Pangolin

Enter “pangolin” into Google and you would find a definition of a scaly anteater native to Africa and Asia. But Pangolin is also the name of the UCLA-based alternative rock band which is opening for rock band Dawes at Royce Hall today at 7 p.m. as a part of the UCLA Arts Party.

Upon learning about pangolins in his African art history class, fourth-year anthropology student Joshua Halpern, who sings and plays guitar for Pangolin, said he liked the idea of naming the band after the animal.

“You have to have an aesthetically pleasing name, and the fact that it is a kind of obscure animal allows for some of the mystery factor and speculation,” said lead guitarist Reuben Moss.
“But (the pangolin) is also pretty cute, if you look at it.”

Though Moss attends Stanford University, he met fellow band mate Kevin Farzad, a fourth-year anthropology student, through Farzad’s roommate. Moss and Farzad realized they had similar musical tastes, and through Farzad, Moss met Halpern. The band now has five members, including second-year ethnomusicology student Owen Clapp on bass guitar and Halpern’s older brother B. Willing James, who plays the drums and the acoustic guitar.

“I think what’s cool about (Pangolin) is that we have a wide range, something for everybody. We try to keep (our music) accessible … but we also have a heavy side,” Moss said.

Some of Pangolin’s influences include Radiohead, Nirvana, Beck and ’90s alternative rock. According to Farzad, Pangolin’s music combines various elements from psychedelic rock to Halloween sounds.

“We definitely still have that hokey vibe, but we have also evolved a lot as we’ve grown as a band. … All of our influences and obsessions have kind of banded together into some weird Frankenstein-like creation,” Halpern said.

Although Pangolin’s music has a general psychedelic sound, Halpern said it varies from song to song.

“Each (song) occupies certain moods that one of us or all of us were in when we were writing it. In that way, our catalogue of music reads kind of like a biography of someone – each song captures a different state of mind and something that we were going through at the time,” Halpern said.

Farzad said the band encourages audience involvement and enjoyment.

“I want (the audience) to not sit down, but that will be hard at Royce because they are really nice seats,” Farzad said. “When you see a good show, comedian or movie, afterward you feel good and uplifted and you walk away happy, or you have learnt something or just had a good time. That’s what I’m hoping the audience gets out of (our performance).”

Pangolin has played in the L.A. area at the House of Blues, Westwood Brewing Company, Kerckhoff Hall and Ackerman Union, but getting a performance in Royce was a surprise, according to Halpern.

“It’s really cool that we are going to open for (Dawes), a band that has some acclaim and notoriety in the area. It’s been something really fun to work toward, because we have known for a couple of weeks that we are going to be playing at Royce, and it’s really motivating,” Farzad said.

According to Halpern, Pangolin will hopefully play more venues, make an album, get more fans and go on tour. For now, some of its songs can be heard on Facebook and Myspace. Pangolin will also be performing at the Key Club on Sunset on Feb. 24.

“I really base how well we are doing on how good a time the people we are playing for are having,” Halpern said. “My favorite part of performing is when that really clicks and there is a solid communion between band and audience.” - Daily Bruin

Music by Pangolin
Directed by Lucas Miller
Director of photography Nick Schapiro
Edited by Alex Zielinski

Guitars courtesy of WIlling Guitars
http://www.willingguitars.com/ - youTube

Student rock bands at UCLA are few and far between, and it isn’t very often that you hear about a campus party featuring live music. But members of one of UCLA’s active student bands – Pangolin – are working to change that. With their funk rock sound, Pangolin is bringing a new variety of live entertainment to UCLA students.

Since Pangolin’s inception in 2009, friends and fans have been turning out in good numbers for the band’s appearances on campus and at apartment gatherings. While many students may be satisfied with the hip-hop and electro beats that are ever-present at campus parties, Alex Greve, a fourth-year applied math student and Pangolin bassist, is one student who said he wishes things were a little different.

“We started (Pangolin) because there weren’t any bands,” Greve said. “I know of a few people in bands, but they only come together for Spring Sing.”

Pangolin formed last summer when Greve met third-year anthropology student and current Pangolin drummer, Kevin Farzad, in a jazz combo ethnomusicology class. The combo class was open to students of all majors, and it allowed the two musicians to develop a creative relationship that would last long after the class ended.

“We got to play music every week, and we just kept playing over the summer,” Greve said.

By the end of the summer, Pangolin came together as a band.

Although Greve and Farzad said they classify Pangolin as a rock group, it is easy to recognize influences of both jazz and funk in the band’s music.

According to Greve, Pangolin sounds like a mix of circus rock and funk. Greve said he is personally influenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sly and the Family Stone and Parliament Funkadelic.

Pangolin’s unique and entertaining sound has already led to several great party experiences. Farzad said he really enjoys playing for friends – especially when they start to let loose because of the music.

“There are few things more fun than playing at a party while your friends tribally dance,” Farzad said.

In addition to playing at parties, the band has also played shows on campus. Their most recent appearance was on April 26 at the Kerckhoff Grand Salon in promotion of the Fair Trade Coffee campaign.

Lizzy Grandsaert, a third-year art student, offered up her positive opinion of the band that night.

“I’ve seen them three times,” Grandsaert said. “They’re really energetic.”

But Pangolin doesn’t get by on energy alone; talent and teamwork also factor into the band’s musical endeavors. Each member has written songs, and each member plays multiple instruments. In this sense, Pangolin embodies the spirit of the collective.

“Every couple of months, we find the time to get together for a week or so, spending every waking hour jamming, recording and hanging out,” Farzad said. “This summer, we’re all moving in together to really pursue this project.”

Greve said that being in a band has allowed him to learn the real meaning of team effort. As an aspiring music producer, Greve said he strives to be as helpful as possible in the production department for the band.

“(Production) is my main thing,” Greve said. “I try to produce some of our recordings, but that’s been more of a collective effort.”

In the competitive academic environment at UCLA, it is easy to place one’s individual goals and desires above those of others. But for the songwriting environment with Pangolin, Greve said, you have to think about the entire group and not just yourself. - Daily Bruin