Mainstay - Teaser EP

Here are the music files for Mainstay's Teaser EP that came out in.. 2004? It has really good first versions of tracks on their first album and one unreleased track. You cannot find this online. As far as I know this is the only place you can download these tracks, unless you know someone with a hard copy of the EP.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ww3qtnynnyl

http://www.mediafire.com/?tez4ywzwgem

http://www.mediafire.com/?zyjtbxtouy2

http://www.mediafire.com/?ooejyywl5je

Are we human or are we denser?

For a really long time I've established myself as the type of person that doesn't listen to mainstream music. I love telling people my favorite band and having them not know anything about the group. However, this has meant that I've had to drop a few artists by the side of the road whent they "hit it big." 

I rememeber really liking The Killers around the time their first album , "Hot Fuss," came out. I loved that album. Then they became more and more popular on the radio and they had contests to give their tickets away and that was just all too much for me for whatever reason. Recently, The Killers put out a new CD called "Day & Age." Their most popular song of the album so far is "Human." I absolutely love that song. So I started re-thinking my love for the band as a whole. I dug through my dusty collection of CDs and found "Hot Fuss." I haven't been able to stop listening to it.

After that I got out Jason Mraz's debut album, "Waiting For My Rocket To Come," and a few others I haven't listened to in years.

Through this little adventure I've learned to quit sticking my nose up at mainstream music. I don't know why I ever started doing it in the first place. There's a certain enjoyment I've discovered in following the crowd.. just a little bit.

Search the City

Awhile ago I went out of a limb and bought the freshman album for Search the City, "A Fire So Big the Heavens Can See It". I’d come across their MySpace page maybe a month or two ago because they just signed with Tooth & Nail Records, and I check out anyone they sign. Tooth & Nail has signed some pretty awesome bands within the past year or so, i.e. Ivoryline, Secret & Whisper, Children 18:3, The Almost, Ruth, and I seem to like almost all of them. So I trust T&N, I really do and they usually hold up their side of this bargain. They definitely did with Search the City.

It takes a lot to impress me. I’m a sucker for a complete package of great vocals, great lyrics and great music. If something is missing or something is off, it bugs me and I simply can’t waste my time with it. Maybe that’s harsh, but I really think it gives me some sort of a refined musical taste. Search the City impressed me and wrote their release date of April 1st, 2008 on my little list of must-buy’s (even though I wasn’t 100% sure yet) and maybe forgot about it a little. But then the album came out and I decided to got out and by it. 

After I bought it, I played it in my car on the way to my choir concert and blasted it all the way down the highway. The opener, "Son of a Gun", starts out with an organ and then kicks in with awesome guitars and drums. Once the vocals come in, I was blown away. Then comes the chorus, "Woah! For heaven’s sake, I see right through you.", you want to dance or head bang or do something so you can be a part of it. Josh Frost’s vocals match perfectly to the lyrics that are subtly emo and witty. When you transition from the first track to the second, "To the Moon For All I Care", Josh’s voice becomes sweet and sing-songy but still amazing in the way that it could never bore you or keep you from listening. Throughout the entire album, every song is different with changing enthusiasm and emotion, but still amazing.

Recommended tracks: (1) Son of a Gun, (4) Ambulance Chaser, (6) The Rescue, (10) Clocks and Timepieces

I am so impressed by these guys, I probably couldn’t say it enough. I highly suggest that if you like bands like Jimmy Eat World, Mae or Anberlin, you’ll definitely like these guys. And even if you don’t like those bands, they might just blow you away. If you’re skeptical, head over to their MySpace and take a listen.

The Classic Crime

Give me wings, give me peace. These are the things that I need. I'm tormented, broken and shamed; are you listening? Give me shelter from the storm; I know it's a lot to ask for. Considering how recent I've piled the dirt on your name. Are you listening? I will wait for you to come again, and I can't pretend like I'm confident; and I can't pretend like it makes much sense when it doesn't. I have heard that winter's cold will give way to summer's warmth. Oh no! Like salt in the snow, I'm melted and left all alone on the side of the road.

These are lyrics from The Classic Crime's song "Salt in the Snow." I absolutely adore this song; it's probably one of my favorites of all time. This is a song describing the struggle all people, and especially believers, have in their relationship with God. I'm always asking for God to "give me peace." It's something I need all too often when I fall. I love the very end of the song where it is said, "I can't pretend like I'm confident; and I can't pretend it makes much sense when it doesn't." Our faith and the grace from God (even when we "pile the dirt on his name.") that we recieve doesn't always make sense to us, but faith is all about accepting what we do not understand.

This is just one of the songs by The Classic Crime that really appeals to me as a Christian. They are definitely a hard rock band but they also put out an amazing acoustic EP about a year or so ago. They are well reounded and really appeal to a lot of different types of people.

I think it's great that groups like this can bring people together in such a special way. I've never been able to see the in concert, but I would love to someday.

TRS.

The Rocket Summer is Bryce Avary. Bryce plays all the instruments you can hear in his songs, but has a band when he goes on tour. His music is pretty amazing. It's pop-rock driven mostly by piano and Bryce has a pretty high voice. I've had friends confuse him for a girl before but that really doesn't bother me. A good voice is a good voice, and he's got it.

Bryce is a Christian and although many of his songs are mainstream, there are many quite a few that are wholly influenced by his faith. My favorite is "TV Family":

"I'm so glad you made it." "Oh well Jesus thank you so much for saying that." Because the truth you know is that i have just been hating so many things I do. But now I realize forever that you're my friend, no matter what you will never leave me to fend. I don't know much but i know we will be as happy as a 1950's TV family. Except times infinity.

I love this song so much because it reminds me how held by God I am at all times. He's my best friend and my protector, no matter what. I am never alone or abandoned by Him, even when I do things that deserve it. He's made me perfect in His eyes, without Him, I am flawed.

Julia Nunes

I am absolutely obsessed with his girl Julia Nunes. She started out by making YouTube videos of her play covers of popular (or not so popular) songs on her guitar, ukulele, and/or melodica. She's a genius and creates some absolute beautiful music. Mostly I just plain enjoy her music and watching her videos, but she's also given me the motivation to learn the ukulele. I'm not doing it to become a YouTube superstar but I just really want to learn a music instrument and take it seriously (for once) and I'm really excited about the ukulele. I haven't gotten it yet; it's going to be a Christmas present from my Dad.

Apart from her covers of song, Julia does write her own songs. The lyrics in her song, "Balloons", really mean a lot to me:

Years went by and we go older. Remember the days when gas was sold for 1.50 a gallon oh how things have changed. Like those stylish fads and the look on your face when you see me for the first time in years. We swore we'd never end up here. Well I won't be alone, if it’s gone I'll move on.

Everyone goes through a break-up a relationship or a friendship and I definitely know how that feels personally. Sometimes it take a long time to get over but in my personal experiences, if you leave it up to God "it's gone" before you know it. I don't think that's whayt Julia meant by "I won't be alone" but that's how I took it, and that how I take it.

We're chasing all that is fading..

A few years back I went to this random concert at a random church about 5 minutes away from my house. The artists were Falling Up, John Reuben and two I'd never heard of, Mainstay and The Wedding. To make a long story short, I ended up loving all the artists and I look back on that night as one of the most fun of my life.

The band that I by far loved the most was Mainstay. Me and my friends met the guys that night and kept in contact with them for a year or two until we finally saw them again at Creation Festival 2 years ago. They are super amazing. It's a shame because the lead singer, Justin Anderson, was in a serious car accident about a year ago and the band is on hiatus indefinitely, but I have faith they'll make music together again some day.

Even though it's years old, my favorite song by them is "Life As A Vapor." It was released on their little EP that I got at that concert all those years ago. It wasn't even put on either of their albums since. I don't know why.. but I love it because I feel as though it's my little gem of a song:

I keep on looking for life where I know that there is none to find, no. I slipped right into the cold without a thought for You. Oh, this life is only water vapor, here and then it's gone. We're chasing all that is fading, what will last when all of this burns? From this dream you waken, awaken. We search for something new, compress the void into shapes like toys. Sober up and discern someday all of this will be over. What do I value? I keep on looking for, what do I value? We look for something new. What do I value?

I just love this song so much because it makes me think about how much my life counts. God has created us to serve Him through our lives and when we don't do that we're wasting the life God has blessed us with. I know we're not perfect but why not live your life trying and failing rather than never taking a chance at all. This goes for love, dreams, and any other type of risk (within reason of course). God gave us life, so why not live it for Him with our whole hearts? And when we struggle, we can keep in mind that we do not belong on this earth but in the most beautiful heavenly place with our Father.

This is one of their other earlier songs "Take Away" live:

"And it's all from Your hand, and there's nothing that's mine.
And all that You give You're free to take away."