Wanna Be

If you remember, a few weeks back I talked about artist Roderick.  Last Tuesday he released a new track "Wanna Be," and it is exactly how I thought it would be.

All About Roderick

[Photo:  Roderick, YouTube]

I personally consider this song to be my favorite of his.  It has a groove and vibe that is hard to find in current music--almost the same as The 1975, but unlike The 1975, Roderick's songs all sound different and creative (sorry fans of The 1975).  The engineering and mixing are both very professional, and that may be because he is the one doing all of the heavy lifting.  Jeff Lynne (you all know how much I love him) did the work for ELO and look how far it got them.  Having complete control is perfect in the music business, because you can put out music that you and only you believe in, which is a big reason why Roderick has been so successful thus far.

One of the most difficult things to achieve in music is releasing music that people can purely relate to.  I see a lot in popular music that music is perceived to be relatable, when in reality, the listeners just think it is because it is being performed by one of their favorites.  To dumb it down, music is easy to bullshit.  Roderick describes his music as "Songs about life from an honest perspective" (Source).  That description in itself is a very honest one.  Unlike artists on the charts who are almost 100% influenced by the people surrounding them, it is clearly evident in Roderick's music (in particular "Wanna Be" for the sake of this post) that he is using only his personal experiences to convey messages through music.

This NEW song (and his others) are absolutely worth listening to.  You can stream this track on Spotify.

The Collection

I have a pretty big record collection now, with the number totaling 299... only one more until 300!!

I'm pretty sure I did a post like this a while back, so if I find it I'll be sure to link it below.

My collection has grown a lot, especially in the past two years or so.  I have a journal where I write down every record I obtain, but I would fall behind adding them in.  That was until I found an amazing way to keep track of my record collection, and also learn the minimum and maximum values of what I have.  It's a site called Discogs, and they have made it super fast and easy to keep track of everything you have acquired over time.  All you need is the Cat#, which can be found on both the vinyl itself and on the front of the album cover, both pictured below.

They don't only have LPs, so if you collect CDs, cassettes, and DVDs.  No matter what you log, each item will have a minimum value, median value, and maximum value, so if you are ever looking to sell, you know the price range based on the condition of your item.  Here's an example by showing you part of my collection:

Logging all of my records took me probably around 5 hours to do.  Yes, it's time-consuming, but you have to make sure that you're logging the exact copy you own, that way you get an accurate value (I also took it so  seriously because my boyfriend and I had a contest to see who has a collection worth more).

One of the biggest reasons why it was worth it taking so long to complete was because I found records I forgot I had.  I found records that I at one point listened to almost every day.  Even though I'm still young, I still felt nostalgic--like I was in high school again.

This is not a paid sponsorship!  I just wanted to share my ways with all of you, especially if you are one of my longer readers.  Since I just went through my list again, my next post will probably be an updated version of my favorite LPs, so check back this week for that!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Twitter. 

Don't Give Up

So I went MIA again, so I apologize.  But on a good note, there's a lot happening in the field of music right now, so be prepared for plenty of amazing posts coming up.

To start off my comeback, Blue Hawk Records is preparing to release their seventh album on DECEMBER 9th!!!  I can first-handedly say that this is one of our most rocking' albums yet, so be prepared to be bombarded with posts about the upcoming release!

Another thing you'll have to look forward to is a bunch of random information.  If you've been a reader of mine for a while (and I thank you if you have) you'll already know that I talk about some really random stuff sometimes, so it's only appropriate that that continues.

If you have a Spotify, a lot of my posts will probably involve playlists, but if you don't have a Spotify, I will be sure to make the songs accessible to you.

So that's basically what I am going to be talking about from here on out, but I'm going to try to make it as interesting as possible.  So things you will NOT see anymore on here are song reviews (so no, I will not be covering "Hello" by Adele) and people I'm sick of seeing in the music industry.  So many people are sick of Taylor Swift, so you don't want to hear me say I'm sick of her when a majority of the world is already saying it.

So to leave you today on a good note, here's One Direction's latest music video (because if you've been a reader for a while you will know that I love the boys).

[Source:  YouTube]

World Is Gone

There is this singer that is such an inspiration to me.  His name is Harry Hudson and he is a pop R&B singer.

Harry was born in 1993 and grew up in Los Angeles listening to Michael Jackson records with his mom.  Music has always impacted his life so much that after graduating high school he moved to Kristianopel, Sweden for two months to write music.  Now if that's not dedication then I don't know what it is.

From his experience in Sweden he said, "That's when I realized I couldn't do anything else but music."  I haven't seen a teenage boy like this in a long time.  This kid is absolutely affected so much by music and what it has to offer.

His older brother is his manager and in 2011 Hudson had his first performance at the Key Club in Hollywood and released his first single earlier this year titled "World Is Gone."  This song made me fall even more in love with him and his appreciation for this industry.

I read a quote on his website where he said, "I'm not in it for fame and money," and if he's telling the truth - which I guarantee he IS - I respect him so much.  Every celebrity is always like, "Ohhh I love my job I would never do this for money because this is my passion," and meanwhile I can hear their heartbeat racing from the lies even though I'm 3,000 miles away on the Jersey shore.  But I'll tell you why I don't think Harry's lying.  Would you travel to a completely different country for something you weren't all that serious about?  And don't you think about lying.

But I'm going to get to the main reason why I respect this guy soooo much.  On June 21st, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.  The singer sent a tweet out that said, "On June 21st I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma - a cancer that is highly CURABLE with chemotherapy treatment."  Fans everywhere were so upset by the news that a "#PrayForHarry" trend started and was a worldwide trend.  According to the singer, treatment is going well so far and the cancer is not stopping him from doing what he loves - singing.

I would love to meet him and be able to talk to him about all of the things I mentioned above.  People like him mean a lot to me.

You can following Harry on Twitter (@RealHarryHudson) and Instagram (@harryhudson).

Sources:
harryhudsonmusic.com
youtube.com

Social network

I just got a Twitter and Instagram just for my blog!  Links are to the right, but I'll give them to you here:

Instagram:  @jordanmusicrookie

Twitter:  @jordanblogger

Help me out, please

Music is my passion, in case you have not yet noticed, and I would love to make it into the music industry.  I want to attend the Video Music Awards.  I want to be invited to concerts.  I want to sit inside the recording studio.  And while I've tried to do it alone, I realized that I can't.  I need help, and of course my parents and family are there for support, but there's only so much power they have.  That's why I'm asking you all, my readers, to help me make it somewhere in this business.  I want to see you comment on my posts.  I want you to message me with your ideas on what I should blog about next.  Tell me what you want to see more of on my blog so I can try my best to make it where I want to go and enjoyable for you to read.  Please help me out and I thank you ahead of time.

Jordan xx