Episode 2: Alex Gaskarth is a Furry

Episode 2: Alex Gaskarth is a Furry

Episode Description:

Streaming services. Good or bad for the music industry? Find out in this episode of The Moshpit.  In music news, Brianne officially becomes the scene grandma, Kevin Lyman is a dicktease, and coronavirus kills pop punk.  Also, geek out with Michelle, Brianne, and Kelly over all the new music out right now, particularly All Time Low's new single, Sleeping In. But what's new? Let the ladies of the Moshpit Point (North) you in the right direction to discover an awesome band in the Band Spotlight.  Finally, travel back in time as the hosts share their first pop punk concert experiences. If you're vibing with the show, share with your friends!

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Check us out on www.themoshpitpod.com

Transcript:

Michelle 0:28

Welcome back to another episode of The Moshpit. Let's hit the lights and reach some Hawthorne heights cuz we are neck deep in music news for you guys. Coincidentally there is some music news about neck deep.

Brianne 0:43

I really I really just I just really need a collective groan I love you but that's one too many.

Michelle 0:51

All the puns every single person on the planet, you can't not tell me that. I'm not clever because I am. It was fantastic. I'm so proud.

Brianne 0:59

You're gonna You're gonna run out of band names before we hit our, like 10th episode.

Kelly 1:05

True.

Michelle 1:06

Yeah. So we got a lot of music news for you as we do, always after our just one episode. But before all of that, we want to give a big thanks to all of our listeners, so far all 20 of you, and we appreciate your existence. No for reals. We're really excited to, you know, be getting this going. So anybody out there in the podcast void of listening to us, we appreciate you, even if you're listening for like five seconds.

Brianne 1:36

Also make sure to reach out to us on social media on that on Instagram and Twitter and I don't know what else we're on, but it's @themoshpitpod. Oh, Facebook. That's the other one.

Michelle 1:48

Yes, Facebook and Instagram @themoshpitpod and because somebody stole our thing on Twitter, we're just @moshpitpod on Twitter. Yes. And speaking of listening To us just want to clarify that Kelly was not in outer space last night. We just happened

Kelly 2:07

or was I?

Michelle 2:08

Oh, you're out there with Tom DeLonge. Finding the aliens

Kelly 2:16

looking for all the UFOs with Tom. Yes. That's exactly where I was.

Michelle 2:21

Yeah, so we're actually, I don't think we actually clarified that last episode. We are in three different states. I am in New Jersey. Kelly's in Massachusetts and Bri is in Florida. So we are Skyping and hanging out. So you know, there are some things we're figuring out. But now, Kelly, hopefully sounds way better. Kelly talk show them.

Kelly 2:45

I hope so. I hope I no longer sound like an alien. Although it would much cooler to be inouter space but oh, that's true. I'm here. I swear I'm not in space.

Michelle 2:56

Also, Kelly. Kelly was just taking all the hits last week. I really was Kelly was like, viciously attacked about the song, Bitch. You know, I'm a bitch, im a lover.

Brianne 3:12

Watch out legal legal can only sing a line

Michelle 3:17

well you guys get it. So you know she was

Kelly 3:20

so close to the original because that was just right on pitch so I think it was a you know?

Michelle 3:25

Yeah, definitely but yeah so Kelly was unaware that it was Alanis Morissette but turns out is not Alanis Morrison. It's just one of those collective group think things that people think it's hard, but it's actually Meredith Brook. So Kelly is now vindicated,

Kelly 3:44

yeah, I am now officially ready to accept victory formally in this forum.

Brianne 3:52

I would like I would like to submit my apology in writing.

Kelly 3:56

Thank you. Thank you very much. I I accept

Brianne 4:00

To be fair, a lot of the internet is very confused about who saw what they

Kelly 4:04

they are. Everyone's so confused. So I Okay, I will say one more time. I was right. This song that so I was talking, I was saying that this song, the beginning reminded me of the beginning of all time lows, new single, some kind of disaster, how it like kind of has a lot of the same words and the same kind of feel to the beginning of it. And I had said it reminded me of a one hit wonder, and then everyone just kind of thinks this song is by Alanis Morissette but it is not credit to Meredith Brooks for this hit in the 90s, I believe. But yeah, I was very viciously attacked. And it turns out the entire internet just thinks that Alanis Morissette wrote and sang the song and poor little Meredith Brooks just got overlooked.

Brianne 5:03

for argument's sake, I will say they do sound freakish, very, very, very similar. It's just one

Michelle 5:10

of those things though. It's like a What do they call it the Mandela effect? That, you know, you think everybody thinks one thing happened but it was actually the other thing. Like I'm convinced, that there was a song that not a song, a movie in the late 90s, maybe early 2000 where Sinbad was a genie. Turns out that's not true. And it was called Shazam. And everybody said it Kazam and it was with Shaquille but it's not. I said, I promise you there was a movie.

Kelly 5:38

we're all just so misunderstood.

Michelle 5:42

No, you're not gonna find anything on the internet about it Bri but

Brianne 5:48

Just see me, like subtly googling, okay? Trying to defend you.

Michelle 5:57

I can't defend myself a pair because there's no trace of it on that. The Internet. But anyways, we're ready to kind of get into the nitty gritty, the meat meaty part of the show. So last week, we talked about how the different genres in the rock parent genre, I guess,

Brianne 6:20

the umbrella, if you will,

Michelle 6:21

yes, the umbrella, you know, like differentiating them and everything. And we ended the controversies right then and there, though in the pop punk Facebook groups I joined you still see the arguments. But this week,

Brianne 6:35

I think we all just need to agree to disagree. Exactly.

Kelly 6:38

Yeah, that'll be the way to go.

Michelle 6:40

But so this week, we wanted to talk about streaming services because I am a big Spotify-er is that what we call ourselves, Spotify-ers?. And so, I mean, obviously like they've kind of really ingrained themselves in society. But is it really good or bad for the industry? because on one hand, you know, obviously, you know, all the music's out there and it's a lot easier to distribute. But, you know, it's I can't imagine bands are making a lot from streaming services, you know what I mean?

Kelly 7:19

Yeah, I I'm also a Spotify Premium person. I love Spotify. But when you do kind of sit back and think about how it affects the bands is just kind of a different world than like, I think a lot of our bands started in which was, you know, releasing CDs and physical CD discs. But I think I mean, I guess the different streaming services have different ways of compensating the artists I it's probably not enough.

Brianne 7:55

Yeah, it's like pennies on the dollar. Like insane. Yeah. Well, that was like the whole thing with Taylor Swift for so many like I know he's not really in our umbrella but she was famously known to have not had her music for years on any streaming site because she was like they're basically stealing my stuff. I'm going to actually she finally you know got like got over it

Michelle 8:16

I think that was fantastic of her cuz you know, I think she took a stand and despite like her not really necessarily needing the money because that's I've gone into arguments about that they're like, Oh, she's just you know, it's just a money grab. And I'm like, No, she's I think she is sincerely taking a stand for artists everywhere because if they're artists don't take a stand. Why are is the big companies going to listen to little artists because yeah, they're definitely I mean, there's royalties for sure. But we all know that the best way to support our bands is buying their merch buying their CDs,

Kelly 8:51

concert tickets,

Michelle 8:53

concert tickets for sure.

Brianne 8:54

Yeah. Speaking speaking of buying CDs, we were talking Kelly had brought up the point about how A lot of the bands in our realm focus on selling actual CDs. I have a bone to pick about the new all time low distribution system. And I am I'm sorry. I'm so livid. So they've always sold physical CDs in their bundles with like a T shirt or whatever you got to pick. It's fine. But for some reason, this time, it's like, oh, you can buy the physical CD if you want to, but it's not in a bundle. All the bundles have a digital CD, which is fine, because it's still the CD, but I like I'm weird. I'm old. I don't use any streaming service premium because I'm cheap. And I buy the music that I really like. Otherwise listen to the radio. Yes, I'm from the 1950s Leave me alone.

Kelly 9:48

cassette you can get a cassette in a bundle

Brianne 9:51

I want my eight tracks. Damn it. No. But um, no, I'm just mad cuz I have a CD like case in My car that I have all of my all time low CDs from high school, like Paramore we the Kings, blink 182, like all the bands I truly truly supported were the only ones that would buy their albums because I didn't have a lot of money to spend growing up so I will say that's a little annoying.

Michelle 10:15

Yeah, no so bought it. I still bought it though. i'm a Piece of shit. And I stopped buying CDs A long time ago and now it isn't for you know me whatnot like wanting to support bands because I buy merch at every concert. I am at a concert, like every other week. The thing is, um, one I don't really have anywhere to listen to CDs anymore. And you know, I was like, I don't know if the word's got dejected, or, but in college I had I had my my CD case in my 96 Oh, I remember that. A Nissan Maxima up on the visor Yeah, yeah, I had all my I had all my CDs in there. And I had it in my car. And I am telling you, I still don't know what happened because my car was didn't seem like it could have been broken into, but that was gone. And so it was stolen. And then I just didn't feel like rebuilding my CD collection at that point. So and then that's when I was really listening to Pandora at the time. And then I found Spotify and it was way better. And, you know, I The thing that I can say in benefit of streaming services, is that, you know, in the music industry does gouge prices and it doesn't go to the artists that goes through the executives, it goes to the people that shouldn't be getting the money. But the streaming services at the very least instead of you know, us going and illegally downloading music. Yeah, it does something. So, these fans are getting some royalties. And we don't get any viruses on our computer anymore. Exactly. No limewire, no bearer shares

Kelly 12:09

Limewire! But I think also aside from paying, like actually paying the artists as minimal amount of money as that is, I think it's also especially Spotify, I've noticed has been really good at helping us find new bands, which is good for smaller bands that are trying to get out there. If they have their stuff on Spotify, it's easier for people to find them. That's how we now find like a lot of the new bands we listen to we find through Spotify in the playlists that they the pop punk's not dead playlist, the scene playlist, like all of those things they put together or looking at the similar artists that they you know that they recommend. So I think that's a great you know, added value, I guess of streaming services to listeners But also to bands because they can, you know, spread the word faster.

Michelle 13:05

100% like, I mean, half the stuff I listen to these days I found on the pop punk's not dead playlist by Spotify. So shout out to the Spotify employees that curate those things cuz they are on point.

Kelly 13:19

We are your biggest fans.

Michelle 13:22

Absolutely. So yeah, I mean, there's definitely pros and cons, you know, nothing's ever black and white. It's just is what it is. So we just have to support our bands in the best ways. We know how and that's by going to see them and buying their merch. I'm pretty sure also half of my closet is merch. The my collection of band tees has gotten so extreme you guys it is ridiculous. I try to not buy things and then I get to the concert. I'm like, Oh, that's so cool. I love it.

Kelly 13:58

I don't think You in the past like three years that I've seen you, I don't think one time you have not been wearing a band tee. It's like every time I see you, you're just wearing band merch. And I love it

Brianne 14:13

see this is the problem is that's why I like stoped going. Well, I don't understand why i stopped shows what's the benefit of stop going to shows. So like, I've just have all my old collection, which I have now again, I'm 50 years old, I have turned into a quilt. So I just have this T shirt of like, warped tour t shirts and like, all timw low and we the kings and Paramore and all this stuff like so I have all my band t shirts and now I can cuddle up on the couch on a Sunday afternoon and watch TV. It's great.

Kelly 14:40

She's our scene grandma.

Michelle 14:43

Oh my God. That is Bri's name now the scene grandma. Oh, Jesus. You know, I turned half my shirt. You did that to yourself. Gym t shirts.

Kelly 14:53

Yeah, that's all mine are their sleep shirts and gym shirts. And then some of them that aren't like ripped to shreds, yet. are wear in public t shirts. But

Brianne 15:03

to be fair, though, I had this made back in Oh God when did i have made I had made like couple years ago. So the Mich the teat the tank top you got for me at the last all time low show that you went to I still wear that is the only one that isn't in there.

Michelle 15:18

That took like a year to get to you.

Brianne 15:21

Yeah, yeah, I forgot. I forgot you had it for that long. Yeah, pretty much fine. When we live on the other side of the country. It's fine.

Michelle 15:30

Yeah, it happens. Alright, so moving on. It's time for music news. Yeah, so um, yeah, you guys know we live breathe, eat all time low. So obviously the first thing on the docket is all time low. So last week we talked about well, two weeks ago we talked about you know, their new single their old new single, I guess at this point. Well, their

Brianne 16:11

their first their first single off the new album.

Michelle 16:14

Yes. Which is some kind of some kind of disaster. Yes. And it would just so happened that they released a whole bunch of stuff right after recording. So we're a little behind, but we're catching up. So they announced their new album, wake up sunshine. And I'm super stoked, because as I've said, it's been a long time since their last album, and it's coming out April 4, there are 15 songs. And that is exciting because I feel like future hearts didn't have a lot. I feel like last young Renegade didn't have like a like a really full tracklist you know, yeah, well, it was bare bones 12 I think Yeah, yeah. But uh, their newest single sleeping in came out. On February 20, and I've loved it absolutely loved it. I like it more than some kind of disaster I would say.

Brianne 17:08

oh 100%

Michelle 17:10

Really? I might like some kind of disaster a little bit more. I don't know. Ah, it's close it's a close call but I don't know I just really enjoy the like message of some kind of disaster. I guess I connect with that a lot. But I just think sleeping in I though once you like get the words right, then then you just love it because you can just like yell it all you want and it's great.

Brianne 17:38

So my my boyfriend is nowhere near in this realm of music, but he loves me very dearly. So we went to a wedding last weekend and during on the drive to the wedding and like on the like, in between nights or whatever, anytime we get in the car, he would put it on for me and I would just like frickin rock out. He is the worst, the worst at Learning song lyrics and the amount of times I'm just like, how in God's name Did you think that was the words to the song? He knows it better than I do. Like he can get it out my mouth just like I can sing it in my head but the second yeit hits my mouth. I'm just like

Michelle 18:18

you just had to like listen to it on repeat for like about a half hour and then you'll get it. That's what I do. One day I just, I had to I just put some kind of disaster and sleeping in on a little playlist and I was just Yeah, yeah. Cuz it like ingrained itself into your brain like subconsciously, yeah.

Kelly 18:37

And you have to like focus on it. You can't just put it on I or at least I can't just put it out in the background and like, have it there. I need it. That happened a couple times where I started the song and then I was like doing something and not paying attention to the words and I just immediately restarted it every single time.

Michelle 18:52

Like that's pay attention, Kelly. It's when you don't fully appreciate the song and you have to start it over. You're like, Oh yeah, I need to like actually listen to this.

Kelly 19:00

Yeah, exactly.

Michelle Villa 19:02

But yeah no I thought it was I it was great and you know I think it's I we've got a lot to look forward to it this album I think it's really going to be one of their more popular ones it's I think a lot of fans are going to connect to it and I think musically it's it's a throwback and it but they're still yeah i think it's it's a lot of we're hearing a lot of old all time low like energetic all time low. You know what I mean?

Kelly 19:27

Yeah, I think so too. It doesn't feel the same as last young renegade did it feels more like they're older stuff, which obviously we love. So yeah,

Michelle 19:38

can we talk about that music video.

Kelly 19:41

Which one?

Brianne 19:42

Oh, my God, the animal Sleeping In? Oh, that one. Okay.

Kelly 19:46

I know I mixed them up. I thought this one was the AA type meeting one but that was the other some kind of disaster.

Michelle Villa 19:54

Yeah, no, I so I'm a big proponent. You know, in very millennial fashion, I I'm a big proponent of companies in that are philanthropic and so for bands to like kind of support animal adoption and you know really promote that in their music video I absolutely loved it Marianas Trench did something similar A while back with their Yeah, who do you love music video and they did like a very low key music video and the money that they would have put towards making a music video they donated to a bunch of charities and like schools and stuff and it was awesome. And you know, seeing all the bands give back in that sense is makes me love them even more. And obviously the puppy and the pony and the goldfish Oh my god, no, Zach and the goldfish gave me life.

Brianne 20:52

I love it because it's the content we needed.

Michelle 20:55

Yes, it is. Absolutely like I wish I mean I'm not gonna say it. Wish I had someone that looked at me the way Zack looks in his goldfish because I do but like it's not the same

Brianne 21:07

I just hope my boyfriend looks at me that way like I mean we've been together for a long time but at the same time like I can I didn't you don't see that when someone's looking at you like that you like that with someone else you're like, Okay, I know that we could go on a double date someday when we're in the same state and then we'll somewhere about if that happens. For sure. Kelly.

We both we all know that that he looks at Kelly like that because you know like that forever.

Kelly 21:33

100% true. I am the goldfish.

Michelle 21:41

But so yeah, all time lows new album comes out April 4, and on April 3, which is really cool. And I'm super stoked for them. They're out to be on Good Morning America. And I'm not sure freaked out when I saw that. I know. I'm not sure exactly if they're like performing or if they're like what is what's going on there. But like, regardless, they're gonna be on Good Morning America. That's just fucking dope. And yeah,

Kelly 22:07

can i set my VR yet?

Michelle 22:09

probably the little like 15 year old fan girl inside of me that just wants them to myself is a little upset because this is this hopefully will give them like an even bigger platform and like I think

Brianne 22:22

you're going hipster

Michelle 22:24

I know I know it's it's just a small part of me I'm really stoked for him because like this could you know, catapult them into like the likes of like, you know panic or something or Fall out boy or blink? And like really really I mean they already have huge shows but I think even bigger, you know would only benefit like

Brianne 22:41

arenas Yeah,

Michelle 22:42

yeah, yeah, yeah for sure. And they released a new message on their sunshine hotline if you can't since you can't see me I'm air quoting. But it's like where they've been like kind of giving us like clues and stuff. And so yeah, after they released everything They had a new message on there and it was like this person that person can't can't use this thing so we're moving to this I wasn't really paying attention because I don't I just look for the news once it actually comes out, but apparently the letters of the name spelled out Panda and I don't know from what I've been seeing online there's lots of conspiracy theories about this panda from like, everything is fine or birthday or whatever it was.

Brianne 23:24

Oh, yeah, there's also in in the music video for wake ups or oh my god wake up sleeping in sleeping in Yeah, it shows a panda suit like on Alex's couch when he's like saying he woke up Yeah, I'm so if you if like one of the things is it wasn't birthday is I remember correctly that the panda was the one who was like tying them up and whatnot.

Michelle 23:47

Oh, yeah. Yeah. So this is my favorite wasn't a fan of that one. Personally, I think Alex is a furry, and his chosen animal is panda. That's it. That's it. That's what it is.

Kelly 24:01

It has been decided. It's all it is.

Brianne 24:05

But here's the question is his wife into it? Well, she's gotta be she married him.

comes out. Imagine if he like comes out. I felt like I just need to tell you something. I'm just really into wearing a costume of a panda. And she's just like, Uh huh. I mean, awkward that conversations got to be.

Michelle 24:29

you know, I mean, they've been together for like, over 10 years. I don't think she would like be surprised at this point. You know, being like Alex Gaskarth.

Brianne 24:37

Yes, that's fair. That's fair.

Michelle 24:40

Yeah, and, and then they're also going to be headlining sad summer fest which I'm super stoked about. But which makes me a bit it makes me wonder when they're gonna be touring for actually wake up sunshine, but I guess it's over the summer. So probably we'll do a fall hour but yeah,

Kelly 24:56

Sad Summer Fest, isn't that long is it? It's really just the summer I guess yeah, yeah yeah I'm excited for that.

Brianne 25:04

It's an August too right? Oh July maybe July Oh, is it? Yeah July

Kelly 25:08

in August. Oh my gosh, you're right. Mine is on August 1. So yeah.

Brianne 25:14

Trying to get what I'm trying to go to is July 24. But that's if I can take my boss to let me have the day off but you know,

Kelly 25:20

yeah, I'm excited for that last year adulting sad summerfest was pretty good. And this year will be obviously even better with all time low on it so

Michelle 25:32

because I didn't end up I I got tickets I end up going because it was the I ended up adopting my pup that that week. I had to be around for him and responsibilities. He does but yeah, I'm excited this year cuz all time low. But yeah. So enough all time low because I know you guys all get sick of it.

Brianne 25:53

Oh, as as Scene Grandma. Can I be the one who does this next one, considering it's just the fact that we're all super old. Yeah.

So in the world of holy crap we're old news, blink 182 are officially eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Crazy. I'll have a moment a moment of silence from for like our childhood or whatever you want to call it, but it's been 25 years since, uh, it's been 25 years since their first album came out Cheshire Cat. And so because that's I feel like are that is the reason Yeah, a Hall of Fame requires bands to are only eligible after 25 years of their debut album.

Michelle 26:37

So, yeah, there's there's other criteria as well, like, impact on the evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll. And I mean, I guess you know, blink a fits the bill for that, I think in in the pop-punk scene quite a bit. I mean, they're, you know, you're the scene grandma. I think they're definitely the grandpa's at this point. Even though I don't think a single one of them is Actually a grandparent yet but they all have young kids. But um, no, they're The dads there. They're the dads of the scene for sure. Especially mark Hoppus he is 100% the biggest dad. Do you guys follow him on Twitter?

Brianne 27:17

No, I don't I'm not really on Twitter. again Graham over here.

Michelle 27:22

Well, he is Yeah, he's got a dad jokes galore for sure.

Kelly 27:29

Mark hoppus and Alex gaskarth with simple creatures too I feel like they just look like father and son. I don't know why.

Brianne 27:39

I actually haven't listened to any of that stuff yet. It's been like on my to do forever, but I haven't gotten around to it.

Michelle 27:44

It's got some good vibes. It's a I would call that a little beyond pop punk. Kel?

Kelly 27:49

I would love it. It's kind of like the synth Yeah, exactly. Whatever that is sythny vibes for sure.

Michelle 27:56

Yeah. But yeah, I would do I would give them a listen Bri I've listened to like, you know, their singles I think i dont know if they have a full album or anything but but yeah, blink 182 man doing big things for years and talking about big bands. So, Kiss, well a cover band of kiss. The most punk rock fashion. One of the band members of this kiss cover band kept on going as his hair caught fire during a show. This was a couple weeks ago, I think. But when I read I think I saw like, like a like the headline or something. I thought it was like a click baity article and like read it. It was like No, that was legit that happened.

Kelly 28:54

I am just reading this article now. And it is hilarious. Yeah, absolutely. Hilarious that just the title. Even kiss were impressed. He just stood there and kept on kept on singing.

Michelle 29:09

Yeah. And you know, good for them because it takes a lot I think to perform kiss because like I saw them live maybe when I was in high school a teenager because my parents took me to see them with Aerosmith actually. And very interesting concert. But yeah, they put on like a really good live show. And I can imagine, you know, if I it's a good cover band, they're gonna emulate them and do really well, but so, you know, for him to keep going when his hair's on fire. That's pretty badass.

Brianne 29:43

I think the best part about this entire story is the fact that you know, the video circulates YouTube and everything Kiss reached out to this dude and was like, are you okay? You can sit there, like, what are you doing? So like, I mean, at the very least, he's not only a badass. But it got his name recognition of clearly one of his favorite bands ever.

Kelly 30:04

So that's the highest level of dedication I've pretty much ever seen

Michelle 30:10

actually, and like I said punk rock as fuck

Kelly 30:16

so true

Michelle 30:16