Monday, December 12, 2011 3:34PM - By Candace Butler
You voted Rival Sons your BeatCrave Fav of the month of November! These four rockers from Long Beach, California just finished a Euopean Tour, and already have some more tour dates readied for early 2012. Their latest album Pressure and Time has a mixture of sounds that verge upon rock, funk, and a great feeling of freedom that exudes the album. They have garnered international attention for a reason: they seem to have fun doing what they do best! We caught up with lead vocalist Jay Buchanan to talk about touring, advice, and his favorite food. Check it out in our exclusive interview below!
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Friday, November 4, 2011 12:03PM - By Candace Butler
You voted Beijing your BeatCrave Fav of the month of October! The four rockers from New Haven, Connecticut whose sound is unique: a 90s grunge runs throughout their debut release, It’s Not So Simple, blending that same hardcore noise with a lighter, more fluid sound. The instrumental section can hold its own; indeed, there’s a certain beauty to the angsty fast pace and tightness of the band alone. But the lyrics, kicked out by skidding vocals across their noise rock base are truly the icing on the cake. Beijing is currently working on two full-length albums due out in Spring of 2011. Want to know more? Check out our exclusive interview with Thom Smith, who talked to us about the forming of Beijing, their two full-length upcoming releases, and the 60 songs they’re currently working on (yes, 60!)…
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Thursday, October 20, 2011 9:07AM - By Candace Butler
You voted Robert Jon and the Wreck as your BeatCrave Fav for the month of September! Southern California native Robert Jon found a passion for music through the piano when he was six years old, and learned guitar and drums soon after. Eager to share his music with others, he played in several bands and began writing songs before finding four other guys with a similar vision. Their latest album, Fire Started, is a blues-heavy full-length album with a soft country feel and edgy classic-rock nuance. Fresh off their first national tour, Los Angeles natives Robert Jon and the Wreck have brought a hard blues rock sound reminiscent of some of the classic rock greats. The group formed in February 2011. The combined result was a harder, more rockin’ sound with the same great singer/songwriter influences on the previous Robert Jon Band albums. They are currently planning their next national tour and playing in the Southern California area. Their latest album Fire Started was released on September 2nd, 2011. Check out our exclusive interview with Robert Jon, who talked to us about Fire Started, touring, and classic rock below…
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Monday, September 19, 2011 7:38AM - By Angel Baker
Rootz Undergound, a Jamaican reggae outfit making waves in America, loves to say they’re big in France. But that’s not the guys tooting their own horns, it’s true. This Caribbean based band has a vast fan base over all over Europe and the Europeans love them back. This could be because of Rootz Underground’s sophisticated approach to the evolution of a band, building itself from the ground up to one that headlines festivals for a gang of sweaty youth, or because of its subtly message-heavy performances that, according to guitar player Charles Lazarus, are guaranteed to win you over.
Like most reggae artists, Rootz Underground is a band with a conscience. We caught up with Charles Lazarus while he was on holiday in Miami after the band’s July west coast tour, in anticipation of a soon return to the Sunshine State, and talked about trees and how Eastern Europeans are late musical bloomers.
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Friday, September 9, 2011 1:34PM - By Candace Butler
You voted Brian Buckley Band as your BeatCrave Fav for the month of August! The four-piece band from Los Angeles consists of Brian Buckley, Mike McGraw, Dan Boderman, and Albert Estiamba, Jr. Their latest album, Hysterical Blindness, came out June 21st, well-received and licensed to film and television alike. More recently, they won the “New Music Night” competition sponsored by House of Blues/LiveNation and SonicBids, celebrating with performances at House of Blues in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Check out our exclusive interview with Brian Buckley, who talked to us about writing lyrics, his piano-teacher father, and the beauty of spontaneity below…
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Friday, August 26, 2011 4:52PM - By Lindsey Darden
Your votes have been counted: Simplified is your BeatCrave Fav for the Month of July!
The Charlotte, North Carolina-based band has a lot up their sleeves, not only in the way of genre but along the lines of heart, drive, and staying power. It’s these qualities that caught our attention and earned them a place in our BeatCrave Fav series, as well as our readers and their fans. Truth be told, what’s not to like: their down-to-earth persona and penchant for playing live goes well with their appreciation for their fans and vice versa. And these days, sometimes it really doesn’t matter how good you sound (although that helps); it’s the quality of music for the sake of making music, for the sake of one’s audience that sticks just as much. Naturally, Simplified is made of such good stock.
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Monday, July 25, 2011 8:19AM - By Lindsey Darden
Your votes have been counted and Joy Valencia is your BeatCrave Fav for the month of July!
Joy Valencia is a veritable Jill of all trades when it comes to making music. As a singer, songwriter, producer, musician, and co-writer (among other designations, we’re sure), there seems to be nothing that she can’t, doesn’t, or won’t do. It’s this type of hands-on approach rarely seen in other artists that appeals Valencia and her overall style to us and her fans. It is also an approach so genuine and deeply ingrained within the her process of music making that it can be sensed almost automatically when listening to any given set of tracks bearing her name.
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Thursday, July 21, 2011 8:59AM - By Candace Butler
Vanessa Carlton became reclusive for two years, and during those two years she turned to Richard Adam’s Watership Down and Stephen Hawking’s Brief History of Time for inspiration. Vanessa entered the pop scene in 2002 with her debut album Be Not Nobody. But nearing thirty, she felt lost. Luckily, Vanessa made her way to Real World Studios in Box, England and began recording her new, mostly-instrumental music directly to tape. Her writer’s block quickly receded; she proceeded to create the dreamy and evocative 10-track album Rabbits on the Run. Now, Vanessa tells us about her upcoming fourth studio album Rabbits on the Run as well as some advice, philosophy, and how her music has evolved over the past decade. Check out our exclusive interview with Vanessa Carlton below.
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Friday, June 10, 2011 6:24PM - By Candace Butler
You voted Y LUV as your BeatCrave Fav of the Month of May! Garage indie rockers Y LUV consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Freddy Janney, lead guitarist and vocalist Sam Nardella, bassist and vocalist Luke Hanna, and percussionist Marcello Dubaz. They released their debut album, So I Play, in 2010, and their sophomore EP How Chill Can You Let Go? in April 2011. Check out our interview with Freddy Janney, who tells us about meditation, crocheting, and Y LUV’s summer plans, below!
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