Confessions From… The Maine

One of the highlights of my summer was definitely meeting and interviewing one of my favorite bands The Maine. They blew up in 2008 with their album Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop and Everything I Ask For was the anthem of my youth-pop-rock-loving days. They’ve developed and changed their sound a lot during the last two albums and thanks to Faze Magazine and Jessica, I had the chance to sit down with Jared Monaco, Patrick Kirch and Kennedy Brock in their tour bus while they were in Toronto for their 8123 tour. (Stepping into a band’s tour bus is always pretty damn cool.) The full article can be found in the back-to-school issue of Faze and below I’ve included a few questions from our interview for this week’s Confessions From…

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Out of the 12 tracks on the album, Forever Halloween, do you have a favourite? Is there one that’s more meaningful to you?
Jared: It’s been kind of changing a lot because it’s only been out for a few weeks
Pat: It’s hard to pick your favourite especially with all the songs so new.
Jared: Yeah and we haven’t been able to play everything live yet. But I think I feel like sad songs right now, that’s my jam of the record.
Pat: I can’t pick.
Kennedy: It’s hard to pick. I’m happy with all the songs.
Jared: Good, so Kennedy’s favourite song is Happy.
Pat: And I hate it.

You’ve been on tour with so many bands, from Lydia to Taking Back Sunday and Mayday Parade, but is there one artist or group that you haven’t toured with that you really want to?
Kennedy: Oh there’s a bunch. There’s a lot.
Jared: The Replacements are back together which is cool.
Pat: If The Foo Fighters would like to go on the road with us that’d be nice. I’d go on tour with a lot of people.
Kennedy: The Killers!
Pat: If there was going to be one last Rolling Stones tour, if they don’t die, I mean yeah if they wanna take us, sure.

Most important thing for you when it comes to creating music?
Pat: I think we just enjoy the process of it all, it’s really fun to write songs and extremely fun to be in a recording studio for a month and a half and just be like a little kid doing whatever you want. I think at that point we do it more for ourselves when we’re writing and then it’s really awesome to go and share with other people and see how they experience it and perceive the songs.
Jared: Yeah it’s a werid translation to if we like a song we wrote a lot, we don’t always necessarily know if our fans are going to like it. I think Forever Halloween was a success in that aspect. The response from fans has been awesome so we feel even better about the songs that we wrote.

What else are you guys planning?
Kennedy: First of all, a whole lot of touring, we are going to do a lot to support this record, we’ve got a lot of things planned.
Pat: Yeah we’re going to be on the road for a while, we’re always doing something new, that kidn of stuff just comes out of the blue, you get inspired and some idea to record, some EP, or make a book, or make a DVD.
Kennedy: Yeah it’s inevitable we’ll be doing something along those lines.
Pat: You know the goal, maybe, hopefully by the end of 2014 by the time we make the next record, just make The Maine’s own recording studio. Like maybe something we’re beginning to talk about. Big project in the distance.

Ultimate career goal?
Pat: The goal is just to be able to put ourselves in the position to be able to make as much music as possible. So that’s the goal for the band for the rest of year.

Be sure to check out The Maine’s newest music video for Love & Drugs:

-@Naomi_ML

Reunited with Motorola: Rogers Moto X

They say you never forget your first cellphone and it’s true. I still remember the day my dad brought it home.  I was an anxious 13-year-old, desperate to get my hands on one of those cool portable devices that would allow me to send instant text messages to my friends and talk to them without my mom going “hello, who’s on the phone? I neeeeeed it.” during the middle of a conversation. This cellphone was long overdue; by now everyone already had one and I had been begging for my own for months on end. My dad finally came home with one of the most popular phones (at least amongst my eighth grade class), the Motorola V360, and it was perfect.

Fast forward three years, and I upgraded to what was the sleek, incredibly thin and even better looking Motorola Krzr. It was THE phone to have. And while I had a blast with my flip phones, sharing many conversations, winky faces and “wut r u doing 2day?” texts, soon the era of smartphones came, and well frankly, my relationship with Motorola was put on the back burner.

I had a great relationship with Blackberry, before I took a bite of Apple and switched to the iPhone 5 which I’m currently using. But today I’ve been fortunate enough, thanks to Rogers, to reunite with my first cellphone love: Motorola.

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The Moto X is available only at Rogers, and offers touchless control, an active display and a quick capture camera among its list of impressing features. What does that mean?
“Talk to it, and it learns your voice. With a twist of your wrist, it becomes your camera and gets the shots you’d otherwise miss and it tells you what you need to know—even when you’re not touching it.”

See for yourself:

Now I’m very much attached to my iPhone and I’ve always been an Apple person, but I’m ready to switch over and take on the 60-day Moto X Challenge (aka a challenge I’ve presented myself with where I’ll be completely dedicated to this Moto X). Change is not something I usually enjoy, but with this device, it’s one I’m welcoming with open arms and ready thumbs! I’ve only just begun to play with this new toy, but one thing’s for sure, the camera quality is stunning and I can’t wait to capture memories. I’ll definitely update you at the end of my 60-day challenge to let you know if I’ll be sticking with the Moto X or switching back to the iPhone 5.

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-@Naomi_ML

On set of Faze Magazine’s Cover shoot with the Degrassi boys

From Ed Sheeran and Olly Murs to Austin Mahone and Cody Simpson, Faze Magazine‘s covers haven’t been shy of cute boys. And last week, we did a shoot that will see Canadian homegrown talent grace the next issue of Faze: Degrassi’s very own Munro Chambers, Luke Bilyk and Demetrius Joyette.

What was it like being on set? Well just like you were watching a group of down-to-earth, hilarious guys have a great time. There were tons of laughs, lots of music and plenty, and I mean plenty of dancing (thanks to Munro’s iPod). It’s clear that the three aren’t just classmates on screen, or coworkers in real life but best friends, or “bros” as the three liked to say throughout the day.

Even though I was capturing behind the scenes video, I was able to grab some photos in between filming. So scroll down below for a sneak peek at our Degrassi boys cover shoot. And stay tuned to faze.ca/@fazemagazine for the behind the scenes video coming soon (there may or may not be some twerking included in that).

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-@Naomi_ML

September/October Shopping Haul + Giveaway

While I used to be able to do these once a month, the reality that I’m a financially starving student finally hit me. I didn’t know of the word “save” and thus spent all my money on whatever caught my eye in the shopping mall.
But I’m a changed person… I’m cutting down on my shopping habits. So here’s my haul for the past two months. Yes, I know October’s not over, but I promise I won’t buy a single item for the rest of this month.

Also, be sure to scroll to the bottom for a great beauty giveaway!

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The “Whatever” hat, $4, Urban Planet
For the longest time I’ve wanted a winter hat/beanie like this. There’s been an increasing popularity in what I like to call “word hats” that have everything from “Ain’t no wifey” to “Rich” on them.
I’m someone who’d prefer to keep my “geek” status hidden instead of scripted on my forehead, so this “Whatever” hat was perfect for me. It also perfectly describes my mood on school days.
For Canadians you can buy this hat, for the extremely cheap price of $4 at Urban Planet, and while they only ship within Canada, others can buy other similar styles them on eBay or at Brandy Mellville.

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Daisy by Marc Jacobs Eau de toilette spray, $100, Sears
No, I did not splurge on this floral smelling perfume, it was given to me by my amazing internship editor, but boy does it smell good. Described as fresh and feminine, with a playful innocence, it’s perfect for a night out or everyday wear (though I don’t think I can part with my Vera Wang princess perfume yet).

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Rottweiler puppy shirt, $24, Urban Outfitters
Before you do anything else, just take five seconds to look into this puppy’s eyes.
….And now you know why I purchased this oversized tee. While roaring tigers and other animals are cool and all, nothing beats this adorable adorable pup. I also love how it’s a play on Givenchy’s famous rotweiler design.

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Assorted gold jewelry, $6, Charlotte Russe
My favourite place to buy jewelry in the States would definitely be Charlotte Russe. They have the most gorgeous pieces that are in-trend for the best prices. $6 for one or 2 for $10 hello! Gold jewelry is the only thing I spend my money on (sorry silver!) so here are the three that caught my eye this visit.

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Michael Kors signature hats.
Here’s the thing I have an addiction to winter accessories; hats, gloves, scarves you name it. My mother has since banned me from buying anymore items but it hasn’t stopped me from buying them for other people. These Michael Kors signature hats were a steal so I had to snatch them! Christmas is coming up after all!

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Tribal Print Cardigan, $22, Papaya
Warm and thick cardigans are a must-have in my closet during the winter months. One with a bold print like this is perfect to throw on during those lazy days.

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Essie No Chips Ahead top coat, and tour de finance and too too hot nail polishes, $6
I’ve been needing a new top coat, having used Essie’s To Dry For top coat, I thought I’d go with this one which is supposed to extend your manicure by ten days. I’ve yet to test to out but from all the brands I’ve tried, Essie is by far my favorite!

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Studded Sleeveless blouse, $20, JCPenny

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Wedge Sneakers, $70, Steve Madden
Definitely my favorite purchase, wedge sneakers have been on my to-buy list all summer and I finally found a great pair at a reasonable price! I can always count on Steve Madden. I love that they add height without making it super obvious with a giant heel.

Giveaway, FREE (if you win)
With each haul, I figured I’d grab something extra for my fabulous readers. This month, I’ve got a mini beauty prize pack that includes some awesome Halloween themed nail products!

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There are three ways to enter, you only need to to do one, but for each method you get an extra entry (for a total of three entries)!

To enter:

1. Follow @Naomi_ML on twitter and tweet “I want my nails to be as scary as my costume this Halloween! Help me out @Naomi_ML! #BeautyGiveaway https://confessionsofatwentiesgirl.com/

2. Like my brand spakin’ new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Confessions-of-a-Twenties-Girl/172271422978078 and like the post about this haul!

3. Follow this blog, post a comment on this post and tell me what’s the best thing you bought this month so far or what your favorite item from this haul is and why!

Contest open worldwide and closes October 23, 2013.