Greater Los Angeles area band Moonsville Collective will be releasing their new album on October 30, 2015 via Rock Ridge Music. The new album, entitled Heavy Howl, is a raw, rootsy storm of Americana with a mix of mandolin, banjo, slide guitar, drums, harmonica and fiddle. The group, which has seven members (including two generations from the same family), was born out of a string of old-time jam sessions and songwriting circles. Moonsville Collective have held on to that communal spirit, making big-sounding music for a community that is continually growing.

"There are seven of us in the band, and everyone helps shape these songs," explains Ryan Welch (vocals, guitar, banjo). "We all bring a lot of influences to the table, and it becomes this big pot that gets stirred and mixed up into our own sound."

Since forming in 2011, Moonsville Collective have never sounded bigger or more focused than they do on Heavy Howl, a self-produced studio album that finds the middle ground between the group's old-time influences and a more modern sound. It's an album that also bears the energy and electricity of the band's live shows, which have taken Moonsville Collective from their home base in Southern California to stages across the country. Many of the people and cities they've visited along the way make appearances on Heavy Howl, adding a personal element to a record that broadens the band's sound and reach. "We all got in the van and just played a lot of shows," says co-founder Corey Adams of the months before the album’s creation. (He splits most of the band's songwriting and vocal duties with Welch and also plays guitar and banjo.) "All of that reflects in the new songs on Heavy Howl. As writers, we got much more personal. A lot of the songs are reflections of where we've been, who we've met and what we've been up to."

LP: A Season Undone

JASON HEATH AND THE GREEDY SOULS

Los Angeles-based band Jason Heath And The Greedy Souls will release its new album, A Season Undone, via Wayne Kramer’s Industrial Amusement label on September 11, 2015. A Season Undone builds on the same foundation of fiery roots rock heard on their previous albums, which prompted Paste Magazine to call their first record, A Vain Hope Of Horse, “A wonderful debut: ragged, soulful, and well written.” Rock journalist Dave Marsh said of their second disc, Packed For Exile, “Jason Heath and The Greedy Souls speak to the heartache and joy in the world, with the wisdom not to try to separate them, and the skill to make all of it beautiful.”

Their music has attracted heavy hitters Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Wayne Kramer (MC5), and Nels Cline (Wilco) to make guest album appearances and to appear at their live shows. Heath and his fellow Greedy Souls always return the favor, both musically and by participating in their charity events.

The album’s single “Turn On (The Radio)” has the listener blazing down the road, feeling rebellious, heading to a good time with partners in crime. But that good time might be a rabble-rousing Union port closing, the local jail, or a show for the Midnight Mission on Skid Row. In almost every track on this album, you can hear a rally cry, a call to action. “We Came To Work” bellows, “Tell me can you see the writing on the wall/Is there anyone among us who can hear that silence call/The pressure’s building at the bottom of the sea/I feel that spirit movin’ deep inside of me ...We came to work to shine a light.”

That inspiration is delivered with wild accordion from Jason Federici (son of the late Danny Federici, organ/accordionist and founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band), standout keys from Chris Joyner (Ray Lamontagne, Tom Morello, Amos Lee), blistering guitars from Justin Salmons, and those words sung with gusto by Mr. Heath for a song that could define a genre called “Saloon Rock.” Rounding out the band are drummers Abraham Etz and Casey Johnson, Jose Esquivel and Will Mack on bass, haunting lap steel by Tobin Dale, and lush violin by Ysanne Spevack (Smashing Pumpkins, Elton John, David J). Soulful, soaring background vocals by Farayi Dominique and Laura Key elevate several of the tracks, recalling a tent revival or a Sunday service in Harlem. Every single player delivers a spirited performance.

Songs “All The Fighters” and “Evolution Now” take you right back out to the streets to join the struggles, battle cries with banjos, to remind you that through it all, “Your enemy is still your brother.” This band lives this philosophy off-stage all day, serving their brothers and sisters through wonderful organizations like The Midnight Mission, Jail Guitar Doors, and The Danny Fund (named for Federici’s father, Danny Federici, who passed away from melanoma).

The cover photo for A Season Undone was taken by Federici while on tour, during a jaw-dropping, tornado-spawning storm in the heart of the country. Speaking of tours, Jason Heath And The Greedy Souls plans to tour in support of the new album. Dates will be announced soon.

Nicole Turley

Swahili Blonde

“I feel like I’m finally comfortable in my own skin—warts and all,” Nicole Turley confesses. “There’s a grace and ease to self-acceptance that’s really nice.”

Turley has probably focused a lot on this comfort thing, because she is married to guitarist John Frusciante, who created the template for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' clean guitar rock sound. Think what a slick trick that is, given the band's attacking style. To do it so effectively without relying on the use of power chords driven through a Marshall stack says everything about the next-level guitarist that Frusciante...

Woh, you see what happened there? You can't have a Nicole Turley discussion without getting distracted by the enormous talents of her famous husband.

Her Neurotic Yell Records press release details it this way: This state of balance in being had a crucial effect upon the 34 year old musician’s process in making Deities in Decline, her newest EP Swahili Blonde Deities in Decline as Swahili Blonde. Founded as Turley’s solo project in 2009, Swahili Blonde has always involved a varied and multi-talented collective of musical contributors across its releases—including guitarist/husband John Frusciante, Duran Duran bassist John Taylor, Slits guitarist Viv Albertine, Devo drummer Alan Myers, as well as Los Angeles scene staples Brad Caulkins (Fool’s Gold), Laena Geronimo (Feels, The michelle@noisyghostpr.com Like, Raw Geronimo), and Dante White Aliano (Dante vs. Zombies). This particular release, Turley sees as being her first true solo venture. Although she produces and engineers all Swahili Blonde albums in her Los Angeles studio, this marks the first time she has performed everything herself, alongside the string stylings of Laena Geronimo.

Across the EP’s four tracks, Turley examines the concept of unrealistically idolizing the people in our lives we love most. “Whether they love us or hurt us, they become our gods,” she explains. “We build these beautiful temples for them, but because of the delusional energy, it must all come crashing down. For our own good.” On lead track “With Love and a Bullet,” Turley begins to tear down the pedestal, challenging the audience, as well as herself: “Why is it so hard?” she asks interrogatively, over electronic beats, dubby bass lines, and the luscious loops of Geronimo’s violin. “Why is it never enough?” Experimental pop with an emotional home, Deities in Decline is Turley seizing power through self-realization. “The tarot Tower card was a big inspiration. It’s a decline of delusional power and the harm it causes us and the ones we love,” she notes. The EP also delves into familial themes on “Discover Aurora,” a song of hope Turley wrote for her goddaughter, in-which she inspires Aurora to “find her tribe of people, be fearless, and have the courage to be herself.”

Deities in Decline will be released July 21, 2015 on Turley’s own label Neurotic Yell Records. A follow up Swahili Blonde LP is expected late 2015.-RAR

The Bixby Knolls

Bixby Knolls is a section of Los Angeles, and The Bixby Knolls are an L.A. band. One might not initially recognize this from their sound, which is usually described as Brit-Pop. Whatever it is, it is hard-hitting rock that is distinctive in attitude and style. Trolling the Internet, you can find references to The Bixby Knolls and the members of the band that say they move on a little different plane than do other of the not-quite-famous. Maybe it is precognition. They are way cool.

Avid Dancer

Former Marine Jacob Summers doesn't exactly come across as a tough guy with his catchy tune "Stop Playing With My Heart". His rooftop version is just a snapshot of his much groovier studio version. Booking as Avid Dancer, Summers is among the current crop of new romantics with a presence on the west coast club circuit.

Crossing Punk

Los Seis Pistos in Cali

Based in Chihuahua, México, Los Seis Pistos - Iván, Kenio, Tambo, Beto - blend punk, Latin, garage rock to create their unique sound that comes from the cultural development produced by globalization and the approaching of countries around the world, mainly in Mexico and the US. Being at the center of these two countries, the guys have been influenced from an early age (and at the same time) by the traditional Latin music and good old rock and roll; from Elvis to Pedro Infante, these boys have been giving “serenatas” (serenades) to pretty "señoritas" since they were kids to playing their high-energy sound on the streets of Los Angeles. Gearing up to tour the West Coast, the band has put together Punk Will Never Die, an eleven-track collection that showcases both their American punk songs and their Spanish ones. Their sound contains influences from all aspects of rock and roll, punk, ska, blues, and some times even jazz, driven by the blazing high-octane guitar sounds of Kenio, speed unique vocals of Ivan, hard melodic bass lines of Beto, all united by the big, bad-ass drumming of Tambo.

LSP (Los Seis Pistos) is a Punk, Latin, Garage and Rock band from Chihuahua, México. They have a unique sound that comes form the cultural development produced by globalization and the approaching of countries around the world, mainly in Mexico and USA. Being at the center of these two countries, the guys have been influenced from an early age (and at the same time) by the traditional Latin music and good old rock and roll, form Elvis to Pedro Infante, these boys have been giving “serenatas” (serenades) to pretty "señoritas" since they were kids to playing their high energy sound in the LA streets.

Their sound contains influences from all aspects of rock and roll, punk, ska, blues and some times even jazz, driven by the blazing high octane guitar sounds of Kenio, speed unique vocals of Ivan, hard melodic bass lines of Beto united by the big bad ass drumming of Tambo.

In words of legendary music producer Kim Fowley: "As SEIS PISTOS West Coast-Hard Rock consultant, I have to say that SEIS PISTOS are the Latin Ramones for the 21st century rock marketplace. i have produced or written for such 20th century rock success stories as KISS-ALICE COOPER-VAN HALEN-NIRVANA-RUNAWAYS-STEPPENWOLF-BLUE CHEER-SEEDS. I even found time to publish music by MOTLEY CRUE AND BLUE OYSTER CULT. Wearing my hat as rock & roll-hardrock expert, i endorse SEIS PISTOS. These guy’s rock out and they do it in both Spanish and English and they do it from a different cultural perspective, which gets a spicy flavor into rock and roll. I have heard the future of Latin rock music: and that sound belongs to SEIS PISTOS".

After Sixteen years the band have played all around their home town Chihuahua Mexico, the most important cities of Mexico such as: DF, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Durango, Pachuca, Torreon, etc; and have toured Dallas, El Paso, Las Cruces, LA, the 2004 MECA CONFERENCE in Chicago, the 2004 NXNE FESTIVAL in Toronto Canada where they were named best band of the festival by Chartattack magazine with a near perfect 99 score, the band also played at 2005 SXSW in Austin Texas, Canadian Music Week (CMW) in march 2006, Dfest 2006 on July 2006 at Tulsa, OK and Locobazooka in august of 2006, Texas Rock Fest in 2006 and 2013 among tons of bars and small festivals through the USA and México. They have released Six studio LPS, one EP thru independent Mexican labels and music for local TV shows and short films, including the playing of their song “La Vida Facil” in the episode #310 of the Emmy awarded series The Shield.

Also the band completed in 2004 their first US national college radio campaign with long time radio promoter Bryan Farrish, that result in the band inclusion in over 100 stations all over the states and Canada.

In 2004 the band did excellent in songwriting competitions coming up as finalist in the 2004 edition of the John Lennon Songwriting Competition and the Independent Songwriting Contest.

The band has just finished recording their Seventh studio album with producer and Grammy winner Neil Citron (Steve Vai, Yardbirds, etc..) at Sonic Ranch Studios at El Paso TX, the album was called and it was recorded both in english and in Spanish.

In 2006 they release the cd “Korima Punk” in 2009 “Crisis”, both with national distro all over México thru indie label peach records from which the sibgle/videos “La vida facil”, “No puede Ser”, “Fuera”, “Crucial”, “Vivo en la canción” were release and had regular rotation on MTV Mexico and Telehit and is available at myspace.com/seispistos had a very good reception on the audience both on TV and the Internet.

In 2012 the band wanted to do something special to celebrate their 15th anniversary so they headed to the studio to record “ROCKTROSPECTIVA” which is collection of Mexican classic rock songs with arrangements to the style of Seis Pistos, releasing the album in 2013.

sepia-toned folk (The Coals) and dolled-up country (Lynda Kay) to peppy garage pop (The Action Cats) and even full-bore hardcore (It's Casual)

neo-glamsters (Taime Downe's Pretty Ugly club in the '90s), fetishy grinders (Miss Kitty's Parlour), retro-ragers (The Spazmatics)

Tyler the Creator, the enfant terrible front man of Odd Future

Amoureux and the Production Resistance Movement

Formed under the dark shadowy sway of LA palm trees, Amoureux is a bewitching female-led avant-rock duo, whose deconstructed polyrhythms conjure the likes of Fugazi and Talking Heads, married to the synth-pop punk spirit of New Order, Berlin, and Roxy Music.

Amoureux begins as a euphonic love story between bassist Holiday J and drummer Nicole Turley. Both women were dancers in previous lives, and because of this, understand the grandeur of rhythm and movement in human connection. With their debut EP Never Young As Tonight, Nicole and Holiday J decided on an unconventional approach; writing all songs on the instruments closest to their hearts – bass and drums (forever!). Holiday J notes, “With the current climate of music being so sterile and over produced, we decided to capture everything on the cusp of instant creativity. Everything was done in one take, with the exception of a few vocals… We wanted to impart what naturally came out of us, without too much polishing. The idea of beauty in the cracks in between.”

Never Young As Tonight combines elements of post-punk, angular tropical rhythms and elegant, minimalist pop. Dual female vocal harmonies fused with funky bass hooks, tribal jazz drums, lo-fi synths, gypsy violins, and R&B sax makes this a debut with seductively raw pop sensibility.

Use this link to listen to "Lost the Plot" from RARadio.