Wheeland Brothers showcase their style of Surf Rock at the Tiki Bar Feb. 11

At this year’s OC Music Award’s (OCMA), the Wheeland Brothers will be competing for Best Live Band as well as Best Surf band. Their showcase on Tues, Feb. 11 at the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa inspires the question, ‘what better place to catch this mellow surf band then in the element of the Tiki Bar?’

The Wheeland Brothers are a four piece Beach Rock band from Southern California. In May 2012, they released their first album along with a music video for their first single “Sand in My Sheets.” In July 2013, their second album “Muchos Mahalos” was released along with the music video for their single “Lovin’ on Time.” The Wheeland Brothers have been hard at work with their music and are making their presence in Orange County.

The Wheeland Brothers share their love of beach, waves and good vibes in their music. They have a summertime feel that’s had not to love being in the warm sector of Southern California. Their sound knows how to make you relax and kick back as you’re sitting on the beach enjoying the soothing acoustic sounds of their music.

OC Concert Guide sat down with Nate “Frogg” Wheeland to see if he could give us the inside on any good Mexican joints in the area.

OCCG: How was the band selected to play this year’s OCMA’s?
NW: I’d like to think it was the music… but maybe it was our superb sense of style. Trav performs barefoot in swim trunks most of the time and we do happen to be up for “Best Surf.” Coincidence?

OCCG: You guys are up for Best Surf at this year’s OCMA’s, whom do you see as your biggest competition?
NW: Today the term “Surf Band” is as broad as surf culture itself. You’ve got your short board shredders, your longboard soul surfers, your big wave adrenaline junkies, your wannabe kooks, your big kahunas, your grooms… it makes it difficult to really compare the various styles. All we have in common is music, surfing, and Orange County. Maybe the bands should settle “who’s the best” out in the water.

OCCG: Which brother came up with the idea that you were going to start a band?
NW: For years we kept saying “oo yeah, eventually we’ll record an album and start a band once we (blah blah blah insert excuses here)”. It wasn’t until a backpacking trip to Kalalau on the island of Kauai in 2010, that we both made the decision to “take the plunge” so to speak. We were so inspired by the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands and the all the interesting adventure seekers we met along our journey, that we realized there was no better time than now. Glad we finally went for it.

OCCG: Was there any other musical influence in the family?
NW: When we were growing up our dad listened to a lot of cheesy surf music from the Warehouse discount bin. That got us aware of music artists who made music inspired by the surf lifestyle, such as the Surfaris, Honk, Beach Boys, Cecilio & Kapono, etc. Our dad is also a master story teller and got us in touch with the power of words. Every camping trip he ever took us on was bound to involve an elaborately concocted campfire story based on the surrounding area and local characters. Words are an important part of our music. Lyrics and songwriting bring it all together. Our mom was and still is a worship leader in the church choir. She would sing constantly around the house like a high pitched song bird. Once we began spreading our own vocal wings, she was there naturally to guide and nurture us.

OCCG: Who is in charge of writing material for the band? Or is it a collaborative effort?
NW: Trav and I both write the songs. To us it’s obvious who wrote what but we do tend to influence each other so our styles cross over. In the past, Trav has written the more serious rock inspired stuff. He tends to be more political and deep with his lyrics. My writing style tends to be a little more reggae (and sometimes hip hop) with a lighthearted vibe.

OCCG: Does anyone in the band have any formal music training?
NW: I played in jazz band back in high school. Took a few music history classes in college. Before that we both played clarinet and sax in the Jr. High advanced band. For the most part we’ve just picked it up along the way and taught ourselves.

OCCG: If you could write one song with any musician who would it be? What would the song be about?
NW: If I could write a song with any musician, I’d have to go with Jack Johnson. I love the way he uses melody and lyrics to create a deep yet fun mellow sound. Everything he does sounds so effortlessly amazing. As far as what it would be about… hmmm I guess it just depends on my mood that day. Burritos?

OCCG: If you could perform a huge concert anywhere in the world where would it be?
NW: Somewhere on a tropical beach.
OCCG: Will you be playing any ukulele lullaby’s for us at the show?
NW: We don’t have our set list written out yet but we will probably perform “Sand in My Sheets”. Rhythmically it is very ukulele driven. There are three awesome hula dancers we call the “Teenie Wahines” who perform that song with us occasionally. Great dance—lots of aloha.

OCCG: Where can we stop to get the best Mexican food in town?
NW: This is a toughie! That’s like asking me what my favorite song is– how can I pick just one?! Places I’ve been hooked on over the years in OC include La Tienditas/Cafe Del Sol & Pedro’s Tacos in San Clemente, Bear Flag & Chronic Tacos in Newport Beach, Tuesday street fair burritos & Fiesta Grill in Huntington Beach, and Albertaco’s & A’s in Mission Viejo. Post-surf session burritos always taste the best.

City By Storm will be part of the OC Music Awards with a showcase at the Slide Bar Jan. 28

City by Storm is a local punk, alternative band from Orange County. Lead singer Wade Fitzgerald started the band when he was 18 years old, right after high school. Managing to keep the band together for seven years now this isn’t City by Storms first time being nominated in the OC Music Awards.

City by Storm will be playing another local OC show Wed, Jan. 29 at Hogue Barmichaels.

OC Concert Guide chatted with lead singer of City by Storm Wade Fitzgerald to see how he promotes his band.

OCCG: You are playing in this year’s OC Music awards; who are you looking forward to being in competition with?
WF: We are really looking forward to being on the same stage as our friends in Beneath The Buried again, but we are extremely excited to be competing with all of the amazing musicians and bands in Orange County.

OCCG: Will this be your first time competing in the OC Music Awards?
WF: We were fortunate enough to have been nominated in the past, but this will be our first time competing for best live band. I’m not really sure how we made the cut considering I can think of at least 27 other local bands off the top of my head that I’d rather watch live, but we are very stoked and extremely honored to be back.

OCCG: What do you think the secret is to keeping a band together for so long?
WF: Well if I’m speaking honestly, it’s very, very hard. This band went through so many members within the first few years that it would make your head spin. It’s just difficult to find people that share a common goal with you. It’s equivalent to having 4 girlfriends. I think the secret is staying busy and remembering why you do it. As cheesy as it sounds, you have to keep believing in what you do, have a desire to constantly get better and respect the people that grind it out with you. We are very fortunate to have 5 members who all share a common goal and have nothing but respect for one another.

OCCG: Being that Thrice is one of your major influences, how devastated were you when they announced that they would be on extended hiatus?
WF: It was a hard pill to swallow, but I’ll be very surprised if it lasts much longer. They are legends and I think everyone will miss their live show. Thrice, if you see this, please come back. PLEASE.

OCCG: It seems to me that the opening guitar line to “Little Misfit” is very
reminiscent of some of Brand New’s newer music. Was this intentional?
WF: Haha! I should probably be careful on how I answer this one, but long story short, yes. I think the simplicity of the song between the one electric guitar and bare vocals was influenced by Jesse Lacey’s writing style, which I’ve always been a fan of. Between the Fender Twin Reverb sound and the deeply personal lyrics in which I “over-share” a few things, I can definitely see why it would remind you of the newer Brand New. I’m also taking that as a compliment and there’s nothing you can do about it!

OCCG: What has been your experience so working with indie record labels thus far?
WF: It’s funny, we’ve actually only put our records out under our own label/publishing names. I still don’t fully understand why. I’ve just been told it was easier that way or that we’d make more money…. I haven’t had any major royalty checks come through recently (or ever?), but I guess making no money is still better than owing money? Honestly, I think every band dreams of being on a major label, we just grew up with a mindset of “if I get signed to a major label then I’ve made it!” which isn’t the case in todays music industry. It’s a double edged sword. There are just some things a major label will always be able to do that smaller indie labels can’t. Although, it seems as if this industry changes every day. Thank God we have Billy Klein (Engineer and Co-Owner at Hybrid Studios) to keep us pointed in the right direction! I’m constantly asking him about what’s going on with major labels, indie labels, ASCAP, BMI, licensing rights, etc…I guess it would be a lot easier on both of us if I would just open a damn book rather than harassing him with questions every morning when I get to the studio.

OCCG: As a band, what would you like to see yourselves accomplish in the next five
WF: I think a big goal of ours is to just constantly get better at what we do. There are still so many bands we haven’t played with and so many places we haven’t been. Being a bunch of 25 year olds, these next 5 years are going to have a lot in store for us musically and personally. It goes without saying that after 2013 we can’t wait to see what 2014 brings. We thrive on creating new opportunities and we will continue to do our best as those moments arrive, for now we are taking things day by day. Other than that, Keegan and myself have been very busy at a new recording/film studio I manage called Hybrid Studios in Santa Ana and I know we are both looking forward to having a busy year over there as well.

OCCG: How would you describe your music to people?
WF: People have been asking us that for 7 years and I think I’m 100% guilty of guessing whatever bands I think those people are into, then telling them we sound exactly like those bands just to get them out to our show…

I just don’t have an answer to that and I wish I could tell people something consistent, but I would just much rather have someone new at our show and for them to be able to form their own opinion rather than having a pre determined one based upon the bands I “think we sound like.” I don’t care if they think we sound like Lady Gaga, I just want people to be able to come out and have fun. Obviously we are heavily influenced by punk music and culture, but it’s not about the genre, it’s about the show. I think anyone will leave a Slayer concert wanting to see another one. It’s a great show! I like to hope people feel similar after watching us whether they are fans of our genre or not. Last week we played with Beneath The Buried (a metal band) and one of their fans came up to me after and said “I thought I hated your genre of music until I just saw you play.” I thought that was pretty rad.

OCCG: How do you create a following? Does social media play a big role?
WF: It’s safe to say this is something every band struggles with. It’s all momentum. These next few months we are absolutely swamped in shows, which forces us to keep up our social media, which enables people to post more on their own social media about us when they’re seeing us. It’s a vicious, vicious cycle. Just like anything, the more the name is out there, the more relevant we will be, the more relevant we are, the more momentum we gain, the bigger the momentum, the greater the following. We’ve literally gone from playing in front of 1000 people one month, to 3 people another. These days, with the way technology is, it’s extremely difficult to stay relevant and think of ways to promote yourself that 5 million bands aren’t also using to promote their music. Social media is great, just something we need to be creative with and be able to evolve with.

Midnight Hour joins the OC Music Awards showcase at Detroit Bar Jan. 21

Midnight Hour is a local Orange County band formed in 2006. Midnight Hour will make a memorable mark in the local scene with the debut of there most recent album. The group will be showcasing at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa on Tues, Jan. 21 for the 2014 OC Music Award’s

Midnight Hour is sure to rock the stage for the 2014 OCMA’s. With their solid drumbeat making for a great steady beat and Lodge’s sweet gentle vocals and the soothing guitar sound bringing it all together it is a performance to look forwards to.

OC Concert Guide had a chat with lead singer, Brad Lodge, to see how the band felt about this years OC Music Awards.

OCCG: Do you feel you have a lot of support fro your show?
BL: We have been able to find a fan base, after the first record it was easier to have one. It’s a nice intimate room. We look forward to playing for our fans again.

OCCG: How does it feel to be playing for the OC Music awards?
BL: I attended the first awards, and yes I will be at all the shows. It is
fun being apart of this, you get to see all of the bands you never knew existed in the local area.

OCCG: Any bands we should keep an eye out for?
BL: You should watch out for The Devious Means they are awesome and great people overall.

OCCG: This isn’t your first time being selected to play the OC Music Awards, what have the past experiences been like?
BL: It has been fun it’s a great time to play together with your friends and other locals. We are excited to play new music this time around. We recently did a full-length album. Our guitar player, Tim turned his basement into a studio and place to practice. We are a DIY band and the freedom is great, we can play and record whatever we want.

OCCG: What can we expect from a Midnight Hour show?
BL: A lot of energy, not trying to be too cool or embarrass ourselves. Mostly having a good time and draw the crowd in to be excited about us.

OCCG: What has been your favorite show that you have played so far?
BL: A year ago we played with The Devious Means at beginning of last year at The House of Blues, Anaheim every time we play there the people know the songs and start to sing along with you. It’s also close enough to home, they have good vibes.

OCCG: What does a typical band rehearsal consist of?
BL: First half is mostly goofing around chatting having a beer. I would say the order is talking, beer, then music.

OCCG: What is your writing process?
BL: It’s pretty simple I think of a message or a word and I build a story around it in my head.

OCCG: What would be your dream record label to get signed too? Indie
BL: I would go with any label that is truly excited about music truly and passionate about what they do, in to what we do.

OCCG: Where would you envision your respective lives outside of music-oriented careers?
BL: I don’t know what else, I would be homeless on the streets, or work on my motorcycle as a hobby.

Me and The City play two So. Cal. shows Jan. 12 and Jan. 14.

Me and The City will be preforming two shows at the Whisky A Go-Go on Sun, Jan. 12 and the OC Music Awards Showcase at The District in Tustin on Tues, Jan. 14.

Me and the City formed from a solo project David Matus had created. Trying to expand his solo project David began looking for musicians via Internet bringing him together with his fellow bandmates Tim Alvarez and Taylor Garcia. Since they have been writing and releasing LP’s.

Me and the City has a great blend of pop, indie-folk, and rock that makes their sound seamless. Playing shows throughout Southern California and LA, Me and the City have been known to put on great shows, with their high energy levels, enthusiasm and enjoyable music they are sure to get your feet moving.

OC Concert Guide chatted with David Matus and Tim Alvarez from Me and the City about being selected as part of The OC Music Awards.

OCCG: Where did you guys come up with your name?
DM: I’ve been asked this quite a bit lately and I originally came up with this name when I was a solo artist. The name came from an idea that no matter how much I want to get away from the big city life, it’s who I am. I think as we transformed from a solo act to a band I continue to find new ways it pertains to our music and our lives.

OCCG: What is your writing process? What usually comes first, music or lyrics?
TA: Definitely the music. We’ll start out with a bare bones version of a song with maybe just a few riffs and chords and David will start to freestyle lyrics to come up with the melodies. Sometimes the words he comes up with are off the wall and don’t make any sense, but after that, it’s just figuring out what we want to say and that seems to work for us really well.

OCCG: What are your biggest obstacles as a band?
DM: The biggest obstacle we have had is finding the right musicians. Specifically bass players. We have played with 5 bass players this year, but fortunately it hasn’t slowed us down. We continue to work around it and we have some amazing friends that have helped us. Well that and money.

TA: There never seems to be enough money…

OCCG: Are there any plans for touring in the future?
TA: We like to keep secrets, but I can say we would love to visit strange and unfamiliar lands.

OCCG: Do you feel like you write music for a certain niche?
TA: No way! We try to write music that can relate to anybody that hears it.

OCCG: Is there a certain ritual you go through to prepare for a performance?
TA: We all share high fives and tell each other to have a good show. And while we haven’t done it in a while, we have done the Mighty Ducks chant before. I’m sure the quacks were heard from many confused people.

OCCG: What has been your favorite venue to perform at?
DM: We have played some amazing venues this year. We really love The Slidebar and hope we will be spending a lot of 2014 there. I also really like the Detroit Bar. They have a great atmosphere there and the people who run it are so nice.

OCCG: Has there been a significant evolution in sound or style of music since you began?
TA: Not one that I’m aware of. I don’t think we’ve been around long enough for anything to change.

DM: I do agree we haven’t had any significant changes in our sound yet, but to be honest we continually explore new ideas and are always pushing the boundaries of what we are capable of.

OCCG: You were chosen to play in this year’s OC Music Awards; how do you intend to outshine the rest?
TA: That’s a tricky question. We’ve played with a couple of bands that are also playing and we know what we’re up against.

DM: There are so many good bands in the OC. A lot of our success this year has been how we connect with the audience and we will definitely bring that. We always try to get everyone involved and make sure that everyone is having a good time. If you come to one of our shows you better be ready to clap your hands and stomp your feet.

OCCG: Are there any artists you think may have been overlooked by the OC Music Awards? Which bands in the local scene stand out to you?
TA: I can’t think of any that have been overlooked but I’d say you should be keeping an eye on Rebel Revive.

DM: I don’t think Moonsville Collective made it on this. I had a chance to see them at the Detroit Bar and they have an awesome sound.

Breach The Summit is a hot new local pick at this years OC Music Awards.

Breach the Summit is a local Orange County band from Irvine who will be playing the Yost Theater on Tues, Jan. 7 for the annual Orange County Music Awards.

The band was put together in 2012 by members, Olen Kittelsen (vocals, drums), Sam Beresford (keyboards, piano), Jacob Berger (guitar, keys, backing vocals) and Kody Buxton (bass, backing vocals). With only a year of being a band they have managed to dominate the local music scene, winning various battle of the bands in the local area and score some local gigs at The House of Blues in Anaheim.

Breach the Summit has been previously nominated for the OC Music awards for Best New Artist and Best Live Band. Entering the OC Music Awards for the second time Breach the Summit plans on putting on a memorable performance. With their release of their newest LP Breach the Summit will be showcasing some new material at the House of Blues for the release of their newest LP.

OC Concert Guide chatted with Sam from Breach the Summit to chat a bit about the OC Music Awards and the bands future plans with music.

OCCG: How does it feel to be chosen for this year’s OC Music Awards?
Sam: It’s a huge honor to be a part of the showcase series. There were a ton of submissions and it’s great just to be a part of the top 35 along with so many other great bands. We’re really excited to get to play our showcase because the series is promoted so well and always very well-attended at a great venue in the Yost Theater.

OCCG: Other than the OC Music Awards have you been in any other music showcases?
Sam: We’ve been in several battle of the bands in the past which have tremendously helped us financially and given us the ability to record all the music that we’ve recorded thus far but the OCMAs is the only formal Showcase Series that we’ve been a part of.

OCCG: What are some good sites you recommend for finding new music? Or how do you find your music?
Sam: We usually spend a lot of time looking through upcoming festival lineups because they typically have some of the hottest artists and best up and coming artists. We also browse through Spotify often because of how easy it is to navigate by genre.

OCCG: What are the top three albums we should be listening to right now?
Sam:
1. Mechanical Bull – Kings of Leon
2. Vessel – Twenty-One Pilots
3. Evil Friends – Portugal the Man

OCCG: How often do you play shows in Orange County? Is there a difference in the Orange County scene as opposed to anywhere else?
Sam: The majority of our recent shows have been in Orange County. OC is really great because of the diversity of genres that have devoted followings in the area. It doesn’t always get as much attention as the LA scene however there’s a long history of fantastic artists coming out of OC including No Doubt, The Offspring, Young the Giant, and many more.

OCCG: Give us a brief description of how the band got started?
Sam: Jacob and I (Sam) were put in a band about 6 years ago by our mutual music teacher, Todd Larsen. Todd later was diagnosed with cancer and eventually passed away. At one point, we needed a drummer and found Olen through a mutual friend, and he soon became the lead singer as well. Kody came on as our bassist recently. He shoots acoustic videos for bands in his spare time and offered to do some videos for us. We soon became friends with him and asked him to play bass with us a few months later.

OCCG: What does the band have planned for the future? What steps are you going to take to execute the plan?
Sam: In 2014 we’re looking to play a lot of shows outside of Southern California. We were fortunate enough to win a contest to play at Firefly Music Festival in Delaware, which takes place in June of 2014. Starting then, we’re going to look to expand out of Southern California and play shows around the country using Firefly as a bit of a launching pad.

OCCG: How does the band handle mistakes during a performance?
Sam: One of our policies is to over-rehearse for all of our shows to minimize the chance any of us will make a mistake. Because of this, we never get upset with one another about a mistake because we know that we’re not perfect and everyone messes up once in a while.

OCCG: What advice would you give musicians that are just starting out?
Sam: Write as much music as you possibly can because each song will be better than the last. Also, something that really helped us early on was accepting every show we were offered. We’re a little more selective now, but playing a lot of shows early on helped us to become better performers and tighter as a group.

OCCG: How does the band find time to balance their music alongside other daily obligations?
Sam: The only way to do this is to prioritize. Next to school/jobs, music is our number 1 priority and we devote a significant amount of time to it every day.

Gypsy Mamba spins at the Detroit Bar Sept. 6

NoiseRevolt is Orange County’s latest music outlet introducing audiences of all musical and artistic interests. NoiseRevolt will be hosting its latest event featuring live music and art at The Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa on Friday, Sept. 6. From live entertainment to jewelry and clothing booths to art walks, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

OC Concert Guide talked to Jeremy and Derek from NoiseRevolt to find out more about the meaning behind their outlets, favorite artists, aspirations and what they expect to happen at their next event.

OCCG: How did you come up with NoiseRevolt? What’s the meaning behind it? What’s your purpose?
NR: NoiseRevolt was founded by about a year ago by Jordan Pollard (AKA Jesta). He wanted to create a creative outlet for his friends where they can share and expose a variety of music through events at house parties and bars. NoiseRevolt started in Los Angeles then expanded to Orange County because there is no outlet for EDM (electronic dance music) in Orange County. Our purpose is to come together and expose everyone’s creativity creating a community that involves everyone coming out to see the artists. We want everyone to bring whatever they have to offer because they all have something to contribute. We want a community-based outlet and we want it to become mainstream for everyone to create new bridges at every party they go to and not just solely music, art or people but rather everyone contributing and everyone coming together. It’s not just about the DJ, there’s jewelry, clothing and art. We’re trying to create an experience that you normally wouldn’t find at bars.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to at your event on Friday, Sept. 6 at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa?
NR: Expanding our creative community. There’s The Observatory and Yost which get bad DJs and the OC has a very saturated scene, it’s quite mediocre and pop-y now. We’re trying to expose true talent in the local area that people may not know about. We want to expose them to artists whom they have never heard of, more real and soulful, not recyclable electronic music. We’ve seen a lot of people’s lives change. I’ve already had people come thank us. A lot of these events are underground. They stay by creating a conscious experience making a difference and welcoming people to something they may not necessarily want exactly. However, the community will grow and change. There is huge potential to incorporate people who would have never been open to this. We added “Spoken Word,” so that guests can come say what’s on their mind. Our friend’s dad is a yoga teacher and he’s the one hosting this segment. He enlightens people about the higher conscious. The goal is to expand a bright colorful future and get art to change people and that’s what we’re trying to do.

OCCG: Who is your favorite artist performing at the event and why?
NR: Ravaehfee Zikki. He plays all of his music live on controllers; he’s not just a person pressing buttons. It’s going to be a live set show, not something normally seen in the DJ world. The world of DJs is changing.

Rahfee Zankee will be playing at the Detroit Bar Sept. 6

OCCG: How do you choose the artists you want to play? What do you base them off of?
NR: Well we had our friends play at most of our events and we go to other local shows because we’re trying to support the underground as much as possible.

OCCG: I read that your mantra is, “Fighting for peace with music as our weapon.” How did you come up with that?
NR: It just came out really. We wrote what we stood for. How do you explain what we do? Some things just stands out. Maybe not everyone is ready for what we’re about to present and don’t know what we’re doing. Communicating is part of our spirit essentially, it’s what we strive to do and stand for.

OCCG: How do you think live painting and music will go hand in hand at the event?
NR: at past shows, what they’re hearing inspires people. The artist brush strokes start dancing to the beat while painting because they are inspired by energy, that’s where resonation takes place. It’s more than just painting, it’s pure art.

OCCG: What do you plan to do for your next event in regards to making it better and more memorable and powerful than the last?
NR: We can’t tell you that because every event has been a learning experience but we can tell how much fun people are having and enjoying themselves from the pictures we see taken at our events so we must be doing something right.