Tacky Little Hatshop

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--"electronica neo-folky polka"
Tacky Little Hatshop is the dynamic indie duo that you've got to hear about, bringing a fresh and whimsical sound to the world.

         Tunage got a chance to catch up with Tacky Little Hatshop. If you haven't heard of them, they're two sisters who create the most unique sound for Southern California to enjoy. It doesn't stop there though; these ladies have even shared their music love to Russia and Ireland. With influences from the 1910's, Legend of Zelda, and the Celtic culture, each tune they've composed have brought testament to their talent in thinking outside of the box.
Tunage: So, what are your names and your roles in the band?

Enya: I’m Enya and I play keyboard and accordion.
Anneke: I’m Anneke and I do guitar, lead vocals and banjo.

Tunage: How did this band start?

Enya: Well, we always played music together ever since we were little, and in 2008 my brother invited us to play at his concert with his band, because they didn’t have enough bands that night. But we didn’t have a name or anything so we said, “Um… okay. Sure we’ll play!” and we figured out the name that week.

T: How did you come up with Tacky Little Hatshop?
E: Do you know Hayao Miyazaki?
T: No, I haven’t.
E: He’s a Japanese animated director and illustrator, and he makes very beautiful anime movies. There’s one called “Howl’s Moving Castle”. There are these two girls, and they have a shop, and it’s Tacky Little Hatshop.


 

Quorra

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Tunage: Where did the name Quorra come from?

Well, when we first started this band, we wanted a not-so-typical name, so we wanted something unique and with meaning as well. We came across the name Quorra from the movie Tron: Legacy, and then while still looking for a name, we were drawn to Quorra and its meaning, which is simply "heart."


Tunage: How did you all decide that you wanted to play this kind of music and how would you describe your music?

 We decided to play this genre of music because we were drawn to the aggressiveness and the genuine emotion found within the vast hardcore scene. Numerous bands that we draw influence from are very passionate in their music and you can feel that energy and emotion in their live shows as well as their recordings and that's what inspires us. We don't want to put on a boring show, nor do we want to put out music that doesn't have our entire heart put into it. To describe our music, although we try to contain the same characteristics that define our genre, we also put our entire heart into every single aspect of our writing processes, thus including our artistic and individual appeal to make our music that much more meaningful. 

Tunage: Do you all believe that you have something special to bring to your genre of music?

Being in the same genre where there is a flood of bands who choose to write what appeals to the crowd rather than what they want to play themselves, the genre eventually becomes desaturated from individuality and unique appeal. We all bring our own influences and ideals to the table, thus bringing a wide range of ideas and creativity to our band. Although we are playing in a genre where heart and emotion are overshadowed by constant breakdowns and and meaningless lyrics, we are simply making music where we find passion and solidarity. 


 

Gaffer: Good Ol' Rock & Roll

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Gaffer gaf·fer (gfr)
n.

1. An electrician in charge of lighting on a movie or television set.

2. Chiefly British An old man or a rustic.

3. Chiefly British A boss or foreman.

          In our case, The Gaffer is a four piece San Diego band that consists of high school buddies just doing what they love to do, play music. I was honored to have been a guest at their most recent show on May 26th at The Griffin and can honestly say I truly enjoyed myself, the music, and the people. I met with The Gaffer before the show and was thrilled to do a live interview with three of the four members, Martin Coughlin, singer/songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist; Dave O’Reily, lead guitarist and background vocals; and the bassist, Scott Mitchell. 



T: On behalf of Tunage Magazine, Thank you so much for taking the time before your show to do an interview with me. It really is very much appreciated. Can you tell me a little bit about yourselves? Who do you sound like?

Martin: I think the sound is a little bit of a mix between Zeppelin and Oasis

T: Who are some of your influences?

Dave: My influences range anywhere from Led Zeppelin to Pink Floyd to Bad Religion

Scott: I like Iron Maiden

 

KILLING THE MESSENGER.

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          It's a Saturday night at Soma and The Big Show is happening. All kinds of local hardcore bands are on the lineup and the mainstage is filled with eager fans. Killing the Messenger is standing with me outside before their set, ready to go play after this next band is done. Killing the Messenger is a five-piece metalcore band from good ol' San Diego, California. Their Facebook fan page has reached over 3,000 likes from kids in SD and beyond. There are so many kids waiting inside the venue who are stoked for their set. I got to catch up with Ahren Leepier and Willie Malpica before their big performance.


Three Hundredth - Killing The Messenger
Tunage: So, what do you guys do and what are your names?

Ahren: My name is Ahren, I'm vocals.
Willie: I'm Willie, I'm drums.

T: Nice to know! So you guys are going to play next, right?

Ahren: Yeah, we're after this next band.


 

Oh, Guardian

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Metal and fun can go hand-in-hand when done right. Bands like these are hard to find, but Tunage got lucky to discover a local metalcore band named Oh, Guardian. The band has been around for a little over a year now and has made appearances at big shows in the SD area as well as in Arizona and Nevada.

Oh, Guardian is made up of six guys: Jimmy DeBerg doing vocals, Jordan Garza on bass and vocals, Zack Harrison playing keys, Garrett Halvax on drums, and Justin and Angel on guitars. The guys in this band are former members of bands such as For the Legends and To Build an Empire, former local bands that played shows around the SD area.

Tunage got to catch up with Jimmy and Jordan of OG to discuss the band, the shows, and of course, the music.