Over the past year, Australia’s Gold Fields have proven themselves to be one of the most compelling new bands on the touring circuit. On Thursday, February 28th, the night following their TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel, and a new album release for Black Sun, The Troubadour in West Hollywood was sold out for a blazing set from the band.
The performance that night was solid. Lead singer Mark Robert Fuller and his bandmates blended hooky melodies and instrumental parts with their rather unique percussive style. Gold Fields’ playing was airtight as they moved in two gears. There were mid-tempo songs such as the successful single “Dark Again”, and all bets were off when Gold Field’s turned things up and keyboardist Rob Clifton joined drummer Ryan D’Sylva on percussion. Their perfect set closer was the blistering “Moves”, which was one of the most effective finales in my recent memory (the track was also the Jimmy Kimmel bonus track, check it out below). Other highlights that night included the softer, pretty “Happy Boy” and the band’s powerful cover of Underworld’s “Born Slippy” from the Trainspotting soundtrack. Somewhat surprising, given the dynamics of their music, Gold Fields have an unassuming way to their performing. With a certain confidence, the band and their fans let the music speak for itself.
Earlier in the night, I hung out with Mark and Ryan of Gold Fields backstage at The Troubadour for an in-depth chat. We talked about their music, touring, Jimmy Kimmel telling them “don’t fuck this up” just before the band went on the air, and of course their upcoming appearance at the B3SCI Presents Day Party during SXSW. You can check out that interview below.
B3SCI fam Erin Feathers recently caught up with hotly-tipped British singer-songwriter Misty Miller. Having just released her Girlfriend EP last week, Miller has made her track “Little Drummer” available as a free download (grab it below) ahead of UK tour dates this March supporting both Jake Bugg and Tom Odell (on different stints). Check out what Misty Miller had to say about musical influences both past and present, her various side projects, and a blossoming career…
B3SCI: You list your key musical influences as Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Irma Thomas, The Sonics, and The Gories. Surprise us with a couple random artists who color your musical outlook in a significant way… Misty: Depends what you mean by surprise. A band called The Fat Whites who my drummer plays in. Blondie, maybe thats a surprise? Listen to “One Way Or Another” .. or “Dreaming”. She was so cool.
B3SCI: We’ve heard you mention that your musical palette varies from listening to performance. Do you think something like rap music could ever permeate your writing and performance? Misty: Not in a really obvious way. If I saw someone do it and do it really well it would inspire me to perform with the same passion (or whatever it was about their performance that i liked).
B3SCI: Do you have a songwriting process and does your ukelele always play a role? Misty: I havn’t written a song on my ukulele for about 2 years now. When I finished that album I was already starting to write songs on the guitar and have ever since. I don’t have process as such. It depends on the song and time.
B3SCI: Is there an instrument that you hope to learn someday? Misty: I just wanna get better at guitar, really. Maybe play a few solos one day..
B3SCI: What has most influenced your musical evolution an vision as an artist? Misty: The music scene I got involved with. I left college and started playing shows and meeting people around South London. The bands and people that I met influenced me a lot.
B3SCI: Tell us something quirky about Misty Miller… Misty: Quirky eh?! I don’t like having clean hair. Or, I like to book bind.
B3SCI: What is your favorite place to jam and play music, aside from your gigs? Misty: I have started rehearsing with my band at a mate of mine’s studio in peckham. It’s a small room but we work way better in there than in some fancy rehearsal studio. Or i just like play on my own if there is a guitar lying about in someones house or something.
B3SCI: If you could live somewhere other than London where would it be? Misty: I don’t really have an answer to that as of yet. I would love to travel around America soon. Maybe after touring I’ll fall in love with a particular place.
B3SCI: What do fans need to know about Slit Lizard? Misty: It’s a band I started with my friend Olivia. I couldn’t really play the guitar and she couldn’t really play the drums but I hadnt enjoyed playing and writing music so much until Slit Lizard. Heavily inspired by our friends band, The Midnight Barbers. A few of the songs off the EP were origonally Slit Lizard songs. “You Know What I Mean” and “Little Drummer”. My label weren’t too keen on the whole thing but without Slit Lizard (and Olivia) I wouldn’t have gotten away from playing music I wasn’t actually that happy with.
B3SCI: Tell us about the Girlfriend EP and where it leading Misty Miller… Misty: I can’t tell you how good it feels to finally have this music out there and to be playing it in front people that actually want to listen now! It took a while to get my label to ‘get it’ and I’m so glad I didnt give up and decide to do something that I wasn’t really passionate about. Hopefully the next EP will sound as good and lead on to a killer album. I am not a natural in the studio yet but my band help me a lot.
B3SCI: How has your history growing up in an artistic family affected your experience as an artist? Misty: Having music around me from a young age, being in the studio and backstage as a kid. All things those sorts of things. Making music my natural habitat.
B3SCI: It sounds like you dabble a bit with inking your own tattoos. What tattoo is next on your list? Misty: Yeah i have about 6 or so now, all pretty shit, and all hand done. I have no idea what the next one will be.
B3SCI: We’re hooking you up with a ride in the B3SCI time machine. Where are you going? Misty: Stonehenge “where the demons dwell!” But if i can’t come back to now then i aint goin’ anywhere.
With only a handful of tunes released to date, and a debut LP in pipeline, UK act Dan Croll has been making a name for himself. The the young songwriter has been on the radar since his track “From Nowhere” first hit the interwebs, not to mention his receiving the Songwriter of the Year Award via the Liverpool institute of Performing Arts. This Saturday The Fold Silverlake will present a night of live music featuring Croll in the Bootleg Bar, along with support from blogosphere and Oakland rainmakers Trails and Ways, and Boston trio Carousel.
Be sure to catch this show before all three acts take SXSW 2013 by storm! B3SCI has got a pair of tickets to give away for one lucky reader. For your chance to win, email us here and say that you’d like to to be entered in the Dan Croll ticket giveaway. We’ll be picking our winning email submission at random this Saturday morning (one entry per person). Get more information on the show and purchasing tickets here.
Team B3 is very pleased to announce our debut B3SCI PRESENTS event during SXSW on Wednesday, March 13th at the iconic E. 6th St. venue Maggie Mae’s Rooftop.
Along with our friends at The Fold Presents, we invite you to come hang out, have some free drinks & fresh popcorn (yes, a popcorn stand!), grab some cool new B3SCI swag, and most importantly, catch live sets from some of the hottest emerging talent on the planet. RSVP [Now Closed] to this guest list only party, and we’d recommend you arrive early because we can’t guarantee entry once we’re at capacity. Details and more info below.
Wednesday March 13, 2013
Maggie Mae’s Rooftop
323 East 6th Street, Austin, TX 78701
Free Drinks + Popcorn Stand
Doors @ 11:45 am
Ages 21+
Budding Bristol, UK based multi-instrumental producer and composer Barny Carter continues down a road of picturesque soundscapes on his forthcoming EP, Montpellier. This sophomore release drops Tuesday, March 5th via DryCry Records. It features a recent Gilles Peterson (BBC) minted first spin with “Bouquet”, and as great as that track is, Montpellier as whole offers a momentous listen. From the serene initiation of “Clamour” to the piano chatter of “Oceans”, Montpellier boasts a complete body of work. B3SCI has your first listen-through, and if you have 20 minutes to spare, then we highly recommend that you lend your ears below.
Hip Hop was born on innovation. People hadn’t heard anything like it before and so they flocked to it. They couldn’t help but enjoy originality. Not only was Hip Hop different, lots of skill was involved. Fans respected Hip Hop artists for doing things that they couldn’t, and they were enlightened with a new, refreshing culture.
Most of these pioneers have run their course. New generations seem to rarely relate to the sweat and blood these human beings initially put into this style of music. Seldom will todays generation notice that legendary rappers were going against all odds. Today flashiness and personality make Hip Hop look easy with many artists boasting about the things that fans would love. These are the same individuals that frequently “make it” via the highly accessible Internet… and the over-saturation ensues.
In opinion, the Hip Hop industry needs to revert back to a time when every song had to be a hit, a new sound, more lyrical, more passionate, etc. What’s special about a Hip Hop artist that follows trends and only makes one type of harmony? These artists won’t be remembered beyond ten years if their albums cannot generate the need to press repeat. Yes, we’re talking the whole album from start to finish.
As a child, I believed the mainstream was my only road to great rap music. I pondered, ‘if this rapper isn’t famous, then it’s because he is not good.’ However, wisdom comes with age and today I see talented underground emcees doing things right, the way that our Hip Hop fathers did. That is, fighting against the brick walls and working hard to develop something with lasting appeal. They’re generating projects that may be overlooked at first in today’s bombardment of new media and flash based Hip Hop. But talent can only be ignored for so long.
Growing up in Philadelphia, I saw that the city’s musicians (as a whole) were commonly neglected by radio/TV. I remember people saying things like “Just a battle rapper” about my favorites. Yesterday’s Philly rapper may have been that. But, today’s hates that and has dedicated their life to proving that statement wrong. Mont Brown is clearly one of the best in the game and he’s been making music in Philly for years. He is surely debunking said stereotype, along with his go-to beat smith Pace-O Beats. Check out these examples:
The track “Hi Top Fade” screams emcees that know their roots. Mont and Pace most likely said “Let me show some love to the greats and blow out some speakers with big bass.” And, also “Let me be original enough to let listeners understand that it’s not a gimmick.”
“Fantastic” is Pop music for sure. Mont and Pace don’t want to just make street anthems. They want to go platinum. So, they created a soothing beat as a backdrop to feel good lyrics, without sacrificing the quality of the song. That’s something that is so rare these days. “Let’s have a good time, I’m on cloud 9.”
“Rent” proves Mont and Pace didn’t forget about the strippers. They can use auto-tune just as effectively as your favorite rapper and indeed make them asses clap, while doing so.
“All I Had” is Mont and Pace letting out the pain and suffering. There is meaning here. And you can’t compare the beat to anything you’ve heard before. It’s distinct, something that is lacking far too much in rap. These guys came from the bottom and still are at the bottom. What’s crazy is, as you can see, they’ve had plenty of hits before this one.
Finally, “All Tied Up” is Mont and Pace recognizing that songs for the ladies can’t always be strip club bangers or pop-tunes. You have to make some baby making tracks too. They once again showcase you can make music for the masses without watering down anything.
You don’t have to keep downloading one or two songs from everyone’s albums, when you have someone that never releases bad music. Mont Brown and Pace-O Beats did all of this independent. I’m interested to see what they do with the proper recognition.
Stay tuned for my take on more of the best underground Hip Hop for your speakers.
Dublin-based dark and atmospheric Garage producers Kevin Gleeson and Padraig Ryan dropped “WLVS EP” today on Champion Sound Recordings. Stream “The City” below for a taste of Ghosts’ superbly produced mournful, late-night rumblings. By Nathan Hetherington
Here is the first official single from Bowie’s return album, The Next Day due March 12th. The single follows up the slow-moving track “Where Are We Now”, which some loved and and some didn’t. “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” sounds more like what you’d expect from a mid-tempo Bowie song, and the title is of course appropriate for a single that dropped on the night following the Oscars. By Bruce Rave
Few live music legacies exist in today’s modern age of pop-up summer music festivals. Vans Warped Tour has kept a certain course, maintaining an annual beacon for the young hearted, punk rock and DIY music ethos generations since 1995.
Coming full circle to this year’s Warped Tour we have the announcement and addition of emerging UK based alternative/Hip-Hop artist ITCH to the festival line up. With a debut album in the pipeline for summer release and two NEW EPs, Manifesto Part 1 and Part 2 (check them out here), ITCH is becoming one to watch. In celebration of his recent addition to the festival, ITCH has compiled a personal TOP 10: GREATEST ARTISTS that have ever embarked on Warped Tour.
Needless to say, if you’re an ITCH fan… or a Warped Tour fanatic then you’ve got to be excited about this exclusive CD/Vinyl collection of ITCH’s picks that we are giving away to one lucky reader. Enter for your chance to win by dropping us a line here. Just say that you want to be entered in the ‘ITCH Warped Tour’ drawing in the subject line. Our winner will be picked at random next week so keep your eye on those inboxes. Good luck!
CD/Vinyl Prize Pack Includes:
1. Jurassic 5 – Quality Control
2. The Specials – The Specials
3. Sick Of It All – Call To Arms
4. Pietasters – Oolooloo
5. Hepcat – Push N Shove
6. G.B.H. – City Baby’s Attacked By Rats
7. Rancid – Life Won’t Wait
8. Sublime – 40 oz To Freedom
9. Immortal Technique – Revolutionary Vol. 2
10. N.E.R.D. -In Search Of
You may remember Elliot Ness from MTV’s Making The Band. He was the Philly battle rapper always getting into fights. What you probably don’t know is that he has some really good music. “Rest ya neck” is 55 bars of punch line after punch line. He reminds me of a flashier Sean Price. They both put forth complex rapping but E. Ness expresses style and the new school, while Sean typically rambles over steadily less effective, golden-era instrumentals. Notice the multisyllabic/compound rhymes Ness spits effortlessly on top of the engaging, bouncy bass and spellbinding, spooky whistle. The track is from 2008 and still resonates. It sucks Diddy didn’t hone his skills for mainstream success. By Teddy Pendergrass
If you like The Vaccines… even a little bit, then you should make a point to see them live. It’s surprising that the band haven’t gotten much US radio support, and like so many other succesful acts in the UK, their stateside ascendency hasn’t happened nearly at the same rate. The Vaccines’ recently performed for a sold-out crowd of 1,200 excited fans at the Henry Fonda Musicbox in Los Angeles on Thursday night this past Valentines Day. What the band has lacked in airplay, they clearly make up for with fans and sizzling live shows.
The Vaccines perform with power, and they play fast. They were originally labeled an indie band but they have said they’d rather be considered a rock group. That’s exactly what they acted like that night at the Henry Fonda. Freddie Cowan’s guitar playing shined that night, especially on the second encore track “Bad Mood”. Vocalist and guitar player Justin Young proved a strong, confident front man. The band’s set focused mostly on their two albums, without touching on the individual singles that were released in-between. Fan favorites “Post Breakup Sex” and “If You Wanna” from the first album closed the main set, receiving the best initial reactions. The girls especially took kindly to the band with many in rows in front singing along, and forcing the mosh pit to the back of the floor. Even those in the balcony were dancing up a storm. It seemed that even the band’s mid-tempo songs were played at a faster tempo that night, all except for the popular ballad “Wetsuit”.
Earlier in the evening, Australian collective San Cisco made a strong impression by more than holding their own as the evening’s middle support band. Their song “Awkward” was a hit in the land down under and was familiar to many in the LA crowd that night. “Rocket Ship” and a new song called “Fred Astaire” were also highlights. San Cisco is on the rise and will return to LA for in April for a headlining gig at The Troubadour. They will also be at SXSW. By Bruce Rave
Rapidly-becoming-b3sci-faves Twice As Nice ring out another gem on the duo’s electroheavy slow burner restyling of the Ghost Loft track, “Seconds”. It’s a fitting homage to LA-based Danny Choi, the visionary behind Ghost Loft who himself has remixed for rising acts, The Neighbourhood “Let It Go” & Icky Blossoms “Heat Lightning”. Ghost Loft will release his highly anticipated debut EP later this year and stay tuned for more to come from Twice As Nice.
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