I am Jesse Denaro. I grew up in Monroe, NY, a little suburb north of New York City. I grew up in a musical home; my Mom playing piano and my Dad playing drums. I started my musical career when I was in 6th grade, I played "Sweet Home Alabama" with my best friend Matt for about 2 hours. It is a hilarious memory. From there, we realized music was more fun than hockey & football, so we started writing songs and playing "shows" (heavy quotations on that). As we got older we began writing on our own, developing our style and playing out more. It was cool to see how we developed together and then were able to stand on our own and create music we enjoyed. From that day in 6th grade forth, I have just been making music, and it has been awesome.
2. Describe your music the best you can, to someone who’s never heard of you?
I would say it is in the middle of John Mayer, City & Colour, Death Cab For Cutie and Third Eye Blind. It's kind of hard to explain with a simple genre, but these are the comparisons I get most often.
3. Where can we keep up with you?
You can keep up with me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube & my Website! Links below:
Bursting onto the scene just last year, Sydney band, Pulse Mavens have already released an EP and a debut music video and are certainly a band that should be on your radar! We caught up with lead singer Kait Hudson to find out the ins and outs of PULSE MAVENS!
1. Tell us a bit about your band?
We are Pulse Mavens, A Sydney based, female fronted, pop punk/rock band! Pulse Mavens consists of four members myself, Kait Hudson the lead singer and guitarist, CJ on guitar, Joseph Fahri on Drums and Travis Kay on bass! Joseph, CJ and Myself started out as a Pierce The Veil cover band and then began writing originals and added in Trav while we were recording our music video for our debut single 'Fight Back'
2. When did the band form and where did you come up with the name?
We have been around since mid 2013, so about a year now and in that time we have recorded and released our debut EP 'Fight Back', released our music video for 'Fight Back' and began playing shows! I used to really be into this heavy band called Trap Them and one of my favourite songs of theirs was called Pulse Mavens. I looked up the meaning one day and pulse meant life and mavens meant an expert in their field. So ultimately someone who has a lot of life experience and is a teacher of lessons and I really loved that meaning! Plus it sounds a lot better than all the other names we were coming up with! Killing Chaos being one! hahaha *face palm
3. Describe your music the best you can, to someone who’s never heard of you?
I would describe our music as sort of dark rock, aggressive and energetic pop punk? That's a hard question!
4. Where can we keep up with your band?
You can find us at https://pulsemavensofficial.com,
Live Review: Bad Rabbits @ South Cellar, Southampton (11/05/13)
Straight off the back of supporting Don Broco on their UK tour, Bad Rabbits took their own lap of Great Britain with Glaswegian pop-rap five piece The Lafontaines.
Local support for the evening came from Elements and Maybe Neverland who both pulled off interesting sets. Since their new vocalist Graham Rogers settling in, Elements have moved away from their blatant pop-rock sound and turned towards something a little funkier. There was still a strong echo of the current Brit-rock scene, but Elements are definitely setting the tone for something new.
Maybe Neverland were a bit more interesting. Their two vocalists D and Ran had two very different styles which combined in an astounding manner to form a strange sort of fluffy rap, hinting and R&B with an odd pop twinge. Between the six of them they created a strikingly up-beat and euphoric sound which encapsulated and engulfed the whole room.
Main support for the whole tour came from The Lafontaines, who very rarely stray below the Scottish border. Having spent the past year playing with internationally recognised bands like All Time Low, seeing them pay in such a small venue on the south coast is something of a treat. They opened with ‘My Yo-Yo’ the B-side from their single ‘All She Knows’, and followed up immediately with ‘Light up the Background’. Frontman Kerr Okan was triumphantly charismatic, charming the crowd his honest banter. The Fonts, as they’re called by their fans, combine rap with pop-rock instrumental creates something almost entirely unique; they fit as well on this line-up as they would with the likes of Dizzee Rascal or even Chvrches. Towards the end of the set Okan was lost to a bout of his own uncontrollable laughter, but he managed to catch himself and carry on the set like a pro. The Lafontaines finished with ‘Shark in The Water’, topping of a spectacular set with their most memorable tune.
Bad Rabbits have been a long journey, travelling from Boston Massachusetts, but at no point did they feign fatigue. Beaming smiles from start to finish. If you didn’t already know Bad Rabbits, you couldn’t have guessed what they were going to sound like. It was like Fall Out Boy mixed with Maroon 5; Bad Rabbits sound how tropical juice tastes. They were meticulous and intricate; every so often the whole band threw in super-smooth dance moves, effortlessly gliding about the stage. Front man Dua Boakye’s vocal range was absurd, stylistically somewhere between Jay Kay (Jamiroquai) and Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park). They played a number of songs off of their recent album including We Can Roll and Can’t Fool Me. The whole thing was full and exciting, ever changing. Bad Rabbits played as much to each other than anyone else, bassist Graham Messer and guitarist Santi Araujo just about chasing each other about the stage as they danced. As a unit they sounded something like if Michael Jackson fronted Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
Bad Rabbits were exhillerating from start to finish, fuck-rock with a twinge of that special something that just bumps bands into the periphery of the charts. Next time Bad Rabbits are in the United Kingdom it may well be for a much, much bigger tour; there’s no way toilet venues can keep these guys pinned down for much longer.
Gold Coast band Nine Sons Of Dan are releasing a new EP titled ‘Follow The Blood’ tomorrow and are touring nationally with the release of this EP. It seemed like no better time than the present to catch up with them for a quick interview – here’s what bass player Wil Edgar had to say;
1. Who are Nine Sons Of Dan?
Jay sings, Flakey drums, Alex guitars, Dan guitars also, and I (Wil) basseses. I like to think of Nine Sons Of Dan as a "Rock" group. It's a pretty uncommon styling in today's music but I feel it's going to take off real soon!
2. How did you form and where did the name come from?
Rather than the name forming from the origin of the band, the band formed from the origin of the name; Nine Sons Of Dan- A group of good friends with a unified appreciation of good music, good times and a good rapport with a particular liquor store.
3. What makes this EP different from previous music you’ve released?
We have all gained in maturity, unity, musical knowledge, and life experience since the release of our previous music. In my opinion; all of the above is conveyed through what you will hear on this EP. I hope you feel it too!
4. How do you expect the fans to react to this EP?
We have gained such an honest and dedicated following over the band's lifetime. Within that, there seems to be this unspoken appreciation of what we "are about" and an understanding of our message, our growth and our change. We will never take this for granted and I feel that, as long as we stay true, they will stay true to us.
5. Any pre/post show traditions?
Other than drinking copious amounts of latte, we love spending time with the people that have come to watch us perform. We give as much time as possible for the people that have time for us!
6. Three tour must haves?
1. We can't be within an hour of the beach without boards. I'm starting to think Alex is more amphibian than mammal and, if without getting pitched on a regular basis, will dissolve into a soulless husk.
2. The same goes for me and skating. If there is good hillage, I need a board for bomb-age.
3. I haven't told the boys yet but, disguised in an equipment case (taking up valuable flight weight) is my lil espresso machine which will soon become a tour essential. They will thank me later.
7. Who are your musical idols?
Those who are humble, those who share a message, those who challenge the mind, those who treat music as an art form and those who can play their instrument.
My Echo hailing from Melbourne, formed in 2011 and have been working hard on releasing music and are now touring, we wanted to know a little bit more about the band – here’s what we found out.
1. Tell us a bit about your band?
My Echo is a four piece punk/rock band from Melbourne. We comprise of Brenton Perry on vocals/guitar, Darcy Carter on guitar, Henry Hollingsworth on drums and Tom Snowdon and bass. Our second EP was released on May 2nd through Tentotwo Records and can be found on iTunes now. We will be touring nationally through May. All dates can be found at www.myechomusic.com.
2. When did the band form and where did you come up with the name?
The band formed in 2011 with the current lineup coming together in 2012.
The name comes from a track title off of a Rival Schools record called 'United by fate'.
3. Describe your music the best you can, to someone who’s never heard of you?
It is punk rock that is a little swung, a little country and a shitload of energy!
After almost 18 years of making music, The Generators are set to put out their tenth full length album which will be titled Life Gives-Life Takes. We caught up with Doug Kane (vocalist) to find out some more about the new album and perks and cons of being in a band for so long – keep reading to see how it went.
1. Just going to jump right in and ask, after being in a band for so long what would you say are the perks of this and what are the cons as well?
The perks of being in a band for as long as I have would probably be that we have had a decent amount of time to let people who are in our music community know who we are. Playing in a punk band means you have to stick around, and get your name out there so people can get to know you. Its a small community, but its world wide and it just takes some time to get the word out there. Since we have been doing this now for almost two decades, it has been getting a bit easier. The cons of this would be not to become a parody of yourself. Its important to know you are hopefully getting better at what you do and not getting worse. Its even more important to know that as a band, you still remain relevant. If the music you are creating, and the message you are implying is becoming stagnant, then maybe it's time to hang up what you are doing. The old saying goes"you are only as good as the last record you made". I hope that with our new record "Life Gives- Life Takes" The Generators are still growing as a band, and getting better at what we do.
2. With the release of your tenth album soon, what has been the response from your fans?
Well the early response so far seems to be that the fans are excited about the new record and the new songs that we have been putting out on the internet. I think its possible we might be releasing one of the best records we have ever made. We had a very positive experience creating the songs and recording them. The rest of the band feels good about what we have done as well. We have a new relationship with our new label Randale Records out of Germany, and we are setting sail for what looks to be a great Summer with some great shows.
3. How does this album differ from your others? Was the writing and recording process the same or different?
I wanted to try and change things up a bit on this record and just make things a bit more simple. I have noticed that sometimes The Generators music can get a bit detailed, and sometimes the audience craves bit of simplicity. On this venture I ran off The Ramones playbook.. short, fast, and catchy. I hoped that we could keep them wanting more, and to do that, it would take writing catchy 2 minute punk tunes. On some of our earlier records we did that, and I wanted to get back to that with the new album as much as I could. The writing process consisted of hanging out together with some beat up acoustic guitars, and bringing ideas to life. It all came pretty natural. Nothing seemed to be forced, and because of that I feel we came up together with some cool songs.
4. What does a typical live set from you guys consist of?
Well we just go for it! Once again we run things off that old Ramones playbook. Just go, and go, and go! Keep the energy flowing, don't let the crowd come up for air. Drown them with sound, and make them feel they got their moneys worth. We play old songs, new songs, fun songs, and pissed off songs. Its all about keeping people interested. We want to give the crowd energy, and if they give us energy back then we will go tit for tat until we are out of time. That's is how it goes with us. Its all about the flow, and the get up and go.
5. What do you do to warm up for a show?
Hahah.. well we still like to have a small party together. We celebrate that we are going on to the stage, and that we are going to hopefully watch people have a good time off our energetic expense. Its kind of like stepping into the ring for me sometimes. I try to relax my mind and focus on what needs to get done. Once I get up on stage I have a tendency to get tunnel vision, and I get swept away in the moment. It's a strange thing, but I have to admit its always a challenge, but I love it!
REVIEW // Being As An Ocean - How We Both Wondrously Perish
Sounds like: Alexisonfire, Counterparts, and Hundredth
Track to Listen to: Mothers
I first heard about Being as an Ocean about a year ago from a friend who was planning on starting a band which sounded like ‘Defeater and Being as an Ocean’. From the first song I heard from their debut album, Dear G-d, I was incredibly impressed with the variation and sophistication of the music. Since the Californians released their debut, they have toured endlessly around several countries including the US, Canada, and Australia. In 2014 Being as an Ocean release their second album, How We Both Wondrously Perish; providing a demonstration of an evolution and a propelled maturity. On Being as an Ocean’s second album they present an album which is far from a standard Melodic Hardcore release.
Since Dear G-d two members; Jacob Prest (rhythm guitar) and Shad Hamawe (drums); have left to pursue a life away from the band and touring, being replaced by Michael McGough (rhythm guitar) and Connor Denis (drums) respectably. Rather than that stalling the band’s music, the two new members have continued in the same vein as the last, pushing Being as an Ocean further forward. To move along to analysing the music, it is fair to say that the composition of each song is dense, complex, and varied. If it was to be compared to anything, it would be compared to a sentient being; where in there are the obvious features and then what lies underneath, the inner self.
To begin with the guitar phrases and playing, garner a terrific component to the music. The guitar playing is not brash and in your face, rather it provides a subtle mechanism for the albums speed and pace. Both Tyler Ross (lead guitar) and Michael McGough work in harmony, in the guitar ranks and backing and clean vocal duties. The guitar line which starts Death’s Great Black Wing Scrapes the Air is second to none and really introduces the track well. The backing vocals of Ross work wonderfully, while the cleans of McGough provide incredibly catchy and meaningful vocals to sing along to. Accompanying the guitar lines are multiple examples of instrumental tones and atmospheric vibrations, which intermix cohesively with the other instruments. The tones and vibrations provide sophistication, and set Being as an Ocean apart from many of their contemporaries in the hardcore scene.
While it is a fact that there is a bass in How We Both Wondrously Perish, it is not particularly clear in the mix where Ralph Sica’s bass work can be heard. It is not to say that he is a flawed bassist, but it can be said that Sica’s bass work is not particularly evident in this release. I wish I could provide an analysis of his bass work; however it is almost impossible unless I intended to listen to the album at full blast and blow my ear drums. To move on, Connor Denis’s drum work is spot on in How We Both Wondrously Perish. The precision on the toms, the snares and the other drum components is marvellous and should really be admired. On the production, the toms come through especially well. The variation and subtle changes of speed really aid each song on the album along.
The last area to mention is the vocals of Joel Quartuccio. On How We Both Wondrously Perish, the Being as an Ocean singer incorporates two different styles of singing throughout the album. The screaming which emerges in sections of songs is quite good, and definitely does its job sufficiently. The screaming which is used provides that grunt which is required at times on this album. The second style of vocals, the spoken word vocals are really impressive to hear on a modern hardcore release. It is well known that spoken word was considerably more common in 80s hardcore than the modern incarnation of the genre. Personally it is refreshing when it does come up in a release like this one. The spoken word sections are far more powerful than the screaming in Being as an Ocean’s second album. A good example of this is in the song Mothers, where Quartuccio meaningfully utters;
Adorned with quite strength, you’ve proved that meek doesn’t have to be weak. Learned to show love to all, no matter title or rake. While not your own you’ve helped raised me. And for the things you’ve shown me I can hardly offer sufficient thanks.
Like all the spoken word sections, Joel Quartuccio almost preaches like a gospel priest to the listener, in most cases providing examples of human kindness and faith in the goodwill of humankind.
Overall Being as an Ocean provide a terrific effort and performance on their second album How We Both Wondrously Perish, showing why there has been so much plaudit over the band from California. The guitar work is great by both Ross and McGough, and the tones and atmospheric vibrations which accompany much of the guitars are wonderful. The drums provide a fantastic display, as well as the vocals, which are incredibly mature. The only area which is frustrating is the bass-lines which are not very easy to hear. Apart from this fact, the album is thoroughly enjoyable, and How We Both Wondrously Perish is genuinely worth a purchase.
After a shock break up in 2012, Short Stack announced on Sunday April 13 that they were back and with a new single (see ‘Television’ here). We caught up with lead singer Shaun Diviney to get a bit of insight into life back as a band, the new album, Diviney and the best things about being in Short Stack – keep reading to find out what Shaun said.
1. Firstly welcome back, how is it feeling being back together and what’s the response been from the fans so far?
thanks man. the response has been overwhelming and really unexpected. its always a strange time returning after being gone for so long, but if anything it feels like we have more of a following than ever now
2. How did the ‘rebirth’ of Short Stack come about? Has anything changed about the band?
A lot has changed, there were a lot of things we were unhappy with, too much to name really haha but almost every aspect. we addressed those issues straight up & sorted them out early on. We're writing the music all together now, everyone is involved in pretty much everything we do, which has never really happened before but we feel the results are amazing.
3. How was producing the video for your new single ‘television’?
i think it drove andy insane haha. he did such a good job directing our DVD we wanted him to do the video. we scouted it, story boarded it, filmed it and did everything ourselves. andy directed & edited it too. It's one of those things in hindsight we're super proud of, but you never remember how stressful it actually is haha
4. What can you tell us about the new album? Is it very different from your previous music?
It is but it isnt. the songwriting is quiet mature we feel but we've gone back to our roots of just being a rock band. If the song can't be played by the three of us in a garage, we don't want to know about it. playing stadiums it's pretty easy to get caught up in the huge sounds of massive synths & strings, but we're trying to keep it as organic as possible.
5. Will your new album be released before the tour?
No, it's about 3/4 written at the moment.
6. During the time you were split up, Diviney was started, will Diviney still be existing or is Short Stack the primary focus right now?
Towards the end of stack Diviney was on my mind & i feel stack suffered. for me at the moment it's all about short stack. and musically i feel we're all on the same page for literally the first time in our careers.
7. The first shows for your tour have already sold out, how is that for you? (knowing all the fans still support you and very actively)
MENTAL, we've never in our career sold out a show in a day, they always sold out a week or two before. these shows sold out in like an hour haha.
8. What will your set consist of on the ‘Televison’ tour, a mix of old and new songs?
A lot of Stack is the new black, a lot of Bat country & the new ones that people know. We are in the odd stage of our career where we are now cutting singles from our set haha.
9. What’s your favourite thing about Short Stack?
The relationships from it, honestly. the relationship between the fans, the fans and the band & us in the band. it's fun to be in short stack... that and the time 360 put up that video, that was funny as fuck haha
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You can buy their new single television here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/television-single/id859125626
Keep up with everything Short Stack here: https://www.facebook.com/shortstackband
