Beta State

Artist Information

Biography

***Beta State has been getting consistent radio play on San Francisco's Live 105 and has been featured on their website several times for Live 105 sponsored shows.

***Beta State got a write up on Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park's blog. Read the write-up here: http://mikeshinoda.com/2011/06/06/how-to-get-attention-the-right-way/

***Beta State's video for "I'm Still Alive" was played on FUSE TV On Demand for the entire month of December 2010! Beta State was also featured on their website for that month as well. They have worked with production company Element 151 on two more music videos for "I Will Remember You" and "Stars".

***Beta State was featured on E! Networks "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" on the episode where Kris Humphries proposes to Kim Kardashian.

***Beta State was featured on MTV's "Road Rules Challenge: Rivals"

***Beta State did an 11-week nation wide college radio campaign. They charted CMJ #12 most added album for all of college radio the week of 12/7/10.

***Beta State worked with producer Erik Ron (Panic at the Disco, D.R.U.G.S., The Academy Is..., Saosin) on their follow up to their debut album "Stars" titled #FRIENDSHIP. It was released in December of 2011

Bands we have supported:
Green Day
Mumford and Sons
Florence + The Machine
Bush
Young The Giant
Linkin Park
The Strokes
Neon Trees
Airborne Toxic Event
Cage The Elephant
Bad Religion
Foster The People
Manchester Orchestra
Awolnation
Innerpartysystem
The Limousines
Dredg

BIO
Long story short:

Ex-members of Strata parted ways to form new projects. Singer Eric Victorino formed The Limousines (Danger Bird Records) and guitarist Ryan Hernandez and drummer Adrian Robison ventured off to form Beta State with friend and bassist Justin Kastner.

Beta State spent about a year auditioning vocalists until they found the very talented Matt McDonald. Once their lineup was complete, they finished writing and recording their debut album "Stars".

Some have called our style of music "Spaghetti Rock", due to the fast, frantic strumming of the guitar. When mixed with delay and reverb, that fast strumming of the guitar sounds like an ambient choir in the vain of "Explosions In The Sky". Basically, our guitar player is playing so fast to get that ambient string/choir sound that his hands look like spaghetti noodles.

The ambient influence of U2 and Coldplay is apparent on a first listen, as guitarist Ryan Hernandez sets the mood with lush delays and reverb, reminiscent of underground art-rock kings Dredg. Once the band kicks in, the rock sound comes full circle, bringing influences such as 30 Seconds To Mars, Angels and Airwaves, and Jimmy Eat World to the table. Matt McDonald’s vocals soar and lend a positive message of hope, love, and self discovery. McDonald's vocal power is apparent in every song, and the finished material has a sound all it's own, with heartfelt lyrics and explosive songwriting that resonate beyond genres and trends with people of all ages.

Instrumentation

Matt McDonald - Vocals
Ryan Hernandez - Guitar
Justin Kastner - Bass
Adrian Robison - Drums

Discography

#Friendship (December 2011):
1) Start A Clean Slate
2) Stronger Than Gravity
3) When I'm Too Weak To Know
4) Carry You
5) Into The Lights
6) Human

Bjork Cover (January 2012)
1) Unravel

Stars (September 2010):
1) I'm Still Alive (getting airplay by Live 105, San Francisco, CA)
2) A Place To Call My Own
3) If You Sleep Too Long
4) Right Here With You
5) You Don't Belong
6) Stars
7) In Between The Truth And The Trees
8) I Believe
9) Take Back Your Confidence
10) When You're Gone
11) I Will Remember You

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Last.fm
• YouTube

Audio

• When I'm Too Weak To Know
  Listen  
• Start A Clean Slate
  Listen  
• Stronger Than Gravity
  Listen  
• Carry You
  Listen  
• I'm Still Alive
  Listen  
• Stars
  Listen  
• I Will Remember You
  Listen  
• When You're Gone
  Listen  
• If You Sleep Too Long
  Listen  

Lyrics

• I'm Still Alive
• If You Sleep Too Long
• Stars
• When You're Gone
• I Will Remember You
• Start A Clean Slate
• Stronger Than Gravity
• When I'm Too Weak To Know
• Carry You

Video

I'm Still Alive

BETA STATE STARS - OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO.mp4

Photo Gallery

Press

• Chronique: Beta State - Stars [+ Show ]
  

  (Use Google Translator to translate to English) Strata a toujours eu une place particulière pour ...(Use Google Translator to translate to English)
  
  Strata a toujours eu une place particulière pour moi, car leur 2ème et dernier album, Presents the End Of The World reste un de mes albums cultes, avec un son bien personnel et une émotion à fleur de peau. Lors de l’annonce du split de la bande, ce fut la déception, car vue leur évolution, on avait de quoi être enthousiasmé à l’idée d’un nouvel opus. Puis, on se fait une raison, et puis, on découvre d’autres groupes. Et puis, complètement par hasard, on apprend que le guitariste et le batteur ont monté un nouveau projet, Beta State. On se prend à espérer d’un retour de Strata sous un nouveau nom,
  mais sans cette voix de Eric Victorino, on se dit qu’une part de l’identité va peut être s’envoler.
  
  Mais stop à toutes les spéculations, à nouveau groupe, nouvelle chance. D’autant plus que le 1er single est un tube emo-rock en puissance. Et la voix du nouveau chanteur Matt, même si un peu moins haut perchée, est tout aussi superbe, et les lignes de chant tout au long de ces 11 titres sont tout simplement de haute volée. Oui, donc, ce single ‘’I’m Still Alive’’, rempli de guitares cristallines, un refrain héroïque comme pas deux. Il est clair que l’influence Strata est belle est bien présente, et flotte dans l’air de tous les morceaux. Si on avait besoin d’une preuve de leur talent, elle est ici. Peut être plus directe que Strata, mais pas moins atmosphérique, et sincèrement, ça fout des frissons. Une sorte de Dredg qui aurait fait des piots avec the Graduate et dont Circa Survive serait le parrain. Ces types ont le sens de la mélodie et sont à l’aise dans leurs baskets, malgré la pression qu’ils ont due se mettre eux-mêmes sur les épaules.
  
  Les influences citées plus hauts sont majeures, c’est évident, mais Beta State les reprend à sa sauce, sans jamais sonner indigeste ou paraître comme un copier/coller d’autres groupes. Parfois presque pop-punk à la Jimmy Eat World sur ‘’A Place To Call My Own’’, parfois bouleversant et Copeland-ien sur ‘’When You’re Gone’’, mais surtout toujours accessible avec cette touche d’expérimentation. Et ça fait bien plaisir, car il y a un même un petit côté progressif, et même post hardcore sur certains titres. C’est là que Circa Survive nous vient à l’esprit, pas le son typique, mais une version poppy qui joue pourtant autant sur les atmosphères. C’est l’un des atouts majeurs du groupe. L’autre atout est de pouvoir créer son propre univers, et de nous emmener loin, haut, autre part. ‘’You Don’t Belong’’, ‘’In Between the Truth And The Trees’’ et ‘’Stars’’ (pas si loin d’un 30 Seconds To Mars qui aurait piqué un refrain à Saosin d’ailleurs) sont des chansons à la fois urgentes, fragiles et belles que l’on n’a pas fini de se passer en boucle. Ce travail sur les guitares est impressionnant et chaque partie a été peaufinée, pour obtenir le résultat, l’émotion juste et sincère.
  
  On sent une rage d’en découdre, une émotion de tous les instants. C’est accessible, mais c’est épique (le dernier titre ‘’I Will Remember You’’ est un pure chef d’œuvre, ces arrangements de cordes sont juste superbes), et c’est tout simplement d’une beauté incroyable. Cette année, beaucoup d’albums m’ont mis une claque, mais celui-ci est en plus une surprise, ce qui ne fait que renforcer de dépendance envers ce disque. Difficile de le lâcher, sans vouloir y revenir instantanément. C’est le signe des grands disques, non? En tout cas, ça l’est pour moi. A aucun moment, on a envie de passer un morceau, on savoure, et on en redemande. Stars est un putain de grand disque dont les Beta State peuvent être fiers. Stars est un de mes disques de l’année. Magnifique!
  
  9/10
  
  Guillaume.
  
  1. I’m Still Alive
  2. A Place To Call My Own
  3. If You Sleep Too Long
  4. Right Here With You
  5. You Don’t Belong
  6. Stars
  7. In Between The Truth And The Trees
  8. I Believe
  9. Take Back Your Confidence
  10. When You’re Gone
  11. I Will Remember You
  
  http://www.myspace.com/betastate
  
  Le groupe vous l’offre en téléchargement libre ici, donc aucune excuse pour passer à côté.
  à l'adresse 21:23

• Beta State “Stars” | Review 10.19.2010 [+ Show ]
  

  Comprised of two members from former ambient rockers Strata, along with a new bassist and a powerful...Comprised of two members from former ambient rockers Strata, along with a new bassist and a powerful new vocalist, Beta State’s self-released debut Stars continues their straightforward sound with renewed energy, and a revitalized sense of direction.
  Playing in the same sonic sandbox as contemporaries Terrible Things and Far, Beta State finds themselves somewhere in the middle. With Stars, we’re introduced to vocalist Matt McDonald’s soaring, positively emotive and incredibly listenable vocal gymnastics. From the beginning, this is McDonald’s show, as all of the instrumentation – from the reverb drenched, echoing guitar work of “A Place To Call My Own,” or the quietly introduced but energetic at the end tracks “If You Sleep Too Long,” and “Right Here With You” – is framed around his smoothly capable voice.
  Album opener “I’m Still Alive” builds from a quiet, ambient opening to an almost danceable first verse, to an absolutely bombastic chorus. Lead from beginning to end by guitarist Ryan Hernandez and bassist Justin Kastner, the track does well to introduce both the album, as well as the band at large. Hernandez’s noodling guitars wend their way through the track, with bassist Kastner given the task of carrying much of the second verse. As the album progresses, it’s impossible not to appreciate what’s been accomplished with the use of only a single guitar. From always appropriate, track enhancing single guitar lines, to album building, chorus magnifying chord progressions, there’s a lot to take in and absorb. At no point, though, is it ever overwhelming. The energetic Pop influence of “You Don’t Belong” finds the band practically tearing through the track with McDonald and a gang vocal chorus adding to the theatrics.
  Drummer Adrian Robison propels the album forward with precision, and on it’s title track adds a powerful layer of pulsing energy to an already close to overflowing song. Again, the use of gang vocals provides an interesting backdrop and allows the positivity found in much of McDonald’s lyrics to shine through. The following track, “In Between The Truth And The Trees,” is a perfect amalgamation of each of the disparate elements highlighted throughout the first half of the album, combining McDonald’s often stirring, always impressive vocals with Hernandez’s frenzied yet precise guitar work, Kastner’s able and track filling bass, and Robison’s swift, propulsive drumming.
  Lyrically, the album floats between sadness and regret, all while maintaining the ever present notion of forgiveness and perseverance. “I Believe” highlights all of these ideas, allowing that there are unavoidable tragedies in our lives, but that positivity and confidence can help you get through anything. The album as a whole is uplifting, and signifies the arrival of not only a powerful singing voice, but a positive, wholly invigorating and strengthening lyricist.
  Stars rarely lets up, only slowing down at the end, and only after the fast-paced “Take Back Your Confidence,” do we get a sense of the quietness Beta State is capable of. “When You’re Gone,” is a ballad in all the right ways, playing quietly with piano and atmosphere, then building up to a potent and moving ending. Stars final track, “I Will Remember You,” is a relatively slow track compared to what comes before it, but finds the band doing what they have proven they are beyond capable of doing – creating towering chorus’ on top of thundering drums and atmospheric guitars and glowing bass, all centered around McDonald’s clear, soaring vocals.
  After several listens, the positive and uplifting aspects of Beta State’s Stars becomes a welcome respite from the almost constant negativity of the legions of songwriter’s enthralled by their own self-doubt. McDonald and company have crafted a genuinely moving, energetic, and optimistic album full of shining, inspired guitar work and straightforward, yet poignant lyricism. Beta State may have risen from the ashes of another band, but they’re something altogether singula

• A&R Holly Hutchison gives her 2 cents on "I Will Remember You" ( www.anrgirl.com ) [+ Show ]
  

  Beta State (San Francisco, CA) “I Will Remember You” - I love the soaring hook of the chorus and the...Beta State (San Francisco, CA) “I Will Remember You” - I love the soaring hook of the chorus and the ambiance of the layered guitar textures. Beautiful orchestration of a rock song that emotes the deeper feeling behind the song. Creative and nicely done. Check them out at http://betastatemusic.com

• Live 105 Names Beta State in annual Top 15 bands of 2010
  

  Live 105 Names Beta State in annual Top 15 bands of 2010

• "How to Get Attention The Right Way"
  

  Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park received and enjoyed our gift!

• You Need to Hear: Beta State
  

  This is a cool review of our debut album "Stars."

• 52 Bands in 52 Weeks
  

  review of our album "Stars."

Setlist

Start A Clean Slate
I'm Still Alive
Carry You
Into The Lights
When I'm Too Weak To Know
Stars
Stronger Than Gravity

Basic Requirements

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