Pumpin Blood

Swedish band NONONO was the second opening act at the twenty one pilots concert and they were pretty good like Hunter Hunted (click here to read about Hunter Hunted).

The alternative trio consists of Stina Wäppling, Tobias "Astma" Jimson, and Michel "Rocwell" Flygare.  Their debut single (and my favorite) "Pumpin' Blood" peaked at 22 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

Like Hunter Hunted, they were also a pretty solid group.  They kept the crowd engaged and had energetic songs.

[Source:  Google]

Their EP, Pumpin Blood, is available on iTunes and has five tracks:

1. Pumpin Blood
2. Jungle
3. Fire Without a Flame
4. Like the Wind
5. Pumpin Blood (Acoustic)

I have never been to a concert where they have been from a place other than the US, Canada, England, or Ireland, so I enjoyed their Swedish accents very much.

I thought they were a fun band to see live.

Here are pictures and a video I took.

Keep Together

I spent last night at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ for the Twenty One Pilots (AKA twenty one pilots) concert.

There were two opening acts:  Hunter Hunted and NONONO.  Today I'll be talking about the first act, Hunter Hunted, tomorrow's post will be about NONONO, and on Saturday, I'll end this little series by talking about twenty one pilots.

Hunter Hunted is a 2012 indie pop band from Los Angeles and consists of Michael Garner (keys and vocals) and Dan Chang (guitar and vocals).  I had never heard of them until I got the tickets for the concert, but I'm glad I now know who they are because they are awesome!  Sometimes artists have trouble performing at a small venue because it's so intimate, but they were so interactive and energetic, so they fit the atmosphere perfectly.

My favorite song of theirs would have to be "Keep Together."  They performed songs off their self-titled EP and gave us a sneak peek of their upcoming album which they are in the midst of recording.  The group also did a cover of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?" which was also pretty great.

[Source:  SoundCloud]

Their EP is available on iTunes and includes five tracks:

1. Operating
2. Keep Together
3. End of the World
4. Dora Maar
5. Gentle Folks

They're very talented musicians and their songs sound perfect from start to finish.  I also enjoyed the drummer.....Below is are a picture and video I took.

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

[Source:  YouTube]

The Truth About Love

I've been watching for some Fall tours and I have created a list of some shows I definitely would want to be on line to see. Under the artist's name, I have a link to purchase tickets for a venue closest to you!

P!nk - The Truth About Love Tour
With special guests (guests appear different nights):  The Kin, The Hives, New Politics,
http://thetruthaboutlovetour.com/events

Jake Miller - The Us Against Them Tour
With special guests:  Action Team and Air Dubai
http://www.jakemiller.com/tour.html

Fun.
http://www.ournameisfun.com/tour

Brian Mackey
http://www.brianmackeymusic.com/brian-mackey-music--tour-dates.html

Lawson - Everywhere We Go Tour
http://www.lawsonofficial.com/live/

Lawson (Pt. II)

L-R:  Joel, Adam, Andy, Ryan

I posted about this band on July 24th, but I really have a big obsession with them right now.  Their US portion of their Everywhere We Go Tour took off yesterday in NYC and they are back to the UK September 23rd for their UK/IRL portion of the tour.  On September 23rd, they will be performing at the 2013 iTunes Festival in London.

I am DYING to see them perform.  All three dates near me didn't/don't work, so I am super bummed I won't get the chance to see them this year.

If you live in the UK, their new single"Juliet" was just released at midnight for pre-order on iTunes.

L-R:  Joel, Ryan, Andy, Adam

Now I am a complete creep when it comes to bands.  When I fall in love with a band, I spend hours upon hours learning as much about them as I possibly can.  I learn everything from all of their singles, to their siblings.  I know that may be a little weird and stalker-ish, but they wouldn't release that information if they didn't want people knowing, right?  Am I right???


But, I found out some really useful and inspiring information about these four lads...the band name.  Since the moment I heard of this band I have wonder

ed where they got their name "Lawson" from.  A couple of years back, lead singer Andy found out he had a brain tumor.  Sent to the hospital at 19, he spent his 20th birthday there, too.  The singer/guitarist went into surgery and was operated on by Dr. David Lawson, the doctor who saved his life.  When I found that out, I was in complete shock.  Andy has said that his experience changed his outlook on life and he had to learn how to walk again after the operation.

You know, I like hearing things like that.  Not the whole surgery and brain tumor part, but how he didn't let such a scary and serious part of his life ruin it.  So many people pity themselves, but Andy became an inspiration.  That's what I think of him as, especially now.  He's extremely positive and that's something that makes me smile (that was cheesy, but it's so true).

I didn't want to make this post only about how uplifting Andy is, but I did want it to kind of be the main focus of this post.  The other three lads of the band are pretty amazing, as well, so don't think I forgot about you, Joel, Ryan, and Adam!  I have been watching several interviews to give me an even bigger idea of what Lawson is really all about.  While they're a band who takes work seriously, they also enjoy playing pranks and joking around.  To me, their personalities mesh well together.  Personalities that go together well is what makes a band a...band, I guess.  I originally fell in love with Lawson's music, lyrics, and talent, but their senses of humor and love for job makes me fall even deeper.

L-R:  Ryan, Andy, Joel, Adam

**None of the pictures above are mine.  ALL CREDIT GOES TO THE OWNERS

Long Road Out Of Eden

My friend Kayla and I go thrift shopping (yes, like Macklemore) and buy clothes to fix them up.  The two of us love DIY projects!  As I was looking around, I found this Eagles Long Road Out Of Eden Tour 2009 t-shirt.  Knowing me, I could not pass!   

The shirt shows all 22 cities from the 2009 tour.  I have never seen the Eagles in concert (even though they are one of my favorite bands) but this shirt is still very cool to have regardless.

It was a regular t-shirt, but I don't like tees.  To fix it up, I cut off the sleeves and the collar to make it a cool muscle tee.  

Midnight Red

I first heard their song "Take Me Home" on a Coca-Cola commercial earlier this week and it's a very good tune!  I think it is the perfect summer song.  Midnight Red is an American boy band consisting of members Colton Rudloff, Anthony Ladao, Thomas Augusto, Eric Secharia, and Joey Diggs.  

They are a more poppy version of Lawson, the band I spoke of yesterday.  Their voices, like One Direction, sound absolutely amazing together.  They opened for the NKOTBSB Tour in 2011 and they are in the midst of recording for their debut album, scheduled to be released this year.  

"Take Me Home" is available on iTunes as well as another single, "Hell Yeah," and an EP entitled, "One Club At a Time."