Perhaps more than any other genre, Fresh Scouts loves rock and roll. Few types of music move us more than plain old rocked out guitar chords, a heavy drum beat, and a thrumming bass line. It’s refreshing. It’s cathartic. It’s American.
Bloomington, Illinois’s Backyard Tire Fire are one of the few bands left on this planet that know how to just write and perform basic, kickass rock. So you just know we had to track them down and get them talking about how and why they’re so good at what they do.
The guys were good enough to take a few minutes with us before a recent homecoming show at Six Strings in Bloomington, and we’re passing on the love to you, our loyal readers:
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LikeWe’ve all seen them. We all love them. We will never look at treadmills the same way again. Their videos are the pure definition of “viral” and they are constantly evolving not only their virtual fan base, but their sound which continues to mature with time like a fine wine. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Damien and Tim with OK Go at the Metro in Chicago, and they were everything I imagined they would be. Fun, entertaining and mustached (ok, maybe that last part was just Tim.) I was able to ask them about the process behind creating their critically acclaimed release Of the Blue Colour of the Sky and get a backstage look at what makes these guys tick. Check out what they had to say:
After the interview, I was invited to check out the show. I saw OK Go live years ago before the treadmill incident, so needless to say their fan base has grown exponentially since then. The show sold out (easily) and for good reason. Besides the great music spanning their entire collection, crowds were treated to light-up fuzzy guitars with lasers, scrolling marquee blazers, up-close cameras on every microphone and a retro video collection to coincide with the rocking out. Needless to say, there was never a dull moment. If you get a chance to check them out, do so. Their show was incredible and has grown to epic proportions since I first saw them in their musical youth. Check out their tour so you can plan accordingly. Wouldn’t want to miss out on light-up fuzzy guitars with lasers, would you?
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I have been a fan of Justin Nozuka ever since he broke onto the scene in 2007 with his album Holly. “After Tonight”, the smash hit from the record, is still getting play and placement three years later. Nozuka’s got an incredibly soulful voice that is coated with peace, love and harmony. You can’t just listen to a Justin Nozuka record, you gotta feel it.
Nozuka wrote the tracks on Holly when he was just a teenager. It has always amazed me that a young man was not only able to write such incredibly insightful tracks, but he was able to support the songs with such a soulful voice that often sounded beyond its years. Nozuka has had three years to grow and over the course of that time his global touring has matured his writing and tone even more. April 13, 2010 brings the U.S. release of his sophomore album, You I Wind Land and Sea. This very well could be the album that makes Justin Nozuka a household name.
Tank and I had the pleasure of catching up with Nozuka recently as he was testing out some of his material in preparation for the release of the new album. You I Wind Land and Sea is emotional storytelling at its finest. Each track oozes heart and soul and when Nozuka talks about the project you can truly tell that he has connected with what he has done. Check out our exclusive interview with Justin Nozuka and get a deeper look into the mind of an artist that is on verge of a major breakthrough.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Woman Put Your Weapon Down”, “My Heart Is Yours” & “Heartless”
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When we interviewed our good friend Andrew Ripp we were interested to know who he was listening to. He shared the music of Stacy Clark with us and we have been hooked ever since. Clark’s 2007 release, Apples & Oranges, is an interesting experiment that combines folk and elements of electronic. There are moments on this record when her tracks sound like a beautiful blending of Imogen Heap’s style with Vanessa Carlton’s vocals. Clark intrigued us so much that we knew we wanted to track her down for an interview.
Stacy Clark live on stage
We recently caught up with Clark with the hopes of carving out a few minutes from her busy tour schedule. We were treated to a stellar live performance followed up with some great conversations over dinner. In addition to being a creative singer-songwriter, we discovered that she is also a savvy entrepreneur and giving philanthropist. Her music is her passion and she has a plan all mapped out for herself. Just recently, Clark and her band walked away with the “Best Pop Artist” award at the 2010 Orange County Music Awards. Stacy Clark certainly has her head on straight and her sights are set on getting her music out there.
Thankfully, we will be able to get our hands on new music from Clark this summer when she releases Connect the Dots. In the meantime, Apples & Oranges is an album that you need to get acquainted with. Don’t be surprised if “Matter of Time” becomes your new favorite song.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Matter of Time”, “Closer” & “Hello Again”
Check out our exclusive interview with Stacy Clark
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We recently had the good fortune to catch up with Findlay Brown for an interview at an extremely intimate performance in Chicago, IL. After his flight was delayed three times in one day, Findlay waltzed into the room with a calmness and (surprisingly) great attitude almost two hours past his scheduled stage time. Had we not been waiting patiently to hear the music of this more-than-worth-the-wait artist, we may have never even known he was delayed. But that’s just the sort of attitude he has and just the sort of attitude that shines in his music.
This up-and-comer was featured not too long ago on FreshScouts.com and we are more than willing to follow the list of accomplishments Findlay Brown is building. He is exploding onto the US market and has a completely unique sense of musical style (taking bits and pieces from Roy Orbison and Elvis.) It was great being able to sit down with him and get a behind-the-scenes look at someone that has a number of stories to tell (including selling genuine Beatles autographs to buy his first guitar and his brief stint in bare-knuckles boxing.) Check out the interview of Findlay Brown:
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