Miracle Aligner

Band: The Last Shadow Puppets
Album: Everything You've Come to Expect
Genre: Psychedelic pop

Lazy afternoon strolls and going home with trouble is always caused whenever Miles Kane and Alex Turner get together to make an album. It took eight years for the duo to come out with a new album and it was met with immediate success. The group is much bigger in England than it is in the United States and had gone to number one in England, making it that every album Alex Turner has gone to number one in England. Being in the Arctic Monkeys has allowed him to become a known name and has given the chance for The Last Shadow Puppets to become a well known band outside of England.

Image from thelastshadowpuppets

Alex Turner and Miles Kane are both equal within the group. They work together to write songs and each have a talent for being in the spotlight. As written in a previous blog post, Alex Turner is from Sheffield and is known for being the frontman of the Arctic Monkeys. Alex seems to more outlandish when he is out on stage with Miles since he has the ability to interact with one of his best friends on stage and genuinely be himself.

Miles Kane is less known than Alex, but had been in a band before The Last Shadow Puppets called The Rascals. He also has a successful solo career in England that did not carry over to the States, but is still an incredible artists non the less. Miles is from a small area by Liverpool, England and his music has a more grunge rock sound to his solo music than that of what he's done in The Last Shadow Puppets.

The jokes the two make during interviews and on stage constantly capture the attention of their fans and always make them want more. The more they're together, the more they tend to make each other laugh and end up making others laugh. I never tire of seeing the two of them interact!

Image from mygoldenmove

When I first listened to this album, it had not been everything I had come to expect. Instead, it had exceeded my expectations tenfold and really displayed the musical talent Miles Kane and Alex Turner. The album illustrates how much the duo has grown since their debut album in 2008 and really shows off their new artistic talents to their audience.

Everything That You've Come to Expect is an album that everyone should sit down and experience all the way though. From Miles Kane screaming on Bad Habits to Alex Turner serenading his girlfriend on Sweet Dreams, TN, there is a range of unique songs and styles on the album. My absolute favorite song on the album is The Dream Synopsis. It is all Alex Turner singing about an extremely detailed dream he had that consists of him and Miles with a girl he had met when he was younger. The song has a very nostalgic and calming feel to it that I love listening to whenever I want to kick back and relax.

If you've never heard of TLSP, you should definitely check them out! I love this band so much, they're one of the best to come about! Let me know what you think of them below!

Out of the Black

Band: Royal Blood

Album: Royal Blood

Genre: Rock

So, I went back and forth for a while on who I wanted to write about this week. Did I want to do a band that's wildly known, or one that's more under the radar that everyone should know. I decided to go with the latter this time around. This band of two is definitely one of the most incredible rock bands to spring up within the last five years and has a charm to them like no other. Royal Blood consists of only a bass guitarists and a drummer, yet they still manage to sound like a band with a complete set of instruments! It's actually crazy to me, their music is so impressive.

Image from Independent

Now I'll be honest with you, I found this band through Howard Stern. My dad sent me a link to the interview with them saying I'd love the music and, low behold, I did! Even Howard, who is such a big critic, was blown away by their sound. I wish that he could've had them on his show sooner than summer of 2015 because I feel like the two years of me not knowing about them was two years that I sorely missed out on. Even when Dave Grohl had found out about them he called them directly and asked them to open for the Foo Fighters on tour. I wish I didn't miss that concert at Citi Field. 

Mike Kerr is the bassist and vocalist for the band and he is, honestly, so damn talented. When he plays the bass it sounds like there is more than one guitar going than his. His stage presence is massive, even though he has to concentrate on playing guitar and singing he still manages to rope the crowd into the band's performance. If Mike isn't facing the crowd, he is usually looking towards Ben Thatcher, the drummer of the band. Bass guitarists and drummers work hand and hand together, which is perfect for this pair. 

Ben gets a crowd going just as well as Mike, even if he isn't doing leading vocals. During concerts he'll stand up at his drum kit and go absolutely mad while encouraging the crowd to do the same; the dynamic between him and the crowd helps to keep some of the pressure off of Mike as a frontman.

Image from DIY Magazine

Hearing this album is absolute bliss to my little rock 'n' roll heart. It's truly got that grunge sound to it that many "rock" bands now a-days just don't possess; I seriously just love this band all around. This self-titled album is their first and, so far, only album that the band has made (I am dying for another album, trust me). I do recommend that if you like rock music, this is an album that you should definitely give a listen to!

Each song off of Royal Blood has it's own unique style to it, but my favorite has to be Figure It Out. The guitaring on this song is so, so, so good it almost hurts. Mike's style of bass is one of my all time favorites and this song truly showcases his talents on what he can do with four strings. The lyrics also have a very dark meaning behind them; even though there's "nothing better to do" he stays stuck trying to "figure it out".

Better Strangers and Little Monster are two other really awesome songs from this album. I mean, I'd recommend all ten of the songs, but I'll keep it to three so you can get to know the band without being overwhelmed, if you please. Better Strangers is a song about someone in a relationship leaving with no reason to give, just someone walking out without a care. Littler Monster is about someone who isn't perfect, but Mike says he'll love her "no matter what [she] says." They're both very contrasting in what they're about, which is something I love about the band. The songs are all so vastly different in their own ways!

If you've been looking for a new band to listen to, well here you go! They've been extremely popular in their home country of England since 2013, so now it's time for more people in America to know about them! Hope you give them a listen because they deserve it!

Fluorescent Adolescent

Band: Arctic Monkeys
Album: Favourite Worst Nightmare
Genre: Indie/Alternative Rock

If you were there, beware! You can do me a favour and do the bad thing by taking a listen to this incredible Arctic Monkeys album. Favourite Worst Nightmare is an album that was created in 2007 by the British band the Arctic Monkeys. And, yes, before you ask I am meaning to spell favorite and favor that way because it's how it's spelled on the album! Brit's are weird and add a u after the o, but that is beside the point. Favourite Worst Nightmare is my favorite album by AM and is the album that got me into the band!

photo by Zackery Michael

The band is made up of four men from Sheffield, a city in the northern part of England. They have extremely thick accents and it's sometimes funny to hear them talk in interviews when they interact with one another. They're kind of a quiet bunch, but I enjoy getting to see the interactions they have on stage and the jokes they make with one another.

The lead singer of the band's name is Alex Turner. His style has changed a lot since their first album from his vocal style to the way he dresses. During Favourite Worst Nightmare, he had longer hair and was a lot more shy than he is today. He is definitely a frontman that knows how to entertain and interact with an audience, though. He keeps any crowd interested, even huge crowds when the Monkeys are headlining festivals!

Image by high-green

Now, I hate to choose favorites, but... my favorite member of the Arctic Monkeys is definitely Matt Helders. Helders is the drummer of the band and is someone that I can wholeheartedly relate to. He's a photographer; this makes me absolutely love him more than any member in the band. His photos are breathtaking. Whether they be of his wife, child, or any random thing going on in his life, he really knows how to capture a moment. He also got to tour with one of my all time favorite solo artists, Iggy Pop. Post Pop Depression, honestly, skyrocketed to my favorite Iggy Pop record all because of him (and kind of because of Josh Homme too, but that's beside the point).

The last two members of the band are Jamie Cook, the lead guitarist, and Nick O'Malley, the bass guitarist. Jamie is the only guy in the band who doesn't sing back up, but happens to be one of the most outspoken people within the group. Jamie's guitaring also takes influence from some of my favorites like The Smiths and The Strokes, you honestly don't get much better than that. Nick is the quietest member overall, but he is a great bassist and I enjoy watching live videos of him interacting with everybody up on stage.

Image by sloq

Now have you ever listened to an album and just had it automatically rope you in? Well, this band has done that to me on multiple occasions. The Arctic Monkeys have definitely made some incredible albums, but Favourite Worst Nightmare is by far the best, in my opinion. Starting with Brianstorm all the way to 505 and even the bonus tracks on the album, I can listen to it on repeat for hours on end without getting tired of it.

From upbeat to calm and somber songs, there's something for everyone on this album. My all time favorite AM song is actually on this album and it is "Do Me a Favour". The song starts off very slow and progressively gets faster to display the stress of a strained relationship. The girl in the song even ends the relationship by telling him to "f*ck off" to which Alex feels is "too kind" of a response to what he's put her through. Ugh, I love that song. Best off the album and best they've ever made to this day.

I definitely also recommend listening to "505",  a slower song about going back to an old lover. "505" includes an extra guitar riff from a one Miles Kane, one of my favorite guitarists from today and the other half of The Last Shadow Puppets. "Fluorescent Adolescent" is another song I'd recommend off of the album, it's a very entertaining song that I love to jam out to whenever it comes on! If you're wondering why the live links, by the way, it's because you need the full experience; they sound brilliant live!

Image by Nina Hütter

The Arctic Monkeys have been apart of my life for a very long time and not a day goes by where I don't turn their music on. Have you ever listened or heard of this lovely band out of the small city of Sheffield? If so, what are your thoughts on them? If not, will you give them a listen? Let me know!

Come a Little Closer

Band: Cage the Elephant
Album: Melophobia
Genre: Alternative Rock

The term "melophobia" is what is known as the fear of music. Now that's usually the last term that is associated with any kind of music, right? Well, Cage the Elephant wanted to create an album about the fear of being able to produce music in a fashion that would be honest to the bands true emotions. I've been a fan of Cage the Elephant since a friend from back home showed me the song Cigarette Daydreams in her car a few years back; ever since then I've been hooked on their music.

photo by poonehghana

Cage the Elephant is a group of guys from Nashville, Tennessee. You'd assume that since they're from Nashville that they'd make country music of some sort, but that's so far from the case. Their music varies on the alternative spectrum and is constantly leaving me in awe with how many ideas they have.

The lead singer of Cage the Elephant is that man laying on the floor in the photo above; his name is Matt Shultz and he is one of my favorite people. Every lyric he puts in each song is extremely meaningful and he connects with a crowd like no other frontman. He jumps into audiences without a care, crowd walks, and runs back and forth on the stage to get the entire crowd into the bands performance. Along with being able to engage an audience, he is also an incredible singer. His voice is extremely unique and versatile so CTE's songs range from heavy rock to calm indie music.

Brad Shultz is the rhythm guitarist for the band and happens to be Matt's brother, as well! He will also throw himself into the fray of the crowd and play the guitar in the pit; he matches Matt's brand of crazy just well enough. I guess it would make sense that he would be a bit like Matt considering they are brothers after all. Jared Champion, also known as Jchamp, is the drummer of the band. He tends to make a lot of the jokes in the band and is an all around funny guy. The person I know least about is Daniel Tichenor, the bass guitarist.

Photo by firstthreesongs

Melophobia is my second favorite Cage the Elephant album, right behind the newest album the band had put out called Tell Me I'm Pretty, which is really fantastic you should definitely go listen to it! I decided to review Melophobia over Tell Me I'm Pretty, though, because it was the first CTE album that I had ever heard and it's what got me to absolutely love the band. Honestly, Melophobia overall is a piece of art, I recommend that if you've never heard it you should 110% give it a listen!

My favorite song off of this album is definitely "Halo". Matt's vocal range on this song is absolutely incredible and is really beautifully displayed through the verses, bridges, and chorus. The lyrics are another one of my favorite parts of this song; when his ex thinks about their relationship she thinks about the good times and when he thinks about it he can only think about the bad. 

"Cigarette Daydreams" will always have a special place in my heart since it was the first song I had ever heard by this lovely band. I love to listen to the song and will belt out the lyrics whenever I hear it.

Photo by Pooneh Ghana and Dana Distortion

If you've never heard of Cage the Elephant, you need to check them out. Like now! If you've listened to them before, let me know your opinion of them down below!