BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM #6: with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

16-Nov-2015 By Shannon Duvall

So you’ve gotten this unweildy aircraft of a music career off the ground, and you’re – stably enough – coasting on the thermal currents. You’ve dealt with turbulence, and maybe even a storm or two. Respect.

It take serious cojones to launch yourself into the puzzling, seductive atmosphere of rock ‘n’ roll. But the point is you’re here. Each time you step on stage, upload a new track, or even just show up to practice…you’re flying, man.

But have you ever stopped to ask yourself where to? Who’s in the cockpit of this thing, anyway? You went to all this trouble to get aloft, so pencil your destination into the logbook there and set your course.

Cooper (bass & vox, Ultra Violent Rays): Before I die I need to:

1| Tour Europe.

2| Record with Brian Eno and Chris Coady.

3| Hang out with David Bowie.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall: who’s the noirest of them all? The Ultra Violent Rays aren’t exactly violent, but they do craft a masterful, cold sultry sound that promises something hot-blooded despite being surrounded by a kind of endless chill. Lovingly produced, carefully communicated electro-class for the space rogue in all of us. For fans of: Joy Division, Gary Numan, Patti Smith

Kevin Proctor (songwriter/keys/guitar, Direct Divide):

1| Play a HUGE European music festival with my own music.

2| Learn as many different instruments as I can. It really is the best way to appreciate the people around you.

3| Release an EP or album every year of my own music for 20+ years.

Razz: (songwriter/vox/violin, Direct Divide): “I only have one musical goal: to make people recognize that electric violins belong in rock music.”

It’s a curious thing, the electric violin. At once impossible to ignore and signature (what would The Who’s “Baba O’Reilly” be without it?), it’s a rarity in rock and pop music; its full range of sounds as yet uncharted in the more well-known genres. Putting it front and center are what Direct Divide do, which is both brave and intriguing, their unique sound complemented by tight rhythms, searing vocals, and intelligently placed guitar melodies. For fans of: Lourds, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Andrew Bird’s darker stuff

Stefan Pomplun (bass, DENMANTAU):

1| I definitely want to explore more musical genres with and without the band. A different formation like a big band or a solo project are things I want to be part of one day. I would love to be able to play genres like jazz, electro, or even classical music!

2| I would love to be part of forming a festival. It’s a thing friends of ours have talked about for years and it would be great if our musical contacts could make it possible to form our very own festival!

3| My band set the goal to be the first band on the moon. (The Cardigans don’t seem ambitious enough to pull through on that one, so we’re taking over!)

They arrived in Los Angeles on a mission: to be the biggest band in the world. German born and bred, they’ve honed their chops and are stopping at nothing to share their tightly-woven, bohemian, insanely danceable music with every pair of ears from here to the moon. Set to be a highlight show at youbloom LA, you really need to see these guys. For fans of: the good Pearl Jam stuff, Jack Penate, Paolo Nutini

Robert Blue Moon(poet/emcee/other vox, Crvscxnt Moon): This is a tough question, but I think from now on until I carry out these goals they will always be at the top of my list.

1| Some of my biggest musical goals would have to start off with becoming a master in all things music; I will not leave this world happy if I am unable to master the piano, guitar, saxophone, as well as producing, singing, writing – the whole nine yards. I want to reach such a high level of skill that I will be remembered when it is all said and done as the one who did it all. I feel that if I set the bar pretty high with my first one, I will do my best to follow up.

2| A close second would be to use my musical platform to attack the “norms” of this world. We have been lead to believe it is okay for so many things that frankly shouldn’t be at all, such as a mother (living) on the street with her children; families where the father or mother have to starve themselves so their children are able to eat…I want to use my musical platform to fix things to show people the dark side of the world and be the person who begins a movement for real change. So much music out there these days may uplift people, but if the artists themselves do not get in on the ground floor with the people who they are uplifting, then how can we as musicians expect to make true change?

3| This leads me into my next goal: music is about feelings and I want the people who listen to my music to feel as if they belong somewhere. We all want to feel loved and know that we matter, but above all, I believe people primarily want someone who understands them. If I can do that, well, by the end of my career I will be the happiest man alive.

Whip smart and acerbic, yet feel-good and uplifting, this is a group with cunning musical abilities and a tangible desire to venture beyond the well-tread environs of intellectual hip-hop. Crvscxnt Moon blend soul and gospel into a refreshing helping of music with something to discuss. For fans of: J. Cole, Blackalicious, Mr. Lif

THE PLUNGE: youbloom | HEADROOM #5: with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

12-Nov-2015 By Shannon Duvall

“The journey of a thousand epic guitar solos begins with a single lick.” So said someone, somewhere…probably.

Hijacked chinese proverb aside, there’s truth in this little sentiment. We all have to start somewhere. The little kid who bops along to his parents’ records would never turn into one of the future shredders or wailers of the world without that one terrifying, yet essential, first step.

Here at HEADROOM, we call it The Plunge.

Without it, bringing you the best in unsigned music from all over the world would be impossible. So we had five artists from the fast-approaching youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival tell us about their very first band. Because once you take The Plunge, there’s no turning back.

Quinn Archer (singer/songwriter): “There was a time when I had a very serious obsession with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and it was during one of my renditions of “Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch Me” at school that a girl told me that she thought I had a good voice and asked if I would join her band. It was all girls. I don’t think we were too bad for a bunch of 13-year-olds (but I could be very wrong). The first song I ever sang with them for an audience was “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles. I remember that the first moment singing in front of a room full of people was like nothing else.”

A singer with undeniable vocal power, seeming to combine elements of Adele with the dark tonality of Lana del Rey, and power production song composition; these are really well-written songs that have an air of introspection and a knack for communicating dark moods without being morbid or cheesy. As an artist, she’s already done loads, and it’s this undistracted reach to be better and better that will see her to the top. For fans of: Paloma Faith, Adele, Florence and the Machine

Jim Priest (singer, storyteller, man on a mission): “The Henchmen. We served a heady brew of spoken word and hair metal, concocted in various junk-strewn garages across suburban southern California. Perhaps the greatest band the world will never know.”

Hypnotic acoustic guitar meets wrong side of the tracks storytelling, leading us down a dark alley of spoken-word intrigue; it’s tangible, like a newspaper headline – we wonder where it all went wrong. Jagged harmonicas tear in, reminding us that we’re only listeners, but we’re involved, affected all the same. Jim Priest is not to be missed. For fans of: Tom Waits, Loudoun Wainwright III, Sage Francis

Eric Rickey (vox/songwriter, Rabid Young): “I was in high school, probably 16 or 17. My grandmother bought me a Fender Squire electric guitar and little practice amp. I learned some open chords, then I discovered power chords and started learning every Nirvana song (a rite of passage for every young guitar player). My first band happened not long after that. I don’t even remember what we called ourselves, but it was pretty terrible, and probably sounded like a shabby Nirvana, since that’s all we knew how to play. We played a few gigs in our hometown for our friends, and once we even played a gig in a parking lot, using one of my grandpa’s hay trailers for a stage. I think the singer’s dad went out and bought us a PA to use for that; we had no idea what we were doing. I can’t imagine how it sounded. The crowning moment of that gig was our drummer putting on a bear mask and walking around the crowd playing a marching snare during one of the songs. It was bizarre, but I’m sure we thought it was hilarious, or cool – it was probably neither, LOL.”

Dreamy and wistful yet energetic and soulful electro-indie made in Vegas, baby. Expect to be filled with a nostalgia for a time and place you weren’t even part of. Impressive stuff when a band can do that. For fans of: Imagine Dragons (kind of), Grouplove, eighties guy/gal duos

Rob Nakai (guitar/kick drum/vox, Quietly Kept): “My first band was a trio of middle schoolers jamming out to pop-punk. I don’t even remember the name (if we had one), but the line-up changed each time before any of the three shows we played. It was all terrible. I don’t really count it as my first band.”

It must be that independent New Mexico streak running through the music like an unidentifiable fascination that keeps you hooked. Managing somehow to blend punk stylings with introspective acoustic americana and the clear, sweet vocals of pop, the duo behind Quietly Kept aren’t about to be put into a box and labeled; instead, they’re turning heads and winning fans everywhere they go. We can’t wait to have them in LA. For fans of: Blackbird Raum, Brook Pridemore, Lynched

Carlos (drums, Feli & the LemonShakers): “Oh boy! That was far from being good. It was a high school band and we played some cheesy Spanish covers. (We had) vocals, guitar and me on the drums. We never thought a bass was necessary because we thought you could barely hear the bass in any band…haha. How wise we were! So the sound was funny but the singer was cute, and that was what mattered in a high school band!”

They sound like sunshine and cocktails, and have no shortage of musical chops, with caressing vocals, dreamy pop guitar melodies, and infectious, hip shaking rhythms. Even the empty spaces have style. One to watch. For fans of: Goodbye Chanel, Bombay Bicycle Club, Blondie

MY FIRST TIME: youbloom | HEADROOM #4: with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

06-Nov-2015 By Shannon Duvall

It’s all about your first time.

No, not that time, jeez, what kind of freak show do you think we’re running here?

Over the past year our humble blog has been privy to what can only be truly described as the most fascinating backstories when it comes to what makes you independent artists we’re so proud to showcase do what you, well, do. We all know something had to kick start your little rock’n’roll hearts – usually at a very young age – and the stories we’ve been hearing run the gamut from a wonky household appliance providing a chore-time rhythm to the first time you ever saw a live show (because, obviously, some of you have exceptionally cool parents).

The best part about first times? You remember every detail.

Shira Yevin (one woman hurricane, Shiragirl): “My first ever concert when I was a little girl was Debbie Gibson. She came up from the ground on a grand piano singing and dancing to Electric Youth, and the whole arena stood up and went wild. Right then I thought, THAT! I want to do THAT! I wanted to have that power to affect people and bring them happiness and excitement.”

Not one to mess with, Shiragirl’s been doing her own electropunk thing and making no apologies whatsoever about it for over a decade. Striking out on her own from an all-girl band to make music at once gritty and groovy, she’s all of the party and none of the prissy. Bring your best dance partner and get ready to rock. For fans of: Candy Hearts, a less trite Ke$ha, Natalia Kills

Brian Kirk (drums, Round 12): “Everyone in my family plays an instrument and/or sings. I have been around music since I was born.”

A truly eclectic band if ever there was one. Vocals are raw and obstinate. Instrumental phrases seem cobbled together by a deranged Gepetto who was listening to Motorhead at the time. You can bang your head one minute, sway drunkenly the next. It’s capable, engaging, and likeable, as if it can’t be restrained by just one choice. For fans of: Frank Zappa, Stiff Little Fingers, Van Der Graaf Generator (we know)

Aristor Oberson aka. Ded Kra-Z (MC, Ded Kra-Z & Princess Eud): “17 years ago a friend of mine invited me to be part of a band in my neighborhood, Fontamara, in Carrefour (a small town south of Port-au-Prince). That is how I got into music.”

Edouarin Enide aka Princess Eud (MC, Ded Kra-Z & Princess Eud): “It was in my neighborhood, Jalouzi, in Petion-Ville that I started in a group. Since then my musical career has launched.”

While the music scene in Haiti is primarily dominated by mellow steel drum rhythms and the shameless use of autotune, Ded Kra-Z & Princess Eud are busy making funky beats and writing edgy, socio-political lyrics with the sting of some of hip hop’s finest. Musically nodding to their roots and cultural influences, while refusing to bow to stereotype, they represent a new wave of awareness from the small island. For fans of: William Onyeabor, M.I.A, Afrika Bambaataa

Kivi (vocals, cowbell, donut pusher, Kittenhead): “I am told by my grandparents and parents that I sang before I spoke, and that when others sang off-key I would cover my ears and sing the right notes, so, yeah, I am that person. Everyone in Kittenhead had music in their lives from an early age. I know that DD’s (strings, lightsaber, backing vox) mom loved Elvis and VJJ’s (strings, sourpatch kids, random TLC references, occasional rapping/backing vox) mom made them clean the house to Janet Jackson. Owen (percussion, long walks on the beach, beer drinker) was sneaking into punk shows underaged at, like, 13.”

Combining growling vocals and that unmistakeable horror/surf rock hybrid which distinguishes some of the most fun bands in punk, Kittenhead are in no way confused about who they are. Their shows have been described as high energy and exciting. You won’t see another band like them at youbloomLA, so don’t miss it! For fans of: The Runaways, The Misfits, The Independents

Julian Shah-Tayler aka “The Singularity”: “My grandmother and my mother were both huge music fans – my grandma a music teacher, and my mother an opera singer. They used to sing to me all the time. I remember the radio being on in the house and really hearing “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush when I was about four. It affected me massively. When I heard it again later in life for the second time, this wave of nostalgia pulled me back to our little apartment on the top of a high-rise block of flats in South Wales; I nearly broke down and cried.”

The perfectionist talents of The Singularity allow listeners a voluptuous electro experience that almost quite literally gets right under the skin. With influences as lusty and powerful as the above mentioned, it’s no wonder, and with the vision to see it through to the creation of a wholly new beast, there’s nothing else quite like it. It’s smart, relentless, and endlessly catchy. And you need to see it for yourself. For fans of: deep space, David Bowie, nights as a teenager, molly

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM #3 with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

04-Nov-2015 By Shannon Duvall

People make a big deal of bucket lists these days.

The Top 100 Desserts You Have To Eat In Your Lifetime…You Haven’t Lived Until You’ve Knitted These 8000 Items…Don’t Leave This Mortal Coil Before You Do These 72 Things With Snails.

Really. It can all get a bit…distracting.

Except when it comes to the things you’re truly passionate about. Then it feels like there aren’t possibly enough ways – in our mockingly short allowance of years from the cradle to the grave – to express your passion adequately and leave behind a record of a life lived well, a hell of a ride, and a worthy pursuit for those who will follow.

So we make little mental notes and lists of things we want to do with our arts, our sports, our quests…to remind ourselves there’s still A LOT to see and do. And then we compare notes, to see how our aspirations stack up.

We asked five artists who will be playing the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival to tell us what they won’t be happy until they’ve accomplished from the only standpoint that matters: music.

Felice LaZae

1| Write a song with Fiona Apple.

2| Tour abroad.

3| Perform at The Grammys.

Joining the ranks of powerhouse music industry women – the kind who know exactly what weapons they wield in the form of vocal might, presence, and prowess – comes Felice LaZae, a blaze of a thing; confident, sharp as nails, and already racing her way to the top. Which is right where she belongs. For fans of: The Black Keys, Betty Davis, Imelda May, Tarantino movies

Menlo Black (vox/raps/guitar/piano, Crvscxnt Moon)

1| I want to travel the world and see the way people of different cultures and backgrounds respond to my music. I want to experience new cultures and I would be honored to have any of my songs included in another world culture, even if only for a short time.

2| Another music goal would be to earn the respect of producers and technicians who practice at the professional level. I want to create a sound (both in the studio and live) so sonically unique that I inspire a plugin that becomes a standard on every DAW and is taught to new technicians for years to come.

3| Finally, I want to share my faith and personal passions through my music in a way that is both relatable and true to myself. I want to say at the end of my career that I did it my way and didn’t compromise my values for money or fame. I want to keep and maintain my integrity as an artist and as a man.

Carlos (drums, Feli and the Lemonshakers)

1| To play in the main European and American summer festivals with my indie tropical band Feli and the Lemonshakers. Playing at youbloomLA 2015 shows that I’m on the right track!

2| Be a studio drummer in LA and in Madrid (Spain).

3| For Feli and the Lemonshakers (to become a) very well-known band worldwide!

They sound like sunshine and cocktails, and have no shortage of musical chops, with caressing vocals, dreamy pop guitar melodies, and infectious, hip shaking rhythms. Even the empty spaces have style. One to watch. For fans of: Goodbye Chanel, Bombay Bicycle Club, Blondie

Calah Mae (vox/tambourine, Quietly Kept)

1| One of my biggest goals would be to write a song that really gets to people; something that resonates with them. Last time we were in Santa Monica, we played “Failure Overture” at a little coffee shop, and this guy came up to us and told us that the song was exactly what he needed to hear in that moment, that it really touched him. That meant the world to me.

2| Another goal would be to play to a really huge crowd just to touch a lot of ears. A lot! Like… a thousand people. That would be so cool.

3| (My) last goal would probably be to collaborate/tour/play with a group or artist that I really love and respect. It would be so awesome to be on stage with the girls from First Aid Kit or Waxahatchee. They’re my current faves.

It must be that independent New Mexico streak running through the music like an unidentifiable fascination that keeps you hooked. Managing somehow to blend punk stylings with introspective acoustic americana and the clear, sweet vocals of pop, the duo behind Quietly Kept aren’t about to be put into a box and labeled; instead, they’re turning heads and winning fans everywhere they go. We can’t wait to have them in LA. For fans of: Blackbird Raum, Brook Pridemore, Lynched

Maddie & Peter (Polaris Rose) Our initial response was to talk about touring overseas, and although going triple platinum, selling out Wembly (Stadium), and rubbing elbows with the greats sounds AMAZING, the more we thought about it, we just have one real goal: to inspire and empower others like our favorite artists did for us. Because at the end of the day, sometimes all we have left is the music we love.

Instantly friendly and infectious, with precise vocal harmonies, and an uncanny understanding of what makes a hook do its best work. (Seriously, how did you write those??) At times epic, other times unexpected, the group have alt-pop sensibility coming out of their ears, and they gel so well it’s hard to imagine they’ve only been on the scene two years. For fans of: 90’s stuff, Elvis Costello, The Black Keys

youbloom | HEADROOM #2: Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

28-Oct-2015 By Shannon Duvall

There’s nothing quite as devilish as a little dish, is there?

You know it’s true, otherwise, you wouldn’t be here at HEADROOM, the official source of all dirt dug on the artists who’ll be tearing up the stages of this December’s youbloom LA 2015 Music Festival . We’ve got over 50 bands lined up already for this winter’s hottest fest, and with that much rock ‘n’ roll in one place, there’s bound to be something juicy to unearth.

In my other job, as youbloom‘s very own private eye, I’ve learned a thing or two about a thing or two, and before I burst at the seams, I invite you to sit down, take a load off, and bask in a little of the gossy stuff – all horse’s mouth, scout’s honor.

You know how first bands can make or break you, musically speaking? Somehow, these all led to make.

Kevin Proctor (songwriter/keys/guitar, Direct Divide): My first band was a group of fellow football players and bored teenagers who played Ted Nugent, Metallica and Slayer covers. We were called War Dance and definitely should have had one of those logos that just looks like a leafless tree. SO METAL! My second band sounded a lot like Hootie and the Blowfish.

Razz: (songwriter/vox/violin): My first band was an all-girl pop punk quartet called the BlowUpDollz. Think 90’s pop punk meets 80’s hair metal and you’ve got the gist. I LOVED that band; we were underage, unapologetic troublemakers sneaking into dive bars to play gigs. We are all still very good friends even though the band isn’t together anymore. We just had a reunion show this year that was hilarious. I definitely learned a lot about stage presence and antics from that group.

BJ Smith: When I was 17, I met up with another male vocalist and two female vocalists through a friend of my parents who managed bands. We used to toy around singing songs a capella, and quickly formed a vocal group called Black Suede. Our manager said we needed a band and knew of one looking for a vocalist. We went to Santa Ana, California to meet up with this band (they called themselves Oasis, but not the Oasis you’re thinking of). We walked into the rehearsal – they sounded great! They were funky!! They had a conga player, a dude with timbales, synths, a sax player, and a drummer with electronic triggers. They were groovin’ all the funk and R&B jams you heard on black radio stations. I was in awe, like, damn this is the S#+t! Then out of nowhere, their manager and bass player started arguing. They knuckled up and started straight out brawling! We stood there in amazement; we’d rehearsed on our way there, but still had not sung a note! When the fight was over, the bass player grabbed his gear and left, and so did half the band. It was all over before it even started. A few weeks later we came back, they had a few new members and we did our first gig together in LA. We didn’t have a sound man, our mics were feeding back…we thought we sounded great until we were done, and the DJ started spinning the songs we’d just played as a way to mock us! That was last gig Oasis featuring Black Suede ever did; nevertheless, I got the bug, and the rest was history!

Cool, clever, and impassioned, the masterly BJ Smith has the kind of industry chops you hear whispered about across the bartop when he walks into the room. He produces. He sings and plays. He writes songs. He tours with top brass; picks his own band members; slides an R&B song your way like passing a love note. He’s impeccable. Don’t miss him. For fans of: Luther Vandross, Freddie Jackson, your own heartbeat

Brian Kirk (drums, Round 12): The first band I was in was with my two cousins who lived 35 and 120 miles away. We would practice once a month (if we were lucky). We were a “christian punk” band and we were booed off stage at our first performance.

Matthew Irwin (rhythm guitar/lead vox, Foreign Affairs NI): The first band I was in didn’t have a name. When I was 15 I was desperate to create my own music and play punk rock songs in any way I could! So I got into contact with a few friends on social media and we jammed and unsuccessfully played one show! We didn’t have a drummer so we borrowed another bands’ and he arrived late and too drunk to hold a beat! I was also a massive cringe – it was all very embarrassing. However, it did make me feel cool at the time so it wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

An ardent, sincere take on a well-loved genre. Sounds are clean and tight. There’s energy and storytelling in spades. Foreign Affairs NI show up with their hearts on their sleeves, ready to sleep on your kitchen floor if you’ll let them play a gig. This is how the best pop punk should be. For fans of: The Ataris, You Know The Drill, The Get Up Kids

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM #6: with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

THE PLUNGE: youbloom | HEADROOM #5: with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

MY FIRST TIME: youbloom | HEADROOM #4: with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM #3 with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

youbloom | HEADROOM #2: Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

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