The Jonas Brothers are Back!

So, I'm not going to lie- I was obsessed with the Jonas Brothers when I was younger. Starting from fourth grade to the sixth, my room was covered in all things Nick, Joe and Kevin. I listened to their songs religiously, and they were, of course, the first concert I ever attended.



When I found out that they are currently working on a new album, I had a mini heart attack, as any former Jo Bro fanatic would do, naturally.

I for one, am very excited, since this amazing band of brothers haven't completed an album together since Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009).

On August 17th, Ryan Seacrest announced on his radio show that the fabulous three will have a reunion concert at Radio City Musical Hall in New York on October 11th.

Kevin (the oldest Jonas brother, far right) now has his own reality show with his wife Danielle on E! called "Married to Jonas", which will focus on the couple's relationship and *squeal* will document the brothers as they record their new album. 

I just can't wait for the Jonas Brothers to fall back into the swing of things, because, hey, One Direction just can't hog up all of the boy band glory, right?  



 

90's Alternative Music

Is it just me, or is 90s Alternative the best? Lately, I've been really digging The Red Hot Chili Peppers, which have recently come out with a new album, I'm With You. I tried listening to their latest hit, The Adventures of Raindance Maggie, and honestly, I didn't like it as much as their older stuff.

Personally, my favorites are Under the Bridge, Scar Tissue, By the Way, Californication and Around the World. Another band I've started to listen to is Jane's Addiction, which has also come out with a new album, The Great Escape Artist. I really love I'll Hit You Back and Broken People, two tracks on their new album.

And then, there's the always classic, never-gonna-go-away Nirvana. Their underground, grunge sound dosen't always appeal to me, but I love Smells Like Teen Spirit and Heart Shaped Box. Sadly, they don't have a new album, since the lead singer Kurt Cobain has been dead for seventeen years now.

It might be just me, but I rather like all of these 90s bands making new material. It keeps things fresh, ya know?    

Fall Concert Preview: Langerado Music Festival

NICOLE MARTINS

Cypress Bay High School

Twenty-three acres of Markham Park in Sunrise will be crowded with music fans from around the world on October 8 and 9 for the return of Langerado Music Festival.

Headliners include Grammy-nominated Death Cab for Cutie and one of Rolling Stone's "Greatest Guitarists of All Time", Trey Anastasio.

The annual music festival has previously been held at the Seminole Big Cypress Indian Reservation in the Everglades and now comes to Sunrise after a two year break due to poor ticket sales in 2009.

With the strong lineup currently being advertised on Langerado's official website, there seems to be no chance that the festival will not come close to selling out.

Other performers include: Ben Harper, Ween, Thievery Corporation, Artic Monkeys, G. Love & Special Sauce, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Wolfgang Gartner, The Glitch Mob, Ghostland Observatory, among others.

To the delight of local concert goers, Langerado is bringing a selection of bands (many falling into the alternative genre) that so frequently skip over South Florida during their tours.

Advance 2-day pass tickets are currently being sold at $150, later to be increased to $180 regular passes.

More festival information and tickets can be found at www.langerado.com.

(Image from Langerdo)

Warped Tour 2011

The day started off as any great day should: with sweat, friends and good music.

I drove myself and three friends to Cruzan Amphitheatre on the morning of July 30, 2011 for the infamous annual Vans Warped Tour.

We got there and waited for at least 20 minutes in the mob that was the line. We ended up meeting a guy who had just moved to Florida and was there by himself (interestingly enough, he stuck with us for a good part of the day).

After making it through the gates, we had a lot of time to explore since the bands we wanted to see weren't starting until later.

We walked around the grounds and sweat profusely all day.

My friends and I went to a Gym Class Heroes signing part way through the day, and the beautiful and talented Travis Mccoy was literally inches away from me (my fangirl mode kicked in big time).

After watching great sets by the up-and-coming rapper Yelawolf and the ska/rock band Big D and the Kids Table, my friends and I went to Yelawolf's tent and got him to sign my ticket (his mom was there too, and she was super nice).

(Me with Yelawolf)

(Yelawolf on stage)

The crowd at Gym Class Heroes was incredible, and by the end of their set, I was right against the fence in the very front of the crowd.

Luckily enough, Pepper was playing at that stage in only a couple of minutes, so I stayed put and enjoyed a front row show for them.

(Bret Bollinger of Pepper during their set)

(Travis Mccoy of Gym Class Heroes during their set)

Following Pepper, we watched A Day to Remember which was complete chaos. Then I ended my day with my childhood punk rockers, Simple Plan.

The performers I was there for: Gym Class Heroes, Pepper, A Day to Remember, Simple Plan, Big D and the Kids Table, Yelawolf and Mine All Mine.

For the most part, no bands overlapped, so I was one of the lucky ones. Although my tastes spanned the board, each of the performers did amazing sets.

After about 8 hours in the blazing sun, we called it a day and drove the hour-long journey back home. The McDonald's that we ate afterwards was the best food we could have ever eaten.

This was honestly one of the best and most exciting concert experiences that I've ever been to, and I'm glad that I got to share it with such awesome people.

Rock on!

History Bowls and Freddie Mercury

(http://www.allthetests.com/quiz23/picture/pic_1197252008_8.jpg)

So I'm a bit on the nerdy side and decided to go to a History Bowl a few weekends ago with some friends for no real apparent reason other than that we had nothing to lose.

All we really wanted to do was get at least one question right and not embarrass ourselves or our school.

We didn't study or really take it seriously, but once we beat the first team that we played against, we figured that we at least had a shot at doing some serious damage in the competition.

Although we got creamed by the second team we played (you could tell that they studied for history all the time, they knew every answer), we won 3 and lost 2 rounds.

Somehow we managed to semi-final and got to play one last round against the school that we got creamed by. However, we played their B team which was different from their A team that we originally played.

They were a really good team, so we were a bit apprehensive to say the least.

We actually held our own against them, with one of their teammates saying at one point, "They just did a 50 point sweep..."

We were all on edge, hoping that by some chance we could maybe beat them.

The reader started reading this question about a man who was born in Zanzibar before moving to India and learning piano before moving to England and starting a band... somethingsometing Sheer Heart Attack... somethingsomething died in 1991 of AIDS...

I hit the buzzer so hard and yelled, "Freddie Mercury from Queen!!!!!!"

Out of all the pop culture questions to ask, they asked one that I had just read about a month before.

I was ecstatic that my knowledge of Queen-- one of the greatest bands to ever exist-- could come in handy in an academic competition.

Recommended song(s): Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust, Don't Stop Me Now

Mixin' It Up

For months now I've been anticipating the arrival of my car. My grandmother gave me her 2000 Honda Civic as a gift. Of course, there were no iPods in 2000, thus there would be no fancy plug to hook up mine. Needless to say I got a bit excited about creating mix CDs for the car. Maybe too excited.

The thought of creating whatever mix I wanted gave me musical freedom from the often questionable selections on the radio.

I love making mix CDs for all occasions-- birthdays, holidays, new cars. I am also the queen of themes. If something can have a theme, it will. I've made CDs for when I'm having a good or bad day, guilty pleasures (like Britney Spears or the Jonas Brothers), and for when I'm in the mood to party.

With the holidays quickly approaching, mix CDs make great, personalized gifts for friends. They're inexpensive, and they allow you to not only introduce your friends to new music, but also remind them of songs that you have shared together.

A simple mix is all you really need to get your feelings across to someone. Maybe for your best friend you play them a little "I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts. For your boyfriend or girlfriend you might want to hit 'em with some "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder.

I finally received my car the other day, and while I worry about safety on the road, I'm also concerned with my musical choices coming from my stereo. I just pop in a mix CD and I'm ready for anything.

Gone Too Soon?

Lately, I've been listening to a lot of music from musicians who have died at an early age. I may sound a bit morbid by saying that, but I find it heartbreaking and fascinating to listen to the immense amounts of potential in such young artists.

One of my favorite bands is The Doors. The lead singer, Jim Morrison, died at the age of 27 from an alleged overdose. He was part of the "27 Club," or celebrities who passed away at the young age of 27. He was a singer, a lyricist, a poet, a young star who died too soon.

Another young talent lost was Bradley Nowell, the lead singer of Sublime. The band's sound with Nowell as the original lead singer was like no other. Their songs were full of depth wrapped in humor, and they were one of the best ska punk bands of the 90's.

All these early deaths make me wonder about how these bands would have sounded if they had been able to continue to grow as musical talents. Would their fame even be acknowledged as great, or would they be cast aside as just another band from that generation? Would their music be as influential as it is today if they hadn't kicked the bucket?

It makes you stop and think about music today and who is becoming famous for what. Is talent measured in longevity or instant popularity? I believe that regardless of age, good music is good music. All that a band really needs to become successful is passion for their craft and determination. And I don't necessarily mean monetary success. If today's musicians could pour their heart and soul into their art, the music scene would flourish with originality again.

Who knows, the next Jimi Hendrix (another "27 Club" member) could be in our generation.

Hello Cello!

I think it is fair to say that the cello is one of the most unique instruments around. Capable of producing a deep thunderous sound and a high-pitched harmonic sound, the cello is one of the most beautiful sounding instruments to date. With this wide musical range, the cello can produce a hard rocker sound or a soothing classical masterpiece. Often times people don't recognize the sound of a cello, but in reality this large instrument is synthesized in many songs.

I've played the cello now for nearly two years and I can honestly say it is unlike any other instrument. I used to play the piano and I was constantly told to "feel" the music--a concept I had never really understood. When I began playing the cello, I was finally able to grasp this concept. The cello becomes like an extension of my body, in which every note I can feel. The beauty in the instrument is thus truly revealed.

Photo taken by Katelyn Chesonis.