A Zine! Finally!

Okay, so I finally made a zine. Months in the making! I will totally be embedding it into this post so you can print it out and give it to your friends and/or confidants! Also, let me know your thoughts in the comment box! To be quite honest, I've been wanting to make a zine forever and now that I have finally pushed myself to, I want to zine the whole world. 

YESSSSS. 

Also, I uploaded a random vlog on Youtube if you haven't gotten enough of me. I'm sure you have, but I will embed that as well! If you make zines and you stumble across this, let me know what you to spread the word. I want to include more people in making The Lovely Nag. 

ME.

-Rachel

So You Wanna Get Into Series! #1 - Punk

Hey all,

I am sorry for the lack of posting, but life. It happens, y'know? Anyways! I am starting a new series called 'So You Wanna Get Into...' ! It will be about music exploration! Fun! Rad stuff! So, have you wanted to start listening to a certain type of music, but you really don't know where to start? I am here to help! I will be talking about the heavy hitters in a specific genre as well as giving recommendations for listeners who are new! I'm starting with the punk genre. (Too easy, right?) Let's get started! :)

So, punk music. It has spanned several decades and is still prevalent in today's rock music. From proto-punk to post-hardcore, it is still relates today. Three chords. Lyrics. DIY. That's all you needed to start a band. Knowing your instrument was NOT required! There is still some talk on where punk exactly started, but a lot of influence came from the UK and NYC. Starting in the mid-to-late 70's, bands would start playing songs that were fast, loud, and abrasive. PUNK magazine in NYC in the 70's is said to have coined the term 'punk' for the people associated with what was going on at CBGB's. Meanwhile, in the UK, the shop SEX was paving the way for punk clothing and culture. Out of that spawned the band, The Sex Pistols, and it was downhill from there.

TIPS:
The first thing to do when trying out a new genre of music is to research it. Learn about it and how it came to be. The roots! Who wants to be stammering when you wear merch and someone asks you about your Op Ivy shirt? Not. Me. So! Learn. Grow. Become cooler.

Also, find out what your taste/sub genre is. Don't go along with the crowd and like all the favorites and nothing else. Be different! If you like the album, Beezelbubba, that's cool. You do you.

Support local acts. Punk music as a whole has a sense of community and one way that you can do that is go to shows! Local, famous, or one-off! It's all worth getting that concert experience. If they're good enough, buy their merch, too!

Be honest and true to yourself. If it isn't your thing, that is okay! Punk is rough and disgusting at times. I know if it is kind of glamorized by the Internet. It was crazy back when it started and now. 

Just listen. Find whatever you can, and just listen to it. Expand your mind.

Enough of that!! Now the recs! 

SO YOU WANNA GO BACK TO WHERE IT STARTED?

MC5 would be the one of the leading proto-punk bands.
The Ramones
Blondie
Iggy Pop & The Stooges
Television
The Clash
Death
The Kinks
The Talking Heads

SO YOU WANNA GO TO CALI AND READ THRASHER?
 
All cali-punk. All the time. 

The Descendents
Operation Ivy
Early AFI
Bad Religion
Circle Jerks
Wasted Youth
The Adolescents
The Germs

SO YOU WANNA KEEP IT EAST COAST?

It's cold and political here. 
 
Minor Threat
Dropkick Murphys
The Replacements
Negative Approach
Bad Brains
The Plasmatics
Leftover Crack


SO YOU WANNA CROSS THE POND?

America is not the sole punk rock nation.

The Rezillos
Sham 69
Refused
The Exploited
U.K. Subs
X-Ray Specs
Toy Dolls

SO YOU WANNA TO VENTURE TO SUB-GENRES?

Too many genres to list, but just enough bands.

The Cure

Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
Sleigh Bells
Bayside
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Strokes
Radkey

SO YOU WANNA SLAM DANCE?

HxC.

Black Flag
Cro-Mags
Minor Threat
H2O
Agent Orange
T.S.O.L.
Agnostic Front
Napalm Death

SO YOU WANNA LISTEN TO GIRL FRONTED BANDS ONLY?

We run the world, anyway.

Red Aunts
Bikini Kill
Patti Smith
Be Your Own Pet
Calamity Jane
The Electrocutes
Siouxie And The Banshees

SO YOU WANNA BIT OF SKANK WITH YOUR PUNK?

We've all been there. Some ska-punk bands to check out!
 
Reel Big Fish
The Chinkees
Streetlight Manifesto
Plinko
Rude Bones
Suburban Rhythm
Voodoo Glow Skulls


Last but not least:

SO YOU WANNA GO TO A HORROR SHOW?

Evil live.

The Misfits
Horrorpops
Groovie Ghoulies
Son Of Sam
The Undead
Tiger Army
Zombina And The Skeletones

Sooo, that's it! I hope this was an opener to punk music and the sub genres of that! Please comment down below with suggestions or comments on my next one!

-Rachel 
 
 

 

 

Albums That I Have Been Loving.

What are some of your current favorites? Leave a comment down below!

-Rachel  

Saturday Night Playlist!

Hey guys,

It's Saturday night and I wanted to let you guys hear one of my mixes! I have a 8tracks account (surprise, surprise) and it's high time that I start sharing. 

Becky | Be Your Own Pet

When You Were Young | The Killers

C'Mon, C'Mon | The Von Bondies

Electric Feel | MGMT

Come On, Let's Go | Ritchie Valens

For The One | Waters

Lasso | Pheonix

Pick Up The Phone | Dragonette

Wild World | Me First & The Gimme Gimmes

The End Has No End | The Strokes

Disappear | Motion City Soundtrack

Pork And Beans | Weezer

Fits & Dizzyspells | Andrew Bird

How Come You Never Go There | Feist

Bonus: Choose You | Manchester Orchestra 

Here is the link to my 8tracks! Follow me! :)

8TRACKS

I hope you liked my playlist! Leave any comments or suggestions down below!

-Rachel 

Those Days So Joyfully = The Valley Album Review!

Hey, hi, hey. Welcome to my second album review! The Valley by Eisley. Originating from Tyler, Texas this band has been playing indie/twee pop music since the late 90's. This album was their third full-length release in March of 2011. This album was called the divorced album because of the lyrical content that touched on all three girl's past relationships. Here are four songs you should listen to first!

The Valley

Smarter

Watch It Die

Sad

Oxygen Mask

Better Love

I Wish

Kind

Mr. Moon

Please

Ambulance

"Smarter" Normally, Eisley has a distinct sounds. Stacy, Sherri, and sometimes Chauntelle sing and harmonize over piano and guitar. With this song, you are hit with something a bit different. Instead of simple chords, there is heavy sound that compliments the lyrics. I think that this track really branches out on sound when it comes to Eisley. They are more to the point when it comes to the lyrics and it works well with the vibe of this song. 

"Oxygen Mask" Starting out sweet as usual is Stacy with this track. The song as a whole is very beautifully written with sad lyrics talking about the outs of a relationship. The piano leads the music with a strong string section all throughout the track. What I enjoyed about this song is that it's catchy but has chorus that speaks to the listener.

"Mr. Moon"  This is one the most honest tracks from this album, in my opinion. Sherri is straight up talking about her previous relationship and how she was heart broken. I loved how it started with spook-esque keyboard tones. It really works with the minimalist cymbals. Even though this song is very honest and open, I love that it turns positive when Sherri sings about her sisters. She looks at the silver lining, and it is executed well.

"Ambulance"  This song is beautiful. It would be impossible to end this post without saying something about this track. The band plays this song almost every show and it's a crowd favorite. I understand why. Stacy also just sings reality. It's pretty much piano for most of the song until the chorus where it builds up. Haunting. Honest. Very real. 

As a whole, I would give this album a 4.5/5 stars. The band really worked on bringing the topics of this album to the surface. I feel that each track is another layer upon layer until the end where it all comes out for the listener to realize. The end track was brilliant. It ended perfectly. Compared to their last album, Combinations, this album shows how much they have grown as musicians, song writers, and people. Here are links to buy their album:

AMAZON

BAND SITE

I hope you enjoyed my review of The Valley! Please leave any comments down below!

S'laters!

-Rachel 

I Give It To The Ocean = Cope Album Review!

 So, I want to start off my reviews with an album that I am slowly falling in love with. 

Cope by Manchester Orchestra. These guys are from Atlanta and have been really been making their mark in indie/alt rock. They are simply amazing and bring a new approach to a genre that so many bands have claimed as their own. This album came out in January of 2014. Instead of a track-by-track, I am going to pick songs and explain their significance. 

Top Notch

Choose You

Girl Harbor

The Mansion

The Ocean

Every Stone

All That I Really Wanted

Trees

Indentions

See It Again

Cope

"Choose You" This track has such heavy instrumentation from the start, and it doesn't let up. This song's lyrics are as heavy as the music itself with the hint of something sinister underneath the metaphors and Christian phrases. I also believe that Manchester did a great job of making such a heavy laden song catchy and easy to sing a long to. The pre-chorus and chorus just makes the song flow very well. What I like about this song is that it makes you think. It's catchy, of course, but I also want to research the lyrics and understand what Hull is singing about.

"Girl Harbor"  Another song with Christian undertones. This song seems to lean towards trying to understand someone who is very complex and arrogant. Hull sings about how what he says doesn't help the problem or situation. The instrumentation is again, harsh, but it is more piano and guitar driven unlike Choose You. I like this song because of the chorus and that the lyrics are relatable. 

"The Ocean" Of course this would be my last track to review! With the lyric from the title of this post, The Ocean makes me like Cope more and more. This track has a great chorus, significant lyrics, and grandiose music to go with that. It's a track that requires very few listens to; you will be singing a long in no time. I like this song specifically because of it's harsh chorus. It's exactly what you need. Listen to it.

Overall, I give this album 4/5 stars. It well written album that has interesting layers in it after you are hit with the raucousness of it. The guitar and drums lead the way with the lyrics close behind. I would have liked to hear more versatility from this band, because in the past, they have experimented with syncopation and different sounds. Even though this album doesn't really go into that, it's a great rock album. The guys have done it again.

You can buy the album here:

AMAZON

BAND SITE

I hope you enjoyed reading my first review! Leave all comments/questions/concerns/rants down below! 

-Rachel

First!

Hey there,

This will be my music blog where I post band interviews, reviews, news, and anything related to music and culture! I am so stoked to start this, and it's going to be amazing sharing my crazy ideas with you!

So, I think that this will be stretching beyond just music and reaching into different types of creativity.  Branching out is good.

Let's get this started.

-Rachel