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Features News

Introducing The Vespa Experiment

Those who are friends with me know about my obsession with Vespas. Imagine my excitement then, when I heard about The Vespa Experiment — three musicians traveling throughout California on Vespas while bringing music and environmental awareness to the forefront. Pretty inspiring.

Here’s the official description from MySpace:

“THE VESPA EXPERIMENT’S primary mission is to send a message to stop global warming by using the power of music. Co-founders Jason Reeves and Brendan James will be joined by their friend and ally, Amber Rubarth, on this purposeful journey. Supported by Greenpeace, the three musicians will ride Vespas up the California Coast, honoring the natural beauty of the West and performing at traditional (club) venues, as well as on mountaintops, beaches and town centers. For two weeks they will engage their fans in thought-provoking ways, through music and honest dialog, while living as simply as possible by camping along the way. In a modern twist, they will film a documentary as they travel, posting daily footage to the web so fans at home can follow along. Fans will be able to communicate with the artists in a communal dialog as they seek to change the world together.”

Their first time doing this type of tour, the musicians need your support. If you’d like to help write to vespaexperiment@gmail.com. They’ll hook you up with promo material, tickets to shows, CD’s and more! Man, I wish I lived in California right about now!


See tour dates below:

4.30 (CARLSBAD, CA) The Museum of Making Music
5.01 (COSTA MESA, CA) Sutra Lounge
5.02 (HERMOSA BEACH, CA) Saint Rocke
5.03 (LOS ANGELES, CA) Roxy
5.05 (VENTURA, CA) The Lodge At Zoey’s
5.07 (SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA) Downtown Brew
5.10 (MONTEREY, CA) Monterey Live
5.12 (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) Cafe Du Nord

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Band of the Week

Band of the Week: A Moment’s Worth

My friend and fellow blogger Monica Perry (you can read her blog of commentary and criticism on television, film, and music here) introduced me to Bronx, New York-based band A Moment’s Worth last week, thinking I’d like what I heard. Boy was she right. Playing a mix of pop punk, the band blends gritty guitar with infectious vocals.

Combining fitting emotion throughout each track, AMW’s sing along choruses recall early Yellowcard and The Ataris. With lyrics, “You know I used to be that guy who’d stay up with you all night/And the next day write a song to save his friends/And we used to live our lives in our cars and Friday nights/But today it gets so easy to forget” throughout track “Zero. Four. One.” nostalgia of high school and endless summer days abound.

Song after song, each track gets catchier the more listened to. A Moment’s Worth is one of those bands that gets stuck in your head, but you really don’t mind.

If their sing along anthems are any testament to this band, AMW is well on their way. Switching gears from previous tracks, “Unsound” encompasses fast guitar with more angst-filled lyrics while “Catalina” is a slower ballad, reminiscent to that of a fairytale love song with it’s beautiful and poetic metaphors.

While it’s easy to picture A Moment’s Worth headlining festivals like Bamboozle and Warped Tour in a few years, my bet’s on this band. What do you think? Listen to 10 tracks on MySpace and see for yourself.

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Festivals

Poll of the Week: What Festival Are You Looking Forward To?

I just posted this week’s poll of the week on the sidebar: What festival are you most looking forward to?

I know there are tons of festivals going on from now through the end of the summer so I picked the five most prominent ones as options. If I left one out that you think should have been considered, be sure to add it in the comments! Your options are:

Lollapalooza

Coachella

Vans Warped Tour

Bonnaroo

All Points West

You have from now until next Sunday night to vote, so get on it! Can’t wait to see which one’s the winner.

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Festivals Interviews

Dlugokecki

Their first trip to the States, Southampton, England-based sextet Dlugokecki gave Americans a taste of what’s to come on their recent performances in New York and Austin, Texas. While they realize their band name isn’t the easiest to pronounce (Der-loo-go-ken-ski), they’re hoping the music will speak for itself. With their debut album, Let This Be Right, released in March and a tour on the way, the band has no plans of slowing down.

Dlugokecki filled me in on their music, to which they refer jokingly as “rocky poppy” as well as discussed why they’re President Obama’s favorite band, among many tangents, which is only a glimpse into just how fun this band is to be around. While they explain they’re the least rock and roll band in the world, “We drink tea and have biscuits,” keyboardist Andy Wild said. “There are no televisions thrown out of windows,” Dlugokecki are truly a band worth checking out. Read on for plenty of laughs from the band who will prove to be the difficult name on everyone’s lips in no time.

How did Dlugokecki come together?
Ben: Well, I was a singer-songwriter on my own. Writing songs and singing into a mirror and hoping one day I’d be famous and have lots of women screaming. That wasn’t working out for me because I wasn’t a very good guitarist and didn’t have much confidence. But then I met Andy and we formed the Dlugokecki band. There was a lot of synergy and it all came together. Then we created the Dlugokecki sound, which is a bit rocky poppy. [Laughs].

Andy: On the plane, we hadn’t slept for a long, long time and someone was asking what style of music we were playing. It’s always so difficult to say, “Oh it’s that style or that style” and for some reason I said rocky poppy, which is rubbish. We did another interview today and I said we are rocky poppy and he took it completely seriously and was like, “So what’s rocky poppy?”

Ben: So now we’re our own genre, rocky poppy. We’ll be on iTunes. You know how they have all the different genres? Rocky poppy, there’s just one.

Boyd: Right in between rock and pop. And then someone will come up with poppy rocky.

Ben: Oh, I don’t like that. They’re scumbags. Sorry, we digress. So, yeah, the band formed in Southampton and we’ve just seemed to have lots of luck. It seems like every year something happens and it just gets bigger and bigger. Now we’re in Austin, Texas playing with The Proclaimers. It’s a bit of a dream.

Aidan: It doesn’t feel real.

Ben: We were in a limo two days ago riding around New York. Times Square. Just loving it.

Andy: We did pay for it, though.

Ben: No, it was paid for by Barack Obama. He knew we were coming. He thought, you know; smooth over relations with the British. If you can get in the interview somewhere that we are Barack Obama’s favorite band that might go down well. [Laugher].

Boyd: Let’s not do politics.

Ben: No, okay. Let’s keep out of politics. But Barack Obama rocks. We think he’s brilliant. We need a Barack Obama.

Is this your first time in the U.S.?
Ben: Yes. This is the beginning of our assault on America. We are going to take it by storm, bit by bit, state by state.

Aidan: This is the calm before the storm.

Ben: I like that. This is the calm before the storm. This is our relaxed, “Ahhh, there’s Dlugokecki. What’s that all about?” Then we come back and they’re like, “Wow, look at them. They’ve got a really weird name. And they’re Barack Obama’s favorite band allegedly.”

Why should we see you in concert?
Ben: We write positive love songs, which not many people do anymore. It’s very negative. A lot of the music around is, “You broke my heart, you stole my cat,” that sort of stuff. [Band laughs]. Well, maybe not cat. Maybe car or corn. We tend to write nice things of love and why it brings us all together. And every now and then throw in one that does rip your heart out.

Aidan: And cause tears.

Ben: Literally. We made people cry tonight.

Aidan: At least two people.

Ben: That’s sad. I feel really bad.

Andy: They were tears of joy.

Ben: No, they weren’t tears of joy. We want people to hear us. Every band wants people to hear them. We think we have something else. We write real songs, little bits of poetry. Come hear the difficult name on everyone’s lips. We should put that in fliers. That’s an idea.

What’s different from American music and the scene in England?
Aidan: The audiences are different.

Andy: The audiences out here have been amazing. Like, in there today they were so quiet. They were very respectful. Back home you have people chatting away. Sometimes you’ll have it complete silent. Really, really nice audiences that listen and think about what we’re trying to put out there.

Boyd: They want to hear the stories behind the songs. They want to know what it’s all about and Ben’s very good about telling people what they’re all about.

Ben: It’s all about the music really. All of us are big musicians, we love music. We are one band, but we’re also loads of different bands. The guys in Dlugokecki are in their own other bands as well. We live music. If I’m at home and I’ve got a spare minute I’m writing lyrics on the wall. I’m writing all the time. Instead of cooking the fried eggs or washing up, it’s all about the lyrics.

Would you rather someone hears you first live or on iTunes?
Andy: To be honest with you, I don’t think I would mind just as long as people are listening.

Ben: The best thing is when you’ve moved someone. They’re affected by the song. If someone says, “Your music’s good” and you go, “Which song do you like?” and they say “Ah, all of them,” you know they’ve got the CD and they’ve put it in the fridge. [Band laughs]. But then if they say, “
This song really touched me or really moved me in some way” that really gets you. I quite like it when someone sees you live and they get the CD and then they come back again and again.

Boyd: It’s always good when somebody sees you live, gets the CD, plays that to a friend, the friend likes it and then they see you and they’re blown away. For me, that’s better than a CD. There’s nothing worse than seeing a band that are amazing and then getting the CD and it’s like “Ehhh.” Either way, you’ve got to work at. You’ve got to knock them dead both times.

What is your ultimate goal as musicians?
Ben: I don’t think we’re dreaming of much. All we want to do is change everybody in the world’s lives forever. [Band laughs]. I know that sounds like a bit of a challenge, but if you don’t set your sights that high, you’re going to flounder in the sea like a stone skimming across the waters. We’re not just a stone. We’re a rocket flying to space.

Boyd: Space is the limit.

Ben: I’ve got another goal: First band on the moon. To be honest, no one has ever done it. Lazy, lazy, lazy. Yeah, first band in space and change everyone’s lives forever.

You can also read this interview posted on MarieClaire.com here. Watch the video for “Save My Soul,” Dlugokecki’s first single off album Let This Be Right. For more on the band, be sure to visit them on MySpace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca6zW4Tnxtg]

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Song of the Week

Song of the Week: “Delia”

I absolutely love this song by The Canon Logic. I also think this record player is the coolest thing ever. Come on, click the red play button and it plays their song? Pretty clever. If you like what you hear and you’re in the Jersey area come check them out at Maxwell’s in Hoboken tonight as they play with Plushgun and Nightmare of You. If you do make it out, be sure to find me and say hi!

If you like what you just heard, be sure to visit The Canon Logic on MySpace or read my interview with them from CMJ here.

Categories
Q&A

Blast From the Past: What A Sugar Rush!

I just stumbled upon one of my old show reviews featured in the entertainment section of my daily college newspaper. Intertwined was my interview with Sugarcult guitarist Marko DeSantis that I wrote about yesterday. You can read the article here, where it was originally published or below. What do you think? Has my writing progressed at all over the years? Curious to know what your take is.

WHAT A SUGAR RUSH
With a new album out, a new tour, and a new sound, Sugarcult continues to keep things fresh.

Annie Reuter
Targum Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Sugarcult’s latest album Lights Out gives fans a different sound than they’re used to. Guitarist Marko DeSantis describes it as loud and sexy, dealing with “escapism and the guilty pleasures people indulge in that bring temporary happiness but are ultimately self destructive; casual sex, drugs, pop-culture.”

The band has just wrapped up the first leg of its Lights Out Fall 2006 Tour with opening acts The Spill Canvas, Halifax, Maxeen, and So They Say.

Sugarcult played an hour set of 15 songs at Starland Ballroom in Sayerville. Their first song, “Lights Out,” got the crowd pumping. One of the crowd favorites included their radio hit, “Memory” while many in attendance could be heard singing and seen crowd surfing throughout most of the concert.

“It’s very good to be back here at the Starland Ballroom,” said lead singer Tim Pagnotta.

Perhaps the best guitar sound of the night came from Sugarcult’s performance of “Los Angeles,” one of the deeper songs from the band’s new album which talks of casual sex.

DeSantis explained how each of their records stands up on their own.

“We don’t want to be redundant and puke up the same old same old,” DeSantis said. “On Lights Out, we broke new sonic ground, we nearly killed ourselves in the studio trying to make sure the music and lyrics were the best they could be.”

While some songs on the album deal with casual sex and guilty pleasures, other songs sound like anti-radio anthems.

On the song “Explode”, Sugarcult sings, “The radio is here to stay/Turn it off and walk away.”

“I guess after five years of doing this professionally we’ve had our hearts broken enough times to see that there’s a reason it’s called the ‘music business’ and not the ‘music friends,'” DeSantis said. “It’s all so political, but at the same time we can look on the bright side and be happy that good music is getting a fair shake: the White Stripes, the Killers, U2, Tool. It’s just sad when places like Philadelphia and New York City don’t even have a station that plays rock music anymore.”

So where does DeSantis and others find out about new music if they don’t listen to the radio?

“Growing up it was all about going to shows, word of mouth, mix-tapes, magazines, hanging out in indie record shops and digging through the racks,” he said. “Today it’s not much different, but things like iTunes, websites and file sharing just make it easier to get turned on to stuff. My favorite way to discover a band is to see them play live and unexpectedly be blown away by undeniable greatness.”

DeSantis explained that he likes bands that are “rooted in the tradition of rock n roll, but update it and push it forward.”

The energy by the end of Sugarcult’s set was intense. As they played their last song for the night, “Bouncing Off The Walls,” singer Pagnotta told the crowd, “I wanna hear you bouncing off the damn walls!”

So does Sugarcult ever get tired of performing some of the same songs over and over again?

“Not really, because you’re feeding off the energy of the crowd, and it’s either a new song or an old song that brings back fond memories of the old days. Hearing 1,000 people scream along to a song we wrote six years ago in a tiny practice space in our hometown when nobody cared about us is always a thrill,” DeSantis said.

With the start of a second leg of their fall tour, DeSantis also wants to play in all the countries Sugarcult hasn’t yet been to.

His plans for the future: “Basically keep making good music, becoming a better band, and chasing new adventures… Fuck it, while we’re at it, why not sell a million records too!”

For more on Sugarcult, be sure to visit them on MySpace.

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Features Q&A

Top 10 Interviews

While I’ve been taking suggestions on revamping my blog, some advised cleaning up the sidebar and deleting older interviews to make it easier on the eyes. After much thought, I really can’t just weed out certain interviews because each has a life of its own. Maybe its the frank musician that discussed exactly what’s wrong with the label executives, or the bass player that told me just how “gross” groupies are, regardless, each artist I’ve talked to needs to be showcased. So, when you’re bored at work or just surfing the Web, you have plenty of reading material on your hands.

While going through each interview I came up with my “Top 10” list of interviews that have surprised me or left an impact. Here’s my Top 10 list, in no particular order.

1. Jon Foreman of Switchfoot (photo above)
I’ve been listening to Switchfoot since high school. I’d buy tickets with friends and we’d travel to NYC together at least once a year to see them live. One year, when covering the show for MTV’s concert blog, I was able to meet the guys, and interview frontman Jon Foreman. To meet one of your favorite musicians and talk to him about life, his fears of being a songwriter and pretty much anything else you’d want to know was truly one of the best moments in my music writing career. Read the in-depth interview here.

2. Colbie Caillat
I remember my cousin from California mentioning Colbie Caillat on his visit to New Jersey right after her debut album was released. A few weeks later “Bubbly” exploded on the radio and I just had to buy myself a copy of her album. The next summer she was going on tour with one of her biggest influences (and mine) — John Mayer. I was able to set up an interview for the blog and was surprised at how humble and down to earth she was. Talking about her stage fright before performing and thoughts on just why “Bubbly” took off, Colbie shared insight into her life before and after her music invaded the airwaves. Read all about it here.

3. Marko DeSantis of Sugarcult
This was my first impromptu band interview. Before catching Sugarcult’s set at Starland Ballroom, I noticed a group of fans by the stage door talking to someone. My friend found out it was Sugarcult guitarist Marko, so I asked to interview him. Why not? He wrote down his email address in my notebook with the casual, “Just don’t show this around” and I emailed him questions a few days later. My first nationally published interview, it was featured on Jane Magazine‘s Web site. I still can’t believe I did that, but it paid off. Read the full email interview here.

4. Kris Roe of The Ataris (photo above)
I lucked out being able to interview Kris twice — first for Rutgers University’s entertainment section, Inside Beat, and last year for my blog. Having listened to The Ataris growing up, I attended a performance of theirs at Rutgers and was able to obtain an interview after talking to his manager. After interviewing him with my friend Monica, I remember leaving the room with the realization and determination that, “This IS what I’m going to do the rest of my life.” Haven’t looked back since. Read the full two-part interview with Kris from his performance at Maxwell’s last year here.

5. Joshua Radin
Incredibly honest about the music industry, Radin bought himself out of his five record deal with Columbia and put out his most recent release independently. Not to mention, it hit No.1 on the iTunes folk charts. Not too shabby. A class act to follow, Radin even performed at Ellen DeGeneres’ wedding. Read on for more of his take on the music business here.

6. Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind
I was extremely nervous for this interview. 3eb was one of the most recognized bands of the 90s and having read up on past interviews with the band I was a little worried how mine would pan out. Luckily, it went extremely well — good enough to be used as my first interview feature on MarieClaire.com! You can read it on Marie Claire here.

7. Vince Scheuerman of Army of Me (photo above)
Possibly the most open singer-songwriter I’ve interviewed, my chat with Vince revealed many of the stories behind his songs, the struggle of making it in the music business and a typical day in the life of a musician. Read on for more here.

8. Tyson Ritter of the All-American Rejects
Oh, Tyson. Brutally honest and never afraid to hold anything back. Though it was a quick 3-question on-the-spot interview outside his tour bus at a concert, it’s one that will always stand out in my memory. Laugh about it here.

9. Jeph Howard of The Used
Okay, I must admit interviewing Jeph on their tour bus was definitely a highlight of the interview. Possibly the longest interview I’ve had, he chatted with me for nearly an hour about life on the road, groupies, and struggles the band has faced. Read all about it here.

10. Sia
Australian singer-songwriter Sia was definitely the most captivating and lively phone interview I have ever had. With her infectious laugh and refreshing take on the music industry, it’s interviews like these that make me continue pursuing this crazy career. You can read the interview featured on RollingStone.com here.

That’s my Top 10. What’s your favorite? Did I miss one that should be added?

Categories
Artist of the Week

Artist of the Week: David Berkeley

It’s hard to keep track of all the great music coming out these days. How does an artist truly stand out from the crowd? Sometimes it’s a quirky viral video or their mysterious Twitter ramblings. In David Berkeley‘s case, it was his song featured on CBS show, “Without A Trace.”

It’s remarkable how a song could be so fitting within the plot of a television drama. For Berkeley, his song “Fire Sign” was used at the climax of the show, when a young boy whose life was made a living hell at school decides to commit suicide. The cops rush to his rescue as Berkeley’s song is playing softly in the background. Watch a clip of the episode featuring “Fire Sign” here.

His delicate fingerpicking and gentle vocals throughout this track embodies most of his music. Each song has a telling tale, sometimes sung over light horn features (see “The Blood and the Wine” on MySpace) or simply accompanied by acoustic guitar. While comparisons allude to that of David Gray and Jack Johnson, it’s his emotional and honest lyrics that leave the biggest impression on the listener.

Currently on tour with UK sensation Katie Melua, Berkeley is bringing his music across the country in anticipation of his May 26th release of third studio album, Strange Light. Listen to “Willis Avenue Bridge,” one of the tracks off his upcoming album here.

For more on his tour and to listen to some tracks, be sure to visit Berkeley on MySpace.

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Concert Reviews

Ray LaMontagne Plays Sold-Out Jersey Show

Ray LaMontagne took the stage at Wellmont Theatre Thursday night to screams shortly after 9 p.m. Known for his shy demeanor, it was still a shock that he said little to the audience, except the occasional “Thank you” throughout the first 10 songs of his set. Playing track after track, the crowd didn’t seem to mind as they proved to be ardent fans, continuously yelling, “New Jersey loves Ray!”

Beginning with lively number “Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s A Shame)” LaMontagne grabbed each concertgoers attention right off the bat at his sold-out show. With his rustically raspy and captivating vocals, it’s these attributes and his constant fluidity that sets him apart. While some songs played were dark and somber ballads of heartache and loss like older tracks “Trouble” and “Jolene,” others were more romantic and upbeat. Singing praises to Meg White of the White Stripes in, aptly titled song “Meg White” (“Meg White, I saw you on the big screen/Old Jack was keen/But you stole the scene”) or a lover as heard in “You Are the Best Thing,” LaMontagne kept all in attendance anxiously waiting on the edge of their seats for the next song.

Playing many tracks off his most recent critically acclaimed album, Gossip In the Grain, as well as some old fan favorites, it was hard to grasp which song was the audience favorite as screams echoed throughout the venue at the beginning of each song. Textured guitar and pedal steel accompaniment infused with his emotional lyrics was truly an experience one can only witness live.

His nearly 90-minute, 17-song set was interwoven with beautifully descriptive and moving lyrics. On soft, emotional ballad “Empty” LaMontagne sang, “And of these cut-throat busted sunsets, these cold and damp white mornings/I have grown weary./If through my cracked and dusted dime-store lips/I spoke these words out loud would no one hear me?”

In addition to LaMontagne’s solid performance on vocals and guitar, his band — consisting of electric guitar, bass, drums and pedal steel — impressed the crowd with colorful interludes on tracks like “Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s A Shame)” and country number, “Hey Me, Hey Mama.”

LaMontagne’s music can be described as a fitting blend of folk and country. In fact, he told the audience about his keenness of country music. “I love country song structure; the simple hook and telling a story. It’s really nice and it’s really fluid.” From the look of it, LaMontagne’s song structure is well respected by many as he received a nearly five-minute standing ovation before his encore performance.

While some concertgoers may prefer a performer with quirky onstage banter prefacing each song, sometimes no words need to be spoken. Ray LaMontagne proved Thursday night that truly good music speaks for itself.

Watch below as Ray performs “Empty,” currently one of my favorite songs by him. What do you think? Listen to him on MySpace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIUSikXex5w]

You can also read this review posted on Filter-Mag.com here.

Categories
News

Academy of Country Music Awards On Now!

I just realized the Academy of Country Music Awards are on tonight! Tons of appearances by Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and more! Tune into CBS to watch or follow me on Twitter as I update you on the show. You can also vote for Entertainer of the Year on CBS.com. Who is your choice?

I’ll be heading to Nashville in June for the CMA Music Festival so I’m making a list of what country bands I need to brush up on. Suggestions? Leave them in the comments!