Archive for March, 2010

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Miley: Stop it um k?! [giggles]
Liam: Dude, you got bird sh*t on your head!
Miley: OMG for realz?! In mah extensions? Get it out now, Liam!
Liam: Aiiiiight.

I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for any movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book. So needless to say, I will be seeing The Last Song. I know I know, you probably don’t think I’m that cool anymore. But newsflash: I am. And here’s why–I appreciate entertainment for whatever value it provides. Just because I love some unknown indie rock doesn’t mean I can’t admit to bobbing my head to some Party In the U.S.A. (don’t act like you didn’t)!

Also, there’s something about Miley Cyrus that I like. There, I said it. From a marketing/branding perspective, I understand why she is uber famous–she has an appeal that is charming, universal, safe, and borderline annoying (at least when it comes to seeing little girls in fake wigs at the mall–freaky).

See, the thing that annoys me is when people hate on things just for the sake of hating on them. For example: when I saw Dear John (this post is getting lamer by the minute, ha), there were two girls beside me and my friend John (shout out!) who kept laughing at parts that were not funny at all, and I’m not sure if it was the whole New York pretentious attitude or what, but COME ON–it’s a movie based off a Nicholas Sparks book, HELLO! It’s not trying to be an Oscar-worthy performance or a piece of original art–it’s a cute, family, romantic film, period. If you do not expect to see a cute, family, romantic film, then do not spend your 15 bucks (yes, movie tickets in NYC are outrageous) on the damn movie, you hater!

Watch the girl (and her wet Aussie) many wish they could blast in the face with a waterhose in an interview with Teen Vogue, below.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Holla!

States of Emotion are four driven songwriters from the UK who are hell bent on providing a sound ripped in melodies to unite the masses. Drawing influences from The Stone Roses, Suede, Oasis, Nirvana, Coldplay, Radiohead and Muse the band splashes around a fresh sound all their own.

With a deep bond that formed once the boys started playing music at age 14, the Essex group is set on sticking it out until they have officially landed. Having already played some huge gigs, including Glastonbury 2009, The Great Escape Festival & Offset Festival, States of Emotion will head out on a headline tour in early 2010.

The Essex quartet started their own label Perfectly Blue Records and entered the studio in November 2009 to record their full length debut album Black and White To Gold. States of Emotion will be touring the U.K and releasing a string of singles before the album hits shelves.

A free download of Fight Them On The Beaches is available via the band’s Myspace.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Not music-related but I like the message behind this.

“I don’t weigh myself. I just go by if my clothes fit. I try not to participate too much in the incredible amount of wasted energy that women have around dealing with food. I just feel like being healthy is sort of a job requirement to be on TV, and being a writer is so much coping with fatigue and stress, and you just eat. You eat to stay awake.”

-tina fey

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

A triple threat: reggae, rock, and punk. The kings of Baltimore, Can’t Hang, combine these genres effortlessly. It’s all about feel-good music that makes one yearn to let their hair down and sway their hips. This infamous East Coast band has songs for every listener, as in their latest release, Ride the Lightrail. The boys have this inexpressible quality that drags people in. Maybe it’s the distinctive guitars, reggae infused songs, or captivating melodies. They’ve recently reached 100,000 digital downloads; a terrific achievement for an unsigned act. “It’s right in front of me, I can almost reach it, all I need is a little more time,” the boys sing in Bird River Grove , a track that exemplifies their perseverance.

Can’t hang is that band that forces you to get out of your seat, for the value of their live shows is worth every penny. Consider it a time full of blood, sweat, and beers. Get this band stuck in your head now, for it’s only a matter of time fame comes a knocking’ on their door. Some try to make it and still Can’t Hang; but these boys can, and will continue to do so.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

When Telephone premiered, many were torn with conflicting opinions.

Yesterday I stumbled across the video below and had an LOLgasm. It’s almost like Quaadir Howard from Youtube read my mind exactly. Well, minus the Beyonce parts (of course).

Even if you agree or disagree with what he is saying, it’s still HAAAAA-LARIOUS! So don’t take it too personally if you don’t agree. It’s all about respect, and this is just another opinion among many.

For a good laugh, check it out. And be warned, he throws cuss words right and left.

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Admittedly, I’ve always been wary of the punk pop/emocore mesh scene. I’m all for catchy tunes and skinny jeans, but I never found anything truly satisfactory within that genre. No matter how far I searched, I never found anything that kept me going back for more or hitting the repeat button. That is, until All Time Low.

This band is fresh, young, and clearly jonesing to make some music happen. Their unrestrained lyrics, habit-forming tracks, and appreciatively clever attitude towards the lifestyle they represent all make them a unique band that can do far more than make you bounce up and down to their luscious beat.

Seeing as they started out as a highschool band playing Green Day covers, they’ve really come a long way. In 2009 they were touring with Fall Out Boy, Metro Station, and Cobra Starship, and their first live debut was supporting the Plain White T’s in 2007. Although their first two albums were full of spunk, their third album, Nothing Personal (released in 2009) was the record that really lit up the charts for the group.

Although, like many new pop punk bands, it seems that they’ve been controlled to an extent by different labels, the longer they stay on the music scene, the more control they seem to exert over the choices they make about their musical direction. Even their name implies the fact that they appreciate the classic punk philosophy of admiring the bad and chastising the successful (and it’s obvious they appreciate the irony of the success of punk music as well). It may just seem like they’ve jumped into the spotlight just to goof around, but if you look close enough you can tell that they really love the music they make, and they just want to make their fans happy.

Tongue and cheek and full of flavour, these guys are on their way up, and they’re not going to let anyone bring them down. Listen to Weightless (the song that got me hooked) below.
　

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Yep, you read that right!

Last night, exhausted from the gym, I came home and did what most dudes would do while relaxing in front of the computer: I youtubed puppies. Ok, so maybe that’s not what MOST guys would do, but I’m really debating with this idea of getting a pet. Long story short–my puppy searching somehow led me to discover this video and it totally made me smile.

A group of University of Rochester students have re-created Taylor Swift’s massive anthem You Belong With Me to feature a same-sex crush.

Made by the university’s singing group the Yellowjackets, the video Stars Matt Francis (jock) and Michael Pittman (gleek).

Watch the cuteness, below.

By: Rob Brayl & Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

This morning when I opened my email I received a great excerpt from Maria on GaGa’s video premiere of Telephone (ft. Beyonce). As I watched the video release last night, I was definitely intrigued (how can you not be when there’s vagina flashing and cigarette blazing sunglasses?!), but when the video came to an end I found myself still processing the over nine minute feature directed by Jonas Akerland–who is best known for his award-winning work with Madonna.

I’m not sure what it is but there’s something holding me back from actually being a true fan of the Poker Face singer. I suppose you could call me a psuedo-fan. I mean, if her song blasts out on a dancefloor I will sing along and bounce around just like everyone else–but when it comes to the overall package, I’m just not buying it. One thing’s for certain: I admire her drive and ambition but as an overall artist, I’m just not on the GaGa train quite yet.

I appreciate the fact that this video didn’t air until 11:30PM last night, since it’s definitely NSFK (Not Safe For Kiddies) and definitely NSFW, but I found myself wrestling with the message or lack thereof that was present in the video. I understand that darkness is a style stamp that GaGa has placed on herself but I just didn’t understand the point of the mass murder spree in the video–there was no story leading to the purpose of this detail. This is just another reason why I am led to believe that GaGa is truly a shock artist, doing whatever it takes to get a reaction. In an interview with Barbara Walters, she said the biggest misconception about herself is that she is “artificial and attention-seeking”. And although, I respect her and her work, I also ask: What do you expect when you write about clubs, sex, getting wasted and wear crabs on your face in public? — Not tryin’ to hate, just sayin’!

Perhaps in the future, she will rub off on me. Either way, she definitely has made a HUGE dent in pop culture and I will be interested to hear her next record. With that being said, there were parts of this video that I really enjoyed and other parts I had no desire to see–I will, however, agree that it’s one of her best tracks to date.

On the FLIP SIDE, BTB’s Maria Ciezak loved the video and I wanted to showcase both our uncertainty and our support for the video in this post because that is what’s so great about art–when it arouses discussion.

Read Maria’s review below (and watch the video premiere of Telephone, after the jump).

Do you ever watch something and say “I can’t believe what I just saw?” Well, be prepared to do a double take; Lady Gaga’s (ft. Beyonce) Telephone has finally been released. Ladies and Gentlemen, witness an edgy, sexified Thelma and Louise rebirth. Starting off by slamming rumors, there are tons of hidden meanings just waiting to be found as GaGa prances through prison and ends up poisoning several people at a roadside diner. Covered in everything from electrical tape to latex, this video doesn’t contain a dull moment. A pop smash about wanting to turn your phone off has turned into something so much deeper.

A must-watch nine and a half minute masterpiece; Gaga and Beyonce convolute the stereotype of what a pop music video should be. Continuously opposed to the typical, we love all that makes her so damn Gaga.

Lady Gaga – New Music – More Music Videos

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

They’ve been a presence on soundtracks; they’re the source of that ‘one awesome song’ on the radio. Strictly speaking, they take music and make it their devoted slave, constantly portioning out new delicacies for the public to eat up. They’re The Raconteurs, a name that oughta be shouted out far and wide. This is a band that is obviously connected to the old school edge of punk rock, respecting their musical roots while still being comfortable with adding their own creative twist to the genre. The fact that they’re fronted by the singer of the White Stripes, a band infamous for its indescribable mood, only further fuels their unmatched thrill and passion.

They constantly reek of their remarkable drive for letting music moisturize their skin and oxygenate their veins, and refuse to abide to the limiting rules of the music industry. When their second album Consolers of the Lonely was released in 2008, they didn’t do any major advertising or PR until a few weeks before it came out, an uncommon method of approaching an album release. Jack White said it was to avoid the typical hype and critique that often occurs when an album comes out, and explained that, “The music business is so scared all the time, and I don’t like living in fear like that.” This band is not fashioned out of puppets. All they care about is making music, and making sure it gets to their true fans.

Of course, it’s not just their approach to making music that causes them to shine brighter than most- their snappy lyrics and vicious melodies make them hyper-addictive. No matter what, they’re always letting the creative drive point them in which direction to go, ready to get further submerged in untested depths of music. People often turn to music as a therapeutic tool, a means by which they can outlet their own personal frustrations and feel that they have a connection with someone else when the lyrics are describing what they are feeling but cannot quite express. Many, particularly those who feel misplaced in this world, could feel an affinity with the lyrics by The Raconteurs. As their second album title (as well as the name of the single that went #1 from that album) will attest, they truly are ‘consolers of the lonely’.

If you haven’t graced your ear drums with this band before, then listen below.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

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To many, Beyonce is a hero. Here’s one reason why…

Beyonce recently spoke in Brooklyn, New York at the Phoenix House–a nonprofit rehabilitation center for drug and alcohol addiction, to uncover a project she and her mother, Tina, have been developing for years. That project is the Beyonce Cosmetology Center.

The program is a seven-month cosmetology training course for adult men and women. L’oreal donated all the products for use at the center, and Miss Beyonce, along with her mother, have pledged to donate $100,000 to the program annually.

After New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Tina Knowles took the stage, Beyonce, full of humility and grace, took to the podium to explain her vision, a vision she developed while visiting Phoenix House in 2007 as part of research for her role as Etta James (who, at the age of 21, was a heroin addict) in the film Cadillac Records.

Phoenix House provides various vocational training but Beyonce felt like a beauty school was missing and would be an important tool to the facility as she said:

“I saw that a salon was a place for women to socialize, share stories, cry, laugh and get advice,” she continued, speaking on growing up in the beauty parlor in which her mother owned at the time. She was near tears when she added, “Most importantly, I saw the joy it brought my mother, knowing she was a part of their transformation.”

Overwhelmed with admiration for the the strength and the courage of the women and men who’ve chosen to go to Phoenix House for help, Beyonce was determined to make her dream a reality and she has succeeded, touching countless lives whose journey has led to this beautiful story of hope and redemption.

Check out the always humble BK on Good Morning America, explaining the venture, below.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

A musical montage that has been written sometime ago is finally being read; The Script. Their self-titled album blends characteristic song construction with grainy contemporary narratives. The Ireland natives have an alt-rock sound, soft interior, and a hint of r&b on the side, as in their heartbreak smash Breakeven, “What am I supposed to do, when the best part of me was always you.” Rock influenced by Missy Elliot and TLC? Um, yes please.

If you aren’t into today’s pop-rock music, try reading from a different script. These melodies are instantaneously memorable, and the bright lyrics will grab your emotions as they unfold. Stand-out tracks such as We Cry and The Man Who Can’t Be Moved solidify that this is a band you need to know. Give your ears a treat to something intelligent, beautifully crafted and compelling. The heart of this band may not be breaking even, but it’s definitely breaking out.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

“A world class debut.” – DAILY TELEGRAPH

“Smart-ass new wave indie.” – NME

“Our new favourite band – Complex fun that is destined for the big time.” – VOGUE

Australian 4 piece EXPATRIATE have released their debut album entitled In the Midst of This. Recorded in Seattle USA with producer John Goodmanson (Death Cab For Cutie, Hot Hot Heat, Wu-Tang Clan), the album, is alive with gigantic, powerful songs, fluid melodies, lashing grooves and aggressive soundscapes.

As lead singer Ben puts it, “We wanted to marry our raw performance as a live band with our ability to amass layers of sound through our tinkering with technology and general studio knowledge; John (Goodmanson) was a great facilitator for bringing out the guitars, drums and volume”.

You can stream the band’s debut album, In The Midst Of This (that was released earlier this month), here.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

English R&B singer Craig David is back on the music scene with a fresh new single and an upcoming album entitled Signed Sealed Delivered. The project will feature David covering hits from the Motown era and giving them a modern twist. The whole idea of an entire album of Motown covers just seems off to me, but knowing David’s talent, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Plus, I’m a sucker for an accent and nice lips when it’s on someone whose heart seems to be in the right place. David, when answering a fan’s question, proved this point when he said that above all, he just wants to be known as a good person. And that my friend, is way better than any amount of records he may or may not sell.

Check the clip, below.

Craig also appears on the cover of the new Big Issue (which for seventeen years since its inception, continues to offer homeless and vulnerably housed people the opportunity to earn an income).

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Move over Pauly D, there’s a new DJ in town!

Meet 69-year-old Ruth Flowers. The proud granny is becoming one of England’s most sough after DJ’s and is currently working on her first single. The remarkable lady explains that she first gained interest once she entered a club for a grandson’s birthday and realized that she loved to see the kids have a good time on the dancefloor. It’s clear that she’s just trying to live life to the fullest and who can hate on that?

This banner appears at the bottom of DJ Ruth Flowers’ website:
“I’d rather sign a contract with a record company than to sign up for the nursing home!”

To learn a little about Ruth, watch the video below.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Photo Credit: Alexei Hay

“I like to categorize the various levels of heartbreak. I’ve only had that happen once. A letdown is worth a few songs. A heartbreak is worth a few albums.”

-t. swift, in the upcoming issue of elle