Stuck In My Skull 520 -- "Car Radio"

Song: "Car Radio" || Artist: Twenty One Pilots || http://youtu.be/92XVwY54h5k ||

Comments: Good morning or afternoon, everyone! Today's song is an interesting little number I heard on the radio for the first time yesterday. Created by a Columbus, Ohio-based duo, this song is really hard to apply any sort of labels to -- just look at the labels of this post! Its opening consists of some light instrumentation paired with some really excellent rap. It picks up some additional instrumentation, bridges into a section that reminds me faintly of old Linkin Park, then outtros with opening verses repeated and leaves me really, really intrigued. This duo sounds like nothing else I've heard but liberally blends elements that I love, and leaves me wondering why I haven't heard of them sooner. I looked them up on Wikipedia, and the article about them is informative in the literal sense but doesn't give me much of a feel for who the band really is. They're signed to the Fueled By Ramen record label, so that's probably a mark in their favor. Other artists signed to Fueled By Ramen include Cobra Starship, Fun., Gym Class Heroes, Panic! at the Disco, Paramore, and Travie McCoy, all of whom I like. For that reason, I generally give anything that gets released by an artist I haven't heard of signed to Fueled By Ramen a listen on principle. For what it's worth, I don't generally do that -- I generally don't care a whit about record labels and use them mostly to label and pidgeonhole an artist into a category without having to look them up, but there are a few labels I really enjoy (Ultra, Nuclear Blast, the UKF 'label') and a few more that I actually really respect (Monstercat and some artist-made labels like Deadmau5's Mau5trap, Tiesto's Black Hole and Magik Muzik, etc). Getting back on topic, I've really enjoyed the lyrics so far. I haven't had a chance to sit down and really think about the lyrics yet, but at first glance they strike me as being pretty deep. All in all, I'm pretty happy to have stumbled onto Twenty One Pilots. Give this song a listen and let me know what you think in the comments or on our Facebook page!

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AMANDA--"HALL OF FAME FEAT WILL.I.AM."

Hello! Today I've got some music that will hopefully motivate and move you. I've heard this song countless times and even learned some fun choreography for it this week. It's kind of cheesy but has an inspiring message/video. For whatever reason (and I feel silly about it) I didn't recognize the artists. It is good to know the Script is not only still making music but doing creative collaborations with talented musicians. "Hall of Fame" testifies to this and is one of those feel good songs that sticks with you after its over. Enjoy!

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AMANDA-- "CRIMINAL" by FIONA APPLE

Hey all. The nineties was a remarkable decade for many reasons, not excluding the fact that me and many of my friends were born. It was an especially great time for indie and alternative rockers or at least up until the end. On that note, I bring you the sultry and talented Fiona Apple. When her first album Tidal debuted, the singer-songwriter was only nineteen years old. The nineties saw the likes of many terrific artists- The Cranberries, Foo Fighters, Radiohead and more-all fierce contenders. I chose this song because it and Fiona Apple have had incredible staying power. Criminal" is her biggest song to date and won her the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. I've known all the lyrics since I was six and years later they still resonate with me. Apple continues to rock into her thirties and sounds amazing as ever. Her music has no doubt matured as she has. At the height of her success, the teenager proved as gifted as her contemporaries but ever so slightly more controversial, probably due to her age. The music video features a barely clothed Apple in some provocative poses seeking absolution for having wronged a man she once loved (serious stuff-hence NSFW ). Enjoy!

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