In the ever-evolving musical genre that is garage rock, Twin Berlin is beginning to make a name for themselves. After winning Guitar Center's "Your Next Record" competition, the Boston natives were invited to record with Blink-182's Travis Barker at Red Bull Studios in Los Angeles, CA. Shortly thereafter, the quartet released their most recent three-song EP, 'There Goes My Virtue.' Sharing similar riffs and vocal stylings to well-known acts like The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand, Twin Berlin has garnered a reputation for performing "rabid, powerful live shows" and creating "in-your-face rock 'n' roll."

Keep reading below for our interview with vocalist/guitarist Matt Lopez. He describes what it was like to work with Barker in the studio, details the origin of the band's name, and relates some of the crazy things that have happened to the group in their four-year history together.

When you were recording 'There Goes My Virtue,' you got news that you won Guitar Center's "Your Next Record" competition and you got an invite to record with Blink-182's Travis Barker. How far along were you into the album before Travis stepped in as a producer?

Before we knew that we were going to record with Travis, we had actually been in the middle of doing a full-length album, so we were almost done with it actually. We were mixing it and everything was recorded. When we found out he was going to record it, we didn't know which songs he was going to want to do, so we shelved our entire record and picked our favorite three and brought those to LA to record with Travis. Nothing really changed. If I showed people the mixes that we have, the only difference would be quality. He didn't really change any of our stuff, which was cool.

What was the recording process like with Travis?

He actually focused mostly on the drums, probably because he's a drummer. He would mostly give James some tips like doing a slightly different drum fill or things like that. As far as guitar and vocals and bass guitar, once the drums were done, we just went in there and recorded our part and that was it.

[laughs] He was pretty tough on James then.

He was there the whole time we were recording, so he was involved. He had ideas here and there that he would throw around, but it was nothing drastic.

Did that experience with Travis change the way you'll approach future albums?

Not really. When we recorded with Travis, we got to record in a really nice studio, so it was definitely a whole different ball game. We just finished recording a full-length record and we had no budget, so we recorded it ourselves in our friend's house in Vermont. It was completely low key. A lot of the things we did with Travis in the studio, we weren't really able to do on our own because we just didn't have the budget to do something like that.

What inspired you guys to create a high energy, in-your-face sound?

When I was in high school, I played in this other band and I started writing songs. Every time I wrote a song it — I don't know what was going on — it ended up being a slower song. We used to play shows with this other band in the area and they were just a really fast, energetic rock band. I just remember that every show we played with them I'd be like, "Aw man, that was fun. I wish I could write stuff like that!" That's the kind of stuff I listen to. I'm super into upbeat punk rock and stuff, and it took me a while to learn how to write songs that would have that same type of energy.

I get an Oasis and The Strokes-ish kind of vibe from listening to your songs. Going along with what you said in the last question about being excited about the high-tempo songs, is that something you consciously went for or did it just kind of happen when you guys got together?

I don't think it was a conscious thing. I knew that when we started Twin Berlin I had the chance to do what I wanted to do and I wanted to play in a fast, upbeat, fun band. I didn't want to be up there playing ballads every night. So that was definitely conscious, but I don't think we set out to play only fast, in-your-face songs. And The Strokes and Oasis comparison: that's pretty cool. I'm a huge Strokes fan even though I'm not that big into their latest record, and I used to listen to Oasis when I was younger, so that's cool.

I was looking at your site and I noticed your 'Ich bin eine Twin Berliner' t-shirts. Is there any correlation between these shirts and what inspired the band's name?

No, actually. That came after. I just thought that was funny and we could throw that in there for the shirts. The name was actually inspired by a Lou Reed song. I have this album called 'American Poet' and it's a live Lou Reed album. It's really good. He did a live version of his song "Berlin" on there and it was pretty much the inspiration.

It's catchy. I kind of want a shirt now.

We got shirts, man! [laughs]

When Mikey Welsh stepped in to work on your EP's cover art, did he give you guys something you feel your fans can relate to more than your previous albums' artwork?

I definitely feel like it compared to previous stuff. We've always done our own cover art, but none of us are really artists. I think I saw some skateboard decks that he painted that looked really cool, but I didn't know who painted them at the time. When I looked it up, I saw it was from Mikey Welsh from Weezer and I was really into a lot of his work, so I just sent him an email and he said he'd be happy to do it. I don't think that there's anything too personal in that painting that really relates to me, but it looks cool and all of those colors definitely give off some of the energy you would hear when you put the record on. So hopefully that translates over.

Back in 2009, MTV nominated you guys as Best Breakout Boston band. Since this was early on in your history together, did it give you a real confidence boost to keep doing what you were doing?

Actually, not really. When things like that happen, I'm going to do what I'm going to do either way, whether we see some sort of success or realize that people like us or they don't. That was actually pretty stressful because I remember when we played the live set we didn't really get a soundcheck. Something got messed up and we went out there and there were a lot of people. There were around a thousand people, and for us that was a big deal. I remember they couldn't figure how to turn my microphone on and there was something wrong with the guitar player's guitar unit. I just remember the guy that was spotting the sound said, "You have 15 seconds to start playing or get off my stage." I was like, "Holy crap." Once it was all said and done, it was good, but that was very stressful and it was our first taste of what people in the industry can kind of be like.

I can only imagine it must've been a lot of pressure at first.

With those sort of jobs, I would feel like that too. You know what I mean? You're trying to freakin' put this entire concert together and run the stage sound for the entire event. That'd be stressful.

Did you guys end up fixing it or did it just fall together at the right time?

It sounded like we were playing through a boombox that had two blown out speakers. We only played three songs, so they fixed it for the last two.

Back in January, you made your national TV debut on NBC's Deception. How'd you like acting?

It was fun, but it's not something I seek out to do. It was cool. The thing that was weird was parts of it that they were filming we played live — they used the recording, though, for the show — but there was a talking scene while we were supposedly playing. What they would do is they gave us earpieces so only we could hear ourselves and everyone that was dancing in front of us couldn't hear what we were playing at all. Then what would happen is they would put us through the speakers, when all of a sudden everything would cut out in the earpieces for when we were supposed to be miming along. The problem was me and our guitar player, Tim, didn't have working earpieces. So when the music cut out, we had nothing to go by. We were just trying to mime along at the same time as our drummer, James, so we don't look stupid. It was definitely a cool experience, though. They gave us a free meal, we got to hang out with all of these cool people, and it was definitely cool to be around that kind of environment.

You guys deserve an award for making it through all of these technical crises!

Yeah, we've had a lot of technical crises. We played at this one outdoor festival called EarthFest and we opened for all of these '90s bands like Third Eye Blind and bands like that. We did a soundcheck and when it was time for us to go on, we opened the show and out of the six songs we played, they couldn't figure out how to turn my microphone on until halfway through the last song. Nobody could hear anything I was saying the entire time. There were about ten thousand people there and we were like, "Oh, this is sweet! If we sound good and people like us, we'll pretty much sell some CDs." But, of course, if you can't hear the singer singing, it's a whole different perception of the band.

That makes studio production a piece of cake then.

Yeah, yeah.

So, earlier this year, you played at the Outlaw Road Show at SXSW in Austin, TX. Was your experience in Austin very different from playing a show in Boston?

It was about the same. Well, I guess the vibe was a little different because we weren't from anywhere near there, but it was cool. We made friends with a lot of people after the show and it's not that different from playing anywhere else. It was cool. It was definitely fun to be a part of that.

I was just wondering because I'm from Texas.

Oh, are you?

Yeah, I was just really curious if there was a big difference from playing in the northeast.

The playing wasn't much different, but the travel was definitely an experience that was really cool. Driving from Connecticut to Texas, you're definitely going to see cities that are completely different. Austin had a completely different vibe than Boston or New York City or Nashville or anywhere else. In a good way. [laughs]

What's the craziest thing that someone's done at one of your shows?

There's been a lot of crazy stuff that's happened. When we played in Texas we all stripped down to our boxers halfway through the set. I guess that was kind of weird. Right before we went on that same show, our bass player, Sean, spilled beer all over my pants and it looked like I pissed myself. So we did the whole Billy Madison thing and went in the bathroom and he poured water all over his pants and it looked like he pissed himself too. Then we went up on stage and found out our guitar covered both of our crotches so it was pointless anyway.

That's some brotherly love right there.

Yep.

I saw that you guys covered Kings of Leon's "California Waiting." Are there any other songs you guys want to cover in the near future?

We do a couple of other ones. We do "Skulls" by The Misfits. I really like that one a lot. I was actually just listening to something earlier this week that I thought would be really cool to cover. "Fix Me" by Black Flag. I always thought that would be a cool song to cover.

I'd love to hear that.

[laughs] I don't think I can sing like Keith Morris, but hey.

Give it your best shot.

Yeah, exactly.

Last question: what's one thing Twin Berlin fans can look forward to from you guys this year?

We have a new record coming out. There's no set release date. It's going to be our first full-length album. We've recorded our full-length album probably three different times and for various reasons didn't release it. So this one we're going to release no matter what.

Any possible hints as to when it's coming out?

I don't know. I mean, we want to do it right, but we also want to get it out as quickly as possible. Personally, I'm just really anxious to get it out. There's a lot of songs on there I really like and I want to hear the finished product. We're not on a label or anything so we could release it at any time once we have the final master track. I would definitely like to see it in the summer. I think that'd be perfect.

Pick up Twin Berlin's latest EP, There Goes My Virtue.

For the band's upcoming tour dates, check out their official site.

Dave Valdez's musical roots all started with him playing his grandmother's acoustic guitar in the suburbs of Chicago. After years of touring in pop/rock bands, he eventually decided to focus on writing his own material. Aiming to reflect a part of himself in his songs, Valdez's goal was to "write a record that shows true meaning behind the words and expression it creates." Valaska's recent release, 'Natural Habitat,' had him working closely with Aaron Marsh of Copeland at The Vanguard Room in Lakeland, FL. At the same time, keeping the essence of his beginnings in mind, he incorporated a lot of home recordings into the album. This blend of both organic and polished elements is Valdez's attempt at changing his style into a more raw and real sound.

Below, Valdez breaks down his new LP, discussing the meaning behind each track.

"On the Surface"

"On the Surface" is about only scratching the surface of thought, feelings, actions, etc. We only do enough to get by with everything but life would be so much more different if we just took a moment to dig deeper.

"Spanish Needles"

Death is in the cards for all of us, so why do we secretly believe that none of us will die. Plus, it's also about Yashesh murdering his dad.

"Hammer & the Nails"

It's all about being a songwriter and how it can change your scope on life. Battling the lines of asking if your misery makes your art or does your art make you miserable?

"Golden Age"

This is a song about wanting to be somewhere different, a different time period. I wrote the song after I saw Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris.

"War & Peace"

This is about a deteriorating relationship, but even through the downfall you still want to hold onto something that was positive and flourishing at one point in time, but you can't grasp that it no longer is.

"Wildfire"

"Wildfire" is about the beginning of a relationship and how promising it can be, but also how each step is like walking on eggshells. You never really know what the wrong move could be.

"In Voids"

This song was written from a mind to the heart. Many times our heart and instincts get us into situations that usually the brain has to bail us out of, but still many of us always listen to our intuition.

"Natural Habitat"

A song that conveys what the whole record is saying together: being at home, alone with your thoughts, alone with your reflections, and every emotion that comes along with that.

"Bijou"

This is somewhere you've never traveled gladly beyond. Someone you want to be with but never really see it happening.

Pick up Valaska's new album, Natural Habitat.

For more information and tour dates, check out Valaska's Facebook page.

Arizona rockers RadioDriveBy have released a lyric video for their new single "Tied Up." The quintet has shared the stage with a slew of artists since forming in 2010, including Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Forever the Sickest Kids, Every Avenue, Anarbor, and This Century. You can download "Tied Up" as part of a sampler available on the band's official website.

The group gave us a little inside information on the song. Here's what they had to say: "'Tied Up' is the first track from our latest sampler entitled 'MMXIII' (or 2013). Out of the three songs, 'Tied Up' brings in a strong rock sound with loud guitars and a big chorus. This is one of our favorite new tracks to play live, and we hope all our fans enjoy it! We co-wrote the song back in 2012 with our friends in the band Anarbor, and it was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Will McCoy."

Photo: Ryan Fanizza

Whether it be metal, alternative, punk, or progressive, anybody who has been listening recently to the befuddling brilliance that is rock music has probably noticed that there is war being waged on the genre's original organic ways. And as the battle grows drearier in the studio, an entire generation finds themselves protesting against yet another potentially exalted riff-driven rock 'n' roll track splattered across the ground and stomped on by the lingering synthetic beats everybody heard time and time again in the '80s. Fortunately for the musical rebels who want Led Zeppelin with a new twist, there are bands like The Technicolors still around willing to fight for it. Simply, this Arizona-based four-piece is musical evolution done correctly by bringing together eccentric, often free-style guitar hooks reminiscent of the late '60s-early '70s with canorous rhythms and vocals more closely connected with today's alternative music scene. The Technicolors have a sound that could easily amp up an arena but whose acoustic roots can also draw in even the harshest of hipsters. Most importantly, they believe in music that is fun, loud, and 100% organic.

Vocalist/guitarist Brennan Smiley helps us understand the importance of the acoustic guitar, the band's beginnings, and the beauty of developing songs on the road. Check it out below.

The most intriguing thing that I gathered about you was that you produced 'Listener' yourself. How was it to produce your own album? Do you feel like anything was lost by being your own producer?

For this album, we all preferred it; especially me. When you have another producer you're working with, you have an outside opinion, but this being our first record, it kind of made sense to produce it in a totally homegrown way. It felt right, even if we were missing out on what somebody else had to offer.

When you were producing 'Listener,' what was the most important thing about your sound that you wanted to pinpoint and bring to life? What did you want to create that you felt a producer couldn't?

Just a big sound. Not to sound cliché, but we wanted it to be a very music-driven record. We didn't want to overthink anything, but we still wanted to pursue an excellent record. That was the balance we were trying to find the whole time — not overthinking things, but doing everything to the best of our ability. We wanted a big, fun sound that wasn't afraid to be dramatic at points.

So you wanted your sound to be very organic?

Yeah.

I read that you wanted to become a session musician. What prompted you to develop your own band as opposed to becoming a session musician?

My dad is a producer and we all used to live in Nashville. We moved to Arizona when I was a little kid. I grew up as a kid playing the guitar and I would start playing on the records that he was producing. Through that, I kind of fell in love with that special world and I enjoyed playing guitar on other peoples' songs. Towards the end of high school, my dad challenged me to start writing songs and challenged me to make an EP. I ended up writing 12 songs. I didn't know how much I would fall in love with songwriting and that was even before the performing came along. I just had no idea what was in store for me as far as how in love recording and performing my own original songs would be for me.

Since you became so used to your own original sound, how was it going into the studio to record 'Listener' with new members? How did that shape the album?

The good thing is that we had other songs that we had played for a couple of years as a band and we had toured pretty extensively. That was what really defined the type of music we wanted to make. Once we got off the road, we had a pretty clear idea of what kind of band we wanted to be and what kind of sound we wanted to make.

So putting together 'Listener' was more of a collaborative effort?

Yes, 'Listener' was a very proper band effort. It was a really good time.

The album sounds very '60s-'70s inspired. Did you or any other band members take any inspiration from any modern bands or did you want to focus the album completely on the roots of rock 'n' roll?

Our favorite bands are a lot of older bands, but those aren't the bands I'm necessarily listening to all of the time. But they're the bands I grew up listening to like Zeppelin and The Beatles. But I am a huge fan of The Cardigans, and we really did want to wear our inspirations on our sleeves. So, we put a little Oasis in there, we're big Strokes fans, early Killers stuff...

"Hollywood," specifically, is very Zeppelin. When you were writing that song, did you intend for it to be so free-form or was it one of those songs that just developed as it went along?

That was probably the first song on that record that we wrote and it was a song I started playing with our guitar player, Mikey, before we were even The Technicolors. We were just under my name and we wrote it because we had an acoustic show at the Whisky [a Go Go] in Hollywood and we needed another song to play and we just wrote it and it was very spur of the moment. As far as the arrangement, we started playing that song as a band and we've been playing that song for about two and half years and it just evolved so much. The arrangement of that song was completely defined by being on the road and playing for an extensive amount of time.

When you're writing, how does the writing process differ from creating the riffs in "Sweet Time," "Divide," and "Hollywood" to writing the more subdued tracks on the album like "Noah" and "Listener"?

A lot of the songs are written right on the acoustic guitar. I was always a huge fan of all of the acoustic stuff that Zeppelin did. That's the type of stuff that got me into guitar. I always felt like that stuff was a little underrated. That is the part that resonates with me and has shaped me and has let me sit down and write darker or softer songs. And it's all a combination of the Neil Young type of stuff meets the more artistic and creative...a little more 'out there' acoustic music from Zeppelin.

Are you saying Neil Young isn't out there?

You know what I mean — from a musical standpoint. I mean, Zeppelin...every time I listen to a Zeppelin song it sounds like an orchestral arrangement with a rock 'n' roll band.

On the album, why did you make the decision to cover "Wicked Game"?

That was also for the live gigs. That was a song I heard growing up and I didn't pay attention to it because I was young. But it always resonated with me. It meant something to me. The first time we played it, we didn't even talk about it — it was a last minute decision. We needed another song to play. I just pulled it out and it was a free-form jam and it was a fun song. We do it differently live than on the album. But it almost became a part of our live identity.

Do you experiment with a lot of covers live?

We mess around. I'm not a fan of going too crazy with them. But we have a few songs that we can pull out if we need to, just for fun. We're always conjuring up different ideas of what we can cover.

When you're performing live, which aspect of performing do you find most important to you and to the fans?

I think the aspect of the way our songs translate and how it's different from the album, but, at the same time, it still means the same thing. Our songs — [due to] the way that we recorded 'Listener' — we didn't have too much time to play the songs out. They were recorded right after they were written. Now, when we take the songs out on the road, they become much more of what they need to be. We're always finding new ways to change the song, but in a way that makes the song more honest and truer to its nature. People really connect with that, especially when they start going to more shows. They know they'll be getting something different.

How was it performing at SXSW this year?

We were sick the entire time. So, that was a drag. But it was a good time other than that. I feel like it's getting less and less about music, which is sad. It's becoming more and more difficult for bands because everything is about being within the time frame and you have to adjust to it and really strip down what you're doing so you're able to get in and out of the set as soon as possible.

Have you guys done any other festivals in the US?

No, we have not.

Would you like to play Lollapalooza or Coachella or something like that?

Yeah we're ready to do whatever is available to do.

Do you like the way your sound works in smaller venues or would you prefer trying out the larger venues?

We're a very loud band, so we like bigger venues. We have a fair share of small venues that are awesome. We've had really good experiences at some very small venues. There's a popular trend over the past two years at least — something I noticed when starting The Technicolors — everybody was trying to be smaller and be more segregated. We're really big fans of people coming together and enjoying the music. Even if you're a music snob or the person who just enjoys a good song — that's something we really envisioned for us. We want a broad fanbase. Music is meant to bring people together. We like those larger venues where you have a more unique crowd. And sonically, as I said, we're loud. We like big songs and big choruses.

As far as touring and as far as recording, what is the plan that you guys have in the future? Where would you like to be a year or two from now?

I honestly don't know. I'm constantly writing songs. I'm always going to be the one who is ready to record another album, even right after an album comes out. We're going to be doing a West Coast run in May and then we're doing an East Coast run in June. As far as the future goes, right now, we want to be on the road as much as possible. We want to be in front of new faces as much as we can be. We feel we have something to offer that a lot of people don't have.

This is my last question and I only have it because you had mentioned it in a quote and I've heard this from so many rock bands — why is it that so many rock bands do not want to take themselves seriously?

It's funny because it seems like people say that and then you listen to them and that totally contradicts the sound of their music. People might say that about us too. What that comes from is that this is our first record. We didn't want to have unrealistic expectations of the mentality of what this record should be. We wanted to be honest of where we were at and we didn't want to make a record that sounds like we're U2 or some crazy arena band. But we still have those aspirations. Don't get me wrong, we put a lot of thought into everything we did, but there's a line where you can over think.

So, like, third album, you'll start taking yourself seriously?

Well, I guess we take ourselves seriously — not too seriously — but there's a difference between taking yourself seriously and not overthinking things.

No, I get it. Just don't be Noel Gallagher.

Yep!

Pick up The Technicolors' latest album, Listener.

For the band's upcoming tour dates, check out their official website.

** UPDATE: This contest is now over. The winner has been notified. Thanks for participating!

What do Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Led Zeppelin, Oasis, and Wolfmother have in common? Still thinking? Let us help you out: they are all perfectly blended together in The Technicolors' new album, 'Listener.' This Arizona-based quartet has a reputation for being loud (in a good way, of course) and having a flair for the dramatic while on the road touring the nation throughout most of the past two years.

So now it's that time again! Time for your ears to rock out to a free copy of the The Technicolors' debut album. One more thing... it's a deluxe vinyl copy including acoustic versions of "Sweet Time," "Listener," and "Again." In terms of the other songs on the album, the stripped-down tracks show a new and evolved sound for the group. Send your full name and address to contests@rockedition.com and get the chance to listen to vinyl cuts that — as singer/guitarist Brennan Smiley says — "sound a lot closer to the way they do in a live setting." Just be sure to crank the volume up.

This contest ends April 19, 2013 and the winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. One entry per household and open to US residents only. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Your information is private and it'll stay that way; it will never be sold or used for commercial purposes.

Not a fan of vinyl? You're insane! Don't worry, you can still pick up 'Listener' in other formats. Head here for more info.

Tour Dates:

05/08 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar
05/09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Satellite
05/10 - San Francisco, CA - Above DNA
05/11 - Sacramento, CA - The Boardwalk
05/13 - Vancouver, BC - The Media Club
05/14 - Seattle, WA - High Dive
05/15 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir
05/16 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
05/17 - Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room
05/18 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
05/23 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom

Not many bands have stormed out of the gate quite like Adelaine. Their debut EP, 'Take Heart,' which was released in 2011, rocketed high onto the Billboard charts, making a solid (and longstanding) impact. This immediate success is only the beginning for the Texas natives who describe themselves as having a "brilliant mix of beautiful vocals, complicated guitar riffs, and harmonies that most bands would never attempt." We'll see what comes next in late April when the quintet release their new full-length album, 'Currents.' In the meantime, check out their latest single, "Bad Blood," and continue reading below to find out what inspired their name.

Who came up with the band name?

The band name originated from our drummer, Zach. We knew we wanted a short, one-word band name. And, to be completely honest, we had a list of random names and Adelaine really stood out for some reason. At the time, it had no meaning or significance whatsoever.

Was there a selection process?

At the time, there were only three of us in the band and decisions were much easier. The only real process was asking the question "Hey, do you like this?" and the answer was usually "Sure, whatever." [chuckles] We handle things with much more care now since this has grown into something that means a great deal to us.

Is there a particular meaning behind the name?

As previously stated, the name (at the time) didn't really hold much meaning. But, as we did our research, we came to find out that the name means "noble one" in German, which we thought was really awesome on account that this band means so much more than just playing music. We feel that we stand behind a cause to bring hope and a positive outlook on life.

What's the best name that you considered but rejected?

There wasn't really a rejection process. Once Adelaine was written down, we knew that was it.

What's the worst name that you considered using?

Adelaine was the only name that was really considered and fortunately it stuck. In high school, three of us guys were in a band called Cherri Vegas and, needless to say, that's been the worst name that's ever been connected to us. [laughs]

Any regrets about the name you chose?

We love our band name. The only issue we've ever come across is mispronunciation. It seems like every other person we meet says the name completely wrong. It's as if they're adding their own letters and making up a word that's not even remotely close.

Pick up Adelaine's new single, Bad Blood.

For the band's upcoming tour dates, check out their Facebook page.

PR powerhouse Black Lodge Publicity helms from Pennsylvania where co-founders Jeff Royer and Jeff Breil work with some of the most notable names in metal. Armed with a decade of experience, the duo mold, evolve, and expand their clients' presence within the overcrowded world of rock/metal through uniquely tailored marketing campaigns. With acts such as August Burns Red and Underoath on their roster, the PR firm has quickly established a solid reputation, even going as far as securing the attention of one of metal's most efficacious record labels. Jeff Royer graciously takes the hot seat and answers our questions about artist promotion, image, technological advances, and the future of Black Lodge. Keep reading to learn more about what really goes into music marketing and public relations.

How did Black Lodge PR form? And how do you and Jeff Breil work together as a team?

We had both been involved in music for years when we started Black Lodge, both as musicians in separate bands (and eventually the same band) and as music industry "insiders," for lack of a better term. We both had experience in music journalism. I had worked for years as a music editor, so I saw the equation from that side. Jeff B. had worked on the other side at an independent label. Basically, he spent his days pitching people on bands, and I spent my days getting pitched by annoying people like him. Between the two of us, we knew the full experience, and we saw what worked and, as importantly, what didn't.

As far as how we work together, to really oversimplify, I do album press and he does tour press and client relations. But doing PR is a messy, hectic business and of course nothing fits into boxes like that.

What should bands be doing to promote themselves?

Tour, tour, tour. It's the most important thing a band can do, and it's the one thing you can't pay someone else to do for you. We think of touring as the other half of the attack (alongside publicity) in rolling out a new album. Generally speaking, if you're releasing an album and don't plan to be touring heavily behind it, you shouldn't be surprised if people treat it like a vanity project.

When is it time for a band to find a publicist?

Personally, I don't think it's a good investment until you're ready to launch your first full-length. Until you've got a product to get in the hands of the media, you're better off focusing all of your resources on touring, songwriting, and recording. Once you've got an album ready to roll, then it's time to gas up that car and go.

How has the Internet changed publicity?

It's certainly increased the bulk of bands (and publicists) competing for attention. But overall, the game is the same. The bands with something to offer will get written about, as long as they're effectively getting the word out. They're just rising to the top of a much larger pool.

We do talk sometimes about the death of print journalism, and what that means. It really forces you to redefine what a successful publicity campaign looks like. A few years ago, success for one of our bands might have meant scoring 10 print features and a tidal wave of online press. Now there are barely even 10 print magazines left that are viable options for the kind of bands we're pitching. So now you need to find a new high bar. What kind of online coverage can you score that is going to separate your band from everything else out there?

How involved do you get with radio? Do you feel like it's still a good source for promotion?

We don't really touch radio. If a client's hired someone to shop singles to radio, we'll certainly work with them, but it's not really what we do.

What goes into constructing an image/background story for your artists?

This is something we put a lot of stock into. The first step of any campaign is defining/refining/enhancing a band's story. You've really got to get it right, because it's often all the ammo you've got in your first round of pitches — especially when you're trying to talk someone who's never heard of a band into taking the time to check them out. Then the music takes over. Until then, as a publicist, you hone that message and you throw it in people's faces every chance you get.

What do you find to be the most important service that Black Lodge offers clients?

Free beer when you're in town. Honestly, I think the most important aspect of what we do is tailoring each campaign to the band from the ground up. Every campaign we do looks different from the others. No cookie-cutter stuff. We start with a goal — whether it's convincing journalists that a baby band is the real deal, or maybe emphasizing a band's "return to form" after a particularly experimental album — and then every other part of the campaign drives towards that goal.

What is the most challenging aspect of publicity?

Snark. Rejection. Being ignored. It's all challenging. The hardest thing for me personally is lazy journalism. It makes me crazy seeing a really good band get destroyed by someone who had obviously formed their opinion of the album before they'd ever heard it. Especially when we send out a metal band that happens to be Christian, and that's all the reviewer can talk about. So lazy and myopic. But you smile and thank them for the review all the same. Ultimately, not taking bad reviews personally is a big challenge.

How do Black Lodge's services differ when dealing with up-and-coming artists compared to established artists?

They're cheaper. I mean, that's really it. With baby bands, we'll certainly streamline the operation to keep costs down. Otherwise, the investment of time and effort is all the same. In some ways, launching an unknown band is as exciting as working some of our biggest bands, so there's always that fire. That's how we got started after all.

How do you keep your work individual to that particular client?

The artist's story, and where the band is at exactly that point in their career, is the launching point for the entire campaign. You pick your talking points, you frame them well in your pitches and press releases, and you use that to kickstart all coverage. You use the band members' interest and hobbies to score left-of-center features, personality-based features to up the band's profile. Everything is tailored.

Is there really no such thing as bad publicity?

Ehhhh. Yeah, kind of, in the sense of artist awareness. Anything that gets people talking about your band is theoretically good. But we've worked with bands where I definitely would have chosen no publicity over some of the bad publicity. Especially in metal, where authenticity is such a big deal. If news hits, for example, that seemingly undermines credibility a band has worked years to build, it can really sting, no matter how many headlines it generates. We're very serious about becoming part of a band's team, the infrastructure, so when they get kicked, we get kicked too.

How would you like Black Lodge to evolve? What do you see in store for the future?

Right now we're really entrenched with Solid State Records at a really exciting time. They're signing a lot of really good bands with the potential to shape the genre, so we're psyched to see what we can build with this new crop of bands. Beyond that, we want to continue to see how we can grow Black Lodge without compromising what we do. Right now, there are just two of us grinding it out, so if we start cranking out 40 albums a year, something's going to suffer. We got to where we are by focusing really intensely on each band. I'm convinced that's the difference and is what helped us snag bands from other firms and eventually win the entire Solid State roster. We've thrived as a boutique PR firm so far, so if success means purposefully limiting our clientele and becoming specialists in our genre, I'm happy with that.

This indie duo from Mississippi may have finally saved every exhausted and bitterly ill-tempered Star Wars fan from witnessing once again the legendary term "Young Padawan" fall carelessly and casually from the lips of those unable to identify a single star system. Granted, the name Young Buffalo summons up more the ethereal vision of fallen Indian races than The Force, but there's still nothing wrong with encouraging your buddies with the ancient Native American symbol for survival, peace, and abundance. Ben Yarbrough and Jim Barrett's latest self-titled EP explores the refined yet celestial intonations of Grizzly Bear with the wit and excitement of Thunderclap Newman and Vampire Weekend; creating a sound as transcendental and sanguine as the prided animal within their name. Though, with all this talk of heavenly symbols and chords, it is important to note that nothing is more esoteric than what the duo originally intended for their alias. Young Buffalo's Jim Barrett explains the band's initial ideas below.

Who came up with the band name?

It was a nickname I used to have for Ben; just stumbled across it really. I used to text him about practicing and called him Young Buffalo.

Was there a selection process?

Not really. We had to come up with a name for our first show, and thankfully we didn't end up going through a whole bunch of different options. It felt quite a natural fit.

What's the best name that you considered but rejected?

Zsa Zsa.

What's the worst name that you considered using?

Zsa Zsa.

Any regrets about the name you chose?

None at all! Why, should we?

Pick up Young Buffalo's latest EP, Young Buffalo.

For the band's upcoming tour dates, check out their Facebook page.

Around this time last year, Tallahassee's own Go Radio was preparing to set out on a headlining tour and had just wrapped up recording their then-untitled sophomore album. Now, the band has released 'Close the Distance' and headlined not one but two tours on top of providing support on two others. And up next, the group has a summer-long stint on Warped Tour ahead of them. Basically, the quartet has been busier than ever since we last spoke, which we didn't even realize was possible. However, that didn't stop Jason Lancaster and Alex Reed from reuniting with us before the final show on the Wake Up and Be Awesome Tour. While backstage, the boys performed an unplugged renedition of "I Won't Lie" and spoke with us about how the past year has treated them, their return to Warped Tour, Batman, and much more.

Pick up Go Radio's latest album, Close the Distance.

For the band's upcoming tour dates, check out their official site.

From upbeat, tongue-in-cheek tunes to lovelorn songs about girls, Arizona band The Summer Set seemed to already have all the bases covered to be considered a good pop rock act. One problem: they don't want to just be good. They want to be great. No, they want to be legendary. And if their upcoming release (entitled after that very characteristic) is any indication, they're going to get it. In fact, they may very well surpass it. 'Legendary' is not only the band's favorite record thus far, but their best effort to date. It's the definition of pop rock, and even more accurately, the very definition of The Summer Set. Pair the uplifting lyrics about living life to the fullest and being the best you can be with the band's Half Moon Kids campaign, which will help fans achieve their dreams and meet new friends, and the quintet has proven that there is so much more to them than the world has seen. Finishing up their Wake Up and Be Awesome Tour in Dallas with a sold out House of Blues crowd, the band found a few minutes to perform a stripped-down version of their current single "Boomerang" and chat with us about the best moments of the tour, the new record, and give a shout-out to the fan who inspired it all.

Pick up The Summer Set's new album, Legendary.

For the band's upcoming tour dates, check out their Facebook page.