The Yes Way “Loves You All” especially Zoe Hiigli

The Yes Way are currently on hiatus until CMJ while Jesse (drums/vox) recovers from a broken hand that required surgery to have pins put in. Fortunately, the lack of any live performances from the band in August and September prompted our good friend Zoe Hiigli to make a video for “I Love You All.” We are really digging this one as the colors burst like an acid trip and the spastic pace of video is perfectly in time with the track. Thanks for this one Zoe! For more information on Zoe visit ZoeHiigli.com where her full body of work is beautifully on display.

Rockin’ in the New World – Now Available

RethinkPopMusic’s close friend, author Bob Tulipan, has written an awesome book that serves as a guide and tool for ALL talented artists that wish to make a career in the music industry. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book now! You can get it here at Barnes & Noble or on Amazon etc… (google it!) RPM will be providing a full review shortly, in the meantime, check out the book’s webpage http://rockininthenewworld.com/!

The Yes Way or the Highway | Interview with The Deli Magazine NYC

from: http://www.thedelimagazine.com/FeatureView.php?artist=theyesway

The Yes Way or the Highway
by Meijin Bruttomesso

"The best part of New York is that you are surrounded by so much quality music that it motivates you and drives you to always work more and harder at your craft."

Brooklynites, Aaron Mendelsohn (vocals, guitar), Nick Burleigh (guitar, violin, bass, keyboard, vocals), Mike Drucker(bass, guitar, violin, vocals), and Jesse Bilotta (drums, vocals) collaborate on a pleasantly pop-rock project, The Yes Way. Although active around town and in recording, the multi-instrumental pack has yet to say, “yes,” to an official release date of any type of album. When the quartet gives the affirmative, the record will most likely include the following tracks. “When It Breaks” cheerfully pulses and swings with staccato piano chords and descending guitar arpeggios. Distortion ebbs and flows, settling into sauntering beats, playful guitar strums, and uplifting vocal harmonies on “Mets.” “Where Was I” continues The Yes Way’s recognizably clear vocals and hybridizes peppy pop melodies with psychedelic reverb. Both the high spirit of the expression, “TGIF!” and the tension of an entire work week are embodied in the ode, “Friday,” and represented by the tremolo guitar introduction, anxious pace, and minor key. The Yes Way are taking a path less common than most pop indie bands, and their future projects are much anticipated.

What is the “yes way?”
The opposite of “No Way,” and a nod to open-mindedness. The defiance of cynicism. A band name.

How did you each get involved in music? Who or what inspired you to follow it as a career?
We’ve all been playing from a young age. To tour and inspire and communicate on a large scale through music is a lifelong dream. From our early stages as a band, jamming and writing, we’ve been developing a certain confidence in our vision that doesn’t allow us to entertain other career options.

With whom and where would you most like to tour? Why?
We’d like to tour with Ra Ra Riot, White Rabbits, or Local Natives because of their rabid optimistic youthful and large fan bases. We’ll go anywhere.

How does the song-writing and composition come about? Where do you get your inspiration?
As a starting point, it’s a pretty even split between Aaron at home with an acoustic guitar, and the full band jam sessions at the rehearsal space. Inspiration comes from love, community, loss, lacking, but mostly from each other.

What is it like being a New York artist? What are the best and worst aspects?

As musicians in New York, we feel strangely anonymous and yet part of a beautiful community of like-minded people. The best part of New York is that you are surrounded by so much quality music that it motivates you and drives you to always work more and harder at your craft. The worst part is that, due to this over-saturation of quality, generally nobody really cares about what you do. The scene sometimes feels un-navigable, and you run around aimlessly working your ass off. Then, suddenly, beautifully, you find all these people at your show digging it and realize that the word has been spreading, and the people are starting to care.

If you could write the future for The Yes Way, what would happen in the next five years?
We will be putting the food on the table with the music we’re making, and filling the rooms everywhere we play on tour. And we will be proud of the records we’re making.

Whyleaveastoria.com Turns 2 and Wants to Celebrate with You!

Presented by Spaten, in association with RethinkPopMusic, Studio Square, and Thrillist:

On Thursday, April 8th at Studio Square, Why Leave Astoria?! will celebrate two giant milestones, its second birthday and growth topping 4,000 members. The event begins promptly at 7pm at Studio Square–located at 35-33 36th St. Astoria, NY 11106

To honor the event, WLA has partnered with Spaten beer, RethinkPopMusic, Studio Square, and Thrillist to bring Astoria the largest centralized celebration Queens has ever seen. In anticipation of growth over last year’s celebration attended by over 1,000 people, this year’s event features five of the borough’s biggest musical acts and washed down by TEN FREE KEGS of Spaten and Franziskaner beer. The event will also mark the kickoff of Studio Square’s participation in the hugely popular WLA Card program.

Fifteen of the most talked about independent clothing and accessory designers in the borough will be displaying their wares throughout the evening. There will be giveaways and contests as well as performances throughout the evening by Sol Dance Center, CrossFit Queens, and the New York Circus Arts Academy.
There is no cover charge for the event.

EVENT RUNDOWN:

7:00 Red carpet guest arrival hosted by Sunday Morning Mimosa, Performance by Bobby Kane
7:45 Performance by Illimanjaro featuring Hops
8:30 Performance by TJ Moss Band & Pie Boys Flat
10:00 Performance by The Vanguard
11:00 DJ Lo-Fi of ADG, Performance by Sol Dance Studio

The Vanguard
The Vanguard have been featured on Matt Pinfield’s Morning Show on 101.9 RXP. They have played every noteworthy venue in NYC and were featured in a half-dozen SXSW 09 showcases. They also played The Exit festival in Serbia along with a 7 day UK Tour, MPMF in Cincinnati, Miami Music Festival and their video for “Both Sides” was featured on MTVu. SPIN.com named them a buzzworthy up-and-coming band because of their “bubbling melting pot of sounds, influences, and ethnic backgrounds.” With their second EP ‘Playtime!’ about to be released this fall, The Vanguard are gearing up to hit the road for their next international tour.

TJ Moss Band
TJ Moss Band mixes pop, rock, soul, Fenders and firewater to create their own unique brand of rock and roll. This Astoria, Queens based trio recently opened for Joss Stone at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK. They were featured in TimeOut New York magazine for “Battle of the Bands: Brooklyn vs. Queens”, which they proceeded to win. Their song “It’s Over” was featured as the finale-winning performance on Bravo’s hit show, Step it Up and Dance last summer.

Pie Boys Flat
For the last few years the fan base for Patrick, Fitz, and Jason has been growing all over the city, country, and abroad! With their history of playing live shows across the world PBF has truely crafted an original live experience that you don’t find anywhere else. Known for writing songs that cross many genres (from rock ‘n’ roll to reggae, blues to bluegrass, latin rock to jazz funk) they bring all the styles home everytime with very unique arrangements. There’s something different about the voices that these three young musicians put together. But in the end you understand that regardless of how, all these sounds come together underneath the same roof that is so sublimely PIE BOYS FLAT.

Illimanjaro
Formed in 2004 and based in Queens and Brooklyn, Illimanjaro have built a reputation as a power trio with a unique brand of punk/funk-infused hip hop for the young and rowdy. Following the release of their well-received debut album ‘A Problem’ (February 2007) and four-song EP ‘Not Invited’ (February 2008), Illimanjaro are back with their third record entitled ‘Boiling Point’ (December 2009)—featuring eight tracks that bubble with the kind of scorching intensity and raw energy that has made the band such a hair-raising live act.

Bobby Kane
There are few songwriters these days that place so much of their souls into their music; Bobby Kane is one of them. Every lyric of every song comes from life and life experience. From mellow and melodic to furious and un-tamable, his styles trample the guidelines of modern music and then transcends them all. With a unique vocal style and an ear for warm sensual chord structures, the potential to go down in history as one of the “Great Ones” of our age is evident.

For More Information: http://www.whyleaveastoria.com/events/wla-turns-2-4000-member-party

NYC sends the homeless on worldwide vacation

Think they would send a homeless band on tour? It’s like volunteering for deportation. Next thing you know we will be filling planes with the homeless and airdropping them over North Korea.