Popscene's 20th Anniversary Celebration with The Wombats 1/22/2015

The two night celebration for the 20th Anniversary of Popscene, the 80's dance club turned band debuting club night kicked-off last  Thursday night with Ivy Levan and  The Wombats.

It was close to 11:30 when DJ Aaron Axelsen welcomed The Wombats back to Popscene; he thanked everyone for being there to kick off the party celebrating his club.

The Wombats at Popscene 1/22/2015
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

The trio from Liverpool England played their first show at Popscene August 9th, 2007 in support of their debut album A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation, then again  in 2011 supporting their sophomore album This Modern Glitch. Keeping with tradition, last week they played their third show at Popscene supporting their forthcoming third album, Glitterbug, due out on April 6th. Lead singer Matthew Murphy greeted fans at the sold-out show with a peppy hello before unassuming, blaring guitar consumed the venue.

The Wombats at Popscene 1/22/2015
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Murphy poked fun at the fact they had to stop the show after the first song, "Your Body is a Weapon", because of a noticeable ringing re-verb from his  "broken guitar": reassuring show-goers that the issue was either to his guitar, an amp or the Wombats curse which caused fans to laugh and chant "Wombats curse". As Murphy, bassist Tord Overland Knudsen and a couple  stage hands worked to fix the problem off stage;  drummer Dan Haggis had fun keeping fans engaged with jokes and a short lived rolling drum solo to answer shouting demands.  After about ten minutes the rest of the band returned to the stage, Murphy with different guitar to play and much to the delight of fans the show continued with "Jump into the Fog". The sound of  fans singing every word was faintly heard over the wailing guitar and effervescent bass as a youthful energy transmitted between the band and their fans. Most of the set was heavily lead by loud guitar riffs and quick bass hooks, The Wombats play hard which adds an element of punk-rock to their indie-pop. 

The Wombats at Popscene 1/22/2015
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

They played a few new songs, including a slow tempo "Give Me a Try" which carries more of a quintessential indie feel with soft hooks and vivid keys while the new single, "Greek Tragedy" sounds more like their older stuff. Knudsen and Haggins' back up vocals effortlessly harmonized and smoothly accentuated every song of the set and when he wasn't behind his mic, Knudsen jumped around the stage vivaciously playing bass without a glitch. Fans happily kept up with the beat clapping along to every song they knew and dancing to the less familiar ones. 

The technical hiccup at the top of their set was hardly an interruption, in fact it turned out to be a great introduction for the loud music they make. Before they ended their set, The Wombats recalled how they blew the power the first time they played at Popscene and they pulled off another awesome set with ease last week! San Francisco show goers can definitely expect Popscene to continue to introduce more great new bands for years to come!

Don't forget your ear plugs when you head out to see The Wombats when they play at The Fillmore on May 16th!

Best Shows & Albums of 2014

Here's my list of some of the best shows and albums from 2014!


Top Ten Shows of 2014

1) MIA @ Live105's BFD June 1st, 2014 @ The Shoreline



 

It had been four years since I saw MIA live and even though I'd prefer to see her play her own show, rather than a set at a music festival,  I was beyond stoked to see her at BFD this past summer! It was also the first time in nearly 10 years that my cousin Jenn  and I went to LIVE105's Annual Summer show together. In our heyday, we went to BFD every year, so last summer was definitely a blast from the past being at BFD together! Our general admission lawn tickets were upgraded  to much better and closer seats in the 200 section just in time to see MIA's performance! We were up and out of our seats as soon as  she hit the stage and both of us were singing and dancing as soon set started.

MIA at Live105's BFD 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

About half way through the second song MIA herself made her way off the stage, up into the seats of The Shoreline and stopped near our row to spit  lyrics as fans gathered and danced around her....myself included!!  It was a  jambalaya of rap-jams as MIA & co. busted out abbreviated versions of songs from every album, intertwining the mix with a couple hits played in full. The Matangi mama kept Shoreline security on their feet from beginning to end as she invited fans to dance on stage, wrapping up her set with her signature, defiant style. I still can't believe I danced with MIA!

Click this to see more pictures from BFD 2014!

OKGO at The Independent 7/16/2015
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

2) OKGO @ The Independent July 16th, 2014 

OKGO at The Independent 7/16/2015
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Based on their innovative,creative, eye-catching music videos I knew that the OKGO show at The Independent would be a good time. There weren't any treadmills on stage but there were confetti cannons and OKGO wasted no time  putting them into action. By the second song the room and everyone in it covered in inches of colorful confetti! Carrying on convos with band-mates and fans, posing Q&A sessions and performing amongst the thick of the sold-out crowd, Kulash carried on with a genuine charisma and continuously connected with  fans through out the show.  OKGO engaged fanatical fans even further by using a mixing app on their phone and getting everyone to help compose  a beat, which they recorded and played back for everyone to hear. It was pretty neat! 

This show was pure fun, from the power-pop songs to the band's on-stage antics, to their insistent crowd interaction, good times were meant to be had and they most definitely were!  

       3) Die Antwoord @ The Fillmore May 27th, 2014 

By the time I got to the sold-out Die Antwoord show at The Fillmore the floor was pulsating  with dancing, jumping, fist pumping fans getting down to unique techno beats and sick, agro rhymes. Famous for hosting some of rocks most treasured acts like Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix and The Grateful Dead it was something else to see Die Antwoord transform the historic Fillmore into a full on Zef rap rave! Ninja and Yolandi Ve$$er popped under black light lit stage with a non-stop explosive energy that fueled the party. Raging excitement spread as they debuted brand new music off of their third album, Donker Mag which dropped one week after they played in San Francisco, while hits from the first two albums got even more of a roaring response. Out of all of the shows I've been to at The Fillmore, I've never seen anything quite like the show Die Antwoord delivered that night!

 4) MS MR @ The Fillmore April 15th, 2014 

The connection between fans and the band was instantaneous and MS MR's  friendly disposition quickly spread through out the venue as soon as they stepped on stage.  The sad-core indie-pop band from  Brooklyn was happy to be back in SF and headlining at The Fillmore and their SF fans were equally as happy to be there, showering the end of every single song with piercing cheers and loud applause.  Their up-beat energy put a spirit lifting spin on the performance lead by Lizzy's strong soulful vocals, fervent dancing and impressive bouts of violent stomping in platform shoes. It's refreshing to see that Lizzy is still humbly surprised and flattered by fan's overwhelming out-poor of admiration, one that sends good chills down my spine and leaves Lizzy positively glowing. 

MS MR at The Fillmore 4/15/2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

5) Sylvan Esso @ The Fillmore June 6th, 2014 

Sylvan Esso at The Fillmore 6/6/2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

North Carolina's indie-elctropop duo, Sylvan Esso was warmly welcomed by a good sized crowd when they opened for tUnE-yArDs last June at The Fillmore. Their dreamy synth sound paired with Amelia Meath's seductive singing easily seduced the room to groove along with them. And groove we did: while Amelia circled the stage, Nick Sanborn bust out colorful build-ups and beat break-downs behind a small synthesizer set-up.

Their showmanship was captivating, their gracious nature was moving and their opening act stole the show in my opinion.  

6) The Matches @ Slim's November 8th, 2014 

The Matches at Slim's 11/8/2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

I've been a fan of The Matches since they were known as The Locals and I when heard that band was getting back together for a reunion show for the 10th Anniversary of their first album, E Van Dahl Killed The Locals,  my heart fluttered with excitement. Tickets quickly sold-out and more Bay Area shows were added before The Matches announced, that due to popular demand they were going on a reunion tour playing not only in San Francisco and their hometown of Oakland but also Chicago, LA, New York and Australia and I ended up buying  a ticket from a girl who flew in from Chicago to see them at Slim's.

It was a very nostalgic night, not just for me and all of the loyal Matches fans there but also for the band: it was touching how sincerely surprised and overjoyed the four of them were by the amount of support and massive turnouts. Everyone sang along as the band played every song from E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals from start, "Dog-Eared Page" to finish "Sick Little Suicide". Their stage presence was full of life just like back in the day: Shawn's animated performance lit up the stage, Jon donned a blonde afro-puff wig as an homage to the do he sported in his youth and Justin hopped up and down and all around. Slim's is my favorite place in the city to see punk bands and it was great to see the much beloved Matches again.  

7) Bonnie & The Bang Bang @ Slim's March 14th, 2014 

Bonnie and The Bang Bang at Slim's 3/14/2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

2014 was a big year for my friend Michael and his band Bonnie and Bang Bang: they had a weekly month long residency at The Milk Bar in SF, they performed at Bay to Breakers and SF's Not Dead Yet Festival along with shows up and down the West Coast including a few headlining gigs! Before their headlining show at Slim's in June, Bonnie and The Bang Bang played a great set when they opened for The Sam Chase in March! I was so happy that  my  cousin Jenn and her then fiance now hubby to finally got to meet Michael and see him and his band rock!

Their gritty, garage rock sounded great with solid singing, insane guitar shredding and powerful pounding from Michael on the drums. 

8, 9 and 10: First City Fest, Outside Lands and Treasure Island Music Festival

What's better than weekends full of butt-loads of music, sunshine and having fun with friends?!

Outside Lands 2014

First City Fest 2914

Standout performances: 

- Future Islands and Phantogram at First City Fest, August 23rd & 24th, 2014 . 

- Kanye West and Tegan and Sara at Outside Lands. 

- Outkast and TV on the Radio at Treasure Island Music Festival

Future Island at First City Fest 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Phantogram at First City Fest 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

                                                     

Tegan and Sara at Outside Lands 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

Outkast at Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

Top 5 Albums of 2014 

1) Sylvan Esso 

Sylvan Esso

May 12th, 2014

2) Die Antwoord

Donker Mag

June 3rd, 2014 

 3) Glass Animals 

Zaba

June 6th, 2014

 4) Iggy Azalea 

The New Classic

April 12th, 2014 

 5) First Aid Kit 

Stay Gold 

June 10th, 2014 

2014 Festival Wrap-Up: First City Fest & Treasure Island Music Festival

First City Festival 2014 Photo by Nikki DeMartini

After days spent with family, friends, joyful celebrations and well wishes for a happy New Year, the festive feel is still in the air and as shows in 2015  are being announced it means that the Festival Season will be here before we know it!

Treasure Island Music Festival 2014 Photo by Nikki DeMartini

 

Last year, I was approved to cover two music festivals over the summer: the 2nd Annual First City Fest in August  and the 7th Annual Treasure Island Music Festival in October and it was super exciting to be there to professionally cover both of them!

The First City Festival returned to the beautiful, serene beach town of Monterey California for it's second year this past summer. The weekend was filled with a diverse line-up of high caliber acts that would satisfy any music enthusiast, free carnival rides for ticket holders, artisan style grub from various food trucks and traditional carnival treats.

 

First City Festival 2014 Photo by Nikki DeMartini

 

 

The Fest's three different stages were jam-packed with some of indie music's biggest acts like, Beck,The National, Best Coast and The Naked and Famous, along with emerging bands on the brink of blowing up like Future Islands, Tanlines and Geographer.

Best Coast @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Future Islands @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Saturday's lineup included: Survival Guide, Doe Eye, The Lonely Wild, Mr Little Jeans, Mimicking Birds, The Stepkids, Speedy Ortiz, Miniature Tigers, TanLines How to Dress Well, Midlake, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tokyo Police Club, Blind Pilot, Coco Rosie, Best Coast, Phantogram and Beck.

Geographer @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Sunday's lineup included: Cool Ghouls, The Family Crest, QUILT, Sleepy Sun, Midi Matilda, Connan Mockasin, Lo-Fang, The Men, San Fermin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.,  Liars, Geographer, Lake Street Dive, Future Islands, CULTS, Dawes, The Naked and Famous and The National.

Cool Ghouls @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini



One of the great aspects of The First City Fest is the short distance between each stage and because the fairgrounds aren't that large themselves it's an easy trek from one stage to the next. The Red Wood Stage, or Main Stage and The Cypress Stage, or secondary stage are a brisk walk across the park  from each other with the Manzanita Stage, or local band stage, smack in between the two!

 

 

 

 

The Vau de Vire Society @First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

A fourth, small stage, The Vaudeville Stage, offered entertainment from circus subculture entertainers, The Vau de Vire Society, The John Brothers Piano Company and covers from the beloved Puddles the clown, via Puddles Pitty Party.

Puddles Pity Party @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

You could catch these acts in between bands, on your way to see a band at one of the other stages, while waiting in line for concessions, on your way to the bathroom... really whenever you wanted throughout either day!

LIARS @ First City Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Phantogram @ First City Festival 2014
 Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Beck @ First City Festival 2014
 Photo by Nikki DeMartini

The great thing about having  these stages in such close proximity to each other is that it meant there was minimal set overlap giving fanatic fest-heads the opportunity to catch a vast majority of the bands they wanted to see with ease.



Ana Tjoux @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

Since it's inaugural year when Justice headlined, to the summer of 2013, when Alexis Krauss from Sleigh Bells joined Beck on stage for an epic duet, the Treasure Island Music Fest  always has a eclectic line-up building up to monumentous headlining acts. The Seventh Annual T.I.M.F last summer was no exception with the re-united Outkast on Saturday night and the rather illusive Massive Attack wrapping things up on Sunday night!
 

 

Mo @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

The Growlers @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

 

The well-rounded  line-up was skillfully mixed with solid indie bands like St. Lucia, Washed Out and Policia, up-and-coming acts like Jungle, Mo and Banks, some local bands including Cathedrals and Painted Palms and big supporting bands like Janelle Monae, Zedd and T.V on the Radio, just to name a few.

 

 

Banks @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

Janelle Monae @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

Saturday October 18th:  TAMO, DJ Tom Thump, DJ M3, Laura Lisbona, Ratking, Tobacco, Ana Tjoux, XXYYXX, Classixx, Ryan Hemsworth, Jungle, Mo, Janelle Monae, St. Lucia, Zedd and OutKast.

Alt-J  @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

Sunday October 19th: MPHD, Push the Feeling, Luxxury, Motion Potion, Cathedrals, Bit Funk. Asgeir, Bleached, The Growlers, Chet Faker, White Denim, Policia, Banks, T.V on the Radio, The New Pornographers, Alt-J and Massive Attack.

Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Music fans are inundated with Music Festivals these days, but the Treasure Island Music Fest in particular stands apart from all of the others :

• the weekend long lineup has a day geared toward rock while the other day has more of a  dance appeal.
• there's  ONLY TWO STAGES which are practically next to each other.
•  set times are scheduled so that there's no one set that over laps another. (this is a music fest marvel!)
• it takes place in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, so needless to say, the panoramic views are beautiful!
• you're surrounded by art! Huge sculptures that bend and are illuminated at night,  fun interactive art, art for sale, DYI art-project booths... plenty of artistic ways to stay entertained when you need a break from the show!

Massive Attack @ Treasure Island Music Festival 2014
Photo by Marc Fong

 

The lay out, schedule and welcoming vibe allow T.I.M.F show-goers to truly relax and fully enjoy the sites and sounds all day and night!



Outkast @ Treasure Island Music Festival
Photo by Marc Fong

I can not wait to find out what the Festival Season will give us this year, can you?!

Best of Friends' List: #1 albums of 2014

There's  already a lot of new music on the horizon as the new year begins!  Try as one might it's impossible to hear it all let alone even know every album released in any given year. I really like doing a year round-up, Best of Friends' List because hearing what friends have been listening to through out the year makes me realize how many albums and artists I may have missed! With a little help from some of my music loving friends, I present the Best of Friends' List: #1 albums of 2014!

 

 

 

Whenever I worked with Steve he was always singing and dancing throughout the shift, adding pizzazz to the work day and I always looked forward to his sweet serenades of 90's pop songs. Steve is  part of  the Bay Area dance company, Project M, which choreographs dance performances to R&B, Hip-Hop and Top 40 music. He's personal music taste reaches well outside the realm of Project M and his favorite album of 2014 is: Souled Out by Jhene Aiko. 

"My favorite album goes to Jhene Aiko's Souled Out. Her simple melodies layered with complex and deep lyrics are what hooked me. Almost every song on the album relates to a life event of mine. 

This album is the soundtrack of my year and "Beautiful Ruin" on the exclusive Target Delux Edition is my favorite song off of it."  

My former co-worker David plays some mean drums in his punk band, The Dandy Lions and I ain't talkin' no pop-punk. The two-man band churns out fast, raw songs in true dirty Punk-Rock fashion complete with drunken banter and debauchery.

"My #1 album of 2014 is Transgender Dysphoria Blues by Against Me!. 

In the wake of AG! lead singer Tom Gabel's public announcement of having transgender dysphoria since childhood, Gabel has now transitioned to a reborn identity: Laura Jane Grace. 

Grace, as the founder of punk influenced Against Me!, has provided Transgender Dysphoria Blues as an outlet chronicling her struggles growing up with a severe identity crisis. The album is taken from the point of view of a transgender prostitute who is finding their place in the world. 

Some of the standout tracks for me are: Drinking with the Jocks, Black Me Out and Two Coffins." 

Chelsea, Brittany and I use to work in radio together and since leaving we're all bloggers outside of our day jobs! 

These girls have a great blog called, IFLunch: It's Finally Lunch and they cover just about everything, seriously! From fashion and travel to music, recipes and DIY crafts, Chelsea and Brittany really get around! And, they shoot all of the stunning photos you see in their posts! 

IFLunch creators and content managers Brittany and Chelsea 

Here's how these ex-radio ladies/fellow bloggers each weigh in on their top pick for best album of the year. 

Chelsea: "Ok, this took me a while and I struggled with picking one! But now that it has finally been released I am going with Damien Rice's, My Favourite Faded Fantasy. It has such a great first single and the whole album is just as fantastic as I thought it would be! Ryan Adams is totally a close second!"

Brittany:  "This was such a tough call because it's seldom that I fall in love with an entire album anymore! After some (VERY) long deliberation, I've decided that my top 2014 album is Voices by Phantogram. I'm sure this one is on record somewhere at the top of the list because the beats are so beautiful they can probably make grown men cry. The album takes you on this blissful  roller-coaster that I don't want to end. Even on the saddest tracks, they seem to have an upbeat lull. I've listened to the album over and over again and I can't wait to see what they have coming up next! I listen to Voices when I'm commuting ,working out and even cleaning. It fits every mood!

I recommend the entire album but if you want a few tracks to gravitate towards that aren't singles, these are the ones:  Bill Murray, The Day You Died and Nothing But Trouble."

Naturally, during my days as a radio station street team member I was surrounded by music,  music lovers and musicians everyday. Jesse and Dan B are two of so many music aficionados who showed me the ropes, taught me how to rock my job and love the work we did. They are both extraordinarily talented and they both keep very busy with multiple bands and side projects.

Band of Skulls @ The Regency Ballroom 5/22/2014
Photo by Marc Fong

Jesse's main focus these days is his solo effort, his recent release entitled, "101 Two Minute Love Songs" and putting together the 10th Annual 333 Under The Tree Benefit Concert which he throws and hosts at 50 Mason House!

Jesse's top pick is: Himalayan by Band of Skulls.








"I've been able to catch them live thrice since, so I can convey confidently that these guys are legitimate rock and rollers of the purest breed.
They rock the stage as much as they rock the studio - different experiences but equally as great.

With a classic rock vibe but the pioneering creativity of a rock and roll all its own, Band of Skulls stand as the best rock band of this decade to date (albeit their first album dropped in 2009). Himalayan, their April 2014 release came to me in real time. And I can now, at year's end, award them my highest honor: album of the year!
The first half of the album does what any art piece should do, upon first sensual intake: it grabs you and instantly seduces you. The side one track one, "Asleep At The Wheel," makes-out with you. And then, the second half, with tunes like "I Feel Like Ten Men, Nine Dead One Dying," is when the record starts sweetly stroking your hair, but still offering up more bursts of making-out. This is sex, drugs and rock N' roll: where sex is the hot, desirable sensations in "Hoochie Coochie" ans also the title track; where the drugs are "I Guess I Know You Fairly Well" and its album bedfellow "You Are All That I Am Not," both of which have melodies and instrumentation so addictive that you want to listen to them over and over, hit after hit; and where the rock N' roll is...well...it's in every track!

The members of this trio have musical souls that make rock legend. Catch them now as they earn their fame and/or infamy!

Along with being in the modern day-roots band, The Human Condition Dan B also drops sick jungle beats around the bay as his DJ alter-ego, Professor Bang. He called dibs on his fav of 2014, Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs and here's what he has to say about it.



"Easily my favorite overall in 2014, the third studio album form Philadelphia's The War on Drugs is an expertly programmed collection of catchy yet introspective rock song. Set against a reverbed-out backdrop of lush strings, twinkling pianos and elegant electronics, this record is equally suited to driving through the desert as the sun comes up or lounging in the yard with a cocktail. Frontman Adam Granduciel is a wry and understated songwriter who crafts accessible but intelligent tunes carried by his vulnerable and familiar vocals.





For listeners in the present day, The War in Drugs shares common genes with acts like Tycho, Future Islands and The Arcade Fire.
Lost In The Dream opens with "Under the Pressure" aloof but optimistic, resigned to its own catchieness, and sets the pace for a record full of melodic, deliberate music that you can tap your foot to, think about, or both. Three's a full three minutes of trippy orchestration and spacey guitars at the end of the song, which establishes the dreamlike quality of the album. A few songs later, "Eyes To The Wind" is a bit more down but not out, with subtle saxophone drifting over gorgeously interwoven piano and organ. The listener is drawn into "The Haunting Idle", an instrumental soundscape like something The Edge would make on his day off from U2, but it's not a skip-it-next-time throw away track because it makes sense at this point in the album.  The pace picks up with "Burning," a driving, upbeat anthem with a big vocal chorus. This tune in particular offsets the brooding tone of much of the record, kicking off the home stretch of he record like a ray of morning sunlight through carefully closed hotel room blinds. Second to last , the title track "Lost in a Dream," is pensive, and the narrator comes across as worldly, wizened and regretful, but not without hope. A lonesome harmonica swerves lazily over the song, much in the same way this entire record will drift through your head after a couple of listens. Lost In The Dream is not a conventional pop record, but the way its songs engage the listener and entrench themselves in the subconscious are evidence of the masterful songwriting behind this unassuming but powerful band.

Bonnie and The Bang Bang @ Slim's 6/27/2014
Photo by Marc Fong

My friend Michael is the drummer of the alternative, garage-punk Bay Area based Bonnie and The Bang Bang and 2014 was a big yea for him and the band!  They had a weekly month long residency at The Milk Bar, headlined shows at Slim's and Bottom of the Hill, played at Bay to Breakers along with a handful of other shows, and the keyboardist of Manchester Orchestra wore one of their T-Shirts on stage!

Bonnie and The Bang Bang are ready to continue to rock in the new year and are opening for The Soft White Sixties January 14th at Brick and Mortar! Michael's #1 album of 2014 is the first of two albums released this year from Manchester Orchestra, COPE.





"It's been a long time since a band as popular as they are has released such a straight forward rock album while maintaining a pop sensibility. Their song structures are perfect and the lyrics along side memorable guitar riffs are beautiful! Then, with the follow up of HOPE in September, we can see just how talented the band truly is. Not only is it showcasing staying with a particular theme, but each of these albums offer a completely different view point of the some songs!"

Thank you so much all for contributing! What a spectacular 2014 Best of Friends' List this is and I couldn't have done it without you!
Here's to a happy, healthy New Year filled with lots of new music friends!