Music FridayLive!

Casey McQuillen walked away from her experience of being on American Idol with new confidence and her own version of the golden rule: It’s not just about treating others the way you want to be treated, it’s also about treating yourself the way you would treat others. She doesn’t simply sing her songs; she talks about her experience with bullying, about her struggles with anxiety, her desire to fit in. At the end of each performance on her “You Matter” tour, Casey sings “Beautiful” – the first single off of her new EP - about a momen when, at 17, she looked in the mirror and wished she could change. That  belief that life would be better if only she were beautiful  occasionally haunts her today. She has produced 5 singles and three EP’s, all with her confident message that you are not alone.

Soulful and talented singer song writer Amanda Campbell hails from London’s east end where she was surrounded by music. Heavily influenced by Jazz, The Philadelphia Sound, Motown and  Amy Winehouse, she followed her dream and started singing and performing her original music. With Zetland Streets, a band she founded with guitarist, David Mason, she recorded six original songs. Starting out on the coffee house circuit in L.A. singing with a Jazz group, she quickly caught the attention of several local producers for her singing and her song writing and is currently making a name for herself fronting The Strands. With her unique style and stage presence, she presents original material with passion. Campbell is now stepping out on her own while still singing as the groove of The Strands, writing and releasing songs with thoughtful and provocative lyrics that cross lines, pull heartstrings and create a sonic environment unique in the jazz and blues world.

Northern California native Derek Davis began playing drums at the age of 11,then switched to vocals and guitar before he began his professional music career at the age of 15 in the San Francisco Bay Area. But Los Angeles called him in 1989 where he and his newly formed rock band, Babylon A.D.,  caught the attention of Clive Davis who signed the band to a recording contract with Arista Records. That led to two critically acclaimed albums, one of which, Babylon A.D, hit gold, followed by three Top 10 songs on the A.O.R Metal charts. Davis went on to collaborate with other artists like Jack Ponti (Alice Cooper and Bon Jovi), Tom Werman (Motley Crue and Cheap Trick), Taylor Rhodes (Aerosmith), Gene Black (Rod Stewart), and Michael Anthony (Van Halen).  Davis also placed songs in films and TV and recorded eight albums with Babylon A.D., one with his band American Blues Box, and one with the band Moonshine. In 2012, Davis released his first solo album Re-Volt!  to  rave reviews and a great response from fans. He has just release his new solo album Revolutionary Soul! and set live concert dates set with his new band The Revolutionary Souls and with Babylon A.D.

The Southern California hard rock band Swirl, A hard rock band with a strong message of standing up for what you believe in and for music, was formed by guitarist Duane “DT” Jones in Washington State and went on to release their debut CD Out Of Nowhere, produced by Carlos Cavazo (RATT/ Quiet Riot) and Matt Thorr (Rough Cutt, Jailhouse) and toured the United States and Japan in the early 2000’s  to moderate success.  However, Swirl’s live shows, which are high octane  and packed with fans gained them a large and devoted following, second up a national tour between 2008 and 2009. They travelled over 50,000 supporting acts like RATT, Extreme, Cinderella, Slaughter, LA Guns, Souls of We, Red Dragon Cartel, Skid Row and  headlining their own shows. Between 2011- 2012 Swirl had a musical makeover and began writing and recording new music outside of the LA area, releasing the album, SWIRL. 

You have heard and maybe seen Maggie McClure on TV or the big screen.  Her songs have energized TV shows such as Dr. Phil, Cougar Town, The Real World, The Vineyard, and The Hills, as well as in feature films like Cowgirls N’ Angels. Born in Oklahoma but now based in LA, McClure has perfected a style of smooth, confessional songwriting  that not only deepens the emotion that directors and show runners crave, but also has powered her through more than 1000 shows in over 40 states opening for Sara Bareilles, Alicia Witt, Walk Off The Earth, Tony Lucca, and others.  Her third and newest album, Time Moves On --  produced by Justin Glasco, chronicles her move from Oklahoma to LA and what it took to build a career in this vast, competitive music capital.

Juan de Marcos González is a Grammy-winning bandleader, composer, arranger, tres player, producer and entrepreneur, and maybe most importantly, the producer of the original recordings of Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club. The impact of those recordings -  Buena Vista Social Club, The Afro-Cuban All Stars´ A Toda Cuba Le Gusta and Introducing Ruben González, by a small independent label with a modest budget in Havana in 1996  helped reintroduce the classic sound of popular Cuban music to the world. In the process, it also made global stars of a group of old but brilliant musicians, some of whom had been forgotten even in Cuba.  This year Juan de Marcos is celebrating its 20th Anniversary of those recordings with a new live double album and with a  tour of the West Coast.

Jared Faber is a multi instrumentalist, multi-talented composer/music producer/singer/songwriter.  A native New Yorker, alumnus of the High School of Performing Arts and a graduate of the Berklee College of music,  Jared currently lives in Los Angeles where he produces music for top artists, film and television. He was nominated for an Emmy for his work on "Clifford's Puppy Days" and has topped the CMJ world charts with his independent release "Tranquilidad Cubana" produced under the artist name "Urban Legend" (with partner Kool Kojak).  He created the  music for  TV shows like "Being Bobby Brown",  Ice Cube's "Friday the Animated Series" and Nickelodeon's  "Kenny The Shark" ,"Nip/Tuck",  "CSI Miami", and others.  In 2013 Jared won a Latin Grammy for his work on Beto Cuevas' album "Transfomación" when the album took home best Pop/Rock Album.

Los Angeles based singer/songwriter, Lauren Ruth Ward, relocated to the West Coast from Baltimore to perform and record in the music capital of the country.  Lauren is a tireless performer, belting her savvy blend of soulful rock and roll and psychedelic disco at virtually everyvenue in Southern Californa, from the The Bootleg Theatre to the Viper Room, and partnering with organizations like SOFAR-SoundsLA, World Arts, and Play Like a Girl.  Recently enlisting producer/engineer, Grey Goon (Champagne Fever, US Royalty) for her full length LP, Lauren has also partnered with former Paperhaus guitarist, Eduardo Rivera, resulting in songs that draw from early 60s blues/psychedelia to today’s pop while still maintaining her distinctly high octane vocal style. She is back in the studio recording new material as a follow-up to her recent self-titled EP.

Gayle Skidmore  sings in the line between artistry and accessibility, between whimsy and earworms, between what is and what can fantastically be. She is a seven-time San Diego Music Award nominee who has written over 2000 songs and released 20 albums. Among her many accolades are Best Pop in the 2015 San Diego Music Awards, Best Pop Album for “Sleeping Bear” in 2014, and Best Singer-Songwriter in 2013.Classically trained on the piano from the age of 4, a songwriter from the age of 8, she tours, records and also plays over 20 other instruments.  She has opened for Jason Mraz, Lisa Loeb, Steve Martin, Sean and Sara Watkins, Sam Phillips, and recorded withThe Softlightes, Bushwalla, Jason Mraz and Tyrone Wells among others.  She is ready to release her first full length vinyl album this year and of course, it will have a coloring book. 

 The Slants call themselves “the first and only all-Asian American dance rock band in the world” because they are, and “the band that must not be named” because the US Patent office and the courts will not let them copyright their name.  Regardless of what they call themselves, The Portland-based band  blows away venues with catchy dance beats, strong hooks, and wild, over the top live shows  that combine 80’s driven synth pop with hard-hitting indie and addictive dance rhythms which fans affectionately call “Chinatown Dance Rock.”  They’ve won “Album of the Year” and “Editor’s Choice” from dozens of magazines, including LA Weekly, Shojo Beat,Village Voice, City Beat, and Rockwired.  When not playing and recording the band works to help  marginalized communities, leading discussions on race and identity, and raising awareness of social justice issues.

Jessica Perry's all female, electronic/experimental band, Vanilla Sugar brings high energy to the stage and delivers an eclectic mix of genres in  their songwriting and music in the studio and live.. Compsed of LA-based singer guitarist/keyboard artist Jessica Perry (JP) and Texas-based bassist Vanessa V, they fill the stage with intense beats and hot guitar licks. Vanilla Sugar was the brainchild of JP who wanted to form an all-female band and found Vanessa V who fit perfectly with JP’s sound. The have won The Buzz Indie/Punk Band Of The Year 2014,  the Buzz Best Live Performance 2015 and  JP was named  Best Female Keyboradist in Texas in 2015  by MTV.

Amelia Romano began her lessons on a lever harp at the age of 9 with famed Diana Stork, who inspired early compositions and  improvisation. Romano played in a variety of youth ensembles, graduated from the San Francisco School of the Arts High School, performing Laura Zaerr’s “Celtic Concerto,” and released her first solo album, “Seeking Peace,” in her senior year. After her B.A. at US Berkeley, she worked in a township music school outside Cape Town, South Africa, which  deeply shaped her musical creativity She returned to the S.F. Bay Area in 2011, took up the electric harp and helped form a dynamic trio, “StringQuake,”  and never looked back. She has been performing, recording and touring with her unique Latin flair, soulful lyrics and world rhythms for 15 years.  She formed the All That Bad Trio in Fall 2016 and will release her second full length album, “New Perspectives,” featuring the electric harp and local talent, which combines Latin rhythms, blues and nostalgic storytelling to re-imagine the role of the harp in today's musical landscape.

The Drew Southern Band is a young, soulful and energetic blues band  led by the chops-heavy  Drew Southern. Drew Southern has traveled the country seeping up the blues, sharing stages with the likes of Big Brother and the Holding Company and other iconic blues bands. Formerly with Stang, Southern now tours, promoting his singles Jellyfish, Mask of Chains and Buff, wowing crowds with out of this world guitar playing.

Manlio Celotti.  Membran Entertainment Group establishes itself as an international force, garnering multiple 2017 Grammy nominations with Jacob Collier Anderson .Paak, Joey Alexander and René Marie.Artists traditionally begin their careers in their home country and then make their way to the rest of the international music scene. Membran, an entertainment and label services company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, has reversed this pattern for some of today’s biggest names in music. Manlio Celotti joined Membran as CEO in 2011 while retaining his role as Managing Director of The Orchard Entertainment, moving the company forward rapidly, including in the USA marketplace.  With connections to SONY Music,  and other labels, he has been able to develop an impressive list of artists all the way to the Grammys.  We talk with him about the 2017 Awards, Membran's strategy and what it means for rising indie artists.

Shambhu is a guitarist, composer and consummate artist who transforms the stillness and silence of meditation into calming sounds. Through a blend of folk, Indian and jazz styles, his music eases busy minds and the overworked bodies. His music is  is music is  at once precise, skilled, sensitive and inventive beyond the norm. Shambhu has recorded and performed with Yes frontman, Jon Anderson and guitar legend Carlos Santana, as well as Whitney Houston and Clarence Clemens, among others.  His has just released his third studio album, Soothe, recorded at  Magic Cottage Studios in Lagunitas, CA with producer Todd Boston and a stellar group of artists including Michael Manring on bass, Jeff Haynes on percussion and Frank Martin on piano. The result is pure bliss.

Hamish Anderson is known as a  student of the three Kings -- Albert, BB and Freddie – which is one reason why he is a superb, award-winning blues artist blues rock guitarist/singer/songwriter. From Melbourne, Australia he has toured the world, joining bands like The Rides (Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Barry Goldberg), performing at SXSW; as well as being onstage with Los Lobos, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Wynona Judd , Blues Traveler and was the last performer to open for BB King. His new album “Trouble” is now out and the single “Trouble” is receiving spins on radio across the nation.   

 

Chris Pierce & Sunny War  were brought together by LA-basedGrammy winning  producer/songwriter Jared Faber and the rest is history. Pierce has inspired audiences worldwide  with his soulful, energetic music and honest storytelling, releasing 5 independent albums. He has headlined tours and opened for such artists as Seal, B.B. King, Al Green, Toots and the Maytals, Aaron Neville, Colbie Caillat, Beth Hart, Robert Cray, Dr. John and Jamie Cullum. Sunny War, originally from Nashville, has a guitar and vocal style somewhere between Punk and early blues. As a solo artist she has opened for Booker T, Keb’ Mo’, Madeleine Peyroux, Mindy Smith, The Levon Helm Band, & Angelique Kijo among others. The two together are now War and Pierce and blowing away radio and live audiences nationwide.