent vocal style and the skill and adaptation of the other band members. My only criticism (and it’s a super tiny one!) is that part of me feels that History from Below is lacking maybe one more really upbeat, anthemic track, like those defining Ode to Sunshine. It is undeniable that the band has progressed, but subtly – the energy fueling History from Below is more reserved in some aspects than Ode to Sunshine – it is still powerful, but more mature and precise. There is less of the Americana feel that enlivened their debut – it provides more of a cocktail of genres, still retaining the punchy and original sound that Delta Spirit have defined for themselves, but introducing a new depth – really clear in tracks like “Salt in the Wound” and “Ransom Man”. I love History from Below, and I love Delta Spirit.

I know this review will probably sound schizophrenic, but I can’t help it. I’m divided. I also know this is Positivexposure, and I’ll get to the positivity, I promise, but on the one hand, I have to be honest. With Omni, I feel that the band have morphed into a more generic direction – rather than taking the opportunity to refine their individuality and take a more unique step, Omni is kind of faceless – at one point I really began to doubt if I’d bought the right record. You kinda wonder if they’ve moved to L.A. They seem to have dialled up the synths and turned down the emotion – and the result is a record I don’t find particularly honest or deep, with lyrics about sweat dripping down thighs (“My Time”), a girl fixing her lipstick and a guy fixing his belt (“Into The Mirror”), and morally suspect seduction (“Fooled by the Night”). Sure, Planet of Ice had some pretty raunchy lyrics, but gone is the strain of sadness that colored lead singer Jake Snider’s voice, and gone is the intensity of tracks like “Double Vision Quest” and “Lotus”‘ and in its place is something overproduced and cheapened with pop punk seduction. I’m not asking this record to deal with hardcore political issues or anything, but songs about copulation, well, have been done before. A lot. With synths. I just don’t think anything new is being brought to the table here. And hey, one heartfelt song wouldn’t hurt now, would it? May I suggest something in a minor key?

And yet, here’s the other side of the coin. Maybe listening to songs with supposed ‘deep emotional meaning’ has clouded my ears with pretentiousness and I’m just looking at it wrong. Because, ignoring Planet of Ice, as a stand alone, ‘plug your iPod in at a party’ record, Omni is great. It’s enjoyable and energetic. It’s summery and catchy, and songs like “My Time” and “Summer Angel” are definitely ‘play on repeat-ers’. I love “Animal Backwards” with its hypnotic repeating of ‘She is a wolf looking through my window’ (but I can’t help thinking it’d sound better acoustic!) Omni is uplifting and has a party vibe with kicks of attitude and cheek. Yeah, it’s pretty simplistic and makes me wonder if the lead singer has a sex addiction, but it’s fun. And hey, I like synths. I don’t really like echoing vocals or songs that stick on one questionable subject, but on one level I do like Omni. Unfortunately, it’s  just a pretty shallow, slightly guilty level. It’s fun. I’ll admit that. No problemo. But here’s the deal breaker: is it enough for an album just to be ‘fun’? For me, not really. I think that Minus the Bear need to [...]]]> Seattle’s Minus the Bear are back with the follow up album to 2007’s Planet of Ice with Omni, a record that, despite its uber catchy melodies, I’m in two minds about. To put it totally bluntly: I just don’t get it.

I know this review will probably sound schizophrenic, but I can’t help it. I’m divided. I also know this is Positivexposure, and I’ll get to the positivity, I promise, but on the one hand, I have to be honest. With Omni, I feel that the band have morphed into a more generic direction – rather than taking the opportunity to refine their individuality and take a more unique step, Omni is kind of faceless – at one point I really began to doubt if I’d bought the right record. You kinda wonder if they’ve moved to L.A. They seem to have dialled up the synths and turned down the emotion – and the result is a record I don’t find particularly honest or deep, with lyrics about sweat dripping down thighs (“My Time”), a girl fixing her lipstick and a guy fixing his belt (“Into The Mirror”), and morally suspect seduction (“Fooled by the Night”). Sure, Planet of Ice had some pretty raunchy lyrics, but gone is the strain of sadness that colored lead singer Jake Snider’s voice, and gone is the intensity of tracks like “Double Vision Quest” and “Lotus”‘ and in its place is something overproduced and cheapened with pop punk seduction. I’m not asking this record to deal with hardcore political issues or anything, but songs about copulation, well, have been done before. A lot. With synths. I just don’t think anything new is being brought to the table here. And hey, one heartfelt song wouldn’t hurt now, would it? May I suggest something in a minor key?

And yet, here’s the other side of the coin. Maybe listening to songs with supposed ‘deep emotional meaning’ has clouded my ears with pretentiousness and I’m just looking at it wrong. Because, ignoring Planet of Ice, as a stand alone, ‘plug your iPod in at a party’ record, Omni is great. It’s enjoyable and energetic. It’s summery and catchy, and songs like “My Time” and “Summer Angel” are definitely ‘play on repeat-ers’. I love “Animal Backwards” with its hypnotic repeating of ‘She is a wolf looking through my window’ (but I can’t help thinking it’d sound better acoustic!) Omni is uplifting and has a party vibe with kicks of attitude and cheek. Yeah, it’s pretty simplistic and makes me wonder if the lead singer has a sex addiction, but it’s fun. And hey, I like synths. I don’t really like echoing vocals or songs that stick on one questionable subject, but on one level I do like Omni. Unfortunately, it’s  just a pretty shallow, slightly guilty level. It’s fun. I’ll admit that. No problemo. But here’s the deal breaker: is it enough for an album just to be ‘fun’? For me, not really. I think that Minus the Bear need to pause all the sex (or stop boasting about it) and have a nice, inspirational emotional breakdown. They’re from Seattle, after all.

If you’re a fan of Harvard, you should already know some things about Jesse Clasen. To name a few, he has an incredible voice and knows how to use it, he plays piano, and occasionally, he will play some horns. What Firewood immediately teaches us is that Jesse had a hidden talent up his sleeve. Sure, he played acoustic guitar on The Inevitable and I, but the guitar on Firewood is much more intricate and it draws you into the song immediately, catching your interest and allowing Clasen to do, well…all the other things he does really well. Don’t come here looking for the pounding drums, groovy bass lines, or dizzying guitars that can be found when listening to Harvard. Just sit back and introduce yourself to the truly one of a kind talent that is The Bear Romantic.

The album starts with “Stay Mine,” an amazing first track that opens with white noise that continues through the whole song.  The acoustic guitar keeps the sense of beat while filling the silence between Clasen’s ethereal wails, and when coupled with the white noise, creates a very somber mood. I’m used to hearing his beautiful high register, but a whole different side of Jesse emerges through The Bear Romantic, and he gets to show off his equally beautiful low register. The very low, repeated notes and the sound of creaking metal add to the dark mood and make it feel like something is pressing on my chest.  Although there is only one line in the entire song, there is never a boring moment. When the last note on guitar is hit, I literally breathe a sigh of relief as the weight on my chest is lifted. It’s a very powerful opening track.

Helping you recover from the mood created by “Stay Mine” is “Farmers,” a much more upbeat, but not any less dark, track. The repetitive lyrics and simplistic backing are hypnotic, and just conjure up this really dark and mysterious visual. The song definitely does have a dark aspect – “you can’t protest, you can’t move” – the song is directly addressed to the listener, who ‘better be watching the road’. It’s a beautiful warning, that’s enthralling and unnerving at the same time.

Up next is “Kings,” which keeps the upbeat guitar going. “Kings” is the heaviest use of drums on the album this far in, although most of the song is acoustic. Delayed and layered vocals and a little bit of backmasking add so much to this song, creating such a beautiful melody.

“Desantes” slows things down a bit, but from the opening guitar, even if it’s so mellow that I had to actively pay attention to it, I was hooked. It immediately grabbed my attention and never really let it go. “Kill me, I’m worth killing. Use me, I’m worth using. Forget me, I’m worth forgetting. Kiss me, I’m worth kissing.” The lyrics are lovely and the vocal melody is haunting and incredibly vulnerable sounding, the oohs and aahs between the chorus [...]]]>

If you’re a fan of Harvard, you should already know some things about Jesse Clasen. To name a few, he has an incredible voice and knows how to use it, he plays piano, and occasionally, he will play some horns. What Firewood immediately teaches us is that Jesse had a hidden talent up his sleeve. Sure, he played acoustic guitar on The Inevitable and I, but the guitar on Firewood is much more intricate and it draws you into the song immediately, catching your interest and allowing Clasen to do, well…all the other things he does really well. Don’t come here looking for the pounding drums, groovy bass lines, or dizzying guitars that can be found when listening to Harvard. Just sit back and introduce yourself to the truly one of a kind talent that is The Bear Romantic.

The album starts with “Stay Mine,” an amazing first track that opens with white noise that continues through the whole song.  The acoustic guitar keeps the sense of beat while filling the silence between Clasen’s ethereal wails, and when coupled with the white noise, creates a very somber mood. I’m used to hearing his beautiful high register, but a whole different side of Jesse emerges through The Bear Romantic, and he gets to show off his equally beautiful low register. The very low, repeated notes and the sound of creaking metal add to the dark mood and make it feel like something is pressing on my chest.  Although there is only one line in the entire song, there is never a boring moment. When the last note on guitar is hit, I literally breathe a sigh of relief as the weight on my chest is lifted. It’s a very powerful opening track.

Helping you recover from the mood created by “Stay Mine” is “Farmers,” a much more upbeat, but not any less dark, track. The repetitive lyrics and simplistic backing are hypnotic, and just conjure up this really dark and mysterious visual. The song definitely does have a dark aspect – “you can’t protest, you can’t move” – the song is directly addressed to the listener, who ‘better be watching the road’. It’s a beautiful warning, that’s enthralling and unnerving at the same time.

Up next is “Kings,” which keeps the upbeat guitar going. “Kings” is the heaviest use of drums on the album this far in, although most of the song is acoustic. Delayed and layered vocals and a little bit of backmasking add so much to this song, creating such a beautiful melody.

“Desantes” slows things down a bit, but from the opening guitar, even if it’s so mellow that I had to actively pay attention to it, I was hooked. It immediately grabbed my attention and never really let it go. “Kill me, I’m worth killing. Use me, I’m worth using. Forget me, I’m worth forgetting. Kiss me, I’m worth kissing.” The lyrics are lovely and the vocal melody is haunting and incredibly vulnerable sounding, the oohs and aahs between the chorus and verse bringing back the feeling from “Stay Mine.” If there is one singer I’ve heard who truly knows how to use their voice as an instrument, it is Jesse Clasen. The soft oohs, aahs, and layered vocals show another dimension of Clasen’s voice that we never hear in Harvard. “Desantes” is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.

Track five, “The Shed,” definitely had to grow on me, but it quickly became one of my favorites on the album. It’s got kind of a harsh, jarring guitar, but the slight vibrato at the ends of Jesse’s vocals just make this song fun to listen to. “The Shed” features some of the most obviously disturbing lyrics on the album…lyrics that caught my attention, making me listen to it and allowing it to grow on me. “I’m lying in bed with my best friend. Check if he’s dead.” It’s quite chilling that it ends on that lyric.

The heaviest use of piano on the album, “Point of View” creates another dark mood, due to its low, almost discordant notes. For some reason, the second verse sounds slightly heavier and darker than the first verse, and I prefer the sound of the second verse. I love the haunting oohs and ahhs over the verses. The kalimba echoing the piano is just eerie sounding. The extremely low ending note is chilling, resonating in your bones.

“Yellow” begins with beautifully haunting oohs and aahs, immediately drawing me into the song. The deep vocals on the line, “are you jealous often?” make it stick in my head for a long time after each listen. The horns during the bridge create a sense of mourning and the vocal harmonies are tinted with longing. The lyrics are some of the most straight forward and easy to relate to on the album.

“Sparrows” combines acoustic guitar and piano to create a fuller sound, though still very stripped down and organic feeling. There is a very pretty piano part toward the end that brings up slow motion images of waves crashing into cliffs on a secluded beach somewhere. It’s the perfect mix of lovely and dark, something that the entire album is very good example of.

“The End” brings us to, well, the end. The more I listen to this song the more I love it. Even if you weren’t looking at the track listing you would just know that this would bring the album to a close. This is probably the most vulnerable song on the album…there is nowhere to hide. It’s just Jesse’s soft vocals over a very quiet guitar that barely fills the silence behind him. “He’s in your nightmares. He holds the future in his hands. He kills for pleasure.” “He sets fire to your bones.” Despite having the darkest lyrics on the album, “The End” manages to keep a very inspirational tone with its beautiful vocal melody.

Firewood is an amazing first album, and I certainly hope it’s the first of many. It’s refreshing, unique, and packed with more talent that you can find in most bands, and The Bear Romantic is just one guy. Firewood is completely different from Harvard’s material, which was a really nice surprise. It shows that Clasen is a very talented and versatile musician who will hopefully create lots of new material in the future. I will be eagerly awaiting new music from Jesse Clasen, whether it’s from The Bear Romantic, Harvard, or another project, but until then, Firewood will be on repeat.

Mountain Man start their unique debut album, Made the Harbor, by asking you to ‘follow, follow follow’ and indeed, the voices of Amelia Meath, Molly Sarle, and Alex Sauser-Monnig, like the three sirens of Greek mythology, seem to grab you by the hand and lure you into their ethereal, beautiful world; their songs seduce and enchant you.

When listening, there was nothing to do but lie in silence, to be active felt as if I was doing the music a great disservice, and by the third track, I was utterly enthralled and in love. Like waves, Made the Harbor washes over your mind and pulls you to its depths.

Each track is short and perfectly sweet – the longest being 4:09 – and balances angelically harmonic and defined vocals with the background twangs of an acoustic guitar. Turned up loud, your ears can even make out the soft crackle of white noise which only adds to the natural, analog feel of the record, (often tracks are preceded with echoing speech or soft laughter) recorded in “two large rooms in Bennington Vermont.” Lyrics are varied and poetic, they range from stories to love songs, and the result is a haunting medley of music that feels as if it has echoed through the centuries to finally be recorded; they are shadows from the past, given volume, complexity and depth.

The record even features one cover, collected from the dusty archives of history and given new life- ‘How’m I doin’’ by the Mills Brothers, originally released in 1932. The way the three voices work together, like intertwined threads that stretch through the tracks, woven into harmonies and words produces a fabric of the most exquisite beauty.

The band has apparently only been performing since the Spring of 2009, and this album is a colossal achievement and testimony to their musical talent [...]]]>

Mountain Man start their unique debut album, Made the Harbor, by asking you to ‘follow, follow follow’ and indeed, the voices of Amelia Meath, Molly Sarle, and Alex Sauser-Monnig, like the three sirens of Greek mythology, seem to grab you by the hand and lure you into their ethereal, beautiful world; their songs seduce and enchant you.

When listening, there was nothing to do but lie in silence, to be active felt as if I was doing the music a great disservice, and by the third track, I was utterly enthralled and in love. Like waves, Made the Harbor washes over your mind and pulls you to its depths.

Each track is short and perfectly sweet – the longest being 4:09 – and balances angelically harmonic and defined vocals with the background twangs of an acoustic guitar. Turned up loud, your ears can even make out the soft crackle of white noise which only adds to the natural, analog feel of the record, (often tracks are preceded with echoing speech or soft laughter) recorded in “two large rooms in Bennington Vermont.” Lyrics are varied and poetic, they range from stories to love songs, and the result is a haunting medley of music that feels as if it has echoed through the centuries to finally be recorded; they are shadows from the past, given volume, complexity and depth.

The record even features one cover, collected from the dusty archives of history and given new life- ‘How’m I doin’’ by the Mills Brothers, originally released in 1932. The way the three voices work together, like intertwined threads that stretch through the tracks, woven into harmonies and words produces a fabric of the most exquisite beauty.

The band has apparently only been performing since the Spring of 2009, and this album is a colossal achievement and testimony to their musical talent and compatibility.

Owl City, the musical brain child of Adam Young is a tribute to the power of the internet. From uploading tracks recorded in his parent’s basement late at night when he was suffering from insomnia on his Myspace page in 2007, to scoring a #1 single on both the Billboard 100 and UK charts, his uber catchy songs have led to a viral success which most musicians only dream of. The first time I came across his Myspace page, sometime in 2008, the only live photos of him seemed to be at small parties with teenagers. Tonight, it’s a different story. The O2 Academy in Oxford is packed with a variety of people, ages ranging from 12 to 50, all excitedly awaiting the night’s music. Due to a variety of inconveniences, from traffic to ticket issues, I show up just before the support act, Lights hits the stage, and battle my way to the front, which I can assure you is no easy task!

Canadian native Lights is the perfect opener to Owl City. Unlike some concerts where support acts’ genres clash horrendously with the headliners, her fun synthpop music really gets the crowd going and is a brilliant lead up. She is pretty and charismatic, rocking a keytar while smiling excitedly and talking about her first UK radio interview earlier in the day. The crowd seem to love her, some members calling out things like ‘Don’t go home!’ ‘You can stay at my house!’ ‘You can stay in my bed!’ to which she laughs bashfully. The mood is happy and buzzing, and when she asks who’s looking forward to Owl City the cheer is deafening. Her set is relatively short, but her music is uplifting and her voice sounds great. You can tell she is really enjoying herself, and her enthusiasm bounces through the audience.

After Lights leaves the stage, the crowd gets denser as people surge forward. A few flushed young girls are lifted over the barrier and taken backstage, clearly unused to the stifling heat and closely packed people. Before long someone comes out on stage to take a photo of the crowd, and within seconds a hundred pairs of arms are in the air, waving franticly as if trying to attract attention from a plane flying over the desert island they are stranded on.

Click to see more!

Soon enough the lights go up and two girls take the stage, a violinist and a cellist, who later double up as dancers. They begin to play, introducing the entrance of the rest of the band members. When Adam Young makes his appearance, clad in skinny jeans and a black shirt, and not looking particularly sober, the crowd noise reaches a deafening level, and frenzied hands reach hopelessly towards him. He is a quirky performer, incredibly active. His arms are constantly in motion, and he sings and dances around the mic, at one point, rather adorably using the wire as a moustache. He is less interactive with the [...]]]>

Click to see more!

Owl City, the musical brain child of Adam Young is a tribute to the power of the internet. From uploading tracks recorded in his parent’s basement late at night when he was suffering from insomnia on his Myspace page in 2007, to scoring a #1 single on both the Billboard 100 and UK charts, his uber catchy songs have led to a viral success which most musicians only dream of. The first time I came across his Myspace page, sometime in 2008, the only live photos of him seemed to be at small parties with teenagers. Tonight, it’s a different story. The O2 Academy in Oxford is packed with a variety of people, ages ranging from 12 to 50, all excitedly awaiting the night’s music. Due to a variety of inconveniences, from traffic to ticket issues, I show up just before the support act, Lights hits the stage, and battle my way to the front, which I can assure you is no easy task!

Canadian native Lights is the perfect opener to Owl City. Unlike some concerts where support acts’ genres clash horrendously with the headliners, her fun synthpop music really gets the crowd going and is a brilliant lead up. She is pretty and charismatic, rocking a keytar while smiling excitedly and talking about her first UK radio interview earlier in the day. The crowd seem to love her, some members calling out things like ‘Don’t go home!’ ‘You can stay at my house!’ ‘You can stay in my bed!’ to which she laughs bashfully. The mood is happy and buzzing, and when she asks who’s looking forward to Owl City the cheer is deafening. Her set is relatively short, but her music is uplifting and her voice sounds great. You can tell she is really enjoying herself, and her enthusiasm bounces through the audience.

After Lights leaves the stage, the crowd gets denser as people surge forward. A few flushed young girls are lifted over the barrier and taken backstage, clearly unused to the stifling heat and closely packed people. Before long someone comes out on stage to take a photo of the crowd, and within seconds a hundred pairs of arms are in the air, waving franticly as if trying to attract attention from a plane flying over the desert island they are stranded on.

Click to see more!

Soon enough the lights go up and two girls take the stage, a violinist and a cellist, who later double up as dancers. They begin to play, introducing the entrance of the rest of the band members. When Adam Young makes his appearance, clad in skinny jeans and a black shirt, and not looking particularly sober, the crowd noise reaches a deafening level, and frenzied hands reach hopelessly towards him. He is a quirky performer, incredibly active. His arms are constantly in motion, and he sings and dances around the mic, at one point, rather adorably using the wire as a moustache. He is less interactive with the crowd than Lights, but at one point responds to a fangirl scream of ‘I LOVE YOUUU!’ by dedicating the song to them. His hit single, ‘Fireflies’ creates one of the most impressive sing-a-longs I’ve ever witnessed, with what feels like the entire venue joining in. Other musical highlights include ‘The Saltwater Room’, a duet with keyboardist Breanne Düren, ‘The Bird and the Worm’ and ‘On the Wing’. Owl City’s incredibly catchy songs and original lyrics are what he is known for, and they definitely involve the audience who are enraptured. Throughout his performance he switches from synth to guitar seamlessly, and his set flows brilliantly. The cellist and violinist sway around the stage during some of the songs when they are not needed, dancing in sync. He leaves the stage to tremendous cheers and screams from the audience, only to return shortly and play an encore.

The show is definitely a success, with songs really engaging with and exciting the audience. It seems that for Adam Young, the only way is up. His creativity, borne from and nurtured by long sleepless nights and his ability to turn what could easily have spawned depression into positivity and fantastic music is astounding and inspirational.

9:55pm, October 9th. In the Oxford O2 Academy, the atmosphere is electric, as excited fans surge towards the stage. It’s almost time for the headlining act of the Eastpak Antidote Tour, which is travelling across the UK this month featuring Ghost of a Thousand, Four Year Strong, Anti-Flag and, the real reason I’m there: Alexisonfire. After the fast paced, politically charged set of Pennsylvanian punk-rockers Anti-Flag, (which included helping audience members on-stage to sing and dance, bringing the drummer, Pat Theic and his kit down into the pit, and a circle pit which consumed most of the floor) everyone is definitely in the mood. Chants of ‘Alexis! Alexis! Alexis!’ echo around the venue, which, with a capacity of just over 1000, is packed from wall to wall. The stage becomes dark, and the crowd is turbulent as pink and green lights start to flash and music begins to play, marking the imminence of the band’s entrance.

This is the fourth time I am seeing Alexisonfire; the first being almost three years ago, and the latest at the end of August where they played on the main stage at Reading, an 80,000 capacity festival. Though their popularity has climaxed, they continue to play smaller shows, also performing at Reading on a much smaller stage. As a fan, I feel this is incredibly important- the band respect their roots and their fans- playing for them rather than for themselves. Over the last few years their sound has been perfected; George Pettit’s wrenching screams are refined and precise, and Dallas Green’s voice is melodic and fine-tuned. Together they create a beautiful contrast, a cocktail of rough and smooth, light and dark. Alexisonfire have created a unique sound, the balancing of their vocals means their music appeals to more than just post-hardcore fans. Their latest album, ‘Old Crows/Young Cardinals’ is proof of that, peaking at number 2 on the Canadian charts.

Tonight, they step up to the stage and launch into ‘Heading For The Sun’ with confidence and energy. I am pressed against the barrier to the left of the stage, with Green the nearest to me, followed by Pettit and guitarist/back up vocalist Wade McNeil. Bassist Chris Steele doesn’t seem to be able to stay in one place for more than ten seconds, bouncing around the entire stage constantly in a state of wide eyed, frenzied excitement (which, Pettit later jokes is due to him walking past a window earlier and seeing five topless women!). Playing not only songs from ‘Young Cardinals,’ the band stay faithful to old fans by playing material from 2006’s ‘Crisis’ and 2004’s ‘Watch Out!’. Songs from ‘Crisis’ in particular are the high points of the night; they are met with great enthusiasm, prompting roaring sing-alongs.

The band’s energy does not diminish as the minutes wear on, it builds. The heavy bass and layers of intricate guitar, the pounding drums and the angst ridden vocals blast from the speakers, so loud I can feel the sound inside of me, causing my body [...]]]>

9:55pm, October 9th. In the Oxford O2 Academy, the atmosphere is electric, as excited fans surge towards the stage. It’s almost time for the headlining act of the Eastpak Antidote Tour, which is travelling across the UK this month featuring Ghost of a Thousand, Four Year Strong, Anti-Flag and, the real reason I’m there: Alexisonfire. After the fast paced, politically charged set of Pennsylvanian punk-rockers Anti-Flag, (which included helping audience members on-stage to sing and dance, bringing the drummer, Pat Theic and his kit down into the pit, and a circle pit which consumed most of the floor) everyone is definitely in the mood. Chants of ‘Alexis! Alexis! Alexis!’ echo around the venue, which, with a capacity of just over 1000, is packed from wall to wall. The stage becomes dark, and the crowd is turbulent as pink and green lights start to flash and music begins to play, marking the imminence of the band’s entrance.

This is the fourth time I am seeing Alexisonfire; the first being almost three years ago, and the latest at the end of August where they played on the main stage at Reading, an 80,000 capacity festival. Though their popularity has climaxed, they continue to play smaller shows, also performing at Reading on a much smaller stage. As a fan, I feel this is incredibly important- the band respect their roots and their fans- playing for them rather than for themselves. Over the last few years their sound has been perfected; George Pettit’s wrenching screams are refined and precise, and Dallas Green’s voice is melodic and fine-tuned. Together they create a beautiful contrast, a cocktail of rough and smooth, light and dark. Alexisonfire have created a unique sound, the balancing of their vocals means their music appeals to more than just post-hardcore fans. Their latest album, ‘Old Crows/Young Cardinals’ is proof of that, peaking at number 2 on the Canadian charts.

Tonight, they step up to the stage and launch into ‘Heading For The Sun’ with confidence and energy. I am pressed against the barrier to the left of the stage, with Green the nearest to me, followed by Pettit and guitarist/back up vocalist Wade McNeil. Bassist Chris Steele doesn’t seem to be able to stay in one place for more than ten seconds, bouncing around the entire stage constantly in a state of wide eyed, frenzied excitement (which, Pettit later jokes is due to him walking past a window earlier and seeing five topless women!). Playing not only songs from ‘Young Cardinals,’ the band stay faithful to old fans by playing material from 2006’s ‘Crisis’ and 2004’s ‘Watch Out!’. Songs from ‘Crisis’ in particular are the high points of the night; they are met with great enthusiasm, prompting roaring sing-alongs.

The band’s energy does not diminish as the minutes wear on, it builds. The heavy bass and layers of intricate guitar, the pounding drums and the angst ridden vocals blast from the speakers, so loud I can feel the sound inside of me, causing my body to vibrate. The music penetrates the audience, it becomes a sensation- and as the band plays the anthemic ‘We Are the Sound’ I feel like I can interpret the lyrics now- ‘We are the sound/ We have no voice/ We are the sound/ We don’t belong/ So raise up your hands/ And sing along.’ Green has apparently said that this song is a rally call to the youth of today, those who feel they are voiceless and place-less in society. As we raise our hands to the ceiling, the audience becomes one with the band and the music, our individual voices bond together and in these moments, we are the sound.

‘Happiness by the Kilowatt’ (from ‘Watch out!’) is their final song of the night, and the audience goes so wild with cheering the sound is deafening. Pettit performs his infamous ‘bending the microphone stand around neck’ trick, and Steele continues to go rather hilariously crazy. The band has a dynamic that clearly works brilliantly; they interact with each other and the audience, throwing their all into the performances and putting on a show which is nothing short of amazing.

It feels like there are miniature car alarms inside of my ears, but you know what? It was so far beyond worth it.

For many of us, all of the ‘important’ steps of our lives have been documented by proud parents, relatives and friends, all bearing cameras in their excited hands as we took our first steps, stood by the front door on our first day of school and on the stage at our graduation. A video, which hit YouTube in July entitled ‘The PEN Story’ does just this. It depicts, in stop motion format, fifty years in the life of a man in photographs, however, with an imaginative twist- it is a stop motion within a stop motion. We watch as the photos revealing the boy’s life travel in paths around a house- even floating up the stairs in a hot air balloon before parachuting back down to the floor.  Their journey mirrors those that he takes through the years of his life. As he travels through the frames, he grows up, marries, has a child- all in the space of a few minutes and hundreds, perhaps thousands of images. We see the world evolve around him as the years pass- from hippies in the sixties to a party celebrating the millennium. It is an impressive piece of film, and despite being made to market the latest Olympus Digital camera, is an incredible achievement which has captured the imaginations of over a [...]]]> My name is Emma, I’ve been very kindly invited by Sunny to be a contributing writer on positivexposure, and I am really looking forward to…well, contributing in the future!

For many of us, all of the ‘important’ steps of our lives have been documented by proud parents, relatives and friends, all bearing cameras in their excited hands as we took our first steps, stood by the front door on our first day of school and on the stage at our graduation. A video, which hit YouTube in July entitled ‘The PEN Story’ does just this. It depicts, in stop motion format, fifty years in the life of a man in photographs, however, with an imaginative twist- it is a stop motion within a stop motion. We watch as the photos revealing the boy’s life travel in paths around a house- even floating up the stairs in a hot air balloon before parachuting back down to the floor.  Their journey mirrors those that he takes through the years of his life. As he travels through the frames, he grows up, marries, has a child- all in the space of a few minutes and hundreds, perhaps thousands of images. We see the world evolve around him as the years pass- from hippies in the sixties to a party celebrating the millennium. It is an impressive piece of film, and despite being made to market the latest Olympus Digital camera, is an incredible achievement which has captured the imaginations of over a million viewers.