A band I totally dig, The BellRays, released a new video this month. For those who aren't familiar, they are a take no prisoners rock 'n' soul band out of California. If you haven't caught one of their shows, you're missing out. They're a must see live act. Frontwoman Lisa Kekaula is seriously bad ass. She sings her friggin' face off! Check out the video below it's from the album Black Lightning ("Living A Lie", "Sun Comes Down" and "Anymore" are the highlights for me but you should check out the whole album!) and was directed by Rennik Soholt. Enjoy!
Showing posts with label The BellRays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The BellRays. Show all posts
Monday, May 21, 2012
Video of the Day: The BellRays - "On Top"
A band I totally dig, The BellRays, released a new video this month. For those who aren't familiar, they are a take no prisoners rock 'n' soul band out of California. If you haven't caught one of their shows, you're missing out. They're a must see live act. Frontwoman Lisa Kekaula is seriously bad ass. She sings her friggin' face off! Check out the video below it's from the album Black Lightning ("Living A Lie", "Sun Comes Down" and "Anymore" are the highlights for me but you should check out the whole album!) and was directed by Rennik Soholt. Enjoy!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The BellRays Rock The Delancey
The BellRays: May 9 @ The Delancey, New York, NY
www.myspace.com/thebellrays
Last week, I went 'round to The Delancey. It's located conveniently, not far from Mercury Lounge, where I had spent the earlier part of my evening. I dashed over to The Delancey just in time to catch the last song by local band Sister Anne whom I hadn't heard before. The song I did hear, I liked. I'm going to have to check out their stuff.
I had a reason for my Saturday night dashing about. The BellRays were in town and were
set to hit the stage at 11:30. If you don't know who they are, you should check them out. They're a great rock, punk and soul band. The band, Lisa Kekaula (vocals), Bob Vennum (guitar), Justin Andres (bass) and Stefan Litrownik(?) (drums) took the stage and all I can say is, DAMN! You just have to see them live to get a full picture of how bad ass they are. Kekaula is hands down one of the best female rock singers out there. Hearing her on record vs. hearing her live is like comparing an ice cube to an iceberg ... they're both cold but to witness one, the iceberg, up close and in person or in this case Kekaula, is breathtaking.
I had a reason for my Saturday night dashing about. The BellRays were in town and were
set to hit the stage at 11:30. If you don't know who they are, you should check them out. They're a great rock, punk and soul band. The band, Lisa Kekaula (vocals), Bob Vennum (guitar), Justin Andres (bass) and Stefan Litrownik(?) (drums) took the stage and all I can say is, DAMN! You just have to see them live to get a full picture of how bad ass they are. Kekaula is hands down one of the best female rock singers out there. Hearing her on record vs. hearing her live is like comparing an ice cube to an iceberg ... they're both cold but to witness one, the iceberg, up close and in person or in this case Kekaula, is breathtaking.Their set was a whirlwind of sweaty take no prisoners rock 'n' roll. Other than the drummer needing a bit more punch to his playing, the band provided the perfect foundation for Kekaula to do her thing. It was over far too quickly. I could have listened to them for another hour. If The BellRays are playing anywhere near you, GO! They do a killer show that needs to be witnessed.
The photos ...
The setlist ...
www.thebellrays.com
www.myspace.com/thebellrays
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
My Year In Music, Pt. 5 ... Danielia Cotton, The BellRays & Little Jackie
It has dawned on me, that I haven't really written much about female artists or bands featuring females. Well, being of the female variety myself, that just won't do!
Danielia Cotton: Rare Child
Back in May, I was browsing around the Internet. I tend to do this a lot in an effort to find something that catches my eyes and or ears. I happened upon a story about singer/guitarist Danielia Cotton. As part of the story they had a song being streamed from her then upcoming record Rare Child. Said record was coming out the following week. I liked the song. The following week rolled around and the record became a part of my collection.
I like this record. It stayed on r
epeat on my iPod for a few weeks and in heavy rotation for a good while after that. Cotton has a great voice. She has one of those voices that goes from rockin' out to soulful acoustic tinged songs flawlessly. Hers is a warm voice. A lot of times when singers start wailin' and rock shoutin', it gets painful to listen to especially when people don't know when to stop. This doesn't happen in Cotton's case. She has one of those nice blues rock shouts and she is tasteful in using it.
Lyrically, Rare Child is a personal record. This is one of those records that's best if you just sit and listen to all the way through ... you know something we used to do on a more frequent basis before iPod's, playlists and shuffle modes became the norm. The songs do however stand well on their own for those who don't listen to records as a whole. There's really no filler on this record but the highlights for me are, "Make U Move," Rare Child," "Let It Ride" and "Bound."
I think if you're a fan of warm voiced blues rock female singers you'll like Rare Child.
I like this record. It stayed on r
epeat on my iPod for a few weeks and in heavy rotation for a good while after that. Cotton has a great voice. She has one of those voices that goes from rockin' out to soulful acoustic tinged songs flawlessly. Hers is a warm voice. A lot of times when singers start wailin' and rock shoutin', it gets painful to listen to especially when people don't know when to stop. This doesn't happen in Cotton's case. She has one of those nice blues rock shouts and she is tasteful in using it.Lyrically, Rare Child is a personal record. This is one of those records that's best if you just sit and listen to all the way through ... you know something we used to do on a more frequent basis before iPod's, playlists and shuffle modes became the norm. The songs do however stand well on their own for those who don't listen to records as a whole. There's really no filler on this record but the highlights for me are, "Make U Move," Rare Child," "Let It Ride" and "Bound."
I think if you're a fan of warm voiced blues rock female singers you'll like Rare Child.
Track Listing
- Make U Move
- Testify
- Didn't U
- Bang My Drum
- Rare Child
- Running
- Righteous People
- Dark Desire
- Let It Ride
- Bound
http://www.myspace.com/danieliacotton
The BellRays: Hard Sweet and Sticky
I became familiar with The BellRays sometime in 2007 when I was going through a female rock singer phase. Some browsing
around the Internet led me to Lisa Kekaula, The BellRays' throat. A fan was born.
Earlier this year, The BellRays released Hard Sweet and Sticky. I had instantly been taken by their previous release Have A Little Faith. On first listen to Hard Sweet and Sticky, I was a little disappointed. However, after a few listens I started getting into it. Where as their previous effort was more fiery, this outing was a little more understated. Kekaula's voice was still spot on but overall I felt like it was missing some unmph.
"Psychotic Hate Man" and "Pinball City" both display The BellRays familiar punkish side. My favorite song on the album is "Foot Prints On Water" which also appears on an earlier album the band released. The other highlights, "One Big Party," "Infection" and the low key "Blue Against The Sky."
I like the record but it's not my favorite effort by The BellRays. Would I recommend it? Yes, but I would probably suggest picking up some of their earlier works first.
around the Internet led me to Lisa Kekaula, The BellRays' throat. A fan was born.Earlier this year, The BellRays released Hard Sweet and Sticky. I had instantly been taken by their previous release Have A Little Faith. On first listen to Hard Sweet and Sticky, I was a little disappointed. However, after a few listens I started getting into it. Where as their previous effort was more fiery, this outing was a little more understated. Kekaula's voice was still spot on but overall I felt like it was missing some unmph.
"Psychotic Hate Man" and "Pinball City" both display The BellRays familiar punkish side. My favorite song on the album is "Foot Prints On Water" which also appears on an earlier album the band released. The other highlights, "One Big Party," "Infection" and the low key "Blue Against The Sky."
I like the record but it's not my favorite effort by The BellRays. Would I recommend it? Yes, but I would probably suggest picking up some of their earlier works first.
Track Listing
- The Same Way
- One Big Party
- Infection
- Coming Down
- Footprints On Water
- Blue Against The Sky
- Psychotic Hate Man
- The Fire Next Time
- That's Not The Way It Should Be
- Wedding Bells
- Pinball City
http://www.myspace.com/thebellrays
Little Jackie: The Stoop
I decided to buy The Stoop by Little Jackie after getting the title track as a free download from some service or another. I w
as familiar with Little Jackie vocalist Imani Coppola's work already so it wasn't a big stretch that I might check out this release.
Normally, I'm not a fan of modern pop flavored R&B and even less of a fan of the hybrid R&B/Hip-hop genre. But, "The Stoop" caught my ear with it's laid back infectiousness. Often times, you're misled by a catchy single and the rest of the album holds nothing similar and you end up disappointed. This doesn't happen with The Stoop. The whole album is full of catchy songs. It's a fun record. It often mixes upbeat catchy music with some rather caustic lyrics. It was a perfect summertime record.
I went to see Little Jackie back in October. The songs translate well live adding to the fun sing-a-long nature of many of the songs. The highlights for me, the amusing "LOL," the upbeat fun "The Kitchen," "28 Butts" and my personal favorite, "Cryin' For The Queen."
Fans of upbeat, catchy, pop infused R&B should check The Stoop out if it's not already in your collection.
as familiar with Little Jackie vocalist Imani Coppola's work already so it wasn't a big stretch that I might check out this release.Normally, I'm not a fan of modern pop flavored R&B and even less of a fan of the hybrid R&B/Hip-hop genre. But, "The Stoop" caught my ear with it's laid back infectiousness. Often times, you're misled by a catchy single and the rest of the album holds nothing similar and you end up disappointed. This doesn't happen with The Stoop. The whole album is full of catchy songs. It's a fun record. It often mixes upbeat catchy music with some rather caustic lyrics. It was a perfect summertime record.
I went to see Little Jackie back in October. The songs translate well live adding to the fun sing-a-long nature of many of the songs. The highlights for me, the amusing "LOL," the upbeat fun "The Kitchen," "28 Butts" and my personal favorite, "Cryin' For The Queen."
Fans of upbeat, catchy, pop infused R&B should check The Stoop out if it's not already in your collection.
Track Listing
- The Stoop
- The World Should Revolve Around Me
- 28 Butts
- Guys Like When Girls Kiss
- Liked You Better Before
- LOL
- Cryin' For The Queen
- Black Barbie
- One Love
- The Kitchen
- Go Hard Or Go Home
Thursday, December 18, 2008
No Jingle Bells Here
With Christmas being but a week away, the airwaves are filled with Christmas songs. I'm not really much of a holiday song fan. Every year we get bombarded with remakes of "classic" songs done by various artists in every genre imaginable. There are also the annoying songs like "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" which frankly, I'd be happy never to hear again. Why do people like that song?! With that being said, I thought I'd share some of the holiday themed songs that do get a spin in my music player.
Killola's "Santa, Give Us Something We Can Use" ... nice folks that Killola are, you can download it free on their MySpace page. If you're into the more traditional holiday song, you may want to skip this one. But, if you're into the shall we say, more alternative song with a sense of humor, than this one might be right up your ally.
Bob Schneider's "All I Want For Christmas Is My Methadone" ... I believe there's a version on a record he did with The Scabs and there are plenty of live versions floating around.
The BellRays' "Mary Christmas" ... from their Christmas album A BellRays Christmas. This is for those who like their holiday songs funky and rockin'.
Daniel Iorio Group's "Angels In The Snow" ... Daniel got in the holiday spirit and whipped up a great new song apparently last weekend. You can have a listen over on D.I.G.'s MySpace page or on Last.fm. It's a "demo" but I'd put this on the list of holiday songs I'd buy if it were for sale.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Christmas Time Again" ... the title track from their Christmas album Christmas Time Again. The Southern rockers show off a bit of soulfulness with this holiday piece.
John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" ... yeah, this is about as "classic" as I get when it comes to holiday songs.
Killola's "Santa, Give Us Something We Can Use" ... nice folks that Killola are, you can download it free on their MySpace page. If you're into the more traditional holiday song, you may want to skip this one. But, if you're into the shall we say, more alternative song with a sense of humor, than this one might be right up your ally.
Bob Schneider's "All I Want For Christmas Is My Methadone" ... I believe there's a version on a record he did with The Scabs and there are plenty of live versions floating around.
The BellRays' "Mary Christmas" ... from their Christmas album A BellRays Christmas. This is for those who like their holiday songs funky and rockin'.
Daniel Iorio Group's "Angels In The Snow" ... Daniel got in the holiday spirit and whipped up a great new song apparently last weekend. You can have a listen over on D.I.G.'s MySpace page or on Last.fm. It's a "demo" but I'd put this on the list of holiday songs I'd buy if it were for sale.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Christmas Time Again" ... the title track from their Christmas album Christmas Time Again. The Southern rockers show off a bit of soulfulness with this holiday piece.
John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" ... yeah, this is about as "classic" as I get when it comes to holiday songs.
http://www.myspace.com/killola
http://www.myspace.com/bobschneider
http://www.myspace.com/thebellrays
http://www.myspace.com/danielioriogroup
http://www.lynyrdskynyrd.com
http://www.johnlennon.com
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