THE ECHELON: November 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

30 STM Kanye Fetish

I've been wondering for a while why 30 STM has taken such a liking to Kanye West. First of all, they did a cover of Kanye's song Stronger, but then they also had him record Hurricane with them for the This Is War Deluxe album. I guess those are the only things that lead me to believe they have some sort of Kanye fetish, but it's kind of strange. I'm not a huge Kanye West fan though so I suppose I'm somewhat biased.

Anyway, I'm going to post a couple songs. The first is Kanye Wests song Stronger. The second is 30 STMs cover of Stronger. I'm posting both of these because 1) the boys totally blow Kanye out of the water with their version and 2) I mentioned in an earlier post how 30 STM does amazing covers, and this is living proof. Then I'm also posting Hurricane feat Kanye West to support my "Kanye West fetish" theory.

Stronger by Kanye West

Stronger Cover by 30 STM

Hurricane by 30 STM feat Kanye West

Friday, November 19, 2010

An Interview With the Guys

One of my many favorite interviews with 30 Seconds to Mars...

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Who Needs Santa Clause When You Can Have 30STM

That's right. 30 Seconds to Mars is coming to town and they couldn't have timed it any better.

So the guys are playing a show on New Years Eve in Vegas. It's going to be this huge thing; a themed concert, people are coming from all over the world to go to it and they have these special ticket packages in which you get to meet the band. But alas, I'm TRYING to save my money for when I move to Utah, and so I was devastated when the responsible side of me took over and told me I couldn't got to Vegas for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Not a day has gone by since they made the Vegas show announcement that I haven't thought about it, and dwelling on it has only made it that much harder. Then, just last night, 30 STM announced the first leg of their 2011 USA tour and what is one of the stops? SEATTLE! Home sweet home. I've found that once again the band has done something to lighten my mood. I may not be able to afford Vegas but I'm planning on being there front and center at the Paramount on January 18th. I'm even hoping I can convince Susan to come visit. What fun is a concert without your concert buddy?

Monday, November 15, 2010

Great Covers

One thing I love about 30 Seconds to Mars is that they do great covers. I personally think that they should do a cover of Journeys "Don't Stop Believin." Why not? Jared's already got the moves down.

20 Reasons Why I Love 30 STM...Although There Are Many More

1. From Yesterday. This song affects me like no other song does.
2. They don't sing blatantly about love
3. Their songs are left open to interpretation
4. They don't depend on the word baby to comlpete their lyrics
5. Their music has a great energy to it, whether it's their new stuff, or their old stuff
6. The boys have great chemistry
7. They're all ridiculously funny-especially when they're together
8. They have a great community surrounding them-The Echelon
9. They appreciate their fans/family
10. They're intelligent
11. They're hot...it's got to be said :)
12. Jared's ability to pull off any hairstyle
13. The fact that they wear pony bead bracelets
14. They're never afraid to wear sunglasses
15. They create brilliant covers
16. They're acoustic stuff is amazing. It's in its own genre of brilliance.
17. They involve their fans in any way they can
18. The fact that Jared isn't afraid to stop singing at concerts and let the crowd take over
19. They make fun of themselves
20. They've worked hard to get where they are today

Evolution of a Rock Band...

Or "Revolution," As Jared likes to call it.

I read something recently about someone who used to be a fan of 30 Seconds to Mars but claimed that the band had "sold out" and was no longer sincere. If you don't know 30 STM, then you probably don't know what this person is referring to. Let's just say that the band started out as a pretty solid rock band, but as time passed and subsequent albums were released, their sound changed from album to album. A Beautiful Lie held a slightly different sound than their first album, and This Is War displayed a drastic change in sound from A Beautiful Lie, switching to a more electronic rock feel. This is where some people believe the band "sold out." All I have to say regarding the aforementioned person is that I appreciate the fact that the band was willing to share their new sound with the fans. I know a lot of bands who maintain the same sound through out their entire career, which is fine. But I think it's more probable that people experience different things in life that influence and change the sound of their music. I would rather a band create the music they feel reflects them best, and be courageous and willing enough to share it with the fans, versus a band that keeps the same sound just to please fans. I believe that is the epitome of insincerity. Experience the evolution of a rock band:

Capricorn, from their first album "30 Seconds to Mars"