Magic Giant | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Genres | |
Years active | 2014–present |
Labels | |
Members |
|
Past members | AJK |
Website | www |
Magic Giant (stylized as MAGIC GIANT) is an American alt-rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in early 2014. The group consists of Austin Bisnow (lead vocals), Zambricki Li (viola) and Zang (guitar).
Magic Giant released its debut full-length album In the Wind in 2017, and is best known for its singles "Set On Fire" and "Disaster Party" that each charted top 30 and top 25 respectively on Billboard's Alternative chart, and "Window" which charted top 40 on the Hot AC radio chart. [1] [2] The group has had multiple national TV appearances ranging from The Today Show to Good Morning America , and its livestreamed performance at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was part of the most livestreamed event in world history. [3]
Magic Giant was formed in early 2014 when songwriting partners Austin Bisnow and Zambricki Li were impressed by a video they saw of now-bandmate, Zang, salsa dancing. [4] [5] [6] [7] The group name originated as a reference from a TED Talk, in which visual artist Peter Tunney described his mentor, Jonas Salk, as a "giant", then clarifying it was not the man's physical nature he was describing, but his ability to think big. Inspired by this, the band motto became "You don't have to be big to be a giant". [8]
In 2015, Magic Giant released its freshman self-titled EP, notably featuring Dave Matthews Band’s Rashawn Ross and Capital Cities’ Spencer Ludwig and made the debut live performance of the year on KEXP's The Morning Show hosted by John Richards. [9] The group's song, "Let It Burn," was called "a summer festival anthem" by NPR. [10] New Music Seminar announced Magic Giant as an 'Artist on the Verge' Class of 2015. [11] [12] Past artists have included Macklemore, Banks, and Fitz and the Tantrums.
In 2016, the band played festivals including Electric Forest, Wanderlust and Lightning in a Bottle and sold-out venues including the Troubadour. [13] [14] [15] [16] Billboard described its live show as "joyful" and "inspiring mass dance-alongs." The trio's song, "Set on Fire" [17] [18] ranked #4 on Spotify's US Viral 50 and #1 on KROQ's Locals Only, presented by radio personality, Kat Corbett. [19] The group toured with Mike Posner, Beats Antique and Eric Hutchinson. [20] [21] [22]
The group released their debut album, In the Wind, on May 19, 2017. [23] [24]
The band was picked as Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month, appearing on NBC's Today show with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford where they performed live their hit "Set on Fire". [25] The group was also chosen as ALT 98.7's Artist in Residence. [26]
In June, Rolling Stone named the group one of 10 New Artists You Need to Know, calling "Set on Fire" the "perfect music festival fare." [27] Matt Pinfield named the song his Trending Track. [28]
"Set on Fire" had reached the top 25 on Mediabase's US Alternative Chart as of July 3, 2017. [29]
Their newer single "Window" had reached top 40 on the Hot AC radio chart as of December 10, 2017. [2]
The band toured with The Revivalists [30] [31] and Atlas Genius, and played summer festivals including Firefly, WayHome, and Arroyo Seco. [32] [33]
In 2018, the group was announced on Coachella's lineup. [34] Billboard named Magic Giant one of the "10 Awesome Bands playing Coachella 2018". [35]
The group released their single "Disaster Party" November 14, 2019, via S-Curve Records / BMG which had reached top 25 on Billboard's Alternative Chart as of June 13, 2020. [36] The trio says the song was inspired by the California wildfires, noting tragedies "actually can bring people together". [37]
The band co-headlined a US tour with rock band American Authors. [38]
The single made its national TV debut when the group performed it on Good Morning America [38] driving the track into the Top 10 iTunes ALT chart.
The group created and hosted a digital music festival called Live From Quarantine, raising over $100,000 for COVID-19-related causes with guests including Woody Harrelson, Edward Norton, David Blaine, The Lumineers, and more.
The trio has drawn comparisons to bands such as Imagine Dragons, The Lumineers, Walk the Moon, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Of Monsters and Men and Mumford & Sons. [39] [40] [41] [42] The group has cited influences including Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Julian Casablancas, John Hartford and The Avett Brothers. [43]
Camp Misfits is an annual summer-camp-style festival Magic Giant has been hosting since 2018. Set in the Redwoods of northern California, the gathering has been described as "a weekend nature retreat" and "a four day escape... with lots of music and activities". [44] [45] Past artists have included Drew Brown of OneRepublic, Zac Barnett of American Authors, Ben Thornewill of Jukebox the Ghost, POWERS, Victoria Canal, and comedian Danny Jolles.
From March to May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, MAGIC GIANT presented and hosted a 4-weekend digital music festival fundraiser on Instagram Live called Live From Quarantine, featuring performances and appearances from The Lumineers, Woody Harrelson, Jason Mraz, Edward Norton, Walk the Moon, The Head and the Heart, David Blaine, Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr., Edward Sharpe, LP, MAX, Chelsea Cutler, The Revivalists, Walk off the Earth, Local Natives, Ashe, Plain White T's, Allen Stone, Shakey Graves, Nahko Bear, Thievery Corporation, American Idol's Scarypoolparty, Shaed, Mondo Cozmo, Maggie Rose, and more. [46] [47] [48]
The festival raised over $100,000 for Frontline Responders Fund to get personal protective equipment to hospital workers and for MusiCares Coronavirus Relief Fund to offer grants to music industry professionals whose livelihood had been affected by the pandemic. [49]
Bisnow is lead vocals and plays synthesizer and electric guitar. He co-wrote/produced the title track for David Guetta's Listen featuring John Legend and has written singles for artists such as Steve Aoki, Big Time Rush, Paul Oakenfold and Jon Batiste & Stay Human. [50] In addition, he teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Benny Blanco to create the non-profit, Get Well Soon Tour, whose mission is to bring joy to hospitalized children through surprise visits from superstar musicians (Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5). [51] [52]
Li plays viola, violin, electric guitar, banjo, harmonica, cello, mandolin, octave mandolin, dobro, lap steel and sings backing vocals for the band. When Li was 12, he got hit by a car, and when he came out of a coma a few days later, taught himself violin in a matter of days through a rare brain trauma reorganization known as Acquired Savant Syndrome. [53] [54] Before moving to Los Angeles, Li studied under fiddle player Buddy Spicher (Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan) and songwriter Cowboy Jack Clement (Johnny Cash, Ray Charles) in Nashville, TN. [55] Li wrote and performed an original song for the film Paper Heart starring Michael Cera. [56] [57]
Brian Zaghi, professionally known as Zang, plays acoustic guitar, electric guitar, cello, upright bass, electric bass, percussion and sings backing vocals for the band. Zang is also a salsa dancer and Los Angeles native. [58] When Zang was younger, he played upright bass in the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic Orchestra. [53]
Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Adult Pop [59] | US Alt. [60] | ||||
2016 | "Set on Fire" | — | 26 | In the Wind | |
2017 | "Window" | 33 | — | ||
2019 | "Rocketman" (featuring American Authors) | — | — | Non-album singles | |
"Disaster Party" | — | 22 | |||
2020 | "Outta My Head" | — | — | ||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
Coachella is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. It was co-founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999, and is organized by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents. The event features musical artists from many genres of music, including rock, pop, indie, hip hop and electronic dance music, as well as art installations and sculptures. Across the grounds, several stages continuously host live music.
Forest for the Trees was an American music group from Los Angeles, California, started by Carl Stephenson and consisting of Mark Petersen, John "coz" Acosta, Papa Bear Martinez and other collaborators.
Dualtone Records is an American record label specializing in folk, Americana, and indie rock. It was founded in 2001 by Scott Robinson and Dan Herrington. The company is run by Robinson and the label's president, Paul Roper. Albums are distributed by the Alternative Distribution Alliance. On January 20, 2016, Entertainment One acquired Dualtone Records. Later, Dualtone's parent company eOne Music was acquired by The Blackstone Group in June 2021, with eOne Music rebranded as MNRK Music Group in September 2021.
Arkells is a Canadian rock band, formed in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records, and have since signed with Universal Records Canada and Last Gang Records. They have released eight albums: Jackson Square (2008), Michigan Left (2011), High Noon (2014), Morning Report (2016), Rally Cry (2018), Blink Once (2021), Blink Twice (2022) and Laundry Pile (2023). The band has been nominated for over 15 Juno Awards; winning Rock Album of the Year for High Noon and Rally Cry, and six times for Group of the Year.
The Billboard Live Music Awards is an annual meeting sponsored by Billboard magazine that honors the top international live entertainment industry artists and professionals. Established in 2004, it has thus been described as "part industry conference, part awards show".
Lars Christian Karlsson, also known by his stage name Bloodshy, is a Swedish record producer, DJ, and remixer known for his work with the musical groups Bloodshy and Avant, Miike Snow, Ingrid, and Galantis. He started his international music career as one half of the electro pop duo Bloodshy & Avant with Pontus Winnberg, producing and co-writing tracks for pop stars such as Madonna, BoA, Kylie Minogue, and Katy Perry. Bloodshy & Avant notably co-wrote and produced Britney Spears' single "Toxic", which earned them a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2005. While continuing to work with Bloodshy and Avant, Karlsson also became a member of the indie pop band Miike Snow around 2007. Miike Snow, the group's debut album, was released in 2009, and peaked at number 11 on the Top Electronic Albums chart in the United States. Miike Snow won the 2011 European Border Breakers Award, and their second album Happy to You reached No. 1 on the Belgian Heatseekers Albums Chart and 43 on the Billboard 200.
Young the Giant is an American rock band that formed in Irvine, California, in 2004. The band's line-up consists of Sameer Gadhia, Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Payam Doostzadeh, and Francois Comtois (drums). Formerly known as the Jakes, Young the Giant was signed by Roadrunner Records in 2009, and they released their eponymous debut album in 2010. The band's first three singles, "My Body", "Cough Syrup", and "Apartment", all charted on the US Alternative Songs chart.
Grouplove is an American alternative rock band that was formed in 2009 by Hannah Hooper, Christian Zucconi, Sean Gadd (bass), Andrew Wessen, and Ryan Rabin (drums).
Zsuzsanna Eva Ward, known professionally as ZZ Ward, is an American singer-songwriter.
"Ho Hey" is a song by American folk rock band the Lumineers. It was released on June 4, 2012, as the lead single from their self-titled debut studio album (2012). The music video was released on March 11, 2012. "Ho Hey" reached number one for 18 non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard Rock Songs chart, as well as two weeks in the top spot on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and eight weeks in the top spot on the Adult Pop Songs chart, and reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming their first single to do so, as well as their first top 5 single. It also reached number 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart, behind "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars. It is also their first single to be certified in the US.
The discography of the Lumineers, an American folk rock band, consists of four studio albums, seven extended plays, 19 singles, five promotional singles and 19 music videos. In 2011, the Lumineers released a self-recorded extended play. The release of the EP and extensive touring brought the group to the attention of Dualtone Records, which signed them in 2012.
Adult Alternative Airplay is a record chart currently published by Billboard that ranks the most popular songs on adult album alternative radio stations. The 40-position chart is formulated based on each song's weekly radio spins, as measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. The earliest incarnation of the chart was first published on January 20, 1996, as a feature in Billboard sister publication Airplay Monitor. In 2006, Airplay Monitor ceased publication after Billboard parent company VNU Media's acquisition of rival radio trade magazine Radio & Records, which then subsequently incorporated Airplay Monitor's Nielsen-based Triple A chart.
The Revivalists are an American rock band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2007. The eight-piece band consists of Ed Williams, David Shaw, Zack Feinberg (guitar), Rob Ingraham (saxophone), George Gekas, Andrew Campanelli, Michael Girardot, and Paulet "PJ" Howard.
Galantis is the Swedish group of electronic music of record producer Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson. Formerly, it was a duo, alongside rising musician Style of Eye, until he decided to part ways with the project shortly after their sophomore album The Aviary in 2017. However, he made appearances in live performances and music videos as part of the project up until 2021.
Austin Bisnow, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and lead singer of the band Magic Giant. He has written and produced songs for artists such as David Guetta feat. John Legend ("Listen"), Big Time Rush, Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Steve Aoki & Moxie Raia, and Paul Oakenfold, where he was also the featured artist. In addition, Bisnow has collaborated with Akon, Aloe Blacc, Diplo, will.i.am, American Authors, Cody Simpson, Adam Levine, Gym Class Heroes, Benny Blanco, Mike Posner, Claude Kelly, Beast, Sammy Adams, and Cisco Adler.
"Wish I Knew You" is a song by American rock band the Revivalists. The song was written by the band and was produced by Ben Ellman. The song peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart, becoming the band's first chart-topper on the chart. The song also found success on a number of other rock radio formats, as well as adult contemporary stations. This song had also set a record in May 2017 for the most plays (spins) ever recorded during a week's time for any track on Alternative/Modern Rock radio since the inception of Mediabase tracking systems in 1988.
Surf Curse is an American indie surf rock band formed in 2012 in Reno, Nevada, and now based out of Los Angeles. Created by Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck (guitars), the band now also includes Henry Dillon and Noah Kholl. The band achieved mainstream success after their song "Freaks", written in 2011 and first released in 2013, became popular on the short-form video platform TikTok in 2020.
88rising, formerly known as CXSHXNLY, is an American music company that founder Sean Miyashiro describes as a "hybrid management, record label, video production, and marketing company".
Mt. Joy is an American five-piece indie rock band based in Los Angeles with roots in Philadelphia. They consist of members Matt Quinn, Sam Cooper (guitar), Sotiris Eliopoulos (drums), Jackie Miclau (keyboards), and Michael Byrnes (bass). The band debuted in 2016 with their single "Astrovan", recorded in Los Angeles by Quinn, Cooper, and Byrnes. This was followed up in 2017 by the trio of singles "Sheep", "Cardinal", and "Silver Lining", with "Silver Lining" eventually charting at the top spot of the Billboard Triple A charts. On March 2, 2018, they released their debut eponymous studio album. Between the next two years, Mt. Joy performed at festivals and on tour as support acts, as well as headlining a North American and European tour. After a tour with The Lumineers was cut short due to COVID-19, Mt. Joy released their second studio album, Rearrange Us on June 5, 2020. Their third studio album, Orange Blood, was released on June 17, 2022.
Homecoming: The Live Album is the fifth live album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé, released on April 17, 2019. Recorded in April 2018 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, the album features the entirety of Beyoncé's performance at the festival, which has since been described as "historic" by a number of music critics and media outlets. Two bonus studio tracks – a cover of Maze's song "Before I Let Go" and "I Been On" – follow the live recording, bringing the album's length to just short of two hours.