WESTLAND

Westland selected for 10 dates on Warped Tour '11 - Warped Tour - Dzambo Stage

MTV:
TEEN WOLF
WORLD OF JENKS
THE HARD TIMES OF RJ BERGER
NITRO CIRCUS
FANTASY FACTORY
PARENTAL CONTROL
SADDLE RANCH
THE REAL WORLD

E!
MARRIED TO ROCK
KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS
KHOLE AND KOURTNEY TAKE ON MIAMI
KIM AND KOURTNEY TAKE NYC
KHOLE AND LAMAR

OXYGEN:
BAD GIRLS CLUB
BAD GIRLS NEED LOVE TOO

SHOWTIME:
THE REAL WORLD - Westland

So the guys in Westland and Substream have developed a solid relationship over the past year as we have continued to keep our eye on these guys. We were very impressed with their first effort and are excited to hear that the band will be releasing something new this year. Included here are some "behind the scenes" photos of the band shooting their latest video as well as an inside take on the day from bass player Jeff Motekaitis.



Shooting our debut music video for "ILL PRAY FOR YOU" was both fun and tiring. It all started with a wake up call at 5AM as we had to start shooting around 7AM. The video was shot on a sound stage in Santa Monica, California with director Chris Cullari. Working with Chris and his crew was so much fun. Everything was recorded on just one camera which we thought was weird at first as we were used to seeing multiple camera shots in most videos.



The first scenes shot were Aaron's close ups which took a few hours. We also did individual shots before we shot the full band performance. After the 1st few hours of shooting it got very tiring and very annoying as we had to hear the song over and over with the click track. I think after the performance scenes, none of us wanted to hear the song anymore!! We did everything on a green screen and as you will see in the final video, there are two room colors, black and white. When the band plays its black and when its just Aaron and the girl, who is actually aarons girlfriend and actress Kelly Mclaren, it's white. We got to work with some pretty neat props in the video which made it all come together. We used manequins as well as red ribbon to tie it all in. Halfway through shooting, we came into a slight problem. Our drummers kit matched the green screen which wouldnt allow to show up on the video. We literally had to wrap his kit in the red ribbon which worked out great.

Twelve hours later we were done shooting the video. Everyone was relieved and excited over the fact that we did not have to hear the song anymore that day. Shooting the video was a great experience and we cant wait until we get to do our next one!



A big thanks to all our fans and stay tuned for our new video and record coming soon!
- Substream Music Press

See article in Sonic Bids Photo Section - AP Magazine

Scarlet Grey, Rookie Of The Year, Red Light Sky, Westland
September 12, 2010 by ken
Filed under Bands, Red Light Sky, Rookie Of The Year, Scarlet Grey, Westland
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Scarlet Grey, Rookie Of The Year, Red Light Sky, Westland, The Roxy – Sunset Strip, September 9, 2010
The Sunset Strip came to life on a Thursday night when The Roxy presented a strong collection of bands hailing from both the Los Angeles area and beyond. Those who ventured out on a weekend were treated to a wonderful night of entertainment, headlined by the up and coming Scarlet Grey – a band who is really making a name for themselves here in the Southland. A fine mixture of rock, pop, melodic punk, and even acoustic was to be heard and the night was certainly well worth checking out. The Roxy is always a place where dreams are made, and all the bands performing gave solid star-making performances.
First up was Westland from Boston, Massachusetts – a young power pop band who has lately been calling the road their home. Consistently on tour, a night at The Roxy was their time to shine, and the band did not disappoint all of the early arrivers. Songs such as You Said and I’ll Pray For You were received well and the band performed them with a sense of passion and urgency. Aaron Bonus was an especially expressive front man, making sure that everyone in the audience was having a good time and paying attention. Jon Cornelius and Ryan Bassett ripped it up on dueling guitars, both taking turns in showing the audience their impressive skills. Jeff Motekaitis on bass and Carlo Ribaix on drums brought everything home as the thoroughly professional rhythm section. Time on the road has served to make this hard working, ambitious band a tremendously tight unit. When they performed their slamming should be hit-single Don’t Take It Personal from their self-released album of the same name, there was no doubt they had gained quite a few new fans within the confines of an evening. A terrific way to kick off a show!
Up next was Red Light Sky from Los Angeles, who basically stormed the stage with a wildly impressive performance. Presenting a stunning mixture of hardcore, punk and pop rock, the guys come up with a rockin’ sound that is all their own. The band packed in a good deal of fans, all whom were singing along to each and every song. Facelift was especially striking and aggressive, about “vanity in LA.” Strong Enough was a powerhouse anthem that really sent the crowd into rapturous enjoyment. The Summer Lights was another highlight that won a big audience reception. The recorded version of this song features contributions from Nick and Omar of Hit The Lights. Matt Koruba is a dynamic, charismatic vocalist, very much in-your-face and singing his heart out. Guitarist Jussi Karvinen definitely turned heads with his driving punk-influenced axe work. Marc Wysocki also shined on the other end of the stage, contributing searing guitar and backing vocals. Supplying the low end and driving beats were Derik Envy on bass and vocals and Steve White in drums. Red Light Sky’s EP is coming out sometime this fall, and judging by the sweet tunes heard at the Roxy, the disc will be well worth checking into. With performances as fiery as what was witnessed at the Roxy, Red Sky Light is sure blast themselves out well beyond the City Of Angels.
The first time I saw Rookie Of The Year was at the first ever Bamboozle Left, which took place at Cal Poly Pomona in 2006. A revolving list of band members may have ensued since then, but front man Ryan Dunson is the driving force and creative power who has been with the project since its humble beginnings in 2003. Performing solo acoustic in a big club may be a daunting task, but Dunson pulled it off rather well, with many in the crowd singing along to the songs. Performing selections from the recently released album The Most Beautiful as well as a few other crowd favorites, Rookie Of The Year proved to be an old pro, commanding the stage with his remarkable, introspective material.
Headlining the evening was Scarlet Grey, a collective of pop-rockers from the Los Angeles area who drew quite an impressive weekday crowd at The Roxy. The guys blew the roof off the Roxy right away opening with a mega –rousing rendition of No Boys In The Ballroom. Next up with the title track from their recently released EP Fancy Blood, another inspiring slice of rock and roll, which had their various fans singing along and having a terrific time. A brand new song entitled Good Sugar was debuted – a fine art confection showing that the Grey boys are on the right musical track to success. Another highlight was the fantastic Mr. Sinister, an infectious blast of rock love whose “take off your dress” chorus will remain embedded in your head for the ages to come. The band closed with the wild and rollicking sounds of A Pirate Song, a gigantic crowd favorite that shivered the timbers of every single matey and lovely lass in the room.
Scarlet - Highwire Daze

See photo section for a copy of the article. - Substream Magazine

By: Cassie
August 26 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
Absolutely awesome!!
"Westland!"By: Sammy
August 25 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
Amazing cd, You Said is the best song ever!
"hgfhdhs"By: Sabrina Villarreal
August 21 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
love it
"GOOD!"By: Brooke
August 21 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
this was good good good good good :]]]


"Westland"By: Color Theft
August 4 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
Westland's sound is something fresh to a scene full of \"typicals\" and \"done before\" sounds. Their tracks are catchy and true, backed by driving guitars and a very pulling voice. It's so appealing, and yes it's \"pop\" but it's just so classy, plain and simple. Seriously, listen to these dudes because their doing it right and when your listening you don't have to think, \"wait is this somebody told me by The Killers?\".
"love it"By: Ellen
August 8 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
i love this album, it seriously blows my mind from the heart and soul lyrics, fresh and fierce guitars, driving drums, and sassy bass. seeing this band live would complete my life. this album is on repeat and you should have it on repeat too!! <3 <3 <3
"wow!"By: jen
July 3 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
very very very very nice!!!!!
"Great album"By: Dave
July 22 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
One of my favorite indie bands now. I just saw them live and they put on a great show
"awesome"By: katherine
September 2 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
I LOVE IT
"Westland~"By: Jenna
August 31 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
Beautiful~~all around :)
":]"By: Kayla
August 24 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
definitely two thumbs up! i like it alot. <3
"there amazing"By: kailey
August 24 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
i love this track i play it for all my friends
"westland"By: Tori
August 23 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
the cd was awesomeeee. i recommend it to all!
"Westland"By: Mak
August 23 2009
Rating:
5.00

Review:
Their music is really good!
- SmartPunk

For those of you wondering what the little brothers (not really) of Coheed and Cambria would sound like, look no further, as I have done the work for you.

The latest given to me by the boys at JPC3 (of Loomis and the Lust fame) gave me the latest cd by Boston rockers, Westland. Funny name for a band from the East, but at least they know where their hearts lie. Especiallly with their mainly- Californian upcoming Back to the U-Tour (GREAT SCOTT!), which will gain the love of several of the…finer specimens we have to offer here on the west coast.

Westland just released Don’t Take It Personal, an album that opens with a “let’s be really real” message to the ladies that the boys from Boston don’t have time for all the games all you girls play. I’ll say first that this is one of the best mixed albums I’ve heard from a first time around band in quite some time. Don’t get me wrong, the band has plenty of talent, but the mixing was the vehicle to get us to these up and coming heartthrobs.

As I said before, the album follows a theme of calling girls on their bullshit and living life to the fullest; with an additional head-shake to those guys feeling sorry for themselves. It’s rare that people from my generation get the concept of getting off their asses and doing something with their life. Also, I felt like the spirit of Coheed and Cambria was with the band, with front man Aaron taking the reins. C and C might have a run for their money with this vocal talent.

But what’s a good front man without his band? Ryan and Jon give their guitars the familiar pop love that we know and love, but with a little bit of extra edge to set them apart from the rest. The guitars throughout the album ring later on with power and the ability to stand up to pop rockers and college girls alike.

Jeff is a solid pop bass player, with a strong partnering to his awe wielding brethren. It’s nice to hear acoustic guitar and the bass becoming a tandem trip to keep the bands talent well groomed and energetic.

I think a standout member of the band however though, is drummer Carlo, who has his drumming talent down flat. But in conjunction with this, I liked the added electronic element mixed into songs like the intro to We Were. I also loved it during the title track, Don’t Take It Personal (at about the: 55 mark), and think it would set this band apart in the live show.

The whole album felt familiar, but in a good way. As I’ve said with pop music, its not really about making something new, but rather to make something familiar and do it correctly. I have faith that this band will be making its way to mainstream television fairly soon, and Im glad I was the one to introduce you. Check out their MySpace to find out (for the boys) when your girlfriend will leave you, and at what college campus. Ladies, if you like long haired rockers, get those skinny jeans and tight tops ready. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak
- Behind The Hype

Our single “Cold Sweat” has already received air time on ESPN’s “Big Monday College Hoops”. - WESTLAND

WESTLAND chosen too play The eXtreme Tour 2009. - WESTLAND

See photo section for article. - Substream

Chosen to play NAMM @ Anaheim Convention Center Ourstage NAMM Flyaway on Wanna Play Stage at Lennon Bus Plaza. Friday January 15, 2010. - John Lennon Song Contest

Westland finised in the Top 5 @ Motel 6 Rock Yourself To Sleep contest. - Westland

We finished first in the vote to open for Every Avenue but the politics of the music business prevailed. - Westland

Check out the show!!! - Westland