The members of 3OH!3 are strange, posers, and hard to take seriously.

Fast food, as most everyone knows, is an industry in which unhealthy food which is nevertheless considered delicious by a shamefully large portion of the population.  3OH!3 is a fairly popular and relatively new electro-pop band, founded in 2004.  But the similarities go deeper than comparable fan bases.

For one thing, both the band and the industry have products created in machines.  Fast food restaurants, of course, receive their materials from food processing plants already made, needing only to be fried before it’s ready for consumption.  3OH!3 consists of Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte, both of whom perform vocals.  The actual “music” is created on a computer.  Because they are made with machines, neither requires a large number of people to put it together.

Another similarity between 3OH!3 and McDonald’s is they make you feel good but are ultimately bad for you.  McDonald’s, of course, sells food that everyone knows is bad for them but eats anyway because it’s convenient.  3OH!3 has some funky beatz that some consider to be fun to dance to, but also promotes mysogyny, rape and substance abuse.

Lastly, both fast food and 3OH!3 have origins in America, the former in California and the latter in Colorado… unfortunately.

They Fray

       The Fray are said to be one of the most grounded bands in Hollywood. They took a musical break earlier this Fall to give back to the community they say gave so much to them. All four members grew up in Denver and attended local high schools, Ralston Valley and Faith Christian Academy.  On September 4th The Fray along with another local band, The Flobots, did their part to stay connected.

                Bowling, a self admitted weak spot for The Fray, was the main event for The Flobots Community Aid Organization fundraiser. This is a non-profit organization works toward change among thousands of young people across the country by helping create leaders, builders, and change makers. The Fray and Flobots members donated their time to participate in the Bring it on Bowling Ball at Luck Strikes Lanes-Belmar, where The Fray came up short against the Flobots.

                “I was the high scorer of our team coming in at a big, fat 99(for those of you who don’t know 100 is not the goal),” Admits Ben Wysocki, the drummer from The Fray.

                Aside from their bowling adventure, The Fray also stays connected with the Arvada community by judging high school battle of the bands and speaking in college courses at The University of Colorado Denver. They also do what they can to keep local restaurants and record stores in business.

                They Fray do their best to not let their obvious success in the music industry go to their heads. They constantly remind themselves where they came from and never forget the importance of looking back and helping out.

                “It sounds cliché, but when we think we’re on top of the world at some fancy hotel in Hollywood, the Starbucks on 64^th and Ward comes humbly to mind.” Says Wysocki

Cover of Dear Agony

Breaking Benjamin’s new album, Dear Agony, was released yesterday on September 29th.  Their latest single, “I Will Not Bow” began playing on the radio on August 11th.  It has since reached the the top twenty highest rated songs on Alternative Songs as featured in Billboard Magazine.

 After the immense popularity of their last album, Phobia, released in 2006, Breaking Benjamin had set a near-impossible challenge to beat.  Already the CD has received numerous popular reviews from online fans, most of which analyze each member of the band’s personal growth as a musician.   However, RV listeners generally seem slightly disappointed.  The overall student consensus seems to be along the lines of, “It was okay, but Phobia was better.”

Of course, with four singles to Dear Agony’s solitary “I Will Not Bow,” two of which have topped the charts, Phobia is a hard album to top.  Not only that, but Breaking Benjamin’s resolution to never repeat themselves musically means they can’t take parts of old songs that worked for them to write more music.

However, BB fans shouldn’t take this as a caution against purchase.  Overall it’s an excellent album with a wide range of sound and is considered by some to “represent the evolution of Breaking Benjamin,” with a variety of charactristics from each of their previous albums, Saturate, We Are Not Alone, and of course, Phobia.

Three Days Grace

Three Days Grace’s new album Life Starts Now is set to hit the stores on September 22, 2009.  The band’s first single “Break” is now playing on your local radio station.  

For three years now, Three Days Grace has been tediously working and perfecting its sound to create another smash hit album.  With songs like “Animal I Have Become,” “Never Too Late,” “I Hate Everything About You” and more, this objective seems like it may be an impossible feat.  Well, the band is about to accomplish that goal.  Life Starts Nowis available September 22, 2009 and it is going to be good.  With a few songs like its new release, “Break,” the band is going to be more than fine.  Based solely on “Break,” Gontier is putting a whole new spin on his lyrics, sound and mood in this new album.  The album will follow the same sort of format that its predecessors have; dark subject matter with an alternative metal sound.  Look for Life Starts Now in stores on September 22, 2009!  It may be the best purchase you ever make.