Blink 182

I think this is my all time favorite band.  Although they have a different style of music as to what I like to listen to now, they are my inspiration for music.  I have been listening to them since probably elementary school.  Even though they broke up for a few years, they got back together. Sadly, they only did one summer tour last year, which I didn't get to go to, and now they haven't been doing much in the ways of making a new album.  I think if I got to see them live, I'd be pretty damn happy.  I love pretty much every song they have put out.  They're pretty awesome.  Never gonna dislike them, I promise that.

Sum 41

So this band is one that I don't listen to too much, but I love them.  They're fast pace, and they're lyrics are pretty funny.  I'm so glad I got the opportunity to see them live this year.  They finally played at Warped Tour, and I was so psyched at the time.  I mostly like their older stuff that they put out, opposed to the newer albums.  Their newer stuff just isn't quite as good in my opinion.  Although I do like some of the newer stuff they have out, it just doesn't compare to what they started with.

Yellowcard

This band goes way back.  I'm not quite sure when I first started listening to them.  Alls I know is that 'Ocean Avenue' was the first album I have heard by them, and the only one that I really like.  I was absolutely in love with that CD back then.  Every now and then nowadays I'll throw the CD on in the car.  I still love them, and the fact that they uniquely use an electric violin in the band.  I think it's pretty cool, and different.

The Used

This is one of the bands I've known about for a longer time.  I found out about these guys back in middle school towards when they first put out an album.  My friend showed me one of their music videos, and I immediately fell in love with the band.  Ever since, I've been getting their albums that have been coming out, and even though their music has been changing a lot, I still love them, and always will.  I remember when I used to play the guitar I learned how to play one of my favorite songs by them, 'I Caught fire'.  I will always love that song.

A Skylit Drive

I'm pretty sure I heard about this band during my freshman year of high school.  I was pretty addicted to them for a good amount of time, probably over a year.  I still like them nowadays, just not near as much as I did then. As of now it's an every now and then type of thing, like maybe when they come up on shuffle on my ipod or something.  They just don't appeal to me quite as much as they used to.  I did, though, get to see them live twice in the past.  I do have to say, they are pretty fun to see in person.  They're a really good band, just not as much my style now.

Taking Back Sunday

So for years now, since around the time I started to play the guitar (I don't still play now), I have been listening to TBS. I'm not a huge fan, but I do like their music.  I honestly haven't listened to them much in years, but I still love their old music.  Compared to the old stuff they put out, their newer album, in my opinion, isn't that good at all.  It just doesn't sound like them, or at least what I like to think they sound like. Even though I don't listen to them as much as I used to, back in middle school and early high school, I will still always have them on my iPod as something to listen to every now and then.  My favorite song by them will always be 'Cute without the E'.  It's pretty much what got me hooked.

Miss May I

I've only been listening to this band for about a week now.  With that said, I'm hooked.  The clean vocalist in this band is amazing.  I love the sound and the effects he uses, as well as the screamer.  Most would think the screamer sounds just like every other screamer in the music industry, but I hear a uniqueness.  I like the band's music a lot, and can't seem to stop listening to them this past week.  I really hope to see them live soon, just like what I hope to do with every other band I listen to.  Hopefully this band, unlike others, stays fully together and keeps producing more albums and keeps getting better.

Senses Fail

So my first ever concert was back in middle school at the Deptford Mall right up the street from me.  One of the stores I like there, Zumiez, was doing a free skate show and concert out in the parking lot one day, and it happened to be both one of my favorite skate teams and at the time my favorite band, which was Senses Fail.  That day was the first day I had been in a crowd and it was overwhelming for me at the time.  I was getting thrown around and just wasn't used to it, but soon adapted to it.  I've been listening to this band ever since, and probably will for a long time.  They seem to keep coming out with new albums, and they just keep getting better.  Such a great band.

Drop Dead, Gorgeous

Drop Dead, Gorgeous is a weird band, in my opinion.  They're a bit crazy, but their music is really good.  They're also somewhat unique with what they produce.  Their screamer has a very unique scream, and it kind of makes the band.  They are a hardcore band, but they also use background music that they make on the computer, and use it during shows and such.  I got the opportunity to see them live, back stage last year on my birthday, which was really cool.  I met the band, and got the drumstick the drummer used during the show which was pretty cool too.  Although I haven't listened to these guys in a while, I doubt I'll stop liking them.

Chiodos

I have been into Chiodos since I was in probably seventh grade. Ever since my friend gave me an EP CD of a few bands, and one of them was Chiodos, I was hooked and couldn't stop listening to them.  Sadly, they didn't come out with new albums much, and when they did, which was just recently, they didn't have the same singer or drummer.  This was a drastic change for the band.  The original lead singer was extremely unique in both his voice and his scream, and without him, in my opinion, the band just isn't the same at all.  I wouldn't have even kept the same band name with a new singer for them.  Although I don't agree with having a new singer, their new album, 'Illuminaudio' is still pretty decent.  It's quite different from their old music, and doesn't sound like them at all, but it's still good and I'll listen to it every now and then.

Asking Alexandria

This is a newer band that I've somewhat recently been listening to.  This band is an English metalcore band from York, North Yorkshire.  They were founded in just 2008, and are pretty amazing.  Although they might have a similar sound to some other bands, they are unique in their own ways as well.  You can definitely hear the lead singer's English accent when he sings, which is pretty cool.  I also got the opportunity to see them live for the first time two or so weeks ago.  They were incredible live, and unlike a lot of bands, sound like their album when they played.  It shows they have more skill and don't need as much cleanup when they record their music.

Brand New

A bit of a different band compared to the rest of the posts I've made, is 'Brand New'.  This band is a lot more chill, nowhere near as hard as the music I typically listen to.  With that said, I will always love this band.  I haven't heard everything they have put out, but I've heard a good amount.  My favorite album is probably Deja Entendu, which was released in 2004.  They also just somewhat recently put out a new album, called Daisy.  It was released in late 2008, and sounded completely different from their previous albums.  I didn't really like this album quite as much as their other ones, but it's still alright.  Hopefully they put out a new album in the future that's more like their old stuff.

As I Lay Dying

Alright so we're getting into the harder stuff now. As I lay dying is definitely a harder type of music compared to a lot of the stuff that I listen to.  They are a metalcore band that was formed in 2000.  I can't say I dislike any of their albums, but then again I haven't heard every song from every album.  The songs that I have heard, though, and I have heard quite a few, are pretty amazing.  Their newest album has just recently come out, called 'The Powerless Rise'.  This CD is pretty incredible.  Their type of music doesn't really seem to change too much as new albums come out, but the music is definitely getting better.  My favorite song by them is probably 'Meaning in Tragedy'.  Even though I don't listen to this band a ton, I'll probably always have them on my iPod.

House vs. Hurricane

Pretty recently I've gotten into listening to this band, and I'm liking them a lot.  My friend, a month or two ago, just introduced me to them.  As soon as he played the first song I fell in love with the band.  The music is pretty cool and I can't seem to stop listening to them now.  The band is more hardcore style, with clean vocals and a synthesizer, for a more techno sound integrated with the harder sound.  Altogether the band is pretty awesome and I would recommend them to anyone who likes more hard core type music, like myself.

A Day To Remember

All time favorite right here. This band is quite different from the rest, and I will always, and I mean always love them.  Their music is upbeat and I just love listening to them.  When I started listening to them, they were on one of their older albums, I'm not quite sure which it was, but I liked it a lot.  Soon after, they came out with a newer album called 'Homesick'.  This album was absolutely incredible.  I'm not sure they could make a better one than this, but who knows.  I got the chance to see them live last year at Warped Tour '09, and I had a great time.  Currently, there is an EP out for their new album 'What Separates Me From You'.  I have only heard two songs from it, and it sounds a little different from their previous album, but still pretty good.  I'm hoping the album is released soon so I can check the whole thing out, and maybe even see them play it live in the near future.

The Devil Wears Prada

I've been listening to The Devil Wears Prada for about three years now, and they just keep getting better with every album they put out.  This is one of those bands that I like every album that they have put out, and most likely will like every album they will put out.  My personal favorite album is their more recent one, 'With Roots Above and Branches Below'.  Once I heard that album I became addicted, and couldn't stop listening to it.  I went through that album so many times.  Their older albums are also pretty good, I just don't listen to them quite as much.  Also, their newest EP has just come out, 'Zombies'.  The five songs on the EP are pretty amazing in my opinion, so I'm gonna guess the album will be great when it comes out.  I have also gotten the chance to see the band live, with them playing pretty much the entire 'With
Roots Above and Branches Below' album, which was pretty amazing. 
I don't think I'm ever going to dislike this band.

August Burns Red

August Burns Red is a band that I like to listen to every couple weeks.  I try not to listen to them too much so I don't get tired of hearing them.  This is one of my favorite metal bands.  I happen to like all of the albums that they have put out, which is just three.  'Thrill Seeker', 'Messengers', and their newest release, 'Constellations'.  I'm not quite sure how long I have been listening to them, but I know I always will.  I am also trying to see this band live in November this year in Philly at the Electric Factory.  They are playing with a band that I have already seen live, but am not really a huge fan of them, called 'Bring Me the Horizon'.  Although I'm not a huge fan, the show should be pretty awesome.

Alesana

I've been listening to Alesana for about four years now.  I'm not into this band quite as much as the bands from other posts I've made,  but like those posts, I only like a certain album by the band.  Other newer or older albums just don't really do it for me, and therefore I just forget they exist, really.  The album I like a lot from this band is called 'On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax'.  This album came out the year I started listening to them, which was in the summer of 2006.  Later in that same year, the band signed on to 'Fearless Records', which re-released their LP in March of 2007, and released a music video for one of the songs of the album, Ambrosia.  I'll probably always listen to this band, whether it  be constant or just an every-now-and-then type of thing.

New Found Glory

Most of the bands I learned about before high school, mostly in middle school, stuck with me for the most part. In around sixth or seventh grade, a friend of mine introduced me to New Found Glory, and I immediately got addicted to one album of theirs, 'Catalyst'.  I liked everything about this album, from the fast beat music, to the lyrics, everything was just great about this album.  I still listen to them every now and then today, but just like the other bands I've talked about before, only that certain album.  Other albums that they put out after Catalyst just didn't meet up to my expectations, and I never really enjoyed listening to them near as much as I did this one.  What's even better, is that I got the opportunity to see this band live, and they did happen to play a few songs from my favorite album.  It was a great show.

Underoath

A band that I've always liked a lot, but never listened to as much as others, is Underoath.  I have been listening to them for about five or six years now.  The band has gone through quite a bit lineup wise, and currently, none of the existing members were originally in the band when it was created back in 1997.  The difference between the sound of the music they put out in the beginning and later on, more towards now, is very big.  They sound nothing like they used to.  I will always be a fan of this band, and will always like the 'in-between' albums the most.  'They're Only Chasing Safety' and 'Define the Great Line' are my two favorite albums of Underoath's.

Linkin Park

The band that got me into the kind of music I listen to today is without a doubt Linkin Park.  I have been listening to them since I was in about second grade.  I'm not really sure what got me into them, but I'm glad I did.  I had their two first albums, Hybrid Theory and Meteora.  Both of these albums I still listen to today, and know just about every word to every song from listening to them so much.  Hybrid Theory was released the day before my birthday in 2000, on October 24th.  I was only 9 years old at the time.  The next album they released, even better than the first, was Meteora, which was out on March 25, 2003.  Every song on this album, in my own opinion, was incredible.

After this album, I refused to really listen to anything new they put out.  The albums they put out after Meteora sounded completely different, and wasn't them in my opinion.  I wish they did put out more stuff like their first two albums, but there's not much I can do, really.

Blessthefall

So one of my all time favorite bands is Blessthefall.  Typically if someone likes a given band, they will have all their albums and listen to each of them.  For this band in particular, even though they have only three albums out, there is only one that I can't seem to stop listening to, and for that matter, is the only one I will listen to.  The album 'His Last Walk' is in my opinion one of the best albums I've ever heard.  With a release date of April 10, 2007, I have been listening to the album constantly, still surprised at how great it is.

While on their first European tour in 2007 with Silverstein, Craig Mabbitt, Blessthefall's lead singer, left the band for 'personal reasons'.  The band continued the tour with their bassist, Jared Warth, filling in for the band's vocals.  Later, Mabbitt attempted to join back up with the band, but they decided to go on without him, and wouldn't let him back in, which really made me angry.  The band, in my opinion, wouldn't be the same without Mabbitt on lead vocals.

In May of 2008, Mabbitt was announced to be the new lead vocalist for another band I used to be fond of called Escape the Fate.  This too, I didn't agree with.  Both bands needed their original vocalists in order to sound like themselves.  Seeing both bands part with their original singers really upset me, and I couldn't enjoy any new albums that either band put out.  I guess some bands just weren't meant to stick together.

Startup

Hey everyone

My name is Mike Welsh, and I'll be posting each week about bands I listen to pretty much all the time.  Music is a big part of my life, and it will probably be that way for a long time.  The bands that I post are some of my more favorite ones that I listen to more than others.