Justin Joseph

Goodbye

2004-06-06T21:04:00Z

Hey everyone, im sorry to say but I don't think I will be around much on Livejournal anymore. I might stop in from time to time, but my journal will more or less remain empty. Thanks for having me.

New updates at our website

2004-04-23T21:36:27Z

http://www.besidesreason.com/

You can see what we are doing and what are future plans are, you can also view a live performance of Twisted Valentine. Enjoy :)

Frost Bitten Live Vid

2004-04-03T22:30:53Z

We added a new video of one of our newest songs on our website if you interested check it out:

www.besidesreason.com/movies/frostbitten.wmv

New Video of us playing Live!

2004-03-27T04:52:59Z

You can either go see it at our bands website:
www.besidesreason.com
or you can just click on this:
www.besidesreason.com/movies/colorme.wmv

This is a full version of one of our originals "color me", the quality is not the greatest, but you definitely can get an idea of what we sound like and the sort of music we play.

Please be honest, we like honestly and we know we suck :)

outside the band room

2004-03-24T03:51:57Z

Here is a picture of me outside of the band room, although it sucks because it's dark and you can't see me too well, but you can kind of see my new hair style and how i been wearing it lately!

Here we go again..

2004-03-23T01:50:20Z

I lost my voice so our practice really didn't go so hot, but we did get two cover songs done.. which really dont matter that much now anyhow.. read on you will see what i mean.

Well like Craig always says "we always take two steps forward and one step back", it's happend again. First off bluesfear.com has breached our contract and now is no longer going to be working on our website which will put our website under construction for much longer then we anticipated. We are working on some legal issues, so far everything seems to be going our way legally.

Now for the knock out punch! Tom, our bassist has decided that he could not dedicate enough time to the band as he has other things going on with his life and that he would only be holding us back. He definitely did it right though, he came to us in person and spoke to us about it. We all understood and were really proud and honored to be his friend still, he is with out a doubt a good person! He will be missed in the band, but he will still be around outside of it which kicks ass!

So now we are off to find a new website designing company who excells in flash and a bassist, so yea I think this time we got knocked back a few feet, but that just means this time we gotta give each other a boost and take bigger steps, hell we are gonna jump!

www.besidesreason has been updated with the same information in not so many words.

Friends Cut

2004-03-18T21:10:39Z

Sorry everyone, but I've got all these people listed as friends who do not even talk so Im doing a major cut. If you still want to be listed as my friend reply and I'll keep you. Thanks.

Update at www.besidesreason.com

2004-03-14T23:57:08Z

We have added a small movie of us playing "color me", one of our songs at our website! If you are interested head over to www.besidesreason.com and check it out. Make sure you have Windows Media Player 7.0 or higher installed on your computer or it will not work, you can get it at www.microsoft.com for FREE!

Enjoy :)

What goes up must come down

2004-03-12T23:10:38Z

Well you know the saying and so do I, the roller coaster of life and the facts of gravity. It's been a while since I actually written some thoughts down on this thing so I guess now is as good of a time as any. We played well for the most part lately, the problem with that is... it's when we are playing for people who have already seen us. When we play for someone new, I honestly believe that all of our ego's ( mine too ) come in to play and we are so worried about being liked that we aren't concentrating on what we are doing like we would if we were playing for people who have seen us.

We had the owner of Ground Zero Productions come up and see us a week ago, well we all felt we played one hell of a show, but "Bill" may just have seen it different. My brother overheard him saying to someone on the phone, "this band is pretty good actually", but he had a few comments to make before he left the trusted band room. He first said, "Your bassist fucked up" and then "Whats the name of your band? Not too fast?", he said that one jokingly because Craig kept repeating "Not too fast" before almost every song. I personally thought we played very well for him, we did speed up toward the end but it added a certain spice to the climax of our little show for him.

We all wondered what else he was thinking, but that was the end of it.. he had left and nobody knew nothing. Well Jeremy was talkin to him a little latter that night at the bar ( or was it the night after? ) about the "speed" issue and who's fault it was. Jeremy says that Bill said it was my fault.. well I am not quite sure how that works when the drummer is honestly the back bone of the band and keeps us all in timing, but hey .. whatever, if everyone can say it is me.. then I will work on it and perfect it over time.

The really strange thing is that after a great show we played for Craigs dad last night, the very next one we did for a few new potential fans ( not anymore ) we really sucked and ruined.. possibly the worse we had ever played. After I was mad for Dave touching our PA system and then me trying to fix it, Jeremy said that Bill said that I was the blame for speeding up, we argued.. although like I said last night and all the times before.. If I am the reason..everyone needs to tell me.. but Jeremy is the only one who could do that.

Well we were all just kind of pissed off at each other, at one point I even tossed my guitar and luckily thanks to Blake ( our new most valuable player(fan) ) and his carpet he braught that is really fluffy and soft.. my guitar survived the fall. It could have been worse.. I could have ended up taken out the PA and everything, that would have set us back big time. So as if the night had not been enough heartache, it happend.... My mother calls me and tells me that we just got a letter from the Wicked Bitch who owns our Band room facility. The letter said that we had been having people come in and out of our room at all hours of the night, we had ashes and such all over our room when there is to be no smoking in the room and that we break our agreement by staying past midnight ( I thought we just had to stop playing by then ). What really sucks is ... all the bands drink beer and get hight and make a lot of noise whilst we decorate our band room and eat taco bell and just play... Ok well here is the really messed up part of all of this... The woman said someone had taken shit and smeared it on the walls.. we will get to the bottom of this... I am a very good fighter if I am provoked enough. So anyhow .. she threatens if things dont change.. that we gotta stop at earlier and only practice at certain times.. she thinks she is going to treat us like baby's and we aren't taken that... we will leave her place and make her pay for our fucking door.

Welp.. that wasnt the end either.. we stopped down at the Good Times Bar and Grille, thats where Bill works.. cus he owns it along with the production company.. We were all drinking a few beers and such when I decided to ask Bill if he had any good constructive criticism.. well Tom tagged along with me and Bill told us that we had great potential and he thinks that we are gonna do very well, but we need to get it tighter.. He said as soon as he feels we are tight enough he will get us a lot of exposure.. So with that said.. I had to ask... "Bill, who speeds up in the band", he said "your drummer". He told us how the Drummer keeps the tempo and nobody else.. the bassist plays to his kick drum and we pretty much play to the bassist. The vocals are their own instrument. So something is weird.. since Bill has now said that both me and Jeremy speed up and then went back and said we didn't. Maybe he was drunk one of the times? Anyhow he is a good guy and he is going to help us out a good bit latter down the road, my gut feeling tells me anyhow.

So me and Jeremy finish up our beers and are driving home having one of those long discussions about our band when we get pulled over by a cop, luckily the cop let him go on a warning. Hey I tried to make the best of the situation and asked the cop what kind of music he likes and to watch out for our band, possibly a potential fan.. He said he liked hard rock and we were off.

Today at work I damn near lossed my job and I have a feeling in on the verge of it being taken away from me, our project "TXU" looks like it is going under and so is the hours and money that I need to help pay for the band room and drive in my car and such. If this happens.. well you know what they say.....

WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN

besides reason

2004-02-20T01:48:29Z

Well anyone who has followed us since we started posting here has seen the arguements and excessive smashing of skulls off the wall whilst trying to come up with the perfect band name. Finally we all have reached an agreement and have titled ourselves besides reason. Craig, our lead guitarist has really nailed the concept of what the names means and why we chose it, here is his quote:

"besides reason has meaning because it is the key motivator within each musician. When musicians create a band, they realize how hard it is to get big: the statistics show it, the number of poor musicians show it as well. But there's a driving force deep in their hearts, a force they can't explain, that tells them to try anyways. so there's something besides logical reasoning that tells us it's worth trying, despite the facts that state otherwise. Facts can only get you so far, heart and dedication can take you anywhere."

With that being said we are very enthusiastic and proud to wear our new name and continue to fullfill our dream even if it is besides reason. We have put up our website, currently there is only a splash page up with our coming soon logo, but there will be updates in the upcoming months ahead!

www.besidesreason.com

Here are a list of the band members if you would like to add us to your LJ!

http://www.livejournal.com/users/justinjoseph - Vocals and Guitar
http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=craiganders - Guitar
http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=thedopestdork - Drums
( not a member of LJ, yet ) - Bass

( This was also posted in get_friends )

A song from the Vault

2004-02-11T17:50:41Z

I figured I would post another song from the three song demo I did with "Raising Pilate", but remember I left that band and I am in a much better band filled with better music and more importantly better people! :)

This song was pre-written which means I did not write it.. it was already written when I joined their band, but I added my edge.. its a lot heavier then their original version.

They Called it Orions Song, but I renamed it to "No Way Out"
http://besidesreason.com/mp3s/orions_song.mp3

Also if you missed "Dethroned" which was completely written by me vocally and lyrically then you can check that out here too:
http://besidesreason.com/mp3s/dethroned.mp3

Here is the front of the demo:

Here is the back of the demo:

Maybe one day I will post "Broken Ring" too if enough people want to hear it, however it is very important to remember that I am not in Raising Pilate anymore.. I am in a better band! :)

Well I hope you all enjoy!

New Pics of the Band & Room

2004-02-05T02:39:02Z

Ok so this our band, the full band and we still have no freaking name!!!!

This is the whole band playing, this is the first picture of our whole band jammin out!
Notice the lyrics... I am not looking at them... that means I am finally learning them off by heart! :)

This is Tom our bass player and Jeremy in the background.
Notice they are both smoking while playing.... is there REHAB for this sort of addiction?

Here we all are again except for Jeremy (worm).
Notice we are all goobers and have hats on.. ( this has to change heh? ) -=)~

This is all of except for Craig.
Notice how messy our band room is, we our proud of our originality in music & decorating.

Childish Games

2004-01-21T07:06:26Z

Well I have written a new riff, it is not a song or anything.. it is just an angry riff with a fairly dull and short "sad/melodic" part at the end of its thrashing chords, i have decided to call it "childish games", it is written about stupid games that I see still being played and I really am losing all my faith in keeping myself smiling while the dice are thrown and my pond is expected to move another childish space in this worthless bullshit.

I mention no names, but again lies are being said to me. Although the lies are tedious and foolish, which if I were told the truth I really would not care at all, but since the lies are so unoccasional anymore I really am finding my arm and hand growing tired of brushing it off my shoulders.

As if the lying is not enough, now I am ignored mostly. The stories of the past were told to me and they hurt, they really hurt... but that is the past and I am suppose to make new chapters and allow those old ones to just die... if we didnt allow death.. there would never be a sequal... however for what reason does one want a sequal if 10 of 12 chapters were not happy tales?

I love music, but is it worth it anymore? Is it time to just allow the words of disbelief to overcome my beliefs and look toward my future? Did I fail? Is it time to get the hell out of this state and make a new life? Or is it time for someone to grow up?

There has to be an answer in this... but how do I find which this answer is... better yet.. which question is it we are answering?

:(

More Photo's from the Vault

2004-01-08T22:42:56Z

Here are a few more photo's of us from our picture vault:

This is an old photo taken on top of Mt. Washington over looking Pittsburgh. The flash must have not been on? :)
Left: Wormy
Right: Me

Here I am playing an acoustic gig at Primanti's Sports Bar ( funky hair heh? )

Another great picture on top of Mt. Washington with no flash?
Right: Me
Left: The Worm!

Welp, thats just a few... we got tons.. We will more in likely post a few more before our Official website goes up on the internet. Of course we aren't much to look at it... ok well I am not.. :)

Color Me

2004-01-04T21:06:44Z

Ok so here are the lyrics to our new song, this song was actually written a couple of years ago and copyright 2002, but we made a few changes to it musically and pulled a few lines lyrically.

I wrote this song about a girl I fell so head over heels in love with that I just couldn't let her go, even though I knew something was exactly right about the relationship. This girl is the reason imbroglio broke up, but for the most part we are back together and the chemistry between us is unlike it ever was before.

"Color Me"

I don't believe in letting go when it's as real as you
but maybe it's just me denying the fear of the truth
words that you said to me, meant so much more to me
then they seem to mean to you
eyes must be watching me, voices so near to me
breaking my heart in two

Holding on to what is lost, hoping to be found
holding on to you, not knowing what went wrong
trying to make sense of all of this mess
wondering how much further that I can last in the end
Cupid struck perfectly and nailed the targets eye
took back his arrow and left an open wound inside
and there's no bandage to heal this broken heart
that cry's only tears of lonlyness, whilst were still apart

Now show me...
your true colors
Now show me
before you color me

I don't believe in letting go when it's as real as you
but maybe it's just me denying the facts of what love can do
and No reason for leaving me, you just dissapeared
in to thin air and yet I still Care?
God if you are listening grant me just one prayer
tell her to call, the line is open here!

Now show me...
your true colors
Now show me
before you color me

Show me, show me, show me, show me!
your true colors!
Now show me...
before you color me!

Of course you have no idea what it sounds like unless you listen to it, hopefully after our website gets put up on the internet in a few months we will go record a few tracks to add for your listening pleasures.

Old Band Photo's

2004-01-01T19:03:49Z

Ok, so I was going thru some old pictures of one of my old bands and I decided to post a few for your viewing displeasures! :)

Left: Nick ( totally sucked and didnt last long in the old band )
Middle bottom: Justin ( me, currently the singer of "break the sky" )
Right: Craig ( our lead guitarist of "break the sky" )
Middle top: Jeremy ( worm'o, better known on lj as thedopestdork. Unfortunately you can't see him.. he is quite invisible in this picture.. it's a talent of his.. he just seems to choose to use it at the most conicidental times.. but he is the drummer of "break the sky" )

So there you have it.. it is almost our full band! Our new band name is "break the sky" and the only one this picture is missing is Tom ( our bassist ) ... Believe it or not Jeremy is behind that drum set!

A closer view of craig... Rock On!

Left: Me, my hair is all weird and it is certainly a strange angle!
Right: Jeremy, this is worm'0 when he is not using his special mutant ability of invisibility!

Worm on a cold night being very umm spiritual!

Craig Rocking Hard!

Me singing very melodic

Add Me?

2003-12-27T05:20:10Z

I am still pretty new to Live Journal and I feel like when I type out a entry in my journal.. I am one of the only people reading it. If anyone would not mind, please add me! I am from Pittsburgh PA oh yea and I am in a band! :)

Band Bloopers!

2003-12-23T01:03:12Z

I was just looking thru some of the old bands pictures from the old website and I figured I would let you all get a kick out of this picture with me :) This is a picture of me singing in to a microphone, though it does look like I am attempting to eat it! So I have titled this update: "Band Bloopers!"

Enjoy! :) Edit: Just added a Camera Blooper too :)

Christmas Time

2003-12-19T01:45:34Z

The snow has begone to fall and the weather is a bit nippy, it looks like we just might have a white christmas in Pittsburgh this year. It doesn't feel like christmas here at my house this year, a funeral a few days ago really has disturbed my mom and my brother has moved out and me and my dad are at each others throats, but then again we always are.

Money is tight this year for buying presents too, my family gave a lot of money to the family who is suffering do to the death and my money is pretty much shot from the security deposit/rent money for our new rehearsal space.

But christmas is not about money and presents, to me it is about family and friends and those pretty christmas lights hanging all over the place. I am hoping that it will start to feel like it used to soon, it has never taken this long for me to get in the christmas spirit.

On a lighter note, I added a picture of me to my profile. If you notice it is taken from my license a few years back and it is a bit distorted, not to mention illegal. Enjoy!

PS- Anyone who fucks with thedopestdork or craiganders will answer to me =)~

Beginning of a New

2003-12-08T00:57:31Z

"imbroglio" once wrote a song entitled "beginning of a new", basically it was about starting over again, not giving up when times are down and just gettin back up to do it again. Today that song reflects my life officially, what I felt would be difficult was easy, the butterfly's inside of me were let free.

I found it in me to tell Raising Pilate goodbye and set up a date to pick up my musical equipment and the best part of it all is me and the guys from RP will stay friends. It seems as though Mike *the drummer* was the only one who didn't agree with the break up, but it is for the best.

Now it is time to start over new with most of my old band with a new name and added member. It is certainly the beginning of a new today, only the future lies ahead and now the hard perilous road to success points in a new direction for us to travel, many road have been taken and none have found the destination yet. This time we will follow the yellow brick road.

Everyday is a new thought

2003-12-06T03:24:06Z

Everyday for me is a new thought, mostly about my dream.. the dream of allowing everyone to hear the lyrics and sounds of an emotional group of people through music. A friendship bound by nothing but chemistry and honesty, it is with out a doubt a beautiful dream that nobody can take away from me, but the truth is that this can actually become reality and may have already started to.

Although when I see this dream I do not consider the other reality's, it is like a true fantasy and in real life when I consider how to conquer this dream I constantly have thoughts of some of the reality's I don't when I am just dreaming.

Today I was really thinking hard on how I am going to tell "Raising Pilate" ( my current band ) goodbye. Some would think that it would not be hard to do considering I have not been with them that long and I do not really care for the guitarist or bassist's personality, but it is difficult. That band chose me out of a lot of other singers as their frontman, but then again I never felt like I was a secure part of the band.

I even attempted to put my own thoughts in to the music, but the only say I had was on lyrics and vocal patterns and even then when I looked to them for opinions, they had none to give. I am the sort of person who needs people to believe in me or I won't believe in myself, it really shown as I moved on with Raising Pilate practice by practice and party by party and finally two days in a recording studio followed by a big gig that I felt like I worked my tail off for that I felt we should not have headlined after it was over, honestly the second band did us dirty and I was not dissapointed, but rather I enjoyed "Sniffs" music. The fellows in the band though, they were mad at each other...

I think to myself "this is not about pride", this is about having fun and making beautiful music, "it is not about money" it is about everyone hearing what you have to say and affecting their life emotionally when they need comfort or become part of their memories. To be remembered is probably the greatest gift you can give someone, because memories never die and always live on... it is the eternal life so to speak... it is what music is about.

So there is no doubt that me and the bands have different views and I have made my decision that I will quit, but when I feel I can do it properly. Times change and so do people. I feel that in many ways I have and so has Craig and Jeremy (worm), but in not so many ways we are still the same.

"introduction of a loser"

2003-12-04T07:14:05Z

I am sure the title of my first post in my journal has caught your attention, even those who have a.d.d.'s would be impelled to find out more because of the pure ignorance and lack of self esteem at first glance that the viewer begins to ponder with out actually reading the entire post.

Let me first introduce myself, my name is Justin. I am 24 years old and I have been the singer of many bands, but only one band has held my interest and more so my heart. Sounds kind of "sabby", im sure.. however it is the truth and I would rather not fib to you, especially since I am just getting to you know you.

I've obtained blonde hair and blue eyes the moment I collided with "reality", that was the day I was born. They say you can only be born once, unless you believe in becoming a born again christian.. then you have the right to start over as many times as you feel it necessary, however I suppose I am born again since two weeks ago when I realized that a missing part of me was not part of me at the time, not very complicated really, i mean if there is a missing part.. of course its not there right? But the better question... where was it? The only answer... back with the members of "imbroglio", our old band.

It is something special when you retie the bind you had that was once claimed unbreakable and once again promise that it will never fall. It is remarkable when it doesn't fall and it is a miracle when it begins to fly... and so we shall soar.

I am currently singing in my other project "Raising Pilate", interested in hearing us? http://besidesreason.com/mp3s/dethroned.mp3 That is one of the songs we did and the only song we recorded out of three songs that I wrote the lyrics to and vocal pattern with nobody's help in the band. I know what you are a thinking, "you guys don't sound half bad" and you are right.. But a big mistake and misconception often made is that this is a "business", it is more then that.. it is a sacred friendship of chemistry that designs so that others want to wear it, its an emotion passed around from band member to fan, it is a masterpeace that can not be recreated under any circumstanced... it can only be reborn.

That is all for my first post, this really wasnt about me.. this was about us, the band. Oh and one more thing "A winner is a loser who got up and tried again".