Monday through Friday at 6PM PST over on indie-pop band TWIN XL’s instagram, viewers will find a themed live stream. TWIN XL, is a three piece from Los Angeles, consisting of brothers and former members of The Summer Set John Gomez and Stephen Gomez, and Cameron Walker.
These weekday live streams allow for the band to stay connected to fans during these uncertain times. Each day follows a different theme ranging from Q&A’s, talks about the making of one of their songs, games, and play music.
On Monday March 30, John Gomez and Walker tuned into Instagram for one hour to play songs per request of the audience.
Starting off the stream, Cameron played an unreleased song of the band that they have played at shows called “Melt”, mentioning the possibility of the track being released soon. After that, Gomez and Walker would read the chat in the stream taking song suggestions. Some songs they played included “Hands Down” by Dashboard Confessional, “Love Like Woe” by The Ready Set, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie. Gomez even pulled out an oldie and played “Chelsea” from his former band The Summer Set.
The whole stream felt like a jam session between friends. The two did come to the stream with a song they wanted to perform but the rest was up to the fans. As the stream started Walker joked by saying “we are going to ruin your favorite songs”. From the start it was clear that this stream was about having fun, and that is exactly what the stream was, fun.
TWIN XL set up these weekday live streams that have happened consistently for the last two weeks, to give fans one hour a day for some fun and stay connected. As concerts are being postponed or cancelled, bands are trying to find ways to stay connected with their fans, and provide them with some form of content in lieu of a concert.
Tommy Bazarian’s, known by his musical space Lampland, debut album No Mood is debuting with a thunderous wave of emotion and sounds that will make you sway. Bazarian utilized his day job of being a radio producer to form the album’s lyrics, and his past formed the stories that are portrayed with drum loops, synths, and even a dash of some trumpets.
Bazarian’s vocals remind this listener faintly of The Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan. The whispering-moody feeling is definitely present throughout, but Bazarian makes it his own with his ability to compose unique music that is not like that of the loose comparison I have made.
This description on Lampland’s website, which you can find here, perfectly encapsulates what this debut album brings to the table sonically:
“In the spirit of Paul Simon’s solo albums, No Mood features almost as many genres as tracks. Alt-country rockers sit next to Elliott Smith four-track recordings, followed by dramatic full band arrangements. It’s all held together by Bazarian’s distinctive voice, by his vivid lyrics, and by his restless energy. Which, by the end of the album, he’s come to accept. ‘I know that you don’t blink insanely’, he sings. ‘Well, I do.'”
Manchester native and former solo artist Johnny Lucas has just released“High Wire” and “Got It Together” with his new band, LUCAS, joined in Nashville by bandmates Seth Endleman, Dave Dombroski, and Chris Amond. Their EP, High Wire, dropping this summer, was produced and partially co-written by Cage the Elephant’s Lincoln Parrish. Known for stellar loop pedal skills that have even caught the attention of Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Johnny and the rest of LUCAS have their sights set high for this year.
“Got It Together” grabs your attention immediately, with a strong beat and passionate vocals paired with thunderous drums. A rock and roll anthem type of track allows you to feel deeply, “High Wire” cleverly crafts a song around the title that makes the listener feel a surge of adrenaline. Even though it is not quite the same genre, “High Wire” reminds us of Panic! At The Disco’s classic A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. With the release of “High Wire” and “Got It Together”, we absolutely cannot wait to hear the rest of High Wire and anything else LUCAS has up their sleeves in the future.
