24 hours in NYC

I went to NYC.  I took photographs. 

Canon Snappy Q 35mm

Shot a test roll on this old analog camera. This is what came out. 

Fuck LA, Fuck New York, I love Salt Lake City.

So the wife and I are having a baby Friday and as we were walking through Target getting the baby stroller and some other necessities I noticed that my Instagram started blowing up with followers. I looked at my wife and said "What the hell is going on? I have gained 20 followers in like two hours, this is crazy, what the hell?!" She then said "Yeah don't get used to but, you'll have 85 people unfollow you sooner then later!" She was joking but not really since that happens a lot.

So as we were walking out too our car I looked down and saw that my buddy Zac (@zacharyleroy) DMed me and told me that I was on KSL.com. I just looked at this as wrote back : What are you talking about? He sent me a link that connected me to this page that talked about 16 Unknown Utah-Based Artist you should follow on Instagram.  At this time the wife and I were putting things in the car and driving too WinCo to get more groceries for the next week since we are going to be home bound for a few days/weeks.  I opened it and started to scroll down the page and there at 11 i stopped.  There I was on a local NEWS article talking about 16 of the best unknown artist in Utah and I am one of them. I looked over to my wife and just said "Sooo, I'm on KSL as a unknown artist for photography in Utah. No bullshit, it's right here."

Happy Wednesday!

-Nicholas

This....

Not all domestic abuse is by a man..

Watch

Music = LIfe...

I love music.

In my iTunes library is have a little over 55 gigs (20 hours) of music and that just scratches the surface of a long life of an obsession. 

I have been asking everyone I know what there first memory of music was. What there first favorite song they can remember and this throws people off because either they cant remember or they are to embarrassed to say, which is absurd since we were all children at one point and have liked things that have been deemed "Lame" or "Stupid".  Music to me, since my mother and father liked such different music, I have never remembered a time in my life when I don't remember music being either played in the house all the time.  I have asked almost 50+ people and always have gotten answers like "The Beatles" or "Zeppelin".

I had a conversation a few days ago that went something like this..

Me: Hey, Sal, can I ask you something?

Sal: I guess.

Me: Can you remember the first song you ever heard?

Sal: I cant think of the very first song I heard.

Me: Can you remember the first song you loved?

Sal: Ummm..... I would have to say..  Fear of the Dark by Iron Maiden 

Me: What did you like about it? What stuck out to you?

Sal: My dad played bass and that song you can hear the bass and he loved that band.

Me: Are you afraid of the dark Sal?

Sal: Shut up..

I love talking about music with people, especially people I don't know.

Standing in lines I mostly always try and talk to someone around me to be nice or if they are buying something I have tried I will tell them how I liked the product.

Me: Hey, Mnt Dew, huh, good call.

Stranger: Thanks.

(The Thunder Rolls by Garth Brooks starts playing on overhead)

Me: I love this song, don't you?

Stranger: You like country music?

Me: Yeah, I can enjoy it, Garth Brooks is amazing.

Stranger: You don't look like you would like it.

Me: Well you know what my mom always says "Don't Judge a book by its cover.

Stranger: So, you like country, do you like other music as well?

Me: I like everything.

Stranger: Classical?

Me: Yes.

Stranger: What is your favorite song?

Me: Adagio for Strings.

Stranbger: I dont know that song.

Me: Have you seen Platoon with Charlie Sheen?

Stranger: Yes, I love that movie.. The soundtrack to that movie makes everything seam really sad..

Me: That is the classical piece that is played though out the film.

Stranger: I will go home and see if you are lying to me and Ill let you know.

Me: Haha, ok man... Have a good day..

Everything about my life has revolved around music to the friends I have had, the people that I have loved and lost to my parents, the first time I had my heartbroken to the time I found love again. I can pin point a song that will make me fly back into a memory about them in a blink of an eye. 

I was asked the question I have asked so many times in the past a few days ago:

 What is the first song you can remember hearing.

I can remember having a love for the song "Lady in Red" by Chris De Burgh for no reason as far back as I can remember.  It's not the first song that I ever fell in love with, but there is something behind that song that makes me think to my childhood.

So whats the first song you can remember hearing? Leave a comment below, would love to hear what you guys can remember..

-Nicholas

Record Drop Review Tuesday..

I am a baby from the 80's and not saying that if you grew up in the 80's ( 83 is my birth year) you have to like the King of Pop but lets be honest, at the time he was basically killing it and he has the grammy's to show for it.  Growing up with having a mother that loved James Taylor, Carol King and a father that loved The Beatles, The Doors I had some diversity in my musical up bringing.

First and foremost, I am a HUGE Michael Jackson fan but I love music and if it sounds like crap I have no problem telling it how it is.  

...And away we go....

From the very first song I was intrigued. Michael usually grabs you with some huge hooks and rocking beats. But the first tack "Love Never Felt So Good" its just him and a piano. I honestly had to step back and really take it in.  The song is really beautiful in away that you just get sucked in, but not all the way since the clapping/snapping sound like most of it was recorded in a few takes and they were going to come back and fix it before going on to a record then decided to leave it. 

"She Was Loving Me" is not the best or the worst song on the album but it made me chuckle because at one point in the song there is a keyboard solo and it makes me think of what you would hear if you walked into a Nordstroms. 

The next song makes me think of MJ at his best. "I Was The Loser" has that classic Michael Jackson sound.  Simple beat, strings and the awesome backup vocals that I cannot get enough of when I listen to his older records. There is that off set clapping/snapping in the song that kind of pulls you out of it at the end, but one of the better tacks on this record.

There is not much that musicians can do to make me more angry then to take a very classic song and destroy it.  "A Place With No Name" is not even close to doing the back tack  which is the classic song "Horse With No Name" by America. If you skip any track, it would be this one.

Like the songs "We Are The World" and "Man In The Mirror" Michael Jackson has always been one to try to bring people together and spread a good message about peace, love and hope. "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" is, kind of like that but is talking about sex trafficking. Not a hit.

"Slave To The Rhythm" is a dance song that is fantastic. I'm a huge synthesizer fan so this song fills me with positive emotion and make me want to jump up and start doing my horrible MJ impersonation.   

What can I say about "Blue Gangster" that isn't ultra positive. I really cant say anything bad about thing song. Once again, huge backing vocals and horns that drags me right back into this album. Michaels voice sounds like how I used to remember him on Thriller or even Bad. I guess the only thing I could say that I don't like about this song is the title, just sounds a bit to corny for me. 

"Xscape" is the best track, hands down on this album. Deep bass, that classic 80s snare hit and the rich vocals that I grew up with. If you were a Jackson fan and not so much anymore, this track might bring you back around to loving this amazing artist once again.

"All You Need" is banking off of the older fans. With a horn and piano intro, right before the vocals are introduced "You Are Not Alone" is played on a horn. The music is really good, but lyrics are lacking and I know its Pop music, but, its just horrible, even the children's quire cant save this track.

"I Have This Dream" is the last track and is yet another so-called "Hopeful" and "Inspiring" songs that is just misses its mark by a lot. 

 When I read that they were taking songs that were recorded from the mid 80s' to the early 90's I was thrilled, but looking back at it as a whole, it was not that fantastic and some-sort of a let down. I will keep listening to it since its nice to hear new songs by the King of Pop, even if they are not that good, I can't get enough.

In summation:

Michael Jackons :Xscape gets 7/10

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Firday!!!!

So today I'll be posting some music videos of my favorite bands/people from YouTube.

Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend!

First one is from a super talented guy here in Utah named  Alex Boye and his awesome interpretation of the song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams.

This one is really crazy but I cannot help but love these girls and there metal ways.

This is BABYMETAL.

This next one is of my favorite singer/songwriters out right now.  Saint Raymond  is the next big thing, you can quote me on that. Check out it!

This next one is for a band that I saw open for Thirty Seconds Mars a few years ago.  I knew the show was going to be amazing once the drummer came out and duct taped his headphones to his head.  This is MUTEMATH.

And the last one for the day is from the, what I think, last great rock back on earth.

Foo Fighters