WOKE UP THIS MORNIN’: youbloom | HEADROOM #1 with Featured Artists from the Dublin 2016 Music Festival

04-May-2016 By Shannon Duvall

We’re back, music friends! That’s right, the youbloomDublin 2016 Music Festival & Conference is fast approaching and that, rock and rollers, can only mean one thing: it’s HEADROOM time!

It’s the most fun, interesting, and probably bizarre place on the web to find out more about the future movers and shakers in the big bad world of the music industry.

As champions of DIY and independent music, we at youbloom like to take a little time to get to know all of the incredible artists who will be gracing our stages at our upcoming fest. So we got in touch with all the acts and asked them to spill their guts – figuratively, of course – and let us in on the private world – the motivations, inspirations and far-out tales – of today’s self-made music monsters.

So welcome back to HEADROOM. Today, our first batch of players answers the very tough question: If you woke up tomorrow as any other artist or musician, living or dead, who would you want to be and why?

Carito Plaza, singer/songwriter/one-woman discotheque: “Easy: Ella Fitzgerald. Apart from the fact that she had the most amazing voice I have ever heard, you can see in her videos and interviews how much fun she had with music; she never sang a song in the same way twice, and she was always laughing and enjoying herself, like me.”

Sultry latin grooves spread like hot butter over the funky disco-lite beats of Carito Plaza. A favourite from last year’s youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival, she’s sure to impress across the Atlantic in Dublin. Order an exotic cocktail and loosen up your hips for shaking. Carito’s coming to town! For fans of: Janet Jackson, J*DaVeY, NDambi

Darragh Mc Grane, lead vox & guitar, Penrose: “I would love to be Paul McCartney in the 60s, simply because he was in the best band in the world, he wrote some of the most beautiful pop-tastic songs that will be listened to hundreds of years from now, and he lived through a period any musician could ever dream about.”

Taking the best elements from legends of 60s AM radio, Penrose craft a jubilant sound laden with orchestral arrangements, jangling guitars, and well-considered lyrical melodies. Their style will impress fans of retro-inspired indie from the US and UK alike. For fans of: Oasis, Stereophonics, ELO

Toya, vox, performance, Toya Delazy: “Bob Marley! He lived in his music and was a critical thinker who marched to the beat of his own drum. He cared for the world, and did it for the benefit of people.”

Zulu royal (yes, you read that right), jazz pianist, producer and singer-songwriter Latoya Buthelezi spends her days crafting jazz-electro-hip-hop dancefloor fillers that have received critical acclaim in her native South Africa as well as abroad. It’s crisp, smart music with depth and groove. For fans of: Nicki Minaj, 2 Chainz, Young Money

Ruth McCartney, backing vox, Great White Lies: “It’s possibly a predictable answer but given my recent heartache over his death, if I could be any musician it would have to be Bowie! His amazing chameleon-like abilities, his artistic vision, the breadth and span of his musical career – it’s all just staggering. Also, imagine waking up and being that beautiful every morning.”

Great White Lies blend jazz, 60s soul, and singer-songwriter styles so seamlessly it’s hard to tell what genre you’re helplessly bobbing your head to. Addictively groovy, captivating and skillful tunes. A true surprise. For fans of: Natalie Merchant, Stevie Wonder, Minnie Riperton

What about you guys? If you woke up tomorrow as a famous artist, whose face would you want to see staring back at you from the bathroom mirror? Let us know in the comments below!

THE PLUNGE: youbloom | HEADROOM #13 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival

09-Dec-2015 By Shannon Duvall

Take the plunge: Learn that instrument. Take the plunge: Head for the city. Take the plunge: Form a band. Record your songs. Go on tour.

All first steps are leaps into a vast, deep unknown.

From the moment you hold out your hand to introduce yourself to someone new…to the first note you utter onstage at your first show…to the time you decide that there’s no turning back and take that turnoff in hot pursuit of the career of your dreams.

The last installment of HEADROOM LA 2015 is dedicated to those ballsy times; the ones where anxiety and uncertainty have you backed up against the edge of passing out or puking, but you steel yourself, clear your thoughts, and go hell-for-leather anyway.

Because deep down you know there’s no other way. Despite the mistakes, the screw ups, the impulsive decisions: you took the plunge, now you own it.

The coolest part about all this? You make friends.

A little psychological phenomenon known as The Pratfall Effect sees to this; simply put, people like you more when you’re willing to show you’re not perfect. And as you know, there’s no better place to show the world how not perfect you are than in your very first band.

So we asked four of the artists playing this weekend’s youbloomLA2015 Music Festival, in Pasadena, to let us in on the awkward details of the first bands they were ever in. We’ve even made a special playlist just for the occasion.

Take the plunge: press play, read on, and make some new friends.

Danielle (lead vox, Aigua), THE PLUNGE: “I tried to form a band in 8th grade, but it didn’t last very long. I can remember sitting in my living room, everyone barely knowing how to play their instrument, and me discussing that my best friend was going to manage us…it’s all pretty funny looking back. I forget what our name was but I think it had something to do with bow-ties.”

A Turkish-Brazilian duo with a new twist on latin sounds firmly in their cross hairs, Aigua deliver sweet, sparse melodies in their signature laid-back way. Expect a set that will refresh your ears after a long day of gig-hopping. Beautiful work. For fans of: Sufjan Stevens, Maia, Rodrigo y Gabriela

Julián (lead vox/guitar, RendeR), THE PLUNGE: “My first band was called Sick Town Bastards. I was 11 or 12. We played cover songs from Faith No More, Papa Roach, System of a Down, Pearl Jam and others. The first time we played was in a talent contest at school. We were the best band, even though we were the babies. The music teacher took me (under his wing) from then on. I’m very grateful, because that small band made me take big steps: playing with older schoolmates in Aghast, recording my first songs in the studio, playing music venues in Valparaiso (a Chilean port town; beautiful but dangerous) with fake IDs, using being in a band as a chick magnet technique, or getting into trouble.”

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. For fans of: Frequency 54, Underwhelmed, Staind

Carolina Plaza (composer/vox, Carito Plaza), THE PLUNGE: “My first band was call FunkReal. It was a Chilean G-Funk band, and actually, we were pretty good! I’m talking about the year 2000; we got some of our videos on MTV, and we played in big festivals such as Rock Al Parque (the biggest festival in Colombia). Good times, good memories.”

Jazzy and sensual R&B is given the latin treatment in the hands of the very talented Carolina (“carito” means little Carolina) Plaza. A capable collaborator, but strong enough to stand alone, the music is danceable, infectious, and smooth. For fans of: Aaliyah, India.Arie, a one woman TLC

Cooper, (bass & vox, Ultra Violent Rays), THE PLUNGE: “My first band was a punk three-piece called Bang Sugar Bang. We sucked when we started. I remember I was a ball of nerves before our first show because I really couldn’t play bass and I could barely sing. My bandmate was much more experienced than me. He could tell I was freaking out. He took me aside and said, “It doesn’t matter if you can’t play or sing. Rock ‘n’ roll is 99% attitude.” I got through that show on attitude alone. By the end of our seven years together we were a great band.”

Is this the noirest electro you can find? The Ultra Violent Rays aren’t exactly violent, but they do craft a masterful, cold sultry sound that promises something hot-blooded despite evoking 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

Artists featured will be performing this weekend THU-FRI-SAT 10.11.12 at the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival, in northeast Los Angeles. There are three different venues, fresh giveaways, a photo contest, and more. Check out the lineup and come on down tomorrow to meet your new friends.

MY FIRST TIME: youbloom | HEADROOM #12 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival

08-Dec-2015 By Shannon Duvall

The last installment of HEADROOM for the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival goes live tomorrow. The very next day, we clean the rust off our dancing shoes (and dance moves) and make tracks for northeast Los Angeles, where three of Pasadena’s finest bars will host over fifty of the choicest independent bands and solo artists in the world.

They’re coming from Chile. Ireland. Haiti. Hell, there’s even a Canuck in the mix, along with homegrown sounds from states far and wide.

Here at youbloomHQ, it’s regrettable to see the end of what has turned out to be a lively, illuminating outing on a kind of heavy metal hay wagon with bockety wheels and a passed out driver. HEADROOM is a unique space where artists who will be sharing stages also get to share stories about the one thing bringing you all together: sweet, sweet tacos.

Wait, what?

It’s not tacos??

Well, what on earth could possibly…can somebody get our source on the line?

I swear, one of these days…OH. Right. Riiight. It’s music. I knew that, think I was just hungry. Can somebody get a taco delivery on the line?

On the reals, though, it’s been dope. Much obliged to all the artists who participated in this digital confession box. (I mean, if you hadn’t, we’d have bugged your phones and gossiped about you anyway, but high five! You saved us an absolute fortune and raised eyebrows from the guy at the electronics store. So it’s win-win!)

This batch of performers have some pretty insightful things to say about the first time music made an impression on their tiny spongey minds – including one guy getting smothered in the name of soul (hint: it’s about boobies). Way to take one for the team, brother.

We’ll leave you to your reading, friends, and thank you once again for making HEADROOM LA ’15 the most fun yet.

Don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for the final goss, give us the thumb of approval on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or Soundcloud, and, of course, get on down to the fest. It starts Thursday. Don’t miss it or you’ll be eating your sweet sweet tacos alone. Take it from someone who knows.

Kevin Proctor (songwriter/keys/guitar, Direct Divide), MY FIRST TIME: “I grew up in a sports dominated family that loved football. Every Sunday, football would be on and when the afternoon games were over, my family would blast some classic rock and alt rock as we wound down the day. Although I didn’t begin playing an instrument until after high school, hard rock and alternative 90s rock were always a part of me.”

Razz: (songwriter/vox/violin, Direct Divide), MY FIRST TIME: “My parents sang to my brother and I every night from the time we were born until we were teenagers! My dad still laughs at the fact that “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” by the Beatles was one of my favorite songs.”

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; it’s 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

Julian Schonscheck (guitar/keys, DENMANTAU), MY FIRST TIME: “I remember (doing) a tennis exchange with families in France. My family and I lived with a French family for a week. In the evenings when we finished playing tennis a few of our hosts took out their acoustic guitars and played wonderful cover songs; I was very fascinated by it. It was the first time I experienced live music and it was like magic for me. I immediately knew that I wanted to play guitar too, but my hands were still way too small at just six years old or so. It took me around three more years to really start playing the guitar and I’ve never stopped.”

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

Anwar (guitar, Feli and the LemonShakers) MY FIRST TIME: “I remember going on fishing trips with my dad when I was about four or five years old. He would always be playing some Jimi Hendrix and old school R&B. It wasn’t until around 14 that I actually began playing guitar. After seeing one of my friends’ cousins play, I was hooked.”

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

Robert Blue Moon (poet/emcee/other vox, Crvscxnt Moon), MY FIRST TIME: “When I was young I heard The Fugees “Ready or Not”. (It) made a huge impression on me; by far it’s the song that drove me towards music the most. It had such a groove to it; I couldn’t help but try and learn the words so I could sing and rap along with it. A few years later two songs hit it out of the park for me: Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and Nas’ “I Can”. These two hip-hop artists showed the world that they were here to stay.”

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

BJ Smith (singer, composer, soul man), MY FIRST TIME: “When I was about four years old I went to a private school. I had a preschool teacher who used to play the piano and sing to us. She was a red-haired, well-built woman (I wasn’t aware of that kind of thing at the time, but I do recall every time she would hug me after I sang while she was seated at the piano, her large breasts darn near smothered me!) She used take me to convalescent hospitals, churches and other functions to sing. I remember (the) first big song she taught me: “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”. I remember how happy these elderly people were to be entertained by a cute little boy with a voice and a big smile.”

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

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.”

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 #9 with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

26-Nov-2015 By Shannon Duvall

Hit snooze twelve times. Check.

Drag self from bed. Check.

Shower. Coffee. Brush teeth (unless you’re one of those weirdos who does that in reverse). Check. Check. No, I am not one of those weirdos.

Dress self in some semblance of acceptable clothing. Take self out into world to accomplish goals. Does an “Eat the Rich” hoodie count? Look out world, here comes me!

Many of you have #goals. But how many of those goals are ride-or-die? When you’ve got a burning passion, those aims of yours become something more. They become your Before I Die.

Five of the youbloom Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival‘s heavy-hitters share what’s most important to them in this musical life.

Quinn Archer (singer/songwriter): “I am so excited to be playing the youbloom Festival, as I’ve been dying to get on the festival circuit.”

1| To play Coachella or SXSW would be a dream.

2| Go on tour with a band that I love.

3| If I could spend my life writing songs, performing them, and collaborating with other artists then I certainly wouldn’t be mad about it!

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

Huxley Rittman (singer/songwriter):

1| Induct an artist I love into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

2| Perform with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

3| Get my own star on Hollywood Boulevard. Somewhere between Cher and James Dean is fine for me. 😉

An act who brings fresh footfall to the well-hiked trails of acoustic storytelling; making it more about the listener than about himself, which is dignified and refreshing. Voice and guitar are respected for their rightful instrumental capacities, and Rittman delivers like a relaxed, neofolk Dylan, with an exceptional transportative timbre to his voice that’s instantly persuasive and warmly addictive. For fans of: Nick Drake, Hudson Taylor, Mark Kozelek

BEFORE I DIE — photo by Paige Lacombe Photography.

Kivi (vocals, cowbell, donut pusher, Kittenhead):

1| Tour Europe with Kittenhead. We love to tour! We love to play shows! We love Europe (and Europe plays Kittenhead on the radio)!

2| Play a show with Paramour, because VJJ (strings, sourpatch kids, random TLC references, occasional rapping/backing vocals) would be insanely excited and might just set world records for jumping.

3| Record an album with no time or financial constraints so we could actually spend time mixing and mastering our music and allow for all the creativity that happens in Kittenhead when we spend time together.

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

Aristor Oberson & Edouarin Enide (Ded Kra-Z & Princess Eud):

1| Collaborate with some of the biggest names in world music.

2| Get a record deal from a major label

3| Build a foundation to help unfortunate kids back home and around the world

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

Julian Shah-Tayler aka The Singularity:

1| I want to headline Glastonbury, Coachella, Austin City Limits and The Hollywood Bowl.

2| Meet David Bowie for a collaboration.

3| Change lives for the better. (Not too much to ask for.)

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 Kate Bush and the like, it’s no wonder, and frontman Julian Shah Taylor has the vision to see it through. 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, Electric Six

What’s on your list? Let us know in the comments!

WOKE UP THIS MORNIN’: youbloom | HEADROOM #1 with Featured Artists from the Dublin 2016 Music Festival

THE PLUNGE: youbloom | HEADROOM #13 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival

MY FIRST TIME: youbloom | HEADROOM #12 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival

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

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM #9 with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

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