Best Of 2012: The Nearly Deads Picture Me Broken... A Disco-Damaged Kitten

Here's my prediction... I believe what's in front of me.

My premonition...

The Nearly Deads.

Not nearly at all. In fact, the Best of 2012.



Perception of selection is highly subjective. Opinions as electorate. No need for a doctorate. Just need to exhume one's palette.

Pontificate & Postulate.

Fact & Friction.

Align & Canonize.

Assimilation is just somebody that I used to know.

Redact your mind's Mannequins.

Embrace Life Down Here

Play Hard.

Anything could happen

Play Harder.

What Are You So Scared Of...

ALBUMS/EPs

1. The Nearly Deads

2. Icon For Hire Scripted

3. Life Down Here The Beginning

4. Tonight Alive What Are You So Scared Of?

5. Ellie Goulding Halcyon

6. Picture Me Broken Mannequins

7. Krewella Play Hard

8. Porter Robinson Spitfire

9. Flyleaf New Horizons

10. Ke$ha Warrior

UNDERTOW
Deadmau5 Album Title Goes Here
Hayley Reardon Where the Artists Go
Jillette Johnson Whiskey & Frosting
Jessie J Who You Are
Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson Wreck and Ruin
Kitten Cut It Out
Krewella Play Harder
Skylar Grey The Buried Sessions

SONGS (SPOTIFY PLAYLIST)
1. The Nearly Deads “Never Look Back”
2. Haley Rose “Happily Ever After”
3. Kitten “Kitten With A Whip”
4. Avril Lavigne “How You Remind Me”
5. Tonight Alive “What Are You So Scared Of?”
6. Icon For Hire “The Grey”
7. Krewella “Killin’ It (Extended Mix)”
8. Christina Perri “Ave Maria”
9. Life Down Here “Standing Inside”
10. Dead Sara “Weatherman”

EVENFLOW
Cady Groves I Don’t Give A Fuck
Cherri Bomb Shake The Ground
Ellie Goulding Only You
Falling In Reverse I’m Not A Vampire
fun. Somebody That I Used to Know (ft. Hayley Williams)
Jessie J Domino (Jumpsmokers Remix)
Krewella Alive (Cash Cash x DJ Kalkutta Remix)
Life Down Here Daddy's Song
Neo Geo Masquerade
New Years Day Do Your Worst
Lacey Sturm Heavy Prey
Picture Me Broken Beautiful Disguise
Picture Me Broken Nothing Further From The Truth
Polly Scattergood Disco Damaged Kid
Porter Robinson Unison
Pretty Lights Finally Moving
Regina Spektor How
Skylar Grey C'mon Let Me Ride (ft. Eminem)
Soundgarden “Rowing”
The Nearly Deads Fact & Friction

Will.i.am Scream and Shout (ft. Britney Spears)






A Kitten by any other name is just a cat. A dog is 100% in the Bitch.

SHOWS*
1. Porter Robinson @ SXSW, Empire Automotive, Austin, TX 3/15/12
2. Kitten @ Bootleg Theater, Los Angeles, CA 9/24/12
3. Icon For Hire @ Lincoln Theatre, Decatur, IL 11/24/12
4. Soundgarden @ Fonda Theatre, Hollywood, CA 11/27/12
5. Halestorm @ House of Blues, W. Hollywood, CA 11/13/12
6. Dead Sara @ SXSW, Buffalo Billiards, Austin, TX 3/16/12
7. Krewella @ Ten Nightclub, Newport Beach, CA 7/29/12
8. No Doubt/Kitten @ Gibson Amp, Los Angeles, CA 12/4/12
9. Cady Groves/Hot Chelle Rae @ Roxy, W. Hollywood, CA 2/25/12
10. Picture Me Broken @ Whiskey A Go-Go, WeHo, CA 11/6/12

Break On Through To The Other Side...

As the incumbent was being ushered in for a second term, a sparse crowd at one of the world's most revered clubs was witnessing the future President of the United States of Rock.

Picture Me Broken...I cast my vote

Now Corrupt Me

OVERFLOW

Blood On The Dance Floor (w/ Haley Rose) @ El Rey, LA, CA 12/13/12
Cassadee Pope (w/ Ryan Key) @ Key Club, W. Hollywood, CA 1/31/12
Cherri Bomb/Life Down Here @ Roxy, W. Hollywood, CA 8/10/12
Evolove/Neo Geo/Blameshift @ Roxy, W. Hollywood, CA 2/13/12
Falling In Reverse/The Used/Dead Sara @ Club Nokia, LA, CA 3/29/12
Frank Turner @ House of Blues, Anaheim, CA 9/20/12
Jessie J @ Roxy Theatre, W. Hollywood, CA 4/9/12
Pierce The Veil/Sleeping With Sirens/Tonight Alive @ Glass House, Pomona, CA 10/12/12
New Years Day/Davey Suicide @ Bar Sinister, Hollywood, CA 3/3/12
Neil Diamond @ Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA 8/18/12
Regina Spektor @ Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA 8/14/12
Stars in Stereo @ Troubadour, W. Hollywood, CA 4/22/12
Stitched Up Heart @ House of Blues, W. Hollywood, CA 8/25/12
Valora @ House of Blues (Parish Room), W. Hollywood, CA 10/5/12
Van Halen @ Honda Center, Anaheim, CA 6/12/12
Warped Tour, Salt Lake City, UT 6/16/12 (Opening Day)

What could have been and what shall be...

*Paramore/Kitten/Life Down Here @ The Fox, Pomona, CA 8/14/12

I, inadvertently, bought tickets to both Regina Spektor at the Greek (2nd row) and Paramore (with two of my favorite LA bands as openers) at The Fox Theater in Pomona. It was also Paramore's only U.S. show of the year...they were warming up the new band configuration for a couple of UK festivals.

I had never seen Ms Spektor so I wrestled with which to choose for several weeks and, finally, chose Regina though I nearly changed my mind driving to the Greek that night. It was a great show but I think I missed one of the year's very best.



*Krewella/Zeds Dead/Adventure Club @ Congress, Chicago 12/29/12

We all touched the sky...

TV

1. Homeland
2. The League
3. Breaking Bad
4. Sons of Anarchy
5. Dexter
6. Awkward
7. Veep
8. True Blood
9. The Newsroom
10. Portlandia

I feel a Changeover...and the Audience has no idea...

In 2013, we shall be complicit in a New Age of Enlightenment.

Look forward toward:

The Nearly Deads, Avril Lavigne, New Years Day, Icon For Hire, Paramore, VersaEmerge, Cady Groves, Picture Me Broken, Life Down Here, Skylar Grey, Sky Ferreira, Tonight Alive, The Pretty Reckless, The Culprit (ft Samie Jayden), Haley Rose, Stars In Stereo, Christina Perri, Cilver, Neo Geo, Valora, Blameshift, Stitched Up Heart, Kitten, Krewella, Skrillex, Garbage, Lissie, Leerone, Jillette Johnson, He Is We, We Are The In Crowd, Eyes Set To Kill, I the Mighty, The Atlantic, The Goods, The Maddigans, Blacklisted Me, Black Veil Brides, Juliet Simms & Cassadee Pope.

Never Look Back...

ICON FOR HIRE Unzip Lincoln Script; Stitch By Stitch By Stitch

Impulsive. I'm. I've been. I shall be.

The word "impulsive" gets a bad rap.

Sure, there are two sides to every coin, even a two-headed one.

On one side, impulses flood our conscious mind all the time. Some are primal. The desire to eat. But then what comes next? Does one nourish the impulse responsibly or does temptation take hold.

Is a muddy swamp of high fructose corn syrup on the horizon? Is 500 milligrams of caffeine necessary? Is 22 ounces of red meat in one fell swoop vital?

We all have our thresholds with temptation. One of mine centers around a preoccupation with black hoodies.

I'm a bit impulsive on the hoodie front. Having a whole closet full of 'em does not deter me from acquiring a new one at any given moment. A strange behavior for someone residing in sunny Southern California...how many days, exactly, can I even wear them? My quick response, aside from fashion sense and practicality, is that I have a lot of favorite bands / brands.

The other side of the coin is the root of the word "impulsive". The word "pulse". To have a pulse. To live life to the fullest. To, sometimes, act on desires. We're only in this world for a relatively short time and there's so much to see and do.

Being a natural born explorer, there's a spirit in me that thrives on the journey, the adventure. The unknown.

Don't Call Me Maybe.

Call Me Alive!

Matching my fervor for life is a lifelong passion for music, in all of its consumable forms.

When asked about their first concert experience, most people reply...my parents drug me to...blah blah blah.

I drug mine.

As a young boy in grade school, I inhaled everything on FM rock radio and at the ripe ol' age of 10, I talked my mom into taking me (and my younger sister) to see one of my new favorite bands whose hit single 'Feels Like The First Time' was exploding across the local airwaves. Foreigner was opening for Aerosmith (at the height of their bloated excess). Off we went to a sold-out baseball stadium and my life was changed forever.

Throughout my inauguration to the hallowed halls of rock 'n roll in the flesh, I was definitely immersed in a state of sensory overload but the performances weren't transcedent. The experience was.

And it felt like the first time because it bloody was.

I also left thinking... I really liked the opening band. Their singer Bon Scott had a growl. It wasn't vocal prowess he possessed. More like a possessed vocal Prowler.

The years and the decades have disintegrated before me but one thing has remained true to this day. My so-called impulsive behavior continues to color my musical life.

From my days of buying albums because the jacket cover looked cool to sleeping out all night (even in Chicago in January) for tickets to the biggest shows (i.e. Van Halen 1984) to working at a record store and accepting every freebie pair of tix that was ever offered to me (all but one...I turned down tix to drive to Wisconsin to see Stevie Ray Vaughn open for Eric Clapton...a huge regret) to working within the major label systems to my continued days in the business, music is still the beating pulse that courses and sustains.

My zest for music discovery, championing talented new bands and travel travails remains the same.

Very often it puts my membrane on a jet plane.

Just after the turn of the millennium, I contacted All Music Guide alerting them to their lack of an in-depth bio for a burgeoning Dutch producer named Tijs Michiel Verwest. AMG replied back and I soon found myself penning his BIO which led to a subsequent phone interview, which led to my impulsive desire to fly to Spain to see his Tuesday night Godskitchen residency @ Amnesia. Tiesto's 6-hour set (until dawn) on the tiny paradise island of Ibiza may very well be the pinnacle of my concert life.

I've had other memorable sonic excursions seeing Paramore in Cuyahoga Falls, Pink Floyd in Phoenix, Phish in San Fran, Pearl Jam in Dallas, Ozzfest (w/ Pantera) in Dallas, Kings of Leon in Nashville, Kasey Chambers in Boston, Tori Amos in NYC, Ke$ha in Las Vegas, Paul Oakenfold in Miami, Metallica in Austin, Marilyn Manson in Dayton (on Feb 14, 1997),  and Avril Lavigne in Moncton, a small Canadian town in the quaint province of New Brunswick.

Which brings me to a quaint provincial paradise in the heart of the Land of Lincoln...

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Once home to Abraham Lincoln, who settled with his family west of town in 1830, it's sometimes referred to "the Soybean Capital of the World".

Fast forward 182 years...a huge hill of beans later.

About three months ago, I discovered a new band. Not necessarily that "new" but new to me.

They call themselves ICON FOR HIRE and I call myself a convert.

Fortunately for me, a perfect storm of circumstances soon presented themselves:

New favorite band - check

Never seen them live - check

Hometown show - check

Haven't played hometown in 18 months - check

Band is playing the entirety of their brilliant debut album - check

Based in Decatur, IL and I've never been - check

Fondness for the microcosm of small towns - check

Theatre is haunted by ghosts - check

Saturday night of a Holiday weekend - check

Reasonable price for a Meet n Greet / Pit ticket - check

Ease of Orbitz.com - check

Unscripted adventure - check

This wasn't even an impulsive decision. This was a can't-miss once-in-a-lifetime experience! 

Icon For Hire would soon cater to Decatur and I would bear witness, not ask for forgiveness!

Flying to Chicago, I soon strapped myself behind the wheel of a sleek black Jetta and headed deep into the center of Central Illinois. While most of the 180-mile drive south was mundane, visually, it was exhilarating, spiritually.

The further along US-51 South I traveled, the more my pulse hastened. Without a doubt, I would easily be the most excited person to arrive in Decatur that weekend...and, perhaps, ever! A 2000-mile journey definitely amplifies reality and the confluence of circumstances was still in effect.

When I finally saw the Welcome To Decatur sign, it was like seeing the Holy Grail for the first time. It glowed in the crisp midday sun. I had arrived! The majesty of Decatur shone down upon me.

Heading over to the venue early for the pre-show acoustic performance / meet 'n greet, my Volkswagen Jetta "impulsively" wanted to park next to a cute lil  German Bug decoratively attired as a tribute to REO Speedwagon.

Minutes for the memory book... Keep On Rollin'. Check.

After buying a bunch of IFH merch including a fresh black hoodie (shocker!), I marched upstairs to an intimate VIP gathering.

Seated on wooden stools, singer Ariel Bloomer, guitarist Shawn Jump, drummer Adam Kronshagen and bassist Josh Kincheloe gregariously answered inquiring questions from inquiring minds, many of which were tangentially connected to the band members, themselves.

Sure, Decatur is a small town, but that's what made the charm of what was transpiring even more engaging. Such a simple honest exchange was taking place and it was very refershing. No pretension. No hesitation. I felt like I was in a classroom...at the School of Rock!

The band touched on the sarcastic tone of their name which slyly mimics the way pop culture makes Idols out of singers/musicians.

Their reflective societal concept, timing wise, turned out to be a rather interesting coincidence, and unknowing indictment, of fellow Decaturan CeCe Frey who, at the time, was continuing to defy odds on her rise to the Top 6 on X Factor. Ms Frey seems to be the exact embodiment of being an Icon For Hire, a role she seemed to relish and, surely, will continue to.

The band also discussed their influences (Ariel: Linkin Park, Rage Against The Machine; Shawn: John Mayer, Kenny Chesney; Josh: Memphis May Fire; Adam: Metal, Hardcore) before asking for song requests.

With solo acoustic accompaniment by Mr Jump, Ariel belted out rousing renditions of "Make A Move," "Get Well" and "Pieces," a favorite of hers because of its message of empowerment. Electricity sans electric was flowing. There must have been Ghosts in the Machine but not to worry because The Police were nearby.

In between songs, the two continued to share personal stories. Practically finishing each others' thoughts at times, Ariel and Shawn resembled an old married couple.

600 shows on the road together hem a tightly-knit sweater vest.

Afterwards, the band joyfully posed for pictures with each and every person, adding an extra layer of importance to concept of Very Important People.

The night would soon be amplified to seventh heaven.

All ghosts needed to make an overture or forever hold their peace.

Not wanting to dilute the magic of seeing Icon For Hire for the first time and fully wanting to enjoy my ONE night in Decatur, I asked the band for a restaurant recommendation and was soon able to have a lookie-loo at the coo coo ca-choo seafood at Bizou.

Fine dining. Open and inviting. Though I must admit that Decatur's fish market is a lot less expansive than Tokyo's, Seattle's or Sydney's (I've been to all three).

Nevertheless, the food in my fairy tale was phenomenal.

Mercury levels rising, I returned to Lincoln and took a place stage center, 2nd person back.

There was no red crush velvet curtain for Ariel to peek her head through, but my anticipation to hear the opening strains of "Overture" followed by the driving urgency of "Theatre" would soon unfurl.

And when Ariel vibrantly exorcised "I'm gonna burn this theatre down & pray to God for the strength to help me Face the crowd, I wanna live like I lost the script & scream every line Like "THIS IS IT!", it all came crashing down on me...a tidal wave of joy that continues to sow my lifelong adventurous row.

"Theatre" really resonates within me for I live life like I lost the script and on countless occasions have screamed THIS IS IT!

I'll probably end Up In Flames before the end of the night...

As Icon For Hire sonically seared through Scripted (including my favorite song "The Grey" which I would travel 2000 miles again to see in person), I was, once again, immersed in a state of sensory overload but the performance, overall, wasn't transcendent.

Ironically, it, at times, felt a bit scripted. A 180 from the off-the-cuff pre-show gathering. Don't get me wrong. The passion was there. The energy was overflowing. The crowd was crowing. The band were infinitely dialed in and sounded impeccable but often teetered towards paint-by-numbers rather than Michelangelo.

Spraying silly string?? Trampolines for a cover of House of Pain "Jump Around" sans Cirque du Soleil costuming and choreography???

Given the band's vivacious imagination and mastery of the visual medium as evidenced in their magnificent music videos coupled with Ariel's visionary artistic pedigree (i.e. her trendsetting fashionista sense propelling her Custom Catastrophes clothing line or her meticulous notes throughout the Scripted liners portraying the album as a complete and thorough work of art apt for a full-blown theatrical production), I know their live show is capable of a higher power.

Until paint-by-numbers insouciance eschews eminence relevance, I decree:

Off With Her Head

Icon did, at times, color outside the lines. Moments that ascended greatness to infamy were the breakdown of "Only A Memory" where the refrain of "I will not bend 'til I break" was poignantly extended for a few extra measures and the beginning of the encore...

Starting with the iconic riff of Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama," ICH segued into a "new" song that found Ariel spitting hip hop with a forceful pop, lock & drop. This brief uncharted excursion sounded like an Icon For Hire mash-up of Rage Against The Machine's "Bombtrack".

There was some infinite sizzle in her drizzle. That track was da schnizzle!

Circling back to my exaggerated, yet unfounded, expectations of what the actual show might have been. I do understand context. I also realize that a large scale production takes loads of time and tons of money to plan and produce and I do have enormous faith that their full unencumbered artistic elastic will come to fruition on stage one day. Umm, Orbitz.com?

I wonder if they'll ever require "Ghosts" in their concert rider...

Can they be considered "ambiance inheritance?

Would they pair well with a veggie tray?

At least an extra hotel room is not necessary. They'll happy haunt the one you're with (cue track by Crosby Stills & Nash).

All in, the Icon For Hire experience, was otherworldly, and one I'll long remember.

It, once again, felt like the first time though I'm no longer a foreigner to my impulses.

Their collective temptations are only a memory, one I keep warm with a snug black hoodie. 

ICON FOR HIRE
Lincoln Theatre
Decatur, IL
Nov 24, 2012
Setlist

Acoustic Set (pre-show VIP)
1. Make A Move
2. Pieces
3. Get Well

Main Set
1. Overture
2. Theatre
3. Off With Her Head
4. Iodine
5. Fight
6. Get Well
7. Only A Memory
8. Call Me Alive
9. The Grey
10. Conversation With A Rock Star (Acoustic)
11. Up in Flames > Jump Around
12. Drum solo
13. Pieces
ENCORE
14. Sweet Home Alabama riff > New Song
15. Make A Move

(Special thanks to photographers Graham Fielder and Skip Johnson; the kind, friendly people of Decatur, IL and to Icon For Hire)

ICON FOR HIRE CONCERT PHOTO GALLERY

The Used & We Came As Romans TAKE ACTION For IT GETS BETTER Project

Celebrating its eleventh year of raising funds and awareness to non-profit organizations, Sub City (Hopeless Records' 501c3 non-profit organization, which has raised more than two million dollars for charity), is pleased to announce the 2013 edition of the Sub City Take Action Tour featuring The Used.

This year the tour will benefit the It Gets Better Project, a national organization created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach - if they can just get through their teen years.

The It Gets Better Project wants to remind teenagers going through tough times that they are not alone - and it WILL get better.

The tour will feature alt-rock headliner, The Used, with support from We Came As Romans, Crown The Empire, and Mindflow.

Kicking off at Las Vegas' House of Blues on January 11th, the annual nationwide charity tour will circle the U.S. through February, showcasing some of the best bands in music today while raising funds and awareness for It Gets Better and the concept that we can all help play a part in making a positive impact. Ten percent of the cost of each ticket purchased will be donated to It Gets Better and Sub City.



The 2011 Take Action Tour raised nearly $50,000 to help further the mission of the non-profit, SEX, ETC., with over 19,000 fans attending the 30-stop city tour.

Previous benefitting charities of the Sub City Take Action Tour also include Driving For Donors, Do Something, America's Youth Hotline, ReachOut.com and The National Hopeline Network. To date, Sub City and the Take Action Tour have donated over 2 million dollars to over 50 non-profit organizations.

Tickets are on at Takeactiontour.com/2013. VIP ticket options will be available to fans, which include front of the line passes, collectable laminate and a signed copy of Vulnerable II.

It Gets Better Project is a place where young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or struggling to find themselves can see how love and happiness can be a reality in their future.

It's a place where our straight allies can visit and support their friends and family members. It's a place where people can share their stories, take the It Gets Better Project pledge and watch videos of love and support.



It's our privilege to work with such a lovely charity that does so much good in this confusing world. Please check out itgetsbetter.org and we'll see you on the Take Action Tour." Bert McCracken, The Used

We Came As Romans' guitarist/lyricist, Joshua Moore, also tells us, "We're excited to be back touring in the US after three months. Though it's fun to do international tours, there's nothing like touring our own country, especially with such a well respected band like The Used, who a lot of our band grew up listening to, and on such a renowned annual tour. We can't wait!"

2013 Take Action Tour Dates:
1/11/13 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
1/12/13 - Salt Lake City, UT @ In the Venue
1/14/13 - Denver, CO @ Summit
1/16/13 - Kansas City, MO @ The Beaumont
1/17/13 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
1/19/13 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
1/20/13 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room
1/22/13 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
1/23/13 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
1/25/13 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
1/26/13 - Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall
1/28/13 - Washington, DC @ 930 Club
1/29/13 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
1/30/13 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
2/01/13 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
2/02/13 - Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues
2/04/13 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
2/05/13 - Tampa, FL  @ The Ritz Ybor
2/07/13 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
2/08/13 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
2/10/13 - Detroit, MI @ Fillmore
2/11/13 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
2/13/13 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
2/14/13 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
2/16/13 - Austin, TX @ Emo's East
2/17/13 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
2/19/13 - San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
2/20/13 - El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls
2/22/13 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
2/24/13 - Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
2/26/13 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
2/27/13 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
3/01/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern



TAKE ACTION VOL. 11

Track Listing:

DISC 1
1. The Used - The Lonely*
2. We Came As Romans - Fair-weather*
3. AWOL Nation - Sail  (Unlimited Gravity Remix)*
4. Bad Religion  - Fuck You*
5. The Wonder Years  - Local Man Ruins Everything (Nervous Energies)*
6. Mayday Parade -  Oh Well, Oh Well
7. Falling in Reverse - The Drug In Me Is You
8. Enter Shikari - Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here (Tek One Mix)*
9. Whitechapel - Animus
10. Periphery - Far Out (Instrumental)*
11. Sleeping With Sirens  -  James Dean & Audrey Hepburn (Acoustic)
12. All Time Low - The Reckless & The Brave (Acoustic)*
13. Never Shout Never - Pray For Peace (Demo)*
14. 3OH!3 - You're Gonna Love This (Wuki Remix)*
15. The Summer Set - Fuck U Over
16. Say Anything - Their Notions

DISC 2
1. Glass Cloud - Everybody Wants To Rule The World*
2. Ice Nine Kills - What I Never Learned in Study Hall (6 Feet Below)*
3. Memphis May Fire -  Prove Me Right
4. Upon This Dawning - A New Beginning
5. Parkway Drive - Dark Days
6. SHARKS - Sea Of All Seas*
7. Balance & Composure - Quake
8. Silver Snakes - All My Eye*
9. Broadway Calls - Bring On The Storm*
10. We Are The Ocean - Machine
11. Transit - Skipping Stone (Alternate Version)
12. Seahaven -  Understanding*
13. Set It Off - Dream Catcher
14. I Am The Avalanche -  I'll Be Back Around
15. The Scene Aesthetic - Carelessly (feat. Dresses)*
16. Plug In Stereo - I Hope You Know (feat. Tay Jardine)*
17. William Beckett - 48 In A Hospital *
18. Itch - London Is Burning*
19. Twin Atlantic -  Make A Beast Of Myself (Space Brother Remix)*
20. The Animal In Me - Speak*
21. Hell Or Highwater - Come Alive (Acoustic)*
22. Palisades - Bury It (Acoustic)*

* denotes rare or unreleased 

Supporters of Take Action include Tilly's, Anger Music Group, Hopeless Records, Equal Vision Records, Rise Records and all of the artists and labels included on the 2013 compilation.



About It Gets Better:
In September 2010, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage created a YouTube video with his partner Terry Miller to inspire hope for young people facing harassment. In response to a number of students taking their own lives after being bullied in school, they wanted to create a personal way for supporters everywhere to tell LGBT youth that, yes, it does indeed get better.

The It Gets Better Project™ has become a worldwide movement, inspiring more than 50,000 user-created videos viewed more than 50 million times. To date, the project has received submissions from celebrities, organizations, activists, politicians and media personalities, including President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Lambert, Anne Hathaway, Colin Farrell, Matthew Morrison of "Glee", Joe Jonas, Joel Madden, Ke$ha, Sarah Silverman, Tim Gunn, Ellen DeGeneres, Suze Orman, the staffs of The Gap, Google, Facebook, Pixar, the Broadway community, and many more. For us, every video changes a life. It doesn't matter who makes it. OFFICIAL | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | TUMBLR

About Hopeless Records and Sub City:
Founded in 1993, Hopeless Records is a Southern California independent record label home to breakout artists All Time Low, There For Tomorrow, Anarbor, We Are The In Crowd, The Wonder Years and many more. Throughout its 17-year history, Hopeless Records has released more than 150 albums and launched the careers of Avenged Sevenfold, Thrice, and many other notable artists.

In 1999, Hopeless Records formally started supporting non-profit organizations under the Sub City banner with charitable albums, tours, and events. Now itself a registered 501c3 non-profit organization, Sub City continues the mission of connecting bands, fans and the causes they are passionate about and has raised more than two million dollars for over 50 non-profit organizations.