Monarch Daily: The Artist's Mecca

"Photographers can create moments that will never happen again but last a lifetime." Apparently some photographers, Tyler Shields specifically, can also create public art forums that will last just as long. Because based on the concept alone, Monarch Daily is going to be around for awhile.

Many people know of Tyler Shields and his work. He has photographed countless celebrities, gained flak for his risky ambitions, and has accrued an impressive 81 thousand Twitter followers. What less people know is that he is also one of the masterminds behind the high-concept program that is Monarch Daily. With substantially less Twitter followers, a mere 113 to date, Monarch Daily has yet to reach the masses. Very few know of the site, and even fewer know of its purpose. This is a problem that needs to be fixed because it's looking like Monarch Daily is set to become the archetype for the successful art forum.

Tasked with describing Monarch Daily in one word, all I could come up with was 'ingenious.' Because truth be told, Monarch Daily is still somewhat of an enigma. Still in the development stage there is very little information as to what Monarch Daily will truly be. While the site (www.monarchdaily.com) has yet to officially launch, it is clear that it will quickly become an Internet haven for this generation's artists.

In an era in which the Internet takes precedence over physical human interaction, Monarch Daily is finding a way to emphasize the 'social' in social media. Artists throughout the world are often hindered by the inability to meet people willing to take a chance and showcase new pieces or people. Without a place to actually display their work, many artists have found it difficult to share the product of their creativity with other interested people. Monarch Daily is removing the the middle-man entirely by providing an outlet in which all types of artists can openly share their creativity. In a world that has been largely based on conformity, Monarch Daily is taking a uniquely different approach towards this rising generation of artists. Monarch Daily is encouraging people to embrace their personal differences through creativity and pure imagination.

With the world slowly but surely reaching the point where anyone will be able to step outside of the box without fear of judgement, Monarch Daily is already three steps ahead. Monarch Daily, it seems, exists solely to inspire and encourage anyone and everyone to embrace their creativity and share it with people who are equally as talented. The most appealing aspect of Monarch Daily is that it is providing an ability to discover raw talent and passion that would otherwise go unnoticed by the world.

Stating it's interest in, "Discovering, celebrating, and encouraging creativity in all it's forms," Monarch Daily will undoubtedly become an inspiration to all emerging artists (hopefully to non-artists as well!). As a self-proclaimed, "Art destination experience," Monarch Daily will be a welcome forum for budding talent. While the Internet is an opportunity for anyone to publicly share their work, Monarch Daily will serve as a specific page to link and unite all forms of art and creative passion.

The Internet era has allowed for the establishment of a truly unique site that will be able to link people of all genders and races through a respect of individuality. Artists across the globe are encouraged to share their work and immerse themselves in a world of imagination and originality. People are being given the chance to accomplish something that many individuals have but are too scared to voice: the desire to be discovered. Whether a photographer, a painter, a sculptor, or anything else, people are actively seeking an audience that will appreciate their work. Monarch Daily is that audience.

I cannot properly articulate my excitement regarding Monarch Daily because I have a feeling that, once officially launched, Monarch Daily will exceed all of my expectations. With all of the negativity that is strewn throughout the Internet, it is truly amazing to see a project that is accepting and open to all. Creativity is a powerful thing that many people choose to ignore. Monarch Daily is seeking to display creativity and encourage all people to embrace it. Incredible. People should keep their eyes peeled for the official launch of Monarch Daily because the site will completely change both the art world and social media.

Looking to become a contributor to Monarch Daily?
Follow the link to fill out a simple form: www.monarchdaily.com/contribute-editor

Additional Resources:
Website: www.monarchdaily.com
Twitter: @monarchdaily
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/monarchdaily
Facebook: www.facebook.com/monarchdaily
Instagram: monarchdaily

Tyler Shields Info:
Website: www.tylershields.com
Twitter: @tylershields
Instagram: thetylershields

The world is running towards, 'We Come Running'

As someone who has become increasingly irritated with iTunes ($1.29 per song?! Ridiculous.) I was happy to see that they actually managed to do something right in what seems like forever. Featuring Youngblood Hawke's, 'We Come Running,' as the single of the week this summer was undoubtedly the best move iTunes has made in awhile. Why? Because Youngblood Hawke is without a doubt the best emerging band I have heard this year.

Image courtesy of the Youngblood Hawke Tumblr

The introduction of Youngblood Hawke to the world has been timed perfectly. The alternative-rock genre has slowly been re-emerging as this generation's music genre of choice, with bands such as Walk the Moon and Imagine Dragons topping the music billboards. This makes youngblood Hawke's introduction that much more appreciated. The band is further proof that songs requiring 90% auto-tune and theatrical public escapades aren't necessary in order to produce good music.

Image courtesy of the Youngblood Hawke Tumblr

The selection of, 'We Come Running,' as the single of the week has proven to be extremely rewarding for Youngblood Hawke. The group has accumulated a solid 5.5 thousand Twitterfollowers since the release of their single and, while the number is relatively low in comparison to that of other artist, Youngblood Hawke's fans are 100% genuine. While less overwhelming than the response to other music groups, reviews concerning Youngblood Hawke have been nothing but positive. A good review from a high-profile media group can make or break a band, but when it comes down to it, it's the fans who truly decide whether or not a group is worth listening to. YBH is mentioned on twitter and other social media outlets hundreds of times a day. This outpouring of support shows that this music group shouldn't worry about making it big.

Image courtesy of the Youngblood Hawke Tumblr

The most appealing aspect of Youngblood Hawke is that they seem to love their fans as much as their fans love them. There is a mutual appreciation between band and listeners, which is something that is refreshing to see in a generation in which many artists opt for as little interaction with fans as possible. Youngblood Hawke is admirable in the fact that they have maintained a steady interaction with all of their supporters. When perusing the group's twitter account, I noticed that the vast majority of their tweets were in response to fan support. YBH constantly replies to their vans via social media outlets and works incredibly hard to ensure that they maintain a certain level of intimacy with their followers. While this may change when they truly make it big, I have a feeling that the band will do its best to maintain a relationship with the people who will be responsible for their inevitable success.

Images courtesy of the Youngblood Hawke Tumblr

While the general attitude of Youngblood Hawke would be enough to gain my respect, the fact that their music is actually good further highlights their superiority over much of today's artists. It's a rare feat to produce a single that instantly becomes an overnight sensation. 'We Come Running,' is a song that causes people to immediately hit 'replay.' While 'We Come Running,' is easily the most popular song off of the band's EP, the other three songs are equally upbeat and pleasurable. The Younblood Hawke EP is the epitome of the ideal coastal soundtrack. It's the type of musi that requires a convertible, the California coast, and a day devoted to the simple appreciation of outrageously good music. The band manages to spark a certain feeling of giddiness and warmth within its listeners. In short, the EP is feel-good music that can, and should, be enjoyed by all. The songs are entirely original, as is the band that sings them.

Image courtesy of the Youngblood Hawke Tumblr

Still not sure if it's worth shelling out a mere $4.26 for the four song EP? Stream the music for free at www.soundcloud.com/youngbloodhawke

You've finally come to your senses and want to support the band by buying their EP?
                   Head on over to iTunes!!!

For more information on Youngblood Hawke, check out the following:
          Website: www.youngbloodhawke.com
          Twitter: www.twitter.com/youngbloodhawke
          Tumblr: www.youngbloodhawke.tumblr.com
          Instagram: Youngblood Hawke

Video Courtesy of the Youngblood Hawke Youtube channel

Disappearing Jamie: This Generation's Blink182?

Never heard of 'Disappearing Jamie'? You’re not the only one. Very few people have heard of the up-and-coming band, and those who have are mostly teenage girls. With Tyler Posey serving as the face of the group, most fans discovered the band through their love of MTV’s 'Teen Wolf'. This is proving to be both a positive and negative for the band. While it is likely that, had Posey not garnered such an immense following through television, Disappearing Jamie would be another struggling California-based band, many people steer clear of the music solely because of certain connotations made of the front man. Disappearing Jamie is associated with Tyler Posey, who is associated with Teen Wolf, which is associated with MTV. It has become clear that MTV is less involved with music television and more involved with bad reality television (Teen Mom, Jersey Shore etc.) Any negative thoughts surrounding MTV cause much of the population to immediately dismiss anything and anyone related with the network. Hence the very limited range of Disappearing Jamie’s fan base. Not a fan of MTF or Teen Wolf? Doesn’t matter. The biggest music mistake you’ll make is not giving Disappearing Jamie (formerly known as ‘Lost in Kostko’) a chance.

The biggest fan-base for Disappearing Jamie is teen girls, however, it’s the guys who should focus on this group. The music is ideal for this generation’s male audience, who unfortunately shy away when they hear it includes, “That guy from Teen Wolf.” Teenage boys have been, are, and always will be a stubborn bunch, consciously choosing to avoid something due to how they think it may be perceived. What this generation’s teenage boys aren’t grasping is that Disappearing Jamie and Teen Wolf are two completely different entities. It is possible to like a band and just a band. Enjoying the music of Disappearing Jamie doesn’t immediately mean that you have to enjoy a TV show whose target demographic is 16 year old girls. Disappearing Jamie is possibly the band that will reinvent 90’s punk-rock, a genre that has fallen to the wayside with the upsurge of pop music, and bring back a sound that’s been lost in the past decade. This is something that guys need to understand. Good music is good music, and Disappearing Jamie is good music.

The best thing about the music being produced by Disappearing Jamie is that it simply is what it is. While some may consider the lyrics to be amateurish, I find them to be quite refreshing. There are no subtle nuances that force me to think while listening, and unlike much of today’s music, Disappearing Jamie isn’t attempting to make some bold statement resonate within its audience. The band is a group of twenty-something guys, who are writing and playing music about things that pertain to them. It’s great! With Disappearing Jamie, nobody is being forced to listen to a group striving to be something other than what they are. Disappearing Jamie is unique in the fact that there is no façade. Most artists these days have two personas: the personal persona and the stage persona. Disappearing Jamie has only  one. When on stage the group is simply Alex, Freddy, and Tyler, three friends who are excited about music and eager to share their passion with their audience. Each band member is extremely personable and their interactions with their audience show that they are just as, if not more, excited to be playing as their fans are at seeing them play.

 Freddy Ramirez

 Tyler Posey

Alex Gertsch

(Photos Courtesy of: http://twitter.com/caitdiaz via disappearingjamiefanpage.tumblr.com)

Having said all that, it begs the question: Is Disappearing Jamie at the same caliber as Blink 182? The answer. Absolutely not. But honestly, that’s because no one is. Blink 182 is a group that has been around for years. They’ve broken up, gotten back together, and have carried the torch for alternative-punk rockers. In short, they’re icons. And while there will never be a band that can fully match what is Blink182, Disappearing Jamie certainly has the potential to come close. Both bands have a very similar sound that results in upbeat rock music. Disappearing Jamie’s EP (released under Lost in Kostko) matches the energetic and fun vibes most notably produced by Blink. As previously mentioned, the music isn’t overly complicated. There is a nice blend of incredibly catchy guitar riffs and steady drum beats. The individual songs hold enough teenage angst without being overbearing. The music is fun and lively, much like that of Blink 182.

I sincerely hope that this group gains more recognition because the pop/rock/alternative genre is severely lacking and Disappearing Jamie easily fills the void. In a few years time I have a feeling that Disappearing Jamie will have amassed a much broader audience because they’re musicians that produce music that is appealing to a variety of people. When Disappearing Jamie is announced as the opening band for Blink 182’s next tour, I’ll be the first in line buying tickets.

Check out the Lost in Kostko album on iTunes. It’s definitely worth the five bucks.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/extended-play/id447711770

And here’s the link to LiK/DJ’s Reverbnation site: http://www.reverbnation.com/lostinkostko

Lost in Kostko's Cover of Blink's 'First Date' (not great sound quality)

Video courtesy of ohbabehyay's Youtube channel

We were promised, 'We Were Promised Jetpacks'

Before tearing into them, let me just go on record and say that I genuinely love 'We Were Promised Jetpacks.' I personally think that they are a highly underrated group that not enough people know about. An incredible indie-rock band hailing from Scotland, WWPJ is most commonly compared to 'Frightened Rabbit' (for those of you unaware of Frightened Rabbit... that's a whole other situation that needs to be rectified). WWPJ has released two full albums (available for purchase on iTunes) that are individually unique in their own right. Both albums are fun to listen to, though I much prefer 'These Four Walls," to "In the Pit of the Stomach," and have a very distinct sound that many people overlook due to the current obsession with clichéd pop artists. The group excels at maintaining a level of consistency throughout the album, so much so that songs such as, 'Quiet Little Voices,' and, 'It's Thunder and It's Lighting,' are difficult to initially distinguish. The point is, I am an enormous fan of We Were Promised Jetpacks... which made my experience seeing them live that much more disappointing.

Never in my life have I left a concert early. Unfortunately there's a first time for everything and WWPJ was unable deliver, though the opening bands did little to convince me to stay.

The first act of the night was a local band. The second act of the night was also a local band. Honestly, that alone should have been red flag number one. It's not that I'm knocking local bands, in fact, more power to them. I fully support any and all artists who are pursuing a dream or passion, however, having two local bands open for a fairly well-known group is a risky move that, in this case, didn't work out.

While no seedy venue should be expected to be consistently punctual, delaying the start of a show by half an hour is a sure fire way of unnecessarily irritating a crowd. Any local artist should be quick to establish themselves as a group that won't cause potential fans to wait in anticipation. The delay caused me to dislike the band before having even hear them. Let's be honest, asides from the friends and family members in attendance, no one was there to see 'The Last Dinosaur.' The group was merely the appetizer to satiate the fans who were eagerly awaiting the main act of the night. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the band was... decent! With such low initial standards, it's no surprise that the group managed to exceed my expectations. The group was obviously excited to be playing for the audience, and even more excited to be opening for WWPJ. There was an almost infectious enthusiasm surrounding the group that quickly resulted in an equally enthusiastic crowd. The singer was in constant motion and the lead guitarist appeared to be seizing throughout the performance, constantly flipping his head back and forth and whipping his guitar left and right (hitting my head the process). By the close of their performance, The Last Dinosaur had half of the audience on stage with them, belting out songs that were catchy enough to sing to despite having never heard them before. The music itself is very much a rock/indie collection that suited the audience. Their stage presence was the group's greatest asset. They were quick to develop a comfortable camaraderie with the crowd, which resulted in the flocking of the merchandise table at the close of the set. While the music isn't something I can see myself listening to on repeat every day, there is a definite time and place in which the songs would be an ideal soundtrack. All in all The Last Dinosaur was able to prove themselves as the rockers that they are trying to be. I'd give their performance a solid B. (Here's a link to their music if interested: http://www.purevolume.com/thelastdino )

Then came 'A New Dakota'... Horrible. I for one am not a fan. It was actually almost painful for me to watch. All of the energy supplied by the previous band was completely drained out of the audience when the second group began. What really irked me was the fact that the music was unable to back up the punk-grundge persona that the group was attempting to give off. The lone female of the group encapsulated every stereotype given to female punk artists. Short choppy hair? Check. Pink guitar with matching Hello Kitty guitar strap? Check. While I generally try not to concentrate on the appearance of musicians, it was literally all I could concentrate on throughout the performance. It wasn't because I objected to how they looked, I firmly believe that people should dress how they want, it was because they consciously chose to give off a specific persona that was completely off-base from their music style. If you're going to dress like and edgy punk band, be an edgy punk band. Don't create a façade to conform to societal stereotypes if it is completely irrelevant and distracting to the music. I honestly don't even feel comfortable commenting on the music because I spent more time playing Temple Run on my phone than I did listening. While I concur that my interest in my phone was disrespectful to the performers, I honestly could not find a way to enjoy the music. Two songs was enough to cause me to completely zone out and focus on the clock. I'd probably be less comfortable writing this if it wasn't for the fact that my opinion of the group seemed to be shared by much of the audience. The performance was underwhelming and at one point during the set a high-schooler was overheard saying, "They're nothing special. We sound better than them!" Agreed. Unlike their predecessors, A New Dakota did little to interact with the crowd and by the end of the performance, it became clear that the growing crowd was due solely because of the anticipation for We Were Promised Jetpacks. Trust me, A New Dakota wasn't bringing anyone in. C- Have at it: http://anewdakota.bandcamp.com/

By the time We Were Promised Jetpacks came on stage, it had been three hours since the advertised start of the show, and forty minutes since A New Dakota had (thankfully) left the stage. While attending long concerts isn't necessarily unheard of, set changes are rarely as arduous as they were for WWPJ. Let me reiterate: FORTY. MINUTES. Honestly, even forty minutes between sets isn't too bad. What was horrible was the fact that it was a tiny venue, and the band was just standing in the room the whole time! It probably took roughly ten minutes for the equipment to be set up, and a painful half-hour of waiting around listening to soundcheck after soundcheck. A full ten minutes was spent checking the drums, which consisted of the drummer literally hitting the drum again. And again. AND AGAIN. The crowd got agitated pretty quickly and I overheard many crude comments from the people standing behind me. The real irritation stemmed from the fact that it was completely unnecessary. The band could have been onstage within 15 minutes of A New Dakota's performance, they just chose not to. Quite a few people opted for the exit. That being said, one WWPJ finally got their asses onstage, the music was as good as the records. WWPJ performs really well live, (vocally that is, the energy was lacking) and were quick to pump up the audience. Alas, the wait killed me and once I heard my favorite song (again, 'Quiet Little Voices') I chose to head out and escape the sweaty people and stuffy air. It's a real bummer because how many opportunities will there be to see a Scottish band perform stateside? Not as many as would be preferable I'm sure. All in all the music was good but the constant holdups ruined the night. B. http://www.myspace.com/wewerepromisedjetpacks/music

Introduction

This blog will be focusing on all things Movie, Music, and Television. As an avid fan of all three genres I thought I would use this medium as a means of putting my personal opinions/reviews out in the open. Any new films, television shows, or albums I see will be written about on this blog. While I'm not a fan of being negative for the sake of being negative, I will be utilizing this page to express my personal opinions. If I don't like something, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I'm going to be blunt and honest but, unlike many pessimistic bloggers, I'm going to explain my reasoning behind certain statements. I hope to draw attention to the many artists, shows, and films that are often overshadowed by the big names of the entertainment industry. Again everything on this blog is my personal opinion and if you disagree with something, great! I'd love to hear your points and would love to see a different take on whatever the daily topic is!