TI’s Weekend Round Up! (1.27.2015)

This week, our weekend round up video brings you the latest once again.  From Gigi Hadid’s Model of the Year Award to all of the birthdays from the week, we have it all in once, two minute segment!

Watch our weekend round up video below and be sure to stay connected with TI!

 

TeenInfoNet Weekend Roundup! (01.21.2015)

 

Welcome to the end of January where we are getting ready for the Grammy’s and keeping up with the tangled web of our favorite celebrities relationships!

 

TI Exclusive: War Games on Writing & Touring!

 

War Games, the Rock Band straight out of Massachusetts, have an exciting year ahead of them!  The five piece has just released their first single, “Foundations” off their upcoming full-length album.  The band has put so much effort into the album and TI got the chance to question War Games about everything from their writing process to their upcoming tour dates!

Check out the interview transcript below and find War Games on social media sights by following these links:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Youtube

 

What is the most difficult part of writing music?

 

 

My experience in writing music over the past 10 years, is that sometimes writing a great song can come to you like second nature and other times it can be extremely hard, lengthy work! I’ve always done my best to write whatever comes most naturally to me, to write honest songs from inspiration. Sometimes when feeling inspired, lyrics and melodies seem to pour from my brain to paper effortlessly. However, other times I’ve spent years on something, put it down and picked it up again when I felt the time may be right. With that said, I’d have to say the hardest part of writing music is critiquing and editing work you’re so invested in and inspired by. Sometimes having to throw something away that you’ve strived to make perfect for so long can be heart breaking.

 

What makes the writing process easier? What makes it harder?

 

Writing music is easiest when the music feels honest. When those first initial chords hit you and you’re able to paint a picture of the rest of the song, everything just sort of comes together. That’s not to say that the songs that take the longest are always bad either. Sometimes you sit there and for the life of you can’t figure out where to go next. That’s where writing can get difficult, when you feel like you’ve fallen into a slump. And for every song you create, there’s a million progressions that get tossed in the trash or placed on the back burner. But I’ve found that if you stick with you’ll be able to pull your head back into the right place and finish what you started. – Guitarist Ian Provost

 

What is it about “Foundations” that makes it a perfect single for the full-length album?

 

I feel like what makes Foundations the perfect single for our full length is that its a perfect microcosm for the album. It’s dark, but triumphant. It’s heavy and aggressive, but still has these really soft, intimate moments to balance it out. And even though the music is a bit on the dark side the vocals are always positive, always about bettering yourself and moving forward. Foundations has all of that. – Guitarist Ian Provost

 

You’ve toured all over the U.S./UK, where is you’re favorite place to visit/play? Is there something that distinguishing each place while playing?

 

Personally my favorite place to visit is Denver Colorado, I love the people, the scenery and some of the laws are pretty awesome as well! As far as a favorite place to play I’d say anywhere in the UK. We’ve had was soo much fun playing shows abroad. It’s honestly a blast playing anywhere, meeting people, learning their stories and making new friendships. The travel aspect of the band is an absolutely great experience – Bassist Andy Calheta

 

Where did the name “War Games” come from?

 

The name War Games never really had that “Eureka!” moment actually. We had been playing under the name “Another Option” for a long time and we had always discussed the idea of a name change. When the opportunity to actually change our name presented itself, we all got together and just started throwing names out and writing them on a blackboard. War Games survived the whittling down process, but it still never struck us as THE name. We’d talk about it, go to another name and then we’d come back to War Games. So I guess it got to a point where we all said “alright this is our name now, let’s roll with it.”

 

What are you most excited for in the upcoming year?

 

First and foremost I am excited for the release of “Holding Patterns” on March 6th. Immediately following that we leave for a 3 week tour of the UK which is going to be amazing! Also I’m very excited for our show with balance and composure Sunday at the met in Pawtucket RI. 2015 is starting off amazing and I’m also real excited to see what this year has in store for War Games. – Bassist Andy Calheta

Miley Cyrus Showing It Off In ‘V’ Magazine Polaroids!

 

It seems that Taylor Swift’s album “1989” has really brought back the old polaroid look and feel.  New pictures from Miley Cyrus’ photoshoot for V Magazine have emerged and they are everything you would expect from the 22 year old singer.

For her first time in V Magazine, Miley is baring it all.  Wearing a red wig and then nothing much at all, she truly has nothing left to hide! Miley’s crazy spunky attitude shines through each and every photo and even when you can see everything she has going on, she still wears an adorable innocent enough smile!

Check out all of the photos below (all censored) and let us know what you think about the racy photoshoot!

 

Fans Dub Selena Gomez and Zedd ‘Zeddlena!’

After much speculation, and many pictures as evidence, Selena Gomez fans have officially shipped her with DJ Zedd!  The (possible) couple has been dubbed ‘Zeddlena’ by fans and its a fitting name!

Last week, January 9, Selena and Zedd were photographed with friends at Notch’s Housewarming Soiree. There are even a few of just the two of them getting quite cozy and goofing off adorably!  Then, the pair attended the Golden Globes together, holding hands as they chatted with Jennifer Anniston and Justin Theroux!

Check out the adorable pictures, so far, of the pair and let us know, do you think Zeddlena is the new couple or just good friends!?

 

Zac Efron and More On Set Of ‘Dirty Grandpa!’–Photos!

Filming a funeral scene in Atlanta, Georgia, the cast of upcoming movie ‘Dirty Grandpa’ was photographed walking to and from the basecamp in a church.  Zac Efron, Julianne Hough, Robert De Niro, and Dumont Mulroney were bundled up from the cool weather conditions Atlanta is experiencing right now.

 

Check out the pictures below of the cast!

 

 

Kendall Jenner Spotted After A Hard Workout, Still Flawless!

A sweaty and exhausted Kendall Jenner was spotted leaving the gym in Beverly Hills yesterday, January 12, after a tough workout!  The 19 year old star shielded her face from waiting paparazzi as she climbed into her car.  No one wants pictures taken after a rough workout session!

 

Later that Day, Jenner was spotted with friends at Gelson’s in Century City, California.  Kendall once again looked effortlessly flawless wearing workbooks, gray sweatpants, a gray crop top and over sized flannel shirt. She and her friends had a few carts of groceries upon leaving the store; Celebrities, they’re just like us.

 

Check out the photos below of Kendall’s day!

New Year, New To TeenInfoNet!

2015 brings new and exciting things for TeenInfoNet and all of our amazing followers, starting with new projects!  Starting this weekend, you can catch up on what you might have missed over the week concerning your favorite stars in TI’s Weekend Roundup!

Every Saturday, check back with us for a two minute roundup of top stories.

Our first Roundup includes stories from over the holidays including Demi Lovato’s adorable new Pooch and Kendall Jenner, Selena Gomez and Cody Simpson ringing in the New Year in Dubi!

Check it out and be sure to subscribe to TI’s Youtube channel for instant updates!

TI Exclusive: Indie-Rock Band Kids on New Single & Upcoming Album!

New music is constantly coming out.  New pop stars emerge, new rock bands with a metal edge, new boy bands, new indie bands, new solo artists; one has to wonder, where do they find an original sound?!  Well, the band, Kids, has done just that.  The indie-rock band, straight out of the South of Florida.

This December, Kids debuted their first single, “Love’s Song.”  Now, guitarist Josiah Sampson, Bassist/Vocalist Joshua Diaz, Drummer Matthew Barrios and Guitarist Christian Gonzalez, are looking forward to their album debut set for January 27!

TI has the low down on everything about their first single to their favorite tracks on Rich Coast!

Where did the inspiration for “Love’s Song” come from?

The writing of “Love’s Song” was inspired by the revelation that love is work. I found myself at the end of a relationship with someone, asking myself what went wrong. And it was obvious that the relationship was far “one-sided”. I came to the realization that I was the one that did all the work. I loved doing the work. But by not letting her do any, I was letting myself fall more in love with the relationship than she was. Because you love what you work for. If both people aren’t doing that, then it’s doomed to an end where someone is uninterested. Also just so happens, this girl’s last name was Love. So it’s an extra literal meaning in the writing.

How would you describe the meaning behind “Love’s Song”?

“Love’s Song” is written as an analogy.  If you had two men who always wanted to be farmers, and you give one of them a piece  of land that was producing crops already and all he had to do was harvest; and you give the other man a barren wasteland that he had to build the crops himself, poor his blood, sweat and tears into to produce crops; in the end who would love his farm more?… The man that had to work.

What is your goal concerning your music?  What do you hope people will get from listening to you? 

There’s such a beauty that comes with adolescence. We lose much of that as we get older, but we don’t have to. Just because we deal with more adult situations when we get older, doesn’t mean we can’t approach them with the same reckless abandon we would have as a child. Everything about a persons soul matures and evolves as he or she ages; imagine if also, our dreams and playfulness matured and evolved too. Life should be an adventure. Kids, is our artistic expression and documentation of many of those adventures. Love, inspiration, fear, aspirations, tragedy, betrayal; the chase for these things, the disappointments, the rewards…. The unknown. Of course were also humbled as people are inspired by this concept, and moved to play along with us.

Who/Which bands were an influence on you guys wanting to be an Indie-Rock band? 

We each have a number of different music that inspires us, however I don’t know how much they actually have an influence on our writing. For instance, I myself listen to Louie Armstrong, Blind Willie McTell, and Johnny Cash everyday. And the rest of the band is a melting pot of Tears For Fears, the Smiths, The killers, Mute Math, or even various K-POP artists. Were all over the map. So I don’t believe any of these influence our music directly. We enjoy them. But our biggest musical inspiration is ourselves. I’m not a fan of the phrase “Art inspires art.” I think copycats like that phrase. But I believe true artists are inspired by life.  As a musician, your art should sound like what you’ve seen or experienced, not like what you’ve heard.

Art is just our language. For instance, I didn’t grow up in England or Australia, so I don’t have an accent from there. Sometimes I wish I did… Cause it’s cool. But if I fake one, then I’m a fake… And people catch on to that. So Why would I do that with my music? We sound like us.

What was the best part of recording and getting ready to release the LP, “Rich Coast?”

Rich Coast is one of the first products we’ve made that had a certain goal and intent from the start. We wanted the entire record to sound like authentic feelings we had while doing things that made us feel alive.  To write this record, we set out on an adventure. We took time off of our jobs to hike and camp the Appalachian Trail, and follow up our adventures there in a log cabin in Chattanooga TN, where we converted the entire living room into a writing studio. We played old spaghetti westerns and Kung fu movies on silent (films we watched a a kid) as we documented musically, the feelings of the adventures we just had, paired with lyrics inspired over the last few years of our lives.

So my favorite part of the writing process, was literally walking what felt like an endless trail in the GA wilderness, humming melodies in my head of what the soundtrack of these sights and feelings would be.

Why is the album titled “Rich Coast?” 

The past few years for me have been a flood of feelings and perseverance. And many of them due to a chapter in my life that was directed toward investing in a life with someone in Costa Rica (literal translation, “Rich Coast”). A time investment that failed to say the least. But failure is one of the biggest adventures of all. Because you get to see what you’re made of, If/how you get back up, and who/what you put hope in next…. Chasing something again.

Don’t get me wrong, Rich Coast is NOT an album about Costa Rica lol. But it is a documentation of many of the feelings, experiences, and adventures that accompany endeavors that came with that time.. sentiments that EVERYONE experiences: Learning how to hope, loosing hope, then hoping again

What is your favorite track from “Rich Coast?” 

Personally, the track that resonates with me the most is “Sunshine”. It wasn’t even supposed to be on the record originally. It was unfinished as of two weeks before entering the recording studio. It was a 2-verse, unfinished nugget about hope.

One day, I was riding in the car with my mother. She had always been hard of hearing. But it was getting worse. And my mother doesn’t complain about ANYTHING! But she started to say that she was scared. She is losing her hearing rapidly, and she feared that she wouldn’t be able to hear her grandchildren speak to her anymore; or that she wouldn’t know what the song sounded like that “made it for me”.

This situation moved me. I went home, and revisited this unfinished song and wrote the final verse of “Sunshine”; as well as the last line of each verse. See, my mother always called me “sunshine”, that was her nickname for me. But… shes always been the one to light MY way. I told the guys that this song had to be on this record, so that my mother could hear it while she still had her hearing. And that I would play it for her every time she watched me; so that even if she couldn’t hear it one day, she could watch, and hear it from memory.

To Keep Up With Kids Online:

• thebandkids.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Vimeo
• Instagram (@thebandkids)

TI Exclusive: The Grape And The Grain On Upcoming Tour!

With their self-titled, full length album out, The Grape and The Grain is ready to get on the road for their 2015 tour! Melding blues, folk and hard rock, this band of multi-instrumentalists have created a balanced album that rock fans are able to connect with.

This TI Exclusive is all about The Grape and The Grain.  From their beginning in 2012 to their upcoming tour, we have the latest scoop!

Where did the name “The Grape and The Grain” come from? 

The grape represents wine, and the grain is whiskey or beer. There’s a saying that you shouldn’t mix the grape and the grain when drinking, and that saying became a long running joke in the band ‘3’ after a night of drinking the grape and the grain.

You are all extremely talented musically, what are some of the drawbacks of this?  

I guess being artistic in anyway can sometimes make a person kinda weird…

But that’s not really even a drawback. I think that just makes a person more interesting.

Does it make things easier that you are all really musically talented?

In life? Probably not! But, when there’s a group of people, and you’re working together writing songs it definitely can make things easier.

How has “The Grape and The Grain” changed since it began in 2012?

In 2012 The Grape and The Grain started as just a thing for me to do for fun. I wanted to learn how to write songs really, and I sorta dived in on my own, and started this as more of a recording project at first. But, it quickly grew into something more, and I knew I really wanted to play these songs live. Thankfully my best buds in the world are some of the best musicians I know. I was lucky enough to just have to give my friends a call. Since then it’s become a band. There’s now multiple writers and musicians. We recently recorded this album, and it’s the first that we’ve done as a full band.

We have also done a little bit of touring since 2012, and we’ll continue to do so in 2015.

What do you hope listeners take away from your music?

I kind of hope that everyone takes away something different. Most of the songs are stories lyrically. Some of them are based on true stories and some of them are just made up. I like to think that with some stories you can take away your own meaning from them. Whether it’s just for entertainment or maybe something deeper hopefully people can connect to this album.

Where will your February/March tour take you? 

We will be mostly staying in the north east this time around. The full schedule will be posted on our Facebook page soon.

What are you looking forward to from this tour? 

I love to be on the road. I love to travel and play shows so I look forward to touring in general. There’s always something weird or crazy that happens when touring and great stories always come out of it.

What is your favorite thing about studio time/live performances? 

My favorite part of being in the studio is really the whole creative process. The songs start as just an idea in someone’s head, and watching them come to life in the studio can be really fun, and a really cool experience.

Live performance is something completely different. I love it just as much. The live show is the moment, where as in the studio you’re trying to create something.  Make sure it’s perfect, make sure it’s what you wanted. Performing live, it’s a split second and it’s gone. It’s very exciting and nothing can match the feeling of a great show.

To Connect With The Grape And The Grain: 

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Bandcamp
• Youtube
• ReverbNation