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Hoodless

Jersey City, New Jersey, United States | INDIE

Jersey City, New Jersey, United States | INDIE
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"Hoodless: Yes, You Can Stare at the Musicians"

"Our lead guitar player grew up on a bus with something like 30 cats. Our bass player was the whitest man in the highlands of Kenya for a summer. Our rhythm guitarist has driven truck from one end if this country to the other. Our drummer has a baby and I once thought I was gonna play college football until I fell off a cliff on my mountain bike," says Twon, lead singer of the rock band Hoodless.
"We don't like describing our sound in musical terms, or comparing ourselves to others. That's for the critics and our fans to do for themselves," Twon says. "As a group, we've become more efficient with our riffs and melodies. Our sound has become more streamlined, so the power of the sound goes right from the ears to the soul."

The band has opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and had its "Don't Waste Your Time" video play on HBO, but Twon says they play directly for fans, not the industry. "What makes us feel special is when fans find meaning in the music that we didn't even know was there. Music is one of the most perfectly subjective forms of expression in this world: everyone experiences it differently. When we finally decide a musical idea is solid enough to give birth to as a song, we are relentless in making it as good as it can possibly be."

Outlandish requests are not in store for any members of the band - also including Finn, Paul Alan, B Lee and Carter - thanks to Twon's past employment experience notes. "While working at a posh Union Square hotel, I met a lot of people and helped many a rockstar drunkenly navigate their way to a hotel bed. At this job, I had an encounter with J.Lo. In her rider, (the set of rules a hotel/venue must follow to keep an artist happy,) one of the first lines said that no male employee shall look J. Lo in the eye. So I just stared at her any time she got within my field of vision because of the ridiculous nature of that request. She was so uncomfortable that my boss actually requested I take the rest of the day off."

HoodlessRocks.com - Yahoo : Shine


"Hoodless: Yes, You Can Stare at the Musicians"

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http://www.hoodlessrocks.com/ - ELLE Magazine China


"Hoodless: Yes, You Can Stare at the Musicians"

Oui, Vous Pouvez Regarder les Musiciens

“Notre joueur de guitare a grandi dans un bus avec 30 chats. Notre bassiste a vécu au Kenya pendant un été. Notre second guitariste a conduit un camion à travers les États-Unis. Notre batteur a un bébé. Je pensais que j’allais jouer au football américain jusqu’à ce que je tombais de ma bicyclette,” Twon dit. Il est le chanteur du groupe de rock Hoodless et un monsieur très humoristique loin de la scène.
“Nous n’aimons pas décrire notre son. Nous n’aimons pas nous comparer aux autres. Nos fans doivent le faire “, dit Twon. “En tant que groupe, nous sommes devenus plus efficaces avec nos riffs et des mélodies. Notre son est devenu plus simple, de sorte que la puissance du son va droit dans les oreilles à l’âme.”

Le groupe a ouvert pour la Red Hot Chili Peppers et a eu son “Don’t Waste Your Time” jeu vidéo sur la chaîne HBO, mais Twon dit qu’ils jouent pour les fans, pas l’industrie. “Qu’est-ce nous fait nous sentir spéciale, c’est quand les fans trouver un sens à la musique que nous ne savions même pas été là. La musique est la forme parfaite d’expression dans ce monde: tout le monde vit les choses différemment “.

Demandes Outlandish ne sont pas en magasin pour tous les membres de la bande – incluant également Finn, Paul Alan, B Lee et Carter – grâce aux expériences de l’emploi Twon dernières. «Tout en travaillant dans un hôtel Union Square de fantaisie, j’ai rencontré beaucoup de gens et a aidé de nombreux musiciens se frayer un chemin à un lit d’hôtel quand ils étaient ivres. À cet emploi, j’ai eu une rencontre avec J. Lo Dans ses règles, elle a dit que pas employé de sexe masculin doit regarder dans les yeux. Je la regardais tout le temps elle a obtenu au sein de mon champ de vision en raison de la demande ridicule. Elle se sentait mal à l’aise. Mon patron m’a fait quitter le travail ce jour-là. “

http://www.hoodlessrocks.com/ - ELLE Magazine France


"Hoodless: Yes, You Can Stare at the Musicians"

“Nuestra guitarrista vivía en un autobus con, pienso, 30 gatos. Nuestra bajista fue el hombre más blanco en las montañas de Kenya durante un verano. El guitarrista de ritmo manejó su carro de un parte del país a un otro parte. El batería tiene un bebé y yo pensé que fue a jugar el fútbol americano de la Universidad hasta cayó por un precipicio en mi bicicleta,” Twon, el cantante del grupo Hoodless, dice de los miembres.
“No describimos nuestro sonido con los términos musicales, o compararnos con otros grupos. Eso es para los críticos y nuestros aficionados que hacer,” Twon dice. “Como grupo, somos más eficientes con nuestros riffs y melodías. Nuestro sonido se ha vuelto más ágil, por lo que el poder del sonido de las hojas desde las orejas hasta el alma.”
Hoodless se ha abierto para los Red Hot Chili Peppers y tuvo su “No pierdas tu tiempo” de vídeo en HBO, pero la ciudad dice que crear la música directamente a los fans y no la industria. “Lo que nos hace sentir especial cuando los aficionados encontrar un sentido a la música que no sabía que estaba ahí. La música es una de las formas más subjetivas de expresión en este mundo; todo el mundo lo experimenta de una manera diferente. Cuando finalmente decidir sobre una idea musical, y es lo suficientemente sólido como para crear una canción, estamos muy implacable. Hacemos que sea tan bueno como pueda ser.”
Los peticiones extravagantes no están reservadas para los miembros del grupo – que también incluye Finn, Alan Paul, Lee y Carter B – gracias a las notas de su experiencia de un trabajo pasado. “Mientras yo trabajaba en un hotel de lujo en Union Square, me encontré con mucha gente y ha ayudado a estrellas de rock borracho navegar su camino a una cama de hotel. En este trabajo, tuve un encuentro con J. Lo [Jennifer López]. En su jinete, (las reglas que un hotel debe seguir para mantener un artista feliz) una de las primeras líneas, dijo que ningún empleado varón puede mirar a los ojos. La miré un momento se puso dentro de mi campo de visión. Fue a causa de la ridícula idea. Ella era tan incómoda que mi jefe me pidió que tomar tiempo libre durante el día.
Información
Music for Jerks está disponible en iTunes.
Sitio: http://www.HoodlessRocks.com
Twitter: @hoodless
English
Hoodless: Yes, You Can Stare at the Musicians
“Our lead guitar player grew up on a bus with something like 30 cats. Our bass player was the whitest man in the highlands of Kenya for a summer. Our rhythm guitarist has driven truck from one end if this country to the other. Our drummer has a baby and I once thought I was gonna play college football until I fell off a cliff on my mountain bike,” says Twon, lead singer of the rock band Hoodless.
“We don’t like describing our sound in musical terms, or comparing ourselves to others. That’s for the critics and our fans to do for themselves,” Twon says. “As a group, we’ve become more efficient with our riffs and melodies. Our sound has become more streamlined, so the power of the sound goes right from the ears to the soul.”
The band has opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and had its “Don’t Waste Your Time” video play on HBO, but Twon says they play directly for fans, not the industry. “What makes us feel special is when fans find meaning in the music that we didn’t even know was there. Music is one of the most perfectly subjective forms of expression in this world: everyone experiences it differently. When we finally decide a musical idea is solid enough to give birth to as a song, we are relentless in making it as good as it can possibly be.”
Outlandish requests are not in store for any members of the band – also including Finn, Paul Alan, B Lee and Carter – thanks to Twon’s past employment experience notes. “While working at a posh Union Square hotel, I met a lot of people and helped many a rockstar drunkenly navigate their way to a hotel bed. At this job, I had an encounter with J.Lo. In her rider, (the set of rules a hotel/venue must follow to keep an artist happy,) one of the first lines said that no male employee shall look J. Lo in the eye. So I just stared at her any time she got within my field of vision because of the ridiculous nature of that request. She was so uncomfortable that my boss actually requested I take the rest of the day off.” - ELLE Magazine Espana


"Hoodless in the WDHA Studios with Lindsay Klein"

For awhile the band Hoodless was creating a certain buzz in my ears from different avenues of people....I heard tons of compliments and decided I needed to check them out for myself...Ironically their promoter contacted me about a local show just about the same time the news was starting to spread on this must see band...

So that's exactly what I did, I checked out a live show and was extrememly impressed by these guys!!! This band is talented, but also very down to earth describing themselves as "music for jerks, by jerks" they just tell it like it is! They are guitar driven, heavy hitting, with Twon's whailing lyrics of a musical rock n roll band!

They've played some serious shows with great acts including the Starland ballroom. Make sure you keep up to date with these guys at hoodlessrocks.com as well as myspace.com/hoodless and facebook! I'm a huge supporter of the band Hoodless and think their live shows are outstanding!!! Check out an acoustic track then see them in full force and plugged in when you can! - WDHA Homegrown Spotlight


"Migrate Music Video Premiere: Hoodless – Waiting"

Jersey City band Hoodless has released their new music video for their song “Waiting.” The video is quite comical by focusing on a guy who just can’t seem to find love and will try a number of things to find the right one…or anyone.

You can watch the music video below.


Check out Hoodless on facebook and download a free song here: facebook.com/hoodlessrocks

Article by Levi Stone
- Migratemusicnews.com


"Hoodless Showcase Their Hard Rock Hooks on 'Waiting' -- Video Premiere"

Hoodless is an underground - but rising - band from New Jersey. Their album, 'Music for Jerks' came out in 2010 and was produced by Joe Lambert, a sought after engineer also behind recordings by Animal Collective and Black Label Society.

"Our list of heroes and favorites is really quite a long one. From Prince to Mr. Bungle, Johnny Cash to Tony Williams, Brahms to Dimebag, Zeppelin to Kevin Gilbert," explains B Lee, Hoodless' bass player. "I think the most interesting part is that the band itself is one unique voice. Not too heavy, not too light, not too serious, not too whimsical, but at the same time not watered down or washed out. We definitely draw on our individual influences but it's hard to pick out definitive one to one relationships after the music goes though the Hoodless filter."

Today, Noisecreep is proud to exclusively premiere the video for their song 'Waiting.' Half-parody, half-truth, the clip ends up a sad commentary on modern life set to a rocking soundtrack. - AOL- Noisecreep


"Hoodless - Total Rock n' Roll Brilliance"

I recently received an email from a band called Hoodless out of Jersey City, NJ, letting me know about their gig at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, opening for Fuel. Unfortunately, that email came in too late for me to include in this column. I figured I’d give them a listen anyhow, and see what they were about. Total rock ‘n’ roll brilliance, apparently! Hoodless singer Twon has an amazing voice. This guy is no joke! Songs like “Say It Loud,” “Down” and “Waiting,” off of the band’s CD, Music For Jerks, really won me over. One critic compared Twon’s voice to Faith No More singer Mike Patton, and at times, I did hear that too.

Before Twon, Hoodless, who is made up of bassist and founder B Lee, guitarists Finn and Paulie and drummer Carter, had another lead singer and previously had their music video for the song “Don’t Waste My Time” featured on HBO, which helped them cement a solid work relationship with Andy Hilfiger Entertainment. Unfortunately, their original singer couldn’t handle the stress of the music business and had to leave the band. Hoodless searched the entire globe for a new frontman but nobody seemed to fit what they were looking for. Just when they were about to give up all hope, Twon appeared, and the band begged him to join. Since then, the newly complete band of misfits worked tirelessly for about a year and a half to record their CD, which they released last September.

The boys from Hoodless have been touring extensively in support of Music For Jerks, winning crowds over wherever they perform. Plus, the CD is getting spins on over 120 stations around the country! Trust me, these guys will not be on the market long; a label will pick them up sooner rather than later. Give Hoodless a listen at hoodlessrocks.com. - Aquarian Weekly


"WPSC Interview"

Live Radio Interview - 'click' to listen!!! - WPSC - William Patterson's 'Brave New Radio'


"Hoodless - Music for Jerks"

HOODLESS bring a raw Rock sound from the streets of New York. In 2010, these unsigned hooligans released “Music For Jerks,” their energetic debut album. The disc is a decent enough collection of grimy, gritty Hard Rock that draws inspiration from everything from late ‘80s Rock to more modern Alternative stuff.
- The Metal Observer


"A Refreshing Taste of Hard Rock"

Hoodless is not the run of the mill hard rock outfit. Their music presents a feel of raw emotion and rock and roll finesse that is truly amazing, with every element of the group meshing perfectly into an explosion of hard rock awesomeness. Their latest release, Music for Jerks, provides the listener with a wide array of the group’s unique style compacted into ten tremendous songs. From the slow and relaxed beginning of the track “Innocent”, to the blow-out-your-windows rock of “Be My Whore”, Music for Jerks seizes you in a rock and roll rollercoaster of doom. I had the privilege to interview the lead singer Twon over the phone, and was able to ask him a couple questions about the background of Hoodless.



Continue reading on Examiner.com Hoodless: A Refreshing Taste of Hard Rock - Philadelphia Live Music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/live-music-in-philadelphia/hoodless-a-refreshing-taste-of-hard-rock#ixzz1QrhAQwbh
- Philadelphia Examiner


"WHCS Interview"

LIVE RADIO INTERVIEW - CLICK TO LISTEN!! - WHCS


"WSCA interview"

LIVE RADIO INTERVIEW : CLICK TO LISTEN - WSCA


"WHRA interview"

LIVE RADIO INTERVIEW: CLICK TO LISTEN - WHRA


"WXJM interview"

LIVE RADIO INTERVIEW: CLICK TO LISTEN - WXJM


"Interview : Hoodless"

Ashley Pagano: Can you start off by saying your name, and what you play in the band?
B. Lee: I’m B Lee, and I play bass.
AP: Cool! So how did the formation of Hoodless come about?
BL: Well, Hoodless has been around for a while. This is kind of Hoodless 2.0 if you will. We were around for about five or six years, but the album we’re doing now is the first one with our new singer, Twon. Our last singer kind of blew up in his head, so he left and the reason we kept the name Hoodless, is because we had a good thing going, you know? We had a lot of action happen. We had a video on HBO for a while when they used to do HBO zone, and play videos between movies. We were on heavy rotation on that for a while. Then we needed to find a new singer after all that happened and we did auditions for months. We finally found Twon. When you know you find the right guy it just clicks. We were like best friends since the day he auditioned. Since that day, we started writing our album and almost a year into it we started recording and got it done.
AP: Is there a story behind the band name?
BL: That’s probably one of the biggest questions we get The real story is that it’s our drummer’s last name, and we’ve been playing together for so long that It was a name we couldn’t resist using. We like to keep it a mystery, but you know.
AP: Who are some of your musical influences?
BL: Well, me personally, I’m a singer, a bass player and a piano player so I play anything form classical to jazz to rock, to funk. I’ve toured with funk bands, and I’ve done all sorts of stuff, not that you actually hear a lot of that in Hoodless. The cool thing about the band is that we all have a really wide variety of influences, from classical to crash metal guys, or big jazz, and even musical theater and stuff. We make the music that when the five of us get together, we make. I don’t think there’s a direct one to one relationship. It’s very organic though. It’s what we sound like whenever we get together, no matter what song. There can be a wide variety of styles even in a song, but it definitely has our kind of thing to it.
AP: So how does the band go through the songwriting process?
BL: Well, there’s basically two ways. Sometimes Twon will come with his acoustic ramblings. He’s got an idea and he’ll bang it out on the guitar and then we kind of just bring it up from scratch that way. Usually it’s a riff based thing where our guitar player Finn, he’s kind of the riff master, and has riffs lined up on the shelf. We’ve probably got 50 or 60 things waiting to become songs, but it’s really when the inspiration hits. We have to figure out what the chorus and the bridge are going to be, but Twon is fully the lyricist, and telling the story. We try to bring it up with music.
AP: Do you have a favorite show that you’ve played?
BL: We’ve had a lot of cool ones! Favorite show…that’s a hard one, but we try to play a lot. Some of the best ones may not be the ones where there’s 200 or 300 people. If you get 20 people that are rocking their face off, sometimes those are the most fun. We did have some cool stuff. If you get on a bill that everyone’s on the same page, those are really the fun ones. A lot of booking people these days, they’ll have an acoustic act, then a pop act and then a rock act and it just makes absolutely no sense to me. We played in Boston last month and are playing there next weekend, it was good but sometimes the east coast is hard cause bookers don’t know what’s going on. If you can get three bands with the same energy, those are the ones that stick out in your mind that it works. When it works it works.
AP: Do you have a dream venue or dream band you would like to play with?
BL: I’d like to do something with any project that Mike Patton is involved with. I’m a Mike Patton junkie and I’ve followed him forever. I’d love to share the stage with him in any context. That’s me personally but it’s hard to say because there aren’t a lot of big bands anymore. There are just a lot of guys in the same plane as us. We’re all doing mini tours, and doing our thing and trying to get the music out but there isn’t a major anymore unless it’s like Justin Bieber or something. There’s all this watered down stuff. Anybody who wants to rock we’ll play with.
AP: Definitely! That’s awesome! What’s your funniest or most embarrassing experience from being on tour?
BL: Well it wasn’t really a tour thing but one hilarious thing was that we were playing a gig in New York City, and our guitar player, Pauly… Well on local gigs we’re we don’t bring the van or anything, we just have cars and bring stuff over. He’s not someone you’d want to drive anywhere with…so it’s like 2:30 in the morning and we get done with the gig and his car was literally around the block. We literally have to go around the block to get his car so we can unload his stuff. He ends up getting onto the Williamsburg bridge by accident, and ends up in Brooklyn and doesn’t know how to get back. So then we try to call him, and we hear a ringing in a bag by our feet and it’s his phone, so he didn’t bring his phone with him. So he ends up getting lost in Brooklyn and someone runs into him at a red light and gets in an accident. Literally his car was 100 yards from the place, and he gets back four hours later. He was completely lost. Me and Finn were just waiting on the sidewalk for him. So I thought that was kind of funny. That was at 3 in the morning so we ended up getting home around 7 or 8 on a night that we played at 10.
AP: Where do you see yourself in ten years? Still playing music?
BL: Oh definitely. I’m going to the grave playing music. I think we all are. That’s why we’re doing this. It’s a calling. There’s two ways to do it. You go into it saying you’re going to be a rock star or superstar or you go into it because you have to play music and there’s nothing else you can do. That’s really what we do. It wouldn’t hurt, becoming the star, but we do it because we have to. It’s In your blood. That’s really how we do it. We have different views on lots of things, from politics to women, to whatever, but it’s all about the music and that’s what keeps it together.
AP: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
BL: Just that we love to have people come out and support the live music. That’s the thing; we try to support live ORIGINAL music, none of this other garbage. Dave Matthews happened already, you know? Too many guys have an acoustic guitar and want to sing about something that no one really cares about. Yeah, just look out for us on the road. That’s what we’re looking for.
For more information on Hoodless please visit their MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. - The Sound Alarm.com


"Hoodless – Music For Jerks"

1. “Touch & Cry” … 4:17
2. “Waiting” … 3:27
3. “Innocent” … 4:13
4. “Down” … 4:29
5. “GAPO” … 4:19
6. “Say It Loud” … 5:03
7. “Run Away” … 4:52
8. “Be My Whore” … 3:14
9. “Underground” … 3:42
10. “Why So Serious” … 2:35
Band:
Twon – Vocals
Paul Allan – Guitar
Finn – Guitar
B Lee – Bass
Carter – Drums
Producer: Joe Lambert
When this band was brought to my attention, I was excited because I had read they were being compared to Guns N Roses. Of course, GNR’s name is often thrown around for and by many unknown bands who are trying to get noticed. So what was my honest take after listening to the first handful of songs? They aren’t similar to GNR at all.
I have listened with an open ear (two, actually) and I just do not hear where you can draw the line between these two bands but I do not think it would be too far off to say that GNR fans would appreciate Hoodless. The band’s sound is something that I think would appeal to old school rock heads and to the alternative crowd as well. In fact, I can’t help but feel like ex-Warrant vocalist Jani Lane is singing on this album as Twon’s vocals sound very much like him at times and some of these songs sound similar to Saints of the Underground or some of the later (aka- alternative) Warrant albums with Lane.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say these guys are some Warrant-worshipping retro act. Not at all. They are a completely modern band. It’s just that I can’t get over Twon’s vocals sounding so similar to Jani’s.
What I really like about this album and band is that they aren’t heavy just to be heavy or trying to sound like a party band or angry band or whatever. There’s tons of groove to this album, some nice melodic moments. There is a balance between heavy and harmony that many young bands completely miss the boat on. ”Be My Whore” and “Why So Serious” are pretty heavy numbers but then there are lower key moments like “Run Away” or “Innocent” that, while heavy own their own terms, still show a ton of musical sensitivity. They aren’t beating you over the head with thick guitars just because they can.
So Music For Jerks turned out to not be what I was expecting but it is still a very good album. Besides, who needs another GNR Lite? We’ve had hundreds of those dating back more than 20 years! Hoodless is doing their own thing and that’s all they need to keep doing. Definitely an album worth checking out.
Highlights: “Waiting”, “Innocent”, “Down”, “Run Away”, “Underground”
http://www.hoodlessrocks.com
http://www.facebook.com/hoodlessrocks
http://www.myspace.com/hoodless - metalexcess.com


"Hoodless Inside Track"

About a year ago, we told you about an indie band originating from New York, called Hoodless, that has a unique quirky kind of sound that seems to drill into your subconsciousness. Fast forward and the guys are the same light-hearted pranksters that we interviewed in the past, with their new lead singer, Twon taking them to heights that went previously unexplored. In his own words,
"First and foremost, we don't suck," Twon continues. "It's incredible to travel around to venues all around the country and see all the mediocrity that some bands think is acceptable to present to the public. We work hard to make music and to produce a live show that is powerful and entertaining. Something that makes you want to sit down and listen, but at the same time, makes you want to stand up and shout. We're also not plagued by the ‘studio magic' syndrome. 99% of what you hear on our recordings is what you'll hear live, but even better."

Hoodless has dropped their sophomore effort, Music for Jerks, to much fanfare among their devout followers. Since they are all a bunch of really great guys, for a change of pace, antiMusic caught up with the band for an extensive background chat about each track on their new album.

Keep an ear out for their single, "Innocent" for which they're also working on a video.

Touch & Cry
We brought this song to Twon a couple weeks into our rehearsal process, so it was one of the first. Musically, it felt like Guns n' Roses had a baby with Metallica that got wet nursed by Tool. Twon was drawn to the dark energy of the song so he decided to make the lyrics about something that gives a great many of the us hope that allows us to face every day with joy: Faith.In "God", the 'Universes", the "Flying Spaghetti Monster"... Whatever you call it, he wanted to explore the more sinister side of that concept. To add another layer, he decided to make it from the point of view of the object of faith. This way he could more easily portray the superiority needed when singing about such a grossly overused lyrical concept without coming across as cliche or cheesy.

Waiting
The song came from a riff Kevin brought in that we "workshopped" into a song over a few weeks trying to keep it short, explosive and moody but without completely losing a progressive edge. Lyrically it's about how anticipation and expectation drive us and asks if we will learn anything from our reactions to the two.

Innocent ( Our Single with video accompaniment to come)
Just like Touch & Cry, this song was musically completed, essentially, and then brought to Twon when he joined the band. It was very anthemic and he wanted to bring that out in the melody and the lyrics. It's kind of a conversation with between two sides of a person...not to say there are only two sides, but any more than that and we'll get confused. One side is full of whining self pity and the other has no tolerance for this. The extremes of two sides needed to make right decisions, to find what's right, even if sometimes we don't listen.

Down
Twon wrote this a few years before he joined Hoodless and is a kind of 'break-up' song to his old band M-Lab. The band worked out a killer arrangement and our producer, Joe Lambert, streamlined the lyrics while Twon tweaked the chorus to be more soaring. It became a kind of antagonistic, messianic love song. Possibly the band's favorite guitar solo on the record.

GAPO
Another song that was written early on like Touch & Cry and Innocent. This song is about mothers. That's all we're saying.

Say It Loud
Panem et circenses, or "Bread and Games" is a metaphor for a superficial means of appeasement. That is also the central theme of Say It Loud. This song is, essentially, the reason Twon is in the band. He wrote it about a year before he joined the band and everybody learned it for his audition. The first time they all played it as a band was at that audition and they've played it at almost every rehearsal since. Twon and Joe spent a couple hours reworking the chorus melody in the studio, but other than that it's basically the same song they played that first night.

Run Away
Originally the black sheep of the album, Run Away was written by Twon on an acoustic guitar then arranged brilliantly by the rest of the band. Very simply, it's about that feeling you get when you're in a situation that you need to get out of and then it shifts to the perspective of the feeling itself. Kind of sucks you into a pattern...

Be My Whore
Born from a John Irving Quote from "The World According to Garp" this song is meant to make you feel dirty/sexy. It steals lines from conversation and narrative from that book and other novels by the author. It's a song from the point of a "sexual assassin".

Underground
The only political song on the record. Twon was feeling disappointed in the arrogance our president was exhibiting in public and disappointed in the silent, scared public (who disappointed him before, but now they had someone in charge who was supposed to make everyone feel empowered, and no one was acting empowered). It was musically based on half of a song that the band had written months before Twon's arrival. He didn't like that song so he took the verse and tore the rest apart. Then Joe the producer got his hands on it, didn't like it much except the verse, gutted it, and that's what you've got now. It's as slick as you can get, but we still slip into 6/8 like we were meant to be together. Paulie plays like a badass on this one.

Why So Serious?
Twon came up with the lyrics to this song while hanging out at a teenage band concert tripping his balls off. He had an overwhelming desire to eat all of the concertgoers. He got home and come up with the words and melody. It's supposed to make you feel uncomfortable. The music was generated from a riff Kevin kept playing during breaks at rehearsals and Twon kept whining about turning in to a song. It's cute. - Antimusic.com


"First Look: Hoodless"

If you have ever been to the carnival and felt more than a little confused about your surroundings and what was happening around you, and you couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry at the freakish characters and painted faces, stealing some time with Hoodless produces the same kind of damning results.

Interviewing Hoodless is like charging full-speed ahead into battle without bringing any swords or shields. Monte Python would be proud. Hoodless is a riot to get to know; they don't take themselves too seriously and have an effortless way of bringing you down to earth and infusing a lot of humor into their existence. Therein lays the absolute brilliance of this band.

Hoodless, a five-piece band out of Jersey City, New Jersey, ( pronounced "Joysee" for all of you East Coasters) consisting of Twon – vocals, Paul Allan – guitar, Finn – guitar, BLee – bass, and Carter – drums, are in the process of supporting their debut album, Straight for the Open. HBO has already scooped up the video for the track, "Don't Waste My Time" which is now on heavy rotation on HBO's Zone music video program.

Hoodless' sound has been compared to "Foo Fighters pop meets Led Zeppelin sensibility" on their bio. While I don't particularly see the Zeppelin, I agree with the Foo Fighters reference. Throw in a little Blink 182, Green Day and a shot of metal here and there, and you've got a decent idea. They have a full sound, surprisingly filled with lots of great guitar licks and catchy hooks. I am a particular fan of "Let's Get out of Here" and "Condescending" which though poppy, are easy to jam to. "The Rain" boasts a heavier intro, which shows some diversity to their music. It's a refreshing break and comes about midway through the album. "My Style" has that same metal-influenced feel and I think it's a good way to veer.

To their extreme credit, they certainly are not your vanilla newbie band. The changeups and tempo variations of their sound keeps the music interesting enough that you don't feel like you are trapped in the same track song after song. As with all new bands however, some tightening up and definition may propel them even further into the indie circuit.

I must admit that I dig their blasé faire attitude. Recently, antiMusic.com had the chance to catch-up with the band and pick the brain of Twon, the band's new lead singer and ring leader. While some of the answers have that David Lynch, Cohen Brothers cryptic nature, (girls seemingly a huge influence) they are entertaining to say the least.

aM: How does living in New York influence you?
Twon: Keeps me from taking myself too seriously.

aM: Who is your favorite musician?
Twon: Bozz Scaggs, Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem

aM: Who would you compare your sound too?
Twon: Stephen Hawking…with dead batteries

aM: Why Hoodless as a name?
Twon: Our drummer Carter lost a game of Ookie-cookie so he got to choose the name

aM: Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you realized you wanted to play music?
Twon: When I was playing a song in my college dorm room for a girl and she went down on me whilst I played.

aM: Do you play any other instruments?
Twon: bass balalaika and the Iru

aM: How long have you been playing?
Twon: Since I could talk to girls

aM: What would you say your successes have been so far?
Twon: Potty training, Shoe tying, and crossing the street without an adult

aM: Where do you see yourself in the next 3, 6, 12 months respectively?
Twon: In three months, I would like to be finished with basic tracking for our album. In six I'd like to be gearing up for a tour to support said album, and in a year I imagine I'll be scouring craigslist for ‘SINGER WANTED" ads again.

aM: Who are your biggest influencers?
Twon: McDonald's, Pfizer, and Viacom….

aM: What is your favorite album of all time? Why?
Twon: Shaming of the True – Kevin Gilbert…. WHY? Because, "Fuck ‘em all, this is art!"

aM: What do you think the hardest part about trying to break into the indie circuit is? Was there anyone specific who helped you along your way?
Twon: Well, hipsters are tough to deal with, since the impulse to bash them in the head is overwhelming…I don't really remember getting any help, but I could have been high at the time…

aM: What kind of shows do you prefer to play?
Twon: I prefer to play any shows with an audience present, but that's not really necessary.

aM: Whom do you respect in your industry?
Twon: Anyone who has stood up and said, "Bollocks to all that! I'm just gonna write songs in my basement and become an accountant!"

aM: any advice for musicians just starting out?
Twon: Don't do it if want money, fame, or anyone to care….

aM:Are you more in favor of digital or traditional distribution?
Twon: I don't care which one, I just want some…

aM: What do you think the music industry needs to do about pirating?
Twon: Nothing. Music is art and art should not be created for financial gain, it should be created for the enjoyment and personal fulfillment of the creator. If people want to pay money for it, great, but if not, they should just get to have it. Music's value, as with all art, is subjective to the consumer, so each individual consumer should be able to put his/her own value on any song/album/painting/movie, etc. Therefore, art should only be sold on Ebay…

aM: If you made all the rules, how would you handle illegal downloads?
Twon: I would download everything for myself and not a minute later would I make it all illegal and perpetrating the crime would be punishable by DEATH!

aM: Whose gear do you use?
Twon: Squire guitars and Peavey amps.

aM: What's the one thing you wish you knew before you started this project?
Twon: I wish I would have known what gaping was.

aM: Given what you know now, if you could do it all over, what would you do differently?
Twon: Nothing, except I would like to be a Woman

aM: What musician you would like to play with?
Twon: Who cares with whom, I wish I could have played for Hunter S. Thompson, cause he's the greatest human who has ever lived.

aM: Art of all types is a road to self-discovery. What did you discover about yourself through playing music?
Twon: That I crave attention

aM: Who encouraged you the most?
Twon: Girls I met in high school and college ;-)

aM: Collaborating on an album, especially a debut album, can be a trying and difficult time. Can you describe the collaboration process between you and the other musicians?
Twon: I don't think you want me to…

aM: It is widely known that musicians pour their own life experiences into their music. Where do you draw inspiration? Do the lyrics tell your personal narrative?
Twon: I'm generally inspired by tabloid stories about aliens and Elvis babies. I don't really have a personal narrative. I find voice-overs to be a sophomoric means of expression.

aM: Who contributes to the writing?
Twon: Jesus…among others

aM: A musician's journey is usually arduous and full of experience. What is important to you as a musician?
Twon: Finding the truth and beauty that reside in the wondrous simplicity of everyday life. Realizing the connection between myself and the audience through the unstoppable thread of moments that combine to create this life…this reality.

Hoodless is worth checking out. At the moment, in support of their album, they are primarily sticking close to home, playing gigs in New York. Their album is available digitally via iTunes, and the physical CD is available through CD Baby. And the band is working on a new album (with Twon on vocals) right now which they plan to release by the end of the year.
- Antimusic.com


"Hoodless at Crash Mansion"

Twon – Vocals

B Lee – Bass

Kevin – Guitar

Carter – Drums

Paul – Guitar

Hoodless, originally appearing to be an incongruous band of five musicians, would by sets’ end solidify themselves as a band with a very concrete identity and succeed in filling the uncharacteristically scantly-packed Crash Mansion venue with raucous noise, tongue-in-cheek machismo, and, as they promised at the outset, rock-and-roll.

Hoodless’s website proudly boasts of the bands’ recent banning after a misunderstanding at a performance at a Connecticut Teen Center; it should not be a surprise, then, that they opened with “Be My Whore,” a conspicuous testament to their advertised attitude: that of a rowdy, if not caricatured band of rock-and-rollers. What they turned out to be, however, was very skillful entertainers and musicians, if only slightly exaggerated. The exaggeration comes from vocalist Twon’s rambunctious stage persona and movements, which seem to come from repeated viewings of a rock band’s live DVD than a physical response to the music. He would playfully deprecate himself later in the evening in commenting on his comical vest and managed to play a good host all the same, showing, despite his incongruity with the rest of the band, a fitting affability and rapport.

Tonally, the set shifted between the usual rock tropes but with an intense sense of cohesion. While providing a visually dynamic and all-together exciting performance, the differences between songs were marginal, with negligible nuances and lyrical content providing the most tangible difference. One highlight of the show was Hoodless’ performance of a non-album song, “Tell Me,” a relic from when they first started playing together, which sounded the most marketable. Another were songs “Down (to Nothing),” their most instrumentally interesting song and “Gapo,” their self-described “sexy song,” which vibrated with guitarists Kevin and B Lee’s swift and sensual fingerpicking. “Gapo” was slow and melodic, an interesting divergence from their usual Staind-esque harmonics.

The band’s name is fitting, as it does not cloak its rebellious overtones or filter its performance with profuse sentimentalism, opting for the prescribed “fucking rock and roll, bitches,” as Twon proclaimed after one particular song early in the set, setting a rock standard for the night, of stage bombast and unmet band-audience rapport.

http://hoodlessrocks.com/ - TimesSquare.com


Discography

Hoodless - "Straight for the Open"
Hoodless - "Music for Jerks" released Sept. 28, 2010.

Medium to Heavy rotation on the following stations: (10/1/11)

WDHA-Cedar Knolls, NJ;WRAT-Belmar, NJ; WWHR-Bowling Green, KY; WIDB-Carbondale, IL; KFLI-Prescott, AZ; WAWL-Chattanooga, TN; WFHU-Henderson, TN; KURE-Ames, IA; KAMP-Tucson, AZ; WRGW-Washington, DC; WRRG-River Grove, IL; WRDP-Chicago, IL; WXVU-Villanova,PA; KRUX-LAS Cruces,NM; WLTL-LaGrange,IL; KSCL-Shreveport, LA; WLOY-Baltimore, MD; UTD-Richardson, TX; KWUR-St. Louis, MO; WMXM-Wake Forest, IL; KMNR – Rolla, MO; WTTU – Cookeville, TN; WIIT-Chicago, IL; KAFM-Grand Junction, CO; WIUX-Bloomington, IN; WRSE-Elmhurst, IL; KSLU-St. Louis, MO; WVUR-Valaparaiso, IN; WFCF-St. Augustine, FL; WMUC- College Park, MD; and WPPJ-Pittsburgh, PA ; WESN-Bloomington, IL; WZND – Normal, IL; KXUL – Monroe, LA; WNSU – Fort Lauderdale, FL; WQAC – Alma, MI; WDUB-Granville, OH; WGMU-Fairfax, VA; WMSC- Upper Montclair, NJ; WLUW – Chicago, IL; WMSR – Oxford, OH; WRST – Oshkosh, WI; WVAU – Washington, DC; WUIC – Chicago, IL; CJLO – Montral, PQ; KSDB – Manhattan, KS; KUOI – Moscow, ID; KWLC – Decorah, IA; WBGU – Bowling Green, OH; WXJM – Harrisonburg, VA; WMLU -Farmville, VA ;KLPI – Ruston, LA; WXIN-Providence, RI; WZMB-Greenville, NC; WMHW-Mt. Pleasant, MI, WRMC-Middlebury, VT; WSBU-St. Bonaventure, NY; WMHB-Waterville, ME; WNJR-Washington, PA; WPSC-Wayne, NJ; WTJU-Charlottesville, VA; WXAC-Reading, PA; WCFM-Williamstown, MA; WKKL-W. Barnstable, MA; WTHS-Holland, MI; WHRW-Binghamton, NY; WCCS-Norton, MA; KXCI-Tucson, AZ; WMLN-Milton, MA; WSYC-Shippensburg, PA; WODU-Norfolk, VA; WXLV-Schnecksville, PA; WSWI-Evansville, IA; WARY-Valhalla, NY; WXCU-Columbus, OH; WPTS-Pittsburgh, PA; WSIA- Staten Island, NY; WSGR-Port Huron, MI; WMCX-W. Long Branch, NJ; WCVM-Morrisville, NY; WCVF-Fredonia, NY; WCWP-Brookville, NY; WHRW-Binghamton, NY; WCCS- NORTON, MA; WSCA-Portsmouth, NH; WESS-E. Stroudsburg, PA; WCFM-Williamstown, MA; WKKL-W.Barnstable, MA; WERU-E. Orland, ME; WVFI-Notre Dame, IN; WMHD-Terre Haute, IN; WRBC-Lewiston, ME; WTHS-Holland, MI; WSBF-Clemson, SC; WNMC-Traverse City, MI; WDCE-Richmond, VA; WBOR-Brunswick, ME; WHSN-Bangor, ME; WUVT, Blacksburg, VA; WWUH-W. Hartford, CT; WKPS-University Park, Pa; RLC-Piscataway, NJ; WHUS-Storrs,CT; XTSR-Towson, MD; WBWC-Berea, OH; WDWN-Auburn, NY; WECI-Richmond, IN; WFWM-Frostburg, MD; WHFR-Dearborn, MI; WMUH-Allentown, PA; WLUR-Lexington, VA; WOUB-Athens, OH; WUAG- Greensboro, NC; WUMD-Dearborn, MI; WMVL-Purchase, NY; WGLS-Glassboro, NJ; WAKE-Winston/Salem, NC; WASU- Boone, NC; WRFS-Savannah, GA; RFC-Charlotte, NC; WUMM-Machias, ME….

Photos

Bio

“Now all that's left is the leaving/Baby, don't think I regret you, I just need a different muse/I'll say goodbye, cause I know that you do not have the strength/I know that I will get through this…” -“Down,” Hoodless

“I don’t think creating music can be considered a choice. We all do music because we have to, not because we want to. Music is all encompassing. When it’s in you, you gotta let it out.”

That’s Twon, lead singer of rock band Hoodless, talking about what gets the band out of bed in the morning.

Welcome to their world, where insubordination and quirkiness is the norm and there’s no tolerance for the boring or the mundane. Hoodless’ music can only be described as aggressive, subversive, guitar driven rock…

“Our list of heroes and favorites is really quite a long one: From Prince to Mr. Bungle, Johnny Cash to Tony Williams, Brahms to Dimebag, Zeppelin to Kevin Gilbert,” explains B Lee, bass player. “I think the most interesting part is that the band itself is one unique voice. Not too heavy, not too light, not too serious, not too whimsical, but at the same time not watered down or washed out. We definitely draw on our individual influences but it’s hard to pick out definitive one to one relationships after the music goes though the Hoodless filter.

The first incarnation Hoodless previously had their video “Don’t Waste My Time” featured on HBO and had a solid relationship with Andy Hilfiger Entertainment. When things got too hot and heavy, their original singer exploded (you’ll have to ask them how) and quite frankly, they thought it was the end.

Hoodless finally began to search for a new front man. Scanning the country for talent, they set up an exhausting regimen of ‘American Idol’ like auditions. Things were looking grim; nobody seemed to fit.

Then, Twon appeared in musical form from the interwebs and they just had to have him. Since that fateful day, the new unit has worked tirelessly for a year and a half on the new record, “Music for Jerks”. Working with Grammy-award winning engineer, Geoff Sanoff (Fountains of Wayne, Green Day) and producer/mastering engineer Joe Lambert (Animal Collective, Black Label Society); the band is preparing to self-release 10 tracks on September 28.

Twon grew up in rural Wisconsin. During trying times with drugs and juvenile hall, he always had music and sports as his vices. He was recruited out of high school to be a big-ten quarterback but during a mountain biking trip out west, he had a horrible accident. The after-effects of that would change him forever. Football was no longer an option but his love for music remained. He moved to New York with his band, NYC Crack Team, and continued his musical pursuits as a bass player, singer, and producer with other outfits like M-lab and Audiocracy.

Speaking of the new and improved Hoodless, Twon explains, “We want people to get whatever they can out of our music. We already get it. Music is completely subjective. We try not to have the audacity to tell someone what he or she should be hearing. Art is art.”

Band founder, B Lee continues, “I’d say we’re a progressive throw-back rock and roll band. We lay a thick groove with a lot of riffs, and let Twon make it sound pretty or evil. Lyrically, we definitely hit a lot of ‘touchy’ subjects, if you can decipher them. We try to make you think about it. Read between the lines. Not the everyday ‘lost-love’, ‘lost-soul’, ‘we party’, ‘kill ‘em all’, topics.”

The band plans to tour extensively in the fall and hopefully into 2011. “First and foremost, we don’t suck,” Twon continues. “It’s incredible to travel around to venues all around the country and see all the mediocrity that some bands think is acceptable to present to the public. We work hard to make music and to produce a live show that is powerful and entertaining. Something that makes you want to sit down and listen, but at the same time, makes you want to stand up and shout. We’re also not plagued by the ‘studi