"So what's it gonna take? Silver shadow believer..." -Shiny Toy Guns

Friday, June 20, 2008

Want to Party Like it’s 1969? Dr Hollywood Prescribes the Cure

Dr Hollywood sings, “I want to party like it’s 1969.” Sounds like an awesome-good time but, who exactly is this Doctor? I wondered too and as I opened my friend request from them on MySpace, two things struck me:

1.) Their music- it’s different and I am all about finding the freshest sounds.

And

2.) They personally messaged me.

As we are all well familiar on “The Space,” friend requests from bands are a dime a dozen. But, personalized messages and comments from them are not so common. It’s not that they love us any less, it’s just when you have tens of thousands of friends; it becomes a bit of a challenge to keep up with everyone. But, not for Dr Hollywood (myspace.com/drhollywood), they do their best to respond to all, and in fact were gracious enough to give me an interview! The following post was taken from an electronic conversation with the very smart, funny and talented, Louie Rubio, of Dr Hollywood.

Want to Party Like it’s 1969? Dr Hollywood Prescribes the Cure

Dr Hollywood is production duo from L.A., featuring Louie Rubio on vocals, guitar, and keys, and Alex Larson, as the bassist and engineer of their sessions; both of them program drums. These two have been playing music together since high school and have written and produced all their own songs. “Actually let me take that back, most of the writing is done by a handle of generic gin and my rundown acoustic guitar. I seem to work best in the morning, still buzzed from the night before,” Louie joked. Their Executive Producer, Segal Huredia also plays a huge part in putting all the magic together. Dr Hollywood planned to release an EP this summer, but now aren’t anticipated to do so until later on in the year.

Unfortunately, we impatient fans will just have to wait, but it promises to be worth it. For now though, we can enjoy their music at http://www.drhollywoodmusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/drhollywood . I had high hopes of catching a live show, but not sure you will be able to order tickets to the Dr just yet. “We’re going to start performing mid-summer at pool parties, clubs and rock venues. We’re not sure if we want to sound like good drunk sex (Loud, Sweaty, and Sloppy) or an English tea party (refined and clean). We’ll probably settle for something in the middle,” Louie said. Their live performances include drummer, Mitch Martin.

I’d love to book them at my summer party, their music is high energy, great to dance to, and possesses easy to remember lyrics. One of my biggest gripes with electronic/trance/dance music is that it can be annoying and too similar, with little feeling involved – very reminiscent of my rave days. That is what’s so refreshing about Dr Hollywood; they’re a sound all their own, encompassing many genres of music. It was described to me as the bridging of European dance electro, American blues rock and hip hop; that’s accurate and exactly what hooked me about it. I believe the freshest styles in our day and age are a combination of previous methods used, but with a new spin and that is what Dr Hollywood offers.

Their goal is to keep their sound fun, clear and textured, but keeping the ability to sing along to it, all the while “…avoiding the minimalistic pop mentality at all costs,” Louie said, and creating “quality party music.” According to Louie, that’s where their Executive Producer, Segal comes in, "Once he's done with them, our records sound big and pristine. He's been doing it for years. His mixing is truly legendary and his songs are used as references to mixing all the time."

Fans and newcomers can listen to Dr Hollywood’s music on their blog and MySpace page. Drhollywoodmusic.com features many fun remixes they’ve created, mash-ups of favorites that blend great together, as well as enlightening posts about them and their pass times. Their MySpace page includes songs, 1969 featuring Dirt Nasty, Hotline featuring Olivia Fox, and Beardo’s Girls Girls Girls song remixed with Mickey Avalon and Dirt Nasty. Louie told me, “When I wrote 1969 we were pretty broke, so the lyrics are completely honest. I call that my, Top Ramen and Natty Lite era.” These songs are excellent representations of the variety found in their music, 1969 has an alternative rock feel, Hotline is the type of song you want playing out on the dance floor, and the Girls Girls Girls Remix is very hip-hop.

I asked Louie where he saw the future of Dr Hollywood going laughingly he responded, “In six months, I see us meandering through the Mediterranean with Italian models on our yacht, snobbishly pouring Don P all over our caviar for extra flavor.” He was kidding and went on to say, “We're not really thinking that far ahead yet, our songs started out as pre-party music for our friends. Then people started coming out of the woodwork asking for copies. At the moment we're just concerned with playing music we like and gaining fans in the process.”

I didn’t get to converse at all with Alex Larson unfortunately, his only quote for my entire post was, "what are my quotes?"

My very favorite time to listen to Dr Hollywood is while getting ready to go out on a Friday night. I turn the laptop on, go to their page, and fish around in my closet for something fantastic to wear. Their beats just make me want to apply red lipstick and admire myself in the mirror, while sipping a cocktail, and getting pumped for the night’s adventure ahead.

How does the Dr make you feel? Let them know at: www.drhollywoodmusic.com





Photo Courtesy of: Dr Hollywood

Saturday, June 7, 2008

I told you so...

Don’t you love it when you can say, I told you so? I do, but don’t say it, as I hate it when people say it to me. Sometimes you are just a little before your time though; you can see how things will unfold before they do. If I could do this with my own personal life, I could be wildly successful in all areas of my life. A friend of mine at work, who is also a fantastic writer, sent a link to an article in Brandweek: http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003810267&imw=Y
The first paragraph of the post read, “Local papers may be yesterday's news for some advertisers, however college newspapers are thriving, per a new study.” You’re kidding me right? College students still read their campus newspaper? Yep. College students care what is happening on campus and in the town surrounding it. They want to know about upcoming shows and news of their school. This was a phenomena I realized a little over 3 years ago, when I wrote for my college paper. I’m so glad everyone else has caught on. It is a fantastic medium for target marketing to that specific demographic.
I was an Arts & Entertainment writer who also dabbled in the Opinion section often. I learned fairly quickly that what I was writing was in a way promoting concerts, art exhibits, movies, books, TV shows, etc. Simultaneously, I took a side job flyering for a concert venue. I had to have an article in by end-of-week and there was nothing going on at school. I looked down at my stack of flyers for shows coming up in the next few weeks, researched the bands and wrote a piece. Then it dawned on me, I can help market people by writing articles about them. That was that, and what I wanted to do with the rest of my life: write about what I like, while marketing.
Hence, the idea of social media. A simple comment to a friend about something you like or a post on someone’s blog you enjoyed, is promotion my friends. In any case, before I go off on a Social Media tangent, I should revisit the article that got the juices flowing for me to write this post.
The article discusses ad placements more than article content, never-the-less it all sends the same message: college newspapers are a great way to market. According to the post, “82% of students read their campus newspaper, a rate that more than doubles most major metro dailies. Of this group, most are also open to advertising. Only 13% said they avoid advertising in their campus newspaper. Close to 80% reported reacting to an ad or article.”
Hmmmm? Need I say more? I will spare you “the know it all” answer. Just learn it, know it and love it. Azy does know a few things.