Sia The Creator

I haven't been on here in a while. I spent the night questioning my crazy job and decided to watch West World. As it was buffering I decided to look on Youtube to see the videos we made this last week. I never made it... that was three hours ago. I started going down the rabbit hole with some live shows from Miranda Sings and then wound up on Sia (thank you predictive browsing recommendations). 

Not that any of this matters, or the proverbial "this," but watching Sia's videos always brings something alive in me that I thought was dead. I was watching the making of Elastic Heart and one of the crew working with her said something along the lines of 

when you start something you are always worried maybe I should be like this or try doing this and you have to plan everything out, but no, just start and it will come organically and thats what you are supposed to bring... 

I mean he said it prettier obviously. But it got me thinking how we need to just start things. Do things because we can, because we are contributors of this world and we all have a right to be alive and express that life. 

I think I'm going to make a few changes. Anyway, this video, as do all of Sia's videos, showcase one of the most visceral expressions of that life. So if you haven't seen it I urge you to watch it. 

BUT HONESTLY, Maddie Ziegler.

Like bow down, she is the best.

That's all, 

Britney Jean Critique

Britney Spears - Britney Jean

I think... think, I love this album. If I don't love this album later, I would like to share that I think this album is HUGE personally for Britney. Britney is pushing herself vocally, if you listen you can hear her trying to break her niche voice. The lyrics seem like I did some googling. Wikipedia has me all confused on the facts of this, but you guys should know B has never written her own lyrics. Only a handful of songs on her albums have been from her own hand. I'm sure she has written Everytime, Sometimes, and Someday (I Will Understand) the others listed on wiki weren't there a few years ago so I'm not sure. Anyway, point stands, the songs she's written, you can tell, they are personal and usually slower and shed a new light. I again don't know the truth, but listening to this album, I suspect she has written most of these songs. 

I can't believe this but, I am stating for the record that I don't think Brit has used auto-tune on her previous albums. She's had great producers and a little help as every one does, sure, but this album is AUH-TOE-TUNED. Some songs she almost sounds like an animated squirrel. I still can't be mad though.

I've grown up with Britney. I've followed her heartbreaks as if they were my own, supported the crazy. I don't know why, because I recognize Britney is not an exceptional anything really, but I will forever be bound to her and support her. I think she is an incredibly strong person and has been raised and crucified by the spotlight. 

This album, taking out all the bullshit, is something tangible Britney. She seems aware of this album, present in the lyrics. She had a say in this one. Britney's other albums are great, the hits are undeniably amazing, and the other filler songs go along with her image of a human  puppet. But this album seems like something she wants to do. It's as if she's lost her manager and she's sober in the studio and asking questions and I can't not love that independence.

Some of the decisions on this album we're the wrong ones. I'm not above admitting some of the lyrics are typical Britney pawned trash. Some of the lines are repeated to exhaustion. The overuse of effects and sound is like a seizure to the ears at times. It's too much, way too much. I would guess this is some over ambition of Spears's first day on the job. However, I'm still incredibly proud of her. 

My proposition: re-record and re-release this album, Britney Jean, Unplugged. Take out all the bullshit, lay down the tracks in your God given voice, and let the people hear you. 

Jamie Lynn made an appearance in Chillin' With You, her voice was nice, nothing special, too auto-tuned, but you can tell she has a sweet little voice. 

This album, taking out all the bullshit, is something tangible Britney. She seems aware of this album, present in the lyrics. She had a say in this one. Britney's other albums are great, the hits are undeniably amazing, and the other filler songs go along with her image of a human  puppet. But this album seems like something she wants to do. It's as if she's lost her manager and she's sober in the studio and asking questions and I can't not love that independence.

Some of the decisions on this album we're the wrong ones. I'm not above admitting some of the lyrics are typical Britney pawned trash. Some of the lines are repeated to exhaustion. The overuse of effects and sound is like a seizure to the ears at times. It's too much, way too much. I would guess this is some over ambition of Spears's first day on the job. However, I'm still incredibly proud of her. 

My proposition: re-record and re-release this album, Britney Jean, Unplugged. Take out all the bullshit, lay down the tracks in your God given voice, and let the people hear you. 

Jamie Lynn made an appearance in Chillin' With You, her voice was nice, nothing special, too auto-tuned, but you can tell she has a sweet little voice. 

Passenger - Favorite song lyrically. I haven't heard this voice since her first album and holy shit she hits a real note. 

Alien - Too auto-tuned, but I like the new direction.

Work Bitch - First single off the album, love it duh.

Perfume - Only listen to the bonus remixed "dreaming" version. The regular version is terrible. The second is beautifully done with piano and acoustic guitar. 

Tik Tik Boom - This is probably the most catchy of them all, but it's about sex and I hate that. She's got so much more to write about. Like that Stronger "ooh-yeah-ayy-yeaaaah" at 2:31 and 2:40 though.

It Should Be Easy - It's not easy for me to like this song. My least favorite. The auto-tune makes me want to die. The lyrics are beyond terrible and I blame will.i.am, because he's so easy to not like. "I've been thinkin', just sitin' thinkin' on why you and all the reasons." "You bring me ZIN (zen), yeah you bring me ZIN, you make me feel like a million billion" (oh, there's the rhyme -_-) AWFUL SONG.

Body Ache - Has that great effect from the beat of Scream And Shout.

The songs are okay for the most part, I'm going to listen to them over and over so it is what it is. Listening to the whole album is really a gift though, to hear young Britney in these songs coming back out, talented, living, breathing, thinking Britney... 

It's nice. Albeit, you have to dig through the auto-tune,

Yelyah Williams is Sporting New Ink!

While looking up pictures for that last little diddy I noticed Hay Hay got some new tats. 

Noticed the thigh bandage.

Steal Her Style made a really great post on all of Hayley's tattoos and their meanings here.

Paramore's Self Titled

It's time! After a four year hiatus Paramore is back in black, or orange... The official release of Paramore's self titled album is this Tuesday but the band decided to release all four sides of the album on their site for the last four nights. After listening to side D tonight I felt I needed to give my critique. 

 Given that the Farro brothers are no longer in the band and the fact that they added a lot to Paramore's niche sound, this album is a lot less rock and a lot more pop than normally considered. They have ditched their emo upbringing for the time being and have traded it in for a pair of roller skates and a blow pop.  This album exudes a lot of upbeat, happy, and carefree bubblegum pop-ness to it. Knowing that Williams grew up listening to pop and really cherishes her 80s icons, you can hear how fun this album was to make. It feels light compared to their normal heavy beauty. Knowing its been awhile since their last release and how much  the band has gone through losing the Farro brothers, this album looks, feels and sounds like a good clean fun breath of well deserved fresh air. The album stands as a moving on and a looking forward attitude that the members often try to project in interviews and on stage; move forward, think positive, do what you love and try not to put others down in the process.

This album more so represents Hayley particularly I think more so than any of the others. Her background, her sense of style and her interests come cascading through the speakers. I will dare to say that I think this album is the auditory form of how she dresses. I kept thinking, "This sounds like her clothes..." while listening. If you're a Hayley fan you will understand this. A few songs really represent Jeremy and Taylor as well. Jeremy can be heard in the glimmering distortions and effects, where as Taylor really shines in the songs closest resembling their older stuff, songs like Proof, Now, and Future.

Hay Hay's voice has grown leaps and bounds and it's 110% evident. She has so much control and strength in her voice and shes not afraid of it. She's not pushing herself the way she has done in all of her albums, she's comfortable and you can really hear the strength shes starting to cultivate.

This album includes a lot of new things for the band. This album abandons most of Paramores go-to beats and tries on new simpler upbeats. They also have experimented with a plethora of background effects. This album has a lot of what I like to call "Pumped Up Kicks," sounds and effects that you would normally hear in Vampire Weekend, Discovery, or M83, which makes sense because the producer of the album has worked on many of those as well. In addition this album has a lot of "interludes" on it. These are completely unlike Paramores former sound in every way. They are all acoustic ukulele songs that bring back that old fireside-chat-radio-tube sound. They are classic, nostalgic, yet fresh and lovely. It's really nice to hear Paramore do something like this for a change. 

This is a breather album. This is something very "spring." It's new, simple, happy, light, and you can dance in your underwear to it with your best friend.

Album comes out on Tuesday. All of the songs can be heard on youtube by searching for the audio with the song name.

So get tah dancin'

Dear Rihanna,

Stay 

Everytime 

Britney did it better.

Shameful

Fall Out Boy's new video for the single Phoenix came out recently and I just watched it. This band frustrates the hell out of me because Evening Out With Your Girlfriend, Take This To Your Grave, and From Under The Cork Tree are three of the best albums in pop/rock history... then they just sold out, and they are proud of that fact. They featured shirts with "Sell Out Boy," on them. I don't really care about their yearly projections or their home lives, but since Infinity On High they've been making music that is a total 360 from the substance they used to deliver. Stump's lyrics have always been hard to follow, but they used to at least challenge thought. His vocals are now obnoxious.

I'd like to take this moment to acknowledge the bands out there:

1. Not in this for money, but the passion and physical need to express ones self. 

2. Bands that stay true to themselves and their supporters by continuing to challenge and keep their sound, but improve upon it. 

3. Individuals as well as bands that are rising through the airwaves providing listeners with more than just words to chords, but actual meaning and thought provoking  hope giving, and change inspiring, powerful lyrics. 

As much as I hate giving this more views, form your own opinions. 

Phoenix 

Tavi Gevinson and WHY

Tavi Gevinson is a 15 year old girl that's more successful than you. She's establishing her way into fame by being extraordinarily knowledgeable and a walking trend-setter emitting "cool" through everything she does. Starting a blog at 11, The Style Rookie gained a following and led to Ms. Gevinson's publication of Rookie Magazine. Tavi explains the blog and the zine as a sort of mecca for teenage girls, not promising an answer or an opinion, but a place to discover ones self. Watching her Ted Talk, Gevinson displays the new wave of Feminism, a "cool" that resembles nods to Margot Tenenbaum among others, a fresh fashion sense that evolves as fast as it catches on, and an enlightened teen spirit of not giving a decisive shit on anything.

Ted Talk

If that's not enough to hate yourself for doing nothing at fifteen but playing video games and prank calling Pizzahut, wait until you obsessively YouTube video clips of her. She's got gumption, and I like that. So three "You go Glen Coco's" to Tavi Gevinson, one of the few youngsters to remember for something more than a hit single or a sex tape. Not to mention her music taste is INCREDIBLE. 

Picture taken from thestylerookie.com 2013

What a schizophrenic hears

I ran into this audio clip that researchers put together based on information they gathered from actual patients. Listen to it with headphones, it's pretty powerful. I don't think it's exactly accurate, based on the little I studied when I was a psych major. Nonetheless, it's good to get perspective, to somewhat understand how devastating every second is for people suffering from this.

What Schizophrenia sounds like:

-m 

Warped Tour 2013

The Used is playing my dates. Done. I'm in.

Vah Beach 7/9

DCizzle 7/10

Also excited for Motion City, Chiodos, Story of The Year, Woe is me, We Came As Romans, August Burns Red, Bring me the Horizon, Silverstein, Oh Sleeper, and Billy Talent.

Super sad that Ice Nine Kills won't be playing our dates :(

The rest of the line up

See you there,

-m

E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals

The Storyboard is a good friend of mine's band. In fact, I guess I reserve the right to call all of the members  my friends, because honestly that's what they have all become. Their music is more on the indie side of things, it's got a dark alcoholic vibe though, highlighted by lighter fun songs, with a twist of horror movie and 80's film references that all comes full circle to melodic, 6 piece love songs. The best thing about them by far is the diversity of instruments they have on stage and the great one liners throughout the whole CD. It's something for every one in the indie fan base. They just released their full album on itunes not too far back and they have plenty on the way. Check them out! 

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Booking

Kenny Custom man, what can I say. This kid is sick. His rhymes are well thought out and eloquently executed. He doesn't rely on bashing, cursing, speed or up-selling his ego to get his words to appeal. You can tell he's doing this for a deeper cause and it's bigger than anything you can buy or bang or smoke. He literally spits the truth and his old school sound as a backdrop compliments nicely. If your looking for a wholesome, more substanced rap with a bit of a soulful sound try him on for size.

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I make dis: Paint sample calendar

I was browsing through Pinterest the other day and I found this picture of a diy dry erase board calendar. Since I will use any excuse to go to Lowes and steal thousands of free paint swatches, I decided I could fulfill that inner klepto as well as create something unique, useful and beautiful for my dorm/apartment.

What you will need:

- A frame no smaller than 13.5 by 17.5 but I used 14 by 18 I think, if that's possible. Mine was $4.99 at Gabriel Brothers. You can find them at Walmart, Michaels, and Ikea for cheaper though.
- Paint Chips/Swatches/Samples ( You can find these at any hardware or paint store & they are free so take as many as you want.
- Different colored pens/shaarpees
- Scissors & a glue stick.
- A ruler if you're good with one.
- Some type of background to stick everything on to, I suggest flipping over the picture insert with all of the advertisements of the frame and just use that.

WATCH OUT FOR:

- Touching the frame. My frame was black and cheap, as I held the edges to line up the paper and the frame the black paint from the frame rubbed off on my finger tips and I got prints all over my samples, not to worry, this came off with a damp paper towel.

- The only measuring I did was outlining my paper within my frame. All frames have a tiny 1/4 in. of space where the frame juts out and it will cover your work if you glue your swatches right on the edges of your paper. I recommend waiting until you're about to glue, slowly lifting your display onto the cardboard backing. Take the glass out of the frame and put it all together. Take a pen or pencil and go around the outside edges where the frame meets the paper. This way when you take it apart you'll have a line that shows you where to put your cut samples so no white shows through if you don't want it to.

All in all it was a little time consuming, but totally worth the price and a fun cute way to liven up a room.

I've been an awful blog mom!

Not that I'm a real mother in any way... I feel bad though nonetheless, I haven't been posting since school. I have however been "pinning" like crazy! http://pinterest.com/mryseas/ follow me.

Pinterest is a great little website that allows you to make visual pin boards of anything you want. I love it because it gives me a ton of diy ideas and crafty little rules to cleaning and making life simpler, as well as fashion trends and how to braid your hair, all organized neatly on one site. Loves it.

It's free to join, but it's invitation only, waiting for them to email you takes weeks, so if you'd like I can send you an invite via your email if you want to join. Send me a line at mryseas@gmail.com.

Anyway,  I'm going to try my very best to start posting not only music related articles, but diy, beauty & health, fashion, and random other organizational projects to keep your life stress-almost-free. Mind you, I do this while writing papers, dealing with roommates, and reading millions of novels. Sike, it's really not that big of a commitment, I'm just lazy. See you soon!

The Storyboard's Album Is Out!!

Upcoming indie/folk band out of nothern VA The Story Board just released their first studio album a few days ago.  I'm so excited for them. Go check them out and support if you love them.
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Good luck gents,

There's A NEW Mars Volta Song Out!

Check it!

Foster The People Fans

Finding some really good music on youtube right now.
Youth Lagoon, Princess Chelsea, Wolf Gang, Walk The Moon, Ron Pope, Neon Indian, Arsenal, Oh My!, The Honey Trees, The Art of Sleeping, Radical Free, Paper Lions, The Tallest Man on Earth, The Perishers, Memoryhouse, We Are Trees, White Flight, NonTiq & Those Dancing Days

Check em' all out. Similar to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Foster the People, The Shins, & Grouplove.

Enjoy, sorry this isn't more detailed.

Attack Attack Is...Not The Same?

Believe you me, despite my dislike of preachy lyrics, I was very excited to listen to the new Attack Attack album released earlier this week. Listening to the first few seconds of the first song I thought, "God damn are they god." Their sound somehow seemed to grow even tighter and their epic heavyness to their songs even bigger and bolder. Then The screaming settled in, "That's different. Is this the right band?" With the change of the logo and the completely serious and grimy artwork I thought I could have mistakenly listened to the wrong band. Nope, it is definitely them guys.

Things that I noticed immediately were different:

-Screamer

-Singer

-Techno interludes and break downs almost non-existent

-Funny titles GONE

-Lyrics not about jesus

-Sound darker

-Rooted more in metal and punk than hardcore and pop

I'm really kind of upset. I never got the chance to see them live and now the sound and line up is so different. They're practically a brand new band. I decided to do a bit of research to see what the hell happened to my crabcore saviors.

Bare with me, this cuss is harder to figure out then calculus. All of this information came from the know all of the internet Wikipedia, the only trusted source on the web, duh. Okay so let me break this down for you guys.

The first, and in my opinion best, full length album Someday Came Suddenly (2008) consisted of members Andrew Wetsel (drums), Andrew Whiting (lead guitar), Austin Carlile (Screamer), Johnny Franck (rhythm guitar/ lead clean vocals), Caleb Shomo (keyboards, synths).

Attack Attack - Stick Stickly 2008

So Austin Carlile gets fired, mistake one. They hire Nick Barham who takes over screaming. He was in the band for like 6 months, mistake two. He was never recorded on any album. Caleb stepped up and started screaming.

Austin Carlile (former singer/screamer?)

So then for the recording of the second self titled album Attack Attack (2010), the line up is recorded as Caleb screaming and playing synths, and Franck on vocals and guitar as usual. I went back and listed to this album while writing this post and I can admit that you can hear some of the changes. I only listened to Smokahontas about a billion times and the album as a whole still retained that techno-fun-rap-poppy singing-ness that the former had, just in less dosage. I guess i figured the screamer was just working on his range, not realizing it was a completely different screamer.

Attack Attack - Smokahontas 2011

Caleb Shomo (current screamer and keys)

Third mistake, Johnny Franck leaves the band to discover god or something. So now the band is forced to find a new singer again. I'm assuming that Caleb recorded screams, clean vocals, and keys on the new album This Means War (2011), I couldn't find much information on that. However, for touring reasons the band has replaced Franck with Sean Mackowski who fills in rhythm guitar and clean vocals while touring.

   Johnny Franck (former rhythm guitarist and singer)

So now, the line up is completely altered from the first album. In my opinion the quintessential element of a band that must stay the same is a singer and or screamer. You can generally replace instrumentals without being able to tell a dramatic difference, but singing and screaming to a band as unique in sound as Attack Attack  is detrimental. Certain critics have commented that on the self titled album Calebs screams were deep and almost disturbing to now on This Means War (2011) they are higher pitched. I don't hear it. To me his screams will never resemble those of Austin's. 

Attack Attack -Wretched 2012

Band Members:

Current

Andrew Wetzel - drums, percussion (since 2005)

Andrew Whiting - lead guitar (since 2005)

John Holgado - bass guitar (since 2007)

Caleb Shomo - lead vocals (since 2009), programming, synthesizers, keyboards (since 2007)

Former
Johnny Franck - rhythm guitar, clean vocals (2007–2010)
Nick Barham - lead vocals (2008–2009)
Austin Carlile - lead vocals (2007–2008)
Ricky Lortz - rhythm guitar, clean vocals (2005–2007)
Nick White - bass guitar (2005–2007)

Touring
Sean Mackowski - rhythm guitar, clean vocals (since 2010)

The first album is crabcore gold in a bottle. This last album however, has no oomph! They are turning into every other cliched hardcore band. Attack Attack used to be hilarious. They had serious lyrics, stupid and humorous titles (Bro, Ashley's Here), great rap intros ("Attack Attack where you at? 2008! hahaha"), and amazing electronica and keyboard break downs and solos. Not to mention their ridiculous invention of the "crabcore dance" (those guys must have thighs, glutes, and quads of steel). The meshing of techno rifs with the double bass and elloquent screams was what set Attack Attack aside from all other bands in the genre, love em' or hate em' you could dance and trash grab to em'! It's what made them famous and the lack of it is what will lead to their demise in mainstream hardcore/metalcore.

I for one am really dissapointed in this new sound of drab hardcore they have going on. There's nothing fun about their music anymore. Their singing parts have become seldom in the last album and their keyboard solos are almost nonexsistent. No more are the slow electronic songs with poppy upbeat breakdowns leading into the best three sounds ever struck. They are still talented no doubt, but they have lost their way as a band and it's very evident. They don't know who they are anymore, they have thrown away what sets them apart from other bands and they are quickly fading into the abyss of once great and unique hardcore music groups grasping for anyone that allows them to still tour.

I ask of you Attack Attack, where is my unknown rapper telling me I'm listening to a second wave of your greatness? Where are you're thoughtless and meaningless titles that I once so looked forward to reading? Where are the techno tracks that I can just skip ahead, and drive like a maniac to? Where are the sick beats interrupted with hardcore/techno break downs, base and double kick? In this new age of dubstep how are you not fitting in seamlessly to a new version of hardcore? Where is your prior genius and why has it been stifled? You have all the resources to grow within your original sound, so grow! Stop unplanting your seeds and joining an over populated garden. Find a field filled with epic beats and super sonic break downs and destroy it with your epic talent. Flourish my little crabkins flourish!
 

I want crabcore, I want clapping, I want chanting,  I want distorted autotuned voice being interrupted by base, and I want techno! So slop it on guys, you have your work cut out for you!


Time will only tell,