Haley Joel Osment – also known as the Pay It Forward kid. Anna Clumsky – also known as the My Girl kid. Lindsey Lohan – also known as the Parent Trap (or parent nightmare) kid. Drew Barrymore – also known as Elliot’s kid sister. Frankie Muniz – also known as Malcolm (in the Middle). Fred Savage – also known as the Wonder Years kid.

Each was a spotlight kid – a child star. And some grew up to be adult stars too, whether that means being the guy in the director’s seat for Ugly Betty and Modern Family like Fred Savage; or racing driver for Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race and Formula BMW USA like Fred Muniz or being the founder of Flower Films and producing romantic favorites like 50 First Dates and Music and Lyrics like Drew Barrymore.

But the band Spotlight Kid isn’t inspired by any of the child stars of Hollywood. It’s inspired by the sixth album released in 1972 by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. Captain Beefheart, the stage name of Don Van Vliet, was a musician ahead of his time who dabbled in experimental versions of Jazz (using even jingle bells and marimbas) and other arrangements of music that could be credited as marking the origins of New Wave.

On their choice of name, Spotlight Kid said ‘(Founding member Chris Davis) chose this title as the band name I think solely because he likes that album. Personally, I don't think the other guys including myself know too much about Mr. Beefheart or his music.” Described as a bit of shoegaze band, Spotlight Kid comprise Chris Davis on drums, Rob McCleary, Katty Heath on vocals, Karl Skivington and Chris Moore on guitars and Matt Holt on bass.The band made their debut in 2006 with a critically acclaimed LP called Departure before receding into a hiatus of 4 years. They returned last year with the EP Crystal Dreams and recently released 7” vinyl double A-sideAll is Real/April.

On the influences of the band, ‘As a band we're into different music but we could probably find a link which binds us together. A couple of us are into the shoegaze bands such as Slowdive, Swervedriver, MBV and so on, but we're equally, if not all into bands of today such as Interpol, The Horrors, The Joy Formidable etc …there …isn't one band or genre of music that defines us. On what the band would identify as its defining track, Spotlight Kid said "Can't Let Go (this feeling)" - It defines the band…love it on record and playing it live, and it's guaranteed to get us a cheer from the crowd. It's a perfect pop song!”

Check out their music here:

All is Real

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Can’t Let Go

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Take Some Time

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There’s A Reason Why

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Somewhere in what Forbes Magazine called one of the most beautiful campuses in the world, amidst some of the oldest gothic architecture in America, is a professor who became the inspiration for the song that has made Walk The Moon, a band to watch out for in 2012.

Anna Sun was released by the Cincinatti quartet on their independently released album, I Want! I Want!  Although the inspiration of the female fanbase of How I Met Your Mother, Josh Radnor (the much loved Ted) also schooled at Kenyon, the band Walk the Moon discovered their muse in a professor from the college.

Frontman, Nicholas Petricca’s professor is reportedly the inspiration behind the band’s debut single, Anna Sun.

The last time a teacher was an inspiration for a song, The Police got involved.  That was in 1982’s Grammy award winning single from The Police called Don’t Stand So Close To Me.  And then there was Lulu with To Sir With Love and Teacher Teacher by 38 Special.  But Walk The Moon’s song, although inspired by a professor, is not about having a crush on a teacher or appreciating teachers – it’s about celebrating the youthfulness of college life.

As Petricca explains, ‘"It's about college, about maintaining that little bit of being a kid…Don't be afraid to play."  The videoclip to the song features Petricca going from room to room of gatherings of people partying but the most memorable room of all is a tunnel that he winds up in, where everyone is wearing spandex and starts dancing like The Hangover tribute to Olivia Newton John.  Petricca eventually stumbles upon a door that opens to the great outdoor and everyone sports tribal face paint and charges at each other with territorial grit and might and then start dancing.

The band’s songs are simple summer-sun Indie tunes that are definitely repeat-worthy for radio!

Band members: Nicholas Petricca: lead vocals, keys, synthesizer; Kevin Ray: bass, vocals; Sean Waugaman: drums, vocals; Eli Maiman: guitar, vocals

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He mouths his own hi-hat and records his music at home. He writes with the same irresistible honesty that made the Plain White T’s all that we need to get through the wonder years of love, and he has the same easy-going vocal charm as Jack Johnson floating on a guitar with bubble toes and all, but sings with that understated rock-impassioned vocal tenacity that makes John Mayer the boy that every girl wants to be a guitar to.

It’s no small wonder why new Indie artist, Asela Perera is one of the most requested Sri Lankan artists on TNL. Folksy summer tune Lets Build A Taj Mahal, taken off upcoming EP, Paper Boy, appears to have a permanent slot on the Criminal Records Most Wanted chart on TNL.

Paper Boy is the follow up of 2010 EP, Fickle Kings and Drama Queens, which featured a more gutteral vocal style from Asela. His debut release of music however, was a compilation of recordings done at home, which were collectively released as The Simple Plan in 2008. The songs were off-the-wall experimental compositions, from the hauntingly beautiful drum and bass influence and piano plunking of Head Over Heels, to the solitary tinkle of a Triangle over an acoustic guitar on the title track, each single was delivered with yearning wails and quiet stories of love.

On Paper Boy however, Asela promises to have found his niche sound, one which originally appeared if you listened carefully, on Simple Plan. That niche seems to be the folksy and indie style of easy-going acoustic-based summer tunes.

The EP features vocal contributions from Isuru Dayaratne who also designed the cover art. Asela’s personal favorite off the EP is his first instrumental composition, called 20:55. The EP is due to be released August 25th 2011

Lets Build a Taj Mahal

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Fickle Kings and Drama Queens

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The Simple Plan EP

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The vocalist from recently reunited Indie band Pavement, is back with an album with a little help from Beck.

Stephen Malkmusand his band The Jicks, which formed shortly over ten years ago following the hiatus of Malkmus’ original band Pavement, have now teamed up with Beck Hansen for the first time for production of their upcoming album, Mirror Traffic.

Malkmus, who was a ‘grease yakka’, to use Sri Lankan terms, in his adolescent years – stomping his way on the roofs of his neighbors after inebriation, is the kind of guy who doesn’t do things the usual way.  He teaches himself guitar by playing the legends - Malkmus learnt guitar by listening to Jimi Hendrix’ Purple Haze.

He is also the kind of guy who would get through college DJing and a job as a security guard at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, before eventually getting down to doing what he would be famously talented for – making music.

Malkmus formed the band Pavement, in the early 1990’s with Scott Kannberg and the band quickly became popular as one of the first underground Indie bands of the grunge decade.  Shortly after its hiatus, Malkmus formed another band called The Jicks, which released its first record as Swedish Reggae and released two albums entitled Real Emotional Trash and Pig Lib.  The Jicks also contributed to Malkmus’ self-titled debut solo album.

Armed with a Fender Jazzmaster and a Gibson Les PaulGoldtop, and a Fender Stratocaster, Malkmus is a understated legend in his own rite, although not as glamorous  in fashion-fame as other Indie stars.  He is now making bolder solo efforts with his music.  He used the Stratocaster for the reunion concert of Pavement last year.

Mirror Traffic is the band’s fifth album and includes recently released single, Tigers.

Tigers

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Other songs by Malkmus and The Jicks

Gardenia

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Real Emotional Trash

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Baby Come On

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Jo Jacket

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