1. A Swedish alternative metal band including members of In
Flames. Now filed under Passenger (SWE).
2. A Brighton (UK) based alternative folk band.
3. A San José, Costa Rica hardcore/screamo band.
4. A Mesa, Arizona based acoustic rock band.
5. A rap artist from Texas.
6. An old alias of DJ Tiësto.
7. A Chicago-based instrumental rock band.
8. A psytrance project of MFG's Guy Zukrel.
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Passenger was formed in 1995 by Sten and Engelin. Both members wanted to do something that was not Thrash metal or Melodic death metal unlike the bands they played in. At its early stages the band was originally called "Cliff". Under the name Cliff they recorded two demos in Studio Fredman that were never released. After a break in the band and after Engelin was hired as a session guitarist for In Flames' Whoracle tour, Anders Fridén, the vocalist of In Flames showed interest in Passenger and joined the band.
In the year 2000 the band came back from its break and went on to record a demo. In 2001 the band recorded another demo in which early versions of the songs "Used", "In My Head", "Circus" and "Drowning City" were recorded. After a third demo the band finally recorded and released their debut album entitled Passenger. A video for "In Reverse" was also released.
Sten noted in February 2004 on their official website that they were in the process of recording their second album. However, since then, Fridén, lead vocalist of both Passenger and In Flames has been noted saying that he has very little time for the project, due to other commitments, and the group is currently on hold. In an interview with Fridén he stated that as soon as he gets a break from In Flames, he wants to get all the group together to record a second album for early 2010. This did however not happen as Anders continued touring with In Flames until October 2010 when they entered their studio to record their next album.
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The brainchild of 26-year-old Brighton born singer/songwriter Mike Rosenberg, Passenger is redefining the troubadour for the 21st century. Formerly a five-piece band, Passenger has now pared back to basics, quite literally bringing music to the streets on a series of lengthy busking journeys across Australia, America and the United Kingdom. A classic journeyman musician, cut from the same mould as Van Morrison, Neil Young and John Prine, Passenger has the unique ability to move from the humorous to heartbreaking with every song.
After a year spent crisscrossing the UK and US with his debut album Wicked Man’s Rest, Passenger’s markedly stripped down and soulful second album Wide Eyes Blind Love was brought to the public as it was created: on the road. Setting up on street corners across the UK and Australia, Passenger halted passers by in their hundreds; all connecting to the mellifluous tones and powerfully hewn lyrics emanating from this lone figure and his guitar. This is music as Passenger means it to be, unvarnished and honest, just pure talent and powerful tunes that tap straight into the heart of the crowd.
Struck by the dynamic freedom of the troubadour life, Passenger developed the grass roots method of Wide Eyes Blind Love into the germ of a new album. Impressively and entirely self funded through busking income, Passenger set about recording a series of collaborations with musical friends met along the way. Flight Of The Crow is the remarkable result of Passenger’s intrepid journey, with Australian artists Lior, Josh Pyke, Katie Noonan, Boy & Bear, Kate Miller Heidke, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Brian Campeau and Elana Stone, Matt Corby, Jess Chalker and Dead Letter Chorus all lending their voices to this serendipitous creative venture. Flight Of The Crow was recorded in Sydney’s famous BJB studios over February and March of 2010, and co-produced by Berkfinger (AKA Simon Berkleman from Philadelphia Grand Jury).
As a second album born of the road, Flight Of The Crow speaks to the compelling quality of Passenger’s music and the striking sincerity of his lyrics, both of which are matched by his dedication to this grass roots style of craftsmanship and collaboration. How utterly remarkable that a lone musician can travel the globe, and literally from the street, connect with some of Australia’s finest musical talents to produce a self-funded album. This is the stuff of legend, with Passenger clearly evoking the humble, hardworking creativity of the troubadours of old.
www.myspace.com/passengerofficial
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Passenger or PSNGR is an active hardcore/screamo band formed in San José, Costa Rica born in 2004. Their EP "Get OFF the Rails!" (tentative title) will be out in 20/01/09. Band members: Alejandro Pacheco (vocals & guitar), Grego Rojas (guitar), Andres Moraga (bass), Jose Vargas (drums). www.myspace.com/passenger
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Passenger the acoustic rock band was formed in late 2000. They have a large archive of both original music and cover songs. They released their first pressed album, entitled "Four Letter Word", in September 2004 on indie label Crop Circle Records.
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Passenger is an Austin, Texas based MC. Born in Massachusetts, he spent most of his younger days growing up in New York and Houston, Tx eventually moving to Austin, Tx in 1996 attending college to try his hand as a sound engineer. During these years, his musical versatility had him playing bass in an alternative rock band, singing in another side project, DJing house, jungle and hip hop music at various venues in Austin. Eventually he became a full time DJ for the reggae/ska/hiphop/punk band, Indofin, which he was a member for years touring the country. His love for hip hop provoked him to purchase an MPC and has been making beats and rhyming ever since. "The Brick In A Glass House", his debut album, contains production from Nozebleed, Lazerbeak (Doomtree), amongst others as well as his own and has guests from Austin's own Emcee, Justin Cook, Weezel, as well as a few others. Currently, you can find him playing shows around the Austin area and will begin to venturing out to other Texas cities. He is also working on putting together a live band to back him at shows and working on new material.
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Passenger is also an old alias of DJ Tiësto. Tiësto only produced 2 tracks under his old Passenger-alias: "Blackspin" and "F.A.H.", both appearing on a record released on Momentum Records in 1996.
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Passenger began winter of 2002 when guitarist dustin covert and bassist/vocalist david mata collaborated on the bands first full length "alive" an 8 song full length about a disoriented and dark but intriguing view of love and romance. the album explored dissonant melodies and agonizingly slow chord progressions with the use of mark sampson on drums and sam billen on piano. in 2003 passenger progressed to a four person line up with michael oberlin on drums and james demis on keyboards and sound and began to play various rock venues in chicago, illinois and used silent film to accompany their live performance. numerous line-up changes took effect during the next year and a half, but in 2005 the concrete line-up of Dustin Covert and David D'Antonio on guitars, David Mata on Bass and Samuel Vincent on drums was achieved. In winter of 2005 Passenger recorded "The Owls are Restless", a 2 hour and 40 minute concept record about an ancient war between owls and rabbits and was recorded and engineered by Steve Whitney in a warehouse in Aurora, Illinois. Shortly after the recording drummer Samuel Vincent tragically passed away. Without his talent and with the grief of losing a dear, dear friend the band decided it was impossible to continue performing the material or anything that involved Passenger. These unfortunate events occurred before "The Owls are Restless" was able to achieve any sort of record label attention, and when it finally did it was too late. The remaining musicians have continued creating in their band White Devil, named after the vintage moog synth/organ that Sam would play in collaboration with his drums in Passenger.
myspace.com/whitedevilchicago
Community Centre
Passenger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Above the community centre
And I'm sitting in a circle,
Telling my secrets to strangers
And they say I've got a problem
But I don't know that I've got one
'Cause you never know that you've got one
'Til someone comes along and spots one
They say it's the hardest step
But it's the first one of many
And my feet are stuck to the ground
And I can't seem to take any
I could tell them I just came
For the free cup of tea and the biscut
And make my way towards the door
But I don't think I can risk it
'Cause I never wanted to stay,
But the morning came so soon
And we all know the words,
But we just sing them out of tune
'Cause I had my first drink when I was fourteen,
And I knew that I was in trouble
'Cause I woke up the next morning
With my face down in the rubble
And everyone was drinking singles
I pour myself a double,
I just needed a little bit more
And now I'm sitting here with my name badge
And I'm listening to the same sad stories
About their old dads,
Who're making all the same
Bad turning's at their crossroads
And drowning all their sorrows,
Without any lifeguard around
Oh no, I never wanted to stay
But the morning came so soon
And oh, we all know the words
But we just sing them out of tune
And oh, oh no
And the sky's turning dark
So we step out into the car-park
And I see you all same place, same time next week
But before we go our separate ways
Theres just one thing I'd like to say is,
Anybody up for a drink
The lyrics of "Community Centre" by Passenger describe a scene where the singer is attending an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting at a community center. He is sitting in a circle with other people who are sharing their secrets with strangers. Although others say he has a problem, he is unaware of it until someone points it out. He feels that his feet are stuck to the ground, and he cannot take the first step towards overcoming his problem. He could leave and tell the others that he came for the free tea and biscuit, but he cannot risk it. The singer also reflects on how he ended up in this position, how he started drinking at an early age, and could not stop himself from taking more. He listens to the sad stories of others about how they are drowning in sorrow without anyone to keep them afloat.
The second verse sets out the common theme of the song; we all know the words but sing them out of tune. The reference to the singer's past drinking serves as a warning to others not to follow in his footsteps. The overall message of the song is the importance of taking the first step to overcome a personal problem or addiction. The community center can provide that first step in the form of meetings and support groups. It is a place to share experiences and receive the support needed to overcome personal struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the sky's turning purple
The atmosphere is changing, and it implies the beginning of a new phase or closure to an existing one.
Above the community center
The circle described in the song is taking place in a community center aimed at helping people in need.
And I'm sitting in a circle,
The singer speaks through the first person narrative, and he is taking part in a group session.
Telling my secrets to strangers
The sessions help people to share their experiences with others who can offer support and advice.
And they say I've got a problem
The artist has come to this session because he is aware of his issue and wants to recover.
But I don't know that I've got one
The singer is in denial and does not think he has a problem, which is typical on the road to recovery.
'Cause you never know that you've got one
People with addiction usually do not realize they have a problem until someone points it out.
'Til someone comes along and spots one
Sometimes, identifying a problem takes the help of an expert or someone with similar experiences.
They say it's the hardest step
Accepting one's problem is often the most challenging part of the recovery process.
But it's the first one of many
Acknowledging the problem is the first step towards a successful recovery, and it's followed by many more that require patience and persistence.
And my feet are stuck to the ground
The singer may be reluctant to take the first step towards recovery, fearing the unknown and potential discomfort of it all.
And I can't seem to take any
The artist may not feel ready to go through the recovery process or may be struggling with personal issues.
I could tell them I just came
The singer can pretend to have a different reason for being there, like wanting a free cup of tea and a biscuit.
For the free cup of tea and the biscuit
The community center may offer free refreshments, which can entice visitors to come.
And make my way towards the door
The singer may feel uneasy about being in the session and want to leave.
But I don't think I can risk it
The artist may hesitate to leave because he knows he has a problem, and this could be the last chance to seek help.
'Cause I never wanted to stay,
The artist may not have planned to be there for more than one session or feel comfortable with it.
But the morning came so soon
Time passes faster than we expect, and things can change quickly.
And we all know the words,
We often know what to say or what is expected of us, but we struggle to act on it.
But we just sing them out of tune
Although we know what we should do, we may not be doing it correctly or effectively.
'Cause I had my first drink when I was fourteen,
The artist had his first experience with alcohol at a young age, which can indicate unhealthy habits or addictions early.
And I knew that I was in trouble
The artist was probably aware that drinking could cause issues but decided to ignore them or continue doing it anyway.
'Cause I woke up the next morning
The singer experienced the negative effects of alcohol consumption on his wellbeing, creating an awareness of the problem.
With my face down in the rubble
The artist may have lost control over what he did, where he went, or who he was with, and it led to consequences of some sort.
And everyone was drinking singles
The other people had one drink, which may not have affected them adversely, or they were not dealing with the same issue.
I pour myself a double,
The singer may be drinking more than the recommended amount, which could indicate unhealthy drinking habits or addictions.
I just needed a little bit more
The singer might be dependent on alcohol to fulfill a particular need or escape reality.
And now I'm sitting here with my name badge
The artist has accepted his problem, and he is attending sessions to seek help and support.
And I'm listening to the same sad stories
Others in the group may have gone through similar experiences, and listening to them makes the artist feel less alone and more understood.
About their old dads,
The people in the group may have family members or loved ones who are also negatively affected by their addiction.
Who're making all the same
The singer and the other members' loved ones may react similarly to the addiction, possibly by trying to help or distancing themselves from the person.
Bad turning's at their crossroads
People in the group may feel stuck or unsure of what to do, creating a crisis in their lives.
And drowning all their sorrows,
The group members may be using alcohol to cope with psychological or emotional pain.
Without any lifeguard around
The people in the group may feel lost and unsupported, like when a swimmer is drowning without a lifeguard to save him.
Oh no, I never wanted to stay
The singer may wish he didn't have a problem or that he had found other ways to deal with it.
But the morning came so soon
Time is passing by quickly, and the artist cannot procrastinate or ignore his problem anymore.
And oh, we all know the words
People with addiction know what they should do, but the reality of it may be harder than expected.
But we just sing them out of tune
People may not be able to help themselves, and the recovery process can be long and winding.
And the sky's turning dark
The session is running out of time, which creates pressure to finish.
So we step out into the car-park
The group session has ended, and everyone is now leaving the community center.
And I see you all same place, same time next week
The artist and the group members plan to meet again next week, indicating their commitment to the recovery process and the benefits they see in it.
But before we go our separate ways
The people in the group may have formed close bonds, even though they were strangers at first.
There's just one thing I'd like to say is,
The singer wants to express something before leaving the session.
Anybody up for a drink
The artist may still have a drinking problem or still have cravings for alcohol, even though he has decided to get help.
Contributed by Alexander A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.