Band number four on Siri's "Bands to Listen to" list: Evelynn. I found these guys when they followed me on Twitter, so of course I added them on my list of bands I needed to listen to.
Right now, there isn't any music on their Facebook page, so go to their YouTube page to check out their tunes. From what I heard and saw from their live music video, Evelynn seems like they can rock out. Their music has moments that the crowd could get crazy to. I say moments because not every song is 100% rock out - there are slower parts. That's not a bad thing though because I like to remember that hardcore music isn't just about getting crazy.
These Chicago guys sort of have the same aesthetics as I See Stars with the balance of clean and screaming vocals. Usually some bands showcase more of either clean or screaming vocals, but I think Evelynn keeps it pretty equal. However, I'm more into the sceaming vocals because the clean vocals are a little too whiny for my taste, but overall the vocal work is good.
This post is long overdue, but awhile back in April, Vicci and I went to La Zona Rosa for the North American Pioneer tour. We interviewed Pat Kirch and Kennedy Brock from The Maine and Leighton Antelman from Lydia. Be sure to check those out at the Rock Edition website!
The Pioneer tour consisted of three bands: The Arkells, Lydia, and The Maine. Because it's been almost a month, I'll try my best to remember what their performances were like by recreating the concert in my mind.
What's refreshing about The Arkells is that they sort of have a beach boys meets boy-next-door pop rock kind of sound. It's not the hardcore sound that I've been listening to lately. It's just a happy sound that gets you snapping your fingers and tapping your toes. One of the most impressive things from this band is the awesome set of vocal pipes from the lead singer - he rocked the collaborative Beatles cover (video below).
The music took a slow turn with Lydia's set. Their sound is very tranquil feeling. I feel like I can lay out in the sun in a hammock drifting. With the combination of their colorful blue, purple, and pink lighting from the show, it felt really mellow. What's interesting is that when you hear the music, it sounds all serene and whatnot but when you actually listen to the lyrics, he has some vulgar lyrics that contrast with the softer sound (I'm specifically listening to "Best Nights").
The Maine closed the night with a rocking set. Austin was the first stop on the North American portion of The Pioneer tour - they had arrived back from Australia. This was probably the second maybe third time I've seen them live, and the experience was different from the previous times I'd seen them. For some reason, I danced more to this set and I don't know why. They know how to put on a good performance. The guys, of course, combined old songs and new songs in their set and pleased the crowd with no problem. My favorite song from the set that I distinctly remember was "Some Days" because it had an edge to it. The chorus got me hooked, and I suggest taking a listen to that song. As The Maine continues to make music, their sound gets better and more mature with each album, so check out their stuff and their lastest album Pioneer.
The Maine, Lydia, and The Arkells join forces to perform
"With a Little Help From My Friends" by the Beatles.
Footage by Vicci Patneaude (whose video appeared on Alternative Press's website!)
Serianna is on my list of "Bands to Listen to." I haven't gotten to them yet, but they're on there and I'll get to them as quickly as possible! For right now, here is their rendition of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, after watching this video, I realized I don't have many old school Slim Shady songs in my iTunes, and that saddens me.
One definite thing I wanna say about the cover is that I can totally picture this being on a Punk Goes Hip Hop album. I'm currently at the Communications building slightly head banging and dancing in my chair - people are probably staring but whatevs! The sound and the video are both rocking with the right balance of clean and screaming vocals, and I'm always impressed when it's the same guy doing both. If these guys rock out as much as they do in this video which I believe they do...I'm going to be an unhappy camper when I have to miss them in San Antonio at the White Rabbit on Monday (May 7th 2012). I guess there's always be next time, so they better come back!
The day finally came! April 24th 2012 finally arrived! After waiting a long time for their debut return, fans of Empire Holiday can rock out to their music once again. Their first track release goes by the name of "Ballroom Murder," and I personally love it. I played it a million times when it came out on Tuesday - I'm so damn proud of my boys.
The major change that EH fans would probably recognize is the change from the pop rock sound of their old stuff to the more electronic screamo sound they have now. Ronnie screams more in this new song than all the old songs put together I think, and I am perfectly okay with this. If you saw what he looked like, you would never guess that he could scream like that (; When I asked Ronnie about the new sound, he referenced a lot of bands like We Came As Romans, Pierce The Veil, Skrillex, and Breathe Carolina. After listening to the song multiple times, I'd definitely it's captured the Breathe Carolina sound the most with some hint of Skrillex, which is awesome.
Now, with returning bands, people instantly compare the newness to the oldness, but with EH, you can't really do that because the sounds are different. I still appreciate and love the pop rock sound they had, but I definitely love this new sound too. It makes me wanna dance like no one's around. The beat easily pulses through your body to make you dance, and with the screaming in the choruses, pumping your fist is what you're going to be doing. Can I just say that I cannot wait to see this live?
Please listen to the song and support my boys in Dallas! You can listen to it on their Facebook page, but now you can buy the song on iTunes! Stay tuned for more new music because they're just getting started and have more in store for you guys!
Anyone who knows me knows that I firmly believe that Christina Grimmie and I were separated at birth. Want to know why? Just watch the video down below. Recently, Christina debuted a new segment of "Power Up" for Disney in promotion of Disney Kinect Rush game. Basically she talks about video games in a dorky and quirky way, and it's quite entertaining because almost every little aspect in each webisode is linked to a video game. Every so often she releases a new episode with new topics to talk about so be on the look out for future episodes! And also be sure to check out her music too while you're at it!
Everyone knows that I love Demi Lovato, and I'm happy to see that she released a new music video for "Give Your Heart a Break." That song has slowly grown on me, and now it's my favorite track on her Unbroken album! Take a gander on the music video! Not going to give too much away, but "Give Your Heart a Break" tells a story of a girl and guy going through a rough patch, and she cooks up a brilliant idea.
I think that with this album, she's really matured and it shows because the video's aesthetics have changed from her old ones. I only say that because this one actually has a narrative to follow whereas her past ones focused on her performing the song with a band backing her up, and sometimes they did include a small side narrative. In her "Here We Go Again" video, there was a narrative there with a love interest, but the video focused more on her performing with the band, which I'm not complaining about.
Anyway, the song is cute, the video is cute, so you're in for a treat!
A lot of great stuff going on here. First, Teen.com debuted a new online segment called "Sounds Like..." Second, some people might recognize the host of this segment - YouTube user Strawburry17. I know her because she made a cute music video with Bobby Mares from My Genuine Find. Third, to kick off her first episode, she spotlights Boy Epic.
What Meghan does with this short segment is introduce audiences with new music to check out and describes what other bands or artists they sound like. The song she chooses to showcase from Boy Epic is "Too Young Too Love," so watch the video!
I'm glad to see Matt doing well with his new music! He's played several shows already, and the feedback has been good so far! He's featured in this widely read teen magazine's website, and he snagged an interview with Clevver TV! I see nothing but greatness in his future, and I can't wait to see what's next for him! Proud of you, Matt!
