The Big Time Parts With Bassist

It was announced last night that Dylan Auerbeck, the bassist for Altoona, PA alt/pop rock band The

Big Time, has decided to part ways with the band. He has not been present for the band's last few tours, and would not have been on the Never Ending Summer Tour that The Big Time will embark on with Hollywood Ending and 7 Minutes in Heaven soon. He states his reasons for departing include focusing on school. 

Personally, I'm sad to see Dylan go. I've listened to The Big Time since their forming in 2009 and have always enjoyed their music and they put on an incredible live show. I want to personally wish Dylan luck in his future endeavors and I hope to see him become successful at whatever his life brings him to next.

Read Dylan's statement and reactions from his former fellow band members below.

Musician Censorship

Recently, there has been a debate surrounding the question: Should musicians censor their lyrics? In their latest issue (Issue 323), Alternative Press released the results and comments of a poll involving a similar question: Should artists be accountable for their lyrics? The results of that poll were 57% said yes and 43% said no.

As a musician and a lyricist, the question of censoring my lyrics or a musician censoring any lyrics is a prominent and important one. Personally, I don't think musicians should censor their lyrics to please any single person. However, I do believe that musicians should take responsibility for what they have to say. If a musician writes something, records it, and performs it, they should be more than willing to stand by what they have written. This is especially true if they want their fans and listeners to do something specific, like a call to action.

I think censoring music takes away everything music is meant for. Music is meant to provoke something in people, it's meant to make you feel. Censoring the words or even the sounds of the guitars and drums to make it more pleasing to a wider audience makes the music lose that edge, and it then loses the whole effect.

Anyway, it's impossible to please everyone. Just try to please yourself.

What are your thoughts on music censorship? Leave your comments below!

twenty one pilots Releases Video For "Ride"

twenty one pilots has released a new video for their latest single, "Ride." The band has released five songs from their newest album, Blurryface.

Blurryface is due out May 19, 2015 on the label Fueled By Ramen.

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Ed Sheeran Releases Music Video for "Photograph"

Back in July, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran released his sophomore album "X" (pronounced Multiply). One of the slower, more "Ed Sheeran"-esque songs on the album was titled "Photograph" and Ed recently released a music video for it. During the course of the video, Ed has opened up a personal time capsule of sorts, showing videos from his childhood and when he was a baby right up to his recent musical accomplishments. The video is a must see for all die-hard Ed fans and it is definitely something to warm the heart.

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Concord Bicycle Music Buys Fearless Records

Concord Bicycle Music recently bought Fearless Records and their 150 disc back catalog for approximately ten million dollars. Fearless currently supports acts like Pierce The Veil, The Maine, Mayday Parade, and As It Is. They bring in around fifteen million dollars in annual revenue, which includes their merchandising business and small publishing catalog.

It will be interesting to see what happens to Fearless after this acquisition.

New Music Monday: twenty one pilots' "Lane Boy"

Columbus, Ohio's schizoid pop group twenty one pilots has released their newest single "Lane Boy" from their upcoming album, "Blurryface" which is due out May 19 on the record label Fueled By Ramen. "Lane Boy" joins three other singles from the album: "Tear In My Heart," "Fairly Local," and "Stressed Out."

Check out "Lane Boy" here. 

Simple Plan To Hit Warped Tour 2015!

Canadian band, Simple Plan, has announced that they will be playing four dates of the 2015 Vans Warped Tour. Fans can catch the quintet on the tour in Holmdel on July 19, Scranton on July 21, Detroit on July 24, and Chicago on July 25. General tickets can be purchased here.

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