[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

Celebrating its 11th anniversary, the OC Music Awards kicked off on January 3rd with seven weeks of free showcases at different venues across the county. 35 local artists competed 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.

Out of hundreds of artists that submitted online, thirty-five amazing artists were picked (trust me, all the shows were great, get thee down to the OC for shows!) to play the Showcase Series.

Seven weeks later, five acoustic artists and five not-so-acoustic bands were selected to go on to the finals.

Artists were scored on musicianship, originality, song composition, stage presence and audience participation.

Find out here who the finalists are, listen to their music, and learn more about their life stories in exclusive interviews.

Learn more about the Showcase Finals!

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

“ As long as it's truthful. I think that's what's most important. And there's something that's more praised and celebrated about depression than there is about joy. But joy is just as truthful.
” 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!

Despite their mischievous moniker, The Devious Means are a fun-loving five piece indie-pop band from Orange County who list their influences on Facebook as “singing, dancing, clapping, shouting, and high fiving” and their genre as “fun.”

And yes, they’re still a bit mischievous but in that pure-hearted way that has made them the band most positively mentioned by other bands in the OC Music Awards.

While their eclectic, dance-friendly sound possesses layered meaning and can delve into “darker tones” like on their new single “Witmer,” The Devious Means, in both their music and their personal energies, immediately bring a feeling of gaiety and sport to the stiffest of situations–interview included.

“As long as it’s truthful,” said Christopher Faris, vocalist and guitar player. “I think that’s what’s most important. And there’s something that’s more praised and celebrated about depression than there is about joy. But joy is just as truthful.”

“We’re just not really that depressed,” joked his brother, Andrew Faris, who is also a guitar player for the band. “So, we can’t really make any good music.”

Learn more about The Devious Means!

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

“ That's what makes our music interesting because we do come from different musical backgrounds.
” 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 wanna find Kat and give her a big hug,” said Italian Japanese as they walked into the doors of KROQ for an interview.

Forming in 2009, the Laguna Beach-based band has been played on KROQ’s Locals Only for the past year, recently debuting their new song, “Two Islands,” one of a series of singles that the band plans to release this year.

With a sound laden with lush ’60s-style melodies, dark expanses of opaque vocals, and tinges of brooding layered within a danceable sound, the self-described “rock” band said that their influences are so varied that when writing songs, they all bring something different to the table.

“That’s what makes our music interesting because we do come from different musical backgrounds,” said JG, the drummer. “Being a drummer, I listen to a lot of rap. I love beats. I love pop music. I grew up on Michael Jackson, Madonna. All that sh*t…I bring some of that with my drumming style.”

Learn more about Italian Japanese!

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

“ As far as living in Seattle, for me to able to go out six nights a week--I needed one day of rest--and be able to go see great shows every single night was just a total hoot.
” 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!

“When a lot of people think electronic, they think techno or dance music which, in all honesty, I can’t stand,” quickly admitted Geoff Harrington, vocalist and keyboardist for Orange County based “electronic power-trio” Mphase.

“I grew up in the ’80s, so I’m more into New Wave and things like that,” explained Harrington, listing some of his influences as Kraftwerk, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, Art Of Noise,  Human League, and “anything Trevor Horn was involved with during that time.”

Harrington, who has played in “various incarnations of rock bands” whether it be onstage or in the studio, including Rocket From The Crypt and Motorhead (he was recruited to play a Hammond Organ for a Motorhead song, which he said he thought was a “total kick”) and lived in Seattle during the height of grunge music.

A piano player since about the age of 8-years-old who started his love of music playing “surf covers” at his “8th grade ice cream social,” Harrington said that he didn’t play in a band in Seattle because “none of those bands really wanted keyboard players in their bands,” but that didn’t matter when he got to see such great live music all the time.

“As far as living in Seattle, for me to able to go out six nights a week–I needed one day of rest–and be able to go see great shows every single night was just a total hoot,” elaborated Harrington. “The fact that in those four years, I didn’t really play with too many bands didn’t matter. I had so much fun…It was pretty cheap living still up there. You didn’t need much to get by. It was really great.”

Learn more about Mphase!

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

“ Ruby has sort of the same standpoint in music as I do...I listen to how she plays and then my singing influences her style sometimes and vice versa...We feed off each other really well. Finding a good writing partner is actually hard to do.
” Mandie from Mandie & Ruby 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 met Mandie in high school, we were in this little punk rock/sort-of ska band. She was the singer and we wrote music all through high school,” said Ruby, one-half of Orange County acoustic-duo, Mandie & Ruby.

The pair, who have played together officially since October 2010, but have known each other for about nine years, were entered in the OC Music Awards based on the merit of their live performances at places like coffee shops, private events, and the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk and are thrilled by the crowd response.

Although the two have been in and out of other bands throughout their lifetime, the two hold down artistic day jobs (Ruby is a chef at Disneyland’s exclusive Club 33 and Mandie is a designer for her retro-styled clothing business Heartbreaker Fashion) and admit to having not connected so readily on the musical front with other people as much as with each other.

Mandie elaborated: “With Ruby, it’s really easy. She comes over. We drink a bottle of wine. It’s like, ‘Alright. Let’s write this. Let’s do this.’”

“Ruby gave me the opportunity to sing a different style,” Mandie continued, referencing her past singing career in “indie rock” group 1518. “I’m finding it’s much better suited to my style of voice. My style of singing. Ruby has sort of the same standpoint in music as I do…I listens to how she plays and then my singing influences her style sometimes and vice versa…We feed off each other really well. Finding a good writing partner is actually hard to do.”

Learn more about Mandie & Ruby!

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

“ The fruits of my labor are worth endeavoring upon because I put it back in the band. It's worth investing in.
” Daniel Morones of Foxxhound 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!

“The fruits of my labor are worth endeavoring upon because I put it back in the band. It’s worth investing in,” said Daniel Morones, the older half of odd-couple acoustic duo, Foxxhound.

Morones, in his early 30s, after poetically likening his career to an agricultural triumph, does his best to sip on another agricultural triumph: a giant beer in a thick glass goblet, so medieval that the singer and multi-intrumentalist jokes that he needs a “horse and a sword” to accompany it.

His other half, the pretty, fashion-forward college freshman and cellist, Lizzi Murtough, laughs at him mischievously in that kind of way one does when you know someone really well. When you’ve gotten to that point where you can enjoy (and embrace) their quirks on a deeper level.

“I make mistakes and she gives me those accusatory eyes,” jested Morones when we start talking about his dating life. Murtough replied lovingly, “And then I judge them.”

Learn more about Foxxhound!

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

“ Playing shows at night kind of makes you come alive...So it's all worth it in the end.
” Tully James Wilkinson 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!

Meeting Tully James Wilkinson at a coffee shop for his interview seems àpropos considering the young, good-looking English major (his favorite author is C.S. Lewis), singer-songwriter, and college student got his musical start playing in coffee shops.

Even though he has naught but a demo out, with a nod from the OC Music Awards and a House of Blues show under his belt, “discovering” Wilkinson at a coffee shop certainly paid off in more than caffeinated highs for the performer–regardless of how “taxing” playing “two hour sets for not that much feedback” might understandably become.

But not so “taxing” that the struggle of being a full-time student, “working two or three jobs to pay for stuff,” and being “pretty busy” doesn’t make Wilkinson feel energized by a sense of accomplishment.

“Playing shows at night kind of makes you come alive,” said Wilkinson, sincerely. “So it’s all worth it in the end.”

Learn more about Tully James Wilkinson!

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

Photos from night 5 of the OC Music Awards Showcase Series at the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, featuring Red9, Slime Kings, Snakebit Drifters, Death Hymn Number 9, & Railroad To Alaska

[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.

Learn more about Snakebit Drifters!

[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.”

Learn more about Railroad to Alaska!

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

“ It's all about community and energy. And wanting another drink and being broke.
” Eric from Slime Kings 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 didn’t want to just be a punk band. We’ve all been punk bands or rock bands or something like that. Now everyone loves everything; everyone wants to dabble in a little of everything,” said eclectically-influenced Orange County band, Slime Kings.

With influences like the “Clash, old soul, punk, jazz” and tinges of reggae scattered throughout their music, Slime Kings is definitely not a straight-ahead punk rock band. And according to guitarist and vocalist Adam, they’re also “not your typical ska band.”

Sucking down the last remnants of his Jack and Coke (and hinting a few times for another one), lead singer Eric admits to not “liking” a ska song they were playing in the car and said he “didn’t listen to any punk or any ska before these guys.”

“But I was their friend,” Eric continued. “I was in another band that was progressive rock and we would play shows together at this house that we lived at…Eventually, things happened and I was a huge fan of theirs. As I joined the band, they started teaching me more of their influences and I just grew to love them. It’s all about community and energy. And wanting another drink and being broke.”

Learn more about Slime Kings!

Photo by Michelle Kelley

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

“ We swore to a witch doctor to never disclose where our name comes from...Our last two percussionists, Blind Whitey and Slimey Blime, suffered a 3rd degree moon burn curse administered by the witch doctor for telling people about our name.
” Death Hymn Number Nine 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!

Haitian tenets of voodoo. Time-tested folkloric beliefs. Brain-killing pharmaceuticals. The blind following of social or political doctrine. Whatever apparently creates a zombie can be debated, but what creates a killer (this time literally?) rock band cannot: hyper-specific branding, wild stage antics, crazed guitars, and skull-bashing personas that shun kitsch for some horror fanatic’s rock ‘n roll erotic dream.

Thrash-psychobilly “zombie” band, Death Hymn Number Nine from Orange County, don’t care if you are dead or undead. As long as your brain is ripe for the licking or you’re a “street-walking girl.” And they’ll never tell you where they got their name from.

“We swore to a witch doctor to never disclose where our name comes from,” said Death Hymn Number Nine. “Our last two percussionists, Blind Whitey and Slimey Blime, suffered a 3rd degree moon burn curse administered by the witch doctor for telling people about our name.”

Sticking to their “characters,” the band answered a few interview questions over e-mail, which was a shocking revelation: We didn’t know zombies had internet access. It must be hard for them to not get their post-mortem body fluids all over the keyboard, but that certainly explains half of the “people” on Twitter. 

Learn more about Death Hymn Number Nine!

[Photos] OC Music Awards Showcase Series…

“ I feel like the singer is really telling me something, is trying to reach me, is not trying to mince words. I feel like they're right there, in the room and telling me something. I need to listen and I do. I listen.
” Jeff Lyons from Red9 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!

“For me, there’s an honest energy to it…There’s emotion. When I listen to the vocals and how it’s presented, I feel like the singer is really telling me something, is trying to reach me, is not trying to mince words. I feel like their right there, in the room and telling me something. I need to listen and I do. And I listen,” said Jeff Lyons, bassist and lead vocalist of Orange County hard alternative rock trio, Red9.

I asked him probably one of the most difficult questions to ask a rock musician: how do you define rock ‘n roll?

These days, the definition of rock vacillates greatly. Indie rock is so vastly different from progressive rock; hard-edged guitar-driven alt-rock is so different from “Americana.” But when most people think of rock music, Red9 could be dubbed as a quintessential “rock” band.

Learn more about Red9!