After a cringe worthy first week or so of school, it's
finally time for a break. Never does a weekend seem so sweet as the first one
of the semester. Strangely enough for me, I will not be sitting at home,
procrastinating on assignments while working on research for blog posts; I
will, thank goodness, be on the other side of the country for a much needed
girls weekend. I suggest you do the same, maybe not so drastically, but the
grab the person who annoys you least and go on a road trip. Short or long, it
does not matter, it just feels good to have the windows down and the music up.
So, grab some sodas, a bag of Cheetos, and throw these songs on a CD. Have fun
and relax.
Music caught itself on a snag in my soul when I
was young, and it's been there for me over the years with such consistency that
I can't imagine not having it in my life. The only thing better than finding
good music is attending a good concert. I swear, if I don't go to at least one
concert a year I'll combust.
There are some
misconceptions about concerts that I've had many people mention to me lately
and, if these fallacies are not fixed, you could miss out on some great performances.
1) Concerts are too
expensive.
This is just not true; do not let it stop you from
seeing a band live because it's not even a good excuse. Sure, there are
expensive concerts (I gave up on Coldplay this summer because the least
expensive ticket was over $150), but the majority of them are actually quite
affordable. When I saw Panic! At the Disco and Fun., it was only $38. The first
time I saw Passion Pit, the tickets were only $21, and Graffiti6 had a $12
concert in Atlanta this summer. There are added expenses like $10 parking and
one and half hours worth of gas, but it's never
not been worth it. Another type of concert experience is a music
festival and, though the overall price may seem expensive ($60-$120), you are
going to see about four bands/artists a day for 3-5 days; this averages out to
a pretty amazing deal, especially as the festivals offer at least two big names
a day. Don't tell yourself that you can't go to a concert because it will be
too expensive, there are plenty of free and cheap concerts in college towns and
big cities.
2) Music festivals
are dirty, drug ridden, and sex-filled?
Seriously? If you
can get in position to have sex when there are hundreds of people crushed
together then good for you; that's impressive. And as far as drugs go, I have
never seen anything more harmful than pot, and that is only prevalent at
certain performances; not all of them are subject to that. There is a lot of
drinking, but it's a concert/fair/outside gathering, there is always drinking.
Now, as far as being dirty goes, that's not a fair argument to make to the
event organizers. They work to keep their grounds as clean as possible so that
they can continue to hold the event for years to come (and if you attend an
established festival, it's bound to be better organized, cleaner, and generally
safer). There is always a large number of volunteers (who wouldn't agree to a
few days of manual labor for some free concerts) who are constantly on the
move, picking up trash along the way. Overall, music festivals are a really fun
place to see a lot of bands and meet people. The only way you won't enjoy
yourself is if you go in with that mind set and decide to hang out in the
obviously bad places (don't expect the porta-potty alley to be clean, well-lit,
and full of fresh flowers). Also, there are police and firemen milling around
everywhere and, the larger the concert, the more protection they have. Some
festivals will even bring in military police if they suspect a band will be
popular, providing extra security for everyone.
3) There are never
any concerts near me.
Unless you live in a
college town or a major city, there usually are not concerts next door to you,
but that doesn't mean you can't drive to them. Most of the concerts I attend
are a minimum of one hour away, but one hour isn't long to drive for a great
performance. I would actually prefer that longer drive over a short one; it
gives you and your friends time to get excited and then, on the way back, time to
talk about the concert and sing along to the album you bought at the merchandise
table (always buy something from the merch table to help your favorite band).
Timmy Curran, a surfer turned musician, uses a
blend of folksy alternative and rock to create his unique sound. He has had
much success as a surfer, getting his first sponsorship at 11 and surfing
professionally by 16, and uses this to promote his albums; he performed songs
from his first album at Hurley surf shops and has
created a strong fan base among the surfing community.
He released his EP, Citsusa in 2004 and his first album Word of Mouth in 2007, before re-releasing it in 2008 after signing
to a label (the title comes from Curran's belief that 'word of mouth' is the best way to garner a fan base and share music). Keeping with this
theory, he offers his EP, second, and third albums (Citusca-2004, Verses-2010, and Options-2011)
for free on his website, making it easy to share his music among friends and fans.
His music has that sweet, down to earth quality that
makes you smile and brings you back to balance. My personal favorite, "Blue Eyes," was featured on his first
album and offers a cute relationship song, complete with an adorable video about winning back a girl. His music is full of those undeniably catchy melodies which are
just so easy to hum along to and lyrics which will circle around your head on
repeat for days (in a good way). "Crazy Love", from Curran's second album, keeps that melodic
sound and those adorable lyrics that first appeared on his EP and "If I Only Had
a Way" shows off his beautifully unique voice that I just can't get enough
of (simultaneously soft and scratchy, it's perfect for a beach-y folk sound). His third album features the same catchy melodies, but sounds more reflective and a little less hopeful than his last two albums as he repeats lines like "oh how my heart bleeds" in "U Dear" (it's so different from his previous albums that, then the song reaches a nearly heartbreaking moments when those strings swell, it almost sounds like a different artist, if only for a second). The third album, while capturing the
insightful lyrics and great melodies of the other songs, is more thoughtful and 'deep' than the previous songs Curran put out. At times, the music is a tad reminiscent of Death Cab for Cutie, particularly in "Weary"
as he mixes the alternative rock sound with his folksy lyrics.
Whether you prefer the slowed down beach sounds of
his first few albums or the alternative rock of his last album, he is an
amazing artist that deserves the chance to be added to your music library. Check
him out in the links below, take advantage of the free music, and buy his
other songs from iTunes. And watch this adorable music video along the way.
Chris Pearson, Nick Box,
Jake Lester, Shaun Menary, and Brandon Ross make up the alternative rock quintet, Sleeperstar. The band began in 2007 in Dallas, Texas and has since
released two full albums (To Speak, To Love, To Listen [2008]and Just Another Ghost [2010]). They are preparing to release an EP which will act as an extension of their second album and will then be releasing a third album in early 2013 (Lost Machines)
The
band's song, "I Was Wrong," was featured on The Vampire Diaries last year and shot the album's sales up
overnight, turning Sleeperstar from an independent band with a small, yet strong, fan base, to a signed band working on the release of their first EP, Blue Eyes (set to be released in January). The band's first album, To Speak, To Love, To Listen, had only
seven songs, four of which ("The Journey", "Texas Rain", "Just So You Know", "Disengage") were carried over onto the bands second album, Just Another Ghost; one of the best albums of 2010. Though both albums are worth buying (and listening to multiple times over), "Texas Rain," "The Day I Quit My Job," and "We Go Tonight (Say It Again)" may be their catchiest songs, while the lyrics of "Wherever You Go," "Disengage," "Soon," and "The Journey" are so pure and unabashedly honest that you will fall for the band within the first thirty seconds. And the lyrics of "Carry You," "Losing You," and "I Was Wrong" are so great; this band never ceases to amaze me. Pearson's beautifully unique voice (it's not often that you can
call a voice both smooth and rough) will certainly attract listeners, as well
as the unique sound created by the combination of styles which each individual member brings to the group. Check the band out in all the links below and make sure to buy their albums and keep an eye out for Blue Eyes (January 29) and Lost Machines.
Youngblood Hawke is an alternative band consisting
of Sam Martin, Simon Katz, Alice Katz, Tasso Smith, and Nik Hughes. After
Martin's and Katz's previous band broke up in 2009, they turned to music as a
way to release feelings and Katz soon came up with the name Youngblood Hawke,
taken from the 1960s novel, by Herman Wouk, of the same name. Katz and Martin
shared their recordings with friends, adding Katz, Smith, and Hughes to the
band.
Their sound is unique, almost an alternative
techno sound, yet the voices of the band members merge perfectly in an acoustic
setting, giving them a soothing folksy sound. Their newest EP has only four songs on it, but each song is better than the last.
Their single, "We Come Running," was
released as a 'free single of the week' on iTunes on August 14 and succeeded in
taking the bands self-titled EP from number 45 on the alternative album iTunes
charts, to number 14, solidly placed between Passion Pit and Alex Clare. This
song has, of course, received more attention than the others and, while it is a
great song, there is something about "Stars (Hold On)" that just
demands it be played on repeat, and "Forever" is the most endearing
song the band has to offer, and I can't get enough of it.
On the bands tumblr account, they describe
themselves flawlessly, stating that "Youngblood Hawke captures the sound
of 5 friends in mid-journey. One mountain has been climbed, and there are more
in the distance. But for right now, the view is beautiful."
The band is adorable, their EP is amazing, and you
should check out these links below. Do your part in supporting the band so they
can continue to make this amazing music.
When
I was younger, one of my sister's favorite songs was "The Thong Song"
by Sisqó. She was intent on
hearing the song on the local radio station and kept calling, requesting that
it be played, but the DJ claimed he could only play the song once it had
reached a certain number of requests. This resulted in my sister calling the
station, multiple times, on both the cell and home phones, using different
voices each time. After a few hours of thoroughly annoying the DJ, she
convinced me to do the same.
Using
as many different voices as a twelve year old could think of, I called the
radio station to request a song about a style of woman's underwear. After
calling the station six times, I begged my sister to let me stop embarrassing
myself, as it was clear the DJ had caller ID (or, more likely, my high-pitched
child's voice could not be disguised by any accent and was clearly not as
indistinguishable as I had hoped).
I
waited up with my sister, until one in the morning, to hear our request;
this was a big deal as, to a twelve year old, one AM might as well be the same
as pulling an all-nighter. The song was never played, because the DJ was
obviously an ass, but the only person I would ever do this type of ridiculous
thing for would be my sister. The only thing stronger than the sting of
embarrassment is the bond between sisters.
I
never have heard "The Thong Song" played on the radio, but if I did I
would call my sister immediately, even if I had to place an overseas call to do
so, just to hold the phone to the speakers and reminisce on all the stupid
things that helped us to grow, and all the idiotic fun we have yet to experience.
My
sister provided me with the spark which ignited my dreams of making sure every
song has its chance to shine, regardless of its insignificance or how silly it
may sound; it had to be important to someone to be recorded in the first place.
An alternative rock group from Ohio, WALK THE MOON consists of Nicholas Petricca, Sean
Waugaman, Kevin Ray, and Eli Maiman. The band formed in 2008 and released their first album, i want! i want!, in 2010, receiving a lot of airplay and praise for their song, "Anna Sun" (a pop rock anthem which reminds listeners to hold onto their youth). The band has since re-released "Anna Sun" on their latest album, Walk the Moon (June 2012), which features other great songs like "Jenny", "Next In Line", "Tightrope", and "Fixin'".
The band has promoted their music on Carson Daly, David Letterman, and Conan, as well as touring with Fun, Grouplove, Panic! At the Disco, and Neon Trees. Their first headlining tour is still ongoing; they have toured the US and Europe, and are currently back to touring in the US before heading to Europe, again, in February.
While the band's onstage charisma and relentless enthusiasm (face paint is handed out at the concerts and fans are encouraged to take some and dance/sing along) have certainly helped them to garner a fan base, "Anna Sun", and its endearingly energetic music video, has played a large role in the band's current success. Even if you are not a fan of the song or the band (yet), you should be after watching this video.
If you like the band, sign up for the mailing list, buy their merch, and make sure to get their albums.