It’s college football season!!!!!!! As a die-hard Alabama Crimson Tide fan, it’s only natural to have this as the song of the week. 🙂 We rolled those gators!
Within Reason – “Elephant Fight” (2013).
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Bands You Should Know: Within Reason
Band: Within Reason
Genre: Rock
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Sounds like: A mix of Linkin Park, Daughtry, and Breaking Benjamin
Discography: Bloodshot Life (2009) and After the Crawl (2012)
Suggested Tracks: “We’ll Have It All,” “Here Comes the Light,” “Favorite Sin,” and “Instigator”
I saw Within Reason for the first time in October of 2008 and immediately fell in love. Perhaps the best thing about their performance was how apparent it was that they enjoyed each other, as well as the crowd. It always makes me happy when I have the chance to witness that camaraderie between members of a band, that certain something that shows that they don’t view this as only a job. This is their passion. These guys live for their music.
Within Reason’s music is something else. “Unique,” “astounding,” “addictive”…all of these words can be used to describe it. I have compared them to Linkin Park, Daughtry, and Breaking Benjamin, but that isn’t quite right, it’s just the closest I could get. Vocalist Chris Dow, bassist David Koonce, guitarist Chase Davidson, and drummer Griffin Zarbough create a sound that isn’t exactly like any other band. Therefore, I asked my friends for help describing their music. Here is what I was given:
“Their music is honest, pure, and just all-around great to listen to on any occasion, no matter what mood you’re in…”
“[Our songs] are songs by everyday people, just like you and me, about everyday issues.”
“They are one of the best bands I’ve ever been introduced to. The vocals are captivating, the lyrics amazing, and the music perfect.”
“[Within Reason] has a variety of music to listen to. None of their songs sound the same, and there’s a song to fit any mood.”
“[Within Reason’s music] is something a little different that will hook you and pull you in because you will identify with the lyrics.”
All of these descriptions are accurate. Within Reason writes about real aspects of day-to-day life, things that everyone can understand. Two great examples of this are “We’ll Have It All,” a track that deals with personal loss, yet is also an anthem of hope and encouragement, and “Don’t Walk Away,” written for a soldier who served in Iraq. While the band is undoubtedly not afraid to touch on serious issues, they do occasionally break away for some fun. Their cover of 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake’s “Ayo Technology” is absolutely fantastic and will give you a whole new love for the song, whether you cared for the original or not. (At live shows, Within Reason breaks out some of the most random covers, such as “Bleed It Out” by Linkin Park, “Boom” by POD, and “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley.)
Last, but certainly not least, is the fact that the guys themselves are amazing. All four of them are humble and down-to-Earth. They are always willing to take time out of their day to talk to a fan, sign an autograph, pose for a picture. I have never had a bad experience when in their presence, and that serves to add to my love for the band. This loyalty they inspire won them the Garage to Grammy contest in early 2013.
Relatable, fun, and entertaining, Within Reason is another band that I believe should hold a place in your music library. So give ’em a listen. They will not disappoint.
My Musings: Local Music
I wrote this a while back, inspired by some of the most wonderful nights of my life with Lynam, The Velcro Pygmies, Within Reason, Almost Kings, and Rearview Ghost. I wrote down all that occurred to me, then reworded it to make it sound better. (I’m a writer; it’s what we do.) This is the final product.
There is something undeniably beautiful about local musicians. Their craft is shaped by the love of music, not just a love of money. Every note, every chord, every lyric, every performance is guided by emotion and unmarked by the ugliness of greed. Local musicians still have a certain purity about them. This is only emphasized by their ability to actually see themselves touching lives. They can watch an audience in a way that is lost with too much success. From the stage, they witness the smiles, the laughter, the tears, the words to their songs being sung. But even more importantly, after the show they can meet these individuals, exchange words and hugs, learn something about the person before them, forging a connection, however slight.
There is a level where all of this is lost. And as much as we all want success for the bands/artists we love so much, it is an unfortunate side effect that a lot of what made them beautiful will fade in the glare of the limelight. They still touch lives, still make people laugh and smile. However, it is no longer a major part of the job…and they begin to lose the personal side of things, working only for a bunch of nameless and faceless fans that become nothing more than sources of money.
Local musicians are the true celebrities. They are the ones who deserve respect, praise, awe, and love. We should all devote as much to their cause as they do. I personally would be lost without the local musicians that I am lucky enough to call friends.
(Let me add that I do not begrudge those who succeed. I have no issue whatsoever with those who worked their way to the top. On the other hand, I do have problems with these created artists who never do anything to earn fame but get shoved down everyone’s throats. For every one of those “artists” that exists, the dreams of a legitimate and deserving artist are being crushed.)
Mostly Music 