Jessica Meuse Talks about Life after American Idol: Artist Spotlight

15-Feb-2018 By Robert Loustaunau

Photo Courtesy of the artist — Photo Credit: Jessica Meuse

It can be difficult to build up clout as an independent artist, but it sure does help when you’ve got your own hashtag and a squad of fans dropping it on the daily. Ever since Jessica Meuse made it to the Top4 Spot on American Idol’s 13th season, her faithful fan base, #MuseMafia, have been tirelessly repping for the country-singer. If you’re like me, that’s probably where you first heard this soulful singer with that infectious southern twang.

I’ll either be a broke musician or a successful one.

I just want to make my music.

Since her time on Idol, Miss Meuse has signed with Warrior Records, released a music video for “Love Her Better,” and taken up a tour across the country. Despite her hectic performance schedule, the Idol finalist spared some time to talk with youbloom about her roots as a country singer and what new stuff she has been cooking up.

Jessica Meuse on Touring

Talking Points: Living on the road, Playing the Maltese Islands, and getting pampered on American Idol.

On her Roots

Talking Points: Stage-side meltdowns…they happen, and Bringing your real self into your music despite the haters.

The Writing Process

Talking Points: Finding inspiration for music in daily life

Jessica Meuse – “Love Her Better” Official Music Video Recorded on The Maltese.

Best Show Ever Played & Youbloom

Talking Points: Playing the Viper Room in LA, Shout out to the Muse Mafia, youbloom, and the Unfortunate lack of Irish pubs in Texas.

Going Forward and Giving Advice

Talking Points: 2018 Album release, Recording at Capitol Records, and what a Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks’ baby would sound like (Spoiler, it’s Jess).

You can keep track of what Jessica Meuse is up to by following her on twitter @JessMeuse, instagram, or her official website. There’s a possibility she will be back playing with youbloomDublin or youbloomLA Music Festival & Summit and same for you. For any bands or artists interested in expanding their musical family, meeting and learning from industry leaders, and playing some of the hottest venues in Dublin, make sure to Apply to Play for youbloomDublin. Hurry, the application deadline is February 19th, 2018! And keep an eye out for Jessica’s debut album that is to be released in 2018 or join the #MuseMafia. You know you want to.

Robert Loustaunau is a content writer for youbloom and is a member of the social media team there. He is an avid music maker and listener. He enjoys the simple things in life: coffee, a good book, and quality time with his lovely girlfriend.

Dreaming of Jupiter : Up Close Interview

10-Feb-2018 By Alex Lau

Photo Courtesy: Dreaming of Jupiter

Interview with Dreaming of Jupiter

Dreaming of Jupiter may seem very relaxed, but they have had an incredible year with a hectic touring schedule. Dreaming of Jupiter played several times in Dublin and London, and are branching out as far as Madrid. They have also released their debut single “Let me down” earlier this week from their upcoming EP. If that wasn’t enough, they have much more on the way for their fans to be looking forward to. Dreaming of Jupiter have share some of their secrets and experiences of their success, and also reveal what they have in store for 2018.

How did you come up with the name of the band?

Zoe: It came pretty naturally, like Dave and I would be pretty nerdy about space. We are interested in space, space exploration, space movies and all that stuff. We initially conceived the name of the project even before we just before we met Sam, or maybe just after, even before the band was properly formed.

“It’s a really nice thing to go into a trance and watch a really cool space movie”

The reason for the name of the band, when we were gigging alot at that time. With different bands, getting home really late sometime, we used to throw on space documentaries to kinda chill out. When we get home, trying to kinda wind down from a really busy night. It’s a really nice thing to go into a trance and watch a really cool space movie. We particularly felt intrigued by Jupiter for whatever reason. I think that movie Europa report, it’s a very interesting movie, where a group of astronauts tried to go to one of Jupiter’s moons called Europa. On a quest to try to find life, because they believe there’s water on this moon, and if there’s water, there could be life. The whole human race is kinda dreaming of Jupiter, somewhere we can go, we don’t have to stay here. That’s kinda where the conversation all started, seems kinda abstract conversation to have, we used to talk about that alot.

In Barcelona, how was the local reaction to hearing some Spanish in your songs, were they surprised? do you think it make it easier for them to sing along?

Dave: The Spanish lyrics comes from Zoe, who is a fluent speaker after living there for quite a few years. From the initial conception of the project, we always knew we want to target a Spanish market as well, obviously that would be a very cool thing to include south America and parts of Europe as well. I think the Spanish lyrics is nice, because it often comes across as a better surprise to people for being more than they had expected, also possibility making it easier to stick inside the head. Even though we haven’t officially released anything with Spanish on Spotify. People who have come to the gigs, they actually do remember the words. You see them in the crowd, singing along.

Having played in, Ireland, UK and Spain recently, where would you like to play for 2018?

Dave: We are looking at to pushing out, more to UK and to Germany. We are hoping to get back to Spain as well, and Mexico at some point.

“there’s a showcase going to be done this year of Irish music over there”

Zoe: In Spain, we are definitely interested in Barcelona, especially with the Primavera music festival that happens there every year. That would definitely be a target we would really like to achieve, that opportunity to represent the emerging. At this festival, there’s a showcase going to be done this year of Irish music. We would really love to be part of that.

Based on our experience we have had so far, London is definitely somewhere we feel quite happy and quite at home there. Having played some pretty big gigs and we also did a couple of solo gigs there as well, and all of them have been amazing. We definitely want to keep that going and we are growing a fan base there, and we are very grateful for that. Outside London, Manchester is definitely somewhere we are interested in, because the director for our last 2 videos is based there. We are really excited about the new video coming soon, for our new single “Let me down”. I think that’s going to be really visually, just beautiful, beautiful film that he has put together. We are looking forward to putting that out, and of course we would definitely love to go back there, and play there too.

With some of your lyrics in Spanish, how hard is it to write it? Do you do it yourself, or done collectively? Is there alot of switching back and forth between languages?

Zoe: It’s very much a collaborative effort, we all sit down together, certainly the music idea comes together as a group. The lyrics generally, most of them I would write them myself, I’m one of those people that always jotting ideas, keep a notebook on me. Eventually I will have a notebook the size of a bedside locker if I wake up in the middle of the night with ideas, wherever I am, I’m always scribbling ideas

The lyrics would be mostly mine, but that’s not to say they just tell stories that is just about my life, that’s not the case, we talk a lot, and we are very close as a band, and we are very close friends as well, we share our thoughts and experiences. Usually I might be the one writing the lyrics down but it wouldn’t be necessary that I’m just reflecting my own experience.

“I would never force one language over another”

For any part of a song to be written in Spanish or even a whole song, I would never force one language over another. The nature of being bi-lingual you don’t necessary choose the language you think about, it depends on what you are thinking about, or who are speaking to. I wouldn’t sit down and write this in Spanish to hit the Spanish market really hard. Honestly, I would write it in a more organically, that’s not to say I don’t considered the audience I’m writing. I have no shame of saying I absolutely do, but I wouldn’t be so contrived that I’m directed to writing it in one language over another. There’s a couple of songs that we do live that moves in and out of both languages.

Congratulation on having one of your songs featured in a well known Irish television series. With the new single being release, the timing for this feature on television was impeccable, was this meant to happen?

Zoe: We just got the news that we are going to be featured, like about a week or two before the show was aired. As fantastic as it was, it was pretty quiet, it was a small picture, nothing too crazy. No, that was not pre-mediated or organised in any way, we were just as shocked as everyone else.

“We were chuffed that we were chosen”

With lots of our peers also selected, we weren’t overly surprised that an Irish band was picked. Plus the music from this series tend to be from Irish bands. We were chuffed that we were chosen, as we have only worked for a short time together. We were very happy to be placed along side with other bands who have been around for a long time.

What are the plans for 2018?

Obviously, we have just release the new single “Let me down” , available on all major platforms. This is the first single released from our upcoming EP, the plan is we will release the EP before the summer. A nice video to come out in the next couple of weeks for our single “Let me down”. We also have a cool remix coming out with a top secret dj using the new single “Let me down”. We have 4 shows coming up in the UK, hoping to keep branching out with new shows in Spain and maybe as far as Mexico

On Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0aJ4crl4UpV4Xju8ueAdHH

Lastly, for fans of Dreaming of Jupiter, they can also catch them live at the Button Factory in Temple Bar on Saturday 17 February supporting Ralph Rolle (CHIC) & The Funk Patrol. For all fans, their single “Let me down” is available on major platform including iTunes and Google Play.

Alex Lau is a content writer for youbloom and is a member of the social media team there. He is part time photographer who love photo journalism of unique locations. He enjoys listening to music as much as he can.

Danu5ik Interview – Part 1

22-Jan-2018 By Robert Loustaunau

Danu5ik, the award-winning DJ and producer from Edmonton, Canada has recently dropped his latest in a line of captivating music videos and singles, Imagine. Today, I sat down with the man behind the sleek EDM beats and dreamy vocals, Daniel Lee. With a few international music awards under his belt, including the prestigious IMEA Electronica Artist of the Year for 2016, Daniel was the clear choice when youbloom decided to shine the spotlight on a local artist who was finding success in the music industry. In this two part interview, Daniel and I talk about the cosmic flavor of Imagine, the molting EDM scene, and what goes into finding international success as a local artist.

First thing I have to ask, where did you get that space suit for Imagine and can I get one two?
Getting the space suit was actually a bit tricky. We tried to get one of the Apollo space suits but those are pretty rare. And I’ve got to tell you, those space suits can get pretty hot especially when you’re on set all day. The suit was a really interesting idea when the song was first created. I wanted to do something with a twist.

What were some of the ideas behind Imagine?
The concept behind Imagine was that it was a journey and it’s about this Spaceman in the middle of nowhere and he got lost and wanted to be able to find his way back and he spent all his time in space alone so it’s about getting back into that social circle.

Yeah, that message of dissociation from social groups really comes out. The whole video is fun to just watch but also you’re able to put this deeper underlying message into it.
Well that’s what I really wanted to achieve with it. We’ve become so in tune with social media that we disassociate ourselves with the person sitting right by us. We are always in tune with our phones but how do you reintegrate yourself with society?

If I reflect back on myself back in 2017, going down to youbloom Dublin and meeting new faces and having such a blast or going to LA and connecting with so many people out there. No matter where I went it was fantastic but you have to put yourself out there and that was the message I was trying to achieve with Imagine.

Imagine Music Video – Danu5ik

When did music making begin for you?
I started to dabble in music when I was in high school. My music teacher, he had this old Yamaha keyboard synthesizer connected to a monitor and I didn’t know the logistics of the hardware itself but it was able to synthesize some amazing sounds and I used to spend my lunches there just creating unique sounds and dabbling there.

Moving forward I didn’t do anything with music for awhile and it was only in 2014 where I actually started to jump back into it. That’s when I first came out to Canada and that’s what evolved into the first album, From Sea to Kanata, which is a very Deep House kind of sound. Edmonton was still relatively new to the EDM scene and I wanted to put something out there that could show other artists what this is and what my take on all of this was.

And how do you feel your sound has evolved since then and how have fans responded to it?
Now my sound has evolved from House to more of Electro-House. Especially when I look at a track like Imagine, it’s just a banging track and I love the fact that when I create these tracks fans have such a positive feedback. That’s not to say its always positive but that’s okay I love all criticism. You have to be able to accept positive and negative feedback from your fans. I wouldn’t be anywhere today without them.

“I’m always sitting on that creative edge.”

Would you say EDM has gone through a transformation where now you’re seeing a lot of subgenres borrowing from each other?
Yes, when I ask what people what type of music they listen to and they say EDM, I always ask what they mean by that. There is a wide range inside of it, and we have to be more particular than that. Is it Progressive, is it Trap, is it House, Is it Deep-House? You’re right it’s evolved into a massive genre and that’s how you get those crossovers. If you look at the top 40s, you’re seeing a lot of EDM artists making it in there and it’s great to be a part of it.

Is there a shoebox of unheard Danu5ik tracks hidden somewhere?
Yes, there is a thumbdrive of tracks that I started and which have never seen the light of the day. In the last album Day Light/Dark Night I was surprised by how many tracks I had started but that didn’t make it onto the album. I think just from that album itself I had enough tracks to make two more albums out of it. I’m always sitting on that creative edge. I get an idea for a track and start it and then put it on hold and then start something new and then I might come back to it.

Imagine was not one on the back-burner though, it was one I came up with on the go. I love tracks like that! The last track I came up with was at the airport and I almost missed my flight because I was so in tune with putting down this beat. Its sound was just so surreal.

We may actually hear some of those old tracks in 2018. I’m in the process of creating the new album which will be released in the next year. There will probably be a few remixes of old tracks as well. It’s looking really well for 2018.

What can fans expect from Danu5ik going forward here? Any hints?
For 2018, I want to start out with a big bang. We may be seeing an Imagine Remix which will hopefully spark some interest. It’s too early in the game to say for sure but Imagine is a good hint of what’s to come. There’s going to be a string of music videos coming out in 2018 but I can’t say more than that.

Keep an eye on our tweets to catch the rest of my interview with Danu5ik. And why not take his advice and, “Put yourself out there;” Daniel will be playing at youbloomDublin in May and is eager to meet fans and collaborators alike. Artists that Apply to Play will get free admission to the Festival and Summit.

Interview w/ HMMA winners, Flight of Fire

07-Jan-2018 By Robert Loustaunau

My Last Gamble – Winning track at Hollywood Music in Media Awards for Americana/Folk/Acoustic

Interview with Flight of Fire

“We all strongly believe that the transfer of energy between audience and musicians is an intensely powerful thing.” – Flight of Fire

Earlier this month, youbloom was lucky enough to get some precious air-time with the Hard-Rock maelstrom of female fury, Flight of Fire. Known for their fantastical live shows and superb rock compositions, this Boston-based band has been selling out shows and racking up awards for several years now. In this interview the ladies divulge their creative process, dole out advice for the unsigned artists out there, and share what’s on the band’s horizon.

What were a couple runner-up names for the band before you settled on Flight of Fire?

What a cool question! We came up with our band name in a very geeky way, so we actually did have two clear runner-ups. The first was Drop of Flame and the second was Force of Flame. Personally, I think we made the right choice!

What is your creative process when writing?

We usually write songs individually. When they are mostly finished, we bring them to the band and everyone adds their own flare. Maverick will get picky about lyrics and improve melodies and Tanya will add solos. The twins write riffs together, and Tia and Maddie solidify the groove.

How has the LA music scene been different from the Boston music scene?

We haven’t spent enough time in the LA scene just yet to really be able to compare it to Boston, though in the few times we have come out, we have absolutely loved our experiences. One of the things we did notice is that there seems to be a lot more competition in LA as so many talented people flock to the city, however, there is also a plethora of experienced industry professionals providing an endless source of networking opportunities as well as offering more chances for encountering career-growing experiences. So it all seems to balance out.

“We don’t like our performances to be contrived at all, and we love to ride the waves when unexpected things happen!”

Youbloom, for example, has been so welcoming and supportive of us – we had such a great experience at the conference and met so many incredible people in the industry! It’s definitely very different, and each scene offers different things to artists and bands. We can’t wait to explore more about what it’s like to be a band in LA.

Flight of Fire is known for its high energy performances. What do you think it is that gives a band its charisma?

22814125_1730948283642382_6614974178572752102_n — Photo by Trixie’s Tripod of Boston Rock Radio!

To us, it’s all about the live shows. We all strongly believe that the transfer of energy between audience and musicians is an intensely powerful thing. Live shows are our opportunity to show our fans how much we appreciate them, and it’s their opportunity to enjoy us in our element! It’s truly magical.

Would you say you have live shows down to a science, or is each one its own mystery going in?

We like to keep as much of our performances as spontaneous as possible driven by pure in-the-moment inspiration. We do plan our setlists, but we like to take the energy of the crowd into account and play off the emotions of the people watching us. Sometimes you have to diverge from the set list when the audience’s energy is calling for something specific.

We also like to include some memorable stage antics, like when we switch instruments and pull off wild stunts. But our philosophy is that what we do on stage should reflect how we are really feeling at the time. We don’t like our performances to be contrived at all. We love to ride the waves when unexpected things happen!

What’s the most memorable show you’ve ever played? Why?

Some of the most memorable shows we’ve played have been when we opened for big acts. When we opened for Bon Jovi at Ford Field, and that is an experience we will never forget. We also opened for Lita Ford at a smaller venue. It was a sold out show and her fans were so incredibly supportive of us making us feel like true rock stars that night. At those kind of shows, you hope that you’re seeing a glimpse of your future. Those are the moments that stick in our minds and inspire us to keep pushing on through any of the difficulties we might face.

21994099_1691014080969136_5938177342829633566_o — Flight of Fire performing at youbloomLA Music Festival & Summit 2017

What good memory or experience did you have at the youbloom 2017 music festival?

So much of it was amazing! We are still so grateful that we got to come out and be a part of youbloom. We met so many incredible people. All the panelists we got to talk to were so encouraging, and the discussions really helped us solidify some of our strategies for the upcoming year.

“My Last Gamble won, and we never would have had that opportunity if it hadn’t been for youbloom and Shele Sondheim!”

Can you describe the events at the youbloom festival that led you to getting a Hollywood Music in Media nomination?

Shele Sondheim was one of the acclaimed panelists that we met at the festival. Shele was so kind and supportive to us and he connected us with Brent Harvey, the producer of the HMMAs. The two of them encouraged us to submit our song. Apparently it was a fantastic idea considering we actually took home a trophy that night. My Last Gamble won, and we never would’ve had that opportunity if it hadn’t been for YouBloom and Shele Sondheim!

What project do you currently have in the works?

We just finished recording a new single in the studio that features Cherie Currie from the Runaways. Cherie and Maverick share lead vocals on our song, She’s a Badass. It’s a testament to all of the female rockers who came before us and paved the way for musicians like us. The song will be released in early 2018.

What is the band’s vision going forward?

We have so much that we want to accomplish. Our most recent album, Path of the Phoenix, was released a year ago, and we already have so much new material for the next album we are hoping to record by the end of the summer, if possible. We are also looking at a tour in Europe and new music videos. Our biggest goal right now is to get a supporting slot on a tour with a band like Halestorm. That would be a dream come true.

“One of the most important things we’ve learned is that when you have somebody who believes in you, never take that for granted.”

What are your biggest challenges in reaching your vision?

As always, the biggest challenge is financial! It’s very difficult to make money with what we do. We are always doing our best to be savvy and find ways to make it happen! We will be launching a Patreon in January. That will give our fans the opportunity for a more intimate relationship with the band where they can directly support the music they love. We’re very excited about cultivating it, and that kind of support will make everything we are trying to do that much more possible!

What’s the best way fans-to-be can gain access to your music?

Our official website is the best way to get access to our music, videos and updates! From flightoffire.com, you can link to all of our social media as well, so whatever platform you prefer for following bands, you can find us there.

What advice would you have for upcoming bands/artists that are trying to get noticed?

24852123_1785544431516100_5331657771273682913_n — FoF at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards Night 2017

One of the most important things we’ve learned is that when you have somebody who believes in you, never take that for granted. When you have a DJ play your music, an aspiring journalist who writes a review for you, a booker who hears you at a show and loves you, or any fan that tells you that your music has moved them or buys your merch, your job is to respond to them. Express your gratitude, let them know how much it means to you that they believe in what you are doing. If someone is going out of their way for you, make sure you go out of your way for them just as much. Especially in this ever-changing industry, we all have to stick together and support each other. It’s all about relationships – make sure you always pay it forward.

To stay up to date on what Flight of Fire is up to, you can check out their website, flightoffire.com and follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Their newest album, Path of the Phoenix, can be purchased on Bandcamp.

youbloom’s Top 10 of 2017

22-Dec-2017 By Josey Dunbar

In 2017, independent artists from across the globe came together in Dublin and Los Angeles for a weekend of master classes, collaboration, and performance. Youbloom artists have been hard at work pumping out fresh sounds all year long. To wrap up this 2017 we thought we’d share some of our favorites. Tune in everyday for a new featured artist.

10. Shivan

Music Box is one of three singles released by the solo artist Shivan in the last year and it was a tough choice picking which one to feature. In Music Box, Shivan meshes silky smooth vocal harmonies with sparse synth tones of bells and plucked strings culminating in an airy atmosphere. This spacious intro gives way to a head-bobbing interlude powered forward by Shivan’s hocketing voice put through a vocoder. Shivan’s sound in general is clean, at times funny (take a listen to Manta Ray), and never lacking in innovative catchiness. You can check out more of his music on Spotify and SoundCloud.

9. We Bless This Mess

In their new single, Ocean, We Bless This Mess brings their soulful, raw fervor to a new level as Nelson Graf Reis leaves off the bass and drums to create a more stripped-back level of intimacy. The track starts with the sound of waves, barely audible and gently lapping. The waves quickly give way to Graf Reis’ soulful solo voice waxing sweetly against the brittle strumming of his guitar. Occasionally his own voice is subtly layered by vocal harmonies while at other times, it all falls away completely and were are left alone with Graf Reis’ beautiful, wailing words reminding us: “Step by step, you breathe the same air as eye.” If you want to see the music video that accompanies Ocean you can find it here on youtube. And to see what else We Bless This Mess has cooked up, find them on Spotify or follow them on Twitter to see when they’re playing near you.

8. The Magnettes

Ugly Youth, the newest album by the Suisse duo The Magnettes, is full of catchy songs that quickly hook listeners. The captivating and distinct sound of the Magnettes is fun and similar to that of Madonna. Their June release can be found on sites such as Soundcloud, and iTunes. Killers in a Ghost Town, the leading song on the album incorporates a wide variety of instruments in coherence with a more modern techno style.

7. OSIYM

OSIYM has been making a lot of noise this 2017, dropping 3 new singles and with music videos to match. Youbloom is excited to name one of these singles, the party anthem FLEX, as #8 on our countdown of 2017 releases. With its infectious beat and slick bravado, FLEX is a hot addition to your party playlist. The rap duo Nova and Charlie Black have become synonymous with the boom bap and trap scene in their hometown of Toronto and thanks to their witty word-smithing and on-stage charisma, OSIYM’s music has spread the continent. While there’s a lot of exceptional talent spilling out of Toronto right now, OSIYM is in no danger of being drowned out. Take a listen on Spotify or Soundcloud, and see what we mean.

6. Royal Prospect

Royal Prospect started 2017 off strong with the March release of Hearts. Hearts beautifully displays the group’s lyrical ability as well as the amazing vocal capacity of lead singer Oscar Reingsdahl. The song begins with a slow taste of the chord progression that later speeds and evolves as the mood of the song changes. The overall lyrical message is both relatable as well as captivating to the listener. Hearts can be found on iTunes and Soundcloud and check out their music video on Youtube. The group followed up Hearts with the September release of I Feel Alright. Unlike Hearts, which is a very vocally heavy song, I Feel Alright places great emphasis on the instrumental abilities of Gustav Reingsdahl (Guitar), Hannes Tingfors (Bass) Oscar Reingsdahl (Guitar) and Hannes Pennsäter (Drums). See what you’re missing and check out Royal Prospect!

5. Hannah

In her new EP, Blossom, Hannah swishes together a cocktail of jazzy piano accompaniment, chill-step hip-hop beats, and her soulful voice to create a mesmerizing piece of poetry. Originally from Chicago, and now making noise in Los Angeles, Hannah’s sound is unique and colored by the iconic cities she’s lived in. Blossom, on the surface, is a mellow set of Rap and R&B charts to chill out to. Listen a little closer, and it’s a story of Hannah’s life, her experiences, and finding her identity in a world off-kilter. Take a listen to Blossom on SoundCloud or Bandcamp.

4. Ivy Nations

Ivy Nations has undoubtedly had a successful 2017 with the release of two new singles and accompanying music videos. In early April, the group released the soothing track Live By Design. The steady and notable rhythm of this single immediately pulls in the listener as it sets the tone for the song’s entirely. The music video, which can be found on Youtube, beautifully captures the mood of this unique and unforgettable song. Check it out on Soundcloud and iTunes. Following Live By Design, Ivy Nations released the single Sentimental Hearts. This song has a happy and upbeat tone portrayed by the swift major chord progressions and catchy lyrics. You can catch Sentimental Hearts on Soundcloud and iTunes. Also, don’t forget to check out the new music video on Youtube!

3. The Fontaines

Choosing to feature The Fontaines on our Top 10 was easy. Deciding what to feature was the hard part. With 5 singles and 2 EPs out this year, the LA-based band has been pumping out breezy indie-pop ballads and New-Wave rock charts like you wouldn’t believe. In the end, we settled on Evaporate. We know what you’re thinking! Choosing the single that garnered the group 100,000 streams on Spotify and hundreds of new fans isn’t exactly bold but if you go ahead and press play, you’ll see why we just can’t stop listening. Comprised of funky guitar riffs, retro synths, and eerily sweet vocals, Evaporate gives off an air of old-school cool that’s hard to come by. You can hear more of what The Fontaines have been cooking up on Bandcamp or SoundCloud but of course nothing beats a live show and you’re in luck, they’re playing at the Troubador in West Hollywood on January 11th.

2. Cider Wasps

Cider Wasps’ 2017 featured the release of their EP Ethereal. This album was a compilation of five tracks, some of which had been previously made into music videos in 2016 such as their hit Hummingbird. Thirty seconds into this song and you’ll be dancing along. Hummingbird displays Cider Wasps’ ability to simultaneously rock-out while maintaining steady control over their sound and producing quality music that’s as catchy as it is artful. The band’s unique style is also portrayed through the vocal layering in Magic Beans. Check out Magic Beans, Hummingbird and the rest of the EP as well as upcoming tour dates on Cider Wasps’ Website.

To anyone who loves early 2000s rock, your year is about to get a whole lot better: check out Cider Wasps on iTunes, and Soundcloud!

1. Faulkner

The bi-coastal band Faulkner is back with their sanguine new single, Hot Streak. In style with the bouncy alt-rock ballads and sleek production present in their previous EP, Revanchist, Hot Streak manages to hook and groove, while still delivering in substance. Between lead singer Lucas Asher’s visceral imagery sung in punchy verse, and the soaring synths that sound unmistakably of The Killers, Hot Streak has a flavor you won’t want to put down. It’s no surprise since the group collaborated with Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and worked with producers like JP Bowersock (The Strokes) and Mark Needham (The Killers). Bash into the new year with this New Wave cut on Spotify and see why it was youbloom’s #1 in our Countdown to the New Year! Faulkner will be gracing the Peppermint Club in LA on February 8th, 2018.