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Posts tagged cool music
Q&A With Fundamental Elements
Jul 2nd
Ladies and Gents, Boys and Girls of all ages get ready to listen and read about one of the most talented pop groups in America: Fundamental Elements. If you haven’t heard of them yet that check them out now!
Check out the Q&A Below and don’t forget to subscribe to SerTop for the latest updates on new music.
Q: Tell us a little bit about the making of your new album. How has the music evolved or changed since your previous music?
A: All of our previous projects were self-produced and self- engineered, so right out of the box we new that working with producer Stephen Leiweke was going to push us to a new level. His creativity and musical intuition really breathed new life into these songs, taking them to a new sonic dimension. Beyond that, we really pushed ourselves with the songwriting process. We were far more delibarate with the parts, lyrics, and concepts. We really wanted to do more than just make good music on this record, we wanted to say something. So in that way, our approach was entirely different. This is also our first record as a five piece band, the addition of keys as the most obvious difference, and it has opened some new avenues for us stylistically. FE has been through a lot over the past two years individually and collectively, so this album really was an accomplishment and a statement for us on many levels.
Q: What is the song “Cryin Shame” about?
A: Cryin’ Shame is about living in the tension. We daily find ourselves struggling between the way things could/should be, and the reality of the messed up world we see around us. The song states, “It’s the cycle we’re living in; keep on trying, keep on giving in…”. On one hand, we know that things could be better, so we’re inspired to pray and love and work towards that end. On the other hand, we know that this planet is full of broken people who make mistakes every day, and we know that it will never be perfect until the end of the world as we know it. That is the cycle. That is the tension. So I’m left with the choice to either “shake my head and keep on saying it’s a cryin’ shame,” or to take action, even if I get nowhere. The song presents us with the contrast of these two opposing ideas and then begs the question, “what are we gonna do about it?”
Q: What do you all do when your not jammin? (hobbies, activities)
Things Heat Up With RedStar Redemption!
Mar 6th
For those of you who don’t know this upcoming band from Michigan, you really oughta check them out.
Below is a clip we shot of them playing “Time Tells All” live at Clutch Cargo
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=42ayIEYnB8M]
We recently had a chance to ask them a few questions about life, liberty, and the pursuit of KICKING SOME ASS!
How’d you guys come together?
Well, it was about a year ago, i (becky) went to the Clutch Cargo’s Exposure music live concert, to see my friends band play, and coincidentally Sam was the drummer, its a really long story, but me and sam had met the summer before that at a friends house, and he recognized me, so we started talking and we exchanged numbers, and surprsingly we were into the same music and we ended up starting RedStar. Then about six months later Ricky came to my school and we needed a bassit and he was like “I’ll do it!” so i was like cool. And now he’s on lead guitar, and alyssa, whose been my friend since middle school, is on bass.
Do you write all your own songs? If so what’s your inspiration?
Yes. We write all of our songs. I (becky again =]) write the lyrics. Inspiration for me with the lyrics just comes from what i know, and what i’m going through and feeling at the moment, just life i guess. It’s definitely a way to get stuff off my chest, because i’m not so good a verbalizing. =D
When it comes to writing the music, its just a lot of different things, like different styles of music we like, what sounds cool, and definitely just how much we love what we do, music is EVERYTHING! haha.
What’s the meaning behind “Time Tells All”?
“Time Tells All” is about standing up for what you belive in and being strong, and not listening to what other people tell you. It’s also about kind of, finding yourself in a sense, and people thinking they know who you are from judging the outside, but they don’t know whats inside, and even though you think you feel one way right now you could feel a different way later, but only time tells all.
I like to think that people could interpret it however they want tho, so they can relate to it and make it like their own. =] (cheesy right?)
Becky, you have a sexy british accent. Do people ever think your from london?
More >
Meet The Black Kites
Feb 23rd
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?
The Orange Marsupials!
Feb 18th
Here is a video of the Orange Marsupials performing live @ Clutch Cargos. It’s not the best quality, but at least you can get an idea of how unique and talented this band is.
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=rbDIrL-NjUM]
