Results tagged “the academy is...” from J-14 Magazine

Hey there J-14ers!

I don't know what it is about The Academy Is...'s William "Bill" Beckett -- but there's something so magnetic about the way he performs that I can't take my eyes off of him. Maybe it's the the way his long lanky legs march up and down the stage, maybe it's the too-cute grins that seep out from the corner of his mouth, or maybe it's the way he sings his heart out with all his soul. Whatever it is, Bill is the definition of a rockstar.

The irony is... when the band first hit the stage in New York City last Wednesday night as the headliners of the Alternative Press Fall Ball tour (with Mayday Parade, The Secret Handshake, You Me At Six, and Set Your Goals), we didn't recognize him at first. It was the first time I'd seen him perform with his new haircut (I know, so old news) and he looked so different in his spiffy tuxedo t-shirt and suspenders that we thought he was Zac Efron! Even the way his locks framed his face were so Zac-ish (in a good way!).

But once he started singing the TAI classics like "About A Girl" (prob my all-time fave song of theirs!), there was no doubt that it was 110% pure Bill Beckett. The band also performed tracks off their new EP, Lost in Pacific Time -- The AP/EP, out now.

Unfortunately the tour wraps up Sunday in Pittsburgh at the Altar Bar -- but at the rate these guys are going, there's no doubt they'll be rockin' well into 2010.

In the meantime, check out one of my guilty pleasures, Bill's blog at thewilliambeckettblog.com

What do you guys think of The Academy Is... (and are we totally crazy for thinking for a minute that he was Zac Efron?! ;) ).

Can't wait to hear from you!
Rachel
J-14 Editor

Hey J-14ers,

Yesterday was a busy day for us at J-14! In the middle of all of it, I was lucky enough to check out Mayday Parade live at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza -- I've been a fan of the band since they went on tour with Brandston back in 2006.

Mayday Parade was so energetic it was almost contagious! Actually, it was completely contagious if you saw the huge crowd that was not just singing along to every song -- a group of guys in the back formed their own mosh pit and one girl attempted crowd surfing! I was psyched because they performed my fave Mayday song, "Miserable At Best," and I even got to meet guitarist Alex Garcia after the show!

Mayday Parade is currently part of the Fall Ball '09 tour -- The Academy Is... headlines the shows, and both bands are supported by Set Your Goals, The Secret Handshake, and You Me At Six -- and their first headlining tour starts November 27. Their new album, Anywhere But Here, is on sale now! Check out Mayday Parade's tour dates after the jump.

I'm such a fan that, I even bought a pair of Mayday Parade shorts! Hello, they were kelly green and awesome! Which reminds me -- I used to collect tees from every show I went to. Are you guys into buying band gear at shows? And who are you dying to see live this winter?

<3,
Emily, J-14 editor

The stars were all about their moms today on Twitter... here's just a taste of what your fave celebs were doing on this Mother's Day!

David Archuleta was talking on the phone with his mom and also chatting with his siblings, Spectacular!'s Simon Curtis was missing his mom and Privileged's Lucy Hale wished she was with her mom as well (she's up in Canada filming a Lifetime movie).

Debby Ryan took her mom to a movie and 10 Things I Hate About You's Nicholas Braun was spoiling his mom with presents. Jennifer Stone hit the flea market with her mama and Jordin Sparks had both her mom and grandma show up at her photo shoot.

Demi Lovato spread the Mother's Day love to all her fans' moms too -- and added that everyone should go to her tour this summer with their moms. Push Play's Steve said to tell three strangers, "Happy Mother's Day." Nicole Richie used the day as a way to get the word out about moms in need. And Nick Cannon had a special shout-out to single moms, like his.

Sabrina Bryan, Kristin Cavallari, Jake T. Austin, and The Academy Is...'s Bill Beckett all Tweeted their Mother's Day wishes too.

Check out all the Mother's Day love that went out online today...

What did you guys do today for Mother's Day?

Last September, J-14 virtually introduced Demi Lovato to her celebrity crush, The Academy Is... lead singer William "Bill" Beckett. And right this very moment, the two of them are in the studio writing music together! Check out our vintage video above... and Demi's tweet from just a few minutes ago!

Hey Monday's female powerhouse singer, Cassadee Pope, is fresh out of the water of West Palm Beach, FL! She's been compared to Avril Lavigne and Paramore's Hayley Williams. J-14 spoke exclusively with the spunky singer about being "one of the guys," hanging out with cute musicians and more!

J-14: What's it like being the only girl in Hey Monday?
Cassadee: They treat me like a guy, but they also know what's disrespectful. They let me have my own bed and stuff like that, and they give me enough time in the bathroom in the morning to get ready. For the most part I'm just treated like another one of the guys.

J-14: What's your favorite track off your album Hold On Tight?
Cassadee: "Should've Tried Harder." I like the message it has. Giving a relationship your all and then it ending and the person wants to come back, but why should I take you back when I was the one who was giving and you would just take? There was no give from you, so you should have tried harder when we were together. I like that.

J-14: Who writes the songs?
Cassadee: Me and my guitar player, Mike. Mike writes the music and then brings it to me, and I'd put my lyrics and melodies to them. "Should've Tried Harder" and "Six Months" were the only songs on the record that I wrote completely by myself.

J-14: What's it like being compared to Avril Lavigne and Paramore?
Cassadee: I honestly think that it's a huge compliment. Someone said that they think Columbia found their new Avril Lavigne, and that choked me up because she's a huge inspiration to me. Paramore is a compliment because we like them a lot as a band. But there's a lot of people who just take that and fabricate on it and say that we're trying to copy them. That's not the case at all because we're a lot more pop and mainstream than them.

J-14: You're on Pete Wentz's label Decaydance with bands like The Academy Is... What's it like hanging out with William Beckett of The Academy Is...?
Cassadee: It's fun. William for me is like more of an inspiration then a crush. I think he's amazing and he's like a really cute guy -- tall and handsome. He's a huge inspiration and he's turned into one of my idols. On stage he demands everybody's attention, and he gets their attention. He pulls everybody in. I look up to him a lot.

J-14: You also had a small role on Degrassi. Do you like the acting thing or is mainly music for you?
Cassadee: My first priority and my real passion is music, but I love doing stuff like that.

J-14: Do you have any advice for girls who want to form their own band?
Cassadee: I've met so many girls who've said that I've inspired them on tour and that's awesome, but I always tell them: Don't give up, and if you don't have a band already, definitely start looking for one because you need to start as soon as possible. You really just want to have that solid foundation, like a friend in a band with you. Make sure that you get along with them. Don't be afraid of rejection and don't quit after rejection.

Demi Lovato is a huge fan of William Beckett, the super cute lead singer of The Academy Is... Well, William and bandmate Adam Siska happened to stop by the J-14 office today, and he gave Demi and J-14 a huge shout-out!

Check out the video, then let us know what you think of it and of the band's third album, Fast Times At Barrington High!

William and Adam of The Academy Is... stopped by the J-14 offices today and made this exclusive shout-out just for you! Check out their first single, "About A Girl" from their third album, Fast Times At Barrington High on their myspace page and let us know what you think of the boys!