POUNDERS

After countless years of music being made, the best songs always come from experiences with love, whether it’s budding or torn. Chris, Pounders, POUNDERS lead vocalist and guitarist, wrote “Separate Ways” about a break up, but you wouldn’t realize it by the tone of the song. Check out the story of how this song was made, structurally and lyrically, read the lyrics to the song, and take a listen to “Separate Ways” below! - Highlight Magazine

Just a week or so ago, Pounders released their new single “Separate Ways” over on Soundcloud! Fun fact? The track is up for FREE download and it’s freaking awesome!! - Lucy Out Loud

Pounders have released a brand new track called Separate Ways, which we’ve got for you here today on Indie Minded. Look for Separate Ways to appear on their upcoming (untitled) CD later this year. - Indie Minded

POUNDERS have been creating high-octane powerpop/punk since 2008, releasing an EP and three full-length albums along the way. On their fourth studio record, which has yet to be named, the Bay Area trio decided to go a slightly different route. Instead of pulling from ska and punk rock influences, their new single "Separate Ways" draws from the greats of the '80s. Namely, The Police. Listen to the PureVolume exclusive stream of "Separate Ways" above.

"We were all listening to The Police at the time," vocalist/guitarist Chris Pounders admits. "We loved how [they] incorporated reggae and rock and integrity into their music. I was also going through a break up at the time and hadn't written about it. So I sat down and wrote "Separate Ways" with The Police in mind. Once we all sat back and listened to it, we felt really good about it."

It is always important for a band to explore new influences and mature their sound, and POUNDERS hit the nail right on the head. We can't wait to hear the rest of the album. The band will be playing some local California shows in the coming months. - PureVolume

The Scoop: Bay Area rock trio Pounders recently premiered a brand new song titled “Separate Ways” on Purevolume, and it is now available as a free download on Soundcloud. - - Mind Equals Blown

San Jose rock trio Pounders are set to release their upcoming album later this year. Check out the first track “Separate Ways” below and if you dig it, download it for free! The track showcases the band’s Bay-Area punk attitude with the clear influence of The Police and others. - GroundSounds

One day, seven venues, 11 stages, more than 90 acts, and 85-plus hours of entertainment. The inaugural Santa Cruz Music Festival hits Downtown Santa Cruz on Saturday, July 20, and we have one question for you: Can you handle it?

Inspired by the annual South By Southwest (SXSW) music, film and interactive festival in Austin, Texas, the SCMF is the brainchild of Thomas Dawson, manager of local hip-hop outfit Eliquate, Bubb Rader, manager at Pacific Wave Surf Shop and owner of the local Thieves clothing line, and Brian Crabtree, who works at Streetlight Records and runs Blank Productions Photography. It’s the first festival of its kind to hit the Central Coast. Featuring a seemingly never-ending lineup of local and touring acts from genres as diverse as electronic music, hip-hop, folk, punk and reggae, and even a few comedians and spoken-word artists, the festival promises to be a smorgasbord for the ears.

To help you navigate the massive event, we’ve handpicked 13 varied, must-see acts...

Pounders
Pounders recently took home first place at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s Battle of the Bands Contest, and it’s no wonder why. Just as the title of its 2012 sophomore album implies, the San Jose-based punk rockers only know how to play one way: Hard, Dirty and Fast. Since forming in 2007, driving bass lines, smashing drums, catchy hooks, and a fun-loving attitude have proven to be a winning combination for this trio, earning them a spot in the Vans Warped Tour lineup and numerous other festivals. For a preview of what will undoubtedly be a high-energy and head-banging set at Woodstock’s, check out the bouncy album opener “Riot In The City.” You’ll have no problem spotting Pounders—just keep an eye out for frontman Chris Pounders’ cotton-candy pink Mohawk. http://www.poundersband.com
@ Woodstock’s Pizza - Good Times Santa Cruz

POUNDERS, a pop-punk rock band have their song "The Friend Zone Anthem" up for free download. This song, equipped with gang vocals and multiple opportunities to pump your fist with the beat, truly serves as an anthem for all of us that have ever been friend zoned. So don't stay sad this weekend if you were rejected, get this track here and blast it!

Garage rock in it's truest form, Scotty Imp forms a one man band to give you 'Hear The Sounds In My Head Come Out Of Your Speakers'. This 10 track album will put any musician in a mood to grab their gear and jam. You can listen and download the album here.

Pam Shaffer is described as "a singer of lullabies sprung from a sunken pirate ship, a pixie with a haunting voice, nimble fingers, and a killer shoe collection," and I won't deny that. Reminiscent of Greta Salpeter of The Hush Sound, her voice is rich and full of emotion. You can grab two of her "lullabies" here.

Karma Kid, a British DJ, has been taking over the airwaves lately with his unique marriage of rich bass lines and punchy synths. His debut single was awarded recognition among the BBC Radio 1 circuit, and now he is back with new recordings. "In My Arms" is free to download here. - Fifteen Minute Media

1. Destroy Everything - Because Of You
2. The Faintest Idea - Western World
3. The Againsters - My Girl's Gone Wild
4. Pistol Grip - Stained And Destructed
5. Total Chaos - Rome Will Fall
6. Against Empire - Angel Tears (Vinyl)
7. Resist - Happy
8. Peter And The Tube Babies - Mr. Mortgage
9. The Skinwalkers - Fall Or Resist
10. White Flag Down - Easy Is Her Name
11. SMZB - Trash Youth
12. Uprising Punx - We Hate You (Demo)
13. The Voids - 24 Faces
14. Found Dead In Trunk - The Real Thing
15. Monster Squad - Church And State (Vinyl)
16. Reducers S.F. - Who's To Blame
17. The JDKz - Know It All
18. Time Again - Soon It Will Be
19. Narcoleptic Youth - Saints Of The Future State
20. Big Mess - Johnny 69
21. The Kirkz - Brain Dead
22. Tres Marias - Money Talks
23. Guns On The Roof - Michael Myers
24. Hate Is Just A Feeling - Demons And Beggars
25. Naked & Shameless - Where Eagles Dare
26. N.F.F.U. - Victims No More
27. 64 Stitches - Pyramids
28. The Bad Engrish - Glory Days (Vinyl)
29. Ziplock - Mental Block
30. Funeral Dress- Renegade Generation
31. The D.I.'s - Mr. Soul
32. Last Resistance - Heart Or Soul
33. Infected Youth - Fuck Tomorrow, No Today
34. Zooparty - Trading Happiness For Songs
35. The Bad Company Company - From The Ashes (Vinyl)
36. The Destructors - The Luxury Of Punishment
37. Chairman Of The Bored - Ignorance Is Bliss
38. Pounders - Until I'm Dead
39. Scum De La Norvege - Cold Piss Stinking Hell
40. Lost In Atlantis - Hypnotic
41. Zeitgeist 77 - End Of Days
42. I-9 - Live It
43. Baby Punchers - Wasted - Punk Rock Demonstration

Come on down to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk as they host the second annual Spring Break Battle of the Bands. Five lucky finalists will perform three songs each for a chance to win a $1000 cash prize and bragging rights. The bands that will perform are Almost Chaos, Ploughman, Pounders, Breach the Summit, and Arden Park Roots. For more information and a full schedule, go to http://beachboardwalk.com/ - SantaCruz.com

Frequenscene 2-6-13
February 6 at 8:03pm on TradioV - FrequenScene

Local band heads to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Battle of the Bands finals.

Pounders are at it again, vying to take the title at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk's Battle of the Bands.

Of 45 local Bay Area musical acts, Campbell's Pounders were one of the five chosen to head to the final round.

The showdown takes place Thursday, April 4 from 1-5:00 p.m. on the Santa Cruz Beach in front of the Boardwalk. Pounders will go out on stage at 3:00 p.m. The event is all ages and free.

If crowned winners, the Pounders will take home the grand prize: $1,000. - Campbell Patch

Man I had a great time last night at Bottom Of the Hill in San Francisco. The bands gave a great show and had the place buzzing with energy. The fans were soaking it up and reciprocating that energy, making for one fun night. And of course the beer was flowing perfectly from the tap to my glass to my stomach.

San Francisco band, Dangermaker, kicked off the show with their song, "You're Not There". It was a perfect catchy song to kick off the night. They continued on throughout their set treating the crowd to a few new songs and having everyone dancing and grooving to their tunes. Bassist, Neko lays some fat grooves that just makes you feel it through out your body and you feel like you have to let it out by dancing to their songs. They closed the set with their song, "All For You". Another song that just gets stuck in your head and you just can't help but to sing and dance along to it.

Next up was San Jose band, Pounders. To be honest I didn't know what to expect from the band. I've never been a huge pop-punk fan but truthfully their not just that. There is elements of pop-punk but they also have some rock influence in their sound. After seeing them live I was really impressed and they give you one hell of a show. Throughout their set they're rocking, dancing & just using every inch of that stage to perform. The highlight of the show is when singer/guitarist Chris & bassist Alonso put down their axes and picked up some drum sticks. Chris had next to him an old empty tin keg and a drum and Alonso picked up a drum as well. Drummer Justin began to throw down some mean drum beats and the other two would answer back together with their drums. They created this drum core jam session that had the crowd buzzing and hollering as the beats got more and more intricate. They finally picked back up their axes and continued rocking until they closed out their set. Pounders are worth watching live and you get your money's worth with them. They're entertaining throughout their show and there's never a dull moment. They're a must see band.

The final band was Petaluma's, Our Vinyl Vows. They're also a very energetic group that gives it their all when they perform. Singer Brandon interacts with the crowd like a pro. He gets them involved and just talks and has fun with them between songs. One of the funny things that went on throughout the set was when Brandon would walk away from his mic, bassist Collin would seize those short moments to try and talk on the mic until Brandon would return to kick him off of it. It was quite a humorous play throughout the set between the two. The band features a horn section that are quite involved in backing vocals as well. Overall the band had the crowd dancing, hopping and singing along. It was a perfect band to close out the night and by the end of their set the crowd was still buzzing from all the great bands they just seen.

This was one the best shows as a whole, that I've seen from local bands since we started At The End Of Radio. I was able have a few words with a few members from the different bands after the show and they were all very cool, laid back guys. All three bands are worth going to see when they come to your town so make sure to follow them and see when they're playing next. I have some pictures and video that I'll be uploading here soon, so be on the lookout for future posts with them. Go out and support local music and until the next show review, Let The End Begin! - At The End of Radio

The #6 Song of 2012 is “Scream and Let It Go” by Pounders

Pounders:
Chris Pounders – Guitar & Lead Vocals
Alonso Hernandez – Bass & Backup Vocals
Justin Imamura – Drums

Hometown: San Jose, CA
Genre: Rock/Pop-Punk
Label: N/A - Joey Voodoo

Jackets with a Sex Pistols tee sewn on the back, studded belts and Dr. Martens laced up high. I would see that in high school, and even today and think those people take so much time to get dressed to make a statement; punk. Yeah, most of their clothes are from Hot Topic, so the idea of their $4.99 “anarchy” patch is a bit silly, but to each their own. It doesn’t change the fact that they believe in something, and would give anything to spend a day with Sid Vicious or Billie Joe. That all came to mind after listening to Pounders’ Hard Dirty And Fast. Its mall punk style reminded me more of MXPX and Good Charlotte than The Clash with its radio friendly style.

Just like with the mall and the stores that you never have to go into (Things Remembered, why are you still around?), there were songs on Hard Dirty And Fast that needed no further attention. “Until I’m Dead” and “Dead Man” both met their maker and didn’t give me that “let’s listen to it again” feeling. I almost felt the same way with “The Friend Zone Anthem” but then I found myself singing along and had only one note to make, I wish it had been about getting out of that zone.

Not all were like Things Remembered though, the songs that reminded me most of the Madden Brothers were the best on the record. As gross as “Vomit On The Floor” sounds, don’t be alarmed, it’s a cheer like song that would have anyone a fan of uber pop punk jumping along. Another reason Pounders screamed GC was due in part to the daddy issue slow treat “Me Against The World.”

Pounders isn’t that super punk rawk band that’ll make you think of bashing guitars onstage. They’re more the punk that’s ready for crossover radio. If you haven’t guessed by now, Hard Dirty And Fast is for fans of Good Charlotte in their earlier years, and MXPX. Hard Dirty And Fast is out now, so get it and then go crash the mall or something (bonus points for whoever knows where that’s from). - Golden Mixtape

More than half of the 20 Bay Area bands competing for an opening slot at Live 105's Not So Silent Night, featuring Jack Whit, the Shins, the Killers, M83, Tegan & Sara, Passion Pit and more on December 7 and December 8 at the Oracle Arena, are from the South Bay.

As of this this posting, Curious Quail and Light the Rocket are the two South Bay bands with the most votes. They are neck and neck for 3rd and 4th place. The first place position belongs to Livermore group Hear The Sirens. To win, some of the bands are finding creative ways to motivate their fans to vote. Dogcatcher, for instance, is offering all their albums for free online until the voting ends. Curious Quail uploaded a video explaining to their fans all the reasons why they should vote for them.

Other South bay bands in the running include Drop Dead Sixty, Fossil Tree, INFM, Pounders, Touch My Rash, The Mess, The Oarsmen and UP&GO.

More than half of the 20 Bay Area bands competing for an opening slot at Live 105's Not So Silent Night, featuring Jack Whit, the Shins, the Killers, M83, Tegan & Sara, Passion Pit and more on December 7 and December 8 at the Oracle Arena, are from the South Bay.

Voting is still open, here:
http://live105.cbslocal.com/2012/11/18/vote-for-the-nssn-local-band-2012/ - Metro Newspaper

It’s been a decade since Los Gatos quartet, Trapt, hit it big with their nu-metal single “Headstrong.” Now 10 years later, they’re getting ready to release their sixth studio album, Reborn, which comes out in January 2013.

“Headstrong” was the band’s first and biggest single. It came off of their second album (and their first major label release). It is just one of those songs that takes you right back to that specific time and place in the early 2000s when nu-metal was really exploding—heavy melodic guitar work, that mixture of hushed, pained singing and angry screaming, and hip hop-influenced metal grooves. It was all there.

While a lot of the bands from that scene have either broken up or moved on to different musical genres, Trapt has, for better or worse, stayed true to the original sound that made them famous in 2002. They’ve already released two tracks off of Reborn, both of which could comfortably sit next to “Headstrong” on an album. If anything, the new material is an angrier version of the old material.

Also on the bill are locals Pounders, who will be releasing their newest album Hard Dirty And Fast at this show. They’ve been getting attention for their blend of pop-punk, 90s alt-rock and 80s New Wave—and lead singer, Chris Pounder’s flamboyant pink Mohawk.

Trapt performs with Pounders at Musik Ink on November 23. Admission is $15 and the show starts at 7pm. - Metro Newspaper

Vote on your favorite of the finalisdts for the NSSN Local Band contest… they’ll get to open up NSSN 2012!

Band: Bonnie & the BANG BANG
Hometown: Mountain View
Website: bonniehellabangs.com
Song: ZOMBIES!

Band: Choirs
Hometown: Concord
Website: wearechoirs.com
Song: Take It

Band: Curious Quail
Hometown: San Jose
Website: curiousquail.com
Song: The Glow

Band: Dogcatcher
Hometown: Mountain View
Website: dogcatcherband.com
Song: It’s You, It’s Me

Band: Drop Dead Sixty
Hometown: San Jose
Website: http://dropdeadsixty.com/
Song: Mediatic

Band: Fossil Tree
Hometown: San Jose
Website: www.facebook.com/FossilTree
Song: Will You Show?

Band: French Cassettes
Hometown: San Francisco
Website: www.facebook.com/frenchcassettes
Song: Radley

Band: Happy Fangs
Hometown: San Francisco
Website: facebook.com/HappyFangs
Song: The Truth

Band: Hear The Sirens
Hometown: Livermore
Website: hearthesirens.com
Song: Reason To Run

Band: HIGHSOCIETY
Hometown: San Francisco
Website: thisishighsociety.com
Song: Sloptical Delusion

Band: INFM
Hometown: San Jose
Website: facebook.com/INFMtheBAND
Song: The Test

Band: Light The Rocket
Hometown: San Jose
Website: facebook.com/LightTheRocket
Song: Zombiez

Band: Our Vinyl Vows
Hometown: Petaluma
Website: http://www.ourvinylvows.com/
Song: Secret Santa

Band: King Loses Crown
Hometown: San Francisco
Website: facebook.com/kinglosescrown
Song: Fall Apart

Band: Pounders
Hometown: San Jose
Website: www.poundersband.com
Song: Until I’m Dead

Band: The Fourth And King
Hometown: San Francisco
Website: thefourthandking.com
Song: This Sudden Feeling

Band: The Mess
Hometown: San Jose
Website: facebook.com/official.the.mess
Song: Illuminations

Band: The Oarsmen
Hometown: San Jose
Website: facebook.com/TheOarsmen
Song: Three Days Days At See (Three Lost Years)

Band: Touch My Rash
Hometown: San Jose
Website: touchmyrash.com/

Band: UP&GO
Hometown: San Jose
Website: facebook.com/upandgomusic
Song: I Love Your CDs - Live105 Radio

Want to hear a band do a better Green Day impression than Green Day themselves? Check out Pounders covering "Oh Love" for our Quote Your Pulse Records Covers Compilation! Free Download at http://music.quoteyourpulse.com/ :)

Track 10: http://quoteyourpulsecovers.bandcamp.com/track/oh-love-green-day - Quote Your Pulse Records

The local band Pounders wrote this song for their Bay Area teams: the San Francisco Giants and the San Jose Earthquakes.

"I Won't Let You Win Until I'm Dead" is the first single off of Pounders' sophomore album, and singer Chris Pounders put together this video in honor of the San Francisco Giants' recent success.

"Chris is a big SJ Sharks fan and wrote it as an anthem for them and Alonso is a SF Giants fan," says Campbell resident and Pounders drummer Justin Imamura. "We wrote it for our Bay Area teams: the Sharks, Giants, A's and Niners."

Pounders, a Campbell-San Jose part-punk, part-pop, all rock band put together this music video with pieces of footage of the SF Giants' most recent highlights to their music.

"The song is about fighting to the death," Imamura says.

The new album, which features this song is being released on Halloween and the Pounders' CD release will take place on Black Friday, Nov. 23 at Musik Ink Studios, 1177 W. San Carlos St. in San Jose. - Cupertino Patch

Jonathan Jennings and Quote Your Pulse Records has once again put together a new compilation of music, this time consisting entirely of covers. This time, he received “nearly 100 submissions,” picking just 25 out of them (source). The track listing itself consists of some recognizable locals, as well as some new names; or at least new to me. The compilation will be available as a free download on October 31st, 2012.

The track listing:

1. not an Airplane ft. Irene Irene – “Oh to be a Wagon Wheel” (Two Sheds/Bob Dylan)
2. Starters – “If I Ain’t Got You” (Alicia Keys)
3. Default American – “Gimme Little Sign” (Brenton Wood)
4. The Rocket – “We Are Never Getting Back Together” (Taylor Swift)
5. Colton Saylor – “Freaks and Geeks” (Childish Gambino)
6. Adam Bishop – “Kiss Me” (Sixpence None the Richer)
7. Alchemy Hour – “First of the Year – Equinox” (Skrillex)
8. Ship of Foolz – “Summertime” (Louis Armstrong)
9. Josh Rosenblum Band – “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (Guns N’ Roses)
10. Pounders – “Oh Love” (Green Day)
11. Scott Patrick Little – “Jolene” (Rey Lamontagne)
12. Honey B – “Brand New Second Hand” (Peter Tosh)
13. Otoño – “Ghostbusters” (Ray Parker Jr.)
14. Double Lined Minority – “Pumped Up Kicks” (Foster The Kids)
15. The Airlings – “Eyes on the Prize” (M. Ward)
16. Westbound – “So Lonesome I Could Cry” (Hank Williams)
17. Micol Cazzell – “You’ve Done It Again, Virginia” (The National)
18. Max Minardi – “House of the Rising Sun” (The Animals)
19. Word of Man – “Master’s House” (J. Tillman of Fleet Foxes)
20. Maggie Watkins – “Merry Go Round” (Kacey Musgraves)
21. A’ La Lune – “Iron Lion Zion” (Bob Marley)
22. Broken Trojan – “Mad World” (Tears for Fears)
23. Lino Alibani – “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” (Johnny Cash)
24. Scott Baltezore – “Body In a Box (City and Colour)
25. Lolvia Yella – “Nineteen” (Tegan and Sara) - AlsoFrightened.com

Buzz Track: Until I’m Dead

Who was that guy with pink mohawk on The X Factor? That was the lead singer Chris Pounders from the Pounders, a punk rock trio from San Jose CA. They are currently being played on alternative radio stations LIVE 105-SF, and 107.7 The Bone-SF. They have opened for Alkaline Trio, Filter, and Mike Herrera of MXPX. They’re last album “Chasing The Sun” was played and sold in Hot Topic stores across the nation. - Kings of A&R

Buzz Track: Until I’m Dead

Who was that guy with pink mohawk on The X Factor? That was the lead singer Chris Pounders from the Pounders, a punk rock trio from San Jose CA. They are currently being played on alternative radio stations LIVE 105-SF, and 107.7 The Bone-SF. They have opened for Alkaline Trio, Filter, and Mike Herrera of MXPX. They’re last album “Chasing The Sun” was played and sold in Hot Topic stores across the nation. - Kings of A&R

Hot off the presses and the new Joey Voodoo Music Video of the week is “Scream and Let It Go” by a favorite band of ours the Pounders!!

Pounders: Chris Pounders – Guitar & Lead Vocals, Alonso Hernandez – Bass & Backup Vocals, Justin Imamura – Drums

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Genre: Rock/Pop-Punk

Label: N/A - Joey Voodoo

The Pounders have released a new music video for their single “Me Against the World” from their new upcoming acoustic EP! - Joey Voodoo

The time has finally come for us to announce our “Top 10 Songs of 2011!” This by no means was an easy task for us as we had the honor and privilege to showcase many bands this past year. The music we selected for our list were of musicians that have been profiled on Joey Voodoo throughout the year (with the exception of one, who we just ran out of time to post about). A couple bands released their albums in December 2010 and we didn’t want to exclude them. Our Top 10 is not specific to one genre and was compiled by Joey, RadioNoise, Brandi, and The Roje. The songs we selected…plain and simple are songs that as a group we just totally enjoyed and loved.

So let’s get to it…

#7 Pounders – “Chasing the Sun” - Joey Voodoo

The local band Pounders wrote this song for their Bay Area teams: the San Francisco Giants and the San Jose Earthquakes.

"I Won't Let You Win Until I'm Dead" is the first single off of Pounders' sophomore album and singer Chris Pounders put together this video in honor of the San Francisco Giants' recent success.

"Chris is a big SJ Sharks fan and wrote it as an anthem for them and Alonso is a SF Giants fan," says Campbell resident and Pounders drummer Justin Imamura. "We wrote it for our Bay Area teams: the Sharks, Giants, As and Niners."

Pounders, a Campbell-San Jose part punk, part pop, all rock band put together this music video with pieces of footage of the SF Giants' most recent highlights to their music.

"The song is about fighting to the death," Imamura says.

The new album, which features this song is being released on Halloween and the Pounders' CD release will take place on Black Friday, Nov. 23 at Musik Ink Studios, 1177 W. San Carlos St. in San Jose.

More information can be found on Pounders' Facebook page.

Check out the official World Series schedule here. - Cupertino Patch

Local rock/pop-punk band POUNDERS releases new music video for their song “Scream And Let It Go”.

POUNDERS is a San Jose-based band that has been spreading their rock and roll roots around the Bay Area and taking their audiences by storm over the past few years. The trio is composed of Chris Pounders (Guitar & Lead Vocals), Alonso Hernandez (Bass & Backup Vocals), and Justin Imamura (Drums & Percussion). The band premiered their debut music video last year in Spring 2011 after their second album “Chasing the Sun” was released and has since been ringing in rock and roll lovers all around the Bay. The trio recently finished their second video for “Scream And Let It Go” which came out in late September 2012.

The rock/pop-punk band lights up the screen in their new video for “Scream And Let It Go” and makes it difficult not to jump up and sing and dance with them from the other side of the computer screen. The band gets down and jams out in front of a graffiti-style background and switches back and forth to them walking down the street belting out their infectious tune. It is a very inspirational, fist-pumping song which is perfectly accompanied with their second ever music video. And can we just say that Chris Pounders’ neon pink mohawk adds a little spice to this video and makes every one of us jealous? I think yes.

POUNDERS would like to thank Colin Goheen from local Bay Area band Our Vinyl Vows and Ricky Kelly for directing and producing the music video. - Live105 Radio

This Campbell-San Jose based band released their newest music video Sept. 25 and singer, Chris Pounders appears on X-Factor tonight.

The three guys from Campbell and San Jose that make up Pounders have been busy since the last time we spoke with them.

They won the Battle of the Bands competition in Gilroy this summer, just released their newest artistic endeavor on Sept. 25 and the band's singer, Chris Pounders, will make an appearance on X-Factor tonight.

The band's newest music video captures the energy these three guys have in person. The lyrics will stay with you long after you finish watching.

Campbell Patch caught up with Pounders, Justin Imamura and Alonso Hernandez to talk about their latest effort, a brand new music video.



Campbell Patch: Tell me a little about the song.

Pounders: The song was written a long time ago. Approximately 2005. The song was originally written electronically with an 80's Cure feel. The lyrics were inspired from a friend who was going through a tough time. As the band formed and needed songs to play live, we took the song and rewrote it in a more punk rock format that you'll hear on the music video.

Patch: Where was the video shot and why did you choose this location/s (I hear a part of it was shot at Imamura studios, in Campbell)?

Pounders: The performance portion of the video was shot in Justin's (Drummer) Studio. We originally had our minds set on finding a cool location to film the performance scenes, but then changed our minds. We chose to build our own location! We built 3 12x10 walls, and build our own stage inside Justin's Studio with help from his neighbor. Painting the walls was done in three full days leading up to the shoot.

The walking and singing portions were shot right by the San Francisco Giants Stadium. We wanted to capture a beautiful day in the Bay Area in the video. We wanted local fans to feel apart of the video in a sense.

Patch: How long did it take to produce?

Pounders: The shoot lasted approximately seven hours. And the post production was done in about a month and a half.

Patch: Highlights? Bloopers?

Pounders: We were really focused and had a good plan of attack on the day of the filming, so there wasn't many bloopers. But you'll find that if you spend any time with us, there's always something funny going on. We did shoot a couple funny parts, but in the end, they just weren't appropriate for the video. We played a small game of baseball on the Giants field but it just didn't work out. Maybe we will consider a directors cut in the near future.

A definite highlight for us was seeing the footage that day on the camera as we were filming. It was exciting to see the quality and energy we were capturing. Everyone that was apart of filming that day had a good feeling about this video, and we knew people would love it. There's just this feeling of excitement you get when your filming, or editing, or recording or writing a new song ... It's hard to explain, but it's almost like the "it" feeling. It's that seal of the deal that you can feel inside and you just know its going to be great.

Patch: What are your final thoughts on the finished product?

Pounders: As a band, I think we are all very very happy with the turn out. Our goal was to make a music video that showed people our energy, and our character, and our passion and love for what we do, and how we do it. And I think that's exactly what we got!

It's got this old 90's feel to it almost, which is amazing. It's simple, and to the point. And I believe that through the entire three and a half minutes, and very entertaining. We'd like to make a special thanks to Colin from the Bay Area band Our Vinyl Vows for helping us with our vision and bringing it to life and filming and producing such a beautiful music video.

Watch Chris Pounders, singer of Pounders tonight on X-Factor. - Campbell Patch

In addition to hosting more than 20 local musicians throughout downtown San Jose on Saturday, Silicon Valley Sound eXperience honored local performers who have helped shape the Silicon Valley music scene with the first ever SVSX awards.

Awards were presented at a VIP party featuring music from electronic music award winner Boy Friend Academy, appetizers from Little Counter and dessert from Treatbot, and wine from Vino Vino.

Best Band
Anya & the Get Down

Hip-Hop
Dirtbag Dan

Singer/Songwriter
Ben Henderson

New Band
Drop Dead Sixty

Rock
Pounders

Punk
Jonny Manak

Blues
Blues Angel

DJ
Cutso

Electronic
Boyfriend Academy

Folk
Kavanaugh Brothers

Avant Garde
Corpus Callosum

Country
Longliner

Alternative
Color (formerly Bell Thieves)

Jazz
Contra Ville

Latin
Cumbia Tokeson

Metal
Shadow Beat Ritual

Funk
So Timeless

Cover Band
Sage

World Beat/International
Monkey

Best Song
The Glow by Curious Quail - Metro Newspaper

Pounders is one of three local bands competing this weekend in the Battle of the Bands in Gilroy.

This is one local band that doesn’t want to waste their time.

Just recently they were featured in Rolling Stone Magazine and singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Pounders was featured in a David Lynch video.

This Saturday, the three guys from San Jose and Campbell compete as one of three top bands in Gilroy's Battle of the Bands at the former Gasligher Theater of Gilroy, now named 9Lives Club.

From the beginning, things have always been all or nothing for the three guys that make up Pounders, a local part punk, part pop, all rock band.

“It’s kind of another disco era right now,” Singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Pounders says. “We hope that punk rock makes a comeback but it’s gonna take more than just power chords. It’s something we’re working on.”

This ambition and pursuit of music has been a part of Alonso Hernandez, Pounders and Justin Imamura’s lives.

Hernandez grew up with his father playing guitar, encouraging him to pursue music as early as third grade. He joined the school band and in high school discovered jazz.

Like Hernandez, Pounders credits his father, a drummer, as an influence as well. For Imamura, a Boy Scout trip that exposed him to Metallica set the budding drummer on his musical path.

The three came together one summer in 2006 after performing for the School of Rock at Great America and the band was formed the following year.

So what does Pounders sound like? Singer/guitarist Pounders tries to explain.

“A lot of people say we sound like old Green Day,” he says. “We’ve been classified as punk rock but every song has its own style. So we aren’t playing the same song seven times. We aren’t afraid of a ballad.”

He’s true to his word. Just take a listen to track nine on the band’s 2011 album “Chasing the Sun.”

Bassist Hernandez adds that there’s a bit of 1980s influence as well.

“There’s definitely a new wave mixed with punk rock,” he says. “It’s pop-y but with an edge.”

Take a listen to the group's track five on the same album and there's definitely the Cure influence to it.

Live music performance has been an integral way for each to push their musical skills and an area in which they want to leave their mark.

Pounders has performed at super bowl half times, was in the NBA All-Star Game with Stomp in Las Vegas, the Latin Grammy’s and America’s Got Talent. Locally, he and Imamura are in a drum performance group, Street Drum Corps.

Imamura has also appeared in Projekt Revolution Tour, hosted Nickelodeon's Slime Time LIVE, choreographs routines and performs in stage shows including Paramount’s School of Rock LIVE! and also spends time behind the scenes as a puppeteer at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo.

“We don’t just play, we perform,” Imamura says. “There are theatrics because we all have performance backgrounds. Our goal: create a lasting memory for someone.”

So when the live music scene began to lose venues for the guys to make those memories, they knew that they had to do something.
Helping Build the Local Music Scene

Back in the day, the various burgeoning music scenes throughout the Bay Area, including San Jose and Campbell would allow for musicians to network, work together to develop a scene.

"If the scene itself isn’t thriving, the bands don’t thrive," Hernandez says. "Every time there’s been a music scene, there’s been a change. There's so much music that is getting crammed down our throats by the industry. Every time a band broke out, like Metallica, Green Day (both Bay Area bands), that wasn’t what was being heard (on the radio) at the time. It’s refreshing for the music scene too. It becomes exciting again, it inspires others."

But live music is "tough right now," Pounders says.

Many local live music venues have closed, including the Chemical-Free Zone, a weekly safe place for local teens to listen to live music for $5 at the Campbell Community Center and the Gaslighter Theater.

“My favorite memories are seeing bands and playing at the Gaslighter in Campbell,” Imamura says.

The three musicians talk about a time where there were plenty of options to see live music in and around Campbell.

“Those were really fun times,” Hernandez says. “The Gaslighter was the go-to venue everyone HAD to play at. When they closed, it was all downhill for the local music scene.”

With a shortage of all ages or 16 and over venues, the group says it is harder for local musicians like themselves to get to younger fans right in their own communities.

“It’s just really hard to get to these kids because they just don’t know what’s going on in their own backyards and there’s no way for them to be exposed to it,” Hernandez says.

One way they have been able to reach at least some of the youth in the South bay is by “paying homage” as Imamura says to local high schools.

“We play shows at Prospect and Fremont high schools during the - Campbell Patch

The South County band POUNDERS won the final Battle of the Bands competition at 9Lives in Gilroy because of their multi-genre music and eccentric performance.

Twenty-four bands made their way from the southern and northern tips of California to compete in Battle of the Bands at Gilroy’s 9Lives, but a South County band called POUNDERS ultimately prevailed during the final round of competition on Saturday.

“There were a lot of great bands in this competition and to know that the judges ranked us number one was humbling,” POUNDERS member Alonso Hernandez said. “The camaraderie was something that fueled us during our set. I can honestly say that our set felt like the best 45 minutes we've played as a band in our six years.”

POUNDERS, stemming out of Campbell and San Jose, is comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Pounders, bassist and backup vocalist Alonso Hernandez and drummer Justin Imamura.

The band’s fusion of punk, pop and rock, coupled with its creative stage performance induced applause from spectators and some hostility from fans of the band DeathMaster, which competed in the final round along with ILLFUSIoN.

"There will always be disappointed fans when their band doesn’t win, but in the end it’s about the music," 9Lives Co-owner Jorge Briones said.

The winning band was determined through a point system based on five categories: marketing, music/songwriting, professionalism, crowd response and the number of tickets purchased for each band.

Judges also compared each band against the qualities record labels seek in promoting a band, like their level of development and whether they have room to grow, and looked at whether each band had improved over the course of the three-month competition, while also evaluating the efforts band members put forth in promoting their band during the show and in between sets, Briones said.

“There is a lot of discussion that is fairly gut wrenching and honest. In the end, after the scores were tallied and the discussion was had, all four judges agreed unanimously that in their opinion, POUNDERS was most deserving of the win,” Briones said. “If it was just a popularity contest, like most or all of the other battle of the bands, then the result may have been different. However, 9Lives’ goal is to find the best band and not just the one that brought in the most people, which incidentally was POUNDERS.”

Fifty-four people purchased tickets specifically to see POUNDERS, 41 bought tickets for ILLFUSIoN and seven tickets were purchased for DeathMaster.

Another factor in determining the winner was whether each band was able to entertain with smooth transitions between songs, which POUNDERS undoubtedly did with their garbage-can drum performance and eccentrically-dressed dancers, some of which were clothed in furry animal costumes like the ICEE bear.

“We pulled out all the stops and just wanted to create a party atmosphere on stage,” Hernandez said. “Our goal was to break down barriers between ‘band’ and ‘audience’ and make the crowd feel like they were a part of the show and experience.”

POUNDERS will use Saturday’s winnings, which includes 500 bucks and recording time, to complete a second music video for the song Scream And Let It Go from their album Chasing The Sun.

“We had great response from our video with the title track and want to use that momentum to continue promotion on this album and get the word out for our acoustic album,” Hernandez said.

The video is expected to be released sometime this summer. - Gilroy Patch

Justin Imamura from Campbell is performing in San Jose tonight with his drumming group, Street Drum Corps.

Residents of Campbell live many lives. Some produce craft shows, others watch the birds and some travel the globe playing their music. This resident lives his life to the beat of a drum, literally.

Justin Imamura, one of three members of local band Pounders is part of a larger group called Street Drum Corps, a theatrical drumming troupe that takes its show on the road, wowing both adults and children alike.

Imamura has been with the group for seven years now and auditioned in Los Angeles with the three founding members. The group now boasts more than 30 drummers and performs at theme parks, sporting events, fairs and has made appearances on the Conan O'Brien show and American Idol.

"I love the energy and the fact that we get to bang on recycled objects instead of a traditional drum kit," Imamura says. "It's a totally new circus and medium to drum on. And every member is super cool. That’s what makes it fun."

The group played the main stage at San Jose's Subzero Festival in June and recently received "Best Ensemble" from Drum Magazine, beating out Blue Man Group. Tonight, they return to San Jose to be presented with their award and will emcee and perform at tonight's Drum Night 2012 at San Jose's Civic Auditorium. - Campbell Patch

Chris Pounders has had the weirdest run of luck lately. He got cast in a David Lynch video despite not only never having seen a Lynch film, but not even knowing who Lynch was. Clearly, anyone with a pink Mohawk should know that particular filmography (Pounders, to his credit, has since corrected this).

His band, Pounders, is doing well, too. They played their most gigs ever this month, and will wind up with their show tonight at the Blank Club, as well as a Warped Tour set tomorrow and a spot on the SF Pride main stage on Sunday.

But this week Pounders had yet another weird run-in with celebrity. They’re all weird, it seems like. Maybe it’s just something about Chris—he’s young, sincere, enthusiastic and oddly innocent for someone with his punk-meets-art look. He’s charming, and kind of up for anything, whether it not it fits into the image that other people project onto him.

Which is undoubtedly what led him to the auditions for The X Factor held in San Francisco on Monday. Suddenly, he found himself in front of TV arch-villain Simon Cowell, and the other judges Britney Spears, L.A. Reid and Demi Lovato. I’m not sure what exactly he did, but he definitely made an impression:

The “#TWINSES” reference—and yes, I am absolutely ashamed I know this—has to do with the fact that the 19-year-old Lovato debuted her own pink hair—just the tips, in this case—at the auditions on Monday, causing a stir among fans and celeb-watchers.

How far Pounders gets on X Factor remains to be seen. The second season of the show debuts Sept 12-13 at 8pm. The winner of this season receives a $5 million recording contract with Epic Records. - Metro Newspaper

When Chris Pounders cut his hair into a Mohawk, he never thought David Lynch would want to set it on fire.

The vocalist and guitarist of San Jose pop-punk band Pounders—which won a round of the Battle of the Bands at 9 Lives in Gilroy last week, and will compete in the semi-finals in March—has had his hawk for a few years now. It’s been blond, red, pink and black, and to say the least, it’s given him a distinctive look both onstage and in the acting work he occasionally does. Distinctive enough that Lynch handpicked him to be in the video for his song “Crazy Clown Time,” the title track from Lynch’s bizarre recent album.
Pounders doesn’t know when the video will be coming out, but he filmed his part three weeks ago. In it, he appears to light his hair on fire, though the effect was actually achieved by cutting a shot of him putting a match close to his hair with a shot of a matching Mohawk on a fake Chris Pounders head going up in flames.

“The video is just as messed up as the music is,” he promises.

The ironic thing is that his trademark look isn’t even a huge political statement on Pounders’ part; it was originally done as an emergency measure after his hair was massacred on a shoot. He planned to keep it just one day but ended up loving it.

“I have a Mohawk, I have tattoos, but I don’t consider myself a punk rocker,” says the 26-year-old Pounders, though it is clearly a bit of a tribute to the hard-core punks he encountered in his formative years: “When I was growing up, those guys were crazy.”

Similarly, people often tell the band—which also includes drummer Justin Imamura and bassist Alonso Hernandez—that they sound like old-school punks. This puzzles them to no end, since they’re the first to admit they don’t. Besides their look, this perception has more to do with the energy of their shows; they’re a lot rawer in concert. Pounders accurately describes their sound on record as “old Green Day meets the Cure.”

If that sounds like a pretty ingenious combination for the current music climate, you’re not the only one who thinks so. Live 105's Aaron Axelsen has played three of their songs so far: “Scream and Let It Go,” “Chasing the Sun” (the title track from their debut album) and the new “Dead Man.”

But Pounders isn’t too impressed with the retro-’80s movement, feeling like the current groups have drawn way too heavily from the synth side of the electro-dance/guitar-band split that existed in the music of that decade. The band’s unofficial motto is “Put away your dancing shows, turn off that drum machine.”

“I’m trying to go more toward the dark, emotional, energetic ’80s stuff,” he says.

To hear their stuff getting airplay is a validation of the huge push the band has made in the last couple of years. Though he recognizes that radio has less importance than it once did, Pounders compares the importance of it in his mind to the 1994 flop-turned-cult-movie Airheads, where Adam Sandler, Brendan Fraser and Steve Buscemi break into a radio station to get their record aired.

“They raided the radio station just to get that one play,” he says. “To me, it still feels like that. It’s still exciting.”

In actuality, though, Pounders has been around since the mid-2000s. Pounders met Imamura when they were both in high school, drumming at Great America. The pair began playing together, then met Hernandez when they went back to star in Great America’s “School of Rock” show.

Nor, by the way, were any of these the weirdest gig the band members have had. Imamura has hosted Nickelodeon’s Slime Time Live, and Pounders took a couple of years off from the band to perform full-time with Stomp in Las Vegas, including their show at the NBA All-Star Game. They actually incorporate their drumming experience into some of their shows by performing trash-can drumming during their set.

In fact, considering that his last name, from which the band derived their moniker, is the one he had at birth, and not a sta - Metro Newspaper

There comes a time in every band’s life where the members need a change. Michael Owens has left Secrets, Mötley Crüe have signed a binding legal document forbidding them from ever reforming when they break up, and Amanda Palmer’s Dresden Dolls called it quits and Palmer kicked the music industry aside in favor of crowd funding.

That doesn’t mean every change needs to be an end or, indeed, a complete rebirth. It can be remodel, a building on the old foundations and a desire for something new. That’s the way Pounders have headed and their new song, “Separate Ways,” is a hint at what’s to follow in the new album.

The new track, they tell me (and for those of you who haven’t heard it), has “a really cool dance chorus with a nice reggae pre chorus that gives it groove.” Let’s be absolutely clear about one thing: Pounders haven’t dropped their instruments in favor of a DJ set and they certainly haven’t stolen Skrillex’s mojo. Their punk-rock ideals are as tried and true as they ever have been.

“Our music is certainly drifting away from a traditional punk-rock sound but we maintain the punk rock ideals.”

Their ideals are the DIY mentality, the “us against the system” attitude and that love for local bands and the hustle. To Pounders, that’s true punk-rock. With those ideals at the very core of what they do (their musical idols are what they call “true punks”) they want to push themselves musically and, frankly, expect more from themselves. They’re not knocking punk-rock, they’re expanding their horizons (those horizons all ready include Misfits, Fleetwood Mac, Joy Division, 311 and The Smiths).

While the track has been praised highly (Purevolume said they “hit the nail right on the head”) they didn’t simply turn up to work one day and hammer out a new sound. Work. That’s the key word.

“We believe that hard work pays off. Simple as that. We bust our ass to create the best music, best show, best marketing, best experience for our fans.”

I bet your band isn’t that punk rock.

“We always want the music to speak for itself,” they continue, “but Pounders is all about the full experience.”

That hard work resulted in a lot of songs that simply didn’t cut it. At last count there were 30 that had been worked out for the album but the band were willing to try anything and everything to get it right. In the end they decided on a simple rule, “there’s no room for songs we weren’t 100 percent excited for”.

They quote jazz legend Miles Davis after he was asked why he stopped playing ballads, the type of song he was most known for.

“I stopped playing ballads because I love playing ballads.” Davis retorted.

For Pounders that means: “…he did all he could with the ballad form and that he was in his comfort zone. He needed to do something that was different to survive and thrive as an artist.”

Which is exactly what Pounders had in mind going into writing the new record. “Pop punk is a form we can have a blast playing all day, but that won’t help us grow as artists.”

Part of that growth was deciding what they wanted on the album before they’d started writing it and not slipping into the all too easy old habits. The sound of the album, while “Separate Ways” is a good hint, is going to be more dynamic. In the band’s own words, “what’s the point of releasing 12 songs that all sound the same?”

“When you limit yourself to one specific genre…you put a limit on yourself creatively. We hate limitations.”

There are no limits with honesty (though perhaps in some cases there should be) and that’s something that Pounders hold in high regard. It’s a case of coming from the heart (they quip that makes them truly different is that they’re one of few bands who play their own instruments and write their own songs) because, let’s be honest, music that doesn’t sounds boring, forced and contrived. Which is something that they want to stay well away from.

“Honesty is everything. People can tell when you say something from the heart…music is about conveying emotions and feelings to people as a way to evoke emotion from them. Touching people’s lives is what music is all about.”

No matter what comes out of Pounders musically, how they evolve and what they explore, there is no doubting that their commitment to honesty and their love for what they do will come through in any song. They’re committed to playing from the heart and they stress that makes “team DTP so great” is how receptive they are to band’s growth. - Substream Magazine

Combining hard rock and pop-punk, Pounders are capturing the attention of San Jose's rebounding rock scene with heartfelt lyrics and fine musicianship. This summer, they released a video for the melodic "Chasing the Sun." Now, if I could only talk to lead singer Chris Pounders about his Sanjaya-looking Mohawk. They play this show with the Relay Company. - Beau Dowling - SanJose.com

Chris Pounders is having quite a year. The David Lynch video he is in, for "Crazy Clown Time," finally came out. He plays the character of Dee Dee, in what amounts to a creepy, literal depiction of the song's lyrics. Of all the characters having a "crazy clown time" in the video's dimly lit backyard, Pounders' has the craziest. (Watch for the moment around 3:15 where he douses his Mohawk in lighter fluid and lights it on fire. It's just an effect, of course, but it's a pretty convincing one.) Now his San Jose pop-punk band Pounders is having its busiest month ever in June, winding up this week with their gigs at Warped Tour and on the main stage at SF Pride. But before that, they'll play their biggest local show in quite some time at Blank—an excellent opportunity for the hometown crowd to make a showing for one of the fastest ascending South Bay bands. - SanJose.com

Back at the beginning of the year, Chris Pounders landed an unusual gig. The frontman for the South Bay alt-rock band Pounders also does a bit of acting on the side, and his unusual look got him an appearance in the video for the title track to David Lynch’s album Crazy Clown Time. In fact, Lynch, who directed the video himself, handpicked Pounders for the role. After filming in February, the “Crazy Clown Time” video has finally been released.

After doing the shoot, Pounders promised me the video would be “as messed up as the music is,” and if you’ve heard Lynch’s album, you know that’s pretty messed up. But he didn’t exaggerate.

“It’s so weird,” says Pounders now, after seeing the finished product.

Pounders plays the character of Dee Dee, in what amounts to a creepy, literal depiction of the song’s lyrics. Of all the characters having a “crazy clown time” in the video’s dimly lit backyard, Pounders’ has the craziest. You can see the video on the next page; watch for the moment around 3:15 where he douses his Mohawk in lighter fluid and lights it on fire. It’s just an effect, of course, but it’s a pretty convincing one. Pounders said after filming he was impressed with the fake Chris Pounders head Lynch had made for the moment of combustion.

The funny thing is that Pounders had never even seen one of Lynch’s films before going in front of the camera with him. Even the casting guy who called him to offer him the gig couldn’t believe it, and kept asking him questions like “You’ve never seen Mulholland Drive?”

Now, of course, Pounders is well aware of what a big deal Lynch is, and he’s enjoying reading the varying reactions to the video on Facebook and YouTube.

“Some people love it, and some people are like ‘what the hell is this?’” says Pounders.

As for what it was like to be directed by Lynch, Pounders says “he’s actually a really, really nice, friendly guy.” And he’s just as quirky as fans of his movies would expect.

“When he was directing everybody for all of their separate parts, he would pretty much act it out himself,” he says.

Back here at the home, his band has a few things going on as well. After taking the semi-finals on March 30, Pounders will compete in the Battle of the Bands finals at 9 Lives in Gilroy April 21. They also just raised $3,000 on Kickstarter to film the video for their song “Scream and Let It Go.” And as they put the finishing touches on an acoustic release, they’re opening a Pounders store this week at pounders.bigcartel.com. - Metro Newspaper

Lynch has been making freaky tunes for a while, but the video is what you need to see: It's like a mini-Mulholland Dr. starring a crazed line-backer, a megabuxom topless chick and fire-mohawk guy right here.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/rs-playlist/david-lynch-crazy-clown-time-video-20120413#ixzz1twG20SRX - Rolling Stone

Bay Area based punk rock group Pounders will perform at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California next month with Riverboat Gamblers and Alkaline Trio. The show will take place at 8 PM on Thursday, March 1st. Pounders’ album Chasing The Sun, is available at iTunes now. The band shot a video for the title track, which you can check out online.

TIDBIT: For tickets head to: http://www.axs.com/san-francisco-ca/help.
TIDBIT: For more on Pounders, check out: www.poundersband.com.

Posted by Jeff Cornell on 2012-02-23 13:16:12 - MTV Radio Network

Last night a solid Top 20 list of Bay Area local bands was posted on LIVE105.com but I feel that some other bands made some big accomplishments this past year and I would like to recognize them. Also, a few that I just recently found that I would like to share with you. Enjoy this list in no particular order.

Now I’m still thrown off a little bit by the band’s name (Pounders) but they’re already making a name for themselves in the San Jose music scene and they can’t be denied that they’ve already started building a strong fan base. - Live105 Radio

Pounders Photos from various shows:
Bay Area Bands 2010
Battle of the Bands 2010 (with Guest Drummer: Thomas Tissot)
The Avalon Santa Clara with Street Drum Corps 2011 - Morgan Richardson Art

Bay Area music fans unite! It’s time for YOU to decide which local artist should open up Live 105's seminal holiday concert NOT SO SILENT NIGHT 2011

We received 117 demo entries this year and the Live 105 Music Committee carefully reviewed EACH submission before coming up with this final 15 list

Check out the bands, listen to each track and then VOTE at the conclusion of this blog for the ONE Bay Area band you want to open up for JANE’S ADDICTION, MUMFORD AND SONS, FLORENCE + THE MACHINE, BUSH and YOUNG THE GIANT on Friday, December 9 at Oakland’s Oracle Arena

and click on each band name for more artist info!

VOTING ENDS ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4 @ 5PM with the winning band announced on Soundcheck at 8pm!

Thanks,
Aaron Axelsen, Live 105 Music Director - Live105 Radio

Bay Area music fans unite! It’s time for YOU to decide which local artist should open up Live 105's seminal holiday concert NOT SO SILENT NIGHT 2011

We received 117 demo entries this year and the Live 105 Music Committee carefully reviewed EACH submission before coming up with this final 15 list

Check out the bands, listen to each track and then VOTE at the conclusion of this blog for the ONE Bay Area band you want to open up for JANE’S ADDICTION, MUMFORD AND SONS, FLORENCE + THE MACHINE, BUSH and YOUNG THE GIANT on Friday, December 9 at Oakland’s Oracle Arena

and click on each band name for more artist info!

VOTING ENDS ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4 @ 5PM with the winning band announced on Soundcheck at 8pm!

Thanks,
Aaron Axelsen, Live 105 Music Director - Live 105

Justin Imamura is not only a drummer, he¢s a DJ and Producer. As a matter of fact, if you can¢t find Justin playing the drums, doing percussion movement, creating new beats, or hosting parties, he's probably cutting hair at his studio. He absolutely loves his instrument and when you pair that love with an intense energy level, an amazing attitude and the ultimate in respect for all people, you¢ve got yourself one heck of a musician. Justin packs a full schedule, filling it with live performances at the Projekt Revolution Tour, Vans Warped Tour, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and he hosted Nickelodeon's Slime Time LIVE. He choreographs routines and performs in stage shows such as Paramount¢s School of Rock LIVE!, Street Drum Corps presents BANG!, Street Scene, Hurley Fashion Shows and yes, plenty of hair shows. This one-of-a-kind Drummer was featured in Drum! Magazines April 2007 issue as the "New Blood" drummer to look out for. Though he has a full load, Justin doesn¢t let go of his passion for music. He often spends time composing with other musicians, constantly surrounds himself with anything related to his field and keeps one thing ahead of it all: The music. Check out Justin now performing with Street Drum Corps and Good Guys in Black." - Big Bang Distribution

The Pounders have just released a limited-edition “Chasing the Sun” album at various Hot Topic locations. The album can also be purchased online through Hot Topic. Only 500 copies have been made so act fast before they’re all SOLD OUT!

The Album includes to un-released tracks recently playing on Bay Area Rock Station LIVE 105 “Soundcheck” and 2 re-mixes by HUGEGOLD and AJ Orbit. - Joey Voodoo

The Bay Area Music Scene continues to produce a bevy of strong talent from its ranks and here we highlight our FIVE favorite new LIVE 105 local bands.

POUNDERS

HOMETOWN: San Jose

UPCOMING SHOW: Saturday, April 30 @ The X Bar at Homestead Lanes, Cupertino, with UNDERGONE and NORTHERN SON

BAND FUN FACTS: members Chris and Justin were back-up singers for 30 SECONDS TO MARS on Conan and Chris was on America’s Got Talent, plus performed live at the NBA All-Star game in Las Vegas a few years ago with STOMP

LISTEN: to the summer punk-pop anthem SCREAM AND LET IT GO - Live105 Radio

Out of San Jose comes the infectious rock/pop-punk music of the Pounders. Chris Pounders (guitar/lead vocals), Alonso Hernandez (bass/vocals) and Justin Imamura (drums) are rapidly creating a “buzz” with their music but also with their lively and energetic live shows. The Pounders have taken the Bay Area music scene by storm and are poised to spread their music to the masses.

Jessica: So I’m curious, how did you guys choose the name “Pounders” for your band name ?

Pounders: Well my name is Chris Pounders, and since I am the lead singer and song writer for Pounders, someone mentioned that we should name the band ‘Pounders’ and that no one would forget it. I told the band that I didn’t want to get crap in the future for the band being named after me hahaha so I told them to agree on it, So the band agreed on it. And we all love it.

Jessica: What is your message behind your music?

Pounders: Music is a way for us to express our feelings. And there’s so many feelings that I try and explain and sing about through all our songs. But most off all, we want to come across as a positive band. We want our music to help people through their lives.

Jessica: Besides your fantastic music you are know for your energetic shows. What’s your guys’ way to get the crowed pumped ?

Pounders: Getting the crowd pumped up is something we all have been trying to master. Especially me being the front man on stage. I like to watch and study other famous front men from other bands and use and re create the energy they output. Before you can pump up a crowd, you need their respect. Ill wait 1 or 2 songs in before I try and get them pumped up, unless we are in front of a hometown crowd. I strategically write songs and set lists sometimes just for crowd interaction. Once I feel the crowd is engaged and digging our band, I’ll start asking them to count off songs for us, throw their hands up, scream, that type of stuff.

Jessica: How was you past show at Great America?

Pounders: Our last show at great america was a blast. It’s a cool new set up they have now. Everyone can sit on the grassy knoll and just chill out to live music after a long day of rides and waiting in lines. We made lots of new fans and got to see lots of friends. So it was what we consider a successful show.

Jessica: Your album “Chasing the Sun” was released in the winter of 2010…what’s next for you guys?

Pounders: We still are a locally based band. So there’s still millions of people who have yet to hear our album “Chasing The Sun”. So we really need to focus on gettin it out to more people. And that in itself is a struggle beyond explaining. But we also want to keep our current fans happy, so right now we are about to finish an acoustic album I put together. It’s basically a collection of songs you wouldn’t normally hear in a Pounders set. Its not at all like our last album, just acoutic guitar and vocals. We feel that this will be a nice way for fans of our music to still get some new tunes to sing too and still anticipate and be excited for the next full band album which won’t be out for awhile. Also, we just released a music video for the title track “Chasing The Sun” which is live on our YouTube channel and we are planning the next music video right now for the song “Scream and let it go”, which should release in sometime September. So there’s definitely stuff to look forward to for all of our fans.

Jessica: Lastly, any shoutouts ?

Pounders: Shout out to Live 105, and Aaron Axelson! He’s a big supporter and he’s done a lot of exciting stuff for us lately. Barb Rocks. Other local San Jose bands! Also friends at Great America, they have supported us for a very long time. Personal family an friends, they try and make as many shows as they can which we are thankful for. And last but not least, God for blessing our lives with music and talent so we could help other people and express ourselves freely and creatively. - Joey Voodoo

I first saw Pounders a year ago at the VooDoo Lounge and was instantly impressed! I had a feeling that this San Jose trio would come up quickly in the scene and a year later I can proudly say they have done an excellent job solidifying their pop-punk sound and exuberant stage presence.

Pounders just played my birthday show on July 2 at the Britannia Arms in Cupertino and they were in prime form! Singer/guitarist Chris Pounders has such a melodic twang in his vocals that give the songs a soothing bite, delivered with his boyish smile and curly mohawk that you can't help but adore. Chris has such amazing stage experience, which I'm sure helped him secure a role in Stomp Out Loud back in 2007. Justin Imamura, who's toured with Street Drum Corps, stands out on percussion; he's so much fun to watch with his powerful and energetic drumming style, that many have compared to Travis Barker (Blink-182/Transplants). It's evident after one song that Justin is an accomplished drummer; and I can't help but get sucked in watching him twirl his drumsticks as he bangs away relentlessly. Self-proclaimed "bass god" Alonso Hernandez is solid on bass and backing vocals, giving the band that hearty edge and extra personality with his expressive face that appropriately completes this fun-loving trio. Alonso is also known for living fast as "Bass Bandit" in local juggernauts Shadow Beat Ritual.

Not only does the audience find themselves singing along with the catchy melodies and lyrics of Pounders, they also get to enjoy some clever banter between songs from Chris and Alonso, as well as a unforgettable live performance that will make anyone an instant fan. Even my dad, an avid country music listener who rarely likes the bands I book, expressed how much he enjoyed Pounders when they were done with their set, much to my surprise and satisfaction!

Can't get enough high energy drumming? Then check out Street Drum Corps new side project BANG!, which features both Justin and Chris. Plus if you're looking for something to do tonight after Music in the Park, then check out Pounders playing their originals and some covers at Tres Gringos from 9pm to 10:30pm.

-Barbara- - 52 Bands in 52 Weeks

Out of San Jose comes the infectious rock/pop-punk music of the Pounders. Chris Pounders (guitar/lead vocals), Alonso Hernandez (bass/vocals) and Justin Imamura (drums) are rapidly creating a “buzz” with their music but also with their lively and energetic live shows. The Pounders have taken the Bay Area music scene by storm and are poised to spread their music to the masses. - Joey Voodoo

Rock trio POUNDERS recently premiered the lead single, “Separate Ways” off their upcoming, untitled album on PureVolume. The track is now available for free download through the band’s official SoundCloud.

“Separate Ways” represents a shift in the band’s sound, as they expand their influences beyond the world of punk-rock. “We were all listening to The Police at the time,” says vocalist/guitarist Chris Pounders. “We loved how they incorporated reggae and rock and integrity into their music. I was also going through a break up at the time and hadn’t written about it. So, I sat down and wrote ‘Separate Ways’ with The Police in mind. Once we all sat back and listened to it, we felt really good about it.”

The new style prompted PureVolume to note that “it is always important for a band to explore new influences and mature their sound, and POUNDERS hit the nail right on the head. We can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.” - Substream Magazine

All of our experiences and journeys are positive. In the end, they made us the musicians and people that we are today. Even through rejections and set backs, you learn and grow. You have to make everything into a positive. - Shakefire