The Orange Effect

The Orange Effect caught our ears with sparkling three-part harmonies and a tuneful approach to songwriting, both of which the Anaheim quartet have been cultivating for the past year or so. Lacing old influences (Bob Dylan, John Denver) through newer ones (Fleet Foxes, Wilco), their debut EP, We All Yell, sounds about like you'd expect—pastoral, guitar-driven, new-old-sounding folk-rock.

Made up of Blake Flattley, Matthew Preston, Timothy Bauer and James Carroll, the band are heading to Austin to hijack South By Southwest, which jibes well with their spirit of kindhearted indie hustle.

Bauer also puts together a Christmas compilation of local musicians, Winter Is on Our Head, to benefit the Orange County Rescue Mission. We caught up with Preston to talk about the band's genesis, its name and its sound.



OC Weekly: Why the name? Weren't you worried it was stating the obvious?

Matthew Preston: The name is actually a reference to Agent Orange, which is something that James' dad unfortunately was exposed to during the war. None of us are from Orange County, so when we were coming up with a name, we didn't really give much thought to the idea that people would assume it would refer to Orange County. But even if it were a bit obvious, we don't think of that as a bad thing. If there really were such a thing as an "Orange Effect," and our name calls people to question what kind of effect Orange County has on you, then we can live with that. Plus, we are big advocates for vitamin C.



How did the band form?

Preston: Blake, Tim and I all went to college together and played music while we were there. We met James through Jim's Music Shop in Tustin, and we just kind of clicked. We messed around for a little while trying to define our sound in a classroom full of instruments, and we started picking up things that looked interesting and tried to find something that worked.



Where are you playing at South By Southwest? Is it a showcase?

Preston: We have our hat in the ring for a few showcases out there. We have a few leads, but nothing is concrete. We'll play on a street corner if we have to. We are big believers in the idea that you can't be a part of the conversation unless you speak. We are staying at a friend's house with a recording studio, and we are hoping to collaborate with some local artists out there, maybe a few that aren't local as well. But most important, we just want to talk to people about our music.



What's the biggest thing that's happened to you as a band?

Preston: In December, we released our first EP, We All Yell, and sold out our CD-release show. Being a part of the Orange County Music Awards has been a really cool thing for us. We also are playing a fund-raiser show on April 23 with Young the Giant at the House of Blues in Anaheim to help raise money for James' brother, who is in need of a heart transplant. It is going to be the biggest show we have played.



Why did you decide to put Winter Is on My Head together?

Tim Bauer: I was laid off from an in-house graphic-design position, and I decided to help some local causes while I was building my freelance design business. I was inspired by the Dark Was the Night compilation that the National put together, and I basically just went for it. I did the design work myself, and a lot of friends donated their time and efforts to raise some money for a worthwhile charity and promote some great local music.

This column appeared in print as "Art and Soul." - OC Weekly

This is a video review of the night. - OC MUSIC AWARDS

Costa Mesa’s “anti-mall,” The LAB got a special sonic treat when the OC Music Awards brought the performances out from the usual courtyard setting to a larger stage in the parking lot. Gorgeous fire pits were lit up campfire-style in the chill weather, heat lamps were warming the hands of the many audience members, and the sounds of I Hate You Just Kidding ,The Orange Effect, Brothers of the Castle , Fast Forward Romance and the Case Brothers warmed their musical cockles.

Included in this festive outside jam were delectable treats from popchips, Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, and $3 bottles of Bud Light at Zipangu.

The affable boys of The Orange Effect took the stage singing in their tight, pretty signature 3-part harmonies wearing the quintessential indie rock garb of plaid and jeans. While they may look understated on stage, The Orange Effect is an acoustic toe-tapper, encouraging the audience to sway in synchronicity to their positive tunes.

Just as promised, they have plenty of diverse instruments on the stage including what looked like an electric mandolin, a harmonica, a xylophone, and slushy little sleigh bells. On stage, the band has that same comfortable energy as dudes just hanging out and chilling with their best friends. One band member encouraged the audience to buy their EP saying, “That’s how we make all our money,” while another retorted, “Just kidding. We don’t make any money,” before they broke into an apropos tune.

The theme of the night was seemingly brothers and the handsome lads of Brother of the Castle kicked off this musical journey into brotherly love. Twin brothers, David and Daniel Alcala, took the stage with the other brothers in their more wired-up band, The Relative Strangers. Each pair were wearing practically matching outfits. It’s hard not to be wooed by the classicism in the brother’s musical prowess or their broad, engaging smiles. Daniel Alcala is a vocal star with a sweet, true vibrato that many modern vocalists don’t have the pipes of fully possess.

The star performance of the night was probably I Hate You Just Kidding. Expecting just the two of them to step on stage, Jessi Fulghum and Jeremy Brock brought other musicians on stage, including a violinist. While this was an acoustic performance, there is something incredibly electric about Fulghum and Brock’s performative quality. They posses an organic polish and star quality that is hard for other artists to master without filtering and production. Fulghum is a vocal gem.

Comprised of a previous OC Music Awards “Best Live Acoustic” winner, the Case Brothers brought their modernized version of soft-70s singer-songwriter rock to the stage. Something about Cory Case’s voice and style evokes a sense of retro charm without sounding too much like he is reworking old classics. Here was another pair of perfectly talented brothers singing to their Orange County music brethren.

The cherry on top was definitely the closing set by Fast Forward Romance. It’s surprising that this charming, marketable, and incredibly good-looking musical duo hasn’t garnered a record contract yet.

Not only are they the perfect package, Natalie Distler and Kyle Archer are pure, raw, old-fashioned talent. Looking beyong the beautiful facade, Distler has one of the most beautiful female voices we’ve heard in long time: professional, unique, and extremely poignant live. Fast Forward Romance is one of those bands that benefits from a live stripped down performance. Sunshine-y and infectious, they got the audience dancing, laughing, and smiling non-stop.

- KROQ

?Finally, the nomination ballots are in, and the 2011 nominees have been announced. Some artists are past winners, while other nominees are fresh faces to the OC scene. The OC Music Awards added two new categories for this year: Best Youth Artist and Best Music Video.

Yet to be announced are the Outstanding Achievement Award for OC Impact and Lifetime achievement, as well as the Best Live Band and Best Live Acoustic acts. Lastly, the OC Music Awards would like everyone to participate by casting a fan vote, which means you can help your favorite showcase band advance to the finals (if they have not made it). And you can vote here for your favorite OC band to receive the People's Choice Award.

And the nominees are....

2011 OC Music Awards nominees
(Nominees listed in alphabetical order)

Best Album
Connect The Dots - Stacy Clark
Dahga Bloom - Dahga Bloom
Hot Tropics - The Growlers
Nightmare - Avenged Sevenfold
Sounds People Can Hear - The New Limb

Best Song
"Birds and Stuff" - The New Limb
"My Body" - Young The Giant
"Nightmare" - Avenged Sevenfold
"Touch and Go" - Stacy Clark
"Witchcraft" - Matt Costa

Best New Artist
Jake McMullen
Pithy Sweet
Preacher's Sons
The Gromble
Railroad To Alaska

Best Alternative
Echo Echo
Melee
Stereofix
Thrice
We Are the Arsenal

Best Blues
Blues Bettie
Parker Macy Blues
Roman Alexander & the Robbery
Savage City
White Boy James and The Blues Express

Best DJ
DJ Midnight Snack
DJ Thrifty Lips
DJ Velvet Touch
Kedd Cook
ToeJamz

Best Country/Americana
Billy Kernkamp
Michael Ubaldini
Preacher's Sons
The Fallen Stars
The Orange Effect

Best Electronic
BLOK
Electric Valentine
Mphase
My Hollow Drum
Speaker Junkies

Best Folk
Honeypie
I Hate You Just Kidding
Nicole Vaughn
Skee and the Motion Detectors
Yellow Red Sparks

Best Hip Hop
Blok
I & I
Loose Logic
My Hero
Wildboys

Best Indie
Kiev
My Pet Saddle
The Colourist
The Steelwells
Young the Giant

Best Jazz
Chris Williams
Evan Stone
Nancy Sanchez
Tony Guerrero
Toulouse Engelhardt

Best Latin
Aparato
Nancy Sanchez
Renacer
Signa
Taller Sur

Best Metal
Avenged Sevenfold
Death by Stereo
Division Divide
Pistolero
Railroad To Alaska

Best Pop
Canvas
Runner Runner
Stacy Clark
Taylor Warren
The Bolts

Best Punk
Audacity
Death Hymn Number 9
Fiction Reform
Social Distortion
The Sparring

Best Rock
Dahga Bloom
Jeramiah Red
Railroad To Alaska
Sederra
Stereofix

Best Surf
Alejandro's Awesome Surf Band
Gantez Warrior
Hindu Pirates
The Growlers
TRMRS

Best World
The Dirty Heads
Reel Big Fish
Seedless
Starpool
The Aquabats

Best Music Video
"Amalgram" - Halos
"Birds and Stuff" - The New Limb
"Every Song" - Argyle Smile
"Not Enough" - Stacy Clark
"Our Fabled Little Rabbits" - The Steelwells

Best Youth Artist
Amanda Lamb
Aurora
Breach the Summit
England Street
Ugly Paint
- OC Weekly

The 2011 OC Music Award nominations are in and local metal outfit Avenged Sevenfold, last year’s best pop winner Stacy Clark, 2010's best indie act the New Limb (pictured above) and metal group Railroad to Alaska are leading the pack, scoring numerous noms each.
It’s an impressive mix of genres in the best album category which includes Clark’s Vanguard Records debut, Connect the Dots, Avenged’s chart-topping Nightmare, Dahga Bloom’s first self-titled release, the Growlers’ Hot Tropics and the New Limb’s Sounds People Can Hear.
Social Distortion gets a nod in the best punk category this year – though this is curious since Mike Ness & Co. didn’t really do anything in 2010 – I’d like to see them nominated in 2012 in the the best rock and best album categories with Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, which just dropped on Tuesday.
Other categories that will be announced at the awards ceremony on March 5 at the Grove of Anaheim include: Outstanding achievement awards for O.C. Impact and Lifetime Achievement and best live band and best live acoustic showcase winners. Fans can still vote for their favorite showcase artist in the People’s Choice category online at ocmusicawards.com.
(Click here for a complete listing of OC Music Awards best live band and best live acoustic showcases).
And the nominees are:
Best Album
“Connect The Dots” – Stacy Clark
“Dahga Bloom” – Dahga Bloom
“Hot Tropics” – The Growlers
“Nightmare” – Avenged Sevenfold
“Sounds People Can Hear” – The New Limb
Best Song
“Birds and Stuff” – The New Limb
“My Body” – Young The Giant
“Nightmare” – Avenged Sevenfold
“Touch and Go” – Stacy Clark
“Witchcraft” – Matt Costa
Best New Artist
Jake McMullen
Pithy Sweet
Preacher’s Sons
The Gromble
Railroad To Alaska
Best Alternative
Echo Echo
Melee
Stereofix
Thrice
We Are the Arsenal
Best Blues
Blues Bettie
Parker Macy Blues
Roman Alexander & the Robbery
Savage City
White Boy James and The Blues Express
Best DJ
DJ Midnight Snack
DJ Thrifty Lips
DJ Velvet Touch
Kedd Cook
ToeJamz
Best Country/Americana
Billy Kernkamp
Michael Ubaldini
Preacher’s Sons
The Fallen Stars
The Orange Effect
Best Electronic
BLOK
Electric Valentine
Mphase
My Hollow Drum
Speaker Junkies
Best Folk
Honeypie
I Hate You Just Kidding
Nicole Vaughn
Skee and the Motion Detectors
Yellow Red Sparks
Best Hip Hop
Blok
I & I
Loose Logic
My Hero
Speach Impediments
Best Indie
Kiev
My Pet Saddle
The Colourist
The Steelwells
Young the Giant
Best Jazz
Chris Williams
Evan Stone
Nancy Sanchez
Tony Guerrero
Toulouse Engelhardt
Best Latin
Aparato
Nancy Sanchez
Renacer
Signa
Taller Sur
Best Metal
Avenged Sevenfold
Death by Stereo
Division Divide
Pistolero
Railroad To Alaska
Best Pop
Canvas
Runner Runner
Stacy Clark
Taylor Warren
The Bolts
Best Punk
Audacity
Death Hymn Number 9
Fiction Reform
Social Distortion
The Sparring
Best Rock
Dahga Bloom
Jeramiah Red
Railroad To Alaska
Sederra
Stereofix
Best Surf
Alejandro’s Awesome Surf Band
Gantez Warrior
Hindu Pirates
The Growlers
TRMRS
Best World
The Dirty Heads
Reel Big Fish
Seedless
Starpool
The Aquabats
Best Music Video
“Amalgram” – Halos
“Birds and Stuff” – The New Limb
“Every Song” – Argyle Smile
“Not Enough” – Stacy Clark
“Our Fabled Little Rabbits” – The Steelwells
Best Youth Artist
Amanda Lamb
Aurora
Breach the Summit
England Street
Ugly Paint - OC Register

Not too long ago, I had covered the Orange Effect at the Detroit Bar. Since then, the band has finished their four song album: We All Yell! And more impressively, they’ve really tightened their live show.

The Orange Effect played at their birthplace: Café 10:31 in Anaheim California – a small coffee shop attached to a church. And it’s the perfect place to truly watch the Orange Effect. That’s not to say I don’t see a future for the band, but a smaller and personal venue really enhances the connection to the band, especially when the venue was packed to the point that it overflowed into its patio.

The setlist lasted 13 songs: most of them were unheard of previously at any other show. To classify the Orange Effect would be a discredit to them. Their variety weighs from Americana and Indie Pop Rock to Medieval New Age and Instrumental Rock. They played their classics like Money, Drive, When I Leave, Sing It Out, and Old Mister Winter. Additionally, they had new songs like “Quaint Looking,” “Dump Truck,” and “New.”

The two features that stand out most in the Orange Effect that you can only see at a live show is their felicity with instruments. During a set, Matt, Blake, and Tim will switch through a variety of instruments from normal instruments such as guitars and pianos to offbeat single use items like sleigh bells and Mndolins. But the most interesting thing is that these single use items are used by different members at different shows.

Personally, my two favorite songs are a new song named RAM in which they had the previous bands (Alex Rhodes and Dawson and Marie) sing along with them and Bombs Away, their finisher. RAM is an absolutely upbeat song sung by Tim with everyone else joining as chorus. The song incorporated whistling reminiscent of Andrew Bird, and Tim’s voice carries a timber like a cross between Weird Al and John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats. The best part of RAM though is its catchiness and the band’s ability to get the entire audience to sing along as well.

Bombs Away on the other hand is by far my favorite song. It’s a multi-movement song that incorporates alternative rock to instrumental rock. I’ve stated before that it has an outro with the quality of Explosions in the Sky, but there’s something still amazing about watching them shift instruments on stage.

Considering that this was the CD release party, each attendee received a free copy of their CD. Honestly, the CD is more of an EP considering it only has a total of four songs, and after watching their latest show, four just doesn’t do them justice. They have so much more amazing music that it leaves me wanting more. The four songs included on the CD are Drive, When I Leave, Sing It Out, and Bombs Away. They’re all fantastic songs in their own right, but their true strength lies in the fidelity and unity they have in their live show. The atmosphere and energy the band puts out as they exchange and switch instruments truly is dazzling.

During the outro for Bombs Away, the plug on Tim’s bass was knocked out. It was an unfortunate event that had no real lasting effect on the great show performed by the Orange Effect.

You can find them at the OC Acoustic Show Case on January 25th. - OC Music Magazine

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the OC Music Awards kicked off on January 4th with seven weeks of free showcases at different venues across the county. 35 local artists will compete for the titles of Best Live Band or Best Live Acoustic and a performance slot at the 2011 OC Music Awards, March 5 at the Grove of Anaheim. And, the voting is open now!

Surrounding the juicy, vitamin-rich, life-giving core of an orange is a bitter covering that must be peeled away to expose the goodness within. The sunny Americana-folk sound of Anaheim-based band, The Orange Effect, has just the sort of inspiring sonic effect that can affect the human heart. Part of the charm of The Orange Effect is that they pull off the acerbic husk of life for you, penetrating through the drudgery of life’s daily struggles with sweet, jangly instruments and fluid, meaty power pop chords.

Considering the affect an orange-centric culture has had on the Southern California climate, The Orange Effect is the perfect accompaniment–in both metaphor and musicality.


Like an orange split into perfectly complementary quarters, The Orange Effect’s Blake Flattley (Vocals/Guitars/Piano), Matthew Preston (Vocals/Guitars/Keys/Percussion), Timothy Bauer (Vocals/Bass Guitars/Percussion/Keys) and James Carroll (Drums/Percussion/Sound Manipulation) may have come from different locales and backgrounds, but energetically they all possess the same amiable, gladdening quality that can be lacking in some bands who are trying to be too cool for school. Slightly ironic since the band’s first rehearsal space was in a school which gave them access to the plethora of weird and wonderful instruments they now use in their live show.

On top of having an unlimited amount of creative tools, Carroll works at a music store and sold them their gear, which is part of The Orange Effect’s origins. Preston elaborated:

“James worked at the music store that we all shopped at. He always used to sell us gear. He still sells us gear, but it’s cheaper now.”

Flattley added: “In this [band] form, probably about a year and a half ago, we started getting together, kind of writing and toying around with the idea…and then we got serious about a year ago.”

Although they’ve only been passionately working on The Orange Effect for about a year, each member has such extensive experience that it makes their EP, We All Yell, sound like a more mature band. With melodic qualities similar to the organic, harmony-rich vocalizations of Fleet Foxes, the mellow-toned, midtempo rock of Band of Horses, and the fun, folksy power pop of Camper Van Beethoven, The Orange Effect have transcended the boundaries of indie to create music that can appeal to the musically discerning masses.

With their self-acclaimed talent being folk-tinged “three-part harmonies,” The Orange Effect is definitely not lackadaisical with their detail-oriented, collective songwriting process. Bauer explained:

“Our songwriting process has taken on a lot of different forms. We’re all songwriters, so it’s gone from kind of an individual thing to us working together as a group. We have kind of a general rule like, ‘If you bring something to the band, you better be ready to be vulnerable with that.’ We play an idea. We tear it apart. We reconstruct it.”

The general support and evolution of the Orange County music scene seems to have motivated every single member of The Orange Effect in a different, yet equally powerful way with other rising bands like Young the Giant, Delta Spirit, and Pacific Hurt being major influences.

Arizona-born Preston came from a town with little music scene to offer beyond the local obsession with marching bands, so Orange County proved a refreshing change of scenery:

“In Orange County, most bands are really supportive of each other and there seems to be a real connection and general helpfulness.We’re all trying to get to the same place. There will be a lot of people that show up to your show and after the show give you some honest feedback…It seems to be a little bit of a community out here.”

Carroll, who grew up locally agreed:

“I grew up in Long Beach and I kinda did the Long Beach music scene for a little while…Orange County definitely has its own vibe with all the different bands coming out of OC right now. It just seems like a hodge-podge of really good music…A lot of the groups are kind of raising each other up.”

“There just seems to be this scene going on that’s been really hot and exciting to be a part of. Just a lot of great bands coming out. I’ve been stoked to be a part of it.”

All this Orange County pride can make one instantly assume that their name is a derivative of how living in Orange County has affected them, but it actually has a deeper, more emotionally charged meaning that The Orange Effect was initially evasive about, vaguely saying that ”The Orange Effect in effect is always evolving. But it has to do with life, with relationships, with being real. It truly is taking on several different forms of how it plays out.”

While this definitely holds true, the real meaning behind the name is a lot more powerful. Flattley relayed a heartbreaking, yet inspiring story about Carroll’s father:

“James’ father fought in Vietnam and was unfortunately exposed to Agent Orange. As a result, he returned from Vietnam alive but in a full body cast. When he came off the plane, he was bombarded with garbage and food.”

“Eventually his dad did pass away when he was a teenager as a result of this. So, there was kind of this thought that even though you may or may not agree with what happened there, he gave his life for the people of this country.”

Bauer added: “I would say there’s a huge political theme in our music, but kind of a theme that it’s important to be aware of what’s going on.”

And hopefully, in the end, the negative effect of Agent Orange will be counterbalanced with the positive effect of The Orange Effect.

“We as a band have decided to stand–through our music, through what we do for something bigger. It’s kind of about making a difference in the world, being a part of the community, and sacrifice.”

“But, it’s also not just about what’s going on in the world, but what’s going on with yourself and your family. Just recognizing what’s important in life.” - KROQ

"the Orange Effect drew in the crowd that night and delivered an unbelievably satisfying show"

"Their coordination on stage is simply amazing as they move to reach other instruments; even during mid-beat"

"The most amazing piece is the vocals: Matt, Tim, and Blake all sing lead and backup depending on the song or the movement. It’s harmony at it’s finest; with three voices"

"The Orange Effect’s musical style is debatable. I heard people call it Indie, Folk, Country, Rock, and a variety of combinations. I call it Americana, but as I’ve stated – it’s debatable. What you can’t debate, however, is how much the crowd cheered for them that night." - Orange County Music Magazine