More Music

I wish I could go to a concert every day.  I wish music just played from my shoes so silence no longer existed.  I wish I reviewed albums for a living.  Music is my life, even though I am not a musician.  And because so many great albums are being released or have been (La Dispute, Breathe Carolina, Taking Back Sunday, The Pretty Reckless, Onward Etc), music’s been on my mind.  So do enjoy some quotes about music because I just can’t get enough of it:

 

1.  “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” – Bob Marley

 

2.  “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”  – Victor Hugo

 

3.  “Music became my religion, the record store my church, the rock stars my saints, and their songs my hymns.” – Dave Grohl

 

4.  “Life is for the living. Death is for the dead. Let life be like music. And death a note unsaid.” – Langston Hughes

 

5.  “That’s one of the great things about music.  You can sing a song to 85,000 people and they’ll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons.” – Dave Grohl

 

6. “Music can change the world because it can change people.” – Bono

 

7.  “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” – Plato

 

8.  “Music is to the soul what words are to the mind.” – Modest Mouse

 

9.  “You’re like a song that I heard when I was a little kid but forgot I knew until I heard it again.” – Maggie Stiefvater

 

10.  “Music is the strongest form of magic.” – Marilyn Manson

 

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The N Word…

Dare I say this on the internet…I like the band, Nickelback.  I’m very aware of the backlash one gets for liking this band, though.  For goodness sakes, in 2011 when Nickelback was slotted to play the Thanksgiving half time show, thousands signed a petition that the band should not perform.  It’s become the mainstream to hate Nickelback, and when the band becomes a topic for discussion, any hater will say, “They suck” or “All their songs sound the same.”  Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I’d like to defend the Candian post-grunge/arena rock quartet.

I’ll agree that indeed all the songs sound the same; however, Nickelback has perfected their style so much and they’re good at what they do.  You can tell it’s a Nickelback song by Kroeger’s voice,  the fast-paced aggressive nature of the song, and the simplistic lyrics.  Nickelback have never reinvented themselves, but that’s perfectly fine.  If Nickelback like the songs they create, and their fans like it, and their enjoying themselves, there’s no need to reinvent their sound.  Sure, they’ve experimented with slower songs and some country twang, but nothing too far from their core.   Plenty of artists perfect their own style and stick to it, e.g. A Day to Remember, All Time Low, Bowling For Soup, and many more.

The misconception exists that Nickelback only writes songs about sex.  The majority of their songs are about the subject, but they’re about lust and not so much about objectifying and degrading women.  Nickelback’s song “Something In Your Mouth,” which is more about oral fixation, is nowhere near as embarrassing and offensive as Lil Jon’s tune, “Get Low.”  But even so, some of the best songs are about sex, Def Leppard’s  “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “It Takes Two” by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock, and Aerosmith’s jam, “Love In An Elevator.”  So just because the majority of the lyrical content of Nickelback’s songs are sensual doesn’t warrant any hate.  And if you’re wondering which songs aren’t about the topic, listen to “Never Again” (physically abusive relationship from a child’s perspective); “Just to Get High” (drug addiction and consequences); “Side of a Bullet” (murder and the aftermath), and plenty of others.

People also seem to attack Chad Kroeger’s look and voice.  People claim he’s constantly yelling in his songs and his goatee is unattractive.  To this I say, why are people ridiculing how someone looks?  That’s bullying.  If you don’t like the man’s goatee, don’t grow one yourself or don’t date someone who has that facial hair.  But stop spreading hate.  And Kroger’s voice isn’t for everyone, but at least he doesn’t sound like every other auto tuned singer.  His scratchy deep voice appeals to me.

I used to say Nickelback was my guilty pleasure because I was ashamed of the reaction I got when I admitted that yes I actually like their music, know their songs, and willingly choose to listen to them.  But, I’m not going to any more.  I have all their albums, I’ve been on a Nickelback kick for the past week, solely listening to them all day; and going to a Nickelback concert is on my bucket list.  So to the haters, I say:

quickmeme.com Haters gonna hate!

Some Needed Inspiration

Finals week is here.  Do you know what that means?  A Psychology test.  A Psychology paper.  A final portfolio in which I edit the three stories I was assigned for Fiction.  A memoir in Nonfiction.  A revised piece for Nonfiction.  Stress.  Packing to go home.  And more stress.  Little to no sleep.  And more stress.  Plus, I’m sick, so it’s even worse.  With so much to do, I need some inspiration when I work.  So here’s a list of ten songs that keep me going and remind me that all the work is worth it.

 

1.  Machine Gun Kelly featuring Kellin Quinn singing “Swing Life Away.”  This powerful rap song includes Rise Against’s original chorus and opening, but the lyrics are now about Machine Gun Kelly’s difficult life and earning his fame as a rapper.  Honesty and pride ring true in the lyrics: “Had a vision as a kid that one day I would change the world with my song/Several years have passed and now that vision came to life that boy’s a fucking icon.”

 

2.  Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ upbeat jam “Can’t Hold Us,” which features Ray Dalton.  The chorus urges listeners to break free: “Tonight is the night, we’ll fight ’til it’s over/So we put our hands up like the ceiling can’t hold us/Like the ceiling can’t hold us.”  And again, Macklemore describes his ambition and dream and how he achieved his success.

 

3.  A pop song with a good message, The Summer Set’s “Jukebox (Life Goes On).”  Like the title mentions, life goes on, and this song reminds folks just that.

 

4.  30 Seconds to Mars’ intense hit, “Closer to the Edge.”  The song’s continuous buildup and explosive choral moments offer the listener freeing moments.  Plus, the music video shows the power of a crowd, and makes you want to be a part of this seeming movement of togetherness that the band’s created.

 

5.  Yellowcard’s classic frothy, pop punk, genuine style seen in their song, “Here I Am Alive.”  Discussing how haters are gonna hate and how you’ll come across nonbelievers in your dream, the chorus is a reminder to keep your wits, don’t give up, and keep going: “They say you don’t grow up/You just grow old/It’s safe to say I haven’t done both /I made mistakes, I know, I know/But here I am alive.”

 

6.  Mexicore screamo beauty, Pierce the Veil’s raging song, “King for a Day,” featuring Kellin Quinn.  My favorite band created an explosive, emotion fueled, addictive, thrilling song about turning nothing into something with an anthem-like lyric: “We’ll start a new revolution now,” and a chorus to keep you fighting: “You told me think about it, well I did/Now I don’t wanna feel a thing anymore/I’m tired of begging for the things that I want/I’m over sleeping like a dog on the floor.”

 

7.  Blink-182’s fast paced song, “Natives.”  Personally, this song captures our spectrum of feelings and emotions as singer, Mark Hoppus spits them out: “I’m like a cat in a cage, locked up and battered and bruised/I am the prodigal son, a shameful prodigy too/I am the love of your life, battering ram and confused.”  The song reminds me that nothing can pigeonhole me and I encompass various adjectives and jobs and I’m not just one thing.

 

8.  All Time’s low more rock-esque song, “So Long Soldier.”  Apparently about the band’s own rise to fame and following their dreams, this guitar and drums heavy gem inspires one to take a chance.

 

9.  Bowling For Soup’s chill self-esteem booster, “Star Song.”  With endearing lyrics: “Don’t try to change, yeah/Everybody’s got their scars/No matter what they tell you you’re beautiful the way you are,” the moral of the song is to be who you are, and sometimes we all need a reminder of that.

 

10.  A Day to Remeber’s aggressive, monstrous song “All Signs Point to Lauderdale.”  All about not being tied down and breaking free of where you come from because nothing should come between you and your dreams.

 

 

Here It Goes…

I’ve been itching to write this blog post, so here it goes:

Ever since 7th grade, approximately, I knew I wanted to get a tattoo.  There was something about the art, the permanence, the meaning of the image that appealed to me.  I recall drawing things on my arm in pen, and liking the fact that I had art on myself.  Sure it washed off with water after a few rinses, but the idea of it interested me.  No one that I live with has tattoos, so I wasn’t around the body art on a regular basis.

At one point, I had wanted to get some type of bleeding or broken heart tattoo.  I was obsessed with broken hearts (and still am), and I even had a folder on my computer of images I’d collected for inspiration.  But, eventually I realized that I didn’t want to permanently have a broken heart on my body, implying I’d be broken forever.  Then sophomore year of high school one of my best friends got a tattoo on her hip.  She was 16 at the time and because she wasn’t legally an adult, her mom had to sign away for her to get her tattoo.  She chose to get a black and green star on her hip.  She’d always wanted a tattoo for the idea of it and chose her hip because she didn’t want certain people to see it.  I had always thought her star was bittersweet.  It’s a nice piece of art, but it didn’t mean anything; there was a hollowness to her tattoo that I didn’t care for.  I always felt like a tattoo deserved to have a story behind it or a reason for getting it.  I’m not saying my friend’s tattoo isn’t good enough or that I’m judging her, but I swore when I got my tattoo it wouldn’t be just because I could get one, it’d because it’d mean something to me.

After my friend got her tattoo, one of my favorite albums was released: The Used’s Artwork.  I adore their lyrics and I think this is their best album to date, and after much consideration, I thought I would get the word Artwork on my hip in a font from their previous album.  They were one of my favorite bands, the album meant a lot to me, and I saw my own body as a piece of artwork.  Eventually the idea fizzled out for whatever reason, but I knew from then on I wanted to get words on my body.

Then when my friend turned 18 she got another tattoo as a birthday gift from a friend, and this time she got a feather on her foot, and again, the tattoo had no meaning or reason behind it other than she wanted a tattoo.  At this point I had told myself, when I turned 18 I would, as a gift to myself, get myself a tattoo.  It was then that the conception of my tattoo that I now have came to be.  The band Pierce the Veil had grown on me tremendously in the last few years.  When their album Collide With the Sky was released, everything changed for me.  I listened to it on repeat, I read their lyrics, and I still do, and I knew I had to get their lyrics as a tattoo.  I poured over all of their songs one day, picking out lyrics I liked that could go on my body: “True love comes from more than just the heart,” “We’ll start a new revolution now,” “We bleed like watercolors,” and a few more.  As i narrowed down my search, I kept coming back to the same 4 words: We bleed like watercolors.  This was not off their latest album, rather from the first album I ever acquired of theirs.  And this wasn’t the first time I had dwelled on that particular lyric.  I had actually tried to recreate the lyric in my poems, and ever since I had heard the song it was from, The Boy Who Could Fly, I adored the imagery, the lyrical quality of it, the art that it was, the emotion it evoked, and the dark quality it radiated.  I was hooked and I knew I had to have it.  But, I waited, a little over a year, to be sure it was what I wanted.

During my first year of college, my best friend got her third tattoo.  She sent me pictures of it via Facebook and told me she and some friends had gone to get them as a group and she had decided on hers the night before after browsing the internet for interesting things.  Again it didn’t have a background story, other than impulse at its best.  While at college, tattoos came up in conversation.  Attending an art school and all, there happens to be many students with tattoos and bodily piercings and crazy colored hair and so forth.  Many of my friends spoke of wanting tattoos, and as the year went on and I kept meeting new people during my freshman year, and the same conversations came up.  And still, when asked about tattoos I’d respond, “I do not have one, but I want one, and I know exactly what I want.”

I can’t say when I decided I needed my tattoo on my wrist, but I remember going through my options: if I get it on my hip I wouldn’t be able to read it, it’d be upside down; if I got it on my back I wouldn’t be able to see it, I didn’t like the idea of it on my legs, I didn’t want it on my stomach.  I was picky about its placement, and eventually settled upon my wrist, and I knew it would face me.  I wanted to see it everyday, and I wanted to read it and appreciate it whenever I could.

Days before I got my tattoo I’d look at my wrist, and wish it was already there; I already felt like it was a part of me.  I knew I was ready to get it.

At the tattoo parlor, I brought in the quote printed on paper in the font I wanted.  My tattoo artist did up the stencil and placed it where I wanted it.  I turned the stencil around and told her, “I want the words to face me.”  I knew exactly what I wanted.

For those of you who are not familiar with the tattooing process, the artist first makes up a stencil and presses it onto your skin so the artist has a map to follow, basically.  My stencil had to be placed, and washed off, three times before its location was where I wanted it to be.  While my tattoo artist went about her job, I got to listen to the Pierce the Veil album that the song whose lyrics I was getting on my body were from.  My best friend held my hand the entire time.  I enjoyed a very nice conversation with my tattoo artist.  And the pain was very minimal, more irritating that painful anyway.  And when my tattoo was finished, in a way I felt complete.

Now I realize there is a stigma with tattoos, and that getting a job can be difficult if one has a visible tattoo.  A tattoo can leave a bad first impression upon someone.  Some people see tattoos as nothing more than destroying your body.  Some people feel that one should never get a tattoo because we are not the same people when we wake up each morning and thusly choosing one piece of art to remain on your body is too difficult a choice.  People have their opinions, and I have mine.  People may not agree with my tattoo and they may judge me, but my tattoo is a reminder for me everyday, and when I look at it, it makes me happy, and I am very proud of it.  It’s my body and I may do as I want with it.

Now, for those who are wondering, I talked about the reason and story behind tattoos quite a bit, but have failed to mention the backstory of mine.  Here it goes:

Photo Creds to Shannan at Muse Tattoo and Fine Art Gallery

This is how the tattoo appears on my wrist.  As I said before the lyric comes from a Pierce the Veil song, The Boy Who Could Fly, off their album Selfish Machines, the first album of theirs that I ever owned.  They are my favorite band.  And being heavily involved in art and writing, I appreciate the poetry and artwork.  I chose the wrist not only because of my need to see the words everyday, but because of a dark past.  And for me the lyric implies that there is beauty in pain, and that helps me get through life and view the world.  My writing is also very dark, and I take inspiration from these four words.  It may not be a grand story, and it may seem like a jumble of thoughts glued together by four words, but again, it’s on my body; I am happy with it, I look at it everyday, and it completes me.

Summer Lovin’

To me summer is romantic, especially for the youth.  No school, so everyone is a bit more laid back and stress free.  Summer allows for watching the sunset on the beach, going out for ice cream late at night, and goofing off outside with sidewalk chalk or silly string, or simply relaxing under a tree.  And there’s always been this dreamy idea that with summer comes summer flings, so in honor of those, I’ve put together a list of summer love songs.  So share a headphone with that special someone….

 

1.  So, I was going to say Boys Like Girls’ “Thunder,” but since my Itunes is on shuffle and I literally just heard their song, “Red Cup Hands Up Long Brown Hair,” that will be the first song on the list.    It’s an up beat, bubble gum sweet pop jam all about this crazy, beautiful girl.

 

2.  Blink 182’s “The Rock Show” is a classic must hear summer love story song.  Occurring at Warped Tour, the well known rockstar summer camp and concert, a boy falls in love with the girl at the rock show.

 

3.  With the word summer fling in the lyrics, one can not go wrong with Dropout Year’s “Tire Swing Romance.”

 

4.  Do you know what the cutest love song is?  Fight Fair’s “Pop Rocks.”  This pop punk gem is all about love and how the singer will text his girl all day and leave her notes on her car telling her how pretty she is.  Adorable, right?

 

5.  A good cover never hurt anybody, and Her Bright Skies (voted one of the 100 bands to watch for in 2013 by Alternative Press Magazine) nailed Usher’s beloved jam “DJ Got Us Falling In Love.” With a pop twist, this song is wonderfully made for summer now and not just the clubs.

 

6.  Hot Chelle Rae is my idea of the epitome of summer because their songs are utterly joyful and poppy and upbeat, so it’s fitting that their song, “The Only One” make this list.  And as the title hints at, this pop gem is about how a girl who changes a boy’s idea of love and shows him love can be beautiful and it’s okay to be vulnerable and thusly that girl is his only one.

 

7.  One may shutter at the name: Ke$ha, but one must give her credit that she does churn out artificial pop wonders that almost every one can sing along too, and she does it again with this summer worthy song: “C’Mon.”  All about partying, staying up late, and finding someone you’re attracted to, this is the soundtrack to every summer bash.

 

8.  Mayday Parade’s blast from the past song, “Jamie All Over” is another fast paced love song for summer.

 

9.  Plain White T’s never disappoints with their cute lovey dovey songs from “Hey There Delilah” to “1,2,3,4” and they’ve done it again with “Rhythm of Love.”  This laid back, beach laden, slower paced song is all that one needs while watching the sun set.

 

10.  With Summer in their name, you can’t go wrong with this band: The Summer Set.  Pure pop at it finest with indefinitely adorable lyrics and catchy choruses and of course, their songs are infused with happiness and that touch of summer everyone needs.  So, really any of their songs will do for your summer love song playlist, but I’ve hand picked “Boomerang.”

 

Check Out the Story

One of my good friends asked me to post her friends’ video and story on my blog and thusly I encourage viewers to visit the site below, watch their video, and be inspired.  Enjoy:

 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1419705552/in-the-current-a-kickstarter-project/widget/video.html

 

In The Current: A Kickstarter Project by Rosu Lup

Hey guys!

Our band is seeking to raise $1,500 to help us complete our upcoming EP “Currents”.

There are a number of steps involved in recording an EP, several that most people don’t tend to think about. Here’s a look at what’s going into this project:

– Recording at Miner Street Studio in Philadelphia, PA.

– Orchestration being written for the EP by Joshua Stamper.

– Recording and conducting the orchestration at Miner Street Studio.

– Paying musicians to play the orchestration.

– Mixing at Miner Street Studio in Philadelphia, PA.

– Mastering at Maniac Mansion Studio in Philadelphia, PA.

– Printing copies of “Currents” EP.

We’ve already recorded our parts for the EP. What we have left to accomplish is the recording of the orchestration, mixing, mastering and printing. The end date for all of this is April 27th. We’re really excited for the final product coming together, and we think you’re going to love it as much as we do.

With help from backers on KickStarter we can complete this project. If we don’t meet our goal, we’ll likely end up borrowing the money. The project will be completed, but we’d love the support of our family, friends and fans.

Please consider helping out and check out the sweet rewards we want to give you in return!
Thanks!

Pierced By The Veil

I couldn’t even tell you how many times I have read, reread, and read again Pierce the Veil lyrics.  After I bought their albums I holed myself up in my room and listened to the album in its entirety, reading through the lyrics as the lead singer, Vic Fuentes sang them.  Sometimes I read them before bed, simply because I love the literature.  For inspiration to write, I read Pierce the Veil lyrics.  The sincerity of the words, the beautiful imagery, the powerful symbolism, the personal narratives, and the diction of the lyrics is addictive to me.  I can never get enough Pierce the Veil because their music speaks to me on multiple levels, as a writer, as a listener, as someone going through the same things they describe, and more.  I wanted to share some of the most memorable Pierce the Veil lyrics to me:

 

1.  “Now as the rain falls like shattered pieces of glass from the sky/we bleed like water colors and drunken pastels down the stairways.”   – The Boy Who Could Fly

2.  “Do you know/I count your heartbeats before you sleep/I bite my fingernails to bone/And then I crawl back under the stairwell/To a place I call my home.” – Bulls In The Bronx

3.  “I still remember the night you tried to kiss me through the window/I tried to settle for the taste of touching glass over the sound of answering machines/because I love the way your voice it says it’s gonna get back to me someday.” – The Sky Under the Sea

4.  “And I might be holding on too tight/But there is a beast in my heart/and he won’t let you leave alive.” – One Hundred Sleepless Nights

5.  “Baby please come home/I need you here right now/I’m crying underwater/so you don’t hear the sound.” – Props & Mayhem

6.  “You’ve gone and sewn me to this bed/ the taste of you and me/will never leave my lips again/ under the blinding rain/ I wanna hold your hand so tight/I’m gonna break my wrist.” – Bulletproof Love

7.  “You’re my favorite explosion/(You know the only real way to cure pain/ is to add a little more/because everything new distracts the old)/A violin with no hands/plays symphonies with no words.” – Besitos

8.  “The thing I think I love/Will surely bring me pain/Intoxication, paranoia/and a lot of fame.” – King For A Day

9.  “I heard the train shake the windows/You screamed over the sound/And as we own this night/I put your body to the test with mine/This love was out of control/Tell me where did it go?” – Hold On Till May

10.  “Oh what a waste of a perfectly good clean wrist.” – Disasterology

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