Nicole Pajer | ChinaShop

Featured Gallery Music Lissie Ain’t Runnin’

May 8, 2012 - 11:01 am

Lissie has been affectionately referred to as the “Stevie Nicks of a new generation.” After playing music all her life, she caught her first big break when Lenny Kravitz invited her on the road with him in 2008. She won the music industry over with her 2009 release, Why You Runnin and has had songs appear in Deuce Bigalo: European Gigolo, House, Grey’s Anatomy, Mob Wives, So You Think You Can Dance, Revenge, and more. A lesser known fact about the folk rocker: She’s worked with a ton of artists – everyone from Snow Patrol to DJ Morgan Page of who she collaborated with on a dance track that was later remixed by Deadmau5.

ChinaShop recently caught up with the talented songstress to chat about how she doesn’t really listen to music, her childhood nicknames, and learning about Brazilian farming from Lenny Kravitz.

Read the full story →

Featured Gallery Music Rick Ross is Boss

by Nicole Pajer and Joe Gall

May 8, 2012 - 11:00 am

Things are going well for Rick RO$$. Early this year, MTV called him the “Hottest MC in The Game,” he’s the founder of Maybach Music Group – who recently signed R&B singer Omarion – and he was nominated by The Source as its “Man of the Year.” The rapper also recently scored his own big and tall clothing line with Reebok and made an appearance on Usher’s newly unveiled song, “Lemme See.” In addition, The Smoking Gun published details revealing that Ross was once a Florida correctional officer with a perfect attendance record. You’d think that would be a career ender for a rapper who nicknamed himself after the Los Angeles-based drug dealer, Freeway Ricky Ross, and has built his rapping empire off of speaking about his supposed work in the cocaine trade, however, it made him more popular than ever within the rap world.

Read the full story →

Featured Gallery Music Crazy Eyes and Grouplove

by Nicole Pajer and Catie Laffoon

May 3, 2012 - 7:31 am

Grouplove battled high winds and rain during their weekend one set at Coachella; weekend two, they melted on stage as temperatures reached triple digits. They made it through and live to tell about it due to what vocalist/guitarist Andrew Wessen described as their Coachella survival strategy: “Go mental on stage and try not to day drink too much.” The band captivated festival goers not only with their free-spirited tunes, but also with their 4-foot tall grass props that sprung from various spots on the stage.

ChinaShop recently caught up with Grouplove to discuss starting their own sheets and pillows line, pre-stage smooches and hugs, and being one “big dysfunctional family.”

Read the full story →

Featured Music The Unsinkable Rebecca Ferguson

by Nicole Pajer

May 2, 2012 - 11:47 am

You’d think going on a nationally televised music competition show would be the furthest thing on a shy singer’s mind, but Rebecca Ferguson was determined to get her music to the public. The English singer/songwriter pushed herself to audition for the X Factor and Diddy’s Starmaker, and was turned down by both.

“I was really shy, but I just had to try and fight through my nerves. I just had to do it,” says Ferguson. After a second X Factor audition, she was selected as a contestant and set off to brave Simon Cowell and millions of television viewers. Ferguson went on to win second place on season 7 of the show and has since become an international star.

ChinaShop caught up with the songstress to discuss overcoming stage fright, facing criticism, and whether or not Simon Cowell is as scary as everyone says.

Read the full story →

Featured Gallery Music Of Monsters and Men has a “Little Talk” With America

by Nicole Pajer and Catie Laffoon

May 1, 2012 - 10:48 am

Of Monsters and Men is a staple in the Icelandic music scene; they weren’t, however, expecting to become that popular in the United States. The band owes their expansion into the US market to a man who stumbled upon their soundcheck while in Iceland. The gentleman told his DJ friend about them, radio stations began playing their single, “Little Talks” and the news of Iceland’s folklore-friendly indie rockers spread quickly. Before even releasing an album, they began selling out venues across America.

We caught up with Of Monsters and Men vocalists, Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson to discuss Icelandic monsters, folklore, and past careers in airport security.

Read the full story →

Music Say Anything (Including Anarchy)

by Nicole Pajer and Sidney Bensimon

April 27, 2012 - 10:42 am

While promoting their brand new album, Anarchy, My Dear, Say Anything treated fans to an afternoon performance at The Viper Room. Those that missed the indie punk rockers in action were able to log onto their computers and catch the show as part of Red Bull’s Live Sessions.

Prior to the performance, we caught up with frontman Max Bemis to discuss transitioning from a major to an independent label, his childhood obsession with Lloyd Dobler from the John Cusack film Say Anything, and his personal journey out of the realm of self destruction. Bemis admitted to being a tad bit nervous about the live webcast but was ecstatic to know that so many fans across the nation would be able to see the show.

Check out our interview with Max Bemis after the jump:

Read the full story →

Featured Gallery Music Sitting Down with The White Buffalo

by Nicole Pajer and Catie Laffoon

April 26, 2012 - 10:51 am

Jake Smith is a singer/songwriter with an uncanny story telling ability. Performing under the stage name, The White Buffalo. Smith’s lyrics are rooted in everyday struggles and center around a variety of outlaw characters. His songs incorporate elements of blues, folk, old time country, and a twist of rock, which can be heard on his recently released Once Upon a Time in The West.

“It’s not an Indian reference, which a lot of people think it is or a Charles Bronson reference or a Ted Nugent reference. It’s a big powerful kind of American symbol, a unique rare thing,” says Smith of his stage name, The White Buffalo. Smith recently performed at The Grammy Museum as part of the Homegrown concert series. We caught up with him after his 45-minute set and audience driven Q&A to discuss his zest for songwriting, childhood camping trips, and secret desire to play Kevin Costner in a tennis match.

Read the full story →

Event Featured Gallery Coachella Flower Power

by Nicole Pajer and Catie Laffoon

April 25, 2012 - 11:22 am

There’s a song that was in that epic scene of Dumb & Dumber when Jim Carey dreams about hooking up with Lauren Holly – “But I knew (I knew, I knew, I knew) she could make me happy (happy, happy). Flowers in her hair, flowers everywhere.” For those of us (guilty as charged) that didn’t know the name or who sings it, it’s a 1967 hit single called “The Rain, The Park, & Other Things” by The Cowsills. That might be a useless fun fact but the point is that it’s a catchy tune and it was in our heads the entire weekend at Coachella. How could it not be? Everywhere you looked there was flower power. Aside from the usual festival hula-hoops, glow bracelets, and goofy attire, Coachella, for the female crowd, was all about accessorizing with flowers this year.

Read the full story →

Featured Gallery Music Other Lives Vs. “The Hoff”

by Nicole Pajer and Catie Laffoon

April 24, 2012 - 9:27 am

When we watched Other Lives on Friday at Coachella, we were captivated not only by their sound, but also by the array of instruments they incorporated into their set. We watched as they bounced between the cello, violin, horns, keys, guitar, bass, drums, xylophone – we lost count after a while! Following the band’s performance on the Gobi Stage, we headed over to the press area to pick the brain of lead vocalist Jesse Tabish.

Interviews are always unpredictable, but never in a million years would we have imagined that “The Hoff,” of all people, would come gallivanting through the Coachella grounds at a crucial moment during our conversation with Tabish.

Check out the interview after the jump:

Read the full story →

Featured Music Say “Hello” to Martin Solveig

by Nicole Pajer and Catie Laffoon

April 24, 2012 - 8:41 am

Electronic dance music fans flocked to the Sahara Tent on Saturday to watch Martin Solveig in action. The Paris-based DJ bestowed the power of dance on his audience by dropping remixes by fun. (“We Are Young”), Daft Punk (“Harder Better Faster Stronger”), as well as tracks off his freshly released EP, The Night Out. Solveig closed his set with a peppy version of “Hello,” which he collaborated on with fellow Coachella performer, Dragonette.

Immediately following his show, Solveig told us how special the evening was for him. “I don’t say this all the time but this is very very special. For any recording artist to play at Coachella is really a dream and it’s a gift to play for that kind of crowd.” He explained that he’s excited to be a part of a decade where electronic dance music artists are receiving more recognition than ever and chatted about his plans for the remainder of the year – which include supporting Madonna on her upcoming summer tour.

Check out our interview with Solveig after the jump:

Read the full story →