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.