Another assignment we were tasked with was creating a Storify. We went on a scavenger hunt and took pictures of various locations around the Ohio Northern campus, which we then tweeted out with #SAHIAA16!
Hello, everyone! My friend, Ky, and I created a podcast for our Social Media camp at Ohio Northern University. We decided to talk about the Top 10 Underrated Bands/Artists in our opinion! Each of us chose 5 and discussed them, and here it is!
If you know me, you know how much I love music of all genres. However, my favorite band of all time has to be The Maine. They're a 5-piece pop rock band from Tempe, Arizona, who started out in 2010. They have released six EPs and five albums, each with a different style, their evolution evident in each one.
American Candy was released on March 31st, 2015. A long awaited follow-up to the 2013 release Forever Halloween, American Candy is a much brighter and optimistic take on their music. Forever Halloween contained many slow and somber songs.
So, below, is a track-by-track review of The Maine's fifth studio album, American Candy. Miles Away - The album opens with the feel good track Miles Away. The second single behind English Girls, instantly makes me think of summer and feeling free; exactly how I felt when this album was released. I was in such a good place back then. I remember listening to it the day it came out, road tripping to Washington, D.C. It makes me feel happy and on top of the world, nostalgic and excited for the summer and the good times. The lyrics are extremely on point, the melody and instruments perfectly crafted to create a great vibe.
Notable Lyrics: "A tongue full of only tomorrows will never quench your thirst for today."
Same Suit, Different Tie - The second song on the album keeps the good vibes going, definitely. This is a song that will get you dancing for sure. This song gives me major flashbacks to the past; it sounds like something straight out of the 80's, with a groove. It's not one of my favorites from the album, but it's still a great track that completes the album.
Notable Lyrics: "Darling dear, you don't need high price designs to feel dressed up, to feel dressed up to the nines."
My Hair - I have to say that My Hair is my least favorite from the album. I'm still obsessed with it, and it's so much fun live, but it's not as lyrically complex (which is okay) as the rest of this album. It's a fun song, literally about John's hair. (Remember when he cut it for Warped Tour 2014? Yeah, me too.) This song is so much fun, not only to sing, but to listen to.
Notable Lyrics: "You put the top down, let your locks blow around, driving through town without a care. Grow it to the ground let it all down everywhere. Grow out your hair."
English Girls - Here it is, folks. The first taste of American Candy that we got in February of 2015. This song came out of nowhere. The Maine came back from the blackout, announced the tour, and then released this song a couple weeks later. To say I was overjoyed is an understatement. I do love this song a lot, but I'm a little tired of it at this point. I still sing it at the top of my lungs at shows, and they're obviously going to be playing it at every show, considering it was the first single and everyone knows it by now. English Girls is such a fun, poppy, quirky tune that is so catchy that it's hard to hate, even after hundreds of plays. And just... John in the video, wow.
Notable Lyrics: Literally the whole song.
24 Floors - A lot of people say that this song would belong better on Forever Halloween, but I disagree. This song is crucial to the album for a few reasons. No matter how happy we are or how good we're doing, we still have our dark moments. Even though American Candy is full of optimistic tunes, 24 Floors is a ballad that needed to make the cut for this very reason. And, it's not all sad or somber; it's encouraging. I think that it has, and will continue to, help listeners and maybe even save some lives. I'm not sure if they'll ever play it live after the American Candy in Full shows, but gosh, do I hope so.
Notable Lyrics: "You don't wanna die tonight. Take one more breath to clear your mind. Every moment's relevant, bittersweet and delicate. Tomorrow may not come again, tonight is all there is." Diet Soda Society - Easily my favorite song on the album and one of my top 5 in The Maine's entire discography, which is pretty big. I just love this song for what it is. I love the lyrics and I love the beat. It's just so much fun, but it also has so much meaning. I was so intrigued by this song before I had even heard any of the songs from American Candy. I went to the band's web store to pre-order the album and saw that Diet Soda Society was a track, and I was like 'what the heck does that mean?' and when I heard the actual song, I fell in love. Completely. Notable Lyrics: "Oblivion is where I'm headed. My mind is on the brink of going supernova. 'Just shut up', that's when she said it. She told me 'just shut up and drink your diet soda.'" Am I Pretty? - The Maine recently released a music video for this song that made me love them even more than I already did, more than I thought possible. This song is so important, and I cannot get over it. It's a catchy song that gets the point across without being ridiculously cliche. BODY POSITIVITY, PEOPLE. Also, this is what John O'Callaghan wrote, which is in the description of the music video:
"You are beautiful because your eyes are different sizes and your lisp gets in between your tongue and teeth every time you try to say "something". You are beautiful because the scar under your chin looks like a spider and because you have a massive fear of heights. You are beautiful because there never has been, nor will there every be anyone else on this Earth like you. Because your flaws are like fingerprints and should be embraced just like the free will that resides inside. You are not beautiful because of the symmetry in the little squares on your telephone, you are beautiful because "you" are the only "you" this place will ever know." Notable Lyrics: "There's beauty and grace in the flaws of your face, all candor and style in the crook of your smile."
(Un)Lost - OKAY, THOUGH. (Un)Lost is pretty much tied with Diet Soda Society. I'm so obsessed with it. I actually think I want to tattoo every single lyric on my body, because WOW. Can we just talk about the beauty of both the lyrics and the instrumentals? I would kill to see this live, I would kill to scream it at the top of my lungs because I REALLY JUST LOVE THIS SONG. I cannot believe that it almost didn't make the album. It has encouraged me in some rough times, and I'm not sure what I did when I didn't know it existed. Never has a song resonated with me so much (except maybe Therapy by All Time Low)
Notable Lyrics: "Control what you can, confront what you can't, and always remember how lucky you are to have yourself." American Candy - The title track! I'm not gonna lie, I definitely didn't like this one as much at first. It is definitely very guitar and drum driven (not that I don't like that, because I LOVE it.) and it's definitely really rock for what The Maine does, especially on this album. Over time, however, it has grown on me, and I'm obsessed with it. It's the heavy track on the album, easily comparable to Kennedy Curse on Forever Halloween. Notable Lyrics: "And even if you wanted to, you couldn't stop. It's just so sweet. But this American Candy, it'll rot your teeth." Another Night On Mars - This song definitely gives me flashbacks to We'll All Be... which I definitely still love to listen to and think about the 8123 Tour when everyone (A Rocket to the Moon, This Century, Brighten) was still together and when all the bands played it together. That's such a nostalgic track, and so is this one. I love singing it and I love hearing it live, because the connection and camaraderie between all of the fans, of the 8123 FAMILY, is so strong and palpable. This music is our music, these people are part of our family; not only John, Jared, Kennedy, Pat, and Garrett, but everyone else at the show, standing in the pit or hanging out in the balcony. It makes me think of all the people I love, and I absolutely adore the feeling I get when I listen to it.
Notable Lyrics: "This one goes out to my closest friends, the ones who make me feel less alien. I do not think I would be here if not for them."
Overall, I give American Candy a solid 5/5, but I'm sure you all saw that coming. The Maine means so much to me, more than I ever thought possible. They've helped me through some rough times (dealing with mental illness and other situations), and have helped me meet some amazing friends. Let me know your thoughts on American Candy, I'd love to hear them!
Some may say that Ada, Ohio is just a dot on a map, a small village with not much to do and not many people. They are wrong. Ada is the home of Ohio Northern University. Ohio Northern is a great school with a wide array of majors and minors; everything from Chemistry to Dance, as well as anything imaginable in between.
On top of the wonderful academics, ONU's campus is absolutely gorgeous. I've found that, in my time here, I have felt quaint and peaceful. This campus is complete with a pond with geese, ducks, and even three black swans. There is no sign of a careless urban sprawl, despite Cleveland really not being too far away. The sports fields are ginormous, with plenty of seating for events.
One of my favorite places on campus is Freed, the performing arts center. I plan to be a Graphic Design major in college, and I love anything to do with creativity and creative careers. This building houses the theatre department, communications, dance, public relations, and even houses the radio station.
I wouldn't say that the food in the cafeteria is wonderful, but there are plenty of other food options in town; Subway, Taco Bell, McDonald's, and a few locally owned restaurants. Plus, there's a Kroger machine for all of your snacking needs.
One last thing; the dorms. I've attended ONU three years in a row for summer honors camps, and the dorms are the best I have seen. I've only stayed in one; Affinity Northwest, but each year, I am grateful for the bathrooms IN each room and the cleanliness of them, for the most part. I'm living at home for school, so I won't be living in a dorm room, but I have to say that I've stayed in some pretty horrible ones, and I appreciate Ohio Northern's even more now.
If you are ever in the Ada area, or even close, and are thinking about where to receive your higher education, I definitely recommend checking out Ohio Northern University. It is a beautiful campus with a variety of programs and exciting things to do! I wish you all luck on your college search, and I hope this helped!
