Emblem3: Forever Together

It's been a little while since my last post but I'm trying! I'm going to start doing what I originally wanted to do with this blog which is to write music reviews. If the music isn't your cup of tea, then suggest me something to listen to and I can write about what I think. I try to cover a wide range of music though. Today I'm going to cover Emblem3's new EP called "Together Forever."

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Emblem3
For starters, I need to say that I'm really proud of these guys. I've been a fan since their X-Factor days so this review is probably somewhat biased. If you don't know them, the band features two brothers, Keaton and Wesley Stromberg. At the end of June this year, a former third member of the band, Drew Chadwick, dropped out and the brothers really struggled. The three of them released an album, "Nothing to Lose," in July 2013. Despite their loss, Keaton and Wes have been working harder than ever and constantly update their fans with what they are up to. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to carry on when their best friend drops out of the band to peruse a solo career. E3 deserves every ounce of attention they get.

"Forever Together"
Released two days ago, E3 published their second EP and first product without Drew. It's currently #25 in the iTunes charts. Overall, I loved it. If this is any prediction of what their next album will be like, I'll be really happy. I'm going to go through each song and give a quick review of what I think of it.

1) Forever Together
There's something E3 has always done in their songs that always makes me smile and I was glad to still hear it in their newest EP. During the second verse, you can hear Keaton make small comments and hear him laugh while Wes sings. There's always small comments or conversations going on in their songs and it makes the music lighter. Wes's high notes during the last chorus were impressive especially when he didn't really get any high notes in the album. The lyrics are light and cheerful. They were smart to choose this song to title the EP.

2) Obsessed
I'm kind of obsessed with "Obsessed." From the lyrics to the vocals, I love it all. It really shows the difference between Keaton and Wes' voice by the way Keaton sings the verses and some backing vocals and Wes takes care of the chorus. The intro is my favorite part because it's just an acoustic guitar and Keaton. It flows really well into the chorus and the rest of the song.

3) Don't Know Her Name
This was really slow and mellow for E3. I'm used to their upbeat, party vibe. I like that the song told a story and it wasn't just about going to a party and meeting a pretty girl. This song really highlighted Wes's vocals in a good way. He usually - I don't want to say rap because it isn't really rap - takes care of the verses by singing quickly and that's just his thing. This song shows the different kind of music E3 are capable of.

4) Heavy
If I had to pick favorite, it would probably be "Heavy." It's the lyrics that get me. It's not about a girl, for one. They're talking about how heavy the world is. The different expectations, responsibilities, possibilities, adventures. They're all out there and they sometimes feel like they're crashing down and we wish things could slow down. The vocals on this song are just amazing, as well.

5) Love Will Be There
This song stands out because of the way Wes and Keaton alternate lines in verses. I love hearing their voices side by side because it shows why each of them are talented for their own reason. The love they are singing about isn't about being in love with someone. It's about not giving up and when "all else fails, love will be there and time will tell who really cares." This was the first song that was released in July-ish this year, right after Drew left. I like to think it's like the fans who stayed despite not knowing whether E3 was broken up for good after they lost a member.

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I noticed that that was probably more than a little biased. I can't ignore that I like these guys and I had a feeling I would like the EP before I even heard it. Random thought: E3 did a cover of "All About That Bass" and I heard it way before I heard the original and it's one of the rare times where I actually like the cover more than the original. If you want to check it out, it's here.

Side note: I promise I mean to update my blog more than I actually do. I actually start posts then save them as drafts and never post them. They're not really about anything interesting which is why I don't post them. I want to write more music reviews (concerts, albums, singles, etc.), but then I think about how no one probably wants to read that and I have to remind myself Who cares?? I'll write what I want to write. If you read it, thank you! I think I might review "1989" next even though I've only heard 3 or 4 songs from the album so far... Also, 10 days until my next concert and 11 days until I turn 18 (whaaaaat?!?)!

Thanks if you got this far :)

x Nikole

Looking Back on Warped Tour

     Quick side note: I really am going to try to blog about the recent concerts I've been to as well as the concerts that will be coming up. I don't really have any order, I'm probably just going to go with whatever concert that comes to mind first. I'm going to start with Warped Tour because that was one of my favorite days this summer.

     On June 18 I went to Quail Park in Mesa to go to Warped Tour for the very first time. I honestly don't know what stopped me from going before this summer but at least I went this year. I got there as soon as the doors opened. It was a pretty cool day for being summer in Arizona. I can't even explain my excitement for the day's lineup. The schedule isn't known until you get there so it's super important to find the giant blown up schedule that is by one of the main stages.

     The first show of the day began at 11:30am and it just happened to be one of the top bands that I was most looking forward to: Mayday Parade. Since it was morning and not as hot, everyone was super pumped and were dancing and singing. The lead singer, Derek Sanders, ran around stage barefoot and sang with a lot of energy to get the day started. They performed songs from their newest album, "Monsters in My Closet," along with older songs from their 2011 self-titled album and "Valdosta" EP.

     I had some time between Mayday Parade and the next act I wanted to see so this gave me some time to scope out my surroundings and check out all of the tents. One that stood out was the AltPress Magazine tent which was where a few signings would be held throughout the day. I picked up a pass from that table to come back later to meet one of my favorite bands (which I will get to soon). Some tables were really interactive where they had photo booths or paint so you can paint your friends (I'm not sure how to describe that because I didn't actually go to that table). Alright, I'll get back to the music.

     The second show was an Arizona native band called The Summer Set. What really stands out about them is their female drummer, Jess Bowen. It's awesome seeing that one girl in a band because I think it really shows that the guitars and drums aren't just meant for guys. They played some of my favorite songs of theirs like "Lightening in a Bottle" and "Chelsea." They were super pumped and kept mentioning how excited they were to be in their hometown.

Raising his middle finger, John O'Callaghan
from The Maine sings every word with
emotion.

     The next act was probably the act I was looking forward to the most. I got to the stage over an hour early and watched a group called The Protomen. After they finished their set, I made my way to the front of the crowd and right up again the barricade. The next band to perform was another Arizonian band, The Maine. It's really hard to describe how much I love this band and if you haven't heard of their music then I highly suggest you look them up. John O'Callaghan, the lead singer, reminded me of Kurt Cobain the way he acted on stage. It's more just the similarity of physical appearance rather than anything else. O'Callaghan has said the secret to his long and messy hair is to never cut it and never wash it. While that may sound gross, the look suits him somehow. The other members of the band include Pat Kirch (drummer), Kennedy Brock (guitarist), Garrett Nickelsen (bassist), and Jared Monaco (guitarist). The emotion that O'Callaghan performs with is truly inspiring and hard to forget. The band played a couple of hits from their first album "Can't Stop Won't Stop" and mixed in some of their newer stuff from their most current album "Forever Halloween." It's a great feeling to watch a band and be able to sing along to every word. I hope everyone gets to experience that sometime in their life. At the end of their set, Brock threw his guitar pick into the crowd and the guy behind me caught it. Luckily, he said he didn't want it because it didn't have the band's symbol or anything on it so he gave it to me (and it is currently taped on my wall right next to my Maine poster. I don't need something to show that it belonged to Brock, I know where it came from). It wasn't over. While they were packing up, Kirch through his drumsticks into the crowd and one of them landed right in front of me so it was as simple as asking the security guy to pick it up and the stick was mine. Amazing.

     After that incredible performance, I stayed at the same stage to watch the next act play which would be We Are The In Crowd. It's a really great pop punk band featuring lead singer Tay Jardine and singer/guitarist Jordan Eckes. My favorite song of their set was called Kiss Me Again which features Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low.

     Things simmered down and I headed over to the acoustic stage. I had no idea this stage even existed until I happened to walk by it. It's designed to hold amazing acoustic shows and it's under a giant tent which was very nice as the day started to become warmer. The only artist I saw on that stage was Nick Santino. I hadn't heard of him before this. This is an example of why I love Warped so much, you can find artists or bands you never knew you liked.

     The reason I was passing the acoustic stage was to make my way back to the AltPress tent. Now was the time I was going to officially meet The Maine. The five guys all sat in a row at a long table, signing posters and whatever else. Sadly, no pictures or hugs were allowed but I'm still thankful that I got to talk to them and thank them for their music. I was so tongue tied when I actually came up to the table, I'm not even sure if I actually said anything or just imagined it. Even though we were limited to one item for them to sign, I still got Kirch to sign the drumstick I caught along with a poster.

As the sun set, Shaant Hacikyan from
Cute Is What We Aim For got up close and
personal with his fans.

     Up next was Jordan Witzigreuter, known better by his stage name, The Ready Set. I was a minor fan before seeing his show at Warped. I knew the words to his hit songs but there was one song I heard him play that really caught my attention. The song was called "Fangz" and it is seriously one of the best songs to listen to to get in a good mood and make you feel invincible. I downloaded all of his albums when I got home and I listened to them nonstop for quite awhile. His latest album is a real "feel good" album so it always makes me smile (so cheesy). I get to see him again this year on Nov. 19.

     The last and final band I saw was Cute Is What We Aim For. My friend recommended this band to me a few weeks before Warped and I'm so glad I was able to get to know their songs before I saw them live. The lead singer, Shaant Hacikyan, was really involved in the crowd and he would stand over the barricade and sing right in our faces. It was a beautiful show because of the Arizona sunset in the background (which are truly underrated). At the end of their performance, I managed to grab their set list. I also got to see them randomly walking behind their stage after the show and complimented them on having such a fun set.
   
     That was my first Warped Tour experience. I love how involved the bands are with their fans and how personal it became, like being able to meet your favorite artists and have conversations with them. I am most definitely planning on going to many more Warped Tours in the future.


✖ Nikole ✖


I didn't listen to any songs while writing most of this because I was watching The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon with special guest 5 Seconds of Summer instead.