Stellar Night.

There's a rare moment, when you're watching a band perform, when you know that you're witnessing something really special. I had that moment last night. 

In the back room of an old guitar store-made music venue in Los Angeles, I watched and listened to Stellar Sons & Daughters...a band that has the talent and soul of musicians that have been doing this for their whole lives....

but the members of Stellar Sons & Daughters are still teenagers.

One of my closest friends from the Berklee College of Music Summer Songwriting Camp, Rosie Tucker, had recently told me that she was in a band, Stellar Sons & Daughters.

(Rosie and me at the show last night!)

 So one day, when I had a few minutes, I sat down and gave them a listen...not to sound overly dramatic, but I kinda freaked out. I don't really want to talk any more about it, because I want you to listen for yourself. Turn up your volume and listen!

On Us

Weird Planet

I was a fan. I couldn't wait to see them live. As I was driving to the show last night, I was hoping and praying that they were as good live, because that's not always the case. My prayers were answered by the first verse of the first song, "Conquered." I must have looked like the biggest goof-ball in the world because I just stood there with a huge smile on my face through each of their five songs. 

There's Jordyn, the lead singer, who seems to have a shyness behind that mother of rock, soulful voice, which makes each of us even more drawn to her. 

As I'm watching the incredible Tyler McCarthy play the heck out of his guitar, I'm thinking "I have never seen anything like this before!" I had never seen anybody play a guitar like that before. 

 I smiled to myself as my friend Rosie, with her natural warmth and humor, engaged the audience between songs, along with her amazing musicianship that I've come to know. 

Erik rocked the keyboards, making them really unique. I'm pretty sure I was hearing some organ sounds.

 And Tyler on drums (I have a soft spot in my heart for drummers...my brother is one :) )...I really believe that a good drummer like Tyler is the heartbeat of a band. 

My explanations really don't do them justice...so you're just going to have to go to their next show. :)

 The future looks bright for Stellar Sons & Daughters. Remember their name. Or better yet...be a part of their rise.

Check them out and "like" them on Facebook! 

Stellar Sons & Daughters Facebook

a little diddy I wrote about a boy...

I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged! I've definitely been missing in action. I don't know how this summer flew by! I went to Barcelona, interned at Bug Music Publishing, helped with an AWESOME concert for The Lucky Lonely, auditioned at the finals for Majors & Minors (new show on HUB) and somewhere amidst all of that, I didn't get to my music blog! I so want to blog about something, but kind of grasping at straws as to what I should write about! A couple of my friends suggested I post one of my original songs. (oh, did I tell you I write songs??) I'm not a singer, as you'll soon find out, but SOMEBODY's got to sing my songs! So I'm reluctantly posting this little diddy I wrote about a boy... the subject matter of most of my songs. I am seventeen after all. ha. Here goes nothin... 

the lyrics.

You were never good for me

Always loved too deeply

Aways saw the best in me

Something I was scared to see.

I was never good for you.

I couldn't really handle the truth

that I was bound to fall too.

So why is it so hard to say

that my heart's about to break

knowin I'll never find the same

love you gave.

I keep thinking that you'll come back

and act like we never left.

Now I'm wanting what I never let us have.

Because of me

it's too late for that.

I miss the way you say my name

push your hair back and look away

Say my smile made your day

I wish you still felt that way.

I'm so sorry for what I did

Ruining us before I let us begin.

At least now, I'm the one suffering.

That's why it's so hard to say

that my heart's about to break

knowin I'll never find the same

love you gave.

I keep thinking that you'll come back

and act like we never left.

Now I'm wanting what I never let us have.

Because of me

it's too late for that.

You don't know what you have til it's gone.

Can't believe it took me this long

to see that I just lost what I thought I didn't want.

And it's my fault

my wrong

my loss.

Funny now how your heart's all I want.

Oh it's so hard to say 

that my heart's about to break

knowin I'll never find the same

love you gave.

I keep thinking that you'll come back

and act like we never left.

Now I'm wanting what I never let us have.

Because of me

it's too late for that.

It's too late. 

Topanga Days

I was planning on writing this blog post about the music I heard at Topanga Days, a hippie/music festival I went to this past weekend in Topanga Canyon, but it's turning out to be a blog about the people that I met there. Being in a crowd of people with flowers in their hair, sitting in a drum circle, and getting an airbrush tattoo of Jim Morrison by a guy that's writing an entire book about the art of airbrush tattoos made this day one to be blogged about! But I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, because after all, a picture's worth a thousand words...

(Andy Dick, yes I said Andy Dick, wrote this poem for me)

Laurel Canyon Country Store

Jim Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Keith Richards, Graham Nash, Carole King, Jimi Hendrix were all there. Books have been written about it. Movies have been made about it. Music was inspired there. 

It's the legendary Laurel Canyon Country Store. 

And I was there today. 

As a true lover of the 70s, I can't help but wish, almost everyday, that I could experience the feelings, the people, and the music of that time.  I walked up to the Laurel Canyon Country Store to the sounds of Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" and colorful flowers painted on the side of the coffee bar. I stood in line behind a record producer, who was talking about a new studio his musician friend put into his house. He and his wife talked to the barista (a french lady who knew everybody's name...except mine of course. I'm hoping that will change soon) casually about their mutual movie star friend. As I waited for my turn to order, I noticed a girl standing behind me wearing a super sparkly shirt, short shorts, and major stilettos. Clothes from the night before??? 

I couldn't help but stare at the boy sitting across from me. I questioned whether or not I was in 1965 looking at a young Bob Dylan. I pretended to be texting when I was actually taking his picture. 

Every person that came in was even cooler than the next. It seemed like everybody had great, messy, hippie hair, no woman was wearing a bra, and everybody knew each other.

I had to slyly and quickly take a picture of this awesome Laurel Canyon couple. British rocker, beautiful woman, what could be more 70s than that?

As I got up to leave, I walked past the young Bob Dylan. I told him I liked his shoes. He looked up at me, smiled, and said Thank you. After I walked by, I turned back around to see him looking at the shoes I complimented him on.

I hope he's there again tomorrow.

I will be. 

Lucky Girl

It's not everyday that you get to hang out with an awesome up-and-coming band, eat nachos while listening to a sneak peak of one of their new songs, and do some Zoolander poses in between recording vocal tracks. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when that was all part of the day I spent with 

The Lucky Lonely!

I have met nice musicians. These are the nicest.

I have met cool musicians. These are the coolest.

I didn't think this was possible, but after getting to know these guys, I think I love their music even more.

The coolest thing (which also made "the LL" even more awesome) was listening to an unreleased song of theirs! 

This is where the magic happens. 

ProCraftMedia's studio is the home to The Lucky Lonely's recordings. A very home-y place, as you can tell by the stuffed-animal giraffe on the speaker. 

Of course we had to end the day with a Zoolander pose. 

I'm thinking I'm going to end every interview/hang out doing this.

(No, Michael and David did not plan on wearing matching plaid shirts. Yes, I am wearing a school uniform.)

There's something special here with The Lucky Lonely.  It seems to be a little rare, nowadays, to find musicians with hearts of gold and major talent to back it up. I suggest taking a listen and be apart of the exciting rise of this band. You'll be the 'lucky' ones. 

If you wanna get a great feel for the band and have the opportunity to support them, go to their KickStarter Campaign,
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theluckylonely/meet-the-lucky-lonely

check out their website : 

http://theluckylonely.com/

I love them. And I know you will too!