Aaron Barr
Nicky Digital “Both Sides” Review
Check out the amazing review of The Vanguard’s video for “Both Sides”
reposted from: http://www.nickydigital.com/index.php?/blog/comments/the_vanguard_both_sides_music_video/
The Vanguard‘s new video for ”Both Sides“ isn’t called both sides for nothing; the song combines the duality of a relaxing yet danceable and remix ready track, espescially with the acapella breakdown in the middle.
As for the video itself, who wouldn’t want to hang out in a prairie with dandelions in their hair, and get down with their band.
If they keep putting out tracks like “Both Sides,” this New York group could become serious fan favorite!
They are also giving away the mp3 for the mere price of you email address over at TheVanguardBand.com!
The Vanguard interviewed on Planet Music, London
The Vanguard was interviewed on Planet Music, before their recent show at The Legion in London
Check out the review below, including insite on the new EP and some background on the guys in the Vanguard!
http://planetmusicreviews.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/the-interview-with-the-vanguard/
At the last Laissez Faire Club night at The Legion I was lucky enough to have the chance to interview The Vanguard. For those who dont know The Vanguard are a American band who played their first ever gigs in the UK a couple of weeks ago.
I strongly advise you all to take a listen to the music on the Myspace page (The link is at the bottom). The band consist of Aaron, David, Luke and Rasko.
01. This being your first time in the UK how has it been for you being in a country you have never been to before?
L: For some of us it is our first time in the UK and we didn’t know what to expect and its been wonderful absolutely wonderful. The people are really nice. The places we have been playing have been excellent. Laissez Faire Club has been wonderful to us booking all these shows together.
R: It’s great.
D: To summarise he’s been sleeping like 13 hours a day so it’s been great for him.
A: It’s great weather for sleeping really good weather.
02. Who would you say your musical influences are?
A: Mine change every week, but we like going back and forth.
D: There’s been a lot from oldies like The Beatles.
A: Zepplin.
D: What I mean I almost don’t listen to any of that stuff. Now I listen to Cut Copy and Hot Chip those are my influences right now.
03. If you were to collaborate with anyone dead or alive who would it be and why?
R: Jay Z for sure.
L: For me it would be Sigur Rós. I would just love to get in a studio with all of them.
D: Ringo (Starr).
04. What made you want to start a band?
A: That’s a toughie, maybe I don’t know if this is the right answer but I didn’t know what else to do really.It’s like the only thing I’m good at.
L: We all just have a passion for music and it’s kind of undeniable. We met and it’s been really good since.
05. Describe your music in 3 words?
R: Crazy, sexy, cool.
L: I say fun, uplifting.
D: Groovy.
06. Where do you get your inspiration from when writing songs?
L: A lot of times people are in the studio up late and they’ll come up with a little tidbit and that later on gets jump around from person to person and then it becomes a song later on.
D: We generally rehearse a lot. We come out with a bunch of ideas and I record them and we just turn them into songs.
A: Once a song is done it’s like ahh.
L: Next.
A: Whenever we nail that melody, the melody is there and it becomes like a little button and we go from there.
07. Favourite song to sing live and why?
A: I think Both Sides for me. With that we can bring people on and it kinda creates a fun, positive, party atmosphere. So people know it and they can sing with us or dance to it
D: We have a great video to it too.
L: For me it’s Take You Out. The song is completely different from our style and when we play usually people at first are you can see they don’t expect it and it’s nice to see when they all get into it. It’s not like a dancy, party up song. People just kinda fall into it and start dancing along and it’s really nice.
08. What was it like to play at SXSW?
A: It was crazy it was kind of like a game change at that place. All these different bands come from all over the place and they play on one little strip. Everywhere you look is music. You walk in the middle, you cant really talk on the phone because there is music coming from everywhere.
D: There’s just a full shoot of people going by non stop. Non stop for hours and hours. No cars just people, people, people, people and you have bars where music plays. When music is played people just stop by and hear them.
L: And the best thing is that it’s bar next to bar next to bar next to bar. There are so many bars next to each other and every single bar has a band playing. Sometimes there are bars that have a terrace as well so there’s bands up on top of the roof playing as well as inside. So you just walk a few steps and you hear different styles of music.
R: Basically it’s like a big party. The whole city is a big party for four days.
09. Who is your favourite singer or band at the moment?
D: Cut Copy.
A: The National.
R: Jay Z.
L: Friendly Fires.
10. What tips do you offer to any one wanting to start a band?
L: If you are really going to do it put everything and every single gig no matter what even if there is only 2 people there play your hearts out.
D: Make sure you find the right band mates that you really want to play with, you really want to hang out with and party with because you are going to spend a lot of time with them.
11. Tell us a little about the new EP Playtime?
L: We went through hell and water to get it done, recorded and mastered. Ben Fox was our engineer.
D: We did the design, everything for it.
L: We made the little dolls and there is 6 songs on there. We are very proud they are our little babies.
A: We are really happy with it. We are so happy with the way it came out. I’m happy with everything about it.
The Vanguard on Balcony TV, London
While in the UK, The Vanguard got on Balcony TV for an awesome take on ‘Both Sides’:
Check out the full post here
Mow Crew to be screened at Midpoint Music Festival
So, I just got confirmation that Mow Crew will be screened at Midpoint and the director, Taylor Toole, will be joining RethinkPopMusic and documenting our mini-tour. RethinkPopMusic will be taking The Vanguard, The Ambassadors and The Aviation Orange deep into the midwest in late September… dates and details coming soon.
Mow Crew Preview – Past Time For Leaving from Taylor Toole on Vimeo.
Mow Crew Preview – The Weatherman from Taylor Toole on Vimeo.
About Mow Crew:
Information about the film is outlined below and a press kit is attached, more info @ mowcrew.com. Feel free to contact me directly with any questions regarding the project.
Project History
•Filmed over 18 days in June 2008 entirely on Martha’s Vineyard – the first film to be allowed to do so since Jaws
•DI/Color/mix completed April/May 2009
•April 19th, 2009 – First public screening @ Boston Int’l Film Fest gets us favorable review in The (hipster-bitchy) Weekly Dig comparing us to Juno & Garden State and predicts top selling soundtrack on iTunes. Film wins The Indie Spirit Special Recognition Award at the festival.
•May 9th, 2009 – By way of saying “Thank You” to Martha’s Vineyard we hold two back to back screenings at the Capawock Theatre. We score three glowing newspaper articles and local radio and TV coverage that accompany the event. Both screenings sellout with many people being turned away. Adults of all ages enjoy the film, particularly it’s humor and music.
•Currently waiting to hear from fall festivals (will screen at Woods Hole Fest in July), seeking distribution (MV theater owners are trying to book Mow Crew for a full run on island later this summer).
Specs
•Shot on Super 16mm film, DI to HDCam SR master – we screen on all formats (our awesome colorist Bruce Bolden also did Vant Sant’s Elephant & Last Days)
•scripted 95min comedy
•R rated language, scenes of nudity, some violent situations
•features seven original songs performed by lead actor/musicians Aaron Lloyd Barr of NYC band The Vanguard (www.myspace.com/thevanguardatmyspace ) and Saara Untracht-Oakner of Boston band You Can Be a Wesley (www.myspace.com/youcanbeawesley )
Misc
•Janet Pierson of SXSW saw an unfinished version of the film, thought it was “funny and fresh” and offered to be a personal reference for the movie.
•I am the director/writer/editor and along with Aaron and Saara, this is my first feature film.
Links
www.mowcrew.com
www.myspace.com/mowcrewmusic
SWINE FLU MURDERS RETHINKPOPMUSIC
Aaron has the Swine Flu!
Sunday night I was well into Operation: Feeling Like Shit. But, was really trying to tough it out.
Walk it off, kid. Walk it off.
I went out for a nice Indian dinner at the amazing Indian place near my apartment called Seva ($12 prix fixe!) with Attiya.
It was BYOB, and we could both use a B, so I hopped next door to the bodega/deli to grab a deucedeuce of Kingfisher. As I leave, my eyes lock on the Daily News cover “SWINE FLU FOUND IN QUEENS SCHOOL”. Hmm, that’s odd, I live in Queens too and I’m not feeling so hot….Nahhh, no way. Back to my tikka masala.
Monday morning – Swine flu hysteria all over the news. A guy at Ernst and Young has it. Schools are closing. People are freaking out. I realize it’s fearmongering media hype, but can’t help but buy just a little stock in it seeing as I have ALL of the symptoms. Fever: Check. Congestion: Check. Headache: Check. Sore Throat: Double-check in bold and highlighted.
Monday night at Midnight I find myself walking to Mt. Sinai hospital. Just in case, I tell myself. The receptionist gives me one of those I’m-freaking-contagious-get-away-masks that I put on, slightly embarrassed.
After staring at Fox News pundits in the waiting room for two hours (is this what waterboarding feels like?), I’m finally face to masked-face with the doctor, who reminded me a little too much of the Doctor Hibbert from the Simpsons.
“I’ll bet you think you’ve got the Swine Flu like everyone else, dontcha?”
“No.” I said quickly. “Well, I mean, I’ve got all the symptoms, but I don’t…”
“A bunch of media hype. Have you been to Mexico lately?” He said, slightly interrupting me.
“No.”
“Know anyone that has?”
“yes!” I said. “I know TWO people who just got back from Mexico” In a strange tone like I was trying to prove to him that I actually did have a reason to be wearing this ridiculous mask.
“Okay. Did they go to Mexico city and are they sick?”
“Umm…no”
He then skeptically stethoscopes my chest and flashlights my throat.
“You don’t have the Swine Flu son.” I wanted to say ‘I know!’ but I’m sitting in the ER at 2:30am with a mask on my face, so I let the defense rest. “I’m going to prescribe you an anti-biotic for your throat and that should take care of the Bronchitis, Laryngitis or whatever it is you have”.
“Thanks doc” (How very scientific of you).
So, I don’t have swine flu and am feeling like a million pesos.
Oink!
Mow Crew Martha’s Vineyard Premiere
Taylor Toole seamlessly integrates music into the actual storyline of Mow Crew. Not only do the songs reiterate the mood of the characters, but the lyrics somehow fill in the gaps the dialogue may have left out. I have personally never been more impressed with the originality of a soundtrack, the multifaceted talents of the actors/performers and the ability to accomplish so much with so little…monetarily.
Mow Crew will have it’s Martha’s Vineyard premiere Saturday, May 9th. This movie is a must see for anyone who is an actor/musician, is interested in becoming a music supervisor or simply loves a good story.
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Pitchfork!
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