Bizness Trippin' - Fuck Yeah! Edition

Paduta is heading out to cover yet another awesome festival: this time it's the Los Angeles music, comedy and arts 

festival FYF Fest (formerly "Fuck Yeah Fest" - hence our arguably abrasive title).

I couldn't be more excited. This year's line up is extremely diverse and band diversity is something the organizers strive for every year. From folk to indie pop, punk to electronica, and whatever Ariel Pink is ( . . . AMAZING!) I am impressed and THRILLED to have spent only $30 (that's right folks, and there are still tickets available) to attend this day long festival in the Los Angeles State Historic Park.

Above I've circled the bands on my list of "MUST-SEES" - and trust me, I MUST see them - but I'm most excited to see Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and yep, broken record alert, Ariel Pink.

Here's why:

First of all, PAUL F. TOMPKINS - by far one of the funniest persons in my book of funny people. And you gotta love a punk band that doesn't take themselves too seriously.

Secondly, their latest release The Brutalist Bricks is on my list of favorite albums for 2010.

On to Ariel Pink: not only has he been recording and writing tracks since the age of ten, with over 500 songs recorded by 1996, but he was the second act to be signed to Animal Collective's label Paw Tracks. Though he says he used to get booed everywhere, his most recent collaborative creation, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, and more specifically their album Before Today, has received international attention and praise. 

Listen to Off Air's FYF Fest Playlist

I will make sure to frequently post photos, and tales from this year's FYF Fest on Paduta's Facebook and Twitter! Keep an eye out folks - this one is gonna be a doozy! 

Wanderlust 2010 - the Recap!

Aaaaand . . . we're back!

What an amazing trip - beautiful scenery and super nice people. Plus great food and music!

View from High Camp

As I mentioned in our Wanderlust Festival preview post, this year the structure of events was very different. Instead of this being a music festival with yoga, it was the other way around.

I really think this has to do with ticket sales and schedule conflict. Last year, bands played all day long at High Camp (pictured left) while yoga classes went on in the Village simultaneously.

Yoga with a View (High Camp Class)

This year music was a celebratory affair. Yoga folks posed all day in a number of glorious and breathtaking settings, and then danced their well-toned butts off during the headlining performances on the Pulse Stage at night.

And for those who took a break in between classes a number of artists and groups performed in the middle of the Village on the Casbah Stage. Nick Brunner from Off Air on Capital Public Radio introduced two of these performers: Kelli Scarr and John Shannon.

Kelli Scarr | Friday July 30th

A few things struck me about the young vocalist. First off, she's from Folsom and so am I! Secondly, she has a great tone. She sounds like a bluesy, modern Karen Carpenter. Scarr has the ability to both really belt it out and to be quiet and moody. 

After a little research I was even more excited to hear that she's been featured on NPR a number of times:

• You can currently listen to her new album "Piece" in its entirety on NPR's First Listen.
• Watch Kelli write a song with Moby in two days on Project Song.
• In May she performed a Tiny Desk Concert with Moby in which they cover not only Johnny Cash, but Lou Reed and Neil Young.

John Shannon w/ his band | Sat. July 31st

Here's the thing, I completely admire and respect the mystical and spiritual aspect of Wanderlust, but I just don't get it. I'll take a few yoga classes, but I'm no fanatic (I certainly can't do a handstand). I may appreciate it, but I don't regularly listen to new age music.

So I have to admit, I was thoroughly surprised by John Shannon last weekend. His album American Mystic illustrates his personality and sound to a tea.

Think of him as Sting and Matthew McConaughey's love-child: he's super chill, at one with the earth, and has a strikingly memorable voice - oh and he plays a mean 12 string!

John Shannon Intro - Wanderlust 2010 from Paduta - Fresh Music Every Day on Vimeo.



Kelli Scarr Intro - Wanderlust 2010 from Paduta - Fresh Music Every Day on Vimeo.

I have to give BIG HUGE thanks to C3 Presents who made sure Nick and I not only had tickets to the festival, but an amazing room, and backstage/photo passes. These guys and gals put on not only Wanderlust, but Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza! Check them out!

Photos by Meg Sevier & Nick Brunner | Wanderlust 2010

Next Time . . . Wanderlust Recap: Backstage Edition!

Paduta Goes to Wanderlust!

I am so excited to go to the second annual Wanderlust Festival at Squaw Valley in North Lake Tahoe this weekend! Last year I was amazed by the beauty of the surroundings, the caliber of performances (Spoon, Amanda F. Palmer, Broken Social Scene and Girl Talk to name a few) and of course...

the funitel. 

This year it's a little different - instead of being a music festival with yoga, its the other way around. Perhaps due to lack of show attendance, the organizers of this year's festival are scaling back and centering the focus on what many attendees are there for to begin with: the yoga.

So no more trips up the funitel for all day back to back shows at the top of the mountain, that is unless you go up there for one of the dozens of yoga classes offered.


There are however a number of musical performances I am highly anticipating this weekend:

Moby (DJ Set)

That's right - the master of not just electro-house music but vegan cuisine will be spinning on the ones and twos on Friday @ 10:30 pm on the Pulse Stage PLUS an acoustic set @ 5:30 on Saturday!

Perhaps his tunes are not presently pushed with the same commercial veracity of the late 90s, but I was actually quite impressed with his 2009 release Wait for Me.

And let's be honest, I had his hit album Play on repeat throughout most of my adolescence and teenage-hood. "Run On" - that was the track for me.


Pretty Lights

Performing Friday @ 9PM on the Pulse Stage is producer Derek Vincent Smith and drummer Cory Eberhard a.k.a. Pretty Lights. Similar to Girl Talk, these guys mix and sample music from different artists of different genres live.

Mash-up artists however have come into a bit of controversy with copyright infringement. Smith has responded to these accusations by saying "one thing I've run into a lot, is people that immediately judge artists who sample as music thieves without enough creativity to make good music on their own. [...] But I strive to always use samples in a way that brings new life and feeling to them."

They've released three albums on the Pretty Lights label which are all available as free downloads off the official website.

Photo by Tobin Voggesser

Brazilian Girls

I first listened to this trio of New Yorkers while I volunteered for Off Air at Sacramento's Capital Public Radio.

I don't even know how to describe their music but I do know I will be snapping pics in the front row of their headlining show on Sunday @ 8:30PM on the Pulse Stage!

Here's why:

I will be tweeting live from the festival, as well as updating Paduta's Facebook and posting videos of the shows on our blog, so keep checking in for our Wanderlust coverage!

And take a look back at Off Air's coverage of the inaugural Wanderlust Festival: videos, photos, interviews and more. 

The Unsigned Experience 3 - DJ Mike Colossal

Sacramento's DJ Mike Colossal has been scratching for over ten years. His knowledge of music from all genres is astounding. This is a young man who can mix together everything from Metalica to Notorious B.I.G., Le Tigre to traditional mariachi.

He is quickly becoming a staple of the local hip hop community and has recently opened for a number of iconic hip hop acts - most recently Busdriver at the Blue Lamp. 



Not only that but as a member of the LBGT community, he is looking to create socially conscious hip hop music that doesn't glorify hate speech toward anyone based on their sexual orientation.

Mike Colossal will be performing at his very own Birthday Bash at Butch n' Nellies coffee shop on Friday July 23rd along with other local hip hop performers like Poor from Tribe of Levi, Mr P Chill and the Velvet Wax.

A few weeks ago, I asked him some questions about his career as an unsigned artist, the local scene, and how to make it without a label.

How did you start getting booked for gigs? What was your first professional gig?

I started booking gigs through my campus radio station called KSSU and through a local promotion company called 12s Wax. I volunteered at the station as a radio deejay and as part of the management team. The two joined forces: KSSU sponsered the flyers, brought promotional goodies, etc. 12's Wax booked the gigs and took care of security and money. My first gig was at the second version of the Capital Garage in Sacramento. There I would scratch, mix and play the latest hip-hop, with some breaks and funk.


What web tools do you use to promote your music?

Originally, MySpace was a huge part of promotion. I would post bulletins promoting the show using three different accounts. I would write new bulletins each time, add new YouTube videos of either myself or of featured artists who were going to be present, added my artist profile songs in to give people a taste of my music.

Facebook today isn't as kind to artists as MySpace is. When I do shows I tell people to check out my MySpace or Twitter accounts. MySpace is like having my own website and Twitter gives a real feel of connection. I don't post a lot of BS since I have to keep it poignant. I tell them about my shows, let them know what I'm working on.

I use zSHARE to save my music and send it to other artists to collaborate on. Or, I upload my mix on there and post the link on MySpace and people can download it for free.


What other kinds of media do you use (audio, visual, etc.)?

I run stacks of flyers to local record stores, clothing boutiques, and food spots, book stores; anywhere they would let me leave them. On occasion I will flyer Sac State and personally hand out flyers and invite people to shows. We even make large posters for the shows and tape them up in windows and telephone poles. 

I still don't have internet at my current residence and that is why it is still important to make sure I flyer personally (for all us poor people). I also add as much media (videos, songs, downloadable mixes) to the internet to keep people satisfied until my next show. I'm also printing mixtapes and handing them out free at my expense, bootlegging my shows so people hear and want to see my live performances. I see free CD's as an audio business card and resume. People look it over and see if they like it and if do, then they will remember me.

Are you actively looking to be signed by a label?

With such a lack of a need for labels these days, I am not looking to be signed. My current goal is to be able to do lives shows (my MPC/scratch/mixing performances) and to sell merch and get my music out. If it stays steady at a local or regional level, I would be happy with that for the rest of my life, but recently doing shows out of state makes me want to get my music out to more people live, get out my DVDs with trippy animation and my music on them, and get CD's (and eventually LP's) in to fans' hands.

Describe the Sacramento music scene and how you interact with it. Where are your favorite places to perform?

I can't speak for the Sacramento music scene as a whole, only the hip-hop scene and that is a pretty incestuous scene. Few people really make a name for themselves off merit. Hip-hop shows usually consist of people bringing out all their Facebook friends and shows never usually pan out (unless a national hip-hop act headlines). That is why groups, cliques, and collectives dominate the scene for a while then fade out because their friends cannot keep supporting them alone. When people do get big, they just leave the Sac scene because they can flourish without it on a larger scale.  

Shows also lack good sound quality and planning making them drag on a long time.

Los Hermanos 1200 w/ Mike Colossal @ the Golden Bear 10/30/09

Some of the best places to perform in Sacramento are Capital Garage, Golden Bear, Butch n' Nellies, Press Club, the Distillery, Sac State, and the Java Lounge. These places are usually down to let you do whatever it is you want to do, as long as you put real effort into it. They are always down to let you do a one-time show and will allow you to do a weekly or monthly as long as it keeps bringing in revenue.




*Listen to "Interstellar Love Jam" by Mike Colossal PLUS his interview about the Sacramento hip hop scene with Nick Brunner on Off Air - Smart Rock Radio.*


Here's the BIG question: do you think unsigned musicians have any influence over the music industry?

Unsigned musicians don't have influence on the music industry, only the fans. Before, record labels were the MySpaces and Twitters and Facebooks. They gave an artist the ability to be recognized on a national level. Now with the internet, you can get that recognition without the industry. If you promote, do shows, leave free CD's for fans you can be your OWN industry. Radiohead said "fuck it" and showed a whole generation of musicians you can do it without the industry. Although musicians can only gain so much fame without the industry, but most artists can create a sustainable fan base.

Also with promoting being in the hands of the artist, artists can be as big or small as they see fit. Before you couldn't make a living being a part time musician. But now that you can do a lot of promotion at home on your own time, you can go to work from 9-5, update social network sites, records in your home studio, make your cool flyers on the computer, print them out at a local show, and hustle your ass off on your free time.

People don't have to worry about making a huge record industry flop, have terrible show attendance, get dropped and never be heard of again. People can now be effective artists at their own pace. And people are ready to run in the long marathon of becoming artists, not just sprinting for fame. Those cats don't last.

Don't miss Mike Colossal's Birthday Bash at Butch n' Nellies (19th & I Street) on July 23rd from 7-10PM. Great music and quite possibly the best cappuccino in Sacramento!

Check out Mike Colossal on:

MySpace
Twitter

It's ALL AGES, and only $3 donation - come out and support!