Tag Archive for 'john mayer'

DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK: VIV PEYRAT

Published by Sam C. on August 17, 2009 in Download of the Week. 3 Comments Tags: french, guitarists, Jason Mraz, john mayer, Philadelphia, Philly, Pop, Singer-Songwriter, Train, Viv Peyrat.

Viv Peyrat

Viv Peyrat is becoming a fixture in the top rankings of the Pop and Singer-Songwriter Channels. This French born, Philly bred musician has cultivated quite a following in the “City of Brotherly Love,” recently selling out the city’s popular Tin Angel venue. Don’t let the lip ring and the sleeve tattoo fool you —Viv’s soulful croon and heart melting lyrics are definitely the kind of thing you wouldn’t mind bringing home to your Train-loving mom. With enough guitar chops, not to mention fanbases, to give Jason Mraz and John Mayer a run for their money, Viv is a guy you’re sure to hear more of in the future. This week’s free track “Aces High” is fresh off his self-released EP of the same title.

DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK + BONUS Q&A: CLARIAS

Published by Sam C. on July 13, 2009 in Download of the Week. 2 Comments Tags: Bon Jovi, boston, Clarias, Dave Matthews Band, elliot smith, john mayer, Kanye West, Matthew Ellard, Morphine, O.A.R., The Days of Getaway, Weezer.

Clarias

Clarias is one of Boston’s biggest buzz bands. Combining the pop sensibilities of O.A.R. and State Radio with the musical prowess of John Mayer and Dave Matthews Band, this band is destined for some serious success. In May, the band released their third studio LP, The Days of Getaway. This new record shows off the band’s versatility — from epic power ballads to electropop, from dance rock to the blues— and has a little something for everyone. For The Days of Getaway, the band continued to work with powerhouse producer, Matthew Ellard (Elliott Smith, Morphine, Weezer), who produced their previous studio album, Lines. After touring their hearts out all over the Northeast, which included incredible opening spots for Bon Jovi and Kanye West, Clarias is ready for the big time. To find out more about Clarias, I picked the brains of band members Damian and Mike. You can read our Q&A while listening this week’s free download “WINOK”, the first single of their band’s new album.

Since you guys are veterans of the Boston music scene, how come you haven’t moved camp to New York like every other successful Boston band?

MIKE: We like challenges. We’ve talked about relocating the band before. New York is actually about 3rd or 4th on the list. We’ve never really seen ourselves as fitting into a mold of any other band. We’re just a close knit group of guys that love making music together. So, we usually throw the regular formulas out the window.

Clarias has played some pretty notable opening spots over the past couple of years, which one would you say has been your favorite?

DAMIAN: It has to be Gillette [Stadium] with Bon Jovi and Nickelback. We got to explore the stadium, and meeting some notable people and of course play in a huge stage in front of 30,000 people.

MIKE: Playing the Pavilion in Denver was pretty amazing. Steve Page from BNL [Barenaked Ladies] was a great guy, very welcoming, very supportive. And we got the total rock star treatment out there too, taking full advantage of first class.

For your new album, The Days of Getaway, you chose to work with Matthew Ellard again. How does working with him compare to your earlier studio recording efforts?

MIKE: Matthew’s a very talented producer and engineer. When we work with him, he’s got an amazing balance of being both a great friend and a true professional. So, he’s able to tell you when something’s great or disagree with you…it’s all part of being a great record producer. And, even outside the studio, we’ve become great friends so we’ve developed a comfort level with him too. The earlier projects, while appropriate at the time, were more of us learning the ropes.

DAMIAN: When we first recorded with Matthew we didn’t really know each other all that well, where going into this project we had been friends for some time. With that he had a bit more insight into what we wanted and how we work best. We were also able to take a bit longer with him to work on the arrangements and how we wanted to album to sound. We spent more time on pre-production of sound on this album that made our performance time more efficient.

If you guys had the opportunity to integrate inflatables into your live show what would you choose?

DAMIAN: I think giant helium balloons that can lift us off the ground while playing. I’ve always wanted to hover.

MIKE: Could you imagine a full concert on a giant inflatable stage floating down the River Zoar? It would be amazing.

It seems like Clarias has played just about everywhere in New England. How do you keep yourselves amused on those long New England road trips?

MIKE: Long conversations about two topics: History and the Universe. We haven’t even scratched the surface.

DAMIAN: Lots of wise cracks. On the road we’ll play some of our songs to work on new arrangements, quiz each other on various topic from our travel encyclopedia or just listen music and talk. In the hotel we like to play cards.

And finally, if there was a sandwich to be named the “Clarias” at a deli what would be on that sandwich?

MIKE: Oh where do we start? Can it be a breakfast sandwich? It’d probably be most appropriate. If so, we’re talking a couple slices of toasted sourdough bread with honey smoked bacon, two eggs, and the sharpest cheddar cheese you’ve ever tasted. Bottle of hot sauce and you’re ready to enjoy.

DAMIAN: I think it would start with toast marble rye, then mayo, avocado, smoked turkey, spinach, and a slice of sharp cheddar, with a hint of salt.

MY FAVORITE HIGHWAY’S ROAD TO SUCCESS

Published by jayschneider on July 2, 2009 in Artist Feature and Pop. 1 Comment Tags: Alternative Press, Jason Mraz, john mayer, My Favorite Highway, Pop, the click five, The Hills, Virgin Records, Yellowcard.

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In today’s music industry dominated by American Idol and a wide array of pop stars, independent rock bands must often try extra hard to break out. Unlike the cliched qualities of your typically pop rock group, My Favorite Highway is a dynamic quartet that brings new meaning to the scene.

Starting much like any other band, their aspirations could not change the fact that their career’s future looked bleak. The band will be the first to admit that they were almost pushed to their limit and even considered giving up. After weeks of eating only peanut butter in the back of their tour van, the band decided enough was enough and it was time to take a different approach to writing music. David Cook (the band’s main songwriter), “began writing furiously, crafting a series of hook-filled power-pop anthems anchored by keenly felt lyrics about what [the band] was going through.” This classic case of “rising from the ashes” and overcoming adversity, won the band a long list of honors including two song placements on the MTV hit show, “The Hills,” two different Alternative Press features, and most notably, a record contract signed with Virgin Records in November of ‘08.

Following in the footsteps of bands like Yellowcard and the Click Five, this group’s sound is chock-full of pleasing melodies, well-rounded instrumentation, and poppy song structures. Don’t let this fool you though. My Favorite Highway brings a unique sound to the pop realm with heavy, driving rhythm, and to the rock realm with a radio-friendly melodic approach.With self-proclaimed influences including Coldplay, John Mayer, and Maroon 5, the band clearly has the right idea. In fact, their latest album, How To Call a Bluff (recently re-released on Virgin Records) was originally recorded with the help of producer Paul Barber and mixing engineer Jeff Juliano (John Mayer, Dave Matthews, and Jason Mraz).

After signing to Virgin Records, the band is still humbled by the opportunities presented to them. When asked about the recent record deal, lead singer David Cook had this to say:

“It’s all very surreal. It’s very much a ‘dream come true’ kind of experience. This is something that we worked so hard for so long to attain, and it’s really cool to see all of our hard work pay off, so to speak. All of us are very excited right now, but we’re just taking it one day at a time, we know we have a long road ahead of us.”

You can catch My Favorite Highway this summer on the What Happens in Vegas Tour with The Cab, The Secret Handshake, Rocket to the Moon and fellow OurStage band, Anarbor.