Play Pretend

I am trying to broaden my fanbase by talking about different bands, because I feel like I pretty much only talk about alternative bands.  The only hardcore band I have talked about is Mom Fight, so today will be dedicated to introducing all of you to a hardcore band called MVA.

[Photo:  Silvio Capoferri & MVA]

Hailing from Bloomfield, NJ, their unique sound sets them apart from other bands in the same genre. Their style somewhat combines elements of skate punk, as well as metal and traditional hardcore.  "Circular / In Between," from their 2017 EP Eternal, encompasses skate punk chord progressions and hard-hitting drum sounds from hardcore.

The fifth song on the EP, "Play Pretend," is the perfect closing to an EP of this nature.  The track starts off as a break-neck speed hardcore song, but over the course of the song slowly disintegrates into a breakdown that consists mostly of drums.  One of the hardest-hitting songs on the EP, "Play Pretend" overall summarizes their main purpose and sound.

I know this post is short and sweet, but at only 9 minutes, it fits the EP very well.

Eldorado

I am writing this post as I am lying in bed.  These cold days and nights are somewhat weakening, making the nighttime a place to unwind and get into a different element than you were during the day.  I have spent most of the night just hanging around, but as I usually do, I went on Spotify to listen to some relaxing instrumental music.  Some include Disney/Disney-Pixar scores, Alan Silvestri, etc...  But since I have been listening to the same songs for a few days now, I looked elsewhere to find nighttime comfort.  The biggest go-to for me is Electric Light Orchestra.  Jeff Lynne's chilling yet soothing vocal effects, his use of orchestral accompaniments, and transitions between tracks, are all perfect for submitting your mind into a different thought zone, allowing for the dismissal of problems and situations of typical every day life.

Despite these feelings of content and satisfaction, I am never one to listen to an album straight through.  I get distracted and will end up pausing and skipping to the tracks I love the most.  But my tiredness got the best of me tonight, and I did what my dad has been telling me to do for a month:  I am listening to ELO's Eldorado from beginning to end with no interruptions.

[Photo:  Electric Light Orchestra]

It's an album I've known my entire life, but knowing each song individually is different from knowing them all as one piece.  The opening track "Eldorado Overture" flows unnoticeably into the second, "Can't Get It out of My Head."  So unnoticeably, as a matter of fact, that when you are listening to the vinyl, you  would think it is one long track.  So unnoticeably, that when you are listening, your heart and time somewhat stop ticking.  But unlike some other heart-stopping music, your heart doesn't begin again at all until the album is over, and it's only because of the realization that it's over, and life doesn't actually flow that way.

The whole album has one main theme, and the songs are connected somehow, whether it be by the overture or the song before, it almost feels as though you are reading a book.  I have noticed a lot how several albums don't have something tying all of the songs together.  Either the songs are too different in sound or meaning, or they could even all sound too similar, blending all of the pieces together so no songs stick out.  A common occurrence with ELO is balance between differentiation and similarity between tracks.  While "Boy Blue" and "Nobody's Child" sound different within, what connects them is their similar intros (they're also several tracks away from each other).

The album comes to a faded end, with the second to last track being "Eldorado," which is much slower than some of its predecessors.  But once again it transitions flawlessly into the final track, "Eldorado Finale,"  which is symmetrical to the overture; the beginning of the overture is the end of the finale, and the end of the overture is the beginning of the finale.  Lay down, close your eyes, and listen to this album (with headphones, not earbuds) from beginning to end with no interruptions.  It will almost feel as though you are watching an opera, each song presenting a different scene with different emotions being presented and provoked.  Even though there are different emotions, the whole opera makes sense because of one ongoing theme and message.  And if Jeff Lynne and the rest of ELO did not do a phenomenal job of this, then maybe music isn't the field for me.

Beautiful to Me

So it's the end of the semester, which means that Blue Hawk Records has released another compilation album.  Our seventh album featured four unique artists, each of them expressing their talents in different ways.

My personal favorite has to be Dan Amato's "Beautiful to Me."  After auditioning acoustically, it was settled that a trumpet, saxophone, drums, and bass would be added.  His song is soul pop, the soul mainly coming from the brass and woodwind instruments.

Next, we have rock band Thanks Genie's song "Run."  The song has vibes like Paramore with the female lead singer and eminent guitar.

Blue Hawk Records' Fifth Album 'Blue Hawk Five'

Kellen Brennan's song is perfect for those who love a jazz tune.  Listening to this song takes you to an intimate jazz club in Greenwich Village.

Finally, there's Dan & Jackson.  The duo's song is what you'd listen to on your drive to the beach with your convertible top down.  Like Dan Amato's track, something was added to this song last-minute.  Background vocals were added by six of us (yes, I am part of that six) in the last minute or so of the song, giving the track a little extra of a wow factor.

The album is available for purchase on iTunes here and also available to stream on Spotify.

What Lies Beneath the Parkway North

So many great artists have gotten their start in the legendary Asbury Park, NJ such as Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, and Bon Jovi.  The talent, however, doesn't end with them.  Asbury Park-based alternative rock band Flammable Animals is one to look for.

[Photo: AM Productions]

This quartet consists of Guy Battaglia (vocals, guitar), Kevin Houston (vocals, guitar), Pat Napurano (bass), and Joe Enright (drums).  I had the amazing opportunity of hearing them audition for Monmouth University's Blue Hawk Records' Spring compilation album back in February and they sound just as incredible live as they do in the studio.  In a nutshell, they are not what some would think a college band would sound like, I'll tell you that.

Their individual talents mesh together perfectly, making their presence sound similar to that of a band like Brand New and The Wonder Years.  It's pretty rare that I actually feel music, but I feel it with this group.  From every lyric, to the instrumentals of each track, their passion for music is very evident in the recordings, as they convey feelings in ways that no pop or R&B group ever would, and that's what makes them a true pop-punk band.

[Artwork: Michael Burke, Summerlyn Astrom, Alexis Morrison, & Erin Holmes]

Their debut EP, What Lies Beneath the Parkway North, isn't what you would expect from an alternative/pop-punk band . . . It's so much more.  There is an intro track called "Initium" that sets the extended-play of on a great start, and each song is perfectly placed on the album, making it flow very nicely through the ears of the listener.  As put by Guy himself, "This record is a culmination of New Jersey sounds, spirits, and smells that were recorded in Steve Kellner's (Van Atta High) basement as a result of a horrible Christmas."

Here's a video of them performing the second track of their album, "Frozen Grapes."

[Source:  YouTube]

Their album is available pretty much everywhere.  You can buy it from Bandcamp here.  Or if you're more into iTunes, you can buy it here.  And for those of you who like CD Baby, click here.

Like them on Facebook

Subscribe to them on YouTube

Unzip Your Harrington

The first time I listened to the Drowners, I assumed, because of their sound, that they were English.  And don't get me wrong - the Union Jack (even though paired with an American flag) did nothing but add on to the deception from this post-punk NYC-based band.

[Source:  Amazon]

Now, my "false" predictions that the quartet is English weren't completely false.  Lead singer Matthew Hitt moved from Wales to NYC.  See?  I kind of know what I'm talking about!

Anyway, enough with my ongoing obsession with Englishmen.  Everything about this band is perfect.  To start, their songs are not long at all . . . we're talking Beatles lengths.  In fact, only one song from their debut album Drowners was over 3 minutes.  Even though the songs are short, they don't seem unfinished like some shorts songs do.

Their songs are also very lyrically well put together.  "Watch You Change" has the repetitive line "There's not a shoulder cold enough for me to give her," and "Unzip Your Harrington" starts the chorus with "I'm gonna hang around long enough to be part of your furniture."

It's crazy I have gone so long without knowing this band and their music.  Bands with such cool tunes deserve a lot more recognition.  Share them with a friend, they'll probably love them.

Ghost

We're more than a week into 2015.  I think that means it is time to talk about who I want to see more of in the music industry.  Normally I would add the acts I wish to not see, but I'll skip that for now.

There's one person in particular I am excited to see this year - someone I have already spoken a little bit about.  Who is it?

Ella Henderson.

I remember back in 2012 when she was eliminated from UK's The X Factor.  She was removed from the competition with quite the number of weeks remaining and people everywhere were in shock.  Her audition (an original track) wowed the judges - Tulisa Contostavlos gave her a standing ovation along with the entire audience.

[Source:  YouTube]

Ella's debut album, Chapter One, is available on January 13th.

Irresistible

Fall Out Boy have done nothing but impress me so far with this new album of theirs, American Beauty/American Psycho, which is set to be released January 20th.  The most recent song released from the new record is "Irresistible" and already holds the number one spot on iTunes, bumping Mark Ronson's and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" to number two and T-Swift's "Blank Space" to number three.  The band also has "Centuries" in the number nine spot.

As put by Ryan Reed in his Rolling Stone article from yesterday, the song is "deadly love."  "You're second hand smoke / I breathe you in, but honey I don't know what you're doing to me" starts the bridge, while lyrics such as "I didn't come for a fight but I will fight till the end / This might be your battle, might not turn out okay" line the verses.

Whether you're a fan or not of this pop punk/alternative rock band, this track - hopefully as well as the rest of the LP - is a must buy.

[Source:  YouTube]

18

The questions of the day are:  Why haven't I posted in weeks and why am I just posting about this topic now?  I unfortunately can't really answer either of them.

Remember when I said how I was really hoping I would like One Direction's new album more than Midnight Memories?  That hasn't quite happened...

Yes, the album is very good, and yes, their sound has evolved a lot in the past year, but there's something missing with this album that was present with their third record.  For one thing, this album doesn't have the edge they were saying it was going to.  I heard months ago that this was going to be a very edgy album, something along the lines of Midnight Memories.

Here's the track list:

1. Steal My Girl
2. Ready To Run
3. Where Do Broken Hearts Go
4. 18
5. Girl Almighty
6. Fool's Gold
7. Night Changes
8. No Control
9. Fireproof
10. Spaces
11. Stockholm Syndrome
12. Clouds
13. Change Your Ticket *
14. Illusion *
15. Once in a Lifetime *
16. Act My Age *

* Deluxe tracks

'FOUR' Deluxe Tracks

The boys have made it clear that this album connects the most with them since they contributed to most of the writings - yes, that means they're written from personal experiences.  "Fool's Gold" is supposedly about Harry Styles' ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift.  Call them even because she has some songs about him, too.

But apart from growing socially, musically the boys have shown growth from a boy band to a man band with the album.  "Fireproof" is a soft-rock tune that, according to Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone, can be compared to Fleetwood Mac's "Gypsy" with "Christine McVie-style keyboards."

"18" is my favorite track.  Co-written by Ed Sheeran, the song starts off with an acoustic, like most of the tunes Sheeran has written for the boys.  Then with the second chorus comes a wave of percussion and what could be a group of string instruments.

"Night Changes" was the second single released for the album.  The ballad's music video was directed by Ben Winston, who also directed the videos for "Story of My Life" and "Best Song Ever," their highest peaking song at number two on the Billboard charts.

[Source:  YouTube]

Listening to the whole album shines a light on the evident '70s and '80s rock-influenced tracks.  Out of 5 stars, I'll give the record 3 1/2.  They worked extremely hard on this album and it is clear in the lyrics and the compositions, but I still wish they had tracks like "Little Black Dress" and "Little White Lies" on this album.

Illusion

One Direction's fourth album FOUR was released at 11 PM last night.  I don't know if I've ever said this, but I have to have the actual CD - I don't buy albums on iTunes.  I won't have the CD until Friday (don't worry, my mom already bought it), so to hold me over until then, I bought the deluxe tracks on iTunes last night.

They have had better deluxe tracks.

All of their deluxe albums thus far have had some of my favorite One Direction songs on them - "Nobody Compares," "Does He Know," etc...

My favorite album of theirs is Midnight Memories.  I loved the edge they had with that album, but they still had some stuff that sounded like a mature continuation of Take Me Home, like "Best Song Ever," and some stuff that sounded like current British folk rock, like "Through the Dark."  I'm hoping this album as a whole can live up to the edgy potential it should.

I have not listened to the songs yet because I'm waiting for Friday when I have the CD in my possession.  From what I have heard, though (ie "Steal My Girl," "Night Changes," and "Fireproof"), the album put together isn't bad.

"Illusion" on the deluxe version is my favorite deluxe track - I love it.  The opening measures sound like "Little White Lies" from their third album.  "Act My Age" is very fitting for the only Irishman in the group, Niall Horan, with the Irish kick to it.  The song doesn't have as quite an edgy sound as a Dropkick Murphys song, though.

"Change Your Ticket" sounds like a song by The Script.... or a very pop-y song by The 1975.  That one is my second favorite deluxe track.  And "Once in a Lifetime" reminds me something but I can't remember.  That one's my least favorite on the deluxe album, but I'll listen to it over and over anyway because I know every word to every single One Direction song and there's no way I'm stopping now.

I've been listening to the deluxe tracks since I started this post.  As I continue to listen, they're not terrible at all.  And from what I have heard from the album, I'm pretty excited to listen to the rest of it.  When there was just Up All Night out, I loved it.  Then when Take Me Home was released, that one became my favorite and then the same thing happened with Midnight Memories.  I just hope the same thing happens with FOUR.

Say You Love Me

After being nominated for a Mercury prize with Devotion, Jessie Ware's fans became so excited when news came out about a sophomore album. After two years, the wait was finally over with the release of Ware’s title track, “Tough Love,” in June. With its peak in the Top 40, the single gave clue to what would come with this collection of broken hearts and deep feelings.

The difference between her sophomore album and her debut is her improved maturity, vocal delivery, and poise, making this album one of the best out right now. Her songs, like her debut, convey feelings of sadness and broken hearts. Produced by Dave Okumu, BenZel, and James Ford, the album is the perfect mixture of Electronica and Pop.

[Source:  YouTube]

Co-writing every track, Jessie Ware found herself occasionally collaborating with some of the most well-known songwriters of today’s time. Fellow Brit Ed Sheeran assisted in writing ballad “Say You Love Me,” the second single from her album, released in September. The song presents her power-alto voice in the way it should be presented.

Regardless of how her songs were composed, what really matters is how Ware sounds. Her powerful and romantic voice makes each song worth listening to 10 times over. With the electronic sound not as profound as in her debut, her vocal delivery is more apparent, resulting in an album that should be put on repeat.

Shake It Off

There's a lot of talk recently about how Taylor Swift can potentially "save the music industry" with her new album, 1989, which is set to be released October 27, 2014.

The overall album sales volume, according to Nielsen Soundscan, is down 14.6%, and single sales are down 12.8%.  Ariana Grande, for example, was expected to have one of the biggest albums.  While the pop singer's album sold 169,000 copies in its first week, making it earn the No. 1 spot on the charts, the album quickly dropped sales.  This has nothing to do with Grande, it has to do with what poor shape the music industry is in right now.

But if the music industry is in such bad shape, what is it about Taylor Swift that could salvage the suffering business?

Ish Cuebas, vice president of music merchandising for Trans World Entertainment says, "She will be the big fish.  The overall release schedule this year has been weak compared to last year.  The big title last year for the fourth quarter was Eminem - Taylor will more than make up for Eminem."

The country-turned-pop singer has previously released four albums, three of which made it to the No. 1 spot on the charts.  Her 2008 album, Fearless, sold 6.8 million copies in the U.S., 2010's Speak Now sold 4.4 million copies in the U.S., and her 2012 album, Red, sold 4 million copies in the U.S.

If those sales continue with Taylor's new album, surely it will help the music industry, but will it be enough to "salvage" it?

Surely, the immediate success of her single "Shake It Off" makes her album look promising, but nowadays it's hard to base future album sales off of single sales.  Ariana Grande's singles "Problem" and "Break Free" from her album My Everything gave hope to her and her fans that her album would be a huge success.  Two months later, and her sales are at 300,000, with more than half being in the first week.

So it's hard to tell if Taylor Swift's album will be a taking off point for the industry again.  Her previous success could definitely point things in the right direction, but the industry will most likely make all of their money with the live performances of the biggest stars.

Tomorrow Never Dies

I am finally going to talk about the much anticipated album entitled 5 Seconds of Summer.

I bought 5 Seconds of Summer's debut album at Target so it came with four exclusive tracks and had a special cover.

The colors available for the Target version are blue, yellow, red, and white

The track listing is as follows:

1. She Looks So Perfect
2. Don't Stop
3. Good Girls
4. Kiss Me Kiss Me
5. 18
6. Everything I Didn't Say
7. Beside You
8. End Up Here
9. Long Way Home
10. Heartbreak Girl
11. Mrs All American
12. Amnesia
13. Tomorrow Never Dies *
14. Independence Day *
15. Close As Strangers *
16. Out of My Limit *
17. Social Casualty **
18. Never Be **
19. Voodoo Doll **
20. Greenlight ***

* Target Exclusive

** Deluxe Edition (available both in stores and online)

*** iTunes Deluxe Edition Bonus Track

It appears that the lads have been busy in the studio with twenty tracks!  If you purchase the album in the UK, "English Love Affair" replaces "Mrs All American," and if you purchase the album in Australia, "Lost Boy" replaces "Mrs All American."

If you purchase the deluxe album in Australia, the extra songs are "English Love Affair," "Social Casualty," "Never Be," and "Voodoo Doll."

If you live in Japan and purchase this album, the Japanese edition bonus tracks are "Heartache On the Big Screen," "The Only Reason," "What I Like About You," "Rejects," "Try Hard," "Social Casualty," "Never Be," and "Voodoo Doll."

I think, overall, the album is very strong.  I have found myself listening to and liking every track.  The only other artist I actually like every single track on the album is One Direction.

5SOS is classified on iTunes as pop, but with piercings, tattoos, edgy style and punk tendencies with a heavy guitar and strong beats on the drums, I kind of classify them as pop punk.  But just when I think one song is pop punk, I listen to a song like "Amnesia" and lean more towards pop.  Most people would say, "Pick a genre."  I don't think they need to.  This album shows that this group can sound pop, alternative, and a little rock, all while never losing the identity they have built for themselves these past few years as a band.

I'm really impressed with this record.  I love how the boys were involved in the writing of every song because each song is personal and you know it was written for the fans and not just for a spot on the charts.

Social Casualty

Because I can't update at all from my computer, I thought I would update my "What's New" page in a post. This week, the following CDs will be available:

1.  5 Seconds of Summer - 5 Seconds of Summer

2.  Nobody's Smiling - Common

3.  Heaven & Earth - Yes

4.  Trouble in Paradise - La Roux

5.  The Very Baddest (2xCD) - ZZ Top

6.  Do You Wanna Start a War - Fozzy

7.  In Technicolor - Jesse McCartney

8.  Delicate Forever - Steve Roach

I will definitely be making a purchase this week.  5 Seconds of Summer, I have been waiting for this album for a year.  Congratulations.

And the last time I saw Jesse McCartney he was being killed in Chernobyl Diaries.  Yikes. 

We're Not Gonna Take It

Since I did the best album covers of the '60s, '70s, and "'80s" yesterday, I thought today I would do the worst album covers of the '80s and '90s.

10.  River of Dreams (1993) - Billy Joel


I don't know what's more disturbing:  the songs on the album or the cover.

9.  5150 (1986) - Van Halen


The amount of discomfort I am feeling right now from this cover...

8.  Bridges to Babylon (1997) - The Rolling Stones


If I covered "The Rolling Stones" and "Bridges to Babylon," would you ever guess this belongs to one of the greatest bands of all time?

7.  Body Wishes (1983) - Rod Stewart

So.  Many.  Rods.

6.  Get Lucky (1981) - Loverboy

I consider myself to be very unlucky after seeing this.

5.  Julie's Sixteenth Birthday (1985) - John Bult

"They forgot my f***ing birthday!"

4.  Y Kant Tori Read (1988) - Y Kant Tori Read

Y kant Tori spell

3.  I'm God's Child (1980) - The Cooper Family


Awkward Family Photos.

2.  Back to the S*** (1989) - Millie Jackson


Everyone who approved of this cover needs to be taken back to the shit.

1.  Stay Hungry (1984) - Twisted Sister

Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, and hide yo husband

Can't Get It Out of My Head

My top ten favorite album covers of the '60s, '70s, and '80s.  Well, only one is from the '80s.

10.  The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) - The Velvet Underground & Nico

I chose this as my number ten because I love the fact that they incorporated a professional artist into their cover.  The album was released in March 1967 and has since been considered one of the greatest albums of all time.

9.  London Calling (1979) - The Clash

I absolutely LOVE this cover, but I have places it so high on my list because Elvis Presley's Elvis Presley, which was released in 1956, is the same thing.  I know I shouldn't punish them being as though so many other artists have paid homage to the rock star, but I have based this list on originality.  It's still an awesome cover, though.

8.  Ramones (1976) - Ramones

I think this cover picture is so cool.  The four guys against a brick, graffiti-covered wall... all while being in black and white.  And they look so cool with their leather jackets and jeans and long hair that was oh so popular in the '70s.

7.  1984 (1984) - Van Halen

Scandalous.  A baby with angel wings smoking a cigarette with several more cigs on deck.  I also love "1984" written in roman numerals in the top left and right corners.  I just think the whole cover is very creative, like the songs on the record.

6.  Sticky Fingers (1971) - The Rolling Stones

I have this vinyl and I must say that it is a little different from the vinyl cover I am used to.  The cover contains a working "zipper" and "belt" and reveals briefs underneath.  And apparently the crotch photographed is not that of Mr. Jagger.  So whose crotch is this?  The world may never know.  I think it's more scandalous than 1984.

5.  The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) - Pink Floyd

I love the whole concept of this album cover.  I am unsure why they chose this, as I don't really see any direct connection between that and the music, but I'm sure they had a reason.  This is definitely one of the most iconic album covers of all time.  Everyone has seen it and knows it.

4.  Rumours (1977) - Fleetwood Mac

Rumours is such a bizarre album cover, but I love it.  I love Stevie's outfit along with their poses.  It has the same feeling of their Fleetwood Mac cover two years earlier.

3.  Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. (1973) - Bruce Springsteen

I think I like this cover so much because it's a postcard from one of the best known towns in the state of New Jersey.  It's also the album cover of one of the best known musicians from the state of New Jersey.  Looking at this cover makes me feel like such a Jersey Girl.  I love it.

2.  The Beatles [The White Album] (1968) - The Beatles

So simple, yet such an impact.  The Beatles didn't need some over the top cover to get their points across.  They're The Beatles.  We have to remember that they are the biggest band that has ever walked the planet.  Do they really need some out of the ordinary cover?

1.  Eldorado (1974) - Electric Light Orchestra


Another album cover that is a shout-out to popular culture.  The album follows a character who dreams and travels through those dreams to different worlds and fantasies.  That's what happened to Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.  She wakes up to realize that she was in a descriptive dream.  It shows how great Jeff Lynne was at his job.

Girls

I was listening to The 1975 in the car today and, of course, listened to their song "Girls."  For the first time I actually listened to the lyrics and let them sink in.

Wow.

That's all I am able to say.

The lyrics are very promiscuous.

[Source:  YouTube]

It starts with saying how she is "17 and a half years old / Worrying about my brother finding out / What's the fun in doing what you're told?"

"I said, 'No!' / 'Oh give it a rest, I could persuade you' / 'I'm not your typical, stoned 18 year old / Give me a night I'll make you' / 'I know you're looking for salvation in the secular age, but girl I'm not your savior' / Wrestle to the ground."

The chorus goes, "They're just girls breaking hearts / Eyes bright, uptight, just girls / But she can't be what you need if she's 17 / They're just girls / They're just girls."

"One moment I was tearing off your blouse / Now you're living in my house / What happened to just messing around?"  Now, if she is really 17, why are her parents allowing her to stay in the house of an older man?

"I said, 'Yo, I think you better go; I can't take you / You just sit and get stoned with 30-year-olds and you think you've made it / Well, shouldn't you be f***ing with somebody your age instead of making changes?'"

Now, how I take this song is that this girl is a distraction or someone to "mess around" with.  She's fun and dangerous because she doesn't listen to people, which is why he's into her.  She lives with him because she wants them to be together, but he claims he made it clear that he just wanted to mess around.  The harder he tries to distance himself from her, the harder she tries to stay with him.  That's why he keeps telling himself they she's just a girl.  She is not what he needs because she is only 17.  But this is how I interpret the song.

Comment below to tell me what you think!

I think The 1975 has some of the best songs lyrically and musically.  All around, actually, they're such a talented band.  

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.

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]

Sirens

Cher Lloyd's first single off her upcoming album Sorry I'm Late is definitely worth the long wait.  It's such an addicting song.

The song was released on iTunes not too long ago and is a little different from what we're used to getting from her.  Her songs usually contain rap but this one doesn't at all.  It's actually a beautiful song and she sounds amazing as well...as usual.

[Source:  YouTube]