The Goldenhearts, Cosmic Suckerpunch, Illusions of Self December 12, 2012

COSMIC SUCKERPUNCH

When your band is called Cosmic Suckerpunch, you had better be prepared to back that name up with some pounding, stellar rock and roll. Good thing songwriter Ari Welkom and company deliver on spacey licks and heady songs, rooted in blues and funk, and indebted to imaginative fantasy rock music in the spirit of Led Zeppelin.
Hollywood and the Sunset Strip having been cranking out stars for more than a century, whether purposefully or coincidentally, and new discoveries come every day. Take the case of Welkom, discovered as an actor before teaming up with guitarist Fabien Hameline on a movie set. The two realized their shared interests and respected talents could lead to a different kind of artistic avenue, and they first formed the musical act Ghost Robot in 2009. While that moniker's cuteness dried up pretty quick, they eventually recruited drummer Adam Timmerman and bassist Sebastian Hameline, Fabiens twin brother, for the full line up of what is now Cosmic Suckerpunch.

Cosmic Suckerpunch is expanding their universe, starting by self-releasing their debut record, Good Morning. Even with the understated album title, the band transforms their live sound into a classic rock album, full of the same glimmering exuberance they've become known for. Having recently found themselves opening festivals and seeing bigger stages, the group is now ready to rock on a level of, ahem, cosmic proportions.

By Charles Swanson (MySpoonful) 12/27/11

THE GOLDENHEARTS
http://www.thegoldenhearts.com
http://www.facebook.com/thegoldenhearts

“Always remember to be kind. They’ll cut off your head to get to your mind” So go the opening lines of the heavily Beatles-inspired track “Star” by alternative rock band the Goldenhearts. Led by front man Roger Rocha, who you may recognize from his work as former guitarist for the cult favourite 4 Non Blondes, the Goldenhearts mix chamber pop, alternative rock, and rock n’ roll/psychedelic rock to form a concoction all their own. Both the recording/production and the song-writing sound classic. This is a band with extensive song-writing experience, as is evident from the lift off the chorus brings and the warm dynamic shifts here. Much like The Smashing Pumpkins, there is an element of sadness in the writing, but also a sense of familiarity and comfort, romance and and beauty. Roger Rocha has a unique singing voice, and it’s hard to compare him to anyone else. Influences from the Velvet Underground to Sonic Youth, Queens of the Stone Age and the Butthole Surfers come to mind. Ari Gorman is quite the multi-instrumentalist, playing bass, cello, piano, moog and backup vocal duties, and he does a wonderful job.

The Goldenhearts’ new release “Is There Love On Mars?” is a very solid 11-track release full of well-crafted hooks and potent emotion. The meeting of the classic and the new seems effortless, and the result is an album that sounds freshly original and yet instantly essential.

ILLUSIONS OF SELF

“Illusion of Self is a rock & roll band formed by Frank Salazar, Miles Deiaco, and Raymond Jones. They blend the vibe and tones of classic 60’s and 70’s rock with an aggressive, emotional, feel of the 90’s while remaining modern and progressive. The vocals capture the audience with a slightly bluesy yet over-driven attack. Miles’ sultry low end on the bass lays a firm foundation for the intense array of guitar sounds. Raymond’s (Random Mysticks) intricate and hard hitting drum patterns force the audience to listen up and move around. This 3 piece trio came up out of San Francisco and wouldn’t have it any other way. The sound can be defined as classic yet ahead of its time.”

Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/227137114084921/?fref=ts