WOKE UP THIS MORNIN’: youbloom | HEADROOM #1 with Featured Artists from the Dublin 2016 Music Festival

04-May-2016 By Leave a Comment

We’re back, music friends! That’s right, the youbloomDublin 2016 Music Festival & Conference is fast approaching and that, rock and rollers, can only mean one thing: it’s HEADROOM time!

It’s the most fun, interesting, and probably bizarre place on the web to find out more about the future movers and shakers in the big bad world of the music industry.

As champions of DIY and independent music, we at youbloom like to take a little time to get to know all of the incredible artists who will be gracing our stages at our upcoming fest. So we got in touch with all the acts and asked them to spill their guts – figuratively, of course – and let us in on the private world – the motivations, inspirations and far-out tales – of today’s self-made music monsters.

So welcome back to HEADROOM. Today, our first batch of players answers the very tough question: If you woke up tomorrow as any other artist or musician, living or dead, who would you want to be and why?

Carito Plaza, singer/songwriter/one-woman discotheque: “Easy: Ella Fitzgerald. Apart from the fact that she had the most amazing voice I have ever heard, you can see in her videos and interviews how much fun she had with music; she never sang a song in the same way twice, and she was always laughing and enjoying herself, like me.”

Sultry latin grooves spread like hot butter over the funky disco-lite beats of Carito Plaza. A favourite from last year’s youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival, she’s sure to impress across the Atlantic in Dublin. Order an exotic cocktail and loosen up your hips for shaking. Carito’s coming to town! For fans of: Janet Jackson, J*DaVeY, NDambi

Darragh Mc Grane, lead vox & guitar, Penrose: “I would love to be Paul McCartney in the 60s, simply because he was in the best band in the world, he wrote some of the most beautiful pop-tastic songs that will be listened to hundreds of years from now, and he lived through a period any musician could ever dream about.”

Taking the best elements from legends of 60s AM radio, Penrose craft a jubilant sound laden with orchestral arrangements, jangling guitars, and well-considered lyrical melodies. Their style will impress fans of retro-inspired indie from the US and UK alike. For fans of: Oasis, Stereophonics, ELO

Toya, vox, performance, Toya Delazy: “Bob Marley! He lived in his music and was a critical thinker who marched to the beat of his own drum. He cared for the world, and did it for the benefit of people.”

Zulu royal (yes, you read that right), jazz pianist, producer and singer-songwriter Latoya Buthelezi spends her days crafting jazz-electro-hip-hop dancefloor fillers that have received critical acclaim in her native South Africa as well as abroad. It’s crisp, smart music with depth and groove. For fans of: Nicki Minaj, 2 Chainz, Young Money

Ruth McCartney, backing vox, Great White Lies: “It’s possibly a predictable answer but given my recent heartache over his death, if I could be any musician it would have to be Bowie! His amazing chameleon-like abilities, his artistic vision, the breadth and span of his musical career – it’s all just staggering. Also, imagine waking up and being that beautiful every morning.”

Great White Lies blend jazz, 60s soul, and singer-songwriter styles so seamlessly it’s hard to tell what genre you’re helplessly bobbing your head to. Addictively groovy, captivating and skillful tunes. A true surprise. For fans of: Natalie Merchant, Stevie Wonder, Minnie Riperton

What about you guys? If you woke up tomorrow as a famous artist, whose face would you want to see staring back at you from the bathroom mirror? Let us know in the comments below!

THE PLUNGE: youbloom | HEADROOM #13 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival

09-Dec-2015 By Leave a Comment

Take the plunge: Learn that instrument. Take the plunge: Head for the city. Take the plunge: Form a band. Record your songs. Go on tour.

All first steps are leaps into a vast, deep unknown.

From the moment you hold out your hand to introduce yourself to someone new…to the first note you utter onstage at your first show…to the time you decide that there’s no turning back and take that turnoff in hot pursuit of the career of your dreams.

The last installment of HEADROOM LA 2015 is dedicated to those ballsy times; the ones where anxiety and uncertainty have you backed up against the edge of passing out or puking, but you steel yourself, clear your thoughts, and go hell-for-leather anyway.

Because deep down you know there’s no other way. Despite the mistakes, the screw ups, the impulsive decisions: you took the plunge, now you own it.

The coolest part about all this? You make friends.

A little psychological phenomenon known as The Pratfall Effect sees to this; simply put, people like you more when you’re willing to show you’re not perfect. And as you know, there’s no better place to show the world how not perfect you are than in your very first band.

So we asked four of the artists playing this weekend’s youbloomLA2015 Music Festival, in Pasadena, to let us in on the awkward details of the first bands they were ever in. We’ve even made a special playlist just for the occasion.

Take the plunge: press play, read on, and make some new friends.

https://play.spotify.com/user/shanimald/playlist/2tQcZwg1B8lVE7OVsLumDz

Danielle (lead vox, Aigua), THE PLUNGE: “I tried to form a band in 8th grade, but it didn’t last very long. I can remember sitting in my living room, everyone barely knowing how to play their instrument, and me discussing that my best friend was going to manage us…it’s all pretty funny looking back. I forget what our name was but I think it had something to do with bow-ties.”

A Turkish-Brazilian duo with a new twist on latin sounds firmly in their cross hairs, Aigua deliver sweet, sparse melodies in their signature laid-back way. Expect a set that will refresh your ears after a long day of gig-hopping. Beautiful work. For fans of: Sufjan Stevens, Maia, Rodrigo y Gabriela

Julián (lead vox/guitar, RendeR), THE PLUNGE: “My first band was called Sick Town Bastards. I was 11 or 12. We played cover songs from Faith No More, Papa Roach, System of a Down, Pearl Jam and others. The first time we played was in a talent contest at school. We were the best band, even though we were the babies. The music teacher took me (under his wing) from then on. I’m very grateful, because that small band made me take big steps: playing with older schoolmates in Aghast, recording my first songs in the studio, playing music venues in Valparaiso (a Chilean port town; beautiful but dangerous) with fake IDs, using being in a band as a chick magnet technique, or getting into trouble.”

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. For fans of: Frequency 54, Underwhelmed, Staind

Carolina Plaza (composer/vox, Carito Plaza), THE PLUNGE: “My first band was call FunkReal. It was a Chilean G-Funk band, and actually, we were pretty good! I’m talking about the year 2000; we got some of our videos on MTV, and we played in big festivals such as Rock Al Parque (the biggest festival in Colombia). Good times, good memories.”

Jazzy and sensual R&B is given the latin treatment in the hands of the very talented Carolina (“carito” means little Carolina) Plaza. A capable collaborator, but strong enough to stand alone, the music is danceable, infectious, and smooth. For fans of: Aaliyah, India.Arie, a one woman TLC

photo by Zandrah Stoneburner

Cooper, (bass & vox, Ultra Violent Rays), THE PLUNGE: “My first band was a punk three-piece called Bang Sugar Bang. We sucked when we started. I remember I was a ball of nerves before our first show because I really couldn’t play bass and I could barely sing. My bandmate was much more experienced than me. He could tell I was freaking out. He took me aside and said, “It doesn’t matter if you can’t play or sing. Rock ‘n’ roll is 99% attitude.” I got through that show on attitude alone. By the end of our seven years together we were a great band.”

Is this the noirest electro you can find? The Ultra Violent Rays aren’t exactly violent, but they do craft a masterful, cold sultry sound that promises something hot-blooded despite evoking 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

Artists featured will be performing this weekend THU-FRI-SAT 10.11.12 at the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival, in northeast Los Angeles. There are three different venues, fresh giveaways, a photo contest, and more. Check out the lineup and come on down tomorrow to meet your new friends.

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM # 10 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA Music Festival

30-Nov-2015 By 1 Comment

“Before I die, I need to make sure I properly load the dishwasher, choose a stable career in something like insurance, and be in bed by 10pm every night.” SAID NO MUSICIAN EVER.

Goals like these, while perhaps completely acceptable for Arnold Accountant over there, lack a certain…je ne sais rah! for the discerning musician. I mean, sure, you’ve got aims. They’re just less…traditional. Writing hit songs and playing Wembley? Now you’re talking.

Whatever instrument you play – whatever your genre as an artist – you’ve invested a lot of time and energy already to get where you are. So the things that make your list are real-deal, life-is-short kinda things. Unless you’re writing the blues, there’s no time for regrets, and only one way to go, which is, of course, up.

Jim Priest (singer/songwriter):

1| Perform my musical adaptation of the Upanishads on a mellotron. (I haven’t read the Upanishads and I can’t play the mellotron, but this is about “before I die” so I think I still have time.

2| Make the bartender at The Viper Room cry with my music. Any bartender at the Viper Room. If I can wrench a tear from one of those heartless bastards, I’ll know I’m an artist of the highest calibre.

3| Busk on the streets of Hollywood. Oh wait, I’ve done that. Nothing says “musical integrity” like getting chased across Sunset Blvd. by a rent-a-cop. Before I die I’d like to busk somewhere less repressive – like Riyadh, maybe…

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, guilty by association. Jim Priest is not to be missed. For fans of: Tom Waits, Loudoun Wainwright III, Sage Francis

BJ Smith (singer, composer, soul man):

1| Motivate, encourage, and unite people across the world, on some level, through my music. You can be at a festival, a concert, a club, or just riding in your car, and whether you’re familiar with the material or not, masses of people will come together and unite, party, or groove to music. Music has been used throughout the history of mankind to bring us together. Whether it’s been to signal ancient tribes for war, a feast, or a celebration, music is a universal language second only to love! Our heart produces a musical beat as we live and breath; it’s within all of us.

2| I want people to reflect and give love a chance through our worldly camaraderie within music.

3| Hopefully I can become an “influencer” to future generations and gain acknowledgement and respect from my musical peers. Being able to inspire people to want to sing, make music, or at least respect and love each other a little more, can hopefully touch the mind, body, heart, and soul of others with my voice, my lyrics, and my message. To inspire something positive, or help someone get through a moment, or remember a unique moment creates infinite emotional connections. Any other rewards bestowed upon me and additional financial security are just extra blessings!

Cool, clever, and impassioned, the masterly BJ Smith has the kind of industry chops you hear whispered about across the bartop when he walks into the room. He produces. He sings and plays. He writes songs. He tours with top brass; picks his own band members; slides an R&B song your way like passing a love note. He’s impeccable. Don’t miss him. For fans of: Luther Vandross, Freddie Jackson, your own heartbeat

Victoria Scott (lead vox, The Blue Dolphins):

1| I want to play Glastonbury with The Blue Dolphins.

2| I also want to play some mega venues around the world, including Mexico City.

3| I’d like to be a part of a history or humanity-changing concert, like Live Aid in the 80’s. I would like to write a sweet and sensitive song that connects with a lot of people all around the world.

The once acoustic-driven sound of The Blue Dolphins has evolved, blending clear, pretty vocals with south-of-the-border, surfy sentiments, and something altogether harder to pigeonhole. Unabashedly succinct, feel-good tunes from a duo who, from the sounds of it, are just getting started seeing what they can do. For fans of: The Sleepovers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a sweeter, less fuzzy Mika Miko

Anthony Greene aka. Prada Gino (fresh rhymes):

1| I have always told myself that before I can even begin to look at success, I need at least three Grammys.

2| I need to have at least five platinum singles as well.

3| Major sponsorship from a leading company (like Nike, Adidas or Prada)

4| Perform at a major awards show and also host one as well!

5| Breakthrough artist of the year at least twice.

6| Be inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame!

Yes, I have lots of career goals, but they are all possible.

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

Matthew Irwin (rhythm guitar/lead vox, Foreign Affairs NI): My biggest musical goals are quite simple! I want to do this forever! I don’t care on how large of a scale! I want to wake up in the morning and the only thing I have to worry about is music. I won’t be happy until I’m at a place in my life where I can make enough to survive off (of) music alone!

That said, some nice things I’d like to happen:

1| I’d love to support an amazing band on a tour.

2| I’d like to play even more amazing festivals like SXSW and Reading and Leeds.

3| Finally, I’d like to record an album with a musical inspiration of mine, like Billie Joe Armstrong or Justin Pierre.
An ardent, sincere take on a well-loved genre. Sounds are clean and tight. There’s energy and storytelling in spades. Foreign Affairs NI show up with their hearts on their sleeves, ready to sleep on your kitchen floor if you’ll let them play a gig. This is how the best pop punk should be. For fans of: The Ataris, You Know The Drill, The Get Up Kids

Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival, hitting Northeast Los Angeles this Dec 10.11.12. Click the link for full lineup and ticket info.

THE PLUNGE X DOUBLE TROUBLE: youbloom | HEADROOM #8 with Featured Artists from the Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival

23-Nov-2015 By Leave a Comment

There are some good quotes out there about doing things by twos.

“Two heads are better than one.” “There are two sides to every story.” “Take two for a better chew.”

Whichever way you do your sums, there can be no doubt that everything really is better with a friend. Especially true of first experiences. So we asked two members each from two different bands featured in the fast-approaching youbloom Los Angeles 2015 Music Festival & Conference to share with us their, well, side of the coin when it comes to reminiscing about that mack daddy of first experiences: the first band.

And just for fun, we’ve also got two solo artists to share their stories about the time they took the plunge.

It all adds up to double trouble.

Paul Weber ( Lead vocal / Trumpet / Percussion, DENMANTAU): “My first band is still the same one we founded 12 years ago called DENMANTAU. We (got together in) high school and have stayed together ever since. After graduation we went to Australia and New Zealand to discover busking, which quickly became our means of living. That enabled us to travel the whole world as I always have dreamed of. After touring two times in California we decided to move to the US, and have lived in Los Angeles over a year now.”

Julian Schonscheck (guitar/keys, DENMANTAU): “The first band I was ever in is still the same that I play in today, over 12 years later: DENMANTAU. We have quite a (history) behind us already. We started as school band, traveled half the world, played countless shows and street performances, and made the step to move from Hamburg, Germany to Los Angeles together, living off nothing but love and music. I feel so blessed to be in a group of friends that is so talented, loving and understanding. We live our lives so close together that this is not just a band anymore, it is family.”

They arrived in Los Angeles on a mission: to be the biggest band in the world. German born and bred, they’ve honed their chops and are stopping at nothing to share their tight, bohemian, insanely danceable music with every pair of ears from here to the moon. Set to be a highlight show at youbloom LA, you really need to see these guys. For fans of: the good Pearl Jam stuff, Jack Penate, Paolo Nutini

Robert Blue Moon(poet/emcee/other vox, Crvscxnt Moon): “The first band or collective I can say I was a part of was (called) Cream of the Block. It included me, my current band members Menlo and Kwazar, and a producer of ours named Chris Felix (of Cloudy River Music). We were young, talented and naïve we knew nothing close to what we know now, but we tried our hardest to make a movement via Myspace. Now that I look back on it, those were fun and easy times, but I am so happy that we have grown since then.”

Menlo Black(vox/raps/guitar/piano, Crvscxnt Moon): “My first music group formed in the halls of my middle school. P$C was created by a gang of T.I.-influenced southern kids. Although our run only lasted until winter break, we filled our lunch room with breakbeats built with table tops and Bic pens.”

Whip smart and acerbic, yet feel-good and uplifting, this is a group with cunning musical abilities and a tangible desire to venture beyond the well-tread environs of intellectual hip-hop. Crvscxnt Moon blend soul and gospel into a refreshing helping of music with something to discuss. For fans of: J. Cole, Blackalicious, Mr. Lif

Felice LaZae, singer/songwriter: “I’m a solo artist, but I always perform with a band so I guess my answer to this would be when I first started performing with my own full band live at a public venue (excluding school performances in high school and college). The first time I performed with my own full band was a few years ago at El Cid in Los Angeles. It was my first big show in LA. I remember I had been sick the week before and had to go on vocal rest so I couldn’t sing during our rehearsal. I mouthed all of the words while the band played without me. It was the oddest rehearsal, but by the night of the show, I was ready to go and it went great. I loved it so much and I’ve been gigging ever since.”

Joining the ranks of powerhouse women in the music industry – the kind who know exactly what weapons they wield in the form of vocal might, presence, and prowess – comes Felice LaZae, a blaze of a thing; confident, sharp as nails, and already racing her way to the top. Which is right where she belongs. For fans of: The Black Keys, Betty Davis, Imelda May

Shira Yevin (frontwoman, Shiragirl): “My first band was my own; it was just me and a DJ (back in the day before I had my whole punk rock band), (and) yeah, we were pretty bad. (The DJ) had never sung before, and I needed backup vocals, so I kind of just threw her out there on stage with me. It didn’t help that a lot of the first songs were pretty bad too. But hey, we were inspired, and we had the passion!”

Not one to mess with, Shiragirl’s been doing her own electropunk thing and making no apologies whatsoever for over a decade. Striking out on her own from an all-girl band to make music at once gritty and groovy, she’s all of the party and none of the prissy. Bring your best dance partner and get ready to rock. For fans of: Candy Hearts, a less trite Ke$ha, Natalia Kills

How to be a great lead singer

02-Jul-2014 By admin 1 Comment

how-to-be-a-good-lead-singer-hot-sprockets-youbloomDublin

The Hot Sprockets delivering at youbloom Dublin

Mike Murphy explains that fronting a band is no easy task and examines the issue of how to be a great lead singer.

Anyone that thinks being a great lead singer is easy does not understand the skill. Sure, anyone can stand up in front of a band and pose as a lead singer and vocalize in some manner, but that is not what makes them great. Mastering the skill takes developing charisma, timing, having a solid understanding of the material being presented, delivery of the material, and a voice that fits the genre. We have all seen lead singers we have loved and hated.
It’s a rough business.

How many of us have looked at and listened to a band and evaluated the singer to a higher standard? I think we all have; it is instinctive. Why? I think many people, especially non-musician types, do not recognize being a lead vocalist as a real instrument; like drums, guitars or keyboards. Being the lead vocalist is perhaps the hardest instrument to master! A band can have all great musicians, but if the singer sucks, the overall opinion of the band suffers.

Sure there have been lot’s of bands who have made it in the music industry without the luxury of a serious or strong lead vocalist. Some last only a short time and have lineup changes. Other bands, adapt the music around the singers voice and make it work. I won’t cite specific examples because my opinion may differ from someone else’s as to what is good and what is bad. However, I can think of great punk bands and rock bands that made the music work around the abilities of the singer.

When I evaluate a lead singer’s talents, I first decide how his or her look fits with the band. Let me give you an example. If you are watching a heavy metal band and the singer is dressed like he is in a surf music band, in Hawaiian shirt, shorts and flip flops, I might wonder what is going on. I would be distracted by that personal presentation because it does not fit the genre. I don’t care how good the singer is, he or she is a fish out of water. A singer has to look the part depending on the music being played.

I want to know if the lead vocalist can really sing and/or is singing on key. Granted, different genre’s have different ways of “singing” the lyrics. I get that, but the important part is how he or she will manage that vocal ability throughout the show. Is he or she going to lose power with their voice or lose it entirely. Singing death metal and pop music are two completely different styles and presenting the vocals is very different. Some would argue that yelling vocals and screaming are not singing. It is expression and singing is just that; expression. Some singing is just more melodic than other styles.

I grade hard on what the lead vocalist is doing with themselves while performing or while the band is playing and they are anticipating the next line. Is the posture good and appropriate for the tune being performed? Certainly you would not want to see a vocalist presenting an aggressive posture while doing a soft ballad! Turning your back on the crowd is a big no-no in my book. Back away and go get your sip of water, tambourine or whatever you need to do. How much does the singer interact and look at the crowd; not just the people up front, but the sides, the middle and the back of the venue? Using the entire venue is critical.

Being a lead singer is definitely not easy. It is very much a skill. Mastering that skill takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Many will fail a bunch of times before he or she finds the right fit and can consistently perform the craft. In many ways becoming a professional lead singer is a survival of the fittest activity. The music industry, especially for a lead vocalist is a rough business. The strong will survive unless he or she has self sabotaging behaviors. That’s a topic for another blog. Happy singing!

Post by Mike G Murphy. Mike G. has been writing songs for 35 years. He studied voice at United States International University in San Diego California and has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.