University of San Diego Radio

Seeing Pink Martini in concert typically raises a lot of questions. Why are there fourteen people performing? Why is there a harp and a set of bongos on stage at the same time? What language is the vocalist singing in? Could the pianist look any more similar to a leprechaun? The short explanation would be that the band is from Portland, Oregon. For anyone who has been there, this answer will suffice but for those who haven’t, I should explain.

Pink Martini is a self described “mini-orchestra” from the Pacific Northwest. Thomas Lauderdale, the leprechaunesque pianist, joined forces with China Forbes at Harvard University where the two would practice music. Upon graduation, Thomas returned to his native Portland and in three years later in 1994, he contacted China to invite her to join his fledgling group known as Pink Martini.

Since then, the group has released four full-length studio albums each with a distinct sound. Unique isn’t a strong enough word. One song may be a French lullaby, the next a Mariachi jam followed by an ancient Japanese hymn. With this in mind, I’m tempted to put them under the heading of World music but each track is so different I don’t think that would be fair. The only consistency in their music is the variety. While I’ve never seen any proof, I have a suspicion that Thomas and China are striving to be the first group to record in every language. Until that is realized, I’ll continue to admire China for singing in English, French, Croatian, Greek, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian (to name a few).

Seeing the group live is every bit as confounding as listening to their music. For example, the recent show I attended at the Hollywood Bowl featured a plethora of unannounced guest vocalists including NPR White House correspondent Ari Shapiro, burgeoning playwright Rufus Wainwright Jr., aging film star Jane Powell and the cast of Sesame Street. Writing this, it sounds ridiculous. What kind of group can even hope for a cohesive performance when it has to balance an 81 year old soprano, the cast of a children’s TV show and the entire Hollywood Bowl Orchestra? Somehow, Pink Martini did it, and did it with ease. Sesame Street was a crowd-favorite. When they arrived onstage, the entire collection of performers broke into a medley of kids tunes. If you had a childhood in the last forty years – and those odds are pretty good – you’d have recognized plenty of pieces: C is for Cookie, Manamana, Sing a Song, and One of These Things is Not Like the Other.

The crowd – 18,000 strong – soaked up every minute of the performance like musical sponges. Of course, inhibitions on this particular night were surely lowered judging by the number of wine bottles being passed around. Taking advantage of the venue’s relaxed policy towards picnics, concert-goers all around unpacked a seemingly endless host of confections. Wine and cheese were the order of the day but Pink Martini’s sophistication was offset by plenty of Hostess snacky cakes, Doritos and cheap beer. I felt like a fool for showing up empty handed. I took a mental note for next time.

In a perfect finish, the band (along with their guests) signed off with a swinging Samba beat as fireworks overhead took to the sky. On an uncomfortable wooden bench in the hills of Hollywood, I took in the spectacle and thought how I could sum up the experience in a concert review. As a wall of sparklers rained on the performers below, the word came to me: eclectic.

Listen for Pink Martini on the Young Nastyman and Wonderboy Show, Wednesday nights at 9.

- Tom “Wonderboy” Roth

If Junip’s new album Fields sounds familiar, it’s probably because of Jose Gonzalez. For the Zero 7 fans out there, you’ll recognize his voice from tracks like “Futures” and “Left Behind” on their album, The Garden. A side-project of Gonzalez’s, Junip shares many of Zero 7’s qualities while differing ever so slightly as to not sound like a knock-off.

Fields’ is a simple album. The rhythms are simple, the melodies are simple and the more than anything, the lyrics are simple. A quick glance at an online lyrics page shows each song’s frankness: short lines, short stanzas, lots of repetition. The uncomplicated words of Fields fits right in with Gonzalez’s delivery. His near-murmur on tracks like “Howl” sounds like a hypnotist lulling you into a deep sleep and you have no choice but to follow him into a relaxing calm. That being said, Fields is a good candidate for your “Sleepytime” playlist.

Carrying Gonzalez’s therapeutic chanting is Elias Araya’s contribution on drums. As simple as the lyrics, Fields’ rhythms fade in and out against the melodic synthesizer but remain constant throughout each track. As Araya’s holds down the tempo, the band’s third member, Tobias Winterkorn (who’s in this year’s running for Best Name) adds some melodic zazz to the mix. Easing in some tonal variation that gives Fields its lullaby-sound, Winterkorn joins his fellow band-member in persuading the listener to stop whatever they are doing and take a nap.

The floating songs found on Fields are perfect for fans of Zero 7 or anyone looking for the musical equivalent of a stress ball. Throw this album on when it’s time to chill out and let Gonzalez hum and strum your problems away.

- Tom “Wonderboy” Roth

Check out Emarosa on 10/30 at Soma...

Summer quickly came to a close, but there is still plenty of wonderful music to explore. On June 29^th Kentucky natives, Emarosa, released their self-titled follow-up to their 2008 full album debut, Relativity. Since their first release, they have made great strides in progressing their music. Here, they take their post-hardcore roots and mix it with a more alternative sound to create a nice blend of powerful instrumentals and solid clean lyrics. On this album, Emarosa avoid the potential “sophomore slump” and are at their best both musically and lyrically, creating something that will surely capture your mind.

Each member’s talent shines through on this album. The guitar riffs are surprisingly complex and lively and the drumming grips you. They each have their moments that amaze you. Both draw you into the music, but they never overpower each other. The perfect example of this is, “Share the Sunshine Young Blood,” where the intro riff quickly catches your attention, while twenty-five seconds in, the drumming blows you away. The drumming particularly grabs a hold of you on the intro track, “A Toast to the Future Kids!” This track sets the mood of the whole album and displays the incredible talent of drummer, Lukas Koszewski. Each track smoothly transitions from one to another, giving the feeling that the album is composed of one epic song.

What really stands out on the album is vocalist’s, Jonny Craig, amazing singing. Craig has been slowly building up his reputation in the scene; starting with his previous stints as vocalist for the bands Ghost Runner on Third and Dance Gavin Dance, not to mention his successful solo work. He is able to transition from subtle, soulful lows to high pitch wails that bring a dramatic feeling to each song and pack a real emotional punch. On the track, “Broken vs The Way We Were Born,” the grittiness in the chorus fits magnificently with the both the drumming and guitar lines. The lyrics don’t fall short of the voice either. It is a lyrically stunning album. Each lyric has a special meaning that’s built on lessons from Craig’s past.

This album is so stunning that you just wish it were a little longer; it leaves you craving for more each play through. The minute you hit play you instantly are drawn into the rhythmic pounding of the percussion and soulful singing. If you listen to other acts such as Dance Gavin Dance, Chiodos, Pierce the Veil, or Broadway be sure to give Emarosa’s new album a spin.

Shipping Up to Boston...

One of the more seasoned bands of this year’s Warped Tour, Dropkick Murphys, who have been together for almost 15 years, have been headlining on the Main Stage all summer long. Shortly before their set, we were able to spend some time talking to drummer Matt Kelly about the origin of their sound, the effects of their songs being placed in popular movies, and 15 years of having fun.

When the band came together and began playing music in 1996, their unique celtic-punk sound was developed as a sort of no-brainer to the guys in the band. Kelly says that Celtic music is something that all the members of the band grew up surrounded by, due to the fact that Boston has the largest population of people of Irish descent outside of Ireland. The initial response to their first song as a band, “Barroom Hero,” was that they sounded like “the Irish Ramones,” which the band thought was “pretty damn cool.” From there, the band’s music has continued to evolve, with “all kinds of crazy instruments being thrown in after a while,” says Kelly.

After being together for several years, the bands experienced boosts in popularity in 2004 with the movie Fever Pitch, 2005′s MVP Baseball 2005 soundtrack, and The Departed in 2006. Their song from The Departed, “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” also became the walkout song of Boston closeout pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, which, as Red Sox fans, was really cool for the band. Kelly says that the exposure of their music to a mainstream audience did increase their popularity, but did not necessarily impact all areas of the band’s sales. While there was a noticeable increase in record sales, and more people began listening to their music, this still did not have much of an impact on ticket sales, as only a small percentage of a band’s fans will come out to live shows anyway. Kelly says that their new popularity came with a type of “local notoriety,” and that they began to actually be recognized walking down the street, and which still kind of freaks them out. The most amusing part, Kelly says, is that people in Boston would keep thinking that they are a new band, despite the fact that they had been playing shows around Boston for years.

For Dropkick Murphys, Kelly says it is their fifth or sixth time on Warped Tour, and they always enjoy doing it, although it is a very tough tour to be on, as the bands are “at the mercy of the conditions.” He says that their favorite part about the tour is playing with a bunch of the bands that they look up to. Some of the bands they have enjoyed touring with this year include Face to Face, Andrew W.K., and Pennywise, says Kelly. The key, Kelly says, to staying together for so long is that “we realize we are just a bunch of dudes that love to play music, and are lucky to be where we are.” He goes on to say that some tips for being on the road are to “take care of yourself, try to be as healthy as you can be… and just be smart.” Dropkick Murphys will also never drink before they perform on stage, which is much unlike a lot of their fellow bands. They just want to give their fans the best show that they possible can.

Kelly says that Dropkick Murphys will still play some local shows around Boston, but usually only if they are for some type of charity, or in support of a local cause. Other than that, they try to refrain from playing too many local shows. After Warped Tour, the band will be heading into the studio this fall to begin recording for a new album. This album will most likely be followed be some tour dates, and any updates can be found at the band’s website, www.dropkickmurphys.com

Between scheduled interviews, I was presented with the opportunity to interview currently unsigned band The Early Strike. With their high-energy pop-punk sound, they are showing great promise as up-and-comers in today’s punk music scene.

According to lead vocalist Ryan, the band originally started with him and Brit, originally from Texas and Florida, who later moved to Los Angeles and found the other two members, John and Eric. The foursome then began playing local shows around Los Angeles, and last year played some of the California dates on Warped Tour. This year’s Warped Tour was their first one playing dates outside of California, after joining the tour on August 1st. Although they have a very unique sound, Ryan says that being unique has worked in their favor because the crowd will hear something that stands out from the rest of the noise and stick around to check them out. From there, it has been the bands goal to “win the crowd over with the set.”

The Early strike are currently playing shows in support of the album they released in March, titled Ten Outta Ten. In addition to playing some dates on this year’s warped tour, the band will be playing a show at the House of Blues in Anaheim on August 24th, and will then go on to play some tour dates in Brazil, which they are all very excited about. Ten Outta Ten is currently available for download on iTunes, and while the band can be found at www.theearlystrike.com, most of their information can be found on the band’s Myspace page.

Mayday Parade cruises through town on the Fearless Friends tour soon...

While Mayday Parade are enjoying their third year on Warped Tour, I was able to spend some time talking to lead vocalist Derek Sanders about their most recent album, working with both Fearless and Atlantic records, upcoming tour and album plans, and their former vocalist’s departure and formation of Go Radio.

Mayday Parade is a pop-punk band from Tallahassee, Florida, which Sanders said was formed by himself and some other friends that were floating around the music scene at the time. Mayday Parade mainly formed from two different bands, and came together officially in 2005. Most of the band has remained together, although former vocalist Jason Lancaster departed in April of 2007 for “personal reasons” and formed the band Go Radio. Although there was apparently some controversy surrounding the departure of Lancaster, Sanders says that there are currently no hard feelings, and they will in fact be touring with Go Radio on the upcoming Fearless Friends Tour. Sanders went on to say that Mayday Parade is “very supportive” of Lancaster’s new band.

Mayday parade released their latest album, Anywhere but Here, in October of 2009, and while on Warped Tour Sanders says they have been playing “a good balance of new stuff and old stuff” and that so far the response to their new material has been mostly positive, and that it has been going over very well with the Warped Tour crowd, despite the increasing number of hardcore-punk bands and fans in attendance on the tour. Sanders also says that even though their sound may be a little lighter than some of the other bands on the tour, there is still plenty of respect between bands. When asked which bands he goes out of his way to see on the tour, Sanders stated Four Year Strong, Pierce the Veil, and Enter Shikari as some of his personal favorites.

In addition to the Fearless Friends Tour, which begins in October and will be headlined by Mayday Parade, the band will also begin work on a new album, which Sanders says they are all very excited to begin work on, and will be released under Atlantic records. When asked about working with Atlantic, Sanders simply says that “it has been very different, but still a positive experience.”

Up-to-date tour information, as well as information on the upcoming record, can be found on the band’s Myspace page as well as at www.maydayparade.com

Although this year’s Warped Tour has been dominated by many hardcore-punk and pop-punk bands, there is one band that joined the last leg of the tour with a different genre of music from the Warped Tour norm. Deas Vail, a Christian indie-rock band from Arkansas may seem like an odd fit among this year’s line-up, but they have managed to prove themselves at every tour date they play.

The members of Deas Vail came together while attending college in Arkansas, where there is no longer much of a music scene, which the members of the band agree can have both its pros and cons. The band says some of the problems with starting in Arkansas include the necessity of going to outside states to do shows, because there are not many people that support the local music scene in Arkansas. However, coming from a small town makes it easy to stand out from the crowd, whereas in places like Los Angeles and Nashville, it can be easy to fade into the background, or as vocalist Wes Blaylock stated, “become white noise.” Blaylock also said that they will often go out and play shows around the country that will have a great turnout, then come back and play a show in Arkansas with a fraction of the crowd they experienced elsewhere.

Although openly Christian, they say that there has been no problem fitting in with the rest of the bands on the tour, and they have still been able to attract their own crowd each day. When asked if they interact with any other Christian bands on the tour, such as Haste the Day, vocalist Blaylock says that they have definitely been able to connect with a few other Christian guys, and that there is nothing better than being able to talk to other people about the inner joy that Christianity brings.

When asked about the type of music the band is influenced by, Blaylock says that everybody has a very eclectic taste in music, so they all bring the different styles of music that they listen to to the table. However, there are some bands that are always safe to play on the tour bus. These bands include Radiohead, Coldplay, Muse, Wilco and, most recently, Phoenix. Some of the influence of those bands can most definitely be heard in the music that they produce, as well as a hint of Death Cab for Cutie, although none of the members of the band listed them as being on the tour bus “safe list.”

Although there are no tour plans following their Warped Tour dates, you can check out Deas Vail’s most recent album, Birds & Cages, which was released in October 2009 and can be found on iTunes and Amazon.com. You can also stay updated on the band on Myspace and deasvail.com.

Aaaaaaooooookkkkkiiiii

FRIDAY

by The Coto Twins

Ask an average person what the Electric Daisy Carnival is and they will probably say anything from “I don’t know” to “that electric music concert at the Coliseum.” Ask someone who was there and they’ll say “awesome,” “amazing,” “massive.” As of now, Electric Daisy Carnival is the largest electronic music event outside of Europe. Attendance reached 185,000 during two nights of heavy beats, mind-bending art and neon lights. The lineup of DJs this year included some of the best electro, drum n bass, trance, house and dubstep music in the world today.

DJ Chuckie

This Dutch DJ played his signature songs, including “Let the Bass Kick,” and a remix of LMFAO. Considering how early in the evening his set was (6 p.m.), he did a great job of getting the crowds at the main field started for a night of fun and dancing. We tried to get an interview with this founder of the ‘Dirty Dutch’ house concept, but, unfortunately, schedules conflicted and we couldn’t. Either way, his set was impressive.

Evol Intent

Unfortunately, Evol Intent was the only drum n bass act that we got to see on Friday night, but they brought it as hard as anyone would have wanted. Not only did they bring their familiar fast-paced rhythms, but they included some of the dirtiest dubstep of the whole event.

Armand van Helden

Armand van Helden, as always, came with a heavy set that kept everyone dancing, even to the final hours of Friday night. He played some of his own hits like “Witch Doctor” and a remix of his “NYC Beat.” He even played some very interesting remixes of “Raven” by Proxy, and the Bloody Beetroots’ “Warp 1.9.”

Swedish House Mafia

If you were at Swedish House Mafia Friday night, then you saw what was probably the best set of the weekend.  There had been much buzz about the DJ trio prior to their set and what seemed like all of Los Angeles packed into the coliseum in anticipation. With the field and stands filled up, Swedish House Mafia did not disappoint. Song after song had every last person on their feet and dancing as they dropped a perfect balance between memorable classics and cutting edge techno with songs such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction,” as well as the original mix of “One.” From start to finish, Swedish House Mafia’s set proved to be a spectacular performance that has undoubtedly established the group as premier members of the DJ world.

Deadmau5

Deadmau5 is perhaps the biggest Canadian DJ to hit the house scene in America, and Friday night he definitely proved it. With an epic set of classic songs, Deadmau5 did not disappoint. With his awesome build ups and pounding beats, Deadmau5 had the crowd moving the entire set. Perhaps the craziest part of Deadmau5’s set was his new visuals.  With a giant green-lit mouse helmet sitting atop a giant green cube, his visuals proved to be a real trip.

Manufactured Superstars

This Colorado duo comprised of Brad Roulier and Shawn Sabo definitely put on a great set. Playing earlier in the day at the Neon Garden, the Manufactured Superstars dropped some great techno beats that got everyone moving. Accompanied by onstage dragons and geisha girls, the duo really got the crowd warmed up for the night to come.

Steve Aoki

As the owner of the Dim Mak record label, Steve Aoki has discovered some of the most hard hitting and explosive artists on the electronic scene today. While is expertise as a record label owner is undeniable, one can only truly enjoy Aoki’s work once he takes the stage. With a combination of hard hitting techno and metal, Steve Aoki had the entire crowd moving.  Whether they were dancing or moshing, the crowd at the Cosmic Meadow Stage was in no way prepared for the surprise Aoki had in store. Halfway through his set, Steve Aoki cut the music and prepared to introduce his special guest.  With the crowd waiting in anticipation, Rivers Cuomo, frontman of Weezer, walked out on stage and grabbed a mic. The following couple of minutes became one of the most mind blowing moments of the entire weekend. Singing over some great techno beats, Cuomo offered a fresh sound to Aoki’s thumping style, and even sang the classic “Hashpipe.”

After Midnight Project, an alternative-rock band from Los Angeles, are enjoying the last few dates of Warped Tour 2010. This has been their third time on the tour, and has been an excellent fan-building experience for the band, who released their now-platinum single “Take Me Home” in June of 2009, with their album Let’s Build Something to Break released the following August. The band played two weeks in 2008, then 80% of the tour the following year, with this year being their first time playing for the entire tour. For two members of the band, their bassist Travis and drummer Ryan Folden, it is the first Warped Tour, as they joined two weeks before the tour began.

Guitarist Spencer Bastian, who did most of the talking for the band, says that their success is due, in large part, to Capone of San Diego’s 91X. Bastian says that Capone was one of the first to play “Take Me Home” on 91X, leading to its enormous popularity in San Diego and Los Angeles. Bastian also credits Capone with helping the band to get signed.

According to Bastian, the band dates back to 2004, when singer Jason Evigan started writing and recording songs on his own, for a music project he had titled After Midnight Project. Evigan was later joined by Bastian, and then guitarist Christian Meadows, with former members Danny Morris and TJ Armstrong joining soon after. Bastian says that the sound they developed together is inspired by a lot of 90′s music, from artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, and Deftones.

As an alternative-rock band, After Midnight Project has stood out on Warped Tour year after year. Bastian says that it was daunting at first to play to crowds that are into heavier, hardcore-punk music, but that they have enjoyed the challenge of proving themselves. AMP, who are known for their high-energy shows, have had no problem attracting a crowd though. In fact, Bastian says that they read on Twitter the other day that one Warped Tour attendee claims that After Midnight Project was one of their two favorite shows of the day. Bastian says that the crowd has been very open to their music, and that they have been able to gather a large amount of fans from their performances on this year’s Warped Tour.

After Warped Tour, the band has no official tour plans, as they will begin working on their next record. According to Bastian, the band has a lot of material dating back to 2005 that they are eager to begin working with, as well as some fresh material being developed. So once finished with the tour they will enter the studio to start hashing out some songs for an upcoming record. Bastian says that they will also be playing a show on September 4^th in their hometown of Los Angeles, where they continue to play local shows.

The band’s debut full-length album, Let’s Build Something to Break, is available now online and in stores, and updates on the band’s activities can be found on their myspace and twitter, as well as the band’s website, www.aftermidnightproject.com.