Tuesday, June 23, 2009 4:00PM - By Brian McConnell
As our BeatCrave Fave Pick of the Month and a band whose concert we have joyfully reviewed, it seems there is little left to be said about the awesome foursome comprised of Sarah Ellquist (vocals), Daniel de Blanke (guitar), Preston Scott Phillips (drums, percussion) and Keith Boyarsky (bass). BeatCrave however, thought it would be a great idea to go beyond singing (pun completely intended) the bands praises and take some time to talk with some of its members.
The Robotanists thought it would be a good idea as well and Sarah, Dan and Preston gave us a rare glimpse behind the scenes of this truly spectacular group of artists. Take some time and get to know, even better than you already do, the one and only Robotanists!
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Friday, June 19, 2009 1:00PM - By Seraphina
BeatCrave is happy to bring you band, Elizabeth & The Catapult, as part of our Know Your NYC Bands series. There couldn’t be a better band to make your Friday a little brighter. E & the C have been gaining buzz from local blogs here and there for years but recently, the big kids at NPR and Billboard have also taken notice of the newly signed trio (to Verve Forecast) for their bouncy tunes. Their vibe is sure to please the fans of the playful Feist, the jazz-influenced The Bird and the Bee, and the great storytellers Rilo Kiley in addition to pulling in new crowds.
Leading lady, Elizabeth, has put her knowledge of classical music and indie pop to good use with her band mates (and former Berklee colleagues) on their deliciously sunny album, Taller Children. Although the record is the epitome of breezy charm that echoes happy childhood memories, songs like “Rainiest Day of Summer” and “Apathy” are also melancholic morsels that melt in your mouth leaving you with an aftertaste of contemplation.
It is our pleasure to present an exclusive interview with the trio’s own Elizabeth Ziman along with their brand spanking new video for their title track, “Taller Children,” below!
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009 5:03PM - By Kara
Welcome the first part of our interview series Thenewno2! For those of you who do not know of Thenewno2, they a favorite on BeatCrave. The band is comprised of childhood friends Oli Hecks and Dhani Harrison. Their sound is a mixture of rock and electro mix with, as Dhani describes it, “sweet” vocals. We have actually done a couple of interviews with them already, but what can we say, other then they like to talk a lot! This time around, we thought we might switch it up a bit starting off with our in-depth written interview to be followed by a series of video interviews.
They were kind enough to talk, at length, about their start as a band, what it was like recording their album, You Are Here, playing at Coachella, and all sorts of other fun stuff. Obviously, I am not going to tell you everything that is in the interview, because that will just ruin the surprise!
Check out what they had to say…
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009 4:46PM - By Seraphina
BeatCrave is excited to bring you band, Avi Buffalo, as part of our Know Your LA Bands series. If you’re in the Long Beach or LA area and HAVEN’T heard of these guys yet then you may, in fact, be living under a rock. The band that consists of members who have just graduated high school (one still having one more year to go!) are taking over the areas with their non-pretentious hooks and trouble-free lyrics. It’s always hard to believe that such a great band could be so young (or make you feel old) and have such talent as this. Tunes like “What’s In It For” may have a Shins vibe, but these kids are completely original in their compositions and their outlook on making music. Let’s face it; when a band has a song titled, “Summer Cum,” and you actually want to listen to it for the songwriting instead of the clever name – your ears have found something!
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009 4:30PM - By Brian McConnell
The unsigned artist is no longer just that girl you pass by playing “Landslide” on her acoustic guitar or the boy whose hat you throw a dollar in because his version of “Yesterday” was particularly touching. With the rise of the internet and a slew of sites dedicated to unsigned artist enabling talent to get their music to a huge audience without a single contract, the unsigned artist now has the ability to be a steady force in the ever changing world of music. Matt Monaghan is proving that with a heavy dose of unabashed talent the dream to play in front of live audiences in Europe and the states and listened to by a global audience can come true without being “discovered” by a record label. All it takes is true, unequivocal talent: something Matt quickly proves, through his music, he has plenty of. While his surname is quite familiar due to a brother whose face has been seen in Middle Earth, the strange island of LOST and even the dubious world of X-Men, Matt, song by fantastic song, show by amazing show, is making the Monaghan name synonymous with more than acting.
BeatCrave was fortunate enough to get an exclusive interview with the rising star of the music world and discuss the benefits and drawbacks that come with being an unsigned artist, his process for creating the music for which he is quickly becoming known and whether or not the fictional Driveshaft will ever become a life imitating art reality. We had a great time getting to know Matt and, dear reader, are confident you will too.
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Friday, June 12, 2009 3:00PM - By Seraphina
BeatCrave brings you band, Cavalier Rose, as part of our Know Your NYC Bands series. Although they are a fairly new band in the musical epicenter called Brooklyn, Cavalier Rose’s sound could fool anyone into thinking they’ve been a professional band for decades. They categorize themselves under the “rock” genre, but it’s obvious that this four-piece band (half male, half female) touches on so much more with your first listen. With Sia-like vocals that could easily slide into jazz or folk, there is a beautiful combination of grooving bass lines, theatrical drums that can crash or simmer with just the right amount at the right moment, and strong guitar chords underneath these haunting vocals.
Just two months after their formation, Cavalier Rose recorded their debut EP, Primary Colors, and it is available to dowload for FREE at their website now. I’ve already downloaded mine and the entire record is nothing less than jaw-dropping. Cavalier Rose plays The Delancey on June 17th starting at 10:30. If you’re in the area, make sure to catch them live! Seeing a band who deserves critical acclaim is one thing. Seeing a band like that in their earlier stages is another story that is very rare and humbling.
Just watch a video of their debut performance of “Lie to Me” from April below to see what I mean. Then make sure to check out an exclusive interview we were lucky enough to get with the entire band!
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009 3:00PM - By Morelli
Progressive Kuduro has expanded rapidly throughout Europe and the US with the arrival of Buraka Som Sistema on the music scene – a group that mixes African music with techno and house electronica for the sole purpose of moving bodies on the dance floor. They made an appearance at Coachella this year, and will be at Pukkelpop in Belgium and Bestival in the UK.
Olivier Guiot, a Belgian sociologist from the Human and Social Science Faculty in Lisbon, is studying Kuduro for his masters thesis, and was gracious enough to chat with me about the origins of Kuduro, and the social impact of the cultural movement that is associated with the style of music. Listen to the interview after the cut:
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Tuesday, June 9, 2009 4:00PM - By Seraphina
BeatCrave brings you luscious band, Warpaint, as part of our Know Your LA Bands series. Although your research on this band may be obscure, word of mouth is by far the best resource for this four-piece band. Better yet, take in a live show of Warpaint’s and throw all your research away. With three rad females and one bad ass male drummer, this band brings you the atmosphere of mystique, beauty, and psychedelia all at once. With gorgeous vocals eloquently coming from all three girls, the melodies are lilting yet seductive and their instrumental skills speak for themselves in a live setting. It’s almost impossible to define Warpaint’s exact sound in a wikipedia entry or summarize it in a bio. The essence of this band is an organic experience.
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Tuesday, June 9, 2009 1:00PM - By davidhall
Stock up on glow sticks and gather your camping gear – the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival kicks off on Thursday (June 11)!
Although rumors of a Led Zeppelin appearance were obliterated months ago when the line up was released, the 8th year of the beloved 4-day festival, held in the lush grasslands near Manchester, TN, will feature a wide variety of groundbreaking performers including Passion Pit, Animal Collective, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beastie Boys, The Decemberists, Nine Inch Nails and MGMT.
We’ll be bringing you daily (sometimes hourly) updates that will include interviews with up-and-comers Alberta Cross and Hockey, and blog coverage (with photo and some video) of the aforementioned bands and plentiful other acts like Gomez, TV on the Radio, Crystal Castles, Of Montreal, Bruce Springsteen, David Byrne, Andrew Bird and Phish.
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