Shawn Harris

LMN Band Exam: Maniac

Posted on by Kristen

Who is Maniac? You could check out their webpage. That will tell you something. You could attend their show tomorrow night (Thursday 10/13) at The Bootleg Theater. That will certainly give you a taste. You could even look at the definition of the term, maniac. I’m pretty sure that gives you some solid intel as well.

If there is only one thing to say about LMN band love Maniac, it might be that they are doing their own thing and loving it! From their on-stage antics and quirky tunes to the way they interact with their fans, partners in crime Jake Grigg and Shawn Harris always manage to dish up the unexpected and make sure everyone is having a good time.

I love Maniac for their exciting live performances. I also love their unique perspective on being a professional musician. The band captures the essence of DIY, pushing the boundaries on both music-making and marketing. They are currently recording in their home studio and plan to  release new music three songs at a time in limited edition screen printed cases. The songs will be available in their online store starting this month! In the meantime, be sure to pick up their Extended Play EP and first full lenght album, Mania.

For more info on their travels, specialty-crafted limited edition merch items, random thoughts, and how to become a member of their exclusive East Nowhere Social Club, I’d head on over to their facebook  page.

Is that still not enough information for you? Well, LMN also wanted to learn more about Jake and Shawn (AKA Maniac) so we gave the fellas our band exam full of random questions. Here’s how they did:

 

Multiple Choice:

Favorite Super hero: Superman, Spiderman, Batman

Shawn: Batman doesn’t have any powers, just heaps of monies

Jake: Spiderman hooked up with Kirsten Dunst in the movies so i’m jealous and want him dead.

Best place to play a random show: beach, forest, shopping mall 

Shawn: Depends on the weather

Jake: Your house

Best mode of transportation: bicycle, train, horse

Jake & Shawn: Definitely a horse.

The ultimate music question: The Beatles or The Rolling Stones

Shawn & Jake: hahahahahahahahahahaha

Shawn: I can’t believe thats even a fucking thing

Jake: hahahaha

Fill in the Blank:

My favorite guilty pleasure music is __The Rolling Stones___.

The last book I read was ___Keith Richards Life___.

One weird skill/talent no one would expect from me is ____oral sex___.

Describe what it’s like to be on the road in two words: ___oral­­­­_ _  _ _sex___

 

Essay/Short Answer:

 If you could live in another Era, what would it be and why?

Jake: 1960’s would be fun. Free love, acid and the radio was playing songs that we actually like.

Shawn: And everyone rode horses

Jake: Bare back!

Tell us a story about one of the songs off Mania.

Shawn: I totally asked Jake “who do you know” and he was “all I know is I don’t like people like me.” Which prompted me to ask “who do you trust?” Turned out, he trusted the mail and the rain. We wrote a little song about that.

Jake: Hahaha

 

Listen and Love!

 

 

 

New Band Loves: Maniac and Atomic Tom

Posted on by Kristen

I can’t believe I almost didn’t go out last night. I was tired and still recovering from the whole Foo Fighters shindig on Tuesday. I had been meaning to see the band Maniac while they were playing LA, so I forced myself out the door. I had heard good things from various sources about Maniac, a group fronted by Shawn Harris (The Matches) and Jake Grigg (Something with Numbers) and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Maniac is a band that needs to be seen live. Their energy combined with their unique stage presence and catchy tunes will draw you in. The love they have for one another and for the music emanates from the stage and before you know it you realize that you feel better just for standing in front of them for a little while. Plus, they are just so much fun!!

To listen to songs off their Extended Play EP: http://maniacmania.com/extendedplay/

After Maniac’s set, I was convinced it couldn’t get any better, but I decided to stick around anyway to check out Atomic Tom, a band I’d never heard of from New York City. They started playing and I was immediately captivated. By the end of their second song I was in love. They had me dancing, singing, swaying, and drifting closer and closer to the stage with each opportunity.  They remind me a bit of Franz Ferdinand…if FF also rocked the ballads.

By the time they did their encore of “This Is How We Like to End”, I was smiling uncontrollably from ear to ear. These guys recently signed to a label and are getting more attention (deservedly so) so go see them now while you have a change to get them in a more intimate venue. They are also really nice gentleman, eager to meet and talk to every one of their fans.

Tour dates: http://www.facebook.com/atomictomband?v=app_10442206389

I’m seriously considering dropping my current plans and heading down to San Diego Saturday to catch them and Maniac again at The House of Blues. This is how I know I am hooked.

Have a listen and be sure to go catch them live if they come to a town near you!

You know the night is good when even the opener is a solid act. Playing before Maniac and Atomic Tom were LA locals, LoversDrugs. I’ve seen these guys before and they always put on a good show and I’d be remiss not to mention the role they played in my fantastic evening. LoversDrugs released an EP and are making a series of music videos for each of the songs. Here’s my favorite:

~ Kristen