TONE BLAIR

.. .. "SoCal has an insatiable thirst for gloomy, Joy Division-inspired dance rock, and On Blast is their new vodka-Red Bull." -SPIN.COM
A good band relies on gimmicks to get ahead. A great band lets the music do the talking. You want proof? Ask On Blast. The Long Beach, Calif. quartet has created a sound that’s best described as a mash-up of musical influences from The Doors to Portishead. With two keyboards, a guitar and a mic, On Blast serves up electro-retro; a 70’s bluesy rock blend of catchy tunes with electro melodies.
These influences might seem unrelated, but singer Josh Brown, guitarist Travis Raab, producer Tone Blair and multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Andy Kiddoo have the goods to take fans on a smooth transition through a myriad of sounds that has everyone from Long Beach to San Francisco bopping their heads and shaking their moneymakers.
On Blast was swimming in a sea of unsigned artists when they sent a demo to every media outlet in Southern California. The waiting game began, but it didn’t take long before KROQ disc jockey Stryker introduced listeners to their music during drive time. The track became their first single, “Wanna Lose Control,” and the pulsating rhythm and trance-like hook sent every A&R guy in town scrambling. That’s the sort of radio real estate usually reserved for major label bands with million-dollar budgets, not four guys living out of a warehouse-turned-studio. With their heads in a daze, these suits-and-ties were treated to the bluesy after-hours club groove of “One of Those Days” and the combination of a beautifully lonesome melody and melancholy string section of “Next to You.”
This notoriety helped the blossoming band gain weeknight slots at every Long Beach venue. Again, most of the acts headlining these Friday and Saturday nights were established artists. But On Blast had something better than a popular name – a sound uniquely theirs and a devoted fan base clamoring for more. Local show after local show, the On Blast buzz was getting stronger and people were beginning to take notice.
On Blast took a massive leap from local band status when they signed a contract with a new label called Streetlife Records. The company is operated by Pablito Vasquez and some guy named Jerry Heller. Maybe you’ve heard of him. He’s the brains behind the Eazy-E/N.W.A/Ruthless Records empire, Marvin Gaye, War, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Ike and Tina Turner, Creedence Clearwater Revival and all sorts of other seminal rock bands that both parents and teenagers agree on. This discovery helped solidify what was suspected but unconfirmed until now: On Blast is the real deal.
The dynamic act continued their list of amazing feats which included an opening slot in front of 5,000 people on New Year’s Eve with DJ Steve Aoki, Peaches and Justice, a logo designed by Mr. Cartoon, and an album mastered by Brian “Big Bass” Gardner.
On Blast is ready for more. Are you?