The Summer Set!

The Summer Set has been a band since 2007. I've listened to them for a few years now, but obsession with them didn't start until this year. I honestly can't blame you if you haven't heard of them. However, you are missing out on an amazing band! The Summer Set is considered to be a pop-rock/pop-punk group, but power pop and alternative rock can be used to describe some of their songs. They have a unique sound. Most of it comes from the vocals of their lead singer Brain Logan Dales. The band also consists of John Gomez (guitar, piano, back-up vocals), Stephen James Gomez (bass), Josh Montgomery (guitar), and Jess Bowen (drums). Dillon Morris was a former member who played the guitar. The band is associated with many of my favorite bands like Paradise Fears and All Time Low, which is how I got so interested in them this year.
The band has released 8 albums and has gone through 3 labels. Their first EP, "Love The Love You Have EP", was self-released in 2007. They were picked up by the label, Militia Group. After they were signed they released two more EPs in 2008, "In Color" and "Meet Me on the Left Coast". They switched labels to Razor and Tie and released a fourth EP, "Love like This". In 2010 they expanded the album and re-titled it "Love Like Swift". In 2011 they put out a full length album, "Everything's Fine", along with another EP, "What Money Can't Buy". In 2012 they were picked up by their current label Fearless Records. Under their new label, they released their second full length album, "Legendary", in 2013. They band is currently working on a third album. All information about it is yet to be announced. It's rumored that it will be released in 2015, if so, they're running out of time!
The band refers to their fans as Half Moon Kids. This name was given to their fandom after "Legendary" was released. With the Half Moon Kids in mind, the band started the Legendary Moments Campaign. They helped various fans along with their own band members achieve life long goals. During this time, they were also awarded with Macy's iHeartradio Rising Star award. Their performance of "Lightening in a Bottle" during Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was televised. Clearly 2013, was a huge year for the band!
The Summer Set has constantly put out music throughout their years as a band. It also seems like they've constantly been on tour since 2009. They opened for Alternative Press's AP Tour that year and have been touring ever since. In 2010 they payed Bamboozled Festival and Vans Warped Tour. 2001 consisted of the free OurZone Magazine tour in the UK and the Dirty Work Tour with All Time Low. They took a break from touring in 2012 only to pick up again in 2013 when they did another Vans Warped Tour. In 2014 they toured across the UK with Paradise Fears. (I would've killed to go to that tour!) They also did an acoustic tour to promote their "Legendary" album and played Vans Warped for the third time.

For not being very well known, they have accomplished a lot as a band. I'm proud to say that I am a Half Moon Kid. I love, love, love this band. Their sound is so unique that it always gives me goosebumps. If you're seriously looking for something new, you need to check them out! I almost forgot to mention that they are very entertaining people. Brain Logan Dales is extremely nice to look at and his personality will draw you in immediately. They personalities reflect in their music, which is probably why I love them so much. If you want to know what I'm talking about, I recommend listening to "Legendary" first. That is where the addiction starts! One listen and you'll be hooked. Good Luck! :)

The End of the World.... Tour Starring 5SOS

I am drowning in tears of emotion because my four young boys from Sydney Australia finished their first ever headlining world tour. I think I'm taking this harder than the end of their tours with One Direction. And that was the end of an era! It was two years of 5SOS and 1D. Now 5 Seconds of Summer are off on their own, headlining their own shows around the world. They went from filming in a bedroom with pink speakers, to playing gigs with 12 people, and ended up with a headlining world tour, playing to hundreds-sometimes thousands-of people every night.
If you don't know who 5SOS is, you're going to have to use this awesome thing called Google. I could go on forever over these boys. The basics I can handle. Despite their name, their are only 4 members. Luke Hemmings (guitar), Ashton Irwin (percussion), Calum Hood (bass), Michael Clifford (guitar). All four contribute vocals, but Luke is the front man. Ashton is the oldest at 21. The rest are 19. The band started out with just Luke, Calum, and Michael. Ashton joined shortly before their first gig. The band has released multiple EPs and two full length CDs. They have won plenty of awards in the short amount of time they've been in the spotlight. Most recently, they won MTVs Song of the Summer for the second year in a row. The first was because of their first single "She Looks So Perfect". This year the fuss was all about "She's Kinda Hot". The band has also started their own record company called "Hi or Hey Records". Also, they are punk-rock. Punk-pop is acceptable, but they are NOT a boy band.

As many people already know, they got a huge helping hand from One Direction when they were asked to open for them on their Take Me Home tour. They asked them to come back for parts of their Where We Are tour. So, yes, a good portion of their fan base are Directioners, but 5SOS still has a die-hard fandom that I'm proud to be a part of. The fans are what makes the band. The boys realize that. It's one of the reasons I love them so much. They know they owe everything to their fans and they give back everything they have. They are such down to earth amazing musicians. I honestly can't imagine my life without them in it. They have had a huge influence on me and the person that I am today. I have a lot to thank them for. They always tell their fans that they have a lot to thank us for, but really it's the least we could do.
I was lucky enough to attend one of their concerts for this tour, Rock Out With Your Socks Out. (Amazing name btw!) It was literally the best night of my life. The only time I have ever cried from joy was when my purchase went through for my tickets. The second time I cried because of happiness was when I saw the four of them walk out on to the stage in front of me. They put on the best show I have ever seen. They were bouncing all around, interacting with each other and the crowd, and they never missed a beat. They performed songs that haven't been released yet, their most popular ones, and for the ones that have been there since the beginning they played a few of their originals. They managed to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. The best part was that they didn't hold back and hide who they really are. They were on stage doing what they love and being their weird, funny, adorable selves. They have a special talent that not many people posses.
The best part is that they're using their talent to spread a message, to show support for people who are struggling. They are using their name and talent to raise their voices and shed some light on issues and people that get over-looked. Towards the end of the tour, they announced that they are releasing their second full length album "Sounds Good Feels Good". Along with that, they started a new age. The age of the New Broken Scene. It's something that their fans can get behind, support, and allows them to be themselves according to the band. How many people create something just so their fans feel like they belong to something important? Actually, to show them that they are a part of something important. So, not only was it the end of their first world tour (cue tears), it was the start of something new, exciting, and meaningful. I wish that these boys could've stayed my little secret, but I am overwhelmed with joy that they are making a name for themselves and doing something to make a difference. They deserve the world. They've come so far and learned so much, but we still don't know if it's hi or hey.

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.

Calibraska

"Hey it's that guy! Aren't you from vine?"

"Hell nah, I'm from Nebraska get your facts in line."

Two dudes with the same name came from Nebraska and are now killing it in LA. Jack and Jack are two teens from Nebraska, as I just said. Yes, they are well known from their Vines. They broke out in the music world in 2013-2014. They bring a whole new ingredient to pop and hip/hop music. The two of them have managed to mix the two genres perfectly! Don't believe me, check out their EP along with all of their other singles! I've touched on them before, but if you don't know who they are keep reading! :)

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson is the smaller of the Jacks with blonde hair. He is also known as the rapper of the group. A lot of people say that white boys can't rap. They obviously haven't heard Johnson. He spits fire! Honestly, I think that he raps faster than a lot of the rappers that are all over the airways now. However, that's not a very popular opinion, so I better watch myself. Many people say that they speed up the verses. They can't exactly do that live and Johnson still kills it every time.

Jack Gilinsky

Jack Gilinsky is the other Jack in the duo. My Lord is he a looker! Both of them are pretty fine, but DAMN! Gilinsky isn't much of a rapper. He's a lot better with the actual singing parts of their music. He harmonizes well with Johnson and is a master with echoes. He vocally dominates most of the choruses. Gilinsky has a wide vocal range which is impressive for someone his age and his build.
Calibraska is a perfect example of who they are as artists and what their story is. The first track in California, which is about them moving from Nebraska to California to follow their dreams and that they're never going home. Shallow Love doesn't need much explaining. The title itself does that. The third track on the EP is How We Livin' and basically describes how they are living their life now. The fourth and final track on their EP is Wrong One. Personally it's my favorite, right next to California that is. The last track is pretty chill and is a story about falling in love with the wrong person and how that can fuck with your life and emotions. My opinion on the EP is that it is fricking awesome and deserves a shit ton of credit.
Both of them are very talented vocalists and lyricist. On top of that, they also have great senses of humor. That's actually how they got started--by posting humorous videos on Vine. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that they dabble in dancing. Bottom line is that these guys are talented weather you like them or not. I don't see how anyone can hate them when they're both so kind and down to earth. Their songs are always personal to them and are written from their own pasts and stories. They use it to help and encourage their fans. Not many artists do that now-a-days. So mad respect for that.
Today, Johnson actually spoke up about that. He said that he realizes their music isn't strictly rap/hip or pop, but more of a mix and that they're influences by a lot of different artists as well as themselves. He says that they write music for themselves and for their fans. He has a love for lyricism and Jack & Jack are going to keep progressing in the music industry because it's one of their true passions. They're going to keep doing what they love whether "you rock with it or not. End of story". -Jack J.

Fandom Mania!

This month has been super crazy for anyone in a fandom. There was drama, tours, music releases, and celebrations. I've never been so overwhelmed with so much musical news. It seemed like no fandom was safe. Some of the trends on social media weren't even music related, but instead connected to Vine stars and the drama in their world. I love Vine and music, so this month has been completely mental. I'll start off with the drama and not so good news. I figure it will be nice to end this on a high note! 

First, I'm going to mention something/someone not music related. Carter Reynolds. If you haven't heard of him then you won't be reading this because you don't have access to the internet. Carter has been in the middle of an Oral Sex video leak followed by death threats which led Carter to have suicidal thoughts. It's impossible for anyone to state their opinion on this topic without offending someone. I am going to say that I feel for Carter. He doesn't deserve what he's been through and still dealing with. Everybody makes mistakes. He has apologized for his repeatedly and has been trying to make things better. This "sexual assault" on his girlfriend at the time was hardly a sexual assault. That's coming from someone who was been through over three of them. You can dislike Carter for what he did and said to Maggie (his ex-girlfriend), but sending him death threats and telling him to kill himself was and still is completely unnecessary. Maggie said that she was sent to the hospital under suicide watch, but yet she was posting videos of her dancing on Snapchat and staying active on other social media platforms. As I have stayed a couple days in an institute before, I can personally tell you that she was just winding people up. You are not allowed to have cells phones while there. If you are in the hospital, you would not be "whipping" around your room to entertain your Snapchat followers. This caused Carter to get more backlash and push him to the point of trying to commit suicide. People said he was faking and continued sending hate. If you did that, you are just as much of a low life as you think Carter is.

Kenny and Wes' first single together

Keaton performing with NGO live

The drama in the music industry isn't quite as serious as that. Taylor Swift and Nikki Minaj started a Twitter war over the VMAs music video of the year award. Honestly I couldn't care less because I'm not fond of either artist and I don't think either of them deserve to be nominated for the award. More important news for me would be the fact that the me members of Emblem3 have decided to work on separate projects. Wesley Stromberg has started a project called The Balcony with Kenny Holland. Keaton Stromberg has started his own band, "Never Getting Older", and they've already had their first live show together. (It was amazing by the way) The two say that Emblem3 is still together, but fans are starting to think that they are approaching the end. Just yesterday, a majority of the Emblems found out that Wesley and Kenny were moving to Washington together, Wes' hometown. Keaton remains in Cali along with Tyler Case as far as I know. Neither of them have spoken about the change. I'm waiting anxiously waiting on the edge of my seat for one of them to mention the future of Emblem3.

He'd be a good dad though!

Let's talk about Daddy Directioner now. And no, I'm not talking about Liam Payne.  Mr. Louis Tomlinson is rumored to be expecting a child. I don't want to touch on this subject too much either. Not because it's a touchy subject, but because it's as I said, a rumor. Neither the supposed mother Briana Jungwirth or Louis Tomlinson have spoken about the baby. Louis' band mates haven't said anything publicly either, however "sources" say that his bandmates are happy for them. An interviewer also asked the members of 5 Seconds of Summer what they thought of the baby news. All four them didn't have much to say because they didn't know much of it and Louis hadn't told them anything, but either way they are happy for Louis.

BYE and The Vamps having a night out

On to the happy news! I'll continue on about the biggest band on the planet. One Direction celebrated their 5 year anniversary together yesterday. 5 years of that band. Amazing. I'm going to start crying thinking about it. They have been through so much together and are obviously still going through a lot. It was heartbreaking to be celebrating the huge accomplishment without Zayn Malik, but the Directioner's still made the day a huge success.
Want some more music news? Before You Exit has joined The Vamps and The Tide for a tour. So many bromances are starting to form! On top of that, they signed on to their first real record label and released a single titled "Model". The band claims that it is the song they are proudest of and couldn't have imagined a better reaction from their fans. I personally believe that "Model" is a great song with an awesome message in it. At the moment it's one of my favorite songs. Two more of my favorite artists have released new music. Conor Maynard's single "Royalty" has been out for a while, but not available for download on American iTunes. Finally, it was released in America and I couldn't be happier. It's quite a tune. Check it out!
Last but not least, "She's Kinda Hot". I didn't think that I could fall more in love with 5 Seconds of Summer, but I was completely wrong. This song is literally my anthem. It's says everything that I've ever thought about society and my own life. They are one of the few bands that aren't afraid to go against the mainstream crap and the pattern everybody else set. This song is lyrically genius. A lot of people are overlooking the actual meaning behind the song. I find that sad because that's what makes the song so amazing. It's not the band going full on punk/pop rock or Ashton's kick ass vocal solo the whole fandom has been waiting for. It's the message in the lyrics.
So yeah! July has been epically hectic! I'll be ending it on a high note though with my 5 Seconds of Summer concert! Hopefully nothing too upsetting happens before then, but with fandoms like these, you never know what will happen next!

New Hollow

I'm a little late on writing this one. I've been a fan of this band for a while, but have never posted anything about them until now. If you haven't heard of New Hollow, I don't actually blame you. I would normally say that you've been living under a rock, but not in this case. New Hollow has been around for a while, 2010 to be exact. However, the group of three friends had been playing together since they were in elementary school. Their first single titled "SICK" was released in 2010 and promoted by the clothing store Justice. On Billboards Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart the single was able to beat out Katy Perry's "California Gurls" for the top single of the year. They also sang the National Anthem at the Thanksgiving Day football game between the Cowboys and the Saints. This was only the beginning for New Hollow. 

Chad, Evan, and Mookie

2011 was a major year for them. They became the first and only rock band in history to perform inside the Ohio State House. They also released their second single "Boyfriend". While it only peaked at #96 on the Hot 100 Chart, it climbed to number 1 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. "Boyfriend" defeated "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga for the number one spot on 2011 Singles Sales Chart. They released "Airplanes", a cover by B.o.B and Haylee Williams, as a single that same year. Just like the two singles before it, it was able to be named number one on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. They became the first unsigned band without radio play to have three singles be #1 on the charts. "SICK" and "Airplanes" finished #3 and #4, giving them three spots out of the top 5. 

The first time they got airplay was in 2013. This is when I heard them. Sirius XM was playing New Hollow's fourth single "She Ain't You" while I was on my way to school. The unique sound of Evan West's voice pulled me in immediately along with the rock sound and interesting lyrics. I fell in love with the song instantly. I loved the song, but the band didn't really interest me at that point. They didn't have their other singles available on iTunes, so I was only able to get my hands on "She Ain't You". "She Ain't You" won the award for "Breakthrough Song of 2013" beating out songs like "Say Something" and "Let Her Go". (I cried from pride while typing that...) 

The frontman Evan West. (Click to hear his amazing vocals)

I heard their newest song "Why Don't You Love Me" when I decided to creep on their iTunes page. Like before, I instantly fell in love with the song and had to buy it that second. There was just something about their sound, their vocals. I fell even harder for the band when I learned more about them. After I heard "Why Don't You Love Me" I decided to have a little stalking session. I went on all kinds of social media sites to learn about New Hollow. The first place I went was YouTube. Judging by their sound, I had figured that they were an older group, but I was way off. I was left speechless when I saw how young of a band they actually were. As I watched the video for "She Ain't You" I struggled to comprehend the fact that the voice I was hearing was coming from Evan West. It didn't match his looks at all and took me by total surprise. So, my love for them as individuals and as a group grew.

They've only had one song get massive airplay, but they have managed to dominate the Singles Sales Charts and show the world how much talent they had. Mookie Clouse and Evan West are both 19. The youngest of the band, their drummer--Chad Blashford-- is 18. That means that they were about 14 and 15 when they released their first few singles and 16 or 17 when they came out with "She Ain't You". Does they sound like they're that young? If you say yes, you definitely need some help. I consider myself a music expert, and I never would have thought they were that young. They are amazing, talented, and mature artists for their age. You don't hear of a rock band that consists of teenagers very often. Their different, young, talented, and simply amazing. They deserve to get a lot more notice and I mean A LOT! I've seriously never thought that an artist has been so over looked before, except for Paradise Fears maybe. 

Anyways, New Hollow isn't so new anymore, but they are still a young band with a shit ton of potential. You can tell that just by what they accomplished on their own, without a record label.They deserve to get some recognition in the music industry.