Chocolate, Girls, and Sex

Not to be confused with the year.... I should be kicked off the internet for that. Anyways, if you haven't heard of The 1975 you have definitely been living under a rock. Not only did their fans take over Twitter when they seemed to disappear off of social media and return with pink everything, but they also took the radio waves by storm with their songs "Chocolate", "Girls", and "Sex". Simple titles, great songs. The band left their social media and changed everything to pink to get people wondering what they were up to. Well, it worked. It could be a single, an album, or a tour. Whatever it is I guarantee you it will be epic.
The 1975 isn't exactly mainstream pop. They are an English Indie Rock band, but according to their members they try not to stick to just one genre of music. Their sound is so unique that you can't stop listening to them. Not only are their vocals so different than anything I've heard, but their sound is as well. The instruments that they used aren't used much in today's music, at least not in what you hear on the radio.
The members have great personalities, are relatable, and just adorable! Nobody can resist the sound of their lead singers voice! (Who could resist a British accent?) Members include lead singer Matthew (Matt/Matty) Healy, bass and keyboard player Ross MacDonald, guitar and keyboard player Adam Hann, and drummer George Daniel. They formed the band in 2002. They started by doing covers of punk songs in a local pub. From there they moved to writing and performing their own songs, which got them to where they are now. According the Healy they have been writing together since they were about 15 years old. They gained major respect from me for that. They started writing on their own at a pretty young age. You have to have a pretty good understanding of music and some talent in order to pull that off.
Since they started they have several successful EPs and their debut album. As I mentioned before the world fell in love with their singles "Chocolate" and "Girls", both from their self-titled debut album. They also got attention from their amazing cover of One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful". It's one of the best covers I have ever heard. They were even nominated for a Woodie Award for it. Not to mention they have toured with Muse, The Neighborhood, and have even supported The Rolling Stones. Of course they have gone on their own headlining tours as well. In April of 2014 they played at Coachella.

"What Makes You Beautiful" in the Live Lounge BBC Radio 1

I can't wait to see what The 1975 is up to. They are bound to come up with something genius that will end up being overplayed on the radio, but will still be amazing. Kind of like something Ed Sheeran does. They are an amazing band. I can't believe more people don't know who they are. They know the songs, but they don't know the band. I'll never understand how people do that. When I hear something I like, I do some digging on the band. The 1975 was a great discovery for me and I hope they will be for others. I know they will be. They are irresistible!

Paradise Fears

My newest obsession is with a band from Vermillion South Dakota called Paradise Fears. I absolutely love them. I heard one song and fell in love. Every single song is relatable and lovable. Their music style is classified as Alternative, but they are so much more. They can fit in to the pop-punk and pop-rock categories as well. That's just in my opinion though. I honestly don't think anybody could dislike this band. If you do, I say you're crazy. How can you possibly hate a band that came from a small state like South Dakota? Maybe I have a soft spot for them because I'm from South Dakota... Either way, they are still very talented artists.
The band is rather large with six members. Sam Miller- Vocals; Cole Andre- vocals, guitar, samples, and mandolin; Michael Walker- pianos, keys, vocals; Jordan Merrigan- guitars; Marcus Sand- Bass; Joey Russ- Drums. Lucas Zimmerman was a former member who played the drums. The band formed in 2007 while they were all still in high school. Instead of going to college, they all got full time jobs to pay for their recordings. Then they followed pop punk tours to hand out their debut album Yours Truly to fans waiting in line. They managed to sell 24,000 total copies which made the album peak at number 9 on Billboard's uncharted chart.
They have been on tour with many of my other favorite bands including All Time Low, The Summer Set, The Ready Set, Before You Exit, and The Cab. They have of course toured with many other bands as well. In 2012 they went on their own headlining mini tour. The band has released 7 albums/EPs and they have 11 singles available. They also have put up covers of popular songs on YouTube. Their most popular cover being "Payphone" by Maroon 5. The video racked up over three million views. For being a band from South Dakota they have quite a large following and a great fan-base.
I discovered the band through a friend of mine. I wanted to see what kind of music he was interested in. Paradise Fears was one of them. I had to look them up. Like I said before, I heard one song and fell in love with their sound and their lyrics. It all has meaning and moves me in different ways. Some songs give me motivation others make me feel emotions, brining me to the edge of having a crying session. It's hard to pick a favorite song from these guys. It seems like every song they have is beyond exceptional and I can't help but love it. Recently I've had their song "Fight for Me" on replay. I'm also loving "Yours Truly", "Home", "Sanctuary", and "Hear Me Out". Those are only a few though! Their Spotify is my favorite thing to listen to at the moment.

Anybody that loves emotional music and looks for meaning in what they listen to definitely needs to check out Paradise Fears. If you like All Time Low or even a more preppy band like Before You Exit, you will love them too. They have something for everybody. I think music lovers in general will love them simply because they are such great musicians and writers. They aren't exactly old either. They're fairly young. In case you haven't figured it out by now, I have mad respect for anybody that starts their music career young. It just shows how hard they work and how true their talent is. Paradise Fears should be played on the radio. I think they're great enough to become a household name if they get the airtime they deserve. 

Do you know MKTO?

MKTO! I'm in love. I've been in love! MKTO is an amazing band that has had quite a few hits. The first being an instant classic-- "Classic". They also released "American Dream" as a single which did fairly well on the airways. Their most recent is "Bad Girls". I can't get over this song. No, I can't get over this duo! Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller are two very talented people who have a back-up band just as talented as them. Their bassist is David Dudley who was also the bassist for Emblem3. That's beside the point though. MKTO is such a talented duo. Just like every other band I've posted about, they should be getting more recognition. It seems like they're finally getting their name out there because they've been performing on morning shows and making other television appearances, but they're pretty much only known for their singles "Classic" and now "Bad Girls". They have so many other songs that should be climbing up the charts and being played on the radio.
What's special about these two is the fact that they met while filming a television show on Nick. So they didn't even meet through the music industry! They decided to form their group shortly after. Their band name seems easy to figure out once you know their names. It's their initials put together. According them it's more than that. To them it also stands for Misfit Kids and Total Outcasts, just like they were in high school. Wow. That speaks to you now doesn't it? They signed with Columbia Records and ended up releasing their first single "Thank You" in January 2013. I love that song and I wish I would have heard it on the radio as often as I heard "Classic".
They've been on tour with one of my favorite bands, Emblem3, twice and have also accompanied Demi Lovato. In the summer of 2014 they went on their own headlining tour. They have one full length album simply titled "MKTO". They don't really fall in to one genre of music. Most of the time it's a great mix between pop and hip-hop. Basically they have great music that will get you up on your feet and moving. They also have an awesome acoustic song ("Wasted") that features only the vocals of Tony and his awesome piano skills. The duo has been nominated twice for Radio Disney Awards.
I don't know what it is about these two that made me fall in love with them and their music so quickly. They are great people with awesome personalities and a butt-load of talent. I guess that's enough to catch my attention. They don't exactly fit in with a lot of the music that is being played on the radio now, but I think they are going to be part of a movement to change that. Just like almost everybody I listen too, they don't follow the mainstream. It seems like they actually try to stay away from it. That's what I love about them. They put in a lot of hard work and deserve the attention that they are finally getting and then some.

Are You Ready?

"I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready..." The ever so familiar sound of Spongebob flooded the air waves. But why? AJR decided to take a chance and mix that annoying, but catchy, Spongebob Squarepants sample with their own music to create the hit song titled "I'm Ready". It's the one that took the world by storm and turned the attention of the music world on them. They followed up their first single with another hit called "Infinity", which just so happens to be my favorite. They have also produced one full-length album titled "Living Room" along with several EPs.
It seems like these three brothers are on to something with their different and unique sound. It has been described as 'eclectic', which means deriving ideas, styles, and/or taste from a wide and diverse range of sources. Digging deeper in to their musical style you can tell that they have influence from many different genres including: pop, foo-wop, electronic, and dub step. They have said that their musical influences as far as bands go range from The Beach Boys to Vampire Weekend and Fun. I find that interesting and pretty cool for some odd reason.
AJR is composed of three brothers: Adam (24), Jack (17), and Ryan (21). Hopefully you can see where they got their band name from now. They started the band of brothers in 2006, so they're not exactly new to the music industry. They are simply just getting the attention now that they so rightly deserve. They started out as most bands doing, busking and doing covers of popular songs and posting them on Youtube. Since then they have performed on Good Day New York, Live with Kelly and Michael, and VH1's Big Morning Buzz. Both of their singles have been on Sirius XM radios hit stations and placed in their countdowns a number of times.
Other than the fact that these three are brothers and their sound is a little different, what makes this band so special? Well, for starters they are a completely do it yourself band. They write, record, produce, and mix all of their own stuff in their living room. I'm guessing that's where they got the title for their first album. Adam plays bass guitar and sings. Ryan plays the ukulele, keyboard, and vocals. He also does a lot of the producing. He has written and produced two songs with Andy Grammar. The youngest of the three, Jack, seems to be the most well-rounded when it comes to instruments. He plays guitar, melodica, ukulele, percussion, and the sample machine. On top of all of that, they all like to dabble in the making of their music videos. Apparently a majority of their music video for "Infinity" was directed and produced by the brothers.
These three have an endless amount of talent. It makes me so happy to see that the music world is actually recognizing somebody that is doing something different. They aren't following the crowd in any way, shape or form. Their songs aren't about drugs and partying. They don't do everything in a professional studio and have other people do all the hard work for them. They do everything themselves. I actually think that's something that not a whole lot of people know. They're not made of the same material as every other performer and artist. They're different. And I like it. Judging by their fast growing success, a lot of other people do too.