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, or from U2 to Mott The Hoople.
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.
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!"
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.34below.comTrack List:
1. Operation Hollywood
2. Don't Look Back
3. How Long
4. Life Goes On
5. In The Blink Of An Eye
6. How Does It Feel
7. Alive
8. Downtown At The Station
9. Mary Jane
10. Leave It All Behind
11. Where's Johnny
12. All I've Waited For
13. All Of My Love
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