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Last week, we sat down with Vegan Llamas to get to know them a little better. This week, we get the chance to know more about another Block Party artist that we all love – CJ King!

Where are you from?

I am from the hectic, traffic filled city of Atlanta, GA!

Where did you get your start in music?

I started in church playing drums. My dad is a musician and plays guitar, keys, and drums so I was always fascinated with music. I started singing in talent shows but there was one problem – I couldn’t sing if my mom’s life depended on it. That led me to give rap a try at one talent show and I ran with it from there.

What has been your most exciting career moment so far?

My most exciting career moment is a tie between when my single “SWRVN” was first played at the LU football games and when my band and I did our best show ever at Liberty’s Homecoming two years ago.

Where are you planning on taking your music?

I just moved to Atlanta after high interest was expressed by a few major labels so I am currently shaking a lot of hands and seeing what happens from there.

If you could see one person/band in concert (dead or alive), who would it be?

I would have to say James Brown hands down. I love how he controls the crowd and lets the music control him.

You can find CJ’s music on platforms such as Spotify, iTunes, Google, Amazon and any other digital outlet. You can also follow him on Instagram at “cjkingmusic”!

We asked Nick Henretty, lead singer of Vegan Llamas, a few questions about the band and where they came from. We can’t wait to see this group bring rock and roll to the Block Party stage!

Who are your band members and where are you guys from?

Our band members are:
Nick Henretty, (lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter) from Mechanicsville, VA, right outside of Richmond
Jacob Tallent, (lead guitar, banjo, BGV) from Midland, NC, a stone’s throw outside of Charlotte
Connor Denton, (keys, piano, keytar, BGV) from Spotsylvania, VA, next to nothing in the boonies
Noah Felten, (bass guitar, BGV) from Phenix City, AL, just across the river from Columbus, GA
Alex Kenny, aka THE [pronounced “thee”] Alex Kenny, (drums, all things percussion) from Franklin TN, just south of Nashville

How did you all meet?

We were/are all students of Liberty University’s School of Music in one way or another. Four of us are music majors (and graduated), one is a music minor (with one year left). We had all played together in different respects before the band officially formed, but Coffeehouse is what brought the original crew together as the Llamas. At first it wasn’t really anything serious; we just wanted to have an outlet to rock out onstage. But as more and more people told us they really liked our stuff, we decided we should keep it going after school. I say “original crew” because Alex is the newest addition and just came on with us this past semester, but we’ve known him for so long that the transition was very smooth.

Where did the “Vegan Llamas” name come from?

Ok, so we actually came up with this really elaborate story about how it stemmed from a rallying cry Noah’s great uncle used in one of the world wars, but since you guys are friends, we’ll tell you the truth, which is far less entertaining. Back in February of 2015, there was a Convo speaker (cannot remember who for the life of me) who brought up distractions as part of his talk. As he was mentioning things that could be distractions, he shouts “vegan llama!” as an option. We have no idea why, and neither did he. But later that semester when Coffeehouse auditions were coming up, we thought “that sounds like a band name.” Two and a half years later, here we are.

What has been your best moment as a band so far?

Coffeehouse was always a big highlight for us in years past (especially when we covered “The Grinch”), and there’s still really no comparison to that high you get when you gel as a band in front of that big a crowd. But as we’ve grown, we’ve discovered there are different kinds of “best moments.” We had a best moment when we got to headline our own SA show last semester; we had a best moment when we recorded our EP in Michigan; and we anticipate many more best moments to come (this upcoming Block Party hopefully one of them!).

Where can we find your music?

We are on most digital platforms. iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Google, and SoundCloud. We will also have physical copies available at the show!

Check out Vegan Llamas music here, and follow them on Instagram at “veganllamas_band”!

New albums, new albums galore! We’ve scoured the Internet for some reviews about the newest and “hottest” albums that are out there, and we’ve found three that we think could interest you. Check them out below!

Oh Wonder – “Ultralife”

“Surfacing to instant global acclaim in 2014 with their self-titled debut, the duo of Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West have now returned with the melodic and atmospheric ‘Ultralife,’ a journey through time and space, and love and loss.” Read the review here.

Foster the People – “Sacred Hearts Club”

“Sacred Hearts Club” gets the delicate mix right, getting progressively more complex as you go through the album, delivering pure shimmering pop like “Pay the Man” and “Sit Next to Me” at the beginning, and ending with a glimpse of the L.A.-based band’s ambition in such complex, thrilling songs as “Loyal Like Sid & Nancy” and “Harden the Paint.” The full review can be found here.

LANY – “LANY”

“With this massive full-length (and I say massive, because it clocks in at sixteen songs in length) LANY are able to not only explore sounds they haven’t had a chance to showcase on previous releases but also take listeners on an emotional and personal journey.” Here is where you can find the Prelude Press review.

Let us know what you’re listening to! We’re on social media as libertysa and our email is studentactivities@liberty.edu. We want to hear from you!

Disclaimer: Student Activities does not explicitly promote the albums/television shows/movies we write about. As always, we seek to engage with and review what is happening in our culture in order to interact with it in a godly manner, which is why we do what we do. For more information about movies/music that we do promote, check out our FAQ page!

Another Monday, another dollar! It’s a new week, and you know what that means – new movies, music and television have been released. Check out what’s new below!

You can find upcoming music releases here! Friday will bring about new sounds from bands such as Arcade Fire, Cage the Elephant, Passion Pit and Manchester Orchestra, meaning that our worlds will be rockin’ this weekend!

How did everyone like Dunkirk this weekend? Did Cillian Murphy and Harry Styles live up to their hype? No matter how much you liked/disliked the cinematic weekend of July 21st, there’s always a new weekend – check it out here.

What are you guys listening to/watching? Let us know! We’re libertysa on social media and our email address is studentactivities@liberty.edu. We love hearing from you!

Disclaimer: Student Activities does not explicitly promote the albums/television shows/movies we write about. As always, we seek to engage with and review what is happening in our culture in order to interact with it in a godly manner, which is why we do what we do. For more information about movies/music that we do promote, check out our FAQ page!

Happy Monday everyone! We’re already getting into another week with more releases in entertainment, so stay tuned for this Friday.

When it comes to music, this week’s releases are scattered into every end of the spectrum. Foster the People is coming out with a new album this weekend; you may not know this, but FTP’s bassist, Jacob Fink, is married to your very own Rebecca St. James (who also happens to be the sister of your very own For King & Country brothers, Joel and Luke Smallbone). It’s all in the family!

For movies, here is what you can look forward to this weekend. We’ve been hearing some buzz about Dunkirk, so let us know your “feels” on the film!

What are you guys listening to/watching? Let us know! We’re libertysa on social media and our email address is studentactivities@liberty.edu. We love hearing from you!

Disclaimer: Student Activities does not explicitly promote the albums/television shows/movies we write about. As always, we seek to engage with and review what is happening in our culture in order to interact with it in a godly manner, which is why we do what we do. For more information about movies/music that we do promote, check out our FAQ page!

As Lecrae’s new album is promised to come out this summer, hip-hop lovers and CCM fanatics alike are talking about it – who will be featured? How will the album compare to Anomaly? Will Lecrae be one of the only CCM artists to make it to the Billboard Top 200?

Based off of the response to Lecrae’s newly released singles “Blessings”, “Hammer Time” and “I’ll Find You”, the answer to the latter question could easily be a yes. Featuring collaborations with well-known mainstream artists and producers, Lecrae’s upcoming album could be his best and most versatile yet.

Lecrae opened up about his intentions behind the album in a Forbes article written by Hugh McIntyre. Check it out here!

Disclaimer: Student Activities does not explicitly promote the albums/television shows/movies we write about. As always, we seek to engage with and review what is happening in our culture in order to interact with it in a godly manner, which is why we do what we do. For more information about movies/music that we do promote, check out our FAQ page!

Is it possible that summer is past the halfway mark already? In just about a month, students will be gearing up to head back to school. How is this accurate?! Regardless, this Friday, July 14th, is only a couple days away. We want to share with you what to look forward to for your weekend plans!

For music, this week holds a lot of album releases by some smaller names. Check out what’s coming up here!

Upcoming movies are cataloged here for your viewing pleasure. Planet of the Apes is back in action along with a lot of other movies you’ve probably never heard anything about.

What are you guys listening to/watching? Let us know! We’re libertysa on social media and our email address is studentactivities@liberty.edu. We love hearing from you!

Disclaimer: Student Activities does not explicitly promote the albums/television shows/movies we write about. As always, we seek to engage with and review what is happening in our culture in order to interact with it in a godly manner, which is why we do what we do. For more information about movies/music that we do promote, check out our FAQ page!

This Friday, July 7th, we have more movies and music that are just waiting to be released! “Are you not entertained?” If not, hopefully this post will give you all the right information you need to get yourself (and your weekend plans) together.

This summer has been filled with new stories told through the medium of music. To check some of these newer releases out, here’s a helpful link!

If you’re a movie person, here’s a link that will show you the upcoming releases for this Friday! Plan your weekend (or don’t) around tangling yourself up in the web of a man-spider (whose name isn’t Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield).

What are you guys listening to/watching? Let us know! We’re libertysa on social media and our email address is studentactivities@liberty.edu. We love hearing from you!

Disclaimer: Student Activities does not explicitly promote the albums/television shows/movies we write about. As always, we seek to engage with and review what is happening in our culture in order to interact with it in a godly manner, which is why we do what we do. For more information about movies/music that we do promote, check out our FAQ page!

If After Laughter could be summed up in one image, the image could be ‘one long crashing blue wave of water on the California coast’. The album flows together as a long wave would, one song to the next, changing just enough to be 12 distinct pieces to one of the best puzzles you’ve ever completed. The album, being separate and whole at the same time, is also a perfect image of Paramore itself; with the band changes and disagreements over the years, the fact that an album like After Laughter can still be created proves the strength of music to power through any disputes.

Formed in 2004, the Nashville-born band reached fame the good “old-fashioned” way – they wrote and performed quality music with a distinct sound. All We Know Is Falling, the band’s first studio album released in 2005, set them up perfectly for their 2007 album release Riot!. Riot! is possibly the staple of who Paramore is – the singles “Misery Business”, “Crushcrushcrush” and “That’s What You Get” continued to move the band into the perfect position for recognition. Paramore continued to gain fame throughout the past ten years, each album holding to their distinct sound while paving a new path for the band. Out of the three current band members, (Hayley Williams, Zac Farro and Taylor York), Hayley is the only member to have stayed in the band since its founding in 2004.

Maybe because of her consistency, maybe because of her fiery hair, maybe just because she seems really cool, Hayley Williams is a star that has arguably reached a different degree of fame than her band. Pitchfork writes (in an intelligible review about After Laughter), “All these comings and goings might seem trivial in relation to Williams’ supernova star power, but the drama has always fueled her songwriting, as well as the band’s sound, to an outsized degree.”* The Pitchfork article also states that Paramore’s music, especially in the band’s formative years, was “informed by a pious Christian faith”. Josh Farro, a founder of the band which is no longer a part, acknowledges this pious faith, but has questioned if Williams is still as dedicated to the faith through her songwriting as she was in the beginning.** Williams undoubtedly allows herself to be transparent about these conflicts in her songwriting, spoken through metaphors and symbols galore, which is what continues to make her and the band feel close and applicable.

After Laughter is exactly these two words – close and applicable. On the album, “Fake Happy” sounds exactly like something many listeners can appreciate. As Williams softly opens the song with “I love makin’ you believe / what you get is what you see / but I’m so fake happy / I feel so fake happy”, anyone can feel as though she’s reading their mind and portraying their own thoughts in the most sincere way. Later in the album, “No Friend” is presented almost as an accident; it seems as though Aaron Weiss (of mewithoutYou) was quietly expressing the thoughts of Williams through poetry in the background of a Paramore practice session. The words of “No Friend” are “dense, referential, and almost shockingly honest, culminating in lines that seem to suggest the band’s craven core”, as Pitchfork states in the aforementioned article.

Paramore’s newest album has exactly the sound that it needs to have to hold tight to the band’s core while also remaining updated and taking risks. Talking Heads and The Cure are the two bands that After Laughter seems to derive influence from primarily, taking you back to the 80’s while still exploring the challenges of every day 2017.

Resources:

*https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23237-after-laughter/

**https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/dec/23/ex-paramore-members-slam-hayley-williams

Disclaimer: Student Activities does not explicitly promote the albums/television shows/movies we write about. As always, we seek to engage with and review what is happening in our culture in order to interact with it in a godly manner, which is why we do what we do. For more information about movies/music that we do promote, check out our FAQ page!

We hear that you want to know about some releases coming out this Friday in the entertainment world, so here they are for you!

So much new music has been coming out lately that it’s hard to keep up, which is why we’re here to help you. Album releases can be found at this link!

Movie releases for June 30 can be found here. Despicable Me 3 is coming to us this weekend, so make sure to carve out some time for your favorite minions (if you’re into that kind of thing).

What are you guys listening to/watching? Let us know! We’re libertysa on social media and our email address is studentactivities@liberty.edu. We love hearing from you!

Disclaimer: Student Activities does not explicitly promote the albums/television shows/movies we write about. As always, we seek to engage with and review what is happening in our culture in order to interact with it in a godly manner, which is why we do what we do. For more information about movies/music that we do promote, check out our FAQ page!