http://www.facebook.com/pages/Moonlight-Social/179450492094951
So, my most ardent and loyal readers, the name Moonlight Social isn't new to you. If it is, you obviously have missed out on their original post, my feature on them and the fact that they made my Top 10 List of Discoveries for this past year. And if you're new, well, you should probably familiarize yourself with them now while you have that opportunity so readily available to you.
Now, you're probably wondering to yourself, why have they made yet another resurgence on your blog, Vicci? Well, dear reader, I'll tell you. You see, my buddies known as Moonlight Social have been mighty busy since I last wrote about them. They raised over $16,500 through their kickstarter (the original goal being set at $15,00) and they recorded their debut album--out July 21-- with Matt Noveskey of Blue October. They've been playing shows. They've been keeping fans in the loop with track-by-track videos. They just released a cover of Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men, AND, as of today, they've released their first music video. On top of all that awesome sauce (am I allowed to say awesome sauce, or does that deduct credibility points?) they've been receiving pretty good reviews from people who matter a helluva lot more than I do. You know, people like Gene Foley of Foley Entertainment who said, "Moonlight Social is the real deal. The writing, musicianship and vocals are all outstanding. These songs are as strong as anything on the radio. This is clearly an artist worth your time and attention," so now you guys can see that I'm not just saying they're great because I know them.
It probably would have been easier to list the things they haven't been up to, but hey, the more you know.
Now, on to this music video, shall we?
The song is "Heading South," which, if you pledged $5 to them, you received for download. Honestly, it's a catchy song, and the musicality of it is superb. (It kind of makes my heart warm and fuzzy inside knowing that I know such talented people.) And what I love most about this video is that it is quite literally the video personification of what I believe embodies the band. Note, I could be way off on this one, but that's okay cuz it's my opinion. We get to see a bit of the writing process, we get to see them travel, and most importantly, you get the complete and utter sense of Texas. (There's also a pretty boss fire, but I may be a slight pyromaniac). Maybe I'm a little bit cheesy, but there is nothing I love more than the fact that when you listen this band's music, you can hear Texas. It places you in the middle of a warm day when the sun is shining as you lay in a field surrounded by bluebonnets. Sure, it's a romanticized picture of Texas, but it's Texas nonetheless, and they depict that marvelously in the video. It kind of makes me want to go outside and yell "Texas Forever!" (Friday Night Lights reference, anyone?)
Now, don't get me wrong, that in no way means they aren't accessible to everyone else. I mean, good music is for everybody really, it's just a matter of getting everybody to realize it's okay to find it good. I still stand by what I've said in the past. Moonlight Social is gonna go places. So if I were you, I'd start falling in love with them now so you can say you've been there since the first video, you know, cuz sometimes it's just cool to say you've been there from the beginning.
Go Download: PICK UP THEIR DEBUT ALBUM 'HEADING SOUTH' JULY 21!!!!
Also, after rambling for long enough, here's that video :)
Showing posts with label blue october. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blue october. Show all posts
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Monday, December 5, 2011
Moonlighting the Social Scene
Clouds rolled across the sky, obscuring the moon and what little stars could be seen through the light pollution of Austin. Music floated through the cool night, drawing in spectators like a siren’s song to the western side of the Art Institute of Austin. Harmonies filled the air as guitar and drums accented them. It may not have been the normal scene for live music in the city, but the band that was playing is far from out of place. They have been hard at work and that work is paying off. All within the same year of its creation, the band’s achievements include a SXSW showcase, a win in a competition held by The Austin Chronicle and a chance to record with a member of Blue October. With this being their final show before heading into the studio in January, the musicians gave an intimate performance with their hearts on their sleeves. This is Moonlight Social.
Jeremy Burchard played tenor drums and Jennica Scott played trumpet in the Longhorn Band, but that isn’t what brought them together. Longhorn Band boasts about 400 members, making the leap between different sections is not an easy feat.
“I don’t think I would have met her without her reaching me,” Burchard said.
“I heard a cover that he did online and reached out to him to tell him I liked it. We met that way and then started hanging out,” Scott said. “The music came naturally because we were both such musical people.”
Both had been interested in music since they were children. Scott came from a musical family, with both of her parents being singers and her extended family on either side playing instruments or singing. “It’s a family thing, what can I say?”
Burchard grew up fascinated by music. “When I was little, I used to have a little black notepad with neon pens that I would write my songs in,” he laughed. He is also knowledgeable in many instruments, having started with the viola before moving on to trumpet, percussion and self-taught guitar.
After pushing to get Scott in front of a microphone, the duo recorded their first cover, Reckless Kelly’s “Wicked Twisted Road.” And then another, which led to yet another. These jam sessions led to them doing a couple performances together, which in turn led to their friends asking about their band.
“We were like, ‘Are we a band?’” Burchard recalled fondly.
Once they realized they were, in fact, a band, the duo needed a name. “The idea was the total, complete honesty of conversations that people have late at night,” he explained. They try to create music that rings with honesty, and the name Moonlight Social captures that sentiment, lending itself to a moment that we all experience, whether it be with friends or a lover.
They started writing songs to convey their ideals captured in their name. “There are some songs that one of us wrote and we’ll work together to make it ours,” Scott said about their writing process. “Most songs are a collaborative effort in some way.”
Things took off for the newly formed alt-country duo as they were selected to take part in a Grammy sponsored showcase at SXSW in March, self-released an EP in May and took on about 100 bands in the Sound Wars hosted by The Austin Chronicle to win a chance to play at the annual Hot Sauce Festival in August. They also started playing shows around Austin, becoming regulars of the club Momo’s. Creating a loyal fan base of friends, family and local music lovers, Moonlight Social was already further ahead than many bands get within their first year. Then, they got some great news.
A contact Burchard had made as a member of the group Grammy U had been passing their music around, and passed it along to Matt Noveskey, bassist of the band Blue October.
“He said it really ‘jived’,” Burchard said. “And he wasn’t pushy. It’s cool to have someone who has been on the other side as well, ya know?” They were offered the chance to go into the studio with Noveskey in January to record their debut album. The band jumped at the chance and took to the internet to employ the help of their fan base by creating a Kickstarter project. In order to get to the studio, the band would need to raise $15,000 in donations by Dec. 16. Less than five days later, the band had met its goal.
“That’s incredible,” they wrote on their Kickstarter page. Now, they are working harder than ever preparing to create their album.
“The songs on the EP were a good start but they aren’t how we imagined they’d end up,” Burchard said. “We have 20 or so songs to choose from.” One song that will be “retooled” for the album is “Neither Are You,” the song they would use to showcase their band. It also recently won Grammy U’s “Show Us Your Hits” competition.
“It really expresses our sound and melodies as well as our harmonies. It encompasses all of the things that we hold most important in our music,” Scott explained.
As their two hour set came to a close, the moon had cut through the clouds, shining down on the band that used it as a namesake. Scott and Burchard, along with their live performance members Gabe Durand-Hollis (Drums), Rannon Ching (Guitar/Mandolin) and Donald Williams (Bass), thanked the crowd for coming out and handed out free EPs. It may have been their last show of the year, but it is certainly far from this band’s last show.
For music and information about donating money toward Moonlight Social’s debut album, visit http://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/
Jeremy Burchard played tenor drums and Jennica Scott played trumpet in the Longhorn Band, but that isn’t what brought them together. Longhorn Band boasts about 400 members, making the leap between different sections is not an easy feat.
“I don’t think I would have met her without her reaching me,” Burchard said.
“I heard a cover that he did online and reached out to him to tell him I liked it. We met that way and then started hanging out,” Scott said. “The music came naturally because we were both such musical people.”
Both had been interested in music since they were children. Scott came from a musical family, with both of her parents being singers and her extended family on either side playing instruments or singing. “It’s a family thing, what can I say?”
Burchard grew up fascinated by music. “When I was little, I used to have a little black notepad with neon pens that I would write my songs in,” he laughed. He is also knowledgeable in many instruments, having started with the viola before moving on to trumpet, percussion and self-taught guitar.
After pushing to get Scott in front of a microphone, the duo recorded their first cover, Reckless Kelly’s “Wicked Twisted Road.” And then another, which led to yet another. These jam sessions led to them doing a couple performances together, which in turn led to their friends asking about their band.
“We were like, ‘Are we a band?’” Burchard recalled fondly.
Once they realized they were, in fact, a band, the duo needed a name. “The idea was the total, complete honesty of conversations that people have late at night,” he explained. They try to create music that rings with honesty, and the name Moonlight Social captures that sentiment, lending itself to a moment that we all experience, whether it be with friends or a lover.
They started writing songs to convey their ideals captured in their name. “There are some songs that one of us wrote and we’ll work together to make it ours,” Scott said about their writing process. “Most songs are a collaborative effort in some way.”
Things took off for the newly formed alt-country duo as they were selected to take part in a Grammy sponsored showcase at SXSW in March, self-released an EP in May and took on about 100 bands in the Sound Wars hosted by The Austin Chronicle to win a chance to play at the annual Hot Sauce Festival in August. They also started playing shows around Austin, becoming regulars of the club Momo’s. Creating a loyal fan base of friends, family and local music lovers, Moonlight Social was already further ahead than many bands get within their first year. Then, they got some great news.
A contact Burchard had made as a member of the group Grammy U had been passing their music around, and passed it along to Matt Noveskey, bassist of the band Blue October.
“He said it really ‘jived’,” Burchard said. “And he wasn’t pushy. It’s cool to have someone who has been on the other side as well, ya know?” They were offered the chance to go into the studio with Noveskey in January to record their debut album. The band jumped at the chance and took to the internet to employ the help of their fan base by creating a Kickstarter project. In order to get to the studio, the band would need to raise $15,000 in donations by Dec. 16. Less than five days later, the band had met its goal.
“That’s incredible,” they wrote on their Kickstarter page. Now, they are working harder than ever preparing to create their album.
“The songs on the EP were a good start but they aren’t how we imagined they’d end up,” Burchard said. “We have 20 or so songs to choose from.” One song that will be “retooled” for the album is “Neither Are You,” the song they would use to showcase their band. It also recently won Grammy U’s “Show Us Your Hits” competition.
“It really expresses our sound and melodies as well as our harmonies. It encompasses all of the things that we hold most important in our music,” Scott explained.
As their two hour set came to a close, the moon had cut through the clouds, shining down on the band that used it as a namesake. Scott and Burchard, along with their live performance members Gabe Durand-Hollis (Drums), Rannon Ching (Guitar/Mandolin) and Donald Williams (Bass), thanked the crowd for coming out and handed out free EPs. It may have been their last show of the year, but it is certainly far from this band’s last show.
For music and information about donating money toward Moonlight Social’s debut album, visit http://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Do you guys remember Moonlight Social?
They were one of my first posts, which you can see here. It really doesn't do them any justice and honestly, I should probably redo it now that I know what I'm doing.
But I digress.
You guys already know that I absolutely adore them and want nothing more than for them to make it big.
LUCKILY, we (yes, WE) have the opportunity to help them :)
They have the chance to work on their debut full-length album with Matt Noveskey of Blue October this January.
So where do you come in? Well,you see, they need help making some money for costs. $16,000 to be exact. So, if you could please, PLEASE, help em out, that would be marvelous. Not only can you get goodies depending on how much you donate, but you can get the opportunity to say you helped a great band get their start.
And even if you don't have much to spare (trust me, I understand not having any money) there is a dollar option. (Every little bit helps, yeah?)
Even if that is out of your budget, PLEASE spread the word.
Jennica and Jeremy are awesome people, with a TON of talent and they deserve recognition.
So head on over to their Facebook so you can see just how good they are.
Then, once you've fallen in love, head on over here to help em out
:)
But I digress.
You guys already know that I absolutely adore them and want nothing more than for them to make it big.
LUCKILY, we (yes, WE) have the opportunity to help them :)
They have the chance to work on their debut full-length album with Matt Noveskey of Blue October this January.
So where do you come in? Well,you see, they need help making some money for costs. $16,000 to be exact. So, if you could please, PLEASE, help em out, that would be marvelous. Not only can you get goodies depending on how much you donate, but you can get the opportunity to say you helped a great band get their start.
And even if you don't have much to spare (trust me, I understand not having any money) there is a dollar option. (Every little bit helps, yeah?)
Even if that is out of your budget, PLEASE spread the word.
Jennica and Jeremy are awesome people, with a TON of talent and they deserve recognition.
So head on over to their Facebook so you can see just how good they are.
Then, once you've fallen in love, head on over here to help em out
:)
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