Freedom Fighters - by All We Have

Gonna be honest: not the video I expected, but that's alright. :)
All We Have (formerly What If This Dream Is All We Have) is based out of Oakville, Ont. They released their self-titled debut EP in 2006, followed by an LP (which “was a step up in terms of production… also in terms of melodic maturity & lyrical authority”) “Look Outside Your Window” in 2008. They’ve received international attention, & have featured Manafest in their song “Never the Same” (from “Look Outside…”). They released their newest EP - recorded in Owen Sound, Ont. -  “Freedom Fighters” on (Jan. or Feb.). 17th, 2011. This song is from the EP of the same title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGXNveL4n-c
(& the video was directed by Bryan Kowalsky – the same who directed some of Manic Drive’s videos)

Still Young - by SHIROCK

Enjoy.

SHIROCK is based out of Nashville, TN.  Founding member Chuck Shirock (vocals, guitar, piano) "grew up in the Philippines & Scotland before his family returned to the States".  He got his first electric guitar at age 14, & by the end of high school, he met his to-be wife, Pap (vocals, keys), who had started classical piano at age 5.  They began recording demos while in college, and by the end of college, they began touring & recording.  They released "Believe" in 2004, & followed that with their 5-song EP [appropriately titled] "5" on Mar. 18th, 2008.  A line-up change-up happened in 2009; but, "following consistent placements on MTV, ABC, and NBC television networks, SHIROCK became the first independent band to release a CD in Hollister Co. stores worldwide".  "Everything Burns" was released on Feb. 3rd, 2009; & "after playing concerts at several high schools & talking with students about social issues", they started the non-profit organization Everything Burns that brings awareness to such social issues.  On Feb. 22nd, 2011, they released "Everything Burns (Deluxe)", which [of course] features more content than the former release.  This song is from "5".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usc5bipa5GA&ob=av2e

& here's the website for the non-profit organization:

http://everythingburns.org/

Throttleneck - by Brad Paisley

Just got back this morning (as in, 3am) from 4-wheeling & camping.  Coincidentally (or maybe not), I'm listening to "Mud on the Tires".

Brad Paisley was born Oct. 28^th, 1972, born & raised in Glen Dale, WV.  He received his first guitar when he was 8 years old, & “delivered his first public performance at church two years later”.  A short time later, he formed his first bands, the C-Notes, & began writing his own material.  He continued to work on his music, and by 1999, he released his own debut album “Who Needs Pictures” on Arista Records.  His single “He Didn’t Have to Be” (“an ode to loving stepfathers”) gathered attention & won him the Song (& also Video) of the year on TNN & CMT’s Country Weekly Music Awards in 2000.  His sophomore, simple titled “Part II” [Arista, 2001], spent 104 weeks on Billboard’s Country Albums charts & made it to #3 in 2001.  He has now released a total of 8 studio albums, accompanied by a couple of compilation albums, a Christmas album, and “Play” – a primarily instrumental album ( - 5 tracks have vocals including duets with Keith Urban – “Start a Band”; and B.B. King – “Let the Good Times Roll”).  This song is from  his third album “Mud On the Tires” [Arista, 2003].

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kwufHazaTU

Our Love Saves Us - by Blindside

I woke up this morning (good thing, too, eh?), & this song crept into my head.  So now I let it into yours.

Blindside is from Stockholm, Sweden.  They started out as Underfree for their first two years as a band, but changed their name with their second demo released in 1996.  Their debut album came out in 1997 on Day-Glo Records, a label, I believe, based out of Germany.  Needless to say, they became bigger & bigger, & by the time they released their third album, "Silence" [2002, Elektra], they struck gold - the album charted at #83 on Billboard's 200, & their next album, "About a Burning Fire" [2004, Elektra] reached #39.  Their next album, "The Great Depression" [Wasa/DRT], came the following year, & much of the inspiration comes from when singer & lyricist Christian Lindskog "returned from a deeply affecting trip to South Africa… Songs literally started spilling out of Lindskog when he returned from the beleaguered nation"*.  Then, there was "The Black Rose EP" [2007, DRT], & that was the last anybody really heard of Blindside except for a couple of misleading hints at an upcoming album - they have since explained what happened**, & now, "With Shivering Hearts We Wait" is out, released June 7th, 2011 on INO Records.  This song is from "With Shivering Hearts We Wait".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q_B-VxcfRc

& here's two acoustic version for your entertainment, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tss2WcgnGrc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9OthNsax6g

* - You can read more about it on their PureVolume page:

http://www.purevolume.com/blindside

** - … in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoizU6nERYY

Word of Advice - by Nine Lashes

& as a random side note, this is one of the bands that I can say "I knew about them before they became big!"  ;)

Nine Lashes is based out of Birmingham, AL.  Their first release, "Escape", came in Sept. of 2008 & was produced by Travis Wyrick (Éowyn, Spoken, Breaking the Silence/The Letter Black).  They got signed by Tooth & Nail Records just this year, after Trevor McNevan (vocalist; studio guitarist for Thousand Foot Krutch) brought them to the attention of the label.  Turns out, as Nine Lashes guitarist Jonathan Jefferson explains, "Trevor was given our independent album by a friend… Unexpectedly, this was the show that he had to be rushed to the hospital to get his appendix removed. Because he had some downtime to recover, he had time to listen to our music". (See - appendixes do have a purpose!).  Their upcoming album is supposed to be released "early 2012 Jan. or Feb.".  This song is from "Escape".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI4MW-jhwY8

& for kicks, here's "Anthem for the Lonely", a new single they just released recently..:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEm7CXV3piA

One Piece at a Time - by Johnny Cash

I listened to the CD I have of Cash for the first time in too, too long today.  Needless to say, I was missing out.

Johnny R. Cash was born Feb. 26th, 1932 in Kingsland, AR.  He was under the influence of music from a very young age, as music was "an integral part of everyday life in the Cash household".  He graduated high school in 1950 & moved to Pontiac, MI, where he worked in an automotive plant; but shortly after, he was enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.  He found himself in Landsberg, Germany, & while in the service, he "organized his first band, the Landsberg Barbarians".  Cash was discharged in 1954, & he married his first wife, Vivian Liberto.  They settled in Memphis, TN; also in that year, he "auditioned as [a] solo artist for Sam Phillips' Sun Records… By the following spring… Cash was in the Sun Studios to record with his band The Tennessee Three".  Their first release was a single called  "Hey Porter", & though it didn't chart, the follow up "Cry, Cry, Cry" peaked at #14 on Billboard's Top 20.  More singles & charts followed, & even more of a deeper story; (but for now, I'm going to leave it at this - sadly, he passed away Sept. 12th, 2003).  This song is from the album of the same title, released in May of 1976.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIuo0KIqD_E

& here's a live version from the TV show Top of the Pops in 1976:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HfbRdclvkM

Fear No Evil - by Grave Robber

I'm not sure what to say about this other than "I like it".
Grave Robber is based out of Fort Wayne, IN. They were “unleashed upon an unsuspecting, pre-apocalyptic Earth, A.D. 2005”; it began as a side project of members from three different bands – currently, the members are listed as:
Wretched – vokills, shovel (<-- as they do enjoy props)
Carcass – bass, vokills (he replaced Dr. Cadaver in 2009)
Lamentor – guitar, vokills
& Plague – drums (elsewhere listed as ‘doom tubs’), vokills.
Grave Robber was signed at some point, & they released “Be Afraid” on Retroactive Records on Apr. 18th, 2008. Their 2nd release, “Inner Sanctum”, came in 2009. ‘Wretched’ (‘vokills’ for Grave Robber) currently runs his own label, & that is where their third LP was released – “Exhumed” was out on Dec. 4th, 2010. This song is from their album “Inner Sanctum”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkS75pexJ3I

& here's a decent quality live video from 2010 as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMuCq_8kMcQ
& you can download this song for free - it's part of a compilation; "Disc #2 - Rock pt. 2" is the download link (at the top of the page) is what you're looking for (if you're only looking for that song.  There's all sorts of other cool [free][legal] downloads there, too).
http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2009/07/31/summer-slam-vol-3/