Posts Tagged ‘BTB Exclusive’

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Photo courtesy of my mobile phone! How 21st century.

So tonight, I saw JJ in concert and as expected, was completely blown away dot com! Socks knocked off dot org! Yup, and I even met her after the show and she signed my cell phone. Holla! That was pretty cool. Such a genuine, down to earth performer who deserves every bit of praise that’s been coming her way.

Check out three videos from the show last night as recorded from my iPhone 4. And I can’t believe I’m saying this but screw it! If you’re on YouTube subscribe to my channel, por favor.

Sorry for not hyping this post up with grandeur and detail but to be honest, it’s currently 12:41AM and I’m exhausted dot net! (LOL, sorry, last domain reference I promise. It’s just something that’s attached itself to my vocab lately.)

[Note: I tagged this post under 'Covers' (among other tags) but wanted you to know (if you didn't already) that JJ wrote Party In The U.S.A. so technically it's not a cover. Ok, I'm tired and rambling but felt the need to clarify because I have issues!]

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

ROB BRAYL: So, tell us about Brian.

BRIAN MACKEY: I defy main-stream. I’m the kind of guy that shows up to a gig without a guitar case, and just a guitar strapped around my back, I jump on stage and do my thing. I’m not really into being hip or what’s cool at the moment, I kind of just do what I feel, and if it makes other people feel in the process, then that’s a good thing, good or bad, happy or sad, doesn’t matter. (But I would like to make them feel good.)

RB: Your video for ‘Honest Love’ was just released and it carries a pretty heartfelt message. Can you take us back to the moment you started writing this song, what was the driving force behind this record?

BM: The song, ‘Honest Love’ came out of a conversation with myself, to try to make sense of what Love really means. The waiting, the wanting, the abandonment, the moving on, the changing of the heart, the mind, and still being able to sum it all up in one word, and putting Honest in front of it, which seems like a contradiction, but a beautiful one at that. The record was supposed to be a full-length album, but I didn’t really have the money to do it. So I made it an EP, and put together the songs that I truly wanted to get out there with the limited resources I had at the time. I just needed to get the song ‘Florida’ on there, because a lot of people came up to me at shows and said they could really relate to that song. So I figured if enough people told me they could relate, I felt it was a good fit for the album.

RB: Your song, ‘Sunshower’ (off the ‘Honest Love’ EP), was chosen to be on the official ‘Songs of Love for Japan’ compilation (among great artists like Sara Bareilles and others). Can you tell us a little more about this project?

BM: Yes, this one came to me last minute, and it’s really just a super great cause for the ravaged country of Japan, which is just going through so much turmoil. It was strange because I was saying to myself, what could I do to help, I’m only one person. And then there was this opportunity to help, so I took it. It’s a 100 song compilation of not so well-known songs, but by really great artists. 100% of the proceeds go to Shelterbox, the charity committed to helping the victims and their families in Japan. Also, Ani DiFranco will be on there too, and many more.

[To learn more click here.]

RB: Any current pop culture addictions? Ones that may have influenced your music in any way?

BM: Pop-culture addictions… there are some, mostly in the film world. I love certain TV shows like ‘True Blood’, or anything where someone is ripping their neck off, all done in the name of love. I love this great UK show called ‘Doc Martin’, I discovered it on Netflix. So what I do is go to the British TV section on Netflix, dim the lights, get out my chutney and talk like Sherlock Holmes the whole night. I’m not sure how any of this influences my music, but I love all kinds of music, for example, I love piano, and classical music like Beethoven privately, but never play it on stage.

RB: Finally, where can new listeners keep up with your work? What new tricks do you have up your sleeve? Oh, and thank you for chatting with us.

BM: They can find me in all the usual places, like Facebook, Myspace (when it was popular), Reverbnation, iTunes – oh and by the way I have a Brian Mackey App releasing this week, so for all of you who have iPhones and iPads, so if you are somewhere lost and the GPS drops out, the only thing that comes in will be Brian Mackey, you’ll surely be pissed off, and want to break your phone. Also, I will be the featured artist in the launch issue of Rising Magazine, they will be featuring new photos taken by their photographer on location “behind-the-scenes”-like candid stuff, so keep a lookout for that. In May I’m shooting my next video, ‘Sunshower’, with the brilliant director Nick Cavalier, to be released in the summer, and have some new tour dates coming out for the summer/fall.

Thank you so much for the time, and letting me ramble on about stuff!

Watch the just-released video for ‘Honest Love’ below.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

ROB BRAYL: So tell us, how did Bodega Girls begin the shimmy and shake? (Random, but when I first heard the name, the image of Rihanna from her “What’s My Name” video came to mind, the part where she’s grabbing milk in a Brooklyn bodega and giving Drake the eye.)

EVAN KENNEY of BODEGA GIRLS: Jacob Otis and I met some Puerto-Rican girls in a Bodega in Queens and they took us out to all these banger hip-hop clubs, and we partied ’til the breaka dawn with them. We decided to start making songs about those ladies, two years later…here we are.

RB: And speaking of black… Your song “She’s Into Black Guys” is a fun record. From my research (Google 101), I discovered the song was featured in Entourage? How did that come about?

EK:“She’s Into Black Guys” was on RCRDLBL and apparently, the dudes from HBO hit them up asking if they had any songs that sounded like Prince, RCRDLBL gave them “She’s Into Black Guys”. It was the best 7 seconds on television.

RB: If you had to describe your sound using the first letter of each band member what would it be. (Yeah, don’t ask where these questions are coming from today, I have no clue, either.)

EK: Mierda. Does that work?

RB: I see the term hedonistic a lot when referring to the band. Care to elaborate? This word also reminds me of Jerry Springer. He used to have some hedonistic episodes. Not that I watched or anything.

EK: We believe in hedonism and all of its beauty. Life was meant to be awesome (ARE Weapons) and we practice hedonism. We try and live every day like it was it one, big, epic party.

RB: When do you expect your album to drop? And where can we pick up a copy?

EK: Our vinyl 10″ entitled “Et Tu Bootay?” is out on the Ides of March (March 15th for ya’ll dummies) on Burning Mill Records (also home of DOM.)

RB: I must say, there’s something refreshing about the fact that you guys don’t take yourself too seriously. There’s too many music snobs in Brooklyn, wouldn’t you agree?

EK: Nah, Brooklyn is cool, we always have a blast there. We suck, so the people who come to party with us can’t be snobby. We are music snobs though. We pretty much hate everything except for Black Sabbath and the Sonics.

RB: What’s your current guilty pleasure (musical or non)?

EK: Weed and iced coffee for breakfast…although we really never really rock “guilt.”

RB: And finally, what’s the ultimate goal with the music you create?

EK: Big fat royalty checks and Rick Ross as our bodyguard.

She’s Into Black Guys by Bodega Girls (Audio)

[To learn more visit: www.ilovebodegagirls.com]

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

MARIA CIEZAK: Thank you guys for taking the time to interview for BiggerThanBeyonce.Com. Let’s start off by introducing yourselves, ready set go!

FUTURE PEOPLE: What up what up! Internet!

We’re Future People! I’m Christopher & I’m on this super tite pizza kick right now!

MC: How did the name Future People come about? I read that Chris and Dan were the original two, and Larry you joined later on. 

FP: A friend from my hometown uses the term “future people” as a method of procrastination. Like for instance:

Me: “Hey Scott, we just got a parking ticket. Shouldn’t we pay it?”
Scott: “Nah man, let the future people worry about that shit.”

So that’s pretty much it, future people handle the biz you dont necessarily want to deal with. I found myself using the term often, it naturally just became the name for this project. I think we were calling it BANX for a while. Which I also dig. We should name our record “Hilary Banx”… Amazing.

MC: How did you all collide?

FP: So I started writing a few years back when I was living in San Francisco, recorded a record in my bedroom (which I never released), came home for Christmas or thanksgiving, asked Dan (whom I’ve known since high school) and a few other awesome dudes to play these songs with me. D and I decided we wanted to make some more music together…

I had been working on music with my friend Naeem (spankrock) in Philly a bunch, spending a lot of time in Philly… So D and I rented a giant house in West Philly to live and write in. Spent 8 months working on this project in that house.

From Philly we moved back to Maryland to work more for a few months. Larry just started showing up at our practice space. One day I walked in and was like, where did this bass amp come from? D was like, it’s Larry’s, I think he’s in our band now. I was like, word. I can’t get enough of that little genius. He’s the funniest person on earth to me.

MC: What is the music scene like growing up in Annapolis? 

FP: Annapolis is fucking great! Almost unbelieva-real, if you will. Small town with tons of cute babes & sailboats! I just spent three months there hanging out with my friends and family before moving back to the west coast to work & finish this FP record. I was staying downtown in an awesome old house and could walk to my friend’s bar two blocks away and DJ whenever I wanted, I miss it already.

MC: Anyone who is a fan of music can see that it is really changing. What acts influence Future People’s style?

FP: The Batman Forever soundtrack, all fucking day long!

As I’m writing this I’m in the sand in Malibu. My car got towed, so I’ve been sleeping on the beach. I just saw the craziest thing. Batman is out practicing for the big surf competition coming up this weekend…he’s working on this new trick where he jumps off the board and swims underwater, pretty deep down. The board goes straight up in air, it’s pretty sick. Batman comes back up with a dolphin and they both land on the board. Yo, batman jumps off the board and the dolphin surfs back to shore. Batman’s new Bat wet suit is made by Vuarnet, Body Glove, and Under Armour. They all got together to work on it. (My roommate Jordan wrote this, I think it’s awesome.)

We both really love the last Bath’s record. We did a show with Das Racist in Baltimore a few weeks ago, they are super awesome. I’ve been listening to a track called “A Brush Through The Dust” by Silk Flowers a ton lately, love that song. Epic Ruins are the shit, they’re an awesome super group from Ft Worth, TX & LA. My Friend D.A.V.O has put together a new project in San Francisco called “Double Duchess” and I’m going to be mixing a few tracks off DD’s upcoming release. There are a ton of awesome bands that I’ve been listening to. I should make you a mix.

MC: If you had to classify yourselves into one genre, what would it be? I feel the presence of electronica, rock and roll, and even a little dance flare. Would you agree?

FP: I do agree! We listen to everything, I was in Brazil last week and I’ve been super interested in music from that region of the world lately. D is trained in jazz but he shreds on anything, he’s also really great at sleeping-in and Skype. I really have a hard time classifying our music, but if i had to I’d call it “WIZARDVIZION”.

MC: What are the long term goals of Future People?

FP: We hope to own Sunglasses Hut kiosks in both Encino and Reseda by 2012. But other than that we’re working with more and more peeps we respect in the studio. We also have film score work coming up etc. Just trying to stay as busy as possible in ‘11.

MC: Now boys, tell BiggerThanBeyonce readers where they can gain access to your music and catch one of your live shows!

FP: We just started a Facebook page. We have Tumblr and Soundcloud pages as well (see links below). We are going to be posting our demos and songs that won’t be on our record for download over the next few weeks while we finish our record. Can’t wait to get nice on the Internet, Internet!

MC: Thanks for doing this guys, I can’t wait to watch you blow up!

FP: Thank you so much. 

To learn more about Future People try any of the following links:

Facebook
Soundcloud

iTunes
Tumblr

Naturally by Future People

      

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

“I’m not bigger than Beyonce. I love Beyonce!”
–Joshua Radin

*Backstage after last night’s concert, after I introduced myself & the site. He then laughed & did a little booty shake.

*FYI: We love Beyonce too. If you follow the site, then you already know this.

[Full review of the live show (which was held via the Best Buy Theater in Times Square), here!]

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Recently, I chatted with Ashley Arrison. We dished on everything from working with Kelly Clarkson and Lindsay Lohan to hookers to TLC’s ‘My Strange Addiction’ — yes, I’m serious. But most importantly, we discussed the deeply rooted passion behind her heartfelt music.

ROB BRAYL: So I know that ‘Caged Bird’ is your genuinely personal song with regards to domestic violence. Has music always been a cathartic release for you, a safe space?

ASHLEY ARRISON: I wouldn’t necessarily call writing music my safe place, but rather my most vulnerable place. I am not super prolific, writing songs all of the time. I really envy people who can do that, but songwriting is too emotional of an act for me to be able to pull my innermost thoughts, like water from a well, out daily or weekly or on command. I have to be feeling extremely vulnerable to say what I need to say. And when that moment happens, my thoughts come out fairly clearly, and that is the most cathartic feeling in the world.

RB: You’ve worked with numerous artists but two that stuck out for me were Kelly Clarkson and Lindsay Lohan. There has to be something interesting to say here, no?

AA: Both are complete hookers. [Laughs] Just kidding. Okay, just Clarkson. Okay, not really. Something interesting? Well, Lindsay Lohan hates bananas but eats them for their “protein”, so she says. As for KC, all I can say is I have been privileged enough to have listened to her sing in hotel rooms and living rooms, as well as in the studio and on stage and never once have I not thought to myself, “Okay, there has to be a God.” Because her gift knows no limits and it just seems other-worldly. Having Kelly sing backgrounds vocals on your track is a humbling experience! I know people love her and think she is incredibly talented, but I don’t think the world knows just how far her vocal and writing talents stretch. If you haven’t seen her live, you are missing out on seeing a talent that no one else in the world can match. However, I have seen a homeless man reject her when she tried to give him a homemade Easter dinner.

RB: What I love about your music is its honesty – which is a shame it’s not seen as often these days, since most pop stars are viewed more like mechanical puppets/products. How has your music evolved? Was it always driven by depth?

AA: Man, I feel you. I’m not saying I won’t shake my booty to ‘Only Girl (In The World)’, but it’s such a shame that so many songs on pop radio are fluffy goo written by the same “team” of writers. When the same song could stylistically be sung by Rhianna, Britney, Katy, and now Pink, I think that sucks for many reasons, but mainly for the art of songwriting itself. In those artists defense, I know for a fact that labels will force them into doing songs written by certain people and force them to write with certain “teams” or they just won’t put your album out. I’m sure some artists are happy to play the game, but I know that some artists aren’t, but get their hands tied behind their back. It’s a scary time in the music world and major labels want to play it safe or their job is at stake. I like a catchy song as much as the next dude, but I still can’t help but feel sad the generation after me has pop stars that have to show their ta-ta’s and sing kitchy drunk hooker songs to be in the game. I have nothing against drunk hookers… but my coming-of-age artists were Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos, Alanis, Jewel; original writers who let us into their private worlds. You can’t tell me Sheryl Crow didn’t live ‘Strong Enough’, that Tori Amos didn’t live ‘Silent All These Years’, Jewel and ‘Foolish Games’, and obviously ‘Jagged Little Pill’ was as raw and real as they come. Feeling like I had a window into other people’s souls was so powerful and that was such a gift they gave me as a teenager. Those kinds of artists helped define me as a person and still do. Anyway, that’s the point of music for me and always has been: to speak honestly, even when that means showing the cracks and vulnerabilities — which are the things I find endearing in other artists.

RB: You may hate me for this but I’ve got to ask about the infamous performance clip with Justin Timberlake, where you two as lil’ tater tots performed ‘Opposites Attract’ by Paul Abdul. Whose idea was this? Do you still watch this and have a good laugh?

AA: Aww, shoot. Well, first of all, my life’s goal at 10 was to be Paula Abdul. Justin and I were always looking for songs we could do together because we performed a “Justin and Ashley” show all over Memphis for years. Hospitals, malls, competitions — you know, we were big time -– but the idea to do that song came from the Mickey Mouse Club. I used to tape the show every day for us to watch on the weekends when we would hang out and practice. (He didn’t get the Disney Channel at his house.) We would emulate everything the show would do. So I have to credit the MMC for giving us the idea to change the lyric “I don’t like cigarettes, but I like to smoke” to “I don’t like comedy, and I like to joke.” Um, and yes, I have to laugh. And then I take a cold shower and cry “Whyyy?” all alone, as I consider the hammer pant/puffy painted suspender look that we so proudly sported.

RB: Your latest album ‘Hearts On Parade’ is completely solid. Is there a standout track for you, a personal favorite? (‘The Hard Way’ stand outs to me for some reason.)

AA: Thank you very much. I think my personal favorite is the track Hearts On Parade. It sings like I’m just speaking about one person, but each line is fairly specific to the few different relationships I’ve had and the ways I was trying to bend and conform to try and make someone happy. It’s liberating to be so literal.

RB: What’s your biggest influencer with regards to writing songs?

AA: My biggest and only influencer to date is love or the lack thereof. It’s usually the lack thereof.

RB: Any vices while dealing with life & the creation of music?

AA: I probably won’t turn down a Xanax if you offer me one, although I’ll only take half so I can make it last. See, that’s why I’m not an addict. [Laughs] I love reading blogs by people I don’t know for inspiration. I’m addicted to Words With Friends, NPR, and vanilla tea latte’s from The Coffee Bean.

RB: Random but I know we share the same fascination with bizarre shows like A&E’s ‘Hoarders’ – have you seen the new series ‘My Strange Addiciton’? It’s insane. Do you have any strange secret addictions you want to air to the entire internet world? [Laughs]

AA: Don’t even get me started on ‘Hoarders’. I recently caught the “Animal Hoarding” episode and I will never look at bunnies the same. Bunnies? Ruined. I haven’t seen ‘Strange Addictions’ yet, but I heard some girl eats Clorox or something. I’m going to love it!

I don’t have any super weird addictions. I do have this magnifying face mirror that makes your pores just look God awful that I really need to do away with though.

But what really comes to mind is something that happened recently and it involves LeAnn Rimes. Her twitters were eating me alive. Here’s the deal, I don’t give a rat’s if she cheated and broke up a marriage –- those things happen, sadly –- but it was/is fascinating to me the way she keeps talking about it! And she knows the ex-wife is literally losing her mind (because she’s in pain), but she keeps twittering about her time with the woman’s kids and fighting with her over twitter. She doesn’t even enjoy a vacation with the new guy cause she’s twittering so much about their love and the weather in Cabo, etc. It’s like she has something to prove and it’s like watching a train wreck! I just found it absolutely fascinating, baffling, and strange. And I kept looking. And I kept thinking as I was falling asleep at night about how LeAnn needed a twitter intervention. At that point, I realized I needed a LeAnn Rimes intervention. So, I did what I had to do. And it wasn’t easy. But I hit the “unfollow” button.

RB: What’s your favorite song right now on pop radio? Any other singles/albums you can’t get enough of?

AA: ‘Animal’ by Neon Trees is probably my favorite. I want to try that as a cover… ‘All The Right Moves’ by One Republic has such a good chorus that I can’t get enough of. ‘Back To December’ grew on me –- that verse melody is fantastic. “I haven’t seen you in a whi-iii-iii-llleee.” I love ‘Dear John’ on the new album, too. ‘Fearless’ is my favorite album of hers, though. I love her and I can’t fight it.

Beyonce’s ‘If I Was A Boy’ makes me hurt-so-good. She throws down. I love ‘Why Don’t You Love Me’, too. Side note: My man’s car is named Beyonce, mine is Leona.

And speaking of Leona Lewis, I can always hear ‘Better In Time’.

Of fairly recent albums, I can’t get enough of Matt Nathanson’s album, ‘Some Mad Hope’.

RB: Good talking to you! And finally, what would be your hook to get BTB’s readers to give your music a big fat spin?

AA: Your question just took me back to 5th grade when I was trying to get my class to vote me as their class representative for the school’s Student Council! Pretend I have a fancy poster board with pictures of myself with big bangs glued to it:

If you like lyric based, emotionally charged songs infused with pop elements and honest charm, my album ‘Hearts On Parade’ is waiting for you in iTunes.

Was that weird?

What I’m trying to say is this: If you like Japanese Death Metal, you are going to love me.

PS — I won the 5th grade election!

It was great talking with you! I’m honored to have been asked your great questions!

Ashley will be opening for Graham Colton at Lincoln Hall in Chicago on Feb. 11. Until then, you can get acquainted with her beautiful videos for ‘Trying To Help You Out’ & ‘Caged Bird’ below + for shits and giggles, take a time machine back to the hilarious ‘Opposites Attract’ performance clip mentioned above with Justin Timberlake.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

From BTB to your eardrums and heartstrings, we wish you nothing but love and happiness in 2011.

[Check out our exclusive interview with Ian Axel here.]
+
[Watch the BiggerThanBeyonce Promo & the story underneath here.]

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

MARIA CIEZAK: Let us start off by introducing yourselves. Ready set go!

RIVER CITY EXTENSION:

Joe Michelini, guitar, vocals, bass
Jenn Fantaccione, cello, trumpet, bass
Mike Costaney, drums
Dan Melius, trumpet, percussion, vocals
James Ramirez, bass, banjo
Nick Cucci, guitar, percussion, vocals
Patrick O’Brien, keys, percussion
Sam Tacon, vocals, percussion

MC: You guys represent Jersey with pride. How would you describe the music scene out here to people who have never been?

RCE: I’ve always thought the music scene here was great, but our band was born in a golden age. Not only do we have the ability to create at the push of the button, but we have the ability to share those things as well thanks to the internet. On top of that, there is a great renaissance happening in Asbury Park; there is a good community. We like it here. It gets aggressive from time to time just like any other artistic scene, but our job as a band who has started to see a small amount of light at the end of the tunnel is to go tell it on the mountain, and bring hope and peace to musicians and artists alike that are struggling just like us to create and feel normal. I want to let them know that we can help each other, we have to actually. I think a lot of people in Asbury Park/Toms River already know that, it’s just a matter of making those relationships stronger and more meaningful as the years go on.

MC: Tell us a little about the meaning behind the name River City Extension.

RCE: The name River City Extension comes from a song called The Trouble With River Cities, by a Brooklyn based band called Pela. The song meant a lot to me, and I thought of it as an extension of my life…you know, I live in a river city. It’s a heavy song, and they are a great band. They broke up, but we did a lot of work with them before and even after they did. Their bass player, Eric Sanderson, produced our LP The Unmistakable Man.

MC: What genre of music would you consider yourselves to be?

RCE: I call it Chamber-Punk for lack of a better word. There was a movement in the 60’s/70’s called Chamber-Pop, and it was basically what bands like Belle & Sebastian ended up being. It’s pop music, or rock music, that’s infused with orchestral elements; The Decemberists are a good example. We don’t follow that exact path, and since our live show has always shown a touch of punk influence, I called it Chamber-Punk. We are starting to move away from those things though. I’m trying to evolve the sound slow enough that no one really knows what happened until they hold both records ‘up in the light’ and realize how far we’ve come, we meaning the listener and the band. It’s going to take a catalog to do that though, so hopefully I don’t end up with my foot in my mouth.

MC: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

RCE: The biggest challenge for this band has been touring, for sure. We’re getting better at it, but it wasn’t even all us. Our first tour a deer wrecked my Dad’s Jeep, a rock split the windshield on the new van we had to buy because our old van overheated, half of us did the tour in a Mazda, just things like that. It was hard. We got separated, we are still learning how to live with and respect each other’s needs on the road…touring is not easy, but we all love it.

MC: I recently read in an interview that Joe stated you guys are more concerned about people liking your music than becoming popular. Do you guys as a group feel these go hand in hand?

RCE: Yes and no, that’s a tricky situation. I want as many people as possible to like the band so that they have something to hold onto that means something to them, and touches them. Music can do that. I’m sure to some extent that means becoming popular, which no one is against, but I don’t think anyone is shooting for celebrity status. Our bass player James put it really well when he said he wants to be like Coldplay minus Chris Martin — nobody bothers you when you walk down the street, or get coffee or whatever, but you still get to reach a huge audience and feel great about the music you are creating and the influence you are having on the world.

MC: I can luckily say that I have been to your live show. Do you guys have any traditions for shows? Do different cities and crowds influence which songs you play, or is it consistent?

RCE: No, not really. We like to come down into the crowd afterwards and sing a song called The Bone Marrow Twist & Shout if the size of the venue, crowd, etc allow. The more we tour, the more likely it is for us to start having traditions for a certain state or city, but not yet.

MC: Who are River City Extension’s influences?

RCE: Everything, we all listen to different stuff. I guess as a band, we all really enjoy WHY?, Minus The Bear, Gorillaz, The Roots, Los Campesinos!, Modest Mouse, Guster, Frightened Rabbit, but that’s the tip of the iceberg, we are all really different. Anathallo is probably the most recent band favorite.

MC: What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?

RCE: [Laughs] We try to, but it doesn’t always work that way. Generally we practice for a few hours on Sunday, but that’s not always the case. With tour coming up, January will probably be loaded with a few intense, long practice sessions. December has been easy though, we’re off for most of the month. For a homecoming show like we just did though, we’re headed out to OH/PA for a few dates, to practice. Getting in front of a crowd is the best kind of rehearsal you can get, next to getting up onstage and playing to no one, next to practicing in a rehearsal room. These all force a different reaction, and they are all really important.

MC: How would you say your lyrics and melody come to you?

RCE: It depends; I get a lot of it in my head while I’m driving. If I have an idea, I record it on my phone, and then go home and try to turn that seed into a song. It’s always that way though…just a few notes, or a title, or a lyric, it’s just easier to start when you have something to go off of, even if that something changes by the end of the writing process.

MC: What do you guys do when you aren’t making music?

RCE: A few of us live in different parts of Jersey, so I don’t think we get together as much as we would like to, but it does happen. We spend a lot of our time off the road looking for work, even if it’s a small job here and there. It helps keep us busy, gives us some structure (not to mention pocket change for food on the road, etc). I spend a lot of time writing and working on new material; I think the band spends a lot of time doing the same. Whether they are working on their own music or demos that I’ve sent to them to learn, we are all constantly feeling the need to create and express ourselves.

MC: Where have you guys performed, and what are some of your favorite venues to jam? And most importantly, where can we find you soon?

RCE: We’ve performed a lot of cool places. I think our two favorites in NJ are The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, and The House of Blues in Atlantic City. In general though, I don’t know if there’s a city we don’t like playing. We love playing OH and MI, all our PA shows have been fun as well. Recently we played a show at Binghamton University, and it was awesome. It wasn’t our first show there, and I’m sure it won’t be our last. You can catch us on a west coast tour this winter with The Get Up Kids, and then later on an acoustic Midwest/Northeast tour with Max Bemis of Say Anything.

MC: Tell BiggerThanBeyonce readers how much you love them, and where they can access your amazing music!

RCE: I’m pretty sure we feel this good about them.

Check us out at any of the links below:

www.rivercityextension.com
http://www.myspace.com/rivercityextension
http://www.facebook.com/rivercityextension

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

We asked indie band HolidayHoliday to help us compile a Holiday Mixtape!

HolidayHoliday is composed of: Lillian Ruiz (vocals, center), Graham Bishop (drums and guitar, right), and Matt Swope (keys, left).

Check out their picks below.

Holiday Mixtape Tracks:

Wavves and Best Coast -Got Something For You – Graham
It’s Wavves and Best Coast — can’t get cooler than that, right now, eh? Song’s pretty sweet and super catchy.

Wham – Last Christmas – Lillian
As a wee tot I had the world’s biggest crush on George Michael. My uncle used to make mixtapes for me as a kid and this was on my favorite one. I played it every day until I was six.

the señors of marseille – Holly Jolly Christmas – Matt and Graham
Matt and I recorded this song for a Holiday Records special holiday compilation, last christmas. It kinda reminds me of the feeling I get when snow is slowly falling and the city is quieter and calmer than usual. It will forever remind me of the holiday season.

Donny Hathaway – This Christmas – Lillian
Sing this song loudly. Very loudly. You’ll feel like the world is made of joy, marshmallows and sick ass horn arrangements.

Rilo Kiley – Glendora – Graham
“it’s new years eve, i’m in glendora…” every time the holiday season comes around, this song pops in my head. Such a hilariously tragic and catchy picture of the season.

John Denver and The Muppets – Twelve Days of Christmas – Matt
I was obsessed with the Muppets as a kid and today Miss Piggy’s trade-mark “five gold rings” line still echoes in my brain without having to hear it. Why hasn’t Disney overhauled the Muppets anyway? Where did they go?

Charles Brown – Please Come Home For Christmas – Lillian
My favorite lush aunt used to teeter to the record player at around 10pm on Christmas Eve and put this on. It is forever linked to eggnog and drunk swaying, the ultimate signs of holiday cheer.

Slick Rick – Children’s Story – Graham
Just after I turned 16, I got a really sweet soundsystem for my 1993 Nissan Sentra. For the next three years or so, every holiday season, my friend Josh and I would drive through my hometown rapping this song, looking at Christmas lights, and plotting ways to drink underage at our Macaroni Grill Christmas party.

The Velvet Underground – Who Love The Sun – Graham
Riding my bike through the streets of Brooklyn as freezing air cuts at my eyeballs, I am often reminded of how much I love the sun. This song, better than any other I can think of, conveys my bitter resentment that usually comes around every winter, when sweet summer takes her warm and lovely love away from me.

John Legend – Save Room – Lillian
No, this song has nothing to do with saving room in a manger. It is actually not a Christmas song but it’s just…I dunno, it makes me kinda warm and fuzzy inside.

The Beach Boys – The Man With All The Toys – Matt
The Man With All the Toys reminds me of listening to the local AM radio station my dad always listened to in our old Dodge sedan when we would drive to t-ball practice when I was in first and second grade. The station played a ton of Beach Boys during the year, so I guess it should be no surprise they got a lot of use out of this track in December. Either way, it has stuck with me.

Dinosaur Feathers – A Day In The Life Of A Christmas Tree – Graham
Dinosaur Feathers are really great. Every thing they touch is catchy and creative. This one, which I think is an original Christmas song, doesn’t disappoint. Plus, it kinda sounds like a Christmas song for a warm place, which is extra nice when living in a cold place, like New York.

Run DMC – Christmas In Hollis – Matt
Christmas In Hollis was the only rap I could listen to until I was in Jr. High due to parental madness, so it has always had a special place in my heart after hours upon hours of listening to it as the one “cool Christmas song” from 1987.

Listen to the Holiday Mixtape in full (all songs listed above) below!

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

[Photos by: Lenny Emery]

And yes, the event was a Halloween affair. Obviously…

Can you spot yours truly? Here’s a hint: eyes closed (and I slightly resemble Taylor Swift mixed with guns, roses, a penis, and a whole lot of sex appeal…ha). Yep, I’m throwin’ down glam rock style for a good cause. What can I say? It’s what I do.

To find out more, you can watch Jesse McCartney’s visit to City of Hope by clicking here.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

One of the most electrifying young bands in America recently spoke exclusively to BTB. Check out our interview with the Jonathan Tyler & The Norther Lights below!

MARIA CIEZAK: How did you Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights form? Give us a back-story on the band.

JONATHAN TYLER: I met Brandon in high school. We both played guitar and loved music, so we instantly became friends. Nick and Jordan are both from Oklahoma and knew each before connecting with Brandon and me. We started playing music together informally while attending school. Later, we all dropped out of school and began to take our band much more seriously. Quickly after we formed the Northern Lights things started picking up around Dallas. Now we are breaking into the national scene. So that’s a short version of a very long story.

MC: I am truly in love with this record. What is the inspiration behind the album title ‘Pardon Me’?

JT: It’s an introduction of sorts. Our first record for Atlantic Records. We wanted to come out with a bang for the people just discovering us.

MC: What was is like working with Jay Joyce, I am a huge fan of his work.

JT: Jay is a total character. He’s eccentric, creative, and in love with music. He never seems to run out of ideas. And his ear for sonics in the studio is seriously trained. On a personal level we get along really well and that always helps.

MC: Was your mission as a group to become a signed act, or did it just happen to fall into place? What’s your claim to fame?

JT: When we were in high school we dreamed about it, but once we learned more about the business the dream dissipated. We were and remain concerned with making music and getting it out to the people who appreciate it. Our record company Atlantic has been 100% supportive and partnered with us in our goals. So it feels like a healthy relationship. I’m not sure what our claim to fame is. Maybe partying too hard?

MC: When I first heard the album I instantly thought “old school”, but at the same time, it was so fresh and different sounding, in a league all its own. How do you break it down?

JT: Most of the music we really love is pre-1970. But we didn’t want to make a record in 2010 that sounded 40 years old. So we used the best studio gear and microphones to get amazing sounds. But the “feel” and “attitude” may come off as old school, and that’s ok with us.

MC: You guys have toured with a lot of big acts such as AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Are there any acts in particular that left the biggest impact?

JT: I think touring with ZZ Top made a big impact on us. Those guys have been playing 40 years now, and it’s the same three members. Music is my life work so I can respect a group of guys that have spent their lives mastering the craft. AC/DC definitely one up’d us on the volume level. That rarely happens. [Laughs]

MC: The sound can be stormy rock, like on ‘Young & Free’ and ‘Gypsy Woman’, or gut-wrenching, slow-burning beauties like ‘She Wears a Smile’ and ‘Paint Me a Picture’; Would you say that your music is somewhat therapeutic?

JT: I definitely use songwriting to get thoughts, convictions, and strong feelings out. I think it’s good for me to understand what’s going on in my head. Putting words to unnamed feelings in a 4 minute song definitely helps that process.

MC: Do Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights have any hobbies we would find interesting?

JT: I think we’re pretty normal guys. We try to keep steady lives outside of our crazy touring schedule. It’s hard, but it keeps us grounded. A few of us collect vinyl records. I ride motorcycles. I’m really into spending time outdoors — snowboarding, fishing, camping, surfing, things like that.

MC: For those who have never seen Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights Live, scold them, and then continue to describe your live show, visually and musically.

JT: I can’t express how much I love making music. The high I get out of playing live is the best feeling I know. So every show is special for me. I try to give every ounce of energy on stage. The band behind me rocks hard, too. It can get raucous and loud.

MC: I think your band will revolutionize rock and roll. What are your thoughts on the revolution?

JT: That’s a heavy statement! But I appreciate it. I think modern rock has been very formulaic. We’re trying to keep a raw and authentic spirit in our music and shows. I think it could catch on and hope it does.

Check out our new favorite band (in the just released Gypsy vid) below.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

As a follow-up post to the Katy Perry’s Claws post, here’s a few more pics from Katy Perry’s concert for the Windows Phone Launch Party that I attended last week, here in NYC. The show was effin’ awesome and Perry definitely represented, bringing out the big (peacock feathered) guns and all. She even entered the stage by bursting out of a cake! Confetti and big balls (beach) make for a good time.

All goofy jokes aside, Perry’s vocals were as colorful as the candy coated set she effortlessly fit into, prancing around with pitch perfect sound. I appreciated how honest and candid she was, making the intimate show even more intimate as she connected with the audience on a personal level.

She’s certainly a firework, that one! Perhaps a bottle rocket?

Check out some pics I snapped during the show below.

Hot pink drums are badass…
So is that microphone stand, yeah?
Peacock in da hizzouse!
Those beach balls were actually pretty damn heavy. Workers comp?
Myself with two friends (Cathy Fischer, left & Jennifer Colson, right).

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Check out our exclusive chat with up & coming rockers, Pinn Panelle (as answered by frontman, Derek Song). Pinn Panelle’s debut album will be available 11/22!

CAITLIN HOFFMAN: Brief me with the tale of how Pinn Panelle came to be.

DEREK SONG: Well first things first, I need to thank you and the BiggerThanBeyonce.Com crew for starting this amazing site and doing what you guys do. I’m down with the lack of b.s. and the intention to help others. It’s a pleasure to be on here.

My name’s Derek Song and I’m the guitarist and vocalist of Pinn Panelle. I started the group 3 or so years ago when I was discovering a lot about myself and majoring in electronic sound at Berklee School of Music in Boston. There were a lot of changes in my life at the time and it was showing in my music. Back in Chicago (where I’m originally from), I was known as a guitarist and competition-winner, but I got tired of it. I realized I wasn’t actually saying anything meaningful with my music so when I got to Boston I started this band. I met with drummer Justin Conway and synth/keyboardist Jonah Wei-Haas, both electronic sound designers and we worked on songs. Bassists always came and went, and the obstacles that confront every new band trying to get started were certainly doing their job, but after all this time of finding the right members and recording, we’ve got a bassist named Mike Goodman, we’re playing dates, and about to release our debut album.

CH: During the creative process, is there ever any struggle to come together as a unified force, or are you guys naturally in sync?

DS: Honestly, creative struggles haven’t really happened much and are way outnumbered by arguments over each others’ schedules [laughs].

For this album, I wrote all the music, but there’s definitely a give-and-take between the three of us and anyone else we work with. I’m lucky to have such great bandmates/friends who believe in the songs; when we come together, we’re focused and work really hard so that the final product comes out ridiculously epic and benefits everyone involved.

CH: You have a lot of power in your performance, but behind it I also feel a lot of pain. Do you feel your music is mostly based in darker human emotions?

DS: That’s an interesting question…I guess the answer at this moment is yes but mostly on a lyrical level. The meaning of Pinn Panelle might help explain why. I realized a lot of our music was about human relationships, so I thought of one of mine. I remembered a time when me and my brothers went to an arcade and played this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pachinko machine (where you drop a ball down a hole at the top and watch it go through a panel of pins until it falls through a slot at the bottom). We turned “pin panel” into a girl’s name to make it sound more “human.” This pin panel image is important because to me, the ball can’t go wherever it wants to, its movements are confined by gravity and these equally spaced pegs. To me, it reflects how some people define life or love. Some people think love is a plastically quantifiable thing. Some people only love a certain part of you, without accepting all of you. I think that’s fake and it makes me nauseous. So lyrically, I tend to write down or illustrate what I think is wrong with some of the human interactions around me. I hope that makes sense.

CH: Is your music a release or a disease? That is, do you feel you’re at times burdened by your inspiration or freed by it?
　
DS: It’s safe to say that our CD release show won’t be called the CD Disease Show (but that actually sounds kind of awesome so maybe?). We’re always excited to release songs to the public, especially the ones on this album since it’s taken awhile to get released. The opportunity to share music is a real privilege I think a lot of people take for granted.

But when writing music, the question of whether I’m burdened/freed only comes into play when I’m writing down lyrics as I said before. I always hear a song/melody in my head in its entirety to the point where it feels I’m not the one writing it. But when it comes to writing lyrics, they tend to be whatever it is that has an effect on me regarding what I mentioned before: people, relationships, issues, ninjas, etc. So I guess it’s a release for the most part all around.

CH: How are you hoping to reach people through your sound?

DS: At the end of the day, I hope people will listen to our music or learn about us through whatever medium, and understand that we care about giving others the best we have; we want to give them something new and interesting and of quality. To me, that’s a reflection of real love and why music is a privilege. Now most likely, not everyone will be able to see things like that; but you asked me what I hope for.

CH: Finally, if you had to choose a plan of attack for not selling out, what would it be?

DS: Luckily for us, we’re a band that has a good foundational idea of what music means to us and how it should be shared. So far, the “plan of attack” for us has been and will probably continue to encapsulate being very involved in all aspects of our music and our band’s vision and presence in today’s scene. At the least, we want to oversee those aspects. When we work with graphic designers, promoters, or engineers, we want to have a say in our direction. It’s the knowledge of what’s going on that makes people like Madonna as monumental as they are, and it’s not a goal of ours to pass up the chance of being one of those monumental artists! It’s also a balancing act, though, and it’s important not to get in the way of people who are good at what they do. They might turn you into the next Paris Hilton in spite!

Listen to Snow Falls Up, as taken from Pinn Panelle’s debut album (in stores 11/22) below.

Pinn Panelle – Snow Falls Up (Audio)

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Answering for We the Kings is frontman Travis Clark. Check it out!

MARIA CIEZAK: 2010 was a huge year for the group with the success of Smile Kid and the single We’ll Be A Dream with Demi Lovato. What is in store for the Kings in 2011?

TRAVIS CLARK: We are going to have a bigger and better year than 2010! We’ll be releasing a brand new album, more videos, more touring, more singles, and more WTK love.

MC: You guys do a lot of contest interaction with your fans, which is brilliant in my eyes. One to mention is the “We’ll Be A Dream” contest, where someone will win a chance to sing on stage with the band and a VIP concert experience! How did this idea come about?

TC: I wanted to have someone sing with me on stage and figured I would make a contest out of it for fans to audition to sing. It seemed like a great idea to get people involved plus give them the chance to share the stage with us! If one of my favorite bands did this when I was growing up, I would have been stoked!

MC: I see the Pringles Extreme Campus Tour has kicked off. How is the tour going so far, and how does the college audience differ from normal shows?

TC: The college crowd is great! It’s playing for people our age so it’s easy to talk about life stuff on stage. I feel like people understand more what I’m saying when I ramble for minutes at a time in-between songs. [Laughs]

MC: When the tour is all said and done, whatʼs next? Back to the studio?

TC: I will be flying to New York City to finish writing our 3rd record. It’s a very exciting time for us. It’s kind of like the calm before the storm; you write the record, then life takes you on a crazy roller coaster ride.

MC: A little birdie once told me that a 3rd album defines you as a band. Anything new in store on the next release?

TC: I don’t know if the 3rd album makes the band or not. I just know that we are going to do what we’ve always done and write music that we love and that hopefully our fans will love too. It also makes me think that since we are doing our 3rd record…what will it be like when we are doing our 10th record?

MC: Now I know you all have been friends since elementary school, and kudos for staying tight. Now would you say your musicianship feeds off of your friendship, or vice versa?

TC: I would say both. When we are on stage you can tell that we are best friends playing music that we love…when we are hanging out off stage, it’s vice versa, we’re writing songs about being best friends. [Laughs] It all comes full circle.

MC: What was the music scene like in Bradenton, Florida? Was there any at all?

TC: Our town had a really great music scene, a lot of local bands trying to do the same thing that we were trying to do. The fans in Florida are incredible too, they’re very loyal and have great taste in music.

MC: Which artist that you have toured or played with has influenced you the most?

TC: I think the most influential artists have been the ones that we play with for radio shows. We get to share the stage with anyone from Lady Gaga to Paramore to Gavin DeGraw to Montell Jordan. These are bands and artists that we look up to, so it’s cool to see how they do things and talk with them back stage and get advice on how we can be a better band.

MC: Now, I am part of the We the Kings mailing list, and Iʼve also seen King’s Carriage on YouTube, which is an awesome outlook to communicate with your fans. How much involvement do you all actually have in the Facebook and Myspace circuit for the band, or does someone handle that for you all?

TC: We’ve always demanded that we run our sites. I think it’s strange to have someone else sitting at a computer telling people about your life through your websites. Plus, that’s how we started communicating with our fans in the beginning so it’s only fair to them that we keep that part consistent.

MC: You guys have been nominated for an MTV VMA, and won an award at the Top in Rock Awards, and recently Teen Choice. How important is this to guys as a band?

TC: It’s more awesome than important I would say. It just shows how active and supportive our fans are. I’ve always said that our fans are kind of like a gang to us where we will always have their back and they will always have ours!

MC: What do you think it is about your band and about you guys specifically that has allowed you to become so successful?

TC: This is always the hardest question in interviews because there is no one true answer. It has been a couple things. 1st we have been friends since I can remember and that alone has helped us stay together as a band and continue doing this for the right reasons. Secondly, we write music that our fans enjoy and don’t write songs just to please the label or management, which is probably why the label/management like us in first place. Thirdly and most importantly our fans are so dedicated and I think we have the same view on music which is why they are able to relate to us and our music on so many levels. Music is an escape from real life where you can go and listen to songs that speak to you one on one for however long you like.

MC: Name 5 Things We the Kings cannot live without. Go!

TC:

1- Gushers. (yes, the fruit candy.)
2- Music.
3- Girls.
4- Cell Phones.
5- Fresh Socks.

MC: What can you tell BiggerThanBeyonce readers who have never seen or heard of We the Kings that will convince them to check yes and change that immediately?

TC: I would say it’s important to give music a chance. Our fans who know about us gave us a chance and for some it has changed their lives in a positive way. Give us a chance and if you love it, I’ll see you at a show. If you hate it, you can come throw tomatoes at our tour bus. [Laughs] Either way, I love all of you guys!

The feeling is mutual!

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

“Want to break my heart? Step on a kitten? I will f**k you up in a song.”

-Katy Perry, last night in concert at the Windows Phone Launch
Roseland Ballroom, NYC

More pics to follow!