B00ty (Edan Freiberger & Adam Epelbaum) came into our lives in the Spring of 2016 and we partied to "Loosen Up" all summer. Since then they've signed to a major label (Geffen) and are preparing an official debut release. It's time to take this banger to the masses!

Hot Tub Johnnie Approved!

The Dancing at Hunnypot Live at The Mint​! probably disrupted tectonic plates last night. Hot Tub Johnnie​ lead off with a shaker of a party set. Sean Mulligan got in the tub to talk music & media and had a most excellent playlist. Michael Tullberg​ returned with a new book of The Raver Stories Project​, Sarah Rogo​ gave everybody the damn blues, ADA sat us on the couch for some therapy pop, Lafayette Stokely​ warmed up the party crowd for Latasha Alcindor​, L.A. herself brought the truth with a beat. Off Task​ Rocked us to the dance party.  09/18/2017

FLOW KANA was our Flower sponsor,  Woo-Hoo!

SEAN MULLIGAN (ROCK STEADY MUSIC INTERVIEW/DJ SET)

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MICHAEL TULLBERG (THE RAVER STORIES PROJECT INTERVIEW)

Michael Tullberg is one of the longest-running and most respected electronic music photojournalists in North America.  Beginning in 1996, Michael comprehensively covered the rave scene across the country, and around the world as well.  His words and visually pyrotechnic pictures helped define the public face of the American rave scene during a time when the mainstream press was largely content to present the scene solely as a source of controversy. 

Through the peak years of the rave scene in the 1990s and 2000s, Michael’s images, interviews and articles appeared domestically and abroad in the pages of magazines such as Rolling Stone, SPIN, URB, BPM Culture, Mixer, Insider, Mixmag, Q, Hybrid (Japan), Lotus, Sweater, and others—more than any other electronic music photojournalist of the period.  During that era, he also shot album covers for several of the world’s major dance music DJs and artists, including icons like Carl Cox, Ferry Corsten and DJ Dan. 

Michael is also the author of DANCEFLOOR THUNDERSTORM: Land of The Free, Home Of The Rave, the groundbreaking coffee table photo book about the rise of electronic music in North America. Containing hundreds of vintage photographs, DJ interviews, rave fliers and memorabilia, DANCEFLOOR THUNDERSTORM has won praises from the likes of Mixmag, VICE, Buzzfeed, Insomniac.com, Paper, and more. Michael is presently working on THE RAVER STORIES PROJECT, a new book about the most memorable and amazing moments that people experience in the rave scene, which is due out in the summer of 2017.

Today, Michael Tullberg photographs for Getty Images, contributing entertainment pictures from the red carpet, concerts and celebrity benefits.  He is also the CEO of 5150 Publishing, a new independent book publishing house established to put out works devoted to electronic music, and pop culture in general.  And, he still shoots raves when he can find the time.

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SARAH ROGO

Sarah Rogo has long blond hair, loves to surf and play the blues on her National guitars. While she may look and sound like your prototypical Southern Californian, the 25-year-old singer, guitarist and songwriter was born in New England. She moved to the seaside beach town of Encinitas, CA, less than two years ago, and has taken the local San Diego music scene by storm.
“Everyone in my family has always known California was my home,” she says. “Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve dreamt of being a surfer.”

A nominee for Best Singer-Songwriter at the 2017 San Diego Music Awards, Rogo first picked up a guitar at 13 as a way of performing the songs she’d already written. A self-proclaimed band nerd, she played saxophone, bassoon and clarinet and conducted the school marching band.
Growing up, Sarah spent hours listening to music in the local public library, where her tastes ran from klezmer and Middle Eastern sounds to a 1991 live album recorded by Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Alone and Acoustic, which changed her life. “The whole thing is in the key of E and you just know they’re making up the words as they go along, but it totally captivated me,” she enthuses. “That’s the kind of music I wanted to play. I knew the blues had to come from the soul. That’s what made it so magical, what moved me, that authenticity, the mojo, even though I had no idea what those words meant until later. The blues just overwhelmed me.”

Rogo apprenticed and performed with local Boston musicians, guitarist Paul Rishell, who once played with Son House, and world-class harp player Annie Raines, along with acoustic country-blues guitarist Woody Mann, a former student of the legendary Reverend Gary Davis. They introduced her to artists like Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, Led Zeppelin and the bottle neck slide on the National Resonator Guitar – for which she’s since become a spokesperson -- then took her out with them on tour to Arkansas and Mississippi.
Sarah proved an apt performer, and before long, she was writing songs in the vein of those whose music she idolized, evoking such contemporary singer-songwriters as Bonnie Raitt, Rory Block, Eva Cassidy and folk rockers Dawes. “The common thread in my writing is the dance between dark and light. I’ve learned to dance with my demons in a healthy way. Life is inherently hard and the blues has taught me how to navigate hardship and guide me into balance. In a nutshell, blues is the yin and yang and I take refuge in that. It’s a meditation and a prayer… it’s a wish, a hope.”

That’s reflected in Rogo’s joyful and spunky performances on-stage, where her energy is contagious. She takes her inspiration from nature and the nearby ocean, always writing outdoors, where inspiration can strike at any moment, and usually does. “I’m fueled by nature. When I’m writing or wandering the woods or the beach I can hear the whisperings of my heart. There are melodies in nature and I scoop them up and take them home.”

An eager student of the industry, Rogo met her current manager, veteran Mike Lembo, at the Durango Songwriter Expo in Ventura, CA, where they had an immediate connection. “Sarah’s fearless and talented, and I was drawn to her personality without even hearing her play,” said Lembo. “When I heard her sing and play guitar, I recognized an old soul, someone who can not only become a successful artist, but a world-class surfer as well. Sarah has what it takes to make it, and I’m looking forward to working with her on doing just that.”

Rogo is currently writing the songs for what will be a proper debut album, working with possible collaborators and auditioning producers. She’s paid her dues and is ready to ride the wave into a promising, exciting future. “I just want to learn and have fun with new people in new places. I live to perform and collect stories” she says. “I want to dive right in and fearlessly be myself in this giant shark tank known as the music business” If anyone can surf those dangerous waters, it’s Sarah Rogo.

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ADA

Singer/Songwriter Ada was born in Moscow and immigrated to the United States at the age of six. Ada was classically trained on the Violin, winning numerous competitions and awards.
Ada was awarded the Presidential Scholarship to Berklee College of Music (a full ride),
It was there that Ada discovered her passion for Songwriting.

Ada recently released her single "Perfectly Imperfect" which is blowing up on Spotify, having had 100,000 Spotify Plays in less than a month.

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Latasha Alcindor aka L.A.

Latasha Alcindor, also informally addressed as "LA," is an independent artist based out of New York City. Her form-free art travels through a wide range of inspiration found in Experimental, World and Hip Hop music. LA’s energetic calls and performance-based sound have opened doors for her to perform at culturally prestigious events like SXSW, A3C, and Manifesto. In the beginning of 2016, she performed as the headlining act for Brooklyn Museum’s First Saturdays and had her music featured on Refinery 29’s show The Skinny.

Latasha finds resonance in speaking on political, social and cultural experiences in her music, promoting a much needed agenda for those looking to find inner peace, specifically young women of color. With all of her depth, the beauty in LA’s creative style exists due to the juxtaposition of both her thought-provoking, influential messages and her blithe, unbound sound that carries in strong vibration. Her journey is continuous, and with a nonrestrictive formula it actively speaks to those that come across her experiences.

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OFF TASK

Off Task is an energetic alt-rock band consisting of Jimmy Winick (guitarist/vocalist), Thelonious Cundieff (bassist/vocalist), and Martin Velasquez (drummer). They just released their newest single "how" which is out everywhere and will soon be a part of their 6-song EP. They are all 17 years old entering in their senior year of high school, and have been playing music together since 4th grade!

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We first became aware of Chela from the Clubfeet single "Heartbreak" back in 2012, it's an incredible song that lead to solo single releases "Romanticise", "Full Moon" and the Hunnypot party staple "Handful Of Gold" (2014).

"Bad Habit" is the brand new single, and we're thrilled to have Chela back in our lives inspiring the flyest of dance moves!

One of Princess V's most recent singles, "Masterbate" gets raunchy in this descriptive hip hop track about the one of the rapper's favorite habits. Vitarah's boldness always wins us over as a new era of womanhood is formed through fearless female empowered lyricism. This song, though criticized by some on the internet, represents the climb to a certain level of acceptance women are starting to obtain when it comes to being able to write about anything that men can write about. The hip hop genre is notorious for having male artists cover the topic of sex but socially, it seems that when females express desires, it becomes taboo. Now, we're seeing women come out of their shell as they start to get personal and overcome the male dominated genre. This video is teasingly sexy with playful twists that prove V is just a girl that wants to have fun. Princess Vitarah's brave strides have earned her a lot of notability in rap and hip hop and we're excited to keep seeing her creating viral music that bumps and sends an endearing message!

Princess Vitarah will be performing on Hunnypot Live broadcasting from The Mint LA on October 2nd where she will bring all her fire and sass for an amazing set and interview. Also performing a set that night will be the incredibly talented Michete! This is sure to be an on-the-edge night with enticing live acts. Hunnypot Live is free, all ages, and 420 friendly. Find out more about the show HERE.

Written By: Bianca Alvarez

Hunnypot puts in the work and labor so you can enjoy every show. Hot Tub Johnnie started the night with a "Gray Day" set of music to make Jeff happy. Jeff Gray got in to the hot tub as a guest and had a surreal conversation as himself to talk about himself with Hot Tub and Ryan. Thompson Springs sprung from a well of song oriented rock, Highland Kites soared above the din with passionate and poignant music, Justin Levinson kept the piano pop spirit alive, Cosmos & Creature returned to continue to expand their big bang feature music and Dylan also came back to rap and roll the crowd right before the world famous dance party.

Recap: J. Gray Photos: J. Gray & R. Taalbi  9/04/2017

JEFF GRAY (formerly known as Pesci) 

Music Supervisor/Music Copyright Specialist

A bio is a self serving list of achievements & accolades to impress those who have yet to meet you in person. If you meet Jeff Gray in person he will gladly regale you with tales and anecdotes about his important and professional work with music, music copyrights and some impressive names of more famous people he's worked with. Jeff Gray prefers to let you know that he is capable, qualified, approachable, humble & available for hire. He also is a very good guitar player.

Jeff has been a Hunnypot staple for years. Co-hosting with Hot Tub Johnnie, Jeff brings life to the show with his eclectic questions and joking personality. His experience shines on the show through his interviews and now we can't wait to have him be the interviewee. This is bound to be one colorful broadcast! 

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THOMSON SPRINGS

A collaborative side-project, Thompson Springs became an outlet for a backlog of songs Matt Smith gathered over the years. The band consists of a rotating crew who shaped his tunes into folk-rock gems whose casual valor and languid language convey an everyman’s candor that rocks gently and goes down easy. Produced by Rob Laakso of Kurt Vile and the Violators, the mini-collection of rambling self-reflection simmers in sing-along homilies and hitch-hiker’s poetry for a laid-back treatise that makes for a fine traveling companion on the winding road of life. As a taste of things to come, “Artifacts,” packs promising calm for uncertain journeys.

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HIGHLAND KITES

Highland Kites is an independent alternative folk/rock band based out of Los Angeles, formed in late 2013. It’s the brainchild of Marissa Lamar, who sings and plays keys & guitar in the band alongside drummer Neil Briggs and lead guitarist Alex Edwards. They are currently working on their 4th release, an EP titled "I'm Not Weak" which is set to release on the 29th of July.  

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JUSTIN LEVINSON

The son of singer/songwriter Bob Levinson, Justin Levinson grew up in Vergennes, VT.In high school, he was introduced to Lester Bowie and Fontella Bass, who were traveling on a grant to bring jazz to rural areas. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, accepted in part due to a letter of recommendation from Bowie.He started out studying jazz trumpet, before switching to and getting his degree in songwriting.

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DYLAN

Dylan, 21, is a lyrically driven, fun-loving Hip Hop artist from Los Angeles, which clearly influenced his West Coast sound. His style represents a  soulful old school brand of Hip Hop but with an updated flavor and presentation. Sometimes political, sometimes fun & carefree, he was initially inspired by early 90's rap all the way into current, more mainstream Hip Hop music. Excitable and confident, he creates to inspire others as well as provoke ideas.

Hunnypot recommends everyone get down to Trombone Shorty Wed. Aug. 30th at The Hollywood Bowl! St Paul & The Broken Bones + Lake Street Dive are opening so it'll be an amazing musical journey! Tickets are available here.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue’s brass-knuckle live show blends rock riffs and horn solos with the rolling groove of a New Orleans parade, while Alabama’s high-octane soul band St. Paul & The Broken Bones will blow up the stage with its homegrown mix of retro and modern blues, soul and gospel.

In the late 1970's the moon resolved to make herself known to the sun sent a golden rabbit gift to him. Years later some dude cheated at a game and found this golden rabbit in a park in England (Masquerade). Last night Hunnypot Live! held the after party for the rare meeting of moon and sun. We did not cheat any of their love. Hot Tub Johnnie kicked it high like a solstice with some party music to start. Chris Jackson hinted at his future and brought a music playlist that, of course, "eclipsed" all other eclipse music sets. Rachel Price got in the tub to talk about her new record and performed a moon rock(ing) set. MALSI MUSIC delivered cosmic rays of music revelation, My Native Tongue gave aural and audible celestial tones in rock music, Masai "cratered" to the audience with zero gravity rhymes and beats provided by Hamilton Augustine, who continued the dance party DJ set through the night.  8/21/2017

Recap and photos by J. Gray

CHRIS JACKSON

Chris has faithfully served the Film/TV Music community for over 2 decades. As the former VP of Music at NBCUniversal, Chris oversaw the music services team focusing on the E! and Esquire Networks and Wilshire Studios. Chris also worked on operational and planning aspects of music services across NBCU’s television properties, including catalog development and exploitation, international platforms, technology solutions and strategic initiatives.

Prior to NBCU, Chris was a partner in Beatscape, providing music supervision for Film, Television, Trailers and Videogames.  He also co-founded MustVote, a groundbreaking voter registration campaign coupling viral and social media marketing with the passion of music fans.

Even further back, Chris co-founded Rightspring, Inc. a pioneering marketplace for searching, licensing and digital delivery of creative assets to professional users. Chris has nearly 20 years’ experience in all facets of the music business including major and independent labels, event production and digital media.

In his spare time, Chris is working on challenging AlphaGo to the ultimate DJ battle.

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RACHEL PRICE

To singer-songwriter Rachel Price, “home” represents a number of very special things. One is her hometown of O’Neill, Nebraska – population 3,700 – to which she’ll always be deeply connected. Another is her memories of road trips with her dad, listing to rock ‘n’ roll in the car, which deepened her love for music. And then Nashville, Tennessee, where she settled almost three years ago to pursue a life in music full time.

It’s also her heartfelt new six-song EP Home, on which Price both acknowledges her enduring bond with her roots on the range, and looks ahead to shape her identity as an artist with new journeys. With her sweet voice tinged with a touch of rasp – both earthy and delicate – and a charmingly off center knack for organically feeling her way through a song with simplicity and conviction, she is smoothly cruising down that road.

Price acquired her first guitar when she was 11, and started recording pop, rock and R&B covers, posting them online. When she headed off to college, her plan was to become a veterinarian. She kept posting songs though, and her music caught the attention of two producers in Los Angeles. “We wrote songs over Skype, and then I went to L.A. and we recorded four of them in the studio,” says Price. “It was an amazing experience.”

One of those songs was “Little Nebraska Town,” Price’s ode to the communal excitement of hometown Friday night football games. A former teacher of Price’s introduced her to internationally renowned photographer and Nebraskan Bill Frakes, who was working with the Nebraska Tourism Commission on content for The Nebraska Project, an initiative and website celebrating the people, places and stories that are the essence of the state.

“A video was created for my song, which was used to spotlight the culture of football in Nebraska,” says Price. “It got more than a million views. Having so many people relate to something I wrote sparked my interest in making music for the rest of my life.”

Price took a break from school, and with the support of her parents, moved to Nashville in 2014 so that she could be in an environment surrounded by the music industry. “There is so much energy and so many people to feed off of creatively here,” she says. “It forces me to be really uncomfortable on a daily basis – in a good way. In new situations, I’m learning how to adapt. And writing music here is an everyday thing. I love it.”

In 2016, she connected with Australian-born, Nashville-based producer, composer, and musician Michael Flanders. She co-wrote four of the six songs on the new EP with Michael’s wife Chaise – a noted songwriter herself – and son Ben. The title track “Home” is wholly Price’s, and “Falling Off The Earth” is a collaboration with singer-songwriter Luke Wade.

The lead track and first single is the lilting and hopeful “Lemonade,” which she wrote with Chaise. “We wanted to write a happy summer song. I looked out the window and thought even though it’s raining outside, I’m so happy,” says Price. “On days where it’s not all sunshine, you have to make yourself happy.” The dark-edged, jazz inflected “Falling Off The Earth“ is about a situation with a guy that went wrong. “I was freshly through that when we got together to write, I was feeling really sad, devastated,” says Price. “Luke said, ‘it’s like you’re falling off the earth, and he’s watching you.’”

The EP closes with “Home,” Price’s wistfully beautiful love song to her hometown. “I was picturing how I grew up. I thought of bare feet. It was so vivid. That one thing sparked the whole song.” She wrote it solo so that no one else’s vision of their hometown would interfere – that being said, Price’s authentic evocation of longing for that special place will ring universally true to everyone who feels the same about from where they came.

Outside of music, Price continues taking courses toward her college degree. She’s switched majors and is now focused on interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis on business. She’s an avid dog sitter and walker, an avocation that both gives her the animal lover fix she needs, and serves as a reliable “day job” – that is, until she fulfills her dream of “making a living just making music.” The release of Home brings her closer to that goal. “I’ve never been more excited about anything in my life,” she says. “New songs for the whole world to hear.” 

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MALSI

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MY NATIVE TONGUE

Mitchell, Garrett, and Spencer have been playing instruments and performing live in bands since they were seven years old. These 17 year old brothers originate in Southern California, just an hour away from LA & Hollywood. They also grew up acting on various television shows, such as "Days of Our Lives" and "Big Love", The trio's latest project has one goal: to write more creative and challenging music. Inspired by many influences, such as Bombay Bicycle Club, The 1975, Mumford and Sons, Tokyo Police Club, Twenty One Pilots, As Tall As Lions, Son Lux & Foster The People, the trio has developed their own sense of musical style. My Native Tongue's sound would best be described as indie-pop with a hint of funk, heavy reverb, and synth-melodic melodies. 

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MASAI

Born And Raised in Los Angeles California Writer/Rapper/Singer, Masai is an artist that’s representing a different side of Los Angeles. Growing up in Ladera Heights and The Crenshaw District which in some eyes these are two different worlds, he learned how to bring the two together. Masai was in the choir and also constantly in the studio. This year Masai was invited to curate a playlist to be apart of Hamilton Augustine’s S3L3CTA Playlist Series. Masai works with various artists as well as his first body of work called Technical Difficulties Vol. I, expected late November 2017.

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HAMILTON AUGUSTINE (S3LECTA DJ SET)

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Hamilton Augustine has been producing and hosting events in the city since he was 17, fostering an indie scene and collaborating with other creatives to curate nightlife experiences that have helped to bring many artists to greater platforms for exposure. At a young age, Hamilton could see the opportunity for event production to provide valuable chances for businesses to market to an audience, and he has partnered with many companies and artists to help them send their messages through music and events. 

In 2012, he began working at Swing House studios which offered him experience as a DJ, co-curating, hosting and producing Swing House Radio on IHeartRadio alongside Phil Jaurigui, the studio's CEO. Since leaving radio to pursue more opportunities building platforms for indie acts and working on personal projects, he has traveled to Australia where he expanded his exchange of ideas and music internationally. After returning from his year long trip he served as an ambassador for Swisher Sweets, where he was able to endorse such acts as Blackbear, Tha Dogg Pound, and Bone Thugz N Harmony. 

This year, Hamilton has curated a mixtape series from 25+ of his favorite artists, creatives, and industry influencers, entitled S3L3CTA, to cross promote and build another new platform for indie music collectivism.

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Starcrawler's massively eclectic energy rocks Pancake Mountain in this live version of their single "Ants". Pancake mountain is a show known to encompass music, animation, and even puppets! The show was once on PBS with special guests like Katy Perry and Gerard Way. Now based on YouTube, the program's followers have remained loyal and continue to regularly view the new videos that include fascinating interviews, entertaining live action segments, and epic dance parties. Even JJ Abrams, renowned director of films such as Star Trek, has expressed his fandom for Pancake Mountain. 

This fun song illustrates a person who can’t stay still because of the sensation of having ants all over them. It’s a fun, upbeat song that definitely gets the studio audience moving. To add to the fun, those who participated wore ant hats and it looks like a giant colony of care-free dancing. The illustrations of lead singer Arrow de Wilde falling down an ant hole are the perfect seasoning to Starcrawler and Pancake Mountain’s collaboration. 

Starcrawler is a Los Angeles native band making big moves! Established only one year ago, Arrow met  guitarist Henri Cash. Soon after they added Austin Smith on drums and Tim Franco on bass and the rest is history. They released “Ants” on May 4th along with another single titled “Used To Know”. These young rock stars are now working toward becoming international having had their first overseas performances in London and at Brighton’s Great Escape Festival this past Spring.

Written By: Bianca Alvarez 

Come one, come all to this exciting album release show for Decorator! This is a music filled night with performances from The Shakers, Andy Allo, The Mosaics and Alice Underground. It's going to be on Saturday August 19th at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, CA. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Hot Tub Johnnie will be DJing and hanging out all night! Grab your tickets HERE.

“NEW YORK!” Summer trip for two please!

Here’s a video that leads to an adventure on Cosmos & Creatures’ trip to the Big Apple. With pink skies and colorful animated lyrics and doodles, we see footage of them having fun and leaving loving memories on Broadway, Madison Square, Liberty State Park, Washington Square Park… screaming #RelationshipGoals as their lives as a band and a couple.

The progressive Pop duo from Toluca Lake first connected online after Brandyn Burnette heard Molly Moore’s music. As they met up at Hollywood’s Hotel Café in fall 2014, Burnette felt “right away like Molly was the female version of himself,” and knew he had to work with her. After discovering their chemistry on multiple aspects, Burnette and Moore began their collaboration and love story. Making their debut as Cosmos & Creature, the love birds infused organic touches and through live instrumentation, refined thoughts of nothing into something meaningful.

“Our name came from thinking about how big the universe is and how small we are, and how somehow it all works together,” says Burnette. “So much of our music is about seeing yourself in the grand scheme of things, and exploring the biggest emotions but in a very close and human way.” 

Catch the last bit of summer with us and Cosmos & Creatures in the Hot Tub on Labor Day (September 4th, 2017)! Don't forget that Hunnypot Live at the Mint Party is free and all ages are welcome!