Artist of the Month - Never Shout Never

For our first Artist of the Month article, we will be featuring Christofer Drew Ingle, better known by his previous stage name Never Shout Never. For those of you who don't know who this artist is, here's a quick run-down. Christofer Drew is a 20-year old musician from Joplin, Missouri who can sing as well as play the guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, violin, drums, various percussion instruments, tambourine, cabasa, djembe, glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, sleigh bells, piano, keyboard, banjo, and harmonica along with using programming to create beats and sounds on his tracks. He began his rise to fame by posting demos that had become his first EP, Demo-shmemo, on his MySpace page. (Remember, this was back when MySpace was still popular.) On July 29, 2008, he released his second EP entitled The Yippee EP, which included the single "Bigcitydreams" that gained him quite a few fans. Having gone though different phases with the spelling of his stage name, eventually settling on Never Shout Never for his release under Warner Bros. and his label division, Loveway Records. Prior to his first mini-album What Is Love? that was released in 2010, Christofer Drew went on tour with his live band known as "the Shout" to promote the EPs that he continued to release. Following The Yippee EP came Me & My Uke Ep, The Summer EP, and an self-titled EP released in January, June, and December of 2009, respectively. January 26, 2010 saw What Is Love?, the debut mini-album from Never Shout Never, in stores, with his full-length Harmony following on August 24. Melody - EP provided a filler between the two bigger releases, and a second EP with The Maine, Split - Ep, as a thank-you to fans that helped with the charity tour that the two bands did together.

Christofer Drew's music has a distinct sound, often categorized as a mix of the acoustic pop, indie pop, and pop rock genres. With lyrics that are drawn from his own life and delivered by a voice with an impressive vocal range, each song allows fans to relate to the meaning of the words, even if it's not always in a literal sense. A new feeling and tone is introduced for each track, catching your attention with unique usage of extra instruments and programmed beats. Some songs have a softer sound, while other songs lean more toward the pop rock style of music. No song fails to be true to Christofer Drew and his view on things, and despite some negative associations with his stage name because of his sometimes blunt way of sharing his views he continues to be successful with his music. Extremely talented for his age, he doesn't shape himself to be what the people want, but instead shapes himself to be what he wants. His music practically screams that fact, especially his older songs. Some of his more popular songs are "Can't Stand It" from What Is Love?, "CheaterCheaterBestFriendEater" from Harmony, "Trouble" from Me & My Uke Ep, "Happy" from The Summer EP, and "Bigcitydreams" from The Yippee EP.

Here's a video for his song "What Is Love?" to give you a taste of his style.

Big Time Rush

Artist: Big Time Rush
Album: B.T.R.
Tracks: 12
Released: 2010


"'Til I Forget About You" isn't quite an explosive opening to Big Time Rush's self-titled album, but it adds a cute flair to their already fresh-soda-pop boy band image. The typical breakup song with a little twist, "Til I Forget About You" provides enough autotuned lyrics and peppy beats for a whole album, but smoothly manages to pull it off. "Boyfriend" contains even more autotune than the last track, catchy beats, and a sense that the track has skipped over too much, literally. There's a syllable skip in the track that occurs too many times. Though at first it's tolerable, sometimes it becomes irritating. "The City is Ours" flows with a dance friendly beat and carefree lyrics, but doesn't hold much substance after a few verses. "Nothing Even Matters" describes how nothing matters when a couple are together, and states that this relationship will last forever. The chorus and single verse are constantly repeated, and though the melodies are light, they float away with their seeming lack of meaning. "Worldwide" tells the story of the ever lasting performances that take Big Time Rush around the world and away from their significant others. It reassures their girlfriends that they're thinking of them and no one else while traveling. While it's a nice sentiment, and the instrumentals compliment the song, nothing really manages to draw a reaction out of you. "Halfway There" is a motivational tune about being halfway to achieving a major goal, and is unbelievably peppy as a result. "Big Night" takes all of the previous autotune, skipping lyrics, catchy beats, and cutely cliched scenarios, and creates perhaps the best track of the album. It's elements are balanced out by each other, and finally none seem so overwhelming. It's a feel-good track that requires nothing but someone to dance along to it. "Oh Yeah" contains rhyming lyrics and a beat that leans further toward hip-hop than any of the previous songs. It's peppy and fun, the strongest and most attention grabbing track so far. "Count On You feat. Jordin Sparks" experiments with R&B tunes, and Sparks' guest appearance greatly compliments the sweet lyrics and adds a bit of spice to this otherwise partly stale album. "I Know You Know feat. Cymphonique" adds a new twist to the album, with a rap verse that brings the track to life, along with the vocalizations of Big Time Rush themselves. "Big Time Rush" is reminiscent of a rock pop genre, and the track has just enough of both to be taken seriously. The lyrics are less generic than others that are heard on the album, and make the track interesting enough. "Stuck" tells the story of a reluctant commitment to a relationship and has plenty of smoothly autotuned vocals, hip-hop/ R&B beats, and is quite enjoyable.

Big Time Rush is fond of their synthesized beats and autotune, but if they're confident enough in their musical ability, they should remove some of this veneer from their work. They have the type of vocals and lyrics that are appealing and pleasing, but the manipulation overshadows much of that. For a debut album, it's definitely not bad, but, with the exception of a few tracks, is not much to write home about. The band is definitely engaging and entertaining in certain ways, but only you can decide if they bring you the Big Time Rush.

The Sun, It Rises Slowly

Artist: Mumford & Sons
Album: The Cave-Single
Released: 2010

Built in Britain, Mumford & Sons broke out into the American music scene last year with their earlier hit "Little Lion Man". A charming folk element adds to intriguing accent-toned vocals to create a band and a musical image like no other. The entrance to "The Cave" opens with poetic, engaging lyrics and guitar accompaniment, later applying layers of banjo melodies and smooth backup vocals. There appears to be an amazing amount of instrumentals--from the powerful banjo playing to the guitar highlights during the chorus--as well as the vocals that drift from light to incredibly strong and imposing. However, these components compliment the track, rather than distract or become unattractively overwhelming. "The Cave" ends with an artistic flourish, and leaves you unconsciously lingering around the replay button. Mumford & Sons brings a refreshing gust of folk rock breeze onto the American music plane.

Who Made You King of Anything?

Artist: Sara Bareilles

Album: King of Anything-Single

Tracks:1

Released: 2010

Sara Bareilles hit the radio waves with "Love Song" back in 2007, and her newer hit single "King of Anything" is still blessing our radio channels with its jazzy goodness. The track opens with a light piano and vocal combination, transitioning into strong chords and fleeting drum attachments. The lyrics paint the picture of a relationship that's way too inclined in one direction: to a controlling, imposing significant other. He tries to steer everything his way, but Bareilles puts her foot down and decides that she can think for herself, thank you very much. 1 cup of fun lyrics, 1/2 cup of clapping to the beat, 1/4 cup trumpet accompaniment, 3 cups of jazzy piano notes, and one crown. Stir and serve with a side of singing along. There you have it: a "King of Anything".

With A Full Hand of Black Cards, The Dominoes Are Falling Down

NEW SAMPLE TRACK

Artist: Black Cards

Album: Black Cards YouTube tracks

Single: Dominoes

Released: 2011 (only on YouTube)

Black Cards is a new project formed by ex-Fall Out Boy member Pete Wentz, with reggae and ska genres in mind. Frontwoman BeBe Rexha may seem an odd choice for this type of musical influence, as her voice seems more pop-oriented, but she fits nicely into the little niche that Black Cards has aspired to carve for themselves. "Dominoes" sways to the electronic side of reggae, combining peppy tones, a hip-hop like beat, and a complimentary reggae background. Weaving all three of these elements together, they have a strong instrumental foundation that is bettered by Rexha's vocals, catchy and smooth but not overbearing. The track is actually quite quick to catch your attention, not the typical pop song, and won't let it go until it's up. With a fun lyrical incline and a solid direction, "Dominoes" proves to be the game to play. Check out the new track on YouTube, from Black Card's official channel.

A Vice Or A Virtue?

Album: Vices & Virtues (Deluxe Version)

Artist: Panic! At the Disco

Release: 2011

Tracks: 14

Panic! At the Disco has gone through man changes since they were first signed to Decaydance, including different lineups and styles of music. Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith are the two remaining members from the original group, splitting the responsibilities of different instruments in studio. Urie tackles lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard, and piano, while Smith takes over on drums and percussion. Together they created the newest album of Panic! At the Disco, Vices & Virtues, though it was started before the departure of two of their fellow band members. The resulting product, however, seems to have taken a throwback to their earlier music style, pleasing many old and new fans alike.

The first single off of the album, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa", takes center stage with a mysterious beginning that smoothly transfers the spotlight to the drums and bass, with Urie's unique vocal sound floating over the instruments. With an explosive chorus that highlights the guitar part and a bridge that acts as the eye of the storm, it's no wonder this song has received a mostly positive feedback. "Let's Kill Tonight" introduces a different sound from the first track, being more upbeat and using the guitar to form the tone of the song. The drums keep time while adding a sound that completes the track in a way that no other instrument could. With and intro that leaves you guessing at what the song will sound like, "Hurricane" uses guitar accents to bring out the true feeling of the song. The chorus hooks you in and keeps your attention for the rest of the song, and the bridge follows up the second chorus in just the right way with the perfect tone. "Memories" has you diving straight into a powerful intro followed up by quieter first verse, where the vocals weave their way through the different instrument parts. The chorus takes a step up from the verse to provide a slight variation to complement the rest of the song, which ends with just the right amount of flair. Strings and synthesizers take the front role in "Trade Mistakes" until the chorus, where the other instruments step up to the plate to boost the vocals and make the sound memorable. The bridge sees the vocal part take off in its own direction, backed by the other instruments and really making an impact for the first time in the song. "Ready to Go (Get Me Out of My Mind)" is a fresh sound the relies on the vocals to to carry the tone of the song, with minimal exposure on the different instruments, apart from the drums. The bridge takes a step away from the vocals for a bit, turning to synthesizer sounds, then returns to the signature vocals of the song to carry it to the end. A nice surprise of the guitar being heavily featured in "Always" recaptures your attention with a softer song that couples a flowing guitar with a vocal part that works its way along the guitar part. This track takes a break from the style of the rest of the album, yet still manages to keep your attention for the entire duration. "The Calendar" slowly brings us back to their normal style of music, with the verses setting up each chorus perfectly. The bridge of the song takes the guitar and drums to carry us on to the final chorus through the end of the song, which has the feel of an instrumental demo. The intro of the next track, "Sarah Smiles", has you thinking of a ballad from folk times until you reach the end of the first chorus. From the second verse on, the guitar and drums lay the path for the vocals to follow, building up for the second chorus and bridge. "Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met...)" has an almost eerie opening vocal part that has the characteristics of a chorus-style of females singing, soon joined by a driving guitar part. The vocals of the song have a unique sound that catches your attention from the end of the first verse, with a slower chorus that resembles a power-ballad, setting it apart from the rest of the song. The first of three bonus tracks, "Stall Me (Bonus Track)" keeps time with a rolling guitar part and a steady beat from the drums during the verse, carrying on into the chorus where the vocals steal your attention. The bridge seems to break away from the rest of the song in a way that compliments it and keeps our minds fresh to finish the track. "Oh Glory (Demo) [Bonus Track]" has a beat that almost seems to belong in their second album more than this one, though it appeals in a way that differs from the rest of the songs on this album, especially with a bridge that makes its own mark in the song. The vocals of this track carry this song through its duration, with the drums and guitars highlighting certain portions in a way that makes them more memorable than they would have been on their own. The final song of the album, "Bittersweet (Bonus Track)" uses an upbeat drum and guitar combination to carry the vocals through the song, with a unique sound accented by harmonies and vocal beats. The chorus brings a new beat and vocal sound to the track, with the bridge providing a clever counterpart to the verse.

Vices & Virtues as a whole has received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, with some people enjoying the throwback to the old Panic! At the Disco style, and others preferring the new style that had been introduced in the album that preceded this one. Depending on which group you belong to, you will either love this album or wish that you never even heard of it. The way the songs are constructed leave little to be desired, each track fitting in with the others in its own way like a piece of colorful mosaic art. So will you view this album as vice in the musical portfolio of Panic! At the Disco, or a virtue?

Sucker Punch!

Movie Review:

Sucker Punch

Action/Fantasy

Official Release Date: March 25th 2011

Director: Zack Snyder

Sucker Punch is an action/fantasy/thriller that debuted on March 25, 2011. This movie's plot is confusing but the movie itself is really different and original. The main character "Babydoll" is Emily Browning. Babydoll, along with the four other girls (Amber, Blondie, Rocket, and Sweet Pea) come together to escape their prison. This movie was filled with action-packed battle and fight sequences as well as a really strong moral issue. Most of the scenes in which the girls had to fight towards freedom in had almost video game quality battles and fighting-with machine guns, bombs, and swords. The visual effects were stunningly accurate and the music was perfectly fitting, seeing as the soundtrack was created for the movie. The heavy metal/rock sound co-existed to the highest with the action being taken in the movie.

All the girls were fighting for their own freedom, and trying to escape while still helping their comrades. I would say that, though there are some mildly suggestive sequences (the plot being involved with the mob etc) , overall, the story was really well thought out.

Sucker Punch is a movie that you have never seen anything like before, but i highly recommend if you are into a dramatic action packed thriller.