A truly unforgettable night! Hunnypot Live #480 2/13/23 Hot Tub Johnnie's Birthday, pre-Valentine Holiday Show with a successful LA Mission donation drive mixed in. Co-Hosted by music supervisor Alec Stern (Radish Music) and ALETHEA. Thanks to all who came out and celebrated and big hugs to all who donated.
Music from: Megan Graney, Alethea, James Barre, Cayden Corbett
Photos: J. Gray
Twas Hot Tub Johnnie's B-Day so we blew out a big one. Hot Tub's only belly button day wish was CHARITY! If you are able, please bring one of the following items to be donated to LA Mission
#WhereMusicLoversGoToPlay
Megan Graney is a Bay Area musician known for her healing lyrics and colorful production. She has performed a variety of genres, including jazz, americana, gospel, folk, and choral music, and has earned accolades such as singing background vocals for Rita Ora and performing at Capitol Studios. Megan has also performed at The Village Studios and The Descanso Gardens Summer Series, and has worked as a studio manager for film composer Heitor Pereira and assistant to Andrew Lockington. Her second single, "Waves," deals with the concept of grief after the passing of her father in 2020.
Alethea’s voice gives you chills. Her powerful performances leave you wanting more.
Whether with bare piano keys or dashes of ear-tingling electronica, she explores her own relationships with a subtlety that captures the raw yearning inside all of us.
Her confessional torch folk sounds like Sarah McLaughlin mixed with EDM and a touch of PJ Harvey and Shakira. On stage and in her music videos, her soul finds fiery expression.
Alethea grew up in the country of Hubbard, Oregon as well as the city of Portland, Oregon. She has performed all over the US and the world including Germany, China, Sacramento, San Francisco, Idaho, Oregon, and New York. She discovered she wanted to be a musician in a tunnel in Freiburg, Germany after writing the song “Butterflies”
This is her second concert in LA and second co-produced event.
WEBSITE INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK TIKTOK
James Barre has come a long way, starting in what is unmistakably pop, releasing his first song when he was in the eight grade. He has evolved greatly since then, finding home in an alternative, punchy sound. With lyrics like a hand grenade, his (in progress) debut album seeks to take you on a journey through his mind. The good, the bad, and the questionable.
Cayden Corbett is an Asian American Singer/Songwriter/Producer who seems to acknowledge no boundaries between styles or eras inside his music career. Creating and performing music from all forms of genres but is known best as is an Alternative Pop/R&B artist.
Originally from a small town in Utah but now based in Los Angeles, Corbett recently joined a collective of professional musicians and producers called Outdonesia. After years of writing/producing alone, as a leading artist in the new group Corbett believes his songwriting has been elevated to its full potential with "Outdonesia" and has become more personal and relatable than ever before.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Justin Kim, Chapman University Graduate, filmmaker, and the face behind Suave Punk, an up and coming alternative solo project. What immediately struck me was Justin’s dedication to music (he even came to our interview, book in hand, entitled “Our Band Could be Your Life”, which tells the story of bands like Minor Threat and the alternative movement, a large influence on the Suave Punk sound). Justin has always been a musician, playing the piano as a child and becoming self taught on guitar at 12 years old. However, it wasn't until Kim found electric guitar in college that he found a closer bond with music stating it was the “First instrument to feel like an extension of myself, [it created], Not just a sound, but a feeling”. It was in the freshman dorms of Chapman University in Orange, California that Justin began his solo career under the name Suave Punk, it was also during this year (late 2020, early 2021), that a Suave Punk single was put onto the Spotify playlist Fresh Finds. Through Spotify’s influence, Pack Records reached out to Kim, signing him, joining the label who assists the likes of Blood Cultures, aldn, and CARR. The single in question being a personal favorite of the Suave Punk discography - “Dreams of Losing Teeth”.
I got to ask Justin about how he came to write such a beautifully dark and euphoric song. The inspiration comes from a real nightmare Kim had in late 2020 that he says “seared into my memory”, not just visually but sensory “the feeling of the roots snapping is what stood out”. Which created a visual for Kim to base his first Suave Punk release, he says he often uses similar devices for writing saying, “I like to focus on images and vignettes rather than describing parts of my life”. It was after the release of “Dreams of Losing Teeth” that Suave Punk began to grow a following. Kim explained how many people began to reach out, sharing their similar dreams of vivid gore similar to Justin. From there, along with lead man of The Incredible Purple Toad and owner of the then unknown, local venue, Steve Wehner decided to put on a show. Using out-of-pocket money, the two musicians put on a show at a Warehouse, playing for the very first time to a live audience. Thus was born a new idea that the two are still growing to this day. The Warehouse OC is the “it” place to be at Chapman University. Along with help from local bands and Justin Kim, Wehner has some expansive ideas in the works for the venue.
Suave Punk has snowballed since Kim’s freshman year of college. He has just recently played his first out-of-state venue in New York, and has his first full length album in the works. Justin is an extremely talented and incredibly humble artist. His philosophy with producing music is, in his words “do it for the homies”, always making his music not for himself or his fans, but for those he cares about most.
For me, the great nation of Australia has produced two great things that impacted my life for the better: the Crocodile Hunter and heavy music. The Land Down Under is where some of the most exciting rocking bands have come from. From Rock Hall of Famers AC/DC to new wave rock gurus INXS, I could not get enough of them. Recently, more heavy rock groups have emerged from there and the sound is just getting better and better with Airbourne, Make Them Suffer, Like a Storm, and of course the crème de le crème, Parkway Drive. Rockaholic first introduced me to the New South Wales metalcore bashers when they released their 5th album, Ire, and I fell for their brutal nature and ravaging riffs. Last time we saw them, they headlined the Hollywood Palladium in 2019 and the sound board stopped working in the middle of their set, ending the show early and bumming the hell out of me. After 3 years, Parkway Drive returns to the States with Southern metalcore outfit Memphis May Fire and progressive djent warriors Currents. First stop was the Wiltern, where Rabit, Rockaholic, and I attended.
First up on the bill was Currents. Fresh off their latest hit album, The Death We Seek, the progressive/djent masters of SharpTone Records were the perfect blend of angst and excitement. Frontman Brian Willie produced hypersonic melodies and hellacious screams that give each tune its own soul. One of the things I truly enjoyed seeing was the righteous breakdown riffs and invigorating hooks performed magnificently by guitarists Chris Wiseman and Ryan Castaldi. Bassist Christian Pulgarin and drummer Matt Young did not go too far off the rails with the beat, but they made it feel fiery with djent passion. They had a short setlist, but Currents made every second count at the Wiltern. From “Monsters” to “Into Despair,” “The Death We Seek,” “Kill the Ache,” “Better Days,” and “Vengeance,” we were in djent heaven. The song that stood out the most was their latest single, “Remember Me” because I felt the raw passion not only with the lyrics but also for the song’s tone. In a world that is riddled with metalcore artists, Currents proved that night they have boldness and stamina.
It has been a while since I caught Memphis May Fire, but I was more than ready for those guys. Hailing from Denton, Mich., the metalcore bad boys rocked the stage and brought some Southern rock flair to the mix. The Rise Records vets were guns blazing, returning to their former glory after experimenting with the nu metal sound as evidenced on their last album, Broken (2018). Frontman Matty Mullins, in all his Heavenly swagger, gave the fans a perfect mixer of clean vocals and harsh screaming, cutting straight to the point with his words. Longtime lead guitarist and sole original member Kellen McGregor blasted through the riffs with dominant force as drummer Jake Garland and bassist Cory Elder attacked the beat with sheer will. Garland stood out the most as I come to relish his vicious style of playing. Memphis for much of the evening played tunes from their last year hit, Remade in Misery, which included “Blood & Water,” “Left for Dead,” “Death Inside,” “Bleed Me Dry,” “Somebody,” “The American Dream,” “Make Believe,” and “Misery.” Of course, no Memphis May Fire would not be a true show without hearing 2 of their classic hits, “Vice” and “The Sinner.” After watching that, the stage as well as the crowd, were on fire.
With 2 bands down, out came the group that truly are metalcore idols, Parkway Drive. All I was praying for (I am sure Rabit and Rockaholic did as well) was that the Wiltern sound board did not crap out this time around. Promoting Darker Still (which happens to be album #7), they performed at high volumes and an ultra-cool set design. It is always fun to hear the first scream from longtime frontman Winston McCall. A brute force with a zeal for heavy metal, McCall wasted no time engaging the audience with his signature screams. As rhythm guitarist Luke Kilpatrick, aka Pig, fiercely laid down the main riffs, lead guitarist Jeff Ling layered in succulent solos and licks that would cross the boundaries of metalcore, classic metal, and nu metal. Dare I say, Pig and Ling are one of metalcore’s finest guitar duos to date. Drummer Ben “Gaz” Gordon wreaked havoc on the kit, all the while bassist Jia “Pie” O’Connor brutalized the beat with his swift plucks. From “Glitch” to “Prey,” “Carrion,” “The Void,” “Vice Grip,” “Dedicated,” “Boneyards,” “Imperial Heretic,” “The Greatest Fear,” “Darker Still,” and “Bottom Feeder,” simply put, Parkway Drive kicked ass!
It is safe to say that this Parkway Drive performance out trumps the Hollywood Palladium performance. Why may you ask? Well, it is because…THE SOUND BOARD WORKED THE WHOLE NIGHT!!! Memphis May Fire were full of heavy Southern charm, while Currents were progressively rancorous. There is no feeling like it, for attending a metal concert can be therapeutic. With a lot of beer and whiskey in me, we all came out of the Wiltern feeling rejuvenated, and it was only Tuesday. To Parkway Drive, Memphis May Fire, and Currents, I salute you. Horns up!!!
Photos by Matt “Rabit” Martinez
J.I.D & Smino have both been making a ton of a noise individually in the hip hop circuits as mainstage contenders. Given they have a shared fanbase within the Zoink Gang realm, it only made sense for the two of them to co-headline the JID + Smino Luv Is 4Ever Tour across North America in 2023. The 32-date tour name is a play on both of their recently released projects: JID – The Forever Story (8/26/2022) and Smino – Luv 4 Rent (10/28/2022). The last time both artists were in Los Angeles, they had strong showings individually headlining some of the smaller venues in town. This time around, combining forces and leaning into their shared fanbase via Zoink Gang, they packed out the Hollywood Palladium not once but twice on back-to-back nights on 1/30/2023 and 1/31/2023. Let’s hop into it.
First up was the Atlanta native, SwaVay. The crowd was very receptive to the opening act. Typically, due to the nature of the music, it’s not uncommon for crowds to sort of just sway back and forth when hearing out openers. If you don’t know the music or the lyrics, it’s hard to get into it. I get it. SwaVay also got it. To counter-act this, the rapper engaged the audience by physically reaching out to the rail and encouraged a higher level of energy throughout the crowd. The crowd reciprocated and set the tone for the co-headliners to follow.
I understand J.I.D and Smino have been trading off who starts and ends the night throughout the tour; JID was batting leadoff at the 1/31/2023 show. In front of two inverse heart-shaped video monitors, J.I.D dealt a wide array of rapid-fire raps and got the crowd hyped from the front to the back. A few notable moments were when he performed the songs, “Crack Sandwich” and “Stars”. He brought out a few guests as well, most known were the members of EARTHGANG. It was a Spillage Village reunion up on stage. Closing it out was Smino. Backed up by a female vocalist, the St. Louis rapper/singer brought the temperature down and set a vibey tone throughout the crowd. He encouraged everyone to chant “I love you best friend!” to all the significant others who were brought to the show. Smino nailed many moments but some of my highlights were “90 Proof”, “Settle Down”, and “Wild Irish Roses”. Both JID and Smino were backed by full bands, with drum solos and guitar solos. The crowd was very receptive to the drum solos and guitar solos sprinkled in throughout the night.
After many years of hard work, these two 30-ish year old rappers are really solidifying their spots in the big leagues of hip hop. Packing out the Hollywood Palladium two nights in a row was just the start. They have back-to-back nights in Atlanta, New York, and Toronto, among other cities on the remainder of the Luv Is 4Ever Tour. Take advantage of this opportunity to see this double header. It’s not one you’ll regret!
With twin cities folks routinely checking their phones to weather apps declaring it to be -15, it was about time that an artist rolled around whose entire modus operandi is comforting, intimate songs to warm the heart. Gregory Alan Isakov’s music is like reconnecting with an old friend you haven’t seen in the longest time and picking up right where you left off - personal and reminiscent and delicate, always welcome and always pleasant. Isakov’s winter tour - just him and his backing band, no opening support - rolled into the Palace Theatre in Saint Paul last Friday evening, bringing along with them just the shot in the arm that the frozen folks around here needed to get them through one intense winter. Isakov’s scaled down yet powerful shows certainly preceded him - despite it registering as a solid -5 outside, the door folks could barely keep up with all the people showing up to grab a good spot.
With no one opening for them, the band wasted no time getting into the swing of things. Isakov and co. opened with "San Luis”, a cut off their 2018 album Evening Machines, one of the band’s more popular cuts and one that set the tone for the evening immediately. Gently strummed guitars feed directly into Isakov’s trademark croon, simultaneously a bit slurred and perfectly clear. That song is the perfect entry into the rest of Isakov’s discography, as they flowed across their back catalog with quite a few songs off of This Empty Northern Hemisphere, like “Big Black Car” and “If I Go, I’m Goin”. While his sound has changed a fair amount of the years, that same element of music to bring you closer to the ones around you has never left his music, which made the night flow along seamlessly, as if every song had come from the same album. The feeling of attending a concert bleeds into the background and you can imagine yourself gathered around a woodfire in the remote wilderness, Isakov’s vocals fading into the vacant skies as the embers burn low - it’s a transportive experience to say the least.
Isakov and his backing band gathered together on the microphone for their final two songs - as they have done one every stop this tour. They closed the night out with a pared back, stark rendition of “Dandelion Wine” and “Saint Valentine”, leaving those in attendance far better off than when the doors had opened earlier that night and let the bare chill in.
Where do you go when you can’t take it anymore? A question posed by philosophers and loners alike for a millenia that only leads to more questions. The answers as expansive as they are limited, dictated by a moment’s state of mind and communicated solely through action. A healthy approach to such a question answers through song or any constructive activity that refuses to indulge the hopelessness that “it” entails.
‘Sanitarium’, Fencer’s lead single off their imminent self-titled debut album relegates this hopelessness to the air above. While the body lingers in its depressive state and the mind moves at a goldfish’s pace, Fencer’s resolve to ‘build a sanitarium in the sky’ is one of the more poetic solutions to the dwindling spirit of a burgeoning emo band. There have been murmurs that the analog sound formerly known as “music” is slowly gaining steam. While individualistic Emo-tech has resurrected the genre and pacified those coming of age, the pendulum is swinging back to The Industry’s public enemy number one: the band. Through thoughtful lyrics, engaging structure and shared ability to play tangible instruments, Fencer offers the feel and freshness of a garage band to a generation who would be forgiven for thinking that was just something that came on their MacBook.
Creating a through line of sound and color, the ‘Sanitarium’ video deepens the scope of Fencer’s world, building on their preceding videos and other visual aids. Opening with our aforementioned question, we meet our loner boy protagonist languishing on a solitary swing in the middle of a vast body of water. His only companion is a tauntingly distant mailbox. His head replaced by a blue box once recognized as a desktop monitor. His face, a placid black screen. The sea quickly evaporates to the next frame and our friend is now hanging out aboard a ship’s skeleton, equally as stranded on dry land. His first mate is a Donald Duck plush and his phone, once Fencer Blue, has been weathered to match its place in history. Without the possibility of a connection, our boxy friend bounces around searching for other blue things and places with vibrant color adrift in a dry, sandy gray and forgotten inland town.
Once friends are found they are equally as faceless, though much more unsettling. These players convey the feeling that when you’re searching for a break, getting kicked in the head is better than being alone. Chasing a dream can bring both things, but when you find yourself in the rubble of screens at least you have the music to come back to.
Ultimately, Fencer’s ‘Sanitarium’ despite its glorification of mediocrity transcends above its own expectations to become a solid single that builds excitement for what’s to come. Be sure to tune into your platform of choice for “Fencer” the album and come see these angsty boys and their instruments at The Mint on February 27th. Hunnypot Approved.
-Robyn Dee
The Backseat Lovers continue to find success in their second ever Album - Waiting to Spill. The opening song titled “Slowing Down” recently had a music video released on January 26th, 2023. This video is especially unique as the shots originate on 16mm film and are composed by Backseat Lover’s own Joshua Harmon and photographer Brandon J. Minton. If you are a fan of the band you may also see a familiar face or two.
This video took me by surprise as I feel most bands usually don’t pick instrumentals to showcase their album. Yet, “Slowing Down” creates such an interesting auditory environment that it sets itself in a new category of instrumentals. The music video does exactly as the song and attempts to create an atmospheric environment rather than focusing on a storyline or lyrics. The video exhibits beautifully composed shots of water, forestry, observations of humanity, and lead singer Joshua Harmon. Every shot is set in extremely harsh low-key lighting with a 4:3 frame that almost always has an elegant symmetry about it. This is a perfect example of blending old media with new. It is easy to see that this is not edited on technology from the same era as it was shot on. Some shots show reversal and the perfect cuts on the beats of the song tell us this. A great use of the imperfections and awe gathering grain of 16mm film combined with the editing techniques and technology of today.
Some interesting shots that struck my eye, are as follows. An incredibly sincere shot of a pool table and out from the shadows an arm and pool cue emerge, at the moment of contact the film cuts to a newton’s cradle in which is at the exact angle. Another shot shows 3 people walking in line, perfectly in sync with the music and one another. As well as, a ferro-fluid like sand moving around in a dance of swirls and engaging patterns. Even though there is no one thing to focus on throughout the video, this only emphasizes the beauty of the aesthetic of “Slowing Down”.
The Backseat Lovers show time and time again that they are not only astonishing musicians, but extraordinary artists too. They group is able to find a style that has never before been seen, in every piece of work they produce. I simply cannot wait to see what the future of this band looks like. Especially as whole artists constructing art of a plethora of mediums.
If you’ve never dabbled in the genre of indie-folk-pop, the best way to do so is by attending a show by The 502s and Oliver Hazard. Boy was I in for quite the surprise that night in Dallas – a GREAT one at that. I live in the hardcore world but keeping things a little spicy is never a bad thing in my opinion. I gave them a listen beforehand and def vibed to the sound. I started looking forward to the night after that. Let’s jump into it.
Arriving at The Studio at The Factory in Deep Ellum, I checked in, and did the usual prior to the first set drink to get the juices flowing, and then watched everyone pile in. Oliver Hazard was up first, and I was more so excited to see their set because their music reminded me a lot of Judah and The Lion, who I’m really into. They take the stage, and the crowd cheers them on. They start out their set and we were off to the races. Being a little unfamiliar with all of the songs, I didn’t have any specifics I was looking forward to hearing and was there to just take it all in. Sometimes that is the most exciting way to experience a band. A few that stood out were “Ballerina” and “Dandelion”. Excited to see them again and definitely added to my Spotify rotation.
And onto the sensations that are The 502s, and when I say sensation, that is 100% true. I wasn’t ready for what I was about to witness. I was chatting with the other photographer, and she mentioned they were incredible and to get ready for an awesome performance. I set up and boom, they hit the stage running. Out the gate, we had a wonderful saxophone thrown in the mix with a clarinet switched in and out the entire set. The energy was flowing through the whole room and the crowd was all about it. Whether it was synchronized dancing and jumping to kazoo solos, The 502s brought it all. Talk about being blown away the entire time – and there was no slow down. It was an hour of pure coordinated chaos. Unlike most shows I attend, and it made the experience that much better. If you want one hell of a time, don’t miss this tour when it comes to a city near you. 10/10!
Swedish hard rock/power metal supergroup Crowne hit the scene with a splash, having formed just a few short years ago, but wasted no time making an impression. With members from such heavy hitters as Dynazty and Art Nation, the crew set out to turn heads quickly, dropping Kings in the North in 2021, establishing a blueprint for what was to come - soaring vocals, epic guitar solos, uplifting melodies and packed to the brim with enough riffs for three albums. It’s an album that leaves the listener with a smile from ear to ear after listening to it - which is not to reduce it to a fun-but-forgettable experience - but rather that the group had tapped into the soul of heavy metal with their debut, and left expectations high for what they would do with their next release.
Ultimately, with 2023’s Operation Phoenix, their answer seemed to be ‘as before, but everything even better’. Their sophomore album is - as a fan would hope - jam packed with everything that their debut album contained, with standout performances from every member combining into a maelstrom of metal madness, but elevating itself into a realm that their debut album doesn’t quite touch. The riffs are catchier, Alexander Strandell’s vocals soar higher, Jona Tee’s solos are even more virtuosic - it’s everything that Kings… presented, but just more. What sets Crowne apart is just how effortless it all sounds - as if the band barely lifted a finger to accomplish it all. Phoenix does not come across as a sophomore album at all, which is likely helped by the presence of new guitarist Love Magnusson (of Dynazty fame) contributing equal songwriting and solo flashiness. Everything combines seamlessly into a joyous, anthemic explosion on nearly every song, with standout tracks like “Juliette” and “Ready to Run” sounding like heavy metal masterclasses, the latter featuring an layered gang vocals and charts and a pulse-pounding chorus leading into a wild harmonized guitar solo, which further leads into a tapped flourish with Strandell belting over the top of it - when this album is firing on all cylinders, it is peerless. Far from being the only standout moment on the album, Operation Phoenix is filled with excellent moments like this.
All of this is accompanied by a clean, perfect production job by band member Jona Tee. The album has a full-bodied sound, giving full room to let the instruments shine in equal measure to Strandell’s seemingly limitless, incredible range. Backing duo John Levén (bassist) and Christian Lundqvist are also given plenty of room to breathe, the bass fully audible nearly throughout, and the drums given a meaty presence in the mix that really give an album that would be heavy by any standards a hard-hitting, modern sound that should please pretty much anyone.
Operation Phoenix releases on January 27th, 2023 in CD/Digital format, and a formal LP release will occur on March 17th, 2023.
Fencer is a self-defined garage opera (rock) trio hailing from Los Angeles, CA. Their self-titled and self-produced debut album is set to release February 3, 2023 and is comprised of 10 very raw, emotional, and dynamic tracks. This upbeat, high-energy trio consists of vocalist/guitarist Field Cate, bassist Scott Sauve, and drummer Cameron Sauve.
Anticipation looms with upbeat guitars and fast-paced drums until 0:54 of opening track "Come On, Keep Screaming" when the first words “Why the hell’s it so hard to just say what I mean?” comes blaring through the speakers. Field’s soulful, melodic vocals pierce right through you from start to finish and are perfectly accompanied by a bluesy bassline and rhythmic drums. Field’s vocal range on this entire album is beyond impressive.
Third track in, "Buena", is a cover from Morphine’s second studio album released in 1993, A Cure For Pain. Just as the original, the song starts off with a girthy bass line then drums and guitar slowly creep in. Unlike the original, the musicality is a little brighter and upbeat, yet Field’s melodic and sultry vocals really paint the picture of serendipity in a shade of bright blue – I found out after the fact that Fencer has a gimmicky theme of blue for the band and according to various interviews I read, they will never change that color.
The album slows down at track six, "Sanitarium", which is one of their video singles released in October 2022. "Sanitarium" is about dealing with depression and poor mental health. Field has discussed his personality disorder that he has dealt with for the last several years, and he advocates positive mental health, especially in today’s world. I learned that Field is such an advocate for positive mental health, that he is a life coach. Dealing with mental health issues are prominent throughout the entire albums’ lyrics. Listening to these lyrics you can feel the pain and struggle – it’s very real and hits home for me as I’m sure it will for others.
"Joseph Courtney", their single released in November 2022, was blessed with the number 7 spot in the track listing. Field describes “Joseph Courtney” as an alter ego that he created and adopted as a vessel for him to show off a more manic nature. This is Field’s first time being a frontman and this character he embodies is a way for him to harness that role and take charge of the stage.
The album finishes off with "Bad Bet", a slow and somber ballad. When I listened to this one, I just closed my eyes and let is completely consume me. “I feel so whole when I sell my soul,” those words just ripped right through me. It brought on so many raw emotions that I was nearly brought to tears. This album was just a rollercoaster of emotion and you could feel every word rush over you.
Fencer has really set the bar high for their next album, so be sure to keep an eye on these guys – I foresee a bright future for them. Fencer previously toured with Badflower and they are planning to tour this album, but no dates or details has been set just yet. When they do tour, I do recommend checking them out – just as I will.