Guest Blogger: Brandon M2

Best known by his stage name, Mac miller, an American rapper who’s born out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is also a record producer under some alias’s like Larry Fisherman, Larry Lovestein, Delusional Thomas, and The Velvet Revival. Early 2010 Mac signed a record deal with Rostrum Records, produced his first album Blue Slide Park, and it went on to debut on the US Billboard chart. It was the first independently distributed debut album to top the chart. Miller's first viral hits featured him rapping excitedly about middle-class comforts over classic instrumentals like "Nikes on My Feet" — currently at more than 36 million YouTube views, it was at the top of the charts for hip hop albums, Some emotions that are evoked from this song are just Mac Miller and his friends having the best shoes and the best clothes. Mac miller’s sound and his flow in his music is a lot like Wiz Khalifa, because all he does is rap about having the best everything. Cars, clothes, money, women, etc. Like when Miller says “..hit the shoe store, going to cop a few more.” This is memorable because when your shoes goes bad, you always have to go to store and get new shoes, or maybe even a couple of them. I disagree with this one critic, Dan Rys, he did a review about Mac Miller, and this other rapper, Lord Finesse because Miller supposedly took the whole soundtrack from Finesse’s song “Hip 2 Da Game” in which Finesse ended up sueing miller for $10 million dollars. I disagree, because in this world today, a lot of music has already been mad and it is hard to be original without getting sued. So that’s just a normal thing to do, remix a song and make it your own style. Mac Miller is worth our money and our time to listen to because you just have to listen to the music and the lyrics to understand how good of a rapper he is.

Guest Blogger: Clay 2

Piano legend and revolutionary singer/song writer Billy Joel dominated the top of music charts in the 1970’s through the 1990’s. Starting his career with his hit “Piano Man” in 1973 showing the world he was going to be a very cutting edge musician looking to get his point across. This song was about a young man playing piano in bar late on Saturday nights and seeing all different walks of life. This song was meant to narrate Billy’s life before his rise to fame. Although Billy was gaining popularity as one of the best in the industry writing everything from songs on politics and major world issues to love songs, there was still one he was compared to. This “piano man” went by the name of Sir Elton John, a creative music theory expert personally knighted by the queen of England. Elton’s began his career with his 1st of 50 to hit the top 40 charts in 1969, “Rocket man.” This song captures his ability to put together combinations of piano masterpieces and melodic vocals. “Rocket Man” was inspired by the sighting of a shooting star and was written about how astronauts were no longer seen as heroes but as an average occupation. Most of the time Billy and Elton were the best of friends, besides the decade they went without speaking due to differences in beliefs in the way you should live your life. But eventually Elton gave a standing ovation to Billy Joel on live television. Still they were constantly compared as who was a more revolutionary musician. Many critics agree that Billy’s talent as a musician tops Elton due to the fact that he writes his own lyrics, and his songs tell a story. Other critics fight back with the argument that Elton is superior by having a more symphonic and melodic piano sound and the diversity in his vocals. A good number of critics claim the two should not be compared. They say they appeal to different occasions: Billy writes songs to dance to and Elton writes beautiful pieces to simply appreciate.

Guest Blogger: Daniel 2

The Doors are a band that grew to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their music would be described by most as psychedelic rock with occasional blues influence. Many of their songs evoke a mysterious or even rebellious kind of feel with song lyrics that, at the time, were considered very lewd. Although many of their songs are about drugs or culturally taboo topics, a great number of their more popular songs had in depth social commentaries that really made people think and inspired people. One song that really stands out to me is the song “Riders on the Storm” this song is about how we are all just a small part of a very big and chaotic world and we are all just trying to make our way through the world one step at a time. This song is one of their most popular songs because it brought people together under the idea that everyone has their own problems and lifestyle, but in the end we’re all just trying to make it through life. Partially what makes The Doors so special is that they are unlike any of the other bands of the era. Many people may try to compare them to bands like Cream or Led Zeppelin, but while those bands really focused on having strong memorable melodies usually written in major keys, majority of The Doors songs had very mysterious melodies that gave the songs a dark and gloomy kind of sound. One of my favorite albums by the Doors is their 5th studio album, Morrison Hotel. At the time the album was not very well received by critics, and in Lester Bangs’ review written in 1970 for the Rolling Stone magazine he referred to the album as “a thyroid burst of manufactured energy worthy of a thousand mediocre groups”. But since that time the album has grown into one of the bands more popular albums with many lifelong fans claiming it as their favorite. The reason I love this album so much is because it has the typical Doors sound and adds an almost bluesy aspect to it. The song “Roadhouse Blues” is a perfect example of their different sound, instead of heavy organ and mysterious guitar parts it has a very memorable bass line and a more upbeat sound. The new sound coupled with the classic Jim Morrison lyrics and voice makes for a perfect song that has become one of the Doors most popular songs in their short time as a band.

Guest Blogger: Abdi 2

Christopher Maurice Brown is an American recording artist, dancer, and actor and has been known for his great songs, his smooth dancing and of course his “different” style of clothing. In 2005, a 16-year-old Chris Brown stormed the pop and R&B charts with his self-made debut album and smash hit "Run It!”. He racked up his fans and was known as a hit ever since then! Many fans compare Chris to Usher with his singing or Michael Jackson when he dances and I agree and disagree with the fans. I agree that Chris Brown is a splitting image of Usher when he was that age but Michael Jackson? No Jackson is a legend and Chris is not nearly as great of a dancer as MJ. Back to CB’s memorable song “Run it”. That song set rolling stone and Billboard critics and reviewers on a rampage stating “This kid is not an average teenager” or “Chris Brown is underrated and should be noticed as one of the best teenage singer and dancer of our era. I fully agree with the critics they definitely because compare to all the other teenage artist of that time they were all wanabee rappers and were not setting a positive trend for the fans to follow on. Like Music wise Chris inspires fans to start singing and states in his songs “Don’t Give Up”. “Run it” will always be a memorable song because it was the one song that started his career and set a positive trend for the fans! Another Memorable song is “Forever” sang by the one and only Chris Brown Himself. That song itself got all the female fans to fall in love with him. The critics exploded with amazing comments like “This is what we needed to see from Brown” to “This artist is a music sensation” and I agree with both these critics! Any album made by Chris Brown is worth it so get to buying those tracks now!!

Guest Blogger: Jill 2

The 1975 are a 4 piece English indie rock band that started back in 2012 and have only grown musically and popularity wise since then. The 1975 can be classified into many different genres of music, some being alternative rock, indie rock, and indie pop. Their self-named debut album, The 1975, was a hit and makes you feel very different emotions in every song. Pat Levy, in the article, The 1975, puts the overall feeling of the album into words, saying, “with The 1975, the Manchester group has crafted a skillful pop album that you can listen to while you stare out the window at some dreary weather or while you drive around with the top down, not an easy expanse to cover.” This is exactly what their songs make you feel. Their sound and their songs have been compared to many well-known artists from the past and present, Artic Monkey’s, Kings of Leon, and a Prince sort of vibe from some of their songs. Chloe Ravat talks about The 1975’s album, in the article Track by Track Review: The 1975, she talks about one of their songs M.O.N.E.Y., which she describes it as, “comprising more of the favored robotic-style harmonies, the track has a syncopated rhythm and eventually develops into a cool R’n’B style groove. It sounds like Prince in space. Awesome.” Because majority of their songs are mainly about girls along with other things, and even though their lyrics are poetic, it’s hard to find lyrics that are particularly memorable for me, but one is, get in the shower when it all goes wrong, this can speak to a lot of people in many different ways, it’s basically just saying to get in the shower and wash the bad day away. Most of the critics really enjoy the different type of music and songs The 1975 put out and compose, it’s different and refreshing. Chloe Ravat says, “For us, it’s one of the most impressive debut albums of 2013. Each track is unwaveringly good.” And also, “It will be interesting to see how they evolve and progress on forthcoming releases, but for now – The 1975's debut album is quite likely the best indie-pop record of the year.” And I can validate that, yes, The 1975 are definitely worth to be looked at.

Guest Blogger: Warda 2

Beyoncé Knowles is considered be the ultimate queen of the music industry. Although her music is a little bit of R&B mixed with new era pop people of different ages, ethnic backgrounds, and locations all unite together to enjoy her music. Her most recent album, Flawless, lives up to its namesake and completely blindsided her fans and the general public. Nobody knew that she was even in the workings of a song when on a chilly November morning suddenly a whole entire album was dropped. Her songs incorporated a lot of musical variety while still being in touch with what she’s known best for. The silky tone of “XO” to the soul rendering “Pretty Hurts”, Beyoncé takes it to a different level with Beyonce. Many other artists try to mimic her sound and her soulful croon, but somehow fall short. Her charisma and confidence are what her fans feed off of, and with this album she surpassed all expectations. One song that was particularly memorable on this album was “Pretty Hurts”. This song speaks about how society views the term pretty and what it means to be pretty. In one of the lines it says, “Mama said. “You’re a pretty girl, what’s in your head, it doesn’t matter”. This is how society is nowadays and unfortunately no matter how hard we try to change it, it all comes to down to the people. This song relates to anybody on any terms even if you’re not a female, because society does have a certain view for the male counterpart also. Critic Rob Sheffield states in the Rolling Stone review of Beyonce, “But only massive hubris could have made a feat like this album possible. And Beyoncé's hubris makes the world a better, more Beyoncé-like place”. I agree with him because not most stars could pull off writing 14 different songs and 17 videos without a leak and that’s why I think Beyoncé is the ultimate mega star in the music industry.

Guest Blogger: Nicole 2

Season 8 of the X Factor UK ended in two records being broken: first group to win the X Factor and first girl group to win the X Factor; and Little mix was just starting. About a year after their win on the X Factor UK, this quartet consisting of members Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall released their debut album, DNA, which debuted in America at number 4, higher than the Spice Girls’ debut at number 6, and became the highest debut by a British girl group on the Billboard charts. DNA hit its peak position at number 2 on the iTunes charts, but the album had 3 singles in the top 20: “Wings” peaking at number 1, “DNA” peaking at number 3, and “How Ya Doin’?” peaking at 16. Little Mix’s sound is best classified as R&B and pop and the debut album showcased that with “placid, feline production, tight harmonies and breezy beats” according to Al Fox in his BBC Music review of Little Mix. Little Mix’s DNA features dynamic R&B vocals, powerful ballads, drum beats, fast pace rap, girl power, and reminiscing about all they have accomplished and experienced on the X Factor. DNA’s eleventh track, “Going Nowhere” is an attitude heavy song which consists of Spanish guitar, beatboxing by Jesy Nelson, and a sassy rap from Leigh-Anne Pinnock. The song is laid out by the first line “Sick of you playing on that Xbox thing” and sets up the message of saying goodbye to a boy and relationship that’s “Going Nowhere”. Not all songs on the album are about relationships, however. “Always Be Together” represents the four girls’ friendship, “Change Your Life” reflects on how winning the X Factor affects their lives, and “We Are Who We Are” speaks to the fans with its empowering message of “We are who we are, who we are, pretty's just a pretty word”. In 2013, Little Mix released its sophomore album Salute which travelled to number 1 in the UK and number 4 in the US with its R&B sound. The album starts with “Salute”, a call to arms for women around the world with lyrics including “Divas, queens, we don't need no man, salute!” The song features a “Blitzkreig siren and fierce attitude on female empowerment” and is “primed for an arena tour intro” according to Lewis Corner in his article “Little Mix Salute album review: A razor-sharp record that makes a mark” on Digital Spy. Track eight, “About the Boy” features Perrie Edwards with a high note fit for opera, while track nine, “Boy”, showcases all of Little Mix’s vocals with a 54 second acapella to start the song. Little Mix has not forgotten their fans, however, as they include “Little Me”, a song empowering young girls and boys to love themselves with the powerful lyrics “You gotta speak up, you gotta shout out, and know that right here, right now, you can be beautiful, wonderful, anything you wanna be”. The ballad “Good Enough” is Little Mix fighting back against people that said Little Mix would not amount to anything. Little Mix’s new album is to be released soon and many critics are looking forward to it as am I. Surely I will buy it, and I believe you should as well because Little Mix is bound to have a well done production.

Guest Blogger: Marian 2

Former “Bubble Gum” pop star in the girl group The Stunners, is now the new critically acclaimed R&B “it” girl, and has dropped a ridiculous album , Aquarius, to forever rid the innocent persona of an innocent, young girl. Tinashe Kachingwe—or simply Tinashe—show’s off her mature side with hot artists such as ASAP Rocky in her song “Pretend” and DJ Mustard in the highly acclaimed “2 On”. But perhaps the young artist takes on a much more mature member in the R&B industry with her throwback 90’s style music in which she is being compared to Janet Jackson, Damito Jo, and the beloved Aaliyah. This resemblance feel and adulthood is richly seen in her first and previously mentioned song “2 On”. Looking at the song lyrically, the track entails someone who is ready to leave a previous life, and lead a new life. Tinashe herself confirmed the fact that it is a “turn up” or party song that lets her start a new chapter, considering she is now 21, and no longer a “stunner”. It is also has a 90’s touch with light, soft vocals—resembling Aaliyah's—and a slick overall performance. Overall, the song makes one feel "free" with it's unique track. While the song sounds very similar to a mixture of what we hear on the radio today and a 90's hit, "2 On" has people and critics buzzing with it's originality, and even similar to the rare 2005 song "We Be Burnin" by Sean Paul. As if it couldn't get any better, rapper Drake did his own version of the young star's song called "2 On/Thotful". On top of that, the catchy phrase "2 on" is running over the overused phrase "turn up". Like most critics I agree that the album itself is "a force to be reckon with", and very different in the sense of actually wanting to get up and move. With this, it is worth anyone's money and time to take a chance with tracks that are unconceivable to the mind and soul. Overall, Tinashe is doing well for an R&B rookie, and even better as an upcoming artist.

Guest Blogger: Amanda 2

Luke Bryan is a well-known country artist, who first hit fame in 2007 when he released his song “All My Friends Say”. In all of his albums, he includes different feels. For instance in his album called “Crash my Party”, he includes of variety of song types. He speeds things up when he plays “Crash My Party” or “That’s My Kind of Night”, but then slows it down with some girlfriend and drinking songs, such as “Drink a Beer”, or “Goodbye Girl”. Luke Bryan is like other country singers in the words of the songs, but what sets him apart is the sound of his voice. He has a certain “accent” you could call it. The way his voice sounds, makes him stick out from other country singers, and makes his music just that much better than others. The song that sticks out the most is “Drink a Beer”. It is memorable because of the emotion that’s included in it. It sets more of a sad and longing feeling, really involving the listener in the emotion it has. There was one review on one of his albums that wasn’t the best, and I completely disagree. The review didnt give Luke Bryan the credit he deserved in my opinion. It made his album seem as though it was just another plain album, instead of a unique set of songs. I think that Luke Bryan is an amazing artist and a growing sensation.

Guest Blogger: Daniel 1

The Grateful Dead is a band that grew to fame in the 1960s and was one of the most prolific bands of the “hippy era”. They were started in a neighborhood in San Francisco known for being the birthing grounds of psychedelic rock and the hippy movement. This neighborhood is known as Ashbury and Haight, many bands that played a key role in the hippy movement started here including Jimmy Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane. While Jimmy Hendrix is known for his intense guitar riffs and his rebellious lyrics, the Grateful Dead were more focused on peace and love and had more of a folk-rock type of sound. One thing that separated the Grateful Dead from many other musicians of the time was their fans. Grateful Dead fans, otherwise known as Dead-Heads, would follow the band all over the country going to every single show they put on. Dead-Heads continued to worship the band all the way up until the lead, Jerry Garcia, died in the early 90s and the band stopped touring. One of the Grateful Dead’s most well-known albums is American Beauty. This album features many of the Dead’s greatest hits such as: Sugar Magnolia, Truckin’ and Ripple. This album is very folksy and has a very up-beat “peace and love” feel to it, it’s the type of album that you listen to and just feel happy, even if the lyrics or the content of the song isn’t very happy. Even at the time the album was released it was highly regarded and one critic even said that it “was one for now and one for the kids in 20 years” (Zwerling). That quote was a perfect prediction, the album American Beauty is an album that has passed the test of time and will likely continue to be known as one of the greatest albums of the hippy era.

Guest Blogger: Clay 1

Van Halen - The legendary glam band that dominated through the 80’s and 90’s, became one of the biggest and most influential bands to ever exist. Vocalist David Lee Roth’s, Aka “Diamond Dave”, unique bluesy voice topped with high pitched screams along with Michael Anthony’s melodic harmonies and solid bass playing made it hard for any other bands to compete. The rest of the band was made up by the Van Halen brothers, Eddie and Alex. Eddie is arguably the one of the best guitar players to ever walk the earth and undoubtedly one of the most creative. He created one of the most unique guitar tones and revolutionized his finger tapping technique. One of Eddie’s defining moments was opening up their 1984 album with his epic guitar solo “Eruption. His brother Alex has been one of my biggest drum influences. Known for his ghost notes, double bass pedals, “off-beat” Rhythms, and last but not least his helicopter drum solo. These four set out to be a rebellious band singing about girls and partying, and succeeded. Together they dominated the music scene until 1987 when Dave left the band to fulfill his solo career. But the rest of the members continued on and invited fellow rocker Sammy Hagar to fill the spot as lead vocalist. Unlike most bands that fade out after losing a vocalist, Van Halen was able to keep most of their fans and add whole other dimension of popularity to their fame with Sammy. Although, kicking off their new line up with their hit “Right Now” showed that Van Halen may have a new theme. They brought more deep meanings and emotion to their music. Whether it was Dave or Sammy, Van Halen could always be compared to bands like Motley Crue who dominated the Sunset Strip and Guns N Roses who entered the scene later in the 80’s. But Van Halen always seemed to be on top of the food chain. Even at the end of their career, they topped the world’s largest concert at a total of 750,000 people at one single show. Ending their career with Sammy in about 1995, Van Halen returned later in 2010 reuniting with Diamond Dave but without Michael. Instead Michael was replaced with Eddie’s song, Wolfgang Van Halen. They advertised the coming of their newest album “A Different Kind of Truth” and it came out with a boom. Opinions from the critics range drastically. Reporting everything from “it being a huge success” to “they should have stuck with Sammy and Michael.” Although I think some bands should just know when to call it quits, I thought “A Different Kind of Truth” gave lots of older David Lee Roth Fans a chance to relive their teenage years. All in all, no matter what the lineup was Van Halen was revolutionary, and I would recommend any of their albums to anyone and everyone. Mainly, because they have talent and gives you a chance to get away from the “music” you hear these days.