One of my favorite genres of music is Blues Rock.

Blues rock is a musical genre combining bluesy improvisation over the twelve-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the bass guitar, piano, drum kit and very importantly the electric guitar, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a tube guitar amplifier, giving it an overdriven character. (Wikipedia)

This is the direct definition of blues rock, courteous of Wikipedia, which well describes the technical side of the genre.  Only a few contemporary bands such as The White Stripes and the Black Keys have mastered the style. Pioneers in this genre include Stevie Ray Vaugh and B.B. King. In fact B.B. King is considered the King of Blues for his musical influence. He has worked with major names like U2 and even came out with an album with Eric Clapton. King started by playing for his church. He gained the nickname Blues Boy early in his career. Later that was shortened to just B. B. One of the things King excels at is his guitar solos. He ‘sings’ with his guitar. That is where the improvisation comes in. While some guitarist play patterns. B.B. King felt like the music was more of a conversation. The vocals were like a question and the guitar was an answer. Where one stops the other takes over. That’s really the core of the blues, feeling in every part of the music.

Today’s topic is the band Cage the Elephant. It is my second favorite band, my first being The Black Keys, for several reasons. While it’s labeled a rock band, it has a wide variety of sounds. Most people have heard their most famous single Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked but not everyone ventures past that. Their best-selling, debut album is Cage the Elephant. It contains songs like the crude anthem Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked, the high energy, adrenaline-driven last track Free Love, and then Back Against the Wall which resembles funk mixed with rock. All eleven tracks are entrenched against authority or some part of society they deem evil. Their second album Thank You Happy Birthday, explores a new sound. It is filled with strange voiceovers and covers more abstract concepts. The songs Rubber Ball and Flow take a completely different turn towards the low key. It’s no longer the fast and heavy guitars but steady beat and a single guitar relying heavily on melancholy vocals. The contrast of these songs with their previous music and their skill in experimenting with new sounds adds to Cage the Elephants credibility in the music world. In their third and newest album Melophobia, meaning the fear of music, is my favorite album they’ve come out with. It shows a different side of the band. It offers a new kind of music that feels more authentic. The lyrics are less stressed and flow better.

They often switch suddenly from smooth-sounding music to almost shouting. Now lots of bands do this but Cage the Elephant uses the contrast of the pieces to enhance the overall sound. The song Shake Me Down is a great example of this. Matt Shultz, the band’s frontman, has a voice that matches well with the variety of instrumental overlays and undertones. Then there is the song Come a Little Closer. In this expertly-pieced-together song, the guitar parts stray from the usual song combination of riffs and choruses. Come a Little Closer is a series of musical interludes separated by chords. They guitar plays seamlessly with the other instruments and the vocals. The song doesn’t feel heavy handed at any points which can be a problem when several sounds are playing at once.

Cage the Elephant is definitely a band worth listening to. By the way they are touring with none other than The Black Keys this year.

Recently I went to a Linkin Park concert, part of their Carnivores Tour for the sixth album The Hunting Party. There is something profound about seeing groups live versus listening to them via headphones. To be honest I was actually going to see Thirty Seconds to Mars, who is on tour with them for their fourth studio album Love, Lust, Fate and Dreams.

The venue was the outdoor PNC Music Pavilion on in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band AFI opened and was good — not amazing, next-level stuff but everything one would expect from an opening band. Thirty Seconds to Mars came out after AFI and rocked the show. I am a big fan. Jared Leto, front man for 30 Seconds to Mars, was energetic and had great control of the crowd even though most of the fans were there only to see Linkin Park.

Jared Leto is a nearly-perfect front man. He is an incredibly talented singer, plus he played a little guitar for one of the songs. Between songs he tells jokes and asks the usual rock star questions of the crowd. At one point he ran out into the center of the pavilion with his guitar and took song requests from the crowd. He also was very humble. He introduced his band members before himself and praised Linkin Park. Humility and ego are two things that have to be in perfect balance for musicians. Axel Rose, famous front man for Guns N’ Roses, eventually crashed the band by getting too big-headed.

Linkin Park also played a great show. They played all their hits and most of their songs from the new album. They ended the concert, after an encore, with my favorite Linkin Park tune, Bleed it Out.  If show business is all about pleasing the fans, Linkin Park definitely succeeded.

Welcome to my weekly blog: Mad Sounds. I’m a teenager who loves everything about music: playing, listening, and writing. I’ll discuss my personal opinions on music, bands, genres, songs, musical movements, musicians, shows, stage performances and more than likely, a few topics off the beaten path. I play the guitar, primarily electric, but not professionally. On a typical day I spend at least three hours listening to music. Blogging gives me a voice in the local music scene and allows me to share my knowledge as I increase my own familiarity with music and refine my tastes.

My Favorites:

Band: The Black Keys. This band has a genuine feel. They rock and are highly-skilled musicians. They don’t try to be something they’re not.

Song(s): Gold on the Ceiling by The Black Keys and Come a Little Closer by Cage the Elephant. I love Gold on the Ceiling because it’s catchy without being annoying, and it has a tremendous guitar solo. Come a Little Closer is a very creative song. It has several guitar interludes which I find fascinating, and I love the lyrics. I agree with Jack White that “all music is a balance of melody, beat and story.” I’ll cover that idea in the future.

Genre of Music: Classic Rock (by a whisker — I also really like Blues Rock). I admire music of the twentieth century because of several revolutionary changes, such as the birth of Jazz and the British Invasion.

Musician: Jimmy Page, the famous guitarist for Led Zeppelin. He is a master of the guitar. Very few people have been able to match his music writing skills.

Frontmen: Jared Leto (Thirty Seconds to Mars) and Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones)

Solo artist: Eric Clapton, Slash, Jack White, John Lennon and Iron & Wine