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Perro Bravo

Mike "Miguel" Happoldt has one of the most unique vantage points on the Sublime phenomena. Not only was the Long Beach co-founder of Skunk Records present for just about every step of the band's career, but he was also their producer, recorded on their albums and ostensibly became the fourth member of the band back in their glory days.

Though he moved on to form his own group, Perro Bravo, it's no mystery why his sense of nostalgia and respect for that time period and the late Brad Nowell is as strong as ever. Before Happoldt's band (featuring Greg Lowther and Mike Long) takes the stage at the Roxy on March 14, they slid us a copy of a tribute to Nowell and Sublime called the "Last Ska Song" that probably serves the only reggae-rock oral history of Long Beach's most influential band.
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Shannon Nehls / OC Weekly

Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano at Sutra

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Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano @ Sutra

Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano have carried on the Dutch legacy as house music's elite producers and DJs, with gigs all over the world, after practically being discovered by Swedish House Mafia's Steve Angello in 2011. The duo stormed through Orange County this weekend for a highly anticipated return to Sutra in Newport Beach. Thanks to the guys at the Social, Creative Source and Till Dawn Group, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano managed to transform Sutra's usual Top 40 Friday night spot into an EDM heaven (let's cross our fingers this is a trend we will see more of). We spoke to the fast rising stars who emerged on the EDM scene in 2009 after their Feb. 8 show to find out what it's like to party with the Swedes, why Chuckie is one of their biggest influence, and more about their track being released this week.

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Courtesy of Robert Sorey Photography

Shane Vikus and Daniel Minaya

OC's very own Minaya & Vikus will hit another milestone in their careers today as their long awaited original track "Overdrive" hits Beatport courtesy of Boiler House Records. Already having a remix released in September on INTOTHEAM Records which reached #4 on the Progressive House Top 100 Release Chart, "Overdrive" is much bigger than their Archie's "Desire" remix. They collaborated with fellow Orange County producer Spiro to create something that is a lot more electrifying with an in-your- face punch of big room progressive house sure to rock dance floors everywhere.

"It was great getting in the studio to work with Spiro," says Daniel Minaya. "Our sounds are very similar in a way so once we all got together the ideas came about naturally. We knew exactly what kind of track we wanted and just went for it." Minaya & Vikus have been on fire this year after being hand-picked from a DJ contest to open for Swedish House Mafia's Steve Angello at the Hollywood Palladium. Since then they have headlined their own shows all over OC, LA and Las Vegas. Besides being recently signed to AOC Talent Agency, just last weekend Minaya & Vikus played another Insomniac Event featuring the legendary Pete Tong with Eats Everything and Audrey Napoleon at Exchange LA.

See Also:
*Minaya & Vikus' Blockbuster DJ Double Team
*Steve Angello's Size Matters Party - Hollywood Palladium - 5/12/12
*Eats Everything is Pudgy, But Gets a Better Onstage Workout Than the Average DJ

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The Shrills

We all need a wake-up call on Monday morning. We've definitely got a weird one for you, courtesy of Locals Only alumni the Shrills. Few things compliment the awakening aroma of fresh brewed coffee like werewolf howling, woozy garage beats and bursts of psychotic doo-wop. Last month, we mentioned that the Orange County quintet made their sonic pilgrimage to the Distillery in Costa Mesa to hammer out a new album. Under the guidance of eccentric engineer Mike McHugh, the band is busy honing a sound that pays tribute to a horde of old-school names like the Leaves and the Shirelles with an extra helping of A.D.D. and  Misfits-style story-telling for good measure. Things appear to be going well. The band, fronted by head-splitting vocalist/guitarist Dan Simmons and guitarist/vocalist Zack Grimm, dosed us with an exclusive cut from their unreleased, as-of-yet untitled album.

Without question, a song like "Home Alone" offers a haunted, groovy peek in to the Shrills twisted psyche from the opening chords. Lyrically, there's no telling what the song is really about at first listen--aside from,uh, being a homebody. But aesthetically, it feels like staying indoors with this band could be quite an adventure, one that will leave you a bit scarred but still smiling at the end. Check out the song after the jump.

See Also:
* The Shrills Produce Psych-Punk That Bleeds With Insanity
*Top 25 Greatest Orange County Bands of All Time: 25-15
*BLOK to Headline an Extra Spooky Edition of Plugged Into Local at Alex's Bar, Oct. 24

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Highlands

It's no secret that Tuesday afternoons can drone on pretty badly after your lunch has settled. So we're glad that today we can use the word "drone" in a slightly more uplifting context, thanks to an afternoon song leak by the psychedelic shoegazers, Highlands. The Long Beach quartet just dosed us with a four-minute blizzard of fuzzy, swirling distortion they call "Railroads," the lead single from their forthcoming album Singularity. 
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Trayvon Martin

​As news continues to unravel daily surrounding the killing of Trayvon Martin, a number of rappers have already recorded songs expressing their feelings about the 17 year-old African-American youth shot to death by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida. Chaka Khan and musical guests also went into the studio to re-record "Super Life" in the teenager's memory. Two nights ago, Bruce Springsteen dedicated "American Skin (41 Shots)" to Martin at a concert in Philadelphia.

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​From the man who brought us "Rifles Burs" and "Snacks" comes a new song/video called "Imdabes." It's already blowing up Youtube, so I'm going to go head and call it now: It's an instant classic, the kind you don't take home to mother.

On the track, Gillionaire tells listeners that he "be the one that win Street Fighter tournaments," "got the highest score in the world on my SAT" and that he's in the best at "watching all them '90s videos -- Power Rangers, All That, Kenan & Kel."

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Orange County hardcore/metal hybrid Bleeding Through just posted a new song titled "Goodbye to Death," a track from the band's latest, The Great Fire, slated for a Jan. 31 release.

As you might expect, the song is heavy.

Recently, I interviewed Bleeding Through guitarist Dave Nassie and asked him specifically about this song, which I assumed was a reference to Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (sure, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is a classic, but in my humble opinion, Bogus Journey is one of the greatest and most underrated sequels in film history). I won't give away Nassie's answer, but I will say this: Sadly, it's not about that hilarious scene in which Bill S. Preston, Esq., and Ted "Theodore" Logan play the Grim Reaper in Battleship, Clue, electronic football and Twister.

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