MEVIO Underground
Artists from all over the world come into the MEVIO Studios to perform acoustic in front of a live studio audience. For fans of Acoustic ...Video Episodes:
2 Views
22:48:30 05/17/12
It's Casual - Live in Studio B - Part 1 - The New Los Angeles
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 22:48:30 05/17/12
Part 1 of It's Casual performing live at Mevio Studios in San Francisco
For the entire performance CLICK HERE
WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER MYSPACE YOUTUBE
BIO:
Like most Angelenos, Eddie Solis is pissed about the traffic on the 101. Unlike most Angelenos, Eddie Solis writes songs about being pissed about the traffic on the 101.
Solis’ band, an impossibly loud punk/hardcore duo called It’s Casual, addresses transit issues with an urgency hitherto unmatched in the realm of urban planning. Imagine Henry Rollins at a City Council Transportation Committee meeting, all neck veins and municipal outrage, and you get the picture.
Onstage, Solis’ eyes bulge amid a shock of curly hair, his throat emitting the collective war cry of a million frustrated commuters: “Los Angeles! There’s too many people! I want them to go away!”
His isn’t the Los Angeles of Priuses, Pilates and brunch, but the L.A. of undocumented immigrants, hardcore music and bus-stop delays. After nearly 10 years of ceaseless yelling, It’s Casual have a busy year ahead of them, what with slots on Fu Manchu’s North American tour, a forthcoming sequel to their ’08 ode to the city, The New Los Angeles, and, maybe, a European tour.
“We’ve been working at it and believing in this kind of music — which I call L.A. hardcore or L.A. skate rock — every day,” says Solis. His gaze is unflinching, and his voice is smog-raspened. He calls It’s Casual “L.A.’s only two-piece hardcore band” and is serious about his art. “I don’t take it lightly. It all comes from deep within.”
It’s Casual formed in 2001, the name inspired by a line in Cameron Crowe’s obscure follow-up to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, called The Wild Life. In it, a character played by the late Christopher Penn replies with “It’s casual” every time he is asked a question. Solis currently has a similar relationship with drummers — he’s between them. As far as a third member? “We kept trying to find a bassist, and they kept flaking,” Solis says.
The band’s sonic boom is amazing, considering there are only two of them. The secret to their sound is a unique pedal and mic’ing system. Solis’ guitar is actually wired to two amps for added punch. The results are so thunderous that fellow musicians have been known to come early to shows to watch him set up. (“There is a special formula with different pedals,” he explains of his sound. He’s trying to register it as intellectual property.)
It’s Casual’s first record, The New Los Angeles, came out in fall 2007, and was inspired by Solis’ commute from Pico Rivera to Hollywood. Tracks include “EZ Pass,” about the public transit ticket, and “The Red Line” (the handy subway that connects North Hollywood to Union Station). Most of It’s Casual’s songs last around two minutes and contain no more than three or four lyrics, hammering home their message with a directness most public servants and council officials have yet to master. Even Councilman Bill Rosendahl, chair of Los Angeles’ Transportation Committee, is impressed. “Music is a good way to get transportation messages across,” he says during a recent phone call, adding that he hoped It’s Casual were aware that plans for the Purple Line are afoot. “They should write a song about the Purple Line!” he enthuses, suggesting possible lyrics, singing: “The Purple Line/In my lifetime!”
It’s not all subways and off-ramps. Solis ventures into other matters. “Cholas Are Loyal,” for example, is all about the advantages of dating Latinas. And It’s Casual’s next album, The New Los Angeles II: Less Violence, More Violins, is inspired primarily by the California education budget deficit. “Do you think It’s Casual will translate in Europe?” he wonders, aware of his band’s distinctly local messages. But wherever there is a rush hour, there are people who identify with Eddie Solis.
Born and raised in East Los Angeles County, Solis is “the result of basically growing up around a gang-infested area with lots of negativity.” He turned to music and skateboarding as an escape, and was 15 when he started his first band — a Ramones cover group called Endless Vacation, which played shows in his parents’ living room. He got “the heaviness” from his father, who used to carry his young son around the house on his shoulders while listening to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and the Who. “They weren’t handing me money to buy me instruments,” Solis says, “but they were, like, ‘Hey, listen, we know you wanna do this, so here’s our backyard and here’s our living room.’ Which is pretty punk.”
His parents let him build a halfpipe in the back, and Solis would “put Slayer on the radio superloud” and learn skateboarding tricks with his friends. “That would be Friday night, and then Saturday we would have a show on the ramp and take donations to keep it refurbished.” Skate videos informed his taste in music — the teenage Solis would grab a pen and paper and pause the VCR to jot down names of bands like Black Flag, Dinosaur Junior, Hüsker Dü, “… all the good stuff on SST.”
Fast-forward to 1993, when Solis started interning at metal record label Century Media, which gave him a taste of hardcore commuting. Taking the bus from Pico Rivera to the label’s headquarters in Santa Monica every day was a formative experience, but he only lasted about a month (“Well, you know, it was a long trek”). That job led to a position at Priority Records, down the street in the CNN building. That’s where he learned how to sell records, a job he still does today as sales manager at doom-metal label Southern Lord.
Solis also worked as a publicist for Black Flag at SST, under the label’s founder, Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn. Basically it was the gig of Solis’ 15-year-old dreams. “I took the job because I thought it would be great to work for an icon, a legend,” he says. It was there that he learned the philosophy of DIY.
Three years ago, while strolling down the road near the Southern Lord offices in East Hollywood, Solis came upon the Relax Bar, a 150-person capacity Thai karaoke bar with an orange awning. Solis has single-handedly transformed it into a hub for L.A.’s heavy music scene. He’s booked more than 400 thrash, doom, noise and punk bands there in the last three years. “I was going to lunch, walking past the Relax Bar and the door was open. I saw a stage and it had this dark, musty kind of vibe. Kind of grim in terms of the atmosphere but real positive in terms of what you could do there. I thought, if I could get these owners on the same page and book any format — whether it’s satanic black metal or really avant-garde stuff — that would be great.”
The Relax Bar’s owners, despite not being fluent in English, supported Solis’ vision, prompting the most unlikely cultural union since Weezer recruited Kenny G. “They had a guy translating as I tried to describe the kinds of bands I wanted to book, using metal as my main focus. I said ‘Ozzfest, no — not those kinds of bands. Stuff that’s a little more creative, full of more soul, and more organic.” He played them some It’s Casual and High on Fire and a selection of punk and grindcore CDs, and they seemed to like it. Turns out the ballad-loving Thai karaoke bar owners, like Solis, possessed an unyielding passion for DIY. “They know how much work it is to bring your gear out, record your own stuff and self-release records,” says Solis. “They are all musicians themselves.” It’s been a happy union ever since, with some of the gnarliest underground bands in L.A., from Municipal Waste to Chingalera, rocking the Relax Bar’s tiny stage amid the perpetual aroma of green curry and ginger — and, when the door pops open, the faint smell of bus exhaust.
0 Views
22:39:27 05/17/12
It's Casual - Live in Studio B - Part 2 - The Red Line
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 22:39:27 05/17/12
Part 2 of It's Casual performing live at Mevio Studios in San Francisco
For the entire performance CLICK HERE
WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER MYSPACE YOUTUBE
BIO:
Like most Angelenos, Eddie Solis is pissed about the traffic on the 101. Unlike most Angelenos, Eddie Solis writes songs about being pissed about the traffic on the 101.
Solis’ band, an impossibly loud punk/hardcore duo called It’s Casual, addresses transit issues with an urgency hitherto unmatched in the realm of urban planning. Imagine Henry Rollins at a City Council Transportation Committee meeting, all neck veins and municipal outrage, and you get the picture.
Onstage, Solis’ eyes bulge amid a shock of curly hair, his throat emitting the collective war cry of a million frustrated commuters: “Los Angeles! There’s too many people! I want them to go away!”
His isn’t the Los Angeles of Priuses, Pilates and brunch, but the L.A. of undocumented immigrants, hardcore music and bus-stop delays. After nearly 10 years of ceaseless yelling, It’s Casual have a busy year ahead of them, what with slots on Fu Manchu’s North American tour, a forthcoming sequel to their ’08 ode to the city, The New Los Angeles, and, maybe, a European tour.
“We’ve been working at it and believing in this kind of music — which I call L.A. hardcore or L.A. skate rock — every day,” says Solis. His gaze is unflinching, and his voice is smog-raspened. He calls It’s Casual “L.A.’s only two-piece hardcore band” and is serious about his art. “I don’t take it lightly. It all comes from deep within.”
It’s Casual formed in 2001, the name inspired by a line in Cameron Crowe’s obscure follow-up to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, called The Wild Life. In it, a character played by the late Christopher Penn replies with “It’s casual” every time he is asked a question. Solis currently has a similar relationship with drummers — he’s between them. As far as a third member? “We kept trying to find a bassist, and they kept flaking,” Solis says.
The band’s sonic boom is amazing, considering there are only two of them. The secret to their sound is a unique pedal and mic’ing system. Solis’ guitar is actually wired to two amps for added punch. The results are so thunderous that fellow musicians have been known to come early to shows to watch him set up. (“There is a special formula with different pedals,” he explains of his sound. He’s trying to register it as intellectual property.)
It’s Casual’s first record, The New Los Angeles, came out in fall 2007, and was inspired by Solis’ commute from Pico Rivera to Hollywood. Tracks include “EZ Pass,” about the public transit ticket, and “The Red Line” (the handy subway that connects North Hollywood to Union Station). Most of It’s Casual’s songs last around two minutes and contain no more than three or four lyrics, hammering home their message with a directness most public servants and council officials have yet to master. Even Councilman Bill Rosendahl, chair of Los Angeles’ Transportation Committee, is impressed. “Music is a good way to get transportation messages across,” he says during a recent phone call, adding that he hoped It’s Casual were aware that plans for the Purple Line are afoot. “They should write a song about the Purple Line!” he enthuses, suggesting possible lyrics, singing: “The Purple Line/In my lifetime!”
It’s not all subways and off-ramps. Solis ventures into other matters. “Cholas Are Loyal,” for example, is all about the advantages of dating Latinas. And It’s Casual’s next album, The New Los Angeles II: Less Violence, More Violins, is inspired primarily by the California education budget deficit. “Do you think It’s Casual will translate in Europe?” he wonders, aware of his band’s distinctly local messages. But wherever there is a rush hour, there are people who identify with Eddie Solis.
Born and raised in East Los Angeles County, Solis is “the result of basically growing up around a gang-infested area with lots of negativity.” He turned to music and skateboarding as an escape, and was 15 when he started his first band — a Ramones cover group called Endless Vacation, which played shows in his parents’ living room. He got “the heaviness” from his father, who used to carry his young son around the house on his shoulders while listening to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and the Who. “They weren’t handing me money to buy me instruments,” Solis says, “but they were, like, ‘Hey, listen, we know you wanna do this, so here’s our backyard and here’s our living room.’ Which is pretty punk.”
His parents let him build a halfpipe in the back, and Solis would “put Slayer on the radio superloud” and learn skateboarding tricks with his friends. “That would be Friday night, and then Saturday we would have a show on the ramp and take donations to keep it refurbished.” Skate videos informed his taste in music — the teenage Solis would grab a pen and paper and pause the VCR to jot down names of bands like Black Flag, Dinosaur Junior, Hüsker Dü, “… all the good stuff on SST.”
Fast-forward to 1993, when Solis started interning at metal record label Century Media, which gave him a taste of hardcore commuting. Taking the bus from Pico Rivera to the label’s headquarters in Santa Monica every day was a formative experience, but he only lasted about a month (“Well, you know, it was a long trek”). That job led to a position at Priority Records, down the street in the CNN building. That’s where he learned how to sell records, a job he still does today as sales manager at doom-metal label Southern Lord.
Solis also worked as a publicist for Black Flag at SST, under the label’s founder, Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn. Basically it was the gig of Solis’ 15-year-old dreams. “I took the job because I thought it would be great to work for an icon, a legend,” he says. It was there that he learned the philosophy of DIY.
Three years ago, while strolling down the road near the Southern Lord offices in East Hollywood, Solis came upon the Relax Bar, a 150-person capacity Thai karaoke bar with an orange awning. Solis has single-handedly transformed it into a hub for L.A.’s heavy music scene. He’s booked more than 400 thrash, doom, noise and punk bands there in the last three years. “I was going to lunch, walking past the Relax Bar and the door was open. I saw a stage and it had this dark, musty kind of vibe. Kind of grim in terms of the atmosphere but real positive in terms of what you could do there. I thought, if I could get these owners on the same page and book any format — whether it’s satanic black metal or really avant-garde stuff — that would be great.”
The Relax Bar’s owners, despite not being fluent in English, supported Solis’ vision, prompting the most unlikely cultural union since Weezer recruited Kenny G. “They had a guy translating as I tried to describe the kinds of bands I wanted to book, using metal as my main focus. I said ‘Ozzfest, no — not those kinds of bands. Stuff that’s a little more creative, full of more soul, and more organic.” He played them some It’s Casual and High on Fire and a selection of punk and grindcore CDs, and they seemed to like it. Turns out the ballad-loving Thai karaoke bar owners, like Solis, possessed an unyielding passion for DIY. “They know how much work it is to bring your gear out, record your own stuff and self-release records,” says Solis. “They are all musicians themselves.” It’s been a happy union ever since, with some of the gnarliest underground bands in L.A., from Municipal Waste to Chingalera, rocking the Relax Bar’s tiny stage amid the perpetual aroma of green curry and ginger — and, when the door pops open, the faint smell of bus exhaust.
0 Views
22:21:27 05/17/12
It's Casual - Live in Studio B - Part 3 - EZ Pass
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 22:21:27 05/17/12
Part 3 of It's Casual performing live at Mevio Studios in San Francisco
For the entire performance CLICK HERE
WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER MYSPACE YOUTUBE
BIO:
Like most Angelenos, Eddie Solis is pissed about the traffic on the 101. Unlike most Angelenos, Eddie Solis writes songs about being pissed about the traffic on the 101.
Solis’ band, an impossibly loud punk/hardcore duo called It’s Casual, addresses transit issues with an urgency hitherto unmatched in the realm of urban planning. Imagine Henry Rollins at a City Council Transportation Committee meeting, all neck veins and municipal outrage, and you get the picture.
Onstage, Solis’ eyes bulge amid a shock of curly hair, his throat emitting the collective war cry of a million frustrated commuters: “Los Angeles! There’s too many people! I want them to go away!”
His isn’t the Los Angeles of Priuses, Pilates and brunch, but the L.A. of undocumented immigrants, hardcore music and bus-stop delays. After nearly 10 years of ceaseless yelling, It’s Casual have a busy year ahead of them, what with slots on Fu Manchu’s North American tour, a forthcoming sequel to their ’08 ode to the city, The New Los Angeles, and, maybe, a European tour.
“We’ve been working at it and believing in this kind of music — which I call L.A. hardcore or L.A. skate rock — every day,” says Solis. His gaze is unflinching, and his voice is smog-raspened. He calls It’s Casual “L.A.’s only two-piece hardcore band” and is serious about his art. “I don’t take it lightly. It all comes from deep within.”
It’s Casual formed in 2001, the name inspired by a line in Cameron Crowe’s obscure follow-up to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, called The Wild Life. In it, a character played by the late Christopher Penn replies with “It’s casual” every time he is asked a question. Solis currently has a similar relationship with drummers — he’s between them. As far as a third member? “We kept trying to find a bassist, and they kept flaking,” Solis says.
The band’s sonic boom is amazing, considering there are only two of them. The secret to their sound is a unique pedal and mic’ing system. Solis’ guitar is actually wired to two amps for added punch. The results are so thunderous that fellow musicians have been known to come early to shows to watch him set up. (“There is a special formula with different pedals,” he explains of his sound. He’s trying to register it as intellectual property.)
It’s Casual’s first record, The New Los Angeles, came out in fall 2007, and was inspired by Solis’ commute from Pico Rivera to Hollywood. Tracks include “EZ Pass,” about the public transit ticket, and “The Red Line” (the handy subway that connects North Hollywood to Union Station). Most of It’s Casual’s songs last around two minutes and contain no more than three or four lyrics, hammering home their message with a directness most public servants and council officials have yet to master. Even Councilman Bill Rosendahl, chair of Los Angeles’ Transportation Committee, is impressed. “Music is a good way to get transportation messages across,” he says during a recent phone call, adding that he hoped It’s Casual were aware that plans for the Purple Line are afoot. “They should write a song about the Purple Line!” he enthuses, suggesting possible lyrics, singing: “The Purple Line/In my lifetime!”
It’s not all subways and off-ramps. Solis ventures into other matters. “Cholas Are Loyal,” for example, is all about the advantages of dating Latinas. And It’s Casual’s next album, The New Los Angeles II: Less Violence, More Violins, is inspired primarily by the California education budget deficit. “Do you think It’s Casual will translate in Europe?” he wonders, aware of his band’s distinctly local messages. But wherever there is a rush hour, there are people who identify with Eddie Solis.
Born and raised in East Los Angeles County, Solis is “the result of basically growing up around a gang-infested area with lots of negativity.” He turned to music and skateboarding as an escape, and was 15 when he started his first band — a Ramones cover group called Endless Vacation, which played shows in his parents’ living room. He got “the heaviness” from his father, who used to carry his young son around the house on his shoulders while listening to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and the Who. “They weren’t handing me money to buy me instruments,” Solis says, “but they were, like, ‘Hey, listen, we know you wanna do this, so here’s our backyard and here’s our living room.’ Which is pretty punk.”
His parents let him build a halfpipe in the back, and Solis would “put Slayer on the radio superloud” and learn skateboarding tricks with his friends. “That would be Friday night, and then Saturday we would have a show on the ramp and take donations to keep it refurbished.” Skate videos informed his taste in music — the teenage Solis would grab a pen and paper and pause the VCR to jot down names of bands like Black Flag, Dinosaur Junior, Hüsker Dü, “… all the good stuff on SST.”
Fast-forward to 1993, when Solis started interning at metal record label Century Media, which gave him a taste of hardcore commuting. Taking the bus from Pico Rivera to the label’s headquarters in Santa Monica every day was a formative experience, but he only lasted about a month (“Well, you know, it was a long trek”). That job led to a position at Priority Records, down the street in the CNN building. That’s where he learned how to sell records, a job he still does today as sales manager at doom-metal label Southern Lord.
Solis also worked as a publicist for Black Flag at SST, under the label’s founder, Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn. Basically it was the gig of Solis’ 15-year-old dreams. “I took the job because I thought it would be great to work for an icon, a legend,” he says. It was there that he learned the philosophy of DIY.
Three years ago, while strolling down the road near the Southern Lord offices in East Hollywood, Solis came upon the Relax Bar, a 150-person capacity Thai karaoke bar with an orange awning. Solis has single-handedly transformed it into a hub for L.A.’s heavy music scene. He’s booked more than 400 thrash, doom, noise and punk bands there in the last three years. “I was going to lunch, walking past the Relax Bar and the door was open. I saw a stage and it had this dark, musty kind of vibe. Kind of grim in terms of the atmosphere but real positive in terms of what you could do there. I thought, if I could get these owners on the same page and book any format — whether it’s satanic black metal or really avant-garde stuff — that would be great.”
The Relax Bar’s owners, despite not being fluent in English, supported Solis’ vision, prompting the most unlikely cultural union since Weezer recruited Kenny G. “They had a guy translating as I tried to describe the kinds of bands I wanted to book, using metal as my main focus. I said ‘Ozzfest, no — not those kinds of bands. Stuff that’s a little more creative, full of more soul, and more organic.” He played them some It’s Casual and High on Fire and a selection of punk and grindcore CDs, and they seemed to like it. Turns out the ballad-loving Thai karaoke bar owners, like Solis, possessed an unyielding passion for DIY. “They know how much work it is to bring your gear out, record your own stuff and self-release records,” says Solis. “They are all musicians themselves.” It’s been a happy union ever since, with some of the gnarliest underground bands in L.A., from Municipal Waste to Chingalera, rocking the Relax Bar’s tiny stage amid the perpetual aroma of green curry and ginger — and, when the door pops open, the faint smell of bus exhaust.
0 Views
21:54:59 05/17/12
It's Casual - Live in Studio B
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 21:54:59 05/17/12
It's Casual performs live at Mevio Studios in San Francisco
BIO:
Like most Angelenos, Eddie Solis is pissed about the traffic on the 101. Unlike most Angelenos, Eddie Solis writes songs about being pissed about the traffic on the 101.
Solis’ band, an impossibly loud punk/hardcore duo called It’s Casual, addresses transit issues with an urgency hitherto unmatched in the realm of urban planning. Imagine Henry Rollins at a City Council Transportation Committee meeting, all neck veins and municipal outrage, and you get the picture.
Onstage, Solis’ eyes bulge amid a shock of curly hair, his throat emitting the collective war cry of a million frustrated commuters: “Los Angeles! There’s too many people! I want them to go away!”
His isn’t the Los Angeles of Priuses, Pilates and brunch, but the L.A. of undocumented immigrants, hardcore music and bus-stop delays. After nearly 10 years of ceaseless yelling, It’s Casual have a busy year ahead of them, what with slots on Fu Manchu’s North American tour, a forthcoming sequel to their ’08 ode to the city, The New Los Angeles, and, maybe, a European tour.
“We’ve been working at it and believing in this kind of music — which I call L.A. hardcore or L.A. skate rock — every day,” says Solis. His gaze is unflinching, and his voice is smog-raspened. He calls It’s Casual “L.A.’s only two-piece hardcore band” and is serious about his art. “I don’t take it lightly. It all comes from deep within.”
It’s Casual formed in 2001, the name inspired by a line in Cameron Crowe’s obscure follow-up to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, called The Wild Life. In it, a character played by the late Christopher Penn replies with “It’s casual” every time he is asked a question. Solis currently has a similar relationship with drummers — he’s between them. As far as a third member? “We kept trying to find a bassist, and they kept flaking,” Solis says.
The band’s sonic boom is amazing, considering there are only two of them. The secret to their sound is a unique pedal and mic’ing system. Solis’ guitar is actually wired to two amps for added punch. The results are so thunderous that fellow musicians have been known to come early to shows to watch him set up. (“There is a special formula with different pedals,” he explains of his sound. He’s trying to register it as intellectual property.)
It’s Casual’s first record, The New Los Angeles, came out in fall 2007, and was inspired by Solis’ commute from Pico Rivera to Hollywood. Tracks include “EZ Pass,” about the public transit ticket, and “The Red Line” (the handy subway that connects North Hollywood to Union Station). Most of It’s Casual’s songs last around two minutes and contain no more than three or four lyrics, hammering home their message with a directness most public servants and council officials have yet to master. Even Councilman Bill Rosendahl, chair of Los Angeles’ Transportation Committee, is impressed. “Music is a good way to get transportation messages across,” he says during a recent phone call, adding that he hoped It’s Casual were aware that plans for the Purple Line are afoot. “They should write a song about the Purple Line!” he enthuses, suggesting possible lyrics, singing: “The Purple Line/In my lifetime!”
It’s not all subways and off-ramps. Solis ventures into other matters. “Cholas Are Loyal,” for example, is all about the advantages of dating Latinas. And It’s Casual’s next album, The New Los Angeles II: Less Violence, More Violins, is inspired primarily by the California education budget deficit. “Do you think It’s Casual will translate in Europe?” he wonders, aware of his band’s distinctly local messages. But wherever there is a rush hour, there are people who identify with Eddie Solis.
Born and raised in East Los Angeles County, Solis is “the result of basically growing up around a gang-infested area with lots of negativity.” He turned to music and skateboarding as an escape, and was 15 when he started his first band — a Ramones cover group called Endless Vacation, which played shows in his parents’ living room. He got “the heaviness” from his father, who used to carry his young son around the house on his shoulders while listening to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and the Who. “They weren’t handing me money to buy me instruments,” Solis says, “but they were, like, ‘Hey, listen, we know you wanna do this, so here’s our backyard and here’s our living room.’ Which is pretty punk.”
His parents let him build a halfpipe in the back, and Solis would “put Slayer on the radio superloud” and learn skateboarding tricks with his friends. “That would be Friday night, and then Saturday we would have a show on the ramp and take donations to keep it refurbished.” Skate videos informed his taste in music — the teenage Solis would grab a pen and paper and pause the VCR to jot down names of bands like Black Flag, Dinosaur Junior, Hüsker Dü, “… all the good stuff on SST.”
Fast-forward to 1993, when Solis started interning at metal record label Century Media, which gave him a taste of hardcore commuting. Taking the bus from Pico Rivera to the label’s headquarters in Santa Monica every day was a formative experience, but he only lasted about a month (“Well, you know, it was a long trek”). That job led to a position at Priority Records, down the street in the CNN building. That’s where he learned how to sell records, a job he still does today as sales manager at doom-metal label Southern Lord.
Solis also worked as a publicist for Black Flag at SST, under the label’s founder, Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn. Basically it was the gig of Solis’ 15-year-old dreams. “I took the job because I thought it would be great to work for an icon, a legend,” he says. It was there that he learned the philosophy of DIY.
Three years ago, while strolling down the road near the Southern Lord offices in East Hollywood, Solis came upon the Relax Bar, a 150-person capacity Thai karaoke bar with an orange awning. Solis has single-handedly transformed it into a hub for L.A.’s heavy music scene. He’s booked more than 400 thrash, doom, noise and punk bands there in the last three years. “I was going to lunch, walking past the Relax Bar and the door was open. I saw a stage and it had this dark, musty kind of vibe. Kind of grim in terms of the atmosphere but real positive in terms of what you could do there. I thought, if I could get these owners on the same page and book any format — whether it’s satanic black metal or really avant-garde stuff — that would be great.”
The Relax Bar’s owners, despite not being fluent in English, supported Solis’ vision, prompting the most unlikely cultural union since Weezer recruited Kenny G. “They had a guy translating as I tried to describe the kinds of bands I wanted to book, using metal as my main focus. I said ‘Ozzfest, no — not those kinds of bands. Stuff that’s a little more creative, full of more soul, and more organic.” He played them some It’s Casual and High on Fire and a selection of punk and grindcore CDs, and they seemed to like it. Turns out the ballad-loving Thai karaoke bar owners, like Solis, possessed an unyielding passion for DIY. “They know how much work it is to bring your gear out, record your own stuff and self-release records,” says Solis. “They are all musicians themselves.” It’s been a happy union ever since, with some of the gnarliest underground bands in L.A., from Municipal Waste to Chingalera, rocking the Relax Bar’s tiny stage amid the perpetual aroma of green curry and ginger — and, when the door pops open, the faint smell of bus exhaust.
0 Views
21:15:33 05/10/12
Renee Yohe / Bearcat - Live In Studio B - Part 3 - Saudade
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 21:15:33 05/10/12
Part 3 of Renee Yohe of Bearcat performing live at Mevio Studios in San Francisco
For the entire performance CLICK HERE
WEBSITE TWITTER RENEE YOHE FACEBOOK BEARCAT OFFICIAL FACEBOOK
http://www.bondedentertainment.com
www.BigPictureMediaOnline.com
Throughout her life, Renee Yohe has always believed in the value of telling her story. Renee's acclaimed book, "A Purpose For The Pain," documents her journey from self-destruction to her new outlook on life through a series of heartbreaking and inspiring journal entries. While, the platforms have changed from social media, to books, to public speaking engagements, connecting with others has always been the most important part. Renee first entered the public spotlight with To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit organization that aims to present hope for people struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury and thoughts of suicide. In December 2011, TWLOHA was awarded a $1million grant from Chase at the first-ever American Giving Awards on NBC. By sharing her own personal struggles, Renee and the organization have helped millions. Renee is now channeling all of her creative energy into her music career with her new band, BEARCAT. Her hauntingly beautiful voice has been compared to the likes of Fiona Apple, Zooey Deschanel and Kate Nash.
Through everything, music has always played a crucial and stabilizing role in Renee's life. Her favorite bands helped her through some of her darkest times. Later on, TWLOHA would find it's biggest initial support and exposure from bands that would wear the organization's t-shirts. When the opportunity came to form her own band, the transition just felt natural.
Renee's eclectic talents and triumphant experiences create a compellingly notable project with BEARCAT. The band will release its debut self-titled EP on June 5th.
For additional information, please check out: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialBearcat
Follow Mevio Music on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/meviomusic Mevio Music Blog - http://meviomusic.mevio.com
0 Views
20:47:34 05/10/12
Rene Yohe / Bearcat - Live in Studio B - Part 2 - Crazy Fishes
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 20:47:34 05/10/12
Part 2 of Renee Yohe of Bearcat performing live at Mevio Studios in San Francisco
For the entire performance CLICK HERE
WEBSITE TWITTER RENEE YOHE FACEBOOK BEARCAT OFFICIAL FACEBOOK
http://www.bondedentertainment.com
www.BigPictureMediaOnline.com
Throughout her life, Renee Yohe has always believed in the value of telling her story. Renee's acclaimed book, "A Purpose For The Pain," documents her journey from self-destruction to her new outlook on life through a series of heartbreaking and inspiring journal entries. While, the platforms have changed from social media, to books, to public speaking engagements, connecting with others has always been the most important part. Renee first entered the public spotlight with To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit organization that aims to present hope for people struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury and thoughts of suicide. In December 2011, TWLOHA was awarded a $1million grant from Chase at the first-ever American Giving Awards on NBC. By sharing her own personal struggles, Renee and the organization have helped millions. Renee is now channeling all of her creative energy into her music career with her new band, BEARCAT. Her hauntingly beautiful voice has been compared to the likes of Fiona Apple, Zooey Deschanel and Kate Nash.
Through everything, music has always played a crucial and stabilizing role in Renee's life. Her favorite bands helped her through some of her darkest times. Later on, TWLOHA would find it's biggest initial support and exposure from bands that would wear the organization's t-shirts. When the opportunity came to form her own band, the transition just felt natural.
Renee's eclectic talents and triumphant experiences create a compellingly notable project with BEARCAT. The band will release its debut self-titled EP on June 5th.
For additional information, please check out: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialBearcat
Follow Mevio Music on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/meviomusic Mevio Music Blog - http://meviomusic.mevio.com
0 Views
20:20:37 05/10/12
Rene Yohe / Bearcat - Live in Studio B - Part 1 - I Am Me
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 20:20:37 05/10/12
Part 1 of Renee Yohe of Bearcat performing live at Mevio Studios in San Francisco
For the entire performance CLICK HERE
WEBSITE TWITTER RENEE YOHE FACEBOOK BEARCAT OFFICIAL FACEBOOK
http://www.bondedentertainment.com
www.BigPictureMediaOnline.com
Throughout her life, Renee Yohe has always believed in the value of telling her story. Renee's acclaimed book, "A Purpose For The Pain," documents her journey from self-destruction to her new outlook on life through a series of heartbreaking and inspiring journal entries. While, the platforms have changed from social media, to books, to public speaking engagements, connecting with others has always been the most important part. Renee first entered the public spotlight with To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit organization that aims to present hope for people struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury and thoughts of suicide. In December 2011, TWLOHA was awarded a $1million grant from Chase at the first-ever American Giving Awards on NBC. By sharing her own personal struggles, Renee and the organization have helped millions. Renee is now channeling all of her creative energy into her music career with her new band, BEARCAT. Her hauntingly beautiful voice has been compared to the likes of Fiona Apple, Zooey Deschanel and Kate Nash.
Through everything, music has always played a crucial and stabilizing role in Renee's life. Her favorite bands helped her through some of her darkest times. Later on, TWLOHA would find it's biggest initial support and exposure from bands that would wear the organization's t-shirts. When the opportunity came to form her own band, the transition just felt natural.
Renee's eclectic talents and triumphant experiences create a compellingly notable project with BEARCAT. The band will release its debut self-titled EP on June 5th.
For additional information, please check out: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialBearcat
Follow Mevio Music on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/meviomusic Mevio Music Blog - http://meviomusic.mevio.com
0 Views
19:32:53 05/10/12
Renee Yohe / Bearcat - Live In Studio B
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 19:32:53 05/10/12
Renee Yohe of Bearcat performs live at Mevio Studios in San Francisco
WEBSITE TWITTER RENEE YOHE FACEBOOK BEARCAT OFFICIAL FACEBOOK
http://www.bondedentertainment.com
www.BigPictureMediaOnline.com
Throughout her life, Renee Yohe has always believed in the value of telling her story. Renee's acclaimed book, "A Purpose For The Pain," documents her journey from self-destruction to her new outlook on life through a series of heartbreaking and inspiring journal entries. While, the platforms have changed from social media, to books, to public speaking engagements, connecting with others has always been the most important part. Renee first entered the public spotlight with To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit organization that aims to present hope for people struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury and thoughts of suicide. In December 2011, TWLOHA was awarded a $1million grant from Chase at the first-ever American Giving Awards on NBC. By sharing her own personal struggles, Renee and the organization have helped millions. Renee is now channeling all of her creative energy into her music career with her new band, BEARCAT. Her hauntingly beautiful voice has been compared to the likes of Fiona Apple, Zooey Deschanel and Kate Nash.
Through everything, music has always played a crucial and stabilizing role in Renee's life. Her favorite bands helped her through some of her darkest times. Later on, TWLOHA would find it's biggest initial support and exposure from bands that would wear the organization's t-shirts. When the opportunity came to form her own band, the transition just felt natural.
Renee's eclectic talents and triumphant experiences create a compellingly notable project with BEARCAT. The band will release its debut self-titled EP on June 5th.
For additional information, please check out: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialBearcat
Follow Mevio Music on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/meviomusic
Mevio Music Blog - http://meviomusic.mevio.com
2 Views
20:02:57 04/05/12
Super Prime Live In Studio B - Part 1 - Just Like You
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 20:02:57 04/05/12
Part 1 of Super Prime performing acoustic at Mevio Studios in San Francisco, CA For the entire performanc CLICK HERE
Super Prime is a 3 piece pop punk outfit from Boston, MA!
* SOUNDCLOUD
* REVERBNATION
* LASTFM
* YOUTUBE
* GROOVESHARK
* MYSPACE
* FACEBOOK
* TWITTER Biography Formed at the musical haven of Berklee College of Music, Super Prime consists of Austin Bond (vocals, bass), Adam Newall (vocals, guitar), and Marcus James (drums). The band fiercely stepped out into the Boston rock scene in the spring of 2011, mere moments after their inception. In under a year they recorded and released two successful EPs, "Super Prime", and "Sun's Out Gun's Out," with renowned ... Boston producer- Brian Charles (Bright Eyes, The Faint), and have shared the stage with Marky Ramone of The Ramones, Hawthorne Heights, Streetlight Manifesto, The Dollyrots, Cartel, Set Your Goals, Hit The Lights, Mixtapes, Fireworks, Patent Pending, Big Reel Fish and many others.
Borrowing from the very best elements of early pop punk and nineties angsty emo rock, Super Prime illustrates the epitome of this generations pop-punk genre. Quick and catchy guitar riffs woven between hard-driving drums lay the perfect foundation for the Billie Joe Armstrong-eque singing and the gang-vocal inducing lyrics. Their live show explodes out of the basement and onto the pavement, drenched in beer and humming with a sweaty intensity that leaves fans spinning yet smiling.
Their angst-ridden, yet playful debut full length, #FML was released on March 20th, 2012. In support of the album's release, the Boston-based trio kicked off a US tour with Cartel and Set Your Goals during SXSW. They will be finishing out the spring on a highly-anticipated UK tour with We Are The In Crowd, Every Avenue and The Summer Set. #FML is available for purchase on iTunes today here: http://bit.ly/GAUQ2e.
See More Description Sharp guitar riffs and hard-driving drums are at the center of Super Prime's heart: voices pouring into biting lyrics as cheekily irreverent as they are wistful and catchy. Borrowing from the frenetic pop rock and angsty emo of the nineties, Super Prime has evolved to epitomize today's pop punk genre: their music gets right up in your face, and then refuses to get out of your head. Let the crowd push you nearer to the speaker and you'll hear a hint of Billie Joe Armstrong in the mic, and a little Jimmy Eat World in the melody. Their live show explodes out of the basement and onto the pavement, drenched in beer and humming with a sweaty intensity that leaves fans spinning yet smiling.
Artists We Also Like The American Spirit, A Guy Named Guy, Wolfie Burns, Noize Tank, Gravity Against Us, The Earthlings and Mystery School
3 Views
19:23:16 04/05/12
Super Prime Live in Studio B - Part 2 Vow
[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 19:23:16 04/05/12
Part 2 of Super Prime performing acoustic at Mevio Studios in San Francisco, CA For the entire performanc CLICK HERE
Super Prime is a 3 piece pop punk outfit from Boston, MA!
* SOUNDCLOUD
* REVERBNATION
* LASTFM
* YOUTUBE
* GROOVESHARK
* MYSPACE
* FACEBOOK
* TWITTER Biography Formed at the musical haven of Berklee College of Music, Super Prime consists of Austin Bond (vocals, bass), Adam Newall (vocals, guitar), and Marcus James (drums). The band fiercely stepped out into the Boston rock scene in the spring of 2011, mere moments after their inception. In under a year they recorded and released two successful EPs, "Super Prime", and "Sun's Out Gun's Out," with renowned ... Boston producer- Brian Charles (Bright Eyes, The Faint), and have shared the stage with Marky Ramone of The Ramones, Hawthorne Heights, Streetlight Manifesto, The Dollyrots, Cartel, Set Your Goals, Hit The Lights, Mixtapes, Fireworks, Patent Pending, Big Reel Fish and many others.
Borrowing from the very best elements of early pop punk and nineties angsty emo rock, Super Prime illustrates the epitome of this generations pop-punk genre. Quick and catchy guitar riffs woven between hard-driving drums lay the perfect foundation for the Billie Joe Armstrong-eque singing and the gang-vocal inducing lyrics. Their live show explodes out of the basement and onto the pavement, drenched in beer and humming with a sweaty intensity that leaves fans spinning yet smiling.
Their angst-ridden, yet playful debut full length, #FML was released on March 20th, 2012. In support of the album's release, the Boston-based trio kicked off a US tour with Cartel and Set Your Goals during SXSW. They will be finishing out the spring on a highly-anticipated UK tour with We Are The In Crowd, Every Avenue and The Summer Set. #FML is available for purchase on iTunes today here: http://bit.ly/GAUQ2e.
See More Description Sharp guitar riffs and hard-driving drums are at the center of Super Prime's heart: voices pouring into biting lyrics as cheekily irreverent as they are wistful and catchy. Borrowing from the frenetic pop rock and angsty emo of the nineties, Super Prime has evolved to epitomize today's pop punk genre: their music gets right up in your face, and then refuses to get out of your head. Let the crowd push you nearer to the speaker and you'll hear a hint of Billie Joe Armstrong in the mic, and a little Jimmy Eat World in the melody. Their live show explodes out of the basement and onto the pavement, drenched in beer and humming with a sweaty intensity that leaves fans spinning yet smiling.
Artists We Also Like The American Spirit, A Guy Named Guy, Wolfie Burns, Noize Tank, Gravity Against Us, The Earthlings and Mystery School
2 Views
18:45:11 04/05/12
Super Prime Live in Studio B - Part 3 - Suns Out Guns Out
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 18:45:11 04/05/12
Part 3 of Super Prime performing acoustic at Mevio Studios in San Francisco, CA For the entire performanc CLICK HERE
Super Prime is a 3 piece pop punk outfit from Boston, MA!
* SOUNDCLOUD
* REVERBNATION
* LASTFM
* YOUTUBE
* GROOVESHARK
* MYSPACE
* FACEBOOK
* TWITTER Biography Formed at the musical haven of Berklee College of Music, Super Prime consists of Austin Bond (vocals, bass), Adam Newall (vocals, guitar), and Marcus James (drums). The band fiercely stepped out into the Boston rock scene in the spring of 2011, mere moments after their inception. In under a year they recorded and released two successful EPs, "Super Prime", and "Sun's Out Gun's Out," with renowned ... Boston producer- Brian Charles (Bright Eyes, The Faint), and have shared the stage with Marky Ramone of The Ramones, Hawthorne Heights, Streetlight Manifesto, The Dollyrots, Cartel, Set Your Goals, Hit The Lights, Mixtapes, Fireworks, Patent Pending, Big Reel Fish and many others.
Borrowing from the very best elements of early pop punk and nineties angsty emo rock, Super Prime illustrates the epitome of this generations pop-punk genre. Quick and catchy guitar riffs woven between hard-driving drums lay the perfect foundation for the Billie Joe Armstrong-eque singing and the gang-vocal inducing lyrics. Their live show explodes out of the basement and onto the pavement, drenched in beer and humming with a sweaty intensity that leaves fans spinning yet smiling.
Their angst-ridden, yet playful debut full length, #FML was released on March 20th, 2012. In support of the album's release, the Boston-based trio kicked off a US tour with Cartel and Set Your Goals during SXSW. They will be finishing out the spring on a highly-anticipated UK tour with We Are The In Crowd, Every Avenue and The Summer Set. #FML is available for purchase on iTunes today here: http://bit.ly/GAUQ2e.
See More Description Sharp guitar riffs and hard-driving drums are at the center of Super Prime's heart: voices pouring into biting lyrics as cheekily irreverent as they are wistful and catchy. Borrowing from the frenetic pop rock and angsty emo of the nineties, Super Prime has evolved to epitomize today's pop punk genre: their music gets right up in your face, and then refuses to get out of your head. Let the crowd push you nearer to the speaker and you'll hear a hint of Billie Joe Armstrong in the mic, and a little Jimmy Eat World in the melody. Their live show explodes out of the basement and onto the pavement, drenched in beer and humming with a sweaty intensity that leaves fans spinning yet smiling.
Artists We Also Like The American Spirit, A Guy Named Guy, Wolfie Burns, Noize Tank, Gravity Against Us, The Earthlings and Mystery School http://twitter.com/superprimeband http://youtube.com/superprimemusic http://bit.ly/superprimeitunes
2 Views
17:59:04 04/05/12
Super Prime - Live In Studio B
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 17:59:04 04/05/12
Super Prime performs acoustic at Mevio Studios in San Francisco, CA 3 piece pop punk outfit from Boston, MA!
* SOUNDCLOUD
* REVERBNATION
* LASTFM
* YOUTUBE
* GROOVESHARK
* MYSPACE
* FACEBOOK
* TWITTER Biography Formed at the musical haven of Berklee College of Music, Super Prime consists of Austin Bond (vocals, bass), Adam Newall (vocals, guitar), and Marcus James (drums). The band fiercely stepped out into the Boston rock scene in the spring of 2011, mere moments after their inception. In under a year they recorded and released two successful EPs, "Super Prime", and "Sun's Out Gun's Out," with renowned ... Boston producer- Brian Charles (Bright Eyes, The Faint), and have shared the stage with Marky Ramone of The Ramones, Hawthorne Heights, Streetlight Manifesto, The Dollyrots, Cartel, Set Your Goals, Hit The Lights, Mixtapes, Fireworks, Patent Pending, Big Reel Fish and many others.
Borrowing from the very best elements of early pop punk and nineties angsty emo rock, Super Prime illustrates the epitome of this generations pop-punk genre. Quick and catchy guitar riffs woven between hard-driving drums lay the perfect foundation for the Billie Joe Armstrong-eque singing and the gang-vocal inducing lyrics. Their live show explodes out of the basement and onto the pavement, drenched in beer and humming with a sweaty intensity that leaves fans spinning yet smiling.
Their angst-ridden, yet playful debut full length, #FML was released on March 20th, 2012. In support of the album's release, the Boston-based trio kicked off a US tour with Cartel and Set Your Goals during SXSW. They will be finishing out the spring on a highly-anticipated UK tour with We Are The In Crowd, Every Avenue and The Summer Set. #FML is available for purchase on iTunes today here: http://bit.ly/GAUQ2e.
See More Description Sharp guitar riffs and hard-driving drums are at the center of Super Prime's heart: voices pouring into biting lyrics as cheekily irreverent as they are wistful and catchy. Borrowing from the frenetic pop rock and angsty emo of the nineties, Super Prime has evolved to epitomize today's pop punk genre: their music gets right up in your face, and then refuses to get out of your head. Let the crowd push you nearer to the speaker and you'll hear a hint of Billie Joe Armstrong in the mic, and a little Jimmy Eat World in the melody. Their live show explodes out of the basement and onto the pavement, drenched in beer and humming with a sweaty intensity that leaves fans spinning yet smiling.
Artists We Also Like The American Spirit, A Guy Named Guy, Wolfie Burns, Noize Tank, Gravity Against Us, The Earthlings and Mystery School http://twitter.com/superprimeband http://youtube.com/superprimemusic http://bit.ly/superprimeitunes
2 Views
23:30:53 03/28/12
Brave Chandeliers Live in Studio B - Part 1 - Madmen
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 23:30:53 03/28/12
Part 1 of Brave Chandeliers performing live in Studio B of Mevio in San Francisco For the full performance CLICK HERE
Visit us at www.bravechandeliers.com
Biography
It's a ridiculous thing to do in a recession—quit your job, start a band, go out on the road. But that's exactly what Portland's Nick Drum and Jon McNeill did. The former was a young lawyer working his way up the ladder through endless hours; the latter an ethnographer whiling away his days on product research far from home. They felt themselves settling, their freedom slipping, so when the pair f ... inally met, they knew what they had to do. From a single jam session, Brave Chandeliers was born—a power-pop and soul-fueled answer to the nine-to-five grind ringing with heartfelt sentiment and optimism.
What began as a couple of fast friends playing cover songs—"Tempted" by Squeeze and "I Get Lifted" by George McCrae—quickly evolved into the piano-driven, hook-laden Brave Chandeliers of today: Nick on vocals and keys and Jon on guitar, plus bassist Cary Samsel and drummer Nathan Powell (tour-tested players for bluesman Terry Evans). In a sense, the band's founders had waited all their lives for this. Nick developed his voice in choir, and began piano lessons at 8 with a teacher who didn't quash his ability to improvise. Jon had instruction too, but taught himself guitar by memorizing the tabs to Siamese Dream.
It seemed significant that their first practice took place on the day of the TARP bailout. While the nation set out to fix itself, so did the men of Brave Chandeliers with a new outlook attested to by the poignant words of "Madmen," an early standout: "I can read the headlines / I know all the hard times / I'd rather take a slow night / Where you and me can get out of here / out from under the fear / and follow our lives." That romanticism couched in reality colored the band's self-released debut EP, Put Away the Camera, and helped secure them a seven-week tour around the U.S.
Brave Chandeliers' brand new album, 11 Escapes, finds the fresh-faced group already coming into their own. After locking themselves into rehearsal for two weeks, they repaired to KBC Studios, situated in a gorgeous old remodel in northeast Portland. With producer Jeremy Sherrer (Hockey, Dandy Warhols, the Gossip) at the helm, they recorded live to two-inch tape, everyone playing at once. In the parlor was a grand piano you can nearly picture as the rich notes ring out. Songs like "Sinking Ship" deliver propulsive pop à la Maroon 5, while the fuzzy raucousness of "Escape" evokes Arctic Monkeys and the upbeat jaunt of "Deep End" Ben Folds—others who put songwriting above all else.
As its title would suggest, 11 Escapes offers as many angles on the concept of breaking away. Each song acts as a window into one room, or one life, in contemporary America. "Say It's Alright" is told from the view of a repentant cheater. "Bumpy Ride" is about overcoming of a rut. "Life In Motion" takes stock of those things we simply cannot avoid: entropy, aging, time. "Viral" is about falling head over heels in love. And of course, it's deeply personal too. After all, 11 Escapes is the very document that proves that Brave Chandeliers, happily, are the ones who got away.
2 Views
23:22:39 03/28/12
Brave Chandeliers Live in Studio B - Part 2 - Sinking Ship
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 23:22:39 03/28/12
Part 2 of Brave Chandeliers performing live in Studio B of Mevio in San Francisco For the full performance CLICK HERE
Visit us at www.bravechandeliers.com
Biography
It's a ridiculous thing to do in a recession—quit your job, start a band, go out on the road. But that's exactly what Portland's Nick Drum and Jon McNeill did. The former was a young lawyer working his way up the ladder through endless hours; the latter an ethnographer whiling away his days on product research far from home. They felt themselves settling, their freedom slipping, so when the pair f ... inally met, they knew what they had to do. From a single jam session, Brave Chandeliers was born—a power-pop and soul-fueled answer to the nine-to-five grind ringing with heartfelt sentiment and optimism.
What began as a couple of fast friends playing cover songs—"Tempted" by Squeeze and "I Get Lifted" by George McCrae—quickly evolved into the piano-driven, hook-laden Brave Chandeliers of today: Nick on vocals and keys and Jon on guitar, plus bassist Cary Samsel and drummer Nathan Powell (tour-tested players for bluesman Terry Evans). In a sense, the band's founders had waited all their lives for this. Nick developed his voice in choir, and began piano lessons at 8 with a teacher who didn't quash his ability to improvise. Jon had instruction too, but taught himself guitar by memorizing the tabs to Siamese Dream.
It seemed significant that their first practice took place on the day of the TARP bailout. While the nation set out to fix itself, so did the men of Brave Chandeliers with a new outlook attested to by the poignant words of "Madmen," an early standout: "I can read the headlines / I know all the hard times / I'd rather take a slow night / Where you and me can get out of here / out from under the fear / and follow our lives." That romanticism couched in reality colored the band's self-released debut EP, Put Away the Camera, and helped secure them a seven-week tour around the U.S.
Brave Chandeliers' brand new album, 11 Escapes, finds the fresh-faced group already coming into their own. After locking themselves into rehearsal for two weeks, they repaired to KBC Studios, situated in a gorgeous old remodel in northeast Portland. With producer Jeremy Sherrer (Hockey, Dandy Warhols, the Gossip) at the helm, they recorded live to two-inch tape, everyone playing at once. In the parlor was a grand piano you can nearly picture as the rich notes ring out. Songs like "Sinking Ship" deliver propulsive pop à la Maroon 5, while the fuzzy raucousness of "Escape" evokes Arctic Monkeys and the upbeat jaunt of "Deep End" Ben Folds—others who put songwriting above all else.
As its title would suggest, 11 Escapes offers as many angles on the concept of breaking away. Each song acts as a window into one room, or one life, in contemporary America. "Say It's Alright" is told from the view of a repentant cheater. "Bumpy Ride" is about overcoming of a rut. "Life In Motion" takes stock of those things we simply cannot avoid: entropy, aging, time. "Viral" is about falling head over heels in love. And of course, it's deeply personal too. After all, 11 Escapes is the very document that proves that Brave Chandeliers, happily, are the ones who got away.
3 Views
22:49:43 03/28/12
Brave Chandliers Live in Studio B - Part 3 - Love Is (What You Only Get From Me)
[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 22:49:43 03/28/12
Part 3 of Brave Chandeliers performing live in Studio B of Mevio in San Francisco For the full performance CLICK HERE
Visit us at www.bravechandeliers.com
Biography
It's a ridiculous thing to do in a recession—quit your job, start a band, go out on the road. But that's exactly what Portland's Nick Drum and Jon McNeill did. The former was a young lawyer working his way up the ladder through endless hours; the latter an ethnographer whiling away his days on product research far from home. They felt themselves settling, their freedom slipping, so when the pair f ... inally met, they knew what they had to do. From a single jam session, Brave Chandeliers was born—a power-pop and soul-fueled answer to the nine-to-five grind ringing with heartfelt sentiment and optimism.
What began as a couple of fast friends playing cover songs—"Tempted" by Squeeze and "I Get Lifted" by George McCrae—quickly evolved into the piano-driven, hook-laden Brave Chandeliers of today: Nick on vocals and keys and Jon on guitar, plus bassist Cary Samsel and drummer Nathan Powell (tour-tested players for bluesman Terry Evans). In a sense, the band's founders had waited all their lives for this. Nick developed his voice in choir, and began piano lessons at 8 with a teacher who didn't quash his ability to improvise. Jon had instruction too, but taught himself guitar by memorizing the tabs to Siamese Dream.
It seemed significant that their first practice took place on the day of the TARP bailout. While the nation set out to fix itself, so did the men of Brave Chandeliers with a new outlook attested to by the poignant words of "Madmen," an early standout: "I can read the headlines / I know all the hard times / I'd rather take a slow night / Where you and me can get out of here / out from under the fear / and follow our lives." That romanticism couched in reality colored the band's self-released debut EP, Put Away the Camera, and helped secure them a seven-week tour around the U.S.
Brave Chandeliers' brand new album, 11 Escapes, finds the fresh-faced group already coming into their own. After locking themselves into rehearsal for two weeks, they repaired to KBC Studios, situated in a gorgeous old remodel in northeast Portland. With producer Jeremy Sherrer (Hockey, Dandy Warhols, the Gossip) at the helm, they recorded live to two-inch tape, everyone playing at once. In the parlor was a grand piano you can nearly picture as the rich notes ring out. Songs like "Sinking Ship" deliver propulsive pop à la Maroon 5, while the fuzzy raucousness of "Escape" evokes Arctic Monkeys and the upbeat jaunt of "Deep End" Ben Folds—others who put songwriting above all else.
As its title would suggest, 11 Escapes offers as many angles on the concept of breaking away. Each song acts as a window into one room, or one life, in contemporary America. "Say It's Alright" is told from the view of a repentant cheater. "Bumpy Ride" is about overcoming of a rut. "Life In Motion" takes stock of those things we simply cannot avoid: entropy, aging, time. "Viral" is about falling head over heels in love. And of course, it's deeply personal too. After all, 11 Escapes is the very document that proves that Brave Chandeliers, happily, are the ones who got away.
2 Views
22:12:27 03/28/12
Brave Chandeliers Live in Studio B
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 22:12:27 03/28/12
Brave Chandeliers perform live in Studio B of Mevio in San Francisco
Visit us at www.bravechandeliers.com Biography It's a ridiculous thing to do in a recession—quit your job, start a band, go out on the road. But that's exactly what Portland's Nick Drum and Jon McNeill did. The former was a young lawyer working his way up the ladder through endless hours; the latter an ethnographer whiling away his days on product research far from home. They felt themselves settling, their freedom slipping, so when the pair f ... inally met, they knew what they had to do. From a single jam session, Brave Chandeliers was born—a power-pop and soul-fueled answer to the nine-to-five grind ringing with heartfelt sentiment and optimism.
What began as a couple of fast friends playing cover songs—"Tempted" by Squeeze and "I Get Lifted" by George McCrae—quickly evolved into the piano-driven, hook-laden Brave Chandeliers of today: Nick on vocals and keys and Jon on guitar, plus bassist Cary Samsel and drummer Nathan Powell (tour-tested players for bluesman Terry Evans). In a sense, the band's founders had waited all their lives for this. Nick developed his voice in choir, and began piano lessons at 8 with a teacher who didn't quash his ability to improvise. Jon had instruction too, but taught himself guitar by memorizing the tabs to Siamese Dream.
It seemed significant that their first practice took place on the day of the TARP bailout. While the nation set out to fix itself, so did the men of Brave Chandeliers with a new outlook attested to by the poignant words of "Madmen," an early standout: "I can read the headlines / I know all the hard times / I'd rather take a slow night / Where you and me can get out of here / out from under the fear / and follow our lives." That romanticism couched in reality colored the band's self-released debut EP, Put Away the Camera, and helped secure them a seven-week tour around the U.S.
Brave Chandeliers' brand new album, 11 Escapes, finds the fresh-faced group already coming into their own. After locking themselves into rehearsal for two weeks, they repaired to KBC Studios, situated in a gorgeous old remodel in northeast Portland. With producer Jeremy Sherrer (Hockey, Dandy Warhols, the Gossip) at the helm, they recorded live to two-inch tape, everyone playing at once. In the parlor was a grand piano you can nearly picture as the rich notes ring out. Songs like "Sinking Ship" deliver propulsive pop à la Maroon 5, while the fuzzy raucousness of "Escape" evokes Arctic Monkeys and the upbeat jaunt of "Deep End" Ben Folds—others who put songwriting above all else.
As its title would suggest, 11 Escapes offers as many angles on the concept of breaking away. Each song acts as a window into one room, or one life, in contemporary America. "Say It's Alright" is told from the view of a repentant cheater. "Bumpy Ride" is about overcoming of a rut. "Life In Motion" takes stock of those things we simply cannot avoid: entropy, aging, time. "Viral" is about falling head over heels in love. And of course, it's deeply personal too. After all, 11 Escapes is the very document that proves that Brave Chandeliers, happily, are the ones who got away.
12/19/11