Concert Watch 2012

Many people think of summer as the prime time for concert-goers, but fall is actually a big season for music too. Tons of artists offer shows throughout the US and – with the weather still mild – it’s definitely a fun weekend activity.  Just figure out what type of show you want to go to and check for a city near you!

INDIE & ALT ROCK FANS:

The Black Keys (mostly in the West, NYC end of September)

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (October – early December)

The Black Keys will be touring mostly out west but will make an appearance in NYC at the end of September. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals will be keeping busy from October to early December as they make their way throughout the country. Get your tickets!

POP FANS:

Kelly Clarkson and the Fray (September)

Popular music fans can get a double dose of fun this fall. Kelly Clarkson will be touring with the Fray throughout September. It should be a good show as both artists are major pop heavyweights.

RAP FANS:

Wiz Khalifa (October – November)

In the rap arena, the big name this fall is Wiz Khalifa. His new album, O.N.I.F.C., hits stores mid-September and he’ll start touring not long after. It will definitely be interesting, so stay tuned.

COUNTRY FANS:

Zac Brown Band (September – November)

Jason Aldean (September – October)

Carrie Underwood (September – December)

Country fans will not go without this fall. Jason Aldean and Zac Brown Band will start touring in September and country superstar, Carrie Underwood, will continue performing through December. Grab your cowboy hat – you’re in for a good show!

ROCK FANS:

The Who (November – February)

Red Hot Chili Peppers (September – December)

Foo Fighters (September)

Rock fans of all eras will be satisfied this term. Veteran rockers will be thrilled to see The Who traveling from November to February, while the Red Hot Chili Peppers make their way throughout the country during the earlier fall months. The Foo Fighters will be playing in September so don’t miss out!

EDM FANS:

Aviici (September – October)

Tiesto (October – December)

If you’re looking for your EDM fix, Aviici and Tiesto – two of the biggest names in the genre – are here to satisfy your craving. Both will be touring throughout the majority of the fall, so check for a city near you!

Which show will you be heading to? Did we miss any? Post a comment!

posted by Sandybn
09.05.12
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Mariah Carey’s New Single Takes it to the Ring!

Mariah is back and ready to take over the boxing ring with her new single Triumphant, featuring rappers Meek Mill and Rick Ross. When I first listened to the single, I was surprised how much of the song was taken up by the two rappers. However, towards the end of the song, Mariah came in full force – rifting her high notes and whistle tones.

Mariah also recorded two other remixes of this song that really show off her voice. The first one is the “Vintage Throwback Remix”, which is very similar to her older remixes, and the second remix is “Pulse Club Remix”, which – as the name suggests – is great for the clubs. I think Mariah will have great year because she is a new judge on American Idol and her voice is still a force to reckon with. Check below for video and the remixes:

Pulse Remix

Vintage Throwback Remix

What do you like better the original single or the remixes?

posted by Sandybn
08.22.12
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New Albums Set to be Released

The summer season is always filled with tons of new music. However, this fall is shaping up to be a whirlwind of new melodies and fresh lyrics. What’s even better is that the next few months are not just brimming with new songs, but with album releases. Whether you like the folksy crooning of Mumford & Sons or the whiplash-inducing lyrics of Kanye West, your musical appetite will definitely be satisfied. We’ve got a list of some of our top picks for the Fall. Check them out…and share your own!

KANYE WEST – CRUEL SUMMER – SEPTEMBER 4TH

Kanye West’s new album, Cruel Summer, is set to release on September 4th. The artist will pair up with Skrillex in one of his new songs, though the album has not released the tracks as of yet.  Love him or hate him, West is one of the more consistent artists these days, producing very popular songs in each of his albums.

You might also want to check out: Busta Rhymes Year or the Dragon (August 21st), Wiz Khalifa O.N.I.F.C. (September 18th)

MUMFORD & SONS – BABEL – SEPTEMBER 25TH

Mumford & Sons “Babel” coming out into stores September 25th has been in the works for a while.  The band started writing songs for this album over the last two years.  Dwane says, “the album is full of aliveness.”  The group has been on tour, constantly traveling all around the world.  The band’s main theme of the new album will focus on being away from loved ones as it was felt by the band members.

You might also want to check out: Dave Matthews Band Away from the World (September 11th), Imagine Dragons Night Visions (September 4th), Matt and Kim Lightning (October 2nd)

TAYLOR SWIFT – RED – OCTOBER 22ND

Taylor Swift’s album, “Red” is rumored to come out on October 22nd. She said the name came from all the different emotions she has experienced from her crazy relationships. Recently released was the single “Never Ever Getting Back Together.”

You might also check out: Christina Aguilera’s new single Your Body (September 10th) and Nelly Furtado’s The Spirit Indestructible (September 18th)

DEADMAU5 – >ALBUM TITLE GOES HERE< – SEPTEMBER 14TH

Deadmau5’s album will be set to release on September 14th. The album titled, >Album Title Goes Here<, is available to be viewed on iTunes.  However, only one of his songs called, “Professional Griefers” (feat. Gerard Way) is available to buy.

You might also check out: Major Lazer Free the Universe (November 6th), Calvin Harris Calvin Harris (October 29th)

AKON – STADIUM – SEPTEMBER 11TH

Akon is excited to release his new album Stadium September 11th. It will be his 4th album released in his career.  He described the album as “a piece of everything.”

You might also check out: Trey Songz Chapter V (August 27th), and DJ Khaled (August 21st)

Which album will you be picking up?

Written by Guest Blogger, Matt Goldberg

posted by Sandybn
08.15.12
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Hot Summer Event: Summer Beats Concert Series

Billboard and Pepsi are coming together for their first ever “Summer Beats Concert Series” featuring Billboard’s chart-topping artists. There won’t be many tickets available, only about 1000 tickets for each event. If you’re like me and DYING to see this concert, then don’t fret because you’ll be able to watch right on Twitter (for free!).

This will be Pepsi’s first enhanced live stream and it will all be in real-time so you won’t miss a beat! I really like the social aspect of this – I can’t wait to be able to interact with everybody while the concert is going on.

If you really want to see the show in person, Pepsi has also recently teamed up with Viacom to hand out free tickets. Don’t miss your shot to win – after all, how cool would that be? If you want to win, all you have to do is tweet images of their “Live for Now” moments using a designated hash tag. If you win, you’ll become the official Pepsi NOW Correspondent on the site.

The first concert is on Tuesday, June 26th in Los Angeles, the second will be held in Nashville at the end of July, and the last concert will be held in New York City in late August.

What artist would you like to see performing at Pepsi and Billboards summer concert?

Also, what do you think of the concert going live on Twitter? We’re eager to hear your thoughts, so post a comment below!

Written by Guest Blogger, Myles Marcus

posted by Sandybn
06.21.12
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House Music Takeover

Kaskade at Syrucuse University.

Why does it seem like every time we go home and turn up our music, parents ask “what is this stuff”?  The new type of “stuff” that is blaring through college campuses is House Music and it seems like everyone is joining the craze. I remember it like it was yesterday– I was at a Armin Van Buuren concert and was left in awe. The music brought everyone together.  It didn’t matter who you were, what you were wearing, who you were with– the music made us all one.  An insane, high-tech light show, awesome beats and simple chorus…that IS house music.

My good friend and fraternity brother, Louis Ghanem, is a house music fanatic that is completely dedicated to the culture. Since he was 15 years-old, he has gone to every Ultra Music Festival, traveling from coast to coast to attend them.  “What makes Ultra, Ultra, is the fact that all the best DJ’s are in one place so you can experience their unique styles and go crazy and have fun all packed into 3 days…The excitement and the energy is like nothing else I have seen or felt, the light shows are just icing on the cake,” Louis said.

Armin van Buuren

More On House Music (Thank you Forbes!)

“House music originated in the clubs of Chicago in the early 1980’s, but hasn’t picked up steam in the US until now, according to Forbes.  Its popularity really grew in the UK and other parts of Europe back in 1999, according to boss DJ Armin Van Buuren. It’s now gaining traction in the US starting with David Guetta, a respected house DJ, who “wanted to close the bridge between Europe and America in the music industry”. It wasn’t until about 3 years ago that this genre and David Guetta, Kaskade and a couple more DJ’s started to grow in the US, and Forbes Magazine pointed out its success for two reasons.   The first– improved technology.  DJ’s can now create multiple songs a day by saving beats instead of re-making them every time; they just pull them from list of tracks.  Also, with the help of recent social media, DJ’s are able to use Twitter and Facebook to sample new songs and announce new releases and show dates.  The second key was leveraging current popular musicians in promoting the genre.   Famous Artists and up & coming musicians would sing back up vocals in House songs and give their own unique flair.  This was a big part in making house music so popular in a short time.”  - from the Forbes article, House Music has Become a Global Phenomenon

Kaskade at Syracuse University.

You can see how popular House music has become with concert attendance doubling in size and adding show dates to fulfill demand for tickets. Some of the larger, more popular concerts include; Ultra in Miami, Electric Zoo in NYC, Electric Daisy in NYC and Vegas, Cosmic Opera ,Camp Disco in upstate NY, World Eclectic Music Festival (WEMF) in Canada, digital dreams in Toronto, Club Life College Invasion tour– not to mention all of the smaller, local concerts that are always going on. The Ultra concert is a crazy three-day outdoor festival that recently brought masses of college students to the beaches of Miami. Tiesto had a show in California at the HomeDepot center that, to him, was a normal concert – 26,000 of his close friends in attendance, but to everyone else was the largest one-man show in United States  history.

Colleges now bring DJ’s to their campuses to perform concerts.  Syracuse University had Kaskade perform for their annual Block Party Concert. I have noticed that websites such as BarStoolSports.com used a house music tour to visit different campuses across the US. They called it The Black Out Tour (referring to the types of lights, of course) and it was a mind-blowing experience for everyone’s ears and eyes.  I would go to again in a heartbeat.

House music continues to grow on every college campus.  The possibilities are endless for this new genre of music, and I recommend you join the craze if you haven’t already.  At least give it a try—it might surprise you!

Written by Guest Blogger, Stephen Brooks

posted by Sandybn
05.24.12
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New Music? No Problem!

Tired of hearing the same songs over and over? We’re here to help you on your hunt for new and fun music! Check out some sure-to-please sites for getting your music fix (legally!).

Fresh New Tracks: Talk about variety! With a seemingly limitless supply of free music, interesting blog posts, and awesome interviews with rising artists, Fresh New Tracks seems to have it all. You definitely won’t mind killing some time browsing through.

Good Music All Day: It’s music for students, from students. The site provides the best (legally!!) free music on the web. The music team is made up of student bloggers from all across the US so when you visit the website, you’re bound to hear a little bit of everything. If you are looking to spend some time discovering new music, this website is definitely worth checking out!

The Kollection: Started in June of 2010, The Kollection has quickly grown to become one of the largest hubs for discovering and sharing new music. From hip hop to dubstep to indie rock, The Kollection has no musical boundaries. The site also has its own separate blog space, so be sure to check that out as well!

Where do you go in search of new music? Post a comment below and we’ll check it out!

Written by Guest Blogger, Katy L. – Texas Tech’s Music Master

posted by Sandybn
04.05.12
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