I fell in love with Homeshake last Sunday night. You might know the lead singer Peter Sagar for his work with beloved indie songwriter Mac Demarco. In fact, I would say Peter Sagar is largely responsible for the iconic sound we attribute to Mac Demarco, as the echo-y guitar and synth present in all of Mac’s most famous songs is actually the trademark of Sagar.
But that’s beside the point. Regardless of how you feel the two compare, Homeshake’s music is hard to not like. Complete with catchy guitar riffs, groovy bass lines, and tripped-out synth and vocals their tunes put you in a trance. Obviously, I’m not the only one to get into them in the past year, because this year’s turnout was crazy compared to last year’s at the same venue. When I arrived at Rickshaw Stop the line to get in was so long, nobody knew how we were all going to fit (Rickshaw Stop is a pretty small room, after all). However, my friend who attended last year said that when they played before they didn’t even fill the venue.
During my wait I bonded with the strangers in front of and behind me in line, all of whom were incredibly kind. This is particularly shocking, especially when compared with Mac Demarco’s notoriously irritating, self-proclaimed (in The Fader magazine) “art-ish student” fan base. In fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve gone to a concert that had such a friendly, casual feel. Sagar himself was even selling his own merch, kindly talking with their fans like it was no big deal before the show.
However, when Homeshake actually stepped on the stage everything changed. They group exuded a sort of urban class that was undeniably sexy (as pretty much any person in the crowd could tell you, because we were all whispering to each other about it). Taking sips of water from his whisky-on-the-rocks-style glass, Sagar stood behind his synth and growled into his mic “can we get things a little darker up here.” The lights dimmed to almost black, to which he responded “okay, maybe a little lighter” and the lights settled on a green wash. The whole crowd and the rest of the band chuckled. Sagar, however, only responded with a slight smirk. I swooned.
Their set was simple, with little commentary between songs other than Sagar muttering a few sly jokes and thank you's through a voice changer that made him sound like some kind of helium-happy cartoon. Their minimalist style fit the music perfectly. The whole crowd swayed as Homeshake rolled through song after song—an experience that for me felt almost spiritual. In the words of another attendee: “It’s like they’re kicking ass, know it, and don’t even care.” I didn’t think about anything else throughout their whole set—I was too busy staring at the lead singer and basking in their beachy, mellow tunes to be bothered.
Overall the night was filled with great music, great people, and good vibes. Seeing Homeshake live isn’t even comparable to listening to their records—and this is from someone who has been listening to their album “Midnight Snack” on repeat for months. Something about their performance completely fills the room, and their casual composure sets a tone that gave me so much more appreciation for their music outside of the typical doc-martens toting, mom-jeans wearing indie scene. I left completely elated, and will definitely scrabble to get my hands on any tickets to see them again.
Photo Credit: Funcheap SF
On October 14th, Stryper made a triumphant return to Riverside CA supporting their eagerly awaited To Hell with the Devil 30th Anniversary Tour. Whether you had been a longtime fan of Stryper or had just recently discovered their amazing music, Friday’s show at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium had something for everyone and failed to disappoint even the most discerning Stryper fan. The band, comprised of all four original members including Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, Oz Fox, and Timothy Gaines, played all 11 tracks off of 1986 Grammy nominated album plus nine additional tracks that spanned their entire catalog of high-intensity rock and roll.
After a solid set from local acoustic sensation The J-Mann Band, lights at the RMA finally dimmed and the near-capacity crowd rose to their feet in anticipation of the start of the show. Red and yellow lighting began to glow on stage as a Stryper “pump-up” video began high above the stage. The 8-minute video took concert-goers through a chronological journey of Stryper’s amazing 30+ year career chock full of pictures, interviews, and live music footage. This definitely got the room energized and stirred up quite a bit of emotion with the legions of Stryper faithful in attendance. Immediately following the video, the lights went dark and “Abyss” began to pulse through the tightly packed auditorium. As the instrumental came to a close, Michael Sweet and company hit the stage in vintage yellow and black racing suits, launching into the opening track of the night, “To Hell with the Devil”.
And so it began, the 30th Anniversary of To Hell with the Devil was off and running at the historical RMA in Riverside, CA. Scanning the audience, there was not a fan around me that did not have their fist high in the air, singing along to one of the 80’s most iconic rock albums. My favorite live tracks from THWTD that evening included “The Way” and “Rockin’ the World”, while others seemed to gravitate towards “Honestly”, Stryper’s most commercial and well-known hit. Upon completion of the album in its entirety, the band took a short break to change out of their racing suits and into more comfortable attire for the remainder of the set. The second part of the show unleashed a litany of Stryper classics upon the crowd including “In God We Trust”, “God”, and fan-favorite “Soldiers Under Command”. However, my favorite song of the evening was “Yahweh”, off their 2015 release, Fallen. To me, this was Stryper at its best. The encore, “Makes Me Wanna Sing”, was chosen by the audience via Stryper app (very cool) and capped of an incredible night of music with the Yellow and Black in Riverside, CA.
Stryper’s performance at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on Friday night was vocally crisp, instrumentally solid, and brought a consistent energy to the stage that unrivaled by many of their counterparts. Sweet’s vocals were pitch perfect while Robert, Oz, and Timothy were all crushing it throughout the 18-song set. The remarkable chemistry of the band was showcased all evening long, and left no doubt to the thousand + in attendance that this band was still the real-deal after all these years. Just six shows into their world tour, this band of brothers homecoming to Southern California was just what the doctor ordered and for many in attendance, one of their live performances in years. For those that came to show looking to relive the 80’s with classic Stryper, that definitely happened. More importantly, it gave many Stryper fans an opportunity to hear some of their latest material (which I honestly believe might be their best to date).
Hunnypot Unlimited’s Matthew Belter recently had a chance to catch up with Stryper frontman and guitarist Michael Sweet to discuss the 30th anniversary of the To Hell with the Devil LP as well as all things Stryper. Here is Part II of our exclusive interview:
Your collaboration with George Lynch on 2015’s “Only to Rise” was pretty tight and has received solid reviews all around the world. What was in like working with George? Will fans be seeing any follow ups to Sweet & Lynch’s debut album in the near future?
Really fun man. I loved working with it. George sent me a bunch of ideas. I took those ideas and wrote lyrics and melodies and finished them off. We're going to do it again. We're going to start writing in January. I think he's actually writing ideas now. We're going to start recording in February and release another album man, it's going to be cool. We're going to get a little edgier with it. We talked about it and a little bit more in the “Tooth and Nail” kind of direction. A little faster songs and more burning solos, so we're going to try and go down that road.
You had an opportunity to front one of my favorite bands of all time, Boston, back in 2008. What was that experience like and what was it like to work with Tom Scholz?
It was incredible. Definitely surreal, many times on stage did not feel real, felt like a dream. All that good stuff. Man it was a great time. Opportunity to stand on stage after stage, in front of those crowds and all those fans and singing some of my favorite songs of all time, and perform them next to Tom. It was just great, great feeling man. Short-lived, but an incredible memory I'll always have.
You left Boston back in 2011 to refocus your efforts on Stryper. Was that a hard thing to do seeing how good things were going at the time?
It was one of the easiest decisions I've ever made. It really was. I knew that I was supposed to leave Boston and devote 100% of my time to Stryper, and I think that's why Stryper has been really churning out a lot of stuff lately, because I have devoted more time to it. It was easy. I didn't even have to think twice about it.
Looking back over an amazing 35-year career (Stryper, solo, along with numerous collaborations), would there be anything you would do differently based on what you know today?
There are a few things that I might go back and do a little differently but I'm pretty happy with the choices I've made over the years and the things I've done over the years. I really don't have many regrets. I have a few, but not many, and they're all minor. The ones that I have are minor. Man, I've been brought to this place with a purpose and I'm not going to sit there and question it, or question God, or where he's taken me at all. It's been quite a ride and quite a blessing and I'm just thrilled to have been a part of it. I feel like there's a lot more in store as well.
Some may remember Maggie Rogers’s song “Alaska” from the viral video of Pharrell listening to it at his masterclass at NYU Clive Davis Institute, but others may have found this gem through word of mouth or their own discovery. Rogers’s unique sound is wonderful in its own right, inspiring feelings in each person that gives her a listen. Music means something different to each and every one of us. Since our world views are shaped by our unique lives, it’s guaranteed that each person can take something different from Rogers’s music. Her Facebook is home to a heartfelt personal letter from Rogers herself, praising the faults in all of us, and sharing her vision of music and a willingness to experience the world as it happens. In her words, “Sometimes I think it's magic – this thing we can't see, but makes us all feel the same way. When it's real, it raises hair and makes the air taste sweeter.”
“Alaska” now has its music video counterpart, as of October 18th. Directed by Zia Anger, the video is true to her roots as a hiker and environmentalist. Rogers sashays her way through nature, dancing amongst trees and fields. She is dressed comfortably in what we can likely assume is similar to her daily dress, as such, the video feels like a personal peek into her life, her mind. Rogers is joined by others and the video transitions to a party in the woods that seems almost spiritual. A large crowd of people are shown releasing their inhibitions through dance, laughter, and even love. Finally, like a dream, Rogers disappears into nature as though she were a wood nymph.
This writer could tell you how the music sounds and how it made her feel, but you should really experience it for yourself, let the music speak to your own soul, and take from it what you will.
Hunnypot alum IAMEVE launched her first video, the ethereal “Starman.” With absolutely stunning CGI work, the music video is the first chapter of a transmedia project titled “The Everything Nothing. The eclectic video boasts a broad range of influences that are hard to narrow down to just a few adjectives. (PG-13) Steampunks in Space, maybe? However you might choose to describe this video, it will most certainly leave you on the edge of your seat for the next chapter. Check out this press statement about IAMEVE and “Starman”:
“IAMEVE is a spell-binding storyteller who merges electronic music textures and visual dreamscapes. “Starman” was co-produced with David Christophere of the classic electronic music outfit Rabbit In The Moon, and the video was directed by Thor Freudenthal (Percy Jackson, Diary of A Wimpy Kid). The video’s Starman is played by Keon Alexander, beloved on FX’s Tyrant. The surrealistic love story is told in this mesmerizing music video, with IAMEVE painted in sacred geometry by body artist Michael Rosner.
IAMEVE, the mysterious creator who lives inside “Starman’s” painted other-word, has a unique backstory. With her deep love of fairy tales, visual art, and a diverse musical background, she found herself a Stranger in a Strange Land: Los Angeles – the story city. Shortly after arriving, a massive accident left her with a bionic elbow and unable to play guitar or piano.
“Lying there still, it caused me to open up to untested ways of creating because I needed a new set of tools to keep going. Electronic production had always been a passion and something I had experimented with, but this caused me to move fully in that direction. It freed me up and gave me an entirely new soundscape that feels so much more in tune with the world I am creating.”
With influences including Rodin, Bowie, Terry Gilliam, Dali, Kate Bush, Geiger, Lewis Carroll, Tim Burton, Tolkien, and Dune, “Starman” and upcoming, The Everything Nothing video series and EP will extend the fantasy of inner and outer space across Los Angeles and beyond.”
Deep in the enchanted forest, there were once animal masked muted shadows and a mysterious glowing orb. Zooming out there was this magnificent drone view of a suburban city, a moody dusky scene that looks like Alice in Wonderland, underlying with raw production of synths. To immerse to yourself to this experience, explore your inner self with Ishi’s “Bring The Thunder” music video.
“Bring The Thunder” is from Ishi’s fifth independent release Juno. As Dallas Observer Pete Freedman from DC9 at Night puts it, Ishi’s music has their own “folktronic” sound. Soaking grooves in the organic instrumentation of tradition folk music, the five-year Dallas Observer Music Award act consists of Co-Founder / Vocal JT Mudd, Co-Founder/Collaborating producer Brad Dale, and Merla, Rocky Ottley, Paul Escalante and Johnathan.
Fifty percent of all digital proceeds of Ishi’s third EP Juno will go straight to Music Is Our Weapon, a nonprofit organization that provides a sustainable source of digital music programs for those battling cognitive diseases, such as Alzheimer's and dementia, PTSD, Autism, Parkinson's, and other cognitive disorders. What a nice thing that they are doing to utilize the power of music as medicine.
Take a spin of Ishi's "Bring the Thunder" video above!
It's not very well known but Azealia Banks is a big fan of ours and was trying to give Russell Crowe our latest compilation this week. I heard he didn't enjoy it. Too bad for him.
Hunnypot Live! #352 gave the "M Word" (Music) to all in attendance and those who tuned in to the live stream Monday night.
Hot Tub Johnnie started the show with great tunes and tales, Piel returned to the hot tub tell more stories and capture our attention, Amara had us on pointed toes with her emotional electronics, Flavia charmed and alarmed us with her illuminating dance rock, Senator was elected to wash us in a rock sound bath and Capyac book ended the dance party with seriously sick beats. 10-17-16
-J. Gray
When Tiki Lewis moved to Los Angeles from Chicago, she had no idea she'd meet Johnny Burkes and they'd subsequently join forces together to make some of the most memorable music in the world today, but through a combination of vision, empathy, melody, and rhythm, their sound has evolved into just that. While curating an absolutely remarkable stable of collaborators, they have played live shows that have made a distinct mark on a town filled to bursting with others who have fallen short of that and conversely inspired people all over the world with their online audio and video presence.
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Born in a small suburb city just outside of Los Angeles, Amara found her voice at a young age through poetry. Concerned about her brash introspective self expression, her parents enrolled her in ballet which opened the door to musical theatre in middle school and ultimately gave her all the tools necessary to create art. Her lyrical depictions of social issues and personal intimate struggle have lead audiences to refer to her as "wise beyond her years" and "an expert at expressing and invoking real emotion.
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Flavia is an electronic pop artist based in Los Angeles. Her debut EP, Embers, mixes dark pop and futuristic R&B, exploring the borderland of yesterday's soul and tomorrow's electronica.
Inspired by her vivid dreams and her love of space and the desert, FLAVIA takes her listeners on a magical journey guided by her lush vocals, her poetic lyrics cut to the core with their vivid imagery and emotional pull. She keeps you under her spell while her ethereal party-pop beats keep you dancing.
FLAVIA started to write music at a young age in Ireland and Italy where she spent her formative years. Having moved often growing up,, she feels the closest thing to home base is her music, "It's a part of me," she says, "I couldn't escape it even if I wanted to."
FLAVIA has toured and performed live on TV and radio across the United States and Europe, her live show is an encompassing experience with colorful visuals and energetic dance moves, fresh off of recent shows at the Troubadour in Los Angeles and Pop Brixton in London, FLAVIA will soon be releasing her long awaited EP, Embers.
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Senator’s sound draws from impressive but almost contradictory influences that range from his love of grunge (he credits Kurt Cobain and Beck as his biggest influences), to his childhood obsession with musicals and his appreciation for classical music. Senator’s debut album, slated for a 2016 release, is a hybrid of all of his inspirations that seamlessly fit together, almost cinematically, creating a magical blend of sound.
Pixies. Tiny, “a little mischievous, a little playful, a little not-too-serious.” Their music could be a slice of surf punk plus a piece of alternative rock.
This music video is a truck stoppy movie on the road. It features monochrome intense shots of the posse bashing on, with cuts of a woman in red, standing on the side of an empty highway somewhere in France, streetwalking. And later with snaps of the woman in red, red light...
The smoke spitting Black Francis took it easy with stumbling and moaning “um chagga lagga on the side of the road”, then slowly gone wilder, and wilder. To where he yells “It’s starting to hit me” -- like a fierce tsunami chasing after him, and it’s out to get him.
The Head Carrier album marks the drama of the group with Kim Deal and Black Francis, and also first appearance of bassist Paz Lenchantin after Kim Shattuck, who was asked to leave the group a short few months into replacing Kim Deal. One of the tracks "All I Think About Now" was a thank you letter to Kim Deal co-wrote by Lenchantin.
Watch the video, and get Frank.
Danny Brown is theatrical, raw and unfiltered. He is known for his distinctive characters: one defined by a deep voice and more serious subject matter, and another high-pitched wacky character, all for partying, fame, and everything that comes with it. I became a fan after listening to his album Old a couple years back, and I’m honestly a little ashamed to be so late to the party. His new album, Atrocity Exhibition digs deep into the rowdier of his two personas, playing up the drama and of course, packing in tons of bangers including the pulsing “Really Doe” (featuring the beloved Kendrick Lamar) and soon to be dance floor breakdown “Pneumonia.” I, like many, been listening to his album on repeat almost exclusively since it dropped. For a rapper with such personality and such a great new release, I had high expectations for his live performance.
The crowd was one to tackle, as seeing between the plethora of 6-foot-or-taller men and catching a breath amongst the nicotine vaporizer smoke and suffocating testosterone was challenging before the dancing even started. The opener was decent but painfully cliché, and honestly made me question whether this show would live up to the expectation I built it up to be. However, when the lights shifted into place for his approaching set all my doubts went away, and I was tingling with excitement.
His set followed a pattern I had never seen before—working through his top hits from oldest to newest. Thus, as I am so much more knowledgeable about his more recent work, it took me a while to really get into his set. His performance was much simpler than I expected, with just a solid blue backdrop, and nothing on the stage but the DJ setup. Additionally, he had almost no interaction with the audience between songs other than when he stuck out his iconic pointy tongue and proudly thrust his hand in the air in a “rock on” symbol. However, something about his goofy presence was so endearing, the crowd went wild after every song. When he rapped he crushed every line, and even when he had the audience finish the lyric (one of my biggest pet peeves with rap shows) he looked so blissfully entertained that I never got sick of it. By the time he got to songs from the Atrocity Exhibition the audience’s energy was through the roof, and nobody in the crowd could stand still. I danced until I was drenched in sweat, going back and forth between moshing in the pit to getting down with my friends and then to the perimeter of the pit again. In the end, I could not have been more satisfied. With his simple set, likeable personality, and raw talent, Danny Brown has now become my definition for the perfect, quintessential Hip-Hop show.
-Veronica Irwin (Hunnypot Editor at Large)
@vronirwin
Photo Credit: Subterranean Suburbs
The first time I saw Steve Vai perform live was early in 1986 during the filming of David Lee Roth’s “Yankee Rose” video at the Orange Pavilion in San Bernardino, CA. I won tickets to the video shoot through 96.7 KCAL FM, and spent an incredible afternoon watching this super talented guitarist shred through take after take of Roth’s first single since departing Van Halen in 1985. As a 16-year old kid, I had very little exposure to Steve Vai at the time aside from hearing him on a few Alcatrazz tracks off a mix tape someone gave me. What I didn’t realize during the video shoot was that I was witnessing the emergence of a true guitar virtuoso right before my eyes. The stage could not have been brighter in 1986 and Steve Vai exploded onto the scene with a sound so unique it literally rocked the guitar world to its core. Fast forward 30 years and Steve Vai is back in the Inland Empire picking up where he left so many years ago, launching his 25th Anniversary Passion and Warfare Tour at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, CA on Saturday October 8th.
Kicking off the night’s festivities was fellow guitar phenom Tony MacAlpine. Supported by his band consisting of Aquiles Priester (Drums) and Bjorn Englen (Bass), Tony and company dazzled the Riverside crowd with amazing power and sheer guitar brilliance. The Fox was in awe as MacAlpine crushed his setlist comprised of his very best work spanning an amazing 30+ year career. My favorite track of his set was “Tears of Sahara” – it was technically flawless and to me sounded better than it did when it was first released back in 1987. I am so glad Tony is back in good health and absolutely killing it on stage. For those who have not seen MacAlpine live, his performances are truly epic. Get to the show early and take in every note this guy plays – you will definitely thank me later.
After a brief intermission, the house lights dimmed and Steve Vai finally hit the stage. He strutted out in a white hooded sweatshirt and neon sunglasses, carrying his signature Ibanez Jem guitar. The lights further darkened as Steve kicked off the show with his 1995 classic “Bad Horsie” off of the Alien Love Secrets EP. The crowd went wild as his mirrored guitar flashed across the audience, captivating his legions of fans with a hypnotizing melody that was nothing short of brilliant. After a few additional songs to get the crowd pumped up, it was time for Passion and Warfare to be performed in its entirety. For those who have never heard this 1990 masterpiece, it truly is an album to behold - and hearing it performed live from start to finish was simply astonishing. From opening track “Liberty” to album finale “Love Secrets”, Steve Vai absolutely crushed the 14-song album with guitar work so precise you would have thought he was a heart surgeon. And on top of that, his band (consisting of Dave Weiner - Guitar, Jeremy Colson – Drums, and Phillip Bynoe – Bass) was simply killer. You could see that this band had a solid chemistry on stage and absolutely loved playing with one another. It’s no wonder Steve choose these guys at this moment for this tour – brilliant.
Throughout the set, Vai was joined on stage virtually by guitar legends Brian May, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, and the late great Frank Zappa. This was a unique way to highlight some of the long standing friendships that Vai has cherished over years and highlighted the respect that each have for Steve and his many contributions to the craft they have all dedicated their lives to. My favorite was Petrucci and Vai shredding to crowd-favorite, “The Audience is Listening”. This duet sounded technically flawless and showcased Vai’s technical prowess on the 6-string to all in attendance Saturday evening. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, one of Vai’s oldest and dearest friends Billy Sheehan along with Tony MacAlpine joined him on stage for a rousing encore that had the entire crowd off of their feet and screaming for more. For most in attendance, this was definitely the highlight of the evening and capped of a kick-ass night of guitar wizardry.
For those who came out and rocked alongside of Steve Vai on his 25th Anniversary Passion and Warfare Tour, it was truly an epic evening with one of guitars all-time greats. Whether you call him a prodigy, a virtuoso, or simply a rock-star, there is no denying that Steve Vai has a unique talent that very few have ever been blessed with. When watching Vai play, one witnesses firsthand his natural connection between mind, body, and guitar which effortlessly transforms simple notes on a page to pure unadulterated ecstasy. Vai unleashed this magic on the Fox Performing Arts Center Friday night, and for one brief moment helped to transport all of us back to a simpler time when the music itself was all that mattered. Until next time….
Stay Frosty and Rock On!
This video pick is coming to you from Danny Brown’s long-awaited fourth studio album. The second music video off Atrocity Exhibition-- just released in full on September 27th-- “Pneumonia” dropped today on major video services. The track focuses on drugs and sex, while the video portrays Brown shackled in chains, on which he is strung up like a puppet. He dangles from these chains in various positions, like a marionette being controlled by an amateur puppeteer, even occasionally being left on the asphalt. These moments are woven between clips of old political footage, as well as replicated footage made to look just as dated, of Brown in a suit behind a podium of his own.
The video follows up its predecessor, “When It Rain,” the first single and video off the new album, released in tandem earlier this year. The two videos share similar visual styles as befitting the catalog so far. After it rains, you get pneumonia. Atrocity Exhibition has already received a slew of excellent reviews across the board, and has so far peaked at number 77 on the Billboard 200 chart, and number 3 on the Billboard Rap chart. His unique vocal style and flair for the experimental culminate in this album that definitely deserves a listen. Check out the video for “Pneumonia” above!