Semi Sweet this Thursday on Press Pass Music!

This Thursday, female-fronted band Semi Sweet, will be on the show to talk about new music and their residency at Detroit Bar this month (every Monday). Also, guest DJ will be Albert Ching, an awesome local music writer who just interviewed Fullerton band The Steelwells for LA Record.

Hopefully, you checked out last night's OC Music Awards Live Band showcase at Detroit Bar. The place was almost to capacity with about 500 people showing their support for local music. I absolutely loved it. Every local show should be like that. And yes, I was super excited...running around hugging everyone...can't help that I love our music community so much. Next Tuesday is the acoustic showcase at The District Shopping Center in Tustin with Matt Kollar and the Angry Mob, Barrett Johnson, Billy Kernkamp, Stacy Clark and Canvas. It's free and all ages. Every show is free!!! Wooot wooooooot!

Anyway, I'm horribly tired and wonderfully excited still. Yeah, I was at the show all night long...judging and socializing...and yes, I had to wake up at 7:30 a.m. this morning. My resolution for 2010 is to LIVE LIFE MORE. If you want to do something, just friggin do it. Go for it, now.

<3 you all longtime,

Ash

OC MUSIC AWARDS SHOWCASE THIS TUESDAY!

This Tuesday is the start of the OC Music Awards Showcases!!! All free and happening every Tuesday. I will be judging the showcases so come say hello!!! : )

<3
Ash

Parker Macy and Sweet Relief Foundation on this week's show!!

Parker Macy, a blues musician and the winner of Best Blues for the OC Music Awards, will be stopping by on this Thursday's show. AND the nonprofit Sweet Relief, securing the health and financial needs of our wonderful musicians, will be on the show too!

Don't forget you can listen at www.kuci.org, 88.9 FM on the dial, iTunes and on your iPhone!

Also! Shows this week: Thursday -- The Union Line and Yellow Red Sparks at Detroit Bar, Friday - KUCI will be at eVocal w/Venus Infers, Hello Vegas, Snow In Africa, Curmudgeon and Roman Candles. : )

<3
Ash

Mentioned in CSULB's DIG Magazine

Check out this article on the OC Music Awards in Cal State Long Beach's DIG Magazine. I was quoted twice! : )

DIG MAGAZINE

HONEYPIE on the CW Network's "One Tree Hill?"

YES, it is true. Orange County-based band honeypie will have their song "Never Get Enough" on the CW show "One Tree Hill" this Monday at 9 p.m. Even though lead singer Trisha Smith recorded the tracks last year, in the last few months she has pulled together a great band of talented musicians and they played their first show in March for the OC Music Awards showcase. Congrats to honeypie and hopefully we'll hear more songs by them on the CW Network. Now, tune in at 9 p.m. tomorrow (Monday).

BTW honeypie is playing eVocal in Costa Mesa this Saturday w/We Are The Pilots, Yellow Red Sparks and The New Limb. And it's a KUCI Night too! You know what that means! It will definitely be a very good time. Also, all four of these bands are going to be on Press Pass Music this Thursday to celebrate the upcoming show. Expect some jam sessions and even a collaborative cover song? Hmmmm...should be interesting.

<3
Ash

OCMA awards complete list

I will be going over it on my show this week too.


Enjoy.

<3
Ash

OC Music Awards Recap!! AND KUCI Night w/Low vs. Diamond and Venus Infers

Well, the OC Music Awards officially went off last night and the crowd seemed very pleased. Congrats to the OCMA team, especially Luke Allen, Ashley Eckenweiler and Michelle Luna for launching a successful awards show. Now, if you want to know who won what, I will give away a few bands who took home awards but the rest you will just have to listen to Press Pass Music this Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. Venus Infers left with three awards and Japanese Motors left with two awards! If you want to hear the rest, listen to my show this Thursday. From noon to 1 p.m. I will have Avenue of the Giants on the program and from 1 to 2 p.m. I will provide you all with an OCMA recap.

AND, tonight for the after...after party head over to Detroit Bar for the KUCI Night w/ Low vs. Diamond and Venus Infers. What a great way to spend your Sunday Funday. Show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10. If you go, please stop by our KUCI table and say hello!



Now, I better go rest up for tonight.
<3
Ash

THE UNION LINE...added to the OC Music Awards lineup on April 4

Who will be joining the lineup at this year's OC Music Awards on Saturday, April 4??? The Union Line! After a night of bands battling it out and putting on a hell of show, The Union Line were named Best Live Band for the 2009 OC Music Awards. They will be performing this Saturday along with Mickey Avalon, Japanese Motors, Venus Infers, Cory Case, Suburban Legends and Humanlab. Now, watch the video below and fall in love.

<3
Ash



Strangers from The Union Line on Vimeo.

Listen to Press Pass Music again - 3-26-09

Listen to the interview with Luke Allen, producer of the Orange County Music Awards, and live acoustic set by folk singer-songwriter Cory Case AGAIN. See below.

Press Pass Music show on March 26, 2009



<3 you all longtime. Hope to see you at the OCMA showcase finals this weekend. Acoustic FREE showcase finals is Friday with Cory Case, Hong Kong Six, Yellow Red Sparks, Melanoid and AJ Degrasse at the Gypsy Den in Santa Ana...AND Saturday is the OCMA live showcase finals with Venus Infers, The Jakes, The New Limb, The Union Line and The Living Suns at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana. I'm judging and we will announce the winner of the best live and acoustic performances after each show. And when it's over....we're celebrating...a heck of a lot.

OC Music Awards Acoustic and Live Band Finalists are...

Drumroll please.... The finalists for the Orange County Music Awards for Best Acoustic are
AJ Degrasse


Cory Case



Hong Kong Six


Melanoid


Yellow Red Sparks


The free show takes place at The Gypsy Den on March 27.


The Best Live Band Finalists are

The Jakes



The Living Suns


The New Limb


The Union Line


Venus Infers


The free show takes place at The Yost Theater on March 28.

Hope to see you all there to root for your favorite band! I know KUCI and I will be cheering and dancing away.
<3
Ash

OC Weekly.... rocks!

There are some IMPRESSIVE articles in OC Weekly this week. First off, HoneyPie (who was on my show today) is featured in the Locals Only column, Will Crum's sneaky IKEA performance and fast-food tour is mentioned (click here to view) and Albert Ching wrote an insightful blog about the OC Music Awards nominations, which I feel the same way as Albert does. Go to www.ocweekly.com to see what else they're up to.

Today's show was SO much fun. We had a double whammy with The Union Line and then HoneyPie. Expect some photos, a recording of the live performance and interview AND video.

Thanks for listening you guys! Tonight, I'm heading to see The Bird and The Bee, Melanoid and Stacy Clark. I haven't decide what shows I'm going to this weekend as I have a ton of work I must do.... but next week: Ra Ra Riot at Detroit Bar on Monday and then the OC Music Awards Showcase at The Gypsy Lounge.

- Ash

Playlist from the 2-19-09 show

Hey you guys!

Here is my playlist from last Thursday's show. Yellow Red Sparks and The New Limb stopped by and played an acoustic set. It was a wonderful time.


NEXT WEEK'S show expect The Union Line and HoneyPie!

<3
Ash

Sweet Child - Francisco The Man
Throw A Stone - twointhemorning
Blame Narwhal - Sleep Through the Winter
Burning Stepps - In Media Rest
Hung Out to Dry - Fu Manchu
You Can Be Timeless - The Henry Clay People
Sleeping - The Studiofix
Marbles - Walk In Medical
Phil and Marie - The New Limb
Autumn Leaves - The New Limb
Breathe Tenderly - The New Limb
My Machine Gun - Yellow Red Sparks
Four Steps in Corsets - Yellow Red Sparks
Take The Long Road - Yellow Red Sparks


From Thursday's show.
See more videos at the PRESS PASS MUSIC YOUTUBE

OCMA Acoustic Showcase recap

It was a very interesting OCMA Acoustic Showcase last night. The talent was great. The audience was more like a family than a group of strangers. Yet now that the acoustic showcases are at eVocal in Costa Mesa, they're all ages and free, you can't get any better than that. And after last night, I can't wait for next Tuesday. The first of the two acoustic showcases to take place at the venue included Cory Case, Sarah Green, Poor Richards Press and Hong Kong Six. It was a nice change in the showcase. Cory juggled his harmonica and guitar oh-so-well, Sarah belted notes like she was at the Hollywood Bowl, Poor Richards Press kept me singing "If I were a millionaire..." and last but not least Hong Kong Six (who were featured on Friday in the OC Register) popped it up with their fun pop-infused ballads-- Their guitarist Jeff even dedicated a song to me...that sweetheart. It was a fun night, especially the after party, which was filled with randomness, including giving love advice at Avalon, then an encounter with some strippers at that place next door to eVocal that blasts the Spanish music and then ending at Detroit Bar. Got to love it.

This is why you have to be at the upcoming showcases and the main event on April 4. You can purchase tickets for super cheap right now and bands playing the showcase have a chance at playing the OC Music Awards.

Expect some videos too. Thanks for everyone who saw the show last night! And if you're interested in other bands who played the showcase, look to your right and click on the KUCI compilation banner. 10 songs for $5.

<3

Ash

Now HEAR Venus Infers on the FX show Damages TONIGHT!

Venus Infers' song "London's Raining" will be played on the FX show Damages TONIGHT. It might be on at like 9 p.m.? Just turn on the TV and go to the FX channel and keep it on that channel starting now until 11 p.m. ; )

These guys hit a double hitter!! They were played on MTV's "The City" on Monday night and now they'll be played on FX's Damages tonight (Wednesday). Two shows in one week. How GREAT is that? Congrats to Venus Infers. Love you longtime.

ALSO, if you missed last night's OCMA Live Showcase at Detroit Bar, no worries I have the replay on my YOUTUBE. Check it out and let me know what you think. There were some damn hot performances.

We Are The Pilots will be on Press Pass Music tomorrow at 1 p.m. AND there will be a special guest around noon. Tune in to KUCI 88.9 FM or KUCI.ORG

<3

Ash

OCMA Live Showcase at Detroit Bar -- TONIGHT

This week!!!

Hey you guys,

Tonight you can see Daniel Morones and Mothers' Sons finishing up their last Monday night of residency at Detroit Bar... and who is opening for them? MY PET SADDLE! I am leaving my first night of class for this one.

Then Tuesday night at Detroit Bar is the last time you'll catch the OC Music Awards live showcase as we're going to Chain Reaction starting next week. Tuesday's show will have Champagne Blvd, Starving For Gravity, Sederra and The Living Suns.

Next, on Press Pass Music this Thursday you will hear We Are The Pilots playing a live set and after I record their performance you will be able to watch it on my blog and youtube. Also, I will be talking to the guys, who are playing Chain Reaction on Tuesday, Feb. 3 for the OCMA showcase.
And we might have a special guest drop by and maybe he will even help me co-host later in the show when WATP are there.

It's going to be an EXCITING week!!

Here are the videos of Will Crum's after party. Also, on my youtube find PPM video promos. Enjoy!

<3
Ash

Last night's OC Music Awards Live Showcase...

Well the third OC Music Awards Live Showcase took place last night and here's what happened:

Faded Paper Figures went on around 9:15 p.m. And oh how they were awesome. Since I discovered this band like almost a year ago, I've always wanted to see them play a show! I finally had the opportunity last night and they did not disappoint the audience.

After, new faces Oliver Jane intertwined violins, keyboards, guitars and a mandolin. This young band, who were are all under 21, which means they could barely go into Detroit Bar to pee before their show, has a lot of talent. But the stupid mic was like to close to one of the speakers or something and there was major drama with noise control. But I think what got the most attention was one of the members using a box and bicycle wheel as drums.... the cameras were-a-flashing.

The third band to get the crowd hyped was Matt Kollar and The Angry Mob (who were on my show last Thursday). They forgot to use the damn flower pot, which I should have told them I wanted to play, but the band got the fans moving again. Check out a glimpse of how last night was by checking out a performance on my show , except there performance last night was WAY better, and their was a megaphone, which I stole later to go look for The Vessel Tongue. BUT as I was about to call out to Luke Allen, I pressed the friggin siren in the middle of Detroit Bar and it was SO loud that everyone turned their heads towards me. Yipee! Ummm... and it wouldn't turn off. Good times.

The Vessel Tongue played last AND surprised everyone by KILLING the show. They are just natural performers. Nigel, lead singer, was jumping all over stage with the rest of the members and dancing along with their tambourine girls. Everyone rushed towards the stage dancing and everyone was really feeling the energy. It was pretty awesome. I especially love when they throw all their instruments and fall to the ground after their last song. What rockstars/drama queens. I love it. : )

It was a GREAT night filled with diverse music and lots of surprises. AND a shout out to Jon Reiser -- Happy Birthday Jon Jon!-- It was his birthday last night and he spent it with the OC Music Awards showcase... and a lot of beer.

Stay tuned for more updates and to check out photos or more information, go to OC WEEKLY Albert Ching, the music editor, was feeling the music last night and he will hopefully be blogging too.

Love you all longtime. I'm FLYING right now. Our local music is just such a great high

<3

Ash

OC MUSIC AWARDS LIVE SHOWCASE