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The Band
Award
winning alternative-rock artist 34Below strips down in their
new unplugged album. An irresistible mix of pop and rock,
34Below's music defies definition yet appeals to the
mainstream. "We live for our music," says James who, along
with Ybarra, co-writes the majority of the band's material. "What else would you expect after growing up on an island
with nothing but a John Denver tape in one hand, an Abba
tape in the other, and what ever music the natives were
singing to you?"
Who they are is four high school friends
from San Diego, that have made a substantial impact with
their unique brand of carefully stylized, melodic music and
thought provoking songs. 34Below has been able to capture
that energy on Live At Dublin Square, which rocks with
thirteen live unplugged tracks. Compared to the likes of
Matchbox Twenty for their catchy melodic songs, or Queen for
the strong vocals and lead presence, their influences range
from Led Zeppelin to The Beatles, and from U2 to Mott The Hoople.
The Album : "LIVE AT DUBLIN
SQUARE"
Live
at Dublin Square comes hot on the heels of their last album
Is It You, which spawned four singles and gained them radio
airplay across the country. 34Below took full control of
this latest release by putting their producer hats on and
pulling in a good team to help capture one of their
memorable unplugged shows. They recruited Kristian Barbic to
record their performance. His live recording works in Europe
range from Jane's Addiction to the London Philharmonic
Orchestra. James and Ybarra then spent several days in the
studio with veteran engineer Tom Petros to get their perfect
mix down. Finishing touches came from Mark Chalecki, at
Capitol Records, where the album was mastered to its current
energetic state.
34Below was
formerly signed with NFE Records/EMI and has now since
departed to Blue Crown Records. "We are finally able to make
a living doing what we love," says Ybarra. They have
successfully taken advantage of the Internet and electronic
distribution channels to get their music out to the fans
while using the profits to fund their next studio album
scheduled for release this summer.
History
As
their popularity continues to increase, so do their busy
schedules. They are constantly writing new songs and in some
cases teaming up with other collaborators. James and Ybarra
have written songs with Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors,
hit songwriter Jeff Cohen, and many others. Of late, the
enterprising band has performed live with the likes of such
established artists as Sugar Ray, Lit, Vertical Horizon, The
Calling, Gin Blossoms, Pete Best (former Beatles drummer),
Switchfoot, The Pat McGee Band, Five For Fighting, A.J.
Croce, and even the highly touted comedian Carrot Top.
34Below's music has been featured on MTV's Road Rules,
ESPN's Surfer Magazine Live, and on the soundtracks
of surf films such as, Beyond the Boundaries and
Wanted.
The band,
which was formerly known as Liquid Groove, is also getting
ready for a heavy tour schedule. "We have worked long and
hard to get to this point," says Ybarra. "We plan to
continue to move in the only direction that 34Below knows
how to go — up!"
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