Category Archives: Music

Artist To Watch: Jackson Harris

It’s been quite an exciting year for singer Jackson Harris!  Since releasing his debut EP, “Sharks and Vampires” in Feburary, Jackson has opened for artists like Fifth Harmony and Before You Exit, and is currently on tour with Cody Simpson in Europe.  Growing up in NYC, Jackson always knew he wanted to be a musician.  He immersed himself in music, listening to everyone from James Taylor to his sister’s Backstreet Boys albums, and friends’ Fall Out Boy albums.   Fitting right in with today’s DIY pop music trend, Jackson taught himself to play guitar by watching videos of John Mayer on Youtube, and posting his own covers of artists like Taylor Swift and Imagine Dragons.  (de rigueur for pop stars these days!)

Jackson has a versatile sound, and you can hear the range of influences in his songs.  Watch the video for his single “Life Through a Lens” below!

European Tour Dates with Cody Simpson
July 4th – Bord Gais Energy Theatre – Dublin, Ireland
July 5th – Academy 2 – Manchester, England
July 6th – Library – Birmingham, England
July 8th – La Maroquinerie – Paris, France
July 11th – Bikini – Barcelona, Spain
July 12th – Shoko Live – Madrid, Spain
July 14th – Armazem F TMN Ao Vivo – Lisbon, Portugal

He’ll be back in New York for a show on August 12th with Mike Tompkins at the Studio at Webster Hall.   Tickets are on sale now! Pickup a copy of the “Sharks and Vampires” EP on iTunes or Amazon!

Be sure to follow Jackson Harris & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

5 Seconds Of Summer Release “Amnesia” Lyric Video

We’ve been dying for 5SOS to announce their next single and it’s finally here!!  “Amnesia” has been named the next song off the Australian pop punk band’s highly anticipated debut album and the guys already have a lyric video up! This single is about wishing they could wake up and forget that you broke up with them. (Who would leave doe-eyed Luke?! Not us.) The band still maintain their pop punk roots, they’re just exploring the softer side. Next time, maybe they could add some cute puppies to the video. Then again, that might be cute-overload.

Watch the official “Amnesia” lyric video below.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the 5 Seconds Of Summer album if it’s available in your country, or pre-order it before the July 22nd USA release date on iTunes now!  (You’ll get a few of the songs right now!)

Not sure if the album is available in your country? Check out the worldwide release dates HERE!

Don’t forget to follow 5 Seconds Of Summer and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest news!

Action Item Release “Great Mission: Life” EP!

New Jersey power pop band Action Item released their much anticipated EP titled “Great Mission: Life” on Tuesday and it’s a good one! While it only has four songs, the EP is the culmination of a whole lot of hard work, a lot of love, and of course determination.

The lead single from the EP, “We’ll Be Fine”, has received positive reviews and we can only imagine that their opening slot on The American Dream Tour with MKTO and Tiffany Houghton will only bring more fans to the Action Item family.

Check out the track listing for “Great Mission: Life” below.

1. Footprints
2. We’ll Be Fine
3. The Start Of Something
4. Outsiders

Listen to Action Item’s new single “We’ll Be Fine” below!

Be sure to pick up a copy of the EP on iTunes now!
Follow Action Item and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest updates.

Patent Pending Announce US & UK Tour Dates!

Long Island pop punk band Patent Pending announced “The American Meltdown Tour” this July and the “Brighter UK Tour” in October.

The guys released their brand new album, “Brighter”, last October and it’s full of unbridled energy, tongue in cheek songs about hipsters, and heartfelt serenades that will bring you through the darkest of days.  Patent Pending have been together since 2001 and they’re still going strong!  Patent Pending are taking their high energy show on the road around the US before hitting the UK in October.  What better way to end the US run than opening for MKTO on the NYC stop of The American Dream Tour!

Get your tickets to “The American Meltdown Tour” now!!

Patent Pending American Meltdown Summer 2014 Tour Dates
July 10th – Frankie’s Inner City – Toledo, OH – Buy Tickets
July 11th – Penny Road Pub – Barrington, IL – Buy Tickets
July 12th – The Firebird – St. Louis, MO – Buy Tickets
July 13th – Agora Ballroom – Cleveland, OH – Buy Tickets
July 18th – Radiant – Nutley, NJ – Buy Tickets
July 19th – The Middle East Upstairs – Cambridge, MA – Buy Tickets
Aug 1st – Planet Trog Entertainment Complex – Whitehall, PA – Buy Tickets
Aug 2nd – The Space – Hamden, CT – Buy Tickets
Aug 3rd – Revolution – Amityville, NY – Buy Tickets
Aug 7th – Irving Plaza – New York, NY – Buy Tickets   *w/MKTO

Check out the “Brighter UK Tour” dates below! VIP tickets have already sold out but there are a few more tickets left – get yours before it sells out completely!!

Patent Pending Brighter UK Fall 2014 Tour Dates
Oct 8th – Oxford Academy 2 – Oxford, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 9th – Southampton Joiners – Southampton, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 10th – Brighton Audio – Brighton, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 11th – Norwich Waterfront Studio – Norwich, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 13th – Sheffield O2 Academy 2 – Sheffield, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 14th – Glasgow King Tuts – Glasgow, UK – Buy Tickets
Oct 15th – Newcastle O2 Academy 2 – Newcastle, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 16th – Manchester Club Academy – Manchester, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 17th – Birmingham Library – Birmingham, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 18th – Nottingham Rock City Basement – Nottingham, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 19th – Bristol Thekla – Bristol, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 20th – Exeter Cavern – Exeter, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 21st – London O2 Academy Islington – Islington, GB – Buy Tickets
Oct 22nd – Leeds Cockpit 2 – Leeds, GB – Buy Tickets

Watch Patent Pending’s lyric video for the new single “The Whiskey, The Liar, The Thief” now!

Pick up a copy of Patent Pending’s new album “Brighter” on iTunes or Amazon now so you can sing along!

Don’t forget to follow Patent Pending and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest updates.

Heffron Drive Perform at the New Jersey State Fair

Our favorite summer activity is outdoor concerts, so we were extra thrilled when Heffron Drive announced they would be having a concert at the State Fair!   What better way to spend a summer night than riding a ferris wheel, having a major fat party (funnel cake and fried pickles anyone?), and seeing one of your favorite bands?   It really doesn’t get much better than that.

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Heffron Drive is made up of bandmates and best friends Kendall Schmidt and Dustin Belt, who formed the group back in 2008 before Kendall joined one of our favorite boy bands, Big Time Rush.  Not wanting to breakup the group, Kendall recruited Dustin to play guitar for BTR on tour while they worked on both projects.   Heffron Drive has a completely different sound, and we love seeing both boy band Kendall and guitar wielding Kendall.

Their set included more recent material like “Art of Moving On,” the funky “Feels So Good” and the rocking “One Track Mind,” as well as pre-Big Time Rush tracks like “Quiet Please.”

While we miss Big Time Rush, we love seeing how passionate Kendall is on stage.  But don’t worry, BTR isn’t over!  Kendall said during the show that Big Time Rush is very much still a band, and he misses them, too.

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Heffron Drive also performed solid covers of “Wake Me Up” and “Ain’t It Fun,” which Kendall said he wished he had written.  But our favorite moment was when Kendall asked if there were any *NSYNC fans in the house (us, obviously), as he intro’d his cover of Justin Timberlake’s “Not a Bad Thing,” which he said reminded him of a song *NSYNC would have written.  We couldn’t agree more!  Watch our video below.

Setlist: (not in order)
Art of Moving On
Wake Me Up (Avicii cover)
Better Get To Movin’
One Track Mind
Time Wasting
Ain’t It Fun (Paramore cover)
Feels So Good
Not A Bad Thing (Justin Timberlake cover)
Memories & Melodies
Quiet Please
Parallel

Visit our Tumblr & Youtube pages for more photos & videos from the show!

Heffron Drive have a couple of upcoming dates on the East Coast this summer, check them out if they’ll be near you!  Pickup a copy of their single “Parallel” on iTunes now so you can sing along!

Heffron Drive Summer 2014 Shows
July 4th – A Capitol Fourth – More Info
July 13th – KRZ Summer Mingle – Scranton, PA – Buy Tickets *includes meet & greet!

Be sure to follow Heffron Drive, Dustin Belt, Tolbooth Records & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

The Friday Five: Best DCOM Musical Moments

Tonight marks the premiere of yet another soon to be classic DCOM (that’s Disney Channel Original Movie), “Zapped!”  In the movie, Zendaya gets a new smartphone app that lets her control boys with the touch of a button.  It sounds amazing, and also reminds us of one of our favorite DCOMs of all time, “Stuck in the Suburbs,” where in a pre-iPhone/app world, stars Brenda Song and Danielle Panabaker accidentally end up with a pop star’s cell phone, and manage to run his entire life, eventually changing it for the better.  (And proving that fans know artists better than managers.)   It’s totally fine to cancel all your plans for tonight to watch “Zapped,” especially since it’s followed by the long-awaited premiere of “Girl Meets World!”    We’re hoping there will be at least one iconic musical sequence in the movie.  Here are our favorite DCOM songs and musical moments!

1. “Make a Wish” by Jordan Cahill – “Stuck in the Suburbs”
This is actually Taran Killam singing….Yes, Taran Killam from SNL.  Not enough people remember that he was in this fangirl fantasy movie!   Taran played Jordan Cahill, a spoiled popstar who kind of hated his life but didn’t know how to say “no” to his manager.   He did gather himself enough to spit out this witty quip in response to his manager telling him he was famous because of his perfectly highlighted hair – “Then dress it up, and make it sing your lousy songs!”

2.  “Strut” by Cheetah Girls – “Cheetah Girls 2”
Any movie that takes place in Europe is more than likely one of our favorites.   The Cheetah Girls get the chance of a lifetime to go to Spain and it involves a half baked plan, some gorgeous scenery (we’re not talking about the mansion here) and a happy ending for our Amigas Cheetahs!   We find ourselves singing this on our way to work in the mornings – it’s got the perfect beat to STRUT to!

3. “Zoom” by Microbe – “Zenon Girl of the 21st Century”
If you say you don’t know all the words to this song, then you’re either too old(or young) to remember this movie or you’re lying.  This movie is still a fashion disaster MAJOR!   But zetus lupetus, we wish Microbe (esp. Proto Zoa) was a real band because we would totally go to a space themed concert and wear neon spandex leggings under a ridiculous looking  mini skirt (holographic vest and all).

4. “Slam Dunk the Funk” by 5ive – “Smart House”
Cheesy outfits? Check.  House party hosted by a 14 year old boy? Check.   Choreographed dance moves in the cheesy outfits at a house party hosted by a 14 year old boy?  You got it!   “Smart House” was one of those movies where it was so bad it’s good (usually our favorite kind of movies).   Ryan Merriman (AKA that creep Ian Thomas  on PLL) is the genius behind the “let’s put on some tunes and do choreographed dance moves” scene here.  Thank god time was good to him.  Do yourself a favor, after you watch this clip…go Google “Ryan Merriman” and thank us later.

5. “Bet on It” by Zac Efron – “High School Musical 2”
I don’t know if we need to even say anything about this clip.  It’s been parodied so many times that it keeps getting funnier as time goes on.  Zac Efron totally nailed this song and performance.  The running, the skipping, the twirling while skip-running…there’s a reason this clip made our Friday Five list! Also, if you’ve have never reenacted the Bet On It scene….you’re lying.

PSA:  You can find most of these classic films on Youtube, or check your TV listings and get your DVR ready because Disney Channel airs old DCOMs in the middle of the night!   (And High School Musical 2 and Cheetah Girls 2 are on Netflix).

Shawn Mendes Drops First Single “Life Of The Party”

Youtube sensation Shawn Mendes, who was just signed to Island Records, released his first single “Life Of The Party!”  Shawn snagged a coveted opening spot for Austin Mahone and The Vamps on tour this summer.  He’s known for his unique covers of artists like Justin Bieber and Lana del Ray, which he posts to his Youtube channel as well as his Vine account.  “Life Of The Party” is Shawn’s first original song to be released, after teasing fans with (what else) Vine and Instagram videos in recent weeks.

Watch the official lyric video below and download it now on iTunes so you can sing along on tour!

Check out all of Shawn’s upcoming dates on the Austin Mahone tour here!

Be sure to follow Shawn Mendes and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates.

Artist to Watch: Tiffany Houghton

We love the pop-country sound of rising singer-songwriter Tiffany Houghton, who was just added to MKTO’s American Dream Tour lineup!  Tiffany has that fresh “early Taylor Swift” sound that we’ve been searching for.  Armed with an acoustic guitar and girl-next-door charm, Tiffany’s catchy, well-crafted songs will have you singing along before the first chorus.  Tiffany moved to Nashville at the age of 17, and has spent time songwriting and honing her craft.  We’re sure you’ll be hearing a lot more from this girl in the future!

Watch the video for her new single, “17 Again,” below, which was inspired by one of our favorite movies,”Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

Tiffany teamed up with ConcertBlogger.com for a performance of “Band Boy,” which she wrote about her weakness for boys in bands after getting home from a concert one night.  This song is pretty much every fangirl’s anthem.  We especially love the line “fangirls love band boys and band boys love fan girls!”

Be sure to follow Tiffany Houghton & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

“Girl Meets World” Star Sabrina Carpenter to Perform on FOX & Friends All American Summer Concert Series

Sabrina Carpenter, one of the stars of Disney Channel’s new show “Girl Meets World” is set to perform on FOX& Friends “All-American Summer Concert Series” this Friday, June 27th!  She will be singing her hit songs “Can’t Blame A Girl For Trying” and “Catch My Breath” as well as talking about her summer tour and debut album.  We can’t wait to see Sabrina on “Girl Meets World” this summer!!   She’s playing Riley’s (Cory and Topanga’s daughter) BFF, Maya.  Will Maya be the Shawn to her Cory?    Find out when the series premieres on Disney Channel June 27th at 9:45pm!

Be sure to tune in to FOX & Friends on Friday morning,  or if you’re in NYC, head over to the FOX News Channel Plaza before 6am to get a great spot in the crowd!

Follow FOX&Friends, Sabrina Carpenter, and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates!

Action Item Release “We’ll Be Fine”

New Jersey pop rock band Action Item released a brand new single today and yes, we are hooked on it already!  The upbeat track has an American Authors/Imagine Dragons feel to it.  We will definitely be adding “We’ll Be Fine” to our summer playlist and blasting it poolside this summer!

Listen to “We’ll Be Fine” on Soundcloud now and pickup a copy on iTunes!

You can catch Action Item on tour with MKTO and Tiffany Houghton on the American Dream Tour which kicks off on Friday!

Follow Action Item & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on your favorite artists.