Hey Violet: This Is Why Review!

Hey guys!

Today I'm going to do a review of Hey Violet's new single 'This Is Why'. Hey Violet (formally Cherri Bomb) are a four piece rock band from LA. I actually saw Cherri Bomb perform at Leeds Fest in 2011 and I enjoyed their performance, but I never really heard any of their stuff after that, so it took me a while to recognise the band, especially seen as the band used to be all female (and their performance was super early in the day haha).

I got asked to do this review a couple of weeks ago, and I have been listening to the band ever since. I love how raw their sound is, and you can hear the potential oozing out of them.

This Is Why is a really cool track. It's full of drum sweeps and cool guitar riffs. As I said, you can literally hear the potential that this band have. They've combined classic rock with alt-rock, but with a pop-edge, creating radio ready music. They posted an acoustic cover of this song, which I actually heard before the studio version, and it is just as good as the original and shows how talented the band is.

All four members of this band are freakishly competent musicians, and smash the four part harmonies into the middle of next week. Nia's drumming is beat-by-beat PERFECTION, and I am crazy jealous that she can play that well at such a young age.
The same can be said for all members. They may be young, but don't let that deter you. Their youth brings a fresh feel to the pop/rock scene, and as I said, they're all crazy talented musicians.

With this track, they've also shown that they can write songs, not just sing them, something which is very important in the industry. They've done a couple of covers, but This Is Why is the track that's going to make them stars.

There is a huge space in the market for this band. They were recently signed to Hi or Hey Records, a record company run by 5 Seconds of Summer, so Hey Violet can no doubt count on the legions of fans that 5SOS have to help propel them into the music industry.

I'm very excited for the future of this band. They have oodles of potential, plenty of talent, and a sick look to make the perfect formula; I can't wait for new music!
I will leave all of their social media links below!
Until next time,
MG
xxx



http://www.heyviolet.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV_YtXxRY3Z38Fs1QG25Jxw/videos
https://twitter.com/HeyViolet
https://www.facebook.com/heyvioletofficial?fref=ts

The Veronica's Sanctified Tour; Review!

Hey guys!
Today I thought I would try something a little different.
I have been to lots of gigs and concerts in my life, and last night I went to see The Veronica's on their Sanctified Tour.
It wasn't the first time that I had seen the Veronicas, my grandma took me to see them 6 years ago, which was the last time that they were in the UK.
I can honestly say that last night was one of the best nights of my entire life.

Despite the HOUR delay of getting into the venue due to a technical difficulty, once we all got in there you could feel the excitement.
The support act was Bad Flower, and they were fantastic. They did such a good job of warming us up ready for the girls to take the stage. I'd never heard of the band before, and although I wasn't expecting much, I was surprised, and I went and downloaded a couple of their songs!

From the second that Jess and Lisa came on stage till the second they left after the encore, the crowd was going mental. The twins have grown up since the last time they were in the UK, which is reflected in their music and in their style.
They did both songs from their new album and from their previous albums. From the new record they performed Sanctified, Did you Miss Me, Line of Fire, Always, Teenage Millionaire, You Ruin Me, Cruel, and If You Love Someone, and then they also performed Take Me on The Floor, Hook Me Up, a stripped back version of Everything I'm Not, Untouched, This is How It Feels, 4ever, and then they did an impromptu version of Lolita.

I knew how good the girls were from seeing them live previously, but I was seriously blown away at exactly how good they were live. They can sing really well. I know a lot of people who only know who The Veronica's are from Untouched and thought the girls were a one hit wonder but if they would listen to a live version of one of their songs, then I know they would change their minds. 

These girls can SING. Really well. 

Both Jessica and Lisa both know how to work a crowd. You felt a connection with them instantly, and it's because they were looking at us all in the eye. They were putting on the show FOR US, they were performing FOR US, and they made us feel like we were special. The amount of eye contact at the concert was incredible, it's something I have never experienced at a gig before and I think it's one of the reasons why their gig was one of if not the best gig I have ever been too. 

It is hard to capture the atmosphere and electricity that was in the room with a picture. The way The Veronica's performed was captivating and inspiring. When they performed their newer music, it got the same reaction as their older music did. As mentioned earlier, they performed older tracks such as Hook Me Up, Untouched and Everything I'm Not. I must admit, when they sang Everything I'm Not, and then went straight into You Ruin Me, it made me cry. I just felt so emotional, I could feel every word they were singing, and it really hit me. Again, I've never cried at a concert before; no one has ever moved me so much with the words they speak and the lyrics they sing. 

I'm not sure why I'm writing this. I've never done a tour review before, but as I said, this one stood out to me. Of course I have the dreaded 'post-concert depression' which sucks, but to cure said depression, I have resorted to listening to The Veronica's on repeat, much to my house mates annoyance (sorry Ellie and Caroline :D)

The concert was brilliant. Everything about it was perfect, including when Jess dropped her mic. They not only performed well but they also made everyone there think about what is important in life, as well as supporting Sea Shepherd, which again shows they care. 

That's it I think. That's why I enjoyed the show so much. I felt cared for. I felt like The Veronica's cared about me, and I think everyone else who was there can say the same! 

Until next time, 

MG 

xx

Ben Hazlewood ft Mali Koa Hood: Paint Me Black Review!

Hey guys!
Today I am going to do a review of the song 'Paint Me Black' by Ben Hazlewood ft Mali Koa Hood.
Now I'm a sucker for a tall, dark, handsome singer with an accent, and I was expecting this song to be a normal generic 'pop' song that was catchy but wasn't really memorable.

Boy was I wrong.

Hazlewood is indeed a tall, dark, handsome singer with an accent, and this song is definitely catchy, but this song is more than just memorable; it is fantastic. Plus, with the addition of the gorgeous Mali Koa Hood, it puts the song in a completely different ballgame.

The production is cool and classy, the melody is incredible, the lyrics are clever and relateable; everything about this song is just right for me. The song has such emotion behind it, you can't help but feel something and get attached. Plus the synth beats beneath the track works so well; it's a killer song with a KILLER video. Seriously, you need to check it out > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zatc1HCokvU.

Furthermore, the vocals in this track literally blow me away. I had goosebumps from start to end. I knew that Hazlewood could sing, but I had never really heard Mali Koa Hood belt a song out like that before.
The harmonies are incredible, and the song shows off Mali Koa's beautiful voice perfectly. I get envious of singers all the time but I can honestly say I have never been more envious of a female's voice before. If I could sing like Hood, I would never stop singing.
I'm not even going to play it cool, this song is brilliant; it's the best song I've heard in a while. It will be a travesty if it doesn't get mainstream notice - the only way I could sum it up would be to say it's a beautiful song, sung by beautiful people.

There are also remixes of the song on iTunes which are worth a mention as they're also very good, and have more of a house/dub feel to them! You can buy the single here! https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/paint-me-black-single/id966632215?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
I will leave all the links below if you want to check out either artist.
Until next time,
MG
xx

Ben Hazlewood:
https://twitter.com/benhazlewood
https://www.facebook.com/benhazlewood
https://instagram.com/benhazlewood/
https://www.youtube.com/user/Benhazlewood

Mali Koa Hood
https://twitter.com/malikoa
https://www.facebook.com/malikhood
https://instagram.com/malikoahood
https://www.youtube.com/user/MaliHood