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Craig Owens new solo project BadXChannels motivated me to finally start this podcast. In this episode, we’ll be looking at his new music, a few songs and how they have affected me.
Show Notes
“Show Notes” are my raw general thoughts about said artist and usually how I roughly structure the episode. An episode may or may not include all of the following details.
Episode 1: Craig Owens’ BadXChannels
It’s one of the first summers since of my parents divorced, my mom finally stopped living with her friends and had her own place. She lived in the less than desirable part of the up and coming area of the city. I was somewhere between 14 and 16 years old and skateboarding had been my life and the new sound of screamo was buying me red skinny jeans and band T-shirts. This specific summer day, my brother and I build a make shift 6 foot ramp into the grass made with Home Depot buckets and leftover wood we spray painted left by her future husband. With an extension cord and my sisters radio and a CD I burned from MP3s I found off limewire, we practiced our skating abilities to our favorite myspace artists, Chiodos, Attack Attack, Devils Wears Prada and Bring Me the Horizon.
Out of those few artists, Chiodos and BMTH are the only ones that have stuck with me 10+ years later. Probably because of their constant evolving but also a deep rooted influence on my childhood. I skate my best when someone screaming in my ears. I drive faster when a breakdown is brutal and I feel most motivated with a singer in skinny jeans is moving a crowd. I always wanted to look like a punk but had an authority on something at least to move people.
So in December of 2018, I started living abroad and music some days keep the harder days manageable. While waiting for my language class to start, I sit in metro mall waiting around for 20 minutes as I’m early. For some reason, The memory of Craig Owens hit me. I start listening to Chiodos for the millionth time and decide to read his wikipedia page.
To my surprise he has a new music project, BadXChannel which interests me immediately because most bands with X in them are straight edge. It’s not related. But what is cool is, BadXChannels is a modern actually really good EDM outfit. With Craig Owens singing and from what I can tell making the background tracks himself. The first song I hear of his is Memory, which at first started to sound like a Suicide Boys beat because of the bass line.
The song starts off slow but Craig Owens still has his voice, which I’ve always loved. Even though I didn’t like DRUGS, I did always feel like his voice was too unique. Just a side note about DRUGS, it felt like a cheap attempt to make an excuse for his issues while in Chiodos. As if the band were to blow up, then all his issues he had with drugs and all that may have not been seen as a real problem to Owens. But that leads us to the lyrics in Memory which I think shows Owens has grown up a little bit or at least sees his decisions have consequences. “If I keep on doing the same old shit, I wont get better”
Now I wouldn’t be talking about his new project or him if I didn’t admire him and want the best for him. I think he is immensely talented and coming from the singles he is putting out, he still had the music ear. I’m extremely excited to hear what comes out next and I hope it is a success.
So why does this influence me so much? I’ve said this before but a fear of mine as you get older, it feels like chances of accomplishing things become smaller and smaller. It’s a mindset thing for sure but it’s easy to get stuck in a job we hate and living for the weekends. Lately, younger artists (Yung Lean, XXX, Peep) have inspired me the most because they are young and they figured it out, so why can’t I. But when I see someone like Craig Owens, comes out with music that’s really good, past his “prime” I say in quotes. It’s like f yeah man, go for it. You’re going for it, I’m going for it. Let’s figure this out and get back to where we always envisioned ourselves.
Back to the lyrics of Memory. This is the 11th episode I’ve written of my podcast. I’ve been sitting on 10 episodes for over 4 months now because… well I don’t know why. Just like I’m motivated but the fear of failure and all the work it’ll take just holds me back. So when I first heard this song and Craig sings “This time I won’t get away
Letting senses fail
Watch it all fall right into place” and then the post chorus “Keep on doing the same old shit That same old shit, I won’t get better If I keep on doing the same old shit That same old shit, I won’t get better”, it hit me. I’m stuck on that same shit, going to work, having dreams, coming home and sleeping and not doing anything about it.
I make this simple changes, like I’m on day 120 or something of my exercise plan. I’ve meditated ever morning for 4 months. I’ve even picked up reading every day that in 2018 I read 41 books. I’m doing the stuff people say, do this and you’re life will change. Sure it’s changed for the better but ultimately it’s not making my goals fall in my lap. And I think that’s something a lot of people struggle with, we try the quick tips but never really put in the work. So literally, after hearing this song, I went online bought a voice recorder, bought a notebook and if everything goes to plan, if you’re listening to this, 3 months of episodes have been released of the Musics the Hang Up podcast.
That’s what Craig Owens and his desire to continue making music and releasing BadXChannels did for me. No matter what’s the passion or whatever you have in you, it can be release out there and effect people. So do it man. It’s difficult I know. Set yourself lists, check them off. Just don’t let yourself down.
