The next Playlist in our ongoing series features Evan Weiss (Into It. Over It.), Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids), and Ace Enders (The Early November) who are all on the 2012 Where’s The Band? Tour. All three artists are some of our favorites on PropertyOfZack, so check out the Playlists and listen to the songs while reading everyone’s thoughts!

(Click on image to listen in Spotify)
Pissed Jeans - People Person
An almost unlistenable six minutes of what I think a bad day SOUNDS like. One of my favorite album openers (from their record Hope For Men) and one of my favorite mixtape openers, period.
Hatred Surge - I Hate *Song is currently not on Spotify
One of the less punishing songs on the Deconstruct LP… Until the last 20 seconds. In my opinion, the best current power violence band. My favorite elements of Blatz, Nausea and early Kylesa… but exponentially more pissed.
Slint - Washer
Have you ever laid in your bed in the dark and listened to this song with your headphones on? Well, now’s a good time to buy the LP and start.
Brian Eno - Music For Airports (1-1)
Here’s 17 minutes of something to help you reflect on your day, your week, your month, your life… and realize it’s not as bad as you may sometimes think it is.
Off Minor - Staring Down The Barrel Of Limited Options *Song is currently not on Spotify
So beautiful in it’s pure emotion and distress. I wish I wrote the riff that opens this song. This song is on the LP “The Heat Death Of The Universe”. Their finest work.
Drive Like Jehu - Luau
How did humanbeings write this? If you haven’t heard this song, you need to right now. Immediately. Stop whatever you’re doing. It’s not as important as how good this is. 
Castor - Five Hours Later *Song is currently not on Spotify
The best mid-nineties band you’ve never heard of. Share this secret. With everyone you know.
Mogwai - Golden Porsche
It’s almost as if this song was a quick aside by the band. Short and sweet (for Mogwai). Just as beautiful.
Sweep The Leg Johnny - Sometimes My Balls Feel Like Tits *Song is currently not on Spotify
A magnum opus from this often forgotten about Midwest powerhouse. This band was GENIUS and this song is an almost overindulgent testament to that fact. Almost 15 minutes that keeps it’s momentum like a freight train. You almost begin to get lost, only for them to come right back and hit you with a familiar couple seconds and remind you that you’re still in your bedroom and not on another planet or something. This was from their final record “Going Down Swinging”, and boy do they ever.
Q And Not U - Kiss Distinctly American
My favorite mixtape closer. Enjoy.

I didn’t write a lot about each of these. I think the songs speak for themselves. I would recommend playing these in order. 

(Click on image to listen in Spotify)
The Avett Brothers - Murder In The City
This is just such a simple, beautiful song about family.  Always remember there is nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name  Gives me chills.
Neko Case - Maybe Sparrow
I find it hard to trust someone who doesn’t love Neko Case.  This song is brilliant.
Bad Books - You Wouldn’t Have To Ask
Perfect KD pop song with Manchester filling it out.  Love this whole record but this track is my favorite.
The Decemberists - Sons And Daughters
A friend of mine called them library rock but I don’t see why that would be a bad thing.  I’m a lyric man by trade but even if you don’t like the amazing lyrics they write you’ve got to appreciate the hooks.
Bon Iver - Blood Bank
Love everything this guy does but this song gets me especially.  Saw them live not too long ago and the live version was better than the record.
Josh Rouse & The Long Vacations - Oh, Look What The Son Did
Perfect music for an afternoon driving in the country looking for farm houses.  You do that often right?  I do.
Dr. Dog - The Rabbit, The Bat And The Reindeer
It’s like the Beatles mixed with The Band.  Fantastic.
Marah - Point Breeze
This is one of the singles from their absolutely perfect album Kids In Philly.  One of the best straight up rock and roll albums I’ve ever heard.  The words are smart and the songs are killer.

(Click on image to listen in Spotify)
Chamberlain - Try For Thunder
This song always gets me ready for a show.. I’m not sure what exactly it is about this song. But its always been a van favorite to start a tour. Also one of my favorite albums ever. 
Magnet - The Day We Left Town
I remember the first time I heard this song.. I was on a UK tour in 2004 and one of the guys had randomly went to see a show and he played they came back and gave me a cd, and honestly I’ve never stopped listening to it. It’s one of those songs that is a must have on tour for me. Somewhat like a security blanket that gets me through tough nights. 
Lifetime - 25 Cent Giraffes
In my opinion one of the best records ever.. Sense I was a teenager it has always been one of the songs I listen to before going to a show. 

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Only Matt Pryor can make the line “If the bastard ever shows his face again, he’ll get his” come across as beautifully non-confrontational. It’s been nearly four years since the beloved frontman released musical poetry in the form of a full length. His first solo effort, Confidence Man, was fully equipped with heart-wrenching sentimentality and dynamic simplicity – something that Pryor seems to emit when he has control over every aspect of the writing and recording process. May Day, his second solo production, continues in this vein of acoustic dynamism and emotional light heartedness. 

Bastards and lies are the paints that make up May Day’scanvas. Pryor seems to be singing from a place of empty hopefulness, but complements this with bouncy acoustic rhythms and peppy Casio riffs. The opening few tracks vary in cadence and energy levels, yet the mixed feeling of optimistic cynicism remains constant. “The Lies are Keeping Me Here” and “Where Do We Go From Here” veil Pryor’s cynical side with rambley, head bopping melodies.

The long-awaited sadness sets in with “Like a Professional.” Maybe the emo-nature of it all comes from the electric piano’s tremolo. Or maybe from the fact that the rhythm guitar sounds like it’s being picked with a dull thumbnail. Or it could be the way Pryor’s voice drops off gracefully at the end of each phrase. As if it’s leaping from a lonely bridge. Whatever its origin, the less-than-three-minute moment of slowed sadness ends all too quickly.

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PropertyOfZack has joined forces with Matt Pryor to give away a copy of the his new album, May Day. The record officially came out yesterday and Pryor is now on the Where’s The Band? Tour supporting it. The contest will end on February 1st, so find out how to enter below!

You must do each of the following things to win a copy of Matt Pryor’s new record:

• Follow @PropertyOfZack on Twitter.
• Follow @MattPryorSongs on Twitter.
• Tweet: Want to win a copy of @MattPryorSongs new album? Follow + RT @PropertyOfZack and @MattPryorSongs’s to win! Details: http://pozne.ws/AfopoK

Matt Pryor’s new solo album, May Day, came out on January 24th, and Pryor has done a track-by-track for the album to take fans behind the scenes on the release. Read the full write up here or read an excerpt of it below by clicking “Read More.”

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Matt Pryor’s new solo album, May Day, comes out on January 24th, but is now streaming early if you subscribe to Rdio. Stream May Day below, if you have Rdio, by clicking “Read More!”

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Matt Pryor will be releasing May Day on January 24th while on the 2012 Where’s The Band? Tour, and PropertyOfZack was able to catch up with him for a great interview. Matt and I discussed using Kickstarter to fund May Day, the recording process for the album, an extended Where’s The Band? Tour, other projects in 2012, and more. Check it out below!

May Day recorded in May, and now you’re finally gearing up to release it. Was there a reason for the extended pause in putting it out?
I was still in the middle of touring with The Get Up Kids for the world tour, which wrapped up in October,.
 
You had a busy 2011 with The Get Up Kids supporting the band’s first LP in years. Are you happy with how things with the band ended in 2011?
We did a really fun successful tour of Europe at the end of it. We ended the very last show by swimming in the Mediterranean in Barcelona. You can’t really beat that. 
 
You funded May Day by using Kickstarter and were sort of one of the first artists of your size to use the tool. Are you still surprised by how much you beat your goal by?
I’m humbled and amazed. It’s really invigorating. It makes me feel supported in a really amazing way. 
 
So many bands still use labels to fund their albums obviously, but did this process make you feel closer with fans as well?
Very much so. You have to sort of change your mindset and think of it less as “us” and them.” It’s more all of the same now. It’s kind of hard to explain, but when you work with a label you can start to think about fans of the band sort of being like “parts,” or things to be figured out. This is much more organic. It’s weird, but I think if someone wants to release music independently that it’s a really good system. 
 
Have you been using leftover money from the Kickstarter to support other parts of the album process as well?
A lot of it is going back into the manufacturing and mailing of a lot of stuff. But yes, publicity and touring as well.
 
Would you use Kickstarter again in the future?
I guess so. It was certainly a successful thing, but I don’t want to go back to the well too many times [Laughs].

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Matt Pyror will be out on the Where’s The Band? Tour in just a few weeks, but has now announced an additional headlining run of dates with and without The Front Bottoms. Check out the routing below by clicking “Read More”.

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Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids has recorded a new cover of “Baby Please Come Home” with his family. Check it out below by clicking “Read More”.

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Matt Pryor has released another new solo song called “Polish The Broken Glass.” His new album, May Day, will be released on January 24th. Stream the track below by clicking “Read More”.

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Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids was preparing to play a few living room shows in the New England area this month, but has been forced to cancel the three dates. Check out a statement from Pryor below by clicking “Read More”.

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Matt Pryor will be releasing May Day on January 24th via Nightshoes Syndicate. You can stream a new song called “Where Do We Go From Here?” here and check out his upcoming dates on the 2012 Where’s The Band? Tour below by clicking “Read More”.

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The 2012 Where’s The Band? Tour has been announced and will feature Chris Conley of Saves The Day, Ace Enders of The Early November, Anthony Raneri of Bayside, Evan Weiss of Into It. Over It., and Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids. Dustin Kensrue of Thrice will also be playing on select dates. Check out the dates below by clicking “Read More”!

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Matt Pryor will be releasing his sophomore solo album, May Day, in January. To begin support the release, Pryor has announced a string of intimate house shows in December. Check out the dates below by clicking “Read More”.

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Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids, The New Amsterdams) will release his sophomore solo album, May Day, on January 24th. The album features 12 brand new tracks, which were recorded at Pryor’s home studio. Check out the artwork and track listing for the record below by clicking “Read More”.

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