Alli's Articles
INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE PIECES, MUSICAL RAMBLINGS.
I discovered this week that doing a Vibe and Review takes a lot out of me. I tried to review TWO full length albums this week. I really tried with Hot Thoughts by Spoon and HWYKIYNT by Coin. But I have to analyze each song so hardly that it's too much and I procrastinated very intensely. It's the future AP English student in me. So, you guys deserve more, I'm sorry. Here's three very new Foster The People songs to tide you over.
Cover: It's just their name. And the name of the album. Nothing much to see here. I like the font and the color, though. Very good dark/light contrast. Pay The Man: Usually, when you think FTP, you think, chill, calm, Pumped Up Kicks-sound, right? Even on their latest album Supermodel, even if it was a more indie pop, still an easy listening to vibe, right? I feel like with this song, they want to change that. This song sounds like a dive into more fast-paced rock and a little bit of rap, and I'm happy for them for experimenting like this! The electronic inputs are on point as usual, and the vocals and lyrics are a little more intense than usual. This is a really nice change. I can see FTP are expanding their genre and it's working. Doing It For The Money: I have to admit, I was shocked when I heard the beat drop at the beginning to this song. So badass and TOTALLY out of their comfort zone. (Also, isn't that sound effect in the back from Yonkers by Tyler, The Creator? I might have to play these two at the same time...) This one sounded more like something you'd hear on z100. I really liked this song, but I have to say, I didn't LOVE it. There were a lot of electronic keyboard sounds and repetitive vocals that were reminiscent of The Chainsmokers, which is almost NEVER a good thing. Still, I stayed for the beat drop, Mark's vocals, and the Tyler sound. S.H.C.: (I felt smart and like a successful FTP fan because I actually knew what this stood for. It stand for a venue they played at in Mexico that said the words Sacred Hearts Club on the little display board thingy the night they played there. I knew that only because I stalk their Instagram too much.) This is probably my favorite song off of here. It sounds like it belongs on Supermodel and shows that even though they're trying to branch out with their sound a little, they're still always going to stick with their trademark sound and lyric content, which makes me happy. I'm so glad that they're not making the mistake of drifting too far away from their roots, which is what the fans always love. I was so psyched for these three measly songs, and they did not disappoint. I can already tell that longtime and newbie FTP fans will love this album. It doesn't matter if they only know Pumped Up Kicks or have studied their whole discography religiously. These three tracks give anyone a taste of FTP: who they are, what their sound is, and what they want their sound to evolve into. Can't wait to see the rest of the album, boys! MAY IS ALMOST HERE! Flowers, animals, and...finals and regents prep. Over the next two months I might not be as active as I usually am. Please don't get mad. It's not my fault New York is the only state who thought "Hey, what if, in addition to finals, we gave students EXTRA finals, and if they don't pass they don't graduate?" I really want to do well so please just know that I'm here, I exist, and this is only temporary. I will write if I have the time, energy, and inspiration to. Until next time, I'm Alli, and have a Moneylicious week!
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So tomorrow starts my school's summer uniform, so I'm officially in warm weather mode. Enjoy some of these new releases which would be good for cleaning everything really. Your room, your grades, your messy life. I mean that may just be what I'M cleaning, but for those of you who have your life in order, just clean your house, I guess. If your a 13 Reasons Why fan, you'll love this song. Why? Bro, this is Clay's band. I was not expecting this band to be this good, and I'm wondering why they aren't being played anywhere yet. This song is such a clean and energetic song, which makes it a great first release and makes me excited for what's to come from Dylan and his squad. Breathe in the smell of those Clorox wipes and blast it with the windows open. Ok, this is the second time I'm including Early Eyes in one of my posts. You may be like "OMG, Alli, stop obsessing over these guys, I've had enough!" Hahahah, no. If you thought their first song was good, just wait until you see this video. The graphics and the camerawork is just so...COOL! And the filter...and their CLOTHES! Boys, please tell me where you got all of your outfits. I'm serious. Every single note, lyric, and color in this song and video are perfectly placed and are sure to give you motivation to type that final essay fast. This isn't as new as the other two songs, but I know people are remembering these guys because of Coachella. I've been really into The xx recently, and I really think this new album of theirs is a lot more colorful than the other two. The lyrics are a lot more personal and I personally feel like I know them a lot better after listening to this album. This is a good pop-ballad to sing in the shower, or outside in your backyard, or in the middle of art class on the floor belting out the words...try it anywhere. While you're at it, watch the video and be jealous of how white Oliver Sim's teeth are. This last song is kind of a spoiler alert for the next Vibe and Review. Yep! I'm gonna be talking about the new COIN album, How Will You Know If You Never Try. This song makes you do the opposite of what it says, and that's all I can say. I would recommend trying to request this at whatever events you guys might have that includes a DJ.
I hope you guys enjoy these tracks. Have a springtastic week, y'all! Take a lot of pictures of cherry blossom trees, because they won't last long. *Sighs* ....Hippo Campus. Round Two. You know what they say: sometimes when you're too nervous to meet a band, there's possibly a chance that you might see them again when they're actually selling tickets where you can meet them without having to chase them down. I don't know what troubled individual besides myself has said that, but it's true in this case.
The school-part of this Tuesday was stressful, I almost fainted in health class because we were learning about periods and I'm not good with that stuff because if they're talking about pain I START to feel the pain even if it's not there and ok typing this out I sound like an insane person and I need to stop. So basically, almost fainted, still kind of felt on edge the rest of the day. When I got home I literally did that thing people do in cartoons where they spin and they get changed into different clothes. In under 20 minutes of getting home from school, we were back on the road to Philly. The ride wasn't bad at all. I was so excited when we got to Philly because I haven't been there since I was 7 but honestly, all that excitement went away when we got there. Philly, or at least the area where Union Transfer is, is SCARY, and ABANDONED. New York is a dirty city, but at least there's, like, LIVING PEOPLE everywhere. The people outside Union were vaping, and this guy who claimed he worked there knocked on our window and told us where to park but I'm pretty sure he didn't work there at all. We parked behind Liah, who was just as scared as I was. We considered turning back, but we didn't. We ate at this hipster place across the street called Llama Teeth. The food was good, but I was too stressed because we had to be back across the street to get to the V.I.P. area in like T-minus 5 seconds. People were lining up in front of the place all while we were eating, but it turned out we could skip them ALL because they weren't even V.I.P.! So ha, vapers. As soon as I walked into the quiet, peaceful lobby, all my stress went away. My hands were shaking all day so when I went up to buy some merch and take a pic with Julia (a.k.a. @joolabird, her Instagram which she's known for), I was a wreck. I picked up a patch. "I-I'll take this," I muttered as all of my money, my school I.D., and my entire life savings in coins fell out of my wallet. She was surprisingly chill about my life spilling on the table and didn't mind when my shaky-ass hands took a selfie of us. I miss her. After that, Hippo Campus, live and in stereo (yes, 13 Reasons Why reference), came out. And Zach ran into my mom. Like literally. She was right there. It was an iconic moment. We were second on line. Right as the people in front of us were finishing, Liah screamed. There. Was. A. GIANT, BUG. ON. MY. CARDIGAN. We collectively freaked out and all 10 people inside were staring at us. A guy that we made friends with behind us managed to swat it off of me. I was relaxed for a second, but then it was time. Even though I had nightmares about it going wrong the night before, meeting Hippo Campus was actually the chillest thing I've went through that day. We talked about a variety of topics. We told them about how we lowkey stalked them at Saint Motel and we all had a laugh about it as they tried to recall us. I got complimented on my Cardigan, I talked about how I'm from NYC but I couldn't come to the show there because of a Sweet Sixteen (that Friday, also best night of my life), our Panic! concert, annoying weed smells, and the blog! We gave them stickers! They signed our tickets, and even put Death Cab lyrics on mine ("the glove compartment is inaccurately named.") Julia took some fire pics, including the one featured. At this point, I was so happy. We got to enter the stage early, and we got BARRICADE. Magic City Hippies came on, and they ROCKED IT. I even got the setlist, and said thank you to the singer, Robby, who looked like an old teacher at my school who left last year ;'). The rest of the show was on fire. I got pushed back a little bit, but honestly I didn't care. There was this girl, a superfan, that was dancing like crazy next to me and knew ALL OF THE WORDS TO ALL OF THE SONGS. I was very impressed. I jammed with her. I kinda broke the rules. Jake told us mid-show to put our phones away, but I took one last pic during Violet, their encore. Come on. Zach was wearing this ridiculous beanie and it was iconic. I won't post it because I'm nice :). I was SO SAD when it ended, and when I woke up all I knew was that I met my dudes and I had a signed poster. So glad I took off from school that Wednesday. So, yeah. If I could tell October me that this all happened, I would. Never lose hope on the fact that your dreams may one day come true, kids <3 A member getting kicked out of a band. Most of the time, it's unpredictable, sad, and leaves you wondering what to do next.
These feelings happened to me very recently with a band I liked. It turns out the guy was a...huge jerk. And that's just being nice! Apparently the guy was being a jerk for many years and it was kept in the dark. I found myself not wanting to listen to any of their music at all because I would feel guilty, and honestly, uncomfortable. How do we, as a fanbase, learn to move on from traumatic events like these? I made up my own steps based on my own experiences. 1. Accept that it's not your fault, nor the other innocent members of the band. You may feel like anything that's associated with the band is cursed, and that's completely natural. Just know that the other band members did the right thing by making this decision. It was probably really difficult for them to do, but the fact that they went through with it shows their courage and their morals. Be proud of them. Also, you may feel bad for the person who got kicked out for a while. Especially if you ever talked to them/followed them on social media/thought they were a decent person at all. If they were really an a-hole, don't be! It's not your fault they were dumb and did dumb things! I'm seeing this as a lesson. If you do stupid things, even if you get away with them at first, it will always catch up to you. Always. 2. Take a Break from the Band for a Little While. Like I said earlier, I feel guilty and crappy whenever I listened to this band after this incident, so right now I'm taking a break from them. If you were really obsessed with the band that you're upset about, I suggest you do the same thing and find another band to get obsessed with for a while. Try not to listen to them or go on their social medias if you know that it's gonna make you upset. 3. Know That You're Not Alone. There are many other fans just like you that feel betrayed and tricked by this person. Maybe try to make friends with some. Discuss what you guys plan to do next. Just know that it's your job as fans to give support to the other members and to not give up hope on the whole band. If you're negative, that really doesn't help. Even if you really don't feel positive, giving positive feedback is better than being negative about everything because being negative back isn't going to change anything. Learning to move on from bad times with a positive attitude about the future can change everything. So there you go. It's going to be okay. I know most of us hate change, but hey, that's just life. Constant changing. It will get better and soon things will just be normal again. That's it for now. I hope you have a good week and just remember, Spring Break is literally around the corner. :) |