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Last night at Spaceland was one of the five best nights of music I've seen this year.
Voxhaul Broadcast. Holy shit. Where have I been while this has been going on?!
The fourpiece calls their sound "our version of soul music". I heard a lot of The Doors, which makes sense with their own description. The band plays with some kind of old keyboard thing (sorry, I'm not a gearhead) and it really elevates their music. There's a blues rock aspect, and I wonder if Voxhaul Broadcast isn't filling the void left by The Cold War Kids when they got too big to play locally once a month. Also? Whatever bass distortion was going on sounded wicked.
Voxhaul Broadcast threw a woven blanket of sonic splendor in your face that insisted you pay attention. There was no ignoring it. Trying to ignore what was coming out of the PA would be like standing in the Pacific Ocean and trying to ignore the water; you had no choice but to be enveloped and soaked in it. This was really, really smart music... but it didn't turn its nose-up at having fun, either.
Is this more common than I realize? I feel like Oliver Future gets the same reaction, and I think maybe there is a whole segment of music-goers in the Echo Park / Silverlake scene that doesn't really get recognition or representation in the local blogosphere. Somewhere out there is this horde of people who are going to The Echo and Spaceland because it's fun. I love it.
I'd left my final Monday in March open. No longer. It belongs to Voxhaul Broadcast. They purchased my future time with their talent I give you my strongest encouragement to join me.
- Classical Geek Theatre
These guys may be a crew of skinny white boys from LA, but they play like a crew of black studio musicians from Memphis; plenty of groove, a trunk of funk, all bursting with energetic soul. Voxhaul Broadcast taking us back to our musical heritage with authentic American rock n' roll. - LA Times
L.A.'s own Voxhaul Broadcast are something to write home about. Sure, they tend to sound a lot like The Strokes and even the Walkmen. Regardless, we should all be proud to call them our own because their debut Rotten Apples EP is stupendous. I will forever associate "Rotten Apples" with LA, merely because I'll be missing it so much when I move to Brooklyn in '08. This song serves as a microcosm of the rest of the eight song EP. Each meticulously crafted guitar line is an advance and by the time singer-guitarist David Dennis croons his distinctive melodies, you've surrendered your will. While everyone and their mother is quick to regard Vampire Weekend as the "Next Big Thing," they often overlook the more deserving talent in their own backyard. - Amateur Chemist
Their name has been mumbled, mangled and maybe even mocked -- not that the four guys in Voxhaul Broadcast can blame anybody. "Every name we'd pick would be taken," singer-guitarist David Dennis says, "so we thought, 'Let's make up some words and hope it's not taken.' " In a way, the Orange County quartet set about making their music in similar fashion. "If it sounds too reminiscent of anything, we kind of [rough] it up," Dennis says. "It's really easy to be cliché; you have to be picky about what you do." Voxhaul Broadcast's twitchy, soul-infused rock isn't brand new -- but the work of Dennis, guitarist-keyboardist Anthony Aguiar, bassist Phillip Munsey II and drummer Kurt Allen is distinctive, if only because it originated on an O.C. landscape populated by harder-edged bands. "It used to be a band like us could not play a show without being booked with a hard-core band," Dennis says. "Now there is a lot of other music coming out of Orange County." The band's "Rotten Apples" EP, out on Retone Records, recalls the Charlatans UK or the Strokes more than any suburban thrashers. The quartet (pictured from left, Aguiar, Munsey, Dennis, Allen), now based in L.A., has spent much of the fall on tour (next: Monday night at the Viper Room). "Right now we're just trying to get our name out there," Dennis says. Such as it is. - LA TIMES
Discography
Rotten Apples EP (Retone Records 2008)
Photos
Bio
We are often told to make the most of each day. But Voxhaul Broadcast, a four piece band from Orange County, California, took this mantra to the extreme. Frustrated with the formulaic nature of today's indie rock scene, the band decided to record and mix their debut EP "Rotten Apples" live, all in one day. The EP was recorded live by Dwayne Larring, mixed by Dave Larring and mastered by Mark Chalecki at Capitol Mastering.
It was a decision that came naturally to these childhood friends. Having played together in various incarnations for years, David, Tony, Phil, and Kurt began to consider themselves more of a live band than a studio one. Previous recorded efforts had been mainly done at home, laying down songs they had the chance to pick apart and overanalyze. The results of this process bordered on stale, an adjective that is far from reflective of the energy and passion they exude on stage.
After signing with Retone Records in 2007, Voxhaul decided to take a page from some of their favorite artists and embrace the kinks and mistakes that make live records so great. By harnessing a sound that reflects a range of influences from James Brown and Al Green to The Beatles and Donovan, the group composed tracks with smart lyrics and undeniably catchy beats. In turn, the results of their labor are 8 songs full of raw enthusiasm, echoing the sort of musical honesty that turns even the most pretentious listeners into fans.
Currently based in LA, Voxhaul has been steadily playing shows at their favorite Orange County and LA venues. They have shared the stage with Dr. Dog, Eastern Conference Champions and Delta Spirit thus far. Piratecatradio.com called them a "cool Strokesy, soulful alt-rocking quartet" while futuresounds.blogspot.com says "With lyrics like "I need your love in my blood, so I cut off all my limbs", what's not to like? A band with massive amounts of potential and star power in surplus."
Now with the release of Rotten Apples, a name they chose as a state of comparison for the current climate of the music industry, the band ready to take off. They showcased at CMJ the past October, played Sundance in January, will be performing at the Noise Pop fest in SF in February and will be appearing every Monday in March at Spaceland in LA. The band also made their SXSW debut this year. With a Summerfest festival appearance and UK dates scheduled for later this year these performances are sure to establish them as one of 2008s most memorable and genuinely indie rock bands.
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