Cause A Scene Music

Daily Discovery: Prince of Spain

Cause A Scene — October 22, 2013 — Leave a comment

The month of October has proven to be a busy month for new music releases. With many of my personal favorite bands putting out new tunes, I’ve been more excited about the coming of fall than usual. Among the many artists that have recently released new projects is the Nashville-based alternative folk rock band Prince of Spain, formerly known as The Scene Aesthetic. His Majesty, the first of hopefully many projects to come from Prince of Spain, is a full length album that has the familiar feel of groups like Ivan & Alyosha or Fleet Foxes in its harmonic melody and lighthearted sound yet is still quite unique to the music scene.

Frontman Andrew De Torres shared, “For the last 2 years we’ve been working on a collection of songs and ultimately felt like they deserved to be given a new name. Many have asked where we’ve gone. But we’ve been right here the whole time. We proudly present to you His Majesty, Prince of Spain.”

I found this album to be youthful and worldly at the same time with a natural and refreshing vibe. Having listened to His Majesty in its entirety, I can easily say that this album is a perfect addition to an already amazing month of new music. Do yourself a favor and drop a couple of bucks on His Majesty. By doing this, not only are you supporting a wickedly talented local band, but you’re scoring some pretty awesome tracks to help transition your playlists into the fall season.

– Bailey Basham

Prince of Spain- ‘Rising Sun’

In Daily Discovery Bailey Basham, prince of spain

Show Preview: Friendly Savages, Penny & Sparrow, Traveller and Wilder Maker – 10/17

Cause A Scene — October 16, 2013 — Leave a comment

Strap yourself in for another night filled with fantastic music brought to you by Cause A Scene, this Thursday evening at The High Watt on Cannery Row. Leading the night’s stellar lineup is a band who is quickly making a name for themselves in a city that is wrought with a dense population of talent and sound. Based in Austin, TX, Friendly Savages has spent the two short years that they have been making music together constructing a sound that seamlessly blurs genre lines, mixing influences that pull from folk, rock, blues and even classical. Their full-length debut, O, Joshua!, released earlier this year, was a true testament to the bands reach as songwriters and performers, quickly climbing to #3 on the iTunes singer songwriter charts. Suffice it to say, we at CAS are excited to host these boys here in Nashville.

Filling out the night’s bill is another Austin, TX outfit Penny & Sparrow. Making their second Cause A Scene appearance, this talented duo has a reputation for blowing a CAS audience’s hair back. Former roommates Andy Baxter and Kyle Jahnke played their first Nashville house show in East Nashville a this past summer, and while it was only a few months ago it is easy to say that they could not have returned quick enough. Jahnke lays out simply orchestrated rhythms with a lone acoustic guitar providing the foundation for Baxter’s strong and haunting vocal melodies resulting in a distinctly original musical identity that draws influence from The Swell Season, Bon Iver, Mumford and Sons. Their 2013 full-length release, Tenboom, is a compilation of 10 tracks that displays a rawness and maturity that is truly refreshing in a scene that is often muddled with mediocrity.

Brooklyn-based Wilder Maker will also be sharing the stage. This band’s size (10 members to be exact) may lead one to assume that their sound is large and excessive, but it is in fact the contrary. Despite their numbers, Wilder Maker’s music is the sort of bare bones of Americana music that boasts raw and stripped down instrumentals and lyricism. The band released their second album, Year of Endless Light, just last month.

Topping off the evening will be Traveller, the new project of local singer songwriter Mikaela Hamilton. Traveller made their live Nashville debut back in July at a CAS house show. We are thrilled to have them back again, on a larger stage and playing alongside a group of immensely talented craftsmen. Traveller’s first single “Animal” is due to release via NoiseTrade later this week.

Don’t miss out on what is sure to be another raging CAS night at The High Watt, full of stellar talent and kick ass music. Get your tickets here for $10 in advance or $12 DOS. Doors open at 7:00 PM and the music starts at 8:00 PM.

– Christian Lerchenfeld

Friendly Savages- ‘Her Locket on a Chain’

Penny & Sparrow- ‘Heroes and Monsters’

Wilder Maker- ‘Float Us Through the Barroom’

In Nashville Concerts friendly savages, penny & sparrow, traveller, wilder maker

Daily Discovery: Cooper & The Jam

Cause A Scene — October 15, 2013 — 1 Comment

When you site your influences as Tina Turner, Otis Redding and Janis Joplin, you know that when you step up to bat, you’ve got to hit a home run for the team and Cooper & The Jam’s live show does just that. Cooper, a fiery, free spirit leads her 11-piece band, which includes a horn section, as well as backup singers and dancers, through a rowdy, tenacious set that’s sure to have audiences singing and dancing along.

Cooper’s album has already drawn comparisons to Grace Potter and Amy Winehouse, but she’s really a force of her own. Cooper’s live shows are always firecrackers; each song is powerful but as the show builds you can’t help but anticipate the moment the whole thing bursts into a brilliant, shimmering performance. And Cooper’s deep, rousing voice, with the help of her raucous band, always brings about a moment (or several) of brilliance.

Now, you can experience that same brilliance at home, on Cooper & the Jam’s new album, Motown Suite, which saw its wide, digital release on September 10^th. Cooper’s soft, purring voice could do justice to any number of ‘60s hits and the relatable, simple subject matter of songs like “I Wanna Love You,” recall the Motown tunes she’s found so inspiring. But the album still manages to be entirely modern and could easily serve as an accessible bridge to soul music for a pop fan.

Though the album sounds like it came together effortlessly, it’s been a while in the making. In 2011, Cooper drove her VW van from Portland to Nashville, where she lived in a hotel while flipping burgers for money and putting together two separate bands, which became The Jam. Cooper’s first show in Nashville had her opening for rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson at a party for fashion icon Manuel. After being heard at the party, Cooper began recording her album at The Tracking Room, a studio that’s been featured in the TV show “Nashville.”

In April, Cooper’s 7” Cooper Live at the Historic Star Theater was chosen as an official Record Store Day release and to celebrate, Cooper performed at two record stores, across the country from each other, on the same day. Since then, Cooper has had the chance to open for Mavis Staples and Robert Plant at Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival.

Motown Suite captures the essence of Cooper’s live shows; it includes upbeat dance songs, Motown-style ballads, rock guitars and rich vocal harmonies. The album stands as a testament to Cooper’s ability to incorporate her influences into a sound that is obviously steeped in classic soul but that is, at the same time, a unique, modern sound just her own.

– Meagan Lawson

Cooper & The Jam- ‘I Wanna Love You’

In Daily Discovery cooper & the jam, Meagan Lawson

Show Preview: Smooth Hound Smith, Charlie & The Foxtrots, Ryan Culwell and Jane Ellen Bryant – 10/12

Cause A Scene — October 11, 2013 — Leave a comment

Join us this Saturday night for another evening of doing what we do best; bringing you another night full of up and coming talent and fresh original tunes. This weekend we return to Edgehill Cafe at 1201 Villa Place with a lineup of four incredibly talented acts from right here in good ol’ Music City. Anchoring the evening’s set is a duo that is on the fast track to success among the local music scene. Smooth Hound Smith is comprised of singer/multi-instrumentalist Zack Smith and vocalist/percussionist Catie Doyle. Together they fuse their talents utilizing kick drums, tambourines, wailing harmonicas and soaring harmonies to produce a sound that brings a contemporary flair to the familiar and nostalgic sounds of old school rock n’ roll, blues and soul.

The duo played their first gig together just more than a year ago in early 2012, and the electric chemistry between the two musicians was palpable and instantaneous. In the months since Smooth Hound Smith has set their pace at ‘full throttle’ and haven’t let up on the gas since. In the short period of time that they have been playing together, the duo has played nearly 200 shows, helmed a self-booked national tour that spanned seven weeks and covered over 8,500 miles, spreading their music across the country to all who care to listen. While traveling and playing nonstop, they also found time to write, record and release their debut full-length album. The self-titled effort was released earlier this year and consists of ten well-crafted songs that possess a timelessness that gives high hope to this band’s potential.

Also on the docket for the evening is Charlie and the Foxtrots, a six-piece band out of Georgia who have recently set up camp in Nashville. The six members of ‘Foxtrots’ hail from all across the Southeast, and each member brings his own set of talents to produce a sound that is rich mix of folk and pop. That sound is defined by a carefully orchestrated combination of guitars, banjos, mandolins, harmonica, slide guitars, trumpet and upright bass that leaves a lasting impression on the band’s listeners. Charlie and the Foxtrots’ recent EP, The Evergreen, was released earlier this year.

Fleshing out the night’s bill is two artists who are both originally from Texas. Red Bull Sound Select artist Ryan Culwell is a seasoned musician from the Texas panhandle who has recently brought his folk/Ameicana tunes to the fair city of Nashville. If his EP, Winter Wheat, which released earlier this year is any indication of what this musician’s future efforts are to bring, we for one are excited to see what Culwell has up his sleeve. Culwell is currently working on a full-length record that is due out in the coming months.

Singer-songwriter Jane Ellen Bryant currently splits her time between her hometown of Austin, TX and her current home here in Nashville where she moved in 2009 to study vocal performance at Belmont University. Bryant’s distinct and sultry melodies paired with her talents as a songwriter yield a sound that seamlessly blur the line between homegrown folk and southern rock paying equal homage to both the deep musical heritage of Music City and her Texas roots. In 2012 Bryant recorded and released her first full-length album and also appeared as an official SXSW artist. Jane Ellen Bryant is currently putting the finishing touches on her follow-up album, which she plans to release later this year.

Help us bring in the autumn season as we kick back with some righteous tunes and sip on tasty home-brewed coffee at Edgehill Cafe this Saturday. As with prior shows at Edgehill both general admission and VIP tickets will be available. VIP tickets include a three-course meal and beverage for you to enjoy whilst the performers give it their all. Space is limited, so be sure to get your tickets in advance here. Doors open 7:00 PM with the music soon to follow.

– Christian Lerchenfeld

In Nashville Concerts charlie and the foxtrots, christian lerchenfeld, jane ellen bryant, ryan culwell, smooth hound smith

Communion Artist Spotlight: Yacht Club DJs

Cause A Scene — October 10, 2013 — Leave a comment

Originating from Ballarat in regional Victoria, Australia, Gareth Harrison and Guy Chappell are self-described as two “super rad DJs,” who make up the increasingly popular mashup group Yacht Club DJs. Harrison and Chappell have quickly grown into one of Australia’s foremost mashup acts. Despite having come from “humble beginnings,” according to the Gentlemen of the Road Stopover tour site, the Yacht Club DJs are insanely gifted in their ability to blend such diverse tracks into mixes that “create an epic party atmosphere and cause their audiences to sing at the top of their lungs.”

What could arguably be one of the best things about the mashups Gareth and Guy create is the variety of tracks they choose to use in their mixes. In “Find Me A Macchiato Pronto,” the pair somehow are able to easily transition from songs that are complete opposites, and by doing so, successfully blend a myriad of genres together that you would never imagine fitting together so seamlessly. From rap to pop, to country, even rock and classical, Yacht Club DJs hold no bias over the genres they use; they cover it all.

When asked by Aphra Magazine about their mix “They Mostly Come At Night…Mostly,” which is made up of over 500 samples, the pair stated, “I don’t think we’ve ever gone about it the same way twice. I sort of just let the music tell me what to do. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t really believe in having a strict process for Yacht Club anyway. It’d make the work boring and predictable.”

I can without a doubt say that thus far, the mashups I’ve heard from Yacht Club DJs are anything but boring and predictable. The mixes these guys make are unique, high energy, and packed full of personality. Don’t miss your chance to see them live, tonight at the Communion show at Mercy Lounge and The High Watt, alongside the multiple talented acts we have been featuring for the past week, right here at causeascenemusic.com.

– Bailey Basham

Yacht Club DJs- ‘Find Me A Macchiato Pronto’
Find Me A Macchiato Pronto by yachtclubdjsmusic

In Artist Spotlight, Communion Artist Spotlight Bailey Basham, Yacht Club DJs