Twenty One Pilots: And I'll be holding on to you

After a bit of a hiatus... I've decided it's time to bring back everyone's favorite music blog. I've come across some really cool and unique artists that I want to share and give some love to.

Twenty One Pilots, a two-piece rock band from Columbus, Ohio (OH!) have been my most recent musical obsession of late. TOP are a unique mix of indie, rock, hip-hop, and synth, combing them all together to create a musical journey of two twenty year-olds who want to create something different.
It is easy to assume that a mixture of sounds like those would not mix well coming from one band, yet the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun is a wonderful blending of genres. Their songs are layered and deep and have a complexity that makes the listener want to delve into the songs even more.

Joseph has an incredibly original way of mixing song and rap I find to be eerily beautiful. There is so much passion in his voice that the listener can really feel his connection to the stories he tells. Along with this, Dun's ability to create complex beats does so much more then merely create a simple rhythm for the album. His expert skills on the drum set are complimentary to the piano playing and synthesizing done on the record. Not so often do listeners hone specifically on the performance of the drummer, but Dun's performance is one of the best.

Here are a few songs which I really enjoy and are good representations of the band. Notice the passion Joseph has while singing alone in a room. (Warning: don't be too alarmed by the screaming or the masks in "Car Radio", they oddly help set a tone in this specific song.)

-AG

Fall Out Boy: Light Em Up

I know this might come as a surprise but I used to be a HUGE Fall Out Boy fan back when I was in high school. I listened to their album Take This To Your Grave just about a billion times. I loved their balance of pop and rock. Every song on that album was so catchy and really spoke to me.

Sadly, as I got older, with my music taste developing and Fall Out Boy signing to a major record label and thus making more commercial pop music, I gradually cut myself off from FOB. I liked a few songs on their album From Under The Cork Tree but I found the rest to just be filler And the following two albums just sounded like overly produced commercial pop/punk to me. So my relationship with the four band members from Chicago faded.

This week things may have changed.

Fall Out Boy publicly announced that they are coming out with a new album, Save Rock and Roll (bit of a douchie title if you ask me). The album is set to be released on May 6th. Based on their last two albums I didn't think I'd get too excited for a new album, but they released the first single off the album, and I actually really like it. The single, My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) isn't a complete departure from their more commercial/ poppy ways but it still has a raw rock quality to it and I like the direction the song goes takes. I feel they are more adventurous and risky on the song. The more I listen to it, the more excited I get for the new album.

Plus, the entire video is of the rapper 2 Chainz burning their old albums and music equipment , you can't go wrong with that.

-Adam G

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: The Ceiling Cant Hold Us

I'm hoping that this is no ones first time hearing of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, the Rapper and producer who hail from Seattle, Washington. I shouldn't even be posting their #1 hit, "Thrift Shop" because I'd just be embarrassed if you havent heard it yet. It may well be the catchiest song ever.

But anyways, for little info on the artist. Macklemore (Ben Haggerty) and producer Ryan Lewis have created an incredible hip-hop album with songs that are oozing with meaning and depth.  The album was not just an effort to make the top 100 list, as Macklemore's writing paired with Lewis' beats take hip hop music to a whole new level.

The dynamic duo don't shy away from telling everyone how they feel on various social issues on the album.  From homosexuality in the rap world, to drug addiction, to the pressures that come with signing to a major label. The variety of topics they address are so wide that they even have a song about baseball, highlighting the Seattle Mariners beloved announcer, Dave Niehaus.  Macklemore and Ryan lewis are going places.

Something I find so cool is that most of the guest performers on the album are Macklemore and Lewis' friends from Seattle. Keeping it local, Their Northwest Pacific pride is strong.

-Adam G  

Kendrick Lamar: What More Can I Say? Welcome To LA

I've always enjoyed finding up and coming musicians before they get big and feel a sense of pride connected with the artist when they do become more famous. While my musical focus is not usually on hip-hop, my taste has opened up more to hip-hop recently. Everyone knows of the success of the West Coast rap scene, mainly coming from Compton, LA, consisting of the originals NWA with DR. Dre to Tupac and Death row records to Eminem making Dre's label Aftermath a more reputable label. There's a new hot artist coming from the west, and specifically getting a lot of attention from Dre, Kendrick Lamar. While he's only released a couple mixtapes, Lamar has been getting a lot of attention for his upcoming album Good Kid, Mad City due out in the beginning of October. He's already appeared on tracks with Game, Talib Kwali along with other established artists and performed with Dr. Dre at Coachella.

Already having the backing which he has, and his given talent, Kendrick Lamar is a name we'll be hearing for a while.  

-Adam G

Walk The Moon: O, Anna Sun!

I know, it's been quite some time since I've last had a blog post. I finished the class for which I started the blog so I initially thought i would stp, but I've recently decided I want to keep updating the blog. Keep spreading the music.

Being that it's the middle of summer, some good ol' summer jams to listen to when driving around is always a top priority. The band Walk the Moon are perfect for blasting while driving around with the wind blowing through in your face on those hot summer nights. Their hit single " Anna Sun" may be the best summer song I've heard in a while. So catchy and so fun. I may be a little bias being that they're from Cincinnati (whaddup  OHIO!),  but nonetheless they can write a super catchy pop/rock song. Always fun to listen and sing along too. Check 'em out

-Adam G

Machine Gun Kelly: Man I'm So Cleveland It's a God Damn Shame

For some reason, this past year I've really opened up to rap a lot more. One of these rappers that got me started was Machine Gun Kelly. MGK is Cleveland, where I'm from as well. He wears it on his sleeve...literally. He has the I-71 highway's logo tattooed on his shoulder. He knows how to represent his hometown.  

Not only because he's a fellow Clevelander am I into his music, but hes really good as well. With his quick style, and being completely honest and open with his lyrics you get a strongfeel for who MGK is. His songs have been quickly rising and gaining popularity. This past April MGK performed his song "Invincible" for the main event at the WWE pay-per-view Wrestlemania 28.

Having signed with Diddy and Bad Boy records MGK's album Lace Up is set to release sometime this summer. I've read that he says his debut album will be like 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Trying (2003). Just so everyone knows what that means, Get Rich or Die Trying sold 8 million copies in the US, making it the fourth best selling album in the US. Pretty ballsy claim to make, but he just may be that good. 

 - Adam G

Avicii: I Get A Feeling That I Never Had Before

My musical taste has changed a lot over the years, I mean  whose hasnt? I went through my hard rock phase, my punk phase, my pop phase and now I've taken the best of all those genres and continue to have my musical library grow. The one type of music I would never allow myself to like was house/DJ music. It was just a bunch of loud noise with beats, it truthfully did nothing for me. Though things changed. This past week I not only started opening up too this kind of music, but I actually went to see a legit DJ live.....and it was awesome!.

In the past the only club DJ I'd ever be able to recognize by name was Pauly D from The Jersey Shore (guilty pleasure....). Though this past week I heard Avicii was coming to Tel Aviv, a few friends of mine convinced me to go along, saying it would be a wild time, I decided to join, and I'm really happy I did. I was surprised when I found out a few days before the show that I actually knew one of his songs, Levels, which is sampled in the song "Good Feeling" by Flo' Rida.

The concert was wild, never experienced something like that before. Pretty much a rave party. Avicii didn't even come on stage until 2 am, while the opening DJ started at 11. The whole thing was a ton of fun, and I'm somehow starting to enjoy this kind of music. The reason I know this is even now I came across a similar kind of song (Calling) and enjoy it. Avicii... job well done.

-Adam G