Year 7, Day 48

Good Morning! Today's song is Let Me Blow Ya Mind by Eve featuring Gwen Stefani. 

So I had a freaky occurrence with one of my word documents that weirded me out. For context, I don't do anything with them online, I don't put anything is shared drives, I don't send documents to people, they exist on my computer alone and I'm the only one who uses it. Well, I opened the document I have with all the songs I have saved to use, and instead of the normal "pick up where you left off" prompt on the side I got a message saying "someone has saved since you last opened this document." I got a real life chill that went up my spine when I read that, it terrified me so much. So I, being of sound paranoid mind, searched through everything I could to see if it was a glitch. Seems like yes, but I also found that about a week before someone tried to sign into my Microsoft account with my old email that I still have but never bothered to get rid of. Which was equally terrifying, even if they didn't succeed. So I spent all night (until about 4 am) going through my old email, cleaning it out, closing out subscriptions and things attached to it, and changing the information for any that I wanted to keep. It's something I've been meaning to do for years, but never felt like spending time on. Please, if you are the same way, learn from me. Go deal with it now before you get this experience for yourself. I always thought it didn't really matter because I'm not someone important enough to mess with. Doesn't matter. Secure your shit. Actually do what you're supposed to and change all your passwords. Don't keep them online, physically write them in a book and keep it. And check your log in history on stuff periodically. If I hadn't I never would have known and that freaks me out more than knowing someone besides me was doing stuff. Life lesson to end the year people, time to clean house. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 47

Good Morning! Today's song is Empire State Of Mind by Jay Z featuring Alicia Keys. 

Jay Z is Shawn Carter whose been active since 1988. I feel like most people know him, so this will be brief. He's released 13 albums, the first from 1996 and the most recent from 2017. He's also been involved in a couple of different films in some capacity. There are nine he's credited with, and some are a full block of music videos, acting roles, or more recently producer credits ranging from 1998 up to 2018. Not only is he successful in the industry and well known, as of 2019 he was considered the wealthiest American musician, and the fifth wealthiest African American once he became a billionaire. Alicia Keys is the stage name for Alicia Cook and has been active since 1996. She started out as a pianist, which I imagine is probably where the moniker came from (though I don't know, so don't quote me on it). She got discovered by Jeff Robinson at 13 when his brother worked with her through the Teens In Motion Organization. She has been part of a group, but went solo when it disbanded. She signed with Columbia when she 15, graduating as the valedictorian at 16. Columbia though wanted her as nothing but a mouthpiece, negating any creative drive she had, so she started the long fight to split from them. She switched to Arista Records in 1998 and that's when her career really began. Since then she's released 7 albums, the first in 2001 and the most recent from 2020. So she's still going strong. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 46

Good Morning! Today's song is Heartbeat by Childish Gambino and Twenty One Pilots. 

So this is a mashup of Car Radio by Twenty One Pilots and Heartbeat by Childish Gambino, mixed together by a man named Grayson Kitzen, from Ohio. It's a really good mix because, despite knowing that Twenty One Pilots song, I literally didn't make the connection that this wasn't an original song until well... now. So go check out more of Grayson's stuff on SoundCloud. I'm pretty sure I've featured both groups before so I'm going to do this fast. So Childish Gambino is the stage name for Donald Glover Jr. He's been active since 2006 when he started as a writer on 30 Rock. He had some cameos and became a member of Derrick Comedy, a sketch comedy group that posts on YouTube. He joined Community in 2009 which brought his acting to a full time career. He started his musical career in 2008, picking the name thanks to a Wu-Tang Clan name generator. He's released some mixtapes and so far has four albums, the first in 2011 and the most recent from this year. He's also continued acting and has been featured in some big movie roles. Twenty One Pilots is a duo made up of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, and the group has been active since 2009. They've released five albums so far in their career, the first from 2009 and the most recent from 2018. They spent 2019 releasing singles, and continued in 2020, with a song geared towards the pandemic and proceeds going to an organization to fund live music crews since concerts are a no-go this year. Which is pretty awesome of them.

Peace.

Year 7, Day 45

Good Morning! Today's song is Let You Down by NF. 

Photo from Capitol CMG

NF is Nathan Feuerstein, a rapper active since 2010 with the release of his independent debut album. In 2011 he released a single that got some radio play, the in 2012 he released an EP. He got signed and was slated to release an EP, but split from the label before that could happen. Then he signed with a different label in 2014, releasing the EP that same year, which ended up being his breakthrough. Then in 2015 he released his debut album. His songs got featured on all kinds of of television shows and games, before releasing his second album in 2016, and another in 2017. This song is from that last album, and was hist first Hot 100 single, starting low in the charts but building and building over time. He spent 2018 touring and released a single, before releasing another album in 2019. Rap usually doesn't interest me as a genre, just personal preference, but there are exceptions to every rule and this is one of them for me. So i hope you like it. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 44

Good Morning! Today's song is As You Need by Alex Aiono.

Photo by: Harald Krichel

Martin Alexander Aiono has been active since 2011, and from what I can gather his success started with YouTube. His debut single came out in 2013 which was followed by his debut EP the same year, with another in 2015. In 2016 he started doing this thing on YouTube with what he calls "flipped" version of songs, and those became a hit. He got signed in 2017, releasing a single and doing a cover for the Lego Batman movie, before releasing another EP. As of 2019, he is signed with a different record company, and has added acting into the mix, starring in a Netflix movie called Finding Ohana. So look that up if you're interested.

Peace.

Year 7, Day 43

Good Morning! Today's song is Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles. 

Photo from: Eric Koch

 So I finally got around to watching some of the things on my list to watch, one of those being to finish out Anne With An E. And I have to tell you I am so upset that it got cancelled. I know historical dramas are not everyone's cup of tea, but it was so well made. Keep in mind I have never read any of the source material, so I'm only going by what I know from the show, but it's great. The actors are well cast, the writing feels true, the atmosphere is so nice that I never question when this was made. And even though it's cancelled there is a petition going strong to bring it back which I would like to see. I'll attach it here for you if you want to sign. If it did leave off with three seasons, they at least ended it out right in a way that gives the fans what they want. Not like How I Met Your Mother, Supernatural, or Game of Thrones. Anyway, if you guys are curious I would highly recommend this show. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 42

Good Morning! Today's song is Welcome Christmas from How The Grinch Stole Christmas. 

Merry Christmas! Also Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwansa, and Happy Holidays to anyone whose celebration I'm missing. I hope you're all staying safe and finding some way to connect with your loved ones. I am finally got up and not posting things in advance today, so all that musing about Christmas kind of went out the window. So many people refused to listen to the health orders that Christmas is cancelled in my province. No indoor or outdoor celebrations at all. So since I have everyone's gifts and fresh cookies instead I'm going out all by my lonesome to play ding dong ditch for the first time ever, only it'll be at my relatives houses and I'll be leaving presents and baked goods. I'm feeling a little bah humbug since I've been keeping away and safe when no one else did in Alberta, but I also kind of enjoy the prospect of playing a real life elf spreading the cheer. You gotta take what you can get I guess, find the joy in what you can do rather than what you can't. It's truly not the same, but our Christmas sucked last year too (as you guys well know) so this is only a meh on the scale. Let's just see if we can manage to get a family Easter when it rolls around. For now, I want you all to find some joy in the day yourselves, and hope you have fun.... and send good vibes to me that I wont fall on the ice. Until tomorrow!

Peace.

Year 7, Day 41

Good Morning! Today's song is Let It Snow by Ella Fitzgerald. 

Photo from: IISG

Ella Fitzgerald was a Jazz singer active from 1934 until 1994. Her mother died in 1932, and she was left in the care of her stepfather until 1933, when she moved to live with her aunt. It's assumed that she was abused by her stepfather, although she refused to talk about that time, and her life went downhill until she ended up in a state reformatory school. She was singing on the streets in Harlem at that time, but officially began her career in 1934 with an Amateur Night competition at the Apollo Theatre. She was supposed to win the chance to perform there, but they never actually let her because of her appearance. The next year, she won a chance to perform at the Harlem Opera House, and was introduced to Chick Webb who was looking for a female singer. He took a chance on her and joined his orchestra, gaining popularity and recording some of the decade's most popular songs. When Webb died in 1939 she took over the orchestra, renaming it Ella and her Famous Orchestra. Along with that she also recorded with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald and Her Savoy Eight, and the Three Keys. As jazz became less popular, she got into the be-bop scene which skyrocketed her popularity. In 1955 she left her label and her manager created Verve Records for her. She branched out a bit beyond be-bop, releasing Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book, which includes music she's most well known for. She continued making huge albums on the Verve label, and then at Pablo Records, again founded by her manager, after Verve was sold. Her voice started to wane as she was dealing with health problems, so she did her last recording in 1991, then stopped performing publicly in 1993. She passed away in 1996, peacefully at home. During her career she won thirteen Grammy Awards, along with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was the first African American woman to win there. I generalized a lot of her career because it was huge, but it needs to be acknowledged that she played a huge role in transforming the music industry in a number of ways. Her versions of songs changed the climate in the industry, and she made some strides in the racial discrimination she had to deal with in the beginning of her career. I know that this is a Christmas song, and probably the one most people in my age group think of first and foremost, but if you're curious look into the rest of her career. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 40

Good Morning! Today's song is Wrapped Up In You by Laurell. 

So Laurell is a singer from Vancouver, and I can't find any official bio on her so bear with me. She's got a bunch of songs on Spotify and has collaborated with a lot of different DJs, some of whom I've featured or have saved to feature which is pretty cool. Her Facebook page has been up since 2008 so she's been around for awhile and deserves more recognition than she has. So if you like the song, spread it around this holiday season. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 39

Good Morning! Today's song is Last Christmas by Wham! 

So I think I've mentioned it, but I'm writing a lot of these blog posts in advance so I don't have the thing that happened last year happen again… in other words where I'm barely getting a post up because things are going on that I didn't plan for. So right now is actually November for me. I'm working on my family's Christmas draw. We always draw names at Thanksgiving, then it's like a Secret Santa on Christmas. Since we didn't do Thanksgiving, I assigned names (also because my uncles were complaining that they always get the same names) and have set it all up. Unfortunately Alberta's pandemic numbers are going up, so who knows if we'll even have Christmas. Not that we would have anyway because they're all afraid to give something to my grandpa unintentionally, but I now must come up with a plan of how to do the holidays. I'm thinking everyone comes to see my grandparents separately (since that's the point of our get-togethers anyways) with all the safety gear and pick up their present, and just have everyone drop their presents off ahead of time, so they're ready to be distributed and have passed through the weeklong no-touchy quarantine for items. It also ensure that my mom and her brothers don't have to see each other, because there seems to be drama happening that I want absolutely no part of. Hopefully it works out. Wish me luck! 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 38

Good Morning! Today's song is We Need A Little Christmas from Mame. 

This song is from the musical Mame. It's book was written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. It's based on a 1955 novel called Auntie Mame. It's about an eccentric woman named Mame Dennis living in the Depression, who ends up taking in her nephew after her brother's death. The role was originally done by Angela Lansbury in 1966, and has since been done twice more, in 1969 and 1983. This song takes place at a point in the musical when she's lost her fortune in the 1929 Wall Street Crash. It wasn't supposed to be Christmas at the time in the musical, but it was a song meant to cheer them up, hence the title. Since then, what's referred to as the Christmas creep has become the norm, where stores and companies start the season way earlier than they should. It's a problem, but back when this song first came out the sentiment was good and the intention pure, so I like to still enjoy it over the holidays. Hope you do too. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 37

Good Morning! Today's song is To My Parents by Anna Clendening. 

Anna Clendening is a singer from North Carolina. I've been looking up information on her for awhile and I can't find much so I'm just going to share my assumptions with you. I don't think she's signed with anyone, but she does release her music on YouTube and Spotify. She's also associated with the band Royc3. I can't tell is she just sings with them sometimes or if she's a full member, but if you are in a band you don't need to put yourself as the featured artist too. Just saying. She's got her Instagram going, she's got a merch website, so she's got her bases covered. I don't really know what else to tell you, just check out her stuff and let me know what you think. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 36

 Good Morning! Today's song is I Can't Breathe by Bea Miller.

Photo by: James McShane

Bea Miller is an American singer whose been active since 2012 when she was on X Factor. She auditioned when she was 13 and came in 9th. On the show she had gone by her full name, Beatrice, but obviously has since shortened it. She got signed in 2013, releasing her first EP in 2014, and first album in 2015. Theses releases got her a lot of attention, being the featured break out artist through multiple outlets. Late in 2015 she joined others as support of the Fifth Harmony tour. In 2016 she supported Selena Gomez on her tour. While she was on that, she kept releasing singles and had a song featured for a TV show. In 2017 she released all three parts of an EP Project. She released her second album in 2018. As of this year she's planning a tour, so she's still going strong. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 35

Good Morning! Today's song is Everytime by Britney Spears. 

Photo by: Sam Levy

Alright, I've featured Britney before, and she's been a pop icon for decades so I'm not doing an overview of her career today, but I do want to put my two cents in on her situation, as a person who likes her music, but isn't necessarily a super fan. So since 2008, Britney Spears has had her entire life run by her father through a conservatorship, meaning she was deemed unfit to run her own life and her father was given legal control of her affairs. Which, granted it was a time when she was struggling and had mental breakdown, so I understand the conservatorship at that time with the intent of protecting her best interests. The problem is she is still under a conservatorship, and her father is still in charge of it. A woman, a grown woman, who is deemed fit enough to have part custody of her children (therefore the responsibility of seeing to their wellbeing) is not considered well enough to see to her own wellbeing?? Because he father is supposedly better? Now I may be biased because my father was a psychopath at home, but had everyone fooled into thinking he was great publicly, but the idea that her father still makes all the decisions for her is stupid. If she wants a conservatorship then great, fine, but she's made it clear she doesn't think he should be running it. I guess this drama is back again because he father was replaced temporarily because he had health stuff to deal with, and now Britney wants the woman who replaced him, her health care manager, to be the one in charge permanently. And of course he's fighting it. Personally I think the converatorship should be dissolved completely, but if she wants to keep it, she should at least be allowed to elect someone to handle it. She is capable of that much autonomy. Just my opinion anyway. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 34

Good Morning! Today's song is Guiltless by Dodie. 

Dodie got her start on YouTube. First she had a channel with her friend Alice Webb called the Alice and Dodie Show in 2007, then made her own channel in 2011. While she's been putting music out on her channel that whole time, she released her first EP in 2016, then another in 2017. She wrote a book the same year, released another EP in 2019. This song also came out in 2019 as a single, and she's currently working on an album so keep an eye out for that in the future. I found this thanks to thethirdbill and his trying to stan series. In it about this song he mentioned "the pit in your stomach when that person doesn't necessarily get away with it but doesn't even know it happened" and that interpretation hit home enough for me to listen to the song as a whole for myself. Honestly this sentiment could be applied to a pretty good chunk of my family and the line "I'm not bitter I'm jut tired" I feel down to my soul. It's a specific emotion she bottled so I hope you give it a listen. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 33

Good Morning! Today's song is F**k U by Kailee Morgue. 

Photo by: David Lee

Kailee Morgue is Kailee Moore, whose a singer active since 2017. She actually started out on YouTube in 2015 posting covers. In 2017, a preview of a song went viral and earned her a recording contract. She worked with a producer to complete that song, and has released more songs since then. As of now she has released two EP's and has a couple singles, but she is still super new in the industry so share it and promote her career if you like the song. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 32

Good Morning! Today's song is Hello by Emily Burns. 

Emily Burns is a British singer whose been active since at least 2010. That year was when she entered the Live and Unsigned competition, reaching the finals. From that she got invited to a masterclass that led to her getting signed to a production company. She released a single, then played a bunch of festivals, before earning a spot at T in the Park in 2013. She started working at the studio from the masterclass as a receptionist in 2014, which helped her make connections. She released a single in 2016, before getting signed to a label in 2017. She released another single and an EP in 2018. She released two more EP's in 2019 and another in 2020 with plans to tour through the UK. So she's right at the uptick in her career, it'll be interesting to see where it goes. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 31

Good Morning! Today's song is Out Loud by Gabbie Hanna. 

So Gabbie Hanna is first and foremost known as a YouTuber, but she has since branched out in other things including music. She actually started uploading on Vine in 2013, before switching to YouTube in 2014. She started in music in 2017, with the release of her debut single (this song). She got signed and joined MTV's social media team, leading to her doing some hosting gigs and acting, before releasing another song... although since then that song has been wiped from all her platforms. In 2018 she released a song that was about roasting herself, starting a YouTube trend and a conversation about burnout and the life of social media personalities. That was followed by a couple other songs that charted, and an announcement of her album. It was supposed to be released in 2019, but has gotten delayed. She did release an EP in 2019 though, and another in 2020 so you can check those out. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 30

Good Morning! Today's song is Why Her Not Me by Grace Carter. 

Grace Carter is an English singer active since 2017 with the release of her first single. She got to be more recognized after being part of Dua Lipa's tour later the same year. She then went on to support a couple other artists on their tours before headlining two tours of her own in 2018 and 2019. She got started with writing thanks to her step-father, who was a singer-songwriter and journalist for Music Week. She has one EP that was released in 2018, and a handful of singles, the most recent released this year with Jacob Banks. She's still pretty new, so if you like what you hear, keep an eye out for more. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 29

Good Morning! Today's song is Honey, There's The Door by Haley Reinhart. 

Photo by: Michael Tanne

Haley Reinhart is a singer and voice actor, whose been active in the industry since 2009. She got her start on American Idol, not making it the first time she auditioned, but getting to 3rd place the second time round. She got signed in 2011, then released her debut album in 2012. After that she spent lots of time performing and banking money in order to make her EP before signing with a management company who would pay for it. In 2015 she got into comedy, doing a routine at an improv show before joining Bill Burr for his show. She also teamed up with Postmodern Jukebox to sing for some of their covers. Her music doesn't come out as fast as some other artists I've featured because she's interspersing it with her filmography. So far she's released four albums in 2012, 2016, 2017, and 2019. I'm sure there will be more so keep an eye out. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 28

Good Morning! Today's song is Never Tear Us Apart by Paloma Faith. 

Photo by: ShinJinSuh

Paloma Faith is an English singer whose been active since 2007. She began as the frontman of a band called Paloma and the Penetrators. She got an audition for an A&R Rep, but walked out when he wouldn't turn off his cellphone. He still offered her a contract later because she was the most memorable. Rather than join Amy Winehouse's band, she chose to focus on her own songs, recorded her first song as a duet with Josh Weller in 2008. Her official debut single came out in 2009, followed shortly by her debut album. In 2011, she got nominated for a BRIT Award, then released another album in 2012, then receiving two more nominations in 2013. She released her third album in 2014, then joined The Voice as a judge before launching her own management company. She released her next album in 2017, and as of 2020 was back as a judge with the Voice, this time on The Voice Kids. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 27

Good Morning! Today's song is Raise Hell by Dorothy.

Dorothy is a rock band active since 2014 and currently made up of Dorothy Martin, Jason Ganberg, Devon Pangle, Eli Wulfmeier, and Eliot Lorango. And for past members, those include Nick Perri, Dylan Howard, Gegg Cash, Zac Morris, Mark Jackson, Nick Maybury, and Owen Barry. The group started with Dorothy (obviously from the name), along with Jackson and Scott who were intrigued by her voice. She played a piano ballad for them that ended up turning into their debut single. It became an instant hit, leading to them being invited by another band named Skullcandy to do a mini European tour with them. They also did other performances, gaining notoriety and fans for their unique sound. After a couple more singles, they released an EP the same year, got a regular gig slot, and we featured in the Rolling Stones magazine. In 2015 they got signed to Roc Nation, and announced a tour with Miguel, as well as having their song featured in a lot of promos. Their debut album came out in 2016, then they opened for Halestorm on their tour. They released a couple singles in 2017 and announced their upcoming album, which got released the next year. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 26

Good Morning! Today's song is Coming In Hot by Diamante. 

Photo by: Justin Higuchi

Diamante is an American female rock singer, and I can't find her real name which I think is by design. She goes by Diamante because it means diamond in Spanish, which is one of three languages she speaks. She's been active since 2013, and released an EP in 2015. She provided the backing vocals to a Garth Brooks song in 2017 before releasing her debut album in 2018. Since then she's been releasing singles throughout the year, and I assume we'll be getting more in the near future. Aldo a side note, Justin Higuchi takes amazing photos and every time I see one from him makes me excited and thanks to the creative commons license I get to share it with you.

Peace.

Year 7, Day 25

 Good Morning! Today's song is Be Legendary by Pop Evil.

Photo by: Jax 0677

Pop Evil in a rock band active since 2001 and currently made up of Dave Grahs, Leigh Kakaty, Matt DiRito, Nick Fuelling, and Hayley Cramer. This band was formed with members from a different group called TenFive after it disbanded. They spent a few years struggling playing shows, then independently released their first album in 2004, followed by an EP in 2006. They managed to get hooked up with a talent scout in 2007 which led to them being signed in 2008. Their official debut album came out in 2008, followed by a remastered version in 2009 before going on tour. Since then they've released four more albums with another slotted to be released sometime in 2020 so there's lots of material to check out. I might be wrong about this, but I think they have been featured on my blog before as one of the music ask picks from someone in my family. So if you've been around since then you might already know these guys. Enjoy. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 24

Good Morning! Today's song is I Only Lie When I Love You by Royal Blood. 

Photo by: Thesupermat

Royal Blood is and English duo active since 2011 and made up of Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher, with one past member in Matt Swan. Originally it was formed with Kerr and Swan, who went to Australia and recorded an EP before Kerr moved back to England. There he reconnected with Thatcher and resurrected this group, playing at a lot of open mic nights for the first couple months. They got signed to the same label as Arctic Monkeys, one member of which wore a shirt promoting them at a festival in 2013. Their debut single came out at the end of 2013, then they joined Arctic Monkeys for some shows in 2014 before releasing their second single and an EP. Their debut album came out the same year before they went on a big European tour, then a North American tour in 2015. They won a couple of awards before getting back in the studio in 2016 to release their second album in 2017, with debuted at number one on the UK charts. They toured in 2018 for that album, then released a couple of song in 2019 and had plans to work on their next album in 2020, but life kind of got in the way to postpone them. But I'm sure that will get back on track soon. Enjoy. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 23

Good Morning! Today's song is The Violence by Rise Against. 

Photo by: Sven Mandel

Rise Against is an American band active since 1999 and is currently made up of Tim McIlrath, Joe Principe, Brandon Barnes, and Zach Blair. Past members include Dan Wleklinski, Kevin White, Todd Mohney, Chris Chasse, and Toni Tintari. The group was formed by Principe and Wlekinski after their old group 88 Finger Louie broke up. Originally called Transister Revolt, they recruited some of the other people and released an EP in 2000. Fat Mike, lead vocalist of NOFX, offered them a contract with his label, but on the stipulation that they changed the name, eventually settling on Rise Against. Their debut album came out in 2001, but it didn't get a lot of good reviews and eventually Wlekinsnki left the group. The second album came out in 2003 which did better than the first, and they bolstered their popularity by touring extensively. They did some label jumping before releasing an album in 2004 which picked up traction after being out for half a year. They released another album in 2006, and continued to tour heavily, before releasing the next album in 2008. They finally started to hit commercial success, not having to do as much to get their albums noticed, then released another one in 2011, followed by touring that took them all over the world. That touring convinced the band to take a year hiatus in 2013 to rest and be with their families, before coming back with an album in 2014. Since then they've released two more albums, one in 2017 and one in 2018 with the intent to release more as part of a volume set. So we'll have to wait and see. I didn't list when most members joined and left because they cycled through a lot of people, but you can look up that timeline if you're curious. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 22

Good Morning! Today's song is No Case by Masked Intruder.

These guys are an American band active since 2010. I can tell you the members, but they are all known by their colors so I think from the video and pictures it's pretty self explanatory. Also because of the identity concealment there really is no information about them except for a list of the songs, albums, and EP's they've released, so I'll give you that. There have been seven EP's, the first from 2011 when they hadn't been signed yet and the most recent from 2016. They also have three albums from 2012, 2014, and 2019. For the most part I find music by myself or through the things I'm watching and my own YouTube recommendations, but this song actually came from Sammy. It's not often that she shows me anything I don't know, and even less often that I enjoy it too so this is a bit of a momentous occasion... which we are celebrating with dudes in color coated ski masks. With how 2020 has been, why not. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 21

Good Morning! Today's song is She's Kersosene by The Interruptors.

Photo by: LouisGara97

The Interruptors are a ska punk band active since 2011 and made up of Aimee Interrupter, Kevin Bivona, Justin Bivona, and Jesse Bivona. So Aimee Interruptor is a moniker for Aimee Allen who was originally a solo artist, who met the guys when they were in a band called Telacasters in 2009. Kevin and Aimee started writing, and the other brothers were brought in to play until the band was born. They started off touring with a bunch of groups and playing at some festivals before getting involved in the Tim Timebomb and Friends projects and joining his touring group. Their debut album was released in 2014, followed by a tour and another album in 2016. They released their third album in 2018, which is where this song is from. Fun Fact: All of their albums were produced by Tim Armstong from the Tim Timebomb project earlier in their career. In 2019 they were the cover of Keiiang! magazine, and they were joined on tour by Billy Kottage from Reel Big Fish as a featured musician. They're a pretty cool group so I hope you check them out. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 20

Good Morning! Today's song is American Cars by Donora.

Donora is an American band whose been active since at least 2006 and is made up of Jake Hanner, Casey Hanner, and Jake Churton. They became popular when they got to the semifinals of a contest run by Verizon Wireless and Myspace. Since then they've released five albums, the first in 2009 and the most recent from 2017. Their songs have been featured in multiple shows on MTV which has gotten them some exposure. The name is from a sign for a town, though none of them are from there. It doesn't really surprise me since when I was trying to look them up all of the search result were about Donora, Pennsylvania and and it's sad history. I wonder if the band has read up on the town since deciding the name sounded cool. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 19

Good Morning! Today's song is The Rowdy 3 Theme from Dirk Gentley's Holistic Detective Agency.

Photo posted by: Osric Chau

Okay this is another weird one in which it's not actually from a band. I don't actually know who wrote it, but it was created for the TV show Dirk Gently's Detective Agency so props to all the people involved in that show because it was truly one of the strangest things I've ever seen. I miss it. This is an extended version, because the true version is probably about 30 seconds long. I can't even explain the mood this gives me, you'll just have to listen for yourself. And seriously, if you've never heard of Dirk Gently's Detective Agency, go watch it. Even if you hate it, it'll be memorable. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 18

Morning! Today's song is Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly.

Photo by: Earl McGehee

Flogging Molly is a Celtic punk band, which is a first for me, and has been active since 1997. Current members include Dave King, Bridget Regan, Dennis Casey, Nathen Maxwell, Matt Hensley, Mike Alonso, and Spencer Swain; with past members including George Schwindt and Bob Schmidt. Prior to this group, Dave King had been in other bands, and even had a solo recording contract the he got out of when they weren't on board with bringing in traditional Irish instruments. In 1993, he started playing in a Celtic feeling rock band with Bridget Regan and some other guys, having a weekly gig at a pub called Molly Malone's. This became Flogging Molly, although only King and Bridget stayed, bringing in the other members. They released a live album in 1997, effectively staring their career past a local level. Since then they've released six albums, the first in 2000 and the most recent from 2017. This song is off an album of the same name, released in 2002, and the album actually went gold in 2009, a first for the group. They also started hosting annual cruises in 2015, featuring a bunch of bands on a trip through the Caribbean. I don't have any information from them since 2018, but they have taken years off before in between albums so I'm sure they're still around. Until they pop up again, you guys can enjoy this song.

Peace.

Year 7, Day 17

Morning! Today's song is All The Way by Jacksepticeye and Schmoyoho.

So this one is kind of a weird one compared to other songs, but I love it and it gets stuck in my head all the time so we're featuring it today. Jacksepticeye is Sean McLoughlin who is an Irish Youtuber based in England whose been active since 2012. He's a beacon of positivity and has led to over 4 million donations to charities through charity live streams. He's also just started a coffee company, so check that out if you're a coffee drinker. Schmoyoho is also a YouTube channel, and is run by The Gregory Brothers. That group has been active since 2007 and is made up of Michael Gregory, Andrew Rose Gregory, Evan Gregory, and Sarah Fullen Gregory. They've been doing a thing where they team up with popular Youtubers to make a song for/with them. This is the one for Jack. He loves it, especially since they hit the mark on making it uplifting, so I hope you check it out. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 16

Morning! Today's song is The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats.

So these guys are a Canadian band from Montreal, active on and off since 1977 and currently made up of Ivan Doroschuk, Lou Dawson, Rachel Ashmore, and Sho Murray. They started as a punk rock group, but became the synth group we know in 1980. They released an EP that year, then they had a bit of a member shuffle, then released their debut album in 1982. This song started getting popular in 1983 then went international as a hit. They released an album in 1984, then an EP in 1985. They had another member shuffle before releasing an album in 1987, which had a song go big in Canada and Austria, then became the biggest selling single in South Africa in 1988 after being featured in a film. Their next album came out in 1989, followed by another in 1991. The group disbanded in 1993 since they couldn't attract an American label, but came back after ten years with a new album in 2003 before splitting again in 2004. The band was reformed in 2010 by Ivan Doroschuk, touring in 2011 and releasing an album in 2012. They've done some more touring in 2013 and 2016, and have teased pictures of the studio this year so I think an album may be forthcoming, but I guess we'll wait and see.

Peace.

Year 7, Day 15

Morning! Today's song is You Might Think by The Cars.

I can't hear this song without thinking about space bugs. Thank you Braindead for doing that because I secretly love it since I've been conditioned to laugh at this song always now. So these guys are an American rock band active from 1976 to 1988, then came back briefly in 2010-2011, and then again in 2018. Members include Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, and David Robinson. The group had many iterations before settling on a name and line up, then releasing their first demo in 1977. They got signed and released their debut album in 1978, with multiple songs topping the charts, before releasing another album the next year. They released an album in 1980, bought a studio, then released another album. They took a break in 1982 so the members could do some solo work, reuniting as a band in 1984. They released an album that year, which is where this song comes from. They ended up getting super popular after, and once that wave was ridden they took another break for solo projects. They came back with the release of an album in 1987, which didn't chart as well as others, and eventually the band broke up in 1988. Since then there have been some greatest hits releases, and members have pursued their solo projects. In 2010, the surviving members decided on a reunion, releasing a new album and touring for it. They disappeared again after that tour until they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, where they all gathered again for a one time show. Since then another member has died, but the songs and their popularity lives on thanks to things like Braindead.

Peace.

Year 7, Day 14

Morning! Today's song is Open Your Heart by Madonna.

Photo by: Chris Weger

So I've been watching a lot of the Among Us playthroughs and it's kind of hilarious. I started with Jacksepticeye because I watch him play games frequently, but have since switched to ZeRoyalViking because Ze is really good at it. He gives me so much anxiety when he murders, but as far as strategy, he's so good. I'm kind of obsessed with this game because is equal parts childlike ease and murderous rage which is an odd combination. I wont play it on my own, mostly because the draw is playing with friends and I honestly don't know that many people who would be interested, but watching all these gamers call each other out and then giggle later because it was secretly them is bringing me so much joy. If you're interested, you should go watch some of them. It's pretty popular right now so there should be lots. Also the memes that are starting to come up are superb. 

Peace.

Year 7, Day 13

Morning! Today's song is I Ran (So Far) by Flock Of Seagulls.

Flock of Seagulls is an English band active from 1979 to 1986, then again since 1988. Currently the group is made up of Mike Score, Pando, Kevin Rankin, and Gord Deppe. They have also had a lot of previous members including Frank Maudsley, Ali Score, Willie Woo, Mark Edmondson, Paul Reynolds, Chris Mars Chryssaphes, Gary Steadman, Ed Berner, Dave Maerz, Kaya Pryor, Mike Radcliffe, Mike Railton, Jonte Wilkins, Mike Marquart, Shavin Duffy, A.J. Mazzetti, Dean Pichette, Joe Rodriguez, Lucio Rubino, John Walker, Darryl Sons, Rob Wright, Robbie Hanson, Albert Cruz, and Michael Brahm. The name for the band comes from a song by the Stranglers and a book by Jonathan Seagull. Over the course of their career, the band has released six albums. The first was from 1982 with the most recent album from 2018. They had disband in 1986 when their 1985 album failed to chart, but they did reform two years later to give it another go. The lineup of this group has changed so many times that I'm not even going to try to identify who was in when, but this song is a classic so props to whichever musicians listed were a part of that and give it a listen. 

Peace.