Anna Sun

"Anna Sun" by WALK THE MOON is probably one of my favorite songs at the moment, along with "Just A Little Bit of Your Heart" by Ariana Grande (I'll talk about her song another day).

Originating in Cincinatti, Ohio, this indie pop group supposedly got their name from "Walking on the Moon," a song by The Police.

The band consists of Nicholas Petricca (lead vocals, keys, synthesizer), Kevin Ray (bass, vocals), Sean Waugaman (drums, vocals), Eli Maiman (guitar, vocals).

While "Anna Sun" was originally released in their debut independent record, I Want!  I Want!, it was re-released on their self-titled record, Walk the Moon, through RCA.

Their sound reminds me of Hunter Hunted, one of the bands that opened for twenty one pilots back in April.  I just think WALK THE MOON is a little more advanced lyrically.

Be-Bop-A-Lula

Listen to this song and I guarantee you will immediately think of Elvis Presley.

Well, good job, you're wrong.

It's actually rock and roll and rockabilly group, Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps.  Gene Vincent (born Vincent Eugene Craddock) was in the U.S. Navy, hence the name "Blue Caps."

It has been said that the song was started in 1955 while Vincent was in the U.S. Navy hospital due to a motorcycle accident.  The song was released in 1956 and peaked at number seven on the Billboard pop chart.

The song went on to be covered by artists such as David Cassidy and Queen.

[Source:  YouTube]

Puttin' on the Ritz

One of my favorite scenes in movie history would have to be in the 1974 hit Young Frankenstein when Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and "The Creature" (Peter Boyle) perform "Puttin' on the Ritz."

The scene is comical and seems to lighten up your mood.

[Source:  YouTube]

Bohemian Rhapsody

I am really surprised I have neglected to post about this song.  This is, hands down, one of the best songs ever.

The whole five minutes and 55 seconds was written by Freddie Mercury for their 1975 album A Night at the Opera.  While the song held the number-one spot for weeks in the UK, the song would make more appearances in that same position in 1991 immediately following Mercury's death.

It's hard to figure out the best parts of the song.  The harmonies?  The story?  The composition?

"I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all."

"I'm just a poor boy."

"Nobody loves me."

"Nothing really matters."

Nothing really matters.  I mean, the song is pretty depressing when you listen to it.

"Mama, ooh / Didn't mean to make you cry / If I'm not back again this time tomorrow / Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters."

Nothing really matters.  Continue life as you normally would.  Don't let this get in the way of you living your life.  Nothing matters - I don't matter.

You can also interpret this song as being the story of Mercury's life according to himself.  He supposedly felt he wasn't special and that he didn't matter.  But I don't know if that's true.

[Source:  YouTube]

All About You

So, Hilary Duff is back in the music game.  It's been seven years, which means she is seven years older, now 26.  Her new music says otherwise, though.

I loved Hilary Duff.  I grew up in love with her Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire, so I also listened to her music, especially that from her 2003 album, Metamorphosis.  But, I feel your music should grow with you.  We see it all the time with artists.  Miley Cyrus, for example, has matured her sound so much.  Her life changed and so did what she produced in the studio.

Unfortunately with Hilary, her music still sounds like she's seventeen.  I think her comeback single "Chasing the Sun" was missing what we all expected.  When you go for comeback, you need to do something bigger and better than you ever did before - that's how your followers come back.

"Chasing the Sun" is basically that song you skip over on every album.

"All About You," however, was just released today (fourteen days after "Chasing the Sun") and is better.  I think this one should have been released as the "comeback."

My only issue, though, is that the lyrics are indeed good, but I don't want to hear them from a 26-year-old mother.  While this matter would not prevent me from purchasing the single, I just think it's kind of an inappropriate song for her to sing.

I think it's pretty good song, though.  Have a listen.

[Source:  YouTube]

Run Joey Run

I was just listening to the Glee version of this 1975 song by David Geddes.  It's such a deep and depressing song.

The song is about a girl, Julie, who becomes pregnant with her boyfriend's (Joey) baby.  She tells her father but and explains "Daddy please don't / It wasn't his fault / He means so much to me / Daddy please don't / We're gonna get married / Just you wait and see," which is sung at the beginning and middle of the song.

Joey starts singing, saying that the events that occurred that day still haunt him when he tries to sleep at night.  The night of the incident, Julie called and said, "'Joe, don't come over / My Dad and I just had a fight / And he stormed out the door! / I've never seen him act this way, / My God, he's goin' crazy / He said he's gonna make you pay / For what we done - he's got a gun! / So run, Joey run, Joey run!'"

He got in his car and drove to her house.  He saw Julie with bruises on her face and then her father sneaks up behind.  Julie yells, "Watch out!" and she steps in front of him, taking the bullet.

Julie, lying there, says, "Daddy please don't / It wasn't his fault / He means so much to me / Daddy please don't / We're gonna get married."  She never gets a chance to say the final five words.

[Source: YouTube]

Better Than Words

I have been a fan of One Direction for two and a half years and was never able to get a hold of tickets for any concert.  But that finally changed when tickets for their Where We Are Tour went on sale back in December.  After losing so many sets of tickets, my dad was finally able to get four tickets to see One Direction at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Now, I'm not used to nose bleed seats.  Every concert I have ever been to I have been close.  For example, I was fourth row to see Bryan Adams, 15 feet from Justin Bieber, and 20 feet from the Jonas Brothers.  I guess you could say my dad spoils me.

That was unfortunately not the case last night.  We were section 335, row 24 - there were 26 rows in section 335.

But that didn't stop me from going crazy.

5 Seconds of Summer opened for the boys and they were great.  They also went on at like 7:00 on the dot.

1. Eighteen
2. Heartbreak Girl
3. Don't Stop
4. Teenage Dream (Katy Perry cover)
5. Amnesia
6. Beside You
7. What I Like About You (Romantics cover)
8. Good Girls
9. She Looks So Perfect

I actually lost my voice before One Direction even went on stage from screaming so much during 5SOS' performance.

 Calum

Ashton

Ashton talking...to me

I also spent $75 on merchandise.  I bought a 5 Seconds of Summer shirt and a One Direction tour shirt.

 Front

Back

Okay, Harry looks absolutely fabulous in the big picture on the shirt... not that he ever looks bad, because he doesn't.  I'm just saying.

And now for the main event.

One Direction was, like their song, "Better Than Words."

Now, you're going to think I'm insane because there is no way you already thought that of me.  When One Direction came out at the beginning of the show, when I saw Harry, my legs started shaking, I started crying, and I was hyperventilating.  It got to the point where my friend kept asking if I was okay.

They performed nineteen songs:

1. Midnight Memories (Midnight Memories)
2. Little Black Dress (Midnight Memories)
3. Kiss You (Take Me Home)
4. Why Don't We Go There? (Midnight Memories)
5. Rock Me (Take Me Home)
6. Don't Forget Where You Belong (Midnight Memories)
7. Live While We're Young (Take Me Home)
8. C'mon, C'mon (Take Me Home)
9. Right Now (Midnight Memories)
10. Through the Dark (Midnight Memories)
11. Happily (Midnight Memories)
12. Little Things (Take Me Home)
13. Moments (Up All Night)
14. Strong (Midnight Memories)
15. Better Than Words (Midnight Memories)
16. Alive (Midnight Memories)
17. One Thing (Up All Night)
18. Diana (Midnight Memories)
19. What Makes You Beautiful (Up All Night)

And four encore:

1. You & I (Midnight Memories)
2. Story of My Life (Midnight Memories)
3. Little White Lies (Midnight Memories)
4. Best Song Ever (Midnight Memories)

Harry does this thing at the beginning of "Better Than Words" where he flicks his head back and spits water into the air.  I DIDN'T GET IT ON VIDEO so here's one from YouTube:

All five of them sounded perfect.  You would expect me to say that because I am a huge fan, but I really mean it.  Liam and Zayn had beautiful harmonies during "Moments," too.

Here are some of my pictures.  Videos may be posted on a later date, they just take forever to upload onto Blogger.

 Harry

 Louis

 Niall

 Liam

 Niall and Louis

 Harry

 Louis

 Harry, Niall, Louis

 Niall and Harry

 Harry

Zayn

Start Me Up

I just got home from a vacation to Key West and Miami, Florida.  Even though I live at the Jersey Shore, it was nice to get away to different beaches and see some new and beautiful scenery.

I got to Key West last Monday and drove up to Miami on Thursday.  On Tuesday (while in Key West), we walked around town and went into some of the stores.  I went into a pop culture store with a ton of rare photographs of (and just to name a few) Elvis, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.

While speaking to one of the managers, he said that the store owns the negatives to those never-before-seen pictures.  You were able to purchase any picture you wanted, but, for a very high price.  I'd be willing to pay the price for some of those photos.

Anyway, back to the purpose of my story.  So when you walk into this store, the first thing you see is a ginormous (and when I say ginormous I'm talking like 5'x5') picture of The Rolling Stones in New York City before their Ed Sullivan Show debut on October 25, 1964.  It was just the five lads standing in Times Square, which sounds like a normal picture, but it wasn't.  The other pictures in the store (The Rollings Stones especially) were amazing as well.  But this store started my fascination with The Stones.

So then in Miami we did the same thing one day - we walked around and visited some stores.  There was an Effusion Gallery and I went in looking for a nice piece of art for my room and came across this picture of Mick Jagger, one of the coolest guys ever:

Last night, the restaurant we went to (The Betsy Hotel) had incredible pictures hanging in the halls.  For purchase, they had available a number of pictures of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and books called The Lost  Rolling Stones Photographs and The Lost Beatles Photographs.  Both books consist of pictures taken by Bob Bonis, a tour manager for both bands.  Bob's son has given these photos for us to see, and they are some of the best photographs I have ever seen.  All credit goes to the current owner(s) of these photos.

After viewing all of the different pictures of this band, I have developed a huge appreciation for them.  I liked The Stones before, but now I'm a fan.