Take It or Leave It

Band: The Strokes
Album: Is This It
Genre: Indie Rock

Have you ever asked yourself the question "is this it?" in reference to something you've heard? The name of The Strokes debut album asks this very question to its fans. It even seems to be a question to the band themselves, wondering if they would have to stop after the very first album they made. That was not the case for this incredible band since the album had topped the charts all around the world. Reaching number 33 on the Billboard 200 is a pretty phenomenal feat for a band that wasn't all too know in 2001.

The Strokes 2011 from thestrokes

The lead singer of The Strokes is a man from Manhattan, New York named Julian Casablancas. Julian being from New York is really important to me since I am too; him being from there allows me to connect with him on a more personal level even though the two of us have never met. He is extremely soft spoken in interviews and keeps his personal life to himself. That happens to be one of my favorite things about Julian and the entire band. They keep their personal life separate from their life in front of the cameras.

Julian's voice is extremely unique; it has a natural edge to it that bring anyone in. His sound enhances the true rock feel of the album. Some tracks off of the album have a more sultry feel while others have a darker feel all because of his voice.

Image from sarahhvictoria

The rest of the band is made up of four other people as opposed to three, like most bands are. Having five people in The Strokes gives the band a much better sound and quality; this allows Julian to focus on just singing rather than playing rhythm guitar like most frontmen do. Albert Hammond, Jr. plays rhythm guitar, Nikolai Fraiture plays bass, Nick Valensi plays lead guitar, and Fabrizio Moretti brings them all together by playing the drums. Everybody in the band compliments each other perfectly and they have been playing well together for seventeen years.

Is This It is the album that had put The Strokes on the map. The first song I had ever heard from this band was off of this album; the song is called "Someday". It is still one of the band's most popular songs to date, actually! My personal favorite songs off of Is This It are "Barely Legal" and "Take It or Leave it"; I can listen to each of these songs for hours on repeat and not get tired of them at all.

"Barely Legal" is a song where Julian tells a girl who is eighteen to not take shortcuts in life just like he hadn't. He notices the innocence of her being only eighteen and that, even though she is a legal adult, she still has a lot to learn. "Take It or Leave It" is a song where Julian expresses that he has no wish to be apart of a romance with someone that is just going to string him along. Even though this was made seventeen years ago, it's still prevalent because people today are constantly leading others on. He says "just take it, or leave it" indicating that he has no desire to be strung along like other guys might.

The album as a whole is an absolute masterpiece, in my humble opinion. The Strokes are an incredible band that everyone should give a chance to at least once; the sound is so unique compared to any other modern, or classic, rock band!

Image from noiseymusic

21st Century

Band: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Album: Stadium Arcadium
Genre: Rock

This band has been running through my thoughts for the past few months, more so than I'd like to admit. I feel like this is a good time to start talking about them because, well, they're starting up a North American tour! The Red Hot Chili Peppers are coming back and I don't think I've ever been more excited for a tour. Although with school and all, who knows if I'll get the opportunity to see them. Being from New York, I've wanted nothing more than to see the Chili Peppers play in MSG, but I guess I'll just have to wait for the next time around.

Image from Rolling Stone

Anyway, this band is one of my favorite bands of all time. The members all work perfectly together to give the best performances to their audiences and albums to their listeners. Anthony Kiedis, the charismatic frontman, never fails to create a thrilling atmosphere that is sure to capture anybody's attention. From his young days of having long hair to now, he still manages to bring an energy to a concert like no other frontman. And, although he is no longer young and is now in his 50s, he still takes his shirt off on stage without a care.

Another man in the band who still takes his shirt off as if he was twenty again is Michael Balzary, or more lovingly known by the band and fans as Flea. He was lovingly given the nickname Flea because he is constantly jumping from place to place. The name stuck since he could never keep still on the stage; he still jumps around on stage even at fifty-three years old!

Image from all-flea

As the bassist, Flea works closely with the phenomenal drummer Chad Smith. Although he hadn't been there since the band started, he had been a strong addition to the band since the late 80s. His ability to create beats and keep the rhythm of the band is something that's kept the Chili Peppers an incredible band for years. The guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer, is the most recent addition to the band. His talents shine on their most recent album The Getaway. The band allows him to show off his talents more than in the first album he recorded on with them in 2011.

Stadium Arcadium was created in 2006 and is the longest runtime for any Chili Peppers album - over two hours. From the ever popular singles on the album - "Dani California", "Hump de Bump", and "Snow (Hey Oh)" - to the one's that are less known - "She's Only 18", "Strip My Mind", and "Make You Feel Better" - there is something for everyone to love. I definitely recommend this album to anybody who would want to get into the Red Hot Chili Peppers since it has twenty-eight songs with so much variety.

Image from anthonykiedisblog

My personal favorite song off of the album is "Slow Cheetah". This song really shows off Kiedis's talents as a vocalist; rather than something extremely upbeat his voice is calmer. The beat of the song is extremely relaxing and takes me away from a stressful situation. I listen to it often just to calm down and remind myself that stressing over the small things shouldn't matter.

Close seconds to "Slow Cheetah" are "She's Only 18" and "21st Century". "She's Only 18" is a very rock heavy song, the guitaring in it is enough to turn heads! The beat combined with Kiedis's words of getting with a girl that is far too young for his age curates a song that is unbeatable. "21st Century" is also a cheerful song that speaks to the fact that, in the modern age, society is falling apart.

Now you know a little more about one of my favorites! Have you ever listened to the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Let me know in the comments what you think about them!

Sway

Band: The Rolling Stones

Album: Sticky Fingers

Genre: Rock

The Rolling Stones are arguably one of the most influential and incredible rock bands from the 60s and 70s. From their first self titled album to their most recent album in 2005, the Rolling Stones have been topping charts all around the world. Their music has had influence on many bands - from Aerosmith to the Black Keys - and has stayed relevant within many people's lives. Even their oldest music is still important and listened to by many in modern day! I know that I still find what they curated from before I was born to be suitable for me now.

Photo from Christopher Dombres on Flickr

Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, has been a constant in my life ever since I have been young. His lyrics are always so beautiful, especially those off of Sticky Fingers, my all time favorite Rolling Stones album. I began listening to the Stones through my dad; I grew up listening to most of the classic rock music I do now because of him. I really do love Mick Jagger, I even have a gorgeous piece of art of him hanging in my dorm! I'd post a photo of it onto here, but I don't think it'd be much appreciated considering he is holding the middle finger up in it - sorry about that! I don't necessarily look up to Jagger, I mean he's done some things in life that are a little more than questionable. Did you hear about the whole having another kid thing at 72? I mean to each their own, but c'mon man. 

Anyway, back to speaking about the music rather than Jagger's personal life. Sticky Fingers is an album that I constantly come back to; I never get tired of hearing the melodies and lyrics off of the record. Opening the album with the iconic song "Brown Sugar", one of the all time best Rolling Stones songs, leaves a lasting mark that is sure to resonate with any music fan. Keith Richards and Mick Taylor starts the album off with impeccable skill on the guitar that capture an audience within an instant.

My favorite songs off of this album are "Wild Horses" and "B*tch". "Wild Horses" is a song that I can listen to anytime I feel like I need to take a step back from anything that I'm doing and just relax for a bit. It's the song I continually turn to to relieve stress and calm me down from anything terrible going on around me. "B*tch" is a song where Jagger seems to let go of all of his cares and send them to the wind. The brass section in the song is also one of my favorite parts since it adds to the carefree nature of the song!  

The Rolling Stones have so many great albums, I am always proud to rep their merchandise to show everyone just how big of a fan of theirs that I am. What are your thoughts and opinions on the Rolling Stones? Do you even like classic rock music? I'd love to hear your opinions, feel free to tell me below!

An Encounter

Band: The 1975

Album: The 1975

Genre: Alternative-pop

So I figured I'd start this blog off with the band that this blog is titled after - The 1975. They're the band I recommend, quite honestly, everyone listen to. Have you ever had that kind of band or artist that you can listen to on repeat without ever getting tired of them? Well, for me that's The 1975. Whether I'm listening to the music while I'm just walking with headphones in or jamming out in my room alone, their music has wormed it's way into my daily routine.

Matty Healy, the brilliant lyricist and vocalist of The 1975, curates gorgeous music that I can listen to for hours on end without getting tired of. He throws his every fiber of his being into every lyric and never holds back on his feelings; his outlook on the world is something I look up to and aspire to grasp, eventually. 

The three other members of the band are George Daniel on drums, Ross Macdonald on bass guitar, and Adam Hann on guitar. The band works superbly together and has a dynamic that is rare from newer bands. When on stage they all seem to have something that just clicks and get to enjoy laughing with each other.

I began listening to The 1975 in early 2014 through my best friend showing me the song "Girls". The song is a bubble gum pop song about a young girl attempting to get with a boy that is far too old for her age. When I first heard the song, I was ready to just brush it off and move on to the next song on my friend's playlist until I heard the way Matty had sang the bridge of the song. I knew after hearing that part of the song that I would have to look into the band more and definitely listen to more of their music!

I decided to listen to all sixteen songs off of their debut album in order to get a good read on the band. Each song on the album flows seamlessly into the next and the instrumental songs on the album are a unique touch that most bands or artists don't have to them now a days. Although some songs on the album, like Talk! and Chocolate, are not up to par with others, the album still reads well as a whole!

My favorite song off of the debut album is definitely "Menswear"; the beginning of the song is almost a two minute long instrumental created by the drummer George followed up by lyrics from Matty about going to a wedding he had no desire to be at. The song itself is extremely relaxing, but also has the ability to excite a crowd.

I definitely recommend giving this album a listen if you haven't already, it is a gorgeous piece of work. Their new album is just as beautiful, if not better really. This band truly knows how to curate art in a true form.

I have seen The 1975 live twice and even had the incredible opportunity of meeting one of my all time favorite bands in the popup store they had in the lower east side of Manhattan! They were all so sweet and sincere, it caused me to be thrilled to consider myself a fan of them. Getting to meet them had meant the world to me since they have such a large influence on my life!

(Ross is my favorite!)

I hope you enjoyed reading about The 1975! Do you like this band or even the genre of music they create? Please tell me, I'd love to hear your opinions!