Hot Young Thing!

Ok, I've been meaning to type this post since July 17th. Anyway, show of hands, who here has heard of Matt Nathanson? *Looks Around* Hmm, not bad but there should be more of you... so let me help!

Matt Nathanson is a singer-songwriter from San Francisco with a great t-shirt collection, clever lyrics, amazing stage banter and so much more. He just released a new album on August 14th called Some Mad Hope. Maybe you've heard his single "Car Crash" on the radio? If not, Some Mad Hope is 44 minutes of uninterrupted extremely pleasurable well-crafted pop tunes - perfect for those long drives or just making you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Highlights include "Come On Get Higher," "Wedding Dress," and "Gone."

He's got a tour coming up soon, check out his myspace for exact dates and some tune-age. Then go pick up your copy of Some Mad Hope.

Matt Nathanson on myspace

Photos from Safari Sam's

High Voltage sign, one of many plastered around the venue.


DJ Rubbish providing entertainment between bands.


Partygoers Lilly and Boy (Van Gunn)


Joe (Atomic Playboy) in a chat


Wounded Cougar's fit in drummer for the night enthralled in a conversation


DTFM demanding the crowd's attention


Denny (the Vacation) taking a break


DTFM getting the crowd into it


The Safari Sam's crowd


Set list for the night

Good times at the HV Night!!! Come to the next one to be in a photo!!! :)

Photo Credit: Jesica Fowler

Once again, thank you to Xander Singh, Noah Engh, DTFM, Wounded Cougar, and Keaton Simons for playing and EVERYONE who came out!

OTM: The Presets

according to Melissa...

Meet The Presets. Not sure where they came from (Australia), not really sure what they do (make electro pop that gets your ass shaking), but I like it.

If you're one of those who need precise descriptions and want to have a grip of what's going on here, keep reading.

Biography:
Kimberley Isaac Moyes was but a young man, small of stature but big of heart, down on his luck, doing the odd performance in a downtown gay bar and eating anchovies from tin cans discarded in the alley behind a local Italian restaurant, putting all his dollar bills in a pillow, with the dream to one day have enough money to buy a Moog synthesiser.

Julian Hamilton was the new bus boy in said food joint, robust and ambitious, taking out the trash and sweating like a malaria ravaged wrestler when he one day chanced upon poor Kim out the back, sucking on those oily little fish like hed never tasted such a delicacy.

These encounters out the back of Luigis Linguini And Pasta Allsorts became regular, and led to the occasional lunch date, when Julian would not only smuggle Kim a fresh can of anchovies, but would even share his own chef-cooked meal. The boys found friendship over faggotini, had leisurely lunches scheming up ways for Kim to stay one step ahead of the Child Protection Services who longed to send the delinquent off to an orphanage in Mongolia, they dreamed of the myriad ways Julian could swindle his evil boss Luigi, and held heated debates about their shared passion, music.

It was in these early days that Kim and Julian realized their meeting had been fateful, and that one day they would make good on their shared desire to make moody, crisp electronic future pop.

If youve ever wondered what they might play when youre standing there staring at the fork in the road between heaven and hell, this could be it.

Album: Beams (Modular Records)
1. Steamworks
2. Are You The One?
3. Down Down Down
4. Girl and the Sea
5. Black Background
6. Worms
7. Kitty in the Middle
8. Hill Stuck
9. Girl (You Chew My Mind Up)
10. I Go Hard, I Go Home
11. Bad Up Your Betterness
12. Beams


Video: "Are You The One"


Official Site | MySpace | Modular Records

August 20, HV Night

The next HIGH VOLTAGE night is all confirmed. It's happening on August 20th at Safari Sam's (5214 W Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA) and will feature:

The official Matt Nathanson Listening Party


PERFORMANCES BY
Wounded Cougar


Keaton Simons


DTFM


Noah Engh


Xander Singh


Plus DJ sets by High Voltage & Rubbish!

Doors @ 7
FREE from 7pm - 9pm, $5 after, but if you RSVP to highvoltagersvp@gmail.com it's only $2! Not to mention food and beer is half for the first part of the night. That sold you, didn't it?

We hope to see you all there! Spread the word! It's going to be a fun time.

The Walk

There's a little known fact about High Voltage and that's our love for Hanson. We've all been fans since 1997 (that's a decade of fandom) and got a catch to see them up close and personal a few days ago in Los Angeles. They played a show at Viper Room and didn't cease to amaze us. Playing songs from all of their albums up until this point and even a couple covers.

Their newest studio release, The Walk, came out on July 24th. If you haven't picked it up already - whatcha waitin' for? Highlights include "Blue Sky", "Tearing It Down", "Been There Before", and "Watch Over Me." And of course, their singles too... but those speak for themselves.

Here's a 15 second video clip from Viper Room, courtesy of my digital camera before the always pleasant Viper Room staff asked me (the rest of the room) to stop or they'd throw us out. Gotta love the Viper Room!



Hanson.net

All my friends, sha la la...

Hey!

Once again, thanks to everyone that made our High Voltage night such a huge success. Last Drag were a killer warm-up for the night with their blend of rock n roll that's comparable to The Doors & The White Stripes. The Naked had the audience captivated and you can't go wrong with handmade t-shirts! The Afterhours brought some Silverlake charm to the evening. Eastern Conference Champions blew it out of the ballpark. And Van Gunn closed the night with high-energy rock n roll. We're planning even more extraordinary activity for our next one, so make sure you mark August 20th in your calendars.

Currently I'm approaching the end of a week of dates with The Format, Steel Train, Limbeck, Reuben's Accomplice and The Honorary Title. I'm in Portland, OR right now at the Hawthorne Theatre. It's quite a charming venue, I'm really digging the vibe. The Format are currently soundchecking as doors won't be opening for another two hours. Last nights show in San Francisco was so much fun and the audience was really to thank. It was the best crowd I've seen of this tour so far; they were way into it, dancing and singing along with each and every tune. Steel Train just keeps getting better every night and the last song they are playing, Firecracker (which will be on the new album due out in October), features three drummers! Incredible.

Here's a couple photos:


Steel Train (w/ Patrick from Limbeck), Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA 08/03/2007


The Format (w/ Patrick & Robb from Limbeck), Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA 08/03/2007