youbloom | HEADROOM #1: Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

22-Oct-2015 By 1 Comment

Welcome back to the HEADROOM! The only place on the web where music freaks such as yourselves can get acquainted with unsigned bands before they hit the stages of the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival.

Here at HEADROOM, we take pride in our poking and prodding abilities. We’re bona. fide. gossip merchants, born at your great auntie Joan’s kitchen phone and raised by one too many Q&A pages in rock’n’roll magazines.

We like the dirt. The skinny. The real weird stuff.

And we make one heck of a great cup of tea.

It’s no secret that rock bands – and musicians of all genres, really – have no shortage of strange and positively indecent stories to tell. I mean, the people, the places, the…the… hairstyles!

It’s…scandalous altogether.

So pull up a chair, really, honey, it’s no trouble. And just wait til you hear this…

We asked artists to tell us about the first experiences they had with music (hey, we all have to start somewhere). Here’s what a few of them had to say:

“My first experience with playing music was in the after school band program at my elementary school in Tacoma, WA. I played the flute. I remember the magic feeling of learning my first song and playing it with the other band musicians. I’m sure we sounded terrible; all us seven year olds blowing away on our horns. But to me it sounded like the best noise in the world.” – Cooper, (bass & vox, The Ultra Violent Rays)

Mirror, mirror, on the wall: who’s the noirest of them all? The Ultra Violent Rays aren’t exactly violent, but they do craft a masterful, cold sultry sound that promises something hot-blooded despite being surrounded by a kind of endless chill. Lovingly produced, carefully communicated electro-class for the space rogue in all of us. For fans of: Joy Division, Gary Numan, Patti Smith

“My first experience was the result of a worn out bearing in our washing machine when I was a kid. Every time it went into the spin cycle it produced ethereal poly-rhythms I only recognized years later when I heard Fela Kuti and Ginger Baker. Eventually the damn thing just broke, but by that time I had discovered Slayer.” – Jim Priest, (singer/songwriter/storyteller)

Hypnotic acoustic guitar meets wrong side of the tracks storytelling, leading us down a dark alley of spoken-word intrigue; it’s tangible, like a newspaper headline – we wonder where it all went wrong. Jagged harmonicas tear in, reminding us that we’re only listeners, but we’re involved, affected all the same. Jim Priest is not to be missed. For fans of: Tom Waits, Loudoun Wainwright III, Sage Francis

“When I was younger, I had older cousins who listened to super heavy music, and it was crazy to me! Up to that point I’d only heard music that was on the radio. I probably didn’t exactly “get it” because I was too young, but I think even on a subconscious level I had a switch go off that there was a whole world of different music out there that wasn’t mainstream. That’s probably when music “discovery” started for me. I actually went in search of different music that excited me instead of just listening to whatever was available or on the radio and MTV.” – Eric Rickey (vox & songwriter, Rabid Young)

Dreamy and wistful yet energetic and soulful electro-indie made in Vegas, baby. Expect to be filled with a nostalgia for a time and place you were never part of. Impressive stuff when a band can do that. For fans of: Imagine Dragons (kind of), Grouplove, eighties guy/gal duos

“I was introduced to music when I was a freshman in high school. I moved into a lower income complex where I (made) friend from Little Rock, Arkansas, who was very passionate about poetry and music. I had a karaoke machine in my bedroom that we would put cassette tapes into and record ourselves singing. Eventually this grew into songwriting for us and we recorded a track called “The Anthem”. I continued to pursue music throughout high school until it became my main career goal.” – Anthony Greene (sick rhymes, Prada Gino)

Sincere prose is woven through thoughtfully chosen samples and surprisingly sultry and classy beats. Belongs on a list of the top intellectual rappers in the game. Hometown Chicago oughtta be proud. For fans of: Kid Cudi, Illogic, Eyedea & Abilities

“My first conscious experience with music was at three; my dad used to drive a lot to every place me and my little brother needed to be, and when we went to the playground or preschool he’d play some cassettes from Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Queen or The Beatles (I cared more for Transformers at the time). We were exposed to lots of music, and sometimes went “off the road”. At age 10, someone gave us a Spice Girls tape, and as soon as we pressed play, my dad turned off the radio and gave me my own first tape, Kiss, Alive 4. From then on it’s been nothing but rock and roll.” – Julián (lead vox & guitar, RendeR)

All the way from Chile, with commercial sensibility coming out of their eyeballs, RendeR are polished, tight, and they know their genre like nobody’s business. Headbangers welcome. *Heads up! It’s in Spanish. For fans of: Frequency 54, Underwhelmed, Staind

*Please note: at this time, individual showtimes and venues have not all been confirmed. We’ll update this blog as soon as they are!

Running riot: Dublin band The Riot Tapes fire things up with new single and video. World appropriately sweats.

18-Aug-2015 By Leave a Comment

“Goodbye my faith, goodbye my heart.”

Ah, Elaine Doyle, c’mere, would you ever stop being such a fantastic ride? Look at you there, running around the countryside, looking winsome and windswept, not a bother on you as you purr lyrics in perfect time and stare down the sunset like some badass bog Madonna.

Are your legs tired? Cause you’ve been running through my mind all day.

Well then, at least put a scarf on, dear, you’ll catch your death of cold out there. Yes, even in August; this is Ireland, after all.

–
Just two months on from their ravishing show at youbloomDublin 2015, Reekus Records’ Riot Tapes are are off and running – rather literally, actually – with their latest release, a single called “Hello, Insanity”.

Recorded at Westland Studios in Dublin’s south inner city, and initially intended as a work-in-progress recording, the since-polished song has been receiving critical praise from fans and industry swingers alike; Joe Donnelly of TXFM has called it “…a thunderbastard of a song.”

Well.

You can see where he’s coming from. As Irish mainstream music goes, this is top stuff. The production is so clean and well-considered, it’s as if the group are aliens – seductively frank aliens – dropped off here to totally steal the show. And this is what they do, with cannonball drums and electro-effect guitar thrum burning up the reel. Donnelly goes on to liken the track to “Heads Will Roll”, by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, quite the comparison, and by all accounts spot on, if the response from listeners of his popular radio show Cheer or Sneer are anything to go on. Riot Tapes, are, quite frankly, killing it right now.

So what does a sassy band of audio assassins do when they’re not busy slaying from the airwaves and the stages of Ireland’s best fests? Why, drive up the mountains and get up to all sorts of antics, of course:

“The shooting of the video (for “Hello, Insanity”) was unusual,” says vocalist Elaine.

“Myself and Chris (our guitarist) agreed on the concept which was basically me running up the Dublin mountains singing along to the song. So one cold sunny morning the two of us headed up to the mountains in Chris’s little Fiesta. We had a camera, a tripod, and some red rope. We put the camera onto the tripod, tied the tripod into the boot of the fiesta and began shooting. Chris drove as slowly as he could and I ran after the car whilst trying to sing. The whole point of the video was to do it in one take.”

“One minute in, we had a problem: my jeans were falling down quite rapidly when I ran. Chris cut off some of the red rope and made me a belt. You can kind of see it in the video if you look really close. We did four or five takes, and used the last one for the video. It didn’t take too long to do at all.”

Talented, tenacious, quite obviously full of creative energy; it must have been off to win over more listeners after the shoot, surely? Actually, uh, not quite:

“We spent longer looking for 50 euro that fell out of my pocket while I was running than we did shooting the video!” Doyle laughs. “We never found it.”

Check out all the pants (and panting!) -related mayhem right here in the video:

Riot Tapes play The Big Viking Picnic, a gig for charity, in Kells, Ireland August 29.

youbloom HEADROOM #7: Featured Artists from the Dublin 2015 Music Festival

11-Jun-2015 By Leave a Comment

One more sleep ’til youbloom!

That’s right, music freaks! Tomorrow is the June 12th, official starting date of the youbloom Dublin 2015 Music Festival & Conference, set to turn your average weekend into a bona fide rockfest you’ll be talking about for months. It’s been a wild year so far for us at youbloom HQ as we’ve geared up to bring you the best in independent music, here in Ireland as well as from across the seas. And we’ve certainly played while we worked – surrounded by all these bands and artists, you’d be crazy not to!

youbloom: HEADROOM was born of the importance of play. It’s based on the desire to get to the silly nitty-gritty; to find out more about all of the strange and interesting people who’ll be taking to the five stages this coming weekend. To put names with faces, and stories with songs, and find out how similar we all really are. youbloom is the global music village, and we’re all – artists, fans, or simply curious – part of it.

The eve of the festival marks HEADROOM’s seventh post, so we added a couple more artists’ stories to this one to give that “lucky number seven” thing a fair – fine, cheesy – shake. (No regrets!!)

We’ve had such a fun time getting to know all of the artists, and thank them heartily for calling forth their weirdest formative horrors (some maybe not so much) with us. Onward! To the Dame district! I’ll see you all there to hear how far these folks have come.

Meanwhile, for the final time, guys: Tell us about the first band you were ever in. We want the good, the bad, and the snuggly (?!?).

“My first band was an imaginary one! There were three of us, two who shall remain unnamed. It was New Year’s Eve, and we were all alone. We had a mic stand, so we were pretty well set. For the night we became Stiff Little Fingers, Talking Heads, and all the rest of our favourite bands. We spent the night miming, pretending we had an audience, at the age of 35. I knew then this was for me.”

– Clodagh Rooney, Reverend JM’s Panic Worship

One of the best things about music in Dublin is that since the city is so small, bands from wildly differing genres often find themselves drawing influence from all the other unexpected sounds around them. Reverend JM’s Panic Worship is one of the best examples of this uniquely Irish “genre-less” sound. Dark, playful melodies wind out of an assembly of unexpected instruments, played with intimate know-how. A second-to-none act, they play the Mercantile Stage on Friday, 12/6, at 9.30pm.

“The first proper band that practiced more than a couple of times was really exciting for me. It was my first time being in a band as a bassist and the first time that I felt truly comfortable in a band. We played countless gigs over a few years and recorded a couple of EPs and singles. We were fairly good and people seemed to like us.”

– Brian, bass, Beware Of You

“Beware Of You isn’t my first band experience, actually. My first was a young band called Insomniac, which (formed) when I was 16, I think. Yeah, we were all pumping full of ego – me, mainly – because as we all know, drums are the loudest instrument (and the best). For about two years we rehearsed every week, which is some dedication, but in that whole time we only ever played, like, two gigs. So that band was doomed to fall (apart) from the start, I guess.”

– Anthony, drummer, Beware of You

Gutsy, ambitious new act Beware of You have been busy this year drawing blood from the stone of pop punk and creating something earnestly elemental with their loot. Showing their colours, with influences the likes of All Time Low and Paramore, they’re ones to watch. See them on Sweeney’s downstairs stage on Sunday night, 14/6, at 10.30pm.

“I (was) in a rock band called Rampant, playing shameful versions of Iron Maiden and Blink 182. I used to wear a sailor hat at all of our gigs. Cringe.”

– Fergal, violin & mandolin, The Quakers

Yes. Just yes. If you’re not hooked from the count-in; blasted into the Quakers universe like a pistol shot in a gunfight over an insult to your Pa, and buoyed along by the gospel-meets-football-hooligan dynamism, then you, my friend have no ears. Possibly also no soul. Seriously good music. These boys are riled up and fit for fightin’, and they’re not leaving without making you dance like your boots are on fire. Get shanghaied at Sweeney’s Upstairs stage on Saturday, 13/6, at 10pm.

“The first band I was in was called Java Dawn. I played bass and sang, and we sounded like a fifteen-year-old version of Bloc Party. There was something amazing about being so young, thinking after every band practice (that) you were destined (to play) Wembley Stadium within a few months.”

– Edwin Pope, Mutant Vinyl

Mesmerizing, kinetic one-man electronic act Mutant Vinyl will be playing Sweeney’s Basement stage on Friday 12/6, at 1.30am. Hotly-tipped and irresistible, the live shows have attracted tons of praise – even from Sir Paul McCartney himself! Don’t miss this one.

“My first band was called Volume 2, a covers support band or as it was known then, a “relief” band who played support to any show bands that played in our area. The fact that we did pretty appalling versions of Zeppelin and Black Sabbath among others – at what was mainly a country and western gig – probably explains why we lasted about six weeks, our short but turbulent careers ending in ignominy when our drummer put his foot through Larry Cunningham’s (well-known Irish country music singer from the 60’s-70’s) drum kit whilst trying to save himself from falling off stage! It took me forty-five years to form my second band; the one I’m in now having been formed just over a year ago. So far all drum skins are still intact and we don’t do covers!”

– Ronan Gallagher, singer/songwriter/guitar magician, The Ronan Gallagher Band

“Siderodromophilia – an obsession with or fixation on railroads, trains or train travel.” The music of the Ronan Gallagher Band seems to summon the wanderlust in us all, with wailing strings, blues cat vocals, chugging tempos, and a whole lot of things to reminisce about as the track goes by. As though the songs are merely turns of the radio dial, picking up on a permanent station; what they capture is raw and beautiful in its simplicity. They top off the night at Sweeney’s Upstairs stage on Sat, 13/6, at 1.30 am.

“Although I play jazz and folk music now, it maybe a little surprising (to know that) the first band I was in was a metal band I started in Seattle called Aperatus. I was 16. At first I was only singing in the band. Later, after a ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, I heard someone playing beautiful melodic music with a guitar, so I sat down next to him and asked him if I could join and he said yes. The next day I bought a guitar and have been playing ever since.”

– Shelita Burke, singer/songwriter

Seattle native Shelita Burke is something of a perplexity, raw of voice and precocious, charmingly facebook-shy; a warrior of the ideas kind. We can’t wait to welcome her to Ireland and be transfixed. She’ll take to Sweeney’s Upstairs stage on Sunday, 14/6, at 8.40pm.

CHECK OUT THE FULL LINEUP HERE: http://www.youbloom.com/dublin-2015/. We’ll see you there!

youbloom HEADROOM #6: Featured Artists from the Dublin 2015 Music Festival

04-Jun-2015 By Leave a Comment

Hi, it’s youbloom from the future (one week into the future, to be precise)! On our mission of music-loving mischief, we managed to get our paws on an old Eircom phonebox, and with a little help from some bleach, and a wise-cracking, inter-dimensional chaperone, we’ve been downright zipping around through time, jamming to tunes and having the major lols.

That story may or may not be a total lie. It may or may not have also been 100% ripped off of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. But this I can tell you, dear readers: we really do love jamming to tunes; we really, really do wish we had a phonebox time machine; and on this day in one week’s time, you really are going to be feasting your eyes and ears on an absolute torrent of new, exciting, crazy talented bands and performers.

The youbloom Dublin 2015 Music Festival & Conference is a mere week away, coming to Dublin’s Dame district next Friday – Sunday, Jun 12/13/14, hosting over 60 mint condition acts – for free – over five stages. So with that in mind, it’s time to take that time-travel-inspired trip back to the roots of music for a fresh muckraking session with our latest crew. (Quadruple air guitar solos)

So, guys, tell us the story of the first experience you can remember having with music. Feel free to spill all the beans.

“I like to think that my first ever experience with music was in my mother’s belly a couple weeks before she was due to have me. She was at a Peter Gabriel concert. I was kicking and dancing like mad, and she almost fainted during it. I still love listening to Peter Gabriel.”

– Christian Collins, singer/songwriter

With a voice that betrays a rich humility and fervent depth; reminiscent of Jeff Buckley’s greatest years, Christian Collins is not to be missed. This is triumphant poetry at its touchable best. He plays Sweeney’s Upstairs stage on Sunday, 14/6, at 10.05pm.

“It was summertime and me, my brother, and my cooler older cousin were staying at my aunt’s house in the country. There was an old caravan out the back so we snuck out there late one night with an old cassette player. (My cousin) put on The Doors and Led Zeppelin. I’d never heard music like that before! I was completely awestruck by Jim Morrison’s deep, wise voice, and found it so hard to comprehend (that) he had died really young. It was a magical music night!”

– Miriam Donohue, singer/songwriter

Like something unearthed from a time capsule buried in the early 60’s by a still-green Bob Dylan, Miriam Donohue’s music feels like a gift from a time when pop music was still silly enough to be bypassed by those with more on their minds than twisting and shouting. A capable writer, with a sublime delivery that will leave you speechless. She’s on the Mercantile Gallery stage on Saturday, 13/6, at 8.30pm.

“Music was always part of my life. I don’t remember how it all started, but I do remember following my mum around the house and harmonizing with a vacuum cleaner, driving kids in school insane by tapping on every possible surface, and walking in beat with (every) song.”

– Djollie, drums, WOB!

The latest in an esteemed line of technical wizards and engrossing Irish instrumental bands, WOB!’s spin on the genre is lighter, more ebullient; all the while respecting and commanding its complex formula and precision whomp. WOB! deliver a lively set from the Mercantile stage on Saturday, 13/6, at 8pm.

“When I was 3 years old, I was given a little violin. Apparently, I played with it by pretending it was a rocket ship and throwing it into the sky. Perhaps this was an early indicator that no, I would not enjoy attending classical lessons.”

– Amano Miura, singer/songwriter

Amano is such an enchanting musician, with a voice like an elegant ninja, and lyrics draped in a sweet, alarming know-how; fascination barely concealed. Great videos, too. She performs a beguiling set on Friday, 12/6 at the Mercantile Gallery stage, at 8pm.

youbloom HEADROOM: Featured Artists from the Dublin 2015 Music Festival #4

29-May-2015 By 2 Comments

Artists and band members from the upcoming youbloom Dublin 2015 Music Festival are sharing little bits of their formative years with us as we prod away in search of the source of all that musicality. We are proud to have them on the bill with over 50 incredible, unsigned acts, playing over five stages this June 12/13/14, and even more proud to have the honor of divulging what makes them tick.

Today, a new batch of rockers and minstrels tell us the story of the first time they knew that music was for them. N’awww.

“When I was 16 and I first got paid to drink free beer, eat free food, watch burlesque girls and rock out in the band Jimmy Willing & The Real Gone Hickups; that’s what did it for me. Music is magical for those making it and those listening. There are plenty of ups and downs, but we stick with it for those magical moments.”

– Rohan Healy, Dublin City Rounders

“When I realized that latex and black makeup is more comfortable than a business suit.”

– Al, Dublin City Rounders

TG4 darlings The Dublin City Rounders are here to party, bringing their trademark rabble-rousing, boot-stomping, rubber-necking sound to the youbloom crowd. Why is it so infectious? How did they write these wicked ditties? And what the hell is that guy doing to the bass? (Jimi Hendrix challenge accepted!) Their energy will blow you away on Sunday, 14/6 at the Busking Stage, 6pm.

“When I was very young, maybe around 5 or 6 years old, I wrote and recorded a song called “Mad Dog” in my father’s home studio. I played the drums on it, which I distinctly remember because my legs were too short to reach the kick pedal! The song was about a dog who chased the postman and wanted to eat him. I remember telling my father that when I grew up I was going to be the lead singer of a band who also played the drums. The drumming part didn’t pan out but one out of two isn’t bad.”

– Kim Monroe, Castle Creek

Everything is right with this band. They’re tight, bluesy, hooky, and inviting, and they’ve been winning over audiences everywhere they’ve performed since getting their rootsy rock sound together in the heart of New York state a few years ago. The soundtrack to your both your most nostalgic moments and all the beers with your best mates. Give ‘em a proper Irish welcome at Sweeney’s Upstairs stage on Saturday, 13/6, at 11pm.

“The first time a friend introduced me to her work pals as a musician. Before I had time to object and say, “Oh no, I’m not a real musician,” they were asking me loads of questions about music. By the end of the night, feeling so happy, I realised that I wanted to start doing more with my songs. I booked my first venue, charged a fiver at the door, and 70 friends and supporters filled the room that night. And that was me hooked on being a musician!”

– Miriam Donohue, singer/songwriter

“Its difficult to pin point the one moment when I knew music was for me. It seems to have always been within me. Maybe when I discovered how cathartic writing songs was as a teenager, especially when I started getting my heart broken from pretty girls!”

– Christian Collins, singer/songwriter

“When I saw the first foot tapping to our music, followed by an outbreak of dancing, and then heard my first applause. Nothing beats playing live to an appreciative audience. Nothing!”

– Ronan Gallagher, vocals & guitar, The Ronan Gallagher Band

“Siderodromophilia – an obsession with or fixation on railroads, trains or train travel.” The music of the Ronan Gallagher Band seems to summon the wanderlust in us all, with wailing strings, blues cat vocals, chugging tempos, and a whole lot of things to reminisce about as the track goes by. As though the songs are merely turns of the radio dial, picking up on a permanent station, what they capture is raw; endlessly beautiful in its simplicity. They top off the night at Sweeney’s Upstairs stage on Saturday, 13/6, at 1.30 am.