The future of going to a concert and rocking out to your favorite band with all your buddies is uncertain. With most of the world in some sort of lock-down for the foreseeable future, bands, artists, crew, and the industry as a whole are trying to figure out how to not only play live music but make some money to keep the bills paid. So what do we do?
Catherine Sisco, the wife of Alzie Sisco, a drummer for a local New Jersey jam band called Newton Crosby, came up with a solution, Busking Down the House. For those not in the know, busking is a term used for subway and street musicians playing for tips. Cat's idea was for the members of Newton Crosby and other local NJ artists to start a Facebook group where they could play live for their fans. In addition, there would be links to their PayPal and Venmo accounts for people to donate directly to the artists playing (if they so desired). After just a few days on line, this concept became an instant success and is spreading like wildfire all across the country with new musicians and followers added daily. It's immediate success intrigued a local NJ News station which in turn did a little news story about Catherine and the start of Busking Down the House. Click HERE to check in out.
As you would imagine, once the word got out about the group, many other artists wanted to join the party. Tim Palmieri, the guitar player from Kung Fu (a jam band from Connecticut), and Brock Butler, the guitar player from Perpetual Groove (a jam band from Georgia), were the first major artists to sign up and be apart of this blossoming group. Each day the list of artists wanting to play grows, and this Facebook group has gone from meager beginnings to a full-on pandemic success story.
The Busking Down the House Facebook Group was created in mid-March, and now present-day has 32,000 members and many artists playing in their selected time slot 7 days a week. This started off small and has blown up big-time, going global with artists entertaining from all over the world. As Busking has progressed, one of our good friends Paul Giza has stepped up big time reaching out to artists from many different genres of music, asking if they would like to join the group and play. As you would imagine most are very polite in their response and are super stoked to be apart of what's happening.
Moving forward, the live music industry will have to wait and see when we are all allowed to attend a concert again. As we wait, Busking Down the House allows us to not only see our favorite artists live, we also can see when your friends join the party, connect with them in the comments section, have some fun, and donate to support our favorite bands during this tough time throughout the industry.
If you are an artist or a band that would like to join the group and play, I have included here the official Busking Down the House announcement on their Facebook group page below. Remember this a FREE group - its free to join, free to play, and free to watch. Any artist can add a link to their stream for donations to their PayPal or Venmo accounts. Please contact the admins of the page, Catherine Sicso and Paul Giza, to setup up your time slot. Thanks to everyone involved with Busking, helping to keep live music alive and well during this rough time. Let's keep the party going until we are allowed to go back to see live music with our best friends!
Links:
Self described Japanese "NEO-New Excite Onna Band", CHAI, released a brand new video for the song "Ready Cheeky Pretty". A "Lockdown" produced video with animation sequences over locations and live shots. What a big beat fun song. I'm a fan of out of English phrases used out of context and within foreign language entertainment and "Ready Cheeky Pretty" is filled with them. Take a listen and look and try to avoid moving and singing along.
Our 3rd official Quarenstream show, Hot Tub Johnnie soldiered on presenting the best new artists releases. Even at home Hunnypot is still where music lovers go to play. Special thanks to Juice (Justin Born) and Ryan Taalbi (Media Liberated) for being apart of the show. 4/13/2020
Another quarantine edition of Hunnypot Live. Hunnypot Live was born on the internet and has been streaming for two decades. Monday night was another tiny show with huge tunes and discussions. Check out the rebroadcast and join Hunnypot Live for another quarantine edition in 2 weeks. 3/30/2020
Hunnypot Live is malleable. Without performers and guests we (Hot Tub Johnnie, Jeff Gray, Ryan Taalbi, Justin "Juice" Born) pulled off a classic Hunnypot Live show reminiscent of the early days of Hunnypot (Radio). Jason Cienkus came through to discuss his music supervision career, exciting new happenings and absolutely amazing playlists. Future Hunnypot Live guest, Sean The Star Emperor, also stopped by to chat and life and music. We can't wait to see you all again very soon. 3/16/2020
Jason started his career at the forefront of music supervision in the 90’s that led to an illustrious run at Warner Bros. Records. He was part of the duo that started the very first soundtrack department at that label, which was responsible for the production of movie soundtracks tallying over $30 million in worldwide sales. His passion for film and the marketing of the music from it, guided him to a position at New Line Cinema where he spearheaded soundtrack strategy, marketing and synergies across the company.
Sensing a dramatic shift in the music business, Jason pivoted to digital and found himself at the center of the halcyon days of YouTube creators and digital influencers. His position at the boutique start up DanceOn gave him an opportunity to break ground in the music licensing area for YouTube content. In addition, he created a digital marketing platform for the company where social media and video influencers could use music effectively to market and promote artists & songs in a natural and organic way. This tactic has now become a key part of digital marketing plans for record labels, artist managers & musicians.
Jason is currently working on a dance competition show as the music supervisor & music clearance lead titled ‘Floored’, which is being produced for the new streaming platform Quibi that will launch in April 2020.
Jason is a pop culture enthusiast who has his finger on the pulse of entertainment across all media, verticals & platforms. A list of past projects can be provided upon request.
Aston Fenly is a Danish-born songwriter who just moved to LA. His debut single, "Sunrise," just dropped via Universal's Denmark imprint and after taking it for a spin a few times, I'm here to tell you this one is absolute fire. It's not your typical mass-produced track, but one that reaches into your heart and take's hold of it quickly, touching on haunting subjects that most have experienced at one point or another in their life. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Aston one-on-one and dove head first into topics that challenged my mind and touched my soul. We discussed his early years as an artist, his move to Los Angeles from Denmark, and his latest single, "Sunrise". No topics were out of bounds, and we went the distance in an interview you won't want to miss!
Matthew: Tell our listeners how you got started in music?
Aston: I had a really hard time in middle school and was bullied a lot. Every single day would just be me coming home and crying and feeling very unpopular ( I am sure a lot of kids can relate to this). At one point I just thought to myself, “What do I have to do to like change how people look at me?” I really wanted to do something about it and when I did, everything suddenly changed. I switched schools, started into music, and somehow became the most popular kid in school.
Matthew: What was it like performing on stage for the very first time?
Aston: I think it was fun. I remember the first show that we had. We were like 14 at that time, and I was in a rap group with some friends from my school. We played this club, which I believe was for young people. Funny enough, they actually served alcohol and people were drunk at that party. It was just like a lot of people from our school, maybe 150 people.
Matthew: Is it different now that the spotlight is now on you?
Aston: I don’t know. I've always felt like I've always been the central part of every project I've done. When I decided to do my own thing, there seemed to be a lot more pressure on me because there was no one I could fall back on. On the flip side, it allowed me to do what I wanted on my terms which ultimately allowed for much more creativity and freedom moving forward.
Matthew: Who were some of your early influences that helped shape the singer/songwriter you are today?
Aston: I really started getting into music during my early teenage years. As I mentioned earlier, I was having a really bad time in school. I really connected to the emo rock vibe at that time and one of my biggest aspirations was My Chemical Romance. I’m also a huge fan of Blink-182’s work. But in the end, music is so personal to us, right? It's such a subjective thing. And if you encounter a specific piece of music or a specific band during a specific time in your life, maybe you’ll be more connected to the band in some unique way because their music helped you through a difficult period in your life.
Matthew: What was it was like relocating from Copenhagen to Los Angeles?
Aston: The transition was cool. I like the sun here and it helps me from being depressed during the winter. When I went home in December, it was just like one gray fog for a whole with maybe a day of two of sun with snow. There are a number of things I miss about Denmark (and some I even took for granted), but overall, it was great and I really like it here.
Matthew: You just released “Sunrise” in February. Can you tell us what this song is all about?
Aston: As a musician there is lots of downtime, downtime where nothing's happening and we're all just kind of waiting. It could be you produced an album, or you're signed to a label, and now you’re waiting to put out a video. During those times, it can get really hard for your mind to live with the fact that you are not accomplishing something which ultimately makes you feel depressed or anxious. “Sunrise” is about that mental struggle and how one deals with all of those feelings and emotions – survival skills if you will. And we all have these emotions, right? It also tackles suicide which is a topic we should all take seriously.
Matthew: I hear you your music can be heard in a few Netflix series. What series can our listeners drop in on?
Aston: My track “Blood Moon” is actually in the Netflix original called Jinn. They really liked the song and it's not even out yet – so cool. I also have some of my music sprinkled throughout their global hit series, The Rain.
A few rapid-fire questions from our Hunnypot Listeners:
Matthew: Who is your favorite rapper?
Aston: Drake
Matthew: Outside of rap, who is one of your favorite artists out there right now which you’d like to collaborate?
Aston: My Chemical Romance
Matthew: Are there any charitable causes or movements that are important to you?
Aston: Suicide Prevention, Bullying and Anti-Discrimination of all types
Matthew: What are some of your favorite places to eat here in LA?
Aston: Carousel Restaurant in Hollywood
Matthew: What book might we catch you reading during down time?
Aston: “Black Vinyl, White Powder” by Simon Napier-Bell
Matthew: Which TV show or movie are you hooked on?
Aston: A Danish Comedy film called “The Green Butchers”
Matthew: If you were trapped on a desert island and could only have (1) album to listen to, what would it be?
Aston: The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
You can check out Aston's Instagram HERE
Before he was known as INDICA, he was known at his highschool for being the all-star varsity player and although it seemed Football was his calling, he had a deeper passion for music. Born and raised in Washington D.C, INDICA has found a way to catch his fans attention through his aesthetics and sound! INDICA may be considered “Indie and Underground” but he is paving his way into the mainstream platform!
His most latest single “Hollywood on Fire” has over 33K streams on Spotify, and if you haven’t checked the music video, you have to! To start off, INDICA directed this one and like all his other music videos, you are visually greated with a black and white theme and the occasional visual distortion. The music video starts off with a news broadcast on how the fires and smoke are reaching Hollywood Mansions and Movie Studios! The opening of the video highlights the Hollywood Hills and then focuses on two individuals wearing ski masks and driving a maserati. As the video continues, INDICA highlights the flaws of Hollywood and really sets the tone of what he is really trying to say. The Pre-Chorus says it all, “Where we come to sin yeah, Where evil begins, Where people pretend!”. If you haven’t checked his latest single, do it now! And if you are in LA, INDICA will be playing the Hunnypot Live at The Mint party April 13th.
Written by Elsie Hernandez
Swedish (of course) metal band Avatar just released an epic 44 minute video. It's "The mighty tale of your favorite band and their adventures in Avatar Country". Avatar Country is the land where the band resides and also is the name of their last studio album (They have a new album coming out later this year). Crowd funded by the citizens of Avatar Country (fans), this video has everything the Avatar fans desire; Pomp, camp, and chops. So many musical chops. Glory to our king indeed.
-J. Gray
The one and only Black Label Society landed in California last Friday, bringing their North American Crusade to the Riverside Municipal Auditorium. Fronted by the unmistakable Zakk Wylde, their unique brand of Gloom/Biker Rock is undoubtedly something to experience. Having not seen Zakk live since the early Ozzy days, I was looking forward to this show. Along with Supporting acts Obituary and Lord Dying, this lineup was sure to put the structural integrity of the 91-year-old auditorium to the test.
The night began with Portland’s own Lord Dying, bringing with them their brand of doom/sludge metal. Their big fat plodding sound accompanied their enthusiastic presence and was a welcome start to the night. Lord Dying is touring in support of their latest release, Mysterium Tremendum, which explores all things death. They did a great job and I would surely see them again.
Next on the agenda was veteran Florida based Death Metal pioneers, Obituary. The medium tempo grinder “Redneck Stomp” opened the night and served as a bit of a warm-up of sorts. Then it started. Obituary proceeded to ignite a powder keg on the RMA that set the near-capacity crowd on fire. Sprinkling songs in from their storied past, Obituary did their best to satisfy all in attendance. The furious riffs and machine-gun drums instigated the fist-pumping and head thrashing that seemingly everyone took part. This place was going off and the people loved it. It was quite the spectacle by all accounts and a show I won't soon forget. I was glad to see this was a very receptive crowd for the onslaught that is Obituary. Well done.
Now, it was time for the reason everyone packed the RMA. As the background music from the PA finally faded, it was the familiar signal to all that the show was about to begin. The intro to “Genocide Junkies” began bellowing and we knew what was coming. I was so amped for this I almost wanted to yank down the massive red-velvet curtain hiding the stage myself! Just a bit of patience was all I needed, and in a flash, Zakk and the boys instantly appeared on stage and barreled into the opening riffs. Black Label Society was underway.
Throughout the show, Zakk posed next to his signature Skull-laden mic-stand, throwing around enough hair around for three people. John DeServio (bass) and Dario Lorina (rhythm guitar) were banging around in unison at the front of the stage, doing everything they could to keep up. On drums, Jeff Fabb nailed down the bottom end and completed the package. Their set included a variety of tunes, spanning the entire Black Label history and was enough to keep the most discerning fan happy. A dirty filthy dose of bad-assery that I’ll remember for a long time to come.
Black Label Society is taking this show of force across the U.S. currently throughout the spring. Treat yourself to one of the coolest packages of metal on the road today. There’s sure to be something for everyone and I guarantee you’ll leave with a sore neck. Be Well!