Thats right you heard it, after a 14 year absence the New Kids On The Block are back. Their new album ” The Block” hit stores this week. Already off to a good start with their big hit “Summertime”. With so much success in the past I’m sure it won’t take these long to get back on the top. The band includes all the original members Jordan Knight, Johnathon Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood. “Yahoo News”

(Click Play to listen to “Sulfur” By Twin Souls of Sulfur)

http://sertopbands.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/sulfur.mp3

Sending ambient sound waves out of Columbus, Ohio, Twin Souls of Sulfur really will take your imagination for a trip. We’ve featured some unique bands on this blog, but when you listen to this music you may find your self saying either WTF? or maybe where has this been my whole life? Twin Souls of Sulfur consists of Allison DeWitt and Forest Christenson, a duo that really kicks some major butt. Allison Does the singing and plays Kazoo, while Forest produces the tracks, plays the violin, mandolin, drums, and synthesizers.

To find out more about them visit them on MySpace.

Adam already told you all about Good Luck Varsity. Now I’m here to get up close and personal with them. Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out Good Luck Varsity!

First off i just want to say thanks for doing the interview and best of luck with everything in the future.

Thank you for asking us! I think your website is a really awesome idea!

How’d you all meet?

The origin of Good Luck Varsity is a really long and twisting story but I’ll try to keep it short. Essentially my brother Evan and I both played in a band called The Rising Tide. When all was said and done at the end of TRT we we’re actually pretty relieved to be done with it because it had strayed so far from what we really wanted to be doing. At first we recorded a couple demos in our basement and put them online and then we eventually recorded our EP Head High Heavy Hearted. We used the EP to get potential band mates interested in joining us and put an application up online. Richie and Tim we’re already our good friends and they we’re an easy choice.
Drew and Dan both responded to our search online and after hearing both of them play we canceled all of our other auditions because we knew that this was going to be our line up

Jordan, those are some rad YouTube videos! Anything out there that people MUST see if they haven’t yet?

Haha thank you! I guess besides music editing and directing videos has always been something I’ve loved to do.
Everybody should definitely check out “No, Frankenstein” I did the editing on that video and actually won an award for it

7 Members, wow, thats pretty amazing. What’s your writing process like?

Well we actually only play with 6 members live. Our good friend Jeriah is filling in on Guitar and vocals while Tim is away taking care of some things.

We’ve just recently started to write new music for a new EP that we’re planning to record and release sometime this year. Generally somebody brings the shell of a song to practice and we all work together to fill it out.We just recorded our first real song as a full band on Sunday and we’ll be posting it sometime soon

Tell us a little bit about the meaning behind the song “The Show Must Go On.” We really like the upbeat sound and keyboard effects in it.

“The Show Must Go On” was kind of our way of laying The Rising Tide to rest. Evan and I we’re a little disappointed with the way that everything went down at the end of TRT and the song addresses some of those issues. The song is definitely different than everything else we’ve written and it was the first song/demo we ever released. It’s strange in that it’s extremely upbeat and happy sounding but the only really happy part is the last verse which basically says that despite the fact that one door had closed in our faces God was there to open another one with even better things in store. I guess that’s why the song is called “The Show Must Go On”. I don’t write the lyrics for the band but in my mind I see “The Show Must Go On” as a precursor to “Plan B” which has a similar message to that last verse that I mentioned.

What does everyone do when you guys aren’t jammin out?

Well you already know that I do videos sometimes, and I also like to go to the movies every chance I get. Evan spends a lot of time playing and coaching soccer, Richie is really into Airsoft and recently Xbox 360, Dan loves playing his guitar and Legend of Zelda games, Drew seems to really enjoy selling computers at Best Buy and reading the Chronicles of Narnia out loud and doing different voices for each character, Jeriah is really into watching reruns of One Tree Hill, and Tim loves creating new sandwiches out of strange ingredients.

As a band, what would be your dream show? (any venue, any line up, ect)

Oh man that’s tough. I’m sure every one of the guys would say something different but I think we’re all really looking forward to being on Cornerstone Festival this Summer.
I think that we are the only unsigned band on the actual festival which is really amazing

A shout out to any fans?

We have really awesome fans, we love all of the kids that come out to support us in our home town and at the Wayne shows which are always a huge success. We love playing free shows for our fans and I think that they really appreciate that. We try really hard to have at least one or two free shows every couple months as our way of saying thank you to all of our fans. We love all of you and without you we’d have really really boring weekends.

Are you currently in a band? Maybe you happen to know of a really good band? Wanna help get your band the attention it deserves? Nows the time, we love music and love to promote it. So if you got a great band, or got a new hit song and want to spread the word, or just want to try and reach out to more potential fans, we can help you. SerTop is always looking for new kick ass talent we love getting up to date info on the hottest bands around. Keep in mind we don’t just work on a local level we look for talent scattered around the globe so you will get recognized by fans hundreds of thousands of miles away. So if you think you can handle being in the spotlight drop us a line and contact SerTop.

The Black Kites are four piece band that hails from the west. They are currently shooting a music video for the song “Paper Heart,” which is off the Paper Heart EP. Recently I had a chance to ask them a few questions about music and the development of their upcoming album, which is scheduled to be released this fall.

How did you find your love for music?

Marcel: Well, I guess I didn’t actually start taking music seriously enough to play until I was 15 and decided with a couple of high school friends to start a band. We were inspired by the Velvet Underground, Flipper, My Dog Popper, and Jimi Hendrix. We were The Zelnick Experience. I got stuck with the drums because I was the only one who couldn’t play anything – and I never looked back. Sometimes I think I’m still the one who can’t play anything, but I can do that a whole lot better than I could in high school.

Alan: I started playing guitar with my brother, Chris, when we were both in elementary school.  By the time we got to high school we had our own Allman Brothers clone band.

Nicki: I started playing guitar at 13, playing along to the Lemonheads and practicing my moves in my bedroom. 

Your music is very soothing and easy to listen to, it’s what I would call driving music with a kick, has it always been this way? What are the twist and turns your sound has taken along the way?

Alan: The sound has definitely taken some turns. In the beginning, it was just Nicki and I on bass and guitar respectively, backed by a couple 70s drum machines we’d drag around. When Evelyn came in, adding not just her voice and vocal approach, but keys as well, the sound developed immensely and really started to get more dynamic. Adding Marcel’s driving hits became the last piece of the puzzle. It’s very much a group sound, and not just one person.

Marcel: For me, I feel the dynamics have slightly changed since I joined the band – which was just over a year ago. I think I tend to add a bit more of that kick – especially in a live situation. But yeah – we often get lumped in with this whole “shoegaze” genre, but I like the idea that we don’t really gaze at our shoes, we kinda just hit that gas pedal with them.

Evelyn and Alan, your voices sound absolutely amazing together, truly a vocal combo made in heaven. Who writes the lyrics, one or both of you?

Alan: It’s a combination of us both. I’ll often write the lyrics and then bring them in to the rehearsal space and let Evelyn sing what I’ve got. Then we start tinkering with them to shape them to how she sings it, or feels it. Often times she has some lines or images that get incorporated early on. Either way, the music is usually finished first, and then the lyrics are written.

About a week ago I heard that you’re going to be shooting a music video, which song will it be for? What will be the video’s main focal point?

Alan: The video is for Paper Heart.  The main focal point would be Evelyn meets “Wings Of Desire.”

Marcel: Yeah. It’s like our first un-official “single”. We’re definitely excited to do this, and it’s definitely interesting trying to match up a visual world with the sonic world we have in our heads. I think the main focal point is open for interpretation – everyone will manage to take different things from the video, the song – but I feel as well as touching on loss, heartbreak, and finally saying goodbye – there is an underlying feeling of movement, change, and growth. Becoming who you truly are and rising above who others see you as – but again – that’s just me.

Nicki: And, on top of all of that, we are going to try something new and dress all in black.

Marcel: Our first pre-planned attempt at band-fashion cohesiveness.

What’s your set up?

Alan: Drums, bass, couple keyboards, and a guitar.

Nicki: And, of course, red wine.

Have you been writing any new songs lately? How is that going?

Alan: Definitely been writing new songs. It’s going very well, as far as I’m concerned. We’re working on them with an ear towards recording an album later this year.

Marcel: We’re kind of in the middle of two new songs – and it goes. It’s a very different method of songwriting for me, because my last band was extremely prolific in comparison – fast riffs, fast decisions, and it was like one or two new songs every couple of weeks. Here it’s more drawn out and thoughtful. I’m not saying it’s better or worse, mind you –just different. I think I just get impatient.

Nicki: Yes, sometimes it seems to go a bit slow.

What can people expect to be different or the same about your full length album coming out this summer?

Marcel: I have a feeling, that compared to the last two EPs it will be closer to that “Driving with a Kick” sound and less of the “Soothing and Easy to Listen To” thing. I’m not saying it’ll be all noise and chaos, there will still be great attention paid to the melodies and lyrics and lush movements – but I think there will be more of a spin towards some upbeat rhythms and solid pop hooks –without losing any of the vocal beauty or ethereal moments.

Alan: The album will be along the lines of the Paper Heart EP, but even more amazing and spiritually nourishing.

Marcel: Yeah – that’s what I meant.

Is there any meaning behind the name “The Black Kites?”

Marcel: The band was already named when I stepped behind the drum kit, and I’m still not sure if I picture flying paper kites or those birds of prey kind of kites. It could be a combination of the two, like kids flying dangerous birds.

Alan: I was born in Australian, where black kites (the birds) are commonplace. I also loved the image of a sky filled with black kites (the kind with the string). And kites have an electric connotation (via Ben Franklin) that I thought was cool.

A big thank you to The Black Kites for taking time out of their busy schedule to chat with SerTop. If you want to buy one of their EPs, you can download it off itunes or contact Nicki by email for ordering information.

Upcoming Shows:

March 5th Live in Los Angeles at the Silverlake Lounge