If Hunnypot Live! were a meme we’d be the cats that replace the Curling rocks. Last night the air outside the air was like an ice rink but inside we turned up the heat. Hot Tub got the night cooking with a music set of party songs. Shelly Peiken got in to the tub for the first time and brought us a playlist of her major musical accomplishments and influences, stories of her journey as a songwriter, author and an elevator friend to Carly Simon. Jenna Nation brought the whole Hunnypot country together for a pop music summit, V Torres rocked guitar centric gothic cowboy gypsy set, The Habits power popped us with their musical trio, Alexa Villa got dark and vicious, Frak drilled down the mantle with his rapper flow and Nordstorm & Patrik dropped a DJ set of dance heaven. Recap by J. Gray / Photos by J. Gray / J. Born / L. Phillips 02/19/2018
Shelly Peiken is a multi-platinum Grammy nominated songwriter who is best known for her #1 hits "What a Girl Wants" and "Come On Over Baby". She earned a Grammy nomination for the song "Bitch" recorded by Meredith Brooks. She’s had hundreds of songs placed on albums, and in TV and film.
Shelly's book Confessions of a Serial Songwriter chronicles her journey from a young girl falling under the spell of magical songs to writing hits of her own. It’s about growing up, the creative process, the highs and the lows, the conflicts that arise between motherhood and career success, the divas the egos and the back stabbers, but also the lovely people she's found along the way. It’s about the challenge of getting older and staying relevant in a rapidly changing and youth driven world.
Her Serial Songwriter Facebook page has become a forum for all things songwriting and ideas about navigating a changing music business as a creative person and parent.
Shelly is a contributor to The Huffington Post. She is well known in the music industry as mentor, panelist, consultant and guest speaker and a fierce advocate of creators' rights as a founding member of SONA (Songwriters Of North America).
Shelly is a New Yorker at heart who enjoys her life in Los Angeles with her husband, composer Adam Gorgoni, their daughter, Layla and her 2 cats.
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JENNA Nation is an R&B/Pop singing sensation who is quickly gaining momentum on the international music scene.
Born in Ottawa, Canada, JENNA Nation was introduced to music at an early age through her musical family. She began her career with extensive training and success with classical music/opera, jazz and then with R&B/soul while studying and graduating Summa Cum Laude with her Vocal Performance Degree from the famed Berklee College of Music.
An outstanding vocalist with a charismatic stage presence, JENNA Nation progressed to hit some significant milestones early in her career. Since she began singing, JENNA Nation has performed at the Official JUNO’s After Party in Calgary as well as for the Prime Minister of Canada and as part of the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill. In addition, she has appeared at several famed festivals including the Newport Folk Festival, Boston Outside of the Box Festival and the Toronto, Ottawa, and Beaches International Jazz Festivals just to name a few. Other highlights include performing at the world’s largest urban music festival New Skool Rules in Holland where she was selected as Best Artist. JENNA Nation has also been a finalist for several international songwriting competitions.
JENNA Nation boasts a soulful and even jazzy vibe to her music. Long-time influences include Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and Stevie Wonder - a notable name with whom she aspires to collaborate. JENNA Nation has worked with a number of Grammy and JUNO-nominated producers and songwriters including Boi-1da, Tommy Brown, Victoria Monet, Travis Sayles, Kinetics and One Love, Ryan "Ghost" Bowser, Elev3n, Druski, and Young Wolf Hatchlings among others.
JENNA Nation’s fourth album, You Don’t Know (released November 2017) has already received numerous accolades. The album was named Canada's Best R&B Album of 2017, one of the Top 10 Best Records of the Year and #9 Best Album of 2017. JENNA Nation has also been featured in numerous news outlets across Canada, including Music Canada, iHeart Radio, Canadian Beats, Sirius XM, State of Hip-Hop, CP24, Musique Plus Video Channel, FYI Music News, and the Global Morning Show. Forever, JENNA Nation’s latest radio single and video features Toronto rapper Fame Holiday and started 2018 by entering the Radio Indie Alliance Top 40 Chart at #8 as well as #10 on the 365 Radio Network. The video has generated over 10,000 views on YouTube and charted in the Top Ten on the Worldwide Indie Charts. Her album is currently playing on 500+ stations worldwide.
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V Torres is the epitome of the modern day songwriter. With two studio albums under her belt, Torres is prepared to release her latest project: Real Life Love.
Hailing from the beach cities of Southern California, V Torres has spent her entire life in or around music and sports. While in high school, indie-rock and hip-hop became her passion and basketball gave her the drive to persevere through adversity. Torres went on to attend Loyola Marymount University majoring in accounting and minoring in theatre arts. Upon graduation, Torres moonlighted as a corporate finance accountant to fund her musical career.
To date, she has spent the majority of her career writing and performing with the band Gorgeous Got a Gun, and released their self-titled debut album in 2009, followed by Welcome Home in 2011 and single release I Remember You in 2016. During this time, Torres’ music video for song Violent Games was featured on the blue ray release for the feature film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Since then, V Torres has performed throughout the country while collaborating and recording with various artists and producers including Joe McGrath (AFI, Alkaline Trio) and most recently Jonny Perdue and Steve Stout of Lost Beach.
Backed by a newfound love of yoga and a desire to share her truth, Torres infused a fresh energy and sound into her latest project, five song EP Real Life Love. Leveraging life’s highs & lows, this project is inspired by the sense of urgency she has never lost throughout the years. Like any singer-songwriter, V Torres’ music has matured while continuing to effectively convey her experiences and emotions. Real Life Love was released in all digital stores on 11/11/17.
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The Habits met each other in the blue-collar town of San Pedro, just far enough away from the glamour of the Hollywood glow to be isolated. Comprised of singer/guitarist Wolf Bradley, pianist Chance Famighetti, and drummer Andrew Macatrao, The Habits ground their music in bite size melodies that are impossible to get out of your head. Their music is accompanied by slightly melancholic lyrics that tell a story of love, loss, and everything in between. Their alt/pop sound is unique to them but stems from incongruous avenues of inspiration. From Maroon 5 to Cage the Elephant, The Habits’ music makes you wanna dance and hits you hard in the feels. The three of them have grown up together in Southern California and are more like brothers than band members. Playing pretty much every bar, club, basement, and alleyway in LA, they’ve honed in on their live show skills, giving their audience a lively and fun show experience.
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"Singer-keyboardist Alexa Villa projects a natural confidence, an admirable all-in swagger that leaves the listener convinced of her commitment to every word she sings." -Music Connection Magazine
Alexa's latest EP entitled, "ACT I" is something to be noticed. She describes her music as "grunge pop with a little blues feel and a whole 'lotta attitude." Soaring vocals, surprising chord choices and captivating stories within her lyrics are sure to leave you wanting more. But it doesn't end there. Her live performance and style match her quirky and eclectic personality.
Alexa has played Warped Tour and opened for acts like The Darkness, Drake Bell, Mark Ballas and BC Jean of Alexander Jean and Ryan Cabrera to name a few. Alexa also models in LA Fashion week, and for several fashion companies. She has been on set for SpikeTV and various music videos for artists like Chris Brown and Nikki Minaj among others.
Her influences range from Led Zeppelin, to Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga, Dorothy, Halsey, Deep Purple, The Neighborhood, Heart, Blondie, the Pretty Reckless, Nirvana, Awolnation, and the list goes on.
From age 7, Alexa has been classically trained playing piano, performing original songs at talent shows and landing lead roles in theater class. She grew up in San Diego playing clubs with her parents' band and her brothers band before developing her own unique style.
"I want to create an escape and plant a visual in your head. I want to make you feel something new and I want it to encourage you to do the things you've always wanted to. Music is not just sound, its an entire world. It's who I am."
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Frak is a rapper from the Bay Area. A songwriter, battle rapper, producer, and music video director, Frak's art is intersectional between all these mediums. Having performed along such artists as Kendrick Lamar, Earth Wind & Fire, Anderson Paak, Shad, Travis Scott, Mistah Fab and Watsky, this is an artist unlike any other. Frak’s newest album, Limewire '03 which dropped this month, has a cohesive feel, as it mostly sampled early 2000's R&B, slowed down, reversed, and transformed into head-bopping bangers. The album attempts to sketch the millennial condition, and how our technology addiction can manifest itself in the nooks and crannies of our days, months and lives.
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Sweden based Hunnypot super-fans are back in the US and will kick our Dance Party with special guest vocalist Gustav Zetterberg! Come out and say Hallå!
Oscar Nordström - Facebook
Partik Karlsson - Facebook
Saweetie's hit single/video "Icy Grl" has gone virtual with 11 millions on YouTube and as of this week named "#1 Shazam song in Denver" says KS1075 radio host Tony V. Saweetie (real name Diamonte) is a Santa Clara,CA born rapper who has openly stated Lil'Kim, Foxy Brown, and most of all Nicki Minaj. Saweetie stays humble by naming her influences, she comes from a bit of HipHop royalty; Saweetie grew up with uncle MC HAMMER. Saweetie recently signed with Warner Bros. records and has an upcoming EP titled "High Maintenance". The single "Icy Grl" began when Saweetie was listening to old school beats with female rappers and she knew this was the sound she wanted.The lyrics of the song transpired some her not feeling fulfilled with her career, so she wrote about things that would influence her. Saweetie is not all long hair, fresh nails, mansions, and luxury cars, she is a USC graduate with a degree in Communications & Business.
-Morgan DeShields-McClure
Hunnypot video pick is Cuban Doll's "Bankrupt" she has gained notoriety on Instagram and Twitter with follows from Drake and Cardi B and upwards of 500K followers. Cuban Doll, real name Aaliyah Keef 19 years old from Dallas, Texas released her demo titled "Aaliyah Keef" featuring single "Exposya". July 2017 Cuban Doll reached 30,000 views for her video her song "Rat B*tch". Within a years time Cuban Doll went from a social media personality to having professional official music videos similar to Carbi B and Asian Doll.
-Morgan DeShields-McClure
Hunnypot Live! is the most Superb Owl. What a night! Hot Tub bathed us with an early DJ set of hits and hearts. Maureen Crowe sat down with us to discuss her illustrious music supervision career and brought a set of music that no one could #resist dancing to. BNTLY, an "oh baby! band" rocked our socks off. Grace Blue came back to drop beats and lift hearts, The YeahTones pummeled us with that real rock n roll life, AMERA TechYES'd us with crazy good electronic rock and Memento once again rapped hard and left us with something to remember. Photos and recap by J. Gray 02/05/2018
Lauded by Neil Portnow, President of the Recording Academy, as "a force of nature" Maureen Crowe is a powerful voices in music and media. As the first female President of the LA Chapter of the Recording Academy, she spearheaded the effort to secure voting rights and award status for music supervisors. In 2008, Maureen Crowe co-founded the Guild of Music Supervisors (GMS), the first and only organized advocacy for professional music supervisors. In just a few short years the GMS has had an astounding impact securing both Grammy and Emmy Awards status of music supervisors, secured stories in top publications including The New York Times: Arts and Leisure, The Hollywood Reporter , Variety and Billboard and establishing the annual the Annual Guild of Music Supervisor Awards which highlights the incredible impact music and music supervision have in every field of media.
She is known for her exceptional creative work, financial and marketing acumen. Some of the most groundbreaking achievements in the field including the Grammy award winning soundtrack and chart topping single "I Will Always Love You" from The Bodyguard, the platinum selling soundtrack for the cult classic Wayne's World, and the multi-platinum Grammy and Oscar winning film Chicago.
BNTLY was formed by the siblings Adam and Julia Feldman and Adam Levy. The band has influences ranging from 70s soul/funk, classic and alternative rock to the current wave of jazz-oriented hip hop. Their newest single/video is "Wolves" which they will preform during their live appearance Monday Feb. 5th 2018 Hunnypot Live at The Mint. It's a high concept adventure and lots of fun.
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Grace Blue is an alternative-pop music duo based in Los Angeles, California.
The music duo, that consists of vocalist Grace Mogz and keyboard player Joseph Arazi, have decided to move to Los Angeles this past May in order to pursue their passion and hunger for music.
Their debut music video for the single "Our Eyes" was released June 4th and had reached over 100,000 YouTube views, followed by their self-titled debut EP, that has been released July 29th.
Their music is a combination of dark emotionally driven vocals, alongside catchy, up-tempo alternative-pop.
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The YeahTones is the tenacious rock ‘n’ roll brainchild of bandleader and frontman Jake Pinto. Born of a natural healer and a business schemer (read: Florida man), Pinto’s deep-rooted lust for “peaceful” resistance has been long in the making. In 2012, Jake graduated from private university with a degree in music, thousands of dollars in debt and an ample angst for the injustices of the world. Plagued by the typical anger and isolation of a 20 something New Yorker, Jake set aside his pricey jazz education in search of a new more liberating form of expression, enter The YeahTones. On stage The YeahTones explode with punk energy to deliver the straightforward anguish of Jake’s unassuming songwriting. The band makes audiences thrash and scream then hands out a goody bag of catchy riffs and melodies to take home for later. They do all of this while wearing matching outfits. The Brooklyn-based band are supporting their debut record, Eviction Notice, the first presentation of their fearless, unpretentious rock ‘n’ roll.
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Contrary to the popular notion that Electronic Artists just "Press Play", based out of heart of Los Angeles, AMERA is a true live performance band which takes you a sonic journey with epic soundscapes and ground-shattering drop that engage the audience for both head-banging and dance-floor experiences.
Already performing hundreds of shows worldwide, Brooke Adams (Vocals), Mikael Oganes (Synths/Keys) and Donovan Butez (Guitar) have formed a trio which is ready to unveil their sound and sonic force with the power of a tidal wave.
Crafted with organic smash of live performance AMERA is a modern fruit of musical adventure
Vocals/ Brooke Adams Guitar/Donovan Ananda Keyboard/Mikael Oganes
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Combining the lush richness of a film score, the rhythm section of a rock band, and the introspective storytelling of underground rap, Memento is a hip-hop artist from the San Francisco Bay Area.
He loosely categorizes his music as “hip-hop with an indie rock sensibility” — meaning that he uses live instruments and records his vocals within a few takes to capture raw, genuine emotion. Memento avoids the use of studio trickery in order to achieve authenticity, and always believes that less is more.
He approaches his music with the mindset of a composer: he wants the instruments to say what the words are saying, without the words. In order to do this, he pays great attention to detail while crafting his melodies and rhythms. Once the instrumental can express the emotion on its own, Memento paints a picture through his stories, his emotions, and his observations, all while maintaining a brutal honesty.
February 3rd, Hot Tub Johnnie will be spinning a special Hunnypot set for the live performance of Eric Tessmer with Nancy Wilson of Heart. Eric Tessmer, Richland Center, Wisconsin native made a name for himself in Austin, Texas as one of the hardest working guitarist in Austin, TX and for recreating the classic blues-rock sounds from legends such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton. Eric Tessmer is bringing his vintage-tones of blues-rock soul-chedelic to The Mint on February 3rd, accompanying is Nancy Wilson, one half of the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame inducted band Heart. Including performances by Dizzy Box Nine, The Dunphys, Resurrection Road. Grab Tickets HERE.
Iron Chic's single/video "My Best Friend (Is a Nihilist)" is a champaign optimistic nihilistic theme as the song title suggest. The fist to chest pounding melodic hardcore/punk band hails from Long Island, NY whose name is often compared to the Iranian wrestler, Iron Skeik. The band keeps true to punks classic song structure of leaving room in many song's for gang vocals provided by the crowd. Iron Chic debuted their first album titled "Not Like This" which include the track "Cutesy Monster Man" released on Dead Broke Rekerds, a Long Island based label. Iron Chic would release "The Constant One" their 2nd album in 2013, this time on Bridge Nine, the label that has housed Polar Bear Club, Strike Anywhere, and Sick Of It All". "You Can't Stay Here", is Iron Chic's latest studio album, released on SideOneDummy Records where they share the roaster with current and alumni artist such as Hot Water Music, Title Fight, MXPX, and PUP.
Although Iron Chic is embarking on an Australian tour until the Fall, Iron Chic will be playing several dates in the U.S including one here in LA at The Hi-Hat on Monday February 19th.
-Morgan DeShields-McClure
Trying to remember that dope track from our last Hunnypot party? We got you. Listen to Hunnypot's favorite 2018 party picks here. Hot Tub Johnnie Approved!
If you would like to hear Hunnypot's Spotify playlist from previous years, check them out:
"When They Go Furlough We Get High Though" Hunnypot Live has been accused of shutting down governments before; Last night was a "'buster" Show #383 got off with Hot Tub's bubbling set of music. Tiffany Anders got in to the tub to talk about her career as a musician and music supervisor and dropped a set of forward feminism and just good jams. Little Monarch molted regal music on stage, Power Trip reconstructed hits into power gifts, Trubdr. Adam Road gave us international beats and blessings in a rock band, Lauren Lakis broke hearts (and almost gear) with her dark details, Alessandra Altieri pop'd and locked us in with her songs and performance and h2the closed the night with a super set of dance party music. Photos by Media Liberated and J. Gray, Recap by J. Gray 01/22/2018
A Los Angeles native, Tiffany Anders grew up with a lust for music, seeking out bands and attending live shows at a very early age. Her young enthusiasm eventually led her to a recording career of her own, singing backup at the age of 17 on Dinosaur Jr.’s album Where You Been, submitting a song for the heralded soundtrack to Allison Anders’ 1996 female singer-songwriter pop narrative Grace Of My Heart (for which she was also a music consultant), and cutting her 2001 solo debut album, Funny Cry Happy Gift, which was produced by rock icon PJ Harvey and released to critical acclaim. As a music supervisor, she’s worked on such films as Drake Doremus’ Like Crazy, Breathe In and Equals Michael James Johnson’s All The Wilderness, Malik Vitthal’s Imperial Dreams, Ry Russo Young’s Nobody Walks, and James Ponsoldt’s films Smashed, The End of the Tour and The Circle, as well as working on the critically acclaimed FXX television series You’re The Worst, and the upcoming period piece “Everything Sucks! for Netlfix.
Tiffany is also one of the founders and head curators of Los Angeles’ annual Don’t Knock The Rock film festival and has contributed over 500 album reviews for the largest independent record store in America, Amoeba Music. She has also contributed in-depth liner notes for the revered reissue record label Rev-Ola, for which she’s conducted interviews with Tommy James, Sweetwater, and F.J. McMahon.
Little Monarch is an LA based indie pop band whose debut self-titled EP has garnered viral success on Spotify with over 15 million streams since its 2016 release. The band consists of LA lifer Casey Kalmenson (vocals, guitar), Memphis-born Lanita Smith (vocals, keys), and Indiana native Justin Andres (guitar, bass). Little Monarch was formed when Casey found herself in the audience at one of Lanita's live performances and fell in love with her sound. The music is an unexpected blend of genres from soul to reggae. Little Monarch is currently in the studio writing for their next release and preparing for tour in 2018.
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Trubdr. Adam Road is a Tel Aviv based musician whose music channels harmonic and rhythmic sounds of flamenco style guitar with a mix of indie, folk, rock and gypsy blues music. His music has caught the attention of prominent figures in music like 6-time Grammy Award winning producer (U2, Jason Mraz, Rolling ?Stones, Dave Matthews), Steve Lilywhite, who said that Trubdr. Adam Road is "as good as Hozier.”
He's been published twice in major publications such as "Time out" as being top "5" artists to watch out for from Israel following an acclaimed set at Tune In Tel Aviv.
A child of Baltimore, Lauren grew to embrace the fatalistic spirit of the city with an ever-present & fearless approach to her work & art. The hand-crafted rawness of her sound bellows deep & true, unscathed by the prevailing winds of today's polite rock. Lauren's persistence & growth in the Los Angeles scene can be attributed to her previous bands Hobart W Fink (vocals), Slow Coda (vocals & keys) , & LA Nova (vocals, keys, bass, programming). She's performed in such LA staples as The Echo, The Satellite, & The Mint; as well asEcho Park Rising & Make Music Pasadena.
Most recently, Lauren mounted a solo-performance in a 2017 SXSW showcase in Austin, TX. Her track Lead Us On has been featured on the M:M Music Meeting Volume 43 compilation album. She is currently playing shows locally in LA with her full band.
FEROCIOUS, her first full-length solo album, is a product of passion & experience folded with a recent personal tragedy. In collaboration with her Producer-Engineer Billy Burke, Lauren explores the full spectrum of the grieving process against a backdrop of shoe-gaze inspired guitars, haunting synth swells, deep-driving beats, & lyrics imparted with true candor. All instrumentals were written & performed by Lauren with the exception of AJ Brown on drums & additional guitars by Chris Garcia & Alex Stills. Mixing tasked to the talented Chris Kasitch (Adele [Grammy-winning], Phantogram, Cee Lo Green). Artwork by Alyssa Burke
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h2the merges 80s synths and layered beats from producer Erez ‘Diwon' Safar (Bonhom, Dreams in Static, Tyrone Gosling, etc.), brought to life through dynamic visuals and sound.
URB Magazine wrote that “Safar is something else…in a profound kind of way,” calling his sound titillating and “juicy for the ears,” while The Village Voice described his productions as “adventurous and banging.”
2DOPEBOYZ and Vibe Magazine’s allhiphop.com have also noted h2the’s rap flips of 80?s inspired sonics. It’s the producer as auteur as every track takes you through the emotional space of the artist, like Kanye or Godard.
Bedroom politics is some dirty business.
"Imagine it choreographed. Casey Spooner rocking his mustache shirtless, featuring Chairlift vocalist Caroline Polachek, with special guests artist-DJ Juliana Huxtable and actor Juan Pablo Rahal.
Personal, honest and unconcealed homosexuality put right in front of the audience, just like Fischerspooner as always. Produced by Michael Stripe, SIR depicts the period after Spooner ended a 14-year relationship. "[Spooner] encouraged me to be more emotionally connected and to trust my voice... and fought for more raw vocal," Spooner stated at NPR Music. ""He was a mentor and a great friend who guided me through troubled times and captured my experience. He lifted me up at my lowest. This album is a document of that experience."
Boots, producer for Beyonce, Run The Jewels and Autolux, co-produced "Have Fun Tonight", and also sprinkled some magic dust for another 2 tracks.
Fischerspooner demonstrates to us music is about love. It is also about sweat, and tears, and struggle and lust and infatuation and heartbreaks. And rebirth.
A note for you: TopBrazil is just out. And oh, SF, LA and OC, make yourself available on March 14th, 15th and 16th. Party's on. Pre-game supplied in the video above.
Hunnypot favorite Tech N9ne takes it way back for the B Boys and DJ's with "Tech N9ne (Don't Nobody Want None)" from his upcoming album - PLANET! We've been with Tech from his beginnings, Check out the interview we did with Tech N9ne here.