Yesterday, Nick Jonas made his video debut again. He released a brand new song, "Chains" sometime next week, and stated there would be a music video for it soon. It premiered far too early in the morning on MTV (who know? MTV actually still plays music sometimes!) and it has now reached the internet.
Like everything, really. Nothing exists anymore without at some point reaching the internet. Anyways, this video is not what I expected fully. It had been said that it would be "racy", and when I heard that, I assumed it'd be more on the sexual side of things. This is partly due to some of the lyrical content, such as, "You've got me in chains for your love." and, "Alone in the night, she knocks on my door. Wasted again but I can't say no. Baby, tell me why I want you to do me wrong." Warning: This does contain a ton of spoilers and if you have not seen the video or heard the song, it is recommended that you do so now. Please click here to view the video before continuing on. Extra warning: I am not going to make this blog "professional" in the slightest. You guys get to see my true fan side, and a ton of ideas for a video that will never really exist outside of my head. Read at your own risk. Now that you're properly warned of all spoilers and possible fangirl drool, we can get into this review and video idea. Um...hello, sir Nicholas. This song is not my usual style of music at all, but frankly, I like it. The video though, kind of has an action movie feel to it, and frankly, I could think of so much better for it. Surely, they chose to shy away from the sexual undertones to reflect the emotional chains Nick has stated the song is really about. However, I hear this song, and all I hear is the sexual undertones, and the fact that at one point Nicholas Jonas is chained to a chair, in front of a woman in sky high stilettos, kind of just makes me wish they would have played up the sexual side of the video. I don't have a full video idea for you guys, but I am thinking of coming up with one just for the hell of it. All I definitely can tell you is the mental images I got just from hearing this song for the first time. All I got was a mental image of Nick Jonas tied to a bed. There I said it. So, to see him chained to a chair, well, I'll be honest, that made my inner fangirl slightly happy. Okay, let me pause and explain. The Jonas Brothers meant the world to me between the ages of twelve, and sixteen and frankly, they still hold a special place in my heart today. Anything 'Jonas' related kind of warms my heart, and Nick was always my favorite back in the day. Not going to say I fangirl'ed over this video, but you can assume what you wish when it comes to this. Surely, you can guess what I think they should have added in. I decided I'm not going to tell you all of it. Because if I do ever get around to writing up a full video idea, it won't be a surprise if you guys already know about it all! So, have you seen the video? What are your thoughts? Let me know!
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I have been a fan of Hilary Duff since I was little. She was the first musician I really liked and paid any attention to. I was ten when her first album, Metamorphosis came out, and had already been a fan of Lizzie McGuire for years. She hasn't made an album since I was 14, so to hear she's finally releasing some new music makes me very happy.
Actually, upon hearing that I promptly exclaimed, "MY CHILDHOOD!" And went on to read more. But that's beside the point. The point is, as soon as I discovered her new single, "Chasing The Sun" was out, I had to listen to it. I honestly have to say, I love the video, and the lyrics, but I think they autotuned her voice a bit too much? Every artist is edited slightly but there is sometimes too much editing where it more or less hides the talent. Or tries to create artificial talent, and I don't know how I feel about that. None the less, I am very excited to hear more music from Hilary. The internet has been a buzz for a while now about a new band called, 5 Seconds Of Summer, and if you somehow managed to not see any of this, I'm convinced you must live under a rock. Is this your first time on the Interwebs? If so, thank you for choosing my website to be among the first you visited!
I kid, but they really are everywhere. Even if you have yet to listen to their music, you've probably heard the name. They actually have had a bunch of controversy over what their genre really is. They've been primarily called 'pop punk', and for some reason a lot of people do not like that they have 'punk' in their genre at all. Some are arguing that they're nothing more than a boy band, and frankly, while I'm not certain I'd call them 'pop punk' either, they are certainly not a boy band. A boy band is a group that mostly dances and sings, and might not even write their own songs. From what I have seen, 5SOS, actually does write their own music, and they do play their own music as well. They are a normal band, not a boy band. I feel like they have gotten that pegged onto their name because they are on the more pop side of things, and for some reason people tend to write off any pop band as a "boy band." Not to mention, they are about to embark on a tour with a real boy band, One Direction. I don't actually see why that combination is there, at all. I have nothing against One Direction, but I don't think the two have similar genres at all. Something I think is actually quite cool though, is 5SOS is actually greatly inspired by All Time Low. Being a big All Time Low fan, it makes me happy to see a band that is inspired by them get so big. Its great for All Time Low, as well as them. All Time Low actually appears to be big fans of them as well, and a rumor has started up about a possible tour in 2015. I'm not going to explain that here, for more information please check out the other article I wrote about the matter here. Personally, I think a tour with 5 Seconds Of Summer and All Time Low would be great. Not to mention, 5SOS is playing arenas already, where as, All Time Low primarily plays clubs and more medium to small venues still. It'd be great exposure for honestly any band that goes out on tour with them, and I think the sounds would mesh quite well. I think if you threw 5SOS, and All Time Low on a tour with say, Mayday Parade, You Me At Six, or Pierce The Veil, it'd be a sold out tour in no time. People probably will disagree with me on this, but I think it'd be one hell of a tour to see, honestly. Just to comment on the genre of 5SOS, I would say they're more pop rock. Which honestly isn't that different from pop punk, and someone pointed out that All Time Low is basically pop rock as well. In their earlier days, no they were pop punk, but they've steered away from that in the recent years. They're a happy medium between pop punk and pop rock, if you ask me. Which nobody did, but I'm voicing my opinion anyway. So, you know where I stand on the whole 5 Seconds Of Summer thing, right? I'm a fan. I like their music, and frankly, would greatly enjoy seeing them live, especially if its along side some of my favorite bands. I'm wondering though, where do you stand on the matter? Please try to be respectful of each others opinions. I do not wish to see people arguing about genres or what's "good music", because that frankly, is just pointless. Good music is all a matter of opinion, and it will vary. Don't put someone down just because they like or dislike something. Bet you never had a Friday night like this!
So here I was, listening to music, and scrolling through my Facebook news feed, right? You know, as you do. I'm sure the Pierce The Veil reference is actually total sarcasm, as I'm sure everyone has had at least one Friday night like this one. Anyways, in my news feed, among various photos, and update from friends was a status from an All Time Low fan page I have liked. (Yes, I have fan pages liked. Not just for All Time Low either. There I said it, I'm in some "fandoms" too.) They were showing interested in the bands people have seen live, and how many times they've seen them. I actually had never written out the list properly, so I decided to do it. Frankly, I felt kind of like I was bragging when I wrote it out, but I just want to clarify that I definitely am not. Yes, I have been to a lot of concerts, and yes, I am very lucky for that. A lot of the shows I have been to have either been presents from family, won over the radio, or given to me by the bands managers. That is something quite rare, and yes, there is luck involved. I am grateful for it all, please don't think otherwise. If you haven't gotten to go to a concert yet, I really hope you get to soon. I want to drag every 'concert virgin' as I call them, because everyone needs to experience a concert. There's honestly nothing like it, and I want everyone to experience it. Now, I will get into my list of who all I've seen, and I will probably name a few that I really want to see but have not yet. That list never ends, but I can name a few just to start. I want you guys to do the same. Tell me who all you've seen, and who all you want to see. If you've never been, at least tell me who you'd want to see. I'll shut up now, let's get on with this. Three Days Grace -3 (Twice with Adam singing, once with Matt.) Shinedown -3 Mayday Parade -2 All Time Low -2 POD- 2 Adelitas Way -2 (soon to be 3) Avenged Sevenfold -2 Escape The Fate -1 (soon to be 2) Godsmack -1 (again, soon to be 2) And the rest I have seen just once so far: Hilary Duff, Jordin Sparks, Jonas Brothers, Flyleaf, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, 10 Years, Sevendust, Puddle Of Mudd, Chevelle, Shinedown, Drive A, Get Scared, Motionless In White, Alesana, Bullet For My Valentine, The Make, There For Tomorrow, You Me At Six, We Are The In Crowd, Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria, Hollywood Undead, Emphatic, Art Of Dying, Soulswitch, Candlelight Red, Mindset Evolution, Deuce, Thousand Foot Krutch, Staind, Godsmack, Pop Evil, Within Reason, The Downtown Fiction, Hit The Lights, and The Summer Set. I actually will be seeing Adelita's Way for the third time on September 21. They are in support of The Pretty Reckless, who I've never seen and I actually still have no idea who's on the tour with them still. I know there has to be another band playing with them, as I don't recall hearing of a single show in my life time where only two bands played, but alas, I don't know who's with them. If you know, please tell me, as I am very curious! Godsmack, Within Reason, Pop Evil, Escape The Fate will all be seen for the 2nd time each, at Uproar 2014. Along with them, I have a chance to catch Skillet, Redlight King, Seether, Suicide Girls, Buckcherry, Sons Of Revelry, Tattered, and These Raven Skies all for the first time. Suicide Girls will be there as well, but they're doing a Burlesque show, and I need to do more research to see if they are also musicians or not. As far as I know, they are not. I say I have the chance to see all of them, not that I will catch them all because I am guaranteed to miss someone because as it stands right now I have two interviews that day. One with Within Reason, for no set time, and the second, for Escape The Fate at 6pm. I am thrilled, those are the two interviews I wanted the most, and I just cannot wait for this to finally happen! I am also still waiting to hear back from Godsmack, Seether, Redlight King, and Buckcherry. Pop Evil, and Skillet have politely turned me down for an interview this time around but I am still glad that they answered me so I knew one way or the other what was going on. There's a lot of bands I'd like to see, as I already said and just to name a few there is A Day To Remember, Papa Roach, Adam Gontier (solo), One Less Reason, Memphis May Fire, Bring Me The Horizon, and many more. I also really want to see The Summer Set, Asking Alexandria, Black Veil Brides, and Pop Evil again. I didn't get to enjoy their sets that much when I've seen them, so I really hope I don't miss Pop Evil at Uproar this year, and the other three just need to make their ways back here. I actually did enjoy BVB's set in 2011 when I saw them, but they only got to play five songs, so I'd like to see them headline. That same night, something was off with the sound system so Asking Alexandria actually sounded dreadful, but I realized it was the venue's fault, not all on them. So, I want to give them a second chance as well. As for The Summer Set, I was dying of thirst and a cold the night I saw them so I didn't get to properly enjoy them, but I want to try again. I actually have talked about every show I've ever been to on YouTube, so if you're interested in details on each show, please click here. Again, please know that I am not bragging. I honestly just love talking about music, and concerts and all that. So, join the fun and remember to tell me who all you've seen and who all you want to see. I've been saying for a while that as soon as I knew what was going on with Warped tour 2014, I'd let you know. Since the middle of April, I've been working on getting the band I manage, Remedy X on Warped tour. The voting for our date (July 25, Saint Petersburg, FL) ended July 25, and all the bands were being announced on an official Ernie Ball products page.
They announced the winners for Atlanta, GA and Saint Petersburg, FL July 16 at 7:19pm, and all of the winners are lower on the list than expected. Surely, they are all great bands and deserve it a lot, but there's something slightly unfair here. None of the top five bands on the list for Saint Petersburg got picked, despite the fact that you'd think the highest rated ones would get in because clearly, they're popular enough to get a draw at the shows. Or at least, popular enough that there might be a chance for that. This isn't the first date to get some unfair play either. I saw others say they were in the highest rating bands for certain dates, and didn't get it. Warped tour was also leaving some bands with only three days notice before contacting them to say they were in. That doesn't leave a lot of room to clear up their schedules, or plan the road trip to the venue. A lot of up and coming bands still have day jobs, which means they need to request days off. Some employers will not be thrilled to hear they need a day just three days later off, and there could be issues with that. Warped tour is great in theory, and does honestly have some incredible experiences for both bands and fans connected to it. That's great, but it all gets canceled out if you can't keep everything in tact. I could go into everything I dislike about Warped tour, but I will refrain. I will say this though -my problem does not just lie with the Battle Of The Bands system. While that is entirely flawed, from what I've seen, so is the festival. It might work for some, but it doesn't for me. Before anyone says it, no, I am not just saying all of this because of the fact that my band didn't get in. All the bands on that list deserved a chance and the ratings all of them already had should have played a factor. If they didn't, why did people have to fight to get to a certain spot on the list? Something just doesn't add up here. Not to mention, the number one band on the list for Saint Pete was number 2 on the over all list. I think that's proof that they should have gotten in -period. Regardless of what Warped tour's thought. It should be based on talent, yes, but if you're going to make people fight to get to a certain spot on the list, and make it sound like that's all that matters -it should matter some what. Again, congratulations to all those who do get to play. I hope you have a great time, and some great things come out of it for you. Hey guys! Summer is here, which means there's a lot of music festivals going on or about to go on. Plus, with summer, comes new albums, and tour announcements for Fall. I have been working very hard recently on a couple different projects, and some of them have been talked about very actively, such as the Warped Tour Battle Of The Bands, and Uproar 2014. There's a lot that hasn't been talked about though, and I just felt like filling you in on everything that is going on right now in the world of Immortal Music.
For starters, Warped tour voting for Remedy X has ended, so I have found myself having a lot more free time. This is because I am not working exceptionally hard to get their name out there, and get their ratings up high for Warped tour. We are now just waiting to hear if we're in or not, and I must say -the suspense is killing us. By us, I mean myself, and the band. If you still don't know who they are, please feel free to check them out and know they are the band I manage. We're not sure when we'll hear one way or the other if we're in or not, as some are getting notified a couple weeks before their chosen Warped tour date, others are being left until just days before the show. All the promotion was for the July 25 date, which is in Saint Petersburg, FL. Among all the work involving them and Warped tour, several interviews have been requested, and some have been received. The received ones are Within Reason and Adelitas Way. Both of them are second interviews! I interviewed Adelitas Way for the first time in December 2011, and Within Reason at Uproar Festival 2012, which fell in September for me that year. Adelitas Way was over email this time, and you guys will be seeing that, as well as a review of their brand new album, Stuck, very soon. Within Reason, however, will be happening on August 30, once again at Uproar Festival. I will be at the Tampa, FL date, so if you're going too, let me know! It'll be nice to meet some of you. I will be vlogging that day, and I am very excited for the day. I do have a press pass, and several other pending interviews. As it stands right now, Within Reason is the only one I am definitely getting, but I am still very excited for it. I am very curious to see if they remember me this year, and am hoping they do! The other interviews I have pending for Uproar 2014 are Godsmack, Seether, Buckcherry, Escape The Fate, Redlight King, Skillet, and New Medicine. I had also requested Pop Evil, but have already heard that they would like to pass this time around. I am not giving up hope on them though, as their press person already contacts me regularly about other clients he works with. So, maybe one day in the future it will work out. None of those are set in stone yet, but I am hopeful to get someone else to say yes. Redlight King's press person has already spoken with me once, but she was simply acknowledging my email and letting me know that she was busy at the moment and was unable to give me a straight answer and would get back to me. I have not heard back since, nor have I heard from any of the others. I am going to be sending emails to all of them to check in and see where I stand with all of them. Once I do that, I can just hope for the best. Outside of Uproar, I have requested a few others interviews. I have sent questions to Bayside, and am just waiting for them to answer the questions. I am going to check in with them as well, to see how things are going. I did tell them they could take their time, so I might not get a response until after Warped tour concludes. Around that same time, I am supposed to contact ATTILA and they will do an email interview with me as well. I have also requested interviews with Demi Lovato, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Falling In Reverse, Anberlin, Panic! At The Disco, Gerard Way and The Pretty Reckless. The only one that has answered me back yet is Anberlin, and all they said was thank you, but they simply did not have the time. That made perfect sense to me, seeing as they are coming to the end of their career and have to conclude Warped tour and then their final tour. Their press person did tell me that if some time opens up, she will let me know, but she can't promise anything. There's a few others that I am considering interviewing, some are bigger names, some are not. There's Halestorm, The Relaspe Symphony, SayWeCanFly, Kelly Lynn Barber, several YouTubers, and several up and coming bands that are on the 2014 Vans Warped tour list, and the Battle Of The Bands list. If you have questions for anyone listed above, or on either one of the lists previously mentioned, please feel free to message them to me via Facebook. Also, if you have someone you'd like to see my interview, please let me know and I will try my best to get in contact with them. A lot of bands do not answer, and some do not even have press contacts that are easily found, but I will always try my best to find them. I will keep you updated as things happen, and I hope you guys liked hearing what's going on. Thank you for all your love and support! It honestly means a lot to me, that so many of you were still encouraging and still there over the past few months when I've been less active than I'd like to be. I honestly cannot tell you how much it means to me, but I hope you know it really did mean a lot. Also, coming soon will not only be the album review for Stuck from Adelitas Way, but also Isolate And Medicate from Seether, and probably a few more. Album reviews are coming back, more interviews are coming, and of course, there's still going to be three to four videos a week over on YouTube and random fun over on Facebook. I am also really hoping to get t-shirts made sometime this year. I've said that several times in the past, but this year, hopefully will be the year it actually happens. Fingers crossed -I hope to make big things happen soon. Thank you again for your support. Let me know what you've been up to! I'd love to hear. Warped tour is a major thing every year, and it appears to consume the entire year. Between the band announcements in the Fall and Winter, the anticipation for the start of it in Sping, and then the tour actually happening in the summer. I wrote an article about some of the lesser known bands that are on the main lineup's list a few days back, and decided to write one about some bands on the Warped tour Battle of The Bands list.
Surprisingly, most people do not know of the Battle Of The Bands, though it has happened for eighteen years now. Up and coming bands promote themselves to climb up a list, and a certain number gets to play various dates. This particular year, there are exactly 4,326 bands and artists on this list, and obviously not all of them even got a fair chance. Some might not have even promoted at all, just joined the list and forgot about it. Better luck next year to most, and to those who are getting in, congratulations. Immortal Music has been very actively invlolved with the BOTB this year, as many of you should know. Because of this, several bands have caught my attention, and I decided to bring light to some of them as they are all up and coming and need the attention. Not many bands have my support on this list, as I haven't taken the time to listen to most of them (until I decided to write up this article.) but many names caught my attention, so I decided to talk about as many bands as I could. The majority of the bands on this list are up and coming bands. The fanbases vary, but none are considered to be 'big bands'. That is except for one artist.The number one on the over all list is the solo artist, SayWeCanFly, and frankly, Warped tour should have just included him on the official list, not allowed him to go onto the BOTB list. 400,000 Facebook fans says you have made it, you are no longer up and coming. Letting him on this list is both unfair to him, and to everyone else on the list. Many people have said that they are voting for him and no one else, because they know who he is. People are unaware that you can vote for as many bands as you want, as often as you want, and he is fully in the clear. This article is not to talk about the skewed details of this battle, but to celebrate the talent this list holds. So, without further adue, let's get into this. First, let me add that some of these bands I have some information on, beyond their name, location and genre. I might talk about what I know, or I may not. We shall see. Forever In Combat: They actually slightly irritated me, if I'm honest. A few months back, I heard that they were not even remotely close to being ready to play Warped tour as they currently did not have a drummer. They will be playing the Saint Petersburg, FL date, as they are number one on the list for that venue, and number two on the over all list. Here's hoping they're ready, because frankly, if you're doing so well on both lists, and don't even have a full band, there is something wrong there. This might have been false information I was given, though.I never heard for sure one way or the other if they had their full lineup or if someone had their information wrong. However, they do seem like they'll get a great reaction from Warped tour fans. They are an alternative metal band, and I must say, I like the screaming, and clean vocals, as well as the instrumentals. I see fans of Of Mice And Men, The Ghost Inside, Motionless In White and others really enjoying them. They're very talented, I just do question if they are ready for what they're getting themselves into. I am looking forward to possibly catching their set and meeting them at Warped tour. Shout London: I have no choice but to give Shout London a ton of credit. They will be playing the Orlando, FL date, and are an alternative pop rock band. I love their enthusasim. Every single member of this band somehow found me on Twitter and made it a point to introduce themselves and thank me for supporting them. For the most part, I have not voted for many bands on this Battle, just because it felt wrong to vote for anyone else but the band I manage. I did vote for them though, their teamwork and enthusiasm won me over. Their music is pretty good too. Anyone who is a fan of Mayday Parade, We The Kings or The Maine probably should check them out as they might just love them. Murp: The first picture I saw did not appear to be who it actually is. It looked similar to Wednesday 13, then when I listened to the first song, "Zombie Skin" I realized who this was. Murp was featured before on America's Got Talent, and was a couple kids, featuring a six year old girl that was doing the vocals. They are a metal, rock and 'screamo' band from Boston. Personally, I'm not a big fan, but it does impress me that a young child is able to do this. Good for them! I'm glad to see they're doing so well on the Warped tour list. I can't see who would be a fan of them, but I recommend everyone check it out because how many six year olds do you know that scream in a metal fashion? Not many. Kuza: I had been curious about this one for a while because I know that name is connected to Motionless In White directly. If I'm understanding correctly, Mike Kuza was a touring member with MIW, but stopped for personal reasons. None the less, people still associate the two names, and because of that, he's another one I do feel is a bit unfair to have on the Warped tour Battle Of The Bands list. It gives him a huge advantage above everyone else, just because of who he is connected with. But, I can't complain too much because its not like he's still in MIW, and this is just a side project. He can't help who he knows. I actually don't have much to say about the music, its not bad, but I don't love it. I'm not big on the screaming style, and it kind of reminds me of old MIW, which I was not a fan of. Its up to you though, listen for yourself and choose what you think about it. To Trust A Liar: This is a band I have supported since I started getting involved with the Warped tour BOTB. Their name speaks to me for some reason, and I quite enjoy their music. They say they are a metal band from Chicago, IL, and I would say they're more metalcore than straight up metal, but I am awful at naming genres. So, I will just say they are very talented, and I'm very glad to see they are so high on the list. I hope to see them go far. I feel like fans of The Devil Wears Prada, Alesana, Asking Alexandria, Memphis May Fire, and others would really enjoy them. Breathe TIll Dawn: This is one that I actually hadn't listened to until I started writing this list. They are a female fronted pop punk/ rock band from Toledo, OH! I decided to click on them because I liked their band name, but I must say I actually am kind of impressed! They appear to be an interesting mix between We Are The In Crowd and A Day To Remember. That might sound like a weird combination, and it is, but it kind works. Their vocalist is what gives the WATIC feel, as she is remisenct of Taylor Jardine, and their sound and screamer remind me greatly of ADTR. I see this band going far as well. It Lives, It Breathes: It Lives, It Breathes is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I feel that many might just really enjoy them. They are an experimental eletronic, metal band from Providence, Rhode Island. Definitely unique, and in a good way. They kind of remind me of Breathe Carolina, but heavier. I'm honestly quite liking the vocals a lot, and can definitely see myself looking into them more. Chasing The Riots: I see them going far. They are a pop punk rock band from Lapeer / Davison, MI. Their influences include A Day To Remember, All Time Low, Blink 182, Yellowcard and more and it shows! The vocals are also slightly reminscent of Charlie Simpson of Busted. If they don't get well known, and eventually get to share the stage with many of their influences, I will be very disappointed in whoever was dumb enough to turn them down. A Need For A Reason: This is another alternative metal band, hailing from New Jersey. I love their name, but for some reason, they don't really appeal to me. There's nothing really wrong with them, but they're not exactly sparking my attention either. Assuming We Survive: This is probably your typical pop punk band, but frankly, I love it! I like the vocals, the lyrics, and the music. Its all just great. The clean vocals and screams remind me of someone that I cannot quite place, but I can say its a good reminder. They are coming out of Inland Empire, CA and are inspired by Four Year Strong, New Found Glory, Thrice and more. They're highly talented themselves, and I hope to see them play along side their inspirations one day. I feel they'd actually compliment NFG or even Fall Out Boy very well. Olbvious Signal: This is a band that I have been hearing of outside of Warped tour quite a bit recently. They are growing a fanbase quite rapidly here in Florida, which makes perfect sense as they come from Fort Lauderdale, FL. They are a female fronted hard rock band, and while that might sound very simple and vague, they are extremely talented and deserve to be extremely well known. Even if you are not into female fronted bands, such as myself, I recommend giving them a chance as I feel they will certainly surprise you. Love, Robot: The first impression I had of them had a Sleeping With Sirens feel to it, but that was just based off of the opening instrumentals to their song, "Machine" and the first photograph that came up. I like the music, but I'm not feeling the vocals. The screams from the vocalist, yes, but not the main vocals. There's nothing actively wrong with her voice, its just not my taste. They are a female fronted band from Long Island that claims to be an alternative pop rock band. I don't hear the pop part at all, because they do all around remind me of Sleeping With Sirens, which at least for me is a plus. I do recommend people check them out, but the vocals do slightly throw me off. I don't love her voice, as I just said, but I don't hate it either. Awoken Shadows: Their name for some reason sounds to me like it should be a fantasy book series. Which is cool, if you ask me. The first song I decided to listen to is called "Graveyard Romance", which actually has a Marilyn Manson/ new Motionless In White feel to it. Its darker than I was expecting but pretty good, I have to say. I think I'd recommend them to other people. Awoken Shadows comes from Lakeport, CA and claim to be a metal, screamo band. Curses: This is a band that I've been hearing of A LOT over the past couple months. People really seem to like them, and I can see the appeal. They are a metal band from Bluefield, VA and I'm impressed! The screaming is very powerful, and strong, and the vocals are just great! I also quite like the lyrics that I am catching. I admit, I am not catching them all, but what I am understanding, I like. I recommend people check them out if they're into heavier bands, but not "melt your face off" heavy. Boys Of Fall: This one caught my attention because 1) I liked the name and 2) They have their genres listed as pop punk, rock and metal. They actually live up those genres, I must say. Its kind of like how A Day To Remember is called pop punk, but they're heavier. I'm impressed. I might have compared them to ADTR, but they're not actually anything like them, that was just the best explaination I had. I love the screams, clean vocals and music. Yet another band that deserves a real shot at getting known. Boys Of Fall comes from Detroit, MI, by the way. False Puppet: A pop rock, alternative band from Santa Barbara, CA that frankly, I love. They're probably not for everyone, but I love it. I hear a bit of an NYSNC feel to them, which is different for a rock band. I also hear a bit of an All Time Low vibe, and I cannot tell if that is intentional or not as they appear to have no influences listed anywhere! This rises some questions, and they just might be hearing from me soon. Legacy At Dawn: First let me say, I love their name. I don't know why, there's just something about it that is awesome to me. Second, they are a badass metal band from San Antonio, TX. I accidentally asked one of their members to vote for Remedy X on Twitter and they said yes, and asked if I'd vote for them as well. I did not have the heart to say no, since they were so nice about me asking them to vote, and not even having a clue who they were, and was actually really impressed. Normally, the screaming style they have does not appeal to me, but for some reason I quite liked it with them. I can't explain who they are most like, nor can I give you any of their influences ad they have none listed and I just suck at naming things like that sometimes. So, I guess you'll just have to listen to them for yourself and decide if they're someone you'd like or not. Shattered Silence: The name reminded me of Suicide Silence for some reason, but their sound is nothing like that at all. Their vocalist actually reminds me quite a bit of Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch or Michael Poulsen of Volbeat, and they are an alternative rock band from Angleton, TX. Some of their influences are Switchfoot, Skillet, Trice, and DemonHunter. I can see that, actually. I think they're quite good, maybe you'd like them too. Nobody Yet: I really liked their name, but I also really like their music. They are a pop punk, alternative band from Philediphia, PA and I hear a major New Found Glory influence in there. Except, I think I might actually dare to say they're btter than NFG. Its a big claim, but I think I'm going to stick to that. They also appear to have a sense of humor as their interests on Facebook state, "Liftin', Drinkin' Jurassic Park, Suckin' Dick." Why does that sound like something All Time Low would say? I feel like I might just have to talk with these guys. A Liar's Eyes: This is another one that I have kept track of over the past few months of promotion. They are an alternative rock metal band from Cinnicinati, OH and I LOVE their music. If they don't get famous, that'd be a shame because they are extremely talented. I can't quite place what I like about them so much, but I certainly really enjoy them and hope to hear more from them in the future. Nothing Personal: I admit, their name caught my attention just because Nothing Personal is the name of All Time Low's album from 2009. I was honestly expecting something pop punk, just because of that fact, but they actually appear to be an alternative rock band with both a female and male vocalist. They're alright. I see nothing wrong with them, but they are not quite my taste. Chin Up, Kid: This is a pop punk band from Indianapolis, IN, and they're another that I have been watching very closely as they climbed the list. Their influences include All Time Low, A Day To Remember, Hit The Lights and Four Year Strong, and that makes them be right up my alley. They are just awesome, and I recommend any pop punk fan out there checks them out at the earliest convience. The Sweet Escape: They have been direct competition with Remedy X (The reason I have been so involved with this year's Battle Of The Bands.) and I actually have refused to listen to them until now. I only refused because they have stayed neck and neck with us for several weeks now on the over all list and the list for the Saint Petersburg, FL date. They are an alternative pop rock band from Port Saint Lucie, FL and I almost hate to say that I really like them. They're actually the only band on this list that I have listened to every song they had listed on the website. Honorable mentions to other bands go to Us, Ghosts, Give Up, Ghost, Malya, Seven Years Past, Rebirth, Eyes Of A Sinner, Murder On Her Mind, Scouts Honor, Lessons Learned, Goodbyejuly, Roses Unread, Whispers of Wonder, Bad Case Of Big Mouth, Partycat, Time Will Tell, The Gravity Project, Moovalya, Dr. Awkward, Awake At Last, Outline In Color, Awake And Create, Provoke, Destroy, Lions Named Leo, Kissing Candace, Final Last Words, Never Met a Deadman, The Last Sleepless CIty, and all the other great bands on this list. Also, people should know that a lot of these bands are not in direct competition with one another. As previously stated, the rules are not very clear. Part of the site says the top 200 get in, but the rules state that its the top 100 bands to get considered. That has also proven to be false, as they are picking four to five bands per venue to play. So, it actually seems to be more so based on the list for each venues. All bands have until two weeks prior to the date they are trying to play to promote themselves and get as many votes as possible. I made it clear that Immortal Music has been involved with the Saint Petersburg, FL date and the voting for that ends Friday, July 11. It appears as though all winners are being posted on an official Ernie Ball page, which can be found here. This is a stressful Battle to be part of, and its full of a lot of incredible artists. Warped tour has its issues, but its full of great chances for up and coming bands, and fans to meet a ton of bands. Be sure to look for the Battle Of The Bands for Warped tour every year, because there's more than likely going to be a lot of great bands you've never heard of on there. All of which are working very hard to get a chance at a huge opprotunity. Don't forget to share your support, or if nothing else, don't be rude to anyone who asks you to vote. If you don't wish to vote for someone, simply say so politely or just do not respond. To you, it might be annoying, but to them, they are just working for a very difficult goal. (There's also some lesser known bands already on the official Warped tour list, and Immortal Music wrote about that as well. Please click here to read that, if you are interested.) If you are a fan of music, and its assumable that you are. Or else, you probably wouldn't be here, reading this, more than likely. Its also a fair assumption that you have also heard someone say the term, "Real music." Perhaps you have heard someone go, "This is shit. Listen to some real music."
This term is a load of crap. Why do people even bother to say it because frankly, your opinion on something does not make it real or fake. Also, you really can't say "Go listen to some good music." Because that is a matter of opinion as well. How about you just say you don't like something, and leave it? Not tell someone something's crap or anything like that. They like it, you don't. Get over it. Don't put someone down for what they like, don't use terms like, "Real music." or anything. Respect each other, respect the music, and if you can't do that -shut up. Just to put it bluntly, just shut up if you can't respect others opinions. Also, remember that the music exists, there for its real. It being good or not does not play a factor in that. It just seems like common sense, but yet people still use that pointless term. I spend the majority of my day on the internet, and as far as I know, that's a fairly obvious fact. I'm constantly on some social media website, and YouTube and I'm generally thinking of something to write up for you guys, or talk about on camera.
Sounds like a great life, right? For the most part, I'd totally agree. There's one thing though that I can't stand -the fact that so many people look down on working at home. This has always been something I've heard about, because I was also homeschooled fifth grade, all the way through graduation. A lot of people would argue with it, and make comments like, "That's not real school. You can't really be learning anything." Its honestly, always aggravated me because you can do so much while you're at home. You don't have to be out of your house for 8+ a day to be productive. Just because you can do work in your pajamas if you wanted to does not mean that you are lazy. That, among a billion other stupid things in the world are stereotypes. Pure and simply, that's all it is. There's a lot of stigma around homeschoolers too, but I won't get into that because that is not the main focus of this blog/ rant. Whatever you want to call it, that's up to you. I saw a video from Doug Armstrong titled, "Why I quit my 'Real Job' to do YouTube and he was talking about the whole ordeal of a 'real job' verses following your dreams. It was also based off a blog post, both of which, I encourage you to check out, and it sparked a lot of thought out of me. Something always does, so is anyone really surprised? If you are, you must be new here. If I'm perfectly honest, which I try to be at all times, I don't understand why there's so much stigma against simply following your dreams. Dedicating your life to something that isn't a company that you hate, where you're surrounded by people you don't like. We all have to do it at some point, but what's so wrong about figuring out your own path? I feel like there's so much against it because so many people give up when it gets hard. Like, if something goes wrong, people just go, "Well, that failed." And totally give up trying. That's not how it works. Life is all about trial and error, and eventually you can make just about anything happen. You just have to think outside the box and learn from the failed attempts and find the loopholes in things. Most importantly, you have to have the courage to work through the fear of the failure. If you have something you want to do, and someone tells you, "Don't even try. You'll never make it." Just walk away. You don't need that sort of negativity in your life. I like how Sammy said it best, "Why can't we measure success in happiness rather than what's in our bank accounts?" I feel like I'm starting to go off topic a bit -isn't that how it always goes? Oh screw it, its still on topic, just not quite what I wanted to say. Anyways, let me get back into this. I was going to say that I have even heard people go far as to say everything I do is nothing more than a hobby. Why do your dreams, dedications and goals have to be seen as nothing but a silly little hobby? Some might not see that as a bad thing, but I do. I feel like it cheapens everything I do. Someone else must feel the same way, I'm sure of that. Be sure to check out Doug's video and Sammy's blog post here, and please let me know your thoughts on a "real job" verses living your dreams. I'd really be interested in hearing what others have to say on this matter. Thanks for dealing with my out of sorts writing style, by the way. I really need to edit my thoughts a bit, but they're not a genuine if I edit myself. Warped tour is well under way, and has been playing a huge factor in the personal life of Immortal Music. I'll spare you the details, unless you're interested in hearing more. If you are interested in learning more about that, please click here, as its been discussed in previous blogs, and videos -you name it. The point is, its been talked about a lot.
Most people though, only think of the well known bands that are on the tour. Those bands include Of Mice And Men, Mayday Parade, The Ready Set, The Devil Wears Prada, and The Maine. People forget though that there is a lot of bands already set on the tour, and competing to play select dates of the tour that deserve some recongition, but aren't well known yet. So, as the manager of one of those bands, I felt it was only right to check some of them out. There has been several names on the official Warped tour list and the Battle Of The Bands list that have caught my attention, but are unknown to me. I'll start with the main Warped tour list and then in a seperate blog, I will talk about the Battle Of The Bands list. If you want to just read that, and not the main Warped tour list, please click here. If you want to read about my thoughts on some of the official Warped tour bands, please keep reading. These are just my first impressions of the bands, they might not be factual and the thoughts may change over time. Also, please keep in mind that there are over 100 bands on the over all Warped tour list, and a majority of them are unknown bands. So, this list might be very long, because while I might not be curious about them all, I do just generally love music, so I might end up checking out a lot of bands. Feel free to skim this, read it all , or turn away now-that's up to you. Before I begin though, I want to state that you can find all of these bands on vanswarpedtour.com, and I have not talked to any of them about doing this. I just felt like it because new music is always awesome and this is the perfect chance to find some new bands to listen to. The first band to catch my attention on the main Warped tour list was Air Dubai. They say they are a hip hop alternative band hailing from Denver, CO, and I admit, I only have listened to one song, because I had a lot of ground to cover here, but as far as first impressions go, I'm not overly impressed. They're not bad, but they're not quite my taste. I get a slight Hollywood Undead feel from them, only with more of a typical, hip hop/ rap style to it, where as Hollywood Undead leans more toward rock and electronic beats. They're a very talented group, but not my cup of tea. The second name to catch my attention was One Ok Rock, who identify themselves as an emo rock band from Japan. I decided to give their song, "Be The Light" a listen, and was instantly intrigued. I love their singer's voice, and the lyrics to this song in particular are beautiful and quite relatable. I see myself looking into these guys more often. I don't exactly see the "emo" feel to it, but frankly, most songs with meaning are emotional, and that's all emo stands for. So, maybe that's where it comes from. Interestingly, I almost feel like this song could be a cover of a 90s boy band song. Its not, its certainly an original, but the chorus gives me a vibe like Backstreet Boys or NYSNC's slow songs do. Only its a rock version. Some may not like that, and many might disagree with me, but that's the vibe I pick up, and I like it. Next up on the list is actually one I've known about for a while, which is Icon For Hire. They are a female fronted pop rock band from Decatur, IL, and I was quite pleased to see them get on Warped tour because a friend showed me them a few years ago and I instantly wondered, "Why are they not well known? They deserve to be." Pop rock is not for everyone, but I think many people will be impressed with them. Plague Vendor feels like your typical alternative punk band to me, and at first, I was not feeling it at all. Then the singer started singing. He has a voice remisenct of My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way. That's interesting. Still wouldn't say I'm exactly a fan, but that did catch my attention. Sleeper Agent caught my attention because by their name, I was expecting something post hardcore or metalcore. Instead, they are a pop rock band from Bowling Green, KY. They're actually quite good, I have to say, though honestly, I wouldn't have normally pegged them for the "Warped tour" type. Does Warped tour even have a type anymore? I don't think so, I think its just music in general anymore. Some people hate that, I think its quite cool. With their singer's voice and particular sound, I'd picture them on tour with people like Icona Pop and Demi Lovato, but I quite like it. I also think their music video for, "Waves" is quite interesting as its a lyric video, and they did actually write out the lyrics in many ways. In sharpies, tattoo, ink, chalk, paint, Scrabble Titles ect. Creative -I like it. They're not my typical taste, but I could see myself enjoying them from time to time. State Champs is right up my alley! I actually first heard them in Hot Topic and actually had to stop an employee and ask who it was because I was interested in them right away. They are a pop punk/ rock band from Albany, NY and I honestly want them to be a big deal. They fit perfectly with the sounds of All Time Low, We The Kings, Mayday Parade, ect. Anyone out there who likes pop punk probably will love these guys. This is one of the few bands I am actually really hoping to see at Warped tour 2014. This Wild LIfe caught my attention not with their name but their genre. They say they are acoustic and pop, and come from Long Beach, CA. I decided to listen to their song, "Over It", and it gives me a slight Jazon Mraz feel. I feel like they'd be the perfect band to listen to when you're stressed out and need something to ease your mind, or just simply because you like acoustic songs! Acoustic songs are generally pretty great, and to have it be the majority of their music -that's just great. I can't say they'd become a new favorite or anything, but I could see myself adding this to a playlist among other things. ACIDIC -Some might call my dumb for this, but I misread their band name about seven times before I realized it was saying "acidic", meaning something had a lot of acid in it. I read it as something like ACDC, but with i's added in at first and could not figure out how to say it outloud until one day, I just happened to read it right. Don't know what was up with that, but you can feel free to laugh at my stupidity. Anyways, they are an alternative rock band and frankly, their video for "Cooper Man" makes me wonder if they were full of acid while watching infomercials. The song isn't bad, but I'm not really into it. A Lot Like Birds is a hardcore rock band from Sacramento, CA and perhaps this is just me, but their song "Connector", and the video to go with it, had a Death Cab For Cutie feel to it. Except with more screaming than they've ever done. I'm not loving the video, but I do like the song. The vocals are great, and the lyrics I'm picking up on are wonderful. I might look into them further. Better Off is another alternative rock band, this one hails from Nashville,TN, and they're another one that I definitely need to look into more. Within about ten seconds of their song "A Fool Walks Into A Bar And Cries Wolf", I was hooked. I love the beat, the lyrics, and especially the singer's voice. If they don't end up famous sometime soon, then someone out there better get on that. They deserve to be known. Beartooth reminds me of Of Mice And Men! They should remind me more of Attack Attack! as their front man, Caleb Shomo is the ex singer of Attack Attack, but thats not what came to mind first. Their song, "I Have A Problem." barely started and I picked up on that. They are a hardcore metal band from Columbus, OH, and while I normally do not like nearly full screaming in songs, they fall into that same unique catagory that a few select others, including Of Mice and Men and Attack Attack do for me. I'm impressed, and others will be impressed as well. Maybe Caleb and Austin just know how to do it right. Again, like many other things that I've said in the past, even in this blog, that's my opinion. Others are free to disagree with that. Beebs And Her Money Makers is a ska rock band, and I knew going into it that it wouldn't be my cup of tea but curiousity got the better of me. With a name like that, and finding out they come from Orlando, FL which is only hours away from me, I had to give it a listen. I'm not a ska fan, that's why I don't see the appeal of them, but their name amused me, and I do think any ska fans out there might want to check them out! Also, I have to say the video for, "Jumpin'" seems rather creative, so good job on that, Beebs (and Her Money Makers)! Blackbird -all their information, music included was removed from the Warped tour page. Only information left was a short bio that did not state their location, and their genre. I had never heard anyone use the term 'alternative pop' before, so I was curious. I took to YouTube for this, and found their song, "Can't Make Somebody Love You" and this is another one that doesn't seem to make me think of Warped tour. Honestly, this seems like something that would come out of a Disney Channel Original Movie. To some, that might be an insult, but I actually like a lot of former Disney Channel artists, and a lot of the movies that they produced. Its very catchy, and I like it. They definitely will not be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoy them, I think. Or at least, this song. They left a good first impression on me. Another alternative pop band sparked my attention, and they are called Candy Hearts. Their photograph lead me believe that they were going to have a Paramore feel to them, and that's not exactly the case. Vocally, I don't think I've ever heard anyone quite like her, and the lyrics remind me a lot of Avril Lavigne's writing style. I like! I have to ask though, where is Warped tour coming up with these bands? This is the third one or so, that has not seemed 'typical' for Warped tour. Perhaps that's a good thing, branching out can be good. Also, "Forever doesn't seem so awful with you." Why do I love that lyric so much? Its from their song, "I MISS YOU", for those who might be curious. For Today claims to be both hardcore and metalcore and that's not something I see very often. I see one or the other, rarely both. This band from Sioux City, IA is awesome! "Fight The Silence" not only has a great message about speaking out about what's wrong, but they have an A Day To Remember feel to them. That's just amazing! I recommend checking these guys out. Chances are, you will not be disappointed. Heart To Heart is a hardcore punk band from Pismo Beach, CA and frankly, they're great. They have apparently toured with The Story So Far, and Rotten Out, but I think fans of not only them, but Simple Plan, A Day To Remember, and many others would like them! They blur the lines a bit between genres and I feel like they won't have just one set fan base. They can do a lot, with their music, I believe. Which is impressive! Bands that can keep themselves out of the box of a set genre sometimes stand out more, because you don't quite know what to call them and they can draw many types of people. Light Years -they're a pop punk band from Cleveland, OH. Of course I had to check them out The genres listed though are 'pop-punk' and 'punk' and after listenin I can see why. They remind me a bit of Weezer and Blink 182 combined....some people might love that, but I am not loving it at all. I really don't like the singer's vocals, if I'm honest. I can't exactly pin point what it is about it I don't like, but I just find it to be alright. Nothing special in my eyes. Sorry, Light Years. Someone else will enjoy you more than I do. Me Like Bees -The name sounds like awful grammar. It sounds like you're trying to say "I like bees." but used the wrong wording all together. This alternative indie band is very talented for their genre, but their genre does not exactly appeal to me, I'm afraid. Naked Walrus -What a name. They are a rock band from Los Angeles, CA and while this might sound harsh, to be, they don't sound like anything unique. The most unique thing about them is their band name. At least, that's what the first impression leads me to believe. I chose to listen to their song, "All In", and for some reason it just seems like every background song in any movie that chooses not to use mainstream pop for a filler scene. Its catchy, don't get me wrong, but like I said, I'm not seeing the uniqueness here. I decided to listen to another song, and found "Acceptance", and its the same sort of deal for the most part. Though the vocals seemed more unique this time around. Am I missing something here? I feel like I'm missing something, like there's more there than I'm personally hearing. Guess its not my taste, but the band name definitely amuses me! Strangers You Know -Aren't those friends? If you know a person, they're not a stronger anymore. They are an alternative pop band from LA, and its another that falls into the "Not bad, but not my taste." and "This isn't what I think of when I think of Warped tour, but alright." catagories. Warped seems to be full of bands like that this year. Perhaps its like that every year and I've just never looked into it that much. That's Not My Baby -Their name alone makes me laugh. They are from Pasadena, CA, and are an alternative punk band. They remind me a bit of Simple Plan, honestly -which is a great thing. I also am loving the lyrics to "White Collar Dream." I might have to see what else they have in store for their fans. Unlocking The Truth is slightly impressive just because they fully state that they are three seventh grade boys (So between the ages of 12-14) making hard rock/ heavy metal music from Brooklyn, NY. They're pretty good -especially for kids! Proof that age doesn't matter -you can have talent and a drive for anything at any age. Good for them! They appear to have no vocals, at least in the one song. "Monster", but the instrumentals are very good. There were a few other bands that I decided not to talk about, but did check out. I only decided to leave some out because they were more bands that I had a reaction of, "Alright, not not that great." and felt like I have been rambling on long enough. Can people tell what I tend to gravitate toward? If its pop punk, post hardcore, or rock, chances are, I'm going to love it. I might try to get in contact with some of these bands and request interviews once Warped tour is over, so if you have questions for any of the bands listed above, please feel free to message the page with your questions. Just be sure to tell me who you're sending the question for and if you'd like your name included in the question or not. So, I think that about covers it. If you managed to make it to the end -thank you! I'm surprised you read this far. Hopefully you enjoyed reading my thoughts on some of these bands. Did you listen to any of the bands on the list? What did you think of them? Please let me know in the comments, or over on Facebook. Also, do remember that while this might have been a long post, the Battle of The Bands list will be much longer as that list has thousands of bands on it. I do not plan on trying to listen to all of them, though there are about twenty at least that I am planning on listening to. So, if you'd like to read that either stay tuned or if its already up, I would have linked it right here and at the beginning of this blog post. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this! I can only assume that if you read such a long blog about bands you may have never heard of that you really just love music. I think that's awesome, and I will never understand how there's people out there that don't love music. Music is immortal after all. Not much is immortal in this world, and nothing else can bring people together quite the same as much does. Or comfort the same, so |
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January 2022
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