tacky.

here are some things that bands do onstage that are tacky:

*maybe you're thinking that it's really cocky of me to assume that i know what's tacky and what's not but you know what? i have gone to a lot of concerts, so i'm pretty much a professional.

1. name dropping while pretending like it's nothing. hey up-and-coming band, that's really great that you got to work with stephen christian of anberlin but you don't need to try and impress us with that knowledge. or if you REALLY feel like you have to let us know he was a part of it, say it with a sense of awe and not like it's not a big deal.
2. saying how much it cost to make your album. yes it cost a lot of money, yes people don't pay for music anymore, yes i know it's how you make your living. most people have to invest something into their careers; painters buy brushes, canvases, and paint. cosmetologists buy ridiculously expensive scissors. teachers buy supplies/decorations for their classrooms. truckers buy their own trucks (sometimes). instead of trying to make me feel like i should buy it because you put a lot of money into it, put on an incredible show and make me want to buy it, i probably will. 
3. telling me how hard road life is. having hosted a few bands in my home i have seen first-hand that road life isn't glamorous. most band members miss their loved ones, are sleeping on uncomfortable pull-out beds, and haven't had a shower in a few days. but when you're onstage and i'm in the audience and you complain about how hard your life is, i kinda wanna kick you in the shin because i would give up diet coke (and that's saying something) to hit the road and live in that world. 
4. wearing your own merch. i get it, you wear the shirt, 15 year old in the crowd that wants to be just like you sees you wearing the shirt, they buy said shirt. it makes sense. i just don't like it. how about we get a little cross-promotion going on here and you wear another band's shirt? 
5. giving up. i'm sorry that only a few people made it to the show and the ones that did are giving you nothing back but you throwing in the towel makes me think you are more about the fame than you are the music. at least use this time as a glorified dress-rehearsal, try a new song out on us, sing an old song that you haven't sung in awhile, make the show more personal and intimate. if you are 'there' in that moment, i promise we won't care if you forget the lyrics to the old song or have to start the new song over because you forgot the chord progression...it will probably end up being the highlight of our night. 

if you're in a band and reading this and are a little offended just know, i only say these things because i love you. 

xo 

confidence killer.

one of my least favorite things in the world is to hear/see myself.
not because i don't think i'm great (honestly, i think i'm pretty alright, i would be my friend if i weren't me) but because i always look and sound different than i think i do. the saying of being your own harshest critic is true. it's weird, you perceive yourself one way and then you hear your voice on your voicemail because you had to call your phone from a friend's phone because you lost yours and all you can think is "DO I REALLY SOUND LIKE THAT?"
yes. yes you do. 
or you see yourself on a vine video that you didn't know your friend was taking and the only thought passing through your head the moment you see it is "DOES MY HAIR ALWAYS LOOK LIKE THAT?"
yes. yes it does.
i say all of this because i'm currently in the middle of working on an aircheck tape (radio jargon for a file containing segments from when you're on air, like an audible resume) and it's TORTURE.
to make the tape consists of me sitting and listening to past shows that i've recorded trying to find the parts where i sound the best/most witty/like a real dj. best ones make the cut. 
it's one giant ego check listening to yourself not be funny or eloquent. i wince over every talk-tick, every too-loud laugh, and every segment that clearly flopped. it is physically painful to hear myself screw up someone's name or the name of a song. i HATE it when i can hear myself breathing (it's one of the main reasons why i don't run)!
there will be one shining moment of "hey, that sounded pretty decent!" and those gems you hold onto so you can suffer through the cough into the mic and the part where you are pretty sure you were unintentionally doing an impression of the teacher in the charlie brown cartoons.
so why put myself through such a confidence killer? because it makes me better. because radio is really about getting music to people and becoming a better dj will enhance that experience.
as terrible as sitting and listening to myself for hours is at least i don't have to watch myself as well.

xo

#LITO

if you've followed my blog since the beginning (probably no one) or if you've gone back and read older posts (still probably no one) you might remember some of the stories...
remember how a couple of years ago i met a guy named jonathan thulin when i was judging a battle of the bands? you know, he was in a band and doing his own side project and then asked if i would be in his music video (where i ended up looking like a fool)?
remember how crown radio hosted a battle of the bands? remember how jonathan was there as a judge? and then at that battle he met the boys of harps & liars? maybe you'll remember that they won the battle and then met up with jonathan at his studio to talk music?
so you remember all of that, right?
well what i DIDN'T tell you was that while the harps & liars boys were at jonathan's studio they recorded some gang vocals for jonathan's band's (press play) upcoming album!
guess what? (sick of the questions yet?)
it has been released!
the song is called #LITO- love in the open.
the album, by the same name, is releasing in october of this year. they're asking for your help, they need you to upload pictures of yourself with what love means to you for their cover art and music video!
so if you've got a spare moment and a smart phone or camera or laptop with picture taking abilities do them a solid and send them a pic. who knows...maybe it will be your 15 minutes of fame!
if you've got a second spare moment, check out the song:
http://www.thisispressplay.com/
it's upbeat and dance-y! make sure you listen for the gang vocals of the harps & liars boys in the background!

xo

my babies are here....

...and they're beautiful.

thanks Ari for being my girl model

thanks JD for being my boy model

fingers crossed they'll let me get close enough to jon foreman to give him one!

xo

because i haven't talked about jon foreman enough lately.

it's summer y'all (well almost) and summer means tank tops!
my apparel line, heartsbeatlove, is putting out a small line of tank tops in just a couple of weeks. baller.
wanna know the fun part?
the tanks feature quotes by the one and only, jon foreman! (insert lovey-dovey eyes and stupid grin here)
almost two years ago i got in touch with mr. foreman, through switchfoot's merch guy- no lie, and got permission to use his quotes as long as a portion of the proceeds from sales went to stand up for kids, a non-profit helping end youth homelessness.
game frickin' on.
but then life got crazy and i got lazy and the game was put on hold.
but here we are, 22 months later, and my second round of babies are about to be born. ish, can you imagine legitimately being pregnant for 22 months?!
anyway, i can't wait to "meet" them!
i can't wait to try to get close enough to jon at bro-am to give him one.
i can't wait to share them with everyone.

if you want to see them when they arrive feel free to 'like' the heartsbeatlove Facebook page. you'll be able to see them there...and if you feel compelled to buy one you'll know when they're available and how to order one.

xo

unfamiliar territory.

the building was familiar.
some of the faces were familiar.
even my outfit was comfy and familiar.

i finally got to see paper route.

sounds like this was probably the most boring show ever, eh?  here's the kicker though, there were so many unfamiliar things and that made the whole experience so different. and so wonderful.

first unfamiliar: i wasn't expected to do anything. i wasn't working the show or associated with it in any way so i just went and got to soak up all the goodness without having to worry about having enough change at the merch table or having enough food in the green room or make sure all the bands have the correct equipment to do their job.
second unfamiliar: the building was a familiar one but it had been revamped since i had been there last...a higher stage, an extended bar, a different box office, a security guard patting everyone down outside the club making sure no one brought in contraband. it was weird.
third unfamiliar: in case you missed that one key sentence; I GOT TO SEE PAPER ROUTE. i have never seen them before...what? i tried to see them in nashville over a year ago but for whatever reason they didn't play and i was heartbroken. then they went out on tour with switchfoot and it wasn't coming to my city and i was, again, heartbroken. i seriously contemplated driving multiple states away to see it. then they went out with anberlin and that tour wasn't coming to minneapolis. you can practically hear my heart breaking at this point. but wait! they added more tour dates as the first leg of the tour de vital wrapped up and good ol' mpls was on the list for the second leg!
seeing a band live for the first time always makes me a little apprehensive, especially if i really enjoy their album. what if they suck live? what if they aren't captivating? what if i can't get over the fact that the lead singer is wearing a  hideous tie-dyed t-shirt? so many what-ifs!
there was no need for worry, the paper route boys were phenomenal. gavin mcdonald (drummer) was so into it he was standing behind his kit half of the time instead of sitting. chad howart (keys, bgv) did his thing and killed it on the hyper auto-tuned parts. jt daly (lead vocals) could best be described as "mad-scientist" on stage. he had such a unique presence, he kind of walked/pranced/danced all over the stage and then would hover over the synth creating otherworldly sounds and then would climb behind a spare trapset and play drums for a bit. maybe it was the bow tie that really gave him the scientist vibe but whatever it was, i enjoyed it. a lot. the entire 40 minute experience felt like you were watching something a little bit magical.
to avoid ruining the evening by letting my mouth take over i made sure to grab my merch when the PR boys weren't at the table. they escaped the evening unscathed.

xo

covers.

imagine you're in a dingy bar watching a band you don't know and have never seen before. you're there because your roommate thinks the bassist is cute and you're a good friend. you're a wee bit bored because, while the band is good, it's always harder to get into a show when you know zero songs that are being sung.
then it happens. the band strikes a chord and instantly you know the song and are completely engaged, it's time for a cover song. immediately you become simon cowell and mentally pick apart the cover compared to the original (and by "mentally" i mean you share every thought with your friend that drug you there in the first place.)

covers are tricky. the general feelings toward covers:

i want the band to keep the same melody so i can sing along but they have to change it up a bit so they don't sound like they're doing bad karaoke and let's be honest they are never going to live up to the original but if they can change it without changing it, really make it their own but keep the heart of the song...well i guess it will be okay then. if it bombs somewhere it's gonna be the vocals, the lead singer of the bar band just never quite measures up (at least in my humble opinion) to the lead singer of the band that won a grammy and a people's choice award for that same song but he's pretty good. at least the band got that one run almost perfect.

despite all of this, i love cover songs. i like hearing new renditions of old favorites, i like the new twists and musical surprises, and sometimes they are just great because they really highlight the talent of the band that put the song out in the first place. there are a lot, we're talking upwards of 30 here, of covers that i love (and watch/listen to regularly with the help of youtube) but i thought i would post just a few that require at least two listens through every time.

matthew mayfield, "fix you" by coldplay
the rocket summer, "blackbird" by the beatles
anthem lights, "we are never getting back together" by taylor swift

xo