In the Stars

Since I went to the Miley concert at the beginning of the month, I have been a fan of Icona Pop.  I was never a huge fan but they were awesome live!

The Swedish electro house DJ duo was formed in 2009 by Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo.  The two went to a music school in Stockholm and met at a party and formed the duo.  Their most famous song was "I Love It."  the song was featured in various commercials, TV shows, and movies.

Last year the girls went on tour with Marina and the Diamonds for her Lonely Hearts Club Tour, and this year they tour with Miley Cyrus for her Bangerz World Tour and Katy Perry for her Prismatic World Tour.

My favorite song of theirs is "In The Stars," the sixth track off their 2013 album, This Is... Icona Pop.  Take a listen to the song.

[Source:  YouTube]

I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)

[Source:  YouTube]

All Night

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Battleships

Everyone go check out my friend Amelia's post about Daughtry's 2013 song "Battleships."  Her description of the song is extremely accurate!

http://playfulkitty9.tumblr.com/post/83831714002/this-song-was-a-surprise-lyrically-its-not-overly

You & I

I can't believe it has taken me a week to discuss One Direction's "You & I" music video.

It's amaZAYN, phenomeNIALL, BrilLIAM, fabuLOUIS, and extraordinHARRY.  Yes, I just did that.

The video takes place on a mile long pier with a pretty grey color scheme, although the five boys brighten up the screen with their gorgeous faces.

It starts with Niall, singing his solo.  Liam follows Niall, but instead of just having Liam come up on the screen, Ben Winston, being the excellent director that he is, morphs each member into the next.  Niall looks down and becomes Liam as he looks up.  Liam moves his hand down in front of his face and becomes Harry.  Harry turns around and becomes Zayn (this part gives me goosebumps because the music changes and I think it is the best morph done in the whole video).  Zayn turns to the side and becomes Louis.  And Louis places his hand directly in front of his face to go back to Harry.

But there has been a lot of talk that One Direction has "plagiarized" Australian company Oh Yeah Wow's "freeze frame effect," which they claim they created.

I think if anyone created the "freeze frame" it would be the J. Geils Band.

That's my sense of humor.

But really, the idea of freeze framing has been around for a long time.  Nice try!

Yes, plagiarism is an issue we need to watch out for these days since the creation of computers and the internet, but I don't think I see plagiarism here, I see this as imitation.  Isn't imitation the finest form of flattery?

Leave my Brits alone.

[Source:  YouTube]

Wild Wild Love

I first heard the Pitbull song "Wild Wild Love" on my way home from the Miley concert.  The song features girl group G.R.L.  Their voices sound amazing together, I'll put it that way.

G.R.L. is an American-British-Canadian girl group that consists of Emmalyn Estrada, Simone Battle, Paula Van Oppen, Lauren Bennett (former member of Robin Antin's Paradiso Girls and feature in LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem"), and Natasha Slayton.

Robin Antin, the creator of the group, originally put the girls together to be the new line-up of her 1995 creation the Pussycat Dolls after the previous members parted ways in 2010, but decided to just create a whole new group instead of replacing a previously successful one.

I love the way the girls sound in Pitbull's new single.

[Source:  YouTube]

Bitchcraft

When I was nine I was in love with Drake Bell.  Drake & Josh was a huge show where he co-starred with Josh Peck.  In the show Drake was in a band and loved music.  Drake sang "I Found a Way," the theme for the show, and later on throughout the show presented the audience with some other songs.  Being the huge fan I was, I had DVDs, CDs, magazines, and saw every single episode.  Call me devoted.

So Drake has released several albums in the past, but his debut album (and in my opinion his best) can no longer be found on iTunes, which is a little strange.  I am aware that because it was an independent album, they did run out of print and had to be re-released two years later, but just because that's what I read does not mean it's true.  The internet, in fact, is NOT always right.

That album, Telegraph (2005), featured:

1. Intro
2. Found a Way - the theme for Drake & Josh (can also be found on the Drake & Josh soundtrack)
3. Circles
4. Somehow
5. In the End
6. Don't Preach
7. Hollywood Girl - was featured in the TV movie Drake & Josh Go Hollywood (can also be found on the Drake & Josh soundtrack)
8. Golden Days
9. Down We Fall - was featured in the episode "Number One Fan" (can also be found on the Drake & Josh soundtrack)
10. The Backhouse
11. Highway to Nowhere - he performed this song on an episode of Zoey 101, another show created by Dan Schneider, the creator of The Amanda Show, iCarly, Drake & Josh, and other hit Nickelodeon TV shows (can also be found on the Drake & Josh soundtrack)
12. Telegraph

For those of you who watched iCarly, Drake can also be heard as a background singer behind Miranda Cosgrove (the star of iCarly who also played Drake and Josh's little sister in Drake & Josh) in the theme song for the show, "Leave It All To Me."

Drake and Josh also covered the song "Soul Man" for their episode "Blues Brothers."

[Source:  YouTube]

[Source:  YouTube]

[Source:  YouTube]

[Source:  YouTube]

[Source:  YouTube]

You may be wondering why I am bringing up the talented star.  It's because he has a new album Ready Steady Go! which is set to be released Tuesday, April 22nd.  One track has been released on iTunes thus far and it is called "Bitchcraft."  Being as though it has been years since he has released an album, you would think his sound would have changed a tiny bit.  It has.  You can tell he has really matured as a singer and songwriter, but he still sounds like Drake Bell, which is what I like.

I'm curious to hear what the rest of the album sound likes, so I plan on buying it during its first week of release.

Disconnected

I was listening to "Disconnected" by 5 Seconds of Summer from their recent EP She Looks So Perfect and I made an intellectual discovery.

The song sounds extremely similar to The 1975.

[Source:  YouTube]

Just listen to even the first five seconds.  Now listen to "Girls" by the 1975.

[Source:  YouTube]

The 1975 has a very distinct electric guitar sound that 5 Seconds of Summer displays in that song and that song only.

And coincidentally, both bands consist of four guys.  Hmm, some food for thought.

Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.

[Source:  Google]

I spent my day in Asbury Park, NJ, the topic of Bruce Springsteen's debut studio album.

The record was released on January 5, 1973 through Columbia.  It has nine tracks:

Side One:

1. Blinded by the Light*
2. Growin' Up
3. Mary Queen of Arkansas
4. Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
5. Lost in the Flood

Side Two:

1. The Angel
2. For You
3. Spirit in the Night*
4. It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City

*Singles

You would think the album would've sold thousands because, well, it's The Boss.  Actually, it only sold about 25,000 copies in the first year.

But despite the poor first year sales, the album was ranked by Rolling Stone as #379 on their list of 500 greatest albums of all time.  They also ranked it as 37 on their list of greatest debut albums.

His E Street Band consisted of Clarence Clemons (clapping, saxophone, vocals), Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez (clapping, drums, vocals), David Sancious (keyboard, organ, piano), Bruce Springsteen (acoustic guitar, bass guitar, clapping, congas, electric guitar, harmonica, keyboard, piano, vocals), and Garry Tallent (bass guitar).

Steven Van Zandt was the sound effect expert for "Lost in the Flood," Richard Davis played the upright double bass on "The Angel," and Harold Wheeler played the piano on "Blinded By the Light" and "Spirit in the Night."

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

This song by Bob Dylan was released on his 15th (yes, 15th) studio album Blood on the Tracks in 1975.

Surprisingly, I had never heard this song until last week when I went to the Miley concert, but I love it.  She first cover the song on the Bob Dylan tribute album Chimes of Freedom which was released in January 2012.

The album is four discs with a total of 73 tracks.  Singers, musicians, and bands on the album include, but are not limited to:  Johnny Cash, The Avett Brothers, Patti Smith, Pete Townshend, Ziggy Marley, Sting, The Gaslight Anthem, Lenny Kravitz, Miley Cyrus, Elvis Costello, Natasha Bedingfield, Jackson Browne, Jack's Mannequin, Adele, Carly Simon, Bad Religion, My Chemical Romance, RedOne, Nils Lofgren, Darren Criss, Sinéad O'Connor, Kesha, Maroon 5, Dave Matthews Band, and of course Bob Dylan.

The album was for charity with the proceeds going to the organization Amnesty International.  The record debuted in the United States at number 11 with 22,000 copies, while the 2-CD Starbucks version debuted at 38 with more than 10,200 copies sold.

[Source:  Google]

Miss Movin' On

I was in the car with my friend today and she played the song "Miss Movin' On" by Fifth Harmony.  I have to say, I was not a fan of Fifth Harmony at all...until I heard that song.

It's addicting.

The song was their debut single off their debut EP Better Together.  The EP is sold at Target stores and can be purchased through iTunes and Amazon.

The EP has five songs:

1. Don't Wanna Dance Alone
2. Miss Movin' On
3. Better Together
4. Who Are You
5. Leave My Heart Out of This

One bonus track if you purchase on iTunes, "Me & My Girls" (my personal favorite), and one bonus track if you purchase at Target called "One Wish."

[Source:  YouTube]

#GETITRIGHT

Yesterday was the Miley concert, which is why I didn't make it on here last night.  One word to describe it:  AMAZING!!!!

I saw the show at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.  Was it inappropriate?  A tad, yes.  The "F" word was said/sung several times, but the words are also in her songs so I went to the concert expecting that, but I also don't really care - I love her regardless of whether she says words like that or not.

She seemed a lot better than she did at her Boston show the previous night.  For those who are unaware, her dog Floyd died and she was devastated, as most people are when their pet dies.  But she put on a smile and still had an incredible show and thanked us all for being there for her.

Here was the set-list:

1. SMS (Bangerz)
2. 4x4
3. Love Money Party
4. My Darlin'
5. Maybe You're Right
6. FU
7. Do My Thang
8. #GETITRIGHT
9. Can't Be Tamed
10. Adore You
11. Drive
12. Rooting For My Baby
13. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (Bob Dylan cover)
14. Summertime Sadness (Lana Del Rey cover)
15. Jolene (Dolly Parton cover)
16. 23
17. On My Own
18. Someone Else

Encore:

1. We Can't Stop
2. Wrecking Ball

Encore 2:

1. Party in the U.S.A.

Here are some pictures from the concert:

Icona Pop

 We Can't Stop

Wrecking Ball

Party in the U.S.A.

Party in the U.S.A.

Party in the U.S.A.

Party in the U.S.A.

I wanted to upload the videos I took of "Summertime Sadness," "23," and "Wrecking Ball," but the videos were taking an extremely long time to upload so I'll post them on a later date, maybe one a day.

Heartache On The Big Screen

Photo:  Me!

I received this in the mail today!! :D It's 5 Seconds of Summer's new EP and first release in the US, She Looks So Perfect - EP (US Tour Edition) and that's why this artwork is different from the regular EP release.

The album is so good!  My favorite song is probably "Heartache On The Big Screen" (an outgoing song) with "The Only Reason" a close second.

You can purchase a physical copy of the album here with:

1. She Looks So Perfect
2. Heartache On The Big Screen
3. The Only Reason
4. Disconnected*

*Physical only

Or you can purchase it on iTunes with:

1. She Looks So Perfect
2. Heartache On The Big Screen
3. The Only Reason
4. What I Like About You*

*Digital only

As you may have guessed, "What I Like About You" is their cover of the 1979 hit by The Romantics.

I suggest you get a copy of this album especially if you are into the alternative genre.

My Best Friend

I made a mixtape for my best friend the other day.  Good news:  she loves it!!

1. I Woke Up In A Car - Something Corporate
2. My Best Friend - Weezer
3. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
4. I Miss You - Blink-182
5. Rock 'n' Roll High School - The Ramones
6. Ode to Sleep - twenty one pilots
7. Skin - BOY
8. Afraid - The Neighbourhood
9. Sex - The 1975
10. Brick By Boring Brick - Paramore
11. Miss Jackson (feat. Lolo) - Panic! at the Disco
12. 21 Guns - Green Day
13. Sugar, We're Goin Down - Fall Out Boy
14. Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin
15. Money - Pink Floyd
16. Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
17. Time of Your Life - Green Day