Broadtexter Weekly

Boom!…we’re GOOD!  We have 6 MORE great artists for you this week!!…that’s SIX!!!

Here are the reviews from last week:

What really sold me on doing a review for State and Madison is that on their Myspace page they have a Youtube video posted which says, “Check out our new video”.  When you click the link you will see the video for the 1992 Color Me Badd (’Bad’ with two D’s) hit ‘All 4 Love’. What a great song!  I actually threw up in my mouth twice before I even got to the first chorus.  I figured any band that had enough of a sense of humor to post this as their OWN video has something going on.

It turns out that I was right - State and Madison has a lot going on.  I would imagine that one of the bands they get compared to often is Maroon 5, which is not at all a bad comparison.  One of my favorite songs is their single ‘If This Was The Moon’.  I like the way that lead singer Nickolas Blazina messes with his voice and plays around within the song.  The rhythm section of Jonah Kort and Anthony Martino, gives State and Madison the perfect foundation for Nickolas and Mark Tatara to build their melodies. 

These Chicago natives were brought together by their mutual passion for music.  The band quickly pronounced their stylistic hybrid, as they displayed a knack for penning hook-filled melodies set to infectious rhythmic pulses and forging rock energy.  State and Madison recently released their EP Consider This A Confession that has a great indie rock/pop sound and feel.  

What I like most about the sound of the new EP is that the band manages to have hooky pop songs without being whinny like so many of the other young bands out their today.  I could see how some people might even say that State and Madison remind them of Good Charlotte or Blink 182, but it is obviously they have their roots much more firmly based in classic rock & Roll.

I find State and Madison to be a very mature sounding YOUNG band - with, not to mention, a great sense of humor.

It is so refreshing to find out about a great band like Moscow Girls through Myspace.  With so many bands on Myspace, it’s hard to get above the massive amounts of mediocre and bad music - Moscow Girls definitely break that barrier.  It’s great to hear a real rock band that is good musically and also has something to say lyrically.  I’m sure the biggest comparison that Moscow Girls get are The Strokes - which is not a bad band to be compared to.  Like The Strokes, the band’s sound is really based around the electric guitar and lead vocals.  With a very solid rhythm section, Moscow Girls are the complete package.

Moscow Girls definitely have an 80’s throw back sound in their melodies and guitar sounds as well.  They remind me of The Smiths with a touch of Duran Duran - if Duran Duran was a bit harder of rock band.  They also have a real similarity to a band that is no longer together from Philadelphia called Huffamoose (Interscope records).  Maybe Moscow Girls were influenced by Huffamoose considering that they too are a Philly/Jersey band.  

Moscow Girls - If I Can’t Dance…

Moscow Girls - Links
Mobile Club
Myspace

Los Huevos is one very cool sounding band.  One of our employees here at Broadtexter said they reminded him of The Meat Puppets.  I can see that comparison along with a more pop and commercial comparison to the band Sister Hazel

The most standout song from this band is ‘About You’.  With a very hooky, pop chorus, Los Huevos adds in their own stamp by having guitarist/vocalist - Vinnie does count-offs and shout-outs that act as a secondary hook.  Lead vocalist Pete has a great rock / indie voice, similar to the lead singer of The Vines.

In this modern world of image as well as music, we would be remiss if we said that a bands ‘look’ is not important (lets face it Scarlett Johansson just came out with an album).  Now, I’m not going to say that Los Huevos looks as good as Scarlett Johansson, but they sure sound a lot better….and they have a great look for indie pop.  It’s nice to see a band who looks the role and also has the music to back it up.  This does not go unnoticed by the bands legions of female fans - visible in their 2008 YouTube video for ‘About You’.

One side note about Los Huevos is that they look like a fun band.  Their shows and music are both high energy.  If you’re looking for a good laugh check out Vinnie in the Youtube video on their Myspace page titled, ‘Anal Splash’.

Many of you may have first come to know Frank Caliendo from his work on MAD TV. Frank does a spot on John Madden, George W. Bush and a great Dr. Phil. Frank has now taken his talents and characters to the TBS Network for the Frank TV show. Caliendo is also busy this summer touring all over the United States doing his stand-up comedy act.

One of my favorite things about Frank Caliendo is that he manages to work brilliant character impersonations along with performing a true stand up show. I’ve also seen Caliendo take on an entire cast of characters as he does in a great bit where he does a made-up Seinfeld episode where Jerry does heavy drugs. In the span of 30 seconds Caliendo is able to play Jerry, George, and Kramer.

Besides seeing Frank on TV, you can also pick up a copy of his DVD which is available on his website. The DVD is shot from a live stand-up show where Frank does a Robin Williams impression that might be more like Robin Williams than - Robin Williams.

For those of you who are David Letterman fans, check out this Letterman clip where Caliendo does his George W. Bush impersonation. There are plenty of clips of Frank Caliendo all over YouTube, but the best way to see him is live or to watch his new show now on TBS! Be sure to sign up for Frank’s mobile alerts as well, to find out his live appearances.

Contributing Writer - Rocco Decicco (Queens, NY) - Ah, Humboldt County…home of the most legendary marijuana ever to surface on American soil.  Renowned enough to send herbal aficionados across the country into mythic, Holy Grail-like journeys to Northern California…and to lead San Francisco area residents down the path of discovery that their hairdresser’s chronic back problems gets them a “medicinal marijuana card” and, thus, access to unlimited Humboldt weed for all their friends and clients! If that’s all that we ever learn about Humboldt, though, it would be quite unfortunate.  Potluck has been at the forefront of the burgeoning hip-hop scene in Northern California for the last ten years, and they are working to make your brain think not only “killer weed”, but also “killer hip hop” when you hear the word “Humboldt”.

On Potluck’s latest release, Straight Outta Humboldt, emcees UnderRated and OneTon keep us constantly on our toes…tackling subject matter that is thoughtful (the questioning and fulfillment of one’s personal destiny in ‘Funeral’), hilarious (putting a girl with an over-inflated ego in check in ‘U Ain’t Fine’), and prideful (bragging about the quantity and quality of marijuana they smoke in their beloved Humboldt).  Whatever the topic, ‘Straight Outta Humboldt’s’ relentless verbal assault, memorable hooks, and consistently thumping beats solidify Potluck’s status as a force in underground hip-hop….with potential for commercial expansion well beyond the indie realm.

Like West Coast legends Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Potluck are experts at the art of braggadocious, effortless storytelling over powerful, complex beats.  Like Eminem, their rapid fire verbal delivery displays both undeniable rhyming skill and a keen understanding of the disillusion and desperation felt by so many.  Like their other West Coast contemporaries Jurassic Five and Pharcyde, their sound is the perfect accompaniment for sunny backyard barbeques, as “my parents are out of town!” dance party, or cruising the avenue for girls while rolling an endless supply of blunts.