Jake Denning

What a difference a year can make. A year ago, I licking my wounds after an unsuccessful journey to Las Vegas to student teach 1st grade, and spun my wheels with finding a job here back in Oregon. Fortunately, I threw a hail mary at the 25th hour and I found a job that I love and have been successful at. I continued doing written interviews for AbsolutePunk until the publications re-brand in April [my last one being Underoath] and then re-branded my podcast as “Real Talk with Jake Denning”, an hour-long (or more) podcast with musicians (and beyond). Other than that, I’ve kept a pretty consistent routine for the past 12 months - work, gym, go to a show, interview, and repeat.

The following is a list of what I consider to be the very best of 2016, enjoy. You can find a Spotify playlist here, with selections from each album + other singles. Right off the bat, you’ll immediately recognize a few things: a) I have a headache-inducing level of variety, and b) there’s probably albums that I loved missing from this list that I forgot. Nonetheless, take a brief journey of my year through this playlist, and do please share this if you enjoyed it - that’s the fastest way to reach people these days.

Top 30 Albums of 2016

1. Aaron Gillespie - Out Of The Badlands (Tooth and Nail Records)

Hell, this album ain’t even entirely comprised of originals, and it’s my album of the year. What Aaron has done with this record is incredible - a collection of re-imagined versions of classics from Underoath (“A Boy Brushed Red…”, “Re-inventing Your Exit”), The Almost (“No I Don’t”, “Say This Sooner”, Southern Weather”), covers of songs from Bonnie Raitt and U2, and three originals, “Raspberry Layer Cake”, “You Don’t Love Me Anymore”, and “The Fox”. He revealed on the BadChristian podcast this year that this record came together quickly - hopefully that means we can get a few more originals in 2017.

2. A Day To Remember - Bad Vibrations (ADTR Records)

Their second album released under ADTR Records (their sixth overall), Bad Vibrations brought enough variety to satisfy any fan on board prior to this record, but simply put, this record just flat out *rocks*. Songs like “Turn Off The Radio”, “Justified”, and the title track are a small representation of the band at their very best. There’s more than enough here to last until the band puts out their next one, whenever that’ll be - 2018 or beyond.

3. Panic! At The Disco - Death of A Bachelor (Fueled By Ramen)

Brendan Urie previously mentioned that this record would be a mixture of Queen and Sinatra, which is a crystal clear depiction of what one can expect upon first listen. Singles “Victorious”, “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time”, and “Emperor’s New Clothes” provide the type of sugary pop that’ll rot your teeth, while other cuts like the title track and “Impossible Year” provide the laid-back, big band-esque ‘on top of the world’ feeling that Urie is naturally inclined to showcase. This is without question the exact record Panic! needed to drop, as they head into an arena headliner in 2017 (you’d better believe I’ll be there).

4. Issues - Headspace (Rise Records)

Issues dropped their debut EP, “Black Diamonds”, in late 2012 and since then, they’ve been on fire. No, really, on fire. This is a band that hasn’t experienced a single low in their entire career. Every tour has been a success, every release prior has been well-received, and they’re continually getting better as musicians. This record is the 1995 Chicago Bulls in musical form - young, talented, and championship-level. Just about everything you can think of is found here - turntable scratching, master-class bass playing, punk beats, pop hooks, screaming, and a whole lot more. Go ahead and tell me that this band isn’t going to kick a hole in 2017 and beyond.

5. The Summer Set - Stories For Monday (Fearless Records)

I’m just gonna toss it out here - The Summer Set is probably one of the most underrated bands in the “Warped Tour” scene. *Stories For Monday* is an eclectic mix of songs illuminating what it means to be someone in the their mid-twenties, with all the highs and lows - for example, “All My Friends” is a catchy sing-along tune about going out with someone your friends think is insane (we can all relate to this). This is a record meant for heavy rotation on pop rotation, and if you’ve ever flipped on a Top 40 station from time to time this year and sang along, then it’s your assignment to give this record a few complete spins - preferably loudly, with the car windows rolled down.

[16-30]

6. Vanna - All Hell (Pure Noise)

7. The Word Alive - Dark Matter (Fearless Records)

8. Architects (UK) - All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (Epitaph Records)

9. From Indian Lakes - Everything Feels Better Now (Triple Crown Records)

10. Switchfoot - Where The Light Shines Through (Vanguard Records)

11. Too Close To Touch - Haven’t Been Myself (Epitaph Records)

12. Pierce The Veil - Misadventures (Fearless Records)

13. Set It Off - Upside Down (Equal Vision Records)

14. The Amity Affliction - This Could Be Heartbreak (Roadrunner Records)

15. Florida Georgia Line - Dig Your Roots (Big Machine Label Group)

16. Dierks Bentley - Black (Capital Records Nashville)

17. Beartooth - Aggressive (Red Bull Music)

18. Every Time I Die - Low Teens (Epitaph Records)

19. This Wild Life - Low Tides (Epitaph Records)

20. Thousand Foot Krutch - Exhale (TFK Music)

21. The Color Morale - Desolate Devine (Fearless Records)

22. Emarosa - 131 (Hopeless Records)

23. Yellowcard - Yellowcard (Hopeless Records)

24. Islander - Power Under Control (Victory Records)

25. Trapt - DNA (Crash Collide Records)

26. Fit For A King - Deathgrip (Solid State Records)

27. letlive. - If I’m The Devil… (Epitaph Records)

28. Sum 41 - 13 Voices (Hopeless Records)

29. Andy Black - The Shadow Side (Republic Records)

30. Jason Aldean - When The Lights Go Out (Macon Music)

Podcasts of the Year

Lead Singer Syndrome

Break It Down with Matt Carter

The Jasta Show

The Joe Rogan Experience

Cheap Heat

Top Concerts of the Year

Switchfoot @ Salem Riverfront [Salem, Oregon] (August)

Vans Warped Tour @ White River Amphitheater [Seattle], Expo Center [Portland] (August)

Blessthefall/Miss May I @ Hawthorne Theater [Portland, Oregon] (February)

From Indian Lakes @ Analog Theater [Portland, Oregon] (February)

Silverstein/Being As An Ocean/Emarosa @ Hawthorne Theater [Portland, Oregon] (March)

August Burns Red/Between The Buried and Me @ Roseland Theater [Portland, Oregon] (March)

Underoath/Caspian @ Crystal Ballroom [Portland, Oregon] (March)

Emery (Acoustic) @ Analog Theater [Portland, Oregon] (April)

The Classic Crime “Albatross” 10th Anniversary Tour @ Analog Theater [Portland, Oregon] (May)

Panic! At The Disco/Weezer/Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness @ McMenamins Edgefield [Troutdale, Oregon] (July)

Pierce The Veil/Neck Deep @ Roseland Theater [Portland, Oregon] (September)

Stick To Your Guns/Stray From The Path/Expire/Knocked Loose @ Hawthorne Theater [Portland, Oregon] (September)

The Amity Affliction/Being As An Ocean/Hundredth/Trophy Eyes/Deadships @ Hawthorne Theater [Portland, Oregon] (October)

Yellowcard “The Final Tour” @ Roseland Theater [Portland, Oregon] (October)

Aaron Gillespie/Ace Enders @ Analog Theater [Portland, Oregon] (October)

Sum 41/Senses Fail @ Hawthorne Theater [Portland, Oregon] (October)

Five Finger Death Punch/Shinedown/Sixx:AM @ Moda Center [Portland, Oregon] (November)

For Today/Norma Jean @ Hawthorne Theater [Portland, Oregon] (November)

The Word Alive/Volumes/Islander @ Hawthorne Theater [Portland, Oregon] (November)

One of my favorite videos related to music journalism (or whatever you’d like to refer to it as) is a 2011 TEDx session with Nardwuar The Human Serviette, well known for his deep-trivia of whomever he’s speaking with. As you might expect, most, if not all of his guests are absolutely baffled that he’d know such information, in which he merely replies “Well, you’re [artist]! We HAVE to know about you!” - a brilliant verbal escape that I’m looking forward to lifting at some point in the future. But with the exception of Kid Cudi, everyone has enjoyed their encounter with Nard. In fact, he’s been used as sort of a high-bar of preparedness - for instance, last year rapper G-Eazy quipped “Oh I see, you’re on some Nardwuar shit here...”, in response to a question I had about a particular sample. To say that Vancouver, BC’s famous son has interviewed nearly EVERYONE is accurate - Henry Rollins, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, etc. 

The focus of his presentation was that ANYONE can do what he does! You just have to “Do do do-it-yourself!”. I agree. Anyone can do what anyone in the press community does - however, I’m of the opinion that most people who are interested would rather not do what it takes. 

By no means is this a complete or fully fleshed-out list, but here are a few things people should do, but rather would not: 

1) Most people interested in interviewing/writing would rather not do their research. Every interview I’ve ever done has required multiple hours of research - looking at past interviews, lyrics, etc. Not only does this help you avoid any massive pitfalls (such as offending them), but it also helps you eliminate anxiety for the upcoming conversation.

2) Most people are not willing to financially invest to make the interview happen. If you’re not willing to come out to shows, are you willing to buy a Skype recorder? Are you willing to invest in quality recording equipment when on location? Are you willing to pay for hosting? Most people are willing to respect those who are making an effort to work to improve. For those starting out, it doesn’t need to be crazy - upgrade as you move along.  

3) Most people are not willing to edit their work. When I was at AbsolutePunk, I’d often times spend anywhere from 2-4 hours transcribing audio, making sure everything was written as it was spoken. Now that I’m podcasting, I’m running through the audio and removing awkward pauses or noises - many artists ask you do this. 

4) Be patient. My first interview was with Andrew W.K. in August of 2011. I’ve been interviewing for 5 years now. It took me a couple of years to get more-well known artists, and longer than that to get a larger portion of time with them. I’ve seen people expect to be granted an interview with Austin Carlile after doing only a couple interviews. 

We’ve officially reached the mid-way point in 2016, and better yet, it’s a Friday - neat! The year has certainly provided us with some quality albums...and some that shouldn’t be mentioned. While I think perhaps the latter half of this year will provide a larger selection of music to enjoy, I’m not complaining about what I’ve listened to thus far. Oddly enough, as someone who tends to gravitate towards the alternative music scene, there’s some selections that deviate from that world. Perhaps this is the year where my year end list reflects a different ratio than in years prior? I suppose we’ll see when December rolls around. 

With that being said, these are ten albums I think are worth checking out, in no particular order or rank:

1) Beartooth - Aggressive

2) Panic! At The Disco - Death of A Bachelor

3) Pierce The Veil - Misadventures 

4) Issues - Headspace

5) Nick Jonas - Last Year Was Complicated

6) The Word Alive - Dark Matter

7) letlive. - If I’m The Devil

8) The Summer Set - Stories For Monday

9) NF - Therapy Session

A year ago, I wrote a small piece for my buddy James Shotwell over at Haulix, so I figured I’d run through and give my updated thoughts. 

It’s important to recognize that not everyone approaches Warped Tour (or any other music festival) the same way, but these tips have proven to be reliable and effective for me over the past 5 years. Take them for what you will. If you find a better way of doing things, go ahead and shoot me a tweet - @Jake_Denning. 

BEFORE YOUR APPROVED DATE:

1. Make sure you’ve turned in the interview request form that was sent to you when approved for press. You know the one, it’s the sheet that lists literally ever single act on the tour - go ahead and be thoughtful when filling that out. Be intentional with who you’d like to speak with.

Some interviews (such as Falling In Reverse) require advance approval, and if you don’t turn in the form well in advance of your show date, there is absolutely no chance you will speak to that band. Sure, you might be able to hang out with them if you’re friends, but that still doesn’t mean you’ll be able to publish something. Management/Press Coordinators are the law. 

However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be ambitious and request these hard to get interviews anyways. Since I’ve been doing interviews, there’s been a few interviews that in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have been approved for - but I did. Yelawolf at 2011′s Warped Tour comes to mind - sure, I had to sit for 90 minutes on his tour bus for him to come on, but it was still well worth the wait.

2. Make sure you have a plan for food/water. Don’t think you’re going to spend your money on merch and fast all day long. Your personal safety should not be a lesser priority. My personal preference is to pack a large amount of Jerky, a hefty sandwich, in addition to a couple small bottles of Gatorade. You’ll be thankful you won’t have to wait in line at the venue to buy a $8 hot dog. 

ON THE DAY OF THE SHOW:

1. Have your batteries charged, your memory clean, your bag/gear organized. It’s incredibly embarrassing to tell an artist that your device is dead, especially since it was your responsibility in the first place to be prepared. 

2. Get to venue and find yellow Vans tent well in advance of check-in time (generally 10:30am local time). This allows you to be ready to go when it comes time to enter the venue, and find the press area as quickly as possible. If you’re tardy, you’re going to be delayed by at least 30 minutes, and with this tour, that’s not a good thing. 

3. Once you’ve found the press area and you’ve introduced yourself and signed in, find the performance schedule, typically located next to the interview sign-up sheets. From there, momentarily forget about doing interviews for the day, and build a schedule based on what bands you’d like to watch. Ideally, you shouldn’t have more than 20 minutes between sets, as to maximize the day. Once you have that schedule, THEN start to remove performances that conflict with press times for a particular artist (For instance, if Every Time I Die is doing press from 1pm - 1:40pm and you’d like to see State Champs at 1:20, you’ve now got a decision to make). 

4. HAVE AN OUTLINE - I recognize this is not for everyone, but as someone who tries to hit on the album/release a particular artist is touring on, this is essential for me. I need specific notes detailing my critical thoughts on said release, as well as questions pertaining to lyrical content, etc. You will never get a chance to interview this artist again on this specific day, so be as detailed as you can be in this setting. It’s also important to consider that just because someone will be available to chat on one particular day, doesn’t mean they’ll be available the next. 

5. Be mindful of when a particular artist is scheduled to interview and be mindful of when they arrive. Be near the press table when they arrive, so that you have a better chance of getting to interview them. To be honest, not every publication that signs up on the list (even if they’re first to sign up) will get to interview. For example, I had an artist come in that 7 different people (including myself) had signed up for – the Tour Manager routed them to AltPress, myself, and then one other publication, and then promptly left.

6. After an interview is done, IMMEDIATELY find a way to upload to Dropbox (or favorite cloud storage provider) - things happen, and you don’t want to lose that awesome interview due to negligence. 

7. Chances are that you’re probably going to end up charging your phone/laptop/etc at some point in the day - take that opportunity to connect with other people/artists in the room. Once year, Plague Vendor (Epitaph) ended up on my radar because I ended up getting to know them for 20 minutes or so, not knowing who they were before hand.

8. Last, but certainly not least, FOLLOW THE RULES given to you when approved – for example, if you’re in a venue that does not allow video, then DON’T shoot video and claim you didn’t know about the rule afterwards.

On this episode, I speak with Matt MacDonald of rock band The Classic Crime, signed to BC Music. Matt and I spoke before The Classic Crime played in Portland, Oregon in celebration of their debut album Albatross, in which they played it in its entirety with original guitarist Justin DuQue. As Matt would later describe, our conversation has a very "fly on the wall" sound, as I mistakenly recorded this with the wrong mic! Yikes! (Don't worry, I'll be more careful next week!)

We talk about: - Albatross 10-year tour - What albums meant the most to Matt when he was in high school - Memories while writing and recording Albatross with producer Michael Baskette - What song off Albatross the band hates - (a third) Successful Kickstarter campaign - What future material will look like lyrically

Facebook: Facebook.com/TheClassicCrime Support The Classic Crime KICKSTARTER campaign: j.mp/tcckickstarter

SUBSCRIBE/RATE Matt's podcast "Don't Feed The Trolls": TrollsPodcast.com

Support this podcast by leaving a FIVE STAR rating and review on iTunes. To support the podcast financially, you can visit JakeDenning.com/support.

Episode #13 with @lslander_band is now up! We talk about their tour with Atreyu, new record Power Under Control, and more. Why does Lambgoat think they’re ‘stoked’ all the time? 

This episode is with Matt Carter of the band Emery. Matt is also the co-host of the popular Bad Christian podcast, as well as host of Break It Down with Matt Carter.

If you like this, please SUBSCRIBE via iTunes or RECOMMEND via Overcast, and rate 5-stars. Believe it or not, writing a review helps tremendously as well.

If you’d like to support this show financially, you can head over to JakeDenning.com/support for all available options.

Perhaps you may have heard, but AbsolutePunk is done as a publication. Go ahead, soak that news up…I’ll wait. You done? Good.

Jason has bought back the rights to AbsolutePunk and as a result has decided to move forward with his new website, Chorus.fm (which is now live). For a much more in-depth look at what that’s going to look like, go ahead and visit the new website, as he lays everything you need to know clearly. I know many of you are disappointed to see AbsolutePunk leave, but I think Jason’s going to do something neat with Chorus, and I recommend that everyone gives it a shot. There’s a lot of similarities between the two websites.   

After a couple days, It’s still a little bizarre thinking about the fact that a website that’s been a big part of my life for so long is gone. Like many people, I lurked for awhile but eventually signed up for an account once I realized all the cool ways to participate. It was on the 4th of July in 2008 when I really wanted to participate in a band chat and pulled the trigger on registration - I think it was Hawthorne Heights…sounds about right. But there was something so neat about being able to engage with a community that was passionate for music (for better or for worse), that I never left. 

A couple years later, I was presented with a really memorable opportunity that ended up being a major event in my life. I really can’t remember what prompted me to do so, but I submitted an email to Adam Pfleider to interview bands on the 2010 Warped Tour. Luckily enough, he responded with the go-ahead and I got the chance to show up in Hillsboro at the end of the tour and interview those who were available (and open) to sitting down with me. I was incredibly green and nervous as hell, but I had the opportunity to speak with Andrew W.K. and Giuseppe of Haste The Day. I learned a lot from the experience, and I was on a massive high after doing so. However, this was a one day opportunity only, and I was no longer needed - looking back, I was very fortunate to not jump on as staff at the time, as I likely would’ve embarrassed the website with my inexperience and been let go, never to return. I was in no way ready to take on that type of responsibility.   

So after a one-day gig with AbsolutePunk, I decided to start interviewing bands on a tumblr blog, SoundwaveNW. Yes, you heard that right, I was one of THOSE people. I was horrifyingly mediocre, and got a ton of lucky breaks through relationships in the year I did my own thing - for instance, I should have NEVER been allowed to interview Yelawolf or Of Mice & Men. But I learned a lot of things that would end up being really important later on, such as patience - Yelawolf ended up giving me a great interview, but I had to sit on his tour bus for over an hour while he went to go party with some friends he had made on the Warped Tour.   

I’ve spent four years as a staff member at AbsolutePunk since December 2011, publishing my first interview with Don Broco in January 2012. It’s been an absolutely wild experience. I’ve made some great friends and made some great memories because I was allowed to interview essentially whomever I wanted for so long. I’m thankful that Jason allowed me to write for his website, even though he really didn’t like many of the bands I covered. There’s a ton of things that I got to do because I wrote for AbsolutePunk, and I still don’t take that for granted - I could write for quite some time about everything. Also, my voice has grown considerably after seeing people better than me put out some awesome content. 

I’ve had quite a few people ask me what I’m up to since AbsolutePunk is no longer around. And to be completely honest, I haven’t made a decision yet. I will say that I have multiple options though, one of them contributing towards Chorus. Another option is re-branding my podcast, “This Is What I’m Into”, and bringing that back. Luckily, April-June is a slower part of the year when it comes to shows, and that’ll give me more of a chance to ponder where I want to go from here on out. Maybe I’ll do both. 

I’d like to thank Jason Tate and all of the rest of the AbsolutePunk staff for putting up with me over the past four years, as well as the numerous people who have stopped me at various places to tell me they enjoyed a particular interview.

List of Interviews while at AbsolutePunk (in somewhat sequential order): 2010 Andrew W.K. #1 (Warped Tour contest) (Non-Staff) Haste The Day (Giuseppe) (Warped Tour contest) (Non-Staff) 2012

Don Broco (Bobby D) - 1/26/12 Blessed By A Broken Heart (Sam Ryder) - 1/26/12 Leaders (Lazarus Rios) - 03/15/12 Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (Craig Owens) - 02/15/12 Hit The Lights (Kevin Mahoney) - 02/15/12 Like Moths To Flames #1 (Chris Roetter) - 02/15/12 August Burns Red #1 (Jake Luhrs) - 02/10/12 MxPx (Mike Herrera) - 03/29/12 Cartel (Will Pugh) - 03/28/12 Set Your Goals (Jordan Brown) - 03/28/12 The Story So Far #1 (Will, Kelen) - 03/25/12 Impending Doom (Brook Reeves) - 03/20/12 Hands Like Houses (Trenton Woodley) - 04/03/12 Veil Of Maya (Marc Okubo) - 03/14/12 Andrew W.K. #2 - 03/05/12 Stick To Your Guns #1 (Jesse Barnett) - 03/20/12 Woe, Is Me (Hance Alligood, Austin Thornton) 03/27/12 Ed Sheeran - 05/02/12 letlive. #1 (Jason Aalon Butler) - 05/09/12 Sleeping With Sirens #1 (Kellin Quinn) - 05/08/12 Squid The Whale (Bradley Walden) - 05/27/12 Falling In Reverse (Jacky Vincent) - 06/11/12 For Today (Mattie Montgomery) - 06/06/12 The Ghost Inside #1 (Jonathan Vigil) - 06/05/12 The Word Alive #1 (Telle Smith) - 06/15/12 Pierce The Veil (Vic Fuentes) - 06/15/12 New Found Glory #1 (Jordan Pundik) - 06/16/12 Thrice (Riley Breckenridge) - 06/26/12 (*Hiatus interview) Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - 06/27/12 The Temper Trap (Toby Dundas) - 07/08/12 Machine Gun Kelly - 08/12/12 (Warped Tour interview) Breathe Carolina (Kyle Even, David Schmitt) - 08/15/12 MOD SUN #1 - 08/20/12 (Warped Tour interview) Of Mice & Men (Austin Carlile) - 08/15/12 (Warped Tour interview) Memphis May Fire (Matty Mullins) - 08/12/12 (Warped Tour interview) Issues #1 (Tyler Carter, Michael Bohn, Ty “Scout” Acord, AJ Rebollo, Kris Crummett) - 09/12/12 (*Band’s first interview ever, in studio) Glass Cloud (Travis Sykes) - 09/12/12 Mac Miller - 10/02/12 Winds Of Plague (Jon Cooke) - 10/09/12 Underoath (Chris Dudley) - 10/12/12 (*Hiatus interview) Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers (Stephen Kellogg) - 10/29/12 (Hiatus interview*) P.O.D. (Sonny Sandoval) - 10/29/12 Hatebreed (Frank Novinec) - 11/02/12 Parkway Drive (Winston McCall) - 11/19/12 Tonight Alive (Jenna McDougall, Whakaio Taahi) - 12/12/12 We Are Defiance (Brian Calzini) - 12/26/12 2013 Texas In July (Ben Witowski) - 01/07/13 Chiodos #1 (Craig Owens) - 01/14/13 Blackbear #1 - 01/17/13 Romeo Lacoste - 01/20/13 Obey The Brave (Alex Erian) - 02/12/13 Volumes #1 (Michael Barr) - 02/10/13 Jonny Craig - 02/22/13 The Acacia Strain (Vincent Bennett) - 03/06/13 The Color Morale #1 (Garrett Rapp) - 03/08/13 Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! (Paul Wilson) - 04/17/13 Serianna (Chris Ferraro) - 04/22/13 For All I Am (Aria Yavarinejad) - 04/25/13 Issues #2 (Ty “Scout” Acord, Case Snedecor) - 04/26/13 John D. (Skate & Surf Festival) - 05/07/13 Stick To Your Guns #2 (Jesse Barnett) - 05/31/13 Heartsupport (*Non-Profit) - 06/20/13 The Summer Set (Brian Logan Dales) - 06/26/13 Architects (UK) (Sam Carter) - 06/23/13 Big Chocolate (Cameron Argon) - 06/23/13 Never Shout Never (Christofer Drew, Taylor MacFee) - 06/24/13 Sleeping With Sirens #2 (Jesse Lawson) - 06/24/13 August Burns Red #2 (Jake Luhrs) - 06/25/13 New Found Glory #2 (Jordan Pundik) - 06/26/13 The Amity Affliction #1 (Ahren Stringer) - 07/29/13 Dustin Kensrue (solo) - 09/13/13 No Bragging Rights (Mike Perez) - 12/23/13 2014 The Classic Crime (Matt MacDonald) - 02/14/14 Blackbear #2 - 03/17/14 Four Year Strong (Dan O’Connor) - 03/18/14 Miss May I #1 (Levi Benton) - 03/24/14 Stick To Your Guns #3 (George Schmitz) - 04/01/14 G-Eazy #1 - 04/02/14 Breathe Carolina #2 (David Schmitt) - 04/15/14 The Amity Affliction #2 (Joel Birch) - 06/07/14 DJ Scout (Issues) (Ty Acord) - 07/04/14 Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! (Bert Poncet) 07/30/14 Beartooth (Kamron, Taylor) - 07/30/14 The Ghost Inside #2 (Jonathan Vigil) - 07/30/14 The Summer Set #2 (Brian Logan Dales) - 07/30/14 Crown The Empire (Andrew, Brent) - 07/30/14 Dangerkids (Andy, Tyler) - 07/30/14 The Story So Far #2 (Kelen Careener) - 07/31/14 Uh Huh Baby Yeah! (Kevin Fletcher) - 07/31/14 Volumes #2 (Michael Barr, Gus Farias) - 07/31/14 A Skylit Drive (Micheal Jagmin) - 07/31/14 The Word Alive #2 (Telle Smith) - 08/01/14 Chelsea Grin (Pablo Viveros, Alex Koehler) - 08/01/14 Favorite Weapon [2 Part] (Hance Alligood, Alex Heroes) - 09/01/14 Senses Fail [2 Part] (Buddy Nielsen) - 09/15/14 Like Moths To Flames [2 Part] (Chris Roetter) - 09/22/14 The Amity Affliction #3 (Joel Birch) - 10/10/14 For The Fallen Dreams [2 Part] (Jim Hocking, Chad Ruhlig) - 11/10/14 Palisades (Lou Miceli Jr.) - 11/11/14 Obey The Brave (Alex Erian) - 12/03/14 Chad Gilbert (of New Found Glory) - 12/05/14 Backtrack (James Vitalo) - 12/15/14 Marmozets (Becca MacIntyre, Jack Bottomley) - 12/16/14 From Indian Lakes (Joey Vannucchi) - 12/17/14 Issues #3 (Ty Acord, Michael Bohn) - 12/23/14 2015 G-Eazy #2 - 01/02/15 Miss May I #2 [2-Part] (Ryan Neff) - 01/20/15 Angel Du$t (Justice Tripp) - 02/09/15 PVRIS (Lynn Gunn) - 02/13/15 Silverstein #1 (Shane Told) - 02/22/15 Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot) - 03/01/15 August Burns Red #3 (Jake Luhrs) - 03/04/15 Motionless In White (Chris Motionless) - 03/16/15 Enter Shikari (Rou Reynolds) - 05/04/15 Emery (Matt Carter, Josh Head) - 05/28/15 Man Overboard (Zac Eisenstein) - 06/17/15 We Came As Romans (Dave Stephens, Kyle Pavone) - 08/21/15 One OK Rock (Taka Moriuchi) - 09/14/15 Thousand Foot Krutch (Trevor McNevan) - 09/16/15 Islander (Mikey Carvajal) - 12/01/15

[The following interview is an interview I did with Underoath vocalist Spencer Chamberlain on 03/27/16. This interview was originally posted over at AbsolutePunk.net]

First off, what’s your experience been like on this tour? 

This was a really sad read. Imagine being lonely and disconnected from the world - so much, to the point where when you pass, nobody knows or cares. How does this happen to someone? Is it something that happens to people with a higher frequency in particular geographical locations, such as New York? Perhaps.

I don’t necessarily have all the answers in regards to solving this problem, but I think one possible solution is just getting out of the house and being a regular somewhere - the park, a Starbucks...anywhere. Is developing an even casual relationship with the barista who serves you your coffee progress? I don’t know, but it can’t hurt. 

What about the people that one theoretically could speak with? Friends? Family? Why aren’t they reaching out? People get wrapped up in their own problems and routines every day, and we don’t reach out to others when we should. We need to take the initiative towards reaching out and connecting with others. We must be intentional. 

At the beginning of this year, I set the following goals, located below. I’m going to run through each goal and reflect how I’ve been doing. 

1. Throw my own birthday party (January 30th) and make it a blast - provide drinks, food, entertainment for everyone that shows up! This was an idea inspired by Matt and Toby from the rock band Emery. The main idea is that each person in a circle of friends strives to throw the best party they can, so that throughout the year, there’s always something cool going on. Best part? You don’t need to bring any gifts! What type of party would you like to attend?

This didn’t go happen, straight up. I didn’t throw a party, didn’t have one thrown for me. I turned 25, got a free birthday drink from Starbucks and that was that. Can’t complain too much. Better luck next year. 

2. Reflect on what I have and where I’m at and have an attitude of gratitude. I could be much worse off than I am right now. Some people don’t even have legs to walk/run on, and I do. Things could be so much worse.

I’ve actually been doing this a lot more lately, and it’s really put a lot of situations in perspective. I’m perfectly able-bodied, etc., so I should continue to be thankful. 

3. While on social media, post positive things, and keep negativity to a minimum. This means being intentional about how I’m critical of something.

Not particularly pleased on my progress. However, I did delete years and years worth of past tweets. 

4. Intentionally unplug once a week and relax (meaning, turn off my iPhone and leave Macbook at home) - make commitments to meet others prior to unplugging.

Haven’t done this at all, not even once. As much as I’d like to make this happen, I’m far too anxious about something happening and missing it. What if someone got in a car accident, etc. 

5. Wake-up extremely early (appx. 4:30am) - I’ve found that I do some of my best work early in the morning, even though it’s a massive struggle to be out of bed that early and I often fall asleep early.

I did this in the first quarter of the year, and I loved it. As my time at Oregon State University wrapped up and things got progressively harder, I started waking up later, as I often worked until 1 or 2am. 

6. Only do music interviews with people I really want to talk with - I’ll admit that I’ve done interviews in the past few years that I never wanted to do in the first place. I don’t want to do that, I want to be way more intentional.

I’ve been better at turning things down, but not good enough. With that being said, I’ve done some great interviews that I’m proud of, such as my latest one with August Burns Red. 

7. Write on this blog regularly - 3-4 pieces of commentary a month; this can relate to anything - music, TV, culture, etc.

This blog has been essentially blank since the beginning of the year. Really need to knuckle down and focus. I plan on using Evernote and scheduled posts to do better.

8. Read 30 books. Reading is incredibly important. Why is that? Because when you read, you’re able to learn new things, consider perspectives you didn’t before, and strengthen your vocabulary.

I likely won’t hit 30 books by the end of the year, but I think I’ll come close. The summer is going to be the time where I turn on the gas and get through a solid amount of reading.

9. Listen to podcasts regularly - some podcasts I consider similar to audiobooks, because I learn a great amount from them, even if it’s reconsidering my stance on something.

I’ve done an excellent job with this! I’ll probably do a future post on my favorite podcasts, but some of my favorites include: AbsolutePunk Podcast, Haulix Podcast, 100 Words of Less, I Am Rapaport Podcast, etc. 

10. Become less accessible.

I’ve been fairly accessible. I need to really consider changing my phone number or delete my backup email address. 

11. Stay off Facebook chat. Similarly related, don’t respond to everyone via Twitter/Instagram and don’t start pointless squabbles with others.

This reminds me, I need to delete the messenger app off my iPhone. 

12. Be intentional about sharing positive feedback with others through social media and text messaging.

I think I’ve been doing this much better! I think I’ve promoted what I like more than the stuff I haven’t. 

13. Be a guest on a podcast a few times.

Although this hasn’t happened yet, I have started a podcast of my own (which will be returning soon). 

14. Gym Goals [3RM]:

Squat - 335lbs

Bench Press 240lbs

Deadlift: 345lbs

Overhand Press: 160lbs

We’re officially at the mid-way point of 2015, and a LOT of good music has come out already. In fact, I could easily list twenty albums that are worth your time. But, for brevity, here are the ten albums I think you should be listening to:

1. August Burns Red - Found In Far Away Places [Fearless Records]

2. Stick To Your Guns - Disobedient [Sumerian Records]

3. The Story So Far - The Story So Far [Pure Noise Records]

4. Blackbear - Deadroses [Beartrap]

5. Turnstile - Nonstop Feeling [Reaper Records]

6. In Hearts Wake - Skydancer [UNFD]

7. Yelawolf - Love Story [Shady/Interscope Records]

8. Emery - You Were Never Alone [Bad Christian]

9. Fences - Lesser Oceans [Elektra Records]

I’m a little late with updating my blog with this news, but better late than never - I started a podcast. Yes, this podcast primarily deals with musicians and other people in the alternative music scene, but I’d also like to talk with other people (such as YouTubers) as well. 

You might ask “Hey Jake, you already do interviews for AbsolutePunk, why do you need to do a podcast as well?” Well, my answer simply boils down to a couple of reasons:

- Have a more casual and laid back discussion, and not worry about deconstructing and analyzing an album, song, lyric, etc.

- Have the opportunity to connect with someone more than once a year. The general rule over at AbsolutePunk is that we interview an artist/band once a year, unless something happens where another interview makes sense. This allows me to be very intentional and deliberate once a year, and much more relaxed the rest of time. You get to see two different sides to an artist, if that makes sense.

- I’d like to learn about the things that people are into at the time, which is the main appeal/motivation of the podcast. For instance, did you know that Levi Benton from Miss May I enjoys the TV show The Flash? Did you know that Ty “Scout” Acord of ISSUES likes to watch snowboarding videos? These are really cool details about awesome people that might not be recognized otherwise.

So far, I’ve published 8 episodes of the podcast with the following people:

Ep. 1 - Levi Benton of Miss May I

Ep. 2 - Ty “DJ Scout” Acord of ISSUES

Ep. 3 - Andy Bane + Tyler Smyth of Dangerkids

Ep. 4 - Shane Raymond of Close Your Eyes

Ep. 5 - Ryan Seaman of Falling In Reverse

Ep. 6 - Cody Carson + Dan Clermont of Set It Off

Ep. 7 - Mikey Carvajal of Islander

Ep. 8 - Telle Smith + Zack Hansen + Tony Pizzuti of The Word Alive

Upcoming guests include:

- Joey Vannucci of From Indian Lakes

- Garret Rapp (The Color Morale) + Jonny Craig (Slaves)

- Taylor Lumley + Kamron Bradbury of Beartooth

- BryanStars (YouTuber)

- Jason Dunn of Lights Go Down (ex-Hawk Nelson)

Stephen Kellogg's music is quintessentially American, which is not to say it is Americana. I often have trouble picking a genre for it, and that’s not because it’s genre-bending or so multi-dimensional; rather, it’s music. American music. Straight forward music, shot from the hip, sung without accent or twang. It doesn’t play to fit the new-ish neo-folk trend, nor does it lean on the whimsical, space agey indie production. It is simply a man, his words, and a guitar, which is what I've always believed music to be. It can be dressed up, accented, and colored in, but at its core, it can be locked in a guitar case and taken anywhere to be reproduced again in its most noteworthy form.

In 2013, my goals looked like this: 

Work hard towards my degrees at Oregon State

Find a job on the 2013 Vans Warped Tour

Large music interviews

Work at Starbucks

Read 25 books

Connect with friends often

Looking back at these goals and that year, I made decent progress towards many of these goals. I did well in my classes at Oregon State, I did some great and meaningful interviews with people I now consider friends, and I saw some decent progress in the gym. I didn't get a job at Starbucks, but I did get another job that I really loved, that I have since moved on from.

In 2014, my goals looked like this: 

Read 40 books

Stay up to date on various podcasts

Update personal blog at least twice a week

Keep adding to collection of kitchen tools

Save for wooden bed frame

Save for new rental lease

Save for new MacBook Pro

Build credit

Strive for excellence in the workplace

Keep up with friends

Do the music interviews that I'd like to do

I didn't have the progress that I would've liked this year, which is disappointing when I look back on it. I bought a new Macbook Pro, bought a few kitchen tools, stayed fairly updated on Podcasts, and made some progress in the gym. Perhaps I set my goals a bit too high? Perhaps not. 

In 2015, my goals look like this:

Throw my own birthday party (January 30th) and make it a blast - provide drinks, food, entertainment for everyone that shows up! This was an idea inspired by Matt and Toby from the rock band Emery. The main idea is that each person in a circle of friends strives to throw the best party they can, so that throughout the year, there’s always something cool going on. Best part? You don’t need to bring any gifts! What type of party would you like to attend?

Reflect on what I have and where I’m at and have an attitude of gratitude. I could be much worse off than I am right now. Some people don't even have legs to walk/run on, and I do. Things could be so much worse. 

While on social media, post positive things, and keep negativity to a minimum. This means being intentional about how I’m critical of something.

Intentionally unplug once a week and relax (meaning, turn off my iPhone and leave Macbook at home) - make commitments to meet others prior to unplugging. 

Wake-up extremely early (appx. 4:30am) - I’ve found that I do some of my best work early in the morning, even though it’s a massive struggle to be out of bed that early and I often fall asleep early.

Only do music interviews with people I really want to talk with - I’ll admit that I’ve done interviews in the past few years that I never wanted to do in the first place. I don’t want to do that, I want to be way more intentional. 

Write on this blog regularly - 3-4 pieces of commentary a month; this can relate to anything - music, TV, culture, etc. 

Read 30 books. Reading is incredibly important. Why is that? Because when you read, you're able to learn new things, consider perspectives you didn't before, and strengthen your vocabulary. 

Listen to podcasts regularly - some podcasts I consider similar to audiobooks, because I learn a great amount from them, even if it’s reconsidering my stance on something. 

Become less accessible.

Stay off Facebook chat. Similarly related, don’t respond to everyone via Twitter/Instagram and don't start pointless squabbles with others.

Be intentional about sharing positive feedback with others through social media and text messaging.

Be a guest on a podcast a few times.

Gym Goals [3RM]:

Squat - 335lbs

Bench Press 240lbs

Deadlift: 345lbs

Overhand Press: 160lbs