I especially enjoyed the song Annabelle, a moving song that  confirms the feeling  that this is a band of ‘real guys’ - not superficial guys searching solely for good looks or a good time.  The song portrays a rather sincere guy hoping to find a genuine girl.  A Rocket to the Moon’s personality seems on display and resonates throughout their CD.  The lyrics – lyrics which are jointly written by the band – reflect thought and emotion.  In each song, I was drawn into and believed lead singer and guitarist Nick Santino’s emotion while he pours out his heart. I was impressed by his passion revealed by each of his heart-felt lyrics.

A Rocket to the Moon produces their own, very unique sound, which is not something many bands these days can claim. They are definitely not a band that has to rely on sound effects or gimmicks.  Instead, ARTTM puts forth genuine talent, hard work, honest lyrics, enjoyable melodies – all backed up with deeply- felt passion. And, to add to the enjoyment of this new release, after having had the real pleasure of experiencing their live show in Chicago at the House of Blues, I can vouch for the fact that A Rocket to the Moon is a  band that backs up their record with a beautifully performed and rocked-out live show.  I would highly suggest you give their new release a listen and by all means, catch them live if you can.

A Rocket to the Moon, an alternative band, wedged right in the middle of the concert lineup, delivered a great time of hype and rocking out at the House of Blues Chicago. Simply phenomenal, with catchy lyrics and beats, the entire crowd at theHouse of Blues was filled with smiling faces and dancing feet. Lead singer, Nick Santino wore a genuine smile upon his face as he sung his heart out and as his entire band never failed to rock out with the grateful crowd. Fans enjoyed the happiness that emanated from the music, tapping their feet, clapping their hands and roaring their approval . I couldn’t help but smile constantly. A Rocket to the Moon delivered the kind of show that gives any unfamiliar audience members a reason to go home and search ARTTM songs on the web and really give the songs a listen. They are obviously “the band to know.”

Next up, Mayday Parade stuck true to its rock out persona and had the entire house off their feet from the first note. The energy was incredible as Mayday Parade blasted song after song with barely a break in between. There was a continuous flow of rocking. Bassist Jeremy Lenzo and electric guitarist Brooks Betts continuously criss-crossed the stage, punctuated by leaping up onto their equipment to play wildly to the crowd. Lead singer, Alex Garcia, sung beyond the point of exhaustion. Even when it seemed as though he could not go another note longer, he shouted out his melodies and kept the evening’s energy sky-high. Exhaustion was just not an option; no one wanted to stop the party. Jumping and rocking out to Mayday Parade was incredibly exhausting — but of course, that’s what we spend our good money for!

Finally, Florida’s We the Kings blasted onstage and was obviously a real crowd favorite. Almost immediately, the crowd escalated excitedly from moshing to crowd surfing. Travis Clark, lead singer, made sure to connect and bond with the audience by telling stories about the songs before belting into them. He had the audience singing and vibrating with every song, especially the old favorites. The band delivered a great show for the audience from start to finish.
At one point, Clark told the story of the “gang sign” of We the Kings which conveyed a personal connection to everyone in the crowd. It was as if We the Kings’ personality was evident on stage in every move — which makes for a more interesting and compelling experience. Feeling like “old friends”, we fans felt more in tune with the vibe of the band as they continued to rock out feverishly with us. Even the soulful, slower-tempo songs were sung with great emotion. Travis sings with complete honesty while his melodies were presented as if offering his heart on his sleeve to the crowd. The progression of the playlist was beautifully thought out and quite effective. As the show roared on, the crowd escalated into a frenzy and couldn’t help but beg for more. By the last song, the pit was overcome with bouncers who peeled screaming and sweaty fans off the crowd’s hands before delivering them back to the floor. When Travis Clark leaned into the crowd singing, the crowd went in a crazed frenzy, hoping just for a touch of Clark’s signature long, red locks. Finally, the concert ended with a cry for more as absolutely no one wanted to leave.

Interviews with Matisyahu, and Cage The Elephant have been added to the Loonatic Tv network! You can catch any of these interviews any time you want in the rock star stories on-demand section!

Allison Iraheta’s debut album, Just Like You, is a disappointment. Although her vocals sound great, as they did on the last season of American Idol (she placed 4th), her songs are lackluster and without meaning. Many of the songs are based on the ideas of relationships and love, as most are, but are only so in a shallow way. One of the worst songs, entitled Robot Love, spends a good part of the song discussing how her boyfriend prefers texting to her. The many technological references are childish and meaningless. This album does not really appeal to anyone over the age of 11, and, let’s be honest, all little kids are looking for is a fun beat. All in all, Iraheta’s debut album is a bust. There is only hope that on her next album her killer voice will be accompanied by killer songs.

by Vanessa Paredes
It’s here. The highly anticipated, overly hyped, oh so talked about film: New Moon. The second installment of the Twilight Saga hit the big screen this November and you can bet your life savings that the lines were outrageous and theaters were sold out all over the nation. Fully equipped with a new director (Chris Weitz), New Moon definitely out staged the production of Twilight, but not by a long shot. If one thing is for certain though, it’s that Edward Cullen is about to blend into the shadows and a new obsession will arise; his name is Jacob Black.

In New Moon, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) couldn’t be more awkward with each other, and there is a reason behind it. Edward plans to leave forks and Bella behind. He does so early into the film, and the “break up” shakes up the story line, bringing forward Jacob black (Taylor Lautner) to our attention. Once Bella really starts warming up to her new “friend” another fantastical secret is unraveled. Vampires are not the only non-humans roaming around Forks; Jacob and his “clan” take the form of wolves in order to “protect” the town from vampires, or at least the evil kind. Naturally, Jacob falls in love with Bella while Edward is absent, and this creates a chaotic love triangle that will be a major theme in the movies to come. Just when it seems like Bella is finally warming up to the idea of liking Jacob back, Edward is forcefully engrained back on to her feeble mind when he makes a phone call to the Swan residence for the first time after his disappearance.

Bella gets on a plane to Italy faster than you can say vampires are not real, in attempts to save her soul mate from killing himself. Edward had been mal-informed that Bella had passed away, and finds only one solution: plead the Volturi (Organized coven of vampires) to take his life, which is no easy task, being a vampire and all. The Volturi consisted of the best actors in the film, including big shots such as Dakota fanning playing Jane, and Michael Sheen as Aro. How the movie ends can be yours to figure out.

New Moon shouldn’t break a sweat impressing the teenage female population. Weitz incorporates all the right elements, and some of the scenes are beautifully done. Although the movie does lack decent actors, because let’s face it, Robert Pattinson can’t act to save his life, the movie-goers will still sink their teeth into this vampire fantasy flick. In addition the film was successful in staying true to the book, which will hopefully keep the Twi-hard’s complaints to a minimum. So get those movie tickets and enjoy the era’s newest craze.

The time has come for Indie, Pop, and Punk listeners alike to unite because this latest Say Anything release might just officially create a whole new era of composing music for this amiable group.

If the first thing that comes to mind when one mentions the name Say Anything are quirky, sarcastic, smart mouthed lyrics, alongside infectious instrumentals, then you have a pretty accurately formed definition of this one of a kind band. If the second thing that comes to mind is the name Max Bemis, then you’re probably well informed of the musical impact of this symbolic frontman. It’s rare to find voices or written music that sounds even remotely similar to Max Bemis or Say Anything. It would be no surprise if his heartfelt and contemptuous lyrics have taken a hold of the lyric lover in everyone. Yes, he certainly has that power. Since formed back in 2000, Say Anything has transformed miraculously. After overcoming several public meltdowns and being hospitalized for bipolar disorder, Bemis never failed in feeding fans exactly what they craved.

Two official releases later, Say Anythings third self-titled album was released on Nov 3. As with any of their work, it is clear that Bemis used this album as a form of getting what bothers him most off of his chest. What separates this album from the rest however, is the obvious sense of self-assurance, rather than continuous self-loathing. In fact, as Bemis told AP magazine, “This isn’t pacifist music, necessarily. The anger is more directed at things you can change and do in your life, instead of hating people because they are a certain way. These people will always be like that. Let’s do something to actually change your own life, or lives around you.”

But of course, a Say Anything album wouldn’t be completed without some kind of angry number. That is precisely why the single “Hate Everyone” seems like it should have been placed in the bands previous, more raging albums. Still, one can’t help but find Max’s juvenile rant at how much he just simply hates society as heartwarming.

Moving on to one of the albums incredibly raved about melodies,  “Eloise” begins with a simple acoustic guitar progressing into slow pounding drum beats as Bemis starts to sing. Of course, only Say Anything would start a heartbreak song with the lines “Laid out, puking in the back of a fancy bar.” Nonetheless, this piece delivers Bemis’s infamous constant passionate wails we all know and love all draped over a delicate chorus.

Finalizing the album, “Ahh…Men” is as mushy and affectionate as Say Anything can get. During an interval in which most bands nowadays would typically choose to insert a breakdown, the song has a notable shift into a quieter, more melodic acoustic strumming followed by Max’s romantic plead to “lie with you in your grave.”

Genres seem to pour out of every tune, line, and pluck of an acoustic guitar here and there as tracks unfold. If anyone ever said blending genres was a mistake, they’re  the ones mistaken. Say Anything can be held accountable for much musical evolvement yet still maintain their same foundation that listeners first fell in love with. Max’s newfound yet still somewhat hazy outlook on life is evident throughout the album. It’s thoughtful and unpredictable: the definition of Say Anything. Certainly, the entire album gives off that sparkle true fans know is exclusive to Say Anything.