Y’all are going to laugh that it took this long, but I finally bought a Kindle. I’ve had Kindle Unlimited for two years, and I’ve been reading like a fiend on my phone. However, I decided I needed something with a bigger/adjustable display (after frequent headaches from the constant eye strain of looking at my phone and the computers at work). I decided on the Kindle Paperwhite and so far, I’m enjoying it immensely.
Anyway, I’m telling you that to tell you this: I’ve been sailing through novels since the device arrived! May has been productive. So much so, in fact, that I changed my goal for the year. I am now aiming for 75 books instead of 50.
Here is what I have finished over the past month.
The Cheerleaders (Kara Thomas)
Rating: 3.5/5
Satan’s Affair (H.D. Carlton)
Rating: 3/5
The Summer She Went Missing (Chelsea Ichaso)
Rating: 4/5
No Place Left to Hide (Megan Lally)
Rating: 4/5
Hide (Kiersten White)
Rating: 3/5
Such Quiet Girls (Noelle West Ihli)
Rating: 3.5/4
Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
Rating: 3/5
The Final Scene (Steph Nelson)
Rating: 3.5/5
The Collector (K.R. Alexander)
Rating: 2.5/5
***
I am currently reading Little Women (Louisa May Alcott), The Collected (K.R. Alexander), and You Shouldn’t Have Come Here (Jeneva Rose).
Alt-metal titans Carbonstone are coming out swinging with their latest single and music video, “Standoff,” which releases May 30th. The new track boasts a vocal collaboration with Jonny Santos of Silent Civilian, Spineshank, and The Less Dead. With “Standoff,” Carbonstone has taken their raw emotion and relentless energy to the next level, and it packs the punch of a speeding freight train.
This song is multi-layered, both musically and in its history. Says Carbonstone frontman Corey James, “I actually wrote this way back in 2010. [“Standoff”] was originally released as a demo on an old EP called Strength in Silence. It was completely organic with zero electronic elements.”
But the track stuck with him, as some songs do, and James found himself circling back to it. “I sometimes revisit songs from the past, and this one has always spoken to me. I thought it would be really cool to bring it back and give it a complete makeover.”
Enter Jonny Santos, an influential figure in James’ musical journey. The two artists began talking after James reached out. “I literally saw him make a post and took a shot in the dark.” The conversation turned to the topic of a collaboration and, says James, a reimagining of “Standoff” immediately came to mind. The result is an in-your-face piece with the electronic/industrial/nu metal stylings so true to Carbonstone.
“Standoff” is roughly four minutes of vented fury, unleashed in the form of crunchy guitars, steady percussion, and the vocal interplay between James and Santos. The track calls out those who take advantage of the people around them and gives a hearty middle finger to anyone who believes your only worth is in being used and controlled.
“It’s such a shame you betray everyone with the fucking words you say/You believe I’m so weak/Come and get a motherfucking piece of me!”
The song is another example of a story carefully constructed with music, something at which Carbonstone excels. Using a maelstrom of instrumentation with a dance between a low tortured growl and an outburst of rage-filled screams, it carries the listener through the narrator’s emotional journey of becoming fed up with somebody who is manipulative and breaking the chains that once bound them together.
Catharsis is then reached after the second chorus, when James and Santos declare “I’m letting you go.” Echoing the release of all the anger and the sense of resolve that has been found, there is a brief acoustic interlude, and the track reaches its conclusion with a sprinkle of flamenco style picking.
“Standoff” will be available on May 30th. The music video premieres at 8 p.m. EST, and the song will hit streaming services at midnight!
You can pre-save “Standoff” here, and you can find links to all of Carbonstone’s socials and streaming profiles at carbonstone.net.
Pop/rock band The Fray is touring this year to celebrate 20 years of their debut record, How to Save a Life. With support from The Strike on their North American shows, and Landon Barker on select dates throughout, The Fray will be trekking across the globe from July to December. (There are a few festivals/fairs in September, but they are not included as part of this tour.)
Prog rockers Coheed and Cambria are teaming up with emo/pop-punk band Taking Back Sunday this summer! Featuring special guest Foxing, an indie rock outfit, this 25-date run kicks off August 16th in St. Louis. Grab your tickets at coheedandcambria.com, or you can snag tickets and VIP experiences with Taking Back Sunday at takingbacksunday.com!
8/16 – St. Louis, MO – Saint Louis Music Park
8/17 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
8/19 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
8/20 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory
8/22 – Detroit, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
8/23 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
8/24 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
8/26 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion
8/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Highmark Skyline Stage at the Mann
8/29 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
8/30 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
9/2 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
9/3 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater
9/5 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
9/6 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
9/8 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
9/9 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater
9/10 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
9/12 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
9/14 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
9/15 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square
9/17 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
9/18 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
9/20 – Troutdale, OR – McMenamins Edgefield
9/21 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
Hard rockers Pistols at Dawn are going to be busy throughout the summer and early fall! Along with a headlining date in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the Georgia-based band will be supporting Buckcherry for most of July and August, and they open for The Struts on September 27th in San Antonio. You can get your tickets at pistolsatdawnband.com!
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