Tuesday, July 15, 2008

STILL ALIVE!

Here, recently, we have not updated in weeks! Why? Well, darlings, it is because life is a bloody thing that sometimes gets too hectic during summer, especially when you hate where you work at! BAM!

Also because I have been too busy doing other stuff. The other half of this blog is out in Europe for two wks. I am here. I promise to come up with some good posts in the days to come. For now, I will just tell you that Pop! Music is not dead!

I gotta jett. I gotta catch the bus, and if I don't, then I'll be an angry kid who needs a lot of sleep.

In the meantime, check out these bands:

The Black Box Revelation

and

The Verve


Later.


-C.S.H.

Monday, June 16, 2008

WHOAZA MATES!

Yes, I just typed "whoaza" as part of my post's title. Let's face it, I'm excited, well, no, not really, but, yes, really excited. I'll tell you why it is that I am excited, in a couple of seconds.

Let's see, lads. I did not know that this kid of mine had celebrated its first birthday some days ago. So, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY POP! MUSIC! Our zine has been alive for more than a bloody year. The birthday was on June 2nd. I apologize for not logging in earlier, or for acknowledging this beforehand. Let's just say that my memory does not work well these days because of the anxiety and stress that my new job has created. I hate my job, and kids, I cannot quit the darn thing. That's my current life. Enjoy.

On the other hand. Let's see. In music news. I cannot find my guitar cable, and I really do not want to spend another twenty dollars on one, considering that I do not know if I will ever get paid, and/or whether I will keep my current disgusting job.

A few weeks ago, Owen Pallett was featured in a New York Times article. Once you're featured there, I believe it is somewhat difficult to remain being an indie band. Whatever, Final Fantasy will always make extraordinary music, no matter its mainstream status.

To relieve my stress, I believe that I will try to write as much as possible. I do not know if my internet status will change, for I do not know what my income will be in the next couple of weeks. So, if I do not post very often, this is why, and if I post multiple posts at the same time, now you know why too.

I will go now to research me some music. I'll keep you posted if I find something new whilst I am still connected to the net.


Take care, and don't forget to read us!


-C.S.H.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Tempus Fugit

It's official, Pop! Music has been in existence for a year and eight days. There have been many bumps as we have gone down our path of "music journalism," but we're still here, and we are going to keep writing for a long time.

In honor of this, I want to introduce you to an up and coming artist, Nancy Elizabeth. She is pure genius. Her music is able to mix Middle Eastern and European influences for a unique folksy sound. Also, her album "Battle and Victory" is extremely enjoyable. Her voice is hauntingly beautiful and the melodies are simple, but still intriguing.



If you have a chance, I would recommend checking out her song I Used To Try. You can hear it on her myspace.

-Clio

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

New Finds

To make up for the lack of posting, I am going to list some of my new favorite bands/albums for the summer.

1. State Bird - Mostly Ghostly



This album is pure genius and a lot of fun. Every track brings a different element, and the instrumentation is diverse without sounding overdone.

2. Man Man - Rabbit Habits



While this album has received some negative press for their new sound, I believe that their new tone is more controlled and mature. Even though many old fans were disappointed, this album is great and still exhibits a great amount of creativity.

3. E for Explosion - I Explode



This album is the new project of Jamison Covington, half of the pop-rock duo, JamisonParker. After their fall out, both Jamison and Parker went their separate ways, and fans have patiently waited for new material. Basically, if you enjoy JamisonParker, you'll love this album. It sounds very similar to Best Mistake, but the sound is a little more electronic.

4. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight



Another solid album, where each track is distinctly different. The sound is reminiscent of Wolf Parade and Les Savy Fav, but is still original.

-Clio



Summertime and the Living's Easy

Before I say anything, I would like to apologize for the lack of posting, I assure you; however, that as time progresses we will get back on track.

I would like to address that Beirut will be on what seems to be their last tour for quite sometime. Zach Condon announced that after the U.S. dates they will be taking a brief hiatus. Here's the letter that was posted on Beirut's site:

It's with great regret that I have to tell all of you that Beirut is canceling their summer European shows. My reasons for doing this are many, a lot of them personal, but I still feel I need to provide something of an explanation.

The past two years have been a mindblowing experience. From the first indications that people were putting songs from Gulag up on their blogs to our incredible tour of Australia and New Zealand that we just completed, everything that has happened has been beyond anything I'd ever hoped could happen with the music I wrote and recorded in my bedroom. Once things started happening, I decided I wanted to do everything as big as possible. So, I set about putting together a large band, and giving that band a huge sound, and making the most spectacular records we possibly could.

I know this can sound like an artist shithead kind of comment, but going through all that really does have its low points along with the highs. The responsibilities of gathering people around your vision, working with great people like those who work directly for the band and those at the label, wanting to insure that every show is as good as humanly possible so that every single person in the audience sees that we put in a real effort, all of that leads to a lot of issues in terms of doing right by people who have done you right.

It's come time to change some things, reinvent some others, and come back at some point with a fresh perspective and batch of songs.

Please accept my apologies. I promise we'll be back, in some form.

-Zach



The remaining tour dates are:

May 28 2008 8:00P
Grand Ballroom San Francisco, California
May 30 2008 8:00P
The Wiltern Los Angeles
May 31 2008 8:00P
The Wiltern Los Angeles
Jun 2 2008 8:00P
Santa Fe Brewing Co. Pub and Grill Santa Fe, New Mexico

If these dates aren't sold out already, I strongly recommend that you attend.

-Clio

Monday, May 5, 2008

Blondelle; Music Journalism; Music

Hello Lads,

In an attempt to forget that I have a major final exam this bloody Tuesday--it's a German exam, go figure--and that I have to study for the thing, I have started writing this post. yep.

In recent months, days, hours, I have been wondering what it means to be a rock critic. A music journalist. ROCK JOURNALIST. What does it mean? Does it mean that I have to kiss some butt, get on the good side of a band, praise it, and then write a review in hopes that the band will read it and be glad that I am kissing its butt? No...no...NO! It's all pure bollocks. That's not what LESTER fucking BANGS said. Yes. I know. You have no idea who this man is, I barely even know a few things about him, but after reading some "last interview of Lester Bangs," I have figured out something, something grand and at the same time something that places me in a quandary. Something that makes me question everything in the vicinity of what I want to do this summer, of what I want to do after undergraduate school, of what I want to do as an old fart. haha. I am not rambling about music, it seems, but i AM. Believe me, I am. I love music. Music and writing are my terrible pains, loves, and desires. I write in a blog, I am one half of Pop! Music, but what does this give me? What does this make me? I write posts for a blog, and I kiss the butts of bands. Is this what a rock critic does? NO! NO! Not at all. Hahahahaha. But I've nothing more to say. I'm already going against the mainstream flow, and there is nothing else to type. I have no voice, if I had a voice, I would be writing reviews that YOU, the reader would want to read, not because of the bands that I am praising or slaughtering, but because I am a good writer and you want to read my stuff. Yes. I need to think about you, you the reader.

WHAT THE HELL? SCARLETT JOHANSSON has an album covering Tom Waits music. I have not listened to it, nor do I want to. I have listened to its first released song, whose bloody name I do not know, and will not type upon this window, and it reminded me of a decrepit Nico. Is she Nico? Is she trying to copy Nico's voice? I mean, I'm no fan of Nico, but THE VELVET UNDERGROUND and NICO was by far a great album, and a good collaboration. Okay. Fact is, Bangs spoke about this, he talked about the music scene dying because everything that we are listening to is a broken down trend that we are fed so that we buy and keep on maintaining music that is pure trash. This is, of course, is the really raw interpretation.

I know nothing of Tom Waits. Sincerely, I have no idea is his songs are good or not, but just the fact that someone can put out an album in the hopes to earn more money just amazes me and it just pisses me off that people who already have money, already have a career want to expand in a field that is already filled with bad music that is being fed to us, and in a field where the good music is left behind in the shadows of nothing just because it does not follow the trends of specific mainstream things.

Which now tells me to type the reason why I wanted to post a post: Blondelle broke up. I'm not saying they were GREAT, heaven knows that I only deem some bands as great, but, they were a piece of work. They were a band still evolving in their sound, still in need of much growth, growth that would perhaps lead them into greatness, and now this happens. I know not the reasons for the break-up, though I hope someday I can claim to know what they were/are. Go on to their myspace and download one of their songs, and let me know what you think. Or don't let me know what you think. It doesn't matter, in any case.

I know, I know. You think I'm a bloody hypocrite because, surely, I just dumped poop on Scarlett, and then praised Blondelle. Well, damn, you got me, but, not in the least. I do think Blondelle had substance. I do believe that in years to come, they would have been the mainstream poop that we are told to buy, and then they would have died as artists, once they followed the follies of the scene, of the world where music means cash and nothing else. German,

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Imaad Wasif with Two Part Beast

"There are things known and things unknown, and in between..." is of course, music. The previous quote is from Jim Morrison, from The Doors.


I was listening to a rival radio station. I say rival radio station because it is not my campus's radio station, KSPC. I will not name this Washington University radio station because I like KSPC, and because I am part of KSPC. Ha! Yes, I am a KSPC DJ. I know, who would have thought? Well, that's not THAT important, I am also part of their public affairs show, which is more straight journalism than our current newspaper.


So, I was listening to the waves, and a band that I had not heard of took its turn, and played. Imaad Wasif with Two Part Beast--yes, I know, the name is long and preposterously preposterous--but do not let that shake you off.

The band comes from the amazing city of Los Angeles, and is made up of two different sections, yes, you guessed right, Imaad Wasif is one person (vocals/guitar), and Two Part Beast is actually composed of two people: Bobb Bruno (bass/keyboards) and Adam Garcia (drums).

How to classify them? They are between something quasi-psychedelic with a tiny hint of Band of Horses. Does this make sense? Hahaha. Possibly not. I won't change my previous description, but I read that he can be compared to Elliot Smith, perhaps because of the acoustic guitar. Then again, I could say that they remind me of Jose Gonzalez, but that would be a stretch, would it not?


They have a new album Strange Hexes. I listened to the song "The Oracle" which I really like, considering that I am typing about them.


Check them out at their myspaceand at their webpage.


They are currently touring in LA, here's all the information you need to know:


Wed, April 16, Los Angeles, CA, Charlie O's IW w/ Two Part Beast (midnight). w/ Darker My Love/Crystal Antlers

Sun, April 20, Los Angeles, CA,
an evening of acoustic performances...presented by Cold Sweat Records.
Anders & Woods, Warpaint, Imaad Wasif (solo acoustic).
at White Trash Charms...1951 N. Hillhurst Ave...323.666.9585...7PM.

Tues, April 22, Los Angeles, CA, The Echo IW w/ Two Part Beast. w/ Indian Jewelry/The Muslims




-C.S.H.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Shwayze


Upcoming rapper, Shwayze's single "Buzzin'" is pretty decent, but there is only one problem, Cisco Adler. Sorry, but it's true. The track is consistent, but I cringe each time Adler enters in during the chorus. However, don't let this stop you from checking out his music, which sounds like a more grown up Gym Class Heroes.

Here's a link for the video://www.mtvu.com/video/?id=1581954&vid=211151

The video is a little ridiculous, as it features a bunch of blond girls dancing around in bikinis. But if you watch closely, you'll notice DJ Skeet Skeet pop up in the video, who's blog I happen to read religiously (eatskeet.com).

Otherwise Shwayze simple beats are pleasing to the ear, and if you want to hear more of his stuff you can check out his myspace at :http://www.myspace.com/shwayze

And if you're already going to Warped Tour, you're in luck because he'll be performing.



-Clio

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

April Fool's Day: feat. Tally Hall and Adam Green

Today is the day, well, the night of April Fools. I hope you spent it well. As for me, I am somewhat angered because a lame, satirical article I wrote for today's paper--I work for my college's paper--was not bloody published. Oh well, let's put all of this aside and focus on the good news...:

Tally Hall, a band from Ann Arbor, Michigan re-released their album today. They classify their music as: Rock, Hip Hop, and Classical.

They posted a bulletin, and it goes like this:

The new and improved Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum is available TODAY! To get your copy you have several options.
You can either:

1.
Order a physical CD to be sent to your door through Newbury Comics (and it will include a signed booklet!) Do that HERE

2. Order the Deluxe Bundle on iTunes which includes 2 bonus tracks, the ’Good Day’ music video, PLUS a 12 minute documentary about Marvin and why his Mechanical Museum is so Marvelous.

3.
Drive / Walk / Run / Skip to your local music store and pick up your very own copy immediately!


Tally Hall is currently touring. Here's their list of dates:

04.05.08
Mac's (Lansing, MI)

04.06.08
Rubble's Bar (Mt. Pleasant, MI)
All ages show.

04.08.08
Jack Rabbit Slim's (Albany, NY)

04.09.08
Kirkland Art Center (Clinton, NY)

04.10.08
Iron Horse Music Hall (Northampton, MA)

04.11.08
Toquet Hall Coffeehouse (Westport, CT)

04.12.08
Toad's Place (New Haven, CT)

04.13.08
Great Scott (Allston, MA)

04.14.08
Southpaw (Brooklyn, NY)

04.15.08
Bowery Ballroom (New York, NY)

04.16.08
North Star Bar (Philadelphia, PA)

04.17.08
DC Nine (Washington, DC)

04.19.08
Salem High School (Canton, MI)

04.25.08
Blue Note (Columbia, MO)


(I will write about Tally Hall later on, just wait, and see!)
.........................................

On another note, here's some information concerning Adam Green. I know all of you are looking forward to see him live, I know that I am; I am yet to make up my mind, though. The date that I can see him seems somewhat hectic, I will have to see what's going on. Okay...


If you're in Europe, you're in for some good ol' Adam Green. Green released his newest album "Sixes & Sevens" on March 18th in the States. Green is part of the anti-folk movement. I personally did not know about this movement until I searched this genre, and found out that he falls under it.

Anti-folk is a movement established in New York. It takes the original folk sound and puts satirical lyrics or just nonsensical lyrics to it. This, of course, is the simplest explanation that I can muster. You can always search "anti-folk" on the net, and find out what it truly means.

The one great song that put Green on my music list, is, of course, "Jessica." It is one of Green's funniest songs, I believe.

For other funny songs check out Oh No! Oh My! Funny lads, lyrics are hilarious.

Now, more about Green. Adam is on a European tour as of now. He will be playing in the States in late May. If you have time, you should make time to see him. Here are his tour dates:

April

Sat 5 Birmingham Academy 2 - (Noah and the Whale are supporting)
Sun 6 Leeds Faversham - (Noah and the Whale are supporting)
Mon 7 off
Tues 8 London Koko - (Noah and the Whale are supporting)
Wed 9 Sheffield Plug - (Noah and the Whale are supporting)
Thurs 10 Glasgow Oran Mor - (Noah and the Whale are supporting)
Fri 11 Manchester Club Academy - (Tom and Josh from Paddingtons are supporting)


Sun 13 Cologne Live Music Hall - (Turner Cody is supporting)
Mon 14 Paris Le Trabendo - SOLD OUT- (Turner Cody is supporting)
Tues 15 Bourges Festival
Wed 16 off
Thurs 17 Domino Festival
Fri 18 Amsterdam Melkweg
Sat 19 Copenhagen Loppen
Sun 20 off
Mon 21 Hamburg Grosse Freiheit
Tues 22 Berlin Huxleys - (Laura Marling is supporting)
Wed 23 Frankfurt Mosontur
Thurs 24 Munich Elsehalle -
Fri 25 off
Sat 26 Vienna WUK - (Laura Marling is supporting)
Sun 27 Luzern Konzertau - (Laura Marling is supporting)
Mon 28 Fribourg, Fri-sson - (Laura Marling is supporting)
Tues 29 Zurich Kaufleutern - (Laura Marling is supporting)
Wed 30 off

May

Thurs 1 Rome Circolo degli Artisti - (Laura Marling is supporting)
Fri 2 Ravenna The Bronson - (Laura Marling is supporting)
Sat 3 off
Sun 4 Barcelona Razzmatazz 2 - (Laura Marling is supporting)
Mon 5 Madrid Sala Heineken - (Laura Marling is supporting)

Sat 10 New York, Town Hall

Tue 20 San Francisco, Rick Shaw Stop
Wed 21 Los Angeles, Troubadour


JUNE

Tue 3 DC, Black Cat - (Lightspeed Champion is supporting)
Wed 4 Philadelphia, PA First Church - (Lightspeed Champion)
Thu 5 Boston, MA Great Scott
Fri 6 Montreal, QUE Tulipe
Sat 7 Toronto, ONT Horseshoe Tavern
Sun 9 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
Mon 10 Chicago, IL Lake Shore Theatre



I am out. Hope your day was full of excitement, unlike mine. Oh, I forgot.


If you would like to contact us, you can always e-mail us at the e-mail address found in our profile, or you can chat with us through GoogleTalk. We would like it if you contacted us, for whatever reason you think you should speak to us.

Thanks.

-C.S.H.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Warped Tour Update

They have started selling presale tickets, and Pomona is already sold out. Personally, I don't understand why anyone would buy presale tickets for a concert that rarely sells out, and if it does, its not till a day before the show. But if you do want to buy your tickets now, you can grab them at ticketmaster.

Here's an updated list of the bands playing this year:

3OH!3 whole tour
A Day to Remember jun 20 - jul 20
Against Me! whole tour
The Aggrolites whole tour
Alesana whole tour
All That Remains jul 22 - aug 17
All Time Low jul 22 - aug 17
Anberlin whole tour
Angels and Airwaves whole tour
As I Lay Dying jun 20 - jul 18
August Burns Red jun 20 - july 6
Automatic Love Letter jul 17 - july 27
Beat Union whole tour
Bedouin Soundclash jul 3 - jul 17
Between the Trees whole tour
Blake jul 5 - jul 18
Bouncing Souls jul 16 - jul 25
Bring Me the Horizon jul 22 - aug 17
Broadway Calls whole tour
Charlotte Sometimes whole tour
Cinematic Sunrise jul 10 - jul 16
Classic Crime jul 27 - aug 17
Cobra Starship whole tour
Confide jul 22 - aug 17
Danger Radio jul 19 - aug 8 / aug 9 - aug 18
Dr. Manhattan jul 22 - aug 17
Evergreen Terrace whole tour
Every Avenue jul 9 - jul 26
Everytime I Die whole tour
Family Force 5 whole tour except 6/19, 6/20, 6/26, 7/2, 7/12, 8/8
Forever the Sickest Kids jun 20 - jul 6 / jul 7 - aug 17
Four Year Strong jul 19 - aug 17
From First to Last whole tour
GBH aug 6 - aug 17
Greeley Estates whole tour
Gym Class Heroes whole tour
Horrorpops whole tour
Jack's Mannequin jul 1 - jul 20
Jeffree Star jun 20 - jun 29
Just Surrender jul 9 - jul 26
Katy Perry whole tour
Ludo jul 22 - aug 17
Madina Lake jul 9 - jul 25
Mayday Parade whole tour
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster jun 20 - jul 18
MC Chris whole tour
Norma Jean whole tour
Oreska whole tour
Paramore jul 1 - jul 6
Pennywise jul 15 - aug 3
Pierce the Veil whole tour
Protest the Hero whole tour
Reel Big Fish whole tour
Relient K whole tour
Revolution Mother jul 23 - aug 17
Rise Against aug 6 - aug 17
Say Anything whole tour
Set Your Goals whole tour
Shwayze whole tour
Sick City jul 19 - jul 20, aug 6
Sky Eats Airplane jul 27 - aug 17
Stick to Your Guns jun 20 - jul 6
Story of the Year whole tour
Street Dogs whole tour
The Academy Is... whole tour
The All-American Rejects jun 20 - jun 29
The Audition whole tour
The Briggs whole tour
The Bronx whole tour
The Color Fred whole tour
The Devil Wears Prada whole tour
The Dillinger Escape Plan jul 9 - jul 15
The Fabulous Rudies whole tour
The Higher jun 20 - jul 20
The Human Abstract jul 22 - aug 17
The Lordz whole tour
The Maine jun 20 - jul 3 / aug 9 - aug 17
The Morning Light jul 28 - aug 6
The Pink Spiders jul 1 - jul 20
The Saint Alvia Cartel jul 9 - aug 3, aug 13 on
The Secret Handshake jun 30 - jul 9
The Vandals aug 6 - aug 17
Treaty of Paris jun 20 - jun 29
We the Kings whole tour



If you want more information, you can check out www.warpedtour.com

-Clio