Dizzy O’Brian is an artist who believes that creativity does not necessarily involve following trends or going with the flow. Despite being assured in music school that ‘this is the way it’s done,’ he couldn’t help but make note that the noteworthy composers had that special measure of integrity that helped them to fashion music that was true to their own heart.
Dizzy’s music is quite often about going against the grain. For example, Marian the Contrarian is about someone who does their own thing despite social pressures. Similarly, Breakout No. 2 is just that; the breaking out of conventional norms.
In his most recent work, The Electra Suite, Dizzy draws on the original Greek plays in which the story became fraught with the commentary of its day and apologetic endings. Dizzy sets the story free, making it the story of a dark heroine reclaiming her birthright and thus giving the story a new twist as well as the EDM tracks that make up the suite.
Taking the name from one of his many guitars fx pedals Danny Echo combines brit-pop melodies, classic rock vocals with the alt-pop excitement of a Spacex launch!! With life spinning out of control on a U.K. tour with The Ryecatchers, Danny decided it was time for a change… Returning to Vancouver, Danny realized the need to continue the rainy city’s musical heritage. After being awarded money from Vancouver’s PeakFM as part of the Peak Performance Project he and fellow Ryecatcher Mark Christopher headed to the iconic Mushroom studios. They recorded their song “Tomorrow Today” with Jeff Dawson (Daniel Powter) and got it mixed by Mike Fraser (ACDC, Mother Mother) at another historic studio, Bryan Adams’ Warehouse. The song gained some notoriety getting spins on Vancouver radio stations The Peak-FM, 99.3 The Fox, CITR, CO-OP, CBC and Cariboo’s’ GOAT FM, with the video and music streaming everywhere.
After that initial spark, two albums followed. The first repetitiously self-titled “Danny Echo, Danny Echo”, and the more guitar driven “Rock Bottoms Up”. The EP “unplugged and Unglued” showcased a quieter side with acoustic takes on new and previously released tracks. Playing this material live took Danny to Toronto’s NXNE opening for Redd Cross at Lee’s Palace, a couple western Canada tours and a five-date jaunt to Japan.
Taking a short break from the pop-rock sound Danny branched out and took on bass and drum duties on the self-titled album from neo-grunge outfit “Clementine”. After a tumultuous tour Danny left the trio and felt motivated to get back at it with some new music of his own.
The following year Danny released the “Gorillaz” inspired “Atmosfear”. During the filming of the video Danny asked the videographer and Hip-Hop artist Tyrow James to perform a verse in the song at the video release show. This inspired a “re-mix” of the tune and a subsequent release of both versions on 7” vinyl.
More collaborations and side projects follow with guitar, BG vox, and video producer duties in the psych-rock outfit “The Walk-Ins”, live guitar and BGs with Scott Perry, whistling on the track “Painted Gold” byHuman Girl, singing about tattooed fans on “After the show” by Neon North and starting the art rock trio “The Swimming Hammers” with two members of East Van punks “The Shit Talkers”.
Following the advice of co-workers to not “quit his day job” as a SPFX technician in Vancouver’s busy film industry, and during a pandemic Danny found time to finish the new single “Zeros and Ones”. It is currently planned for release with accompanying video in spring of 2022. Look for it wherever you consume your music streams.
Always one for safety, Danny obtains all the appropriate permits, and ensures there is at least one fire extinguisher on stage during performances.
Social Robot is a friendly artificial life form that just wants to be polite and play guitar, but is deeply worried about the fate of the universe. It keeps a stiff upper lip about it though. Social Robot’s retro-inspired sophomore album “Outreach Program” features songs about technology, alienation, and hope over synthwave and 80s rock grooves. “Brooklyn band Social Robot’s sophomore album “Outreach Program” brings tapedeck 80s synthwave vibes as vocalist Bayard Russell sweetly skewers the attention economy and data overload” says Nagamag Magazine. “US outfit showcase their debut album with this smooth and sweeping pop-rock delight, with hints of The 1975”, said Mystic Sons of Social Robot’s debut album “The Botz Sessions.” Social Robot is a sci-folk band based in Brooklyn, led by songwriter and vocalist Bayard Russell. Lead – Bayard Russell Drums – Jason Lang Keys – Dave Florey Guitar – Mike Muller Bass – Andrew Gilchrist-Scott Social Robot is the musical project of Bayard Russell. Bayard grew up in the suburbs of Indiana, influenced equally by The Beatles and Ice Cube. Classically trained in piano from age four, he discovered the guitar in high school and his passion for pop music blossomed. He moved to NYC after graduating from Dartmouth College with a major in philosophy and a minor in music. He has previously written for and performed with the bands Karess, Clean Slate, Funkelstiltskin, The Very Nerve, Matt Jones Band, Negative Ken, The Botz, Mark from 3A, Blindfolds Five, and Atlantic Animals. He has a solo album “Selftitled” available on CD Baby and iTunes, about which Neufutur Magazine has said, “All that individuals need to do is stick the album in and be placed on clouds of indie rock that will float them along for the better part of an hour.”PRESS RELEASE:
Brooklyn-based outfit Social Robot goes back to the future with an 80s-inspired pop-rock album “Outreach Program”, released April Fools Day (SocialRobot.HearNow.com). Inspired by Talking Heads and David Bowie, lead singer Bayard Russell sings about technology and alienation over grooves that invoke Erasure, Electric Youth, and Anoorak.
What reviewers said about Social Robot’s albums so far:
“Brooklyn band Social Robot’s sophomore album “Outreach Program” brings tapedeck 80s synthwave vibes as vocalist Bayard Russell sweetly skewers the attention economy and data overload” says Nagamag Magazine.
“US outfit showcase their debut album with this smooth and sweeping pop-rock delight, with hints of The 1975”, said Mystic Sons of Social Robot’s debut album “The Botz Sessions.”
What reviewers said about Bayard Russell’s solo album Selftitled:
“Russell delivers simple, catchy songs with honest lyrics straight from his broken heart. He effortlessly takes what most of us would consider as bad situations and makes light of them, and in doing so he creates a responsive bond of some sort with his listeners.” -HotIndieNews.com
“Mr. Russell sings in a warm, intimate style that avoids in-your-face anger or a passive aggressive demand you love him as a fan. “Living at My Mom’s” laments his lack of foresight in one failed relation, and “I Will Chase You” leads him into just such another learning experience. You may not learn much from Bayard yourself, but listening to him grope his way through life is a calming experience.” – Ink9
“Here is some deliciously sweet indie pop from NY artist Bayard Russell — think John Mayer meets The Postal Service…some very honest lyrics that make you take light of a situation that would otherwise cause you to shudder in pain.” – AudioDrums.com
“Should stardom befall on Russell, and there’s no reason to see why it won’t, this debut is a glaring reason for him to keep the music coming from his bedroom, as well as his heart.” -Northeast Performer Magazine
The world of music has always been spiced up when exceptional artists come along and surprise us. Once again, the world of music has been blessed by Hello Fiasco. Hello Fiasco is a fire-brand Pop Rock group of five that comes from both Canada and the USA. They are on the rise and without flattering them too much, Hello Fiasco is great! Their tracks have tons of lyrical quality and their overall sound is epic. Apart from the uniqueness that can be found in their tone, you might think they are Cold Play.
Their debut album titled “Find the Shoreline” is an absolute worldie and so is the first single from the album: “Hold me Close.” “Hold me Close” is not just a hit song in my opinion; it goes beyond that. It is a banger and a mix of indescribable artistic beauty all at once. The highly-rated and emerging band were fortunate enough to have worked with some of the best of producers and sound engineers in the music business, and the result is songs like “Hold Me Close.” Much to the delight of fans, topafricmusicvideo did an interview with Hello Fiasco, and this is what they had to say about themselves:
Q & A
Q: Can you please tell our readers your real name as well as your stage name? We are a 5-piece Pop Rock band named Hello Fiasco from both Canada and the US.
Q: At What age did you start making music? There are five of us so all different ages. Q: what genre would you consider yourself? We are definitely a Pop Rock Band.
Q: Tell us about your latest track or Video ( what is it all about)–Please explain the concept or message We just released a song called “Hold Me Close” in May. It’s the lead-off single from our debut album and we are super excited that the song already hit 300,000 streams on Spotify and 100,000 views on YouTube, before we even release the album. The album itself, titled “Find The Shoreline, is officially released on August 4 but it has already had 1,000,000 plays on Spotify and been added to over 2,000 playlists there as well.
Q: Who wrote it and what was the inspiration behind it The track was written by all 5 band members and our producer John Paul Peters. He writes and produces everything with us.
Q: If you were given a chance, which Artist would you love to perform with? Well, that is a tough one, but there are a few of us in the band that would for sure like do a show with either The Killers, Muse, Pearl Jam, The Arkells or Cold Play.
Since the track was released early to Spotify on the 5th of May, Hold Me Close has been streamed over three hundred thousand times of major streaming platforms. The album itself, “Find The Shoreline” now has 1,200,000 plays, even though it is only set to be released worldwide on August 4.
The song “Hold Me Close” is flavored with rhythmic synth beats, well timed rimshots and drum kicks, beautiful piano syncopation and a powerful but sonorous voice to match it all. At first, the song starts with a syncopation of synth beats as the voice of Hello Fiasco emerges into the background.
Fast forward to the end of the first verse, there is a moment of beauty, as the song explodes and spirals into the chorus. The sudden wave of sound hits differently and sends you straight to cloud 9. Click the link below to stream the track. .
Hold Me Close Lyrics
Lyrically, “Hold me close” is a masterpiece and can be found on Hello Fiasco’s official website. Overall, the hook of the song “We do the things that we’ve done over and over before, a new experience is all that I’m asking you for” paints the perfect picture of the what the song is trying to say. After all, we all remember that feeling of being locked inside with our partners during COVID, and we also remember how the whole experience of COVID caused strain on our personal relationships. Even more so, we also remember that feeling of wanting to escape and do something outside. This video is a beatiful representation of that sentiment.
Below is the lyric of the song
[verse 1]
Why don’t we step outside -Take a car ride
Why don’t we catch a flick – Maybe we will click
Like we used to way back when we were new
We do the things that we’ve done over and over before
A new experience is all that I’m asking you for
[chorus]
Hold me close and help me remember
Can you hold me close like there’s no other
I wish you would hold me close like there’s nothing else
[verse 2]
Should I have shared the shame
Have I been wrong to blame
My courage it comes in waves
And then it pulls away
I never say a thing – I never say a thing
We do the things that we’ve done over and over before
A new experience is all that I’m asking you for
[Chorus]
Can you hold me close and help me remember
Can you hold me close like there’s no other
I wish you would hold me close like there’s nothing else
Can you hold me close and help me remember
Can you hold me close like there’s no other
I wish you
I wish you would hold me close like there’s nothing else
Like there’s nothing else
Hold Me Close Video
On YouTube, the official video of Hold Me Close has recorded over one hundred thousand views since it premiered in May. The video has also received a lot of positive reviews from fans and music lovers alike. Visuals of the hit track involve alternating scenes of a couple who are struggling, but eventually they find their way to happiness. It’s great that you get to see the band performing the song in different scenes. All of this was somehow crammed into 3 minutes and 42 seconds of absolute delight.
Here is the video below
About the Artist
Prior to 2021, ex-members of The Mailman’s Children collaborated with other Canadian musicians to record 23 original songs. The freshly formed Pop Rock band, Hello Fiasco, made their public debut at the beginning of 2021. Hello Fiasco is primarily Canadian, but the music band is also referred to as a “North American” band because their lead singer Eric LaBossiere was born in Canada and now resides in the US. The rest of the crew including Joel Couture on bass, Joel Perreault on lead guitars and supporting vocals, Ivan Burke on drums and backing vocals, and Guy Abraham on keys and Ableton all reside in Canada.
On August 4, “Find The Shoreline,” the group’s debut album, will be made accessible globally (2022). John Paul Peters, a renowned Canadian producer, and frontman Eric LaBossiere collaborated on its co-production.
A three-time GRAMMY® Award winner, Gwen Stefani has achieved global success as a performer, songwriter, frontwoman for iconic rock band No Doubt, and multi-platinum solo artist. To date, she’s sold more than 50 million units worldwide, including her four-times-platinum debut solo album Love.Angel.Music.Baby. — a 2004 release delivering the hit singles “Rich Girl,” “What You Waiting For?”, and the Pharrell Williams-produced No. 1 hit “Hollaback Girl.” With her 2006 sophomore album The Sweet Escape featuring the Billboard Hot 100 top-ten smash “Wind It Up,” Stefani most recently released her third solo effort This Is What The Truth Feels Like. Debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the critically praised album includes her powerful No. 1 single “Used To Love You.”
In addition to her three GRAMMY® Awards, Stefani’s honors include four MTV Video Music Awards, two Billboard Awards, an American Music Award, and a Brit Award. In 2014, she channeled her tremendous musical passion into empowering young singers as their coach on the seventh season of NBC’s musical competition series “The Voice.” Stefani now returns for her fourth season as a coach on “The Voice,” with the 17th season of the four-time Emmy Award-winning show arriving in September 2019.
Known for her wildly charismatic stage presence, Stefani premiered her exclusive Las Vegas headlining residency “Gwen Stefani – Just A Girl” in June 2018 at Zappos Theatre at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. With its setlist comprised of fan favorites and iconic hits, the two-hour show unfolds as an eye-popping spectacular, putting a fresh twist on classic Vegas theatrics. But despite the elaborate stage production — and wardrobe changes showcasing her legendary fashion sense — Stefani offers up an undeniably intimate performance, ultimately forging an unforgettable connection with the crowd.
One of pop culture’s most magnetic style icons, Gwen Stefani has also emerged as the first global celebrity artist to translate music stardom into a series of massively successful lifestyle brands. Through her fashion line L.A.M.B., its sister label Harajuku Lovers, and her eyewear line gx by Gwen Stefani, the designer and entrepreneur has brilliantly merged modern glamour with fashion-forward streetwear. L.A.M.B. and gx eyewear is available in over 3000+ doors in the United States. Harajuku Lovers, the pop-art-inspired apparel and accessories brand has had broad appeal with collaborations including the award-winning Harajuku Mini for Target and beauty accessories for Sephora. Target is celebrating 20 years of their groundbreaking Design For All program and are bringing back 20 of their favorite and most iconic designer partnerships including Harajuku Mini. The Limited Edition Harajuku Mini Anniversary Collection will be available at Target stores and Target.com beginning September 14, 2019.
With over $1 billion in retail sales across all brands to date, she recently took the helm as co-creator and executive producer of “Kuu Kuu Harajuku”: a children’s animated TV show now in its third season on Nick Jr., fulfilling Stefani’s mission of providing young girls with content that celebrates creativity, imagination, and fearless individuality.
Learn more about Gwen Stefani here >https://www.gwenstefani.com/
Ashley Wool wrote her first song at the age of 7, to accompany a “butterfly rock star” character she conceived for Halloween that year. Her one-of-a-kind theatrical instincts have informed her artistry ever since. As a freshman at SUNY Geneseo–where she was one of five students in the inaugural class of the school’s newly-designed musical theatre major–she released an EP of original songs, Not Otherwise Specified, which she funded by washing dishes in her school dining hall. Recorded in an old brick building that was formerly the town poorhouse and asylum, on eight tracks with live instrumentation and no frills, her “little record that could” gained airplay on numerous radio stations and podcasts, including Sirius XMU, Live365 and Broadcast Asylum, securing her a comfortable niche in the independent music scene. She even received nominations for Indie Song of the Year and Indie Artist of the Year at the Musiqtone Musiqwards–she lost both categories to Hanson, but since they’re her favorite band and one of her earliest musical inspirations, she wasn’t mad.
Ashley stepped out of the indie music world after college to focus on theatre, and has since built a dynamic resume of critically-acclaimed performances in the NYC and tri-state area. She received a BroadwayWorld Award nomination for playing a gender-bent Simon Zealotes in Jesus Christ Superstar with Madison Lyric Stage, as well as an OnStage Critics Award nomination for playing Wednesday Addams in the Westchester regional premiere of The Addams Family. Some of her other favorite roles include Evita in Evita, Amy in Company, and Kira/Clio in Xanadu (twice).
But in 2016, after a tumultuous personal year further heightened by the intensifying socio-political climate surrounding her and her fellow artists, her songwriting muse returned with a vengeance, and she knew it was time to get back in the studio. In collaboration with producer Gabriel Pressman and industrial pop-rock performer Garek, the pieces began falling together for an album of new material and so Boycott Ashley Wool was born. The title originated as a cheeky nod to some Internet trolls, but in the context of the album it takes on a deeper meaning as a commentary about defiance, rebellion, calling people out, and calling yourself out. Themes of insecurity, privilege, and betrayal play out over catchy pop hooks fused with industrial and punk influences–and of course, plenty of theatrical flair.
She is, after all, still a butterfly rock star on the inside–just older, wiser, and hopefully woker.
Ashley released the first single from her new collection, “Half of My Life,” on January 6, 2020.
