Set It Off

Alright, it's been a while and I'm breaking my silence for a good reason. I have fallen in love. Never did I think that I would find something that includes all that I look for and love. Set It Off has captured my heart and can definitely be ranked in my top 5 favorite bands. I first heard their song "Uncontainable" when I was binge watching Luke Holland drumming videos. Apparently they did an extended music video with Luke and had him doing a drum battle in the middle of a ring with someone. I liked the song, so I added it to my Spotify and kept it on reply. As anyone in the music world knows, one song leads to another. The next thing you know, you have a new addiction.
Set It Off was formed in 2008. Current members are Cody Carson (lead singer), Maxx Danziger (drummer), Dan Clermont (guitarist), Zach DeWall (Bassist). Maxx is 26 while the rest are 27. Do they look their age? Hell no. Fun Maxx fact: He was nominated for Best Drummer at the 2016 APMAs. Anyways, the band can be classified in many genres. However, they fit more in to pop-punk, pop-rock, and alternative. If you listen to a couple of different songs, you can see how they are hard to fit in one clique. Their influences come from many different musicians. They draw inspiration from bands like Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, All Time Low, A Day to Remember, and even *NSYNC and Destiny's Child.
Cody Carson got his start in college. Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low helped him pursue his real dream by giving him permission to perform and film "Coffee Shop Soundtrack". Cody had shared multiple videos and messages with Alex who obviously supported him. After his success with that, he dropped out to start Set It Off with hometown friends Dan, Zach, and Austin Kerr. The group went through 3 drummers in one year before sucking Maxx Danziger in to the whirlwind of success they are in now. Austin was a long term member. He left the band 2015 due to allegations against him for sexual assault. The band didn't want to be associated with those allegations. Austin didn't want them to be drug down with him either, so it was a mutual decision to split with Kerr. Austin apologized for his actions and said that he would be working on himself. He also promised that he never meant to make anyone ever feel uncomfortable. The fans of Set It Off were the most important thing to him and he would do nothing to harm them. That was the backbone of reasoning when he left the band.
On to their success. Their first EP Baby, You Don't Tripajaharda was released in 2008. Calm Before the Storm was their second EP and was released in 2009. Their first single "Hush, Hush" was released in 2010. The accompanying music video was released that October. 2011 was the year they released the Horrible Kids EP. All of this was a build up for 2012. The released their first full length album "Cinematics". For the release of this album, they partnered with VH1 Save the Music Foundation. For every album sold they donated a $1 to help support school music programs. In total they raised $5,000. You can figure out how many albums were sold then!
2013 was the release of a Christmas song on Fearless Record's Punk Goes Christmas. "This Christmas (I'll Burn it to the Ground)" has got to be one of the best Christmas songs out there ha! It has a creepily awesome music video to accompany it. 2014 was another big year for the group. They released "Duality", their second full length album. It earned a well deserved #5 spot on Rock Sounds Top 50 Albums of the Year. They also did a cover of Ariana Grande's "Problem" on Punk goes Pop. They released an acoustic version of "Duality" in 2015. Their third full length album is soon to be released! (Another reason I'm writing). Upside Down will be available soon. Pre-order on iTunes NOW! On another note, they have also put out 12 music videos and have 4 official lyric videos.
The band has also been on so many tours for a group that hasn't been around all too long. They have played in over 19 tours! I'll list a few, but not them all. In 2013 they toured around with Yellowcard, Tonight Alive, and Warped. 2014 consisted of WATIC's reunion tour, Come Alive Tour with Our Last Night, and supported on the Black Mass Tour. Their first headlining tour was the Glamour Kills Spring Break Tour in 2015. They were also on the Rise of the Runaways Tour, Warped, and they did a tour in the UK. In 2016 they did the Fight For Something Tour and Warped again.
So that's Set It Off! They recently released a new single and a hilarious music video to go with it. When you get a chance look up "Something New". Trust me, you will not be disappointed. Play their Spotify, buy their music, binge on YouTube, and finally pre-order Upside Down on iTunes! If you message me or comment, I might be able to gift it to you! :)       <l>

PILLOWTALK

Let me just say that this song killed me! This is not what I expected from former One Direction member, Zayn Malik. His voice was stellar in the band. This song shows such a different vocal range than what we're used to hearing. It shows a musical side of Zayn that we never saw before. He definitely showed who he really is and separated himself from the image of One Direction. Honestly, I can't wait to see a bunch of people blaring this song like they do all the other songs by The Weeknd and similar artists pretending that it's not from a member of a boy band they made fun of. Everybody's going to be jumping on the Zayn bandwagon.
Not only is the song absolutely amazing, but so is the video. There is a lot of graphic design that went in to it. The only way to really describe it is trippy. There's multiple Zayn's and Gigi's. Flowers melt away and people cry red and black tears. There's also a naked girl that opens her legs to reveal a blooming flower. This was the most disturbing part of the video. I could have done without that. Zayn and Gigi got pretty damn close in the video too. After watching this, nobody is going to believe that they are just close friends. How could you be just friends with Zayn Malik after making out with him multiple times? I think that's impossible.
Zayn also released his first interview since leaving the band. It made me a little upset, but at the same time I fell even more in love with him. He opened up about things that he wasn't able to before. He talked about how he always thought about leaving the band after the first year because they weren't going in the musical direction he wanted to go. The entire time the other four knew that it wasn't his cup of tea. They all tried to help him get more R&B vibes in their music. They tried their best to make him happy. When he left, they were alright with it because they knew he wasn't happy where he was at. They didn't want him to leave, but they cared enough about him that they let him go do his own thing without arguing with him to stay.
Not only has Zayn's debut as a solo artist been a hit with fans, it's been welcomed by many others. The single has been at the top of the charts all over the world since being released at midnight. The video was dropped at the same time and has gathered more than 1 million views. I think it's safe to say that he's caught the attention of a lot more people than just One Direction fans. The boys have even shown their support for their close friend and former band mate. Louis tweeted to Zayn saying he killed it and he was proud of him. Niall was spotted listening to the single while walking around the city. Even members of 5SOS, The Vamps, Emblem3, and The Tide have praised Zayn for his work. Overall, this song was a huge success and I can't wait for his full album!

After Romeo

After Romeo is the pure definition of a boy band. BUT they are amazing artists! The band consists of Jayk Purdy (29), Drew Ryan Scott (27), TC Carter (22), and Blake English (21). Former member Devin Fox (18) left to pursue a solo career. Each member of the band contributes something specific to band aside from vocals. Jayk does most of the social media content. TC, which stands for Thomas Carter, is in charge of fashion. He does a pretty good job if I do say so myself. Blake does the choreography for the group while Drew writes a majority of their songs.
The members are from Athens and Las Vegas. They came together in L.A. courtesy of Drew in 2013. As I mentioned before, they started out with 5. So, the five of them started posting videos on Youtube. They caught the eyes of some record producers and are currently signed on to 4 Sound Entertainment's record label. As a band of 5 they released 3 singles. The first being "Free Fall" in 2013. The released a Christmas single, "Save Some Snow" that same year. In 2014, they released what is probably their biggest single "Love On Lock (LOL)". That just so happens to be my jam. After Devin left, the band continued to write music and post videos. Their first single of 2015 had the fitting title of "Juliet". They also released "Where The People Go", which is probably my second favorite from them. Yesterday they released a surprise titled "Souvenir". It's clear that losing Devin didn't deter the band. They are working on an album "The Story Continues". I personally cannot wait to see what all these four can do!

For only being together for a short period of time and not having much publicity, they are doing pretty well. The "Free Fall" music video reached number one on MTV's music chart and was also featured on international advertisements. Most of the time it takes an artist forever to be able to get their music international. In 2014 they launched into the Italian music market. The band has also reached number six on Radio Disney's countdown. The thing that stands out to me the most though is the fact that these boys started a Bully Proof Tour where they toured across the U.S. to stop and talk to students about bullying. They would go to the schools to speak and then perform in the city/town on the weekend. They group has also toured around the U.S. on the 2015 Pop Nation Tour.
I really don't know what else to say about this band. I honestly don't know as much about them as I do other bands, but I do know that these boys are talented and entertaining. They are definitely a boy band, no doubt, but there is something special about them that I can't quite put my finger on. They are just four hard working boys trying to make their dreams come true. I admire that. If you are ever board, look them up. You could find a new music obsession.

The Tide

The Tide is a band that most have not heard of. If you have, I guarantee it's because you are a dedicated fan of The Vamps. The Tide was formed by the british band in 2014. The Vamps announced a secret project in December of 2014 and they held auditions for guitarists and drummers to form a band. The band the put together was The Tide.
Austin Corini is the lead singer of the band. He also plays guitar. He's from Gilroy, California. Austin auditioned for The X-Factor in 2012. He sang an amazing cover of "Wanted" by Hunter Hayes. He didn't make it past boot camp on his own. They put him together with other boys to form the group, Playback. However, the group didn't make it past the judge's houses. This was the same year that Emblem3 was on The X-Factor, so Austin knows the boys. Drew Dirksen is the lead guitarist and contributes vocals. He is from Ohio, as is his band mate Nate Parker. Nate is the drummer. Levi is the bassist and the last piece to the puzzle. He is from southern California.
The band officially formed in 2015. They made their debut together on the internet on February 25, 2015. They posted a cover of 5 Seconds of Summers "She Looks So Perfect". I'm not a fan of covers from my favorite artists, but I actually really liked their version of the song. Since they actually caught my attention by doing my favorite song, I decided it was worth my while to check out who they were and to keep up with the newly formed band. I'm glad I did, because since their formation they have posted many other great covers on their youtube channel. They have also posted an acoustic version of one of their original songs, "Falling in Love Tonight". As of right now, the band sticks to covers, but they do perform originals live, like "What you Give" and "The Rest of Us". The band plans on releasing an EP or maybe even an album in 2016.
 Since their formation, they have been on tour with The Vamps. The accompanied them on their 2015 tour along with Before You Exit. They also played at 2015 Fanfest and the Big Ticket Summer Concert Series. They have performed next artists such as Union J and Luke Friend. The band is also planning on a 2016 tour. In order to release an EP and follow it up with a tour, it's best to have a record label, right? Well, The Vamps signed the band on to their own record label, EMI Universal. That was their big announcement/secret project in December of 2014. The Vamps also had them do a major cameo in their latest video for their single "Wake Up" along with Brooklyn Beckham.
So, what can you expect from The Tide? Their style and their influence is rather different, which I find interesting. They have a wide range in taste. Their musical style is pop. The band has even admitted to it. However, they also throw in the fact that their main influences are 5 Seconds of Summer and All Time Low. They want to become a similar band. Mayday Parade and Sleeping With Sirens are also have an influence on the band. Going in a totally opposite direction, the band looks up to singer/song writers like Ed Sheeran and even Shawn Mendes who is younger than the members in the band.

I adore this band as whole and love each of it's members. They are so down to earth. All four of them are absolutely adorable. The best part is that I can say that they are hot without feeling like a pedophile because they are all 17-18 years old! So, not only are they talented, kind, and entertaining, they are very nice to look at. Looks aren't that important though. What is, is the fact that these four boys are talented and dedicated to their music and to their fans. I love, love, love them! I can't wait to see what the future holds for them. They have the world at their finger tips! I'm going to love telling people that I knew them long before they were famous. 

BOOM!!

Simple Plan. Please for the love of God tell me you know who Simple Plan is. I mean, how could you not? You're totally uncultured if you have no clue who I'm talking about. Need a hint? Scooby-Doo. The band sang the theme song for "What's New Scooby-Doo", had two of their songs play during the cartoon, appeared in their own episode, and they had an original song "Don't Wanna Think About You" on Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. Did that help at all? It better have. 

Simple Plan is a five piece rock band from Canada. Yes, Canada. The same country that gave us Justin Bieber. However, Simple Plan is 100 times better. Their sound is described mostly as pop punk. A few people say that they have more of an "emo" sound to them. Either way, they're still amazing and one of the founders of the pop punk scene. Band members include lead singer Pierre Bouvier, percussionist Chuck Comeau, lead guitarist Jeff Stinco, rhythm guitarist Sebastien Lefebure, and bass guitarists David Desrosiers.
The band started in 1999. In the bands life span, they have put out 4 full albums: No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls (2002), Still Not Getting Any... (2004), Simple Plan (2008), and Get Your Heart On (2011). They have also released two live albums: Live in Japan 2002 and MTV Hard Rock Live (2005). They put together an EP titled "Get Your Heart On- The Second Coming" in 2013. They have a 5th album on the way. Rumors say that it will be dropped in 2015. So, be expecting it in the next couple of months.
Not only has the band produced amazing albums and worked on Scooby-Doo, they also played a ton of Vans Warped Tours. The played at every single tour from 1999 to 2005. They also played in 2011, 2013, and 2015. The band has also started a successful foundation simple titled Simple Plan Foundation. There's not many like it out there. Their foundation focus mainly on the problems teens face including suicide, poverty, drug addictions, and abuse. They released a single, "Save You" to benefit the foundation. The song was inspired by cancer patient survivors and the video featured the people the inspired the song. Not only that, but they also donated 10,000 to Japan in 2011 after their natural disaster. Most recently, the band released a book Simple Plan: The Official Story. All proceeds went in to the foundation. This foundation hits home for me since I've struggled a lot in my teen years and I still am struggling with depression and anxiety.
The whole point of this blog is to promote their newest single and my current favorite song, BOOM! It was released on August 28th. The music video they made for it was released the exact same day. What a better way to drop a new single than to do it with a music video? The video is just as amazing as the song. It features cameos from members of the bands MxPx, PVRIS, Silverstein, Black Veil Brides, Parkway Drive, and Issues. My favorite appearances were from the members of Pierce the Veil, Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low, and Brian Logan Dales from The Summer Set. BOOM is a perfect example of the type of band Simple Plan is. It shows exactly why they are considered to be founders and kings of the pop punk scene. Everybody was more than excited to be taking part in this historic bands video. BOOM is simply amazing. I don't know who else to describe it. It's upbeat, energetic, but it still holds that unique sound that makes it punk. Simple Plan has perfectly mixed the two genres (pop and punk) in to one with this song. More people need to be talking about this! Simple Plan is back baby! :)

Tanner Patrick: Vine Star and Youtube Sensation

Tanner Patrick is a name that not many people know. However, if it is familiar to you then you probably have good taste in music or spend a lot of time on Vine and Youtube or both of course. Here's the basics on him. Tanner Patrick is 24 years old and is a singer/songwriter, musician, and producer. He is able to play guitar (electric and acoustic), bass guitar, piano, and saxophone. Oh yeah, he has an amazing vocal range making for a great voice. Did I mention that he was hot??

Despite what a lot of people think, Tanner didn't start on Vine. He started out on Youtube. He actually got pretty far into his career before he even started posting singing videos on vine. He started his channel in 2011, but has been active in music since 2008. He has managed to get over 800,000 subscribers on his Youtube and has gotten well over 86,000,000 views. Tanner signed up for Vine in 2014. He has managed to collect over 700,000 followers and he has surpassed the milestone of 100,000,000 loops.
So those are the basics. What you might not know about Tanner is the fact that he didn't start out as a solo artist. He used to be in a band with his friends. They called themselves Disco Curtis. The band did pretty well! I wish they were still together now actually! (But I do love Tanner as a solo artist) Disco Curtis signed on to MySpace/Interscope Records. They performed Bambozzle West in California and went touring with bands like Boys Like Girls and Forever The Sickest Kids. Their biggest milestone, playing in 2010 Vans Warped Tour. Sadly, in September 2010, the band broke-up because his friends attended college. Shortly after Tanner announced that he was launching a solo career. Thank God he did!
Tanner debuted his first single titled "Merry Go Round" in 2012. He also released the music video for it that April. It hit 1.3 million views. That's quite a lot for a debut song from an artist like Tanner. In 2013 he released another single called "Sideways Figure Eights". 2014 proved to be a big year for Tanner. He released yet another single, "Satellites" and a music video for it. Not only that, but he had a debut album, "The Waiting Home". All of these are available on iTunes. So are a lot of his covers that he has posted on Youtube, which there are a lot of. If you're not wanting to spend money on iTunes, then you definitely need to check out his YouTube page! So many amazing original songs and covers.
Tanner's talent is what I love the most about him. It was until I started writing this. I did a little background research as I normally do. I found out that Tanner has had some health trouble in his past. He has diabetes, which a lot of people suffer from. What really shocked me was the fact that both of his lungs have collapsed multiple times. He had surgery done and a few days later he was back with his band performing. That gives me mad respect for him! He's had to overcome a huge obstacle to continue his singing career. I mean, lungs are pretty necessary things for doing what he does and life in general of course.
So, there you have Tanner Patrick. An artist who started out as a name on the internet but is soon going to be headlining shows. He's gone through a lot in a short period of time, but he is still following his dreams and killing the game! Everybody needs a little bit of Tanner Patrick in their life.

Talking About

What everyone talking about? Isn't the answer obvious? Conor Maynard is stepping back out in to the music industry with his new amazing single "Talking About". It hasn't even been out for a week yet and its caught the attention of thousands of people. It's his first single in some time. The wait was worth it. I'm absolutely in love with this song! Sadly, it's not available in the U.S. iTunes store yet. However, it is up for pre-order. I've been having to settle for racking up the video's views on YouTube.
The song is extremely catchy. I suggest you listen with caution. The second you listen to it, it will be stuck in your head for days on end. I'm not complaining though because it's such a great song! It has the typical Conor Maynard style. The beat is easy to move to. It's definitely a song that will be played in clubs! It has similar sound to his previous songs, but it's not as computerized as many of them. There is a range of sounds the meld perfectly together to create the catchiest song of the year so far.
If people recognized this song and the artist, Conor would have so much more fame than he already does. It's just that nobody appreciates music unless it comes from a big name. Honestly, I think his song is ten times better than anything Taylor Swift will put out or Rihanna who just released that song "Fourfive Seconds" or whatever it's called. The only reason their songs are so popular even if they are crap is because they created a name for themselves. It's time to start recognizing artists like Conor. He is using everything that is being used in today's popular music. It's got bass, catchy lyrics, easy to remember, fast-paced, and it uses computerized instruments. I feel like this song could be Conor's big hit to launch his career again.
 "Talking About" is easily one of my favorite songs of the year so far and I think it will stay highly ranked in my book. I'm not usually in to this kind of music, but there is something about Conor that makes me love, love, love his music. I don't know if it's because of the type of person he and his personality or if his music is just different and draw me in. As I'm typing this, I'm realizing that it's both. Conor has an amazing personality! I've discovered that by watching him appear on YouTube videos and by watching the videos he post on social media or videos other have posted with him. His music is different than a lot of the things that we hear on the radio. Sure, it has a similar sound, but the thing is that he hasn't changed his sound. He started with it and he has continued with it. He didn't change to fit in with the time just to get a number one single. I don't think he ever will. That makes him more likable for me.

Not only that, but I know Conor is capable of doing things other than the type of music he releases. He displays his talent on his YouTube channel by posting covers of songs. One of his most recent ones was a cover of "Waves". Personally I liked his cover more than the actual song because it was more raw. Conor has an immense amount of talent. This will be the song that people will hear and recognize him for what he is. An immensely talented artist who has worked his ass off to get where he is at.