Artist/Band Spotlight #6: CASXIO

In celebration of the announcement that PRINCE will headline Coachella Saturday, April 26 this year, I would like to introduce you to a great L.A. band called CASXIO! (You'll understand the connection in a minute)

http://www.myspace.com/casxio
Official Site: Download 4 Casxio songs for FREE!!



MEET THE BOYS/GIRL:
Lucas Guerin- Bass/Vox/Lead Vocals
Eric Saez- Guitar
Zach Schrock- Drums
Andrea Choe- Keys

WHO ARE CASXIO?
Casxio is still a bit of a mystery to me because I have Google'd the heck out of them and all I get is band members' names and their respective instruments. This much I know for sure: They used to be based down in the Long Beach./O.C. area and have since moved home base to L.A., they play great funky rock music, and their live shows have better dance floors than any nightclub in Hollywood.

I first saw Casxio at the EchoPlex (basement of the Echo in Echo Park) a few weeks ago after they were strongly recommended by a friend. I showed up without any expectations. From the very first note, the crowd started moving, eventually everyone was dancing up a storm!

Each member of Casxio has their own "bag," but they work well together. Lucas and Eric had a great retro Havana look about them, I felt like they should have both been smoking big Cuban cigars. Lucas controls the show and works damn hard to make sure you are feeling what he is feeling. He has a great falsetto but can get down and dirty, too. The audience believes every lyric and begs to hear more. Eric is a great guitarist and keeps the crown moving. Zach, the drummer, looks slightly under dressed in his cut-up t-shirt and jeans, but hey, it works for Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, right? Finally, Andrea is the strong, silent type. She masters the keys and synth beats while saying little but looking hot.

I don't think they were half way through their first song when I turned to my friend and said "I can pretty much guarantee you this guy (Lucas) has every Prince album." Casxio's "Boiling Point" could easily be slipped after "Raspberry Beret" on Prince's 1985 "Around the World in a Day" and no one would question it. Casxio is very much their own band when they are playing live, but my one complaint is that their recorded songs are too close to the likes of Sly Stone and the Talking Heads.

Casxio are managed by The Bam Group and are not currently signed to a label.

The votes are in...
"The tunes are a fresh-as-heck and high-pitched nod to classic Prince and Talking Heads." - URB Magazine
"Los Angeles’ Casxio has proven itself a little bit more than just the latest band to jump into the dance-music pool." - LA Times
"Singer/bassist Lucas Guerin is, in this humble blogger’s estimation, one of the five best frontmen in Los Angeles." - Classical Geek Theatre

FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE:
"Seventeen," LIVE at the EchoPlex 3/28/08


WHY YOU SHOULD LOVE CASXIO, TOO:
***Lucas is an incredible front man...he takes ownership of the crowd each and every time.
***Casxio has a great retro vibe but doesn't make you feel like you are listening to your parent's old funk LPs.
***This band has loyal fans, which means the crowd is never dead.

UPCOMING SHOWS:
Apr 22 2008 8:00P The Beatles Revolution Lounge @ the Mirage Las Vegas, Nevada
May 4 2008 9:00P w/ Lyrics Born @ The Key Club, West Hollywood
May 7 2008 12:00P UC Riverside Lunchtime Concert Series Riverside, California
May 15 2008 9:00P BLT Soundsystem @ the Continental FREE Fullerton, California

Thanks!
Julia

PS - Remember I updated my personal MySpace page every week with these music reviews. Let's be friends!

Artist/Band Spotlight #5: CASTLEDOOR

Friends -

I am so excited to introduce you all to a great band that I just found at The Roxy, playing after last week's spotlight band Glacier Hiking and opening for a British band called The Switches.

This week's spotlight shines on CASTLEDOOR!


http://www.myspace.com/castledoormusic
http://www.myspace.com/growingagarden (a second site just to host more music)
http://purevolume.com/castledoor
http://www.xanga.com/followthedove Lyrics!
http://www.myspace.com/juliaswanwick

MEET THE GUYS/GIRLS:
Nate Cole: lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Gabriel Combs: guitars, keys, vocals
Joel Plotnik: drums
Brandon Schwartzel: bass
Liska Cole: keys, vocals
Coury Jane Combs: vocals, synth

SO WHO ARE CASTLEDOOR?
The birth of Castledoor is immortalized in the beautiful ballad "Remember When." Nate sings of how he and Gabe moved across the country to California and started writing songs together. This all started in September of 2004. Since then a few more band members have jumped on board and the great songs that Nate and Gabe wrote are moving beyond their own living rooms into the likes of The Roxy, Spaceland, The Echo, SXSW showcases, and even The Natural History Museum in LA! These days, the band calls Silverlake their home.

The guys and girls held a residency at The Echo in Echo Park last October. The first night they walked up on stage with huge, gold mylar balloons spelling out Castledoor. JT from the L.A. Record said this about that first night: "Castledoor kicks off the set with obvious and unembarrassed enthusiasm, and maintain an inspiring energy level throughout the show. This is magical! These kids clearly and whole-heartedly love playing their songs for people. How refreshing!" That is exactly how I felt the first time I saw them a few weeks ago at The Roxy. The passion for playing music was clearly evident.

The band is working on a full-length album which will hopefully include great songs such as "Nightlight" that are not on the "Follow the Dove" EP.

Castledoor is represented by Don't Jump Management and is not currently signed to a record label.


LISTEN UP:

Follow the Dove (EP)
http://cdbaby.com/cd/castledoor ($5 CD at the shows or $7 for CD or MP3s on CDBaby)
My two favorite songs are "Burn the Maps" (#2) and "Magnetic Forces" (#6)..but it is amazing, start to finish!

FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE:
"Magnetic Forces," LIVE the Echo during their residency 10/29/07

"Dove," LIVE at Cocaine in Little Tokyo

http://blog.filter-mag.com/filter/2007/11/filter-tv-castl.html Band interview after a Roxy show last year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CjZ8xRuJts&feature=related "Remember When" from the drummer's viewpoint

WHY YOU SHOULD LOVE CASTLEDOOR:
***The band usually dresses in theme for their live shows. Who knows, maybe when you see them it will be "Tarzan and Jane" night or a Grease revival!?!
***The EP is incredible and only $5! Trust me, you will have to pull yourself away from it.
***Nate is a phenomenal front man with a true voice; you don't want to miss a single show.

UPCOMING SHOWS:
I heard mention that they have an upcoming residency in Costa Mesa, CA. Sorry, that's all I know, but check out their MySpace for updates.

Thanks!
Julia