The Night Starts Here - Stars

Half-trance, half-dance. It has a nice momentum.
Keep trucking with that STAR testing Barons!

Stars - Switchfoot

Yes. It's a clever pun. Zack thought of it. Haha.
Have fun at STAR testing Barons!

Everything's Not Lost - Coldplay

"Everything's Not Lost" is a song that I discovered after my little brother bought "Parachutes". After listening to it a few times, I got addicted to it. Unfortunately, this can sometimes kill a song for me. So now, after listening to it too many times in the past 48 hours, I've had enough of the song and it now requires temporary retirement. My advice to you: if you like a song, don't overplay it. Enjoy some retro Coldplay.

Matt Costa

Matt Costa is a singer-songwriter who plays warm, summery music along the lines of Donavon Frankenreiter, Jack Johnson, and Jason Mraz. He has been signed by Brushfire Records.

Many know Costa for his hits “Mr. Pitiful,” “Cold December” and “Sunshine,” but few know he is a Huntington Beach resident.

I had the chance to see him perform on Saturday at Fingerprints for Record Store Day.

After the show Costa was gracious enough to let me interview him for the Baron Banner.

Here’s what he had to say about skateboarding, his new album, and how to get to Cypress.

Baron Banner: So, you’re from Huntington Beach?

Matt Costa: Yes, I live over there.

BB: Did you grow up there?

MC: No, I actually grew up in Cypress, which is off the 405, exit on Valley View. And I also grew up in Florida which is off the B-Line in central Florida near Kissimmee. There were lots of lakes around so there was always a lot of water, which I think is a very “natural thing.”

BB: What did you do in Florida?

MC: I was a skateboarder. I wasn’t a pro or anything, but I skateboarded a lot.

BB: Do you think that growing up as a skateboarder influenced your music at all?

MC: Definitely. You get turned on to so much music through skate videos from all walks of life and hear it all the time. You get turned on to so many different things.

BB: How did you start writing music?

MC: I broke my leg in a skateboarding accident and I couldn’t really do anything for 18 months so I picked up the guitar I had gotten earlier and just started playing.

BB: Your most popular songs are “Mr. Pitiful,” “Cold December,” and “Sunshine,” but what are your personal favorites ones?

MC: The ones that I’m writing right now.

BB: You’re working on a new album. How is it going to be compared to your previous ones?

MC: It’s going to be a lot more different. It’s going to be more 60s in a literal sense.

BB: Do you have any advice for future songwriters?

MC: Existentialism.

BB: Thank you for your time.

MC: No problem.

In Love With The 80's (Pink Tux To The Prom) - Relient K

See you at the Prom Barons!

One Of THOSE Nights - The Cab

Yes. These kids are just as young as they look. They were barely out of high school when they released their first album. They deserve it too, with their infectious vocals, melodies, and lyrics. Their references to Maroon 5, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At The Disco are incredibly obvious in this song. Oh yeah. Patrick Stump and Brendon Urie guest sing in this track. Check it out.

Love and Addiction - Counting Crows

Just as Switchfoot could quite possibly be Alex's favorite band, Counting Crows is mine. I'm all about lyrics, and Counting Crows is famous for the intense vocals Adam Duritz puts into their songs. They wire each of their songs with emotion and in their live shows they put on an impressive performance, changing up their own lyrics surprising the crowd with new songs (or parts of songs). Check these guys out, you might just end up liking them.

Feel Good Drag - Anberlin

I don't know how popular this song is on the radio. But even if it is overplayed, you've probably heard the newer version of this song. In my opinion, this is the version that packs the bigger punch. For those of you who haven't heard this song, it's a nice song when you just want to go punch a hole in the wall. It's bitter and beautiful and I love it. Haha.

Someday - The Afters

Though The Afters do not stand out instrumentally, they most definitely stand out lyrically. I mean, their first album was titled I Wish We All Could Win. It's provocative. It's Aesopic. It's slightly depressing. It oh so effectively conveys a message. The song itself cleverly switches between major and minor tones as the lyrics switch from innocent optimism to obvious pessimism. The vocal layering is incredibly effective as are the constantly changing dynamics. Enjoy!

Someday Baby - Bob Dylan

I haven't listened to much Bob Dylan, but I've heard that he's a many sided man. If that's true, this has to be my favorite side of him. This song has soul. My favorite time to rock to this song is when I'm driving down the dusty roads of California - which could be anywhere really. Great song for road trips.

10,000 Nights of Thunder - Alphabeat

The thing about British music is you either love it or hate it. Hopefully you love it, cause I find it incredibly hard to hate this song. Both lead singers have playfully strong voices that perfectly complement each other. The instrumentation is a bit old fashioned, though not archaic. Alphabeat strength lies in their melody writing though. This is probably the only song I know in which the verse is just as catchy as the chorus. The light "doo doo doo's" of the backing vocalists don't hurt either. The lyrics are cute and infectious. Sing-along. It's quite fun.

Clubbed to Death - Rob Dougan

Don't be fooled by the classical music - that's only the song in slow motion. Be careful what you get yourself in to when you listen to this. It can be a little much for some people. To fully appreciate this song, you have to understand it's true intent. Like I said, be careful. The slower parts are the ones with the punch.

And yeah, this song is called, "Clubbed to Death".
I wonder why.

Panic Switch - Silversun Pickups

This song is to be taken seriously. Silversun Pickups mix grunge with clean electrically-infused vocals. 

This is the heaviest electronica I've come across yet. And yes, I can call it electronica if I want to. Or I could call rock.
But I won't.

Lucky You - Deftones

Dark and strange, Deftones mix this oddly familiar sound for their self-titled fourth album. I'm not sure what made me like this song, especially since I don't generally listen to this kinda stuff. It could be my ravenous craving for electronica. Stay tuned.

College Kids - Relient K

Welcome back to school Barons! I know. I cringed when I heard those words too. Here's a catchy tune by Relient K to ease your pain. It also about summarizes how I'm feeling right about now. It's hard not to enjoy the friendly melodies and the catchy harmonies, not to mention the depressingly funny lyrics. Enjoy!

Company Car - Switchfoot

Hey guys! Sorry for the past few days! Haha. First few times we haven't had a song of the day since February. Don't worry. We're just as sad as you are. But hey, we're on vacation too.

Anyways, check out this grunge-pop (made-up genre?) song by Switchfoot. It's full of clever lyrics about selling out. Ironically, a few albums after this one Switchfoot was signed to mega label Columbia Records. That aside, Company Car is extremely catchy and makes perfect use of the brass section. I know for a fact this song was stuck in Zack's head for quite a while. You're welcome Zack!

2080 - Yeasayer

Brooklyn based Yeasayer inventively manages to bring old world sounds and modern day technology together to create a type of music that appeals to those who long for the worldly past. Ritualistic chants and constant drumming are paired with synthesizers and an electric guitar. The "I can't sleep when I think about the times we're living in" lyrics show the hesitancy that Yeasayer has with "the future I was born into." The whole song sends a mixed message of the-future-isn't-going-to-be-bright-but-take-some-time-to-stop-and-smell-the-flowers-while-we-start-a-hippie-commune.

Yesterday - Atmosphere

Fresh out of the Minneapolis Music scene, Atmosphere is a dynamic duo consisting of Slug, the MC, and Ant, the producer. Slug's lyrics stand out in particular above all other hip-hop for its introspective look, as seen in Yesterday. He promises never to lie in his raps, though he is known to tell a story or two. Check out Atmosphere. They're legit.

Fair - Remy Zero

This is probably the epitome of emotional singing. In Fair, Remy Zero does not focus in writing a catchy melody or a radio friendly instrumentation. It focuses on expression, the meaning of music, the meaning of art. These are the deepest, most meaningful lyrics I've heard in a while. Either that, or they're just plain depressing. I'm glad I found this song at night, it could have ruined the rest of my day.

Emerge - Fischerspooner

Finally! It's about time I got back to the Baron Boombox! Continuing with my electronica addiction, I present to you Fischerspooner. This, like most of the stuff I've been listening to, is electronic pop alternative mixed audio wonderfulness, but Fischerspooner adds a kick that'll wake you up a little. Kinda weird, kinda cool, kinda rebellious, "Emerge" is a song that'll get you moving around a little. Try it out.

By the way - you have no idea how happy I am that we finally got embeds working again. When you click on this track it'll pause a little, but don't worry, it'll go if you give it a second.