Mother Colors

Mother Colors - House Wonder

House Wonder is a band comprised of three high school seniors from Boston, MA who share a love for music. Recently founded, they have a passion for experimental indie rock. By layering vocal tracks with eerie instrumentals, they are able to achieve a calm original sound. My favorite track off their Monster EP is Mother Colors. Check out the rest of their EP on their bandcamp by clicking HERE. And if you like what you hear, donate some money to the cause, and if you want some time to think about, you can even download it for free! A band that is willing to give away their music for free are definitely the kind of group you should get yourself interested in.

If you’re into being the hippest kid in your group of friends, definitely download the Monster EP and bring this to your next chill sesh with your friends.

-Hana Selly.

Lessons In Love (All Day, All Night)
Neon Trees Feat Kaskade

                I was never a big fan of Neon Trees after having to hear their song “Animal” constantly being played on the radio. I admit, not looking past their first single was really immature of me because their new record “Picture Show” really impressed me.

                Most similar to their hit single “Animal” is their new song “Everybody Talks”. It has catchy drumbeats, well-planned background vocals and a distinct style of note holding that Neon Trees is known for. It’s currently #56 on the iTunes charts, proving that many people like me love this song.

When I saw that their song “Lessons in Love (All Day, All Night)” featured famous DJ Kaskade, I was expecting it to overpower the pop-rock sound that Neon Trees had maintained throughout the album. But instead, I was pleasantly surprised (once again) at how the techno style bass was mellow and very similar in style to Neon Trees’ other songs.

Neon Trees seems to be a band with happy beats and groovy songs. I hope more people see past their one big hit and help them get other recognition for their talent.

-Hana Selly 

The All American Rejects - Kids In The Street

All American Rejects’ newest cd “Kids in the Street” came out this past Tuesday. It’s their fourth full-length album and experiments with a nearly new sound.

I started liking this band when I heard their first single, “Swing, Swing” on the pilot episode of The O.C. Even as their music progressed from their original album, they’ve always maintained a quality of angst in their music that was relatable. I’ve enjoyed the majority of songs on their past three albums so this record was a little disappointing for me. The songs were catchy but most of them weren’t exactly memorable. After listening through the album for the first time, there were only a few memorable songs, including their single “Beekeeper’s Daughter”. Another song I liked was “Kids in the Street”. It sounded like Sims music to me at first, which made me laugh, but as the song went on it improved to become an anthem.

I do admit that the strings in “Affection” were a nice change from their normal rock sound. Also, the buildup towards the end reminded me of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. But overall this album did not seem to grow much lyrically from their original album. I’ve grown up over the past 8 years listening to this band but it disappoints me to hear less and less growth between their albums.

-Hana Selly 

Paddling Out
Miike Snow

Miike Snow- “Paddling Out”

Album Review: Miike Snow: Happy To You

The process of titling Miike Snow’s second album, “Happy To You”, probably wasn’t all that difficult. “Happy To You” is an album that will produce smiles and dance moves all at once.  The album is heavy with beats that are twinkles and that seem like they were produced by dancing DJ fairies (I’m aware how ridiculous this may sound, but it’s an accurate description). The tracks have a soft yet alluring quality to them—something that will make you dance but also have you basking in calming sounds and piano ballads. While this ultimately works for the album, there is a certain harshness missing. “Archipelago” is especially slow and just plain boring. The Swedish pop band missed something in this album because this album is a fleeting satisfaction. After about three listens, I was tired of the album and annoyed (really annoyed). The sounds are repetitive and nothing that gets the heart beating. The tracks that did stick out, however, were “Vase”, “The Wave” and “Black Tin Box”. “Black Tin Box” features vocals of Lykke Li and has a futuristic, sci-fi feel to it. It’s the most satisfying track for me on this album. “Paddling Out” is the most addictive track and most likely will be the most liked of all the tracks on the album.

In the end, “Happy To You” is effective in creating a feel good mood. It’s sweet and cute but similar to candy, is better in low dosage. It’s not something to rave about.

Recommended for fans of: Mute Math, Gotye and Phoenix

- sara azoulay

Sitting At Home - Hunter Parrish

Most of you who know of Hunter Parrish know him as the hottie drug dealer Silas Botwin on Showtime’s hit show “Weeds.” Hunter is the full package, a great actor, a beautiful face, and vocal chords to match. Hunter is currently starring as Jesus in the Broadway revival of Godspell and his angelic voice really fits the part. So not only can you head to Netflix to get your daily dose of Hunter, but now you can head to NYC and see him do his thing live and in person. As if that wasn’t enough excitement, Hunter has released an EP of six wonderfully written songs.

Guessing Game is Hunter’s first ever EP and for fans of Hunter’s singing, or just Hunter in general, this was well worth the wait. The one thing that really stood out to me while listening to this EP is Hunter is telling us his story. You can tell the songs aren’t forced or false, but are real life experiences he’s had. My favorite kind of musicians are ones that can tell their story to their fans through song, it gives you this connection to the artist that is unbreakable. “Oh Mother” starts off the EP, which is a song Hunter wrote about his mom. The song brings us through Hunter’s feelings of love towards his mom, but how he’s moving on in life and how he’s “leaving her for another girl.” It’s a cute little story depicting his relationship with his mom, and is one of the most relatable songs on the EP. My favorite song on the EP though is “Sitting At Home”, it really shows off Hunter’s vocal ability and I had the words memorized by my second run through the album. While this song is harder to decipher, it’s obviously a love song, and a fun one at that. Most artists write sappy or angry songs about love, but Hunter makes all of his songs somewhat fun and upbeat no matter what the subject matter is.

Everybody should definitely check out this EP. While it’s not available on iTunes or stores yet, if you know somebody in NYC or you live in the area, you can head out to a Godspell showing and pick up a copy at their merchandise table (or have a friend get it for you). Hunter is definitely going places with his music, and you guys should all be able to say you remember when this EP came out.

If you like what you hear, definitely at least re-blog the song and spread the word!!

One Thing
One Direction

One Thing - One Direction

The British are invading America, again, this time in the form of a boy band. Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson together are, One Direction. They began on UK’s X-Factor, initially auditioning to be solo artists and ended up to be a group with the mentor of no other then, Simon Cowell. Signing a record deal with Syco Records after the X Factor (Columbia Records in the US), and a new era of  boy bands was born. With good looks and incredible talent, it was no surprise that teenage girls were swooning in the UK, with their album Up All Night, debuted #2 on the UK charts.

After being the number one fastest selling single 2011, One Directions’ single ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, ended up being the Best British Single at the Brit Awards this year. So, why wouldn’t you take this boy band across the pond so girls (and boys) of all ages could reminisce back to the 90’s? Big Time Rush snatched them up as an opener for their Better with You Tour, promoting their sophomore album, Elevate. When word got out that two of the most popular boy bands of this decade were touring together, tickets were immediately sold out. 

Up All Night, was released on March 13th in the United States. Already debuting at the top of the charts on I-tunes, it’s no surprise that One Direction has stolen the hearts of all ages. The album has all the songs that a boy band would be expected to have, but with a twist. Heavy drum beats, that lead to a catchy chorus that make you want to dance around. Bringing you back to the good ol’ days. The album starts off with What Makes You Beautiful, a great song to catch the ears of many, promoting that beauty is seen within. The album is full of great harmonies from the boys and lyrics that get stuck in your head  Giving the album a serious note with a slower song is the love ballad, More Than This. The band who’s songs you always have stuck in your head, One Direction, definitely have made an impact within this short time span.

Overall, Up All Night has everything that you would expect to be in a boy band’s album. Other than their stylish looks and their adorable accents that make you swoon, they mesh really well together, and are doing something different. Blowing up on social network sites overnight, and being themselves has captivated hearts all over the world. Up All Night, is anticipated to be number one on the charts of Billboard, quite soon. So what’s next for this British group? Becoming a musical guest on SNL on April 7th, and hitting the states on a tour are in the works. Lets face it, boy bands will never go away and I’m all right with that.

x Lisa Lok

Amazing Eyes
Good Old War

Amazing Eyes - Good Old War

Good Old War’s third full-length album, “Come Back As Rain” was released this past Tuesday. I’ve always loved Good Old War for being able to create calm acoustic music, while keeping it uplifting, so I was excited for this record to come out.

                The layering of powerful vocal harmonies against the guitar strumming creates a unique and continuous atmosphere throughout this album. They managed to push themselves to a higher standard of instrument and vocal capability, while maintaining the same style of music they had in their two previous records. It was very difficult for me to pick just one song to call my favorite off of this album because all of the songs have each of their own enjoyable qualities. But the more I listen to “Amazing Eyes”, the more I feel like it’s my number one choice on this album. Even though I love the songs “Calling Me Names” and “Not Quite Happiness” almost as much, there’s a distinct quality of emotion in the lyrics and singing.

Overall, this album reminded me of their first release, which I always viewed as superior to their self-titled album. If you enjoy smiling as well as listening to music, then you should probably purchase this album so you can simultaneously do both!

-Hana Selly 

Sifters
Andrew Bird

Sifters - Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird released his sixth solo album, Break It Yourself, today. He maintained his charming tones, but this album seemed to exhibit more of his classically trained background.

At first glance, it just sounds like nice background music to possibly fall asleep to. Listening to the album the first time through, it’s extremely difficult to refrain from swaying with your eyes closed. Every single song is impeccably produced. The opener “Desperation Breeds…” has a melody that you’ll find yourself humming to yourself during the day. Andrew Bird fuses folk and world music beautifully “Hole In The Ocean Floor.” The album has its fair share of filler tracks that are anything but filler tracks. The compositions are a great display of skill.

If you like Beirut, you’ll surely adore Andrew Bird. This was a nice departure from his usual sound while still retaining the essence of his past albums. I suggest “Sifters” to people who might be on the fence.

Buy the album on iTunes today!

-Bianca Shamim