Jump Jump Dance Dance brings the seventh annual MUSEXPO showcases to a close with a dynamic set of electro rock. Though based in LA, the duo of Chris Carter and Simon Lewicki bonded over a shared love of synthesizers, Australian culture and sweaty dancefloors and is currently one of the hottest emerging acts in the world Despite the late hour–we’re once again running about a half-hour behind schedule–they’ve attracted a healthy audience for their hometown show, which has been rewarded with some most tasty licks and memorable melodies, much to the delight of the assembled masses. Their irresistible grooves and thumping rhythms have the crowd indulging in some nice booty-licious moves upon the dancefloor, which Your Humble Narrator feels inclined to join…a most memorable act to close out another incredible MUSEXPO!
Ruh Displays True Soul
Swedish band Ruh found both inspiration and a name in the dusty streetside cafes of Cairo, where founding members Fredrik Sundberg (vocals) and guitarist Jens Handel played one late night and received a response of “ruh,” from the crowd, which means “soul.” After an impressive opening number, second tune “The Wizard” (included on the artist CD in your delegate bag) proves to be a tour-de-force, an absolutely epic composition that elicits howls of approval from the audience at its end. They’re getting ready to record their third album, but first break out a tuneful selection from their first effort, “Ice,” which has definitely caught the fancy of the crowd in the overheated confines of Stage 2. This Stockholm-based quintet seems destined for bigger things!
Euphoria Audio Provides Audio Euphoria
Making an encore appearance at this year’s MUSEXPO is English act Euphoria Audio, who ripped the roof off the .house at the world-famous Whisky A-Go-Go last year. Their first tune, “Time,” immediately impressed the audience, while second number “Speechless” left this reviewer just that…a decided rarity! Third song “By My Side” is a fist-pumping, lighter-igniting rock & roll classic, while following song “Three Seconds” commences with a hypnotic guitar line and majestic synth backing working into a singalong chorus that has drawn the notice of the audience. They just completed an EP produced by Jeff Blue (Linkin Park, Hoobastank, Macy Gray) that was engineered by Grammy-nominated and multi-Juno Award winner Brandon Friesen (Nickelback, Collective Soul, Sum 41). The new tunes are getting an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd, which in turn earns praise from the stage before the quartet embarks upon “Fly Tonight,” a rockin’ anthem that has the punters rockin’. “Gravity” continues their remarkable run and draws the hest response of the night.
Dan Parsons Starts a Fire
Our next act on Stage 2 is Australia’s Dan Parsons, who has attracted such an immense audience that Your Humble Narrator is once again forced to blog from the bar area. Dan has definitely caught the attention of the crowd, who continue to wander into the packed stage…and success!, as the blogger reclaims his stage side seat. And just in time, as the nest number is an anthemic tune that shows off the talent of his backing group, which includes an acoustic guitarist, bassist, key and drums, while he himself plays an electric to open the set before switching to an exquisitely tuned acoustic for the second song. His memorable phrasing helps his songs resonate, while the solid musicianship backing him is truly remarkable. And he still has to get to his smash “Firestarter,” which Sat Bisla has been bangin’ for months on Passport Approved and is sure to bring the crowd to a frenzy. It closes out his set and proceeds to do just that!
Rubylux Rocks!
British rockers Rubylux are next up on Stage 1, with opening number “Stop the Rain” making an immediate positive impression with its rockin’ guitar and anthemic chorus. They dedicate second number “The Boy Could Fly,” an astonishing song of great depth, to Sat Bisla, who’s frequently spun it on Passport Approved. Next tune “Inside” features some awesome instrumental jams, in particular an incredible guitar solo during the breakdown at the end, while a Beatles cover–a brave band indeed!–of “Because” brought about a hushed reverence to the audience before they segued into the next song, “Reconnect the Light,” yet another rockin’ number with a fist-pumping chorus and hypnotic guitar lines which even included an honet-to-God drum solo which drew howls from the inhabitants of Stage 1. “Numbskull,” a number that somewhat recalls Bowie circa Aladdin Sane, drew further people forward, where they were entranced by the melody and vocal harmonies, plus another gargantuan guitar solo. A scintillating set from an awesome English band who should make some waves upon America’s shores.
Maggie McClure Mesmerizes
Our second act to grace Stage 2 is singer, songwriter and pianist Maggie McClure, an Oklahoma native whose opening number, ably backed by a solid guitar/bass/drums trio while she tickles the ivories, has swiftly garnered an appreciative response from audience. Second song “You Just Can’t Stop” is a new number which I’m unfortunately unable to view thanks to some oaf (and, for a change, it’s not Brandon Fuller) who’s parked himself in front of my perch at the front-right side o’ the stage. Thanks, pal. Back on topic, it’s a remarkable number of which I wish I had a better view, with McClure’s soaring vocals clearly winning over the crowd. A great set from a supremely gifted artist, with first single “Good Morning and Good Night” garnering an especially enthusiastic response from the audience, while her self-described “epic” next number certainly lived up to that billing, a magically mesmerizing missive that cemented her bond with the audience. A remarkable set from yet another artist to keep an eye on!
Churchill Reigns
Our first act on Stage 1 tonight is Denver, Colorado’s Churchill. Their distinctive acoustic indie-rock sound derives from country, folk, rock and even classical elements–a dynamic fusion of styles forming a sound which reminds listeners of everyone from Arcade Fire to Coldplay to Switchfoot, but which still firmly retains its own identity. They receive an enthusiastic intro from MUSEXPO maven Sat Bisla and have quickly attracted an appreciative crowd in front of the stage during their first song. Classically trained keyboardist Bethany Kelly provides a fine backup vocal complement to frontman Tim Bruns, while mandolin player Mike Morter supplies a unique addition to their sound, which is buoyed by a solid rhythm section. Yet another act making their first visit to Los Angeles, their second number, “Happy,” featuring lead vox courtesy of Kelly, has captivated the crowd, especially during a scintillating instrumental breakdown midway through. Bruns stepped in front of the mic for an intimate acoustic song, “The Only One,” for which Kelly donned an accordion and added her vocals to provide sweet accents to the hushed, confessional song. All in all, a remarkable set!
Moycano is Magnificent
Our first performance on the final night of MUSEXPO showcases comes courtesy of Moycano, a Portuguese singer/songwriter who always had the dream of becoming a professional singer. He moved from Lisbon to London about three and a half years ago to help realize that dream, and this performance is one of four “album release parties” around the world (Lisbon, London, NYC and LA) celebrating debut full-length Dawn. First song “C’mon Kids,” a Passport Approved favorite which Moycano plays solo-acoustic to an enthusiastic response from the audience. Introducing the second number as “A song I wrote for children,” he proceeded to play a deeply compelling tune that clearly charmed the crowd. The next song, which he described as being about adopted hometown London, further cemented his connection with the crowd. A magnificent start to our final night of MUSEXPO showcases!
Wednesday Panels, Etc.
A busy day began with our last morning networking breakfast, sponsored by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf TM, which was followed by a performance by All Mankind.
Then, to avoid the mad rush after the panel, Sat asked delegates to drop their music off at the front of the stage (a request he repeated for all the panels this morning) and it was time for Meet The Music Supervisor, presented by SESAC and featuring panelists Alicen Catron Schneider (Head, NBC/Universal TV Music – Creative/VP, Music Creative Services); Gary Calamar (President, Go Music Services); Kelly G (Senior Director, Music Programming, BET); Mamie Coleman ( VP of Music & Production, Fox) and Scott Igoe (Music Talent Booker and Segment Producer, “Jimmy Kimmel Live”). Moderator Nic Harcourt (President SamLuna Media, Inc./Host, “Guitar Center Sessions” [DirecTV] & Music Supervisor In Residence, MTV) started off by asking each of the panelists how they started, what they’ve done, what they are working on at the moment and what they have coming up, and followed up by asking about the specific methods they use to perform their respective duties.
Our second panel of four this morning was Music In Gaming, presented by Music Week, moderated by the lovely and talented Max Tolkoff (Media Consultant, XPDP) and featuring some of the finest folks in the music/gaming field, including Alex Hackford (A&R, SCEA/Sony Playstation); Cybele Pettus (Senior Music Supervisor, EA Games); Kyle Hopkins (Head of Music Supervision, xBox/Microsoft Media Acquisitions, USA) and Tim Riley -(VP Music Affairs, Activision/Blizzard). Following Max’s entertaining opening monologue and the prerequisite introductory remarks from each panelist (as Max put it, “Give us your job title, then tell us what you really do…how do you spend your day?”), other topics discussed included methodology in choosing music and the upward (and downward) trends in the gaming industry. For instance, although the number of music genre games (RockBand, etc.) has diminished considerably, thanks to the growing popularity of online gaming, companies are releasing more games than ever before, and every single game utilizes music of some sort, whether it be individual songs or complete scores.
Next up, following a performance by Daniel Rata, was Motion Picture Music: The Soundtracks Behind The Film, presented by BMI, moderated by Ritch Esra and featuring panelists Carter Armstrong (Senior Vice President Music, Warner Bros. Pictures); Chris Douridas (Film Music Supervisor, Radio Host / Program Director KCRW-FM, Santa Monica/Eclectic24); Richard Glasser (Executive in Charge of Music Film/TV, The Weinstein Company) and Tracy McKnight (Head of Film Music, Lionsgate Pictures). Topics included (as always) the shrinking of budgets and the metamorphosis of music placement in motion pictures, with labels releasing fewer soundtracks and not relying upon them as profit centers, and the many different ways in which music is chosen for individual projects. The panel ended with a quick “Jukebox Jury” session which found each of the panelists sharing their valuable opinions about a number of tracks by unsigned artists submitted to MUSEXPO through SonicBids
Last but not least of this year’s MUSEXPO panels was Music & Brands: How To Maximize Music’s Impact Via Brands, presented by EA Games/Artwerk Music Group, moderated by Stephen J. Knill (President, Music & Entertainment, The Radiate Group) and featuring John Reese (Founder/President, Synergy Global Entertainment, Inc. & Freeze Artist Management); Lisa Bennett (President Entertainment 360); Oum Pradutt (Founder & Managing Director, Phase 1 Events & Ent’t Pvt. Ltd. [India]); Paul Stewart (Co-Partner, Atom Factory Music Licensing) and Rick Zeiler (Director of Strategic Marketing, Sidney Frank Importing, Co., Inc.). Topics of discussion included various partnerships between brands, labels, agents, venues, managers and artists, which gave each panelist the opportunity to share personal examples from their own experiences. Also, due to the deleterious affect of diminishing record sales, the panel touched upon the growing importance of brand relations for both well-established and up-and-coming artists trying to make an impact on their audiences.
The rest of the afternoon was taken up by our MUSEXPO FILM/TV/GAMING & BRANDS MUSIC SUPERVISOR NETWORKING LUNCHEON, co-hosted by OK!Good Records, Silva Screen & Southern Crossroads and featuring performances By Hafdis Huld, Jabe Beyer & Firehorse, and then came the GLOBAL SYNCH & CONSUMER BRANDS SUMMIT, exclusive Pre-Booked Networking Round-Table Meetings with 25 leading music supervisors from film/TV, gaming, advertising & brands, and INSIDE SWEDEN – “Things You Need To Know About The Swedish Market,” presented by Jens Lundberg – Managing Director, Blue Lemon Management (Sweden).
See you next year!
Wednesday Night Music Previews
Our final evening of showcases at MUSEXPO 2011 will start at 8pm on Stage 2 with Moycano, a Portuguese singer/songwriter who always had the dream of becoming a professional singer. Looking for an international career, he moved from Lisbon to London in September 2007. After years of honing his craft, 2011 is starting very well for the artist, who is very busy preparing the show for his international multi-city “album release party,” taking place in the cities of Lisbon, London, New York and Los Angeles. Dawn is a debut album full of stories and it is the reason behind the creation of this international initiative. Moycano still believes in his dream, now more than ever. Asked why the name Moycano, he replied, “Tribes live from the soul and from the nature. My music evolves in that way, similarly to the involvement of nature. It’s the natural process of creation which happens like the bloom of a flower, naturally!” The artist has musical influences such as George Michael, Michael Jackson, Queen and The Beatles, and also artists like Prince, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and James Brown; combining all those diverse influences, Moycano has developed a unique style of his own. His world-class backing band, “Tribe of the Vibe,” includes Kevin Harrington (drums), Terry Burrus (keys), Stew Cutler (guitar) and Emanuel “Chulo” Gatewood (bass).
Taking over Stage 1 at 8:30 is Churchill, which began with two friends, acoustic guitarist and singer/songwriter Tim Bruns and mandolin player Mike Morter, who decided to join forces and start a new band in Denver. While the two musicians came from a country-bluegrass background, the addition of the bass/drum powerhouse of Tyler Rima and Joe Richmond brought more of a rock vibe into the mix. Rounding out the lineup was keyboardist/vocalist Bethany Kelly, who comes from a classical background. The process took only a few weeks, and the chemistry was apparent, resulting in a dynamic fusion of styles into a sound that is uniquely and unmistakably Churchill. In less than two years, Churchill has turned more heads and attracted more attention than many bands that have been working the scene for years. Their distinctive acoustic indie-rock sound derives from country, folk, rock and even classical elements–a dynamic fusion of styles forming a sound which reminds listeners of everyone from Arcade Fire to Coldplay to Switchfoot, but which still firmly retains its own identity. After selling more than 1000 copies of their debut self-titled EP, landing a coveted slot on the SXSW lineup and garnering radio airplay and rave reviews from the media, Churchill is now poised to reach an even larger audience with their first full-length album Happy/Sad.
At 9pm Stage 2 will play host to singer, songwriter and pianist Maggie McClure, who has performed more than 100 shows at various universities, festivals and music venues across the nation in the last year (including her performance of the National Anthem at the first NBA playoff game in Oklahoma history, between the LA Lakers and OKC Thunder, with over 18,000 people in attendance). Originally from Norman, Oklahoma, Maggie’s sincere presentation of original songs coupled with her creative interpretations of select cover songs gives audiences of all ages an enjoyable, unique live-performance experience. Maggie’s latest project, Good Morning & Good Night, was released in September 2010 as she also launched her 2010/2011 College Tour opening for Sara Bareilles. Including all-new, original tracks, Good Morning & Good Night was produced in Nashville by Stephen Gause. Prior to the new project Maggie released a self-titled album in 2007, which was produced by Will Hunt. Shortly after the album’s release, Japanese indie label Spinning took interest and distributed the album nationwide in Japan in February 2009, attracting not only thousands of fans in Japan, but also in Germany, China, Switzerland and everywhere in between. Many of Maggie’s songs have been played on MTV’s “The Hills & The City,” as well as CBS’s hit soap opera, “The Young & The Restless.”
The phrase “Britain’s best-kept secret” gets used to describe a lot of new bands, usually wildly inaccurately, for groups which have yet to play outside their rehearsal rooms. Yet how else are Rubylux to be labeled? Here, after all, is a remarkable act which has already released its own live DVD; has a thriving official fanclub with an ever-growing number of disciples paying a £10 annual subscription; who are one of the few Western bands to have toured Vietnam; whose songs have been played on “Heroes” and “Neighbours;” and whose spontaneous “Street Gigs” earned them enough money to fund recording their debut album with James Sanger, producer of Madonna, U2 and Manic Street Preachers. Those feats may be impressive, but they’re not as impressive as Rubylux’s soaring music. Distilled perfectly into the 45 minutes of debut album Fake Control, it’s a sound that swerves passionately from the universal anthems of “The Boy Could Fly” and “Gold Rush” via the political fire of “They Sold You” and “Westminster” to the thunderous, harsh rock on “I Want You” and “Heart Made by Machines.” Now, after wowing the crowds at MUSEXPO Europe and One Movement for Music/MUSEXPO Perth last year, they cross the pond to play the original in the heart of Hollywood at 9:30 on Stage 1.
On Stage 2 at 10pm will be Australia’s Dan Parsons, whose 2010 album debut Firestarter was described as a snapshot of someone who, after spending his high school years emulating his ’70s heroes on a reel-to-reel eight-track, leaves his bedroom and begins tumbling through one blinding, visceral experience after another–from one night stands that end up something more, to brushes with the law and narrow escapes from mundane cliques. It’s the sound of someone we all know. Someone who, at least for the moment, is ready for anything but somehow comes out unscathed no matter what. Indeed, the title track from Dan’s album was in regular rotation on Triple J, Australia’s nationwide Alternative network, and was deemed the Q Song Best Pop Song of the Year for 2010, while also gaining notice as an iTunes Single of the Week. Adding to the achievements was the signing of a worldwide publishing deal with the famed Mushroom Music and festival appearances at Valley Fiesta and Woodford. The new year witnessed Dan undertaking a two-month, 50-date regional Australian tour. While now taking his cue from modern indie classics like Wilco and Death Cab For Cutie, Dan’s ongoing journey sees him glancing into the rearview mirror at the history of artists that encompassed his childhood world.
Returning after making a big impression at MUSEXPO LA 2010, Euphoria Audio is a hardworking 21st Century rock/pop band from Wakefield, UK. Formed in 2003, Matthew Shirtliff, Ben Lloyd and Ben Hughes have now been writing, rehearsing, touring and recording with each other for over half a decade and have now added Josh Hughes on drums. Considered “one of the best up-and-coming groups in the country” back home in the UK, Euphoria Audio has worked closely with producers Stuart Epps (Oasis, Robbie Williams, Jimmy Page) and Steve Levine (Culture Club, The Beach Boys), and recorded in Trondheim, Norway with Universal’s D-sign Music (Kylie Minogue, Joe Cocker). They just completed an EP produced by Jeff Blue (Linkin Park, Hoobastank, Macy Gray) that was engineered by Grammy-nominated and multi-Juno Award winner Brandon Friesen (Nickelback, Collective Soul, Sum 41). At the end of the recording sessions Euphoria Audio played two industry showcase events at Hollywood’s Swing House Studio and Sunset Boulevard’s House of Blues. The recording sessions and showcase events were conceived after Euphoria Audio’s successful appearance at the highly acclaimed MUSEXPO in Los Angeles in May 2010. Check ‘em out at 10:30 on Stage 1.
Back in the summer of 2005 vocalist Fredrik Sundberg and guitarist Jens Handel journeyed to Cairo, Egypt, seeking musical inspiration. One late night in a hotel bar some new acquaintances invited the duo onstage to perform some material. They took what they had–a half-finished song–and played. The audience was very touched and kept using the same word to describe the music: “Ruh,” which means “soul.” When the guys returned to Sweden, the came back with more than musical inspiration–they also returned with a name. The group was completed with bassist Daniel Sellberg, keyboard player Axel Belinder and drummer Magnus Frid, who each added their own personal touch to the band. The repertoire quickly grew and the quintet began playing live in Stockholm, building a fan base and attracting the attention of Kattis Blom, a booker at Live Nation, who set them up in larger venues. Their debut record, 01, somehow fell in to the hands of members of The Who, who asked Ruh to open their show in Globen, one of Sweden’s largest arenas. Afterward they retreated to a cabin in northern Sweden to create their second album, Find the Essence and Multiply, which includes happy-go-lucky ’60s pop and dramatic horn arrangements–and pretty much everything in between! See for yourself when they close out Stage 2 at 11pm.
The final performance of MUSEXPO 2011 also features a veteran act returning to the conference, LA’s own Jump Jump Dance Dance, who take Stage 1 at 11:30. It’s unusual for an up-and-coming band to have a pedigree as impressive as that of the duo of Chris Carter and Simon Lewicki, who each has amassed a wealth of experience, Chris as an in-demand DJ and vocalist and Simon as the mastermind behind the celebrated club acts Groove Terminator, Tonite Only and Chili Hifly, before uniting to create Jump Jump Dance Dance. Now the pair who bonded over a shared love of synthesizers, Australian culture and sweaty dancefloors is one of the hottest emerging acts in the world. With three singles already under their belt, a hugely impressive remixography and an album on the way, Jump Jump Dance Dance is preparing to spread their electro-rock gospel to new fans with killer live shows and a slew of turbo-charged new remixes on the way. The duo’s goal is to meld the disparate genres of rock and dance, which carried over to the recording of their debut album: they recruited heavyweight rock producer/mixers Jack Joseph Puig (Lady Gaga, U2), Dave Sardy (Wolfmother, Oasis, Ting Tings) and Mark Needham (The Killers, Bloc Party) along with Australian dance industry veteran Sameer Sengupta (a.k.a. Poxy Music) to lend his formidable experience to some final mixes.
