Guadalupe Plata

Giving new life to their deceased influences, the Ubeda, Spain based trio known as Guadalupe Plata spice up their swamp rock foundation with blazing energy on stage and lo-fi techniques in the studio. Inspired by Fred MacDowell, Hound Dog Taylor's rotten slide, Skip James' obscure atmospheres, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and Elmore James, Guadalupe Plata sound like a swampy explosion of Blues history.

On their new self titled album (released February 1st, 2011), the band jams more than wails, frantically executing high energy blues instrumental tracks full of wild slide guitars and deranged drumming. When the singing can be heard, it is lo-fi and distorted, violently hypnotizing, and sounds like spanish voo-doo chants. A true testament to the bands birth origin and Louisiana influence.

As heard in songs like "Lorena" and "Boogie de la Muerte", Guadalupe Plata know how to get down. The boogying bass lines and infectious rhythm could ignite a dust storm at any BBQ and the slide guitar breakdowns are entertaining enough to rock out to while weaving through traffic on your way home. "Veneno" showcases a slower groove that proves not only can they blast off a bayou boogie, but they have the ability to woo and weave through your ear at a comfortable pace and become an at home listen as well.

With an abundance of talent in their fingers, drum sticks, and throaty howls, it's a wonder why Guadalupe Plata hasn't seen more light in the US. But, with their recent showcase at SXSW in 2010, their generosity in releasing free albums, and their eye-catching videos, I have a feeling that Guadalupe Plata will have their shining moment. Perhaps a feature on the next soundtrack of a Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Tarantino grind house influenced flick? It's fate.

Click Here to Listen to Guadalupe Plata on BandSoup!
Click Here for a Free MP3 Download of "Lorena"

Laserfang

It's kind of odd how a wooly mammoth drenched in melting pastels is the first visual impression a band wants to make, but Laserfang, a Salt Lake City based band known for their energetic and unforgettable live performances, sport this prehistoric psychedelic beast on the cover of their debut album with pride,  and its gaudy design (courtesy of artist Sri Whipple) ends up being a perfect accessory to the band's abrasively colorful sound and spirit.

Mammoth, a 9-track trip through a kaleidoscope of funky rhythms, buzzy guitars, stabbing brass, and blotches of electronic noise, is the most interesting album I've heard in over a decade. Devoid of obvious influences and genre, Laserfang should be filed under 'Mindfuck', 'WTF', or have a genre named after them. Each track on the record is named after a famous TV or movie villain and the accompanying music matches each characters menacing facade. "Master Control Program" is the perfect introduction track. It is an 8-minute roller coaster through Laserfang's psyche-- danceable rhythms, trippy transitions, buzzing bass lines, infectious guitar riffs, crisp drums, and oddly hypnotizing vocals-- a true crayola box of noise. "Priss & Roy" enters the vortex like it was part of the intro track and continues to peacock and strut along with Shane Asbridge's retro cries, cradling them in streaks of whirs and computerized keys. "Alan Stanwyck", the bands stand out track, is entrancing. A voodoo cobra like composition that's ready to be lauded by blogs, the giants of indie rock press, and every American Apparel wearing hipster apathetically flicking clove ash into a PBR, which instantly makes me wonder-- why haven't these guys been dubbed 'the next big thing' yet?

The caboose of the record begins to show off a cool and calm side of Laserfang. "Sardo Numpsa" is a slithering jazz smoked cut with latin undertones and "Aunty Entity" a slight nod to the 70's; however, the pace picks right back up with the spastic, robotic vocalized "Baron Vladimir Harkonnen" and "Hans Gruber", the album's closer that gives a smooth landing to one turbulent voyage through the mind of Laserfang.

Despite their cult following in Utah, it took Laserfang five years to put their brains on wax, but the wait was well worth it. Mammoth is a word that not only explains their sound and their shows, but their balls and their future.

Click Here to Listen to Laserfang on BandSoup

(click the artist link to purchase)

Micah Brown

Photo by: William Camargo

The whales migrating off the shores of Capistrano Beach had no idea what hit them when they heard scorching delta blues guitar riffs being mashed together with moody acoustic folk. The ocean holds many of the world's most beautiful creatures and oddities, but is the blob fish a more intriguing species than the Lightnin' Hopkins-Neil Young-Slightly Stoopid spliced musician known as Micah Brown? For an eclectic music fan, I think not.

Listen to Micah Brown on BandSoup!

Eclectic is the proper word to use when describing the young twenty-something singer-songwriter. Micah grew up pounding the drums as a teenaged punk rocker, but in his downtime picked up the basic 12-bar blues. After he relocated to Hawaii for school, Brown traded his drum kit for the more portable acoustic guitar and began to experiment with the strings while penning new songs.

Micah's extensive musical background and wide array of influences built a strong mold, but his most recent experience with Lewis Richards and his 17th Street Records outfit has built Micah into the powerful, emerging force he is today. Richards, a decorated producer that is best known for working with the Dirty Heads, Seedless, and Sublime, has been a huge part of cultivating Brown's infectious style. On Micah's new 7-track EP, Down Like Hail, all of the aforementioned styles and experiences collide and melt together cohesively in one beautiful ball of precipitation.




Released on January 11th, 2011, Down Like Hail is an impressive unveiling. Thoughtful, diverse, and passionate, Micah woos the world with his woeful wails over a buffet of melodic folk and blues arrangements. "Cousin in Berlin" serves as the perfect first impression, teetering between classic slide guitar riffs and a spritely folk riff reminiscent of Winnie Cooper's on screen cue in the Wonder Years. "Down Like Hail" and "Parallel World" have country hues, which cradle Brown's vocals comfortably. "Frustratin' Woman" and "Coming of Age" both show his accessibility, dexterity, song writing abilities, and easily have the fire to make Micah Brown a household name. 

It's more than obvious that Micah is in good hands with 17th Street and Lewis Richards. Down Like Hail is a stellar achievement and will undoubtedly be the foundation of a famed career.

Click Here to Purchase Down Like Hail on iTunes

Keep up on the latest Micah Brown news/show announcements here

FREE mp3 Download of Micah Brown's "Finally Free" featuring Matthew Liufau from Seedless on vocals

4 Videos from BandSoup Bands

How about some more visuals to go along with the great bands that have shared their music on BandSoup? We have featured numerous bands so far and now we are going to hit you with another exciting batch of eye catching videos from: Ace Elijah, Dead Cats Dead Rats, Radioviolet, and Radagun.


Hit the read more button to view the videos!

5 Live Performances from BandSoup Bands

We got some more LIVE performances to check out!

Here are 5 live performances from bands that have uploaded their music on BandSoup. If you have a video or a video of a recent live performance, please email the link to:ryan@bandsoup.com.

On the flip side you can view live performances from: Triple Drop, The Wind-Up, Symmetry/Symmetry, Mass Assembly, and Galaxy Farm.

Click Read More to view the videos.

New Video: Cerebellion- Not the Final Destination

Listen to Cerebellion on BandSoup!

Based in Orange County, CEREBELLION makes its video debut with the hard-hitting, energetic single "Not the Final Destination" from the album Inalienable.  The video was filmed in Yorba Linda, CA at CEREBELLION's studio with Director Anthony Rico and crew. The idea behind the video was to "capture the energy and excitement of our live show" states vocalist Joe Arnold. Vying not to go with the standard live footage video, "we felt we could create something more interesting visually while still maintaining that raw, down and dirty feel," continues Joe.  This is the first single from the genre-bending debut album Inalienable, which has been extremely well received by fans and critics alike.

SXSW Tagline Contest

BandSoup needs your help, so it's contest time!

Team members from the site will be attending this year's SXSW festivities and are preparing numerous handouts and promotional materials to pass out. For our new postcards, we need a brand new tagline that sums up the BandSoup brand. Since we already have "The People's Music" as one tagline, we thought those "people" should create the new one!

After the contest ends, team members will decide their favorite tagline and winner. The winner will receive an amazing BandSoup package consisting of numerous CDs, t-shirts, and other merchandise from bands and artists on BandSoup.com!

Please send your tagline ideas to: ryan@bandsoup.com

How Bands Can Make the Best of SXSW 2011

TrueDIY Panel: Make The Most Of SXSW from Indie Ambassador on Vimeo.

We’re kicking off the new year with a table discussion on the quickly approaching South By Southwest 2011 with Luke Garro of Antler Agency, Steve Theo of Pirate! Promotions, and Tim Luckow of G-house Management. As usual, Ben will host the panel and lead the discussion. 

BandSoup will be there! Who's coming with us?

3 Videos from BandSoup Bands

How about some more visuals to go along with the great bands that have shared their music on BandSoup? We have featured ten bands so far and now we are going to hit you with another exciting batch of eye catching videos from: The Watermarks, Pennan Brae, and Winter of Freedom.

Hit the read more button to view the videos!

BandSoup.com Presents: Pop Rocks (Free Compilation Download)

Here is BandSoup.com's latest 9-track compilation album that showcases some of the site's brightest emerging bands and solo artists that have shared music that both "pops" and rocks.

Pop Rocks is a brilliant collection of impassioned rock music that features choice selections from: Todd Wright (Washington, DC), Shortwave (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Danny Newport (Philadelphia, PA), Cherry Suede (Ottawa), Randy Boen (Nashville, TN), JunkFood (Washington, DC), Born Without Bones (Milford, MA), The Juliets (Detroit, MI), and Tyson Rae (Salt Lake City, UT).

So download the file below and let the future of pop-rock sizzle through your speakers.  

Click Here to Download Pop Rocks

Click a song to listen to Pop Rocks on BandSoup.com
(use your browser's back button to return)

1. Todd Wright Inside
2. Shortwave The Sublime
3. Danny Newport The Break Up
4. Cherry Suede When I'm Gone
5. Randy Boen A Moment Away
6. JunkFood Color TV
7. Born Without Bones Privileges
8. The Juliets Evolved Into
9. Tyson Rae I Swear

Click here for Rabbit Stew

(Free Hip Hop Compilation) 

Click here for Bandabaisse

(Free Indie Rock Compilation) 

The Honey Pies

One of Adelaide's hottest new bands, The Honey Pies, will have you surfing waves of 60's nostalgia as they think of England and its highly energetic, pop riddled surf rock roots on their latest aptly titled album, Think of England.

Combining the Jolt cola injected riffs of The Arctic Monkeys and the Brit-Pop melodies of yesteryear, The Honey Pies are a modern day pop phenomenon. Adding even more luster to Australia's burgeoning indie rock scene, band members Jon Marco (rhythm guitar), Tony Marshall (lead guitar), Tom McCarthy-Jones (bass guitar), and Marcus Warnecke (drums) melt together and become one on Think of England, experimenting with a range of vocals, moods, and sounds while keeping the record cohesive and listener friendly. If the lo-fi garage rock feel to the vocals don't make you swoon, the bubbly instrumentation and vintage vibe will. 

There is no doubt that The Honey Pies' tunes will make some want to do The Frug, The Hitchhiker, and The Watusi, but the Adelaide quartet have enough edge and grit surrounding their sweet center to be friendly to any rock fan's ear. The Honey Pies are a pop band bad boys can listen to.

Click Here to Listen to The Honey Pies on BandSoup

Visit The Honey Pies

Is There Truth in Music?

Is one song truly better than another? Is 'Strawberry Fields' truly better than 'Who Let the Dogs Out'? Is Mozart truly better than Lady Gaga? If intelligent life developed independently on ten remote planets, would their music all converge around the same "good" sounds and musical concepts? Is there some otherworldly Platonic form that defines good music and some artists connect to it more than others?

Or is good music purely subjective, depending only on the ear of the beholder?

Is music subjective or objective? It's interesting that those of us who say objective give pause when considering the differences in music over cultures and time, while those of us that say subjective often turn around instinctively and call a song "bad".

This question fascinates us at BandSoup and we want to know what you think!

Please answer This Poll and comment below:

Ballyhoo!

It's not surprising that a small town band that grew up on the Chesapeake Bay ended up making beer soaked boat music, but Aberdeen, Maryland's Ballyhoo! is much more than a summer fling. Combining reggae, pop rock, and punk, the infectious quartet blends together a refreshing dose of 311, Sublime, Pepper, and blue crab fueled fun that serves as a perfect soundtrack for any beach bum, boater, fisherman, or beer drinking buddy.

Forming in their early high school years, Ballyhoo! continued to gain momentum year after year by writing catchy radio ready tunes and sing along party anthems like "Cali Girl" and "Cerveza" from their first album, Do it for the Money! (2006). Their anticipated 2009 follow-up, Cheers!, was produced by Scotch Ralston (311) and brought the band to new heights, while touring opportunities, features on movie soundtracks and skate videos, and their version of "40 oz. to Freedom" on the Sublime tribute compilation album, Forever Free: A Tribute to Sublime, made "Ballyhoo" a musical force to be reckoned with rather than just mere fish bait.

2011 is going to be a huge year for the band as they prepare a East Coast tour (Fresh Grounds Tour) with fellow Reggae rockers, Iration, who just released their Fresh Grounds EP on February 1st. Ballyhoo! will be playing their new song, "The Front Porch", which has quickly become a BandSoup favorite since they uploaded a few weeks ago and is now available on iTunes, and more from their forthcoming album that is set to release later this summer!

If you live in VA, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgie, or Florida-- make sure to check out the tour dates below and show your support for a great BandSoup band. Dates and cities can be found below. 

Check back soon for an interview with Ballyhoo!

Click Here to Listen to Ballyhoo! on BandSoup!

5 Videos from BandSoup Bands

How about some visuals to go along with some of the great bands that have shared their music with us on BandSoup? We featured the first five bands a week ago and now we'll bring in the new month with another exciting batch of eye catching videos from: High Highs, Danny Newport, Writtenhouse, Junebug and Still Well Angel.

Hit the read more button to view the videos!