I’m sorry, Pandora

After another month of writing, I have enough for yet another big purchase. I’m typing on my HP Mini right now, and yes, I absolutely adore Eurydice, but now I have someone/something else on my mind. There’s something I’ve been wanting for a few months now, and right now it seems unbearable to me that I don’t have him (it) yet.

Pandora just isn’t cutting it anymore. This little square 4 GB iPod that I received for my fourteenth birthday was the light of my life for so long. But, in the past month, Pandora has seen more of the ground than she had throughout her entire two year existence. I was the first one in school to have the first video nano, but now it’s outdated and doesn’t have enough storage. She’s right next to me in her little pink leather jacket and is connected to my record player’s iPod jack so I can hear some Tilly and the Wall at a higher volume. But, at the moment I’m really craving some of The Submarines, whose music I did not have room to fit on Pandora.

For about a month I contemplated what iPod I would get after I got my laptop. My first choice was always the iPod Classic. I realized that the iPod Touch is basically for people who just want the apps and aren’t all about the music, which is the sole purpose why I want/NEED a new iPod. I considered the new iPod nano (Chromatic), but then realized that having a video camera on an iPod with so little storage would be tempting and stupid at the same time. Once again, I would be too busy monkeying around with that rather than listening to tunage. I do plan on purchasing an iPod shuffle in the future, just to have to run with or whatever, but it’s not going to be my main man.

And so, the choice was unanimous. Next week when I get my check, I’m off to the Apple store to pick up Orpheus and let him join my electronic family (Pandora, Narcissus and Eurydice; I have yet to name some other things). I will most likely end up buying the silver iPod classic, just so it’s not identical to my brother’s black one. He and Pandora will have to share my iHome, but I think I’ll put Pandora into retirement for a little while. She’s done a good job for two years and deserves a break. I’m just excited to finally be able to go from every Brand New CD to Paramore’s released and unreleased music to Vampire Weekend to John Mayer to Lady GaGa all on the same iPod. The thought of having my entire music library in my pocket is exhilarating. I can’t wait to put song after song on an iPod without having to take something off, first.

Paramore’s brand new eyes

I love it. I’m pretty sure it passes by All We Know Is Falling and I definitely like it better than RIOT! The lyrics and melodies the band display on this album really speak of the struggles they have faced over the past year.

1.) “Careful” – A bold opener; not unlike “For A Pessimist I’m Pretty Optimistic.” It really shows that Paramore has grown up and earned their brand new eyes. They’re not the naive power-pop band anymore. They’ve witnessed more of the world now and have become wise because of it.“You can’t be too careful anymore…”

2.) “Ignorance” - It’s awesome, duh. It shows the heavier side of the problems Paramore has faced. “Don’t wanna hear your sad songs/I don’t wanna feel your pain/When you swear it’s all my fault/’Cause you know we’re not the same.” The music video for this is especially impressive. It’s dark, dreary, slightly demented, yet perfect.

3.) “Playing God” – Another glimpse for those of us who are on the outside looking in. Hayley Williams speaks for herself, yet it sums everything up for the whole band. Here, she tells about how she’s not perfect, but neither are they. “Next time you point a finger, I’ll point you to a mirror.”

4.) “Brick By Boring Brick” – My favorite part is when the boys join in the last twenty seconds of the song with the “ba da ba ba da ba ba-ah.” Course, I’m a sucker for guys that can sing. It’s cute how she ties in the part about how the wolf’s going to blow it down. It’s perfection in my book.

5.) “Turn It Off” – Williams’ lyrics are absolutely beautiful in this song. I can’t get over their beauty and how they just make this song.

6.) “The Only Exception” - My personal favorite. I love slow songs that have the lovely sound of someone strumming a guitar calmly. It gives me a nice break from the headache-inducing metal I listen to. This will definitely be added to my “Calm” playlist on my iPod. I don’t especially like how low Williams goes on the “are” of “you are the only exception,” but it works. It really does.

7.) “Feeling Sorry” - Another peek into the band’s life. Williams has no time for feeling sorry, and she makes that clear.

8.) “Looking Up” – Listen to the lyrics and it will give you goosebumps. After the songs she wrote with lyrics that tell of her desperation to settle everything, it’s refreshing to hear these lyrics. They almost threw everything away; everything that Hayley dreamed about. “It’s not a dream anymore… God knows the world doesn’t need another band (whoa-oa-oa, whoa-oa-oa) but what a waste it would have been (whoa-oa-oa, whoa-oa-oa).” She took it for granted, but now they’re back and in my mind there’s no doubt anymore about whether they will stay intact. “We’re just getting started.”

9.) “Where The Line Overlap” – “No one is as lucky as us.” Sums it up, right there. Definitely a good listen.

10.) “Misguided Ghosts” - The guitar part in this song melts me. I love Hayley’s voice when she sings along to it.

11.) “All I Wanted” - An epic ballad on Paramore’s part. Hayley’s voice is breathtaking when it carries up to that highest note (listen to it and ye shall know). I think they should have ended the album with “Looking Up,” but this definitely works. The first part of the album is full of their frustrations, then they are settled, and these last three songs come in. Yeah, I guess it’s perfect.

They’re not a RIOT! band anymore. They’ve calmed down, reassessed things and have come through with an album that is sure to be another hit once it hits stores in the US tomorrow. I have already listened to it probably almost ten times, and I’m not going to stop any time soon. That much is for certain. Their brand new eyes don’t get boring.

“Ignorance” is my new best friend

I think I have listened to the song “Ignorance” over ten times. And sure, that’s not a lot compared to the people that have played it 500 times and more, but that’s a big number for me. I don’t like to listen to the same song all the time; I like to mix it up a bit. Listening to “Ignorance” over 500 times in one sitting would make me hate it.

It still sounds like Paramore. The title looks like a word Paramore would use. I’m sure that if I were to taste the song it would taste like Paramore (whatever that flavor is). Hayley’s voice seems a little edgier in this song than any song I have ever heard her sing. It’s still beautiful, of course, but this makes me anxious to hear the other tracks on the new album Brand New Eyes. I have a live version of “Where The Lines Overlap,” but it’s so hard to listen to something that has screaming from people at the concert in the background. I guess I will have to wait until September 29th.

All We Know Is Falling is still my favorite Paramore album and has been since its release in 2005. Maybe this Brand New Eyes will top it. I don’t know though; it’s always hard to beat the original.

I cannot wait until September 29th.

It all started with a record player

A few weeks ago, I bought myself a record player. I was ecstatic to find it at such a good price, and was beaming as I walked out of the store with the box in my arms.

When we got home, I immediately took it into the Living Room and set it up. My parents taught me how to use it and to be careful not to jump around whilst listening to it. My mother and I ventured into the cave (our basement) to retrieve some of their old records to bring back some of the past. We carried armload after armload upstairs to the Living Room and left them in stacks all around the room. I left the ones I bought earlier that day (Coheed & Cambria and a Fueled By Ramen package that were extremely cheap) on the couch and my dad and I had a look-see to pick out what I should listen to first.

I thought my brothers would think it cool for me to have purchased a record player, but they avoided me like I had the plague. They seemed pretty pissed off and jealous that I got to one first and because my parents’ old one needs a new needle thing. Trevor especially because I bought Coheed & Cambria. Because he likes them, I’m not allowed to. Oh well.

My dad sat on the couch as I rifled through stack after stack, holding record after record up seeking his approval. All of the ones with his name written on them were the ones approved – all of the ones with Barbra Streisand on the cover were kept in a pile that I would not listen to. Sorry, mom.

I have discovered a whole new music taste thanks to my record player (though it does have a CD player, radio and iPod hookup included, I tend to listen to records on it more). I found out that I love the bands Sweet, REO Speedwagon (You Can Tune A Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish), Joan Jett & The Black Hearts, The Knack, Boomtown Rats, Supertramp, Cheap Trick, Pink Floyd, London Town and some Pat Benatar. I still love Escape the Fate, Paramore, Tilly and the Wall, and all of the other bands I have always loved, but I am now broadening my music taste. It’s cool to think that my parents played these records once at the same age I am now. I wish I could go back and meet the teenage versions of them. My mom and I would be identical, and I bet my dad and I would have fun listening to music together – just like we do now.

XX is greater than XY (My latest NeXt article)

Take out your iPod, select the “Music” option and click on “Artists.” Scroll on through from A to Z and count the number of bands that are composed of only males. Male-fronted bands probably make up the majority, correct? It might interest you to know that some females in this world can rock harder than the opposite sex.

The three female-fronted bands that nearly everyone in the teenage crowd has heard of are Flyleaf, Paramore and Evanescence, but there are plenty more out there in this world that are none too popular. While Lacey, Hayley and Amy Lee’s voices are indeed beautiful, there are other gorgeous female voices that deserve just as much attention.

A few bands that fans of Paramore might enjoy are: Hey Monday (of West Palm Beach, Fla.), Damone (from Waltham, Mass.), The Material (which started out in San Diego, Calif.), and New Years Day (of Anaheim, Calif.). Cassadee Pope of Hey Monday and Noelle LeBlanc from Damone are sure to gain more fame in the next few years with their voices leading the way.

Colleen D’Agostino of The Material has a beautifully clear voice that is irresistible. One might think that a female singer changes the gender of a band’s fans, but both Roi Elam from The Material and Ashley Costello of New Years Day disagree: “I don’t really think so,” said Elam, “I see an equal amount of guys and girls at our shows.”

“Nooo … not at all, and I was surprised by that,” exclaimed Costello. “When we play I see just as many guys in the crowd as I see girls. It’s really cute.” New Years Day has often been described as the female version of Fall Out Boy. Yes, here and there a likeness is detected, but New Years Day is a band all its own. “I feel like a lot of people took more notice of us because there was a girl singer, but it’s also very hard,” said Costello. “There are so many guy-fronted bands that I feel sometimes the female-fronted band gets pigeon-holed and maybe a label won’t look at us.”

Many people are skeptical of females being in rock bands, but listen to some New Years Day, and let Ashley change your mind in “Temecula Sunrise” or “My Sweet Unvalentine.”

Pretty close to one another in your iPod should be two bands: Fireflight from Eustis, Fla., and Flyleaf of Texas. Both bands are Christian rock, bordering on metal, and are led by females who know what they are doing.

The lyrics that Dawn Richardson and Lacey Mosley sing are powerful and attuned to God. “We all contribute our own parts and help each other to improve upon each other’s suggestions,” said Dawn. “Both Justin [guitarist/ background vocalist Justin Cox] and I work on the lyrics but I am the main lyricist, I imagine me being a girl does affect the way I write…” Nobody would think Flyleaf and Fireflight are all about God, but listening to their lyrics very carefully can help you realize just how much their faith influences the artists in these bands. “We write about what we have gone through in our lives and how God’s love has brought us through,” said Richardson.

Think the farthest thing from the music made by Flyleaf and Fireflight and you have a band called Save Ferris from Orange County, Calif. Although they are no longer together, their deliciously quirky sound and clever lyrics do not fail to entertain. Check out “Under 21” or their cover of “Come On Eileen” (originally by Dexy’s Midnight Runners) and enjoy some ska. Monique Powell is now a solo artist, but her voice was perfect for the likes of Save Ferris.

Ask me: who is the exact opposite of Save Ferris? I will think about it for a second before I reply with one word: Kittie. Don’t let their adorable name fool you — this is a cat you do not want to cross paths with.

Kittie strikes me as the female version of Slipknot — Morgan Lander attacking the listeners with her voice. After many changes over the years, currently rounding out this all-female quartet are Mercedes Lander on drums/vocals/piano, Tara McLeod on guitar, and Ivy Vujic playing bass. Originating in Ontario, Kittie has been around for years, putting many a CD out. Check out “What I Always Wanted” or “Paperdoll” and behold the scarily musical meow that is Kittie.

From Amy Lee to Dawn Richardson, Ashley Costello to Morgan Lander, some females can really rock. So put away the Avenged Sevenfold or Metallica CD and go try something different and new. Found on my iPod is a playlist called “Female-fronted bands.” Maybe you should create one as well, and drag all of the music from these bands onto your iPod.

Also worth listening to: Within Temptation, Garbage, Automatic Loveletter, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 1997, Meg & Dia, The Donnas, Be Your Own Pet, Letters to Cleo, The Morning Of, Veruca Salt, Lacuna Coil and The Veronicas.

“Being the only girl in a band is awesome. It has just as many pros as it has cons. I’m always protected, but then again I am always picked on by them. It’s like a little sister-big brother relationship,” said Ashley Costello.

Emily Steves is a sophomore at Gowanda

Alone

Some people my age might be a little frightened to be home all alone, but I really enjoy it. For a few hours, I can do what I please, which is mostly just writing and reading, but without ANY interruptions. Another plus about being by myself is that I don’t have to fight the urge to burst out in song. I can walk around the house belting my guts out, and not feel self conscious at all. The place I usually sing my heart out is in the shower, but when nobody is around I belt it out wherever. I can sit here at the computer desk, and sing as I type.

Sometimes I feel stupid and wonder if the neighbors can hear my voice, but honestly, who cares if they do? Are they going to come up to me and tell me that they heard me singing? Probably not. I do my best singing when I am all by my lonesome, with only my two dogs and cat to keep me company. They are the only audience that really gets a taste of my voice.

Now, what is it that I sing when I am alone? Well, I belt out whatever meets my fancy. Mostly it’s some Paramore, but we musn’t forget Evanescence, Flyleaf, 1997, Automatic Loveletter, Hawthorne Heights, t.A.T.u., New Years Day, Garbage, and Autumns Monologue by From Autumn To Ashes. I love singing Paramore songs because Hayley’s voice is much like my own, and I love trying to match Amy Lee’s voice whenever I sing My Immortal, Hello, or Lithium. I find it challenging to sing Lacey Mosley’s parts, but I have fun trying.

One of these days, I want to put videos of me singing on YouTube. I like listening to other girls my age singing some of my favorite songs, but I cannot help but think that I could do a better job than they can. Hopefully someday soon, I will be able to prove myself, but I doubt my mother would approve of it. I will probably have to wait until college to begin videotaping myself singing.

Once they pull out of the driveway, I open my mouth and out comes something not very many people have heard. I sing rather conservatively in public, but when I am in the shower, or home by myself, I let it all out. I love getting home from camping because then I can finally lock myself in the bathroom and get all of the singing out I couldn’t do while we were all camping together. I hope to someday make a career out of this little hobby of mine. Only time will tell…

If Only…

I enter the big performance room, and see only a big mass of people crowded in front of the stage. People of all sorts surround me: tall, short, fat, skinny, young, old…now I must face the stupid reality that I am not Paramore’s only fan.

I take my Paramore merchandise-clad body and shove through the crowd until I have a decent view of the stage. I am deafened by the cheering of the people around me, but when I look up at the stage, I begin screaming my head off as well. There they are: Zac, Josh, Jeremy and Hayley – right in front of me. I make it so that my hand is reaching out to the stage, and Hayley gives me a high five. I am NEVER washing my hands again.

In the middle of their performance, Hayley sees me singing along to their songs and must have heard my voice. “C’mon up here and sing with me!” she says and reaches out for me with her hand. I grab her hand, and climb onto the stage. I grab the extra microphone that was thrown out to me by the stage crew, and begin singing along. The bright lights shine down on me as my voice sings as loud as I allow it.

I put my hand up to shield my eyes from the white lights, and when I bring my hand back down all I see is the sun. I look around and realize that it was just a daydream. If only…

Paramore Obsession

Just to clear the air, I have been a devoted fan to Paramore for almost two years. I have been with them through the early stages of their career, and have witnessed their rise to fame after appearing on MTV. The fact that they were on MTV really – in the words of Bleeker – “cheesed me off,” but I remained loyal. I ignored all of the people at school singing Misery Business because I knew that that was the only song by Paramore that any of them knew. So far, quite a few people have told me that they know only Misery Business and Crushcrushcrush when I ask them which Paramore song they like the most. They only have two to choose from! They are not fans!

Anyways, I have an insane obsession with Paramore, and most of all, the lady herself: Hayley Williams. She is my idol and such a great inspiration and artist. I love the whole I’m a girl, but I am in a kick-ass band. The past month (boring summer) I have spent gathering as many Paramore songs as I possibly can. I have both of their CDs (I’ve had them for quite some time), but now my goal is to acquire all of the rare unreleased songs of theirs. I love hearing songs that not very many people have heard (especially since they have OH SO MANY “fans” these days). I sing along, and am in the process of compiling a Paramore tribute on Garage Band. I now have forty-six songs by Paramore. Compare that to the twenty-four that are on their two CDs. Yes, I have been doing my research. Getting acoustic versions and hearing how lovely Hayley’s voice really is is such a treat.

My dream is for my brother to take me to a Paramore concert (he has already attended one – how unfair!!!). I would love to at least meet my idol in person: the one and only Hayley Williams.

PARAMORE ROCKS, FOO’!