505 Reasons to Believe the Hype

By pcsanchez7505

“Fuck the critics.”

It’s clear by the words and performance of lead singer Tyler Glenn that Neon Trees’ latest Tour has everything to do with giving their fans a great time.

The “Pop Psychology” rock stars played the famed Fonda Theatre last Thursday and gave quite the performance to an eclectic and energetic crowd.

Openers for the Neon Trees included Alex Winston and Yes You Are, two female fronted bands whose performances were sexy and fierce.

Neon Trees, who jumped on stage just after 10:30, came out with their new single, “Songs I Can’t Listen To.” The ever flamboyant and always awesome Tyler Glenn strutted on stage and pulled off some incredible dance moves, in a tight pair of jeans no less.

Halfway through the performance, Glenn shed his maroon leather jacket during a dramatic knee drop and stood up to introduce his band mates.

The band’s set list included popular hits such as “Everybody Talks” and “Animal,” which received extensive radio play when it first came out.

Glenn moved on to “lesser known” songs and thanked those in the audience who knew more songs than just the ones played on the radio.

“First off, I’d like to thank KROQ for playing our songs,” said Glenn. “And I’d like to thank you guys for knowing more of our catalog.”

Throughout the night Glenn struck pose after perfect pose all while hitting every note and dance move effortlessly.

Neon Trees ended with a cover of Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen.” Fans went wild as the band played on while Glenn crowd surfed at the end.

Thursday’s performance proved two things: Tyler Glenn has some kickass dance moves, and Neon Trees are here to have a good time with their fans.

Of course, their performance itself was audibly amazing, and for all of Glenn’s dancing and the fans’ screaming, Neon Trees sounded amazing through it all.

Source:: Neon Trees: An intimate Experience at the Fonda Theatre

By pcsanchez7505

Jon Foreman, the front man for San Diego alternative band Switchfoot, has stepped onto the solo stage to release four EPs scheduled to be debuted over the next year.

The project as a whole is titled The Wonderlands, but each EP is set to be vastly diverse and reflective of different times throughout the day – Sunlight, Shadows, Darkness and Dawn.

Sunlight, released May 26, is the first of Foreman’s four-series EPs. It is a beautifully crafted piece of art that consists of six acoustic tracks that flow together seamlessly. Foreman takes us through the lives of the perpetually flawed in his opening track “Terminal” and at last to the sweetness of innocence in the ending track “All of God’s Children.” In between, Foreman reflects on the modestly beautiful and simple joys of life.

Lyrics in the tracks are at times self-reflective and at other points make moving social commentary on the world around us. In a nutshell, it’s an EP that calls for togetherness, and like the warmth of the sun, is refreshing and revitalizing.

Foreman will be on a co-headline tour, both as a solo artist and with Switchfoot, with Needtobreathe this summer.

Shadows, Foreman’s next EP, is scheduled to be released July 16. For more about his music, be sure to check out jonforeman.com

Source:: Sunlight: The First EP in Jon Foreman’s four-part project

By pcsanchez7505

Kristian Matsson is not the figure you would expect to take up the stage name The Tallest Man on Earth, but when this petite Swedish singer opens his mouth, you get it.

With a quiet confidence and solidarity, he carries through with open guitar notes and restlessness in his voice, and there has always been something so beautiful about Matsson and his minimalist albums.

Now, three years after the release of his last album (There’s No Leaving Now), Matsson, the deeply passionate and poignant Folk singer, has broken the silence with his fourth studio album entitled “Dark Bird is Home.”

Unlike his previous work, Matsson steps outside the isolation of his own voice and guitar to include a more diverse array of instruments, opening up his music, and perhaps divulging a new side of the singer/songwriter to his audience.

This fuller sound is prevalent from the opening track, “Fields of Our Home” when halfway through the somber song, a strumming guitar is accompanied by an ensemble of strings and Matsson’s voice meets the sound of another to break the seclusion.

There are still traces of his old self found in this album, but Matsson doesn’t separate the new from the old. His album weaves into a seamless stream of flowing rivers that find their way to a deep ocean of sound and musical arrangement.

Matsson is first and foremost a storyteller in this album, as he always has been. With “Dark Bird is Home” he gives us glimmers of his life and universal moments that speak to the weary and wanderlust.

There are moments of joy, sorrow, simplicity and the complex. Matsson’s lyrics dance between opposites and fall anywhere from the doorsteps of one’s home to the shoes’ of a traveler, though neither feels out of place.

Matsson is very honest with his lyrics and he delivers each verse and melody so genuinely. No line is felt more deeply than those found in the sixth track “Sagres.”

Matsson sings almost exasperated, “It’s not me knowing there’s a deeper in the dust no, it’s not the reasoning with shadows that are gone no, it’s not me knowing I’m yet to see fire, it’s just all this fucking doubt…”

Almost immediately Matsson changes gears from the doubtful “Sagres” and falls into the comfort of “Beginners.” He ends his albums somewhere in the in-between, and it’s Matsson’s ability to weave in songs of opposites that this album shines.

Through all the changes, though, we still have the same charming artist, maybe a little disheveled, but still optimistic and open.

Matsson lets us know with “Dark Bird is Home” that despite trials and uncertainty, “this is not the end, no this is fine.”

Essential tracks: “Singers,” “Sagres,” Timothy and “Dark Bird is Home”

Release Date: May 12

Source:: The Tallest Man on Earth New Album “Dark Bird is Home”

By pcsanchez7505

For those who wanted a shorter, less extravagant (but still awesome) music experience in the desert (here’s looking at you Coachella), Desert Daze was the place to be. The one day festival brought to the desert an eclectic and talented group of musicians, and faithful fans braved the dust and harsh heat to hear the likes of over 40 bands.

With so much going on in such a small space, there was never a dull moment or dead scene. Just walking from stage to stage brought entertainment from fashionable festival goers to intriguing art and scenery.

Starting at 3 p.m., the festival went on well into the night and offered guests the chance to camp overnight, ensuring the party never stopped.

Bands that stood out included Kim and the Created, Minus the Bear, Mini Mansions, Dan Deacon, DIIV, Chelsea Wolfe, JJUUJJUU (band member Phil Pironne co-organizes this event) and of course Fever the Ghost.

Mini Mansions, who have ties to the desert through band member Michael Shuman (bassist for desert rock band Queens of the Stone Age), played a great set. The band promptly went on just as the sun was setting and set the mood with their single “Freakout.” In their 40 minute slot, Mini Mansions played a powerhouse set that included new tunes off their latest album, “The Great Pretenders.”

Other stand out bands included Kim and the Created, who went on earlier in the day, but brought an insane amount of energy to the Block Stage.

Later in the night bands such as Dan Deacon brought the party and even went so far as to create their own dance floor in the audience while Fever the Ghost brought a spooky and much needed eeriness to the festival with their synth infused desert rock.

The togetherness and unity felt at Desert Daze made it unlike any other. With only four years under its belt, the festival pulled together a collaboration of musicians and fans alike to make the whole hodgepodge of harmony cling together.

Musical acts aside, the art, attendees and various vendors made the festival a unique experience of both the bizarre and fantastic.

Next year, if your budget can’t afford the financial setback that goes with buying Coachella tickets, Desert Daze offers a less conventional and more affordable venture.

Even if you do spend $400 plus on Coachella, spending an extra $50 would top of your desert festival escapades.

Click to view slideshow.

Source:: Desert Daze: Become One With the Desert

By pcsanchez7505

OK Go has been around for 17 years, stunning us with their creative music and music videos. The band has four albums under their belt, their most recent was released last October, and are currently touring across North America.

In the midst of their exciting tour, bassist Tim Nordwind had some time to chat with me about OK Go’s last 17 years and their most recent shows.

Q: Your band is known for your ingenuity both in your music and music videos, where does that creativity come from?
A: Well, you know, Damian and I have known each other since we were 11 years old….I think he and I, our friendship for as long as we’ve known each other has been based around sort of like creating projects. For the most part, I think that’s how we bond. I think that type of bonding has lasted throughout the years. A lot of friends go to the movies or sit around and watch t.v. We don’t do a lot of that stuff, but we do make crazy shit together, and that’s kind of how we bond. It’s kind of hard to say where that creativity comes from, but we’ve have always been curious people, and we were lucky to find Dan and Andy as well that are just curious, creative people who share ideas and make things. We’re just lucky that we’re friends.

Q: How do you guys share these ideas with each other, and how do you go about executing them.
A: Most of these ideas, they just start as conversations with one another. And you can usually tell by the spark in someone’s eye when that idea has been sent out there in the world what we want to react to. I do feel like a lot of the times that idea starts out with, ‘Oh my god, wouldn’t it be awesome if…” or, “Oh my god, check this out. It makes me feel this way…” It’s pretty unique in a way.

Q: What goes into making your music a reality?
A: A lot of play time I think. Whether it be music, a video or a live show, we allow ourselves a lot of play time. With music, what we do is sit down, and we play with sound until we get something that feels magical, and once we get a kernel of something that’s magic, then we figure out a way to make emotional art out of that idea.

Q: And so, what do you bring to the stage for the audience to take with them?
A: Well, the shows are always pretty interactive. When we think about playing live we think about you know, “well what can we do in a room that holds about 1000 people. The most obvious is we play music and that’s pretty great. There’s a million other things you can do, like we think what can we do from a film experience or an interactive experience. We started opening up to other experiences. You all of a sudden have a circus of a show.

OK Go will be in Southern California May 1 at the San Diego House of Blues and May 2 at the Wiltern in Los Angeles. For more information about OK Go and their music, visit okgo.net.

Source:: OK Go Shares Insight on Music, Videos and Touring

By pcsanchez7505

On Friday, April 10, Wildling played in a basement at Claremont College to some fun and rowdy college kids. Before that though, I had the chance to talk with the band over some Wild Turkey Whiskey where band members revealed the inspiration behind their music and passions.

The show itself was as intimate as their interview, and one thing I have to note about this band is their sincere and honest desire to make music and entertain a crowd.

Singer Ryan Levine invites his audience to engage and live in the moment during a Wildling show.

Bassist Jason Levine feeds off of the energy of his older brother and band mates, while Casey Brothers (drums) and Andrew Ampaya (keyboards) carry themselves with a beautiful accuracy.

Their show at Claremont College was a unique experience with fans and friends. It’s that fact alone that makes Wildling stand out as a new band. Their fans don’t really feel like fans, but more so new friends. Aside from being talented musicians, the band makes a point to make their fans feel more than welcome.

Setlist
1. Love You Love
2. Anywhere We Are
3. We Go All4. Hummingbird
5. Doesn’t Really Matter
6. Opposite of Everything
7. Heart of Gold
8. Miracle Miles
Encore
9. Castles

Click to view slideshow.

Source:: An Intimate Interview and Evening with Wildling

By pcsanchez7505

Besides giving a charming and funny Q&A session with fans, local Los Angeles band Wildling was able to serenade a select group of fans who attended last night’s live performance at the Sonos Studio, located in the heart of La Brea Avenue.

Band members Ryan Levine (lead vocals), Justin Levine (bass), Andrew Ampaya (keys / vocals), Erik Janson (guitar / vocals) and Casey Brothers (drums) seemed very easy going last night on and off the stage.

Before their performance, band members talked with fans, answered questions in a Q&A session and joked around with attendees.

Once on stage, it was clear that Wildling had no problem entertaining an intimate crowd. The band has a very natural stage presence that ruminated through the small studio.

Their performance included a handful of original songs and one very heartfelt cover — Neil Yong fans would have been very pleased with Wildling’s cover of “Heart of Gold.”

Though they’ve yet to release a debut album, there was no shortage of music, and by the time they had sung their last song, the audience was begging for more.

The band itself was very personable, and each member brought his own unique dynamics to the stage. Band members weaved in and out of each others space with ease and often times would embrace one another while playing.

Lead vocals Ryan Levine was all too gracious, even joking about his gratitude for the night.

“I feel like I’m saying this after every song,” said Levine. “But fuck it, I mean it. Thank you guys so much for being here tonight.”

“Hummingbird” and “Like You Do” were the most familiar performances of the night, and during their last tune, Levine called out, much to the delight of the audience, the band’s friend and Young the Giant band member Eric Young to come on stage. Young grabbed a guitar and leaped right into Wildling’s performance without any hesitation.

The night ended with Wildling and Young roaming around the studio to once again engage fans and friends.

Wildling will be supporting Young the Giant on tour this fall, and Levine said the band hopes to release new music sometime before then.

You can find out more about Wildling by visiting their Facebook page or by visiting their website.

Sonos Studio is one of the leaders in bringing new music to the LA music scene for free. For more information on events put on by Sonos Studio, visit their website.

Click to view slideshow.

Source:: Wildling: New Band Captivates a lucky few

By pcsanchez7505

UK band Muse announced that they will release the first official single, “Dead Inside” today as the song premieres on radio stations across the globe.

“This is where the story of the album begins, where the protagonist loses hope and becomes ‘Dead Inside’, therefore vulnerable to the dark forces introduced in ‘Psycho’ and which ensue over the next few songs on the album, before eventually defecting, revolting and overcoming these dark forces later in the story,” said Matt Bellamy, the band’s lead singer.

“Dead Inside” is first track off of Muse’s forthcoming album, “Drones,” which will be released June 9.

This single follows the band’s release of “Psycho” via their Youtube channel on March 12 — “Psycho” was made available online the same day.

For more information about the band and their forthcoming album, you can visit their website here.

“Dead Inside” appears on their forthcoming studio album, Drones, which will be released June 9^th by Warner Bros. Records

Source:: New Single from Muse: “Dead Inside”

By pcsanchez7505

It’s been three years since The Tallest Man on Earth, aka Kristian Matsson, last released an album. Since then, fans have had to settle with playing his music on repeat.

In mid-February however, Matsson graciously relieved us of his silence with an announcement for the release date for his new album Dark Bird is Home.

Dark Bird is Home, available May 12, will be the 4th studio album for The Tallest Man on Earth, and as if Matsson weren’t gracious enough, he also released a trailer for the album, which follows him through a series of outdoor endeavors and includes a very reflective monologue.

In addition to that date, Matsson has given us a new single, “Sagres.” The song includes more instrumentals than one is used to hearing from The Tallest Man on Earth, but his distinct voice and beautiful lyrics are ever present.

Matsson has also released several tour dates in LA, including a stop at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.

I am extremely excited about a new album and have loved The Tallest Man on Earth for some time now. His music is soothing, self-reflective and reminiscent of Bob Dylan and other great Folk singers. His music is perfect for those wanderlust souls looking for a soothing relief.

You can find out more about tour dates and album release here.

Title tracks for Dark Bird is Home include:

1 Fields of Our Home
2 Darkness of the Dream
3 Singers
4 Slow Dance
5 Little Nowhere Towns
6 Sagres
7 Timothy
8 Beginners
9 Seventeen
10 Dark Bird Is Home

Source:: The Tallest Man on Earth Announces New Album

By pcsanchez7505

Last Wednesday Taking Back Sunday, a New York rock band from Long Island, performed at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium with Letlive and The Menzingers. All three bands did an excellent job of getting the crowd pumped, as shown by the audience’s cheers and abundance of crowd surfing.

Taking Back Sunday performed 21 songs to a very lively crowd. Fans sung along to popular tunes such as “Liar (It Takes One to Know One)”, “Cute Without the E” and “Make Damn Sure.”

Lead singer Adam Lazzara spent the night joking with fans and carousing around on stage.

“Don’t yell at me man,” said Lazzara. “Unless it’s positive.”

The whole band performed well and provided one very entertaining night.

The band is currently in the midst of their US tour which will end in April.

The Mezingers were first to perform that night and their 45 minute set was well received by early attendees.

Letlive, the second opening band killed their performance, with amazing energy from lead singer Jason Aalon Alexander Butler. Butler not only jumped on stage, but swung his microphone theatrically, dove on the floor and delivered passionate monologues about his life, band and battle with cancer.

The night ended with Taking Back Sunday playing a three song encore and joking with the audience.

“Don’t you hate it when a band steps off stage only to come back on again a minute later?” asked Lazzara.

In the end, all three bands put on an energetic performance that was matched by the audience’s enthusiasm.

Click to view slideshow.

Source:: Taking Back Sunday Rocks Riverside Municipal Auditorium