Reeder Final–Blake Smith: Student Composer

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Top 10 Blogs that are Super RAD.

1. http://www.bassfeedsthesoul.com/articles1/

-This blog is solely based on the EDM music scene. From festivals, new artists, to rumors on lineups I go to this blog about twice a week and look at the new posts the writers have. They also travel to all the music festivals from Hangout, Waka, Bonnaroo, and Coachella–so, they have plenty of pictures that capture moments from each fest.

2. http://hypem.com/latest

-I really like the lay out of this blog and how the creator has the different tabs for different styles of music. Its easy to navigate and search through dozens of artists and they link the blogs posts to the artists webpages for more information on that artists.

3. http://consequenceofsound.net/video/

-This blog has everything from recent posts, podcats, and vlogs that any online member can access easy. They cover basic music rumors, new artists on the rise, and new albums in the making. Navigating through the website is easy and user-friendly. I love how they categorize the music into different genres and depending on what you are looking for you can watch interviews with music artists.

4. http://www.npr.org/music/blogs/

-NPR is one of my favorite online pod casts they have “tiny desk concerts” that takes places at their music label’s office. Their blog is super easy to use and has most links to different online radio shows and gives the viewer different genres to pick from all in one layout.

5. http://indiemusicfilter.com/

-Indie Music Filter partners with “SoundCloud” and gives the reader a visual of the artists in text, video, and sound. With samples from SoundCloud viewers can listen to music that is rare, rich, and hard to find using the typical Google search. This blog is also equipped with shows that underground artists have to offer only to select people.

6. http://livemusicblog.com/

-This blog focuses directly on underground music festivals. The blog also has easy links to their Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. I love the navigation on this webpage because when you search for an artist on the blog it takes the reader to various articles written about them through the blog and other webpages.

7. http://www.largeassmovieblogs.com/

– This is a movie blog that focuses on reviews and trailers that not a lot of people have seen. The navigation is easy to use and the search bar on the site is perfect for looking up movies from yesterday and today.

8. http://www.imdb.com/tv/blog

-Okay, we all can spend hours on IMDB, but have you spent hours on their blog? You can search different movie, TV, and other celebrities and see where they first started. I also love that it has links to free TV shows via network sites.

9. http://www.etalkinghead.com/directory

-Unlike other political blogs that just focus on conservative vs. the liberals point of view, this blogs seems to collect information and opinions from all points of view from different types of people. The blog is categorized into subjects–so, even the most uncultured person who does not know anything regarding politics they too can be in the know.

10. http://diaryofabrokecollegestudent.blogspot.com/

-I always see shared articles from this blog on Facebook and I really enjoy the material offered. I can relate to most of it 100 percent. The blog consists of tips for college students wanting to live life on a dime. I like how it is simple to share their articles on social media and the webpage itself is set up in a way that is easy to read.

I’ll Be–Edwin McCain

THROWBACK TIME! We have all heard this song around 2002, especially at weddings and people trying to sing at fundraisers. Well, this song came on my favorite Pandora station (Broadway Hits) and I have a new love for it again. Remember the video? Me either. I had to watch it again, and then after about two minutes I was over the face of Edwin McCain looking at me in the eyes. The song has no value on my life at all, but when it started playing you bet I turned into an emotional mess. The song was only the charts for five weeks in 1998, but has made several appearances on shows and movies, such as, the famous online Runescape wedding, “A Cinderella Story”, and my all time favorite show “Dawson’s Creek” (during the first season’s finale #sobbing). Songs like this come and go, but “I’ll Be”  by McCain will never go old at cheesy weddings or those drunken nights at the cheap bar in town that only plays records from the 2000-2003 time frame. Twerk team, grab your whiskey sours and wipe that mascara off and raise your glass to the saddest song of them all!

Love this gem!

Burn–Usher

Today I wanted to throw it back to a time where everything was easy and yes, I was a good boy. But when I had troubles, all I had to do was just let it burn. Yes, I am talking about the ever so steamy (no pun intended) Usher and his four minute of shirtless of fame in the video of “Burn”. This song was played on a movie I saw the other day and I forgot how spectacular how it really is. A perfect drunken karaoke favorite of mine. In the video, Usher is spotted by a pool wearing nothing but a smile and sunglasses…oh, and pants, sporting a flawless model of a bae next to him as he sings about the mistakes he had with another girl in bed…classy. My favorite lyric from the song is, “when you’re feeling ain’t the same and your body don’t want to, but you know gotta let it go cause the party ain’t jumpin’ like it used to.” If that does not want you to drop your boy off at a frat party and run to a black man, I don’t know what would. Twerk team, just let it burn, man.

Human–Christina Perri

We all know Christina Perri from the “Twlight” saga and the melodic songs that she put into Edward and Bella’s love life. She is back again and this time staying on the charts as a soulful artist. Her video for “Human” is nothing but beautiful and unique, just like Perri herself. In the video Perri is singing on a pedestal, as if she is being judged and scored on appearance, during the video glimpses of Christina flash with her robotic like figure as if she is a machine, but she pleads differently. “I am only human, I blood when I fall down…I meltdown and fall down.” Christina Perri is nothing but conservative, covered in tattoos and piercings that show her true character of an artist. Close to the end of the video Perri’s tattoos and real character are shown off in an artistic way as she ends the song with “I am only human.” Twerk team, let your true character show, dare to be different. Strive to not be basic.

I am only human with my chai lattes

Ain’t it Fun–Paramore

The video follows the band members trying to beat various world records, such as collecting the most feathers in 30 seconds and doing the most cartwheels in 20 seconds while wearing boots. The group managed to set 10 world records in the music video, which is a world record itself. The video has nothing with the song, but it shows the playful sides of the band that was not shown in the orginal video that Jonthan Desbiens directed and shot. The band was not satisfied with the seriousness and the editing behind the eyes of Desbiens (he also directed the video for their song “Daydreaming”), thus the band did their own thing for their chart topper, “Ain’t it Fun”. Paramore was a band back in the day that brought out the inner punk/emo inspired looks from middle school. I thought I was literally too cool for school and would skip with other band kids and eat ice cream at Sonic and sing Paramore lyrics from songs like “Misery Business” or other songs for their self-entitled album that brought them major success as a punk/pop band. Twerk team, bring out those Chuck Taylor’s and those awkwardly sized sweaters of your favorite bands and roll down the windows and jam to some Paramore!

Ain’t it always fun with Kyla?

Neon Lights–Demi Lovato

Lovatics were probably super excited when Demi let out her new single that is upbeat and more pop favored than her slow love songs. Neon Lights was Lovato’s song that she released right after her rehab incident, thus the song was a gateway and celebration of her rehab visit. In the video, Lovato sports various neon colored lipsticks and eye make all while dancing with shirtless black men. Something I did not see coming. Where is my Demi from Camp Rock? Ya know, Jonas Brothers? Maybe I was the only one who both cried and re-watched those movies. Lovato is grown now though and she is letting all out in this song and I give her mad props for it. I have always loved the way she sings (yes, her mouth is huge when she does so) and the way she acts so I am happy to see something geared away from the usual Demi. Twerk team, give it up for the best air guitar player from Camp Rock. 

Demi and Beyonce in one day? WOW.

Can’t Remember to Forget You–Shakira ft. Rihanna

The Latina princess is at again this time with her Barbadian friend Rihanna in a sleazy song about remembering all the times she has had with someone, but keeps letting them go. In the video, viewers will see how well Rihanna and Shakira smoke a cigar in bed…it is mediocre. My favorite part of the video is when Shakira is doing her “Hips Don’t Lie” signature dance against a wall and on the other side of a wall is Rihanna twerking and humping the wall…casually, of course. HA! I laughed pretty hard during that scene. The rest of the video consists of shots of the two questionable lesbians lying in bed acting “sexy”. I usually love Shakira, but her music lately has been nothing disappointing and Rihanna and I are not really okay due to the fact that she has yet to be spotted making out with Drake after said allegations! Twerk team, please forget to remember this song that Shakira do not do well on.

We look like Shakira and Rihanna, right?

Let Her Go–Passenger

The video for Passenger’s “Let Her Go” is a video that shows all the preparation the band puts in before performing. Therefore, I decided to tell you all about how this song make absolutely no sense. Starting with the lyric “staring at the bottom of your glass, hoping one day you will make a dream last.” Ouch. A bit harsh, ya think? This is no longer a love song, but rather a song about how his bae is an alcoholic and has no potential. Next the lyrics: “…well you see her when you fall asleep, but never to touch and never to keep” sound as if the guy is disgusted by her! You sleep with her, but will not touch nor keep her. HA! Love it. The ending is the best, guys. “And you let her go”…perfect ending! So this is a break up song now, no longer that sappy business every other indie band writes. Twerk team, do NOT sing this to your bae of the week or play this at a wedding.

#SELFIE–The Chainsmokers

 

#Selfie has been the biggest new craze in pop music and on the radio. The DJ/songwriter duo came out of nowhere with their song that appears on their newest album that will be released this coming fall. They recently filled in at Ultra Music Fest for DJ Laidback Luke after his wife went into labor during his set. The group does not have any background of publicity and that is why everyone thought the song was such a joke. In the video a very nasally sorority-like college girl is giving all her complaints about Jason how he won’t like her selfie on Instagram, but at the end he does and she contemplates on going home with him. This along with other commentary that fulfills the song with the backbeat of the DJ duo. Twerk team, get down with The Chainsmokers, but first take a selfie!

No other woman loves taking selfies as much as this one!