Sunday's Seven Songs (March 1)

Today's weather is absolutely perfect, despite the clouds taunting me with no rain. The day's not over yet so I'm still crossing my fingers for a storm.

Changing subjects, Tom Delonge announced more information on his new album - "Demos, Odds and Ends." The album is set to be released on April 21. I was disappointed because he kept talking about March 1 so I thought the album was going to be released today. There are a few snippets in the video introducing the album and the sound seems really promising. I don't know how I couldn't love it though. The only thing that makes it less great is that it is neither Blink 182 nor Angels & Airwaves (however, it is AvA's label). Tom kind of led people on to believe that the album would be streamed so he got a spew of negative comments from people saying that they refuse to "give him anymore money" and stuff like that. I never considered him streaming the album since he is so adamantly against the idea of streaming. The first song from the album is supposed to be available on March 9, followed by a second song on March 23, a third song on April 6, then the full album on April 21. For more information on the album, go to tomdelonge.me .

After weeks of Netflix binging, I was able to catch up to the finale of Parks and Recreation. I can definitely say that it is one of the best shows I have seen. There was never a lull in the plot and it makes you laugh at the dumbest things at times. I can't imagine a better finale for the show - every loose end was tied up and you were left not needing any more. I will miss Pawnee and the awesome people in the Parks department. Since finishing the show, I've decided to try to cut back on Netflix (gasp). Instead, I decided to start reading again. AP Lit has caused me to sort of resent reading because I am not fond of the selections, so I decided I'm just going to make some time to read what I want to. I finally finished The Maze Runner and, while it had it's slow parts, it was a great story with an ending that made you wanting more (thankfully, there is a sequel). Next, I decided to start reading the Divergent series. I got hooked the second I started reading. I finished the first book, all 500ish pages, in three or four days. Now I'm on the second installment of the series, Insurgent, which is supposed to come out in theaters this month.

On a side note, I've also been listening to Jack and Alex's (of All Time Low) podcast, "Full Frontal." I am not a big podcast listener because it usually can't keep my attention. Jack and Alex are hilarious though. My favorite parts of their episodes are when they talk about what they are doing on tour and their music segment. It's great to listen to how much music means to them and their takes on different artists.

Okay, I know this is a longer intro than usual, but I felt like talking about what's been going on. Instead of listing seven songs that I have listened to this week, I am putting my music library on shuffle and listing the first seven songs that appear.



1) Enthused by Blink 182
This song comes from Blink's "Dude Ranch" album that debuted in 1997. Eighteen years old. This album captures so much of what early Blink was - three kids just out of high school, playing music and having fun. It shows the stupid humor that surrounded the band. At this time, Scott Raynor (not Travis Barker) was on drums. Most of the songs, like Enthused, are pretty short and emphasized with loud guitar riffs and Tom's unique vocals. The most well known songs to come out of this album are Pathetic, Dammit, and Josie (one of my favorite songs).

2) Listener (Acoustic) by The Technicolors
Only about a month left until I see these guys open for The Maine! The acoustic version of this song, which is also the title of the album, makes me crave rain even more. It's the kind of music that makes me want to go to a coffee shop, watch the rain, and read or something else that's pretty laid back. The vocals are simple and quiet for the most part, giving the song almost a lullaby quality.

3) Drunk (Cover) by 5 Seconds of Summer
Even though they are a huge band now (currently performing to giant crowds all the way in Japan), I have every one of their covers still on my phone. It's a nice reminder that they went from doing small covers of their favorite artists to selling out arenas (and also getting recognized by those same artists years later). This particular cover is by Calum Hood, and I almost forgot how much his voice has improved (even though it was still great then) and how much confidence he has gained since recording this.

4) American Idiot (Live Cover) by 5 Seconds of Summer
I am not even surprised that 5SOS came up twice. This is without a doubt my favorite cover from them. It captures the real sound that they are meant for (and hopefully the sound that they are leaning towards in their next album). Even though their covers of What I Like About You and Teenage Dream were great songs for a live performance, their cover of American Idiot just seems to fit so much better. Maybe that's because Green Day were the ones to really invent pop punk. They sound like they are having the time of their lives during this live cover. I still can't believe I got to see them perform it live back in November.

5) That Girl by All Time Low
It seems like people either love or hate "Dirty Work." I have seen comments leaning both ways, but never in the middle. I am definitely one of the people who loves it. I love that I can still hear the same energy in All Time Low's music since their first EP to their latest single. This is a song that is definitely meant for turning up the volume as high as it can go and shouting the lyrics. The sound and rhythm and beat of the songs is so catchy, you can't help singing along.

6) Ready to Run by One Direction
I used to refer to One Direction as a guilty pleasure, but I don't know why I have to be guilty for liking them. Their music is upbeat and carries a lot of energy in it. This song is from their latest album, "Four," which the group actually had a hand in the songwriting (which I was relieved to find out). I love that the song is relatively fast, yet it still has a very recognizable acoustic guitar in the chorus.

7) Berzerk by Eminem
Well, this is very different from the other songs. Hearing this song instantly makes me think of road tripping to California with my best friend and turning up the music and acting a lot cooler than we really are. How could you not get into this song? The chorus is easy enough to learn quickly and before you know it, you know all the words.


------------------------------------------------------

I almost forgot that today is the first day of a new month. February felt like a brutally long 28 days despite being the shortest month. Here are a few things are coming up in March:

March 13, 14, 15 - Pot of Gold Festival (including Fall Out Boy!!)
March 17 - Sleeping with Sirens new album, "Madness"
March 22 - MUSINK FESTIVAL WITH BLINK 182 FT MATT SKIBA

March 31 - The Maine's new album, "American Candy"

You could probably tell which I am most excited for. It has been three and a half years since I last saw Blink 182 during the Honda Civic Tour. Only three weeks from today and I will be seeing them. I still can't really believe it's going to happen.

Anyways, that is all for Sunday's Seven Songs (and a kind of long update on other things).


Until next time,
Nikole xx

Sunday's 7 Songs (Week 1)

I'm going to try something new for my little blog that will hopefully get me to write more. Each Sunday, I'll list the top 7 songs that I've been listening to for the past week. (Hopefully, I'll think of a better name for this weekly thing later.) It will probably be a mixture of songs I've had on repeat and new songs I discovered this week. I might change this idea or edit it as I go, but I really wanted to have something that encourages me to regularly update (kind of how youtubers are known to post a new video a certain day of the week). Anyways, here are the 7 songs.


1) Something's Gotta Give by All Time Low

All Time Low released their first single for their new album "Future Hearts" about two weeks ago and I have had it on repeat ever since. It's absolutely amazing. Everything from the lyrics (which are a mixture of motivated and sadness) to the energy produced from the instruments. It's one of those songs that you play in your car or in the shower and you can't help but scream the lyrics. If this is any indicator to how the rest of the album will sound, then I know I won't be disappointed. Their music video has an interesting plot twist, but besides that, it is just as great.

2) Favorite Record by Fall Out Boy

Last Tuesday, Fall Out Boy released their new album "American Beauty/American Psycho." I considered dedicating a post completely to that album, but for some reason I've put it off. I'll admit that I understand why they used the songs they did to promote the album because they were honestly the better half of the album. That doesn't mean the other half was bad. I've had the album on repeat all week, so I can promise the album isn't bad. Out of the new songs released on Tuesday, I've listened to the "Favorite Record" the most. As soon as you press play, the intro beat has your attention. I don't think you can get any sweeter than by comparing someone you love to the song that's been stuck in your head, to every song you've ever loved.

3) Go Go Go by Sleeping With Sirens

A few days ago, Sleeping With Sirens announced the release date of their new album "Madness" and the pre-order came with their single "Kick Me" as well as a new song, "Go Go Go." This song reminds me of early SWS which makes me really happy. The vocals are clear and it's just a fun, upbeat song. Even the music video is filled with the same humor that could be seen in their other videos. The band doesn't sound like they are trying to be something they aren't. I wasn't as thrilled with "Kick Me" as I am with this song. This song has gotten me even more excited for the rest of the album (which comes out on March 17).

4) Up 2 U by Walk the Moon

It's the vocals in this song that really catch my attention. The way Nicholas Petricca (the vocalist) starts the chorus with a little scream It's up to you! has me pumped. I've been happy with the entire "Talking is Hard" album. This song and "Sidekick" really stand out to me, though. There isn't any song on this album (and previous albums that I know of) that sounds anything like this song. I love when artist's throw songs like that in an album. It can either end up being a good or bad thing because sometimes listeners don't want change but it really comes down to what the artist wants to produce and I'm extremely glad Walk the Moon decided to include that song.

5) Shirtsleeves by Ed Sheeran

I listened to a lot of Ed Sheeran today because I was in the study zone and I had a good amount of homework to get done. I'm not sure if there is a particular reason why I play this song (and "Photograph") more than others, but I do. This song, like a lot of his other songs, is really mellow and relaxing. It's a really sweet song, as well.

6) I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! at the Disco

I blame my sister for this one. I'm not too sure why she's had this song on repeat, but since she has, it's been stuck in my head all week. It's one of those songs where I think everyone knows despite whether they realize who the band is or what the song is called. This song is only a sneak peek to how talented this band really is. In my last post I mentioned that P!ATD have an album in the works and they haven't released any information on it yet, but I'm still hopeful.

7) So Much Better by Eminem

I can't even explain why I've had this on repeat. Over winter break, Kaitz and I played Eminem on repeat for hours and I haven't listened to him as much these past couple of weeks, but there are still some songs I can listen to over and over. Listening to it makes me really miss winter break though.

---------

I realized that this list is really good to show all the different kinds of music I listen to. I laughed just looking at how I can skip from Fall Out Boy to Ed Sheeran to Eminem. The more I wrote this post, the more I liked the idea about Sunday's 7 Songs. The reason I started writing tonight was because 1) I haven't blogged in two week and I miss it a lot and 2) I was trying to finish up my story for the next issue of the magazine and I cannot word it the way I want to. I thought it was kind of like a writer's block thing, but I seemed to write this pretty easily even if it took awhile for me to come up with an idea on what to write. I'll give another shot at the story tomorrow. I'm really close to finishing it, but for some reason I can't find the right words or phrasing.

Anyways, if anyone has any songs they would like to suggest for me to listen to, I would be more than happy to check them out. I love finding new music or rediscovering old music.

Until next time,

Nikole xx

The Most Anticipated Music of 2015

I got the idea for this post from Alternative Press magazine. Some of the anticipated music I'll be listing is also included in Alt Press's article, but I'm adding my own expectations. 2015 already sounds like it is going to be an incredible year for music and I doubt we barely know even half of the expected music to be released this year.

FALL OUT BOY
American Beauty / American Psycho 
January 20

Little by little, Fall Out Boy have been releasing songs from their album. "Centuries" has been by far the most popular since the song is played everywhere from ESPN to pop radio stations. They have also released "American Beauty / American Psycho," "The Kids Aren't Alright," "Immortals" (featured in Disney's Big Hero 6), "Irresistible" and "Uma Thurman." The songs are extremely promising and set some high expectations for the rest of the album. I've been looking forward to how the band would follow their last album, Save Rock and Roll, since it was such a large success. They've taken a few aspects from that album such as the story-telling technique. Based on their newest music video and comments from the band, the album focuses on an unhealthy love between the "American Beauty," Nancy, and the "American Psycho," Sid. Only a little over a week left until we find out the rest of Sid and Nancy's story.

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
February

Three months ago, Sleeping With Sirens released their single, "Kick Me." This was the first sound of new music since the release of their last album, Feel (June 2013). The single was followed by another single called "We Like It Loud," which has some more rock vibes than their previous songs. The band decided to end their ties to their previous label, Rise Records, and instead sign with Epitaph in order to work more independently as a band. John Feldmann has also been helping in producing the album. The band is currently on their world tour alongside Pierce the Veil.

IMAGINE DRAGONS
Smoke and Mirrors 
February 17

Imagine Dragons were deemed by Billboard as "2012's Brightest New Stars" and "The Breakout Band of 2013." They also added three more Billboard awards to that list in 2014. Their last studio album was released in September of 2012 which was followed by a live album in April 2013. The band mentioned to Rolling Stone that the new album is mainly rock-driven with more hip-hop influences than their previous work.

THE MAINE
American Candy
Spring

This is one of the most anticipated albums of the year for me personally. I've grown to love this band more and more over the last couple of years and I even joined my first street team to help promote the band. Earlier this week, the band came out of hiding from the recording studio they were living at in Joshua Tree, California. They shut themselves off from the internet and dedicated themselves to the music. There hasn't been any released singles as of now, but they did release information about their new tour (which I have tickets to!). They've mentioned how they brought back some of their early pop sounds and tried to make the album not as serious as Forever Halloween was. The band sounds like they are about to jump out of their skin, they are so excited to release something new.

ALL TIME LOW
Future Hearts
Spring

I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for this album and the new single that premieres TONIGHT. The last time we heard new music was in September of 2013 when the band re-released their October 2012 album as Don't Panic: It's Longer Now! which included some bonus songs. Just two days ago, All Time Low announced on BBC radio the album title and artwork. They were featured on the cover of Alt Press magazine as the most anticipated album of the year and the article by Evan Lucy is absolutely amazing and I recommend everyone to read it. They produced the album with John Feldmann. The band collaborated with Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, Kool Kojak and Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. I can't think of a better way to describe the band's goals for the album other than how Lucy says it.
"If anything [All Time Low's] goal was simple: harness the parts of their sound that make the band great, amplify them and expand the sonic palette without losing sight of their roots." -Evan Lucy, AltPress

PIERCE THE VEIL 
Spring

Pierce the Veil have been working hard and long on their upcoming album and the only thing coming in the way of them putting on the final details and releasing it is the fact that they are constantly busy on tour. For months now they have been touring next to Sleeping with Sirens and they won't finish until early this summer. The band claims that touring and recording has actually been really helpful because they find a lot of their inspiration for new music while they are on stage and on the road. They plan to design their album based on their performance on stage, including some loud and exciting songs, but not forgetting about the softer places.

TWENTY ONE PILOTS 
Summer

There hasn't been much talk about a new 21P album, but the duo admits that it is definitely in the works and they are very worried about it. It's been quite awhile - two years -  since the guys last released new material. Tyler Joseph mentioned in AltPress that he was scouting in LA for someone to help produce an album. He described that the trouble was finding someone who didn't want to "polish" their sound. I love that the duo are staying close to their roots and not letting anyone change who they are. In the AltPress issue that they were on the cover of, they sounded like they had huge plans for 21P. Despite their confessions of being nervous, I'm looking forward to what they decide to release.

PANIC! AT THE DISCO
Summer

I hadn't heard anything about new P!ATD music until I read the AltPress article. There was an interview in September of last year where Brendon Urie stated that he wasn't sure if the fifth studio album would be a P!ATD album or a solo album, but according to his comment in the latest issue of AltPress, he is calling it a P!ATD album. The band is currently cut down to only two people - vocalist/guitarist Urie and bassist Dallon Weekes - so Urie kind of steals the show whether the music is released as a band or solo. Either way, I'm psyched (despite having to see some really talented guys enter and leave the band). I was impressed with the last album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, which was released about a year and a half ago, so I'm looking forward to see what else P!ATD has for fans.

MAYDAY PARADE 
Fall

Mayday Parade have announced that they are planning to experiment with their fifth full-length album. Their goal is to try to bring the raw human element that is seen on stage into the recording studio and onto the album. Their last album was released in the fall of 2013 and featured the pop-rock sounds that they are normally associated with. The band was traveling on their The Honeymoon Tour during the last few months of 2014 and have some international shows set for this year's spring and summer. I'm crossing my fingers to see them again at Warped Tour this year.

BLINK-182
Late Fall

A new Blink-182 album sounds like a myth nowadays. Their sixth
studio album was released in September 2011 and was followed by the Dogs Eating Dogs EP in December 2012. It's not like they've been sitting around doing nothing. Tom Delonge released an album with his band Angels and Airwaves in December 2014. Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker have been busy with their families and their own side projects. Even though whatever they release won't sound like the Blink most of us fell in love with in the late 90s/early 2000s, a new album is still a new album and it will show the band's growth and how they've changed. Delonge commented that the recording process for the new album will begin early this year and will have a lot of similarities with their self-titled album which was released in 2003. Delonge also mentioned in the AltPress issue that they are currently trying to find the perfect producer for the album. (I want to know why they don't produce it themselves since they all have experience in producing. Maybe they can't agree or something. Or hire John Feldmann because I've become a fan of his but his ideas may not reflect Blink's new sound...) I saw a rumor that they could be touring with Fall Out Boy and Cobra Starship this year, but it's unconfirmed (just think of how amazing that would be though).


**GREEN DAY

"I'm in a hardware store in queens. and this
is on my mind. #greenday15 #thefutureisnow
#greendayforever" -Billie Joe Armstrong on instagram

I have no information on a new Green Day album other than Billie Joe Armstrong saying on instagram that the band has big plans for this year. They released ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!  in September, November and December of 2012 and that was the last time they released anything new. A lot of events have been happening in their personal lives such as Mike Dirnt's wife developing (and beating!) cancer and the band's guitarist Jason White being diagnosed with tonsil cancer (which is said to be treatable). I hope after everyone is healthy again that they will be back in the recording studio soon and maybe even start touring again.



---------------

As you can see, there is so much great music coming out this year. Think about all of the bands who haven't released information about new music or the artists that we may not even know yet. This year is going to be huge. Along with the music, I'm going to be graduating this year!? Actually, it's just four short months away. Then I move into a dorm at ASU and start my journalism major. Last week I interviewed a local band for the first time and while I noticed I have a lot to improve on in my interview skills, I had a lot of fun with the whole thing. On Monday I begin working at my first job at a local community college bookstore. It may not sound like much, but I am so excited to start. The closest I've come to a job is babysitting and tutoring.

I know it's been awhile since I last blogged but I promise to be more dedicated to this site. I've grown to like it a lot. I'm regretting not committing to this earlier. I love getting all my thoughts down on artists, albums, concerts and whatever else.

Anyways, I'm going to list the upcoming concerts I have coming up:

-Run 2 Cover (along with Jonny Craig, Kyle Lucas, Captain Midnite, Down with Webster, and So Loud) (January 17)
-Pot of Gold festival (March 13, 14, 15, 17)
-The Maine (April 3)
-Warped Tour (June 23, not sure if I'm going yet)
-APMAs (hopefully!!!!!!!!!!!) (July 22)

That's all of them for now. Well, I hope everyone's new year is starting off great and I will blog soooon.


Until next time,

Nikole xx