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HUM and American Eagle Stage Giant Music Fest
HUM just returned from Pittsburgh, PA and the amazing New American Music Union-- American Eagle Outfitters' first major music festival! HUM was proud to help AEO conceive, create, and execute this 2-day music event, featuring performances from Tiny Masters of Today, NASA, The Black Keys, The Roots, Black Mountain, The Duke Spirit, Spoon, The Raconteurs, and headliner Bob Dylan. In addition to helping pull together this eclectic line-up, HUM also produced the festival's 2nd Stage-- featuring 15 of the top college bands from across the country competing for the chance to record their own EP. The contest was judged by a top panel of music industry figures including representatives from Rolling Stone, CMJ Magazine, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and EMI. Congats to winning band The Black Fortys from Carbondale, IL and Southern Illinois University!
To check out great footage of the New American Music Union, including video footage of all the mainstage and college stage bands, go to AE's exclusive entertainment website, 77e.
www.ae.com/musicfestival
BRAVE NEW WORLD
Hosted by Tricia Halloran
HUM Director of A&R
For over a decade, Tricia Halloran has brought her listeners an incredible, eclectic, and energizing array of the best new music around-- on her KCRW-FM radio program BRAVE NEW WORLD. We asked Tricia if she'd do a special version for us, and guess what, she said yes!
Now featuring exclusive, fresh broadcasts of Brave New World-- dropped straight into your iTunes (or whatever player you use)-- click here to be reminded of how great it is to discover new music and artists!
Why does a Belgian band call themselves Girls In Hawaii? Why does a Welsh band have a spanish name that means "The Peasants"? Will The Verve's new album make up for an 11 year absence? Ponder these questions and more while enjoying an hour of all the best new releases that made it past Tricia's savvy ears.
Also, if you want to be sent a reminder whenever there's a new Brave New World show, just click here.
If you missed any past Brave New World broadcasts, please visit our archive.
Vampire Weekend at The Metro
Review by Galen Graham, DDB Chicago
A great show by Vampire Weekend! They opened with “Mansford
Roof” and closed with “Oxford Comma” and “Walcott”. The band sounded really
good and wanted to impress. They had played Schubas (a great tiny venue) at
the beginning of the year but "graduated" to the Metro for this show. The
Metro is such a good venue because it has a wide stage but is a relatively
shallow room so the whole crowd is engaged. It was SO hot, packed in on
the floor, that we made our way up to the balcony where we reclaimed a
little personal space. Of course, they only have the one album so the set was pretty short, despite playing
two new songs. It's always unfortunate when the crowd wants more and the
band says "What can we do, we've played all our songs ..." Maybe they'll
have a few more new tunes in time for the Pitchfork Festival.
Men In Trees - Season 2, Episode 15
Men in Trees fans. New episodes are on the air, featuring music supervision by HUM's own Tricia Halloran and her staff, only now the show is on Wednesday nights at a new time, 10/9c. Be sure to tune in, then check back here weekly for our special MIT page, with complete listings of the artists we featured, and related links.
Also, click here or on the image above to see the complete song listings for all of HUM’s Men In Trees past episodes:
Season 2 - Episode 15 - "Wander/Lust" - Air Date, April 16th, 2008
| Artist/Band | Song | Artist Website |
| Claire Holley | Waiting For The Whales | claireholley.com |
| James Maddock | Dumb Down | myspace.com/jamesmaddockmusic |
| Bethany Dillon | When You Love Someone | bethanydillon.com |
| Rich McCulley | Forget It All Again | richmcculley.com |
| Jeff Coffey | Thousand Miles To Go | jeffcoffey.com |
| Heather Stewart | Life Of The Party | heather-stewart.com |
| Shawn Colvin | Even Here We Are | shawncolvin.com |
| Crowded House | Nobody Wants To | crowdedhouse.com |
| Sandrine | Save Your Kisses | myspace.com/sandrinetunes |
Can't get that spot's tune out of your head? Chances are-- HUM did it... That's right, in fact the February 8 edition of Entertainment Weekly paid a little homage to recent commercial spots that have unforgettable ditties-- and dominating the list in positions #1 and #2 are HUM spots for Taco Bell and Toyota Sequoia, bumping Apple to #3... Kudos to HUM's music licensing department! See the whole article for yourself here, and click on the image to see the Toyota commercial on You Tube.
Daniel Lanois' "Here Is What Is"
Review by Luke Adams, HUM Composer
Last night, March 28, 2008, inside the beautiful Vista theatre on the east side of Los Angeles, a sold out crowd witnessed a moving and inspirational exhibition of musicianship and artistry.
With the Los Angeles premiere of Daniel Lanois’ new film “Here Is What Is”, the audience of east-side hipsters, musicians, artists, and just plain music lovers were given a rare glimpse into the creative process of one of today’s most influential music-makers.
The film was preceded by a short live performance on the stage in front of the screen by Lanois and some of his cohorts in the film. The artist played a brief set that included his more well known selections The Maker, and The Messenger as well as a few songs featured in the film. With his vintage Les Paul Gold Top and Vox amp, Lanois displayed his unique guitar style with spirit and enthusiasm. A surprise ending came in the form of Lanois and drummer Brian Blade playing soft but intense, behind a sitting Billy Bob Thornton- reprising his monologue from Sling Blade.
Although considered a “serious” artist, there was an air of lightheartedness in the room, with Lanois cracking jokes in between songs, and personally addressing his friends in the audience.
The film was thoroughly enjoyable. In the beginning, a seated Lanois is talking to his friend (and fellow genius) Brian Eno. Lanois states that he is trying to make a film about where the “art” comes from, and not the end result itself. He asks if Eno can say something about that. Eno replies, “…what would be really interesting for people to see is how beautiful things grow out of s**t.” He goes on to explain that great pieces of work, very often come from nothing, and that it is the process of starting from there and experimenting to try and make it better that is important for people to see. This experimentation, very often, creates inspiration, which fuels the process. And like a snowball effect, in the end you have something called art.
When the film was over, I realized how much this aesthetic was the basis of its theme. The entire film was a portrait of the artist, Daniel Lanois, letting his guard down and showing us that the power to create is within us all.
This year HUM had a record-setting 4 spots in the Super Bowl, including Coke's "Jinx" (music by Latch Key Kid), Toyota's "Zorbing" (music by Alex Kemp), Bud Light's "Wine & Cheese Party" (music by Chip Jenkins) and Toyota's "Trike Race" (music by Fu Manchu). Congrats to all of HUM's talented composers, sound designers, producers, and support staff for making this year the most HUM-tastic Super Bowl yet!
Click on the image to view the Coke spot on You Tube.
Check out Ad Age's review of Toyota's "Star Party" and indie artist Pete Droge ( a HUM fav!) here.
...In fact, we love Pete so much, we also got him the gig on Men In Trees!
Click here or on the image to read the article.
New Day Rising
Guest DJ Music Recommendations
by Alex Kemp, HUM Associate Creative Director
Oblivion With Bells
Nov/Dec 2007 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
Check out HUM engineer Scott "Drew" Danuser's recent interview for the BLUE SKY website, discussing his career path, responsibilities at HUM, and evaluating BS's latest and greatest speakers.
GoTo: Blue Sky XO
studioHUM = new tracks recorded by unsigned artists in our studio.
With the A&R talents of underground club junkies Alex Kemp and Tricia Halloran, and a track record of tapping into the next big thing, HUM after-hours is turning into the hippest place in town for indie bands to lay down great tracks.
Working with Alex, each band/artist records one of their own full-length original songs, and one cover. All cool to listen to. Serious licensing possibilities. Coincidence? We think not.
Fresh artists + our studio + coffee robot = studioHUM
CMJ Festival 2007
Review by Tricia Halloran, Director of A & R
Within two hours of deplaning in NYC at 8 pm Wed night, I was already in a lower East side club watching a great band. That's what the CMJ (College Music Journal) convention is all about - awesome bands, many of whom you've never heard of, playing continually in all parts of the city. This first band I saw was Hourly Radio, out of Dallas, Texas. I would have pegged them as British if I didn't know better! They were super-tight as a band but played with a really loose yet ferocious style. The singer had a great voice but he didn't over-do it, which I appreciate.
Thursday afternoon I got to see the 2007 CMJ College Radio Awards - congrats to KEXP in Seattle for snagging "Station Of The Year"!
Thursday night the Worlds Fair label group (including Rough Trade, Def Jux, Bella Union, Jeepster and many other fine indie labels) hosted a wonderful line-up at the Bowery Ballroom with many of my favorite new bands. First up was Tiny Masters Of Today, a quirky, sloppy, brilliant little band led by a 13-year old guitar player and his 11 year old sister. They only played a 20 minute set, probably because they had a curfew! Their mentor/drummer is noted producer/JSBX drummer Russell Simins, so don't count them out based on inexperience. Next up was the 1990s, a charming and talented trio from Scotland that seemed truly astonished and grateful that they had fans there. With a sassy and quirky sound similar to Art Brut, I don't see why this band can't be huge.
I was very excited to see the next band, Pela, from Brookyn, as their release Anytown Graffiti is one of my favorites of 2007. They did not disappoint. The lead singer, Billy McCarthy, looks more like a frat boy than a New York hipster, but once he starts singing its all forgiven. He can yelp, howl, or croon as the song requires, and he had so much enthusiasm and energy for the performance that he was literally bouncing from one side of the stage to the other and all over the drum kit as well. If you like Trash Can Sinatras, or Bloc Party, you'll love Pela.
I caught a little bit of the fun and bouncy British Sea Power, who started at midnight, before I left the Bowery and walked the few blocks over to Arlene's Grocery to see one of my all-time favorites, Centro-matic. Will Johnson heads up Centro-matic and he has one of the most sincere, authentic, emotional voices in indie rock. His lyrics are poetic and his band was killer. It was a quite a rare treat since they play mostly in the South and I've only seen them once before. I floated back to the hotel full of Centro-matic love and the glow of a perfect CMJ night.
You would think it couldn't get any better on Friday, but I was immediately energized by several invigorating panel discussions about marketing indie bands in today's digital environment, the new '360 deals' (i.e. Madonna/Live Nation), the Radiohead pay-what-you-like policy, and all the other exciting and mind-bending issues going on right now in the music business. The upshot is, its a fine time to be independent!
Friday afternoon was the time to hit a couple label parties at bars on the Lower East Side. Bands were playing, free beer was flowing, it was rainy outside but cozy inside, pretty much the perfect Friday afternoon. I saw The Shackeltons rip up a tiny room at Piano's, very electro-euro-cool and then I enjoyed the Yep Roc party with The Golden Dogs and the absolutely amazing Liam Finn. Liam is the son of Neil Finn (Crowded House) and I'm guessing he's an only child, since he has perfected a one-man band act involving a drum kit, a guitar and a variety of pedals/looping devices that is truly incredible to watch. He's on tour now, don't miss it!
HUM Music Supervisor Jen Mandel spoke recently at Cal Poly Pomona, giving the students a taste of her expertise in a Record, Film, Radio and Television Industries class.
Two professors combined their classes to hear what it's like being a music supervisor in the real world. Jen showed the HUM Reel to kick off the presentation, and the response was enthusiastic - they laughed, they cried, they paid attention!
During the talk Jen fielded questions about what a typical day at HUM is like (there's no such thing), what the difference is between a work-for-hire and a license, whether composers get to write to picture (sometimes), how the writer's strike is affecting business (too soon to tell) and how much she makes (yes, she even answered that question). She regaled them with anecdotes about the controversies (Paris Hilton, anybody?), the ones that got away (Sir Mix-A-Lot) and the successes. She also recruited several potential interns. Next semester: Jen cracks down on gum chewers.
Koz Speaks at Music 2.0
HUM Owner and Creative Director Jeff Koz recently participated in the Music 2.0 Forum, part of the massive Digital Hollywood Conference 2007.
With representatives from numerous top record labels, producers, and the proprietors of some amazing new content delivery tech firms in the audience, Jeff addressed the topics of branded entertainment and how innovations in broadband distribution technology will affect the music business. Also included on Jeff's A-list panel were Erin Yasgar- SVP Brand Partnerships + Digital Strategy Interscope Geffen A+M, Glen Friedman- President The Music Umbrella, Larry Mills- VP Pump Audio, Greg Johnson- Co-Owner/Founder, Genuine Music Group, Pat Panzarella- Sarafino Ventures Partner, Head Of Business Development/Artist Direct, and moderator Guy Eckstine, Co-Founder and CEO of MIAATV.com
HUM's "Harry the Dancing Hair" webfilms and website were selected by prestigious web award website Favourite Website Awards (www.thefwa.com) as Site of the Day for October 17th, 2007, praising it as "wacky, crazy, disgusting, and beautiful." As one of the top web design award sites on the planet, FWA gets a ton of eyeballs each day (30,000+) and features some insane content (if you haven't visited yet, it's a must-do), in fact so many dudes were checking out the Harry website this morning that it crashed our server. No worries though, we were back up in minutes with bandwidth to spare...
Check it out at: www.thefwa.com
ch-check it:
www.harrythedancinghair.com
HUMfilms
nate
harvest
reyn and heather
music by.....alex,hiro,rob,jeff
hair(s) by HUM
the pube with all the moves.
Also visit Harry's very own YouTube Channel to see all of his episodes.
Currently playing all over the airwaves, the Carl's Jr./Hardee's spot "Flat Buns," conceived by agency Mendlelsohn/Zien, features a funky fresh music track supplied by HUM staff composer Hirotaka Matsuoka, who really does prefer his buns to be flat at all times. Click on the link here to enjoy the spot.
Austin City Limits Festival 2007
Review by Unique (w/Pete in photo!)
ACL.... I started off my trip by taking in Pete Yorn's show and I must say his performance was fab and it was the perfect way to begin my music journey.
The weather was great and the music was amazing...I saw Crowded House, The Killers, Damian Rice, Paolo Nutini, Bob Dylan...the list goes on and on, and somehow along the way I met Bill Clinton. I asked him if he would be taking in some of the music...and he replied, "I hope so..."
If you've never been to ACL or any music festival that offers endless options, styles of music and of course dirt...I highly recommend it.
Tricia & Wes Anderson For FREE!!
Here at HUM we love hooking our peeps up with free stuff.
Our latest offering is on Thursday, October 4th from 7pm to 11pm, when our very own Tricia Halloran will be guest DJ'ing in the courtyard of the Hammer Museum in Westwood-- as part of the Hammer/Filter Magazine's "Big TIME" series.
Thursday's evening will feature Tricia, a sneak preview of PJ Harvey's new album, and a free screening of Wes Anderson's new film The Darjeeling Limited. (opens in LA on Oct. 5th). Are you in? If so-- please RSVP with the link below by October 2nd at 5pm.... See you there!!
rsvpla@filtermmm.com
More Info here
HUM is sad to announce the loss of a family member-- gifted sound designer and musician Marc Levisohn, who passed away August 28th after a long battle with cancer.
Marc, who has won numerous awards for his work including the CLIO, ADDY, AICP, Promax, and LIAA accolades, was HUM’s Head of Sound Design, before starting his own company-- BIG EARS sound design + music in 2003. Contributing to award-winning spots for such clients as Electronic Arts, Coke, ESPN X-Games, and Sony Playstation, Marc was passionate about his craft and was widely known for his creativity, work ethic, attention to detail, and upbeat personality.
A graduate of the prestigious Berklee School of Music, Marc began his career at HUM in 1996, where his work secured frequent mentions in SHOOT, Boards, Creativity, and adCritic.com. Most recently, Marc’s sound design for the Lexus spot “Iceboat” was included as part of SHOOT’s 2006 Fall Top Music & Sound Design chart.
Marc is survived by his wife, Felicia; his mother Myrna and step-father Dan Beardshear; his father Bill and step-mother Katya Levisohn; and his brother, Brett.
HUM is currently working with the Berklee School of Music to institute the Marc Levisohn Internship and Training Program-- to actively develop the next generation of musicians and sound designers with the talent to build upon the high standard of creative excellence as established by Marc and his award-winning work.
Please click here to read Jeff Koz' eulogy.
Did You REALLY Do THAT at the HUM Dance Party?
Hey! The pictures from the HUM Dance Party are here!
See for yourself-- just click here, enter your email address, and they're all yours.
Feel free to download, too. (select the image, then: right-click if PC, ctrl-click on Mac)
For fun, for nostalgia, for blackmail....enjoy!
Tricia and HUM in the LA Times
Check out the Business section of the July 16th Los Angeles Times for a prominent article featuring HUM and Director of A&R Tricia Halloran. The article, by Times staff writer Alana Samuels, focuses on unsigned bands that have broken through the clutter and found success by licensing their songs for use in commercials-- a strategy that Tricia and the HUM licensing department has leveraged successfully for numerous top clients-- working with such up-and-coming bands as Minibar, The 88, and The Devics, just to name a few.
Click here for a direct link to the article on the Times’ website.
Several hundred of advertising's elite-- including the top creatives and producers behind some of the most celebrated advertising campaigns of the past year (Apple, Lexus, LA Weekly, etc.) recently converged on LACMA's Bing Theater for the 46th Annual Belding Awards, recognizing the most notable print, television, internet, and integrated campaigns created by Southern California's ad community. This year, however, the real treat was the musical accompaniment to the Awards, as only HUM could provide it. Invited/commissioned by Team One (this year's Belding Awards Committee Chairs) a crackerjack group of HUM ringers were assembled to embody "The Don Belding Orchestra." (actually a very lean and clean five-man crew, including creative director Jeff Koz...) The DBO's thrilled and toyed with the audience and emcee Jon Henson as they hijacked Rock n' Roll classics and mashed them up with some of advertising's most memorable jingles-- the result was super fun for the hip, black-clad, in-the-know crowd. So-- just to recap, who's crazy enough to attempt a "Police" version of the Spagettios theme? HUM, that's who.
Closeup view here.
The National @ The El Rey
Review by Lauren Cohn, HUM Receptionist/Client Services
...Knowing only that they were a hip Brooklyn-based indie rock trio, and having heard only a handful of songs (one being Fake Empire) I showed up at the El Rey to a packed house of music lovers and rock fans-- some at the bar, others networking, others anxiously awaiting the show. As the band's set began, I was a bit taken aback by the El Rey acoustics, which left a lot to be desired. However, as the show progressed, the band's slow-building songs each unfolded deftly and I was impressed by their impact on the audience, and me. The guitar was monumental and loud, the lyrics humble and introspective. It was a combination of the crowd's energy, the band's on-stage dynamic, and my "groupie" friends that ultimately made the show a blast!
Sloan @ The Troubadour
Review by Susan Dolan, HUM Music Supervisor
For anyone who missed Sloan at the Troubadour last Tuesday, I feel deeply sorry for you. If your excuse was like most non-Canadians (i.e., “I don’t know much about them”), you need to change that immediately.
Why the strong tone? Because Sloan is a fantasy rock band come to life. And it’s a tragedy that their genius-pop songwriting, drenched with hooks and harmonies, has had little success breaking into the U.S. market (despite super-stardom in their homeland Canada).
As for the Troubadour, there wasn’t anything sloppy about this band, evidence of the teamwork achieved after a 15-year-long career together. They played as tightly as their recordings. And, the “musical chairs” nature of the performance – because all four of them are amazing songwriters and they take turns singing lead – gave the overall show a great deal of energy. No matter how the instruments were rotated among them, each of them shredded 100% … on everything. The audience (probably most of them ex-pat Sloan-freaks), provided a healthy dose of handclaps and chanted SLLOOO-ANNN!!
It was awesome. Thank God I was there.
KOZ and BRIDGESTONE in SHOOT... out
Bridgestone Tires new spot “Art of Performance,” featuring an original music composition by HUM’s Cris Velsasco, has been chosen by SHOOT Magazine as one of the best new spots featuring music, and worthy of inclusion in their Winter ‘07 Top Spot Tracks Chart. We’re ferklempt over here!
Shamelessly dominating SHOOT’s special quarterly Music & Sound issue (Feb. 23), also look for HUM’s CD Jeff Koz leading off a great article by Nicole Rivard, examining the latest trends in maximizing the effectiveness of music in commercial campaigns. As just one example, Koz takes an opportunity to blow the lid off the insane phenomenon of commercial-music-obsessed bloggers and the websites they prowl -- this may warrant a Dateline: NBC expose...
Click here and turn to page 17 in a PDF version of the article and the chart. Or for the next 7 days you can see the article and chart online at shootonline.com
Muse @ The Forum
Review by Dan Hart, HUM Sound Designer
OK, so I wasn’t very familiar with Muse, except maybe for Knights of Cydonia or whatever, but we get a lot of comps around here…so a buddy and I headed over to The Fabulous Forum.
Rocking show, sold out, we’re in the pit...massive sound... the amount of sound being produced by three guys was incredible! The guitar work by the lead singer/guitarist (see- I don’t even know his name) was insane. He played piano, too– and there were solos where he’d start off slow and get faster and faster until it looked like his fingers were going to fly off, like Beethoven on crack! The guitar work was sick, the vocals solid, and they sounded just like on their albums-- but with that edge that you'd expect from a live performance. Fell into the “wow, this is great” category. And the energy-- from beginning to end, was non-stop! Great visuals accompanied the songs, too.
Definitely a band I’d recommend, and I’d go see them again-- for sure. Maybe even learn their names… Oh yeah, and after the show I was really fired up to go out and buy one of their CD’s-- but It’d better sound just like I heard ‘em live, not too clean, or I’ll be bummed.
A Perfect SXSW Night
Review by Paul Hicks, Copywriter
What a perfect SXSW night.
Daniel Johnston: started out awkwardly with a tasteless joke about a
pajama party at the concentration camp. People were really scared. Then
he sang 2 songs from his new album, something like "The Death of Satan."
The second song, "I Feel Like Lucifer Tonight" was quite possibly one of
the best songs I've heard in a long time. With his arms and the mic
shaking uncontrollably, he belted out "Band on the Run" and finished
with "You'll Find True Love" or whatever it's called from his first
album.
Michelle Shocked: in true Texas form and the mark of great performer,
she started 20 minutes early. Compare that to Sparklehorse, who left a
packed midnight Antone's crowd waiting for an hour and then bitched
about not having a sound check. Weak!
Her first song was acoustic and alone. It was "Second Line Funeral" or
some such title, a song about the jazz funeral for a young boy shot on
the street in New Orleans. "Her (Mom) shoes scratched the casket as she
danced on top." Wow.
Steve Earle: kicking off his new relationship with New West Records,
played alone and gave the audience a rare, perfect show. Not too
political, enough backstory (especially on his TVZ songs and learning
how to ski on acid) and the humor he was known for when he was on drugs.
He played for over an hour and it just flew by.
Ricki Lee Jones: I saw her 4 years ago and almost cried. But she's got a
new band and I couldn't take more than 2 songs. Strange combination -
her tiny voice and pumped-up electric guitars (3) and some guy jumping
around with maracas. Hmmm...
Galactic: great new combination of Galactic and Lyrics Born, Gift of Gab
and Boots Riley. The Jam Band is now back, fully, into the Hip Hop
scene.
HUM Helps DEUTSCH Make Naughty SuperBowl "ROBOT"
HUM is once again at the center of the latest Superbowl controversy, the flack this time erupting over the GM spot “Robot,” conceived by agency Deutsch and featuring music supervision by Tricia Halloran and her talented staff. After airing during the Bowl and fueling an immediate backlash, the edgy spot punctuated by the quintessential music (the robot offs himself to the strains of Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself”) became the latest YouTube juggernaut with over 350,000 views-- not including people who wanted to see the video of the guy drinking a two-liter bottle of Coke with a Mentos in it, but got the robot instead.
“We were particularly sensitive to the issues being raised in the spot and the potential chilling effect it could have on those who have either successfully or unsuccessfully committed suicide,” explained HUM Creative Director Jeff Koz. “Since we’re basically talking about people who are either already dead or miserably depressed, we decided we should forge ahead and lend a musical hand to our friends at Deutsch and GM.”
Please click here for Yahoo! News coverage of the controversial spot and the fallout.
Wincing the Night Away
February 2007 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
HUM’S Director of A&R, Tricia Halloran recently participated as one of the panelists at the music industry’s MUSIC 2.0 Conference, held at the Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood. Addressing the topic of “Next Generation Radio,” Tricia gave the crowd her perspective as not only one of the top commercial and television music supervisors, but also as the host of her own program “Brave New World” on KCRW-FM. Delving into un-chartered territory that included satellite vs. terrestrial, internet radio, and rights/content management issues. Tricia was also joined by Gregg Steele, Director of Programming for Sirius Satellite Radio, and moderator David Katznelson of Spot DJ.
HUM Takes BUZZCOCKS from CBGB to AARP
When you think AARP, you think shuffleboard, bermuda shorts, and The Buzzcocks— right? Wait— what was that last one? THE BUZZCOCKS? What kind of music supervision team would be crazy enough to pair America’s most powerful lobbying entity with a track called “Everybody’s Happy Nowadays” from the punk-era thrash darlings? Tricia Halloran and HUM, that’s who...That’s right, Tricia and her staff successfully pitched the song as the new anthem for the AARP, who checked the driver’s licenses of the band, declared them official members (anyone 50 or older is eligible), and embraced the suggestion. Genius! (don’t even say you would have thought of that...)
To check out the spot, click on the image. Also, click here for a link to some expanded coverage on the story, as it appeared recently in the Chicago Tribune.
Returning Champion HUM Back in SuperBowl XLI
HUM reigned victorious again on Sunday, February 4th, 2007 for Superbowl XLI, with several HUM spots appearing during, before and after the American celebration of wardrobe malfunctions (and football?) we like to call the Superbowl. A current HUM favorite, HONDA’s ode-to-Elvis spot, “Burning Love” featured a Mocean Worker remix of the classic, and aired prominently during the Bowl. Also during the game, GM premiered “Robots,” a new spot conceived by top agency Deutsch and featuring music supervision by HUM, which was ranked at the top of AOL’s Superbowl Spot viewers poll Post game, HUM’s NetFlix spot utilized a dramatic, orchestral arrangement by Jason Steele. Lingerie Bowls may come and go, but count on your favorite music production house to be a perennial fixture of any Bowl that can be called Super...
Morrissey Mellows Out (in) Pasadena
Review by Drew Scott Danuser, HUM Engineer
Indie rockers, hipsters and greasers -- both young and old -- packed the
halls at the Pasadena Civic for a sold out Morrissey concert last
Friday.
Morrissey had a strong stage presence and seemed very at home with the
crowd. Maybe a little too comfortable, because by the end of the
concert he had thrown his shirt into the crowd four times! Despite his
egocentric speeches and bare-chested antics, his voice sounded great
and retained that characteristically deep, silky, English voice. For a
rock star 47 years of age, he was full of energy and still had girls (and a
handful of guys, as well) throwing garments and charging the stage. The
band played for over three hours and even played some Smiths' songs, such as "Hand in Glove" and "How Soon is
Now".
HUM Provides New Music for KCRW-FM
...If you happen to be checking in on your favorite internet radio sites, keep an ear out for two new music beds provided by HUM’s Robert Lopez and Drew Danuser for KCRW-FM’s online station ID’s. The two pieces of music are the first of several that HUM composed and will be utilized by the online KCRW site in the near future.
The Best of 2006
January 2007 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
Happy New Year! I thought of putting together a 'Best of 2006' compilation but quickly realized it would be redundant since I've been posting selections from my favorite records all year. So I decided to turn the spotlight on the music loving HUM team (that's right, I don't actually do it all by myself here) and have them recommend their favorite records of 2006 to you!
1. Cat Power - The Greatest (Matador) Susan, Music Supervisor
2. Kotoringo - Konnichiwa Mataashita EP (Avex) Hiro, Composer
3. The Beatles - Love (Capitol/Apple) Louis, PR
4. John Legend - Once Again (Sony) Hiro, Composer
5. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (Anti) Susan, Music Supervisor
6. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers (XL) Chanel, Producer
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium - JUPITER (Warner) Dan, Sound Designer
8. Silversun Pickups - Carnavas (Dangerbird) Jen, Music Supervisor
9. Muse - Black Holes & Revelations (Warner) Frank, Head Engineer & Scott, Engineer/PR
10. Ray LaMontagne - Till The Sun Turns Black (RCA) Chanel, Producer
11. Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XL) Druw, Engineer
12. Clipse featuring Re-Up Gang - Hell Hath No Fury (Zomba) Louis, PR
13. Brightblack Morning Light - Brightblack Morning Light (Matador) Jen, Music Supervisor
14. Imitation Electric Piano - Blow It Up, Burn It Down, Kick It 'Til It Bleeds (Drag City) Drew, Engineer
15. Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist (Maverick) Dan, Sound Designer
16. Ratatat - Classics (XL) Scott, Engineer/PR
HUM "Takes Care of Business" with Elvis & Mocean Worker for Honda CR-V Package
HUM’s latest spot, HONDA/”Burning Love” is a love letter to the newly redesigned Honda CR-V, and is the breakout first spot from a campaign package of six total—each a vignette dramatizing what people crave…or CR-V…
HUM worked on all six spots in the campaign, two of which feature music, while all incorporate sound design by Dan Hart. The first to air is “Burning Love,” currently being seen all over the air, including during the recent finale of CBS’s Rockstar:Supernova.
Working closely with HUM to conceptualize the “Burning Love” music, Honda and agency Rubin/Postaer wanted to make an impact and communicate a sense of something familiar being completely transformed— the result is one of the few instances that the estate of Elvis Presley has allowed an original Elvis recording to be remixed.
HUM tapped current white-hot producer/remixer Mocean Worker to handle the honors catapulting Elvis into the 21st Century-- even arranging for unfettered access to the King’s original master tapes and splits. His remixed version of “Burning Love” becomes a “club” infused, energetic ode to the CR-V that accomplishes exactly what the Creatives had hoped for.
As a side note, HUM & Mocean Worker’s “Burning Love” remix has created a good deal of music-industry buzz, and indeed-- a full-length version of the song may be included on an upcoming estate-sanctioned CD of Elvis remixes on the Sony label, featuring contributions by many of the industry’s hottest remixers.
HUM Takes Time Out for Inner City Filmakers
On a recent Friday afternoon, the staff at HUM welcomed a group from the Inner City Filmmakers, an educational organization dedicated to providing free year-round business and technical hands-on training for talented, hardworking and diverse low-income youth who are socially and economically challenged. HUM Owner and Creative Director Jeff Koz, who serves as a Board Member for the organization, extended the invitation and provided the ICF participants with a crash course in commercial music production. In addition, some quality face time was also spent with HUM’s Tricia Halloran, Robert Lopez, Hirotaka Matsuoka and Dan Hart, who also contributed their professional perspectives and expertise... A pop quiz was to be given later, and extra credit was given for any demos submitted...
Click on the image above for a larger view.
My Morning Jacket at the Wiltern Theater
January 6th, 2007
Review by Scott Glenn, HUM Engineer/PR
Despite the relatively commercial-friendly sound of My Morning Jacket and the mounting buzz surrounding their live performances, which has been gathering steam for years, the band has remained off the radar—a favorite of rebellious hipsters, would-be rock connoisseurs and ex-patriots of the jam band scene. Whether one could attribute their lack of commercial success to the band’s consistently mixed offering of light, reverb-drenched songs with hints of Americana comfort food and uptempo indie anthems with a classic rock swagger or to the mercurial image and culture of the band itself, it seemed on Saturday at the Wiltern that they are finally at a boiling point, just waiting to bubble over. They played for somewhere around 3 hours to a boisterous crowd of amped-up scenesters bringing all the sweetness and explosive energy for which they are known. The opening number, “One Big Holiday” sounded twice as relentless live as it does on wax. Other highlights included “Off The Record”, “Anytime” and the powerful tension and release of “Gideon”, all crowd favorites from their critically acclaimed album “Z” from 2005.
The concert may have been a bit too long, the acoustic sections creating lulls in energy and cohesion, but as a fan, you really can’t beat this kind of enthusiasm and perseverance. Check out their live recording “Okonokos” released at the end of last year on both CD and DVD—a great catalog of MMJ’s performance capabilities. And if you haven’t been to a show, I suggest you catch them soon, before the word really gets out…though it may already be too late.
Minibar Delivers a Maxi New Years Eve -- December 31st, 2006
Review by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
Sawdust on the floor, 30 kinds of beer on draft, and your favorite band ... if that sounds like your kind of New Year's Eve, you should have been with me at The Daily Pint in Santa Monica on the last night of 2006. Minibar is a local treasure (they emigrated here from London years ago), but if there was any justice, they would be a worldwide sensation. From 10 pm until midnight they played all the fan favorites from their three excellent CDs, and then from midnight until two they entertained us with their vast repertoire of covers including The Smiths, Springsteen, Van Morrison, and plenty of Beatles. Vocalist/guitarist Simon Petty is a songwriter that rates up there with all of the above, by the way. Combined with the ultra-talented Tim Walker on lead guitar, masterful Sid Jordan on the bass and incomparable Malcolm Cross on the drums, it was a New Year's recipe I plan to repeat next year. Here's a New Year's Resolution for you: listen and buy their latest, "Desert After Rain", at their site www.minibarfans.com. And listen for their new song "Can I Call You A Cab" in the Jan 11th
episode of Men In Trees! Coincidence? I think not.
Jeff Koz on SHOOT Magazine Panel
HUM Founder/Creative Director Jeff Koz recently participated as one of the featured panelists on SHOOT Magazine’s “Music In Commercials” Panel, part of the extensive two-day Billboard Magazine/Hollywood Reporter Music in Film & TV Conference, held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Moderated by SHOOT Senior Editor Bob Goldrich, the A-List panel featured Jeff and representatives from the agency, label, and production communities presenting their takes on the convergence of music and commercials, and showcased some recent award-winning work-- including HUM’s recent “Drumline” spot for Cadillac and Leo Burnett (#2 in SHOOT’s Spring Commercial Music Chart). The panel also focused on the future, with Koz tantalizing the standing-room-only audience of music industry professionals by pointing to some of the latest technical innovations and the possibilities created from greater cooperation between agencies, music companies, and the record labels. In addition to Jeff, the other invited panelists included Brian Lambert, VP Film & Television Music, Universal Music Publishing Group; Josh Rabinowitz, SVP/Director of Music, Grey Worldwide; Andrew Feltenstein, Creative Director/Composer, Beacon Street Studios; Ann Haugen, EVP/GM, Elias Arts.
Click on the image above to see the full shot.
The Information
October 2006 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
Q: Are We Not Men ?
Devo @ The Greek Theater -- October 31st
Review by Scott "Drew" Danuser, HUM Engineer
A: We are Devo!
And on Halloween night, I got the chance to see Devo live at LA’s Greek Theatre. Mark Mothersbaugh sounds the same as he did in 1981(or so the old folks there were saying...heck—I wasn’t even born yet!), unlike most of the singers still slinging it from that era-- and his stage presence, along with the other members of the band, was impressive. Mark ran around the stage singing, playing his vintage synthesizers, and tore off the group’s signature yellow jumpsuits so that the band were just wearing shorts, t-shirts, and knee pads in the cold October evening air. Since it was Halloween night, most of the crowd were dressed in their costumes and many, including myself, were dressed up in their finest Devo gear. What better way is there to spend your Halloween than to see a band that defined the first MTV generation? The band sounded amazing and put on an incredible show!
*** You'll notice that Drew managed to get in on a photo op with Mark after the show !!
Jamie Cullum (w/Josh Ritter) @ The Wiltern Theater -- 10-26
Review by Scott Glenn, HUM Engineer/PR/Astronaut
Step aside Mr. James Brown,-- we have a new Hardest Working Man In Show Business—and his name is Jamie Cullum. Following a cheerfully vibrant set by Josh Ritter, Jamie took the Wiltern stage looking like little more than a hobbit with some collegiate panache. But he left the stage a king...
He plays piano with brilliant style, and also plays guitar, dances, jumps, scratches on turntables, plays various percussion instruments (turning the piano itself into a drum set), and even climbs off stage to frolic and sing amongst his oh-so-delighted fans.
Jamie’s covers of everything from Cole Porter to Radiohead may stand out from his original material, especially his jazz-march take on Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary" -- his covers have an original spin that breathes new life into works that are both exceptional and exceptionally familiar.
He played for well over two hours with never a dull moment. One Highlight: His Jazzy Medley covering of Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back" and the Pussycat Dolls "Don't Cha" morphing into his album cover of Pharell's "Frontin'"... and he made it cool.
I highly recommend you attend regardless of your pre-conceived notions of the man or his music. Many years from now, looking back, you may receive glances of disbelief when you tell your children, "I saw Jamie Cullum from the Wiltern floor when he couldn't even sell-out a single date in L.A."; The kid's that promising.
Roger Waters on the Dark Side of the Bowl, Sunday 10/8/06 at The Hollywood Bowl
Review by Drew Danuser, HUM Engineer
Having been born a couple years after the initial release of Pink Floyd's The Wall, getting a chance to see Roger Waters perform the entirety of the Dark Side of the Moon, live, might have been a once in a lifetime opportunity. And speaking of mortality, it was not a coincidence that during the show photos of the late genius Syd Barett (who left the band in the late sixties due to mental instability) were projected onto the big screen during "Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” the Floyd song he’s said to have inspired.
The concert was all that I hoped for and more. Pyrotechnics, a giant inflatable pig, a floating astronaut, and fireworks
was just some of the spectacle enjoyed by the sold-out crowd. Waters performed for over two and a half hours! He
played guitar and sang the lead vocals on almost all of the songs. His first set consisted mostly of Pink Floyd's popular hits from the albums A Saucerful of Secrets, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall. For the second half of the show, Dark Side of the Moon was played in its entirety. Waters sounded incredible, as did the rest of the band. It was as if I had stepped back in time and witnessed Pink Floyd during their Dark Side of the Moon tour. It was a magical experience and one I won't soon forget.
Tricia and HUM Supervise "Trees" for ABC
We are excited to announce that HUM's very own Tricia Halloran has been named as Music Supervisor for ABC’s new break-out hit show "Men in Trees,” starring Anne Heche. Tricia and her trusty team of HUM music supervisors will lend their music sensibilities immediately, starting with the episode airing on Friday, October 6 at 10/9c. "Men in Trees" is a comedic drama about a female relationship counselor who hosts a radio show in her newly relocated home town of Elmo, Alaska-- where the ratio of men to women is ten to one. Imagine "Sex in the City", "Northern Exposure" and "Frasier" thrown in a blender… ABC is excited to tap Tricia and HUM to handle the high-profile licensing duties for their newest hit, and HUM is pleased to add another prestigious project to their long-form music supervision credentials.
Click the image or here to read more about "Men in Trees" on the ABC website.
Hey Hey My My Yo Yo
September 2006 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
Austin City Limits Festival 2006
Review by Robert Lopez, HUM Composer
Yeah, I heard about the big dust cloud that plagued Austin City Limits 2005, but not this year. Just the standard dirty smelly hippies, beer drinking, weed smoking and sun-burnt bodies that you would find at any outdoor music festival...Austin Texas' Zilker Park hosted 3 days of 130 bands on 8 different stages. Out of all these I saw about 15 acts...I have to say the best show was Ben Harper. I'm not really into him but he's the type of artist that is made for these events. He brought out G.Love and the Marley Brothers as special guests... Damian Marley was the next best. His cover of “War” by his dad mixed in with a little bit of “We Don't Need No Trouble” was the most memorable performance...
The Brazilian Girls were dope. They have a new album, so they played pretty much all new stuff. Stoked on the drummer. I was impressed by his live drum and bass beats. Why does the lead singer always cover her eyes... Gnarls Barkley? Awesome! I didn't know Gnarls toured with backup singers and a strings section. They sounded amazing... Phoenix was another band that sounded great. They played a lot of new stuff from their new album... Muse? Awesome... The Shins, Wolf Parade and the Thievery Corporation were O.K... I'm a big Ween fan, but they just were not in “festival mode...”
I hate that hippie band String Cheese Incident. People love that band-- I can't understand it! I guess if you wanted to smell Patchouli while smoking weed and playing hacky-sack, this was the stage to be at... Galactic, another hippie band-- but I'll give them props cause there from New Orleans, and they did bring out The Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli-- so that was cool...What's up with the Massive Attack and the light show? Is that all they have? Trippy lighting? I was told that they were the biggest draw for the festival... Van Morrison and Willie Nelson made me sleepy. Sorry, I'm just not into the old dudes... To add to that, if you stayed around for Tom Petty I feel sorry for you, cause it started raining....
In my opinion, the Festival is at its best during the day. Camping out for the shows at night isn't worth it ‘cause of the overwhelming amount of people that crowd the park throughout the course of the day. Overall, an eclectic collection of bands from all over the world.... Whoever coordinated the scheduling of the bands did an excellent job ‘cause the artists went on like clockwork...The people doing the sound did an amazing job too. Granted, it's hard to get a good mix without a sound check, but the mixers dialed-in band mic levels within the first two songs of a set...Shuttles from downtown made it easy to get to the park without walking a billion miles... Good job Austin!
Willie Nelson at The Hollywood Bowl
Review by Susan Dolan, HUM Research Staff
His blue jeans might be opposite of low-rise, but the music will never go out of style. That was made loud and clear during his performance at the Hollywood Bowl. At 73-years old, Willie Nelson is showing no physical signs of slowing down. He demonstrated that he can still rip it up on that battered acoustic guitar of his. Top of his agenda were the hits – “Whiskey River,” “You Were Always On My Mind,” “On The Road Again,” “Crazy.” He ended the show with a few new sing-along type songs that poked fun at his age: “I used to fake a heart attack and fall down on the floor, but even I don’t find that funny anymore.” I could have lived without solos from Willie’s blues-guitarist son and from a piano lady with a sparkly cowboy hat. But, all in all, it was a great treat to see the American icon at work – besides it was a beautiful evening with a near-full moon rising in the east. Who doesn’t love The Bowl in summertime?
Preceding Willie was super-prolific alt-country guy Ryan Adams. Most everyone who attends a Ryans Adams show walks away with a story, usually one of disastrous, drunken-mess behavior. That said, we weren’t expecting much from Ryan. But, folks, let me tell you – with much help from a killer back-up band, The Cardinals – Adams surprisingly served up one the most stellar performances I have seen all year. His recent fascination with the Grateful Dead was present with extended jams and Byrds-like vocal harmonizing (not to mention the Deads’ Phil Lesh on bass.) Now, I’m not a jam-band kind of gal, but it quickly became apparent that these guys meant serious business and I was DIGGING IT. A Nelson-Adams duet was anticipated, but it never came to fruition. I guess more disappointing things could happen at a Ryan Adams show.
Willie Nelson wasn’t the only red-headed stranger of the evening. Country-noir songstress Neko Case started things off, filling the amphitheatre with a voice that channeled Patsy Cline. I think she is so cool and raunchy, in a good, strong-female kind of way. I hope some people were able to look up from their cheese and crackers to check her out.
HUM Composes "Simply Perfect" Music for Patron; No Worms Eaten
HUM recently completed supplying the original music for Patron’s latest high-profile “Simply Perfect” campaign, a package of six spots directed by noted helmer Gerard de Thame. These fun, simple concept spots all the push the advertising humor envelope with racy, not-quite-ready-for-primetime content, no dialogue...and great music. With so much attention being paid to the creative concept, HUM worked closely with agency The Richards Group to arrive at the perfect musical contributions. Supplied by HUM’s Robert Lopez, Garron Chang, Cris Velasco, Adam Aaronson and Hirotaka Matsuoka, the accompanying pieces range widely in tone from a thrash-punk groove to a tuba-and-clarinet-infused arrangement of Rossini’s William Tell Overture.
Client Appreciation Night with The Submarines
Let’s just say HUM loves its clients and loves hooking them up with cool stuff. The most recent example of this took place on a steamy Thursday night at the tiny Cinema Bar in Culver City. The latest wave of client goodwill was extended to the folks at Deutsch, who were treated to a set from up-and-coming-yet-been-there-duo The Submarines. Featuring Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti, the melodic, guy/girl duo performed tracks from their latest album Declare A New State!, a nifty collection of songs the two wrote about each other after breaking up. Of course, the story ends happily as they came back together to record the songs they wrote apart, and the results are brilliant. Check out the website and see for yourself at: www.thesubmarines.com
And by the way, keep a look out for HUM’s next blockbuster Client Appreciation Night—if you’re really nice to them it might just be you… And props to HUM’s Tricia Halloran, Jessica Entner, and Jennifer Mandel for hooking up Deutsch with The Submarines...
Tricia Steps in to Host KCRW's "The A Track"
In addition to hosting her own groundbreaking (and band-breaking!) radio program “Brave New World” on indie-powerhouse KCRW-FM each week, HUM’s Director of A&R Tricia Halloran recently stepped up to the mike: taking over the reigns of colleague Anne Litt’s KCRW program, “The A Track.” Filling in for a few months while Anne is on maternity leave, Tricia brings her sensibilities to the signature program, which airs live on KCRW on Saturdays and Sundays from 2-5pm PST.
For those of you who might not live in the LA area, or who can’t get enough of Tricia’s music, the show is also featured prominently on KCRW’s internet channel, www.kcrwmusic.com where visitors can listen to Tricia and “A Track” OnDemand, 24/7.
The Audience's Listening
August 2006 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
Beck @ The Wiltern
Review by Scott Glenn, HUM Engineer/Public Relations
One of the greatest things about Beck is that his live performances mirror the kind of eclectic talent and creative juxtapositions that his music does. Like his albums, his live show is slick and professional, yet not over-produced; stylistically all-over-the-court while still maintaining a sense of cohesive continuity. A seasoned professional and true innovator, he has taken his artistic sensibilities and translated them into becoming one of the most exceptional entertainers in the world.
Knowing how to please the Wiltern crowd, Beck played almost all of his hits even if it meant working :30 second snippets of songs into a medley. He brought out a whole new bag of tricks for this tour, the most sensational of which was a puppet show projected on a giant video back-drop. Professional puppeteers learned the entire set and directed a miniature version of the band, mimicking all of the movements and vocalizations of the real musicians, even the break-dancing "hype" man who employed the visually sarcastic coolness of a Napoleon Dynamite. So, as we watched Beck and his band play on stage, we saw giant projections of the corresponding puppets act out the same show on the screen behind them. Now that took some frickin' imagination and if that’s not cool, then I don't know what is.
Click the photo for a better view.
SHOOT and BOARDS Select “Drumline” for Top Spots List
BREAKING NEWS: Boards and SHOOT have both selected Cadillac “Drumline” as a featured spot for their respective Top Spots features. In SHOOT, “Drumline” occupies the No.2 spot on its Spring Top Ten Music and Sound Chart. Look for a detailed run down of the spot, as well as a “making of” interview with Jeff Koz as part of SHOOT’s April 21st edition, or see the complete article here or at www.shootonline.com. The June edition of Boards also features the spot in its Music and Sound Design Top Spots section, and includes some more specifics from Jeff Koz.
With its debut on February 5th, 2006 -- Cadillac’s “Drumline” is a music-driven love letter to the newly designed DTS, incorporating the energy and flair of the storied Southern college drumline. Conceived by agency Leo Burnett/Detroit, HUM Music was contacted very early on in the process to get them involved with nailing the right sound. After the renowned Bethune-Cookman College drumline (under the direction of Donovan Wells) came on board, HUM needed to source the ideal composer. Finally arriving at legendary drumline director/composer Jim Casella, HUM coordinated the process of refining Jim’s original drumline composition, as well as supervising the recording of the final track in the band’s practice facility in Florida. With a percolating track providing the sizzle, the band was then flown to Los Angeles to be filmed performing the piece amongst the DTS with picturesque Downtown LA locations in the background. Helmed by noted director Paul Hunter, the spot was specifically choreographed and edited to feature the syncopation of the drumline track, allowing the music to best tell the story.
Jessica & Jen Hijack
July 2006 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, Hum Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
HUM Adds Nikki Weiss for Exclusive Midwest Representation; Dog will Freelance
HUM is pleased to announce that Chicago-based Nikki Weiss, founder of Nikki Weiss and Company, has joined the fold as exclusive Midwest Rep.
Nikki, who got her start in the business as an actress and model, founded her own commercial representation company 12 years ago, building an impressive roster of clients and establishing her firm as one of Chi-town’s leading agencies. Nikki also has extensive experience and alliances within the entertainment community, and is currently at work on her own documentary project, as well as an innovative “reality/scripted hybrid” series. (but who isn’t...)
Nikki’s dog, who has been an instrumental force behind such major campaigns as “Kibbles ‘N Bits,””Chuck Wagon” and “Mighty Dog,” left the business last year after encountering creative difficulties during a “Meow Mix” radio campaign. However, Nikki’s dog does intend to consult, freelance or possibly direct after taking some more time off.
Moon Over the Freeway:
June 2006 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, Hum Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
The Eagles of Death Metal
@ The Gypsy Tea Room/Dallas
Review by Chris Smith, The Richards Group
Now THAT...is what Rock n' Roll is all about!
Wow. What a show. Small venue, sold out, packed to the rafters. The band so
close they could sweat on you. Loud as balls. A toast to "the ladies"
between just about every song. And lots of four-chord rock and friggin'
roll. My socks were rocked completely off. Seriously. I drove home barefoot.
Plus, I met a girl who asked me if I was in her "Butt Fan Club," because
apparently her butt has a fan club. Seriously. Ummm. Well, I didn't join the fan club. I asked about the newsletter though.
So go see them in LA (or wherever). Get up close. You will have much fun.
Click on the image to go to the official E of DM website
Bruce Springsteen & The Seeger Sessions Band
@ The Greek Theater/LA
Review by Louis Landon, HUM Public Relations
The Boss made a one-night stop at LA’s Greek Theater, touring with his 17-piece Seeger Sessions Band, and it was anything but a typical Springsteen concert. For example, instead of opening with "Thunder Road," the upscale crowd was whipped into a Blackberry-tossing frenzy by "John Henry." Huh? What? Is this some sort of bizarre middle-aged summer camp? No-- this is Springsteen, ever the adventurous musician, delving into his latest musical obsession: the songs of pioneering American folk songwriter Pete Seeger. Now if this had been just Bruce and his guitar I might have opted to take a pass, but with the shredding 17-piece band he assembled this was a great night of Springsteen-meets-New-Orleans. Practically every song (in addition to being recognizable ditties you’ve heard sung round the campfire) was transformed into a masterful, big arrangement featuring fiddles, horns, banjos, accordion, spoons, twangy things, and Bruce’s incomparable energy and frontman leadership. With minimal in-between-song-chatter from The Boss about his dad telling him to cut his hair, etc., Bruce chose to make only a few comments about Katrina and let the bluesy mix of Cajun, Zydeco, Dixieland, and Big Easy Jazz-influenced Seeger songs do the talking. So soulful you hardly missed Silvio and The Big Man…
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness
Performing at The Echo - May 20th 2006
Review By Todd Krolczyk (Producer, Deutsch LA)
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness doesn’t F#%! around.
They have a band name that should be too long, but works.
They have a cool, simple heart/cross logo that should be carved into school desks.
They were slated to start their show at 10:30 and they started playing at 10:30.
They look like high school geography teachers.
The singer has a shaved head.
They sound like U2.
Speaking of which, the drummer is really good and plays like Larry Mullen jr.
The guitar players make them sound more like Echo & The Bunnymen.
And, all together, oddly, they sound like Duran Duran.
They play big, rolling songs that sounded great in this little club.
They filled the place, too.
And they finished their set right in time for ‘dance night’ to begin at the bar.
Someone in the audience tried to make a joke about their name.
The band didn’t respond.
They just played their last and best song of a great set.
Then they left the stage.
- Find out more about the band by clicking on the image above. -
Esthero at The Roxy - May 22nd 2006
Review by Jessica Entner
All I can really say is WOW!! I have been a fan since 1998 when she released "Breath from Another" at the age of 19, and at 27 she has come into her own with her latest album "Wicked Lil' Girls.” Esthero is one of those performers that has that "IT" quality people are always talking about. She always has had "IT" but she is a woman now and it certainly suits her well.
This show was spectacularly good, yet surprisingly simple. Esthero performed with 2 guitarists, one being her brother and fellow Canadian artist Jay Englishman, and another fellow, whose name I never quite heard uttered… but he was fabulous!
She started with "In Tha' Mood" which is my choice song from her newest release "Wicked Lil' Grrrls". The album cut is full of horns and heavy bass lines, which makes it seem impossible to strip down and play acoustically. But-- By God she did it! Her voice is the instrument, and she graced us with it loud and strong. She also invited the audience to make requests, in between being very entertaining with her comedic storytelling and chain smoking. She had fans on stage singing, and her "pirate" sisters coming up for a rendition of "Magic" from Xanadu. The energy and the love were flowing. (Corny, I know, but it was!)
It was a magical evening from start to finish. She sang all my favorites, "That Girl", "Heaven Sent", "We R in need of a Musical Revolution", and turned my friends into new fans.
She is what Madonna wishes she was. She is the answer to the pop tart misery. She is a goddess and a pirate (a pink one that is). And if you grab her record you will know what I am talking about. Don't miss her if she plays again, you’ll sorely regret it!
And yes, those are real lashes….
HUM Puts The Pedal To The Metal For Acura Campaign
Acura and agency Rubin Postaer turned to HUM for inspiration to accompany their latest campaign of spots including "Arrow," "Jogger" and "Coffee Shop." While “Arrow” takes an ethereal approach with an airy track by David Norland, “Jogger” and “Coffee Shop” take a more humorous, surreal approach with original tracks from composers Rob Laufer and Alan Steinberger, respectively.
Gone Daddy Gone :
May 2006 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, Hum Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
The Helio Sequence @ Spaceland
Review by Scott Glenn
In a time when "new" music all too often sounds like a derivative re-hashing
of the sounds of yesteryear, The Helio Sequence stands in stark contrast to
the familiar phrase, "there's nothing new under the sun". Mixing soothing
electronic arpeggios with powerfully syncopated harmonica blasts and 'verbed
out guitar lines, the Portland-based duo has created a sound as unique as it
is both powerful and melodic...modern yet organic. On stage, drummer
Benjamin Weikel plays with an intense fury and enthusiasm while frontman
Brandon Summers spits contemplative lyrical lines in a hushed airy voice,
relying on the harmonica to unleash more powerful melodic accents. The
result is a performance that is full and energetic but at the same time
soothing; it is just this sort of beautiful contradiction that epitomizes
The Helio Sequence. Highlights were "Harmonica Song," with its awesome
breakdown section and the inclusion of new tracks from their upcoming
sophomore effort on the Sub Pop label, which I can't wait to hear in its
entirety.
HUM Provides The Sounds Of Tomorrow Today For Lexus
Lexus’ latest commercial campaign, featuring spots “Goosebumps,” ”Debut,” and “Robots,” were created by agency Team One USA and are each designed to showcase the newly redesigned ES 350. To accomplish this, agency Team One established a very futuristic, robot-populated reality to emphasize the cutting-edge technology being employed. Original music by HUM’s David Norland, sound design by HUM’s Dan Hart, and a terrific use of Jem’s “Amazing Life” effectively support this concept and effortlessly pace the spots.
COACHELLA ‘06 HIGHLIGHTS
Review by Jessica Entner
Oh-- the parties, the heat, the music, the hangovers, and of course the scarily bad outfits!
At Coachella, there are always too many good bands to see, and they all seem to go on at the same time, which lead me to miss some of my top picks like Be Your Own Pet, Infadels, Youth Group, Giant Drag, and The Rakes (check them all out!). But the bands I DID see made up for the ones I missed...
Saturday We made it just in time to see Franz Ferdinand on the main stage-- they rocked the show, and were definitely a “not to miss” band! We only watched a few songs then made our way over to the Eagles of Death Metal, who were absolutely unbelievable. Their live show is so high energy and fun. They have 2 drummers (one being Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, and the other, Samantha Maloney, who is so kick ass you just want to hide). Jesse Hughes, front man extraordinaire, was on top of his game; lots of shout outs to the ladies. He loves the ladies. Depeche Mode also sounded amazing and sang some new stuff.
Sunday
I missed most of the bands I wanted to see because they went on so early, but I caught Phoenix and Metric and loved both. Emily Haines of Metric is a certified star, and I am proud to say I saw her “when”! We also were lucky to catch Matisyahu, who is AWESOME! It may sound corny, but he does just exude good vibes all over the place. And I swear I am not a hippie ( although there is nothing wrong with that)...
The whole weekend went by in a blur-- I lost my voice, I’m still hung-over and a bit achy, but hey…. one day I will be too old for this, but for now I am content being exhausted on a Monday.
RAP RENEGADES TOUR 2006
Review by Bill Rogers
Caspar, Northern Mendocino Coast of California
Out in the middle of nowhere, much to the delight of all who happened to put
themselves at the Caspar Inn, on the North Coast of Mendocino, Saturday
Night, April 29th, Speech showed up. Speech, of Arrested Development fame,
masterfully designed and delivered his sound to the throbbing mass facing
him from the dance floor. His determination, integrity, passion, exciting
vocals, and tight arrangements, coupled with a band with chops, communicated
flawlessly and fulfilled all expectations. The music, the man, and the
dancers joined as a single exponent of joyful self-expression. Speech
incarnates the spirit and soul of Otis Redding. Watch out!
Generally we pride ourselves on tipping our clients to the latest grooves, hippest tunes, and best retro tracks. But recently at Venice’s bar/legend The Brig, the tables were turned when HUM hosted a Happy Hour in conjunction with the monthly No Wax event, where every music fan gets to be a DJ! Creatives and producers from agencies across the Southland showed up with every size and shape of iPod imaginable— cueing up their songs for a truly democratic evening of music. Now occurring on a semi—regular basis, look for our next night to be announced soon. And, by the way, it’s not just iPods— live performances are also encouraged. Click here or on the photo for a clip of HUM’s Hirotaka Matsuoka “getting the Led out” Karaoke—style…
Range Rover Goes “Island-Hopping”
Have you ever wondered if you could use the GPS system on the new Land Rover LR3 to navigate a large cargo plane from Nice to Corsica? Well sure you have! And in Land Rover’s new spot “Island Hopping,” conceived by agency Y&R Irvine, we get a chance to see folks actually doing it. Lensed by noted helmer Gerard De Thame, this ambitious spot features an adventurous original music score by HUM’s Greg Reeves, and sound design from HUM’s Dan Hart.
At War With The Mystics:
April 2006 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, Hum Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
Range Rover Goes Underground with "Tokyo"
For a spot so massive they had to shut down part of Tokyo’s famed G-CANS underground waterway system (the largest in the world) during filming, Y&R/Irvine turned to HUM Music to provide the perfect original score. Looking to establish distinct musical themes both above the ground and below (as the Range Rover prowls the metro tubes), composer Robert Lopez chose to meld techno grooves with traditional Japanese Taiko drums. As the driving music sets the mood, futuristic “computer interface” graphics and lush visuals drive home the feeling that with the new Range Rover-- the future is now. Are we in some sort of “Bladerunner-esque” alternate reality? No. But the spot was directed by white-hot commercial helmer Jordan Scott (Ridley’s daughter) and produced through the RSA USA production entity.
CREATIVITY Selects Honda "Mudflap"
For Top Spot List
During this year’s Superbowl, in between the Stones and The Bus, HUM stepped up to help Honda with their new “Ridgeline” spot. In this case, a classic American icon—the “Mudflap Girl” (whose shapely silhouette is found on the back of millions of burly trucker’s rigs)—is given life via CGI animation. Conceived by agency Rubin-Postaer, the creatives put in their call to HUM’s Director of A&R, Tricia Halloran to assist them with sourcing and licensing the track that would best communicate the desired mood. Tricia served up Nic Armstrong & The Thieves’ track “Down Home Girl,” which allows our two-dimensional hottie to leave her post and sashay over to a Ridgeline—hopping in and joining her date: none other than “Mudflap Yosemite Sam” himself—complete with his famous mudflap-ism, “Back Off!” …Apparently the “Peeing Kid” had too much homework…. By the way, HUM’s Daniel Hart supplied the original sound design for the spot.
***UPDATE: Creativity Magazine selected “Mudflap” to be included in its Top Spots list for March, 2006. The strong word of mouth on this spot has also boosted interest in featured band Nic Armstrong & The Thieves, currently on tour with The Pretenders***
Leaders of the Free World:
March 2006 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, Hum Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
Long Walk To Freedom:
February 2006 New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, Hum Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
Spaced out at Spaceland
Review by Jason Steele, HUM composer
Daniel Lanois is one of my favorite producers/musicians, and he blew my mind recently at a little club in Silverlake, CA called Spaceland. This club is so small that if you're in the back and you sneeze, the person on stage needs a handkerchief. To see someone of his caliber at a club like this was a real treat, and it only happened because he was prepping for a big show at Carnegie Hall. Lucky me! As a live act he was a much more aggressive Lanois than you know from his albums. He stood at the front of the stage with his vintage gold top Gibson Les Paul, turned up his vintage Vox amp until it cried, and rocked like a lost member of Greenday. For me he could have played the spoons and I would have been happy. But I'm coming at this from the point of view of being a really big fan. I've been in the music business for a long time and love all types of music, but there's only a few people I put on a pedestal and Daniel Lanois is definitely one of them. Because of my respect for him I found myself watching and just spacing out thinking "Wow, that's Daniel Lanois". Am I a dork because I'm so star struck? I hope for anyone who is a fan and couldn't see him at Spaceland that the Carnegie Hall show is taped, but if not, keep an eye out for other Hollywood shows because he does pop up once in a while and it's a great show.
12 Songs:
January New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, Hum Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
2005: HUM's Year in Review
Marking another year of cutting-edge, groundbreaking work for HUM. Read all about our accomplishments, from Paris to M.I.A., Superbowl to X Games. More...
Wine, Women and Song:
November New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
HUM Scores Straight A's
HUM successfully trained 150 plus students in the art of music production, music licensing, and sound design at the first annual Boards U event in New York City on October 19th. Fifteen “A-List” companies were tapped to serve as “professors” for this innovative seminar-- including Lost Planet, MJZ, Quiet Man, and Stardust. HUM professors Jeff Koz, Debbi Landon and Tricia Halloran presented a detailed step by step process of music production that covered conference calls, music research, licensing, demos, and final sessions.
But what did the students think? Well, Brandy Jenkins from Element 79 says, "Boards U was a genius idea & VERY enlightening for a young producer like myself... that notebook is my new production bible. And the summit was great as well... interesting, entertaining panel discussions across the board." And Matt Hunnicutt from BBDO felt that "From Boards U through to the end of the Summit there was a great collection of exceptionally talented people discussing all fields of production. It was an invaluable
experience." So there you have it!
HUM professors plan to take the seminar on the road - if your agency would like to sign up for classes, enroll here: HUM Music Production Seminar
Review: Gang of Four
Oct. 20th, Avalon theatre, Hollywood
The reunion of this seminal post-punk band was no mere nostalgia kick. It was more like a kick in the pants for those of us who have become slightly more than jaded about what the music world has been churning out as of late. To see lead singer Jon King fling himself across the stage, roll on the floor, and demolish a microwave oven with a baseball bat brought a tear of joy to my eye, not to mention a note of recognition to my ear. “Oh yeah”, I thought, “this is what all the kids are imitating these days, and they probably don’t even know it!” Joined by members of opening bands Morningwood and Men, Women, and Children on the encore for the 80s dance-club hit "I Love a Man in a Uniform," King and the rest of the band clearly took pleasure in the company of their youthful followers.
Completely shunning their 90s reunion material, the song selection was almost entirely confined to the fan-favored first two LPs, "Entertainment" and "Solid Gold". The spartan stage reflected their sparse-yet-powerful instrumentation – these guys fill in the gaps with talent and good music, not fluff. Their graciousness toward their fans was as effusive as their lyrics were angry and acerbic. It was great to hear a band who is not afraid to be political, and can do it without whining.
Hum Helps Honda Go Postal;
Finds Grandaddy MIA
HUM placed a trio of groundbreaking, critically acclaimed artists in Honda's new Civic campaign: M.I.A, The Postal Service and Grandaddy. The spots, entitled “Tailpipe,” “Gas Cap,” and “Keyhole” were created by agency Rubin Postaer & Associates, all feature state-of-the-art CGI, and rely heavily on the mood established by the accompanying music. To supply the perfect tracks, RPA turned to HUM’s Director of A&R, accomplished Los Angeles DJ Tricia Halloran, and her talented team of music supervisors. Tricia & company were able to provide RPA with numerous executions of the spots, giving the creatives countless opportunities to experiment and hone their concepts. The final results are impressive, and are perhaps best showcased by “Tailpipe,” a “Speed Racer-esque” spot emphasizing the sporty power of the Civic si, specifically choreographed and animated to Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A.’s single “Galang.” The word on the street is Racer X just bought a Civic...
"Gas Cap” is a visually stunning spot featuring the technology of the Civic Hybrid, lensed by accomplished director Roman Coppola and featuring the track “Nature’s Anthem” by Grandaddy. Finally, “Keyhole” is a CGI animated spot focusing on the rebirth of the Civic sedan and its new styling in juxtaposition with nature, and features the song “We Will Become Silhouettes” by The Postal Service.
Look for all three spots to appear in regular rotation as part of a substantial media buy undertaken by Honda to support the new Civic campaign.
Click on the titles above to view the commercials.
Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?
October New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
Words & Letters In Color:
September New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World
School’s In Session with HUM and Boards U
The first annual ‘Boards U, the brainchild of ‘Boards Magazine, will take place at the New York Hilton in New York City on October 19th, 2005. Designed as a full-day series of seminars oriented towards some of the advertising industries’ up-and-coming agency producers and creatives, ‘Boards U is an opportunity for experts from different disciplines in the commercial production sector to present a “crash course” in their key concepts and offer some take-home reference information to their high-powered student body.
Fifteen “A-List” companies have been tapped to serve as “professors” for this innovative seminar-- including Aardman, Bent, Getty Images, Lost Planet, MJZ, Quiet Man, Stardust and several others. HUM is proud to have been chosen as the company that will present the arena of Original Music, Sound Design and Music Licensing to the students of Boards U. Owner and Creative Director Jeff Koz, Executive Producer Debbi Landon, and Director of A&R Tricia Halloran will all be representing HUM at the “U,” and will each be presenting their own unique take on the business of Music, Sound Design and Licensing for commercials.
‘Boards U is open exclusively to agency (and freelance) producers, creatives, writers, art directors, agency account executives, and client side marketers-- and there is a 200-student limit to the seminar. If you happen to be reading this and fit the above classification, be sure and register today before the classes fill up. You remember what that’s like, right? You end up taking Atmospheric Sciences, you get a no-pass, and have to make it up in summer school…
Make sure to be a part of the inaugural Boards U, and let HUM help you “ace” Original Music, Sound Design, and Music Licensing!
For more information, please visit www.boardsmag.com
Short Stories: July New Music Recommendations
by Tricia Halloran, HUM Director of A&R
and host of KCRW's Brave New World