To Be a Rolling Stone: A Partner for the Craziest 2 Hours

    How does it feel to be without a home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone? Taylor "Jay" Washington and Bella Porter took those deep, soulful lyrics by Bob Dylan and sang their hearts out. Having only one day to learn these difficult lyrics along with multiple other song lyrics, Jay and Bella did a great job considering the time crunch. Bella Porter's jazzy tones complimented Jay's deep, smooth notes. The chorus was the best part for the singers, because that was when the two singers truly connected and brought the crowd's energy up. When the two vocalists weren't singing the chorus, it felt like the two of them were trying to overpower the other's vocals. The band behind them did a great job of keeping the crowd interested and seemed excited to play the song. Where the band had a great stage presence and rocked out to the song, the vocalists lacked.

Taylor "Jay" Washington photo by Kimberly Hara

     Julie Hanse, Noah Jessup, and Emma DePuy had the very difficult challenge of taking the song that Rolling Stone named the no. 1 song of all time and creating a response. The songwriters took the angry and hurt parts of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," and made the response into a very political song. The writers did a great job of staying with the raw feelings that Bob Dylan always portrays. The songwriters had the piano accompany the guitar which created a soft, new approach to Bob Dylan's style. The trio took most of their inspiration from the words, rather than the actual sound of the song.  Considering the song the trio had to live up to, they did a worthy response.      

Songwriters: An insight into their Lives

GRAMMY Camp reaches all over the world and today two GRAMMY campers were interviewed about their experience so far. The Songwriting track is full of interesting and talented musicians who are ready to show everyone what they are able to do. Layne Putnam from South Dakota and Phillip Lucero from California were two campers who to sat down and talk to the Music Journalism track about their stay so far at GRAMMY Camp. Both of the teenagers are excited to be at camp and are ready for the days ahead of them.  


 Interview with Layne Putnam, Songwriting track

Q: What was your first day at GRAMMY Camp like?

A: We met everybody and I like everybody and the songwriters are really cool. There are a lot of them.

 

Q: are you looking forward to your first project?

A: Yeah, I think it will be fun. Last year it was to write a song in response to another song and I'm paired up with a really nice guy, Hayden [Cone].

Q: What is the song that you have to respond to?

A: I have to write a response to Katy Perry's Wide Awake

Q: What are you hoping to learn or gain from your time at GRAMMY Camp?

A: I am hoping to learn some better ways to market myself and to make sure I can get a job in the music industry.

Interview with Phillip Lucero, Songwriting track

Q: How did you find out about GRAMMY Camp?

A: I was at a jazz festival, in Anaheim, at the festival there was a GRAMMY Q and A session and someone gave a presentation and it seemed like something that I would be really interested in doing.

Q: What have you done so far at camp?

A: So far we have looked at a lot of different popular songs- current and not so current. We have also just kind of learned about the different components that make up a song and all the different nuances. Basically, the things that make these genres of music and these different songs hits.

Q: What is your favorite genre of music?

A: That is a hard one. I cannot just pick one, but my favorite genres are jazz, pop, blues, and classical.

Q:What do you hope to gain from GRAMMY Camp?

A: I hope to gain experience and I guess insight and different techniques to be in the business one day.

Stamps: Don't Lick Them

Stamps has hit the LA scene and is ready to show California, and the world, what they’ve got. Since the band began their musical journey last August, they’ve lost and gained some new members, but that hasn’t fazed them this charming band. Each show is full of energy and happy, upbeat songs and sentiments that are sometimes absent in modern music. On September 27, they played a show at the Roxy with Tommy and the High Pilots and Tyler Ward and the audience members were rewarded with some new songs. While performing on stage, a person in a banana suit came out to jam with a little mix of Hollaback Girl and to shower us in bananas. Not organic, as Bob Morris pointed out. So always be ready for a banana attack at their shows.

With a sound reminiscent of the 90’s and country road trip, Stamps gets stuck in your head and you won’t want to get it out. A combination of two leads, upbeat tempos, harmonies, and an album markedly free of Auto Tune, Stamps albums Stamps Ventures of a Lifetime and Stamps: Tramps are two albums that show promise in this LA band.

                          
How has it been writing new songs?

Bob: Oh, it has been amazing. From the very start, we have been in a transition period and starting off we wanted to be a 60s throwback thing and then we kind of when Ian left, he is obviously, a really, really great guitar player but it freed us up to explore the music and streamline the music into a different direction. It has been great. Now we are working with some new producers that we are really excited about. We are embracing technology and having a lot of fun with new ideas. I sort of feel like you hit plateaus and then grow out I think we are in a big period of growth right now.

How have the two new members of the band been?

Bob: They have been terrible and we are looking for replacements if you guys know of any…NO! They have been great. The core of the band is Ren and Adam and I and we have grown together and are really tight. Everyone is fusing to the core. It has been nice to find people who want to fulfill this vision and try driving in this direction we’ve found ourselves.

What is your least favorite part of touring?

Bob: In my last projects when I toured, I was young and unattached. Now, I have let down my wall and I am in love with someone and it is hard to be away from them.

photo by stamps (da band)

What has it been like going from the Hush Sound to Stamps?

Bob: Everything we are doing here is on purpose. Everything the Hush Sound did was really honest and there was beauty in the honesty. There wasn’t anything contrived. It was us writing songs together and whatever happened, happened. It was fun and there is something to be said for that. I really enjoy this (Stamps) because it is so purposeful and we all have this vision. We are really being smart about what we are trying to do now. It is a little different. The Hush Sound had a lot of fun and it was amazing and obviously you only get one life to live so I want to make this better than the Hush Sound because it is what I am doing now. In the future, I will want to make that better. Hopefully, we will start touring more often. The Hush Sound was fun and this is fun but now we have purpose and vision.

How are the audiences different in the Midwest versus the cities like LA or NY? Is there a difference?

Bob: Oh yeah! In LA or New York or even Chicago people are less likely to go nuts. It is a cultural thing. People are going out more often here (Los Angeles) and in small towns there is an excitement to this is what they have been waiting for. They cannot casually go to the Hollywood Bowl or the New York Symphony Orchestra. There is a more hungry feeling in the Midwest. There is good and bad about everything. It is fun to play any size place, for different reasons.

What is your favorite part of writing new music?

Bob: I am not a classically trained musician so it is about discovery. It is like going into an hour of my life and saying, “In this hour I am going to try to create something cool and it doesn’t have to be perfect.” I am not pining over this one song for a week. I think, “I am going to write a song today and I will show my girlfriend when she gets home tonight.” Then I think, “I am going to write a song tomorrow and tomorrow.”

My favorite part is listening back and realizing that I wrote six songs in a week and then I take one or two that really resonate and bring it to the band and ask them what they think. I enjoy seeing their reaction and hearing their criticism. I think for anyone who is trying to write music they need to be comfortable with criticism and then also know when to stand their ground because ultimately you are going to be getting constructive criticism and sometimes you need to say this is what I am trying to do and this is my thing. I think I have seen many more people who want to not take criticism. It is always important to listen and know when people have valid points--just listen.

What is your favorite thing about touring?

Ren: My favorite part of the day, I mean the best 30 minutes of the day are playing. Interacting and just seeing the fans and making new fans cause we don’t have any…

What are your influences when it comes to writing?

Ren: My influences?  Well, my all time favorite band is the Beatles. I love Gwen Stefani and Maroon 5 is one of my favorite bands. I love top 40, and I know a lot of people hate on it, but it’s pop-y and it’s catchy for a reason. I love anything classic! Pretty much anything. I even listen to opera!

Where do the rest of you hope to be in 10 years?

We hope to be a household name that forms because our fans love our music. And our fans enjoy seeing us play.

Ludo: the Band, the Myth, the Legend

Ludo is the band that defies description, but I am going to give it a try. Lead man, Andrew Volpe has described the music as Adventure Rock and music that won’t make you dumber (I plan to take my SATs after seeing a Ludo show).  My brother describes them as strange and eclectic. My mom describes them as hilarious, dramatic, and music for smart people. I describe them as nearly perfect.

I have seen Ludo perform seven times over the past four years and they have quickly become one my must-see bands.  Their music covers themes like death and mourning, love and hate, and cover time-travel, dinosaurs, Bonnie and Clyde, The Wonder Years, falling in love in a Laundromat, and girls on trampolines.

If there were one band I was stuck on an island with, it would be Ludo. Ludo can transport an audience to anywhere in the world, whether it’s in the future or past. Their songs make you want to be a cyborg fighting a robot or a pirate! They also seem to be genuine, kind people and they always take time to take an interview or simply talk to fans after every show.

Seeing them live is better than listening to their recordings. The experience of seeing them perform on stage in space Dracula Basketball costumes makes you laugh and appreciate that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Ludo appears to be enjoying the show as much as their fans. And while they entertain large groups of devoted and theme-appropriately dressed fans with their outgoing personalities and engaging stage show, they play a very tight show. They are masters of their instruments and although their tone may be fun, they are serious musicians.

The nerd chic band consists of drummer Matt Palermo with the boy-next-door good looks.  Tim Ferrell plays lead guitar and has the chops to play in any music genre yet he plays technically complicated riffs with feeling. Tim Convy the ersatz model and Moogist, keeps the crowd involved with tangoing to Rotten Town to winking to the nearest fans. Tom Cantillon, of Tommy and the High Pilot fame, plays bass on the last two tours and looks like he feels at home backing the Ludo boys. Finally, Andrew Volpe the man who will eventually take over the world, has a voice so enticing and pitch-perfect that the only way to describe it is to quote Dale from Step Brothers,” You have the voice of an angel. Your voice is like a combination of Fergie and Jesus.”

The current tour Space Dracula’s Basketball Expo kicks off the show dressed according to what theme the band assigned to each city. In Los Angeles, the theme was all three—space, Dracula, and basketball. The band kicked off the show, in costumes and doing a basketball drill. The unexpected soon becomes expected during a Ludo show.

Throughout the show, Ludo takes its audience on trips through space and time or to beer bashes behind Burger King. Each song is a new journey and a new story. Crowd favorites such as Lake Pontchartrain tells the story of a guy telling his version of how his friends disappear into the titular lake after eating some crawfish and All the Stars in Texas tell the love story of Bonnie and Clyde and they head out on a crime spree. Whipped Cream, the single off of their last album, has the crowd involved in a pelvic thrust-a-long.

Sing-a-longs are always welcomed at Ludo concerts. All five of the musicians did a very special acoustic version of their most popular song, Love Me Dead, while standing among the sitting crowd. Volpe serenaded us with Anything For You, with guest guitarist Mikey Cantillon from Tommy and the High Pilots and Tommy’s brother. Anything For You is a hyperbolic song of love in which the singer proclaims all he’ll do for his love, including giving away his leprechaun wishes, passing along secrets from deity, and chop down ancestral trees to proclaim his love.

One of the reasons that Ludo is one of my favorite bands is that they are unlike other bands. Their lyrics are clever and thought-provoking or simply funny. They also have an army of devoted fans who sing along to each and every song. The guys in Ludo also stay after the show.  Not many bands take the time Ludo does to greet and get to know their fans. Ludo is a band of the cusp of playing large, arena shows and being featured on Saturday Night Live. If you get a chance to see them while they are still playing small clubs, you should take the opportunity. If there is a band to see again and again and again, it is Ludo. 

Concert Party Fouls

We’ve all seen it. They guy wearing flip-flops to the show or the drunk girls singing the wrong lyrics too loud next to you…. you know what they are…Party Fouls.

In case you are new to shows or haven’t been in the last decade, here is a handy primer for attending.

1. Never wear the concert t-shirt (aka Merch) of the current band to the show. Party Foul.  You can be a diehard fan but you have to be a little cooler. Oh, be sure and buy it but you can’t wear the current tour stuff to the current tour.

2. You cannot wear flip-flops to a club—ever. You cannot anticipate how much Joe Partier has had to drink next to you and you never know what the bathrooms are going to be like. Closed toe, Bro. Party Foul.

3. On the drive the venue, you cannot listen to the band. I don’t make up these rules, Party Foul.

4.  Don’t get mad when people bump into you. Also, don’t grope, you freaks.

5.  Don’t rest your camera/phone on the person in front of you. Everyone wants to post some good video on Facebook, just don’t borrow your neighbor unless you came with them. It is just weird. Party foul.

6.  Feel free to sing the lyrics, even if they aren’t exactly right. If you don’t know them really well, maybe you shouldn’t scream them…. Just an idea.

7. Don’t sneak a smoke into a non-smoking or indoor venue. We all hate you for it.

8. If you feel the sudden urge to drop it like it's hot or to be a dancer like those on, "So You Think You Can Dance," don't. Someone will ignore party foul rule #4 and a fight will erupt during the concert. Then, an angry Dave Grohl will come yell at you and kick you out. 


No one wants to deal with any of these party fouls or end up covered in your dinner, so follow these for a good concert. Someone will break the rules and you get to laugh at the person wearing flip-flops and the band t-shirt. 

Andrew Allen: The Man of Many Happy Emoticons :)

     One man with a passion for music is Andrew Allen. Not only does his music make people happy, but his website and blog posts have you wishing he was your neighbor. He has toured Canada, the UK, and some of the United States. Allen has two full albums  and two single available for purchase. His songs are full of energy and they evoke dancing or tender emotions. Allen is a guitarist, pianist, and vocalist (who can play almost any instrument you can throw at him) who makes every place feel intimate, whether the Club Nokia or your living room. While he is more popular in the UK, he recently toured with the Script and that is where I first heard this animated musician. Learning more about him from his website, Andrewallenlive.com, has made me a fan and I want to invite him over for Thanksgiving or better yet, have him play at my next barbecue. 

What food do you eat on the road that you never hope to eat again? Because I'm a vegetarian, it's actually pretty challenging to find food on the road that's healthy and still falls in the vegetarian category... I think if I never had to eat those fake eggs that come in the free breakfasts at hotels... I don't even really know if they're classified as food... sponge maybe? So I hope I never have to eat sponge again.

Are the crowds different in Canada vs. the States? Maybe a little... hard to tell though 'cause the US is soooo diverse, so each state seems like a different crowd... it's hard to lump 'em all in! The states that I've been too though have been incredibly supportive and most of the time have a ton of energy:) I love that! Canadian crowds range from different province, and some have seen me grow up in a sense, so there's a neat feel to that too:)

photo credits belong to AndrewAllenlive.com

Would you still tour by staying on people’s homes and playing to small groups? I love playing to small groups, and will definitely do that when I can... it sometimes gets challenging though when the work load is so big... if you wanna play to a bunch of people, but you're playing small groups all the time, you've got to play a whole lot more and it's tough to cover that much ground... but I'm not opposed to it:) And as far as staying with people in their homes? We still do when we can... it's just few and far between since we're usually coming in super late after a show, and leaving super early the next morning... we like being good houseguests and getting to hang, so if that's not possible, we'll usually just hotel it...

What advice do you give for young musicians? Go for it! I don't know what else to say... work on your craft, get good, listen to advice and criticism (and not just from your family and friends... they love you, but sometimes they lie and tell you you're really good when it would do better if they told you to work on it) and then go for it... you gotta believe in yourself first, 'cause if you don't fully believe in yourself, why should you expect anyone else too?

When is your album set to come out? I'm not entirely sure... I'm hoping for the end of summer, but timing is key in this industry so it'll come out when the timing is perfect:)

Which of your songs are closest to your heart? I have a few faves, one is on the new record called 'Feathers and Lights'... it's a song about the coming together of two people, with the help of the entire universe to make sure it happens... I also feel super strongly about my song 'Love Life' 'cause it's lyrically all about the things I love and the journey getting to contentment:)     

Many of your songs are upbeat, happy songs. Is there any reason for that? To be honest, I don't have a lot to be upset about... and even if I was or am upset, I don't usually feel like I need to contribute to an already depressed humanity... though I know people can identify with sad songs, I just love being on stage and having a smile on... and when I sing upbeat happy songs, I can't help but smile, in hopes that maybe someone else is too:)

GRAMMY Camp Wraps With A Performance At The El Rey Theatre By Allie Spice

July 17 was a momentous day for the participants who had spent the previous nine days at GRAMMY Camp anticipating the final showcase performance at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. As the smoke drifted through the venue, the performers everyone had been waiting to see took the stage.


The 90-minute showcase started with an energetic instrumental piece that set the perfect tone for the show. Christina Jones and Alexandrea Stern performed "1,000 Ways," an upbeat pop/rock song with backup vocals courtesy of Kashish Shamsi. Kroesche's next song, "Almost Always Matters," highlighted his multiple talents as a singer/songwriter.

The showcase provided campers with the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of their peers and a live audience. The Concert Promotion/Production track participants, who were in charge of the logistics of the showcase, kept the production running smoothly and the campers performed as if they knew the show front to back. I have a newfound respect for all of these campers because they put together an entire show with very little help from anyone but each other.

           

      Each performer put their own twist on their song and had their fellow students singing along and the audience pumped. The keyboardists and pianists smiled and performed intricate parts, while the singers and guitarists rocked out front and the drummers kept the beats strong. One thing that stunned me was that the songwriters were actually singing their own songs.

There were a few select songs that stood out to me and are even still stuck in my head — "Is It A Crime" by Elise Go, "Last Night's Dress" by Lena Stein and Christina Jones, "I Love You Dear" by Vicki Pritchard and Bria Kelly, and "Bad Communication" by Layne Putnam and Ben LoPiccolo.

I would see this show over and over again. All of the performers proved to be amazing musicians, composers, engineers, and writers. Everyone came together and put on a wonderful show. Great job to all of those involved!