Review of Supernova – April 15th, 2005
Move Ova’ for Liquid Blue’s Supernova!
By Marty Owens
The music’s red-hot and can only speak for itself; and that’s saying a lot. Liquid Blue’s CD entitled Supernova lives up to its definition; a large star exploding and suddenly appearing in the sky – for everyone to see. Their sound is hip, intellectually explosive, inspirational, unique, and incredibly comforting to the ear. This seven-piece San Diego-based band has toured six continents and 60 countries. I guess that’s why they have such a magnificent globally cohesive sound that mixes sounds from the Indian sub-continent, Latin America, West Africa, Europe, and tempos of the Caribbean.
The band’s beautiful eclectic sound is destined for success with the talented Scott Stephens (keys & vocals), Michael Vangerov (guitar), Rocket Rodriguez (bass & horns), and Kris Marshall (drums). But wait a minute, did I fail to mention the three very talented and beautiful female singers. These starlets have grace, pipes, and presence. With Nikki Nova (vocals & keys), Layla Loxa (vocals), and Kristen Kelly (vocals) – move over Gwen Stefani, Madonna, and Cher!
Valley Scene caught up with the band and here’s the inside scoop:
VS: So how long have you been playing together?
LB: Since the original project (Supernova) started in 2003.
VS: Who’s the genius behind the band’s creation?
LB: It all started with Scott Stephens’ dream.
VS: When and where do you plan to tour?
LB: This year we are scheduled to perform in Asia quite a bit, including China, as well as many local California shows. In the last 3 years we’ve performed in 60 countries.
VS: Wow, that’s a lot of frequent flyer miles! So where are you from originally?
LB: Originally, Michael and I (the founders) are from Los Angeles and grew up in Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley. The band is San Diego based, with all members living there.
VS: Whom do you make your music for?
LB: Liquid Blue, the band, has idealistic goals backed by realistic efforts and expectations. For every action, there is a reaction. Positive actions bring positive results. In musical terms the premise of this philosophy is that every song, every album, every concert can make a difference. The real goal of Liquid Blue isn’t to necessarily change the world, but to change one person, or one attitude at a time and to change ourselves in the process.
VS: Who influences you and your sound?
LB: Yes – Bob Marley, Martin Luther King, Peter Gabriel, Cesar Chavez, Suzanne Vega, Nelson Mandela, Sam Phillips, The Rolling Stones, John F Kennedy, The Beatles, David Bowie, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ralph Nader, Ravi Shankar, Jimmy Carter, NAS, John McCain, Black Eyed Peas, Gandhi, Genesis, Mother Teresa, Muhammad Ail, Jon Anderson, Joan Baez, Kofi Annan, The Ramones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Shirin Ebadi, Sting, The Peace Pilgrim, Paramahansa Yogananda, Moby, Leo Tolstoy, New York Dolls, Bob Dylan, Alan Cranston, Madonna, Howard Zahnister, Live, Albert Einstein, Sex Pistols, Sparks, Lenny Kravitz, Ansel Adams, Prince, Cheap Trick, Sly Stone, John Muir, Pearl Jam, Iggy Pop, Dave Matthews, Paris, Ani Difranco, and Bob Dylan.
Liquid Blue’s founder, Scott Stephens explained, “The message of Liquid Blue is one of love. Not human love, but higher love.” He has vows that the band will never write or record a human love song. “Not that there is anything wrong with human love; it is truly a wonderful thing, but 90% of popular music is devoted to this subject, while other important topics get much less ‘airtime’.”
Liquid Blue’s interpretation of love is that of care and concern for others. This translates into themes of peace, freedom, equality, civil rights, human rights, concern for the environment, etc., which are common threads in the music of Liquid Blue. The result of a “higher love” philosophy and action is a better planet to live on. -Less conflict, more harmony.
To learn more about Liquid Blue, log onto www.liquid-blue.com.
