One Shot, Two Kills: MR Exclusive Interviews- The Devil Wears Prada and Upon A Burning Body

Written by XxCrashQueenxX

On day 1 of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, I had the chance to sit down with the vocalists of two of the most popular bands in today’s metal scene, Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada and Upon A Burning Body’s Danny Leal . I interviewed both of them and asked them everything from what it felt like to be on the same bill as metal heavy weights such as Slayer and Slipknot, to what they do on their down time when they’re not on the road. Both interviews went great, here are their responses to my questions.

The Devil Wears Prada Photo Credit to Richard Rasner of Nakayama Studios.

Interview with The Barrens, Ep 161

The Barren’s is unlike most bands you will encounter. They do not easily fit within any specific genre category. Rather, they conform to many including Psychedelic Rock, Experimental Rock, Alternative, and Rock, blending the familiar sounds of Pink Floyd, the Ramones, The Pixies, The Shins, Radiohead, and Temper Trap.

Founded in upstate New York, Debbie Chou, Colin Fitz, Chris Gersbeck, Mike Koene, and Jay Sharp relocated in New York City to pursue their music careers as The Barrens.

The Barrens has one previous EP called, Worming. Three years later in 2011, The Barrens released their latest and full length album and simply called it, The Barrens.

The LP begins with the title, “Claw Remains,” a very pseudo Pink Floyd song, then transitions into a very psychedelic, yet heavy metal track called, “Felt” which has an almost Black Sabbath sound with a thunderous guitar introduction played by Colin Fitz (Fitzgerald), Mike Koene, and Debbie Chou. When the song breaks into vocals, it’s hard not to compare Fitz’s voice to Black Francis of the Alternative Rock band, the Pixies.

In the next track called, “Bottem of the Well,” the band takes a new direction and delivers a sound that is both indie rock and perhaps surf rock-esk, that is more harmonious and less heavy metal, because the song is up beat, fast paced and appears to include the vocals from all five members of the band.

“In and of Ice” is not just a song, but also a journey as they incorporate the bass drum, tambourine throughout the song. Include the angelic voice of Debbie Chou, and you have a unique yet enjoyable song from beginning to end.

The entire The Barrens album is hard to turn away from. Without being aware, you might find yourself listening to every track again and again. Why? Simply because its unpredictable. There are a lot of hills and valleys and when you think you have them figured out, they change in another direction, making it even more enjoyable then the previous song. While The Barrens may fall outside of the mainstream formula, you will be compelled to give it a second glance or you may do what I did and find yourself listening for hours and hours, not realizing you were caught in a “barren” trance.

Listen to the full interview with The Barrens on The Great Unknowns Presents with Mikey Jayy, originally aired on KGUP 106.5FM “The Emerge Radio Networks”.

Find more of The Barrens at:
Facebook 
Bandcamp 
Follow on Twitter 
Myspace  
Reverbnation 
 iTunes 

Find more episodes like these in our section: Interviews & Shows 

Don't miss a single episode of The Great Unknowns Presents. Subscribe with iTunes and Zune

*COPYRIGHT NOTICE. All featured artists and writers retain all copyrights to their material 

SAVE THE DATE! July 29 for the Artists In Music Awards Summer Showcase II

Keep July 29th open for the 2nd edition of the Artists In Music Awards Summer Showcase   Last week, we named Mika Ben-Yami as the winner of the first Summer Showcase.  If you missed the show, read a full review of the showcase: http://www.allindiemagazine.net/2012/07/five-stages-of-moon-block-party.html This showcase is like no other as 3 artists will take the stage, but only one will move on to perform at the Artists In Music Awards ceremony on February 8, 2013 in Hollywood, CA.  For the July 29th showcase, we looked over all our submissions and decided upon 3 talented artists to take the stage for the 2nd installment of the Summer Showcase Series.  See live performances by:  The Controversy www.TheControversyBand.com The Controversy started as Singer/Songwriter, Laura Vall and multi-talented Producer and Musician, Thomas Hjorth. The two met when Laura Vall moved to Venice, CA from Barcelona, Spain to pursue her music career. After meeting with her producer of interest in Los Angeles, Thomas began working on her background music.  Originally from the Nordic country of Denmark, Thomas discovered an instant chemistry with Laura’s music and both recognized each others talents, thus began their incredible project together. By July 2011, the album was all but complete with two music videos directed and produced by Thomas for the songs, “Real” and “ Little Star”.  Saint James Band http://saintjamesband.com Saint James Band is an American Folk Rock band fused with roots influence. They’re mixture of styles that compares to the likes of Eric Clapton and Neil Clapton with a touch of Led Zeppelin.  FEU  http://feumusic.bandcamp.com Feu is Jeremy, Chris, Eddie, and Nelson. Together, the Los Angeles based band brings a sound of numerous ambient rock influences such as Keane, Mute Math, Coldplay, Explosions in The Sky, A Fine Frenzy, U2, Muse, Imogen Heap, Snow Patrol, Paper Route etc. With Jeremy Logeot on piano and vocals, Christopher Lopez on guitar, Eddie Padilla on bass, and Nelson Aguilar on drums; This band packs a powerful punch with music full of inspiration, uplifting harmonies, catchy riffs, ambiance, and great stage performance. It is no wonder why people flock to their shows and sing along to many of their songs.  When is the Artists In Music Awards Summer Showcase being held?  Sunday, June 24 (winner Mika Ben-Yami) Sunday, July 29 - 7pm - Voodoo Lounge, Hollywood, CA Sunday, August 26 - 7pm - Voodoo Lounge, Hollywood, CA Come out and discover why these 3 artists are in contension for the main stage at the awards ceremony for the Artists In Music Awards.  These fine artists will need your help in order to win. We will have 3 judges present including, Chris Kalt of Cut N' Dry Talent Radio, plus Lacy Darryl Phillps, also known as Uncle Earl of the Ultimate Underground Experience, Record Producer, Lea Reis of Infinite Music Source, and Rodney and Dawn of At A Glance Talk Radio on KCTY 107.7FM.  While there will be judges deciding who will move on, ultimately, it is up to the fans to decide who will move on, so don't sit at home and not root for your favorite artist. Come out and enjoy yourself.  This is an all ages event, so the family is welcome to attend.  Location: Voodoo Lounge (2nd floor inside House of Blues) Address: 8430 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Time: 7pm Cover: $10 (All the proceeds go towards costs associated with the 2013 Artists In Music Awards)

Moon Block Party 2

Written by Karo Chakhlasyan

The night ended with the scurry of vendors and anyone who wanted to lend a helping hand in cleaning up in what looked like the morning after a bangnin’ party this past weekend in Pomona at the music and art festival, Moon Block Party.

Phil Pirrone and his crew produced a daylong psychedelic blend of musicians and artist from a local scene where everyone’s questioning of reality doesn’t come out well in some mediums.

Withdrawls: Interview with Kyle Gattison, Episode 160

Today on The Great Unknowns Presents, we have R&B, Singer/Songwriter, Producer, and Publicist, Kyle Gattison.

If you're in Hollywood long enough, you might find the R&B singer at Red Carpet events standing next to popular recording artists and you might be wondering who this guy is. He's not recognizable now, but he will be.

Kyle is laying down the ground work for his own publicity campaign. He's out there networking and meeting key people in the industry. Like a chess match, Kyle sees 10 moves ahead of himself. Each move is all part of a strategic plan to help the pre-launch of his brand new LP. Although he is in the early stages of his music career, he is out there building relationships and making friends in high places. 

By day, Kyle works as a Publicist for a company called Nati Celebrity Services. This service provides services including media relations, marketing communications, and literary productions. This company represents a wide variety of entertainers and athletes like Warren G, Slim of 112, Brad Whitford, WC, DMX, Wingo of Jagged Edge, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, and many other major famous athletes and various celebrities. 

Kyle moved to Los Angeles earlier in 2012, but has already been working harder than most major recording artists. Together with Producer, Mike Szkmczyk, Kyle and Mike are working each night on the production of his new album well into the twilight hours.

Kyle definitely has the ambition of a seasoned major recording artist. With such dedication and drive, he does not need record label executives standing over him and cracking the whip...he does it to himself. 

Currently, Kyle only has "Withdrawls" and "Life Clock"released and can be found on his Facebook page, but except more incredible music by this talented recording artist this Fall. In our interview, we sampled a special version of "Withdrawls" that was remixed by J6.

If you missed the live broadcast on KGUP 106.5FM, listen to the podcast here or on The Great Unknowns Presents

Compare Kyle Gattison with Chris Brown, Usher, Ne-Yo, Tyrese, Romeo, and J. Holiday.

Find more of Kyle Gattison: 
Official Website (New website under construction)
"Like" on Facebook
Follow on Twitter
Szymczyk/Gattison Productions
Hire Kyle Gattison as your Publicist 

Mika Ben-Yami Wins the First Artists In Music Awards Summer Showcase

Congratulations to Mika Ben-Yami! Mika is the first of three winners during the Summer Showcase Series. She has secured her place for the main stage at the 2013 Artists In Music Awards ceremony on February 8. The next Summer Showcase will take place on July 29, 2012 at House of Blues - Voodoo Lounge. In West Hollywood, CA on Sunday, Executive Producer and Program Director of KGUP 106.5FM “The Emerge Radio Networks,” Mikey Jayy hosted the very first Artists In Music Awards Summer Showcase. With the help of the audience, a pair of judges were in attendance to score and help determine the winner of the night. At 7pm, Julian Rios III took the stage performing an amazing solo acoustic set including “Deep in Hiding”, “Love & Lies”, “Simple Physics” and he also performed his crowd favorite song, “Greetings”.   Julian is a Singer/Songwriter from Los Angeles, CA. He is also a Co-Host on the hit radio show Music & Mayhem with Taylor Van Arsdale, which airs on Indie100 and KGUP 106.5FM "The Emerge Radio Networks". The second artist to take the stage was Brooke Rose. She brought her full crew, but played with a broken down acoustic version of her band. Equipped with an upright bass, an acoustic guitar, and a cajon drum, a single symbol, and tambourine, nothing took away from her solid performance, in fact, the acoustic ensemble was a pleasant change of pace. The audience got to see the softer side of the talented young artist playing both her originals with a few covers including, “Still Breathing”, “Scars”, “Alibi”, “Decode” by Paramore, and a special encore performance of “Perfect” by Pink. Brooke is a talented 17-year-old Pop artist from Corona, CA. Her music has been aired on television shows including Degrassi, Paper Planes. She's been nominated for numerous awards including Best Pop Single at the LA Music Awards, voted Female Vocialist of the Year by Rising Star Music Awards, and she’s received several other accolades from other organizations. She is also competing for an award at the Artists In Music Awards for Best Pop Rock Artist. The final act was Mika Ben Yami. Mika also brought the full  acoustic version of her band, including a massive uprightdouble bass. Mika and company performed a series of originals like her award winning song, “Nothing is Wrong”. She also performed her uptempo fan favorite, “Flow”. Mika is a Singer/Songwriter and Folk artist from Tel Aviv, Isreal and from London, England. For her debut album Nothing is Wrong, Mika has worked with Producer, Jimmy Iovine of Interscope-Geffen-A&M records. Mika's also worked with Producer, David Foster of Verve Records, Reprise, 143, and Atlantic Records. Not to mention, Mika was a Final Nominee for Best Folk/Acoustic Artist at the 2012 Artists In Music Awards and won an award for Best Music Video from La Femme Film Festival in 2011. Two judges in attendance were Lacy Daryl also known as Uncle Earl from the hit showUltimate Underground Experience with Uncle Earl on KCLA 99.3FM and Record Producer, Lea Reis of Infinite Music Source. The judges graded all three performers based on a number of factors for lyrical composition, musical composition, vocals, stage presence, overall delivery, and last but not least, audience participation.   The score was extremely close and only two points separated the two artists with Mika Ben-Yami prevailing with 29 of 30 possible points. With the score cards nearly dead even, the audience was asked to once again cheer on their favorite performer of the evening. Separated by just a few decibels, it was clear that Mika was the winner of the night. Voodoo lounge is inside one of West Hollywood’s iconic venue and restaurants located on the Sunset Strip. Inside the House of Blues are a number of rooms and one of them being the Voodoo Lounge. The decoration inside the lounge is an interesting spectacle with a combination of Black Magic Voodoo skulls and Hawaiian Tiki. The floor of the lounge is equipped with a dining facility and bar. On the west end of the building is the stage, where the three music artists took the stage to compete for one of the elusive spots on the main stage for the 2013 Artists In Music Awards. The awards ceremony is scheduled for February 8, 2013 at Key Club, also in West Hollywood. The next showcase is July 29, 2012 at House of Blues - Voodoo Lounge in West Hollywood, CA. Performers TBA

All My Love: LIVE Interview with Ilhame Paris, Episode 159

The name Ilhame Paris alone says it all. In Arabic, the name “Ilhame” means “inspiration”.

When you are in the presence of Ilhame Paris, you’re not just drawn to her voice, or drawn to her by her incredible beauty, you are drawn by her intense spirit as a wonderful human being. Her love for life and passion for music is not only inspiring, but contagious.

Native of Paris, France and born of Moroccan blood, Ilhame’s musical diversity not only comes from her cultural background, her musical influence comes from a wide range of sources including R&B, Reggae, French Pop, and Jazz. Some of her songs are directly influenced by artists like Luther Vandross, Bill Withers, Rose Royce, and Bob Marley.

Two of Ilhame’s proudest accomplishments is doing very unique covers for the songs, “Waiting in Vain” and “I’m Still Waiting” originally created by Bob Marley. Ilhame not only honors the legend with an incredible cover of the song called “Still Waiting”, but she gives it a unique perspective by singing it in French and Arabic. That’s not all! Ilhame performs the song with Marley’s son, Ky-Mani Marley. Together, they create one of the most astonishing covers by the Reggae legend.

Ky-Mani Marley and Ilhame Paris pose to the camera

Ilhame’s debut album called, “Just Wish It” is filled with collaborations including Grammy Nominated R&B, Hip Hop, Electronica producer, Nicolay, and Shafig Husayn, who’s most notable work was a writer for Erykah Badu. Ilhame has also collaborated and recorded the songs with T3 of Slum Village and Rap artist, Big Pooh.

Having opened and toured for artists like Erykah Badu, Dwele, Van Hunt, The Roots, and Questlove, Ilhame is demonstrating she has the drive and ambition to do what it takes to become one of the greatest emerging artists of today.

Find more of Ilhame Paris:

Official Website
Facebook
MySpace
Reverbnation
Twitter

Find more episodes like these in our section: Interviews & Shows 

Don't miss a single episode of The Great Unknowns Presents. Subscribe with iTunes and Zune

*COPYRIGHT NOTICE. All featured artists and writers retain all copyrights to their material