The Spin Room Interview featuring Nick Miley

One man, one band, and a lot of talent! Nick Miley is the only member of The Spin room, an indie/emo acoustic band  from New York. The band began in 2008, and with hard work and a lot of dedication, Nick has achieved incredible feats. He recorded demo songs in 2009, and since then has created quite a fan base. In the first year of The Spin Room being on Myspace, he had gotten well over 1 million plays. As to date he has now been on PureVolume's top 10 charts for over a week. That's right, Nick Miley is something to watch out for! I got the pleasure of talking with him and asking him about The Spin Room. Nick is a great guy that you can tell genuinely loves music, especially when you listen to his lyrics, and the passion that comes from behind them.

Me: How did this band [The Spin Room] start?


Nick Miley: "It started with a dream. It started with an acoustic guitar. I needed an outlet, a way that I could share my thoughts on love. There was only one thing that stood in my way. I was just a singer and a lyricist and I was used to having a band to fall back on. But in no time I picked up the acoustic guitar and started making my own music again. Then it came time to see if people were going to really dig it. So I took my guitar and strap down to the bar section of town. A ton of college kids would walk around there and bar hop and I'd find the best spot where more people were chilling outside. I had a really great reaction and began doing it more regularly. People kept telling me I needed to hit the studio, they thought I had something. So I started dreaming again. I saved up the money to record my first demo by getting tips street performing. I recorded and got them up for download immediately."


Me: What is your biggest inspiration(s)?


Nick Miley: "God, my girlfriend, my friends and my followers [fans]."


Me: Where did the name "The Spin Room" come from?


Nick Miley: "I needed a name and I was drawing a blank until I walked into a Blockbuster Video (RIP) and there was a magazine that caught my attention. One in particular "Spin Magazine". I wondered to myself what band would Spin Magaizine want to talk about. Then I instantly thought "The Spin Room." I just honestly thought it was something different and classy at the same time."


Me: Being a one man band has to be difficult, but probably has some rewards too. Can you tell us more about being a solo artist?


Nick Miley: "Being a solo artist has its ups and down, It's nice to have so much freedom. Being a solo artist means not being scared to grab an acoustic guitar and put aside the band for a moment. I love knowing I have the option to rock out acoustic whether I'm on tour or just playing a show. But I totally do plan to do full band tours in the future as well."


Me: If you could play a concert with any band or artist in the world, who would it be?


Nick Miley: "Blink 182"


If you haven't checked out The Spin Room yet, you definitely should. I'd have to say my favorite song by him has to be "Straight To Your Heart." The emo rock sound from The Spin Room is quite genuine, and is raining down on the music scene with incredible force. Nick asked me personally to say that you can get his ENTIRE EP FREE on PureVolume. So go ahead and check him out, become a fan, and download the EP. You can click here and go to his PureVolume profile. You can also follow Nick on twitter here . Feel free to leave comments!

Busted!

Call The Cops!
Motion Sickness
March 3, 2009


Powerpop fans, embrace. Call The Cops! backs one hell of a punch in the music industry. Straight from Long Beach, this five piece band brings you some awesome tunes. Particularly "Love Like Novocaine" struck me as amazing. The best thing about this band is they try to keep the traditional powerpop sound, but do it in a way only Call the Cops! can. Great vocals, lyrics about girls, and synth heavy beats sums up this band. For me it is a rare occasion that I can actually listen to a band and enjoy their ENTIRE album, but Call The Cops! is definitely an exception. Every song on this EP is better than the last, totaling up to six awesome songs.

Online a few places, I've seen people dogging this band because they claim their lyrics are "sexist" or "have degrading messages" and I have to say I firmly disagree. If you actually read the lyrics to the songs, they don't have very different messages from many other pop/punk or powerpop bands in this day and age. So if there is a sexist message, then I'm obviously missing it. Anyway, don't let people on the internet discourage you from checking out this band, they have amazing talent.

The songs "Love Like Novocaine" and "Motion Sickness" are especially great, because they have such catchy choruses. This band definitely makes you want to jam out, dance, and just party. The band, since the release of Motion Sickness in 2009, has a self-titled album out, and are continuing to expand their roots.

If you are a fan of powerpop, then check these guys out. I recommend listening to some of their stuff on PureVolume here . These guys are definitely on my list to see live. Feel free to comment!

Hello Amely!

Amely
Hello World
September 14, 2010

If I had to describe Amely's new album Hello World in one word, it would be breath-taking. This album from song number one to song number eight delivers constant satisfaction. The album features two songs from their first EP release last year, On My Own, and another six brand new amazing songs. Upon listening I noticed that Amely really kept the same style as they did when they released On My Own, which is a good thing because I immediately liked the band when I first heard them. To be frank, I don't like it much when you become a fan of a good band and in the middle of their career they decide to do a 180, in a way that doesn't sit well with your ears.

I'd have to say the biggest eyebrow raiser for me was the song "All You Need", it really just had a perfect blend of guitar riffs, nice vocals, and one hell of a catchy chorus. Honestly, the first time I heard the song, I played it about five more times, and then had the song stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Another favorite of mine is "I'd Rather Be Alone" which is actually a returning song from their first EP. That song has one hell of an amazing chorus, and really shows the diversity of Pete Pizarro's voice.

Check out Amely if you are a fan of pop/punk or pop/rock, or just feel like expanding your musical tastes. These guys are definitely a band to watch out for, especially since they have only been a band for about a year and a half. Since playing their first show in March, they have managed to go on several huge tours, get a record label with Fearless, and make a smashing hit on the music scene. They can be found on Myspace here . Feel free to leave comments!

Let's Get It Interview featuring Taylor Foiles

If you don't know who Let's Get It is, you are surely missing out. They're from Dayton, Ohio (which means they are local for me) and composed of 5 members. The first time I heard about this band was when I went to a concert at The Attic (a local place for concerts) and they blew me away. They are an exciting new blend of pop, rock, and heavy orchestral breakdowns. They put on one hell of a show too, they really show their fans its all about having fun. After all, we all know that when the band is having fun, they play better, which creates a better show for everyone. Getting signed to Fearless Records about a year and a half ago, the band is showing the world what they are made of. I got a chance to ask some questions to Taylor Foiles (the bass player for Let's Get It) about their upcoming tour called "Blood on the Dance Floor" with Breathe Electric.

Me: With somewhat recently being signed to Fearless Records, how are you liking the journey so far?

Taylor Foiles: "Fearless is an amazing record label. Everyone from the bands to the interns on Fearless are all great friends of ours. We couldn't ask for anything more. Our first full length album coming 2011 will really show the world what we have been working toward this whole last year an a half. The label has been supportive every step of the way."

Me: You have an up and coming tour called "Blood on The Dance Floor", can you tell us more about that?

Taylor Foiles: "The BOTDF tour is perfect for us. A coast to coast fall tour just after our months of recording is much needed to get to play again in front of some new and old fans. Also supporting is some friends of mine Breathe Electric, we will all have a lot of fun I'm sure!"

Me: You have been on quite a few tours lately, just coming out of one with Stephen Jerzak, and then starting this one in October. What are the best and worst things about being on tour?

Taylor Foiles: "Ahh the Stephen Jerzak tour was insane!! It was a nice short tour right before recording started. Some of the best things about tour is becoming friends with the other bands and partying non stop :) Getting to play in front of new fans and remembering old ones at shows makes all the difference to me. It is a great feeling when people enjoy our live show! The only bad part about tour is being away from our friends and families, not showering gets old too haha."

Me: Do you have any upcoming plans or hints you can give us about any new songs our album releases?

Taylor Foiles: "NEW is the word! Our full length album will have nothing but new songs on it! Also in the works is a Christmas track, which will be out this coming holiday."

Me: Lastly, now that you are signed and living every musicians dream, if you could give any piece of advice to an aspiring musician what would it be?

Taylor Foiles: "(If you would like to be in a band like LGI) Go to school/work, when you get home practice your instument for hours then text your friends and find a party and go to it. Just repeat that everyday. Play hard and work hard."


I'm not sure about you guys, but I'm stoked for the full length album next year. If you want to find out more about the band you can find them on Myspace . Posted below is their music video "Duck, Duck, Grey Goose" from their EP Digital Spaces. Feel free to comment!

That's What's Up

Boys Will Be Boys
The Release
August 2, 2009




Powerpop that came here to party! Boys Will Be Boys' release of The Release took me away by storm. They are a four piece band from Virginia that bring some real heat to the powerpop industry. The album features six dazzling songs and a cover of Chris Brown's "Forever". 


My first impression of the album was surprise; not by the how good or bad the album was but rather its diversity. This is definitely not a band where all the songs sound musically the same. Some songs featured a more punk approach, with chord guitar riffs, and even some nice sweeps. Other songs featured solid piano melodies, and even some acoustic guitar, or a combination of all the above. Boys Will Be Boys kept their signature powerpop sound through every song they did though, which made things interesting. I also liked the how they titled their songs. Too many bands today title all their songs something random and hideous. Boys Will Be Boys managed to keep their song titles relative to the song, and still have interesting titles like "That's What's Up".

When I managed to muster up the courage to listen to their cover of Chris Brown's "Forever" I was quite pleasantly shocked. I was really hoping they wouldn't try to "re-do the song" exactly how it was done originally. I'm not a fan of rap, or even hip-hop for that matter, so before listening to the Boys Will Be Boys version, I decide to listen to the original. I can honestly say I love how Boys Will Be Boys did the cover. The cover is damn near spot-on but they still managed to keep their powerpop vibe to it. To me, this is an impressive feat because I feel like so many bands now-a-days just simply can't cover songs. They either make a poor song choice or they try to re-do the song without adding their own feel to it.

I highly recommend checking out Boys Will Be Boys if you are a fan of powerpop, and even if you pop/punk fans feel like expanding your roots. I recommend checking out the song "Stop Calling Me", but to really get the feel of the band, you need to check out their entire album. They are just too diverse to limit them to just one song. Check out "Stop Calling Me" here . Feel free to comment.

Music To My Ears

Show Me The Skyline                                                                                
Rumor Has It
November 14, 2009

Rumor has it that this album is a must have. Seventeen year old Larzz and the gang have done it again, with their second EP release Rumor Has It. The whole album features songs of your typical "boy falls in love with girl", etc etc. However, Show Me The Skyline doesn't just follow in the footsteps of other bands. Every one of their songs are about real problems, that REAL people have, and you can tell they are from the heart.

The first track titled "May" blew me away, and I immediately noticed that they dropped some of their synth heavy sound from their first EP Rain Or Shine. It then follows up with four more heavy hitting songs and a suprisingly well done acoustic version of "May." "Legs Tangled" perked my interest, especially with its catchy chorus and well synced riffs. At first glance, I saw the acoustic version of "May" and figured it would be simply mediocre. I really could not have been more wrong, it's simply amazing.

Some of the bands biggest influences come from Paramore, Blink 182, and The Starting Line. If you like those guys, then you will surely love to show your friends this album.

If you haven't heard of Show Me The Skyline before, you should definitely take a listen. They're a pop/rock band with killer choruses and vocals that will make your head spin. You can also click here and listen to their song "May". After listening, or if you are already a fan, feel free to comment below and give the other readers your opinions!