Issue #17

ISSUE 18

HIGHLIGHT

MAGAZINE

ALEX IS BA BI NI // NJOM Z A // GU AR D S // N ATH AN RYAN // 3 O H ! 3 & MORE

IGHLIGH

co-founder – editor-in-chief – photography ashley osborn co-founder – art director – photography cara bahniuk managing editor jenn stookey content director anjel lopez copy editor courtney dondelinger marketing coordinator matthew leimkuehler co-founder mckenzie hughes contributing photographers dan deslover, courtney dondelinger, tarina doolittle, jordan fischels, nicole mago, charlie martel, heather phillips, petey place, danny raybon, sam roenfeldt, sam san roman, daniel shippey, jared thomas and amy willard contributing writers (online & publication) ryan argast, haley black, jennifer boylen, colleen casey, trevor figge, perry fsh, tamara fuentes, briana henry, will howard, logan kant, jessica klinner, matthew leimkuehler, taylor pittman, claire pope, allison reames annette schafer and morgan waldorf digital marketing rachel carter, johnnie efta, colton oltesvig, ashley parrill and becca white _________________________ www.highlightmagazine.net contact us info@highlightmagazine.net facebook facebook.com/highlightmagazine twitter @highlightzine instagram @highlightzine _________________________ thank you t. Mills & management, columbia records, atlantic records, the catalyst publicity group, new age management, ada music, promenade music entertainment, njomza, big picture media, adeline records, the musebox, jered scott, q87.7 chicago, self titled management, oath, the amazing staff backing the artists featured in this issue and all of our incredible readers

july

08 clothing highlight 10 label highlight 11 venue highlight 12 industry highlight 14 piqniq 16 ilan rubin 18 rebecca perl 20 alexis babini 22 njomza 26 guards 28 nathan ryan 32 3oh!3 46 photos 50 reviews ______________ 06 t.mills ashley osborn guards ashley osborn alexis babini courtesy of promenade music njomza ashley osborn 07 nathan ryan christina bartolucci 3oh!3 pamela littky ilan rubin courtesy of big picture media rebecca perl keila pehl

THIS

NEW FOUND GLORY

28%

OR

CAN’T PICK

5%

THAT

yellowcard

67%

37%

63%

17%

83%

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 5

T. MILLS - 36

GUARDS - 26

ALEXIS BABINI - 20

NJOMZA - 22

28 - NATHAN RYAN

32 - 3OH!3

16 - ILAN RUBIN

18 - REBECCA PERL

CATCH ONTO THESE TRENDS COMPANY: Oath Attire LOCATION: Lowell, MA OWNER: Kyle Anthony DESIGNER: Matthew Collamore WEBSITE: www.weareoath.com

COMPANY STORY?

One thing that Matthew and I knew we felt strongly about was our outlook on the way people approach their life. While growing up, we constantly see the common theme of teens to young adults and even into later adult hood, people often have a hard time finding themselves and realizing their direction or passion in life.

Oath just made sense to us. We wanted to be a collection of motivated individuals in support of others who were as determined as us to obtain long term personal happiness.

Oath is defined as “A solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one’s future action or behavior.” Based on the idea that we wanted our company’s message to have true depth and the ability to resonate with everyone who represents our brand, Oath was the only word to showcase the seriousness of the emotion and thought process together.

8 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOUR BRAND REPRESENTS?

Our brand represents people just like us, who understand how life in this era has affected people’s happiness. We are as mentioned before, a group that stands up and decides our own fate. Examples of what self ambition and focused love of what we do, can achieve on a personal and in many cases team basis.

In comparison to other brands, we feel we bring a new and refreshing intensity to the industry. While our clothes may not be the most revolutionary and ground breaking the feeling we want to instill and movement we want to cause is priceless unto itself.

“Identity is nothing, fellowship is everything, we are passion, we are not alone.” - Oath Attire mission Statement

REASON YOU STARTED YOUR BRAND?

Since my early teen years I had a small inkling I would one day pursue Oath. Growing up in a world where stereotypes are visually based and judgements are harsh at times, I found myself experimenting with my style and how I wanted to express emotions like any other teenager. As time went on I realized someone’s style can be more than just thread and traditional eye catching trends, It can make you feel certain ways.

2) Walter Tee - Framed and blindfolded the famous entrepreneur represents the backbone of what taking the Oath is all about.

Pride is the seed idea with this design. We wanted to take someone the public is familiar with and give him credit for having the traits of a leader(Portrait) and dreamer(His company) but also make it known that his identity didn’t make him great, his outlook on pursing his passion did. (Blindfold)

That’s truly where Oath began. Just knowing you can take negative known concepts and turn the tables with optimism.

As I’ve grown and taken life’s challenges head on Oath has become the predominant force in my mind. All it took was meeting Matthew and realizing I was not alone, not one bit.

3) Oath Crew Neck - Combining retro urban brand wear, and new age abstract trends the “Oath Crew Neck” appeals to many different audiences. We attempt to intrigue the minds of viewers from afar and up close with our unfamiliar patterns.

This design is a heavy hitter with its strong logo presence and clean cut simplicity.

WHAT ARE YOUR THREE FAVORITE DESIGNS?

WHY PEOPLE SHOULD CHECK OUT YOUR BRAND?

1) Oath Ocean Tank - Described on our website as, “the simple idea of seeing your passion within reach...” The “Oath Ocean Tank” is an in house favorite taking a very direct visual route. With this fashion top we chose to keep the relativity theme of our brand in mind. Everyone at some point of their life has been physically or emotionally frustrated. At these times we feel vulnerable and can feel unmotivated. The design is meant to bring these moments to our minds forefront. Knowing the road is tough but that there are smaller incentives along the way can prevent thoughts of hopelessness.

Oath is passion and fashion forward. We feel our purpose as humans is to work together to make each others lives as fulfilled as possible. To find the activities that bring us bliss and decide to not second guess instinct and pursue the life we dream about.

If you want to represent yourself, express your outlook on an aspect of life, and look great, then check out Oath Attire.

YOU MAY WANT TO LISTEN TO...

DFA Records, an independent record label and production team, was founded in 2001

by James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), Tim Goldsworthy (U.N.K.L.E.) and Jonathan Galkin.

DFA grew out of an idea that Murphy and Goldsworthy had after working together on an album. The label is based in New York City and has a distribution deal with major record label EMI. In the twelve years since its founding, DFA has gained a worldwide following by offering limited releases on vinyl. It’s also known for having abundant vision, pushing its artists to be ambitious and encouraging artists to invent their own genres as opposed to fitting neatly within an existing genre. Artists released on DFA include Arcade Fire, Free Energy, Hot Chip and The Rapture. Get a true taste of the impact the label has made by watching a video of DFA’s history in celebration of its 12th anniversary: http://www. redbullmusicacademy.com/events/new-york-2013-dfa-records-12-years

YACHT - YACHT is a “genre and media-spanning life project”

and band founded by Jona Bechtolt of Portland, Oregon. At the band’s core are Claire L. Evans and Jona Bechtolt with Rob Kiewswetter and Jeffrey Brodsky as touring members.

YACHT’s first full-length release on DFA Records, See Mystery Lights, received positive reviews from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and The New York Times; a nod to their anthemic, psychedelic and genre-smashing power jams. The second record, ShangriLa, balances the duality of being a compulsively danceable yet heavy themed concept album. Indie-electro art-rockers Behtolt and Kiewswetter are known to throw their heart into their unique live shows, uniting the audience in the present moment and leaving them ecstatic, energized and inspired.

Listen to: “Psychic City (Voodoo City)”

Marcus Marr -

London, UK, artist Marcus Marr’s first encounter with dance-music was listening to acid-house records and attending all-night parties at a Brixton church.

Marr balances the roles of songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and engineer and understands the need for refreshing and imaginative dance-music. The self-proclaimed “guitar strangler/synth wrangler” can pull off a quality 9 minute electronic music jam that will take the listener on a journey and has garnered shout-outs from the music group RAC and musician Alex Metric. Finding inspiration from David Bowie and Prince, Marr’s music is funky and uplifting, spanning everything from house to disco. Earlier this year, Marr released his first record on DFA. His latest single is “The Music.” Marr will continue to tour the U.S. and U.K. while releasing more music with DFA. Listen To: “The Music (Original Mix)”

Sinkane -

Sudanese artist Ahmed Galleb moved to the US at age six to escape the political violence of the late 80s and later began work as a multi-instrumental session musician for Yeasayer, Caribou, Of Montreal and Born Ruffians. After moving to Brooklyn, Sinkane became the name of Galleb’s solo and primary music project. Mars (2012), the second full-length album from Sinkane but his first with DFA, draws upon a wide range of influences including his east African roots to create a refined hybrid sound that features syncopated rhythms, breezy guitar, and infectious grooves. On each of his releases, Sinkane’s ability to play multiple instruments on most tracks and to maintain a connection with his past allows him to command a clear yet ever-evolving voice over his music.

Listen to: “Warm Spell” WORDS: Logan Kant

VENUE HIGHLIGHT MAXWELL’S - HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY

HISTORY:

WHY PLAY HERE?

From the beginning to the end, Maxwell’s has been considered one of the main venues that many up and coming bands in the Tri-state area have played. Considered the must play venue in order to make it big, it has soon become a historical landmark in Hoboken, NJ. Now, in it’s final month as it’s closing at the end of July, it is becoming one of the most jam-packed venues around. People are flocking in from all over to get once last chance to either experience what Maxwell’s has to give or to play there for one last time. Young and old, everyone is trying to go back and try to get a small piece that Maxwell’s had to offer. It even gained the #3 spot on the “Best Rock and Roll Clubs in the United States” list by Rolling Stone and has become a signature venue in the industry after being featured in Bruce Springsteen’s music video for “Glory Days.” The venue was also a starting place for big bands like Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins and The Strokes.

Maxwell’s was also the venue where My Chemical Romance’s “The Black Parade Is Dead!” live album was recorded.

Maxwell’s has become a home for so many upcoming bands.

With its very intimate back room which only houses 200 people, standing room only and old unique club style, it’s no surprise why both bands and fans alike come back here for more. With many of its old bands coming back for final shows, it is becoming the place to go during the month of July.

Whether it’s to enjoy one final show, having one last meal upstairs in it’s restaurant or just coming in to take one last look around, everyone is hoping to have their chance to say one last goodbye to this iconic venue.

JULY 14TH-16TH Titus Andronicus

REVIEW: Tamara Fuentes PHOTOS: Venue’s Facebook

TWITTER: @MaxwellsNJ FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/MaxwellsNJ WEBSITE: www.maxwellsnj.com

JULY 21ST

JULY 25TH

JULY 30TH

Ted Leo/Shellshag

The Muffs

Lee Ranaldo and The Dust

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 11

YOU’LL BE AMAZED BY NAME: Sean O’Keefe JOB: Producer/Mixer LOCATION: Chicago, IL

12 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL STORY?

I loved music as a kid. So did my friends. It was a lot of fun.

After high school I got an internship at a studio in Chicago called Gravity Studios. My first day I remember staring at the console and having no clue what was going on. It looked nothing like my 4-track.

The patchbay was completely overwhelming and I didn’t know where to begin. Every time the engineer left the room I decided I’d go over to the patch bay (which probably had close to 500 patch points and labels) and started graphing the whole thing out on my notebook. I spent the next week memorizing every column so I could be prepared to show off by swiftly throwing a patch on my next day back. That morning I sat in my car out front of the studio quizzing myself before I went in. They were mixing the Promise Ring which was cool cause I had heard of them. When the mixer mentioned he needed to patch a piece of gear I ran over and was able to do it. He looked at me with great surprise. It was a nice feeling. We quickly became friends and he is still a dear friend of mine to this day.

After getting my feet wet assisting other producers and mixers I started to bring bands I knew into Gravity and record them myself.

One of the first projects I did was a couple demo songs for a band called Knockout. Two weeks later I was told that those songs got them a record deal with Fearless Records out in California and that we were going to be able to make the rest of the record. I could’t have been more excited. During the process of making that record our friend Pete was hanging around the studio and telling me about his new band. He mentioned that my friend Patrick was the singer.

I could’t believe this because I only knew Patrick to play the drums.

Pete continued to bring me their demo and asked me to listen. I was so busy that I never took the time to put it on. While we were in the middle of recording vocals someone mentioned that Patrick was going to come in to do some guest backup vocals. He came in, went in the booth, sang a harmony and I couldn’t believe my ears.

He was amazing. As a matter of fact I forced him into staying till 3:00am to sing backups on almost every song on that record (this was especially funny cause he refused to eat until after singing and went a good 12 hours with no food!).

Needless to say I was now excited to hear and record Patrick and Pete’s new band called Fall Out Boy. A few weeks later we went up to Smart Studios in Madison Wisconsin to record 3 of their songs.

This was additionally exciting for me because it was the first time I would be recording at Smart Studios which was an extremely nice studio and was owned by legendary producer Butch Vig. We spent 5 days recording and had an incredible time. It was pure energy throughout the whole process. The studio manager would stock the fridge with complimentary soda for the bands. They asked me what kind of soda the guys wanted and the band replied, “would be possible to get ramen noodles instead of soda?” so that became our diet for the week. Ironically the band signed 6 months later to Fueled

by Ramen Records.

After we finished recording I stayed and mixed as they headed out on a small tour. When I finished I was driving home to Chicago listening to the CD of what we had done. I thought to myself, wow these guys really have something here. I instantly called up Pete and said just that. He kinda laughed and was happy to hear it.

Those recordings and mixes ended up getting Fall Out Boy their record deal. They went on the record as-is and ended up becoming the singles too. One of them is now on Rock Band (which I have played and is not easy). It was a very exciting time. I started getting

calls from more and more bands a labels. I was traveling all over the country to work on music and learning new things. About a year later the drummer of Less Than Jake called and asked if I’d mix a record for them. That was a big deal for me because my friends and I used to go see them all the time when we were in high school.

After a few steady years of making records I decided to take a break and join a band called This Is Me Smiling. I had just made their record and loved the guys and the music. I learned so much about music from them. Those guys are still some of my favorite musicians and people I have ever known. We toured, we partied, and went through the experience of being offered record deals and such. It was fun to be in a band again.

After some time I realized that the studio was ultimately my place and headed back. It was nice to come back with a fresh perspective.

The second project I did after that break was recording a song called “Hey There Delilah” for my friends in the Plain White T’s. Later that song went on to become the #1 song of 2007. Since I didn’t listen to the radio at the time I had no idea that was going on. I bumped into the drummer one day and he asked me how I felt about having my 3rd Gold Record. I had no clue what he was talking about. It turned out to be a nice surprise.

It’s funny looking back on all this stuff. You never know what’s going to happen and how certain events will unfold. Something I used to do after my sessions (and still do to this day) is get in my car at night and drive a couple hours out of the city so I can listen to music and decompress. I love doing that. It’s very therapeutic for me and I can’t imagine I’ll ever stop doing it. I think stuff like that is also a big part of what got me to where I am today, which in many ways is still the same place as where I started. Most of my friends are still involved in music. It’s something we do and talk about when we get together and I am still just as interested in hearing and/or working on something that I feel a connection with just as when I first made a connection with music. Now that I think about it, most of the great things that happened along the way seemed to have come from simply having fun and enjoying being a part of something interesting. That’s a nice thing to think about.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 MOMENTS OF YOUR CAREER? 1) Seeing my name on the back of a CD for the first time in Best Buy.

2) Meeting Jon Brion (one of my favorite musical minds), Bob Clearmountian (first guy to become a dedicated mixer), Jerry Finn (Green Day “Dookie”, sums that up), Jack Joseph Puig (Pinkerton…)

AND Geoff Emerick (recorded 4 guys from Liverpool on a 4 Track a while back) in the same night.

3) Playing a song I produced on Rock Band and struggling to not get disqualified.

WHAT DO YOU STILL WANT TO ACCOMPLISH?

There are always those day to day things that I hope for like, I’d love to mix a record that was perfectly balance and had the perfect amount creativity so everyone thought it sounded amazing, or be able to be so in demand that I’d never have to worry about money again. But over time I have learned that my ultimate goal is to be a part of a record or piece of music that when I go back and listen 10 years later, still feels alive to me in whatever way it was meant to feel alive. Thankfully I have a number of those from my past but would Ideally like to have as many more as possible in my future. There is nothing more rewarding than experiencing that feeling and I know there is and endless amount of it out there.

14 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

WHEN

Q87.7

(CHICAGO’S

ALTERNATIVE

Underground station) launched just a little over a year ago, nobody knew what to expect. The station’s first track was Chicago native band, Rise Against’s, track “Satellite,” and since then it is my go-to station. Not to mention, they have some of the world’s greatest DJ’s of all time.

Fast forward to June of 2013 and Q87.7 is putting on their second festival, PIQNIC. After attending the station’s ‘The Night We Stole Christmas’ in December (which included acts as amazing as Anberlin, Morning Parade and Youngblood Hawke to name a few) I knew that PIQNIC was going to be even more incredible.

Upon arrival, I saw fans by the thousands laying on blankets and soaking up the sun through the clouds. Everyone held huge smiles and it was clear they were all here for one similar reason: to show their love for Q87.7 and all that the station does for it’s hardcore fans and the Chicago music scene.

PIQNIC’s consisted of two stages. Acts such as Capital Cities, twenty | one | pilots (pictured), New Politics, Maximum Hedrum and headliner, Cold War Kids, played the outside side stage. As soon as Cold War Kids’ set came to a sad close, Atlas Genius kicked off the second half of the show on the main stage which was located inside of Tinley Park’s very own First Midwest Bank Amphitheater.

As the night went on, Silversun Pickups, AWOLNATION and Bush all played incredible and energy filled live sets. As I wandered around to get a feel for the festival, I couldn’t find one frown. It was truly a day that was enjoyed by all attendees. I mean, with a line-up as incredible as it was... how could you NOT have a good day?

If one thing’s clear, it’s that Q87.7 is the most kickass station in all of the land and I can’t wait to see what amazing festival they put together next.

PHOTO AND REVIEW: Ashley Osborn

ILAN RUBIN

HOME: San Diego, CA NOW JAMMING: Exhibit A - EP (Self-Released) CURRENTLY: Getting ready for tour with Nine Inch Nails

NINE INCH NAILS, LOSTPROPHETS, Angels & Airwaves and Paramore are all bands I’m sure you’ve heard of, right? If you haven’t you’ve clearly been living under a rock. These bands all have one connection, and one singularly shared talent between them all: Ilan Rubin. He has accomplished more in his 24 years of life than most rock stars out there today, and he has his eyes set on a new goal: The New Regime. With his solo project being a prime focus of his these days, he’s ready to show the world even more of his endless talent and passion.

Rubin began playing music when he was 7 or 8 years old, with a heavy influence coming from his father who was a drummer and his older brothers who played guitar and bass. By the age of 13, he picked up his siblings’ bass and guitar, and by 16, he “developed a pretty random interest in classical music” and became well versed in piano. “I kind of just focused on music and nothing else. As long as I can remember, really. Once I gave up my little league it was truly all music,” Rubin says.

With so many musical talents, it was to no surprise that Ilan joined Lostprophets at the mere age of 17, and then moved on to work with industrial rock legends Nine Inch Nails by the time he was 20 years old. After a hiatus came about from Nine Inch Nails, Rubin moved on to work with Angels & Airwaves, and most recently, Paramore. Rubin is surely used to jumping into new situations with the previous bands he has played with, but with Paramore being so stylistically different, Rubin explains how working with the band influenced his drumming.

“When I go into a situation like that, which is what I usually do; where I play for a band and have all these songs to learn, I always make it a point to learn the parts how they were. And it was fun. It’s always fun kind of taking apart the way drummers play, but they [Paramore] were very much wanting me to do my own thing. I learned the songs as they were, pretty much exactly like that, and they appreciated that but they also highlighted spots like ‘Here, do whatever you want’ and kind of trusted me to bring something a little fresh to the table in terms of the parts themselves.

I always have the outlook of doing what’s best for the song.”

As a musician with so many talents, it was only natural for Rubin to crave more as his own independent musician. Thus, Rubin’s brainchild was born: The New Regime. His new project began in 2007, where he has continued to write and release music under the pseudonym of The New Regime in-between working with all of his other projects. With such an incredibly busy schedule, Rubin has experienced the difficulty of making time for his solo work.

“I want to take The New Regime as far as it can possibly go.

What stands in the way of that is – I kind of see myself as two different people, and I know that can easily sound ridiculous. But what I mean by that is that my career is kind of split in two. I’m a drummer, and I’m The New Regime. So as you can imagine I’m very busy, which is great; I thoroughly enjoy it and I love playing drums, especially with all the bands I get to perform with. While I’m doing that I can remain creative and productive with The New Regime but at times, in terms of branding, the hours, going on tour and just playing and playing and playing, with The New Regime,

I really have to carve out pockets in the schedule to be able to do that. It’s very tough but I have all the intention to really take The New Regime as far as it can possibly go,” Rubin tells us.

Rubin has most recently self-released Exhibit A, which is the first of a series of exhibits. He is currently working on Exhibit B, and plans on using the exhibits as a way to release music in between completed albums instead of the typical release of an EP or B-sides.

“The whole idea behind exhibits is first of all, I don’t like the term EP. I think it kind of takes importance away from a release and when you say ‘oh well here’s an EP,’ it sounds like a demo or a few songs and I just don’t like that. I prefer the packaging of an album and all of the thought that goes behind that, so with exhibits, basically when I feel like releasing a batch of songs that aren’t quite an album’s length of material, I’ll add them to the sequence of exhibits,” Rubin explains.

When it comes to writing for The New Regime, Rubin likes to leave his songs up for interpretation to the listener. “Music naturally puts you in a place and it sets a mood for the listener. What I wanted to do lyrically was kind of enhance that mood with words as opposed to just telling a story with what really happened which is what happens most of the time. Which is great, but it didn’t really seem suiting for the stuff that I was writing,” Rubin describes.

As such a young musician, Rubin hasn’t been able to pinpoint any negative moments in his career aside from the usual struggles of the industry itself. “Unfortunately the music industry is an absolutely abysmal industry. It’s terrible and flooded with people who don’t really want to work, people who have no interest in sustaining the industry. What you have are people who want the easiest way to produce money for the companies they work for so that they don’t lose their jobs. That’s basically what it comes down to,” he tells us.

With the state of the industry today, Rubin feels a bit of disdain with technology’s effect on music consumption. The fact that people can claim to enjoy all 80 gigs of music on their iPods is mind boggling to him, and he feels that today people don’t give music a chance to digest before moving onto the next 500 files to listen to.

The self-assuredness Ilan Rubin exuded while speaking about himself and his opinions was refreshing, and it is easy to see that he knows exactly where he wants his career to go next. Rubin made it very clear that The New Regime isn’t just a side project; it’s something he his fully dedicated to and constantly developing.

While Rubin is working on finding a balance between the recent reuniting of Nine Inch Nails and The New Regime, he only sees the project growing in the future, as it is almost an appendage of himself as a musician. As Rubin valiantly put it, “I started it [The New Regime] a few years ago and it’s been the best way I can get myself across as a musician and a writer. I truly love doing it.”

PHOTO: Courtesy of Big Picture Media INTERVIEW AND STORY: Anjel Lopez

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 17

REBECCA

PERL HOME: New York, NY

NOW JAMMING: Rendezvous - Full-Length

CURRENTLY: Working on a music video and will be playing with Howie Day in NYC in July

IT’S NOT EVERYDAY THAT YOU

hear about a folk artist coming out of New York City, but Rebecca Perl is the one exception to that rule. “I’m actually originally from Long Island. I moved into Manhattan last year and it’s definitely a different experience! Songwriting on Long Island usually happened by the water, it was my little haven. I loved the soothing vibes it would bring,” she says.

But moving to the big city didn’t stop her from doing what she does best. “Here in the city it’s loud and busy, to say the least. It’s nice to feel something different and if New York isn’t inspiring then I don’t know what is!” Perl told us. “I find that I’m more inclined to spontaneously go out and play live music. Everyone is willing to listen to some new music, which is refreshing! Whether it’s a Wednesday afternoon or a Sunday at 1am, you can find a bar to play in. I love that.”

After releasing EPs her entire life, she was ready to finally take out a full-length album an accomplishment that she says came in the perfect time in her life. Her album Rendezvous only came out a month ago, but that’s not stopping Perl from starting off on her next one.

“I didn’t think it would happen so quickly but I guess when it’s such a big part of your life it’s impossible to stop. When I feel something, I write about it! I certainly haven’t stopped…feeling,” she told us about her writing process. When we asked her about with whom she would like to collaborate with in the future, she said that John Mayer would be great to work with. “I would also like to have a sit down meal with him and maybe a guitar lesson?”

“I think as human beings we all want to relive certain moments in our lives, good or bad, for whatever reason. Every song on my album is real. Each time I listen to them I’m having a Rendezvous.”

Perl explains to us. “I’m also at a time in my life where it’s hard to stray away from what makes you feel comfortable and I think I’ve struggled with letting certain things go. You’ll find some of that in my lyrics. But, you’ll also find that there is some sort of optimism in each song. If something pulls you down, there’s always a way to get back up again. I’m a really positive person. I hope that people can relate and take a piece of something from my album and feel good about it.”

Although her style and sound is primarily folk, Perl states that almost any kind of music inspires her in different ways. “My biggest influences, from the start, have been John Mayer and Dave Matthews Band, though I could go on forever with the artists I look up to. Folk music just happens comes out of me!” she says. “These days I listen to Ed Sheeran, The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, Ben Howard, Lissie, and they influence me for sure. A random song I hear while walking in a Duane Reade may inspire me to write a new song. I don’t necessarily need to know every word to every song on every album that one of my favorite artists writes, I just know that he/she has sparked something in me that keeps me coming back for more. I even enjoy Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars. I can appreciate it all and I’m sure they all have some effect on me and my music.”

She even tells us that she might try her hand at different genres.

“Hey, maybe one day I’ll write a hip-hop record! I think I could write a mean hip-hop song,” she jokes.

But Perl tells us that is hasn’t been easy for her. “Personally, the biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome was being the boss and being able to tell people what to do,” she explains. “I hate having to say no. I try to give everyone I work with the freedom they deserve. I’m no business woman but I’ve had to become one!”

“I definitely still struggle with it,” she continues. “I try to think in terms of business and not friendship when it ultimately comes down to business. I have experienced the downfall of friendships when mixing it with business and that’s never fun to deal with. It happens all the time unfortunately.”

However, even though she’s still struggling with the business aspect of her career she still grateful for the biggest ‘highlight’ of her life. “The release of my debut album [has been my biggest highlight.] I’ve been lucky to have opportunities to play with some big artists and I can’t wait to see what comes next. Whatever it is, I’m ready for it.”

We can’t wait to see what Rebecca has for us next and we know that she’s going to go so far. Who knows, maybe we’ll even hear a duet from her and John Mayer in the near future.

PHOTO: Keila Pehl INTERVIEW AND STORY: Tamara Fuentes

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 19

HOME: Easton, CT NOW JAMMING: The Pioneer Spirit - Full-Length (Wonderlous Music) CURRENTLY: On tour with Aaron Carter

HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION

are the main ingredients to a successful career in the music industry.

Alexis Babini has been working tirelessly for years to get his music out there to people who will appreciate it, and all that hard work is finally paying off. With a recent run opening for Aaron Carter, Babini has won over audiences everywhere with his sweet lyrics and soft, tender voice. We caught up with Babini to talk about his new album, The Pioneer Spirit, his struggles as a solo artist and his plan to take over the hearts of music listeners everywhere.

Alexis Babini had the opportunity to tour with Aaron Carter this summer and he admits this tour has been different than any other in his career. It’s a younger demographic than he usually plays for and it has also gotten a ton of media attention. It even got a shout out from Perez Hilton, but Babini is embracing the change.

“I won’t get into what it’s like dodging bras and underwear while performing but I’ll say that ‘massive exposure’ is an accurate euphemism,” he joked.

Along with this tour, Babini also just released his very first full length, entitled The Pioneer Spirit. This was not only his first fulllength release, but also a bunch of other musical firsts for him.

“This was the first time I’ve put out a collection of songs that altogether forms a body of work,” he said. He continued to say it creates an arc when listened to from start to finish, as well as features a live string section and Babini’s first time playing harmonica, mandolin or banjo on any recordings. The Pioneer Spirit took him two years to make and he couldn’t be happier with the response he has gotten for his hard work. But at the end of the day he also has one goal as a musician, and it’s not solely to release music.

“The goal is to move and inspire everyone. The great thing about music is that the right song can find you at the right time and change your life,” he said.

He even won the Berklee College of Music Performer/Songwriter Award. That being said, his goal to change lives and inspire people does make him feel like he’s in a constant battle that comes with it. “[I have] moments where I feel like I am David going up against Goliath and I’m taking a big monster down with one little stone,” he said.

Besides having to struggle to hold his own as a solo artist, Babini also feels the pressure to stand out in such a saturated industry.

“There are so many artists and avenues to get to music today that bands are struggling to find an audience. If you look at supply and demand, it’s fairly obvious which side the bigger numbers are on.”

On top of that, the hardest part of his career has been the ups and downs of being a musician. Going from a great night on stage to working a job you hate and dealing with the unpredictability of the industry he’s in can be tough.

“I’ve been promised gigantic opportunities that fell through, signed to management that went out of business, and figuratively slapped in the face by the music industry. The biggest challenge is getting back up on my feet each time and giving it another go,” he said. But Babini continues to overcome this; he continues to go out and do the work. He continues to get up on stage and not doubt himself.

Babini has definitely conquered the struggles and has had plenty of amazing opportunities to boot; from playing with an American Idol winner to Aaron Carter, to countless other big line ups. But that’s not the most important thing to him. Babini wants to change lives and the highlight of his career hasn’t been album sales or sold out shows but rather working with “Musicians On Call,” playing music in hospitals for kids, veterans and intensive care patients. Being a part of that organization reminded him why he loves to play music in the first place.

He has one more show with Aaron Carter as well as a show with Ryan Cabrerra later this month; if they happen to be in your area be sure to check out Alexis Babini. You won’t be sorry you did! But fans everywhere can check out his blog to read about Music On Call and to see what Babini is up to.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Promenade Music INTERVIEW: Jessica Klinner STORY: Jennifer Boylen & Jessica Klinner

“ THE GOAL IS TO MOVE AND INSPIRE EVERYONE.” 20 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

ALEXIS BABINI HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 21

NJ OM ZA

HOME: Chicago, IL NOW JAMMING: GOLD LION - Mixtape CURRENTLY: Writing and preparing to play more shows!

NOT EVERYONE CAN SAY THAT

they’ve gotten their music noticed by the likes of Mac Miller, but then again not all of us have a killer voice like NJOMZA, a name that she explains to us means youth in Albanian. Her powerhouse vocals are clearly shown in her recent mixtape Gold Lion and also in her various YouTube videos in which she even covers some of Miller’s songs.

While Gold Lion is just the first of her (hopefully) many releases, she doesn’t hold back on anything when to her songwriting. “Gold Lion is me going through heartbreak, trying to mend a relationship, being desperate for that love again, as well as gaining confidence and not giving a fuck about love anymore… or anything for that matter.”

One of the tape’s producers is no other than Miller himself in which NJOMZA says, “It’s been nothing but great working with Q and Mac.” NJOMZA is under his REMember Music label that he’s starting up and she says that “I am [definitely] a part of Most Dope and they are all my family.”

“I’m really excited that I have a body of work out that gives my fans an idea of what I can do musically,” she says about the mixtape. “The response has been great and it just gets me excited to create more music.” And great indeed as most of the songs on the mixtape has been listened to over 9,000 times on the Internet.

But even with the success of her album, she still has one major setback in her life. “I’ve been going through some legal shit and it’s a huge setback. I got into trouble for underage drinking and I’m facing these consequences and it’s making it really difficult for me to do what I need to do musically.”

Even with her troubles she still doesn’t let anything stop her from reaching her goals. “Any struggle I go through…whether its random haters, blogs saying things I don’t like, writers block, shit… anything I just look past it and keep pushing to be the best I can be. As cheesy at that sounds, I believe the best way to further yourself in this industry is to be the best musician YOU can be and be as YOU as possible…rather than trying to compete with other artists and conforming.”

Recently, NJOMZA has had to cancel some concert dates because of her legal troubles but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming big.

She told us that she hopes to go on a national tour soon and, recently, Miller announced her as one of his guests for some of his dates on his upcoming fall tour.

Even though that’s just one of her major struggles right now, she says she still faces judgment and misconception from people in this industry. “People tend to misunderstand my sarcasm…people can think I’m stuck up or whatever but I came from nothing. I joke a lot and it bothers some people that I’m such a free spirit. I just [want to] love and live and learn.”

Although she has faced some set back in her life, she surely doesn’t plan to stop soon, but for now she just wants to be the best she can be. “I don’t even know what the next step will be yet. All I’m worried about right now is perfecting my craft. I want to be the best musician I can be. My next project will be nothing less than epic.”

No matter what happens though, she says that her fans, or NJOMZA Tribe, as she likes to call them, drive her to become successful. “I want to create for them. They believe in me and that’s all I could ever ask for.” She also hopes that they take away as much as they can from her mixtape. “I just hope I can help people that are going through what I went through,” she said about the content of the tape.

When asked about her ‘highlight’ she tells us that it was “Releasing Gold Lion…it’s cool to have my own music out and I can’t wait to release more.”

One thing’s for sure; we certainly can’t wait what this girl has in store. From her killer vocals, incredible lyrics, new musical style and her drive to do everything great, we know that she’s going to go so far. Everyone should make sure they get her mixtape soon on her Soundcloud while they can for free and possibly see her on tour very, very soon.

PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW & STORY: Tamara Fuentes

I want to be the best musician I can be.

My next project will be nothing less than epic.

24 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

GUARDS 26 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

HOME: New York, NY NOW JAMMING: In Guards We Trust - Full-Length (Black Bell Records) CURRENTLY: On tour!

YES, IN GUARDS WE TRUST, MAY

be the name of their recently released full-length, however, between their energetic stage presence and catchy tunes, we can trust that Guards is certainly here to stay. Emerging into the industry in 2010, Guards is composed of the incredible Loren Humphrey, Kaylie Church and Richie James Follin.

When we recently caught Guards opening for Portugal. The Man at Chicago’s very own House of Blues, we were captivated by their sound. Immediately after, we touched base with vocalist Richie. You may know Richie from previous groups – but we’d like to focus on the now.

For example, let’s take a look at this year alone. Guards have had the honor of opening for notable acts and they’ve even scored a slot on some major festivals such as Coachella and our very own Lollapalooza. When we asked Richie about playing Coachella he stated, “I grew up going to the festival and in my youthful view it was the biggest and best thing you could do as a band.

I have now played the festival twice and it is such an amazing experience every time. I still get excited to go see all the bands as a fan so that hasn’t really changed, I just now happen to be performing as well. When we were playing this year it kind of popped into my mind that the little kid standing there watching was me 10 years ago.”

After one listen, it’s clear that these slots are well earned. When we asked Richie whether he would rather tour the globe or strictly perform at festivals, he tells us they are very different experiences and can’t be compared. “The people you play for on tour are normally there for your band and at festivals I feel like you have a lot of people just discovering you. Tour shows can be more personal and intimate, but at festivals you are reaching so many people at once. They both are great in their own way…I can’t pick one!”

We were thrilled when we heard this! Guards is a band you wouldn’t want to miss out on if they toured close to your town.

With their preference on what they would rather play, a festival or a tour, out in the open, we wanted to ask how they are inspired to write such flowing and brilliant music. Every band has their own experiences and inspiration but Richie tells us his sometimes comes from films, “I will have an image in my head and I am scoring it.

Sometimes, I will think up what I would like to be playing to people

at a certain place.” The end product might sound like something you have heard from one of his previous projects, and when writing it he may resist at first. However, he says, “a good song is a good song and I try to make sure that is what I am focused on.”

Like we said before, Guards released their debut full-length album earlier this year. (PS: if you haven’t picked it up, you should!) But we wanted to know if they had approached the album differently than their previous EP. Richie tells us the answer is yes. “With the EP, there was no band or any idea of there being a band…I just wrote 7 songs and that was it. With the album, we had toured and figured out what we wanted to do as a band. We had a clear vision and got to go mix in a real studio.” It seems as though that clear vision is what put them on the map, and we are stoked on how this album turned out. In fact, if Richie could describe In Guards We Trust in a single word he would say, “music. That’s what it is!” There’s no beating around the bush with this release.

It’s to the point and on top, and that is what their fans love so much about it.

It is not only their fans that have taken to appreciate this album.

We had to ask Richie if there was anyone he was surprised to learn had listened to the album and expressed his or her likings towards it. He exclaims, “Yes! Mainly record label people and people in bigger bands that I wouldn’t have thought would have been into it.” Music is a surprising thing and can bring many people together whom you never thought possible. Guards have even caught the attention of other iconic magazines, music related ones such as The Rolling Stone and even some non-music related magazines such as fashion magazine ELLE. He tells us that at the start of his career he had hoped for this.

From one dreamer to another, hard work and dedication pays off, as Guards have shown us all. From a small three piece to soonto-be household name, this band has worked hard and used their passion for good. Check them out this summer as they take over Lollapalooza, First City Festival and FYF Fest 2013 before they head over seas to Europe. And don’t you dare forget to take a listen to their debut album In Guards We Trust. Because trust us, you won’t want to miss it.

PHOTO: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW: Jenn Stookey STORY: Ashley Osborn & Jenn Stookey

GUARDS IN GUARDS WE TRUST

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 27

NATHAN

RYAN HOME: Colorado Springs, CO

NOW JAMMING: Is That Tattooed - Single

CURRENTLY: Preparing to release his new EP, Famour From my Bedroom, on July 30th

NATHAN RYAN IS AN ARTIST TRULY

unlike any other. His career has been growing since he created his YouTube channel years ago. He’s anxious and ready to release his new EP, Famous From My Bedroom, on July 30th. We caught up with Nathan and got the 411 on his new music and his journey along the way.

HIGHLIGHT: SO GREAT TO FINALLY CHAT WITH YOU! YOUR FANS HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATING THIS RELEASE FOR A LONG TIME. WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED FOR? NATHAN: I am most excited for the fans’ reactions. I have been working on this EP for the past year and they are still here with me waiting for it to be released and I just really think they are going to be shocked. I also am pretty excited that we are taking time to roll this out properly. We have a bunch of great content coming out with this record (including a music video for the single “Is That Tattooed”) and its just a smooth rollout process that is keeping everyone anxious yet not dragging it out either.

28 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

HIGHLIGHT: WHERE DID YOU GET THE INSPIRATION FOR THE SONGS ON THIS EP? NATHAN: The inspirations for writing this EP came from a lot of things. While I was writing all of this I was traveling the country a lot, playing shows and even went to Italy to do some foreign press as well. I learned a lot in Italy just of how different every culture is. It really opened my eyes to expand my music and make it more relatable to everyone. Not saying you can please everyone, but you can open your eyes and see what others like and what other people from all over the world are listening to. It still has that Nathan Ryan style but I just wanted more relatable lyrics and ideas to reach out to more people. There are so many people in this world and with having such a big Internet influence, anyone in the world could hear my songs and when they do, I want them to be able to vibe and relate to what they are hearing. You live and you learn and during this album process I did a lot of living. I’m very thankful. continue...

HIGHLIGHT: THAT’S SO GREAT TO HEAR! SO SINCE THESE EXPERIENCES WERE SO UNIQUE, HOW WOULD YOU SAY THESE TRACKS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS MUSIC YOU’VE RELEASED? NATHAN: This EP is completely different from anything I have ever done. First of all, I have never been into a studio until we recorded this EP. Everything in the past I have done in my room with a condenser mic. I never thought making songs would get me anywhere. I just really enjoyed it and it was venting for me.

I have tons of friends that I only see every now and then when I am back home but other than that, it’s just me and I had to talk and get my emotions out somehow so I just made some music.

Never even really took it seriously to be honest. I would wait until I had about seven to ten songs and then just release it. I never shot a music video or picked out a single or promoted it or did anything too crazy. I would just put it up and post about it on Twitter and Facebook. I was just a kid who had a big fan base and didn’t know what exactly to do with it but after signing a management deal with Adam [Lopez] and New Age Media Management, I see the entire business side of music and it has made me look at things completely different. It all has started to make sense and we will see just how different everything is after this EP comes out but I’m not worried at all.

HIGHLIGHT: WHICH TRACK WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR FAVORITE? NATHAN: This is the toughest question that I have been getting asked lately. I love every song on the EP cause each one means something different but I would have to say “Streetlights” is my favorite because it basically explains what I have been through and what almost everyone has gone through in their life with relationships. And how it seems so perfect and all set and then just like that it can all change and you have to start over again with all these memories, and it’s so tough but you have no choice but to deal with it and move on or hang on to something that isn’t going to happen. It relates to people in a romantic way and could also be broken down into everyday situations. That song was really fun to record and I think it’s honestly the cutest song I have ever written. It actually started out as a freestyle I was just messing around with and then I started dropping some cute lines and the “make sure we get home by streetlights” stuck with me and I wrote the song off of just that one line. I think that has a huge impact on why that song is my favorite because it came to me so effortlessly. The song wrote itself.

HIGHLIGHT: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST THING ABOUT RELEASING A NEW EP? NATHAN: The best thing about releasing a new EP is that everyone can hear what you have been up to. I am always on twitter saying “omg I can’t wait for you all to hear it!” and now they finally can. I always love showing progress on each release as well. “Famous From My Bedroom” is by far my best yet, and I am ready for everyone to hear it and realize that I am now taking this entire thing very seriously. Another thing is everyone needs new music to listen to and with summer being here everyone wants to play new songs at the beach or in their and car and guess what?! I have some jams that can fulfill that.

30 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

HIGHLIGHT: HAHA THAT’S AWESOME! WE JUST HAVE TO ASK, HOW DID YOU PICK THE NAME FOR THE EP? NATHAN: I picked the name “Famous From My Bedroom” because everyone says I am “famous.” I don’t really look at me as famous but I was joking around with my friends when I was back in town and someone said, “Look at you all famous and stuff” and I said “yeah, famous from my bedroom” because I started on YouTube and made videos in my bedroom. So it’s sort of a play on words, but has some sort of truth to some people depending on how they look at me. It also shows that you can do anything from anywhere these days and get something from it. I like doing things different and I am really glad to say that was how I started.

HIGHLIGHT: ARE YOU AT ALL NERVOUS ABOUT THIS RELEASE? HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR FANS TO REACT TO IT? NATHAN: I would really like my fans to realize the hard work and time it took to do this. I want them to be proud and I want them to feel something with every song on the album; I want to see them singing the words with me at my shows and I want them to be moved by my new music. I hope they really enjoy it.

HIGHLIGHT: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY FROM THE OVERALL RECORDING PROCESS? ANYTHING THAT REALLY STICKS OUT TO YOU OR THAT MAKES THE EP UNIQUE? NATHAN: The best memory from recording and writing FFMB was the recording part at the producer Deanero’s place. We put a ton of recording equipment in a bedroom to get the “famous from my bedroom” feel and we worked about 20 hours a day until the album was done. Deanero lives in Boston and I remember it being so cold so I didn’t mind being inside. We would all wake up at about 7am and start writing/recording and wouldn’t stop except for lunch and dinner breaks then we’d be recording and working until about four in the morning. Then wake up and do it all again. I loved it so much because Adam, Deanero and I made such a great creative team and we worked really well together so this entire EP could come out perfectly and I think we did a great job.

HIGHLIGHT: WELL, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHAT WITH US, NATHAN! WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM YOU NEXT? NATHAN: After the EP is released, we have a lot of great things planed, some tours, some radio stuff, etc. I must admit that I’m excited to get back on the road again to see all my fans because I honestly love touring; meeting/seeing fans is one of my all time favorite things, I know everyone says that but it’s so awesome to see old faces and meet new ones, my fans are amazing, it’s always a party when I come to town.

PHOTO: Christine Bartolucci INTERVIEW & STORY: Ashley Osborn

EP TRACK BY TRACK: IS THAT TATTOOED - My producer Deanero (aka Dean Mahoney) actually created a beat and he put the hook in and my manager and I were trying to figure out what it said. We thought it was saying “is that that dude?” and then we realized it said “Is that tattooed?” and then we started going with that idea. I have a ton of tattoos and people give me strange looks and judge me for them and I have this attitude like “you only wish you could get this tatted” haha. So I made a song for people with tattoos to pretty much say just because your skin is ink’d up doesn’t change the kind of person you are. You just want to stand out a little more which I support 100%. It’s a really fun song with a catchy beat that’s simply all about tattoos. I love it and I think people who have tattoos will jam it and it will make people who don’t have any tattoos maybe get one.

YOUR BOY – When coming up with the type of songs I wanted to have on FFMB there were a lot of ideas. One of them was to have a really catchy electronic dance song that everyone would sing when they heard it and I feel like we achieved that with “Your Boy.” The energy of the song gives me chills and I have to say it’s my favorite to perform live. This song is about a girl who has a boyfriend but is saying she is single just to get a one-night stand with someone she knows she probably won’t see again. So I’m into her and she is into me and then I find out she has a boy and I get back at her by getting with her best friend. It sounds bad but it’s a fun song and the message is just don’t play around because someone can play the same game as you, but sometimes better. This song is so much fun and I am very happy with the way it came out.

BLACK DRESS REGRETS – Black Dress Regrets is the club song of FFMB. I wanted to have a song that explains what happens to most people when they go out to the club. You get all your friends and your crew and you get all dressed up and go party like it’s your last night alive. Eventually you start getting crazy and you see someone you like and you go talk to him or her and the night just gets crazier and crazier as you go, and by the end of the night everything is a big blur but you still know you had the time of your life.

Then the next weekend you go out and do it all again. It’s the song on the album that you can dance and get crazy to and the lyrics are describing your night as you listen.

STREETLIGHTS – This song is my favorite! This song started out as a freestyle and then I just kept going with the idea and I love it!

This song is about how back when you were in elementary school you didn’t have many things to worry about. Your biggest concerns were who likes who and writing notes to each other and hoping the teacher wouldn’t see it. Then as you get older things get a little more complicated with pressure and just growing up in general, then as you get older there are more things to worry about like getting a job and actually realizing you are growing up and is this maybe the person you are going to spend the rest of your life with or are you going to have to throw everything away? This song explains things unlike any other song I have done. My favorite memory while recording this song was acting like me, Dean and Adam were in a marching band when the brass section in the song was playing. It was a really fun song to record and I can never listen to the horns section without laughing.

EAST COAST GIRLFRIEND- This song was the most trouble recording because I had done a different version at first to demo and it was very similar to my old music with a dubstep style beat. I believe there are about 5 different versions of this song and we didn’t really like any of them, and then Deanero said “I’m gonna slow it all down and then you come in the morning and record vocals one time through by vibing with the beat.” So we did and we loved it. At first I was singing where the girl is now, then I realized it would be cool if we actually had a girl hop on the track so we did a duet type of thing to switch it up. This song is a true story about a girl I really liked and I hated that she was so far away and we would talk about all the things that we would do when we finally got together and when we did just that. It was amazing and that actually happened right when I started writing the new album, so that was my first idea when brainstorming content for the album. I like the way it sounds now with it more of a chill sexy vibe.

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH – This is my thank you song. This song means so much to me and was so hard to record without tearing up a little. This song is a little different because in the middle of the song there is dialogue as if we were about to win an award, and then I go up and give my acceptance speech. This is pretty much me saying thank you for everything and if I could give a speech what would I say…this is how it would go. This is the most meaningful song I have ever written and if anyone gets anything out of this song, I want it to be that I am just a person like anyone else. I went from waiting tables to making a living off of music. I don’t want anyone to think I should be treated differently just because people know who I am. That is not what it’s about. It’s about taking something you have and seeing what you can do with it. This is what I do and how I do it and I couldn’t be happier.

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 31

HOME: Boulder, CO NOW JAMMING: OMENS - Full-Length (Atlantic Records) CURRENTLY: On the Vans Warped Tour, heading to South America and then more touring!

IT’S BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE HIP-HOP

and electro-rock duo 3OH!3 released their last full length record Streets of Gold back in 2010. Now the two are back with a new album, Omens, and an incredible amount of ambition and energy.

3OH!3 aims to continue to bring the party while putting out real and honest music. The band has come a long way since their 2008 debut, starting out as two guys promoting their music on Myspace to rocking out the charts and playing sold out shows.

Many would feel like they’ve made it at that point but these guys definitely had no intention of stopping there.

The duo seems quite passionate about the work they do and have a lot of determination and drive to help push them forward.

They put a lot of work in the music they make and never settle for anything short of what makes them happy; they haven’t let anything hold them back and are continuing to do what they love.

“I think Sean [Foreman] and I are really inspired by the people in our lives, by the other music that we listen to, and by our travels,” said Nathaniel Motte, “We love playing live shows, recording music, seeing new places, and meeting new people.

On June 18th the band put out their long awaited record, Omens.

The album has been in the works for the last couple of years and faced a few setbacks. Still, the band used the extra time to focus on creating a record that they felt was special and worthy of a release to them. They wanted to make an album that was all them, and that’s exactly what they accomplished.

“We didn’t want to keep our fans waiting too long, but we did want to make sure that we put something out that we were really proud of,” Motte explained, “Working on the Omens record was wonderful for me because we got to do it completely on our own terms. We’ve always written and produced our own music, but on this record, we really got back to doing A-to-Z work (engineering, producing, mixing etc.) something that we haven’t done that thoroughly since our first self-released record, 3OH!3. I would hope that what comes out of it is a pure and uncompromised album.”

On Omens, 3OH!3 manage to stay true to themselves and to their sound, keeping the music upbeat and fun, while still grasping an understanding of the need for progress. The album reminisces the band’s past with heavy hitting tracks such as “Black Hole” and “Two Girlfriends.” The album even shows off the bands more melodic side with tracks like the single “Back to Life.” Omens has all the same humor you would expect from 3OH!3 while still giving a peek into what their future holds.

“We’ve always been interested in making energetic music and music that has some edge to it. We’ve also always been interested in making different sounding stuff within our own album projects.

With Omens, I think we took a couple steps forward while taking a step back,” said Motte, “I would hope that there is a lot of variety on Omens and a unique feel that makes the record undoubtedly 3OH!3. On Omens, there is a central sense of something epic and looming.”

While Omens was a big focal point for the band, they still made time to use their talents outside of 3OH!3. Along with working on their newest album Motte and Foreman spent the last few years keeping busy by working on other musical projects. Both worked on several collaborations with a few big names in the music industry expanding their songwriting resume.

“I was fortunate enough to land a song I co-wrote with Ryan Teddar, Noel Zancanella and Adam Levine on the new Maroon 5 record (“Love Somebody,” their current single.) Sean worked extensively on a bunch of really interesting songwriting projects that are just now coming to fruition,” Motte said.

Both seem to have an understanding of the positive influence that side projects can have on their creative abilities and what they do with their music for 3OH!3 by taking what they’ve learned outside the band and incorporating it.

“I think it was important to take that time off, allow those projects to feed off one another, get in a really great creative headspace, and make the best music we could,” Motte added.

Through this process and even throughout their career 3OH!3 has and continues to keep their fans in mind. They make sure to do what they can to connect with them whether through social media or their live performances and they do their best to make sure to bring the fun to as many people as they can, or at least to as many people who are willing to listen.

“As a band, we’ve always held peer-to-peer interaction with our fans paramount. We have always wanted to make music and play shows that are accessible to everyone and have no real attitude or scene or exclusion inherent in them,” Motte said.

With the new release the band continues to push the interaction between them and their and fans, especially by communicating through social media sites and with additional online features such as the Omens calendar game. This kind of interaction builds a special connection between band and fans as well as pumps people up for the new album.

“We have always interacted with our fans on social media, in the beginning, on Myspace, and continuing today across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We’ll read every mention and get back to as many as we can. That interaction is really important to us and I think it’s really important to fans,” explained Motte.

It seems pretty obvious that 3OH!3 enjoys putting on live shows and hitting the road. This summer the band has traveled back to their roots with a spot on the first half of the Vans Warped Tour playing from June 19 to July 14. They seem ready to put on an incredible show despite the rising temperatures and the limited set time.

“Warped is such a great tour. It’s where things really started on the national level for us. Kevin [Lyman] runs a wonderfully planned tour and has created an event centered around the breakingdown-of-walls between artists and fans that we strive for,” Motte HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 33

said, “ I’m really looking forward to the epic nature of our shows.

The sets are shorter and, thus, really action-packed. Every time we play, it gets pretty crazy.”

3OH!3 has pretty much done it all; and despite the typical setbacks this isn’t even near the end of the road for them, in fact they seem more ready than ever to take on the world.

3OH!3 have not only witnessed the power shift in the music industry from the record moguls to sharing sites like Myspace, Youtube and Soundcloud, they have been a product of this shift.

They’ve experienced firsthand the effect of putting your success in the hands of music fans around the world. Instead of worrying about the financial side effects of these changes the guys seem inspired by the artistic creativity that is allowed to exist in the digital world.

“It’s really impossible to pick the one ‘highlight.’ As far as obstacles, I think there are assuredly some obstacles in our personal lives that come with working as touring musicians. We’ve managed pretty well though. The good continues to vastly outweigh the bad. So, we’ll keep rocking until we’re old and gray.”

“We grew up as an ‘Internet band’ and, indeed, we used that to our advantage and exist because of it. A lot of people bitch and moan about not making the kind of money that they would have in the ‘old days’ when the record business was still booming, but I think they are failing to see the wonderfully democratic and empowering effects of the digital age,” Motte said, “It has really leveled the playing field for bands and I think that, in the long run, it will keep music attainable, healthy, and honest.”

It would be an understatement to say that 3OH!3 has experienced an extraordinary career in a relatively short period of time. From putting out hit singles and working with the likes of pop superstars Katy Perry and Ke$ha to playing numerous shows worldwide,

34 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

The thrill ride that is 3OH!3 seems to keeping racing forward with no definite end in sight. The band has accomplished a lot along the way and learned a lot as musicians and creative beings. With an awesome new record and an army of supportive fans, they plan to continue doing just the same and to keeping making music that makes themselves and their fans happy. As far as their future plans go…

“A concert on Mars, head-banging at the South Pole... We’re just really looking forward to putting Omens out and touring that record, then putting out the next record, and touring that one and the next and the next!”

PHOTOS: Pamela Littky INTERVIEW: Anjel Lopez STORY: Annette Schaefer

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 35

HOME: Riverside, CA NOW JAMMING: Loud - Single CURRENTLY: On tour with We The Kings

THE CURRENT HIP-HOP SCENE

has an image of being something filled with a lot of dirty lyrics, heavy beats, partying, half naked women, drugs and various other stigmas that can be hard to break out of. While there have been huge strides in the hip-hop scene over the last few years with artists escaping from the stereotypical mold, it’s always hard to judge any musician’s character without actually getting to know them on a personal level. With Highlight Magazine being all about positivity and spotlighting musicians whom are not only talented, but also fantastic people inside and out, we always strive to find these gems in today’s sometimes warped industry.

When I was told we’d be featuring T. Mills in Highlight, I honestly had no idea what I would be walking into. Based on the stigmas that come along with the hip-hop scene, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the 24-year-old hip-hop/pop artist. Coming from a

rock background myself, I found it interesting how the heavily tattooed hip-hop artist had found his way into the Warped Tour scene and built such an intense and diverse following.

However, when we sat down and started talking, Mills was nothing less than a pleasant surprise. He is filled with a youthful energy and passion for his craft that is undeniable once you start talking music with him, and he has a positive outlook on life that meshes well with our mission at Highlight Magazine.

T. Mills got his start as a musician by the age of 5, when his grandpa gifted him an acoustic guitar, which he took a liking to immediately. His passion blossomed from that point on and he continued to develop his love of music from his uncle, who listened to R&B, mom who gave him a taste of the classics like Depeche Mode and Duran Duran and his dad who schooled him on the King of Rock N’ Roll, Elvis Presley. The first CD Mills ever bought was Nirvana’s Nevermind, and by 15, Mills decided to give up sports and dedicate himself to his musical aspirations.

“When I was like 15 I stopped playing sports and joined a band, and we just started playing shows and shit. After that band broke up I didn’t want to rely on anyone else to make music, y’know? I was the youngest one in the band but I was the most responsible one…everyone else had like DUIs and shit and I was sick of carrying everything on my shoulders. So I got a computer, I got Garageband and I just started making songs,” Mills tells us.

Growing up in the Riverside, California, area, Mills had access to musically thriving local venues like Showcase Theatre and Chain Reaction, and ended up going to shows up to five nights 38 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

a week. Once live shows became a part of his repertoire as a musician, Mills made sure to try and give back the same chance for excitement he grew up experiencing to his fans. “I know what I used to go to shows and look for and what used to entertain me, and now I try to reiterate that through my concerts and give my fans the same experiences,” Mills explains.

Once Mills started focusing on his career as a musician, he quickly built his online following through streaming his music through Myspace, and gained a rapid growing fan base on the Internet. This led him up to his big breakthrough tour – The Vans Warped Tour. He spent the summer doing the entire length of the tour on his own, and this included his performance, selling merchandise and setting up his own equipment. He was virtually his own one-man band. He continued on to build a relationship with East Coast festival Bamboozle, and has

since played Vans Warped Tour a second time. Mills heard one of his songs on the radio for the first time when he was on his way to a headlining show at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California, and he has continued to tour non-stop over the years.

When it comes to his fan base, Mills recognizes that much of his success goes to the fans that have been by his side from the beginning. He has even become known as quite the ladies man, and has a fan base so dedicated to him that they have gotten tattoos of his lyrics, brought gifts to each show and even gone to the extent to climb fences to get to him at shows. He doesn’t let himself succumb to the negative aspects of the hip-hop scene, and doesn’t feel like those stigmas reflect well on whom he really is. He still doesn’t feel like he has made his mark on the music industry, and shows nothing but respect to the people who always support him.

“I’m grateful for everything that I have and I let people know it. I feel like I do the things I do with my fans and that’s why I’m that way towards my fans, and that’s why I spend three or four hours after a show with every single person that’s standing in line still.

It’s just gotten so much harder to fuckin’ do that, to keep that as my fan base has grown. But it’s important to me to give back to the people who help me do what I want to do every single day.

At the end of the day it’s all about the people who support you.

You could like, call it cliché or whatever, but if people didn’t buy tickets to come to the show, then I wouldn’t have a fuckin’ show to play. If they didn’t buy a t-shirt I wouldn’t have anyone to make t-shirts for. So it’s just like everyone has to help each other out.

You have to give back, and that’s one thing I feel like I do a great

job of. I’m not on all that Hollywood shit, y’know, and I feel like I can still connect with fans. When you get to a certain point I think sometimes that just gets harder and harder to do. I hope that I don’t change that. Cause people change from success, y’know, and I don’t think I’ll do it,” Mills tells us.

Social media also plays a massive role in his connection to the fans and Mills believes that the connection to his success and social media is “everything.” As an artist who got his start in the music industry by streaming tracks online for all to hear and building a massive social network, it’s no surprise that Mills finds there to be such a connection with social media and his success. Mills’ social media presence boasts over 650 thousand Facebook likes, over 200 thousand Twitter followers, and close to 55 thousand YouTube subscribers. These numbers might seem irrelevant to some, but for a musician in today’s industry, they are everything. Mills believes that music consumers and performers of today need to develop a grasp for social media and technology, because isn’t going away.

In Mills’ eyes, CDs could even be a thing of the past in just a few short years.

“That’s [social media is] like the digital age that we’re in right now; that’s how we communicate with other people. That’s how I talk to my uncle sometimes, y’know, just sending out a tweet or a Facebook message or something like that. You really have to embrace it. People who come from a different model and who don’t like social media and are scared of it…they’re a dying breed. That’s what this is, and we’re reshaping the music business right now and the way that everything works and how people consume music,” Mills says.

Aside from his musical endeavors for his new album, Mills has had an extremely busy 2013. A tour with Sammy Adams, the release of a new single, an appearance at the Skate N’ Surf festival in New Jersey, as well as a mobile game called Travlin’ Travis.

Mills collaborated on the game with GameChanger, which was founded by John D’Esposito who is also the founder of Bamboozle and Skate N’ Surf. D’Esposito has created a new age gaming company that brings artist to fan interaction into the gaming world, and approached Mills about recreating his favorite mobile game.

Mills proposed a version of Temple Run, and there is when the idea of Travlin’ Travis was born. The game doesn’t launch for iOS and Android operated phones until August 2013, but fans can expect to interact with Mills through the game by running through his hometown of Riverside and collecting various items, much like Temple Run. Mills says that he has had a hands-on-experience in creating the game, and he even got to help pick out the wardrobe for his character. The new gaming platform goes well with what Mills believes about the advancements in technology today, and fans who participate in game play will even be able to receive perks for achievements, such as video messages from Mills himself, and even meet and greets. The GameChanger platform is revolutionizing the fan and artist relationship, and Mills shows a great level of excitement about his upcoming game release.

As we continued our discussion with Mills about the industry and success, he always found a way to bring everything back around to his family and their support. While fans are the veins of an artist’s existence, family is the heart that keeps the artist going.

When Mills discussed his family, it was easy to see where his roots and influence comes from out of anything else in his world.

“My parents have always been supportive, and when I first started they gave me their support and it’s something that contributed to me doing what I’m doing right now, and I’ll never forget that. The first time it clicked for them was in 2009 and I had maybe played in front of like 200 kids. But they just saw and were like, ‘Wow.’ Like I’d sit at home on the computer for like 9 hours and be like ‘Yo, I got 40,000 plays today,’ and my mom would just be like ‘cool,’ or ‘what does that mean?’ But when your family gets to come and see it and get the vision, that’s a very powerful thing. Instead of having to constantly explain, I’ve developed that relationship with my family. And now, my dad came on tour with us last summer for like 12 days and he fuckin’ loved it. It’s cool to just like put my cousin on the list so he can bring all of his friends and give ‘em all t-shirts and shit like that. It’s cool to have that opportunity to give the people you love that experience,” Mills explains.

Mills has seen circumstances where some of his musician friends have family members who don’t support their craft or lifestyle, and he knows he’s lucky to have a solid support system behind him.

It was refreshing to see a musician so involved in his family life and who is genuine about it. Just before sitting down with Mills, his mom called his phone just to check in on his day. In a rush to talk to us, he passed the phone over but not before telling his mom he loved her. You can tell these small moments in Mills’ life are important to him, and while maintaining relationships on tour can be hard, it’s clear that Mills puts in as much effort as possible.

“Having their [my family’s] full support is like so powerful, cause I know people whose families hate what their doing and they don’t want them to do it. Just having a backbone like that I feel like keeps you way more sane, positive, and in a good light. I can call my mom if I’m having a bad day, and I feel like relationships are really important, man. Not like dating or anything, but relationships with the people that you love and live with so you constantly have to like maintain shit. That can get hard here on tour, doing that shit,” Mills says.

With the support and influence of his family, Mills is gearing up to release his second full-length album, and it is also his major label debut. When signing to a major label, it would be expected that most would feel some pressure and nervousness releasing new music to a larger audience, but Mills says the only thing he has experienced is the longer process of waiting to put a new album out with the major label behind him.

“When you’re on a label, you have to have a plan. You have a fuckin’ team and a whole effort, which is amazing. I’m excited for people to hear the new songs, and that’s why I was excited to hop on this tour [with Sammy Adams.] We’ve been playing like five songs off the new album every night, which usually you’ll put out a new album and then go on tour, but this way we’re gonna tour and then we’re gonna put out the album. So we get to kinda like gauge with the fans and see what works every night and what doesn’t, how the response is and the reaction is to the new songs, and it’s been incredible. It’s like a really good exercise. I’ve never had the luxury of testing out new songs and if I want to go home and change things I have the time to do that,” Mills tells us.

By playing five new songs on his tour with Sammy Adams, Mills created a unique experience for fans by giving them a small taste of what to expect from his new album. Usually, artists try to keep these things a surprise but as Mills said, it helped him in the recording process. “Yeah, it’s [playing five new songs] been like fuckin’ unheard of; they [the fans] don’t fucking know the words but by the second hook, they’re singing it. So it makes me feel good…it’s awesome,” Mills exclaims.

Mills has already released a single from the new album, titled “Loud,” which is an upbeat track with a catchy hook that I can imagine being played at any quintessential summer-time party. If his single is any indication as to what the new album will sound like as a whole, it will be filled with lively tracks that will make you want to party with your friends or bump in your car with the windows down.

As for the new album, Mills says he pulls most of his inspiration from his ADHD, and “being fuckin’ 50 different places at once.”

Mills takes things day by day. He doesn’t rely on specific things to inspire him; he finds inspiration in everything and everyone around him. Regarding the random ways he finds inspiration, Mills says, “I think it’s just ‘cause I’m fuckin’ weird and I have like ten different shades of myself. I feel like I wake up every single day being inspired by something completely different and it’s confusing sometimes, but if you just channel it, it works.”

Mills has not only grown as a musician since his first full-length release, Ready Fire Aim, but as a person, too. He recognizes this change in himself, and he says that every time he writes and releases something new, it’s the next step toward growth as a person. He’s more than ready for the world to hear his progression, and it seems as though there will be tracks on the new album that will be theme songs for parties, much like his past releases, but also sweeter, more heartfelt tracks that his massive female fan base will be sure to love.

“I’ve got songs that are lyrically kinda like my old shit, real wild n’ out, and then I have a lot more uh, I wanna say sweet songs; more gentleman like, y’know for the ladies. I feel like I’ve just grown a lot man, as a person and an artist and my writing has matured a lot, my song structure is getting better. I say that like every time

I release a new project but it’s because I learn something new everyday and I’m really like a student of songs,” Mills says.

With his growth as a songwriter, the way Mills writes isn’t planned much like his grasp for inspiration. Once he understands where his inspiration is coming from and gets ideas flowing through his mind, the magic happens. As Mills explains, this process could take anywhere from ten minutes to two years time.

“I don’t just sit in the studio and think ‘Alright I wanna make a fuckin’ hip hop song’ that day and that’s it. It’s just like I hear shit in my head and just put down what’s in my head, so I feel like I’m a product of everything that I grew up listening to and exposed to and I’m grateful for it. Songwriting is weird when you’re sitting in your studio and sometimes you can write a song in ten minutes and the song writes itself, or sometimes I’ve spent a fuckin’ year on one song. Like I have songs on my album that I wrote two years ago and no one’s heard them yet. Every situation is unique and individual to me, and the situation changes every day. But that’s what makes it exciting, y’know?”

T. Mills has a positive energy about himself that is refreshing to see, especially coming out of the hip-hop scene. As a musician, he says he never feels satisfied because he knows he has so much more to accomplish in his career. His music, fans, and family are all what seem to keep Mills upbeat and excited about what he’s doing, and he is nothing but appreciative. As Mills gracefully puts it, “I feel like I try to have a positive outlook on everything and try to stay as happy as I can, as much as I can. At the end of the day I just remind myself that I’m getting to tour the world every single day with my friends and that’s my job. Life doesn’t suck, and you have to keep telling yourself that.”

PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW & STORY: Anjel Lopez

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 43

“Life doesn’t suck, and you have to keep telling yourself that."

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

WHERE: Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale, FL PHOTOS: Maysa Askar

Alkaline trio

WHERE: House of Blues, Hollywood, CA PHOTOS: Jered Scott

THE MAINE

WHERE: Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn

LIGHTS

WHERE: Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn

album

reviews artist:

letlive. album: The Blackest Beautiful rating:

Sounds like: Glassjaw Every Time I Die Defeater

Recommended tracks: “The Priest and Used Cars” “Empty Elvis” “Virgin Dirt”

Tracks: Banshee (Ghost Fame) Empty Elvis 3 White America’s Beautiful

Black Market 4 Dreamers Disease 5 That Fear Fever 6 Virgin Dirt 7 Younger 8 The Dope Beat 9 The Priest and Used Cars 10 Pheromone Cvlt 11 27 Club 1 2

Release date: July 9, 2013

website: www.thisisletlive.net

Post-hardcore favorites letlive. kept themselves busy these last few years after the release of their album Fake History. The album continues to blow away everyone who encounters it and leaves them hungry for more. However, constant touring and promoting have made the last three years nothing short of quiet agony in the wait of their much-anticipated album, The Blackest Beautiful. It’s a much more mature, adrenalinecharged album than their previous records and shows that they used their three years between releases incredibly well. Jason Aalon Butler is easily one of the best vocalists in the post-hardcore scene today with smooth, heartfelt clean vocals and guttural, heartwrenching screams of lines that will resonate with listeners for life. This coupled with Jeff Sayhoun and Jean Nascimento’s empowering instrumentals and the entire angsty attitude of the album makes each and every track an anthem for this summer and life in general.

Everything about this album is unique; it sets itself apart from even the band’s previous work. If anything, The Blackest Beautiful can be described as Fake History’s much older, much angrier, and much more experienced brother; it’s faster, louder and goes much deeper than any album they’ve released before. Even non-fans of post-hardcore could find something to enjoy in the album with new influences of metal, jazz and R&B sneaking into the mix.

The growth of the band is inherently obvious in each song. The album explores every side of human emotion as well as very real issues of politics, consumerism and today’s culture in general, all of which pick your brain with beautifully married and layered clean and dirty vocals, resounding guitar, driving bass and thrashing drums. Letlive. has managed what many bands struggle to do: release an album that is incredibly complex with varying tempos, volumes and moods, as well as many experimental elements, without making their sound overwhelming.

The track that stands out among the rest is most definitely “Empty Elvis.” From the get-go, the song is a shock to the senses in the absolute best kind of way. It’s hard, it’s heavy, and it’s beautiful. As the second track, it really ups the ante for the rest of the album and sets the stage for a refreshingly in-your-face album. It absolutely epitomizes what letlive. is about which is music with integrity while still remaining catchy as all get out… not an easy task in any respect. Letlive. left no stone unturned in the mastering and production of this song and it does not go unnoticed. While the entire song is absolutely awe-inspiring, there are no words to describe the chorus. Each word leaves goose bumps in its path. Even though it’s the stand out track no songs pale in comparison to this, but rather compliment it perfectly to create a cohesive sound.

Not only that, but the album is entirely cohesive without being repetitive. Each track sounds incredibly unique; something, again, many bands struggle with. Never once did I mistakenly think I had heard a song before. It’s excellently mixed, smooth and easy to drink it in while still pumping the blood through your veins. Simply put, The Blackest Beautiful is a breathtaking work of art that leaves absolutely nothing to be desired… except for letlive. to keep heading exactly in the direction they’re going.

REVIEW: Claire Pope

Artist: August Burns Red Album: Rescue and Restore Over the years I’ve heard a lot of hype surrounding August Burns Red and with them being one of the big bands on Warped Tour this summer, I decided to give their new album a shot. If you want the opinion of someone familiar with all of the band’s previous work, I don’t have it. But as a new listener I found this record enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys music of the same genre. While I’ve heard many albums from other bands in the genre that all seem to have the same sound, I found parts of Rescue And Restore were really refreshing and different. The band does a nice job of having heavy music while still staying melodic. I enjoyed the poetic section in “Spirit Breaker” and “Count It All as Lost” has a chorus that sticks out. Probably my favorite on the album is “Creative Captivity” which is all instrumental up until the last minute and a half of the song and is beautifully crafted. Overall, I found it to be a very interesting album that I’m sure gets even better upon further listening.

recommended tracks: “Spirit Breaker” & “Count It All as Lost” review: Morgan Waldorf

Artist: Stickup Kid Album: Future Fire Future Fire immediately grabs your attention with a track so different from every previous release that it leads you to question whether you are listening to the same Stickup Kid that released songs like “Lighthouse” and “Dreaming of Kenny Rogers.” Rest assured you are listening to Stickup Kid, just a more mature, weathered and serious Stickup Kid. Future Fire is packed to the brim with honest and catchy tunes, with obvious musical references to both the pop punk and the hardcore punk scene they grew up in. However, this is not the typical 2013 pop punk release— it is diverse, unique, and original.

Something I have not heard of in the genre for quite a while. Stickup Kid avoids the fast tempo verses and half timed choruses in exchange for a later 90’s pop punk feel. Every song on this album flows into one another confessing secrets and imparting wisdom that they have learned along the way.

The second half of the album after “Chariot” signify that they have grown up all the while not forgetting where they came from meanwhile, the first half of Future Fire clearly signifies that Stickup Kid has grown up and are no longer just young kids angrily screaming into a microphone. As a whole this album blends perfectly together mixing a more mature opening, with an honest punk ending that leaves you craving more.

recommended tracks: “This Is Over,” “Wasted” and “Tailwind” review: Trevor Figge Artist: Relient K Album: Collapsible Lung It’s true, life isn’t always full of puppies, sunshine, and rainbows, but somehow listening to the witty and honest lyrics of Relient K makes things better. Their new release, Collapsible Lung stays true to the good vibes and pop punk sound that we all have come to know and love through earlier releases like Two Lefts Don’t Make A Right…But Three Do and Five Score and Seven Years Ago. Their sound has definitely matured since then and in this case change is a good thing. This 11 – track album is the perfect combination of “jump on your bed screaming” and “lazy Sunday afternoon” tracks. “Boomerang” is one of those songs you can’t help but move to. After seeing Relient K perform this live, I can definitely say it is the perfect concert song. “PLT (Part Time Lover)” debuts later in the mix, but is by far my favorite song on the album. True to Relient K fashion, this song supplies the words for the perfect love anthem.

The title track, Collapsible Lung closes the album with a lesson worth sharing; it’s a perfect ending to another great album, with just enough hope to get us through another day.

recommended tracks: “PLT” & “Lost Boy” review: Perry Fish HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 51