McKee, B., Reynolds, D., Sermon, W., & Platzman, D.
(2012). Continued Silence. [CD].
Hollywood, CA: Westlake Recording Studios.
Genre: Alternative
Rock, Indie Rock
Reading level/
interest age: 17+
Plot summary:
Reader’s annotation:
Fans of Keane and the Killers will love this Imagine Dragons
album. Beautiful lyrics, fantastic melodies, and amazing voices, this is not a
band to miss!
Information about the
author:
“After the last note played on the last song of a marathon
set a few years ago, Dan Reynolds, frontman for Las Vegas based rockers Imagine Dragons, realized it was all
starting to come together. ‘We were playing a gig at this place called O’Sheas,
which has the cheapest beer on the strip,’ Reynolds remembers. ‘I was basically
standing on top of the drums, the stage was so small. We were on our final song
of a six-hour set. I got to the end of the song and just fully passed out in
the middle of singing. I came to, got up, finished the song, and we got a
standing ovation from all these people at this tiny little casino at three am
on a weekday in Vegas. Something about that moment bonded us and made us
realize that we were building a connection with people from all over the
country.’
“Since then that connection has only grown. Reynolds
and his bandmates – guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer
Daniel Platzman – independently released three EPs, toured extensively, earning
a grass roots following. Then, earlier this year, the band made their major
label debut with the release of their Continued Silence EP, which included the breakthrough single ‘It’s
Time,’ an anthemic foot-stomping track that perfectly encapsulates the band’s
unvarnished emotional sound. The song, which reached #3 at Modern Rock
radio and #2 at AAA, earned the group a 2012 MTV VMA nomination for ‘Best Rock
Video.’ With the groundswell of energy ‘It’s Time’ generated, Imagine Dragons are now preparing for
the release of their full-length debut, Night Visions, available on Grammy award winning producer Alex
Da Kid’s (Eminem, Rihanna) label, KIDinaKORNER. ‘This record has been three
years in the making,’ Reynolds explains of his excitement in finally getting to
share the album with the world. ‘We feel that we have finally created something
we are all truly proud of and that can hopefully inspire others and help them
feel a little less alone. That’s what music is about. It’s the greatest
communicator I know’” (ImagineDragonsMusic.com, 2014).
Curriculum ties: N/A
Booktalking ideas:
1.
What is your favorite song off the album and
why?
2.
Why do you think this band became so popular so
fast?
Critical evaluation:
Many of the songs on Continued
Silence are uplifting and can encourage listeners. The entire CD has an
easy melody to listen to with catchy lyrics. Sound quality is superb and
listeners will love this breath of fresh air into the rock scene. Some parts
Keane, some parts Killers, Imagine Dragons have their own unique melodies that
set them apart from any other band.
Challenge issues: N/A
Why included:
Many of the lyrics talk about realizing different aspects of
yourself that make up the picture of who you are. I think that teens will
respond positively to the lyrics and can apply them to their own lives. Imagine
Dragons is also a current popular band with many of their songs played on the
radio.
Reference:
ImagineDragonsMusic.com. (2014). Biography. Retrieved August 29, 2014 from
http://www.imaginedragonsmusic.com/biography
No comments:
Post a Comment