OAS Releases Second Single, Preps For Upcoming Performances

Courtesy: Goomba Music

Independent Southern California-based band Open Air Stereo released the second single this week.

The band’s new single, ‘Damned’ comes from the band’s 2013 debut album Primates.  The single is now playing on Sirius XM’s “The Pulse” channel right now.  Audiences can check out the lyric video for the band’s new single online now via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wamgO5IVcBM.  Devin DeHaven (Slash, R. Kelly, Rita Ora)directed the video.

Along with the release of its new single, Open Air Stereo is getting ready for a busy Spring and Summer tour schedule.  The band will be one of many bands performing at this year’s upcoming SXSW Festival.  It will also kick off a co-headlining tour with miggs and Man on Earth beginning Tuesday, March 25^th in Jacksonville, Florida.  The band’s most current performance itinerary is listed below.

Check out OPEN AIR STEREO at any of the following stops, with more shows to be announced in the coming weeks:

 

DATE SPONSOR VENUE/TIME

DURING SXSW IN AUSTIN, TX:

Mon 3/10 Set.fm The Majestic/9pm

Tue 3/11 Jivewire The Rooftop/7:15pm

Wed 3/12 Red Gorilla The Thirsty Nickel/11pm

Wed 3/12 Jivewire Touche/6pm

Thu 3/13 In2une Music Shakespears/9pm

Fri 3/14 Jivewire Darwin’s Pub/2:30pm

Fri 3/14 Red Gorilla Handle Bar/10pm

Fri 3/14 KAMX Key Bar/TBA

With miggs and Man On Earth:

Tue 3/25 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits

Thu 3/27 Orlando, FL The Social

Sat 3/29 Tampa, FL Orpheum

Tue 4/1 Washington, DC Jammin’ Java

Wed 4/2 Philadelphia, PA Grape Room

Thu 4/3 New York, NY The Bowery Electric

Fri 4/4 Westport, CT Toquet Hall

Sun 4/6 Boston, MA Church

Thu 4/10 Pittsburgh, PA Club Café

Sat 4/12 Newport, KY Southgate House

Wed 4/16 Chicago, IL Elbo Room

Fri 4/18 Indianapolis, IN Rathskeller

Wed 4/23 Denver, CO Lost Lake Lounge

Thu 4/24 Salt Lake City, UT The Royal

Sat 4/26 Seattle, WA El Corazon

Sun 4/27 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre

Tue 4/29 Oakland, CA The New Parish

Thu 5/1 Los Angeles, CA Molly Malone’s

Sat 5/3 San Diego, CA Lestat’s Coffee House

Sun 5/4 Scottsdale, AZ Rogue Bar

More information on Open Air Stereo’s new single, album, performances and more is available online at http://www.openairstereo.com, http://www.facebook.com/OpenAirStereo, and http://twitter.com/OpenAirStereo.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Open Air Stereo’s Debut A Surprisingly Solid First Impression

Courtesy: Goomba Music

There are those who stand by the belief that the best comes to those who wait.  Don’t tell that to the members of Open Air Stereo.  This pop-rock four piece from Laguna Beach, CA has proven that waiting is only part of the game when it comes to being successful in any avenue of life.  The band has waited and worked for over a decade to get to where it is today.  The work and the wait was well worth it as it recently signed a deal with Goomba Music and released its full length debut, Primates through the label.  This record is another one of those releases that reminds individuals such as this critic as to why we do what we do.  The band’s pop-rock hybrid sound makes it quite the fit for any mainstream rock radio station and even any Top 40 radio station.  This is evident throughout the course of the eleven tracks on Primates, the band’s debut record.

Primates is an excellent first impression for the band on anyone that is new to its music.  It opens with a pair of songs in ‘Right’ and ‘Love is Blind’ that are prime examples of the band’s ability to fit in on any radio format.  ‘Right’ sounds like a hybrid mix of Jimmy Eat World and U2 with the vocals of front man Chase Johnson and guitars of Scott Pounds.  This song, given the proper support, would be a good fit for any Top 40 radio station’s lineup.  ‘Love is Blind’ on the other hand is edgier, making it more fitting for a mainstream rock station as would ‘Where Do We Go.’  It shows the band’s Foo Fighters influence. There are points in this song that sound like a mix of ‘Learn To Fly’ and ‘Best of You.’  It’s one of so many points throughout the record that will have listeners happily singing along.  It comes across as slightly introspective song, lyrically.  But what’s so interesting is that thanks to the song’s musical side, it doesn’t come across like so many songs of that ilk.  Rather it gives a more upbeat vibe to what are some deep thoughts.  Johnson sings in the song’s chorus, “Where do we go from here?/When are we gonna stop?/I wanna beat this crazy world/Before it falls apart/I need to know right now/What we’re all about/Cause we’re running out of time to waste.”  It’s a deep song.  But thankfully Johnson and company took the road less travelled and crafted a song that doesn’t come across as so many self-serving and overly emotional emo songs that have ever been written. 

Primates offers audiences so much to rejoice in with its mix of pop and rock sounds, as has already been illustrated.  The aforementioned songs are just part of the whole that makes this album a surprise hit.  Audiences will also enjoy ‘What You Want.’  Drummer Nick Gross’ beats combine with Pounds’ guitar work to make what is sure to be one of the highest of points throughout this record.  Johnson’s breezy vocal style here mixes with his band mates’ work to produce a song that sounds like a mix of 311 and perhaps certain other bands.  The thing with this—and other songs on this album–is that despite having a sound similar to other bands, OAS still manages to maintain its own identity without sounding like it’s ripping off any other band.  For that alone, the members of Open Air Stereo are to be applauded. 

Even after ‘What You Want’, the band keeps audiences engaged with ‘Living Proof’ and Your Way is My Way.’  This song was just as solid a way to close the album as ‘Right’ was to open it.  It exhibits something of a Buckcherry influence without sounding too much like that band, either.  And it will have audiences singing along and moving right to the song’s final notes.  The song ends perfectly, almost as if the band could use it as a show closer at its live performances.

Speaking of live performances, the band is currently on the road in support of Primates.  Fans in North Carolina will get their chance to check out the band live when it makes a stop at Ziggy’s in Winston-Salem on Thursday, June 6^th.  It will be in Kokomo, IN at Centerstage alongside Candlebox.  Fans can get a full listing of the band’s tour dates as well as the latest news and updates from the band when they “Like” the band on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OpenAirStereo.      

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

TV Producer, Record Label Partner To Form New Company

Television producer Richard Dominick and Horizon Entertainment—parent company to indie record label Goomba Music –have announced that they have partnered to form a brand new company titled, Richard Dominick Entertainment Group.  The goal of the new company is to serve as a bridge between music and reality TV production.  The new company already has plans to start filming new full length movies this Spring.  Casting for the movies will take place at the company’s Detroit and Chicago offices.

Dominick, whose credits include Executive Producer of the truTV’s Hardcore Pawn, Executive Producer of The Jerry Springer Show from 1994 – 2008, and Creator and Executive Producer of The Steve Wilkos Show (2007) was clearly excited about the new partnership when interviewed.  “Working within another production house, sometimes leads itself to creative differences”, Dominick said.  “Now when there’s creative differences, I will only have to argue with myself – which is a good thing because my other personality is that of a small Filipino woman and I can take her…” “After so many years of working within the boundaries and limitations of other production companies”, he continues, “I now have what all producers dream of—creative freedom.  This company is a match made in Heaven, and if by chance we end up arguing amongst ourselves, it’ll make a great reality show.  I think when I changed The Jerry Springer Show from Phil Donahue to a show where everyone was welcome to come on the show and air their grievances, it was the beginning of “reality TV” and Springer became the number one show in syndication.  Now, Hardcore Pawn is truTV’s biggest hit. Expect this new company to continue and surpass those successes. 

Greg Wier, CEO of Horizon Entertainment and Goomba Music also shared his thoughts on the new partnership.  “We are thrilled to form this new company with Richard, joining our talents and utilizing our strengths to bring the world a new and exciting full service entertainment company.  By combining his successful track record in television with our accomplishments as an independent record company that has worldwide distribution, the possibilities for new entertainment ventures are endless.  We have a lot of new plans for movies, television, series and record releases that will be announced in the coming weeks.

Goomba Music is home to Brand New Sin, Open Air Stereo, Scum of the Earth, Temple of Thieves and hip-hop artist, A.N.T.  The company originally formed in 2011 and has already released records from Soil, Dark New Day, Pro-Pain, and Puddle of Mudd.

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141.  Fans can always get the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.