EVENTS: Youngblood Hawke @ VENUE, May 27, 2013

Sometimes all you need is a fresh start.

Youngblood Hawke formed following the separation of Simon Katz and Sam Martin’s previous band, Iglu & Hartly. The duo used the opportunity to start anew and began writing songs to express themselves. The result of that writing venture became Youngblood Hawke, rounded out with Nik Hughes, Alice Katz, Omar Ahmed, and Tasso Smith. Their first single, “We Come Running”, was released last summer and showcases the band’s musical sensibilities and sound – a little pop, rock, indie, dance, and a dash of hip hop influence.

Following an appearance at the Sasquatch Festival, Youngblood Hawke will be playing Vancouver this upcoming Monday at Venue. For more information, check out their official website:
http://www.youngbloodhawke.com
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EVENTS: Stuart Davis @ ELECTRIC OWL, April 17, 2013

Stuart Davis is a multi-faceted individual, a touring artist, musician, comedian, and TV personality. His passion clearly lies in the art of the live performance, and he is currently touring North America in support of his latest release, Music For Mortals. Davis will be playing a show next week in Vancouver on April 17th at the Electric Owl, admission is $10. For more information, check out his official website:
http://www.stuartdavis.com
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THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, Biltmore Cabaret – February 25, 2013

The Neighbourhood has it – the strive, the sound, and the chemistry. This was evident during the show last night at the Biltmore Cabaret, as music fans packed into the venue to listen to the five-piece ‘dark pop’ band from Newbury, California. With the following that they’ve built up over the past year, this band is one to watch, and to listen to.

Their set consisted of all of the tracks from their released EP’s, I’m Sorry… and Thank You… as well as tracks from their upcoming debut album, I Love You, slated for release on April 23rd. Their chilled-out mash-up of Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” and Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” (stemming from their performance on BBC Radio 1′s Live Lounge in the UK) was a sing-along highlight.

Check back later this week for our full interview with drummer Bryan Sammis, as well as a playlist feature and a contest.

Setlist:
Let It Go
Female Robbery
Afraid
Baby Came Home
I Remember
Say My Name/Cry Me A River
What Do You Want From Me
Wires
A Little Death
Sweater Song
Leave Tonight (Encore)

NEWS: 1D World Comes to Vancouver

Saturday December 8th – 9:00am. Write it in your calendars, One Direction fans (or those shopping for some 1D fans). Vancouver is getting its very own 1D World retail store at 929 Granville Street – at the Tom Lee building, following in the footsteps of cities such as Toronto, New York City, and Sydney.

The pop-up shop will be here for a limited time only, and will be selling a variety of One Direction merchandise such as posters, calendars, t-shirts, and much more. It’s hard to ignore the global effect that the boy band has had on the world since their time on the X-Factor UK two years ago, and they are showing no signs of stopping, topping the charts with their sophomore effort Take Me Home. Their Vancouver tour stop for their upcoming Summer 2013 tour is already sold out.

The best part is that Directioners will be able to give back to the local community this Saturday – bring a non-perishable food item for donation to the Greater Vancouver Food Back at the 1D World Vancouver opening, and you will be entered to win some 1D merchandise.

Don’t forget to bring your food bank donation, and happy shopping!

CD REVIEW: Kyprios – Lapdog EP

Vancouver’s very own Kyprios has released a new five-track EP, Lapdog – the perfect way to add some sunshine to these rainy and cold winter days.

The title track sets a smooth tone to the rest of the EP, and Kyprios manages the right balance of lyrical magic and memorable beats. One of the most dynamic tracks off the release is “We Got Right”, which chronicles life in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and is a powerful statement to the local issues in that neighbourhood.

Lapdog is out now, and in support of the EP, Kyprios is currently on tour in Canada & the US. He will be playing December 27th in Vancouver at Joe’s Apartment.

12/5 Moscow, ID – John’s Alley
12/10 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
12/14 Park City, UT – StarBar
12/15 Bozeman, MT – Zebra Lounge
12/27 Vancouver, BC – Joe’s Apartment
12/28 Revelstoke, BC – River City
12/29 Nelson, BC – Spirit Bar

INTERVIEW: Jesse Labelle

Ah, the art of the sophomore record. In Jesse Labelle’s case, “Two” was the result of rewriting an entire album, and finding that it was a blessing in disguise. In the process of the rewrite, there was the realization of a concept, a challenge, and a chance to showcase a different side of his music and storytelling. The result can be heard in the dynamics of the first single off the record, ‘Heartbreak Coverup’, which heated up charts earlier this year.

We had the opportunity to chat with Jesse in Vancouver this past weekend before he opened for Jordan Knight, and divulged on the process of making “Two”, his writing inspirations, and what he has planned for the rest of the year. Stay tuned later this week for Jesse’s playlist contribution, and a contest you don’t want to miss.

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asapmusicblog.ca: You’re approaching the end of your tour with Jordan Knight. Is there anything you’ve learned on this tour that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life?

Jesse Labelle: Jordan connects with his fans really, really well. He develops a rapport with them, and that’s something I’ve been watching him do – I’m trying to learn from it. This is also the first tour that I’ve played any of the new songs off of my record, and there’s a lot of piano playing on it. I’m going to spend some more time practicing on the piano; it’s new for me to step away from the guitar for this long – I really like it and I just want to get better at it.

EVENTS: Free Outdoor Concerts in Vancouver

Summer is a great time to discover new music. Whether you are sitting at a patio or on your way to the beach, there is a good chance the radio is on. Another bonus of the sunny weather – which Vancouver is finally getting, is the outdoor shows that the season brings us. It is a great way to be introduced to local talent, and an even better way to spend an afternoon.

What: Cates Park Concert Series
Where: Cates Park
When: Saturdays from July 14th to August 25th, 4:00 to 7:00pm

What: CBC’s Musical Nooners
Where: 700 Hamilton Street (between Robson & Georgia)
When: Monday to Fridays from July 6th to August 3rd, 12:00 to 1:00pm

What: Concerts In The Square
Where: Lonsdale Quay – Shipbuilder’s Square
When: Saturdays from August 4th to 26th, 4:00 to 10:00pm

What: Concert Sundays
Where: Londsdale Quay Market
When: Sundays from July 1st to September 2nd, 1:00pm

What: Harmony Arts Festival – Garden Stage
Where: Millennium Park, West Vancouver
When: August 3rd to 12th, 8:45pm to 10:00pm

What: Summer Night Concerts
Where: The Fair at the PNE
When: Nightly from August 18th to September 3rd, 8:00pm
* Free with Fair admission – but $20 is still a sweet deal, as other fairs usually charge separately and more for concerts.

Got any events we should add to this list? Send us an e-mail to events[at]asapmusicblog.ca, or tweet us @asapmusicblog!

The Washboard Union Album Release Date

Vancouver’s very own The Washboard Union will be releasing their self-titled debut album on June 26, 2012. The 7-piece bluegrass band is a talented addition to the Canadian Country scene, and were recently featured for a few shows at Canadian Music Week early this year in Toronto. They will be touring around BC this summer in support of their debut album:

• July 1 – Kelowna
• July 20 – Grand Forks
• July 21 – Merritt
• August 24 – Squamish

For more information on The Washboard Union and/or their tour dates, head over to their official website and their Facebook page. The band is currently offering free downloads for the tracks ‘Midnight Train’ and ‘Lost and Found’, and you will be able to find them via those links above!

INTERVIEW: Nash Overstreet of Hot Chelle Rae

Whether or not you are a fan of Hot Chelle Rae, there is one thing you can’t deny – their songs are unbelievably catchy. The first single from their sophomore album Whatever, ‘Tonight Tonight’, hit double platinum, while the second single, ‘I Like It Like That’, recently hit platinum. Numbers certainly don’t lie.

The band consists of lead singer Ryan Follesé, guitarist Nash Overstreet, bassist Ian Keaggy, and drummer Jamie Follesé. The four-piece band has been paving their way up the charts since their formation in 2005, in addition to their rapidly growing fan base. Hot Chelle Rae doesn’t seem to be slowing down, as they already have a busy year lined up for them.

They are currently on their first headlining tour in support of their sophomore release, and we had the opportunity to chat with Nash Overstreet during their tour stop in Vancouver about the band’s direction, performing live, and hockey.
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asapmusicblog.ca: The first question is inspired by lead singer Ryan Follesé’s Twitter profile, since he wrote that he sings in the shower. What is your go-to song in the shower?

Nash Overstreet: If I was to shower at this moment, I would either ask all you guys to leave, or at least have to put the curtain up… but I am singing… a new T-Pain song that just came out off of his record. I think T-Pain is always fun to sing because you can fake the auto-tune thing, do a little warble thing. In a second, that would be my choice.

A: Getting more serious about things, Hot Chelle Rae’s debut album Lovesick Electric was released in 2009, and the new album, Whatever, was released last year. What would you say is the growth that you guys have had as band between those two years?

NO: I think there’s a lot of confidence, there’s a lot of comfort that we’ve gotten from really going out and touring all over the place, and kind of having bad shows and good shows. Lovesick Electric was very much us really trying to carrel ourselves into something and find a sound, and we were still searching for it and figuring out who we were as people and learning to really write songs almost.

HOT CHELLE RAE, Venue – February 17, 2012

Though their name may not register in your direct knowledge, if you’ve been exposed to Top 40 radio or music, there’s a pretty good chance you have heard a Hot Chelle Rae song. Their latest two singles, ‘Tonight, Tonight’ and ‘I Like It Like That’ off of their new album Whatever have hit double platinum and platinum, respectively. They made a stop in Vancouver last night on their “Beautiful Freaks” tour in support of Whatever.

Opening for the band was newcomer Cady Groves, who showed off her big voice, despite her short set. Alongside songs from her latest EP such as ‘This Little Girl’, Groves also did an impressive cover of Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ – which showed off her vocal abilities quite splendidly.

The last time I saw Hot Chelle Rae live, it was back in September as the opener of The Script’s show in Seattle. Between lead singer Ryan Follese, guitar player Nash Overstreet, bassist Ian Keaggy, and drummer Jamie Follese – I was impressed by the cohesiveness of the band as musicians, as well as the high levels of energy that they had onstage. Both of those aspects were present at the show last night – and Hot Chelle Rae is as consistent as consistency gets.

The band started off their set list with the title track of the tour, ‘Beautiful Freaks’. It was a relatively balanced mixed of songs from their debut and sophomore albums, and even a track called ‘Emo’ which their most dedicated of fans would know from Ryan Follese and Overstreet’s pre-HCR band, Miracle Drug. The set was rounded out by a few cover songs, and a lot of crowd interaction.

Setlist:
- Beautiful Freaks
- Tonight Tonight
- Downtown Girl
- I Like To Dance
- Keep You With Me
- Honestly
- Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson cover)
- The Only One
- Why Don’t You Love Me
- If You’re Wondering If I Want You To (Weezer cover)
- Emo
- Bleed
- I Like It Like That
- Never Have I Ever
- Radio
- Forever Unstopabble
- Whatever
- Tonight Tonight (Reprise)

By the end of the show, one thing was clear – Hot Chelle Rae knows how to put on a fun show, and the crowd soaked in every minute of it.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Nash Overstreet before the show. Keep posted for the interview, his playlist contribution, and a HCR-related contest!