SomeKindaWonderful just finishedy entertaining crowds across the country with their genre-bending music that injects energy into every listener and brings them to life. The 34 date US Fall tour opening for New Politics and Bad Suns wrapped up this past Sunday in Hartford, CT. We brought you our coverage of their amazing set in San Francisco and performed at the legendary Fillmore. You can check out that coverage here. It was amazing to see finally catch this band live. SomeKindaWonderful is:
Jordy Towers – Vocals/lyrics
Matt Gibson – Guitar
Ben Schigel – Drums
Justin Andres – Bass/Keys
Sarah Dryer – Vocals/Percussion
Check out our interview with SomeKindaWonderful here:
These five are pure entertainment when they hit the stage. You cannot categorize them simply by placing them in a genre checkbox, they bring so many great elements of alternative, rock, hip hop, soul, grunge and so much more. Their refreshing sound will become true music to your ears as they jump start your love of all music. Check out the photos from our Rockin Ryan of their set:
Now that you are hooked on them, how about a chance at winning a hand written personalized note from the band? Visit https://somekindawonderful.jammer.fm/posts/6084 for details about winning and how you can get their latest song, Rhinestone Melodies for free!
Pick up their self titled album which was released earlier this year. It is available on iTunes here. Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news. ~ Marisol
Our friends in New Politics have just released their new music video for their song, Everywhere I Go, (Kings and Queens). You will even catch Thanks to The Walking Dead’s Christian Serratos, pro skater Ben Hatchell, and LOLO in it. So check it out here:
New Politics are currently out on their headlining tour with Bad Suns and SomeKindaWonderful. In case you missed it, check out a repost of our coverage from their San Francisco show:
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New Politics are out on another headlining tour which will take them across the country. Sunday night they made a stop in San Francisco and performed at the legendary Fillmore. It was great to see them headline at the Fillmore when only a few years ago, they were there opening for The Dirty Heads. From the first time, we saw New Politics open for The Spill Canvas at Slim’s in 2010. They blew us away as we dubbed them “Energizer Bunny Meets Nirvana”.
They put on one of the most energetic, engaging sets that you don’t ever want to miss. Once again at the Fillmore, they exceeded all of our expectations and delivered a top notch set. Check out a sneak peek of photos from our Rockin Ryan of their set:
Their set included old and new songs which had the crowd brimming with excitement. It was great to hear the crowd singing along to their new song, Everywhere I Go (Kings and Queens) which will be featured on their upcoming new album, VIkings set for a release in February 2015 on DCD2/Warner Bros records. They even brought the house down as they performed a cover of Beastie Boys Sabotage. What a night it was and I truly am proud to see how far these young men have come. They are definitely one of the hardest working bands out there and it is no surprise to see their fast rise to the top. They deserve it!
The tour included their special guests of Bad Suns and SomeKindaWonderful. Check out the dates below and see if they will be coming to a venue near you:
11/12 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant ( Tickets )
11/13 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater ( Tickets )
11/14 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave / Eagles Club ( Tickets )
11/15 Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe at Old National Centre ( Tickets )
11/16 Chicago, IL @ House of Blues ( Tickets )
11/18 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s ( Tickets )
11/19 Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom ( Tickets )
11/20 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues ( Tickets )
11/21 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall ( Tickets )
11/22 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall ( Tickets )
11/23 Toronto, ON @ The Opera House ( Tickets )
11/25 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza ( Tickets )
11/26 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club ( Tickets )
11/28 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom ( Tickets )
11/29 Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts ( Tickets )
11/30 Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater ( Tickets )
Make sure to catch them out on tour. I know I always tell you to make sure to get out to shows, but SERIOUSLY this is one show you WANT to BE AT! New Politics are amazing with their live performances and their stage presence I think is one that can be matched. You can’t help but leave their show in a better mood, better place, or just full of energy and excitement, regardless of what you may be going through. Their music is like instant adrenaline and bliss.
Have you ever seen our interview with them at last year’s Uproar Festival? If not, check it out h ere:
Also make sure you have their latest CD, “A Bad Girl in Harlem” which will have your energy flowing within seconds! You can get it here on Itunes. Definitely on replay at our house.
We recently told you about an awesome band from Austria, Light Up The Town which really have caught our attention.
Who is Light Up The Town? Check out their members and brief self description of each:
Jakob Schied (Jake) Guitar/backing Vocals – The ,,son of the darkness”. His word is law!
Thomas Kern (Kerni)- Bass The band always keeps making bass jokes at his charge- but we all know that he’s the best man for this job! (He’s the guy, whos hairstyle always fit!)
Thomas Meier (Meier)- Guitar The sunny boy of the band- and the youngest member. Always prepared for a good joke as well ^^
Leo (Letschi) Seewald- Drums The god on the Drumset! good mood of the band and our personal producer aswell 😉
Esther Hütter (Estherhasi)-Vocals Jokes about small people, dwarves or gnomes? she probably already heard all of them 😉
the only hen at a men party ^^
Light Up The Town have released another lyric video, this time it is for their first song, Dance which was released in 2013. Check it out here:
I really love the music of this band and I am hoping we get them out here next year for Warped Tour. They would just really grab everyone’s attention. In case you missed our recent interview with them, we are pleased to repost it here:
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Music Junkie Press: Thank you very much for taking the time out to talk with us here at Music Junkie Press! Tell us about Light Up The Town was formed?
Light Up The Town:First Esther and Jake met at a party and spoke about making music together. So they met and decided to found a band. After a short time they met Thomas Kern and at the same evening, we could gain Thomas Meier over to join us. Last but not least our drummer Leo entered the band and we were complete!
Music Junkie Press: You are a very young band but yet so talented at your ages. At what age did you all start performing and do you remember what was the first song you ever learned in its entirety?
Thomas Kern: My first, ”performance’’ in front of an audience was, when I was 5 years old and I had a music lesson in front of other pupils with my violin (laughs). The first song that I knew by heard…puh…I’m sorry I really can’t remember!
Esther: My first performance was when I was 5 and I played the flute. I’ve been so nervous! Well the question about the song is a bit embarrassing…it was ,,I can’t help myself’’ from the Kelly Family.
Jake:I am actually not sure about my first performance. I guess I was 9 or 10 years old and it was in front of my elementary class with my keyboard, which I started to play back then.
Thomas Meier: The first performance I had was when I was about 15 with my ex band.
Leo: Guess that must have been the music lesson from studio percussion in “Moxx’’ Graz. I’ve been 9 years old!
Music Junkie Press: Wow you all started so young, no wonder you all are already so talented! We love the lyric video for your song, Tonight, can you tell us more about the inspiration behind that song?
Jake: Everybody knows this kind of situation when you feel more for somebody than friendship. This song is all about telling a person what you are actually feeling for her/him because sometimes friendship isn’t enough. It’s a song about the edge between friendship to relationship.
Music Junkie Press: A lot of our audience did not know that you are form Austria, can you tell us how the music scene is out there today and do have any favorite venues nearby?
Thomas Kern: Hard. Being a musician in Austria is a hard way to earn ones living!
One of our favorite venues is the big stage of ppc Graz (where we supported Bam Margera). The civic center would also be a great place , but that is yet a long way for us to have a gig there.
Music Junkie Press: What are three things that you wish everyone knew about your hometown or county?
Esther:Well first, Austria is not Australia and we do not have any kangaroos 😉
We do not wear our garb, such as Lederhosen or Dirdl every daytime and we do not yodel all the day (laughs)
But Austria is a very beautiful country with lots of mountains and snow, rivers and stuff like that. And come to Graz! Even though it’s a tiny city if you compare it to cities from the UK, there is always a spot to party at (:
Music Junkie Press: You are so funny because I bet many people have got Australia and Austria mixed up!!! Who are some of the most influential artists for you all?
Light Up The Town: Paramore, All time low, The All American- Rejects…that’s where we got our sound from!
Music Junkie Press: If Light Up The Town were to become a comic book, what would each of your superhero names and super powers be?
Jake:My name would be “beercules” and my superpower would be the ability to create ice-cold beer out of nothing. So the enemies would get drunk and we could eliminate them.
Leo: Maybe I could let my heart beat as fast as I want because I could program my heart in bpm!^^ My name would be MR. METRONOMO! That would make me very fast.
Esther: My name would be THE DWARFINATOR! I could grow as tall as a tree and shrink as tiny as a flea! And shoot with lasers coming out of a strawberry look-a-like gun!
Thomas Meier:My name would be Superbunny! I would have the power to distribute eggs of love, so the bad boys would come to the good side!
Thomas Kern: I could catch villains with my stretchy hair flip! It would wrap itself around the bad guys and capture them in an undestroyable prison of hair! My superhero name is then THE HAIRHUNTER!!
Music Junkie Press:Now that is one comic book that I want to see happen! We understand that Light Up The Town recently opened for Bam Margera, how was that for you all?
Jake: The experience, playing as support for a world-famous musician and entertainer, was really, really great and a big chance for us. We had a lot of fun and we made a lot of new experiences.
Music Junkie Press: What are you currently working on?
Esther: We are working on an album which we try to release in the springtime next year! Soon there will be a new song coming out called ,,it’s enough’’. It’s about breaking out from the everyday routine and to be in control of ones own destiny. There will be a lyric video of the song as well.
Music Junkie Press: Esther, you have amazing vocals that capture the listener. Were you professionally trained or how did you get into singing?
Esther: I’ve never had a professional trainer or vocal coaches. I started singing when I was a little child, my mother used to sing kids songs with me (and sometimes I tried to sing with the music on the radio) 😉 Sometimes people came over to me and told me that they liked my voice and that they would like to listen to me playing the guitar or piano and singing some songs. So I kept on singing and that’s what came out years later!
Music Junkie Press: If Light Up The Town could put together their dream lineup, what three other bands would you love to tour with?
Light Up The Town:Asking Alexandria, All time low, Escape the fate, Falling in reverse,…There are so many, we guess that 3 wouldn’t be enough! (:
Music Junkie Press:That woud be an awesome lineup! Are there any plans on coming to the US?
Light Up The Town: We would love to come to the US! But it’s too expensive for now. But maybe we can get that famous to one time have a gig in the USA.
Music Junkie Press: We hope you guys make it out here, I think you would blow everyone away at Warped Tour! If we could peak into your Ipod, what artist or song might we be most surprised at finding in there?
Esther: I have a lot of Lindsey Styrling on there! My favorite is her version of the phantom of the opera.
Thomas Kern:Left boy! I’ve already seen him on a festival in Austria.
Leo: the entire discography of lamb of god or maybe dope d.o.d!
Thomas Meier: Well I’ve got the soundtrack of sailor moon and Pokémon on there!
Jake:I must confess that a lot of my friends do not touch my Ipod because of their words: “girly music” 😉 Most surprising is I guess Avril Lavigne, Miranda Cosgrove and something like that.
Music Junkie Press: Those are some diverse styles of music there, I love that! Here at Music Junkie Press, we are strong believers how music can help, heal, inspire. Can you share a particular time in your life where music was most there for you?
Esther: I had a hard time when I was between 15 and 16. My parents split up and one of my friends died because of a car accident. In this time I wrote lots of songs and listened to loads of music.
Music Junkie Press: Music truly does help and thank you for sharing that story with us Esther. Lastly, is there anything else that Light Up The Town would like to share with our audience and your fans?
Light Up The Town: First: THANKS to all of you who have supported us yet that much! Don’t forget to come to our concerts and buy our band merch in the future 😉 Every concert, there are more and more people listening to us and that’s a great feeling! And also thanks to Music Junkie Press for making this interview!
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We are really looking forward to their new music and hope you all visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.This is definitely a band to watch out for!
Our friends in New Politics have been out on another headlining tour which will take them across the country. Sunday night they made a stop in San Francisco and performed at the legendary Fillmore. It was great to see them headline at the Fillmore when only a few years ago, they were there opening for The Dirty Heads. From the first time, we saw New Politics open for The Spill Canvas at Slim’s in 2010. They blew us away as we dubbed them “Energizer Bunny Meets Nirvana”.
They put on one of the most energetic, engaging sets that you don’t ever want to miss. Once again at the Fillmore, they exceeded all of our expectations and delivered a top notch set. Check out a sneak peek of photos from our Rockin Ryan of their set:
Their set included old and new songs which had the crowd brimming with excitement. It was great to hear the crowd singing along to their new song, Everywhere I Go (Kings and Queens) which will be featured on their upcoming new album, VIkings set for a release in February 2015 on DCD2/Warner Bros records. They even brought the house down as they performed a cover of Beastie Boys Sabotage. What a night it was and I truly am proud to see how far these young men have come. They are definitely one of the hardest working bands out there and it is no surprise to see their fast rise to the top. They deserve it!
The tour included their special guests of Bad Suns and SomeKindaWonderful. Check out the dates below and see if they will be coming to a venue near you:
11/5 Vancouver, BC @ The Rio Theatre ( Tickets )
11/6 Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre ( Tickets )
11/7 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House ( Tickets )
11/8 Salt Lake City, UT @ Murray Theatre ( Tickets )
11/9 Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre ( Tickets )
11/11 Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theatre ( Tickets )
11/12 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant ( Tickets )
11/13 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater ( Tickets )
11/14 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave / Eagles Club ( Tickets )
11/15 Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe at Old National Centre ( Tickets )
11/16 Chicago, IL @ House of Blues ( Tickets )
11/18 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s ( Tickets )
11/19 Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom ( Tickets )
11/20 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues ( Tickets )
11/21 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall ( Tickets )
11/22 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall ( Tickets )
11/23 Toronto, ON @ The Opera House ( Tickets )
11/25 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza ( Tickets )
11/26 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club ( Tickets )
11/28 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom ( Tickets )
11/29 Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts ( Tickets )
11/30 Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater ( Tickets )
We have been hooked on their latest single, Everywhere I Go (Kings and Queens) and they are currently working on a music video for it. Check out a little behind the scenes video to get you excited for it:
Make sure to catch them out on tour. I know I always tell you to make sure to get out to shows, but SERIOUSLY this is one show you WANT to BE AT! New Politics are amazing with their live performances and their stage presence I think is one that can be matched. You can’t help but leave their show in a better mood, better place, or just full of energy and excitement, regardless of what you may be going through. Their music is like instant adrenaline and bliss.
Have you ever seen our interview with them at last year’s Uproar Festival? If not, check it out h ere:
Also make sure you have their latest CD, “A Bad Girl in Harlem” which will have your energy flowing within seconds! You can get it here on Itunes. Definitely on replay at our house.
SomeKindaWonderful are currently entertaining crowds across the country with their genre-bending music that injects energy into every listener and brings them to life. They are currently out on the 34 date US Fall tour opening for New Politics and Bad Suns. This past weekend, they made a stop in San Francisco and performed at the legendary Fillmore. It was amazing to see finally catch this band live. SomeKindaWonderful is:
Jordy Towers – Vocals/lyrics
Matt Gibson – Guitar
Ben Schigel – Drums
Justin Andres – Bass/Keys
Sarah Dryer – Vocals/Percussion
These five are pure entertainment when they hit the stage. You cannot categorize them simply by placing them in a genre checkbox, they bring so many great elements of alternative, rock, hip hop, soul, grunge and so much more. Their refreshing sound will become true music to your ears as they jump start your love of all music. The crowd went wild at the Fillmore and even more so when they performed their hit, Reverse which is a love story gone wrong – written chronologically backwards. “I don’t think anyone’s ever written a song backwards before,” Jordy explains about writing Reverse. “It was the first song we wrote together as a band, the night we met; that was the song we wrote and we didn’t even know each other. We met in the bar writing that song. It kind of set the tone for us. Before we even thought of putting out a single or doing anything…that was our song.” Each member stands out on the stage with their magnetic personalities exhibiting captivating stage presence. For an opening band, you could not have asked for anything more as they really pumped up the crowd and started the night off right. We had the chance to interview them before their set and are going to be bringing that to you later this week. Check out the photos from our Rockin Ryan of their set:
Check the tour dates and see if you can get yourself to a show:
Fri
11/7
Boise, ID
Knitting Factory Concert House
Sun
11/9
Englewood, CO
Gothic Theatre
Tue
11/11
Lawrence, KS
Granada Theatre
Wed
11/12
St. Louis, MO
The Pageant
Thu
11/13
Minneapolis, MN
Varsity Theater
Fri
11/14
Milwaukee, WI
The Rave/Eagles Club
Sat
11/15
Indianapolis, IN
Deluxe at Old National Centre
Sun
11/16
Chicago, IL
House of Blues
Tue
11/18
Cincinnati, OH
Bogart’s
Wed
11/19
Louisville, KY
Mercury Ballroom
Thu
11/20
Cleveland, OH
House of Blues
Fri
11/21
Columbus, OH
Newport Music Hall
Tue
11/25
New York, NY
Irving Plaza
Wed
11/26
Boston, MA
Paradise Rock Club
Fri
11/28
Buffalo, NY
Town Ballroom
Sat
11/29
Philadelphia, PA
TLA
Sun
11/30
Hartford, CT
Webster Theater
Stay tuned for our interview with SomeKindaWonderful later this week. I will leave you with their new song, Rhinestone Melodies.
Pick up their self titled album which was released earlier this year. It is available at the shows as well as on iTunes here. Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news. ~ Marisol Information & Links:
We promised to bring you our interview with Kenny Vasoli from Vacationer and we are pleased to bring it to you here:
I would strongly encourage you to get out to a show and I promise you will have the time of your life. The chill vibe that Vacationer brings to the stage will have you thinking you are on a tropical island in the sun and simply enjoying the gift of life. In case you missed our review of their amazing set at Slim’s, here it is once again.
* * * * * REVIEW REPOST * * * * *
Monday night we made it down to San Francisco to catch Vacationer as they set to perform at Slim’s. The weekend was filled with SF Giant mania and Monday was a great night off for the World Series. One thing is for sure, Vacationer brought the chillest of vibes to San Francisco. There is something about watching them perform where you are just whisked away to a tropical island, surrounded by friends, singing along and sharing the most relaxed, kick back atmosphere in a room full of friends. Whatever things are on your mind, worries or challenges you may be facing, the second you listen to Vacationer, they all just disappear and you can’t help but have a great time. It is an instant mood elevator and you feel like you are on one big vacation!
The venue was packed but that didn’t hinder anyone’s enjoyment as the crowd swayed to rhythm of the songs and everyone appeared to have an excellent time! Check out the photos by our Rockin Ryan of the set:
Vacationer is a collaborative effort with vocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli and his production partners Grant Wheeler and Matthew Young from the band Body Language. If you don’t already have it, I would strongly suggest to you to pick up their latest release,Relief which is an absolute much needed dose of fun, feel good music. Check out the video for one of my favorite songs from their album, The Wild Life.
Check out the tour dates below and see if you will be able to catch them out on tour.
Tour Dates:
November 4 – Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room w/St. Lucia
November 5 – Calgary, AB @ The Republik w/St. Lucia
November 7 – Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret w/St. Lucia
November 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue w/St. Lucia
November 10 – Chicago, IL @ Metro w/St. Lucia
November 11 – Chicago, IL @ Metro w/St. Lucia
November 12 – Detroit, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom w/St. Lucia
November 14 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall w/St. Lucia
November 15 – Albany, NY @ The Hollow w/St. Lucia
November 16 Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse – Brick+Morter Support
November 17 Boston, MA @ The Sinclair – Brick+Morter Support
Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.
Salme Dahlstrom is a marvel She not only writes, performs and produces dance music that is irrepressible, but she licenses virtually everything she does to TV or movies, so you have probably heard her music even if you don’t know it. Which means that chances are, Salme Dahlstrom is a part of the soundtrack of your life.
And that’s a good thing. Her music can hum in the background while you go about your day with a little extra energy and bounce, or it can shimmer in the foreground as you notice it’s 4 am and you are still dancing. Either way Salme’s tunes are is not only the best party music on the air today, they are also the creation of an experienced artist and as such they demand attention on that level as well as on the dance floor. Salme is a woman so confident in her talent that she long ago transcended pop’s angst to produce music that is intelligent as well as hooky, sophisticated as well as accessible, and always fun to listen to. And with the release of Pop Propaganda 2: Retro Funk Soul Junction, there is even more Salme to enjoy.
Pop Propaganda 2’s hooks and beats and courageous mixes are non-stop fun for both your feet and your mind. Salme transcends pop and takes us to a new planet of musical addiction. Hooked is an understatement.
And there is much to enjoy on PP2, starting at the top with a love song with attitude, Love +Shine, carried with signature 60’s rock guitar riffs, steady, sophisticated drumming, efx guitars and her precisely modulated and tuned voice, including a falsetto, which raises the ceiling of whatever room you are in. This is Salme at her most glorious: trippy, precise, confident – even cocky by her own admission – and a bit psychedelic. You can parse the words, you can analyze the effects, you can delve into the inspiration, but one thing you can’t do is sit still.
The next song is the single, “Pop Yr Heart Out”, but I am going to leave that until the end because of a courageous experiment she does with it on the album. “Superfunky Babes” a seemingly pure dance number celebrating summer party time, was written to be the “ultimate summer song” invoking visions of rooftop dancing in the sunshine. But, as with all things Salme, there is more. The genesis of the song is convoluted – the title came first, then the verse melody with the line “Superfunky babes walking the street”, then the chorus, a lyrical work-around. The result is a song about women dancing and walking sensually that is not sexual – a neat trick and one necessary to keep the song a celebration of summer and not a riff on female body parts. She pulls it off with intelligence and fun.
“Bodies in Motion” follows and is exactly what it claims. High energy funky drums, tuned lyrics , Cole Williamson backing vocals; it does what is says – keeps your body in motion with pure fun funk. “Rocking the Spot” upshifts the energy, downshifts the funk and swirls in the 60’s. Intricate drums, fast-paced lyrics, a call and answer partying vibe colored with a 60’s na a na na, nan na come together expertly. The production is spot on, as is the production every song on the album, very layered, very high gloss, very professional but accessible.
The bonus track, “Barcelona Babe” comes at us from a seeming other world, as Salme’s pure, feminine voice beckons us with hey, hey, hey there. When we come she seduces us with sound effects and a three-layered drum beat heavy on the lower end kick and toms. Lots of fun, both for her, as she played with her new Nexus 2 for the effects, and for us tapping our feet and whirling under the flashing lights.
The heart of the album to me was “Pop Ur Heart Out”, done four different ways. Taking up almost half the album with the same song done in different styles is a risk than only the supremely confident Salme could or would take. But even riskier was how she did it. She sent the initial single to three other artists: the San Francisco-based glitchhop duo Spekr Freks; the wildly prolific music producer DJ Phunkae; and Eugeny Lobanovsky, the dubstep artist known as Quadrat Beat. What she got back – and put on her album – are three very different, and very entertaining versions of “Pop Ur Heart Out” ranging from the glitch hip hop style of SpekFreks, to a very sexy rendition by DJ Funkae, to a totally unique and wonderful sped up dance take by Quadrat Beat. An act of courage on her part that paid off in great dividends for her fans.
But that is what you get with Salme – courage, talent, excitement, energy and everything done to the highest standards possible. She is pure New York. Pop Propaganda 2 radiates the city’s diversity and energy; you can hear the rooftop parties, the basement raves, the living streets of New York in every song. It’s no wonder; Salme is quintessential New York energy and work ethic; he plays every instrument, writes and sings every lyric and produces every song herself, pouring her essence and her ethic into each line and note and riff. Taken individually, each song on Pop Propaganda2 can stand alone as either a rock-‘till-you drop dance number, or a joyfully listenable social commentary. Taken together, they combine into what should be at very least the dance album of the year.
Monday night we made it down to San Francisco to catch Vacationer as they set to perform at Slim’s. The weekend was filled with SF Giant mania and Monday was a great night off for the World Series. One thing is for sure, Vacationer brought the chillest of vibes to San Francisco. There is something about watching them perform where you are just whisked away to a tropical island, surrounded by friends, singing along and sharing the most relaxed, kick back atmosphere in a room full of friends. Whatever things are on your mind, worries or challenges you may be facing, the second you listen to Vacationer, they all just disappear and you can’t help but have a great time. It is an instant mood elevator and you feel like you are on one big vacation!
The venue was packed but that didn’t hinder anyone’s enjoyment as the crowd swayed to rhythm of the songs and everyone appeared to have an excellent time! Check out the photos by our Rockin Ryan of the set:
Vacationer is a collaborative effort with vocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli and his production partners Grant Wheeler and Matthew Young from the band Body Language. We had the opportunity to talk with Kenny before his set and we will be bringing that interview to you later this weekend. If you don’t already have it, I would strongly suggest to you to pick up their latest release,Relief which is an absolute much needed dose of fun, feel good music. Check out the video for one of my favorite songs from their album, The Wild Life.
Check out the tour dates below and see if you will be able to catch them out on tour.
Tour Dates:
November 1 – Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl – Brick+Morter Support
November 4 – Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room w/St. Lucia
November 5 – Calgary, AB @ The Republik w/St. Lucia
November 7 – Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret w/St. Lucia
November 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue w/St. Lucia
November 10 – Chicago, IL @ Metro w/St. Lucia
November 11 – Chicago, IL @ Metro w/St. Lucia
November 12 – Detroit, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom w/St. Lucia
November 14 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall w/St. Lucia
November 15 – Albany, NY @ The Hollow w/St. Lucia
November 16 Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse – Brick+Morter Support
November 17 Boston, MA @ The Sinclair – Brick+Morter Support
Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.
Earlier this week, when I visited my 81 year old mother whom is recuperating from an infection in a skilled nursing facility, I was left to hear the complaining from the seniors about the younger generation, and exclamations of “What is the world coming to? Young men and women are not as passionate as they used to be, etc “. I simply do not agree since it seems that the spotlight is often on those that are not creating or passionate about their arts or even life in general. I know a young man who is amazingly talented and passionate in all that he does, that I would like to place in the spotlight and let the world enjoy his great gift of music and that young man is Ethan Teel.
The solo project of Ethan is The Owl-Eyes and earlier this year he released his debut EP, Wild Child. Ethan displays his great affection for various genres of music as he experiments with everything from pop, jazz, heavy metal, alternative, metalcore, hip-hop, punk, and so much more. In addition, he is not only a songwriter but a multi instrumentalist playing the guitar, drums, bass, and vocalist.
We had the opportunity for a Q & A with Ethan and are pleased to bring that to you here:
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Music Junkie Press: Thank you very much for taking the time out to talk with us here at Music Junkie Press. Can you tell us about the latest with what is going on with your music, The Owl Eyes?
Ethan: As of right now, I’m working with a group of guys to play my music live. Our plan is to hit the open mics in the St.Paul, MN area, and through word-of-mouth, talk to some local bands about opening up for them. Eventually, through all this, we’ll develop a relationship with the club and venue owners and having our own gigs will become easy as pie.
On top of that, I’m always recording and writing. There is one song I plan to launch for free on my website. It’s a collaboration with EDM/Pop artist “Madd Oso.” So far, it sounds bad-ass.
And there’s always web content. Keep checking my website for the latest news, blogs, videos, etc.
Music Junkie Press: I love the new Owl Eyes because it just seems that they are there taking the world in and just watching everything around them, always thinking. How did you come up with calling yourself Owl Eyes?
Ethan: The Owl-Eyes has always been the creative outlet for any of my works of art; whether it be film, poetry, and in the case so far – music. Since The Owl-Eyes is one person (me), there were some in the beginning thinking it would be much easier and simpler to just go under my name, seeing as how I am a “solo” artist. However, many producers and contributors in the past told me that going under a band name would be more marketable. Aside from that, what I do with my music is the same exact thing Trent Reznor does with “Nine Inch Nails.” So I basically told myself, “why bother with my legal name and just make a ‘band’ to go under?” And so I chalked a whole bunch of names down on my phone. One of them was “The Owl-Eyes,” and when shooting my music video back in the late summer of 2013, the video director said that she liked it, and so we went with that.
The origin of the name itself comes from the novel “The Great Gatsby.” In it, there is a minor character called, “The Owl-Eyed man,” and he is discovered in Gatsby’s library during a party. He is amazed that Mr. Gatsby actually has REAL novels in the study, and not just props. However, as the character points out to the protagonist, Mr. Gatsby hasn’t actually read the novels. He just keeps them in the study.
The point of this scene is to prove that Mr. Gatsby is a pseudo-intellectual. He seems smart on the outside – with his vast amount of books, wealth, and worldly experiences. But all of this is a front to trick people into think he’s smarter than he actually is; and it took a pair of “Owl-Eyes,” (Owls being a symbol of wisdom) to point this out.
Pseudo-intellectualism is horrendously large in the music world these days. There are multiple bands naming themselves after great philosophers, works of literature, a passage of scripture, etc; Yet their music, sound, and identity has nothing to do with the name at all. The name is basically a way for marketing to promote the band to teenagers who want to listen to something other than mainstream pop. The kids believe they are getting music with substance because of the name. But the only substance they are getting is blast beats or corny lyrics.
How does this connect to me? I hate pseudo-intellectuals, even though I am one. Pseudo-Intellectual’s talk out of their asses all the time to impress people, and while I recognize this as a pet peeve I hate, I do this literally ALL THE TIME. I figured, “what if I made myself to be the BIGGEST PSEUDO-INTELLECTUAL OF THEM ALL?!? I’ll be the hyperbolic mirror held up to the masses, so that people can look upon me and go, ‘Oh, I get it now.’ and then we can go on to bigger and better things; while also enjoying the music I create.”
And that’s why I called the band “The Owl-Eyes.” We are going to be the mirror that reflects to the world what we have become.
Photo Credit: Fairlight Hubbard
Music Junkie Press: With being so young and having such a great passion for music, did you grow up in a musical family or when did you see yourself immerse yourself into songwriting and creating your own music?
Ethan: Most of the music stuff comes from my mother’s side of the family. My grandfather could play trombone, tuba, and trumpet; whereas my mother played piano (she still plays piano for my hometown church). My grandfather was the first music “geek” in the family. He had an album of “The Mills Brothers,” that he would play over and over again. We actually played that album during the visitation when he passed away. It was such a strange yet welcoming juxtaposition; he was gone and yet we had all this really happy music playing. It was chill.
The seeds for my love of music began when I was 8 years old. I wanted to learn how to play the drums because I saw one kid play them at a local town jamboree. From there, the kid gave me lessons and I was learning about all these cool bands like “Black Sabbath,” and “Lynyrd Skynyrd.” But things really didn’t take off until I was 12; that’s when I discovered “School of Rock.” School of Rock is a for-profit, music education program serving nearly 10,000 students in over 138 locations. There are several different courses within the School itself, but all of them are performance based programs where kids learn a set list and then perform that set list in front of a live audience. It was at School of Rock that I met my local brand of mutants. There were kids just like me, who had the same passion and drive for the arts as I do; and because of this, we shared music recommendations like crazy and I started listening to way more music than I would have otherwise.
The nail on the coffin though – the moment where I decided that music would be my life – came at around 14 years old. I’ve always loved film and for a while I saw myself as possibly becoming a film director. I went to this camp called SOCAPA (School Of Creative And Performing Arts) where I got to direct, edit, write, and produce 2 original short films in the time span of two weeks. I had so much fun while I was out there, but I thought making movies would be as simple as putting my dreams and perceptions onto celluloid. I came to find out that the process was so much harder….maybe not even worth trying?
So I’m sitting in my parents RV, staring up at the ceiling at like 1:00am, and I was thinking to myself “well, what now Ethan? You’ve always wanted to be a film director right? You’ve looked up all these colleges about film, and now you’re having second doubts? What are you gonna do with you life?”
I had Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” on CD, and I had suddenly realized that I’ve never truly listened to an album all the way through. I decided to have a classic be my first album experience, and I played the entirety of the album, all the way through, on a low volume to where the music was crisp, clear, and never distorted. It was a soft and chill moment; the notes just spilling into my ear canal.
When it was all over, I clicked off the Cd and said, “That. I want to do that. I want to be in music forever and eventually create something like I just experienced.” And that’s how I got into music.
Music Junkie Press: What advice could you give to the youth who struggle to continue with their passion for music, either by being told to stray from the type of music they want to create or to follow a different path completely?
Ethan: I say do you. We all got that special drive and sometimes it just takes a lot of experimentation to find that one thing that makes us truly happy. When we do find that one thing, there is nothing better in the world. So do what you feel is right, cause if it ends up with you doing something you absolutely love, eventually people will come around to standing beside you. As long as you have the passion for it, and you express that passion vigorously through hard work and determination, with love and happiness…eventually others will stand beside you. Just remember, there’s no vanity in the presence of gratitude.
But to be more blunt, there’s actually two quotes that I can use to sum all this up.
“Men have called me mad: but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the excellent intelligence – whether much that is glorious – whether all that is profound – does not spring from disease of thought – from moods of mind exalted at the expense of general intellect.”
-Edgar Allen Poe
and finally…
“All works of man have their origin in creative fantasy. What right have we then to depreciate imagination?”
-Carl Jung.
Music Junkie Press: I understand that you are a multi-instrumentalist, do you have an affinity for one instrument versus the others.
Ethan: The first instrument I ever learned how to play was the drums; and they still remain to be my favorite instrument to perform live. I love being the front man because I can control the audience. I love the freedom of expression that being a front man allows for as well. But personally, I just love playing the drums because unlike guitars where your patterns are more melodically based (and therefore, you have to deal much more with music theory) on the drums, the patterns are more rhythmically based. With guitars, vocals, and other types of melodic instruments, you hear the music. But with drums, you feel the music.
To sum it up, lead vocals live and playing the drums are the two instruments in my wheel house of tricks that I always love coming back to.
Music Junkie Press: Do you have any upcoming performances you can tell us about?
Ethan: As of right now, no. But we are working on it everyday. Keep checking the Facebook page and the website for more info. Whenever we get a live gig, those two places will have the details STAT!
Music Junkie Press: Who are some of the most influential musicians that made an impact on you?
Ethan: All of the artists that I have ever listened to have influenced my sound and writing to some degree. To prove this, here are my top 20 Artists of all time (in order). See if you can hear the influences from them in my music.
The Rolling Stones
The Kinks
The Pixies
Dream Theater
Lamb of God
Slipknot
Death Grips
Sonic Youth
Gorillaz
Led Zeppelin
TOOL
Nine Inch Nails
Rush
The Black Keys
Mewithoutyou
The Flaming Lips
Primus
Radiohead
The Beatles
Pink Floyd.
Music Junkie Press: What are three things about yourself that you can share with us?
Ethan: I busted my head open once and had to get it “glued” back together. No joke. My father and I built this bridge that spans over this little creek towards my Grandmother’s house, and one day when I was 10 years old, while climbing around it, I fell off and cut my head open on some sharp rocks. They took me to the hospital and the cut was deep enough that stitches could’ve been a possibility, but frankly, I was freaking out so bad (cause I had never gone through any trauma ever before then) that they thought giving me stitches would do more harm than good. So they grabbed this stuff called “medical glue,” and, for intensive purposes, “glued” my head back together. Pretty neat huh? No wonder I’m so weird.
I write fanfiction. I haven’t been able to write as much now since I’m in college, but I still do. I geek out over everything and I also love to write. Naturally fan fiction would result out of these two things. It’s just an extension of what I do with my writing. I’ve written fan fictions for Avatar the Last Airbender, Artemis Fowl, Teen Titan, Sly Cooper, and Gorillaz. And I’m a little ashamed to admit this, but I’ll hold nothing back. Some of those fan fics got STEAMY!
My first performance ever with the School of Rock, I was attacked on stage by an elderly woman who came down to our school to complain about the noise. She literally pushed my head into the snare drum while she tried grabbing the over head microphones. But I still kept the beat going, and after she was taken off stage by management (while I was still keeping a steady tempo) we were given a standing ovation. TAKE THAT ELDERLY!
Music Junkie Press: If we could peak into your Ipod, what artist or song might we be most surprised at finding in there?
Ethan: Die Antwoord. Yes, I love South African Rave Hip-Hop. I also really dig August Burns Red and Suicide Silence. But I think mostly you’ll be surprised that I have Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and Childish Gambino on my IPod because I create alt-rock music, and all those acts are SUPER hip-hop. I think we are entering a renaissance age for Hip-Hop. We got all these forward thinking people within the genre right now. “Telegraph Ave. (Oakland by Lloyd)” has been playing on my phone non-stop. It’s slowly becoming my jam, and quite possibly a contender of my top 20 songs of all time.
Music Junkie Press: With music being so powerful and can help, heal, inspire people, can you share a time in your life when music was there to help you through something. Maybe a particular song or artist that was instrumental in getting you through something tough?
Ethan: There of course was the incident about Pink Floyd I mentioned earlier, but that wasn’t necessarily healing. I just wasn’t so sure what I wanted to do with my life, and the music I heard on “Dark Side,” was so awe-inspiring and jaw dropping that I made it a mission in life to recreate that moment of awe through my music.
I guess a good moment of healing through music always comes from Gospel music. Whenever I’m feeling blue, I just bust out my guitar and play “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” I do this gospel bluegrass version that this hymnal in our church has. Every time I sing it, I feel a rising in spirit and in confidence. Sometimes I just gotta remind myself that this plan of existence is only temporary (and to a certain extent, it isn’t really even real; cause what is reality other than a collection of our perceptions) and that “I gotta home on the other side.”
Photo Credit: Fairlight Hubbard
Music Junkie Press: With your emotionally driven lyrics, do you have a particular song writing process?
Ethan: Most of my song writing comes out of fail attempts of trying to play someone else’s tune. I then modify it into becoming my tune. For example, there’s a song I’m working on with a working title “Cigarettes and Dead Daydreams.” I basically came up with the song when I was trying to play “You’re So Great,” by BLUR. I couldn’t get the riff down right, so I just basically modified what I was doing until it became original. I even incorporated a riff from the song “Down by the River,” by Neil Young.
That’s the music side of the equation. Sometimes I will just have a lick that appears out of nowhere in my head that I have to write down (like in my song “Crazy Little Lady.” The main lick of that song just was playing in my head and I had to write it down). But most of the time, the music I create is a jumbled up version of every single song I’ve ever heard ever; I then throw three or more songs together, blend them, and modify the lick into becoming my own original lick. Not plagiarism. It’s Inspiration.
The lyrics themselves come after the song is written, usually. Sometimes there will be fair occasions where I’ll just have a poem in my head I want to put to music. But 9 times out of 10, the lyrics are set to the music after the melody is written; therefore I can come up with good lyrics to fit the mood of the song. You don’t want a happy-fun time song juxtaposed with sad emo lyrics. You want both to match in tone, theme, and mood.
They lyrics basically are portions of my emotions exaggerated to the point of hyperbolic nature. For example the lyrics for “Wild Child,” come from my punk rock, loner, rebellious side; just exaggerated to the sense of goofiness. “Hopeless,” is my hopeless romantic side (pun intended) turned up to 11. All lyrics I ever write are genuine emotions I feel and want to express, I just turn them up to an 11 so they get more specific in nature, yet broader in scope.
And that is my writing process.
Music Junkie Press: Lastly, is there anything you would to share with our audience and your fans?
Ethan: World Domination is at hand. Spread the word, share the website and facebook page; and you’ll be seated at the right hand of
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What an amazing young man with a wealth of talent and passion. I can’t wait to see what is next in store for this talented musician. When you look at Ethan and what he has to offer this generation, he gives us hope and rest assured, we will be in good hands.
You can pick up his EP Wild Childhere on iTunes. He has also just released his latest EP, Schizo Girlfriend in August and you can pick it up on iTunes here. Both EPs are also available directly through his website here: http://theowleyes.com/music. You are going to love it and soon you will be telling everyone about your new favorite band, The Owl-Eyes! Make sure to visit his social media sites and stay up to date on his latest news.
Pop punks Me Vs. Hero have released a music video for their song, Hang In which is off of their new album, I’m Completely Fine which was release in September and you can pick it up on iTunes here. “This songs means a lot to us” explains Thompson of the new track“It’s literally about hanging in there when times get bad. At one point when we wrote this record there was a three month period where I was homeless. I had three big bags for all my stuff and had no idea where I was sleeping most nights. The song is an accurate depiction of his life at that point. It’s something that, if you go through, you will make sure never happens again.” Check out the video here:
The song is the perfect track to get you through those challenges and struggles which we face and think that we can never overcome. Sometimes looking back at all the things you have been through, gives you right amount of strength to get over the next hurdle. Me Vs. Hero bring such a solid connection to their listeners through their emotionally driven music that is also fun spirited and vibrant.
Me Vs Hero are:
Samuel James Thompson – Vocals
Michael Booth – Bass
Bobby Pook – Guitar
Grant Berry – Guitar
Simon Smith – Drums
Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.
Music Junkie Press 