You Know You're A Music Nerd When...

Pretty straightforward topic, so here goes!
You know you're a music nerd when:


-You stay up until 3am reading album reviews
-You're an avid reader of Rolling Stone, AllMusic, Entertainment Weekly, and other entertainment magazines that have music features and album reviews in them
-You constantly check MetaCritic.com to see how your favorite albums and artists are doing with the critics
-You also check Amazon.com for the exact same reason
-You figure out how long an album or playlist is...for fun.
-You also make playlists like it's a profession
-And track-listing isn't a hobby, it's a lifestyle
-You can name any piece or artist just depending on the sound of their music
-You are fascinated by music history
-You get good grades in music history
-You test out of a year of theory courses in college
-You practice scales for fun
-You spend more time in a practice room than you do anywhere else
-You join Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram etc. just to monitor your favorite artists like a creeper
-You know every single person in your music building by name, instrument, or area of specialty
-You go to pep band more than you go to Church
-On that same note, music is your religion, and God is a composer
-You analyze Bach chorales while everyone else is at the prom
-The most exciting part about homecoming is marching in the parade
-You can have a dance party anytime, anywhere, even if you're all by yourself and your jamming out to your computer
-In your spare time you like to sight read
-You are a regular customer at either Musicnotes.com, Lucksmusic.com, or FJHmusic.com (or any other music distributing site)
-You know every word to every musical and opera in existence
             -You took the time to listen to every musical and opera in existence
-You participate in like, 5+ events or solo/ensemble and go to state for at least two of them
-You take more ensemble classes in college than general eds or other music courses
-You can figure out how long a quadruple dotted 64th note is, but you can't do a basic algebraic equation
-You only know so much about football because you're playing during pregame, half-time, and on the sidelines
-Your instrument's safety is more important than your life...or anyone else's
-The only thing you remember about the movie you just saw is how awesome or terrible the music score was
-"August Rush" is your favorite movie
-"Pitch Perfect" comes in a close second
-You can harmonize better than Fleetwood Mac
-Your life goal is to learn every instrument in existence, even the shakuhachi!
                 -You know how to play every instrument in existence
-You get up disastrously early and travel 60 miles on a Saturday morning to attend your Youth Symphony rehearsal
-Your iPod is like oxygen, without it you die
-You're so used to having headphones in your ears, they could stay in for hours...even when there's no music playing
-You watch the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown
-You check the Billboard charts religiously and are well educated in all of their records and milestones
-You go to Wikipedia just to see how much your favorite artist has sold in their career
                   -You go to Wikipedia to read an extensive bio on your favorite artist(s)
-You own any version of Finale, Sibelius, or any music notation/creation software
-You like to get a physical CD just to have the album jacket
-Your iTunes library looks like someone threw up a multi-culti hodgepodge 
-You can automatically point out songs that have similar chord progressions...on the first listen
-You can list every genre, subgenre, and sub-subgenre known to man (and some animals)
-You're a music minor
-You're a music major
                 -You're a music education major and you graduate in four years
                                             -You're a music major and you graduate in four years
-You actually took the time to read all of this
-You avidly read every music blog on the internet, including this one!

Thank You!
You can let me know if I forgot anything :)

Owl City-"Of June" Review

Released in 2007, Adam Young's first EP as Owl City is nothing short of unique. Backed by a dense assortment of atmospheric keyboards, synthesizers, and hushed piano, "Of June" provides a perfect set-up for Owl City's synthpop trademark that would later define a new era come the new decade. "Of June" is easily the best set of songs Adam Young has ever made, as nothing here is wasted. Whether it be an arrangement, a vocal line, or the numerous pastoral images, this small set of tracks is firmly grounded by Young's sheer earnestness. Since this is technically his first release, he basically will try everything that his mind can imagine, including (but not limited to): providing club beats in a ballad, dropping a cathartic piano in an up-tempo song, placing Eurthymic-style synths in a sunny track, or simply stripping all the excess away, providing a more straight-forward take on electronica. There are hardly any live instruments here (besides the aforementioned piano, which even then only pops in on occasion), and actually, that's perfectly fine. The further Adam Young included live instrumentation, the more listless his records became, so "Of June" is a refreshing relief from all the frivolity. This isn't a depressing record by any stretch, but it certainly recalls the emo-pop style of The Postal Service (a comparison that's perhaps a bit over-extended, at least in this specific work). Still, despite the fact that this record takes a few spins to settle in, after a while, you'll learn to accept (or grow to understand) Owl City's quirks, and subsequently become intrigued by them. Resisting the sublime charm of "Fuzzy Blue Lights" is silly, dismissing the utter joy in "Swimming in Miami" and "Captains and Cruise Ships" is ridiculous, and the original version of "Hello Seattle" shimmers with each passing spin. Adam Young would later build upon this blueprint, sometimes with even greater success, but "Of June" contains the foundation of all the material that came hereafter.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Swimming in Miami      2. Captains and Cruise Ships             3. Designer Skyline
4. Panda Bear          5. The Airway 6. Fuzzy Blue Lights          7. Hello Seattle

The Veronicas-"Hook Me Up" Review

Since cooling it down isn't their style, The Veronicas are hard at work with their second album, "Hook Me Up", arriving a matter of 18 months after their super debut (in the US anyway). Right out the gate, we hear piercing synth-strings deliver the indelible hook to "Untouched", one of the finest creations of teen-pop ever recorded. Thankfully, there's plenty more where that came from, as Lisa and Jess Origliasso decidedly make "Hook Me Up" more sonically unified in electro-punk than their masterful pop/rock debut. This often results in some less hookier songs, but as a whole, there's no denying that this record catches the Veronicas' spunk and chutzpah more consistently than their last record. This is due to the new batch of guilty pleasures they'e concocted this time around; take for example the delicious contempt of "Popular", the purest pop-punk track and also the weirdest song here. Other selections include the title track, which in true Veronicas style, rejects conformity and instead amps up the electronic quotient and shatters the sound barriers with window-rattling guitars and synth. While these moves may borrow a little too literally from Avril Lavigne's dance-punk makeover in 2007, the Veronicas fuse this bubblegum music with the perverse undercurrents of t.A.T.u, specifically their 2005 album that marked a new age in teen pop. Instead of sisters, they're now soul-mates: changing verses, exchanging songs, and sharing the instrumental duties here equally. But what makes The Veronicas better artists than Avril or t.A.T.u is that their music isn't just a sugar-rush of pop trash--it might be a little too heavy on attitude or deep-throated rock, but it can grate. They're much more in control of their music than t.A.T.u, so their songs are perfectly crafted for their voices, and unlike the newly blonde Avril, The Veronicas stick to their hair color and don't change the game for an obvious ploy to ride the current teen-pop trends of the mid-2000s. Then again, The Veronicas front-lined these trends, so it's fitting that they are the ones to work on refining them. This alone makes them a rarity amongst their peers, but since all the songs here, whether a vicious attack ("This Is How it Feels"), a sarcastic ballad ("Revenge is Sweeter (Than You Ever Were)" or standard issue electro-pop ("Take Me On the Floor") are all executed with style and flair, "Hook Me Up" is simply another great addition to two of the headlining figures in mid-00s teen pop (They still haven't mastered a stripped down, honest ballad yet, but we can easily overlook that).

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. Untouched                       2. Hook Me Up           3. This Is How It Feels

4. This Love                            5. I Can’t Stay Away  6. Take Me on the Floor

7. I Don’t Wanna Wait          8. Popular                 9. Revenge is Sweeter

10. Someone Wake Me Up    11. All I Have              12. In Another Life

13. Goodbye to You

Nelly Furtado-"Whoa, Nelly!" Review

No subtlety here, Nelly Furtado pretty much gives it away in the album title that she's a highly ambitious and precocious singer-songwriter who delights in confounding expectations. Just look at the first single, the string-tinged, R&B/soul-pop "I'm Like a Bird", which frenetically packs so many genres in just four minutes it's almost as awe-inspiring as the song itself, an ode to self-discovery. Artists like this who make music as willfully weird as songs like "I'm Like a Bird" are a rarity in 2000, especially when coming from such a young, unrefined talent. Unrefined, in this case, meaning unscrubbed and raw, letting the melodies and words unfold while Nelly deliriously weaves her way through world-beat pop and exploring how many ways you can scat and indulge in melisma. Indeed, "Whoa, Nelly!" is an exciting and winding debut, albeit one that suffers from the same thing it strives on. Ambition is the key term here, as it leads Nelly to restlessly vocalize every emotion, every thought that could possibly have crossed her mind during recording. Her idiosyncratic lyrics are only further complicated by her usually nasally vocal attack, which is disarming at first but can grow on repeated listens. All of these eccentricities aren't just derived from Nelly's words, either, her grand ambitions are literally part of the multi-culti tapestry that is her music. Sometimes she adheres to modern American trends, such as "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)", where she sings a fairly common subject over a refreshed yet familiar urban groove. Other times she slides into a big, bossa nova number, which make up this record's second half. Chief among them is "Party", a giddy slice of jazz-pop that certainly recalls Fiona Apple. And that could actually be said for "Whoa, Nelly!" as a whole, because just like Fiona, Nelly is young yet wise, her music is eclectic yet palatable enough to be understood (among repeated listens, of course). This is also proven with the set up of "Whoa, Nelly!" itself, as it begins with a fast, orchestral prelude in "Hey, Man!", but over the course of its twelve tracks, the tempo continues to drop and the sounds get further integrated. This leads to the six-minute closer "Scared of You", a gentle cabaret-pop that leaves the listener wanting more. But that's exactly the plan, to entice the consumer back for another listen over and over again, and while this ploy is blatantly obvious, it also works. Nelly Furtado may be young but she certainly isn't green (ironic when you consider the album cover in which she lies in a grassy field); she knows which sounds to accept and which ones she should ignore, which lyrics will pique her audience's interest and what she be left unsaid. It also helps that throughout this entire record, she heavily relies on strong hooks, no matter how difficult they may be to dig out. It's unfortunate that she couldn't maintain her youthful approach throughout all of the songs here, but that's hardly enough to dismiss this compelling and gleefully restless album.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Hey, Man!             2. Shit on the Radio           3. Baby Girl

4. Legend                    5. I’m Like a Bird               6. Turn Off the Light

7. Trynna Finda Way 8. Party                                 9. Well, Well

10. My Love Grows Deeper  11. I Will Make U Cry12. Scared of You

Good Miley Cyrus Songs

Welcome to a brand new segment, simply called "Good...Songs"! For the next...I don't know, couple months or so?...I will be defending artists that everybody hates on, by giving examples of songs in their catalogue that are actually good! Make no mistake, this isn't "In Defense Of", at least not entirely, I simply will provide 10 non-singles from a particular artist that I think deserves more credit and less hate. So who better to start the list than Miley Cyrus?

Here's everyone's main gripe about her: "She's only famous because of her dad Billy Ray!" 
Here's my response: true, she had a famous father and that certainly helped her to stardom, but that does NOT mean she isn't a star in her own right! Believe it or not, she actually makes a lot of catchy songs, and I actually do think she's a decent singer: she can do some vibrato, she really knows how to use her low-range, and she never sings anything half-heartedly, she always puts some effort into her music. And she writes her own songs too! Don't believe me in any of this? Well take a listen to these, ten songs that she never released as singles but are proof that this girl can work with what she's given and make it enjoyable.

1. "Bottom of the Ocean" from "Breakout" (2008)
Why it's good: Just listen to it; there's really not much more I need to say. This song is so serene and atmospheric, and Miley sings with a voice smooth as butter! And the lyrics fittingly transcend through the music and make this song one of her best to date.

2. "Full Circle" from "Breakout" (2008)
Why it's good: This is pretty standard pop, and that's what makes it good. There's no gimmick, no trying to twerk on Robin Thicke or riding a wrecking ball nude, it's just a good, hooky song that is harmless and fun.

3. "Goodbye" from "Breakout" (2008)
Why it's good: This is also fluffy, easy listening pop music. It's about an old relationship, but the music and lyrics are so sentimental, you can't help but feel a heartache after listening to it. Miley also sings it with genuine emotion, making it even more affecting.

4. "Liberty Walk" from "Can't Be Tamed" (2010)
Why it's good: It's a song about defying the nay-sayers and just being who you are, what's not to love about this? And it's a bold, synth-driven blast that everyone can dance to and not care who's watching, since that is the whole message of the song. Walk on, bitches!!

5. "Permanent December" from "Can't Be Tamed" (2010)
Why it's good: Speaking of epic dance tracks, the best one on this album is this song. A Ke$ha-styled banger about traveling the world and not being with the one you truly love, Miley carries this with a swagger previously un-found in any of her previous work. A++!

6. "Robot" from "Can't Be Tamed" (2010)
Why it's good: Another dance track, this song details Miley's hectic life of promos, shows, movies, maintaining her brand. It's what 'Can't Be Tamed' should've been, since Miley sings it with true frustration and anger, and the brassy music is a perfect fit!

7. "My Heart Beats for Love" from "Can't Be Tamed" (2010)
Why it's good: This is one of the few rockers from this album, this track is about equality amongst everyone, specifically homosexuals. Dedicated to her hairdresser, Miley turns this song into a perfect equality anthem, and you can tell she means every word.

8. "4x4", featuring Nelly, from "Bangerz" (2013)
Why it's good: This song perfectly combines country and hip-hop, so much so that twangy guitars and Miley and Nelly's thick country accents fit perfectly amongst Pharrell's beat-driven romp stomp. And this lyric: "Driving so fast, 'bout to piss on myself".

9. "FU", featuring French Montana, from "Bangerz" (2013)
Why it's good: The title is a perfect indicator, this song is heavily spoken in text language: "I even LOLed/SMH I'll press the send on you/I got two letters for you, one of them's F and the other one's U". All over another country/hip-hop groove, this song is still a standout.

10. "Someone Else" from "Bangerz" (2013)
Why it's good: Hey, Mike WiLL Made It can do ballads too! He creates a pulsating synth-set up for Miley, who sings about how she's changed into a different person in genuine agony. She also explains that love should be kind and accepting for no matter what happens. Yes!

See? Miley does have some good songs, just give these ten a listen, I promise you won't regret it!

2013-The Year in Review

Wow! It seems like just yesterday I was saying goodbye to 2012 (with much sorrow, that year was awesome), and now it's time to bid farewell to 2013! 

So before I bestow my own personal awards on to what I thought was the best in music this year, I must first give you a December update! So, MaestroBlog has now been viewed 9104 times, up 647 views from last month. My views-per-post average is 35.4, up 0.6 from last month. The most viewed post of December was my "Worst Songs of 2013" list (in comparison, the "Best Songs of 2013" received only 16 views). I'm also glad that I was able to keep a steady flow of posts coming this month, every other day actually works well for me! 

Most importantly, 10000 views are now within reach, I'll let you know the day it happens! Also in the new year, I'm starting a brand new segment called "Good Songs", where I bring forth an artist that's typically dismissed as being bad, and then go on to prove that they actually have some great material in their catalogue. I'm really excited for that one! Any other ideas you have? Don't be afraid to comment!

Lastly, I'm most excited for 2014, period. 2013 has been a very trying year for me, and while there were some good moments (my first job!!), I also thought it overall sucked. Bring on a fresh start, I'm MORE than ready! I hope you all enjoy New Year's as well! Now, let's get on to the real shit. Below I will give my picks for the best to happen in music this year!

Best Song
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis-"Thrift Shop"

Best New Artists
Kacey Musgraves
Lorde

Newest Musical Obsession
Lorde!!

Songs That Blew Up My iPod
Demi Lovato-"Heart Attack"
Miley Cyrus-"We Can't Stop"

Most Overrated Album
Kanye West-"Yeezus"

Most Overrated Artists
Kanye West
Florida-Georgia Line

Best Music Special/Award Show
Beyonce's Super Bowl Half-Time Show

Best Music Video
DJ Zedd and Foxes-"Clarity"

Albums That Deserved More Sales
Lady Gaga-"ARTPOP"
Britney Spears-"Britney Jean"
Kacey Musgraves-"Same Trailer Different Park"

Song That Deserved More Sales
Kelly Clarkson-"People Like Us"

Most Overplayed Songs
Robin Thicke, T.I., and Pharrell-"Blurred Lines"
Imagine Dragons-"Radioactive"
Florida-Georgia Line and Nelly-"Cruise"

Worst Artist
Justin Bieber

Artist That Everyone Needs to Stop Hating On
Miley Cyrus

Artist of the Year
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Most Anticipated New Music for 2014
Shakira
Sarah McLachlan
Michelle Branch
The Veronicas
JoJo (???)
Taylor Swift
Lea Michele
Ellie Goulding (pleeeeease??)

Port Blue-"The Airship" Review

A man with many names, Adam Young is the type of individual who's restlessness is as terrific as it is tiresome. At his best, he creates atmospheric and lush electronic pop that's pitched somewhere between Dido and The Postal Service on the spectrum. When he's not Owl City, then Mr. Young is making soft acoustic-pop as Sky Sailing, whose sound is designated as Death Cab for Cutie meets Sarah McLachlan. His worst moments, though, are when he strips the subtlety away, and instead opts for garish synth-pop that while can sometimes be infectious, is usually too hollow to satisfy. Luckily for us, he doesn't make this mistake with his third alias, Port Blue. On its debut LP "The Airship", Adam makes sure to keep his strengths and weaknesses separate, combining the electronic atmosphere with a singer/songwriter's ambiance to create this: an easy, 13-song set that is pleasurable throughout. With no vocals (besides the occasional chatter in the background), this record is a fine example of Adam Young working at a peak of musical ability. This is due to a couple reasons, the first being that since his voice isn't heard, there's nothing to disparage here (besides the song titles, which are at once too obvious yet not informative enough). Lyrics have always been a touchy subject with Owl City, so Port Blue is word-free, letting the sturdy hooks within the arrangements to shine through the gloss of the production. This leads to another advantage that this album has: while it certainly boasts some lengthy songs and clocks in at 51 minutes, there's absolutely no problem just listening to it because while there are minor chords a plenty, there's also a sense of light that crackles through each track. Clearly, Adam Young took a page from Daft Punk's "Homework", an album that celebrates our lives through sound and rhythm. However, while that album was made for a night out or fast-pace motion, "The Airship" is its opposite: an airy, mid-tempo record that is more appropriate for fine dining or strolls through the park. This is nowhere more prevalent than in "The Grand Staircase", featuring a more urban vibe that could've easily accompanied "Hey, Arnold!" back in its heyday. Elsewhere, we have simply gorgeous chill-out music, such as the appropos "The Gentle Descent" or "Under the Glass Observation Dome", both of which fuse Enya's multi-layered synths within the usual studio magic we've come to expect from Adam. There really isn't one song here that doesn't sound good, and that's what makes it so instantly appealing. This is happy music that exists entirely on the surface, so much so that when the album ends, it's a jarring buzz kill. And that's also kind of the problem with "The Airship"; every so often, it tries to dig below ground and give some sort of dramatic, narrative arc. It's nice to see some context given to these songs, but since so much time and effort was used to make them sound as ethereal as possible, there really is no need to complicate things. There's also the issue of how cold and distant the production feels when it tries to get serious, and this unfortunately carries on throughout the rest of the songs. But like before, these moments are still so subtle that they can easily be overlooked. Also notable is how each song can bring something new; Adam doesn't start repeating himself until the last three songs. A minor flaw in an otherwise excellent collection of music tailored as a soundtrack to our world. 

Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Up Ship!                  2. Over Atlantic City          3. The Grand Staircase

4. Sunset Cruiser        5. The Axial Catwalk              6. Of the Airship Academy

7. In The Control Car             8. Under the Glass Observation Dome

9. Into the Gymnasium         10.  The Cargo Bay    11. Arrival at Sydney Harbour

12. The Gentle Descent      13. At Anchor