Tag Archives: music profile

Fire and the Romance | Music Profile

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Band/Artist: Fire and the Romance
Location: New York / Los Angeles
Styles: Alt Pop, Alt Rock, Indie
Similar to: Postal Service, Atlas Genius, Bastille, Owl City
Track: Way Down Below

fire and romanceAccolades:
1. Fire and the Romance is a brand new band fronted by Dion Roy. Dion over the past year has independently toured the US extensively, as well as most major Canadian Markets. Last year he also toured Europe on a 13 date run.

2. Dion has had his music and production featured on networks MTV, A&E, Lifetime, Oxygen, and many others.

3. Jenn Stone (Keys for Ke$ha),  performs keyboards live with Dion in LA and is in the “Way Down Below” Music Video.

Members/Instruments:
Dion Roy – Vocals, Guitar, Writing
NYC: Leo Fraire – Drums / Jamie Pitrelli Bass / Peter Roessler Guitar
LA: Jenn Stone Keys / Topher Mohr (Mayer Hawthorne) Guitar / Tom Breyfogle Drums

Production/Writing : Produced by Steven Miller, feat. songs written/produced with Steven Miller, David Hodges, Teddy Geiger.

Steven Miller:  production/mixing credits include: Demi Lovato, Avril Lavigne, Colbie Caillat, Christina Perri, Tristan Prettyman, David Cook, Tyler Hilton, Haley Reindhart, etc.

David Hodges: (Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, Daughtry, Evanescence, Javier Colon, Tonic, Grammy wins).

Bio:
Fire & The Romance is a band, founded on one principle – the desire to create a sound that is new, unique and relatable. Though most of the band has been writing music and touring for most of their life, this new collection of songs came from an epiphany that founder Dion Roy had while on tour in Europe as a Singer-Songwriter – and his vision of this larger musical idea needed to be put out into the world.

When inspiration hit, Dion reached out to some of his most trusted music collaborators with the goal of recording this new material as a band, borrowing from each member’s varied inspiration and influences during the process. As a group, they found a voice, and the final product – the eclectic “Adaptations” EP – mixes sparse, bass heavy pop production with arena-ready alt-rock anthems, placing Fire & The Romance somewhere between Atlas Genius, Postal Service and AWOLNation on the genre map.

Now living in New York City, Front-man Dion and his bi-coastal band are anxious to unveil their new material, starting with the single Way Down Below. Says Dion “Way Down Below was born out of a pretty vocal melody idea I had in the middle of the night, but grew in just a few hours into this untamed emotional demon, complete with teeth and a killer haircut. You just can’t look away”

The Adaptations EP will come out Spring 2014, In the meantime, they are excited to see the world react to the new music and have begun touring. “Its been an incredible experience developing this project with my band; the process was both fun and intriguing. The Adaptations EP was an experiment in sound that really turned into something special for all of us – and I love what we found.”

Blunda | Music Profile

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Artist: Blunda
Location: North Hollywood, CA
Styles: Indie Rock, Synth Pop, New Wave, Lo-Fi Indie, Electronic
Similar to: Wild Nothing, Beach House, Neon Indian, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, The Cure
CD: “Messages” digital download only

Blunda

Accolades:
* Guitarist for Fastball 1997-1999
* Guitarist, Keyboards for Paloalto on American Recordings 2 albums with
producer Rick Rubin 1999-2004 opened for Supergrass, Johnny Marr, Collective Soul, Stone Temple Pilots
* Guitarist for Jason Falkner late 2000’s 2 Japan tours including Fuji Rock
* Composer for many TV shows including theme song for Showtime series
“Polyamory: Married and Dating” also Storage Wars, American Hoggers and
most recently Appalachian Outlaws on History Channel
* Winner of ASCAP Film and Television award in 2013 for music in highest rated show “After the Catch” on Discovery

Members/Instruments: Andy Blunda all instruments except tracks 4 and 5 drums played by Fernando Sanchez.

Production: Recorded and Mixed by Andy Blunda out of professional home
“Studio B” in North Hollywood
Mastered by Emily Lazar at The Lodge NYC
Assisted by Rich Morales

Tracklisting:
1. A Broken Case
2. If You Want Me
3. Messages
4. Devil Inside
5. The Money Side

Websites:
Official
Facebook

Bio:
Blunda is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Andy Blunda. A classical pianist at University, Blunda landed a touring gig with the texas trio Fastball at age 20 where the success of their song “The Way” kept him on the road for 2 years.

Shortly after he joined Paloalto, who recorded two albums with producer Rick Rubin on his American Recordings label. After years of touring and recording in bands, Blunda made the decision to start recording his own material which he had been writing off and on for the last decade. Messages is Blunda’s second solo EP, and it is his most focused effort to date. It was recorded, produced & mixed by Andy out of his home studio in North Hollywood. The sound is a blend of 80’s new wave & moody indie pop delivered in a very unique style.

 

New Mongrels | Music Profile

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Band: New Mongrels
Location: Los Angeles (me and 6 others); Atlanta;  Decatur, Alabama: Boston; Seattle; Vancouver, B.C.
Styles: Folk/Roots, Americana, Indie, Folk Rock, Acoustic
Similar to: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Lumineers, Decemberists, Blind Pilot, Dawes
CD: Raised Incorruptible
Release date: Jan 14, 2014

Accolades:
* NM are an artist collective spanning 7 cities.
* One of the members is Indigo Girls member Amy Ray
* Michelle Malone is a grammy-nominated touring artist
* Laura Hall was the house musician for the TV show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” * * Kubilay Uner is a film composer
* Haynes Brooke is an actor and playwright.

Members/Instruments:
Haynes Brooke: guitar, vocals, mandolin, piano, ukelele, percussion
Katie Green: vocals, violin
Kubilay Uner: bass, keyboards
Jeff Mosier: drums, vocals
Michael Lorant: vocals
Michelle Malone: vocals, guitar
Amy Ray: vocals
Laura Hall: vocals, accordion
Rick Hall: vocals
Lucy Brooke: vocals
Mike Moynihan: trumpet, vocals
Ken Palmer: drums, vocals, harmonica
Nicolas Green: guitar

Websites:
Official
Facebook
Soundcloud
Youtube

Bio:
Raised-Incorruptible_450x406The New Mongrels’ Raised Incorruptible is a new record from a 148-year-old band.

Those familiar with group will know the bizarre history of band member Haynes Brooke and his great-great grandfather Henry.

Deaf in one ear, shell-shocked, a 17-year-old veteran of  the civil war, Henry  founded the “Smythe County Mongrels Society” in 1861. He stated their purpose as “the joyful promotion, through song and rhythmic utterances, of a unified moral code for all creatures.” Apparently the group met to drink hard cider and sing the entire book of Psalms to their own improvised melodies. Dogs and instruments welcome. Great-great grandpa rocked.

Brooke found the charter of the “Mongrels,” as they were called, legally intact in the Smythe County courthouse and brought the group back to life as the New Mongrels.

Today this underground society of musicians, artists and writers still operates under an amended version of the original by-laws, which calls for, among other things, “membership by invitation without regard to species affiliation.” This makes for strange committee meetings but great music.

Raised Incorruptible began in a rented house on the Rogue River in Oregon, when some impromptu mongrel recording sessions yielded promising results. Back in LA, Brooke created a calamitous batch of low-fi demos working with drummer Ken Palmer, house percussionist for Tim Robbin’s Actors Gang Theater. These demos went out to mongrel members across North America for input and review in keeping with the group’s odd collectivist procedures. Field trips to New Hampshire and Canada brought back musical contributions, then Brooke’s garage became the main recording facility and as mongrels passed through LA they were added to the final project. The record was mixed by film composer and mongrel member Kubilay Uner.

Despite the sometimes cumbersome procedural demands of their organization, a dispersed and evolving group of Mongrels built a powerful and unified sound. An ear-catching,  mixed-breed blend of styles emerged, anchored always by the unique and lyrically rich songwriting of Brooke. Each cut has its own strong personality; together they have the combined intensity of a pack of wild dogs.

The New Mongrels: 131 years old and still rocking.

“Writing songs is a constant in my life,” says New Mongrel band leader and producer Haynes Brooke.

Why then the big gap between albums from his celebrated roots-folk outfit?

“The Mongrels are an unwieldy bunch to coordinate – and everyone has their own artistic pursuits,” says Brooke. “The time has to feel right for a record to emerge.”

“I’ve been busy myself with other projects. In recent years, a lot of my songs have actually ended up on the stage. I’ve written three full-length musicals for the underground theater scene here in LA, and I think the exercise of writing from the point of view of a range of characters has probably broadened my creative skills.”

Last year Brooke sat down to go through some of his songwriting archives.

“I realized a group of songs was emerging that felt like they needed a home. Then new songs started coming that felt like they belonged to the same family. Time to make a record, I thought.”

“I played some demos for another LA mongrel member, film composer Kubily Uner, and he not only liked them, he agreed to help produce and mix the record. We made a plan, double-checked that it was in accord with our weird mongrel by-laws, then hit ‘record’ and started playing. When other mongrels started joining in, coming down to LA from Seattle or on tour from Alabama, the thing started to take off,” says Brooke.

My main thought was, ‘Why did I wait so long?'”

The Plum Magnetic | Music Profile

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Band: The Plum Magnetic
Location: New Orleans, LA, USA
Styles: World/Fusion/Rock
Similar to: Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Umphrey’s McGee, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Talking Heads,Grateful Dead
CD: Terra Animata
Accolades: Have opened for NoHayBanda Trio (Italy), World Service Project (UK), The Magnetic Ear (New Orleans)

Members/Instruments: Trent Ciolino- electric 6-string banjo,vox; Andrew McLean- guitars, tabla; Jon Solomon- bass; Oliver Burke- drums

Production: Trent Ciolino and The Plum Magnetic; Engineered by Andrew McLean; Mixed by Andrew McLean and Kevin Sweet; Mastered by Paul Marinaro at Piety Street Studios, NOLA

Tracklisting: Spring; Trece Leches; Sweet Confusion; The Electric Jungle; Shesh Besh; Parallax; The Delicious; Terra Animata

Websites:
Bandcamp
Facebook
Reverbnation
Twitter

 

Bio:
The aim of The Plum Magnetic is to blend elements of music from all over the world into a synergistic whole and through this genre-melding approach to both represent and promote a harmonious unity-through-diversity. The depth of emotion, melody, The Plum Magnetic musicand structure of Indian Classical music; the ecstatic pulse and rich, repetitious, patterns of Africa; the manifold great American forms, including Jazz, Blues, Rock, Folk/Bluegrass, Fusion, and beyond; all of these are deftly interwoven to produce a sound that is broad in scope, rich with intent, and full of surprises.

The Plum Magnetic was formed in late 2011 out of relationships built over years of involvement in the New Orleans music scene. Trent (banjo/vox) and Oliver (drums) met while playing in super eclectic local group Eve’s Lucky Planet, and over years of extended jams based in African, Reggae, and Afro-Cuban styles developed a unique musical bond which serves as the backbone of The Plum Magnetic’s developing sound. In considering personnel to expand the project’s line-up, Andrew McLean (guitar) was the obvious first choice. Trent and Andrew met through a shared love of Indian Classical Music; Andrew (having studied raga and tala for over a decade at the esteemed Ali Akbar Khan College of Music) as teacher, and Trent as a beginner sitar student. Last but not least, the group needed a bassist, and after experimenting with a few different players, Jon Solomon (founding member of Gravity A and bass player about town) was a natural fit. With his great feel and sensitivity he rounds out the sound, allowing the group to present music that though at times exceedingly complex, is always firmly rooted in the groove.

Drawing comparisons to groups ranging from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, The Grateful Dead, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Talking Heads, and Umphrey’s McGee, The Plum Magnetic is one of the most diverse, engaging, and original up and coming groups in the New Orleans scene and beyond.

Bobbie Morrone Trio | Music Profile

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Bobbie MorroneArtist: Bobbie Morrone
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Styles:  Pop/Blues, Pop/Jazz, Alternative
Similar to: Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Matt Costa, G. Love
CD: The Best I Can Be EP
Release date: January 10, 2014 (1/10/14)
Members/Instruments: Bobbie Morrone (Vocals/Guitar), Paul Machette (Bass), Alex Machette (Drums)
Production: Jonathan Class

Bio:  The Bobbie Morrone Trio is comprised of three guys that just love music and want to share it with the world. With their extensive musical knowledge and backgrounds, they work together as a musical blender. First you throw in pop, soul, funk, blues, and folk music. You thoroughly blend those ingredients together, pour them into a cup, add whipped cream, then sprinkle some jazz on top. You call that beverage the Bobbie Morrone Trio.

Tracklisting:
1) Make You Scream
2) Long Way Down
3) The Best I Can Be

Websites:
Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter

Ron Littlejohn & the Funk Embassy “Shining On” | Music Profile

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Ron Littlejohn & the Funk Embassy, music, music profile, music newsWe are always searching for good music that more people should listen to. This funk/soul band definitely fit into that category. Have a listen to the track below.
Band: Ron Littlejohn & The Funk Embassy
Location: Montreal / Toronto, Canada
Styles: Funk/Soul
Similar to: Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield,  Marvin Gaye, Al Green
CD: Shining On

Accolades:
– Ron Littlejohn (Songwriter, Singer) : opened for James Brown, Maceo Parker, Bettye Lavette, KOS, Holly Cole, War

– Thierry Matrat (Songwriter, Keyboards) : Opened for Warren G, The Roots (Lyon, France)
– Olivier Babaz (Bass) : played in multiple countries & festivals : Montreal Francofolies and Jazz Festival, Sakifo Music Festival (Reunion Island), Jazz In Marciac (France), Angeradona (Madagascar), Jazz a Port-Au-Prince (Haiti), Milatsika Festival (Mayotte), New Morning (Paris, France)

Kevin Turcotte : recorded and toured with Time Warp, The Mike Murley Quartet, Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, Don Byron. Played with Tito Puente, Dave Holland, Kenny Kirkwood, Pat LaBarbera, Bill Grove, Kenny Wheeler…

Alana Bridgewater : voice of the 2008 Olympic Bid. In 2007 she was nominated for a Gemini Award for her contribution to The Gospel Christmas Project (CBC). Alana has a recurring role on Nickelodeon Jr.’s Dino Dan. In 2008 she played the role of ‘Killer Queen’ in the Toronto production of ”We will Rock You.

Award won (Funk Embassy alone, not with Ron Littlejohn):
International Songwriting Competition, 2012, Dance/Electronica Category, with the single ‘Unity’

Members/Instruments:
Ron John Littlejohn : Vocals, Lyrics
Alana Bridgewater : Vocals
Dwight Chase : Drums
Joe Hackl : Guitar
Olivier Babaz : Bass
Moise Matey : Percussions
Kevin Turcotte : Trumpet
Thierry Matrat : Keyboards, Songwriting, Producer
Guillaume Larouche : Flute (A day in San Francisco)
Etienne Lebel : Trombone (Unity)
Steve Donald : Trombone (Soul Devotion, My Magination)
Glenn Crosse : Solo Guitar and Video Production (Shining On)
DJ Mana : Turntables (Soul Devotion, The Village)
DJ Horg : Turntables (Cream #9, Unity)
Obed José : Graphic Arts, Animated Movies (A day in San Francisco, Unity)
Production:
EP produced by Thierry Matrat
Recorded mixed by :
– Jason Steidman at Number 9 Studios, Toronto, On, Canada
– Karl de Serres at Saint-Phonic Studios, Montreal, Qc, Canada
– Mastered by Steve Corrao at Sage Audio, Nashville, Tn, USA (except ‘Shining On’, mixed and master by Glenn Crosse, Toronto)

Tracklisting:

1- Shining On
2- Seem Like Yesterday
3- Light Me Up
4- Soul Devotion
5- Cream #9
6- My Magination
7- A day in San Francisco
8- Emma Lee

< Websites:

Twitter

Bio:

Ron Littlejohn & the Funk Embassy is a funk collective founded by main songwriters Thierry Matrat and Ron Littlejohn. It’s members have achieved amazing things on their own, including opening for James Brown (Ron) and The Roots (Thierry). The project features Ron Littlejohn on vocals, Thierry Matrat on keyboards, Alana Bridgewater on vocals, Olivier Babaz on bass, Joe Hackl on guitar, Moise Matey on percussion, Dwight Chase on drums, and many other talented musicians contributing to individual tracks.

The project began with Thierry Matrat, who, after a long history as a hip hop artist in France, started the Funk Embassy project in 2009. He began composing music originally with the intention of creating soul/funk songs for rappers. After many collaborations, he decided to switch the project’s focus and hire the best musicians and singers he could find. Craigslist made this happen, and it was Craigslist Toronto that brought Thierry and Ron together.

Unknowingly, Thierry has found the perfect person to help him spearhead the ideal direction for his music. Ron Littlejohn had a long history in the Toronto soul/funk scene with his popular group Planet Earth, who Thierry listened to for “5 seconds before he knew Ron was the singer he was looking for”. Prior to finding Ron, Thierry has advertised in Montreal and found three very notable funk musicians in Olivier Babaz (bass), Joe Hackl (guitar) and Dwight Chase (drums).< Thierry and Ron recorded the initial music by communicating through emails as to what the song structures and melodies should be. Music was then recorded in studio in both Montreal and Toronto. After the initial demos, Ron recommended additional musicians to complete the collective needed for the debut album (Steve Donald, Kevin Turcotte and Alana Bridgewater).Fast forward to Fall 2013, and Ron Littlejohn & The Funk Embassy are preparing to see their album “Shining On” released (Oct 19).

About the inspiration for the title track “Shining On”, Ron says “When I was about to become a father, some friends actually became resentful at the idea of me having new priorities. This hurt me like a bitch. I wrote this song to my unborn daughter trying to tell her no matter how mean the bastards get, keep on shining. I think it’s the best song I’ve ever written. So I thank those negative folks for the inspiration.”

Inspired by their heroes such as Isaac Hayes, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield,  Marvin Gaye and Al Green, the album was a labor of love, consisting of work and dedication from some of Toronto and Montreal’s best soul/funk artists, ironically brought together by a songwriter from Lyons, France.

Cata9tales “Hello Maybe Everything” | Music

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Cata9tales, music profile, music

Band: Cata9tales
Location: Baltimore, MD
Styles: Alternative, Hip-Hop, Hypecore
Similar to: Beastie Boys, Mindless Self Indulgence, Eminem, Faith No More, Macklemore
CD: Hello Maybe Everything
Release date: October 1, 2013
Accolades: Warped Tour 2013, Ernie Ball/Reverbnation Battle of the Bands Winner 2013, Coast2Coast Mixtapes Hip-Hop Showcase Winner 2013, Springwood Productions Expose Yourself Competition First Runner-Up 2013, Lunar Independent Music Festival 2013, Mid-Atlantic Music Conference 2012
Members/Instruments: Berkley Priest (vox), Kreator (beats)
Production: Cata9tales
Tracklisting:
1. Welcome to the Jungle Book
2. Robin Hood Rich
3. Tiger in a Tropical Storm
4. Children of the Cloud
5. Heartbeats on Hold
6. Death of a Household Name
7. Stereoblivion
8. Bestella
9. When Doves Lie
10. Lock the Door, Swallow the Key
11. A Conspiracy of Ravens
12. Hello Maybe Everything

Bio:
Cata9tales are an innovative alternative hip-hop/hypecore duo from Baltimore and Virginia, who in only two years have managed to score number one slots in charts, contests and festivals throughout the country (including Vans Warped Tour), released two albums, gained an international and celebrity following, and put on shows coast to coast.

Formed in 2011 by vocalist Berkley Priest, the flamboyant, poetic “rocker who rhymes,” and his multi-instrumentalist prodigy bandmate, Kreator, the band released their cathartic independent debut, “Kick the Bad Love,” followed six months later by the enigmatic “A Chameleon’s Dream.” That e.p., which was downloaded over 10,000 times, caught the attention of independent label Monarchy Records, a division of the Spectra Music Group, who signed the band in the summer of 2012.

Cata9tales has been a top worldwide featured artist on Reverbnation, have been selected as finalists (and won) dozens of music and performance contests, crossed over to both the hip-hop and rock worlds, and have appeared in multiple publications and at music conferences throughout the country. In a short time, Cata9tales has proven themselves a force to be reckoned with – a unique, charismatic, totally innovative voice in a saturated scene. They have recently completed their newest – and best – album, “Hello Maybe Everything,” due to be released worldwide October 1, 2013. Look for Cata9tales to explode in the coming year, and to arrive swinging mics and turntables at a venue near you.

Do you like their music?

MonaLisa Twins | Music Profile

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MonaLisa Twins have made an amazing collaborative time-lapse music video

 

The band said, “We were thinking about a creative way to get lots of people involved in a connecting, artistic project, all in the spirit of the song title “When We’re Together”. We were curious about how many people would pause their activities out of their love for adventure to be part of a spontaneous happening. We installed a canvas on the walls of Stables Market in Camden, London’s world-famous art district. We ourselves started with a big red heart in the center. Pedestrians joined in and added their ideas and colors to the painting.
girls with guitars, MonaLisa Twins, music, music profile,
We were overwhelmed by the dedication of stangers, joining in to
create a collective, beautiful artpiece together. Businessmen, cyclists, musicians, children and elderly people alike were painting side by side, laughing and sharing their thoughts and even very personal stories. This day was just more evidence for us how much the arts are able to lift spirits and make people happy. It was only later that we realized that the project also fitted quite well with our (band) name MonaLisa. Artistic all the way ;)”
The painting from the video is up for auction here.

Check out their other recent video with a distinctly different, more sombre feel for “The Wide, Wide Land”, a song written as a musical farewell for their Grandmother, who suffered with Alzheimer’s for many years.

 

Band: MonaLisa Twins
Location: Austria, UK
CD: “When We’re Together”
Styles: 60s Pop, 60ies Rock ‘n’ Roll, Beat music, British Invasion – with
elements of Folk, Latin, Psychedelic
Similar to: Jake Bugg, The Belle Brigade, She & Him, The Last Shadow Puppets, Never Shout Never
Influences: 60ies Backbeat music, The (Early) Beatles, The Easy Beats,
Donovan, The Monkeys, Bob Dylan, Simon&Garfunkel, Pink Floyd
Members/Instruments:
Mona Wagner – Vocals, Guitars, Blues Harp
Lisa Wagner – Vocals, Guitars, Ukulele
The Beat is back! The MonaLisa Twins are one of the very few modern bands
who write original songs in the 60’s Beat music tradition, reviving the
genre with a modern, fresh twist without sounding pop-ish or trivial. On
their debut album “When We’re Together” they present the finest Rock ‘n’
Roll and Beat music, skillfully venturing out in Psychedelic, Folk and even
Latin genres, inspired by the likes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Simon &
Garfunkel. Their signature features are polyphonic harmonies and a wiry,
bright guitar sound. The even mix of fun and depth in their music and lyrics brings back the spirit of this time and therefore speaks to a wide range of international audiences.
While listening to and playing all different kinds of music genres in their
youth the girls stayed with the 60’s songwriting style, something they think is way too much neglected these days: “We aim to write songs which we ourselves would like to listen to and we always loved the spiritual,
humorous and true-to-life mindset of the 60’s. However we aren’t nostalgic
about it or trying to be “retro”. We simply believe that something great had been started in this era that is worthy of being continued.”
The core of the band are two 19 year old girls, actual twins named Mona and
Lisa. Originally from Austria, they toured extensively, performing in the USA, Australia and UK in their teens. They started out with cover songs on YouTube and released two CDs with covers in 2007 and 2008. At 16 they
decided to go for a professional music career and began to record their debut album “When We’re Together” which was released in 2012. Since then they’ve played many live shows in small to medium-sized venues and festivals in Continental Europe, playing to new audiences and raising interest for their own music. Besides being played on Austrian radio stations they are increasingly conquering the Anglo-American music markets with regular airplay and doing radio and TV interviews in the USA and UK as well. They also produced a decent number of high quality music videos which have garnered a total of nearly 2 million views and over 4,500 subscribers on YouTube so far.
Moving forward, for the rest of 2013 Mona and Lisa are dedicated to work on releasing more music videos and writing new songs.