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Tag: alternative rock
Set It Off Album Review for Highlight
Just wanted to quickly share an album review I wrote for Highlight Magazine on Set It Off’s newest album, Midnight, that you can read right here. Enjoy!
January Music Picks
I am late on this but I still wanted to share my top music picks from January!
This last month has been a definite roller coaster for me. Going back to school after almost a long month break was for sure something I had not been looking forward to. But thanks to a change in life goals, the term has been not so bad. Of course, I would like to thank music, especially some particular tracks, that have been there for me during this January ride. So let’s get right to it!
Many of us have crushes, duh, and when we tend to have these crushes, we say to ourselves that we would do so much to be with that peson. I am not saying that I had a crush on someone this last month (or did I?), but this specific song is catchy and gives me the feelings of wanting to be there for someone. “I’ll Always Be Around” by Waterparks is the song I am talking about. Whenever I hear this song – it has been on repeat for most of the month – all I can think about is that feeling where you’re ready to be with a person. It’s exciting!
January 16th was an amazing day for The Maine fans (me being one of them). Their newest single “Numb Without You” was released that day and oh boy is it something! One of my favorite parts of the song is when John expresses, “You’re every fucking thing inside me now.” This person he sings about is very important to him. They make them feel alive and whole. The song in general has strong emotions and lyrics that a listener could relate to. It shows that being without someone who has impacted you can make you feel empty inside. Also this track has a different sound to their previous work, but fans still love it, and so do I.
There is a song that I absolutely love playing in the car so that I can dance to in my seat. It’s fun, it’s catchy, it’s entertaining. “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME” by The 1975 is this song. I try not to get into the lyrics to this song too much, I mainly just want to sing along and dance. That’s it, that simple. Moving on.
The last song I will mention is “Freakin’ Me Out” by The Ready Set. A song from five years ago and when I listen to it, it is as if it just came out. I’m excited about it and all I want to do is sing at the top of my lungs. What this song does to me when I listen to it every time is remind me of one of the first Warped Tours I attended. The Ready Set’s album The Bad & The Better had come out right before Warped Tour and he was going to play some of the songs from this album. Now I do not quite remember whether or not this song was played, but it was from that era, so good memories definitely come from this song. It is a nice way to just sit there (and move around a bit) and remember the good old days of Vans Warped Tour.
Check out the playlist below from my Spotify with the above songs and other songs I have been enjoying this past month. Leave a comment if you wish with songs you have been listening to on repeat lately. Enjoy!
Waterfronts Split EP Release
The Portland, OR band Waterfronts have joined together with the band Substitute Dad to create a split EP titled ‘Split-Splitley’ that was released today. The four-track EP features two Waterfronts and two Substitute Dad songs. Waterfronts’ songs are “Homecoming” and “Waiting List” that you can listen to below and you can click here to listen to Substitute Dad’s songs fron the EP (the bands’ songs are not linked together).
Tonight, the two bands along with the band The Kelevras p
ut on a free release show for the public to celebrate the new EP. The Kelevras played first, kicking off the night. Substitute Dad was second, and I was amazed. A talented group of people alongside Waterfronts put on a terrific show. Waterfronts was last and they absolutely killed it! The PDX band is made up of five very musically gifted individuals who have come together to create a wonderful piece of art, music. Songs from the new EP were played as well as their single “Headaches.” Tonight was definitely unforgettable.
Make sure to follow Waterfronts on Spotify to be up-to-date with their future releases!
My 2018 Meet & Greets
2018 was a pretty good year for me meeting some of my favorite bands. I went to a total of five meet and greets this year and I am so thankful for the opportunities. I had met all of them except for one band in full in previous years and I can tell you that it never gets old. Meeting your music idols feels like a dream every time. My mom always says to me when I mention a meet and greet I want to go to, “But you’ve already met them, you don’t need to meet them again.” She somewhat has a point. Although I have met some bands before, each time is a different experience. For example – I will be very honest – the first couple of times I met Sleeping With Sirens I was not a huge fan of Kellin Quinn because of how he was acting. Then the last I met them (you can read below) he was so fun!
If you have never gone to a meet and greet before, maybe because you do not know what it is like or because you are nervous (I get nervous every time), keep reading and maybe I can encourage you to meet your favorite artists.
February 10, 2018 – Sleeping With Sirens
I am in the front seat and my mom is driving in front of Spokane’s Knitting Factory. We see a tour bus and suddenly, Kellin Quinn walks out towards us and very quickly my mom says hi and he responded! They chat for about 15 seconds and my jaw drops. “Wow,” I begin to say, “what a friendly guy!” That got me even more excited for the actual meet and greet. At the time of the meet and greet, Kellin performed “Roger Rabbit” acoustic. Then it came time for the actual meeting. It was my turn. I walked in front of them all and said, “I danced for 14 years and I would love it if we posed as if we were dancers, like ballerinas.” And that is what we did. Well, except for Kellin who decided to stick out his middle finger, so I put a black heart in front of it as an edit. (Justin was not feeling well, so he did not pose.)
March 7, 2018 – Pvris
Let me start off by just saying that I do not like this picture. Worst “pose” I have ever done. What was I thinking? My photo with Demi Lovato was way better than this one. Anyways, even though I do not like this one, I still appreciate it. This was my second time meeting the band (third time meeting Lynn Gunn). It was still a great experience, though. I was just a bit sad, however, because Lynn was on vocal rest, so I did not get to really talk to her. Great experience, weird picture.
April 8, 2018 – Echosmith
One of my very first posts on here was about this meet and greet/concert that you can read about here. This one was way fun! Noah Sierota said he recognized me, maybe because I have met the band before a couple times. Funny story real quick, the first time I met the band was the day after Warped Tour at hotel and I was in my pajamas! Wow. Echosmith I would say is by far one of the sweeetest bands I have met, and I have met quite of few, not to brag. This meet and greet was definitely one of my most favorite.
July 1, 2018 – The Maine
This was an unforgettable day. I have been a fan of The Maine for about nine years now and I had never met the band in full until this last year. These guys are so kind and funny! I met the band in the Vans Warped Tour line waiting for the gates to open. This time I dragged my mom to it so she even got to meet a few of the members. She had a great conversation about Brazil with one of them for I was wearing a Brazil hat and she was wearing a Brazil shirt since that summer the World Cup was happening. It was pretty amusing, but Kennedy seemed to enjoy it, too. Then we were finally inside. I had told myself that this time was the time that I finally meet the whole band. And it happened! I waited in line for about an hour to meet them, I was even one of the first 10 people in line. It was so worth the wait!
September 25, 2018 – Never Shout Never
My all time favorite band/person. It was only Christofer Drew who I met that day, but it was okay since I had met the band before. The meet and greet was free if you had a copy of your confirmation email for one of the two poetry books he has published. I will not get too into this one because I still get emotional since the band came to an end (you can read about it here). I got Chris to write my favorite lyrics down, “peace will find us with harmony,” and I will later get it tattooed somewhere on my body. A day I will never forget, it was amazing.
I do not nor will I ever take any of these meet and greets, even older ones, for granted. Meeting your favorites is like a dream come true and every time, even after meeting them three, four times it never gets old and it is so special. If you have wanted to attend a meet and greet but was nervous about it, I hope that sharing my experiences has helped you in enouraging you to attend at least one. If you have any questions and/or want to share your meet and greet experiences, please feel free to post it in the comments. I hope you get to meet your idols!
Never Shout Never Ends..
ICYMI, the band Never Shout Never who Christofer Drew started as a solo project has come to an end. The day before Christmas Eve, Drew tweeted the following:
A few days later he confirmed that after the Brazil and Mexico Never Shout Never tour the band will be done.
Many are very upset over this. People who used to be fans are reminiscing over the times when they would listen to the band’s music and attend their shows. Others who are still fans expressed how much they do not want the band to end. Never Shout Never has helped so many people, including me. Here is my story…
It was the end of 2009 and I was at a friend’s house listening to music on YouTube. My friend decided to show me a song that she said reminded her of me because it was “cute” with a sound I would enjoy, so she went here. “Trouble” by Never Shout Never began to play. I fell in love with not only the song, but also Drew’s voice. I asked her to show me more of their songs. That is when my love for the band was established.
I remember the band as NeverShoutNever!, and now as a three word band name, I am still a fan. I have seen the band live about eight times, met Christofer Drew three times, and met the band as a whole two times.
The second time I saw them live my life changed. I was in a very dark place with negative thoughts running through my head with horrible plans. Then Drew started talking about life and how beautiful it is and how we should live in the now and enjoy the moment. Suddenly somehow it changed my thinking and I thought to myself, “I will give this, life, another try.” Years later, I got my second tattoo with the band’s symbol and the date of the concert underneath (see picture below).
Writing this is a challenge as I try not to cry (again) over the band’s breakup. Just one more thing: I would like to thank the band as a whole for being there during my dark times and helping me get through life. It is amazing how music can change one’s life, thoughts, etc.
If there is an artist or band that has helped you during your difficult times, leave a comment. I love hearing about music’s impact on others. Much love.
The 1975’s ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’
It has been three weeks since The 1975 released their third album, ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.’ This album is pretty far from sounding like their previous pieces of work. It is for sure not a bad sounding album, though, just different. This album is one that you can both dance to and just lay in bed and chill out to. Songs in this album have very deep meanings behind them, sometimes a little hard to figure out unless you really pay attention to the lyrics.
The first time I heard this album, I was shook. From the beginning to the end, it is like a roller coaster sound wise, but not in a bad way – it is as if you are on a roller coaster in which each song is different than the previous one. I also got to listen to it with strangers at a listening party at a record store, and it was so much fun. Sharing a passion for the same music with strangers in a room is actually quite interesting, but also amazing. I had a great time.
Anyways, let’s go..
“Shook.” But to a certain extent. You begin listening to the track “The 1975.” It starts off with a nice piano solo that brings calmness to your soul that then goes on to become background music. Lyrics that The 1975 fans all probably know by now start up suddenly, and it is very opposite of before. It is more “robotic.” What this track does is really introduce the listener to the album’s vibe and how it will sound like here and there. The 1975 did a fantastic job with this opening track.
Skipping to track number five, “Love It If We Made It” expresses how the modern world has failed us. So many sad things have been happening around us, and even the music video for this song shows that. But the first verse is what really grasps your attention especially with the lyrics, “We’re just left to decay.” We are all here living with these negative things going on, so if we could just make it to the end okay, we would love that.
“The Man Who Married A Robot / Love Theme.” What a song – not one that is sung, but one that is talked throughout as if a computerized voice was doing all the talking. Begins with, “This is a story about a lonely, lonely man.” This song really sticks out not only because how how it is expressed, but its meaning. A relationship between man and the internet is something we all know about. The track goes on about the man’s obsession with the internet. It is really an eye opener because we don’t always think about us being “obessed” with it, but a lot of us are. “And then he died in his lonely house, on the lonely street, in that lonely part of the world.” A sad ending, but that is, in reality, how some of us will end. Some will only have the internet because it is all they payed attention to, all they obsessed over. This song is a scary reality.
The one major “flaw” the album has is that there are too many slower tunes in a row before a quick melody comes back. Overall, it is a great work of art. Not only were the lyrics magnificent with great, deep meanings, but the track titles were brilliant as well. People even made comments on the last track’s title for example, “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes).” Some were from college students expressing how it is how they felt the week of finals, some being from others because of work. It was humorous, but the song was not only shared because of its title, but also because of how it is as a whole – starts with a nice acoustic guitar, a good way to exit.
You can take a listen to the album down below if you haven’t yet, and make sure to leave a comment with your thoughts. The 1975 will be heading out on tour next year and you can check out the dates here. Happy listening, and also, happy holidays!
