blondie and the beat – Page 11

God bless the bassists

June 7, 2014June 7, 2014by Blondie and the Beat1 Comment

In case you are blind or you don’t care what bands look like, let me paint you a picture.

Bassists are HOT.

That is all.

I don’t know what it is, I don’t know if there is some sort of contract that has to be signed or what. Can anyone fill me in? Or is it just a wonderful coincidence?

Here are some bassists you may not have known were hot, and if you do know them then enjoy! 🙂

Jeremy Davis – Paramore

This guy has been stealing my heart since day one. Did I mention he married a beautiful English woman and now has an adorable little baby girl?

Funny story: When I saw Paramore in New York City a year ago I was on this guys shoulders yelling Hayley’s name as it was dead quiet. Hayley never heard me but Jeremy was just looking at me and laughing. It was a pretty big “LOL” moment and one I will never forget.

Of course I’m talking about the Pete Wentz minus the guy liner and scary Goth man bangs… that was a weird time. I am very excited to see him for the first time performing with Fall Out Boy in July for Monumentour!!!

Jared Followill – Kings of Leon

I have to say, these brothers (and one cousin) are all good looking. The bad boy image seems to be working in their favor.

Fun fact: I watched “Talihina Sky” the Kings of Leon documentary and it truly made me fall absolutely in love with this band, more than I was before. They really do have an incredible ‘rags to riches’ story that is extremely compelling. Check it out—–> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEcxxQdeJfM

He also has the best Twitter bio ever. It simply says “I make your seats vibrate.”

Guy Berryman – Coldplay

I mean…… He’s incredibly shy but when you catch a smile from him, it lights up the room.

Kevin Ray – Walk the Moon

This picture…just too much.

If you’ve never heard of Walk the Moon get on it!! They are the perfect summer band to listen to. Its a pretty blend of pop/alt-rock and they always have high energy. Every song has a catchy chorus, quirky sounds, and simple lyrics. Check out: “Lisa Baby”, “Iscariot”, and “Fixin'”

Jacob Fink – Foster the People

I know… he looks like a Hollister ad.

Who knew this beautiful person existed in Foster the People. This band was formed in California, so maybe all that time in the sun is what created the flawless tan…

Well I hope I proved my point: Bassists are hot.

–Abbey

-All pictures from bing.com

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A room full of Coldplay

May 19, 2014May 19, 2014by Blondie and the Beat2 Comments

Me: Ok, Dad it’s 7 I need the TV now.

Dad: Why? What are you watching?

Me: A Coldplay concert on NBC.

Dad: But I saw you’re taping it so can’t you just watch it later?

Me: I taped it so I can watch it 100 more times, I’ve been waiting all week to watch this. Remote please?

*Dad hands over the remote

Chris Martin doesn’t even have to try to enchant an audience, it just happens on its own.

Coldplay: Ghost Stories premiered tonight (5/18) on NBC. The hour long special gave fans an intimate look at the band performing for a somewhat small crowd of 800 people. They played mostly new music with a couple classic Coldplay hits. The blend of amplified music and gorgeous cinematography was such a refreshing sight to see on the NBC network.

Starting off with their first single off the new album Ghost Stories, The song Magic made the crowd become one. The energy and slow trance-like vibe could be felt flowing out of my Samsung television all the way through my fluffy slippers to the big blue recliner I was sitting in.

After an annoying commercial break… Coldplay was back with one of their earlier hits Speed of Sound. This song brought all Coldplay fans on a ride back to the beginning of this magnificent band.

Colorful explosions littered the ceiling of the venue as fans’ faces floated with exuberant smiles and glowing eyes. Coldplay has a way of making everyone just feel. There is no other way to describe it. This band can make you feel everything.

The song Viva La Vida brought everyone back to the good ole drum stomping Coldplay. The chorus heavy song had every fan singing every lyric. Chris Martin’s gorgeous smile and effortless voice captivated every human in the room. People of all age, race, and gender looked like they were having such a fantastic time, just living in the moment.

The concert then drifted from reality to what looked like a music video. We see Chris Martin running outside of the venue (guitar in hand) taking a taxi, then slowly walking down a dimly lit dock to sing another new song off of Ghost Stories called Oceans. The fitting sound of waves crash beneath Martin as he stares into the camera and just about melts your heart into a puddle on your own living room floor.

As Martin jumps off the dreamy dock into the dark water, a classic Coldplay hot-change happens, chart topper “A Sky Full of Stars” is now lighting up the stage. As the beat drops, we see Martin’s awkward yet adorable dancing as he takes front and center on the stage.
The crowd helps Martin finish the song and a huge grin is left on his face.

Near the end of the show, Martin introduces the other band members giving a little blurb about each man. I’m not here to give you a play by play (you need to watch the whole special yourself) But I really loved when he introduced Guy Berryman (bassist) and said “He sells our calendars with his devilish good looks” PREACH! That man is a work of art…

I love the brotherly love you see on stage with Coldplay. The smiles at each other during a guitar solo or drum beat are truly a joy to see these days. Bands seem to be going extinct and Coldplay engulfs the spirit of what it means to be in a band. The respect, passion, love, and pure talent is left behind on every stage they touch.

Go out to a store and buy “Ghost Stories” TOMORROW (5/19), play it start to finish, and enjoy every second that is Coldplay.

-Abbey

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I’m Banking on BANKS!

May 1, 2014by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

It only took a couple Instagram pictures to make me get crazy excited for goth
Queen Banks’ new single.

“Goddess” dropped on iTunes this past week and it is the epitome of real life
girl power and courage.

The song is clearly about a troubled relationship. Banks sings “she gave it all,
you gave her s***, she coulda done just anything.” The haunting backup vocals
and gorgeous R&B beats leave you singing every word.

“You shoulda crowned her, cause she’s a goddess” I just can’t get over this line
and how perfect it is. Banks recently said at a live concert, “Every woman is a
goddess and I want every woman to know that, every single one of you, you are a
goddess. This is for you.” Banks is being a voice for all the women who deserve
true love but don’t have it. The song has a sassy “coulda had this” attitude
that you can’t help but completely fall in love with.

The chorus is another mixture of sass and truth; “f****** with a goddess and you
get a little colder” AKA- don’t mess with a woman. This just makes me want to
make a Goddess army with tons of really cool women in hot leather and lots of
eyeliner. Maybe even a couple thigh high boots.

Banks’ full length album comes out September 9th and it is going to slay
everything in its path. With a total of 18 songs on the album (including songs
from her London- EP) her mixture of dark pop and sultry R&B are absolutely
stunning. Banks’ voice in itself is something you don’t hear every day. She has
an interesting vocal range hitting low notes all the way up to trickling high
fairy notes. Her vibrato is subtle enough where you can barely notice it but
when you do, it just adds that much more emotion to every track.

Banks is killing it in every way possible right now. Her style and ambition to
create an album that resembles her is the true way to make music.

From: http://www.turntablekitchen.com/_uploads/Banks_Goddess.jpg

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Beyonce’s “Heaven” is just that

March 31, 2014March 31, 2014by Blondie and the Beat2 Comments

It’s 12:48 am and I can’t sleep. I listen to “Heaven” by Beyonce and relive some of the most pivotal moments in my life: the death of loved ones, the life of new ones, the tears I’ve cried, the laughs I’ve laughed, the smiles I’ve smiled, the love I’ve given, the love I’ve received. Life is nothing without love.

“Heaven couldn’t wait for you, so go on, go home” may be the most heartbreaking lyrics we have ever heard Beyonce sing.

“Heaven” floods our ears with a haunting piano melody and heartbreakingly beautiful lyrics that flow as effortlessly as a prayer. Beyonce proves that the power of love is just that…power.

“I fought for you the hardest, it made me the strongest” the song is obviously referring to the miscarriage Beyonce suffered a few years back. The steady piano and quiet enchanting background vocals make the song a symbol of raw emotion.

“Heaven” ends with a Spanish translation of the “Our Father” that further proves the impact of a simple song about the pure feeling of a love that was lost.

It is now 1:19 am and I’m crying, but now I think I can go to sleep.

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Paramore for life!

March 21, 2014March 21, 2014by Blondie and the Beat2 Comments

I thought my first legitimate post should be about the band who sparked my initial interest/obsession with music: Paramore.

They have come a long way since the greasy hair, band t-shirt, and Vans wearing days. Paramore completely changed the rock genre to me. They started out as a cute young band with a front woman who changed the vision of a “girl singer”. Hayley Williams became an icon. Never have I ever seen a woman rock harder than Ms. Williams herself. She has the perfect amount of talent, poise, beauty, and bad-ass-ness!

Seeing this band perform live four times have been the highlights of my life. The energy and vibe this band gives off is nothing short of positive. Jeremy (bassist), Taylor (guitarist), and Hayley (lead vocals) all have a huge enjoyable chemistry you cannot help but strain your neck to look for. Every show was different, every set was spectacular, and Hayley’s voice remains the same; perfect. Rock music to me was never just about the voice, it was about the music as a whole. Paramore brought that sense of rock music back but with a woman who’s voice could rock a volcano to bits or sing a baby to sleep.

The growth of Paramore from their first album “All We Know Is Falling” to their latest album, the self titled “Paramore”, is immense. The content is heavily weighed on new life experiences. We also get to hear the most spectacular mixes of shredding guitars and electronic synths I have ever heard in my life. When I first found out the new album was filled with 17 songs I was in shock. I had been following Paramore through every step while they were working on their long awaited 4th album and I knew it was going to be flawless.

And it was.

If you haven’t listened to the newest Paramore album I highly suggest you do. It is a true homage to the long journey Paramore has been on as a band, as friends, and as true people.

Now that I’m done gloating about the best band in the world, I’ll leave you with some pictures I took at the most recent Paramore show I went to in Virginia when they were on the “Paratour”.