2014 Favorites

Favorite 2014 Albums:

3. The Pretty Reckless – Going To Hell

The Pretty Reckless have restored my faith in heavy music this year. Their sophomore album is sexy, edgy and fun. This was an easy pick as one of my favorite albums this year.

2. I Fight Dragons – The Near Future

I put a lot of faith in this album considering I was one of the many backers behind it. I Fight Dragons has never disappointed and The Near Future is no exception to this. Everything about this album is catchy and uplifting and it lived up to every expectation I’ve had in the last year and a half.

1. PVRIS – White Noise

PVRIS was a band I gave an honest shot this year and it really paid off (I’m mean they did land a spot on two of these lists). They perfectly blend rock ‘n’ roll and electronic laced pop on their debut album. This is everything I wanted in music in 2014. Nailed it!

Favorite New Bands:

Same disclaimer as last year: While all of these bands are newer bands, I know they didn’t just form this year, and not all of their debut full length albums came out this year (Echosmith’s came out last year). These are bands I just started listening to a lot this year.

3. This Wild Life

@christie_road91: “Meeting more people #ThisWildLife #WarpedTour2014”

One of my many discoveries from my AP’s 100 Bands You Need to Know and one of my favorite new bands from this year. Their music is chill and made up of great melodies. I may have had to buy their album twice this year, but it’s not like I minded.

2. Echosmith

@christie_road91: “#Echosmith #WarpedTour2014”

Echosmith has made it clear that this is probably not the only favorites list they will be featured on this year. Finally a band that gets regular airplay that truly deserves it! They are young and talented and I can’t wait to see what they do next!

1. PVRIS

@christie_road91: “#PVRIS was so incredible! Jamming to #WhiteNoise now.”

Um…let’s just note that they’ve gotten two nods on my favorites list. You can refer to my previous nod, but seriously good job in 2014, PVRIS!

 

Favorite Concerts Attended:

3. Tonight Alive – 11/10/14

@christie_road91: “She’s lovely. #TonightAlive #ReadyRoom #STL”

Best birthday present to myself since last year (aka: I went and saw The Swellers for my birthday last year). I didn’t even have to stay for the real headliner to have a good time. It only took PVRIS and Tonight Alive to blow my mind.

2. All Time Low – 4/6/14

Seriously, this was the most fun I’d had at a concert in quite some time. All Time Low are not only a joy to listen to, but a joy to see live. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

1. Monumentour – 7/6/14

I really feel like I don’t need to elaborate here. I met Fall Out Boy, like all of them. I was front row. It was shear perfection in a single night. Well…if we can just forget about blowing a fuse in my car afterwards that is, but yeah let’s just forget about that, okay. It was perfect.

 

Favorite Shows I Watched:

3. “Malcolm in the Middle”

I used to watch this show every morning before school, so as soon as it was on Netflix I needed to see the whole thing. Thank you to “Breaking Bad” and Netflix, because this show is sitcom gold.

2. “Breaking Bad”

My friends begged me to watch this show for a long time. Eventually my fiancé and I caved and gave it a watch. It really is as addicting and well done as everyone says it is. Totally worth being a part of the crowd for.

1. “Orange is the New Black”

This one was kind of like “Breaking Bad.” I kept hearing people talk about and finally I had to know why. I love, love, love it. I love how funny, serious and sweet it can be. I love knowing everyone’s story. I just love it!

 

Favorite Books I’ve Read:

3. “The Raven Boys” by Maggie Stiefvater

The reason this is only the #3 spot is because I’m actually still reading this book, but I’m already in love with it. It plays with my love of the supernatural and it’s written by Maggie Stiefvater, which just means it’s beautifully written.

2. “Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins

I know a lot of people who really didn’t like this book. I honestly don’t understand why. I thought this book was sad, but true to the ugliness of revolution. It constantly had you wondering who to trust. Plus, the Katniss, Peeta and Gale love triangle wasn’t like the typical teen novel; she really could have picked either one and I didn’t know who she would end up with till the end.

1. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky

This book was just so touching and easy to relate to. It’s a true outsiders story full of high school nostalgia. I found it charming from beginning to end.

 

Favorite 2014 Movies:

3. “Maleficent”

I loved this movie. While I do like it when my villains are just good old-fashioned, evil villains, this story showed a completely different side of this traditional fairy tale. It took everything you knew from the original and twisted it and told a beautiful tale of motherly love.

2. “The Lego Movie”

This movie was super cute and well orchestrated. I won’t spoil anything, but the imaginative twist ending was the best part. This level of imagination makes it the kind of movie I would want to show my future kids.

1. “If I Stay”

I loved If I Stay despite its imperfections. This movie adaptation of my favorite book may not have been as great as its source material, but it was still musical, beautiful and touching.

 

Favorite Youtubers:

3. LoeyLane

Plus sized, gorgeous and does awesome make-up tutorials? I’m sold. Here’s her WordPress blog.

2. Jarrod Alonge

He makes funny videos about alternative rock. A true one-of-a-kind on my subscriptions list.

1. Emma Blackery

She funny, she’s british, she’s a great singer and I honestly can’t get enough of her videos this year.

So there you have it! Those are my favorite things from 2014! What were some of your favorite things from this year? Let me know in the comments. Do forget to keep checking back and to follow me on my social media.

A Year in Concert Photos 2014

+ Update:

Hey guys! I know it’s been awhile since I last posted, but I promise it was for good reasons. The big reason? That’ll be something I will disclose at a later time. But on top of that I’ve had to nail down some final things with my wedding, hell, I still need to nail down some final things with my wedding. I mostly just wanted to say that this absence was not because I wanted to stop posting, but I had to prioritize a few things and needed to take some time off. Regardless, I’m back and wanted to share with you the awesome year I’ve had in the form of concert photos!

Check out last year’s photos!

Dead Leaf Echo – March 9, 2014

STL band Versuch opening for Dead Leaf Echo at the Firebird.

STL band Versuch opening for Dead Leaf Echo at the Firebird.

Dead Leaf Echo had actually invited me to take pictures and write about their show for my school paper.

They didn’t use normal lighting for the show, so while it was hard to take good pictures the few I got were pretty cool.

Rainbow lights!

Dead Leaf Echo and Versuch Take Stage at Firebird

All Time Low – April 6, 2014

My instagram pic of Handguns. They were really cool guys and their Nerf Guns with the tiger’s blood are pretty sweet! (@christie_road91: “#Handguns last night.”)

@christie_road91: “#Manoverboard last night.”

Let’s just say I was pretty excited at this point. It was my 3rd time seeing All Time Low, 1st time not at Warped Tour. (@christie_road91: “So this was my night 😀 #AllTimeLow”)

Can’t really explain it, but I love this photo. I really like to take pictures of other people taking pictures.

Remembering Sunday: All Time Low 2014

Pointfest – May 10, 2014

Can we just say “never again.” (@christie_road91: “#Pointfest2014 #VWASTL”)

My Belated Thoughts on Pointfest 2014

Warped Tour – July 2, 2014

@christie_road91: “This is how I started my morning at #WarpedTour2014! #TheMaine”

This was my first time seeing Saves The Day since Chris Conley had pink hair. (@christie_road91: “#SavesTheDay #WarpedTour2014”)

@christie_road91: “#Echosmith #WarpedTour2014”

Third time’s the charm! (@christie_road91: “And again #TheMaine #WarpedTour2014”)

This holds a high level of bragging rights in certain circles. (@christie_road91: “I got to meet these guys too #SavesTheDay #WarpedTour2014”)

You can’t have summer without Less Than Jake. (@christie_road91: “#LessThanJake are always such a blast! #WarpedTour2014”)

Seriously I think Warped Tour exposed me to all of my new favorite bands. PVRIS has blown my mind this year! (@christie_road91: “#PVRIS #WarpedTour2014”)

Love them. Love this pic. ❤ (@christie_road91: "#TheMaine #WarpedTour2014")

Seriously, though, favorite new bands of 2014 (@christie_road91: “#ThisWildLife #WarpedTour2014”)

@christie_road91: “#Bayside #WarpedTour2014”

@christie_road91: “Meeting more people #ThisWildLife #WarpedTour2014”

@christie_road91: “#NeckDeep #WarpedTour2014”

This photo shows exactly how cool the band and fan connection is (@christie_road91: “#WeAreTheInCrowd #WATIC #WarpedTour2014”

Concert Survival Guide #3: Warped Tour Edition

Monumentour – July 6, 2014

@christie_road91: #NewPolitics #Monumentour #VWASTL”

Hayley Williams is a goddess! (@christie_road91: “#Paramore #Monumentour #VWASTL”)

Again, a goddess (@christie_road91: “#Paramore #monumentour #VWASTL”)

Just Patrick’s face (@christie_road91: “#FallOutBoy #Monumentour #VWASTL”)

@christie_road91: “#FallOutBoy #monumentour #VWASTL”

“Saturday.” Enough said (@christie_road91: “#FallOutBoy #Monumentour #VWASTL”)

Summer Memories with Monumentour

The Pretty Reckless – October 23, 2014

@christie_road91: “#CrashMidnight”

@christie_road91: “A sweet moment in rock ‘n’ roll #AdelitasWay #ThePrettyReckless #ThePageantSTL”

@christie_road91: “#ThePrettyReckless hit the stage #ThePageantSTL” instagram @christie_road91

@christie_road91: “#TaylorMomsen of #ThePrettyReckless #ThePageantSTL”

I can’t lie, my inner “Gossip Girl” fangirl came out in that moment (@christie_road91: “Me and #TaylorMomsen of #ThePrettyReckless at #ThePageantSTL”)

Concert Survival Guide #4: Fall, Taking Chances and The Pretty Reckless

Tonight Alive – November 10, 2014

(I titled this Tonight Alive because I skipped Mayday Parade…I know I’m horrible.)

@christie_road91: “#PVRIS was so incredible! Jamming to #WhiteNoise now.”

I have to give these guys props for hopping up on stage being sick as dogs. Their misery was clear, but they held it together (@christie_road91: “#MajorLeague are a bunch of troopers. #GetWellSoon”)

A cool moment during Major League’s set (@christie_road91: “Those phones made a lot of light. #MajorLeague #ReadyRoom”)

Finally got to see Tonight Alive, and near my birthday nonetheless (@christie_road91: “The whole reason. #TonightAlive.”)

@christie_road91: “#TonightAlive #ReadyRoom #STL”

@christie_road91: “More. #TonightAlive #ReadyRoom #STL”

@christie_road91: “She’s lovely. #TonightAlive #ReadyRoom #STL”

So that was my show-tastic year in 2014! If you’d like to check out more photos give me a follow on my instagram! If you want to see more posts like this give me a follow on here or on my social media!

Why I Canceled My eMusic Account

So if you’ve seen my last music haul video you may have noticed that I spoke praises of a certain music downloading service. So maybe the title here will seem a bit out of the blue. But a few days ago I did in fact cancel my eMusic account after using their service for nearly four years.

The Situation

Recently I went on to my eMusic account to download my monthly dose of music. I started using the service because they had a great selection of both mainstream and independent artists, with a emphasis on the independent artists. I liked being able to download music from a band I was just starting to get into without feeling too much financial guilt about it, but I also liked being able to download the occasional guilty pleasure, again, without the financial guilt.

When I went to my account a few days ago I went to go re-download This Wild Life’s recent album Clouded since somehow the files got screwed up the first time I downloaded it. When I got to their artist page only one song was on it. The album I had only downloaded a couple of months ago was gone. I then noticed that I had a new message. The message was essentially to tell me that eMusic decided to go back to their strictly independent roots and was removing all of the major label music from their site. This left me feeling a bit confused, as far as I knew This Wild Life wasn’t exactly “mainstream” and they weren’t on a major label. So why couldn’t I find their music?

While I contemplated leaving the service I did some research hoping to answer such a question. It turns out that they not only removed artists that were signed to major labels but also artists who used major labels to distribute their music. This pretty much eliminates just about every band I listen to. So I quickly canceled my account. I didn’t see the point in spending $12 every month to not use it.

Why I have a problem with this

I loved eMusic’s selection and loved that they were probably the cheapest, legal downloading service (as far as I know). I loved that I could download the new Rihanna song while finding the opening act I just saw at a concert as well. Now that’s gone and I’m pretty sad about it.

To me this has got to be a money issue more than a dignity issue, but if that’s the case disguising this as a dignity issue bothers me. It wasn’t like they suddenly stopped supporting independent artists, all the indie bands were still on their site, they just opened their services to a few more popular artists as well and offered a greater variety.

I wouldn’t even have as much of an issue with it if they had at least kept the artists that are on labels like Epitaph, Rise Records, Fueled By Ramen and so on. I know that some of the bands on these labels are by no means unheard of, but they’re not the kind of bands you hear on the radio or that you can find in the stores easily (especially now that Hot Topic has almost stopped carrying music altogether). It was nice to have a place to go when going to the record store failed me.

This switch kind of leaves those middle level bands hanging, and this whole situation smells of music snobbery, so I’m just done.

If anyone reading this knows a good alternative downloading service that I can look into, that would be wonderful! Please let me know in the comments! Are you an eMusic subscriber? Do you like the switch or not? In the comments please!

If you liked this blog please give me a follow here and on my social media! Thank you for reading.

Song Breakdown: “Bright” by Echosmith

So if you aren’t one of my friends or family reading this and you don’t follow my every move on social media, then this may be news to you. I just got engaged to my boyfriend of almost two years and we will be getting married on New Year’s Eve of this year. In light of this recent announcement I figured I would do a song breakdown on the song we agreed to be “our song.”

The Song:

Video by Salvatore Conte

The Meaning:

I think it’s really quite easy to pick up on the song’s meaning here. Basically girl falls in love with boy and now her life seems more vibrant and whole. There is a lot of great imagery in this song to help illustrate the meaning here. I feel like the most key line in this song is right at the beginning “I think the universe is on my side. Heaven and Earth have finally aligned.” To me this is about a relationship that just somehow clicks in a way only something greater than us can understand.

My Thoughts:

I fell in love with this song after a few listens of this album in my car. I thought about what a great song it would be for a wedding; somehow my now-fiancé agreed. While I feel like the lyrics do only illustrate the positive side of a good relationship, it doesn’t really bother me. I mean, A) who wants to listen to a song about how rough love can be at a wedding and B) when you’re in a relationship that just feels right, no argument, no matter the magnitude, can take that away.

Top: Wearing my engagement ring. Bottom: My Grandmother’s engagement and wedding band after being resized.

“You and the Moon and Neptune got it right…”

I’ll be the first to admit that my relationship with Aaron has been a long and crazy one. Two years ago I would have never thought I’d be planning to marry him. Two years ago I wouldn’t have thought I’d ever be in love with him like I am now. He had to work pretty hard to get me to see that what we had was something that just clicked and that it couldn’t be ignored. I don’t think I could imagine my life without him and I don’t think I’d want another crazy partner in crime to share my life with.

Movie Review: “If I Stay”

Movie Poster

Rating: 4/5

I’m going to throw this out there from the get-go: I love this book! As in, it’s my favorite book. So I was definitely excited for this movie, albeit with some reservations. It’s very possible that my opinion on this movie was a bit biased going in, but I’m going to put my thoughts out there anyways.

Summary

If you don’t already know the story, here’s what you need to know (if you do know it, you can skip this part like I always do). “If I Stay” is based on the book by Gayle Forman and is about cello prodigy Mia Hall who comes from a cool family of ex-punk rockers where she understandably feels like a black sheep. Despite this, though, they are a tight-knit family. On top of her supportive family she has a confident rocker-on-the-rise boyfriend, Adam, who loves her despite their differences and a possible future at Julliard. Mia’s life seems full of love and possibility until it is all halted by an icy and deadly car crash that leaves her in a coma and in an out of body state with the power to choose whether she lives or dies.

The story shows everything that has happened in Mia’s life up until the accident. We find out who she is and who she loves and the cracks in her life are revealed. All the while, Mia hangs on by a thread trying to make the toughest choice she will ever have to make.

The Movie

I went to go see the movie yesterday morning. I walked into a completely empty theater with the thrill and disappointment of knowing I had the whole place to myself. Again, I was looking forward to this movie, but I was not expecting the best of it. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised.

First of all, the script holds quite true to the source material. Everything that matters is there and while, yes, there are some changes, they often make sense and make the story flow better in a visual format. For example they change Shooting Star’s name to Willamette Stone; most likely for copyright reasons (I’m pretty sure there is a real band out there called Shooting Star). They also remove the fake band that Adam’s band opens for and replaces them with the very real band The Shins. This also means there is not a scene where rock stars have infiltrated the hospital in order to help Adam get into the ICU.

SPOILER!!!

Also the biggest change I noticed was the amount of time it takes for Mia to figure out that both her parents have died. In the book she sees their mangled bodies at the crash site. In the movie she hears about it when the doctors inform her grandparents. This is a cruel change but not a bad change. Personally, I felt it added more to the suspense if you weren’t already familiar with the story. There were more changes in the way the story was laid out, but it all seemed like it was for better pacing so I have no complaints.

Problems

While I was mostly pleased with the way this movie turned out, there were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way. First, if you’ve go into this without reading the book I realize that there are some parts that may make you scratch your head. I watched one interview where one of the reviewers had not read the book and he was confused as to how Mia functions as a not-so ghost and honestly I can see why. There is little to no explanation or exploration of her limitations and there is no clear way to see exactly how she would follow through with a decision. To clarify: Mia can’t walk through walls or re-enter her body, and she can’t manipulate things in the real world. When it comes to making a decision she has to be wholeheartedly set on it, not just say “I want to die” and poof it happens; she can’t have any doubts.

Second, I don’t feel like there was enough back story on the character of Teddy. You know he’s this quirky little kid that loves punk rock and is clearly more like Mia’s parents than she is, but you don’t know much about Mia’s relationship with Teddy and just plain don’t see enough of him to care about him as much. You only care because he is a little kid on the brink of death.

Last, and this one is small, they never make it clear that Willow works in the hospital where the story takes place. You see her in a pair of scrubs at one point in a short flashback and she shows authority with the nurses and security at the hospital, but unless you are pretty observant, you may not catch this and it’s fairly important.

Also check out my story on “If I Stay” in the latest issue of Highlight Magazine on page 13.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really loved this movie adaptation. The music was great, the acting was great and the story remained intact. For a story that I felt may not translate well in movie form, I was very impressed.

Unfortunately, I doubt this movie will do as well as it could. With being overshadowed by the mega popular “The Fault In Our Stars” and a negative reaction from seemingly ignorant critics, most movie goers will likely fall in line with popular opinion that is some kind of TFIOS rip-off (which is an invalid criticism since the book “If I Stay” was released three whole years before TFIOS). Despite this, I urge you to watch this movie and see for yourself if it is something worth watching.

My Belated Thoughts on Pointfest 2014

Hey guys! Sorry I took a brief pause there after graduation, which hey, I graduated college by the way! I’ve been wanting write this for a few weeks now since I attended my first Pointfest on May 10.

@christie_road91 instagram

 

So for those of you outside of the St. Louis bubble, you are probably wondering “what is Pointfest?” Pointfest is a one day rock festival put on by St. Louis premiere “alternative rock” station 105.7 The Point. Usually the line-up consists of what my boyfriend and I would call “Bro Bands”; usually a lot of hard rock and maybe a hint of metal. This year’s line-up was pretty different, though. Bands included: The Offspring, Queens of the Stoneage, AFI, Neon Trees, Crosses, Airborne Toxic Event and many more. I wasn’t really planning on going, but I won some free tickets. So here are my thoughts on the day:

Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, please get your rules straight

I got to start my day at Pointfest walking back and forth in the parking lot. For once in my life I arrived fashionably late to a show, therefore, I parked almost all the way in the back. For the day I packed: sunscreen, some small snacks, a water bottle, my digital camera, and a small blanket. This was not my first time attending a show at this venue, so I know they have funky rules with water bottles and sunscreen. I wasn’t surprised when they had a problem with my sunscreen in an aerosol can (it was all I could find), but I was surprised when they told me I couldn’t take my blanket in. What am I going to do with a blanket??? Strangle someone with it? Sit on it in some offensive way? Really??? By the way their website says that they allow blankets, so I don’t really know why I was forced to march all the way back to my car over it.

This came from Verizon’s actual Ticketmaster page. See for yourself.

Boozing it up at a show doesn’t make you cool

I can’t count all the awkward encounters I had with several very drunk individuals during the day. One creepy middle-aged guy hit on me while I waited for a band to start their set and wouldn’t stop talking to me until I just had to walk away from the situation. Later another guy almost fell on top of me while he was stumbling drunk. That’s just to name a couple. Seriously, there is nothing fun about going to a show and having to protect yourself from everyone who is inebriated. If you want to get drunk and listen to music, go to a party; it’s a lot cheaper and you don’t look like such a fool.

Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll with an emphasis on the drugs

Verizon seem to do a great job keeping out all that vodka and those dangerous blankets, but man that can’t seem to catch any of those potheads. I saw people smoking joints right and left. Again this just goes back to the whole “you look like a fool” thing. What happened to people wanting to go to concerts to actually listen to music rather than just going to get messed up?

Lawn seating is a no-go

Read above about the alcohol and drugs bit. That was the lawn section in a nutshell. Never again!

@christie_road91 instagram

The music…was awesome!

I know I’ve been ranting here a bit, but the one redeeming quality of the day was that the music really was great. I mostly watched the headlining bands (Neon Trees, AFI, Queens of the Stoneage, and The Offspring) and all of the bands put on incredible sets. The musicianship was top notch and the bands were just fun to watch.

All in all?

Pointfest gets and A+ for the line-up but a D- for the fans they attract.

Like this blog see what else I’ve written on my new “Other Work” page! Also follow me on Twitter and Tumblr! What did you think of Poinfest this year? Past years? Let me know in the comments!

10 Tips to Writing a Readable Blog

Writing a blog is not always as simple as it sounds and there are several things to consider when sitting down to create your blogging masterpiece. Here are some of my tips that I learned form Online Journalism for creating a blog that you and your readers will both love:

1. Write about something interesting.

@christie_road91 on Instagram

When you decide you want to start writing a blog, it’s great to come up with a list of topics you want to cover. It’s important when choosing to write about something that it is a topic you are passionate and knowledgeable about and also that it is something that will appeal to your readers. The more interested you are in a topic, the better your written work on it will be and the more well written it is, the more people will want to read it. People really do appreciate quality blogs, just look at what your friends are sharing a Facebook.

2. Keep a lighthearted, conversational tone to your writing.

This is not an essay. I repeat, this is NOT an essay. Do not write a blog like an essay. When you are writing a blog, it’s good to keep in mind that this is a casual shindig. Readers will appreciate it much more if you write in your own voice instead of imitating an intellectual voice. Most of that stuff will go over most readers head if you try to write like that anyways. So just be you and keep the tone conversational.

3. Create a title that is eye catching.

@christie_road91 on Instagram

Titles are super important. They are most likely what is going to grab a reader’s attention and make them want to read your blog, so please make them interesting. “Seeing Panic at the Disco Again” just isn’t going to cut it. Here’s the title I actually used “A Fever You Still Can’t Sweat Out…” A play on words can always be really fun. Just make sure you make your blog sound interesting, like I’m sure it is, rather than dull.

4. Don’t make your blog too long.

I’m really not the best person to give advice on this (a lot of my blogs exceed 1,000 words), but it really is a good idea to keep your blog posts on the shorter side. A blog the size of a term paper will only overwhelm readers, so, unless you already have the following, I suggest you keep it at least under 1,000 words.

5. Make sure to break up the text and use subheads.

Subheads are a great thing in blogs. They can help keep the story flowing while breaking up huge chunks of text that may scare readers away. Make sure to make your subheads interesting and fitting to what you are talking about. Your blog will be a lot more readable by doing so.

6. Also break up the text with visual appeal.

@christie_road91 on Instagram

It’s also a really great idea to break-up your text with visuals. Use images or videos or infographics, really anything to give your blog a visual element. People love pictures a lot more than they like words (hello photo galleries, hello Buzzfeed!), so make sure you include visuals in your blog. It can give the story an extra edge and keep your readers happy and entertained.

7. Original content or attribute.

When using visual elements in your story, it’s always a good thing to use your own content. Make your own YouTube video or go out and take your own pictures. If you do use other people’s content, however, make sure you 1) use something that you’re allowed to use and 2) attribute the piece to the original creator; get permission if necessary.

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8. Check grammar and then check again.

The fastest way to lose credibility on anything you post on the internet is to riddle it with grammar mistakes. Trust me, you will never escape the internet Grammar Nazis if you use the wrong your(‘re) or there(eir, y’re). Just avoid this issue by double checking your grammar before you publish.

9. Hyperlinks, Hyperlinks, Hyperlinks!

Hyperlinks are an awesome way to give your readers additional content that can add to your post. When creating a hyperlink make sure it’s attached to something related and actually interesting. Don’t hyperlink to common websites, it’s just a waste of your time. Also, making hyperlinks to your personal social media is a great way to help build your following, so make sure to add those as well.

10. Share the crap out of your blog!

Seriously post it on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Tumblr, anywhere you know people will see it. Spread the word about your blog. You’ll never build a following if you don’t expose your work to potential readers, so share the crap out of it!

If you liked this blog please RSS this and keep coming back for more. Also follow me on Twitter and Tumblr!

DJ Cole Plante shows how to get the grades and rock the stage

Published in The Legacy Vol. 7, Number 28 on May 6, 2014

Photo Courtesy of Cole Plante

Ever heard the name Cole Plante? Maybe, maybe not, but if you’ve heard Demi Lovato’s single “Neon Lights” then you are at least familiar with this work. The young budding DJ is still only in high school but he’s also made a name for himself by being the youngest person to ever perform Lollapalooza and by hitting the road with the Disney songstress earlier this spring.  Plante’s sound may be fresh on your ears now, but it’s likely to be one you’ll be hearing more of in the future.

Growing up in Southern California, primarily Los Angeles, and being surrounded by musicians and producer types his whole life, Plante has never been a stranger to the music industry. Starting with childhood curiosity and some tinkering with old mixing equipment, Plante developed his love for electronic dance music or EDM early on.

“Probably one of my biggest influences for me was my dad, because DJ-ing was kind of his whole career for most of his life, so that was definitely a huge inspiration for me,” said Plante.

Throughout his teen years Plante has worked his way up in the music world and at 16 he was given the opportunity to play mega music festival Lollapalooza. Playing such an event is an honor for many musicians and for a young performer like Plante, it was a dream come true.

“So when I played at Lolla, I was 16. I was the youngest DJ to perform there. So that was pretty incredible. Lolla’s probably one of my favorite shows that I’ve done so far,” explained Plante, “It was great, you know, because all those artists I played with were like people I look up to.”

More recently Plante got the opportunity of a lifetime: a national tour with superstar Demi Lovato on her Neon Lights Tour. For Plante this was his first real on-going full length tour and it gave him the opportunity to showcase his talent to audiences all over the country.

“I had done the official release for ‘Neon Lights’ which is the title track of the tour and that came out on her VEVO and she made a little music video for it and everything. And being signed to the same label as Demi and after doing the remixes they asked me if I would like to tour with Demi and it was an obvious yes for me. I mean who would say no that,” said Plante.

Being an up-and-coming musical act certainly has its perks, but with each exciting new experience comes a new burden or amount of sacrifice. For this high school junior, he says balancing school and music is all just “part of the job.”

“It’s definitely hard, it’s a struggle, it’s a balance, especially on tour, you know, because it’s so much traveling,” explained Plante, “Is there a secret to doing it? I don’t know. I just kind of do it. I’ll definitely have to sacrifice time with friends and time hanging out to get work done and get music done. I think it’s just part of growing up.”

Even with a career that’s really only just beginning, Plante has learned a thing or two when it comes to putting yourself out there creatively and making a name for yourself in a highly competitive industry. As for his advice for others with similar aspirations:

“I would say to keep at it because to some people, they see someone like me and think ‘wow, it took him like no time at all to get where he is now,’ but in reality I’ve been doing this for a quarter of my life and I’m still trying to work my way up,” Plante expressed.

Plante’s career is only just starting out and he has big plans for his future as a musician.

“There’s nothing you can ever stop striving for. For me it’s touring around the world and traveling, playing events, clubs, shows anywhere in different countries; that’s definitely something that I really strive for.”

If you want to find out more about Cole Plante, you can visit his official website at. To check out his songs including his latest single “If I Fall,” check out his VEVO channel on YouTube.

Cultivating Community in Music: Record Store Day

Everyone knows that we are currently in the midst of Easter Weekend. It’s a time of rest, no classes, candy, bunnies, and for some of us a time of religious reflection and celebration. But for some of us this a time for celebrating vinyl and the local independent record store. For any that don’t know, today is international Record Store Day.

I’m confused, what is Record Store Day?

Seven years ago back in 2007 a group of owners and employees from various independently owned record stores decided to make a holiday in honor of the watering hole of music culture: the music store. Record Store Day became a day where independent record stores across, not only the country, but the world would put up limited edition releases for sale from a selection of artists. On this day stores offer live music, free food and drink and various other freebies in light of the festivities. In a nutshell Record Store Day is a day to celebrate everything the independent record store has given to the music community.

So what has the record store given to the music community?

“I always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if ya never take it seriosuly, ya never get hurt, ya never get hurt, ya always have fun, and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.” – Penny Lane, “Almost Famous”

*****

CD Reunion in St. Charles, MO. Photo by Annette Schaefer.

“I think these stores are important because we have the variety and, you know, the different genres of music, the different styles of music compared to the major stores; it’s not a big money maker for them, so I think  just having the variety of the stuff we have makes a very big impact,” said CD Reunion employee Bill Davis speaking on the record stores ability to reach a wider range of fans.

Every music fan has their own unique relationship with their favorite record store. It can be their place to waste hours digging through the racks hunting for a bit of treasure to add to their budding music collection. It can be a place to meet other fellow music fans, to discover new artists and maybe even discover yourself.

When I spoke to Slackers Team Leader Brooke Smith, she gave a bit of a personal account of her love of the indie record store:

“I feel like a lot of people develop who they are from record stores, I know I did.” – Brooke Smith, Slacker’s St. Charles

Slackers in St. Charles decorates their CD bins with many different music posters. Photo by Annette Schaefer.

But why does anybody even care about record stores anymore when you can just get music for free online?

We live in a culture these days that is used to having easy access to anything anyone could ever want with the convenience of the internet. You can purchase a new outfit, a new piece of furniture, or even your favorite band’s latest album all at the click of a button. So why should anyone care about the tangible format; it’s just a waste time, right? Not everyone thinks this way. There is a whole community of people who can’t stand having anything other than the music they can hold in their hands.

At Vintage Vinyl customers are known to wait outside the store for hours on Record Store Day to ensure they get the opportunity to pick up their desired limited release. Fans and workers alike make a day out of the holiday with live music and free beer all in the name of purchasing music from an independently owned store.

Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis puts up fliers for the yearly event. Photo by Annette Schaefer.

Vintage Vinyl Customer Service Representative Joe Steinman said it best as to why purchasing a hard copy is superior: “Well it’s just lovely to look at, lovely to hear. How can I say it? It’s awesome.”

Yes, I know, everyone says “it sounds better,” but it’s the truth and you can’t argue with facts.

What are you waiting for???

Even if you have never purchased a CD or a vinyl album in your life, what’s a better day to start than on an international holiday for record stores? This event is only for independently owned record stores, so if you show up at Best Buy, you’re just wrong. In the St. Louis area you can hit up stores like Vintage Vinyl, CD/Music Reunion, Slackers, V-Stock, etc. Every store has individual listings of what they are selling and are celebrating in their own unique ways, so hit up a few if you’d like. Today’s a day to celebrate music and those who put that music in our hands, so bust out you wallets and shop wisely!

Also check out Rock It Out Blog’s interview with one the founders for Record Store Day.

Why I Love All Time Low

My awesome All Time Low hat. Best Profile pic ever!

Hello readers! I would like you to meet Obsessed Annette. This is the person I have become as the week since the All Time Low concert I attended has progressed. I don’t know exactly what it is about concerts that turns me into a fangirlish (yes I’m deciding that “fangirlish” is a word) fiend, but I think it has something to do with post-concert depression and the need to cling to anything related to that wonderful night. So yeah, my brain has pretty much been in All Time Low Land all week. In honor of this predicament I have decided to resurrect the “Why I Love…” blog (remember that one I did about The Swellers?). So here it is, my reasons why I love All Time Low:

“I remember when they were just a little band playing Warped Tour back in 2007 and I saw them and they played ‘Dammit’ by Blink 182 and it was awesome” –Annette Schaefer

All Time Low during Warped 2007 in Maryland Heights, Mo.

I’m going to risk it and sound like a hipster here: I liked All Time Low before they were really cool. Okay, they were kind of cool when I started liking them. It’s not like I got into them as early as Put Up or Shut Up or anything, but I at least liked them before they were on MTV.

I first heard the name All Time Low on either some kind of Warped Wednesday thing or an episode of Steven’s Untitled Rock Show or maybe it was a Warped Wednesday episode of SURS…I don’t know. I watched it and well it didn’t leave much of a mark, but it left their name in my head. Then not too long after that, I went to the 2007 Warped Tour, which was only my second one, and I wound up seeing their set. I was waiting around to catch Boys Like Girls and All Time Low happened to be playing right before them. I actually watched and took some pictures and even sang along to their cover of Blink 182’s “Dammit.” This time I kept them in mind.

I can officially say that All Time Low is the only reason I have ever bought anything at Holister Co. Why was I even in there you ask? Probably to annoy the workers because, you know, Fat people aren’t supposed to shop there because we’re a bunch of ugos, but the reason isn’t the point. I went in there, sometime within a year of seeing All Time Low, and weirdly enough they were selling the band’s first full length album So Wrong, It’s Right and I decided to buy it. From the summer of 2008 into the early parts of my junior year (fall 2008) I was obsessed with this album. I even tried to memorized the whole thing, although, I only memorized about half. After that, they pretty became one of my go-to bands.

“All Time Low fans need to calm their panties.” –Annette Schaefer

All Time Low during Warped Tour 2012 in Maryland Heights, Mo.

I have now been an All Time Low fan for nearly seven years. I own all of their albums, I’ve seen them live three times now, and I often giggle with glee when read their silly tweets. I also realize that I’m on the older end of the spectrum in their fan base; I mean, I spent a good chunk of my time in line at their show talking to girls nearly ten years younger than me! Some may even think I’m a bit immature for still listening to them and loving them so much because, as my suitemate put it, they’re kind of considered a “high school” band. But I know I’m not alone here! There are plenty 20-something All Time Low fans; I’ve met several of you! And you know what? We’re not immature or weird or silly for liking or even loving them…okay maybe we are all of those things, but who cares!

“I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard at concert before in my life.” –Annette Schaefer

All Time Low in Columbia, Mo on the Love Like War Tour 2014.

Okay, so let’ get to the point of this blog: why do I love All Time Low? I love them because they’re willing to not take themselves too seriously. They seem to remember that part of what’s great about making music for a living is that it’s a job where you can still have fun. I love that I don’t have to feel too deep when I’m listening to their songs. Not that they’re music has zero substance, plenty of it does, but because the songs are simple, relatable, and all around fun to belt out in the car or at a show. I love them because they make me want to sing and dance and just be silly. And mostly I love them because, well, I just do.