Gallery Music Young Jesus: The Second Coming

February 7, 2011 - 8:17 am

Young Jesus might consider themselves to be an average bunch of Joe’s from the Midwest, but Red Bull thinks they’re pretty sweet. The Chicago-based band won an opportunity to go head to head against Brighton MA in a national showdown called Rock The Route. Touring across Route 66, the bands competed every stop along the tour and earned points based on performance, fan interaction, fan base, and overall rock factor. A slew of celebrity judges, like the band’s new arch nemesis, the Shiny Toy Guns, offered their feedback and fans also texted in to cast their votes. At the end of the competition, Brighton MA slid into first but Young Jesus had a hell of a ride along the way.

I caught up with the guys at Red Bulls Studios where they were recording two new songs. The guys bum rushed the break room fridge and stocked up on Red Bulls, I slammed an energy shot, and then it was officially Rock The Route story time.

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Music Red Bull Soundclash: Interview Shiny Toy Guns

November 12, 2010 - 11:18 am

Shiny toy guns 2010

The Shiny Toy Guns have always been a band hell-bent on trailblazing. STG pioneered the fusion of dance and rock music with their first two albums We Are Pilots (2006) and Season of Poison (2008). The band was also a trailblazer in the intense musical conversation know as Red Bull Soundclash. Well, the boys (and girl) are back at it with a new album and a second showing at Red Bull Soundclash. ChinaShop sat down with the band to discuss tales of pioneering past as well as to explore which envelopes they will be pushing in 2011 and beyond.

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Music Sat Night Show Hopping at SSJ 2010

August 25, 2010 - 1:17 pm

show hopping

Saturday was the first day of Sunset Junction and I couldn’t have been more excited to get there.  After a near impossible search for parking, it was decided that I’d park at Sidney’s and we’d make the half-mile hoof down the hill to the junction.  On the way, we ran into some excited hipsters who clothed us in glow bracelets and geared us up for the evening ahead.  When we finally arrived, we ran right to the Sanborn Stage to catch Fishbone.  We walked up during the “All Together Free” chant that they had engaged the crowd in.  It was a fun show and really feel-good music…well at least until the “Let Dem Ho’s Fight” song which seemed to be a favorite of the ornery members of the audience.  Shortly after, the mood was back to jolly as the guys covered “Date Rape” by Sublime, which definitely went over well with the crowd. Fishbone poked fun at the parking situation in Silver Lake and complained of parking tickets before continuing on with the set.

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Event Featured Gallery Erykah Badu and the Cannabinoids vs. Shiny Toy Guns

October 19, 2009 - 1:27 pm

I hate concerts. Yep, you’ve read it correctly, I HATE CONCERTS. Why in the hell would I want to stand in a crowd of 2,000 people and listen to the same stuff I hear day after day on the radio from the same band? Then I get to wait 45 minutes so they can get all their flutes and bongos off the stage so another band can get all their kazoos and what ever else silly crap up there only to repeat! Thank the sweet Lord though– somewhere from deep in the mountains of Austria, Red Bull’s round-the-clock team of musicologists has formulated a “new” type of concert concoction to serve our way: Red Bull Soundclash.

Now hear this kiddos… I got a taste of its yummy goodness this weekend, and it makes me want to strip down to my knee socks and have sexual congress with the Kool-Aid Man.

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Music Playing With Shiny Toy Guns

October 19, 2009 - 11:35 am

Shiny Toy Guns

It was deep in the heart of Oklahoma where I obtained evidence that the Japanese electronics company TDK secretly carried out mind control experiments on children– to rewire their brains from just a “lil’ bit country” into a “lil’ bit rock n’ roll”.

What’s the evidence? What’s the conspiracy theory? I will testify that two magic bullets (bassist and keyboardist Jeremy Dawson and vocalist and guitarist Chad Petree) were fired directly from these Shiny Toy Guns.

Ok, that intro might have sounded a bit contrived, but it’s perhaps the best way to relate to the 2008 Grammy-nominated Indie rock/Electro pop group now based in L.A. Aided by drummer Mikey Martin and smoking hotpants Sisely Treasure on vocals, this now sans-country duo have fixed up quite the low-calorie, Killers-meets-New Order main dish (with a side order of The Sounds). Their new remix album, Girls le Disko, is going to drop this holiday shopping season, complete with hard-to-find mash ups by The Teenagers, Ferry Corsten, Classixx, High Def, and Boyz Noise to name drop a few.

I had the opportunity this weekend to have a lengthy sit down interview with Jeremy for a quick shot 240 seconds while they were rehearsing for a performance with Erykah Badu at Red Bull’s Soundclash, in  Dallas, TX.

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