In a stunning change of protocol Hot Tub Johnnie assembled his appointees and had them bestow praise, adulation and allegiance to his "party" platform. We all unanimously agreed to serve him without measure. Hot Tub Johnnie started the night with some sharp tunes to smooth the edges. Bruce Duff dusted off our turntables and brought a set of music that defines his mad genius influence and influences, Eugene Marie haunted us with progressive melody and meter, Sumo Princess "Yusho'd" us the way to hard rock victory, Fused By Defiance literally brought the crowd to their knees with hardcore sounds and The Glorious just live up to their name with...glorious melodies and songs. *DR. OGX (STEVE SUH) INTERVIEW!!! -Jeff Gray 6/12/2017
Musician, producer, manager, rock journalist, indie label executive, Southern California native Bruce Duff has seen and been a part of more rock 'n' roll fantasies come to life than the average guy with long hair and a penchant for living the dream. From biohazardous opening slots with the legendary GG Allin to playing alongside the notorious Jeff Dahl and the Dead Boys' Cheetah Chrome, wearing multiple hats at Triple X Records, and writing for the most acclaimed publications in the genres. Bruce currently oversees the Artist Management division at Knitting Factory.
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Eugene Marie is a new electropop duo from Brooklyn by way of Seattle and Portland. The couple, Lucy and Spencer, is currently releasing their debut self-titled EP – an album built from a foundation of found sounds and serendipitous situations. By gathering seemingly mundane artifacts of life and putting them on a pedestal, Eugene Marie turns squeaks into symphonies and conversations into melodies: "The perfect blend of Björk's unconventional left field exuberance and Sylvan Esso's odd-pop earworms" (Crack in the Road).
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Los Angeles based, bass and drum duo Sumo Princess is the brainchild of bassist/ vocalist Abby Travis (The Go-Go’s, Eagles of Death Metal, Masters of Reality, Farflung, The Bangles, Beck, KMFDM, Elastica) and drummer/cohort Gene Trautmann (Queens of the Stoneage, Eagles of Death Metal, The Miracle Workers, The Twilight Singers, Mark Lanegan, Drag News, Mojave Lords)
After working for 30+ years, as a gun for hire: Travis got sick of being appropriate and tasteful so she started creating a new, post political, music from her gut. Sumo Princess has the balls of teenage rebellion with the experience and chops of two alt rock music veterans. Travis and Trautmann have been friends since the 1980’s when she was in The Lovedolls and he played drums with paisley undergound stalwarts The Miracle Workers. The sound they are creating draws heavily from their misspent youths with direct lines to the Residents, Butthole Surfers, Devo, Black Flag, acid during the Reagan administration and legendary LA punk rock clubhouse Rajis.
Improvisation and strange vocal stylings are main ingredients in Sumo Princess’ work. When singing, Travis seems to take on different characters in each narrative. This is big departure from her earlier, more personal, solo work. (Cutthroat Standards & Black Pop, Glittermouth, IV, The Abby Travis Foundation) Through filtering her bass guitar through a myriad of strange pedals, she creates a new sound she calls “Artcore”
Travis is surprised that such reactionary, non results oriented work is resonating so deeply with fans: “I started this band to preserve my own sanity”, Travis says, “My initial goal was just to play at my brother’s club. (Dave Travis/ Café Nela) I’m amazed at the audience response we are getting.”
Trautmann says: “When Abby asked we to play in Sumo I was stoked because I knew her musicianship and drive would challenge me to better my own playing and to do things I wouldn’t normally do in the standard rock paradigm. We’re really hitting marks across the spectrum of style and I like it like that. Also I get to sing and play orchestral percussion, which is awesome.”
Look for the debut Sumo Princess release in ‘17.
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Fused By Defiance, also known as FxD, is a five-piece band from Los Angeles, CA, formed in 2012. They incorporate sounds of rock, metal, hip hop, and funk, coupled with socially conscious lyrics, to create songs that will move both your body and your mind. Add in their naturally energetic performance and the live show becomes an event to remember, or as one fan put it, "Poetry in motion." The band has opened for the following international acts: The Offspring, SUM 41, Rival Sons, LIT, Unwritten Law, Puddle of Mudd, Crazytown, Fear Factory, Metalachi, the Westfield Massacre, Everclear and Eyes Set To Kill. FxD has participated in the Vans Warped Tour Battle of the Bands, and won twice (in 2013 and 2015, respectively). They also made it through KLOS's Heidi and Franks "Stay or Go"; and, consequently, won a spot into SOG Fest 2015. And, won a battle-of-the-bands to play on 4/8/17 at 95.5 KLOS's SABROSO Music Festival. Currently, Fused By Defiance is sponsored by EMG Pickups, Red Six Drum Gear and Coldcock Whiskey.The FxD team is excited for the road ahead. And, more than anything, is dedicated to putting in the necessary work into sharing their music with the world.
Members - Ryan Cheek (Cheeks) - Vocalist/Kevin (Kevo) Cordero- Lead Guitar/Alvaro (Al) Padilla- Rhythm Guitar/Jonathan (Jon) Sigala- Bass/Edwin (Ed) Daboub- Drummer
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Late evening on December 25th, 2008 at footballer and now movie star, Vinnie Jones’ annual Christmas Party, the Glorious Two; Christopher Wicks and Mick Rossi would meet.
Christopher Wicks, the lyricist, designer and creator of all things English Laundry®, was born a child of the Sixties in Manchester, England–the Centre of the Universe.
In his very early years, he found solace by sketching what he remembers mainly to be shirts, shoes & guitars , listening to music and going to see shows at the many legendary Manchester music venues. His coalminer father often remarked to his Mum, “there’s something wrong with that kid, he should be outside kicking a ball.”
What began as a pre-teen pasttime, however, became a life-long career designing men’s & women’s apparel. Since leaving his home land in 1989, Christopher currently lives in Los Angeles where he pursues his passion for rock ‘n’ roll, open-top cars, motorcycles and, of course, fashion.
A day without music is a day without inspiration. The soundtrack playing in the backdrop of all his endeavors, includes music from The Small Faces, The Who, The Stones and, most important, the clean-cut elegance of early Beatles.
Mick Rossi, actor, writer, musician & producer, began his career in Manchester, England. As a teenager, he formed the cult British punk rock band, Slaughter and the Dogs. Mick has written & produced several albums with Slaughter and the Dogs to date. They have played with The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Talking Heads and many more. A guitar hero to many, Mick Rossi and his band Slaughter and The Dogs are considered to be one of the founders of the punk rock movement in Britain today. Since moving to L.A., Mick continues to work as an award winning actor in independent film. As a writer he has penned scripts with Gabriel Byrne, Joanne Whalley & Patrick Bergin. Some of his more recent projects are: “Played”, “2:22” and his latest project is the dark psychological thriller “A Kiss and a Promise” which he also wrote with Phillip Guzman. Mick plays the leading role of “David Beck” a sociopath opposite actress Natasha Gregson Wagner. “A Kiss and a Promise” was directed by Phillip Guzman and produced by Lenny Bitondo. A Kiss and a Promise opened theatrically on September 9, 2011.
Mick revisited his musical roots when he teamed up with fellow Mancunian singer/lyricist Christopher Wicks and together they penned the album “Stories From A Fractured Youth”. Wicks’ lyrics proved to be the perfect companion to Rossi’s melodies & riffs. Every lyric on the album telling a story, every riff on the guitar, an infectious melody and with a little help from their friends who lent their musical talents to the album. These include Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Billy Duffy of the Cult and a duet with Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilot’s.
Their debut album: “Stories from a Fractured Youth, consists of 13 powerful songs that will stand the test of time.
Hot Tub Johnnie brought us a whopper of a Memorial Day celebration that just happens to be LA's best event for discovering great music. The night was packed full of ear candy and musical delights. Cerritos based artist Z Chambers arrived in a party bus packed with 30 fans ready to bust out. Z had the room singing along to his choice covers and new material off the just released Fire Of Love EP. Next up was Siobhan Heard who presented a beautiful heartfelt and moving set filled with Soul and Jazz masterpieces from her just released album. Breaking Heights returned to the Hot Tub and reminded us it's possible to soar to new levels. Closing out the night was a very special Los Angeles reunion performance from hip hop Pioneers Delinquent Habits. Ives Irie & Kemo The Blaxican shared a few DH classics and ripped into new material off their just released album It Could Be Round Two. Big love to Scorpion 420, who smoked us out during the sample session side party. Truly an evening filled with family fun and memories that will last forever. 5/29/2017
Z was born on September 24, 1993 in Torrance, California. His appreciation for art at an early age gave him the desire to become a professional singer-songwriter. During his school years, he strengthened his skills by taking part in school performances, choirs and community talent shows. After graduating from Cerritos High School, he pursued higher education by moving to Hollywood and enrolling in the Vocal program at Musicians Institute.
Inspired by the sounds of Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson and Ne-Yo, Z has a strong love and admiration for great art, and believes that when people stop and notice, art changes the world.
Allow us to introduce Siobhan Heard — the newest addition to the Hunnypot family. Texas-born singer/songwriter, Siobhan Heard, started singing in her father’s church at 12 years old. Using the church to break out of her shell, Heard eventually found joy in studying jazz and classical music academically. Siobhan’s introduction to the creative mecca of Leimert Park, in Los Angeles was a turning point, opening doors to key musical relationships as she sought her unique sound. During this time, Siobhan met the very talented, late Samantha Purple. Purple took an interest in Heard’s talent, and used her resources to develop Siobhan into what would eventually become the flagship artist of Purple’s production company Tha Blazin Star. Love In All Aspects is Siobhan Heard’s debut album, the culmination of over a year’s worth of work, and a lifelong love of song. Perfect for fans of Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill & Sade.
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Born on a hundred degree day in the bone dry San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. There was no wind, not a single cloud. Just a blinding sun. Like a crystal hole in the never ending sky. From producer Ozzy Doniz, rapper Zoh and singer Greg Cahn, comes a musical twist of psychedelic sonic showers tangled in Trap mixed with velvet hooks and grimy soul-baring lyrics. The trio born in raised in Mexico City, Detroit, and Cleveland is LA's newest music immigrants having just released their debut EP, Where We Are to the world in March 2017.
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Hailing from the lower east side Los Angeles urban-Latin hip hop pioneers “Delinquent Habits” was forged in the talent-rich golden era of hip hop. While their self-titled debut release was unleashed in June of 1996, the band had been rockin’ house parties, battles, and any show there was a mic on since their formation in 1991. Ivan S. Martin PKA “Ives Irie”, David L.K. Thomas PKA “Kemo the Blaxican”, and then producer/DJ OG Style, the original members, created together the first four offerings from the band: ‘Delinquent Habits’, ‘Here Come the Horns’, ‘Merry Go Round’, and ‘Freedom Band’ with features from Sen Dog, Big Pun, Hurricane G, Ozomatli, and Mellow Man Ace. The aforementioned albums, sold well over 1 million copies & propelled Delinquent Habits into the scene and onto the road for several tours worldwide putting Delinquent Habits at the forefront of the Latin, hip hop, and underground scenes. Boasting one of the liveliest and truest hip hop shows on stage in over 50 countries, “Delinquent Habits,” highly-anticipated album, It Could Be Round Two, features the return of Kemo the Blaxican and is slated for release nationally March 3, 2017 on Delinquent Habits Records.
Their new album, It Could Be Round Two, is a series of hip hop tracks inspired by the collaboration of Ives Irie and Kemo the Blaxican re-uniting to bring back the original and true form that made Delinquent Habits the cutting edge alternative Latino hip-hop group for the masses. Like a beautiful blend of café con letche, It Could Be Round Two, is the lyrically splendid West Coast Re-Connection of two powerful MC’s delivering once again on an album overflowing with radiantly diverse, rhythms, styles and lyrics. The album also features guest appearances by Sen Dog (Cypress Hill).
It Could Be Round Two is Delinquent Habits seventh official album release. This 13-track embracement erupts with modes of expression and convincing calibrations. Ives Irie and Kemo the Blaxican’s lyrical skills stretch back and forth between polished poetry saturated within masterful verses, sprinkled with a touch of powerfully blended Spanish, always presenting a balanced collection of intermixture. It Could Be Round Two rouses the listener through atmospheres of philosophy and melodically pervasive paradoxes, pulling the listener out of a tug-of-war co-existence and into an album that embraces relevant issues with deliberately calm perplexity.
Record companies were at first hesitant to take a risk on the new music, but when upstart PMP records decided to release Delinquent Habits in 1996, the result was pure magic. The group's debut single , "Tres Delinquentes" blew up almost overnight, receiving airplay not only on hip-hop radio but rock and Top 40 stations as well. Helping spark a bold new Latino pride, the track eventually landed Delinquent Habits an appearance on the former-NBC show, “Late Night with Conan O'Brien” and sparked tours with heavyweights like Korn, Limp Bizkit and Ice T. In no time, "Tres Delinquentes" became a worldwide hit, selling over one million copies around the globe and pushing the group’s self-titled album to nearly the same figure 2003 brought changes for the band, with Kemo the Blaxican embarking on a solo endeavor which included the release of 3 full albums, garnering the respect of the fans and artists’ alike. At the same time Delinquent Habits, with Ives Irie and selected guests and backup MC’s toured and offered up two more Delinquent Habits albums. Both albums, New & Improved and the most recent Common Man, were offered up independently and kept the band in the spotlight rockin’ stages worldwide; from the largest festivals in continental Europe, such as Sziget Festival in Hungary, to small local shows in L.A., every time showing up for the hip hop lovers, new and old guard alike.
The reuniting on stage and on record of Ives Irie and Kemo The Blaxican for the newest album, “It Could Be Round Two”, marks the first time in over a decade that the two MC’s collectively strike the minds and souls of their listeners. Releasing March 3, 2017, “It Could Be Round Two” features what is the best of two respected and true to the game MC’s. Through the pairing of their raw talents and experiences together and apart, in life and within the music industry, Delinquent Habits has musically, lyrically, and on message created an album that is not only body moving and head bobbing, but also deeply meaningful and revealing of thoughts and perspectives shared by the two lyricist. Together the two paint lyrical visuals that speak to real life and truth on what is in Ives Irie’s opinion, Delinquent Habits most complete offering, both lyrically and musically. While still true to the Latin roots, Delinquent Habits has once again merged other genres such as soul, funk, and rock to create in the bands’ opinion the most diverse album musically to date. Featuring producers, J Matik, DJ Invincible, Ruck N Wiz, and ‘Delinquent Habits’ at the helm as executive producer, ‘It Could Be Round Two is an extensity of dimensionality and incitement, feeding all cravings.
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It's no government secret and we tell everyone; Hunnypot Live! is the best Monday night event. Hot Tub Johnnie launched show #366 with a "green" heavy set and got us to come out of hiding in the bushes for some dancing and smoking. Our guest Adam Wolf told us the secrets of his musical journey and dropped a set of classic and new inspiration. Zosia started the live music with mood melodies, Fabian James "popped" and locked us in, Static & Surrender put our hands up and hearts out with anthemic rock songs, EMAEL "psyched" us out with their complex compositions and FTTSM & Diggy Wiggy rapped the classic and new sounds. Hot Tub closed the night with a dance party. We wiretapped the whole night so you can revisit and listen to the action here: - J. Gray 5/15/2017
Adam Wolf formed Wolf House Songs In June of 2015 with the goal of building a catalog of songs that maintained the highest level of artistry and credibility. Wolf House has built a roster of songs and master recordings by artists including The Turtles, Yoko Ono, Moby, Dusty Springfield, Iggy Pop, Andy Paley, Brian Wilson, Missing Persons, TRIO, The Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, & Husker Du.
Prior to Wolf House Songs, Adam was responsible for building the Creative and Synchronization departments of several independent publishing and licensing companies and with his recently formed Company Wolf House Songs has had placements in commercials including Acura, Pepsi, Fendi, Fuze, Tory Burch, and Marc Jacobs. Film and TV credits include NCIS, This Is Us, Vampire Diaries, Why Him, The Girl On The Train, The Affair, Scorpion. Adam recently curated the music for luxury culinary line Gaggenau.
Wolf's extensive connections with the film, TV, trailer, advertising, and brands have landed him synchs in projects ranging from thousands of films and TV shows. This, along with his extensive marketing experience, have made him a first call for great innovative ideas for sync. Wolf has been featured as a panelist at such prominent music industry gatherings as SXSW, AIMP, FUSE (Australia), LAMP, the International Music Summit (Ibiza), Folk Alliance (Canada), and UCLA extension. He has also been a judge on the prestigious UK Music & Sound Awards two years in a row.
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Named after her grandmother, a seamstress who fled Poland during World War II, Zosia is the project of Anneke Lada, an LA-based singer, songwriter, and producer. With a diverse set of influences ranging from 90s pop to contemporary folk rock to sci-fi cinema, Zosia creates dark, alternative electro-pop with elements of trip hop and r&b. She began writing songs at age nine in Silicon Valley where she was born and raised by an artist and engineer. While her childhood songs spoke of wide-eyed romance and heartbreak, her music now of ten explores the depths of anxiety, morality, and finding fulfillment. Zosia’s first official collaboration with LA producer/D J Alluxe, ‘Hold On,’ is a driving pop song about the unshakable fear of inevitable ends.
Patrick McCutcheon, better known by his stage name Fabian James (after his grandfather) is a singer/songwriter and producer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who relocated to Los Angeles, California in 2016. Featured on a track titled "Your Love" by fellow Milwaukee DJ duo Antics, the track was remixed by Chicago Native INZO. The remix reached a collective total of over 1,000,000 plays in its first 4 months, and even got picked up in a set by The Chainsmokers. This will be Fabian James's debut Los Angeles show and we are excited to have it be with us at Hunnypot!
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Made up of members of venerable Bay Area rock bands The Trophy Fire, Pine and Battery, and Cold Hot Crash, national award-winning singer songwriter Jeff Campbell was recruited by brothers Adam & John Schuman to write and record new ideas. The result is a body of songs that all 3 were excited enough about to recruit decorated Berkeley producer Jim Greer (The Rondo Brothers, Foster the People) to help them bring their ideas to life. The members’ combined careers boast multiple festival appearances, regular radio play on 3 major Bay Area radio stations, a performance on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, onstage appearances with and support for Filter, Train, John Mayer and more. The name Static and Surrender was given to the project to symbolize the members' surrender to the static that they felt their individual careers had settled into, and their hopes that joining forces would open new doors for them collectively.
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A Brand, Entertainment Company & Independent Record Label. The brand consist of DeeJay's, Artist & Producers such as, WITT2, West Kavi Bo$$ Boone, Nu She Nu, Jeff Stone, Chill Wize & DJ Ka$h. The brand was founded by Diggy Wiggy. A DeeJay & Producer servicing Clubs, Mixtapes & Shows throughout Southern California. Diggy Wiggy has worked with Ya Boy aka Rich Rocka, Mac Lucci, The Young Giantz, kokane & The Pomona City Movement. The President Big HBizzle has 20 years of experience in Personal Artist Management, Music Production & Music Marketing. Big HBizzle has been state to state making connections with Club Promoters, Artist & Radio Personel. The dynamic dual formed this brand and carefully hand picked some talent to Produce and Market!
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Difficult to label, they have been dubbed "indie chamber pop" by San Diego's Tim Pyles of 91XFM and “pushing music to new boundaries“ by David Pack of Ambrosia. EMÆL is an eclectic quintet that has converged many genres of music ranging from their classical roots to indie/alt-pop influences. They have been compared to bands like Alt-J, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Radiohead. Orange County natives, they have shared the unique sound opening for artists such as Young the Giant, Diplo, David Benoit, Kansas, Juicy J, New Politics, Beat Connection and many more. Multi-instrumentalist frontman Emmanuel Ventura-Cruess assembled the band from his most talented friends in 2014. EMÆL has spent the last two years developing their debut album “Glasswork”, working with Grammy nominated producer/mixer Itai Shapira.
“Their on-stage chemistry and musicianship was off-the-charts. This was a dead-giveaway that FxD band that loves playing together and more importantly puts in the time to make their dreams a reality. I walked away a believer in FUSED BY DEFIANCE, and have no doubt that there are massive things in store for this group of talented musicians.”
I had the good fortune of seeing FUSED BY DEFIANCE (also known as FxD) open the 2017 Sabroso Festival in Dana Point, CA and was floored from the moment these guys hit the stage. It was the first time heard this band, and was immediately drawn into their unique sound – an infusion of funk, rock, metal. Their socially conscious lyrics reminded me of early RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, yet had a style and sound that was uniquely different. When I heard that they were going to be opening for P.O.D. and ALIEN ANT FARM at the Observatory OC in Santa Ana, I immediately made plans to come out and see them in a more intimate setting. I wanted to know if FxD was the “real deal”, or if their performance at Sabroso was just a fluke. I was about to find out.
Seeing as FxD was opening for two killer bands, my initial expectation for crowd size right out of the gate was not very high. For shows like this, fans typically trickle in closer to the headliner’s set time, but that was not the case here. The Observatory was packed, and from the looks of it many were there to see their hometown favorites. The barrier was packed with fans wearing FUSED BY DEFIANCE shirts, and when the band hit the stage the place went absolutely nuts. From the first note of “Payback”, a massive mosh-pit formed in the center of the general admission floor, and fans of all ages were flying around like their life depended on it. Energy levels were at “11”, and from the looks of it, were not going to calm down any time soon. All in attendance could tell this was going to be an amazing show, and no one in the crowd walked away disappointed from FxD’s 6 song powerhouse set.
For fans of FUSED BY DEFIANCE, it would have been no surprise that this band was going to blow the doors off the Observatory OC Thursday night. The Los Angeles quintet, consisting of Ryan “Cheeks” Cheek (Vocals), Kevin “Kevo” Cordero (Lead Guitar), Alvaro “Al” Padilla (Rhythm Guitar), Jonathan “Jon” Sigala (Bass), and Edwin “Ed” Daboub (Drums), played with a reckless abandon that is seldom seen in today’s music scene. And, their on-stage chemistry and musicianship was off-the-charts. This was a dead-giveaway that the band that FxD loves playing together and more importantly puts in the time to make their dreams a reality. I walked away a believer in FUSED BY DEFIANCE, and have no doubt that there are massive things in store for this group of talented musicians. And don’t take my word alone, come on out and see the band perform live at Hunnypot Live at the Mint on Monday June 12th. It’s Hunnypot approved and will be a show for the ages. Until next time…
Stay Frosty and Rock On!
Set List: Payback / Hollywood Holdup / Paint It Red / Break the Norm / Chemical Incision / Against the Wall
Hunnypot Live Fyrefest edition. Our internet connection was sporadic, Jack's DJ set CD almost got destroyed, credit card machine was down, every other Hunnypotter was under the weather and we still had a kick butt show. Hot Tub Johnnie started the night with new and old classics, Jack Grisham brought his irreverent humor, statesman personality, musical love, talent and dirty mind in to the tub for a special intimate conversation and DJ set, Perry & Danielle gave us some island pop, Jane Ellen Bryant stopped tracks with her voice and songs, Maureen and the Mercury 5 boogies, swang and marimba'd the Hunnypot crowd and Emily Keener closed the live portion with her powerful presentation of song and emotion. 5/1/2017
Jack Grisham is an American rock musician, raconteur and political activist from Southern California. He is the vocalist for the punk band T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty), which emerged from the late 1970s Los Angeles hardcore punk rock scene, along with Black Flag, Circle Jerks and Bad Religion. Grisham has also fronted the bands Vicious Circle, The Joykiller, Tender Fury and Cathedral of Tears. He records with T.S.O.L., The Joykiller and the Manic Low.
Perry & Danielle is a two-piece pop group from Honolulu, Hawaii with lead vocalist/ keyboardist Danielle Oda and vocalist/drummer & percussionist Perry Sekigawa. Together, Perry & Danielle make a dynamic duo in the music they create, drawing on personal experiences and turning them into a song. Their sound contains smooth, piano-based instrumentation with soulful melodies, creating a twist on pop-alternative- soul.
The duo released their first EP under the name “CommonGround” in August 2013, and is currently working on a new self-titled EP under “Perry & Danielle”. The un-ending love and support they received in Hawaii encouraged them to expand their music outside of their home, making the big decision to move to Los Angeles, California in May 2014.
Since moving to Los Angeles, Perry & Danielle have performed at venues/events such as Hard Rock Cafe, Los Angeles Theatre Center, House Of Blues, and the 2016 NAMM Show to name a few. They were also a finalist in the Kollaboration Los Angeles 2015 Showcase.
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Twenty-five year old songstress, Jane Ellen Bryant, is “right in the thick” of that “big decade of your life,” as she calls it in the title track of her EP, Twenties. It’s that decade full of the best of times, the worst of times, the first real jobs, and the first bona fide heartbreaks that lead us to the cardinal steps of self discovery. Her music is saturated with the raw, authentic emotions that we all experience during this roller coaster ride as a twenty something. Yet these lessons, trials, and rowdy good times speak to people of all ages and stages of life. Jane Ellen Bryant delivers a timeless collection of songs, and the three song EP, which will be released this July 8 is just a taste of the depth that’s to come. Bryant was born and raised in the Live Music Capital and she’s soaked with the mystical, rare sound that comes from the heart of Austin It’s this new, fearless sound that attracted the attention of producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith, who has worked with Jet, Santana, and The Toadies just to name a few. “I’ve experienced many inspirational moments in record production over the last 20 years,” says Frenchie, “but she raised the bar. I had never produced a singer this strong.” He goes on to say that Jane’s music is “capturing the madness of youth, the manic perils of opening up about heartbreak, all while bringing the listener in more and more by telling the truth. What I look for in an artist is believability, and whatever Jane is performing, I believe it.”
MAUREEN & THE MERCURY 5 blend raging Rockabilly, sultry Blues, and toe-tappin’ Swing into a sound for fans of IMELDA MAY, BRIAN SETZER, AMY WINEHOUSE and even THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS. M&M5 have appeared in Paris with NICO DUPORTAL and SANSEVERINO; in Los Angeles with DICK DALE, DEKE DICKERSON and BIG SANDY; and at the infamous Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood with members of Quiet Riot, Cheap Trick & Kiss. And despite Maureen’s bad girl image, (captured in cartoon by Artist Adam Huntley) she is still a favorite at Disneyland, performing to 1000’s every month.
M&M5’s songs are also making quiet a splash on American television, as heard on LIFETIME CHANNEL and COMEDY CENTRAL as well as network TV. The title track GIMME MO! Was cowritten with Rock artist JESSE BLAZE SNIDER (son of TWISTED SISTER’S DEE), and the classic I WANT YOU TO BE MY BABY is sung hilariously in English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese, with guest stars NBC TV crooner DOUGLAS ROEGIERS, Japanese Rockabilly sensation EITARO SAKO and retro music royalty JASON EOFF on keys (The Outta Sites). Co- Produced by SCOTTY LUND (BLACK EYED PEAS, RIHANNA, DRAKE) and SYLVAIN CARTON (BEATS ANTIQUES), GIMME MO! brings “Retro Nouveau” to Pop & Rock Radio.
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Emily Keener is a seventeen-year-old singer/songwriter from Wakeman, OH. Since her exciting journey into the Top 12 on NBC’s The Voice, Emily has been writing and recording diligently in an effort to capture the energy of this most transformative year.
Emily started playing the guitar when she was 11 years old and began writing songs when she was almost 12. A natural curiosity and passion for music quickly got her performing frequently and writing constantly. Almost 6 years later, she has written over 100 original songs and released three EPs and two LPs. Her songs are distinctly original, and the ideas she manages to express in them belie a soul that seems to be much older than seventeen. Before training with renowned vocal coach Joan Ellison and master guitarist Tony Schaffer, Emily was entirely self-taught and thrived on the time she spent locked away with a guitar and a notebook.
With the guidance and support of her family and friends, fellow musicians, and many zealous music-lovers, she continued to grow in and experiment with her artistry. At 15, she recorded “East of the Sun”; an original EP backed by the amazing musicians of Norwalk, OH that once made up “The Womacks”. A year later, she suddenly found herself in front of millions of people on national television with her astonishingly well-received debut on Season 10 of The Voice. She had the honor of performing the songs of some of her greatest inspirations, including “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John, “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell, “Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon, and “Lilac Wine” by Jeff Buckley. After advancing to the Top 12, Emily arrived home with a newfound sense of self as she walked directly from the plane into the studio at Waveburner Recording. Now, a few months later, she is ready to unveil her latest work and prove that this year is just the beginning.
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Long time Hot Tubber Larken Phillips aka L-Boogie will celebrate his birthday with a special DJ set. Ancient Sumerian texts tell of a man with boogie so pimpaliciously slick, that the world could not withstand the weight of his almighty funkification. He was born in a maelstrom of smoke and fire, schooled by the legends of Shaolin, and set upon this world to seek that mighty groove, tweak it till it’s smooth, straight up freak and bust a move.
This legend of boogie was deemed too powerful by the elder gods of groove, and so it was decided to seal his spirit away. For thousands of years the spirit of this titan of twerk lay dormant only to be awoken for a single night each year, for if his boogie lasted any longer the cosmos could be torn apart by his vociferous vibrations.
Lo and behold: the great L-Boogie hath arisen from his slumber! Payeth him tribute with dope-ass dance moves & belligerent bong rips, lest ye soul be cast into darkness until he riseth once more.
Let my people "show". Hunnypot Live #364 kicked off with Hot Tub Johnnnie feeding guests with a set of musical manna. DJ Moonbaby (Angela Jollivette) told us about her time in exile before music supervision & DJ Work and everything after and current. Choklate set Bushy and the rest of the Mint on fire with her songs and voice, Johnette Napolitano & David J freed us from the slavery of mundane entertainment, Caught a Ghost gave us a pleasant plague of rock/soul music and Sleeplust parted the "C's" and other keys with dream rock beauty. Hot Tub finished the evening unlike any other night (but sorta like most Hunnypot Live nights) with a killer dance music set that could have lasted 40 years.
-J. Gray (4/17/17)
DJ Moonbaby knew music would be a huge influence in her life, from the time she played her first record, Stevie Wonder's "Hotter than July" on her pre-school's Fisher Price. Today, Moonbaby has turned her love for music into a successful career. DJ Moonbaby is currently a radio personality on the Accelerated Radio Network hosting & producing “UnRestricted” Live every Thursday 8-10p PST. UnRestricted officially launched the kick-off of AcceleratedRadio.net on Aug 1, 2013. Past guests include; 3x GRAMMY® Winner Robert Glasper, GRAMMY® Winner Faith Evans, GRAMMY® Winner Chrisette Michele, Blue Note Recording Artist Jose James, 4x GRAMMY® Winner Lalah Hathaway, and many other artists.
As an ever evolving talent, DJ Moonbaby is the Curator & On-camera Host of GRAMMY® Pro’s Buzzin’ music series. Exclusive interviews & Live performances with GRAMMY® Winning & Nominated artists, along with breaking talent you need to know before they ever hit the GRAMMY® stage.
For the last 3 years, Moonbaby has interviewed and showcased some of the brightest stars in music from this year’s “Best New Artist”, Anderson.Paak, Andra Day, Kamasi Washington, George Clinton and more. Recently covering the red carpet at the 7th Annual Guild Of Music Supervisor Awards.
Corporately known as Angela Jollivette; She is a seasoned executive with The Recording Academy for the last ten years overseeing the Visual Media (TV/Film Soundtrack Music) & Gospel Music GRAMMY® Awards fields as Senior Project Manager.
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Born in Seattle, WA. and raised in San Diego, CA., Choklate has always in one way or another been involved in music or dance. She was raised primarily on gospel music; but was introduced to hip-hop with DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's "Parents Just Don't Understand" hit. Go figure. "It was the first song and only video allowed in the house. I used to sneak and listen to the radio so low that all I could hear sometimes was the beat. I dubbed it ‘Music Deprivation Disease'," said Choklate. In her youth, the gospel, she wasn't allowed to listen to soul music or secular music of any kind, so when finally on her own, she recalls having her ear to everything from Bach and Yo Yo Ma to Brotha Lynch Hung.
Her last recorded project, had a different kick, with more of a Jazz, R&B sound with a slight Hip Hop edge, enlisting the talents of several notable artist while being produced entirely by up and coming Seattle producers. She's been sited on phenomenal records and worked along side legendary artist like Blacksheep, Abstract Rude, Butta Verses, De La Soul, Gift of Gab and Chali 2na's solo albums, as well as a host of other artist. She's also been caught commanding some of Seattle's favorite stages like The Baltic Room, The Scarlett Tree, Lo-Fi The Mirabeau Room, The War Room, Chop Suey and The Showbox not to mention a handful of away stages like Hollywoods well known Ventura, Key Club and others. Safe to say she is definitely one of the hardest working entertainers in the Northwest.
Choklate has completed her latest work on a new full length album with acclaimed beat-smiths Vitamin D, Jake 1 and BeanOne and others and will be looking to continue to express and explore the art of musical creation through both writing and singing for herself as well as other artists.
"I'd like to think that I'm going to be allowed to actually be creative and have my chance to be apart of the game changing conceptually..." she says..."everybody should be able to relate to the material that I write, after all I ain't the only one livin life and I fa sho ain't the only one writin about it. I just hope to reach those livin life along side me."
"All I need is my beat, my mic, that stage, the crowd and I'm good..." Choklate
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This is a very special acoustic performance by two legendary artists. Johnette and David J will play a few solo numbers and then debut some new songs written together.
She's down-to-earth, intelligent and political. She's the mistress of her own destiny --and she just plain rocks. Best known as the voice of Concrete Blonde and their hits "Still In Hollywood", "Joey", "God Is A Bullet", Tomorrow Wendy" and "True", Johnette Napolitano is more than just a singer, she is an artist who constantly reinvents herself. She displays original work in L.A. galleries, and she has made music with a variety of artists, including The Talking Heads. Johnette also composes music for Television though she doesn't own one herself.
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Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction once described David J as the Avant of the Avant-garde. Never was a truer word spoken . . .
A founder member of one of the most influential bands since The Velvet Underground; namely BAUHAUS. Bauhaus spearheaded the post-punk Alternative music scene of the early ‘80’s with a string of innovative albums and singles, including, for many, perhaps their defining moment, a song that is ranked as a classic and feasibly the pinnacle of the entire Gothic scene and beyond, the nine minute plus epic slab of industrial dub that is 'Bela Lugosi’s Dead', featuring the lyrics of David J. Check out the astonishing opening scenes of Tony Scott’s stylish Vampire flick 'The Hunger' to witness Bauhaus in all their dark glory, performing that very song whilst David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve stalk the disco for new flesh. Appearances on TV shows such as Top Of The Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test and Riverside coupled with an electrifying live show propelled Bauhaus to the upper reaches of the UK charts before reaching their zenith in the summer of ’83 and imploding, shattering into fragments of individual talent. It was that implosion that inadvertently gave rise to David's long and varied solo career. He was the first of the four members of Bauhaus to actively make that tentative step outside of the comfort zone of his original band by forming an unusual alliance with poet / painter, Rene Halkett, an original member of the very movement from which the band took it's name, fusing poetry with music for the 'Nothing' /'Armour' single which was released on the 4AD label in 1981. A second collaboration in ‘84, with graphic novelist and highly acclaimed author Alan Moore entitled 'V For Vendetta' resulted in a now much sought after 12” E.P. A big screen adaptation of Moore’s graphic novel, adopting the same title, was one of the blockbusters of 2005.
David's debut solo album, 'Etiquette of Violence' was released in 1983, and was followed two years later by 'Crocodile Tears and The Velvet Cosh'. Both albums being exemplary of his burgeoning talent as a songwriter. Next came a brief stint producing and playing bass with another underrated songwriting great, Pat Fish AKA The Jazz Butcher. This pairing producing two excellent albums. David then regrouped with two of his former Bauhaus band mates, guitarist, Daniel Ash and drummer, Kevin Haskins to form the hugely successful Love And Rockets, whose debut single hit gold status in Canada, followed by a top three US single with 'So Alive' which the band capped with a million selling album and sold out stadium tours.
A self-imposed hiatus meant that David could now resume his on/off solo career. The heartfelt and intimate 'Songs From Another Season' and the sophisticated 'Urban Urbane' being the result. The former producing the first single to top the newly forged US Alternative Charts, namely, 'I'll Be You Chauffeur'.
Solo endeavors were once again put on hold in ’98 when Bauhaus was gloriously resurrected, initially three dates were booked at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, such was the demand for tickets however that all three shows sold out in fifteen minutes! The success of these initial dates ultimately led a full blown world tour. 2003 saw the release of another solo album, the achingly beautiful and poignant, 'Estranged'. Then came a second rebirth of Bauhaus which resulted from a spectacular appearance at Palm Springs’ Coachella Festival in 2005 where a memorable inverted 'hanging man' stage entrance by vocalist Peter Murphy ensured their performance was not only heralded as the event of the festival but would forever be included as a stand out in it's annals .
‘Vagabond Songs' is David J's ninth studio album and features a disarmingly charming and heart felt collection of acoustic songs written on the road and inspired by people and places encountered by the artist as he ventured on his ramblin' vagabond way. The double vinyl album includes the hit single, 'The Day That David Bowie Died' as well as a radical reworking of the Love and Rockets' classic, 'The Dog End of a Day Gone By'. David will be undertaking an international tour in support of this latest project.
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Caught A Ghost is a foot-stomping, electronic soul outfit led by producer Jesse Nolan, from East Los Angeles, California. Their sound reaches into the past, grabs ahold of images and sounds that resonate, and complements them with modern sonic landscapes and lyrics that are sure to spark the urge to get up and MOVE.
The band’s live show typically consists of a 3-4 piece band colorfully backdropped by homemade visual treatments that paint vivid landscapes for each song they perform live. The band released their debut album “Human Nature LP” on +1 Records in April 2014, which garnered positive reviews from Rolling Stone, Paste, SPIN, Billboard, USA Today, and Last Call with Carson Daly and more.
Caught A Ghost have performed before thousands of fans in North America and the United Kingdom, with several sold out performances in the United States. You may have heard his music on television alongside ads for Miller Lite and BMW, or in shows Vampire Diaries, The Blacklist, Boardwalk Empire, Suits.
Caught A Ghost is putting the final touches on a followup album and will release the first single "VICTORY LAP" in Spring 2017 worldwide.
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SLEEPLUST is the creative collaboration of twin brothers, guitarist Michael Pepe and bassist Joseph Pepe, vocalist Amber Ruthe and drummer Sarah Luffred. Around the same time in 2015, the four members moved to Los Angeles to pursue music full-time and would cross paths many times before coming together. The band’s music is a distinctive mixture of sounds as diverse as their backgrounds. Michael and Joseph, originally from Charlotte, NC ,come from a rock and electronic background, while Sarah, hailing from Cleveland, OH, was deeply involved with hip-hop prior to the band. Amber, from Milwaukee, WI has origins in the electronic and post-punk worlds. With such diversity comes a unique approach to songwriting with the result being honest music that they hope will strike a chord with their fans and listeners.
Without knowing it, the current lineup of the band has been in the same place at the same time long before they would come together for this new material. In late 2015, Amber had attended a SLEEPLUST show in Hollywood at Boardners, which prompted her to search out a similar band to get involved with. However, a couple of months later when looking for a new vocalist, Joseph ended up answering her online post completely by chance. The band has been writing and performing ever since.
Since their formation, SLEEPLUST has released two EPs, their debut Self-Titled EP and its follow up remix EP simply titled Remixes. Together, those EPs have accumulated over one million plays across digital streaming services, and tracks from both have also been placed on television shows such as The Real World, Bad Girls Club, Total Bellas and more. Their new single, “Over”, is the beginning of the band’s next chapter as they prepare their forthcoming album for Summer 2017.
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Hunnypot Live! #363 went off more crazy than a Santa Monica fish restaurant freakout. Hot Tub Johnnie started the night with a kiss to our foreheads with baby waking music. We poke bowled in to the creative mind of Gabi Henriques and she brought her musical queue of inspiration. Premiere A Cappella stalked us with multi part harmonies and beat boxing blasts, Sassy Black got in our faces with consciousness and coolness in song, William Bolton offered to be our "Bae Tonight" without critique and we liked it, 19th Moon sounded like sole (soul) music from the future, The Barhemian brought a peaceful resolution with uplifting hip-hop and the night closed with our famous dance party. -J. Gray
Gabi Henriques is the newest addition to the Creative Sync team, seventeenfifty at Capitol Music Group in Hollywood.
Originally from Austin, TX (the Live Music Capital of the World), Gabi was introduced to music at a young age. Her father is an Ethnomusicology Professor at Fresno State and the director of the Mariachi at the University. Her mother, although in nursing, is a lover of all things music and sometimes sings with the Fresno State Mariachi. During Gabi’s senior year of high school she produced and distributed a CD of teenage rock bands in order to raise money and awareness for the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), a nonprofit organization, which assists in providing primary healthcare for Austin’s uninsured working musicians. She was also the pianist for her high school jazz ensemble and lead guitar and vocals in an all girl band called Blush Therapy.
While studying at UCLA, Gabi knew she wanted to work in the music industry but was unsure of in what field. She explored internships with various companies including Neophonic, Sony Music and Red Light Management while also serving as the Director of Hospitality for the JazzReggae Festival at UCLA. It was through these experiences she was able to determine which facets of the industry interested her the most, thus pursing a career in sync.
After college, Gabi worked at Warner/Chappell Music in Licensing Administration. She then joined the Creative Sync department in which she assisted the SVP of Creative, pitched Warner/Chappell and Rhino repertoire for film and television, organized events and much more. She is currently at Capitol Music Group and one of the co-organizers for Synch This events in the Los Angeles area.
Premiere is LA's own award-winning all-female powerhouse a cappella group.
They sing a diverse repertoire with attitude, dynamic leads, and messages of female empowerment. Premiere has performed for tbs, the LA Galaxy, and the house of blues, and they've hosted the LA A Cappella festival twice. premiere's music videos and recordings have garnered them various awards, compilation selections, TV and corporate partnerships, and over 150,000 hits on YouTube. Premiere are currently performing with the LA Public Library's LA Made Series.
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Sassy Black is a space aged singer/songwriter & producer based in Seattle, Washington. This Goddess of “electronic psychedelic soul” & “hologram funk” explores the concepts of sound through deep compositions. With roots in classical & jazz, her voice is often compared to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Erykah Badu & Georgia Anne Muldrow. Her production value and creativity is reminiscent of Roy Ayers, Pharrell & Herbie Hancock. Graduating with a Bachelors in music from Cornish College of the Arts in 2008, Black has traveled the world performing in cities such as Berlin, LA, Madrid, Barcelona, New Orleans, Lisbon, Manhattan, Milan, London, Brooklyn, Rome, Shanghai, Washington DC, Sydney & more.
You may also know Black from her (now defunct) group THEESatisfaction and her appearances on both Shabazz Palaces albums Black Up & Lese Majesty all released on Sub Pop Records. In the summer of 2015 she independently released her EP “Personal Sunlight“ which garnered attention from Okayplayer, SPIN Magazine, Exclaim!, Afropunk, Pitchfork & more. Her debut solo album No More Weak Dates released May 17th 2016 to great review & praise from The Fader, Loud & Quiet Magazine, Noisey, DIVA, Dummy Mag, Saint Heron, FvF & other well known media outlets. Ms. Black successfully toured Europe in fall of 2016 and is preparing her second solo album due in 2017.
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William Bolton is a 22 year old artist, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, MI. A recent graduate of Boston College, "Willy B" has been independently releasing music on the internet for 2 years. In this time he has acquired 10 million plays on SoundCloud/YouTube/Spotify and has over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
His catchy soulful music and Rockstar energy caught the attention of his mentor, Ryan Leslie.
After playing Firefly Music Festival, he completed a 15 city Europe tour supporting Hoodie Allen & Headlined his first show at Webster Hall on Valentine’s Day.
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The Barhemian is an artist from Oakland, California. His music started to catch ears in early 2015. The Barhemian then teamed up with Media and Creative director Donghoh Han and along with few other artists to form a music group called 665 Music. As college radio started to catch on to the sound, Bay Area music blogs started to include his music as a part in their content. The Barhemian has dropped several singles and videos, and is currently working on his album to be released summer 17’. He has performed for many crowds throughout the Bay Area including, nightclubs, San Jose State University, and youth empowerment programs for the community. He has also thrown his own successful events.The Barhemian has a wide range of sounds with a rhythmic flow that keeps the crowd engaged.
DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS diverges from the mainstream and leads fans down a magical musical highway that is fresh, edgy, and adventurous. Definitely a show not to be missed!
DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS may be one of the most incredible touring bands on the planet today. Their sound is unlike any you have ever heard – a thoughtful combination of jazz, blues, and folk infused with smooth gospel undertones. Their recent show at The Mint (one of Los Angeles’s most iconic nightclubs) was simply breathtaking. From the very first note to the final encore, the capacity crowd was magically transported back to the French Quarter for an amazing night of music and fellowship that challenged the mind yet engaged the senses. The band, consisting of Davina Sowers (Vocals), Zack Lozier (Trumpet), Steve Rogness (Trombone), Connor McRae (Drums) and Matt Blake (Upright Bass) absolutely slayed their hour and a half set with Vagabond classics that span their entire catalog as well as covers by legends such as Etta James, Fats Waller, and Chuck Berry (whom I consider to be the father of rock and roll). And in a world where most live music is over-produced, commercialized, and sometimes even lip-synced, Davina takes you back to a time when performing live was truly unique and powerful experience. DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS diverges from the mainstream and leads fans down a magical musical highway that is fresh, edgy, and adventurous. Definitely a show not to be missed!
After the show, Hunnypot Unlimited’s Matthew Belter had a chance to sit down with singer/songwriter Davina Sowers. She shares some amazing insight into her start in music, her influences, along with a ton of exclusive insight that you won’t read anywhere else.
Matthew: Good afternoon Davina, my name is Matthew Belter, Editor at Large for Hunnypot Radio here in Los Angeles, CA. First off, I wanted to thank you in advance for taking time out of your extremely busy schedule this afternoon to join me in what we call the “Hot Tub”. It’s truly an honor to be speaking to you today.
Davina: My pleasure!
Matthew: Your show on Saturday was my first time seeing DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS live, and I had an absolute blast. Your music was super cool and something completely different than the music I typically listen to. Quite frankly it blew me away from start to finish. So, I just wanted to thank you and the band for your amazing show at The Mint.
Davina: Aww thanks. Thanks, that's awesome. That makes me happy that we do something different. It's not really planned, but it's great that it's a little refreshing for people.
Matthew: Let’s get rolling - Tell our listeners how you got started in music?
Davina: You know, I think it had a lot to do with my mom. She was a folk singer and loved music. She wanted a career in music, but then got pregnant with my brother and me and we ruined it for her. I stole all her records - Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, when I was seven (I’m not talking teenager here). She remarried to someone who was considerably older than her and I never had a dad. I'm not saying these things to be deep, but this is literally what happened. He was born in 1902, so the songs that were popular when he was a young adult he still loved. That was his jam. I grew up listening to these songs on his Edison, which is one of those wind-up record players and listened to 78's.
Matthew: Very cool story – I bet you wish you still had all those 78’s?
Davina: I still do, along with his Edison and a Victor Victrola too. I also have a gramophone and still listen to a lot of those 78's.
Matthew: Aside from your family, what were your musical influences growing up?
Davina: I grew up initially listening to his pop music, but went through various stages throughout my youth. My brother was really into industrial music like MINISTRY and FRONT 242 and had this huge, massive collection. I just fell in love with that music. I knew what I loved and I loved what l loved and that is what happened. I am also a huge JOY DIVISION fan. What came out of it all was this band. Not that we cover FRONT 242 or MINISTRY or SKINNY PUPPY, but I think it's given me the edge and the angst to make our music not as square as it could be.
Matthew: What was it like performing on stage for the very first time?
Davina: Growing up, I literally sang in front of everybody. I was the kid that got made fun of all the time for going up on the stage and singing in front of my lunch class in elementary school. My mom put me in every possible talent show because I always loved to sing. I always loved to be a ham; always. I've been doing little things like that since I was six growing up in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Even there I would sing in a coffee shop with friends when I was a teenager on up and then started singing in bars with friends when I was a young adult. Shortly thereafter, I began doing those open jams where I learned a couple of 12 bars and would go up and sing the blues. That was when I was 20. I'm 30, now but I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't singing in front of people. I just loved singing on stage.
Matthew: What was the music scene like back in the Twin Cities when you started out in 2006?
Davina: There's so many different music scenes there, so many different sectors. There's blues sector, a jazz sector, there's also a huge hip hop scene. I was drawn to the blues sector for some reason. People were supportive of me within the blues community, but I didn’t have a huge following, so I literally had to work my ass off. I think by the second year we were doing over 200 gigs just in the Twin Cities / Metro area alone. The scene in Minneapolis and St. Paul is massive, and It's insane how much music comes out of there. There are so many different genres and scenes within the area. And on top of that, we have so much time to be creative because it's freezing most of the time.
Matthew: Sounds like an incredible music scene (aside from the chilly weather). Never would have known that being from Southern California but absolutely sounds like a place that music lovers should visit.
Davina: It just blows my mind. Everybody's very welcoming and very kind, too. Massive music in the twin cities. Just massive.
Matthew: Who were some of your early influences that helped shape the singer/songwriter you are today?
Davina: The covers that we do are very Fats Domino, Fats Waller piano driven rock and roll and piano driven stride. I'm a huge Professor Longhair, Doctor John fan. Fats Waller is my ultimate hero. I love Fats Waller and Fats Domino. Of course, the basics of jazz like Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. Earl Gardner was one my favorites, too. He's amazing. There's tons of piano. Vocally, I don't know, maybe Melanie Safka. She was my first influence. I'm also a huge Robert Plant fan. He probably taught me how to sing in my Toyota Tercel listening to LED ZEPPELIN I, II and III for four straight years. I also a huge fan Wilko and Jeff Tweedy, their amazing song writers. Gospel wise, Mahalia Jackson. She is simply amazing. I think it's all the stuff I listened to growing up and still listen to that continues to influence me.
Matthew: As we wrap up an amazing interview with Davina Sowers, do we have time a few rapid-fire questions from a couple of our Hunnypot listeners?
Davina: You bet!
Matthew: Are there any charitable causes or movements that are near and dear to your heart right now?
Davina: Well, I'm a recovering addict, so that’s huge to me. I try to involve myself as much as can when I have the time, especially addiction in women and teenagers. That's a huge thing to me. It's a huge thing for to me to try and help, spread the word, and smash the stigma of it. Not to get heavy, but it's an important thing for me personally because I think people find it hard to have hope when they are suffering. They don't see that they have obvious redeemable qualities. They don’t see a way to get out of it (and rehabilitate from it) and I'm living proof that you can. And I’m not talking pot smoking in junior high, I’m talking straight up heroin addiction for over a decade. Rehabilitation can happen. I'm passionate that people get the correct treatment and that people around them get the correct education to better understand it. That's huge to me.
Matthew: Amazing Davina. Definitely a testimonial to who you are as a person and the amazing transformation you have made in your own unique journey.
Any additional insights you might be able to offer our listeners?
Davina: I get so sad and upset when people are ignorant toward addiction. Everybody has it in their family. Everybody. Everybody. There's not one human being that I can go up to and they can say, "My aunt, my uncle, my brother, my sister, my dad, my mom, my grandparent." Somebody in their family has that debilitating disease. Anyway, it's nice when I can use my platform to share my story and give others hope. I've been clean for over a decade now and know others can do the same given right information along with the appropriate support from friends and loved ones.
Matthew: What was the last movie that you saw?
Davina: I'm a huge documentary fan. The last one I watched was about the dangers of owning a Victorian home (may not be terribly interesting to most but super interesting to me). I'm a huge Victorian and Edwardian collector, just gadgets and weird stuff. But I go down the YouTube wormhole and I watch documentaries all the time about everything.
Matthew: One last question. What’s your “favorite” Vagabond song? You probably get asked it all the time, but would like to know which song you personally hold in high regard?
Davina: Oh, my goodness. I don't get this all the time. I have been asked this, but not all the time. It’s a really, really hard question to answer. I like all of them (because I've written and arranged all of the songs), but one of my favorites is “St. Michael Vs. The Devil”. I don't know if you heard that one, but it’s a fun one to do live. Lots of interaction between me and the other guys in the band (a lot of call and response and that's a lot of fun). It’s a dark song, and I'm a dark hearted person. I know it may not seem that way on stage, but I love minor songs and I love storytelling that's creepy. That's my jam. St. Michael is like that. It's a fun story. It's fun to watch people smile and be in awe of the call and response between me and the horns.
Matthew: On behalf of Hunnypot Radio and all our listeners, I once again would like to thank Davina Sowers of DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS for taking the time to join us in the “Hot Tub” today!
Davina: It was my pleasure. Thank you and Hunnypot for helping me spread the word regarding our band. It's a huge thing for me, and I really appreciate it.
DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS are currently on tour across the U.S and will be traveling to Europe for a series of shows beginning in late spring. To learn more and/or buy tickets, click HERE.
"What's in the box??!?!"
Another killer night from Hunnypot Live!
Hot Tub Johnnie started the night with a premeditated set of hot tracks. Chris Husong from Club M lead the Sampling Session and got in the hot tub to talk about the upscale marijuana subscription box, Orion Simprini gave us felonious pop gems, Punky G brought salvation to the show, CeCe Frey incarcerated the crowd with pop/rock gems and The Tens gave us a life sentence of entertainment to close the live set. At the end Hot Tub returned to the decks to revisit the scene of the crime; We all danced to repent. 3-20-2017
- Jeff Gray
Writer of Music, Maker of Mischief, Love Child of the 1970’s, Modern Day Resister.
Orion began his musical journey in the 1990’s New Jersey music scene. While fronting the psychedelic bubblegum pop band Kitty in the Tree, Orion shared the stage with the likes of Ween, Cake, The White Stripes and The Strokes. Fast forward to New York City circa 2006, Orion started his Supergroup, The Orion Experience. Subsequent albums Cosmicandy, Heartbreaker, NYC Girl, and Children of the Stars produced a handful of indie hits garnering over a million YouTube views and a million Spotify streams. Cool!! Today ORION lives in beautiful Redondo Beach, where he continues to write and record subversive pop songs with a shiny, candy coating.
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A fresh face to Rock & Roll, a breath of fresh air to music—she’s been called everything from a “rock star” to a “fashionista” to a “preacher”. She just simply calls herself a servant.
Gabrianna also known as “P.u.n.k.y. G…”, a Los Angeles native, is a budding entrepreneur, artist and philanthropic visionary. Her experiences and background provide her with an unmatched and diverse style. Her strength, authenticity and sincerity are to be an inspiration to all people, with a developing fan-base transcends race, age and culture.
With a bold yet graceful approach to challenge and confront the status quo, it can sometime be difficult to categorize her into one specific genre between her broad lyrical content and musical diversity. She has developed her unique rap style from taking her original spoken word content and blending them with her original melodies combined with her love for Rock & Roll. She infuses her messages of love, hope, respect, faith, unity, and individuality in melodies that stick, words that matter, chords that unite and lyrics that heal, provoke and restore! Blending various sounds and styles of rock, soul, funk, hip-hop and folk she tends to fall into her own genre. She calls it “Rock Fusion”.
Punky G… is the first of her kind and is undoubtedly an up and coming voice for this generation with a fresh sound and perspective. Providing the world with timeless melodies and timeless content, her music will make you dance, rock, cry, laugh, think, perhaps even change.
Punky loves people, life and fun. She is a creative, prophetic prodigy with a strong commitment to acting, writing and music that all show her passion to impact and change lives and culture.
CeCe is a singer/songwriter originally from a small farm town in southern Illinois, and now residing in Los Angeles where she is gearing up for the release of her new material. CeCe delivers raw, timeless, pop energy with the southern rock flare she was raised on. Her undeniable voice fills a room and captures hearts across all demographics- if you didn't show up as a fan, you're sure to leave as one.
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The Tens are a greasy, blue, soul-funk jazz collective that originated on a street corner in Old Hollywood. They polished their chops on the concrete sidewalk for two years before they started getting booked for gigs. Since then, they've become the resident band at several venues across Los Angeles. The Tens never play the same set twice, they never play a song the same way, and they always play with their heart. They are a living, breathing, organic manifestation of music that will leave you feeling experienced.
All water on earth has always been here. Every drink of water you've ever had was once dinosaur urine. If you come out to Hunnypot Live you know urine for an amazing time. Monday night Hot Tub Johnnie roared right in to a killer set of curated music. Jeff Miller guest DJ'd and dug deep in to the mantle for his musical past. Stephen Day Chakra'd the stage, Susy Sun sang with new day solar rays, Reverie partied hard, Mario Jose let his soul music glow, Amy Guess left us with no questions about talent and the world famous dance party book-ended our "epoch" party. 3/06/2017
Jeff Miller is the senior city editor of Thrillist LA, one of the stars of Travel Channel's "Trip Testers," the guitarist/frontman for Black Crystal Wolf Kids, and a longtime music journalist: his byline has appeared in the LA Times, Rolling Stone, Spin.com, and Billboard. Jeff got his start in music in the promotions department at Interscope before seguing into the journalism world, and has covered major music events all over the globe, from Coachella to SXSW to the Red Bull Music Academy in South Africa. He's also dabbled in music management, working on building small local bands' base, and booking, with successful nights at LA venues like The Mint and the Satellite. You can often find him at a show or a new restaurant or a comedy show, where he's always identifiable by a huge laugh -- and a huge beard.
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Sarod player, singer / songwriter and composer Stephen Day writes songs and compositions inspired by his many music tours around the world.
Born in California, and raised in Canada and France, Day began as a guitarist, then studied sarod in India with world-renowned award winning sarodist Amjad Ali Khan.
Day describes the 21-stringed fretless silver-necked sarod as being like the ‘granddaddy of all guitar like instruments’ and playing it as being ‘like taking a rocket ride for the inner soul’.
After India, Stephen spent time touring in Europe and America where he played premier venues including the Kodak Theater in L.A. and Town Hall in N.Y. He then settled in Los Angeles and began to write music for TV and film. His body of work now contains music in 7 films, 4 music libraries, 4 albums and hundreds of television shows.
In 2007 Stephen organized and performed in a concert at the United Nations where his music was featured as a uniting force for ancient civilizations and modern countries in the East and in the West. A return visit is pending.
His latest album, Namaste, a collection of songs about adventure, mysticism and the road less traveled, is produced by two-time Gold Disc Award winner Matt Forger (Michael Jackson, Stephen Spielberg, Paul McCartney), and Shenkar (John Mcglaughlin, Peter Gabriel, voice of NBC's smash hit “Heroes”). It features musical appearances by Matt Malley (Counting Crows), Daryl Jones (Miles Davis, The Rolling Stones), Satnam Singh (Nikka Costa, Hans Zimmer), and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Ry Cooder) among others.
Stephen is the founder of “Ombience” a 501 c3 non-profit organization dedicated to self-reflection through the Arts. In addition, he co-founded Arts & Entertainment Radio (AER), the most listened to station in the IBS network of over 45 mostly college radio stations, with well-known broadcaster and musician John Tesh.
Stephen currently resides in Los Angeles where he composes, records with his band and launches music tours.
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Susy Sun road trips South to find her new sound in sunny Los Angeles. From drizzly Seattle to the Golden State, Susy Sun's self-titled EP is a compilation of songs fueled by love lost, a move to California and a newfound sense of freedom. For this project, Sun dropped her traditional classical piano roots, and partnered with LA producer Benjamin Greenspan to create a pop masterpiece that's as catchy, as it is whole-hearted -- From "Girls", a peppy feminist piece, to "Selfish Love", a satirical beachy throwback, to "Pretty Baby," a heart break piano ballad, don't be surprised if, while listening to Susy Sun, you find yourself whistling and shedding a tear all at the same time.
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A San Francisco Bay Area native Mario Jose is a seasoned singer/songwriter, session vocalist, and true entertainer.
Mario has had the privilege to share the stage and studio with music icons including John Legend, Pentatonix, Prince, Meghan Trainor, Justin Bieber, Michael McDonald, Philip Bailey (of Earth, Wind & Fire), John Elefante (of Kansas), Jim Peterick (of Survivor), Bill Champlin (of Chicago), Paula Cole, Lalah Hathaway, Ben E. King, Post Modern Jukebox and many more!
Mario released his first EP of original music ‘Heart Of Gold’ in October 2016 and has just finished as emcee and featured vocalist on Post Modern Jukebox’s US winter tour.
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The family moved to Las Vegas when Guess was 12. She played the lounges in cover bands and landed a job as a singing gondolier at the Venetian Hotel while still in high school.
One of the demos she made using karaoke tracks got the attention of Darren Sher. He produced her first album, Coming Up for Air, a collection of rock tunes that got local attention, but she was already moving on. “I wanted to blend EDM and pop to write songs with a big, emotional sound.”
A meeting with producer Rusty Varenkamp led to “Moonlight,” the single that put her on the map. They began working on Ten Times Out of Ten soon thereafter. Guess will spend most of 2017 on the road with her band, touring to support the EP.