Bye bye, Blogger

The day has come. I am no longer blogging from Blogger. I've packed my things and moved to WordPress. Please don't be distressed, you can still follow me there. In fact, I just blogged about seeing Matt and Kim a couple nights ago! Go check it:

himynameisnikole.wordpress.com

Thanks,

Nikole

To The Stars... Demos, Odds, and Ends / Tom DeLonge

The anticipation for Tom DeLonge's solo album came to an end on Monday, April 20 when "To The Stars... Demos, Odds, and Ends" was released through DeLonge's multimedia company titled To The Stars. The album consists of eight songs, some of which DeLonge admitted to be demos for blink-182. Personally, I was nervous to find out what DeLonge had produced, even though I knew I would love it like I love all of his projects. The eight songs are diverse in sound, and I almost feel like the listeners got cheated. Quantity-wise, it isn't much of an album as much as it is a long EP, including one instrumental song and two songs that barely scrape the two minute mark. However, what it lacks in quantity makes up in quality. I hear influences from both of DeLonge's two major bands - blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves. The techno/spacey vibes can be heard in "New World" and the instrumental "Landscapes" while there are heavy blink tones in "Circle-Jerk-Pit" and especially "Golden Showers in the Golden State." I'll be honest and admit this isn't my favorite album that DeLonge has worked on, but this and his reactions towards the situation with blink-182 gave an interesting perspective on his talent and future in the band.

The album begins with the first song DeLonge released around a month ago with a music video titled "New World." The vocals come off as pristine, and I only wish that DeLonge could take the emotion and clarity of his vocals in the studio and bring them to the stage. Like I will mention when I get to "The Invisible Parade," I enjoyed this song more when I wasn't watching the music video. I'm still quite confused on the message DeLonge was trying to get across as he smashed a guitar, drum set and other instruments. The reason I claim to believe this is more of an AvA song is because of the guitar in particular. DeLonge has a different style playing guitar in AvA compared to blink, but I'm not quite sure how to explain it.

"An Endless Summer" is one of my favorite tracks on the album. The intro captures your attention, and the synths carry DeLonge's style of recording. The chorus is easy to catch on to with carefree yet meaningful lyrics. The drums tend to be disguised in the background, and I can't help but to be curious on what Travis Barker could have brought to the table for this song in particular.

"Suburban Kings" is much like a sequel to "Rite of Spring" (one of my favorite AvA songs) on AvA's album "I-Empire." DeLonge refers to himself in third person ("Tommy") in the first and second verses that offered a look into the musician's life. Mother's got a thing for praying, but God is going to hate my band. Tommy wants a life of purpose, Tommy has some dreams to plan. The backing vocals during the pre-chorus are one of my favorite parts because it helps build up the actual chorus which gives the song an anthem quality.

It isn't too often that fans get an acoustic song from DeLonge. "The Invisible Parade" is a song dedicated to DeLonge's brother, a Navy lieutenant who served in Iraq. The song carries heavy lyrics that talk about war beginning and ending and then finally coming home, all told from a soldier's perspective. DeLonge's voice is more subdued, and his unique accent in his vocals are last profound which add to the seriousness of the tune. I find this song the most soothing on the album, and I can probably listen to it for hours. Much like "New World," I would much rather listen to this song by itself than watch DeLonge walk by himself in the street and abandon areas with his broken guitar like he does in the music video.

The deep lyrics and acoustic guitar are ditched for the most punk song on the album - "Circle-Jerk-Pit." It wasn't a favorite to begin with, but it ended up growing on me. There's a shift at the 1:15 mark where the loud, shouting vocals are changed to a more sing-songy tone which then changes back to a loud repetition of Are you ready?! Whatcha gonna do?! As soon as I heard this song, the first thing I thought of was "My First Punk Song" by Box Car Racer (another DeLonge side project in the early 2000s). The guitar and the vocals in the beginning are almost identical - the main feature that distinguishes "Circle-Jerk-Pit" is towards the second half of the song when the tone of the vocals change.

The album once again transitions into something softer with "Landscapes" that reminds me of a beginning or ending to AvA's "Love" albums. There is some talking going on behind the synths and the "space-y" sounds, but it isn't very clear what he is saying. I feel like this is definitely one of the "Odds and Ends" that didn't make an AvA album cut.


From what reviews of the album I have read so far, "Animals" is probably the most underrated out of the eight songs. The song begins with a quiet I can run, but I can't hide spoken lyric. It sounds like DeLonge included a three layers of vocals in the chorus which adds to this misty, light atmosphere the song seems to contain. The synths are also unique in this song, adding some special quality that separates "Animals" from the others.

DeLonge hinting at a new song in March 2013
which turned out to be "Golden Showers in the
Golden State."

The album wouldn't be complete without a song from DeLonge showing his timeless humor. This was without a doubt a song meant for blink. "Golden Showers in the Golden State" features DeLonge's classic jokes, but the chorus is one of the catchiest choruses on the album - especially when DeLonge's vocals peak when he sings CalifORNia. The guitar and drums are fun and upbeat, a great finish to the album. (Fun fact: DeLonge actually posted a sneak peak of the lyrics to this song on his Instagram in March 2013.)







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I have been living and breathing this album since the second it dropped. I've always admired Tom as a performer and musician. I know there has been a whirlwind of drama with blink, but I hope Tom never stops making music (actually I tweeted something similar to this, which we favorited and made me a very happy person). I'm looking forward to the future and what it holds for Tom and blink-182.


Until next time,
Nikole

Chipotle Cultivate Festival

twenty one pilots / photo: @ChipotleTweets

The only time you could find me in the sun for 9+ hours is when there is a music festival in town. Chipotle Cultivate was a free festival that included music along with Chipotle foods and ideas. Music guests included Arizona locals Jared & The Mill as well as Magic Man, Ms Mr, Bleachers and twenty one pilots. In between sets there was a chef on a different stage. There were different tents scattered around the area that taught visitors about Chipotle and when you got four out of the five stamps, you earned a free burrito. This is probably one of the greatest promotion ideas I have seen. What better way to attract people to an event than to host free performances from amazing artists, serve food and make it all family-friendly?

Within the last year, I've found a new passion for volunteering at music festivals. I signed up for the morning shift at Cultivate, and I was disappointed to find out that all the volunteers were sent to garbage cans where we had to show people how to throw away their trash (recycle, compost or landfill). Easy to say, it was not very fun. There were some upsides with volunteering though: I had a great view of the stage, I got a free (and comfy) Chipotle Cultivate t-shirt, a free meal for the day as well as four free Chipotle meals for the future. 

The day began with a performance from Jared & The Mill who did a pretty good job. I haven't heard of them before then, but they seemed to get everyone awake and energized for the rest of the day. The crowd really began to grow around the time of Magic Man's performance. Magic Man wasn't bad either. I'll be honest and say I didn't quite enjoy the DJ. The songs and remixes were outdated and they didn't fit the atmosphere of the festival. Ms Mr sounded okay, but according to Nicole (my friend/twin/future roomie), they didn't sound as good as they do in the studio.

Bleachers

After I explored the festival with Nicole and Halie, it was finally time to watch the Bleachers perform. It's been a little over a month since I last saw this group back at the Pot of Gold Festival. Their set at Cultivate felt slightly more rushed; however, they were limited to a shorter set time. All of the songs were played with great energy though, despite having to play with the glaring sun blinding them. I was thrilled to find out that the band included the saxophone vs. guitar show down in their set. It isn't a Bleachers show without a brilliant display of the saxophone.

The moment most of the crowd seemed to be waiting for was almost here. All throughout the day I saw twenty one pilots shirts everywhere I turned. I realize the duo has an impressive fanbase (aka the skeleton clique), but I didn't realize how quickly it had grown. People of all ages were supporting the band by sporting merch and had their eyes glued to the stage as soon as the clock struck 6 p.m. It actually wasn't until about 20 minutes after their scheduled start did they begin to play (my guess is that they were waiting for the sun to go down). They began the night with "Guns for Hands" and it was an incredibly special moment. Almost everyone in the crowd had their hands up making the band's traditional |-/ sign. To see such a large crowd become so united just by the sound of music coming from two guys from Ohio on stage was magical.




Twenty one pilots performed both of their new singles, "Fairly Local" and "Tear in My Heart." It was actually the very first time they had ever played the latter song live, and I can promise you they did not disappoint. The stage itself was unique in the way it was set up. The drummer, Josh Dun, was raised on a platform for everyone to see, even the people in the back. Tyler Joseph rotated from the piano to the ukulele in "House of Gold" to the microphone that was dangling from a post (much like the way he sings in the "Fairly Local" music video). The song that captivated me the most was "Tear in My Heart." I have been in love with this song since the moment I heard it. Just like in the music video, Tyler's neck and hands were covered in black. It's still a mystery why that is, but I have a feeling it plays into the role of "blurryface" and the rest of the new album. The duo played the song with a crazy amount of emotion and enthusiasm. I have no clue what to expect from the rest of this album, but I know it will be nothing less than extraordinary.

Before they began "Heart of Gold," Tyler started to sing a cover of "All I Do Is Win" and I can't find the words to describe how awesome (and funny) it is to hear that song covered by him while playing the ukulele and wearing a floral print button up.

Tyler and Josh ended the night with the song "Trees" which I always find has a deeper meaning the more you listen to it. Hearing it as the sun went down and cast this beautiful light across the crowd and the stage couldn't have been better. Of course, they couldn't end the night without doing the simultaneous drumming they do on platforms held by the crowd. It's such a unique finale that no other artist could probably even attempt to do.

It's been just under a year since I saw twenty one pilots for the first time, and they still behave as if their mission in a show is to make everyone feel connected and put on a unique performance that impresses not only the people up against the barricade, but also the people who may have never heard of them before. I won't be surprised if this band one day rules the world. I'm already looking forward to the next time I see them, which hopefully isn't too far into the future.

Until next time,
Nikole

|-/

The American Candy Tour

The Maine
Photo by Adam Elmakias

Four bands - The Technicolors, Knuckle Puck, Real Friends and The Maine - kicked off the start of their tour in Tempe, Arizona on April 3. The Maine are headlining the tour in celebration of the release of their fifth studio album, American Candy. It's quite an interesting mix up of bands that took the stage. The Technicolors and The Maine are both Arizona local bands signed to 8123. The Maine toured with Real Friends all last summer on Warped Tour, and they had just me the guys from Knuckle Puck the same day they started touring. The crowd was a pretty fair split between Real Friends fans and The Maine fans. I'm not sure how these bands got to touring together since their music really isn't that similar, but it made for a fun show.

The Technicolors

The first to take the stage are The Technicolors. As I mentioned before, they are an Arizona local band and I've had the pleasure of seeing them twice before - once at the Super Bowl party in Phoenix and once at a short acoustic set at Tempe Marketplace. Like The Maine, they are also celebrating the release of new music. Their new EP, Ultraviolet Disguise, is set to release on April 7, but they were selling the EP early at their merch stand. Listening to their only album, Listener, from 2012, and hearing them live makes you think you are hearing two completely different bands. Listener is more meant for something to be listened to while you chill at home, so it doesn't translate as well when performed live. However, that doesn't mean they didn't do a great job on stage. One of their new songs, "Tonight You Are Mine," and some of my favorite songs like "Hollywood" from Listener helped liven things up.

Unfortunately, I was forced to ditch my great spot close to the stage. After waiting hours before the show, I managed to get a spot very close to the barricade. What I hadn't realized were that Knuckle Puck and Real Friends are much louder bands than I had expected. I'm not too familiar with either band, other than briefly hearing Real Friends during Warped Tour. Anyways, my spot in front of stage left turned out to be where everyone chose to crowd surf and mosh. I'm okay with some of that in moderation, but after quite a few times of getting kicked in the head, I decided to do the walk of shame and leave my spot. I'm not too bummed about it after seeing the tornado of people later crash through where I was standing, plus I had a nice view of the entire stage from my new spot.

Knuckle Puck performed second and, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was impressed. Their songs carried tons of energy and the band looked like they were having a great time. They didn't do too much talking or interacting with the audience, but their performance didn't lack any enthusiasm. Based on the dozens of crowd surfers and the wave of people jumping up and down, it looked like the crowd was having a pretty good time as well.

Real Friends got on stage next with an enormous cheer from the audience. My favorite moments were when there was a back and forth between the vocalist singing and the crowd singing. The crowd was just as pumped and rowdy as before, if not more energetic. Once they finished their set, just about half the crowd left to join the back of the venue. I think I had underestimated the size of Real Friends' fan base.

The Maine

After hours and hours of waiting, The Maine finally took the stage with a song from their new album called "Miles Away." They performed that first song with the biggest smiles on their faces and a hop in all of their steps. It was obvious how much they have longed to be on stage and perform again. They played half of the songs from their new album, plus hits from their four previous albums and one amazing cover for a total of 14 songs. To be honest, I thought they should have played for longer than the hour they got. Those 60 minutes flew by in a blink of an eye.

The guitarists, Kennedy Brock and Jared Monaco, stayed put on their sides of the stage throughout the night, but the smiles never left their faces. Pat Kirch could be seen singing along to the songs and having a great time from his place behind the drums. Garrett Nickelsen, the bassist, moves around the most without a doubt which makes him such a fun performer to watch on stage. I can't remember a time where he actually stood still, unless it was to quickly sing some background vocals. Like Nickelsen, the vocalist, John O'Callaghan, also moved around quite a bit. One of the best things to watch on stage was the chemistry between the band. Whether it was O'Callaghan resting his head on Monaco's shoulder (and giving him a peck on the cheek!) or Nickelsen going over and teasing Brock, they were constantly interacting with each other and the crowd. It was easy to see that The Maine are a group of five best friends.

The band summoned some songs from one of their oldest albums, Black & White, including "Growing Up," "Inside of You" and "Right Girl." "Growing Up" is possibly my favorite song of theirs to see live. It's performed faster than the studio version, and the chorus is catchy and relateable to anyone listening.  The way O'Callaghan shouts Growing up won't bring us down! easily puts the biggest smile on my face and has me singing along.

The Maine

"My Hair," the anthem song to the long locks O'Callaghan sported during Warped Tour up until the finish of recording American Candy, was a huge crowd favorite. It's a song that will definitely be on everyone's summer playlist. The other songs from American Candy played that night included "Same Suit, Different Tie," "English Girls" and "American Candy." I've already been obsessing over the album since the second it came out, but to hear them performed live is indescribably better. One of my favorite parts about the new album are how the the backing vocals are recorded, and I was looking forward to seeing how that would be portrayed on stage. I definitely was not disappointed. I'm not sure if it is a detail that is overlooked or not, but the backing vocals provided mostly by Brock, but also by Nickelsen and Monaco, helped shape that unique sound that surrounds the album, both in the studio and on stage.

Towards the end of the show, O'Callaghan took the stage by himself and performed the band's first hit, "Into Your Arms," acoustically. What made that song special was how loud and strong all the voices from the crowd were. The chorus was mostly sung by the crowd, which put the biggest and cheesiest grin on O'Callaghan's face. I'm sure the rest of the band were listening and smiling as well. The acoustic energy shifted dramatically as Monaco, Brock, Kirch and Nickelsen joined the stage to do an impressive cover of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction." I knew they were going to do a cover, but I would have never guessed this. It was a fantastic choice for the tour, and everyone had a great time singing along.

The night ended with a performance of "Right Girl" and a stream of blue and white confetti. The Maine put every last ounce of energy into that last song, and they didn't even look or sound tired. This was another song that had the crowd singing every word at the top of their lungs.

Garrett and I   :)

I waited almost an hour after the show behind the venue to hopefully congratulate the guys on an amazing first show. Between the waiting and actually talking to the band, I got to meet my favorite music photographer, Adam Elmakias! After that, they finally came outside one by one and grabbed their own part of the crowd leaning against the barricade to talk to. As soon as Garrett came outside, I yelled his name and he walked right over to my section. After giving him a quick hug, he mentioned that he remembered me from the whole "24 hour thing" (the album release party and acoustic set at Tempe Marketplace which I blogged about in my last post as well as a review of their album). That easily made my night a thousand times better. He hung out for about half an hour and talked about a bunch of random stuff. He was later joined by The Technicolor members, Brennan Smiley and Joseph Schwegler. I also got to talk to Jared that night! We talked about the new songs being played live and about the new album. I don't think that night could have gotten any better. If you're going to one of their shows this tour, I strongly suggest waiting after and trying to meet them.

If you haven't checked out the new album... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? American Candy is available on iTunes, Spotify and the band's YouTube channel. It contains ten amazing songs that you will end up playing on repeat.


Until next time,
Nikole

The Maine: American Candy

The Maine, a local band from Arizona, released their fifth studio album yesterday titled "American Candy." The guys - John O'Callaghan (vocals), Kennedy Brock (guitar),  Jared Monaco (guitar), Garrett Nickelsen (bass) and Pat Kirch (drums) - spent a month in Joshua Tree, California writing and recording the album. Three singles were released before March 31 including English Girls, Miles Away and Different Suit, Same Tie. The songs suggested something lighter and more relaxed than their darker album, "Forever Halloween." However, the more I listened to the album, the clearer it became that this album is a lot more than what's on the surface. "American Candy" contains ten unique songs that all hold their own special purpose.

Before I get into each song, I want to address the album as a whole. The Maine's music has evolved quite a few times over the last eight years, but this new evolution may be one of my favorites. While the last albums touched on some dark themes, the music said something that isn't as easy to say in words. "American Candy" did that as well, but in a different approach. My first reaction was that it began with some easy going, fun to rock out to tunes, and then it transitioned into some heavier material beginning with the fifth track. Before really taking in the lyrics, I thought of it as being another shorter, slightly lighter version of "Forever Halloween." Surface level, sure, I guess you can still say that. However, this album is truly about hope and progress. I'll expand on that when I delve into the songs, but this album became a million times more important to me when I came to that realization. Every song tells a different moment about having priceless memories with friends, learning, becoming better, not giving up. It encourages you to be you. It's unique and rare to find an album that can have you thinking about the songs and lyrics even when the music isn't playing.

Miles Away
The first song on the album is Miles Away, which is filled with positive vibes that make you want to get up and dance. It's a fun song to sing along to with an easy beat that has you wanting to play it on repeat.

Same Suit, Different Tie
Same Suit, Different Tie is the next song which starts with a pleasing to hear guitar riff that leads into the vocals. This song is great because it makes you feel like a million bucks. Dear you don't need high-priced designs to feel dressed up. It's not about what you wear, it's how you wear it. Just a strut and a little style. It's a great transition into the next song.

My Hair
The first time I saw The Maine was at Warped Tour 2014, and John's hair was really long and he had this Kurt Cobain look about him. When the band left Joshua Tree, John sported a nice clean cut. The reason I'm talking about this is because the third song is called My Hair. It has this great vibe that's saying "I don't care what you think of me or what I should do or what I should look like, because I'm going to be me and that's going to make me happy." It makes me want to drive on PCH with the windows down and shout the lyrics into the wind.

English Girls
English Girls was the first single for the new album, and so far the only one with a music video (although Miles Away does have a pretty cool lyric video). It follows the same feeling as the first three songs - having good times, not caring what anyone thinks. This set such great expectations for the rest of the album. It made me think of their earlier stuff from "Black & White."

24 Floors
This song is the turning point. The happy and fast rhythms are traded in for something softer and has this introspective feeling about it. 24 Floors is about someone contemplating whether or not of jumping off a hotel building. On the surface, it could definitely be just perceived as a sad song. Even beyond the surface, it is still one of the saddest songs on the album, but it is so, so much more than that. After I read the lyrics, I found that it isn't supposed to be a sad song. This is a song about hope, about saving yourself. There's a voice that is talking to the person, calming them down. Every moment's relevant, bittersweet and delicate. Tomorrow may never come again, tonight is all there is. It's an extremely powerful song when you really listen to it.

Diet Soda Society
Just the name, Diet Soda Society, has you interested in this song. The song has a catchy rhythm including some whistles (well, it sounds like whistles) and well placed backing vocals that makes you love it instantly. Personally, I love the word choice in this song. Oblivion, supernova, omnipresent, psyche and the soma, person vs. persona. They aren't words or phrases you hear everyday. There's a lot more I can say on this song, but I was hoping just include a comment or two for each song. Also, I find this song really hard to break down. There are so many aspects to it.

Am I Pretty?
This next one I believe speaks to a lot of people. Am I Pretty? is filled with questions that I find we ask ourselves a lot. I understand that people will have different reasons why they might relate, but I feel like a good majority of us has wondered things like if people like us or not. Even after the efforts of trying to be someone else's definition of "pretty," you may still feel like you're confetti for the gathering. It's the last line in the song that stands out to me most. The more Am I Pretty? is repeated, the more sarcastic I feel it becomes. Then it ends with some murmured comments, and There's beauty and grace in the flaws of your face, all candor and style in the crook of your smile.

(Un)Lost
As soon as this song begins, I get the urge to go outside and just stare up at the stars. Or maybe go on a night drive with no destination in particular. There's a lyric in (Un)Lost that I feel sums up pretty nicely what this song is about: I know I'll take the leap if it is worth the fall. It's that in between area of being lost and being found. A destination isn't important, as long as you keep moving. I loved the piano in the beginning of the song because it is so crucial to the mood of the song. Everything about this one is so well recorded, the emotion is captured perfectly.

American Candy
The title song has been stuck in my head all day. The song is not as cheery as the name may lead you to believe. The same piano vibe that set up the mood in (Un)Lost can be heard in this tune. The vocals are also vital to delivering this song. The chorus has this back-and-forth thing going on that really captures my attention: they've got American candy, (you're sweet and sated, so sedated), for the American kids (you're hooked and baited, annihilated). The American candy is described the same way as I imagine any drug would be.

Another Night on Mars
The second I heard this song, and especially the chorus, I thought of the song We'll All Be from their first album, "Can't Stop, Won't Stop." This song is dedicated to those friends that are there for you through thick and thin, the ones that make you feel comfortable being you. I love in the middle to the end of the song where John cuts into the chorus with his own shouts (What's one more night!? We are here under the stars! I hear you singing!). While I mentioned before that The Maine has gone through quite a few changes over the years, it's obvious that they have stayed grounded. They've grown with their music, but they haven't given up who they are. They are still the same group of friends that sang We'll All Be.

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Daytrotter

On the night of March 30, I got to join The Maine at their album release party at Zia Records in Tempe, AZ. John and Jared played a few acoustic songs and talked with the small crowd for awhile. I got to meet them for the second time ever that night, and they are still the very humble and nice guys that I remember them to be. Also, I had John write inside the album a line from 24 Floors - Every moment's relevant, bittersweet and delicate.

Selfies with The Maine

I also went to the 8123 pop-up store at Tempe Marketplace on March 31. It was beyond chill and I had the greatest time. I picked up The Maine's Daytrotter vinyl which I have never seen before and I'm so psyched to own it now. I talked to some of the guys while they hung out inside the store and then saw them again during the signing. I was so blown away that they actually remembered me from the night before! The moments where I get to watch my favorite bands play live and then meet them (if I'm that lucky) are the moments I live for. After the signing, I watched The Technicolors, This Century and The Maine play some acoustic sets. The Maine did a 24 hour party on Meerkat where they had to stay up for 24 hours. Everything about those 24 hours couldn't have been better.

I am so looking forward to seeing The Maine again on Friday as they kick off the American Candy Tour with Knucklepuck, Real Friends and The Technicolors. "American Candy" is now available on iTunes, Spotify and The Maine's YouTube channel.

Hope you enjoyed my review. :)

Until next time,
Nikole