LIQUID SUMMER: VASAS

There will always be summer and, it seems, there will always be bands like Sacramento's Vasas, who mine the season into a sunny kind of soft-psychedelia. That's not to short-change anything these guys do, mind you, Vasas are great and there's something definitely hypnotic about these songs. It's the kind of pop I can really get behind. Sweet while avoiding the pitfall of being overly syrupy. Refined without turning into a skronking mess.   

I also didn't think I'd be saying this is 2015, but some of these songs really remind me of Modern Life Is Rubbish-era Blur. That's the thing though, in the heyday of Brit-pop, like 1993-1995, there was a massive neo-psych influence floating around and whether consciously or no, Vasas has totally picked up on that sound. Twenty years on, it's weirdly cool to hear it again, especially when "psych" these days is so disparate it's really hard to know what you're getting into.

We're excited to have Vasas this year at Total Fest XIV and considering neo-psych, just check out this video:

SWEET LEAVES: BENNY & THE JET RODRIGUEZ

Rewind a handful of Total Fests ago and these people, this self-proclaimed "pot-punk" band from San Pedro, totally took me by surprise. I feel that's the general consensus with how Total Fest works with a lot of people (you go for some bands, love a lot more) but Benny & The Jet Rodriguez completely stood out when they played the Top Hat at whichever Total Fest that was (12?). 

Dunno what it is, man, I mean they probably got that "stuff" that is next to impossible to quantify but oh lordy, it could just be the Total California Vibe that at least coming from them, doesn't sound so overwrought or a gimmick or really anything but straight-up fun-loving punx doing that thing they do and yeah, they're doing that thing at Total Fest. Again. It's gonna be another Perfect Summer so prepare, dooods. Get blazed.


ALLEY CAT by Benny The Jet Rodriguez. Directed by Abby Banks from Abby Banks on Vimeo.

YES WE 'MUURICAN WITH AMERICAN LIES

We hereby welcome Glendora, California's American Lies to Total Fest XIII!

This quartet delivers heartfelt tunes of a melodic and/or punk nature. Folks might remember being stoked when they played Missoula around the spring of 2012, which seemed fairly recent 'til I realized that was about two years ago. Anyway, American Lies provides an excellent soundtrack for jumping around like a dork at their live show, or for hanging out at home with a PBR and feeling some feels.

(The dudes also play some rad Saves the Day acoustic covers when the right mood strikes, as I vaguely recall.)

Stream American Lies on Bandcamp. (KW)

WATCH THE WORLD BURN WITH MEDIA BLITZ

Set to play Total Fest XII, Orange County, California's Media Blitz deliver a blast of raging, thrashy punk and hardcore, with no song over 2 minutes and definitely no shortage of riffs or ripping solos. This young group is fronted by one hell of a frontman, whose snotty, angry delivery is reminiscent of Calfornia punk bands from yester year. And I'd like to believe that perhaps the band is named after the Germs song of the same name. Darby would be proud.

Their recent full length Burn the World is a great introduction to the band's pissed off, explosive hardcore. The LP can be streamed in full on their Bandcamp page.