Hunnypot has been a big fan of The Dollyrots since the beginning, so we are excited about their new album coming out. They dropped a music video for their song “Night Owl”. You can see it here.
The Dollyrots are set to release their new album Night Owls on October 13. The song “Night Owl” has already been deemed The Coolest Song In The World on Sirius XM’s Underground Garage, garnering a featured spot with heavy rotation.
This is what the bassist and singer Kelly Ogden says about the music video:
“We cut the “Night Owl” video in Los Angeles. The streets of the city are the place where we spent so many reckless nights running from rock show to rock show, cutting our teeth in the music scene. We’re a different kind of Night Owl now, making music & allowing creativity to happen after we put the kids to sleep".
The Dollyrots are Kelly Ogden (bass and vocals), Luis Cabeza (guitar and vocals), and Simon Hancock as their current touring drummer.
Tour Dates:
10/11 • Milkboy • Philadelphia, PA
10/12 • Metro Gallery • Baltimore, MD
10/13 • Album Release Party at Heaven Can Wait • New York, NY
10/14 • Cafe Nine • New Haven, CT
11/1 • Jack Rabbits • Jacksonville, FL
11/2 • The Earl • Atlanta, GA
11/3 • The Cobra • Nashville, TN
11/4 • The Bark • Tallahassee, FL
11/5 • Crowbar • Tampa, FL
I have been a Sizzla fan for quite a while and was surprised I missed his latest album release, The I-Grade. The 47 year old Miguel Collins has over 60 albums to his name, so I guess when you are constantly releasing albums one or two could be missed. I came across an album review, and it was not too good, then I came across a couple more reviews that were not too positive. So I had to check it out, he did release Run Tingz in April of this year, again with not much fanfare, even though I liked it. While his message of social-political matters, his belief in the Bobo Ashanti brand of Rastafarianism, oppression of the black man mixed in with some love songs, his music style has changed over the past few years, with the release of his 2020 album Million Times, he started mixing his dancehall and reggae vibe with R&B. And with these last few albums you get more of an R&B and hip-hop vibe. So the negative reviews stem from this change, these reviewers don’t like the mixing and mingling he is doing with dancehall, reggae, R&B and hip-hop. I like it! Maybe because I was an R&B and hip-hop fan before discovering and eventually loving reggae. I think when you can constantly put out great albums (multiple albums a year) there is no other way to go but to change things up and try new things. And I think Sizzla does a great job at it. I thought Run Tingz was a good album, but I think he hit it with I-Grade. Feels more complete and flows better.
We start off with “New Year,” a nice slower groove with a good thick bass. We move to “Illusion” a more R&B beat, with him singing and then going into his signature loud raspy “yelling.” Track 3 is “Gyal Dem Nuff,” a more upbeat song with a really nice bass (sounds like an acoustic bass) and piano, a good jazz feel. The title track, “The I-Grade,” is next, this is about smoking the high grade and praising Salassie, very slow beat, laid back until Sizzla hits us with some fast lyrics that helps get the song going. Track 5 is “Clean” with a nice fast flow from Sizzla, really love the guitar in this. We flow to “Touch Di Road,” a song that really has a current hip-hop beat and flow at first from Sizzla, but then he hits us with a nice chorus line. It is a nice mix of two styles in this joint. The more I dive into this album the more I appreciate what he is doing.
“Change Your Dirty Ways” is up next, the flow from Sizzla takes me back to earlier Sizzla, but has a good bassline reminiscence of 90’s hip-hop. This may be the best track on the album, mixing an early vibe of Sizzla’s lyrics and hip-hop from the days I loved it the most. Track 8 is “Prettiest Girl,” a nice “love” song, hey girl, you’re the prettiest thing in the world. We get into a song about the system and how we need to burn it down, “Burning Burning.” Another one of my favorites for the lyrics and the grooving bass and Sizzla hits on all his lyrical styles throughout. Track 10, “From My Heart” hits us with a sax, another love song, I love the back and forth of Sizzla’s voice and the sax, works so well, a good R&B groove. We move onto “Thanks and Praises,” another song that takes me back to earlier Sizzla lyrical style, but with an R&B beat. I think this works so well, another one of my favorites. Track 12 is “Never Let You Go.” A great bassline and thumping bass in this slow chill tune, with Sizzla singing until the chorus when he comes in strong with that strong Sizzla voice! We finish off with “Now Dem Know,” a great song to finish off with. A strong hip-hop beat and sound, really nice snare drum throughout. Strong lyrics, Sizzla is letting dem know. This is not your typical Sizzla album, he is moving into the R&B and hip-hop world, but I think he makes it work well, his flow with the beats, bass and rhythms, check it out. You won’t get your typical Sizzla dancehall/reggae vibe, but you get much more to like.
One Love- Todd
#495 was epic! Music Supervisor Olivia Schlichting co-hosted, Olivia is with LA's SuperMusicVision led by Emmy/Grammy-nominated Thomas Golubic. Kicking off the night was radio chart-topper, Recording Artist and Songwriter Farrah Mechael. Next, Denmark/Sweden's Tremolo Beer Gut returned to the Hunnypot stage for the 3rd time with their instrumental garage rock/spy surf fusion right off their US West Coast tour. Closing with a bang was the bold, dynamic gender-fluid artist FIASCH, who's been dominating LA's music scene. 5 more Hunnypot Live events left before our historic 500th finale.
#WhereMusicLoversGoToPlay
Olivia Schlichting is part of the Los Angeles-based music supervision team SuperMusicVision, which has a long list of credits under Emmy and Grammy-nominated music supervisor Thomas Golubi?. Olivia has a BA degree in Narrative Media & Culture and an AS degree in Screenwriting.
Her credits include Better Call Saul, PokerFace, Mayfair Witches, Your Honor, Space Force, and more. She also serves as the Organizing Committee Liaison for the Guild of Music Supervisors, and a strong supporter of the unionization of Music Supervisors.
To find out more info on unionizing: https://linktr.ee/
Farrah Mechael is a professional recording artist who sings passionately from her heart and soul. "Music is in [her] blood; singing is programmed into [her] DNA."
Farrah Mechael’s discography credits top producers and songwriters. Her recent single "Burning" topped nationwide radio charts at #1 for independent artists and placed #21 on Top 40 radio charts among the likes of pop artist peers like Beyonce and Lady Gaga. Farrah has multiple records that have organically charted on iTunes Top 40 all over the world, including countries such as Greece and Bahrain. She has performed her music as the opening act for worldwide artists, such as Ariana Grande, Marshmello, and Shawn Mendes, at national tours and events like iHeartRadio’s Wango Tango. She was BudLight sponsored in 2019 for a Chris Brown & Tory Lanez opening show. She embarked on a successful 16-city US tour for her EP "Farrah Please." Her powerhouse voice is the highlight of her performances, which draw in and solidify consistent, dedicated fans.
In LA, she has performed at venues such as Banc of California Stadium, The Roxy, The Ivy, LA Fashion Week, Vicky's (now closed due to Covid), and more. Additionally, Farrah has performed at Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit, the Gramcery Theater in New York, the Fillmore in New Jersey, House of Blues San Diego, Cornerstone in San Francisco, the Detroit Opera House, Comerica Park, among multiple other hot spots.
Being born in Boston, raised in Detroit, and living in Los Angeles, Farrah Mechael is trained in multiple genres. She began singing opera, which led to jazz, gospel, pop, urban, and eventually her own cultural, worldwide, and original sound. Farrah Mechael makes her music to spread freedom and self expression, releasing fans from the stress of reality with her vocals.
The Tremolo Beer Gut are from Denmark/Sweden and there touring the US west coast from Seattle to San Diego. A 98% instrumental garage rock/spy surf combo. 5 LPs and a bunch of 45's on the rap sheet. Low maintenance/High performance 4 piece
Formed in a different millennium by Yebo and Sune Wagner from The Raveonettes – later joined by Per Sunding from Eggstone and The Great Nalna (when Sune moved to the states) and Jengo.
Nalna and Yebo has also played with Jon Spencer and Matt Vert - Ray’s Heavy Trash combo, Yebo also with Junior Senior, PowerSolo and Thee Attacks.
All in all a well seasoned and very spicy combo with a lot of garage rock pedigree and a guaranteed hot live show at your party/show/mother’s house.
Meet FLASCH! This gender-fluid non-binary artist is taking the Los Angeles music scene by storm with their dynamic and bold energy. Originally from a small town in Minnesota, FLASCH fearlessly follows their dreams and pushes boundaries with their unique perspective. Get ready for a wild ride with the rising star of the non-binary music scene!
Tove Lo’s rescheduling of the Dirt Femme Tour back in February was a major blow to fighting the seasonal dreariness that Minnesota (and elsewhere) Winter typically brings about. SAD is no joke, and with the original show scheduled to be right around everyone’s favorite capitalistic reminder of true love, it was disheartening to have an artist - like Tove Lo, who is nothing if not completely true to herself - have to reschedule to later in the year. What was one to do without dancing in the coldest month of the year? The wait was worth it however - the Swede’s gregarious brand of electropop now perfectly lined up with (this may be exclusive to just me) wanting to be done with seasonal allergies and trying desperately to hang on to the last shreds of summer, the leaves starting to change and bringing with it another cycle of endless winter.
Tove Lo swung by the Palace Theater in St. Pau this past Tuesday, bringing with her support from the equally gregarious and unapologetically sincere Upsahl. (Taylor) Upsahl and co are maybe the most logical choice to open for Tove Lo - her stage persona and effortlessness when it comes to translating who she is an artist to who she is performing live tears down that barrier between who an artist is when creating and who an artist is when bringing their music to life. Opening with "People I Don’t Like", the energy level was set as high as it could from the opening guitar strums pretty much through until the show would end several hours later. Upsahl kept get energy going with a variety of songs from her back catalogue, playing a few off of her ‘21 release Lady Jesus, but mostly keeping to whatever seemed to strike her fancy in the moment, with a touching callout to Tove Lo with the song Upsahl said was written for Tove called "Toast".
Afterwards, it was time for the main event - a cluster of strobes began to fire staccato lights to obscured guitarists and keyboardists as eventually Tove Lo took to the stage, clad in what would be just one of many eccentric outfits that a Tove concert simply wouldn’t be without. The singer-songwriter lead with "Pineapple Slice" (off her 2022 release and tour-named Dirt Femme), and the crowd more or less lost its mind. There’s really something to be said for just how dedicated her fanbase is - somehow simultaneously chill and out of this world excited for Tove. She played a ton of songs off of Dirt Femme that night, keeping the energy at max as she worked her way through her hits and back catalog and what seemed like an endless wardrobe of outfits. Her four part encore was closed out with the song that everyone was waiting for - the Hippie Sabotage remix of "Habits", and suffice to say that there was pretty much no more dancing to be had in the crowd after it was all said and done.
Greetings friends and fellow music lovers. We support the unions and are patiently waiting for all parties to come to terms so we can get back to work. That said, I believe it's now a good time for listening to new music and discovering new talent, Hope you agree.
During my tenure in the music industry many groundbreaking, enduring artists have added me to their team to directly manage their publishing and Licensing affairs. I have the fondest memories and contributed to career-changing moments working with Pete Townshend "Let My Love Open The Door", Kings of Leon "Molly's Chamber", Snow Patrol "Chasing Cars", Nick Cave "Red Right Hand", Ginger Baker (Masters of Reality), Spice Girls "Wannabe", Newcleus "Jam On It" Far East Movement "Like A G6", Fischerspooner "Emerge", The Dollyrots "Because I'm Awesome", Meat Beat Manifesto "Prime Audio Soup", The Cramps "New Kind of Kick", Talib Kweli "Get By", Blackstar "Definition", The Coup "My Favorite Mutiny", The BellRays "Revolution Get Down", Johnette Napollitano (Concrete Blonde) "Joey", and Bo Diddley "Before You Accuse Me" to name just a few you may have heard of.
In the spirit of these innovators, I'm proud to present my newest compilation of current Hunnypot artists I fully support.
As always I'm crossing genres and showcasing the coolest and best. All songs are available for Synchronization Licensing, Please, Dig in!
-John Anderson aka Hot Tub Johnnie
1. THEM VIBES - POWER
2. THE BELLRAYS - EVERY CHANCE I GET
3. ALEX RAHAL - SOMETIMES
4. DOLL MACHINE - WHO KNOWS
5. SKY CRIES MARY - ORPHAN
6. THE LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS - PUNK ROCK RETIREMENT PLAN
7. THE DARTS - SPY GIRL
8. JAEE THE ARTIST - NOBODY
9. BIGTREESTEVE - COCOA BUTTER
10. J.D. WILKES - HOBOES ARE MY HEROES
11. DROPDEADJEDD - NIGHTSTALKERS
12. BRONSON WISCONSIN - LIKE A STORM
13. JOSH MACK - BIT BY THE WEREWOLF
14. FINATTICZ - THAT AIN'T MY BITCH
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
"Fresh out of the studio, Them Vibes newest record is a kaleidoscopic bang of color and sound. It’s deep yet cheeky. Free but structurally mature. Funked up and rocked far out. They call their record Sonic Chameleonic, and it is exactly that: one organic musical force sonically color-defying with every track. Available on all streaming platforms, and 140 gram vinyl."
“The EP is a brief but stimulating five track bite of groove, likely to lift spirits and provide reprieve during current perilous times.” - MACIE BENNETT — American Songwriter
Location: Riverside, California
The BellRays are a force of nature hailing from Riverside, California. If music is food for the soul, then The BellRays are Thanksgiving and they know how to cook. The BellRays strip down to the meat of what music means to them and serving up all sides. Growing up in SoCal, they thrived on radio channels that broadcast more than one kind of music. It was a party. ‘Punk Funk Rock Soul’ is their party, the songs are your must meet new friends.
Catch them opening for Social Distortion in the U.S and Canada 2023
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Restless-Alex Rahal (of Them Vibes) brings a debut record-erupting into existence. Enlisting the explosive musical talents of Bobby Holland, Them Vibes, and Rude Music, Rahal co-produced Restless with Holland and his musical brother in arms, and co-founder of Them Vibes, Larry (Brother Love) Florman. The result is a record that reminds the listener of McCartney’s 'Ram,' Neil’s 'After the Gold Rush,' and Petty’s 'Wildflowers,' to name a few, where space and sonic exploration, expertly executed by a royal flush of musicians, allow the honesty of Rahal’s songs to be in full bloom.
Location: Los Angeles, California
Genre-defying recording artist, composer and producer Doll Machine electrifies stages with her unique and culture-challenging performances. She’s co-written with Grammy-nominated Telepopmusik, house legend DJ Robbie Rivera and is currently working on a collaboration with Grammy-winning artist, Really Doe.
Location: Seattle, Washington
Sky Cries Mary is an American psych rock/cosmic music group from Seattle, Washington, formed in the late 1980s by Roderick Wolgamott and Ben Ireland. Ben and Roderick created the current incarnation of Sky Cries Mary, drafting super-producer Jack Endino (Skin Yard), Curt Eckman (The Walkabouts), Kevin Whitworth (Love Battery), and Debra Reese.
The new Sky Cries Mary EP, EVERYTHING GOES SOMEWHERE, their 13th album release is available now.
Location: Paducah, Kentucky
A roots rock juggernaut from Nashville, Tennessee, the Legendary Shack Shakers are a hot-rodded combo combining blues, rockabilly, country, and rock & roll into one manic assemblage boasting all the gloriously explosive instability of an M-80. Led by firebrand frontman Colonel J.D. Wilkes on lead vocals and harmonica, the band has an irreverent streak in their lyrics and high-spirited attack, but they play with skill, commitment, and a genuine love of the music they're bending to their approach.
Location: Tacoma, Washington
THE DARTS formed in 2016 with the goal of making great all-girl garage-rock noise, see the world, and have a fab slumber party every night. We threw on some vintage black slips, threw off our shoes, and set out on the ad- venture.
“Gets even the most apathetic nerds moshing. Crank it!” – Rolling Stone (FR)
“The Darts ‘Take What I Need.’ Very cool.” – Stephen King, author
“One of my new favorite bands.” – Dave Vanian, The Damned
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Jaee creates music from the heart. Who better to explain the way a woman thinks and behaves then another woman? Jaee The Artist connects with women from life and first-hand experience as a woman. She uses this to heal past traumas buried deep in the emotions of women and helps the fellas better understand their role in the experience. The goal is for the fellas to feel comfortable loving, understanding and connecting with a woman. Rather it’s his mom, aunt, niece, cousin, sister, daughter, wife, friend or partner. Jaee The Artist is deeply rooted in her feminine energy, but balances out with her masculine energy.
Location: Los Angeles, California
Big Tree is not just a name for Steve. Standing six foot four inches, he towers physically with chiseled features and a gentle nature. His looks have given him the opportunity to walk for the critically acclaimed Argentinian clothing brand “Gaucho” in the world-famous New York Fashion Week 2022.
These impressive accomplishments underscore Steve's work ethic. At only 21 years of age Steve is just getting started - He quite literally "Can’t Go Slow."
Location: Paducah, Kentucky
It’s likely you have seen either one of his bands — The Legendary Shack Shakers or the Dirt Daubers — over the past two decades, J.D. Wilkes slings out a crazed, bug-eyed combination of rockabilly, hillbilly and country blues, somewhere near your hometown. Also known as Col. J.D. Wilkes, his hopped-up, caffeinated frontman status of those acts was a vehicle for his somewhat warped, generally manic and always intense aesthetic of Southern Gothic madness. - Hal Horowitz (American Songwriter)
Location: Los Angeles, California
Florida boy raised in Polk County who went VIRAL on his #HitTheQuanChallenge, currently living in Los Angeles for music, modeling, and acting. Dream Chasing is what he always dreamt of and dreams become a reality for DropDeadJedd with original beats and unique vocals.
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Bronson Wisconsin is a touring and recording 4 piece indie rock n' roll outfit. Their live show is a unique combination of party, drama, stories, and guitar solos that will leave you wanting so much more. Their recordings will keep you with these feelings long after the live experience.
Bronson's original music and his heartfelt ultra jam cover of "You've Lost The Loving Feeling" will blow you away.
Location: Middletown, Ohio
A Nashville-based musician, Josh Mack paints from a broad musical palette. The Middletown, Ohio native’s sound combines the rich storytelling of folk, the raw emotion and grit of blues, and a rock & roll edge. These influences are top-coated with a layer of psychedelic haze to create an atmospheric, multi-layered listening experience that has drawn comparisons to famed contemporaries like The Black Keys and Queens of the Stone Age.
Location: Los Angeles, California
Killa F, G5yve, and YC Lopez, members of the hip hop group, FiNaTTiCz. The quartet recorded "Don't Drop That", with producer YC Lopez on the beat. The song became referenced by fans as "The Thun Thun Song" and therefore was released under the official title "Don't Drop That Thun Thun" and became a worldwide hit in 2012.
It was an explosive night, counting down to 500 we reached our 494th episode! Thanks to our special co-host Kii Arens, renowned American pop-artist, graphic designer, photographer, director, and musician.
Kicking off the live performance segment was ryn, who delivered a captivating unplugged set of her powerful pop originals, followed by the high-energy alternative rock of Hunnypot favorite, Fencer for their last show of their residency with us. The stage heated up even more with industrial rapper Mz. Neon and the genre-blending sounds of Tricky Youth, combining Power Electronics, Dark Hip-Hop, and Neo-Nü Metal.
#WhereMusicLoversGoToPlay
One of the most credible and influential in Los Angeles - the award-winning Kii Arens, is a critical driver in the creation of modern pop culture. A contemporary American pop-artist, graphic designer, photographer, director, and musician. His personal work has been in art galleries all over the world. Kii credits Saturday mornings in the '70s spent watching Sid & Marty Krofft as some of his main inspirations. Never formally trained, this St. Paul native grew up with a fascination for album covers, vintage logos, and has created over 500 pieces for artists such as Dolly Parton, The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, Radiohead, Paul McCartney, Kacey Musgraves, Bernie Sanders, Beck, DEVO, Diana Ross, Lana Del Rey, The Doors, PIXIES, Glen Campbell, Tame Impala, The Replacements, Hollywood Bowl, Coachella, and Desert Trip, widely considered the most successful festival ever to take place.
His recently directed music video for Elton John was featured prominently on the 2020 Oscars, '(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again' has served well as the visual accompaniment for the heavily nominated and award-winning song. Other videos include DEVO, Queens of The Stone Age, PIXIES, Glen Campbell and more.
ryn, short for Camryn, has been killing the game as an independent 21-year-old indie pop artist. Bringing the energy to the stage since she started performing at 15, her music has indie rock vibes that keep everyone in the room dancing. Being a dancer her whole life, there's never a dull moment when she's onstage. Rocking her trademark power suits, she says she's never felt more herself, more sexy or confident than when she's sporting her suits. She keeps it real on and off the stage with lyrics that speak truth and honesty, connecting to the deepest parts of herself and her fans.
Her socials have been growing steadily with an engaging, supportive fan base as they've been eating up teasers of her new singles. Watch out, with her drive, dedication and passion, this girl will be on billboards in no time!
SPOTIFY FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM
Fencer, the self-defined garage opera band, is leading a new era of rock music with their own undeniably, dynamic sound. The Los Angeles-based trio comprises vocalist and guitarist Field Cate, bassist Scott Sauve, and drummer Cameron Sauve. Only two years after their inception, they became fan-favorite openers for notable acts such as Badflower, The Wrecks, and Dead Poet Society.
Tackling the stigma surrounding mental health and its struggles, Field’s emotive and frenetic vulnerability resonates with listeners to further solidify the band’s electric presence. The trio have racked up an impressive 2 million listens across all streaming platforms, despite having not even released their debut album. Field’s synesthesia (seeing music in color), Scott’s vigorous bass lines, and Cameron’s expertise in self-producing flow together to create an eccentric style that is certain to become rock’s newest novelty.
Mz Neon is a genre-bending musician and multimedia artist residing in Los Angeles by way of NYC. She is actively touring and releasing music while cultivating an ever-evolving mixed media, art and advocacy platform. A biracial trans woman with a punk pedigree, Mz Neon unpacks issues of gender, sexuality, spirituality & philosophy; with a provocative glamour that stares down the blond bombshell archetype, then dropkicks it.
Somewhere at the intersection of Power Electronics, Dark Hip-Hop, and Neo-Nü Metal resides musician and performance artist TRICKY YOUTH. Just as difficult as it is to place Tricky Youth in one place on the map sonically, it is geographically as well - he grew up in Brooklyn, New York; he currently resides in Los Angeles; he calls the American Midwest his “spiritual home”. If you were to ask him, Tricky would call himself a “citizen of the American underground”, a place that isn’t so much one location but many, and a wide network of communities that he has existed in since he was a teenager. “The basement show, the warehouse rave, the generator show under the bridge, the art show in some abandoned building with a stage built in it and 20 people living there,” Youth says. “That’s where I got my upbringing, around brilliant artists in the worlds of punk, noise, and hip-hop, freely expressing themselves as outside of capitalism as they could and forming communities that sought to live by an ethos that rejected the dominant culture. I carry that through the art I make today."
Walking into Everything is Terrible! and their live show, Kidz Klub, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I was going in blind and in a sense it added a layer of excitement. Experiencing Everything is Terrible for the first time, was its own unique adventure of wait what the hell is going on but in a good way. The show opens with a giant bear stepping onto the stage, who introduces us to our main character, a newborn baby who we will watch grow up and suffer through the stages of life in a dark humorous way. One of those stages being him trying to get away from his evil father who tells him what to do and is a giant floating head that is shown on the screen behind the puppets.
In between each act are videos of Kidz Klub, which is a giant movie compilation of various funny clips from VHS tapes aimed at kids but with some adult humor mixed in plays.
Seeing the clips reminded me of my early childhood and if you were born before the 2000s, this is definitely the show for you to entertain your inner child. It’s also an excellent show to see if you’re a big fan of the Muppets or even just puppets in general. The puppets on stage were designed so well that to me while they were on stage, they felt as if they were alive. In one of the other acts, the main character meets an alien and hopes to go on a space adventure and escape everyday life. It doesn’t work out but he keeps on trying to find other ways. One of those being a wizard, who brings more dark humor to the story.
There’s also this relatable moment where the protagonist gets excited to have his own place, only to realize he has to work a 9 to 5 job for the rest of his life to afford it. After that, this thing that has been mentioned multiple times throughout the show finally comes into play. Since there was so much suspense around the thing they kept mentioning, I was honestly hoping for things to be more dramatic with more depth to it than they were but it was still a fun show to watch. I loved how they switched from him being a puppet on stage to having him show up on the screen in a psychedelic trippy way before he appears riding on a dragon up on stage. Which in my opinion was the coolest-looking puppet out of everything. The stage lights made the dragon look as if they were glowing and in that moment fans came up on stage to give Everything is Terrible VHS tapes and the show just in a way comes to an ending that doesn’t really feel like an ending.
I realize the stage performances are really just meant to advertise the film, but I feel like if they wanted to, the story could have been a stand-alone piece with more depth to it than what it was. Although overall most of the audience was made up of long-time fans who seemed to really enjoy the show. So if that’s you, I’m positive you will enjoy the show. The show was shorter than I expected and may have felt like it came to an abrupt end but I’m still glad I got the chance to see it. I can tell a lot of work went into making it possible and I’m looking forward to what Everything is Terrible! does next.
I first got into Hot Milk when I discovered their song "Candy Coated Lies" and you can tell with their new album A Call To The Void that they've come a long way. The album opens up with the song "Welcome to The…", which gives off the feeling of entering into a cave in a horror film and sounds hitting the cave walls. The ending lyrics “Am I the darkness” add to a haunting start to the album.
The next song is "Horror Show". My favorite elements for this song were the dark lyrics but instrumental parts that make you feel like dancing at the same time. “Lobotmize my brain” were some of the lyrics that stuck out to me, it was sung in such a way that it felt relatable. "Bloodstream" has a different sound compared to the other songs, I loved the word choice for the lyrics of this song. The lyrics “Kaleidoscope of the abyss” is an interesting description and I like that the instrumental felt like it was blending well with the vocals.
Up next is "Party On My Death Bed", I loved the screams in this one and the guitar moments. The lyrics didn’t resonate with me as much for this song as it did for the others. It was more of a fun song to dance to for me. This song is followed by the song "Alice Cooper’s Pool House". The first thing that grabs me about this song is the lyrics “Only lucid dreams can keep me clean” and from there, it starts feeling like being stuck in a realm in between fantasy and real life. You can really get a sense that they’re losing their minds. The dark-humor ending of the song was a fun twist as well.
Another killer track is "Zoned Out". It has some really fun drum parts to it and some cool electronic moments in the song. The instrumental for me was my favorite part of the song, it set the mood right away. The lyrics “Get me out get out” were also very relatable. The song also reminded me of how nowadays we are too absorbed in things like our phones and other forms of technology. When really it is important to be in the moment whenever we can and not be a slave to our technology.
"Over Your Dead Body" is next and it has a strong opening, loved the lyrics “You’re the Jesus of Nowhere” and the message of this song. The dramatic instrumental moments were also fun. I feel like we can all relate to having someone in our life who acts like they’re bigger than they are and promises things they can’t deliver and just overall being done with them as a result. Being around fake people is never fun and that’s the kind of message I get from this song. The energy in "Migraine" feels a bit chaotic but in a fun way, it has a fast pace to it. “I’m living with the pain” were the lyrics that stood out the most to me. However, I loved the next song more which is "Breathing Underwater," with relatable lyrics like “I cracked under the pressure” and “I open my mouth but the words don’t come out”. I could really feel the emotion with this one and the feeling of being alone and not having a voice for anyone to realize what you’re going through.
I was excited about "Amphetamine" when I realized Loveless is a part of it. Loveless and Hot Milk sang perfectly in harmony with each other. I loved how they sang about the disorder and chaos in the world and the feeling of being treated like we’re crazy for noticing it. When the things that have been going on shouldn’t be going on. It also felt like a song that fits both Loveless and Hot Milk.
The final song "Forget Me Not" has a nostalgic melody to it and feels like a goodbye song. Which in a way feels fitting for the final song of the album. I feel like it captures the grief of losing someone and going on with your life really well. This song hit the hardest emotionally for me and lyrics such as “Please come back home” felt very haunting and relatable. This one almost made me cry and ends the album on a strong note.
Overall, A Call To The Void is a strong album where every song is different but haunting in its own way. Even if you don’t like all the songs, I feel like for most people into this genre of music, you’ll find at least one that you resonate with. Hot Milk has talent and a unique voice that I feel will keep attracting more fans to them. This one is 100% Hunnypot approved!
We all wish that we can live our heyday forever. Sadly, Father Time doesn’t want to grant us this wish. And thus, we grow older with every passing year. Our favorite music artists continue to perform and put out new music throughout their lengthy career. However, they must call it quits eventually. Foreigner has sadly reached this point where they are ready to hang up the guitars. Travelling on a worldwide Historic Farewell Tour, they weren’t leaving without making a big last splash on people’s lives. As fate would have it, California was hit with a tropical storm and the potential of a hurricane the day before Foreigner’s show here. Mother Nature was still looking out for us, and thankfully the storm passed without doing much damage to Orange County, and Foreigner was able to still put on their show at the FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA.
Foreigner is doing something amazing on this tour, by helping promote music and the arts with schools. At every stop, they are hosting a competition between local high school choir teams. The winner gets a donation made to the school, and the team themselves gets to perform and open for this tour. This day, we got to hear the Sound Effects from Los Alamitos High School. Unfortunately, due to the tropical storm that passed by California, this caused Foreigner to get into the venue late, and the shows start time was pushed back a little bit. Due to this push back, the Sound Effects set was sadly cut from 20 minutes to only 8 minutes. None the less, the boys of this choir made it their mission to harmonize in the most beautiful way they could and bring some well known doo-wop classics to Irvine.
Joining Foreigner on this tour was fellow 80s hard rock pioneer’s Loverboy. I was fortunate to see Loverboy last year with Styx and REO Speedwagon, and to hear they would be helping Foreigner out on this tour, I just knew we were in for a good time. Opening their set with “Notorious,” lead singer Mike Reno carries with his voice a bit more gravitas and grit behind it, compared to the brighter tenor you hear on record. This doesn’t take away from Loverboy’s sound, as Mike is still just as charming with his smiling and charisma on stage. Guitarist Paul Dean and Bassist Ken Sinnaeve play off each other with style and flair. Often rocking out right next to each other, and nearly smashing their guitars into each other. Keyboardist Doug Johnson finds ways to blend his synth into the songs that just bring them to life and makes you relive the 80s big hair days. While drummer Matt Frenette stacks his kit with drumheads and cymbals galore but knows how to be a technician and finesses his kit with a delicate touch. Loverboy’s set was also sadly cut short due to the later start time, but they made it count with songs like “The Kid is Hot Tonite,” “Lovin’ Every Minute of It,” “Hot Girls in Love,” “Turn Me Loose,” and ending with the always popular “Working for the Weekend.” Loverboy continues to be a solid band, that fans are always grateful to see still performing.
Then it was time for the final goodbye. As Foreigner stepped onto the Irvine stage for the last time, fans erupted in screams and cheers. This band has meant so much to so many of us over the years, the fans wanted to make sure that was clear to the band. Opening with “Double Vision,” the crowd was ready to sing all night long with vocalist Kelly Hansen. Hansen is still a top notch frontman after all these years, working the mic stand, playing for the photographers, and making the woman lustfully scream out. Guitarist Bruce Watson and Luis Maldonado perform with their own charm that can steal the attention off Hansen, who is more than happy to let Watson & Maldonado shine in the spotlight of the front of the stage. Bassist Jeff Pilson sadly hurt his leg and was performing seated at the back of the stage. But for “Cold as Ice,” he got positioned front and center to play the keys for everybody to see. Keyboardist Michael Bluestein provided the harmonizing vocals that helped elevate Hansen’s powerful voice, while drummer Chris Frazier is the perfect timekeeper behind the kit.
Foreigner was in perfect sync and proving why they have enjoyed such a tenured career of success. They wanted to make this farewell tour special, and included a small acoustic performance in the middle of the show that brought every member of the band to the front of the stage. Performing three songs like this were “When it Comes to Love,” “Girl on the Moon,” and “Say You Will.” Foreigner managed to make this 13,000 seat venue feel like we were sitting in a bar listening to some guys just jam out. Hansen even took this moment to introduce the members of the band and give a speech about how much the fans have meant to Foreigner for the last 46 years. And though they are sad to be saying farewell, they have always appreciated everyone who has shown up to every show. It was hard not to get emotional hearing Hansen’s speech and realizing just how many hits Foreigner have put out over the years. But those tears were quickly brushed to the side as we all started rocking out again to songs like “Feels Like the First Time,” “Urgent,” “Juke Box Hero,” and getting two hear a two song encore that included “I Want to Know What Love is,” and ending with “Hot Blooded.”
The guitars rang out, the band waved as they walked off the stage, and fans continued to cheer. Foreigner let so many of us relive our younger days by playing the soundtrack of our teens and twenties, and we were eternally grateful to hear it live again. This was the last time we were going to see Foreigner and as the lights came back on, you could see the bittersweet joyful sadness of the fans as they headed back to their cars.
They say trends tend to repeat themselves about every 20 years. This would seem to prophesies that Nu Metal would be making a resurgence in the music world. I don’t know if this 20 year trend cycle is true for everything, but it certainly is real for Nu Metal. The genre is beloved by many and joked about with hindsight by many more. With the music Festival Sick New World taking place earlier this year in Las Vegas, tens of thousands turned out to sell out the festival and prove Nu Metal never left their hearts. One of the most prolific bands of the era was Mudvayne who sadly disbanded in 2010, and after an eleven year hiatus finally came back to much fanfare. Their tour with Rob Zombie last year was considered one of the best metal tours of the year. This year Mudvayne decided to keep that momentum going with the Psychotherapy Sessions Tour. Bringing with them other recently reformed Nu Metal favorite Coal Chamber, along with GWAR, Nonpoint, and the Butcher Babies. Dr. Chad Gray has clocked in, and the patients have arrived for their therapy session at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA.
Opening this stacked tour were Hollywood natives the Butcher Babies. This tour happened to start incredibly early on a Thursday evening, so it was very unfortunate to see that people were having a hard time getting into the venue before the show started, causing the Butcher Babies to perform for an incredibly small crowd. This didn’t seem to hinder the energy of the Butcher Babies, as they were ready to pump up the patrons who were able to get there in in time. Co-vocalist Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey are nothing but pure entertainment to watch, as they chase each other around the stage flipping each other off, playing off each of like teenage girls, as well as letting out some of the most ferocious roars you would hear this night. Guitarist Henry Flury drives the songs with his riffs and melodies, while bassist Ricky Bonazza and drummer Chase Brickenden hold down the low end that let the fans in attendance headbang. The Butcher Babies played a solid set consisting of songs “Red Thunder,” “Best Friend,” “Monsters Ball,” “BEAVER CAGE,” “It’s Killin’ Time, Baby!,” “Last December,” and closing with “Magnolia Blvd.” To the fans that made it in time, the Butcher Babies gave it their best and the energy was given right back to them.
Up next was the Florida boys Nonpoint, who were decked out in all red attire. Where more bands are performing in more casual clothes and attire, it’s nice to see a band that has been around for over twenty years still prioritizing stage attire to bring a show to the crowd. Opening the night with “Victim,” lead signer Elias Soriano has a commanding voice, and performs with his dreadlocks flailing in front of his face. The man is the epitome of a front man. Lead guitarist Jaysin Zeilstra and rhythm guitarist Rasheed Thomas are a dynamic force to be reckoned with. Layering their guitar lines to help create the sound Nonpoint is so well known for. While bassist Adam Woloszyn and drummer Robb Rivera were perfectly in sync. Rivera specifically knows how to play up to the crowd while keeping the band on beat. Nonpoint manages to keep the Nu Metal sound alive while mixing their sound with aspects of metal in songs like “Dodge Your Destiny,” “A Million Watts,” “Chaos and Earthquakes,” “Ruthless,” and ending with “Bullet With a Name.” As fans continued to trickle into the FivePoint Amphitheatre, Nonpoint continued the trend that Butcher Babies started, by giving it their all and performing their best show regardless of how many people were in the venue for their set.
As parts of the stage, and the amps positioned in front were covered with tarps, the fans in the front row screamed as they knew what was coming up. The mighty GWAR was ready to hit the stage and let the blood flow and spray all over the place. Looking at the fans who pushed their way to the front, you could tell which ones were here for GWAR, as they were wearing white. At a GWAR show, you can create your own personal souvenir shirt by wearing all white outfit and come home with your clothes drenched in GWAR fluids. For this show it felt as if GWAR was over stocked with blood that they needed to let flow, as their lackies would let the blood fly through out entire songs, and the fans drank it all up. The band themselves are filled with solid performers that have really crafted a community of diehard fans, but the stage show that GWAR brings with them is what puts them over the top. From monkey henchmen swinging 12” dicks on stage, to massive 10 foot tall monsters fights happening on stage, to pulling the guts and intestines out of a sacrificial body. The GWAR fanatics screamed for more and more blood and never let it up. The bloodbath continued for every song like “Hail, Genocide,” “The Cutter,” “Mother Fucking Liar,” “Sick of You,” “Completely Fucked,” “Let Us Slay,” “Fuck This Place,” “Berserker Mode,” and ending with the AC/DC cover of “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It).” GWAR are a sight to behold, and a live show you must experience firsthand to truly understand why people love this band so much. Though I tried my best to stay dry, I still even took some GWAR blood damage to take home with me.
Now I have been fortunate enough to see DevilDriver quite a few times, and Dez Fafara has always come across as a straightforward metal vocalist. When I heard my friends talking about Coal Chamber having a reunion and Dez fronting the band, I had to look them up because I was not familiar with his first band. Seeing Dez with colored hair and some smokey guyliner caught me off guard but made me excited to see how he would be live with Coal Chamber. The band started their set with “Loco,” and as Dez hit the stage with minimal face and eye makeup, he had a different energy to him than that of his performances with DevilDriver. With Coal Chamber, Dez still had the powerful scream/sing style vocals, but he let himself be looser with his stage persona. Guitarist Miguel Rascon weaved his guitar parts with heavy chord progressions, and high-pitched wails. While bassist Nadja Peulen, with her fiery red hair, was the finger plucking master of the night with her driving bass lines. Drummer Mike Cox balances the power that Coal Chamber brings along with the melody that lets the mosh pit flow. Playing songs like “Fiend,” “Big Truck,” “I.O.U. Nothing,” “Rowboat,” “Drove,” “Dark Days,” “Oddity,” “Another Nail in the Coffin,” “Something Told Me,” and ending with “Sway,” The old school Nu Metal fans were happy to see the reformation of Coal Chamber.
Draped across the front of the stage, a black curtain donning only the Mudvayne logo hung to keep the audience from seeing the stage set up. As the opening notes to “Not Falling” played, vocalist Chad Gray’s shadow was cast as a larger than life image against the back of the curtain. Once it finally dropped the crowd erupted with excitement for the show they were about to see. One aspect of the band that I am happy to see they brought back is that they are wearing new variations on the L.D. 50 era Mudvayne looks. Vocalist Chad Gray has elevated his clown-esque look to include a bullet hole right through his forehead, and cracked paint. Showing just how battle worn Mudvayne has been over the years. Guitarist Greg Tribbett, painted with a style akin to the demon from Insidious, and riffs that screech just as intense as the monster. Bassist Ryan Martinie has shaved his head bald except for two patches of hair that are spiked into devil horns, making him the fiend of the group. Drummer Matthew McDonough altered his look to appear more like the Jackal from the movie Thirteen Ghosts and would carry just as menacing of a look as he glared at the crowd. Something that has always stood out to me about Chad Gray as a frontman, is that he is not afraid of the audience. He would constantly stand on the amps in the pit to get just a tad closer to the audience, and even jump on the barricade multiple times. Allowing the crowd to hold him up, and even embracing any crowd surfer that could make their way to the front. The man is a singer but understands how important the fans are and really shows them love back. Mudvayne played all the fan favorites including “Under My Skin,” “Internal Primates Forever,” “World So Cold,” “A New Game,” “Severed,” “Death Blooms,” “Fish Out of Water,” “Dull Boy,” “Determined,” “Nothing to Gein,” and when going into the often meme’d “Dig” the crowd could not hold back from singing the Ryan’s brbr deng opening bass notes of the song. Finally ending with “Happy?” Chad once again jumped into the crowd and let the fans sing with him.
I was able to see Hellyeah once, so I had experienced Chad Gray’s performance before. And though a lot of his same energy and love for the fans are there. Seeing Chad dressed up with the Mudvayne makeup and attire, he just comes to life even more with such a bigger presence. We are finally seeing a resurgence of Nu Metal, for better or worse may depend on who you ask, but to the fans that showed up this night, it is for the better. Though we have bands like Korn and Deftone’s that have been carrying the torch for years, it is amazing to see beloved bands like Mudvayne and Coal Chamber reforming to help us fans relive the heyday of Nu Metal. I hope both of these bands will put out new music soon and can’t wait to see what the future holds for the rebirth of Nu Metal.