Gateway Drugs | Echo Park Rising | 8/17/14

To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

THE ACT: Gateway Drugs | Facebook | Twitter | Website

SOUNDS LIKE:

THOUGHTS:  Gateway Drugs pulled double duty on the last day of Echo Park Rising, playing an earlier gig in the Echo before taking the stage at the Echoplex. There a great story about the inspiration of the  song I posted above that you can read HERE. A psychedelic rock band with an apparently loyal local following (the room was packed), their performance reminded me of when I saw the Dandy Warhols earlier this year, only with a lot more energy. They were the last band I caught at this year’s Echo Park Rising, and it was a solid way to end the weekend of music.

 To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

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Dead Dawn | Echo Park Rising | 8/17/14

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THE ACT: Dead Dawn | Facebook 

SOUNDS LIKE:

THOUGHTS:  This was the surprise set of the day for me the last day of Echo Park Rising. This band kicks ass. Dark and heavy, and with tons of attitude, their set was raw and pretty damn badass. When the music got more aggressive, I felt shades of Savages. Hell, even the lead singer of the band had a Jenny Beth haircut. They may have had a little technical difficulty for a few minutes when the guitarist’s (who’s a babe, btw) guitar got disconnected, but that just made the performance more punk. Loved them. Killer first impression.

 To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

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Green Gerry | Echo Park Rising | 8/17/14

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THE ACT: Green Gerry | Facebook

SOUNDS LIKE:

THOUGHTS:  Yowza. Where did this band come from? How old are they?… cause their music is pretty damn sophisticated. A shoe-gazy, psychedelic mish-mosh of expiramental music that’s seems more classic than modern. I was really digging it. I’m interested to hear where this bands goes, as there seems to be a lot of potential.

 

 To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

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Silver Hands | Echo Park Rising | 8/17/14

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THE ACT: Silver Hands | Facebook | Twitter

SOUNDS LIKE:

THOUGHTS:  I don’t know much about this electronic music duo, but I do  know that I enjoyed their set. Elizabeth (the vocalist) put on quite a show, singing and dancing to the music while engaging the audience. Her charisma really drew me in … so much so that I was compelled to purchase the band’s latest 12″ release of their single “Skulls”. If you are a fan of upbeat, electronic dance music a la Robyn or La Roux, you should give this group a listen.

 To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

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Your Weekly Weekend Music Mix | 8/29/14 [MUSIC NEWS]

OLD SCHOOL JAM YOU’VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE

Darondo. “Do You Really Love Me”. No more music to come from this unheralded gem of funk and soul. He passed away in 2013. But his music lives on

 

HIP HOP VIDEO OF THE WEEK

THIS is what hip-hop artists should aspire to. Hip-hop just ain’t what it used to be.

 

THE NICKI MINAJ “ANACONDA” (FART REMIX)

No words. Pure comedy. Yeah, I’m immature like that.

 

MUSIC NEWS/STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

There’s a great article in Esquire Magazine that has Andre 300 dropping some knowledge. If you love Andre 3000 as much as I do, this is a must read.

 

When Ferguson police pulls guns on Talib Kweli, the hip-hop ambassador of cultural movements, you know our system is messed up.

 

Could Robert Plant’s next album be his last? The thought of this makes me sad.

 

Are you a Bon Iver fan like I am?You may be interest in the recently released collaboration album he worked on with Jason Feathers.

 

THE MUSIC VAULT

Paul McCartney, his guitar and “Blackbird”. Love this song.

 

 

VINE POST OF THE WEEK

I could watch this over … and over … and over … and over … and over again. Swoon.

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Pastilla | Echo Park Rising | 8/17/14

To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

THE ACT: Pastilla | Facebook | Twitter

SOUNDS LIKE:

THOUGHTS:  I wasn’t planning of checking them out (they weren’t in the printed “programs” for Echo Park Rising) but when I went into The Echo to check out how hard it would be to deal with the lighting Pastilla was on stage performing to packed house (with a line of festival patrons waiting to get in). I couldn’t understand what they were singing … but that’s because the song they were singing was in Spanish. I enjoyed their groove, and I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more if I had taken Spanish instead of French in high school and college. C’est la vie. As for the the photos? Well, the room was so packed, I couldn’t get very close to the stage, so most of my shots were from a distance … and most of my shots were slightly out of focus. I tried to edit them clearer, but it is what it is. I tried.

 

 To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

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The Record Company | Echo Park Rising | 8/17/14

To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

THE ACT: The Record Company | Facebook | Twitter | Website

SOUNDS LIKE:

THOUGHTS: The Record Company. Seeing them perform at Echo Park Rising marks the 5th time I’ve seen them live the past year and a half. Needless to say, I’m a fan of their sound. You can read my thoughts about them here, and here, and here … and … here. A week after Echo Park Rising, I was at First City Festival when another photographer stopped to compliment The Record Company t-shirt I was wearing and agreed that they were a hell of a band. If you are a fan of blues rock, you should probably check them out.

 

 To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

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Peanut Butter Wolf | Echo Park Rising | 8/16/14

To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

THE ACT: Peanut Butter Wolf | Facebook | Twitter 

SOUNDS LIKE:

THOUGHTS: I’ve always looked up to Peanut Butter Wolf.  Ever since he founded Stones Throw Records in 1996, and put out dope album, after dope album, after dope album, I knew that his taste of music was impeccable. Though I’ve never seen him DJ live, knowing what kind of music floats his boat really got me amped to check out his DJ set at Echo Park Rising. Though I’m not the biggest fan of DJ performances (specifically, EDM DJ’s), I was all smiles when Peanut Butter Wolf spun his records. Playing and mixing classic, after classic, after classic, it was music from my youth that, as cheesy as it sounds, made me feel young again. It was a party inside the festival grounds, as well as outside of the festival grounds. Hundreds of people were standing at the gates, only to be denied entry. Fortunately, they could still appreciate the music that Peanut Butter Wolf was pumping out.

 To Check Out Other Acts that I Caught At Echo Park Rising, CLICK HERE.

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The Zombies | Twilight Concert Series | Santa Monica Pier | 8/21/14 [PHOTOS]

CLICK HERE to check out other acts performing a Twilight Concert at the Santa Monica Pier!

When I was approved to shoot The Zombies at the Santa Monica Pier, I was giddy. Being a supreme music dweeb, I was fully aware of their impact in popular music. Their sound basically redefined rock music.

I’d try to wax poetic about how amazingly (and truthfully, surprisingly) they performed on the summer eve, but Bob Lefsetz, a noted music writer, already wrote everything, and more, that I would have not so eloquently put pen to pad. CLICK HERE to read his stellar review.

The fact that two of the original members, Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent, both 69, are still in prime form was wonderful to witness. If you weren’t there, you missed out on a legendary performance, or legendary music, by legends. Your loss.

CLICK HERE to check out a collection of Instagram videos of some of the songs The Zombies performed at this concert.

The Zombies | Twilight Concert | Setlist

 

CLICK HERE to check out other acts performing a Twilight Concert at the Santa Monica Pier!

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The Zombies | Twilight Concert Series | Santa Monica Pier | 8/21/14 [INSTAGRAM VIDS]

CLICK HERE to check out other acts I caught at the Twilight Concert on the Santa Monica Pier!

Below are Instagram clips of some of the songs from The Zombies set at the Santa Monica Pier as part of the Twilight Concert Series. Instagram’s embed settings are, unfortunately, too large for WordPress, but hopefully, you’ll still be able to click through to watch the video clips. Enjoy.

 

CLICK HERE to check out other acts I caught at the Twilight Concert on the Santa Monica Pier!

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