Alli's Articles
INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE PIECES, MUSICAL RAMBLINGS.
Sometimes random bands follow me on my Instagram, and I have no idea why. Maybe they just were scrolling through another bands followers and followed whoever, or maybe they genuinely thought I was a cool person and potential fan. A while ago, a band called The Assist followed me, so I just followed them back and thought nothing of it. Until a couple days ago, that is. I saw that they posted a teaser thing on their Instagram about a new video for their song, Wonderful, so I decided to head on over to Spotify to check them out. I was immediately attached to this video because the special effects aren't fancy or expensive. Most of the special effects in famous videos today are all over-the-top and crazy. The cute little drawings in this video are creative and have their own little personal touch and style to them. It's very simple in the best way and shows a normal crush that develops into a regular relationship. It's just a sweet song in general, not gross like a lot of the love songs of today's society are. Good job dudes, I really like this one! The first lyrics made me feel like my mind was being read from my last paragraph. It seems like these guys are about genuine love songs, not just kissing and being sexy and all that ew stuff. This is my favorite song by them, because I, like a lot of people, can relate to it. Being afraid to reveal our feelings to someone. This song just straight out says "DO IT, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T SPEAK YOUR MIND NOTHING'S EVER GONNA HAPPEN TO YOU!" This video also established their video style for me. Very cartoonish and fun, and most importantly, colorful. They're living in their own happy little world and I'm totally here for it. Also, I want one of those shirts but I'm completely broke. This video has a lot less colors, but I'm still cool with it. Also the whole firecracker (?) thing was really cool, and it fits the whole sound of the song, I feel. Love, light, a sudden burst of electricity. Anyone? I'm analyzing too much at this point.
In summary, I'm so happy that this band decided to follow me, because now I'm aware of all of their cool music. If you guys see this, hey. What's up. Yeah. You guys rule. And I wish the best for you! And if you're ever in New York for whatever reason you should totally play a show. Or three. ;)
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It's been a while since the last OOTW, and a lot of weeks have passed! This means that I have many bands that I've jumped in and out of this month. Two of those bands include Peter Bjorn and John and Foster The People. With PB&J, I always was on the brink of becoming obsessed with them. I kinda just was listening to Young Folks (we've all heard it at one point in our lives so I'm not even gonna link it), and I just decided "I need to listen to their whole discography." It's random decisions like that that are responsible for these obsessions most of the time. That's kind of like in life, too. Random decisions and acting out on them immediately. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but you never regret them.... Ok that's enough of me trying to be artsy and inspirational. Let's get started! You know this is my favorite song, because I pun-ified it in the title. I just love the songs lyrics. I translate the message of this song as "I may not be totally satisfied with my life now, but when I look back at the person I used to be, I'm my favorite self to exist so far." It's about being satisfied with your life and happy about everything that has happened to you that made you become the person you are. Also, Peter's cute. I could practically HEAR the groans that are happening right now. I'm sorry! Did you even READ my About The Author? PB&J are really chill guys. Like, the chillest Swedish guys I know. And I only know, like Pewdiepie. That should speak for itself. Anyway, instead of linking one specific interview, I'm just gonna tell you to watch all of them, plus Amoeba's What's In My Bag PB&J episode. For now, I leave you with their Strokes cover which may seem weird in the beginning, but it's amazing, trust me. Now we gotta move on! ***** I mean, who DOESN'T love Foster The People? People DID love them..back in 2011..and then they just dropped off of the face of the earth. Or so I thought. FTP was a band that always was there in my life, and I just never really deeply listened to them until now. I heard this song in 2014 on Pandora while I was down the shore. I was really sick in bed and it made me feel better. Then, I heard it again in the middle of a B&B store down the shore in 2015. I always associate it with late nights down the shore. I wonder where I'll hear it this summer. It will always make me cry. And be grateful for my friends, because I'm in friend love with them. Also, that high note. YEAAAAAAAAAAA. With FTP, there are so many wonderful songs that express the deep and creative talent for songwriting that these guys have. I mean, have you ever heard Ruby? But no. No. I choose to show this.
Liah and I have been arguing so much this past week. She thinks Mark Foster is, and I quote, "bland-looking." I can see where she's coming from, but I'm trying my best to defend his unique-ness. It's not working though. He looks like the exact stereotypical cute white indie singer that all the girls love. It doesn't help that that stereotype is true. Oh well. So I fall for the basic guys. What are you gonna do, you can't control your celeb crushes, no matter how hard you try. But, like this video shows, you CAN become chiller, with the help and support of Snoop Dogg. I hope you got a dose of what I've been up to these past two weeks, besides studying and practicing basketball. Yeah, that's right, I'm TRYIN' OUT FOR VARSITY NEXT YEAR. I'm scared crapless, but you only experience High School once, and it's something I've dreamed about forever. On top of ALL that, it's time. We're finally seeing and meeting Hippo Campus on Tuesday. After low-key stalking them as you recall in October, we're gonna do it. And probably tell them that story from Saint Motel. LOL. I'm staying home from school Wednesday, so I'll probably do the Concert Story then. Until then, see ya! Good luck with everything this week and always keep you head up! It's been a while. Sorry, life's been coming at me fast. Sweet Sixteens, dress shopping, my suddenly out of control social life, trying to get through sophomore year without jumping out of a window at least once...it's hard.
I always knew the name Shazam, but I never knew what it did. At the same time, every time I heard a song I liked in public I would try to remember at least one sentence from it, or took a video of it to research it when I get home. I kept this up for years until I was in a diner in Lake George with Liah, actually. Our Conversation (As Best As I Can Remember): Me: "Oh this song is playing is good" Liah: "Lemmie Shazam it" Me: "....Shazam??" Liah: "Yeah look it told me what song it is" Me: "...Oh my Gosh...." Liah: "And look it saves all of the songs you Shazam" Me: "Oh....MY GOSH!" Liah: "Alli..are you okay? You spilt your orange juice all over the floor and it stained your pants-" Me: *steps out of the booth and chants up and down the aisle while fist-pumping* "SHAZAM! SHAZAM!" Ok. Maybe not exactly like that, but my mind was walking up and down the aisle. Now, about three months after this discovery, I now Shazam everywhere. When I Find It Acceptable To Shazam: - When I hear a good song that I don't know - When I hear a song that I know, but not the name - Whenever I'm in the middle of a fun memory and I know that listening to that song will take me back to it - Shazaming in public is hard. Usually I have to go near a speaker and hold it up so it can correctly identify the song. This may include getting another person to help me hold it up. That one has gotten me looks in public. Or, the time I was in Outback and I kept on hearing so many Shazam-able songs so I just kept running to the bathroom because there were speakers in there. Or the time I was at a party so I had to stand in the corner holding my phone like I was a smoker taking a cigarette break so I could listen to the horrible country song later to revisit the fun time I just had. Even though I take the risk of looking like a doofus in the middle of JC Pennys, it's all worth it. My Shazams have introduced me to so many new bands, and I even made a mix of all of my wonderful Shazams that you can listen to here. I even have a list in my phone of where I heard all of the songs! Shazam has changed my life, and if you don't have it, get it NOW. You'll thank me. ;) |