Hunnypot was the runner-up to fly to the moon with Space-X but that square Elon wouldn't share his weed with us so we bounced. Our 400th show got our minds off of that trip. What a show! Hot Tub Johnnie launched the night with hot hits towards distance stars. Kii Arens returned from Mars (or other) to drop new music from his band Jinx, new stories (and old) and to spin some out of this world tunes. Jason Hawk Harris kept us grounded in classic country music, Kemo the Blaxican came baxican to the hot tub with rock steady California beats and bars, Nigel Stargate opened a portal of funk and rap and even brought some extra special friends through including Hip Hop Legend Dana Dane and we finished off the night with another famous Hunnypot Dance party that lit up the night sky. Recap: J. Gray / Photos: J. Gray, R. Taalbi, J. Born 09/17/2018
Kii Monroe Arens was born in St. Paul, Minnesota to parents Robert and LaVae Arens. He has two brothers and one sister. From an early age, Arens had an affinity for morning cartoons, notably Sid and Marty Krofft. The show, coupled with his interest in fonts, colors, spacing and layout, set in motion a growing fascination with art and design. His early passion for music was also strong, augmented by growing up in a musically inclined family. By the mid to late 1980s, Arens was DJ’ing around the Twin Cities, and had a brief stint in Rap music, under the alias ‘2 Percent’, opening for Gang Starr, EPMD, DJ Quik, amongst others.
Arens’ early immersion in the Twin Cities music scene exposed him to many elements of what would become important features of his graphic art, including: album art work, package layout, photography, poster design, creative direction, music video direction, merchandise design/creation and music production. Although Arens created artwork continuously growing up, his career as an artist was substantively set in motion with a design gig for the Woodstock ’94 festival. Originally brought on as a hotel coordinator, he was invited to attend meetings about the festival’s design direction, and raised concerns with what he saw as an overly nostalgic festival look (one that recalled too closely the Woodstock ’69 festival).
After returning to the Twin Cities, he started working for Niceman Merchandising. Arens’ album design/layout career continues to this day, and has featured many projects, including: Dolly Parton’s Backwoods Barbie and latest, Blue Smoke,Eagles of Death Metal’s Heart On, Ziggy Marley’s Wild and Free , Glen Campbell’s Ghost on the Canvas, Pete Yorn’s Back and Forth, and, most recently, LA musician/producer Jonathan Wilson’s Fanfare.
In 1994, Arens joined his brother, Brynn Arens (Obsession/Fun House/Oddfathers), in the rock band Flipp, active from 1994–2003. He assumed guitar and backup vocal duties. The band had a penchant for cartoonish stage presentations and costuming, and embraced the Glam-rock genre reminiscent of the early 1970s, even amidst its decline as a result of bands such as Nirvana and Kurt Cobain. Their Hollywood Records debut, Flipp (1997), saw them opening for bands such as Oasis, The Ramones and Cheap Trick. They released two follow-up albums, Blow it out your Ass (2000) and Volume (2002). Although Flipp has never officially disbanded, they have not performed live since 2003.
A visit to Los Angeles in 2003 prompted Arens’ move to his current location on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, California. As his work in album art and band merchandising continued, he began creating unique, non-music associated art pieces. His pieces soon appeared in many galleries around Los Angeles, notably: M Modern, Subliminal Projects, Gallery 1988, and his own gallery, La-La Land Gallery, which opened in 2004.
Arens has exhibited in many shows, notably: Happy War… It’s the bomb, the first official show at La-La Land, which featured the work of Arens and many local pop-artists, including: Shepard Fairey, Chris Reccardi, Gary Baseman, Niagara, and many others. Art in the Dark, another show, was an exhibition of Arens’ own pieces, images created using black light reactive paints and lighting rigs, which concealed hidden content that could be revealed upon the flip of a switch. In 2005, he traveled back to the Twin Cities, to exhibit a gallery show at Ox-Op gallery. The show was based around Spin-o-Paint/Paint-by-numbers/Oil paint. Later that year, lalalandgallery.com was created, an online venue for a series of customized lightboxes created by Arens. The lightboxes were also exhibited at La-La Land, and featured in a story by the Los Angeles Times. His “Hot Lunch Artshow” followed in Oct. 2005, and featured classic tin lunch boxes customized with local Pop art. By 2008, Arens found himself as curator of an art show based on the concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. It included pieces for artists such as Liza Minnelli, Grace Jones, and Femi Kuti. His first major concert poster was completed that year as well, for a Beck/Spoon/MGMT show at the Hollywood Bowl.
This has spurred a career in concert print creation that continues to present, with over 250 pieces created for artists such as Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age, Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder, The Weeknd, Sonic Youth, The Who, Queens of the Stone Age, Devo, Diana Ross, Divine Fits, The Pixies, Tony Bennett,Glen Campbell, Bruno Mars, Tame Impala, The Beach Boys and many others. He also created posters for various All Tomorrow’s Parties events, as well as Goldenvoice’s Coachella. In 2010, Arens created a print for Radiohead’s Haiti benefit concert in Los Aangeles. Two editions of 250 prints were sold, and helped add to a grand total of $572,754 raised by the band during the event.
Arens’ co-direction of the music video, What We Do, for the band Devo (2011), began to broaden his creative endeavors. The video centers the viewer in a full 360-degree scene, allowing them to choose to participate in many different interactive visual aspects.
In November 2011, his second co-directed video, Ghost on the Canvas, was done for country musician Glen Campbell. It features Paul Westerberg of the Replacements, who also penned the track. Arens’ admiration for Campbell lead him to co-direct two more videos for the artist. A Better Place (2012), featuring Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age,and Hey Little One (2013), a tribute to Glen’s wife, Kimberly “Kim” Woollen, who helped Campbell in his battle with Alzheimer’s. Most recently, Arens co-directed the video for Vampyre of Time and Memory, a track from Queens of the Stone Age’s sixth album, …Like Clockwork (2013). The video featured three separate rooms that the viewer can navigate, creating a unique viewing experience.
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Years before developing his own brand of confessional, cathartic country music — a sound he describes as "meta-apocalyptic country/Americana grief-grass" — Jason Hawk Harris chased a different muse as a classically-trained composer.
He was rooted in the orchestral influence of modern classical music from the 20th and 21st centuries. He loved the theory behind the genre. The atonal arrangements, too. It all started with a fondness for Queen, whose albums accounted for some of the most frequently-heard records in Harris' Houston household. The band sounded progressive, mixing the punch of rock & roll with the complexity of symphonic music. From there, Harris discovered Debussy and Mozart. He eventually enrolled in music school and graduated with a degree in composition, which he immediately began putting to use.
After writing thousands of measures of classical music, though, Harris found himself drawn back to the country, folk, and rock music that had soundtracked his early childhood. He'd grown up listening to classic crooners like Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, Jim Croce, Patsy Cline, and Elvis. That music had laid a sort of musical bedrock that couldn't be ignored. Later, after hearing bluegrass musician Michael Daves playing a stirring guitar solo, Harris knew he needed to somehow incorporate his country-loving childhood into his songs.
"Hearing Michael Daves tackle that solo really woke me up," he remembers. "There was something wild about the way he played. He played with abandon. Something sparked in me again — the same spark I'd heard when I first discovered Brian May's guitar solo on 'It's Too Late' — and everything changed."
Harris began cutting his non-classical teeth with the Show Ponies, an Americana group based in L.A. He played guitar for the band and produced most of their albums, racking up several million Spotify streams along the way. Meanwhile, problems arose in his personal life — including a family history of addiction, which ultimately resulted in the early death of his mother — and began fueling Harris' need to write his own music.
Released in November 2017, the five-song Formaldehyde, Tobacco and Tulips marks Harris' debut as a solo artist. It's an emotional EP about joy, pain, sorrow, and grief, tied together with autobiographical lyrics and sharp, detail-rich songwriting. The record also paves the way for Harris' full-length album, which draws a distinct bridge between his country and classical roots.
"I love country music because it's built upon a collision of the sad and specific," says the songwriter, whose music evokes comparisons to imaginative Americana frontmen like Daniel Romano and Robert Ellis. "I want to treat it like an art form. I want to show people how seriously devastating it can really be."
Although performed with traditional country instrumentation — including acoustic and electric guitar, pedal steel, bass, strings, piano, and the occasional harmonium — Harris' LP reaches far beyond the genre's rootsy influence. There are complex chords, acrobatic arrangements, and unexpected intervals. There are cathartic songs about love and addiction. A classically trained composer turned country singer, Jason Hawk Harris proudly operates within his own lane, proving that there's something stirring and compelling about musical culture clashes.
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Five Delinquent Habits albums, three solo albums and countless tours around the globe including the UK, Europe, Japan, South America, Mexico and Taiwan - Kemo the Blaxican? of ?Delinquent Habits? ?is releasing his first "Trifecta" a 3 song EP titled Ugly At Times ?featuring GODFORBID? of ?That Handsome Devil?. These one-of-a-kind projects is something Kemo chose to name Trifectas. For this first release, this duo packs a dynamic punch on the three piece trifecta. West Coast swagger fused with East Coast swank. Ugly At Times? is a collaboration of two prominent veteran hip hop artists with undeniable chemistry saturated with ambitious vision that beautifully defines the art of hip hop. The EP brings together two potent MCs to deliver a brutally honest impression of hard lives lived, question intention, and convey a deep powerful message about love. With production duties handled by Dr. Quandary & Louis Mackey, Ugly At Times ?packs enough musical and lyrical punch to satisfy even the most fever pitched Hip-Hop addicts. Ugly At Times ?is slated for release nationally Friday August 17, 2018 on Dead Silence Records.
Kemo the Blaxican? hails from the Lower East Side of Los Angeles and is an original member of Los Angeles based Hip-Hop group Delinquent Habits?.He’s equipped with a soulful style bilingual rhymes and profound lyrical content. You hear the smooth-yet-powerful baritone vocals delivered with a distinctive tone. You recognize the voice as it commands attention with provocative lyrics over flavorful tracks. This MC shifts the rhyme from English to Spanish, and then back to English again seamlessly. Your head nods the whole way through. Godforbid,? a distinguished veteran of the East Coast underground: he cut his teeth in the 90s & early Oughts, as part of the rap group Alaskan Fishermen, with the legendary Thirstin Howl 3rd. For the last decade, "?Godforbid"? ?has been the frontman of the nationally-lauded gypsy rock band That Handsome Devil?, but always keeping his hip hop roots close.
Kemo the Blaxican's? latest release Upside of Struggle? on Dead Silence Records is series of hip hop tracks inspired by his roots; specifically southern California culture and the music that influenced his youth—from west coast funk, soul, and classic hip hop, to traditional Latin music. The album also features guest appearances by Sen Dog? (Cypress Hill) and Tetsuya Weeping Willow? Nakamura (formerly of War) on the track“Just What You Feelin,” as well as contributions by Sick Jacken? (Psycho Realm) on the album. ?Upside of Struggle? is Kemo’s third solo album on Dead Silence Records. The 12-track incarnation bursts with musical styles and compelling arrangements. Kemo’s lyrical skills stretch back and forth between L.A. street slang and barrio Spanish. He moves the listener through moods, harmoniously encapsulating contradiction, antagonism and the co-existence of good, even during bad times, all with mind bending ease.
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A Stargate is a universe that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations and the Megastar Nigel Stargate embodies this sentiment in his music. The alter-ego of Rapper/Producer Caviar, Nigel Stargate comes from the “Hills” of Compton, California. A magical place where hip hop music meets posh royalty, two distant locations. Stamped by the renown Dana Dane, Nigel Stargate is produced by Caviar and has recorded a vault of eclectic posh hip hop music at Caviar’s The Vault Studios in Hollywood.
Nigel Stargate’s treasury of music contains songs with artists like Marsha Ambrosius, Cee Lo Green, Macy Gray, Trinidad James, Big Gipp, Kokane, Keith Robinson as well as the legendary MC, Dana Dane. “When You’re Rich” one of the tracks recorded at The Vault, was Nigel Stargate’s breakthrough song featuring Cee Lo Green. Nigel worked with Music Video Director, Mike Marasco, to visually capture the life of Nigel Stargate who receives the traditional Hollywood perks when he is transformed from a homeless person to a rich man in the “When You’re Rich” video. Nigel loves everything visual and his desire to tell his stories pictorially resulted in a collection of music videos for all of his songs.
Nigel is fresh and creative and his craving to fill the void in the music business brings originality back, an element that has been absent in hip hop for a long time. Imaginative lyrics, fresh hooks and new beats took their proper places on Nigel Stargate’s songs in lieu of lifeless lyrics, humdrum hooks and boring beats. The Greek Philosopher Plato said that “Music is moral law. It gives soul to the universe” and Nigel Stargate is the portal.
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Attention Marijuana enthusiasts: In celebration of our 400th Live Event stream Hunnypot is again offering a very special private Cannabis tasting event.
This Tasting Session is sponsored by the fine folks at White Buffalo,
Our event is located in the Green Room directly behind The Mint. Their will be surprises and give-aways throughout the night, bring a friend or two!
+21, 7-11PM
Green Room (behind The Mint)
6010 W. Pico Blvd.
LA, CA 90035
The ninth studio album from German Thrash Metal legends Necronomicon , titled Unleashed Bastards is set to be released on Sept 28th via El Puerto Records. A relentless, up-tempo thrashing masterpiece from start to finish, the album is an excellent hybrid of the barbaric, ultra-fast, ultra-violent musical style of late 80's thrash metal, combined with the capabilities of modern-day production. With frontman Volker "Freddy" Fredrich's harsh blackened vocals, the driving rhythm section, thundering double bass, and screaming guitar riffs and leads that incorporate some Neo-Classical elements, the band have developed a precise, and technical chemistry together as musicians that speaks for itself. Bands among the "Big 4" of Teutonic Thrash Metal: Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, Tankard, come to mind when describing their massive sound.
Necronomicon was formed in 1983 as a punk rock band, releasing a lo -fi demo tape titled Total Rejection. The band was heavily influenced by UK Hardcore Punk acts such as Discharge, the Exploited, and GBH. As the years went on, their style gradually became more metal as they became influenced by bands like Metallica and Slayer and by the time their self-titled album was released in 1986, and sophomore album "Apocalyptic Nightmare" in 1987, Necronomicon had developed a dark, immensely fast style of metal that was arguably among some of the most extreme music of its time, featuring the shrieking/growled vocals not uncommon in the early black metal bands of the same time period, such as Venom, Bathory and Celtic Frost. With their influences being as evident as they are in the band’s repertoire, Unleashed Bastards serves as an excellent example of how much they have evolved together as a band over the years, and proof that Thrash Metal is still alive and well in 2018, and it’s not going anywhere.
"Everything is there; from punk to old school, from speed to flawless Thrash Metal. A full menu," says frontman and founding member Volker 'Freddy' Fredrich. While primarily a thrash metal album, it is a unique hybrid of different sub-genres. Featuring the double guitar harmonies found in bands among the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the rapid-fire tempos of Hardcore Punk such as in "Religion Live Fast", Blackened vocals, and the occasional melodic chorus that hints at Power Metal such as the one featured on "Malevolent". What stood out to me about this album was the strong influence of classical music and the effortless application of it to a thrash metal context. At times the band would transition from a classic double time metal feel into a more melodic section which featured exotic scales and shredding, Neo Classical leads and riffs. The title track of the album is a perfect example of this, as well as "Personal Enemy". Overall this album is the complete package, simultaneously old school and modern. It is raw, yet technical. Chaotic, yet melodic. I can only hope that this band will do a tour in the states and more metalheads will have the opportunity to see this cult thrash act play live and discover them, if they have not already.
As always, rock on my friends! Hunnypot Approved! Overall Rating: 9 out of 10
Artist: Necronomicon, Album: Unleashed Bastards, Release Date: September 28TH, 2018 (Pre-order HERE), Label: El Puerto Records GbR
Gary Numan is considered by many to be the Godfather of electronic music. From early classics like "Metal" to his latest album, Savage (Songs from a Broken World), his music transcends the test of time with a powerful sound that is truly unmistakable. Numan seems to continually be reinventing himself in ways that keep his music relevant while pushing his creative envelope to whole new levels. More remarkable still is that this ‘continual evolution’ is still taking place some 40+ years after his first release with the Tubeway Army.
On Tuesday night, Gary Numan took center stage at The Observatory OC and kicked off the second US leg of his Savage Tour – and did do in spectacular form. Donned in what many considered his ‘Savage’ attire, Numan and Company launched into a massive set that spanned a lifetime of incredible work. From the haunting sounds of “Everything Comes Down to This” to the familiar sound of 1979’s “Cars” – there was something for everyone in OC that evening. Those that hung in there till the end were rewarded with a powerful encore consisting of “Ghost Nation” and “A Prayer for the Unborn”.
All in all, Gary Numan’s 17-song set delivered on countless levels and placed a solid exclamation point on what I consider one of the top live performances I have seen in 2018. Fans in attendance were subjected to a throwback show that proved over and over why Gary Numan is still at the top of his class after all these years. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime artist that puts his heart and soul into everything he does, and his sheer genius was on display for all to see on Tuesday evening. Bravo.
On their absurd and hilarious new single, the Stockholm garage punk band Viagra Boys parody a particularly American brand of masculinity. The song is, after all, called “Sports,” and a good bulk of the lyrics involve naming different types of balls: Baseballs, basketballs, and beach balls all bounce around the song, emphasized with relish in a comically low voice by frontman Sebastian Murphy. Meanwhile, a hefty mid-tempo drumbeat and a meaty bassline keeps things moving along, joined by a scuzzy three-note guitar riff.
The beach party described in the lyrics gets more and more surreal and lurid as the song unfolds: Somehow, everyone’s both naked and wearing short shorts. People ski through the surf, smoke cigarettes and dope, and eat wiener dogs. Suggestive imagery abounds, and as the music grows in tension, the vocals become more and more deranged. Murphy screams “SPORTS!” at the climax in unhinged exasperation, stuttering and spitting out the word like he needed to defend his manhood at all costs. The song is a perfect indictment of the sort of sweaty, brittle masculinity that tends toward overcompensation. What do you do when your identity is on the fritz—when the real, abject experience of being human catches up to you despite your attempts to dude it away? Smoke a joint, eat some meat, scream the name of every single sport you can think of.
This one is Hunnypot dance party tested and approved. Dynoro is a Lithuanian music producer. He is best known for his international hit, a remix of "In My Mind" recorded with Gigi D'Agostino.
Dynoro started releasing tracks and remixes on Soundcloud and Spotify in 2013. In December 2017, his song "In My Mind" was released. It was a mashup from the "Tomorrowland" song by Ivan Gough, Feenixpawl, Georgi Kay and Axwell from 2012 and Gigi D'Agostino's single "L'amour toujours" from 2001. The song has become a massive hit all over Europe and internationally, especially after a collaboration with Gigi D'Agostino. The new remix was released on B1 Recordings, a joint venture with Sony Music. In July 2018, the song reached number one in the German music charts. It was also a number 1 hit in Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and a Top 5 hit in Belgium, Ireland and Norway. It made it to it to number 15 in the UK Singles Chart.
Hunnypot Live! is the Woodward & Bernstein of music discovery. We also have a reading level of at least an 8th grader. We opened the watergates and flooded Monday night with amazing interviews, playlists, live music and dancing. So much dancing. Hot Tub wrote a forward with bangin' beats to start the night. John Alexander graced us with his presence in the hot tub to share his music industry journey from hit rock artist to hit A&R man. John brought along some great music he was involved with and even brought a friend, Mark Hudson, to vouch for him. Elwell key'd up a synthesized pop performance, Kisspanic didn't even flinch at delivering a smorgasbord rock sound, The Clumsy "tripped" us all out with high energy rock n' roll. h2the returned with beats and besties Novi, Woolf, R.E.L. and Kendal Lake to shake and bake our blues and we closed another show chapter with a crazy all out dance party. 09/03/2018
John Alexander began his music career playing in bands while in High School growing up in Ottawa Canada. He enjoyed success fronting the band Octavian who signed with MCA Records and had a few top 10 singles at that time. After the band disbanded he started managing groups including The Teddy Bears, Sheriff who had a #1 Billboard hit with "When I'm With You" and Luba. In 1984 John became the head of A&R for MCA Records Canada, he was responsible for signing artists to the MCA Canada label and writers to MCA Music Publishing rosters, while there John signed a young Alanis Morissette to her 1st record deal and publishing deal resulting in the 30 times-platinum album Jagged Little Pill and 5 Grammy's for Alanis.
In 1997 John became the Senior Vice President of membership for a A.S.C.A.P. and served the songwriter/publisher community for 12 years.
John has been active in the careers of Avril Lavigne, Ringo Starr, Justin Timberlake, LeAnn Rimes, Celine Dion, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Johnny Resnick, Daniel Lanois, Ryan Cabrera, Ashlee Simpson, Tal Bachmann, Sarah Kelley, to name a few.
John is currently managing the band Boulevard who are signed to MCA with an album getting great response throughout the world.
Elwell is a Los Angeles by way of Minneapolis based musician/songwriter/producer. (Andy)
Elwell released his debut LP Let The Rain Come In in 2016. "Claps" & "Dark" singles came out in 2017. This year saw the release of 2 new singles "Find Me" and "Weary".
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Kisspanic is a Modern Rock trio from Los Angeles CA. The band is formed by Rudi Meibergen, Thomas Rojo and Fer Fuentes. They are about to launch their first album with Darryl Swann in Hollywood
RUDI MEIBERGEN, (creator) - Rudi is a chilean music composer. He has worked on the music of several Hollywood productions including shows for Netflix, Fox and HBO (*). But Rudi's passion extends beyond scores and orchestral music to his first love, rock, the reason why he was the frontman of the band Weiza for more than ten years to then create Kisspanic.
THOMAS ROJO, (bass player) - Producer, and Owner of Pattern Recording Studios in Culver City, Los Angeles, CA. Rudi met Thomas in music production classes. They became friends, then co workers for several productions, and finally decided to start working on the pre production of the album together.
FER FUENTES, (drummer) - She played and recorded with the Latin Grammy and MTV Award-nominated band MammaSoul, and toured through Europe and South America with La Banda en Flor. Has performed with artists like Debbie Gibson, Abraham Laboriel and Oscar Hernandez. Fer had worked as a sessionist with Rudi back in Chile for several music projects. When they knew they were both living in LA, they decided to start working together again on this new production.
KISSPANIC - The band is finishing producing their first album with Darryl Swann, triple platinum producer known for working with artists such as John Frusciante, Rock Rubin, Macy Grey, Stevie Wonder, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, and the Black Eyed Peas, among many others. Darryl was Rudi´s teacher at UCLA. One class Rudi showed some mockups of what he had in mind for his album and Darryl believed in the project and became his producer. The album was recorded at Clear Lake Recording Studios (No Doubt, Jimmy Eat World, Anthrax, Back Street Boys, and Ringo Starr...). At the same time is also recording a sinngle for a music compilation that supports the refugees over the world in 4th Street Recording Studios (Incubus, Muse, System of a Down, Nelly Furtado and the Beach Boys...).
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“Brilliantly blending 80’s synths with an new cutting edge sampling style, rising hip hop/experimental producer h2the released his debut single titled “Taste Of The“, a teaser/cut-up off his new beat tape exclusively available on cassette!” – UGHH
URB Magazine wrote that “[h2the] is something else…in a profound kind of way,” calling his sound titillating and “juicy for the ears,” while The Village Voice described his productions as “adventurous and banging.”
2DOPEBOYZ and Vibe Magazine’s allhiphop.com have also noted h2the’s rap flips of 80?s inspired sonics. It’s the producer as auteur as every track takes you through the emotional space of the artist, like Kanye or Godard. Erez will feature LA based Future Folk artist Woolf, Woolf (Facebook) Woolf (Instagram) Woolf (Twitter)
WOLVES is a trio from Los Angeles consisting of Marc Avery, Sean Carney and Rockwell Sands. The band combines pop sensibilities with bold rock’n’roll and gritty urban beats created their unique sound.
The band was named after the characteristics of wolves. These majestic animals which are bonded by an innate sense of the pack, move in harmony as one unit towards common goals. “I can’t think of a better way to describe us. The three of us are all about the good of the group; every day we try to embody that philosophy in our music and beyond.” remarks Avery.
Check out WOLVES’s single ‘Freaky’, it’s an anthem to inspire others to be brave and embrace who you are, to share your inner-most desires with the world and live life to fullest. Trippy keyboard fx and groovy drum beats with catchy vocals makes you wanna dance to it.
Make sure to come through to our Hunnypot Live At The Mint party on October 15th, WOLVES will be performing live!
Vitarahian's Rejoice! Nigerian Fem-cee and LGBT/Feminist icon Princess Vitarah releases a new single/video "One Two Three Four". The track is another notch in Vitarah's Bop Gun-belt. #HunnypotApproved
Saturday's Slayer show may go down as one of the finest metal performances at Fiddler's Green since it opened it's doors back in June of 1988. For the 18,000+ in attendance that evening, it was a show for the ages that transcended time and space. It allowed fans an opportunity to rid themselves of the anxiety of every day life and focus in on the simpler things that make life worth living (if only for a few hours). Add to the mix a ridiculously talented bill (consisting of metal heavyweights Lamb of God, Anthrax, Testament, and Napalm Death), some incredible pyrotechnics, and a rabid fan base, and you have all the ingredients necessary to incinerate the Mile High City. Unfortunately for those in attendance, this would probably be the last time they would see Slayer perform in Denver, CO on the final run of their 2018 Farewell Tour. Meredith Fox, a true Slayer fanatic, summed up Saturday's show best:
"What I loved about the show last night: LOG just killed it! Randy has so much energy on stage jumping off his monitor/ramp and always sounds great! Anthrax sounded good too! The old school Anthrax is what rings true to me and them playing Evil Twin and Antisocial was awesome! On to Slayer, I thought the crowd was actually pretty tame, no mosh pit and not too many crowd surfers that I saw. But encore of Reign In Blood from 1986 is what we all wanted to hear as their last song playing in Denver. The fact that Tom Araya after the show just stood there on stage to take it all in one last time brought tears to my eyes. You can see the love of his music touching us all and he truly loves what he does. He may not really know how his music touches our lives, but one thing that all true metal heads know is that no one....... no other band will ever come close to what SLAYER represents in the Metal Genre, Reign True, Always To SLAYER!"
And with that, a final curtain call to our heroes in Slayer. Thank you ALL for twelve incredible studio albums, two Grammy's, countless world tours, and 37 years of incredible ear-splitting music. There will never be another Slayer, and you will go down in history as one the finest metal acts to ever throw up the horns. Tom Araya, Kerry King, Gary Holt, & Paul Bostaph - WE SALUTE YOU!!!
Tony Lewis has lived a charmed life. For over 30 years, he has been making his childhood dreams a reality by making incredible music that uplifts and inspires everyone around him. From early Outfield classics such as "Your Love" and "Say It Isn't So" to his latest solo release, Out of the Darkness, Tony's music is timeless and resonates with his fans in personal way that few artists ever get to experience. And after wrapping up this year's successful Retro Futura Tour (with ABC, Belinda Carlisle, Modern English, Limahl of Kajagoogoo, and Anabella of Bow Wow Wow), Tony is excited about the possibilities that await him as the next phase of his amazing career unfolds before his eyes. As an artist, he is re-energized, reinvigorated, and back living his childhood dream. If we could all be so lucky.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy Hunnypot's exclusive interview with the multi-talented Tony Lewis.
Matthew Belter: For those who don't know Tony Lewis, he is the voice behind the 80s megaband, The Outfield. Their smash hit, “Your Love”, peaked at number six on the US charts and had well over 1,000 covers and remixes since it was released in 1985. It's considered by many to be the quintessential song of that era. Welcome to Hunnypot Tony.
Tony Lewis: Thank you, what a nice introduction.
Matthew Belter: Let’s get this train rolling - Tell our listeners how you got started in music?
Tony Lewis: Well, basically I found ... Well, someone, a friend of my sister's, her brother had a guitar, an acoustic guitar, and he went to throw it in the dust bin. And he couldn't even play the guitar, and he bought an electric guitar, he and his mates’ sort of got together and played electric guitars, and I said, "Don't throw that guitar away, can I have it?" And I took it home, and I just sort of just messed around with the strings and played to an old mono Dansette record player and played along to records. I was like 14-15 at the time, and yeah, I've been doing it ever since.
Matthew Belter: It's amazing that something as simple and meaningful as that can spark an amazing career in music.
Tony Lewis: Yeah, I suppose it's just sometimes you just discover you could do something, and you practice and practice and practice, and wanna get good at it, and it could be anything. It could be from laying bricks, or kicking a football, or playing a guitar. If you practice enough, and you're focused enough, and you're dedicated, you love what you're doing, more than often you'd probably get successful or at least make a living.
Matthew Belter: What was it like performing on stage for the very first time?
Tony Lewis: On stage for the very first time, I must've been in a school band with Alan the drummer, who was the drummer from The Outfield and who is the Baseball Boys as well, and two other guys, and yeah, I was like 15. And it was nerve-cracking, but you never forget that feeling, that excitement, when you're on stage in front of people, it never leaves you.
Matthew Belter: Who are some of your early influences that help shape the singer and songwriter you are today?
Tony Lewis: I think it goes right back to The Beatles, The Kings, The Stones, The Who, just like I mean growing up and listening to 60s, 70s, the Glam rock stuff, T. Rex, Slade, Bowie, right up to some of the megabands from the 80s - Journey, The Cars, Boston, ZZ Top, and Springsteen. I mean so many ... brought up in a decade where there was so many influences and so many great melodies around that you couldn't help but capture it.
Matthew Belter: Your debut solo album, Out of the Darkness, was released on 29th with Madison Records. Congratulations on what turned out to be an incredible release. I listened to it countless times and absolutely love it.
Tony Lewis: Thank you, have you got any favorites?
Matthew Belter: I thought “Hear and Now” was phenomenal. “Into the Light” really took me back to the familiar sound of The Outfield. And then the other one that I really liked was “All Alone”. I connected with that one.
Tony Lewis: Yeah, a lot of people are picking up on that song, “All Alone”.
Matthew Belter: Yeah, it's great, and for all of us who have followed you over the years, to get new music like this is amazing. And the quality of your music makes it all the better. Your talent shines, being able to play multiple instruments, producing, things like that. But today, a lot of bands from that era have released music that maybe hasn't been as good as it should have (or could have) been. And this album is just fire in my opinion, well done.
Tony Lewis: Thank you, thank you, that’s quite a compliment.
Matthew Belter: You seemed to be on an extended hiatus for a while, what inspired you to jump back into the music scene?
Tony Lewis: Well, I lost John in July of 2014. I'd sort of lost the passion for music, I didn't like listening to music, I couldn't even pick up a guitar for about year. And I went out for a beer one night with my wife, and she said, "Why don't you just get back and do what you do best? You love recording, you like singing, you need to get back out there, you need do what you do best." And I had some backing tracks already recorded. But I was struggling lyrically to make it all work. I think the first time I put together “Going Out Tonight Looking For Fight”. And she said, "Well, people are not gonna really warm to them sort of lyrics. Do you want me to give you a hand? What do you wanna write about?" And she's very good at telling a story. And the lyrics, her lyrics seemed to fit the backing tracks, I made them fit. I brought up melodies form and structured them, how I've sort of learned to structure them and produce, learning tricks of the trade from all the producers we work with.
Matthew Belter: It seems like you wrote, recorded, and produced the entire album. You also played most of the instruments, is that true?
Tony Lewis: Yeah, I did, I just wanted to see if I could do it on my own, I worked with Alan, The Outfield drummer, we're still good friends. I'm into drums myself and I programmed drums on Outfield albums, so I knew what I wanted to do with the drum kits and stuff, and I just started riffing tracks on my own, and I've always been interested in the guitar and drums as well, and I played a bit of keyboard. And I just sort of put them together quite quickly. And once the vibe was there, adding the words to them, I don't know, it just seemed to sort of come to life, each one was easy to record, and it was no rush, and it was no pressure, and it's probably the easiest album I've ever recorded.
Matthew Belter: Help our listeners understand what it's like to have this type of creative freedom versus perhaps some of the other Outfield albums you worked on.
Tony Lewis: It's just that when you got an indie label, you got less people interfering with your art, with how you want a song to sound, and how you want it to be recorded, or where you want it to be recorded. It's all about having creative control. And if you're on a major label, chances are you're probably gonna get someone else who's gonna come in and change the melody, change the words. And that's when things start getting problematic. But I was given total creative control on this album. So I would say anyone out there who's thinking about getting a record deal on an indie label, go for it, because you've got absolutely nothing to lose. Especially with social media being so huge now, you can get your music out there, you can do it without any interference, and total creative control. There's a lot of artists, even major artists, that still rely on a producer. And I'm not opposed to using a producer in the future, I mean there are some great producers out there, but I just wanted to see if I could do it on my own.
Matthew Belter: What's your favorite track on the album?
Tony Lewis: I like “Loving You”, because that song just takes me to another place. It's a beautiful song, and it's inspired our first granddaughter, 'cause we had a first grandchild a few years ago. And that's what inspired us to write, and it was the first song we wrote together.
Matthew Belter: The Retro Futura Tour (also known as the Regeneration Tour in a past life), featured some of the most amazing artists from the 80s. This year's lineup included bands such as ABC, Belinda Carlisle from The Go-Go's, Modern English, Limahl of Kajagoogoo, and Annabella of Bow Wow, and of course the incredible Mr. Tony Lewis. What's it like being part of a tour like this?
Tony Lewis: It was good fun. I shared a dressing room with Limahl, and he was quite funny, we got along. All the bands on the tour got on very, very well, there was no conflict. There was no competition, and it was the first sort of tour that I've been on for 14 years, it was the first time I played live. So I was very apprehensive whether I could hit those high notes again live. And I also wondered how I was gonna get perceived by the fans as well. So, it was all quite a learning curve. And as I got into it, after sort of the second week, I was really enjoying it. If you don't like traveling, you don't like the tour bus, and you don't like the whole part of touring, you're wasting your time being there, because the whole part of it is just magical, it's like a circus.
Matthew Belter: What was your most memorable experience from the tour that you can recall?
Tony Lewis: Wow. There were so many. There were so many. I mean The Mountain Winery gig, that was like amazing, the amphitheater. I mean the last gig we did was on Lake Michigan, it was on an Indian burial ground, there was a lot of history there. And every venue had a story with it. But I'd say in general, I mean if there was one that really stands out is the one we played in Los Angeles, and it was an old hideout of one the gangsters. Al Capone had a hideout where the theater was. And the décor and the age of the building was just like mind-blowing, absolutely mind-blowing, I've never been in a building like that before in my life.
Matthew Belter: I covered your show in Costa Mesa a few weeks ago, and I must tell you, your performance was amazing.
Tony Lewis: Thank you.
Matthew Belter: We’re you added to the bill later in the game?
Tony Lewis: Yeah, what it was, Randy, my manager said that the Retro Futura Tour wanted to speak with me because Nick Heyward for medical reasons, pulled out of the tour. He said, “Do you wanna do it?” And it was like ... it was the third slot in five acts, and I said, "Well, yeah, I'd love to." And that’s how it all came to be.
Matthew Belter: Help me understand how you transitioned from The Baseball Boys to The Outfield?
Tony Lewis: Well, originally the reason that The Baseball Boys came about was that John had put on a demo tape (we used to drop in demo tape to all record companies). And he put on the cassette tape The Baseball Boys, 'cause he'd seen a film called The Warriors, and there was a street gang called The Baseball Boys. There was no connection to the sport, we're not mad on baseball, we don't really understand it. And that's how it came about. And when we got a record deal, someone from the record company said, "You can't use a name like The Baseball Boys, 'cause it's a national sport, how about The Outfield, 'cause it's three people in the outfield part of the baseball pitch." And we said, "Okay, we'll go with that."
Matthew Belter: Wow, and it's funny because anyone who has followed The Outfield knows there’s a solid baseball theme - albums like Play Deep, Diamond Days, Extra Innings, Replay, etc.
Tony Lewis: Yeah, that was our management team trying to be clever, trying to keep the baseball theme. And we just went with it, not really knowing that the expectation of us knowing the sport was there, we don't. But I've been to about three or four baseball games. We love the occasion and the theater of it all, but we don't understand it.
Matthew Belter: As a successful and multi-faceted musician, what would be the one piece of advice you might offer up to others looking to go down a path like yours?
Tony Lewis: I would say just be determined, be focused, keep practicing, believe in yourself, enjoy what you're doing, and let it come from the heart, what you're doing. Because if you're doing something that you feel that you should be doing, well, then ... or if you're trying to do it just to make money, chances are you're gonna be disappointed, because it takes a lot dedication, and a lot of practicing and sacrifice as well. And a lot of us musicians, if we have been totally honest, are pretty self-centered and selfish, it's all about me, that's why I fight with my wife all the time. And you just have to be one-eyed and just keep going for it, just keep following your dream.
Matthew Belter: Looking back in the rear-view mirror, is there anything that you might do differently based upon the experiences you had throughout your musical career?
Tony Lewis: I haven't regretted anything to be honest, I have had a lot of great times. I always think about ... I mean that first show at Chastain Park in Atlanta, getting up on that stage, and I'm just used to sharing the stage with John over 40 years, that was kind of hard. That was quite bitter sweet for me. I wish he was still here. But coming around this time around, I don't know. The older I’m getting, the more I’m enjoying it. And I've got no regrets, and I understand what you mean, 'cause I was able to sort of really soak it all up and then really digest it all and really enjoy. And I've had my wife with me for the first time for the whole tour, and it was great, I didn't wanna come home to be honest with you. I was really getting into the tour, I really had the tour bug.
Matthew Belter: Next up we have a few rapid-fire questions for you, ready?
Tony Lewis: Okay.
Matthew Belter: Futbol: Arsenal or West Ham United?
Tony Lewis: West Ham.
Matthew Belter: Legendary Vocalists: David Bowie or Freddie Mercury?
Tony Lewis: How could you choose between those two?
Matthew Belter: You got to choose one.
Tony Lewis: I'd say Bowie.
Matthew Belter: Outfield Songs: “Your Love” or “Since You've Been Gone”?
Tony Lewis: “Your Love”.
Matthew Belter: Bassists: John Entwistle or Chris Squire?
Tony Lewis: Oh, wow. John Entwistle.
Matthew Belter: Major American Cities: Los Angeles or New York City?
Tony Lewis: I'm gonna be in trouble for saying it, but New York City.
Matthew Belter: Influential Bands: The Beatles or T. Rex?
Tony Lewis: Oh, no, T. Rex is my favorite band, I'd like to say Beatles.
Matthew Belter: Well… That’s all the time we have today. On behalf of Hunnypot Radio and all our listeners, I wanted to thank you for taking time today to join us in Hot Tub. As always, you have a standing invite to join us on our bimonthly radio show at The Mint next time you are in Los Angeles.
Tony Lewis: Thank you Matthew, what a great interview. Yeah, when we're in town, I'd love to look you up.
Matthew Belter: Let’s make that happen Tony.
Tony Lewis: We'll do Matthew. Thanks again.
For more information on Tony Lewis and his latest release, "Out of the Darkness", click HERE