The Fray

On the first of hopefully many fun summer nights of 2009 my friends and I decided to go to a concert and The Fray just seemed like the perfect band to kick off the season.

Our venue was the Nokia Jones Beach Theatre literally seconds away from the sand and surf and the perfect setting to start up the 09 concert series. Once inside the venue the sounds of opening act Richard Swift, not to be confused with the much more talentedand younger Taylor seemed to provide an atmosphere for the eager crowd much the way elevator music would.

After his alloted time was up and the crowd was starting to pick up on density Jack's Mannequin the second opening band appeared on stage. I had seen them prior to this concert at the Van's Warped tour in 07 and I guess that made them seem far more subdued than nomal. With their piano ballads talking about the importance of staying afloat (metaphorically speaking) and loving a girl that doesn't quite love you back the band just seemed to wanted the audience to not boo them off the stage, and that wish came true there was no one audience member that could have honestly said they were in awe of their performance.

Finally when The Fray finally entered the stage with their simple looking set the stadium was brimming with excitement and after their first rendition of the Grammy nominated song "Over my head" the audience reached what seemed like pure bliss. After a couple of songs were performed the band addressed New York and proceeded to tell the story behind "How to Save a Life" followed by a chilling performance that's energy could not possibly have been captured by and single or record.

Throughout this whole show the settingbthat had once looked like a simple set of screens seemlessly transformed into a dramatic backdrop of fun lights, interesting camera angles as well as projectors, that were interesting to look at as well as asthetically pleasing even from all the way backnin the nosebleed section where I was sitting.

After the band left the stage for what appeared to be a quick rest before the encore the stage crew cleared off some of the bands props and the guitarist entered the stage and performed a song all by himself that was in a word cute. Followed then by his fellow bandmates The Fray began to sing a classy version of Kanye West's "Heartless" that will surely go down as one if the best songs of the night. Finally to conclude that nights festivities the band finished with "You Found Me" and made the night well worth $39.99 spent.

In general The Fray delivered a wonderful live performance that reminds everybody of how wonderful live music can be without the aide of editting and prosessing.

The Fame

Starting with the melodic and universally respected single that swept through virtually every music industry from San Francisco to Switzerland on the top of the charts “Just Dance” seems to be as infectious as the first time we all heard it. With each songs’ electronic tones provided by Space Cowboy and the quirky lyrics and written by Lady Gaga herself the listener is submerged into the glittery world that is Gaga-land in which everything from irksome photographers (Paparazzi) to having simply a summer time fling (Summerboy) is discussed in perfectly rhyming manner that makes the listener wish he or she could fit into the stilettos she struts on the pictures within The Fame’s jewel Case. Certainly this is not an album expected to be the next Les Miserables however for the moment its ethereal charm and razor sharp lyrics is enough to keep this album in the limelight. In the meantime songs like Lovegame and The Fame prove to the audience that Gaga is not only a performer most noted for her outlandish and sometimes ridiculous outfits but also for her eye opening vocal range.

Cinema Bizarre April 24th 2009 Concert Review

If you had walked past the Highline Ballroom on April 24th 2009 you would have been shocked to see around 250 teenage girls all waiting in a queue. No the Jonas brothers were not giving away free goodies Cinema Bizarre a Berlin based glam pop band performed in what was one of their first American shows.

Starting around 7:15 the doors to the ballroom opened and the staff was really friendly and the crowd was pumped. As the temperature in the room went up so did the excitement, and as the temperature hit around 85 and the clock hit 8:15 the first opening band started their set. From Amsterdam the band EveNI first played Feel It and finished up 4 songs later with Wake Up. Completing their performance announcing they would be giving away free CD's made the audience very happy and excited for the last opening band before Cinema Bizarre, The After Midnight Project.

When the final opening band entered the stage after 15 minutes of setting up their equipment the audience was way more pumped, and shortly after they started their set the audience forgot they were there for another band. With their strong rock infused sound they were able to get the entire room full of people jumping in unison to a song they had never even heard. As they announced their last song Take Me Home the audience reaction was amazing. The applause nearly doubled as we all realized that Cinema Bizarre's was closer than ever.

So finally after all was said and done at 9:13 the show really started, and after almost 3 hours of waiting the excitement and anticipation was truly palpable as the D.J. started the intro music that lead to the entering of the band. Walking out on stage Strify launched into the most charismatic version of She Waits for Me that cannot be compared to any other recording. Once the audience was settled and the first set of songs was finished he talked to the audience about his love of New York like we were his friends backstage rather than their fans. Once his first "speech" was over the band performed their signature Forever or Never which brought the volume of the crowd to a deafening uniform scream as Strify grabbed and grinded both Kiro and Yu.

All was running smoothly as the band smoothly transitioned from Dysfunctional Family to their unpublished song Crashing and Burning. Once their set seemed complete the other members of the band all disappeared from the stage as Strify wanted to play a game with the audience. Slowly one by one Strify described the members of the band and as their names were called they all reappeared wearing slightly less clothing than prior. Much to the delight of the audience Yu finally entered the stage wearing no shirt and the band quickly started up their last set of songs that included Lovesongs they Kill Me.

 Making the audience more than happy Strify once again proclaimed his love for New York City and thanked the audience for their awesome cheering etc. With their totally different sound and look they were able to transform a group of screaming people into one unison group of fans that will surely be purchasing the next time they come to town. With their charismatic front man Strify leading the show with witty transitions and the rest of the band following as professionally as veteran musicians would the concert was enjoyable from beginning to end.  The entire concert truly was a show that will certainly not be forgotten amongst every Cinema Bizarre fan that was in attendance.

 

EvenI's official MySpace Page http://www.myspace.com/evenimusic

After Midnight Project's ofcl. MySpace http://www.myspace.com/aftermidnightproject

Cinema Bizarre’s ofcl MySpace http://www.myspace.com/cinemabizarre

Euphorie

-Alex C. & Yass. While I am not entirely proficient in the German language I was more than slightly off put by the 2nd song on the CD Du hast den schoensten Arsh der Welt. Although I find the songs on this CD full of interesting scenarios I guess we could say *see Sex an der Bar the beats to this good old club/dance CD is nothing but pure adrenaline from the first track to the last. This dance project was started by German producer Alex C. and the singer supplying the computer altered tones is Yasmine according to Google has no last name. With tracks like Erdbeden and Setz die Segel! This CD provides 45 minutes of absolute electronic mindless melodies. Perfect for a kickboxing or spinning workout this CD is worth the $9.99 on iTunes.

Cinema Bizarre

While looking at the Lady Gaga tour list I came upon the band Cinema Bizarre and while I have looked at their music I have never written a review on their music. Originally they are a band from Berlin Germany and while they sing their lyrics in English their look is nothing all that familiar. Derived from Visual Kei their look is truly one that commands the attention of all sees them. Although they are sometimes confused with the über amaaazing Tokio Hotel their music could not be more different. Their big hit in Europe was Lovesongs (they kill me) and is a techno song that is quite catchy. It was recently released in Hot Topic stores in an EP format that sold out in 3 days. On the original CD following Lovesongs is Forever or Never the most upbeat and exciting song on the CD. Other good songs include Get Off, She Waits for Me, and After The Rain which are all great examples of this bands writing abilities. While this is certainly not an example of such clear cut pop, the underscore of pulsating beats and fast paced electronic accents this music is perfect for working out or getting pumped up. Overall this CD is worth listening to if you're up for something new and different . Cinema Bizarre' CD is available through Itunes and is now carried by Hot Topic.

Official Website http://www.cinema-bizarre.de/site/

My Newest Obsession

For all of you that have no idea who this is you are really missing out. Very recently on one of my 3 hour You tube excursions I found this interesting Russian artists. Since I don't speak Russian or have even the slightest ideas what he was singing about this music is taken and listened to at face value rather than for the quality of the lyrics and so on. The first song I listened to that I was absolutely hooked on was ty dolzhna ryadom byt. This song is slightly reminiscent of Justin Timberlake and the English version of this song is so cheesy I wouldn't even recommend anybody listen to it. Finally after listening to most of the songs I could find by him I have to say that Невозможное воэможно or Lady Flame is absolutely worth listening to in both English and Russian. With its catchy chorus and infectious melody it is almost impossible to resist the charm of this song. 

ty dolzhna ryadom byt-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA902XCeP4A

Lady Flame-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn9e8MCCHsE

Невозможное воэможно -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIgB2dfKluM

Fearless- Taylor Swift

As the first music review of the year I thought I shoud review something something I usually wouldn't even listen to. Starting off with the title song Fearless Taylor's intentions for her 2nd album are made quite clear as she tries to convince the listener that she has developed from an adolesent to a woman in this record. With most of the songs proclaiming love Swift acts as a storyteller through her clever lyrics that usually wouldn't be considered melodic because of their direct narrative. The music itself is very easy to listen to because of the twangy sounds and its light lyrics concerning every matter of the heart from breaking up to unrequited crushes. I give this album an A- for its relatablilty and southern charm that makes you wish she was your best friend.