If you don’t get why this whole thing is liked and loved by many, let me try to explain it to you on behalf of all the Electronic Dance Music fans out there: 

     Imagine yourself in a huge crowd of people surrounded with complete strangers. You might not know each other, but you all know that you’re in one place for one reason: to experience happiness. And then the first song comes on. There are little to no words in it, but then does it really have to have lyrics for it to induce emotions from people? Next thing you know, you’re colliding with sweaty bodies, jumping up and down without a care in the world, because well, you’re in complete bliss. You forget all your problems and worries for a while, because you’re too busy having fun with people who share the same love for the music as you. 

     This moment is your own little escape from the harsh realities awaiting to face you afterwards, so do yourself a favor and dance your heart out because these kinds of moments don’t last forever. 

     Now do you understand the big deal about EDM? 


- Reign Gonzales
click photos for source

     There are quite a number of bands with some odd and peculiar names, and some of those names have quite interesting origins. For example did you know that the name The Maine came from Ivory's song "Coast of Maine?" 

     But the band names that makes us the most curious is the one with numbers in them. Why put numbers? Why call yourselves The 1975? Why not The 1997?

     These names might not have been decided on just because, so here’s what we found out about where some band names came from: 

     Adam Levine says that the origin should just remain a mystery rather than explaining it because of its “horrendous” backstory. Although they won’t actually spill the details on how the band name came to be, there have been pretty accurate theories. 

     “The leading rumor about how Maroon Five name is the some of the band members attended Five Towns College in Long Island, though they did not graduate there. The school's "mascot" is The Sounds, and the colors are Maroon and white. They got ‘5’ from the name of the school, and "Maroon" from the school's colors”. 

(source)

     "Blink" was Tom Delonge's idea but they needed to change it because another artist was already using that name. "182" was added shortly after and the reason behind that number is that it's how many times Al Pacino said "fuck" in the movie, Scarface.

(source)

     The origin isn't quite interesting as some people expect it to be. Although they asked their fans what should their name be when they were just a couple of ordinary Aussies uploading covers on Youtube, "5SOS" seemed to stick with them. 

    "'We just came up with this at school,' they explain. 'When you’re at school, you start a band, you pick a random name, and you go from there. We just kind of went for it with that name. It’s not the best name in the world, but we just did it.'"

(source)

For these guys, their origin is based on a scientific study.

Matt says: “The name actually comes from a thesis that we found online it was written by a former Harvard professor. And one of the subsections of the thesis was titled ‘thirty seconds to mars’ and he goes on to talk about the expediential growth of technology that relates to humans and saying that we are quite literally thirty seconds to mars. What it means to us is, we thought it best described our music, in short.” 

(source: Manic Haze Interview)

     Hailing from Boulder, Colorado, this duo used their area code "303".

(source)

     "It was just a saying the guys had growing up for making Friday night arrangements… Then they needed a name for the first show so they just wrote down You Me At Six and now it’s a bit late to change it! I think the number 6 just has a ring to it!", Dan Flint explains in an interview.

(source)

     For Matty Healy, the band name was a personal experience. As he was in Majorica at 19, he stumbled upon a Spanish villa which made him spend the rest of his day with the artist living there. The man seemed to collect a lot of music memorabilia and gave Healy some beat generation collectives. 

     "‘I found a mental page of scribblings. It was SO mad I couldn’t figure out whether it was suicidal or totally life affirming. What stuck with me was that the page was dated, '1st June. The 1975'".

(source)

     "The [former] lead singer, Eric Dill, said in an interview that they were five guys who were snappy, clicky, and poppy (click being the coolest of the 3) and that they loved "The" bands, so they became The Click Five."

(source)

     The band asked Steve Averill to make a list of potential band names for them. They liked short names and so he came up with ten then put "U2" at the very end. 

   "'I thought it was strong graphically and it had a variety of connotations without meaning something specific. It was short and stood out from the band names common at the time. After we discussed the list we decided to go for U2 for all those reasons'."

(source)

     P.S. Thanks to U2 for the the free album you put on everybody's iPhones.

- Marian Plaza & Reign Gonzales
click photos for source
slideshow photo

     It’s time for another round-up of some underground musicians we recommend you to listen to! We always appreciate those local and foreign acts that are beyond talented but haven’t been in the spotlight just yet--or at least known by many, so we do our very best to feature these musicians in hopes that you, our readers, will take time to check them out. 

     Here are some newfound favorites of ours:

If you want us to listen to some of your favorites, then comment below!

- Reign Gonzales
cover photo

     I used to attend a lot of shows back in high school. I probably have been to at least 20 shows in my time! There was even a point where I had concerts to go to every weekend of the month. I'm not going to lie, I was an obsessive fan girl. Not even mid-term exams stopped me. I was the type of fan who'd wait in line for nine hours because I wanted to be front row, so not even the risk of being sun burnt stopped me (This is a true story. I was red for the rest of the week). I also was the kind to bug all the bouncers and techs to give me set lists or guitar picks. Basically, I was pretty crazy back then.

   Yesterday, I went to Bazooka Rocks III with our editor-in-chief, Marian. It was our first festival in two years and we didn't know what to expect. We both attended the first one back in 2012 and this year was way different from two years ago. This year was a whole new experience, and we could really tell that Bazooka gets better and better every year; especially with the facilities available. The overall production was beyond what we imagined and just knowing that Bazooka Rocks is an annual event, makes us very excited for the next one. 

    I know a lot of kids from the younger generation are starting to go to concerts and shows and sometimes it can get pretty crazy; so make sure you're always safe. For all those first-timers, read up on some basic concert etiquette and guidelines which are usually provided by the producers. If ever you're going to attend a show in the near future, here is a video on concert essentials you might want to bring with you:

- Reign Gonzales

     Because of the copious amounts of music covers uploaded, YouTube can sometimes be a bit of a drag. Especially with the same songs being sung by so many people, you would want to find that one musician who has that unique and special sound. Luckily for me, I stumbled upon a schoolboy from Warwick, United Kingdom whose voice is like none other; and that young boy's name is James Taylor-Watts. 

      At just the age of 16, James is without a doubt one of the most compelling young musicians you’ll ever come across. His creative take on popular songs might just make you swoon, but his original songs will leave you wanting more. With over 600,000 collective views on Youtube and a Debut EP that hit #6 on the iTunes chart, James definitely deserves to be recognized and heard.

     For everyone to know a little more about him, we asked James himself about his career, his interests, and what's it like making music while studying for school.

First of all, congratulations on the success of your debut EP, “Just a Number”! Were you completely surprised with all the positive feedback people around the world were giving?

James: Thank you! I was truly overwhelmed with how the EP was received. A career aim of mine was to reach the top spot in the iTunes singer songwriter chart and to reach number 6 on the first go was a great feeling!

At what point in your life did you realize that you wanted to pursue a career in the music industry? Have you always wanted to become a musician?

J: I started by playing drums when I was 10 and soon after I did my first gig when the drummer of my dad’s band had to drop out at short notice and that was when I found out I wanted to play music live and perform. I continued to pick up different instruments, and gradually over the next few years my passion grew and I think I decided it was definitely what I wanted to do when I was 15-ish.

Who/what are your influences and how do you incorporate them in your own music? 

J: I take inspiration from many singer/songwriters like Ed Sheeran and Gabrielle Aplin but also electric blues guitar players like John Mayer. I try to mix the two and create a blend in my original tracks.

How does your songwriting process go? Do you try to find inspiration or do you let ideas naturally come to you?

J: I start out by coming up with a few chords or a riff on the guitar or piano and I will then write the lyrics to those chords. Song writing has always been my therapy for getting through emotional highs and lows in life. I find inspiration from life experiences and tend to like the songs that are closer to me more.

As a young artist, how do you balance your music with other priorities such as your studies? Was there a time wherein you found it difficult to focus on certain things?

J: That is one of the most difficult things I have to do - balance. As I was revising for my GCSE’s I was also finishing my debut EP. Both deserve time and both are important to me but I managed to find enough time for both. Maybe there’s a tiny bit more music....

Do you have any pre-performance routines/rituals you do before you take the stage? 

J: I do vocal warm-ups in the car on the way to gigs which sound strange. I also like to remind myself of the opportunity and potential of the gig.  If I get the chance I like to meet some of the audience before I go on it is a real privilege that people have chosen to spend their money and time to come to see me perform and it really motivates me.

If you could somehow travel back in time, what musical era or which artist would you visit?

J: I would’ve loved to see Jimi Hendrix play as well as Led Zeppelin as I love the rock/blues guitar sound. I also would’ve love to see Amy Winehouse perform her Frank album.

If you ever get the chance to collaborate with anyone, who would it be and why?

J: I’d like to collaborate with someone like James Blake or Chet Faker and create a completely different sound and experiment.

At such a young age, how do you deal with the transition from being a normal teenager to a recognized singer/songwriter? How do you react to people admiring your music who are much older and/or much younger than you?

J: I am a pretty relaxed person so I tend to just go with the flow. I feel grateful things are going well for me and want to seize every opportunity.  I don’t change personality between the stage or the library - what you see is pretty much what you get!

I take my music seriously despite being younger so it’s nice to hear positive feedback from older listeners as I feel they have listened to more music over time and it’s harder to get their approval. It’s also great to hear that young listeners like your music, it really motivates me.

Sincere thanks to everyone who takes the time to listen and support my music.

Check out more of James on:
YouTube | Twitter | Facebook

Download his EP "Just A Number"

Thank you to the wonderful James TW for taking the time to answer all our questions! 

*all photos courtesy of James TW*

- Reign Gonzales

     Described as “UK funky, baroque pop, and classical electronic”, Clean Bandit is definitely a unique and extraordinary quartet. Formed in 2008, the British group has combined synths, strings, and mixes to create music like you’ve never heard before. With their single “Rather Be”, which featured Jess Glynne, topping the charts in eight different countries, Clean Bandit is definitely one to look out for. 

      The group started out with Jack Patterson creating synths, adding them into string pre-recorded performances by Grace Chatto (cello) and Neil Amin-Smith (violin). Later on, Luke Patterson, the younger brother of Jack, was recruited to be the band’s official drummer. With classical string instruments put into electronic music, the feedback was unpredictable at first, but as their following grew, Clean Bandit has proven that their sound can make anybody get up and dance.

     Their latest album entitled ‘New Eyes’ was released last June, which made it all the way to #3 in the UK Album Charts. All tracks on the album feature various artists such as Stylo G, Rae Morris, and Eliza Shaddad. 

Listen to the album:

Check out more of Clean Bandit:
Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

- Reign Gonzales
Source
(click on photos for sources)

     We all know a couple of popular artists, such as Justin Bieber, Drake, Michael Buble, and Celine Dion, who hail from Canada. These people have made it big in the music industry, selling over a billion copies of their albums and touring all over the world. It is without a doubt that there are a lot of talented Canadians out there, although some might not be recognized enough; especially when it comes to bands. 

   You might already know quite a few of these acts, but nonetheless, let’s take this time to appreciate some of the coolest bands from Canada. 

   Here’s a list of a few of my favorite Canadian acts:

Arkells
Hamilton, Ontario
arkellsmusic.com 

Arcade Fire
Montreal, Quebec
arcadefire.com

City and Colour
St. Catherines, Ontario
cityandcolour.ca

Crystal Castles
Toronto, Ontario
crystalcastles.com

Marianas Trench
Vancouver, British Colombia
marianastrench.net

Metric
Toronto, Ontario
ilovemetric.com

Sum 41
Ajax, Ontario
sum41.com

Tegan and Sara
Calgary, Alberta
teganandsara.com

     If you want to check out other Canadian bands, here is a master list of possibly every Canadian band that has ever existed: click here 

- Reign Gonzales

     Some of you might have already been to Africa to explore its amazing wildlife and culture. One of the best things to do if you ever happen to be in Africa is to go on a safari tour where you get to see all the animals up close and personal. You might also want to get historical and visit some monuments; but if you want to do something not-so-typical from what all tourists are doing, you can go check out Africa’s music festivals!

   Most African music festivals feature local musicians, but there are also some international acts from all around the globe. Foreign artists such as MGMT and Rudimental have taken part in these events. 

Here are some cool music festivals to check out:

Bush Fire Festival
Where: Swaziland
When: Late May-Early June
Who: Simian Lord, Eppelsauce
bush-fire.com

Rocking The Daisies
Where: South Africa
When: Early October
Who: Crystal Fighters, MGMT
rockingthedaises.com

Vic Falls Carnival
Where: Zimbabwe
When: Late December
Who: Jeremy Loops, Shortstraw
vicfallscarnival.com
photo source

     If you want to learn more about the music festivals in Africa, here is an article which features 12 of the best festivals you have to experience.

- Reign Gonzales

     I’m sure you’ve heard of music festivals such as Coachella and Warped Tour. I’m also sure you know that these festivals are on the other side of the world, and it will take you loads of money to save up for a ticket to that country alone. Although, that doesn’t stop you from imagining you were at these festivals in your head. You may picture yourself frolicking around with a flower crown at Coachella or maybe moshing your way at Warped, but it does get tiring to always pretend. So why not make those dreams happen, right? 

     You may not be able to travel across the globe for a music festival, but you may be able to attend something a little closer to home - well, if you’re in Asia or Oceania. You might be surprised that there are tons of other music festivals nearer to you, and that it might just include your favorite artist. So allow me to introduce to you some festivals that I recommend. 

     Here are seven music festivals  [including artists on previous lineups] that are similar to or might even be better than your dream music festival:

St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival
Where: Australia/Singapore/New Zealand
When: Late January - Early February
Who: Lorde, HAIM, Chvrches, Warpaint, King Krule 
lanewayfestival.com

Soundwave Festival
Where: Australia
When: Late February - Early March
Who: Greenday, Jimmy Eat World, Panic! at the Disco, A Day To Remember, Rob Zombie
soundwavefestival.com

Fuji Rock Festival
Where: Japan
When: Early July
Who: Franz Ferdinand, Arcade Fire, Foster The People, The Lumineers, Jack Johnson
fujirock-eng.com

Wanderland Music Festival
Where: Philippines
When: Mid-May
Who: The Drums, Architecture in Helsinki, Neon Trees, The Temper Trap, Nada Surf
wanderland.ph

Bazooka Rocks Festival
Where: Philippines
When: Late August
Who: You Me At Six, Taking Back Sunday, The Used, We Are The In Crowd, The Summer Set
bazookarocks.com

Jisan Valley Rock Festival
Where: South Korea
When: Late July
Who: The Cure, Vampire Weekend, DIIV, Cat Power, 
The XX
valleyrockfestival.mnet.interest.me/2013/eng

Clockenflap
Where: Hong Kong
When: Late November
Who: Tegan and Sara, Two Door Cinema Club, Metric, The 1975, Mac DeMarco
clockenflap.com

     You may have to spend a bit more money than you’d expect but at least they’re relatively cheaper than those located on the other side of the world (that’s including travel expenses). Plus, you get to learn more about the people and the culture in these countries.  So you’ll never know, these might just be worthwhile!

- Reign Gonzales
click photos for sources

     You’re probably thinking, “Well how does music help the environment?”. Obviously music can’t magically make Mother Earth better and cleaner; and it can’t necessarily make everyone’s perspective change in an instant. But it can bring people together to help raise awareness for our environment. People generally don’t go to music festivals to care about the environment. They go to have fun and listen to various artists. But some music festivals around the world help spread awareness to festival-goers even in the smallest ways possible. 

    It might seem impossible to make thousands of people maintain cleanliness at an outdoors festival where it can get pretty muddy or hot. But with little steps, these people can actually make a significant difference. 

    Take Shambala Festival as an example. Located in Northhamptonshire (England), this family-friendly festival goes on for four days with a population of over 10,000 people and is mostly powered by renewably energy. Shambala encourages everyone to bring their own reusable water bottle to reduce plastic waste. They also banned the sale of plastic water bottles and instead, installed taps across the entire festival for people to refill their bottles with. 

     Many other festivals like Bonnaroo (USA), Floydfest (USA), and Summercase (Spain) have made an effort into helping festival-goers realize the importance of caring for the environment. These efforts might not result to a drastic change but we certainly appreciate their help in making our surroundings greener. 

- Reign Gonzales
click photos for sources