Mocca

 

Mocca is an Indonesian four-member band formed in 1997 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The band's musical style is inspired by the retro sounds of the 70s, with influences of swing, bossa nova, Swedish pop, and jazz. The core of the band is Arina Ephipania Simangunsong, Riko Prayitno, Achmad ("Toma") Pratama, and Indra Massad. When playing live, MOCCA is supported by six additional players on keyboards, guitar, percussion, trumpet, trombone, and sax.

History

While in college, Arina and Riko decided to get together and form a band. For a year, they struggled with performing other people's music, finding themselves bored with the lack of innovation, at which point they decided to write their own songs. In 1997, they composed four songs that unfortunately were not well-received by the rest of the band. After much squabbling and conflict the band split up, leaving only Arina and Riko with their songs.

In late 1999, they asked Indra and Toma to join and Mocca was born. They now had a group with the same vision and awareness of music.

Having signed a contract with FFWD Records, helped Mocca a lot to go international. FFWD is previously a distributor for international indie-pop labels from Japan and Singapore to Sweden. All Mocca's album are distributed by FFWD's partner labels : Fruit Records in Singapore, Small Room in Thailand, Apple Crumble in Japan, Beatball from Korea, and My Honey from Italy

Their debut album My Diary contains 13 songs written from a girl's point of view and her diary entries. The lyrics are in English, and the music mixes waltz, bossa nova, 70s disco, and rock.Rolling Stone Indonesia magazine placed My Diary on their "150 Greatest Indonesian Albums of All Time" list at number 59.The magazine also ranked Mocca's song, "Me and My Boyfriend" at #150 on "150 Greatest Indonesian Songs of All Time" list.

With simple and beautiful songs, all in English, the band gained popularity in neighbors countries especially in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Mocca has performed plenty of times in these countries. In 2006 Mocca collaborated with Swedish singer Karolina Komstedt, lead singer of the Swedish pop group Club 8. In 2007 Mocca performed in Japan as one of the headliners, long before that in 2004 they have performed in Okinawa as well. In 2008 they held in Malaysia and several gigs in Singapore too. Mocca’s latest international show was a solo concert held at Seoul, South Korea on May 2009

in 2010, their songs are used for several movie soundtracks in Korea, including Bandhobi and Personal Taste.

They have decided to take some vacuum time since 15th of July 2011. Their last show titled "Annabelle and the Music Box" held at Hall A Basket Senayan, Jakarta.

Band members

Arina Ephipania Simangunsong(vocals and flute) was born on 4 May 1978 in Bandung, West Java, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Institut Teknologi Nasional (Bandung), together with bandmate Riko. A fan of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, Arina uses stage gestures and musical dynamics often found in jazz and folk-dixie tunes.

Riko Prayitno (guitar) was born on 29 January 1977 in Bogor, West Java. Like Arina, he also graduated from the Institut Teknologi Nasional (Bandung). He began playing guitar at an early age, and began playing professionally with Arina while still in college.

Ahmad Pratama aka Toma (bass) was born on 27 June 1976 in Bandung, West Java and has lived there ever since. A product designer by training, Toma has excelled in setting up the key components of their music. His punctual bass tone accentuates the tempo and rhythm set by Indra's drumming skill. His influences include Sting and Phil Collins.

Indra Massad (drums) was born on 31 January 1976 in Medan, North Sumatra. He and Toma studied product design in Bandung together, and joined Mocca at about the same time. Unlike other drummers that use many tom-toms and cymbals, Indra prefers the simplicity and versatility of a single snare drum. His brush technique during acoustic sessions acts just like seven different mallets making seven different tones.

Discography

Albums

• My Diary (2002)
• Friends (2004)
• Colours (2007)

EPs

• OST Untuk Rena (2005)
• Mini Album (2010)

 

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Muse

Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy (lead vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards, keytar), Christopher Wolstenholme (bass, backing vocals, keyboards, guitars, harmonica) and Dominic Howard (drums, percussion, synthesisers, sampling, harmtar). After the release of their 2006 album Black Holes and Revelations, keyboardist and percussionist Morgan Nicholls has performed live with the band. Muse are known for their energetic and extravagant live performances and their fusion of many music genres, including space rock, progressive rock, alternative rock, heavy metal, classical music and electronica.

Muse have released five studio albums: Showbiz (1999), Origin of Symmetry (2001), Absolution (2003), Black Holes and Revelations (2006), and The Resistance (2009). The band have also issued three live albums, Hullabaloo Soundtrack (2002), which is also a compilation of B-sides, Absolution Tour (2005), and HAARP (2008).

Black Holes and Revelations earned the band a Mercury Prize nomination and a third place finish in the NME Albums of the Year list for 2006. Muse have also won numerous other music awards throughout their history, including five MTV Europe Music Awards, five Q Awards, eight NME Awards, two BRIT Awards, an MTV Video Music Award, four Kerrang! Awards and an American Music Award. They were also nominated for three Grammy Awards, of which they won Best Rock Album for their fifth studio album, The Resistance.

Musical style

Muse are an alternative rock band, and are often associated with space rock and progressive rock their music currently mixes sounds from genres such as electronic music, hard rock, classical music and rock opera. The band was described as a "trashy three-piece" by Matthew Bellamy on the BBC during 2002.

On the band's association with progressive rock, Dominic Howard has said: "I associate it with 10-minute guitar solos, but I guess we kind of come into the category. A lot of bands are quite ambitious with their music, mixing lots of different styles – and when I see that I think it's great. I've noticed that kind of thing becoming a bit more mainstream."

Members

Current members

• Matthew Bellamy – lead vocals, lead guitar, piano, keyboard
• Christopher Wolstenholme – bass, backing vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
• Dominic Howard – drums, percussion, synthesisers

Live members

• Morgan Nicholls – keyboards, percussion, synthesisers, backing vocals, bass, guitar ("United States of Eurasia") (2004, 2006–present)
• Alessandro Cortini – keyboards (filled in for Morgan Nicholls briefly in 2009)

Discography

• Showbiz (1999)
• Origin of Symmetry (2001)
• Absolution (2003)
• Black Holes and Revelations (2006)
• The Resistance (2009)

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Matchbox Twenty

Matchbox Twenty (originally spelled officially as Matchbox 20 aka MB20) is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995. The group currently comprises Rob Thomas (lead vocals, piano), Paul Doucette (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brian Yale (bass guitar), Kyle Cook (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Ryan MacMillan (drums, percussion).

Matchbox Twenty rose to international fame with their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You (1996), which was certified diamond in the United States and multi-platinum in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Their second album, Mad Season, released in 2000, charted in the top three on the Billboard 200 and was certified 4× platinum in the United States. Their third album, More Than You Think You Are, released in 2002, was certified double platinum in the United States. However, it was not as successful as the previous two albums, despite its singles receiving significant airplay.

The band then went on hiatus in 2004, and rhythm guitarist Adam Gaynor left the band in 2005, after performing on the first three studio albums. As a result, Paul Doucette took over rhythm guitar, and the band reunited and released a compilation album, Exile on Mainstream, in 2007, which was certified gold in the United States. After the release, former Push Stars drummer Ryan MacMillan filled Doucette's vacated drum spot. Matchbox Twenty then took another hiatus, but reunited again in 2011 and are currently recording their fifth album, which according to Paul Doucette, will be released in 2012.

Band members

Current members

• Rob Thomas – lead vocals, piano, guitar (1995–present)
• Kyle Cook – lead guitar, vocals, banjo (1995–present)
• Paul Doucette – rhythm guitar, vocals (2007–present); drums, percussion (1995–2007)
• Brian Yale – bass guitar, backing vocals (1995–present)
• Ryan MacMillan – drums, percussion (2007–present)

 Discography

• Yourself or Someone Like You (1996)
• Mad Season (2000)
• More Than You Think You Are (2002)
• Untitled 4th studio album (2012)

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My Chemical Romance

My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock. Shortly after forming, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their debut album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love in 2002. They signed with Reprise Records the next year and released their major label debut Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge in 2004; the album was a commercial success, and was awarded platinum status a little over a year later. The band eclipsed their previous success with their 2006 concept album, The Black Parade, which gained generally favorable reviews among music critics. Their fourth studio album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, was released on November 22, 2010, to positive reviews.

Background

Early career

The band was formed by front-man Gerard Way and drummer Matt Pelissier approximately one week after the September 11 attacks. Witnessing the planes crash into the World Trade Center influenced Way's life to the extent that he decided to start a band. Way wrote the song "Skylines and Turnstiles" to express his feelings about September 11 and shortly thereafter, Ray Toro was recruited because at the time Way couldn't sing and play the guitar at the same time.The name of the band was suggested by bass guitarist Mikey Way, younger brother of Gerard, who was working in a Barnes & Noble when he was struck by the title of a book by Irvine Welsh named Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance. The first recording sessions were undertaken in Pelissier's attic, where the songs "Our Lady of Sorrows" (formerly called "Bring More Knives") and "Cubicles" were recorded. The band refers to those sessions as The Attic Demos. After hearing the demo and dropping out of college, Mikey Way decided to join the band. While with Eyeball Records, the band met Frank Iero, the lead vocalist and guitarist for Pencey Prep. Following Pencey Prep's split in 2002, Iero became a member of My Chemical Romance, just days prior to the recording of the band's debut album. They recorded their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, just three months after the formation of the band and released it in 2002 through Eyeball Records. The album was produced by Thursday frontman Geoff Rickley after the band became friends with him while playing shows in New Jersey. Iero played guitar on two of the tracks, one of which was "Early Sunsets Over Monroeville." During this time, the band was booked at the infamous venue, Big Daddy's, where they began to receive more attention.

My Chemical Romance offered free downloads through PureVolume and the social networking website MySpace, where they gained an initial fan base.

Musical style and influences

My Chemical Romance's general style has been categorized as "alternative rock", "post-hardcore","punk revival","pop punk" and, most controversially, "emo". The band's official website describes their music as simply "rock" or "violent, dangerous pop". Gerard Way has publicly rejected the term "emo", describing the genre as "fucking garbage". However, Way has reportedly also described the band's style as "What-else-ya-got-emo".

Way said to Rolling Stone, "we love bands like Queen, where it's huge and majestic, but also bands like Black Flag and the Misfits, who would go absolutely crazy." Way has stated that the band is heavily influenced by Queen, Misfits, Black Flag, Iron Maiden, The Cure, Joy Division, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Smiths/Morrisey. Way has also said that his band patterns their career after that of The Smashing Pumpkins, another band they admire.

Band members

Current members

• Ray Toro – lead guitar, backing vocals (2001–present)
• Gerard Way – lead vocals (2001–present)
• Mikey Way – bass guitar (2001–present)
• Frank Iero – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2002–present)

Former members

• Matt Pelissier – drums (2001–2004)
• Bob Bryar – drums (2004–2010)

Touring members

• James Dewees – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals (2007–present)
• Michael Pedicone – drums (2010–2011)
• Jarrod Alexander – drums (2011–present)

Discography

• I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (2002)
• Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004)
• The Black Parade (2006)
• Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (2010)

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