Obsession Interview

Electronic music is not really my genre of expertise, nor something I listen to often, but I must say when hearing Obsession for the first time I was quite impressed.  I am not one who would go to a club and dance, however, I was definitely "moving" while listening to Obsession. This made me want to know more about them, so I sent them an interview. Jonathon and Aryn are the members of Obsession and the following is the interview that was sent to them.

 1. Give me a short history/background of yourself? (where did you grow up, where you live now, how old you were when music first effected your life)

We were both born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and raised in the same place. Currently we still live in the Indianapolis area. Growing up, both of us listened to all types of music from Pop to Country, Rock to R&B, and everything in between. We were heavily influenced by the major stars of the industry. Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and many others were all a big impact on both of our lives. Music got us through every issue we had growing up.


2. If you could describe your music, how would you?


The goal of what we try to do with our music is to get people dancing, and to get them excited. When everything else in life is difficult and stressful, music can completely change a person's mood, even just for a few minutes. We want people to have a good time when they hear our songs. We also want to spread around positivity and empowerment to all those who feel like he or she could never make a difference to someone else's life.


3. Favorite song?, band? 



We are both obsessed with Britney Spears at the moment. Everything that she does encompasses what we would like to accomplish. She has been in the industry for a long time & has been successful, and that is extremely difficult to do. She is the true definition of an entertainer. Right now Aryn's favorite song is "Give Me All Your Luvin'" by Madonna, and Jonathan's favorite song is "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson.



4. What do you do besides making music? 


We both truly revolve our lives around music. Jonathan enjoys going to the gym and laying in the sun, as well as designing personalized clothing items (sunglasses, t-shirts, jeans, etc). Aryn loves to dance and create choreography routines for performances, watching movies, and socializing. We are both very outgoing people and love to have fun with any opportunity.



5. What are your hopes and/or plans for the feature with your music?


We hope to go on tour soon, and finally see some of our fans in other countries. Our South American, Australian, and European fans have given us a huge deal of support. Other than touring, we are currently working on an album titled "Global Domination" that is VERY soon to be released. We only want the best quality and sound for our fans, so we decided to take the recording process slow to achieve that. We also hope to eventually be signed to a label, and that way we know that we are reaching as many people as possible through radio, television, etc. We always tell everyone that we meet to keep an eye out for us, because we will be taking over the world with our music!

If you are intrigued by these answers, or just want to hear some fantastic electronic music with lyrics that make you think and a beat that makes you want to move, check out Obsession's website.  Their music can also be found on Amazon and iTunes.

 http://officialobsession.com/

A Little Break

Hello to all of my readers! I am posting this to let everyone know I have not quit writing this blog, but am terribly busy with school, so I am taking a bit of a hiatus from the blog. Probably just a week or two. During the break I will be looking for new artist to write about. If you have anyone in mind send me an email and I would be glad to check them out. Thanks for reading....


Brandy


bkbohm29@gmail.com 


(email address)

Hunter Reese Interview

Most of my readers know I have been interning for the website HumanFanKind doing Public Relations and that is how I found this amazing artist.  This entry is going to be a bit different from the previous reviews and will include an interview as well as my review.


Hunter Reese is definitely one of a kind.  The first time I listened to his album I was impressed by the complexity of what Reese is portraying with his lyrics.  This guy has quite a mind...

BMR: Give me a short history/background of yourself? (where did you grow up, where you live now,
how old you were when music first effected your life)

HR: "I was born in Turlock, CA and I was raised not too far from there in the small town of Stevinson, CA. I
went to Hilmar High School, the same high school as Dot Jones from Glee.
I appreciate having grown up in a small town now, but at the time I really hated it, I felt stifled
by the small-town atmosphere. My saving grace was my involvement in extra curricular activities. The
one I’m particularly proud of is FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), I was a Central Section
officer, I believe we represented 29 schools in California.
I met a lot of people through FBLA so the summer of 2009 I decided I would go on a road trip and visit
some of them. I stopped in San Francisco for a few days and then went to Denver, CO. When I arrived
in Denver, I loved it so much I decided to stay. I used to joke and say that the only reason I stayed was
because I didn’t want to drive back (I didn’t really care for the 23 hour drive) but looking back I think
that was a part of my motivation to make Denver my new home.
I went to school there and also worked for a great Career Center. Working there saved my life, it was
there that I realized that committing to my dreams of being “an artist” was the only logical path for
me. The career assessments said it, and my heart believed it. So I got the guts and began taking acting
classes. I was 100% certain that acting was “it” for me, then in late April 2011 I met a producer through
my good friend Sami.
I wrote my first song “The Age of Young” that same week after Google’ing and studying a few days, then
just dove in. I ended up writing somewhere around 150 songs and melodies for this album, I lost all of
them when my hard drive crashed, except for the 10 on the album. Many of the songs in the album
were inspired by my love for conspiracy theories but also by my emotional state at the time, which was
chaotic. Once I was done recording the vocals and writing the songs I moved to Los Angeles. I had always
wanted to live in LA but I was always too scared to commit. Having the album gave me the reason and
the confidence."

BMR: If you could describe your music, how would you?

HR: "I would definitely describe my album as eclectic, it is a reflection of me and my eagerness to incorporate all of my likes into one
compilation. This album was definitely a learning experience, I explored various genres and in
turn produced a genre-varied album. So I guess I would describe my current music as eclectic
but I would like to progress into something a bit more creepy, dark, Classical and Rock-ish. More
along the lines of the song "Conspiracy Theories".”

BMR: Favorite song?, band? 

HR: "The favorite song award, for me, is an equal split between “Stairway
to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin and “Desperado” by the Eagles. They’re my go-to songs when
I need to get sounds out of the vox. :) My favorite band isn’t a band, it’s Micheal Jackson!
“Human Nature” ranks up there on the top reasons why I love him, but I also own a DVD from
his Dangerous tour, I never went to any of his concerts but that DVD is a glimpse into how
amazingly well he lives up to the role of “Entertainer".”

BMR: What do you do besides making music?

HR: "I do A LOT of soul-searching. I feel very connected to a
part of me which I like to refer to as my “higher-self.” It’s the part of me which I turn to when I
need wisdom, a change of perspective or an articulate and eloquent way of justifying my actions
haha. I also find myself facing various challenges on a daily basis and I use these challenges as
excellent opportunities for me to teach myself to overcome negative emotions or character-faults.
I have changed a lot, and am constantly changing. I’ll know that I’ve done something
wrong if I am still the same person 5 years from now, or even a month from now."

By now I am sure you are intrigued, so below is a link where you can find Reese's Facebook page.  Reese is also on Twitter.  Follow him, like him, and it will for sure pay off.  This guy will be going places!!!

http://www.facebook.com/HunterReeseMusic?sk=app_131686150237656

Pheroze

Pheroze was a great find for me! I am a product of bands like Alice in Chains and Guns n Roses, which are my two favorite in this genre, and Pheroze brought me back to the days when I would rock out with my old roommates and great friends a million years ago! Yup, those were the days...


I recently listened to Pheroze's most recent album Crows Into Swine, and I must say, I am super impressed. Especially because Pheroze tends to do most of the record making process himself. That is a true musician right there. Also I must mention that his lyrics have a depth to them that I find to be absent from a lot of music, especially in the harder rock area these days. 


Pheroze is on Twitter and Facebook, and you can purchase his music on iTunes. Follow the link below to read and hear more about/from Pheroze. His story is an interesting one. I urge my readers to check him out even if this genre isn't your favorite. Pheroze has great things to say and he should be heard!

http://pheroze.com/

Ingrid Michaelson: Human Again

I have been excited for the release of Ingrid Michaelson's new album Human Again for months and it has finally been released. Was my excitement wasted? No Way!!! This album is incredible. It is classic Ingrid, but with a twist. Her previous albums (I love them all) have been quite different from this one. Human Again has more of a rock vibe to it then her previous albums. There are a few songs with a funk presences and the lyrics on this album are amazing!

The first song on the album, Fire, prepares the listener for quite a treat. "Open heart surgery, that is what you do to me." This is the first line in the song, and it sets up the feel of the rest of the album. The album has a after a horrible break up vibe, as well as an I still love you vibe. It is that exact struggle that makes a person human, hence the title Human Again.

My favorite song on the album (right now) is I'm Through. The lyrics to the song just make sense to me. Who hasn't been through something in the past and wanted to blame it on someone else, "It's all because of you I'm through." Although I have learned that I make my own choices, I have felt this way more than once. This song also shows off Ingrid's voice. Wow, can this girl sing or what?

The last song I will write about is Black and Blue. This song is fantastic with it's funk feel. The lyrics once again are discussing something of a break-up, "Everybody knows that I'm a mess, everybody knows you stole the heart from out my chest." Either Ingrid dealt with an awful relationship and was inspired to write this album, or she is channeling every woman who has been fooled. Whatever it is, this album is wonderful.

Human Again displays how Ingrid has grown as a songwriter and the sound is different from anything we have ever heard from her. If you have been a fan in the past, this album is a must listen. If you have never heard any of Ingrid's music, get with the program and check her out!

Secret Skwirl

My favorite kind of music is from the 1960's and 1970's, although I like today's music too, there was just something about that time that made music wonderful. It could have been what was going on politically and socially at the time, but I think it was a bit more. Secret Skwirl reminds me of the music from those times, but with a modern feel. I am reminded of The Beatles, Chicago, and the older recordings of Pink Floyd when listening to Secret Skwril.


I particularly enjoy the song Jeez Louise. I love the lyric, "What matters more is what your not, than what you are." How true is that? I also love how Jeez Louise has a double meaning. I say jeez louise all the time and never is there really a Louise around. In the song, Jeez Louise is a person, and it could also be refering to the saying. Brilliant, right?


Secret Skwirl is GREAT at what they do. I listened to the album Nothing is Real and fell in love. I rarely find this genre of music anymore, and done so well. Check them out on Twitter, Facebook, and purchase their album on iTunes. I strongly suggest my readers to give them a listen. As I said before, they are a rare band, one that we do not find a lot today, and most enjoyable. Their music, bio, etc. can be found on their website below.

http://secretskwirl.com/

Susan Picking

I have always been a fan of folk music and Susan Picking is one of the best I have heard in a long time. I would not say she is completely folk though. She is an amazing singer/songwriter and she even has the certificates to prove it!

With the holidays just getting over, I had a lot of cleaning to do (mostly from taking advantage of my recent break) and I decided I would listen to Wonder in the Wander by Susan Picking. Not only is the title of the record brilliant, but so is the record itself. It actually made my cleaning frenzy seem not only bearable (I loath cleaning), but dare I say fun?! Yup, I dare, and look forward to dancing around with the broom again. The lyrics are thoughtful. The music is whimsical. This album is a must listen.

I usually promise that listening to what I write about will not be regretted, and I will once again, but I also must promise that NOT listening to Susan Picking will be regretted. Her music can be found on iTunes, as well as at her website listed below. Enjoy this one folks!!!

http://susanleighpicking.com/