Touring with Hinder and Papa Roach as the “Bad Boys of Rock,” this summer, Buckcherry promoted its most recent release “15.” The experienced group of rockers continues to move from smaller venues to become regulars of the arena-rock circuit. Fans have mixed feelings about the listing of bands for the recently completed summer tour. Many are happy that more people are seeing their favorite band, but others state that they think Buckcherry should be the premier headliner.

The group was noticeably away from the rock scene for a couple of years. Now touring again with new members, Buckcherry still comes on with tattooed arms and a driving sound that is similar to just a few other current bands. Josh Todd’s vocals continue to stand out above the hammering guitars (as good vocals should). It’s interesting to hear the ballad quality of the vocals in “Sorry” and the first few bars of “Everything” contrasted with the Robert Plant force of “Broken Glass.” Maybe this fit of different vocal presentations to different beats and guitar styles is what keeps Buckcherry fans coming back.

Buckcherry members Josh Todd (vocals), Keith Nelson (guitar), Jimmy “Two Fingers” Ashhurst (bass), Stevie D. (guitar) and Xavier Muriel (drums) tour Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and several other states this fall.  The tour includes stops in California and Washington state.

[tags]buckcherry, indie music, indie, music, independent music[/tags]

One thing that really stands out about The Hush Sound is their lyrics and the soft yet sharp female vocals by Greta Salpeter. The other members also alternate providng vocals. She also plays the piano. Other band members include Darren Wilson (Drums and Vocals), Chris Faller (bass and vocals), and Bob Morris (vocals and guitar).

The Hush Sound manages to add a little pop to the rock, and the melodies and lyrics are the type that you remember the entire day. Sometimes this is unwelcome. But with The Hush Sound, the memory of the song you listened to that day makes you rush back to listen to more.

The Hush Sound has only released two albums but they already have loyal fans. So Sudden was released in October 2005 and their second album Like Vines made its debut in June of 2006. Founding members Salpeter and Morris originally played acoustic music. They decided to change gears and added the other band members. The acoustic roots are still evident in their newest release, but the evolved sound is much more complex. There music has also appeared in the compilation album Snakes on a Plane: The Album. Their albums are released under the label Fueled by Ramen/ Decaydance.

[tags]the hush sound, indie music, indie, music, independent music[/tags]

Listening to the music of hellogoodbye certainly feels nice, in a passing-time-without-stress sort of way. That probably suits fans well, since many of them post photos of their pets in their blogs and emails. It’s a feel-good following.

Sample songs offered by the band are love songs (“Here In Your Arms,” “Oh It Is Love,” and “All Of Your Love.”) A few minutes of listening and you will be carried back to Herman and the Hermits, John Sebastian and even a bit of Donovan (of Mellow Yellow fame). Yes, hellogoodbye has that innocent and simple sound of 60s pop.

Forrest Kline is a songwriter, guitar player and singer who occasionally adds the banjo to hellogoodbye’s mix of instruments. Jesse Kurvink provides the keyboard sounds that many fans find a refreshing change in a scene dominated by guitar. Marcus Cole is the group’s bass player and for some reason chooses to wear “silly red headphones,” according to band members. Chris Profeta, the drummer and percussionist, provides background that supports the comfortable pop style.

What stands out to many listeners however are the banjo, bells, cymbals and even a glockenspiel. The band takes this instrumentation across Great Britain in November and December, from Cardiff to Newcastle, from Glasgow to Manchester. Consider that the group cites “trees and stuff” as their main influence and emphasize that their music sounds like “candy.” Enough said.

[tags]hellogoodbye, indie music, indie, music, independent music[/tags]

It may be best to talk about Tila Tequila as a performer, rather than use more traditional music-industry terms like singer, rap artist or entertainer. In fact, fans of independent music are still struggling to find a label for what she brings to the show. She acts, she sings, she raps. However, what she does best is talk back.

The numbers certainly show that her style and appearance make her one of the most popular individuals among indie music fans and followers of the current scene, as well as among Web crawlers. Visitors are flocking to her sites by the millions. But this self-described “bitch” has no desire to be the sweetest friend you have. Some early social networking sites asked her to leave because she is so up front in the way she presents herself. But a number of long-standing print magazines have devoted space to Tequila, primarily because she is so popular among visitors to networking sites such as MySpace.com.

Writer Lev Grossman probably hit as close to home as possible in a recent issue of Time magazine. He wrote, “Her self-published single, the profane and attitudinous F___ Ya Man, now playing on her MySpace page, has logged 13 million spins. (To listen to it is to hear the sound track of a million parents’ dreams dying.)”

For Tila Nguyen, of Vietnamese ancestry via Houston, Texas (yes, Houston), self-confidence and 21st century technology are two main pieces in a popularity puzzle.

[tags]tila tequila, indie music, indie, music, independent music[/tags]