MY FIRST TIME: youbloom | HEADROOM #11 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival

07-Dec-2015 By Shannon Duvall

“These are the songs…
these are my heart songs
they never feel wrong

and when I wake for goodness sake…
these are the songs I keep singing.”

– Heart Songs by Weezer

Milan Carl (drums, DENMANTAU), MY FIRST TIME: “I had my first experience with music when I was able to think. I listened to a lot of music with my parents and a guy who lived in the neighborhood. My older sister started with the piano and my little sister and I followed. I was six and couldn’t resist. Just one year earlier I had joined my sister’s piano teacher’s classical choir in a church. At 10 I got my first drum kit and lessons. After that I stopped playing piano and became obsessed with drums and rhythm. I loved drums but I was missing melody so I bought myself a saxophone at 23.”

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 tight, 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

Maddie (vocals, Polaris Rose), MY FIRST TIME: “(My) first memory of music is sitting in the backseat while my dad drove across Japan. He passionately introduced me to Meatloaf’s Bat out of Hell II. Soon (we) were singing the duets together. (Peter: “She still has bad taste in music to this day.”)”

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

Rob Nakai (guitar/kick drum/vox, Quietly Kept), MY FIRST TIME: “The first real time I remember music moving me and getting me excited was listening to Richie Valens and Chuck Berry. Rock ‘n’ roll! I was probably seven or eight and a cardboard tube was my guitar as I jumped around playing along to the soundtrack of 1950s youth movement. It was about six years before I felt that feeling again when I got into punk rock.”

Calah Mae (vox/tambourine, Quietly Kept), MY FIRST TIME: “I actually grew up on a small farm in Wisconsin listening to only country!! Crazy, I know, but I used to be in the barn, mucking stalls and I would just be singing my heart out. My dad used to take me to karaoke nights at bars so that I could sing; I guess maybe I always knew that music would find me…some way.”

It must be that independent New Mexican 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

Matthew Irwin (rhythm guitar/lead vox, Foreign Affairs NI), MY FIRST TIME: “I’ve always grown up with music. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment where I thought, ‘this is the most amazing thing’. My mum and dad always listened to music and I partook in that, too, but the big turning point was when I came home from a scuba diving lesson and Green Day American Idiot was there waiting for me. It changed my life; it’s the first album that made me want to be a musician. I got my first guitar that Christmas and it all went from there!”

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

The second annual youbloomLA Music Festival & Conference is happening this weekend in northeast Los Angeles THU-FRI-SAT 10.11.12. We’ve got over 50 independent acts and a host of top drawer industry insight. Shall we make it a date?

#youbloomLA2015

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM # 10 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA Music Festival

30-Nov-2015 By Shannon Duvall

“Before I die, I need to make sure I properly load the dishwasher, choose a stable career in something like insurance, and be in bed by 10pm every night.” SAID NO MUSICIAN EVER.

Goals like these, while perhaps completely acceptable for Arnold Accountant over there, lack a certain…je ne sais rah! for the discerning musician. I mean, sure, you’ve got aims. They’re just less…traditional. Writing hit songs and playing Wembley? Now you’re talking.

Whatever instrument you play – whatever your genre as an artist – you’ve invested a lot of time and energy already to get where you are. So the things that make your list are real-deal, life-is-short kinda things. Unless you’re writing the blues, there’s no time for regrets, and only one way to go, which is, of course, up.

Jim Priest (singer/songwriter):

1| Perform my musical adaptation of the Upanishads on a mellotron. (I haven’t read the Upanishads and I can’t play the mellotron, but this is about “before I die” so I think I still have time.

2| Make the bartender at The Viper Room cry with my music. Any bartender at the Viper Room. If I can wrench a tear from one of those heartless bastards, I’ll know I’m an artist of the highest calibre.

3| Busk on the streets of Hollywood. Oh wait, I’ve done that. Nothing says “musical integrity” like getting chased across Sunset Blvd. by a rent-a-cop. Before I die I’d like to busk somewhere less repressive – like Riyadh, maybe…

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, guilty by association. Jim Priest is not to be missed. For fans of: Tom Waits, Loudoun Wainwright III, Sage Francis

BJ Smith (singer, composer, soul man):

1| Motivate, encourage, and unite people across the world, on some level, through my music. You can be at a festival, a concert, a club, or just riding in your car, and whether you’re familiar with the material or not, masses of people will come together and unite, party, or groove to music. Music has been used throughout the history of mankind to bring us together. Whether it’s been to signal ancient tribes for war, a feast, or a celebration, music is a universal language second only to love! Our heart produces a musical beat as we live and breath; it’s within all of us.

2| I want people to reflect and give love a chance through our worldly camaraderie within music.

3| Hopefully I can become an “influencer” to future generations and gain acknowledgement and respect from my musical peers. Being able to inspire people to want to sing, make music, or at least respect and love each other a little more, can hopefully touch the mind, body, heart, and soul of others with my voice, my lyrics, and my message. To inspire something positive, or help someone get through a moment, or remember a unique moment creates infinite emotional connections. Any other rewards bestowed upon me and additional financial security are just extra blessings!

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

Victoria Scott (lead vox, The Blue Dolphins):

1| I want to play Glastonbury with The Blue Dolphins.

2| I also want to play some mega venues around the world, including Mexico City.

3| I’d like to be a part of a history or humanity-changing concert, like Live Aid in the 80’s. I would like to write a sweet and sensitive song that connects with a lot of people all around the world.

The once acoustic-driven sound of The Blue Dolphins has evolved, blending clear, pretty vocals with south-of-the-border, surfy sentiments, and something altogether harder to pigeonhole. Unabashedly succinct, feel-good tunes from a duo who, from the sounds of it, are just getting started seeing what they can do. For fans of: The Sleepovers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a sweeter, less fuzzy Mika Miko

Anthony Greene aka. Prada Gino (fresh rhymes):

1| I have always told myself that before I can even begin to look at success, I need at least three Grammys.

2| I need to have at least five platinum singles as well.

3| Major sponsorship from a leading company (like Nike, Adidas or Prada)

4| Perform at a major awards show and also host one as well!

5| Breakthrough artist of the year at least twice.

6| Be inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame!

Yes, I have lots of career goals, but they are all possible.

Sincere prose is woven through thoughtfully chosen samples and surprisingly sultry and classy beats. Belongs on a list of the top intellectual rappers in the game. Hometown Chicago oughtta be proud. For fans of: Kid Cudi, Illogic, Eyedea & Abilities

Matthew Irwin (rhythm guitar/lead vox, Foreign Affairs NI): My biggest musical goals are quite simple! I want to do this forever! I don’t care on how large of a scale! I want to wake up in the morning and the only thing I have to worry about is music. I won’t be happy until I’m at a place in my life where I can make enough to survive off (of) music alone!

That said, some nice things I’d like to happen:

1| I’d love to support an amazing band on a tour.

2| I’d like to play even more amazing festivals like SXSW and Reading and Leeds.

3| Finally, I’d like to record an album with a musical inspiration of mine, like Billie Joe Armstrong or Justin Pierre.
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

Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival, hitting Northeast Los Angeles this Dec 10.11.12. Click the link for full lineup and ticket info.

THE PLUNGE X DOUBLE TROUBLE: youbloom | HEADROOM #8 with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

23-Nov-2015 By Shannon Duvall

There are some good quotes out there about doing things by twos.

“Two heads are better than one.” “There are two sides to every story.” “Take two for a better chew.”

Whichever way you do your sums, there can be no doubt that everything really is better with a friend. Especially true of first experiences. So we asked two members each from two different bands featured in the fast-approaching youbloom Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival & Conference to share with us their, well, side of the coin when it comes to reminiscing about that mack daddy of first experiences: the first band.

And just for fun, we’ve also got two solo artists to share their stories about the time they took the plunge.

It all adds up to double trouble.

Paul Weber ( Lead vocal / Trumpet / Percussion, DENMANTAU): “My first band is still the same one we founded 12 years ago called DENMANTAU. We (got together in) high school and have stayed together ever since. After graduation we went to Australia and New Zealand to discover busking, which quickly became our means of living. That enabled us to travel the whole world as I always have dreamed of. After touring two times in California we decided to move to the US, and have lived in Los Angeles over a year now.”

Julian Schonscheck (guitar/keys, DENMANTAU): “The first band I was ever in is still the same that I play in today, over 12 years later: DENMANTAU. We have quite a (history) behind us already. We started as school band, traveled half the world, played countless shows and street performances, and made the step to move from Hamburg, Germany to Los Angeles together, living off nothing but love and music. I feel so blessed to be in a group of friends that is so talented, loving and understanding. We live our lives so close together that this is not just a band anymore, it is family.”

Robert Blue Moon(poet/emcee/other vox, Crvscxnt Moon): “The first band or collective I can say I was a part of was (called) Cream of the Block. It included me, my current band members Menlo and Kwazar, and a producer of ours named Chris Felix (of Cloudy River Music). We were young, talented and naïve we knew nothing close to what we know now, but we tried our hardest to make a movement via Myspace. Now that I look back on it, those were fun and easy times, but I am so happy that we have grown since then.”

Menlo Black(vox/raps/guitar/piano, Crvscxnt Moon): “My first music group formed in the halls of my middle school. P$C was created by a gang of T.I.-influenced southern kids. Although our run only lasted until winter break, we filled our lunch room with breakbeats built with table tops and Bic pens.”

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

Felice LaZae, singer/songwriter: “I’m a solo artist, but I always perform with a band so I guess my answer to this would be when I first started performing with my own full band live at a public venue (excluding school performances in high school and college). The first time I performed with my own full band was a few years ago at El Cid in Los Angeles. It was my first big show in LA. I remember I had been sick the week before and had to go on vocal rest so I couldn’t sing during our rehearsal. I mouthed all of the words while the band played without me. It was the oddest rehearsal, but by the night of the show, I was ready to go and it went great. I loved it so much and I’ve been gigging ever since.”

Joining the ranks of powerhouse women in the music industry – 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

Shira Yevin (frontwoman, Shiragirl): “My first band was my own; it was just me and a DJ (back in the day before I had my whole punk rock band), (and) yeah, we were pretty bad. (The DJ) had never sung before, and I needed backup vocals, so I kind of just threw her out there on stage with me. It didn’t help that a lot of the first songs were pretty bad too. But hey, we were inspired, and we had the passion!”

Not one to mess with, Shiragirl’s been doing her own electropunk thing and making no apologies whatsoever 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

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

youbloom | HEADROOM #1: Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

22-Oct-2015 By Shannon Duvall

Welcome back to the HEADROOM! The only place on the web where music freaks such as yourselves can get acquainted with unsigned bands before they hit the stages of the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival.

Here at HEADROOM, we take pride in our poking and prodding abilities. We’re bona. fide. gossip merchants, born at your great auntie Joan’s kitchen phone and raised by one too many Q&A pages in rock’n’roll magazines.

We like the dirt. The skinny. The real weird stuff.

And we make one heck of a great cup of tea.

It’s no secret that rock bands – and musicians of all genres, really – have no shortage of strange and positively indecent stories to tell. I mean, the people, the places, the…the… hairstyles!

It’s…scandalous altogether.

So pull up a chair, really, honey, it’s no trouble. And just wait til you hear this…

We asked artists to tell us about the first experiences they had with music (hey, we all have to start somewhere). Here’s what a few of them had to say:

“My first experience with playing music was in the after school band program at my elementary school in Tacoma, WA. I played the flute. I remember the magic feeling of learning my first song and playing it with the other band musicians. I’m sure we sounded terrible; all us seven year olds blowing away on our horns. But to me it sounded like the best noise in the world.” – Cooper, (bass & vox, The Ultra Violent Rays)

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

“My first experience was the result of a worn out bearing in our washing machine when I was a kid. Every time it went into the spin cycle it produced ethereal poly-rhythms I only recognized years later when I heard Fela Kuti and Ginger Baker. Eventually the damn thing just broke, but by that time I had discovered Slayer.” – Jim Priest, (singer/songwriter/storyteller)

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

“When I was younger, I had older cousins who listened to super heavy music, and it was crazy to me! Up to that point I’d only heard music that was on the radio. I probably didn’t exactly “get it” because I was too young, but I think even on a subconscious level I had a switch go off that there was a whole world of different music out there that wasn’t mainstream. That’s probably when music “discovery” started for me. I actually went in search of different music that excited me instead of just listening to whatever was available or on the radio and MTV.” – Eric Rickey (vox & songwriter, Rabid Young)

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 were never part of. Impressive stuff when a band can do that. For fans of: Imagine Dragons (kind of), Grouplove, eighties guy/gal duos

“I was introduced to music when I was a freshman in high school. I moved into a lower income complex where I (made) friend from Little Rock, Arkansas, who was very passionate about poetry and music. I had a karaoke machine in my bedroom that we would put cassette tapes into and record ourselves singing. Eventually this grew into songwriting for us and we recorded a track called “The Anthem”. I continued to pursue music throughout high school until it became my main career goal.” – Anthony Greene (sick rhymes, Prada Gino)

“My first conscious experience with music was at three; my dad used to drive a lot to every place me and my little brother needed to be, and when we went to the playground or preschool he’d play some cassettes from Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Queen or The Beatles (I cared more for Transformers at the time). We were exposed to lots of music, and sometimes went “off the road”. At age 10, someone gave us a Spice Girls tape, and as soon as we pressed play, my dad turned off the radio and gave me my own first tape, Kiss, Alive 4. From then on it’s been nothing but rock and roll.” – Julián (lead vox & guitar, RendeR)

All the way from Chile, with commercial sensibility coming out of their eyeballs, RendeR are polished, tight, and they know their genre like nobody’s business. Headbangers welcome. *Heads up! It’s in Spanish. For fans of: Frequency 54, Underwhelmed, Staind

*Please note: at this time, individual showtimes and venues have not all been confirmed. We’ll update this blog as soon as they are!

MY FIRST TIME: youbloom | HEADROOM #11 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM # 10 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA Music Festival

THE PLUNGE X DOUBLE TROUBLE: youbloom | HEADROOM #8 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

youbloom | HEADROOM #1: Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

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