"The Beatles are the band I think of the most when I'm considering if the music I'm making is good enough."
–Alex Ebert, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Featuring contributions from Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros along with nine up-and-coming U.S. bands across diverse genres, BEATLES REIMAGINED commemorates the 50th anniversary of the recording and release of Beatles tracks from 1963-4, including "From Me To You," "She Loves You"and "I Saw Her Standing There" which cemented the band's status as rock and roll royalty. On October 1, the BEATLES REIMAGINED album will be released on Community Music's "Community Projects" label with a percentage of the profits going to charities involved with music and youth.
50% of profits from the BEATLES REIMAGINED album will be donated to the Rock n' Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles (www.rockcampforgirlsla.org).
BEATLES REIMAGINED honors the greatest modern songwriters of all time while infusing their music with a distinctly 21st century twist. These new interpretations are not simply covers but have acts reinvisioning the songs on their own from alternative folk (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros), acoustic folk (The Well Pennies), indie-rock (Mobley), indie-pop (Jhameel),new-rock (Badwolf), new-wave (Adventure Galley) and electro-dance-pop (Night Panther) through downtempo/lo fi (Feverbody), old school soul (Doom & Gloom) and retro-pop (Leftover Cuties). The Beatles themselves were influenced by American artists such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Elvis Presley, and BEATLES REIMAGINED returns their music to the heartland that inspired them: the United States.
BEATLES REIMAGINED exposes younger audiences to the greatest pop writers in history through cutting-edge interpretations of The Beatles' classic hits. The Beatles transcend music, having left an indelible mark on music, fashion and culture at large. The most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of popular music—with sales of over one billion units - is celebrating its 50th anniversary. They've inspired countless artists in the fifty years since their inception and continue to influence the tastemakers of today.
Originally formed by childhood friends, David Mills and Aaron Johnson, Portland-based Adventure Galley has been on the rise since 2009, playing to crowds of dancing people of all ages across the West Coast. Utilizing an arsenal of synthesizers and drum samples, a love of interesting guitar tones, and the high energy of its live performance, Adventure Galley creates highly original music with unique, powerful vocals and unforgettable melodies.
On January 1st 2012, Adventure Galley premiered the first three tracks from its upcoming full-length debut album exclusively available for online streaming on the high-traffic music blog, EARMILK. The album, a follow-up to 2010's The Right Place To Be EP, was produced and mixed by acclaimed producer Dave Trumfio whose previous work has included albums by Built to Spill, Ok Go, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Wilco & Billy Brag.A new recording of the song "Addict," which was originally featured on the band's 2010 EP and the winner out of 17,000 entrants in a music competition hosted by myspace.com is included among the newly released tracks.
Primarily recorded last springin Los Angeles, at Kingsize Soundlabs (used by artists such as Islands, Passion Pit, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs), the album features a combination of heavy electronic production and traditional rock recording techniques, which results in a sound that is equal parts dance club beat-centric and punk show energetic. Through the process if carefully crafting a debut album, Adventure Galley has created a set of recordings that are sonically dynamic and unique in soundscape, yet remainvocally driven and pop-sensible.
Within three days of their New Years Day release, the tracks Addict and Weekend Lovers held the 6th and 9th spots on The Hype Machine's (www.hypem.com) most popular songs on blogs list, and the word is spreading. With the EARMILK write up, a stark rise in blog attention, and a number of shows in the works around the North West and beyond in 2013, Adventure Galley continues to gain hype in their home state and around the web.
Aaron Johnson- Synth/Keyboards/Vocals
David Mills- Guitar/Vocals
George Schultz- Synth/Keyboards
Jesse Suihkonen- Bass Guitar
Forrest Grenfell- Synth
Brock Grenfell- Drums
The song was recorded at Cloud City Studio in Portland, Oregon, and was engineered by Brandon Eggleston. Produced by Adventure Galley.
Hailing from Orlando, FL, we are a new-rock band comprised of four extremely passionate and artistically fueled individuals.
BADWOLF originated in May of 2011 when guitarist, Adriel Garcia (Atlanta, GA) and singer, Randy Stephens (Dallas, TX) relocated to Orlando after targeting Central Florida as the launching site for the new-rock project. Thoughout the band's first months in Orlando, the two founding members succeeded in furnishing the BADWOLF project with a home studio and composing a catalogue of recordings. Poised for the band's highly anticipated debut album, BADWOLF aquired its third member and bassist, West Palm's own, Joey Parkes, towards the end of 2011. Shortly thereafter, the final and pivotal addition of South-Florida native, drummer, Mike Stebe, completed the band's line-up.
Adriel Garcia played all instruments and programming on the songs - drum machine, guitar, keys, Randy Stephens - Vocals.
Adriel Garcia Productions (home studio) in Orlando, FL
BRETT is a band from Washington, DC that blends dance beats, driving bass lines, lush synthesizers, old drum machines, and hazy guitars.Influenced by artists ranging from The Talking Heads to Depeche Mode to LCD Soundsystem, their songs have been remixed by talented producers such as Mike Simonetti and Viceroy. Brett brings an energetic intensity with their live performance and has performed with artists such as RAC, Flume, Gold Room, Body Language, Ghost Beach, and Jerome LOL. This new band continues to build their fan base and will release their second EP on LA indie label dFM in February.
Mick Coogan - Vocals, Synthesizer
Kevin Bayly - Guitar, Synthesizer
Jon Jester - Drums
Dave Kuehl - Bass
The song was produced, engineered, and recorded by Brett at Casa Elisabetta in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, CA with additional vocal production and mixing by Kyle Downes at Positively 4th ST NE in Washington, DC.
Doom & Gloom are a husband/wife duo currently living in Fresno, CA. After spending time playing in different bands in Los Angeles and New York they ended up in California's central valley where they've found renewed inspiration. Fresno isn't known for much other than being a farmland dust bowl, but it's become the perfect hideaway for them to work on this new project. Valuing song craft over style, Nate (vocals/guitar) & Liska (piano/organ/vocals) have honed in on a simple yet fresh sound that's all their own. Soulful vocals and moody melodic arrangements are notable elements in their music. Excited and anxious for the release of their first full length album, Nate says "some songs have old soul music influences, even bordering on R&B, while others could fit on a country album...we stopped worrying about what our angle would be and just treated each song as it's own constellation and it somehow fits within the universe that is Doom & Gloom."
Nate Cole - vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
Liska Cole - piano, organ, vocals
Recorded at home in Fresno, CA
Feverbody is a project featuring numerous vocalists and densely layered soundscapes with intricate abstract hip hop production from DJ/producer Kaz Gamble. The soulful melancholy of the vocals on "Misery" mixed with the simmering aggression of the distorted saw-wave synths emanates a longing unique to the darker corners of 20th century popular music but with a post modern laptop-in-the-bedroom electronic intimacy.
All instruments & production by Kaz Gamble.
Vocals by Keri Anderson
Recorded in Worcester, Massachusetts
All at once catchy and raw, Gypsy Death Star lights the way for the future of intelligent dance music. The collaborative vision of producer Cesar Augusto & vocalist Wyatt Hull has more than pleased their burgeoning fan base, mixing a blend of ambient electronic with schizophrenic vocals, delivering a one-of-a-kind sound. Their emotive beats and melodic hooks are sure to make the listener think as well as boogie.
Jhameel was once set on the path to officership in the United States Army. Although his linguistic skills in Arabic, Spanish, Korean, and Russian would have been highly rewarded in the military, Jhameel quit the program before signing an irrevocable contract due to personal beliefs about U.S. presence in the Middle East. He then earned a degree in Arabic from UC Berkeley within just two years, graduating summa cum laude. Immediately after, he began his career in music.
Jhameel creates explosively funky music comprised of soul-stirring guitar, immersive synthesizers, triumphant brass, and athletic, melodic vocals inspired equally by Prince and Michael Jackson. He plays each and every instrument on his records himself, creating catchy melodies that settle easily into your mind with human lyrical themes that challenge the heart. Jhameel's skills extend to the mixing board as well, as he produces his own music.
Jhameel's second album, The Human Condition, sparked interest with thousands of music fans, propelling tracks "Bernal Heights" and "The Human Condition" to the top of the Hype Machine Popular Charts. He followed up with the Dance EP, which featured the furiously energetic "Shut Up", a track that took over the Hype Machine charts once more and became Forever 21's flagship song for the fall of 2011. His following two EP's, WAVES and Are You Free, continued the momentum in 2012, with the singles "White Lie," "Waves," and "Shadow of a Man," topping the online charts again, while also entering rotation in major clothing brands such as American Apparel and H&M. Jhameel is currently in the studio, recording his third album to release in spring 2013
Recorded at Jhameel's home studio in Silverlake, LA.
Some things are eternal. Love songs. California sunsets. The ukulele.
Leftover Cuties embody all of that goodness on their debut album Places To Go. Produced by Tony Berg (Bob Dylan, Michael Penn, Jesca Hoop), the eleven breezy, sophisticated songs evoke a magic-hour stroll on the beach with a special someone. Who knows what year it is? Who cares when the songs are this sweet?
To call Leftover Cuties retro or throwback would be too easy, and frankly dismissive. Sure, the music fits beside Billie Holiday, but it's also current in its sex appeal, its sophistication, its confidence. The Cuties' music - plied with upright bass, accordion, the brushed drums, and yes, ukulele - is not slavishly old-timey, but honors its forebears in the right way. Melody. Sharp playing. Stylized, confident, character-laden singing.
When McAllen first moved to Los Angeles from her native Israel (where she served in the army), she was still finding her way musically. "I grew up listening to Israeli music, '90s grunge rock and singer songwriters," she says. After a couple of years trying to make her mark in the city's crowded singer-songwriter scene - a lot of good writers and singers, but not a lot of memorable personalities - she struck up a friendship with multi-instrumentalist Austin Nicholsen.
"One day, Austin walks in with a ukulele," McAllen says, "I thought it was a toy. He started playing and I started singing the lyrics. We wrote 'Game Called Life' in about five minutes."
With a newly defined musical direction, the duo dubbed themselves Leftover Cuties (more enigmatic and distinctive than Old Clementines, and sweeter). Stuart Johnson (drums), Ryan Feves (bass), and Mike Bolger (keys, trumpet, horn and accordion) came on board to flesh out the sound, and the band was off and running. In 2010, that sweet tune written on a napkin in five minutes was tabbed as the theme song for the acclaimed Showtime series "The Big C" starring Laura Linney. The band's fan base swelled, with fans emailing them from all over the world, and their live shows packing them in.
Shirli McAllen - Vocals / Ukulele
Austin Nicholsen - Bass
Michael Bolger - Keys / Horns
Stuart Johnson - Drums
Recorded at Cuties' home studio, Venice, CA.
Led by singer & songwriter Anthony Watkins II, Mobley is an indie rock outfit based in Austin, TX. Although a penchant for genre-hopping can sometimes make Mobley difficult to classify, the songs are often danceable, usually catchy, and always informed by an abiding affection for pop songcraft.
Anthony is currently in the process of making Mobley's debut LP with Chicago-based producer Brian Deck (Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse).
"From Me To You" features bass played by Tim Shelburne.
Night Panther is a Sex Pop band from Doylestown PA. The duo, formed by two best friends Michael Cammarata & Farzad Houshiarnejad turned foursome in 2012 to begin playing out. With Christopher Radwanski on guitar and synths. Influenced by sex & synths, their music received early praise from influential outlets such as My Old Kentucky Blog & Yourstru.ly, and received a best track of the year for 2012 nod from No Fear of Pop.
Farzad Houshiarnejad - Vocals, Keyboards
Michael Cammarata - Bass
Christopher Radwanski - Guitar , Synths
Home studio, "Night Panther Mansion", Doylestown, PA. Produced by Night Panther. Mixed and engineered by Farzad Houshiarnejad
The Well Pennies are a Folk/Pop duo from Los Angeles consisting of husband and wife team Bryan & Sarah Vanderpool.The pair met in Boston while supporting each other's solo sets at popular venues like Club Passim, Lizard Lounge, and The Middle East. They fell in love, ran away to California and released their debut EP that was met with critical acclaim from press like Interview Magazine, Under the Radar, Daily Unsigned, and countless others. Taking influence from Mumford & Sons, The Civil Wars, and Nickel Creek,the band explains "our goal is to write songs that inspire something - however simple - to smile, to love, to get out and experience life." The Well Pennies can be seen touring up and down the west coast preparing for their next record.
Bryan Vanderpool - Vocals, Guitars, Banjo, Percussion
Sarah Vanderpool - Vocals, Wurlitzer, Bells, Mandolin
Tony Green - Upright Bass
Tim Weed - Violin, Viola
Recorded at Ear Gallery Studios in Mt. Washington California, Engineered by Tony Green
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Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros formed in 2007 after singer Alex Ebert met fellow singer Jade Castrinos outside of a cafe in downtown Los Angeles. In 2009 the 10 member troupe released their debut album Up From Below which featured the universally appealing hit “Home” as well as fan favorites “40 Day Dream” and “Janglin”.
The past few years have been spent constantly touring the world while winning over audiences at festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Leeds, Austin City Limits and more. Their follow up album Here featuring “Man On Fire” and “That’s What’s Up” was released in May of 2012 and their recent self-titled third album was released on July 23rd and features “Better Days” and “Life Is Hard.”
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from the Community Music Store or iTunes!