Pump Me Up

As some of you may know, as well as a music lover I am an athlete, particularly in water polo, gosh how I love water polo. Anyway I decided I would share my "Pump Up," playlist that I often listen to before games incase you were looking for some new up beat songs or if you just wanted some good music  in general.

Michael Phelps at 2012 Olympics
(photo via The Telegraph)

First up we have Castle by Halsey. I love to listen to this song before games because not only is the beat sick, but the lyrics are so awesome and "empowering" I guess you could say. I particularly like the lyric "Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it." I don't know why, it just makes me feel invincible.

The next song isn't very well known. It's called Turn The Music Up by NF. This song is awesome. The lyrics just give off the vibe. They talk about being confident and not giving a crap about what people think. It also has a sick bass drop during the bridge and makes you feel like you can punch through walls.

I then have Victorious by Panic! At The Disco. This song is pretty obvious, and the title is a huge give away. It is an upbeat song and the lyrics are literally talking about winning. Perfect material if you want to crush your opponents.

I also have Heart of Fire by Black Veil Brides on my 'Pump Up' playlist. This is sort of a metal song so there is a wicked guitar and sick drums the whole song, not to mention that Andy Biersack has a sick voice.

Guns For Hands by Twenty One Pilots is one of my favorites. Though not a particularly fast song, Tyler Joseph's "rapping" just sets the mood.

Novocaine by Fall Out Boy. This song gives me life. It is super upbeat and I legit feel like I can run a marathon, and I hate running. It just gets you in the zone, you know?

Dream by Imagine Dragons. It starts out kind of slow, but once you get to the chorus, you'll see why it's on my playlist. The lyrics are just so powerful, you'll know what I mean when you listen to it.

Another Imagine Dragons song: I'm So Sorry. This. Song Is. The. Best. The first twenty seconds are quiet and then all of a sudden BOOM. Your heart will be racing a million beats per a second. I especially like the part when he screams "I'm so sorry" in the chorus.

Since I started with a Halsey I have to end with one. I Walk The Line. The beat, like Castle, is so unique and cool. It's isn't upbeat, but it just makes you feel powerful and the way Halsey's voice sounds just sends shivers down your spine. The last half is particularly awesome.

This is only a small fraction of my playlist and I wish I could share the rest of it with you, but we would be here all day. Hope this was helpful, see you next time!

Say It Wrong And I Will Slap You

It has come to my attention that some people do not know the correct names of bands and/or the correct names of the musicians. This is probably one of my biggest pet peeves and if I hear someone say a band the wrong name I literally have to restrain myself from slapping them. With that in mind, I have made it my mission to explain to you good people the correct names of a band and its members so you don't have to get slapped.

First off, there is Panic! At The Disco. The most common mistake people make is leaving out the '!' in the title. Why is this a big deal? Because people are panicking! At the disco. The real reason behind the '!' though, is that when they first started the band, Panic! At The Disco put the exclamation point in the title once as a joke and fans kept on using it until it stuck. So remember kids, keep that exclamation point in.

Still on the subject of Panic! At The Disco, let's talk about their lead singer, Brendon Urie. Let's repeat his name a couple of times: Brendon Urie, Brendon Urie, Brendon Urie. Got it memorized? Good, because another common mistake people make is calling Brendon either Brandon or Braden and it is annoying and that is not his real name. Remember: it's Brendon Urie.

Concerning Twenty One Pilots, most people for some reason think it's written with the number '21' but it is in fact, spelled out so it reads "Twenty One Pilots" and not "21 Pilots." People also abbreviate it to "21p" when it is simply "top." Don't ask me why Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph decided to make their title that way, all I know is that it's supposed to be said correctly.

Now we have Fall Out Boy, glorious Fall Out Boy. I can't tell you how many times I've seen some imbecile spells it "Fallout Boy", "Fall Out Boys," and the worst, "Fallout Boys." It drives me crazy, and people know it. My best friend finds joy in torturing me with misspellings and it pains me to have to read such abominations. Here is conversation we had recently:

 

My friend torturing me
(via my phone)

It is "My Chemical Romance" not "My Chemical Romans." It's "Blink 182" not "Blink 182 Times," it is not "Black Veil Birds" it is "Black Veil Brides." Please, people of this earth, if you have a shred of decency you will write these names correctly and spare me and my fellow music nerds the pain of seeing it the wrong way, and spare yourself the pain of getting slapped by me.

On that note, hope you all have a fantastic day! :)

Pete Wentz Held My Hand 2k15

Today is the day I will tell you about the time Pete Wentz held my hand. But to tell this story, I have to start from the beginning.

So, I arrive at the concert about an hour before it officially starts with my friend, my sister, and her French foreign exchange student. After purchasing some merch (I got a tour t-shirt and a Fall Out Boy flag) claim a spot in the pit, right in the center three people from the front. We wait not so patiently for the concert to start and finally after what felt like Centuries (pun intended), Hoodie Allen came on stage. Now I had never listened to Hoodie before so I obviously didn't know the songs, but it was fun all the same. After Hoodie Wiz Khalifa came on and we had a surprise visit from MAX.

Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley
(My Photo)

Then it was the moment we had all been waiting for. I could not stand still and anxiously waited for FOB to come onto stage and make my dreams come true. Then...we heard it. Sugar We're Going Down. The crowd FLIPPED  and there was lot's of screaming. And all of a sudden they were there. Patrick, Pete, Andy, and Joe all on stage, literally nine feet away from me.

I'll spare you the details of of the concert because lets be honest, if I told you everything this would be a 5,000 page book. But I literally died 27 times. It was amazing. Patrick Stump has an amazing voice in real life and nothing can compete with it.


To soon was it over, and FOB ended with their hit song Saturday. I was killing it in the mosh pit and though sad it was over, glad that I got to see Fall Out Boy live.

But then something unexpected happened. Pete Wentz put his base down, grabbed a microphone and climbed into the pit to be held up by his fans. The crowd surged forward but I didn't care. Pete Wentz was now inches from me and I even touched his arm.

But then, through all the chaos and waving hands, Pete Wentz held  mine. I repeat. PETE WENTZ HELD MY HAND. I died for the 28th time that night. Shocked that Pete had grabbed my hand all I could do was gape up at him and I swear on all that is good on this sweet earth- Pete Wentz and I made eye contact and he smiled directly at me. 29th death. He held my hand for a good 12 seconds before he let go and moved on, but I didn't care. Pete Wentz held my hand. 

And then it ended. Fast forward to a few days later, still slightly in shock from the concert, still wearing my FOB t-shirt I had purchased, I was looking at pictures other people had taken when I found this photo:

Pete Wentz SLC 2015
(via my phone)

At first I was like, "cool pic," but then I looked closer and saw it. My hand is in that picture. It is the one sideways and vertical in the air with the ring on it, right by the hand that is waving and looks like it has a drawing on it. You're probably thinking, "pfft, yeah right. How does she know that's her hand?" Well buddy, I've been living with that same hand for nearly 15 years and I think I would know what it looks like. Plus, I was wearing a ring on my right hand that night so I think it is safe to assume that that is in fact, my hand.

Anyway, that is my story of the time Pete Went held my hand and how I died 29 times.

Halsey Is Queen

Many of you that Halsey is one of my favorite artists and is probably my favorite female artist of all time. So I decided that I should dedicate this blog post to Halsey in appreciation.

Halsey's birth name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane and was born the 29th of September in the year of 1994. During her early life she was classically trained on the cello, viola, and violin but later found a passion for the acoustic guitar when she was fourteen. Later when she started to perform she chose the stage name of Halsey, which is an anagram of her name and was a street in Brooklyn where she spent much of her time as a teenager. Halsey made her big break in 2014 when she recorded her hit single Ghost and put it on the internet. She gained lots of attention and then released her EP Room 93 later that year in October. After touring with the Kooks and Imagine Dragons, she debuted her album Badlands in August 2015.

Halsey
(viaRollingStone)

Now that you know a little bit about her, let's move onto her music. Halsey is an amazing artist, and all of her songs are awesome. Her genre is described as Electropop, but I think it has a bit of punk thrown in there. This is an artist who became famous overnight, literally. Ghost had hit topped the charts soon after its release, but her song New Americana is probably her most popular song, and has been on iTunes top 100 songs multiple times. Her EP was amazing and her debut did not disappoint, especially her deluxe album. My favorite song from the deluxe has to be I Walk The Line, but if I had to choose of her regular album, I would probably say Hold Me Down or Drive or Colors or Castle or Haunting...I can't chose okay! they are all amazing and I love them all. Her voice though, I have never heard anything like it. Her voice has this deep undertone to it that is just...I can't explain it, you have to listen to her to know what I mean. The beat to all her songs are so awesome, they all have this cool sound to it that you only hear if you listen closely, it's so cool, trust me. She can make a killer song without all her electronic affects though, Trouble is a perfect example of this.

The reason why I love Halsey though, is because she is so genuine. I mean, just look at the way she performs:

Halsey performing
(via Grimy Goods)

You can tell that she is very passionate and loves being on stage and sharing her talent with the world. She care's about the fans and wants to do things with them too. One time she invited a couple of fans to get matching matchstick tattoos with her, just for the heck of it. She also like to get interment with them while performing with them, whether it be crowd surfing or high-fiving, she will probably be doing it. Halsey is also very confident in her music, and doesn't need someone to tell her that she's a genius because she knows she is. Its funny too, because if you ask someone if they like her music, they either say "Oh yeah I love Halsey!" Or "I hate Halsey!" There is literally no in-between. She has a very selective crowd, but most people love her.

That's all I have to say (for now), but if you haven't heard of her or listened to her music, do it! I promise you you will not be disappointed by her talent! `Go listen to her stuff on YouTube or check her out on iTunes. Thanks for Reading! :)

Ps. One last thing I forgot: Halsey is freakin' hilarious

Halsey being hilarious
(via ifunny)

Don't Threaten Me With A New Album

If anyone is reading my blog I think it is safe to assume that you know what happened Friday  and OH MY GOSH PANIC! AT THE DISCO'S NEW ALBUM WAS FINALLY RELEASED!

Death of a Bachelor
( via Wikipedia)

We have all been waiting in earnest since the release of Emperor's New Clothes for Panic! At the Disco, more specifically Brendon Urie, to release his album. I mean, just by looking at the cover you can tell that it contains some quality music. I know for a fact that this picture was taken in his backyard (I swear I'm not a stalker I have seen Instagram pictures posted by Brendon and his wife of his backyard). Let's be honest, Sarah Urie probably took this photo as a joke and they decided to photoshop cool things on it but hey, it's a killer album cover.

Okay but the music. Panic! At the Disco never disappoints and all of the songs are AMAZING. They are all unique in their own way. You go from Impossible Year, which is like a slow piano symphony, and then you go to The Good, the Bad and the Dirty, which is like an upbeat pump up song that athletes would listen to before playing a game (plus it's my favorite song off the album). Not to mention that all the lyrics are awesome, they're all unique and tell their own story, whether it be funny like Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time or something with more meaning like Death of a Bachelor. But either way the are all fun to jam out to. Out of all Panics! albums: A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, Pretty. Odd., Vice & Virtues, Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! This album is by far my favorite.

Not only did Panic! At the Disco release a new album, but they are also going on tour with Weezer, and they are coming to my state! Obviously I will be attending and I am going with my friends Kira and Piper. We are getting general admission tickets and it is my lifelong goal to be able to interact with Brendon Urie like I did Pete Wentz, but that's a story for another time. But for now, I'm just going to look forward to seeing this band live for the second time.

Well that's I have to say about Panics! new album, here is a list of the songs for now. :)

DEATH OF A BACHELOR
- Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time
- Emperor's New Clothes
- Death of a Bachelor
- Crazy=Genius
- La Devotee
- Golden Days
- The Good, the Bad and the Dirty

- House of Memories
- Impossible Year

What Even Is Music?

So I mean music is pretty cool, like if you think about it, music is literally different vibration frequencies fighting against each other and for some weird reason humans enjoy it. And it is also weird because we are able create and alter these sound waves the way we want to to create something new, and sometimes we even use our own voices to make these sound waves.

Sound Wave (via Electric Design)

Another reason why music is weird is because its has been around for 40,000 years, and it has changes so much but so little at the same time. The first musical instrument was a flute made of birds bones, and though we no longer carve our modern flutes out of bones, we still use them today. And that's not the only one. We use drums and harps and lutes and many other instruments, and though they have evolved they are still the same! That's crazy!

And then there is the fact that there are so many different types of music: grunge, punk, indie, classical, K-pop, etc, etc. All these different genres sound so different and yet they are made up of the same instruments and technology and vibration waves. And for some reason these waves are are sometimes appealing to the human brain and sometimes we just can't stand it. Is that not just the weirdest thing to think about? The sound hits our ears, travels to our cochlea, which then hits these tiny hair cells that send electric signals to our brain and it there our brain decides whether we like the music or not. If you want more information on this, you can go here.

But it goes beyond that. The sounds that are produced from our mouths, the sounds that humans use to communicate, they can go as far as saving someone's life, literally. There are so many people who have connected to the lyrics of the music they love so much and it helps them get through bad times, some worse than others, but bad times all the same. Some people don't understand how much music can mean to someone, and as I've mentioned in a previous post, you should not insult someone's music because you have no idea how much it means to them.

One last amazing this about music is that it is fun to dance to. I don't care if you are the worst dancer on the planet because either way you know you secretly love to dance, especially when it's a great song playing. A personal favorite of mine is Wannabe by The Spice Girls. An ultimate goal of mine is to get a video of my entire water polo team dancing to it because let's be honest, that would be some amazing crap.

That’s all I have to say on this subject for now, but I might come back to it because it is one I am very passionate about. Thanks for reading! :-)

All Music Is Music

Hello good people of the world and welcome to my rant. Yes, I am going to rant about music because I see a lot of crap in the music world and I have something to say about it. (DISCLAIMER: This post is person opinions and there no scientifically proven facts except for the fact that everyone likes Taylor Swift a little bit and even that one isn't very scientific).

People, you need to understand that just because you don't like a genre of music or a band or song, it doesn't mean its bad. Compare music to food. You have pizza, which almost everyone loves. Pizza is like Taylor Swift because no matter how much you deny it, you kind of like her music at least a little bit. Now take cheese, some people like it some people don't. Cheese is like rap music because there are people who love it people who would rather listen to Adele. Then you have a strange food like eggplants. How can someone like eggplants? Well this food is like Justin Bieber. You think that no one would like it, but people do, they're just hiding.
You might be wondering what this has to do with anything. Well your brain is like your tongue. Some  music is appealing to your taste buds while other music isn't your favorite but you'll still listen to it and there are just some music genres that taste sour and bitter to you. But heres the secret: just because you don't like it doesn't mean its bad.
What's that? You didn't hear me? Let me repeat myself. JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE IT DOESN'T MEAN ITS BAD MUSIC.

All Music Is Beautiful
(Via Sleek Cover)

There are so many people out there that give other people a ton of crap because they think their music taste is crap. Well you know what? What if that person doesn't like John Cena and you do? How would you feel if they started telling you that John Cena was crap and not real music? I would be mad as heck (you have no idea how I react when someone insults Fall Out Boy).
Why can't we all just accept the fact that our brains work differently and not all music is appealing to us? This leads me to another point: if you show someone a song you like and they don't like it, don't be mean to them. So what if that person doesn't like a Adele's amazing and revolutionary work of art? They can't control the fact that they don't have a good taste in music. I'M TOTALLY KIDDING. Like  I said before, people have different tastes in music and that's okay.

My fellow music junkies, we are all here for the same reason, because we love music. So let us come together in one big punk-grunge-rap-country-pop-classical-rock and roll-hip hop-dubstep hug and share our love with one another. Let's remember why we love music and not why we hate some music, because all music is music.