The New Limb

The OC Music Awards are just around the corner! Showcases of the nominated artists will be taking place all over this great county of ours at The Gypsy Lounge, The Continental Room, The Gypsy Den, OC Tavern, Chain Reaction, District Tustin Legacy, and The Detroit Bar and here's the best part - they're all FREE! That's right, you can see some of the best musical talent Orange County has to offer for the grand sum of zero dollars.

One of the bands you'll want to look for this year is The New Limb (check them out here) from Costa Mesa. Last year they were nominated for Best Live Band and made it to the final round, so this could be their year! Their live show has been the object of praise of many a reviewer and writer. Check out these reviews:

"...When they unite, there are fireworks. If only you could have a band be president, then I would vote for The New Limb." - Ashley Eliot, Host/DJ of KUCI 88.9 FM's Press Pass Music

"No two New Limb shows are quite the same—as they illustrated with their five Detroit Bar-residency shows this past June. They bring this joie de vivre no matter the venue, whether they're busking for puzzled passersby at the OC Super Fair or at a packed House of Blues." - OC Weekly's Best of OC 2009 Issue


[A humorous poster for their recent December residency at The Gypsy Lounge]


The band lives together in a house in Costa Mesa which might explain how they blend perfectly together in the way only the greatest of family bands like the Jackson 5, Kings of Leon, The Avett Brothers and Oasis do. The band includes Joey Chavez on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Adam Chavez on drums and vocals, Lauren Salamone on keys and vocals, and Dan Perez on lead guitar and vocals. The band is working on their first full-length album in said house as we speak [holds breath in anticipation] that is due out in March.

Needless to say, you won't want to miss their Tues Feb 16th showcase show at The Gypsy Lounge with fellow OC rockers Duress (HB), Dusty Rhodes and the River Band (Fullerton), Stereofix (CM) and The Color Turning (Santa Ana). The show starts at 7:30 and is 21+ (sorry kids).

This years OC Music Awards winners will be decided by a board of music journalists, radio djs, promoters, venue owners, booking agents, and industry pros involved in the local OC music scene. Nominated bands are judged according to musicianship (talent), originality, song composition, stage presence, crowd participation, and overall performance. The nominees for each award category will be announced on Feb 1st. The winners for the Best Live Acoustic and Best Live Band categories will be anounced at their finals on Feb 23rd and 27th while the rest of the category winners will be announced at the Awards night at The Grove on March 6th. To cast your vote for your favorite Orange County bands for the People's Choice Award, visit the OC Music Awards site here. Best of luck to The New Limb!

- Amy
On my iPod right now: The New Limb's "Autumn Leaves" - OC Gazette Blog

Pg 50 - Riviera Magazine

If the members of Costa Mesa-based quartet the New Limb ever decide they’re done making indie rock music, I think they could make a nice career for themselves as children’s performers, kind of like the cool, talented version of the Wiggles. Ready for my reasoning? Here goes:

Reason #1: They bring homemade cookies to their shows. Kids love cookies. Instant fan devotion.

Reason #2: According to the band’s Twitter, they spent yesterday morning playing a show for 5th graders. Kids also love Twitter.

Reason #3: The band has an in with the big man from the North Pole. Santa will be leaving the reindeer in Mrs. Clause’s care tonight and next Thursday so that he can make an appearance at the New Limb’s FREE shows at the Gypsy Lounge. Apparently he’s a big fan and what kid wouldn’t worship the band that could guarantee their wish list gets into the right hands?
The two Gypsy Lounge performances will also feature holiday attire, the singing of Christmas songs, and the collecting of toys for the Orangewood Children’s Foundation. On December 22nd, the band will deliver the toys themselves and play the children a special holiday acoustic set, so pick up a gift and head on down to the Gypsy Lounge to share in some of the holiday cheer with the New Limb.

For more on The New Limb check out:

http://www.myspace.com/thenewlimb

Tags: December 22nd, New Limb, Orangewood Children’s Foundation
- Kristin Houser

We’ve hopefully all learned by now the folly of judging a book by its cover. One salient example of this adage is Costa Mesa’s the New Limb. Looking at the quaint, hand-drawn art of their album cover and cutesy promo photos, you might expect something far more precious than the actual contents of their 6-month-old EP, Allude to the Sounds. In reality, the five contemplative, mellow rock tunes wouldn’t sound out of place on the soundtrack of Zach Braff’s next film (should there be one, that is).

On their MySpace, they make it clear “We aren’t Radiohead . . . or the Shins.” Specifying the latter is an interesting bit of self-awareness because there are definite vocal similarities between the New Limb’s Joey Chavez and James Russell Mercer of the beloved indie-pop band. Opener “Autumn Leaves” even moves like a Shins song, with a slow, gentle intro building to a faster—but not too fast—chorus. They do move beyond that relatively obvious comparison, as evidenced in “I Think We’ll Stay the Same,” in which jagged guitar work is paired with such grim exclamations as “three cheers for drudgery” and some spiraling instrumental freakouts, all of which further establishes that there’s nothing twee about this group.

The New Limb, called Jordan’s Ego pre-June 2007, explore diverse sonic territory in Allude to the Sounds’ few tracks, taking seriously their desire to not be boxed into a certain sound or genre. The wordily titled “Cycle Mother Cycle, Goes Round, Round It Goes” conflates ’60s-style harmonies with dark lyrics (“we are the dust”). No matter what appearances may suggest, Allude to the Sounds features pleasingly mature songs that don’t take the easy way out. - OC WEEKLY

It's been a long and challenging month for Costa Mesa's The New Limb. The indie rock quartet is preparing to finish out its June Monday night residency at Detroit Bar on the 29th with fellow Orange County artist Stacy Clark.
"It's been a great thing for us as a band to just have the consistency of going to the same place and playing every Monday," vocalist-guitarist Joey Chavez says. "We've been really excited about the turn out because we never expected that many people to show up. It's stretched us a lot too, trying to do something different every week.
"It's been really good and kept us super busy. It's also been kind of stressful, but I'm happy we did it."
The technically savvy group has put extra effort into each gig by changing up the set list each week and filming new video to play on a screen behind them during their set.
"We do have something special planned for the last show," guitarist Dan Perez says. "One of my favorite things about the Detroit Bar this month has been kind of us solidifying a stance in the music community – not the industry – but just the Orange County music community. Just seeing so many other local bands come out to support us then us going to support them on other nights – it's been really cool to feel a part of this community where everyone has a strong bond and desire to play and create music and appreciate others' music too.
"(That said) we are going to practice with as many local artists as possible, a Beatles song, to do at the end of the last show at Detroit. Probably 'All You Need is Love.' It will be an epic, symbolic, glory-filled musical orgy on stage."
The New Limb has been together for almost two years, but has spent only this last year making music more of a full-time effort. The Chavez brothers, Joey and drummer Adam, met Perez while attending high school in Upland. The trio moved to Orange County for college a few years later, Perez went to Biola University and the Chavez's went to Vanguard University, where they met keyboardist Lauren Salamone.
The band members also live together in a place in Costa Mesa. Spending so much time around each other can sometimes be a catch-22. They're able to get a lot of the band work done, but they admit that there are times when they can get on each others nerves. Joey says that the quartet all have a good sense of humor and work well together.
"Lauren is like our Web G, she's amazing at just being all over the internet and on our MySpace," he says. "Adam, well, if this was an action movie he'd be the guy in the van screaming like 'Turn left, turn right.' He's super technical and does all of our recording. Dan is good with design and good with being really critical about things. And me, I do everything else. Just kidding. I write music and do a lot of other stuff, that's all."
The band's name is literal and was inspired by an unfortunate accident that occurred six years ago while the Chavez brothers and their cousin Joshua were camping in Joshua Tree National Park.
"We started to set up camp and get ready for dinner and Josh was looking for firewood and I had brought this mini hatchet type thing so we could chop it," Joey says. "(Josh) was holding the wood in place and Adam was chopping it and he slipped and cut off like the tip of Josh's pinkie finger. We all freaked out and didn't know what to do or where a hospital even was. Someone said 'You're supposed to put it in milk.' So we threw the finger into a jug of milk that we had and drove to the hospital and they sewed it back on. It still works, but he can't bend it as well and that's where we got the band name from."
Collectively the group is into a variety of bands ranging from Simon & Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the Beatles to Sigur Rós, Björk and the Shins. They're proud to let their musical influences shine through but don't think that they can be pigeonholed into any one certain kind of sound.
"I think what we try to do is instead of trying to achieve a certain sound is that we focus on the actual process of writing and being sure that we're creating a song, album or EP that we feel is unique and that we feel is challenging to our skill all at the same time," Perez says. "So, we want to make it accessible so that people will hear it and not just blow it off as another attempt to break into the music scene or to make a hit song. I would describe our sound as … our sound."
Everyone contributes to both the music and lyric writing process in this band, each bringing something unique to the table. For Joey, the lyrics come from life instances that excite or interest him and often come in the form of epiphanies.
"A good example is 'Cycle Mother Earth,'" he says. "I was taking a statistics course, which was horrible, and in my textbook they had these little facts in the margins that are supposed to get you excited about statistics and one actually did because it stuck with me. It was something like every sip that you take, there's a 99.9 percent chance that you take in one molecule in that sip was in the hemlock that Socrates drank when he died and that every breath you take, there's a 99.9 percent chance that you take in one molecule that was part of Caesar's dying breath.
"That interested me, so I wrote this song that's all about how we're all interconnected. I just like the idea that we're all sharing molecules. But, I don't want people to think we're one of those superintellectual bands, I've written songs about love and that kind of crap, too."
After the final show at Detroit the band will play some tour dates and record a full-length album titled "Sounds People Can Hear," as a follow-up to their EP "Allude to the Sounds." There's also a special three-song disc that comes specially wrapped in banana leaves that they're selling at shows (which Salamone says smells really bad after a while and recommends that it's opened and listened to immediately).
"We're probably going to be recording the new album locally as well as doing some stuff up towards L.A. but we want it to be as good as possible and as cheap as possible," Adam says. "We hope to have it out by the end of September."
Contact the writer: 714-796-3570 or kfadroski@ocregister.com - OC REGISTER

Saturday night, my buddy Tyler and I set out on a journey to the Yost Theater in Santa Ana for the Orange County Music Awards Best Live Band Finals. It was an epic evening of music, hugs, delay pedals, and accessorizing hipsters. Everything I would expect from downtown Santa Ana. I should have worn my brown (fake) leather vest, damnit!
Five Orange County bands played last night. The Venus Infers, The New Limb, The Jakes, The Union Line, and The Living Suns. The neon lights of the marquee listed some of the best-known local OC bands, but one name is relatively new to the collection. The New Limb released “Allude to the Sounds EP” in May 2008. Since then they have started to gain more and more recognition with OC showgoers every time they play a note. Their live performance comes off as creative, and fun, but most importantly natural. They’re not up there acting cool; they just are cool. They’re not acting super friendly after the show; they just really are super friendly! Both of these characteristics plus the actual musical talent of the four lovely Costa Mesa roommates makes for a killer combo. The New Limb is Joey Chavez, (vocals and guitar) Dan Perez, (back up vocals and lead guitar) Lauren Salamone, (back up vocals, keys) and Adam Chavez (back up vocals, drums). These four pack their “Allude to the Sounds EP” with inventive and haunting melodies accompanied by equally impressive harmonies. Their musical vision does not get lost in transition from recording to live performance as proved to all in attendance at the Yost Saturday night. They did a great job entertaining the crowd by creating an atmosphere of sounds as diverse as the lightest of guitar and key harmonies to the heavy crunch of Dan’s guitar solos. The New Limb performed in front of a homemade art-house style video of lights, shapes, and mirrors. All of this produced an amazing performance from which I’m sure lots of new faces will be seen at one of the many future performances of The New Limb coming up this month and next. So do yourself a favor and catch this lovely foursome real soon!
But Saturday night was not just one bands show. The Union Line really made the night a collective party. This was my first time seeing The Union Line, a band I have heard so much about, and I can only describe my feelings during their set as a collection of joy and amazement. They took control of the stage with little struggle and kept it tightly in their grip till the house music came back on. It is no surprise to me that at the nights end this outfit of young men won the title of Best Live Band in Orange County. With songs as infectious as “Mama Don’t Care,” it is nearly impossible to sit still while controlled mayhem is unleashed in front of you by a ragtag looking team of musicians. By all accounts the sound of The Union Line will testify that these guys know what they are doing, and they are taking music seriously. Yet, on stage, they’re witty; and casual conversations between songs, for example joking that they are from Orange County, Florida, say to me that they aren’t taking it too seriously. They aren’t over thinking it. This is a confidence that eludes even the most successful bands. Maybe this is what allows them to let loose and go nuts on stage, changing instruments and dancing around like they are being attacked by hundreds of bees. Whatever it is, whatever they are doing, it is working and I hope they continue doing it for a long long time. You will definitely be seeing me at their future shows. Congratulations to them for winning Best Live Band in Orange County! - OC Arts & Culture

"How this foursome lives together and plays music together, boggles my mind. One thing is for sure, when they unite, there are fireworks. If only you could have a band be president, then I would vote for The New Limb. They are true musicians with serious talent, real character, heart and drive."
- Ashley Eliot, Host/DJ, KUCI 88.9 FM's Press Pass Music show

- Ashley Eliot

"The New Limb is both devoid of pretense and brimming with talent, enthusiasm and a wonderful, genuine energy. A no miss!"
- Dave Mau, chef and host of Dinner with Dave, Memphis at the Santora

- Dave Mau

The New Limb - Sounds People Can Hear
Record Label: Self-released
Release Date: April 3, 2010

Who?

The New Limb are an indie-folk quartet from Costa Mesa, CA, that was formed in 2008. Sounds People Can Hear is their third release and first full-length. It was produced by Tom Mgrdichian.

How is it?

Terrific. Sprite vernal anthems never get old and California's The New Limb has fashioned an album filled to the brim with exactly that. Thirteen songs laden with airy, hip-shaking melodies, resplendent keys, male-female vocal harmonies and a bevy of unexpected twists and turns. Opener "Autumn Leaves," has a centrifugal pull from the very first seconds. As it expands, xylophones, drums and bass kick in. The entire movement is placid, acoustic and serene. Second cut "Ebb and Flow," is slow and plodding and bobs along with a confidence and professionalism that is both surprising and defiant. Can this band really be unsigned?

And so it continues, from the airy pop anthem "Birds and Stuff," which tackles romantic longevity and permanence to the bubbly, hip-shaking "We Forgive You, Gene." Of the album's first four offerings none are clunkers and that trend is continued on the slow-moving languor of hammock song "Breathe Tenderly," a dusty, nuanced nugget that balances Colin Meloy vocal inflections with Beach Boys melodicism. If it sounds like high praise, that's probably because The New Limb most deserve it. On the heels of "Breathe Tenderly," is the Laurel Canyon-esque, "I Know You Know," which in many ways introduces the band's penchant for spastic and puzzling nuances. Swerving left and right at a spastic pace, "I Know You Know," feels more like a psychedelic mind trick than a pop song, but hey there are worse criticisms, no? The circular "Cycle Mother Earth," is dizzying and schizophrenic and the entire performance gets haggard quickly.

Thankfully, the placid "Sarah," comes next and Lauren Salmone's deft piano work helps carry this song to the promised land. Of all the songs on the album, few are as good as this. Whether its the palpable restraint or the band's inherent skill at crafting ballads, everything about "Sarah," feels right. After the 23-second filler piece "Sounds People Can Make," the album moves towards the latter half and introduces more of the band's best work. "Fire Song," is rousing and exuberant, while "Phil and Marie," is straightforward, twinkling and nothing short of stunning. If one song from this album is meant to stand on a pedestal, it very well might be this. Carrying a decidedly Ben Folds-esque sentiment, vocalist Joey Chavez sounds weary, worn out and downright despondent, and those very traits help make the exercise that much more potent. But then the band goes for something entirely foolhardy.

Tackling The Cure classic "Bizarre Love Triangle," and Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," with accordion and piano flourishes is a novel idea, but why have it sit this late in the album, and more to the point, why release it at all? Gimmicks are cute and worthy of merit, but nothing about Sounds People Can Hear is reckless or off-the mark. Using a trick like this is in many ways a crutch and a band this talented certainly doesn't need a crutch. In an attempt to atone for this mistake, THe New Limb presents "Vagaries," another spastic and unpredictable slab at pop weirdness. There's electric flourishes and the song vacillates between chiming piano and club beats. What exactly the band is going for is anyone's guess, but this attempt at originality just feels a bit askew. And thankfully, almost miraculously, the spartan acoustic ballad, "We Were Children," closes it out, allowing ever-capable vocalist Joey Chavez the chance to let his voice rise to the top. And in just under four minutes, The New Limb has managed to say and do so much with so little.

That very sentiment is what makes Sounds People Can Hear so troubling. Clearly this band is talented. Warm, confident vocals; sterling piano lines; and winsome guitar work never gets old, and very little about this disc is alienating. But there are moments of head-scratching shifts and swerves that leaves the entire listening experience a bit staticky, but being that the quartet is young, relatively new and still feeling their way through their abilities, one can't fault youthful indiscretion every now and then. In the end, this is a band that could probably find themselves at Coachella or Bonnarroo before 2012. A lofty statement sure, but this band is indeed this good. One listen to Sounds People Can Hear proves just that. - Absolute Punk

Costa Mesa quartet the New Limb carted home the Best Indie Artist trophy at the 2010 Orange County Music Awards, but as one of the songs on their debut album points out, “I Know You Know” that gold medals are basically awarded by the ears of you, the listener. So here are the New Limb’s credentials: Only 2 years old, the foursome crunches hooky indie-pop into intricate arrangements with boy-girl vocals, strings and some tender piano work. The range on their debut “Sounds People Can Hear,” recorded with Tom Mgrdichian (veteran studio guy who, among other credits, was writer/arranger for flicks such as “The Wedding Singer” and “50 First Dates”), make them a bit hard to pigeonhole, but if you need a bit of the familiar to pique your interest, they cover New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” and turn it into a mini-medley with Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” Not bad, and it’s a good bet some of their original material will find your pop sweet spot too. - Buzz Bands LA

I previously mentioned how Orange County is currently overflowing with talented bands... Another OC band that perked my ears up is the four-piece band, The New Limb. Based out of Costa Mesa... The New Limb provides some of the best indie pop to come out of the area with their catchy pop hooks and boy-girl harmonies in songs such as “Birds and Stuff.”

I recently revisited their track, “Breathe Tenderly,” which sounds as soothing as the title implies but without any of the saccharine-sweet excess. Take a listen to it below. I’ve also included “Ebb and Flow” and “Birds and Stuff,” which are also off of their recent album, Sounds People Can Hear, because I just couldn’t pick one track to share. - Wild Tonic

Sounds People Can Hear is the first full-length album release by Costa Mesa based indie rock band The New Limb, featuring 14 eclectic tracks of indie-rock goodness. The band, consisting of brothers Joey Chavez (vocals/guitar) and Adam Chavez (drums/vocals), Lauren Salamone (keys/vocals), and Dan Perez (guitar/vocals), formed in Costa Mesa in 2008 and since their creation, have collected plenty of positive reviews and awards all over Orange County. Recently the band has been titled Best Indie band in the 2010 OC Music Awards, a title well earned.

In a word, the band and the album can be described as “cute”. Not to say that there is no substance to their sound or their hard work as a rising rock band in the OC, for their eclectic sound and vigilant promotions are two features that earned The New Limb their accolades. The band makes their own pins, fan videos, and even bakes cookies for fans at their shows. Their goal, according to Salamone, is to “create a smell recognizable with our sound so that when you smelled chocolate chip cookies you’d think of our music”.

Each member has a different list of influences that drive their music, and it works in the overall melting pot when it comes to their songwriting. While all four agree on the Beatles being their biggest influence (a very apparent sound on the album), some prefer Radiohead while others reference Elton John, Led Zepplin, David Bowie, and The Cure. The band describes their style as indie/folk/rock, sometimes 60s-ish. The OC Weekly has referred to them as “genre-bending”, a title that shows their ability to incorporate different musical influences into their songwriting.

Sounds People Can Hear is full of slow tracks, melodic pieces that are piano heavy and intense on the harmonies. That is not to say that it lacks energy, because many of the tracks are fun and diverse in tempo and style. Vocals on “Birds and Stuff” trades off between Joey and Salamone, an interesting trend that is becoming more and more popular among indie rock bands these days. “Bizarre Love Triangle/ Time After Time” is a strong point on the album, when the band merges one cover with the second one being the popular Cyndi Lauper track “Time After Time.” The two tracks convergeinto a harmonious round that almost makes you feel as if Lauper’s song was a part of New Order’s song. Bizarre as that sounds, it works; give it a listen. - Beat Crave

I got the chance to listen to The New Limb the other day and I really liked their music, but since they just released their album, they weren’t giving away MP3’s. To me, posting about a new album without offering a little slice of the project is like running a fast-food Chinese joint at the mall without offering free samples. Unless that Chinese joint has established strong credibility as a quality food supplier, there’s very little chance I will purchase the combo meal. But give me a delicious piece of General Tso’s on a toothpick, and I’m in.

Lucky for you, The New Limb decided to allow free download of “Birds and Stuff” (just for Pigeons and Planes! Thanks guys) from their fresh release Sounds People Can Hear. The album is full of surprises. The New Limb deftly jumps from melodic pop to driving rock, from buzzing electric guitars to string arrangements and acoustics. The common thread that runs through the album is quality songwriting. The sound reminds me a little of The New Pornographers, with spurts of confident male/female vocal layers, pop-friendly rock songs with an indie feel, and melodies that will follow you around for days. If you like what you hear, you can buy the album on iTunes. Don’t be the dick that takes the toothpick, enjoys the sample, and moves on to the next spot. Check out “Birds and Stuff” below. - Pigeons and Planes

The Hype: The release of the New Limb's debut album, Sounds People Can Hear, has been a long time coming. Especially after a year of surging popularity, packed local gigs and doting write-ups in all sorts of local papers and magazines (including ours).
All of the buzz came to a head at their album release show at the House of Blues, Anaheim on Saturday. The inventive alt-pop four-piece also put together an extremely eclectic supporting bill, featuring the acoustic guitar and harmonies of Canvas, the soulfully textured indie rock of Kiev, maniacal hip-hop trio BLOK, and boot-stomping retro rockers Mississippi Man.

The Show: Surrounded by swirls of psychedelic strobe light, freakishly large balloons, cascading bubbles and streamers, the shadowy figures of the New Limb swayed, strummed and thrashed for a full crowd of fans anxious to see the band at their finest.

Delivering some prime tracks from their ballyhooed debut, the stylish Costa Mesa four-piece was in top form--and was actually a six-piece, with an extra guitar and bass to flesh out their textured, pop mosaic of thundering rhythms and effects-laden intricacies. Predictably, the band started off with "Autumn Leaves," the album's opening track, featuring gentle guitar and soft, sentimental vocals from lead singer/guitarist Joey Chavez. As most of their songs tend to do, it eventually ended with a crescendo of powerful rock dynamics between drummer Adam Chavez (Joey's little brother), guitarist Dan Perez and keyboardist Lauren Salamone.

Throughout the set, the band's execution was spot-on, especially during the icy delivery of their psych-tinged pop song "Ebb and Flow," a highlight of the album. Echoing vocals and guitar flowed from the stage like smoke rings, roping in spectators on the balcony who swayed along in the darkness. But though crowd favorites like "Birds and Stuff" and "Breathe Tenderly" came to life on stage, there were a few points where it seemed the band chose to focus on playing the recorded version impeccably over interacting with the crowd; the latter is typically a hallmark of their live shows.

Of course much of that vibe melted away when they kicked things up towards the end of the set with the rousing, rapid-fire-guitar track, "Fire Song," with Perez intensifying his guitar-flailing antics enough to make him fall on stage in exhaustion (or maybe dizziness).

Though their original songs were great, the covers sizzled with interactive energy that had been missing. Whether it was the quirky, melodica-filled mash-up of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" and Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" or their encore performance of the Band's "The Weight," TNL's creative renditions sparked a sing-a-long chemistry between them and the crowd that definitely made the room feel smaller and more intimate, which is a great way to end any show.

The Crowd: Packed with a colorful array of beer-swilling bar types, scraggly rockers, fashionable women tightly dressed for a night out and lots of leather jackets.

Overheard: Some guy shouting back to his friends on the walk back to the car, "Hey guys I think I actually grew a new limb tonight!" - OC Weekly

The New Limb is no stranger to attention, having been praised by the likes of the OC Weekly, the OC Register, braxcomics.com, and KUCI 88.9 FM's Preess Pass Music show which all feature the same theme – that this band kicks ass.



But this day wasn’t just for the bands live performances. We were at the House of Blues Anaheim for their CD Release party! 10+ months in the making, “Sounds People Can Hear”, which has gotten nothing short of great reviews (read review) from music writers all over, would finally be shared with the general public.

When the band came out, the dance floor, filled with above average looking fans started screaming. It actually started a little beforehand when the band, behind the curtain at the time, band members would tease everybody by opening the curtain few inches just to close them back up. However, even though the curtains were closed, it wouldn’t stop the audience from partying and having a good time. By now, some 30 balloons were being tossed back and forth and even the press and photographers were getting into the fun.

When The New Limb came out (with two added members), the crowd went wild as bubbles filled the stage. The band started with “Autumn Leaves” and “Ebb and Flow” Before, singer Joey Chavez joked about their next album being made up only of songs about partying.

The set continued till the end without problems. If American Idol’s Simon Cowell was there, I am sure he would agree that vocally and musically, everything was on point. The 10 song set continued with crowd favorite “Birds and Stuff”, “Cycle Mother Earth”, and “Breathe Tenderly” before a mash up of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" with "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order.

The set ended with “Fire Song”, “Vagaries”, and “We Forgive You, Gene” before asking, and getting an encore, which can just be described the perfect ending with their cover of “The Weight” by The Band.

The bands performance was nothing short of entertaining and, well, a perfect set that was well liked by the entire audience. I however do have one complaint…. One song encore? Thanks for teasing us!

Seriously, thank you for a great night and congratulations on your CD! - The Live OC

The New Limb is no stranger to attention, having been praised by the likes of the OC Weekly, the OC Register, braxcomics.com, and KUCI 88.9 FM's Preess Pass Music show which all feature the same theme – that this band kicks ass.



But this day wasn’t just for the bands live performances. We were at the House of Blues Anaheim for their CD Release party! 10+ months in the making, “Sounds People Can Hear”, which has gotten nothing short of great reviews (read review) from music writers all over, would finally be shared with the general public.

When the band came out, the dance floor, filled with above average looking fans started screaming. It actually started a little beforehand when the band, behind the curtain at the time, band members would tease everybody by opening the curtain few inches just to close them back up. However, even though the curtains were closed, it wouldn’t stop the audience from partying and having a good time. By now, some 30 balloons were being tossed back and forth and even the press and photographers were getting into the fun.

When The New Limb came out (with two added members), the crowd went wild as bubbles filled the stage. The band started with “Autumn Leaves” and “Ebb and Flow” Before, singer Joey Chavez joked about their next album being made up only of songs about partying.

The set continued till the end without problems. If American Idol’s Simon Cowell was there, I am sure he would agree that vocally and musically, everything was on point. The 10 song set continued with crowd favorite “Birds and Stuff”, “Cycle Mother Earth”, and “Breathe Tenderly” before a mash up of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" with "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order.

The set ended with “Fire Song”, “Vagaries”, and “We Forgive You, Gene” before asking, and getting an encore, which can just be described the perfect ending with their cover of “The Weight” by The Band.

The bands performance was nothing short of entertaining and, well, a perfect set that was well liked by the entire audience. I however do have one complaint…. One song encore? Thanks for teasing us!

Seriously, thank you for a great night and congratulations on your CD! - The Live OC

“It’s finally here!” Joey Chavez blurted out with enthusiasm when we started a phone chat last week.

The New Limb vocalist-guitarist meant his group’s new album, Sounds People Can Hear, which the Costa Mesa-based indie rock group (and recent OC Music Award winner) will usher in with a release party Saturday night at House of Blues Anaheim. Four other local notables — Kiev, Mississippi Man, Canvas and fellow OCMA winner Blok — also will take part in the celebration.

Since the band is known for adding visual-art elements to its shows, Chavez says the quartet was ecstatic when the Mouse House gave them carte blanche over the gig’s stage design. When we spoke, ideas were still running wild among members. Chavez guarantees only one thing: whatever it is will be crazy.

“We got animal masks and we bought four weather balloons,” he reveals. “We’re going to experiment and do some really fun stuff.” They’ll also add players: a bassist, percussionist and another guy on keyboard. “We’re also thinking about doing something from the balcony with feathers or bubbles. Luckily, we have some really cool fans who are willing to do some interesting stuff while we play.”

After an extremely laborious studio process, during which the New Limb recorded and scrapped an entire record, then re-recorded it with even more material, the band — also featuring guitarist Dan Perez, drummer Adam Chavez (Joey’s brother) and keys player Lauren Salamone — is feeling quite proud of the end result.

“It’s kind of been ridiculous,” Chavez says. “Like three or four months ago, we were biting each others heads off. Now that it’s coming out, we’re like in a honeymoon stage. We’ve been hanging out outside of the band and hugging each other again. It’s so funny, but it’s like this pressure is finally off of our shoulders, and the album sounds so good — in our opinion.”

It took nearly 10 months for the band’s vision to come to fruition. Though much of the album’s first draft had been recorded at the Costa Mesa house they share, the New Limb ended up basically starting over once the group hooked up with producer Tom Mgrdichian last September. (Read about the group’s influences and life before he entered the picture in our piece about the group during last June’s residency at Detroit Bar.)

Mgrdichian, who has supervised the music for the films Anger Management, 50 First Dates and White Chicks, also has a resumé boasting work alongside Dave Matthews, Stevie Wonder and Jackson Browne. The New Limb met him through his nephew and sent him a disc, thinking nothing would come of it, yet hoping for the best.

He agreed to work with the band, and soon spent the next few months slowly but surely putting the album together, the band meeting up with their producer whenever their day-job schedules and Mgrdichian’s busy work load would allow.

“It took longer than we wanted it to,” Chavez says, “but having him come in is the reason why the album sounds like it does. We knew instantly that things would sound 10 times better with him working on it.”

As the group began to celebrate the completion of the disc, it also wound up nabbing the top prize for best indie earlier this month at the OC Music Awards at the Grove of Anaheim. For the group, it was definitely a case of just being happy to be nominated among friends. They honestly didn’t think they had a chance at winning.

“When they said our name and we went up there, we had nothing prepared,” Chavez says. “Our acceptance speech was ridiculous. It was me on the mic and my brother interrupting me, and Lauren whispering in my ear people to thank. It was a mess but we’re totally happy.”

The New Limb also participated in the best live band showcases leading up to the awards — yet, though they eked out a nomination in that category last year, this time they didn’t make the cut.

Chavez says the band is taking that constructively. “We love the fact that we won best indie band, but our live show is something we’re constantly striving to perfect and just make awesome. When we got nominated last year, it felt good. To get that level is a treat for us because it tells us we’re doing something right.”

Now, three years after forming and with an established local reputation, the band is ready to branch out via tours later this year, while also saturating the college-radio market with as many copies of Sounds People Can Hear as possible, with an eye toward maybe scoring a licensing deal or garnering a foothold in the more competitive and challenging L.A. scene.

For the moment, however, they’re still reveling in the fact that they finally have a debut to share in the first place.

“Honestly, those couple of months with the album in crunch time … living together probably made everything a million times worse,” Chavez says. “We had to see each other every day in close quarters, and it was horrible sometimes. Now it’s amazing. It’s just like living with your best friends; it can be a double-edged sword. When you throw living together into the mix, you have to be a saint not to kill each other.

“But we didn’t kill each other … because we’d like to all be alive for our next album.” - OC Register