1.) Piece Of Your Heart

“Piece Of Your Heart” is the first single that MP dropped in anticipation for this album, and I gotta say that I love it. As I mentioned before, I wasn’t the hugest fan of their last two albums, but this song actually has me looking forward to their new album. It feels reminiscent of early Mayday, which as you’ll be able to tell soon, is my favorite era of MP (thus far). The lyricism is similar to their “A Lesson in Romantics” days, something I didn’t know I wanted to hear again. The instrumentation has been cleaned up since their last album (which IMO was a failed attempt at trying to “get back to the roots” of pop punk) and from what I’ve heard of the new album, it sounds like it will flow smoothly.

2.) I Swear This Time I Mean It

If there’s one thing that MP is really good at, it’s sappy ballads. This song, from their sophomore album “Anywhere But Here,” features an acoustic guitar paired with soft vocals from lead singer Derek Sanders. The tempo is pretty slow, almost as if Sanders is singing a lullaby. The song slowly builds, the music crescendoing from the slow tempo to fit smoothly with his gentle voice. Tbh, I could totally listen to this on repeat until I fall asleep. His voice is so soothing.

3.) Kids In Love

“Kids In Love” is another track from their sophomore album, and it’s also the first song I ever heard by the band; I was in 7th grade and thought that I was so in love with the guy I dated that year *cringe*. For as cringey as that is, it felt so applicable at the time – “We were just kids in love / the summer was full of mistakes we wouldn’t learn from.” Despite the memories of my first puppy love, this song feels timeless to me. The instrumentation stays interesting during the entirety of the song, and the lyricism doesn’t feel like it was directed at 13 year olds.

4.) When I Get Home You’re So Dead

This song hails off of their first and most celebrated album, “A Lesson In Romantics.” At the time, Derek Sanders was a co-vocalist with Jason Lancaster, who ended up leaving the band and joining Go Radio (before they broke up and he went solo). This break up song is so 2007 – not sappy and sad, but savage AF. The lyrics basically allude to the fact that the girl is a cheating whore and she won’t ever change. One thing I love about the lyrics is that it doesn’t sound cheesy AF, like some songs I’ve heard calling out ex-girlfriends for being whores. Instrumentally, the guitars sound angry, which helps the direction of this song channel the angsty side of pop punk.

5.) Three Cheers for Five Years

Eeeeeek, this song is so sad. This song was written by drummer Jake Bundrick, who found out that his girlfriend of five years cheated on him (and she told him on their anniversary, nonetheless). This piano ballad features a back-and-forth vocal trade off between Sanders and Lancaster, with vocals sometimes overlapping each other, but in my opinion showcasing the conflicting thoughts of a break up and how to deal with the news of your S/O cheating on you. I love that MP are able to tell stories of break ups in completely polar-opposite ways (see choice 4). The twinkling piano, the switching vocals, the overlapping of thoughts – they all culminate into a song that brings out emotion I didn’t even know I had.

6.) Still Breathing

“Still Breathing” starts off with a somber-sounding guitar, the chord blending seamlessly with Sanders’ vocals. Drums subtly come in throughout the verse and eventually build up into the chorus, which isn’t anything mind-blowing, but isn’t overly simple and boring either. I don’t really know what draws me to this song, but I enjoy it nonetheless.

7.) Just Say You’re Not Into It

Let me tell ya, this EP was *~amazing~*. This song follows the hearts of a conflicted relationship, where the two are fighting, however they want to forget about it for the night and “bring their hearts back home.” I love the way the song starts off, with the lyrics “In a show of hands / who has ever said these words before? / And in a show of hearts on the floor / who has ever meant them more?” I thought that line was just cleverly crafted and didn’t even need to be explained for it to be understood. That right there my friends, is good lyricism.

8.) I’d Hate To Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About

Long live the days of long song titles – can we bring that back please? I heard some rumors that “Sunnyland” will have more long titles – yay! Anyway, back to this song. The main reason I love this song so much is because you can hear so much emotion in both of the vocalists voices, but especially Lancaster’s when he jumps into the chorus. I honestly don’t really know what this song is about, who it’s about, what’s going on, but it makes me feel. It’s the weirdest thing – but hey, that’s what music does to ya. Also, with the guitar solos and the way that the song builds, the song flows together so smoothly and makes me want to throw down.

9.) Terrible Things

Okay sorry, we’re going to get sad again. But this song is just. so. beautiful. The narrator, a father, is telling the story of the father and mother – when they first met, when he proposed, and when she told him she’s sick. I mean, shit. Paired with the somber piano, this song is so sad and evokes so many emotions. The father is telling the son “So don’t fall in love / there’s just too much to lose.” and “Now son / I’m only telling you this / because life can do terrible things.” This song is basically a Nicholas Sparks book summed up in four minutes.

10.) One Of Them Will Destroy The Other

This song is one of the songs I actually like from their 2015 album, “Black Lines.” I love how raw this song sounds, in terms of instrumentals and in vocals. Sanders experiments with some more screaming, a change that really shook up their discography since Lancaster left the band. Some fans were disappointed, citing that MP is a band they go to for more sappy, heartfelt songs, not heavier music. However, I thought this was one track that actually did a good job of capturing that raw, stripped down sound that they were looking to do for the album. I don’t think it completely worked out for them – I saw them live shortly after this album was released and they played 3 songs out of a 20 song show from this album. That being said, the songs they did play were the good ones, so I wasn’t too disappointed.

So there you have it! I’m really excited to hear what their album will sound like, and of course, I will see them live at Warped this summer.

Check out my blog where I write more music related content, and follow my music Twitter to hear constant updates on everything music related!

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: My Favorite Mayday Parade Songs appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Fans have been speculating for months about who was going to play the last tour, with guesses ranging from plausible to never-gonna-happen (*cough cough* a My Chemical Romance reunion). Alas, the lineup has been revealed and the consensus is split: some are very ecstatic about the lineup, and some are incredibly disappointed. As for me? I’m definitely excited, but I can see where people were disappointed.

Before I jump into my top ten picks, I want to address the certain marketing tactic that they used to announce the bands. As always, they post a photo with all the bands written on it in alphabetical order, with asterisks by the bands that weren’t playing the whole tour. This year, instead of asterisks, they put those bands in a purple font as opposed to the black font. At first glance, you don’t realize that they aren’t playing the full tour until you see the fine print at the bottom.

A lot of fans were upset about this, mostly because some really big bands are playing, with a lot of them only playing select dates. This sucked, because there are a lot of big names, Warped-esque bands, such as All Time Low, Asking Alexandria, Bowling For Soup, Sum 41, and Taking Back Sunday, that are only playing one or two dates. While they do clarify that they aren’t playing the full tour, one can’t really tell at first glance, which makes the lineup a little bit more disappointing.

But enough of that. I’m still pretty pumped about the bands that are playing the full tour, which all ten of these are.

1.) Movements

I CAN’T CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT TO SEE THIS BAND LIVE AGAIN. I saw them at last years Warped Tour, when they were on a small stage with a small crowd, and this year they have been upgraded to the MAIN STAGE! These guys released a killer album last October, titled “Feel Something,” which skyrocketed their career (hence the spot on the main stage). If you’re into post-hardcore emo, then you definitely need to check out this band.

Favorite song: Vacant Home

2.) The Maine

The Maine also released an amazing album last year, “Lovely Little Lonely.” I’ve only seen them once before, but that was before LLL came out and before I was really that big of a fan. The Maine are a rock band from Arizona, and they’ve played Warped shows in the past. Now that I’m into their music some more, I’m really excited to see them this summer.

Favorite song: How Do You Feel?

3.) State Champs

Tbh, I’ve seen State Champs like 5 or 6 times already. What can I say? They’re one of my all-time favorite bands that also happens to be one of the biggest in the pop-punk scene today. When I first saw them at Warped Tour back in 2014, they were still relatively small. I’m excited to see them again this year, back on the main stage, performing my favorite songs. Talk about coming full circle, huh?

Favorite song: All or Nothing

4.) Knuckle Puck

Knuckle Puck are a band that I’ve fallen deeply in love with over the last few years. They just released their sophomore album, “Shapeshifter,” this past October. It took a little while to grow on me, but I absolutely love it now, so I’m definitely excited to see them play some of their new material live.

Favorite song: Want Me Around

5.) Real Friends

Whenever I think about Real Friends, I think about the first time I saw them at Warped Tour 2014. If you couldn’t tell already, that years Warped Tour was an amazing year that got me into a lot of my current favorite bands. Real Friends are a pop punk band from Chicago, and they always give fun performances no matter where they play, but there’s something a little bit more special about their Warped shows.

Favorite song: Summer

6.) Grayscale

At this time last year, I had no idea who Grayscale was. And now, I. love. them. I discovered them shortly after the release of their 2017 pop-punk album “Adornment,” and now I can’t get enough of them. They’re still relatively small(ish), and I think those are some of the most fun sets to see live at Warped. I haven’t had the chance to see them live yet, and I hear that they’re awesome, so I’m excited.

Favorite song: Beautiful Things

7.) Broadside

Broadside are a pop punk band that I tried to see at Warped 2016, but just barely missed. They also released an album last year, “Paradise.” I haven’t listened to it too much, but from what I’ve heard of it, it’s pretty good. I loved their album “Old Bones,” and their sound overall, so I hope that I get to see them this year.

Favorite Song: Coffee Talk

8.) Simple Plan

You might be thinking, “Simple Plan are still around?” and the answer is yes, yes they are. I actually got to see them live here in Iowa City a couple years ago for the University of Iowa Homecoming (review of that here). While that was a fun, outdoor night show, I want to see them during the Warped atmosphere. They’re definitely one of the more popular Warped Tour veterans, having played the festival 1999-2005, 2011, 2013, and 2015. I’m excited to hear their most popular tunes.

Favorite song: I’m Just A Kid

9.) With Confidence

After some drama went down with the band over the past year, they’ve been kind of silent. But now, they’re ready to play Warped this year, and I’m pretty excited. I saw them as an opening band once, but what I’m really looking forward to is seeing them at Warped.

Favorite song: Voldemort

10.) Mayday Parade

And last but not least, Mayday Parade. I’ve already seen them live a handful of times, two of those being at past Warped Tours, but nonetheless, I’m still excited to see them. Mayday Parade always puts on a great show with their outstanding stage presence. They’re always so excited to be playing live, making the Warped experience that much better.

Favorite song: Just Say You’re Not Into It

So there you have it! Make sure to stay tuned for my review of the festival this summer. In the meantime, check out my review of Warped Tour 2016 here, Warped Tour 2017 here, and also my thoughts on the end of Warped Tour here.

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: Bands I want to see at Warped Tour 2018 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

It was announced this past week that Warped Tour will be making its last cross-country tour next summer. In 2019, there will be some sort of 25th anniversary thing, and after that, Warped Tour will be dead.

Vans Warped Tour is a summer-long festival that kicks off every year in June and runs through August. Warped Tour focuses on the rock scene and has been touring around the United States every year since 1995. Over one hundred bands hop on the tour each summer, varying from up and coming bands to the leaders of the punk rock scene. The most popular genres played at Warped are pop punk and metalcore, although there are many hardcore, street punk, and even hip hop acts that are thrown in.

Warped Tour was always so special to me because it was a festival like no other — Warped travels across the country, setting everything up and tearing it down every day in a new city. Every day is different: bands play at different times, some bands hop on the tour for a couple dates, etc. And not to mention, it was a rock/punk-rock/pop/metalcore/electronic/hip hop tour. The lineup was always diverse, the general admission tickets were no more than $60, and there was pretty much a guarantee that the tour would travel somewhere near you.

I started going to Warped Tour in 2014, but I remember begging to go since 2012. I was a junior in high school, and my friend and I were finally old enough to go (according to our parents; Warped is an all ages event). I was super excited to see some of my favorite bands, like Mayday Parade, Echosmith, and We The Kings. That day I discovered so many of my favorite bands: State Champs, Real Friends, Neck Deep, The Story So Far, Beartooth.

I knew from that first time at Warped that I had to go back the next year.

My best friend, Ily, and I snagged our tickets early on for the Denver date again. We got to see a handful of great bands again, like Neck Deep, Our Last Night, PVRIS, Beartooth, and Man Overboard. We met one of our favorite band photographers, Adam Elmakias. It was a fun year, despite not knowing as many bands as I did the year before. I discovered so many new bands.

Ily and I went again in 2016, and I think that was probably one of the best days of my life — no joke. You can read my festival review of that here, but long story short I got to see literally all of my favorite bands and meet them as well. Pictured below is me with one of the bands, Real Friends. It was so fun to be able to see so many of my favorites in one day — something that would be impossible had it not been at Warped Tour.

And then of course, 2017. This year, I decided to go twice — once in Denver with Ily, and again in Minnesota with my friend Taylor. I thought for sure that since 2016 was so good that 2017 had a lot to live up to. You can read my entire festival review of 2017 here. Honestly, it didn’t even matter to me that there weren’t as many bands that I knew — I still had a fun time discovering new bands and jamming out to old ones.

I’m pretty bummed about Warped ending, to say the least. But I’m grateful that for the past 4 years, I’ve made some of the best memories of my life. I’ve discovered so many bands, been introduced to the alternative scene, met some of my favorite bands, and seen countless performances.

You can expect to find me at the last Vans Warped Tour next summer, and also expect some Top Ten’s lists about the final Warped.

RIP Warped Tour.

The post RIP Warped Tour: The End of an Era appeared first on KRUI Radio.

My alarm woke me at 7 am on Sunday, June 25th, 2017. Honestly, I probably didn’t need it — you know that feeling you get on Christmas Eve when you can’t fall asleep because you’re too excited for the day to come? Well, that’s the feeling I get every year before the Vans Warped Tour. Let’s be real, I’m more excited for Warped than I am for Christmas (which is when you know that Warped is legit).

If you don’t know how the Vans Warped Tour works, check out my last Warped Tour review, where I pretty much explain all that you need to know.

We arrived to the venue early again, and got in the Express Entry line. As soon as we got in, we bought the schedule and planned out our day. Honestly, there weren’t that many bands that I was dying to see this year (unlike last year), so everything pretty much worked out in our favor. We took a lap around the venue, figuring out where all the stages and stuff were, before we arrived at our first stop for the day: I Prevail.

I Prevail is an American metalcore band from Michigan that formed in 2014. It’s pretty impressive that after only being around for about three years, they’re already playing one of the main stages at Warped Tour. They kicked the day off at 11:50 am, and I can guarantee that there wasn’t a still person in the crowd. While I’m not super familiar with their music, it was easy to jam out with them. Their type of metalcore sometimes leans on the lighter side, which attracts fans more on the rock/punk side of the spectrum. They played most of their popular songs, such as “Stuck In Your Head” and “Scars“.

As soon as I Prevail wrapped up, we headed to the Full Sail stage to see Trophy Eyes, a punk rock band from Newcastle, Australia. While I wasn’t suuuper into them before today, they definitely put on a show that convinced me to check out the rest of their discography. They opened with one of their most popular songs, “Nose Bleed“. If you haven’t already, I would definitely check out their most recent release, “Chemical Miracle” which came out in 2016.

Up next was a band that I was really looking forward to seeing: Our Last Night. The last time that I saw them was at Warped Tour in 2015, and I was stoked to see them live again. OLN released a 7 song Ep titled “Selective Hearing” on June 9th, 2017. They opened with a new kick ass song, “Broken Lives“.

One of the things I like most about OLN is that their music is a hard rock/alternative with some thematic/borderline electro elements to it. Their last studio album, “Younger Dreams“, is definitely the most thematic of what they have released, but “Broken Lives” definitely sounds familiar to their music on “Younger Dreams.” Their stage presence was also very thematic — lead vocalist Trevor Wentworth danced all around the stage as water cannons sprayed the crowd. They finished their set off with their popular tune “Sunrise“, as Trevor and guitarist Woody jumped out into the audience.

Right after OLN’s set, they held a signing at their tent. We briefly got to meet the guys, who were humble as hell. I would definitely recommend checking them out.

At 2:45, we headed back to the Full Sail stage to check out one of my new favorite bands, Microwave. Microwave is a rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. They played fan favorites, such as “Lighterless“, “Stovall“, and “Vomit“. Microwave offers a refreshing sound that still has the angsty and disenchanting lyrics that we all love. Microwave is SUPER underrated, so if you check out anyone that I’m talking about in this article, make sure it’s Microwave.

After sitting down to eat and regain some energy, we headed over to the Journey’s Right Foot stage to see one of my favorite pop punk bands, Neck Deep. Before Neck Deep stepped up to the stage, a speaker from the nonprofit organization Hope For The Day came out to speak about suicide awareness. Every year, they hop on the tour and talk about the importance of speaking up and seeking help (for more information, check out their website here). The crowd takes on a somber tone, until the speaker prompts the audience to chant for Neck Deep.

The crowd chanted “Neck Deep” and then erupted into applause as the guys jumped on stage. One of the things I love most about seeing Neck Deep live (which I have now seen them live 4 times) is that they have so. much. energy. Lead singer Ben Barlow always seems super happy to be performing, as seen in his goofy facial expressions. Their setlist contained mostly songs from their most recent record, “Life’s Not Out To Get You“, with the addition of their two newest songs, “Happy Judgement Day” and “Where Do We Go When We Go“. This was definitely one of the best sets of the day, considering the enthusiasm and adrenaline coursing through everyone.

I was glad that after Neck Deep we had a couple hours to spare, because they definitely wore us out. We sat at the Full Sail stage, waiting for the next band, Movements. Movements is a post-hardcore/emo band from SoCal. And boy, did this set make me emo as hell.

“If you guys don’t already know, we don’t really make happy songs,” lead singer Patrick Miranda said as they jumped into a new song about Alzheimer’s disease. What makes them stand out to me is their mix of singing and spoken-word vocals. You can really feel the angst, hurt, and desperation in Patrick’s voice when he performs the spoken-word portion of their songs. I recommend checking out “Vacant Home“.

We finished the day off with Counterparts, a melodic hardcore band from Canada. I’m not too familiar with their music, however I enjoyed myself during their angsty, head-banging music. Their set made me forget about my aching feet, the dried up sweat, and the fact that the day was wrapping up. I’ll definitely be listening to more of their stuff, especially with their new album coming out in September.

The best part of the day was definitely this punk rock lady who had to be somewhere in her 60’s. She’s my idol, my inspiration. This is gonna be me at Warped when I’m 60.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr where I upload concert pictures and you can be up-to-date on where I’ll be next.

The post Festival Review: Vans Warped Tour 2017 @ Denver 6/25/17 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Ahh, summertime. Nothing feels more like summer to me than an ice cold lemonade, humid nights, and of course, Vans Warped Tour.

Vans Warped Tour is a summer-long festival that kicks off every year in June and runs through August. Warped Tour focuses on the rock scene and has been touring around the United States every year since 1995. Over one hundred bands hop on the tour each summer, varying from up and coming bands to the leaders of the punk rock scene. The most popular genres played at Warped are pop punk and metalcore, although there are many hardcore, street punk, and even hip hop acts that are thrown in.

July 31st, 2016 marks my third time attending the Vans Warped Tour in Denver, Colorado. If you’ve never been to Warped Tour before, let me give you the low down. The tour arrives at your city the morning of and sets up stages, tents, porta-potties, etc. The line-up is different every day; bands normally don’t have a set time that they play every day. The schedule is not set in stone until the morning of. If you’re like me and you love to have things planned out, then Warped is going to stress you out. In previous years, I’ve missed seeing some bands live because there was another band playing at the same time. It’s always a shame, but it happens.

My best friend Ily and I arrived at the venue around 9 am (TIP: it’s always best to get there a couple hours early so you can get in line and just in case your favorite band is first to play). If you bring in three non-perishable food cans, then you get to skip the line and enter the venue before the normal general admission line (do this. Trust me. Just do it.) We finally got into the venue around 10:45, where we rushed over to the Full Sail tent to grab some wristbands to get into a meet and greet with one of our favorite bands, Real Friends. After finding the big inflatable schedule, we bought a $2 flyer with all of the set times on them (TIP: buy the flyer. It’s a lot easier than taking a crappy picture and not being able to see the set times).

Luckily, none of our bands overlapped, much to our liking considering the line-up this year was stacked with my favorite bands. The day for us started at 12:20 where we got to see State Champs at the main stage. I reviewed a State Champs concert before which you can read about here, and this time had the same vibes. This was my fourth time seeing State Champs live, and each time they just get better and better. Fans went crazy for this popular band, with many surfing through the crowd just to get close to the quintet. Starting with the song “Shape Up“, they powered through their set list, finishing up with their first single “Secrets” from their latest album Around The World And Back.

After State Champs performed, I was already exhausted from feebly lifting fans off of me and sending them forward. Ily and I sat on a grassy patch that sat near the Full Sail stage, where we got to hear Broadside, an up-and-coming pop punk band from Richmond, Virginia.

Around 1:15, we headed over to the Full Sail tent to wait in line for our Real Friends meet and greet. While waiting in line, we got to hear one of my favorite bands from middle school, 3OH!3. The duo, originating in Boulder, Colorado, played many iconic songs from their debut album Want and their most recent album Night Sports. Even though I haven’t listened to Want since middle school, I still knew all the words to the classics “Starstrukk“, “Don’t Trust Me“, “Chokechain“, and “Punkbitch.” It was a blast to listen to and middle school Jen was pretty thrilled.

We also got to briefly hear part of We The Kings’ set before heading off to meet Real Friends. Meeting Real Friends was one of the highlights of my day, considering they quickly became one of my favorite bands after seeing them at Warped Tour in 2014. The guys were all so nice, even though we briefly chatted. Earlier in the day, we got to talk to bassist Kyle Fasel at their merch tent more in depth. Check out my review of their last album here.

Ily and I rushed to the main stage to catch another one of our favorite pop punk bands, The Story So Far. The Story So Far leans more on the harder and angsty side of pop punk, making their sound unique and relatable. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as we jumped and yelled the lyrics back at the band. Their set list included “All Wrong“, “The Glass“, “Nerve“, “Quicksand“, “Empty Space“, “Heavy Gloom“, “Things I Can’t Change“, and “Roam.”

It was around 3:00 pm when Ily and I sat down to eat again. After munching on light snacks (TIP: bring a lot of snacks because the food at Warped is expensive and the lines are long) we headed back to the main stage to catch Issues, a metalcore band from Atlanta, power through their set with hardcore energy that pumped fans up. They played a couple songs off their latest release Headspace, as well as some older fan favorites such as “Mad At Myself”.

Once Issues wrapped up, we headed towards Knuckle Puck’s tent to meet the band. Each member was so friendly, shaking my hand and introducing themselves. I briefly mentioned seeing them in Iowa City last October, which one replied saying that Gabe’s was one of their favorite venues. After taking a quick selfie, we headed over to sit under a tent. On our way there, we spotted lead singer Derek DisCanio of State Champs at their tent, so we popped over to get our t-shirts signed. This was my third time meeting Derek and he was just as humble as he was the first time we met at Warped Tour 2014.

Ily and I filled up our water bottles and munched on some goldfish before we jumped in the crowd to jam out to the latter half of Sleeping With Siren’s set. The crowd was packed as fans watched from all across the parking lot. The girly screams of the crowd reflected Kellin Quinn’s uniquely high pitched voice perfectly as they belted all of the lyrics back. Their set was a nice mash-up of old and new songs, which was pleasing to fans no matter what Sleeping With Sirens era they liked most.

After Sleeping With Sirens, we pushed our way to the front of the crowd so that we could be close for when Real Friends played. One stage over, we were able to hear Sum 41, an iconic 2000’s pop punk band. Towards the end of their set, they played their cult classics “In Too Deep”, “Still Waiting”, and “Fat Lip” which got almost the entire arena parking lot to chime in.

Real Friends took the stage, opening up with the fan-favorite “Late Nights in My Car” which got the crowd energized right off the bat. Old songs faded into new songs, highlighting the slight change in style but still reminiscent of their previous EP’s. Bassist Kyle Fasel occasionally jumped on the riser, shouting lyrics and waving his hands up and down, getting the crowd to jump along with him. Real Friends finished up with “Loose Ends”, a single from their first full-length album Maybe This Place is the Same, and We’re Just Changing.

Ily and I then pushed our way out of the crowd to run to the other side of the venue to catch Knuckle Puck at the Poseidon stage. We got there right in time as they were opening with “Disdain” off of their latest record Copacetic. I was surprised at how much smaller the crowd felt, considering they’re a huge up-and-coming band that’s gained a lot of popularity since they were on last years’ Warped Tour. Lead singer Joe Taylor jumped around the stage passionately, occasionally screaming lyrics and holding the microphone out to the crowd. They played some of my favorite songs, such as “Untitled“, “No Good“, and “Pretense“. There was not a still person in the crowd during their set, making it one of my favorites of the day.

As Knuckle Puck packed their stuff up, a band called Waterparks opened up their set at the Cyclops stage, where a small group of fans gathered around to jam out. Ily and I were able to sit comfortably a little ways back and watch the band. They made for an enjoyable listen while we passed time. Once they wrapped up, we turned our heads back to the Poseidon stage where Roam, a British pop punk band, played catchy songs to a slightly larger audience.

Ily and I then headed back over towards the main stages and sat again, this time listening to Arizona locals The Summer Set. They played a few songs I knew, my favorites being “Boomerang” and “Lightning in a Bottle”.

We decided to go stand in the crowd for the long wait to see Mayday Parade. Four Year Strong was playing, a band described as pop punk/melodic hardcore. Fans formed what is called a “wall of death”, or extreme moshing. While we were safe on the side, it was fun to watch fans get passionate about the music and run about the pit.

While waiting in the crowd for Mayday, one stage over New Found Glory, formed in 1997, made for an enjoyable listen. They ended with their classic “My Friends Over You”, which got everybody in the parking lot to hum and sing along.

Finally, the moment we were all waiting for. Mayday Parade closed out Warped Tour by opening with fan-favorite “Jersey”.

The crowd went crazy for the band with nobody being able to push their way to the front. That left them with one option: crowd surfing. While I’m all for crowd surfing, it gets tiring after a while. Fans began surfing from three different spots in the back, all leading to the center of the stage with 4 or 5 people surfing at a time, all snapchatting their adventure. It got to be overwhelming, and we found ourselves looking back in fear that our necks were going to be snapped rather than looking forward and enjoying the band that we had waited all day to see. At the end of the day though, we weren’t gonna let a few crowd surfers ruin our day.

While many of us have been at the venue going on 11 hours, the energy was just as copious as it was when the day started. Fans jammed out to crowd-favorite songs, making it an enjoyable listen for any casual Mayday fan. Mayday ended with another fan favorite “Jamie All Over”. Once the guitars faded out, the crowd chanted for an encore. Ily and I decided we were pooped and that the only thing we wanted was a hot shower and our beds.

To say the least, Warped Tour 2016 was by far the best Warped experience I’ve had thus far. I highly recommend making the drive out of Iowa to experience Warped, as this is a day that I surely will never forget!

The post Festival Review: Vans Warped Tour 2016 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Real Friends, a pop punk band from Tinley Park, Illinois, is a band that has quickly made their way up in the scene and also on the list of my favorite bands. After seeing them live at Warped Tour 2014, I became obsessed. While the pop punk scene is huge, I had heard nothing like Real Friends before. They stood out to me, especially with their first full length album Maybe This Place Is the Same and We’re Just Changing that debuted in July 2014. Now, almost two years later, Real Friends drop their sophomore LP with Fearless Records, The Home Inside My Head. Without further ado, lets jump into the review.

The album starts out very promising with the song “Stay In One Place,” a guitar-heavy and drum-driven track that sets the stage for what the album entails and who Real Friends are as a band. We then jump into the second track, “Empty Picture Frames,” which I was pleasantly surprised with. The opening guitar catches the ear of the listener, and the catchy chorus keeps them around for the entire song. I was surprised that this song wasn’t a single released prior to the album release, considering it is arguably the biggest standout track and fan favorite from this album. Not to mention, the albums title comes from the chorus: “The home inside my head has a bed for me / that no one will ever get the chance to see.”

We continue on with “Keep Lying To Me,” a song that showcases a lot of vulnerability from the band. Bassist and lyricist Kyle Fasel includes a lot of clever word play on the word “lying,” using its different definitions and synonyms. It’s a strong track that keeps the album moving forward. “Scared To Be Alone” is up next, an inspiring song that is instrumentally and lyrically pleasing. It focuses on the idea that we shouldn’t settle because we are scared to be alone.

The album takes a turn with “Mokena,” a track that reinforces the idea that they are a group of ‘Illinois Sad Boys,’ a self-titled name that can be seen on a lot of their merchandise. Instrumentally, I love this song. The electric guitar is simple and slow, which paired with lead singer Dan Lambton’s soft voice during the verses and raspy voice during the choruses makes for an enjoyable listen. Lyrically, it isn’t all there. It kind of seems like Kyle Fasel was trying too hard to be deep and introspective with this track, which can be seen in the first verse with lyrics that are all over the place. It feels a little bit too forced.

The album picks up again with “Mess,” a single that sounds like a typical Real Friends song — loaded with guitars and drums. The line “I’m still a lost boy” made me crack a smile as it would with any Real Friends fan. A first time listener would think it’s just in reference to the themes throughout this album about feeling lost and alone, but a true fan will hear the dog whistle and know that it’s a stab at many of their old songs, where they reference being a “lost boy with bony knees,” a signature line that has been repeated throughout their music career. That line was special and stood out because it tells us that they’re the same guys they’ve always been, even though now they have been launched into mainstream pop punk since their debut album release in 2014.

“Isolating Everything” was written by Dan, a refreshing change in theme and lyricism from the repeated style and lyrics that Kyle composes. With Dan’s strained and raspy voice, it sounds like something that would be on their debut album. “Well, I’m Sorry” is next, a track with emo-influences, a drum-driven beat, and lyrics that follow the theme of acceptance.

We jump right into “Basement Stairs,” a song that follows a great melodic chorus and has a lot of momentum building up throughout. This is a song that I’m sure will be played live because of its high energy vibes. Next is “Door Without A Key,” a more basic run-of-the-mill Real Friends song. It’s not a bad song, it just doesn’t have anything particularly special about it. On its own, it’s borderline forgettable.

Up next is one of my favorite tracks, “Eastwick,” a breathtakingly beautiful and heartbreaking acoustic track. Brilliant lyrics matched with Dan’s softer vocals really help to carry this song and induce sad vibes upon the listener.

Real Friends close up the album with the track “Colder Quicker,” the perfect closing song for this record. It embodies all that this album is about by bringing together all of the themes present. The momentum in this song builds up and remains throughout the entire track.

Overall, I would say this is a great album. It’s a step up from “Maybe This Place Is the Same. . .”, and you can definitely see the growth in music style and vocals. The biggest issue I see with this album is the lyrics–some of them feel as if they were thrown together, and others don’t match the melodies. Kyle writes his lyrics in more spoken-poetry style with overflowing emotion, while Dan writes melodic lyrics that sometimes lack emotion. If only the two could have collaborated better to find what would work better, I think this album would have been a 10/10. Real Friends have written some amazing yet simple lyrics in the past, so I know they have it in them to write some more. I only see them getting bigger from here, and I think that the more they experiment and collaborate with their music, the more they will continue to grow and become better.

Real Friends will be playing all summer on Vans Warped Tour (stay tuned for that festival review!).

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr where I upload concert pictures and you can be up-to-date on where I’ll be next.

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Simple Plan, a pop-punk band based out of Canada, has always been a band that I felt had been placed on the backburner of what people call “good music.” Simple Plan were pretty popular back in the 2000’s before it seemed like they suddenly dropped off the face of the earth in 2011. Back in my middle school emo days, I used to listen to them a lot when “Welcome to My Life” was all too relatable (but maybe I was just very dramatic). And now with the release of their new album Taking One For The Team, emo Jen is ready to make her long overdue reappearance.

“Taking One For The Team” starts off very promising with a strong and heavy guitar driven track “Opinion Overload.” A lot of their old pop punk (and modern day pop punk) influences are bleeding through. This song is basically a middle finger to anybody that tries to tell them what to do. It’s very catchy and has me excited for what the rest of the album has to offer.

The tracks “Opinion Overload,” “Boom!,” “Farewell,” “Nostalgic,” and “P.S. I Hate You” are all anthems that stay true to the pop punk genre. I close my eyes, and it felt like I was at Warped Tour rather than the Pentacrest lawn as I listened to these songs. They combine fast-paced punk tempos with pop-influenced melodies, the perfect blend for those that don’t particularly enjoy hardcore music but enjoy something heavier than bubblegum pop.

The tracks “Kiss Me Like Nobody’s Watching,” “Singing In The Rain,” “Everything Sucks,” “I Don’t Wanna Go To Bed,” and “I Don’t Wanna Be Sad” don’t really feel like they fit in this album. While the themes tie in with the overall themes of love, good vibes, and not giving a damn what anybody thinks, their melodies and tempos seem to fall more on the pop side of pop punk. They aren’t bad songs, but they are scattered throughout the album. They feel misplaced, pulling me out of my head, jolting me awake and making me conscious of the fact that the songs don’t flow from one song to the next.

The listeners are pulled in with the slower acoustic songs “Perfectly Perfect” (which honestly, I was hoping would be a play on their song “Perfect” from their debut album “No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls,” but it turns out it is just a love song (*sigh*).

“Problem Child,” and “I Dream About You” are both melodic and almost sappy in a way. “Problem Child” is the song that most resembles the themes of “Perfect.” As we can see, the band is still struggling with their childhood and with accepting the past. “I Dream About You,” which features female vocalist Juliet Simms, brings an interesting pop dynamic to the album.

All in all, this album was only mediocre compared to their earlier albums. It feels very split between their roots of pop punk and wanting to evolve into a poppier sound. The songs jumbled together don’t feel like they make up an entire album, leaving the album feeling incomplete.

Listen to the full album here:

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This group is incredibly down to earth and just wants to share their music with the world. Prior to releasing their EP, the band wrote a heartfelt post on their Tumblr.

In the post, the band states “We have had a lot of bad things happen to us, and we have decided that with whatever happens in this life to us, we want music to be at the front of our passions and our attention. Bringing music to our fans is so terribly important to us, that we would drag ourselves through hell and back to keep making songs for you all.” You can read the entire post here.

Since beginning back in May 2009, these guys have successfully put out three EPs, including the one that was just released under Third String Records (along with plenty of singles), played at Houston’s 2011 Warped Tour stop, even gained and lost a member, all the while growing their dedicated fan base and creating tons of great music.

The group only has 424 Spotify subscribers, and just over 1,100 subscribers on YouTube. Their most popular track, “This is How You Rewrote Yourself,” is so close to having 3,000 views. Why not help bump that up and give it a look? It’s filled with tons of great jump cuts, and conveys a message with a simple whiteboard. You can check it out below:

If you would like to stay connected with Dear You, feel free to check out their Twitter or Facebook. You can also check out their merchandise here.

The post Up and Coming: Dear You appeared first on KRUI Radio.

This week’s band is Wisconsin natives, The Millenium. The four-some, made up of Kyle Culver on guitar, Kyle Featherstone, also on guitar, but piano and vocals as well, Matt Hasenmueller on lead vocals, and Sean Koran on bass, are self-described as a ‘Titanic pop/alternative’ sound. For only being an official band since the beginning of this year, these guys have come quite a long way.

In just 11 months they’ve been on multiple tours, played the famous Vans Warped Tour, and even have a stellar music video for their song “Ghost Town”, which can be found on their only EP, It’s So Much Friendlier With Two.

Check out the music video below:

The band’s first single “Take Me” came out in February of 2014, and the full EP was out on February 23^rd. Their upbeat, poppy sound makes you want to get up and dance. Matt, the lead vocals for the group, has such a cheery presence on stage; it makes it hard for anyone in the crowd to stay in their seat.

Not knowing openers can be really hit or miss at shows, but I lucked out when I got to meet and interview these guys. These rad dudes recently played here in Iowa City, at the Blue Moose. The group was on a small tour with The Icarus Account and Chase Coy.

It was definitely refreshing to meet such cool musicians who are passionate about what they’re doing, and on top of it, are good at it too. The guys have just over 250 followers on the popular music streaming service Spotify, and just under 400 subscribers on YouTube.

If you’d like to give their music a listen, click here

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