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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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

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

Main Pages

Get Involved

Contact

Legal