Homecoming Surprise

Plymouth State held its annual Homecoming and family Celebration event this past weekend. Novelties were handed out, student orgs participated in competitions, and students reunited with their families from all around the country. Part of the annual celebration is a big concert that takes place in the court room upstairs in the Hartman Union Building, and this year Hawthorne Heights was the main performance. Opening up for them was Plymouth's own Legends of Crawford. Both bands gave a taste of some real hardcore music that was truly pulsating.

I walked into the opening set a little late, but as soon as I stepped inside, I knew I was in for a treat. Legends of Crawford are a four piece hardcore band from Plymouth, NH. The boys all met at a house on 6B Crawford St. last school year. One member (one of three vocalists, Ben King) lived at the apartment and the other three attended parties at the legendary house or just hung out with some of the people who lived there. All members shared a love for music, and not just any music but all sorts of rock. Lead member, King, has aspired to be in a band since his younger brother started one up called Young Mountain, but it wasn't until this past summer that Ben finally put together the band of his dreams. Their music is inspired by the memories they shared at 6B throughout the year, and those memories are captured well with their music. At the concert, there wasn't a huge turn-out, but that's what's to be expected at Plymouth State's homecoming. Legends of Crawford definitely brought a large following, though as all their friends were front and center screaming every word to the songs. A circle pit was even started when LOC played their heaviest song- not really what Plymouth students (and their parents) were expecting at the homecoming concert. LOC is a band to watch out for. Their stage presence is impeccable, their lyrics are honest, and the music can only get better with another year of college to look forward to. Their set opened up well to old school band, Hawthorned Heights.

Most students expected Hawthorne Heights to have a mediocre performance, since the band has been off the map for waht seems to be a decade. AP recently listed Hawthorne Heights along with Good Charlotte, Sum 41, Yellowcard, and Simple Plan as the "Comeback Kids". I even laughed a little inside when I heard the old timer was coming to play for homecoming, the only song I think anyone remembers is "Ohio is for Lovers". Sadly, this was the truth and Hawthorne Heights didn't give a stellar performance, and had a smaller turn out than LOC did. The death of their original guitar player and screamer, Casey Calvert, could have to do with the lack of stage presence, because it seemed as though the entire band wasn't very excited about playing for us. Lead singer, JT Woodruff, stood still and sang in his squeaky teenage voice, and the other members participated in cliche rock star acts (the bass player, Matt Ridenour, did some half-way splits and the usual head banging). Despite their lack of an amazing show, the boys of Hawthorne Heights treated the people who put on the show with great respect, which is uncommon these days.

Overall the homecoming celebrat at Plymouth this year was a success. Legends of Crawford had a great show, and definitely made a name for themselves at the concert Saturday night. Hawthorne Heights may hae been a dissapointment to me, but I'm sure it was a good show for the kids that looked up to them back in 2001. Check out Legends of Crawford on their always updated facebook page, and give a listen to Hawthorne Height's new album, Skeletons.

Just Greenery and Humid Air

Hellooooo summer time! I haven't written a blog in a while because I've been enjoying my summer too much. So far I've been to my cottage, the beach, BOMB fest, etc... So far nothing too eventful, but it's been relaxing and productive. I've been working a lot and seeing good friends.

I went to BOMB fest as I talked about in my last blog. It wasn't everything that I'd hoped, but I'm glad I went. I was put in ticketing and the info booth. So the whole time I scanned people's tickets, told them how to get to the bathroom, and find merch. I saw a ton of crazy indie people, weird cracked out adults, and some normal people too. I was hoping that I'd get to see some bands like Of Montreal and Mute Math but I just heard them from afar instead. After my shift was over I decided to just go home because my mom was making lobster, and I wanted to make it home for that.. I wish I could have stayed though, and really experience what BOMB is all about. Regardless it was a cool experience and I plan on doing more stuff like that in the future.

This summer I'm really excited to help out some friends with their band. It's called Aesthetic Waves, and it's a post-hardcore sort of band. I went to get coffee with one of the members, and we discussed how awesome it would be to do some real legit promoting for it, and try to get more shows and such. As of now I might be their new merch girl, but nothing is set in stone. He texted me yesterday, and they have been offered to play a show at a place in CT called "The Space", which is really sweet! I'm totally excited for them, and can't wait to see what comes out of this.

I guess this is what my blog will turn into this summer, a way for me to discuss the progress for Aesthetic Waves, and of course more music related events that happen for me this summer. Next up for "AW" will hopefully be a band meeting to talk about the future of the band, and speeding up progress. Who knows...but whatever happens will definitely be fun for everyone!

BOMB fest

My dillema on going to BOMB fest or not has ended (for the most part). I was reading the facebook discussion board for the festival, and saw that someone asked about volunteering. I read into the volunteering options that BOMB fest has, and I'm very excited to say that I have a 70% chance of filling those positions. The lady that I emailed about it was so nice, and totally willing to accept volunteers so last minute. I just hope I can do a job that will actually give me some good experience. Can't have too high of hopes though...BOMB fest is in 17 days!
In replacement of Brand New, 30 Seconds to Mars is playing. A slightly larger bamd, but not necessarily my favorite.
The lineup includes:
- Lupe Fiasco
- 30 Seconds to Mars
- Of Montreal
- Girl Talk
- Mute Math
- The Cool Kids
- Roots of Creation
- Christine Olham & Rebel Montez
- 40 oz. to Freedom
- MORE MORE MORE!!
There is also a buuuuunch more local bands that are playing. Mostly from CT, but some from LA, Louisina, Maine, and Florida! This should definitely be an interesting fest, and I'm pumped that I might get to be behind it all.

correction

I'm very sad to say that what I wrote in my last blog post was false. Well it wasn't at the time, but the next day it was. Brand New has been dropped from the line-up for B.O.M.B fest this summer, and I couldn't be more upset. I don't know why exactly that is, but if I learn why I'll say. So this means that I don't know if I'm still going to B.O.M.B fest or not anymore since it's $50, but we'll see.

In other news the latest issue of AP Magazine is absolutely to die for. First off, one of my favorite bands in the entire world, Chiodos, had a 3 page spread, explaining the new stuff that they will be putting out this summer without the acclaimed frontman, Craig Owens. I loved Craig Owens in Chiodos, and I love his other work as well (solo work, Cinematic Sunrise, and Isles and Glaciers), but I'm excited to hear what Chiodos has to come. The new singer, Brandon Balmer, should be a quite interesting addition to the band since he has a completely different voice than Craig does, but who knows. I'm glad this article was done by AP because I was really anticipating the news on Chiodos' new stuff, and it's really the first thing that has been released about it. I can't wait for the new album!! Also in the #263 issue of AP, Circa Survive was featured. The article was primarily about the struggle in writing their latest album, Blue Sky Noise, after a two year break from anything Circa. It talked of Anthony Green's personal life and the struggles that he has inside of him, and it really touched my heart. I never really liked Circa Survive that much, but lately I've been listening to the last two albums a lot, and it was nice to read about the band. If you like Circa Survive, make sure to get your hands on this issue of AP.

AP Magazine also featured a section about "The AP Innovators of 2010" which was SO interesting for me to read because most of the people that were featured were working in the music industry. Others were DIY artists. My favorite was Tom DeLonge and Jimmy Throgmorton and their invention of modlife.com. I've been working all semester on a project for one of my classes that was to make a business presentation and report on a new product of your choice. So I chose Macbeth shoes. So throughout my research I learned about modlife.com since both were created by Tom DeLonge. I love him. Everything he does is for the benefit of music, and nothing else. For their company they wrote how they "[Want] to make a living, but [they're] not doing it because [they're] trying to get rich off of someone else's talent. [They're] there to support people and help them in any way [they] can." Modlife.com is a website that allows artists and fans to interact with one another, and it is the first of its kind. It really is a great invention that needs more recognition.

I especially loved this issue of AP because of that section. Each one of those artists said something about following your dreams, and it was truly inspiring for me. One said (though I don't remember which), don't let anything get in the way of your dreams, and make sacrifices for it. And that is exactly what I'm going to have to do.

Long story short...READ AP MAGAZINE #263!

i need the smell of summer..i need it's noises in my ears

Summer is coming (for me there are 20 days until summer) and that means beaches, popsicles, mowed lawns, and concerts..lots and lots of concerts. There are currently four that I can definitely attend, but I'm not sure if I will be able to yet, which is beside the point. I'm for sure going to the Vans Warped Tour, and BOMB fest. But I would also like to see The Devil Wears Prada on thier "Back to the Roots Tour", and Alexisonfire.

Warped Tour is always my favorite part of summer. It's the one day of the year where I spend all day doing one of the things I love most..seeing bands live. It's such a thrill, and having the tour outside during the summer time makes it so much better. My first Warped Tour was in Boston on a gross rainy day. Actually there were tornado warnings that day too, but that didn't stop anyone from having a good time. While Four Year Strong was playing, it was raining SO hard, and kids were sliding down the soaking wet grass hill behind the stage. Everyone should attend at least one Warped Tour, it is definitely a site to see.

BOMB fest is an event that I'm definitely excited for this year. It is a small festival that is sponsored by B.O.M.B (Bring Our Music Back, Inc.). This is a festival in Connecticut at the Durham fair grounds, and it is suspected that the festival will hit New Orleans next year. The lineup includes all sorts of artists including, Brand New (STOKED), Girl Talk, Of Montreal, and Lupe Fiasco. This is definitely a show to see due to the range of artists that it is bringing along. I'm excited to see how it turns out!

The Devil Wears Prada is definitely one of my favorite bands to see live. They bring so much excitement to the crowd, and put out a good show for everyone. This summer they will be touring all over the US throughout the entire summer at small venues. Front man Mike Hranica told TheyWillRockYou.com that their mission is to, "play little hole-in-the-wall places where fans can be right there in front of the stage, where [they] can hand someone a mic and really have the fans be an active part of the show." That sounds awesome, and I definitely need to find a way to get there. The best part is having the shows be at small venues, so the tickets are usually pretty cheap! For me...$15!

Alexisonfire is also touring this summer with bands including Trash Talk, La Dispute, and Therefore I Am. Primarily I want to go to this concert because I've never seen Alexisonfire play, and I feel like it'd be worth the money. Also, La Dispute is a band that I've got a special place in my heart for for some reason. Their sound is pretty different compared to other bands in their genre, and is fun to listen to because you really have to listen in order to hear what they're saying. That doesn't sound good to most, but for La Dispute you need to listen because they're telling a story that makes you want to listen. I really want to see La Dispute while they're still a small band, and this tour seems like the perfect time.

So this summer make sure to wear your sunscreen and check out some bands :D happy campin!

my boys..again

Pictures of my two favorites. Jeremy and Christofer. Jeremy is on the top and Christofer is on the bottom. Enjoy.

Jeremy

super duper cute

So I feel really wierd writing this post, but I just had to. I think about it all the time, and it's something I was just thinking about..so here I am writing a blog about all the super duper cute boys that rock the music industry. These guys aren't just irresistibly hot because of their outer appearence either. They have incredible ambitions and a heart full of love.

Christofer Drew:
A nineteen year old solo artist from Joplin, Missouri is super duper cute, and I can't stand it. Those are lyrics from his song Can't Stand It off of his latest album What is Love? He calls his music Never Shout Never, and every song that he puts out is bubbly and usually about love. Everything that this guy does is all about the love. Love for music, love for girls, and love for family. If you ever check out his myspace...www.myspace.com/nevershoutnever, you will notice this. His "about me" section says, "My name is Christofer Drew. I am nineteen. I make music for expression, not a paycheck." and to follow that up he writes, "I smell real bad (lack of bathing) I don't believe in shoes." That is just too darn adorable. All of his clothes are extremely vintage. At a show you will most commonly see him wearing a sailor's cap, tight ripped jeans, a very sophisticated scarf, and a suit jacket..oh and of course, bare feet. AP magazine says, that his music is "breezy and downright whimsical". I find it incredible that he is so in touch with his music not for the fame but purely for the love of it. That's hard to find in solo artists now in days..take Justin Bieber for example. The kid is 15 and is pretty much only famous because he is so cute. Drew has the best of both worlds, cute and extremely talented.

Jeremy McKinnon:
Now this guy is more of my usual type. Lead singer of A Day to Remember, Jeremy is the definition of a hot hardcore guy. What makes him so delicious in my opinion is how funny he and his band are. After watching every youtube episode leading up to the release of thier newest album, Homesick, I laugh every time I hear him speak. They make fun of eachother every chance they get, and it's just stupid jokes that you have with your friends. By watching these videos you can really feel connected to A Day to Remember, and since Jeremy is the lead singer and usually the focus of the videos; you mostly feel connected to him. When Homesick was released I later got the deluxe special edition, which features a DVD about their experience out on the 2009 Vans Warped Tour. In this Jeremy constantly makes fun of himself by pretty much making himself seem like a concieted jerk. He is obviously not the way he makes himself out to be though. He is actually a very nice and heartfelt guy. In the video a lot of thier sets from Warped Tour are filmed, and in one of them they focus on what Jeremy tells the crowd. He says something along the lines of, "Don't listen to what your friends tell you to do. Go out there today and have a good time. Fuck my favorite band on this tour is NOFX, who knew. Listen to the bands you want to listen to, don't listen to what anyone tells you to do." From that point on I knew I loved Jeremy McKinnon. That's my modo. We are meant to be.

nineteen with neck tatz

Four Year Strong is a 5 piece melodic hardcore band (or happycore as I like to call it) from Worchester Mass. They've released a total of three albums as of 2010; one of them being a cover album. All of their music is packed with memorable lyrics that are sometimes hard to hear, but once know, they'll stick with you forever. FYS just released their third album "Enemy of the World". In my opinion this is one of the best albums released in twenty ten. The album shows their growth as a band, and it's easy to tell how far the guys have come.

Enemy of the World starts off with a song called, "It Must Really Suck to be Four Year Strong" which really tells the listener what they should expect from the rest of the album. The very beginning of the song starts off with an amazing riff, telling the listener, "Get ready..this doesn't end." Also in this song is some pretty catchy yet inspirational lyrics. The chorus for example, ends with this unforgettable line, But since your heads in the clouds, the best advice I've found is don't look down. The whole song is pretty much about being somewhat of an outcast and really just "flying your freak flag". The guys know that they aren't the coolest people in the world, but they try to embrace that. To express that, the guys have Enemy of the World's cover picturing them all as mythical beasts. O'Connor (vocalist of FYS) tells AP Mag that "We always said it'd be hilarious to have a picture like that...because obviously, we're not jacked dudes." and in response to that, Alan Day (other vocalist) said, "Making ourselves look like a bunch of idiots on the cover-I'm a centaur, half-horse, half-man-I don't know...it just felt right." They're a bunch of real guys, and they don't need to look wicked cool in order to be wicked cool..so why not make the album cover a little funky?

Although Four Year Strong seems to be a funny, careless band..they've got some issues just like any other people out there. The title track is what explains this for them, and it is probably one of the best songs off this album. The line that sings over and over in my head from this song is Burnt out, frustrated, I feel like I'm an Enemy of the World. To explain that O'Connor tells AP, "There have definitely been moments in the last two-and-a half years where it's like 'Why the fuck do so many people hate me?" It's rough having no one support you when you're actually doing something you really care about, and that is just how O'Connor felt. Another heart-felt song is One Step At a Time, which is about Alan Day's brother, who died of Leukimia in 2003. When I looked at the lyrics while listening to it, knowing that it was about Day's brother; it made me choke up a bit. Thinking how hard that time must have been for him seems awful, but it's awesome that he can write a song about it and still be in such a happy band singing uplifting songs for people everyday.

Rise or Die Trying was definitely a good album for FYS, but Enemy of the World is for sure the better of the two. Having such memorable lyrics that I will forever sing along to, maybe even get a tattoo for. Four Year Strong was never one of my favorite bands, but since the release of their second album, I can truly say that I love Four Year Strong. I'm excited to see what they come out with next.

cool websites

i wanted to write a quick blog about an awesome website that has recently came into my life called lastfm. this site is sort of like myspace but completely for music. i've only been using it for about a week so i don't know the complete ins and outs of it yet, but i shall fill you in on the highlights.
so when you don't have an account for lastfm you can listen to the radio. here you simply type in a band, a genre, or a song title and it will play exactly what you typed in. say you typed in Brand New, the radio will play songs from them and also songs that sound like them. that is my favorite part because it's a great way to learn about new music that you're gauranteed to like. when you're listening to the radio, if you like what you here it is easy to look into the band that is playing. simply click the picture underneath the radio of the band, and the band's profile will come up in a new tab. if you like the website enough to create an account, it takes record of everything that you've listened to. so your homepage will show all the recently played tracks, your most viewed artists, how often you've viewed them, and also a small playlist full of different songs that you've previously enjoyed. if you have friends that also use lastfm they can recommend artists and tracks to you, comment on all the things that you've listened to, and write you a message in your inbox.
i really like lastfm because once you've spent a lot of time on the site, the chances of you finding something new that you love are truly 100%. the site is all about the music. because of course...it's all about the music.

emo city

I feel like no matter what people say, everyone's got a sense of enjoyment for emo music. How can you not like listening to some good emo?? Especially when you're having one of those days where you feel like you hate everyone for no reason at all. You can't deny it..we all have those days. So when I'm feeling blue (or just whenever) I listen to Bayside. They sing lyrics such as, "I'd grab your hair and I'd hack it off. And put it on display at the front of the yard on a stick that's decorated with a little pink bow and a sign that says her friends and family should have taught her more about love." Indeed those lyrics are a bit "harsh", who cares? It makes me giggle, and think about the people that I'd like to do that to.
Bayside is a four member rock band. Their genres are mostly defined as punk, emo, and alternative. They originated from Queens, New York in the winter of 2000 and signed with Dying Wish Records. From there they released their Long Stories Short EP and a split album with another band called Name Taken. In 2003 they joined a very large, very popular record label called Victory Records. Since then, they've released four albums. Their most popular being The Walking Wounded (2007), and their latest album is entitled Shudder (2008).
Tragically in October of 2005 (just after the first release with Victory Records, Sirens and Condolences) their drummer, John "Beatz" Holohan died in a car crash involving the entire band. When they were driving back from a show in Colorado the van tipped, causing everyone to be injured, and unfortunetely resulted in the death of Beatz. After this tragedy many bands referenced Beatz in their songs, including Bayside. They put out an acoustic album which featured old songs played acoustic, and some new ones as well. Off of that album the song Winter was devoted to Beatz.
Seeing as Bayside made a total of six amazing albums in the ten years that they've been together, and also experienced the death of Beatz, and still produce music; it shows that they're really in love with music and will make it no matter what. Despite sad lyrics, Bayside has the tendency to make all the songs sound upbeat and enjoyable. Part of the reason they're so darn talented. Bayside is my favorite emo band (really one of my favorite bands in general) because they're a group that produces good music, and it is obvious that they have serious talent.

this shit is about having a good fucking time

Maybe Music Isn't Dead is the title of my blog for a very important reason. To me at least. Those are lyrics from a band Canadian band called Alexisonfire. That song is off of their sophomore album entitled, "Watch Out!". It features the kind of lyrics that you never forget. For example, "maybe music isn't dead" is from the song "Get Fighted". The song is all about the infiltration of the music industry, and how this type of music has mostly become about the fashion. Which is why I write this blog. It isn't about the clothes that you wear or the way you do your hair that defines what music you like. It is purely about the love for the music, and as Alexisonfire would put it, "This shit is about having a good fucking time."
People are way too focused on how they look these days. If you're a sports kid society tells you that you have to wear basketball shoes and nike shirts and if you're a scene kid society tells you to wear girl jeans and clothes from pacsun. This has been put in our faces so much that kids these days only care about the clothes, and not why they're wearing them. For example, I saw a girl the other day that I used to babysit wearing completely black with an Escape the Fate shirt. Her eyes were covered in black eye liner, and she looked at me and said, "Well sorry we have to go. We're going to A Devil Wears Prada concert tonight." Well I was completely fake to her and said have a good time, it should be sick. First of all. It is The Devil Wears Prada (I don't care if it is one word that throws the band off..she said it wrong) That girl probably doesn't know a single word they're singing, not a clue who the singer is, and doesn't know the names of the songs. It really bothered me because the 13 year old freshman was going to a hardcore show, because the clothes are cute, the boys are cute, the singer is cute. who gives a fuck. I'll go to a hardcore show in whatever I can find that is clean. I want to go because the band that I'm going to see makes good music, and I want to have "a good fucking time."
Who cares what you wear, how you look. Go to a concert because you love the music. Listen to music because you like what you hear.

It is all about the music kids. Its always about the music. NOT the fashion.

this is the reason...

So this is my first post on here, and I hope it is sufficient. I started a blog on my myspace about two months ago, but recently started writing about things that I wanted a lot of people to see. This post is copied from an old one, but changed up a tad.
When I was a freshman in high school something hit me. An urge to listen to music that not everyone listened to. Stuff that you really had to search for in order to listen to it. That's when myspace music became my best friend. Through myspace music I learned about bands like anberlin, the almost, saosin, motion city soundtrack, etc. Since then I continue to listen to all that music, but including other genres as well. I've started listening to more and more hardcore bands. Bands like chiodos, a day to remember, the devil wears prada, stick to your guns, emmure, etc. I've relied on myspace music for so long, and to this day I continue to search for new music. For a while this is all I would do. Search, search, and search for new bands to listen to...but I've gotten terribly bored with the "hardcore" bands that I keep coming across. Hardcore now is mostly remixed techno beats with lots of screaming and the same high pitch voice that sings the chorus. Don't get me wrong...I listen to it too. I really like we came as romans, i see stars, and attack attack! But they're all the same.
So lately when going online to find new things to listen to, I aim for different alternative bands. Brand new is possibly my favorite band of all time. They're lyrics are nothing like I've ever heard before. It is something so original that I believe no one can be compared to them. Although I'd like to hear more things like brand new, I know I never will. So I've looked through their top friends and the bands that they've toured with to see who I may like. I've come across manchester orchestra, the features, passion pit, city and colour, and la dispute.
These bands don't sound the same by any means and it is a shame that they're not the focus of rock, alternative, and hardcore music these days. Instead of the same old band that is in every issue of AP Magazine. I recommend the listed bands to everyone. They all have a different sound and are beautiful in their own way.