Gotta Be Startin' Somethin'

Krysta Cameron was, without a doubt, the world’s most celebrated frontwoman in metal until this past July when she resigned from the Vans Warped Tour due to her pregnancy.

None of the members of Iwrestledabearonce missed a beat and quickly selected friend and fellow frontwoman, Courtney LaPlante (formerly of the band Unicorn) to take Krysta’s place.

However, this leaves fans of the genre-warping group pondering what the hell is going to happen next?

Courtney has already proved her skill on tour. But what does this mean for the future of IWABO? 

It’s been whispered (not really, the guys in IWABO are pretty damn loud and blunt) about Krysta not returning. 

But does that mean that Courtney’s place is solidified or will another singer pop up out of the wood work?

 

I actually still haven’t decided whether or not I like Courtney’s addition. Heavy Blog Is Heavy described Unicorn as “basically a more unrefined version of IWABO but the beauty of IWABO was--and still is--their knack for making technical skill sound like a beautiful accident.

Courtney’s growl is nearly identical to Krysta’s, give or take one of them feeling more angry at the time of recording for a deeper sound. 

But once the clean vocals begin, Courtney and Krysta comparisons diminish completely. 

Krysta is a low-range soprano where as Courtney is a mid-range alto. 

Meaning that Krysta can hit higher vocal notes. Even though they’re both girls, this is still a big difference in the matter of having a vocalist.

New IWABO frontwoman, Courtney LaPlante

So if IWABO do record their follow up to Ruining It For Everybody with Courtney, IWABO fans will have to get used to the idea of lower tempos for her to sing over but the same furious aural assault when it comes to the metal aspects of IWABO’s sound.

So no one will be sacrificing their cranium-fracturing moshpit experiences at any upcoming shows for this girl, which is all anyone really cares about. 

But just in case you do care about actually seeing a performance while at a concert, make sure to keep your eyes on the guys. 

As cute as Courtney is, she is not an interesting stage presence in the slightest.

 

We wish Krysta and the band much success.

In the meantime, keep up with coverage about IWABO and their continent-hopping by following the band on Twitter, Facebook and their official Webpage.

 

Now Playing: It Is "Bro," Isn't It? | Ruining It For Everybody

--J

Changing Tunes, Changing Times

It felt like there used to be a formula to being an indie music singer-songwriter: Guitar-player + quirky songwriting – strong vocals + an open mic night and volia! Instant circuits opening for other indie bands and before you know it, an independent record label deal. But William Beckett circumnavigated all that by fronting The Academy Is... for 7+ years before the outfit disbanded in 2011.

Unlike most frontmen for bands that break up, Beckett didn't suit up with a new lineup, a pretentious name and break a lot of hearts with how devastatingly bad their first release was before they, too, broke up.

He started fresh.

As a solo artist.

Like many musicians in the alternative scene, William Beckett is getting older.

Even with his public persona, it was apparent that Beckett had an equally vivid personal life.

He became a father in 2008 and was investing serious time in that aspect of his life with his time off.

But it is said that it is particularly hard to walk away from touring.

The hunger just grows inside an artist.

To walk away from the career you've started is something no one should have to find out and I bet William wasn't looking to start down that road anytime soon. 

Especially after being dropped from the Fueled By Ramen label he'd been signed to for nearly 8 years with TAI.

In April, after a year of writing, Beckett released the Walk The Talk EP with a brief video documentary supporting his decision to continue writing and playing music.

He traveled and played in Manila, the UK, and all over the US for crowds of fans.

And last month, Beckett released his second EP of the year, Winds Will Change.

With both EPs, listeners get to see the side of Beckett that was missing from The Academy Is... He showcases much more of his heart-on-his-sleeve nature, which is refreshing when we think back to Santi.

The only thing I'd like for William to return to is his more descriptive, almost story-telling songwriting style.

Both EPs have high peaks ("You Never Give Up" from Walk and "Dig A Hole" from Winds) but I'm not completely sold yet.

And that is what full lengths are for. So patiently we shall wait for news on when Beckett's first solo album will debut.

For more news on William Beckett's trajectory, follow him on Twitter | YouTube | Tumblr.

Now Playing: Scarlet (Tokyo) - William Beckett | Winds Will Change EP

--J

10 Songs That Will Get You Through This Summer.

Forget the Billboard charts. Here are 10 songs that you absolutely should burn onto a CD (old-school music fans rejoice!) or throw onto your iPod's newest playlist.

1. Synthetica - Metric : "I'll keep the life that I've got..." How many times do you find yourself content with life? This song actually makes you want to like your life. Great for those days when you're peddling off to that summer job you hate.

2. Dig A Hole - William Beckett : Find a better guitar-wuilding crooner this side of the Mississippi River? Doubtful. Unless you consider Justin Nozuka. Either way, this song is perfect for those late night trips to Wawa or a trek through the park.

3. Money (Let It Go) - TakingBackSunday : And just when you think summer's all about being happy-go-lucky and making memories, you have a completely shit day and are ready to do nothing but scream at the top of your lungs. This is your anthem.



Bloc Party will release their fourth studio
album, 4, later this month.



4. Day Four - Bloc Party : Tranquil and melodic, this is the perfect jam to wake up and start your day to. Just in time for the countdown to the fall, and the band's upcoming album, Four (Aug. 21).

5. Constant Conversations - Passion Pit : Talk about mood music, this is perfect for those nights where you're up all night, thinking and just wishing your brain would turn off.

6. Sharp Practice - Circa Survive : Cigarette breaks, coffe breaks, breaks of all kinds. This track has just enough momentum to free your mind from the task at hand while preparing you for going back to it.

7. Slave to Substance - Suicide Silence : Permission to take out all your pent up aggression in the form of an impromptu moshpit in your living room? Granted.

8. Youth Knows No Pain - Lykke Li : This song is perfect for a walking on the beach, no worries and slightly bored kind of day.

9. Thinkin' Bout You - Frank Ocean : Thought we'd let you off the hook with no love songs? Come on. It's the time of hookups, flings and budding romances. This is for all you romantics out there, to play in the background while you lip-lock your summer crush.

10. How They Want Me To Be - Best Coast: When your day (or night) is done, slip into your pj's, bust out your favorite snack and relax with this little ditty.

Now Playing: Various Artists on The Best Summer of Your Life Music Mix As Given to you above.

--J

MySpace Fame Never Dies.

 

Jeffree Star is hotter than most girls I know.
 
Being a staunch supporter of most "celebrities" that gained prominence via social networking sites like MySpace and Buzznet back in the mid 00's, I couldn't help but jump right in her glitter and ecstasy-filled pocket. A special-effects makeup artist turned model turned singer? She's far from your average California dream girl:

Photo credit: unknown photographer

Pink hair.

Pink lips.

Pink heels.

It's like Barbie and her Malibu Beach House met an atom bomb of profanity, makeup and hair extensions:

The most impressive thing about JStar, and her peers, is how she fashioned a simple stage name and her personality into a marketing frenzy so quickly that my prepubescent head spun. I was immediate brought into her Hello Kitty meets Club Kid world, where hard drugs, raunchy music and all night dance parties were not a thing of legend, but a lifestyle.

Basically, Jeffree Star is a lot to handle.


With the help of her vulgar, in-your-face personality and obvious no fucks given approach to life, I found myself wanting to actually play audience to her career--which is still solely based off her popularity on a website (and now, years later, it's several websites).

But after seeing her perform at the 2009 Vans Warped Tour in Camden, NJ, I found that JStar is, musically, the real deal.

She can work a crowd.

She can work a mic.

Photo credit: Tamlyn Koga (obvs since the water mark is there ;3)

And more than anything, she can write a hit or two.

The thing I appreciate most about JStar is that she has worked her tattooed little ass off, sweating it out on outdoor stages alongside veteran punk, metal and hardcore bands during Warped Tour and several of her own national tours.

She's an electronica singer with all the work ethic of any other band you'd find on the interwebs. 

Literally, if you don't respect anything else, you've got to respect this chick's hustle!

After penning various self-distributed EPs and albums, Star signed a major label deal with Akon's imprint label, KonLive (which has spawned Star's own imprint label, Popsicle) which was responsible for Lady GaGa who has certainly paved the road for a transgendered musician like Jeffree--who, to me, is the future of pop music.

Photo credit: Austin Young Photography

And as if the stars weren't already aligned for this celebutaunte, they just got a whole lot linear with the release of several tracks from her latest release, the Virginity EP: an electronic release that will make the pop and trance worlds come to their bony little knees.

Especially now that it's summer time: we need singles to dance all night to.
 
 And I mean the Katy Perry Teenage Dream-California Girls one-two punch of "this is what my entire summer will sound like!"

But will JStar deliver that?
Of course she will.
She's the queen of grime-core, trashy techno, queer pop:





Now Playing: Virginity's title track:



And the latest single, "Blow Me."

For more on this diva extraordinaire, check out: her Official music webpage, her Tumblr and Facebook pages.

--J