Hollywood Stock Exchange - Orange and Yellow EP

​Hollywood Stock Exchange

​Orange and Yellow EP
self-released; 2016

3.3 out of 5

By Ted Rogen
​

Juanes Boden (vocals/guitar), Michael Senoff (guitar), Angelica Pruit (bass) and Beaux Teves (drums) are a band from San Diego, CA, called Hollywood Stock Exchange. They just released a three-song EP entitled Orange and Yellow.

​It’s a DIY effort, which has the sound quality of a live demo. The band has a long way to go before they’re competitive with prominent indie rock bands but they do have some inspired moments along the way. Orange and Yellow has very broad indie rock songs that fail to establish a unique sound for Hollywood Stock Exchange. The songs are enjoyable and pleasant but have a harder time leaving an imprint after they are gone.

“Lady Hand Grenade” is the opener, which revolves around distorted guitar, drums, bass and a punk/rock vibe. The band still has some work to do as far as staying in the pocket, which isn't covered up by the production. You don’t hear any sour notes but the extreme tightness of a pro band isn’t quite there.

“The Dive” fares a bit better then the opener. There is a little bit more originality in this song but it also veered away from the vibe of the first song. It’s got a build up and some decent guitar work but the band still has some issues staying in the pocket. 

“Orange and Yellow” is the highlight. The band does a better job working off of each other’s chemistry and implements dynamics that weren't as apparent as on the previous songs. Overall, it is a solid song that could be improved more with some tweaking here and there. 

The band has stated that their biggest accomplishments so far is growing as musicians. That may sound marginal but the chemistry and sound of a band can take a long time to develop. There is some talent here but the band will need to continue to chip away at evolving as musicians if they hope to gain a large audience.

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