Two classic 1970s waltz ballad songs covered by Raincross Drive band. Rehearsal and recording at LoFi Studios in Redlands, ca. Arranged, recorded, edited and mixed by Raincross Drive band. Video Cameras help from Chris Thayer and Roy Swedeen. Raincross Drive band is: Mike Geoghegan, Ralph Torres and Kelly Mcguire
Raincross Drive is an acoustic-based trio out of the Inland Empire, California. Covering singer-songwriter hits primarily of the 60's and 70's, the group utilizes guitars, bass, piano and percussion, along with three part harmonies to create a sound that brings back yesterday to the older generations, and introduces it to the younger! The group performed live at Studio with a medley of tunes from the 70's.
Yoga Das is a 9 piece group that performs Kirtan music. Formed by Scott Miller, the other core members include Lisa Kekaula, Bob Vennum, David Taub, Miles Shrewsbery, Sura Das, Mikano, Bhana and Laura Cueva-Miller. The group has different pairings, depending upon the availability of the musicians. Kekaula and Vennum are The BellRays, a rock group from the Inland Empire and who tour around the world several times a year.
Yoga Das blends traditional Indian instruments (harmonium, tablas, tambura and a variety of percussion instruments) with Western instruments (electric guitar and bass). The group has four main vocalists (Kekaula, Sura Das, Scott and Laura Miller), and two or three background singers. This creates quite a "wall of sound" when the music builds and the audience sings along.
Kirtan is Indian folk music that incorporates sacred mantras using Sanskirt chants. Yoga Das mixes the chants into contemporary songs. "The Kirtan thing was Scott's idea," added guitarist Bob Vennum. "He's a great guy for injecting creativity and fun into stuff."
The group performed recently at Studio and recorded in front of an audience. Recording a nine piece group is quite a feat on it's own, even more when the session is performed to an audience.
Yoga Das' future is wide open. Miller has been working on an opera with the Indian pantheon of gods, infusing a BellRays song and western pop music into story lines "that people have been playing for 1000 years," said Vennum. "Anything is possible," says Miller. "We'll see where the Spirit takes things."
Paperplanes is a rock band from Long Beach, California. They recorded at Studio in December 2011. The band starts their spring tour in March 2012. In The Studio interviews Paperplanes band members about their music, ideas and home recording versus recording at a studio.
