BYE! (Before You Exit)

Before You Exit is one of my latest band discoveries. I got in to them over the summer of 2014 when I heard their song Dangerous. I loved it the first time I heard it. Like most people do when they find something they like, they look up the song and other things that pop up with on iTunes. I found a lot of great music by them. I blew quite a bit of money buying some of their songs. A lot of time was spent listening to the covers that the three brother band post on YouTube.
Before You Exit consists of brother Toby, Connor, and Riley McDonough. All three of them play guitar and vocals. Before you go calling them a boy band, make sure you have your facts straight. Since they all play their own instrument, write their own music, and don't do choreographed dance routines they are not a boy band! These three have an absurd amount of talent and a lot of gumption as well. They fearlessly post covers of the most popular songs on the radio. Many of the artists they cover have a strong verbal fan base that wouldn't think twice about hating on them if they performed a song wrong. They've also associated themselves with bands/people such as All Time Low, Cody Simpson, Allstar Weekend, Hollywood Ending, and Olly Murs. They most recently were named Macy's Rising Star and performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

They have been trying and succeeding to gain more and more popularity. They are a huge deal on Radio Disney, which has proven to actually help many stars rise to fame. Hello, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Zendaya. Do I need to say more? Along with their radio attention comes the media attention. Good looks must run in the family because they always seem to look perfect on the covers of teen magazines around the world.
The band formed in 2007 and has been going strong ever since. Connor is 21. Riley is 19, and Toby is 17. That means they were 14, 12, and 9 when the band formed. Toby of course was the last one to join the band. He had to develop enough musical skills before jumping into the band life. Can you imagine starting something so big that young? I think anyone that starts so young is amazingly talented and very brave. Since the band formed they have gone on several tours, released singles, and 3 EPs. The most successful EP being I Like That and the most popular single being Dangerous.
I am so impressed with how far this band is come in such a short amount of time. As soon as they got one break, they went soaring sky high. They haven't come down since they took off. Of course it took a lot of hard work to get where they are now. If you don't respect them for their music (which is mostly pop), you can at least respect them for the amount of time and effort they put forth to get where they are. It's not like it just happened to them over night. Plus, it happened when they were so young. They are still growing up. Toby is only 17 years old. He should still be going to high school every day and Riley should be going through the first amazing year of college. Instead, the three of them are spending all of their time together on the road, away from their family. They only have each other. Props to them as well for constantly being around their siblings and not killing each other yet. The three of them have only proved that the strongest bond is that of a family bond. These three are going to go far. I'm proud to be a fan of their music. Other people need to give them a chance. At least respect them for what they have accomplished.

Spencer Sutherland

This is the day and age to break in to the music scene by using the Internet. In my opinion, Spencer Sutherland will be the next big thing to come off of YouTube. He's got the personality, the looks, and most importantly the talent. His quickly building his fan base by posting covers of popular songs, like R-Kelly's "Ignition". He's also posted covers of "All About That Base", "Waves," "Bang Bang", "Fancy", "Talk Dirty", and "Chloe". One of his most popular videos was one that he stared in the with close friends Emblem3 in their cover of "Sugar". I wrote a whole blog about it previously. It's obvious he covers every genre. 

Not only does he have the talent, but he has the connections. As I just mentioned, he is friends with Keaton and Wesley Stromberg. I'm not saying that's what is going to get him places, but it certainly helps to be close with somebody that is in the business. Not only will they be able to give him pointers and help him along they way, but they can also help promote him. One simple tweet with his video attached can get the video thousands of views, giving it the possibility of being noticed. That's exactly what happened to 5 Seconds of Summer. They are now one of the most popular bands of the year. It all started with a single tweet from a One Direction member. Along with his friendship with Emblem3, he has shared the stage with Ariana Grande, MKTO, and Austin Mahone. So, he's already gotten his name out there. 

Spencer is a self taught musician as well. Nothing is more impressive than that. It takes a lot of time and talent to teach yourself to be a good singer and songwriter. He is 22 years old and has mastered the musical art of song writing. He is a co-writer on Emblem3's album Forever Together. Not only does that give him more exposure, but it shows off more of his talent. He released an EP, Unveiled, in January on Itunes. It consisted of four original songs. He has also released a single, "Nothing Can Hurt Me".  

Spencer  is not only a star in music though. He is a star in the modeling industry. He is signed with Ford Models New York. Yep, he can be one of the boys on your Hollister bag. He totally has the body for it. His cheek bone game is strong! Don't believe me? Maybe you should check out his Youtube channel or possibly go follow him on Twitter or Instagram? Sounds like a good idea to me. I believe we need to keep a close eye on this kid. He is going places. Someone with as much talent as him deserves to be recognized on a stage bigger than Youtube. 

Keaton Stromberg

Keaton Stromberg, a.k.a my future husband,  is a member of the outstanding duo Emblem3. He's the younger sibling to Wesley Stromberg. He's only 18 years old and has mastered many, many talents, including stealing the hearts of girls everywhere. This talented kid started playing instruments at the age of six. He can now do 7 different things related to music. He can play the guitar, bass, piano, drums, ukulele, trumpet, and he does amazing vocals. To top it all of, he is a God when it comes to song writing and audio engineering. He has always been involved in the song writing process just like Wesley and former band member and friend, Drew Chadwick. Since Emblem3 got dropped from their record label, Keaton has been doing all of the producing and engineering on his own. Major props need to be given to this kid!
Not only does Keaton focus on writing and producing for Emblem3, but he also constantly works for himself. I often wonder how he has any free time or if he ever gets enough sleep. He has produced many of his own amazing songs and posts them on SoundCloud and Youtube. One in particular he spent three years working on. 'The Simple Life' is now one of my favorite songs ever. I could listen to it for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. It was three years of hard work well spent. Other original songs include: You Will Not Be Forgotten, For You, To the Moon and Back, Reach for the Stars, Thought of Her, Do What You Love, and The Best of Me. I can't get enough of any of these songs! He plays the instruments, records the vocals, and then puts it all together all on his own. I can't imagine how much time and effort is put in to his stuff. He literally puts his everything in to his work. I believe that's what makes it so good. His heart and sole are obvious when he performs and records.
Not only does he put out his own work, but he does plenty of covers as well. His most recent was one that I was shocked to hear, but I still loved it. He did a cover for 'Talking Body' and posted it on SoundCloud. He's also done covers of Sweater Weather, Cardiac Arrest, Seaside, We're Going to be Friends, and Somewhere Only We Know. Of course, you can find others if you search the web. It just seems like there is nothing that this kid can't do.
Music isn't his only strong point though. Oh, no. Why would it be? The highlight to Keaton is his personality. For being as well liked and popular as he is at his age, he is very down to earth. He has a great sense of humor that few will fully understand, but everybody loves. He is shy and quiet, yet he can conquer the X-Factor, perform on TV, and in front of thousands with up-most confidence. He always has a positive attitude and spreads it wherever he goes. I've never once seen this kid say something pessimistic unless he was merely joking or it was simply the truth. He is an inspiration, someone to look up to.
My dream is to meet this kid. We have a lot in common and I'm sure we'd be great friends. I don't want to know him because he's famous. I want to know him because he's just such an amazing person. I've never heard of another like him and I don't think anyone ever will. He is one of a kind. He's 18 years old and it seems like he can do anything and everything! He's one of those people that make me wonder what I'm doing with my life. I NEED a Keaton in my life. I want TO BE Keaton. I've never met him, but he's stolen my heart. Love you Keater Pan!



-Please click the links to show Keaton some love! He really does deserve it! :)

The Star From Downunder!

Cody Simpson! This kid is amazing! His style of music changes all the time, but you can hear how closely related all of his music is at the same time. This 18 year old Australian singer has a humongous fanbase that spans across many different countries. If you say you haven't heard of him before, then you have been living under a rock. LIVE A LITTLE! Cody Simpson has been all over the place! He started his career on Youtube. That seems like a great place to start a career now-a-days. You're able to build a fanbase before  you even really have a career. It's pretty awesome.
Anyways, Cody put out an awesome first CD, but he didn't catch the eyes and ears of many Americans until his hit single "Pretty Brown Eyes". Let me tell you, this song is my shit! Every time I hear it I have to rock out. Not to mention it reminds me of summer and I also have brown eyes, so I like to pretend the song is about me. (JK!) After that he's made plenty of killer appearances on TV. He's been on So Random!, Good Morning America, Ellen, Ridiculousness, and Dancing with the Stars. He's also release more hit singles like "Surfboard" and his most recent "Flower". He has also been lucky enough to do a duet with the one and only Justin Bieber. I'm not a Justin fan, but I love their duet "Home to Mama".
Most of Cody's songs are chilled and relaxing. They usually involve instruments of some sort, including Cody's favorite--Guitar. The reason I love Cody so much isn't just because of his stunning good-looks and amazing personality. It's not his enchanting accent either. It's actually his musical talent. I decided to write this blog about him while I was listening to his song "Flower". I thought that it was Valentine's Day and it's a great love song. It's an all around great song anyways, but still. At first I didn't have much of an urge to listen to Cody's new song, but when I heard it, I wish that I had listened to it earlier. I love, love, love it!

I know I'll never be the apple of your eye

But I pick you a flower if you like

I know I'll never be the stars up in your sky

But I'll pick you a flower if you like

She loves me, she loves me not

She says she love me has she forgotten that she loves me

Love me one more time

I know I'll never be the apple of your eye

But I can pick you a flower if you like

'cause I meet you down by the end of the road

Where the sunset glows and the garden grows

I got one pair of shoes with 20 holes in the toes

And I would walk 20 miles just to get to those blue eyes

If you will smile for me to my surprise I would stay for a while to see what comes next

Or we could take off our clothes and have long conversations in french

That last line had me laughing at loud while still appreciating the greatness of the song! If you want to appreciate it in all of it's glory and get the humor in that line, then you're going to have to watch the video or listen to the actual song because it's how it's performed that makes it so funny! Anyways, check out Cody Simpson because he's a very talented kid. He deserves everything that he's working for! 

My Valentine's Day Playlist

These are my choices for Valentine's Day songs! Fair warning, I'm more of a fan of bands and music that isn't so popular, so some of these songs you've probably never heard of. I'm sure most of them are more romantic than anything that plays on the radio now anyways! If my boyfriend made me a CD or two with these songs on them, I would never let him go! Happy Valentine's Day!!! :) 

1) Last First Kiss- One Direction
2) Home to Mama (cover)- Emblem3
3) Little Things- One Direction
4) Soldier- Before You Exit
5) Shout About it- The Vamps
6) XO- Emblem3
7) You're Perfect- Jacob Whitesides
8) Heart Skips a Beat- Olly Murs
9) You & I- One Direction
10) They Don't Know About Us- One Direction
11) Somebody to You- The Vamps
12) Move My Way- The Vamps
13) Check Yes, Juliet- We The Kings
14) What Makes You Beautiful (Cover)- The 1975
15) Beside You- 5 Seconds of Summer
16) Wherever You Are- 5 Seconds of Summer
17) Long Way Home- 5 Seconds of Summer
18) Hung Up- Hot Chelle Rae
19) Words- Jacob Whitesides
20) 18- One Direction
21) Night Changes- One Direction
22) Fight For You- Josh Devine and Ollie Green
23) Monochrome- Kenny Holland
24) Forever Together- Emblem3
25) Obsessed- Emblem3
26) Illusion- One Direction
27) No Control- One Direction
28) Ride-  SoMo
29) Golden- The Vamps
30) Risk It All- The Vamps

Shawn Mendes: The breakout star of Vine

It may be odd for me to say this because he's only 16 years old, but I am in love with this kid! I mentioned two other popular viners, Jack and Jack in my last post. Now it's Shawn Mendes turn to shine! He is such a heartthrob, so adorable and sweet. There is no doubt that he will make your heart melt. He has a heart of gold and a great personality. The best part about this kid is his talent. He is the only vine star to actually fully break out from vine and into the music scene. He has already released a best selling EP on iTunes and is now releasing a full album. As soon as he announced that the album was available for pre-order, it sailed straight to the top, bumping down major artists like Taylor Swift.
Shawn started his career posting 6 second videos of him singing popular songs. Every once in a while an original would show up in his feed. He gained thousand of followers. He became a member of the Magcon family and also went on other tours as well. The more he put out, the bigger his fandom got. (That sentence sounds weird, but I don't feel like changing it.) Eventually he put Life of the Party. The song was a huge success. Everybody ate it up. Not only is he an amazing singer, but he is also instrumentally gifted. He can play the piano and the guitar. His song writing skills are pretty kick ass too. I can't believe I almost forgot to mention that.
His music is nothing like you hear on the radio now. It's all relaxing instruments and has an acoustic, chill vibe to it.
That's not the only type of track he can produce though and his most recent single "Something Big" proved just that.This song was wildly popular as well. It was even played in football commercials to promote the games for the week. I remember first hearing it play on the TV. I stood in silence staring at the TV until the commercial was over. Then I freaked out yelling that it was Shawn's song playing. My parents, who are used to my fangirling, shrugged their shoulders and went about their business. It was at the moment I realized just how big of a star Shawn was going to be. He wasn't going to be my little secret anymore.
Now he's releasing a very anticipated album. All of the songs are original and, so far, have reflected how independent of an artist he is. He likes to do things on his own and doesn't follow the crowd either. If you pre-order the album now, you'll automatically get a few downloads to get a preview of the record. I've loved the songs released so far and I cannot wait to hear the rest of the album. To me, the most impressive thing about Shawn Mendes' success is that fact that it all started at such a young age. He's 16 now. He was even younger when all of this started. Having such a great success story to share at his age is unbelievable.
I've learned a lot from this kid. Even though he is younger than me, I would say that he is a role model for me. Everyone can learn something from this talented teen. I learned that I need to start doing something with me life. Honestly, I haven't done much with mine. That's not all though and it's not nearly the most important thing either. Shawn has shown everyone that if you follow your dreams and believe enough that anything can happen. All you have to do is put a 6 second video of yourself on Vine and you'll shoot straight to the top. (Results will vary)
Congratulations to Shawn Mendes! I can't wait to hear your first album! It will definitely be worth the  listen.