Tag: Concert Vid

Banoffee | Culture Collide | The Echo | 10/18/14 [Review, Vids & Photos]

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught At Culture Collide CLICK HERE

THE ACT: Banoffee | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS  [Written by Kate M.]:

Pop, rhythm and EDM.  Singer/producer Banoffee is an Australian artist whose performance included mixing her own R&B and sometimes Reggae style beats, throwing down versus once or twice, singing and frontin’ the ultimate cool chick persona and musical ability.   Her music is chill vibes and heavy, sick synth production.   Banoffee’s beats drop with accented bounces and her vocals are a smooth glaze over electronic beats Pop, R&B and EDM sounds.   You could say she’s an EDM and sporty Imogen Heap.  She includes “Ninja” and “Let’s Go To The Beach” in her performance at The Echo and I included the link to her debut EP whick dropped October 7, 2014 so you can listen to her unique texture of musical styles.   She’s been playing NYC venues this past week  – check her out!

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Takeoffs & Landings | Culture Collide | World Stage | 10/18/14 [Review, Vids & Photos]

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THE ACT: Takeoffs & Landings | Facebook | Twitter

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS  [Written by Kate M.]:

Good band, they got it done.  On lead vocals is Naama, her voice has a unique sound, one you don’t hear often these days in the music age of Electronic and Dance Pop.  Truth, I love this girl’s voice – it’s a slightly raspy, feminine Rock voice that meets some good Indie and unique enchanting sounds.  Naama’s is not a true muscular voice, but it has a cool texture, a little bit of Pop meets Rock with a unique ingénue sound.  I liked it, kind of wanted to see Joan Jett after hearing this band, too.   Naama also has showmanship, an intriguing attraction to her movement with her sound.  Take Offs and Landings is from Lima, Peru and the other members of the band are Dennis, Christian, Chris, Sergio.  Take Offs and Landings was formed recently, in 2013, and is already playing festivals like Culture Collide.  Their music is a blend of sinister girl rock and tones that make it seem like they know something you don’t and you are intrigued enough to follow wherever they are leading, which I I think is one reason the lead vocal’s voice struck me, it all went together – their enchanting sound and lead vocals that compliments the magic.   Their first album is due to drop at the end of the year.

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Torches | Culture Collide | The Methodist Church of Echo Park | 10/18/14 [Review, Vids & Photos]

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THE ACT: Torches | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS  [Written by Kate M.]:

Pop, Indie Rock, EDM, Punk – one reason I liked this festival is that every band had unique musical stylings and combinations of sounds, and the US band Torches was no exception.  Torches is an Indie, Rock, Electronic blend and the second band of the night with a traditional string instrument, a violin.   This band had an Empire of the Sun vibe and sounded like Phoenix, if Phoenix went Indie Rock.   If you’re a Friendly Fires fan, you will like this band, but they can’t capture a stage like a Friendly Fires or a Phoenix.  Their performance was bland, but it was a church stage and the Festival itself was not well trafficked.   Azad Cheikosman, Eric Fabbro and Adrian Acosta make up this Los Angeles-based band and I would have liked to have seen their EP Release show at The Bootleg Theater to get better sense of what they can do, but I listened to their tracks again at home and Torches is tight!  I can see some mainstream pop, alternative and electronic sounds with defined rhythmic drums.  I thought they sounded like Arcade Fire, Cut Copy, The Mighty Lemon Drops and similar artists, which makes sense because according to their bio they have worked with David Newton (The Mighty Lemon Drops) and Jeff Lipton (Arcade Fire).  If you like any of the artists mentioned, or another band I love, The 1975, I would definitely check out Torche.   Torches dropped their EP, Endlessly Repeating, on June 19, 2014.

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Alphabetics | Culture Collide | Main Stage | 10/18/14 [Review, Vids & Photos]

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THE ACT: Alphabetics | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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THOUGHTS:

This was one of my favorite live performances of the day. This band from Costa Rica’s metal tinged, alternative rock was a lot of fun. What made it more fun was their stage presence. The bassist and guitarist played with so much energy, highlighted by their playing off of each other in a “dueling electric guitar/bass” moment, that I couldn’t help but get pumped. They call their music “dance punk” and it was true. This music … music that I’d never heard before … had me moving in the photo pit.

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Solander | Culture Collide | The Methodist Church of Echo Park | 10/18/14 [Review, Vids & Photos]

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THE ACT: Solander | Facebook | Twitter

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS: [Written by Kate M.]

Described as a Pop, Indie, Folk band, Solander is the quintessential example of this, and The United Methodist Church was an apropos venue to hear this poetic and artistic band from Sweden. The duo, Fredrik Karlsson and Anja Linna, are supported by Albin Johansson and Adam Hjertström and, together on stage, they produced music that was a blend of story-telling, artistry and dramatic sounds.   The prominent cello melodies from Linna resonated in the church and I thought, “I think this is what Arcade Fire and Lykke Li (who I love!) would sound like if they went completely Folk, or, what Bon Iver would sound like if he went completely Electronic Pop.”   Solander’s music was poetry, musical artistry and story-telling set to prominent cello riffs and illuminated by chanting beats of smooth drums and synthesizer melodies. Folk is not my personal music listening choice, but I closed my eyes once or twice and the music took me through heavy movement in my mind and gripping emotional journies.   Being an LA native . . . their sound was like the music you would hear in the background of a poignant movie scene . . . if you ever wanted to feel like you were in a movie, this band’s smooth, but dramatic sound and storytelling harmonies takes you there.   Their sound is consistent, each song similar, the same rhythm, beats and sounds, but differentiated by their arrangement and inspiration. It seemed to me to me they did this to represent different emotions (this is the movie scene reference).   Karlsson, lead vocals, referenced a Swedish poet as inspiration for his song and personal experiences that brought them to this performance.   Solander has and has had numerous tour dates, including SWSX this past year, so look online for dates near you.   Their third album, Monochromatic Memories, was released February 4, 2014.

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We Met Tomorrow | Culture Collide | The Methodist Church of Echo Park | 10/18/14 [Review, Vids & Photos]

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THE ACT:  We Met Tomorrow | Facebook | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS:

I got to the festival earlier than my writer, so I decided not to waste any time and headed over to the church to check out a band that another music writer recommended. I’m glad I took her suggestion. A little bit of folk … a little bit of blues … a touch of alternative rock … We Met Tomorrow had a solid set that sounded very, very polished. Their tunes were filled with catchy hooks that truly reeled me in (pun intended). They are from Sweden, but I wouldn’t have been able to tell because their English pronunciation was accent-less. For an early afternoon set, it was a terrific start to a long day of music.

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The Kokoro | Culture Collide | Lot 1 Cafe | 10/17/14 [Review, Vids & Photos]

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THE ACT:  The Kokoro | Facebook | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS: [Excerpted from M. Sloves full-day review that you can read HERE.]

“[…] The band is fronted by Lee Triffon on lead vocals and guitar and Adi Feher on keytar. Yes, keytar. Bonus points already earned. Approaching the microphone in full-body spandex jumpsuits and Wonder Woman meets Battlestar Galactica jewelry, they both fit the stereotype I have in my mind of a crazy-attractive (and/or crazy, attractive) Tel Aviv woman. The music was pretty intense shit. Heavy electronic pageantry with heavy breaks underpinning Triffon’s strong vocals. At times the whole thing was really hot. At others, it felt like an EDM version of Nora Dunn and Jan Hooks doing the Sweeney Sisters on SNL. Kinda rad but also kinda comical when they break into these eletro beat brown notes, ditch the instruments, face each other, and start gyrating and jerking around as if they were at some post-IDF Koh Phangang full moon beach party. Remember, the venue was the size of a walk-in closet. But that’s part of what’s so captivating about The Kokoro. They seem totally oblivious to the limitations of their surroundings […].”

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Nina Persson | Culture Collide | The Methodist Church of Echo Park | 10/17/14 [Review, Vids & Photos]

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THE ACT:  Nina Persson | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS: [Excerpted from M. Sloves full-day review that you can read HERE.]

“[…] She sounds good. Not pop. Channeling some Chrissie Hynde type of energy […] [T]his woman can belt it out. Talk about presence! Compared to all the falsetto twink 20-something little duders in skinny jeans who’d been on stage all night, she was a veritable lioness, a fine wine blending hints of Florence and the Machine with aromatic accents of The Bangles. And like Susannah Hoff, she may be a tiny lady but she’s gorgeous and one hell of a pro jock on the microphone. Like her or not, she was in full command of that room and it was no coincidence that she was the first performer of the evening to fill the church hall.”

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Level & Tyson | Culture Collide | The Methodist Church of Echo Park | 10/17/14 [Review, Vids & Photos]

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THE ACT:  Level & Tyson | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS: [Excerpted from M. Sloves full-day review that you can read HERE.]

“[…] This time there were a couple girls on stage, which was pretty rad. I’m always stoked to see some gender plurality in a band.  A short-haired pixie on the bass and a tall lanky drink of water on rhythm guitar and keyboards. Really good energy. A fast driving beat anchored a quasi-grunge surf garage sound. The guy on lead guitar in his prison blues and beanie shared vocals with the girl on bass but her voice was a little mousy and was largely lost behind all the instruments. The guy sounded good (he might have been mic’d better) and was hitting some impressive falsetto notes […] I can’t deny that their set was a little sloppy but you found yourself rooting for them because even if you weren’t feeling it, you could tell that THEY were feeling it. They were obviously stoked to be on stage – any stage – and that’s how a band should bring it. Reckless abandon, no matter where they are. They even smiled a few times.

The set was dominated by an upbeat spacy twang that reflects the sort of trans-Atlantic surf guitar riffs that I’ve heard creep back into a lot of stuff I’m listening to. And I dig it […] Some of it was what the band self-glossed as “funky”. Not sure what their definition of funk is. I definitely was not feeling a lot of James Brown or Bootsy Collins in what were fairly aimless walls of noise and distortion […] Potential trumps refinement.”

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FEA | AMPLYFi | 6/13/14 [PICS & VID]

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FEA (pronounced FAY-ah)  is the feminine form of the Spanish word for “ugly”. It’s also the name of a Riot Grrrl, side project of some bad ass rockers from Texas.

Back in 2012, I discovered the music of a band from Texas named Girl In A Coma. It was love first listen. The trio consisting of Jenn Alva and sisters Nina and Phanie Diaz steamrolled my ear drums with their brand of San Antonio flavored indie rock.

As Nina Diaz recently recorded her own solo project (and who’ll be Southern California Thursday July 24th at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach and Friday July 25 at Levitt Pavillion in MacArthur Park supporting her latest album), Phanie and Jenn decided to put together a new band, FEA, with singer Theresa Moher and guitarist Aaron Lee Magana. Raw with no frills, FEA’s music puts the punk back into punk rock.

The venue they played at, AMPLYFi, seemed to be the perfect setting for their Riot Grrrl music. It was a small, unassuming venue that seemed to be on par with the “do it yourself” Riot Grrrl mentality of the 90s. Their set was relatively short but it was as aggressive and shredding. They even threw in a little rockabilly flavor covering Wanda Jackson’s “Fujiyama Mama”.

Only time will tell whether Phanie and Jenn keep this musical incarnation going; I’m just glad I got to see them do their thing.

If unadulterated Riot Grrrl punk rock is your cup of tea, I suggest you follow FEA on Facebook by CLICKING HERE.

I’ll have to admit, I had a difficult getting any real quality shots at this venue. I used my DSRL, but lacking true proficiency at adjusting settings to accommodate for the quickly change lighting and the low light, and not having the greatest aperture, I’m thinking I probably could have snapped better pics with my point and shoot. C’est la vie. Practice, practice, practice … I’m hoping, will lead to perfect.

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