Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
What I'm Thankful For
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I decided to remind myself of what I'm thankful for, musically. This is 90% of the concerts I've been to in my life:
Michael Buble
Gwen Stefani
Christina Aguilera
Linkin Park
Rihanna x 2
Maroon 5
T-Pain
Nelly Furtado*
Hanson x 3
Parachute*
The Script
Green River Ordinance*
Ne-Yo* x 2
Alicia Keys
Timbaland
Jordin Sparks x 3
Jesse McCartney*
Jonas Brothers
Beyonce
Kelly Clarkson
Eric Hutchinson* x 4
Jon McLaughlin* x 4
The White Tie Affair* x 2
Lady Gaga
All American Rejects
Ashlee Simpson*
BBMak
Miley Cyrus
Avril Lavigne
Justin Timberlake
Nysnc
Backstreet Boys
Boys Like Girls
Colbie Caillat x 3
Danity Kane*
David Cook
The Fray
Jack's Mannequin
Jessie James*
Kanye West
N.E.R.D
Katy Perry*
Marie Digby
The Veronicas x 2
Natasha Beddingfield*
The Pussycat Dolls
Rooney
Sean Kingston
Simple Plan*
James Blunt
Nick Lachey
Good Charlotte
One Republic
Akon
Robin Thicke
Gavin DeGraw
Celine Dion
Kate Voegele
Chester French
Bow Wow
All Saints
Runner Runner*
Mark & James*
Treaty of Paris
Kris Allen
Pink
Can you guess what the stars mean? You should be able to =)
And I would MOST like to add to that list:
Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, John Mayer, Francesca Battistelli, Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Paramore, Owl City, James Morrison, among many others. We'll see!
Michael Buble
Gwen Stefani
Christina Aguilera
Linkin Park
Rihanna x 2
Maroon 5
T-Pain
Nelly Furtado*
Hanson x 3
Parachute*
The Script
Green River Ordinance*
Ne-Yo* x 2
Alicia Keys
Timbaland
Jordin Sparks x 3
Jesse McCartney*
Jonas Brothers
Beyonce
Kelly Clarkson
Eric Hutchinson* x 4
Jon McLaughlin* x 4
The White Tie Affair* x 2
Lady Gaga
All American Rejects
Ashlee Simpson*
BBMak
Miley Cyrus
Avril Lavigne
Justin Timberlake
Nysnc
Backstreet Boys
Boys Like Girls
Colbie Caillat x 3
Danity Kane*
David Cook
The Fray
Jack's Mannequin
Jessie James*
Kanye West
N.E.R.D
Katy Perry*
Marie Digby
The Veronicas x 2
Natasha Beddingfield*
The Pussycat Dolls
Rooney
Sean Kingston
Simple Plan*
James Blunt
Nick Lachey
Good Charlotte
One Republic
Akon
Robin Thicke
Gavin DeGraw
Celine Dion
Kate Voegele
Chester French
Bow Wow
All Saints
Runner Runner*
Mark & James*
Treaty of Paris
Kris Allen
Pink
Can you guess what the stars mean? You should be able to =)
And I would MOST like to add to that list:
Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, John Mayer, Francesca Battistelli, Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Paramore, Owl City, James Morrison, among many others. We'll see!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
November's New Music Explosion
What is going on this month, or the week even? How is it possible that the record label gods decided it's a good idea to have John Mayer, Leona Lewis, One Republic, Norah Jones and new-comers Kris Allen and Justin Bieber all come out with a CD on the same day!? Regardless of the fact that I think they should have spread out the releases of so many great CDs, I'm quite excited for all this new music!
The only problem is that I firmly believe that when you get a new CD, you have to give it some undivided attention. You need to listen to that CD and that CD alone from start to finish a couple times to really get a feel for it in my opinion. With so many new CDs right now, and a limited amount of time and money, I have to decide on one or two for the time being!
So I listened to the 30 second clips from all the aforementioned CDs on iTunes and the one that stood out to me was Kris Allen. I'm not really surprised (I voted for him all season long), but I had been looking forward to John Mayer's new CD for some time and nothing really jumped out at me. You have to be in the mood for John Mayer though so I'll give it a try again later, perhaps when I'm more mellow and not so it's-my-birthday-so-let's-celebrate!
Justin Bieber has a few great singles (I jam out to One Time on a daily basis), but the 9 track CD won't be something I'll be purchasing. Leona Lewis has this amazing voice but for some reason it's just not exciting. She also looks crazy on her CD cover. How they managed to make such a beautiful person look crazy is a talent I do not want. I have high hopes for the One Republic CD as well, I definitely love the lead singer's voice, but for now I'm off to grab the Kris Allen CD and perhaps see if Target is cool enough to carry some Runner Runner, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
If you happen to have any of these CDs and have opinions about them, let me know!! Because if the John Mayer CD is a dud or must-have, I need to know! =)
The only problem is that I firmly believe that when you get a new CD, you have to give it some undivided attention. You need to listen to that CD and that CD alone from start to finish a couple times to really get a feel for it in my opinion. With so many new CDs right now, and a limited amount of time and money, I have to decide on one or two for the time being!
So I listened to the 30 second clips from all the aforementioned CDs on iTunes and the one that stood out to me was Kris Allen. I'm not really surprised (I voted for him all season long), but I had been looking forward to John Mayer's new CD for some time and nothing really jumped out at me. You have to be in the mood for John Mayer though so I'll give it a try again later, perhaps when I'm more mellow and not so it's-my-birthday-so-let's-celebrate!
Justin Bieber has a few great singles (I jam out to One Time on a daily basis), but the 9 track CD won't be something I'll be purchasing. Leona Lewis has this amazing voice but for some reason it's just not exciting. She also looks crazy on her CD cover. How they managed to make such a beautiful person look crazy is a talent I do not want. I have high hopes for the One Republic CD as well, I definitely love the lead singer's voice, but for now I'm off to grab the Kris Allen CD and perhaps see if Target is cool enough to carry some Runner Runner, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
If you happen to have any of these CDs and have opinions about them, let me know!! Because if the John Mayer CD is a dud or must-have, I need to know! =)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The White Tie Affair Concert
Last night I went to a concert by The White Tie Affair and I just have to say, it was amazing! Normally I don't even like music in their genre (pop/punk/rock whatever you want to call it) and I actually think a lot of those types of bands sound too much alike, but something about TWTA is different!
I saw them in April when they opened for Lady Gaga and they were great then and they were even better last night because they were the headliners so we were able to see a full set! (Not to mention the fact that when I saw them with LG I was being squished like a sardine by a group of very tall, very enthusiastic, Gaga fans, making the experience a little less than desirable.)
Anyways, they had three opening acts. The only good opening act was a band called Runner Runner. And I'm not just saying that because they're cute or because they have a song called "Hey Allie" (lol But let's be honest, it was only a matter of time before a band wrote a song about Allie being the girl of their dreams ;) haha I crack myself up. ) But they truly are a good band! You read it here, don't be surprised if you hear of them somewhere else soon!
TWTA pretty much left me speechless. I don't know how many other ways I can say "amazing". The crowd was loving it, I was loving it, the girl next to me was loving it (she was so sweet, I wanted to be her friend, and it reminded me of the time my actual friend Mike Bentele was telling me about making friends with people around you at concerts, which I seem to always end up doing!). Good times were had. After the show, we had a meet and greet which was oodles of fun and awkwardness. We were like the 2nd group there, Chris (the lead singer) was a shameless flirt just like he was the first time I met him, it's all in good fun though. He was the only member of the band out at the time, and I happen to think Ryan (the keyboard player/back up vocals) has the most beautiful smile in the world, so I asked Chris where he was. Chris replied "He's staring at your ass right now". You know me. I didn't think I heard him correctly, so I was like "excuse me?" Chris repeated himself and I turned around to find Ryan standing RIGHT BEHIND ME. I had no idea how long he'd been there.
When the pic below was taken, yup, had no idea Ryan was there (he's the one in the background, in case you didn't catch that), I was probably oblivious because Chris is so darn sexy lol jk I mean he is (or can be?), but he is like WAY shorter than me. I was kind slouching and he was totally on his toes a bit ROFL:
Oh look, Ryan found me, hahaha, big hug:
And because I was being greedy/not caring that there was a huge line, I asked for a group pic:
Sean-P, one of the main guys in the band, was sick so he didn't come out! Very bummed but at the same time, I met him and got to talk to him for a long time at Animal Kingdom in April, so I can't complain much!
To top it off, I got the set list from the drummer (Tim), which made my night perfect because I have a collection of concert memorabilia going and needed something from TWTA (I collect it all myself at concerts, nothing bought). The only thing that sucked about the night was that we weren't allowed to take pictures/video during the concert. Technically, I shouldn't of even had my camera for the meet and greet but the security guy didn't see my camera in my purse. Lucky break!
My ears are still ringing, 24 hours later, but it was worth it. Candle has been their only major radio hit, but I find all of their songs catchy and fun to listen to, especially if I need to get energized/feel like dancing! All I can say is, I can't wait to see them in concert again!
PS: I am trying to not go to concerts if I've seen an artist in concert already or the ticket prices are too high or I will go broke on concert tickets. However, TWTA is now officially in my elite group of bands that I will go see regardless of anything. Eric Hutchinson and Jon McLaughlin are the only other 2 in this group that I can think of- obviously there would be more since I love a lot of bands but that defeats the whole cost saving purpose, you see? Anyways, night all! Thanks for reading =)
I saw them in April when they opened for Lady Gaga and they were great then and they were even better last night because they were the headliners so we were able to see a full set! (Not to mention the fact that when I saw them with LG I was being squished like a sardine by a group of very tall, very enthusiastic, Gaga fans, making the experience a little less than desirable.)
Anyways, they had three opening acts. The only good opening act was a band called Runner Runner. And I'm not just saying that because they're cute or because they have a song called "Hey Allie" (lol But let's be honest, it was only a matter of time before a band wrote a song about Allie being the girl of their dreams ;) haha I crack myself up. ) But they truly are a good band! You read it here, don't be surprised if you hear of them somewhere else soon!
TWTA pretty much left me speechless. I don't know how many other ways I can say "amazing". The crowd was loving it, I was loving it, the girl next to me was loving it (she was so sweet, I wanted to be her friend, and it reminded me of the time my actual friend Mike Bentele was telling me about making friends with people around you at concerts, which I seem to always end up doing!). Good times were had. After the show, we had a meet and greet which was oodles of fun and awkwardness. We were like the 2nd group there, Chris (the lead singer) was a shameless flirt just like he was the first time I met him, it's all in good fun though. He was the only member of the band out at the time, and I happen to think Ryan (the keyboard player/back up vocals) has the most beautiful smile in the world, so I asked Chris where he was. Chris replied "He's staring at your ass right now". You know me. I didn't think I heard him correctly, so I was like "excuse me?" Chris repeated himself and I turned around to find Ryan standing RIGHT BEHIND ME. I had no idea how long he'd been there.
When the pic below was taken, yup, had no idea Ryan was there (he's the one in the background, in case you didn't catch that), I was probably oblivious because Chris is so darn sexy lol jk I mean he is (or can be?), but he is like WAY shorter than me. I was kind slouching and he was totally on his toes a bit ROFL:
Oh look, Ryan found me, hahaha, big hug:
And because I was being greedy/not caring that there was a huge line, I asked for a group pic:
Sean-P, one of the main guys in the band, was sick so he didn't come out! Very bummed but at the same time, I met him and got to talk to him for a long time at Animal Kingdom in April, so I can't complain much!
To top it off, I got the set list from the drummer (Tim), which made my night perfect because I have a collection of concert memorabilia going and needed something from TWTA (I collect it all myself at concerts, nothing bought). The only thing that sucked about the night was that we weren't allowed to take pictures/video during the concert. Technically, I shouldn't of even had my camera for the meet and greet but the security guy didn't see my camera in my purse. Lucky break!
My ears are still ringing, 24 hours later, but it was worth it. Candle has been their only major radio hit, but I find all of their songs catchy and fun to listen to, especially if I need to get energized/feel like dancing! All I can say is, I can't wait to see them in concert again!
PS: I am trying to not go to concerts if I've seen an artist in concert already or the ticket prices are too high or I will go broke on concert tickets. However, TWTA is now officially in my elite group of bands that I will go see regardless of anything. Eric Hutchinson and Jon McLaughlin are the only other 2 in this group that I can think of- obviously there would be more since I love a lot of bands but that defeats the whole cost saving purpose, you see? Anyways, night all! Thanks for reading =)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
It's about time!
If you could hear the thoughts in my head, you would quickly realize a large percentage of them were music related. I may be a little biased (ha, a lot biased) but I happen to think my thoughts can be little strokes of genius that should not be kept a secret!
Just to be clear-
AllieBentrud.Blogspot.com = updates with my life for my friends/family
AllieMusic.Blogspot.com = My thoughts on music stuff, I have no idea who will find this interesting
I've been wanting a place to compile my thoughts on anything and everything music related for some time, so here it is!
This blog will also spare my friends and family who read my OTHER blog from having to read long reviews of concerts I go to or other random stories that have nothing to do with me.
I hope to share the new music I find and fall in love with in hopes you love it too. I'll recap concerts, meet-n-greets and anything else I happen to be thinking about related to music so stay tuned.
I also promise that posts to this blog will most likely be more frequent but a lot shorter. Let's just see what happens =)
PS I know those buttons at the top of my page do nothing. I'm not a web design wiz. My skills end at finding a layout and uploading it. lol
Just to be clear-
AllieBentrud.Blogspot.com = updates with my life for my friends/family
AllieMusic.Blogspot.com = My thoughts on music stuff, I have no idea who will find this interesting
I've been wanting a place to compile my thoughts on anything and everything music related for some time, so here it is!
This blog will also spare my friends and family who read my OTHER blog from having to read long reviews of concerts I go to or other random stories that have nothing to do with me.
I hope to share the new music I find and fall in love with in hopes you love it too. I'll recap concerts, meet-n-greets and anything else I happen to be thinking about related to music so stay tuned.
I also promise that posts to this blog will most likely be more frequent but a lot shorter. Let's just see what happens =)
PS I know those buttons at the top of my page do nothing. I'm not a web design wiz. My skills end at finding a layout and uploading it. lol
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