Alternative Grass

 Pig in A Pen sang by the LA River! The boys are back at it again! This time with a song about a pig. These dudes don't look like they hang with pigs, or pens.  Now with the quarantine it is important to find new and creative ways to spread music to the friends and family! The Water Tower family are known as Owls.  Connect with the owls on the "Tower Heads Unite" group on Facebook, as a supplement for their Facebook page. 

 The comeback of vinyl records! Vinyl records are on the comeback.  How do we know? What does this mean for a band? This means that YOUR fans are ready to consume YOUR music on a physical format. What does mean for the consumer? GO GET A TURNTABLE : )  It also means that it is time to start investing in your very own vinyl album! My band Water Tower  released our debut album "Fly Around" on CD. But now we want to release it on vinyl. A famous album reviewer on YouTube and his channel "For The Record" Has been kind enough to set up a GoFundMe for getting this album on Vinyl. Here he talks about our mission:  AND, if you donate $100 or more, you will be entered to win a signed copy of the album.  Facebook

 Lou McMahon and her haunting soulful voice! I love the sultry and powerful sound of Lou's voice. Her brand new song "Wide Eyed Lady" is the perfect halloween music video. Have you seen it yet? If not, make sure and watch it right now, so that the rest of this article makes sense... Joanne Ledesma of MusicBizGal blog turned me on to this amazing artist and told me that Lou is being heralded as the "Irish Billie Eilish".   "Wide Eyed Lady is a song written by Lou McMahon, it is a remixed and remastered version of the track from her debut EP recorded in 2008, showcasing Lou McMahons voice and songwriting at age 22. Wide Eyed Lady was never officially released as a single, though it featured on an award winning compilation album in 2014 - Ultimate Guide To Irish Folk and it received National and local airplay. Lou feels that she owes it to her younger self to make music videos for the tracks on her debut EP that mark her gateway into the music industry in t...

 Famous Storyteller tips bluegrass band in Santa Monica! Phillip DiGiacomo is a one of kind cat. He has received many accolades for his writing. The piece that stuck out to me, was a sticky situation about gum. The story is about a touring bluegrass band.  It is VERY short, you can read it in minute. HERE What are your thoughts on the story? Let us know in the comments! If you want to contact this man, the best way to do so is here:  

 Weird Radio Unboxing Event with Spooky Bambina! Have you met Spooky Bambina?   What about the host of Weird Radio , Skyler Meany? Turns out he is FAR from mean.  He is extremely NICE. So is his partner in crime, Spooky Bambina.  Check this dynamic duo out as they unbox a love package from the Water Tower hippies: I absolutely love their style and their spirit. The fact that Skyler has his quintessential Static-X t-shirt just makes my day everytime. Make sure and dig their dancing to the CD towards the end of the video.  These are the future taste-makers of the world. These are the people who will create trends for years to come. The music industry is no longer in the hands of the "cigar chompers" as Frank Zappa called them.  People like Skyler and Spooky are the reason that I love 2020 and the way it has turned the music industry upside down.  Catch their action on  Instagram aswell.  Spooky Bambina has a RAD Instagram too!

 Water Tower sits in Santa's Lap! The famous photographer Melissa Gomes of oh_mg_photo on Instagram  has blazed the trail with modern day band photography.  Here she has put Water Tower right in Santa's lap! If you are a band or artist and you want professional photography, be sure and contact Melissa Gomes Her rates are reasonable, and she works hard.  

Dustin Powell knows how to spread Joy this holiday season! The new music video for "Joy" is NOT out yet, but we were lucky enough to get a pre-release copy to enjoy! I can describe the video easily.  JOYFUL.   A smile was plastered on my face throughout the entire song.  Something about Dustin's infectious positive personality.  His aura exudes love and I appreciate that.  Dustin won me over early on in the video when he danced with the king of bluegrass' statue, Bill Monroe. On top of being a great performer, his voice is unique and heartfelt.  He sure does have a lot of personality and I hope to meet him someday. He also wore a Ghostbusters shirt in the video and that is pretty rad.   If you want to keep up with what Dustin Powell is up to these days, be sure and "like" his Instagram AND his Facebook.  For press inquiries contact bsquaredmanagement@gmail.com

 Weird Radio with Skyler Meany and Spooky Bambina Skyler is certainly NOT a meany.   In fact, he is about as nice as a person can get.   Especially for a radio personality.    A lot of the time, it is hard to develop an individual relationship with amazing taste-makers and radio curators like Skyler at Weird Radio, but if you are an artist with an edge, chances are that you might be able to find your way onto the airwaves. Go listen to Weird Radio HERE and NOW! If you want to get a feel for the kind of music this curator makes, check out his own playlist here. Mr. Meany in his classic Static-X shirt.   I have been working with taste-makers for 15 years in the music industry, and meeting a gem like Skyler Meany can be a life-changing event. Not only is he a brand new friend to myself and our team, he is what we in the industry refer to as a "lifer". Meaning he will be setting trends and searching for good music forever.   I can tell...

 Water Tower releases brand new "River Song" They wrote this song the day before they recorded this video while standing on a street corner not far from this river bed. Catch the premier tonight (November 23rd at 9 PM PDT) Where are some other fun locations it would be exciting to see a band do this sort of thing? Catch their Facebook or Website.  PS. are you a band that wants to get reviewed or premiered?  Contact us. 

 LA bluegrass punk band plays in the river. Water Tower used to be a Portland band, until they moved to Los Angeles. We have the debut of their LA River Bed performance! The first song in this two-song medley is "Town" which is about the need to leave a town. In this specific instance, the song is referring to leaving Portland Oregon.  The second song is a Spacemen 3 Cover song called "Come Down Easy."   What do you think about the weird affects on the video?  I think it kinda makes me dizzy at the start, but after that everything feels mellow again. 

A Cowboy version of "In A Gadda Da Vida"   is what I think of when I first heard the Debut album from cowboy musicians Baxter Elkins. For those who are not familiar with Iron Butterfly and their 17 minute long psychedelic rock opus, click HERE.  The duo is made up of the surfing singer/songwriter Jordan Hook, and powerhouse musician  Bar Jay Bar  aka Joey "Juice" Berglund.  So who is Baxter Elkins?  Allow Jordan to explain: I love their creativity.   Have you ever seen a band like this?  (answer in comments below if you have/haven't) The boys both play in the west coast bluegrass/punk band Water Tower .  They have a knack for creating content that demands the attention of the viewer. Their newest commercial highlights the iconic scene in the movie "Office Space" except instead of beating up a printer, they are destroying copies of their brand new album. I love artists who do not take themselves TOO seriously.  A great son...

Exclusive release for Alternative Grass! The LA hooliganites Water Tower will go to any length for attention. In this one, they have walked all of their gear down to the river. The song is about cheese...that is what "Fromage" means... These dudes are on some other shiz.

 A Step Ahead are ahead of the curve! Here at Alt Grass we LOVE any type of music, but we are especially fond of music that blends the genres together like a jambalaya.  A Step Ahead are a band who mixes the best parts of pop-punk with some amazing elements of metal. Their song "Kicked In The Face" has a colorful video and creates a positive vibe even though the subject matter is more serious.  Their music is born out of heartbreak and growing up, classic themes for pop-punk music, but these men have something more to offer.  They offer high production value and well thought out music video concepts.  Here is another video with a soaring hook that claims "I am the sound of the broken-hearted." I believe him on the assertion that they are the sound of the Broken Hearted.  It is exciting that there is a revival of pop-punk right now. This band is destined for big things.  Check this band out on their website too!

 Mercy Shine shows off their rambunctious and playful spirit while telling the truth of who they are.  They are an exciting Nashville Country/Rock crossover band who harken back to the 90's with their harder rock edge. Though they are Nashville based, the two leaders of the band are from Virginia, and you can hear it in their regional twang.  On their website,  they talk about being influenced by hard rock bands such as Godsmack, Saliva, KISS, and Deep Purple.  Pretty rad influences to mix with country! In their exciting new video "That's Where You'll Find Me" they ride a truck-limo with their name painted across the side.  I love a good hook.   What is a hook? It's that thing that makes you listen to a track again and again. It's that thing that HOOKS you in and keeps you addicted. That is the idea when writing a song.  These guys have nailed the concept of the hook. The reason I know that they have nailed the hook, is because after listenin...

This is a great fiddle tune for today! Happy and jaunty! The celebration vibes are undeniable in this tune.  These are three amazing musicians together for a special performance. I have always loved the fiddle playing of Bruce Molsky, and how sweet of Jay Ungar to pay homage to Bruce by explaining that the tune was learned by hearing Bruce interpret it.  At one point my band The Water Tower Bucket Boys had the honor of opening for Bruce at an Oregon festival known as Pickathon .  Listen for the RIPPIN' bass runs that Molly is exploring constantly, and building all the way until the end. My favorite moment is when Jay hits the fiddle strings with a percussive rap at 2:48, and then drops a sly smile ;) "Shove the Pigs Foot a Little Farther in the Fire", performed by Jay Ungar & Molly Mason (www.jayandmolly.com) with Bruce Molsky. In concert at the Institute of Musical Traditions (www.imtfolk.org) Concert, Silver Spring, MD, USA on February 28th, 2011. Jay Ungar &...

  Vulnerabilty is central to being an artist.  Jeni speaks her honest truth in her music and invites the listener to feel healed as they travel with her.  I admire her honesty. It shows great strength, especially when coupled with the picture of who she is on her Instagram . Have a listen to the mellow horns on her track "What's in a name" as they bring her voice in on a regal canoe, gently gliding through the placid water and creating a wake of melancholic joy.  What did that make you feel? (answer in comments please) It made me feel relaxed and hopeful in a sombre way.  On her website , they talk about her debut EP: " With story-rich lyricism and soulful vocals, singer-songwriter Jeni Schapire explores questions of identity, fractured relationships, and pressures to compromise in her debut EP, What’s In A Name.  Though this four song collection echoes Jeni’s own experiences, these are your stories, too. What’s In A Name proves that there is universality ...

 Emily Daccarett is not only a very talented singer songwriter, she is an entrepreneur.   I am always impressed when I see an artist with a mind for business.   Emily recently launched a womenswear brand which you can check out here.    So what does she look like ?  This outfit and location conjure up echoes of the distant past, but Emily manages to illicit a certain feeling of timelessness in her music and her style.  I love the painting in the background and how it is as if she is hanging with the old-school squad.  What does she sound like?  Her voice is sweet and pure, and when coupled with her groovy music, it creates peaceful waves of pleasurable sound.  Her newest single is called " Cannibal " and it reminds me of the 80's, but it has 2020 flare.  Emily's website is a great resource to learn more about her! For Press Inquiries:  bsquaredmgmt@gmail.com