The Scene
Preview: Paul Cannon Band w/ The Yes Team @ Belly Up May 12
Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 11:36pm
By Nicolle Monico April 25 2012
Meet Paul Cannon Band a local band formed by San Diego native and front man Paul Cannon. Their positive energy flows through their music mixing high energy beats, imaginative cello overtures and, true beach rock. Paul Cannon Band (PCB) started creating music in 2008 and has since been bringing their sound to venues throughout San Diego. PCB has graced the stages of Anthology, Solace & The Moonlight Lounge, House of Blues, and has shared bills with Grammy Award-Winner, Jason Mraz and Brett Dennen.
The band consists of Singer/Songwriter/Lead Guitarist – Paul Cannon, Cellist/Vocals – Christine Cyr and Bassist/Vocals/Pianist – Michael Pratschner. In 2011 they released their four-song EP, On the Mountain. The EP is the kind of music you want playing as you drive along the Southern California Coast, wind in your hair, top-down, and nothing but the open road ahead.
The band’s care-free style and free-love vibes is evident in their music and lyrics. In “No Worries”, an upbeat anthem, PCB reminds us that “love is what makes us whole/love is what gives me control/without love we lose this world, lose our hope, and lose our soul.”
Supporting PCB also means supporting the non-profits and green companies they partner with including, Invisible Children, World Vision, and Surf Rider Foundation. They are strong advocates for cancer awareness, encourage environmental responsibility and support locally grown organic foods.
PCB recently created seed cards with a free downloadable song off their new single “Homegrown” which can be planted in soil to grow. Just another way, this creative group has used their music to promote green living.
“There is so much darkness in this world. Music is the way we take a stand against it. As a group we have chosen to keep peace, be light and stay positive,” says Paul Cannon.
Paul Cannon Band will be playing a matinee show from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. at The Belly Up on May 12. The Yes Team will be supporting them as openers for the afternoon. Don’t miss the opportunity to support local artists and grab a beer at one of San Diego’s best music venues.
Event: Chords For A Cure @ The Griffin May 2
Monday, April 16, 2012 at 10:18pm
AMD Entertainment & One Hart Events Present “Chords for a Cure” benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
All proceeds benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
$10 Presale Tickets:
$12 at the door
Featuring Emcee & Comedian, Jesse Egan
http://jesseegan.net/
Performances by:
PK: https://www.facebook.com/
The Yes Team: https://www.facebook.com/
Vinnie & Skinny: https://www.facebook.com/
And Singer/Songwriters:
Natasha Kozaily: http://
& Emma Lee: https://www.facebook.com/
Prizes & Special Appearance by DJ Man Cat of BFD Productions.
http://www.facebook.com/
Purchase Presale Tickets here: http://tinyurl.com/85hb3rj
Live Show Review: Kina Grannis @ Porters Pub
Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 11:07pm
By Nicolle Monico April 14 2012
Curving around the long sidewalk, people of all ages lined up in anticipation for the relatively new singer-songwriter Kina Grannis’ show. While waiting, fans pulled up videos on their smart phones to catch glimpses of her before the live performance. Females spoke of her as a close friend and it was evident that this would be no ordinary show, but rather an intimate gathering between friends and family.
After an hour of waiting and making our way through organic beer and vegan delights, we settled near left stage to hear opener Imaginary Friend (a.k.a. Jesse Epstein).
Jesse played through an acoustic set dressed in a red cardigan, button down shirt, jeans and donning a full beard. Described as acoustic folk pop, his music rests on slow-paced melodies and poetic lyrics. Jesse stylishly interacted with the audience offering up stories of past shows in which his jokes produced blank stares. Luckily for him, this was not the case this evening.
Accompanied by her cellist, Kina took the stage with “World in Front of Me”, an optimistic and poppy song off her 2011 album, Stairwells. It was during “The One You Say Goodnight To” that the crowd immediately fell into place keeping rhythm with their clapping and unabashedly singing along to each lyric.
Throughout the performance, Kina intermittently interrupted her songs to interact with the crowd, commenting on her jet lagged mind or switching the lights on to take record a video. The youthful singer introduced her new song “This Far” midway through her set. Without a sound in the room, the audience listened as she sang, “So I’ll keep going through the motions/creating comfort when there is none/coming to terms with the notion/are we ok?”
As Kina’s voice continued to stream through the mic, the room transformed into a sea of teenage emotions. Young men journeyed back to their Junior High days filled with inner stirrings of a new crush and unsure of how to handle each emotion. During Kina’s rendition of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”, my neighboring fan threw his arms up in excitement letting them fall to his head proclaiming, “OH MY GOD!” He was in love, and, like in Junior High, she never looked his way.
Fighting back tears, Kina introduced “Make It Go”, a song written in response to her mother’s cancer. This compelled her to create project Run Team Kina to raise funds for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. “In honor of Run Team Kina I would like to play a song that I’ve been afraid to play my whole life because it’s very hard for me.” With a shaky voice, she made her way through lyrics of confusion, worry and pain.
As the show came to a close, Kina solemnly played “Fix You” by Coldplay on her ukulele. Warmth radiated throughout the room. Arms were thrown around necks, heads were tilted on shoulders and a silence presided over the room. The young and the young-at-heart showed their praise with mass applaud, signifying an evening well spent.
Preview: Four Minutes Til Midnight @ The Ruby Room April 14
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 6:13am
By My Nguyen
Four Minutes Til Midnight is funk/rock jam band, who initially started out with a couple of band members from the Music Institute in Los Angeles in 2004. Two records and a career shift within some of the band members, FMTM finally had their core group of musicians together, proving that their ever-evolving style and flexibility highlights a strong reserve and resilience.
Splitting from the LA music scene, and moving to San Diego, FMTM found themselves a receptive audience within San Diego’s music community. Having played at such music venues like The House of Blues (Los Angeles and San Diego), the Viper Room, the Key Club, the Roxy, the Knitting Factory, B. B. King’s, the Troubadour, 4th&B and Canes, Four Minutes Til Midnight also found themselves a loyal following within the Japan music scene. After their first album, titled, Oak Tree, FMTM embarked on a 20 day tour throughout Japan, the home to 2 of Four Minutes Til Midnight’s core members.
What makes FMTM stand out is their ability to mix different backgrounds whether culturally or sonically into the forefront of their music. Four Minutes Til Minute was fully conceived of when the band mates decided on their moniker through the last four digits of Eli’s home phone – 1156 – which was also the only place they could play music. Although the band name hints at the ephemeral, the context of their title also hints at the daily experience – with only minutes away from a new day, you may begin to wonder about what exactly hinges on the fringes of your day or even lives. But because their band name has to do with so much at stake, the same also goes for FMTM’s music. You can’t escape from their dynamic sound nor do you want to.
Saturday, April 14th, the Ruby Room is going to be hosting a three-part reunion show for Slink, Rookie Card, and Billy Midnight, the band’s first real show since January 2011, while the remaining quarter will be a farewell set by Four Minutes Til Midnight who are heading to Japan. Split the difference, and add in the momentum, nostalgia, and even the sentimentalism, and you got a killer trip down memory lane. Whatever the remainder is leftover – in reality, you can’t help but note that these are some eager bands about to hit the stage. Be ready for an enthused night of music-making, and for the ubiquitous epic jam sessions to commence.
Let the countdown begin!
Four Minutes Til Midnight – “Brothers“
www.fourminutestilmidnight.com
Chords for a Cure: Wed May 2, 2012 @ The Griffin
Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 1:02am
Preview: Kina Grannis @ Porter’s Pub Monday, April 9
Friday, April 6, 2012 at 6:25pm
By Nicolle Monico
She’s the girl-next-door, the type of girl you wonder about because of her innocent smile. The type with an effortless look created by simple side braids that not only make her appear approachable but also genuine. And while American singer-songwriter Kina Grannis’ sweet spirit shines through her music, so does her shyness.
As a timid college student, she found herself in secluded stairwells to write, sing and practice her craft. It was in these stairwells that Kina finally developed her confidence and ability to perform in front of audiences.
Kina created her YouTube account in 2007 and entered the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest with her song “Message From Your Heart.” A few months later, her winning video aired during the Super Bowl and garnered over 77 million views on YouTube. Her music has since been heard on television shows such as The WB’s Gossip Girl, ABC’s General Hospital and MTV’s College Life.
In February 2010, Kina released her debut full-length album “Stairwells” as an independent artist. It debuted at No. 5 on iTunes’ Pop Chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Top Internet Albums chart. In the same year, she launched her first world tour traveling from the United States, Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia.
Weaving through love songs and melancholy ballads, Kina’s lyrics and instrumentation seem to still be finding themselves. Her voice, however, stays true to its purest form with flawless transitions between bridges and harmonies. Kina is best showcased in an unplugged set where her voice becomes the focal instrument. It’s here that her raw emotion seeps through in every lyric.
There is an ease to her voice and hopefulness present in even the most forlorn songs. It’s no wonder her fans feel connected to her, as if pulled by an invisible string, from the moment they hear her sing. Her shows create a sense of intimacy where the audience is invited into a private living room session as dear friends. She is one to watch (preferably with a cup of coffee in hand) as she grows into her own as a musician, songwriter and performer.
Kina will be playing an all ages show at Porter’s Pub on Monday, April 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at PortersPub.com for $15.
Album Review: Hills Like Elephants – ‘The Endless Charade’
Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 10:34am
Review by My Nguyen
Penning songs during the years he spent ambling between Boston, New York, LA, and San Diego, modern bluesman and frontman to Hills Like Elephants, Sean Davenport reached his musical apex in his debut, The Endless Charade, which richly closes the gap between talent, insight, and mismanaged endeavors. His ex-bands Abigail Warchild (NY) and Gun Runner (SD) testify to this long run of loose strings and unattached commitments. In his latest endeavor, Davenport has finally found the perfect setting in order to fully launch himself musically.
Soulful songs entrenched in a Motown blues vibe, The Endless Charade is filled with stories about shallow word games that Davenport has turned into buzz worthy material filled with resonating and jazzy word play. Davenport elicits in his latest project the idea of format and formulas to his music. Like their songs about love that has gone awry, Hills Like Elephants is a band that very much delves into strategic moves. Their aim is to reach to the core of the listener through invigorating, suggestive, and structurally sound beats and arrangements, and in a matter of a few listens, it works.
Dreamy tracks that are haunted by living feelings, a few memorable tracks include “Intriguing Dilemma,” and “Background,” a song that has such a fiery element to it that there is a real potential for combustion. In “Perfect Enemy (Sushi Dinners),” where Davenport sings about contradictions and unfair fights, these songs will reward listeners with an unflagging vengeance. Halfway into the album, towards the sixth track, titled, “Even,” where Davenport talks about complications and heartbreak, he also manages to somehow level with his past loves alongside his audiences who will have subscribed themselves for the long haul.
Catchy and filled with reverb that has a semblance to 80’s music, these acute renderings of misshapen love are filled with visionary sounds despite their relentless talk about distractions and their feverish rants during the aftermath of delirium-filled affairs. There’s a clear direction here, with a good beat juxtaposed with many an intriguing turn of phrase – their agenda is to grab hold of your attention so that you will become as equally inebriated as you will inevitably become besotted by the sounds that these soulful musicians have arranged.
Hills Like Elephants just released their debut, The Endless Charade late last month. Be sure you get your copy now, or catch them live at one of their upcoming shows in San Diego:
4/13/12 The Whistle Stop
4/26/12 Bar Pink
requiemme.com/bands/hills-like-elephants/
Preview: Ben Howard @ The Loft June 2
Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 1:57am
By Nicolle Monico March 30th 2012
With his shaggy blond locks, organic style, and love of surfing, English musician Ben Howard is not only catching waves but also the growing attention of U.S. listeners (mostly by word-of-mouth). Howard is quickly making a name for himself, acquiring a sponsorship by Quicksilver and the title track on Kelly Slater’s movie, Cloud 9.
Howard first made his way across the pond with his singles “Old Pine” and “The Wolves” under the direction of his labels Communion Records (U.K.) and Island Records. Growing up, his music was influenced by his parent’s love of artists such as Joni Mitchell, Simon and Garfunkel and The Rolling Stones.
His sound has been compared to singers like Ray Lamontagne, Damien Rice and Bon Iver. Although newer to the music scene, he is not only selling out venues, but his followers are whole-heartedly devoted, hanging on every strum.
His debut album Every Kingdom dropped in the UK on September 30, 2011 and will officially release April 3, 2012 in the U.S. “Old Pine” opens the album eliciting nostalgia with melodies recalling days of sand castles, summer campfires and young love that is “careless and young/free as the birds that fly.”
But don’t be mistaken, his songs are not solely of sunsets and romance; Howard’s lyrics dig deeper and at times venture into darker territory. “Black Flies”, a Jose Gonzales-esque track, crescendos into a 90 second musical intermission of soulful “ooohs” and bluesy string-tapping riffs. Howard croons, “No man is an island, oh this I know/But can’t you see, oh?/Maybe you were the ocean, when I was just a stone.”
His San Diego show is sold out, but if you’re attending this year’s 2012 Bonnaroo Music Festival, make sure to stop by his set and take a listen.
Ben Howard will be playing at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, Wednesday June 6, at 8:00 PM and a sold-out show at The Loft, UCSD cam
Live Show Review: Legacy Pack at The Griffin
Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 9:28pm
By Christopher Skrypack March 27th 2012
“Music is the medicine” claims Keyboard/Vocalist Barshaun. I agree, music has served as a cure for some of the most irrepressible issues in history. It has the ability to bring together diverse individuals from a variety of backgrounds and interests to form a common nucleus of spiritual and soulful assuaging. This not only applies to those listening, but to those who create the music as well.
Like a box of crayons, one alone is not nearly as effective to illustrate the momentous image as when all are utilized together to achieve their potential. This is the description of San Diego’s Legacy Pack. A six-person Rap and Hip Hop group who each on their own may not demonstrate their impending talent, but together have the ability to develop their legacy.
As competition cultivates in San Diego’s local music scene and the music industry in general, talented musicians must grow and adapt or they will fade. As Bob Dylan has said, “Been workin’ on the mainline — workin’ like the devil. The game is the same— it’s just up on a different level”. Today’s technology has made it increasingly feasible to create Hip Hop beats and rhythms through one click of a MacBook Pro. As a result, I find myself rolling my eyes at the majority of Rap and Hip Hop groups. Tuesday night at The Griffin on Morena Blvd., my opinion was reformed through my experience of the Legacy Pack.
Perhaps it’s how the group incorporates an extremely comprehensive 5- piece band in a dynamic Rap performance, or maybe it’s their approach towards energizing and engaging a Tuesday night audience of roughly 30 attendees, that draws my interest. Regardless, anyone with the slightest musical perceptiveness could easily see there is something worth following in the Legacy Pack and certainly plenty of potential to be developed.
I thoroughly enjoy The Griffin; their layout provides for an intimate setting for performances while also allowing patrons to migrate and mingle. Indoor venues accommodate the Legacy Pack well, but also serve as evidence for the group’s latent ability in a more customary setting, like an outdoor venue. After listening to the tracks off their debut album Live at the Lair this was even more apparent. The album, which is the first of many to be released, gives a great indication of their sinuous lyrics and cohesive musicianship.
For those venue owners and festival promoters looking for a group that is talented, consistent and has the ability to produce and entertain a young crowd for an entire set, look to the Legacy Pack. As the summer approaches, the group is looking to perform as much as they can, whether that be locally, regionally, or traveling the coast. Their sound is relative to an expansive audience and the fact that they’ve only been together one-year makes their future opportunities look very promising.
Preview: Cults, Mrs. Magician, & Spectrals Mar 21st at the Belly Up
Friday, March 16, 2012 at 6:58am
By Connor Green March 14 2012
The Cults’ Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion met in San Diego, right before they both moved to New York and made it big. After riding a wave of blog adulation to a record deal and releasing one of the year’s best albums, the duo have become a quintet. If you’re smart, you’ll do what their hit says and “Go Outside” … specifically to the Belly Up Wednesday, March, 21st to catch their triumphant return to San Diego. The Cults are sure to bring their luscious, long hair and jangly, dark pop songs with them. They’re also bringing San Diego natives Mrs. Magician and Britain’s Spectrals along for the ride.
If you haven’t heard of Mrs. Magician yet, don’t worry, you will. They’ve already been featured in several up and coming band lists and are signed to John Reis’ (of Hot Snakes, Rocket From the Crypt, Swami Soundsystem etc.) own Swami Records. I suggest seeing Jacob Turnbloom and crew play their special blend of surf rock and punk live now before you’re forced to pay ridiculous festival prices for the privilege. You can check out their new album “Strange Heaven” on Spotify right now if you don’t want to take my word for it. Go see ‘em first! Get a t-shirt and bragging rights!
And definitely catch Spectrals. Coming all the way across the pond for this show, Louis Jones and his chums are sure to warm your heart with catchy, sunny tunes that almost could’ve come right out of the 60s.
If all of those bands aren’t enough to convince you to make your way out to Belly Up on Wednesday, March 21st then I don’t know what will. It’s going to be a very special night. Plenty of San Diego music roots will be showing and enough retro, doo wop, surf tunes to make your hair poof into a righteous Phil Spector perm.
https://www.facebook.com/mrsmagicianmusic
Purchase tickets here: http://www.bellyup.com/show/detail/52942
Live Show Review: Ra Ra Riot w/ The Submarines and Papa @ Belly Up
Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 9:34am
By My Nguyen Feb 23 2012
Mere days after Fat Tuesday, it was sinking in that Thursday was going to be another celebration of its own. Headlining at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach was Ra Ra Riot, whom SPIN.com called them “one of the best young bands we’ve heard in a really long time” with opening acts The Submarines and LA-based Papa joining in to create an unbelievable night of music.
But first off, Papa, who without a mite of hesitation upon hitting the stage, picked up their instruments and delved right into their opening track – by mid-song the audience, was enthralled. Tight harmonies, an outrageous hook, and with a great sense of timing, the crowd was nearly giddy from the great sounds by the time the first few songs were introduced. Comprised of drummer/vocalist Darren Weiss who also drums for Girls, but formed Papa with bassist Danny Presant, keyboardist Alex Fischel and guitarist Evan Weiss, Papa is really something else. Having your drummer as your main vocalist as well as songwriter, is a rarity in itself, but to have every song be performed to such a perfect pitch was mind-blowing. Not only was the crowd loving the crazy tunes, you can tell that the core members of Papa were enjoying themselves as well. With every ebb/flow, and thrust/pull of the strangely esoteric music, the musicians onstage seemed to be totally involved in the music – bouncing and strutting in tempo to what they were playing. Even Darren’s singing started to loosen up gradually after the first few songs, if that was even possible – becoming more distinct with its bluesman appeal. The keyboard melodies also pandered very well with the 50’s retro lounge vibe theme. Keeping beat while singing and dancing and strutting with their instruments, it seems like the Papas were a band who were great at multitasking.
Not only were they superb musicians but with their synchronized sound that was loud and graceful at the same time, they had a great vibe to them that can’t be missed. There was many a jam-fest, as Danny, Alex, and Evan swayed and rocked in tandem with their instruments. Their rocking grooves, oftentimes accompanied with a marching beat were, above all, epic. Switching up between a 50, 60, and 70’s vibe, the Papas have a smooth groove to them that will have you jamming with them throughout. Upending all your previous perceptions of what makes a good band; Darren’s vocals ranges from restraint to violent sent many a reverberating rippling effect after the finish of each track. The Papas definitely know how to rock. Drenched in sweat towards the end of it all, they were heating up the room with their surge of great energy. Towards the end of their set, Darren goes out into the crowd and high-fives those nearest the foot of the stage – a proverbial self-congratulatory gesture for a well-earned performance.
The next live act, The Submarines, an indie pop band from Los Angeles, CA, was equally attention-grabbing. Winner of the 9th Annual Independent Music Awards: Best Film/TV Song “You Me and the Bourgeoisie,” that was used in Apple’s iPhone 3GS ad, The Submarines definitely attempts to make you feel something. Powerful and dynamic, The Submarines has a joyful element to them that change between modulations of sexy, sweet sounding, and harmonious. Their solid vocals and sounds are bluesy with a hint of jazz with delicate touches of crystalline vocals mingling in with the tinkling of the xylophone in the foreground. Highly dance-worthy, their epic sounds and reverb drenched tracks creates some very beautiful tunes.
Finally it was the Ra Ra Riot’s turn to show those in the audience their pizazz. Driven with a great beat, there seemed to be a lot at stake onstage to the number that was being performed. With a cellist and violinist incorporated into the ensemble, Ra Ra Riot nearly purely consisted of string power. Their sound definitely resonates with an epic appeal. There was a clashing of sounds, and an etherealness that resembles the sound of the ocean, giving you something highly substantial to hold onto. Oftentimes melancholy and nostalgic, their airy reverberating guitars had a spiraling sound effect. And their intricate sound with the string instrumentals buffering the fact that they had a shoe-gazing pop rock stance, all in all, what makes Ra Ra Riot so dynamic was the fact that they seemed to be very supportive of each other. Smiling and giving each other shoulder pats every so often during mid-song, Ra Ra Riot wasn’t just a good band, they were also good friends.
Live Show Review Makepeace Brothers @ Belly Up Tavern
Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 11:33pm
By My Nguyen Feb 20th 2012
The Sunset Sessions, an annual music-business event held in San Diego since 2007, that has launched careers including those of Jack Johnson, Ryan Adams, Five for Fighting, Pete Yorn, and Jason Mraz, celebrated their fifteen years this past week from Feb. 16-19. Monday night at the Belly Up was the Sunset Sessions’ after party, officially titled, Sunset Sessions New Music Adventure. Headlining the event were the Makepeace Brothers, an enthusiastic brotherly ensemble from Venice Beach, CA.
But before we could get to the heart of the night, the opening acts for the Sunset Sessions New Music Adventure that ranged from over-the-top colorful acts to more melodious and melancholy performances, created quite a stirring affair for what was initially supposed to be a mellow Monday evening of music. Getting a mixture of sounds and styles from performers who’s already graced the stage at the Rancho Bernardo Inn the past weekend, those of us who could not attend the Sunset Sessions at the RB Inn got to sample material from the rising musical acts currently being endorsed by the people behind Sunset Sessions.
The Chicago-based band, The Empty Pockets opened up their set right off the bat on a Bossa Nova note, a flashy and loud rendition that showed those congregating farther from the stage that they were in for a surprise. Because when The Empty Pockets play, they don’t just go through the motions of belting out tunes and revving their guitars to impress you – their performances are offset with a vibrancy and a sort of energetic showmanship so that space and distance don’t matter in the end – rather it’s more of which of their carefully crafted songs will strike a chord within you first. And only once the audience got the groove of this did things really pick up for The Empty Pockets.
Toe-tapping and head-bouncing to the time of the witty pop songs that were catchy and at times interwoven with a 50’s retro feel, The Empty Pockets were doing a fantastic job of warming up the crowd to an anticipated night of great music. Slowing to a lovey groove and then to a bluesy-swaying rock rendition, the songs played that night went from classic pop-rock to doo-wop influences in a matter of seconds, so that by the time their set ended, The Empty Pockets left in the wake of the crowd a trail of music aficionados.
Clark Graham, a singer/songwriter from Los Angeles, CA, who was up next, piqued the interest of audience members upon the first rising notes of “Born Yesterday.” With little by way of introduction, his heart-breaking songs have a touch of Bob Dylan to them. Up next was a folk-bluesy song, titled, “Tough Luck,” which Graham had said just recently debuted on the radio station Sophie 103.7, before springing into the intimate track that carried with it many a cynical turn of phrase that delved into tough love.
After a while, the Belly Up started to possess a coffee lounge-feel as the acoustic melodies from Clark Graham’s guitar wafted and filled the room. Graham, being a very emotive singer and these being serious songs, after a while Graham’s vocals gave the songs he performed that night the impression that this was some sort of cathartic release. His smoky vocals were solid, and towards the closing of Graham’s set, you start to see instances of the four-member British folk-outfit, Mumford and Sons, in him. In “Barroom Symphony,” it was hard to shake off the melancholy permeating the song. After a while you can’t help but feel immersed in the moody atmosphere.
The Los Angeles artist that sounded the most mainstream that night had to be Dawn Mitschele. Perhaps taking her cues from Nashville artist, Kate Herzig and the mononymous, Adele, Mitschele’s oftentimes bluesy tracks were painted with love much like the symbols that were affectionately painted on her guitar, noticeably deflecting against the soft glow of the stage-lights. As the talented Los Angeles singer-songwriter croons about a woman looking for her king in “Queen,” and about the subtle nuances of love and relationships in “Once Again Friends,” the crowd began to get a deeper sense of who Mitschele was as an artist. A dancer or two began to make the lonely sojourn to the foot of the stage, slow dancing with themselves in time to the melodic tunes toward the latter half of her set.
The Brothers of Brazil were perhaps the most unpredictable outfit of that night. Donning matching red suits, one brother on the electric guitar and the other with wild Doc-hair from “Back to the Future,” and both throwing their vocals into the mixture that was The Brothers of Brazil, their funky, and eclectic set, with its crazy changes in modulations from shrieks to soothing and oftentimes melodious sound was disconcerting. But after a while you start to accept them for what they are, and begin to enjoy them much like you would a theatrical act. For the most part the songs performed that night by The Brothers of Brazil had dialogue that the brothers would intercept into the singing, so that the storyline became something that bordered on musical theater. They had a punk aesthetic to them that can’t be missed. And ebbing on foul behavior, they ironically brought trashy up a notch with their bits of French phrases scattered throughout the songs. But all in all, there was too much playing around, sometimes at the expense of the crowd, so that eventually some of us in the audience that night began to filter out The Brothers of Brazil as so much white noise.
The main act of that night, the Makepeace Brothers, perhaps had the most star-appeal with the ladies. With their boyishly charming looks, and great vocal abilities, upon hitting the first few notes had all the girls, young and old, surrounding the stage, and showing off their dance moves. It was a night filled with little inhibit as the Makepeace Brothers, who originally hailed from Ithaca, NY, threw themselves into each song as quintessentially impassioned as from the start. They were feeding off the crowd’s energy as much as the crowd was feeding off theirs; so that each song began resemble a bon-fide jam session in its own right. The Makepeace Brothers were singing about breaking down walls, and they certainly were as people left and right were moved each in their own way, whether to dance or just to perk up their ears, and listen.
Preview: The Makepeace Brothers @ The Belly Up
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 4:56pm
By My Nguyen Feb 18 2012
Growing up in the vibrant music community of Ithaca, New York, The Makepeace Brothers did little to deviate from their roots – instead their catchy soulful harmonies became the embodiment of their surname “make peace.” Comprised of Aidan, Liam, Finian, Ciaran Makepeace, The Makepeace Brothers experienced an eclectic range of American roots music when the Makepeace family took a cross-country tour of the US and Canada. And between them, they have lived in Costa Rica, Brazil, and England – each destination having shaped each brother at a musical as well as cultural standpoint.
Combining their years of experience and travels abroad, The Makepeace Brothers were able to fuse their musical visions together to create a cohesive and unique sound. Anyone who’s ever experienced them live will know that a Makepeace Brothers show will give them musical diversity without forgoing approachability. Invigorating and touching, you can’t help but be moved by the songs that can vary between slower-tempos to faster paced island infused with Afro-backbeat melodies. Their live energy is infectious, and anyone who has witnessed them live will testify to an almost divine force beckoning them to the dance floor.
There is no such thing as an onlooker or bystander at a Makepeace Brothers show, because like Finian Makepeace so much as states on the band’s bio page, “We play music that moves us to feel, to think, to act, to dance. If it moves someone even just a little – politically, emotionally, or physically – then we believe it’s a good song.” And with that being said, not one song made by the Makepeace brothers will leave you standing still or leave you uninvolved.
Experience the Makepeace Brothers this coming Monday night, Feb. 20th at the Belly Up, Solana Beach’s premiere destination for good music and a good time. Show starts at 8:00pm, and doors open at 7:00pm, so get there on time to ensure your spot at the event. Tickets start at $10.00/$12.00 day of the show.
Natasha Kozaily
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 5:08pm
Natasha Kozaily
Avagabond drifting between continents and her homeland Cayman Islands, singer-songwriter and pianist Natasha Kozaily recently found a new base in Southern California where she recorded her debut album Between Shores and her latest EP A Tale of One Fish.
Whether she’s performing solo or with her talented band of gypsies, Natasha’s music will take you between worlds and souls. She is a generous artist and watching her live, with her unsuspecting rhythms and exotic melodies, is a different kind of experience where music speaks in heartbeats and aquatic respiration.
Free Downloads
MP3: ”Story Makers”
Live Show Review: Handsome Furs @ Belly Up Tavern
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 5:10am
By Connor Green Jan 23rd 2012
The Handsome Furs show at the Belly Up turned out to be a surprising one. After making my way to the Belly Up on a rainy Sunday evening, my first surprise was the large crowd buzzing with drinks and small talk.
My second surprise came when I learned it was the opening band, Snakesuit’s, first ever live performance. They could’ve fooled me. I could hear disparate influences from Joy Division to Modest Mouse to the Bee Gees, but the songs were never derivative. Their sound was bleak, but dancey with a definite 80s Goth vibe to it. But they managed to strike a balance between the dark synthesizers with clear guitars and falsetto harmonies.
After Snakesuit’s first show came another much sadder surprise; that it would D/Wolves’ last show. But these local favorites went out with a blast of guitars. They opened with an earnest song that mourned summer’s passing, particularly appropriate for a rainy winter day. The went on to play a unique mix of doo wop and surf pop tinged with the triumphant nerdy longing of bands like Weezer and The Dismemberment Plan. ON of the highlights was “Cougar Run,” a ballad with a wheezing organ and lonely vocals crooning “Let’s go for a walk down to the park where I first saw you for who you are” and ends up at the chorus, “You’re gonna be alone for the rest of your life.” Luckily, the song pulls up at the last second and pops into third gear with up tempo guitars narrowly avoiding total despair.
After the D/Wolves made their way outside (they were too young to be in the bar) the crowd anxiously anticipated everyone’s favorite crazed Canadian duo, Handsome Furs.
They opened with a burst of synthesizers that begin “When I Get Back” and they were off and running. The lyrics told of traveling expatriates, “And what I saw, I saw lightning, I saw cities, planes, and stars I’ve never known.” Autobiographical no doubt, seeing as they were already back in San Diego after only 6 months on another tour. And when Alexi shouts “we never wanna go home” and you can tell she means it.
Onstage they performed amazing calisthenics, like traveling contortionists, twisting to the song “Serve the People” which strikes me as an anthem for the 99% in this time of economic hardship and inequality. The pounding drum machine, raw vocal delivery and high pitched synths are a perfect expression of resistance in the digital age. With lyrics like “And it’s diamonds and gold for the idiot sons \ All the privileged thieves gonna make things run” the song would be the perfect accompaniment to an Occupy Wall St. rally.
But, this wasn’t a protest, it was a party. Any outrage the crowd had was channeled into their dance moves. Alexi called out compliments, “There’s a good pocket of dancing right over here!” while everyone boogied to the bouncing synths and beating drum machine. It is amazing how much humanity Dan and Alexi wrung out of their soulless electronic machines. By the time the show was done it was as if the whole crowd had been sprayed down with adrenaline.
In their song “Repatriated” Dan sang “I’ve seen the future and it’s coming in low. I’ve seen the future, I will never be repatriated” and maybe Handsome Furs will always be on the run without a country of their own, but I hope they know that they have a temporary home here. This city loves Handsome Furs.
Album Review: The Beautiful View
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 4:52am
Based in San Diego, The Beautiful View is mainly comprised of group members who grew up in Chula Vista (translated in Spanish means, Beautiful View), a city close enough to Tijuana to feel affected by the border violence headlining in the news, but removed enough for kids to safely play in the streets under the conservative banner that makes up San Diego county… Read More
Ricky Small and The Talls
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 4:46am
East coast native Ricky Small is an ever-evolving songwriter with a contagious charm and electric stage performance. His material demands attention, while instantly drawing in and soothing the listener. His band, Ricky Small and The Talls bring their… Read More
Natasha Kozaily
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 1:21am
Avagabond drifting between continents and her homeland Cayman Islands, singer-songwriter and pianist Natasha Kozaily recently found a new base in Southern California where she recorded her debut album Between Shores and her latest EP A Tale of One Fish.Whether she’s performing solo or with her talented band of gypsies… Read More
Rise of Korean Pop Music and the Resurgence of the Mega-Pop Group
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 8:51pm
Rise of Korean Pop Music and the Resurgence of the Mega-Pop Group
By My Nguyen
The past decade has seen a significant shift in musical formats: from the CD to the MP3, we’ve now become more attuned to the way music is being downloaded. But the most significant power shift has to be once record companies and their clout fell into the hands of the consumer. The wake of the 21st century was, also, greeted by another drastic change in our music listening landscape.
In 2001, it was Steve Jobs and his crew of designers and engineers, who introduced the world to iTunes and the iPod, which went on to immediately shape the way we store and play music. Now it seems like that era is coming to a close. For one, speculation has been made on whether Apple will discontinue the Classic iPod and the iPod Shuffle when press passes were issued for the most recent Apple summit on Oct. 4th and no word was mentioned about the iPod. But the most shocking news of all happened the day after the summit; the date we will all perhaps remember as the day a revolutionary figure in the tech world passed away. Mere months after Steve Jobs’ resignation from Apple was announced, the death of the former Apple CEO is a closing, in many ways, of a chapter within our cultural identity. And with that thought, Steve Jobs will be sorely missed.
It is still a shock to even talk about: Jobs has been a guiding force in the tech world, interceding as Apple’s spokesperson to present to a not easily swayed world a more accessible approach towards music. He has inspired legions of fans as well as critics, but in the long-run it is undeniable that his and Apple’s influence spans the globe. Without his earthly presence, the expectant ‘Now what?’ runs tandem with ‘What’s next?’
Greg Kot reinstated in his music column for the Chicago Tribune, “Turn It Up,” that before Apple founder Steve Jobs passed away last year, he had proclaimed “the end of the PC-centric era of computing.” And that is certainly true, with the emergence of free streaming and music storage sites like Spotify, Amazon Cloud, and Apple’s iCloud, you can now access all your music data with a touch of a button on your cell phone.
According to Prefix Magazine, the online audio distribution platform, SoundCloud is quickly becoming one of the most used MP3 streamers on the internet, and with a reported $50 million in new funding from investors; this should vault the Berlin-based company into possibly conceding in the tech war with Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft in the forefront.
Music used to be made up of mainly three components: physical, radio, video. If you could get all those three things working for you, then everything was great. Now there is so much more to consider with the popularity of social media and with these free streaming sites emerging as a sudden fixture within the music industry’s ever-shifting paradigm.
Niche music markets, Korean pop and especially the Asian American music scene’s heavy reliance on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube has seen a dynamic rise in media interest in recent years.
YouTube sensations David Choi and Marie Digby, whose cover songs and original tracks quickly went viral due to word-of-mouth via social networking sites, are now pop stars in their own right – the former singer-songwriter’s songs have appeared on NBC, FOX, VH1, MTV, A&E, E!, Travel Channel, Style, PBS, Food Network, Disney, among others, while the latter has performed at the Lilith Fair and released three studio albums, including one Japanese cover album.
As a Hong-Kong born, US-raised singer songwriter, Jane Lui, like Choi and Digby, has developed a loyal following through her YouTube channel, and was featured on the front page YouTube’s Unsigned Picks in 2009. For her third full-length release, Jane raised over $11,000 in two months thanks to the generosity of her fans to fund 50% of Goodnight Company, a self-released project.
And who can forget the mega-rap group, Far East Movement? Released after signing a major record deal with Cherry Tree Records in 2010, their hit single, “Like a G6,” launched them straight into the limelight. According to NYDailyNews, the band consisting of Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Filipino members born and bred in L.A.’s Koreatown, have waited a long time for this historic moment. Gauging from their party anthem appeal and from their collaborations with popular artists like Mike Posner, Bruno Mars, and Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic, Far East Movement is reported to be the first Asian-American group to break into the mainstream.
But it was only a few years ago that music insiders were reported to be highly hesitant to address Asian-American mainstream music as an actual trend. Despite the split consensus, it looks like other facets within the Asian American music scene are making headlines. Recent coverage from Pitchfork and The Guardian writers that chronicled the rise of the Korean pop wave shows that these two major publications have sniffed out the potential of this growing internet phenomenon.
Korean group Bigbang’s surprise win at the 2011 MTV European Music awards sheds some light on this burgeoning trend. Beating Britney Spears by 58 million votes, it goes to show just how much of a stronghold social media has on music. The Guardian reports that with a smatter of K-pop events throughout the west, the SMTown World Tour – featuring Super Junior, TVXQ and Girls’ Generation – and televised soap operas that can also be found on the net, are paving the way for what is for now deemed as an internet-based phenomenon crossing over into mainstream success.
But what is the likelihood of these K-pop stars reaching the same statuses as the Justin Bieber’s or the Lady Gaga’s of our day? Soompi, one of the longest-running blogs on the internet that provides extensive coverage on Korean pop culture, disputes the chance of K-pop hitting the big time. According to the pop culture blog, in the same way that Hollywood is painted as the golden standard of movies, the same goes for the music market and its influences. For any K-pop group to achieve the kind of fame that put top acts like Justin Bieber and Britney Spears onto the top Billboard charts – they would have to first make an impression on Americans first.
Yet in the peripheral lies the question whether Asian American music will become mainstream and with the Asian American scene still under its own developmental stages, whether the far-reaches of K-pop becoming a mainstay within our musical landscape is plausible. With no reported historical precedent to compare notes with, it’s hard to gauge how much further international as well as Asian American acts have to go. But there is no denying that K-pop and the Asian American acts of today have come a long way. Out of hearing so little out of this niche group in music to the appearance of Hong Kong-based MC Jin, to the emergence of pop sensation Bruno Mars, and the success story of Far East Movement, there seems to be a newfound hope for the scene. And with fans of K-pop and Korean soap operas’ downright fanatic peddling for the public’s interest, it only seems a matter of time before these underground pop sensations become a part of the predominant scene.
Natasha Kozaily
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 8:43pm
