Local Bands and Venues

In my very first post on here I talked a little bit about local bands.  In the last year or so I began to get really into local shows.  I meet a few kids at my high school who were in a band called Operation 13 and I loved to go see them play!  They play some older covers with some of their own original songs mixed in as well as some newer alternative hits. They always put on a great show when I’ve seen them and they look like they are always having a good time.  They have a show coming up this weekend on the 11^th in Carrolton if you’re interested go like them on Facebook to get the details.

                Another local band I have been following for a while is Forest Green.  A friend of mine showed me a song and immediately I was hooked.  The band has what it takes and everyone knew that right from their first show at Pop’s Skate Shop.  Just last weekend I went to hear the band at Counter Culture and I swear every time I like them more and more. 

                While at Forest Green’s show I experienced love at first sight when I heard The Backpacks play. I had heard they had a few good songs but I wasn’t prepared for what I heard.  It was like Fireworks were going off in the room even though I was just standing in front of a dimly lit stage.  They have a 2 original E.P.’s and they are even on Spotify. 

                I would just like to talk about how great Counter Culture is as a venue in Saginaw.  It just opened and if I was in a band I would love to play here! It’s in a good part of town and the sound is great.  The setting is small but intimate and the extra room is great for in between artist.  Love this place and I will definitely go back.

Grey's Anatomy The Musical?

So, I have been binge watching Grey’s Anatomy for a while now.  I just recently reached the “Musical” episode in season seven.  It’s called “The song beneath the song”.  This episode is a little bit different than the rest because the surgeons all are singing while doing their jobs at the hospital.  It’s a very strange episode to say the least. 

                It starts out with two main characters on the show getting into a terrible car crash and one of them ends up being ejected from the vehicle.  Callie Torres is fighting for her life as well as the life of her unborn baby.  But, this part is pretty normal for the show. It’s the singing that’s strange. 

                The show features Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol in the very beginning and ends with the whole cast singing How to Save a Life by The Fray.  In the middle a few characters sing songs that go with what is happening in the operating room and in other parts of the hospital.  One girl sings Breathe by Anna Nalick while she is trying to console the father of the unborn child.  Later on the cast comes together to sing How We Operate by Gomez which unites the group back together during their tough times.  

                Now, my summary sounds like it’s a pretty great episode, but it isn’t. The episode is annoying and uncalled for.  I was 5 episodes deep, feeling very emotionally vulnerable, and the writers threw this (in my opinion) TRASH at me.   These people are actors and actresses not singers.  They didn’t sign up for this show to preform sad songs in sterile clothing.  I was unimpressed by their pitchy notes.  A few had decent voices, like Callie and Miranda Bailey but others feel flat. 

                Those would include Owen, who sounded like a walrus with vocal damage and Meredith Grey who was given the smallest part and still managed to scar my ears with her high pitched screeching.  It was a hard episode to watch but I definitely couldn’t skip it because I had to know what was going to happen to Callie at the end of the episode.  In the end I persevered and made it to the next episode.  But I was deaf for a few days…

Tis the Season

Everyone has something that makes them the happiest.  Something that can dramatically change your mood.  In American slang I mean going 0 to 100 real quick because of this thing.   This is something that you embrace no matter what is going in your life or the time of year.  For me this would be Christmas, but more directly Christmas Music.

                Since I can remember, I have loved Christmas music.  It started when I was young at my grandparents’ house.  They had a little electronic Santa Clause that sang “Santa Clause is coming to Town.” My family would hit the button at least 20 times on Christmas Eve and it was magical every time.  I would dance and sing and in that moment everything was great.

                The first time I saw White Christmas I was in love.  That year I must have re-watched the show enough to be considered an expert.   The lead female’s voice was one of the best I had ever heard.  I would listen to the songs from the show throughout the whole year just to feel good.  I dreamed to be one of these girls, singing these songs and being idolized by young girls, like myself. 

                I have four copies of the Michael Buble Christmas Album stashed away both in my car and my room.  This is just in case I lose or scratch one.  I love the classics from Bing Crosby and the newer pop hits.  Even the Disney Channel hit from the Cheetah Girls, “This Christmas”.  I have five playlists on Spotify that contain my favorite seasonal songs.

                Now, I start listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween.  Why wait for Thanksgiving when I could embrace the Christmas spirit for a month long.  My family will yell and make fun of me for the whole year but I will never turn the Christmas music off.  And, I’m sorry but if Christmas music makes me happy then let me listen to it. 

List of my Favorite Christmas songs

·         It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

·         White Christmas

·         Jingle Bell Rock

·         Blue Christmas

·         All I Want for Christmas is You

·         I’ll Be Home For Christmas

New in Music

Recently, The Weeknd released their new album.  The album “Beauty Behind the Badness” places in the top 50 on Billboard’s top 100 list the first week it debuted.  It has a total of 12 songs with special guest including, Ed Sheeran, Labrinth, and Lana Del Rey.  My personal pick for this album is a tie between “Angel” and the Collaboration with Ed called “Dark Times”.  The album, similar to the first two, has a darker tone but is one of my favorites to fall asleep listening to.

Another new album that took number one on the charts for three weeks straight is “Sounds Good, Feels Good” from 5 Seconds of Summer.  The album really does sound good and makes you feel good.  The bands second album release sold more than three thousand albums worldwide.  They just announced their next world tour dates and many of the concerts including one at the Palace in Michigan, are already sold out.  The band has taken the world by storm after opening for One Direction during one of their world tours.  My pick for the album is “Castaway”.

Adele has finally came back to the music industry after her 6 years break.  Her long awaited single “Hello” was released and managed to get 27.7 million views in its first 24 hours.  This now hold the new VEVO record for most views in its first day.  Critics are raving that Adele has hit the mark and has what it takes to stay relevant in the music industry for a lifetime. 

The new One Direction album is set to drop on November 13^th.  The album will be the boy last before they take a much needed break from touring and making music.  The album Titled “Made in the A.M.” will feature 17 tracks.  Will the album actually come out on the 13^th or will it be leaked like the last 3 have?  We will have to wait and see.  They have recently put out a few single to keep fans happy and they have done extremely well.  Some might call them perfect (one of the songs titles is “Perfect”)

Randi D

Song Association

Have you ever heard a song and it takes you back to a moment in your life that seems so real.  This has happened to me from time to time and sometimes it’s the most amazing feeling.  This happened to me just last week.   

When I was younger and I would have to spend the night at my grandparents’ house I always dreaded the mornings.  It was great because my grandpa would make a big breakfast but I had to also suffer through four hours of Polka music.  Because my family is polish my grandparents listen and enjoy the music.  I would have to wake up to the annoying accordion sounds filling the whole house.  As a little girl in elementary school this was my worst nightmare.  Even worse, they would play the same song at the end of the ten o’clock hour.  Who Stole The Keeshka by the Matys Brothers.  This song was so repetitive and my grandpa would whistle at the same part every time it played.  I hated this song. 

Recently, my grandfather passed away and when we were planning his funeral my family all sat down and we tried to figure out what flowers were needed and what music to play.  We sat for hours racking our brains and then it came to me.  That dreaded Keeshka song.  He knew all the words and I knew he loved that song.  So we finally agreed that would be the song to play at the end.  Now whenever I hear this song I remember him dancing around the kitchen making me and my sister breakfast and most importantly him being happy.  

-Randi D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V4EkaCeTas

The Craze

The first thing that comes to mind when someone asks what the best day of my life so far has been is August 29^th 2015.  This was the day I would meet my future husband and he would first notice me.  The day Harry Styles pointed and blew a kiss to me.  While this is a bit dramatic, it really did happen.

I’ve been to three One Direction concerts and each of them represent a different stage in my addiction to the band.

The first concert was in July of 2013.  My best friends surprised me the day before the concert.  I hadn’t been to a concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills before so I had no idea what to expect.  While I like One Direction and knew all the songs off the album I wasn’t obsessed yet.  The three of us enjoyed the concert and that was the start of a long addiction.  After the concert we sat starring at the blank stage trying to process what we had just experienced.  This was my first dose and it was strong enough to get me hooked.

The second concert was in July of 2015.  A friend and I decided to get floor seats.  These would be the equivalent to a Grade A stash.  I was feeding my addiction.  But when my friend moved away my mom took the ticket and it was just the two of us.  The concert was exhilarating.  I was so close to the 5 boys and it was everything I had ever dreamed of.  I smiled through the whole concert and by the end my face hurt along with my strained calf muscles. This was as good as I thought it could get, But, I was wrong.

The third concert was in August of this past summer.  One of the member had left so it was now a four man group.  I was scared that maybe it wouldn’t be the same.  I had like usually gotten ready for the concert making sure my makeup was perfect in case I meet the boys, which was a long shot.  We got to Ford Field and I was ready for the time of my life.  I was a Rollercoaster of emotions.  We got to our seats and I cried.  The lights went off and I cried.  They came out on stage and I cried.  Then after the first song I pulled myself together and enjoyed the show, but by the forth song I was crying again.  Seventh song, still crying.  Once again I wiped my tears and I was ready.  And then they left the stage. That was it…..

ENCORE ENCORE ENCORE ENCORE

They run back out and play a few more songs.  The last song I’m so excited I am jumping up and down with a smile plastered to my face.  That when Harry Styles saw me and the rest is history. 

My family makes fun of my obsession with the band and I’m sure some people think I’m crazy or immature but I’m okay with that.  I could be addicted to many worse things than One Direction.

It’s Halloween! Drop me a scary beat.

                Halloween music can either but fun or scary.  I prefer fun because I don’t want to be listening to it in my room and getting scared.  But through the years new artist came along and changed the game. 

                First off, I’m going to start with my all-time favorite Halloween song, Ghostbuster.  My love for Bill Murray has also been a biased for my love for this song.  Because the song is so catchy everyone knows the words and who to call.  Obviously Ghostbuster!  The song taught us a life lesson and also gave listeners another more up-beat festive song.

                Spooky Scary Skeletons is one of the oldest Halloween songs I know of.  It started as just a song in a Disney cartoon short back in 1929 but the song was catchy and for some became a favorite.  The cartoon depicts dancing skeletons in a grave yard and was played for years on TV.  A little later down the road Dr. Seuss brought to the table a dark musical called Halloween is Grinch Night.  The 1977 show didn’t quit make a hit with audiences and was never aired after the first year.

                One Halloween Movie musical which has been popular since its release in 1993 is Nightmare before Christmas.  The movie has 21 songs throughout and in my house everyone knows the words to them all.  In the year 2008 the songs were remade by popular alternative artist.  They include Marilyn Manson, Korn, All American Rejects, and Amy Lee from Evanescence as well as many other artists.  The recent album as well as the original motion picture album are both in the top 5 Halloween albums of all time.

                Rock and Roll music also plays a large roll in Halloween music.  Some songs arnt considered to be only Halloween songs because of the genera tho.  Rob Zombies directing and music making are both known for their creepy and gruesome tone.  Alice Coopers song “He’s Back” was feature in “Friday the 13^th: Jason’s back” movie and became an anthem for Halloween at the time.  Alice Cooper is one of the faces of Halloween.  Some would say he is to Halloween what Santa is to Christmas.  Iggy Pop’s song “Why was I born” was also featured in “Freddy’s dead: the Final Nightmare” and sparked popularity to the not so popular song.  A few other memorable mentions of artist who had songs feature in Horror Movies are The Ramones, J. Geils Band, Donavan, and David Bowe.

                Halloween Rocks.

Music and Movies

                As the girl tip toes down the hallway to try and hid from the killer the music in the background gets louder and louder and louder.  Suddenly, the murderer jumps out and the organ music is so bone chilling that it causes Goosebumps to raise on your arm.  Had the music not been playing in the background the audience wouldn’t have been as scared.  The music can make or break a movie.  The same goes for a sad “Chick Flick” movie.  When the main character breaks down by the end of the movie there is always a scene where the other noises are drowned out by the depressing melodies and everything seems to be moving in slow motion.  Once again the effects would not be the same if you had just heard the sobs of the character.  While we obviously experiencing a film through sight, we are also experiencing it through our ears. In today’s day and age music in movies has come a long way and can affect the audience more than words. 

                Before all the fancy movie equipment came along and there was no speaking in movies.  Music told the story along with slides to help describe what was happening.  Later in the 50’s producers decided music wasn’t needed for a good movie and for a short period many movies had no background music.  Audiences were confused and many movies feel flat at the cinemas.  People said the movies seemed life-less and boring.  Music was quickly brought back and movies now incorporate both score and soundtracks.

                Some of the most famous soundtracks include Saturday Night Fever, This is Spinal Tap, and Pulp Fiction.  But other movies like HELP or Rock in Roll High School actually had soundtracks made before the movie was written because the movie revolved around the music.  One of my personal favorites is the Fault in Our Stars soundtrack.  Since it is already one of my favorite movies I also love the song within it.  From the combination of watching the movie so many times and listening to all the songs so often I actually can tell you exactly where each of the songs are featured at in the movie.  A soundtrack like this has the ability to tell the story without having to see it.  You know that the tone is gloomy in some parts but also loving and hopeful in others. 

Beautiful film music can be made relevant to any period. -A. R. Rahman

The Concert Experience

Anticipation is building with every second as the crowd chants.  Excitement is practically spilling out of your body as you wait for the band to enter the stage.  You’ve been waiting for this moment since you bought the tickets 6 months ago.  From the first strike of the drums and the strum of the guitar you can feel the sound waves travel through your bones.  Tomorrow you might not be able to hear but this thought doesn’t even cross your mind because you are too busy enjoying the band you love.

                Concerts are one of my favorite ways to spend my time, because music is such a huge part of my life.  This past summer I went to see Fall Out Boy, Wiz Khalifa, Hoddie Allen, Plain White T’s, 5 Seconds of Summer, and One Direction.  While I love to just listen to music at my house from albums it’s so much better to hear it live.  The first concert that I remember going to was a Paul McCartney concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills with both my parents and my sister.  I can’t tell you what song was my favorite or how crazy the arena got when he came out on stage but I remember looking at both my parents face when that happened.  They lit up and I knew that this was definitely something to remember. Even at my young age I knew that the moment a concert starts was a magical one.

                To be able to see the artist’s enthusiasm or lack of, gives you a sense of who they are.  When you go to a concert and the artist is jumping around and creates an amazing show for the audience you know they really care about what they’re doing.  You can see tell if they really love the music they are making and you can see how much they love their fans. 

                The atmosphere at a concert is so fast pace that sometimes it seems like the show lasted 5 minutes even if it was 2 hours.  But, in my experiences, those were close to the best 5 minutes of my life.  To think that almost every other person in the venue is there because they love the band or artist just as much as you do or maybe more is crazy.  You could look at the person next to you and even though they are a complete stranger you have a connection. 

                But after a concert it’s not as great.  There’s this thing called Post Concert Depression and while it sounds made up it is very real.  The infected may experience moments of deep sadness followed by long hours of watching YouTube videos to try and relive the experience.  They may also cry unexpectedly at things that make them remember the best night of their lives and may show signs of hearing loose due to the decibel levels during concert.  This will fade but if I’m being honest I’ve had this after almost all of the concerts I want to this year and last.  It is not fun.

                

Why Listen To Music?

In my opinion music is the best motivator when working out.  When I go out for a run, (doesn’t happen very often) the best way for me to stick with is to listen to the most up-beat music I have.  The music acts as a distraction and I end up forgetting about how out of breath I am and instead focusing on the lyrics to one of the many One Direction song I have on my iPod.  Because the music is up-beat the brains biochemical stress relievers are triggered your body is forced to relax the muscles in your body.  This will also help you stay loose and not get cramps.

While on your way to work you hear your favorite song on the radio. By the end of the song your mood has been dramatically increased and you’re ready for whatever your boss has to throw at you when you arrive.  This isn’t just because you like the beats in the song or even the uplifting lyrics it has.  It’s because when you hear that song your body releases more Dopamine and the reward center in your brain lights up like a Christmas tree.  Hearing your favorite song will also help you to relax and feel at ease.  This might even help your road rage.

            Listening to music can also help reduce physical pain.  Doctors now are telling patients to listen to music the evening before they undergo any surgery where the patient will go under Anastasia.  This is because they were able to prove that patients that do this will ultimately use less pain medicine after the procedure.  They still aren’t sure why this is happens but many theorize that is has to deal with the Dopamine levels in the body.

             I recently stumbled upon a developing therapy approach called Music Therapy.  It is used to help kids with special needs, in cancer centers, and even drug recovery centers.  They have used the music therapy to even help people develop motor skills after car accidents.  In just the past few years it has been proven music therapy has helped people cope and even overcome illnesses better than conventional therapy’s.

            It doesn’t matter what type of music you listen to but it’s most definitely a big benefit to your health to listen to more of it.  Music is also one of the least expensive ways to improve your mental and physical health and is quite convenient.  Now I have an excuse to blare my music.

There are places I remember all my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better, some have gone and some remain.

“There are places I remember all my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better, some have gone and some remain.”  This is a quote from one of my favorite songs by this band.  This band’s first album stayed number 1 on the U.K. charts for 31 weeks until it was replaced by their next album.  This band is arguable, the most influential band to rock the music world.  They would be the Beatles.   

                I’ve been listening to The Beatles since I was born.  I have memorized almost all of the bands lyrics and own everything from their albums to mugs, movies, and shirts.  This band hasn’t just made a huge impact on the music industry but my life.

                I could spill the facts of how many number one albums the band created but that doesn’t even begin to show the change they made to music.  Their rugged (at the time) and long haired look was so different from everything that was going on at the time.  Parents didn’t understand the attraction but the younger crowd was intrigued.  Girls would flock to see the 4 boys play and they began to take over the air waves.  Their sounds was something people had never heard of but they wanted more. 

                The Beatles began to take over the world.  They would be chased on the streets and on some occasions were even grabbed and scratched by girls.  When you watch clips of the band playing you see young girls screaming and some fainting because they got to see the band in concert!  One fan even went as far as climbing a ladder to the second story and climbing through a bathroom window just to meet the boys.  This was their inspiration for the 1969 song “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”.  This craze spread all around the world, from The U.K. to America even to China.

                The band used inspirations from all different genres to create a new sound.  They channeled inspirations from Reggae, Jazz, Country, Blues, Rock, and even Psychedelics.  Now many bands use the Beatles sounds and inspiration in their own work. 

                This band had 21 Number singles in the United States alone.  They were constantly working on new sounds and perfecting albums in the recording studio.  They created a standard of work for other artist to match at the time and nobody came close to beating them.  The drive these 4 men had were part of the reason for their popularity. People never knew what would be next for them. 

                John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Star created something that still to this day is the most influential music career to walk the earth.  Beatle mania took the world by storm and even today it’s hard to find a person who doesn’t know who they were. 

                

The Importance of Music

No matter what mood you’re in, there’s a song for you.  Maybe you’re sad because your significant other broke up with you or maybe you’re nervous for a big presentation.  Whatever it is, someone has wrote a song about it that you can connect with to make yourself feel a little better.  In my case that’s how I’ve gotten to the point I am now and why I am devoting this whole blog to music.

                My obsession with music started when I was born into a family that revolved around it.  My dad is the lead singer for a band here in Saginaw called Sinister Footwear.  With this being said I was destine to love rock music.  It was normal as a child to listen to the Revolver album on the way up north or to go see Alice Cooper at some concert venue with my parents.  As I got older I began to explore different genres of music other than rock.  I am proud to say my music taste includes things from The Who to One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer to Blink 182 and even extends to a few local bands like Forest Green and Operation 13.  It shouldn’t matter the Genre of music but the Quality of the message and the amount of work put in.

My sister has always been about facts.  She will be able to remember the exact date an album came out or how many number one singles a band had. But to me music is about what the person’s message is.  It’s always been about what lyrics and the feeling of the melody.  Someone poured their feelings and heart into something. My favorite thing about music is being able to feel the devotion others put into it.  If I have the ability to connect with what is being compelled by the writer then they really have reached success.

Music is one of the only things in life that is constant and reliable.  The dependence people place upon music is so heavy that it acts as almost a psychiatrist.   There is a song that you can connect with in any thing you’re feeling so inevitably you’re reminded that someone else went through the same thing.   To be able to connect with someone without even talking to them is such an important thing and that’s what keeps people hooked.  Music creates a momentary escape from problems in the world and sometimes that’s really all we need.