Ho Hey!

This is a song I have heard many times on the radio but I had never had my phone with me to Shazam it.  I was looking on itunes and as of right now, it is number 2. I really have become to like this song a lot.  The beginning is kinda slow but something that keeps your attention is the "HO HEY" shouts that happens in the background throughout the song.  Once it gets to the chorus, there is literally no possibly way for my to hit next on my ipod.  The chorus gets me in a great mood and I don't know if it's because of the lyrics or the beat to it.  This is a great to sing along to if you are in your room or just driving around.  I hope this band has some more new songs I can check out!! Here is the video!

Woodstock

I really enjoyed the movie Woodstock for many reasons.  Yes, I would of loved to have been able to go to that.  But weird thing is, I don't like festivals as well but from the movie, this one just seemed like so much fun and layed back and it looks like everyone was having a good time.  I liked how in the movie they would interview different people who was there at the time. We really got to see how people were 50 plus years ago and I thought it was pretty cool! Joe Cocker is amazing! I love everything about his performance, even though a lot of movement was involved and that usually bugs me, but for some reason, his didn't.  He was and seemed like a pretty awesome guy.  I do actually want to watch this movie again in my free time at home. I think that would be a lot of fun and I would probably notice a lot of new things I didn't in class.

Coldplay

I have liked this band for as long as I can remember. I like their new music better because it is more upbeat and catchy rhythm. I think it's really unordinary how they bring their piano everywhere they go. I am still upset that I missed out on seeing them at ACL a couple years ago. I also think they are really good live because of the emotion they show in their music. They have really well written lyrics that go in depth. One of my favorite songs is Paradise.  I love the lyrics however I feel this song can be overplayed.  I hope they come out with new music soon!


Here is a video of Paradise live in Paris!

The Band

I really enjoyed The Band. I thought it was really cool how they took turns writing each line of a song and how it still came out to be really good. A lot of people like studio recorded songs vs. live songs, but for me,  I liked the live songs better for this band. Something unique about this band is the lead singers voice. He has more of a scratchy voice then a distinct tone in his voice. The rhythm of the song "The Weight" is very catchy and is a real good headbanger. I look forward to listening to more of The Band later on in class!

Luke Bryan

I am in LOVE with this country artist! His voice is so good and he is such an entertainer. Luke Bryan is definitely in my top 3 country artists and I don't see that changing any time soon! He has big hits like "Country Girl (shake it for me)" and "Drunk On You".  He has a new single that recently came out called "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye".  I have become obsessed with this song.  The chorus is super catchy! Here is the video posted below to Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye! Enjoy!

Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash is a very well known musician.  He is known for his big hits such as "I Walk the Line", "Ring of Fire", and "Hurt".  I didn't know a majority of the songs off the album we listened to this week in class. In class we talked about whether he is country or rock.  Personally, I think he is a mix of both and some blues. But I think it really depends on the song you are listening too. I really like how deep his voice is and I definitely look forward to hearing some more Johnny Cash!

Phillip Phillips

This artist is not only known for his big hit 'Home' but for winning the show American Idol.  I was a fan of his from the start and I've been attached to his music since the beginning. I like him for multiple reasons such as...his name, come on, how could you not remember that and his voice is so unique and nothing like anybody else's. He has his first album that was recently released called "World From the Side of the Moon". He wrote all the songs on the album.  My favorite song on it is 'Gone, Gone, Gone'.  It's super catchy and upbeat! Check it out!

Jimi Hendrix

First off, Jimi Hendrix, as we all know, is an amazing guitarist. No doubt that!  But for some reason I just can't get into his music.  It's completely out of my genre but that doesn't mean I am shutting him out for good.  I've listened to a lot of bands that I haven't like at first, but once I listen to them for a while and get to know more of their songs, I usually enjoy them a lot more. I don't really understand what he is saying in his songs and I find myself just listening to the guitar, which isn't a bad thing.   I don't have much to say about him except I hope it gets better!!

Heartbeat

I am not a big fan of this type of music but a song I have really gotten to like is 'Heartbeat' by Childish Gambino.  My friend showed it to me last weekend and I haven't stopped listening to it since.  It is really upbeat, which is a reason I have it on my "Running Playlist".  From the moment he started singing, I got hooked. It has a good constant beat in the back that surprisngly, I don't sick of.  Now I kinda regret not going to ACL to see him perform.  I will definitely keep Childish Gambino in mind and look more into his music than just this one song.

Pink Floyd & Joe Cocker

This week we listened to Pink Floyd and to be honest, I wasn't a big fan.  The whole album sounded like one long song that was never ending.  It would occasionally catch my attention whenever a new instrument would come in making a very distinctive sound. Some of the people in our class said it wasn't their favorite album so I won't shut them out just yet. I'll give Pink Floyd a second chance!

But you played this one song before the album called 'With a Little Help from My Friends' cover by Joe Cocker and it was one of my top 3 favorite songs we have heard this year.  I loved everything about it- from the slow beginning to the background singers that came in from nowhere. I just loved it all! In fact, I actually bought it as soon as I got home...been listening to it ever since!

Overwhelmed

This week my friend showed me a song called 'Overwhelmed' by Tim McMorris. It is actually on a Samuel Adams commercial for beer. It's one of those songs to listen to whenever you want to.  The beat is constant throughout the song and his voice is something I have never heard before. The chorus really hooks me in this song! This is also a song I have been non-stop listening too!


 Here is the music video!

Jimi Hendrix

When I hear Jimi Hendrix's name there's one word that comes to mind...guitarist.  During class while listening to his album, I pulled out my phone and shazamed a couple of songs.  One of them was Third Stone From The Sun.  The reason I did this song was because the guitar really stood out to me towards the end of it. I feel like a lot of his songs are good just have just playing in the background.  Mainly because I can't understand what he is saying but in class, I just sat back and listened to the guitar and drums. I got mesmerized by the notes he is playing.  I'm sure this is one of many amazing songs done by him and I truly look forward to listening to more! Also, sorry for the way our class acted last period; over all that noise, I still listened to every word you said and the music! :)

Ed Sheeran

I am absolutely head over heals in love with this artist.  Most people know him from the song A Team but every other one of  his songs are 'deep cuts' that need to be heard.  Two of his songs have been on repeat on my phone for the past week and I am still somehow not tired of them.  The first one is called Wake Me Up.  My favorite thing about the song is not only his voice but how he sings it.  This may be confusing but ill try to explain the best I can- When he sings this song, it is really slow but there are moments when he speeds up on his words.  But the cool thing is that the music stays the same and it doesn't speed up with his voice.  He also decides to speed up the most perfect words to where it sounds amazing.  Check it out, you'll know what I mean:

The second song is called Lego House and the first couple words got me hooked from the start. It says- 

Im gonna pick up the pieces,

and build a lego house.

When things go wrong, 

we can knock it down.

That right there gets me and makes me want to listen to it more.  I think I talked about getting hooked from the first couple of words in my last blog! In this song he also speeds up during the chorus. I love it!!

2 bands in 1 blog

This week we listened to a little bit of Simon and Garfunkel and The Mamas & The Papas.  I actually really enjoyed Simon and Garfunkel.  A song that I liked the most, to the point I took out my phone to Shazam was Homeward Bound. Coming out in 1966 surprises me because it sounds like a song that could possibly be played on 93.3 today. The way the music was layed out was pretty interesting.  It starts out pretty slow but once it hits the chorus, it speeds up.  Their voices are pure and you can tell what each word that they are saying is unlike Frank Zappa.... not even going there on this blog. I think I will continue listening to them!

The Mamas & The Papas is a band I've know for as far back as I can remember.  But for some reason the only song I know from the first word to the last is California Dreaming. When I was little I used to sing this song all the time but I remember only singing the background voices- 'All the leaves are brown' (all the leaves are brown) 'And the sky is grey' (and the sky is grey). I listened to the song so much, the lyrics just come naturally whenever I hear the song! I look forward to hearing more of their music!

Passion Pit?

A band I've started to really like is Passion Pit. The reason I put it with a question mark is because it's a band I never would of expected to like or would even care to listen too! The lead singer Michael Angelakos started off just writing a song for his girlfriend for valentines day and somehow it wound up in the hand of his friends, who then spread it around. His voice is so unique and also very soothing for being classified under electropop.  My favorite song, as of now, is probably 'Take A Walk'.  Just the first 5 seconds gets me  automatically hooked. I only know the chorus (yes, it's very repetitive) but even though I don't know the lyrics, the background beat itself keeps me listening to the song! Another good song by them is 'Little Secrets'. Ill post both videos below! 


It has a pretty long intro but you'll know when the part that gets me hooked starts playing! (:35).

Here is Little Secrets! His voice and style of music is a little different in this one. 

The Beach Boys

This week in class we listened to the Beach Boys.  3 songs come to mind when I hear that name... Kokomo,  Surfin' USA, and Fun, Fun Fun, all thanks to Davis Elementary.  Our physical education teacher must of had some obsession with them because we had those 3 songs played about a thousand times each year!  Getting to listen to more than just those 3 songs was pretty interesting.  I found myself comparing all the slower songs we listened to in class to the 3 I mentioned above, only because I don't know any other ones! I enjoyed the song 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'. When I first heard it in class, I just immediately pictured a scene in my head of it being the last day of school and you are just driving off to where ever you want too! Pretty weird! Another song I liked on the album, which you said they originally didn't want on the album, is Sloop John B. The Beach Boys have amazing harmonies and it shows it in all of their songs!  I look forward to what else we listen to by them!

Skyfall

A new song that I recently got attached to is Skyfall by Adele. This song is for the new James Bond movie coming out.  It is extremely slow but you kind of forget the pace of the song because the lyrics just pull you in. The first line is "This is the end, hold your breath and count to 10". Just those 11 words alone make you want more; it makes you want to know what she is talking about and that right there is an amazing quality to add to songs. Her vocals really stand out and to this day I believe she has the best voice in her genre of music, maybe even out of everyone, no doubt. Like I said in my last blog about her, she is 'strong and powerful yet soft and soothing'.

Here is the song!

T-Swift

So I'm pretty sure you aren't a fan of Taylor Swift and in a way, neither am I.  I can't stand how she is classified as "Country" when she is clearly pop. But what she has done this month so far has been pretty cool.  Her new album comes out October 22 and starting 3 weeks ago, she has been releasing a new single each week from that album. Most of her songs are about the boy she was with and how it ended badly, and after 3 of those kinds of songs, yes it gets annoying.  But for some reason, these 3 songs she has recently released, you know.. I kinda like them! I'm sure you've heard of "We Are Never Getting Back Together" all the time on the radio.  Most people have gotten tired of it already but I haven't.  The two most recent songs she's released is Red and I Knew You Were Trouble. Red is one of those songs you can listen to whenever and wherever. I Knew You Were Trouble is probably my favorite song right now.  Mainly because its very different from the rest of her music, such as, there being a base drop in the chorus and the song is faster than the others. It's really catchy and addicting! Here it is:

ACL 2012

This year I did not go to ACL and I'm kinda glad I didn't.  We watched some of the bands performing live in class today and I was not all that impressed.  Mr. A was commenting on how he has no idea how some of these bands even made it to where they are and I couldn't agree more.  It's kinda like they went around and put a band together last minute to perform.  I did like the actual music playing in the background, but those obnoxious voices some of the bands had, I just couldn't deal with it. I do plan on watching Florence and the Machine tonight at home around 7:30 live for a little bit.  If I would of gone to ACL, they probably would of been the only band I would of gone to and there's no way I would of payed for one band.  Maybe next year with ACL being two weekends, there will be a better line-up to get more people to go and to make more money! We will see!

Ayyyy Sexy Lady!

I'm sure you have gotten A LOT of blogs about this but this is just too good to ignore. First time I heard Gangman Style, I was at swim practice for Anderson and everyone was talking about it and when we got to school first period, we looked up the music video. One word...what? I hated it when I first heard it but I am embarrassed to say it has grown on me. Our team has learned the dance and it gets us pumped up for swim meets. Given we have a Korean on the team, he has been bugged with questions from us asking what this song even means! He said it really doesn't mean anything.  I have a personal goal to learn this song (which will probably never happen) but the only part I know is "ayyyy sexy lady". Why those were the english words to be chosen to be put in the song, yeah I don't know but I feel like they help the song in a way! This video on youtube has hit nearly 378 million views, he was on Ellen. Its just mind blowing and it kinda makes you question what people actually like to listen too!

Help! I need somebody

 *Fun Fact: 50 years ago, on this exact date, the Beatles released their first single "Love Me Do"(10/05/62)* 

In class this week we watched the movie "Help" which was pretty interesting.  There were parts that were pretty funny but as Mr. A said, if you didn't listen closely, you wouldn't understand the British humor. The movies to me was very confusing just because I feel like it didn't make sense.  It was all over the place and I feel like this movie helped them become more popular and that was the whole purpose of putting it out there.  I also liked how it would start songs in the movie, like at one point it started playing the tune of Norwegian  Wood, or in the beginning, how it started off the song Help. Speaking of Help, I love that song! I think it was a great way to start off their album. If I were to hear that song first, I definitely would of looked more into the album than just that one song!

Beatles for Sale

I will be the first to say that The Beatles is a band that I NEVER thought would grow on me, but it has!  My neighbor is obsessed with The Beatles and she has always tried to get me to listen to their music but I have always turned her down. Now I am the one going and telling her what we learned in class and if she's heard these certain songs. The Beatles for Sale album is not my favorite and I know we haven't listened to many albums, I have a gut feeling that there are more albums that I will enjoy more.  In class you said this was probably your second to worst album and I think that after we listen to all of the albums, I will have to agree.  I did not not like the songs in this album, I just know for a fact the Beatles have better songs and I'm getting really picky on the songs I like by them because I know there's better ones.  I look forward to getting into 1966 because you said that was a great year in class so I'm getting anxious to move forward!

Adele

When you hear the name 'Adele' what do you think? Probably 'Rumour Has It', 'Rolling in the Deep', and 'Someone Like You'. Right? Those are great songs and all...until you hear them a million times on the radio, but there are songs on her album that people have failed to notice. Adele is one of those artists that you can listen to when you're laying in bed or just not feeling your full self and I love that about her music.  Her voice is strong and powerful yet soft and soothing.  I remember when I heard her first song 'Hometown Glory' on so you think you can dance, and ever since, I've been hooked on her music. Although most of her music is about love and relationships, I find deeper meanings to them when I listen to her music.  It's something I can't describe, but I know that I don't have that feeling for any other kind of music.  I'm not the kind of person to jump up first and say I enjoy slow music, but for Adele, that is definitely an exception!  Here are a couple of my favorite songs she has, and don't worry, I don't think they will be ruined on the radio anytime soon!

Hometown Glory- (I would start around one minute into it)

He Won't Go-

Hard Days Night (Make-up)

To me, I thought the first movie we watched on the Beatles was better.  Only because it wasn't scripted!  During both movies you got to see the individual personalities of each of the band members which was really cool. During Hard Days Night, I couldn't help but think 'okay this is all scripted, they aren't making this up on the spot' whenever they would say something funny.  I would try to ignore that thought and continue watching it. Although being scripted wasn't a bad thing, I just don't think you got to see the REAL John, Ringo, George, and Paul like you did in the other movie. Before this class, I can honestly say, I never listened to the Beatles.  But now that I have, I am really glad I did! I come home from school and show my parents certain songs that they enjoy and sure enough those are the ones they enjoyed as well when the Beatles came out!  I look forward to more Beatles albums to listen too!

Rolling Stones (Make-up)

I didn't enjoy the Rolling Stones as much as I do the Beatles.  Maybe if we had listened to the Rolling Stones first, I would of probably liked them more than I do now.  Only because of something we talked about in class.  I like listening to the Harmony's in the Beatles as compared to one, not very good, voice in the Rolling Stones. I can't help but compare the two bands when I think about it which makes it obvious on which one I like better.  Our class had a pretty good discussion about this and I agree with what most of the people had said.  Maybe and hopefully it's just their first album and the rest gets better but we will see.  The Rolling Stones, as of now, are a no go for me!

Week 3 (My Music)

Something I have gotten really attached to lately is people on Youtube making covers of new songs. I like the fact that they don't copy the beat throughout the whole song completely.  They change it up, whether it's making it faster or slower.  To me, it keeps me interested in the song and I usually end up like the cover more than the original.  Here is a couple covers I found that are every popular on Youtube!


I know- overplayed and stupid song but this cover makes me like it so much better!

These two girls are probably my favorite.  They change up all the songs they do covers of and also make their own videos to some of them. 

Week 3 (Beatles Video)

Watching the movie about the Beatles in class was pretty interesting.  Not only did we get to watch some of their performances, like when they were on the Ed Sullivan Show, but we also got to see their personalities off stage.  More than half of the time of them just hanging around, they were cracking jokes and making each other laugh which I thought was really cool.  Now the fans- I don't even know how to describe them. As soon as Ringo, George, John, or Paul opened their mouth, they went crazy! It was insane! I have never heard of fans go that crazy since then and I don't think I ever will. I mean, to replace one thirds of the seats is pretty hard to beat.

Week 2 (Country)

A genre of music I've gotten hooked on is country music.  Going to the Virgin Islands a year ago, all they had was 'Country Caribbean' so I had no choice but to listen to it.  I don't enjoy and won't waste any of my time listening to deep, thick, country music.  I hate it!  My favorite artists now are Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, and Jason Aldean. While a majority of rap/hip-hip music is all about girls, sex, and drugs, country music displays messages through their lyrics better than any other type of music in my opinion.  It has real emotion that you not only hear it, but feel it, and to me, that's what makes a good song!

Week 2 (Beatles)

The Beatles were a great success.  With all of the genres of music, the Beatles hit 20 number one's in the US and 17 in the UK.  I enjoyed listening to the 'Please Please Me' album in class even though I like their more popular songs. I feel like a lot of the songs are based off the same thing- love and girls.  Which they are and it isn't necessarily a bad thing.  But to me, I would of really liked it more if they had more of a variety of lyrics in each song! I look forward to listening to more of the Beatles!

In Class #2 (Week 1)

The artist I disliked the most this week was Chuck Berry. Not that he was bad, he just wasn't my favorite. He sounds like he is singing more from his throat than his stomach and I could hear it in his voice. He was also repetitive in one of his songs over 3 of the words which made me want to stop listening to it. Also, the music throughout the song sounded the same which made me less interested.

In Class #1 (Week 1)

The artist I liked most this week was Little Richard. Although his music sounded somewhat the same, each song brought a different twist. What kept grabbing my attention throughout 'Tutti Frutti' and 'Long Tall Sally' was his high pitch note he does.  I found that that's what separated him from the others the most and I liked that!