Indie/Underground Music

If there's one thing I love more than music itself, it's sharing it with people. I'm constantly (and by "constantly" I mean everyday) looking up new bands and listening to all of their music. Naturally, when I come across something so good, I feel like I need to share it with everyone I know.. which means I go ahead and spam my friends with YouTube links! Whether or not they lie about actually watching it, I'll never know. So, to save us all the hassle, I thought I'd post everything here instead. Although most of these artists aren't mainstream (which is my favorite thing about them) they've already managed to build loyal fan bases! Hopefully, there are some serious music lovers out there who can help promote these insanely talented bands. I'm a huge supporter of anyone who's out there trying to make things happen for themselves - and so I sincerely wish these bands all the best. These are some of the artists/songs I discovered this week. Enjoy :)



P.S I know some of these bands aren't necessarily "new" but they are to me. If this video playlist doesn't work for whatever reason, or you just want to hear even more music, feel free to click and listen to my Songza playlist. There are alot more indie/underground songs on it, and you can stream it all for free :) And of course, if you know any cool bands I should listen to, comment or tweet me!

Celebrities You Didn't Know Have A Twin!

Maybe it's just my fascination with Hollywood, or the fact that I think twins are awesome, but I found all this to be super interesting! We all know Tia & Tamera, Dylan & Cole, Benji & Joel, and of course, Mary-kate & Ashley.. but did you know these Hollywood stars are also a twin?! There's actually so many more but I narrowed it down to my top 15! Enjoy :)



(click a thumbnail or hover over a picture to read the description.)

P.S I know this post has zero substantial writing in it, but I thought this was a quick and easy post to share with you all!

Fifth Harmony

What I love most about 5H is that every single member can hold their own. Individually, they all have power-house vocals that could take them far as solo artists. But together? They have something special: the power to shake things up in the music world and really make their mark. (I mean, wouldn't you rather get on this crazy fame roller-coaster with four other talented girls and not have to face it all alone?) Ultimately, these five girls have what a lot of artists are missing now a days: raw, genuine talent & heart. If you listen to any of their covers on YouTube, the talent speaks for itself. Buy their single 'Miss Movin' On' & check their vevo page for the M&MG video!

But enough about all that.. now that I'm done rambling, I want to write about my experience meeting these lovely, lovely ladies! If you live in the NYC area, you heard about their TopShop meet&greet a few months ago.. it was insane seeing how many fans had shown up for them. A friend & I had shown up a couple of hours ahead and the line of fans was already nearing the 150 mark. Luckily, we had won guaranteed entrance into the venue from that promo contest they had! When we were finally let into the store, we could see the girls posing happily for the paps cameras and waving to all of the fans.  (Is it weird that in that moment I felt like such a proud mom?) When it was my turn, I rushed to Camila's side (don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore all of them but Cams is my favorite) She was super sweet, and gave me a big hug! After the picture she turned to me & said, "you're so beautiful omg i love you" *um, cue the massive fangirling* I did have a quick chance to say hi to the other girls as well, who were also sweethearts. You can tell they're all so genuine and real; it's so easy to feel like you could be best friends with any of them!

Who knew they could sing?

Turns out some of Hollywood's biggest names are more than just on-screen talent & actually have a set of pipes on them. I don't know about you, but it's such a fulfilling moment for me realizing that an actor I admire is actually a wonderful singer as well. How these people can be so incredibly talented in such different areas is beyond me. Take a look at the ones who've impressed me the most. (Multiple links are provided, click away!)

Zooey Deschanel & Joseph Gordon-Levitt:

Although she's better known as an actress, Zooey's never kept her vocals a secret. If you're a fan of New Girl, you hear her sing every week; and then of course, there's her indie-rock band, 'She & Him.' Joseph, on the other hand, hasn't had many roles requiring him to sing. Shame because he's actually got a beautiful voice. These two sound great together, and have posted a bunch of adorable videos on her YouTube!

Chris Pine

Star Trek's leading man actually has the voice of a country angel. (after hearing this, that's the only comparison you'll be able to make too) He showed off some very impressive vocals in 2010's Small Town Saturday Night, where he played Rhett Ryan, an aspiring country singer. As much as I love staring at him on the big screen, I definitely wouldn't mind hearing this sweet voice on any country radio station.

Ryan Gosling

Ugh. As if he wasn't already flawless, he sings too. A lot of people don't know that he's even released albums as part of a folk-rock duo who call themselves 'Dead Man's Bones.' Now, if you're wondering why you haven't stumbled upon this before on any Ryan Gosling google searches, (we've all done it) it's because he has an alias. He goes by the name Baby Goose. If that doesn't make your heart melt, I don't know what will. Enjoy/obsess.

Scarlett Johansson

If there's one Hollywood star who's got it all, it's Scarlett. She's got the looks, the awesome career, had Ryan Reynolds, and if you didn't already know, she has one stellar voice, so smooth and jazzy. She's recorded two albums: Anywhere I Lay My Head & Break Up (a collab w/ Pete Yorn.) In 2012, she was even nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars for "Before My Time," heard in the documentary, Chasing Ice.

Pretty Little Liars Cast

Union Square - 2013

Times Sq - 2011

As much as I love the show and its characters, I love the actors even more. It's awesome to see how humble and down to earth someone can be while being on a hit TV show. PLL's fanbase has grown throughout the years (possibly even each week) and I love seeing how sweet and dedicated these actors are about showing their fans as much love as they can. I had the chance to meet Lucy Hale in NY (who's such a sweetheart) and even made some cool new Haler friends! I've met Tyler Blackburn (AKA Caleb) at a meet & greet he had in Macys for his online series: "Wendy." He was super nice & signed autographs/took pictures! Another person I got to meet was Shay Mitchell at her Seventeen Magazine cover signing. She was incredibly nice to all the fans that showed up and took her time having conversations with everyone and posing for silly pictures. Before their winter premiere last year, I saw all the girls (minus Ashley Benson) in Times Square - Troian Bellisario is flawless in person, just an fyi. (Didn't manage to get a picture with her since the girls seemed rushed to go to another interview.) P.S Marlene King (PLL creator) tweeted out that we will all know if Ali is alive or dead by the end of the summer!! Xo

Tyler Blackburn & I!

Shay Mitchell & I!

Best Movie Soundtracks

I admit, I'm one of those people who think the music behind the scenes are what makes the scenes worth watching. Don't get me wrong, the acting makes the movie - but what's a good movie without the perfect love song during a romantic scene? There are countless movies with awesome soundtracks, but I thought I'd mention a few of my absolute favorites. If you haven't watched/ or don't plan on watching any of these movies, just give the music a chance: (Click links provided to buy soundtrack/ hear samples) Suggestions are always welcome/encouraged. Enjoy! Xo

"Dear John" gets 5/5 stars from me, especially because of the amazing soundtrack. Big artists like Joshua Radin, Fink, Rosi Golan, 311, & even Amanda Seyfried herself are part of the musical contribution. If you want to listen to some mellow music with great lyrics, this is the soundtrack you want. (My favorites include "Little House", "This is the thing", "Think of Me", "Paperweight."

One soundtrack I had on repeat was "Country Strong" (and no, you don't have to be a huge country fan to like these songs!!) What I love about this soundtrack is the fact that the cast sings it (A+ acting btw) My favorites include "Me & Tennessee", "Timing is Everything", "Words I Couldn't Say", "Summer Girl", "Coming Home" & topping the list, "Give Into Me."

"Burlesque" is A+ everything. With Christina Aguilera & Cher what else can anyone possibly want?! The soundtrack is packed with feel-good songs and some kick-ass vocals. My favorites include: "Bound To You", "Tough Lover" & "But I am a Good Girl." If these vocals don't give you goosebumps, watch a live performance of 'Bound to You", that'll do the trick.

J.Mac? Yes please

Let's rewind to the year 2004: If you were anything like me, you were either:

1. Watching Jesse McCartney on "Summerland" or,
2. Listening to Jesse McCartney's debut single "Beautiful Soul"

It seemed like he was just about everywhere, and no teenage girl was complaining..

Today,  if you're still a J.Mac fan like me, you're definitely thrilled about his current tour with the Backstreet Boys! I went to their NJ show just two days ago and I can honestly tell all of you that post-concert depression is a very serious thing. If you're a concert junkie, I'm sure you know the feeling! I got the chance to meet him before his show and the 12 year old inside me could not stop jumping up and down with excitement. He was such a sweetheart, a total babe, and just everything you'd expect him to be! He gave a flawless performance on stage & looked beautiful in a blue tux! *swoon* He sang all the crowd favorites including: "Shake", "Body Language", "Leavin", his new single "Back Together" (which is available here on itunes) & the song I was waiting all night to hear live, "Beautiful Soul" *fangirling*  Just when I thought things couldn't get any better...  he announced he'd be releasing a new EP this month! [NEW JMAC SONGS THANK THE LORD ABOVE] I know I'm not alone in my JMac love and so I hope this post brought you all a nostalgic need to listen to all of his old albums and a whole lot of excitement for his future work. Read more to see some concert pics! Xo

American Idol

Group Shot! American Idol Top 11 Tour 2013!

Angie Miller & I!

Whether you've kept up with the previous seasons, or just watch Idol for the wacky auditions, you'd know that every year a handful of the most talented singers make it through all the rounds, and secure a spot on the summer Idol tour. I've gone to the Idol tour these past two years, and it's just incredible to have the chance to see these amazing artists before they go out and reach super stardom. Even though I think everybody is crazy talented and has huge potential, I always have my favorites. Season 12? Definitely Angie Miller (the girl can SANG!) After watching her performance in Hollywood week, (an original song titled, "You Set Me Free") Angie had my vote for the entire season. I watched her sing it live just a few days ago and had goosebumps the whole way through. The other 10 Idols that night also sounded phenomenal! (Here's a video I recorded of her!) I hope you like the song as much as I do! Fun fact: Just one year ago, Angie actually auditioned for AI in that very same arena! Keep reading to see more concert pics!

Welcome..

Welcome to my blog! I just wanted to make a quick post about whats to come:

I'll be writing about all my adventures meeting all my favorite celebrities, the awesome events that are held in the NJ/NY area, and my number one passion: music. I want to share all of the amazing videos I find on YouTube (covers, music vids, movie soundtracks, and even a bunch of insanely talented bands that aren't mainstream enough to get the attention they deserve!) There's nothing I love more than discovering new music, so if you know a band or a song that isn't so well known, link me so I can listen! I'll be posting a bunch of photos, videos, and just some random late-night rants. Not sure if this blog will get some type of following, but if you do happen to stumble upon it, feel free to reach out to me about music, celebs, events, etc! :)