The Short Eyes Live at Soda Bar in San Diego, CA
Be sure to check out THE SHORT EYES!!!
Photography By: Shane Suski |Ambassador of Photography | San Diego, CA| @shanewithmwl | Beat-Play and Music Without Labels, LLC
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Posted in Art, Beat-Play, LLC, concert, Events, Independent Labels, Independent Music, Music, New Music, Photography, San Diego
Tagged album, Amazing, Art, Artists, Bands, Beat-Play, BeatPlay, free promotion, Independent, independent artists, Independent Music, Indie Music, music industry, Music News, Music Promotion, Music Without Labels, MusicWithoutLabels, New Music, photography, pschedelic, s2012, San Diego, Shane Suski, Social Media, soda bar, the short eyes
Ishamel Osekre moved to New York City from GHANA with thirty bucks and a hell of a lot of ambition. He paved his way through college and right into the Brooklyn DIY scene. When I heard about Osekre and The Lucky Bastards I knew I had to talk to this guy. Osekre produces powerful music using his poetry, his native roots, a GREAT band, and all the wisdom he has acquired on his journey. His interview is a must read. I have no doubt that Osekre will change lives and open eyes as he continues to grow as an artist and musician. He’s not afraid to speak the truth, the outcome is bold and colorful.
Lucky for us, a sneak preview of their newest track - Why Are You Here ( Not yet released!)
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You can see Osekre and The Lucky Bastards TONIGHT with Ritz Riot, Flagland, and Modiri @ NXT LVL in Brooklyn!!
MWL: I’ve heard of your story but can you give me a little background on yourself, where you are from and what led you to New York?
Osekre: (laughing) There is really not much to this story thing that you might have heard about. I am from a place called Kokomlemle in Accra, Ghana. My friends, Ahmed, Paa Nii, Kofi Kwakye, Yaw Boateng and I used to play soccer on the streets. Life was cool. Okay, lets face it. If you consider where I grew up and such, I’m probably not supposed to be frolicking around these parts of town. I used to sleep on a mat on the floor and shared the room with my mum and my big brother. Not fancy. I just dreamt a lot on that mat, prayed a lot because I wanted to go somewhere with my life and do something close to epic with it. After high school I decided I wanted to go to college because of numerous reasons but definitely because I needed academic independence, I wanted to compete and learn with the best and to benefit from opportunities that colleges insisted they offered in brochures and on college websites our “busy internet” minutes allowed us in Accra city cafes.
MWL: Have you thought about moving anywhere else?
Osekre: I have thought of moving temporarily to the Mid-West on a few occasions but momentum on this side of town has kept me completely focused here. The West Coast also plays around with my mind from time to time but ultimately spending sometime in Europe is a priority. For now however, I have been here for some 6 years. My roots are home, my wings are here we will see where my branches go.
MWL: Can you tell me how you came up with the name for the group?
Really long story. Let me see if I can distill or condense it. Osekre is my last name which I use as my first name here. Lucky because as I said before, I am not supposed to be hanging out around here if you consider where I come from and which resources I had at my disposal while growing up. Then of course coming to New York with an empty pocket and fundraising my way through 4 years of college. Stuff like that makes me feel thankful to God and to people out there who do not like taking credit for things but who are AWESOME. Nara, and I’m not going to tell the rest of her name who helped me pay through my last 2 years in college (helped pay the significant debt) didn’t know me before we met a few months earlier, didn’t care if I was tall or short, no essays required, didn’t ask what exactly my major was going to be or what my ambitions were. She purely acted on a hunch and said others had done that for her and wanted to pass the kind act on. The difference between what others did for her and what she did for me though is that she must have qualified somehow and proven somehow that she deserved what she received. But she didn’t evaluate me in that way. Stuff like that makes me call myself Lucky. Ms Mary a lady whom I met one afternoon for lunch for the first time ever, placed an entire semester’s fees on her credit card and said it was simply because God had been good to her and her family. No questions asked. Stuff like that makes me call myself Lucky, I can go and mention Judith and the Pigman’s and countless families and friends and strangers who just gave me the opportunity to pursue my dreams and passions just because …
Do you want to hear the last part or are we out of time?
MWL: Let’s hear it.
Osekre: Bastards because when my mum was pregnant with me, apparently my dad wasn’t in the mood for the whole baby business. My dad and I are cool now but back then I heard he wasn’t trying to hear about some little man … ha, ha … so my mum had me when my dad though I had been aborted. I was an unwanted child. Bastard. Osekre and The Lucky Bastards captures the essence of my journey, relentlessness, luck and luck!
MWL: Who are the Lucky Bastards right now?
Osekre: Michael Benham – bass, Dan Burdman – drums, Andre Rivie – guitar, Nick Barber – alto sax
MWL: Do you remember the first time you picked up an instrument, which was it?
Osekre :Yeah….. I was probably in 4th or 5th grade by then. It was the Harmonica.
MWL: When did you recognize your need to creating music?
Osekre : I was trying to find an outlet to express my poetry and to broaden my reach. I was very big on writing and reading my poems during my early college years. A friend of mine who loves music urged me to fuse African melodies with my poetry. I was experimenting that with my first band but wasn’t doing it with much confidence. So I decided to find catchy melodies as hooks for chorus and then use poetry for the verses. Then, I started taking voice lessons and realized I had a vocal range that I hadn’t explored before so I started writing more stuff and that allowed me to create some more.
MWL: Do you write all of your songs?
Osekre: Yes I do.
MWL: You are an amazing poet, can you tell me a little bit about your writing process?
Osekre: Thank you. Well, I do have a lot of things going on in my life at any moment. I know you are thinking girls, girls (laughing) … so I usually don’t have enough time to process much of the things happening to me or around me. I don’t write until I have to write. However, my system has a way of shutting down until it’s gotten my attention and when that happens, I get to a pen and paper and put everything down.
My writing is such a raw process because it’s often intense and heavy. My pen becomes a filter for my emotions as paper absorbs the blood leaking from whatever emotional wounds went unkempt or ignored and are still bleeding. You know the thing with unmanaged bruises is that they look uglier and hurt worse after being unkempt for a while so it’s this really crazy space and place that only I am invited to inside me where I am dragged into unimagined chambers to face my angels and demons as we battle out issues that should be left in the past but the judges insist need clearance in order for the future to remain unhinged and unscathed.
It’s a good place in my life because I am forced to come to terms with where I am and what’s going on around me; it’s often dark but bright and beautiful. Sometimes I don’t just write words but I find melodies that can interpret the emotion running through me and those lead to songs. My mind and heart and soul are open wide for creative processes in times like that. That’s how I write … it’s a whole reckoning of moments seen and unseen both battling for vindication. Simple things too make me write. As long as I FEEL something, I am going to write.
MWL: What are some of the ideas behind your music?
Osekre: Sayings of the wise? Sentiments from immigrant experiences? Love? Relationships and friendships, society in general and whenever offered the chance I try to rep the voiceless and forgotten.
MWL: Do you have a favorite song? One that means the most?
Osekre: My favorite song keeps changing. It used to be “We Are Going” then it was “Africa” and now it’s “Why Are You Here?”
MWL: What about the Verses for the Masses music video?
Osekre: Ha ha … a few friends and I were just messing around … that and the “Fire and I” video.
MWL: Any favorite bands or musicians you enjoy collaborating or playing with?
Osekre: I called up Nyle from Nyle and the Naysayers without prep or warning when I was live on stage the other day and he killed it. That was awesome. I haven’t collaborated much just yet but I am looking forward to doing more.
MWL: Who are your musical and non-musical influences?
Osekre: Osibisa, Bob Marley, Nina Simone, Fela, I’d love to jam with Vampire Weekend and write something together. Jama as a repertoire, Titus Andronicus, Lauryn Hilly, Damien Rice, old K’naan. And of course, the one and only BASQUIAT!
MWL: What are your hobbies, every day life. What is it like?
Osekre: I loove hanging out with friends, some of the guys from the band and catching up. I looove jamming on some FIFA on the Xbox …. ! I just finished watching the entire “Felicity” TV series again! I am a news addict so I am often reading the news, practicing my guitar, planning an event, going to see an event, watching a soccer game.
MWL: What are you listening to these days?? Any recommendations?
Osekre: Wulomei, Joe Purdy, The Tontons, Japanther, Denitia Odigie is amazing, Gipsy Wig is off the wall.
MWL: What’s new with you? Plans? Recording?
Osekre: Converse, invited us to their rubber tracks studio in Williamsburg a week ago so we recorded 3 awesome tracks which will be coming out as an EP in March. I am also working on “Aputumpu” which is a site that will archive footage of rising bands in Brookyln. Then there will be the Aputumpu Festival between March 22-25 during which we will also launch our EP, drop some new videos immediately after and play a few summer festivals here and a bit farther away from home.
MWL: How do you feel about the music industry as it stands today?
Osekre: Yeah, it’s all about DIY now. I think the future will sort itself out.
MWL: Anything else?
Osekre: Thanks for having me and mad shout out to all the awesome fans who keep showing up to the shows. I promise, it will get better. You haven’t seen anything yet!
If you want to know more about Osekre, his story, his music and his future plans visit his website for more information! Oh and listen to >>>this<<<
Listen to more tracks HERE!
Headlining photo compliments of EC Groom.
By: Katie McVeay| Beat-Play Ambassador New York| @crookedsunshine|Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC
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Posted in Art, concert, Events, Independent Labels, Independent Music, Interviews, Music, music industry, Music News, New Music, New York, Photography, Uncategorized, Video
Tagged Africa, African melodies, Andre Rivie, Aputumpu, Basquiat, BK, Bob Marley, brooklyn, converse, Damien Rice, Dan Burdman, ec groom, ecgroom, Fire and I, Ghana, Gipsy Wig, Hip hop, Japanther, katie mcveay, Lucky Bastards, Michael Benham, Naysayers, New York, Next Level, Nick Barber, NXT LVL, osekre, Osekre and the Lucky Bastards, osekres vibe, Poetry, Verses for the Masses, We Are Going, williamsburg
Wanna hear the best of independent pop music out there? Then you won’t have to go any further because One Love it’s right here lookin’ at you. One Love is a solo artist from Long Island, New York that doesn’t just make good music, but has a mission behind it all. “One Love isn’t just a name”, boasts Adam, “It’s an idea, not just for me, for everyone. I didn’t start One Love, the idea, I wanted to start One Love, the movement.” As you can see, it’s more than a song and more than just an artist on a stage or on a record. His music started to take flight a couple years ago when One Love (Adam Scott) collaborated with producer Jonathan Castelli in the studio. Adam’s musicianship and talent was a great fit for Castelli’s gift as a producer, and they soon enough gave life to a couple original songs.
I know that a lot of people are tired of top 40 pop simply because of the same old song and dance that continues to rule the airwaves. Well, what if there was a message behind a new breed of popular, catchy tunes? Adam Scott has brought meaning to a realm where a lot of people fail to find anything significant except for break-up songs and hook-up songs. One Love is not just a brand or stage name for a singer, but a movement and a lifestyle. You won’t see a day or week pass by that One Love doesn’t spread his joy for life. His extroverted personality, big heart, and beyond hook-filled pop songs will drive his message to another level. Check out the EPK for his new EP that just released in April 2011.
The One Love EP contains six original songs and I can tell you that it won’t be long before you can’t get this stuff out of your head. His influences include some true greats such as Jeff Buckley, Steven Tyler, Billy Joel, The Beatles, and One Republic. The EP continues to demonstrate the creative bond between Scott and Castelli that was created with the first two songs years ago. I’m sure Adam will agree with me that all “lovers” out there should get it and share it with your lover friends, ha. If you like what you hear, check out the One Love Facebook Page and become apart of the movement that is One Love.
By Steve Harpine | Nashville Ambassador | @Steve_MWL | Beat-Play & Music Without Labels, LLC
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Posted in Album Reviews, Art, Beat-Play, LLC, Independent Music, Los Angeles, Music, music industry, Music News, Nashville, New Music, New York, Uncategorized, Video
Tagged 2012, Adam Scott, Amazing, Artists, BeatPlay, EP, free promotion, independent artists, Independent Music, Jonathan Castelli, los angeles, Music, Music Without Labels, New Music, New York, One Love, Pop, Social Media, Steve Harpine, video
After a chance meeting in 2007, Pascal Ellinas and Dave Pearce began the long winding road that is now the stellar production and DJ duo of Pascal & Pearce. Their sets have been described as energetic and enthusiastic – pretty much your perfect dance DJs. Both Dave and Pascal have very diverse backgrounds in music, which combined with their love for the industry provides an abundance of energy which is both seen and felt by the crowd. With each song chosen to perfection, a rich blend of original tracks and world-class floor killers, it keeps the crowd going non-stop. Having played at top clubs around South Africa, and a number of big events – including Earthdance, G&G Rage and the 5FM NYE rooftop party – Pascal & Pearce know how to work a dance floor. These talented guys are continuously working on their sound in a way that is both organic and constantly evolving. The duo was spotted in production last year in Red Bull’s Studio. With some new gear to toy with including electronic drum kits, the boys working process became an onslaught of Electro-house magic.
Over the past 18 months the duo has created a loyal following doing official remixes of some of World & South Africa’s biggest artists including: Martin Solveig, Nadia Ali, Roger Sanchez, Wretch 32 Feat Example, TV Rock, Ian Carey, Above & Beyond, Locnville, Goldfish, Flash Republic, Zebra & Giraffe & Goodluck. Their debut album Passport features their distinctive electronic beats and includes collaborations with vocalists including: Michelle Breeze, Yoav, Louise Carver & Swedish rapper Lazee. Check out the official video for “Days Go By,” off Passport.
By: Elizabeth Stene | Beat-Play Ambassador South Africa | @LizMWL | Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC
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Posted in Cape Town, Music, Video
Tagged dance, dave pearce, days go by, DJ, Louise Carver, pascal & pearce, pascal ellinas, passport, South Africa
I’m not the greatest Twitter user. I don’t keep track of @ replies, re-tweets and I don’t often check to see if anyone new is following me, but I might start because at some point in the past few weeks These Three Words started following me and I’ve been living since then without hearing these sweet jams. I don’t want that to happen again.
When I did finally notice, I was tickled to see them comparing themselves to Manchester Orchestra, Brand New, The Mars Volta and Biffy Clyro. I can take or leave the Mars Volta, but the others are a few of my favorite bands currently in the game. I clicked over to their Facebook player thoroughly expecting a fumble.
Instead, I got tackled by the whole team.
The gauntlet is thrown immediately with “Split Soul in the 21st Century,” which kicks off with a cracking snare roll and a sinister, throbbing riff that tears into soaring group vocals. ”Come with me! Come with me!” is gonna open up the best pit of someone’s life someday. The chills I had by the end of track reminded me of the first time I heard The Receiving End of Sirens’ “Between the Heart and the Synapse.” Something big is coming.
The third track, “Cinderblock Ella and the Freudian Slipper” is the hot, molten core of the album. Shot through with thick, shuffling grooves, cascading time signatures and ambient synths, it somehow weaves moments of pure post-hardcore zaniness, meaty modern rock and and compact, catchy lyrical phrases (“Can you fall in love with the atmosphere?” “Forget what you heard, there’s nothing that’s wrong or right or fake or real.” “We all need someone to say we would die for.” – coming to Instagram captions near you!) into a cut that simultaneously defines their sound and creates life long fans. BONUS: The first three seconds sound like an eighties pop song.
It’s such a standout that the only downside is that the rest of the album has trouble living up to early, thrilling heights. Whatever. That’s how a rollercoaster’s built. There’s still plenty of fun to be had in the unexpected curves in the acoustic “Wimpersing,” the almost jazzy strut of “Seasons,” or the soaring climax provided by closer “From the Inside.”
The full album is set to be drop on iTunes any day now, but in the meantime click the art at the top to check out all the tracks on their Facebook.
This is the kind of music that doesn’t stay local for long, so smoke ‘em while you got ‘em, Pittsburgh because the next three words these guys hear might be “major record deal.”
Chris Cullari | Beat-Play Ambassador Los Angeles |@Chris_Cullari | Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC |
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Posted in Independent Music, Music, New Music, Uncategorized
Tagged big, breakout, catchy, cross-genre, heavy, Indie, Pittsburgh, post-hardcore, rock
MIssy Andersen Live at Patrick’s Gaslamp Pub in San Diego, CA
MIssy Andersen-"Ace of Spades"
Click the pic for more Missy Anderson concert shots!
Be sure to check out the smooth sounds of MISSY ANDERSEN
Photography By: Shane Suski |Ambassador of Photography | San Diego, CA| @shanewithmwl | Beat-Play and Music Without Labels, LLC
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Posted in Art, Beat-Play, LLC, Events, Independent Labels, Independent Music, Music, New Music, Photography, San Diego
Tagged Amazing, Art, Artists, Bands, Beat-Play, blue, Blues, downtown san diego, free promotion, Funk, Independent, independent artists, Independent Music, missy andersen, Music, music industry, Music Promotion, Music Without Labels, MusicWithoutLabels, night photography, patrick's gaslamp pub, patrick's ii, photos, Promotion, R&B, rock, Shane Suski, Social Media, Soul
Next stop? Oxford, Mississippi. After whiskey shots at William Faulkner’s grave (an Ole Miss tradition) I caught up with my cousin Emily about life, hunting and the developing music scene in Oxford. She started telling me about one of her favorite local bands >> Young Buffalo! We listened to a few songs and zap! I had a band crush on this two piece, the sound of Ben Yarbrough and Jim Barrett. Young Buffalo will be featured as a Showcase Artist at SXSW this year, are finishing their first LP and have big plans for a tour, all in hopes of releasing their first album! Learn more about the band and their 2012 plans below.
MWL: How was the group conceived? Where did you meet, your first impressions… you know what I mean.
Jim: Ben and I had been playing together since 2005. We stopped and started writing and recording on our own. In the summer of 2009, I started working with Alex Hardberger and we got Ben into the fold and started writing and recording the songs that would later be our Young Von Prettylips EP. Within a week and a half of our first practice, we had our first show and have been playing ever since.
MWL: Did any of you have any lessons, classical training?
YB: No, we’re both self-taught. But we did pick up huge lessons along the way from our friends that are players. So no classical training but we were fortunate enough to pick up some lessons free-of-charge.
MWL: This kind of goes with the prior but, do you remember the first time you picked up an instrument? Saw grandpa playing the guitar? Stoned with a set of bongos? I guess what I want to know is when did you recognize your passion for creating music?
Ben: I started playing guitar as a kid because I wanted to play Jimi Hendrix songs, plus I had seen my Uncle play before and it really interested. He picked up on and let me borrow one of his guitar and I taught myself
Jim: When I was like 5 years old, I had this little Toy-Mate or something snare drum that I literally beat the shit out of. After, when I was about 11 I think, my parents bought me a drumset and I taught myself the drums with the help of my brother and another drummer. I picked up guitar a few years later and started writing songs.
MWL: Who are your musical and non-musical influences?
YB: Our families, friends, Oxford MISSISSIPPI, traveling, corndogs, Barry Hannah, Larry Brown, Wes Anderson, Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Bukowski, Faulkner, The Smiths, Bowie, Beatles, Zeppelin, Panda Bear, our peers, our jobs, booze.
MWL: Who is the primary songwriter?
Jim: We both write songs and participate in the writing for each one for the most part. But at the moment I think have a few more.
MWL: Do you remember your first show together? Total disaster or did all go as planned? Wait; does anything ever go as planned?
Jim: Our first show together was in 8th grade (2005) at my then-girlfriends birthday party. It was pretty much a total disaster. A member of our band at the time did a cover of “knocking on heavens door” and I’m pretty sure we left after that, ha ha!
Ben: But it was cool. Jim’s parents took us to see the Black Keys at Proud Larry’s here in Oxford.
MWL: What is the most bizarre/fucked up thing that has ever happened at a show?
YB: In London, there was this old guy on ecstasy that was head banging on our monitors. That was pretty crazy/bizarre. He’s probably deaf. Must have been some fire X though.
MWL: How would you describe your shows, visually and musically?
YB: Loud, energetic and all of our songs are pretty upbeat and happy. So it’s pretty good party music. Visually?? I dunno, we don’t really do the big light shows and stuff. It’s mainly just Ben and I switching between guitar and bass and singing with each other. Maybe we’re lacking in the visual department….
MWL: Any favorite bands or musicians you like to play with? Whether it be practice spaces, jamming, shows- whatever. Who are your buddy bands??
YB: All of the bands that with play with from Oxford. Dead Gaze, Dent May, ILLLS, Child Star, Flight, Colour Revolt. And for national bands I’d say Oberhofer, Twin Sister, Grouplove, WU LYF
MWL: What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why? The best? Don’t plea the fifth! I won’t take the fifth for an answer! We all know there are shitty venues, if you must just tell us why it sucked- you don’t have to throw them completely under the bus (unless you have the balls to do it).
YB: We played a shitty, shitty house show in Shreveport, LA. They forgot that we were coming that night, we maybe played to 5 people, and after the show they went to a bar and didn’t even invite us. Kind of a bummer. The best show probably was this past summer when we opened for the Arctic Monkeys at Stubb’s in Austin. Great food, great venue, and we play to a lot of folks.
MWL: What do you do when you’re not doing playing shows and recording, promoting etc?
Jim: I work for a catering company, and also a moving company sometimes.
Ben: I work for a catering company, but we hang with friends and party a good bit. Go to shows, you know.
MWL: What are you listening to these days?? Any recommendations? Old and new suggestions are welcome. You can’t say “everything”… that’s a cop out.
Ty Segall- Goodbye Bread, M83- Hurry Up We’re Dreaming, Tears for Fears- Songs From the Big Chair, Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues, Mikal Cronin, Twin Sister- In Heaven, UB40- Greatest Hits
MWL: What’s new with you? Anything in the making? Recording anything new, videos, planning any tours?
YB: We’re planning on finishing our first LP pretty soon, and traveling to SXSW 2012- make sure and check our website for those details. Other than that, we plan on touring a bunch until we can get our record out, finally!
MWL: How do you feel about the music industry as it stands today? The way I see it, we’re in the midst of a transition… do you feel the changes? What do you think the future of the industry holds?
YB: Wow. This is a broad question. I will say that yeah we’re kind of in a transition, but that transition has been happening ever since that dude created Napster. People have been freaking out about it, but basically records don’t sell. You can rip music from anywhere, and the only way to continue to be a band is to put music out and tour the hell out of it. I think the industry is adapting to what’s been going on, and I think the major labels are going to fall by the wayside except for the Lady Gaga’s out there…
I don’t know about you but I’m officially wondering why I don’t have a pass to SXSW yet. Anyways, want Young Buffalo for yourself? I do. You can purchase the Young Von Prettylips EP on Amazon and iTunes, but feel free to check it out here!
By: Katie McVeay| Beat-Play Ambassador New York| @crookedsunshine|Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC
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Posted in Art, Austin, concert, Events, Independent Labels, Independent Music, Interviews, Music, music industry, Music News, New Music, News, Uncategorized, Video
Tagged Alex Hardberger, Ben Barrett, Child Star, Colour Revolt, Dead Gaze, Dent May, fat possum records, Flight, Jim Yarbrough, katie mcveay, m83, mississippi, Oberhofer, oxford, Showcase Artist SXSW, SXSW, SXSW Day Party, Twin Sister, William Faulkner, young buffalo, Young Von Prettylips
The Brooklyn five-piece embraces an indie pop sound rich with echo pedals, tribal beats, electro-acoustic soundscapes and classical orchestrations. Grayson, the son of an opera singer and oil painter, demonstrated an aptitude for classical and intelligent dance music at an early age. Snowmine recorded their debut LP, Laminate Pet Animal, in the summer of 2010, and continued to tinker with it until its eventual Bandcamp release that November. With a vocal style that at times brings to mind Jim James of My Morning Jacket and Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, the band’s overall sound sits favorably next to artists like Arcade Fire and XTC as well.
In a recent interview Grayson Sanders went into detail about the history of the band and its’ name, “ Prior to January 2011, we’d just been a group of friends who couldn’t decide what style of music to play. We’d all come up in the jazz and classical scenes and were sure of two things at the very least: We didn’t want to be a laptop band (albeit “a la mode”), and we loved a good pop song. I think our first attempts were pretty garbage – 10-minute prog rock epics with break-beat bridges. But we finally assembled some songs which ended up becoming our first album (released last May). Our name has a lot of significance to me because it refers to the story of my Grandfather leading a platoon through a snowy minefield in the Korean War – a story for another conversation.”
If you’re in Philadelphia next weekend – Snowmine will be playing WXPN & Jb’s Present: The Philadelphia Bandcamp Hunter Music Series at Johnny Brenda’s Friday February 3, 2012 at 9pm. Hope to see you there!
By: Elizabeth Stene | Beat-Play Ambassador South Africa | @LizMWL | Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC
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Posted in Independent Music, Music, Philadelphia
Tagged bancamp, curfews, grayson sanders, indie pop, johnny brendas, laminate pet animal, snowmine
Graffiti Monsters are releasing their 7″ Fox Grapes next week in Brooklyn then the band is hitting the road for a few months playing shows in Philly, Baltimore, Virginia Beach, Boston, DC and Richmond (all tour dates). Graffiti Monsters flirting with danger in the family car, sounds like a fucking blast. With Mark DeNardo (guitar/vocals/GAMEBOY), James Clark (bass), and Jon Flores on drums these guys are nothing short of rowdy, exhilarating, can’t stop dancing, moving, moshing… noise/punk/metal/rock your face off music that features playful Game Boy sound effects, strong bass and drums that make my head spin in the best way possible. You must see these guys live! MUST. Makes me wanna take a shot of whiskey, rip my shirt off and get sweaty…. and it’s only 11 am.
Read the interview below to hear more about the tour, Fox Grapes and how the Graffiti Monsters were conceived:
MWL: So you’re a three piece out of Brooklyn, when did you form the band? How did you all meet?
MDN: This band formed in Summer 2011.It’s a new band under the same name. We’ve only kept a couple of the old songs. I used to play with Luke from Anamanaguchi, but he was a temp. Jon is a fucking beast. NO ONE plays like him wit da chip. I think I probably met both James and Jon at Silent Barn.
JF: I actually first met Mark two or three years back when I printed a Graffiti Monsters / Future Islands / GDFX poster, this was the old lineup at that point.
JC: I’d known Mark and Jon awhile before running into them at this rooftop folk punk show thrown by Victoria Sobel (the now-CFO of #occupywallst) and saying hey, I want to play bass.
MWL: Where did you come up with the name Graffiti Monsters?
JC: I think Mark consulted spirits or the I-Ching or something for that one.
MDN: There’s this dude FARO that’s a Graffiti artist and he has all these dope wheat paste graffiti figures and he’s got like a mummy pirate and a mummy werewolf and a mummy Run DMC all around SOHO. He does some other ones too. Think that he did some t-shirt for Ninjasonik a while back too. He’s called FARO cause he’s Egyptian hence the phonetic spelling of Pharoah.
MWL: Do you remember the first time you picked up an instrument?
JC: no.
MDN: My first instrument was a bleach bottle, then a soapbox, then guitar. I always wanted to get good on guitar like my grandfather was. He used to play all the Latin nightclubs in NYC and Bethlehem, PA. My mom told me he would wear really sharp outfits and go out that way even in shitty weather. I heard he was a real fine singer. He died young.
JF: I learned “bass” via acoustic guitar when I was 13, finally saved up for a shitty squire bass and quickly learned my way around 4 strings.
MWL: When did you recognize your passion for creating music?
MDN: Probably 6 or 7. I used to write compositions on my grandparent’s piano that were 12-tone meets doom metal meets Middle Eastern. I wish I had some of those ideas recorded.
JC: I think The Replacements sum it up nicely.
JF: when I went to see Bigwig at age 13, I knew I needed to write for a band. New Jersey punk is tops.
Photo by Daniel Doherty
MWL: Who are your musical and non-musical influences?
MDN: Musical influences right now is mostly Norwegian metal, SoCal Hardcore, Brooklyn Bachata. Written influences are fables, Dzogchen, 21st century architecture, French leftists, mosh pits, karate, drinking and smoking, Tarkovsky, Pina Bausch, I-Ching, 70s comics, manga, sleeping, and cats.
JF: Musically, I can’t stop listening to Deerhoof and Lightning Bolt, along with any NotRock Records bands i.e. Khantra or Emphasis.
JC: Tao is necessary, Google is a brain extension, skateboarding keeps it even, black metal, good wine, cassettes, harsh noise, 80s hardcore, two pairs of socks, BLACK, stickers, bodega sandwiches, espresso.
MWL: Who is the primary songwriter?
MDN: I’ve been the primary songwriter for most of our songs up to now. We are collaborating a lot more and it’s exciting.
JF: Mark is the main gameboy nerd. All our bass are belong to him.
JC: Mark’s got a good head on his shoulders
MWL: What is your writing process?
JC: Punch things and write about it.
JF: Three cups of mushroom tea (one each), one VHS copy of Godzilla VS MechaGodzilla, and a field recorder, followed by 4-5 sober hours of interpretation and transposition.
MDN: We’re still figuring it out. A lot of songs I wrote w Game Boy and guitar and vocals. Words usually come last, because they take the most or least amount of work for me. I usually have a concept in mind with a song that drives it along; many of these songs are soundtracks to personal concepts or adapted stories. I think even if you don’t say anything you have to have a narrative.
All three of us are collaborating at this point. We all throw down ideas. It’s easy because we all know what we want and it’s fun to talk about it.
MWL: How would you describe your music?
JC: Fuck it man let’s go skateboarding.
JF: A drunk punk with no teeth due to too much sugar.
MDN: Chipcore or h8bit. It’s fast shredding w crushing beats. We have song called “Crusher.”
MWL: How would you describe your shows> Musically and visually, vibe…?
JF: I encourage spazzing out, swaying, head swaying, head banging, fist banging, fist pumping, shouting, and skateboarding. Moshing is for idjits <17yo.
MDN: They’re a party. People get wild. There’s a lot of sweat and beautiful people. Usually a pit opens up. Girls dance to it.
JC: feel good but punch your friend
MWL: Do you have a favorite song to play live?
MDN: I really like playing “Fox Grapes” and “Bardo.” I like to “hulk out” on songs. Get real ecstatic. Singing crazy and playing guitar and jumping up and down come really naturally with this band.
JF: ‘Foxgrapes’ is and has been the jam for some time, yet future songs threaten its crown title on the daily. Current threats include “Crusher” and “I’m not a Gameboy, Not yet a GameMan”
JC: Anything with all down-picking.
MWL: Do you have a favorite venue to play?
JC: Your house.
MDN: Right now we really like Big Snow. For newcomers those guys are pros. We’re playing there on Thursday 2/2/12 for our 7” release party.
JF: Honestly, the smaller and crappier, the better. And we totally appreciate when there is no PA system.
MWL: Any favorite bands or musicians you enjoy collaborating or playing with? Side projects?
MDN: I’m in this folk metal band called Fables, which me on guitar and the guitarist Liz Hogg from Beach Arabs. We play quick, melodic, riffs. It’s definitely apart but a part of what I do here. We don’t play w a drummer. It’s a strong contrast from GM, which is all Game Boy and drums keeping time. It’s a very martial arts performance. We shred.
JF: I really enjoyed our shows with Fake Hooker, I’m not into the name, but damn if I don’t think the music kicks ass. Unstoppable Debt Machines and Puttin’ on the Ritz Riot are also favorite show buddies of ours. I currently play in Kamp Koala.
MDN: Yeah Ritz Riot and Filthy Savage are family. They’re some of the only ones making real punk in NYC. James is in a really cool band called Beef with this sweet girl named Greem Jellyfish. I love her.
JC: BEEF
MWL: What are you doing when you’re not doing music stuff? Hobbies, whatever you know what I mean.
MDN: I make music for videogames for this company PixelJAM . We sometimes work with Adult Swim. I’m a shodan [first degree black belt] and instructor at Traditional Okinawan Karate, an Isshin Ryu karate school in Brooklyn.
JF: I manipulate audio and electronics to do my bidding. I run a silk screen shop out of downtown Newark ,NJ.
MDN: He works with Damon Dash. Player.
JC: Shred or be dead / change your life.
MWL: Who does your artwork?
JF: Jared Bowditch is a personal favorite local BK art-genius of ours. I think he does a great job visualizing the chaos and action of our music. He also has the hair we all want.
MDN: He’s a really talented bro. He’s from RVA and we’re all friends with him. I think Jared’s work is Ralph Bakshi’s and Osama Tezuka’s bastard child. He does crazy murals.
MWL: What are you listening to these days?? Any recommendations?
JF: the Runners Four (Deerhoof), Fingers Become Bridges (Tiny Hawks #RIP) Delia Derbyshire, slowed-down Dead Kennedys and sped-up Mincemeat or Tenspeed
JC: Mayhem / The Jam / MC5 / ESG / Dropdead / Minor Threat / Altaar / Burzum
MDN: Can’t stop listening to Mayhem. It’s like a gospel right now. Liked that Kanye/Jay Z track for a minute , and then just forgot about it after seeing a bunch of people blow the track up on the train from their cell phones. Liked the new Earth album. Anything off “Slip it in” by Black Flag. Whatever my Dominican neighbors are playing outside my Brooklyn apartment.
MWL: Can you tell me a little about Fox Grapes, your new 7”, when can we expect that release?
MDN: “Fox Grapes” is a fable about wanting and loss of something you never had. It’s also about Fox spirits in the woods fucking with your head. ”Polar Bear” is about dwindling resources and fighting over them in complete futility. It’s also about eating and dying. The circle of life.
JF: The 7” costs $50
JC: we recorded it in basements on Squiers and it rules!
MDN: We’re releasing it on Datathrash Recordings. Arnie Holder is my patron saint.
MWL: You’re about to go on tour, anything to say about that? Excited about one place in particular or just ready to hit the road?
JC: don’t eat New York fried chicken in anywhere that’s not New York.
JF: Famous hip-hop producer Ski Beats gave me advice upon hearing we were touring to Greenville NC, his home state; “Yo that place is country-hood, shit’s fun!”. I take his advice to heart.
MDN: I’m looking forward to our show at Strange Matter in Richmond and the mystery show in NC…
MWL: How do you feel about the music industry as it stands today? What do you think the future of the industry holds for independent artists and labels?
JC: DIY – self record/mix/release
MDN: It’s all about marketing. Whoever has the edge wins. It’s also about talent. You can’t stop people that are just so damn good they are like the Juggernaut. The industry is confused, but people are confused. This is probably the second to last epoch of the human race. Only another 5000 years or so and we’re out of here. It’ll be for the best, I’m sure. DIY or die.
JF: Well, we are currently looking to sign with any label that claims to have an un-hackable website. EMI is no longer a consideration of ours. I currently don’t work in the music industry.
MDN: Right?
MWL: Anything else you might want to add before we conclude?
MDN: Check us out online and hit us up for shows! I have a karate tournament as soon as I get back from tour. OOS!
JF: I have recently invented what’s quickly been dubbed the “silent candy-wrapper”, and it is catching like wild fire across movie theaters and married midnight-snackers across the southwest.
JC: R Kelly
Release show is at Big Snow on Thursday 2/2/12.
By: Katie McVeay| Beat-Play Ambassador New York| @crookedsunshine|Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC
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Posted in Album Reviews, Art, Independent Music, Interviews, Music, music industry, Music News, New Music, New York
Tagged 7, arnie holder, Bardo, Beach Arabs, BEEF, big snow buffalo lodge, black flag, brooklyn, datathrash recordings, dead kennedys, deerhoof, DIY, fables, fox grapes, graffiti monsters, Greem Jellyfish, Hardcore, honor code, James Clark, jared bowditch, Jon Flores, Kamp Koala, Mark DeNardo, Metal, mincemeat, new release, New York, pixelJAM, polar bear, Punk, r kelly, Ritz Riot, rock, Shea Stadium, slip it in, squiers, tenspeed, Traditional Okinawan Karate, Vinyl, winter tour
Live Acoustic Session from John Daly’s Pub Mullingar, Ireland in association with Music Without Labels & No Ego Promotions
Session #4
Ben Jordan (USA)
There is only one way to describe singer/songwriter Ben Jordan: journeyman.
Well, that used to be the case.
While he will always be learning and honing his craft, on guitar, as a songwriter and as a vocalist. The time has come for Ben to step into a larger arena and share his considerable gifts. For he is truly an apprentice no more!
For the last 13 years Ben has traveled the country listening, learning & playing. His voyage has taken him to several of the country’s musical hot beds (including New York City, Nashville, New Orleans, San Francisco, & both Denver & Boulder, CO) where he had the privilege of befriending some rising stars, and established vets, including Derek Trucks, members of The String Cheese Incident, The Slip, Warren Haynes, Kelly Joe Phelps, The Jazz Mandolin Project, Adam Levy (of Norah Jones’ Handsome Band), and Brad Rice (Ryan Adams, Son Volt & Keith Urban), Don DiLego, Johnny Pisano (Jesse Malin & Ryan Adams) & Colorado’s newest rising star, Gregory Alan Isakov.
A gifted instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter, Ben Jordan has recorded several solo albums and is currently working on a three E.P. project based on haiku,” well actually, Jordan laughs, the project has kind of changed. Now it looks like the EP, which was released online, a full length record which was released in May of 2010 and another full length due out 2011, with an interim solo record also due out this year.
Mike Carty (Athlone)
Mike hails from the rural setting of Moore in the County of Roscommon, situated between the towns of Athlone and Ballinasloe. Self taught on guitar, He began composing and writing his own songs in his late teens. The music has a folk/alternative/rock feel with a mix of catchy upbeat tunes and melancholy ballads. He performed with the cover band ‘Unleaded’ with College friends in 2006 and following that he formed the acoustic two-piece ‘Catch a Fire’ with Joel Shields. In the last year, Mike has begun taking part in singer-songwriter and original nights countrywide to promote his music; he has even played support to bands such as Miracle Bell and performed in venues such as the Roisin Dubh and the National Concert Hall. In 2011 Mike recorded his debut Solo E.P ‘Lost Lights’ in Lakeland studios, Athlone. The E.P is set for release in the coming month and contains four tracks which are sure to make any listener sit up and take notice. Comparisons of Mike are often drawn to other Irish artists such as Damien Rice, Declan O’Rourke and Mundy.
Darragh J Glennon (Mullingar)
Darragh J. Glennon has been crafting and performing his alternative music since the age of fifteen, sharing the stage with the likes of Fionn Regan, Declan O’ Rourke and Brendan Benson (The Raconteurs).
Since beginning his travels, performing with Mullingar band ‘Triega’, Darragh went on to release the singles ‘For My Love’, ‘Smile’ and ‘I’m on the Way’. His debut album ‘Detour’ was released in 2009.
The new album is due for release early next year.
Everyone can tune in to the Live Stream from 10pm GMT - http://livestre.am/13ZkG
By: Shayne Byrne | Beat-Play Ambassador Ireland | @shaynewithMWL | Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC
