[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

Celebrating its 11th anniversary, the OC Music Awards kicks off on January 3rd with seven weeks of free showcases at different venues across the county. 35 local artists will compete for the titles of Best Live Band or Best Live Acoustic and a performance slot at the 2012 OC Music Awards, March 3 at the Grove of Anaheim. And, the voting is open now!

“ We just play and have a really, really good time at it. We're certainly not trying to reinvent the wheel. We just want to make a good one.
” Tim Willis from Snakebit Drifters Power tools; hot drunk chicks; a ridiculously dangerous bonfire; an acoustic jam session; chicken nachos. Maybe, even the cops showing up to “shut down the fun.” In the world of “rock ‘n roll,” it’s always a good sign when you show up to interview and all these components are being represented.

Such is the case with good-time “Southwestern rock ‘n roll” group, Snakebit Drifters.

“We just play and have a really, really good time at it,” explained the hilarious host of the party and frontman, Tim Willis. “We’re certainly not trying to reinvent the wheel. We just want to make a good one.” 

Willis goes on to quote drummer (and milkman) Kevin Yoches: “‘We just want to make a nice wheel. ‘”

“So, we’re tipping the hat the Hank Williams the first, the second, the third, Slayer, Stray Cats, Tom Petty, whoever we like…Southwest rock ‘n roll. Bit of a surf influence with some Dick Dale licks. Little bit of Southern Californian punk, certainly some Western swing, but also some bluegrass.”

“So, pretty much all the kinds of music people like to get drunk to,” I replied. With drink in hand, Willis agreed.

“ The first time we played together it was awesome. I remember afterwards, Robin was outside smoking a cigarette and we didn't want to be like, 'Oh my god, this is amazing.' We had to play it cool. I was like, 'So, what do you think about playing next Thursday?' Robin's like, 'I'm in.'
” Willis and Yoches are joined by upright bassist Robin San Jose whom they found after a horrible stint searching on Craiglist.

Yoches elaborated, “We played a couple of weeks, just Tim and I before we decided we needed a bassist. I knew some bassists but no one that would really fit, so we just put an ad on Craigslist actually. And dealt with a lot of bad, bad bassists.”

“Then Robin finally came around. He answered an ad. Tim and I had a bet going whether Robin was going to be a guy or a girl.”

Willis interjected,”I thought he was going to be a hot chicana rockabilly chick.”

Yoches continued, “The first time we played together it was awesome. I remember afterwards, Robin was outside smoking a cigarette and we didn’t want to be like, ‘Oh my god, this is amazing.’ We had to play it cool. I was like, ‘So, what do you think about playing next Thursday?’ Robin’s like, ‘I’m in.’”

According to the Snakebit Drifters, San Jose is the anchoring aspect to the extroverted mania that is Yoches and Willis.

The pair met each other on Myspace then connected at a party where, according to Yoches, they finally “connected the dots” when the drummer strummed on a guitar and Willis made up “ridiculous lyrics.”

San Jose, a mellow, but watchful eye, almost keeps tabs on the other two–both musically and literally.

“I know them well enough now where I’m like, ‘OK, watch. Watch,” explained San Jose. “I’ll tell you what he’s about to do next. I already know. Tim walks with a purpose. It doesn’t matter what he’s thinking or where he’s going. Tim always walks with a purpose.”

The “pretty wild,” but purposeful pair said what they originally played pre-San Jose was “really, really really fast” and “balls to the wall. ” They likened it to “gutter-punk Nintendo freak music.”

In fact, the theme of the conversation that night seemed to be games; earlier we thought up the idea of a Pink Floyd video game and Willis compared his life to a “chess game” where he’s “playing chess against the whole world at every moment in life.”

Willis said that when San Jose came along, they started hearing “a bassline that was sort of galloping” and agreed that San Jose “sexed up” their sound.

“ I grew up just watching everybody. They played punk rock on the ghetto blasters and would be skating and spray painting. I just knew when I was 6-yrs-old. I had Converse. I had one purple and one red...They dressed me up all punk rock when I was little.
” Inspired to become a musician when he saw the “Dead Kennedy’s play in 1980,” it was when San Jose “saw Blazing Haley play and they had an upright bass” that he started to play the upright bass himself.

Both Willis and Yoches also have a punk rock background. Willis has played in several bands before Snakebit Drifters including a “psychobilly” band in Hawaii called Whiskey Dick Dragons and a gutterpunk band called the Greedy Little Trolls.

Part of Willis’ musical journey was his two older brothers and his upbringing in the Bay Area–especially a popular place called “The Pit” where he was taken as a small child.

“I grew up just watching everybody. They played punk rock on the ghetto blasters and would be skating and spray painting,” said Willis, describing The Pit. “I just knew when I was 6-yrs-old. I had Converse. I had one purple and one red…They dressed me up all punk rock when I was little.”

Although, according to Willis, he played gutterpunk for “ten years,” when he did a stint in the Coast Guard he learned about other types of music from meeting “amazing guitarists from the Smokey Mountains and the Carolinas” that changed his perception on music.

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But no matter what all of the critics say, Kevin hates the movie.  Has he seen it? Nope. Will he see it? Never.  Because it’s silent, in black and white, and has tap dancing.  To our surprise, we found out that plenty of listeners agree with him, and have their own reasons to hate The Artist without even watching it.

Listener Tyler weighed in, saying the movie was just “hipster mumbo jumbo” for people who like Radiohead and Little Miss Sunshine.

Listener Melissa hates the movie because the advertisements talk only about how “artistic” the movie is, and not about the plot of the movie.

We also had plenty of responses on the Kevin & Bean Facebook page:

Listener Sean: Just like a movie with subtitles, If I wanted to read I would get a book not go to a movie!

Listener  Ashley: I just thought it was silent & THAT was a bad enough- now you just added that it was in black & white, OH, hell- to the- NO!!!

Listener Alex: Only appeals to film students and people over 85, lost on everybody else.

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

“ It's a feel-good music in a weird sense. It's not like we're trying to promote happiness or that we're trying to promote sadness...The idea is more to make people aware that there's pain and depression and that it's a very normal thing and it's something that you should accept.
” Celebrating its 11th anniversary, the OC Music Awards kicks off on January 3rd with seven weeks of free showcases at different venues across the county. 35 local artists will compete for the titles of Best Live Band or Best Live Acoustic and a performance slot at the 2012 OC Music Awards, March 3 at the Grove of Anaheim. And, the voting is open now!

“I was thinking about this today when I was going to work because I was wondering what I would say, wondering who I was today,” thoughtfully said Justin Suitor, vocalist and guitarist of grunge alt-metal band Railroad to Alaska.

“I thought, I don’t know if I can speak for them on this,” continued Suitor, “But for me, when I write music and stuff,  it’s a direct reaction from all of the experiences that I’ve had. Basically, I have this terrible feeling inside me all the time that I subdue. For me, I write dark sh*t. I’ve been waiting for this. I’ve been this dark all along and now we’re finally all feeling that.”

Suitor points to his bandmates, Jeff Lyman (guitar), Justin Morales (vocals/bass), Derek Eglit (drums), and Ryan Williams (lyricist/artist), emphasizing that they are all, whether they hide it well or not, are on the same wavelength when it comes to expressing the “darkness” within them as a band.

Williams, the not-so-silent fifth member, replied that there is something cathartic about Railroad to Alaska’s “dark” music that makes people who listen to all different types of musical genres feel comfortable in sharing the shadowy sides of their souls.

“It’s a feel-good music in a weird sense. It’s not like we’re trying to promote happiness or that we’re trying to promote sadness,” elaborated Williams. “The idea is more to make people aware that there’s pain and depression and that it’s a very normal thing and it’s something that you should accept.”

“People show up and they know that they can do whatever they want or say whatever they want because it’s happening onstage to some extent.”

“ After that experience, because we had to really push ourselves, and we've always been all reserved about doing that, now that we've done it, it's a little bit easier to exude that you're proud of what you're doing and that you believe in your music. It speaks volumes when you're talking to a stranger.
” Despite the Cimmerian (or, as Suitar would say, “dire”) quality of their music, this last year has been eventful for Railroad to Alaska at learning how to adeptly navigate the “game that we did not know how to play,” according to Morales.

After winning “Best New Artist” and a chance to film a music video at the OC Music Awards last year,  the band went on to release an EP called Salvation in the spring of 2011, and played two sets of two days at Warped Tour in Pomona which led them to open for punk band FEAR in September.

Suitor called the experience “cool,” but stressed how ill-prepared they were at the beginning of the show with only “some beef jerky, some water, and a blanket” in the 103 degree weather and said the first day was “terrible” with the band leaving with “headaches” and “sunburns.”

“By the fourth date, we had our own tent,” said Suitor, emphasizing the rapid learning curve that Warped Tour demanded of them. “We had a display. We had merchandise. We had promotional materials. We had strategy.”

“We were outfitted with the tools that every other band that was there that was traveling on their own dime basically had,” continued Suitor. “I think we made a really quick transition into a functional band with just four dates on Warped Tour.”

Morales agreed, elaborating, “After that experience, because we had to really push ourselves, and we’ve always been all reserved about doing that, now that we’ve done it, it’s a little bit easier to exude that you’re proud of what you’re doing and that you believe in your music. It speaks volumes when you’re talking to a stranger.”

According to Williams, the band had to essentially act as  “Grindermen,” trying to attract anyone who would walk by. Even though they’ve hesitated to push themselves on anyone in the Orange County music scene, bringing a diverse audience of people to their sound hasn’t been hard.

“ Becoming sophisticated, but it's also sort of a youthful, untamed thing where there's a lot of room for interpretation.
” “Six months ago or even a year ago,” explained Williams, “it’s amazing the fact that we could have a room full of people that you would not think could be at this type of show, listening to this type of music.”

In the band’s bio, Williams expressed that Railroad to Alaska’s sound on Salvation is more “cerebral” and “tarnished,” which he explained to me.

“Becoming sophisticated, but it’s also sort of a youthful, untamed thing where there’s a lot of room for interpretation.”

“You get the sensation that it was kind of thrown together and it kind of happened that way rather than being planned out and meticulous,” continued Williams.

“I think that what’s happening now with the way things are being written is that you find that middle ground and have it be a little bit of both to where it can be very organic and soulful. “

While there is no “overarching” theme on their new EP (although there may be on the full-length they are working on) beyond the “deeper,” “darker,” “nastier,” yet more “thoughtful” direction the band is going, Suitor said that “each song on the EP is kind of like it’s own concept or its own album.”

“ It's kind of a collection...Moments in time. And in those moments in time, the themes are very present and they are there. And if you listen to each song, those themes are there for you too.
” “It’s kind of a collection,” elucidated Suitor.“Moments in time. And in those moments in time, the themes are very present and they are there. And if you listen to each song, those themes are there for you too.”

One prescient theme is obviously the aforementioned journey into the dark parts of the psyche, both musically and lyrically. Morales said that this connection existed even from the genesis of Railroad to Alaska.

“When I first met him [Suitor] and we first started playing music,” elucidated Morales, “We were both in separate bands, but we had a lot of deep talks about how we both view ourselves in a negative light more than positive and we kind of beat ourselves up. We kind of carry a lot of weight like bad things that have happened to us and bad things are happening in the world.”

Not Your Kind Of People will be released on May 15th, and the band released a behind-the-scenes video expressing how stoked they are to share new music with long-time fans. “Thinking about going back on the road is both thrilling and terrifying in equal measure,” said Shirley Manson. “………but we’ve always enjoyed a little pain mixed in with our pleasure.”

The band also announced this morning that they would be playing the El Rey Theater on April 10th. Tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10am, get them here.

Garbage’s first self-titled album, released in 1995, was a smash hit, featuring the KROQ favorites, “Only Happy When It Rains,” and “Stupid “ The new album is a bit like our earlier stuff...there's the same kind of adventurism we took with the first two albums.
” Girl.”  And I can’t fail to mention songs like “I Think I’m Paranoid,” “Special,” and “When I Grow Up” from their 1998 album, Version 2.0.  The band is proclaiming that their upcoming fifth studio-album, Not Your Kind Of People, has the same overall feel as their first two albums. Bassist Duke Erikson says, “The new album is a bit like our earlier stuff…there’s the same kind of adventurism we took [with the first two albums].”

Drummer Butch Vig says, “I think the album is very optimistic. For us part of it comes from the fact is that we would go out for a while and when we came back and started writing it felt so free and so easy.  In Shirley’s lyrics there’s anger and intensity, but there’s also optimism and hope.”

Vocalist Shirley Manson was a pivotal force for women in rock during the ’90s, as she exuded both beauty and grunge almost effortlessly.  In an interview with V Magazine earlier this month, Manson described being back in the spotlight and reunited with the band, saying, “There’s something remarkable about that feeling, when you know you’re good at something and you’re able to go out and do it.”

Not Your Kind of People will be available May 15th. No word yet on a track listing, or song releases, but Garbage does plan to go on a world tour in support of the upcoming album.  So far, only European dates are announced via their website, but stay tuned for more! Can’t wait to hear new music from the band!

They join acts like Sublime With Rome, Korn, Cypress Hill, Wiz Khalifa, Cafe Tacuba, Thievery Corporation, The Dirty Heads and more. Cypress Hill and Rusko will also be performing together in their first collaborative appearance, banging out hits from their forthcoming EP Cypress Hill X Rusko. If you haven’t heard the first single from the EP titled “Roll It, Light It,” stream it here.

Check out our video recap of Smokeout 2010.

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There’s currently two ways to score Smokeout Festival tickets on KROQ.com. Take this week’s music survey or enter to win via KROQ’s World Tour Destination #5 – Korn in Amsterdam. Qualify for that trip by scoring a pair of tickets to the show. Get details here.

Mixing the new sound of the old 1950′s and lyrics dotted with New Wave influenced computer terms these fine fellas had lots of people trying to remember the exact order of the words ‘diode, cathode, electrode, over load, generator, oscillator…make a circuit with me’…and generally failing.

Take this week’s KROQ music survey and you could win a copy of one of those albums. You’ll also qualify to score a pair of tickets to the Smokeout Festival featuring Sublime With Rome, Korn, Cypress Hill, The Dirty Heads and many more. Aside from possibly scoring a pair of these awesome tickets, you’ll also be influencing what we play on-air. Make your voice heard!

START MUSIC SURVEY NOW

You’ve gotta be a member of the KROQ Street Team. Not a member? Sign up now!

This week’s survey ends at 11:00pm on 2/05/12. Contest is open to anyone who resides in the SoCal zip codes and has completed the KROQ music survey.

KROQ is looking to bolster its digital department with a few more hard-working music fans.

You’ll get to blog about your favorite bands, assist with in-studio and off-site performances, get lunch from our neighborhood Del Taco and more. (Just don’t bring back tacos without the Del Scorcho. It’s grounds for firing)

Recent interns have assisted us with countless stories as well as audio and video productions with Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire, KROQ Weenie Roast and many more. For example, Carlos, a recent intern, acted as stage assistance during the last Weenie Roast. He was able to watch all the bands from the stage, which isn’t such as bad job. But, this comes at a price. You’ll have to be willing to work and learn, a lot.

Sound interesting?

Qualifications:

• Junior or Senior status at an accredited college
• Must receive academic college credit  NO EXCEPTIONS
• 3.0 GPA in your major courses
• Provide a letter from your college/university stating the class and number of credit units to be earned. Credit must be awarded upon successful completion of your Internship.
• Must adhere to CBS and Union policies and restrictions.
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Working knowledge of KROQ bands and relevant celebrities
• Must be able to work Monday-Friday
• Able to work in a high-stress environment
• Prefer basic familiarity with Photoshop for image cropping and resizing; WordPress and/or social media experience; knowledge of AP style and basic copy editing. Knowledge of photography and videography a plus.
• Must commit 10-15 hours per week.

A CBS Radio internship provides once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to learn, observe and experience the inner workings of a major market radio station by providing exposure to promotions, marketing, programming and sales. We’re looking for enthusiastic, outgoing and hard-working students who have a passion for music and Southern California to intern in our Digital Department.

SUBMIT YOUR RESUME HERE.

*After you click the link, go to the “Search Openings” link. From there, select “Los Angeles” as the Market and “Intern/Co-op” as the Job Status. Then, select DIGITAL INTERN and submit your resume there.

IF YOU CANNOT FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE DIRECTIONS, YOU WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION. WE HAVE PLENTY OF IDIOTS WORKING HERE ALREADY.

Almost immediately upon its release, “Video Games” received adoration from just about every corner of the net for its startlingly astute summation of the detached, vicarious nature of life in the digital age, for Lana’s gorgeous voice (and looks), and for its lush original sound.

A second single, “Blue Jeans” followed suit as an exercise in glamorous pop melancholy. Its grainy, nostalgic video solidified Lana’s signature aura. Mixing documentary footage with sultry shots of the singer vamping for the camera, it positioned her as a figure from the past – another bygone victim of pop culture.

When Lana Del Rey‘s third single (and accompanying video) “Born to Die” dropped later that fall, it seemed as though the young singer was poised at the precipice of breakthrough stardom. She had it all – the talent, the looks, the style, the buzz.

But then there was the Saturday Night Live performance. In the span of two nationally televised songs, her entire house of cards seemed to crumble before our eyes.

She’s not ready for prime time, she’s too young, she’s a terrible performer, her career is over; these were the headlines plastered across music sites the next day.

All these proclamations, of course, were equally (and probably more) overwrought than those issued earlier in her praise. The truth is, Lana Del Rey is neither the next coming of Mozart nor an absolute failure. She is a talented singer and has the potential to be a great pop star, but like any young artist is still maturing.

So after all that she releases her first LP this week. Titled Born To Die, the album delivers on the strength of her early singles and offers a more fully fleshed out portrayal of her aesthetic. Is it, as many seemed to be hoping, the pop album to end all pop albums? No, unfortunately not. But it is a very strong first effort from this promising young artist.

Tracklist:

1. Born To Die
2. Off To The Races
3. Blue Jeans
4. Video Games
5. Diet Mountain Dew
6. National Anthem
7. Dark Paradise
8. Radio
9. Carmen
10. Million Dollar Man
11. Summertime Sadness
12. This Is What Makes Us Girls

Pick up Born to Die today at iTunes  and Amazon

BONUS: Watch a video interview with Lana Del Rey from our friends at Myspace Music: