Random Songs I've Shazam'd

Here is a list of random songs that I've Shazam'd recently. They all peaked my interest in one way or another.  That's it. It doesn't get much deeper than that. I've noticed a trend where I Shazam a lot of weird dance music, think it's good at the time, and then it's not as good when I get home. Anyway, here's the list. This post is mostly to ease myself back into writing about music.

1. My Rights Versus Yours - The New Pornographers
   This song was my JAM when I first started driving. My friend made me a mix CD to listen to me in my new car, and this was on there. So many good memories associated with this song and I completely forgot about it until I heard it on the radio again a couple days ago.
2. Lite Spots - Kaytranada
   Everything about this song makes me want to dance. Such a well produced song from a great album.
3. Casualty - Pional
   Honestly now that I listen to this song again, it's not that great. I'm not sure why this sparked my interest at all. Ignore this.
4. We Gone - Paper Diamond Feat. Shoffy
   Classic lounge-like deep house-ish track. Sounds pretty much like a lot of stuff out there. Gets sort of interesting in the middle but then goes back to being generic. I don't know. It's fine to listen to if you really want to.
5. Critical Mistakes - 888
   After hearing this song it was honestly stuck in my head for hours. VERY catchy. Not sure if I'd want to listen to it for ages, but it's good for now. A good combination of pop-punk and electro synth.
6. Feel Good - Syn Cole
   Wow is this repetitive but wow is it catchy. I've got your summer upbeat dance music right here.

I'm Back - New Playlist

I honestly can't believe how long it's been since I posted on this blog. Pretty soon I'll be doing my "Best of 2015" posts even though the last posts on here were "Best of 2014". Time flies. Unfortunately my real-life outside of my music-hobby-life has taken over and I haven't had a chance to do anything remotely fun. Just writing papers and working. So, now, of course when I have my massive thesis due shortly I am procrastinating and doing something completely unrelated. I have been stringing together a short playlist of songs I'm currently (within the past month) listening to and I thought I'd share. It's an hour and fifteen minutes of things I like and I hope you give it a listen.

Hopefully more posts to come.

Best EPs of 2014

As I was writing my Best Albums of 2014 post I realized there were a bunch of EPs that came out that I really liked and wanted to share. I couldn't put them in the best album post so I needed to come up with a new list. So I did. Because it's my blog and I do what I want.
Typically releasing an EP means there are bigger things to come from that artist, so I want everyone to keep their eyes peeled (what a gross expression) for all of these people in 2015. I'm so excited for things to come and I have a feeling 2015 is going to be a hard year for my bank account.

5. George Maple - Vacant Space

I remember browsing the Spotify New Music of the Week playlist (which, sidenote, is really awesome and you can really find some gems every Tuesday) and was instantly caught up in George Maple's music. This is right up my alley. She's a mix of soul and electronic? Very vibe-y sexy dark lovely music. The kind of music you can picture listening to in a dark smoky jazz-club place...you know the type...the only lighting is that tiny tealight candle on your table and you stumble over at least 12 people on the way to the bathroom. Again, I'm not the best at describing things so the best thing to do would be to listen for yourself. (iTunes)

4. Vince Staples - Hell Can Wait

This album is killer. I really don't know what else to say. Vince Staples is an insanely good rapper and this album has such good production value from beginning to end. I first heard about Vince Staples from his feature on Earl Sweatshirt's album and his solo album is such a good transition from his featuring stuff. It still has that sort of dark sound that a lot of Odd Future stuff has, but it's his own sound and is something really refreshing I haven't heard before. I swear I've had the song 65 Hunnid stuck in my head since October. (iTunes)

3. To Kill A King - Exit, Pursued by a Bear

Whatever new things To Kill A King are doing is really working for them. It feels like the perfect next step for this group and I'm very excited for their sophomore album (due in 2015). If you don't know To Kill A King, they are sort of a rock/pop group with very distinct vocals from frontman Ralph Pellymounter. Their songs tell great stories and within a single song can go from something incredibly simple and sweet sounding to a really epic and profound sound. They really are masters of building up a song from beginning to end, which also makes for an incredible live show. This EP is an awesome collection of a wide variety of driving songs and I encourage everyone to give it a listen. (iTunes)

2. Charlotte OC - Strange

This EP only has four songs but they are four incredible songs. Talk about great vocals. I'm sort of obsessed with her voice and I can't rave about her sound enough. It's this mix of soulful folky music with like a darker electronic element to it? Very modern 70s? Is that a thing? I honestly have no idea how to even describe this but it's well-worth a listen. Can I just freak out for a minute about how excited I am that she has been announced for SXSW? See you in Austin, Charlotte. (iTunes)

1. Låpsley - Monday (and other things)

Alright. Where do I even begin? Låpsley is by far my favorite artist I have heard in 2014. I can't even express enough how much I love her music. I heard the song Station and then listened to it another hundred times, and still can't get over how good it is. The Monday EP doesn't have Station on it, but I'm just going to basically say that you should download everything that she has ever come out with ever. Have I raved about her music enough? No. Absolutely not. I could talk about it forever. If you like that sort of deep house electronic vibe-tastic sound like I do, this is a must. Her Understudy EP is due out in like...two days...and I must have it. You must have it. We all must have it. (iTunes)

My Playlist

After months of dealing with a hacked Google account cutting off access to this blog, and whatever other garbage has been thrown at me, I am finally able to write a new post. I honestly can't even think of how to begin this, or how to write, or how to do anything. My brain has been consumed by grad school and work and other bullshit that is going on and I need to remember to just stop, breathe, and do something cathartic. I find writing really cathartic, and even though I'm not good at it, at all, it still helps me feel better. Music also helps me feel better...hence this post. I have been working on a Spotify playlist on and off since early September and I'm really excited to finally share it.
I constantly (...not that constantly...occasionally is probably a better word) get asked what my favorite music is. "What do you listen to?" "What genre do you like?" "What's the cool jams?" Fuck if I know. It's pretty cliche to say that you listen to "everything" but I really do. With that being said, I think electronic-based-alternative-whatever is my favorite genre. Is that a genre? Anyway, genres don't exactly exist anymore so I thought I'd explain my favorite type of music through...music. Wow.
I spent WAY more time than I should have making this playlist flow, and sound smooth and consistent from beginning to end. So, if you need some new and not-so-new music to listen to, or a playlist for some sort of activity, this might be for you.

Here are some activities which I think would go well with this type of sound.

1) Star-gazing

2) Working out...but sort of low-energy work-outs...like stretching. Yeah. Stretching.

3) Sexy time. I mean...to be honest, it's all pretty sexual, hip-gyrating stuff. Go for it.

4) Looking at a city from the top of a skyscraper

5) Staring aimlessly at spreadsheets or computer programming. I can vouch for this.

6) Drinking a hot toddy, or mulled wine. I was going to say tea but this is too vibe-licious for that.

7) Being on an airplane. It's good cloud-watching music. Or drowing-out-screaming-children music.

8) Painting? Probably. I haven't tested this.

9) Drugs? Again, probably. No comment.

10) Meditating

So, overall this is a pretty dark, vibey, playlist. I think if anything this group of songs is a really easy stepping stone for a lot of people into the world of electronic. For a lot of people, myself included, "electronic" is a pretty intimidating genre with a lot of sub-styles, weird sounds and robotic notes. Even after listening to all types of electronic music for years, I really couldn't tell you how to categorize things. I guess this playlist would be like deep house for dummies? It's deep house mixed with bass mixed with god knows what. REGARDLESS, it's a really good mix of vocal electronic. I think you guys will like it. I know I do.

ALBUM REVIEW : Troye Sivan - TRXYE

I'm trying to think of an introduction to this review but it's proving to be very difficult. I honestly don't know much about Troye Sivan other than that he's a YouTuber and is quite popular with the #teenz. So, I suppose this review is coming from a totally unbiased place since I have no connection to Troye and literally just read his Wikipedia page to figure out a bit about him.

Anyway, TRXYE is a 5-song EP filled with electropop goodness. The album has a very consistent and cohesive feeling with a sort of dark pop vibe and a lot of interesting production going on. When I think of "internet people" transitioning into musicians I just automatically assume they are going to be acoustic or some sort of vocal-based singer-songwriter. So when I heard Troye's music I was pleasantly surprised. It's not like that at all. I wholeheartedly believe that electronic music, until quite recently, has been sort of underrepresented in the pop music scene but I can't say that anymore. Troye Sivan has embraced electronic...but not just by adding a beat or a bit of synth, there's some dark electronica in there and it really works. Who produced this? I must know. All of these tracks are screaming to be remixed, so give it a couple weeks...(days)...until the deep house remixes start emerging. I'm waiting.

Now, I'm not going to come in here and say that he's the best singer in the world, because he's not. He has a nice voice but there's not a lot of strength to it. I really don't care though because the music on this EP has more to do with the overall vibe. While I can't see him belting out an anthem anytime soon (maybe he has...again...I don't know anything about him) he has a very relaxing and soft voice on all the tracks which fits well with what he's trying to do.

Happy Little Pill and Touch are definitely my favorites on the album. Actually, now that I think about it, the order of the tracks on the album are also in order of how much I like them. When we get down to Gasoline and The Fault in Our Stars I start feeling a cheesy lyric vibe and I'm not about that. You might be. It's ok. We can like different things. For example, Gasoline has some nice R&B energy that's a little Frank Ocean-y and I can dig that.

You can buy it on iTunes if you want: Link!
Or, like, listen to it online before you buy it because you should be an informed consumer. I don't want to be responsible for you spending money on something you're not into. *fist bump*

ALBUM REVIEW: Ed Sheeran - X (Multiply)

Well, here it is. It's been three extremely long years since + and finally there's something new from Ed Sheeran. Honestly, writing these words feels almost like I'm in a dream. NEW. ALBUM. HERE. NOW. WHAT.

The promotion for this album has been smart and extensive...a radio premiere of the first single 'Sing', entire days of promotion in cities worldwide, festivals, releasing songs at midnight every night leading up to the release of the album, a 90-minute special on MTV. It has all been highly calculated and with the looks of the iTunes charts at the moment, extremely successful. With the curse of the sophomore album looming over, all eyes are on Ed. He's climbing higher and higher and higher with his career and hopefully this album will fit nicely on that path straight up to the top.

I have been plugging my ears this past month, trying to keep a lot of the songs on this album a surprise. I'm a big fan of that "first-listen"...when you sit down, put headphones on, and just submerge into a new album. Being a massive fan of Ed Sheeran, this album deserves my full attention, and I want to experience the album not just a song here and there. With this review, I thought I would do a sort-of initial reaction to the songs, one at a time, and then a more comprehensive review after.
Disclaimer: This is a review done by a fan. There are plenty of reviews done by professional music-type journalist-type professional-type people...all of which I am not...so don't expect anything too extraordinary. And, sidenote, I will definitely keep all my opinions completely unbiased. I may be a fan of Ed, but that doesn't mean I'm going to build a shrine for everything that he puts out.

Overly Detailed Track-By-Track Review:

(scroll to the bottom for an overall reaction/review)

The star ranking is out of 5 possible stars.

1. One

(*****)

The perfect song to open the album with. I mean, besides the fact that it's named "One" and it's track one. Good one, One. ...I'll stop. That raw guitar plucking as the first couple notes of this album is completely necessary. What do we think of when we think of Ed? Guitar. That's him. He's opening this album with something beautiful and heartwarming and quintessentially him. This is the perfect bridge between '+' and 'X'. In terms of the actual song, it's lovely. It starts completely acoustic...just a guitar and a voice, and it builds beautifully without too many extra things (just a little beat and some violin), then fades back to barebones acoustic. It's wonderful. Wonderfully produced and wonderfully written...just...amazing.

2. I'm a Mess

(*****)

I really like this song. This is one of those songs you can listen to in your car with the windows rolled down, wind in the hair, and just drive. It's energetic and basically acoustic for the majority. There is some beat and bass in there but it's minimal and adds to the epic-ness of the song. His voice goes from normal to falsetto to raspy and aggressive within a couple minutes. Huge range of vocal ability here, and also I think a couple guitar strings might be broken when this is performed live. Mark my words, this is going to be insanely good with a loop pedal.

Sidenote: I read some things talking about how they didn't like the autotune used in this song...I didn't hear any autotune. There's some vocal layering and a bit of reverb, but no autotune.

3. Sing

(**)

I listened to this song during the radio release back in April....my initial reaction still stands. I didn't like it when I first heard it, and I still don't particularly like it. All I hear is Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You" and Britney Spears' "Me Against the Music"...which are great songs, but it just doesn't work for this. It sounds like Pharrell vomited all over it. The heavy breathing in the background and the bongos (?) are what kill it for me. With that being said, seeing it live is totally different. It's a really good song for a concert with a lot of audience interaction and a fun dance-y vibe. So I give it two stars for the recorded version, but maybe 3.5 stars for a live version. Also, I understand completely why he released it for his first single and I thought that was super smart. It got people talking and radios really loved playing it. Kudos for that.

4. Don't

(****)

This is the second song I heard from this album, and it made me so happy. After having a general feeling of disappointment from 'Sing' I heard this and was like "YESSSSSS. THISSSS." (actual quote) This is an amazing song. Rhythmic. Soulful. Bass-y. Lots of wordplay. This is the hip-hop influenced Ed that I was waiting for. So, why four stars instead of five? Editing. Apparently, because of a suggestion from a cab driver and his daughter not being able to listen to it, Ed took out all the explicit lyrics from his album. It doesn't bug me that much, but it sort of does at the same time. I like hearing things the way they were originally intended to be heard. He did a clever thing by adding an inhaling noise as a "fuck" replacement" but still. Can I still be mad about this? I'm still mad about this. I'll get over it...eventually? Maybe.

Also, I'm adding a whole extra bit to this review about the way he sings the lyric "god knows I'm singing" at 2:50 of the song is utter perfection and the best part of the whole song. Ok. That just needed to be said.

5. Nina

(***)

I have a feeling this is going to be one of those songs that I'm going to like live better than I like the recorded version. Another song that will sound incredible with a loop pedal and some audience interaction. Again, I still really like it but there's just something about it that isn't complete. High points: love the piano and the round at the end. It's like a very lightweight hiphop song and it's nice to finally hear some insight into his relationship which people speculated about for years.

6. Photograph

(***)

Photograph sounds like a classic love song. It's very lovely, light and pretty. All of those good things. It sounds quite Snow Patrol-y...which makes sense since Johnny McDaid is the producer and co-writer. Piano, rhythmic drumming, catchy melody. It's all there. So, I suppose it's a great song but maybe I was a bit underwhelmed. It sounds like it should be part of the soundtrack to some epic love story film. You know, at the point when the two protagonists are running towards each other in the rain and finally kiss after years of being separated by war or something. Is it all a bit cliche? I really do like the song, and it's already stuck in my head, but maybe it's just not what I was expecting. Hmm. This one might take a couple more listens.

7. Bloodstream

(*****)

Hooked from the first beat. Yep. Rick Rubin, I hear you here. Slightly overproduced but not enough so it bugs me. God, this is fantastic. Is it weird that I picture Ed singing this song while in the 1800's Wild West? Like on horseback? Maybe.

With wild west imagery aside, this is a catchy-ass song with great rhythm and movement. Damn.

OH SHIT IT JUST HIT THAT DRIVING BEAT AT 3:46. Yep. Ok. This is great. Nothing else to say.

8. Tenerife Sea

(**** or *****)

So, this was probably the first song I heard from X. I was lucky enough to go to one of his concerts at Madison Square Garden and a really small gig at Mercury Lounge where he performed this. It's honestly one of my favorite songs that he's ever done. The recorded version is...um...a bit worse than the live version. There's something about adding that drum kit in there that just doesn't do it for me. Honestly it could be because I heard it live first, but that's just my opinion. It's still a really incredible track and I love the bit of classical guitar-type plucking throughout.

9. Runaway

(*****)

LET ME GUESS PHARRELL AGAIN? Yep. You can hear that influence from the first second. This one is better than Sing though. Definitely. By about 10,000 percent give or take a percent. I'm really digging this song. It's Ed mixed with a hint of Pharrell, not Pharrell with a hint of Ed. This would be a good concert opener song.

For Ed fans: You know that part of "We Are" that's like "They're never going to change me. They're never going to change us. We'll always be the same." Those lyrics could fit perfectly in this song during the chorus. Just a random thought. There's a lot of melodic similarity there.

10. The Man

(****)

"Oh. OH. Oh my. Yes. Wait. EDITING FUCK." - My brain

So, this song. I love it. I'm not sure if you guys are familiar with The Streets/Mike Skinner but there is some serious inspiration coming from them in this song. The way the lyrics are put together is so incredibly Mike Skinner it's uncanny. I heard a lot of "Eminem inspiration" buzz on the twittersphere but no. I'm not getting that at all. This is The Streets all the way. It's a mix between spoken word, hip-hop and soul. Really amazing lyrics. It's raw and minimal and amazing. How many times can I use the word amazing? So why the four stars instead of 5? Again, editing. In this song, the censoring actually stood out at me and I went "oh...no". I really hope an explicit version of this song comes out because if any song on the album should be raw and contain it's original emotion, it's this one.

11. Thinking Out Loud

(*****)

Ummmmmmmm hello James Taylor. Is it 1970? Are we at the Troubadour? This is AMAZING. Ok, so there's some serious soul power going on with this song. Otis Redding mixed with James Taylor mixed with (surprise) Ed Sheeran. Ed's vocal ability is massive here. I mean, wow. Can you tell I'm typing this as I'm listening? Hah. I'm so eloquent. I don't know if there's any more I can say about this song. It's just great. That bit of piano in there makes it sound totally retro but the lyrics are totally modern and it's a great fusion of a lot of different styles. 

12. Afire Love

(*****)

Yet another type of song. I swear, the variety on this album is out of control. So it's like rap mixed with pop mixed with electronic mixed with soul mixed with gospel? Alright then. I can dig it. The story behind this song is touching and can hit home with a lot of people. It's touching and beautiful. Honestly, I can't find a single thing wrong with this song. It's something new I haven't really heard before and still sounds very Sheeran.

(Deluxe Edition)

13. Take It Back

(*****)

I (sort-of) got to hear this song at Mercury Lounge. Part of it at least. I've been memorizing the lyrics for months. It's literally brilliant and this is the reason you always buy the deluxe edition of any album. There's no production here. This is Ed, raw and unedited. This is what you hear when it's just Ed singing in front of you without any extra bullshit or added elements. Damn. This is talent exemplified in a song. AND THE WORDPLAY. Damn. Damn. DAMN. Really take a look and listen to the lyrics and you'll laugh and then be like "Damn."

14. Shirtsleeves

(****)

This one reminds me a lot of + for some reason. Lyrically, I think it's really similar to a lot of his old stuff but then he added a bit more production and elements like on the rest of X. Good combination of the two albums. It's one of those songs that Ed does so well where it's sad and happy all at the same time and you sit back and go "wait, what am I feeling right now?"

15. Even My Dad Does Sometimes

(***)

So, I think we can conclude that piano is a new part to this album that hasn't really existed in Ed's music before. I think it's a welcome addition. This is a very ballad-esque song that's really giving a lot of life advice in a heartfelt and soft-spoken way. It starts with a piano, plain and simple, then builds really nicely up until the end and becomes a full-blown ballad with a big sound. It's nice, and I'm glad it's included but not my favorite on the album.

16. I See Fire

(****)

The song from the Hobbit soundtrack. I love this song. I think it fits perfectly in the movie and it was really well written with complete inspiration drawn from the plot. There was quite a bit of backlash from the LOTR community. I mean, understandably so, since you're adding some so-called pop musician to your movie. But hey, it was only in the credits, and it worked beautifully. So, boohoo to them. It's great.

17. All of the Stars

(***)

This song is alright. It's a very classic sappy love song that worked really well for The Fault in Our Stars. I'm not sure how much I will listen to it since it seems sort of uninspired, but I don't think it's a bad song by any means and it's perfectly lovely and *cute*. You know? Like one of of those songs where you just go AWWwwwAwawwwW. Like that.

Synopsis:

Alright, so with all that being said I'm giving this album a 10/10. "How does that make sense since you didn't give all the songs a perfect rating?" Hush. The album is great. There are definite high points but there aren't really that many low points. Even with any "low" points...they are all relative. After listening I can definitely conclude that this is one of the most varied albums I have ever listened to. There is a song on here that everyone will like. If you're not usually a fan of singer-songwriter-type music, there is more hip-hop-type music for you and vise-versa. Ed Sheeran gains influence from so many genres that it only makes sense that he uses that influence in different ways on this album. He's showcasing everything that he does well, but doesn't try to do it all at once.

You can tell that this album was carefully constructed and each song was thought of as it's own piece of the puzzle. Each one tells a different story, each one has a different meaning, each one encompasses a unique emotion. All together, they make something complex and thoughtful. A gem of an album. Sophomore album curse be gone.

Written by: Carmen Bernu

Summer Playlist

There's something about summer music that's different than all other music. I think it's a weird combination of sun, bonfires, mosquito bites and all that crap that defines the appropriate music. For example, I would never listen to Bon Iver in the summer. That is strictly autumn music and everyone knows that.
So for your summer enjoyment I constructed a summer playlist! How exciting! There is mix of brand spankin' new music with some of my old favorites. I even did the thing when the songs should seam well together and sort of flow, you know? I spent far too much time on this. I even made a list of things you could do while listening to this playlist:

1. Roast marshmallows

2. Grill all the foods (even peaches)

3. Go for a drive in a convertible (preferably next to a coastline)

4. Find the best sunglasses for your face shape

5. Inspect your moles for irregularity in shape and color

6. Skip through a field

7. Pick non-poisonous berries

8. Kill wasps

9. Attempt to climb a tree for the first time in years and get stuck halfway up

10. Have a pool party...or crash your neighbor's...or a stranger's

Enjoy!

PHOTOSET AND MINI-REVIEW: Kodaline (with Bora York) - Minneapolis, MN - 3/4/14

After scheduled opener LP had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts, Minneapolis-based band Bora York stepped up to the plate. Although I was looking forward to seeing LP, my disappointment faded after hearing this band. They were a great choice to open for Kodaline since I can see their fans really loving Bora York. They have a full and enchanting sound that will appeal to all types of music lovers. Plus, I can't deny a band that knows how to utilize some synth. Imagine driving along the Pacific coast...(or Lake Superior)...in the summer with the sun shining through rolled-down windows. What's your soundtrack? This is.
Check out their Bandcamp, buy their stuff on iTunes, or website for more info and links and things.

Kodaline floored me. I've been a fan of their work for such a long time and it was amazing to finally see them in concert. They mentioned they might be back in October for their next tour and I will be first in line to buy tickets. I couldn't believe how full of a sound they had. It filled up the entire room and it felt like you were standing right on stage with the band. The amount of harmonies and layered instrumentals makes for a beautiful sound and I would highly suggest seeing them live at some point if you can...which unless you are in Europe, might be a while.

All photos by Carmen Bernu

In Defense of Lorde

Alright. So, I'm always a bit wary of doing blog posts like this. We all have different music tastes, that's what makes the world go 'round, and I want to reiterate that I'm in no way swaying you to like a particular artist or whatever. Duh. With that being said....

Whatever is happening with Lorde right now is interesting as hell. This girl is blowing up on every outlet and people are either loving it...or absolutely hating it. I first heard 'Royals' in June and have been hooked on her sound ever since. She's right up my alley with a dark/gothic electronic vibe coupled with catchy-as-hell lyrics and beats. Her album Pure Heroine is lovely. The thing is, people aren't necessarily freaking out over her music, they are freaking out about her personality.

Here's the thing. She's not pop. She's "pop" in the sense that she is "popular" at the moment, but in no way is her sound or message behind her music in the same category as a lot of Top 40 music. This, in turn, leads people to flip their tits all over the place because someone dares to be outspoken and different and interesting in the pop music scene. She's been called stuck-up, snobbish, anti-feminist etc. etc. but HELLO?! She's the opposite? I've discussed how the radio and pop music try to force artists to fit into a simple mold that can be enjoyed by the masses before and here we see it pop up again. There is no crossover in iHeartRadio...and Lorde is crossing over.

She is beyond intelligent. From what I can tell, she's not willing to sacrifice her vision of her music, and herself as an artist for some pop standard. I give her a ton of credit for turning down opening Katy Perry's world tour. She was quoted as saying "I have a pretty good gut instinct for stuff, and if it feels right, I'll do it." With that kind of head on her shoulders, in the music industry, she will do just fine. In the general music radar, she's currently being put in the same grouping as Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift...the "pop princesses" if you will. This leads to a lot of artificial shit. She's gotten bashed/threatened/whatever else by Miley's fans on Twitter (props to Miley for sticking up for her!) and outlashed by "Swifties" at around the same time because of something said in an interview. (Which, by the way, she clarified in a really awesome and brilliant way here.) I just feel like there's a real struggle between her trying to be a true alternative artist and everyone else trying to shove her in the same genre as a lot of unrelated bullshit. She has her opinions about people, music, things, whatever, because in case people have forgotten, she's a fucking human and she should be free to express that without getting backlash from a bunch of teens. ...Whoa. Calm down.

I just want to end with a couple endnotes that I feel are necessary but I don't know how to put them into paragraph form. Deal with it.:

• I think I feel defensive about what people say to her because she seems like the infinitely cooler version of 16-year-old me and I'm overly sensitive to that.
• Her tumblr is beyond words amazing. 
• She's painfully shy, so stop criticizing her stage presence. She'll get there.
• CAN WE TALK ABOUT HER COVERING HOLD MY LIQUOR?!?! IT'S PERFECT.
• She likes Grimes and Die Antwoord and all those good things I like too.
• Basically, I want to be her best friend.
• For the love of god, stop talking about the way she looks. Can we move beyond this superficial bullshit for once. I don't even understand why it's relevant.

Anyway, stop trying to put her in a genre. Just let her do her own thannnng. Let's face it, she's weird. Embrace the weird. Love the weird. Keep the weird alive and well. I'm incredibly excited to see where her career takes her and Lorde knows (ugh. I hate myself.) I will be first in line to see her live when she comes to Minneapolis....hint...hint...please.....

ALBUM REVIEW: True Romance - Charli XCX

I can't even tell you how long I've been waiting for this album. Ok, yes I can...since August 11, 2012. A friend of mine invited me to see Coldplay on their Mylo Xyloto tour. I'm a fan of Coldplay, but when I saw that Marina and the Diamonds was opening I had to go. An unknown "Charli XCX" was opening for Marina and I had absolutely no idea who "he" was. Some guy that Jay-Z had mentioned? Oh, okay. Should be great.

...IT WAS SO GREAT.
I was immediately hooked and immediately wanted to hear more. Her (yes, her. I picked up on that pretty quickly) platform sneakers coupled with her crop top gave me mad Sporty Spice vibes...but more like if Sporty Spice was a raver. Absolutely insane in the best possible way. Being a completely unknown artist the crowd was, uh, less than enthusiastic but it's obvious that once you got her in a small venue instead of an area, shit would get wild. She's a really dynamic performer.

Since I live in the US I haven't been able to get a hold of a lot of her music so this album is a welcome arrival in my life. I pre-ordered it. Me. Pre-order. I don't think I've ever pre-ordered a CD in my life. That's how much I was looking forward to this album. So, the question is, did it live up to the hype I gave it? In short, 100% yes, absolutely. This album is one of the best I've heard in a long time. It's pop, grime, electronic, 90's, dance, and everything in-between.

I did a super scientific Twitter poll where one person responded so I'm going to follow their preference for a track-by-track review. 

1. Nuclear Seasons - 9/10

2. You (Ha Ha Ha) - 9/10

3. Take My Hand - 7/10

4. Stay Away - 8/10

5. Set Me Free - 9/10

6. Grins - 10/10

7. So Far Away - 8/10

8. Cloud Aura (feat. Brooke Candy) - 9/10

9. What I Like - 9/10

10. Black Roses -7/10

11. You’re the One -9/10

12. How Can I - 7/10

13. Lock You Up - 10/10

There isn't any sort of rhyme or reason to this scale so take these numbers with a grain of salt. Basically, Lock You Up and Grins are the stand-out tracks on this album to me. I could listen to them over and and over again (...I do). I'm struggling to find things to write about because there isn't a single bad track on the whole thing. These songs make me want to get up and dance, or at least get a little more daring with my fashion choices. Also, when listening I have had the sudden urge to throw a rave in a graveyard...a gRAVEyard if you will. Does that give you a better of idea of what this sounds like? No?  It really is a completely unique sound which is incredibly refreshing compared to a lot of junk that's been coming out lately.

If you're new to Charli XCX I would give some of these a preview on iTunes/Spotify/YouTube and see if you're into it. Especially Nuclear Seasons, You're the One and Stay Away, which are some of her more popular songs. I understand that she isn't everyone's cup of tea. When you add an electronic element to your music you're automatically isolating some people from your music. Now, I think people that don't like electronic music are crazy but that's only because I'm extremely biased and probably shouldn't be reviewing music in general. 

Give it a listen. Purchase if you like it (I think you will). And $9.99 for 13 tracks? Sounds good to me. Link!

Fandumb.

I honestly can't tell what is going to come out of my brain with this post. It's a topic I've wanted to write about for a while now but I'm terrified of getting murdered by a 13-year-old girl while I sleep. I'm just going to spit everything out in one shot and see what happens.

Fandoms, stanning, OTP, shipping, what am I even saying? What are these things? Why are people flipping their tits over boys with swoopy hair and chiseled jaw lines? I mean, yes. I get it. But also, it's insane. People have gone insane.

As a 90's kid I had a true obsession with the Spice Girls. They covered the walls of my bedrooms. I owned notebooks, t-shirts and even lollipops reppin the Spice Girls name. So in a way, I know where these (mostly) girls are coming from. But really, is it just me, or has this gone to a completely asinine level? I mean, Twitter and Tumbler are 90% to blame but I can't get over the absolute anarchy that is happening. Bands feuding, people shipping bandmates, something about Anne Frank. It's chaos. I swear you can't say anything on the internet with a Belieber threatening to burn the bodies of you and your family.
It seems to be happening with everyone too. Not just musicians, but with actors and internet stars. A person can't just be a fan of someone, you have to be completely and utterly obsessed. It must take over your life and GOD FORBID you actually choose to be a fan of two different people. Justin AND One Direction? Well fuck ME.

These celebrities are so "watched"(...stalked?) and it makes me legitimately sad. They have literally thousands of minions following and analyzing their every move to the most minute detail. There's a quote from my favorite movie that says "it's front page news when one of them takes a shit." Completely accurate. Do I really need to be bothered when Harry wears a new beanie? Is that important? Apparently, yes. Very important. I really have to give these people such credit. I don't know how I would function if people thought it was appropriate to touch my hair, or I don't know, grab my ass, or tell me that the continuation of his/her life completely depends on what I do. Can we not put that kind of pressure on people? No wonder Justin bought a monkey.

Am I a hypocrite saying all this? Probably. I might be a part of a fandom. That sounds completely bizarre for me to say, but I suppose it's true. Oof.
I don't want to say who I'm a fan of so I'm going to make up a hypothetical situation: I'm a massive fan of...uh...Jerry Seinfeld. I've loved him for a long time, not as long as some other fans but long enough to feel like I've been a part of his journey. His talent is matched by an awesome personality. I get his sense of humor. It really scares me how similar I feel we are sometimes. For some reason, there's an element of jealousy when other people meet Jerry...other fans or celebrities or whatever. I mean, I liked him first you so clearly that makes me more deserving...right? (Wrong. But I get that nasty thought in my head sometimes.) There's just something about Jerry. His fans began calling themselves Seinfelders which is apparently what you have to do when you are a fan of someone. I can't bring myself to do it. I'd love to meet Jerry though. He seems chill.

stud.

So there's that. I'm, I suppose, obsessed, with Jerry Seinfeld. *shiver* I hate the word obsessed. Does this make me a crazy person? According to my friends and family, yes. Completely. I try to keep my "fangirling" internal but I do have a Twitter... (shout out to people I know in real life that still manage to follow me on twitter. you guys rock.) But here's what I think: I will like Jerry Seinfeld whether or not he stays famous, whether or not I get to meet him, whether or not he goes crazy. He's talented. That's what I was originally hooked by, and that's how I'll stay. I've had the chance to travel and meet the best people because of Jerry. This, to me, has been the ultimate benefit of my being a part of this "fandom". Of course, there are some other fans that I absolutely can't stand and I'd rather chew off my own arm then hear them blarf rainbows all over Jerry related everything...but they're still good people. It's fun to be involved. Share my love of Jerry with other people that understand.


Honestly, I think the point of this post is to just have people calm down a bit. I've been seeing some really really really really really concerning things on the internetz lately. Most of the time it's all in good fun but some people take it way too far. Nothing should give you the right to yell at other people and make them feel bad because of who they like or what they like. There's no reason to cut yourself. There's no reason to feel like your life is over because your "true love" won't recognize your existence. I mean, really. Enjoy them as they are. Love them. Obsess over them, but do it internally...or logically. Remember they are first and foremost, a human, like you. Embrace every fandom. They love their people just as much as you love yours.

I love Jerry but I feel balanced. I think this is ok.

...I dont know. Maybe this whole post is me trying to justify my psychosis. It really wouldn't be the first time.

Discalimer: If you are getting here from my Twitter know that I am not reffering to anyone I know, or talk to, or have ever acknowledged. I'm mostly referring to a couple specific things I've seen in many fandoms. I've seen it typically during competition, or certain news events or whatever. You're all great.
Second Disclaimer: Coming off as a total bitch was not my intention. I know that I sound conceited. Really, really, really I don't mean to come of this way. I'm just jealous.

SHAZAM!

A couple months ago I finally got an iPhone. Praise the Lawwwwd. Honestly, one of my main objectives when getting my iPhone was so I could try out Shazam. The amount of times in my life where I have been like WHAT IS THAT SONG is absolutely ridiculous. Also, remember the thing where you Google random blerbs of lyrics that you sort of remember?..never worked.
WELL no more, my friends. This app has honestly changed my life. I'm now officially that psycho person holding their phone up in the Gap trying to figure out what the hell is playing. Or, while driving, which is always a super safe idea.

Whatever. I've found some pretty awesome things. Sharing time!

MaLLy & The Sundance Kid - Good One (feat. K.Raydio)

Holy shit. Within the first two seconds of hearing this I wanted to know what it was. I'm not sure if this guy has just snuck under the Minneapolis radar for a while or what's going on but I sure as hell have never heard of him. Amazing. Really amazing. This song needs radio play NOW. The rest of his album is equally as great from the little bit I've heard but this track is definitely my favorite so far. Hopefully we'll be hearing his name around a little more in the future.

James Blake - Retrograde

This is another song that hooked me in the first two seconds. Is he a producer or what's going on here? I can't really figure it out but I did end up listening to basically his whole catalog on Spotify and I'm hooked. That special part of my heart that is reserved for electronic-y jazz-y music is happy. His name has popped up in some of the music that I've listened to before but I can't find anything of his that sounds familiar? So maybe I'm hallucinating or mistaking him with James Blunt (I'm definitely not). Anyway, this is good. Listen.

Update: Figured it out. I've heard "The Wilhelm Scream" before but I think I just assumed it was Aaron Neville in outer space. Classic.

St. Vincent and David Byrne - Who

When I first heard about this collaboration I thought it was a joke. I mean, it kind of is. This is weird shit. St. Vincent's voice is the creepiest most awesome thing ever and coupled with David Byrne's... whatever...it's just...I have no idea. This will never get out of my head though. That's what makes it successful, right? Example: It's A Small World

So I'm not really sure what direction this post went in, or what the point of it was originally? Oh yeah, Shazam. Cool. Get that app. It's free. Isn't it? I hope I'm not paying for this or I'm back to Googling lyric blerbs.

WWSCD?

This isn't going to be the most uplifting of posts. I'm having sort of an existential crisis in combination with a personal/friendship/relationship crisis in combination with 90% confidence that my medication is in the wrong dosage. So overall, I'm a mess.

I get bouts of depression randomly and I when I'm like that I have no desire to do absolutely anything except lie in bed, eat a ridiculous amount of anything, cry, watch television and when my eyes burn from too much TV, listen to music.
Generally, I'm able to mask any sort of sadness/depression with laughter and really obscure humour so when I get smacked in the face by crippling depression I don't know what to do. This is when I resort to my adolescent teachings. Thankfully, my adolescence was ruled by the OC and Gilmore Girls, both of which had insanely awesome soundtracks and music-loving main characters. My depression leads me to ask myself, WWSCD? What would Seth Cohen do? Answer: Death Cab.

All those male-lead bands that ruled music in the mid-2000's were really on to something. Who knew. There's something insanely relaxing listening to a guy with a floppy haircut singing close-eyed into a microphone about how he will never be happy again.
Anyway, I don't really feel like making a full post about each and every song because to be completely honest, they're all about the same and REMEMBER I'm depressed. *eats entire package of oreos*
Just like listen to the O.C. Mix Volumes 1-419845 and you'll be set.

What's your favorite music to listen to when you're depressed?
Are you never depressed? WELLL LA DEE FREAKING DAHHH GOOD FOR YOU.

"meh"

I've been really good about keeping up with this blog lately so, of course, I recently got writer's block. I've been stressing about a lot of things so music-related junk has been put on the back burner and frankly, nothing is out right now that's really tickling my fancy? ...what a disgusting expression.
So basically, nothing is good and it's pissing me off. I feel like everyone is coming out with new things and there's all this hype attached but they are all just so boring. Is it just me? I feel like everything sucks and generally that happens when I'm in a crabby mood so the problem is most likely me. Grumble grumble.

Examples:

Devandra Banhart - Mala 
Meh. His worst album. I keep trying to listen to it but I just can't even get through it and it's just so flipping boring. Everyone is going on and on about he's incorporating his Venezuelan roots with this album and how it's supposedly more cohesive but...no...or in Spanish...no.

David Bowie - The Next Day
Blah. It's ok. I don't even know what to say. Bowie fans will like it. I'm kind-of whatever about it.
..."Wow this is such a great blurb, Carmen. How are you so eloquent?"

Stornoway - Tales From Terra Firma
Bloop. I really love Stornoway. Zorbing is probably one of the best songs ever written. When I heard they had a new album I was super jazzed but upon listening to it I just felt...underwhelmed. I don't know. I can't help but just thinking of them as a Decemberists/Sufjan Stevens hybrid (which they're not) and literally while I was going through the tracks I kept flipping back to their old album. Maybe it will grow on me but right now I'm adding it to the "meh" pile.

The Strokes - All the Time
Ok, so, I've only heard the one song but I'm not feeling it. Yeah, it's catchy. Maybe I'm just having Angles flashbacks and I'm not getting my hopes up. Man, this whole blog post is super monotone and I'm incredibly sorry.

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - We the Common
This album bugs the crap out of me. I had people literally throwing this CD in my face to listen to and we had it promoted at work so I was forced to listen to it. Holy cannoli it's probably the most blah album ever. Also, the most annoying album. Yeah, sure, you can listen to one of the songs once or twice in a playlist but listening to the whole album makes me want to rip my hair out. Dat voice.

Beyonce's New Song
I can't think of a Beyonce song that I don't like...except this one. It's repetitive, really weirdly put together and not consistent with anything she's EVER done before. I'm just really confused about it and I don't know if it's the pre-cursor to something? Like an artistic something? Yeah, no idea.

Local Natives - Hummingbird
Is this good? I can't decide if this is good. It's not good. But they sound really Shins-y on this album? Right? And Black Balloons is pretty good. Right? Ugh.

Vampire Weekend 
I'm bored already. It sounds the same. They always sound the same.



After all that bitching and moaning is there anything I'm actually liking? Well, sure. It's all just getting swallowed by boring crap.

• The new Cold War Kids track is growing on me and I find myself getting more and more excited for their new album...I'm nervous to get my hopes up though.
• Bastille's new stuff is really really realllayyy good. I'm loving it.
• This is good...I mean, it's not really new, but Australian things take a while to sail over to me.
• Big thanks to my wonderful friend Kyle for sending me to Woodkid (as I was writing this, great timing) whose album "The Golden Age" just came out. When I saw the album cover I was thinking it would be Fever-Ray-ish but it's more like Rufus Wainwright meets alt-J? I LOVE WHEN THINGS SURPRISE ME. This is good. Kyle, you rock.

MAYBE THERE IS GOOD STUFF OUT THERE. MAYBE IT'S NOT JUST ME. MAYBE THERE IS HOPE. *weeps softly*

ALBUM REVIEW: Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience

Here it is. The 10 millionth review of what possibly could be the most anticipated album of all time. I don't think I should set myself up to even review this since it will definitely get lost in a sea of New York Times level shit that I can't possibly compete with. Oh well, I just feel like I need to do this.

There's no doubt that this album is going to be compared with FutureSex/LoveSounds so let's just get that out of the way right now. Justin Timberlake created what is possibly one of the best albums of all time a couple years ago (yes, all time) so even coming out with a follow-up album is beyond ambitious. In short, no, The 20/20 Experience is not as good as FutureSex/LoveSounds but HARDLY ANYTHING IS so let's all just get over it. We all had ridiculously high expectations for this album and unfortunately, they weren't met, but I'm not mad. In fact, I'm the opposite. I'm ecstatic. Setting all comparisons aside, this album stands alone as a really great pop album that deserves some credit.

I think the biggest difference about The 20/20 Experience, that many fans are having a hard time stomaching, is that it's not really an album of singles. Yes, they play Suit & Tie on the radio but even that isn't really a single the way "My Love" or "Sexy Back" were. Those songs were built for radio play...although can we all agree that the album versions are 100x better than the radio versions? With The 20/20 Experience Justin owns that extended ending/transition thing that we've come to know and love. Really, whoever came up with "Experience" as part of his album title was spot on. These songs are exactly that: an experience. Most of them are over seven minutes long and there really aren't any two songs on the album with the same feeling. Represented on the album there's classic Timbaland-style pop (Tunnel Vision), Latin influence (Let the Groove Get In), Classic R&B (That Girl) and something that sounds sort-of Radiohead-esque (Blue Ocean Floor). Mirrors is probably the song that most of the FutureSex/LoveSounds fans will like. It's a pretty similar sound we've heard from him before but still slightly different? I'm terrible at describing things. Sorry.

Maybe it's just me but I'm really digging it. I took advantage of the iTunes full stream deal and just listened to the whole thing, beginning to end. If anything, this album proves that Justin Timberlake is pure talent walking. He's putting his own spin on so many different sounds and I give him so much credit for that. Just like with Suit & Tie I really think this album will take some time for some people to appreciate and get used to. It really is good. Trust me.

My personal favorite tracks: That Girl, Pusher Love Girl, Let the Groove Get In


At the end here I just wanted to note that Justin Timberlake is promoting this album like a boss. Letting us stream the whole thing before we buy? Giving live performances for a week straight on Jimmy Fallon? Finally the fans get to experience something BEFORE buying it! What a concept. Thanks JT. Class act. Other artists: take note.

Work It Out - Running Playlist

With my last playlist post about study music I felt like somewhat of an authority on the subject. Not so much with this one. I'm not a fan of the gym...at all. I have to have fresh air when I'm working out...cut to me "trail running" (read: stumbling through the woods).
The best way to get through this shit we call exercising is to get a good playlist going. For me, there's a total difference between a hypothetically good workout playlist and one that you can actually run to. I find myself thinking "oh yeah, this would be great to put on my workout playlist" and when I actually try, it's absolute crap. The successful songs must have something to do with the rate of footsteps vs. the bpm of the song... or something? Who knows. All I know is that if it drowns out my wheezing and pushes me to go that extra step (distracts me from how little I've actually run) then it's good in my book.

Here are some of the songs that have personally worked for me to hobble along to:

1. Dance (A$$) - Big Sean  (THE VERSION WITHOUT NICKI MINAJ PLEASE)
This is my holy grail running song. I can just go for miles (...not miles). There's something horribly motivating about hearing a man talk about a fit ass at the same time your sad ass is limping up a tiny hill. Female degradation is a key ingredient in this process, folks. AWESOME.

2. E.T. - Katy Perry (THE VERSION WITH KANYE WEST PLEASE)
I hate this song. I really really really hate this song. However, it seriously works perfectly for me as a running song. That makes me just so angry. My feet are just totally in sync with whatever bullshit Katy Perry is yammering about. You win again, KP.

3. Beautiful People - Chris Brown & Benny Benassi
I wish I wasn't supporting Chris Brown but here we are. As long as I downloaded it illegally, right? Ugh, screw you for making enjoyable music.

4. Professional Griefers - deadmau5 feat. Gerard Way
I think I've talked about this song before so I'm just going to stop while I'm ahead. (ahead of what?)

5. Hold You - Gyptian (Major Lazer Remix)
Don't even bother listening to any other version besides the Major Lazer remix. I saw a video of a bunch of naked people at Burning Man dancing around to this song a couple years ago and it's been my jam ever since. What? Seriously.

6. (We Stay) Up All Night - Buraka Som Sistema
I may or may not find myself singing along to this when running which is totally fine. A fun ("fun") thing to do is to grab songs in different languages that you can (sort of) speak. You'll find yourself trying to decipher the lyrics and sing along rather than focus on what an idiot you look like.

7. Express Yourself - Diplo
I must have a thing for asses. Have you seen this music video. Jaysus. There might be (there is) a certain element of jealousy and motivation since my ass basically goes from my lower back to my thighs without any sort of curvature. Blessed. But ok, can we just appreciate how there is an entire song about pussy popping?

8. 212 - Azealia Banks
Now, I know what you're thinking. This song is over! Shut up. It's amazing. She can be as much of a drama-starting biotch on Twitter as she wants. I don't give a single fuck. She made a damn good song...and really the whole 1991 EP is brilliant.

9. You (Ha Ha Ha) - Charli XCX
I love a good Charli XCX moment and this song is amazing. YES I KNOW IT'S GOLD PANDA SHUT UP. That's the beauty. If you want the lyrics to distract you, go for that. If not, just listen to You by Gold Panda. Done deal. Can't both versions be good? Apparently not based on the YouTube comments.

10. Watch the Sun Come Up - Example
Example is just one of the best, bar none, but this song will always be my personal fave of his. There's no reasoning behind that or anything, it's definitely one of his least dance-y/hardcore songs but I'll never get sick of it. This and Kickstarts are probably tied for running.

Ten? Is that enough? Whatever. I might make another updated post later once the snow melts (never) and I start working out again (never). I'm actually really curious what everyone else's playlist is like? Leave a comment? Is that a thing? Do people do that? I'm questioning everything? Good-bye?

Concert Review: Muse - Minneapolis, MN (With Opener: Dead Sara)

I've never written a concert review before so bear with me while I stumble through this process. I bought tickets to this concert the minute they went on sale and have been eagerly been awaiting it's arrival for six months now. As expected, I have a serious case of post-concert depression now that it's over. What do I even have to look forward to anymore? Cue melodramatic violin music.

Sort of unrelated note: Can I start out saying that Target Center is one of my least favorite venues to hear a concert on earth and this is why I was adamant to get GA floor seats. The nosebleeds in that arena make me want to jump to my death (which could be accomplished by leaning forward just a bit...they're that steep) so I'm curious to see how the concert looked from up there.

Anyway, Dead Sara were the opener and they opened the shit out of the show. There aren't enough words to describe how dynamic this group is. I like to think of myself as a closet punk-rocker meaning the music is amazing but I'm incredibly uncool (example: calling myself a "closet punk-rocker") and feel a bit out of place listening to metal or metal-ish music. That being said, I enjoyed the crap out of it. Any musician that likes to climb on top of amps and scream their lungs out is good in my book. Emily Armstrong, the lead singer, has a voice that could raise the dead. The power that comes out of her is unlike anything I've heard and her rasp just adds this extra cool factor. Immediately after getting home I downloaded their self-titled album and while it's amazing, I highly suggest seeing them live. From what I've experienced, usually a band is better on their album than live but the opposite is true for Dead Sara. They ROCK in person and I don't think I could bold the word "rock" any more. So much emphasis on rock. Basically, go see them live. I don't remember the last time I was so excited about an opening act.

Favorite tracks: Lemon Scent, Test on My Patience

Super Grainy Picture Taken By Me On My Super Shit Camera

A good hour after the opener (ugh) Muse took the stage. I may or may not have let out a squeal or two when the lights went dark. I WAS THAT EXCITED. Muse opened with Unsustainable, my favorite, and everyone else's least favorite, track from The 2nd Law. Unsustainable is the perfect track to open a show to and I was so into it. Really, I don't want to get into every song or whatever because the whole show was literally perfect. The only gripe I have is that they completely ignored Origin of Symmetry. It's my favorite album and New Born definitely should have been included in their setlist. They did have a good variety of music from all their other albums including two personal favorites, Stockholm Syndrome and Knights of Cydonia.

Shit Instagram Photo Taken By Me

Shit Picture of Awesome Lighting

Muse can definitely keep their title of being one of the best arena bands in the world and I can't say another word about anything without mentioning the lighting. I knew it was going to be good...I read the other reviews...I've seen the videos... but seeing it in person is beyond words. All I can say is that I'm glad I don't have epilepsy so I can experience the magic of lasers and strobe lights. It might have been nice to be a couple feet back from where we were to experience the full show of lights but there's a fine line between being too far back to see the band and too far up to miss the lights. I guess I'd rather look at Matt Bellamy even though he reminds me of an ostrich...a super talented ostrich.

The crowd was pretty good. It seems as though I can't go to a show without there being at least one psycho bitch who is drunk-crying, yelling at people and threatening to punch out her boyfriend. Get it together, girls. Of course, I also had a mega douche mosh his way directly in front of me two seconds before the show started. He stayed there for about three songs, strung out of his mind, phone up in the air blocking my view and his rock arm smacking me in the face. I did the subtle "push you in the back like people are pushing me but really I'm trying to move you as far away as possible" move and he got the picture and moshed his way closer to the stage. Seeing a mostly male, 18+ crowd, was a nice change from what I've gotten used to lately. There's just something infinitely better about guys at a concert than screaming (read: shrieking) 13-year-old girls. I'm even willing to put up with the extra height and body odor. Minnesotans are known to be slightly...reserved...so I was happy to see people jumping around and singing. There was a really good energy to the crowd that night and I was so happy to be a part of the front group of Muse fanboys and girls.
The only thing bad thing I have to say is that I was getting so frustrated at the amount of people recording things on their cell phones. Please take a minute and realize that by holding your cell phone you are literally blocking the view of everyone behind you. I don't care if you take pictures or video or whatever...I'm a concert photographer for fuck's sake...but be subtle and considerate about it. Your 10 minute cell phone videos are going to end up shit anyway. I guarantee someone will have a better video of the exact same thing on YouTube. Just enjoy the damn concert and put your phone down.

See? Phones. Go Away. (says the person taking a picture with a phone...it wasn't above my head though)

Overall, Muse were one of the best live acts I've ever seen. I feel like I say that after a lot of concerts I go to but there was really something extra special to this show. Maybe it was a combination of the energy, lighting, and sheer talent of Muse. I really can't say but I would recommend seeing them live to anyone and everyone. Even if you aren't a fan of their music the spectacle is worth the money alone. This show wasn't even sold out. Are you kidding me? America, get your shit together.

The best picture I could get out of my shit camera.