Session Date: August 17, 2012

Little Hurricane is:
Tone – Vocals / Guitar
CC – Drums / Vocals

As a weather pattern forms its shape and sound out of the unknown and invisible into something tangible and rare, so does the dirty blues force “little hurricane”. This storm began when CC hung up her chef knives for drumsticks and turned to Craigslist for collaborators. Tone, a songwriter and audiophile could see something different in her drumming and energy. Together they began their musical outlet crafting songs in CC’s living room that within months thousands would relate to and appreciate.

Staying true to the living room vibe, the pair sets the stage with vintage furniture (complete with built-in speakers), microphones, instruments and lamps. You can almost feel the warmth from the tubes emanating from the ratty old suitcase guitar amps. ¬ Their equipment’s expanded in the many months since—CC even started singing alongside spare bursts of mandolin and harmonica—but the San Diego duo’s bruised sound is still rooted in restless rhythms and heated hooks on their self-released debut album, Homewrecker. That goes for everything from the seamless call-and-response choruses and windswept strings of “Give Em Hell” to the curlicue chords and doomsayer drums of “Crocodile Tears.” And then there’s “Haunted Heart,” a single that’s already landed on modern rock stations and Gossip Girl telling a story of love from beyond the grave.

As for how all of this sounds onstage, you might want to ask the fans who’ve been floored by Little Hurricane’s dirty blues sets in the past year, from dust-kicking festival crowds at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits to more intimate, buzz-stirring residencies in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz. That’s when the band’s raw power truly kicks in—when you’re in their sights and they’ve got every last amp cranked alongside shabby thrift store finds and moody lights.

“By the end of our set the ‘home’ we’ve created on stage is literally wrecked,” CC and Tone explain, “with both of us dripping in sweat and looking like a hot mess. It’s more rock ‘n’ roll than the record. With all the rattling that comes from our homemade speaker cabinets, you really feel the dirtiness live. We give it all we’ve got, and we never hold anything back.”

Set List:
Haunted Heart

View Full Session: http://noisecoalition.com/2012/09/10/races/

Session Date: July 9, 2012

Races is:
Wade Ryff – Guitar/vocals
Garth Herberg – Guitar
Devon Lee – Vocals/percussion
Breanna Wood – Piano/vocals
Oliver Hild – Bass/Moog
Lucas Ventura – Drums/percussion

RACES exists as a result of artistic rebirth and personal
rediscovery, but it all starts at a point in Wade Ryff’s life where
motivation was at its most scarce. Disillusioned with music, beset
with the bitter ending of a relationship with a real life witch and
faced with the overwhelming stagnation of being a 23-year old in
the sleepy suburban outpost of Van Nuys, during that time, Ryff
wrote the pleading lyrics of “Big Broom” in the bathroom of his
parents house. He explains the song’s message as “accepting
that every ending is a new beginning, and even if we may have
no control over when things are given or taken from us, we can
always choose how to respond.”

Whether he realized it or not at the time, it would serve as a
mission statement for a handful of musicians in the area who
were also idling through their 20’s and desperate for a new
beginning. Breanna Wood, Lucas Ventura, Devon Lee and Oliver
Hild knew each other prior to RACES’ first show, played in bands
together, and oh yeah, either had dated or were currently dating
each other. Still, nothing could anticipate it all coming together
for Year Of The Witch, a life-affirming document forged from the
pain of a time when life feels most uncertain and coming out of it
renewed.

In regards to their evocative band name, Ryff explains: “I relate to
the name in the sense that it seems like there is always something
to be up against, and strong desire to overcome whatever it
is.” Ryff had been quietly working on solo material, and in 2009, a
friend asked him to open for a show he was booking. And he was
up against the daunting task of stepping out of the sidelines as a
bass player and putting his own untrained vocals to the fore. More
than any singer, Ryff found his inspiration as a lyricist in the works
of early 20th-century authors. But his musical heroes that were
well-chosen too: Leonard Cohen’s Death of a Ladies Man for its
integration of Brill Building sophistication and as a template for
RACES’ use of backup singers and keyboards; Television for

Ryff and Herberg’s ingenious, yet subtle guitar interplay which
permeates Year Of The Witch.

In a mad dash, Ryff and Herberg got in touch with some of their
old friends and bandmates and assembled a “dream team,” five
additional musicians from around the area he admired, including
Hild on bass, Herberg on guitar, Wood on keyboards, and Lee on
vocals and percussion. Ventura would play drums for the second
RACES show and they’d lose a backup vocalist who went to focus
on her solo project (Ryff empathizes), but otherwise, RACES has
remained exactly the same since that very first gig.

What sunk in was the effortlessness of it all: RACES never
had to hustle to book their own shows despite living in Van
Nuys, a twenty minute drive from Los Angeles that often feels
hours removed from it all. Above all else was a chemistry that
just couldn’t be faked or brainstormed during “band business
meetings.” They attribute their work ethic to their humble
surroundings, spending entire days honing their material in a
Chatsworth studio because, well, what else are you supposed
to do in the Valley? For the most part, RACES didn’t even
see themselves as a “serious band” until local boutique imprint
JAXART felt their demos were simply too good for a limited
release, and label interest spread rapidly. The fit with New York’s
venerated Frenchkiss Records was perfect – indeed, with RACES’
ability to derive such resonant and instantly ingratiating pop out of
the relatable emotional turmoil of your mid-20’s, it’s no wonder
the same label that houses Passion Pit, Dodos and Antlers were
such ardent supporters.

At its core, there are plenty of sad songs and waltzes – “The
Knife,” “Walk Through The Fire” and “All For You” all have
a melodic and lyrical directness befitting their origins as Ryff’s
solo work. But as Ryff admits, “I didn’t want to play music that’s
just a sappy guy on an acoustic guitar,” and RACES flesh them

out to swoon with dramatic grandeur and earthen rusticity behind
Ryff’s plaintive words. It’s a startling show of sophistication from
a band who has only been together for less than two years. The
ornate orchestration and vocal arrangements on the female-led
counterpoint “Don’t Be Cruel” in particular owe their origins to
Herberg’s background as a composer – he’s the one who brings
Ryff’s Leonard Cohen fantasies to fruition. Quoth Ryff, “he’s our
Brian Jones.”

But even with the speed at which RACES are going forward,
they haven’t gotten complacent in the slightest – they’re already
working out new material for their next album, which they
hope will integrate more of the electronic textures they’ve been
experimenting with and won’t be so much “about a girl,” as Ryff
jokes. But their goals are still modest – maybe playing the Bowery
Ballroom in New York, getting better as musicians, the sort of
things deemed worthy to a band that isn’t looking to piggyback
on any sort of hype cycle. But what do they hope for most of all?
Ryff puts it best: “I’d rather get dropped and start back at the
beginning than not have fun with these guys.” It’s a fitting mission
statement for a band for whom every show feels as exciting as that
very first one.

Set List:
Big Broom
Lies

View full session: http://noisecoalition.com/?p=1533

Session Date: July 13, 2012

Geographer is:
Mike Deni – Vocals, Guitar, Keys, Synths, Bass
Nathan Blaz – Cello, Electronics
Brian Ostreicher – Drums, Vocals

“I want to make soulful music from outer space,” singer Mike Deni of Geographer says. Backed by cellist Nathan
Blaz and drummer Brian Ostreicher, both graduates of the Berklee School of Music in Boston, the band aptly
navigates the songwriting process creating sounds and textures to support their otherworldly aspirations.

Their debut LP Innocent Ghosts captures these feelings of loss and loneliness, but also manages to bring out
a sense of hope and exuberance. The marriage of Deni’s lush falsetto, Blaz’s romantically textured cello and
Ostreicher’s pulsing rhythms exude a maturity of craft and cohesion often found in bands that have been playing
together far longer. The self-released record immediately caught the attention of local and national critics,
prompting SPIN Magazine to dub the trio “One of the Three Bands You Should Hear Now.”

In 2010, the band released the Animal Shapes EP along with a 7” single for the song Kites. The EP merges
Geographer’s aptitude for crafting beautiful, haunting melodies with a knack for ethereal, layered sounds, marking
an evolution of their distinct style. The EP garnered considerable praise, landing on several ‘Best Of’ lists including
the SF Weekly’s ‘Best Local Version of Radiohead’ nod.

Amidst the flurry of live performances, the band took a break only to hit the studio to record the collection of
songs that were to embody their next full-length album: Myth. The album proves that the band is taking their sonic
exploration to new levels. Utilizing each member’s multi-instrumental backgrounds, the record finds Geographer
creating distinctive sounds through varied instrumentation. Dynamic head-bobbers such as ‘The Myth of Youth’
and ‘Lover’s Game’ highlight the band’s ability to weave driving rock anthems with romantic nostalgia. “I wonder
if I’m here for nothing. I wonder if I’m here at all. I wonder if I’ll ever love you for who you are,” Deni laments
on Lover’s Game. Songs like ‘Kaleidoscope’ and ‘The Boulder’ showcase a darker, sexier approach to groove that
brings a more intimate element to the record.

With Myth, Geographer continues to navigate new territory, leaving us in anticipation of what will be revealed
next. With such a bold album and an electric live show that breathes even more intensity into the songs, the
journey seems to have only just begun.

Set List:
Life Of Crime
Blinders
Lover’s Game

I can’t get enough of The Neighbourhood’s “I’m Sorry” EP. Check out the stand out track “Sweater Weather”. The band is currently working on their new record. Hopefully it lives up to this gem of an EP.

This is an oldie but goodie. This dutch trio is comprised of three awesome producers – Full Crate, Grand Jackson & FS Green. Take a listen and smooth out your day.

I’m convinced that the Swedish singer-songwriter Jonna Lee could be very well hailed as the mother of chillwave. I may be late to the party but after watching all of her beautiful videos on youtube, I’m hooked. iamamiwhoami’s track “Play” gives the listener a sense of weightlessness. Her latest effort “Kin”, which features a music video for each song, is available now on Co-Operative Music. Grab it now on iTunes and stream on Spotify.

Honorable mention: Idle Talk