Looking for an indie dance party? Want to rock out San Diego style? With a slew of upcoming shows and events, including a possible once-in-a-lifetime experience, your weekend is now packed. Macaulay Culkin won’t be home alone, and neither will you! Continue reading Things to do this weekend: Including pizza parties and psychedelic dance
Tag Archives: pop rock
Cobra Heart’s 1 Year Anniversary includes free merch and cupcakes!
Music and art event coordinators Cobra Heart really know how to bring a community together. If the amazing lineup for their one year anniversary production doesn’t reel you in, then some of the awesomely fun gifts and goods will! Continue reading Cobra Heart’s 1 Year Anniversary includes free merch and cupcakes!
The Theme This Week features With Beating Hearts’ new video!
When she’s not working on tracks with Deadmau5 or head banging with pop/rock outfit The Material, Colleen D’Agostino is creating her own brand of dark, moody EDM with an 80s pop feel. A refreshing approach to a genre that has become very “mainstream” as of late, Colleen’s project With Beating Hearts promises to deliver something with just the right amount of her famous edge. Continue reading The Theme This Week features With Beating Hearts’ new video!
Forget Valentine’s Day: Here’s what you should do this week
If you’re single this year, don’t fret. Not everything is about chocolates, champagne and cheesy cards. There are a slew of amazing shows happening in San Diego, and you need to check them out. Who knows, maybe the person of your dreams will be waiting in the crowd? (Too cheesy? Yeah, let’s just focus on the music.) Continue reading Forget Valentine’s Day: Here’s what you should do this week
SDMT: Ra Ra Riot – Don’t miss this!
Start off your San Diego Music Thing experience with a huge pop act and a party. After all, it is Friday…
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Ra Ra Riot with Caveman at the Birch North Park Theatre – Friday September 13th
Indie pop lovers are not going to want to miss this show, with Ra Ra Riot headlining what is sure to turn into a dance party. Playful and amusing lyrics are coupled with cheery musical backdrops that are sure to get you moving. This group has gone through several trials as a band, but that didn’t stop them from playing festivals like South by Southwest and being nominees at the Independent Music Awards. Maybe their optimistic tunes are a reflection of their personal mantras, but either way, you’ll be happy you went to see them live.
Indie rock group Caveman is warming up the crowd with music that is just as riveting and energetic. Fans of Vampire Weekend, The Joy Formidable, and Matt & Kim are going to love this entire lineup.
For more information on the San Diego Music Thing, including the full lineup and how to buy tickets and passes, check out the official website.
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Meet and Greets: Cory Monteith was in an indie rock band
Sometimes we come across an artist who is not only beautiful as a person, but also as a musician. And sometimes those artists struggle with various things, including addiction. One of those artists was Cory Monteith: star on Glee, but who I knew as the talented drummer for Bonnie Dune.
I heard of this band many years ago while I was in high school. I knew some of the people who were in the band. Years passed, and I heard of them again, this time with a new drummer, one many people recognized for his vocal and acting skills on television. My friend’s band The Honey Trees was opening up for Bonnie Dune, so I decided to go. After their set it was Bonnie Dune’s turn. I instantly fell in love with the amazing harmonies, the vocals, and the way all the instruments came together so beautifully, you felt yourself plucked out of where you were, out of everything that was going wrong or worrying you, and out in the middle of a story. It was only you and the band. That’s how those artists made you feel, Cory included.
After the show, he came out to sign autographs and take photos. I knew I had to meet him. When it was my turn, I looked at him and I said “You were phenomenal. I know a lot of musicians, I’ve known every drummer this band has had. You were amazing. You played beautifully. I just had to say that you’re a great drummer. ” He looked at me, with genuine eyes and an authentic smile, and said “thank you”. We took our photo then I left.
Years passed, and I heard of him entering rehab for drug and alcohol addiction. I heard a lot of negativity about this and I thought of musicians, artists, actors, and other people who have gone through similar. Imagine yourself going through the pressure of what they deal with. It’s not so easy. Addiction is a disease. There are artists who can push through it such as Russell Brand, and some that even after trying so hard, just can’t, such as Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin.
Months later, I heard of his passing. Heroin and alcohol is what they said. I am brought back to my good friend, an amazing musician as well, who died from an overdose just months before Cory passed; and it all seems real again. I break down. I think of his band mates, friends, loved ones and family. I break down for a bit and it’s hard.
People talk about the actor and celebrity factor of it all, but others have come to forget he was a musician as well. This was someone whose drumming could calm the most panicked hearts. I cry to think we will never hear it live again. We are just left with his memory, the recordings, and photographs. This amazing musician, gone too soon. This amazing artist, we will always miss.
Addiction is real and it affects millions around the world daily. If you or anyone you know is affected by this, talk to them. Talk to someone. Get help. Music culture is a family, and we are here to help.
By Toni Rivera
Each week, TheIndieSD.com would like to feature your true and personal stories about meeting your favorite musician. Indie bands have some of the most social and outgoing musicians, and many times people have been given the chance to speak with them after shows, take photos, and simply discuss how their music has touched our lives! If you want to share a story about meeting your favorite indie artists, let us know by sending an email to info@theindiesd.com, and it could be featured on the site!
Drug Addiction Help Online. Suicide Prevention Online: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Viv and the Revival: Revved up Rock
The world could use a little more guitar, and pop rock project Viv and the Revival agree. According to the artist’s social media pages, he introduces himself as Viv and labels anyone who enjoys music as “The Revival.” What revival is he referring to exactly? A modern restoration of rock, perhaps? The answers may lie in his latest album The Introduction, out October 8th, which features that trademark sound of riff-inspired music with catchy, poppy melodies and themes. The album definitely offers upbeat, energetic danceability (that better be a word!); and while it leans more on the pop side than any other genre, the heavy influences are still mixed in here and there across the album. And all of this comes from a musician who very humbly accepts and appreciates every one of his fans, which makes me want to say, “rock on, revivalists!”
The Indie writer Toni Rivera spoke with Viv from Viv and the Revival about his upcoming new album and what the current music industry means to a rock artist like himself.
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TheIndieSD: What is your favorite song that you have recorded?
My favorite is probably “Criminals” which is on my new album “The Introduction”.
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TISD: You have a new album “The Introduction” coming out on October 8th. What should we expect from the album? How will it allow us to get to know you and your music?
It’s a big record with a lot of universal themes in it. Everyone can relate to the lyrics and see themselves in the songs. I poured my heart and soul into this album and the things I talk about are very important to me, so the lyrics will allow everyone to get to know me.
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TISD: How was it recording the album?
It was an adventure. I learned so much about music and songwriting throughout this whole process and grew a ton as an artist. I became a different person since the completion of this record.
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TISD: If you could create a duet or collaboration with any artist/band, who would it be? Why?
My number one would have been either Michael Jackson or Bob Marley, but from all of the amazing people out now, maybe someone like Adele or 30 Seconds to Mars. They’re just so talented and I really admire the message in their songs.
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TISD: What inspires you to create music?
Everything inspires me. Everything about life and the world makes me want to be creative and say the things that are on my mind.
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TISD: How do you feel about being a musician in today’s world?
It’s a really special time I think to be a musician. Things have changed but there is so much amazing music at everyone’s fingertips. You can find 50 new bands everyday that you end up loving. I do wish that live shows still had as much importance as they did back in the day. I think that’s where you really get to know and understand an artist or band, when you see them bare their soul live.
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TISD: What things do you take from your personal life and put into your music?
I don’t write about personal things, but I write about universal topics that matter to me. Topics that everyone can relate to. I’m sure a lot of personal things end up coming out somehow though on my songs without me even realizing it. It’s like subconscious therapy.
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TISD: There are a lot of things going on in the world and some artists are taking on these themes, such as Macklemore with his song about same sex marriage and Boyce Avenue with a song about suicide. How do the things going on in the world affect you and your music?
Everything affects my music. I try to be open and compassionate, and once you let your guard down, you’re vulnerable and can truly write from your heart.
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TISD: Do you remember your first concert? How did it affect you?
Well my dad is a professional drummer so I’ve been going to concerts since I was a little kid. The first big concerts that I went to were in high school, seeing Tom Petty, Incubus, The Used, a bunch of bands. Every time the lights went down right before the show started, I would get these chills and goosebumps and I would just say to myself, “you have to do this!”
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TISD: How do your fans impact you?
My fans are amazing! They have supported me from the very beginning and have grown and changed along with me. They’re the reason why I do this.
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TISD: What’s one thing you would want to say to everyone who’s supported you?
From the bottom of my heart, I can’t even thank you enough for the support! It truly means the world to me, and I don’t know where I would be without all of you, so thank you!
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Now with four EP’s under his belt, national television recognition, and a full-length album released soon, Viv and the Revival is set to leave a mark this year. According to his bio, when asked about his Revival, Viv stated:
“I was feeling rundown with music and was searching for something. When I found that passion reignited, it felt like a revival for me – a new start and it was super important for me to get that message out. Every day, you can achieve whatever you want to, be who you want to be, and do what you want. There’s no limit to how good someone can be. This is the Revival. We’re all here to make a big noise. We’re all here to shake things up. We’re all here to change the world. This is your moment, this is your time, this is your world, and this is your Revival.”
Become a part of the Revival and preview the upcoming album, The Introduction, below. And follow their website or Facebook page for official updates! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
San Diego Music Thing: Manuok / Ed Ghost Tucker / Boy King
Each day I’m going to discuss a San Diego Music Thing performance that you can’t miss, so that you are — hopefully — ready for this overwhelmingly awesome music festival this weekend. But a week isn’t even enough time to go through everything, because that is how big this fest really is!
Still, I can offer some highlights, so that you can make a very well-informed decision on who you should see first. Actually, just duplicate yourself and see them all. It’s for the best that way!
Starting off…
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Manuok, Ed Ghost Tucker, Boy King at Whistle Stop Bar – Friday September 13th
San Diego’s indie pop love child, Manuok, is a music project that really showcases just what this music scene can offer. Feel proud to be a So Cal music lover as you sway along to the crooning voice of the brains behind this solo project, multi-instrumentalist Scott Mercado. Legendary, impeccable, mellow and fascinating are just a few spot-on adjectives that come to mind.
Ed Ghost Tucker is the kind of act that immediately pulls you in — with a genre-bending approach to music that is mostly folky-surf tunes with a hint of jazz appeal. Smart and alluring, their music is the perfect backdrop to nearly any venue. When performing live, Ed Ghost Tucker knows how to control their volume and dynamic, adding perspective to music that is already beaming with depth. If you enjoy beachy vibes and the jazzy version of Vampire Weekend, Ed Ghost Tucker will not disappoint you.
Rounding out this trifecta of awesome sauce is Boy King, a rock ‘n roll based group that isn’t afraid to bring a bit of an edge to the party. With guitar riffs like Wolfmother and The Black Keys, and lead singer Megan Liscomb channeling a 70s rock goddess, Boy King is sure to prove they’re royalty among local rock ‘n roll.
For more information on the San Diego Music Thing, including the full lineup and how to purchases tickets and passes, check out the official website.
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The Frail prove to be strong indie pop!
Do you need a new obsession in your life? Well good news, The Frail have just released a new music video, and they’re continuing to steal the hearts of fans everywhere in the process.Modern music never ceases to amaze me, because in a world where people claim “nothing is original” there are bands like The Frail, continuing to push those boundaries and create catchy, unique music.
And their fans must agree, because after a very successful Kickstarter to fund their latest music video, the final product was released to brilliantly warm reception.
We got the chance to speak with The Frail about their genre-bending tunes, couch surfing in Bankers Hill (yes, really!), and what to expect from their full length album, LoveDeathLegend — to be released soon!
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TheIndieSD.com: I love the classical influence on the song “Count on This”. How did you come up with this idea?
The idea of blending classical French music with electronic music seemed so perfect at the time. It created a bitter sweet/uplifting feel to it.
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TISD: To say that your music defies traditional genre boundaries is very true! Where do you draw influences from when you’re writing or in the studio?
Well in the past it was just Kevin and I emailing back and forth writing parts and singing and mapping out the songs. But now we work with Different Fur Studio owner and producer Patrick Brown on a lot of the newer material. We listen to a lot of different pop music, and then bands like M83, The Drums, Phoenix, Kavinsky, Queen, really all over the place!
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TISD: You’ve already had the chance to tour with some amazing acts (Moby, Hot Chip, Justice). Are there any other artists that you’d love to have the opportunity to share the stage with in the future?
We’ve been listening to a lot of bands like The Neighbourhood, Delorean, Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club, any of those would be awesome! (We’re here and ready wink wink nudge nudge)
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TISD: Tell me about some of the amazing shows you’ve had recently. Any really memorable moments on stage so far?
One really awesome show we played recently was in our hometown of San Francisco at The Great American Music Hall. We have always wanted to play there but never really had the opportunity pop up until a couple months ago. That place is legendary and we were able to play with some amazing friends: Doe Eye, Tremor Low, and of course our very good friends Parallels (We were on a mini tour with them at the time). It was definitely a highlight!
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TISD: The Firefly EP is magical, in my opinion. Your sound is definitely unique and inspiring. What can your fans expect from your future full length release, LoveDeathLegend? Will you be expanding on and exploring even more upbeat genres and themes?
Well we have really pushed forward with our musical style in regards to LoveDeathLegend. I think it touches on some of the older material while really pushing us a bit further in the pop genre. LoveDeathLegend has a lot more live instrumentation and everything sound a lot bigger than the older records. Expect a fun record that pushes our music to a place it hadn’t really been before.
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TISD: Which song is the very first song you wrote for The Frail?
It’s a toss up between “Who Am I” and “Count On This”, both on the Count On This EP on Tricycle Records :)!
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TISD: Being that you found each other on Craigslist, how was the band dynamic when you first started to create music? How quickly did you fall into your groove when you started writing with each other?
Kevin and I have a weird way of knowing what each other are thinking musically. It was really basic at first. Kevin had written a few tracks and we adjusted the structure of those songs together to make them fit vocals. From there we really started songs, we were both writing back and forth and it kind of fell into place. Being that we are a full band it’s a bit more challenging but definitely produces a well rounded sound at this point. It’s always a work in progress though and we are always looking to improve our songwriting or reach new heights.
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TISD: Your latest video “Back to Me” had a very successful Kickstarter campaign backing it up. How does it feel to have such steady fans and heavy support for your music?
We feel extremely lucky that we’ve had supporters on both Kickstarter & Indiegogo! We really couldn’t have done any of this without them, so needless to say without them we wouldn’t be anywhere. So they are the ones that control this band and we are so grateful to have them be apart of this.
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TISD: And the end product is amazing, by the way. There seem to be a lot of deeper themes covered in the video. How did you go about making this video? What stories did you want to depict in this video?
Well the song is about a time in my life when I was actually dating someone in San Diego and practically living on a friend’s couch in Bankers Hill. It was a leap of faith kind of thing and definitely eye opening. The video took the pieces of the song that reflect that. Wanting to be somewhere else and just going for it while trying to escape what you called home before. We really really love San Diego by the way. (Shout out to Marshall)
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TISD: What do you hope to achieve in 2014? How do you hope fans will react to LoveDeathLegend?
Well we hope to have released LoveDeathLegend by then and to be on the road non stop. We are actually headed back into the studio in November to work on new material with Patrick at Different Fur. So you might even see an EP before the full length. We’re just having fun playing shows and writing music. As far as the reception to LoveDeathLegend goes, we hope people like it. It’s pretty different from all our other material and touches a lot of different genres so we think there’s a little something for everyone in it!
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Make sure to follow The Frail via their official site or their Facebook page for updates on the new album, LoveDeathLegend. And let us know what you think of their video in the comments below.
The Indie Revolution: will Arcade Fire dominate again?
Recently, indie artists and independent labels have dominated the music world and proven that the little guys can acquire big fame, too. But despite all of this, many still wonder if independent music can continue to grow, or if a lot of these instances were simply “the right song at the right time”. And if it’s the latter, do we know if independent bands such as Arcade Fire will continue to gain recognition, or turn themselves into one hit wonders manipulated by mainstream media?
Related: Tears for Fears covers Arcade Fire’s “Ready to Start”
Independent artists and labels already have one thing going for them: they’re allowed to focus on sheer talent. Perhaps major labels are so used to racking in money and using a lot of that money to fuel expensive tours and production costs, they’ve grown too big to allow error. They can’t take the time to focus on an artist who might be good but won’t make any money — or else they’re out billions.
Can you imagine being out of billions of dollars because you decided to sign nothing but really talented artists for, let’s say for sake of argument, a year? That’s the world of big media. If it isn’t making them money, they simply don’t have time for it. And so continues the well oiled machine.
This could be why independent artists are having such a great decade. These acts are able to reach markets and achieve greatness that before did not come easily without the backing of a major label: from Macklemore, who set unprecedented records for an independent artist on the Billboard charts, to Arcade Fire winning Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammys and Mumford & Sons claiming the award this year. (Majority of the Grammy Album of the Year winners and Nominees are definitely on major labels.) And they’re doing it because the public really loves good music.
More Indie Labels: Easy Killer Records promises diversity and dedication
Most people like to argue that pop music ruined the creative, talented music market. I don’t believe one genre came in and wrecked it for everyone. I believe in cycles. In the 70s, disco haters might have come to the same conclusion, spurning the fad and citing it for ruining the time of 60s singer and songwriters.
The same could be said of heavy metal and nu-metal, both of which dominated mainstream charts in the 90s following the era of the 80s R&B revival and the “golden age of hip hop”.
My point is, popular music and fads will always be there. But so will the fearless, talented, and modern music makers who are passionate about the craft of creating a song. We’re lucky to have a market that has finally opened up to the “little guys”, so we can see independent labels create sell-out shows, unsigned hip hop artists make thousands on their own mix tapes, and yes, indie rock bands beat out millionaires to win a Grammy, effectively making them not so little anymore.
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So far, Arcade Fire is stirring up very deep conversations about their release today, “Reflektor”
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What do you think about this? Do you think independent music will continue to have its glory in the bigger music market? Or will the mainstream media take over again someday and shut them out?
The Indie 