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!

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.”

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

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 #7: with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

18-Nov-2015 By Shannon Duvall

Researchers have discovered that most of your earliest memories are lost to the eroding forces of time by the time you turn 7. Since most adults don’t retain recollections from before the age of 3, that means that you’ve got four good glory years in childhood where only the best times come out of the memory dump unscathed by this childhood amnesia.

Not surprisingly, the memories you do still hold on to from this period are associated with events and experiences that so profoundly shaped who you would grow up to become that they’re literally unforgettable.

For those who’ve gone on to identify themselves with the unpredictable medium of music, the impressions that music first made on their gonzo little kiddie brains feel like they happened just yesterday. Artists from five of the bands playing the upcoming youbloom LA 2015 Music Festival share theirs with us for this Lucky Number Seven edition of HEADROOM. Do enjoy the trip down memory lane.

Alper (guitar, backing vox, Aigua): “My first experience with music was setting up drums made out of pots and pans to play along with songs on TV.”

Danielle (lead vox, Aigua): “My first experience with music was definitely in the womb, where I was introduced to The Grateful Dead and various other jam bands and genres of music. My earliest (actual) memory of performing was bouncing around my grandfather’s music room with my cousins, dancing and singing to the first NOW CD.”

A Turkish-Brazilian duo with a new twist on latin sounds firmly in their crosshairs, 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

Victoria Scott (lead vox, The Blue Dolphins): “When I was very little my Dad had an amazing collection of LPs called Rock Revival, an anthology of rock and roll with about 8 discs in the set. They included songs by Otis Redding, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Angels and The Rolling Stones…to name a few. It was heaven. My sister and I would dance around the living room to those songs. Of course, we wrecked my Dad’s LPs with our clumsy child hands picking up and putting down the needle of the record player with a bump. I really regret that now.”

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

Damessa (power vox, Crvscxnt Moon): “My first singing lesson wasn’t until I was 10 years old. I was fresh meat at a performing arts school (Osceola County School for the Arts). I enjoyed every moment of it. (It’s where) I learned the basics of music.”

Carolina Plaza (composer/vox, Carito Plaza): “My romance with music start when I was 17 years old and my classmates from my new school forced me to sing in the Voice Festival; my first time in front of a crowd. I was a very shy girl; so nervous I was shivering…but I won and I never left the stage after that.”

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,her music is danceable, infectious, and smooth. For fans of: Aaliyah, India.Arie, a one woman TLC

Jonas Gerigk (guitar/vox, DENMANTAU): “My parents took me to a music festival when I was 12 years old. I saw bands like The Prodigy, Iggy Pop, Staind and my favorite childhood German punk band Die Ärzte. I had listened to rock music before but this festival made me feel the rock’n’roll lifestyle! The smell of weed and beer everywhere; happy, drunk and dirty people all over; everyone dancing and enjoying themselves in a peaceful way. I was fascinated by the positive group vibe and the idea that we all came together for the sake of one thing: music! It made me realize that music causes a harmonic connection within all of us and it’s been my dream to play in festivals ever since.”

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

What about you? Is your first memory musical? Or did something stand out in later life that brought music into focus for you? Share with us in the comments below.

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.

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.”

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 #9 with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 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 #7: with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM #6: 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

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