Song of the Day: Straight Reads the Line - Pilgore

     Whether or not you knew it at the time, yesterday's song was the start of a them. Sure, it's a very niche theme, and one that only extends to yesterday's band and today's, but it's a segue between the two nonetheless. What's this theme, you ask? Awesome defunct Canadian metalcore bands you've never heard of. Yesterday it was Kitchener's Kingdoms, and today it's Stoney Creek's Straight Reads the Line.

Song of the Day: Kingdoms - Split the Sky

     Today's Song of the Day sees another band that's probably new to you, but is also unfortunately no longer in existence, meaning that if you like what you hear you'll have to be content with their current body of work. And while in the case of today's band that may be a fairly small body of work to have to be content with, but it's a pretty solid body and a pretty high note to go out on.

Song of the Day: Between the Buried and Me - Astral Body

     A couple of days ago I told you about a few upcoming records that I'm excited about, partly in an effort to get you excited about them too. In a further effort to stoke your anticipatory fires, between now and Super Tuesday, October 9th, I'm going to be sprinkling some new stuff off said upcoming albums into the Song of the Day mix. The stars have aligned (pun intended) and today is such a joyous day!

Song of the Day: Evita - Thrown to the Wolves

     I've got some new stuff for you today, or at least some stuff that's probably new to you. As I was saying yesterday, fans of heavy music are by now familiar with terms like metalcore, if not annoyed by them. We're almost to the point where bands labeled metalcore are derided out of hand by deathgrind elitists simply because they can conceivably be considered to fall under the massive metalcore umbrella. But we shouldn't forget that metalcore has produced some stellar bands, and continues to produce some stuff that's worth listening to. Exhibit A is today's song.

Super Tuesday

     I used to follow American politics somewhat closely, back during the... ahem...tumultuous term of Bush II. As a Canadian, it's a little hard not to. We're so closely commercially and culturally linked, and on top of that our own politics are so much...drier than those of our neighbours to the south. Don't get me wrong, as a voter I like the fact that the Right and the Left in Canada are both pretty Centrist positions. But as a spectator, I can't deny the appeal of a little political drama, things like mudslinging and the like. I don't really follow any sports closely, so stuff like that can be fun to see when they're not my politicians. Hence, I used to follow American politics. I haven't payed as much attention to this election as I did the last couple, but I still maintain more than a passing interest in Obama vs. Romney.

Song of the Day: Every Time I Die - Turtles All the Way Down

     No doubt as a fan of heavier music, you're familiar with the term "metalcore", and the witches' brew of metal and hardcore it was coined to encapsulate. Were I pressed to dissect my musical taste, I would say I prefer my metalcore heavier on the metal and lighter on the hardcore, but I certainly acknowledge that there's good bands at the other, more hardcore, end of the spectrum too. Again, were I pressed, I would put today's band at that hardcore end, and I would further note the generous helping of southern-fried swagger and grungy, sleazy rock mixed into their metalcore sound.

Song of the Day: As I Lay Dying - Greater Foundation

     Today's song is one of those no-brainers. There's a new album out by a band that I follow, and they've got a single with a video. If that's not the recipe for instant Song of the Day action, I don't know what is.

Song of the Day: Lamb of God - 11th Hour

     As is too often the case, it's Monday once again, and although I'm not doing a Metallica Monday this week, some metal would be desirable on such a morning. With that in mind you get some old(er) stuff today in the form of a Loud Noises favourite, the tried and true "first song I ever heard by this band" trope.

Songs of the Days 2

     Yeah, I'm terrible. I missed Song of the Day again yesterday. My excuse? I was at a friend's bachelor party. Although that doesn't excuse me for not doing it during the day, but whatever. The long and the short of it is that you get two songs today. I don't really have a connecting theme in mind, just a couple of songs for you to rock.

Song of the Day: Skyharbor - Maeva

     I've written about today's band before, along with their transformation from bedroom project in India to international sensation, back in the United Nations of Metal post. But I really dig them, and I figure there's still lots of you out there who aren't listening to them. What better reason to give them a Song for the Day.

Song of the Day: Deftones - Leathers

     There are times when it's worth it to fight the current, and there are times when it's not, when you should just go with the flow. Today I know it's time to go with the Internet's flow. Rather than try and come up with something you don't know, or aren't listening to right at this very second, I'm just going to recommend what everyone else on the Internet is recommending today, what you're probably already digging, because I'm digging it too.

Song of the Day: Finch - Worms of the Earth

     Today's band has been rolling around in my head as an idea for Song of the Day for a while now, but I could never think of the right song to showcase them to those of you who might not know them. Today, however, it came to me.

Song of the Day: Uneven Structure - Awaken

     Getting back to things a little bit newer than, say, Master of Puppets, today I've got a band I believe I've mentioned maybe once before, but only in passing and never again. Back in the United Nations of Metal post, I remember saying that I had some choice for the representative from France and that I went with Gojira because I wanted to save the other alternative, today's band, for another post. I've never gotten back around to bringing these guys up again, which is a shame because they're pretty good, so at the very least, even if they don't ever end up getting their own post, they deserve a Song of the Day.

Song of the Day: Metallica - Master of Puppets

     It's Monday once again (funny how it rolls around, like, once a week or so, eh? and I figure everybody (myself included) could use a bit of a pick-me-up this morning. And what better pick-me-up could there be for the metal fan lamenting the end of yet another weekend than listening to the band that wrote the book? So in an effort to brighten up your Monday, dear reader, I give you a new twist on the Song of the Day that I'll be pulling out every once in a while: Metallica Monday!

Song of the Day: Primus - Wynona's Big Brown Beaver

     Today might be just about over, but there's still time for a little fun. That's where today's song comes in. Not exactly metal, and certainly not exactly new, but awesome all the same.

Song of the Day: Glass Cloud - Counting Sheep

     Today's song isn't exactly hot off the press, but it is by a band new enough and small enough that you might not have heard anything about them, although chances are you've heard at least one of the other outfits in which members of Glass Cloud have done time. Vocalist Jerry Roush used to be a member of both Sky Eats Airplane and Of Mice And Men, while guitarist Joshua Travis continues to sling strings for The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza in addition to his duties in Glass Cloud. Along with bassist Travis Sykes and drummer Chad Hasty, Roush and Travis started Glass Cloud last year, and a couple of months ago they released their first album, The Royal Thousand.

Songs of the Days

     So I completely spaced yesterday, and apparently went to bed last night somehow thinking I had done a Song for the Day when I had in fact done no such thing. So today you get a double dose of tasty, tasty tunes to sink your ears into. I promise to be a good boy and stop missing my own somewhat arbitrary self-imposed deadline. On with the show!

Song of the Day: Alexisonfire - Counterparts and Number Them

     If you live in Canada, you've probably heard of today's band, so subsequently today's song will (probably) only really be new stuff to you if you live somewhere else. But then that's your problem, not mine.

Oops...

     So it was brought to my attention a while ago that the video I'd posted for The Sound of Animals Fighting's "The Ocean and the Sun" was the wrong video. Oops. It's taken me this long to remember to get around to changing it, but I have done so now, so you don't have to lose sleep over it any more.

Song of the Day: Exit Ten - Technically Alive

     The last couple of days have been somewhat light on metal in the strictest sense of the word, so today we're going to start easing our way back into some heavier stuff. To help with this transition, I've got another band from across the pond that you've more than likely never heard of. As has been the case lately, Exit Ten aren't a straight-ahead metal band, but their catchy post-rock/post-hardcore sound definitely has a metallic edge to it (thanks in part to Exit Ten's drummer being one of the many former members of UK thrash gods Sylosis).

Song of the Day: Mogwai - Christmas Steps

     Yesterday's song by Oceansize was a bit of a slow burn kind of song, and it is in keeping with that feeling that I've chosen today's song. Mogwai have been around a long time, and I've mentioned them before (back in the Cool Videos List) so there's a decent chance you've heard them before, or at least heard of them, but in case you haven't I'll do you the favour of treating you to the first song I ever heard by these prolific Scottish instrumentalists.

Song of the Day: Oceansize - Only Twin

     I have one or more of the guys in Periphery to thank for today's song. They're among the bands I follow on Facebook, and every once in a while they'll do something like I'm doing and recommend a song they like to their fans. When I've got a few minutes I try and check them out, and the other day I was very glad I did. Interestingly named Oceansize deliver heavy post-hardcore and post-rock of appropriately epic proportions. I've only listened to a couple of tracks so far (including today's song, Periphery's recommendation) but I'm really looking forward to hearing some more next time I'm in focused listening mode.

Song of the Day: Night Verses - I've Lost My Way Back Down

     This one's fresher than fresh. This afternoon I was in a Shoppers Drug Mart flipping through a copy of AP when I read about Night Verses, the new project from former The Sleeping vocalist Douglas Robinson. Despite never being a huge fan, I definitely dug The Sleeping when I used to listen to them back in undergrad. This new outfit, which apparently originated as an instrumental trio that Robinson has recently joined, isn't metal per se, but it is heavy and it is worth checking out. I know I'm going to be listening more of them.

Song of the Day: Rage Against the Machine - Calm Like a Bomb

     I know, I know, Rage Against the Machine is neither terribly heavy nor terribly new, but they're still getting the Song of the Day nod today. Why? It's a bit of walk, but here goes. I've had people tell me that The Battle of Los Angeles is the best Rage record, to which my reply has always been (as it usually is) "No way! The old stuff is better!" or something similar. And while I still like older Rage better, today I finally get what my friends are talking about.

Song of the Day: Thrice - Deadbolt

     Just like yesterday, today's band isn't new at all, and unlike yesterday, I would say Thrice are actually pretty big in the world of heavier music, with eight solid albums and a live double CD and DVD (with another live double album forthcoming this fall) under their belts. However, if you've only heard their more recent stuff, you could be forgiven for not knowing that Thrice can be pretty fucking heavy. They started off during the days of emo as a punky, hardcore-type band with strong sense of melody that was tempered by a bit of metal.

Song of the Day: Architects - The Darkest Tomb

     OK, today we're actually back to business as usual, for realsies, which means heavy music. I often try to come up with something you're probably not familiar with, and today I think I've got one. UK-based Architects* aren't a new band, but they might be new to you. They've also got a pretty deep catalogue now, so if you like today's song at all, you can chart their progression from techy, mathy metalcore through to more "mainstream" post-hardcore and (somewhat) back.

     Your Architects song today is "The Darkest Tomb" from their very first album, 2006's Nightmares. I can't remember if this was the first song I ever heard by these guys (which would make it an archetypal Song of the Day here at Loud Noises) but I do remember this being the first song I really dug. It made me give a little bit more time to the rest of the album, and I've been a fan ever since, even if never a huge one. And listening to this song now, I think it still holds up as one that will make you want to hear more of Nightmares.

* I phrase it this way because that's how you have to look them up online. There seems to be at least of couple of bands called Architects in the US, hence the distinction.

Song of the Day: Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2

     I said something yesterday about getting back to business as usual today, but I lied. While fall's not officially here yet for another few weeks, but it might as well: the weather's not so warm, the leaves have already started to fall, and kids have gone back to school. As a show of support with beleaguered students everywhere, and because I myself am a cog in the education machine (albeit at the post-secondary level), today's song is a special tribute for the end of summer.

Song of the Day: Sublime - Santeria

     So here it is, people. The unofficial last day of summer, and for some (including my younger brother) the practical last day, in the sense that kids in public and secondary schools are back in class starting tomorrow morning. This doesn't really affect me, but since it's also the Monday of a long weekend (happy Labour Day, workers) it means I owe you one more summer weekend song before it's back to business as usual. As with yesterday's choice of "Drive" by Incubus, I have little doubt that, should you put today's song on at a party, a great deal of singing along will result.

Song of the Day: Incubus - Drive

     This one's a little more "radio friendly" than some of the stuff I put on here, but it is at least in keeping with the more relaxed summertime weekend Loud Noises feel. Incubus is another one of those bands that we used to listen to a lot of, but have lost interest in in recent years. I don't know whether this is because our tastes have changed, or because the band's musical direction has changed (or more likely a combination of the two), but I do know that Incubus' back catalogue has a bunch of good songs in it, like today's good-time sing-along.

Song of the Day: The Beta Band - Squares

     Last weekend of the summer, people. Time to get your ya-yas out. As has been the case the last couple of weekends, I'm going to chill things out a bit today, so hold on to your drinks/bongs. When we were in high school, in addition to listening to a lot of heavy stuff, a lot of rockin' stuff, we also like some different stuff too. That's when my love of Radiohead was born, and that's when we spent at least one summer listening to a particular mix of bands and songs from which I've drawn today's song. I'd never heard anything by these guys before, and haven't since, but my buddy Ben was into them, so this song made it into our regular rotation.