University of San Diego Radio

Biffy Clyro's latest release, "Only Revolutions," proves that the band has potential to make it big in the States.

After two certified gold albums in the United Kingdom, the forces behind Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro have launched a new campaign to break through to a bigger audience in America. With marketing and promotions in full swing, the band’s latest album, Only Revolutions, has certainly found the praise of Internet bloggers, radio DJs and the average listener alike. In many ways, it seems that this current album will be the one that breaks Biffy Clyro through to the United States on a much wider level – for a multitude of reasons.

The overall final product of Only Revolutions is one that provides a solid mix of rock-oriented music. Some songs provide aggressive rock riffs while others, such as the band’s current single, “Many of Horror,” present simple heartfelt lyrics that transition to symphonic anthems. The songs are relatable and playful, yet filled with incredible amounts of emotion. First-time listeners will draw similarities to fellow UK band Snow Patrol, yet will undoubtedly find the distinct edge that makes Biffy Clyro unique. For their newest album, Biffy Clyro worked once again with producer Garth Richardson at the famed Ocean Way studios in Los Angeles. Many of the lyrics seem to come from guitarist Simon Neil’s perspectives on relationships.

Without a doubt, Biffy Clyro has become a band known for their high-energy live shows. As a three-piece band, the group performs without the additional support of other touring members – a remarkable feat considering the musical output of the band. A certainly unique aspect of Biffy Clyro is the fact that all three members sing on recordings. While Simon acts as the lead vocalist, brothers James Johnston and Ben Johnston provide harmonies that add to the fullness of the individual songs. The acclaimed live shows and popularity across the Atlantic have led to the band being an opener for acts such as Muse, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Rolling Stones and The Who. When they band headlines their own shows, they’ve booked venues as large as 10,000 people. However, when the band played in San Diego last week, they served as the opener for Manchester Orchestra at the House of Blues. This division in venue size from one side of the pond to the other is absolutely amazing.

If one is to look at musical trends throughout the history of rock music certain things can become increasingly clear – popularity in the United Kingdom can be a great predictor of the success of a band in the United States. Classic acts such as The Beatles and modern success stories such as Kings of Leon all found their initial fame across the Atlantic. With the continued push of Biffy Clyro, I’m sure that they’ll break through and achieve the same amount of success that the band has had in England.

Biffy Clyro Rocks the House of Blues

some delicious looking foie gras, no?

For those who do not watch Top Chef, “foie gras” is a staple fancy food that is simply a fatty goose liver. That sounds like something you would never want to consume, right? Wrong. Believe it or not, foie gras is surprisingly delicious. It is a straight up party in your mouth. That’s the correlation I would like to make with Asher Roth’s new mixtape, Seared Foie Gras with Quince & Cranberry. You never really thought you would like it, but some of it is devilishly good. Unfortunately, I would have to say that the mediocre songs outnumber the good or even great songs, and it probably is something you will not indulge in frequently, just like foie gras.

The best part of this album, hands down, is the gorgeous assortment of samples that Roth uses to rap over. Samples seem to have always been the moneymaker for Roth. Whether it is the Ben Kweller sample in “Fallin’” or the Weezer sample in “I Love College,” Roth has an obscenely acute ear for great hooks. This is brilliantly exemplified in “F*ck The Money,” the standout track from the mixtape. Add rapper B.O.B. and producer Kanye West to the scene, and you have a jam. The piano and lyrics from Joni Mitchell’s “River” are so obscure that it is simply refreshing to listen to some pretty tight raps over the fresh loop.

“Hot Wangs” is another great example of a hot sample, pun intended. Produced by the ever-melodious Will.I.Am, “Hot Wangs” samples Talib Kweli and Will.I.Am’s “Hot Thang.” The guitar hook is nothing short of hypnotizing. I challenge you to listen to this song without nodding your head – good luck.

As I am sure you apt readers have noticed through my slick name-dropping skills, this mixtape has some unbelievable producers attached. It is a venerable Grammy parade. As the grand marshal of this marvelous procession of producers is Grammy-nominated Madlib with “Muddy Swim Trunks,” a decent little ditty to kick off the album. This is directly followed by the Grammy-winning hip hop genius of RZA with “Toni Braxton.” In case you are not impressed yet, let me throw a few more names on the table. How about Grammy-winning Timbaland on “Cumbaya”? Does that do anything for you? Maybe these rap producers are doing nothing for you; that’s fair. But if you are willing to forget the Grammy credibility, how about a remix of Roth’s “Sour Patch Kids” featuring Talib Kweli and Blu that is produced by – wait for it – Travis freakin’ Barker. Needless to say, this song is like a flashlight in a field of candles.

On another note, regrettably one of the best parts of this album is also one of the worst. You might notice how I’ve been calling this album a mixtape almost the whole review. The reason for that is the way that DJ Wreckineyez has mixed the album together. It is interwoven smoother than a cashmere sweater. I really appreciate the subtlety and skill involved in making several songs into one seamless track, but, unfortunately, the times of the songs are a bit off. Due to this you may have 10 seconds of another song leading in at the beginning of a song, or you may have none. It makes listening to individual tracks kind of a chore. You can get into what you hear immediately, but chances are, it has no correlation to the song you are actually about to hear. To make matters worse, this release is just not good enough to listen to the entire tape every time you want to hear some Joni Mitchell or a Travis Barker remix. If you can look past the editing, however, you absolutely have to take a look at some of these tunes. I recommend “Toni Braxton,” “F*ck The Money” and “Con-fid-ence.” Unfortunately, these tracks are too explicit to sample here, but you can find the entire album online.

Asher Roth’s Myspace

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Hello Everyone, thanks so much for tuning in to Late Night Trance.  Hopefully you caught the live show this week since USD Radio was back up, but if not here is the recorded show.  Great show this week with some awesome new trance tracks so make sure to check it out!

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Over the past couple weeks I have been corresponding via e-mail and MySpace with Ivan Jacquez of local band Add the Color. Jacquez was kind enough to answer all my questions with plenty of detail, so rather than turning everything into my own words, I decided to leave the interview in question and answer format so you can hear everything straight from him.

MS: How long has the band been together and how was it formed?

IJ: We have fully been a band since August 2009. The way we came together is I had a bunch of songs written and roughly recorded that I had done by myself, so I thought I’d give it a shot and start a full band and play those songs live and see how it would go. Omar started playing drums almost at the same time that I started so he would catch on right away, and seeing that his family and mine are very close, it was only right to have him in the band. BJ was the last addition to the band. At first I was going to play bass and sing, then I would just find a guitar player. Then I figured it would be a lot easier to teach someone the bass parts, then a buddy told me to get a hold of this kid BJ, and so far he’s been great, I’m stoked on him.

MS: What are some of your musical influences?

IJ: We all listen to a lot of different stuff. I listen to a lot of Indie stuff like The Cure, Jason Mraz and The Temper Trap, but where my heart is at is pop punk like Blink-182, New Found Glory and Greenday. I think most people would probably say we sound like Blink…even though its really cliche to say that being from  San Diego haha, but hey, we’re not gonna fight it!

MS: What do you find yourself writing about most in your songs?

IJ: Girls haha! But we have songs about dancing and just having a good time.

MS: What can you tell us about your upcoming EP?

IJ: Our EP is almost done, we just need to redo some stuff here and there, but it’s coming and sounding really good. We’re doing it all at my house, so that gives us time to add more to it and make it a masterpiece!

MS: Do you write the songs yourself, or is it a more collaborative process?

IJ: There’s about five songs that I completely wrote by myself that I wrote before forming the band that we still play, but now we all add to the songs. I’ll write the structure and a melody, BJ will write harmonies and other melodies that I would have never even thought of and Omar will have a beat in mind that works. So the writing process is really exciting.

MS: Is there any kind of message you try to convey through your music or as a band?

IJ:  If there’s a message in our band it is to just play what you think sounds good, and that every song can be different.

MS: Do you have any upcoming shows in San Diego or elsewhere?

IJ: As of right now we don’t have any coming up. We just played at SOMA with Get Back Loretta , which, by the way, they rule.

MS: Are there any tour plans once your EP has been released?

IJ: Actually we have never talked about touring or anything like that. Would we want to? Hell yes! Haha. But maybe once we’re more known, maybe next year?

MS: What other bands would you recommend for fans of your music?

IJ: For fans of our music you should definitely check out our boys in Plane Without A Pilot and our girlfriends in Hide The Details!

“Right Here Right Now”

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Make sure to check out Add the Color at myspace.com/addthecolor.

Beyond Wonderland, an electronic music festival held last Saturday, March 20, in San Bernardino, was one of the best events I have ever been to, and I am willing to bet the majority of people who attended the event feel the same way. The vibe at the event was great, with everyone helping each other out and enjoying the music.
The location of the event, the NOS Events Center, was fantastic. Parking was plentiful and made it very easy and convenient to get to the actual event. The festival area included five stages, which were mostly old airport hangar buildings and one large tent for the main stage. The area was completely decorated, with light balls in all the trees and various artwork around the grounds. Each stage had performers and an dancers with amazing lighting and “Alice in Wonderland” theme. One of the best aspects of the event was that it was not overcrowded. Although there were a lot of people and the event sold out by the day of the show, there was plenty of room to walk around between the stages and plenty of room for dancing. Lines to get into the event were also not as long as other events I have attended.
Insomniac, the same company that runs Electronic Daisy Carnival (EDC) and Nocturnal, put on the event. After attending EDC last summer and seeing how well Insomniac runs events, I was very excited for Beyond Wonderland. Beyond Wonderland is a new event started this year. Insomniac used to produce Nocturnal Wonderland, which later turned into Nocturnal Festival.
Nocturnal Festival is still running and will occur on Sept. 25. Viewed now as “sister” festivals, Nocturnal has moved to be a “darker” festival, and with the creation of the new Beyond Wonderland theme, Insomniac hoped to bring back the vibes of the original Nocturnal Festival. They hoped to create “an exciting new environment that is sure to enliven, stimulate the senses and delight all of those who have been seeking a return to the amazing hues and vibrancy of our original Wonderland event.” Insomniac accomplished this, and more.
The musical talent at Beyond Wonderland was unprecedented, with some of the biggest DJs in the world present. Big headliners included Paul Van Dyk, Sander Van Doorn, Christopher Lawrence, Bart B More, Wippenberg, Groove Armada, Sander Kleinenberg and Robbie Rivera. Each of the five stages had a different type of electronic music: trance, house, jungle and dub-step, giving everyone different options to enjoy.

Wippenberg

When I first arrived at the festival I watched part of Wippenberg’s set. He played an amazing set, and a lot of songs the crowd knew to get them involved. Next, I watched some of Donald Glaude’s set.  I saw him play at Street Scene last year in San Diego and really enjoyed his set, but I wasn’t particularly impressed with his set at Beyond Wonderland, although he does have one of the best stage presences I have ever seen, using the microphone to pump up the crowd.
After that I went to watch Christopher Lawrence. He played a hard trance set which I really enjoyed. Then I went and watched some of Bart B More’s set. He was playing funky house, which isn’t what I usually listen to but the crowd was loving it. Finally, I made my way back to watch both Sander Van Doorn and Paul Van Dyk play at the main tent. Both of them played amazing sets. Van Dyk has been one of my favorite DJs since I started listening to electronic music and I was very excited to see him again. He never fails to put on a great show and was a great way to end the night.
Overall, Beyond Wonderland was a great new event and will definitely be worth checking out next year.  If you missed it, make sure to check out Insomniac’s next major festival, Electronic Daisy Carnival on June 25 and 26 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

While you may have first heard Animal Collective by way of a blog post, dancing to “My Girls” at a party, or on a television commercial (Crayola has always been awesome), you probably had not yet come across any song from Campfire Songs. Recorded in a single session on an outdoor porch, the five dreamy songs making up this 2003 release do not shine for their commercial quality, but for their acoustic freedom and ambient effect.

One might assume that this acoustic release would get more popularity than their other releases that combine electronic instruments with wild lyrics and hypnotic effects, such as 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavillion. But their mild guitars accompanied by Panda Bear’s honestly beautiful vocals went relatively unnoticed. Released originally in 2003 by Catsup Plate, Campfire Songs was reissued by Paw Tracks in January, aiming to keep the  CD in print for as long as possible. Upon listening, it is clear this was the right decision.

“Queen in My Pictures” introduces the calming essence of the Maryland porch environment, with insect and water noises accompanying the light guitar strumming. The beat picks up towards the end and the lyrics become an almost tribal chant.

The transition into “Doggy” is seamless, and leads to a feeling different from that of “Queen in My Pictures.” “Doggy” is fast-paced and catchier, a song that you want to sing along to. About halfway through, Panda Bear’s vocals encompass you with their beautiful “ooohs” and “aahs.”

As you begin listening to “Two Corvettes,” you start to pick up on the campfire feel of the album. These guys become your friends, playing music for you outdoors while you just appreciate your natural surroundings. Even the lyrics speak of going for a ride in a Corvette while your hair blows in the breeze. But as the guitars become frantic and the rain falls more heavily, the atmosphere changes, leading into the next track.

“Moo Rah Rah Rain” begins with the chanting of the title, with the actual rain and thunder easily heard in the background. The lyrics themselves seem to float above the music, a wistful soundscape driven by the water and bird calls. This 11-minute song is perfect music to fall asleep to, relax to or hike to.

The album reaches its end with “De Soto De Son.” Interestingly, Panda Bear’s voice here at times reminds me of WHY?’s Yoni Wolf. This song doesn’t drag on as many 11-minute songs from contemporary bands seem to do. Though it is the last track on the album, I wish it were not. I just want there to be more.

Go pick up a copy of Campfire Songs, unless, of course, you already did seven years ago.

- Kelsey Perry

“Doggy”

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I think it must say somewhere that with a name like Rocky you must devote some of your time to folk music. That is what I feel Rocky Votolato has done with his 2010 release, True Devotion. He has created the music he felt he had to produce, rather than produce songs that are original with stimulating lyrics.

Votolato proves that he is a practiced, skillful musician, as the guitar mixes with harmonica and his warm vocal tone. But the songs themselves, in structure and in lyrics, lack what Votolato clearly has with his instruments. Though I cannot say this album is not enjoyable, there are no standout pieces in my mind. The album is merely pleasant and present. I could imagine an afternoon of making tea and cuddling with man or pet to this album, but I would like some adventure too – lyrics that make me think and songs that make me want to see what is next for the artist. Maybe Votolato will save that for his next release, or at least I hope he can showcase his talent in a more original and stimulating way.

- Kelsey Perry

“Sparklers”

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DJ sets should begin around 9:30 p.m.  Ryan Brennan will be going first so make sure to come out early.  Before student DJ sets begin, DJ Beatnick will be spinning.  Come help support one of only two non-greek organizations competing.  Hope to see you all there!

For more information search “USD Greek Week 2010: SUPERHERO BATTLES” on Facebook to find the event page.

TOBACCO to release second album, "Maniac Meat" on May 25th. See him at the Casbah on March 24th.

Tom Fec, aka TOBACCO, is your new favorite musician, and I’ll tell you why. He can never have a bad singing voice, he’s comparable to greats such as Daft Punk and Ratatat and his music is a little psychedelic, a little hip hop/dubstep/whathaveyou and a lot badass; some might say it’s like nothing you’ve ever heard before (unless you’ve listened to his first solo album, F*cked Up Friends, or his side project, Black Moth Super Rainbow).

Fec comes across as a pretty stand up, creative guy. He claims that he tries to make simple, catchy songs that are pop-esque, but when you listen to his albums, they are nowhere near the type of pop music you’ve grown accustomed to. Simple and catchy yes, but Britney status? Never.

“It’s just what I want to hear at the time,” Fec said when explaining what his music means to him. “It gets harder and harder to impress myself with the stuff that I do.” And that is understandable. When the only live instruments are synths and drums, and the rest of the sounds are voice distortion and samples, some musicians would probably get stuck in a rut. But not Fec. Fec’s newest album, Maniac Meat, to be released on Anticon Records May 25th, is quite impressive. Featuring the vocals of Beck on two of the tracks and providing listeners with some pretty intriguing lyrics and moods, the album is what I would consider a workout pumper-upper, a pre-party makeup putter-onner, a driving to school on a Tuesday ready-for-business attitude adjuster or just a simple passing the time thought-provoker/thought-allower. Notice I didn’t say a crazy soundtrack for your trip, a descriptor commonly used for his side project, Black Moth Super Rainbow’s music. This is very different.

Speaking of that side project which consists of more than one member, Fec has said in the past that he prefers working alone as opposed to collaborating with others. So why does he collaborate? “Sometimes I get in a funk and it’s good to hear what someone else can add. I feel like I started of on this weird mission to prove something to myself, and I think overall I really prefer working alone. But every once in a while you just wanna hear what someone else can do, and that can send you on a new path.” As far as the new album and working with Beck goes, “I was imagining his voice on it and that changed the way I was writing it, and then it turned out that months later I was able to actually do that and I think it was for the better.”

And what an amazing result that had. Beck’s signature voice can be heard on “Fresh Hex” and “Grape Aerosmith,” two of the many standout tracks on Maniac Meat. Others include the opener, “Constellation Dirtbike Head,” which boasts the lyric “Don’t eat the berries around you” (which I really like for some reason), “Mexican Icecream,” which brings to mind a dirtier Daft Punk and the summer season with lyrics like “You are my favorite day/ I’ll bring the sun to you” repeated over and over, “Sweatmother” which has a ‘90s hip hop feel until Fec’s distorted vocals kick in and the overall tone becomes much darker and “Overheater,” which is just pleasantly cool.

That’s not to say the other tracks are mediocre. They are just a little more violent, so to speak. For example, “Unholy Demon Rhythms,” which is a song one might hear when traveling between the different circles of hell in Dante’s Inferno, and also “Heavy Makeup,” the longest track on the album, whose lyrics consist mainly of “You got sick from a lolli lolli lollipop/ You feel free when you’re killing me.” This track brought to mind the film Hostel. Enough said.

I’d recommend this album if you’re a fan of Ratatat but think it can be a little weak, and if you’re a fan of Daft Punk but want something that makes you nod your head rather than dance your ass off. TOBACCO never gets boring and sounds new with every listen. Want to experience this mind-blowing music live? Get yourself to the Casbah on Wednesday the 24th (that’s next week) to see TOBACCO, The Hood Internet and Nice Nice. According to Fec, “It’s more like a DJ set, but it’s a little more than that. We’re developing this one character to kind of play along with the set. It’s mostly visual projection behind us, but I’m gonna have this other person…I don’t wann say for sure what he’s gonna do but it’s gonna be fun.”

Aren’t you glad your only class Thursday is at 2:30 in the afternoon? I am.

When Mette Lindberg of the Danish band The Asteroid Galaxy Tour calls Friday morning to talk to me from her apartment in Copehagen; it’s a call that I’ve been nervous about all week.
The nerves aren’t related to being starstruck. They instead come from a more subtle division in our cultures. Our 9 a.m. call means its 6 p.m. on a Friday night in Denmark, and, at 8:58 here, I still can’t seem to find the correct way to pronounce her name. When the call comes in, I cross my fingers, hoping she’ll forgive me for my American accent and a potential butcher of her name. We start to talk a bit and, as it turns out, she seems to be just as curious about the pronunciation of my name as I am of hers. I suppose the number of Bryces in Copenhagen must be somewhere near the number of Meetes running around in San Diego.
Through light conversation, laughter and comparisons between Copenhagen and San Diego, it dawns on me that Lindberg seems to be guiding this interview in an entirely different direction, a more laid-back and relaxed conversation. She tests my knowledge of Danish music as we talk about the music scene in Copenhagen, one that The Asteroid Galaxy Tour has become a staple of. It’s becoming clear to me that Lindberg, treats all people like good friends.
As the business aspect of the conversation begins, I can’t help but to touch upon the fame that the band has received following the success of having “Around the Bend” featured in an iPod Touch commercial. Lindberg tells me that when the band had only been together for a year, they hadn’t released any actual albums, but made the decision to release a few songs.
As someone at Apple heard “Around the Bend,” they thought it would be the perfect song for the soon-to-be-announced iPod Touch. The band signed off, jumping at the chance for exposure but thought the song wouldn’t really be used. They forgot about the potential commercial, and were unprepared for the sudden growth of fans. Because the band saw the death of the record industry as imminent, they wanted to start their own label to release their songs. Demand for the band quickly exceeded the output of the small label and Lindberg and Iversen (The Asteroid Galaxy Tour’s producer) decided to hit the road on European tours. Slots opening for Katy Perry and Amy Winehouse soon followed as well as a quick tour of the U.S.
October marked a new chapter for the band as they released their first full-length album titled “Fruit.” This album has expanded upon the success of the initial EPs while rounding out the dance pop feel with songs that seem to focus on more serious topics than seen before. Lindberg explains to me that the added songs on the full-length are some that Iversen has been working on for years. They tend to incorporate a more primal connection to sound while leading the listener along a lyrical search for something more. Overall, the album seems to be a wonderful blend of Iversen’s multi-instrumental genre blending arrangments and Lindberg’s’s soulful, yet striking, voice.
As I wrap up my call with Lindberg, we talk about the band’s upcoming show at the Casbah on March 21 with local favorite White Apple Tree. It turns out that she hates playing 21+ venues and she wishes there was a way to get all of her fans into the show. Her solution? “Any problems, – we will sneak them in!” she jokes. I wouldn’t hold her to it though. Underage listeners can just head to Los Angeles on March 23 to catch the band at Echo. Wherever you see them, you’ll be in for a treat, as The Asteroid Galaxy Tour has been known for their amazing live shows.

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