Mayday Parade and The Academy Is… will be co-headlining, and Set Your Goals, The Secret Handshake, and You Met at Six are also slated to be on the bill!

Based on the lineup, the tour looks extremely promising. I have to admit that I’m impressed that they chose a pretty diverse group of bands to be on this tour. On the one hand, this tour will be like the second, mini-version of Warped–it’ll be a ton of fun and you’ll get a taste of a wide variety of music. On the other hand, the tour is going to bring a pretty crazy crowd of fans. I can see it now–a dance party is bound to break out during The Secret Handshake, the infamous “jump up and down and sing (scream?) each song” dance move will occur during Mayday Parade, The Academy Is…, and You Me at Six, and a mosh pit will for sure be in store during Set Your Goals.

Aside from the rather predictable nature of the show, it looks like it’s going to be a ton of fun and an awesome way to start off the school year (that is, for those of you that are still in school–for you recent college grads, see it as your last opportunity to hang on to your “teen” years before heading out to the real world). I’ve seen The Academy Is… and The Secret Handshake live before, and they are definitely two bands that always deliver 110%. Yup, this tour is going to be pretty fierce…now if only I could get my hands on a ticket…

For updates about the tour as well as tour dates, be sure to visit the AP Tour Fall Ball ‘09 official website. Presale tickets will begin on August 5th (so get on top of that)!

And just in case you don’t know who these bands are:

The Academy Is… “Classifieds” (an “oldie” but goodie!)

The Secret Handshake “Summer of 98″

Mayday Parade “Jamie All Over”

Set Your Goals “Echoes”

You Me at Six “If I Were in Your Shoes”

Ocean Eyes by Owl City, July 14, 2009

As we mentioned last week, Owl City released a new album, Ocean Eyes, on July 14th. If you haven’t bought the album yet then you’re truly at a lost–it’s one of the most quality records I’ve heard this summer, so everyone really needs to get their hands on it. The first single off the album is “Fireflies”, which has been the free single of the week on iTunes (apparently you will only be able to download this song for free for one more day, so be sure to do so if you haven’t gotten the chance yet)!

Last Friday, Owl City released the music video for “Fireflies” on his MySpace. The video is pretty cute if you ask me, and it’s quite fitting for the song. I might be mistaken, but I think this is actually the first official music video Owl City has released (feel free to correct me though, any hardcore Owl City fans out there)! I’m feeling like 2009 is definitely going to be a huge year for Owl City and I couldn’t be more excited about that!

The Maccabees cover BEP's 'Boom Boom Pow'

So The Maccabees are an amazing indie/alternative band from England that recently performed their single “Can You Give It” at the BBC Live Lounge! The single is fun and catchy, and I would recommend purchasing it on iTunes (minus the fact that it’s selling in the UK iTunes store for £1.49, and not in the US iTunes store–I know. Sad times). The Maccabees also did an extremely brave thing during their performance at the BBC Live Lounge–they covered the Black Eyed Peas’ hit song, “Boom Boom Pow”!

I don’t know anyone who hasn’t heard this hit song. It’s a pretty crankin’ song if you ask me, so I was a bit nervous to hear that they had covered it. I mean, putting an indie/alternative twist on a song that is pop/hip hop can be pretty tough but The Maccabees did it! Their cover is actually pretty good and just as catchy as the original. Below is the video for their cover of “Boom Boom Pow”–let us know what you think!

Driver F Currently In the Studio

One of our favorite bands, Driver F, is currently in the studio recording a new record and we’re pretty excited about it! If their new record is better than Chase the White Whale, then someone needs to get me out of the fantasy world I’m living in because there’s no way a band could be that good. They recently posted a new blog from the studio, and by the looks of things, they’ve been working pretty hard (and having fun)!

What more can I say? I’m pumped, I’m excited, and I’m looking forward to hearing the new record! And hey, if you haven’t heard of Driver F or you haven’t listened to Chase the White Whale yet, I totally recommend it hitting up their MySpace. You’ll be blown away.

Our Fave Indie Band This Summer--Now, Now Every Children

Amidst the hip hop and pop music I’ve been blasting this summer, I have become a major fan of a little indie band from Minneapolis–Now, Now Every Children. I hate to admit that I was watching MTV (I really hate to admit that), but I first heard this band’s music on an episode of 16 and Pregnant (awesome show, FYI). As soon as “Everyone You Know” started playing, I immediately had to look this band up. After streaming a few of their other songs, I’m pretty proud to say that I have found a new favorite indie band of the summer.

Now, Now Every Children is a band that pretty much defines summer–their sound is relaxing, beautiful, and simple. It’s the type of song that you could easily listen to as you relax outside in the sunshine, or rock out to at one of the hottest music festivals this summer. They’re often compared to Eisley, another indie favorite, but I think Now, Now Every Children can easily be set apart in their own right. They’re a unique band with an intelligent sound, and their only downfall is that more people don’t know who they are (but hopefully we can help fix that).

If you’re looking for a fresh, new indie sound for the summer, Now, Now Every Children is your band. And if you’re in the area, check them out on tour (in some cities, they will be performing with Bad Veins):

Jul. 17 2009 VINO’S Little Rock, Arkansas
Jul. 18 2009 THE FIREBIRD St. Louis, Missouri
Jul. 19 2009 THE HOUSE CAFE Dekalb, Illinois
Jul. 20 2009 STONEFLY BREWERY Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jul. 31 2009 THE ABBEY W/BAD VEINS Chicago, Illinois
Aug. 1 2009 THE CROFOOT W/BAD VEINS Pontiac, Michigan
Aug. 2 2009 EL MOCAMBO CLUB W/BAD VEINS Toronto, Ontario
Aug. 4 2009 HEIRLOOM ARTS THEATRE W/BAD VEINS Danbury, Connecticut
Aug. 5 2009 NORTH STAR BAR W/BAD VEINS Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aug. 6 2009 MERCURY LOUNGE W/BAD VEINS New York, New York
Aug. 7 2009 GARFIELD ARTWORKS W/BAD VEINS Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aug. 8 2009 SOUTHGATE HOUSE Newport, Kentucky
Aug. 9 2009 PICADOR W/BAD VEINS Iowa City, Iowa..

Alright. So who out there is a NNEC fan?

Jadyn Marie recently signed to Universal Motown Records

While Kristinia DeBarge is definitely having a fruitful summer, about to jump into the lime-light is Jadyn Maria, who recently signed to Universal Motown Records (congratulations to her)! This Puerto Rican born (but Nashville native) joined forces with Flo-Rida to release her debut single, “Good Girls Like Bad Boys”. Like many other female artists this summer, Jadyn’s debut single is decently catchy and will be sure to find a top spot on radio station countdowns.

From what I understand, it’s been a long road for Jadyn Maria, who has actually had a music career since 2002. Beyond that, I don’t know too much about who this artist “used to” be (i.e. I hear a lot of people claiming to like her “old stuff”, which I personally know nothing about). But what I do know is that we’re all probably going to be seeing a lot more of this starlet as the rest of 2009 unfolds. She’s already being considered as “Ne-Yo’s protégé”, which definitely carries a lot of weight in itself (regardless of her musical talent). She’s even paired with huge names such as Katy Perry and Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes) for her debut album. With such artists backing her, there is really no doubt in my mind that we will be hearing a lot more from Jaydn Maria. As Ne-Yo has said about her:

“A sweet tone, a gorgeous smile, a bubbly yet strong persona—not to mention a rather strong pen game—made Jadyn Maria just what I was looking for. It’s these attributes that will also make her a name you will remember.”

Looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year has in store for Jadyn Marie. Congratulations again, girl!

Ocean Eyes by Owl City, July 14, 2009

It’s been a while since Owl City has released new music, but we’re excited the wait is over! July 14th marked the release of Adam Young’s (a.k.a. Owl City’s) new album, Ocean Eyes, and we couldn’t be more pleased. As always, Owl City delivers the most unique, imaginative lyrics and the softest and sweetest electronic melody that has made him an online favorite. Even the remake of his popular song, “Hello Seattle”, was taken to a new level of beauty and was remastered in a way that fans least expected.

Put simply, Ocean Eyes is flawless and raises the bar for other electronic-pop artists trying to make a name for themselves. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ocean Eyes becomes one of the best albums for the summer of 2009 and truly places Owl City in the lime-light. You can purchase the album on iTunes for a pretty low price…but if you’re running extremely low on cash, the good news is that you can download “Fireflies”, a song off the new album, for free (Amen to that!).

Owl City will be doing a North American tour this upcoming Fall with Kate Havnevik and Unicorn Kid (Leg 1) and The Scene Aesthetic and Brooke Waggoner (Leg 2). If you’re going to a show or you just plain love Owl City, shout it out in the comments!

Drake--Summer's Hottest Upcoming Rapper.

I’ll admit I’ve been pretty out of touch with the blogging world, but I have definitely been keeping up with the music scene. What I don’t get though, is the sudden Drake phenomenon that I swear came out of no where. One minute, Aubrey Graham (yes, that’s his real name) is my favorite Degrassi character (after Cassie Steele, of course), and the next minute all these preteen girls are swooning after him and calling him Drake (what?!). The people that thought Degrassi was just a preteen show are now singing Drake’s tunes and twittering proudly about downloading his songs–I’m being thrown for a loop here! So, for what it’s worth, Drake has seemingly surpassed the “almost” a-list mark and went straight to the a-list, which would technically make him “ineligible” for this blog (I mean, if he can collaborate with hip hoppers such as Lil Wayne, he’s pretty much a big baller). But for the select few out there who don’t know about Drake or understand the sudden Drake phenomenon sweeping the interwebs, this entry is for you.

Musically, Drake is pretty hot–his beats are catchy and addictive and his rhymes seem to flow pretty smoothly. Nevertheless, this describes a slew of other top of the chart rappers (I could be talking about Kanye West for all you know). So the next logical thing that would make this artist distinguishable should be the lyrical content, right? Nah. Drake’s lyrics honestly aren’t that unique–sure, he hasn’t gone totally downhill and created a whole new term to get stuck in our heads (e.g. “A Milli”?). But really, there just isn’t anything that makes you think, “poetic genius” when you listen to his lyrics.

I’m not saying Drake is a bad artist because clearly he’s doing something right. That “something” though, is what I’m still trying to figure out. I will give him credit. At the beginning of his career (WAY back circa Season 3 or 4 of Degrassi when Cassie Steele was also getting a music career under way), Drake’s songs weren’t as tight as they are now. He’s definitely grown a lot as an artist and it seems as if he’s been working hard at it–clearly it’s paid off.

But frankly, I just don’t understand the Drake phenomenon. What distinguishes this guy from all the other up and coming rappers out there? And while I know a ton of people are sick of hearing it, he’ll alway be Jimmy Brookes to me:

For the record, I think this little sample song that Drake and his co-star Melissa McIntyre (a.k.a. “Ashley”) sang on Degrassi is a way better example of what Drake is capable of (as opposed to, you know, “Best I Ever Had”). The lyrics are on point and the melody is simply phenomenal. If Drake produced more songs such as this one, there’d be no question in my mind as to why he is a major success.

Spotlight On: Parachute!

It’s definitely been a while since we’ve heard a band that was simple. Now, don’t get me wrong–simple isn’t a bad thing. With all the random technology floating around out there, it seems as if many bands are forgetting how to play their instruments and have decided to “enhance” their songs with whatever beat they can make off their Macbook Pro. But thankfully there are still diamonds amidst all that coal, and we consider one of those diamonds to be Parachute.

Parachute is probably one of the best acoustic bands out there right now. In fact, I’m willing to place a bet that they could easily be the next Augustana, Dashboard Confessional, or The Fray–if not even better. They have the most soothing yet uplifting beat that you’ll instantly fall in love with. It is truly refreshing to listen to a band that will allow their talent to speak for itself, rather than have it overshadowed with annoying electric rhythms and power-chords in an effort to sound like a “hit single”.

Earlier this month (May 12, 2009 to be exact), Parachute released their debut album, Losing Sleep, which is one of the most quality albums of 2009. Each song is well crafted, beautiful, and undeniably catchy. They have also released a music video for their song “She Is Love” (featured below). This band is truly talented and we’re sure that they’ll shine in 2009!

She Is Love

Kristinia DeBarge, your new favorite singer.

What better way to start off the summer than with a new music video from Kristinia DeBarge! The 19-year-old singer has been making a name for herself with her new single, “Goodbye”, which I’m are sure will become one of the big hits of the summer. The song samples one of the catchiest songs in music history, Steam’s “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”. Now typically, I’m always hesitant when modern day artists decide that it’s a good idea to sample classic songs that were a hit on their own. Thankfully Kristinia did not disappoint–”Goodbye” is catchy, upbeat, and shows off her amazing vocal power. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this young lady becomes your new favorite singer of the summer, even if you claim you aren’t a fan right now. Just wait…

Goodbye