Central PA's acoustic pop duo, The Upsides, have announced their upcoming show with New Riot and Julie Bouchard. The show is sponsored by Sounds of Happy Valley, a nonprofit organization in State College, PA making waves in the music scene to provide quality concerts and ample opportunities for musicians and artists alike to display their work and talent for the public in an alcohol free environment. Located at the State College Municipal Building on 243 South Allen Street in State College, the show kicks off at 7:30 on July 31, 2015. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $3.
The Tide, a US pop band signed to The Vamps' new label, has released their cover of Stitches by Shawn Mendes. Check it out below!
Hello, this is Jammie, a friend of Dani's (She writes this blog) and I have been given a chance to post about an emerging artist I am very interested in. The name of this artist is James Bay. He most played song released at this time is "Hold Back the River". Bay is a 24 year old, London native who is becoming quickly famous is the United States. Here is a YouTube video of his song, "Hold Back the River". And if you get a chance, check out the rest of his songs on his album, Chaos and the Calm!!
"Recently we have been made aware of the statements made about our bassist, Austin Kerr. We are taking the situation seriously and have decided that the best thing for the band is to part ways with Austin. We send our deepest apologies to anyone who has ever been affected negatively by his actions. Our fans mean the absolute world to us and their safety and happiness will always be our top priority. We are so grateful for their ongoing support over the years and will do everything we can to make this up to them and to move forward from this."
Pop rockers Young Lungs have released a new cover video for the song One Last Time by Ariana Grande, featuring the band's cat, Trouble. An absolutely adorable video paired with a great cover from one of And The Crowd Goes WHOA!'s favorite bands.
It was announced last night that Dylan Auerbeck, the bassist for Altoona, PA alt/pop rock band The
Big Time, has decided to part ways with the band. He has not been present for the band's last few tours, and would not have been on the Never Ending Summer Tour that The Big Time will embark on with Hollywood Ending and 7 Minutes in Heaven soon. He states his reasons for departing include focusing on school.
Personally, I'm sad to see Dylan go. I've listened to The Big Time since their forming in 2009 and have always enjoyed their music and they put on an incredible live show. I want to personally wish Dylan luck in his future endeavors and I hope to see him become successful at whatever his life brings him to next.
Read Dylan's statement and reactions from his former fellow band members below.
Recently, there has been a debate surrounding the question: Should musicians censor their lyrics? In their latest issue (Issue 323), Alternative Press released the results and comments of a poll involving a similar question: Should artists be accountable for their lyrics? The results of that poll were 57% said yes and 43% said no.
As a musician and a lyricist, the question of censoring my lyrics or a musician censoring any lyrics is a prominent and important one. Personally, I don't think musicians should censor their lyrics to please any single person. However, I do believe that musicians should take responsibility for what they have to say. If a musician writes something, records it, and performs it, they should be more than willing to stand by what they have written. This is especially true if they want their fans and listeners to do something specific, like a call to action.
I think censoring music takes away everything music is meant for. Music is meant to provoke something in people, it's meant to make you feel. Censoring the words or even the sounds of the guitars and drums to make it more pleasing to a wider audience makes the music lose that edge, and it then loses the whole effect.
Anyway, it's impossible to please everyone. Just try to please yourself.
What are your thoughts on music censorship? Leave your comments below!
Back in July, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran released his sophomore album "X" (pronounced Multiply). One of the slower, more "Ed Sheeran"-esque songs on the album was titled "Photograph" and Ed recently released a music video for it. During the course of the video, Ed has opened up a personal time capsule of sorts, showing videos from his childhood and when he was a baby right up to his recent musical accomplishments. The video is a must see for all die-hard Ed fans and it is definitely something to warm the heart.
Columbus, Ohio's schizoid pop group twenty one pilots has released their newest single "Lane Boy" from their upcoming album, "Blurryface" which is due out May 19 on the record label Fueled By Ramen. "Lane Boy" joins three other singles from the album: "Tear In My Heart," "Fairly Local," and "Stressed Out."
Canadian band, Simple Plan, has announced that they will be playing four dates of the 2015 Vans Warped Tour. Fans can catch the quintet on the tour in Holmdel on July 19, Scranton on July 21, Detroit on July 24, and Chicago on July 25. General tickets can be purchased here.
The New Yorker has ran a fascinating story about Bennie Glover, a (former) CD factory worker whose job involved packaging albums from some of the biggest artists in the world. Glover was considered the top leaker from the early, influential music/piracy group RNS—then called “the most pervasive and infamous Internet piracy group in history”—which leaked more than 20,000 albums.
Glover, who worked at the massive Kings Mountain compact disk manufacturing plant in North Carolina, was held responsible for leaking albums from around 2,000 artists, ranging from Blink-182 to Jay-Z to Fall Out Boy. Starting in the mid-‘90s, Glover’s leaking came at a time when the music industry was in a period of pure extravagance: CDs cost around $2 to manufacture and were selling for $18. Basically, major record labels had license to print money.
If you downloaded music during the Napster era, there’s pretty a solid chance some of it came from this guy. He served three months in jail. "RNS’s final leak, released on January 19, 2007, was Fall Out Boy’s 'Infinity on High,' sourced from inside the plant by Glover," TNY reports.
Here are some interesting points from the story:
A look at the subculture of early music pirates:
"Also, he could share files. Online, pirated media files were known as “warez,” from “software,” and were distributed through a subculture dating back to at least 1980, which called itself the Warez Scene. The Scene was organized in loosely affiliated digital crews, which raced one another to be the first to put new material on the IRC channel. Software was often available on the same day that it was officially released. Sometimes it was even possible, by hacking company servers, or through an employee, to pirate a piece of software before it was available in stores."
Inside Glover’s head when he started leaking:
"At work, Glover manufactured CDs for mass consumption. At home, he had spent more than two thousand dollars on burners and other hardware to produce them individually. His livelihood depended on continued demand for the product. But Glover had to wonder: if the MP3 could reproduce Tupac at one-eleventh the bandwidth, and if Tupac could then be distributed, free, on the Internet, what the hell was the point of a compact disk?"
Some of what he leaked:
"By 2002, the duffelbag held more than five hundred disks, including nearly every major release to have come through the Kings Mountain plant. Glover leaked Lil Wayne’s “500 Degreez” and Jay Z’s “The Blueprint.” He leaked Queens of the Stone Age’s “Rated R” and 3 Doors Down’s “Away from the Sun.” He leaked Björk. He leaked Ashanti. He leaked Ja Rule. He leaked Nelly. He leaked Blink-182’s “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.”
As part of our Song Spotlight special, And The Crowd Goes WHOA! is going to feature a review of a specific track from a band's record. This week, due to the recent release of All Time Low's new album, "Future Hearts," we are going to feature a review of "Missing You" in our Song Spotlight special.
"Missing You" is All Time Low's acoustic, upbeat song with meaningfully deep lyrics on Future Hearts. The deep lyrics tend to be a theme on the entire record, but adding in simply the acoustic guitar and a little bit of percussion allows those lyrics to stand out and hit home.
The first verse starts "I've heard that you've been self-medicating in the quiet of your room, the sweet suburban tomb. And if you need a friend, I'll help you stitch up your wounds." This line really embodies All Time Low's relationship with their fans; Many times on Twitter, Alex, Jack, Zack, or Rian will respond to their fans who come to them with their problems (such as cutting, drugs, etc.) and they are a friend to them.
"Hold on tight, this ride is a wild one," starts the chorus. The words reminded me of an older teenager sitting down with their younger self and setting the reminder that life is a roller coaster, but if you just hold on tight enough, everything's going to be just fine. "Don't lose your fight, kid. It only takes a little push to pull on through," has the same connotation as the first half of the chorus; giving the advice to hang in there because things will improve.
The second first is a repeat of part of the first verse: "I heard that you've been having some trouble finding your place in the world/I know how much that hurts. But if you need a friend, then please just say the word." It goes back to the meaning of the first verse: the band always being a friend to their fans when they need one.
The bridge is, to me, the most meaningful part of the whole song: "Grit your teeth, pull your hair, paint the walls black and scream, **** the world 'cause it's my life. I'm gonna take it back and never for a second blame yourself." The feeling that the bridge gives me is one of being sixteen again, and being lost and scared as you face the rest of your life and trying to figure everything out.
Although Future Hearts is a killer album and all of the tracks are absolutely fantastic, "Missing You" most deserves Song Spotlight because it's a song that currently, and in the future, will mean so much to All Time Low fans.
Canadian pop punk band Marianas Trench have announced a new trek to the US on their "The Legend Continues" Summer Tour.
The tour starts in Minneapolis on June 26 and winds up in New York on July 8.
Dates for the tour are below, and we'll keep you updated on new information as it comes out!
June 26--Minneapolis, MN--Varsity Theater
June 27--Chicago, IL--House of Blues
June 28--Detroit, MI--St. Andrews Hall
July 1--Lewiston, NY--Artpark
July 2--Philadelphia, PA--Theatre of Living Arts
July 3--Boston, MA--House of Blues
July 5--Asbury Park, NJ--The Stone Pony
July 7--Baltimore, MD--Baltimore Sound Stage
July 8--New York, NY--Irving Plaza
Phil Rudd has pleaded guilty on charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.
After initially pleading not guilty to the charges of attempting to arrange the murders of two men, as well as possession of drugs (methamphetamine and cannabis) and threatening to kill, the 60-year-old’s trial was scheduled to start this morning. But, the drummer changed his plea to guilty, and now remains on bail – scheduled to appear for sentencing in June.
According to the BBC, the court heard that Phil Rudd had asked for former employees to be “taken out”, after the release of his solo album, Head Job, “did not go well”. He reportedly offered $200,000 ($153,000; £100,000), a car, a bike or a house as a form of payment to the associate for carrying out his request.
The former AC/DC man then called his victim and threatened to “come over and kill you”, which left them “genuinely very fearful for his safety”.
Phil Rudd faces up to seven years in prison for the charges if he’s convicted.
Kerrang.com will continue to bring you updates on the situation – check back for more information as it becomes available.
First off, thank you. Thank you for always being there. For speaking your mind. For following what you believe. For allowing me to grow. For granting me the opportunity to live my dream. Words simply can’t express my full appreciation and gratitude for you.
As I begin what feels like a new chapter of my life, I’m filled with immense excitement and a fresh sense of hope. I’ve seen this band through every phase, every change, every hardship. And yet my appreciation and love grows with every breath.
So I lift my arms in praise of your greatness. YOU are great. YOU are beautiful. YOU are talented, and smart, and kind, and loving, and generous, and simply amazing.
And you make me want to scream “HALLELUJAH!” from the top of my lungs with every bit of fervor and strength I possess. And I invite you to join me as you have over and over again.
The Big Time, the pop rock band from Altoona, PA, is set to start the Almost Famous Tour, with An Honest Year and The Resolution tonight in Springfield, VA. Tour dates are below and ticket links can be found on the band's Twitter and below.
April 18-Empire-Springfield, VA TICKETS
April 20-The High Note-Birmingham, AL TICKETS
April 21-Rocketown-Nashville, TN TICKETS
April 22-Under The Couch-Atlanta, GA TICKETS
April 23-Fubar-St. Louis, MO TICKETS
April 24-Gabe's-Iowa City, IA TICKETS
April 25-Mill City Nights Nether Bar-Minneapolis, MN TICKETS
April 26-Wire-Berwyn, IL TICKETS
April 27-Flint Local 432-Flint, MI TICKETS
April 29-Emerson Theater-Indianapolis, IN TICKETS
May 1-Ink Division-Pittsburgh, PA TICKETS
May 2-Amityville Music Hall-Amityville, NY TICKETS
May 3-Voltage Lounge-Philadelphia, PA TICKETS
Congratulations to All Time Low, who nabbed the #1 album spot in the USA! In its first week, ATL's newest album, "Future Hearts," sold 70,054 copies at the closing of the charts.
The album also debuted #1 in the UK, #3 in Canada, #4 in Australia, #7 in New Zealand, and #7 in Ireland.
The Tide, a pop rock band from Los Angeles, California, has released a new cover today. Check out their cover of "Don't Stop" by 5 Seconds of Summerhere. The Tide is on tour with The Vamps in Europe, and has recently been signed to The Vamps' new label in affiliation with EMI/Universal.
As It Is, the pop punk band from Brighton via Minneapolis, has released their second single from their new album, "Cheap Shots & Setbacks." The album, "Never Happy, Ever After" is due out April 21.
After playing a new song live for the first time in six years, Brand New has officially released a new tune, which you can download for free by signing up for their mailing list. The track should hit digital retailers on Wednesday.
Young Lungs, a four-piece indie pop rock band from Pittsburgh, PA, is beginning to take the pop punk world by storm. Formed in 2014, the group consists of lead singer and pianist Meg Wills, lead guitarist Andy Mathias, bassist Tyler Miller, and drummer Evan Oslund. The band pulls influence from Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, and Bayside, among others. This month marks eight months since the band's formation.
In November of 2014, Young Lungs released their first single, "What We Believe (What We Become)," to much success. The video was filmed by Kenny Lewis in Roaring Springs, PA. It follows the band around a few beautiful places in their town.
On Christmas Eve 2014, the band released their second single and video, "Take It Back." Starting off with a single electric guitar and lyrics "If you wrote me off today, I wouldn't stand in your way." Meg's fiery vocals and the band's driving pop punk walks the song to the ending with a soft piano fade.
On April 3, 2015, they released their third song, an emotionally fused ballad called, "Rain," and posted a video explaining the meaning to the song. A mainly acoustic ballad, the song's lyrics will hit home for anyone who has lost someone close to them, especially to suicide.
"It fell together perfectly and all at once," Meg said in an exclusive interview with And The Crowd Goes WHOA. "After years and months of wanting something so badly we made it an actuality and found the right pieces to the puzzle."
"I'm proud of how fast we've gotten things rolling and really, became a band," says Meg, when asked what she is most proud of with the band.
When talking to her, the thing that stuck out to me most was the band's dedication. "We quit our jobs, moved from our hometowns, and made a new home together to make it all happen. It's been an incredible experience."
Young Lungs is due out with an EP later this year. In addition to that, the band plans to have "more music videos, a plethora of recordings, and some touring along the way."
“The world’s first wearable device for musicians” is what Soundbrenner call their new wrist band. It doesn’t run apps or track your health like an Apple Watch—all it does is precisely keep the beat.
“The Soundbrenner Pulse is a wearable, connected device for musicians that you can control from your phone,” the company says. “It’s designed for use with any instrument by musicians of all skill levels, from beginners to professionals.”
The Pulse uses tactile vibrations—much stronger than your cellphone’s—so the musician can feel and follow along with the beat. The device can ensure that each performer onstage is in sync with the other.
Tech blog Gizmodo reports: “ The Pulse's BPM can be set or changed on the fly in many different ways. The wearable connects to an accompanying app on a smartphone over Bluetooth that allows the user to set a specific BPM with a touchscreen. The app can also be used to set the color of the Pulse's flashing light, or turn it off completely, and it even allows the wearer to customize the intensity of the wearable's vibrations.”
After taking a leave of absence in 2013, Spencer Smith has officially departed from Panic! At The Disco. In his statement, he was especially grateful to fans of P!ATD and the members of the band he had spent the last decade with.
Smith took a leave in 2013 to enter rehab to treat his alcohol and prescription drug addiction that he was battling. During his leave, Panic continued to record and tour, releasing "Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die" and going on tours with Brendon Urie (P!ATD's frontman) to be the face of the band.
Spencer released a statement on Panic! At The Disco's official webpage, reminiscing about his history with addiction (two years sober of prescription drugs, working on a year sober of alcohol) and talking about memories with the band and its fans.
We wish Spencer the best as he moves on with his life and music, and look forward to what Panic! At The Disco will bring to the table next.
After Tom DeLonge went postal and left Blink-182, fans and critics alike were left wondering what Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker's (the remaining members of Blink-182) next move would be. Although they couldn't keep the entire band together for the kids, they still came back firing, bringing Matt Skiba aboard for a few shows. It's not set in stone that Skiba is a permanent replacement for DeLonge, but so far, he seems to be a good fit for the band.
Blink-182 w/Matt Skiba--Live @ The Roxy
Matt Skiba is the founder of Alkaline Trio, and has worked in numerous side projects (Matt Skiba and The Sekrets, for example). He's been involved in music since leaving Columbia College, where he studied design, in 1996.
Matt Skiba
I look forward to hearing more of the future of Blink-182, and being a longtime fan of the band, I look forward to seeing how Tom DeLonge's career turns out.
The ground has been rumbling in the All Time Low camp since the beginning of 2015. So far, the Baltimore pop-punkers have released three songs from the upcoming, thirteen track album Future Hearts, three music videos (Something's Gotta Give-Live, Something's Gotta Give, and Kids In The Dark), a headlining tour with supporting acts State Champs, Issues, and Tonight Alive; as well as starring in a movie and filming their second concert DVD in front of a sold out Wembley Arena. And, on top of that for ATL fans, lead singer Alex Gaskarth proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Lisa Ruocco, before the band left for Australia.
All Time Low's upcoming fifth studio album, Future Hearts
As a fan of All Time Low for over four years, I am as excited as the rest of the fandom for this new release. The three singles that have been released (Something's Gotta Give, Kids In The Dark, and Runaways) are promising for another ATL album that sounds nothing like past albums, yet distinctly Alex, Jack, Zack, and Rian. The releases so far have helped to raise the hype for their April 7 release, which is now less than two weeks away.
The lyrics to their first three singles have been rather deep, a little more philosophical than their previous singles ("I Feel Like Dancin'" from Dirty Work and released April 5, 2011, was written with Rivers Cuomo, mocked the popular music on the radio at the time). Alex's lyrical abilities are strong, and assistance from producer John Feldmann for writing on the record allows for a genius musical combination.
Collaborations on the album include a song with Mark Hoppus of blink-182 and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, and both are promising combinations.
Mark Hoppus, blink-182
Joel Madden, Good Charlotte
Ultimately, I think Future Hearts will be the most technical and lyrically deepest All Time Low album yet. It's a promising album, with excellent collaborations, but it leaves fans thinking: how many times can All Time Low top themselves over and over again?
Welcome to And The Crowd Goes WHOA! We are a music news and reviews blog that was established in 2015. Our goal is to provide music lovers and performers alike with relevant music news and effective album and song reviews. If you have a request for a specific album or song to be reviewed, we invite you to fill out our contact form and we will do our best to accommodate any and all requests.
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