NMM: The Boyle Brothers

It's hard to believe that 2012 is coming to an end very soon. First off, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for reading my blog, especially these posts.

I started this "New Music Monday" series just a few months ago and it's exploded into the most popular series on my blog with over 1,300 total page views! I never imagined that would happen so thanks!

I'm going to end this year with a group of brothers who are up and coming on the music scene. The Boyle Brothers are made up of Jacob, Jared, Jesse and Jeffrey. The group auditioned for Season 2 of "The X-Factor" in Kansas City. 

Since then the group has continued to make videos on its YouTube channel, covering big name artists such as One Direction, Nelly, Little Big Town, Gotye, Phillip Phillips, Hunter Hayes and more.

Here's one of the group's most watched videos: a cover of Little Big Town's "Bring It On Home."

This is definitely a band to watch out for!

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Year In Review: 2012

I can't believe another year is about to close. This year has been filled with ups and downs, great experiences and new ventures.

There were some down times this year. Some misunderstandings with family and friends. But, that's life and you've got to move on.

Despite that, there were so many amazing things that happened. I started my junior year at N.C. State and passed all of my first semester classes. This is especially good considering I had to take accounting. Enough said.

2012 was filled with events that I was able to be apart of.

I crossed off one major thing from my bucket list when I finally got to see Elton John in concert back in March. To this day, that was the best concert I've ever been to in my life!

Then in July, I got the experience of a lifetime by going to the live tapings of "The X-Factor" auditions in Greensboro. It was amazing to see all that and to be in the same room with music royalty: L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato, Britney Spears and Simon Cowell.

There were many good (and bad) auditions but the whole thing was fun. I even got to see a guy audition whom I'd just seen perform online the previous night, Jacob Whitesides. We've actually become good friends on Twitter since then. You should check him out!

In addition to these awesome things, I also got to see the hit musical, "Jersey Boys," three times and went to the "Rock Like A Man" benefit concert held by the cast.

Rock Like A Man

Then in November, I supported another great cause by going to the 94.7 QDR Concert for the Kids.

I was a VIP for that and got to meet Kix Brooks, Lee Brice, Jason Michael Carroll and, of course, Scotty McCreery! I also got to chat with Wheeless and J.J. from the station.

Country for the Kids

Despite a few bad things that happened, this year has been AMAZING! I would like to thank all of you for reading my blog. It's amazing that this blog has had over 17,000 pageviews in its four year history! Rest assured there will be many more exciting posts to come!

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 7

Well, Christmas is here! I've had fun posting some of my favorite Christmas jams during this miniseries and I hope you've enjoyed listening to them. This final day features four different songs.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The first is probably my all time favorite Christmas song, "I'll Be Home For Christmas." Of course, this song has probably been performed by every artist in the world but I've grown particuarly fond of Dave Barnes' rendition of it.

The second is "Mary, Did You Know" by Clay Aiken. Clay's voice still, to this day, amazes me.

Even though it's not necessarily a Christmas song, I include this next song because the message is one that should be delivered throughout the year! This is "The Prayer."

The final song is a fun one that I've always loved. After looking it up, it's hard to believe it was released 14 years ago. It's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" by N'SYNC.

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 6

Well, it's Christmas Eve once again! I've enjoyed doing this miniseries showcasing some of my favorite Christmas tunes on my blog. I really do love this time of year and the music that comes along with that. In fact, I have right at 100 different Christmas songs on my iPod!

 

I've decided to include two of my favorite songs, sung by some people I've grown to know over the past few months.

 

The first is Jacob Whitesides. You probably remember I did a "New Music Monday" post on him over the summer after I saw him audition for "The X-Factor" in Greensboro. Jacob continues to release music, including his own rendition of the classic, "Jingle Bells."

The next song is by a new group, Fifth Harmony. This group of ladies came in third place on "The X-Factor" and are quickly gaining popularity before releasing any new music of their own! Two of the members, Camila Cabello and Lauren Jauregui, both auditioned in Greensboro for the show.

Each member of the fivesome was eliminated during the show's "Boot Camp" round but were brought back and formed into a group for mentor, Simon Cowell. After going through a couple of name changes, the group finally took the name Fifth Harmony.

Each of the finalists on the show performed a Christmas song. Fifth Harmony decided to go with the classic Mariah Carey tune, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" which is, coincidentally, one of my favorites.

Enjoy!

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 5

This is another one of my favorite songs to listen to every Christmas. It's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Rascal Flatts. Enjoy!

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 4

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey has been a holiday staple for many years and is right up there with my all time favorites.

This year, Jimmy Fallon and his "Late Night" band, The Roots, got together with Carey to perform the song using their voices...and classroom instruments! Check it out!

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 3

Here's one of my favorite Christmas songs from one of my favorite bands. This is "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by Little Big Town!

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