Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Celebrity Sips (photos not uploading... but coming soon)

LA Band, Million/Billion, in DC Wednesday night!

“Edgy, Eclectic, with pop hooks and Indie Quirk…million billion has a musical style that unites fans of indie-rock, country, pop, rock and dance music into one throbbing mass, drooling for the next song.” ~CD Baby

Certain local publications in DC are strangely ‘closed’ to mentioning up-and-coming bands visiting the area. I’ve been surprised at the lack of willingness to share info with their readership.

Luckily, The Liquid Muse loves to share! - particularly when the band happens to be from my town (LA) and it especially doesn’t hurt that the band also happens to be made up of three yummy band members. (I just figure DC ladies might wanna know when some rockin’ West Coast hotties roll into town. Call me crazy…)

Million/Billion’s debut concert last year at LA’s legendary House of Blues’ Foundation Room, was followed by a stint at Hollywood’s infamous Viper Room, and packed houses at hot-spots Hotel Café and Tangier. Tracks from their album Ready.Fire.Aim have already found their way on LA’s influential radio stations Indie 103.1 and KCRW, and BMI recently chose million/billion as their ‘Pick of the Month.’

The album, co-produced by the band and recorded with the help of engineer/producer Karl Derfler (No Doubt, Dave Matthews Band, Big Head Todd) is set for official release this August. Urb Magazine, has already given it four stars in its December/January issue, saying “Million/Billion throws in cynical folk-rock with country that lands a bull’s eye,” and calling their “rhythmical acoustic guitar and raucous performance,” hard to pass up.

The trio, Gavin Bellour (lead singer), Brian Ulrich (drummer) and Yonatan Elkayam (keys/bass, upright, harmonica…), first played onstage together in 2005 at an impromptu jam session. The connection, chemistry, and camaraderie fired their imaginations. “We like to think that the sound we created doesn’t really fit into a particular genre or perhaps it does and we are just too ignorant to know it, but in our universe we’ve blended genres to create a new style…,” says lead singer Bellour.

Cd baby agrees saying, “million/billion blends a variety of old and new into a sound that is truly all their own.” This sound has earned the band opening slots for such artists as Beck, Ray Lamontagne and Shooter Jennings.

On Wednesday, June 13, the boys will be playing at The Grog and Tankard, 2408 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington DC 20007; 202-333-3114;
http://www.grogandtankard.com/

If you catch the show, share your thoughts with the Liquid Muse Community by sending in a review. I’ll post it here.

Oh - and for the 'sips' part of this Celebrity Sips - the Grog and Tankard has 14 microbrews... Pick your favorite and send it in to The Liquid Muse. (photos are always welcome!)

For more info on the band check out: www.millionbillionmusic.com or http://www.myspace.com/millionbillion

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