Benefit Concert 2009

Barricade Buzz will be hosting a benefit concert to raise money for research for an auto-immune disease called lupus (yes, that mysterious disease always mentioned on FOX's hit show, House MD).

We have teamed up with the Lupus Foundation of America's Greater Washington Chapter here in DC and are looking for bands to perform.  If interested, please email us at barricadebuzz@gmail.com.

Thank you.

Bamboozle 2009

The 2009 Bamboozle festival in NJ will feature Fall Out Boy and No Doubt as its headliners.

Other acts include: 3OH!3 (that's 3-oh-3), A Rocket to the Moon, Ace Enders, All Time Low, Bayside, Bloodhound Gang, Boys Like Girls, Brokencyde, Cobra Starship, Danger Radio, Enter Shikari, Face to Face, Forever the Sickest Kids, GWAR, Hyper Crush, Mac Lethal, Mercy Mercedes, Never Shout Never, New Found Glory, Parkway Drive, Scotty Don't, Sonny, The Cab, The Get Up Kids, and We The Kings

Paramore cover

Cincinnati metal rockers, Sea of Treachery, cover "Misery Business" by Paramore.

Check it out on their MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/seaoftreachery

Rise Against

photos of Rise Against from Vancouver
photos by Ashley Perry

Alkaline Trio

photos of Alkaline Trio from Vancouver

photos by Ashley Perry

Happy Thanksgiving

Barricade Buzz is thankful for many things this year, including: all of our families, friends, readers, bands, record labels, publicists, venues, and our troops.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Cover of the week

This is a live cover from Rock Your Weekend 2008.

Vanilla Sky covers "Holiday" by The Get Up Kids

Mocha Club

So Barricade Buzz has been a long time fan of Matt Wertz and we were at a show in Vienna, VA a few years ago and he mentioned a new cause called the Mocha Club.  It's a community based project to FEED, EDUCATE, SAVE, and PROVIDE for people in need in Africa for the price of 2 mochas ($7) a month.  

It's really a great cause and we urge you to think about this, why do you need Africa more than Africa needs you?

The Mocha Club is looking to reform the damaging images that force pity over partnership.  You can see what this organization is doing to make a difference on December 1, 2008.

For more information please visit the official website: http://www.mochaclub.org

Please vote for Vanilla Sky

Vanilla Sky has finally made it to the top 5 on FameCast.com with their video "Goodbye," and really need your votes this week to WIN a feature in SPIN magazine.

So please help them out and vote here.

Thanks,

Barricade Buzz

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to one of our photographers, Ashley Perry!

The Fray is back!

The Fray is back! They've got a single, an album, and a tour all ready for release. The guys will return to the stage in December, with their album scheduled to hit stores in February. Tonight, however, they will release the official video for their new single, "You Found Me." Be the first the see the video tonight on ABC.

You can also join the unofficial Fray Street Team on MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fraystreetteam

Here's the promo for ABC:

What's on your iPod?

Barricade Buzz went around asking "what on your iPod?"


here's what we found:

"Out Tonight" from RENT
"God Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts
"Addicted" by Simple Plan
"Shake It" by Metro Station
"Miss New Booty" by Bubba Sparxxx
"Across the Universe" from the soundtrack to Across the Universe
"Crank That" by Soulja Boy
"Stronger" by Britney Spears
"Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park
"Crush Crush Crush" by Paramore
"Grave Digger" by Dave Matthews Band
"Dangerous" by Akon
"Low" by Flo Rida
"Tear Drops On My Guitar" by Taylor Swift
"Beat It" by Michael Jackson

The Get Up Kids return?

Rumors swarmed this summer about the possible reuniting of the Kansas City indie rock band that split up in 2005. AFter a reunion gig this past weekend in their hometown, The Get Up Kids's MySpace tagline now reads "See You In 2009," which leads us to believe they are set for a comeback!

CONGRATS THERE FOR TOMORROW!!

A big congratulations to There For Tomorrow for beating out All Time Low and We the Kings to snag the "Breaking Woodie" title at this year's MTVU Wood Awards.

Sitting down with Barricade Buzz

Check out some of the bands we've had the pleasure interviewing this month in the "Back Stage" section of BarricadeBuzz.com

Added today: "One on one with Nick Breining of This Building"

Anberlin returns to DC at the 9:30 Club

by Angelyn Thornton

On November 2nd, a quartet of alternative indie rock bands took Washington, DC by storm at the 9:30 Club. The first of the lineup was the Orlando based band, There For Tomorrow, making their first appearance in DC as a group. The four-man ensemble opened with the crowd favorite “No More Room to Breathe” whose video, along with the band itself, is nominated in the Breaking Woodie category for best emerging artist at this year’s MTVU Woodie Awards.
Each member is only 19 or 20 years in age, but appearances can be deceiving. These boys each carried the stage presence with that of a seasoned rock veteran, lending itself to their polished performance. Throughout the set 

(continue reading)

Write LOVE on your arms tomorrow

Tomorrow, November 13, will be the second annual To Write Love On Her Arms day.

For those who do not know, To Write Love On Her Arms aims to defeat depression and prevent suicide.  It's a popular movement among today's music culture, and we ask everyone for the sake the many in crisis, write "LOVE" on your arms.  

If someone asks why, tell them, "I'm giving people who struggle with depression and suicide hope."

It's a great movement, if you're on Facebook.com there's an event page to explain.  If you want to know more about TWLOHA, click the banner.

Move over Rockband

Rockband and Guitar Hero have been leading the music-gaming revolution. But the competition just got a little more heated... or can it even be called a competition. Say hello to Wii Music, the first music arrangement simulator. The game provides players with 60 different instruments, everything from violins to castanets, and the ability to arrange melodies, harmonies, and ensembles.

BarricadeBuzz.com has yet to demo the game, but we're curious to see if perhaps there's a modern day Wii-zart (that's Wii Mozart) out there...

For more information, visit the official website.

Cover of the week

Here's a new thing we're going to start, "covers of the week."

Everyone loves a good, or bad cover.

This week, check out Canadian rockers, Chase the Light and their cover Katy Perry's "Hot-n-Cold"

Watch and VOTE for Vanilla Sky

VOTE FOR THIS VIDEO ON FAMECAST.com (click icon)

check out Broken Heart College

Brian Autore of Vanilla Sky is currently producing a Rome band, Broken Heart College. They remind me of Secondhand Serenade.

Check out "Something We Call Love"



Visit their official MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/brokenheartcollege

+Amy

There For Tomorrow photos

photos by Amy Willard




For more photos of There For Tomorrow, please visit our gallery on MySpace.com

Young band looks to share more than just music with fans

By Angelyn Thornton

photo by Amy Willard

In the cooling air of early November, Barricade Buzz stood in a huddle behind a tour van with the members of There For Tomorrow. (A little sketchy, we know.) We were given the opportunity to catch up with Maika, Chris, Jay and Christian after their set at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC.
On this night, There For Tomorrow rolled into Washington with Straylight Run, Scary Kids Scaring Kids and Anberlin on a nationwide tour that Jay Enriquez, the band’s bassist, simply described as “perfect.” With hair that even I was jealous of, the Orlando-area boys discussed all things TFT including their myriad of promotional gigs, the therapeutic power of music and the pros and cons of being younger artists.
Not even old enough to drink yet, the band is no stranger to life on stage. Though this is their third national tour, this is the first time they are playing to crowds of this size on a regular basis. In addition to touring, There For Tomorrow has also graced the stages of a Warped Tour or two in the past. As for the Warped experience, “it’s just exciting because you’re playing a festival with all these other bands that you’re seeing around you and kind of competing with in a sense,” noted drummer, Chris Kamrada. “But, all in all, it’s nice to see bands that you grew up listening to and bands that you’ve toured with before so it’s kind of like the best of both worlds.”
Being comprised of 19 and 20 year olds, the band occasionally finds that age can be an issue as Maika Maile, lead vocalist and guitarist, explained that sometimes “[other bands] give us kind of a rep but I think we’re a little different. I think we’re starting to get taken seriously. I think we’re a little more mature as a group.”
There For Tomorrow also has an impressive resume of promotions and events to their name. Earlier in the day, Maile and Christian Climer, guitar and vocals, participated in the Game With Fame event hosted by Xbox in which fans were invited to play Halo 3 against the boys on Xbox Live. So how did they hold up? “We got our butts whipped a little,” said Maile, “but we did alright.”
Thankfully gaming skills are not a requisite for rockstars. The band, along with their video for “No More Room to Breathe,” is currently nominated for an MTVU Breaking Woodie Award which honors emerging artists of the past year. “That’s a big deal to us,” said Kamrada, “We’re kind of shocked about the whole thing.”
There For Tomorrow is in the category alongside other up-and-coming artists including All Time Low and We The Kings. Results will be announced on November 19th at the 2008 Woodie Awards to which Maile said “we have no expectations to win. We’re just happy we get to be there and hang out.” Of course, Barricade Buzz wishes the band nothing but the best of luck.
The interview was then interrupted by an eager couple seeking a meet-and-greet and the boys graciously obliged. We later reconvened back at the van for a one-on-one with Maile. With multiple EPs to their name since the formation of the band, the sound has notably matured.
“We evolve as people and change with every experience we have. So it just naturally happens. And, of course, our music and us as a group coming together creatively. That’s going to happen,” said Maile.
For the lead singer, music is a release; it is a means of venting emotions in a way that is relatable to fans. “I want to use myself as an example of what I’ve gone through, what I’ve experienced, what I experience everyday and I want people to be able to relate to that,” shared Maile. The creative process, however is a group effort as he added, “We all have our part, definitely, in writing. I just bring forth the base of the song and then we all come together and do it as one. That’s why it’s a There For Tomorrow song and not a Maika Maile song.”
There For Tomorrow will be on tour through December, after which they will head back into the studio to start work on their first full length album with Hopeless Records. “We’re really excited about what we have to offer with our first full length and what’s going to be on that…We’re excited to go home and write and be creative,” said Maile. Hopefully, we will hear a full release packed with some brand new songs in the not-too-distant future. Until then you can find out more about There For Tomorrow at www.myspace.com/therefortomorrow for music, blog and tour updates.

Electric Touch photos

photos by Amy Willard
October 30, 2008
Hard Rock Cafe - Washington DC
"Pinktober"



For MORE photos of Electric Touch, please visit our MySpace Gallery
http://www.myspace.com/barricadebuzz

Final Request Live

For 10 years, MTV has counted the top 10 videos daily with their popular show, Total Request Live.  This month, the countdown will come to an end as MTV airs the "Final Request Live."  There are only four episodes left until the finale, which will feature appearances by The Backstreet Boys, 50 Cent, Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy, Beyonce, and several others.

Tune into MTV on November 16th and bid farewell as the popular music channel closes the casket one of it's infamous programs.

24 hour music marathon inspires Electric Touch

By Angelyn Thornton
photo by Amy Willard
On October 30th, Barricade Buzz had the pleasure of sitting down with Ross Dubois, Louis Messina Jr, and Christopher Leigh of Electric Touch in a private office in the VIP section as the Hard Rock Café in Washington, DC quickly filled up with awaiting music-goers.

On this night, the venue played host to benefit performances and charity auctions whose proceeds went to various causes including breast cancer awareness and Operation Troop Aid, which raises money to support American soldiers overseas. Minus the band’s front man, Shane Lawlor, we managed to spend some time with Electric Touch to discuss the ins and outs of music, touring and their fans.
The Austin-based group, which formed only in 2007, recently released its self-titled debut album in August, scoring much acclaim from critics. With three Texans and one Brit coming together to make music, the results of this diverse collaboration were bound to be anything but boring.
“A lot of it is like the bread and water of rock and roll,” said Ross Dubois, the band’s bassist. “Like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones. We also have an influence by bands that put on a big performance like Aerosmith or KISS,” he continued.
From vocals to lyrics to performance, the presence of the band’s influences can be found in different ways and at various times. Apparently inspiration can arrive at any moment as Dubois recalled, “The night before our first show, Shane and I just happened to be going through the channels and there was a 24-hour KISS marathon so we watched it and were like ‘Yeah, that’s a good move, that’s a good move!’”
Several minutes into the interview, guitarist Christopher Leigh, who was previously occupied with a search for his jacket, immediately jumped into the conversation (upon its discovery, of course). When asked what kind of first impression Electric Touch wanted its music to make on its fans, Leigh without hesitation, answered simply, “we want you to start spreading the love.” There is an element to the Electric Touch charm that one absolutely cannot deny: their fans are their number one priority.
“It’s all about the fans, you know?” remarked drummer, Louis Messina Jr. “We wouldn’t be here if the fans weren’t there. And if you’re not playing for the fans then you’re just playing for yourself.” Without being signed to a major label or having a radio single, Electric Touch has successfully been winning fans over one city at a time.
“We really want to build our fan base from the ground up,” stated Dubois. “Meaning that we want people to see us and be accepting of our performance and become fans of that,” he explained. The effort is not lost on the fans. The powerful presence that these four men have when they take the stage is undeniable.
“If [the fans] come to the show, we want them to feel. We want them to have just as much of an adrenaline rush as us when we get on the stage...We don’t want to disappoint anybody. It’s our job to entertain them,” remarked Messina.
After having the Electric Touch experience, it is difficult to imagine how any person could go home disappointed. When it comes down to it, an Electric Touch performance is just a damn good time.
“We consider ourselves to be entertainers, you know. Performers as well as musicians,” said Dubois. He added, “We try to give as much effort or more, even, to becoming the best entertainers as well as being artists and musicians.” Done and done.
These guys are no stranger to the concert circuit, having already loaded up with plenty of festival and touring experience, even in their short existence together as a band. In this past year, Electric Touch has played several big-name music festivals including: Lollapalooza and Coachella. Touring and festivals, however, are not easy to compare since they are each a different experience in their own right.
As Messina put it, “People from all over the world come out to these festivals and you’re playing for the world, basically...And the people, they just spread out, they go back to their homes and they start spreading the word there. So that’s what’s so awesome about festivals.”
After the Hard Rock tour, the band has many dates on their schedule back in Texas and will continue to rock America city by city. But are international performances in the future for Electric Touch? That’s not out of the question, according to Messina, “we’ve definitely got to go back to Shane’s hometown and we get to be the cool guys with the cool accents.” Cheers to that.
Shortly hereafter, the conversation digressed into a discussion of the origins of the Tina Fey phenomenon that has swept the nation in the past weeks. Though not entirely pertinent to the interview, it was thoroughly entertaining. Getting back on track, the guys, who opened for Filter on this particular date, noted that the rest of their shows will be with local bands.
As mentioned before, the Hard Rock national tour is helping to support charities raising awareness for breast cancer as a part of “Pinktober.” “It’s a good feeling playing rock and roll for that,” said Messina. And we agree. Although the band has no definitive release date for a second album, or a second album in general, the pieces are, however, falling together as they may.

When the sophomore stylings of Electric Touch are finally ready to be released unto the world, we here at Barricade Buzz have nothing by high hopes for them. If their loyal fan base is any indication of the support that they have behind them, success is inevitable.

For more information on Electric Touch, please visit their official website at ElectricTouchmusic.com

You can also purchase their debut album on Amazon.com

Playlist

Happy Hump Day.

here are some songs to check out:

"Sing to Me" by Run Kid Run
"Pages" by There For Tomorrow
"We Are" by Number One Gun
"Lukewarm" by New End Original
"Seattle" by The Classic Crime
"Days End" by Ivoryline

ROCK THE VOTE

Happy election day everyone. Be sure to head out to the polls and "Rock the Vote."

If you let RocktheVote.com you voted, you can pick up some FREE mp3's today from some awesome bands like our new favorite, Electric Touch, and many more.

Last night

Barricade Buzz with Maika of There For Tomorrow

November 2, 2008 - 9:30 Club - Washington DC

Last night we got to talk to the guys of There For Tomorrow.  Despite some interruptions with anxious fans, we did manage to get some sort of interview.  The tour is headed south of DC so if you're in Norfolk, Charlotte, Atlanta, or a few spots in Florida be sure to catch the remaining shows with There For Tomorrow, Straylight Run, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and Anberlin.

Vote for Vanilla Sky

Vanilla Sky is a pop/punk band from Rome, Italy with a sound comparable to Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, and All Time Low. They've been a success over in Europe and are now looking to reach the American audience. They support Barricade Buzz and we support them, so head over to MTV's Soundtrack and give 'em a vote.

"Gives You Hell" Music Video

Here's the official music video for the All American Reject's new single, "Gives You Hell."

Sing It Loud photos

photos by Ashley Perry
October 23, 2008
Vancouver BC

Forever the Sickest Kids photos

photos by Ashley Perry
October 23, 2008
Vancouver, BC

Hit the Lights Photos

Hit the Lights - October 23, 2008
photos by Ashley Perry

Cobra Starship Photos

Ashley Perry shot Cobra Starship in concert in Vancouver on October 23, 2008

Here are her photos