Tangents & The Times

Originally published by The Land Salmon, RIP.

It’s a freshly fall night, the tail end of September, as the line starts to extend down the block outside The Echo in Los Angeles. There’s a buzz along the wall as patrons turn into fans- strangers talking to one another about new EP’s and constant whines wondering why we haven’t been let inside. Finally, a man predictably dressed in black opens the door and begins slapping wristbands on. The club is empty but before I even get my beer, the floor is filled.

I was busy peeling the labels off my Stella Artois when the crowd started cheering. I made my way to the front as four young men took the stage. They were all smiles and laughs behind their mops of hair, strapping on their instruments. A modest smile creeps up on the singer’s face as he approaches the mic to announce that Voxhaul Broadcast is ready to go. He barely finishes his sentence before the guitars start up. David Dennis takes a breath and begins wailing, the crowd reacting simultaneously, dancing and singing along with him.

Voxhaul Broadcast does have a way of getting everyone’s toes tapping. The crowd eats up their happy-go-lucky psychedelic melodies with their funk fusions like a stoner dives into a bowl of peanut butter Capt’n Crunch. The native Orange County quartet of David Dennis (guitar/vocals), Phil Munsey (bass), Tony Aguilar (guitar) and Kurt Allen (drums) first came to be in 2004 as Blvd. Since their humble high school beginnings in San Clemente, the group has continuously revolutionized their own music. With each passing year, you can hear new sounds infiltrating their already stellar musical styling. From folk to funk and soul to kazoos, they’re bringing it all to you in one terribly talented and absolutely adorable package.

I doubt half of the crowd knows of the turbulent and triumphant past year the boys of Voxhaul Broadcast have had. First, they released their second EP, Shanty Town, in late 2006 as Blvd. Early 2007 brought a lawsuit over the name and Voxhaul Broadcast took effect, which confused many fans. “Well,” David Dennis starts, “it was kind of funny the way that name came about. We had a bunch of prospective names and one was Foxhole Broadcast. They didn’t like it so jokingly I said, ‘What about Voxhaul Broadcast?’ Our manager liked it because there’s a car called a Vauxhall. It’s not an anagram or anything, just an accident.” Under their new name they released their third EP, Rotten Apples, and began vigorously touring the west coast. Their touring continues throughout the year with a major city tour starting mid-October, which includes a spot at the CMJ Fader Party in New York. They also begin their residency at the Echo in February.

The show goes over without a hitch and the crowd (including myself) was enthralled with the performance. Energetic, vivacious and more than talented, Voxhaul never ceases to satisfy their fans’ practically insatiable appetite for good hearted tunes to shake their silly hipster asses to. I was lucky enough to squeeze some time in with David Dennis. He’s the quiet type you’re not sure what to expect from. But the interview was as enjoyable as his performance; he has a great sense of humor keeping me entertained with his collection of cartoon-esque voices. He gave me the scoop on where Blvd. came from, where Voxhaul is going, some thoughts on the almighty Beatles and that hey, he’s lived off Top Ramen too.

Interview with David Dennis after the jump.

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