On Being a Tokio-Addict

As you may or may not know I have a huge thing for Bill Kaulitz, frontman of German rock band Tokio Hotel. Now I have been pretty upset due to the lack of activity in the band’s musical life for the past 2 years and to be honest I am not fangirling as much as I used to. Don’t get me wrong. I will always love this band. But as a devout fan for the past 6 years, is new music too much to ask of them? I mean do your job! We fans paid for those cars, gym memberships and expensive sunglasses, you know.

It’s come to the point where we are all looking at new photos of the Kaulitz twins and going ‘yes you look extremely sexy, but when is the new album coming out?’. When a Tokio-Addict poses such a question, you know we’re pretty desperate.

So when Cherry Tree Records finally announced that Bill has collaborated with Far East Movement on a new song set for release in May, I felt that surge of fangirling-spirit returning to my Tokio-starved body. Now this collaboration is clever. Far East Movement, who I absolutely adore, are pretty big when it comes to number ones on international charts and collaborations with top artists like DEV, Justin Bieber, Ryan Tedder and Kid Cudi.

If this new song titled ‘If I Die Tomorrow’ from FEM’s upcoming album Dirty Bass is a dance number rather than something slow and mopey, I predict it to be a huge hit, especially amongst us Aliens. It could really put Tokio Hotel on the global map with worldwide airplays and hits on YouTube. If it’s slow and mopey, it might just remain within the playlists of the existing Aliens and fail to crack the global charts because, let’s face it, it won’t be anything radically new, and 2012 is about being FRESH.

I am personally hoping for something that pretty much defines the term ‘dirty bass’; In other words I’m dying to see Bill Kaulitz get down and dirty, especially due to the rather ‘bad-ass’ look he’s going these days. [Excuse me while I shamelessly add yet another picture of him]

He seems to have a point to prove with this new hippie-thug avatar which I don’t entirely dislike, so I hope he delivers keeping in mind our high expectations and doesn’t crash and burn. I am crossing my fingers and wishing with all my heart that there is a music video coming along with the song because his announcement on the BTK App of ‘shooting something’ excluding the rest of the band could mean a video for ‘If I Die Tomorrow’. My obsession shall then resume with the same, if not greater, intensity. Until then, I shall continue trolling Cherry Tree Records’ Twitter for more news.

Remember to ‘Like’ me on Facebook! :)

http://www.facebook.com/midnightheartbeat

It’s time to ‘Do It Like A Dude’

I think I really owe VEVO. Honestly. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have come across the shot of vodka that is Jessie J. This woman is one of those artists that make you want to get up and jump about. Is she a unique addition to the music industry? Not really. Is the music something we haven’t seen before? Err… But do we love her anyway? The answer is a resounding YES!

The first song of her’s I heard was ‘Price Tag’ featuring rapper B.O.B., and let me tell you: I loved it. Yes it’s a bit of a cliche and yes we’ve heard songs similar to this about happy times and the goodness of man and such, but then again, why complain when happiness knocks at the door?

This woman has the right amount of attitude as well as a bright personality. She started off as a songwriter for musicians including Miley Cyrus and Chris Brown, having partly written the lyrics of ‘Party in the USA’ . She finally started her solo career in 2011 with her debut album Who You Are. The songs are about individuality ['Who You Are', the title track],  independence ['Who's Laughing Now'] as well as feminism ['Do It Like a Dude'], and she has joined the ranks of the women in the music industry that are icons to young girls all over the world. Her success in the UK with ‘Do It Like a Dude’ propelled her into stardom, and she made her debut in the USA with ‘Price Tag’ which established her as an international celebrity.

She does remind me of Pink to be honest, especially if you look at how similar the songs ‘Perfect’ by Pink and ‘Price Tag’ are… She also channels a little bit of Katy Perry, and I think you’ll see what I mean after you watch a couple of her videos.

All said and done, Jessie J is what I’d like to call a ‘happy pill’. When I’m down in the dumps and need something to take my mind of things, I  log on to YouTube and tune in to one of Shane Dawson’s videos or listen to Jessie’s song ‘Domino’. I’m not a big fan of the video, because while she does look stunning, it’s nothing but a few shots of her in different outfits with a giant projector screen behind her. But I absolutely love jamming out to the song. I usually dance around my bedroom in my underwear lip-syncing ’Domino’ [or 'Marry the Night' by Lady Gaga, but that's another story]. While Jessie may not be someone as ground-breaking as Gaga, she definitely has brought a special spark into music, and life wouldn’t be the same without her.

If you ever have a day where the sun don’t shine and you need a pick me up, Jessie J is definitely someone you can turn to. Key tracks you have to listen to are ‘Price Tag’, ‘Domino’ and ‘Who You Are’. I do love her look which is sort of Katy Perry met a flapper from the 1920′s and then bumped into Rihanna. One thing I always notice about her are her nails and lipstick which are both flawless and creative. I love the way she involves so much colour and life into her appearance, every video, and every performance. She’s energetic, talented, lovable and beautiful and has a brightness about her that no one seems to be able to match up to.

So check out Jessie J and brighten up your day!! … That half-rhyme was ridiculous wasn’t it? But you guys love  me anyway! ;D

Peace out!

Ridz <3

What Makes You Wanna Die?

So I’ll admit it. I’ve actually been seeing pictures of Taylor Momsen all over the internet before I even guessed she was a musician. [I'm not a follower of Gossip Girl.  At all.] Incredibly gorgeous, long-legged and blonde, she came across as more of a goth model of sorts and it wasn’t until I saw a photo of her kissing a microphone did I realize ‘Hey, this one’s a musician!’. Then I Googled her. Needless to say I was pretty impressed when I heard the music.

So this girl’s got an amazing voice. She’s got this deep, sexy voice that could seduce a dead man to walk out of his grave and worship her for eternity. She’s a part of the band The Pretty Reckless, and their sound is a creative mix of Alternative rock and Grunge, which definitely reminds me of Nirvana. Blonde and with a voice to match the depth Cobain’s had, Momsen seems to be making it her personal goal to be the next female Kurt Cobain of today’s music scene.

Their first single ‘Make Me Wanna Die’ from their debut album Light Me Up has revived grunge to a level where people are actually going back and listening to Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam to relive the heydays of the genre. It definitely made me rediscover Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ because of Momsen channeling Kurt Cobain in her very bones. ‘Make Me Wanna Die’ has anger, desperation, resentment and a sense of manic obsession towards the subject of the song, all spelled out with ferocious beats and heavy distortion on the guitars, accompanied by bass to die for. Momsen belts out the lyrics with the control of a young Amy Lee, and while I may not love her as much as I love Amy, I can definitely give her some kudos for her vocal skills.

There is however one thing that I absolutely CANNOT stand about Momsen. Are you ready to hear it? Here goes: She constantly wears/performs in lingerie. Now while some might say it’s sexy, it does absolutely nothing for me. Especially not while she takes her top off in front of thousands of fans in a concert. I’m not usually a prude -As you all know, Lady Gaga is my icon and there are moments of nudity and lingerie there as well- but maybe what irks me about Momsen stripping has  to do with the fact that she’s younger than I would have expected someone who takes their clothes off in public to be. She’s younger than me, and at the time of flashing said audience, she was only seventeen. However we don’t really have control over her wardrobe selections, so I’ll just have to let that one go.

All said and done, The Pretty Reckless are quite impressive when it comes to making music and reviving forgotten legends in today’s auto-tuned, dance-number-dominated world. They are widely accepted among people around the ages of sixteen and above, and a screaming success with dominating the UK rock charts at number one. Their music has impressed me more than I’d like to admit and while they are not a favorite of mine, ‘Make Me Wanna Die’ has seen a considerable amount of replays on my personal playlist. They have been labelled as ‘inspirational’, ‘expressive’ and ‘hardcore’; all of which I agree completely with. Now if only Momsen would put some clothes on…

Why ‘Friday’ Isn’t ‘fun fun fun’ -.-

Is THIS girl familiar?

This has to be one of the most epic internet phenomenons that has occurred in my lifetime, raking up OVER 88,000,000 views on YouTube in 1 month! Before you continue reading this post my dear readers, my advice is that you mustn’t cloud your judgment with my words and take the time to actually watch the video for ‘Friday’ the debut of Rebecca Black. Honestly, form your own opinion and then come back and read the rest of my review.

The video—> 

The release of Rebecca Black’s single ‘Friday’ not only managed to piss off YouTubers around the world, it made Miley Cyrus sound like a half-way decent singer. Now before you rip out my throat, let me tell you I don’t mean to criticize her as a person, but I must agree with the internet on this one; When I actually burst out laughing or go into complete silence after listening to a song, you KNOW it doesn’t bode well.

I can’t imagine what the producers were thinking. First of all Black sounds like she has an eternal cold. I mean can you GET anymore nasal? It leads to the point were the song actually starts poke into the back of your brain while gaining entry through your ears. While listening to it, I was told my face looked like I had eaten a lemon. My mom echoed this look, so I’m guessing it was a pretty common reaction. The lyrics are shallow and have nothing educational to offer UNLESS you want to teach your toddlers the days of the week. [Avoid this if you don't want them traumatized] I can’t believe how bad this song is. The lyrics at one point go ‘Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday Today i-is Friday, Friday…Tomorrow is Saturday And Sunday comes afterwards…’ I switched off the video at this point, appalled.

Alright, so I find this song and its video completely pointless. I feel Ke$ha did a better job of the ‘waking up in the morning’ routine, and it wasn’t like ‘Tik ToK’ was the most inspiring song on the planet, either. Technical kinks in the video included 13-year-old drivers and an unsupervised party. I don’t even want to comment on the rapper ‘Pato’ Patrice Wilson in the video. A complete disaster that will continue to give me nightmares, ‘Friday’ is the worst song I’ve heard so far, and continues to top everyone’s list of ‘Worst Song Ever’. While we all pity Black for her being 13-years old and having to suffer these not-so-rave reviews [very much similar to mine] as a critic I cannot let this song slide.

An epic alright, but and epic FAIL, ‘Friday’ has ensure our weekends will never be the same again….

TGIF! >.<

On Being in Love With my iTunes Library…

I guess the only formidable part of me is my iTunes library. Its the only thing you have to fear about me, really. The days where I download music I go into a trance somewhat similar to psychics when possessed by certain spirits or ghouls. I go on a rampage, downloading up to ten-fifteen songs a day, listening to them all and then making a little note on the imaginary notepad in my brain about the song. Like/love/hate/blah, etc and why. Just to give everyone a little glimpse of the stuff that happens in my head when I listen to a new song, here are some little ‘mental notes’ on five songs I downloaded today. Get ready.. Do you have a pen? Then let’s begin.

‘Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans’ by Uffie: Now I actually heard about Uffie for the first time while going through the latest issue of Rolling Stone India, where she was compared to Ke$ha and called  brand new ‘party girl’. Now, while I admit the song’s beat is catchy in its own ‘electro-pop’ kind of way, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. I find Uffie’s voice rather out of tune, nasal, and drab; like she could be any drunk teenager at a karaoke party. And I agree with her comparison to Ke$sha: they both sound drugged out of their heads with slurred words and rubbish lyrics. Cheers to another song about nothing. 

‘Champagne Life’ by Ne-Yo: This song is nothing drastically different from what Ne-Yo has done in the past. I do love its rhythm and feel; sophisticated and materialistic, which is exactly what the song is about. I am a little tired of R&B that constantly highlights the life of the glamorous, and Ne-Yo’s ’Champagne Life’ is just that. An ode to the rich and famous, ‘Champagne Life’ delivers what it’s title promises. Its worth having a listen, because Ne-Yo’s mellifluous voice is simply a pleasure all by itself.

‘Closer to the Edge’ by 30 Seconds To Mars: One of my all-time favourite bands, 30STM has churned out yet another anthem for the youth of today. The song has strong percussion, stronger than some of the percussion on their previous studio album ’A Beautiful Lie’ and Jared Leto’s vocal capacity never fails to impress as he literally screams out all the high notes with incredible control. Check out the music video. I love Jared’s new mohawk. Not mention it shows how close the band are to their fans.

‘Heavy in Your Arms’ by Florence and The Machine: I love this song because when I heard it for the first time I felt as though it wasnt the first, and I had heard it in some long-forgotten dream, before. I love Florence’s music as whole because it gives me sense of floating and giggling at the same time. ‘Rabbit Heart’ is another brilliant song, and the video is literally a party out of this world.

‘By The Sword’ by Slash Feat. Andrew Stockdale: The song marks the comeback of guitar-god Slash, and though it doesn’t pack the punch I expected it to as the first single released by Slash on his solo debut, its got sparks. Slash is phenomenal as usual and my favorite riffs are those that begin with the song. I don’t love Andrew Stockdale much, but this is one song where I flip my opinion just a little. I just wish Slash could sing!

There you have it. A few miniscule, quick notes on the songs I download. I hope this brings us closer as reader and blogger, cause I loved giving you a little insight on my inner brain functions! 

Peace out. <3

Ridz Chakraborty

The ‘hoo-ha’ About Taylor Swift and Why I Want To Stab Myself In The Head. :)

What I dont get, is the big hoo-ha about Taylor Swift.  I mean okay, the first song the girl came up with was pretty good. I’ll give her the second as well…. She can sing real nice, and she’s a multi-award winning artist, who’s albums have gone Platinum multiple times, and she earns 18$ million a year. Not bad for a twenty year old, eh?

I really liked ‘Teadrops On My Guitar’. It was sweet, mellow and had a good story; Boy meets girl, girl falls for boy, boy falls for cheerleader and girl hopes he stays happy because she loves him so much. Happens to ALL girls at SOME point of our lives. Well, unless you’re the cheerleader. :/ Taylor got the whole ‘I’m a teen so I can relate’ thing down really well. I liked her for that… :)

 BUT when they started playing ‘Love Story’ on every single music channel, radio station, restaraunt and country I’ve ever been to, things got a little out of hand for the space of my brain labelled ‘Sanity’. It was simple. I lost it. Add that with her going out with the face of Twilight [which I've also heard TOO much about, as much as I like the whole vampire thingy. Vampires appeal to my morbidity.] Taylor Lautner, and you’ve got yourself ‘the girl who’s SO perfect, we all wish we were her’.  Not. I used to actually switch off the TV when  they played that song. Seriously. We have ourselves another Disney princess.  Young, impulsive and eager to have ‘a happily ever after’ at 20! :P

There’s Cinderella. There’s Sleeping Beauty. There’s The Little Mermaid….  And now, there’s Taylor Swift. :P Nothing personal, Taylor. You’re just really repetitive, and I think a pinch of originality is required here! The good girl thing is really old…. :/ Please follow Dolly Partan’s example:

 On second thought…. PLEASE DONT! :/

Most her [Taylor's] songs are about how the boy should be hers and everyone is so mean to take him away. ON TOP OF THAT, he himself can’t see that he’s supposed to be hers. [The last part is the story of my life. My true love is in some other country and PROBABLY does not know I exist. Feh.]  Have you HEARD “You Belong With Me”?  She’s GOT her man. She doesnt need to worry about that! :P

 The ‘Wolf’ himself, Taylor Lautner… :D

We need more of this:

OR THIS!!

Where’s that dardevil you channeled here?? X] Maybe then Kanye West wouldnt have DARED challenged you…

Dont worry, we all know he was drunk… Swigging vodka or something similar on the red carpet… Feh. Pathetic!

At least Beyonce knows where her morals lie! :)

I like the songs where she talks about her goals, her dreams, and being a strong woman, like her song ‘Picture To Burn’. Now THAT’S power, girl! :D

‘Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.’ How many of you are sick of this chorus and want to stab yourselves in the head when you hear it? Want to scream to her to get a hold of herself? Or do you REALLY like it and listen to it after you’ve fallen in love, hoping the guy will come and be your prince? [If you ARE a guy, the last question only applies if you're gay :)] Please comment, and DO let me know. :D

 O_O I think this is TOO graphic… :/

Psychotically signing off.  X]

What Its all about…

Me and Bill; the perfect couple...

I’m Ridz, perhaps the most fanatical music encyclopedia that you will ever know. [Except for the charmingly sweet Luke Kenny] I like all things musical and morbidly cute. You will be able to tell that from my eternal love for Tokio Hotel’s lead singer, Bill Kaulitz [A fact that my innocent friends and family are only too aware of. Every day they are victims to my constant jabberring on the perfection of the Greek-God-like figure that is Bill.] As you can see, I’m GAGA over him. However, back to topic, I must share with you a revelation of sorts, that led me to begin this blog in the first place…

THE  Story goes: One bright, and pretty humid morning, I awoke to realise that my vast knowledge of the musical world is preeetty useless if it just sits in my head. Yes, I do let it wallow in its own pool of glory so perfectly pedestalized by my own brain, that I’m vain to the point of making a mirror crack…but it really isnt enough. What would do it justice, is to spread it. Spread it far and wide over the wonderous tool that is the Internet, and let it seep into NEW brains. Brains that NEED to be educated on the matters of the musical world, past present and future.  As you know by our world population of almost 7 Billion, 5 Billion of which have no clue who Jon Bon Jovi is,  its a big job. :/ So I decided to start small. I opened a small ‘blog’ of sorts on my ‘Notes’ app on Facebook. I created a space for myself to sit comfortably on the minds of a few selected friends who I knew would appreciate it, and pick a song and tear it apart. Well, ‘analyse’ is a better way to say it, considering I haven’t touched any songs by Miley Cyrus or the Jonas trio. Feh. If I did, there would be a WHOLE new meaning to the words ‘RIPPED THE SONG APART’ xD

A DRIFT: I started with Kings Of Leon, and progressed through Beyonce, Gaga, a bit of MCR[Which I consider to be one of my best pieces] and will continue with Jay-Z. I picked one of my favorites by each artist,[I prefer the ones that are not so famous, and then I let people know about it] wrote a review and what I like/dislike about the track. I recommend it, throw in a few pics and am all good. Sounds simple? Its not. You’ve gotta be able to tolerate cool facts about the song, its vid and the artist in the process. Not to mention my own bit of whining and occasional sniffing when I get emotional about a particular track.

My Chemical Romance

THE TITLE: ‘Midnight Heartbeat’ came to me after much pondering on how to describe that I stay awake past midnight every night so that I may be able to expose myself to the thoughts and dreams that appear in my highly imagination-stuffed brain, when Alicia Keys or The Scorpions croon into my ears ballads immersed in love and magic. Midnight is the only time I can escape the nagging of daily life and an irritating little brother so that I may listen to new tracks on the charts and place my thoughts on them or relay back and forth and compare them to tracks of the past. I am constantly doing this. I fear silence. I feel that a world without music, no matter what kind you like, would be a horrific world. I’d feel alone, sad, abandoned… as if I were in a box with walls closing in on me, suffocating me, burning me, smoking me like salmon, until… I hear something. A strong, confident, fast beating. *Ba-dump, Ba-dump, Ba-dump..* What is it? What is that drum of hope so bold? Its when you realise you are never without a beat. Never without a tune. Never without a melody to guide you.  You are forever with the drum that never skips a beat… your heart. Beating, pulsing blood into you, the very source of your life, your being, your song…. Your heart. As long as you live, you are NEVER alone. Music, literally, lives deep within you. You never need fear the silence. The silence fears the music of your heart. Let it beat into the darkness of midnight, and make it a beautiful thing. A thing to rejoice in. A thing to revel in. You’ve always had it in you. Just let come through and channel itself in your smile. Hey, its what I do… :)

So, I’m here to take you on a bit of a journey. Away from your problems, your nagging relatives and friends and your issues. I’m here to show you a bit of my midnight and the thoughts and dreams and ideas that flow through my entire being when a song fills my head. I’m here to make your heart sing.

Love,

Ridz <3