All posts by secretfangirls

AJR, Austin Mahone, Cody Simpson, Midnight Red, Music, Show Review

106.1 BLI Summer Jam Takes Over Jones Beach!

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June 1st marked the official start of our summer concert season with 106.1 BLI’s Summer Jam held at the Nikon Jones Beach Theater! The nearly 7 hour music festival featured a range of artists from Jason Derulo to Karmin, and  Fifth Harmony to Cash Cash. We were most excited to see secretfangirls.com favorites Austin Mahone, Cody Simpson, Midnight Red, and AJR! We also discovered a new favorite artist to watch, New Hollow.

midnight red summer jamMidnight Red
America’s boy band Midnight Red kicked off the festival with their cover of Rihanna’s “Diamonds” and heated up the stage with their hits “Hell Yeah” and “Take Me Home,” complete with choreographed dance moves.  (We highly approve!).  Behind the guys were giant inflatable caricatures of each member.

New Hollow
New Hollow won us over instantly with their rocking cover of David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” – no easy task. Their original tracks like “She Ain’t You” have a 90s grunge sound and since we love anything and everything 90s around here, we may have found our new favorite band. They were the only artist on the lineup that we weren’t familiar with before the show and we’re so glad we caught their set!

ajr_summerjam
AJR
NYC-based indie pop band AJR played their biggest show to date to the crowd of nearly 15,000. We weren’t sure how their music would translate in a stadium setting, but they looked and sounded amazing as always. We love how unique AJR’s sound is – out of the 13 acts that performed, they had by far the most distinctive and original sound.  We’re sure they gained a lot of fans – the whole venue was clapping along to “I’m Ready!” We also love how they still set up their own equipment.  And did anyone catch the “I’m Ready” banner flying around the stadium?  They’re total rock stars now!

codysimpson_summerjam
Cody Simpson
We’ve been fans of Cody Simpson since we saw him opening for Big Time Rush at Jones Beach on their summer tour. His laid back Australian surfer vibe and sound are perfect for the venue (which if you haven’t been to, is surrounded by water on 3 sides). While we were expecting him to dance more, especially following his stint on “Dancing With The Stars,” we were pleasantly surprised to see his guitar playing skills showcased instead as he played both acoustic and electric during his set, which included his new single, “Surfboard“.   The crowd went wild for Cody and we’re hoping he’ll be back on another headlining tour soon! He’s heading off to Europe this week for his Acoustic Sessions tour.

austinmahone_summerjam
Austin Mahone
Of course the highlight of the evening was Austin MAHONE, who kicked off his set with a Banga Banga!  We’re still fangirling over the fact that he played “Secrets” (our theme song) and “Next To You” from his new EP, “The Secret”.  From Austin’s crisp boy band dance moves to his flawless vocals, it’s safe to say everyone at Jones Beach last night became a Mahomie!  Austin also showed he’s multi-talented, breaking out the acoustic guitar for “Shadow.”  He kept teasing the crowd with “one more song!” which thankfully turned into 4 more songs, including “MMM Yeah” and “What About Love.”    We’re even more excited for his summer tour with The Vamps, because we just didn’t get enough Austin last night!

BLI says they’re hoping to bring Summer Jam back in 2015, to which we say “YES PLEASE!!” Except, can we maybe have it on a Saturday next year?

Be sure to follow 106.1 BLI, New Hollow, AJR, Austin Mahone, Midnight Red, Cody Simpson, and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

Big Time Rush, Boys We Like, TV shows

Nickelodeon’s WebHeads With Carlos PenaVega Premieres Tonight!

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Hosted by Big Time Rush member, Carlos PenaVega, Webheads is a new kind of gameshow that tests your knowledge of Internet trivia and viral videos!

We always thought Logan would be the game show host (Breakout Dreams anyone?) but we’re glad that now Carlos is will be appearing on our TVs every week!  An adorable ball of energy, Carlos is perfect for a game show host!  We caught him hosting an Apple in-store event last summer for GoDance, and he seemed just as home as he does on stage.

Carlos also revealed to Ryan Seacrest today that Big Time Rush is meeting in a few weeks to possibly plan a fall tour … needless to say we need to make this happen!  The band has been spending this year working on their own projects:  Kendall Schmidt released a single, “Parallel,” and  is touring with band Heffron Drive; James Maslow won hearts across America as a contestant on “Dancing With the Stars,”  and Logan Henderson has…wait has anyone heard from Logan?!

Watch the show preview below and don’t forget to tune in tonight at 6PM on Nickelodeon!  Carlos will be live-tweeting the premieres on both the East & West Coasts, so get your questions ready!  Follow Carlos on Twitter to join in!

Be sure to follow Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on your favorite stars!

Boys We Like, Music

Hot Chelle Rae “Don’t Say Goodnight” Video

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In case you missed it, Hot Chelle Rae released the official video for their single “Don’t Say Goodnight” and it’s everything we expected from the Nashville rockers!

The video follows the band as they try and play in as many places as they can, as long as they can before they get chased away by police or store store owners.  Nash, RK, and Jamie hit a number of different locations with a group of friends before watching the sun rise over LA.

Watch the video below!

You can catch Hot Chelle Rae on the Run Around Tour this summer with Bridgit Mendler, Zendaya, and Before You Exit. Click here for the full line and ticket info!

Grab a copy of the new single on iTunes or Amazon now.

Be sure to follow Hot Chelle Rae and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest updates on your favorite artists!

Big Time Rush, Boy Bands, Friday Five, Midnight Red, Music

The Friday Five: Legit Modern Day Boy Bands

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As we’ve written before, there seems to be a lot of confusion in the media as to who is a boy band and who’s not.  We prefer to use boy band in the original sense of the word, like the originals New Edition and New Kids on the Block. You can even consult the dictionary: a boy band is a group of young men who sing in harmonies and DANCE!   Here are some of our favorites!

1. Big Time Rush – “Boyfriend”
Big Time Rush doesn’t get enough credit for bringing boy bands back into fashion. Before their show premiered in2009 we had all been living in a sad boy band less world for years. True BSB have been going strong for over 20 years, but we hadn’t seen any NEW boy bands since the golden era in the early 2000s, when a new band seemed to emerge every week.   BTR has the moves, looks and harmonies of a classic boy band. Now that they are in the “I’m just going into space / I’m just going to record this solo project, probably no one will hear it” phase of their band, we are hoping that they reunite for at least one more tour.  They keep saying it ain’t over!  We love their mashup of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend,” with their song of the same name.  Complete with a hat dance!

2. Titanium – “Unarmed”
AKA New Zealand’s first boy band!  The deprived nation held a rigorous competition, which included a boy band boot camp, to find the 6 members of the band.  They’ve even written songs with BTR members Kendall Schmidt and Logan Henderson. There were rumors of a joint Big Time Rush & Titanium tour  for a while, and we’d just like to put in a formal request to make that happen.

3. Midnight Red – “Hell Yeah”
They call themselves America’s boy band, and with good reason.   They have harmonies that melt you, and have done solid covers like “Diamonds” by Rihanna and even NKOTB’s “Step by Step!”  They got the ultimate boy band seal of approval when NKOTBSB recruited them to open for their tour, making Midnight Red officially a part of the boy band posse.   And we’re sure they wouldn’t back down to a dance off with BSB! (Can we have this? Thanks!)

4. Phase V – “Not a Bad Thing”
One of the newest boy bands on the block, is the self described Urban-Pop boy band. They’ve posted covers of “Not a Band Thing” by Justin Timberlake, which we’ve always said was meant for a 5 part harmony, and “Drop It” by Trevor Jackson.  We hear they’re working on an *NSYNC cover as we speak and we can’t wait!   We love that these guys dance and stay true to the boy band genre and are looking forward to hearing more from them!

5. To Be One – “Please Don’t Go Girl”
The Jordan Knight approved boy band sampled NKOTB’s hit “Please Don’t Go Girl” in their original song of the same name.   Jordan said it best when he told MTV “finally a boy band that dances!  And the hook is darn good too!”

Music, On Tour

Demi Lovato Announces Fall 2014 World Tour Dates with MKTO!

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After wrapping up her successful “Neon Lights” tour across North & South America, Demi Lovato just announced she will be going on a world tour this fall!  She’s bringing along MKTO and Christina Perri as opening acts.

This isn’t the first time Demi Lovato and MKTO singer Tony Oller have worked together! Remember their Disney debut, on the short series “As the Bell Rings?”  (We still prefer the French version of this show, “Trop La Classe”)  Who knows?  Maybe they’ll reprise their duet, “Shadow.”

Tickets go on sale June 6th.  Visit DemiLovato.com for all the details, including VIP packages!

Demi Lovato Fall 2014 North American World Tour Dates
Sept. 6 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Arena** – Buy Tickets
Sept. 7 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center** – Buy Tickets
Sept. 9 – Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center** – Buy Tickets
Sept. 12 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena* – Buy Tickets
Sept. 14 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena** – Buy Tickets
Sept. 15 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center** – Buy Tickets
Sept. 17 – New Orleans, LA – Lakefront Arena* – Buy Tickets
Sept. 19 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center* – Buy Tickets
Sept. 21 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center* – Buy Tickets
Sept. 23 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center** – Buy Tickets
Sept. 25 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center** – Buy Tickets
Sept. 28 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 2 – Seattle, WA – Comcast Arena** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 4 – Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 5 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 7 – Saskatoon, SK – Credit Union Center** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 11 – Moline, IL – iWireless Center** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 14 – Chicago, IL – United Center** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 15 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 17 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 19 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre†** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 20 – Hamilton, ON – FirstOntario Centre** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 22 – Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 24 – Hershey, PA – GIANT Center** – Buy Tickets
Oct. 25 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center** – Buy Tickets

** – Date with Christina Perri and MKTO
* – Date with MKTO only

Be sure to follow Demi Lovato, MKTO & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates! 

90s, Austin Mahone, Boy Bands, Music, On Tour

Austin Mahone “The Secret” EP Is Out Now!

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When we first heard Austin Mahone’s “Say Something” and
“Say You’re Just A Friend”, we instantly loved his classic pop sound (We’ve never been happier that we actually clicked on an Amazon music suggestion.)  But it was his hit single from last summer, “What About Love,” with its 90s sound and the video’s sweet choreography, that earned him the nickname “the one man boy band.”

Austin Mahone succeeds where others have yet to venture – filling the 90s boy band void in our hearts! (We’re talking real, dancing boy bands)!  His debut EP, “The Secret,” out this week, draws inspiration from and gives more than a few nods to 90s boy bands like *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.  Songs like “Secret”, “Next To You”, and “Til I Find You” all have those classic throwback elements from the blaring bass in the chorus to the breakdowns that are just begging for a slow lean and pop, *NSYNC style.  If you have Backstreet Boys’ “The Call” stuck in your head after hearing Austin’s EP, we did too.  The (kind of) title track, “Secret” shows off the flashy bass line and synths that sound like an early Backstreet/*NSYNC track that never made the album cut – like that weird *NSYNC song that only got released in Germany.

Austin’s slow jams whole-heartedly channel the likes of 98 Degrees and O-Town (who are reuniting by the way).  While every album needs a good love song,  some of these might fall short of a 98 Degrees  “Because Of You”.  Those are big shoes to fill but Mahone took a chance and reached for it, and we have to give him major brownie points for trying!

Watch Austin Mahone perform “Shadow” live on the Today Show!

Grab your copy of Austin Mahone’s “The Secret” on iTunes or Amazon now!  Be sure to catch Ausin Mahone this summer on tour with The Vamps!  Get all the details here!

Follow Austin Mahone and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest updates on your favorite artists!

Music, On Tour

FOX & Friends All American Concert Series Presents The Charlie Daniels Band

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Don’t forget to tune into FOX & Friends this Friday morning at 8AM for a special performance by The Charlie Daniels Band during the All American Concert Series!

The Grammy Award winner will be playing old favorites like “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” as well as new songs from his latest album, “Off The Grid”.

If you’re in NYC, make sure you’re there for some BBQ from Famous Dave’s during the concert!

Click here for more info on the All American Concert Series.
Follow The Charlie Daniels Band and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest updates!

“The Devil Went Down To Georgia” is a classic (celebrating 35 years!) that can really showcase just how talented a fiddle player is!

Watch one of our favorites, Natalie Stovall & The Drive cover ‘The Devil Went Down To Georgia”

 

 

AJR, Austin Mahone, Dan+Shay, Friday Five, Hunter Hayes, The Vamps

The Friday Five: Memorial Day Playlist

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Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  We’re sure many of you (including us) are traveling for the long weekend, so here is our playlist of the songs we plan to drive around blasting to celebrate the official start of summer.

1.  Austin Mahone – “Next To You”
Austin just released this track from his debut album “The Secret,” out next week!  And we’ve been listening to it nonstop. (Literally like 10 times in a row).   He’s said that his album was influenced by the boy bands of the 90s, and it’s evident in this track.  We can’t wait to see what moves Austin the one-man boy band has planned for this one!

2. Dan + Shay – “Sway”
We heard this unreleased track at the Dan + Shay + You acoustic session, and found ourselves instantly swaying and singing along.   Dan and Shay said this song, which they played here for the first time ever, would likely be on their next album.  Lucky for you (and us) we caught it on video!

3.  The Vamps – “Somebody To You”
As soon as we heard this song, we had a feeling it would be The Vamps’ next single.  And we were right!  What we weren’t expecting is for Demi Lovato to be featured on the track.  They’ve teamed up for what’s sure to be a mega-hit for the British band.  Hopefully all the radio play this song is getting will lead to the long awaited US release date for The Vamps album!

4. Hunter Hayes – “Tattoo”
We cannot say enough good things about Hunter Hayes.  Not only is he extremely talented (he can play over 30 instruments) he’s also kind and humble.  We love this track off of his new album, “Storyline,” which is likely to be the second single off the album.  This song will stick with you,  even the first time you hear it…just like a tattoo!

5. AJR – “After Hours”
Their first single “I’m Ready,” is on track to be a big hit this summer, but we love all of AJR’s songs, especially this track off of their “I’m Ready EP.”  It’s fun, catchy, and has a horn section.  We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: AJR’s unique sound just makes us excited about music.  We can’t wait for their debut album due out later this summer!

 

Interviews, Music

SecretFangirls.com Interview With Born Cages!

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One of our favorite local NYC bands to burst onto the scene in recent months, Born Cages, are gearing up to release a debut full length with Razor&Tie/Washington Square Music later this year.  Since October, we’ve been lucky enough to watch their audiences grow from about 15 people to close to 200 people! Comprised of lead singer/guitarist Vlad Holiday, keyboardist Amanda Carl, bassist Pete Malleo, and drummer Dave Tantao, Born Cages capture pure energy and emotion on “The Sidelines EP” with some pretty insane guitar solos and infectious melodies. 

In anticipation of the band’s new album, rumored to be out this fall (fingers crossed), Holiday graciously took the time to answer some of our burning questions! 

SecretFangirls.com: There are rumors of a fall release for a Born Cages full length album. Is there any truth to them?
Vlad Holiday: We’re working our way to the album. We’re gonna be doing some more touring before we release it, but we’re definitely hoping to have it out this year.

 

SF: Is there a song on the album or that you’ve written that you are itching to release?
VH: There’s a couple that come to mind. Actually I haven’t told anyone this yet, but we’re going to release a new track from the album very soon, so keep an ear out for that! It’s definitely one that I’ve been itching to put out.
 

SF: What song means the most to you that you’ve written?  Will it make it on the album?
VH: That’s tough to say…but I wrote a song about a fan that was going through some very dark times. It ended up being one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written, and will definitely be on the album. A couple months ago we toured in his area and sang the song live for him for the first time – it was kind of a surreal feeling.
 
SF: Is there a specific inspiration or vibe that has to be present to write?
VH: There definitely needs to be inspiration. I can try to edit a song or part at almost any time, but I can’t force myself to write a song from nothing when I’m not inspired.
 
SF: Do you guys have any pre show rituals?
VH: I like to warm up my voice before every show. Actually it suffers a bit when I don’t. I sing along backstage to this weird playlist I have on my iPhone, and typically all the other bands stare at me like I’m doing voodoo.

 

SF: What would be your “must-haves” on a tour rider?
VH: Wifi and alcohol are nice.
 
SF: What is your favorite song to perform live?
VH: I love playing the songs people know. We’ve been fortunate enough to start having people singing along every now and then, and one of the biggest validation for creating a song or performing a song is for the audience to relate and to join in on the experience.
 
SF: Who would be on your dream tour lineup?  
VH: Let’s say The Vaccines, Metric, Haerts, and us. I’m gonna leave the obvious arena bands off this list.
 
SF: What musician would you totally “fan girl” over if you met?
VH: I totally didn’t fan girl when I met Metric’s drummer Joules and told him that my band covered his. So, I wouldn’t know… Oh, and I’ve always said I need to shake Paul McCartney’s hand before I die. Scr3w the h8ers
 
SF: What was the first concert you went to?
VH: Queens Of The Stone Age when Songs For The Deaf came out.
 
SF: Who are your biggest musical influences?
VH: That’s classified information, lady. Well the truth is, my biggest musical inspirations come from different corners for different reasons. I love blues guitar music, but not in love with some of the songwriting or vocals in that field. I love ambient and moody songs like Lykke Li’s for example, but when I’m in a certain mood I’ll need some M.I.A. to pretend to dance to. I love U2 for their lyrics and grandeur but sometimes I need something that rocks a bit harder. I love The Beatles, but… well they’re just all around great. I’ve got too many musical influences to even narrow it down to a list of 10 without it feeling like it’s taken out of context. The best way to know who inspires someone to write is to listen to what they write.

Watch the video for Born Cages’ latest single, “Don’t Look Back” now!

You can catch Born Cages live on tour this June!
June 7th – MilkBoy – Philadelphia, PA  – Buy Tickets
June 8th – Marlin Room at Webster Hall – New York, NY – Buy Tickets
June 9th – Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 – New York, NY – Suggested donation $5 (or a sweet high five!)
June 30th – Pianos – New York, NY – Buy Tickets
July 3rd – Glasslands – Brooklyn, NY – Buy Tickets

Pick up a copy of “The Sidelines EP” on iTunes or Amazon so you can sing along at the show!

Be sure to follow Born Cages and SecretFangirls.com on Twitter for the latest on all of your favorite artists!

Header Photo:  Nicole Mago

Boy Bands, Boys We Like, Midnight Red, Music, On Tour

Midnight Red To Perform on Good Morning America June 5th!

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America’s boy band, Midnight Red, announced they will be performing on Good Morning America June 5th!  If you’re in the NYC area, make sure you stop by Times Square to show your support!   The performances usually air in the 8-9am hour of GMA.

**Update:  Midnight Red says make sure you are there by 7:15AM if you want some camera time!  The performance will tape tomorrow and air on June 9th.  Watch their performance here!

We love Midnight Red for continuing the 90s boy band movement, with their choreographed dance moves and 5 part harmonies.   They even opened for NKOTBSB – now that’s some serious boy band street cred.  Their self titled EP is available on iTunes now!  They just wrapped up a tour with The Wanted, and have a few upcoming shows in the US.  Check out the dates below!

Midnight Red Summer 2014 Tour Dates
June 1st – 106.1 BLI Summer Jam – Nikon Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY – Buy Tickets
June 5th – Good Morning America – New York, NY
June 7th – DigiFest – Citi Field – Flushing, NY – More Info
June 14th – DigiFest – Echo Beach – Toronto, Canada – More Info
August 14th – Illinois State Fair – Springfield, IL

Be sure to follow Midnight Red & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!