Bryce Carr | University of San Diego Radio

One eskimO Proves to be an Audio and Visual Hit

October 16, 2010 By bryce Leave a Comment

Courtesy One eskimO

Not often enough does music leave its traditional medium and embrace other opportunities to the touch the listener. Album art has become increasingly dull and no one seems to even touch physical albums anymore. Labels still give us this art (as thumbnails for iTunes) but no one really looks at that. With the music video and its conventional form dying years ago, many bands now must look other places to make an impact.

Such is the case for London band One eskimO. While the group was originally founded in 2004, lead singer Kristian Leontiou is no stranger to the music scene. Around the age of 19, Leontiou signed his first major label deal and had a top ten single the next year. His album went gold but he soon decided to take a break from his solo work and develop what became One eskimO. This group, with more of an acoustic-based sound has grown in popularity and worked to bridge soccer moms, hippie stoners, and intricate music lovers.

The band is no stranger to life on the road, opening for artists such as Michael Franti & Spearhead, Gomez, and Tori Amos all within the last two years. These tours have been mixed with headlining jaunts all around the US and Europe. Lead singer Leontiou, told me that the tour with Tori Amos rang in as unique and a big step for the group is it provided an proper introduction to America. It allowed the band to play new venues such as Radio City Music Hall and the Greek Theater.

Perhaps the thing that makes One eskimO so unique is their amazing endeavor into animated videos. For their self-titled release in 2009, the group coordinated with Passion Pictures (home to greats such as The Gorrilaz) to make videos for almost all of their songs. Leontiou explained that two initial videos from the album proved to be a giant hit. Numerous honors were received and the group had brief time to kill while their studio slot was on hold. This soon prompted eight more videos to be made in order to complete the visual album. The final result was a audio-visual masterpiece that proves exactly what can be done when mediums are combined correctly.

One eskimO will bring their tunes to Anthology this Tuesday night in downtown San Diego. They’re a must see for any fan of mellow or soulful music. It’s one part ambient, one part acoustic rock, and completely relaxing. Imagine them to be John Mayer or a more toned down Maroon 5 if they were able to retain any indie credibility.

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http://www.myspace.com/oneeskimo

Filed Under: Concerts, Interviews, USD Radio Tagged With: anthology, Bryce Carr, Concert, gorillaz, michael franti, one eskimo, tori amos, video

Chromeo Does It Night by Night

August 13, 2010 By bryce Leave a Comment

This Monday, Chromeo will bring their electro-funk to the House of Blues. It has been awhile since the guys have performed in San Diego and during that time many things have happened to the group.

For those unfamiliar with the group, Chromeo rose to popularity in 2004 with their debut album She’s in Control. Extensive touring and spots on the festival circuit landed the guys with even more success and acclaim. In 2007, Chromeo released Fancy Footwork, which spawned three singles and was followed by numerous tours.

On September 14^th, Chromeo will release Business Casual, an album guaranteed to get you on your feet and dance. Early listeners has reported that this album keeps the ‘80s synth feel while adding a bit more of a disco feel and some electric guitar work. It’s said to be catchy, with some songs having more of a Hot Chip vibe. One song, “When the Night Falls,” will feature guest vocals from Solange Knowles.

My interview with Dave left me with a few points that every Chromeo fan and soon to be convert should know.

In The Beginning…

When Dave and Patrick first came together, the two were in high school. Dave joined Patrick’s band and the two hated each other at first. They later worked out their differences and began to explore new music together, leading them toward the sound they have today. Growing up, the guys saw the electronic influence of everything from some notable figures. Dave’s brother is famed DJ A-Trak who, beyond a successful solo career, serves as the DJ for Kanye West. Chromeo first signed to the label of their friend Tiga.

Dave is a busy guy…

For the last few years, Dave has been pursuing a PhD in French literature from Columbia University. He has kept up with his studies by finding a balance of music and academics. He’ll study on airplanes and will settle for no compromise in either regard.

Chromeo has become great friends with Daryl Hall from Hall & Oates…

The guys all met up to record an episode of Live from Darryl’s house. For Dave and Patrick, this was an amazing experience as Hall & Oates are some of their biggest musical influences. Dave said that they wrote Momma’s Boy, trying to sound like a Hall & Oates song. Chromeo met up with Darryl to perform a set last month at Bonnaroo. The set went so well that Dave said they’re trying to put a few more shows together. They’ve even looked at the idea of doing some studio work.

Make sure to check out Chromeo this Monday at House of Blues where I guarantee you’ll have a great time. Check out the following links to pre-order the new album or grab tickets for the show:

Chromeo on iTunes:

Tickets

Filed Under: Concerts, Interviews, USD Radio Tagged With: Bryce Carr, Chromeo, Interview

Gregory Alan Isakov Plays Hotel Cafe in Hollywood

June 21, 2010 By bryce Leave a Comment

Courtesy A.V. Club.

There’s something hauntingly beautiful about Gregory Alan Isakov and the music he creates. While quickly labeled as a singer/songwriter, Isakov really goes beyond that one grouping to add more of a raw folk or indie sound. In many ways, his music will be taking the elite spot of filling the void left while Bon Iver is on hiatus. The two artists run a similar parallel with their mix of reverberated guitars and seemingly lazy vocals.

In a live setting, Isakov brings intimacy and dedication to the stage. At a recent set at the Hotel Café in Hollywood, fans flocked to see one of the main rising stars on the scene. Mintues before showtime, with the place packed, Isakov slowly walked through the crowd with many oblivious to his presence. He worked his way forward, making to the stage where he sat on a stool, facing the crowd, armed with his guitar. The following 45 minutes soon became a lost blur of music. Song after song, Isakov only stopped once or twice to speak to the crowd, often joking about how he hates to talk between songs. Anytime a song would end, fans would yell out requests, breaking the aural harmony created by Isakov.

Isakov’s most recent release, This Empty Northern Hemisphere, has shown a considerable amount of growth for the artist. His music has developed and received praise from key music outlets such as Paste Magazine and A.V. Club. In my mind, This Empty Northern Hemisphere has found the perfect balance of simplistic moments and soul drenched vocal presence. Isakov’s album deserves the praise it has received and raises the bar for his next release. Between that time and now, I’ll fill my car rides with Isakov’s music and standout singles such as “Big Black Car.”

Big Black Car

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Filed Under: Concerts Tagged With: Bryce Carr, show review

Biffy Clyro Breaks Through Across the Pond

March 30, 2010 By bryce 2 Comments

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

Filed Under: Album Reviews Tagged With: album review, Bryce Carr, Rock

Concert Pick of The Weekend: Use Your Soul Tour

November 6, 2009 By bryce Leave a Comment

Sunday - Nov 8th at House of Blues

Sunday night brings co-headliners Hanson and Hellogoodbye and openers Steel Train and Sherwood to the House of Blues as part of the Use Your Sole Tour. This tour is unique in that TOMS Shoes, tour sponsor and charitable shoe supplier, has teamed up with Hanson’s charity Take the Walk to bring a but of philanthropy to every show. Each date of this tour has an organized one-mile barefoot walk with the bands before the concert in order to raise awareness and money to fight poverty and health issues in Africa. The bands have united to let each walker decide which cause they sponsor’s dollars to be donated to. Causes range from well water to shoes for children. For the San Diego date, this Sunday, the walk will take place at SDSU’s Cuicacalli Hall at 1 p.m. This event is free so make sure you show up to support this great cause and to hang out with your favorite bands before seeing them that night.

Tickets for Sunday’s show are on sale here for two tickets for only $5 each- making this my personal favorite show of the weekend. (Enter 461422 as the Citi Promo Code)

Hanson is not limited to the MMMBop days of 1997. In the 12 years since that song came out, the band’s sound has evolved into a more mature rock ballad sound. Yet, the band is still unique and incorporates elements of gospel, piano rock, and vocal harmony into more recent work. All in all, it sounds little like the Hanson of the past and almost like what I can best describe to you as a Jack’s Mannequin meets Maroon 5 hybrid.

Hellogoodbye exploded after their 2006 full length debut “Zombies! Aliens! Vampire! Dinosaurs!” was released. Earlier EPs and heavy touring took them on national tours with bands such as The All-American Rejects, Panic! at the Disco, and Motion City Soundtrack. Their shows are filled with energy, dancing, and plenty of crowd involvement.

I feel that Steel Train is best described as a wonderful form of raw indie rock that is born from a mix of the blues, folk driven instrumentation, and at times, powerful guitar lines. The music is ripe with emotional lyrics and delivered via passionate vocalization. The band has just left their long-time label, Drive Thru Records, and now plans to release their next album early next year.

Sherwood is perhaps one of the most underrated bands on the music scene today. Their feel-good combination of indie rock with frequent gang-based vocals and reverberating instrumentation has led to their most recent album “QU” being one of my favorite albums of October. If you’re headed to this show, it’s definitely worth it to arrive early and check this band out. I guarantee that you won’t regret it.