Warped Tour Announces Presale!

Hey Everyone!

Get ready, mark this one in your calendar! Warped Tour has announced that the majority of their pre-sale tickets will be on sale March 26th. The select number of pre-sale tickets will include a 2010 tour compilation CD, a jump the line pass (which I have never really understood) and a limited edition souvenir ticket. More details to come in February!

In the mean time, why not become part of the Warped Panel? Fill out a series of surveys for Vans (usually about one a month until May) and they will randomly select 10 winners per date to win a VIP Pass. I won back in 2008 and I have to say, the experience was well worth it. Its not ALL fun & games... had to hand out surveys and then input the data onto little palm pilots before we were allowed entry... but we beat the crowds by an hour, saw the tour being set up, met bands (actually got to watch the Butcher from The Academy Is paint which was cool), and the piece de resistance, you get to choose a band to watch from side stage. I chose Jack's Mannequin and it was breath taking. Never going to forget that. Ended up standing beside Matt Thiessen and William Beckett... pretty sweet way to watch one of your favorite groups! So yeah, check it out, write the surveys and keep your fingers crossed!

Thats all for now!

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

On The Radar: Possible Pete Wentz/Mark Hoppus Collaboration?

Hey Everyone!

I dont know how many of you are Twitter users, but I know I am! Not to say I'm an addict like a lot of people, but I mean, I do have an account. And it serves a great purpose... it keeps you in the loop with all your favorite bands. Lately, there has been a lot of interesting conversation between Mark Hoppus of Blink-182/+44 and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. It seems that the two may be collaborating on a studio project in the future. The two have been friends for many years now, and even toured together over the summer for Blink's reunion. I'm not much a fan of Pete himself, but I think Mark is an incredibly talented musician and producer so I'm sure whatever they come up with will be pure gold. Mark tweeted "Me and Pete W's collab soon" on monday and internet fans have been eagerly discussing the possibilities ever since. Prior to this, the two had been discussing at length "collaborating on sandwiches" and Pete teching for Blink's European tour so they could keep working on it.

Photo Credit: Rolling Stone Magazine

These two have always had an interesting friendship that involves a lot of pranking and jokes... wonder if their music will reflect that same playfulness? Two bassists as well... interesting. Who knows what to expect with these guys? Last time they collaborated on anything, it was a worldwide scavenger hunt for hidden "Octopus Drives". I guess we should all be prepared... anything could happen if Wentz and Hoppus are behind it!

Blink-182 reunited this past summer and plan to release an album sometime in the future. No date has been set yet, but studio time is said to be in the works as soon as drummer Travis Barker, completes work on his solo album. Fall Out Boy announced a hiatus following their placement on Blink's summer tour. Wentz is currently in New York while his wife, Ashlee Simpson works on Broadway.

What do you think of a possible collaboration? What would you expect it to be?

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: Little Death by +44.... always forgotten about, but always amazing. +44 may have been short lived, but there is something so right about this band. Dont get me wrong, I am a Blink fan through and through, but given the choice between this and AVA, I have to say, this won me over. Mark's deep voice is just stunning. The song is so simple in construction, but so meaningful. Check it out, Enjoy! ...Fall Asleep With The Windows Open, Come To Me With The Worst You've Said And Done

Silverstein Anniversary Shows

Hey Everyone!

For all you Canadian music fans out there, this may interest you! Burlington Ontario natives, Silverstein, will be playing each of their albums from start to finish in a 4 concert series in Toronto. The concerts will be in honor of their 10th anniversary as a band. The shows will take place March 18-21st at the El Mocambo. Tickets can be purchased for the shows through Ticketmaster and Ticket Web. For the afforable price of $15 + service fees, you can be a part of the celebration!

March 18: When Broken Is Easily Fixed (2003)

March 19: Discovering The Waterfront (2005)

March 20: Arrivals & Departures (2007)

March 21: A Shipwreck In The Sand (2009)

Will you be attending one of these shows? I might, it would give my inner High School kid a good thrill haha I used to see these guys play at little rock clubs downtown all the time!

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: Discovering The Waterfront by Silverstein... this was once one of my favorites and every time I hear it, it still strikes those same chords in me. Its timeless and very relatable for a lot of people. Everyone has been through a breakup or two and felt something like this. Enjoy!

Vampire Weekend Streams Upcoming Album

Hey Everyone!

As promised, I'm back! Did you miss me? Probably not all that much, but its alright. I enjoyed my break and now that school is back in session, its time to get back into blogging. Such a stress relief, I highly recommend it for anyone in need! Anyways, back to the post!

A few days ago, band to watch Vampire Weekend began streaming their upcoming album "Contra" on their myspace. If you aren't familiar with them yet, get ready to be. This band is being noted by some of the best critics and magazines out there as one about to hit it big. Already quite popular in the indie scene, this band is going to be huge. I can pretty much promise you that. Its refreshing, its interesting and its amazing. So if you haven't had a chance to check them out yet, definitely do that. Keep your eyes peeled, its only a matter of time after the album's release that they will take off with full force!

Some of my picks: Holiday, Taxi Cab, Run, Giving Up The Gun

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

My Current Addiction: I'm Yours Tonight

Hey Everyone!

I'm going to post again later, but just really quick I wanted to share this song. I was doing dishes to the "Lost In Pacific Time EP" by The Academy Is... and I remembered how amazing this song is. So beautiful. So check it out, see what you think! This was a limited physical release EP but it can probably still be purchased via Itunes and I would highly recommend doing that if you havent already. Its that good. If you like this track, you'll love the other 4 songs too!

"You know I'll stay, Even in your dreams, I'll pull the stars down from the heavens, To fill your empty skies... I'm yours tonight!"

Rock on!

- Girl At The Rock Show

A Shopping List For My Grandpa: The Albums

Hey Everyone!

Ok so, yesterday I posted a blog about my little experiment/deal with my Grandfather. To reiterate, I'm going to suggest three albums that I like and think he may like. He's going to go out and purchase these three albums and listen to them. Hopefully, he will then tell me what he thinks and I will be sure to share his thoughts with you! So here we go, here are my three choices!

1) North by Something Corporate

"If you're missing I will run away, Cause I find myself in you."

From the first breath of Andrew's soft voice to the last guitar chord fading out, this album is absolutely stunning. Seriously, I cant even put it into words. There is so much talent, passion and brilliance wrapped up into this 12 track album. You cant help but really feel involved with this album... the emotion becomes personal, it transcends the airwaves into your room in a very real way. You feel the album as you listen. Each track takes Something Corporate's signature piano pop/punk blend and mixes it with a variety of heavy emotion and poetic lyrics and lullaby-esque vocals. On this CD I highly recommend the tracks: Down, Me & The Moon, Ruthless, I Wont Make You

2) Letters by Butch Walker

"I cant live if you're not happy, I cant live if you cry... but I can live without you if it makes you smile"

One of my favorite albums ever I think... its that good. Most of it is really simple soft rock, but its beautiful in its simplicity... a little deceiving as well. Butch has this ability to make music sound easy. There is a flow to his records that suggests an ease... but that comes with a lot of hard work. Its the result of a long and difficult career. He is such a talented musician in every sense of the way and this album is a perfect representation of that. He writes the most stunning love songs I've ever heard. Seriously, if a guy wrote this for me, I'd be in love haha. Its like a walk through the duration a relationship... you feel and hear it as it happens. There's love, there's lust, there's loneliness... its the whole range. His voice is flawless- the way he is able to express passion in every note... its like he's singing your life back to you in the most beautiful way possible. Its mature rock... can I call it that? It hits you on a level that a lot of music just cant even reach. For that reason and SO MANY more... I think everyone should own this amazing album.

Listen to: Mixtape, Dont Move, Maybe Its Just Me, Promise

3) Pretty Odd by Panic At The Disco

"If all our life was but a dream, Fantastic posing greed, Then we should feed our jewelry to the sea. For diamonds do appear to be, Just like broken glass to me."

I know, I know... its NOT A Fever You Cant Sweat Out. That was a brilliant piece for what it was... but I find that this album is always passed off as "not that album" or "not Panic". Granted it sounds absolutely nothing like their first work, but I mean, cut them some slack, they were 16 when they started that recording process. People grow up! Its not all bad, especially if it results in albums like this gem. I really love it... its creative, its fun, its different. Brendon Urie's vocals on this album... just wow. Gorgeous and so pure. The overall sound? Very reminiscent of The Beatles. This album is just all over the board... you can hear influences of all kinds in the first 15mins of putting it on. There is 50s crooning, there is a heavy classic rock influence, there are even bits and pieces of country weaved in. This fabric is intricate and there to be appreciated by those who are willing to listen without a preconceived bias. 

Songs to check out: Mad As Rabbits, Northern Downpour, She Had The World, Folkin' Around

BONUS> if by chance you cannot find one of my other choices, then my alternative selection is 

Almost Here by The Academy Is...

"Always up or down, Never down and out. Dream of demons while you sleep, That make you stutter while you speak."

Again, one of my all time favorite albums. I've never forgotten the first time I heard this play... I was on the computer looking for some new music and the second I heard one simple song, I was hooked. Never looked back. William Beckett's eerily perfect vocals combined with the band's signature  brand of light hearted pop punk is a recipe that demands success. This album cannot be ignored, its a work of art. 

Check it out: Skeptics & True Believers, Down & Out, Almost Here, Classifieds

So Grandpa, now it is your move! You have my suggestions, and when you listen and tell me in all honesty what you think, we'll have a conclusion :) ... I also have to say, you will probably look like the coolest Grandpa ever (which you are, obviously!) to the people in the store!

HAPPY LISTENING!

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

A Shopping List For My Grandpa: Introduction

Hey Everyone!

Happy New Year... its the start of a whole new decade and a start at a whole new life. I feel like this year has a lot of promise and I'm excited to see if it proves me right. Alright, although my writing is still going to be a little sparse, I am definitely going to lean myself back into it. I miss coming here and sharing music with my blog and any readers I may have. That being said, the topic of this blog may be slightly confusing and I'm going to clarify it for you!

Over the break, I wrote a few emails back and forth to my Grandfather. He said that he reads my blog and it allowed him to see and understand my passion for music although he has never had much of a passion for it himself. As a joke, he added "maybe its not too late for me yet" and I took this as a bit of a challenge being waved in front of me... could I find music that my Grandpa would perhaps enjoy? He gave me that challenge and asked me to come up with 3 CDs I recommend for him. 

Image: My artist rendition of my Grandpa listening to his new cds... created using SP Character Generator HERE

I thought this would be kind of a cool project to share... I'm curious to see if I can find music for another person with not much to go on. I mean, I'd like to think I know my Grandpa really well, but sometimes music can extend beyond typical associations we have of a person. Its a very tricky and personal thing, not easy to do if you dont have pretense as to what this person already listens to. In my world, music is my air. For my grandpa, its the background noise in his life. As such, its kind of challenging to get the attention directed towards the music. 

For this project, I'm going to pick music I like that I think my Grandpa MAY like. I cant be sure, but I figure its worth a shot and could be almost, a way for my Grandpa and I to understand each other :) So if this interests you, check back on Monday January 4th for my list! 3 albums by 3 different artists, I'm going to highlight specific songs that I think he should listen to as well as describe why I made each selection!

This is exciting, time to go narrow down my list!

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show