Here's To You

Cover songs are pretty common nowadays — but truly original spins on existing tunes? Those are a little more rare. That’s not to say they don’t exist, though…

Yes, posting cover songs to YouTube is now the norm for new, up-and-coming artists hoping to get discovered. It started with Justin Bieber, who gained massive success after being spotted singing Usher songs a capella online — and the trend has grown to incorporate other social media networks and apps such as Twitter, Instagram and Vine, where pop stars are discovered daily.

But with so many people doing the same thing, trying to achieve the same goal, how do these talented individuals stand out?

The best way: They make the covers unique — and all their own.

These artists and bands took our all-time favorite pop songs and altered them to suit their styles — adding edgier guitar riffs, stripping them down, and incorporating more rock elements and vocals.

You may just like these versions more than the originals:

Here’s To You put their own spin on “Uptown Funk.” - MTV

Here's to You is a band from long Island, NY. Here's to You is made up of Charlie, Stephan, Greg, and Cole. They formed the band in 2009 but Cole didn't come along till 2013. They recently have released their debut album, "Love Me Or Leave Me", back in August. This records has been a few years in the making. These boys are very talented and super sweet. They are currently working on the Sophomore album. Their Music is available on iTunes. Keep with the band and boys on their social media and their website http://herestoyouband.com. - Odyssey

When I listen to a debut, I never take it at face-value. I never listen to it and think, “This is all [insert band name here] has to offer.” I know it’s an introduction, and it could be one that either shows a lot of promise or one that makes me sad inside. Thankfully, Here’s To You have offered a debut that, while not perfect, showcases definite potential.

To be honest, as someone who adores pop-punk and its catchy choruses and group vocals, I was surprised to find that I couldn’t fully immerse myself into Love Me Or Leave Me. However, that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy parts of it; I may just be the wrong age group, if I may add a disclaimer. I think if I’d heard it a few years back, this album would have been my soundtrack. But as an adult, I find that I can’t relate to it.

For example, I loved some of the group vocal moments, such as the one featured on “Katie With a North Face.” I’ve said it before, group vocals are my #GrowingUpPopPunk downfall. I love them. However, much like the “oh oh oh” moments, I do find that they are best used sparingly. Here’s To You was quite liberal with those moments, and while they execute them well, they would probably have been more effective if they’d been spread out a little bit.

Tracks like “Me & You,” a bass heavy, surprisingly provocative, dance-remix worthy track, show mainstream appeal, although I didn’t find it to be particularly original. If we’re talking provocative tracks, “Underneath These Sheets” is a little better, but it’s missing the lust, ala John O’Callaghan on The Maine’s “My Heroine.” It wasn’t until “With No Consideration” that I actually believed the band, and what they were talking about. The piano-driven, melodic track is full of bitterness, and is startlingly bold, both lyrically and instrumentally. It’s anthemic, with pure anger behind it, and tongue-in-cheek aggression. While it’s not a perfect track, it definitely has appeal, especially for that first heartbreak I imagine the primary listeners will be going through at this time in life (see also “Best Friend’s Girlfriend,” “Sh*t To You”). There is a GREAT guitar solo that cannot be missed, really adding to the feeling that this is the first moment of real emotion on the album. “These Days” manages to hit that same vein, with a determination that is evident in every line and chord, acting as a beautiful closeout for the album.

The title track of Love Me Or Leave Me is another outstanding highlight, that showcases a bit more vocal exploration, which is seen on a few tracks, and adds another dimension each time. The song is a bitter, anthemic track that leads perfectly into the pop-punk, Boys Like Girls-esque “Live It Up,” which could be played at Warped Tour tomorrow, and probably get the crowd involved easily.

As far as debuts go, Love Me Or Leave Me is an introduction to a group of very talented musicians, although I would love to see a bit more of their personalities, and less of Forever The Sickest Kids and The Click Five. I see a lot of potential from these guys, but I find that the album, primarily a break up album, is a lot of the, “I didn’t do anything wrong! It’s all YOUR fault” – name-calling type that I’d hear from young kids. I’d have liked a bit more emotional introspection, and more moments like on “These Days” and “With No Consideration,” where I feel as though I’m hearing more of how the band wants to sound than how they think they should sound.



Read more: http://www.infectiousmagazine.com/review-heres-to-you-love-me-or-leave-me/#ixzz3hsKItWfV - Infectious Magazine

We mentioned last week that we had an interview with Here’s To You, and we weren’t about to break that promise. The four piece from Long Island, New York may have been spread across the globe but Charlie, Greg, and Stephan took a minute where they were to Skype in for an interview. The guys are hilarious and down to earth; they just love what they do, and want to share that joy with anyone who will listen. What started as an interview, practically became just hanging with friends. The guys are that chill. From the start of the band, to Pokémon spirit animals, we covered all the important stuff just for you.

UA: Introduce yourselves, your role in the band, and which character from the X-men would you want to be?

Charlie: My name is Charlie, I’m the singer and rhythm guitarist in the band, and if I could be any X-men character I would be the fire guy. I can’t remember his name but he like destroys everything in the second movie. He can’t even start the fire, he can just manipulate it. I think that’s really cool. It’s an interesting twist on his powers.

Stephan: (After googling the name) Pyro!

Greg: I’m Greg. I play guitar. I would be the guy who can walk through walls and s***.

Stephan: You mean the girl?

Greg: Yeah, she does the coolest stuff. I just love her powers.

Stephan: My name’s Stephan. I play drums, and I would be Nightcrawler. I’d love to be able to teleport.

UA: How did Here’s to You meet and form?

Charlie: That was me and Stephan in like 9th grade. We wrote some songs in his basement on the acoustic guitar. We just were playing around and our family members were like, “You guys have potential!” We needed someone to play guitar, so we hit up his cousin [Greg] cause [Stephan] was like “Oh, my cousin plays guitar.”

Stephan: Just like that.

Greg: Yeah, me and Stephan were in a band before Here’s To You, but that band was like kind of done with by the time Here’s To You started. Funny story, we actually played our first show with Cole but he was in a different band at the time. We had a different bass player We were really good friends with him, so one day we needed a bass player and Cole jammed with us.

UA: You’ve been a band for about 6 years releasing singles, and now have released “Love Me Or Leave Me” (album breakdown can be found here), how has that changed your fan base?

Charlie: We haven’t gotten to play any shows since release, but hopefully they’ll know the songs now.

Stephan: We’re getting more activity for sure. Everyone these past two years when we play shows want an album, and we haven’t been able to deliver that. Now, we can fulfill that issue, their dreams, and I think from their we’ll have a lot of expansion.

UA: You guys were put on MTV’s 9 Rock Covers of Pop Songs That Will Blow Your Mind, what did that mean to you guys?

inside-first-outfit-standing-small-600x600Greg: That was sick!

Charlie: Yeah, that was freaking awesome. I showed like my one friend.

Stephan: *laughing* You’re one friend?!

Charlie: I only have one friend, and I showed him and he like freaked the f*** out, and like called his other friends. I was like wow, this actually made a big impact on him.

Stephan: Yeah, the video got like 3,000 views in one day.

Greg: We had just gotten back from a show.

Charlie: Everybody freaked out.

UA: Will you guys make any music videos for any of the new songs?

Greg: Oh, crap. We really want to!

Charlie: Yes. Actually, [Stephan’s dad] was like, “I need you to come up with music video ideas for three of your songs”. So, I’m in charge of coming up with video ideas, I think.

Greg: It’s just a matter of us getting together, cause Cole now goes to school at Berkley, in Boston.

UA: What was the band/musician that personally inspired you to start playing music?

Charlie: Sum 41 was a big one for me.

Stephan: Tré Cool, the drummer from Green Day.

Greg: All four of us got into the same band around the same time, it’s our favorite band, The Fall of Troy. As a guitar player, Thomas Erak, was like *insert crazy guitar solo noises*, and I was likd, “I have to push myself to the next level”.

UA: Describe personal of the band member next to you?

Charlie: Greg’s a silly guy. He’s a good friend. He’s got a nice face; good to talk to.. He’s kinda like Arnold, from Hey! Arnold. Everyone goes to him for advice.

Greg: Stephan…he wears his heart on his sleeve. Sometimes it can be the best thing in the world, and sometimes you gotta work with him and help him feel better. Since he’s the drummer, his mood affects everyone else. He’s got a sound mind and a good set of reasoning, and always thinks of things that not everyone else thinks about to always land us on our feet.

Stephan: The best thing about Charlie is…nothing. No, um, if you’re Charlie’s friend; he’s probably one of the best friends you could have. He’s probably the most genuine person you’ll meet because he doesn’t lie, he’s always just genuine and I love him.

Greg: He’s also so sarcastic.

UA: What animal/Pokémon is your spirit animal? (We included reference photos for the non-Pokémon savvy fans)

Greg: Mine is a Tyranitar, a Typhlosion, or a Gengar cause those are my favorite pokemon and they resonate with me the most.


Charlie: Imagine if you were a Gyarados…

Stephan: For me, it would either by Crobat or Milotic, cause i’m beautiful. We’re getting real nerdy.


Left to Right: Crobat and Milotic
Charlie: Wait, hold on…yeah, I pick Gyrados.

Stephan: You’d be angry all the time.

Charlie: Yeah, but he’s bada**

UA: What is one special talent that fans might not know you possess?

Greg: Charlie can code.

Charlie: I can code. I was actually coding right before this.

Greg: Um, I can flip my tongue upside down.

(Followed by all three flipping their tongues upside down.)

Stephan: I recently got into background acting.

Charlie: He’s gonna be on Orange Is the New Black: Season 1!

UA: Will there be any upcoming tours?

Greg: We’re all in college, but we definitely want to do this. We’re going to try to string something together in the winter, but definitely this summer. A lot of our fans are like on the east coast, so doing weekend shows isn’t that difficult.

UA: Where can fans find your music/merch?

Charlie: Our website.

Stephan: If you go to herestoyouband.com, that’s where everything is…

Greg: There’s a shop link.

Stephan: Yeah, if you click shop, it’ll take you to our big cartel and we have like five shirts, some bracelets, the new cd, obviously, and its signed so that’s cool.

UA: If you could pick your personal anthem, what song would that be?

Charlie: “Strangers” by Seven Lions. I never get sick of that song.

Stephan: Got it. “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” by Disney’s Mulan.

Greg: Sh*t, this is hard. “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre



You can follow the band on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and by checking out their website. The benefits of being a band for so long but only just releasing their CD is that Here’s To You has a chemistry and connection within the band, at the beginning of their career, that new bands spend years, and many member changes, to get right. A Here’s To You show would be worth every penny spent, so if they come to where you are, we cannot stress this enough, go see them. - Underdog Anthems

When a band writes good music, people take notice. That’s exactly what’s happening here. Long Island pop rock band Here’s To You will be releasing their debut album “Love Me of Leave Me” on August 4th, and here at Place For Music, we’ve been lucky enough to get a sneak peak. So, without further a due, here’s our take on “Love Me Or Leave Me.”

The opening track of an album has to be strong, attention grabbing, and powerful. HTY has pulled that off with this one. Being the first song the band ever wrote, it’s definitely and appropriate album-starter. “Katie With A North Face” delivers a heavy, riff based intro, followed by a verse and chorus that are both super catchy. I particularly like the post chorus/pre verse breakdown. That part is sick. Drummer Stephan Stanzione’s tight drumming, especially the fill leading into the second chorus really drives this song. A fun, sing along gang-vocal part is also always a nice addition.

“Katie With A North Face” – 8/10

When you can get an entire crowd to sing along to your tunes, that’s when you know you’ve got somethin’ special. “Me and You” is definitely a jam. The song starts with a gang vocal chant, perfect for getting a cows pumped. The chorus, too, has great sing-along capability. Bassist Cole Szilagyi really propels this track with his funky slap bass and tasty bass fills. Not to mention a fun breakdown part with cool solo from lead guitarist Greg Almeida (one of many).

“Me and You” – 8/10

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Here’s To You live quite a few times, and this next song is ALWAYS fun to watch live. The band usually opens the set with this, the title track to the album, “Love Me or Leave Me.” A really groovy bass and drum jam starts it out, and the rhythm section here of Steph and Cole really bring it. They stay in dat pocket, if you know what I mean. Another sick solo by Greg, in the beginning of the track, is another great way to pull the listener in. I especially like the chord changes in the bridge, along with lead singer Charlie Giovaniello’s vocals on this track; really powerful, super tight falsetto. This track is a party.

“Love Me or Leave Me” – 9/10

This next track is really rad. I get a real Jimmy Eat World vibe from the music, which is never a bad thing. This one’s just a straight jam, honestly. It’s just fun and catchy. The chant in the chorus is fun, along with just the words in the chorus being catchy as hell too. Oh, and another rippin’ solo from Almeida, along with a sick breakdown after the solo, really makes this song.

“Live It Up” – 9/10

This next song is interesting. For me, it works in the context of the album because of the placement. The first four tracks were definitely on the heavier side, with, like I said before, a real Jimmy Eat World vibe. This one definitely does a little less. But it’s still good in terms of calming the listener before the later tracks on the record. This song to me feels like a fun “The 1975″ jam, mixed with a pop song. But for me, this track just never really captured me as much as the previous ones had. Not one of my personal favorites on the record, but still enjoyable none the less.

“Share My Heart” 6/10

If you like early 2000s pop mixed with 2000s alt rock, that’s what this track delivers. The music really drives this one. The instrumental work on this song is super groovy, funky, and just straight up fun. The lyrics for me are not the strongest, especially with the overuse of the phrase “cheating whore.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely tasteful if used correctly, I just think it may have been a bit overdone. The band said in their “track by track” for this song that they were going to try and keep it a little more subtle, but ended up just going with it, and I like the fact that the stuck to their convictions. Also, the title is a play on something that Harper Lee, the author of one of my favorite books ever, wrote, and that simply adds a lot to this song, for me.

“With No Consideration” – 7/10

Another fun song. “Best Friend’s Girlfriend” is another sick jam. When I first heard this song, I got a “Stacy’s Mom” kinda vibe, simply due to the “forbidden love” aspect of the song, and everyone likes “Stacy’s Mom,” so I feel like everyone’s gonna like “Best Friends Girlfriend.” This one’s just a solid, solid track.

“Best Friend’s Girlfriend” – 8/10

Another song that’s drivers by specific aspects of the band, at least for me. I feel like Stephan’s drummer and Charlie’s vocal work on this track stand out a lot. Charlie’s vocals harmonies in the chorus are perfectly fitting for this track, and Steph’s tasty fills and grooves work well. But the song as a whole for me is just ok. It lacks the punch that song of the earlier tracks had, but it’s still a fun one.

“Sh*t To You” – 7/10

I really like this tune. Definitely a bass driven track, which is always good. Cole really made this track for me. But really everything about this song works. The guitars work is really well done, and Charlie’s vocals are very strong. I really like the synth in the bridge too. And another breakdown after said bridge is a lot of fun. I think you guys get the jist, I just really like breakdowns. This is a really cool track, definitely one of, if not the favorite track on the record for me.

“Underneath These Sheets” – 9/10

HTY picked a really good track to close out the album. “These Days” is a fun song that is heavy, but also very inspirational, lyrically. The only track on the record to be in 6/8, it really gives this track very stand-out feel, like it’s almost it’s own entity, and I really like that. The bridge in this song is awesome. The sixteenth-note high hat beat over the same chord progression from the rest of the song is really cool and super different, and I really like that. A really good choice to end the album.

“These Days” – 9/10

Overall, a really solid debut from a really solid band. These dudes are definitely on the verge of something special, so everyone be on the lookout for this band to be huge in the not too distant future. Well done boys.

Pick up the album on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music on August 4th!

“Love Me Or Leave Me” (Album) – 8/10 - Place For Music

If you’re from Long Island, New York you may have heard about a pop rock band called Here’s To You. The band has been around for about six years in New York, but finally debuted their album on August 4th. With catchy guitar riffs that are reminiscent of The 1975 but maintaining the rock aspect, Here’s To You is a contender in the scene for sure. We talked with the band and got an album breakdown for the debut entitled “Love Me Or Leave Me”. You can grab the album here.

1. Katie With A North Face


This song was inspired a very long time ago by a friend of ours who always wore this north face jacket. Naturally, her name was Katie, so it stuck. Then we basically just built a song around the idea of this girl you don’t know but you are really interested in. It’s very young in spirit, and sonically, but we’ve all been there at one point in our lives. Just a fun, fast, opening number to the album.

2. Me & You


This song is a newer direction for us. It’s a very dance-ey, groovy track. It has a lot of elements from Charlie, who is also an EDM producer so he helped out a lot with the song sonically. It definitely keeps its fair share of rock and roll in it though, especially through the guitar solo. It has an awesome place in the album cause I definitely feel like it keeps things going.

3. Love Me Or Leave Me


We named the album after this song because it’s a great part and subject matter of growing up. At some point, you have to stay true to who you are and forget about what everyone else says and be loud and proud about yourself. That’s definitely what this song is – loud and proud. It takes a lot of influenced from the more rock and roll stuff we listen to – The White Stripes, ACDC, Black Keys, ETC.

4. Live It Up


We love this tune. It’s very fun and punchy and right to the point, and reminds people to just enjoy their lives and have a good time with things, no matter where you are. It’s a very bright and beautiful song, that has a great message and goes through it’s motions in a fast and powerful way.

5. Share My Heart


Definitely the most pop-inspired song on the record. Although, when making this song we definitely focused on the groove of it more. It’s very feel good, but has a strong backbone with percussion and bass guitar in there. We really liked making a song that was based around an electric piano hook.

6. With No Consideration


This song deals with serious subject matter, but definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s written from the point of view of a person who was cheated on by another person, and the angry feelings that go along with being cheated on. All of the lyrics are directed at the person who cheated. It’s brash, it’s mean, but it’s definitely real above anything. We’ve all been there or know someone who has – and the experience is never easy. Besides that, we have a lot of cool parts on our instruments in this song.

7. Best Friend’s Girlfriend


This one always gets us pumped up when we play it. It’s another faster one that just jams out, especially live. The song deals with the situation of having a crush on your best friend’s girlfriend – another thing that we all may have experienced before. Even though it’s crazy, we know we gotta stay true to our friends in the end.

8. Sh*t To You


This is an earlier song for us, but we definitely have enjoyed it all the way through the years. This song has a way of not catching you at first, but then taking you by surprise when you listen to it more. It definitely has the ability to get stuck in your head for a while. It’s just a matter of giving it time!

9. Underneath These Sheets


So yeah, this is the self proclaimed “favorite song” of the record for a few of us. There’s a lot of reasons why. First off it’s a huge blast of energy, but definitely a different type of energy for us. We pulled a lot from newer influences for this song, and really tried to make it a huge “explosion” when it came to the bridge. There’s this melodic/lyrical tension that the whole song holds, and we’re really proud of that as writers. The lyrical content is something we really like too.

10. These Days


This is our bassist Cole’s favorite song. Of the songs on the record, this is definitely one of them that has the most meaning lyrically. We’ve all been really lost, and confused as to where things in life are gonna go. When coming out of high school into college, this feeling was something that really spoke to us, so we felt compelled to write a song about it.

If we want anyone to get anything out of this album, it’s the “i’m not giving up” chant. We believe that is a message our fans, and especially us at times, all need to remember.

Make sure to follow Here’s To You on Twitter and Facebook to stay updated, and check back for an interview with them within the next week or two. - Underdog Anthems

Just because Selena Gomez is taking a health-conscious (and well-deserved) break from music doesn’t mean you have to stop from jamming to her latest Revival hits.

I mean, you could, but why would you want to?

Sel’s “Hands to Myself” has arguably been one of the best (and catchiest) songs of the year, and these artists couldn’t resist putting their own unique spins on the sultry track.

#3 - Here's To You
If you were wondering what a rock version of the song would sound like ... - mtv.com