NEW WEBSITE! - http://citylightscoverage.com/

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We redesigned and got a new domain for our site!

Check it out:

http://citylightscoverage.com/

NEW INTERVIEW: Love Crushed Velvet

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We got the chance to talk with A.L.X. of  Love Crushed Velvet about how they got started, their new album Delusions, and future tours!

Click here to check out Love Crushed Velvet’s official website.

Read what A.L.X. had to say below:

For anyone who has not listened to Love Crushed Velvet before, how would you describe your sound?

Love Crushed Velvet is a hybrid of modern and retro rock.  There are definitely postpunk elements to our music, but we try to push the genre into contemporary musical relevance.

What makes you unique from all the other bands in your genre?  

The fact that we have blended elements of classic rock, postpunk and modern rock.  There are of course other bands that have done this as well, but I think that we’ve put our own particular stamp on it.

What made you want to start a band?  

I’ve always had a love for performing, as well as writing original music.  I thrive on the energy of playing with a band, and the type of songs that I write were always geared towards playing in that kind of format.  As much as I enjoy playing solo, the camaraderie that you have in a band, both musically and personally, is very special.

Where does the name “Love Crushed Velvet” come from?  

It started as a tongue-in-cheek description of something, and we joked about how it would make a great band name.  Around that time, I’d also been working on a song that had the words “love” and “velvet” in the chorus, but something was still missing.  I threw in the word “crushed” and reworked the verse lyrics, and voila!  It all came together quite quickly.

Can you tell us a little more about your album Delusions?   

When making this album, we made a conscious decision to move away from the overt classic rock and postpunk feel that our debut album had.  At the same time, we still wanted to stay true to who we are musically, and also didn’t want to confuse our fan base by completely shifting gears.  Thus, our challenge was to find ways to present our songs in a way that was different, yet still familiar.  From a thematic perspective, we were also working with songs that had a different feel from our debut album.  We went from writing about the challenges of life in New York City to tackling themes like discontent and broken relationships. In that sense, it’s a lyrically richer album.

Any specific influences behind the album?  

We actually made a conscious decision to play down our influences.  While it was challenging, it gave us more freedom by allowing us to explore a broader musical palette.  Hence, there’s quite a wide stylistic range on the album.

What would you say is your favorite song off of the album?  

Probably “Spotlight”, which is likely to be our fourth single.  It has all of the elements that characterize where LCV is at this stage.  People have compared it to something out of a James Bond soundtrack

Any spring tours in the future for Love Crushed Velvet? 

We’re in the process of organized late spring and summer dates at the moment—stay tuned!

Thank you for your time! Is there anything else that you would like to add?

We just finished recording a new album that is planned for a mid-summer release.  If you like what you’ve heard from us thus far, stick around, because there’s more coming!

 

NEW TOUR: TAUK

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TAUK is currently on tour with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Funky Meters, Lettuce, Dopapod and more!

Check below to see if they are coming your way:

Apr 2 - Allston, MA @ Wonder Bar

Apr 3 - Worchester, MA @ Electric Haze

Apr 4 - Kerkhonkson, NY @ Rock N Roll Resort

Apr 8 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint

Apr 9 - Frederick, MD @ Café 611 w/Moogatu & DeltaNINE

Apr 10 - Philadelphia, PA @ XO Lounge w/AlyCat

Apr 11 - Albany, NY @ Red Square w/ Mister F

Apr 12 - Providence, RI @ The Spot w/ Mr. Breakdown and Slice

Apr 16 - Winchester, VA @ Blue Fox Billiards

Apr 17 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Doc Taylors Seaside Market Lounge

Apr 18 - Charlotte, NC @ The Chop Shop w/ Yo Mama Big Fat Booty Band & Dopapod

Apr 19 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West w/ Motet & Consider The Source

Apr 26 - Philadelphia, PA @ Some Kind Of Jam 9

May 3 - Boston, MA @ The Church w/ Consider The Source

May 4 - Pomfret Center, CT @ Tyrone Farm w/ Aqueous

May 7 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl co-headlining w/Fikus

May 10 - Hedgesville, WV @ Blossoms Blooming Festival

May 14 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird w/ Aqueous

May 16 - Covington, KY @ Cosmo’s w/ Aqueous

May 22 - Richmond, VA @ The Camel

May 24 - Asheville, NC @ Asheville Music Hall

May 25 - Knoxville, TN @ The Bowery

May 30 - Terra Alta, WV @ Domefest

May 31 - Blackstock, SC @ Blackstock Music Festival

June 7 - Asheville, NC @ All Go West

Jun 19 - 20 -  Hedgesville, WV @ Mad Tea Party Jam w/ Dopapod

Jun 27 - Prospect Hill, SC @ The Big What

July 5 - Terra Alta, WV @ Under The Stars

Jul 12 - Berryville, VA @ Pasture Palooza Music & Arts Festival

Jul 25 - 26 - Floyd, VA @ Floyd Fest 

Aug 21 - Bartow, WV @ Camp Barefoot

Sept 12 - Rock Camp, WV @ Pink Moon Festival 

 

** With Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

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We caught up with Spencer Sutherland in Charlotte, NC when the Dangerous Tour rolled through Amos Southend. 

Watch to find out how he got started in the music industry, what his favorite part about tour was, and potential new music!

View photos from his set here

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Thanks for following! 

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We caught up with Ashley Allen in Charlotte, NC when she stopped at Vance High School with High School Nation. 

Watch to see what she has to say about her new EP, future tours, and what touring with High School Nation is like! 

View photos from her set here!

NEW INTERVIEW: Con Bro Chill

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We caught up with Con Bro Chill. Read below to find out more themselves, their free EP and their tour this March. 

Check out Con Bro Chill here!

Read what Con Bro Chill had to say below:

How would you describe your music? What makes your band unique?

Party. Neon. Dance. Fun. Chant. Rock Out. Love Life.

Those are some keywords. I think we’re an insane melting pot of LMFAO party rock, Andrew WK’s vibe, w/ aspirations to write as cool songs like Queen, Talking Heads, and dare I say Van Halen? I always sprinkle in bands like OK GO and Blink 182 as inspiration because we try and take after their hilarious and incredible videos. We put a ton of energy into making our own music videos.

 Where does the name “Con Bro Chill” come from?

It was a nickname I got in college from a surfing bud. We adopted the name as a band because we had built this platform w/ some YouTube skits I did w/ my brother and shortly after we started making songs. Now we’re stuck with the name. Sometimes I like to say, I’m Con (Me, the guy you’re talking to in this interview who’s really cool probably), Bro is my brother Sam, and Chill are my cool buds Steve and Tyler. Just go with it ok. 

How did you come up with the idea for your new music video for “We Came To Party”?

We thought doing the origin story of Con Bro Chill would be funny and because we call our fans the Neon Army we assumed that we probably went through some sort of crappy/absurd boot camp before we joined CBC. Than we did that old double trick and goofed hard.

We also wanted to show off our live show in a music video and we had all this sweet tour footage that our buddy got of us over these 4 shows. So we crammed it all together and tried to get you pumped and dialed in for when you come to our show!

 What can fans expect if they come out to a show on your tour in March?

You’re gonna have a good time. You can come to our show and go insane with us in the front row, or you can sit back and watch the spectacle unfold. Just bring your attitude and strap on some neon if you’re feeling it. 

 What is your favorite thing about being in a band?

Our live show. We love our fans and we love partying with them. You can come and watch our show, but it’s way more fun to sing and dance with us. We call it Party Synergy and we try to achieve it every night we play. 

Any plans for after tour?

More videos, more shows, more fun!

Would you like to say anything else?

If you dig our stuff  (www.conbrochill.com) tell your buds and come out to a show. Love Life!

Thank you!

 

NEW TOUR: Before You Exit

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Before You Exit announce new dates in March! Openers are TBA. 

Check out the dates below:

3.18   Lincoln Theatre                      Raleigh, NC

3.20   World Café Live                      Philadelphia, PA

3.22   GameChangerWorld               Freehold, NJ                                          

3.24  Brighton Music Hall                  Boston, MA           

3.25  The Space                                Hamden, CT

3.27  Jammin’ Java                           Vienna, VA

3.28   Club @ Stage AE                     Pittsburgh, PA

3.29   Lizard Lounge                         Lancaster, PA           

3.30   The National - Matinee            Richmond, VA

3.31   Amo’s                                      Charlotte, NC

NEW INTERVIEW: Albatross

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We caught up with Adam Stockdole of Albatross to see what they have been up to. Read below to find out more about their new EP,  Out From Under, and more!

Check out Albatross here!

Read what Adam had to say below:

Describe your sound. What makes you stand out from all the rest in your genre?

I have always considered myself a folk artist, and when playing electric my influences are far more blues/rock oriented. But i love so many different things, motown, funk, phsyc and i love pop music too so i guess im influenced by it all really. With Albatross, i would say definitely folk, but i have found a lot of people consider my music to have bluegrass appeal. I would say its the instrumentation that makes it stand out and also lean toward that. Since spending time in Nashville, i have really enjoyed playing with bluegrass musicians. They bring the bluegrass to my folk, I bring the british folk singer/songwriter aspect to their bluegrass. With all the influences thrown in there, it makes for an educated and influential musical pallet. Hopefully ha.

How did you become involved in music, and make you want to pursue it as a career?

I got a guitar for Xmas when i was four, my dad played guitar and had three brothers, they were all in a band together. So… i had access to all instruments from the earliest age. My dad also gave me a big stack of records… The Beatles, Dire Straits, Jimi Hendrix… So much cool stuff. I cant ever remember not playing guitar, or loving music. I always feel more comfortable when i have an instrument in my hands.

How have fans reacted to your Out From Under EP?

Ive been overwhelmed by the response to this release. I guess i wasnt really sure what to expect. But its been great, friends in music have been really supportive and i have enjoyed some very nice reviews that have come in… I dont have a big following… but have been playing live for a long time, so for the few that have followed me for a while, im really happy to get this record out and give something back. Its taken longer than i would have liked because of other commitments, and as i self released but it feels good. 

What is your favorite song from the EP? Any specific story or influence behind it?

All the songs represent different feelings to me, both lyrically, and music vibe wise… But i think “i’d give it all up for you” always brings back really happy memories for me.. Just a time and a person that will always mean a lot to me. Also i struggle to write “happy” songs, most of them are reflective, and its normally the most negative experiences in life that evoke the need to say something about that. I guess its all part of the process. Awareness, Acceptance, Action.

What can fans expect when they go out to an Albatross show?

Ha ha, well hopefully the shows are always good. I would hope that more than anything else. But they are always different. I enjoy all different aspects of performing as albatross. When i am solo, it feels really naked and really honest, i enjoy the opportunity to share vulnerability with the audience. And playing the songs in their most simplistic form is really fun too. But when ever i can, i will use whoever is free to play with me, Nashville is such a great town for that. Everyone here can play, and everyone is good. I guess there have been many incarnations of my live band, this was kinda the idea of the moniker… I didnt want people to expect a constant where there never is one. But i have a great relationship with the people who played on the new record, and so play with them most regularly now. They are all songwriters too, so they get it…. We all play on each others projects.

What is something that you wish you could tell yourself that you know now, that you didn’t know when you first started touring?

Thats a tough one, there are so many great things about touring, but unfortunately many awful things too. Extensive periods of time on the road are very tough, it affects your mental and physical health.. The ways in which you approach it determine how much enjoyment you ultimately get out of it…. I would say most of all just to respect how much the body needs routine…. If you can find a way to implement this into touring life, then you’ve cracked it…. Its hard not to want to do everything all the time… And its important to make the most of stuff, there are always perks and unusual opportunities. But “Balance” is the only way to find some kind of equilibrium. Touring is like a magnifying glass over the creative mind…. It just exaggerates everything, the highs are higher and the lows are lower. Its hard to maintain this kind of living. Most musicians live for the moment i would say, and so looking for progress can be hard sometimes.

What made you want to change from being a touring musician (The Kooks, Mumford & Sons) to touring with your own band?

Ive had so much fun with everyone i have toured with. Ive been very lucky. But the time was always gonna come when i wanted to focus on my own thing. You just have to scratch that itch. Its a different thing and so the satisfaction is different too.

Any plans for a Spring tour?

I am trying to plan as much as i can at the moment, there will definitely be some summer stuff, and hopefully some supports towards the end of the year. Im looking at some house concert options for the nearer future.

Would you like to add anything else?

Thanks, to everyone who takes an interest in me and my music. I hope it means something to you. cheerio x

Thanks Adam!

 

NEW INTERVIEW: SIIINES

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We caught up with Electro-Rock group, SIIINES. Check out our interview below to see what they are up to and their new EP Fukushimarama!

Check out SIIINES here!

Read what SIIINES had to say below:

How would you describe your sound? What makes you stand out from all the rest in your genre?

SIIINES is best described as “David Guetta on fire in Paris Hilton’s closet” or if you want to keep it simple, Electro-Rock. I’d say the main thing that sets us apart is our aggressive focus on trying to piss people off via marriage of genres and lyrical topics.

What is your favourite thing about being in a band?

The best thing about being in a band is being able to surprise someone. When you make that perfect cocktail of sounds, visuals and ideas that is a new or perspective shifting experience conjured into existence from air. When it works it’s akin to magic.

What can fans expect from your new EP?

Sex, sarcasm, and honesty.

Specific influences behind the record?

Deadmau5, Kanye West and the entire last 5 years of depressing mainstream rock.

Favorite song on the EP and why?

‘God I Hate Clubs’ is probably my favourite track on the EP because somebody had to say it. It’s like a bad relationship, it’s expensive, you don’t hear what anyone is saying, you have to get wasted to endure it, you always wake up with a headache, but you keep crawling back because, hey… you need to get laid.

What can fans expect from a live show?

Plexiglass, epileptic seizures, and perhaps a half decent band. Definitely something you haven’t seen before.

Any plans after tour?

Attempt to make something bigger and better!

Anything else you would like to add?

Kony2012!!!!

Morgan  

Thank you!

 

NEW INTERVIEW: Alexz Johnson

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Check out our interview with Alexz Johnson below to find out about her new EP, HEART, coming out February 18th! We also chatted with her about her transition from actress to singer. 

Check out Alexz Johnson here!

Read what Alexz Johnson had to say below:

For anyone who hasn’t listened yet, describe your sound, and what makes you unique.

I like to refer to my sound as soulful/folk-pop. I hope to write songs that are classic and not trendy.. records I grew up listening to like Fleetwood Mac and Bruce Springsteen really influenced by sound now. I guess what makes music unique is the person singing it. I write and sing and share everything I can from my personal experiences. Maybe that’s unique? 

What made you want to do the transition from acting to music?

I always did music… a lot of my acting gigs involved writing material for the shows and performing.. I got to a place where I felt I wasn’t experiencing the live/touring aspects of being a musician and I craved that so much. It led me to move to Brooklyn to pursue that. I plan on acting again in the future, but for now I want to put everything I have into these songs and shows.. 

What can fans expect from your new EP, HEART, that will be released on February 18th?

It’s a new chapter for me personally and in my writing as well…   strength in heartache. 

Is HEART influenced from anything in particular?

Love, life, moving to NYC..  healing through sharing my experiences. 

What is your favorite song off the record, and why?

It’s a tie between American Dreamer and Thank You For Breaking My Heart right now… but that changes depending on the day..

What can fans expect from an Alexz Johnson show? Especially for your upcoming tour with Wakey!Wakey and Ron Pope.

I’m opening acoustic so it’ll be nice and intimate! I’m looking forward to this tour…. I catch my flight to the UK in a few hours! 

What is your favorite thing about being a musician and why?

How unexpected life is…. How so much can happen in one day. I love being in movement and on the road.. It’s a gypsy life. I also love giving parts of myself in my writing. When I see people respond it makes the struggle worth it. 

City Lights Coverage is based in the United States, can we expect a U.S. tour anytime soon?

Yes! Hopefully this year! 

Anything else you would like to add?

Thank you for listening! Hope you enjoy the upcoming EP! 

Thank you!

 

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