Shout Out to Goodie Boxers for REAL popolio 2nd Anniversary Dance Party!

This is has been a long time coming, but before COMPLETELY FULLY REALLY shutting down I wanted to make sure to get this post out there. This is the last 1 of 2 posts I will be writing for THE REAL popolio. Promise!

I intended to post this closer to the date of the event, but things came up and I never was able to get around to it.

These are all the artists and organizations that donated items (CDs, stickers, gift cards, and other goodies; hence the name) for the goodie boxes for THE REAL popolio’s 2nd Year Anniversary B&W Party featuring 1990s pop music by local DJ, HOT BRITCHES!, that went down on Saturday, September 11, 201o at local mediterranean restaurant, Phara’s.  

I made 2 versions of the flyer.  See them here and here at my personal Facebook Page. 

So a boisterous SHOUT OUT and gigantic THANK YOU to (in no particular order):

San Antonio indie band, LEDASWAN; NYC-based collaborative alternative musicians collective, PASSION PROJECT; long-time industry guy, RICH OVERTON and his RJO ARTIST RELATIONS & MANAGEMENT (sent us stuff from multiple artists he reps); Boston pop/R&B girl group, JADA, ATX’s own rockers; THE MIDGETMEN; Dallas musician of many hats, CLAY PENDERGRASS; LA-based singer-songwriter, BILL CURD; also LA-based dance rock diva, DEBBY HOLIDAY; ATX electro hip hoppers, ONE STEP PROGRAM; NYC indie pop/rock outfit, LOVE & LOGIC; Chicago pop rocker, SCOTT WESLEY; NYC-based folk rocker, JON SANDLER; ATX old school soulstress, LISA MARSHALL; ATX power popster, PHIL DUTRA; and local Chinese food restaurant at Dobie Mall, HOA HOA (for donating gift cards). 

Click on the logos, pics, and/or album covers BELOW to go to each of their official sites.

Better late than never.  I don’t think I’ve forgotten anyone, but if I have, you know who you are and an equally boisterous SHOUT OUT and gigantic THANK YOU to you as well!  ‘Nuff said.

Music Video: JADA “This Party’s On Fire”

Check out Boston-based pop/R&B girl group, JADA’s, latest video, “This Party’s On Fire.”  It’s produced by Rio and directed by Vassili Shields. They have a history with THE REAL popolio as they’ve been featured on more than one occasion. 

They made MY TOP 30:   Year 3 Posts of ALL-TIME! with the Extras Call Out I posted for this very video at Number 9 tied with Dallas/Garland hip pop/R&B artist, B-May’s pop quiz interview.

They’re also the only act to give us a video B-Day SHOUT OUT for our September 15, 2011 3rd Year Anniversary.  See it here!

Music Video: Kat DeLuna “Drop It Low”

Music Video: Enrique Iglesias with Usher featuring Lil Wayne “Dirty Dancer”

MY TOP 30: Year 3 Posts of ALL-TIME! 10. GOBI 5Q

MY TOP 30: Year 3 Posts of ALL-TIME!

10. GOBI 5Q
Austin-based, orginally-from-El-Paso band, GOBI, has now trumped the Royalty’s entry on this countdown with this now fourth and highest entry from my special Neon Desert El Paso Week coverage.  The summary post for all the Neon Desert content took the  Number 17 spot,  BB Gun Johnny’s pop quiz tied at Number 28 with Feedback’s LOTTO Interview, and the aforementioned the Royalty’s 5Q bowed at Number 14.

Neon Desert coverage is ranking higher than SXSW content overall.  Not that there should be an El Paso vs. Austin rivalry, it’s just interesting to point out.  That said, the whole point of the Neon Desert Music Festival was to connect the musical notes between the two cities with the festival founders hailing from the Sun City and habitating in the Live Music Capital of the World.

See the original Tuesday, April 12, 2011 post here — 5Q for GOBI— Neon Desert Artist.  It includes their song, “Ain’t Gonna Die.” 

See all 7 Neon Desert interviews and more here.

MY TOP 30: Year 3 Posts of ALL-TIME! 13. Sariah 10Q

MY TOP 30: Year 3 Posts of ALL-TIME!

13. Sariah 10Q
The Year 3 Number 13 spot goes to Sariah.  Pretty impressive for an interview that just posted on Tuesday, August 23, 2011.  Maybe it helped that she has “sex” in the title of her song.  I jest, I jest.

With a couple of Billboard dance hits under her belt, I’m not surprised that this interview received enough hits to make the countdown.  Calling her the “Queen of Hearts,” she’s definitely carving out her own lane in the pop/dance arena.

See the original post here — 10Q for Sariah.  It includes the video for her latest single, “All About Sex.”

See all 17 Year 3 Questions for interviews here.

MY TOP 30: Year 3 Posts of ALL-TIME! 16. Stefani Vara 20Q Part 1

MY TOP 30: Year 3 Posts of ALL-TIME! 

Old School. 2009 Debut Release, Storybook Diaries.

16. Stefani Vara 20Q Part 1
The Year 3 Number 16 spot goes to Stefani Vara.  I just recently posted a new follow-up 5Q with her with a remix of her new single, “In the Middle of the Night.”  This particular interview is actually a re-post of an article I wrote for Popular Hispanics.  In its original inception it was always a 20 question interview.  Whereas it originally appeared as one interview at PH, I split it up into two parts here.  Part 1 is what makes the countdown.  I did include a stream of the original version of her latest song when I reposted here, which did not appear in the original PH article.

I think Stefani Vara is gonna’ do some big things.  I’m not just saying that because she’s a sexy Latina.  Not to say she hasn’t already done some things, but I foresee bigger, brighter, and better in her future.  Hopefully, I didn’t just jinx her.  All kidding aside, I think there is a lane there for her; it already exists, but I think she’d be combining a few lanes into one with her Latin/pop/dance music.   It could be said that J. Lo did it before and Kat DeLuna is doing it now.  While J.Lo was more R&B/Urban and Kat brings in a more world music sound, I think Stefani will have a specific H-Town and overall Texas flavor with more live instrumentation.  I could be wrong, but those are my thoughts on the matter.  ‘Nuff said on that.

Now, I’m gonna’ let you in on a little secret, when I do interviews for other sites, I’m just adapting my Questions for feature format to their specifications.  It might have a different title and look a little different than what I post here, but it starts as so many questions for so-and-so artist.

Read the original Popular Hispanics interview here.  See the Part 1  Monday, April 4, 2011 re-post here — 20Q for Stefani Vara Part 1 — H-Town.  Here’s Part 2.  It includes the first single of her yet to be titled forthcoming sophomore release, “In the Middle of the Night.”

See all 17 Year 3 Questions for interviews here.

LOTTO Interview: Alison Clancy

Editor’s Note:  Zonisphere Media Group, home of the e-zine, Zubterrain, where my weekly music column, Urb’l (Urban Cool) Remedy, lived, continues to undergo a site overhaul, indefinitely.  So, my column is currently halted.  I finished out my June posts here at THE REAL popolio.

My articles normally went live on Tuesdays. I thought I was done for the meantime, but I have a few outstanding.  Since this was in flux and submitted by the artist, I think it deserves to see the light of day.  This is the last pending LOTTO Interview.  I would have posted this on Tuesday, but there’s been a lot going on in September and I’ve gotten a little behind.  See the other LOTTO Interview that was pending featuring the ATX’s SALVO here.

That said, I normally had a Cause of the Month interview that kicked things off the first week of each month.  Since, I’m not writing the column for the the whole month, I’m just going to choose what would be my COM and link it here.  I choose the Texas Council on Family Violence as the September 2011 Cause of the Month.  Click on the link to find out more about the organization and enjoy the interview.
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Cause of the Month:  Texas Council on Family Violence

Alison Clancy is a Brooklyn artist who fronts two bands.  HUFF THIS! and Electric Child.  She was actually the answer to on of the questions in a previous LOTTO Interview.

The question reads, “Play it Forward: Make a case for an up-and-coming indie artist or act that you’re really into and that you feel more people should be into. Who is it and why should we be into them, too?”  Fifth Nation played her forward.

The idea is simple. I have a list of questions that are a mixed bag of musical, fun, serious, and silly. Alison Clancy chose ten numbers from 1 through 50 without getting to see the questions.  The questions she answered for this interview are the questions that corresponded with the numbers that were chosen.  The list is currently holding steady at 100.

Alison Clancy started as a modern dancer and brings that sensibility to her musical expression.  Especially her videos.  Watch the official video for “Lovin You” by HUFF THIS!  Read Alison’s LOTTO Interview below.

UR:  Why did you get into music?
AC: Because it feeeeeeeeeeeeels GOOD!

UR:  Greatest movie of all-time?
AC:  I probably haven’t seen it.  Or it hasn’t been made, yet.

UR:  What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
AC:  Guilt is never pleasurable.

UR:  Tell me a secret.
AC:  Don’t have many.  I’m a pretty open book.  Maybe too open.  I was kind of in a cult for a while, but that’s not even a secret.  I like crazy people and freaks and sometimes I can follow their logic a little too long even when it doesn’t make any sense.  Or I let people into my life who maybe I shouldn’t trust so quickly.

UR:  What do you hate about the music industry?
AC:  In the music industry there is always the slight chance of a song, person, or band garnering money/fame and sometimes this makes people unnecessarily possessive/jealous/competitive.  For me, the point of playing music is expression/community/catharsis.  Having come from the dance world, where no one is ever expecting fame or glory, it’s all about process and the discipline of training.  This was a very foreign and frustrating dynamic for me at first, but now that I understand it I think I’m getting better at dealing with it.

UR:  If someone were to play you in a movie of your life, who would it be and why?
AC:  I would play me because I’m awesome at being me.

UR:  What would the soundtrack to the story of your life sound like?
AC:  Grass growing, airplanes crashing, lots of classical ballet music, sexy R&B, and Zach Hill bloodying himself on a drum set.

UR:  Does Ghost still make you cry like it does me?
AC:  Hmmm.  Haven’t seen it in ages.  Would probably depend on the context of my life at the moment.

UR:  You can get a song remixed in another genre, which of your songs would you remix and in what style?
AC:  I would get the HUFF THIS! Song, “My Love,” remixed as a dubstep dance anthem.  The cello/synth dance duo, Electric Pussy, might do this.  If so, it will be SICK!

UR:  Favorite part of your body?
AC:  Whatever part is being touched by my lover.

MY TOP 30: Year 3 Posts of ALL-TIME! 25. Kaydean pop quiz

MY TOP 30: Year 3 Posts of ALL-TIME!

Editor’s Note:  Kaydean is an artist signed to Zonisphere Recordings, part of Zonisphere Media Group, and I used to write a weekly music column, Urb’l (Urban Cool) Remedy, for Zubterrain, the e-zine of the the Zonisphere Media Group.

25. Kaydean pop quiz
I didn’t know too much about Kaydean when this posted and I still don’t.  I do know that he is a producer and has worked in the music industry as such for many, many years.  I also know he’s worked with both Janet and Robyn in the past.  That’s all I need to know.  Ha!

Seriously, though, as an artist, I think he’s exploring interesting territory and not doing what you would expect.  At the time of this pop quiz interview, he was promoting his just released concept double EP, Emerge/Submerge.  You can tell from the songs included with the pop quiz that his brand of ambient electro is richly layered and that, with this particular project, he was exploring the two sides of his musical spectrum and how they met in the middle.

His pop quiz interview, posted on Friday,  June 10, 2011, and takes the Year 3 Number 25 spot.  It was the first pop quiz of June 2011.  The second posted on Friday, June 24, 2011 and featured Elephant Sky.

See the original post here — Kaydean pop quiz interview.  It includes his songs, “Tranquility” and “Daywalker” and 3 Doors Down’s video for “Let Me Be Myself.”

See all 28 Year 3 pop quiz interviews here.

Courtesy of Google

5Q for Stefani Vara – H-Town

The first time I interviewed Stefani Vara, it was for Popular Hispanics.   I was excited because she had been signed to a major label, had scored fashion endorsement deals with known brands, and had even stood on red carpets with the likes of Chris Brown (prior to his incident) and other such folks.  It was an ambitious (if Ido say so, myself) 20 question interview.  You can see the original PH version here and the reposted 2-part REAL popolio version here and here. 

It was what I considered a no holds barred interview and I even asked her take on Chris Brown’s situation.  I wasn’t sure if Stefani would be game, but she pulled no punches, didn’t asked for any of the questions to be changed, and answered every single last question.  By that, I was truly impressed.

Since that interview was so exhaustive, I decided to keep things simple this time around.  Most exciting is the tentative Texas Mini-Tour that Vara will kick-off in her hometown of Houston at the end of October.  Additionally,  she will be sharing fashion, beauty, and lifestyle tips on a few websites very soon.  Find more about the tour, the tips, and more in this EXCLUSIVE 5Q interview.

Listen to the “Middle of the Night” Magnificent Remix, the first single from Stefani Vara’s forthcoming sophomore release.

Click the first pic to go to Stefani Vara’s Facebook Page and second, at the end of the interview, to get to her Twitter Account.

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1. I hear you’re still working on writing and producing material for your sophomore album.  How is that going? What direction is it going in lyrically and musically? It’s a creative process, but I’m loving every minute of it.  Right now I can tell you that I am writing the majority of the sophomore album, but will be collaborating with a few talented songwriters as well.   The album has taken somewhat of a different direction with more dance-infused songs with a Latin flair.

2. What’s the next single?  How is it different from your first single for this set, “Middle of the Night?” “Middle of the Night” has really taken off; it’s actually Number 19 in Turkey as we speak (THANK YOU TURKEY!!!!).  I just finished a few dance remixes of “Middle of the Night” and I’m doing my own Stefani Vara version of a ‘70s classic…People are gonna’ be truly surprised when they hear it.  LOL!

3. I also hear that your fashion, beauty, and lifestyle tips will be featured at various websites.  How did you become an “expert” in these areas?  Where and when can we find your tips? Yes, I am very excited about this opportunity.  I’m now a talent expert for a few websites including ehow.com and about.com. The segments will go live later this month.  Having the opportunity to attend some events and performing, I do get questions about fashion and hair, so when the opportunity of hosting personalized webisodes on fashion and organizing how-to’s came up, I jumped at the chance.

4. You have some Texas shows coming up later this month and into October.  Can you tell more about them?  What cities are you hitting?  Is Austin one of them? I’ll be doing some intimate concerts in Texas performing new music as well as a few covers by some of my musical influences.  Right now I’m looking into Houston, Dallas, and Austin…I need to show my home state some love.

5. What can Texans expect from your upcoming shows? The upcoming shows will have a more acoustic feel but also dance music with Latin flavor.  With these shows and sophomore album, I wanna’ show the audience that I am a versatile performer and not just a performer you can stick in a pre-determined category!