Last Thursday I went to see Afternoons perform live at The Troubadour and they rocked! This is a great LA based Indie band that deserves much more recognition than it gets for sure.
Their rocking yet lyrical sound puts them in the company of another great band I like very much: Arcade Fire--from which they have a strong influence. The sounds produced by all these guys and the band's only female's unique voice, which provides a great balance to their tunes, took over the whole venue, as the audience got really into it! Claire McKeown--the female singer in the band--has an extraordinary voice and an extrovertive style that added a nice touch to the experience.
I took my friends with me to see Afternoons perform live and had only heard from it a couple of weeks back from me, and their thoughts was that they were interesting, but after they saw them perform; they immediately fell in love with the whole band and said that their MP3s don't do they justice, as they were MUCH better live, and I AGREE! We had a BLAST!!! The venue was great too, intimate and rokin! Not to mention what a great bargain the tickets were. It was our first time and can't wait to see them again and support their career!
We each got their newest CD, their very cool T-Shirts--love the Say Yes one--and some stickers, which I posted on my door.
Here is their MySpace Page, so check them out! http://www.myspace.com/afternoonsmusic
ALPHA BLONDY ROCKS!!!Last April 28th, I had the great privilege to see a rare appearance of Alpha Blondy at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood and the show was amazing!
But who is Alpha Blondy? Many people may not know this artist is, so here is a bit of background on this great master of Reggae...
Hailing from the Cote d'Ivoire, Alpha Blondy is among the world's most popular reggae artists. With his 12-piece band Solar System, Blondy offers a reggae beat with a distinctive African cast. Calling himself an African Rasta, Blondy creates Jah-centered anthems promoting morality, love, peace and social consciousness. With a range that moves from sensitivity to rage over injustice, much of Blondy's music empathizes with the impoverished and those on society's fringe. Blondy is also a staunch supporter of African unity and to this end, he sings to Moslem audiencess in Hebrew and sings in Arabic to Israelis. Some of his best known songs include "Cocody Rock," "Jerusalem" and "Apartheid Is Nazism."
He was born a member of the Jula tribe in Dimbokoro and named Seydou Kone after his grandfather. His grandmother Cherie Coco raised him. He was always a rebellious child and for this, Coco named him "Blondy," her unique pronunciation of the word "bandit." When he started performing professionally, he took on the name Alpha (the first letter in the Greek alphabet) so his name literally translates to "first bandit." Though he grew up listenting to African folkloric music such as yagba and gumbe, his primary musical influences were such Western bands as Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and soul artists like Otis Redding. Later Bob Marley's music tremendously affected Blondy. Though he wanted to become a musician, his family expected him to become a respectable English teacher. He studied English at Hunter College in New York, and later in the Columbia Univeristy American Language Program. Outside of class, he would play music in Central Park and in Harlem clubs where occasionally house bands would let him sing his Bob Marley covers in French, English, and various West African languages. One night, record producer Clive Hunt heard Blondy sing and invited him to record six songs. Unfortunately, Hunt absconded with the tape. Shortly afterward, he returned to the Ivory Coast where he was arrested for threatening the ambassador at the New York Ivorian embassy because the diplomat felt that Blondy's English was too good for him to be an Ivorian native. While at the police station, Blondy's temper again flared and he slapped a policeman (after the cop slapped him first). He spent a week in jail and then stayed briefly at th Bingerville Asylum in Abidjan, where he was declared reasonably sane and released. Soon afterward, he began honing his songwriting and performing skills. Later, he dedicated an album to the patients of Bingerville.
Blondy got his big break from friend, Fulgence Kass, an employee of Ivory Coast Television who helped him land a spot on the Premiere Chance talent show. Singing three of his own tunes plus Burning Spear's "Christopher Columbus," the young artist was a hit with the audience. Blondy then hooked up with producer G. Benson who recorded his eight-song debut album Jah Love in a single day. The most popular song, "Brigadier Sabari," was an account of Blondy's run-in with an Abidjan police street raid in which he was nearly beaten to death. It was the first time a West African artist had dared to mention random police brutality in public. After releasing the album, he and the newly formed Solar System band signed to EMI. They recorded his second album Cocody Rock in Paris in 1984. Later he returned to Tuff Gong to record his third album Jerusalem (1986). By the release of his 1987 album Revolution, Blondy had established himself as an international artist. Three years before he had been voted the number one artist by a Radio France international poll. His popularity continues to grow, and he continues steadily releasing albums. His 1992 album Masada was released in over 50 countries around the world and went double-gold in France. Yitzhak Rabin followed in 1998; Paris Percy appeared in spring 2001. Although it was recorded in 1999, the album Elohim appeared in 2002 in Europe and three years later in America. The career-spanning Akwaba: The Very Best of Alpha Blondy was also released in 2005. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide
There were some terrific bands opening for him, particularly the upbeat and incredible local band from East Los Angeles called: Quinto Sol, a great promising TALENT!
Here are some videos from this great experience at the Key Club for all of you to enjoy...I loved Blondy's version of Pink Floyd's I wish You Were There!
SAY YES!!!
We each got their newest CD, their very cool T-Shirts--love the Say Yes one--and some stickers, which I posted on my door.
