Categories
Contest

Last Chance to Win Katy Perry and Boys Like Girls’ Albums

I know originally I said I’d be picking a winner today, but I figured I’d extend the contest a few days since I’m sure everyone has been busy with Thanksgiving preparations and shopping now that the holiday season is officially here. The winner of the contest will receive an album by Katy Perry and Boys Like Girls for the most creative answers. I’ll be picking a winner this Friday, December 5. Sponsored by Denny’s Rockstar Menu, the contest details are still the same, see below.

E-mail me or leave a comment on my blog with your name, the best way to contact you if you win (by email or phone) and answer the following three questions as it pertains to the artist of your choice:

1.) If you could ask Katy Perry/Boys Like Girls one question, what would it be?
2.) What’s your favorite Katy Perry/Boys Like Girls song and why?
3.) If you could spend the day with Katy Perry/Boys Like Girls, what would you do?

Thanks for participating and good luck! You can check out the guys from Boys Like Girls live in the kitchen below. Be sure to visit Denny’s Web site for more info on your favorite bands and their late night menu.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zf-ERKMoiw]

Categories
Benefit

December 1st Holiday Benefit Concert

I wanted to let you know about an album release party and benefit concert I’ll be attending this coming Monday night and invite you to come along! This year marks the second annual concert and release of A Holiday Benefit, Vol. II, which will be held at the Canal Room in New York Monday night from 8 p.m. until midnight. I attended the inaugural concert last year where many New York-based musicians played and raised nearly $3,000 for 826NYC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

Creator of the now-annual A Holiday Benefit series, singer-songwriter Benjamin Wagner, spoke to me last year about his concept for the yearly showcase and album release. Having been a creative writing major himself, Wagner talked of the importance that kids of all socio-economic backgrounds understand and develop writing skills.

“It’s how we communicate and express ourselves,” Wagner said. “I wanted to do something local and something for kids. I wanted to do something bigger than me. Life is about meeting people and doing things together, not about doing your own thing. I just wanted to do something together with other people that I love — make the world a tiny bit better.”

Wagner explained that he was trying to provide a “think globally, act locally” concept, which is the idea he pitched to his fellow musician friends last year. You can read my write-up of the concert and more of my interview with Wagner from last year here.

This year’s show will feature 15 performers and showcase many tracks from the album. It’s for a great cause and will definitely be a night of amazing performances. Hope to see you there! For more information check out the MySpace page and Facebook event page.

Categories
Song of the Week

Song of the Week: “The Thanksgiving Song”

It’s that time of the year again. What better way to kick off the holidays than with Adam Sandler’s hilarious classic, “The Thanksgiving Song?” Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving with your family and friends and eat tons of delicious food!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHI58FM_DB0]

Categories
Features

Artist You Should Know: Luke Brindley

I love discovering new bands and if I could go to a concert every night of the week I’d be content. So, when I received an email a few weeks ago from singer-songwriter Luke Brindley and found out he’d be playing the Canal Room last night for their “Artist You Should Know” showcase, of course I went.

Luke Brindley’s nearly hour-long set was a solid mix of solo acoustic performances as well as band accompaniment on bass guitar, keyboards and backup vocals. While his voice is somewhat reminiscent to that of Jacob Dylan, what is strikingly different about Brindley is his versatility. He can easily adapt from a more up-tempo band set to taking the stage solo. Whether he’s playing a song entirely instrumentally on guitar or alternating between singing and harmonica, he had the audience intrigued.

Brindley is no newcomer to the music scene. His self-titled solo album has been called “One of the best roots-rock records of the year” by The Washington Post while previous releases have received equally favorable reviews. In fact, his 2004 release Playing With the Light, as part of band, Brindley Brothers was named “Top 12 Debut Records of the Year” by Paste Magazine while Rolling Stone said “Fans of Wilco and Gin Blossoms will swoon.”

Last night Brindley featured many songs off his latest EP, Five Songs. Ballads “Loving Arms” and “On Your Side” showcased Brindley’s compelling storytelling and finger picking skills while “Know Your Love” had strong bass accompaniment and impeccable harmonies.

The former New Jersey native displayed his deeper vocals on “The Hudson River,” a song originally written while residing in the Garden State. In fact, many songs were inspired from living in Jersey, another specifically called “Dervish.”

“When I lived up here I used to play guitar with a friend and he turned me onto Turkish music,” Brindley told the audience before segueing into this instrumental number. “Dervish” showcased Brindley’s talented guitar playing as he speeded up the song with intricate guitar picking, improvising as he went along. As he picked up speed screams could be heard throughout the room before he slowed down and ended the song to thunderous applause.

Closing the night with obvious crowd favorite, “Wrecking Ball,” Luke Brindley shows much promise. And, I’m pretty sure, in time he will no longer be an artist you should know, but an artist everyone knows.

Watch Luke playing “Dervish” below for more of a feel of the song.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIudeV-EEm0]

You can read this review in it’s entirety on Filter-Mag.com.
Be sure to check out Luke on MySpace if you haven’t yet or his Web site for more info.

Categories
Concert Reviews

The Many Sides of the All-American Rejects

Review and photos by Wendy Hu

After seeing the Rejects in concert a couple of times over the past few years, I wasn’t sure what to expect with their sold-out show at Irving Plaza last Tuesday. If the night was any testament to their ability as musicians, writers and performers, their new album, When The World Comes Down, slated for a December 16 release, is definitely going to be more than just another catchy pop-rock album. It was a night of entertaining, energetic rock with a large dose of honesty, appreciation for the crowd, sexual innuendos, and guitar picks being thrown into the audience after nearly every song.

The set list flowed, but in an eccentric and unexpected way, largely due to the many sides of lead singer Tyson Ritter. He got the crowd dancing from the get-go with their two big pop-centric hits, “Swing, Swing” and “Dirty Little Secret.” Transitioning into their newest single, “Gives You Hell,” it felt like Ritter was putting on a play with his animated facial expressions and constant audience interaction. One minute sincerely frowning while reaching into the crowd singing “Truth be told, I miss you,” then quickly changing into a sinister smile and bug eyes while flicking his middle finger singing, “Truth be told I’m lying.”

A more serious side came out when Ritter started talking about the state of the world, “Shit can all fall apart, but it doesn’t matter if you’ve got someone next to you,” which led to “Mona Lisa,” another track off their upcoming release.

The entire night Ritter addressed his appreciation to New York fans: “We missed you so much, New York! You’ve been with us forever; we’re not just a flavor of the week…You care about the All-American Rejects,” Ritter said. “I haven’t been this happy for two months. I’m going to sing something special for you, New York City,” before he slowed the night down with an acoustic version of “It Ends Tonight.” Disco ball reflections flickered throughout the room as the audience sang along word for word while Ritter conducted them. There was definitely a moment there. It was too perfect, so of course, the next song had to be, “I Wanna Touch You,” another one from the new album.

The hour-long set ended with “Move Along,” which again had the crowd energized, dancing and jumping around. The Rejects ran off the stage, but everyone knew there would be an encore. I wasn’t sure what song they would play since all the hits seemed to have been played already. After the chants died down, AAR quickly ran back onstage as Ritter quieted the room. He then told the story of how three-and-a-half years ago he had a CD with two songs; one of them being the now infamous hit “Move Along,” which he gave to two guys from their record label to listen to. He played it for them and one said, “You did it, kid. This is the song.”

Sometime after, this same friend from the label passed away. Ritter said for the new album, he was striving to write something special, something more than just pop music for his friend. Closing the night with “Believe,” Ritter said he really believed his friend was listening “up there.”


See, I knew it would be a fun head-boppin’, teenage-girls-screaming kind of a night, but I’m happy to have been surprised and to have also seen another side of the Rejects, much more than just another pop-rock band.

Watch the All-American Rejects’ performance of “Believe” from the show below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZKSZ34sKtA]

Categories
Artist of the Week

Artist of the Week: Johnny Flynn

The first word that came to mind when I heard Johnny Flynn‘s voice was timeless. He has that classic sound that artists have been striving for since Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan emerged on the scene. While each artist aims for the longevity of Cash and Dylan, Flynn is well on his way.

A South African emigrant to Britain, 25-year-old Flynn has a style of music that makes the listener question just how old he is. After just one listen it is evident that his songs have much depth and age to them.

His songs can be categorized as folk rock with that quality storytelling encompassing the music that many folk songs are known for. In fact, it’s no wonder that Dylan is one of Flynn’s major influences as his music takes the listener back to Dylan’s early days. Not only well versed lyrically, Flynn is extremely versatile musically as he plays guitar, violin, trumpet, accordion, mandolin, harmonica and percussion on his debut album, A Larum.

I have a few MP3s and videos of Flynn’s to listen to so you get a better idea of what I’m talking about and can make your own critiques on him instead of just reading mine. Enjoy!


To listen to Flynn’s song “Cold Bread” click here.

To listen to “Hong Kong Cemetry” click here.

You can also watch the video for “The Box” below. A catchy song, Flynn’s deep voice blends impeccably with the guitar interludes throughout — at times almost too perfect to believe.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzknjC-DJt0]

And here’s another video of Flynn’s with Laura Marling covering Jeffrey Lewis & Diane Cluck’s anti-folk song “Travel Light.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-jFR6qaf18]

For more on Johnny Flynn, be sure to check him out on MySpace!

Categories
Q&A

Blast From the Past: Interview with Sugarcult

A few weeks ago I posted my first interview with Ace Enders featured on Jane Magazine‘s music section of their Web site when I interned there. This week’s edition of “Blast From the Past” is another Jane feature.

Fellow Jane intern Monica Perry and I (check out her amazing blog here — cleverly titled Our Jane) got tickets to see Sugarcult in concert a few years back. I knew some of their radio hits but had no idea what the guys looked like to approach them for an interview (should have done my research!) so when we noticed a bunch of girls talking to a tall man by the backstage area we assumed it had to be one of the guys from the band. We walked over and asked a fan who it was and she told us it was Sugarcult guitarist Marko DeSantis. I was doing a write-up for the school paper of the show so I approached him, asking if they did interviews. He then took my notebook and pen right out of my hands and wrote down his email address adding, “Just don’t go out giving this to everyone.”

That was my very first impromptu venture of going up to a band and getting an interview and it was so invigorating! Little did I know a few years later I’d be doing this all the time and I must say, it never gets old. If I could interview a new band every day of the week I’d be content! Read my Jane feature below and for the full transcription of my interview with Marko click here.

Interview with Sugarcult’s Marko DeSantis

Sugarcult’s latest album “Lights Out” is all about “escapism and the guilty pleasures people indulge in that bring temporary happiness but are ultimately self destructive; casual sex, drugs, pop-culture,” says lead guitarist Marko DeSantis. Intern Annie talks to him to find out what he actually means by all that.

On the track “Explode” you sing, “The radio is here to stay, turn it off and walk away.” Have you been burned by commercial radio?
The music business is all so political, but at the same time we can be happy that some good music is getting a fair shake with bands like the White Stripes and the Killers. It’s just sad when places like Philadelphia and New York City don’t even have a rock station anymore.

If the radio is too commercialized for you, where do you find out about new bands?
I’ve never really listened to commercial radio; growing up it was all about going to shows, word of mouth, mix-tapes, magazines, digging through the racks in indie record shops. Today it’s not much different, but 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.

So who are you into now?
Lately I’ve been listening to The Adored, TV on the Radio, The Strays, Maxeen, Against Me. I’m always diggin’ old jams by Tom Petty, Smashing Pumpkins, The Clash, Superdrag, and The Cars.

What inspires your music and this album?
There’s an old quote attributed to John Lennon, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” I think the same thing can be said about creating music; you set out to document your experiences and what’s in your head and then it becomes something bigger than the sum of its parts.

—Annie
October 27, 2006
Annie | Music | Permalink | Comments (1)

I love the honesty! Read more of my interview with Marko here and be sure to check out Sugarcult on MySpace if you haven’t yet.

Categories
Song of the Week

Song of the Week: "Untouched"

I heard “Untouched” on the radio by The Veronicas about a week ago for the first time and loved it! This morning I heard it once again and have since decided to make it my song of the week. The string introduction in the song is so fierce and the first few lyrics sung are catchy and keeps me listening and dancing along throughout the rest of the song. (Somewhat of a problem when I’m at work and should be sitting still.) Hope you enjoy it!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NLs3odG2Kc]

Categories
Concert Reviews

Folk-Rocker Brett Dennen Ends Acoustic Tour with Sold-Out New York Performance

Taking the stage barefoot, Brett Dennen had the standing-room only crowd dancing along to his folk and Afrobeat inspired music Tuesday night. Playing a nearly two-hour set at the Canal Room, Dennen showcased his remarkable guitar picking and quirky onstage antics, at times acting as a puppeteer while slowly scatting throughout various interludes in his songs — truly a sight to see.

The New York gig was the last of Dennen’s intimate acoustic tour supporting his latest release, Hope for the Hopeless. Coincidentally, Tuesday was homecoming for him as the Canal Room was the first venue he ever played in New York and it was evident he was glad to be back. And, lucky for New Yorkers, Dennen switched up the night between full band and acoustic sets. “Most of the tour has been an acoustic tour, but New York is important so we thought we’d do a couple songs like they’re on the album,” Dennen told the screaming crowd after his first five full-band songs.

Featuring a mix of older fan favorites from his previous albums, including “Ain’t No Reason” and “She’s Mine” as well as his most recent single “Make You Crazy,” Dennen gave each song character, more than listening to his albums ever could. His lively and welcoming stage presence gave the show more intimacy as he told the crowd, “We need to vibe it out a little more” as the lights dimmed. “If you don’t talk for a while we’ll all be meditating our brains and minds and hearts and we’ll all be in the same place,” Dennen said. “If you want, you can sing along. But don’t sing louder than me because I get insecure.”

While every songwriter has a story behind his song, the tales behind Dennen’s music invoke much depth and emotion. One such example is “Make You Crazy” as it was inspired at an awards ceremony for people in the film industry writing about mental illnesses. After his performance at the awards ceremony, Dennen says he was sitting in the audience while a talk was being given about “the pressures in society and how that alone is enough to make people insane. Not to mention the overwhelming stresses that are out there that have an actual physical effect on people. So I jotted that into my phone and thought about it and those were some ideas from it.”

The mini 12-date tour prefaces a larger tour in early 2009. Of his intimate tour, Dennen says, “It’s just something that, as the bigger my shows get and the farther that I need to travel and grow, I always want to be able to come back to the intimate setting. When you take away all of the production of the band and everything, you still have these quality songs that can come across to more of a folk music setting.”

Poignant ballads like “Heaven” showcase Dennen’s lyrical forte. Of “Heaven” he said, “I’m not specifically writing about the afterlife or people who believe in heaven. I’m writing about this idea that it doesn’t matter how people believe or how sinful we are on earth, as long as we believe in this idea of heaven or this dream — whatever you want to call it — that is going to save us in the end.” He continued, “I’m posing questions about it because I see a lot of contradiction between people and their actions and their morals.”

Overall, the night was a solid mix of music. Whether it was Dennen moving his hips in movement to his guitar playing onstage or the crowd dancing energetically during the last song of his night, “Blessed,” all in attendance had fun and will surely be back to see his next tour stop in New York.

Watch the video below of Brett playing “Blessed” on a previous tour date to get more of a feel of his performance.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCuvhPryWy4]

Check out Brett’s Web site for all his latest information and updates on his upcoming tour!

Categories
News

So Long “TRL”

It was only time I suppose. In a way, I feel like my childhood is now officially over. (I know, I know a bit dramatic). But, I grew up watching “Total Request Live” — lingering outside numerous times to get a glimpse of the Backstreet Boys and other favorite bands of mine throughout high school. My friend was even featured on the 11 o’ clock news from waiting outside for countless hours when police shut down Times Square when the Backstreet Boys were in town. (She has video footage to prove it, believe me I wouldn’t make this up!)

That same friend won tickets for us to be on “TRL” for my 18th birthday — definitely one of the best birthday presents to date. I can still remember the day as if it was yesterday, walking up those escalator stairs at the MTV offices, (thinking it was the coolest thing ever!) before being escorted into the “TRL” studios.

We checked the line-up for the day the previous week and found out that a band called Good Charlotte would be hosting. Twin Benji of the Madden brothers revealed his undying love for Christina Aguilera during that episode. We never heard of Good Charlotte at the time so we did some research and listened to their music and were pretty impressed. A few weeks after, their infamous hit single “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” was released, eventually contributing to their lifestyle becoming that of which they sang about in the song, how ironic.

I’m sure many people my age have similar “TRL” moments and it’s saddening that after a decade of bringing fans closer to their favorite bands and launching many successful careers, the most popular music video countdown is now deceased. It was the “American Bandstand” of our era and I’m sure “TRL” will not be forgotten.

Below are five of the performances from the “TRL” finale aired this past Sunday. Watch as Beyoncé, Fall Out Boy, Ludacris, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Backstreet Boys and 50 Cent take the stage at the “TRL” headquarters one final time. (After the Beyoncé clip is done, click the video to see the other performances.)

Beyoncé – TRL – MTV Shows

You can also watch the show in it’s entirety, split up into 32 segments, or check out MTV’s listings for when they’ll replay the final episode of “TRL.”

TRL – MTV Shows

And, maybe in a few years there will be documentary shows dedicated to the impact that “TRL” has had in the music industry like the one below of “American Bandstand.” I found this video pretty interesting so I thought I’d share it with you.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NgX6WqzOBM]